Territories: World excl. UK

FORMAT 12" vinyl, generic sleeve, dl card

TRACKLIST
1. / A1 Dark Light 05:09
2. / A2 Fire Chant 04:30
3. / A3 Grátt Silfur 04:41
4. / B1 Green Light 05:11
5. / B2 Ráðabrugg 05:31
6. / DX1 Ruff Cut (Digi Bonus) 05:41
7. / DX2 Only One Way (Digi Bonus) 05:02
8. / DX3 Everyday (Digi Bonus) 04:59

Growing up on the north Atlantic island of Iceland bestows one with an unusual and often intense relationship with light and colour: Summers come with endless days, Winters with scant sunlight yet increased sightings of the Aurora Borealis; the mysterious and awe-inspiring glow across the sky. Channelling these energies, Exos
comes to Tresor with his Green Light EP, a five-track collection of the sort of spectrally rich techno synonymous with the Northman’s 27-year career.
Across the EP, the five tracks fizz and pulsate driving ever forward, making the release’s title a three-way play on words referencing the continuous travelling of photons, the verdant warping of the Northern Lights, and the universal colour for Go, for forward propulsion. Smart wordplay can also be found in titles like Grátt Silfur, a term in Íslenska (literally “grey sliver”) which signifies a tension between two parties, further extending the colour metaphor and dark/light dichotomy found elsewhere.
The digital release comes with three extra tracks that continue the dynamic energy, pushed along by the same shifting, mutating force where the music often feels like voices calling out from the darkness or the shimmer of light as the sun rises across the horizon.
Green Light EP continues this year’s blazing return from an artist who, similar to his output, is never stagnant: ever changing form yet ever moving forward.
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FORMAT 12" vinyl, generic sleeve, dl card

TRACKLIST
1. / A1 The Way She Moves 05:35
2. / A2 Summer Kiss 05:01
3. / A3 Tired Bones 04:28
4. / B1 Growing In The Dark 06:10
5. / B2 Breathe Again 05:56
6. / DX Melancholyflower 02:48 (digital bonus)

The word “resistance” is deeply embedded in the ethos of techno. For her debut release on the Tresor Records, the British artist and Tresor resident, IMOGEN, explores the concept of resilience; a related and equally vital concept.Taking its name from a theological term meaning a fundamental change of mind or spiritual conversion, Metanoia is fuelled by IMOGEN’s processing of what she describes as one of the most challenging years of her life.Any struggle against injustice or misfortune takes time and effort which requires finding a fortitude within, not only to surpass the hardship itself but to not lose ourselves to despair or bitterness in the process.IMOGEN’s journey is summed up in the lead track, The Way She Moves-resilience is, after all, a persistence to continue, to move forward. The struggle against hardship is laid out in track titles like Tired Bonesand Growing in the Darkbefore a sense of catharsis is reached in Breathe Againand Melancholy Flower. The music similarly mirror her experiences, passing through sadness, anger, before ultimately landing at acceptance and a newfound drive for self-actualisation and greater interoception; after all, the end goal of any resistance is liberation. More

2024 Repress

TRACKLIST
1. / A1 messy kafka world 05:21
2. / A2 synthi chase 05:15
3. / B1 wooden dolls don’t cry 06:13
4. / B2 cassiopea 36 06:30

The unassuming maestro of techno music Donato Dozzy returns to Tresor Records on its 30th year with a new EP entitled 124. The record follows a majestic appearance on the Tresor 30 anniversary compilation and his expert devotion to the Roland TB-303, Filo Loves The Acid. True to form, 124 meddles sharp rhythmic minimalism and diverse textures, each track pushing at the epiphanic threshold as the boss of Spazio Disponibile allows his deeply intuitive productions to take effect.
"messy kafka world" introduces a frenetic and concentrated atmosphere of rhythmic forces, hallucinatory and euphoric in effect. Its dizzying staccato loops are given structure by strengthening beats and bleak synthetic pillars. "synthi chase" emits radical powers, as buzzing rhythms and monotone synths make raw gestures towards altered states. It shares a kindred spirit with "cassiopeia 36", seen in particular through its determined
and primitive pulses, nested within wobbling wood percussion and nervous synth repetitions. "wooden dolls don’t cry" stamps a warm groove, its tempered percussion taking centre stage as shimmering melodic loops threaten spiralling feedback. These dark, hypnotic tracks are flawlessly programmed to cast mesmeric momentums onto club floors and into loosened limbs.
124 represents Donato Dozzy ever-expanding his powers and musical freedom. His innate groove and inventive sound design push minimal and serene techno with a substantial weight and voice that sets him apart from others.

