Amber November (Brendon Moeller Rub)
Love Boat (feat Jesskitty - Shanti Roots & Scheibosan Distraction version)
Export Import (Pacifica remix)
Friday (Stefan Obermaier remix)
Tommy (Steven Cobby remix)
Chinabar (Stereotyp remix)
Supersunday (Megablast remix)
Wotan (Second Sky & Thomas Blondet remix)

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

Territories: Worldwide no restrictions

Format Notes:
2024 first time double vinyl reissue with exclusive bonus track, 140g double vinyl, remastered audio with restored artwork


Track List:

A1 Intro 0:50
A2 WordPlay 3:17
A3 Spontaneity 4:08
A4 Rugged Ruff 3:08
A5 Interlude 0:29

B1 I Confess 4:06
B2 UKNOWHOWWEDU 3:35
B3 Interlude 1:09
B4 Total Wreck 3:26
B5 Innovation 3:23

C1 Da Jawn 5:19
C2 Interlude 1:05
C3 True Honey Buns (Dat Freak Sh*t) 3:41

D1 3 Tha Hard Way 4:12
D2 Biggest Part Of Me 4:51
D3 Path To Rhythm 3:24

Release Notes:

Bahamadia’s 1996 debut album Kollage is rightly regarded as one of the greatest rap albums of the 1990s. For the first time ever, Be With present the definitive double LP version of this eternal hip-hop classic, including the legendary "Path To Rhythm" which never appeared on the original LP or on vinyl, anywhere. An indelible VIBE from start-to-finish, Kollage presents Bahamadia's swirling rhymes delivered with an irresistibly butter flow and razor-sharp assuredness over a steady slew of smoothed-out, jazzed-up, blunted beats. Achingly cool and effortlessly funky throughout, it's an absolute must for true 90s hip-hop fanatics.

The entire Kollage project was recorded at D&D Studios and the ties to Gang Starr are keenly felt, with DJ Premier producing five tracks in addition to the killer songs Guru had already produced with her. Working with the cream of the mid-90s East Coast sound, Kollage is, accordingly, a record that demonstrates a varied musical taste with disparate influences, as Bahamadia has previously stated: “The title Kollage was a reflection of my state of mind. I first got interested in music from playing my parents’ and grandparents’ records, as well what I heard on the radio. I wanted Kollage to reflect that diversity both lyrically and sonically."

With intelligent, poetic lyricism and a laconic verbal style bursting with both warm texture and deceptive energy, Bahamadia’s flow was as inspired by Aretha and Nancy Wilson as it was Q-Tip, Schoolly D and Lady B. Swaggering out the gate, "WordPlay" finds Bahamadia confidently showcasing her considerable old-school battle-rhyme skills over a Guru beat that utilises an infectiously bouncy bassline with splashes of sultry jazz horns and a Jeru vocal snatch for the hook. Up next, the quietly shimmering and ruggedly beautiful "Spontaneity" is one of the most alluring on the record, Da Beatminerz crafting a brilliantly soulful and jazzy soundscape for Bahamadia's effortless vocals to float across. It's followed by "Rugged Ruff", where the rapper carefully constructs a swift off-beat flow over Premier's raw jazzy fire.

With smooth spacey synth vibes overseen by former Geto Boys producer N.O. Joe, "I Confess" is, without question, a fly love song and soothing (p)-funk groove. "UKNOWHOWWEDU" is an airy, chilled tribute to her hometown. Produced by Ski Beatz & DJ Redhanded, it rides a gloriously mellow break. It's a true Philly anthem, shouting out a who’s who of the entire city’s scene. Early banger "Total Wreck" follows, presenting a murky Guru instrumental elevated by jazzy horns. Bahamadia invokes the title's suggestion, firing her brilliant bars more aggressively than we’re accustomed to. More Beatminerz-brilliance comes in the way of "Innovation", an opportunity for the MC to invoke Freestyle Fellowship in her forward-thinking and literary verses. "Da Jawn" features hometown buddies The Roots, with Black Thought gliding into a back-and-forth with Bahamadia over ?uestlove’s warm, snapping percussion. With the strut club banger "True Honey Buns (Dat Freak Sh*t)", DJ Premier provides some laidback vibrant boom bap for Bahamadia to share a wild, cautionary tale about a night out with her girl, Kia.

