1
Steve Monite - Only You
2
Steve Monite - I Had A Dream
3
Steve Monite - Things Fall Apart (Disco Jam)
4
Steve Monite - Welcome My Love
5
Steve Monite - Only You (Disco Jam)
6
Steve Monite - Things Fall Apart (Vocal)
Following on from 2016’s Doing It In Lagos: Boogie, Pop & Disco in 1980s Nigeria, Soundway Records return to that blistering set for the first and only officially licensed re-issue of the highly coveted debut album from Steve Monite, featuring the single ‘Only You’ that recently seeped its way into popular culture. Lovingly restored and remastered on 180g vinyl with liner notes.
Shooting, space-synth sounds ripple and vibrate, incessant grooves keep the tracks in motion and Nkono Teles production, a producer often overlooked for his hand in the Nigerian boogie sound, sets the LP into orbit. An album that was largely overlooked on release in 1984, the track list includes the latter day hit ‘Only You’ and ‘Things Fall Apart’, the melody of which was lifted for Young Franco’s 2020 single ‘Fallin’ Apart’.
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Shooting, space-synth sounds ripple and vibrate, incessant grooves keep the tracks in motion and Nkono Teles production, a producer often overlooked for his hand in the Nigerian boogie sound, sets the LP into orbit. An album that was largely overlooked on release in 1984, the track list includes the latter day hit ‘Only You’ and ‘Things Fall Apart’, the melody of which was lifted for Young Franco’s 2020 single ‘Fallin’ Apart’.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
More records from Soundway Records
1
Ozzobia - Ndi Oma
2
Sammy Obot - Edue Ukot Akpa Itong
3
Eppi Fanio - Farofa Dancer
4
Etiene T. Boy - Jealousy
5
Pal Sagie - Esan
6
Ayo Manuel - Do Good (Dub)
7
Chimex G. Udensity And His Afrikan Band - Okpoko Na Azo Eze
8
I.S.C.A.C. Band - Igbo Nwe Egwu
9
Jeje - Jeje
10
Dizzy K - Omoge
11
Blackman Akeeb Kareem - Oya A (Eje Kajo)
12
Mannix Okonkwo - Ka Nyi Gbaa Egwu
13
Jimi Solanke - Owo Orisa - Ancestral Respects
14
Feladey - Experience
15
Soki Ohale - Wumaya Awuma
16
Jap Band & Feladey - Japadodo
17
Sonny Okosun - Highlife (Dub)
18
B.G. and Fibre - (G#) Thanks And Praises
19
Wura Fadaka Band - Eyo
Soundway Records presents a collection of Nigerian music chronicling a time when drum machines, synthesisers, imported pop, reggae, disco and soul collided with highlife, juju and cultural music.
The late 70s saw a period of political turbulence and prompted change across the country. Following suit, musicians and producers entered a period of experimentation, adaptation, modification and innovation, using new technology to renew and refresh cultural traditions. Nigerians formed their own unique approach to the limitless creativity these new instruments offered, to reveal a distinct sound which would dominate local airwaves for the decade to come. Nigeria Special Volume 3 celebrates the rich diversity of culture and musical styles of the nation, showcasing eighteen tracks across various genres which laid foundations for the innovation of Afrobeats artists of today.
Triple Vinyl gatefold LP compiled by Miles Cleret and Jeremy Spellacey, includes a large 8 page booklet with detailed liner notes, record scans and never-seen-before photos.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
The late 70s saw a period of political turbulence and prompted change across the country. Following suit, musicians and producers entered a period of experimentation, adaptation, modification and innovation, using new technology to renew and refresh cultural traditions. Nigerians formed their own unique approach to the limitless creativity these new instruments offered, to reveal a distinct sound which would dominate local airwaves for the decade to come. Nigeria Special Volume 3 celebrates the rich diversity of culture and musical styles of the nation, showcasing eighteen tracks across various genres which laid foundations for the innovation of Afrobeats artists of today.
Triple Vinyl gatefold LP compiled by Miles Cleret and Jeremy Spellacey, includes a large 8 page booklet with detailed liner notes, record scans and never-seen-before photos.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Fatimah Razak - Dahaga
2
Black Brothers - Mangge Mangge
3
Marini & The Steps - Kuingin Dekatmu
4
Tian Niu - Deng Ni Zai Yu Zhong
5
The Rollies - Disco
6
Regalado - Pinoy Funk
7
John Philips & The Steps - Ayo Ke Disco
8
Aria Yunior - Salah Tingkah
9
Ahmadi Hassan - Habibi (Mari Bersatu)
10
Pongsri Woranuch - Aew...Phu Chai
Soundway Records delivers an exciting new compilation, diving ever deeper into South-East Asia. Ayo Ke Disco celebrates the musical identities emerging during the 1970s and 80s from the newly independent countries nestled around the South China Sea.
This time, Soundway’s long-time general manager Alice Whittington (aka DJ Norsicaa) steps into the limelight, embracing her Malaysian heritage and selecting music from her heavy collection of Asian records. Aside from steering the label, she is often found on international stages and radio stations playing an eclectic array of music.
For Ayo Ke Disco (meaning ‘Let’s go to the disco’ in Indonesian), 10 rare tracks of disco-funk, psychedelic funk, synth, city pop, and Hindustani-Arabic rhythms were painstakingly licensed from local labels – forming a snapshot of the vibrant discotheques and live scenes across Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
The vinyl release is also accompanied by the Ayo Ke Disco zine from Norsicaa, with extensive research on the history of music in South-East Asia, archival photos and exclusive interviews with some of the region’s most respected collectors.
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
This time, Soundway’s long-time general manager Alice Whittington (aka DJ Norsicaa) steps into the limelight, embracing her Malaysian heritage and selecting music from her heavy collection of Asian records. Aside from steering the label, she is often found on international stages and radio stations playing an eclectic array of music.
For Ayo Ke Disco (meaning ‘Let’s go to the disco’ in Indonesian), 10 rare tracks of disco-funk, psychedelic funk, synth, city pop, and Hindustani-Arabic rhythms were painstakingly licensed from local labels – forming a snapshot of the vibrant discotheques and live scenes across Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
The vinyl release is also accompanied by the Ayo Ke Disco zine from Norsicaa, with extensive research on the history of music in South-East Asia, archival photos and exclusive interviews with some of the region’s most respected collectors.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Dar Disku - Leil
2
Dar Disku - Alsutur Ft. FLANAH
3
Dar Disku - Sabir Ft. Billur Battal
4
Dar Disku - Ddayli Ft. Yacine El Khaldi
5
Dar Disku - Baar Baar Ft. Asha Puthli
6
Dar Disku - Ya Nas
7
Dar Disku - Galbi Ft. Aymen Attia
8
Dar Disku - Fajr
Preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH275gX4auQ
The debut album from Bahraini-born, British-based musical duo Dar Disku is a celebration of their Arabic heritage and multicultural influences that melds golden age West Asian and North African sounds with a contemporary dance floor focus. Recorded between the UK, Algeria, Turkey and Tunisia, the album seamlessly crosses from disco to Raï, piano house to Turkish psychedelia, ambient to Bollywood and features guest artists from Algeria, Turkey and Bahrain as well as legendary Indian singer Asha Puthli.
Dar Disku is the innovative duo of Mazen Almaskati and Vish M, known for their dynamic DJ sets and eclectic mixes, into which they bring a deep-rooted passion for the rich musical traditions of the SWANA region (South West Asia and North Africa).
The self-titled album is a culmination of years of learning, listening, and creating. It serves as a transportive portal into the duo's expansive world beyond the dance floor, capturing the cosmic emotions of cinema through a meticulous analog approach to live recordings. It channels a wide range of influences, including Egyptian folk, Turkish psych, Algerian rai, Sudanese funk, Ethiopian jazz, and Khaleeji disco.
“Sonically we have tried to capture what time traveling with Dar Disku through our different influences would feel like,” they say of their recording process, “and although inspired directly some of our favourite hidden gems from the past, the sound of this record remains unmistakably rooted in our present day where current influences from electronic genres, hip hop, jazz and psychedelia also shine through.”
The pair explain that they learnt much of this through their own previously released edits of middle eastern music “which inspired us to create our own brand new original songs that draw from a similar breath. We've been able to combine this with our contemporary inspirations and bring to life something that is comfortingly nostalgic and yet refreshingly new.”
Vish and Maz have put immense effort into researching the songwriting and recording methods of the decades they draw inspiration from - utilising vintage consoles, analog synthesisers, and carefully crafted sonic spaces. This dedication is evident in every track, which combines their contemporary influences with the rich musical traditions of the region to create something that feels both timeless and innovative.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
The debut album from Bahraini-born, British-based musical duo Dar Disku is a celebration of their Arabic heritage and multicultural influences that melds golden age West Asian and North African sounds with a contemporary dance floor focus. Recorded between the UK, Algeria, Turkey and Tunisia, the album seamlessly crosses from disco to Raï, piano house to Turkish psychedelia, ambient to Bollywood and features guest artists from Algeria, Turkey and Bahrain as well as legendary Indian singer Asha Puthli.
Dar Disku is the innovative duo of Mazen Almaskati and Vish M, known for their dynamic DJ sets and eclectic mixes, into which they bring a deep-rooted passion for the rich musical traditions of the SWANA region (South West Asia and North Africa).
The self-titled album is a culmination of years of learning, listening, and creating. It serves as a transportive portal into the duo's expansive world beyond the dance floor, capturing the cosmic emotions of cinema through a meticulous analog approach to live recordings. It channels a wide range of influences, including Egyptian folk, Turkish psych, Algerian rai, Sudanese funk, Ethiopian jazz, and Khaleeji disco.
“Sonically we have tried to capture what time traveling with Dar Disku through our different influences would feel like,” they say of their recording process, “and although inspired directly some of our favourite hidden gems from the past, the sound of this record remains unmistakably rooted in our present day where current influences from electronic genres, hip hop, jazz and psychedelia also shine through.”
The pair explain that they learnt much of this through their own previously released edits of middle eastern music “which inspired us to create our own brand new original songs that draw from a similar breath. We've been able to combine this with our contemporary inspirations and bring to life something that is comfortingly nostalgic and yet refreshingly new.”
Vish and Maz have put immense effort into researching the songwriting and recording methods of the decades they draw inspiration from - utilising vintage consoles, analog synthesisers, and carefully crafted sonic spaces. This dedication is evident in every track, which combines their contemporary influences with the rich musical traditions of the region to create something that feels both timeless and innovative.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Following on from his previous debut album Tape 1/Tape 2 on Soundway, Felbm delivers Tape 3/Tape 4: an intimate, emotional, lilting and melodic solo project. These 14 lo-fi, instrumental, jazz-infused sketches were written on guitar, with cascading keyboards, vibraphone and drum machine. Possessing a restorative and soothing quality, it goes some way to balancing out a chaotic year for the world at large. With echoes of the dreamier end of 1980s English indie-pop, minimal ambient music and Brazilian bossa-nova, Topper"s musical storybook includes touches of The Durutti Column, hints of Antônio Carlos Jobim and Baden Powell, whilst all set firmly in the summer fields of Germany and the Netherlands. The recording method used for the creation and recording of Tape 3 and Tape 4 follows the same as his previous release: all sketches were initially recorded onto cassette on a 4-track tape machine. Most notably a vibraphone finds its way onto almost every track fitting Topper"s sound-palette perfectly: warm yet distinctive, a percussive as well as sustaining sound that evokes some melancholy and a certain timeless nostalgia. Features that most certainly also apply to the other "new" instrument on the tapes: mellotron flutes. Tape 3/Tape 4 navigates the space between quiet, open, meditative tunes and more solid instrumental works, reflecting his constant search for an optimal balance between stillness and movement.
Tracklist
1.1Filatelie
1.2Tartufai
1.3Tiquetonne
1.4Veluwe
1.5Herausweh
1.6Talmen
1.7Heisei
1.8Brunnengasse
1.9Colorists
1.10Langeweile
1.11Beaufort
1.12Somnambulant
1.13Regtur
1.14Midori
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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Tracklist
1.1Filatelie
1.2Tartufai
1.3Tiquetonne
1.4Veluwe
1.5Herausweh
1.6Talmen
1.7Heisei
1.8Brunnengasse
1.9Colorists
1.10Langeweile
1.11Beaufort
1.12Somnambulant
1.13Regtur
1.14Midori
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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1
Papillon - Moulongo (Vocal)
2
Papillon - Moulongo (Dub)
3
Papillon - Moulongo (Poirier Dub)
Soundway presents Ferdinand ‘Maréchal’ Papillon’s underground club classic Moulongo - recorded in Paris in 1995 and highlighting the Zouk/dancehall/Makossa crossover sound that was then coming out of the city’s studios. Features a new remix from Canadian producer Poirier for a 2024 bassline zouk mover, cut loud and proud on 12” vinyl.
Ferdinand ‘Maréchal’ Papillon was part of the makossa wave that moved from Cameroon to France and across the African diaspora in the 80s and 90s, bringing the sounds of rhythms of Douala and Yaoundé to the clubs and dancefloors of Paris. Although best known for his Sakissa style - his own uptempo take on the makossa of Cameroon - Papillon also regularly featured zouk and reggae influenced tracks on his albums, combining Caribbean and African influences into a unique sound that has stood the test of time.
