Derwin Daniels, Soprano Sax player and composer, made this little R&B 45 in 1989. Recorded with vocals by the unfortunately passed away La Donna Wells who brings a Mary J Level performance 3 years before "What's The 411" hit the streets. Slick, deep R&B that's soulful enough for modern soul and disco sets, what's not to love. Flipped with some Jazz Bizznes from Derwin, utter gold!

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Killer wonky modern soul / disco out NYC written by Producer Alan Jones. Rathen than put the instrumental on the flip same as the og, we opted to put a mix with a lower vocal on the B-side, mostly because we wanted a mix to play out ourselves, killer modern 45, do it!

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Insanely good almost completely unreleased Jazz funk LP from Roland Haynes Jr. (They released just a single 45 included here from the tapes). Think undiscovered James Mason, and you'll be half way there, even by our high standards, this LP is HUGE. Until now, that 1983 single has been the sole material trace of both band and artist. But like many dedicated musicians who follow their own path outside of the music industry, Haynes understood his musical worth, and the quality of his band. He had documented his work at key moments, laying down carefully worked out studio sessions and recording packed-out live gigs. The recordings that we present here are drawn from Haynes' personal archive of studio recordings that were for the most part unreleased.

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Our close friend and fellow Scot, now Ibiza resident, Pikes resident DJ and island favourite, 'For Mankind' (Russ Forman) had talked about doing a studio collaboration for some time. Last winter, we finally managed to get in the studio and make some music.

Drawn upon our mutual loves of house music, dub and weirdo dance music by the likes of African Head Charge, Larry Heard and Sun Ra. We also added sprinkles of influence from other oddball tracks that make up our more interesting sets. We spent hours just pulling and listening to records from all our collections and talking about music before hitting the studio.

What resulted from the session is a beautiful and exciting blend of everyone's taste - dreamy, minimal, almost techno synthscapes, New York oddball house that sounds like some lost Sleeping Bag test press to almost Música Popular Brasileira.

At one point Russ, (For Mankind) grabbed the mic and hit us with his best pidgin Spanish, this snowballed onto a few more tracks, so we felt it only right the LP should also bear his name. Russ' vocal came as a surprise to us all, loose, funky, wild and carefree, (like the man himself), with positivity and a message: This music is for everyone. We should all work together, help and contribute.

Our good friend Hanna (Philomenah) also brings her giant talent on Brazilian influenced 'I Can't wait', expect to hear a lot more from this Shetland-born singer on Athens of the North and elsewhere.

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Roland Haynes Jr and his group Phenix released just a single 45 on their eponymous label:the sophisticated modern soul cut 'Mind Games', with a dapper jazz ballad,'The Essence of Jai' as the flipside (coming soon on the studio LP). Until now, that 1983 single has been the sole material trace of both band and artist. But like many dedicated musicians who follow their own path outside of the music industry, Haynes understood his musical worth, and the quality of his band. He had documented his work at key moments, laying down carefully worked out studio sessions and recording packed-out live gigs. The recordings that we present here are drawn from Haynes' personal archive.

This first collection presents a selection of the many live recordings made by Phenix at Quarter Moon club in Orangeburg, South Carolina. This allows us to listen in as Haynes'abundantly talented band stretches out on a tight selection of originals and covers. Together, these sets allow Roland HaynesJrtofinallystakehisclaim to a place alongside the most forward-thinking jazz and soul artists of his era.

Covers of Marvin Gaye, Santana, Hubert Laws & The Jeff Lorber Fusion as well as originals.

500 Copies Only Double Vinyl.

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On this new ATON 12" we have two very different beast, basement or bigroom, both sampling a rare disco 45 by Sass Band called 'Where Is the Love'. Side A is another East Coast Love Affair outing, a super deep druggy disco burner for the heads, we need to make more of these. To counteract the A side on the flip we have a full on late 90s style party banger that will deffo get some asses moving (and some beard strokers crying). Kevin McCullagh (BDK) sent me this last year (or possibly the year before) and gave me the idea for this 12, it took some time to track down the licence but with some help Julien (Waxist DJ) andPascal. at Pusher distrubtion we were a le to clear the sample which was super appreciated. Get it, pick your side, rock the party.

