LP, One Black 12" LP in Gatefold sleeve with reverseboard printed sleeve

GENRE/S: Hip Hop , Soul , Instrumental Hip Hop

TRACKLISTS:

A1. Enter the Dojo Feat. Starrlight
A2. Inner Peace Feat. DistantStarr
A3. Wu Feat. RacecaR
A4. The Path Feat. RacecaR
A5. Chi
B1. Beautiful Feat. Bibi Tanga
B2. Beyond Feat. RacecaR & Elodie Rama
B3. Following the white Clouds Feat. RacecaR
B4. Shaolin's Monk
B5. The way of the Ronin Feat. Ta-Ti
B6. Moon's Samurai

SHORT INFO:
Attracted by a mysterious force that prompts him to leave his studio den, the Waxidermist embarks on a mystical quest, a hip hop adventure on the screen of which funk and soul collide, sampling and live.

Against the backdrop of an Asian fresco, The Waxidermist traces a musical journey that draws in its wake long-time friends and new crusaders along the way. United and united, becoming one to stay the course until the final revelation ...

"Tribe" is the new chapter in Waxidermist story : his journey cross the world & will be tell by all members of his tribe : From US with MC's RacecaR or DistantStarr, through France with Female singer Elodie Rama, the journey shines to the world : Netherland with wicked Female MC Starrlight, Africa with famous afro-soul singer Bibi Tanga, but also Japan with MC Ta-Ti.

After many adventures with famous musician (Erik Truffas, Gut, Versus, UHT°, The Herbaliser, Anna Kova…), The Waxidermist strikes back with a brand-new Hip-Hop Adventure, such an Imaginary Soundtrack and invite people to meet his "Tribe"…


Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

No Sales to Japan. CD Digipack Edition

Tracklist
1. A New Dawn, 2. My Ill Disease (Feat. Mattic), 3. The Adventures (Feat. RacecaR, Venomous 2000 & Mattic, 4. The Origami Case (Feat. Green T), 5. The Snow (Feat. RacecaR & Anna Kova), 6. The Connection (Feat. Venomous 2000, Mattic & RacecaR), 7. Breathin' (Feat. Anna Kova) , 8. Dusk's Forgotten Pearl, 9. Forgotten Gem (Feat. FP & Mattic), 10. Well (Feat. Venomous 2000, Mattic & RacecaR), 11. Remember (Feat. RacecaR), 12. A Glilmpse of Heaven (Feat. RacecaR & Mattic)


Shortinfo :
To find Lawkyz, follow the beat. It is here, in this vital part, this lighthouse which guides the route of the other instruments, which it prints in depth the low notes of his four strings. Riveted on the Drums. linking with it a rhythmic pact, ensuring the propulsion of the groove on stage with Erik Truffaz or Guts; on records with UHT °, Anna Kova, or Versus, his hip hop project with full live band. When he puts his fetish instrument, when he lets cool his amp, then wakes up his evil twin: The Waxidermist.
One year after his last EP, The Waxidermist comes back to tell his story.


Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

LP, One Black 12" LP in Gatefold sleeve with reverseboard printed sleeve

GENRE/S: Hip Hop , Soul , Instrumental Hip Hop

TRACKLISTS:

A1. Enter the Dojo Feat. Starrlight
A2. Inner Peace Feat. DistantStarr
A3. Wu Feat. RacecaR
A4. The Path Feat. RacecaR
A5. Chi
B1. Beautiful Feat. Bibi Tanga
B2. Beyond Feat. RacecaR & Elodie Rama
B3. Following the white Clouds Feat. RacecaR
B4. Shaolin's Monk
B5. The way of the Ronin Feat. Ta-Ti
B6. Moon's Samurai

SHORT INFO:
Attracted by a mysterious force that prompts him to leave his studio den, the Waxidermist embarks on a mystical quest, a hip hop adventure on the screen of which funk and soul collide, sampling and live.

Against the backdrop of an Asian fresco, The Waxidermist traces a musical journey that draws in its wake long-time friends and new crusaders along the way. United and united, becoming one to stay the course until the final revelation ...

"Tribe" is the new chapter in Waxidermist story : his journey cross the world & will be tell by all members of his tribe : From US with MC's RacecaR or DistantStarr, through France with Female singer Elodie Rama, the journey shines to the world : Netherland with wicked Female MC Starrlight, Africa with famous afro-soul singer Bibi Tanga, but also Japan with MC Ta-Ti.

