Listen: https://on.soundcloud.com/B4a7F
Presenting the second thematic volume on the "Aquapelagos" series - a collection of split LPs where selected artists offer their own take into water surrounded cultures and communities. After the initial release of the Anthology compila-tion Aquapelago in 2022 (Discrepant ,CREP91) and the split LP Atlantico by Lagoss & Banha da Cobra (Keroxen, KRXN027) we proudly introduce an unique collaboration in the series in the shape of no other than two improvising giants, Mike Cooper and Pierre Bastien.
This second volume blows the lid wide open with a sound journey inspired by the equally majestic and mysterious Indian Ocean, a wide space of open ocean bounded by Africa, to the west, Asia to the north and north-west and Aus-tralia, to the south west.
From Philip Hayward and Matt Hill's liner notes:
''The album opens with Return To Chagos by emphasising human presence in the oceanic space, opening with gen-tle percussive taps and distant looped male vocalisation that gradually come into sharper focus, layered and thick-ened, accompanied by thicker percussion and mouth harp. The sense of departure is taken up in Trincomalee, which lifts over the oceanic textures, opening with slow, struck and scraped metallic sounds before thick low pitched wind instrument sounds enter, oscillating around shifting microtonal frequencies. The shore returns on Side 2, with the min-iature epic of Nicobar elaborated over looped 'atmos' sounds of birds and insects over which tonal, slightly distorted electric guitar lines enter before looped high pitched feedback squeals join the texture. Summoning tropical storms and the disruption to the region caused by western intrusion, strong and startling brass accents appear, melding with the looping guitar feedback, creating eeriness and a sense of alarm. Tuangku is permeated by restrained dynamics and an expressive, breathy, low pitched, animalistic melodic voice that offers intermittent and ambiguous utterances, Cobra (Keroxen, KRXN027) we proudly introduce an unique collaboration in the series in the shape of no other than two improvising giants, Mike Cooper and Pierre Bastien.
This second volume blows the lid wide open with a sound journey inspired by the equally majestic and mysterious Indian Ocean, a wide space of open ocean bounded by Africa, to the west, Asia to the north and north-west and Aus-tralia, to the south west.
All songs by Mike Cooper & Pierre Bastien
Mike Cooper: Guitar, electronics
Pierre Bastien: Musical Robots, Trumpet
Artwork by Evan Crankshaw
Aquapelago concept by Phillip Wayward
Produced and Curated by Gonçalo F. Cardoso
Recorded at Espacio Cultural El Tanque, Santa Cruz de Tenerife by Jorge Lozano R.
Mastered & Cut by Kassian Troyer at D&M, Berlin
Part of the Aquapelago Residency Series for Keroxen 2022
Keroxen / Discrepant 2023
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Presenting the second thematic volume on the "Aquapelagos" series - a collection of split LPs where selected artists offer their own take into water surrounded cultures and communities. After the initial release of the Anthology compila-tion Aquapelago in 2022 (Discrepant ,CREP91) and the split LP Atlantico by Lagoss & Banha da Cobra (Keroxen, KRXN027) we proudly introduce an unique collaboration in the series in the shape of no other than two improvising giants, Mike Cooper and Pierre Bastien.
This second volume blows the lid wide open with a sound journey inspired by the equally majestic and mysterious Indian Ocean, a wide space of open ocean bounded by Africa, to the west, Asia to the north and north-west and Aus-tralia, to the south west.
From Philip Hayward and Matt Hill's liner notes:
''The album opens with Return To Chagos by emphasising human presence in the oceanic space, opening with gen-tle percussive taps and distant looped male vocalisation that gradually come into sharper focus, layered and thick-ened, accompanied by thicker percussion and mouth harp. The sense of departure is taken up in Trincomalee, which lifts over the oceanic textures, opening with slow, struck and scraped metallic sounds before thick low pitched wind instrument sounds enter, oscillating around shifting microtonal frequencies. The shore returns on Side 2, with the min-iature epic of Nicobar elaborated over looped 'atmos' sounds of birds and insects over which tonal, slightly distorted electric guitar lines enter before looped high pitched feedback squeals join the texture. Summoning tropical storms and the disruption to the region caused by western intrusion, strong and startling brass accents appear, melding with the looping guitar feedback, creating eeriness and a sense of alarm. Tuangku is permeated by restrained dynamics and an expressive, breathy, low pitched, animalistic melodic voice that offers intermittent and ambiguous utterances, Cobra (Keroxen, KRXN027) we proudly introduce an unique collaboration in the series in the shape of no other than two improvising giants, Mike Cooper and Pierre Bastien.