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A vibrant kaleidoscope of sound, colour and emotion, British multi-hyphenate James Alexander Bright's new album 'Cool Cool' is set for release on 26th July via Athens Of The North. A dynamic set of urgent funkers, gentle soul ballads, head-nodders, fuzzy folkers and straight-up disco bangers span 10 songs that soundtrack fertile daydreams, esoteric dancefloors, languorous reflection, and wild excursions in nature and beyond. James' voice, pitched somewhere between Eddie Chacon, Beck and Michael McDonald, takes a confident lead on this new record. Whether tenderly caressing on the title track's beautiful soul minimalism or deployed passionately on boogie machine 'Straight Line'; it's an immediately recognisable signature. Impressive multi-instrumentalism sees him perform on guitar, bass, keys, programming, percussion, production and myriad quirky effects; across song subjects that cover searching for truth, imagining the distant future, teen nostalgia, relaxation exploration, aspirations of freedom, and classic tales of love and romance.

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Electro-boogie-machine 'Straight Line' is taken from 'Cool Cool', the upcoming third album by British multi-hyphenate James Alexander Bright. "'Straight Line' started out as a wonky homage to 80s & 90s radio", says James. "It's based on the memory of meeting someone you want to stay up all night listening to music with". James' passionate voice, pitched somewhere between Eddie Chacon, Beck and Michael McDonald, takes a confident lead over a melange of body-popping LinnDrum beats, a host of swooping, fuzzy synths, and backseat-rocking bass. Initially written and recorded at his home studio in the rolling hills of the Hampshire countryside, 'Straight Line' was completed with regular collaborator Peter Lyons in East London. It's backed on 7" vinyl with the wonky dancefloor wobbler 'Oh My', sounding something like Theo Parrish producing Arthur Russell after a sleepless night.


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This month we have three beautifully pressed mostly unreleased Ike Noble 45s with o.g style silver Ink overprinted labels, they look just

Side A on this 45 is a killer previously unreleased cover of James Brown's classic "Money Wont Change You" stepping up the pressure with The Uptight's on backing smashing it out the part, it probably outdoes the JB version.

On the flip, it's Big Boy/Girl ballad time. Stunning unreleased deep soul. Sweet Deep soul heads will hoover this up so be quick.

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This month we have three beautifully pressed mostly unreleased Ike Noble 45s with o.g style silver Ink overprinted labels, they look just

On side A we have the only previously released (but very rare) track on these three 45s. A brilliant, mid-tempo soul chugger that falls between Syl Johnson and James Brown, undeniable, how this did not blow up at the time is beyond comprehension.

On the flip, it is Deep Soul time again with a version of 'Best of Luck to You', also recorded by Sam baker and Earl Gaines, but easily toping both.

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This month we have three beautifully pressed mostly unreleased Ike Noble 45s with o.g style silver Ink overprinted labels, they look just

On side-A we have the only previously released (but very rare) track on these three 45s. A brilliant, mid-tempo soul chugger that falls between Syl Johnson and James Brown, undeniable, how this did not blow up at the time is beyond comprehension.

On the flip, HUGE deepsoul anthem 'Look a Little Higher' was release at the time but is mad rare, again a hit that never made it. Solid Gold!

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A rare but unknown modern soul dancer from band Premonition or Premonitions depending on what release they put out. The A side is well written proto disco dancer, it's no wonder collectors have been calling begging for the TPs on this , as nobody can find an original (my copy is beat to death).

I actually really dig the sweet soul flip, its almost to cheesy but walks the edge well, and has some great rising moments if that's your bag (which is should be).

500 Only

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Modern soul / disco royalty, written by the talented Mark Beiner and co-writer Ben Iverson about Marks x girlfriend. It is up there with the best modern floaters in the game. I still remember the first time I Heard this on the dancefloor at Prestatyn soul weekender (I cannot remember who played it), I set out on a mission to get myself a copy which failed miserably at every turn. Many years later I finnaly met Mark, he had done a great job looking after the tapes and all the epherma surrounding the band after Ben has passed away.

On the flip, an early new york rap 45 by the band, previously unreleased on vinyl (we did do it digitally with the LP).

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The rarest and best genuinely outsider soul 45 to come out of America (I know that's a controversial shout), Lee Tracy's super rare single outing from the outskirts of Nashville is a dream of something bigger that never came in time for him. A beautiful, haunting song cut to cassette with help from his friend Isaac Manning (on the Casio). Flipped with an almost unrecognizable version of Whitney Houston's hit "Saving All My Love For You" which stands all tall as what was the original B-Side. Beyond essential cut of outside soul.

