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Step Time Orchestra was the collaborative work of producers Jori Hulkkonen and Toumas Salmela, who began producing music together in the nineties whilst studying in Oulu, Finland. Whilst all their friends would be getting up early to go to university, they would only just be going to bed, having spent the night listening to house records from New York, drinking Whiskey and programming their MPC 2000!
Step Time produced a slew of tracks during this time, some of which were licensed and pressed on 12" singles during the late nineties/early noughties on labels operating in North America and Europe, but not everything they made saw the light of day. Heavily influenced by labels like Ibadan and Spiritual Life Music at the height of the New York House Scene, 'Jazz Error NYC' and '2am in Africa' were never signed, not fitting the profile of their other releases at the time, they were left in the drawer and sadly forgotten!
Skip forward to Winter 2016, and FBNM's Lorenzo, whilst over on a DJ excursion, visits Jori in Finland. Keen to keep working together, he presses him for something uniquely special. Magically, the Ajos E.P jumps out of the drawer into Hulkkonen's hand, and as it turns out, it has aged with a rather remarkable grace. Written using a combination of MPC sequencing and an Atari ST powering vanilla Cubase for some midi programming duties, it features the sounds of the Italian made Siel Opera 6, an Alesis S4 Rompler and other vintage Roland, Yamaha and Kawai Synths. They went full out on this one, even finally learning to play keys for that jazzy piano action. It was recorded live through a soundcraft analog board with outboard Fx, creating a sound that transcended it's time to feel remarkably fresh today!
The Ajos EP is named after an area in their native city of Kemi, Northern Finland, which is where they wrote and produced it in 1999.

Glenn Astro returns to Tartelet Records with Purple, a four-tracker of minimal slow burners and futuristic dance music, marking the label’s 50th 12-inch release. Since releasing his second album Homespun in late 2020, Glenn Astro has been quietly channeling his funky instincts towards new production approaches. Purple, a four-piece compilation of mutant future-boogie daubed in Rogers-Nelson hues, comes through with emotional heft. It also marks the 50th 12" release for Tartelet Records. “Following up on Homespun, I wanted to try out some more dancefloor- oriented tracks again,” says Glenn Astro. “Keeping it simple and practical, while not being too predictable. I incorporated a lot of modular synth bits and experiments, with ‘Flux’ being an almost exclusively modular-based jam.” Incorporating tricky sound design and fluid structures, Astro’s new lines of enquiry never come at the expense of the groove. From the opening thump of ‘Penduloop’ onwards it’s apparent that his rugged rhythmic kinks are present and correct to hook in the dancers, while the melodic drops later in the track edge in a little melancholic flavour to take the mind somewhere else entirely. On this opening track, the artist explores new territory with his version of early naughties minimal house – a welcome slow burner. The EP title track ‘Purple’ slaps with purpose, not least in the Linn-esque drums and melodic bassline, but it’s a positively dreamy piece which skips on crooked beat formations and floats upwards via a multi-timbral tapestry of yearning synth shapes and robotic vocals. On ‘Out Of Office’ Glenn Astro provides a generous dose of electro nostalgia when he amps up the heavy-hearted feeling with aching string pads and electro-informed machine logic. The track becomes alive with its deep un-synced rhythms and dark bass notes, pushing further into the abyss. ‘Flux’, with its tooly feel, takes the electronic mantra further and sheds light on the source of much of Astro’s new sound palette. Crucially, even in its techiest moments, an irrepressible humanity shines through across Purple. Glenn Astro’s soul is the binding agent which links his early, sample-heavy house to his more explorative new angles, and it comes through in abundance on this fully-formed release.

The release comes on 180g vinyl. For the second 12” of the series we’ve enlisted two of the most on-fire producers in Germany: Max Graef and Glenn Astro, along with one of the UK’s brightest ascendant producers. Back fighting, kicking and beating as strong as or perhaps even stronger than ever before, Ivan ‘Mamao’ Conti is releasing a brand new solo album next year. Now fitted with a new iron hip- thanks to the immense generosity of his fan base who crowdfunded the operation – the Azymuth drummer still remains one of the greatest and outright funkiest drummers alive anywhere in the universe as he enters this new bionic era. As people of earth are not yet quite ready to hear the explosively ethereal cosmic samba of his new album just yet, we’re easing into it with a series of appropriately propulsive percussive jazz-headed remixes. For the second 12” of the series we’ve enlisted two of the most on-fire producers in Germany: Max Graef and Glenn Astro, along with one of the UK’s brightest ascendant producers.

“Marombo” is a new track written, arranged and produced by Gerardo Frisina, that anticipates his forthcoming album, called “Moving Ahead” and scheduled for February 2020. Here “Marombo” has been especially divided in two parts, to be featured in this 12” EP.
“Moving Ahead” suggests another change in Gerardo’s style, a solid step into the future to explore new music territories without compromising his original identity and trademark. “Marombo” is in fact a mixture of nu-latin and electronic beats with Afro-Cuban rhythm into a massive dancefloor groove!
This new song sees the participation of Gerardo’s longtime collaborators Ernesto Lopez on drums and percussion and Alfonso Deidda on baritone saxophone.The result is a perfect blend between deep, Detroit afro-dub dance with a massive groove perfect for the dancefloor. As always Gerardo amazes us with his unique touch. Absolutely not to be missed!!!

Earl's back on his own imprint Melange. This time around, he has the U.K's finest - Mr Kaidi Tatham - on Flute and Guitar duties. Side B includes 2 versions of title track 'Higher. Take ya pick!! Artwork by frequent collaborator and good friend, Ral Duke. Ral has been behind artwork for the likes of Griselda Records( Westside Gunn, Conway, Benny the Butcher), Alchemist, Ghostface Killah, among a whole heap of others. Keep a look out for some weighty merchandise to accompany the release. We got some goodness coming your way.

Fresh new Wrong Notes release with the label's head Reekee. A very tastefully release to seduce you into merriment and dance, with a house attitude and unmistakable style. For modern floors!

