First Word Records is proud to bring you a double AA side remix single from Takuya Kuroda, featuring brand new mixes from Waajeed and Kaidi Tatham. Takuya Kuroda is a Kobe-born, Brooklyn-based trumpeter and musician, who was also a longtime player for Akoya Afrobeat as well as DJ Premier's BADDER band. Initially playing on the Japanese circuit with his trombonist brother, Takuya went on to relocate to New York City, where he has largely remained to this day, becoming a prominent player in the jazz scene, establishing a devoted fan base with jazz heads across the globe.Firstly we head to Detroit, with Waajeed's Hi-Tech Jazz remix of 'Choy Soda'. A pioneer in the worlds of house and hip hop alike, Waajeed's career is like no other. From his roots designing sleeves for Slum Village, to founding Platinum Pied Pipers, to running record labels, DJing and working with a ton of luminaries himself, Waajeed carries the spirit of his hometown in everything he does. This mix carries on the flavours he brought to the world on his 'Memoirs of Hi-Tech Jazz' album: bumpin' broken-beat tinged jackin' house music, this is pure heads-down music to groove to. On the flip, First Word family, Kaidi Tatham takes on 'Dead End Dance'. Kaidi is a deeply-prolific, hugely-revered Grammy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist based in Belfast. One of the original pioneers of the broken beat sound, he's worked with a ton of legends over the years, including Amy Winehouse, Soul II Soul, Mulatu Astatke and Leroy Burgess, to most recently on various projects with DJ Jazzy Jeff. He stays true to the original vibe and tempo of the track, adding a phat synth bass to the mix, before switching to an uptempo shuffle midway, in his own inimitable style & fashion.

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Germany
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FTakuya Kuroda is a highly respected trumpeter and arranger born in Kobe, Japan and based in New York City. 'Midnight Crisp' is Takuya's seventh studio album, entirely self-produced and following 2020's highly acclaimed 'Fly Moon Die Soon', also released on UK label First Word (winner of the Worldwide Award's Label of the Year in 2019). Consisting of six new tracks, this once again sees Takuya displaying his unique hybrid sound, blending soulful jazz, funk, post-bop, fusion and hip hop.After following the footsteps of his trombonist brother playing in big bands, he relocated to New York to study jazz & contemporary music at The New School in Union Square; a course he graduated from in the mid-noughties. It was here that Takuya met vocalist José James, with whom he worked on the 'Blackmagic' and 'No Beginning No End' projects.Following graduation, Takuya established himself further in the NYC jazz scene, performing with the likes of Akoya Afrobeat and in recent years with DJ Premier's BADDER band. Premier said "The BADDER Band project was put together by my manager, and an agent I've known since the beginning of my Gang Starr career. He said, 'What if you put a band together that revolved around a trumpet player from Japan named Takuya Kuroda? He's got a hip-hop perspective and respect in the jazz field…"

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First Word Records are proud to bring you 'Penny Ballads', a 5-track EP from Royce Wood Junior. Royce Wood Junior is a Grammy & Mercury Award-nominated musician, songwriter and record producer from London, currently based in Brighton. As a multi-instrumentalist, he's collaborated with a litany of brilliant artists over the years, such as Jamie Woon, Nao, Disclosure, Jessie Ware, Olivia Dean, Joy Crookes, Jamie Lidell and Jordan Rakei, additionally to touring with the likes of the legendary Thomas Dolby. He's released two acclaimed solo albums to date ('The Ashen Tang' in 2015, and 'No Two Blue Ticks' in 2021). 'Penny Ballads' demonstrates RWJ's varied talents, with a collection of alternative soul compositions, each one as unique as the next. It includes the first two singles, the Poplife-Prince era flavoured 'Go Get Your Money', and the double-time future funk adrenaline shot, 'Clean Up', along with three previously-unreleased tracks. 'Beretta' is low-slung soul funk, beginning with quirky squelchy synths, before the soulful lead vocal of feature artist Lucey Way breezes in to melt everyone's hearts. 'Things' sweeps in next, an infectiously soulful midtempo heavy soul bop, with an instant earwork of a hook, like a modern-day Steely Dan / Doobie Brothers, complete with a head-nodding string section to end the track. The collection concludes on a more melancholy downtempo tip with 'Rolling'; an almost-folktronic anthem, with a key refrain that wouldn't be out of place on a 70's Stevie piece.

