Kalita Records are proud and honoured to announce the first ever and official reissue of Kallaloo's sought-after 1982 disco single 'Star Child', accompanied by interview-based liner notes. Originally released on Jeffrey Turpin's Trinidadian record label IDA, 'Star Child' has since become highly sought-after by both DJs and collectors alike as an invisible, yet astonishing piece of Caribbean disco. Unable at the time to gain the traction and success that it deserved, we hope that this re-release provides an opportunity to bring such a great record to a much wider audience. Kallaloo consisted of various Trinidadian musicians including Keith Alexander and Peter Wayne Barkley. Keith had been well-respected as a member of the Trinidadian group Impact, and was later to become an in-demand producer and composer under the name of Keith Diamond, responsible for various hits by Billy Ocean, Donna Summer, Starpoint and Melba Moore. In contrast, Peter was a well-known recording session drummer, but after 'Star Child's' release he moved to North Carolina to pursue other interests and "was never heard from again". 'Star Child' was recorded at Right Track Recording, in mid-town Manhattan, New York. As Jeffrey recalls, the atmosphere in the studio was "great", with "everyone upbeat, the cream of the crop just looking for that break... everyone was talented and just wanted the chance to express their own ideas". Five hundred copies of the record were released on IDA with a white label design, and they were sold both in Brooklyn, New York and Port of Spain, Trinidad. It was also released on a red label, however this was not to Jeffrey's knowledge at the time. Jeffrey explains that the reason why the record didn't fare well at the time was because of the difficulty in getting the song played on the radio. As he recalls, radio stations were much more likely to play 'radio versions' of songs which lasted for a couple of minutes, rather than five or seven minute 'extended' versions such as 'Star Child', which were more suitable to a club environment. In addition, as Jeffrey explains, radio airplay is a "political business", and also within a short while band members such as Keith got their own breaks, and the Kallaloo era was over as quickly as it had started. .

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
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Germany
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Format : Vinyl 12” (180 gr., Limited Full Cover)

Track list:

A In the Sky
B1 Burnin’
B2 Dark

Release Info:

Crackazat seamlessly blends contemporary electronica with dancefloor euphoria on his new record “In the sky”

Crackazat has had quite the run of amazing releases on Heist since his first outing back in 2021. Alfa, 2022 follow up Demucha and his mini album ‘Senses’ released last year have shown that Heist is the perfect label for him to show off his keyboard wizardry and broad musical influences. Whether he’s doing his ‘Monday Jams’ from his home for his dedicated Bandcamp followers, or he’s on the road to South Africa where he has a huge following, Crackazat always brings something special with his music. ‘In the sky’ hits you right in the feels and sees the talented musician navigate from synth-happy dancefloor cuts to electronic & jazzy deep house.

What might stand out most on his new record is how Crackazat feels totally at ease with all these different styles and how he blends his voice seamlessly in the tracks to add depth, meaning, and energy. This might be most apparent on the title track, which is built around a syncopated ‘Alfa-esque’ key loop (Crackazat fans will know what we’re talking about here). There’s gorgeous vocal chops and warm arpeggiated synths in the background that give the track lots of texture, while the percussion shuffles along in perfect swing with the song’s energy. Add some lovely strings, leads, and a moody breakdown, and you’ve got yourself a fine piece of dancefloor magic.

On “Burnin’”, Crackazat channels his inner raver with 90s inspired percussion, a honky
piano loop, and some very catchy & quirky vocal chops. He freely sprinkles claps and snares around like it’s Christmas and the big breakdown has the kind of madness-inducing energy that gets every clubber going!

EP closer ‘Dark’ is Crackazat in his most contemplative mode; a vibe he always loves to explore on his Heist outings. The bass is deep, the kick heavy, and the synth licks are mellow but powerful. His voice and effects give this track a beautiful extra dimension that would even make Fred Again jealous. The stripped-back percussion has clear influences from contemporary African dance music, which adds yet another layer to Crackazat’s broad sonic landscape. All in all, Dark is a track that makes you want to close your eyes and just sway into oblivion.

Crackazat once again manages to take us on a deep trip into his sonic world and showcases a level of craftsmanship that most of us can only dream of. ‘In the sky’ is a lovely end to our 2024 releases and we hope you enjoy the music.

As always, play it loud and dance, dance, dance!

Maarten & Lars

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
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Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Tracklist :
A1. Keep It Moovin' (feat Smashish)
A2. Ayé
A3. AKA (feat Cobrawolfshark)
A4. June Shine
B1. Keep It Movin' feat. Smashish (Bosq Remix)
B2. Keep It Movin' feat. Smashish (Uptown Funk Empire)

Release Info:
Newcomer Izzy Wise delivers a wonderful funk and afrobeat upcoming EP Keep It Movin’, right before summer, on french label Délicieuse Records. After releasing on japanese institution Mule Musiq, the producer hits us with four serious disco-house burners.

"AKA", one of his most disco afro-beat tunes, is a straight-up boat party anthem with happy vibes. Huge brass instrumentation, strong 4/4 beat and a vocoded vocal are raising a tension towards the entire track which is bridging the gap between Fela Kuti and Moodymann.

On remix duties, french legend Uptown Funk Empire, the man of many projects (Voilaaa, Mr President, Patchworks) brings a dirty disco touch to the Keep It Movin’ single. On the other hand, Colombian sensation Bosq brings a latin flavoured take to the record single.

The San Francisco-based multiinstrumentalist and DJ has spent the last two decades literally exploring a world of music. Between working-out dance floors with the rotating door of eclectic musicians in Afrolicious, Braza, and his own global dance party Hi Life, to his own far-flung adventures DJing, playing in groups, and making recordings with people around Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean. His passion for live percussion and horns brings excitement and warmth to the sound system.





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