Junktion is one half of celebrated duo Fouk
Long awaited full Junktion EP on Outplay after the very successful "Wide Awake EP" in 2016

GENRE/S:
Deep House / Disco House

TRACKLISTS:
A1. Junktion - Just A Disco Thing
A2. Junktion - Real To Me
B1. Junktion - I Got Somebody (Yeah Man)
B2 Junktion - Tribute

After a long hiatus there finally is a new Junktion EP release on Outplay. As "Wide Awake EP" was released way back 2016 it was a long time coming!
The A-side consists of two amped up disco house treatments with "Just A Disco Thing" and "Real To Me": stomping kicks and heavy basses together with disco goodness. While on the other side a more introspective aspect of Junktion comes to light in the form of the understated funkiness of "I Got Somebody" and dreamy melodies in "Tribute".
As Junktion himself says: "We've been playing most of these tracks while touring as Fouk to great effect and it feels so good to get these out there on this release! They're a tribute to the scene and everybody who has supported my music."

Enjoy!

More

Our lucky 13th release is here!

We have a powerful serving by Russian team Scruscru meets Meowsn.
Both have really cool releases under their belt on Sloth Boogie, NOmada, Nurvous & Star Creature Universal Vibrations.
So, here at Outplay we're very excited to bring you 'Surr Rendez-Vous EP'

A patchwork of creative sampling, wonky jazz chords and powerful synth melodies with a small sprinkling of tongue-in-cheek makes for a super cool four tracker.
The story of the tracks made us reminisce of the rise of the loose beat, broken house of a few years back, while this one still feels very contemporary.
Being a firm believer of letting the music speak for itself: enjoy! More

Did you get the memo?
Still waters run deep.
We're pleased to introduce you to mysterious Clive From Accounts; number cruncher extraordinaire by day, totally f'ing awesome music producer by night.
No seriously, we're amped that we are able to release this EP by the self proclaimed "regional tiddlywinks champion" and "all-round beige sky thinker" Clive.
Who says office workers are drones? Loitering around the coffee machine surely has had no bad effect on his creative juices!
When we got an email from Clive with a demo called 'Bisou' we were blown away. Production quality was top notch and it really stood out from what came in our inbox.
So over the course of a year we asked him to fill out an EP next to his busy work schedule. The end result is a record with three very strong tracks, each with its own character.
'Keep Movin' is perfect for big dance floors and filthy sweaty clubs and 'The Trouble With Clive' has that beefy garage thing going on.
With a name like 'Bisou' you'd expect something kissy kissy, but it's a floaty warm, stabby breaks affair with nods to the classic deep sound.

Ahhh, we need you to go ahead and buy this stunner on limited edition wax. So um, yeah if you could do that, that'd be great. Oh, and next Friday is Hawaiian shirt day. More

The new Outplay release is by young and upcoming dj/producer Cleanfield, or 'Jelle' as his mom calls him.
Hailing from Arnhem, the Netherlands, it's always great to see another talent pop up in the Dutch scene!
He has made three super catchy tracks for us, perfect for the summer season!
First up is the title track 'Haute Cuisine', warm bouncy bass topped with a super infectious lead melody and percussion. If there is a track more suited for the festival season it's this one for sure!
'Hot Wheels' races on with a deep rolling groove, fuelled by wah wah rhythm guitars, warm synth chords and arpeggios.
'Conflict With Clayton' brings another solid groove to the table with scattered vocal samples and multiple synth layers. Scorcher!
So imagine dancing your ass off to this EP in the sun and feeling fantastic, we sure are! More

As Hans Peeman's side project next to his Junktion moniker, New Franklin Theory returns to Outplay with a very personal project. Five carefully produced songs in the form of a mini-album of sorts, which showcases his journey into more melodic synth heavy work. Starting off, 'Andromeda Beach' eases you into the spacey atmosphere of the record with dreamy rhodes supported by his distinctive percussion and bass work.
Following, 'Homeward' introduces melancholic synth lines grounded by an infectious bass line for a Balearic inspired feel. 'Afterburner' ups the tempo with warm arpeggiated Juno sounds and saxy disco samples, which will remind you of his previous work.
Space-funk-synth-boogie, that's what comes to mind when listening to 'In Orbit'. Instant groove with a solid beat interspersed with brief vocal samples and dreamy rhodes chords. As the closer, 'The Holtzman Effect' (award for 2018's most nerdy song title, look it up) sets you off floating away on warm chords and bass together with characteristic space bleeps. More