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First Word Records are very proud to bring you 'Ghouls', the 6th studio album from Bastien Keb. Through the reflective and introspective multi-mood journey of its 19-tracks, this album spans psychedelic-chamber-funk, warped anti-ballads, cinematic instrumentals, Ethio-jazz & ethereal ambience. Part soundtrack, part beat-tape, part memoir, this is a dreamlike soundscape sewn together from half-forgotten memories & late night breakdowns. Entirely sample-free, this album is full to the brim with musical experimentation, with Keb's compulsion to make all the individual pieces of music independently; combining strings, harps, saxophones, theremins, clarinets, flutes and trumpets. He signals to the fuzzy, nostalgic nebulous of mid '90s skate videos, as well as harking back to the scores & moods of movies like The French Connection, Taxi Driver, The Warriors and La Haine. There are whispers of sounds in the air from jazz clubs, street preachers & Turkish restaurants.

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First Word Records are proud to present the sophomore solo EP from Victoria Port.'Barefoot In The Garden' is a 5-track selection merging classic soul with contemporary sounds.Put together from sessions recorded at the world famous Abbey Road Studios in London, and Victoria's home studio Candle Shop, this project exemplifies her talents as a singer-songwriter, developing upon the building blocks of her debut EP 'Did it Again' and Victoria's work as one half of electronic-soul duo, Anushka (BBE / Tru Thoughts / Brownswood). On this EP, Victoria is accompanied by a wealth of talented artists in their own right, including frequent collaborators Hemai and JNR Williams, the highly-acclaimed drummer Moses Boyd, and vocalists such as Lea Lea, to name just a few. The sonic tapestry stitched together on this EP epitomises the quality of British soul music of modern times; a vintage symphonic feel approach with modern-day production techniques, encompassing the Ronson-era of the late great Amy Winehouse, to the pack leaders of nowadays such as SAULT and Jungle. It's a logical progression considering Victoria's lifelong influences of US luminaries like Minnie Riperton, Gladys Knight, Nina Simone and Dionne Warwick.

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First Word Records is very proud to present the new album from Werkha, 'Unsung Irregular'. his is his third full-length studio LP, and is comprised of 11 tracks showcasing Werkha's unique blend of jazzy breakbeat-tinged electronics and analogue aesthetics. It includes the singles 'S-Bend', 'Toast Rack', and two collaborations; 'Everyday (feat. Ríoghnach Connolly)' and 'Narrow In' (feat. Daudi Matsiko) - a pair of revered artists with roots in folk music, complimenting the close connection to nature found throughout Werkha's productions.

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First Word Records are proud to present the debut single from Above The Clouds (aka kidkanevil & Magic Manfred) with their instrumental take on an MF DOOM classic, 'Arrow Root'. One of the original First Word roster, UK Producer/DJ and all-round laptop music geek kidkanevil has developed a distinctive and progressive sound over the years, gleefully exploring the beats and bleeps of the electronic music universe to international recognition. Leeds born, sound system bred and raised on a (un)healthy diet of video games and anime, his solo work inhabits the curious space between bass frequencies and otaku culture. But as a devoted teenage backpack rap nerd, somewhere in the back of kid's mind was a lingering desire to reconnect with his first love, hip hop. Not long after moving to Berlin he joined a studio space in graffiti plastered Kreuzberg, where he met multi instrumentalist wizard Magic Manfred; a disciple of all things boogie, disco, funk and soul. Born and raised in Berlin, and currently a touring musician for many an act, Manfred's musical map joins the dots from piano lessons at four, to starting a band with his teenage friends, leading him to his true calling - the bass - via the club vibrations of his hometown, which introduced him to the world of DJing and production, and a stint studying in the explosive London jazz scene to finalise his Jedi training. Bonding over their mutual love of '90s hip hop, a friendship and musical kinship developed, coupled with a desire to honour past eras but push things forward, Above The Clouds was born; named after their joint favourite DJ Premier beat, with a touch of irony regarding their basement based studio of a windowless variety.This one is backed up on the flip side with 'Tram Delay Beat'; a low slung neck-snapper teasing more of what's to come.

