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We are excited to present Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes’ “What Kinda Music” – an astonishing collaboration between two artists of very different disciplines, and one of the most unique and seamlessly original projects of its ilk to date.

Moving fluidly through sleek electronica, avant-garde jazz, vintage hip hop and so much more, Misch and Dayes take you on a journey that is by turns surprising and spontaneous, heady and head spinning, and nothing less than compelling – a singular vision which fuses the DNA of both musicians with spectacular results, as can be seen in the title track, which comes backed by a gorgeously atmospheric video by XX.

Even though the fundamental bones of this project came together very quickly, its actual provenance stretches back much, much farther back, with the pair not only growing up in the same area of South East London, but Misch actually seeing Dayes play on drums in the school talent show for the first time when he was roughly 8 or 9. They both kept tabs on each other – Misch becoming a fan of Dayes’ act Yussef Kamaal, Dayes clocking his videos in 2014 – but it was only when they met at a launch party for Misch’s debut LP “Geography” in 2018 that the proverbial creative sparks began to fly. “As a musician you’re always looking for contemporaries who can push you and challenge you and make you better”, says Dayes. “I instantly felt that with Tom – he was such a gifted musician, and so prolific”. That summer they decided to go into the studio together, jam a little, and see what happens, with no other expectation placed upon it.

As it turns out, the music came fast and furiously. Two initial tracks were suddenly followed by a handful of others, and the pair found themselves contemplating what to do next. “Pretty soon, we knew that something was gelling”, Dayes says. “It didn’t feel like a one-off collaboration, it felt like a body of work”. What made the pair click, according to Misch and Dayes, were the exact same factors that meant it shouldn’t, by all rights, work. Misch says, “Yussef comes from a more experimental background, and he has a lot of loose, crazy ideas. I know how to write a catchy melody, but with interesting chords and have a good understanding of popular song forms, so I think I streamlined those ideas and made them accessible”. And certainly, in “What Kinda Music” you can sense the DNA of both musicians, but fusing so effortlessly and beautifully that it creates something else entirely, the appropriately named “Lift Off” sending goosebumps with its jazz flecked crescendo, and “Night Rider” hynotising with its deeply mesmeric grooves. “I have a love for harmony and chords”, Misch adds. “Working with someone like Yussef, who has such a gifted sense of rhythm allowed a perfect balance”.

Throughout the record, there is an utterly joyful feel of two musicians at the top of their game sparking off one another, picking up ideas and running with them – zigging where the other zags, ebbing where the other flows, with Misch producing the majority of the record and both having a hand in the overall sound and feel of the record.

“Working with Yussef has actually changed the way I work as a musician”, Misch muses. “He’s pushed me and unlocked a more experimental part of me that I hadn’t really allowed myself to explore before. I think we really did impact each other in a fundamental way”. Dayes is similarly effusive in his praise for Misch. “A musician like him, who’s at the top of his game, he doesn’t need to do this”, he raves. “He can just keep doing the same thing and why not? He’s killing it. The fact that he’s so humble, that he’s so curious about everything and open to collaboration, speaks a lot to him as an artist, because it’s not easy finding musicians who want to collaborate. Something always gets in the way, whether it’s ego or their team or whatever. But with Tom it felt like the intention was purely creative, and that’s what made it exciting”. In fact, Dayes says that the intentions of the record go even deeper than just music. “Both our parents who’d never met each other before, are now best friends as a result of this, they now see each other more than we do! I’d like to think, in some small way, that this album has a similar impact for people too – everything feels so divided these days, it would be nice for people to hear the record and hear two very different musicians coming together and realise it doesn’t have to be that way”.

Blue vinyl, limited to 500 copies for the German market.

The sound of Blue Note has been embedded in hip-hop through sampling and remixes since its early days but Madlib raised the bar when the DJ, producer, rapper and multi-instrumentalist invaded the Blue Note vaults for his 2003 masterpiece Shades of Blue, a visionary album featuring remixes and reimaginations of classics by Donald Byrd, Bobbi Humphrey, Ronnie Foster, Bobby Hutcherson, Wayne Shorter and more.

