1
Griffit Vigo - The Underdog
2
Griffit Vigo - Superman
3
Griffit Vigo - Phola
4
Griffit Vigo - Ipani
5
Griffit Vigo - Bush Makheninkha
6
Griffit Vigo - Wave Frequency
Tracklist
1 The Underdog
2 Superman
3 Phola
4 Ipani
5 Bush Makheninkha
6 Wave Frequency
Release Info:
Gqom originator Griffit Vigo to release next EP ‘Art is Talking’ on Belgian label Maloca Records.
Following records from Farsight, Howie Lee, and founder Le Motel, Belgian label Maloca Records announce its next EP. The label’s ethos is to build bridges interlinking disparate yet like-minded musicians dedicated to blending organic electronic and acoustic elements, and on this occasion, Maloca invites Durban artist Griffit Vigo into the fold - releasing a 6-track EP, ‘Art is Talking’ on the 3rd December.
Griffit Vigo has been producing music since 2004 and spearheaded the sound of gqom in the early 2010s alongside artists such as DJ Lag, Rudeboyz, Emo Kid, and Dominowe. Predominantly releasing on Gqom Oh!, it was Vigo’s singles ’Ree’s Vibe’ and ‘DJ’ that cemented his reputation and helped gqom go on to become something of a global phenomenon with its intense, heavily syncopated style of dance music filtering into the work of producers around the world.
Launching Maloca Records in 2020, Le Motel aims to bring together a global network of makers which was highlighted on the label’s first compilation, Maloca Vol. 1. The release focused on a terrestrial and borderless percussive sound that has been bubbling in clubs and Le Motel’s orbit, featuring tracks from Nick León, OMAAR, DJ JM, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Coen, DJ N.K. and Tsongo.
MUSIC BY GRIFFIT VIGO. ARTWORK BY KUSHAGRA GUPTA. GRAPHIC DESIGN BY LE MOTEL. MASTERED BY ELVIN VANZEEBROECK.
More
1 The Underdog
2 Superman
3 Phola
4 Ipani
5 Bush Makheninkha
6 Wave Frequency
Release Info:
Gqom originator Griffit Vigo to release next EP ‘Art is Talking’ on Belgian label Maloca Records.
Following records from Farsight, Howie Lee, and founder Le Motel, Belgian label Maloca Records announce its next EP. The label’s ethos is to build bridges interlinking disparate yet like-minded musicians dedicated to blending organic electronic and acoustic elements, and on this occasion, Maloca invites Durban artist Griffit Vigo into the fold - releasing a 6-track EP, ‘Art is Talking’ on the 3rd December.
Griffit Vigo has been producing music since 2004 and spearheaded the sound of gqom in the early 2010s alongside artists such as DJ Lag, Rudeboyz, Emo Kid, and Dominowe. Predominantly releasing on Gqom Oh!, it was Vigo’s singles ’Ree’s Vibe’ and ‘DJ’ that cemented his reputation and helped gqom go on to become something of a global phenomenon with its intense, heavily syncopated style of dance music filtering into the work of producers around the world.
Launching Maloca Records in 2020, Le Motel aims to bring together a global network of makers which was highlighted on the label’s first compilation, Maloca Vol. 1. The release focused on a terrestrial and borderless percussive sound that has been bubbling in clubs and Le Motel’s orbit, featuring tracks from Nick León, OMAAR, DJ JM, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Coen, DJ N.K. and Tsongo.
MUSIC BY GRIFFIT VIGO. ARTWORK BY KUSHAGRA GUPTA. GRAPHIC DESIGN BY LE MOTEL. MASTERED BY ELVIN VANZEEBROECK.
More
More records from Maloca Records
1
Hihats In Trees - Cedar Walk
2
Hihats In Trees - Steppestep
3
Hihats In Trees - AKA 88
4
Hihats In Trees - Knee Dip
5
Hihats In Trees - Meander
6
Hihats In Trees - Au Coeur Tendre
7
Hihats In Trees - C=N
8
Hihats In Trees - Miniatuur 6
9
Hihats In Trees - Icicle Icicle
10
Hihats In Trees - Stillness
Territories: World ex UK
Tracklist:
1. Cedar Walk
2. Steppestep
3. AKA 88
4. Knee Dip
5. Meander
6. Au Coeur Tendre
7. C=N
8. Miniatuur 6
9. Icicle Icicle
10. Stillness
Artefacts is the second part of the diptych of 2 albums by Hihats In Trees, pseudonym for Belgian drummer, producer Lander Gyselinck
HHIT’s unprecedented experiments with rhythm and acoustic textures on its debut album ‘Disleksikon’, released in 2019, was well received. On Artefacts HHIT takes it a step further. A truly sensational sonic realm is explored.
Hihats In Trees’ obsession with singular physical objects, materials of wood, stone, metal evokes a dark dystopian sentiment and a recurring melancholy. A poetic expression of the solid object. In Artefacts, through this language with materials, the physical objects come to life sonically. The 10 compositions revolve around this peculiar vocabulary of texture and rhythm, balancing between the dance floor and a solitary ritual, reminiscing on HHIT’s major influences of gqom, detroit techno, hiphop and experimental ambient.
Fashion designer Dries Van Noten was fascinated by HHIT’s musical experiments, This resulted in a collaboration with photographer Viviane Sassen for his Spring Summer collection in 2021 with music by HHIT, partly from Disleksikon, partly tracks later to be released on Artefacts.
Artefacts is released on the Brussels based label Maloca Records, run by dj, producer Le Motel.
More
Tracklist:
1. Cedar Walk
2. Steppestep
3. AKA 88
4. Knee Dip
5. Meander
6. Au Coeur Tendre
7. C=N
8. Miniatuur 6
9. Icicle Icicle
10. Stillness
Artefacts is the second part of the diptych of 2 albums by Hihats In Trees, pseudonym for Belgian drummer, producer Lander Gyselinck
HHIT’s unprecedented experiments with rhythm and acoustic textures on its debut album ‘Disleksikon’, released in 2019, was well received. On Artefacts HHIT takes it a step further. A truly sensational sonic realm is explored.
Hihats In Trees’ obsession with singular physical objects, materials of wood, stone, metal evokes a dark dystopian sentiment and a recurring melancholy. A poetic expression of the solid object. In Artefacts, through this language with materials, the physical objects come to life sonically. The 10 compositions revolve around this peculiar vocabulary of texture and rhythm, balancing between the dance floor and a solitary ritual, reminiscing on HHIT’s major influences of gqom, detroit techno, hiphop and experimental ambient.
Fashion designer Dries Van Noten was fascinated by HHIT’s musical experiments, This resulted in a collaboration with photographer Viviane Sassen for his Spring Summer collection in 2021 with music by HHIT, partly from Disleksikon, partly tracks later to be released on Artefacts.
Artefacts is released on the Brussels based label Maloca Records, run by dj, producer Le Motel.
More
1
DJ JM - Squash
2
DJ JM - Joke
3
DJ JM - Funicular (feat. Swordman Kitala)
4
DJ JM - Nexxxt Up
5
DJ JM - Haze
6
DJ JM - Owned
Tracklist
A1 Squash
A2 Joke
A3 Funicular (feat. Swordman Kitala)
B1 Nexxxt Up
B2 Haze
B3 Owned
Release Info:
Following on from Le Motel’s knockout release in February, Brussel-based producer DJ JM lands on Maloca Records with a new EP ‘Squash’. The prolific producer is known for his impressive output of production-only mixes and releases on labels such as Nervous Horizon, Goon Club Allstars, and Even The Strong.
The DJ JM project was first established in Vilnius, Lithuania in 2015, becoming quickly known for off-kilter club records. Heavily driven by percussion, DJ JM continues his powerful stride, this time providing six weird and wonky dancefloor anthems. With the Maloca Records ethos built upon global collaborations, on this record DJ JM teams up with Ugandan MC Swordman Kitala on ‘Funicular’.
Launching Maloca Records in 2020, Le Motel aims to bring together an international network of makers which was highlighted on the label’s first compilation, Maloca Vol. 1. The release focused on a terrestrial and borderless percussive sound that has been bubbling in clubs and Le Motel’s orbit, featuring tracks from Nick León, OMAAR, DJ JM, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Coen, DJ N.K. and Tsongo. Maloca has also released solo EPs from Howie Lee, Farsight and Griffit Vigo.