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First Word Records are incredibly proud to bring you 'I Swear To You'; the stunning sophomore album from Georgie Sweet. Georgie is a singer / songwriter currently based in Brighton, with a uniquely smooth, soulful vocal tone. Whilst working on her debut record ('Misunderstood'), Georgie began a songwriting partnership with multi-instrumentalist Marc Rapson, who is on the boards throughout this project. The duo discovered a natural musical connection instantly, and began working on an abundance of beautiful new material shortly after the release of the first album; writing and creating at Rapson's home in Hertfordshire at various sessions from 2021 onwards, culminating in this new 12-track album, 'I Swear To You'. Despite being one of the UK's best kept secrets, Georgie's already been pricking the ears of some highly-respected selectors. The first single from this record ('Smaller / All That We Were') received love from tastemakers such as BBC 6 Music's Gilles Peterson ("this one melts"), Jazz FM's Tony Minvielle ("supremely talented") and Clash Magazine ("exudes soulful grace"), whilst previous material found itself in the crates of legendary luminaries like DJ Jazzy Jeff & DJ Spinna amongst others.With a hugely diverse set of inspirations ranging from Stevie Wonder to Michael McDonald, Hiatus Kaiyote to Chappell Roan, Mac Miller to Sampha, and George Duke to EW&F, Georgie's respect, love and admiration for a wide range of music is clear; from jazz to soul to pop to hip hop. Her own sound sits within the realm of glo-fi alternative r&b. From powerful piano-led ballads, to head-nod boom bap backdrops, this album exemplifies Georgie's eclectic influences and unique talents as a writer and a vocalist, which are growing exponentially. A tapestry of sound that developed whilst Sweet and Rapson moved from the beat-driven vibes of Georgie's earlier work, to finding themselves gravitating more and more to the simplicity of the piano and the voice. From the ethereal acapella opening of 'The Ones We Loved', through to the irresistible jazz-hop bounce of tracks like 'As I Am', 'Smaller' and 'In My Stride', to the midtempo soulful bop of 'Equal Measure' and previously-released 'Energy', to epic ballads like 'Bedsheets' and first single 'All That We Were', to the more melancholy tones of 'Patricia' and 'Maybe in a Different Life', to the almost-gospel flavoured closing title track, this is a truly accomplished and timeless piece of work from edge to edge.

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First Word Records is very proud to bring you a brand new EP from Amanda Whiting, entitled 'Can You See Me Now?' Amanda Whiting is a highly-acclaimed Welsh harpist & composer. A virtuoso in her field, this classically trained musician has established herself in recent years as an essential player in the UK jazz scene. 'Can You See Me Now?' is another triumphant opus from Whiting; laidback, deliciously jazzy and thematically inquisitive, featuring some exceptional production and accompaniment from Adam Scrimshire (Albert's Favourite). The EP begins with the crackling 'Old Ways' intro (inspired by 'Naderman No.6 for Harp') leading into opening track 'Contented'; an epic ethereal piece of tranquil spiritual jazz, complete with the gloriously powerful vocal harmonies of Faye Houston. This sets the mood perfectly for this project, as we head into a short solo for Whiting on 'Still' which appears as it says on the tin. A moment of calm. Lead single 'What Is It We Need?' commences with dusty upright bass from Whiting Trio member Aidan Thorne, ahead of a beautiful goosebump-enducing lead-vocal from the national treasure that is Alice Russell (Tru Thoughts); an absolute powerhouse in her own right. 'Intent' picks up the pace a touch with some delightfully skippy jungle-esque drums from Jon Reynolds. 'It Could Be' follows; a soulful string-laden stepper, again featuring Faye Houston, and hits like the delicate breath of a Summer breeze. We close the set with the appropriately-named 'Moving On', which takes us out with a slightly-warped phasing dreamlike ambience. The vinyl version of the EP also features two bonus tracks; an instrumental of 'What Is It We Need?' and the wonderful upbeat bop 'Mary Over There', which featured on the recent digital-only deluxe version of 'The Liminality of Her'

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First Word Records are very proud to bring you a brand new album from the legendary Kaidi Tatham. iles Away' is the sixth full-length solo project for the award-winning London-based independent label. Comprised of 10 new tracks, performed entirely by the multi-instrumentalist himself once again, this is an array of forward-thinking eclectic electronic jazz. Rhodes, pianos, synths, strings, horns and flutes weave in & out atop of vibrant percussion and mind-bending drum patterns, forming a sound that is uniquely King Kaidi. As ever, this album is another truly diverse set from the Grammy-winning Kaidi Kyat, exuding quality and good vibes throughout, crossing genres and borders with intergalactic energy, taking us 'Miles Away'.