In these strange and uncertain times we find ourselves even more eager to release new music by Luv Shack Records’ core artists. During some very sunny and inspiring recording sessions last Summer Luv Shack´s own Lee Stevens and musical brain Martin Arnold teamed up to form a new band, channeling the legendary spirit of the 90s Downbeat sound of Vienna. After having written a bunch of tracks it seemed a logical step to involve more friends and musicians into their project. Lee´s long term classmate and bass player Pheech could not be asked twice and joined the jams as well as singer Myla and other fellows, so that the full ensemble now consists of bass, flute, guitar, sax an of course Lee´s amazing collection of analog gear and samples. The “Come With Me EP” comes with four original songs exploring various tropes of jazz infused electronica, plus two remixes by austrian artists Oberst & Buchner and Lukas Poellauer.

Mr. Confuse returns with a new funky 7Inch on the afrofunk tip.
'Spinning Around' kicks off with heavy funk drums, afro horn stabs and a driving mean Farfisa organ that really keeps you moving till the end. On the flipside 'Against All Odds' offers a driving bass line, raging brass and clever breaks – a breakdance sure shot!
Make sure you check out the music video of 'Spinning Around' and don't miss this release on Confunktion Records as the 7 Inch vinyl version is limited to a 150 units. Be quick on this one!

Neroli starts a new series of one offs releases within its own catalogue, with a seven inch double a-sider from Nicola Kramer. The urge to finally put on wax these beautiful songs produced by Domu in 2008 was the sparkle that brought Volcov to create this Neroli From The Archive series [references to his old label Archive and the From the Archive radio shows and compilations are pretty clear]. Nicola Kramer was the phenomenal voice behind many Domu, Rima, Bakura songs with appareances also on Jazzanova and Chateu Flight releases. But especially on her only solo album The Other Side, from which these two songs are taken, she shines immensely with her unique ghostly soulful tones.

Serbia's Disco Fruit crew has been putting out lush sounds that take in funk, breaks and soul influences on top of their bread and butter disco grooves for years now. This time they welcome back a label regular, Loshmi, who has put out plenty of edits here before now. His new one 'Dark Night' is a 60s-tinged high speed spy theme with funky brass and bristling drums all overlaid with rock-styled vocal yelps. The instrumental on the flip is a more paired back but just as hustling groove.

Future Jazz Ensemble is a project from multi instrumentalist Nicola Penna. With Future Jazz Ensemble, Nicola is exploring of the intersected sonic paths of jazz, ethnic and electronic music; trying to recall the past and evoke the future. His previous two Future Jazz Ensemble releases; The Mankind's Place 12" LP and Art For Art's Sake 7" were limited runs and are now very sought after. We are very proud to have Nicola releasing music on Ten Lovers Music and look forward to future projects.

Midnight Conversation 2 is the new LP by the Italian duo based between Bologna and Berlin. The album waves through progressions in jazz, hip hop, house, and broken beats featuring an exclusive collaboration on the track ‘123’ with Capofortuna. Following their debut album ‘Midnight Conversation 1’ previously selected between the most exciting projects from Juno Records back in 2018 this new LP is truly something to behold.

Tawoyame Orquesta celebrates their 15th Anniversary with new 7inch release from their new project! The guest remixer features Takeshi Nakatsuka. The band's signature song "Suteki na Ongaku", which was included on their first album, is newly sung by the leader Tomoko Okamura on the original track from 10 years ago!! The flip side features a remix track for the first time. "odo Latin" from the latest full-length album, "Shukuen Fifteen" (urdc82) is remixed by Takeshi Nakatsuka, a wizard of live sound. The remix is a swingin' and breakin' floor-ready tune!!

Initially planned as a trilogy, given the success of this project, the series of 12” EPs featuring reinterpretations of tracks from the album “People Need People” - the brilliant work by Nicola Conte and Gianluca Petrella released in 2021 - closes with this fourth chapter, with the excellent contribution of Fred P. and his Interpretations. Artist, DJ, Producer, Remixer and A/V Designer - born in New York and now living in Berlin - Fred P. has encompassed what it truly means to be an artist in the 21st century. With a discography growing exponentially year after year, he continues to push forward in his sound and his mind. These two new interpretations of his constitute a little jewel in which Fred P. offers us a skilful blend where afro, jazz and house music create a cosmic spiritual journey at times nocturnal, suitable for the most sophisticated dance floors - in both cases with different rhythmic patterns, broken-afro for “African Spirits” and cosmic-house for “Tribes”, Fred creates here an open space, deep and simply at the centre of the music!

In 2002, New York producer Ursula 1000 released his groundbreaking, genre-busting album Kinda' Kinky, meshing groovy retro sampladelic licks with modern breaks and beats. For its 20th anniversary this year, Ursula revisits the 60's swinging London mod shaking title track with his own 2022 redux. UK breakbeat master A.Skillz remixes the flipside into a relentless, giggling funky disco monster! The cover design is by world renowned space-age bachelor pad artist Shag.

For a prolific artist as Gerardo Frisina, almost two years without a new release from him seems like an eternity: this brand new 12" EP entitled 'Soul Drum' breaks the silence, giving us three new works composed by Gerardo, made up of four recordings if we consider the two versions of the title track.

This EP anticipates the full album already in the works, scheduled for release at the end of 2022.

Without losing his Latin trademark, Gerardo continues his research into hypnotic and pulsating rhythmic patterns in both acoustic and electronic form, which are now a fundamental stylistic element of his. As on his previous album 'Moving Ahead', the rhythmic style blends naturally with echoes of tribal voices, piano keys and wind instruments (trumpet, saxophone, flute), creating the 'Joyful Sound' (title of the forthcoming album) that reverberates on the surface. With an artist as meticulous as Gerardo Frisina, it is to be expected that even the simplest beat has been deeply thought out and chosen from a potentially infinite sound palette, and this can be heard perfectly in the depth of sound of the four tracks of this release. "Soul Drum" is dedicated to the loving memory of bassist Enzo Frassi, who contributed to this EP - along with 'usual guests' Fabrizio Bernasconi, Gendrickson Mena, Alfonso Deidda and Ernesto Lopez.

