First Word Records is very proud to welcome the return of the inimitable Kaidi Tatham, with his 5th album for us, entitled 'The Only Way'. Kaidi Tatham is a legendary multi-instrumentalist born in the Midlands and based in Belfast. Established as one of the original creators of the Broken Beat sound, he is a virtuoso on the keys and a true innovator in sound production. A deeply prolific artist, this is Kaidi's 5th solo album under his own name, following on from 'Don't Rush The Process' (2022), 'An Insight To All Minds' (2021), 'It's A World Before You' (2018), and 'In Search Of Hope' (re-pressed in 2020), all released on First Word, along with several EPs from 2017 onwards. 'The Only Way' is the latest chapter in Kaidi's entirely unique explorations into sound. 11 tracks touching on bruk, funk, jazz, mid-tempo hip hop and hyper-energetic Brazilian flavours, all thrown into a melting pot that's difficult to define, but all containing Kaidi's unmistakable sonic signature. The epic opener 'Reason We're Here' starts the album softly, before switching midway into KT's trademark synth-lead bruk boogie, to set the scene of what's to come. Lead track 'The Only Way' sees the return of Philly MC Uhmeer (Jazzy Jeff's son), his third collab with Kaidi and a timely celebratory track about this thing called Hip Hop, in its 50th year. 'Feels Like I'm On My Own' is a statement within itself, starting off as a jazz-funk jam, before switching to breakneck Brazilian choro, in the only way Kaidi can, with 'It's On' on a similar vein. 'Fricassee' is some heads down dancery business, and there are more guests with Trian Kayhatu appearing on 'Alien @$^%' and Matt Lord on the super energetic album closer 'Not Suffering'. Kaidi Tatham continues to grow on his already impressive catalogue, a body of work that falls within the cracks of jazz and dance music, exemplifying modern British black brilliance; uncompromising, innovative, groundbreaking, intricately sophisticated and deeply funky. His fanbase expands on every release and it's no surprise that that fanbase includes a diverse set of peers such as Madlib ("ahead of his time"), Gilles Peterson ("a key part of an entire movement") and K15 ("a limitless source of inspiration") to name just a few of the many influenced by Kaidi's sound. More

First Word Records is extremely proud to welcome back Kaidi Tatham, with a brand new 12-track album entitled 'Don't Rush The Process'.This is Kaidi's 4th solo album under his own name, following on from 'An Insight To All Minds' (2021), 'It's A World Before You' (2018), and 'In Search Of Hope' (re-pressed in 2020), all released on First Word, along with several EPs from 2017 onwards.To bring you up to speed, Kaidi Tatham is a legendary multi-instrumentalist born in the Midlands and based in Belfast. Once dubbed "the UK's Herbie Hancock" by Benji B, he's a virtuoso on the keys and a true innovator in sound production as one of the original creators of the Broken Beat sound. Over the years his musical prowess has blessed numerous projects, recently with the likes of DJ Jazzy Jeff, Andrew Ashong and with longtime accomplice, Dego. This in addition to session and remix work for artists such as Mulatu Astatke, Slum Village, Marcos Valle, Amy Winehouse, Soul II Soul, Nubya Garcia, Rosie Frater-Taylor and Leroy Burgess, along with First Word label mates Eric Lau, Children of Zeus, Allysha Joy and Darkhouse Family. Kaidi is also a revered DJ known for rocking parties globally, whilst his solo catalogue spans tons of EPs and releases for labels such as Dego's 2000 Black, Alex Nut's Eglo Records and Theo Parrish's Sound Signature.This new album 'Don't Rush The Process' opens with an intro of sweet strings on 'Mystery Solved', ahead of lead title track, which is on a mid-tempo boom bap vibe, before switching to a more uptempo boogie vein, with the assistance of The Easy Access Orchestra, who also appear on 'We Chillin' Out', which is on a similar boogie tip. 'All I Need' is some gospel flavoured hip hop, whilst 'Knocknee Donkey' steps things up in a jazz-funk fashion. The second half of the album takes on a very Brazilian flavoured stance, with a set of delicious latin flavoured grooves on 'Any Flavour', 'Runnin' Tru', 'What A Dream' and 'Sooretama', the latter featuring the additional prowess of pianist Robert Mitchell. There's a touch more of the hip hop beats thrown in via 'Funky Fool' and the album closes out in inimitable Kaidi style with a short message: 'Mind Yourself'.A hugely prolific artist, here he adds to an already impressive catalogue, a body of work that falls within the cracks of jazz and dance music, exemplifying modern British black brilliance; uncompromising, innovative, groundbreaking, intricately sophisticated and deeply funky. His fanbase expands on every release and it's no surprise that that fanbase includes a diverse set of peers such as Madlib ("ahead of his time"), Gilles Peterson ("a key part of an entire movement"), K15 ("a limitless source of inspiration") and Kyle Hall. More