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First Word Records are delighted to present 'Did It Again', the debut EP from Victoria Port. Victoria is a British singer/songwriter that's previously released two albums as half of electronic soul outfit Anushka (on Brownswood and Tru Thoughts respectively), with a third album from the duo scheduled for release later in 2025 on BBE. Now Victoria is finally making the move to showcase her music, in her own unique way, as a solo artist. This debut 4-track EP is set to place her where she firmly belongs; as an exciting new talent in the vibrant, eclectic UK r&b/soul scene.As well as the single 'Cigarette', the EP includes the beautiful follow-up single 'Haunting', and two more soulful tracks; the slow jam 'Keep Love For Me', and the title track 'Did It Again'. Production comes courtesy of Hemai and Shevlane, with all tracks written by Victoria herself, along with her trusted team of accomplices; JNR Williams, Dominic Martin & Louie Hemus. 'Did It Again' is largely inspired by the legacy of her Dominican grandmother, and the tales of all the powerful women she has known, and is yet to know, encompassing their vulnerability and their truth. This in turn with her own journey as a mother. "I found the journey into motherhood transformative", she says. "I felt lost and broken at times, but simultaneously the most capable and powerful I've ever been. I've had to do the work and face my own shortcomings, in order to be the person I want to be, for my child, and ultimately for myself". Sonically, Victoria takes her influences from a lifelong appreciation of soul music, drawing inspiration from artists like Gladys Knight, Minnie Riperton, Diana Ross, Nine Simone, Ella Fitzgerald and Dionne Warwick, to contemporaries such as Cleo Sol and Jorja Smith. She adds "I'm particularly obsessed with the girl bands from the '60's. I love the stories and the harmonies. Motown was the soundtrack to my childhood. Songs that make you want to dance in your kitchen!".

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First Word Records are very proud to bring you 'A Christmas Cwtch', the brand new album from highly-acclaimed Welsh jazz-harpist, Amanda Whiting. Expertly crafted with love, care and dedication, 'A Christmas Cwtch' takes on assorted classics from the likes of Vince Guaraldi, Bill Evans, Holst and Tchaikovsky, and re-presents them with original arrangements by Amanda and her accomplished trio. The end result is a 14-track selection pack of feel-good seasonal jazz-harp magic, including recent singles 'Peace Piece' and 'Skating'. Amanda says "just mention Christmas and you hear Guaraldi, Bill Evans and the sound of sleigh bells and harps. It's my favourite time of year and the music evokes everything warm and cwtchy. Sparkling lights, mince pies, mulled wine and nostalgia around the tree." On the word 'cwtch', Amanda explains that "a 'cwtch' is the most important word to Welsh folk. It's a hug, with a little squeeze. It's a feeling. It's cosy, loving and safe. I wanted this album to hold you, cwtch you and allow you to indulge." Inspired by artists like Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane, Amanda is a classically trained virtuoso, well established in the UK jazz scene, with releases on Jazzman and Albert's Favourites.

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First Word Records is proud to present 'Nothing Leaves The House - The Anthology'.A vinyl-only album of 16 hip hop instrumentals from Mr Thing, kidkanevil, Tall Black Guy & Eric Lau.This is a collection of a long-out-of print series of beats from four of the most revered beat-makers in the underground scene. This double-vinyl collection features four brand new tracks specially created for this 10 year anniversary release.The concept behind this project was originally birthed on Record Store Day 2012. First Word label founder Gilla explains "as we dipped in and out of London's Soho record shops, kidkanevil mentioned to me that he wanted to mine Mr Thing's vast record collection for samples. An idea formed to invite a couple of other beatmakers to join him and to press the resulting beats onto vinyl. Mr Thing enthusiastically agreed to the idea with one stipulation: they could sample what they wanted, but the records had to stay within the walls of his flat. We quickly enlisted Eric Lauand Tall Black Guy to complete the quartet and 'Nothing Leaves The House' was born."The release came to fruition and was released a decade ago, for Record Store Day in April 2014. The quartet met up once again shortly after in another London record shop, to work on a follow up project. For this one, Mr Thing brought one record for each producer from his collection for them to sample. They reciprocated by picking a record from the racks in the shop for him to use. 'Thing Leaves The House' was then released in 2015. Completing the trilogy of releases, the crew were invited to the legendary John Peel Archive to dig for samples there. After trawling the legendary Peel Acres collection, the producers individually selected sound snippets to create new beats from; this time under the stipulation that 'Nothing Leaves The Archive'. This double 7" release again landed on Record Store Day, 2016. Gilla says "10 years on from the release of the first record, and almost 9 years to the day since we were at Peel Acres, we are now releasing the 4th and final volume. Whilst Mr Thing is still in England, the other three have travelled far and wide. Eric Lau is now in China, Tall Black Guy has returned to the US and kidkanevil has moved to Berlin. Our indie label budget didn't extend to uniting everyone from the different continents, so instead Mr Thing uploaded a folder of tracks for the trio to work from. With the previous volumes now long sold out, we've added the original beats to this anthology and have moved up from a double 7" to a double 12" LP. One side for each producer; four tracks made across 10 years."