‘Moulongo’ originally appeared on Papillon’s highly sought after 1995 album “Homme fort….je suis sérieux” and was recorded at Studio de la Madeleine in Paris. The Moulongo session features a who’s who of the Paris scene of the time - Aladji Touré and Toto Guillaume from Cameroon as well as Congolese guitar greats Ngoma Lokito and Nene Tchacou - and combines dancehall, zouk and makossa elements for a pan-African dancefloor sureshot.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Ferdinand ‘Maréchal’ Papillon was part of the makossa wave that moved from Cameroon to France and across the African diaspora in the 80s and 90s, bringing the sounds of rhythms of Douala and Yaoundé to the clubs and dancefloors of Paris. Although best known for his Sakissa style - his own uptempo take on the makossa of Cameroon - Papillon also regularly featured zouk and reggae influenced tracks on his albums, combining Caribbean and African influences into a unique sound that has stood the test of time.
‘Moulongo’ originally appeared on Papillon’s highly sought after 1995 album “Homme fort….je suis sérieux” and was recorded at Studio de la Madeleine in Paris. The Moulongo session features a who’s who of the Paris scene of the time - Aladji Touré and Toto Guillaume from Cameroon as well as Congolese guitar greats Ngoma Lokito and Nene Tchacou - and combines dancehall, zouk and makossa elements for a pan-African dancefloor sureshot.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Barbara Hernandez - All Nite Tonight (Vocal)
2
Barbara Hernandez - All Nite Tonight (Version)
Cult soca disco 12”, produced by Leston Paul and originally released in 1984 - now available for the first time in 40 years.
Barbara Hernandez was working as a backing singer for Kool and the Gang in New York at the time the track was recorded, and the session featured their horn section as well as a who’s who of the Trinidad music scene for what would be Barbara’s only solo release. Suffering from poor distribution at the time of release, the 12” failed to make waves at the time but is now lovingly remastered and cut loud, a sure fire dancefloor sure shot.
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Barbara Hernandez was working as a backing singer for Kool and the Gang in New York at the time the track was recorded, and the session featured their horn section as well as a who’s who of the Trinidad music scene for what would be Barbara’s only solo release. Suffering from poor distribution at the time of release, the 12” failed to make waves at the time but is now lovingly remastered and cut loud, a sure fire dancefloor sure shot.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
The Godfathers - Ebe Ye Yie Ni
2
Pat Thomas - Gye Wani
3
Pepper, Onion, Ginger & Salt - M.C. Mambo
4
Andy Vans - Adjoa Amisa
5
George Darko - Kaakyire Nua
6
Rex Gyamfi - Obiara Bewu
7
Starlite - Anoma Koro
8
Abdul Raheem - Alaiye
9
Jon K - Asafo
10
Kwasi Afari Minta - Barima Nsu
11
Marijata (feat. Ata Kak) - Otanhunu
12
Gyedu Blay Ambolley - Apple
13
Dadadi - Jigi Jigi
14
Charles Amoah - Fre Me (Call Me)
15
Ernest Honny - New Dance
16
Bessa Simons - Sii Nana
17
Nan Mayen - Mumude
18
Nana Budjei - Asobrachie
In the early 1980s, a particular alchemy between new musical technologies and significant social, cultural, and political transformations in Ghana gave rise to a new style of highlife. Drum machines and synthesisers appeared alongside lilting guitar lines and punchy horns, and the emerging Ghanaian diaspora began incorporating US disco and boogie, R&B, European new wave, and Caribbean zouk and soca into their music.
This style soundtracked the birth of a new, proud Ghanaian identity and captured the idiosyncrasies of a rapidly changing postcolonial society, marked by increased migration and wider access to global sounds and modern technology.
More than 20 years after the release of the heavy funk and Afrobeat-focused Ghana Soundz compilations, and following the success of 2009’s Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro Sounds & Ghanaian Blues 1968-1981, Soundway is now shining the spotlight on the multifaceted, diasporic sounds of the ‘80s on new compilation Ghana Special - Volume 2, a collection of 18 burger highlife, electronic afrobeat, and reggae tracks.
Though Ghanaian to its very core, burger highlife emerged mostly outside of Ghana and just as the sun was setting on the country’s musical golden age. In the 1960s and 1970s cities such as Accra, Tema, Takoradi, and Cape Coast were home to thriving music scenes, and the loud horn sections of the big highlife bands, or the simpler, socially conscious palm wine music ruled the dance halls, locals drinkeries, and airwaves.
Back then music represented a powerful force, and an artist’s endorsement or dissent could make or break a politician. Perhaps to curb this power, the incoming military regime-imposed curfews and substantial import taxes on musical instruments in the early 1980s. These measures, coupled with a profound economic downturn and shifting musical preferences that saw DJs replacing large live bands, served as the final blow to Ghana's once-thriving music scene.
Musicians left Ghana in droves, scattering across West Africa, Europe, and North America. Thanks in part to its more permissive migration policies Germany became the heart of this scene, and the movement in fact takes its name from “Bürger”, the German for “citizen”. Less confined by genres than back in Ghana, artists in the diaspora were quick to engage with the different styles, working disco, boogie, and funk into their highlife melodies. Access to state-of-the-art studios and modern musical technologies also gave birth to all sorts of mutations: burger highlife in fact is less defined by one particular sound, than by the experimental approach and global outlook of its artists.
Tracks such as Ernest Honny’s experimental cut “New Dance” are an example of just how far artists strayed from original highlife arrangements. Honny, who started his career as a keyboard player with Dr K Gyasi’s band The Noble Kings, had moved to Benin in the 1980s, where he experimented with synthesisers and drum machines at one of Cotonou’s top studios. Similarly, Nan Mayen’s “Mumude” is a slick, 80’s pop track which was recorded in Germany, with only a slight echo of highlife in its opening Fanti lyrics.
This generation of artists found inspiration in sounds that transcended geographical boundaries: singer and guitarist Nana Budjei, who was originally from central Ghana but had moved to the UK in the 1980s, says that his radiant, sun-drenched 1988 track “Asobrachie” is “influenced by reggae maestros Bob Marley and Alpha Blondy, and traditional Akan folklore music”; on “Jigi Jigi”, the Kumasi-born, Sweden transplant Delips Apo draws on soca, latin, and zouk influences.
Throughout the 1980s Ghanaian artists kept producing increasingly innovative and experimental hybrids, winning over new audiences abroad. Though back in Ghana the new sound was initially met with disapproval by purists, it slowly became a symbol of a new, worldly and modern Ghanaian identity. The creativity and open mindedness that characterised burger highlife have gone on to shape the evolution of Ghanaian music since, giving artists the freedom to explore new global sounds while preserving a proudly Ghanaian soul. Ghana Special - Volume 2 stands as a vibrant tribute to the lasting legacy of this groundbreaking musical era.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
This style soundtracked the birth of a new, proud Ghanaian identity and captured the idiosyncrasies of a rapidly changing postcolonial society, marked by increased migration and wider access to global sounds and modern technology.
More than 20 years after the release of the heavy funk and Afrobeat-focused Ghana Soundz compilations, and following the success of 2009’s Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro Sounds & Ghanaian Blues 1968-1981, Soundway is now shining the spotlight on the multifaceted, diasporic sounds of the ‘80s on new compilation Ghana Special - Volume 2, a collection of 18 burger highlife, electronic afrobeat, and reggae tracks.
Though Ghanaian to its very core, burger highlife emerged mostly outside of Ghana and just as the sun was setting on the country’s musical golden age. In the 1960s and 1970s cities such as Accra, Tema, Takoradi, and Cape Coast were home to thriving music scenes, and the loud horn sections of the big highlife bands, or the simpler, socially conscious palm wine music ruled the dance halls, locals drinkeries, and airwaves.
Back then music represented a powerful force, and an artist’s endorsement or dissent could make or break a politician. Perhaps to curb this power, the incoming military regime-imposed curfews and substantial import taxes on musical instruments in the early 1980s. These measures, coupled with a profound economic downturn and shifting musical preferences that saw DJs replacing large live bands, served as the final blow to Ghana's once-thriving music scene.
Musicians left Ghana in droves, scattering across West Africa, Europe, and North America. Thanks in part to its more permissive migration policies Germany became the heart of this scene, and the movement in fact takes its name from “Bürger”, the German for “citizen”. Less confined by genres than back in Ghana, artists in the diaspora were quick to engage with the different styles, working disco, boogie, and funk into their highlife melodies. Access to state-of-the-art studios and modern musical technologies also gave birth to all sorts of mutations: burger highlife in fact is less defined by one particular sound, than by the experimental approach and global outlook of its artists.
Tracks such as Ernest Honny’s experimental cut “New Dance” are an example of just how far artists strayed from original highlife arrangements. Honny, who started his career as a keyboard player with Dr K Gyasi’s band The Noble Kings, had moved to Benin in the 1980s, where he experimented with synthesisers and drum machines at one of Cotonou’s top studios. Similarly, Nan Mayen’s “Mumude” is a slick, 80’s pop track which was recorded in Germany, with only a slight echo of highlife in its opening Fanti lyrics.
This generation of artists found inspiration in sounds that transcended geographical boundaries: singer and guitarist Nana Budjei, who was originally from central Ghana but had moved to the UK in the 1980s, says that his radiant, sun-drenched 1988 track “Asobrachie” is “influenced by reggae maestros Bob Marley and Alpha Blondy, and traditional Akan folklore music”; on “Jigi Jigi”, the Kumasi-born, Sweden transplant Delips Apo draws on soca, latin, and zouk influences.
Throughout the 1980s Ghanaian artists kept producing increasingly innovative and experimental hybrids, winning over new audiences abroad. Though back in Ghana the new sound was initially met with disapproval by purists, it slowly became a symbol of a new, worldly and modern Ghanaian identity. The creativity and open mindedness that characterised burger highlife have gone on to shape the evolution of Ghanaian music since, giving artists the freedom to explore new global sounds while preserving a proudly Ghanaian soul. Ghana Special - Volume 2 stands as a vibrant tribute to the lasting legacy of this groundbreaking musical era.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Sai Galaxy - Sometimes It Rains (Feat. Kaivili)
2
Sai Galaxy - Okere (Feat. Bade)
3
Sai Galaxy - Rich Man, Poor Man (Feat. ROB)
4
Sai Galaxy - Hold Me Tonight (Feat. Steve Monite)
The star-studded Sai Galaxy project returns, bringing together West African legends Steve Monite and Rob with multi-instrumentalist Simon Durrington, guitar maestro Alfred Bannerman and Egypt 80 trumpet player Bade for a second EP of vital Afro Disco and Soul. The EP follows up 2022’s “Get It As You Move” EP, blending layers of vocal harmonies and synth washes with a rock solid disco base. The sound stays faithful to the analogue production techniques of the 70s and 80s, adding a modern touch informed by Simon Durrington’s Digital Afrika project.
Lead single Hold You Tonight features Nigerian disco icon Steve Monite (best known for his mega hit “Only You”), revisiting his 80s origins with a dancefloor-ready slice of dubby boogie.
Rich Man Poor Man (featuring Ghana’s very own Rob) slows down the tempo and brings the highlife influence to the fore, while Sometimes It Rains brings a neo soul bump with the Omar-esque sound of Fijian vocalist Kaivili.
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Lead single Hold You Tonight features Nigerian disco icon Steve Monite (best known for his mega hit “Only You”), revisiting his 80s origins with a dancefloor-ready slice of dubby boogie.
Rich Man Poor Man (featuring Ghana’s very own Rob) slows down the tempo and brings the highlife influence to the fore, while Sometimes It Rains brings a neo soul bump with the Omar-esque sound of Fijian vocalist Kaivili.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Black Truth Rhythm Band - Ifetayo
2
Black Truth Rhythm Band - You People
3
Black Truth Rhythm Band - Save D Musician
4
Black Truth Rhythm Band - Kilimanjaro
5
Black Truth Rhythm Band - Aspire
6
Black Truth Rhythm Band - Umbala
7
Black Truth Rhythm Band - Imo
Soundway presents a long-awaited remaster and re-cut of the 1976 album ‘Ifetayo’ by Black Truth Rhythm Band, an important and overlooked chapter in Trinidad’s rich musical history that blends West African influences with jazz, funk and the social commentary of the calypso tradition.
Led by the charismatic Oluko Imo (who went on to record with Fela Kuti and perform with members of Fela’s Egypt 80 band ), the group drew on the strong connections to Yoruba culture and Orisa traditions in Trinidad, looking to Africa for inspiration and reflecting the burgeoning Black Power movement of the time.
Recorded at KH studios in Port of Spain, Ifetayo (Yoruba for ‘Love excels all’) was the group’s sole album release. Imo contributed lead vocals and played bass, kalimba, conga, flute and percussion, channelling music from both sides of the Atlantic into a distinctive and unique slice of Afro Trinidadian expression.
Includes bonus track “Imo” not included on the original LP
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
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DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Led by the charismatic Oluko Imo (who went on to record with Fela Kuti and perform with members of Fela’s Egypt 80 band ), the group drew on the strong connections to Yoruba culture and Orisa traditions in Trinidad, looking to Africa for inspiration and reflecting the burgeoning Black Power movement of the time.