This second volume blows the lid wide open with a sound journey inspired by the equally majestic and mysterious Indian Ocean, a wide space of open ocean bounded by Africa, to the west, Asia to the north and north-west and Aus-tralia, to the south west.
All songs by Mike Cooper & Pierre Bastien
Mike Cooper: Guitar, electronics
Pierre Bastien: Musical Robots, Trumpet
Artwork by Evan Crankshaw
Aquapelago concept by Phillip Wayward
Produced and Curated by Gonçalo F. Cardoso
Recorded at Espacio Cultural El Tanque, Santa Cruz de Tenerife by Jorge Lozano R.
Mastered & Cut by Kassian Troyer at D&M, Berlin
Part of the Aquapelago Residency Series for Keroxen 2022
Keroxen / Discrepant 2023
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
More records from KEROXEN / Discrepant
1
Paul Pèrrim - Arkusmaliketus
2
Paul Pèrrim - Furcarkis
3
Paul Pèrrim - Xankenofa
4
Paul Pèrrim - Olekta
5
Paul Pèrrim - Xileikan
6
Paul Pèrrim - Durrisan
7
Paul Pèrrim - Deiman
8
Paul Pèrrim - Barbarchu
9
Paul Pèrrim - Mousell
10
Paul Pèrrim - Sachsas
Itara is the debut solo album by Paul Pèrrim — guitarist, composer, and anthropologist — featuring a set of guitar-driven compositions that blend hallucinatory acid folk, abstract blues, mutant Eastern jazz, surreal ambient, and free improvisation into a vivid and distinctive sonic tapestry.
With a background in ethnomusicology and a degree in Music Education, Pèrrim’s work bridges popular and experimental music. He contrasts the acoustic guitar’s austerity with the expansive possibilities of the electric guitar, drawing from late ’60s folk traditions, contemporary fingerstyle, sound collage, drone, psychedelia, and improvisation.
A key figure in the Canary Islands’ experimental scene, he released two albums in the 2010s under The Transistor Arkestra, a Catalan collective merging free jazz and psychedelia. As Transistor Eye, his solo project, he merges analog electronics with guitar, using vintage synths and effects.
In 2022, Pèrrim gained wider recognition through his appearance on Manos Ocultas (Philatelia Records) and the international tribute Solstice: A Tribute to Steffen Basho- Junghans (Obsolete Recordings). That same year, he founded GUITARRACO, a contemporary guitar festival in Tarragona, where he has shared the stage with Joseba Irazoki, Buck Curran, and Raphael Roginski.
“While it’s common to call music cinematic these days, Pèrrim goes split-screen. One might say he composes econo, jamming scenes and sounds to psychedelic effect. But economy does not equate with poverty. Pèrrim draws upon a rich bank of musical notions, all of which he makes his own through the alchemy of recombination and transmutation.” - Bill Meyer, from liner notes
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
With a background in ethnomusicology and a degree in Music Education, Pèrrim’s work bridges popular and experimental music. He contrasts the acoustic guitar’s austerity with the expansive possibilities of the electric guitar, drawing from late ’60s folk traditions, contemporary fingerstyle, sound collage, drone, psychedelia, and improvisation.
A key figure in the Canary Islands’ experimental scene, he released two albums in the 2010s under The Transistor Arkestra, a Catalan collective merging free jazz and psychedelia. As Transistor Eye, his solo project, he merges analog electronics with guitar, using vintage synths and effects.