Repress!
Eureka! is starting a limited 12inch project with secret two tracks by UK crossover and broken beats maestro Kaidi Tatham. On A-side, It is original track "There Is Something In The Water" inspired by Kaidi’s last remix EP "Water". Also B-side is very special remix of Eureka!’s first 12inch release by Crackazat "Coffee Time". More

If there is one artist that has truly become synonymous with Jazz re:freshed over the years, it is the energy, the skill, the showmanship, the innovation, the genius that is Kaidi Tatham. The vibe behind the west London/broken beats/nu-jazz scene as a core member of Bugz In The Attic, Kaidi's 5ive continues the lineage of jazz, fusing it with his own twisted funk, boogie and eletronica. The 10 year anniversary of its first release sees Kaidi's 5ive presented for the first time ever on vinyl. More

First Word Records are very proud to present a brand new album from Kaidi Tatham!

'An Insight To All Minds' is Kaidi's 3rd solo album under his own name, following several EPs and two albums for First Word; 2018's acclaimed 'It's A World Before You' and the re-press of his seminal 2008 sophomore album 'In Search Of Hope' last year.

For those that don't know, Kaidi Tatham is a legendary multi-instrumentalist. Once dubbed "the UK's Herbie Hancock" by Benji B, he's a virtuoso on the keys and a true innovator in sound production as one of the original creators of the Broken Beat sound. Over the years his musical prowess has blessed numerous projects, initially with the likes of Bugz In The Attic and The Herbaliser, and more recently with DJ Jazzy Jeff (through the PLAYlist projects), Andrew Ashong (on the acclaimed 'Sankofa Season' EP last year) and with longtime accomplice, Dego. This in addition to session work for artists such as Mulatu Astatke, Slum Village, Amy Winehouse, Soul II Soul and Leroy Burgess, along with First Word label mates such as Eric Lau, Children of Zeus and Darkhouse Family. Kaidi is also a revered DJ known for rocking parties globally, whilst his solo catalogue spans tons of EPs and releases for labels such as 2000 Black, Eglo and Theo Parrish's Sound Signature.

On 'An Insight To All Minds', Kaidi says it's "not about a destination, but a process. It's about how you drive, not where you're going. Nothing in this world can torment you as much as your own thoughts… We are all going through it. We can all feel what the next person is feeling, believe it or not. It's learning how to tap into it".

The album is comprised of an assortment of Kaidi's unique flavours - uptempo jazz-funk bruk, laced with rhodes, flutes, live bass and delicious percussion. Using that blueprint he moves effortlessly through latin and samba, half-step, deep afro house and a sprinkle of curveballs, all presented in Kaidi's inimitable way.

'Intergalactic Relations' brings with it some 110bpm synthed-out spacey electro-breaks, 'Could It Be' sets off sounding like a Morricone film score, whilst 'Rodney' is some serious heads-down business; stark and punchy off-kilter broken beat and vocal stabs. There are a few guests too - 'Chungo' sees the return of Uhmeer (who previously appeared on 'Cupid' on the album 'It's A World Before You'); here the young Philly MC deftly rides a 9/4 time signature beat. Meanwhile 'Stro Kyat' invites in another supreme talent, Stro Elliot (The Roots), who provides a suitably crisp & crunchy riddim to accompany Kaidi's key play over a mind-bending 5/4 time signature.

With this new album, Kaidi Tatham adds further to his already impressive catalogue, a body of work that falls within the cracks of jazz and dance music, exemplifying modern British black brilliance once again; uncompromising, innovative, groundbreaking, intricately sophisticated and deeply funky. His fanbase expands on every release and it's no surprise that that fanbase includes peers such as Madlib ("ahead of his time"), Gilles Peterson ("a key part of an entire movement"), K15 ("a limitless source of inspiration"), Alexander Nut ("a true virtuoso") and Kyle Hall.

