Modern funk meets house on Moniquea's 'Red Light,' produced by XL Middleton. Bouncy synth bass and leads give this one a recognizably west coast feel, but the pulsating house beat and detuned chords give this one appeal for dance floors everywhere. The '97 Remix on the b-side nods to Moniquea's g-funk roots while the bonus Applejac remix of 'Hate To See It blends dance-oriented sensibilities with thick synth strings that hearken back to peak-era Neptunes productions from the 2000's.
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DJ Support: Soul Clap, Walla P (Voyage Funktastique)

Nearly a decade after the first 'Tap Water,' XL Middleton delivers the sequel to what many consider a true classic of the modern funk genre. Weaving between singing, rapping, and the robotic refrains of vocoder, XL's vocals glide over his synth-drenched production, which manages to be simultaneously polished yet grimy. It's a perfect meeting ground for those steeped in the raw, underground approach to hip hop production and the cleaner, more organized ethos of dance music. Whether your jam is 80's boogie, 90's g-funk, or R&B-flavored dance music of any generation, 'Tap Water II' is sure to keep your glass full. More

Modern funk meets house on Moniquea's 'Red Light,' produced by XL Middleton. Bouncy synth bass and leads give this one a recognizably west coast feel, but the pulsating house beat and detuned chords give this one appeal for dance floors everywhere. The '97 Remix on the b-side nods to Moniquea's g-funk roots while the bonus Applejac remix of 'Hate To See It blends dance-oriented sensibilities with thick synth strings that hearken back to peak-era Neptunes productions from the 2000's.
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Japanese vocalist Q.i & producer Hair Kid, originally from New Jersey and now also based in Japan, are the duo known as Milk Talk. Their off-kilter brand of synth funk sits somewhere between modern funk & city pop but is sure to please fans of vaporwave, future funk, disco & deep house as well. Their recently-released album is still an elusive find outside of Japan but “Wagamama Riso,” a digital-only loosie released during the early days of the pandemic, has now been unleashed in physical form on Los Angeles-based MoFunk Records. MoFunk's head, XL Middleton, remixes the track and adds his own retro-electro/R&B flair to the leftfield boogie feel of the original version. Both versions on a single 7” make this a top choice for anyone who loves their funk loaded with analog synthesizer action.DJ support:- DJ Notoya (Tokyo Condition)- Walla P (Voyage Funktastique)- Soul ClapMilk Talk's self-titled debut album was released recently in Japan and has added greatly to the buzz surrounding the group. However, the difficulty of procuring physical copies of their LP outside of Japan will surely make this 7” a desirable piece of add to any DJ or record collector's stash. Milk Talk was also recently featured on the Soul Clap Records compilation “New Directions In Funk Vol. 1,” curated by XL Middleton. More

It's the collaboration that the modern funk world has been waiting for - Blue Blade Piranha is basically a Zackey Force Funk album, produced in its entirety by XL Middleton. You've already heard the first single "Jam Likely," originally released pre-covid, and the subsequent previews "Commando" & "Tie Me Up." Now, get ready for the full-length, which takes the journey from the streets to the stars.

"Glide Through Galaxy" has been remixed in the way it was originally intended to be - a miscommunication led to the track being released on Zackey's "4x4 Scorpion" album before it could be fully fleshed out. It's hitting harder than ever now! ZFF & XL even take their brand of modern funk & blend it with house on "Rude Sensation." ZFF's first stepper (read: a more mellow, easy going take on funk) appears in the form of "Don't Be Late"; we get a vaporwavey, slow motion, thick-as-molasses cruiser on "Girls And Gangsters," and the duo even take it to minimal wave territory on "Cocaine Cream."

DJ support from:
- J Rocc
- Anthony Valadez & Novena Carmel (KCRW 89.9 FM Los Angeles morning show)
- Walla P (Voyage Funktastique)
- Soul Clap - Funk Freaks
- WeFunk Radio

Collectively Zackey Force Funk & XL Middleton have toured continuously throughout the US & internationally all over Europe, as well as Canada, Japan, China, Australia, & New Zealand More

Considered an underground classic by many, XL Middleton's “Tap Water” was released at the height of the fervor over 'modern funk' music, brought to life by Dam Funk & carried on by a small but dedicated cadre of artists including Middleton. Always in demand, “Tap Water” has become scarce in the aftermarket and demands collector-level prices when it does sell; thus a reissue was inevitable.

Mentions in LA Weekly, The Wire (UK), Washington Post

DJ support from: - J Rocc
- Soul Clap
- Dam Funk
- Walla P (Voyage Funktastique)
- Tim Zawada (Star Creature, Numero Group)
- WeFunk Radio

XL Middleton has continuously toured the US and internationally throughout Europe, as well as Japan, China, & Canada. More

Modern disco favorite Saucy Lady teams up with modern funk maestro XL Middleton to remix a feel-good floor filler, centered around synth bass & uplifting piano chords reminiscent of the golden age of boogie.

Supported by:
- Derrick McKenzie
- Walla P (Voyage Funktastique)
- Soul Clap More

Wonderwax returns with yet another 12? filled with the distinctive soulfulness that has been a stand out point for the label since its inception.