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First Word Records is very proud to bring you the 10th anniversary edition of Tall Black Guy's debut LP '8 Miles to Moenart'! It includes two brand new jazz interpretations ('From Home To Work, And Back' and 'Running The Motor'), recorded with a live band, as well as a new intro cut ('Black Detroit'), and an alternative mix of the single 'Mon Amie De'troit', previously only available on 7" vinyl. The original vinyl LP release was a one-time limited edition pressing; this being the first time this project has been available on wax since then, and also includes entirely new artwork and photography. From humble origins in Detroit, raised on a healthy diet of Motown, jazz and hip hop, Terrel Wallace (aka Tall Black Guy) has become a standard bearer for the hip hop beats scene. Through a steady stream of soulful productions filled with incredibly clever sample flips and deft production chops, he has won fans across the world, including Gilles Peterson, Benji B, Don Letts, Lefto, Tom Ravenscroft, Lord Finesse, Huey Morgan, Anthony Valadez and countless others, along with sessions for Boiler Room and more. '8 Miles To Moenart' literally brought Tall Black Guy full circle, and proceeds to do so once again. Detroit was where he started making music, and it's to his hometown he took inspiration for this debut album. Taking in low-slung hip hop, downtempo house and jazz-tinged street soul, it's a record of rare focus. It encapsulated the musical heritage of Detroit, through the looking glass of Tall Black Guy's own signature sound.

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First Word Records is proud to bring you 'The Making of Silk', the brand new album from Allysha Joy. Allysha Joy is a deeply-expressive singer, songwriter, producer & keys player hailing from Naarm (Melbourne), known for both her solo work and as front woman for 30/70. A uniquely-talented artist, her husky soulful voice, formidable Fender Rhodes prowess and raw poeticism has garnered legions of attentive fans the world over. As an integral performer in the modern day jazz-soul scene, previous support has included selectors Gilles Peterson & Jamz Supernova (BBC 6 Music), Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), China Moses (Jazz FM) & Laurent Garnier (PBB France), along with stations such as NTS, Lot Radio, KEXP & KCRW, and publications including OkayPlayer, Dazed and The Vinyl Factory. Along with a recent foray into the USA market with a string of successful shows, Allysha Joy has performed alongside acts such as Snarky Puppy, PJ Morton, The Teskey Brothers, Kokoroko and Children of Zeus, to name a few.

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First Word Records is proud to bring you 'Resonance'; a full-length album from Essa & Pitch 92. A lyricist, lawyer and a Londoner, Essa initially released music under the name Yungun in the early noughties, in the midst of UK hip hop's own "golden era". He earned praise from artists such as Nas and Mark Ronson, and performed and recorded with such luminaries as De La Soul, Wu-Tang Clan, Guru, Slum Village and Pharoahe Monch. His classic debut album 'The Essance' originally dropped whilst he was at law school, 20 years ago (which was recently given a full re-issue on First Word). This was followed with a collaborative album with DJ Mr Thing ('Grown Man Business'), then some years later with 'The Misadventures of a Middle Man' in 2014. Essa also released a track on Juneteenth 2020 entitled 'Justice', as a powerful reaction to George Floyd and the BLM movement. It saw support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, and raised money for an assortment of access-to-justice organisations. Joining Essa on the boards throughout this new project is acclaimed producer and DJ, Pitch 92. Born in Dublin in 1992, Pitch grew up in Germany & Switzerland, where the sounds of Madlib & Dilla fired up his neurons. Under the encouragement of friends ASM, he began experimenting with an MPC at the ripe old age of 12. He relocated to the UK in the late noughties, where he was quickly engulfed into the Manchester hip hop scene, becoming a longtime member of The Mouse Outfit, touring across Europe and featuring heavily on their first two albums. Since going solo in 2017, he's released full hip hop & soul album projects with Iyamah, Jerome Thomas (Melting Pot), Verb T (High Focus), Confucius MC (HHV), Illaman (Potent Funk) and MC DRS (Space Cadet), as well as two solo albums ('Intervals' & '3rd Culture') and production work for artists such as Ocean Wisdom, Jehst, Foreign Beggars, The Four Owls and First Word family, Ruby Wood and Tyler Daley (Children of Zeus), to name just a few! This new project from the duo is co-produced, mixed and mastered by Viva Cee, an extraordinarily versatile up and coming writer/producer, known for fusing international sounds with contemporary black music styles. Across the 13-tracks, we have the posse track 'HeavyweightS', which features the likes of Doc Brown, Klashnekoff, Kyza, Tony D & Reveal amongst others. There are a bunch of additional features too, including West London legend King Kashmere on 'Sick', multi-talented Nottingham MC Karizz (formerly Karizma) on 'All For The Love' and 'Back Around', and several appearances from Brotherman. The album exudes true-skool quality from beginning to end, encompassing soulful, jazzy boom bap throughout, from the opening title track, to the reflective single 'Right Now', the uptempo bounce of 'That's The One'. with a sprinkle of skippier double-time flavours on 'Almost There' and 'Seasoned', all seamlessly sequenced.