After many adventures with famous musician (Erik Truffas, Gut, Versus, UHT°, The Herbaliser, Anna Kova…), The Waxidermist strikes back with a brand-new Hip-Hop Adventure, such an Imaginary Soundtrack and invite people to meet his "Tribe"…


Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

No Sales to Japan. CD Digipack Edition

Tracklist
1. A New Dawn, 2. My Ill Disease (Feat. Mattic), 3. The Adventures (Feat. RacecaR, Venomous 2000 & Mattic, 4. The Origami Case (Feat. Green T), 5. The Snow (Feat. RacecaR & Anna Kova), 6. The Connection (Feat. Venomous 2000, Mattic & RacecaR), 7. Breathin' (Feat. Anna Kova) , 8. Dusk's Forgotten Pearl, 9. Forgotten Gem (Feat. FP & Mattic), 10. Well (Feat. Venomous 2000, Mattic & RacecaR), 11. Remember (Feat. RacecaR), 12. A Glilmpse of Heaven (Feat. RacecaR & Mattic)


Shortinfo :
To find Lawkyz, follow the beat. It is here, in this vital part, this lighthouse which guides the route of the other instruments, which it prints in depth the low notes of his four strings. Riveted on the Drums. linking with it a rhythmic pact, ensuring the propulsion of the groove on stage with Erik Truffaz or Guts; on records with UHT °, Anna Kova, or Versus, his hip hop project with full live band. When he puts his fetish instrument, when he lets cool his amp, then wakes up his evil twin: The Waxidermist.
One year after his last EP, The Waxidermist comes back to tell his story.


Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

2LP Limited Gatefold Edition : 2LP Vinyl + Liner Note + CD in plastic sleeve with exclusive Remixes (Mister Modo & Ugly Mac Beer / Mr Big) (Remixes not available on the digital platforms)

Tracklist LP:

A1. Intro A2. Mr Blue (Feat. Bruce Sherfield) A3. Marauders B1. Alerte B2. Theme From Bobbin Street (Feat. Yann Cléry) B3. (How To) Play The Game (Feat. Beat Assailant) C1. Almost Noon (Feat. Bruce Sherfield & Juan Rozoff) C2. The Letter (Feat. Black Sifichi) C3. Everyday Fever (Feat. Bruce Sherfield) D1. The Don Walks In D2. Museum of Life (Feat. Bruce Sherfield & Juan Rozoff) D3. End Credits



"Mr. Blue", Versus' first album, is an authentic Hip Hop Blaxploitation -genre polar. It tells the story of a certain Mr. Blue, in a Soul and Jazz musical type. Its animated lyrics blend into cinematic instruments of a 70's American "film noir" style. The context is set in an ill-reputed neighborhood and the protagonists are a mafia godfather that no one has ever seen (but everyone fears) and his bar employees.
Seb Lawkyz (Bass, double bass, production), the actual initiator of the project, has surrounded himself with some of the best musicians of the French Jazz Groove scene. Bruce Sherfield (rap, lead vocals), Yann Cléry (flute, backing vocals), Mr. Tos (scratches), Nico Rajao (drums), Gérald "GG" Bonnegrace (percussions), Jérome "Tchiky" Perez (guitar), Charles Francoise (keyboards, studio production) and Aleksander Terris (keyboards). It is then in Full Live Band that the project came into full play.
The team has gone further and jumped in the experience of working with ten additional musicians: strings, horns... in the authentic tradition of Motown & Stax records. Additionally, top vocal artists joined the team: Juan Rozoff, Beat Assailant and Black Sifichi...
Versus could be seen as a group of music lovers brought up through by listening to the classical Soul Funk music playing Hip Hop with Jazz musical techniques. Therefore, these dedicated artists of "black" music pay tribute to music legends such as Isaac Hayes, Lalo Schiffrin & co, fashioning in their music "a groovy bikini" for an imaginary Pam Grier, and using the available technologies to perpetrate the tradition.



Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Cd included with the full CD tracklist & exclusives Remixes : 13. Museum of Life (Mister Modo & Ugly Mac Beer Remix) 14. Museum of Life (Mr Big Remix)

Tracklist CD:
1. Intro 2. Mr Blue (Feat. Bruce Sherfield) 3. Marauders 4. Alerte 5. Theme From Bobbin Street (Feat. Yann Cléry) 6. (How To) Play The Game (Feat. Beat Assailant) 7. Almost Noon (Feat. Bruce Sherfield & Juan Rozoff) 8. The Letter (Feat. Black Sifichi) 9. Everyday Fever (Feat. Bruce Sherfield) 10. The Don Walks In 11. Museum of Life (Feat. Bruce Sherfield & Juan Rozoff) 12. End Credits



"Mr. Blue", Versus' first album, is an authentic Hip Hop Blaxploitation -genre polar. It tells the story of a certain Mr. Blue, in a Soul and Jazz musical type. Its animated lyrics blend into cinematic instruments of a 70's American "film noir" style. The context is set in an ill-reputed neighborhood and the protagonists are a mafia godfather that no one has ever seen (but everyone fears) and his bar employees.
Seb Lawkyz (Bass, double bass, production), the actual initiator of the project, has surrounded himself with some of the best musicians of the French Jazz Groove scene. Bruce Sherfield (rap, lead vocals), Yann Cléry (flute, backing vocals), Mr. Tos (scratches), Nico Rajao (drums), Gérald "GG" Bonnegrace (percussions), Jérome "Tchiky" Perez (guitar), Charles Francoise (keyboards, studio production) and Aleksander Terris (keyboards). It is then in Full Live Band that the project came into full play.
The team has gone further and jumped in the experience of working with ten additional musicians: strings, horns... in the authentic tradition of Motown & Stax records. Additionally, top vocal artists joined the team: Juan Rozoff, Beat Assailant and Black Sifichi...
Versus could be seen as a group of music lovers brought up through by listening to the classical Soul Funk music playing Hip Hop with Jazz musical techniques. Therefore, these dedicated artists of "black" music pay tribute to music legends such as Isaac Hayes, Lalo Schiffrin & co, fashioning in their music "a groovy bikini" for an imaginary Pam Grier, and using the available technologies to perpetrate the tradition.



Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Special remarks : 12" with the original Track Mr Blue & 2 remixes by famous producer 20syl (C2C, Hocus Pocus) & Booster (Loop In Release - Blue Note Records). It also includes the instrumental & acapella version.

Tracklist


A1. Mr Blue (Feat. Bruce Sherfield) A2. Mr Blue (Booster Remix) A3. Mr Blue (20syl Remix) B1. Mr Blue (Instrumental) B2. Mr Blue (Acapella)

Shortinfo:


It's almost noon at Donnie's HQ and the door opens with a bang that somehow doesn't move a soul. Donnie Bass, the owner, knows who's causing such a racket: he's meeting the three characters Mr Blue told him to gather. Why? it seems the four of them are the best at what they do, all of them known offenders at the Groove Police Station. Donnie speaks : " I'm going to read a letter signed by Mr Blue...

Believe me: we don't have a choice! ". And they know he won't need to say it twice. No one says NO to Mr Blue... Ever! Shawn Washington (flutes), Charlie Keys (keyboards), Jesus Crise (turntables) and Donnie Bass (bass) know the drill : "You gotta groove or die !". That's the world according to Blue...

Followed by their associates Bluce (MC), Tchiky Wah (guitar), Mr. Big (drums) and Ray Waterboy (percussions), Versus brings a funky hip hop with a blaxploitation groove...

With this first EP, "Mr Blue", Versus invites you to their world... Along with the instrumental and the acapella, you'll find the original version of Mr Blue, also remixed by 20syl (Hocus Pocus' frontman, C2C) & Booster (composer of the hit single You're the One feat. Juan Rozoff and the Light My Fire remix with Shirley Bassey).

Before we go deeper into this story, we should ask ourselves one important question: Who is this mysterious Mr Blue ?



Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Special remarks : 12" with the radio edit Track Almost Noon & 2 remixes by famous producer Ji Dru (Ji Mob, Push Up…) & Blundetto. It also includes the instrumental & acapella version.

Tracklist


A1. Almost Noon (Feat. Bruce Sherfield & Juan Rozoff) (Radio Edit) A2.Almost Noon (Ji Dru Remix) A3.Almost Noon (Blundetto Remix) B1. Almost Noon (Instrumental) B2. Almost Noon (Acapella)

Shortinfo:

Life is about timing ! When the clock starts showing boredom in its endless whistle, it definitely means it's time to go…

After a first summer EP, there is nothing better than a second delivery in the heart of the winter !
And with such a track, with its languorous groove, featuring Juan Rozoff's feline voice and our friend Bruce Sherfield dropping rhymes with its 'cool as f*#k' phrasing, I can only tell you that Versus should definitely help our specie to keep on proliferating!!