MUSIC BY DJ JM. MASTERED BY ELVIN VANZEEBROECK. ARTWORK BY APPEAR OFFLINE
More
A1 Squash
A2 Joke
A3 Funicular (feat. Swordman Kitala)
B1 Nexxxt Up
B2 Haze
B3 Owned
Release Info:
Following on from Le Motel’s knockout release in February, Brussel-based producer DJ JM lands on Maloca Records with a new EP ‘Squash’. The prolific producer is known for his impressive output of production-only mixes and releases on labels such as Nervous Horizon, Goon Club Allstars, and Even The Strong.
The DJ JM project was first established in Vilnius, Lithuania in 2015, becoming quickly known for off-kilter club records. Heavily driven by percussion, DJ JM continues his powerful stride, this time providing six weird and wonky dancefloor anthems. With the Maloca Records ethos built upon global collaborations, on this record DJ JM teams up with Ugandan MC Swordman Kitala on ‘Funicular’.
Launching Maloca Records in 2020, Le Motel aims to bring together an international network of makers which was highlighted on the label’s first compilation, Maloca Vol. 1. The release focused on a terrestrial and borderless percussive sound that has been bubbling in clubs and Le Motel’s orbit, featuring tracks from Nick León, OMAAR, DJ JM, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Coen, DJ N.K. and Tsongo. Maloca has also released solo EPs from Howie Lee, Farsight and Griffit Vigo.
MUSIC BY DJ JM. MASTERED BY ELVIN VANZEEBROECK. ARTWORK BY APPEAR OFFLINE
More
1
Le Motel - Sueños
2
Le Motel - Love Talk Bad (feat. Logan)
3
Le Motel - Libet’s Delay (feat. Cabasa)
4
Le Motel - Talking to Drums
5
Le Motel - Rápdo (feat. Clara!)
6
Le Motel - Wonteeda (feat. Bryte)
Tracklist
1 Sueños
2 Love Talk Bad (feat. Logan)
3 Libet’s Delay (feat. Cabasa)
4 Talking to Drums
5 Rápdo (feat. Clara!)
6 Wonteeda (feat. Bryte)
Release Info:
Belgian artist and Maloca Records founder Le Motel returns to the label for a new EP, ‘Sueños’, his most expansive work to date. Released on the 25th February, Le Motel draws from the worldly ethos of the label to bring together collaborators from the UK, Ghana, Spain and Brussels.
Meaning dream in Spanish, ‘Sueños’ was made during the lockdown and is inspired by the fragments for dreams and the incapacity of experiencing music and life in a physical way. On Le Motel’s two solo cuts, ‘Sueños’ and ‘Talking To Drums’, the dynamic artist showcases his signature percussive driven sound. With the global influences from the collaborators, ‘Sueños’ continues to expand across heavyweight grime on ‘Love Talk Bad’ with Logan, glitchy IDM with Cabasa on ‘Libet’s Delay’, Clara! bringing reggaeton flavours to ‘Rápido’ and Bryte provides his distinctive vocals to the heavy bass rhythms of ‘Wonteeda’.
As a music producer and film composer, Le Motel’s versatility has taken him to festivals and clubs in every direction and as a field recordist, he has ventured out to the less accessible areas of the globe to source sounds for his enriching productions. Having produced for some of Belgium’s biggest hip hop artists, Le Motel has also released on Portugal’s XXIII, LA’s TAR and New Zealand’s Cosmic Compositions.
Launching Maloca Records in 2020, Le Motel aims to bring together a global network of makers which was highlighted on the label’s first compilation, Maloca Vol. 1. The release focused on a terrestrial and borderless percussive sound that has been bubbling in clubs and Le Motel’s orbit, featuring tracks from Nick León, OMAAR, DJ JM, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Coen, DJ N.K. and Tsongo. Maloca has also released solo EPs from Howie Lee, Farsight and more recently Griffit.
More
1 Sueños
2 Love Talk Bad (feat. Logan)
3 Libet’s Delay (feat. Cabasa)
4 Talking to Drums
5 Rápdo (feat. Clara!)
6 Wonteeda (feat. Bryte)
Release Info:
Belgian artist and Maloca Records founder Le Motel returns to the label for a new EP, ‘Sueños’, his most expansive work to date. Released on the 25th February, Le Motel draws from the worldly ethos of the label to bring together collaborators from the UK, Ghana, Spain and Brussels.
Meaning dream in Spanish, ‘Sueños’ was made during the lockdown and is inspired by the fragments for dreams and the incapacity of experiencing music and life in a physical way. On Le Motel’s two solo cuts, ‘Sueños’ and ‘Talking To Drums’, the dynamic artist showcases his signature percussive driven sound. With the global influences from the collaborators, ‘Sueños’ continues to expand across heavyweight grime on ‘Love Talk Bad’ with Logan, glitchy IDM with Cabasa on ‘Libet’s Delay’, Clara! bringing reggaeton flavours to ‘Rápido’ and Bryte provides his distinctive vocals to the heavy bass rhythms of ‘Wonteeda’.
As a music producer and film composer, Le Motel’s versatility has taken him to festivals and clubs in every direction and as a field recordist, he has ventured out to the less accessible areas of the globe to source sounds for his enriching productions. Having produced for some of Belgium’s biggest hip hop artists, Le Motel has also released on Portugal’s XXIII, LA’s TAR and New Zealand’s Cosmic Compositions.
Launching Maloca Records in 2020, Le Motel aims to bring together a global network of makers which was highlighted on the label’s first compilation, Maloca Vol. 1. The release focused on a terrestrial and borderless percussive sound that has been bubbling in clubs and Le Motel’s orbit, featuring tracks from Nick León, OMAAR, DJ JM, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Coen, DJ N.K. and Tsongo. Maloca has also released solo EPs from Howie Lee, Farsight and more recently Griffit.
More
1
Farsight - Cadena
2
Farsight - While
3
Farsight - Not Half
4
Farsight - Mid-Winter Burning
5
Farsight - Sans Titre
6
Farsight - Door to the River
Tracklist
A1 Cadena
A2 While
A3 Not Half
B1 Mid-Winter Burning
B2 Sans Titre
B3 Door to the River
Release Info:
“There’s a space for each artist...
Kandinsky said it very good — Not here, not there, but somewhere.” - Willem De Kooning
For Farsight, California’s bucolic San Geronimo Valley was the space that allowed for the creation of this handpicked selection of artistic output. Following a period of deep interest in abstract painting and its relationship to music, the artist found this lush and sparsely populated region to be an ideal location for contemplation and composition. Although the majority of the work was executed in the first two months of 2020 in this forested setting, some of the pieces were based upon drafts created as early as Summer 2017.
United in their eclecticism, the six cuts that comprise “Not Here, But Somewhere'' reveal a broad spectrum of musical influences. They are statements in an age in which influence is omni-directional, and in which the pace of artistic invention outstrips the ability of observers to identify and reify sub-genres. Although each track presents a unique approach, “Cadena,” “Sans Titre,” and “Door to the River'' reflect the continuing global suffusion of Latin American and Carribean styles such as reggaeton and dancehall. Simultaneously, the duo of “While” and “Hot Half” suggest the ongoing dialogue of techno, electro, and industrial music and the interstices between them. “Mid-Winter Burning Sun” invokes the intensity of American trap music with its booming bass while touching equally upon the feel of early dubstep.
Ultimately, the idea that there is a “space for each artist” can be taken both in a literal sense— One’s physical environment— And also in the figurative sense that there is room enough for the ideas of all artists, who are kindred spirits in the endeavor of radical self-expression. In this way, “Not Here, But Somewhere” exists as an acknowledgement and gesture of goodwill towards every artist daring enough to explore the unknown.
More
A1 Cadena
A2 While
A3 Not Half
B1 Mid-Winter Burning
B2 Sans Titre
B3 Door to the River
Release Info:
“There’s a space for each artist...
Kandinsky said it very good — Not here, not there, but somewhere.” - Willem De Kooning
For Farsight, California’s bucolic San Geronimo Valley was the space that allowed for the creation of this handpicked selection of artistic output. Following a period of deep interest in abstract painting and its relationship to music, the artist found this lush and sparsely populated region to be an ideal location for contemplation and composition. Although the majority of the work was executed in the first two months of 2020 in this forested setting, some of the pieces were based upon drafts created as early as Summer 2017.
United in their eclecticism, the six cuts that comprise “Not Here, But Somewhere'' reveal a broad spectrum of musical influences. They are statements in an age in which influence is omni-directional, and in which the pace of artistic invention outstrips the ability of observers to identify and reify sub-genres. Although each track presents a unique approach, “Cadena,” “Sans Titre,” and “Door to the River'' reflect the continuing global suffusion of Latin American and Carribean styles such as reggaeton and dancehall. Simultaneously, the duo of “While” and “Hot Half” suggest the ongoing dialogue of techno, electro, and industrial music and the interstices between them. “Mid-Winter Burning Sun” invokes the intensity of American trap music with its booming bass while touching equally upon the feel of early dubstep.