Recorded at KH studios in Port of Spain, Ifetayo (Yoruba for ‘Love excels all’) was the group’s sole album release. Imo contributed lead vocals and played bass, kalimba, conga, flute and percussion, channelling music from both sides of the Atlantic into a distinctive and unique slice of Afro Trinidadian expression.
Includes bonus track “Imo” not included on the original LP
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Oluko Imo - Oduduwa
2
Oluko Imo - Were Oju Le (The Eyes Are Getting Red)
Reissue of the 80s 12” single from Trinidadian musician Oluko Imo (Black Truth Rhythm Band), featuring Fela Kuti and Femi Kuti.
Recorded between Lagos and New York in 1988, the tracks sit at the fault line of the Trinidad-Yoruba connection, blending calypso heritage with the Afrobeat and jazz of Nigeria
On the A-side, title track ‘Oduduwa’ is a brooding slice of peak-era Transatlantic Afrobeat, blending a heartfelt plea for social justice and equality with a haunting piano line, shuffling drums and ethereal sax solo.
The song takes its name from Oduduwa, the founder of the Ife Empire, who is also seen as a divine Orisha (deity) in Yoruba culture, one that is often evoked by musicians and activists in Trinidad as a signifier of Yoruba heritage on the island.
On the flip, ‘Eyes Are Getting Red (Were Oju Le)’ is a long-lost slice of low slung Afrobeat featuring both Fela and Femi Kuti. Classic Nigerian horns and keys combine with Oluko Imo’s Caribbean-influenced guitar and Fela’s virtuoso sax solo, bridging the musical gap between Lagos and Port of Spain.
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Recorded between Lagos and New York in 1988, the tracks sit at the fault line of the Trinidad-Yoruba connection, blending calypso heritage with the Afrobeat and jazz of Nigeria
On the A-side, title track ‘Oduduwa’ is a brooding slice of peak-era Transatlantic Afrobeat, blending a heartfelt plea for social justice and equality with a haunting piano line, shuffling drums and ethereal sax solo.
The song takes its name from Oduduwa, the founder of the Ife Empire, who is also seen as a divine Orisha (deity) in Yoruba culture, one that is often evoked by musicians and activists in Trinidad as a signifier of Yoruba heritage on the island.
On the flip, ‘Eyes Are Getting Red (Were Oju Le)’ is a long-lost slice of low slung Afrobeat featuring both Fela and Femi Kuti. Classic Nigerian horns and keys combine with Oluko Imo’s Caribbean-influenced guitar and Fela’s virtuoso sax solo, bridging the musical gap between Lagos and Port of Spain.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Gypsy Fari - Chi-Town Reggae
2
Gypsy Fari - Hail Jah
Reissue of the highly sought-after 7” from 1979 by Chicago reggae outfit Gypsy Fari.
Gypsy Fari was a project born in the south side of Chicago, after a chance meeting between St Kitts expat Leroy Webster and local music grad Kevin Coleman. The pair set out to blur the boundaries of genre with their unique brand of music,spearheaded by Webster’s Caribbean roots and fused with the soul and blues the midwest is famous for.
A striking stand-out of the band’s repertoire comes via their debut recording, laid down at Curtis Mayfield’s legendary Curtom Studios. The EP opens with Chi-Town Reggae - a super-charged blend of reggae and disco, led by Websters infectious vocal, steeped in soul and powered by a relentless rhythm section. Hail Jah follows closely, written on the hilltops of the outskirts of Kingston, Jamaica, it’s a deadly roots reggae missile that pays homage to Websters beginnings.
Once dubbed by a local news outlet “Gypsy Fari are to Chicago reggae what Muddy Water is to Chicago blues” - now remastered, repackaged and made available again for the first time since its initial release.
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Gypsy Fari was a project born in the south side of Chicago, after a chance meeting between St Kitts expat Leroy Webster and local music grad Kevin Coleman. The pair set out to blur the boundaries of genre with their unique brand of music,spearheaded by Webster’s Caribbean roots and fused with the soul and blues the midwest is famous for.
A striking stand-out of the band’s repertoire comes via their debut recording, laid down at Curtis Mayfield’s legendary Curtom Studios. The EP opens with Chi-Town Reggae - a super-charged blend of reggae and disco, led by Websters infectious vocal, steeped in soul and powered by a relentless rhythm section. Hail Jah follows closely, written on the hilltops of the outskirts of Kingston, Jamaica, it’s a deadly roots reggae missile that pays homage to Websters beginnings.
Once dubbed by a local news outlet “Gypsy Fari are to Chicago reggae what Muddy Water is to Chicago blues” - now remastered, repackaged and made available again for the first time since its initial release.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Label:Soundway Records
Cat-No:SNDW12048
Release-Date:29.09.2023
Genre:HipHop/Rap/Urban
Configuration:12"
Label:Soundway Records
Cat-No:SNDW12048
Release-Date:29.09.2023
Genre:HipHop/Rap/Urban
Configuration:12"
1
Rex Omar - Dada
2
Rex Omar - Tokota
3
Rex Omar - Konka
4
Rex Omar - Osisi
5
Rex Omar - Kele Ngele
6
Rex Omar - Dada (Aroop Roy Rework)
Five of Rex Omar's premier cuts remastered for a new self-titled EP - an irresistible blend of street-soul-come-highlife, with elements of bouncing 90s RnB/hip-hop !
Over his career Rex Omar has evolved the genre, pushing boundaries and dazzling listeners. A definitive piece of his repertoire comes via his Dangerous album: while it was self- produced and recorded in London circa 1997, upon CD release it saw success mainly within his homeland of Ghana. An irresistible blend of street-soul-come-highlife, with elements of bouncing 90s RnB/hip-hop, it was developed with help from Ibibio Sound Machine’s Kari Bannerman and prolific Jamaican producer Bill Campbell. From this album rising London producer and DJ Aroop Roy revisits the four-to-the-floor excursion ‘Dada’, repurposing for today’s dancefloor with the addition of fizzing synth chords and stabs.
While Omar regularly raps on his earlier works, on ‘Kele Ngele’ (taken from his 2004 album Ajala) we hear a yearning melodic vocal over a more laid back RnB beat. This rounds out the new Rex Omar EP for the discerning listener to experience the full breadth of his inventive output.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Over his career Rex Omar has evolved the genre, pushing boundaries and dazzling listeners. A definitive piece of his repertoire comes via his Dangerous album: while it was self- produced and recorded in London circa 1997, upon CD release it saw success mainly within his homeland of Ghana. An irresistible blend of street-soul-come-highlife, with elements of bouncing 90s RnB/hip-hop, it was developed with help from Ibibio Sound Machine’s Kari Bannerman and prolific Jamaican producer Bill Campbell. From this album rising London producer and DJ Aroop Roy revisits the four-to-the-floor excursion ‘Dada’, repurposing for today’s dancefloor with the addition of fizzing synth chords and stabs.
While Omar regularly raps on his earlier works, on ‘Kele Ngele’ (taken from his 2004 album Ajala) we hear a yearning melodic vocal over a more laid back RnB beat. This rounds out the new Rex Omar EP for the discerning listener to experience the full breadth of his inventive output.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Circus Underwater - Big Buck Meets The Perpendicular Fish
2
Circus Underwater - Trees Walk
3
Circus Underwater - The Surface Of The Water
4
Circus Underwater - Rugaru By Itself
5
Circus Underwater - I Wash My Hair With Limes
6
Circus Underwater - She Dreams Of Golden Golves Dancing
7
Circus Underwater - ENtrance Of The Deacon
8
Circus Underwater - Weeping Of Electric Sheep
9
Circus Underwater - First Hump Of Stately Plump
10
Circus Underwater - Thunder Daughters Underwater
11
Circus Underwater - Requiem For The Glass Trapeze
12
Circus Underwater - Muddy Ghosts Running From Rain
13
Circus Underwater - Behind The Altar There Is A Carousel
Remastered release of Circus Underwater’s 1984 self titled outing, including unreleased tracks taken from the original ¼” tapes. Soundway presents Circus Underwater’s 1984 self-titled masterpiece. Remastered and extended to a double LP, thisdeluxe version includes six unreleased tracks unearthed fromthe original 1/4” tapes, and presented with an insert, includingnever-before-seen photos and the fascinating story behind the music.
Featuring artwork from Grateful Dead collaborator, DavidLundquist, the album encapsulates a unique moment intime. Echoing the story of a generation that grew up in the 50s and 60s where music was everything, two friends embarkon a journey of experimentation which begins in the beatnik suburbs of Washington DC and travels to the heart of hippieSan Francisco. The result is an opus that fearlessly blurs the boundaries of genres and embraces diverse influences. Elements of prog, rock, ambient and wave music culminatein an odyssey that seamlessly bridges the gap between thespaced-out creativity of the 70s and electronic music of today.
releases September 15, 2023
Original artwork by David Lundquist.
Mastering and lacquer cuts by Frank Merritt, The Carvery Studio, London.
Artwork restoration by Javi Bayo.
FOR FANS OF:
Jeff Majors, Song Of The Golden Lotus, Peter Westheimer, Workdub, Floating Points
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Featuring artwork from Grateful Dead collaborator, DavidLundquist, the album encapsulates a unique moment intime. Echoing the story of a generation that grew up in the 50s and 60s where music was everything, two friends embarkon a journey of experimentation which begins in the beatnik suburbs of Washington DC and travels to the heart of hippieSan Francisco. The result is an opus that fearlessly blurs the boundaries of genres and embraces diverse influences. Elements of prog, rock, ambient and wave music culminatein an odyssey that seamlessly bridges the gap between thespaced-out creativity of the 70s and electronic music of today.
releases September 15, 2023
Original artwork by David Lundquist.
Mastering and lacquer cuts by Frank Merritt, The Carvery Studio, London.
Artwork restoration by Javi Bayo.
FOR FANS OF:
Jeff Majors, Song Of The Golden Lotus, Peter Westheimer, Workdub, Floating Points
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Ayo Manuel - Song Of Love (Instrumental)
2
Ayo Manuel - Fun Time
3
Ayo Manuel - Don't Stop
4
Ayo Manuel - Sojourn (Ajo)
5
Ayo Manuel - Gboro Mi Ro
6
Ayo Manuel - Do Good
Soundway Records presents Ayo Manuel ‘1983-1990’, a collection of selected works by one of Nigeria’s DIY pioneers.
This mini compilation selects the stand out cuts from his two albums Love Candidate and Party Time, showcasing the evolution of Ayo’s music. Side A is led by Song Of Love (Instrumental) - mid-tempo, synth-heavy music toeing the line between lo-fi crunch and sophisticated charm. This is followed closely by afro-disco melters Don’t Stop and the aptly titled Fun Time. Both with strong American, disco-funk leanings but full of Nigerian flavour, they come signed, sealed and delivered for any discerning dancefloor.
Sojourn (Ajo) lights up side-B, a coming-of-age journey that sets the tone for the rest of the album. With slick US production, but with its feet firmly planted in Yoruba culture, we find a more developed artist combining talking drums with distinct ’90s production, that deliver a unique blend of afro-pop. Gboro Mi Ro echoes the influence of Nigeria’s biggest musical export, Fela Kuti, but still retains its own particular character. Do Good follows in the footsteps of its predecessors but with added drama and depth.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
This mini compilation selects the stand out cuts from his two albums Love Candidate and Party Time, showcasing the evolution of Ayo’s music. Side A is led by Song Of Love (Instrumental) - mid-tempo, synth-heavy music toeing the line between lo-fi crunch and sophisticated charm. This is followed closely by afro-disco melters Don’t Stop and the aptly titled Fun Time. Both with strong American, disco-funk leanings but full of Nigerian flavour, they come signed, sealed and delivered for any discerning dancefloor.
Sojourn (Ajo) lights up side-B, a coming-of-age journey that sets the tone for the rest of the album. With slick US production, but with its feet firmly planted in Yoruba culture, we find a more developed artist combining talking drums with distinct ’90s production, that deliver a unique blend of afro-pop. Gboro Mi Ro echoes the influence of Nigeria’s biggest musical export, Fela Kuti, but still retains its own particular character. Do Good follows in the footsteps of its predecessors but with added drama and depth.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Ondatrópica - Tiene Sabor, Tiene Sazon
2
Ondatrópica - Punkero Sonidero
3
Ondatrópica - Li´bya
4
Ondatrópica - Suena
5
Ondatrópica - Locomotora Borracha
6
Ondatrópica - Remando
7
Ondatrópica - Ska Fuentes
8
Ondatrópica - 3 Reyes De La Terapia
9
Ondatrópica - Gaita Tropica
10
Ondatrópica - I Ron Man
11
Ondatrópica - Dos Lucecitas
12
Ondatrópica - Cumbia Especial
13
Ondatrópica - Swing De Gillian
14
Ondatrópica - Bomba Tropica
15
Ondatrópica - Linda Mañana
16
Ondatrópica - El Caiman Y El Gallinazo
17
Ondatrópica - Mambo Loco Especial
18
Ondatrópica - Papi Shingaling
19
Ondatrópica - Mi Negra
20
Ondatrópica - Traigan La Batea
21
Ondatrópica - Donde Suena El Bombo
22
Ondatrópica - Curro Fuentes
23
Ondatrópica - Descarga Tropica
24
Ondatrópica - Cien Años
25
Ondatrópica - Rap Maya
26
Ondatrópica - Pig Bag
27
Ondatrópica - Homenaje A Landero
2023 Repress!
Conceived by Colombian musician Mario Galeano, the force behind the band Frente Cumbiero, and English producer Will ‘Quantic’ Holland, Ondatrópica brings together an all-star cast representing both the classic and modern styles of la musica Colombiana.