The fourth instalment of Best Of Various sees Marcello Cassanelli join the TLM family with Fantasia. Marcello is joined by Blake Franchetto on Bass, Giulia Barozzi on Vocals and Antonio Rapa on Drums. Next up is good friend of the label Zarenzeit with Deep Work featuring Roger Versey on vocals, a very deep track for the dancefloor. Onto the AA side and another new member to the TLM family, Stefano De Santis has some broken beat action for us with his tribute to his hero George Duke. Future Jazz Ensemble are back on TLM after their Rough Time EP earlier this year with a track called Freeway, it's a sample of what to expect from their forthcoming TLM album early next year. FJE are now a three piece with Guido Tabone on Saxophone and Michele Macchi on Percussion, the sound of FJE is ever evolving with more members joining the Ensemble for the album. Final track is from the unreleased vaults at TLM, Caruso with Vestimenta, originally recorded in 2015 and restored by Jose Rico.

The ever masterful London based DJ/Producer Shy One is back with a new 5 track EP titled From The Floor To The Booth. Following on from the fuzzy, acidic haze of the vinyl only Crumb Trail 7 inch the new EP encompasses futher rich and eclectic sounds of Shy's musical heritage, London leaning from Broken Beat to Soul, Garage to Grime. The record journeys through and abstracts a variety of styles, tipping its cap to the archtectics of Londons musical underground from Soul II Soul and 4Hero to Loose Ends and Roll Deep. A notion every bit apparent in Shy's eclectic bass heavy, hi-energy club selections. The record is Shy One's most in-depth and ambitious release to date. The artwork is created by Herald Essuman of Artbox London. An incredible London based charity that supports artists with Autism and learning disabilities.

Retromigration returns to Ravanelli Disco Club with a brand new broken beat chanelling track 'Jeffa'. None other than Ron Basejam steps up on remix duties in signature disco don style. He didn’t come alone though, bringing his friends Nephews to the dance on the B side who deliver sunset house grooves in the form of 'Reingelaxed'. To complete the EP Jkriv remixes 'Reingelaxed' into a synth swirling Balearic gem.

The one and only MdCL - Mark de Clive-Lowe - is back with a batch of Midnight Snacks fresh out the oven. The third installment in his series of instrumental broken beat, jazz-fused tastiness features four new tracks of Mashibeats dancefloor goodness. "Musashi 2474” kicks us off with the bruk grooves, imagining a sci-fi future where the legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi travels the spaceways. “Journeyman” follows, taking us into downtempo, head-nod, boom bap territory built around an MdCL piano sample. The EP’s flipside starts with “Third Plane” - a soulful broken beat jam, twisting and turning through a synth and keys drenched soundscape. We close out this snacks session with “Orbits” - a jazzy house inspired roller to take us home...

With the locution “Great Oxidation Event” we usually refer to the first major mass extinction that has been known on Earth. Occurred around 2,5 billion years ago, it consisted in a huge rise in oxygen in the atmosphere and shallow oceans that radically changed the conditions for the life on our planet, enabling the subsequent development of multicellular life forms. As debut on his own label Hyperjazz Records, with ’The Great Oxidation EP’, electro-shaman Khalab comes back to his natural habitat: the dance floor. With these three instrumental tracks, the visionary artist aims to drive the listener on a backward journey, down to rediscover the most ancestral human rite: to dance. A return to the origin in a radical way to reach a brighter future, but also a bridge for another world - a new space where meet new life forms and uncover new feelings and new consciousness. To embellish this EP, the presence of two very special collaborations. The acclaimed Detroit-based drummer and producer Shigeto joined Khalab in the track ‘Anaerobe’. Also, the Mexican visual artist Carlito Dalceggio contributed with his amazing art by creating the video clip for the track Neba’: a full hand-drawn short movie with no digital manipulations or special effects. His work reflects the seamless ease in which he moves between genres and cultures all in the service of creating the mythology of now.

Khalab Electronic artist and producer Khalab has developed an international reputation for his original fusion of traditional African sounds, deepbass work, jazz, and heavilylayered & dense electronic textures. He has three albums on his credits: ‘Khalab & Baba’, a four-handed workwith the Malian griot Baba Sissoko, released for the Nickodemus’s Wonderwheel Records; the worldwide acclaimed ‘Black Noise 2084’, that draws on the field recordings archive of the Royal Museum in Brussels and result of the collaboration with some of the most innovative musicians of the current UK jazz scene; and ‘M’berra’, recorded in the Mauritanian desert together with the some Tuareg musicians from Mali (M’berra Ensemble), that earned him the collaboration with the Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records. His music evolution is a seamless journey – from the most ancestral tribes to the unexplored cosmos; from the black jungle to the skyscrapers; from the remotest subconscious to the furthest and real projection of future Africa. His wide-reaching musical tastes can be heard regularly on his monthly Worldwide FM show, Love from Rome. Already working on a new record ready in 2022, Khalab pulls out of his laboratory the first experiment with this EP.

Velour’s highly praised debut album on Wolf Music sees four of its standout tracks remixed from Wolf family old and new. Mainstays of the label Frits Wentink and Hulk Hodn join forces with new link ups, Footshooter and 20/10, for this crispy 10 inch. First up to bat, German beatsmith Hulk Hodn fires up the MPC and chops ‘Tom’s Garage’ into a hazy, head nodder before South London’s Footshooter takes ‘Into The Blue’ through a synth heavy whirlwind of broken beat grooves. On the flip, and fresh off the back of his Dekmantel release, Frits Wentink stamps his idiosyncratic expertise on ‘Pose’ for a walking bass bubbler. Closing out proceedings, Velour’s very own Vinzent Wirth, under the moniker 20/10, reworks ‘Luminate’ into a Detroit influenced, jazz tinged, sunset house gem.