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First Word Records is proud to bring you a double AA side remix single from Takuya Kuroda, featuring brand new mixes from Waajeed and Kaidi Tatham. Takuya Kuroda is a Kobe-born, Brooklyn-based trumpeter and musician, who was also a longtime player for Akoya Afrobeat as well as DJ Premier's BADDER band. Initially playing on the Japanese circuit with his trombonist brother, Takuya went on to relocate to New York City, where he has largely remained to this day, becoming a prominent player in the jazz scene, establishing a devoted fan base with jazz heads across the globe.Firstly we head to Detroit, with Waajeed's Hi-Tech Jazz remix of 'Choy Soda'. A pioneer in the worlds of house and hip hop alike, Waajeed's career is like no other. From his roots designing sleeves for Slum Village, to founding Platinum Pied Pipers, to running record labels, DJing and working with a ton of luminaries himself, Waajeed carries the spirit of his hometown in everything he does. This mix carries on the flavours he brought to the world on his 'Memoirs of Hi-Tech Jazz' album: bumpin' broken-beat tinged jackin' house music, this is pure heads-down music to groove to. On the flip, First Word family, Kaidi Tatham takes on 'Dead End Dance'. Kaidi is a deeply-prolific, hugely-revered Grammy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist based in Belfast. One of the original pioneers of the broken beat sound, he's worked with a ton of legends over the years, including Amy Winehouse, Soul II Soul, Mulatu Astatke and Leroy Burgess, to most recently on various projects with DJ Jazzy Jeff. He stays true to the original vibe and tempo of the track, adding a phat synth bass to the mix, before switching to an uptempo shuffle midway, in his own inimitable style & fashion.

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First Word Records is very proud to bring you a brand new 11-track album from Quiet Dawn, one called 'Celebrate'. French multi-instrumentalist Quiet Dawn has been an integral part of the First Word family for a full decade now. His diverse catalogue has included organic ambient-jazz (2018's 'Human Being - The Short Story Of The Reed'), Dilla-esque instrumental beats (2023's 'Simple' beat tape), head nod Hip Hop (the 2015 debut album 'The First Day') and broken beat (2022's 'Movements' EP). It's the latter project that this new project is the most obvious successor to, which he produced directly afterwards. This new album from Quiet Dawn (real name Will Galland) takes on an array of broken beat flavours and features a few luminaries from that scene along the way, including the legendary Bembe Segue (on the smooth soulful grooves of 'All Around'), LyricL (dropping bars on the lively title track 'Celebrate') and Oliver Night from the CoOp Presents crew (on 'Follow Your Instincts' and single 'Lost From Life'). Elsewhere there's uplifting jazz samba-tinged vibes (on 'It's All About Freedom' & 'He Is Lion'), a sprinkle of downtempo boom bap ('Flow' & 'See The Good'), and an assortment of instrumental bruk riddims with squelchy synths, sweet rhodes, skippy percussion & funked-up basslines. Quiet Dawn once again effortlessly combines the organic with the electronic. The whole piece exudes positivity and good times.

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Brown Angel descends upon Dark Entries with Pure Brown Energy, an EP featuring 6 tracks of gloom-laced electro-funk and retro house. Pure Brown Energy was born when San Francisco-based producer and Hard French collective member Brown Angel was faced with a gift and a loss: an original Roland TR-808 was given to them around the same time that their father passed away. To process their grief, they set about making an album that showcased the many facets of their being, in their words: “my gay tío side, my Latin goth side, my cruising down the boulevard side, and most of all my soft vulnerable side.” From slamming vogue/ballroom house to cumbia-inflected freestyle, Pure Brown Energy channels club sounds both contemporary and timeless, while centering the most eternal electronic instrument of all: the TR-808. Opener “Miel” grooves with the effortlessness of peak-era Masters at Work or vintage Kevin Saunderson, while “Dame Más” dials up the energy even further. The influences of Miami bass and West Coast electro shine through on “Maya” and “Love Me Right,” which pair razor-sharp beats with a flurry of samples culled from Brown Angel’s record collection. “PBE” and “En Movimiento” take the Planet Rock vibes to another level, combining influences from contemporary cumbia and reggaeton sounds with Brown Angel’s Latin goth flair. Each copy comes in a sleeve designed by Ricardo Diseño featuring illustrations inspired by Teen Angels, a popular 1980’s Chicano magazine. Pure Brown Energy brings a sense of urgency to the dancefloor, unreluctantly examining the crossover between creation and loss, between celebration and sorrow. But don’t forget: these cuts also slap.

