2 LP, 5 mm Spine

A1. Intro – A2. A Lover's Anxiety – A3. Klubbensborg – B1. City Neon – B2. A Blues (Dolphin Cruise Edit) – C1. Greg's Island – C2. Esquinas Feat. Daniel Rääf – D1. East Village Trip – D2. ah hej då rå

The reveries begin with a simple electrical hum – a starting signal for the appearance of a vibrant array of sound, shifting before us in seemingly random motion. Before we know it, all those pulsating melodies, razor-cut hifi-house beats and drunken robot jazz ensembles start forming into patterns, secretly & perfectly designed by one Art Alfie.
A long time operator in Stockholm's small but insistent underground music scene, Oscar Wedrén broke through internationally in 2012 with the Karlovak project, founded with on-off studio and dj partner Rudolf Nordström, a.k.a. Mr. Tophat. The duo's inexplicably fresh takes on classic dance music tropes is as much a result of a brilliantly odd pairing of personalities as of a defined concept and a precise method in searching for the perfect house groove.
While writing Reveries Of, released early spring 2017 through Studio Barnhus, Art Alfie freed himself of all conceptual footholds, delving instead deep into his archives of old and new memories and feels, working with improptu field recordings and emotionally-guided sampling processes. He came back with an intricate and personal debut album and he didn't lose his groove on the way. More

Tracklist:

1. Intro – 2. A Lover's Anxiety – 3. Klubbensborg – 4. City Neon – 5. A Blues (Dolphin Cruise Edit) – 6. Greg's Island – 7. Esquinas Feat. Daniel Rääf – 8. East Village Trip – 9. ah hej då rå

The reveries begin with a simple electrical hum – a starting signal for the appearance of a vibrant array of sound, shifting before us in seemingly random motion. Before we know it, all those pulsating melodies, razor-cut hifi-house beats and drunken robot jazz ensembles start forming into patterns, secretly & perfectly designed by one Art Alfie.
A long time operator in Stockholm's small but insistent underground music scene, Oscar Wedrén broke through internationally in 2012 with the Karlovak project, founded with on-off studio and dj partner Rudolf Nordström, a.k.a. Mr. Tophat. The duo's inexplicably fresh takes on classic dance music tropes is as much a result of a brilliantly odd pairing of personalities as of a defined concept and a precise method in searching for the perfect house groove.
While writing Reveries Of, released early spring 2017 through Studio Barnhus, Art Alfie freed himself of all conceptual footholds, delving instead deep into his archives of old and new memories and feels, working with improptu field recordings and emotionally-guided sampling processes. He came back with an intricate and personal debut album and he didn't lose his groove on the way. More

Tracklist 12":

A1) Strung Out (Extended Version)
A2) That Song (Extended Version)
B1) Nobody Knows (Extended Version)
B2) Everybody

Toy Tonics presents the second EP by Lars Dales from DAM SWINDLE with multi-instrumentalist LORENZ RHODE aka SOUND SUPPORT.
Their first EP "Higher" on Toy Tonic last year reached no. 1 of BEATPORT House music charts and this follow up probably will be similarly successful as it has the same high quality of music and dancefloor catchiness every DJ dreams of.

The new "Everybody Knows" EP consists of four extremely groove infected house music tracks that connect the good things of 1990ies house with the indie disco of the 2000s. Think of Daft Punk in the studio with Kerri Chandler and LCD Soundsystem and you got the sound!

Dutch house wizzard Lars Dales (who also runs HEIST records) and keyboarder and super producer Lorenz Rhode (recently worked also with Purple Disco Machine) connected through their mutual love for dance music. After years of having worked together on several projects, such as the Dam Swindle liveshow, they finally got around to making more and more music together to release their amazing tracks under the name of SOUND SUPPORT: A perfect name because these tracks really support every DJs set ... they fill dancefloors in seconds and make people go mad.













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2 x 12"

Tracklist:

A1 Sam Ruffillo & Fimiani - Mediterranea (Party Mix Extended)
A2 Tommiboy feat. DM Disco Band - La Sfinge
B1 M¥SS KETA & Kapote - Italomania Intermezzo
B2 Severino & Giacomo Moras ft. M¥SS KETA - Maledetto
B3 Stump Valley feat. Femmina - Non Dire Di No (Extended Version)
C1 Munk & Kapote - La Musica (Hot DJ Version)
C2 Fimiani & Angeleri - SessoSpaghetti (Extended Version)
C3 Kapote - Sono Tropical (Extended Version)
D1 Giovanni Damico - Tropica (feat. Martina)
D2 Lele Sacchi Feat Elasi - Malamore (Extended Version)
D3 Daniel Monaco Band - Milly

Toy Tonics ITALOMANIA Vol. 2 is a compilation dedicated to NEW ITALIAN DISCO. (Not Italo Disco.)
13 young contemporary Italian producers made new organic disco, indie dance, avant pop and house tracks with Italian vocals.

Everything on this compilation has been produced in 2023. Fresh dance music by Italian indie electronic star Myss Keta together with DJ Severino (of Horse Meat Disco) and newcomers Sam Ruffillo, Fimiani, Magou, Tommiboy, Daniel Monaco, Giovanni Damico. And new music by artists Stump Valley (from Dekmantel), Munk (Gomma records), Rodion (Slow Motion Records) and DJ legend Lele Sacchi,

The ITALOMANIA compilation was initiated by Toy Tonics boss Kapote. The idea is to show the status of Italian Disco of today. It’s like a „manifesto“!
Kapote invited the most relevant Italian producers to make new tracks with Italian vocals and show different styles of modern Italian disco, dance and house music.
with Italian vocals. All tracks compiled by Kapote aka Mathias Modica aka Munk. Italo-German producer, DJ, keyboarder and head of Toy Tonics and Gomma records.

Italian Disco is not Italo Disco.
While the last years the slightly trashy pop music of the 1980’s called Italo Disco (with English lyrics) had a big revival. But now also the attention for more quality and organic dance music with Italian language is rising. This compilation is about this Italian Disco,
It’s a fact that not just in Italy but also in France and Germany there are now artists singing in Italian or using Italian words and names - even if they are not Italian.

Let’s not forget: The world’s culture of party, dancing, showbizness and pop music would be unimaginable without the heritage and creativity that Italians contributed.
Italy is not just the country of good food, beautiful beaches and high fashion, but it’s also the original country of dance music. Since almost 3000 years, since the ancient roman times the Italians have been making (dance) music culture, creating popular culture and being the maestros in organizing parties.
Also the disco wave of the 1970ies and the Pop music of the 1980ies has been co-created by Italians (and Italo-americans in New York).

The ITALOMANIA artists & tracklist:

M¥SS KETA
The most famous artist on the compilation is singer M¥SS KETA. The Italian press calls her "the Italian Lady Gaga“. M¥SS KETA is an edgy performer that reached the top of the charts with indie pop songs, but is also well rooted in the Milan art, fashion and LGTB scene.
To create a song for Italomania she teamed up with DJ Severino. The Italian part of London’s Horse Meat Disco DJ collective. Probably the world leading queer DJ team. (M¥SS KETA recently was invited to perform Berghain in Berlin).

Sam Ruffillo
Sam Ruffilo has contributed a new (party) version of his song Mediterranea. A organic disco track with lyrics in Neapolitan dialect. Sam Ruffillo is an upcoming Italian DJ and producer and one of the lead artists of Toy Tonics (along with Coeo, Kapote and Cody Currie). He had a few underground hits combining leftfield disco and Lofi House with Italian vocals creating a new genre that is finding lot of fans right now. One of his songs (Chiamami Subito) made it into the rotation of big Italian radio station M20. On Instrgam you can see his DJ sets where hundreds of Italians sing his songs at Toy Tonics parties.

Munk
Toy Tonics head honcho Kapote reworked the Munk song ‚La Musica‘ for this compilation. Munk is the former producer name of Mathias Modica aka Kapote. The creative mind behind Toy Tonics and Gomma records. ‚La Musica‘ is an Italo house song that he originally released 2010 when he was doing his former label Gomma records. Now there is this new version of this catchy dance song with the Italian hookline that became almost iconic when first released.
It made sense to include a new version of this track on ITALOMANIA because its a blueprint of italian disco and sounds so fresh again now.

Giovanni Damico
The south Italian DJ, producer made „Tropica“. The song is a tribute to the music of the Italian discos of south Italy of the 1980ies. A Balearic session that can be great at a beach in the afternoon, but also for dancing in the early morning. Damico is part of the new Italian disco scene releasing his dance tracks on international labels like Lumberjacks in hell and White Rabbit records since 2013.

Kapote
His new song „Sono tropical“ is an ironic Latin pop song based on a classic salsa piano riff and a strong Latin soul bassline. It reminds the big tunes from the 1970ies New York Salsa Scene (Tito Puente, Willie Colon, Fania All Stars). The vocals performed by Kapote are a mix of Italian and Spanish. The girl’s voice is also performed by Kapote. But transferred into a female voice by an AI. All instruments played by Kapote who before starting to get into the DJ and label business used to to study jazz piano. Before starting Toy Tonics Kapote he released 3 albums under his former name Munk and produced records with big names from the electronic music scene like James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, Peaches, The Rammellzee and three albums of Danish band WhoMadeWho. Mathias/ Kapote also worked with artists like Franz Ferdinand, The Rapture and Asia Argento.