Over 3 weeks in January 2012 at the famous Discos Fuentes studios in Medellín legendary figures from Colombian music joined a group of younger Colombian musicians that included members of both Mario’s band Frente Cumbeiro and Quantic’s Combo Barbaro. The plan; “to re-interpret the tropical musical heritage of Colombia with new approaches in composition, arrangement and production in a classic and mythical setting.”
For the recording Will and Mario invited musicians that they felt had made a particularly important contribution to the history of tropical music in Colombia. Michi Sarmiento, crowned the Godfather of Ondatrópica during the recording process, sounds as at home playing on the drunken Black Sabbath cover ‘I Ron Man’ as he does on 'El Caiman y Gallenazo', a song penned by his father.
Multi-instrumentalist Fruko, the prodigy of the Fuentes Studio and one of the top progressive minds of the 70s got so involved that he joined the project for much longer than originally planned, and even ended up preparing desserts and fruit salads for the large group of musicians that had been assembled in the studio.
The Barranquilla-based accordion-playing don and singer Anibal Velasquez also joined the recording for two days. Another of the 42 musicians involved was octogenarian pianist Juancho Vargas who came straight from hospital to the studio to record ‘Cumbia Espacial’.
A mixture of well known and classic Colombian styles such as cumbia, porro, gaita and champeta clash head-on with boogaloo, ska, beat-box, hip hop, dub and funk. The tracks range from straight-up timeless pieces with one foot in the 1960s and 70s to progressive and forward-looking recordings firmly rooted in the 21st century. Mario and Will also adopted a 100% analogue recording approach in tribute to a sound and feel that the studio had been lacking for some years now.
Chilean MC Ana Tijoux takes the microphone for ‘Suena’, the melody line an ode to the major-key sound of 60s Sabanero cumbias. El Chongo, a young percussionist and beatboxer from the Caribbean city of Cartagena features on ‘Rap Maya’, a sound-clash with 82-year old gaita player Pedro Ramaya.
Soundway’s exploration into Colombian music began in 2007 with it’s much acclaimed compilation ‘Colombia! The Golden Age of Discos Fuentes The Powerhouse of Colombian Music 1960-76’. That compilation features many original works from the above-mentioned artists as well as some of the main session men of the day that also played on this new record. It's fitting then that Ondatrópica came together in the legendary Discos Fuentes studios in Medellín.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Conceived by Colombian musician Mario Galeano, the force behind the band Frente Cumbiero, and English producer Will ‘Quantic’ Holland, Ondatrópica brings together an all-star cast representing both the classic and modern styles of la musica Colombiana.
Over 3 weeks in January 2012 at the famous Discos Fuentes studios in Medellín legendary figures from Colombian music joined a group of younger Colombian musicians that included members of both Mario’s band Frente Cumbeiro and Quantic’s Combo Barbaro. The plan; “to re-interpret the tropical musical heritage of Colombia with new approaches in composition, arrangement and production in a classic and mythical setting.”
For the recording Will and Mario invited musicians that they felt had made a particularly important contribution to the history of tropical music in Colombia. Michi Sarmiento, crowned the Godfather of Ondatrópica during the recording process, sounds as at home playing on the drunken Black Sabbath cover ‘I Ron Man’ as he does on 'El Caiman y Gallenazo', a song penned by his father.
Multi-instrumentalist Fruko, the prodigy of the Fuentes Studio and one of the top progressive minds of the 70s got so involved that he joined the project for much longer than originally planned, and even ended up preparing desserts and fruit salads for the large group of musicians that had been assembled in the studio.
The Barranquilla-based accordion-playing don and singer Anibal Velasquez also joined the recording for two days. Another of the 42 musicians involved was octogenarian pianist Juancho Vargas who came straight from hospital to the studio to record ‘Cumbia Espacial’.
A mixture of well known and classic Colombian styles such as cumbia, porro, gaita and champeta clash head-on with boogaloo, ska, beat-box, hip hop, dub and funk. The tracks range from straight-up timeless pieces with one foot in the 1960s and 70s to progressive and forward-looking recordings firmly rooted in the 21st century. Mario and Will also adopted a 100% analogue recording approach in tribute to a sound and feel that the studio had been lacking for some years now.
Chilean MC Ana Tijoux takes the microphone for ‘Suena’, the melody line an ode to the major-key sound of 60s Sabanero cumbias. El Chongo, a young percussionist and beatboxer from the Caribbean city of Cartagena features on ‘Rap Maya’, a sound-clash with 82-year old gaita player Pedro Ramaya.
Soundway’s exploration into Colombian music began in 2007 with it’s much acclaimed compilation ‘Colombia! The Golden Age of Discos Fuentes The Powerhouse of Colombian Music 1960-76’. That compilation features many original works from the above-mentioned artists as well as some of the main session men of the day that also played on this new record. It's fitting then that Ondatrópica came together in the legendary Discos Fuentes studios in Medellín.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Felbm - Cycli Infini
2
Felbm - Cycli Infini
Tracklist:
A: Cycli Infini
B: Cycli Infini
Dutch multi-instrumentalist Felbm returns with the conceptual album ‘cycli infini’ : a 38-minute composition of metamorphosing tape loops, musical patterns and instrumental sketches. Further exploring the concept is the vinyl release which features the track spread over both sides and cut to the end of each locked groove - creating an essentially never-ending piece that challenges the idea of the traditional listening process.
The idea came to fruition by way of a lifelong interest and growing awareness of the cyclical nature of the world around him - be it through observing nature, or the mathematical and mind-bending works of Dutch artist MC Escher, or minimalist composers such as Erik Satie, Laraaji and Melaine Dalibert. “The openness of Laraaji’s and Satie’s music have also been an influence to create a certain softness and feeling of comfort, as I like this piece to be a place you want to revisit”, says Felbm, real name Eelco Topper.
While Topper’s previous releases on Soundway Records comprised series of short, individual sketches, on cycli infini the tapestry is sewn seamlessly together using a step-like progression through the circle of fifths, which as the name suggests, brings the listener back to the musical key and soundscape at which they started. Should the full track be on repeat, it begins anew without being noticed.
The piece began life with a layer of drone loops using tapes and delay pedals, over which acoustic instruments such as flute, saxophone and bass trumpet would playfully but gently interpret a melody - toying with jazz, ambient, fourth world and percussive sounds. As the music evolves through the key progression, organic elements such as birdsong and wind chimes ground the piece in nature. Says Topper: “the never-ending metamorphosis of matter has always fascinated me, the idea that nothing ever really disappears and everything has already been here… just in different shapes.”
For Fans of:
Laraaji, Basil Kirchin, Gaussian Curve, Young Marco, Greg Foat, Bibio, KPM library records
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
A: Cycli Infini
B: Cycli Infini
Dutch multi-instrumentalist Felbm returns with the conceptual album ‘cycli infini’ : a 38-minute composition of metamorphosing tape loops, musical patterns and instrumental sketches. Further exploring the concept is the vinyl release which features the track spread over both sides and cut to the end of each locked groove - creating an essentially never-ending piece that challenges the idea of the traditional listening process.
The idea came to fruition by way of a lifelong interest and growing awareness of the cyclical nature of the world around him - be it through observing nature, or the mathematical and mind-bending works of Dutch artist MC Escher, or minimalist composers such as Erik Satie, Laraaji and Melaine Dalibert. “The openness of Laraaji’s and Satie’s music have also been an influence to create a certain softness and feeling of comfort, as I like this piece to be a place you want to revisit”, says Felbm, real name Eelco Topper.
While Topper’s previous releases on Soundway Records comprised series of short, individual sketches, on cycli infini the tapestry is sewn seamlessly together using a step-like progression through the circle of fifths, which as the name suggests, brings the listener back to the musical key and soundscape at which they started. Should the full track be on repeat, it begins anew without being noticed.
The piece began life with a layer of drone loops using tapes and delay pedals, over which acoustic instruments such as flute, saxophone and bass trumpet would playfully but gently interpret a melody - toying with jazz, ambient, fourth world and percussive sounds. As the music evolves through the key progression, organic elements such as birdsong and wind chimes ground the piece in nature. Says Topper: “the never-ending metamorphosis of matter has always fascinated me, the idea that nothing ever really disappears and everything has already been here… just in different shapes.”
For Fans of:
Laraaji, Basil Kirchin, Gaussian Curve, Young Marco, Greg Foat, Bibio, KPM library records
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Yoruba Singers - Ojinga's Own
2
Yoruba Singers - What To Do
3
Yoruba Singers - Stay Away
4
Yoruba Singers - Uncomprehensidensible Radio-Matic Woman
5
Yoruba Singers - Neighbour Jean
6
Yoruba Singers - G.o.-Go
7
Yoruba Singers - Massacura Man
8
Yoruba Singers - Woman A Dead Ya Fuh Man
9
Yoruba Singers - Ka Duma
10
Yoruba Singers - I've Got To Be Somebody
11
Yoruba Singers - No Intention
Tracklist:
Sida A
1. Ojinga’s Own
2. What To Do
3. Stay Away
4. Uncomprehensidensible
Radio-Matic Woman
5. Neighbour Jean
6. G.o.-Go
SIDE B
1. Massacura Man
2. Woman A Dead Ya Fuh Man
3. Ka Duma
4. I’ve Got To Be Somebody
5. No Intention
The 1974 debut album Ojinga’s Own and single Basa Bongo/Black Pepper by Guyanese Afro-Folk band The Yoruba Singers has been remastered for vinyl and digital.
The Yoruba Singers formed in Georgetown, Guyana in 1971. Despite their name they were not from Nigeria, but identified strongly with the area from which so many of the African diaspora in Guyana and neighbouring regions were originally descended.
The group started adapting Guyanese traditional folk music as well as writing their own - blending a mixture of protest, social commentary, blues, and genres inspired by the times. Beginning with about 12 people sharing vocal duties, most of the early repertoire was inspired by folk songs that started life on plantations or in religious settings accompanied by a few sparse musical instruments.
Integral to the Yoruba Singers’ sound are echoes of Obeah traditions which are very closely related to the Santería religion of Cuba and the Orisha and Shango traditions of Trinidad and Tobago. Calypso and steel-band culture from nearby Trinidad and Tobago was to some extent part of the musical DNA of the group, but they were naturally also influenced by the massive volume of rocksteady and roots-reggae coming from Jamaica.
For Fans Of:
Sir Victor Uwaifo, Francis Bebey, Fela Kuti
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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Sida A
1. Ojinga’s Own
2. What To Do
3. Stay Away
4. Uncomprehensidensible
Radio-Matic Woman
5. Neighbour Jean
6. G.o.-Go
SIDE B
1. Massacura Man
2. Woman A Dead Ya Fuh Man
3. Ka Duma
4. I’ve Got To Be Somebody
5. No Intention
The 1974 debut album Ojinga’s Own and single Basa Bongo/Black Pepper by Guyanese Afro-Folk band The Yoruba Singers has been remastered for vinyl and digital.
The Yoruba Singers formed in Georgetown, Guyana in 1971. Despite their name they were not from Nigeria, but identified strongly with the area from which so many of the African diaspora in Guyana and neighbouring regions were originally descended.
The group started adapting Guyanese traditional folk music as well as writing their own - blending a mixture of protest, social commentary, blues, and genres inspired by the times. Beginning with about 12 people sharing vocal duties, most of the early repertoire was inspired by folk songs that started life on plantations or in religious settings accompanied by a few sparse musical instruments.
Integral to the Yoruba Singers’ sound are echoes of Obeah traditions which are very closely related to the Santería religion of Cuba and the Orisha and Shango traditions of Trinidad and Tobago. Calypso and steel-band culture from nearby Trinidad and Tobago was to some extent part of the musical DNA of the group, but they were naturally also influenced by the massive volume of rocksteady and roots-reggae coming from Jamaica.
For Fans Of:
Sir Victor Uwaifo, Francis Bebey, Fela Kuti
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Yoruba Singers - Basa Bongo
2
Yoruba Singers - Black Pepper
Tracklist:
A: Basa Bongo
B: Black Pepper
Guyana folk music reinterpreted and infused with Afro-roots and culture, reissued on vinyl for the first time.
A year after their debut album ‘Ojinga’s Own’, the Yoruba Singers from Guyana released the singles ‘Black Pepper’ and ‘Basa Bongo’. These two songs were recorded in Barbados and released on the Green Shrimp label and became extremely popular throughout the Caribbean and South America. The music also became an integral part of the very beginnings of what was later to become the Champeta Criolla sound in the Caribbean coast of Colombia.