Volume 2: Another healthy dose of iconic reworked, retouched and edited tracks steamily rising up from the unique and magic poolside of Pikes Hotel (Ibiza). A trusted taste that has lead to Jazz N Palms warm-up the monthly exclusive Ronnie Scott's (London) jazz concerts held at Pikes. Jazz music fused sartorially with Latin, funk, rock and international sounds to be enjoyed under the palms and sun of the Mediterranean Sea.

WOLF Music offer up something a little different to their usual tip, enlisting the warm dusty reverberations of four-piece, jazz-not-jazz collective Velour for a 7 inch of hazy, genre traversing rhythms. Alongside being producer for the Velour project, long-standing member of the WOLF pack Mr. Fries gives his own distinctive house touch to the flip side remix.
Perfectly capturing the new school of jazz, Essen-based Velour crisscross genres drawing on elements from each yet anchoring their roots in the richness of jazz’s deft melodies and percussive touches. Head-nodding down the open road, ‘Pose’ is that undeniably soulful, first swig of summer many tracks strive to be. Morphing into a woozy affair as the sun sets midway through, Velour’s songwriting talent well outstrips their years. Throw WOLF pack member Mr. Fries into the mix, kneading in his signature production style and the freshly baked result straddles the intersection between jazz, broken beat, house and soul.
Fries then takes on remix duties for the flip, maintaining that dusty demeanour yet going for a full frontal Moodymann-esque house interpretation. The smokey jazz bar sax, background hustle and weighty beat make for a summertime heater served straight from the grill, garnished just right with Mr. Fries own vocals over the top.

(INCL. FREE TOTE BAG)

April 2024 sees the launch of the Stratasonic imprint with the four-track ‘Accidental Effects’ by ANiML, a collaborative guise for the members of the collective behind the label.

Stratasonic is a new label founded by a German/Canadian collective operating out of LA whose roots dig deep into electronic music. By collaborating with artists new and legendary they’ll push the boundaries of the traditional music space into visual arts, video, events, digital and beyond. The collective’s philosophy is to reimagine the music, masters, and methods of the past in a modern context, exposing the world to the stuff they like. Here to inaugurate the label is Animl, the project whose members will remain anonymous is inspired by the classic era of vinyl and analogue production with hints of 90’s nostalgia.

Title-cut ‘Accidental Effects’ leads the EP and lays down twitchy bass grooves, crisp, crunchy breaks and an amalgamation of hip hop vocals all dynamically pieced together and processed to create a raw, fluid dance floorworkout. ‘Mementos’ follows next and veers into a more immersive, cinematic electronica realm via subtly unfurling synth textures, murky bass swells, bumpy breaks, squelchy acid lines and hypnotic brass licks.

Opening the flip-side is ‘Day Dreaming’, shifting focus back to a raw off-kilter rhythm at its foundation while haunting synth lines ebb and flow amongst hooky vocal chants and bubbling echoes. ‘Formulaic Appeal’ then concludes the original material, a three minute ambient darkwave excursion through brooding analogue bass drones, heavily reverberated atmospherics and a ticking clock like percussive effect.

Soul Service is a new label from the Atlanta-based party crew of the same name. For their first trick, they enlist the fine sounds of Italian Afro house and disco man Gledd, who shows his skills across blends of Latin, jazz, house, and world music influences. 'Jazz Con Sabor' opens with lots of frosty cymbals and big horn stabs over shuffling drums, then 'Dile' has a more playful and funky skip to it that soon infects your soul. 'No Lo Quiero Saber' (Latin mix) is deeper, more percussive and packed with sunshine from the expressive vocals.

Bread & Souls is a new project dreamt up by Italian entrepreneur and music lover Franco Fusari. Franco invited Mark de Clive-Lowe on board to direct and produce an album of collaborations with some of our favorite artists including the likes of Bembé Segué, Vanessa Freeman, Paul Randolph, Rich Medina, Tommaso Cappellato and more...

Opening with the broken beat, soul-drenched I See You featuring Detroit’s Paul Randolph on vocals along with Taku Hirano on percussion Chapter 3 is here! Vanessa Freeman and Bembe Segue absolutely radiate on the head-nod of Little Did I Know, complete with Marcus Machado lacing classic D’Angelo-meets-Prince guitars. You heard the Domu remix on Chapter 1, and finally here’s the original! The EP wraps up with two remixes courtesy of Alex Attias and LTJ Xperience. Alex reworks the Bembe Segue featuring Never Gonna Leave into a deep tech house dancefloor workout while Italy's LTJ Xperience’s remix brings the mid tempo 4/4 to Rich Medina and Bembe Segue on Working On It (original version still to come!).

"Blossometry" is the new EP from French beatmaker Flow-er. In a chill and downtempo atmosphere inspired by Kaytranada, Moonchild, and Dam-Funk, the six tracks oscillate between neo-soul and modern-funk. Several guests enhance this release, including US female rapper Tanajah, already noticed in North Carolina. "Luxuriant Excursion" highlights the guitar and future beats inspirations of Pomrad and the groove of Vulfpeck !

The third release in the series of 12” EPs featuring reinterpretations of tracks from the album “People Need People” - the brilliant album by Nicola Conte and Gianluca Petrella released in 2021 - features the excellent collaboration of two American artists from the Detroit scene Tall Black Guy and Andrès. Terrel Wallace AKA Tall Black Guy, raised on bread, Motown, jazz and early hip hop... he has become a standard bearer of the current hip hop beat scene. With a steady stream of sample-filled productions and clever flips, he has won fans all over the world. His production skills are showcased in his own rendition of “Nigeria”, where he calls on Broken Keys AKA Tommy Sheridan DJ, producer, vocalist and multi-Instrumentalist from Cleveland, Ohio. On side AA instead, DJ Andrés, now a revered figure of the Detroit scene praised by the eclectic Moodyman and Carl Graig among others, delivers a house version of “African Tribes” worthy of the most important dancefloors, in which he mixes soul-jazz parts with fragments of vocal samples and spoken words, all sublimated into a musical mixture with a strong deep house impact, with rhythm and mood typical of the black culture. Originally conceived as a trilogy, this successful reworking series will eventually embrace a further fourth chapter including two new Fred P. interpretations of the tracks “African Spirits” and “Tribes