In 2022, Pèrrim gained wider recognition through his appearance on Manos Ocultas (Philatelia Records) and the international tribute Solstice: A Tribute to Steffen Basho- Junghans (Obsolete Recordings). That same year, he founded GUITARRACO, a contemporary guitar festival in Tarragona, where he has shared the stage with Joseba Irazoki, Buck Curran, and Raphael Roginski.
“While it’s common to call music cinematic these days, Pèrrim goes split-screen. One might say he composes econo, jamming scenes and sounds to psychedelic effect. But economy does not equate with poverty. Pèrrim draws upon a rich bank of musical notions, all of which he makes his own through the alchemy of recombination and transmutation.” - Bill Meyer, from liner notes
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Listen: https://on.soundcloud.com/u24KHTonj5kq6CSr7
Salétile return to the Keroxen tenfold with their second long play of 60’s inspired psychedelia and neo shoegaze tunes.
With its members hailing from a particular area of northern Tenerife with its ever present “panza de burro” —a layer of insistent low clouds overcasting the region—, the tone and feel of Salétile’s music had to be naturally clouded and sombre. A periphery sound from the periphery then, a local approach of a popular sound with a calm and serene attitude.
While their first album, Humanoides del abismo (Humanoids of the Abyss), evoked an underwater journey, for their second outing Salétile emerge swiftly into the surface to continue their peculiar sound explorations of their precious surroundings, adding different layers of pressurisation.
A more pronounced melodic intention is present but without abandoning the care for textures and atmospheres that defined their debut, as well as the use of contemporary techniques such as looping and real-time processing, encompassing influences as diverse and timeless as classical music, 1950s R&B, 1960s pop, hip-hop, dub, 1990s English shoegaze, concrete music, slowcore or math rock.
A loopy pot of sources from a hermetic band that is not afraid of pushing their many influences to the foreground. Emerge!
Salétile are Daniel García, Elsa Mateu and Ruymán García
Mastered by Daniel García?Artwork by Gustavo García
Vinyl pressed in Spain
Tracks
1. New Trombone
2. Dürüm
3. Tingle Bells
4. Mr. Waiter
5. Fritolay
6. Suspenser
7. Brakefast
8. Tiburón 3
9. Atsivalatsah
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Salétile return to the Keroxen tenfold with their second long play of 60’s inspired psychedelia and neo shoegaze tunes.
With its members hailing from a particular area of northern Tenerife with its ever present “panza de burro” —a layer of insistent low clouds overcasting the region—, the tone and feel of Salétile’s music had to be naturally clouded and sombre. A periphery sound from the periphery then, a local approach of a popular sound with a calm and serene attitude.
While their first album, Humanoides del abismo (Humanoids of the Abyss), evoked an underwater journey, for their second outing Salétile emerge swiftly into the surface to continue their peculiar sound explorations of their precious surroundings, adding different layers of pressurisation.
A more pronounced melodic intention is present but without abandoning the care for textures and atmospheres that defined their debut, as well as the use of contemporary techniques such as looping and real-time processing, encompassing influences as diverse and timeless as classical music, 1950s R&B, 1960s pop, hip-hop, dub, 1990s English shoegaze, concrete music, slowcore or math rock.
A loopy pot of sources from a hermetic band that is not afraid of pushing their many influences to the foreground. Emerge!
Salétile are Daniel García, Elsa Mateu and Ruymán García
Mastered by Daniel García?Artwork by Gustavo García
Vinyl pressed in Spain
Tracks
1. New Trombone
2. Dürüm
3. Tingle Bells
4. Mr. Waiter
5. Fritolay
6. Suspenser
7. Brakefast
8. Tiburón 3
9. Atsivalatsah
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Listen: https://on.soundcloud.com/pED5EWKLCp2bnwPQ6
With this new project, their fourth full-length work, Tupperwear completely departs from the "stylish" electronics and trends to delve into a profound exploration of the fundamentals of music.
It involves a quest or even a game through the extrapolation of geometry into various musical parameters, encom-passing classical aspects like pitch, timbre, rhythm, intensity, etc., as well as noise, textures, or the implicit mathemat-ics in natural or irrational elements.