For Fans Of:
Sir Victor Uwaifo, Francis Bebey, Fela Kuti
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
A: Basa Bongo
B: Black Pepper
Guyana folk music reinterpreted and infused with Afro-roots and culture, reissued on vinyl for the first time.
A year after their debut album ‘Ojinga’s Own’, the Yoruba Singers from Guyana released the singles ‘Black Pepper’ and ‘Basa Bongo’. These two songs were recorded in Barbados and released on the Green Shrimp label and became extremely popular throughout the Caribbean and South America. The music also became an integral part of the very beginnings of what was later to become the Champeta Criolla sound in the Caribbean coast of Colombia.
For Fans Of:
Sir Victor Uwaifo, Francis Bebey, Fela Kuti
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Customers who bought this also bought this
Label:The Outer Edge
Cat-No:EDGE-028
Release-Date:31.01.2025
Genre:Alternative/Electronic
Configuration:7" Excl
Label:The Outer Edge
Cat-No:EDGE-028
Release-Date:31.01.2025
Genre:Alternative/Electronic
Configuration:7" Excl
1
FEX - Subways Of Your Mind (Remastered Demo Mix)
2
FEX - Heart In Danger (Remastered Demo Mix)
Genre: New Wave / Synth Rock / Lostwave
We are extremely proud to present the OFFICIAL vinyl release of "Subways Of Your Mind" by FEX, a track that captivated music enthusiasts worldwide as the "Most Mysterious Song on the Internet", or short TMS. After years of speculation, the song's origins have been confirmed, and now, for the first time ever, it will be available on a 7" single.
If you don't know what this is about - than read here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subways_of_Your_Mind
The release features the original demo version of the song recorded in 1983, faithfully restored and remastered. The single is backed with "Heart In Danger", an equally stunning track from the band, also taken from their original demo cassette. Ture Rückwardt, songwriter and singer of FEX, even considers this as his most favourite.
Don't miss this chance to own a piece of music history!
Tracklist:
Side A
Subways Of Your Mind (Remastered Demo Mix)
Side B
Heart In Danger (Remastered Demo Mix)
" VITAL SALES POINTS:
- Previously known as "The Most Mysterious Song On The Internet"
- Fully Licenced, recorded in 1983
- Previously unissued
- Full picture sleeve
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
We are extremely proud to present the OFFICIAL vinyl release of "Subways Of Your Mind" by FEX, a track that captivated music enthusiasts worldwide as the "Most Mysterious Song on the Internet", or short TMS. After years of speculation, the song's origins have been confirmed, and now, for the first time ever, it will be available on a 7" single.
If you don't know what this is about - than read here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subways_of_Your_Mind
The release features the original demo version of the song recorded in 1983, faithfully restored and remastered. The single is backed with "Heart In Danger", an equally stunning track from the band, also taken from their original demo cassette. Ture Rückwardt, songwriter and singer of FEX, even considers this as his most favourite.
Don't miss this chance to own a piece of music history!
Tracklist:
Side A
Subways Of Your Mind (Remastered Demo Mix)
Side B
Heart In Danger (Remastered Demo Mix)
" VITAL SALES POINTS:
- Previously known as "The Most Mysterious Song On The Internet"
- Fully Licenced, recorded in 1983
- Previously unissued
- Full picture sleeve
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Label:Other People
Cat-No:OP078
Release-Date:17.01.2025
Genre:Alternative/Electronic
Configuration:2LP Excl
Label:Other People
Cat-No:OP078
Release-Date:17.01.2025
Genre:Alternative/Electronic
Configuration:2LP Excl
1
Nicolás Jaar - A1 Cangilón
2
Nicolás Jaar - A2 Piedras
3
Nicolás Jaar - A3 Aqui
4
Nicolás Jaar - A4 Agua pa fantasmas
5
Nicolás Jaar - B1 Rio de las tumbas
6
Nicolás Jaar - B2 Viento
7
Nicolás Jaar - B3 Mi viejita
8
Nicolás Jaar - B4 No Hope
9
Nicolás Jaar - C1 Radio Chomio (con Eli Wewentxu)
10
Nicolás Jaar - C2 Rio radio correspondencia anfibia
11
Nicolás Jaar - C3 3eee
12
Nicolás Jaar - C4 F Collect
13
Nicolás Jaar - C5 Even heaven is uneven
14
Nicolás Jaar - C6 El azar
15
Nicolás Jaar - D1 I, you
16
Nicolás Jaar - D2 Heterodina
17
Nicolás Jaar - D3 Sin Conexión
18
Nicolás Jaar - D4 SSS1
19
Nicolás Jaar - D5 SSS2
20
Nicolás Jaar - D6 SSS3
LP. 180G BioVinyl, 2 LP + Sticker , includes Download to 3/12 h Radio Play "Archivos De Radio Piedras"
2. GENRE/S: Electronic
3. TRACKLISTS:
> A1 / 1. Cangilón
> A2 / 2. Piedras
> A3 / 3. Aquí
> A4 / 4. Agua pa fantasmas
> B1 / 5. Rio de las tumbas
> B2 / 6. Viento
> B3 / 7. Mi viejita
> B4 / 8. No Hope> C1 / 1. Radio Chomio (con Eli Wewentxu)
> C2 / 2. Rio radio correspondencia anfibia
> C3 / 3. 3eee
> C4 / 4. F Collect
> C5 / 5. Even heaven is uneven
> C6 / 6. El azar
> D1 / 7. I, you
> D2 / 8. Heterodina
> D3 / 9. Sin Conexión
> D4 / 10. SSS1
> D5 / 11. SSS2
> D6 / 12. SSS3
4. SHORT INFO:
The initial seed for this project was planted in 2020 when Nicolás Jaar wrote the song “Piedras” for a
concert at the Museum of Memory & Human Rights in Santiago, Chile, which commemorates the
victims of human rights violations during the military dictatorship led by Augusto Pinochet between
1973 and 1990. Between 2022-2023 it took on a new form as a radio play entitled 'Archivos de Radio
Piedras', which was shared on a dedicated Telegram channel. In 2024, the play was converted into a
24 channel installation at the University Museum of Mexico City (MUAC), where it was exhibited for 5
months.
Piedras 1 and 2 is a collection of the tracks featured within the play, all new music by Jaar, but partly
presented within the play as the music of Salinas Hasbún (the name a composite homage to Jaar's
grandmothers, Graciela Salinas and Miriam Hasbún).
The play follows two friends mourning the disappearance of Salinas Hasbún, a musician and writer
who vanished in the early 2020s. Although they live in a future where technology is advanced, they
resort to DIY radio methods because the anonymous group “Las 0cho” has launched a worldwide
attack on undersea internet cables, causing a global internet blackout.
The play's central theme revolves around the idea that truths, memories and identities speak from the
cracks (“rasgaduras”), or the "in-between" spaces ("en el entre"). This concept is supported by the
way much of the narration unfolds - in the liminal spaces between radio frequencies. The instability
and transitory nature of a constantly shifting radio dial becomes not just a metaphor but the structure
of the play itself. It’s in these moments of noise, static and interference that the deeper revelations of
the story emerge. This disjointed, ever-changing medium mirrors the way memory and trauma
operate within the play - non-linear, slipping through the gaps, found in fragments or ordinary
moments, rather than direct transmissions of “official” historical accounts.
This notion reaches its climax at the end of the narrative, when a text is discovered in which Salinas
speaks of finding a new number in a small pond in a cave mentioned in the first episodes of the radio
play. This pond, inside the “cochlea of the world”, is seen as a way to introduce real-life randomness
to computation. Embodied in the salt lakes of northern Chile, home to the world’s oldest bacteria, this
randomness disrupts the rigid order of binary code, paving the way for a transformation of digital life.
5. VITAL SALES POINTS:
First solo release by Nicolás Jaar since 2020’s Telas and Cenizas.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
2. GENRE/S: Electronic
3. TRACKLISTS:
> A1 / 1. Cangilón
> A2 / 2. Piedras
> A3 / 3. Aquí
> A4 / 4. Agua pa fantasmas
> B1 / 5. Rio de las tumbas
> B2 / 6. Viento
> B3 / 7. Mi viejita
> B4 / 8. No Hope> C1 / 1. Radio Chomio (con Eli Wewentxu)
> C2 / 2. Rio radio correspondencia anfibia
> C3 / 3. 3eee
> C4 / 4. F Collect
> C5 / 5. Even heaven is uneven
> C6 / 6. El azar
> D1 / 7. I, you
> D2 / 8. Heterodina
> D3 / 9. Sin Conexión
> D4 / 10. SSS1
> D5 / 11. SSS2
> D6 / 12. SSS3
4. SHORT INFO:
The initial seed for this project was planted in 2020 when Nicolás Jaar wrote the song “Piedras” for a
concert at the Museum of Memory & Human Rights in Santiago, Chile, which commemorates the
victims of human rights violations during the military dictatorship led by Augusto Pinochet between
1973 and 1990. Between 2022-2023 it took on a new form as a radio play entitled 'Archivos de Radio
Piedras', which was shared on a dedicated Telegram channel. In 2024, the play was converted into a
24 channel installation at the University Museum of Mexico City (MUAC), where it was exhibited for 5
months.
Piedras 1 and 2 is a collection of the tracks featured within the play, all new music by Jaar, but partly
presented within the play as the music of Salinas Hasbún (the name a composite homage to Jaar's
grandmothers, Graciela Salinas and Miriam Hasbún).
The play follows two friends mourning the disappearance of Salinas Hasbún, a musician and writer
who vanished in the early 2020s. Although they live in a future where technology is advanced, they
resort to DIY radio methods because the anonymous group “Las 0cho” has launched a worldwide
attack on undersea internet cables, causing a global internet blackout.
The play's central theme revolves around the idea that truths, memories and identities speak from the
cracks (“rasgaduras”), or the "in-between" spaces ("en el entre"). This concept is supported by the
way much of the narration unfolds - in the liminal spaces between radio frequencies. The instability
and transitory nature of a constantly shifting radio dial becomes not just a metaphor but the structure
of the play itself. It’s in these moments of noise, static and interference that the deeper revelations of
the story emerge. This disjointed, ever-changing medium mirrors the way memory and trauma
operate within the play - non-linear, slipping through the gaps, found in fragments or ordinary
moments, rather than direct transmissions of “official” historical accounts.
This notion reaches its climax at the end of the narrative, when a text is discovered in which Salinas
speaks of finding a new number in a small pond in a cave mentioned in the first episodes of the radio
play. This pond, inside the “cochlea of the world”, is seen as a way to introduce real-life randomness
to computation. Embodied in the salt lakes of northern Chile, home to the world’s oldest bacteria, this
randomness disrupts the rigid order of binary code, paving the way for a transformation of digital life.
5. VITAL SALES POINTS:
First solo release by Nicolás Jaar since 2020’s Telas and Cenizas.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Loidis - A1. Tell Me
2
Loidis - A2. Wait & See
3
Loidis - B1. Tequa
4
Loidis - B2 .Love's Lineaments
5
Loidis - C1. Sugar Snot
6
Loidis - C2. Dollarama
7
Loidis - D1. All Of Em
8
Loidis - D2. Why Do
Format: 2LP
Tracklist
A1. Tell Me
A2. Wait & See
B1. Tequa
B2. Love's Lineaments
C1. Sugar Snot
C2. Dollarama
D1. All Of Em
D2. Why Do
Six years after the release of the "A Parade, In The Place I Sit, The Floating World (& All Its Pleasures)" EP on anno Records, Brian Leeds, aka Huerco S., returns to the Loidis project with his debut album "One Day" on Incienso.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Tracklist
A1. Tell Me
A2. Wait & See
B1. Tequa
B2. Love's Lineaments
C1. Sugar Snot
C2. Dollarama
D1. All Of Em
D2. Why Do
Six years after the release of the "A Parade, In The Place I Sit, The Floating World (& All Its Pleasures)" EP on anno Records, Brian Leeds, aka Huerco S., returns to the Loidis project with his debut album "One Day" on Incienso.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Pizza Hotline - Ice Planet
2
Mitch Murder - Terminal Velocity
3
Pizza Hotline - The Racers We’ve Lost
4
Mitch Murder - Oceanic Zone
5
Pizza Hotline - Dark Void
6
Mitch Murder - Diverge
Territories: WORLD
LP: Heavy 350gsm Sleeve, Sticker
Tracklisting LP
A1. Pizza Hotline – Ice Planet
A2. Mitch Murder – Terminal Velocity
A3. Pizza Hotline – The Racers We’ve Lost
B1. Mitch Murder – Oceanic Zone
B2. Pizza Hotline – Dark Void
B3. Mitch Murder – Diverge
Info
WRWTFWW Records is honored to present a one of a kind collaboration release between buzzing UK producer and DJ Pizza Hotline and Swedish electronic and synth icon Mitch Murder, delivering 3 gigantic tracks each for the Anti Gravity Tournament album, now available as a limited-edition LP housed in a heavyweight 350gsm sleeve illustrated by the legendary junkboy. It is also available in digital formats.