Of course, you'll always find our little bonuses dedicated to our DJ friends, i.e. accappella & instrumental versions. But let's get straight to the point about these remixes, speaking about our "love is in the building" mission, it's going to be easily fulfilled thanks to these two talented producers and musicians : Ji Dru from Push Up on one side, Blundetto, signed on the fast growing Heavenly Sweetness label

Ji Dru, as a real mature music lover, takes the violin sample to make us cry… but cut it up and conceal it in an irresistible rhythmical coat ! Regarding Blundetto's, spicing it up with a Carribean style, he steps reggae clock back to dub hours, to bring a laid-back vibe that will of course go with a cigarette on the pillow !

By the way, time wise, the guys have an appointment at midday with Mr. Blue. What's the time ? It's almost noon !


Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Special remarks : 12" limited edition with reverse cardboard sleeve. Includes Download card with full EP + all instrumental version.

Tracklist
A1. Listen (Feat. Mattic & Astrid Engberg) A2. The Man With The Wax Hand (Feat. Racecar) A3. Put It In Your Pipe (Feat. Bruce Sherfield) B1. Come Close (Feat. Elodie Rama) B2. Parasites (Feat. Pumpkin) B3. Twilight To Paradise

Shortinfo:

Among the diggers, there is a legend. Here's what we known:

Here are a few decades now, since the advent of samplers and MPC, that regularly, for no apparent reason, many Hip Hop producers disappear without we never found them yet.
The police never solved these cases.

No traces, no clues, no witnesses ... nothing! or ... but nothing than a Commissioner is able to use or analyze ... posthumous alleged securities, pieces of drafts, plans ... only vinyl!

Time to Time, you can heard some stories circulating about a strange being who hangs in vinyls cellars. Some call Graham but nothing proves it ... anything that can overlap in the various stories, that can be gleaned on the right or left, among MC's, comes down to a hand-vinyl strikes when They fall on the sample ... sample legend killer is rooted there !

And we can not fall on it without meeting The WAXIDERMIST.

Among its victims, we speak here of the last dated: the man called LAWKYZ has disappeared. At the bottom of the cellar where last seen entering, one found tracks, music. MC's : Mattic (Wax Tailor, Empire of Sound) Racecar (Soul Square, Sax Machine, Asagaya) Bruce Sherfield (Versus, The Sophia Lorenians), Pumpkin and singers : Astrid Engberg (Modonut, La Fine Equipe, Jukebox Champions), Elodie Rama (Hocus Pocus, Natural Self) decide to tell a story that no one has ever heard ...





Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Special remarks : 12" with printed sleeve

Tracklist
A1. Ride A2. Believe B1. Bad Enough B2. No One B3. All I Got


Shortinfo :
2 years after the release of her first EP MHAW (My Heart Ain't Wrong) and the success of the hit song All In You, in collaboration with Synapson, Anna Kova reveals " PIGMENTS " her new EP.
Anna Kova partners up with the producer and beatmaker MiM to feed this composite genre that she's exploring since the beginning.




Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Tracklist

A1. Subtle Body
A2. Nightfall (Instrumental)
B1. The Light Of Jesus
B2. Room ’96 (Recorded live at Room Nightclub, Hull)

Release Info:
Hot on the heels of last year’s Mermaids reissue retrospective, Hull’s deep listening house forerunners return: this time revisiting a pair of originals as well as previously unreleased versions.

It’s testament to the depth of feeling that Steve Cobby and David McSherry can conjure, that these tracks sound as potent and impactful as they did when they first came out - and not just for the dance. Throughout their 30+ years, the Yorkshire duo have produced ten albums amid many more collaborations, and transformed the remix into an artform, putting their fingerprints on everyone from Busta Rhymes to The Orb to Radiohead.

This EP collection finds them at the full scope of their powers: from disembodied mood music, to tripped-out dubby beats and raw house sessions for the club. The title track Subtle Body sounds like it drifted in through the window in the middle of a snowy night. Its layered chimes, looped delay feedback and floaty chords (played on a Wurlitzer Electronic Piano that Steve bought from Bill Nelson), mark it out as an enduring piece of ambient music, and a favorite for film-makers, able to soundtrack both haunted memories and afterparty comedowns with finesse. It precedes an unreleased instrumental version of Nightfall from Fila Brazillia’s 2002 album Jump Leads (named Mixmag’s chill album of the year), and as an instrumental, the chunky electro bass and mix of ephemeral tones and bird-like chirrups are brought clearly into focus. The attention to detail is what makes Fila Brazillia’s sound palette so rich, and Nightfall a certified smokers’ anthem.