Lele Sacchi
Lele Sacchi is an Italian DJ legend and host of Italy's most important DJ radio show on RAI national radio. He has been djing all around the world playing from Circoloco Ibiza to Avalon LA. He has Besides being on Italian national radio he has been doing shows on NTS Radio or guest on BBC Six. He produced for labels like Soul Clap, !K7, Internasjonal, Nervous, Snatch, Crosstown Rebels, Poker Flat and his own Stolen Goods imprint.
Sacchi teamed up with young vocalist Elasi, a new talent from Milano that is making waves in Italy for a few songs she released in a indie disco style. Their song is an interpretation of late 70’s cult slow disco pop classic ‘Malamore’ by the underdog Enzo Carella. A mix of slow house and playful pop with a slight touch of acid!

Tommiboy
Tommiboy made a nasty, disco rock song called Sfinge. Only 26 years old he is one of the most hyped up Italian disco diggers and collectors. Originally from Rimini, the capital of discos, he is the son of a father who was a regular dancer in Rimini’s clubs of the 1980is and fed his son with all things disco.
Tommiboy started to do parties and compilations under the name Disco Stupenda three years ago. By now he and his parties are a big thing in Italy and has fans all around the country. He also is DJ for fashion brands like Gucci and he is the guy who re-introduced 1980s stars like Pino D’Angio.

Fimiani aka BPlan
The DJ und producer from Napoli is part of the new, vibrant disco scene from Napoli. (NuGenea, Mystik Jungle, Manny Whodamanny )
His collabo with italian 1980ies crooner Angeleri called SessoSpaghetti is a remake of a song originally released in 1983, but never became famous when it came out. The drums on the song are played by Napoli legend Tullio De Piscopo and the guitar by Lucio Battisti guitar player Massimo Luca.
The new version is a ironic summer disco with sexy vocals and Italian fun rapping about beach life, beautiful girls and sex on the beach. Fimiani also does edits of rare italo disco under the name of BPlan

Daniel Monaco
Daniel Monaco is a multi-talented artist, producer, and bass player DJ, bandleader and producer from Napoli - but has been living for many years in Amsterdam where he hosted show on Red Light Radio released on Labels of the likes of Rush Hour and Bordello a Parigi. Is one of the key figures of the scene due to unique fusion of Italo Disco, Proto House, Obscure Disco, and a captivating tropical touch. His latest EPs came out on Slow Rush Hour records and Periodica Records contributed the song ‚Milly‘ for Italomania. Played with a 5 person band.

Stump Valley
The two DJs, producers and vinyl collector are experts in all things Italo Disco and Balearic music. Before joining Toy Tonics they released an album on Dekmantel records. One of the guys (Brain de Palma) is the favorite DJ of Peggy Gou. He is regularly opening the shows of Peggy as a warm up DJ and releases his solo records on Peggy's label Gudu records. For this compilation they made Non dire di no. An old school piano house track with catchy vocals in the finest tradition of the piano house style that Italians invented in the early 1990ies.



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Tracklist 12":

A1) Nostalgia
A2) Breeze (Bamboo Tribute)
B1) Meet Me At The Cascades
B2) Nostalgia (Stump Valley Remix)

COEO back on Toy Tonics! The German duo has been part of Toy Tonics since day one. Now they celebrate their return to Toy Tonics with an outstanding EP full of timeless, contemporary house music that also marks their 10th contribution to the label after their first release on the imprint 10 years ago. Their house vibes have been defining the sound of the Toy Tonics label for many years and still now they regularly play the Toy Tonics events around the world. (The Toy Tonics Jams).

On this new EP one more time the boys dive deep into the Italo & Piano House world- getting more electronic than ever. This EP is 100% in the vibe of now. With great piano chord drops that make everybody scream on the dance floor, with horn and synth melodies that you can sing along after you heard them one time only and with classic house beats that are THE sound of today.

The main title “Nostalgia” is inspired by and a tribute to all the intimate and ecstatic moments they were able to share over the years with music lovers on festivals and in clubs around the world. While the piano house theme on the A1 brings you in that festive mood of your last summer festival you have been to with your closest friends, the second track of the EP „Breeze“ takes it on a higher energetic level and combines a funky bass guitar with progressive house elements. Remember that special moment when you were attending your first full moon party in that far away country after you have finished school? That gentle wind blowing through the trees? „Breeze“ could be the soundtrack of that adventure.

On the B side Italo house influenced „Meet me at the cascades“ captivates through an hypnotic approach and unfolds dreamy synth pads and arpeggios to take you on a imaginary journey to your favourite retreat, a place you feel safe.

The EP features 3 original tracks and also a remix by COEO friends Stump Valley. The former Dekmantel artists who now joined Toy Tonics. Stump Valley btw are Francesco and Aleksei. Aleksei also works under the name of Brian de Palma and will release a solo album soon on Peggy Gou’s label Gudu. Stump Valley‘s remix of „Nostalgia“ rounds up the EP with its stand out piano solo and marks the perfect end to an EP that is meant to stay in your head just like all those intense memories which life in general evokes.












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Tracklist 12":

A1) Guapita
A2) Keep On
B1) I Like It, I Wanna It (Extended Version)
B2) Loop Story


Toy Tonics comes with the first EP by Paul Older. Italian hero of vinyl diggers and maestro of rare edits. Paul is known for doing some of the sickest versions of rare jazz funk and Italian disco around. Played by every important DJ of the scene. Finally now he did his forst „legal“ record. 4 mad tracks based on recording of real musicians and bands from the Sonoton catalogue that he reworked legally and created smashing tracks for the dancefloors. This is amazing organic dance music. Live bass, drums, guitars and keyboards... played in a Afro-American vibe turned into modern house and indie dance that will put every dancefloor on fire.











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Tracklist 12":

A1) Monkeys
A2) Neon Beach
A3) The Fourth
B1) Monkeys (musclecars Remix feat. Kamaal)
B2) Neon Beach (Demi Riquísimo Remix)


A new Toy Tonics EP. It’s the second by Venezuelan house DJ and producer Gee Lane. Including amazing remixes by NYC mainstay musclecars!

Gee Lane’s debut EP Metamorphosis (with remixes by Demi Riquísimo and Divorce From New York Remix & PIEK ) came out last October.
But as Virginie (her real name) is a steady name of tue Toy Tonics crew now and plays almost every weekend at one of the worldwide Toy Tonics Jams it makes sense to put out a follow up fast.

Gee Lane originally from Caracas now in Barcelona is a passionate DJ and vinyl digger with an extraordinary positive energy and attitude. A DJ diva in a positive way. A unique personality with a very strong style (in music but also as a person) and very elaborated ability to read and play with the dancers. Like the first EP also this one was recorded in Barcelona and Berlin with a little help by Robin Braum from Athlete Whippet. The music reflects well her roots and passion for everything what came out from New York’s dance culture. You can hear influences from the 80‘ promo disco scenes as well as the 1990 Body & Soul/ Francois Kervorkian / Joe Claussell universe. In fact Gee Lane after being raised in Caracas and musically educated by her father from a very early age, (a composer and musician) she moved to New York at a very young age in the late 90's where she fell in love with the HOUSE scene. And especially everything that happened at the famous and influential ’Body & Soul’ club.

This culture increased her curiosity to become a DJ (and vinyl digger herself) who is not just interested in house music but wants to explore other genres such as funk, Hip-Hop, jazz and Latin sounds and include these vibes into her DJ sets. A vinyl collector (and long time record shop employee) since then, she is known for her musical eclecticism that leads her to mix everything what she wants ...

Gee Lane now is a steady member of the Toy Tonics Krew and is already playing the Toy Tonics Jams all around Europe.












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Tracklist 12":

A1) The Party (Extended Version)
A2) The See Me (Extended Version)
B1) The Come On (Extended Version)
B2) The Slide


A new Toy Tonics EP! By label boss Kapote!

4 tracks for the dancefloor inspired by Italo Disco, New Wave Funk and NYC 90ies House. A perfect sound for the new Y2K vibes on 2024 dancefloors.

A new Kapote release is a rare thing. Although he is a musician and producer in the first place he rarely releases music. Why? Because the last years he was busy djing every weekend around the world (as a regular at clubs like Berlin’s Panorama Bar and London’s Phonox but also Festivals like Melt or Kala) and creating the Toy Tonics madness with his label friends. The Berlin based label that is the home base for 15 international artists (Cody Currie, Coeo, Gee Lane, Athlete Whippet, Baby‘s Berserk, Stump Valley…) became THE brand for a colorful and diverse, innovative and ‘organic’ funk oriented post - digital dance music.
Kapote and his friends release music that connects analogue and band vibes with digital production in a very fresh and unique way. Influenced by European underground disco and American house as well as afro beats, new wave and soulful Electronica.
But he and his label also have achieved a great reputation for working with some of the hottest names in Berlin graphic design and art to release the limited edition Toy Tonics Shirts, the label own TT Pocket Poster Magazine, posters and organizing exhibitions and visual shows.
Kapote aka Mathias Modica was and his 3 members TT krew were busy building all this.
Including also the Toy Tonics Jams. The label parties that started in an illegal venue in Berlin 2020 and exploded in 2023. With more than 120 TT events all over Europe. Where the label represents his very own vison of sound, vibe and style. Kapote organized all this with his krew. And it looks like 2024 will be even busier. With Toy Tonics Events at clubs but also museums (Palais de Tokio/ Paris, Milano Design Festjval) or Kapote & Toy Tonics Crew playing with Kaytranada and Peggy Gou at Sonar Festival.