“Madlib’s amazing remixes and re-imaginings of classic Blue Note tunes is aural cinema, … and in common with so many remixers and hip-hop artists he clearly loves the catalogue. The inventiveness of this record aside it is also as groovy as heck.” — Uncompromising Expression, Richard Havers

This new edition of the album “Shades of Blue”, a Madlib homage to the Blue Note label, is being released to mark the 20th anniversary.

Like a thief in the night, and almost 4 for years after his critically acclaimed full-length album Kabul Fire Vol 2, beat virtuoso Farhot has returned to the (crime) scene with his latest all-instrumental record "stealing from cats".

While on his last LP, he took listeners on a journey to his birthplace Kabul, he is now taking them along as he goes out stealing sounds from fellow musicians (label mates) and dusty Jazz archives and. Reminiscent of that time when Blue Note invited Madlib into their catacombs to create the seminal "Shades of Blue" LP, this slow-paced record sees Farhot eclectically fusing Jazz samples with downtempo, instrumental hip-hop art. From the hazy, chopped vocal samples of the intro tune "selfish" to the dreamy closer "they need me", this 12-song masterpiece is as much an homage to the virtuosity of Jazz cats like Silvan Strauss as it is to the fine art of sampling that Farhot cheekily calls stealing.

Limited to 600 copies. A one-time pressing with this cover. An exclusive only available at Fatbeats in the US and HHV for rest of the world. For all DJs, graffiti enthusiasts and collectors. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Non Phixion’s seminal LP, The Future Is Now, Uncle Howie Records is pleased to announce the release of a special instrumental edition 2xlp.

Comprised of group members ILL Bill, Lord Goat (f/k/a Goretex), Sabac Red and DJ Eclipse, The Future Is Now remains the group’s sole full length effort, garnering much acclaim among both critics and fans alike. Considered by many as an underground classic, Tfin boasts a production dream team that includes DJ Premier, Pete Rock and Large Professor, who had yet to appear credited together on the same album since the release of Nas’ Illmatic.

With additional production supplied by JuJu of The Beatnuts, Dave 1 of Chromeo, T-Ray and Necro, this special edition instrumental offering is sure to be a treasure for both fans of the group, as well as true school audiophiles the world over. To boot, this release marks the first time the instrumentals have been made available on vinyl in nearly 20 years!

Production aside, the LP jacket will be adorned with an overhauled version of the left half of the never before seen ‘final’ mural illustrated by Mear One. Why just the left half, you ask? Well, Uncle Howie Records will also be releasing an acappella version of the album for the first time—also as a 2xlp—which will feature the right half of the mural, making this a true collector’s edition to reel in the milestone!

This 20th anniversary instrumental edition of The Future Is Now is set for release on March 24th via Uncle Howie Records in partnership with Fat Beats Distribution.

First time, the instrumentals have been available on vinyl since 2003! Production supplied by an all-star line-up of DJ Premier, Pete Rock and Large Professor, among others. When purchased with the acappellas, both album covers will form an overhauled version of the ‘final’ Mear One designed mural, making this a true collector’s piece

The genesis of "Nosthaigia" is as fascinating as the music itself. Onra spent several years living in Thailand, immersing himself in the vibrant culture and scouring local record shops for rare gems. The result is a collection of Thai songs from various genres, all sourced on 7 inches. These short instrumentals serve as time capsules, transporting listeners to a bygone era filled with nostalgia and longing.

Produced entirely on the Mpc1000 in 2017 and revisited in 2020, "Nosthaigia" is a testament to the power of serendipity and artistic evolution. What began as a casual exploration of unfamiliar musical territory blossomed into a deeply personal and meaningful project for Onra. Amidst a series of unfortunate life events, he found solace and inspiration in the beats he had crafted years prior.

Each track on "Nosthaigia" is a reflection of his journey, a sonic expression of longing and introspection. Onra describes the process of creating the album as a cathartic release, a way of letting go of old memories and embracing the present.

Despite the somber undertones, there is a quiet beauty to "Nosthaigia" that is impossible to ignore. Onra's vintage production skills breathe life into each track, infusing them with warmth and depth. From the haunting melodies of "Until The End" to the hypnotic rhythms of "Close Your Eyes And Remember" every moment feels poignant.

Onra's decision to "remove all the bangers" from the album speaks volumes about his artistic integrity and dedication to authenticity. "Nosthaigia" is not about flashy beats or catchy hooks; it's about raw emotion and genuine expression. It's a reminder that music has the power to heal, to uplift, and to connect us to something greater than ourselves.