Ultimately, the idea that there is a “space for each artist” can be taken both in a literal sense— One’s physical environment— And also in the figurative sense that there is room enough for the ideas of all artists, who are kindred spirits in the endeavor of radical self-expression. In this way, “Not Here, But Somewhere” exists as an acknowledgement and gesture of goodwill towards every artist daring enough to explore the unknown.
More
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2
Ede & Deckert feat. Sarglad - Immer (Cinthie Remix)
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Ede & Deckert feat. Sarglad - Immer (Curses Remix)
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Ede & Deckert feat. Sarglad - Immer (Narciss 'Salford' Remix)
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Ede & Deckert feat. Sarglad - Kid Simius 'Bolero' Remix
Tracklist
A1. Narciss 'Venice' Remix
A2. Cinthie Remix
A3. Curses Remix
B1. Narciss 'Salford' Remix
B2. Kid Simius 'Bolero' Remix
Remix package deluxe! Ede & Deckert feat Sargland’s catchy new wave post punk hit Immer gets the special treatment. Their tale of lover’s grief or delight is being put through the mangle by a varied bunch of remixers. Literally taking the advance party its Berlin’s Narciss with two different takes. Known to be without fear of emotional peaks and blessed with the usual sense of delight, they manage to hit the nail on its head. The Venice Remix is a master class in vintage sounds coming through new speakers: primed for the prime time, while the Salford version does exactly what the name implies: for lads and lovers.
Followed up by the simplicity of grass roots house music. Cinthie channels her inner DJ Duke and choreographs the indie dance steps back to basics. The Curses Vocal keeps the instrumental, stays in the original vibe, but switches the vocals – and the language. Finally, Kid Simius takes us on a bumper car ride somewhere between Miami Sound Machine and Yazoo.
Immer works its magic in every way for everyone and now on almost any dance floor.
More
A1. Narciss 'Venice' Remix
A2. Cinthie Remix
A3. Curses Remix
B1. Narciss 'Salford' Remix
B2. Kid Simius 'Bolero' Remix
Remix package deluxe! Ede & Deckert feat Sargland’s catchy new wave post punk hit Immer gets the special treatment. Their tale of lover’s grief or delight is being put through the mangle by a varied bunch of remixers. Literally taking the advance party its Berlin’s Narciss with two different takes. Known to be without fear of emotional peaks and blessed with the usual sense of delight, they manage to hit the nail on its head. The Venice Remix is a master class in vintage sounds coming through new speakers: primed for the prime time, while the Salford version does exactly what the name implies: for lads and lovers.
Followed up by the simplicity of grass roots house music. Cinthie channels her inner DJ Duke and choreographs the indie dance steps back to basics. The Curses Vocal keeps the instrumental, stays in the original vibe, but switches the vocals – and the language. Finally, Kid Simius takes us on a bumper car ride somewhere between Miami Sound Machine and Yazoo.
Immer works its magic in every way for everyone and now on almost any dance floor.
More
1
Tiger & Woods - Fake U
2
Tiger & Woods - Do It Do Me
3
Tiger & Woods - Silly Little Games feat. ‘Em
4
Tiger & Woods - Wild Stream
Tracklist
A1. Fake U
A2. Do It Do Me
B1. Silly Little Games feat. ‘Em
B2. Wild Stream
When it rains, it pours! Which is a good thing, if the soil is dry. The second return of Tiger & Woods in almost no time falls on fertile ground. After DJs on Film has been eagerly embraced, they keep the ingredients, but change the dishes. Consummate and catchy, sweeping and simple DJ music with a penchant for hooks and hits.
Silly Little Games (also featuring long-time collaborator ’Em) evokes the rescue of an unreleased Editainment reel with a hidden new beat feel. Wild Stream is the sort of shattered mirror ball that came out of Shake Shakiest studio and Claude Young would have needed two copies off, while Fake U and Do It to Me are eternal classics Again: No samples were harmed during the filming of this record!
More
A1. Fake U
A2. Do It Do Me
B1. Silly Little Games feat. ‘Em
B2. Wild Stream
When it rains, it pours! Which is a good thing, if the soil is dry. The second return of Tiger & Woods in almost no time falls on fertile ground. After DJs on Film has been eagerly embraced, they keep the ingredients, but change the dishes. Consummate and catchy, sweeping and simple DJ music with a penchant for hooks and hits.
Silly Little Games (also featuring long-time collaborator ’Em) evokes the rescue of an unreleased Editainment reel with a hidden new beat feel. Wild Stream is the sort of shattered mirror ball that came out of Shake Shakiest studio and Claude Young would have needed two copies off, while Fake U and Do It to Me are eternal classics Again: No samples were harmed during the filming of this record!
More
1
Frank & Tony - Olympia (with Eliana Glass)
2
Frank & Tony - Ethos (with DaRand Land)
3
Frank & Tony - Too Poor For Movies, Too Tired For Love (with Lawrence)
4
Frank & Tony - Nobody Present Ever Stood So Still
5
Frank & Tony - By The End They Will
6
Frank & Tony - Cecile (with Eliana Glass)
7
Frank & Tony - Drift (with DJ Aakmael)
8
Frank & Tony - From Life Ahead
9
Frank & Tony - Continuity
Double-LP, Gatefold sleeve
GENRE/S: House, Deep House, Lo-Fi House, Electronica
TRACKLISTS:
A1. Olympia (with Eliana Glass)
A2. Ethos (with DaRand Land)
B1. Too Poor For Movies, Too Tired For Love (with Lawrence)
B2. Nobody Present Ever Stood So Still
C1. By The End They Will
C2. Cecile (with Eliana Glass)
D1. Drift (with DJ Aakmael)
D2. From Life Ahead
D3. Continuity
SHORT INFO:
More about the world has changed than not in the decade since dance production dyad Frank & Tony released their last full-length record, 2014’s You Go Girl. Despite, or perhaps in spite of, this shifting landscape, house music has managed to stay fundamentally reliable (either a bug or its greatest feature, depending on who you ask). Where previously, Frank & Tony have been celebrated for their contemplative, studious approach to the genre, with 2024’s Ethos, the Brooklyn/Biarritz-based duo return amidst metastatic cultural upheaval to prove out those scholarly credentials — with an album that serves to remind listeners why dancefloors and liberatory politics consistently share the language of movements and revolutions.
Undoubtedly, Ethos is tremendously influenced by the multitude of projects originating from, and supported by, the duo and their label in the decade since You Go Girl– releasing records from a vast diversity of artists (including Nadia Khan, Gry, Villete, Darand Land, Alex Albrecht, DJ Sprinkles and CCL), and Harris becoming curatorial voice of Brooklyn’s premiere venue for audiophiles, Public Records, where he continues to amplify work across a global diaspora (and where the duo maintain a residency of wide praise).
It is this bright energy and focus on the necessity of community and relationships that animates the aptly-titled Ethos. If past Frank & Tony releases have been lauded as ‘a coloring book in which someone has exclusively drawn inside the lines… with extreme precision,’ Ethos deviates by inviting friends in for a game of exquisite corpse. From singer and pianist Eliana Glass, whose androgynous, double-reeded voice freestyles across album opener Olympia, to distinct track features from fellow house masterminds DaRand Land, DJ Aakmael and Lawrence over half of the album’s nine tracks highlight artists in the larger Scissor & Thread circle.
More
GENRE/S: House, Deep House, Lo-Fi House, Electronica
TRACKLISTS:
A1. Olympia (with Eliana Glass)
A2. Ethos (with DaRand Land)
B1. Too Poor For Movies, Too Tired For Love (with Lawrence)
B2. Nobody Present Ever Stood So Still
C1. By The End They Will
C2. Cecile (with Eliana Glass)
D1. Drift (with DJ Aakmael)
D2. From Life Ahead
D3. Continuity
SHORT INFO:
More about the world has changed than not in the decade since dance production dyad Frank & Tony released their last full-length record, 2014’s You Go Girl. Despite, or perhaps in spite of, this shifting landscape, house music has managed to stay fundamentally reliable (either a bug or its greatest feature, depending on who you ask). Where previously, Frank & Tony have been celebrated for their contemplative, studious approach to the genre, with 2024’s Ethos, the Brooklyn/Biarritz-based duo return amidst metastatic cultural upheaval to prove out those scholarly credentials — with an album that serves to remind listeners why dancefloors and liberatory politics consistently share the language of movements and revolutions.
