GENRE/S:
Deep House, Organic House, Electronica

TRACKLISTS:
A1. Elea feat. Bob Moses
A2. Holding On feat. Bob Moses
B1. Holy For Her feat. Bob Moses
B2. Marigold feat. Bob Moses

SHORT INFO:
Finally getting a vinyl re-release is Frank & Tony’s seminal work with breakout duo Bob Moses. Back in 2012 Francis Harris and Anthony Collins (Frank & Tony) worked with their fellow New Yorkers before they went on to sign to Domino and blow up globally.
The four track EP kicks off with Elea - a deep and thoughtful collaboration utilizing Frank & Tony’s slick production with understated vocals. Next up on the A side is Holding On, featuring iconically Bob Moses vocals atop of a low-key bumping groove. There’s also washes of brass that add a new dimension to the track. Flipping over to the B side, Holy for Her (which also appeared back in 2012), is a densely wound, hypnotic rhythm, providing the basis for Tom Howie and Jim Vallance to do their special thing. Winding things up, Marigold is another early classic from the same period - a dubbed-out groove with sharp percussion and a killer, signature vocal. An essential release capturing a vital period in both outfits' development.







More

Limited & numbered


GENRE/S:
Deep House, Organic House

TRACKLISTS:
A1. Eastern Meantimes feat. Eliana Glass
A2. Absence
B1. Eastern Meantimes feat. Eliana Glass (Timmy Regisford Remix)
B2. Eastern Meantimes (Timmy Regisford Remix Instrumental)

SHORT INFO:
The next release from the re-activated Frank & Tony drops on Scissor and Thread. Following on from Dream Vibration - which broke a five year hiatus from the much-lauded production pair of Francis Harris and Anthony Collins - Eastern Meantimes brings us a sublime set of tracks and remixes. The original features New York artist Eliana Glass, whose sultry vocals ride above a deep, atmospheric groove and lush pads and washes.
The track is also presented here with two stellar remixes from Timmy Regsiford, the New York legend who has been defining the sound of house in the city for nearly 40 years. Here his vocal and instrumental remixes are smooth, deep and infectious, sure to light up discerning dancefloors the world over. Frank & Tony’s Absence is the other original track here, a thick, pulsing bass-driven roller punctuated with sharp snares and the pair’s trademark ethereal pads.






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Limited & numbered

GENRE/S: Deep House, Organic House

TRACKLISTS:
A1. Dream Vibration
A2. Stretch Out Like The World feat. Eliana Glass
B1. Stretch Out Like The World (Timmy Regisford Vocal Mix)
B2. Time Out Of Mind

SHORT INFO:
Frank & Tony drop their new Dream Vibration EP some 5 years after their last outing as a duo with the much-celebrated Odes EP. Having teased the full release with two upfront tracks - Time Out Of Mind and Timmy Regisford’s masterful instrumental rework of Stretch Out Like The World, we now get to enjoy the full package.
Title track Dream Vibration kicks off with a lazy breakbeat, floating, barely-there chord washes and eventually and slowly reveals a thick, low kick and deep sub to drive things along. Frank & Tony’s original version of Stretch Out Like The World features Eliana Glass on vocals - a melancholic but tough track that exudes a classic in the making. Timmy Regisford’s vocal mix amps up the percussion to create a hypnotic club jam idea for an early morning Shelter dancefloor.





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Tracklist 12":
A1. Procession A2. Odes B1. This Time (with DaRand Land) B2. Surface Prelude
Info:
After a bit of a production hiatus, label bosses, Frank & Tony return to Scissor and Thread with ‚Odes' their strongest productions to date. Representative of their passion for vinyl collecting, the EP is the most dancefloor friendly to date. Leading the charge on A1, ‚Procession' takes no time demonstrating the duo's keen ability to craft undeniable dancefloor vibes, with a hypnotic percussive groove sure to turn heads. The title track ‚Odes', epitomizes the Frank & Tony sound with an early morning nostalgia and a nod to Detroit. B1, This Time, sees a collaboration with label mate and overall luminary, Darand Land, combining the dancefloor drive of the duos sound with the intricate melodies synonymous with Land's inimitable sound. Closing off the EP, ‚Surface Prelude', sees a raw, but deep warehouse atmosphere reminiscent of early 90s house, but with an indelible Frank & Tony touch.