'An Insight To All Minds' is released on double vinyl & digital via First Word Records, April 2nd 2021. More

From his earlier work with pioneering London production outfits like Bugz In The Attic, DKD, Silhouette Brown, Blakai, Likwid Biskit, Neon Phusion and Agent K, to his recent releases and collaborations with Dego and the extended 2000black family, Kaidi Tatham is one of the most quietly influential British artists of his time.

2008's 'In Search of Hope' is the second solo album from Tatham and the first under his own name. It pushes the musical boundaries of electronic and dance music in a way that is still rarely heard today. While the album retains its contemporary London influences, it allowed Tatham to stretch out musically in a way he hadn't done on record before. The majority of the album's tracks aren't in the standard 4/4 time signature that most contemporary dance music follows, and some switch between a handful of different time signatures over the course of a few minutes. In a way, the album could be viewed as Tatham's mission statement and a sign of what was to come from him as an artist: uncompromisingly and unapologetically sophisticated modern black music. His face melting virtuosity never gets in the way of coherent groove, melody, harmony and arrangement. Originally released on Tokyo based label Freedom School and recorded on a modest set up at his flat in south London, 'In Search of Hope' has become a holy grail record for dance music fans and jazz heads alike. Its mythical status is spurred on by the fact that it was unavailable digitally, until now, with physical copies fetching astronomical prices online, especially considering how recently it was released compared to other records that reach similar prices. More

After releasing the LP 'Its A World Before You' Kaidi Tatham comes home to 2000black.and what a return it is!!'Freddie Can't Run Away' is everything one would wish for from a fusion track and shows . Mr Tatham is truely in his own lane.'But You Bring It Up' features vocals from Nadine Charles on a warm soul jazz track.... More

First Word Records is very proud to present a brand new full-length album from Kaidi Tatham. 'It's A World Before You'. Following on from two EPs released on First Word last year ('Changing Times' and 'Hard Times'), Kaidi has delivered us thirteen tracks that deftly illustrate his various talents as a multi-instrumentalist. More

First Word close out 2017 with the return of Kaidi Tatham, following up his 'Changing Times' EP for us, with another killer 4-tracker - this one entitled 'Hard Times'. More

'Freedom School' is well known for releasing music from the likes of IG Culture, Mark De Clive Lowe, Eric Lau and Rick "The Godson” Wilhite. The third volume of the FREEDOM SCHOOL D.J. SERIES features the work of Kaidi Tatham. There are three solid tracks on this 12” from beat-down House to jazzy down tempo beats. Kaidi brings his futuristic funky fusion to give all the dancers warm and peaceful vibes!

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3 Track EP from the one and only Kaidi Tatham, on 2000Black. Kaidi Tatham returns as a solo artist for the first time since the very sought after Japanese release 'In Search Of Hope'.This ep see's Mr Tatham explore jazz fusion,hip hop and soundtrack music with great arrangements warm analogue synths and a groove thats always strong. More

Restock.

Sounds Familiar, with its ‘Music First’ approach will be celebrating it’s 10 year milestone with a series of club nights worldwide complimented by several collaborations, most notably a special music project –

‘Familiar Sounds’

Familiar Sounds consists of 3 albums, each with 6 exclusive tracks curated especially for this occasion by the Sounds Familiar artists. Vinyl and digital formats will be released throughout 2023.

Artwork and creative direction courtesy of OG Tyler Askew, the SF’s logo creator who has been working with the brand since its inception.

Crafted and distributed by SF’s partner Mother Tongue the first of the 3 volumes drop on the 21st April exactly 10 years since the Sounds Familiar launch in 2013.

Familiar Sounds Volume 1 features music from Dego, Kamma & Masalo, Aleqs Notal Ft. Anu, Kai Alcé Retromigration and Hugo LX

The second and third album will be available in July and October 2023. More

Cast your mind back to February 2020 for a moment, when Berlin-based French-Irish sound artist Zoë Mc Pherson released their last album "States of Fugue". The world seemed less tangled somehow, and yet Mc Pherson's precision-engineered fusion of exploratory sound design and visceral club pressure seemed to hint at a cataclysmic event none of us were really expecting. Only a few weeks after its release the world changed forever, and the majority of us were grounded - forced to consider our lives and the movement (or lack thereof) surrounding us. The philosophy of this extended time period is welded into the bones of "Pitch Blender", Mc Pherson's supple third album. They have learned plenty in the last two years, and infuse all of that anxiety and spiky emotionality into a spread of tracks that sound as powerful in headphones as they do over a well-tweaked soundsystem, soldering vocals, environmental recordings and instrumental flourishes to unpredictably pneumatic, cybernetic beats.