Pentagonono delves into cosmology and nature. It is a musical approach without prejudices to basic numerology that unveils the universe, the harmonic scale, the number e, and logarithmic spirals. The golden ratio (phi) and the omni-present number pi are also explored. Geometric shapes, proportions, and divisions of vibrating elements are transmit-ted through the air, internalized by humans, and transformed into music.
Following in the footsteps of previous sound explorers from various spatial and temporal origins such as Gamelan mu-sic with its infinite polyrhythmic replication, Psychedelia, Serialism, Musique Concre?te, Bach, or J Dilla, this album pre-sents itself as a materialization of ideas and concerns that, while already present in the band's musical understanding, are now brought to the forefront as if it were a vital manifesto.
Artwork by Aristides Garci?a
Mastered by Daniel Baez
Pressed in Spain
LP TRACKLIST:
A1. Los Quasicristales
A2. Hipto?gono
A3. Armoniconono
A4. Montan?a Blanca
B1. Aguataca
B2. Primos Recall
B3. Taga Nano
B4. To Elo
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
With this new project, their fourth full-length work, Tupperwear completely departs from the "stylish" electronics and trends to delve into a profound exploration of the fundamentals of music.
It involves a quest or even a game through the extrapolation of geometry into various musical parameters, encom-passing classical aspects like pitch, timbre, rhythm, intensity, etc., as well as noise, textures, or the implicit mathemat-ics in natural or irrational elements.
Pentagonono delves into cosmology and nature. It is a musical approach without prejudices to basic numerology that unveils the universe, the harmonic scale, the number e, and logarithmic spirals. The golden ratio (phi) and the omni-present number pi are also explored. Geometric shapes, proportions, and divisions of vibrating elements are transmit-ted through the air, internalized by humans, and transformed into music.
Following in the footsteps of previous sound explorers from various spatial and temporal origins such as Gamelan mu-sic with its infinite polyrhythmic replication, Psychedelia, Serialism, Musique Concre?te, Bach, or J Dilla, this album pre-sents itself as a materialization of ideas and concerns that, while already present in the band's musical understanding, are now brought to the forefront as if it were a vital manifesto.
Artwork by Aristides Garci?a
Mastered by Daniel Baez
Pressed in Spain
LP TRACKLIST:
A1. Los Quasicristales
A2. Hipto?gono
A3. Armoniconono
A4. Montan?a Blanca
B1. Aguataca
B2. Primos Recall
B3. Taga Nano
B4. To Elo
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Customers who bought this also bought this
Originally released on Studio !K7 Records in 1998, Peter Kruder and Richard Dorfmeister's groundbreaking release, 'The K&D Sessions' reset the bar for what could be achieved in a compilation. Across an array of original tracks, dubs and infamous K&D Session remixes, the DJ and producer duo took the listener on a smoke-filled blunted journey that flowed flawlessly. Often compared to DJ Shadow's 'Endtroducing' for it's similarly deft craft of rhythm and quoted by Allmusic as "the most blissfully blunted music the world has ever heard", the album has sold over 1,000,000 copies to date and was included in Spin s Top 20 albums of 1999 .
The album has long since been deleted on Vinyl with original 4LP sets changing hands for 300+ on the collectors market and even a bootleg vinyl copy will set a buyer back over 100. Sixteen years later, this legendary album will be available as a long overdue 5LP reissue remastered by Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood. Finally back in print in 180g vinyl.
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
The album has long since been deleted on Vinyl with original 4LP sets changing hands for 300+ on the collectors market and even a bootleg vinyl copy will set a buyer back over 100. Sixteen years later, this legendary album will be available as a long overdue 5LP reissue remastered by Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood. Finally back in print in 180g vinyl.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Meaning shifts throughout Murphy"s debut album "Um" with songs that meld moments of baroque beauty with crashes of electronic noise, employing textures that are by turns organic and artificial, hi-fi and lo-fi.