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Double-LP, Gatefold-Sleeve

GENRE/S:
Deep House, Lo-Fi House, Minimal / Deep Tech, House

TRACKLISTS:
A1. Sprinkles Says
A2. 727 Anthem (House Is Black)
A3. Hearts Not Broken feat. Léah Lazonick
B1. Pleasure Chaser
B2. The Beat Direct
B3. Love Triangle
C1. Ghosts feat. Léah Lazonick
C2. Out From Within
C3. Prisoner
D1. At Home In Strange Places
D2. Resonate
D3. In The Valley

SHORT INFO:
Black Light Smoke is the electronic music moniker of Jordan Lieb - producer, songwriter, and award winning film and TV composer. A Chicago native, Jordan transplanted to New York City in 2001, where his career as a multi-disciplined musician has taken flight in many forms.
Currently residing in upstate New York, Black Light Smoke returns to Scissor and Thread for his first full length debut-album: Ghosts.
The 12 tracks (plus three digital bonus tracks) span everything from 90s house, smooth and deep soulful beats, dusty grooves and thoughtful treaties on the state of creativity, capitalism and identity.
It’s a collection that sits together as a listening experience perfectly, building peaks and sliding into serene troughs, all with a strong sense of radical thought and creative experimentation. Tracks bend and warp in unexpected directions, while gritty, distortion and overdrive counterpoint classic rave stabs and vocal samples. Taken as a whole, the album could be the soundtrack to a night drive through the city, as much as certain tracks will no doubt find themselves woven into the sets of the more leftfield and genre pushing DJs. Either way, it’s an essential release from one of the most exciting and vital producers out there and the first artist signed to Scissor and Thread back in 2011.
The album title, Ghosts, tells two stories. One is personal - an artist embracing the shadows of his past in order to move forward and complete a body of work. The second story is a search for the original meaning of house music - not just the usual sample, appropriation or casual nod to the originators of house - but a meditation on the living story of Black America in which house music is an inseparable chapter. Both stories are a reflection on grief and the transformation of trauma into celebration.
100% of Jordan Lieb’s personal proceeds from this record will go to Little Bit Foundation, empowering students living in poverty to achieve their academic goals.









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GENRE/S: Deep House

TRACKLIST:
A1. Hold On
A2. The Stolen Child
B1. Water Temple
B2. Lost In Place

SHORT INFO:
JVXTA is a DJ and producer based in London (UK). He also co-founded the label Hardmatter.
Here, Scissor And Thread, the Brooklyn imprint headed by Francis Harris and Anthony Collins share JVXTA’s new EP - Euston Blues. Elements of free improvisation and experimentation pepper the album, while a strong thread of atmospheric cohesion winds its way through the eight tracks - making Euston Blues a truly rewarding and rich listening experience.
"Euston Blues synthesises deep chords, classic house rhythms and jazz laden influences to chronicle an intimate journey of physical and psychological isolation." says Charles Field, the man behind the JVXTA project. "Scope is relative and this transposition is explored from the seclusion of a single room to the expanses of the Beyond". Euston Blues is available as a four-track vinyl EP and full digital album from March, 24th on Scissor And Thread.







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WW -DE, -AT.