Anyone that's caught one of Mc Pherson's energetic live performances over the last few months will have an idea of what "Pitch Blender" is made of. They're an artist who's somehow able to match the raw energy of post-punk and no-wave music with the brain-altering potential of the best experimental club tracks, vocalizing an incongruous post-lockdown reality over beats that sound as if they're in a permanent state of flux. 'On Fire' splutters to life in a frenetic patter of drums that blur into oddly soothing hoover sounds, snaking lysergically towards a drop that's teased constantly, and never comes. We're forced to wait until 'The Spark' for that, fighting through choppy, pitch-mangled guitar and rolling beats until a gruesome kick drum forces its way through the psilocybin mists and heaving Bristol-inspired bass clonks. Backed up with just the inverted traces of recognizable breaks, this vigorous pulse lies at the heart of "Pitch Blender", the driving force that powers Mc Pherson's sound even when it's only hinted at.

'Blender' is the moment where Mc Pherson show their full hand, using crackling sound effects, ghost vocals and uneven rhythms to build a textural landscape that's so evocative you can almost taste it. Squealing modular synth effects sound like gameshow buzzers being triggered in another dimension and propel the track forward - it's club music, just about, but Mc Pherson's motivation is world-building, and their world is colorful, abstract, and dizzyingly surreal. "Obsolete user," their voice echoes over driving airlock kicks. But they take a swift left turn with 'Lamella', reducing the kinetic club rhythms to a longing simmer and letting loose with powerful vocals, intoning with robotic, gender-fluxed intensity. On 'Wait', New York City's clacking crosswalk signal - already an effective club track on its own - is transformed into a reminder to slow down, juxtaposed with booming sub-heavy kicks, acidic synths and effervescent percussion that rattles in time with the vibrations. It's foley rave, built for pure psychedelic intensity to blur the line between real life and sonic fiction.

One of the album's most galvanic tracks, 'Power Dynamics' curves a double-time rhythm around breathless HQ sound design squiggles until it hits a polyrhythmic crescendo, striking a queasy balance between rave hedonism and ritualistic hand drum energy. It all builds towards eerie closing track 'Outside' that acts as an important wind down, spotlighting Mc Pherson's ability to operate outside of the rhythmic spectrum, using cinematic scrapes and flickering neon synths to create music that's tense but never terrifying. The track feels like the end credits of a particularly bewildering movie - something between the cyberpunk dystopia of "Ghost in the Shell" and the vivid, sky-scraping beauty of "Koyaanisqatsi". Mc Pherson has managed something special with "Pitch Blender": mashing together genres with rare focus, and sharpening their engineering skills to a fine point, they've concocted an antidote to contemporary malaise - a wakeup call that's begging us to loosen our limbs and move. More

Sounds Familiar returns with the latest instalment of 7InchNails - its home-grown series of 45s, filled with unique jams from some of the most exciting producers around.

Following on from releases by Kaidi Tatham and Dego, up steps London-based DJ and producer K15 for two timeless and sophisticated pieces of future jazz. On the A side, ‘Demo Of Heart’ opens with a dazzling keyboard riff, recalling the sunset vibe of fusion giants like George Duke, Herbie Hancock or Azymuth’s Jose Roberto Bertrami, before breaking out into a syncopated, serpentine jam that feels just about ready to melt into the horizon.
On the B Side, K15 brings a Latin heat to the table, with clipped and skittish percussion dancing around a set of lush chords that open into a lysergic stepper, buoyed, as the title ‘Tomorrow’s Promise’ suggests, by a sense of hope and moving on. More

Sounds Familiar returns for the second release on its newly inaugurated 7 Inch Nails label with two tracks of simmering London boogie heat from UK-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Dego. Following long-time collaborator Kaidi Tatham in releasing his first 7” on the label, Dego keeps things cool on ‘Drop it now! Pick it up!’ - all shuffling drums, sparse synths and boogie-funk swagger. On the flip, Dego picks up the tempo for deep house roller ‘Too Humid’, dancing a liquid baseline between clipped synth stabs in a nod to the warmer times ahead.