Tracklist
1.1First Day
1.2Need
1.3Pick Yourself Up
1.4Theme Parks
1.5Spray Can
1.6Call Me Back
1.7Kind
1.8The Words
1.9Dust Yourself Off
1.10IRL
1.11Forgive
https://listen.k7.com/eac93d24-a23a-4973-b90c-03749589165c
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Tracklist
1.1First Day
1.2Need
1.3Pick Yourself Up
1.4Theme Parks
1.5Spray Can
1.6Call Me Back
1.7Kind
1.8The Words
1.9Dust Yourself Off
1.10IRL
1.11Forgive
https://listen.k7.com/eac93d24-a23a-4973-b90c-03749589165c
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
Panoram - The Shapes We Are
2
Panoram - Limbo
3
Panoram - Pierre
4
Panoram - Cameos
5
Panoram - Obsolete Child
6
Panoram - Born Today
7
Panoram - It's Me Being You
8
Panoram - The Parable
9
Panoram - Dishappening
10
Panoram - Mudding
11
Panoram - Brutal Meditation
12
Panoram - Smiles In A Row
13
Panoram - Peachflame
14
Panoram - Middle Class Love (Blood Tests)
15
Panoram - Veroin
16
Panoram - A Brick In Your Fantasy
Panoram makes soundtracks for daydreams gone sideways. Picture the scene: an afternoon nap with the television on, quietly, in the corner; snatches of conversation drift in through the open window. Wandering, half-formed thoughts take unexpected detours; before you know it, there’s a movie playing out against closed lids, the colors bright, the characters unfamiliar. Accidental rhythms, incidental melodies, imitations of life, messages in code.
Across 17 fragmentary, sketch-like tracks, Panoram carves a labyrinthine path in which nothing is what it seems: a fantasy world of breathy vox pads, faux guitar, detuned synths, bursts of flute and orchestral percussion, and even the occasional cheeky cartoon sample. It’s chillout music with a chilly edge, ambient with a darkly ironic undertone. (The briefest glance at your news outlet of choice should be enough to confirm that the title—Great Times—ought to be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism.)
Panoram has been making music under his principal alias for more than a decade now, releasing albums on labels like Firecracker, Running Back, and his own Wandering Eye. (He has also performed and recorded with Amen Dunes, and has co-production credits on Amen Dunes’ forthcoming Sub Pop album Death Jokes.) Panoram’s output has ranged widely, taking in abstract pop, classical composition, twisted takes on library music, and cyborg funk. One record of “bio-acoustic transmissions” came with a cannabis leaf pressed in clear wax; his 2021 album Pianosequenza Vol. 1 gathers his experiments on the Yamaha Disklavier. But Great Times offers the truest picture yet of a project that has never been easy to pin down.
Loath to overshare details about his personal life, Panoram instead lets the music do the talking, using his cryptic tracks to express the slipperiest sorts of ideas—the thoughts that take root where anxiety, distraction, and the most fleeting traces of grace commingle. Panoram’s approach flies in the face of contemporary ambient orthodoxy, with its emphasis on immersion and uplift. Great Times expresses something thornier, more difficult to translate, yet also more tantalizing to contend with. Its 17 tracks offer a chance to get lost—and an invitation to remain in the maze as long as you like.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Across 17 fragmentary, sketch-like tracks, Panoram carves a labyrinthine path in which nothing is what it seems: a fantasy world of breathy vox pads, faux guitar, detuned synths, bursts of flute and orchestral percussion, and even the occasional cheeky cartoon sample. It’s chillout music with a chilly edge, ambient with a darkly ironic undertone. (The briefest glance at your news outlet of choice should be enough to confirm that the title—Great Times—ought to be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism.)
Panoram has been making music under his principal alias for more than a decade now, releasing albums on labels like Firecracker, Running Back, and his own Wandering Eye. (He has also performed and recorded with Amen Dunes, and has co-production credits on Amen Dunes’ forthcoming Sub Pop album Death Jokes.) Panoram’s output has ranged widely, taking in abstract pop, classical composition, twisted takes on library music, and cyborg funk. One record of “bio-acoustic transmissions” came with a cannabis leaf pressed in clear wax; his 2021 album Pianosequenza Vol. 1 gathers his experiments on the Yamaha Disklavier. But Great Times offers the truest picture yet of a project that has never been easy to pin down.