This is the second in the 12” EP releases series featuring reinterpretations of tracks taken from the People Need People album, Nicola Conte & Gianluca Petrella’s brilliant collaborative jazz dance album released in 2021. After Joe Claussell’s fantastic work on “Inner Light” on the previous 12”, the same song gets here a further interpretation by the great Anthony Nicholson, one of the most respected producers and key characters in the tribal / afrocentric house scene, with more than 30 years of experience in the field. We also asked DJ Spinna to put his artistry on “New World Shuffle” and the result is uplifting: Bridgette Amofah’s original vocals shine over a sunny house groove full of keys and moog lushy layers, in a distinctive ‘Spinna feel’. Yet another meaningful perspective on the “People Need People” original release, which will soon receive another significant treatment by none less than Tall Black Guy, Andrés and Fred P! Stay tuned!

Vanguard captures the iconic Bristol Sound. The early days of the iconic Bristol Sound are captured in a new album including an exclusive re-release of the very first track from Massive Attack and tracks from Smith & Mighty, Purple Penguin and more. The curated tracks are also linked in that all were originally released with bespoke original covers from legendary Bristol street artists, including Banksy and Will Barras, tying its release toVanguard’s current exhibition Bristol Street Art: The Evolution of a Global Movement at M Shed, Bristol, running until October. Compiled by DJ Boca 45 (Scott Hendy), Vanguard brings together the seminal tracks that defined the rebellious era which saw the birth of the Bristol Sound for the first time. Featured tracks include an exclusive re-release of Any Love - the first ever track by Massive Attack released on Massive Attack Records in 1988, Smith & Mighty’s breakout hit Walk On, Purple Penguin’s downtempo classic Memphis and other trip hop classics. The LP celebrates the globally recognised Bristol Sound whose experimental breakbeat rhythms and influence still dominate the scene today. Along with classic tracks from the ‘90’s into the ‘00’s and beyond, the album uncovers lesser known cuts by some of Bristol’s pioneering musicians such as One Cut and West Country hip hop’s finest Aspects. The explosion of the Bristol Sound coincided with the boom in UK street art which led to fruitful collaborations between artists and musicians. Finding inspiration in each other’s work, street artists frequently designed rave posters, logos and cover art while DJs provided the beats to accompany street artists’ clandestine painting. Vanguard The Album pays homage to these relationships with a beautifully put together gatefold LP featuring iconic cover art designed by some of the biggest names in street art such as Inkie, Dicy, Will Barras and Nick Walker. These early works capture the boisterous energy of the era and confirm Bristol’s status as an extraordinary cultural melting pot. The double vinyl record also features extensive sleeve notes written by Bristolian writer and curator Jamie Hombre as he reflects on these ground breaking cover art collaborations.

Mmyykk’s Science EP arrives at a time when the world needs it. The eponymous title track is about recognising the power and connection that we all have to the cosmos - and it feels like no coincidence that this body of work arrives in 2021.

The EP balances universal themes with playfulness; asks hard questions relating to accountability and materiality whilst remaining musically cohesive and funky throughout. An exceedingly difficult artist to pigeonhole, Mmyykk (pronounced Mike) works concurrently within the realms of soul, jazz, hip hop, R&B and ambient; his sound equally indebted to his fellow west-coast natives Thundercat and Flying Lotus as it is to synth experimentalists Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder.

Whilst Mmyykk operates as the multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer & engineer across all 6 tracks, we can still hear the richness of improvisation musical collaboration involved in the making of this record, with numerous cameos from artists in Mmyykk’s adopted hometown of Minneapolis as well as a feature from London’s very own Demae.

The city of Minneapolis, whilst not addressed directly in the lyrics, provided a backdrop like no other whilst this album was coming together. Being at the epicentre of such a tragedy had a profound effect on the formation of the EP... “The City was literally burning...” Mmyykk recalls as he goes on to explain that tackling themes such as police reform, reparations and accountability in his work is his way of taking a stand in the fight for justice.

Despite the grief prevalent in the city, the EP exudes a complex “dopeness”, executed so effortlessly it belies the skill involved in the process - it’s precisely this nonchalant cool that defines what Science means to the artist.

Whilst we can dissect the inspirations and trace the lineage of this body of work- the result is singular. It’s clear that Mychal Fisher, aka Mmyykk is operating on his own terms, in a lane of his own - and making it look easy.

Ralph Heidel is one of the young musicians that represent the spirit of Berlin’s new musical ecleticism better than others. He is part of the avantgarde circles that mix modern jazz and contemporary classical music with elements of new electronica and experimental ambient music.

Uk/nl reeds player, composer and producer Finn Peters presents his new 10", Red, Green and Blue; The three track EP of Nu Jazz/Broken Beats is being released on the artist's own Mantella Records imprint and sees a return to solo recording (after a decade hiatus) for the award winning Jazz maverick, beloved of Gilles Peterson and fans of cosmic jazz.
Influences include Compass Point Records, Africa Bambaata, Yusef Lateef and Walter Gibbons. It is heavy sounding with Mpc3000 and SP 12 drum breaks, heavy African and Brazilian percussion, ethereal flute choirs and analogue synths a plenty.

Bread & Souls is a new project dreamt up by Italian entrepreneur and music lover Franco Fusari. Franco invited Mark de Clive-Lowe on board to direct and produce an album of collaborations with some of our favorite artists including the likes of Bembé Segué, Vanessa Freeman, Paul Randolph, Rich Medina, Tommaso Cappellato and more.
Chapter 2 EP continues with more future classics, kicking off with the jazz dancefloor workout Never Gonna Leave featuring the Queen of Broken Beat Bembé Segué on vocals and shredding sax solos courtesy Teodross Avery. In classic soulful broken beat fashion, Bembe reunites again with Vanessa Freeman for Technicolor Sunshine – drenched in MdCL’s signature production sound. Two remixes complete this installment with Mr Scruff and Kaidi Tatham’s downtempo reworking Anybody Out There (check out the original version on Chapter 1) and Italy’s G&D coming through

Quiet Village announces new label, The Quiet Village, and new single, ‘Reunion'. Matt 'Radio Slave' Edwards and Joel Martin's critically acclaimed project's first official single under the Quiet Village name in seventeen years!