In the end, "Nosthaigia" is more than just an album; it's a testament to the human experience. It's a reminder that even in our darkest moments, there is beauty to be found, if only we're willing to listen.

This is Apollo Brown's very first beat collection put together in 2007 a few years before winning the Red Bull Big Tune Championship in Detroit and then signing to Mello Music Group. The collection has been such a popular record around the Mello Music Group office for the past few years that we decided to make it available to everyone for a one time pressing on vinyl. Over 30 tracks from Apollo Brown.

Czartificial Intelligence debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top New Artist Albums chart when it was released in November and was the #2 most-added at Hip-Hop That also makes it the #1 debut on the chart. The wins keep coming as the record also debuted on the genreless Top 200 chart, coming in the top half of all records and a top 10 debut for the week! The third full week of airplay for the LP saw 3s all around as it earned a third week on the Hip-Hop chart and another top 3 appearance! Over at Nacc top 200, the record cracked into the Top 50, 40+ spots up to a new peak and one of the top 10 greatest gainers for the week! The album peaked at the Nacc 200 in Week 4, just outside the Top 40! That week it also hit a peak at Earshot, topping that chart at #1! The album earned 5 weeks at #1 Nacc Hip-Hop, the record so far for the 2024 Nacc Hip-Hop Chart!

Czarface debuted with their self-titled album in 2013 though 7L, Esoteric and Inspectah Deck first worked together on the 12" single “Speaking Real Words” in 1999. The three continued to stay in touch, periodically working together and, in 2013, Esoteric approached Deck about a possible full-length project centered around a superhero character called “Czarface."

Limited to 1000 copies, only available at HHV!

20 years HHV: our team has selected an album from each of these years that is particularly relevant and precious to us. On a monthly basis we release exclusive and limited pressings of these records in collaboration with some of our favorite labels.

Samurai Champloo Music Record: Departure is a soundtrack album, originally released on June 23, 2004. It is the second of four soundtrack albums released for the show. The album was produced by Japanese DJ / producer Nujabes, and American MC/producer Fat Jon, and featured Japanese rapper Shing02 and Japanese singer-songwriter MINMI on the album’s first and last tracks, respectively. Departure was critically lauded and is the best known album from the series, with especially high praise being reserved for “Battlecry”.

The music of the Samurai Champloo anime series was created by a group of producers: Japanese hip-hop producer Tsutchie of the rap group Shakkazombie, American hip-hop producer & emcee Fat Jon of the rap group Five Deez, Japanese hip-hop producer Nujabes, and Japanese DJ & production duo Force Of Nature. The music genre is primarily instrumental hip-hop.

Limited Edition of 100 records on green vinyl. Exclusive run for HHV. On Ol' Burger Beats' new albumWelcome 2 Norway, the Norwegian beatmaker delves into Norway's rich music history and has created a record that might be his most accomplished to date. On the best beat tapes throughout history, a story is told through the samples used, and this is truly the case with Ol' Burger Beats' new album, his first on Jansen Records. Norwegian Ol' Burger Beats (Ole-Birger Neergård) has been a mainstay on the international beats scene ever since his debut album High Rhodes was released in 2014. On that record we were introduced to the Oslo-based producer, DJ, and record collector's ability to create magic from old jazz and soul records. On Welcome 2 Norway, he re-discovers many national treasure, both well-known and forgotten ones. Among other things, he has had free access to the catalog of the legendary Arne Bendiksen's old record label, he’s sampled songs by Norwegian greats Jan Erik Vold, Kåre Virud, and Åse Kleveland, and chopped and pasted forgotten ballads from old-time dance bands, along with some Christian gems from dusty basements. The result is a record that both showcases the venerable history of Norwegian music, and also highlights Ol' Burger Beats' ability to create fantastic instrumental hip-hop tunes from old and dusty classics. The last albums by J Dilla might be the biggest inspiration for this album and are good examples of storytelling through sampling. The title Welcome 2 Norway also refers to Welcome 2 Detroit, a Dilla album that introduced the listener to the various musical styles in Dilla's hometown. In addition to delivering brilliant solo albums in rapid succession, he is also keen to collaborate with other artists on different levels. There are projects where he is the producer–Mind Games from 2017 and Out of Sight, Out of Mind from 2018 – where he works with some of his favorite rappers like Quelle Chris, Pink Siifu, Fly Anakin, Maxo, and Illa J. But then we also have the magical Loft from 2022, where the12 tracks explores the world of jazz together with other jazz enthusiasts like Ralph Thomas and Wendell Harrison, and the very successful albums with the Norwegian rapper Vuyo–All Yours from 2020 and Dialogue from 2021 When talking about the new album, Welcome 2 Norway, Neergård himself says: «After doing a few collaborations with rappers that’ve dragged out a bit, with more emailing and coordinating than music production, this has been an album where I've banged out a lot of beats, and just had some fun again. The samples I've used tell stories from my life over the past few years, and I've been searching for a Norwegian sound reminiscent of the typical soul and jazz samples found in American hip-hop–and I think the result turned out quite unique!»