On the B side, the tempo and temperature rises, and we’re treated to The Light Of Jesus, a favorite from Fila Brazillia’s 1994 debut LP Old Codes: New Chaos. Atop a bumping house groove, the song weaves together smooth organ pads and electrified guitar licks with syrupy bass and gospel-tinged exaltations from Charles Bukowski. The EP rounds out with Room ‘96, a live house jam from Hull’s Room nightclub, and a veritable time capsule back to the halcyon ‘90s rave days, when the lights were still on, everyone was home, and anything seemed possible.

The songs here on Subtle Body might be a window into a time long past, but they remain in the present: and as long as bodies seek pleasure, and dancers want to keep going til sunrise, Fila Brazillia will endure, and soundtrack those moments for us all to get lost in.






Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

2LP,30th Anniversary Re Edition, 2025 Remaster

File Under: Downbeat / Ambient

A1. Dave Yang & Steve Yin De-Swish T' Swish
A2. A Zed And Two L's

B1. Leggy
B2. At Home In Space

C1. 6ft Wasp
C2. Slacker

D1. Harmonicas Are Shite
D2. Extract Of Pineal Gland
D3. Subtle Body

30 years old and sounding better than ever!
The growing bin is over the moon to present a vinyl reissue of Maim That Tune,
the timeless downbeat album that many regard as Cobby & McSherry's best joint effort.
Back on wax for it's 30th birthday - remastered with finesse by master Sergey Luginin
it will blow the minds of those who have listened to to it for hundreds of times
and those who have the pleasure to be At Home In Space for the first time.


Music by Steve Cobby & David McSherry
Mastered by Sergey Luginin @ Luginin Studio in Moscow
Distributed by wordandsound from Hamburg



Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Territories: Worldwide no restrictions

Format Notes:
2024 first time double vinyl reissue with exclusive bonus track, 140g double vinyl, remastered audio with restored artwork


Track List:

A1 Intro 0:50
A2 WordPlay 3:17
A3 Spontaneity 4:08
A4 Rugged Ruff 3:08
A5 Interlude 0:29

B1 I Confess 4:06
B2 UKNOWHOWWEDU 3:35
B3 Interlude 1:09
B4 Total Wreck 3:26
B5 Innovation 3:23

C1 Da Jawn 5:19
C2 Interlude 1:05
C3 True Honey Buns (Dat Freak Sh*t) 3:41

D1 3 Tha Hard Way 4:12
D2 Biggest Part Of Me 4:51
D3 Path To Rhythm 3:24

Release Notes:

Bahamadia’s 1996 debut album Kollage is rightly regarded as one of the greatest rap albums of the 1990s. For the first time ever, Be With present the definitive double LP version of this eternal hip-hop classic, including the legendary "Path To Rhythm" which never appeared on the original LP or on vinyl, anywhere. An indelible VIBE from start-to-finish, Kollage presents Bahamadia's swirling rhymes delivered with an irresistibly butter flow and razor-sharp assuredness over a steady slew of smoothed-out, jazzed-up, blunted beats. Achingly cool and effortlessly funky throughout, it's an absolute must for true 90s hip-hop fanatics.

The entire Kollage project was recorded at D&D Studios and the ties to Gang Starr are keenly felt, with DJ Premier producing five tracks in addition to the killer songs Guru had already produced with her. Working with the cream of the mid-90s East Coast sound, Kollage is, accordingly, a record that demonstrates a varied musical taste with disparate influences, as Bahamadia has previously stated: “The title Kollage was a reflection of my state of mind. I first got interested in music from playing my parents’ and grandparents’ records, as well what I heard on the radio. I wanted Kollage to reflect that diversity both lyrically and sonically."

With intelligent, poetic lyricism and a laconic verbal style bursting with both warm texture and deceptive energy, Bahamadia’s flow was as inspired by Aretha and Nancy Wilson as it was Q-Tip, Schoolly D and Lady B. Swaggering out the gate, "WordPlay" finds Bahamadia confidently showcasing her considerable old-school battle-rhyme skills over a Guru beat that utilises an infectiously bouncy bassline with splashes of sultry jazz horns and a Jeru vocal snatch for the hook. Up next, the quietly shimmering and ruggedly beautiful "Spontaneity" is one of the most alluring on the record, Da Beatminerz crafting a brilliantly soulful and jazzy soundscape for Bahamadia's effortless vocals to float across. It's followed by "Rugged Ruff", where the rapper carefully constructs a swift off-beat flow over Premier's raw jazzy fire.