In case you missed the last production works of Kapote check out his album ‘What it is’. Originally relased 2019. Re-released with new songs 2023. Or some of the 5 EPs he did on Toy Tonics in the last 8 years.
In case you don’t know his work under the name of Munk on his former label Gomma records (RIP) check it out. Kapote aka Munk co- produced the first 2 albums of Danish band WhoMadeWho, NYC art freak The Rammellzee, disco albums for Peaches and Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem, singles with DJ Chloe and many others.

(Words by Clara de Vernies)











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2 x 12"

Tracklist:

A1) The Deadstock 33s - My Best Dub
A2) Bottin - Red Onions
A3) Munk - Violent Love (2024 Version)

B1) Leroy Hanghofer - Das Pi
B2) Headman - Whomadewho – Satisfaction
B3) Mercury - Sweetness

C1) In Flagranti - In The Silver White Box
C2) Munk - Kick Out The Chairs (Whomadewho Remix)
C3) Golden Bug - St Tropez

D1) Cecile - Sweetness 86
D2) Hiltmeyer Inc - Chefsong
D3) Nancy Whang & Bonar Bradberry - Working The Midnight Shift (Disco Version)


The GOMMA DANCEFLOOR GEMS Vol 2

12 tracks originally released on the indie dance label GOMMA RECORDS between 2001 and 2010. (Gomma was the label Toy Tonics did before starting Toy Tonics.) Along with DFA and Output records Gomma released a wild mix of electronic dance music, indie rock, undergound disco, post punk and new wave funk that was big in the 2000s. The Y2K sound!

Gomma released music by artists like Peaches, Whomadewho, The Rammellzee, James Murphy, LCD soundsystem and artists like Nick McCarthy of Franz Ferdinand.
Now it’s 2023 and its feels fresh to put a spotlight on some of these tracks again.
And so here comes a 2nd compilation part of Gomma tracks:
Nancy Whang the singer of LCD Soundsystem, WhoMadeWho (the band started their career on Gomma), Italian disco producer Bottin, UK Indie Disco hero The Deadstock 33s aka Justin Robertson, NY Disco hipsters In Flagranti, German producers Munk and many more on this compilation.

Gomma not only was a record label, but was also a home for cutting edge design, wild T-shirt styles, underground exhibitions with new artists from the Berlin scene and crazy poster and fanzine design.
Many graphic design trends of the last years were preceded by what the artists on Gomma were doing. And many record and street wear labels of today look a bit like Gomma was looking before ... copying the images that Gomma preceeded: ironic cartoons, trash aesthetics, greek symbols, ugly design ideas and lot of ironic things.
The Gomma visuals world was exposed in a couple of exhibitions around the world and at a big exhibition at #hausderkunst München before the label was closed in 2015. (when Toy Tonics took off...)


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Tracklist 12":

A1) So Damn Electrik
A2) Elektrik Deep
B1) Ass Is Gonna Work
B2) West Side Radio


DJ SNEAK on Toy Tonics! Yes. It's happening. Another US legend joins the German house label. After Kai Alcé (EP on Toy Tonics in September 2023) and Joe Claussell who did an amazing remix for the label some time ago, now it's DJ Sneak. It makes sense as Toy Tonics stands for that funky mix of three main inflences: original amercian soul based house music, the italo disco heritage and the more London or Paris 1990ies wildstyle house sound. DJ Sneak reached out to the label last year giving his props and showing love for many of Toy Tonics releases and the guys immediately invited him to join the label with an EP as its also his sound that is getting so popular again with the younger dance generation. So here it is: 6 tracks (4 on the vinyl) that remind the classic, bumpin DJ Sneak sound. Full of energy and emotion. Perfect for the dance floors of today and great to introduce the maestro to the kids who love house now but never heard about the grandmasters.












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2 x 12"

Tracklist:

A1) Moullinex & Peaches – Maniac
A2) Munk - Disco Clown (Midnight Mike Version)
A3) Whomadewho - Flat Beat

B1) Golden Bug - Bisco
B2) Headman - It Rough (Chicken Lips Remix)

C1) Baldelli - Atlantide
C2) Trans Mania - Boing Boom Jack (Robotnick Remix)
C3) Leroy Hanghofer - Bathroomboogie

D1) Severino Horse Meat Disco - Bounce
D2) Rodion - Atala Ride
D3) Munk – Androgyn

Info:

Toy Tonics presents GOMMA DANCEFLOOR GEMS VOL.1

It’s all about Y2K, Punkfunk and Indie Disco

Toy Tonics record brings a collection of tracks originally released on the German GOMMA RECORDS label between 2001 and 2010. Gomma was one of the key labels of the Y2K indie dance wave along with labels like James Murphy’s DFA and Trevor Jackson’s OUTPUT Records. And as the 90ies revival that dominated the last years in fashion and electronic music reached its peak (Techno and Electronica is pure 90s revival music) the Toy Tonics gang thought it’s a good moment to re-mind some of these early 2000’s tracks that connected a more raw, indie disco and punky funk vibe. It was another energy in those party days. Gomma was happening in Berlin off-location clubs like SCALA and RIO, London’s TRASH or 333 partys and Paris ‚Kill The DJ‘ and Paris Paris clubs.

Those Y2K clubs and the Gomma label brought together 80ies inspired Indie rock artists like NickMcCarthy of Franz Ferdinand (who’s was producing records on Gomma before getting world-famous) and Electro punk princess Peaches (who did a whole Disco album on Gomma records and is featured on this compilation with a cover of „Maniac“ from the Flashdance movie soundtrack). Italian disco legends like Baldelli or Robotnick were poppping up in those times after years of silence (before getting hype again later) as well as Gomma’s own discoveries like WhoMadeWho (their first 2 albums where quite punk funky and produced by Gomma’s head honcho Mathias Modica), Italian disco punkster Rodion, Parisian nasty funk dude Golden Bug, London’s mysterious prince of new wave prince Midnight Mike (who started in Gomma and later ended up on Ed Banger records) and Gomma’s main act Munk. And yes there is even DJ Severino who did an proto house remix for the label in the early Horse Meat Disco days.

That raw and nasty Gomma sound that mixed up many genres and made its own sexy, in your face music melange that was very in demand in those days from 2000 - 2010 and inspired many artists. Not just music people like James Murphy, who did music with Gomma before starting his own LCD Soundsystem or bands like Chromeo, New Young Pony Club or Soulwax who started later with a similar vibe, but also art, graphic and fashion people took inspiration from the Gomma world: Gomma’s edgy album cover designs, their poster fanzine, their colourful t-shirt designs and the whole style that the bands, DJs and people at their worldwide parties were rocking became a MUST all over the world. In the early 2000’s it was just art students from London’s Central St. Martins or Berlin’s UDK school that played that sound on their parties, later magazine like VICE or i - D invited Munk and the Gomma acts to their parties and later it was fashion brands like Prada, Margiela, Karl Lagerfeld and Hedi Slimane who used Gomma artists to make music at their fashion shows or events.

Gomma then in 2015 fnally closed. When a lot of new labels popped up copying the Gomma attitude and styles (till these days).
Gomma’s head honcho and main inventor Mathias Modica stopped the whole thing, changed the name and started something new: Toy Tonics records. Yes!
Toy Toy Tonics came out of Gomma and that’s why now it’s time to remember the old inspirational days.

(Gomma’s other very important part was the graphic designer Mirko Borsche who created the whole Gomma look with Modica and Jonas Imbery the other Gomma member. Mirko Borsche since than made an exceptional career doing designs for fashion labels like Supreme and Balenciaga and being the creative director of magazines like ZEIT, Spike or Kaleidopskope.)

Mathias Modica aka Munk aka Kapote himself now is busy with Toy Tonics, which basically is bigger than Gomma ever was: Spreading a very own sound of organic house and disco funk. With party happenings all over Europe every weekend and a very young audience.

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Tracklist:

A1) Eat Your Dollar
A2) Accessories
A3) Rum 'n' Kola
A4) Snacks
B1) Glassy Towers
B2) Limousine
B3) The Actual Moon Landing Conversation
B4) Dancing With The Fish

Release Info:

Toy Tonics going New Wave Disco with Baby’s Berserk’s self-titled debut album (to be released on 29 September).