LP incl DL code

GENRE/S:
Electronica, Breaks, Drum & Bass

TRACKLISTS:
A1. Jungle Times
A2. Roll Of Thunder
A3. When Young
A4. Ombre
B1. Aura
B2. Dog Days
B3. Drift Out

SHORT INFO:
ZG is the moniker of London based Zansika Lachhani and Grant (aka Anthony Collins, and the Tony in Frank & Tony). The concept was borne out of a connection online, as Grant and Zan connected on Soundcloud, both independently vibing off each other's music and approach to their art.
In 2018 they began to work together, developing a number of tracks but eventually parking the project as other life commitments got in the way. Fast forward to 2021, while clearing out old harddrives, Grant rediscovered the recordings and was blown away by the music already put down. Together they began to rework and develop the project further, resulting in a blindingly beautiful seven track LP.
Opener Jungle Times sets the scene, an atmospheric dreamy opening giving way to an idiosyncratic breakbeat and whispered vocals from Zan, setting the tone perfectly, floating the sound equally between London and New York styles. Following it up is the enigmatic Roll of Thunder, drawing its power broken beat patterns, deep and soulful strings and washes reminiscent of 4Hero in their prime.
When Young also brings a jazz aesthetic to the fore, with upfront drums and Rhodes chords washing over in melodic bliss. Ombre starts with a thick bassline and urgent synth stabs before developing into a tripped-out groove, layered with thick synth lines and subtle harmonic touches. Similarly, Aura uses some of the same sound palette as well with touches of guitars and more sparking pads creating an uplifting yet melancholic journey. The first real vocal arrives with the penultimate track Dog Days, dreamily layered over beautifully evolving synth washes and skittering beats. By the time Drift Out arrives to usher in the last act of this exceptional LP, we are on cloud nine.








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GENRE/S:
Deep House, Organic House, Electronica

TRACKLISTS:
A1. Elea feat. Bob Moses
A2. Holding On feat. Bob Moses
B1. Holy For Her feat. Bob Moses
B2. Marigold feat. Bob Moses

SHORT INFO:
Finally getting a vinyl re-release is Frank & Tony’s seminal work with breakout duo Bob Moses. Back in 2012 Francis Harris and Anthony Collins (Frank & Tony) worked with their fellow New Yorkers before they went on to sign to Domino and blow up globally.
The four track EP kicks off with Elea - a deep and thoughtful collaboration utilizing Frank & Tony’s slick production with understated vocals. Next up on the A side is Holding On, featuring iconically Bob Moses vocals atop of a low-key bumping groove. There’s also washes of brass that add a new dimension to the track. Flipping over to the B side, Holy for Her (which also appeared back in 2012), is a densely wound, hypnotic rhythm, providing the basis for Tom Howie and Jim Vallance to do their special thing. Winding things up, Marigold is another early classic from the same period - a dubbed-out groove with sharp percussion and a killer, signature vocal. An essential release capturing a vital period in both outfits' development.







More

Limited & numbered


GENRE/S:
Deep House, Organic House

TRACKLISTS:
A1. Eastern Meantimes feat. Eliana Glass
A2. Absence
B1. Eastern Meantimes feat. Eliana Glass (Timmy Regisford Remix)
B2. Eastern Meantimes (Timmy Regisford Remix Instrumental)

SHORT INFO:
The next release from the re-activated Frank & Tony drops on Scissor and Thread. Following on from Dream Vibration - which broke a five year hiatus from the much-lauded production pair of Francis Harris and Anthony Collins - Eastern Meantimes brings us a sublime set of tracks and remixes. The original features New York artist Eliana Glass, whose sultry vocals ride above a deep, atmospheric groove and lush pads and washes.
The track is also presented here with two stellar remixes from Timmy Regsiford, the New York legend who has been defining the sound of house in the city for nearly 40 years. Here his vocal and instrumental remixes are smooth, deep and infectious, sure to light up discerning dancefloors the world over. Frank & Tony’s Absence is the other original track here, a thick, pulsing bass-driven roller punctuated with sharp snares and the pair’s trademark ethereal pads.






