Fouk might have been curating Outplay since 2013, but their 'Butterfunk EP' is in fact the duo's first proper EP on their own imprint. It's not that they've been resting on their laurels: they've drip-fed a handful of EPs on the likes of Heist and House of Disco over the past few years, and released solo efforts on Kolour Ltd and Razor 'n Tape that stormed the charts. It's been fascinating to see the Dutch pair slowly break the mould, moving from heavy sampling in favour to an emphasis on original instrumentation and production. The Butterfunk EP is fine showcase of their prowess in the studio, loaded to the hilt with contemporary dancefloor funk. Things kick off with the rolling drums, off-beat percussion and seriously infectious Hammond lines of Organ Freeman. Title track Butterfunk is aimed squarely at the hips with its smooth keys and perfectly placed vocal, while some acid lines give the track a little edge. Flip over for the bumping 'Wong Way', a chunky workout with a rubber bassline. The finale of the EP is 'Winter', a fantastic slice of 80's inspired downtempo mushroom jazz. More

Outplay's newest project is a special 10" vinyl release with 2 tracks by artist New Franklin Theory. The name was inspired by a past in Midwestern USA. As to who is behind the project, some ears might pick up the resemblance to another artist you all know well. Digging into his past is the main inspiration behind New Franklin Theory's two-tracker. Expect two uptempo percussion filled melodic tracks with a slight afro-inspired tropical vibe.
Comes with a full colour sleeve design by joosprintsandpatterns.nl! More

Four tracks of hypnotic, no-nonsense club bliss. Best enjoyed at 4am on a sweaty dance floor. Bring the beat back! More

Repress!

What is it about New York City, that concrete jungle that continually inspires the creative spirit? From Warhol’s Factory to Larry Levan’s Paradise Garage to David Mancuso’s Loft, collectives that celebrate and nurture unfettered, organic artistry have been absolutely intrinsic to the story of this sprawling metropolis. Its latest chapter is being written at the hands of ‘The Maestro’, Grammy Award winner Louie Vega and his Expansions NYC parties, the sound documented in his latest album Expansions In The NYC (Nervous Records).

Starting in February 2019 in Manhattan and Brooklyn venues, Vega’s Expansions NYC parties have their origin not in his revered prowess as a DJ but rather his whole-hearted appreciation of the different elements of the dance floor surrounding him: the dancers, the musicians who bring their instruments to join him ad-hoc on the night, the small, dedicated crowd of clubbers whose ears to the ground keep them informed on the underground party information. The events included 6-hour DJ Sets with Louie under his select curation, and would usually end with 3 AM jam sessions involving keyboardists, guitar players and poets all performing in front of a jam packed crowd. In just a few short years the Expansions NYC events have evolved into an NYC-clubland institution, an intimate celebration of house, funk, disco, afro, R&B and more.

As with his parties, so goes his album. The collective vibe that forms the beating heart of Expansions NYC parties is absolutely front and centre in Expansions In The NYC, Vega drawing in one of the most comprehensive lists of collaborators in recent memory. House heavyweights Honey Dijon, Joe Claussell, Moodymann, Kerri Chandler and Anané rub up against legendary vocalists Bernard Fowler, Cindy Mizelle, Lisa Fischer, Audrey Wheeler and Tony Momrelle. Gospel royalty BeBe Winans and Debbie Winans, pop icon Robyn and rising star Karen Harding sit alongside disco-era champions Unlimited Touch, Cuban jazz pianist Axel Tosca, Nico Vega, Two Soul Fusion with Josh Milan and Vega and underground legend DJ Spinna. At the centre of it all, fingerprint on every beat, touch on every groove, sits a master at work, weaving the individual threads into a rich dance music tapestry.

"In the past few years I’ve found new inspiration both from the musicians I’m working with and the audiences coming to see me at my DJ shows,” Vega says. “So for me this album represents new beginnings, bringing together a beautiful mosaic of artistic perspectives to express musically what we call Expansions In The NYC."

At its heart, Expansions In The NYC is a love letter to New York, as much as melting pot as the city it represents, the scope of its line-up possible only because of the influence and reverence of Vega the artist, the DJ, the producer, the curator. In creating this album, Louie Vega has once again utterly enriched the lives and libraries of music lovers the world over, far beyond the hustling streets of NYC that have so indelibly left their mark on his work. More

Repress coming Mid April!

Talented Kilkenny-based Peter Lawlor, aka Polytunnel, rocks up on Seventh Sign Recordings and turns in a masterly release. More

Legwork is back with a new single from our favourite cosmic crusader, Brother Nebula.

The A-side consists of a tape-crushed lysergic stormer, on which the Brother helps us to be mindful, and a couple of useful DJ tools from the same session. The B-side starts with a broken affair with pensive chords floating around bleeps and sounds of the universe, and finishes with a dubbed-out version of the previously-released and extremely well-received S.I.S. featuring San Francisco stalwart Solar. More

Vinyl only w/ Mike Huckaby remix. Jorge Caiado’s new “Cycles” EP, offers 3 strong versions of title theme plus a remix by Detroit legend Mike Huckaby. A house/techno manifesto that takes his artistic vision one step further, placing him as a cutting edge producer internationally supported by the likes of Move D and others.
From Lisbon via Detroit, “Cycles” will make any worldwide dancefloor take a peak. So grab it, play it and check the results. More