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
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DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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Repress shipping on 17th of october!

“In stark contrast to the stress-makingly staccato assault of your average 'ardcore rave, Telepathic Fish was a wombeldelic sound-and-light bath"

Simon Reynolds (Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music And Dance Culture)

The first-ever illustrated compendium recounting the seminal underground South London ambient party that surfaced at the axis through which the likes of Ninja Tune, Warp and Rising High flowed. Telepathic Fish shared fertile waters with Megatripolis and The Big Chill, moving the early 90s London back room chill-out space into the kaleidoscopic spotlight.

Documenting the sights and sounds of South London’s seminal Telepathic Fish ambient parties. Hosted by Chantal Passamonte (aka Mira Calix - RIP), David Vallade, Mario Aguera and Kevin Foakes (aka DJ Food) - collectively named Openmind. With the help of Mixmaster Morris (The Irresistible Force) and Matt Black (Coldcut), they put on some of the earliest chill out events in London.

Rooted deep in the heart of the electronic underground they started DJing and decorating house parties or squats with mind-blowing installations and wholly idiosyncratic design, hosting the likes of Aphex Twin, Andrea Parker and Tony Morley (The Leaf Label). Within a year they were playing VIP after shows for the likes of Orbital and illegal New Year’s gatherings at the disused Roundhouse whilst guesting on Coldcut’s Solid Steel radio show on London’s KISS FM.

Whilst collaborations with legendary club nights such as Megatripolis saw them share bills with Autechre, Higher Intelligence Agency, Scanner and Global Communication, they also created their own ambient fanzine - Mindfood – to document the scene evolving around them. A 20-page history of their parties is included in the release, richly illustrated with personal photos, artwork and memorabilia from their adventures between 1992-95. The gatefold sleeve also features their Telepathic Fish logo, mirroring an original T-shirt design they sold in Ambient Soho, a record shop three of the four worked in at different times.

The selections featured here are all personal favourites that were played at the Telepathic Fish parties during the 90s. Picked and arranged by Mario, David and Kevin who combed their collections for key pieces they associate with the time and Chantal’s music tastes. Over a hundred tracks were selected, totalling nearly 11 hours of playing time, before being whittled down to the essentials by the trio, forming a snapshot of their world back in the day.

KEY POINTS:

* Features long deleted and hard to find tracks by Caustic Window (Richard D. James aka Aphex Twin), Tranquility Bass, Spacetime Continuum and Global Communication (Mark Pritchard and Tom Middleton).

• Pressed on DJ friendly double black vinyl

• Includes A 20-page history of their parties is included in the release, richly illustrated with unseen personal photos, artwork and memorabilia from the Telepathic Fish crew’s adventures between 1992-95, as well as detailed liner notes courtesy of founding members Mario Ageura and Kevin Foakes.

• Cover includes horizontal obi sticker with quote from Simon Reynolds' book Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music And Dance Culture, describing the Telepathic Fish parties' place in the dance music landscape.

• Lacquer cut by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven Mastering

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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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.

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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Essential Item Limited Edition No Re-Press...



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

C.L.A.W.S. comes to Dark Entries with a new ripping LP, Splat City II. C.L.A.W.S. is the solo project of musical luminary Brian Hock, who has been a key figure in the Bay Area underground for over two decades via his involvement in projects like Bronze and The Vanishing, as well as helming the record labels Squirrels on Film and Immortal Sin. With C.L.A.W.S., Hock takes on the dancefloor, picking up cues from the Hague’s Giallo-dipped electro, the skewed minimalism of Chicago acid, and the mind-rending forays of San Francisco post-punk icons like Chrome and Tuxedomoon. Following 2019’s inaugural Splat City EP, Splat City II continues to map the psychogeography of a metropolis both alien and immediately recognizable, one where life is cheap, but so are the thrills. Previously released on Squirrels on Film in digital-only format, this expanded vinyl edition of Splat City II features two new cuts. Things kick off with “Route 505” and “One Tear,” a duo of rompers that vibe like Tom Ellard and Chip E locked in a room with a vial of liquid. Next up, Bay Area deckmaster Tyrel lends his editing chops to “Vigilant Slimy Monsters,” sculpting a moody space disco beast. Squirrels on Film co-founder Solar teams up with Hock for “Black Magic Carpet Ride III,” a cavernous downtempo banger. The slow-mo pace continues with “Wild Slugs United,” which features the no wave-esque clarinet work of Paul Costuros. Closer “Don’t Flip the Crystal Ship” pays homage to Bayview venue Bay Area 51 with melancholic strings and a quartz-solid electrofunk bassline. Splat City II comes in a sleeve with artwork by Bert Bergen, which features a vampiric cat and sci-fi cityscapes.