Originally released on Fat Beats Records in 2009, El Michels Affair’s landmark album “Enter the 37th Chamber” is celebrating its 15th Anniversary in 2024. Featuring reinterpretations of hip hop anthems from the Wu-Tang Clan, the album took stripped-down, raw hip hop bangers and flipped them into richly-arranged instrumentals. Cover versions of tracks such as “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Can It All Be So Simple” instantly sounded as vintage as the records that RZA had sampled to create the originals, with the familiar melodies and driving rhythms elevated by expertly-arranged horns and strings. The gritty and bottom-heavy style of these analog recordings—dubbed “Cinematic Soul”—has been both widely celebrated and often imitated. El Michels Affair namesake Leon Michels has since gone on to produce for and collaborate with artists as diverse as Adele, Black Thought, Lana Del Rey, and The Carters (Beyonce & Jay-Z). Now 15 years from its initial release, “Enter the 37th Chamber” has proven to be one of the true classic instrumental albums of its era, every bit as enduring as the music it had meant to pay homage to.

The Silhouettes Project a new platform for up and coming Hip-Hop, Soul and Jazz artists from the UK. It is not a record label or management team, it is a community project. The Silhouettes Project provides an open space - a recording studio and live venue located within the Total Refreshment Centre in Hackney, London - where MCs, singers, musicians and producers can connect and create.The Silhouttes Project was founded by community organisers/artists Asher Korner (aka Kosher) and Jaden Osei-Bonsu (Eerf Evil) in 2019. When they told us about the project and played us some of the music we were instantly hooked and joined the collective as label partner. The art direction is executed by Sergio „SagaUno“ Alferez, an acclaimed designer and illustrator from Medellín, Columbia.Starting in September, we release a new single each Thursday from artists like Kofi Stone, Summers Sons, Enny, KeepVibesNear, Manik MC, Lex Amor, Louis The Hippie, Summer-Pearl, Joe Beard and many more.

Here is the story of the Silhouettes Project as told by its founders Jaden and Asher: „We started The Silhouettes Project in February 2019, to shine a light on the new generation ofunderground Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Soul music in the UK. Community is everything to us, and wewanted to show that with a proper support network, access to professional facilities, and theencouragement of a family of artists, our community could produce something incredible. We felt a joint frustration that the current music scene in the UK only had structures in placeto support talent of a certain genre whilst overlooking a buzzing alternative Hip-Hop culture.We wanted to unify artists who are making ground-breaking music but who are in need of asolid structure to work within - artists who we felt deserved more recognition. This led us tothe name ‘The Silhouettes Project’, as we wanted to shine a light on those artists in theshadows. The journey started by embarking on a collaborative album project which allowed us to bringtogether more than 30 artists on a single tape and to create a network of incredibly talentedartists of the same calibre. The album took more than a year, working almost every day at theRoot 73 studio, a community space in Hackney. We knew from the first few sessions that wewere on to something, and the energy around the project kept it moving. As artists ourselves we understood that the creative process can be challenging and sometimesisolating, especially when there is no clear support network to fall back on. This led us to bringour efforts into the physical realm by organising a series of free live music events for all ofthese artists to come to, showcase their work alongside our house band, and connect witheach other. These events take place at The Total Refreshment Centre in Dalston, anunderground studio complex and warehouse space, which gave the events an intimatecommunity feeling and the people a sense of belonging. There is a desperate need for spaces in which people can come together and develop theircreative potential, especially with the consistent withdrawal of funding from the arts sector inthe UK and with the constant threat of gentrification which has seen the closure of countlesscommunity and grassroots creative organisations. As we grew as a brand and organisation, webegan to fully understand the importance of what we were doing. From the studio sessions tothe events, we saw the impact on people’s outlooks on their own careers, we saw them growin confidence in performing and collaborating and even taking their own initiative to utilise thenetwork provided for them. We heard their feedback, we felt the excitement in theatmospheres at our events and studio sessions, and we saw the community grow every timewe brought it together.“