With smooth spacey synth vibes overseen by former Geto Boys producer N.O. Joe, "I Confess" is, without question, a fly love song and soothing (p)-funk groove. "UKNOWHOWWEDU" is an airy, chilled tribute to her hometown. Produced by Ski Beatz & DJ Redhanded, it rides a gloriously mellow break. It's a true Philly anthem, shouting out a who’s who of the entire city’s scene. Early banger "Total Wreck" follows, presenting a murky Guru instrumental elevated by jazzy horns. Bahamadia invokes the title's suggestion, firing her brilliant bars more aggressively than we’re accustomed to. More Beatminerz-brilliance comes in the way of "Innovation", an opportunity for the MC to invoke Freestyle Fellowship in her forward-thinking and literary verses. "Da Jawn" features hometown buddies The Roots, with Black Thought gliding into a back-and-forth with Bahamadia over ?uestlove’s warm, snapping percussion. With the strut club banger "True Honey Buns (Dat Freak Sh*t)", DJ Premier provides some laidback vibrant boom bap for Bahamadia to share a wild, cautionary tale about a night out with her girl, Kia.

Fan favourite "3 Tha Hard Way" is a hypnotically sinister cut, with Bahamadia, K-Swift and Mecca Star taking star turns to coast over DJ Premier’s raw beat whilst the tender "Biggest Part Of Me" is a heartfelt stunner dedicated to her son. Incredibly, only the European and Japanese CD versions of Kollage was released with the brilliantly breezy “Path To Rhythm”, featuring Ursula Rucker. Whilst ostensibly a "bonus track", it's anything but, to our ears. Very much in sonic conversation with KRS-One's stretched-out sleeper classic "Higher Level", it's absolutely essential so we had to include it, appearing on wax for the first time here, exclusively. Quite a coup.

Somewhat predictably, whilst Kollage was released to significant critical acclaim, it suffered from disappointing sales. In the intervening years - and for far too long - it was a criminally underrated record, an increasingly hidden gem. We hope this double LP reissue - which looks and sounds amazing - will go some way to correct this. This 2024 Be With double LP re-issue has been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Cicely Balston and pressed at Record Industry. It's too bold and beautiful to remain overlooked and underserved.


Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Artwork and Typography by Stefan Marx

Four new and ultra deep italo-deephouse cuts from Jacy aka Giacy Bozzi from Bari in Southern Italy.

Jacy is running his own label Home Of House Records and is well-known in his comfort-zone, the very Underground. May it be for his contributions to the amazing „Welcome To Paradise“ Compilation Series on Safe Trip, being featured on Volume I, II and III or his records on Kalahari Oyster or Hot Haus Records.

All of these come with Jacy signature sound– timeless and deep tunes to stay, intense balearic feels that guide you through the night and revive the golden-era of House music.

Smallville 68 as always comes with a Full Cover Artwork by Stefan Marx.


Tracklist:

Tracklist:

A1 Move Your Body
A2 Feel The G
B1 One Kiss One ...
B2 Isola 89





All tracks written & produced by Giacy Bozzi
Mastering and Vinyl cut by Helmut Erler at Lathesville

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

LP
2. GENRE/S: Ambient, Experimental, New Age, Leftfield Jazz

3. TRACKLISTS:

A1: Sunny Terasse
A2: Table For Two
A3: May I Join?
A4: Dimmed Lights
B1: City Lights
B2: Kupka's Design
B3: Sleep Tuff
B4: Running Behind

4. SHORT INFO:

RWR's latest release comes straight from Berlin's underground Electronic Jazz scene. Simon Herody, originally from the South of France but living in the German capital since 2020, delivers an eight-track suite of ambient-informed Jazz.
The album grew out of solo gigs in hotel lobbies, low-key half improvised sets where Simon blended sequenced electronics with live sax, clarinet and flute. These in-between spaces, half-public and half-private, set the tone for Hard Lounge: an eight-track trip that's ambient enough to fade into the background, but rich enough to keep you engaged.