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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1994 second album by the trio of Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns, unavailable on vinyl and CD since original release. A concept album with accompanying text for each track by James Woodbourne, it also includes additional production by Portishead and Mr Scruff. Remastered from the original tapes by Matt Colton, contains “Theme” for the first time on the 2LP edition.

By the time this record came out towards the end of ‘94, The Sabres Of Paradise had evolved from a production trio into a fully fledged band, embarking on live tours and augmented for the stage by additional members such as Rich Thair, from Warp labelmates Red Snapper, and Phil Mossman, later to join LCD Soundsystem. Tapped by Noel Gallagher to support Oasis at enormodomes, the group opted instead to play clubs, student unions, and infamously, a car park in Central London. Their tour adverts contained small print specifying a policy of “no jugglers, no fire eaters, no flutes and no hippies with lawyers”.

The studio sound had shifted radically as well, utilising samples (notably on the 1930s voodoo jazz inflected “Wilmot”), live instrumentation (the heavy twang guitar riff of “Tow Truck”) and a deep love of film scores audible throughout, from the block party funk of “Theme” to the noir-ish soundscapes of the title track. The sense of the album being a soundtrack itself is underpinned by the accompanying text for each track, rumoured to have been penned by Weatherall himself under a pseudonym, each text fragment joining up to form a suitably grimy, low-lit short story. The Guardian later summed up Haunted Dancehall as “techno’s first concept album”.

- Specs Black 2LP vinyl in printed inner sleeves in wide spine outer sleeve, spot gloss to cover

Tracklist:
A1. Bubble And Slide
A2. Bubble And Slide II
A3. Duke Of Earlsfield
B1. Flight Path Estate
B2. Planet D
B3. Wilmot
B4. Tow Truck
C1. Theme
C2. Theme 4
C3. Return To Planet D
C4. Ballad Of Nicky McGuire
D1. Jacob Street 7am
D2. Chapel Street Market 9am
D3. Haunted Dancehall

Key Information:
- Both are classic Warp albums - unavailable on vinyl & CD since original release
- Remastered from the original tapes by Matt Colton
- One of the key musical projects of the much-missed Andrew Weatherall who formed the group with Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns, initially as a production unit before signing to Warp and evolving into a proper band
- Remasters available digitally from May 29th 2025
- Sabresonic vinyl contains 'Smokebelch II (Beatless Mix)' for the first time on the 2LP edition
- Haunted Dancehall vinyl contains 'Theme' for the first time on the 2LP edition
- First live shows in over 3 decades

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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Repress!

Pinchy & friends is delighted to present the latest offering from Kaifeng-born and raised, Vancouver-based musician Yu Su.

In her first major release of original music since 2021’s acclaimed “Yellow River Blue” LP, Yu Su says elements for the EP began to form during time spent in the deserts of Ojai, California and the fertile coastal areas around her home in British Columbia. Of the new release, Yu Su says the ideas are thanks to “the objects around (colors, reflections of light, wood burning in the fireplace, and material rhyme with the sounds in the room) the desert and valley plants, the ground where citrus grows, and the flood a rainstorm created.” She notes that “the golden earth is the changing point of the matter, earth centers, stabilizes, and conserves, nurtures, and seeks to draw all things together with itself.”

Likewise, the four varied pieces of the EP match four very different landscapes: Earth-of-water (Wet/Cold Earth) Earth-of-Fire (Arid/Hot Earth) Earth-of-Metal (Dry/Hard Earth) Earth-of-Wood (Loose-Fertile/Warm Earth).

Additional guitar and bass were provided by Scott Johnson Gailey and Aiden Ayers - who also play in Yu Su’s live band.

The vinyl release comes on 180g vinyl in a full-colour sleeve by Seoul based Lobde Kim, with OBI STRIP.

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