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2024 Repress

Territories: World excl. UK

FORMAT 12" vinyl, generic sleeve, dl card

TRACKLIST
1. / A1 Cogitor 06:27
2. / A2 Sexual Tension 06:05
3. / B1 Fragment 04:17
4. / B2 Solar 05:11
5. / B3 Gargk 04:30
4. / DX Wallon (Digital Bonus) 05:49

Writing about techno is quite difficult without falling into cliché: there are only so many ways that you can say
something about a music whose core elements are forged on deliberate repetition; where real talent is attributed
to those who can find the perfect groove where nothing needs added or subtracted to hold the listener’s attention for upwards of five minutes.
Such tracks are the hallmark of Tresor’s catalogue, and this joy in repetition can be found in works from Detroit,
Berlin, Birmingham, Edinburgh, and more. And it is through this lens that Parisian artist, UFO95, focuses his
output, resulting in Backward Improvement, an EP that sits perfectly in the spectrum of techno found in the
Tresor chronology.
The title itself makes an abstract reference to the influence of the classics of the genre, inspiring him to take a
distinct less-is-more approach to production for this collection of stripped-down yet unrelenting techno chiselled
from the live set which has fixed UFO95 as one of the next holdfasts for the future of the scene.
Perhaps it is the fact the UFO95 only performs live that had led to such crisp and focussed studio productions.;
each of the tracks showcase the artist’s burgeoning talent for creating the essential foundations of techno;
perfect, looping, instinctual grooves that are counterbalanced by an apprehensive tension from off-key tones.
Backward Improvement marks the addition of a new name in the list of techno’s best producers and proves that
while the genre may now be in its 40th year there are yet sonic explorations to be made and variations that are
worth unearthing. More

FORMAT 12‘‘ Vinyl, full Pantone printed sleeve, download code

TRACKLIST
1. LARGE LANGUAGE MODEL 03:39
2. MULTI FUNCTIONAL ROBOTICS 03:29
3. SENSOR DATA 03:44

RELEASE INFO
DJ Stingray 313's INDUSTRY 4.0 EP is a sonic exploration into modern manufacturing concepts and the impact on humanity.
Moods and titles across the EP cover artificial intelligence (LARGE LANGUGE MODEL), the internet, and robotics (MULTI FUNCTIONAL ROBOTICS and SENSOR DATA) – all set to his signature high-energy, industrial, cyborg-style productions.
Together, the tracks on INDUSTRY 4.0 work as a striking and current introspective of humanity’s uncertain evolution, moving as fast as the technology it creates.
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Format: 180g 12” + download code

Tracklist:
A1. Swamps (05:10)
A2. Tommy (05:03)
B1. Utrecht (02:35)
B2. Escape (06:04)
B3. Demonstration (05:31)

‘Fosph’ proves an EP of real mastery that exudes techno, its drive, phasing patterns and melodic minimalism. ‘Swamps’ opens the record with a jungle cacophony, its rhythms dipping and diving on a ritualistic sequence - judiciously lean, biting and expressive. ‘Tommy’ is an exercise in solo TR-909, the less-is-more machine repetitions that journey unceasingly - sure to be a crucial drum tool. ‘Utrecht’ hints at an expansive 90s ambient sound, imbuing analogue static with synthetic cries and meanderings. 'Escape' takes these sonic outposts, and goes even further. Its resonant drums propelling into action a pendulum of organic expressionism, rising into flight from its dusty origins. EP closer
’Demonstration’ is a clear example of DJ Deep's love for machine funk. An old-school banger doing just enough, its playful off-beat excursions and effective one-word sample recall a certain Midwestern directness.
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FORMAT: 12" vinyl, generic sleeve artwork,
10x15cm postcard inlay, dl code

TRACKLIST
1. / A1 The Element 05:13
2. / A2 Riva 05:26
3. / B1 Love Letter 05:57
4. / B2 Etereo 05:40