Beginning life as a 'heady 6/8-time urban jazz odyssey, 'Reunion is a stunning piece of modern, Hi-Tech Jazz that draws influences from Pat Metheny, Timeline, Innerzone Orchestra, and Clyde Stubbelfield's drumming.

While previous Quiet Village material was hewn from a myriad of samples extracted from Edwards' and Martin's notorious digging, 'Reunion' and its follow-ups are drawn from a tight-knit crew of session musicians, including the likes of Jon Hester and Thomas Gandey, adding further depth and feel to the QV sound. Already a firm favourite with Gilles Peterson and Luke Una, the latter of which leaked a clip of the release via his inimitable Instagram presence and called it 'something so fucking beautiful. Tony Allen, Sun Ra meets Carl Craig, Underground Resistance, house, tech, funk, everything rolled into one'.

'Reunion’ is the first single on The Quiet Village, Quiet Village's new imprint. Despite continually producing new music and a slew of remixes, most recently for Running Back and Isle of Jura, the long-term friends and collaborators have been unable to release under their Quiet Village moniker since their LP 'Silent Movie' in 2008. While a few releases under QV and their sometime DJ aliases of Maxxi (Edwards) and Zeus (Martin) have emerged, 'Reunion' is the beginning of a new and re-energised Quiet Village that will see more original material and remixes, DJ and live touring that began in Japan in May and curated compilations of treasures, old and new, in the coming months and years.

Words from the label:

“Kwahu” is an ode to Blay’s Ghanaian/Liberian heritage. Taking inspiration from highlife and afro-jazz, Kwahu tells his musical interpretation of the myths of the Kwahu Mountains featuring the excellent sax by Mart Boumans. The extended mix translates the original version into a percussion-heavy call to the dancefloor with wading breaks and undeniable energy.

Flipping over to the B-side, we start off with the title track “Spiritual Emersion”. This deep cut starts off with lush jazzy chords layered on top of a solid four-to-the-floor groove. It ventures off into a dreamy calypso-esque rhythm with an enticing synth lead and swinging percussion.

Closing the EP is a tongue-in-cheek banger suited for some of that sought after euphoria. “Out Of The Darkness” deceives you by its modest minimal introduction, but soon after it hits you on the head with energetic synths. It grabs you with an infectious melody, vocal chops and clever production tricks to guide you through the peaks and valleys of the track.

Fronted by Ho - a hydrahead techno-punk-industrialist variously regarded as Broken English Club, Slow White
Fall, part of Zov Zov, and many others - and here joined on distorted bass guitar from Jamie Croydon; NO
DETAIL is a serious proposition for those who like their post-punk with less jangle and more concentrated
industrial bite. Their ‘Closed Exit’ tessellates very angularly with Downwards’ prevailing, formative, tastes for
this sound on all seven cuts, which could arguably have been made at any time between the fallout of UK punk
and post NYC no wave, and an everything-at-once present.
Manning drum programming, noise boxes and a mic with time-tested aptitude, Ho’s deadpan vox and
needling prompts alloy Croydon’s detuned bass gnarl with an in-the-pocket discipline. The balance of
melody veiled in venomous noise on ‘Input’ gets them into gear for the revving swagger of ‘You Could have
Been Better’, optimising the barest elements in a formula that carries them to the stop-start jugular lunge
of ‘Private’ and the cold saucy slug of a ‘Utility’ where we half expect John Lydon to enter stage left, and the
bruxist yoke of ‘Dead Lakes’ that bursts at the seams with white hot distortion. Their hot-stepper ‘Grey Poles’
is an ideal showstopper, itching tendons with pointillist drums and guitars upping the ante with a buzzsaw
grind to trigger limbs with too much snakebite, lactic acid and wizz in the blood.

Pioneering new music from members of the iconic and legendary funk band Parliament Funkadelic. Detroit Rising is an exciting artist collective created by 10 groove masters including the current and original members of P-funk, Prince, Public Enemy and Mary J Blige. Taking a break from relentless touring, the musicians step out in a whole new direction, creating a hybrid sound of funk-jazz with injections of soul and hip hop. The album, “A Cosmic Jazz Funk Adventure” was recorded live at the world famous Motown affiliated United Sound Studios in Detroit and studios in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Baltimore and Florida. For this remix release a handpicked selection of some of the top DJ producers in the UK have been brought together to create a soulful house and nu-jazz hybrid record: Jimpster, Kaidi Tatham, Sean McCabe with Z records (Dave Lee) and Evm128 – with mastering by UK wizard AtJazz. First up, Jimpster remixes the Detroit Rising space opera, ‘Rocket Love’ – showcasing two funk-fused house tracks with guitar licks from Duminie Deporres (Public Enemy) and bass lines courtesy of Kern Brantley (Mary J Blige, Beyonce, Aretha Franklin). The vocal remix is expertly laced with parts of the original P-funk instrumental and hip-hop vocals, with the dreamy Dub version letting that infectious hook and melody hit hard. Next up, Sean McCabe was brought in by Dave Lee of Z records to remix the original Detroit hit ‘Little Bit of Love’ into a fast-paced dance heater. King of the keys Kaidi Tatham is then welcomed to remix two different Detroit Rising tracks, creating a double dose of signature, broken beat infused cuts. ‘Our World’ stars P-funk vocalist and keyboard wizard Danny Bedrosian, alongside granddaughter of George Clinton, Tonysha Nelson. The emotive, soulful broken brilliance of ‘Peace & Harmony’ also gets the Kaidi treatment starring Sue Ann Carwell and Steve Boyd, vocalists for Prince and Kool & The Gang respectively. Evm128 of Coop rounds off the package presenting a fast futuristic Bruk beat from the romantic Detroit Rising song called ‘Gorgeous’.

