Search "asics" 5 Items

Stepping Hill EP Kicks off with a classic cut ‘Planets’ a straight up Bruk workout, reminiscent of the original CoOp days when Seiji’s Loose Lips was running the dance red hot! These crunchy Bruk step drums keep this jam running with vocal chops, talking philosophy about the planets and language, while lush chords, bleeps and a fat round bassline roll through to keep the energy moving, what else does one need to fling foot on the floor! (Try saying that fast!) One for the steppers! The second track takes us on a more 2 step UKG vibe, baring the other strings to Szajna’s bow. ‘Pavement groove' is a proper soulful roller featuring London born, Manchester based Yemi Bolatiwa, a talented vocalist and songwriter who is a leading light of the Manchester music scene. Working with orchestras, bands and DJs in a range of different genres, a versatile performer as her recent single, ‘Water’, showed. On Szajna’s ‘Pavement Groove’ Yemi’s soulful vocals flow in and out of the 2 step rhythm and jazzy chords with low end sub basses laying foundations to the groove. Then to finish off the A side Szajna pulls out Tape Cut, another sweet roller, more breakbeat than Broken-beat but still chopping it with that Bruk essence. Chords and percussion dance with the drums until a hypnotic flute introduces itself. It’s uplifting, playful, beatsy, bassy with dubbed out FX, a perfect bridge to the B side. B1 rolls in with D.R Juice, a fave in the office, hitting all the right buttons in a Bruk dance floor sense. Dark and moody with proper chunky broken drums syncopated with this stab that gives the whole thing a kind of wobble while dubbed out sirens bleed through the tight hi-hats and deep bassline. We’ve been playing this one for a while and can’t wait to mash the dance with this one ! All you Bruk Steppers, S P R E A D O U T ! Like you’d need any more after that, Szajna lays down more soothing soulful garage esq beats on ‘Feeling’ with singer songwriter for The Darling Mundaring, London based, Crystal Alice, who has gathered a wide respect for encapsulating music that draws the listener into an unforgettable and intense experience, vocalist Crystal entices the listener with her soft sultry melodies that tell stories about love, loss, life and redemption. Finishing off with Low ft Rosco G, skippy drum patterns once again keeping up that nod to UKG with piano chords and a muted Miles Davis style trumpet from Manchesters Rosco G. Smooth as you like, a laid back head nodder, that gangsta lean shit. Early support from IG Culture (CoOp), Worldwide FM, Tuck Shop Music, Alex Nut (Eglo Records), Don Pascal, Mark Tilley, Mikey Do

Presented in a double vinyl gatefold edition with two beautiful paintings by Tenerife painter Sema Castro. For fans of Sun Ra, Alice Coltrane and every single mystic brother and sister carrying the free spiritual jazz torch! Dive Deep! Spectacular mystical jazz infused psychedelics from Canary Islands’ cult band GAF. Using a series of different add-ons to their (already obscure) band acronym GAF (Grifa Ambient Factory) such as Love Supreme Arkestra or GAF & La Estrela de la Muerte amongst a few, the Tenerife based band illustrate clearly what mutation or influence they’re feeding through (their mind) by the judicious use of these referential add-ons. Rotating around the vision of local lynchpin, Mladen Kurajica aka Bonni, Keroxen label head, festival organizer, producer and musician with numerous projects including helming the GAF outfit. The Love Supreme Arkestra variation here being the more Coltrane leaning (Alice rather than John) and Sun Ra- esque influenced thematic of the 6 piece band. Over a series of 7 huge sounding themes, we can hear twirling saxophones, trumpets, marimbas, modulars and rhythmic sections intertwining like flying spiral snakes over a burning sea of lava. Recorded live and freely over a completely improvised jam session on a sunny afternoon in the mountainous region of La Esperanza in Tenerife, the band lets rip free of any previous albums particular sound choosing instead to purge into a world of musical liberation by embracing the aforementioned pioneers of the genre whilst unconsciously absorbing in their surroundings - as an additional inspiration for musical freedom. The result really shines through its 74 mins of mind blowing adventurous music. A journey to the peaks of the Teide Volcano and down the green valleys, into the blue and black volcanic coasts of liberation!

Greg Dowling and Shane Johnson return to the Go Deep label for their third album, ‘This Bit of Earth’. Beginning work in the relative normality of 2019 and finishing over the strange summer of 2020, the resulting music mirrors the thoughts that such upheaval brings out - our world and our place in it - while also functioning as a kind of travelogue of journeys past and planned, real and imaginary.

Mixing samples with modular synths, programmed drums with jazz loops, and quirky plugins with outboard gear, the album ranges far and wide while retaining a warm, natural core sound.

The title track opens proceedings on an ambiguous note. A simple double bass motif weaves around a misheard vocal sample, layers of piano and vibraphone take up the call, and the whole thing gradually spins off axis to a distorted, disjointed finish. ‘Suburban Key’ follows on a groove of busy drum work and deep sub bass, the stately piano and strings setting the stage for an undulating synth solo.

Further in, ‘Alice on Jupiter’ takes a deep breath and blends field recordings, gently swelling pads, modular bursts and a recurring picked melody.

‘Back Trace Dub’ strolls the imagined streets of Irish author Kevin Barry’s ‘City of Bohane’, noting the “taint of badness” in the air and revelling in the tense, dub-noir atmosphere. Later on, the spoken word intro of ‘I Could See’ expresses the dread of confinement and the relief and ecstasy of release, a theme the music reflects as it steadily builds to a joyful climax.

And closing the album on an optimistic note, the languid, emotional Culatra Ferry remembers better, beautiful days in the sun and looks hopefully forward to more.

Swedish multi-instrumentalist Blameful Isles returns with his next full length LP, Ereeséon. The album, written during a period of intense transition, marks an abrupt change in Blameful Isle's sound. Where his previous work was rooted in spiritual jazz, Ereeséon takes root in the sound of late 80s and early 90s IDM and the golden age of electronic music. Created fully with hardware sequencers and all analog gear, Blameful worked within the restraints of this minimal setup to push his music as far as he could. By forcing himself into a new and uncertain creative realm, the resulting music is mysterious, minimalistic and intensely emotional in its simplicity, echoing the artist's experience while preparing for fatherhood. Ereeséon explores themes of innocence, nostalgia and exploration; a monumental work sure to please listeners of all varieties.

Swedish multi-instrumentalist Blameful Isles returns with his next full length LP, Ereeséon. The album, written during a period of intense transition, marks an abrupt change in Blameful Isle's sound. Where his previous work was rooted in spiritual jazz, Ereeséon takes root in the sound of late 80s and early 90s IDM and the golden age of electronic music. Created fully with hardware sequencers and all analog gear, Blameful worked within the restraints of this minimal setup to push his music as far as he could. By forcing himself into a new and uncertain creative realm, the resulting music is mysterious, minimalistic and intensely emotional in its simplicity, echoing the artist's experience while preparing for fatherhood. Ereeséon explores themes of innocence, nostalgia and exploration; a monumental work sure to please listeners of all varieties.