Fireground’s live sets brim with joy and Mediterranean warmth so, as we have now passed the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and are well on en route to leave the long, cold winter behind, what could be more fitting than a new release from the duo?
As with their three previous releases on Tresor (Dualism, Refreshing Part 1, and Dreams) for Love Letter Angela and Daniele have created a heady melange of styles of techno synonymous with the turn of the century with such outrageous elan and jubilation that they practically embody the musical term giocoso:
“We had the "summer" concept in mind from the beginning, this pushed us to create a message in our sound making it uplifting and engaging, capable of conveying a positive, romantic and warm vibe. In our productions we always give priority to the harmonic parts such as melodies, pads, piano and guitar riffs, the peculiarity of this EP is that all the tracks were born first from these elements, and only at the end the groove was crafted, not due to a difference in importance, rather to ensure that the rhythmic part paid as much respect as possible to the harmonic part.”
This decision to build upwards from the harmonics has paid dividends: the entrance of a string section provokes visions of a rapt club crowd cheering with exultation; a looped groove stimulates a connection to such gleeful nostalgia that is almost certain to be heard at many festivals in coming months; a blissful pad sweeps over a
track like the first rays of sun in the morning; a filtered synth rises to be met with a xylophone-like countermelody…every track has a moment where the music overflows with some form of happiness. Together the collection promises, and perhaps even delivers, a summer both ecstatic and joyful.
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Territories: World excl. UK

FORMAT 12" vinyl, full printed pantone sleeve, glossy varnish, download card

TRACKLIST
1. / A1 Model 500 - I.D.L.E. 05:39
2. / A2 Ectomorph - Searching (Live at Globus) 04:54
3. / A3 AMX - Your Body 05:20
4. / B1 DJ Stingray 313 - Dynamic Instability 04:14
5. / B2 JakoJako - Metal Goat 05:05
6. / B3 Erik Jabari - Screamore 04:47

030/313 – Berlin/Detroit, the fundamental techno union. Now Carhartt WIP, whose roots can be traced to Detroit, Michigan, join forces with Tresor for a collaboration that celebrates the enduring spirit of two music metropolises. Referencing the early 90s compilations like “Tresor II – A Techno Alliance”, they present a 12” mini compilation with exclusive material from both cities.
The compilation opens with “I.D.L.E.”, a lost Model 500 track, of essential funk that touches the techno soul of The Motorcity, with trippy melodies and cosmic drilling traversing electrified Mojo freeways. It’s followed by another true Detroiter: Ectomorph’s “Searching (Live At Globus)”, a first extract from their live set at Globus in 2021, which BMG and Erika played on borrowed equipment after Erika’s case was lost on a flight. The A-Side stays in Detroit and finishes with “Your Body”, an exclusive track by AMX, also known as The AM, one of Detroit’s freshest funk techno sensations. She carries on the mentorship mindset by having learned from two of the greatest: D.I.E. and Scan 7. “Your Body” is a classic techno feel swinger, where subtle chords meet drum machine funk in the spirit of early Detroit techno.
DJ Stingray 313 opens the B-Side with a bang. Precisely hacked techno, full of dark funk and that special industrial jack, that the man in the mask has made his own. A total “Dynamic Instability”. Magic & furious. The thrill continues with “Metal Goat”, by JakoJako, one of Berlin’s brightest synth sensations. She provides an introspective grower that slowly evolves into a fast-paced techno grinder, laden with micro shifts and magic twists. The final tune comes from Erik Jabari, a newcomer from the 030 zone, emerging from the Hard Wax peers with haunting modular synth techno–a feverish minimalistic trip of motorized kicks. DJ Pete performed as spiritual guidance on this one. It’s floor proven. An overall cachet of “030313” - the small compilation with a huge techno heart. More

FORMAT 12“ vinyl, printed sleeve, dl card

TRACKLIST
1. / A Concave 1 07:28
2. / B Concave 2 07:28

The serene source of captivating musical ideas that is Borderland, keeps on flowing and vibrating with subtle energy.
Two versions form a set of studio-refined sequences. Both parts of “Concave” are the ungraspable manifestation of the wild quietness in which the duo finds itself. Predicting at once, possible outcomes for the craft of electronic sound, while respecting their profound origins..
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FORMAT 2LP 180g vinyl, printed sleeve, dl card

TRACKLIST
1. / A1 Transport 07:28
2. / A2 Odyssey 07:28
3. / B1 Lightyears 06:08
4. / B2 2600 06:44
5. / C1 Merkur 04:09
6. / C2 Riod 09:14
7. / D1 Zeolites 10:30

Juan Atkins and Moritz von Oswald – the two indispensable protagonists of the Electric Garden – plug back into the wilderness.
‘Transport’ – the full length effort brings together a set of studio-refined sequences aimed at colonizing some of the dark energy that
pulsates through those areas that are thoroughly electrified, even if not ‘on the grid’.
The Detroit-Berlin axis triangulated to a third point which, like the atomic particle that lives in two places at once, flickers between a
form of techno-charged ambience and a futuristic club-jazz which cannot be broken down into constitutive parts.
Borderland remains caught in a state of enraptured stillness, invisibly moving between every imagined future for electronic sound
making.
The result: a font from which springs serene and exhilarating musical ideas that vibrate with refined energy for sixty seconds in every
minute.