There are many shades of funk in dance music. Berlin’s Toy Tonics label brings up artists that reflect many of these different aspects in dance music. Now the label comes up with a band! A band that is inspired by 1980ies New Wave as well as the Y2K Indie dance scene. Two guys and 2 girls from Amsterdam and Montreal called Baby’s Berserk.
Baby’s Berserk is about taking the freedom to be who you want to be, about being comfortable. Having played in all-girl punk bands since the age of 14, the bands singer Lieselot is an expert on female empowerment. “Dress like a girl and act like a boy,” is a catchphrase she lives up to every day and it clearly is a message that resonates with the band’s wild fans.
In the great tradition of Roxy Music, Throbbing Gristle and Malcolm McLaren, Baby’s Berserk is not just about the edgy music, but also about a very strong own visual style. They readily blend their sounds with underground fashion. What you see is what you get and seeing Baby’s Berserk is feeling right at home. Lieselot is a visionary when it comes to stage presence. Have you always wanted to see an electronic band with a punk attitude perform wearing a mix of haute couture and Flintstone-style rags? Look no further, it’s Baby’s Berserk.
Following on the critically acclaimed singles ‘What I Mean’ (2020) and ‘Toxic Kisses’ (2022), Baby Berserk’s highly anticipated self-titled full-length is now finally about to see the light on Berlin’s Toy Tonics records. Sonically designed for gritty rock venues as well as up-to-date edgy dance clubs, Mano’s lush compositions smoothly intertwine with the highly associative lyrics written by Puggy and Lieselot. Poets and literary addicts may think they’ve just discovered the rock & roll equivalents of Sylvia Plath, Kurt Vonnegut and Allen Ginsberg. To tell you the truth: their wild guess is pretty accurate as the works by these greats lie scattered around the Baby’s Berserk studio for inspiration.
The band was born in a laboratory back in 2019. Tired of being in bands with unruly and unpredictable humans, Mano Hollestelle set out to create a group of high precision robots to create the post-punk sound he had in mind. His outdated technology of floppy disks and cassette tapes worked well to program the androids, until one day a 90s rave mixtape was mistakenly entered into his computer. House music is a feeling and the punk bots instantly got hooked on it upon hearing it for the first time. They could never be reset to factory settings again. Mano worked tirelessly with his androids, currently known by their humanoid names of Lieselot Elzinga, Puggy Beales and Eva Wijnbergen, to fulfil his evil plan to make the rockers dance and the dancers rock. Baby’s Berserk is the fiendish extension of this plot. Beware, the band’s bass driven grooves and computerized beats have been known to cast a spell upon all within earshot.
So what do the songs on ‘Baby’s Berserk’ tell you? That it’s totally fine to have lots of fun in life! To have a boyfriend as an accessory (‘Accessories’), to get inspired by Sponge Bob (‘Dancing with the Fish’) and to blend your spirits with mixers whenever the hell you feel like it (‘Rum ‘n’ Kola’).
Baby’s Berserk member Puggy Beales on ‘Limousine’: “Decant the wine from my tip jar to yours. Soon we'll be on easy street, chauffeured home from the rat race each evening. Is it everything you'd hoped it would be?”
Check not only the debut album but also the forthcoming Remix EP with remixes by Each Other, Niklas Wandt, Sam Ruffillo, Kris Baha and Nicolini.

About the songs:
RUM 'N KOLA
Set sail on your all-inclusive cruise to the end of humanity. Yours to restore, if you so choose.
ACCESSORIES
Make an impression. Tell them who you are without ever saying a word. Your shoes address the party guests while your earrings share the latest gossip.
EAT YOUR DOLLAR
Invest, ingest, savour your savings. The forecast calls for only rainy days of squander ahead, so drop that dollar into your safety-deposit esophagus.
SNACKS
Last to arrive, first to leave-- if you can find the exit that is. Weave through the huddles of familiar faces and play back that canned response a few more times. Anyone else in here feel a bit... stuffy?
GLASSY TOWERS
Today's protest graciously sponsored by your online an phone providers! Now keep on consuming so we can't hear that voice of yours.
LIMOUSINE
Decant the wine from my tip jar to yours. Soon we'll be on easy street, chauffeured home from the rat race each evening. Is it everything you'd hoped it would be?
THE ACTUAL MOON LANDING CONVERSATION
We know the truth. We know what the Martians had said about Neil and the boys and trust me, it's juicy.
DANCING WITH THE FISH
Shake those scales! Shimmering like a disco ball. They're a lovely dancer but tepid to your touch. Ah well, still more lively than most dance partners. Now do the flop! Everyone's doin' it.



















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Repress

Special Remarks:

Tracklist 2x12":

A1 Jaas Func Haus
A2 The Body Move (Album Version)
B1 Brasiliko
B2 The Nose (Album Version)
C1 Salvation (Album Version)
C2 Fuck Music (Album Version)
D1 Fusion 79
D2 Get Down Brother (Album Version)
D3 L.O.V.E. (Album Version)

Release Info:
Toy Tonics brings back the Kapote album. 10 dancefloor tracks originally released 2019 on the „What it is“ album. Now reworked, re edited and with 2 new tracks.

House music, but with a heavy jazz-funk, brasil, lofi - influence. A mood that reminds early Moodymann, Kerri Chandler or 1990ies Paris stuff. Loft Disco and Indie House.
When this album came out originally 3 years ago it caught the attention of many great DJs. DJ Harvey was playing „Jaas Func Haus“ a lot at Pike in Ibiza and Gerd Janson, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Kenny Dope and Blessed Madonna were filmed playing other tracks from the album.

Kapote doesn’t release much music as he is mainly involved in the Toy Tonics label development, creative direction and is also in many productions of other artists that release on Toy Tonics. Originally a piano and art student, he later discovered DJing, nightlife, electronic music and by now is doing what he does with Toy Tonics with a couple of friends and like-minded producers.

Kapote’s real name is Mathias Modica and if you google this you will find out he has been doing music before Toy Tonics under the name of Munk. Doing another label called Gomma Records. Where he and some friends already created a little universe based on electronic music, street art, DIY culture, shirt design, underground exhibitions. Mathias aka Kapote aka Munk has produced and released records with artists like Peaches, James Muprhy and Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem, The Rammellzee and WhoMadeWho. This is the past. The future will be new Kapote stuff currently in the making with Cody Currie and Sam Ruffillo. Meanwhile check out WHAT IT IS – 2nd VERSION.

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Tracklist 12":

A1) Slide It In
A2) Space Skat N Dat
B1) New Life Livin
B2) Rough Sands
B3) Strollin Thru Barcelona

Release Info:
Toy Tonics welcome one of the US’ absolute legends in the game on their roster - Kai Alcé! One of the original masters of jazzy house, Kai is a prime example, someone who witnessed the genesis of Detroit’s electronic musical landscape and strives to keep that spirit alive. Being of Haitian descent laid the foundation for his musical ear starting with his childhood in Queens, New York. Some of his earliest musical influences included his mother’s penchant for soca music and the distinct Caribbean rhythms of his culture. An appreciation of Jazz would be further guided by his father’s expanding audiophile home system. During the 1970s the kindling of Hip Hop and the heyday of Disco perked the ear of a young Kai while they were living in NYC. The Big Apple would remain a constant throughout his musical journey as the years went on, but it was the move to Michigan that ultimately shaped his artistic vision.

On this 5 track EP Kai once again makes it all feel so easy! Deeply musical, yet also instantly effective on the dance floor, tracks like ‘New Life Livin’ and ‘Slide It In’ come with an ease that shows why he’s shaped the game for decades.




















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Tracklist 12":

A1 Gome - Elevator Man
A2 Gome & David Bay – Television
B1 Gome - Elevator Man (Mike Dunn BlackBall Remix)
B2 Gome - Elevator Man (Telephones Remix)

New record by Gome with fat remixes by Mike Dunn and Telephones.




















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Tracklist 12":

A1) Brigada (feat. Phil Mill)
A2) Brasiliana
B1) Brigada (Esa Williams Remix)
B2) Baile Do Silêncio

Release Info:

Bárbara Boeing joined Toy Tonics. The Brazilian DJ selector and heavy addicted worldwide vinyl digger (that some of you might have seen at the last Dekmantel Selectors Festival). Bárbara has been playing with the Toy Tonics DJs for some time, so it was just a matter of when the EP would happen. Now it’s the moment.

Bárbara teamed up with Sam Ruffillo, the Italian producer, keyboarder, DJ (who just had a little scene hit with the Italianissimo release). Sam helped her to shape 3 tracks. Dance floor fillers that Bárbara basically did the way SHE needs them for her DJ sets. And the results are bangers. Inspired by people like DJ Raffa, Mr. Monday, Yello, MBG international Records, Penny Penny she and Sam created 3 instrumentals that reflect 3 different shades of Bárbara’s taste:

Baile Do Silêncio:
Inspired by the 90s funk from Brazil and its high energy inside the dance floors, Baile Do Silêncio was made to make people dance.

Brasiliana:
Dreamy Italo House chords over some Latin percussion creates the intimist atmosphere of this deep and mysterious track.

Brigada:
Hard to be categorized into one genre, this track serves a pinch of Balearic elements over a dancefloor-oriented House with some Kwaito and also Italo Disco references.

Bárbara Benghi Boeing – yes, that is her real name - comes from Curitiba, South of Brazil. She is a great example of a person with an ultimate passion for music, spending big periods of her life only searching for sounds, organizing parties, playing in hundreds of events and then slowly growing into an international famed DJ personality that stands for a high-quality music standard and a tasteful selection that only SHE can serve.