‘Lightweight Heavy’, Fat Jon’s third solo offering, is a concoction of “loping beats, dub bass lines, classical piano, breathy vocals and sparkling harmonies…” (bbc). From the gentle piano-led intro of ‘Talk to Me’ and threading through the album’s 14 dazzling tracks, Fat Jon’s subtle use of vocals and his bass-heavy beats take listeners on a heartfelt journey. “I lived in Japan while I made this record and produced the whole album there. Being able to make a project like this from beginning to end the way I had envisioned it was a dream come true,” Jon reflects. “I recorded and produced the whole album in my friend Nujabes’ studio. I told him about my concept for the album, and he said I could use his studio while I was there. We had similar studio setups so it was a very easy transition and fun experience.” We are very pleased to announce that ‘Lightweight Heavy’ is getting its first vinyl reissue via YHS Records, a vinyl-focused imprint of Detroit label Young Heavy Souls.

We're thrilled to present our first-ever compilation "Don't Sleep Records: The Instrumentals Volume One". This collection features a blend of our most popular records and personal favorites, including some slept-on beats that deserve a second chance to shine.

These tracks represent the diverse range of sounds and styles that have shaped the unique sonic fingerprint of Don't Sleep Records over our ten-year history. From jazzy, soulful tunes to hard-hitting boom bap and soulful bangers, this compilation offers something for every discerning listener.

We're excited to share this collection with our fans and we hope you'll enjoy it as much as we've enjoyed putting it together.

- Don't Sleep Records

Limited edition of 500 copies in tip-on cardboard sleeve.

Loft is an instrumental hip hop album inspired by the free and spiritual jazz played by the New York loft movement of the 1960s and 1970s. A difficult time, where economic decline and poor housing politics somehow led to some amazing, innovative music, often self-recorded to cassette tapes. This music was recorded to tape on a loft as well, far away from the original loft scene. Written during the corona pandemic, this album also emerged from a difficult time. The do-it-yourself spirit and freedom of the loft movement inspired this process a lot, and it was recorded mostly with instruments from that era. There are no static BPMs or software instruments on this LP, everything is kept as analog and authentic as possible. Vintage electric pianos, tape loops and hardware effects emulate the sounds of the 1970s and the
aesthetics of hip hop sampling.

The album features independent jazz legends Idris Ackamoor, Ralph Thomas and Wendell Harrison. Chicago-born Idris Ackamoor was a founding member of The Pyramids, an influential jazz ensemble that was formed in the 1970s, and still releases critically acclaimed music today. Another Chicago musician, multi-instrumentalist Ralph Thomas is best known for his 1980 cult-classic album Eastern Standard Time. Detroit-native Wendell Harrison founded the important record label and jazz collective Tribe Records, and, like Ralph Thomas, also performed together with Sun Ra among many others. All three musicians have been very inspiring to me, and are important to the legacy of free and spiritual jazz. I’m so grateful and
honored to have them featured on these loft tapes.

Ol’ Burger Beats plays: Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer 200A electric pianos, Sequential Prophets, ARP Odyssey and Moog synthesizers, ring modulator and delay pedals, tape loops, vinyl percussion samples, drum machines and various percussion instruments.

Recorded in Vatne and Oslo, Norway.

2023 Repress on Black Vinyl.

The third album from London-based multi-instrumentalist, Robohands. ‘Shapes’ fuses elements of jazz, krautrock, hip hop and ambient music. For fans of Khruangbin, Yusef Dayes, CAN, Coltrane and 70s library music moods.

Shapes is the solo project of London based composer, instrumentalist and producer Andy Baxter. His debut LP Green was released on Village Live Records in 2018 and was received with much love and acclaim in the UK Jazz, hip hop and surrounding scenes.