Undoubtedly, Ethos is tremendously influenced by the multitude of projects originating from, and supported by, the duo and their label in the decade since You Go Girl– releasing records from a vast diversity of artists (including Nadia Khan, Gry, Villete, Darand Land, Alex Albrecht, DJ Sprinkles and CCL), and Harris becoming curatorial voice of Brooklyn’s premiere venue for audiophiles, Public Records, where he continues to amplify work across a global diaspora (and where the duo maintain a residency of wide praise).
It is this bright energy and focus on the necessity of community and relationships that animates the aptly-titled Ethos. If past Frank & Tony releases have been lauded as ‘a coloring book in which someone has exclusively drawn inside the lines… with extreme precision,’ Ethos deviates by inviting friends in for a game of exquisite corpse. From singer and pianist Eliana Glass, whose androgynous, double-reeded voice freestyles across album opener Olympia, to distinct track features from fellow house masterminds DaRand Land, DJ Aakmael and Lawrence over half of the album’s nine tracks highlight artists in the larger Scissor & Thread circle.
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Label:Systematic Recordings
Cat-No:syst0137-6
Release-Date:16.02.2024
Genre:Techno
Configuration:12" Excl
Label:Systematic Recordings
Cat-No:syst0137-6
Release-Date:16.02.2024
Genre:Techno
Configuration:12" Excl
1
André Winter & Carlo Ruetz - Akat 1
2
André Winter & Carlo Ruetz - Swac
- First part (1/3) of the first ever collaboration of two techno legends from Germany
- Strictly limited black vinyl (300 only)
GENRE/S: Electro/Techno
TRACKLIST:
A1) André Winter & Carlo Ruetz „Akat 1“
B1) André Winter & Carlo Ruetz „Swac“
SHORT INFO:
"Compute I" signifies a thrilling juncture in the German techno landscape - a pioneering collaboration between André Winter and Carlo Ruetz, two luminaries of the genre. This venture represents a masterful integration of their individual sonic signatures, creating a blend that is both unique and harmonious. Carlo Ruetz, celebrated for his vibrant tracks on acclaimed labels like M_nus, Form, and Senso Sounds, has enthralled audiences with his dynamic live performances, especially at Richie Hawtin's esteemed ENTER Ibiza events. André Winter, instrumental in defining the sound of Oliver Huntemann's Senso Sounds label, has recently dazzled the electronic music community with his remarkable remixes for icons such as Josh Wink, Placebo, DJ Hell, and DJ Rush.
"Compute I" isn't merely a set of tracks; it inaugurates a series that honors the legacy of historical computer models, which laid the groundwork for the sophisticated methods used in today’s contemporary and futuristic electronic music production. This collaboration is more than a showcase of the artists' prowess; it's a tribute to the evolution of electronic music, bridging its rich history with an exciting, forward-looking vision.
More
- Strictly limited black vinyl (300 only)
GENRE/S: Electro/Techno
TRACKLIST:
A1) André Winter & Carlo Ruetz „Akat 1“
B1) André Winter & Carlo Ruetz „Swac“
SHORT INFO:
"Compute I" signifies a thrilling juncture in the German techno landscape - a pioneering collaboration between André Winter and Carlo Ruetz, two luminaries of the genre. This venture represents a masterful integration of their individual sonic signatures, creating a blend that is both unique and harmonious. Carlo Ruetz, celebrated for his vibrant tracks on acclaimed labels like M_nus, Form, and Senso Sounds, has enthralled audiences with his dynamic live performances, especially at Richie Hawtin's esteemed ENTER Ibiza events. André Winter, instrumental in defining the sound of Oliver Huntemann's Senso Sounds label, has recently dazzled the electronic music community with his remarkable remixes for icons such as Josh Wink, Placebo, DJ Hell, and DJ Rush.
"Compute I" isn't merely a set of tracks; it inaugurates a series that honors the legacy of historical computer models, which laid the groundwork for the sophisticated methods used in today’s contemporary and futuristic electronic music production. This collaboration is more than a showcase of the artists' prowess; it's a tribute to the evolution of electronic music, bridging its rich history with an exciting, forward-looking vision.
More
1
Sascha Dive - Dub Chronicles #6
2
Sascha Dive - International Sun-Earth Explorer
3
Sascha Dive - Deep Inside (feat. Robert Owens)
4
Sascha Dive - Promise Street
Special remarks: VINYL ONLY // 180G VINYL // PRINTED KRAFTPACK SLEEVE
Tracklist 12":
A1 Dub Chronicles #6
A2 International Sun-Earth Explorer
B1 Deep Inside (feat. Robert Owens)
B2 Promise Street
Next up is “Deep Inside”, Sascha Dive returns to Bondage Music once again for another deep frequency encounter, as usual as vinyl only release
More
Tracklist 12":
A1 Dub Chronicles #6
A2 International Sun-Earth Explorer
B1 Deep Inside (feat. Robert Owens)
B2 Promise Street
Next up is “Deep Inside”, Sascha Dive returns to Bondage Music once again for another deep frequency encounter, as usual as vinyl only release
More
1
Conjunto Media Luna - Noches de media luna
2
Conjunto Media Luna - Noches de media luna (Turbo Sonidero Remix)
Format: 7” inch – Black Vinyl
Packaging: Black paper sleeve
Tracklisting:
A. Conjunto Media Luna - Noches de media luna
B. Conjunto Media Luna - Noches de media luna (Turbo Sonidero Remix)
Description:
Conjunto Media Luna invites Turbo Sonidero to remix one of their most recent songs: "Noches de Media Luna," which also serves as the title for the album it is a part of.
While it is also a Cumbia song, it originates from another contemporary branch of this genre: the tropicanibalistic sound of Bogota´. These two styles blend in a powerful Kumbiero track that is perfect for dance floors around the world where cumbia has established its unique hypnotic vibe.
Credits:
Prod. by Conjunto Media Luna
Remixed by Turbo Sonidero
Artwork by Michael Boulton
Mastered in 2023 by Simone Squillario
Made with by Little Beat More 2023 More
Packaging: Black paper sleeve
Tracklisting:
A. Conjunto Media Luna - Noches de media luna
B. Conjunto Media Luna - Noches de media luna (Turbo Sonidero Remix)
Description:
Conjunto Media Luna invites Turbo Sonidero to remix one of their most recent songs: "Noches de Media Luna," which also serves as the title for the album it is a part of.
While it is also a Cumbia song, it originates from another contemporary branch of this genre: the tropicanibalistic sound of Bogota´. These two styles blend in a powerful Kumbiero track that is perfect for dance floors around the world where cumbia has established its unique hypnotic vibe.
Credits:
Prod. by Conjunto Media Luna
Remixed by Turbo Sonidero
Artwork by Michael Boulton
Mastered in 2023 by Simone Squillario
Made with by Little Beat More 2023 More
1
IVAN IACOBUCCI AND STELLA FIORE - TRIUMPH
2
IVAN IACOBUCCI AND STELLA FIORE - WAITING FOR MY LOVE
3
IVAN IACOBUCCI AND STELLA FIORE - CLOSE THE DOOR
4
IVAN IACOBUCCI AND STELLA FIORE - FEAR AND MADNESS IN THE DESERT
Tracklist:
A1 TRIUMPH
A2 WAITING FOR MY LOVE
B1 CLOSE THE DOOR
B2 FEAR AND MADNESS IN THE DESERT
Brilliant 4 track E.P. by Ivan Iacobucci and Stella Fiore.
More
A1 TRIUMPH
A2 WAITING FOR MY LOVE
B1 CLOSE THE DOOR
B2 FEAR AND MADNESS IN THE DESERT
Brilliant 4 track E.P. by Ivan Iacobucci and Stella Fiore.
More
1
Nicolas Jaar - 1 Vanish
2
Nicolas Jaar - 2 Menysid
3
Nicolas Jaar - 3 Cenizas
4
Nicolas Jaar - 4 Agosto
5
Nicolas Jaar - 5 Gocce
6
Nicolas Jaar - 6 Mud
7
Nicolas Jaar - 7 Vacíar
8
Nicolas Jaar - 8 Sunder
9
Nicolas Jaar - 9 Hello, Chain
10
Nicolas Jaar - 10 Rubble
11
Nicolas Jaar - 11 Garden
12
Nicolas Jaar - 12 Xerox
13
Nicolas Jaar - 13 Faith Made of Silk
LP
CENIZAS WAS WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY NICOLAS JAAR BETWEEN 2017-2019. MASTERING BY RASHAD BECKER ART BY MAZIYAR PAHLEVAN
MIXING BY NICOLAS JAAR AND PATRICK HIGGINS
* In 2019, Patrick Higgins and Nicolas Jaar mixed some of the record in Higgins' Future- Past studios in Hudson NY and Electric Lady Studios in Manhattan. Additional mixing was done in Figure8 Studios in Brooklyn by Nicola?s.