Bárbara is very disciplined in selecting and creating moods inside of her sets. As she puts it: “... there is a magical part in attracting people into the music that is more of a feeling or sometimes just a mix of tracks I like. In my mind, I usually know where I am going to for the next couple of tracks. My DJ sets become something very individual in the end. With Sam, I wanted to create tracks that can fit into certain special moments of my sets..“

In fact, her sets are very exiting soulful trips through different sound worlds. Always very colorful and percussive, sometimes deeper, often full of Latin positivity. She has a long history of DJing and searching for music since she started to play guitar with 13 years and later became part of a local DJ crew (with Phil Mill, who is part on one of the tracks of this EP) in Alter Disco, her local party in Curitiba. Slowly, she became known and started to play outside.

She adds: "When I had the opportunity to go to Europe, I used to send a million emails to people that maybe would like my music and one or two would answer me, then I could play at small gigs and radios. Then, slowly people started to invite me for bigger things. Over the last 2 years now, there is a lot of buzz around Bárbara. She was invited to play main time slots at festivals like Dekmantel (BR) and Dekmantel Selectors, Time Warp, Nuits Sonores, Lente Kabinet, Cocktail D'Amore, Flow Festival and many others .. and is part of the Toy Tonics Jam DJ crew officially now.






















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Tracklist 12":

A1) Cash (Dan Shake Remix)
A2) Cash (Sam Ruffillo & Kapote Remix)
B1) Money (Kaidi Tatham Remix Extended Version)
B2) Money (Jamie 3:26 Remix)

Dan Shake, Kaidi Tatham, Jamie 3:26 on Toy Tonics! Yes. Toy Tonics lead artist Cody Currie released his debut album on the Berlin label last year and now here come the remixes! Pure dancefloor joy is guaranteed with this release. The names speak for themselves. And they really made effective DJ weapons out of Cody's very organic sounding, warm, soul-driven jazzy house songs.

Cody by now doesn't need a big introduction anymore. He is one of the „hot“ names from London’s new house scene (even if he lives in Berlin) and being the only one who has made a collabo with Eliza Rose created a certain buzz not just in UK. (they recorded the tracks Danger, Moves, Night Sky released on Cody's debut album Lucas).

Since the album release Cody is playing worldwide solo shows but also along with DJs such as Honey Dijon, Parcels or Myd from Ed Banger.

This EP will make his album music more accesible for dancefloors. Amazing remixes...






















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Tracklist 12":

A1) Higher
A2) Bump Into You
B1) Work 2 It
B2) The Rock

Release Info:

Toy Tonics presents a new producer team: Sound Support consists of two enthusiastic synth and house aficionados that everybody knows (in the scene): Lars Dales from Dam Swindle and Lorenz Rhode (keyboard wizard and producer genius).
Together they are doing extremely groovy, jazz infected dance music that connects the good things of 1990ies house with the indie disco of the 2000s.

Lars Dales & Lorenz Rhode connected through their mutual love for all things musically unusual. After years of having worked together on several projects, such as the Dam Swindle live show, they finally got around to making music together. The result has been nothing less than an avalanche of tracks, mostly made in 4 day coffee fueled studio sessions in Lorenz’ studio in Cologne. All reminding the big funk house tracks of the early 2000s. Yes a lot of Daft Punk is here, A lot of NYC disco influences. Larry Levan and Laurent Garnier, DJ Harvey and Masters at Work.. all influences on this record.

After their first two Sound Support EP’s on Prins Thomas’ label, Internasjonal, they’ve ventured out to House of Disco and other labels with a wide array of immensely enjoyable synth heavy tracks. 2023 sees these two venture more into house territory with releases on AUS music and Toy Tonics, two labels that have cemented themselves deeply into the underground scene. In any case, it’s clear that Sound Support have found its signature sound and there is much more of that to look forward to. Toy Tonics is the key label for the wildstyle house scene and Sound Support fit perfectly. Welcome!





















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Tracklist:

A1) Just Fine (Extended Version)
A2) Mind & Soul (Italo Version)
B1) Don't Think Twice (Ash Lauryn Remix)
B2) Mind & Soul (Art Of Tones Remix Extended)
B3) Mind & Soul (Art Of Tones Dub)

Blessed Madonna, Pete Tong, Gerd Janson, Ash Lauryn... the list of great DJs playing and loving Sam Ruffillo's very special italian disco music is long. With only 3 EPs on Toy Tonics, he might be the most talked about producer on the Berlin label (with Cody Currie and Coeo). One of his Italian disco songs form his last EP ITALIANISSIMO ("Chiamami Subito“) made it into the high rotation playlist of the biggest Italian pop radio and is still growing in the international club underground.

Now Sam comes with a new EP. And this EP shows his other side. Until now Sam has been known for his Italian organic disco songs (no samples, all instruments played live). But for his new BROOKLYN TAPES EP the Italo-Sicilian DJ, producer and super styler Sam Ruffillo worked with a few American rappers and soul singers to create what a New York critic called „post digital soul house music“.

In fact these 4 songs are house and electronic funk - but it's also rap music and R&B and disco. Played in a very modern way, musically colorful and complex and extremely groovy. Its dance music made by musicians - not by DJs. And that makes a big difference. The melodic and harmonic elements are catchy and clever, the chord progressions are beautiful and the syncopated bass lines make you think about great bass play by maestros like Bootsy Collins or Marcus Miller (musicians know them!). It’s a rap house & disco soul EP and it features a well known Canadian rapper (who decided to stay anonymous) as well as Edson Sean, soul singer and composer from New York.

For Toy Tonics this is one more step in the evolution of high quality dancefloor music for the future. Combining house with soul, jazz with 4 to the floor beats, disco with Indie, the Toy Tonics crew is working hard on new forms of quality dance music. And finding the most interesting new artists. With Sam Ruffillo, and the other American artists on Toy Tonics (NY singer Kosmo Kint, American jazz keyboardist Joel Holmes...) the label is bringing together what's internationally new in the dance world - with no borders and no limits...

Remixes for this EP by some of Sam's fans: Ash Lauryn from Detroit, Eli Escobar from New York and Art Of Tones from France.





















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3x12" Gatefold White Vinyl (Download Code Inside)


1. Extrawelt - Dark Side Of My Room (DE-Q20-08-00161)
2. Extrawelt - Wippsteert (DE-Q20-08-00162)
3. Extrawelt - Trümmerfeld (DE-Q20-08-00165)
4. Extrawelt - Must Attack (DE-Q20-08-00164)
5. Extrawelt - Wolkenbruch (DE-Q20-08-00166)
6. Extrawelt - Added Planet (DE-Q20-08-00167)
7. Extrawelt - Daten Raten (DE-Q20-08-00169)
8. Extrawelt - Lost In Willaura (DE-Q20-08-00170)
9. Extrawelt - Kurt Curtain (Skit) (DE-Q20-08-00168)
10. Extrawelt - One Tree Hill (DE-Q20-08-00160)
11. Extrawelt - Messy Machinery (Rough Mix) (DE-Q20-00-01376)
12. Extrawelt - Homing (DE-Q20-08-00171)
13. Extrawelt - Bright Side Of My Room (DE-Q20-22-00014)



Including all the tracks from the original release. But adding "Bright Side Of My Room" to the list as a counterpart of "Dark Side Of My Room" makes this release even more attractive. And to top it all off, as another treat, there's the "Messy Machinery" Rough Mix instead of the Original Mix.

It's all about hooking up our music to the emotional world of electronic music at the beginning of the Nineties, however, without falling for nostalgic references. We don't want to do cowardly Zeitgeist Techno, we want to have the heart to dare big sounds and more melodies. Sunrise scenarios, energy, revolution, and kaput-ness, all these are parts of the Extrawelt." (Extrawelt, 2008)

However, don't panic even if the aesthetics of the debut album of the two Hamburg-born artists Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Raabe is affected by the attentive observation of electronic dance music over the last fifteen years, the "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" is above all this: Premium Techno 2008! The Hamburg-based producer team has been unmistakably imprinting the last three years' club sound with widely noticed releases on Border Community ("Sooper Track"), Traum Schallplatten ("Doch Doch") and Cocoon Recordings ("Titelheld") as well as with remixes for Gregor Tresher, Minilogue or Alexander Kowalski - last but not least due to an excellent live presence, that resulted in the second rank in the Groove Live Act Charts, even still without the accompanying long-player.

The work on "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" started more than two years ago for Schaffhausen and Raabe. "The initial idea was to present an album covering all styles of electronic music between Ambient, Breakbeats, and Techno. When we had 25 tracks for the album ready, we had to realize that this approach did not work for us. Insofar, we finally decided to use the 4/4 bass drum in all tracks except in the little intermezzo "Kurt Curtain". We have tested all tracks live over the last three months and constantly re-interpreted them. So, the 'danceability' is clearly in our focus, but the sound spectrum and the dramaturgy of the titles should not be solely functioning in the club. Our intention was definitely not to deliver an album full of superficial peak time hits."