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Multi-hyphenate artist James Alexander Bright releases soulfully tender paean to romance 'Fall For You', backed with urgent funker 'Viper Flames'. This new music heralds James' third solo album, currently being recorded and mixed, which is planned for release via Athens of the North mid 2024.On 'Fall For You' James says "You know when you've loved, to love is a magical thing. Whether it's an experience, an object, or a person; we've all loved and lost. The senses, vibration and elements have a wondrous strength and power. Love is the most powerful of all." Following the release of !K7 debut album 'Headroom' ("Blissful choruses, sweetly nagging refrains and a lo-fi sensibility. Hard not to love" Mojo), James featured on Groove Armada's album 'Edge Of The Horizon', contributed 'Under The Sun' to the Too Slow To Disco: The Sunset Manifesto compilation and released single 'It's Alright' with Feiertag. His second album, the joyous 'Float' ("Vivid intermingling of buoyant breakbeat drum loops, sunkissed psychedelic folk song, retrofuturist synthesisers and hot buttered British soul" Test Pressing), was released in July 2022 with singles 'Drink This Water', 'Wheels Keep Turning' and 'Sundown' feat Fink paving the way. This was followed in early 2023 by 'Mirage In The Mojave' ("One hundred percent proof dancefloor ready" Louder Than War), an album of collaborations and reworks with cosmic Americana-disco DJ/producer duo Flying Mojito Bros. On radio his tracks have been played across BBC 6 Music (where he's recorded guest mixes for Tom Ravenscroft and Huey Morgan), Amazing Radio, Bandcamp Weekly, Worldwide FM, Soho Radio, KCRW, Triple J and BBC Solent (who chose his track 'Tigers Roar' to soundtrack Portsmouth FC's 2019 journey to Wembley – awkwardly James is a Saints fan). A new project with Groove Armada's Tom Findlay as Bright & Findlay - married around their shared love of machine-led funk, outsider soul, 70s-80s nautica and 21st century basement disco - was released via Athens of the North in summer 2023. Solid tastemaker support included BBC 6 Music's Gilles Peterson, who included 'Slow Dance' amongst his tracks of the year, and Huey Morgan, for whom the duo recorded a Block Party mix.