After their Butterfunk EP from last year, Fouk are back again with their new offering 'Mating Call EP'.
As the name suggests, this three track EP is made for the hot & heavy moments while dancing away, during those infinite summer days.
The title track 'Mating Call' is a funky beast, driven by a very infectious bassline and live instrumentation, edging the line between disco and house, as has we have come to expect from the duo.
The next track on the flip furthers the fact that this release is all about the groove. Housey vibes with a classic hint, Rhodes floating on a solid rolling funk bass. 'Just Feel Good'? Yup!
Finally we come to 'Down Below'.
You might wonder "what's down below?". Well, there you can find a dreamy thumper, driven by the compact kick, repeating drone and deep bassline, while the synth pads in the middle tie it all together. More

For the first release of 2018 we welcome Harry Wolfman to the Outplay family! Having followed his work for the last couple of years we're very happy to have him deliver this varied 4-tracker, which very well might be some of his best work to date. The A side starts off with 'Hitch'. A warm and dusty groover driven by rhodes, a rubbery bassline and a thudding kick. A lovely string piece in the middle of the track slowly builds up to the break for it to return to the head nodding groove soon after. The added percussion gives it a nice lively feel as well. 'Pigs in Blankets' sets the pace a little slower, but the funk goes on. The track incorporates 80's style samples with some excellent synth and chord work. Perfect for a warm up session. Starting on the B side Harry takes it up a notch with 'Nemoto', which will be a definite stomper for the dance floor. It takes you on a 9 minute journey of rolling bumpy basslines, screaming distortion leads and hypnotising synth work.
Finally, to ease things off, STS-136 (Final Call) comes in at a slow 88 bpm pace as a perfect closure to the EP. Dreamy pads, piano licks and a calming marimba melody combined with a beat which feels like a warm blanket will make you wander off for a moment... More

The return of master Loz to Outplay! After releasing strong stuff on labels like Razor-n-Tape, Quintessentials and Quartet Series plus some recent remix action on Melbourne's Kyoku, monsieur Goddard has made a new EP for us as a perfect follow up to his 2015 Loose Jams! He presents a wonderful EP of three varied tracks, showcasing his prowess in combining synths and sampled bits. First up is uptempo discofied 'Hazy', which builds well on the sound he's become known for. On the flip there's deep dusty chugger 'Peaches' and the sweet, sweet melodies of synthy groover 'Murmur' to provide a proper close to the EP!

More

Genre: Electronica Romantica / Nu Disco

System Olympia drops her album debut and, in turn, initiates her Okay Nature label. 'Delta Of Venus' takes elements of minimal synth/wave, pop, contemporary R&B, and fashions them into this steely, icy cool and highly original new form whilst keeping loyal to the DIY tradition. Stunning release that you really don't want to miss.

A Side:
The Only Way To Do It
Sirius Desire
So True
Look With Your Eyes
Possible Worlds


B Side:
Erotic Line
Tommib
You’re Not Talking
6AM Romance
Not Us (U)

Vital Sales Point:

First album from System Olympia
Sold out on presale twice when previously released
Currently selling for £ 100 average on Discogs.