Artwork insert, in PVC outer sleeve.

Awanto3 (also known for his work with Aardvarck and Kid Sublime on Rednose Distrikt) returns to Rush Hour with "Party" Volume 1. Moody and rolling MPC work outs with live accompaniment from a solid cast (Jos De Haas (New Cool Collective) on percussion and Stefan Schmid (Zuco 103) on keys). Broken Beat heads look out .... this really smacks. TIP!

Backstory: Party was born in a small village located in Wallonia during a period of house-sitting for a family on holiday. Initially my mother was asked to take care of the chickens, goat, dog and donkey but eventually I decided to take care of them to relieve my mother. This week turned out to be a small nightmare, because I think the house was being possessed by a spirit that I had to deal with night and day. The vibe of the house was so grimy, due to the fact that there were calendars with all kinds of weapons and dark oak furniture, interspersed with a huge flatscreen and blinds at the ready to be rolled out when the sun started to go down (by request of the paranoid owner). This setting affected my sketches; a dark side that was looking for contra light weight. After I took care of the animals, I had an energy to escape to my MPC to make the basis for a possible new album. When I got back in Amsterdam, I started to work out some of the sketches I’ve made in the ghost house together with Stefan and Jos in Studio K at Sloterdijk.

Gilles Peterson : "Love this!"

Heralded by the “Soul Drum” 12” EP (scep507, 2022), Gerardo Frisina’s new double record “Joyful Sound” represents another step forward on his ongoing travel towards new musical paths. Joyful sounds narrate a journey made of wisely distilled notes, bright and sometimes mysterious atmospheres, harmonies that wander through shadows, silences, and lights. A chameleonic Gerardo enchants with every release, mixing jazz, Latin, Afro-Cuban sounds, oriental fragrances, electronic beats, tribal percussions, funky variations and, to summarize, elegant symphonic arrangements with refined mastery. “Joyful Sound” once again sees the participation of the late Enzo Frassi (double bass), Fabrizio Bernasconi (piano, Rhodes), Gendrickson Mena (trumpet, piano), Alfonso Deidda (sax, flute) and Ernesto Lopez (drums, percussion), with the addition of Piero Perelli on drums and Giovanni Guerretti on piano, Hammond and Rhodes. This new record, carefully orchestrated and produced by Gerardo, required over a year of intense work, however it is worth every second of its 75 minutes of music. As the great Charles Mingus once said, “Play it in the key of your soul”. Without a doubt, Gerardo always gives his soul in full!

Butterflies go through a four-staged life cycle: egg, caterpillar, pupa (chrysalis) and then adult as a butterfly. The transformation from caterpillar to butterfly happens in the chrysalis where the caterpillar body dies to give life to a new, beautifully winged body. This album is an ideal soundtrack to this amazing phenomena, a representation to inner transformation and deep evolution.

Wah Wah 45s make a welcome return to the world of re-issues. Having started out over two decades ago releasing dance floor funk from Benny Poole, Cheyenne Fowler and The Googie Rene Combo, and later re-releasing obscure Kompa-funk from Haitian pianist Henri Pierre Noel, they now turn their attention to an overlooked early 90s acoustic soul gem.
About thirty years ago, music teacher and budding producer Alex Boyesen found himself working as part of the Haringey Music Workshop - a community programme and outreach project funded by the local council in Haringey, North London (coincidentally the area in which the Wah Wah head office is now based!).
"Anyone could come and get lessons for free - ranging from piano, sax, guitar, drums, bass, singing and workshops including choral, jazz band and more." Alex Boyesen
It was during that time that Alex came across a young Sam Edwards.
"One day I went into one of the rehearsal rooms and there, by herself, was this girl playing a piano and singing. It was the most incredible voice I had ever heard."
Before long, the pair were playing all over London as a duo with Alex on guitar and Sam on vocals.
"Sam had never had professional training, she was simply an utter natural."
The Haringey Music workshop was connected with other projects in the borough, in particular a community project called the Selby Centre. Here they ran training programs for young people and one of these was a music business course. The idea was that they found an artist, recorded them and then promoted them. One way or the other they ended up picking Alex and Sam to be on their roster.
"My good friend Nixon Rosembert was brought in to oversee the recordings and they hired the Islington Music Workshop to do the recording. We got musicians from the Haringey Music Workshop to play on the sessions and spent a day recording two songs -American CarsandLife. The training workshop had created a label called Progression Music and out the record went."
Three decades later and out of the blue Alex started to get interest again in the record he'd almost forgotten about all those years ago. It had become something of a sought after gem on Discogs, and there seemed to be an interest in that 'acoustic soul' sound once again.
"I got three people asking if they could re-release it and finally here we are with Wah Wah 45s doing the business after all these years."
It was Hospital Records and Wah Wah 45s founder, Chris Goss, who first brought the idea of releasing this record to the table.
"This is a really special record for me, picked up 30 years ago, from a young James Lavelle at Honest Jon's in Ladbroke Grove. Sam Edwards would go on to perform and write songs with North London's Izit, the acid jazz collective fronted by Tony Colman - with whom I have built a music company, these past 25 years. Alex Boyeson worked with Tony at the Haringey Arts Project, who produced a one-off vinyl release of Alex's two compositions back in 1991. Thanks to Alex and Tony, we have been able to clean-up the original audio, uncover photos and lyric sheets to present, with real love and affection, these two lost gems from a bygone era." Chris Goss, Feb 2021.
The project was then expanded by Dom Servini, who got heavy disco legend Ashley Beedle and co-label owner and erstwhile producer Adam Scrimshire in to take on remix duties.
"When approached by Dom Servini to reworkAmerican CarsI had no idea about the history of the original song. After a good listen myself and studio partner Darren Morris set to work and all I can say that it was a lovely experience keeping the vibe of the original but giving it a spaced out feel in true Afrikanz On Marz fashion." Ashley Beedle, Feb 2021.
"Remixing without multi-tracks always brings a bunch of challenges, getting the balance between the bass and drums in the original and what you want to do with your own version. The song really dictates certain things to you.
But it was such a pleasure to explore that with this beautiful song and vocal performance. So many ways to approach it. I just wanted to draw out more of the melancholy in the original and make it an absorbing experience." Adam Scrimshire, Feb 2021.
Perhaps the last word should be given to Alex himself, who's very much enjoying the new lease of life that his music with Sam is getting.
"As I write this we are trying to locate her, she's somewhere singing something, that's all she ever did. Thanks for being part of my life Sam and I am so glad that this small bit of that time is being remembered." Alex Boyesen, Feb 2021.