There's a clear love for 80s New Age and Electronic Jazz, but it's not just nostalgia - the album also channels leftfield Japanese Pop and Ambient. A big turning point was hearing Heisei No Oto (that killer compilation on Music From Memory) & Music For Dance & Theatre, Vol. 2, also released on MFM, which blew the doors wide open in terms of texture and mood.

While working shifts at Motif, a bar and record shop in Neukölln, Simon started deep-listening to these kinds of records, thinking about how sound can shape space and attention. Design and architecture trickled into the album's artwork, hinting at a broader idea: that music, like furniture or lighting, can be part of how a space feels - part of the design. That blend of curiosity and immersion became the blueprint for Hard Lounge, a record that plays with presence, atmosphere and memory.




Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Territories: Worldwide no restrictions

Format Notes: Hyper-limited (500 only) vinyl release, deep West Coast jazz-rap future classic, 140g vinyl.


Track List:

A1 Rambissimo
A2 Zugulala
A3 Maiden Voyage
A4 Rise
A5 Risk Pt. 1
A6 Risk Pt. 2

B1 Subinodima
B2 Flummox
B3 Both
B4 All That You Could Be
B5 Talkin'
B6 Apex
B7 Roll The Credits

Release Notes:

Deep West Coast Jazz-Rap instant c-l-a-s-s-i-c alert!

Perfect to chill to, Headnodic + Jazz Mafia's astounding self-titled record blends hip-hop and jazz effortlessly, bringing the two genres together with their intrinsic beauty intact. Here we get hip-hop beats made from the box (SP-12 / Maschine / Laptop / MPC etc.) that still feel like that good ol' loop-based Boom-Bap knock, mixed with an equal dose of timeless organic musicianship, shining with spontaneity, humanity and soul. This vital project came about when we opened an email from Thes One (of the mighty People Under The Stairs): "I want to introduce you to my good friend and collaborator Headnodic". Boy, are we glad he did.

It’s exceedingly limited, with just 500 pressed for the world.

Jazzy hip-hop on that mellow-melodic tip, Headnodic + Jazz Mafia is an unforgettable album with nothing but dope beats and dope bars. There's a strong chance these artists have, until now, passed you by. However, we truly believe this to be a hip-hop jazz masterpiece that'll be beloved for years to come. By way of introduction, Headnodic is a part of the fabric of underground hip-hop. From his contributions to the groundbreaking group Crown City Rockers (AKA Mission), to his production work with Lateef & the Gift of Gab as The Mighty Underdogs (Def Jux / Quannum Records), Headnodic embodies the spirit of hip-hop in a way that is both unique, rare and universal. A phenomenal talent, then, and one we were delighted to be put in touch with by Thes.

In the year 2000, trombonist, bassist, composer, arranger, and producer Adam Theis co-founded Jazz Mafia – an eclectic artist collective of forward-thinking and accomplished players in Electro, Hip-Hop, World, Classical, and Jazz. 25 years in the making, Jazz Mafia is a prolific staple of the quintessential San Francisco sound, uniting creative and accomplished Bay Area instrumentalists, vocalists, MCs, composers, and arrangers. The collective quickly garnered a reputation for its collaborative and risk-taking spirit, and over the years has worked with Roy Ayers, Lyrics Born, Zion-I, Latyrx and Blackalicious, to name a few.

Headnodic has been making beats since he was a teenager and, around the same time, he played electric and upright bass in jazz ensembles. The two genres were always intertwined for him: the jazz he loved had grit and groove and the hip-hop he loved sampled those very records, bringing that human touch to programmed beats. This album is a true collaboration between Headnodic and Adam Theis, along with The Jazz Mafia collective of musicians. In essence, Headnodic made the beats, Adam reacted with the horn arrangements but, with the extended family of musicians they pulled in, it made it feel like they were painting with infinite colours.

Indeed, some musicians - like vibraphonist Dan Neville - would replay and improvise over sampled loops, blurring the line between live performance and production. Other times, they’d strip out the sample entirely and build from the ground up with live players, leaving a recognisable loop to become a faint but welcoming echo of the original idea. How fresh is that? They enlisted some amazing vocalists and emcees: Genra, Do D.A.T., Ozay Moore (Lightheaded), Eligh (Living Legends) and Breathless brought raw lyricism.