More

GENRE/S: indie-disco, disco-house, house, nu-disco

TRACKLIST:
A1 1999 - david bay & gome
A2 strangers - david bay
A3 <3 beat - david bay
A4 dancing on the edge - david bay

B1 1999 (Lauer Remix)
B2 strangers (Marie Lung Dub)
B3 <3 beat (Digitalism Remix)
B4 dancing on the edge (Dylan C. Greene Remix)

SHORT INFO:
Comic relief serves as a refreshing element that lightens up a tense or tragic situation. It creates a moment of contrast and distraction from the seriousness of the scene. This pattern can also be found in literature and film, in humorous characters like Chandler from the sitcom Friends. Especially in difficult times like these, we all occasionally long for comic relief. With his new EP, David Bay tries to create exactly such a moment of escape.
The songs on the EP unite an organic yet modern approach to indie, disco, and house music. David combines the two worlds he is rooted in: growing up in an indie band and, at the same time, running a disco-house label. After two edit EPs and a collection of singles with classic instrumentation and songwriting, this release brings everything together – music that sounds distinctly indie, but with a pulsating house beat.
Next to the four originals on the A-side, each track was remixed and is to be heard on the B-side of this vinyl: 80ies-influenced and well-known producer Lauer contributed his version of disco-gem „1999“, up and coming Dj- and producer Marie Lung flipped the indie-disco track „strangers“ into a deep and housy groover - Electro-legends Digitalism turned the dance-floor-ballad „<3 beat“ into a French-House belter and Dylan C. Greene hailing all the way from San Francisco remixed „dancing on the edge“. Out now on vinyl, only on Zissou Records.

More

Artwork and Typography by Stefan Marx

Smallville Records welcomes Barcelona’s Lis Sarroca onto the imprint this November with her four-track ‘Untitled Thoughts’ EP.
Since 2018, Barcelona, Spain’s Lis Sarroca has been steadily unveiling her take on House, Techno, Disco and Electro via the likes of Shall Not Fade, Hot Haus and Chiwax among others as well maintain a steady presence across the globe as a heavily in demand DJ. Here, we see Sarocca making her debut on Smallville with her latest collection of works, again showcasing her widespread influences and mesmerising sonic aesthetic across four cuts.
Up first is ‘Atacote’, a hypnotic house cut with a Balearic feel courtesy of breathy vocals, cinematic strings, piano lines and hazy atmospherics, intertwined with organic percussion and bouncy sub bass tones. ‘Breaks Reminder’ follows and shifts gear into a broken rhythm section, squelchy acid lines and textural synths throughout.
Opening the flip-side is ‘Early Years’, diving back into deeper realms with a multitude of ethereal pads, dubby synth flutters, plucked bass hits and crisp drums. ‘Might Be’ then concludes the EP on a more chuggy Nu-Disco tip, employing gritty bass stabs, bubbling arpeggios, airy flute melodies and a saturated off-kilter drum groove.
Comes with a Full Cover Artwork by Stefan Marx

Tracklist:
A1 Atacote
A2 Breaks Reminder
B1 Early Years
B2 Might Be

All tracks written & produced by Lis Sarroca
Mastering and Vinyl cut by Helmut Erler at Lathesville More

12"

GENRE:
Deep House


TRACKLISTS:
1. Choreosexual
2. No Respite

SHORT INFO:
The seventh excursion on our beloved Vessel and the joyful return of Jacob Ohrberg. Two lengthy deep tracks.


More

Limited Edition, includes
- 4 x 12” with full cover artwork
- exclusive Bonus-10” with new remixes from Amirali and REZarin
- printed Energy 52 biography leaflet
- handnumbered

GENRE/S:
Progressive House, Techno, Trance, Breaks

TRACKLISTS:
A. Café Del Mar (DJ Kid Paul Mix 30 years anniversary Vinyl Remaster)
B. Café Del Mar (Three ’N One Remix 30 years anniversary Vinyl Remaster)
C. Café Del Mar (Nalin & Kane Remix)
D. Café Del Mar (Deadmau5 Remix)
E. Café Del Mar (Tale Of Us Renaissance Remix)
F. Café Del Mar (Paul van Dyk’s XOXO Remix)
G. Café Del Mar (Orbital Remix)
H. Café Del Mar (Michael Mayer Remix)
I. Cafe Del Mar (Amirali Extended Remix)
J. Cafe Del Mar (REZarin Extended Remix)