More

Limited & numbered

GENRE/S: Deep House, Organic House

TRACKLISTS:
A1. Dream Vibration
A2. Stretch Out Like The World feat. Eliana Glass
B1. Stretch Out Like The World (Timmy Regisford Vocal Mix)
B2. Time Out Of Mind

SHORT INFO:
Frank & Tony drop their new Dream Vibration EP some 5 years after their last outing as a duo with the much-celebrated Odes EP. Having teased the full release with two upfront tracks - Time Out Of Mind and Timmy Regisford’s masterful instrumental rework of Stretch Out Like The World, we now get to enjoy the full package.
Title track Dream Vibration kicks off with a lazy breakbeat, floating, barely-there chord washes and eventually and slowly reveals a thick, low kick and deep sub to drive things along. Frank & Tony’s original version of Stretch Out Like The World features Eliana Glass on vocals - a melancholic but tough track that exudes a classic in the making. Timmy Regisford’s vocal mix amps up the percussion to create a hypnotic club jam idea for an early morning Shelter dancefloor.





More

Territories: WW -DE, -AT

TRACKLIST:
A1. Useless Machines
A2. And Everything Is One Thing After Another
A3. Rebstock Fold
B1. Earth Moves
B2. Thresholds
B3. Luck Takes A Step
C1. I Can Still See Us
C2. Speculative Nature Of Purposive Form
C3. Cut Up
D1. New Pastoral
D2. On That Occasion, Landeau
D3. Every Degree Of Distance

SHORT INFO:
While previous albums, most notably Leland and Minutes of Sleep (2014) as well as two albums released as one half of the duo Aris Kindt (most notably the stellar Swann and Odette from 2017) have relied on singular thematic and narrative drives that were often of a personal, collaborative, or hermetic in nature, Thresholds is an album that aspires to sonic universality and the presentation of a fully formed psychoacoustical world. That being said it is not an “album of ideas”. Inspired by the ecological and political upheavals of the present and the role of speculative thought as an avenue of global transformation Thresholds is the work of a mature artist fully in control of his powers. Both expansive and nuanced the album widens the aperture of the affective possibilities of the electronic assemblage; themes skip from one track to the next, elevating and informing each other in tangible fields of abstract figuration. The titles, while often heady, concisely allude to strategies implicit in the construction and arrangement of the works: Cut Up, within the context of the album, is exactly that. Luck Takes a Step juxtaposes stately synths with just the right touch of playful fluctuation and latent atonality. The title track itself is a knotted mass of uncertainty and propulsive beats the breakdown of which is a nervous series of fits and starts that resonate not just within the track but as the fulcrum of the entire album: the threshold of our Threshold: “…we are caught up in our own original transversals of time to the point of dissolution, and that which remains a part of the contrivance of ourselves is ultimately that which crosses the threshold and is somehow, miraculously, reconstituted on the other side of it. Because it is via the threshold that we can best observe the conditions of experience as lived even as we cross to the other side of understanding, rejoining the ancient equilibriums of which we, in our depths, are comprised.” (From the liner notes)
No track overstays its welcome and with the help of standout vocalist Eliana Glass, and instrumentation by Dave Harrington (Darkside with Nicolas Jaar), Mark Nelson (Pan American), Will Shore, Greg Paulus and Gareth Redmond, and mixed by Phil Weinrobe, the result is a dizzyingly pure inward gaze that is first and foremost an album about connection.




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Tracklist 12":
A1. Port Ana
A2. Conversation
A3. Objects In Form
B1. Rain Again
B2. Rain Again (Lawrence Remix 1)

Release Info:
Nadia Khan returns on Scissor and Thread for another sublime mini LP, Port Ana. Based in North Carolina,
Khan first drew a lot of attention via a cassette release on Where To Now? Records in 2015.
Her sophomore statement was the beautiful In Gleam released in 2018 on Francis Harris’ Brooklyn-based label, which set the tone for these five tracks of meditative music. The title track Port Ana opens the journey - a gentle, droning soundscape with effortlessly bewitching glints of melody. Conversation follows on, drawing on loops and textures to create the background for a deep, pulsing kick drum. The sounds shift and evolve, leaving a hazy sense of movement to drift away to. Next up is Objects In Form which presents a fragile chord progression that barely holds itself together, surrounded by shifting pads and swathes of reverb. Rain Again is presented here in two versions. The original combines ethereal sounds, weightless and adrift, while the Lawrence remix firmly grounds the track with a hypnotic, deep groove. The Dial boss provides another remix for the digital release that further plays with the textures of the original to create something that works both for an open minded dancefloor and as a home listening experience.