8/10 Resident Advisor - Cenizas is an LP of significant gravitas from an artist with among the largest and most engaged followings in electronic music
8.0 Pitchfork - Given all the technical ground Cenizas covers, Jarr is an impressively meticulous guide. Every pluck, ping, buzz, scratch, and whistle is intentional, a bump in the tunnel as you slide down the rabbit hole
9/10 Loud & Quiet - Jaar's music has always been deeply preoccupied with atmosphere, and Cenizas is a deeply atmospheric album. It sounds like a void. As you listen, you feel like you could fall into it and never find your way out. In that way, these 54 minutes feel like a sequel to Jaar's first hit, Space is Only Noise, set 5,000 years in the future. He told us then. He's showing us now.
NICOLAS JAAR BIOGRAPHY
NICOLAS JAAR is a Chilean sound maker born in 1990. He is known in the club world for his various dance 12?? EPs and remixes he put out from 2008 to 2011. Since his first full length (SPACE IS ONLY NOISE, 2011), he has embarked in multiple divergent path.
For the last 7 years, he has released a large volume of recordings through his label OTHER PEOPLE (including music by LYDIA LUNCH, WILLIAM BASINSKI, PATRICK HIGGINS, DJ SLUGO, LUCRETIA DALT, PIERRE BASTIEN & TOMAGA, VTGNIKE and others).
In 2015, Nicolas scored DHEEPAN by director JACQUES AUDIARD (winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes 2015).
In 2016, Jaar launched THE NETWORK, a web of 111 fictional radio stations done in collaboration with artists JENA MYUNG and MAZIYAR PAHLEVAN. A batch of these mixes was aired on NTS radio and is archived here: (https://bit.ly/35PwrHu). In 2017, THE NETWORK became a book, published by PRINTED MATTER In NY.
In the spring of 2019, Jaar was commissioned for a 9 hour improvisation in the OUDE KERK CHURCH in Amsterdam which he performed alongside two organists and a dozen surround speakers pointed at the ceiling of the church.
Nicola?s is currently curating a residency for sound artists in the West Bank that takes place in a 130 year-old converted food storage shack in Bethlehem (within the DAR YUSUF NASRI JACIR FOR ART AND RESEARCH)
Residents so far include composer SEBASTIAN JATZ RAWICZ and researcher and artist ROLANDO HERNANDEZ.
In the fall of 2019, he presented INCOMPREHENSIBLE SUN, a sound and light installation in a 200-meter-long ex-military shooting range in Zaandam (The Netherlands) and RETAINING THE ENERGY, BUT LOSING THE IMAGE alongside artist VINCENT DE BELLEVAL which consisted of 10 large rotating parabolic reflectors that capture and emit hyper-focalized surround sound.
For the first SHARJAH ARCHITECTURE TRIENNALE (curated by ADRIAN LAHOUD IN 2019) Nicola?s performed a piece for 16 buried speakers in the desert near the MLEIHA ARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTRE.
Nicola?s has collaborated with artist LYDIA OURAHMANE (MUSIC FOR TWO SEAS, Stromboli), FKA TWIGS (MAGDALENE), and PATRICK HIGGINS under the name AEAEA. He is also a current member of improvisational ensemble ¡MIE?RCOLES! alongside dancer and choreographer STEPHANIE JANAINA, founding member of research collective SHOCK FOREST GROUP, and half of the band DARKSIDE
Tracklist:
1 Vanish
2 Menysid
3 Cenizas
4 Agosto
5 Gocce
6 Mud
7 Vacíar
8 Sunder
9 Hello, Chain
10 Rubble
11 Garden
12 Xerox
13 Faith Made of Silk
More
CENIZAS WAS WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY NICOLAS JAAR BETWEEN 2017-2019. MASTERING BY RASHAD BECKER ART BY MAZIYAR PAHLEVAN
MIXING BY NICOLAS JAAR AND PATRICK HIGGINS
* In 2019, Patrick Higgins and Nicolas Jaar mixed some of the record in Higgins' Future- Past studios in Hudson NY and Electric Lady Studios in Manhattan. Additional mixing was done in Figure8 Studios in Brooklyn by Nicola?s.
8/10 Resident Advisor - Cenizas is an LP of significant gravitas from an artist with among the largest and most engaged followings in electronic music
8.0 Pitchfork - Given all the technical ground Cenizas covers, Jarr is an impressively meticulous guide. Every pluck, ping, buzz, scratch, and whistle is intentional, a bump in the tunnel as you slide down the rabbit hole
9/10 Loud & Quiet - Jaar's music has always been deeply preoccupied with atmosphere, and Cenizas is a deeply atmospheric album. It sounds like a void. As you listen, you feel like you could fall into it and never find your way out. In that way, these 54 minutes feel like a sequel to Jaar's first hit, Space is Only Noise, set 5,000 years in the future. He told us then. He's showing us now.
NICOLAS JAAR BIOGRAPHY
NICOLAS JAAR is a Chilean sound maker born in 1990. He is known in the club world for his various dance 12?? EPs and remixes he put out from 2008 to 2011. Since his first full length (SPACE IS ONLY NOISE, 2011), he has embarked in multiple divergent path.
For the last 7 years, he has released a large volume of recordings through his label OTHER PEOPLE (including music by LYDIA LUNCH, WILLIAM BASINSKI, PATRICK HIGGINS, DJ SLUGO, LUCRETIA DALT, PIERRE BASTIEN & TOMAGA, VTGNIKE and others).
In 2015, Nicolas scored DHEEPAN by director JACQUES AUDIARD (winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes 2015).
In 2016, Jaar launched THE NETWORK, a web of 111 fictional radio stations done in collaboration with artists JENA MYUNG and MAZIYAR PAHLEVAN. A batch of these mixes was aired on NTS radio and is archived here: (https://bit.ly/35PwrHu). In 2017, THE NETWORK became a book, published by PRINTED MATTER In NY.
In the spring of 2019, Jaar was commissioned for a 9 hour improvisation in the OUDE KERK CHURCH in Amsterdam which he performed alongside two organists and a dozen surround speakers pointed at the ceiling of the church.
Nicola?s is currently curating a residency for sound artists in the West Bank that takes place in a 130 year-old converted food storage shack in Bethlehem (within the DAR YUSUF NASRI JACIR FOR ART AND RESEARCH)
Residents so far include composer SEBASTIAN JATZ RAWICZ and researcher and artist ROLANDO HERNANDEZ.
In the fall of 2019, he presented INCOMPREHENSIBLE SUN, a sound and light installation in a 200-meter-long ex-military shooting range in Zaandam (The Netherlands) and RETAINING THE ENERGY, BUT LOSING THE IMAGE alongside artist VINCENT DE BELLEVAL which consisted of 10 large rotating parabolic reflectors that capture and emit hyper-focalized surround sound.
For the first SHARJAH ARCHITECTURE TRIENNALE (curated by ADRIAN LAHOUD IN 2019) Nicola?s performed a piece for 16 buried speakers in the desert near the MLEIHA ARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTRE.
Nicola?s has collaborated with artist LYDIA OURAHMANE (MUSIC FOR TWO SEAS, Stromboli), FKA TWIGS (MAGDALENE), and PATRICK HIGGINS under the name AEAEA. He is also a current member of improvisational ensemble ¡MIE?RCOLES! alongside dancer and choreographer STEPHANIE JANAINA, founding member of research collective SHOCK FOREST GROUP, and half of the band DARKSIDE
Tracklist:
1 Vanish
2 Menysid
3 Cenizas
4 Agosto
5 Gocce
6 Mud
7 Vacíar
8 Sunder
9 Hello, Chain
10 Rubble
11 Garden
12 Xerox
13 Faith Made of Silk
More
1
Kink - Perth
2
Kink - Perth, Chord Mix
3
Kink - Perth, Beat Mix
Tracklist:
A.Perth B1. Perth (Chord Mix) B2. Perth (Beat Mix)
Shortinfo:
Toot Toot, Beep Beep, out of the way! KiNK's taster for his up-and coming album on Running Back is here.