SHORT INFO:
Energy 52's Café Del Mar is one of the most iconic tracks in dance music. Over the years, Café Del Mar has achieved legendary status, regularly featuring in lists of the greatest dance tracks of all time. To put it simply, Café Del Mar is a cultural phenomenon, encapsulating the spirit of an era and influencing generations of artists and fans alike.
Superstition Records appreciates the 30th anniversary of the legendary track with a limited box set release consisting of four 12”es and an exclusive Bonus-10”.
The original version (DJ Kid Paul Mix) and the Three ‘N One remix appear in remastered, vinyl only versions alongside new classic remixes from Nalin & Kane, deadmau5 and Tale Of Us. The newer remixes include Paul Van Dyk’s XOXO remix as well as reworks from Orbital and Michael Mayer. The package also includes a Bonus-10” featuring new, exclusive remixes from UK producer Amirali and Latvian DJ REZarin.






More

- Limited Edition of 350 copies
- Thick high quality picture sleeve with hype sticker
- Previously unissued on vinyl, recorded in 1986

The Outer Edge is excited to announce the release of an intense and previously undiscovered funk rap / boogie single, featuring two tracks recorded in 1986.

While researching for his book on 80s funk music in Germany, DJ Scientist explored bands from Bavaria that collaborated with GIs. One of these bands is Grand Slam, a group that remains active to this day. The band’s leader, Toby Mayerl, lived near a US Army base in Amberg, where he fell in love with funk after hearing Roger Troutman and Zapp. He soon became part of two groups: Total Control and Grand Slam.

Originally led by guitarist Harry Zawrel, Grand Slam had a “European” funk sound similar to Talking Heads or Level 42. However, in 1985, Mayerl took over the band and merged it with Total Control, a mixed group that included African-American soldiers. From that point on, they shifted towards a heavier funk and soul sound, continuing to work with musicians from the GI community. By late 1986, they had enough material to record their debut album, Make My Day. Although published by the independent label Kerston, the album was only available on cassette, primarily sold at their concerts in early 1987.

DJ Scientist managed to track down an original copy of this ultra-rare tape in the MUZ archive in Nuremberg. "What I heard blew my mind," he said. "The cassette featured seven raw, well-produced funk and soul jams with fantastic arrangements and vocals." As an old-school funk and disco rap collector, he was immediately captivated by the track "Goin' Out," which features GI rapper Calvin E. Flagg. This song evokes the energy of early recorded rap singles from labels like Enjoy or Sugar Hill Records.

On Side B, the second track from the unheard debut album, ‘Don’t Let You Down,’ offers another glimpse of what we've been missing. This uptempo boogie-funk track features lead vocals by Aletha Mcbryde, Calvin E. Flagg, and Oliver Allwardt, along with thrilling synths and a lively brass section - perfect for turning up the volume.
Both tracks have been remastered from the original master tapes, which Toby Mayerl fortunately still had in his archive. The artwork for the release is inspired by original band posters, with the Grand Slam logo taking cues from Bootsy's Rubber Band’s Body Slam! cover from 1982. This limited vinyl pressing is capped at just 350 copies.

- Intense Funk Rap / Boogie single
- Fully Licenced, recorded in 1986
- Transferred from original master tape
- Mastered by Frederic Stader



TRACKLISTS:

A
Goin’ Out

B
Don't Let You Down (Single Edit) More

Genre: Electronic, Oriental Jazz, Ambient, Breakbeat
lim. to 200 180Gr Vinyl!

Schnieke is rich and fruitful, yet carries a sadness within. A 5-string violin charts its melodious journey from Istanbul to Belin, accompanied by electronics, breakbeats, live drums and percussions. An authentic oriental funky mood keeps you in a trance or gets your body moving tribally…

This is Schnieke, a.k.a. Özgür Akgül, with his first studio album Hediye, or Gift. The album is intended as a gift to Özgür's grandmother, Hadiye, who was very important to him and to whom he dedicates a song. But his debut album will also come as a gift to anyone interested in how a sophisticated musical sensibility brings together electronic elements with stringed instruments of all kinds. Özgür plays the violins himself, as well as the analogue synths and drum machines. Guest musicians include Hasan Gözetlik (trumpet and trombone), Göksun Çavdar (saxophone), Korhan Erol (electric guitar and bass), Burhan Hasdemir and Baris Güney (live percussion), Zafer Tunç Resuloglu (live drums), John Gürtler (church organ) and the Istanbul Strings, Turkey’s most vibrant string ensemble.