7 Inch Nails was launched by Sounds Familiar in early 2021 to showcase new music from its impressive roster of artists, aimed at expanding boundaries and opening musical horizons through the limitations of the 7” format. More

Chicago’s own Specter of Tetrode fame joins the Sounds Familiar family and series of 45s with a double A-sider. ‘Circus Time’ is an hipnotic disco stomper, while ‘Concrete Jungle’ will please all the afro-funk headz! TIP More

Repress!

The dynamic NZ brother duo known from Mule Musiq, Rhythm Section and their own In Dust We Trust impresses with a superb collaborative EP of highly emotional music!

‘Emotional Intelligence’ fills the A side seeing them team up saxophonist and fellow kiwi jazz legend Nathan Haines and South London’s own Dave Koor aka. Modified Man. On the flipside they join forces with Chicago’s Lee Pearson Jnr (known for his writing for Larry Heard), K. LaDawn on vocals and rising star Joe Armon-Jones on keys. A blissful experience throughout and another demonstration of Chaos In The CBD’s maturing, amazing production skills. More

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Terri Walker is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her critically
acclaimed 2003 album, 'Untitled', with the release of her highly anticipated new album 'My
Love Story', out now via Wings of a Hummingbird Records/Believe UK.

Produced by Konny Kon & Tyler Daley – widely recognised as Children of Zeus, who also co-wrote the album alongside Walker & Drs, the seven-track album showcases Terri's unique blend of Soul and RnB. Following on from the release of singles ‘Finally Over You’ and ‘I’m Not The One’, 'My Love Story' is a testament to Terri's growth as an artist over the past two decades.

Speaking about the album Terri said: “My Love Story is an album that I made for myself. It
has been one of accountability, and ownership – no blaming or assumptions. It’s an album
where I didn’t worry that it didn’t meet mine, or other people’s expectations.” More

Ifach continues its new series of reissue projects with an expanded version of Baby Ford & The Ifach Collective's Sacred Machine album, which has been lovingly remastered by Dubplates & Mastering for the occasion. The 2001-released album set a new benchmark for minimal techno that has rarely been bettered since. The sound design is of course the first thing to mention - impossibly fine and subtle, with plenty of quirky twists and experimental ideas. 'Bad Friday' is blissful minimal trance, 'Carpet' explores darker progressive moods and there are two previously unreleased gems from the same sessions - Mark Broom's mix of 'RTDC' and 'In The Bag'. As good for mind as it is for the body, Sacred Machine remains a stone cold classic. More

Sinister Turbulent Chiemgau Recovery More

A VISION OF PANORAMA comes with their third vinyl release from the collaboration & each one gets heavier & gets more dance floor friendly. On Side A "PIANO SUNSET" delivers an uptempo Balearic night time groove. "LOST IN PALMS" on Side B takes us on a chuggin' deep house excursion. Due for release on 9-25. More

Derek Carr is a cult underground producer who has been knocking it out of the park in the last few years, but has been making music going way back. He has a stylish take on stripped-back and deep house and techno favoured by many DJs and dancers. Now, two of his most acclaimed cuts get remastered edits by Yossi Amoyal as a taster ahead of Carr's upcoming Archive compilation on the Pariter label. All three of these bring some subtle tweaks and fresh deep techno perspective with far sighted chords futuristic designs and grooves that make you want to move. More

Tracklisting:
A1 DASCO - Powerful Woman
A2 DASCO - Acid Queen
B1 DASCO - Powerful Woman (Johannes Volk remix)
B2 DASCO - Powerful Woman (Chicago Skyway remix)

Sales Note
Purveyor of good vibes and founder of Bisexuality Exists Records DASCO is responsible for our next Shall Not Fade release. Born in Tel Aviv, based in Berlin, she spreads her infectious energy wherever she goes. Powerful Woman captures this spirit perfectly, bursting with subaquatic syths, acid melodies and retro claps which bolster celebratory
lyrics about womanhood and strength.

If that weren't enough, Johannes Volk and Chicago Skyway step up to remix duties, the former providing a punchy take on 'Powerful Woman', and the latter, a squelchy square-wave flip. More