DJ Spinna has been a fan of R&B/Neo-Soul queen Carmen Rodgers since her debut album 20 years ago, so it was just a matter of time before the two teamed up for something special. The result is an epic soulful house journey on Side A, where Spinna gives his typical Galactic Soul touch to Carmen’s jam “Again and Again”. The og version of the song was released originally in her “Hello Human vol. 1” EP together with “Say So”, which also gets Spinna’s twist on Side B: a progressive Hip Hop/Soul flip for the downtempo heads. Classic! More

Cultured deep house label Pulp welcomes back regular artist DaRand Land for another of his atmospheric EPs. The Vermillion Room features four sublime cuts that deal in candle-lit backroom sounds.

Hailing from Buffalo, New York, Land has been a low-key but high-class house innovator ever since the 90s. His smoky and subtle style is all about creating warm grooves detailed with musical synths and delicate percussion that sink you into a meditative state. He has been releasing on this label for a decade as well as the likes of Deep4Life and Urban Imagery and is in fine form again on this latest outing. More

Adam Pit’s Grounded EP sees the space•lab favourite exploring deeper, techno-inspired terrains. Opening track, ‘Schtoopbloop’ traces mystical synth lines and expansive vocals, underpinned by a satisfyingly substantial, driving baseline. Track two, ‘Tiptoe’, enters Pits’ iconic breaksy palette - equal parts dreamy and slick, this is the wipeout soundtrack for the next century. On the flipside, Konduku dips his toe into remix duties, offering up a shimmering, spiralling rework of the original. Finally, closing up the release, title track ‘Grounded’ growls into view, rising from sub-heavy foundations into dubby, treacle-speed sounds. More

We kick off the new year with ‘Volume 2’ of the collaboration between Esencia and Mother Tongue and it’s again a K15 Vs Culross Close double A sider.

Kieron Ifill continues his path in writing his definition of modern dance music with depth and warmth and here serves "Pulse", a minimal dreamlike bleep odyssey caressed by his now signature piano tones, and "Dawn", an incredible percussion led suite that brings you into Headhunters territories with a modern twist! More

Fresh off the press, YokoO's latest release "You" sets the perfect mood for winter nights and summer days. With three solid deep groovers, "whether it's the afternoon, evening, early night, or early morning the day after, there should be something for everyone to dig into on this record," says YokoO, speaking about the diverse appeal of the EP. Adding to the allure of the package is the liquid smooth remix by the talented Düsseldorf duo Superlounge. Their unique touch infuses the release with an extra layer of sophistication, making it an essential addition to any Satya music lover's collection. More

For the first Klasse Wrecks release of 2024, the label looks back to 2020 and a previously digital only track from label co-owner Mr. Ho. During the first lockdown of covid Mr. Ho released '000Baby' as part of the digital 'Homeboys' EP alongside Luca Lozano. An alternative version popped up on the 'Michaelsoft' album in 2021 but the much lauded original has never seen the light of day on wax....until now. The first 10inch on Klasse Wrecks also features a suped and sped up interpretation from Om Unit, who expertly increases the pressure with deft 808 bass subs, a half time swagger and dubbed out atmospherics. More

Tracklisting
A1 Kuss - Escape
A2 Kuss - Stuck In A Dream
A3 Kuss - Let's Talk
B1 Kuss - Stuck In A Dream (Antigone remix)
B2 Kuss - Kratom Dance (JKS remix)
B3 Kuss - Kratom Dance

Sales Note
Agora presents "Stuck In A Dream", composed and performedby the multi-faceted artist Kuss.

Conceptualized around the Greek divinity Hypnos, god of sleep,"Stuck In A Dream" plunges us into our deepest dreams, trappedbetween the conscious and the unconscious, a state ofpsychedelic trance from which we may never escape.

The album features three highly complementary original tracks,a collaboration with the prince of French techno Mac Declos andtwo remixes by JKS and Antigone, who need no introduction. More

Tracklisting
A1 Nørbak - Regra
A2 Nørbak - Ferramenta
B1 Nørbak - Amarante 9am
B2 Nørbak - Nota More

“Pulses and Resonances” is Rene Lorenzo’s debut album on Subtempo. This album represents a culmination of more than 20 years of electronic music exposure as a DJ and a clear point of view. We can hear influences of broken beat, techno, drum & bass, all through the unique lens that Rene brings to the table, deeply steeped in ambient, deep techno and downtempo. Even though this isn’t a dance record, it’s filled with energy and drive. It is an out-of-the-ordinary album, with intricate shifts and turns with well-crafted kick drums, round bass lines and enveloping subs. A record filled with warm sounds, head-nodding rhythms, and rich textured spaces. It’s all woven into an easy-listening experience, without demanding the listener’s full attention, but creating a landscape that is unique and varied throughout. We can hear references to artists like Boards of Canada, Jan Jenilek, Synkro and the like.

“In this record, every track has a different pulse or rhythm, and I use different resonators in the sound design process to achieve these tones. I started by leaving the space open with the ambient pads and hardly any rhythm, and I’d let myself be carried away by my sense of rhythm slowly building the compositions. I am obsessive with audio processing and I almost never leave a sound in its initial form. I like to add some subtle effect that sounds like something different and give new sounds to the elements I use.”

“Pulses and Resonances” is out via Subtempo on vinyl and digital on February 2nd. More