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Territories: World excl. UK

FORMAT 12" vinyl, generic sleeve, dl card

TRACKLIST
1. / A1 Machine Alliance 05:38
2. / A2 Symbiosis 05:25
3. / B1 Technopoly Dream 05:21
4. / B2 Ode To The D 05:13

Digital Bonus:
5. / DX1 Replicants 04:55
6. / DX2 System & Structure 05:08
7. / DX3 Human In The Loop 04:35


At what point does a new tool or technology become so integral to a process as to be intrinsic? And what happens if that technology starts to subordinate its user?
By reflecting on these questions Machine Alliance, the new EP by Irish producer Kerrie on Tresor Records, connects her music to the sci-fi origins of techno and electronic music in general.
With inspiration from classic books and films of the genre such as The Machine Stops, The Matrix, and Blade Runner as well as modern explorations in art and philosophy like Free Your Mind and Technopoly, the EP’s title takes on two opposing but intersecting meanings.
One, based on the potential for machines to take over or replace humans, is a key idea of sci-fi that seems closer to reality with the arrival of machine learning and real artificial intelligence.
The second has a much more positive view, one where the “alliance” is between the artist and machine to create the music, a process she places immense value on, being both cathartic and therapeutic, whilst also being a vehicle of addition and expansion: “I feel that it’s a collaboration…the machines are precise in their timing and I add the human touch (literally) in the live performance which adds natural imperfections, so we both provide something the other can’t. There’s also an element of growth; the machines get updates and so are always expanding in terms of their musical capabilities. And the more I push my own technical abilities I feel we are growing together in a constant synchronised dance.”
This “dance” results in four tracks (plus three digital-only bonuses) of classic machine funk which combine the aforementioned ideas in sci-fi with a deep lifelong affection for techno. Tracks like Ode to the D, and Technopoly Dream display this love through her choice of sounds and structure, both intentional and subconscious, while Replicants, and Human in the Loop project into other genres to fully round this release off as a contemporary example of music rooted in both past and future.

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Territories: World excl. UK

FORMAT 12" vinyl, generic sleeve, dl card

TRACKLIST
1. / A1 Velocity 04:22
2. / A2 Sync Out Off 05:54
3. / A3 Fong (feat. Kastil) 04:53
4. / B1 Sub Osc 04:32
5. / B2 Tight Gate 04:39
6. / B3 Breath Controller (Dopplereffekt Gravitational Remodel) 04:52


7. / DX Breath Controller (Digital Bonus) 03:28

Release Info:

Datashader emerges from the shadows with a striking breaks- and bass-heavy debut release that challenges the fabric of our digital existence. Replete with a Dopplereffekt remix, it nods to the legacy of revered anonymous acts such as Scopex, Drexciya and Underground Resistance, pushing the boundaries of both electronic music exploration and its conceptual underpinnings. As a critique of the erosion of genuine human connection in the digital age, Datashader delivers a barrage of billowing subs, infectious electro, recontextualized jungle, and techno, serving as a poignant counterbalance to current dance floor-centric norms. It’s a contemporary anti-soundtrack that offers a haunting mirror to the societal costs of technological convenience.
In a world engulfed by the digital realm, where social media platforms thrive and dominate every aspect of our lives, the enigmatic project known as Datashader was founded to reflect on the pervasive erosion of authentic human connection through various virtual realities. Artistically, Datashader seeks to critique the impact of technology on human identity and relationships, breaking with an archetype of digital conformity and expressing a profound disillusionment with the superficiality of online interactions through music. Genuine human connection and art cannot be quantified by likes, comments, or followers but rather thrives in the visceral realm of shared sonic experience and human emotion. This idea is at the core idea of Datashader, whose artistic expression ranges from avant-garde composition and electronic experimentations to art, installation, film and more.
Expressed within the varied contexts of diverse artistic mediums, Datashader explores the concept of “technological gentrification”, which describes the gradual displacement of human interaction by technology. Just as gentrification alters the urban landscape, driving out communities and cultures, digital gentrification transforms the social landscape, replacing genuine connection with curated online personas.
Musically, Datashader’s practice confronts this dystopian reality, highlighting the alarming consequence of people becoming mere nodes in a network, reduced to a collection of data points. This is manifested sonically by a blistering assault of breaks, recontextualized IDM, abstract electronics and otherworldly synthscapes, conceived as the aesthetic counterbalance to much of contemporary electronic music’s dancefloor focus.
Datashader dives deep into genres and influences which stand for a form of sonic resistance: A contemporary anti- soundtrack – a sonic mirror of the price we pay for convenience and instant gratification. A self-image in constant flux. No false technological idols.
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2024 repress, 140 g.