Inspired by the classic WipEout video game series, this high-energy boosted split-album transports listeners into the futuristic world of anti-gravity racing, a colorful turbo adventure soundtracked by 6 mega tracks of fast-paced atmospheric jungle, thunderous breaks, and liquid drum & bass. The adrenaline-fueled collection delivers maximum energy and dreamy vibes, a true paradise for fans of 90s/Y2K video games, LTJ Bukem, Peshay, Soichi Terada, and previous efforts by Mitch & Pizza.
Anti Gravity Tournament follows 2 critically-acclaimed albums by Pizza Hotline – Level Select and Polygon Island, both still available on WRWTFWW Records, as well as the limited Low Poly Breaks cassette series which sold out in a few minutes.
Mitch Murder is known as one of the originators of synthwave and has released timeless albums on Rosso Corsa Records, Mad Decent, and My Pet Flamingo (TimeSlave Recordings). He is also the man behind the Kung Fury soundtrack and has collaborated with…David Hasselhoff himself!
The astonishing exclusive artwork comes from the one and only junkboy, creative director at Mojang Studios (Minecraft) and all-around design grandmaster.
Fasten your seatbelt and join the fun.
Points of interests
For fans of liquid DNB, jungle, the AMEN break, video games, ambient, synthwave, Playstation, Soichi Terada's Ape Escape, LTJ Bukem, Peshay, Wipeout OST, Pizza Hotline’s Level Select and Polygon Island, David Hasselhoff, futuristic racing tournaments, Minecraft, nice cars, ice planets, and the high speed life.
First ever collaboration project between Pizza Hotline and Mitch Murder – now on limited vinyl!
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
LP: Heavy 350gsm Sleeve, Sticker
Tracklisting LP
A1. Pizza Hotline – Ice Planet
A2. Mitch Murder – Terminal Velocity
A3. Pizza Hotline – The Racers We’ve Lost
B1. Mitch Murder – Oceanic Zone
B2. Pizza Hotline – Dark Void
B3. Mitch Murder – Diverge
Info
WRWTFWW Records is honored to present a one of a kind collaboration release between buzzing UK producer and DJ Pizza Hotline and Swedish electronic and synth icon Mitch Murder, delivering 3 gigantic tracks each for the Anti Gravity Tournament album, now available as a limited-edition LP housed in a heavyweight 350gsm sleeve illustrated by the legendary junkboy. It is also available in digital formats.
Inspired by the classic WipEout video game series, this high-energy boosted split-album transports listeners into the futuristic world of anti-gravity racing, a colorful turbo adventure soundtracked by 6 mega tracks of fast-paced atmospheric jungle, thunderous breaks, and liquid drum & bass. The adrenaline-fueled collection delivers maximum energy and dreamy vibes, a true paradise for fans of 90s/Y2K video games, LTJ Bukem, Peshay, Soichi Terada, and previous efforts by Mitch & Pizza.
Anti Gravity Tournament follows 2 critically-acclaimed albums by Pizza Hotline – Level Select and Polygon Island, both still available on WRWTFWW Records, as well as the limited Low Poly Breaks cassette series which sold out in a few minutes.
Mitch Murder is known as one of the originators of synthwave and has released timeless albums on Rosso Corsa Records, Mad Decent, and My Pet Flamingo (TimeSlave Recordings). He is also the man behind the Kung Fury soundtrack and has collaborated with…David Hasselhoff himself!
The astonishing exclusive artwork comes from the one and only junkboy, creative director at Mojang Studios (Minecraft) and all-around design grandmaster.
Fasten your seatbelt and join the fun.
Points of interests
For fans of liquid DNB, jungle, the AMEN break, video games, ambient, synthwave, Playstation, Soichi Terada's Ape Escape, LTJ Bukem, Peshay, Wipeout OST, Pizza Hotline’s Level Select and Polygon Island, David Hasselhoff, futuristic racing tournaments, Minecraft, nice cars, ice planets, and the high speed life.
First ever collaboration project between Pizza Hotline and Mitch Murder – now on limited vinyl!
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Label:We Release Jazz
Cat-No:WRJ010LTD
Release-Date:16.07.2021
Genre:Jazz / Nu Jazz
Configuration:LP Excl
Label:We Release Jazz
Cat-No:WRJ010LTD
Release-Date:16.07.2021
Genre:Jazz / Nu Jazz
Configuration:LP Excl
1
Hiroshi Suzuki - A1. Shrimp Dance
2
Hiroshi Suzuki - A2. Kuro To Shiro
3
Hiroshi Suzuki - B1. Walk Tall
4
Hiroshi Suzuki - B2. Cat
5
Hiroshi Suzuki - B3. Romance
No sales to Japan!
LP: 180g vinyl, half speed mastered, heavy sleeve, obi, gold ink
Genre: Jazz, Fusion, Funk
Tracklisting LP
A1. Shrimp Dance
A2. Kuro To Shiro
B1. Walk Tall
B2. Cat
B3. Romance
Info
We Release Jazz is ecstatic (purrrr!) to announce the official reissue of Hiroshi Suzuki's glorious jazz-fusion-funk Holy Grail Cat (originally released in 1976), sourced from the original masters and available on limited edition 180 gram vinyl mastered at half speed for full audiophile sound, as well as on digipack CD. Both versions come with liner notes by Teruo Isono.
Cat was recorded in October 1975 at at Nippon Columbia Studio, while Hiroshi Suzuki was visiting his home country of Japan after moving to Las Vegas in 1971 to play with Buddy Rich and perfect his craft. Back on his old stomping grounds, the man known as Neko (Cat) immediately reunited with his dear friends for an epic two day session of groove magic. The chemistry was still intact. The skills and style had grown.
The result, Cat, is a smooth masterpiece, a deep and soulful affair where stunning trombone solos by Hiroshi Suzuki flirt with Takeru Muraoka's heavenly saxophone and the sensual rhythm section of Hiromasa Suzuki (keyboards), Kunimitsu Inaba (bass), and Akira Ishikawa (drums).
Celebrated in jazz collectors circles, in the lofi beat scene, and among music diggers around the world, Cat has become one of the most sought-after Japanese jazz albums of all time and, much like Ryo Fukui's Scenery, has fascinated old and young generations alike.
Points of interests
- For fans of jazz, fusion, funk, trombone, Japanese jazz, smooth rides, cats, allure.
- Official reissue of the glorious jazz-fusion album by Japanese trombonist extraordinaire Hiroshi "Neko" Suzuki.
- 10th release from We Release Jazz, following Ryo Fukui's Scenery, Mellow Dream, A Letter from Slowboat, and Ryo Fukui in New York, the soundtrack of Le Cercle Rouge by Eric Demarsan, Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion, Marc Moulin's Placebo Live 1971 and Boillat Thérace Quintet albums. We Release Jazz is the sister-label of Geneva-based WRWTFWW Records (Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass and Lunar Cruise with Masahiko Sato, Pierre Barouh's Le Pollen, Jun Fuka-machi's Nicole, Grauzone's discography, …)
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
LP: 180g vinyl, half speed mastered, heavy sleeve, obi, gold ink
Genre: Jazz, Fusion, Funk
Tracklisting LP
A1. Shrimp Dance
A2. Kuro To Shiro
B1. Walk Tall
B2. Cat
B3. Romance
Info
We Release Jazz is ecstatic (purrrr!) to announce the official reissue of Hiroshi Suzuki's glorious jazz-fusion-funk Holy Grail Cat (originally released in 1976), sourced from the original masters and available on limited edition 180 gram vinyl mastered at half speed for full audiophile sound, as well as on digipack CD. Both versions come with liner notes by Teruo Isono.
Cat was recorded in October 1975 at at Nippon Columbia Studio, while Hiroshi Suzuki was visiting his home country of Japan after moving to Las Vegas in 1971 to play with Buddy Rich and perfect his craft. Back on his old stomping grounds, the man known as Neko (Cat) immediately reunited with his dear friends for an epic two day session of groove magic. The chemistry was still intact. The skills and style had grown.
The result, Cat, is a smooth masterpiece, a deep and soulful affair where stunning trombone solos by Hiroshi Suzuki flirt with Takeru Muraoka's heavenly saxophone and the sensual rhythm section of Hiromasa Suzuki (keyboards), Kunimitsu Inaba (bass), and Akira Ishikawa (drums).
Celebrated in jazz collectors circles, in the lofi beat scene, and among music diggers around the world, Cat has become one of the most sought-after Japanese jazz albums of all time and, much like Ryo Fukui's Scenery, has fascinated old and young generations alike.
Points of interests
- For fans of jazz, fusion, funk, trombone, Japanese jazz, smooth rides, cats, allure.
- Official reissue of the glorious jazz-fusion album by Japanese trombonist extraordinaire Hiroshi "Neko" Suzuki.
- 10th release from We Release Jazz, following Ryo Fukui's Scenery, Mellow Dream, A Letter from Slowboat, and Ryo Fukui in New York, the soundtrack of Le Cercle Rouge by Eric Demarsan, Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion, Marc Moulin's Placebo Live 1971 and Boillat Thérace Quintet albums. We Release Jazz is the sister-label of Geneva-based WRWTFWW Records (Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass and Lunar Cruise with Masahiko Sato, Pierre Barouh's Le Pollen, Jun Fuka-machi's Nicole, Grauzone's discography, …)
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Robag Wruhme - Nata Alma (Club Smash Hit Version) 08:40
2
Robag Wruhme - Venq Tolep (Hit Club Version) 06:24
2025 Repress
Tracklist:
A. Nata Alma (Club Smash Hit Version) 08:40
AA Venq Tolep (Hit Club Version) 06:24
Release Info:
Robag Wruhme, working on the material. On the very same piece. And performing two different movements. First, thinking in category Album: who will hear it where? also: mood, position, length. Second, thinking in category Maxisingle: a spinning-tool for the club – another form of another functionality: accelerating the rhythm, lowering the harmonicmelodious, still preserving the nature of the song. And each version should make you HOT for the other!
Nata Alma, a voice loses itself in the infinite, a car brakes, a horse whinnies, the sun scorches relentless. Further, further on, towards the flickering, stoically. Water, flames on the horizon, Fata Morgana, a mirage. »And you might say, we've got no place to go?« - okay? no notokay at all!: Shuffle!
Nata Alma, melancholic Eight-minute-forty. A love song, a wave good-bye: »And you might say, that you need me no more?« sings Sidsel Endresen alongside Bugge Wesseltoft's swells and ebb-aways – metal never sounded so longing; a buzzing swing, a siren call from afar.
Robag Wruhme takes a seat at the organ and plays minor bass notes. He gets up, leaves the room and lays down a dry rock of funk: wooden kick on wooden snare, tight-cut voices, driving hi-hats and shakers, gated synth danglers and percussion loops. Relentless, stoically. »And you might say, that it's over?« – relentless, maybe, but that's how he creates the Further: keep going! dance it off! a new day rising!
And right here. Flip it and keep on moving: Venq Tolep. A summer meadow, grass-stains, a gentle breeze, an early smell of hay. Venq Tolep. Endorphins tickle under the skin. A
percussive spectacle, dance of the insects. Hopping around in flat shoes, the beat is phat and reverberated by a cluster of trees. Stabs on the e-piano set in, picturing the euphoric moment when Loving-feelings walk hand-in-hand with a Hint of Melancholy.
Robag Wruhme, Nata Alma and Venq Tolep - music for dance floors, inside and outside, music for the summer, day and night, and for convertibles on the way there.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Tracklist:
A. Nata Alma (Club Smash Hit Version) 08:40
AA Venq Tolep (Hit Club Version) 06:24
Release Info:
Robag Wruhme, working on the material. On the very same piece. And performing two different movements. First, thinking in category Album: who will hear it where? also: mood, position, length. Second, thinking in category Maxisingle: a spinning-tool for the club – another form of another functionality: accelerating the rhythm, lowering the harmonicmelodious, still preserving the nature of the song. And each version should make you HOT for the other!
Nata Alma, a voice loses itself in the infinite, a car brakes, a horse whinnies, the sun scorches relentless. Further, further on, towards the flickering, stoically. Water, flames on the horizon, Fata Morgana, a mirage. »And you might say, we've got no place to go?« - okay? no notokay at all!: Shuffle!
Nata Alma, melancholic Eight-minute-forty. A love song, a wave good-bye: »And you might say, that you need me no more?« sings Sidsel Endresen alongside Bugge Wesseltoft's swells and ebb-aways – metal never sounded so longing; a buzzing swing, a siren call from afar.
Robag Wruhme takes a seat at the organ and plays minor bass notes. He gets up, leaves the room and lays down a dry rock of funk: wooden kick on wooden snare, tight-cut voices, driving hi-hats and shakers, gated synth danglers and percussion loops. Relentless, stoically. »And you might say, that it's over?« – relentless, maybe, but that's how he creates the Further: keep going! dance it off! a new day rising!
And right here. Flip it and keep on moving: Venq Tolep. A summer meadow, grass-stains, a gentle breeze, an early smell of hay. Venq Tolep. Endorphins tickle under the skin. A
percussive spectacle, dance of the insects. Hopping around in flat shoes, the beat is phat and reverberated by a cluster of trees. Stabs on the e-piano set in, picturing the euphoric moment when Loving-feelings walk hand-in-hand with a Hint of Melancholy.