"Perth" is a prime-example of the Bulgarian producer's unstoppable good times ware. Taken from "Playground", the three versions here are dripping with grease. Split between the original, a chord mix and a beat version, it's all you ever wanted from a single. Perfect house music for techno DJs and techno music for disco DJs. We strongly recommend the use of two copies back and forth...fun, fun, fun!
More
A.Perth B1. Perth (Chord Mix) B2. Perth (Beat Mix)
Shortinfo:
Toot Toot, Beep Beep, out of the way! KiNK's taster for his up-and coming album on Running Back is here.
"Perth" is a prime-example of the Bulgarian producer's unstoppable good times ware. Taken from "Playground", the three versions here are dripping with grease. Split between the original, a chord mix and a beat version, it's all you ever wanted from a single. Perfect house music for techno DJs and techno music for disco DJs. We strongly recommend the use of two copies back and forth...fun, fun, fun!
More
1
Maston - A1 : Swans (01:56)
2
Maston - A2 : New Danger (01:57)
3
Maston - A3 : Old Habits (02:02)
4
Maston - A4 : Chase Theme No. 1 (01:49)
5
Maston - A5 : Infinite Bliss (01:34)
6
Maston - A6 : Evening (01:41)
7
Maston - B1 : Rain Dance (02:54)
8
Maston - B2 : Sure Thing (02:12)
9
Maston - B3 : Garçon Manqué (02:00)
10
Maston - B4 : Turning In (02:49)
11
Maston - B5 : Chase Theme No. 2 (01:05)
12
Maston - B6 : Hues (02:00)
Format Notes: 2024 repress, 140g vinyl, can be played at 33rpm or 45rpm
Track List:
A1 : Swans (01:56)
A2 : New Danger (01:57)
A3 : Old Habits (02:02)
A4 : Chase Theme No. 1 (01:49)
A5 : Infinite Bliss (01:34)
A6 : Evening (01:41)
B1 : Rain Dance (02:54)
B2 : Sure Thing (02:12)
B3 : Garçon Manqué (02:00)
B4 : Turning In (02:49)
B5 : Chase Theme No. 2 (01:05)
B6 : Hues (02:00)
Release Notes:
Frank Maston’s Tulips is a sample-ready film score to the best 70s movie never made. Originally a super-limited self-release on his Phonoscope label in late 2017, Tulips has already become incredibly sought-after. Be With were introduced to Maston by mutual friends Aquarium Drunkard and it didn’t take long before we decided this modern classic deserved a reissue.
Inspired by the deep-grooving soundtracks of Italian cinema - think Morricone, Umiliani and Alessandroni - Maston conceived the entire Tulips project as a continuation of these revered works. Frank designed the artwork and made two 16mm films to accompany the music: “It wasn’t just the LP… it was kind of a whole vibe I was trying to create. Not really trying to emulate the things that influenced me but more trying to make something that could sit alongside those records on a shelf. I’m still very proud of the project.”
There’s a distinct library music feel too, with wiry organ, spacey keyboards and loping 60s guitar hinting at KPM and DeWolfe. Like the best library music, Tulips creates a cinematic universe through sound alone, evoking moving images in the listener’s technicolour imagination. It turns out that was accidentally on purpose: “I was discovering a lot of library music for the first time… listening to a composer’s entire catalog or finding all this obscure stuff. I wasn’t entirely conscious of the influence until I started making this music and realized I was channeling the vibe. That’s when I began focusing more on weaving melodic themes throughout the record to make it function more like a soundtrack”.
Tulips was recorded between 2015 and 2017 in a small studio in a village called Zwaag in Holland, during downtime from Frank’s touring duties with Jacco Gardner’s band. “Tulips” comes from the title of the very first demo he made in Holland, it was the first thing that came to mind. Makes sense.
Recording in Europe with some very European influences in mind, Frank wanted to eschew any American influences. But we can still feel the studio wizardry of the likes of Brian Wilson and Harry Nilsson in there somewhere. A psychedelic bedroom-pop song-cycle, full of hypnotic hooks and dusty drums, Tulips manages to sound charmingly homemade yet wholly widescreen.
Dreamy opener “Swans” is an exquisite soul instrumental and recalls the soft-psych of Koushik, which Be With loves of course. Tropicalia influences abound in the cool and breezy “New Danger” and the KPM-references are loud and proud on the lush organ pop of “Old Habits”. Fast-paced “Chase Theme No. 1” manages to be both tense and laid back, decorated by acid-drenched spaghetti Western guitars. The glorious Gainsbourg-esque melancholia of “Infinite Bliss” is all gauzy flutes and happy-sad vocalizing and the title is almost perfect: it’s bliss, no question; *if only* it went on forever. Side A closes with “Evening”, a subtle bossa nova beat thing. Gorgeous.
Side B opens with the heat-shimmer guitars of “Rain Dance”, evoking an unreleased Byrds or Buffalo Springfield backing track. Yes, it’s that good. “Sure Thing” is music to accompany an elevator ride you never want to end, but in a good way! The ornate “Garçon Manqué” is as beautiful as the instrumentals on Pet Sounds (think “Let’s Go Away For A While”) and the wistful “Turning In” starts like a stroll in the park before Maston introduces a scorched-Earth guitar solo that would startle if it wasn’t so pitch-perfect. “Chase Theme No. 2” is a briefer, more keening counterpart to what we hear on side A. The head-nod bass-drums-keys funk of “Hues” rounds out this staggeringly assured set; still opening each phrase with a plaintive strum, but using vibrato and heavy reverb to accent the electric organ melody. Sublime.
All these top drawer musical references might sound like just more of the usual release notes hyperbole, but there’s a reason that this still-young LP already changes hands for big money. It really is that good. Of course that first pressing didn’t hang around for long and Frank’s regularly been asked about a re-press pretty much ever since.
Re-issuing Tulips on Be With made sense to Frank “because the record would fit in so well with the catalogue”. Having already delved into the archives of KPM and Themes, and beginning to do the same with Coloursound and Selected Sounds, the collaboration “just makes sense and seems inevitable”. We agree.
Frank wasn’t sure a record of instrumentals with obscure soundtrack references would be an easy sell when it was originally released, and was surprised when Tulips turned out to be exactly what some people wanted to hear. We reckon its timeless beauty ensures that it’ll *always* have an audience.
The record was originally cut to be played at 45rpm, a technical quirk that grants the home listener the opportunity to go deeper, for longer. Played at 33rpm, the more languid unfurling of the tracks proves just as wonderful a trip. As a psilocybin-soaked case study from Aquarium Drunkard back in January of 2019 describes, some of the songs sound as if they were intended to be heard that way. The slower speed allowing the listener to step inside and perhaps even “crack the code” of the music’s meaning.
Mastered for this vinyl reissue by Simon Francis and featuring alternative burnt orange artwork from Maston himself, this Be With pressing is limited to just 500 copies. Hypnagogic it may be, but please don’t sleep.
More
Track List:
A1 : Swans (01:56)
A2 : New Danger (01:57)
A3 : Old Habits (02:02)
A4 : Chase Theme No. 1 (01:49)
A5 : Infinite Bliss (01:34)
A6 : Evening (01:41)
B1 : Rain Dance (02:54)
B2 : Sure Thing (02:12)
B3 : Garçon Manqué (02:00)
B4 : Turning In (02:49)
B5 : Chase Theme No. 2 (01:05)
B6 : Hues (02:00)
Release Notes:
Frank Maston’s Tulips is a sample-ready film score to the best 70s movie never made. Originally a super-limited self-release on his Phonoscope label in late 2017, Tulips has already become incredibly sought-after. Be With were introduced to Maston by mutual friends Aquarium Drunkard and it didn’t take long before we decided this modern classic deserved a reissue.
Inspired by the deep-grooving soundtracks of Italian cinema - think Morricone, Umiliani and Alessandroni - Maston conceived the entire Tulips project as a continuation of these revered works. Frank designed the artwork and made two 16mm films to accompany the music: “It wasn’t just the LP… it was kind of a whole vibe I was trying to create. Not really trying to emulate the things that influenced me but more trying to make something that could sit alongside those records on a shelf. I’m still very proud of the project.”
There’s a distinct library music feel too, with wiry organ, spacey keyboards and loping 60s guitar hinting at KPM and DeWolfe. Like the best library music, Tulips creates a cinematic universe through sound alone, evoking moving images in the listener’s technicolour imagination. It turns out that was accidentally on purpose: “I was discovering a lot of library music for the first time… listening to a composer’s entire catalog or finding all this obscure stuff. I wasn’t entirely conscious of the influence until I started making this music and realized I was channeling the vibe. That’s when I began focusing more on weaving melodic themes throughout the record to make it function more like a soundtrack”.