World minus UK

Propulsive techno solicitations abound on Ideoma, the debut EP from Oscean, a collaboration from Sebastia?n Galante, also known as Seph, and Andre?s Zacco. The two are figureheads of Argentina's techno sound, with releases on labels such as Insurgentes, Echocord Colour and Ilian Tape over the last decade.
Galante and Zacco join forces for the first time with inspiring effects, moving forward with vast paces, unshifting footsteps, with uneven prisms of electronic rhythm. Its direct intent and crisp sonic detail conjure a cinematic and nocturnal drive, unearthing subterranean pulses that leave all in its wake.

With Ideoma, Tresor Records presents a whirlwind of dense movement and cosmic energy that twists on percussive bends and distorting spirits. Spiral recalls natural phenomena, bound tight, with a rugged texture like no other, as flickers of sound processing suggest lift-off. The flanging Feral exudes a potent demeanour, wicked and unceasing. The ebbing melodics of Spacion hark back to 90s ambient techno and yet possess a rhythmic cut and thrust that navigates unchartered terrain.

Transmuting beyond planet earth, further into the extra-terrestrial, Galante and Zacco mask fractal brush- strokes with hurrying rhythms. They smear primitive and sharp sonics, pressed with dizzying resilience. The nosediving FM synths of Austraal beckon a haunting trip, cloaked in a trance of motion and forever eschewing all prediction.
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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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Tracklist:
1. Alone Tonight
2. Brief Call
3. Young Girls
4. Avril In The Alps
5. Conscious Effort
6. I Was Never Told
7. Left on the Shelf
8. Song of Love

Short info:

Simple Reality cements the short lived legacy of Coventry DIY group Skeet.

Emerging from a scene of first-generation punks and 2 Tone kids, Skeet was instigated by Gary and Nigel Meffen in 1981, fusing tightrope instrumentals with a Roland CR-8000 under the glow of projected visuals. After a cassette of their debut performance found its way to Kay Booth who worked at Inferno Records, the unsuspecting frontwoman took the liberty of adding her own vocals. Instantly embraced as a permanent member, Booth’s shy delivery and open-diary expressions of social alienation and romantic rejection hovered over the brothers’ scratchy guitar and agitated bass.

Playing as few as 10 shows, their unnerving minimalism was recorded in a suburban home studio, borrowing a reel-to-reel from Toby Lyons (The Colourfield) and a mixer from Jerry Dammers (The Specials). Record labels gestured interest until one day they were no more - no arguments, no official split, just a silent parting of the ways and three people taking journeys in different directions. Unheard and unloved in the vaults for nearly four decades, 'Brief Call' finally resurfaced via the Coventry Music Museum compendium Alternative Sounds Volume 1, followed by a micro pressing of the full suite on Chris Long’s Almost Unknown imprint in 2023.

Simple Reality now offers a definitive snapshot of these must-hear neurotic post-punks. Mastered by Skeet fanatic Mikey Young, newly discovered instrumental multitracks are restored alongside a live recording of their final stand. Performed atop of a trailer in a pub beer garden, the release-worthy desk tape adds three new tracks and a more energised swing at ‘Left On the Shelf’s apathetic techno-pop.

RIYL: Fire Engines, 23 Skidoo, A Certain Ratio, Young Marble Giants, pel mel

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2024 repress

Tracklist A. XTC - B. Knee On Belly

Shortinfo: DJ Koze's 2013 album opus Amygdala has continued to bewitch all who encounter it since its release. Tipped as his own personal Sgt. Pepper, the sublime long-player revealed a fully-realised and personal body of work, complete with a classic songwriting at its core, House in its heart, and veins coursing with psychedelic color. "La Duquesa" was the album's dreamy single standout, a journey into deep, tropical ecstasy.