Their diverse influences create a wide emotional range on Hediye - sometimes dark and melancholic, sometimes wild, groovy and danceable, somewhere between jazz, dub and electro, each song surprising in its own way. Despite the variety of the individual songs, a captivating pulse runs like a thread through Schnieke's first album. Incidentally, Özgür came up with the band name during a night out in a bar, when a friend explained to him what Berlin slang he absolutely had to know. He liked the sound of the word ‘schnieke’ – it means something approximating ‘snazzy’ - and perhaps he secretly also wanted to flatter himself a little! Well, shouldn't we all do that much more often?

Hediye consists of eight tracks, three of which are traditional: Aman Doktor comes from Istanbul, Özgür's birthplace, and is a homage to his own origins. Kadioglu comes from the Aegean region and features the zeybek dance form which, despite its ‘standardisation’ in recent times, still summons up the ecstasy, inspired improvisation and musical finesse of its historical roots. The other five tracks are Özgür's own compositions, with Pasali providing the soundtrack for the 2010 Turkish feature film Memleket Meselesi. Creating compositions for film has been Özgür’s primary passion since his time as a student at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. You can hear that in his music, because on his debut album Özgür does completely without vocal support, the instrumental depth stands for itself, and, in the style of The Cinematic Orchestra, space is created for us to develop our own images while listening – it is a soundtrack for the film we want to make of it.

A1: Tanz Mir Den Untergang
A2: Schnieke Oro
A3: Aman Doktor!
A4: Pasali
B1: Kadioglu
B2: Hediye
B3: Stampol
B4: Bur
More

GENRE/S: House, Deep House

TRACKLIST:

[12” vinyl]
A: Stay Here
B: Writer

Two of the most sensitive and sweet big room bangers to ever fill a floor, here’s Stay Here and Writer, the results of a recent machine jam between heavyweights of emotional dance music, Fort Romeau and Gold Panda.

Stay Here strikes first with slowly simmering synthesizers intertwining with slinky guitars and delicate vocal samples, while b-side Writer shows up to the party loaded with restrained euphoria, steady beats paving the path for the fragile acoustic elements of its glorious, beatless ending.

All of this spiked with just the right amount of acid to keep things constantly entrancing!

The record comes wrapped up in designer Eliot Axelsson's blurry shapes and vivid colours, arriving on vinyl and in digital form through Studio Barnhus on November 8.
More

Genre: Balearic, Boogie, Vintage

After a string of ambient and experimental releases across labels such as Bedroom Suck, Best Effort, Ken Oath and Analogue Attic, Matthew Hayes - veteran bassist of Z*F*E*X, welcomes his latest project Xpress Point, designed to keep your hips moving rather than kicked back on your couch. Born out of jam sessions and collaborations with artists such as Dreamcastmoe, Jitwam, Ziggy Zeitgeist, Finn Rees and Allysha Joy and an obsession with reclaiming the nostalgic sound sounds of the Korg M1 and Yamaha DX7, Xpress Point, which takes Its name from a local surf break off the coast of Phillip Island, draws heavily from the boogie tradition with a nod to vapourware, downtempo, balearic and funk breaks.
Assembled in 2023 across Melbourne/Naarm, London and Berlin, from surf breaks to crusty drum breaks, Xpress Point is a vehicle for Hayes to search for the perfect bass line, explore funk minimalism, continue nurturing longtime musical relationships with close friends and offer his own take on music to make you move.