Robag Wruhme, Nata Alma and Venq Tolep - music for dance floors, inside and outside, music for the summer, day and night, and for convertibles on the way there.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Anthony Naples - Scanners
2
Anthony Naples - Compact
3
Anthony Naples - Hi Lo
4
Anthony Naples - Somebody
5
Anthony Naples - Night
6
Anthony Naples - Ampere
7
Anthony Naples - Bounce
8
Anthony Naples - Mushy
9
Anthony Naples - Lifetimes
10
Anthony Naples - Uforia2
Tracklist:
A1. Scanners
A2. Compact
B1. Hi Lo
B2. Somebody
B3. Night
C1. Ampere
C2. Bounce
D1. Mushy
D2. Lifetimes
D3. Uforia2
After a two-year hiatus following his critically acclaimed fifth album “Orbs”, Anthony Naples returns with his sixth album, “Scanners”, featuring ten new songs.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
A1. Scanners
A2. Compact
B1. Hi Lo
B2. Somebody
B3. Night
C1. Ampere
C2. Bounce
D1. Mushy
D2. Lifetimes
D3. Uforia2
After a two-year hiatus following his critically acclaimed fifth album “Orbs”, Anthony Naples returns with his sixth album, “Scanners”, featuring ten new songs.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Stereociti - A1 - Summer Solstice
2
Stereociti - A2 - Be With Me
3
Stereociti - B1 - The Loop Machine
4
Stereociti - B2 - Winter Solstice
Non Retournable!
Special remarks:
limited 12" vinyl in hand screen-printed cover
Genre: Deep House, House
Tracklist 12":
A1 - Summer Solstice
A2 - Be With Me
B1 - The Loop Machine
B2 - Winter Solstice
Short Info:
The wait is over, finally some new music by our Japanese mainstay stereociti aka Ken Sumitani. Exploring new approaches and places of his sound cosmos of deepness. Indulge in this musical journey of four delicious flavors celebrating the constant evolving changes of life and seasons.
Vital Sales Points:
(add some important short facts as below)
- limited edition
- collectable hand screen-printed cover
- high quality music on vinyl
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Special remarks:
limited 12" vinyl in hand screen-printed cover
Genre: Deep House, House
Tracklist 12":
A1 - Summer Solstice
A2 - Be With Me
B1 - The Loop Machine
B2 - Winter Solstice
Short Info:
The wait is over, finally some new music by our Japanese mainstay stereociti aka Ken Sumitani. Exploring new approaches and places of his sound cosmos of deepness. Indulge in this musical journey of four delicious flavors celebrating the constant evolving changes of life and seasons.
Vital Sales Points:
(add some important short facts as below)
- limited edition
- collectable hand screen-printed cover
- high quality music on vinyl
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Mad Rey - sunday blues 1 (dub mix)
2
Mad Rey - luv dub mix
3
Mad Rey - Tuesday good day (dub mix)
4
Mad Rey - longday (dub mix)
5
Mad Rey - Fruit
6
Mad Rey - no return (dub mix)
7
Mad Rey - Deeper (dub mix)
8
Mad Rey - please don't wait (dub mix)
Territories: ww -fr
Genre: Electronic
Tracklist :
A1. sunday blues 1 (dub mix)
A2. luv dub mix
B1. Tuesday good day (dub mix)
B2. longday (dub mix)
B3. Fruit
C1. no return (dub mix)
C2. Deeper (dub mix)
D1. please don't wait (dub mix)
The title of the double LP ”please don’t wait” is simple and refers to the passage of time, urgency, and the present moment. It’s a message that calls for movement and action. (The title also references a track of the same name performed by rapper Jwles, released in 2018.)
After a stay in Detroit in 2022, Mad Rey returned to Montreuil, inspired and brimming with energy. He repaired his MPC2000XL and unearthed two vintage synthesizers from the 2000s: a Korg Triton and a Yamaha Motif.
Connected together, these three instruments revived sensations and inspired him to create one track per day. After two years of work, the producer felt the desire to bring together the eight instrumental tracks he most enjoyed recording.
Each track is a "live" recording, preserving its raw energy. The sounds of the instruments convey nostalgia and melancholy. The recording is raw, delivering a message of peace, humility, and unity. It pays tribute to the early days of house music.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Genre: Electronic
Tracklist :
A1. sunday blues 1 (dub mix)
A2. luv dub mix
B1. Tuesday good day (dub mix)
B2. longday (dub mix)
B3. Fruit
C1. no return (dub mix)
C2. Deeper (dub mix)
D1. please don't wait (dub mix)
The title of the double LP ”please don’t wait” is simple and refers to the passage of time, urgency, and the present moment. It’s a message that calls for movement and action. (The title also references a track of the same name performed by rapper Jwles, released in 2018.)
After a stay in Detroit in 2022, Mad Rey returned to Montreuil, inspired and brimming with energy. He repaired his MPC2000XL and unearthed two vintage synthesizers from the 2000s: a Korg Triton and a Yamaha Motif.
Connected together, these three instruments revived sensations and inspired him to create one track per day. After two years of work, the producer felt the desire to bring together the eight instrumental tracks he most enjoyed recording.
Each track is a "live" recording, preserving its raw energy. The sounds of the instruments convey nostalgia and melancholy. The recording is raw, delivering a message of peace, humility, and unity. It pays tribute to the early days of house music.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Calibre - No Title
2
Calibre - No Title
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Daniel O’Sullivan - Golden Verses
2
Daniel O’Sullivan - Lyre Lyre
3
Daniel O’Sullivan - Dolorous Stroke
4
Daniel O’Sullivan - Plain Paper
5
Daniel O’Sullivan - Grapes Draped
6
Daniel O’Sullivan - Xanix Annum
7
Daniel O’Sullivan - Painting Rose
8
Daniel O’Sullivan - Rotunda Garden
9
Daniel O’Sullivan - Flowry Orb
10
Daniel O’Sullivan - Theia Mania
11
Daniel O’Sullivan - Painting Percy
12
Daniel O’Sullivan - For Archetypes
13
Daniel O’Sullivan - Ars Memoriae
14
Daniel O’Sullivan - Mirrored Seven
15
Daniel O’Sullivan - Pure Ornament
16
Daniel O’Sullivan - Brave Boy
17
Daniel O’Sullivan - Waxen Waned
Format Notes: Hyper-limited (500 only) vinyl release, originally commissioned for the Sonoton Music Library, 140g vinyl.
Territories: Worldwide no restrictions
Track List:
A1 Golden Verses
A2 Lyre Lyre
A3 Dolorous Stroke
A4 Plain Paper
A5 Grapes Draped
A6 Xanix Annum
A7 Painting Rose
A8 Rotunda Garden
A9 Flowry Orb
B1 Theia Mania
B2 Painting Percy
B3 For Archetypes
B4 Ars Memoriae
B5 Mirrored Seven
B6 Pure Ornament
B7 Brave Boy
B8 Waxen Waned
Release Notes:
WOW. Daniel O'Sullivan's transcendent new album, Eros, is one of the greatest things we've ever heard. A simply stunning song cycle of hypnotic, experimental contemporary chamber music composed for a 14-piece ensemble. Combining minimalism, complex syncopation, detailed acoustic textures, weird intervals and samurai precision, this record will elegantly blow your mind. When Daniel first sent us this, he pitched it as “Liquid Swords meets Michael Nyman”. Trust us, he wasn't wrong. A "unique hybrid orchestral music", it presents a confluence of Daniel's longstanding fixations; indeed, there's elements of Nyman, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Magma, Aaron Copland and RZA. But this is wholly O'Sullivan's. Originally commissioned for the Sonoton Music Library in Munich, Eros now receives a deluxe vinyl release courtesy of Be With Records, bringing this meticulously crafted work to a wider audience. Limited to just 500 copies for the world, these are gonna fly.
An English composer and multi-instrumentalist, Daniel O'Sullivan’s career has been marked by versatility and innovation. In addition to his work with Sonoton, he has composed extensively for the legendary KPM music library, contributing to its storied legacy of production music. As a deep virtuoso and collaborator, O'Sullivan has also played in a number of influential projects, including Ulver, Sunn O))), This Is Not This Heat, Grumbling Fur and Miracle (with Steve Moore), leaving an indelible mark on the contemporary experimental music landscape.
O’Sullivan’s first foray into classically informed chamber music, Eros is a culmination of his long-standing fixations and expansive musical influences. The album features arrangements that are as detailed as they are emotionally resonant, showcasing his unparalleled ear for intervals and mastery of counterpoint. The music brims with complex rhythmic syncopation and a sensitivity to texture and space, resulting in a soundscape that is both intoxicating and dauntingly precise.
Recorded June 2023 and February 2024, in Brussels, London and Carmarthenshire, Wales, Eros features members of Echo Collective (Neil Leiter and Margaret Hermant), Thighpaulsandra (from seminal post-industrial band Coil), and jazz pioneer Oren Marshall. Daniel's sonic weapons of choice, in his own inimitable words, were "Big Bad Drum, Pee Anne Oh, Low End Brass, Willowy Winds & Samurai Strings." You get the picture. As a cyclical suite, this is a record that really needs to be heard in its entitreity, from start to finish, to truly appreciate the genius at work here.
A jaw-dropping statement of intent, the minimalist "Golden Verses" sets the tone with its complex cue which has your neck snapping right when it feels like it needs to. Listen and you'll understand. A syncopated tangle of sharp strings, crunchy bass, drums percussion and bright piano and mallets vie for position with French horn and woodwind melody in the most compelling and unexpected ways. Quite simply, it's one of the finest album openers I've ever heard. It's followed by the atmospheric rippling minimalism of "Lyre Lyre", a gorgeous gem with shimmering chimes, bright melody, human percussion and syncopated pizzicato strings. It kinda comes on like a less-abstract Boards Of Canada, bursting with typical wonderment. The piano and string-drenched "Dolorous Stroke" effortlessly builds its warm, pastoral orchestration with flowing piano arpeggio, steadfast drums, expressive string quartet, rich low brass, woodwind and lyrical flute. Just sublime.
The insistent frenetic propulsion of "Plain Paper" is utterly beguiling, featuring a determined string motif, urgent drums and percussion, driving low brass and breathless, energetic flute. The haunting, interweaving string arpeggios that propel "Grapes Draped" presents a claustrophobic minimalism for chaos and darkness, with growling low woodwind and brass, spiky harpsichord, skittering flutes and tight drums. Up next, "Xanix Annum" is a stately minimalist waltz with expressive lyrical string quartet and delicate woodwind, anchored by drums and percussion. "Painting Rose" is a bouncy stop-start track with angular syncopated strings and a piano pulse underneath bright harpsichord and flutes. "Rotunda Garden" presents ethereal textural minimalism for landscapes and reflection with flowing string arpeggios, warm, low woodwind drones, floating choir and cymbal swells. Closing out this extraordinary side of music, the glowing, flowing minimalism of "Flowry Orb" features urgent organ, piano and woodwind arpeggios, half-time drums with shimmering cymbals, a soaring, beautiful violin solo and hypnotic vocal chant.
Side 2 opens with "Theia Mania" a determinedly off-kilter, angular track featuring low wind, brass and drum stomp in dialogue with lively string trio, woodwind and solo horn. The light, airy minimalism of "Painting Percy" is built around an interplay of rhythmic motifs for piano, low brass, bassoon, fluttering flutes, urgent strings, drums and percussion whilst "For Archetypes" is a delicate, gently syncopated chamber cue for nostalgia, nature, reflection and moments of calm, with steady piano motif, intimate woodwind and French horn, and warm, graceful strings. The urgent Ars Memoriae is a propulsive march for progress, processes and industry, underpinned by driving tuba, with determined strings, resolute drums, and vivid, expressive flute, clarinet and French horn.
The syncopated energetic minimalism of "Mirrored Seven" presents layers of melodic and cyclical piano, drums, low brass, harp, flute and strings. "Pure Ornament" follows, a slowly evolving chamber cue with flowing clarinet, string and harp arpeggio, plodding tuba and percussion, fluttering flute and graceful, lyrical solos. Stunning! Up next, "Brave Boy" moves from its tender, warm, lullaby-like intro with lyrical flute, clarinet and strings before opening into a playful backend driven by a bouncy tuba riff and syncopated piano, woodwind, string trio, and drums and percussion. Rounding out this astonishing piece, "Waxen Waned" is a warm, pastoral chamber cue with light lyrical woodwind, tender French horn and subtly pulsing string trio.
The album's title is a reference to Plato’s conception of Eros, which is more than romantic or physical desire. It is a dynamic and creative force that drives individuals to seek perfection whether in art, relationships, philosophy or the pursuit of truth. Wholly appropriate, here, we think. When asked what his influences were in making this astounding record, he answered thusly: "Non-musical: Householding, Pythagoras, Goethe, Grail romances, Hermeticism, Doctrine of Signatures (Parcelsus, Bohme, Pliny), Eric Rohmer, John Stezaker, Yasujiro Ozu. Musical: Duke Ellington (late suites), Smile-era Brian, early RZA, Wagner (Parsifal Overture), Magma, Mancini, Axelrod, YMO, Hildegard, Nyman, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Jobim (Stone Flower), Alessandro Alessandroni, Tavener, Moondog, Orthodox Music, Secular Music." That's some pretty deep shit. Makes you want to dive in, no?