Those twelve tracks on "Schöne Neue Extrawelt", all unreleased, are therefore primarily representing a pleasurable 'in-between', the organic development of hypnotically compressed dance music that is more than "just" Minimal Techno, reduced Trance or electronic listening sounds of the Warp era - even all those elements have left their marks. From the richly decorated musical-clock-intro "One Tree Hill" via the stereo singing bowl of "Trümmerfeld" to the Asian-sounding creaking of "Daten Raten", Extrawelt celebrate a vision of futuristic melancholy with organic detail richness, which is permanently in motion but is nevertheless seeming to be well-balanced. However, in the Extrawelt universe, one gets along quite well with antagonisms. "We have always been polarizing, not only in the Techno scene but also in the Trance scene. Because in the end, "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" - freely adapted from Aldous Huxley - is now not only a big neon-colored future but is likewise positioned in the often-disillusioning grey of the here and now."



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Double LP: Heavy 350gsm Sleeve, Liner Notes, Sticker
- Official reissue of Grauzone's album with 9 bonus songs including the megahit "Eisbär" and more, straight from the original reels!

Genre: Post-Punk, Electronic, New Wave, Cold Wave, Pop, Synth, Industrial, Experimental

Tracklisting Double LP Album

A1. Film 2
A2. Schlachtet!
A3. Hinter Den Bergen
A4. Maikäfer Flieg
A5. Marmelade Und Himbeereis
B1. Wütendes Glas
B2. Kälte Kriecht
B3. Kunstgewerbe
B4. Der Weg Zu Zweit
B5. In Der Nacht
C1. Eisbär
C2. Ich Lieb Sie
C3. Moskau
C4. Ein Tanz Mit Dem Tod
D1. Traüme Mit Mir
D2. Ich Und Du
D3. Wütendes Glas (Maxi Version)
D4. Raum
D5. Film 1

WRWTFWW Records is very happy to reissue Swiss cult band Grauzone's self-titled album in an expanded 40 Years Anniversary Edition packed with the original 1981 album plus 9 extra songs, as well as extensive liner notes by Swiss music historian Lurker Grand. The 19-track album is available as a double LP vinyl in heavy 350gsm sleeve and a digipack CD, both sourced from the original reels and put together under the supervision of band member and all around legend Stephan Eicher.

The pioneering band from Bern (Switzerland) had a short-lived but highly-regarded career which birthed a cult discography that still fascinates and resonates today. Consisting of core members Martin Eicher, Stephan Eicher, and Marco Repetto, and on-and-off participants Christian GT Trüssel, Claudine Chirac, and Ingrid Berney, the elusive group broke new grounds in the early 80s, experimenting with punk and industrial music, early techno sounds, minimalism, new wave, pop, and various electronics. With an innovative and polished approach to design, visuals, performance, and all around style and philosophy on top of their superb music, the constantly transforming unit developed a whole experience - the Grauzone experience: wild and unpredictable, yet sophisticated and cohesive, or as Swiss music historian Lurker Grand would call it, "an Art band with a Punk attitude".

Completely rejecting the music industry rules and refusing to play the game of promotion, touring, release schedules, and TV appearances even though they had a multi-platinum international hit with the song "Eisbär", the band quickly disintegrated in full convention-defying glory, leaving behind an inspiring music legacy for the world to discover and discover again, one generation after the other.

This extended version of their debut (and only) album beautifully crystallizes the Grauzone miracle/accident - where pop and youthful experimentation meet at (new/cold/no) wave and industrial crossroads, and where classic hits ("Eisbär", "FILM 2", "Raum", "Träume Mit Mir", "Der Weg Zu Zweit"…) flawlessly mesh with unconventional deep cuts ("In Der Nacht", "Film 1", "Maikäfer Flieg"…). Very simply put: GOOD timeless music with an edge.

Stephan Eicher went on to be, arguably, the most successful Swiss musician ever, with an international career extending from pop chanson to experimental escapades and collaborations with Moondog, artists Sophie Calle and Sylvie Fleury, and author Martin Suter among many other luminaries. Marco Repetto flourished as a techno and ambient producer, releasing multiple projects including releases on Aphex Twin's Rephlex label.




Points of interests

- For fans of electronic, post-punk, new wave, cold wave, Swiss wave, no wave, Neue Deutsche Welle (Welle means wave!), synth, pop, industrial, proto-techno, 80s, Stephan Eicher, Marco Repetto, Liaisons Dangereuses, Tristesse Contemporaine, Young Marble Giants, The Cure but weirder, Switzerland, romance, mountains, polar bears, contemporary art, wearing nice (white) shoes in dirty basement squats, and xerox machines.

- New release from WRWTFWW Records (Grauzone's Eisbär and Raum, Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass, Kenji Kawai's Ghost in the Shell Original Soundtrack, John Carpenter's Dark Star Soundtrack, Ryo Fukui's Scenery, Dominique Guiot's L'Univers de la Mer, Bernard Parmegiani soundtracks and more).
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- Limited 1000 copy 2018 Edition in CRYSTAL CLEAR "View Through the Looking Glass" Type Vinyl , Crystal Clear Vinyl + 2x 180g !
- Limited editionUltra Deluxe 45rpm Cut Edition with Gatefold "Tip On" Sleeve
- housed in heavy cardboard old Stoughton tip-on jacket (Gatefold)
- 45 rpm cut for superior Sound (than 33rpm) made by Emil Berliner Studios
- sticker

*** TERRITORY RESTRICTION - NO SALES TO JAPAN ***

Tracklisting:
1. Mr. Henri Rousseau's Dream
2. Crossing
3. Trompe-l'œil
4. Catastrophe £

Info


WRWTFWW & Palto Flats Records are ecstatic to announce the highly-anticipated reissue of Japanese percussionist Midori Takada's sought after and timeless ambient / minimal album "Through The Looking Glass", originally released in 1983 by RCA Japan.

Considered a Holy Grail of Japanese music by many, "Through The Looking Glass" is Midori Takada's first solo endeavor, a captivating four-song suite capturing her deep quests into traditional African and Asian percussive language and exploring contemplative ambient sounds with an admirably precise use of marimba. The result is alternatively ethereal and vibrant, always precise and mesmerizing, and makes for an atmospheric masterpiece and an unparalleled sonic and spiritual experience.

The fully licensed reissue is available as a single 33rpm LP and a limited 45rpm DLP, both cut directly from the original studio reels (AAA), at Emil Berliner (formerly the in-house recording department of renowned classical record label Deutsche Grammophon) for the 45rpm DLP, and at the equally famous Frankfurter SST Studio for the LP. It is also available in CD format for the first time. All versions come with extensive liner notes.

Bio

Midori Takada is a composer, multi percussionist, and theater artist renowned in Japanese vanguard circles. She will tour Europe this year.

Midori released two solo albums: "Through The Looking Glass" and "Tree Of Life" and wrote music for Tadashi Suzuki's theater plays. Her hypnotic, minimalist music is based in the concept of coherence between sound and the human body. She performs solo on marimba and other percussion instruments.

She debuted on the scene of Berlin Philharmonic, performing with the RIAS Symphonie-Orchester Berlin just after graduating from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1974. She continued her career with solo concerts in Japan and abroad.

In the 1980s Midori began to explore the traditional music of Asia and Africa. Her fascination resulted in joint projects with Kakraba Lobi from Ghana, Lamine Konte from Senegal, Farafina Band from Burkina Faso, and Korean musicians: zither player Chi Seong-Ja, flute player Won-Il, and saxophone player Kang Tae-Hwan. She also led Mkwaju Ensemble's innovative percussion project and still performs with free-jazz band Ton-Klami with Kang Tae-Hwan and jazz pianist Masahiko Satoh.

In the past 20 years, Midori Takada spent more time in theaters than in concert halls - composing and performing live music for theater. She regularly works with Tadashi Suzuki and his Suzuki Company of Toga on their adaptations of "Electra" and "King Lear".

Takada's compositions have a remarkable way of affecting the imagination. Her minimalist, contemplative music is filled with the concept of infinity and reminds us of a moon voyage, falling stars, a journey into the ocean, or a walk in the garden. The trans melodies, initially simple, begin to loop and splinter, their rhythm breaking and thickening, slowly drawing the listener into another reality.

Every live performance Midori Takada gives is unique and prepared especially for that occasion.


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JUSTICE, The French duo formed by Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, is the band of a whole generation. When the two friends were still bright students in graphic design, in 2003 they made JUSTICE a place to experiment a hybrid genre between music and image, which blends pop and electronic borders, and showcases the talents of 2 fascinating passionate pop culture craftsmen, bored with hierarchy. They met Pedro Winter who had just founded his label ED BANGER RECORDS, he immediately signs them after listening to "We Are Your Friends" which, with its joyful and vitamin-enriched electro beats combined with exhilarating voices, became the hymn of a whole generation and one of the most important tracks of the year 2000, celebrating a reconciliation of pop music and the dancefloor. It was awarded an MTV Video Award in 2007, bringing about the famous live TV appearance with Kanye West outraged that his million $ clip was outclassed by a home-made bomb. (Once the misunderstanding was cleared up, Justice, Ed Banger and So_Me became a constant source of inspiration for Kanye and his superstar rappers colleagues. Kanye even employed So-Me as director for the video for his hit song "Good Life"), Jay Z will use D.A.N.C.E for his next album. From now on, the duo's ascent was constant and then lightning struck: remixes for N.E.R.D, Britney Spears, Franz Ferdinand, U2, Daft Punk, Lenny Kravitz and an EP in 2006 (" Waters Of Nazareth ") defining the "Justice sound", this famous ultra-powerful compression of pop and baroque melodies, both dark and threatening; lightning and animative; and above all the famous Justice image, the cross from which an earlier version figures on the first EP. 2007 was the explosion that will turn the duo into the emblem of a whole generation: their first album "†", anticipated like the Messiah, holds all the promises, and swept everything away as an epic soundtrack. "†" is more than a magnificent synthesis of our time: its potential definition. 800 000 sales worldwide and 4 years later, the album is considered as a mainstay of the 2000s puzzled and tonic, one of the few who bridged the gap from Pitchfork world to MTV without losing its credibility.