A1. Been Remindin’ Me
A2. Newbutt Lane
A3. Wine w/Me
A4. Gregory
A5. Ohh take!
B1. Feel Free
B2. Boi plz don’t go
B3. Go For It
B4. Follow Me More

Tracklist:
A1 / 1 Life
A2 / 1 Life (Instrumental Mix)
B1 / 1 Life (Jex Opolis Remix)
B2 / 1 Life (Acapella Mix)


Key Selling Points
A record label is arguably the fullest possible expression of an email account; fecund with attachments, download links, and unhealthy power dynamics primed to bloom into lifelong parasitic relationships. And even a cursory glance at the roster of label founders reveals the full spectrum of our potential as a species, from the absolute dregs of humanity to successful touring DJs.
Backed by a used CD billionaire and an angel investment from Major League Baseball's "New Voices in Techno" initiative, Perel's new label Hits Hits Hits! is poised to thrive amid a landscape littered with rivals with names like Sidechain Addict and Heuristics Audio.
And Perel is ready to put her music where her mouth is with "1 Life" the inaugural single in the imprint's catalog. We're well beyond chuffed to say that it's gained early support from promo list veteran Liquid Cory:
"Will the title track make any self-respecting 10-year-old 'Do the Detention Dance'? I've been told my opinions are culturally worthless, that I am the fit arbiter of nothing at all. So I feel grateful that there's also an extended version so I have more time to decide. And the remix by Canadian taste-haver Jex Opolis made me forget that my ex believed a rumour that I had choked to death bobbing for apples. Respect."
More

Format: LP + Book

Format Notes:

Housed together in a stunning 380gsm board slipcase with a matt laminate soft touch finish and a UV spot varnish on the beloved Be With logo, we proudly present the Be With 10 Years record and book package.

Record contains 10 exclusive never-before-on-vinyl tracks from 10 Be With family members. 310mm square softcover book printed on a 350gsm woodfree uncoated board. Book block printed on 120gsm Dadong Lucky Bird woodfree uncoated paper. 140gram vinyl with a 380gsm jacket. 1000 copies only for the world, no repress!

Track List:

A1 Thomas Almqvist - Lullaby For Zak
A2 Lewis Taylor - Cherry Blossom
A3 Mic Murphy - Salon du Chocolat
A4 52nd Street - I'd Fallen In Love (With The Wrong Kind)
A5 Coastlines - Hot Wind

B1 Maston - Joyride
B2 Kenny Dickenson - Stupid Rain
B3 The Autumn Defense - Bluebirds Fall
B4 Stimulator Jones - Aquarius-Pisces Cusp
B5 Andre Cymone - Sex Love Experience

THE RECORD: JOYRIDE

10 tracks for 10 Years of Be With from 10 of our favourite artists we've ever worked with over the past decade. As a happily "all over the place" label, the music, accordingly, had to be varied in vibe and style.

We start with a gorgeous acoustic folk track from Thomas Almqvist. I first heard this when our dear friend Andre Allday - who first suggested and then facilitated the Nyanser reissue - played it during our release party for the record at the amazing Hosoi in Stockholm. As something to grab your attention from the off, it's a pretty good opener, I reckon - it'll stop you in your tracks.

We move into an almost totally "lost" Lewis Taylor track, known to and beloved by only his hardest of hardcore fans. Before now, it has only ever seen the light of day on some obscure late 90s CD of "lullabies" compiled by Joan Armatrading. Us neither!

Mic Murphy from Sass/The Mighty Soulmates/The System (!!!) allowed us to use an unreleased track from his mysterious late 90s period. He sent over 7 stunning tracks and, over breakfast one winter morning with my two sons, Rocco and Bruno, the 3 of us selected the track that made us bounce the most while chomping on our cereal.

In deep fall of 2023, myself and Steven (The Funky Paramedic™) had the great pleasure of visiting Tony Henry, leader of the legendary Manchester 80s soul-funk act 52nd Street (those who "put the dance into Factory") to speak some more about a forthcoming retrospective that's been in the works for 5 years now. Fear not - it's coming! Anyway, we went into Tony's amazing studio and he played us the track you hear, here. A demo originally meant for Phyllis Hyman (I mean, come on!), he's very kindly let us use it for this record. A thousand thank yous. It's sensational.

Side A closes out with an elegant exclusive from our favourite Japanese duo, Coastlines, a tropical jazz-funk-fusion track that only they can so effortlessly craft. Sublime.

Side B opens with another total exclusive, and the title track of this compilation. "Joyride" is like some kind of swinging, G-Funk library from the Californian master of modern cinematic soul - Maston. We love everything about this dude. Speaking of California, next up is possibly the coolest ex-pat Manc in all of the Golden State.