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Tracklist 12":
A1. Penrose Stairs
A2. Dawn Is Mine
A3. Lilac
A4. Midnight Arp
B1. Myst
B2. Show Me
B3. Wild Things

Villete aka Amsterdam based producer Anne Korteweg returns to Scissor and Thread with a brilliant new EP. Her debut 12" 'Girl Next Door' was released on Scissor and Thread in the fall of 2016 and sold out quickly. Now here with the new EP Dawn is Mine, we are treated to seven tracks of understated, floating beauty.
On her new release she explores the more abstract sides of electronic music. Using a variety of synthesizers, she creates rich and lush sounding structures that continuously bend and flow loosely. She finds inspiration from listening to Pauline Anna Strom, Takashi Kokubo and Actress.
Opener Penrose Stairs sets the tone with gentle arpeggiated synths creating a warm, fuzzy atmosphere - a combination further explored in Midnight Arp later into the mini-album.
The title track Dawn Is Mine uncovers a low bass throb mixed with dubbed out effects and textures, while Lilac emits an ethereal, woozy atmosphere, with lush pads, choral textures and blissful melodic motifs. Myst also luxuriates in hazy pads before a slo-mo groove emerges to carry the track towards the edge of the dancefloor. If Myst flirts with the idea of dancing, Show Me dives right in - an exquisite slice of deep, outsider house with a psychedelic twist. Winding the release down with Wild Things - a beat-less vignette of synths engaged in an melodic interplay of chimes and tones.




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Tracklist 12":
A1. King Tutt
A2. My Names
A3. Karl
B1. 1985
B2. Soon We’ll

Release Info:
Hidden Spheres is the alter ego of Manchester’s Tom Harris, who first made his mark on the underground circuit with his release 'The Bloos' on Moods & Grooves, before following it up with the much in demand ‘Waiting’ on Lobster Theremin offshoot Distant Hawaii.
Here, Tom joins the Scissor & Thread family, the Brooklyn label founded by Francis Harris, and home to music that traverses a number of boundaries. Hidden Spheres fits right in - the five track 1985 EP blends house, broken beat, ambient, jazz and other elements into a heady brew.
'King Tut' starts proceedings, a laid back jazzy groove, rich in textures and soulful flourishes.
'My Names' touches on the UK broken beat legacy of 4 Hero and Bugz in the Attic - an off kilter groove layered with sweet jazz and house inflected licks. ‘Karl' is a much more direct dancefloor track, albeit with the deepness that we expect from Hidden Spheres.The penultimate track '1985' steps into the unconventional house vibes of Detroit's third wave. 'Soon We’ll' finishes up the EP - a supremely jazzy piece built around the sax, piano and washes of strings and ambient elements - a superb closer for a deep and heartfelt release.




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12“ Extended EP , 32 minute running time

Tracklist 12":
A1. Nothing Makes Me Feel (Good Anymore)
A2. Street Emotion
A3. Get Something
B1. The Right Way
B2. Hustle
B3. Golden Chains

Following on from 'City Life' (Scissor And Thread #40) here is a brand new extended EP from composer, producer and musician Black Light Smoke, jam-packed with pure raw House Music showcasing all the benefits of floating keys and rattling hi-hats, while masterfully interwoven vocal cuts take an infectious lead through the EP.
The title track 'Nothing Makes Me Feel (Good Anymore)' sets the tone with a snappy beat and a slightly melancholic vocal sample. 'Street Emotion' convinces with tasty dryness over a characteristic bass-wobble in the beginning before it opens up with a warm and swelling synth pad.
In similar fashion 'Get Something' is beat-focused and dressed up with G-House vocal splinters which make it groovy as hell. 'The Right Way' surfs on a wave of juicy chords and laid back vocals and especially the well-arranged break beat of 'The Right Way' creates the track's uniqueness.
'Hustle' has some serious jack-flavor, transporting all the best of Chicago's warehouse sound while 'Golden Chains' is driven by a sophisticated garage bass-line, almost contrary to the emotional feel of the track, once more underlined by a distinctive vocal line. Well saturated distortion and Lo-Fi edges add up to a wealth of comfortably warm moods that represent Black Light Smoke's very personal expression of modern House sound, which you will be also be able top experience in his upcoming live set gigs.