His follow up full-length, 'Dusk’, dropped in 2019, combining soul, funk, Latin & experimental moods. It featured vocalists & musicians from around the world including legendary New York French horn player, John Clark, who has worked with Isaac Hayes, Gil Evans Orchestra, McCoy Tyner, Jaco Pastorius, Ornette Coleman and many more greats.

'Shapes' is inspired by 1970s library music and their legendary composers including Piero Umiliani, David Axelrod, Brian Bennett and co. The album builds on these influences and incorporates modern motifs, contemporary jazz/hip hop drumming styles with a nod to 1990s Mo Wax artists such as DJ Shadow. The theme for the record is future/nostalgia, mixing vintage & modern instruments and production techniques.

Much of ‘Shapes’ was recorded with JB Pilon at Buffalo Studios in Limehouse, London. Due to the COVID restrictions that changed everything in 2020, the remaining parts were recorded in Andy’s flat using a collection of old mixing desk preamps and instruments.

For the heads – ‘Shapes’ features an array of vintage snares, including a 1960's Ludwig Pioneer and a mono, overhead ribbon mic on the drum kit provided extra old school points! The kick drum was re-amped through a huge vintage bass amplifier on a couple of tracks to give it some real character. “My favourite guitar sound achieved on this LP project is a

Sontronics Sigma ribbon microphone in front of a WEM Dominator amp, which you can hear on the track 'Odysea'. The bass sound for all the tracks is a 1973 Fender Precision into an old Altec valve preamp, the one used on most Motown recordings.”

Limited cream white edition, 300 made. German beatmaker FloFilz announces new project "handful" set for summer release

Berlin-based beatmaker FloFilz is gearing up to unveil his latest musical journey "handful" via Cologne beat label casual low grind this summer. With a career spanning over a decade, FloFilz has earned international acclaim for his distinctive production, capturing the attention of listeners worldwide.

His new release serves as a culmination of 10 tracks crafted over a two-year period, showcasing FloFilz's skill as an artist. Collaborating with both longtime friends (Hubert Daviz, Wun Two) and new musical companions (Rob Araujo, Hnny, Gabiga), the record reflects his diverse influences and experiences, including a stay at a songwriting camp in France in late summer '23. The impressive roster of internationally renowned producers and the additional feature by talented Los Angeles-based singer Kallitechnis, adding a dynamic dimension to the project.

Describing the project FloFilz shared, "It’s kind of a breather, a way to remind myself of the journey so far and what’s to come. A handing to old and new listeners, a waypoint and a thank you."

The „handful" EP will be released on limited vinyl with only 500 copies available including two vinyl only bonus tracks. Release date: July 5th, 2024.

a casual low grind service!

Off of the backs of the 2006 release a pair of 7-inch singles called the Shaolin Series, El Michels Affair would eventually drop the LP “Enter the 37th Chamber” in 2009, which covered classics by the Wu-Tang Clan. To commemorate the 15th anniversary of the landmark full-length, Fat Beats Records is not only re-releasing the original 45s in the Shaolin Series, but will be adding to the series with choice cuts from the LP. First up is “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” a hauntingly unforgettable take on ODB’s classic single, with blaring horns and a chorus of children to sing the iconic hook. The b-side features a darker, moodier interpretation of Raekwon’s “Incarcerated Scarfaces,” perfectly representing El Michels Affair’s slow-riding style dubbed “Cinematic Soul.”

Releasing now for well over a decade - Neue Grafik: known to friends as Fred, has successfully transplanted from Parisian rookie to one- man London Institution. Beginning as a solo producer and DJ,Fred spread his wings upon relocating to South London - at first with his Neue Grafik Ensemble and later with his now iconic twice-weekly Orii Jam - the latter of which has given agency to an entire new generation of musicians; spawning an aesthetic, nurturing a unique sound and becoming a launchpad for countless artists.

Dalston Tape Volume 1 is Fred’s attempt to fall back in love with beatmaking - taking it back to the roots of where the project began. I say “attempt” because he’s simply learnt too much and made too many friends along the way to make a mere DIY beat tape. Since his early MPC-led productions on Parisian label, Beat X Changers, Fred has learnt to play the keys to a concert hall standard, he has become proficient in double bass and built up a dense network of collaborators who he has composed, recorded, engineered and produced for both at home in SE London and in the iconic Total Refreshment Centre Studios in Dalston.