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Every now and again, a record carves itself an indelible place in the history of a place, a scene or a genre, all under its own steam – without a big budget, without a press campaign, without mainstream radio, just by hitting all the right notes at the right moment. Maybe you had to have been there to really feel it – locked into the pirate stations, a regular at the right clubs, or leaning on the counter in the right records shops on a Saturday afternoon – but if you were, there are some tunes that will always vibrate with the underground cultural energy of their time. Bô'vel's 1996 Manchester streetsoul anthem 'Check 4 U' is one of those tunes. The kind of song that makes the over-used phrase 'underground classic' mean something again, it effortlessly distills the sounds of its era into one of the most undeniable, genre-spanning cuts of the mid-1990s. The song resonates with the regional flavours of UK sound-system culture: the sweet club sound of Manchester's vibrant streetsoul scene, the dubwise hip-hop throb of the Bristol movement, and the bass-lore of the reggae sound systems whose wisdom stretched from Leeds to South London and beyond. Built around a humid kick drum and a bin-busting bass pulse arranged in head-nodding syncopation, the song is blessed with an instantly memorable harmonised hook, and perfectly set off by Bô'vel's crystalline vocals. Upful, stepping and tinged with melancholy, it remains one of the most well-loved and highly sought-after UK streetsoul sides. The three mixes of 'Check 4 U' appeared as the a-side of a blank-label five-track 12". It was Bô'vel's second release, after a soulful five-track EP issued in 1995 on her own Bô'vel Records had been a surprise success. Produced by Kev Waddington, that initial record had come about almost by accident after a chance encounter in Manchester's HQ Studios, as Bô'vel recalls today: 'We were making these five tracks because we were having bit of an argument with radio not being able to play what they wanted, really, only what the record labels wanted… they never had anybody coming through properly, because everything was pretty much underground. We were making records, like really pop stuff, to take the piss… So in the studio one day, this guy came in – all I know is that his was name was Nigel. And he came in and said, I want to put that five-track EP out with you. We just don't know who the hell he was to this day, really. And he said, you've got to do it 50/50, it's going to be £1000. So I said okay – I just trusted him. I gave him 500 quid. He gave me 1000 records. He just dropped them at the studio. I picked them up and then I went into Manchester city centre and gave it to a couple of DJs on underground radio.' Pirate radio loved it. With play on stalwart Manchester pirates like Buzz FM and Soul Nation, the EP immediately blew up. Bô'vel took the record into Fat City Records, Manchester's premier outlet and distributor for soul, hip-hop and dance, who took a batch, quickly sold out and took several hundred more copies; it eventually transpired that a large quantity were selling to Japan, where the combination of soul smarts and classy production had been caught by discerning ears. Elsewhere, friends distributed the record by hand in London and Birmingham, working them through UK's then burgeoning network of independent dance music shops. The warm reception the record received encouraged Bo'vel to return to the studio for sessions that would become 'Check 4 U'. The EP had been issued under a Bô'vel Records imprint, but she had sold it to Fat City without disclosing that she was the artist – 'I said, "There's this singer, she's great, she's done this cheesy stuff, try it, it's a bit Kylie Minogue". He said "oh, give us 300", and then he had some more.' For the next release, she decided to keep things completely minimal. 'The next one, I said, right, let's just put it out as a white label, and if people like it they like it, they don't have to see who we are or anything.' Though punitive legislation and overexposure had tamed rave culture, and the inflated status of superstar DJs had pushed once underground scenes fully into the mainstream, dance music culture in mid-1990s Britain still retained a certain feral energy. There was still a groundswell of vital local scenes and rapidly changing musical styles, and – combined with local record shops – clubs and pirate radio were still the chief arbiters of influence. 'In the 90s, pirate radio just played the best music. I mean, you couldn't really get music like that anywhere. The same as you couldn't get music like that [being played] in the Reno, which was very different,' remembers Bô'vel, referring to the legendary Moss Side soul club, an underground institution from 1962 until its closure in 1986. 'That's where music really started for me, going to clubs like the Reno at the age 15, 16, 17, and going to places like the Nile [upstairs from the Reno], which was all reggae, you know – that's really where the beats came for me.' The production on the new record would reflect these influences more than the EP had been able too. 'I liked a big bassline,' the singer reflects. 'There's a big bassline there on the five-track EP, 'I Can't Get By', which is a really, really good song, but they just could not get the bass – I was so gutted when that came back…if they'd have shown us the master we'd have said no.' These problems were to be avoided on 'Check 4 U' by the involvement of producer Uriah Gale. 'We already had the tune, and Uriah came on board, and I said, it's just not soulful enough. I was working with Kev Waddington, and he said "I just can't do it." So when Uriah came along, the bass was there, but he tidied it all up and made it really cool, and he was tremendous on the harmony,' she recalls. 'Out of all the mixes, his was the best. He was incredible to work with, and also incredibly talented. With alternate mixes of 'Life Changes You' from the 1995 EP as the b-side, 'Check 4 U' was issued with blank blue labels and sent out with a DJ one-sheet describing Bô'vel as 'Manchester's favourite soul Diva'. 2000 copies were pressed, and the record was distributed by Jetstar. It quickly became another pirate radio hit. 'Soul Nation and Buzz FM did support me from the very start [along with] every single DJ on Manchester radio,' she recalls, 'They're my biggest fans, the DJs here, I've got to big them up!' Manchester's support was mirrored by pirates around the UK. 'We had the support of radios across the country – I just could not believe it. So we went on a tour… We would go to the pirate stations, do an interview, then do a gig – that's how the gigging came about… gigging in Birmingham, Huddersfield, Liverpool, London – I've got so much respect for the pirate radios down there. They were brilliant… We used to take all my stuff straight to London,' she remembers. 'Each radio was doing pretty much the same thing, in their own style, with their own beats. Like, when I went down to Bristol, I showed them the EP and 'I Check 4 U' and they said, hey girl, you've got the Bristol beat!' But her core audience was at home in Manchester. 'London did support me a lot, but not like my home town – they loved me as I love them… Manchester supported me through and through, to this very day,' she remembers. Performing in mid-1990s Manchester was not always straightforward, though: 'In Manchester, it was kind of hard to do gigs, because there was a bit of gang warfare. So, you know, that was a problem. You'd be doing a gig and they'd all be there in their [bulletproof] vests, you know, Cheetham Hill and Moss Side, and it was a bit of a nightmare. And because I was more Manchester side, even though I went to school in Cheetham Hill, I was with a guy from Moss Side. So it was pretty hard gigging in Manchester, I had a bit of a hard time.' Nevertheless, 'my gigs were packed to the rafters…I wasn't scared because I knew I had protection. The gigs were fantastic, here in Manchester and everywhere, and I'm glad and very grateful to be able to say that.' A further single followed – the garage-flavoured 'Earthling', made with producer Ben Stansfield – but this would be her final release. 'My life changed,' she remembers. 'I had a split… I was just bringing my daughter up. I used to live in the countryside, and I was having a bit of a different life… I just spent a lot of time writing when I split up – I couldn't sing, it was like my voice wouldn't work. I was just thinking all the time, and not speaking. So I was just speaking through my music… I just became a writer, and I was more looking for other people to sing the [songs], you know? Because there's a lot of talent here in Manchester.' However, she retained access to a studio, and over time she began to record again, working with various producers and amassing a large amount of material. It is this unreleased material that we collect on Life Changes – nine unheard Bô'vel songs from the period 1997-2008(dates?), selected from her own archive. Until now, none of this unreleased work has been heard. Not an artist to be constrained by genre, the music showcases Bô'vel's exploration of a wide range of styles, from the dubbed-out downtempo of 'My Man' or 'I Wanna Be Free' to the updated streetsoul of 'Let Down And Liar', via the breakbeat hype of 'Do It Your Way' and the straight-ahead reggae vibe of 'Daydreamer'. This unreleased music is presented alongside the unfadeable 'I Check 4 U' and two classic streetsoul cuts from her 1995 EP, 'Life Changes You' and 'Coming Back'. The common denominator across the album is of course Bô'vel herself: a singer of rare timbral clarity whose musical vision has determined the sound of every record she has made, a prolific and personal song-writer in the UK soul tradition, and the artist behind one of the most celebrated underground soul tunes of the pirate radio era. Still most definitely someone to check for.

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Brilliant rough and funky two sider from Charles Barnwell's band The Funnybone express. A very obscure deepfunk spin with that splash of modern sound that was so appreciated at the time (I can't actually remember whether it was Ian or Keb that first played this). It has remained an extremely rare and sought after slab of wax and this limited run of 500 will serve to sort out the heads that know the score. Big up DJ Mr Big Happy (check out his NTS show) and Daniel Mathis (Check his show Reachin' Out on WYXR) for helping unearth this rare banger.

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- 2023 repress -

Tracklisting:
A1 Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Life on MTV
A2 Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Frank Sinatra
A3 Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Walk On By
A4 Miss Kittin & The Hacker - 1982
B1 Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Stock Exchange
B2 Miss Kittin & The Hacker - You and Us
B3 Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Flexibility
C1 Miss Kittin & The Hacker - L'Homme dans l'Ombre
C2 Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Slow Track
C3 Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Nurse
C4 Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Stripper
D1 Miss Kittin & The Hacker - DJ Song
D2 Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Walking in the Sunshine
D3 Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Frank Sinatra 2001
D4 Miss Kittin & The Hacker - The Beach - Bonus track

Sales Note
The first ever full length repress of an all time classic.

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Iconic Deep House label Large Music returns to the vinyl market with a limited repress of the classic Kerri Chandler release Return 2 Acid. First pressed in 2005, this was the 100th release on Large and has been out of print for 10 years. The A side features Kerri's powerhouse tribute to the glorious days of Acid House laced with driving beats and an incessant 808 acid line. On the flip side Kerri goes old-school, this time with an electro Afrika Bambaataa influenced jam entitled Planet Sonic. Also included for this special reissue is the unreleased Acapella of Return 2 Acid solidifying this as a true collectors item.

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Tropical Solution Green Vinyl Best listened to from inside the womb, Duster's 1998's debut Stratosphere simultaneously capped off and reinvented the slow core's first wave. A four track dreamscape that will wake the neighbors and then lull them back to sleep. Hazy, arpeggiated guitars layer over a deliberate drummer with no real place to be, as semi-inaudible vocals warn of millennial malaise and subtly encourage the listener to "rock out, rock out, rock out, rock out." "Music for dark spaces and closed eyelids, deeply psychedelic but without sprawl, ambient music with a serrated edge of punk."_The Ringer "Warm, fuzzed-out sounds that hit home like a tight, melancholic embrace from your favorite person."_Vice
Tracklist
1.1MOON AGE
1.2HEADING FOR THE DOOR
1.3GOLD DUST
1.4TOPICAL SOLUTION
1.5DOCKING THE POD
1.6THE LANDING
1.7CONSTELLATIONS
1.8THE QUEEN OF HEARTS
1.9TWO WAY RADIO
1.10INSIDE OUT
1.11STRATOSPHERE
1.12REED TO HILLSBOROUGH
1.13SHADOWS OF PLANES
1.14EARTH MOON TRANSIT
1.15THE TWINS / ROMANTICA
1.16SIDERIA