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Tracklist 12":
A1. Portal
A2. Tower Of The Sun
B1. Schaefer Street
B2. Schaefer Street (Patrice Scott Remix)

Release Info:
Alexander Albrecht returns to Francis Harris' Scissor & Thread imprint under his Melquí­ades guise for the Excerpts EP. As with his previous release on the label, Blue Caves, the Melbourne producer delivers a rich and affecting release, blending genres and moods with ease.

"The idea behind this EP", says Alex Albrecht, "was to capture moments and "excerpts" of my improvised live set. I've used field recordings from a number of places from around the world as inspiration (including my recent visit to New York for the last S&T Tour) for the individual tracks - there's a variety of genres within the release but essentially they were just improvised extended jam sessions. I then chose some interesting excerpts for the record."
'Portal' kicks off the EP, a deep and woozy track with a strong groove, layered with pads and effects that radically enriches the dancefloor cut.
'Tower Of The Sun' utilizes a similar driving beat, heavy on the hi-hats, but with a more submerged mood, punctuated with distant blasts and shards of noise.
'Schaefer Street' also employs snappy percussion and snares, intertwined with bubbling melody and ethereal pads and washes.
The same track is given a re-work by Patrice Scott, thickening up the groove and providing the most out-and-out dancefloor



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Tracklist 12":
A. Minor Forms (Joaquin Joe Claussell's Cosmic Arts Version) (15:22)
B. St. Catherine And The Calm (LNS Remix feat. Nadia Sparrow) (11:07)

Release Info:
After Francis Harriis third album 'Trivial Occupations' gained magnificent resonances during press and listeners - his “meandering, spine-tingling loveliness” (DJ Mag, USA) became an album of the year in several publications - here is the Remix-EP with two very special reworks. While the left-field ambient waves of 'Trivial Occupations' still linger in the ears, Joaquin Joe Claussell and LNS tamper with the two bit more beat-driven 'Minor Forms' and 'St. Catherine And The Calm' for two new interpretations that totally break the chains.

New York based DJ, musician and producer Joaquin Joe Claussell, label-owner of both Spiritual Life Music and Sacred Rhythms Music is looking back on a list of countless works on Labels like Vega Records, Brownswood Recordings and Wonderwheel Recordings. Famous for his percussion-driven Afro-House tracks which are influenced by his Puerto Rican background, he also has a deep connection into New York’s local Jazz Scene. Claussell's Cosmic Arts Version of Minor Forms features the outstanding Jazz-pianist Bennett Paster with skillful and organic Piano lines. The track opens up with indistinct vocal chants and distant piano-tinkles alongside scattered drum hits. This moody, steady swelling beginning follows on the vibe of the original’s jazzy trumpets. As the bass, played by Claussell, hits at some point, the whole track turns into a fusion of virtousic synth and piano melodies, underlined with excentrical drum rolls. A turn back into the lighter ambient-spheres finally ends the wildness.

"No different than how I approach producing remixes," says Claussell, "my goal first and foremost is to initiate a connection with the original composition. What this allows me to do is become intimate with the piece in a way that it almost becomes one of my own. Once the relationship is established, I then sketch out the ideas in my head - then on to the canvas - hence whatever format, whether that be DAW or Tape that I feel can most appropriately assist me in getting the job done. As it relates specifically to 'Minor Forms', I envisioned it becoming a journey that moves in 4-parts (Deep Wilderness, Morning Light, Jazzstosphere and back into the Wilderness). The ultimate goal was for the remix to become a story that continues moving through different atmospheric scenes and melodic emotions-all the while respecting the brilliance of the original story. An important part however, is that i need to feel the original composition before i entertain the idea of agreeing to do remixes. And so, hats off to Francis Harris for creating an inspiring piece of music to begin with."