Tulips was recorded between 2015 and 2017 in a small studio in a village called Zwaag in Holland, during downtime from Frank’s touring duties with Jacco Gardner’s band. “Tulips” comes from the title of the very first demo he made in Holland, it was the first thing that came to mind. Makes sense.
Recording in Europe with some very European influences in mind, Frank wanted to eschew any American influences. But we can still feel the studio wizardry of the likes of Brian Wilson and Harry Nilsson in there somewhere. A psychedelic bedroom-pop song-cycle, full of hypnotic hooks and dusty drums, Tulips manages to sound charmingly homemade yet wholly widescreen.
Dreamy opener “Swans” is an exquisite soul instrumental and recalls the soft-psych of Koushik, which Be With loves of course. Tropicalia influences abound in the cool and breezy “New Danger” and the KPM-references are loud and proud on the lush organ pop of “Old Habits”. Fast-paced “Chase Theme No. 1” manages to be both tense and laid back, decorated by acid-drenched spaghetti Western guitars. The glorious Gainsbourg-esque melancholia of “Infinite Bliss” is all gauzy flutes and happy-sad vocalizing and the title is almost perfect: it’s bliss, no question; *if only* it went on forever. Side A closes with “Evening”, a subtle bossa nova beat thing. Gorgeous.
Side B opens with the heat-shimmer guitars of “Rain Dance”, evoking an unreleased Byrds or Buffalo Springfield backing track. Yes, it’s that good. “Sure Thing” is music to accompany an elevator ride you never want to end, but in a good way! The ornate “Garçon Manqué” is as beautiful as the instrumentals on Pet Sounds (think “Let’s Go Away For A While”) and the wistful “Turning In” starts like a stroll in the park before Maston introduces a scorched-Earth guitar solo that would startle if it wasn’t so pitch-perfect. “Chase Theme No. 2” is a briefer, more keening counterpart to what we hear on side A. The head-nod bass-drums-keys funk of “Hues” rounds out this staggeringly assured set; still opening each phrase with a plaintive strum, but using vibrato and heavy reverb to accent the electric organ melody. Sublime.
All these top drawer musical references might sound like just more of the usual release notes hyperbole, but there’s a reason that this still-young LP already changes hands for big money. It really is that good. Of course that first pressing didn’t hang around for long and Frank’s regularly been asked about a re-press pretty much ever since.
Re-issuing Tulips on Be With made sense to Frank “because the record would fit in so well with the catalogue”. Having already delved into the archives of KPM and Themes, and beginning to do the same with Coloursound and Selected Sounds, the collaboration “just makes sense and seems inevitable”. We agree.
Frank wasn’t sure a record of instrumentals with obscure soundtrack references would be an easy sell when it was originally released, and was surprised when Tulips turned out to be exactly what some people wanted to hear. We reckon its timeless beauty ensures that it’ll *always* have an audience.
The record was originally cut to be played at 45rpm, a technical quirk that grants the home listener the opportunity to go deeper, for longer. Played at 33rpm, the more languid unfurling of the tracks proves just as wonderful a trip. As a psilocybin-soaked case study from Aquarium Drunkard back in January of 2019 describes, some of the songs sound as if they were intended to be heard that way. The slower speed allowing the listener to step inside and perhaps even “crack the code” of the music’s meaning.
Mastered for this vinyl reissue by Simon Francis and featuring alternative burnt orange artwork from Maston himself, this Be With pressing is limited to just 500 copies. Hypnagogic it may be, but please don’t sleep.
More
1
Polygonia, Popp - A1. Ronpchi 02:14 min
2
Polygonia, Popp - A2. Honsu 05:48 min
3
Polygonia, Popp - A3. Lian 02:05 min
4
Polygonia, Popp - A4. Benbut 08:18 min
5
Polygonia, Popp - A5. Onyx 04:11 min
6
Polygonia, Popp - B1. Skid 02:27 min
7
Polygonia, Popp - B2. Imber 04:50 min
8
Polygonia, Popp - B3. Nakuku 05:29 min
9
Polygonia, Popp - B4. Ysop 05:40 min
10
Polygonia, Popp - B5. Eyb 01:59 min
LP
Special remarks:
180g
Tracklist:
A1) Ronpchi 02:14 min
A2) Honsu 05:48 min
A3) Lian 02:05 min
A4) Benbut 08:18 min
A5) Onyx 04:11 min
B1) Skid 02:27 min
B2) Imber 04:50 min
B3) Nakuku 05:29 min
B4) Ysop 05:40 min
B5) Eyb 01:59 min
Info:
Roots run deep on "Candid', the first LP by Munich-based producer Polygonia and drummer Simon Popp. The record is a perfect blend of their distinct voices, with Popp's drumset and his signature percussion sounds buzzing around Polygonia's bold and blooming productions.
Comprised of live material recorded at Munich's ZIRKA in late 2022 and over several studio sessions in-between touring duties, 'Candid' is a meadow of herbal Electronic, mystic at times, but joyful nonetheless.
More
Special remarks:
180g
Tracklist:
A1) Ronpchi 02:14 min
A2) Honsu 05:48 min
A3) Lian 02:05 min
A4) Benbut 08:18 min
A5) Onyx 04:11 min
B1) Skid 02:27 min
B2) Imber 04:50 min
B3) Nakuku 05:29 min
B4) Ysop 05:40 min
B5) Eyb 01:59 min
Info:
Roots run deep on "Candid', the first LP by Munich-based producer Polygonia and drummer Simon Popp. The record is a perfect blend of their distinct voices, with Popp's drumset and his signature percussion sounds buzzing around Polygonia's bold and blooming productions.
Comprised of live material recorded at Munich's ZIRKA in late 2022 and over several studio sessions in-between touring duties, 'Candid' is a meadow of herbal Electronic, mystic at times, but joyful nonetheless.
More
1
Die Heteros - Monogamie, Kannibalismus unserer Zeit (Kapote Rework)
2
Camilla Motor - Gefahr Im Tivoli (Kapote Rework)
3
Exkurs - Fakten Sind Terror (Kapote Rework)
4
Carmen - Schlaraffenland (Kapote Rework)
5
Explorer - Yellow Power (Kapote Rework)
6
BBB - Alltag (Kapote Rework)
7
Roter Mund - Mit Dir Allein (Kapote Rework)
8
Die Chefs - Frauenkörper (Kapote Rework)
LP 2x12"
MUNK presents: TEUTONIK DISASTER (Compilation)
German New Wave Funk 1979 - 1983
Compilation originally released 2003 on Gomma records.
A very special compilation. 8 edits and reworks of rare German New Wave Funk and Disco Punk.
Toy Tonics label heads Mathias Munk Modica and Kapote present Teutonik Disaster, a very special compilation with 8 edits and reworks of rare German New Wave Funk and Disco Punk from 1979 to 1983.
A1 Die Heteros - Monogamie, Kannibalismus unserer Zeit (Kapote Rework)
A2 Camilla Motor - Gefahr Im Tivoli (Kapote Rework)
B1 Exkurs - Fakten Sind Terror (Kapote Rework)
B2 Carmen - Schlaraffenland (Kapote Rework)
C1 Explorer - Yellow Power (Kapote Rework)
C2 BBB - Alltag (Kapote Rework)
D1 Roter Mund - Mit Dir Allein (Kapote Rework)
D2 Die Chefs - Frauenkörper (Kapote Rework)
There have been millions of typical disco edits in the last years. But there is so much more interesting music from the late 1970s and early 80s yet to bubble its way to the surface. One of those lesser explored fields is the crazy funky side of Germany's underground disco and new wave from that period. At the time, many German bands were trying to make their own version of English and American styles. After Kraftwerk and Can had started to use the German language in a cool, new way, many bands that followed in their steps experimented with German new wave. Most of these bands didn't reach a bigger audience. Their records never got pressed to more than 300 - 500 copies as they were a number of years ahead of the huge commercial explosion of German pop in 1984: The NDW aka "Neue Deutsche Welle", with Nena's humongous hit 99 Red Balloons. The bands featured on the compilation released their music before the NDW hype and later broke up. Plenty of these early bands are best forgotten but if you dig deeper you'll find the gems, bursting with style and attitude. And that's just what Toy Tonics heads Mathias Munk Modica & Kapote did. They hit gold.