Tracklist:

A1 - Horsepower B1 - Canon (Primo)
A2 - Civilization B2 - Canon
A3 - Ohio B3 - On'n'On
B4 - Brianvision

C1 - Parade D1 - Audio, Video, Disco.
C2 - New Lands D2 - Presence
C3 - Helix

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2023 repress

Format Notes: 140g vinyl, remastered from the original tapes

Territories:
Worldwide no restrictions

Track List:

A1 : Flying High (3:35)
A2 : Going Home (2:46)
A3 : Walking In The Dark (4:42)
A4 : Fighting For Life (3:37)
A5 : Feeling Tense (4:05)

B1 : Running Fast (4:42)
B2 : Loving Tenderly (3:27)
B3 : Fearing Much (3:35)
B4 : Being Friendly (2:54)
B5 : Having Fun (4:00)

Release Notes:

More than once Jay Richford and Gary Stevan’s Feelings has been described as the greatest library record ever released. Of course Be With can’t be seen to be playing favourites, but we have to admit, it’s pretty good. Insanely rare and immensely sought-after, it’s a tough funk, street jazz masterpiece coveted for many years by collectors of all musical genres.

Since its original release on Italian label Carosello in 1974, Feelings has appeared on several labels with different sleeves and even under a different artist. Indeed cult library label Conroy put it out in one of their iconic red sleeves in 1976 and yes, Feelings has indeed had more than one modern re-issue since these “original” releases. But a record this special deserves to be kept in press and we think it deserves the Be With treatment.

No, Jay Richford and Gary Stevan aren’t two of the most Italian sounding names. As the story goes these were the pseudonyms adopted by Stefano Torossi and Giancarlo Gazzani who wrote the album but couldn’t use their real names on the original release for legal reasons. But Stefano Torossi himself later both clarified and confused the tale further by explaining that Feelings was the work of four people not just Gazzani and himself. Fellow composers and musicians Sandro Brugnolini and Puccio Roelens also worked on the album and as Torossi himself explained “we all worked together”, with all four gents “dividing the royalties in equal parts… that’s the story.” Right, so, with that all sorted out let’s get back to talking about the music. And what music it is.

Long hailed as a holy grail of library music, Feelings is the epitome of the sort of cinematic orchestral jazzy funk that is “that 70s library music sound”. Infectiously funky, deliciously melodic and with impeccible, elegant production, this record is the showcase for a stunning set of compositions and arrangements and with performances that are nothing short of virtuoso.

The record’s first side lifts off with “Flying High”, soaring brilliant and shimmering. Funk licks, menacing strings and swaggering horns combine for an ice-cold intro groove that Isaac Hayes would surely have envied, before the steady-paced drums deliver the slo-mo TKO. The string-drenched cop-funk of “Going Home” raises the tempo. All funky quick-fire bass lines and killer electric guitar soloing. A real thriller.

“Walking In The Dark” positively drips in blaxploitation-funk drama strings and horn struts, all laced with delicate drums, velvet piano and more filthy wah-wah. “Fighting For Life” is another funk-fuelled workout built around an effortlessly relentless drum track that refuses to give up until even the stiffest-necked head is nodding.

The loping, open drum break that guides the much-loved “Feeling Tense” through its early stages would be good enough on its own. The heavy bass gloss, swirling strings and ominous horns that follow take things to the next level.

The second side opens with another favourite “Running Fast”, and the track does precisely that. This is one fine rollicking chase theme underpinned by frenetic (yet funky) Fender Rhodes and skipping bass and drums. Those sweeping strings are a gorgeous extra. It’s a deliciously feel-good groove that sets the heart racing.

“Loving Tenderly” envelops us in warm, velvety night-time vibes with easy listening horns and slinky strings dialing up the seduction. Definitely one for the lithe lovers out there. The pace picks up on the electrifying “Fearing Much” where strings dart around deep bass, buzzing guitars and another funky drum break. The lush, melancholic “Being Friendly” is another easy beauty, all warm Rhodes and strings. Majestic stuff that puts an aural arm around you. The climactic “Having Fun” rides a pulsating, bass-heavy drum break with snatches of a funky guitar refrain, some luxurious keys, sweeping strings and triumphant horns. Sensational.

“Feelings” is a profoundly appropriate title for such an emotionally funky and genuinely affecting record. Groove-laden bass, irrepressible horns, sweet flute lines, warm Rhodes, lush string arrangements, blaxploitation-styled wah-wah guitars and so, so much more make this one of the finest instrumental soul LPs of the 70s, if not of all time.

The audio for this re-issue of Feelings comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis and cut by Pete Norman. The same care has been taken by the Be With team to restore that glorious original Carosello sleeve. Feelings is almost too good to be true. Feels good all over.
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NO VINYLE OF ANY MANU CHAO ALBUM HAS BEEN AVAILABLE ON SALE FOR AGES. ALL STUDIO & LIVE ALBUMS ARE BACK ON DOUBLE VINYL GATEFOLD FEAT. THE CD
TRACKLIST
A1. INTRO - A2. BIENVENIDA A TIJUANA - A3. MACHINE GUN - A4. POR DONDE SALDRA EL SOL? - A5. PELIGRO - A6. WELCOME TO TIJUANA - A7. EL VIENTO - A8. CASA BABYLON - B1. POR EL SUELO - B2. BLOOD AND FIRE - B3. EZLN… PARA TOD@S TODO… - B4. MR BOBBY - B5. BONGO BONG - B6. RADIO BEMBA - B7. QUE PASO QUE PASO - B8. PINOCCHIO (VAGGIO IN GROPPA AL TONNO) - B9. CAHI EN LA TRAMPA - C1. CLANDESTINO - C2. RUMBA DE BARCELONA - C3. LA DESPEDIDA - C4. MALA VIDA - C5. RADIO BEMBA 2 - C6. QUE PASO QUE PASO 2 - C7. PINOCCHIO 2 (VAGGIO IN GROPPA AL TONNO) - D1. LA PRIMAVERA - D2. THE MONKEY - D3. KING KONG FIVE - D4. MINHA GALERA - D5. PROMISCUITY More

Special remarks :

- Limited Ten Year Edition
- Crystal Clear Vinyl
- Gatefold Sleeve
- Double Vinyl 45rpm recut
- Download Code

- RA's Album Of The Year in 2011
- Pitchfork's Top 20 in 2011
- Pitchfork's Best 200 Best Albums of the 2010's


It has been 10 years since Nicolas Jaar released his celebrated debut album, Space Is Only Noise here on Circus Company. With countless accolades, forays, and dips into other waters both preceding its arrival one decade ago and since with many musical ventures this LP still stands as not only a unique and verified-classic release in the artist's own expansive catalog as well as ours, but also amongst the general pantheon of electronic music of the 21st Century on the whole.

What better way to celebrate this milestone than with an immaculate must-have re-release package, with the music now spread out over double discs and cut at 45rpm on crystal clear vinyl to let the glacial top-end soar as originally intended, and the air of the general proceedings expand, once again, into the ears and consciousness of electronic music lovers the world over. Along with this technical upgrade recut, the distinct artwork has also received a facelift fit for the occasion, and will now be found adorning a full gatefold cover, inked lovingly in reverse on inside-out heavyweight paper including printed inner sleeves for a total collector's gem front-to-back.

While Nicolas Jaar's own recent online musings of the origin of the album title and lead track has us imagining playful plexiglass-letterings and a fresh sense of abstract calm before soon-to-be career storms, the music itself feels to have not aged a day past its prime of creation. From the unanimous crowdpleaser "Colomb" to "Keep Me There" indeed doing just that, with Jaar keeping us right where he left us last go-round, to the luminous titular track "Space Is Only Noise If You Can See" and omni-prophesy of "Specters Of The Future" - please join us in a warm welcoming return to this universally acclaimed classic LP, which garnered coveted spots in both RA's Album Of The Year and Pitchfork's Top 20 in 2011, now in its unmissable pristine new vinyl form, sounding as fresh as ever, a solid 10 years later.