"XTC" begins in the same spirit, and captures the all the blissful allusions of its name, but its initial gentility belies the deep intensity to come. Floating pads glow with celestial ambience as a kick drum is gradually coaxed into solid form, and the introduction of spoken text begins the second act. "Many people are experimenting with the drug Ecstasy," it says, "…is the drug like the lie and meditation the truth? Or am I missing something that could really help me?". "XTC" then transforms: sweetly imploring tones become demanding, gentle gradients between chords turn hard-edged, and sharp hi-hats cut through the haze. Complete with Koze's signature percussive quirks, it drives towards the track's final pay off: an undeniable, all-consuming, irresistible high.

"Knee On Belly" recalls Koze at his most tongue-in-cheek and overt; it is bright, bold and literally brassy, using cut-up horns of all shapes and sizes to patchwork together his own unique arrangement. With the highs and mid ranges accounted for, Koze adds in a swollen, thrumming bass line to mix to bring this floor-filler to life. "Knee on Belly" recalls a raw, filtered and funky approach to groove, with a nod to disco house and the art of artful sampling, as it orbits between its own neon highs and simmering lows.
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Territories: Worldwide no restrictions

Format Notes:
2024 repress, 140g vinyl, includes “Pure Thought” bonus track from the original CD version, original picture sleeve and printed inner sleeves based on the original one.

Track List:

A* : Blood (1:08)
A1 : Bullies Of The Block (4:55)
A2 : Everything’s Everything (3:47)
A3 : Shammy’s (4:16)
A** : Heat Mizer (1:08)

B1 : Six Tray (4:39)
B2 : Danger (3:58)
B3 : Inner City Boundaries (4:39)
B* : Bomb Zombies (1:06)

C1 : Cornbread (4:21)
C2 : Way Cool (4:22)
C3 : Hot Potato (4:30)
C4 : Mary (3:45)
C5 : Park Bench People (4:59)

D1 : Heavyweights (6:11)
D* : Tolerate (1:01)
D2 : Respect Due (3:53)
D3 : Pure Thought (3:14)

Release Notes (Short Version):

Innercity Griots, the second album from Freestyle Fellowship, is perhaps *the* essential West Coast left-field rap album of the early ’90s. Released in 1993 on 4th & Broadway, it’s a towering, progressive hip-hop masterpiece that expanded rap’s boundaries through lyrical elevation and production innovation. Their talent was ahead of everybody else by light years. This is pure b-boy jazz.

The original single vinyl LP is now hideously scarce, and of course the sound suffers from not being officially released as a double. This Be With re-issue fixes both problems, and for completeness also includes “Pure Thought” from the CD version of the album. This incredible display of imaginative hip-hop sounds better than ever.

Freestyle Fellowship were some of the earliest technically dazzling rappers to come out of California. Mikah 9, P.E.A.C.E., Aceyalone and Self Jupiter - along with DJ Kiilu - forged their famed lyrical dexterity in the ultra-competitive crucible of the Good Life Cafe. Founded in Leimert Park, South Central LA in December 1989, this earthy health-food store and cafe was where the city’s finest microphone fiends would gather to showcase their freestyle skills at the Thursday night open-mic.

Innercity Griots has been described as the Rosetta Stone for rap styles. The group’s dense, vibrant wordplay and enviable interplay quickly earned the attention and respect of the city’s hip-hop underground. Frenetically trading acrobatic rhymes with agility and grace, the Fellowship used their voices as instruments like true virtuosos, spraying improvised raps like a Coltrane sax solo.

With the bulk of the album’s production handled by The Earthquake Brothers, and Bambawar, Daddy-O, and Edman taking over for some of the tracks, Innercity Griots dances between organic and programmed music, largely forgoing sampling and instead built around live jazz jams. The likes of Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay” and Miles Davis’s “Black Comedy” were used more as templates for house band The Underground Railroad Band to spiral out from. As Pitchfork noted in their recent 9.0 review of this classic album, “Freestyle Fellowship embodied the style and spirit of jazz on a molecular level. They shared the effortless cool and tough countenance of the great bebop players from the ’50s without verging into jazz-rap parody. Their innate jazziness felt tangible and hard-earned”.

The unusual approach to the music was matched by the Fellowship’s lyrics. Eschewing the tired rap tropes of the time, this multifaceted album instead explores their ruminations on greed and homelessness, weed, sex, survival, insecurity and tribalism.

Remastered by Simon Francis for double vinyl and cut by Pete Norman, we hope this long-overdue re-issue of Innercity Griots satisfies the legions of fans that have since been bewitched by the majesty of this record. It should also introduce some new listeners to yet another overlooked classic.
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