Mastering for this vinyl edition was overseen by Be With regular Simon Francis, and it was cut by the esteemed Cicely Balston at Abbey Road Studios to be pressed in the Netherlands by Record Industry. Truly, Eros is a work of extraordinary depth and sophistication. It invites listeners to immerse themselves in its intricate layers, to lose themselves in its hypnotic rhythms, and to marvel at the precision of its execution. With this release, O’Sullivan reaffirms his position as one of the most inventive and uncompromising voices in contemporary music. Do. Not. Sleep.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Territories: Worldwide no restrictions
Track List:
A1 Golden Verses
A2 Lyre Lyre
A3 Dolorous Stroke
A4 Plain Paper
A5 Grapes Draped
A6 Xanix Annum
A7 Painting Rose
A8 Rotunda Garden
A9 Flowry Orb
B1 Theia Mania
B2 Painting Percy
B3 For Archetypes
B4 Ars Memoriae
B5 Mirrored Seven
B6 Pure Ornament
B7 Brave Boy
B8 Waxen Waned
Release Notes:
WOW. Daniel O'Sullivan's transcendent new album, Eros, is one of the greatest things we've ever heard. A simply stunning song cycle of hypnotic, experimental contemporary chamber music composed for a 14-piece ensemble. Combining minimalism, complex syncopation, detailed acoustic textures, weird intervals and samurai precision, this record will elegantly blow your mind. When Daniel first sent us this, he pitched it as “Liquid Swords meets Michael Nyman”. Trust us, he wasn't wrong. A "unique hybrid orchestral music", it presents a confluence of Daniel's longstanding fixations; indeed, there's elements of Nyman, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Magma, Aaron Copland and RZA. But this is wholly O'Sullivan's. Originally commissioned for the Sonoton Music Library in Munich, Eros now receives a deluxe vinyl release courtesy of Be With Records, bringing this meticulously crafted work to a wider audience. Limited to just 500 copies for the world, these are gonna fly.
An English composer and multi-instrumentalist, Daniel O'Sullivan’s career has been marked by versatility and innovation. In addition to his work with Sonoton, he has composed extensively for the legendary KPM music library, contributing to its storied legacy of production music. As a deep virtuoso and collaborator, O'Sullivan has also played in a number of influential projects, including Ulver, Sunn O))), This Is Not This Heat, Grumbling Fur and Miracle (with Steve Moore), leaving an indelible mark on the contemporary experimental music landscape.
O’Sullivan’s first foray into classically informed chamber music, Eros is a culmination of his long-standing fixations and expansive musical influences. The album features arrangements that are as detailed as they are emotionally resonant, showcasing his unparalleled ear for intervals and mastery of counterpoint. The music brims with complex rhythmic syncopation and a sensitivity to texture and space, resulting in a soundscape that is both intoxicating and dauntingly precise.
Recorded June 2023 and February 2024, in Brussels, London and Carmarthenshire, Wales, Eros features members of Echo Collective (Neil Leiter and Margaret Hermant), Thighpaulsandra (from seminal post-industrial band Coil), and jazz pioneer Oren Marshall. Daniel's sonic weapons of choice, in his own inimitable words, were "Big Bad Drum, Pee Anne Oh, Low End Brass, Willowy Winds & Samurai Strings." You get the picture. As a cyclical suite, this is a record that really needs to be heard in its entitreity, from start to finish, to truly appreciate the genius at work here.
A jaw-dropping statement of intent, the minimalist "Golden Verses" sets the tone with its complex cue which has your neck snapping right when it feels like it needs to. Listen and you'll understand. A syncopated tangle of sharp strings, crunchy bass, drums percussion and bright piano and mallets vie for position with French horn and woodwind melody in the most compelling and unexpected ways. Quite simply, it's one of the finest album openers I've ever heard. It's followed by the atmospheric rippling minimalism of "Lyre Lyre", a gorgeous gem with shimmering chimes, bright melody, human percussion and syncopated pizzicato strings. It kinda comes on like a less-abstract Boards Of Canada, bursting with typical wonderment. The piano and string-drenched "Dolorous Stroke" effortlessly builds its warm, pastoral orchestration with flowing piano arpeggio, steadfast drums, expressive string quartet, rich low brass, woodwind and lyrical flute. Just sublime.
The insistent frenetic propulsion of "Plain Paper" is utterly beguiling, featuring a determined string motif, urgent drums and percussion, driving low brass and breathless, energetic flute. The haunting, interweaving string arpeggios that propel "Grapes Draped" presents a claustrophobic minimalism for chaos and darkness, with growling low woodwind and brass, spiky harpsichord, skittering flutes and tight drums. Up next, "Xanix Annum" is a stately minimalist waltz with expressive lyrical string quartet and delicate woodwind, anchored by drums and percussion. "Painting Rose" is a bouncy stop-start track with angular syncopated strings and a piano pulse underneath bright harpsichord and flutes. "Rotunda Garden" presents ethereal textural minimalism for landscapes and reflection with flowing string arpeggios, warm, low woodwind drones, floating choir and cymbal swells. Closing out this extraordinary side of music, the glowing, flowing minimalism of "Flowry Orb" features urgent organ, piano and woodwind arpeggios, half-time drums with shimmering cymbals, a soaring, beautiful violin solo and hypnotic vocal chant.
Side 2 opens with "Theia Mania" a determinedly off-kilter, angular track featuring low wind, brass and drum stomp in dialogue with lively string trio, woodwind and solo horn. The light, airy minimalism of "Painting Percy" is built around an interplay of rhythmic motifs for piano, low brass, bassoon, fluttering flutes, urgent strings, drums and percussion whilst "For Archetypes" is a delicate, gently syncopated chamber cue for nostalgia, nature, reflection and moments of calm, with steady piano motif, intimate woodwind and French horn, and warm, graceful strings. The urgent Ars Memoriae is a propulsive march for progress, processes and industry, underpinned by driving tuba, with determined strings, resolute drums, and vivid, expressive flute, clarinet and French horn.
The syncopated energetic minimalism of "Mirrored Seven" presents layers of melodic and cyclical piano, drums, low brass, harp, flute and strings. "Pure Ornament" follows, a slowly evolving chamber cue with flowing clarinet, string and harp arpeggio, plodding tuba and percussion, fluttering flute and graceful, lyrical solos. Stunning! Up next, "Brave Boy" moves from its tender, warm, lullaby-like intro with lyrical flute, clarinet and strings before opening into a playful backend driven by a bouncy tuba riff and syncopated piano, woodwind, string trio, and drums and percussion. Rounding out this astonishing piece, "Waxen Waned" is a warm, pastoral chamber cue with light lyrical woodwind, tender French horn and subtly pulsing string trio.
The album's title is a reference to Plato’s conception of Eros, which is more than romantic or physical desire. It is a dynamic and creative force that drives individuals to seek perfection whether in art, relationships, philosophy or the pursuit of truth. Wholly appropriate, here, we think. When asked what his influences were in making this astounding record, he answered thusly: "Non-musical: Householding, Pythagoras, Goethe, Grail romances, Hermeticism, Doctrine of Signatures (Parcelsus, Bohme, Pliny), Eric Rohmer, John Stezaker, Yasujiro Ozu. Musical: Duke Ellington (late suites), Smile-era Brian, early RZA, Wagner (Parsifal Overture), Magma, Mancini, Axelrod, YMO, Hildegard, Nyman, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Jobim (Stone Flower), Alessandro Alessandroni, Tavener, Moondog, Orthodox Music, Secular Music." That's some pretty deep shit. Makes you want to dive in, no?
Mastering for this vinyl edition was overseen by Be With regular Simon Francis, and it was cut by the esteemed Cicely Balston at Abbey Road Studios to be pressed in the Netherlands by Record Industry. Truly, Eros is a work of extraordinary depth and sophistication. It invites listeners to immerse themselves in its intricate layers, to lose themselves in its hypnotic rhythms, and to marvel at the precision of its execution. With this release, O’Sullivan reaffirms his position as one of the most inventive and uncompromising voices in contemporary music. Do. Not. Sleep.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Strawberry Switchblade - SIDE A: Spanish Song
2
Strawberry Switchblade - SIDE AA: Trees & Flowers
3
Strawberry Switchblade - SIDE AA: Go Away
Territories:WW-US,CA,UK, BENELUX
FORMAT: 7” LTD Coke Bottle Clear Vinyl (300) + Booklet
Tracklist:
SIDE A: Spanish Song
SIDE AA: Trees & Flowers / Go Away
2025 Repress.
Originally released in limited formats in 2017 and having since been repressed several times, 2025 sees
a new pressing to acknowledge the enduring legacy of this recording. In 2024, the song Trees & Flowers
became an unexpected hit on Tik Tok and introduced a new generation to these timeless songs.
“1982 4-Piece Demo” is the first official, fully-licensed and unreleased material to be released under the name
Strawberry Switchblade in 30 years. Since disbanding amid major record label acrimony and personal differences
in 1986, the already-cult band have since grown in stature and legend. Trailblazers in many ways, the band’s
mythology justifiably centers around the charismatic duo of Jill Bryson and Rose McDowall, but that isn’t a
complete picture.
Bryson and McDowall’s growing friendship, having met some years earlier on the punk scene, became a creative
partnership: Bryson’s art school background and McDowall’s history in avant-punk group The Poets meant
Strawberry Switchblade was a band pitted against many established norms. The band’s very first incarnation,
an all-female 4 piece, recorded one demo at Glasgow’s Hellfire Club and played a handful of gigs. Friends
Janice Goodlett and Carole McGowan completed the line up on bass and drums respectively. Strawberry
Switchblade would eventually pair down to a duo and go on to chart success but it’s in these raw, passionate
recordings that the songwriting and vocal elements were being hammered out and explored in real time.
“Spanish Song” is a previously unreleased song. With Rose McDowall’s instantly recognizable lead vocal
dovetailing with Bryson’s harmonies and lead guitar, it’s the first glimpse at an alternative history of Strawberry
Switchblade. This incarnation could easily have been featured on a Nuggets compilation or a precursor to the indiepop revolution that would take over British bedrooms a couple of years later. Trees & Flowers is instantly
recognizable, a bona fide classic that would earn the band its first record deal. Here it’s given a more forceful rhythm
section: Goodlett and McGowan’s playing is in fact accomplished and doesn’t hint at the bands’ youth. Go Away
would also surface later on the band’s debut LP but here it is a moody-garage stomper with a psychedelic, haunting
refrain.
These 3 songs point to a tantalizing future of the band that was never realized.
Remastered and restored by Sean Pennycook from the original cassette, with artwork based on a single
photographic contact sheet (the only visual evidence of the band in this form) and with a booklet of photographs and
new text from contemporary Stephen Pastel.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
FORMAT: 7” LTD Coke Bottle Clear Vinyl (300) + Booklet
Tracklist:
SIDE A: Spanish Song
SIDE AA: Trees & Flowers / Go Away
2025 Repress.
Originally released in limited formats in 2017 and having since been repressed several times, 2025 sees
a new pressing to acknowledge the enduring legacy of this recording. In 2024, the song Trees & Flowers
became an unexpected hit on Tik Tok and introduced a new generation to these timeless songs.
“1982 4-Piece Demo” is the first official, fully-licensed and unreleased material to be released under the name
Strawberry Switchblade in 30 years. Since disbanding amid major record label acrimony and personal differences
in 1986, the already-cult band have since grown in stature and legend. Trailblazers in many ways, the band’s
mythology justifiably centers around the charismatic duo of Jill Bryson and Rose McDowall, but that isn’t a
complete picture.
Bryson and McDowall’s growing friendship, having met some years earlier on the punk scene, became a creative
partnership: Bryson’s art school background and McDowall’s history in avant-punk group The Poets meant
Strawberry Switchblade was a band pitted against many established norms. The band’s very first incarnation,
an all-female 4 piece, recorded one demo at Glasgow’s Hellfire Club and played a handful of gigs. Friends
Janice Goodlett and Carole McGowan completed the line up on bass and drums respectively. Strawberry
Switchblade would eventually pair down to a duo and go on to chart success but it’s in these raw, passionate
recordings that the songwriting and vocal elements were being hammered out and explored in real time.
“Spanish Song” is a previously unreleased song. With Rose McDowall’s instantly recognizable lead vocal
dovetailing with Bryson’s harmonies and lead guitar, it’s the first glimpse at an alternative history of Strawberry
Switchblade. This incarnation could easily have been featured on a Nuggets compilation or a precursor to the indiepop revolution that would take over British bedrooms a couple of years later. Trees & Flowers is instantly
recognizable, a bona fide classic that would earn the band its first record deal. Here it’s given a more forceful rhythm
section: Goodlett and McGowan’s playing is in fact accomplished and doesn’t hint at the bands’ youth. Go Away
would also surface later on the band’s debut LP but here it is a moody-garage stomper with a psychedelic, haunting
refrain.
These 3 songs point to a tantalizing future of the band that was never realized.
Remastered and restored by Sean Pennycook from the original cassette, with artwork based on a single
photographic contact sheet (the only visual evidence of the band in this form) and with a booklet of photographs and
new text from contemporary Stephen Pastel.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore