1
Cortex - A - Psychose
2
Cortex - B - Oh ! Lord (Radio Edit)
The track PSYCHOSE, unreleased to date, was recorded by CORTEX in 1977, for a film whose film was unfortunately destroyed in a fire.
The original soundtrack, fortunately saved, has recently been found. More
The original soundtrack, fortunately saved, has recently been found. More
More records from Cortex
1
Cortex - Californie
2
Cortex - Moanion
3
Cortex - Stevie
4
Cortex - Stevie
5
Cortex - The sky is grey i'm so blue
6
Cortex - Psychose
7
Cortex - Mary & Jeff (Fender Rhodes Version 77')
8
Cortex - Les oiseaux morts
“RARE & LOST TAPES” is a collection of singles by the legendary group CORTEX never released on album.
This album brings together previously unreleased and rare recordings such as "Les Oiseaux Morts" (Alternative Take 76) released only as a Test Pressing, "Mary & Jeff" (Fender Rhodes Version 77) recorded for TV, or "Californie" & "Stevie" released for the Side Project CARIBOU in 7Inch...
A1 - Californie
A2 - Moanion
A3 - Stevie
A4 - The sky is grey i'm so blue
B1 - Psychose
B2 - Mary & Jeff (Fender Rhodes Version 77')
B3 - Les oiseaux morts
B4 - Les oiseaux morts (Alternative Take 76') More
This album brings together previously unreleased and rare recordings such as "Les Oiseaux Morts" (Alternative Take 76) released only as a Test Pressing, "Mary & Jeff" (Fender Rhodes Version 77) recorded for TV, or "Californie" & "Stevie" released for the Side Project CARIBOU in 7Inch...
A1 - Californie
A2 - Moanion
A3 - Stevie
A4 - The sky is grey i'm so blue
B1 - Psychose
B2 - Mary & Jeff (Fender Rhodes Version 77')
B3 - Les oiseaux morts
B4 - Les oiseaux morts (Alternative Take 76') More
1
Cortex - No Title
2
Cortex - No Title
French avantgarde Jazz-Funk pioneers Cortex released three milestone albums during the seventies including the iconic Troupeau Bleu. Their music has been sampled by Hip Hop artists such as MF Doom, Wiz Khalifa, Lupe Fiasco and Rick Ross and as a consequence is still very much alive today.
Trad Vibe Records proudly presents a first time re-issue of their double sider 7inch single from 1976 Les Oiseaux Morts / Back To Life. We are sure that you will enjoy the melancholic beauty of “Les Oiseaux Morts” and the harmonica driven disco funk of “Back To Life”.
More
Trad Vibe Records proudly presents a first time re-issue of their double sider 7inch single from 1976 Les Oiseaux Morts / Back To Life. We are sure that you will enjoy the melancholic beauty of “Les Oiseaux Morts” and the harmonica driven disco funk of “Back To Life”.
More
1
Cortex - La Rue
2
Cortex - Automne (Colchiques)
3
Cortex - L'Enfant Samba
4
Cortex - Troupeau Bleu
5
Cortex - Prelude A "Go Round"
6
Cortex - Go Round
7
Cortex - Chanson D'Un Jour D'Hiver
8
Cortex - Mary Et Jeff
9
Cortex - Huit Octobre 1971
10
Cortex - Sabbat (1ère Partie)
11
Cortex - Sabbat (2ème Partie)
12
Cortex - Sabbat (3ème Partie)
13
Cortex - Madbass
Very first version of the first single by Cortex, reissued as 7inch for the 1st time. “I remember that I and Alain Gandolfi wanted to put ‘Mary & Jeff’ on the A side, but the producer decided to set ‘L’Enfant Samba’ instead because he thought that the voice of Mireille would be more selling than my piano… 6 months after, at the beginning of 1976, ‘Mary & Jeff’ was a hit in a lot of Disco clubs and radios!” (Alain Mion).
Limited to 500 copies.
La Rue 4:23
Automne (Colchiques) 2:35
L'Enfant Samba 3:00
Troupeau Bleu 5:00
Prelude A "Go Round" 3:52
Go Round 1:20
Chanson D'Un Jour D'Hiver 5:20
Mary Et Jeff 2:40
Huit Octobre 1971 4:22
Sabbat (1ère Partie) 1:00
Sabbat (2ème Partie) 3:15
Sabbat (3ème Partie) 0:26
Madbass 2:50 More
Limited to 500 copies.
La Rue 4:23
Automne (Colchiques) 2:35
L'Enfant Samba 3:00
Troupeau Bleu 5:00
Prelude A "Go Round" 3:52
Go Round 1:20
Chanson D'Un Jour D'Hiver 5:20
Mary Et Jeff 2:40
Huit Octobre 1971 4:22
Sabbat (1ère Partie) 1:00
Sabbat (2ème Partie) 3:15
Sabbat (3ème Partie) 0:26
Madbass 2:50 More
“Volume 2” is the 2nd and rarest album which had been recorded by the French Jazz-Funk band legend, Cortex. The obscure French jazz group that's been a favorite of funky collectors for years! Reissued last in 2002 by Follow Me Records, it’s now back in stock in a final limited repressing of 500 copies, reissued by Trad Vibe Records under official license from Alain Mion. It really is another absolute killer album of dope Jazz-Funk tracks! Unlike their first album it's all instrumental (save for a few chants on "Poxa") and lean even more heavily on the groove side, in a funky Blaxpoitation kind of way. The group's got a strong fusion-driven groove on this set – with plenty of tight drumming, hard riffing, and spacey keyboards that give the tunes a nicely soulful finish. The best tracks are actually the mellower ones, which have a nice use of space and sound – creating strong little patterns of groove that stand out from the rest of the tracks. Lots of work on Fender Rhodes, mini korg, Hammond, and clavinette – and titles include "Poxa", "Datura", "Regina", "Mister J", "Efficace Swing", "Oh Lord", and "Devil's Dance".
More
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"Pourquoi" is the 3rd and the rarest album which had been recorded by the French legend of Jazz Funk, Cortex. This new edition, using the original master tapes, is realised by Trad Vibe Records. "Pourquoi" was initially recorded in 1978. It sounds like a new side of Cortex: songs are mainly composed around the voice and the various keyboards of the band leader, Alain Mion, who also played bass lines on synthesizer. More, the band gave up the live recording to use the beloved Stevie Wonder or Quincy Jones' technique of "re-recording". But, in spite of these changes, their groove remains as spontaneous as powerful. So, the band collaborated with great backing vocals and other session musicians, such as the great Italian trumpet player Giulio Didio who performed the funky horns arrangements. There is plenty to enjoy on every track: the ending chorus of “Sans Toi” song (which has been written by Alain Mion for his wife, Mireille, and is probably the flagship track of the album) comes with a brilliant Rhodes solo to lead the listener to one of the most emotion-loaded moment of the recording. Whereas “Le Visionnaire” song sounds with disco echoes, “Pourquoi” song browses in melancholy and “Pauvre Star” is groovin’ high with its clavinetbass- drums rhythmics that reminds George Benson...
More
More
“Volume 2” is the 2nd and rarest album which had been recorded by the French Jazz-Funk band legend, Cortex. The obscure French jazz group that's been a favorite of funky collectors for years! Reissued last in 2002 by Follow Me Records, it’s now reissued by Trad Vibe Records under official license from Alain Mion. It really is another absolute killer album of dope Jazz-Funk tracks! Unlike their first album it's all instrumental (save for a few chants on "Poxa") and lean even more heavily on the groove side, in a funky Blaxpoitation kind of way. The group's got a strong fusion-driven groove on this set – with plenty of tight drumming, hard riffing, and spacey keyboards that give the tunes a nicely soulful finish.
The best tracks are actually the mellower ones, which have a nice use of space and sound – creating strong little patterns of groove that stand out from the rest of the tracks. Lots of work on Fender Rhodes, mini korg, Hammond, and clavinette – and titles include "Poxa", "Datura", "Regina", "Mister J", "Efficace Swing", "Oh Lord", and "Devil's Dance".
More
The best tracks are actually the mellower ones, which have a nice use of space and sound – creating strong little patterns of groove that stand out from the rest of the tracks. Lots of work on Fender Rhodes, mini korg, Hammond, and clavinette – and titles include "Poxa", "Datura", "Regina", "Mister J", "Efficace Swing", "Oh Lord", and "Devil's Dance".
More
This new edition is the first realized directly from the original master tapes. Great care has been given to the 24 bits transfer respecting original sound. Recorded on July 15-16, 1975 at Damiens Studio, Boulogne-Billancourt, France.
More
More
More records from Trad Vibe Records
1
Moar - No Title
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Moar - No Title
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Moar - No Title
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Moar - No Title
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Moar - No Title
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Moar - No Title
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Moar - No Title
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Moar - No Title
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Moar - No Title
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Moar - No Title
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Moar - No Title
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Moar - No Title
After the hot first single with Sadat X (Brand Nubian) & El Da Sensei (Artifacts), Moar present the full LP Boom Bap Mentality featuring the legendary Dumi Right (Zimbabwe Legit), the underground Finsta (Finsta Bundy), the explosive duet Dirt Platoon, le real Mc Napoleon da Legend, Rita J from Chicago, LS Brigandes from NYC & the newbie & homie Miss Kraze from Nantes (France).
All beats produced by Moar on the MPC’s & SP1200 with many taste of Jazz, Soul & Sera Groove vinyl samples ! Cuts by Moar himself & Dj Impact (Switzerland).
More
All beats produced by Moar on the MPC’s & SP1200 with many taste of Jazz, Soul & Sera Groove vinyl samples ! Cuts by Moar himself & Dj Impact (Switzerland).
More
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Parbleu - Elios
2
Parbleu - Pour Cette Liberté
3
Parbleu - Si Tu Veux Vivre Ou Pas
4
Parbleu - Sababa
5
Parbleu - J'Entends Pas
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Parbleu - Je Le Ferai
7
Parbleu - La Guillotère
8
Parbleu - Calima
For their second LP ‘Elios’ on Periodica Records, musical collective “Parbleu” - led by Andres Balbucea and Andrea De Fazio - reach towards realms both astral and ancient to present a solar sonic suite of sky-seeking exotica inspired by the mythological adventures of Helios. Elemental grooves anchor textures of cosmic magic and faraway fantasy, wherein panoramic conga and bongo displays lead to limbo line hysteria and fat-bottomed bass grooves slide through layers of galactic grease. Phaser riffs and flangers arps fly in unison, lyrical runs dart and dash through flourishes of baroque Turkish psychedelia, and as moonbeam lasers fire over thrilling balearic escapes, Iberian reeds dance joyously amidst jangling six-string sunstrokes.
Captured in part at the West Hill Studio, the album is an evocative and polychromatic display of sight and sound, one where Arabian strings riding a desert wind dub skank give way to passages of cinematic folk funk, or elsewhere to sections of pompous progressive rock and angular jazz fusion. And as with Parbleu’s first LP ‘Danse Cette Zik,’ there is an awe-inspiring display of vocal talent across ‘Elios,’ as soft-soul seances, choral pop communions, 60s soundtrack spirituals, Italo diva poetics, and intoxicating call-and-response spells rain down over the mystical melodies and dancefloor dynamite.
A1 - Elios
A2 - Pour Cette Liberté
A3 - Si Tu Veux Vivre Ou Pas
A4 - Sababa
B1 - J'Entends Pas
B2 - Je Le Ferai
B3 - La Guillotère
B4 - Calima More
Captured in part at the West Hill Studio, the album is an evocative and polychromatic display of sight and sound, one where Arabian strings riding a desert wind dub skank give way to passages of cinematic folk funk, or elsewhere to sections of pompous progressive rock and angular jazz fusion. And as with Parbleu’s first LP ‘Danse Cette Zik,’ there is an awe-inspiring display of vocal talent across ‘Elios,’ as soft-soul seances, choral pop communions, 60s soundtrack spirituals, Italo diva poetics, and intoxicating call-and-response spells rain down over the mystical melodies and dancefloor dynamite.
A1 - Elios
A2 - Pour Cette Liberté
A3 - Si Tu Veux Vivre Ou Pas
A4 - Sababa
B1 - J'Entends Pas
B2 - Je Le Ferai
B3 - La Guillotère
B4 - Calima More
non-exclusive
2LP R&S and Apollo Records present an official vinyl repress of this most classicand timeless album The vinyl uses the 2013 re-masters made from original DAT tapes cut by Matt Colton and presented in original artwork.
All time favourite Aphex Twin Album. Nice and accesible experimental techno. Originally released in 1992. What else could be said here, we finally are stocking copies on arguably the most important and influential electronic album of album time, Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works 85–92. You will always need this!!!
Tracks: A1 Xtal
A2 Tha
A3 Pulsewidth
B1 Ageispolis
B2 i
B3 Green Calx
B4 Heliosphan
C1 We Are The Music Makers
C2 Schottkey 7th Path
C3 Ptolemy
D1 Hedphelym
D2 Delphium
D3 Actium
More
2LP R&S and Apollo Records present an official vinyl repress of this most classicand timeless album The vinyl uses the 2013 re-masters made from original DAT tapes cut by Matt Colton and presented in original artwork.
All time favourite Aphex Twin Album. Nice and accesible experimental techno. Originally released in 1992. What else could be said here, we finally are stocking copies on arguably the most important and influential electronic album of album time, Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works 85–92. You will always need this!!!
Tracks: A1 Xtal
A2 Tha
A3 Pulsewidth
B1 Ageispolis
B2 i
B3 Green Calx
B4 Heliosphan
C1 We Are The Music Makers
C2 Schottkey 7th Path
C3 Ptolemy
D1 Hedphelym
D2 Delphium
D3 Actium
More
Label:Efficient Space
Cat-No:ENT003
Release-Date:01.09.2023
Genre:Merchandise
Configuration:Book 1 (0-999 g)
Label:Efficient Space
Cat-No:ENT003
Release-Date:01.09.2023
Genre:Merchandise
Configuration:Book 1 (0-999 g)
Magazine
Short info:
Efficient Space publication ENTHUSIASMS revives with Issue #03. 92 pages covering Aotea-roa DIY folk proliferator Maxine Funke, the vocal magick of Cucina Povera, Australian devo-tional jazz mystery Singing Dust, Osaka portal EM Records, unsung dub specialist Sheriff Lin-do and the living practice of e fishpool. View post-punk trailblazers through the lens of Rotter-dam polaroid photographer Peter Graute, while Swiss artist Elise Gagnebin-de Bons exhibits her series of collages purposed for Ghost Riders. The issue also boasts imaginary mixtapes from Gavsborg, Greg Davis and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Mikey Young, Sonic Boom and Troth. Perfect bound and illuminated by designer Steele Bonus.
More
Short info:
Efficient Space publication ENTHUSIASMS revives with Issue #03. 92 pages covering Aotea-roa DIY folk proliferator Maxine Funke, the vocal magick of Cucina Povera, Australian devo-tional jazz mystery Singing Dust, Osaka portal EM Records, unsung dub specialist Sheriff Lin-do and the living practice of e fishpool. View post-punk trailblazers through the lens of Rotter-dam polaroid photographer Peter Graute, while Swiss artist Elise Gagnebin-de Bons exhibits her series of collages purposed for Ghost Riders. The issue also boasts imaginary mixtapes from Gavsborg, Greg Davis and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Mikey Young, Sonic Boom and Troth. Perfect bound and illuminated by designer Steele Bonus.
More
1
Hydroplane - We Crossed The Atlantic
2
Hydroplane - The Love You Bring
3
Hydroplane - When I Was Howard Hughes
4
Hydroplane - Failed Adventure
5
Hydroplane - Stars (Twilight Mix)
6
Hydroplane - Grand Central
7
Hydroplane - International Exiles
8
Hydroplane - Merry-Go-Round
9
Hydroplane - Radios Appear
10
Hydroplane - City Terminus
11
Hydroplane - Min Min Light
12
Hydroplane - Oregon Snow
13
Hydroplane - Cherry Lake
14
Hydroplane - Blackout
15
Hydroplane - Please Don't Say Goodbye
16
Hydroplane - Museum Station
17
Hydroplane - Blue Train
18
Hydroplane - You Were There
19
Hydroplane - Something Better Beginning
Selected Songs 1997-2003 compiles some of the finest moments in the recording history of Hydroplane, the Melbourne-based indie-pop three-piece that operated alongside The Cat’s Miaow through the second half of the nineties. It’s the third release in what feels, now, like a loosely planned series by World Of Echo, documenting the music made by this group of friends in Melbourne sharehouses (The Cat’s Miaow’s Songs ’94-’98, 2022), or in the case of The Shapiros (Gone By Fall, 2023), while traversing the International Pop Underground.
Hydroplane would be familiar to anyone already following these breadcrumb trails – Andrew Withycombe, Bart Cummings and Kerrie Bolton were the group’s core, all members of The Cat’s Miaow. With Cat’s Miaow drummer Cameron Smith itinerant, having moved to London, the trio used this opportunity to expand their music. It’s a subtle, but important shift. If The Cat’s Miaow was about the perfect, minimalist, two-minute pop song, Hydroplane’s music was far more open-ended, embracing the loops and drones, sampled house-y shuffle beats, the burbling of a Roland Jupiter-4 synth, all of which the trio joined, effortlessly, to their endless capacity for moving, elegant melodicism.
They may have only planned to release one seven-inch single, but the sound Hydroplane created was so bewitching, so compelling, that the project’s lifespan ran for around half a decade, and they ended up releasing three albums, including a self-titled debut recently reissued by Efficient Space, and seven singles. There are all kinds of compelling things happening in the music compiled here – the hazy repetition of the gentler side of Krautrock is in here, somewhere, which also suggests Stereolab at their most intimate and disarmed; the gently drifting guitars, gauzy and oneiric, set the songs adrift and floating, each one lost in its own imagined, distracted world. Songs like “The Love You Bring” set indistinct tonal floats across dance rhythms, in a way not quite heard since My Bloody Valentine’s “Instrumental” – but with the added gift of Bolton’s gorgeous voice.
This loose coalition with dance music, and the quiet experimentalism at the heart of Hydroplane, also gestures towards peers like Hood, Acetate Zero and Other People’s Children, and releases on renegade labels like Wurlitzer Jukebox and Enraptured. Like those groups and labels, The Cat’s Miaow were reconciling independent pop music’s past – sweet melody and melancholy, chiming and droning guitars – with the futures promised by DIY electronics and nascent digitalia, the interface of indie and IDM that led to some of the underground’s most blissful, texturally swoonsome music. All that is here, but also, the poise of the melodies is pure Cat’s Miaow, though, with Bolton’s voice sailing, pacifically, over some of the most pared-down, gorgeous music made during their decade.
It was a time, too, when such music could make waves – “We Crossed The Atlantic”, one of their early singles, was picked up by John Peel, who played it repeatedly on his legendary radio show, the song reaching #13 on his 1997 Festive 50. That the song itself was a cover of a tune by 1960s Australian beatnik-pop-poet Pip Proud felt even more perfect – a group of outsiders paying tribute to another outsider, played on the radio one of the few broadcasters brave and human enough to take a chance on this music. But it was a time where everything was up for grabs, and genres were flowing into each other: folk songs went drone; indie re-discovered noise; ambient pop floated, again, out onto the dancefloor. And while they may have been sequestered away in Melbourne, Australia, Hydroplane felt core to that scene, a quietly driving force.
Compiling material from across their brief but mercurial career, this double album perfectly captures the magic and mystery of Hydroplane’s dreamlike, perfect pop songs. More
Hydroplane would be familiar to anyone already following these breadcrumb trails – Andrew Withycombe, Bart Cummings and Kerrie Bolton were the group’s core, all members of The Cat’s Miaow. With Cat’s Miaow drummer Cameron Smith itinerant, having moved to London, the trio used this opportunity to expand their music. It’s a subtle, but important shift. If The Cat’s Miaow was about the perfect, minimalist, two-minute pop song, Hydroplane’s music was far more open-ended, embracing the loops and drones, sampled house-y shuffle beats, the burbling of a Roland Jupiter-4 synth, all of which the trio joined, effortlessly, to their endless capacity for moving, elegant melodicism.
They may have only planned to release one seven-inch single, but the sound Hydroplane created was so bewitching, so compelling, that the project’s lifespan ran for around half a decade, and they ended up releasing three albums, including a self-titled debut recently reissued by Efficient Space, and seven singles. There are all kinds of compelling things happening in the music compiled here – the hazy repetition of the gentler side of Krautrock is in here, somewhere, which also suggests Stereolab at their most intimate and disarmed; the gently drifting guitars, gauzy and oneiric, set the songs adrift and floating, each one lost in its own imagined, distracted world. Songs like “The Love You Bring” set indistinct tonal floats across dance rhythms, in a way not quite heard since My Bloody Valentine’s “Instrumental” – but with the added gift of Bolton’s gorgeous voice.
This loose coalition with dance music, and the quiet experimentalism at the heart of Hydroplane, also gestures towards peers like Hood, Acetate Zero and Other People’s Children, and releases on renegade labels like Wurlitzer Jukebox and Enraptured. Like those groups and labels, The Cat’s Miaow were reconciling independent pop music’s past – sweet melody and melancholy, chiming and droning guitars – with the futures promised by DIY electronics and nascent digitalia, the interface of indie and IDM that led to some of the underground’s most blissful, texturally swoonsome music. All that is here, but also, the poise of the melodies is pure Cat’s Miaow, though, with Bolton’s voice sailing, pacifically, over some of the most pared-down, gorgeous music made during their decade.
It was a time, too, when such music could make waves – “We Crossed The Atlantic”, one of their early singles, was picked up by John Peel, who played it repeatedly on his legendary radio show, the song reaching #13 on his 1997 Festive 50. That the song itself was a cover of a tune by 1960s Australian beatnik-pop-poet Pip Proud felt even more perfect – a group of outsiders paying tribute to another outsider, played on the radio one of the few broadcasters brave and human enough to take a chance on this music. But it was a time where everything was up for grabs, and genres were flowing into each other: folk songs went drone; indie re-discovered noise; ambient pop floated, again, out onto the dancefloor. And while they may have been sequestered away in Melbourne, Australia, Hydroplane felt core to that scene, a quietly driving force.
Compiling material from across their brief but mercurial career, this double album perfectly captures the magic and mystery of Hydroplane’s dreamlike, perfect pop songs. More
2xLP, Gatefold Jacket, Black Vinyl
About:
I Care 4 U is the first posthumous compilation album by the "Princess of R&B," Aaliyah. Following her tragic and untimely passing, Blackground Records released a posthumous record including songs from her studio albums and previously unreleased tracks and demos, as well as hit singles and recordings that ultimately did not land on any previous albums. The compilation album was a commercial success and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum. It features the previously unreleased "Miss You."
LP Tracklist:
A1. Back & Forth
A2. Are You That Somebody
A3. One In A Million
A4. I Care 4 U
B1. More Than A Woman
B2. Don't Know What to Tell Ya
B3. Try Again
B4. All I Need
C1. Miss You
C2. Don't Worry
C3. Come Over (feat. Tank)
C4. Erica Kane
D1. At Your Best
D2. Got To Give It Up (Remix)
D3. We Need A Resolution (feat. Timbaland)
D4. Rock The Boat
More
About:
I Care 4 U is the first posthumous compilation album by the "Princess of R&B," Aaliyah. Following her tragic and untimely passing, Blackground Records released a posthumous record including songs from her studio albums and previously unreleased tracks and demos, as well as hit singles and recordings that ultimately did not land on any previous albums. The compilation album was a commercial success and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum. It features the previously unreleased "Miss You."
LP Tracklist:
A1. Back & Forth
A2. Are You That Somebody
A3. One In A Million
A4. I Care 4 U
B1. More Than A Woman
B2. Don't Know What to Tell Ya
B3. Try Again
B4. All I Need
C1. Miss You
C2. Don't Worry
C3. Come Over (feat. Tank)
C4. Erica Kane
D1. At Your Best
D2. Got To Give It Up (Remix)
D3. We Need A Resolution (feat. Timbaland)
D4. Rock The Boat
More
1
Japao - Dora Morelenbaum
2
New York Community Choir - I'll Keep My Light In My Window
3
General Lee - Pleasure
4
The Drive - Africa Bossa
5
Chiemi Eri - Okosa-Bushi
6
Manny Corchado & His Orchestra - Pow-Wow
7
Sven Wunder - Easy Going
8
Dina Ogon - Bakom Glaset
9
Vee Gees - Talkin
10
Mave & Dave - Do You Really Want My Love
11
Hazel Scott & The Braza Brasil - Ye-Me-Le
12
Ines Soares - Um Amor Para Toda A Vida
13
Hareton Salvanini - Estrada
14
Copa 7 - Copa Sete No Samba
15
Mirna - A Volta
16
Dina Ogon - Tombola 94
17
Unknown Artists - I Do You Love
18
Ash Soul, Inc - I Do Love You
19
Ponderosa Twins Plus One - Bound
20
Matty - Blood
21
Shira Small - Eternal Life
Tracklist:
1. Dora Morelenbaum - Japão
2. New York Community Choir - I'll Keep My Light in My Window (12” Mix)
3. General Lee - Pleasure
4. The Drive - Africa Bossa
5. Chiemi Eri - Okosa-Bushi
6. Manny Corchado And His Orchestra - Pow-Wow
7. Sven Wunder - Easy Going
8. Dina Ögon -Bakom Glaset
9. Vee Gees – Talkin
10. Mave & Dave - Do You Really Want My Love
11. Hazel Scott And The Braza Brasil - Ye-Me-Le
12. Inês Soares - Um Amor Para Toda A Vida
13. Haréton Salvanini - Estrada
14. Copa 7 - Copa Sete No Samba
15. Mirna - A Volta
16. Dina Ögon - Tombola 94
17. Unknown Artists - I Do You Love
18. Ash Soul, Inc. - I Do Love You
19. Ponderosa Twins Plus One - Bound
20. Matty - Blood 21. Shira Small - Eternal Life
Curating and ordering the tracks for a Mr Bongo Record Club is always special. You’re reminded of the feelings you had when sitting at home with a cassette player on pause trying to compile the perfect mixtape to impress the latest object of your affection, or that friend with whom you share a musical kinship and spark off each other’s latest discoveries. Hearing old tracks for the first time or diving into the most upfront selections keeps the fires burning and passions alight.
Here, for volume six, we present recent finds and treasured classics from Brazil, Sweden, the USA, South Africa, Portugal, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Canada. We have included selections by the Brazilian rising star Dora Morelenbaum as well as from heritage-Brazilian musicians and vocalists Haréton Salvanini, Copa 7, and Mirna. There’s also the wonderful Brazilian-not-Brazilian take of 'Ye Me Le' by Hazel Scott And The Braza Brasil, plus sublime gospel from the New York Community Choir. We’ve picked disco and soul rarities by General Lee and Ash Soul, Inc., and for the first time on vinyl, an incredible psych-pop song by the illustrious Matthew Tavares. There are cuts from some of our favourite contemporary Swedish musicians, Sven Wunder and Dina Ögon too. This compilation is packed full of gems that are plucked from differing times and spaces, but somehow all gel together beautifully. We hope you love them too.
Artwork illustration by Nicolas Burrows. More
1. Dora Morelenbaum - Japão
2. New York Community Choir - I'll Keep My Light in My Window (12” Mix)
3. General Lee - Pleasure
4. The Drive - Africa Bossa
5. Chiemi Eri - Okosa-Bushi
6. Manny Corchado And His Orchestra - Pow-Wow
7. Sven Wunder - Easy Going
8. Dina Ögon -Bakom Glaset
9. Vee Gees – Talkin
10. Mave & Dave - Do You Really Want My Love
11. Hazel Scott And The Braza Brasil - Ye-Me-Le
12. Inês Soares - Um Amor Para Toda A Vida
13. Haréton Salvanini - Estrada
14. Copa 7 - Copa Sete No Samba
15. Mirna - A Volta
16. Dina Ögon - Tombola 94
17. Unknown Artists - I Do You Love
18. Ash Soul, Inc. - I Do Love You
19. Ponderosa Twins Plus One - Bound
20. Matty - Blood 21. Shira Small - Eternal Life
Curating and ordering the tracks for a Mr Bongo Record Club is always special. You’re reminded of the feelings you had when sitting at home with a cassette player on pause trying to compile the perfect mixtape to impress the latest object of your affection, or that friend with whom you share a musical kinship and spark off each other’s latest discoveries. Hearing old tracks for the first time or diving into the most upfront selections keeps the fires burning and passions alight.
Here, for volume six, we present recent finds and treasured classics from Brazil, Sweden, the USA, South Africa, Portugal, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Canada. We have included selections by the Brazilian rising star Dora Morelenbaum as well as from heritage-Brazilian musicians and vocalists Haréton Salvanini, Copa 7, and Mirna. There’s also the wonderful Brazilian-not-Brazilian take of 'Ye Me Le' by Hazel Scott And The Braza Brasil, plus sublime gospel from the New York Community Choir. We’ve picked disco and soul rarities by General Lee and Ash Soul, Inc., and for the first time on vinyl, an incredible psych-pop song by the illustrious Matthew Tavares. There are cuts from some of our favourite contemporary Swedish musicians, Sven Wunder and Dina Ögon too. This compilation is packed full of gems that are plucked from differing times and spaces, but somehow all gel together beautifully. We hope you love them too.
Artwork illustration by Nicolas Burrows. More
1
Ploy - Crazy BBY
2
Ploy - Rose
3
Ploy - Finally
Summer is now upon us, and with it one of our dearest dancefloor artillerymen returns to Timedance.
Ploy's « For when we haven’t slept » stands as a mission statement for the party athlete, it is a celebration of weekends ran like both a sprint and a marathon and its three tracks narrates the spirally craze that keeps you out and makes the dancers forget the sole existence of their beds.
Starting with the first hits of strobe lights on a Saturday night, as the energy rises and the dancefloor manically comes together (Crazy BB ), it then moves on to a welcome and slightly hectic high octane after-party (Rose) before rolling all the way through to the sheer moments of lustful euphoria that defines the best Sunday sessions (Finally).
Bass pressure and intoxicating techno collide seamlessly without falling into the traps of forced seriousness, while hints of hook-laden house music keep the groove at peak levels, so the bodies can keep moving, beyond sleep and exhaustion and into the final stages of pure frenzy, for when we haven’t slept. More
Ploy's « For when we haven’t slept » stands as a mission statement for the party athlete, it is a celebration of weekends ran like both a sprint and a marathon and its three tracks narrates the spirally craze that keeps you out and makes the dancers forget the sole existence of their beds.
Starting with the first hits of strobe lights on a Saturday night, as the energy rises and the dancefloor manically comes together (Crazy BB ), it then moves on to a welcome and slightly hectic high octane after-party (Rose) before rolling all the way through to the sheer moments of lustful euphoria that defines the best Sunday sessions (Finally).
Bass pressure and intoxicating techno collide seamlessly without falling into the traps of forced seriousness, while hints of hook-laden house music keep the groove at peak levels, so the bodies can keep moving, beyond sleep and exhaustion and into the final stages of pure frenzy, for when we haven’t slept. More
1XLP, COKE BOTTLE CLEAR VINYL, SPECIAL PACKAGING
Raveena Aurora's debut album was released on EMPIRE in 2019. As she wrote on social media the evening of its release, "What a dream to be able to give u this piece of my soul." The album features 12 songs exploring themes of sexuality, womanhood, and her Indian heritage. Raveena cites Sade, Corinne Bailey Rae, Minnie Riperton, and Indian singer, Asha Puthli, as inspirations. Unavailable on vinyl since 2020 (limited pressing). 1LP release housed in an embossed single sleeve jacket + custom inner sleeve with credits. Packaging Details: Jacket: Soft-Touch Coating + Front Cover - Lucid Title - Spot Gloss & Embossing + Cover: Tracklist - Gold Foil + Inner Sleeve: Full Color, Soft-Touch Coating. Pressed on Coke bottle clear vinyl. Named as one of the "Best Albums of 2019" by NPR. May 31st, 2023 is the 4th anniversary of the original album release date.
Key Selling/Marketing:
Her critically-acclaimed debut album.
Sidney Madden of NPR described "Lucid" as "comforting but nuanced, balancing cultures old and new by mashing up contemporary R&B with traditions from the South Asian diaspora."
"Lucid" was named one of the "Best Albums of 2019" by NPR.
"Stronger" (Track #3) was named one of the "100 Best Songs of 2019" by Noisey.
NPR Music "Tiny Desk" (2019) performance of "Honey," "Bloom," & "Still Dreaming" now past 4.2M YouTube views.
Her lyrics refer to heartbreaks, hardships, and mental struggles.
Spotify Stats: 1.37M monthly listeners & 433K followers.
The album has amassed over 70M track streams on Spotify to-date.
Unavailable on vinyl since 2020 (limited pressing).
Album pressed on Coke bottle clear vinyl.
Special packaging.
Tracklist:
A1/1. Hypnosis
A2/2. Nectar
A3/3. Stronger
A4/4. Salt Water
A5/5. Stone
A6/6. Stone (Reprise)
B1/7. Mama
B2/8. Bloom
B3/9. Floating (Feat. Hope Tala)
B4/10. Still Dreaming
B5/11. Nani's Interlude
B6/12. Petal
More
Raveena Aurora's debut album was released on EMPIRE in 2019. As she wrote on social media the evening of its release, "What a dream to be able to give u this piece of my soul." The album features 12 songs exploring themes of sexuality, womanhood, and her Indian heritage. Raveena cites Sade, Corinne Bailey Rae, Minnie Riperton, and Indian singer, Asha Puthli, as inspirations. Unavailable on vinyl since 2020 (limited pressing). 1LP release housed in an embossed single sleeve jacket + custom inner sleeve with credits. Packaging Details: Jacket: Soft-Touch Coating + Front Cover - Lucid Title - Spot Gloss & Embossing + Cover: Tracklist - Gold Foil + Inner Sleeve: Full Color, Soft-Touch Coating. Pressed on Coke bottle clear vinyl. Named as one of the "Best Albums of 2019" by NPR. May 31st, 2023 is the 4th anniversary of the original album release date.
Key Selling/Marketing:
Her critically-acclaimed debut album.
Sidney Madden of NPR described "Lucid" as "comforting but nuanced, balancing cultures old and new by mashing up contemporary R&B with traditions from the South Asian diaspora."
"Lucid" was named one of the "Best Albums of 2019" by NPR.
"Stronger" (Track #3) was named one of the "100 Best Songs of 2019" by Noisey.
NPR Music "Tiny Desk" (2019) performance of "Honey," "Bloom," & "Still Dreaming" now past 4.2M YouTube views.
Her lyrics refer to heartbreaks, hardships, and mental struggles.
Spotify Stats: 1.37M monthly listeners & 433K followers.
The album has amassed over 70M track streams on Spotify to-date.
Unavailable on vinyl since 2020 (limited pressing).
Album pressed on Coke bottle clear vinyl.
Special packaging.
Tracklist:
A1/1. Hypnosis
A2/2. Nectar
A3/3. Stronger
A4/4. Salt Water
A5/5. Stone
A6/6. Stone (Reprise)
B1/7. Mama
B2/8. Bloom
B3/9. Floating (Feat. Hope Tala)
B4/10. Still Dreaming
B5/11. Nani's Interlude
B6/12. Petal
More
1
Don Blackman - Say You'll Be Mine
2
Don Blackman - Your Love Makes Me Crazy
Don Blackman is a truly iconic, cult artist. A pianist, songwriter, producer, and vocalist from New York he is a mystical figure for record collectors, one of those artists where if you found an old dusty record with Don's name on it, you'd buy it on sight. Hip-hop heads, jazz, funk, disco, rare groove, and soul fans all share a love for his music, it seems to possess a quality that resonates with a wide spectrum of music lovers. Don is best known for his 1982 magnum-opus, the eponymous album released on Arista GRP. It featured the all-time classics 'Heart's Desire' and 'Holding You, Loving You', and is consistently remarkable throughout. He also collaborated with other greats such as Bernard Wright, Weldon Irvine, Roy Ayers, and Lenny White.
We couldn't quite believe it when Chicago DJ/digger/producer, Marc Davis (Black Pegasus), told us he had heard of a vault of unreleased Don Blackman material. Marc had reached out to Don Blackman's children, Irene and Kyle, in 2019, building a relationship with Kyle with whom he shared a musical affinity. To Marc's delight, Kyle confirmed that there was a treasure trove of Don’s music that had never seen the light of day. As Kyle described it, “In 2013, shortly after my dad’s passing, my sister and I collected all of his possessions and put them in a storage unit. After 2 years I finally got back into the groove of things and went through the unit. I came across forty years’ worth of music history. Hundreds of cassettes, CDs, Disks, reel-to-reels, paperwork, photos and VHS tapes. It took about ten years to organise and digitise everything. All of this magic was almost thrown away in the trash, never to be seen, never to be heard forever.”
Two tracks were selected, 'Your Love Makes Me Crazy' and 'Say You'll Be Mine'. 'Your Love Makes Me Crazy' is as funky as it gets, with infectiously catchy vocal hooks, and a serious jam, whereas ‘Say You’ll Be Mine’ is a classy, soulful boogie, instrumental number, that shows off Don’s masterful piano playing. Both tracks warrant full attention and capture a genius at work. He was also a one-man show when it came to production. He played all of the instruments and emulated the sounds of different instruments through patches on his keyboard. He recorded these tunes in his home studio in South Jamaica, Queens, New York City.
On first hearing the tracks, Marc knew he wanted to extend the songs and enlisted fellow Chicago legend, Tone B. Nimble, to work on the project with him. Their extension/edit of the songs was conducted in a way that was respectful and true to how the tracks were originally recorded by Don. They extended and re-sequenced the groovy parts of the songs organically for the DJs and dancers.
In Marc's words, "Don Blackman was a true musician and an awesome songwriter. The beauty in it is many people are just now discovering him and his music which helps keep his legacy alive."
A huge thank you to Kyle, Irene, Marc, and Tone for allowing us the honour to release these raw-soulful nuggets from a true master of his craft. The final words on this release are best coming from Kyle…
“We are very excited and thrilled to continue to share all of this unreleased magic with the world. We hope that this music will help, heal, and inspire a new generation of artists to never give up, and to strive for what their hearts desire.”
RIP Don Blackman, your light shines on.
7" Vinyl includes lyric sheet insert.
Artwork design by Raimund Wong. More
We couldn't quite believe it when Chicago DJ/digger/producer, Marc Davis (Black Pegasus), told us he had heard of a vault of unreleased Don Blackman material. Marc had reached out to Don Blackman's children, Irene and Kyle, in 2019, building a relationship with Kyle with whom he shared a musical affinity. To Marc's delight, Kyle confirmed that there was a treasure trove of Don’s music that had never seen the light of day. As Kyle described it, “In 2013, shortly after my dad’s passing, my sister and I collected all of his possessions and put them in a storage unit. After 2 years I finally got back into the groove of things and went through the unit. I came across forty years’ worth of music history. Hundreds of cassettes, CDs, Disks, reel-to-reels, paperwork, photos and VHS tapes. It took about ten years to organise and digitise everything. All of this magic was almost thrown away in the trash, never to be seen, never to be heard forever.”
Two tracks were selected, 'Your Love Makes Me Crazy' and 'Say You'll Be Mine'. 'Your Love Makes Me Crazy' is as funky as it gets, with infectiously catchy vocal hooks, and a serious jam, whereas ‘Say You’ll Be Mine’ is a classy, soulful boogie, instrumental number, that shows off Don’s masterful piano playing. Both tracks warrant full attention and capture a genius at work. He was also a one-man show when it came to production. He played all of the instruments and emulated the sounds of different instruments through patches on his keyboard. He recorded these tunes in his home studio in South Jamaica, Queens, New York City.
On first hearing the tracks, Marc knew he wanted to extend the songs and enlisted fellow Chicago legend, Tone B. Nimble, to work on the project with him. Their extension/edit of the songs was conducted in a way that was respectful and true to how the tracks were originally recorded by Don. They extended and re-sequenced the groovy parts of the songs organically for the DJs and dancers.
In Marc's words, "Don Blackman was a true musician and an awesome songwriter. The beauty in it is many people are just now discovering him and his music which helps keep his legacy alive."
A huge thank you to Kyle, Irene, Marc, and Tone for allowing us the honour to release these raw-soulful nuggets from a true master of his craft. The final words on this release are best coming from Kyle…
“We are very excited and thrilled to continue to share all of this unreleased magic with the world. We hope that this music will help, heal, and inspire a new generation of artists to never give up, and to strive for what their hearts desire.”
RIP Don Blackman, your light shines on.
7" Vinyl includes lyric sheet insert.
Artwork design by Raimund Wong. More
1
Al Wootton - Descender
2
Al Wootton - All The World Is A Hospital
3
Al Wootton - A Pox Cast
4
Al Wootton - Number, Weight, Division
5
Al Wootton - Devarim
6
Al Wootton - The Norman Yoke
7
Al Wootton - Becoming Light
8
Al Wootton - A Cruel Sun Over Catalonia
9
Al Wootton - May Your Angels Of Light Accept Him About
Al Wootton returns to his label Trule with his second album “We Have Come To Banish The Dark”. The record is a product of dystopic times, taut with energy and restrained violence, yet never oppressive or nihilistic. The theme is one of unity, liberation and resistance to a darkening world, against the rising tide of fascism, hypercapitalism, and right wing politics. Yet there remains a constant hope and light, most evident in the downtempo roller “Devarim” and the closing bars of “May Your Angels Of Light Accept Him”.
Wootton brings to the fore his youth experiences playing in post-punk bands and his longstanding appreciation of Metal to this swung, robust techno album. “We Have Come to Banish The Dark’’ recalls the industrialism of Chris and Cosey, Coil and Throbbing Gristle, while the ghosts of the UK Hardcore continuum through Jungle and UK Garage remain an ever haunting presence. The rhythms maintain a flexibility and lightness of touch that provide contrast to the monochrome industrial sound palette.
Over nine tracks Wootton explores a variety of rhythmic styles, from techno steppers such as “Descender” and “A Pox Cast”, to the 4x4 house of “A Cruel Sun Over Catalonia”, the minimal Drum and Bass-esque “Number, Weight , Division” and the loopy techno of “The Norman Yoke”, while eschewing typical genre tropes to maintain a cohesive sound over the whole album.
We Have Come To Banish The Dark is an album that rewards both ecstatic club moments and repeated deep listening with its high energy and detailed, textured sound design. More
Wootton brings to the fore his youth experiences playing in post-punk bands and his longstanding appreciation of Metal to this swung, robust techno album. “We Have Come to Banish The Dark’’ recalls the industrialism of Chris and Cosey, Coil and Throbbing Gristle, while the ghosts of the UK Hardcore continuum through Jungle and UK Garage remain an ever haunting presence. The rhythms maintain a flexibility and lightness of touch that provide contrast to the monochrome industrial sound palette.
Over nine tracks Wootton explores a variety of rhythmic styles, from techno steppers such as “Descender” and “A Pox Cast”, to the 4x4 house of “A Cruel Sun Over Catalonia”, the minimal Drum and Bass-esque “Number, Weight , Division” and the loopy techno of “The Norman Yoke”, while eschewing typical genre tropes to maintain a cohesive sound over the whole album.
We Have Come To Banish The Dark is an album that rewards both ecstatic club moments and repeated deep listening with its high energy and detailed, textured sound design. More
1
Lewis Taylor - Madman (4:22)
2
Lewis Taylor - Keep Right On (5:30)
3
Lewis Taylor - Reconsider (3:51)
4
Lewis Taylor - When Will I Ever Learn 2 (3:44)
5
Lewis Taylor - Out Of My Head Is The Way I Feel (3:05)
6
Lewis Taylor - Carried Away (3:32)
7
Lewis Taylor - Stoned Part 2 (4:13)
8
Lewis Taylor - Positively Beautiful 2 (4:09)
9
Lewis Taylor - Throw Me A Line (3:42)
10
Lewis Taylor - Shame 2 (3:34)
11
Lewis Taylor - Won’t Fade Away (4:05)
12
Lewis Taylor - Keep On Keeping On (4:47)
Format Notes: 2023 first time vinyl issue, 140g double vinyl, brand new artwork
Track List:
A1 - Madman (4:22)
A2 - Keep Right On (5:30)
A3 - Reconsider (3:51)
--
B1 - When Will I Ever Learn 2 (3:44)
B2 - Out Of My Head Is The Way I Feel (3:05)
B3 - Carried Away (3:32)
--
C1 - Stoned Part 2 (4:13)
C2 - Positively Beautiful 2 (4:09)
C3 - Throw Me A Line (3:42)
--
D1 - Shame 2 (3:34)
D2 - Won’t Fade Away (4:05)
D3 - Keep On Keeping On (4:47)
Release Notes:
Stoned Part II is Lewis Taylor's pure, perfect dance-pop album. His second self-released album and fourth album proper, it initially appeared on his own label Slow Reality in 2004. It's been licensed to Be With for this long-awaited double LP release, its first ever vinyl edition. Gravely misunderstood at the time by hardcore fans and the music press alike, it has aged quite magnificently. An experiment in the sounds of contemporary pop and dance music, Lewis's wonky take on funky pop would annihilate anything kicking around the charts, then or now. If only it were given half a chance.
Stoned Part II is brimming with Lewis's trademark soul, his singing as beautiful as ever, but the rhythms throughout are more upbeat, the overall sound a more smooth and slicker dance-funk presentation. Roughly half the tracks are absolutely essential, fascinating re-workings of tracks from the eternal Stoned Part 1, as Lewis explains: "When we were doing Stoned we were trying different approaches with everything so we ended up with more than one version of nearly all the songs which left us with more than an album's worth of material. There was a lot of really cool house tunes around at the time which we were both really into and that shaped the sound and production, some songs more directly than others." Amen to that.
The swoonsome, string-drenched opener "Madman" is quite the departure, a bleepy, bumping soulful disco-house record with a bassline to die for. Is there anything he can't do? It's followed by another huge dancefloor stomper, "Keep Right On" again riding another killer bassline over funky drums and featuring Lewis's dazzling vocals. There's no let-up with the sparkling "Reconsider" which sounds an awful lot like Daft Punk meets Nile Rodgers (prescient as ever, our Lewis). The wide-eyed French filtered house vibe is to the fore here, and how this wasn't picked up by someone like Kylie and taken wholesale to the top of the charts is something we'll never understand.