The lively breathing nature of 'St. Catherine And The Calm' is what Laura Sparrow aka. LNS is most fascinated about, so her approach for her remix was to “utilize Francis organic sounds and approach it both via hardware electronically, and using real instruments”, she says. Her Sister, Nadja Sparrow, who is a professional flutist played over the track, creating a goosebump-atmosphere, that is permeated by floating tape-delays of the originals’ piano and vibraphone. Calm and breakbeat-like drums provide the basis for this breathtaking harmonic adventure. LNS, originally keeping the spirit of Calgary’s underground scene alive, is now at home in the Berlin’s equivalent. Not only her love for Detroit and UK-Techno during Djing, but also a great variety of musical influences mirror in her productions. On her recent releases on DJ Sotofett’s Label Wania and her self-released Recons One EP she shows off a interesting mix of short edged electro and leftfield electronica.

With almost thirty minutes playtime, Trivial Occupation Remixes leaves the impression of listening to an entire album that continues telling the story of the original.


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Scissor and Thread regular Black Light Smoke returns to the Brooklyn label run by Francis Harris for a mini LP of raw, atmospheric house.

Tracklist 12":
A1. In Gold
A2. City Life
B1. Make My Peace
B2. Up In This
B3. Without You

Scissor and Thread regular Black Light Smoke returns to the Brooklyn label run by Francis Harris for a mini LP of raw, atmospheric house. The alias of Jordan Lieb, Emmy Award winning composer/producer/musician, Black Light Smoke drops City Life - six tracks of affecting, deep vibes.
'In Gold' is rich in analog warmth, a bubbling deep house roller that echoes some of the New York, Detroit and Chicago greats. Title track 'City Life' is a stripped down rhythm track, populated with stabs, melodic flourishes, and beautifully arranged pads - as well as a killer vocal. 'Make My Piece' is built around a vocal hook and roughneck drum track, before opening up with crunchy percussion and a sick bassline. Next one is 'Up In This', starting on a dreamy tip, but exploding into life with Lieb's signature feel for propulsive rhythms and deep, warm tones. 'Without You' is a tougher proposition, using heavy compression and distortion to texture the track, while the digital bonus track 'Every Beat (No Regrets)' is a fitting end to the release - a woozy, after-hours come down vibe, wrapping up this journey.


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Tracklist 12":
A1. Tomi Chair: Tropical Imagination
A2. Tomi Chair: Tropical Imagination (Dream Version)
A3. Tomi Chair: Heat Exhaustion
B1. Tominori Hosoya: We Are Here
B2. Tomi Chair: Heat Exhaustion (Francis Harris Reform)

The latest transmission from Francis Harris' exquisite Scissor And Thread imprint showcases the many talents of Tokyo's Tomi Chair aka Tominori Hosoya. The DJ and producer goes by both names, and here presents five tracks of lush, emotional music veering between ambient excursions and dance floor heaters.

The original version of title track 'Tropical Imagination' opens the EP, and is a deep and thoughtful dance floor number. Elegant chords set the tone while the percussion adds a silky funkiness that's impossible to ignore. The 'Dream Version' strips the track down to its pads and atmospheres.

Next up is Tomi Chair's 'Heat Exhaustion' - an exceptionally beautiful beatless piece that drifts through droney pads and occasional fragments of minor key melody.

Using the Tominori Hosoya moniker, side B begins with 'We Are Here' - another powerfully restrained piece that merges woody percussion with low key pads and field recordings to create a magical whole.

Francis Harris adds his touch to 'Heat Exhaustion' with his respectful Reform version, adding skittering percussion and underpinning the piece with a leftfield ambient house edge that builds and builds. Another essential addition to the Scissor And Thread catalog
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2LP, Gatefold Sleeve, download code

Tracklist
A1. At First A Wide Space
A2. St. Catherine And The Calm
B1. Song For Aguirre
B2. Trivial Occupations
C1. Dalloway
C2. Recital Of Facts
C3. Parklife
D1. Minor Forms
D2. Beaumont
D3. No Useless Leniency

Release Info
'Trivial Occupations' is the third LP released under the Kingdoms and Scissor and Thread founder’s own name - and continues in the traditions of those landmark records. Having scaled to heights within the club scene and released almost a hundred records under different monikers, Francis Harris embarked on an altogether more personal journey as a composer of intimate, atmospheric pieces removed from the dancefloor.