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For almost 10 years and with 3 albums on the clock, Voilaaa has established itself with a unique style, reviving African rhythms and atmospheres in the colors of Disco dancefloors and Funky arrangements, all often accompanied by lyrics and vocals tinged with humor and commitment.

As a result, the Afro-Tropical adventure launched by producer Bruno “Patchworks” Hovart today leaves behind a host of hits (“On te l’avait dit”, “Spies Are Watching Me”, “Ben Bene La”, …), as well as trips around the globe and as many gigs and festivals, but also and above all numerous and lasting collaborations with singers like Lass, Pat Kalla, Sir Jean, Ayuune Sule, Rama Traore, or Fouley Badiaga, the latter which also marks its great return on two tracks of the album.

With C'est tout, Voilaaa returns to us without revisiting this unstoppable recipe, while seasoning things with a more Latin and Caribbean inspiration, brought back in Bruno Hovart's suitcases after several stays in South America in recent years. Introduced last spring with the release of a first maxi single, this new opus once again delivers hit after hit.

As on the already famous “Faché” alongside Pat Kalla, which displays all the classic assets of Voilaaa’s sound: punchy Afrobeat horns, woozy chords and crunchy clavinet licks rising above a low-slung, hypnotic, dub disco-meets-Afro-boogie groove. The rest of the album is not to be outdone with a total of 14 wild tracks entirely composed by an unstoppable Bruno Hovart.

Two exceptions confirm the rule, a beautiful interpretation of the song "Love and Death" by Ebo Taylor, where Voilaaa's Afro skills perfectly melt with Angolan and Brazilian vapors, beamed by Joao Selva's lovely vocals; as well as a magical cover of “Too Young to Die”, transporting Jamiroquai to the crossroads of Africa and the Antilles, carried by the superb vocal performance of singer Olivya (Dowdelin) for a first collaboration.

Well, Voilaaa is back as its best, “that’s all” (C’est tout).

A1 - L'Intro
A2 - System System (ft. Lass)
A3 - Love and Death (ft. Joao Selva)
B1 - Trouble Travel (ft. Nai-Jah)
B2 - Anna est partie (ft. Pat Kalla & Ayuune Sule)
B3 - Too Young To Die (ft. Olivya)
C1 - Mtae Rock
C2 - Sane Kunda (ft. Lass)
C3 - Jolie Sarah (ft. Pat Kalla)
C4 - Les temps ont changé (ft. Fouley Badiaga)
D1 - Faché (ft. Pat Kalla)
D2 - Tu nous fatigues (ft. Fouley Badiaga)
D3 - C'est la danse
D4 - Life

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Very little is known about the collective of musicians behind the SAULT project, but their music in many ways speaks for itself. Earlier in the year they delivered Untitled (Black Is), a heartfelt, angry and righteous set of soul, funk, drill and spoken word tracks that provided a brilliant commentary on what it means to be black in 2020. It's a contender for album of the year, for sure, and the good news is that this speedy follow-up is every bit as essential. It's undoubtedly more celebratory than its predecessor, but every bit as musically detailed, combining cutting-edge electronics and all manner of infectious rhythms with enlightening vocals and all manner of live jazz, soul, punk-funk and jazz-funk instrumentation (as well as some seriously evocative orchestration).

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

The mysterious Sault troupe is back with a call to action and revolutionary soul soundtrack that really bangs the box. "Ain't nothing gunna keep us silent" the lead singer yelps on 'Stop Der', which is an immediate banger after the soothing ambience and closely mic-ed whispers of the opener, which muse on what it means to be black. The rest of the record is a hard hitting mix of crisp drums and empowering vocals, with elements of classic soul as well as contemporary jazz colouring the grooves. This is powerful music with an even more powerful message.

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

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: [email protected]More