Fan favourite "3 Tha Hard Way" is a hypnotically sinister cut, with Bahamadia, K-Swift and Mecca Star taking star turns to coast over DJ Premier’s raw beat whilst the tender "Biggest Part Of Me" is a heartfelt stunner dedicated to her son. Incredibly, only the European and Japanese CD versions of Kollage was released with the brilliantly breezy “Path To Rhythm”, featuring Ursula Rucker. Whilst ostensibly a "bonus track", it's anything but, to our ears. Very much in sonic conversation with KRS-One's stretched-out sleeper classic "Higher Level", it's absolutely essential so we had to include it, appearing on wax for the first time here, exclusively. Quite a coup.

Somewhat predictably, whilst Kollage was released to significant critical acclaim, it suffered from disappointing sales. In the intervening years - and for far too long - it was a criminally underrated record, an increasingly hidden gem. We hope this double LP reissue - which looks and sounds amazing - will go some way to correct this. This 2024 Be With double LP re-issue has been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Cicely Balston and pressed at Record Industry. It's too bold and beautiful to remain overlooked and underserved.


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

2x 12” colored vinyl with full cover print

TRACKLIST:

A1 Sound Stream – Love Jam (Hardspace Mix)

B1 Kenny Larkin x Alex Reece – Loop 2 (Hardspace Mix)
B2 Andrei Morant – Simple Addition (Hardspace Mix)

C1 Russian Roulette – I Believe (Hardspace Mix)

D1 DJ Rush – Don’t You Love Me (Hardspace Mix)
D2 Damon Wild – Gearbox (Hardspace Mix)


INFO:

Len Faki returns as Hardspace for part three of his new remix-series, giving his favorite tunes a new life on the dancefloor.

An unusual pairing at first glance, Hardspace takes up Soundstream’s anthem Love Jam from 2006, the kind of Detroit-tinged disco edit to drop in the peak moment of techno set.

Then it’s rewind time to another decade, when DnB-Veteran Alex Reece was remixing Motorcity icon Kenny Larkin. Hardspace’s mix of Loop 2 retains the playful jazzy notes and growling bassline of the original and turns its oldschool breakbeats into a snappy 4x4-groove.

The deadly effective tool that is Andrei Morant’s Simple Addition makes for a perfect base to build upon for Faki’s signature editing style, emphasizing the plastic shuffle of grooving percussive elements while adding some booming low-end.

DJ Rush features with two vocal-heavy cuts on this release: first up the Russian Roulette-hymn I Believe, which sounds even trippier in the stripped-back Hardspace version; then a creepy while sexy mix of Don’t You Love Me that steadily builds tension for minutes before slowly giving way to a seductive beat.

Closing out with a bang, Damon Wild’s Gearbox from 1995 gets a rework: the full power acid-riff is still working its magic but now sounding much more punchy and to the point in this tidied up Hardspace edit.





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

12" vinyl with full cover print

TRACKLIST:

A1 Halide Part 1
A2 Make Me Scream

B1 Tor 8
B2 Astra


INFO:

When writing his album Fusion, Len Faki never quite knew where the creative process would take him. Eventually it transported his sound into an all new realm, where he could show 360 degrees his talents and styles. Finally finding completion as a mighty double LP, the Figure x37 EP takes four of the album's new cuts to be presented in this special format ahead of the official release of Fusion.

An important corner stone of the album, the Halide tracks were made in remembrance of Faki's late mother, who passed away during the last production stage of the LP. These delicate tracks, which both feature the voice of Halide, capture the intense sadness Faki was feeling at the time and helped him to process his grief and eventually finish off the album. Part 1 is a softly mourning, melancholic breakbeat ballad, musically reminiscent of the chillout rooms Faki found himself spending a lot of time at going out to clubs throughout the 90s. The much darker second part,
echoing the hopeless bleeps of a heart rate monitor, will only be released on the full album.

Next to this very personal track are more examples of Faki's versatility as an artist, who has seen it all and now uses the album format to work without any constraints or expectations.

A gentle yet gritty electro homage, Make Me Scream is a take on the classic breakbeat from days long gone, with hollow drums and a mysteriously sweet vocal lurking underneath the track's soothing pads and lively synth riffs.

On Tor 8 Faki combines his driving techno and strong melodic elements, subdued chords rising to create an atmosphere of euphoria, while a classic bleep keeps things on track.

Astra (taken from Fusion's more straight-laced disc one) is the most punchy outing of the record, but it still comes with a myriad of detailed sounds to explore amongst its tight-knit rhythmic corset. Twinkly synths slowly rise to make the track bloom into its full, exuberantly colourful form.

With x37 readied, it's only a few weeks until the final release of the Fusion double-album. Here at Figure we can't wait to let you explore the full range of the singular sound that Len Faki has created.



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

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