Here, with 'Trivial Occupations', Harris dives deep into a new sound pallette - bringing the listener on a journey through various states over the almost one hour run time. The album was made over the course of four years in various studios with an array of notable players, bringing a diversity of perspectives and approaches encompassed within Harris stunning artistic studio approach. It was also mixed at Jack White’s Third Man Studios again with the help of long time collaborator and friend, Bill Skibbe.

'At First A Wide Space' opens up the album, setting the tone with a vista of soundscapes, merging synths, live strings by Kingdom’s artist Emil Abramyan. It sets the stage for what is perhaps the album’s (first) opus, 'St Catherine And The Calm'. Spanning over 12 minutes, drifting through ambient textures, shuffling beats and beautifully arpeggiated melodies and found recordings, it gives the listener a widescreen intimacy, not unlike the enveloping sensation of a cinematic experience. 'Song For Aguirre' is a more mournful affair, built around Abramyan’s cello, deep bass tones, pad washes and distant sounding horns from Greg Paulus, adding to the noir-ish 70’s soundtrack feel. 'Trivial Occupations' the album's title track and perhaps the centerpiece in terms of mood and tone, is a dizzying off kilter Jazz trip featuring a cast of remarkable jazz players, including vocalist Genevieve Marentette, Robb Reddy (tenor sax), Darkside member Dave Harrington on guitar and Will Shore (vibes).

Breaking up the album nicely, 'Dalloway', perhaps Harris’ most unique production to date, moves into Dancehall territory with a collaboration with Cameroon born but NY based singer, Kaïssa.

'Recital Of Facts' , one of the only beat driven songs on the LP, harkens back to the sound of Harris' last two albums with a melancholic groove paired with melodic bass fragments and the ever-present pad washes. 'Parklife' follows a similar vibe with the return of Greg Paulus’ mournful horns, but without any rhythmic underpinning, before the previous single 'Minor Forms' appears with its shuffling percussion and the singular sound of Will Shore’s Vibraphone, bringing about a climatic moment listening moment.

The final two tracks - 'Beaumont' and 'No Useless Leniency' both further explore the sense of space with which Harris has become so enamoured - creating textures and backdrops for piano (Beaumont) and horns (Useless Leniency).

It’s an album that is easy to get lost in - a structure suggesting no real beginning or end. Listening to it on loop offers the listener a chance to be fully immersed in the rich, melancholic tonalities of Harris’ sound universe..

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Tracklist 12":
A1. In Gleam
A2. Local Visit (with Francis Harris)
B1. Restless (Alex Albrecht Melquíades Last Bells Remix)
B2. Sorting Through
B3. Sunburnt

The latest release on Francis Harris' Scissor & Thread is another exercise in subtlety and restraint, brought to us by the emerging talents of Nadia Khan. With little known about the artist, this release lets the sublime music do the talking. Title track 'In Gleam' is a beautifully evocative drift into ambient textures - rising pads and occasion bass tones combine to set an exquisite scene. 'Local Visit' is a collaboration with label boss Francis Harris, and features some of the trademark submerged rhythm and textures the label has become known for, unfolding its deep structures over the course of the track. 'Restless' sees label regular Alex Albrecht aka Melquíades (whose previous EP on S&T was received warmly) provide the Last Bells remix - again muted tones and rhythmic complexity glide under ethereal piano fragments and slowly evolving pad washes. 'Sorting Through' finds its groove early, a deadened kick unfolds into an urgent percussion creating a thick atmosphere of melancholia.
'Sunburnt' rounds out the physical release - ending how it started - with dreamy, smudged tones, and warm pads.

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