Tracklist LP:

A1. Être
A2. Colomb
A3. Sunflower
B1. Too Many Kids Finding Rain In The Dust
B2. Keep Me There
B3. Problem With The Sun

C1. Space Is Only Noise If You Can See
C2. Almost Fell
C3. Balance Her In Between Your Eyes
D1. Specters Of The Future
D2. Trace
D3. Variations
D4. ^tre


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Territories: Worldwide no restrictions

Format Notes: 2022 re-issue, 140g double vinyl, includes the CD bonus track “Tanqueray”, reproduction of the original stickered sleeve


Track List:

1 A1 : Street Level Entrance (1:52)
2 A2 : Get At Me (4:08)
3 A3 : Diggin’ U Out (4:48)
4 A4 : Safe + Sound (4:49)

5 B1 : Somethin’ 4 Tha Mood (5:55)
6 B2 : Don’t You Eat It! (1:08)
7 B3 : Can I Eat It? (4:59)
8 B4 : It’z Your Fantasy (4:23)

9 C1 : Tha Ho In You (4:45)
10 C2 : Dollaz + Sense (5:53)
11 C3 : Let You Havit (3:40)
12 C4 : Summer Breeze (4:34)

13 D1 : Quik’s Groove III (2:37)
14 D2 : Sucka Free (2:11)
15 D3 : Keep Tha “P” In It (5:25)
16 D4 : Hooray 4 Tha Funk (2:11)
17 D5 : Tanqueray (4:19)

Release Notes:

DJ Quik is a giant of West Coast hip-hop. With 1995’s Safe + Sound, he scaled new levels of musical magnificence with his signature new age P-Funk/laconic G-Funk. A quintessential, sun-scorched LA album, this is pretty much essential. Typical for mid-90s albums the original vinyl copies are now rare so here’s the Be With re-issue, complete with “Tanqueray”, the hidden track from the original CD release.

A preternaturally gifted producer/rapper, DJ Quik has produced scores of LA gangsta rap classics. He’s released platinum and gold records of his own, as well as helped craft them for the likes of Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and Dr Dre. Quik has always been quirkier and more interesting than his gangsta rap peers, both musically and lyrically. An old-school funk producer at heart, he’s also incredibly nice on the mic. His raps often deal in boasts, jokes and good times but also cover his beefs, his trials and his trauma. Partying and pain, all mixed up. DJing and producing hype beat tapes from age 14, Quik’s tracks blended the languid funk and rubbery synths of Zapp and George Clinton with a gangsta aesthetic, creating a more danceable foil to Compton’s more typical nihilistic hedonism. Ultimately, his records sound custom engineered to drift out over sun-soaked barbecues.

By the time of his third album DJ Quik was a household name on the West Coast - California’s premier rapper/producer not named Andre Young. Released on Profile in 1995, Safe + Sound was certified gold. Less reliant on samples and more focused on live instruments, it elevated him from producer to fully-fledged composer. This sound — the quick, winding basslines, tinny high hats, smooth instrumental solos, soulful pipes, and Roger Troutman’s talkbox — defined him. This is an album of full-blown masterpieces. Rich soundscapes and masterfully arranged orchestrations with dense layers of sounds, intricate rhythms, and well-balanced songwriting.

The first track proper, “Get At Me” samples Cameo whilst Quik takes aim at the Judases in his life, the horn-laced chorus providing a triumphant feel. On the horizontal “Diggin’ U Out”, the soulful electric piano of Warryn Campbell lays a relaxed groove for Quik to talk over about one of his favourite topics: sex. Title track “Safe + Sound” chronicles Quik’s formative years over a slick instrumental. The moody bass locks a laidback infectious groove, the hook is catchy and Quik’s delivery is in fine form. On the uber-chilled “Somethin’ 4 Tha Mood”, Quik cooks up a breezy, feel good track of sparkly keyboards, syncopated claps, shuffling hi-hats, woozy synths and a floating two-minute flute solo courtesy of Robert “Fonksta” Bacon. Analysing the highs and lows of an average day in the hood, it echoes Cube’s “It Was a Good Day”.

“It’z Your Fantasy” is a silky smooth soundtrack to Quik’s detailed retelling of a sexcapade with a young lady and whilst “Tha Ho In You” is musically perfect for that midsummer family BBQ, its lyrical content is unsurprisingly decidedly less family-friendly. A real highlight, the infamous “Dollaz + Sense” is one of the most ruthless diss tracks of all time. The brutal lyrics ride a laidback West Coast beat, flipping a sample from Young & Company’s “I Like (What You’re Doing To Me)” as Quik fires lyrical shots at his arch Compton nemesis, MC Eiht. On the loping, hazy “Let You Havit”, Quik is again in gangsta mode, with more bars of barbs aimed at Eiht, rhyming over sun-kissed synthy-rollerskate funk.

Some of the finest tracks on Safe + Sound are those designed to de-stress. The evocative “Summer Breeze” is a classic warm-weather jam, anchored by a twangy funk guitar, breezy string arrangement, and a soulful hook delivered by Dionne Knighton. Quik’s nostalgic lyrics are not far from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s “Summertime”, reminiscing over barbecues at the park, young love, and the brevity of halcyon youth. The relaxed and jazzy “Quik’s Groove III” is another highlight, as bass, guitar, piano and flute combine to create a smooth, soulful instrumental.

The swaggering “Shack Up”-sampling “Sucka Free” features a cameo from Playa Hamm, all funky braggadocio and over much too quikly (pun thoroughly intended). The jazz-flavoured “Keep Tha ‘P’ In It”, again featuring Playa Hamm but this time extending the cameo invitations to Hi-C, 2nd II None and Kam, is pure laidback P-Funk. The deep bass and industrial drums make sure the groove hits hard.

“Tanqueray” was originally a hidden track on the CD version of the album, but it’s too good to hide. This wild party samples Brass Construction’s gigantic “Get Up To Get Down” and soars in its drunk-ebullience. An apt way to close this party-driven set.

This 2022 Be With double LP re-issue has been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman and pressed at Record Industry. Unusual for the time, Safe + Sound was originally pressed as a double, so all that was missing was the CD’s hidden bonus track “Tanqueray”, so we’ve fixed that. The original vinyl release never got a picture sleeve, so we’ve recreated the original’s promo-style silver-sticker and plain black jacket. A subtle cover for a wonderfully unsubtle record.
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- Beautiful 1 LP Edition with 350g cardboard old Stoughton tip-on sleeve, Sticker

- MKWAJU ensemble's highly sought-after album reissued on vinyl for the first time since 1981. Also available on CD.

- 33 rpm LP mastercut by Emil Berliner from original tapes!

WRWTFWW Records is over the moon to announce the official reissue of legendary album KI-Motion by Japanese percussionist Midori Takada's MKWAJU ensemble, sourced from the original masters and available in two versions: a vinyl LP cut at Emil Berliner Studios and housed in 350g old Stoughton tip-on sleeve, and a digipak CD.

A highly creative and transcendental fusion of marimba, vibraphone, bamboo percussion and synthesizers, KI-Motion was recorded in 1981 and captures the birth of Midori Takada's exploration of minimalism, African rhythmic tradition, and ambient music.

The album takes its conceptual inspiration from the tamarind ( 'mkwaju' in Swahili), a drought resistant tree notably used to craft some of the first mallets and marimbas but also known for its culinary and medical uses, an essential symbol of life and identity for the Central African grasslands. Drawing from the region's culture and music as well as the crucial notion that rhythms represent the very fabric of life, Midori Takada leads her ensemble into environmental heaven to create one of the highlights of her recording career and an absolute must-have from the golden age of Japanese ambient…the ideal companion to her majestic Through The Looking Glass opus!

Tracklisting Vinyl LP
A1 Wood Dance
A2 Maximum ?
A3 KI-Motion
B1 Angwora Steps
B2 Hot Air
B3 Zindo Zindo

NO SALES TO JAPAN! More

2021 repress

UPC: 5060281616272 Release: 07.10.2013
Special Remarks: 2LP Gatefold vinyl, printed inner sleeves, stickers
Tracklist LP : A 1. Waterjump / A2. Freefloating / A3. Naive Response B 1. Drone Logic / B2. These Nights Never End / B3. Platform Zero C1. Need Electric / C2. All I Need / C3. Spring 27 D1. Simulrec / D2. No Energy / D3. Knowing We'll Be There
The 12 track album was written and produced since the turn of 2013 and mixed with Erol Alkan at 'The Phantasy Sound', the label's own studio in London. A difficult trick to master but like Carl Craig's 'More Songs About Food And Revolutionary Art', Plastikman's 'Consumed' or more recently the work of Four Tet, the album works as a cohesive whole rather than a disparate collection of tracks. Innovative and forward thinking, Drone Logic manages to draw influences from beyond the dancefloor via My Bloody Valentine, NEU! and Chris Carter while still having the techno pulse to scale the walls of any club. The wide array of plaudits and early adopters of Avery's music is proof of this, ranging from acid house legends like The Chemical Brothers, Andrew Weatherall and Richie Hawtin to the best of the new breed in Maya Jane Coles, James Holden and Factory Floor.
Firmly established as one of the UK's most exciting new DJ / producers having cut his teeth in Weatherall's Shoreditch studio bunker, Drone Logic follows up Avery's universally acclaimed mix CD for London clubbing institution Fabric where he remains a resident, recent remixes for Primal Scream, The Horrors & Django Django and last year's Need Electric and Water Jump EPs on Alkan's Phantasy label. This summer sees him play at Bestival, Festival No.6 and the Green Man festival.


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