This experience adds unavoidable dimensions to his toolbox - resulting in something more akin to a miniature-magnum-opus than a simple beat-tape.

Yes, we hear the influences of Pete Rock, Mad Lib, J Dilla and Al Dobson Jr but we also hear the musicality of D’Aneglo, James Blake and live contributions from an ever growing army of young graduates of the Orii School.

Remixes Jid020 is the twentieth installment in the Jazz Is Dead catalog. This remix album features London based artists Shabaka Hutchings and Theon Cross, New York tastemaker Melanie Charles, LA based producer Bei Ru, Brazil’s Dj Nyack, Detroit based producer Tall Black Guy, Bay Area producer Mophono and the LA based house duo LO & Disko. Remixers sampled the previously released Jazz Is Dead records created by Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and icons including the following: Lonnie Liston Smith, Jean Carne, Tony Allen, Henry Franklin, Phil Ranelin, Wendell Harrison, Garrett Saracho, and Katalyst.

After the release of their critically acclaimed first album « Bluestaeb & S. Fidelity Present Underground Canopy » (menace - 2020), Underground Canopy (uc) was able to take time, due to the unforeseen period of doubt in 2020, to craft new compositions with a fresh approach. Throughout this forced period of introspection, the Parisian band experimented with more refined musical codes and colorful sounds.

Following the new additions of Raphaël Henry on drums and Christopher Johnson on electric guitar, UC was able to record and film a live rendition of four original pieces at the end of 2020, thanks to an invitation by the Centre des Arts d’Enghien-les-Bains’s artistic program and Sense. These music videos, each filmed in one shot by Romain Lalire, capture UC’s musical digressions away from their mainly hip-hop and groove-infused jams and into new territory.

The resulting new EP «Séquences : Live Session» celebrates cinematic aesthetics and the suspension of time. It stands as an audiovisual testimonial to the band’s continued progression. In this era marked by uncertainty but full of hope, what will come next?

Seven years after the release of his first solo album Kabul Fire Vol. 1, Hamburg-based producer Farhot is now taking listeners on a journey to his biographical roots with the follow up Kabul Fire Vol. 2. While the previous album already included references to his Afghan homeland, this 13-track album completely centers around the country from which his family had to flee when he was still a kid – musically, but also thematically through the selection of samples and quotes. For the sound of this project, the beat nerd went on memory lane to his family roots in the Middle East, digging up the sounds of his childhood. He also embraced the classic Golden Era sound of hip hop in the 90s, the music of his adolescence. The result: organic hip hop beats with elaborate and dreamy melodies, infused with elements from traditional Afghan music that take you to the dusty streets of Kabul. Artfully hand-crafted and intricately arranged with loads of love for details – just like the carpets on the cover of the album. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa This project, for which Farhot teamed up with some long-term friends and collaborators like Nneka, Juju Rogers or Maverick Sabre, will be released on his own label Kabul Fire Records. a

Limited to 500 copies.

Classic der Dicke & Snares release their new groundbreaking record titled '1990'. The EP contains six carefully selected songs that are characterized by personal experiences and thoughts. The lyrics are profound and offer an honest insight into the life of Classic der Dicke. The beats are thoughtful and powerful, literally carrying the listener through the tracks. With this album, the artists manage to create a perfect blend of honest lyrics and infectious beats. For the first time, Classic der Dicke shows a very open side - this is exactly how hip-hop should be!

The reputation of the Japanese hip-hop production team Grey October Sound is spreading both in Japan and abroad. While they have released quality albums such as "Timeless" and "The Cave," their two lo-fi hip-hop cover albums, "Lo-Fi Ghibli" and "Lo-Fi City Pop," have become hits in record stores around the world. For the third installment of this series, they have set their sights on Japan's world-famous anime songs!

They will be covering songs from "Bleach", "Saint Seiya", "Puella Magi Madoka Magica", "k-on! and "Dragon Ball", all of which are lo-fi arrangements of theme songs and insert songs of high quality, while still showing respect for the originals. The cover of this album was designed by Rika Hase, an illustrator who also created the artwork for "Lo-Fi Ghibli" and "Lo-Fi City Pop".