Opening the B-Side, "When Will I Ever Learn 2" really slaps, presenting a breezier, more upbeat funk take on the brilliant original and incorporating "From The Day We Met" from Stoned Part I. "Out Of My Head Is The Way I Feel" is absolutely fantastic and one of Lewis's very best songs. The vocals, self-harmonising and virtuoso playing are next level. To close out the side, "Carried Away" is a real standout, Lewis's gorgeous falsetto riding a quasi D&B groove to begin with before adorning a more classically funky 2-step rhythm. The marriage of undulating synths and guitars is stunning, giving way to Lewis indulging his goosebump-inducing Brian Wilson harmonies.
The funky, Rhythm King drum machine soul of "Stoned Part 2" refashions the original in the style of an unearthed Sly Stone classic, circa There's A Riot Going On. Yes, it's that good. On we then glide to "Positively Beautiful 2" which, if it's even possible, manages to be better than the original. The epic, orchestral opening truly captivates before Lewis truly gets down with kaleidoscopic dancefloor-slaying Philly soul-funk. It's surely tracks like this which help explain why he was soon to be tapped up by Dangermouse and Cee-Lo for the musical director role with Gnarls Barkley. "Throw Me A Line" closes out the side
"Shame 2" is a blissful, restrained version of the massive original, without the crazy psych-soul wig-out. Definitely more radio-friendly, that's for sure. The gorgeous mellow vibe continues with "Won't Fade Away", featuring more Beach Boys harmonies over a barely-there pulse (a version of which later pops up in an altered state on The Lost Album). The album bows out with - you guessed it - a psych-soul wig-out! "Keep On Keeping On", a real highlight, opens with looped sampled drums a la Massive Attack and Lewis's multi-layered self-harmonising again very much high in the mix. It amps up gradually to feature vocals dripping with tune and bite before screaming guitars and crashing drums really blast this whole set into the stratosphere.
Simon Francis’s vinyl mastering, approved by Lewis himself, presents the twelve tracks over a double LP so it sounds exactly as it should. The records have been cut by Cicely Balston at Air Studios and pressed at Record Industry. Allow Lewis Taylor to get you Stoned, Part II. More
Track List:
A1 - Madman (4:22)
A2 - Keep Right On (5:30)
A3 - Reconsider (3:51)
--
B1 - When Will I Ever Learn 2 (3:44)
B2 - Out Of My Head Is The Way I Feel (3:05)
B3 - Carried Away (3:32)
--
C1 - Stoned Part 2 (4:13)
C2 - Positively Beautiful 2 (4:09)
C3 - Throw Me A Line (3:42)
--
D1 - Shame 2 (3:34)
D2 - Won’t Fade Away (4:05)
D3 - Keep On Keeping On (4:47)
Release Notes:
Stoned Part II is Lewis Taylor's pure, perfect dance-pop album. His second self-released album and fourth album proper, it initially appeared on his own label Slow Reality in 2004. It's been licensed to Be With for this long-awaited double LP release, its first ever vinyl edition. Gravely misunderstood at the time by hardcore fans and the music press alike, it has aged quite magnificently. An experiment in the sounds of contemporary pop and dance music, Lewis's wonky take on funky pop would annihilate anything kicking around the charts, then or now. If only it were given half a chance.
Stoned Part II is brimming with Lewis's trademark soul, his singing as beautiful as ever, but the rhythms throughout are more upbeat, the overall sound a more smooth and slicker dance-funk presentation. Roughly half the tracks are absolutely essential, fascinating re-workings of tracks from the eternal Stoned Part 1, as Lewis explains: "When we were doing Stoned we were trying different approaches with everything so we ended up with more than one version of nearly all the songs which left us with more than an album's worth of material. There was a lot of really cool house tunes around at the time which we were both really into and that shaped the sound and production, some songs more directly than others." Amen to that.
The swoonsome, string-drenched opener "Madman" is quite the departure, a bleepy, bumping soulful disco-house record with a bassline to die for. Is there anything he can't do? It's followed by another huge dancefloor stomper, "Keep Right On" again riding another killer bassline over funky drums and featuring Lewis's dazzling vocals. There's no let-up with the sparkling "Reconsider" which sounds an awful lot like Daft Punk meets Nile Rodgers (prescient as ever, our Lewis). The wide-eyed French filtered house vibe is to the fore here, and how this wasn't picked up by someone like Kylie and taken wholesale to the top of the charts is something we'll never understand.
Opening the B-Side, "When Will I Ever Learn 2" really slaps, presenting a breezier, more upbeat funk take on the brilliant original and incorporating "From The Day We Met" from Stoned Part I. "Out Of My Head Is The Way I Feel" is absolutely fantastic and one of Lewis's very best songs. The vocals, self-harmonising and virtuoso playing are next level. To close out the side, "Carried Away" is a real standout, Lewis's gorgeous falsetto riding a quasi D&B groove to begin with before adorning a more classically funky 2-step rhythm. The marriage of undulating synths and guitars is stunning, giving way to Lewis indulging his goosebump-inducing Brian Wilson harmonies.
The funky, Rhythm King drum machine soul of "Stoned Part 2" refashions the original in the style of an unearthed Sly Stone classic, circa There's A Riot Going On. Yes, it's that good. On we then glide to "Positively Beautiful 2" which, if it's even possible, manages to be better than the original. The epic, orchestral opening truly captivates before Lewis truly gets down with kaleidoscopic dancefloor-slaying Philly soul-funk. It's surely tracks like this which help explain why he was soon to be tapped up by Dangermouse and Cee-Lo for the musical director role with Gnarls Barkley. "Throw Me A Line" closes out the side
"Shame 2" is a blissful, restrained version of the massive original, without the crazy psych-soul wig-out. Definitely more radio-friendly, that's for sure. The gorgeous mellow vibe continues with "Won't Fade Away", featuring more Beach Boys harmonies over a barely-there pulse (a version of which later pops up in an altered state on The Lost Album). The album bows out with - you guessed it - a psych-soul wig-out! "Keep On Keeping On", a real highlight, opens with looped sampled drums a la Massive Attack and Lewis's multi-layered self-harmonising again very much high in the mix. It amps up gradually to feature vocals dripping with tune and bite before screaming guitars and crashing drums really blast this whole set into the stratosphere.
Simon Francis’s vinyl mastering, approved by Lewis himself, presents the twelve tracks over a double LP so it sounds exactly as it should. The records have been cut by Cicely Balston at Air Studios and pressed at Record Industry. Allow Lewis Taylor to get you Stoned, Part II. More