Most of these tracks have already been released on the original "Teutonik Disaster" compilation in 2003 on Gomma Records. Gomma was the label that Mathias Munk Modica started before Toy Tonics 15 years ago, where he released records with James Murphy, WhoMadeWho, Asia Argento... Gomma is not active anymore, but it felt like the right time to re-release this compilation in 2019. Munk and Toy Tonics partner Kapote made new versions of these rare songs, adding drum machines and extended them. The result is unbelievable music, heavy funk basslines, soulful vibes, cool vocals that you would be hard pressed to expect from Germans and a vibe that slots in perfectly in 2019's post-techno and post-deep house scenario.
The artists:
Camilla Motor, Die Heteros and Exkurs: These bands were inspired by New York's proto disco bands like ESG or Liquid Liquid. Basslines that could come from a 1975 disco dancefloor and white boy funk drums which would bring to mind the music released on ZE Records during that period. Exkurs' "Fakten sind Terror" was discovered by Munk in an old vintage shop in Munich. It was first released on Gomma's original compilation in 2003, then re-released on Optimo's JD Twitch compilation "Kreaturen der Nacht" on Strut in 2018. Most of these musicians had connections to art academies in Cologne, Mannheim and Hamburg. They would often be dilettantes with their instruments, but with an unfailable passion for black music and new wave as well as dadaistic, ironic and scandalous lyrics: Take for example Die Heteros: "Monogamy, cannibalism of our days!" from the album "Romantik Ist Tot" (Cologne 1982). The title says it all.
Carmen's "Schlaraffenland", like most of these songs this track also came out in 1982. Two years before the commercially successful Neue Deutsche Welle exploded. Carmen's amazingly sensual German vocals stand out and the groove could easily have been on a Blondie or Talking Heads album. It's certain that these musicians tried to imitated the New York art funk vibe. The song was co-produced by Piet Klocke, who was part of another white boy funk group called Die Tanzdiele and later became a comedy star on German TV.
Die Chefs' "Frauenkörper" is a track from a band that deliberately flirted with controversy during its existence. Released in 1982, their album was took off the market by their label and their concerts were cancelled after protests. The track itself sounds like it could have been on a Prince record, with a weirdly funky beat and pan-asian indebted synth melodies
Roter Mund and B.B.B. are straight up disco vibes with German dada slogans, cold new wave drums but with a funky feel underpinning everything. You're guaranteed to rock any forward thinking disco dancefloor of 2019 with these. The two guys behind Hamburg's Roter Mund where inspired by American breakdance music when producing their debut LP in 1982. They pose with old school sneakers and imitate NY breakers poses on the back cover of the album. Later the guys became successful producers of German schlager (Germany's answer to mainstream pop). Munk & Kapote changed quite a bit here from the original versions, adding bass drums and hi hats, cutting out and repeating certain parts to make it sound fresher. The same process happened with B.B.B. where large sections of the original track were edited out.
Explorer's track comes from an album that was originally sonic experiments with early sequencers and synthesizers by Tony Carey, a legendary Californian musician who was part of Rainbow. He later moved to Germany where he worked with Peter Hauke but ended up producing schlager, TV commercials and pop. But his first album "Yellow Power" is cult. It's crazy to hear how these jams sound like early proto techno or electro funk. They could have been made in Detroit 15 years later. The original LP was cult between the late 80ies Cosmic and balearic scene. This is Robotic Funk.
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MUNK presents: TEUTONIK DISASTER (Compilation)
German New Wave Funk 1979 - 1983
Compilation originally released 2003 on Gomma records.
A very special compilation. 8 edits and reworks of rare German New Wave Funk and Disco Punk.
Toy Tonics label heads Mathias Munk Modica and Kapote present Teutonik Disaster, a very special compilation with 8 edits and reworks of rare German New Wave Funk and Disco Punk from 1979 to 1983.
A1 Die Heteros - Monogamie, Kannibalismus unserer Zeit (Kapote Rework)
A2 Camilla Motor - Gefahr Im Tivoli (Kapote Rework)
B1 Exkurs - Fakten Sind Terror (Kapote Rework)
B2 Carmen - Schlaraffenland (Kapote Rework)
C1 Explorer - Yellow Power (Kapote Rework)
C2 BBB - Alltag (Kapote Rework)
D1 Roter Mund - Mit Dir Allein (Kapote Rework)
D2 Die Chefs - Frauenkörper (Kapote Rework)
There have been millions of typical disco edits in the last years. But there is so much more interesting music from the late 1970s and early 80s yet to bubble its way to the surface. One of those lesser explored fields is the crazy funky side of Germany's underground disco and new wave from that period. At the time, many German bands were trying to make their own version of English and American styles. After Kraftwerk and Can had started to use the German language in a cool, new way, many bands that followed in their steps experimented with German new wave. Most of these bands didn't reach a bigger audience. Their records never got pressed to more than 300 - 500 copies as they were a number of years ahead of the huge commercial explosion of German pop in 1984: The NDW aka "Neue Deutsche Welle", with Nena's humongous hit 99 Red Balloons. The bands featured on the compilation released their music before the NDW hype and later broke up. Plenty of these early bands are best forgotten but if you dig deeper you'll find the gems, bursting with style and attitude. And that's just what Toy Tonics heads Mathias Munk Modica & Kapote did. They hit gold.
Most of these tracks have already been released on the original "Teutonik Disaster" compilation in 2003 on Gomma Records. Gomma was the label that Mathias Munk Modica started before Toy Tonics 15 years ago, where he released records with James Murphy, WhoMadeWho, Asia Argento... Gomma is not active anymore, but it felt like the right time to re-release this compilation in 2019. Munk and Toy Tonics partner Kapote made new versions of these rare songs, adding drum machines and extended them. The result is unbelievable music, heavy funk basslines, soulful vibes, cool vocals that you would be hard pressed to expect from Germans and a vibe that slots in perfectly in 2019's post-techno and post-deep house scenario.
The artists:
Camilla Motor, Die Heteros and Exkurs: These bands were inspired by New York's proto disco bands like ESG or Liquid Liquid. Basslines that could come from a 1975 disco dancefloor and white boy funk drums which would bring to mind the music released on ZE Records during that period. Exkurs' "Fakten sind Terror" was discovered by Munk in an old vintage shop in Munich. It was first released on Gomma's original compilation in 2003, then re-released on Optimo's JD Twitch compilation "Kreaturen der Nacht" on Strut in 2018. Most of these musicians had connections to art academies in Cologne, Mannheim and Hamburg. They would often be dilettantes with their instruments, but with an unfailable passion for black music and new wave as well as dadaistic, ironic and scandalous lyrics: Take for example Die Heteros: "Monogamy, cannibalism of our days!" from the album "Romantik Ist Tot" (Cologne 1982). The title says it all.
Carmen's "Schlaraffenland", like most of these songs this track also came out in 1982. Two years before the commercially successful Neue Deutsche Welle exploded. Carmen's amazingly sensual German vocals stand out and the groove could easily have been on a Blondie or Talking Heads album. It's certain that these musicians tried to imitated the New York art funk vibe. The song was co-produced by Piet Klocke, who was part of another white boy funk group called Die Tanzdiele and later became a comedy star on German TV.
Die Chefs' "Frauenkörper" is a track from a band that deliberately flirted with controversy during its existence. Released in 1982, their album was took off the market by their label and their concerts were cancelled after protests. The track itself sounds like it could have been on a Prince record, with a weirdly funky beat and pan-asian indebted synth melodies
Roter Mund and B.B.B. are straight up disco vibes with German dada slogans, cold new wave drums but with a funky feel underpinning everything. You're guaranteed to rock any forward thinking disco dancefloor of 2019 with these. The two guys behind Hamburg's Roter Mund where inspired by American breakdance music when producing their debut LP in 1982. They pose with old school sneakers and imitate NY breakers poses on the back cover of the album. Later the guys became successful producers of German schlager (Germany's answer to mainstream pop). Munk & Kapote changed quite a bit here from the original versions, adding bass drums and hi hats, cutting out and repeating certain parts to make it sound fresher. The same process happened with B.B.B. where large sections of the original track were edited out.
Explorer's track comes from an album that was originally sonic experiments with early sequencers and synthesizers by Tony Carey, a legendary Californian musician who was part of Rainbow. He later moved to Germany where he worked with Peter Hauke but ended up producing schlager, TV commercials and pop. But his first album "Yellow Power" is cult. It's crazy to hear how these jams sound like early proto techno or electro funk. They could have been made in Detroit 15 years later. The original LP was cult between the late 80ies Cosmic and balearic scene. This is Robotic Funk.
More