Kenny Dickenson's instant classic "Stupid Rain" knocked me out the first time I heard it. The way it starts as a beautifully ornate ambient piece before introducing the barest of pulses to then segue into a full slo-mo cosmic chugger just gets me every time. Man's a genius.

Our great friends from Wilco, Pat and John, comprise The Autumn Defense. Two of the nicest humans in the game and "Bluebirds Fall" is chiming folk-rock at its finest. What they do best and, beyond a tiny-run CD EP decades ago, this is the only way to own this majestic stunner.

Stimulator Jones is a Stones Throw artist who we've loved ever since the epochal "Soon Never Comes" graced our ears. We're putting out his archive beats and when I asked if he had anything fresh that hadn't yet found a home, he sent over a modern / spiritual jazz movement that just blew me away. It's here.

We round out the compilation with a staccato funk-rock track from a Prince alumnus, the one and only Andre Cymone. If this track isn't blasting from radio stations from Dublab to Gilles to NTS then there's no justice in the world.

Of course, as is our way, none of these tracks have ever appeared on vinyl before. This is the only way to own them on wax. Pretty cool. As ever, all we ever want to hear is music with soul and personality. And that's what's contained here. We think we've nailed it. We think you'll like it too.


THE BOOK: LABOUR OF LOVE

Created in conjunction with the editor and design team behind Disco Pogo, Labour Of Love is our first ever book and serves as a brilliantly rich and varied document of Be With's first 10 years. It surveys our entire catalogue with the artwork for every single release faithfully reproduced in full colour accompanied by Rob's inimitable reviews.

The book contains fresh, exclusive interviews with Ned Doheny, Leon Ware, Lewis Taylor, Tommy Guerrero, Wally Badarou, Steve Moore, Pete Fowler, Kimiko Kasai, Tony Henry (52nd Street), The Autumn Defense, Coastlines and The Mighty Soulmates.

There's also fantastic contributions from a whole host of well regarded fans of the label. We have Gilles Peterson on Ned, Trevor Jackson on Nucleus, Efficient Space on Steve Hiett and the joy of collaboration in a competitive industry, Bill Brewster on Marti Caine, Balearic Mike on Kylie and Lou Hayter on her beloved Air.

We explore the development of the Be With logo and also take an insider's look at the journey of a typical Be With record; from the mastering stage with Simon Francis, cutting it up with Cicely Balston, the artwork ordeals with Chris Stevenson, pressing matters with Record Industry, slinging product with ace distributors Word And Sound, stocking product with our favourite London record shop When Spaceships Appear and even packing records for direct orders with our very own Funky Paramedic.

There's also an irreverent look at the legendary Reissue Request Line over on Facebook, with many hints at things to come.

Beautifully designed and printed, the book is a large format (310mm square) softcover gem, printed on a 350gsm woodfree uncoated board. It's been block printed on 120gsm Dadong Lucky Bird woodfree uncoated paper. It's housed in a stunning 380gsm board slipcase with a matt laminate soft touch finish and a UV spot varnish on the beloved Be With full colour logo.

More

Tracklist:

A1. Phantazia
A2. 89 Swing
A3. Euphony
B1. Uplift My Spirit
B2. Elevate
B3. Love Tunnel
B4. Siren Tool

The second part in Shan’s warehouse series delivers more of the same – but that’s definitely a great thing, if the dish has a great taste. Like it’s successful predecessor, the tracks don’t re-invent the wheel, but cater to all the nameless spaces and places that made raving in defiant and derelict places fun. There is house that sounds like techno (Elevate) and vice versa. Seasoned with break beats (89 Swing or the Future Sound of London-esque Euphony) or breaks for love (Uplift My Spirit) and even dub sirens, it is almost impossible not to find something to suit the customer’s environment. The main focus of attention might be the jack of all trades called Phantazia. Wouldn’t have sounded out of place at the entertainment series of the same name, it melts proto hardcore harmonics with Soul II Soul type of strings and immediate call for „the action“. And as we all know, that always speaks louder than words.


More