Opener "Rambissimo" confidently strides out the gate, a rolling deep jazz--funk instrumental with old skool bells and brass over slick head-nod beats and chilled vibes. What else d'ya expect? Up next, "Zugulala" is a real slow-burn heater with a dancehall-adjacent riddim and gorgeous horns and vibes decorating the movement. Definitely one for more adventurous dance-floors and DJ sets. For their sublime, modern take on Herbie Hancock's “Maiden Voyage”, Otis MacDonald finds a propulsive pocket on the drum kit by melding seamlessly with a simple percussion loop from a belly dance instructional record. Yep! Colin Hogan’s left hand on the Juno 106 synthesizer glides like ocean currents, painting vast sonic landscapes while his right hand answers in real time on the Fender Rhodes electric piano. Destani Wolf then stacks her soulful voice into dense complex chordal clusters that take this voyage out of the confines of reality. Staggering!

Up next, the Be With link gets ever stronger with another interpolation / loose cover. Yep, "Rise", featuring Genra, Ozay Moore, is a laconic, sun-dappled take on Keni Burke's eternal "Risin' To The Top". It so breezy, so "magic hour" gorgeous that it feels like it could've come from Jazzy Jeff's all-time classic The Magnificent LP on BBE back in 2002. Really, it's that good. Another of our favourite tracks, "Risk Pt. 1" started with a dollar-bin library record Headnodic found on tour, decades ago. He looped a bassoon riff and, through Adam, connected with Paul Hanson, a master bassoonist who turned that loop in on itself. He then finished the song off with an improvised jam, syncopating against his own delay pedal, that was so heavy, so nasty, so epic that Headnodic just had to add drums from the MPC to make a new song titled “Risk Pt 2”. Moments like that — where rigid beat-making met the wild unpredictability of live jazz — became the heart of the record. Kaleidoscopic, breathless, strident trip-hop.

The B-side is ushered in with arguably the most immediate track on the album, the stunning, lo-fi jazz-hop instrumental "Subinodima". It's certainly your favourite. So slick, yet so evocative, like a perfectly produced 70s AM rock instrumental. Up next, "Flummox" raises the temperature over another killer Latin-flavoured steppers riddim, a wicked melting pot of programmed drums, infectious horn melodies and spacey synths. If that wasn't hot enough, the fierce "Both", featuring Olivia Ruff and Do D.A.T., deserves to be blasted across world, from sweaty basements to hyped radio shows to BBQ cookouts and beach parties. It's absolutely sensational and will likely seal the deal for you.

The breezy "All That You Could Be" is another exquisite, elegant instrumental with the players flowing beautifully and Headnodic's ear for a gliding beat and sun-kissed atmosphere shining through. As you may have guessed, one listen to "Talkin'" and you'll know it's a freaky, horn-fuelled take on the jazz-rap classic from Stetsasonic. Just brilliant. On “Apex”, longtime collaborators like Kat O1O and Max MacVeety (from Crown City Rockers) added their rhythm section magic, with Jon Monahan’s guitar bouncing ideas back and forth with Rita Thies’ flute whilst on the brief, aptly-titled closer "Roll The Credits" feels like a neat summation of everything you've just serenely digested. Perfect.

The funny thing is, for all the spontaneity you hear, Headnodic reliably informs us that this album took a ton of time and meticulous editing to sound as loose as it does: "W sent files back and forth, carving out spaces for solos, layering instruments, and constantly reshaping the songs. The goal was always to make it feel like we were all in the same room, jamming together. In the end, this feels like a collaboration, it feels exciting and it feels human. I’m incredibly proud of what we made and grateful for everyone who added their voice to the project."

Be With doing the vinyl for Headnodic + Jazz Mafia felt like the perfect match for all involved. As Headnodic explains, "the label’s catalog champions the spirit and sonic aesthetic we aimed for on this record — that warm, organic thickness of ’70s library records, like the re-releases they did with the KPM and Themes catalogs, mixed with Cali Hip-Hop a la Freestyle Fellowship. We wanted to channel 70s era’s rich textures, blending them with live musicianship to bring the sound full circle: from the records we’d sample for hip-hop back to musicians in a room, playing with the same raw energy. Be With gets the deep crate-digging sensibilities and love for boom-bap hip-hop, much like we do. It feels good to release music, knowing this record lives comfortably somewhere between Nohelani Cypriano and Bahamadia." It's been mastered for vinyl by Be With stalwart Simon Francis, cut by our favourite engineer Cicely Balston at Abbey Road Studios and pressed at the legendary Record Industry in Holland. Quality to the end.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More