Karaba is the new signing on Kryptox. The Berlin label founded to show what’s happening in the German Jazz crossover scene. One of these bands is Karaba from Munich. The band was already featured on the Kryptox Kraut Jazz Futurism Compilation in 2019. Now they deliver their first mini album for Kryptox. Five young guys from Munich. Skilled and tight on their instruments and deeply rooted in the heritage of all kind of wild forms of jazz, krautrock and psychedelic music.

Renowned New York City house music icon Joaquin Joe Claussell has embarked on an electrifying project of ecstatic, spiritual club music with his latest endeavor: a double album worth of reinterpretations of the music from Italian jazz master Nicola Conte's 2023 album Umoja.

Claussell's collaboration with Nicola Conte and Far Out Recordings helps mark the label’s 30th anniversary, as Claussell joins fellow producers such as Theo Parrish, Ron Trent, Kenny Dope and 4hero in remixing music from the label’s catalogue.

Extending the tracks from Umoja for full length, dance-floor focused mixes, Claussell has accentuated the original music’s global, afro-futurist vision with comprehensive rearrangements - featuring additional percussion, guitars, keyboards, synthesizers and drum programming - excavating the source music and re-recording many of its parts under the auspices of his Sacred Music & Cosmic Arts banner.

Makin' Moves! Here we present the hot new limited Edition Vinyl EP.

Side A brings you a tantalising remix from Chicago's finest, Mr Glenn Underground! "Let It Go" originally produced by MAQman and Joseph Junior on MM, gets the special treatment where GU gives us his signature CVO mix which is sure to grab the attention of DJ's, dancers and music lovers worldwide!!!

Side B On the flip we present a man of very few words, however expresses an executes the deep soulful sound eloquently. Trinidadian Deep gets busy with championing his signature roots stylee, curated especially for the dance floor sprinkled with a little baby powder!

Here comes the 2nd release on our imprint from the classy duo, this time on vinyl. The Robinson continue their personal voyage into the shades of house never forgetting their roots deeply linked to the second wave of Chicago House and the distinctive sound of Italo House. This new effort consists in two tracks per side: two original cuts and in as many powerful remixes by the U.S. legends of the game Fred P and Trinidadian Deep.

Taste Rec. keeps the pressure high with an EP that unleash pulsating beats and groovy bass lines merged perfectly with soulful melodies, tribal percussions and a special Kora solo recorded live. Dreamy atmospheres alongside a four to the floor rhythms is the philosophy we chase and we prove it still delivering a record suitable both for clubs or private underground events.

Afrotronic is the new album by legendary Dutch dance pioneer and producer Eddy de Clercq, inspired by African rhythms and atmospheres.

All songs on the Afrotronic album are influenced by music from Southern to North Africa. Largely recorded in South Africa, not only electronically but also with an instrumentation of typical African instruments played live, such as the mbira (kalimba) and traditional drums and percussion. Exotic instruments adding a fresh characteristic sound to the music, not programmed via any existing electronic soundbank.

The plaintive vocals of a muezzin on 'Ibrahim' and the melody of 'Topaz' are unmistakably North African. The funky dance track 'Miss Ghana (Afro Baby)' is sung by the Ghanaian singer Consular. Although not typically African in origin, the didgeridoo, perhaps the oldest wind instrument on earth, plays the leading role in the North African-inspired instrumental 'A Track Called Africa'.

Inspired by his travels through South Africa and his love for the African languages of that country, Eddy wrote texts that he had translated into Xhosa. 'Coral Reef' was the first song recorded with South African singers Yemu Matibe and Alungile Sixishe, supplemented with classical arrangements for cello and piano. The original English text describes the loss of coral reefs worldwide due to climate change.

Afrotronic has ultimately become an adventurous, electronic, jazzy album, in which influences can be heard from Afro-pop, Dub Step, Deep House and South African Amapiano.

Gayance joins forces with Rhythm Section for her debut album ‘Mascarade’ - a swaying dance that moves between poetic, soulful odes to the past, accounts of the Afro-diasporic feminine experience and playfully energetic dance floor grooves.

Mascarade is a collection of dancey, broken rhythms, interwoven with heartfelt stories and bright, unapologetic outpours of joy. In her own words, “It's the story of my 20's. I wanted to pay homage to this kid everybody knew, but not deeply. It's about taking back a power that is mine and was always in my hands...It's about making peace with the past and moving forward”.

Gayance (real name Aïsha Vertus) takes her alias from the Haitian creole word for joyfulness.Based in Amsterdam, born and raised in Montreal-Nord, she started as a DJ in 2013, and has toured the world with shows in Paris, Brooklyn, Marrakech, Berlin, Sao Paulo and more, bringing electrifying and contagious energy wherever she goes.

Her own production is influenced by underground UKG and the respective house scenes of Detroit and New York, with nods to the vivid, sun-soaked colours of Latin America. Shades of blues, jazz and gospel can also be heard in her newest project, pulling together styles from each corner of the world. Following her catalog of entirely self-released projects, Gayance announces her full-length debut album on Rhythm Section, bringing some fellow Montrealers along for the ride.