Loath to overshare details about his personal life, Panoram instead lets the music do the talking, using his cryptic tracks to express the slipperiest sorts of ideas—the thoughts that take root where anxiety, distraction, and the most fleeting traces of grace commingle. Panoram’s approach flies in the face of contemporary ambient orthodoxy, with its emphasis on immersion and uplift. Great Times expresses something thornier, more difficult to translate, yet also more tantalizing to contend with. Its 17 tracks offer a chance to get lost—and an invitation to remain in the maze as long as you like.
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
Eusebeia - waveform 05
2
Eusebeia - waveform 06
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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To coincide with its ten year anniversary, Domino is to reissue Four Tet’s seminal album, Rounds, on 13th May 2013. The reissue will feature the album as well as a live set from Copenhagen recorded near the time of the original release.
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
Deetron Presents Soulmate - Filter (Body Mix)
2
Deetron Presents Soulmate - Filter (Broken Mix)
3
Deetron Presents Soulmate - Drone
4
Deetron Presents Soulmate - Bourg
Repress!
Drone Destructing Body Slams
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DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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Drone Destructing Body Slams
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Germany
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1
Tim Reaper - waveform 07
2
Tim Reaper - waveform 08
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DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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1
Vinicius Honorio - Endless Love feat. Theo Nasa
2
Vinicius Honorio - Endless Love feat. Theo Nasa (Hardspace Mix)
3
Vinicius Honorio - Gunz Blazin
4
Vinicius Honorio - Stabbed In The Heart
12” vinyl with full cover print
TRACKLIST:
A1 Endless Love feat. Theo Nasa
A2 Endless Love feat. Theo Nasa (Hardspace Mix)
B1 Gunz Blazin
B2 Stabbed In The Heart
all tracks figured out by Vinicius Honorio.
vocals on Endless Love by Theo Nasa.
2024 copyright figure
INFO:
Adding his first EP to the label’s catalogue, Figure warmly welcomes Vinicius Honorio onto the roster.
Having first made his mark in the DnB-world as BTK, the vetted Brazilian producer now has been conquering the global techno scene for some years as well. His darkly foreboding sound is on full display across this 12“, featuring three clean-cut, impactful original productions and a remix by Len Faki’s Hardspace moniker.
Endless Love comes punching strong, carried by colleague Theo Nasa’s ominous spoken words and evolving stab synths textures. The remix strips back the vocals in favor of reduced frequencies, keeping the heat condensed and always ready to boil over.
On the flip, Honorio introduces his rolling high-energy machine funk, stacking elements around a hypnotic vocal loop and expertly playing the game of build and release. Closer B2 showcases a different style, using subdued dubby chords to craft a dreamy ride that is at once powerful and deep.
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
TRACKLIST:
A1 Endless Love feat. Theo Nasa
A2 Endless Love feat. Theo Nasa (Hardspace Mix)
B1 Gunz Blazin
B2 Stabbed In The Heart
all tracks figured out by Vinicius Honorio.
vocals on Endless Love by Theo Nasa.
2024 copyright figure
INFO:
Adding his first EP to the label’s catalogue, Figure warmly welcomes Vinicius Honorio onto the roster.
Having first made his mark in the DnB-world as BTK, the vetted Brazilian producer now has been conquering the global techno scene for some years as well. His darkly foreboding sound is on full display across this 12“, featuring three clean-cut, impactful original productions and a remix by Len Faki’s Hardspace moniker.
Endless Love comes punching strong, carried by colleague Theo Nasa’s ominous spoken words and evolving stab synths textures. The remix strips back the vocals in favor of reduced frequencies, keeping the heat condensed and always ready to boil over.
On the flip, Honorio introduces his rolling high-energy machine funk, stacking elements around a hypnotic vocal loop and expertly playing the game of build and release. Closer B2 showcases a different style, using subdued dubby chords to craft a dreamy ride that is at once powerful and deep.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
Frank & Tony - Olympia (with Eliana Glass)
2
Frank & Tony - Ethos (with DaRand Land)
3
Frank & Tony - Too Poor For Movies, Too Tired For Love (with Lawrence)
4
Frank & Tony - Nobody Present Ever Stood So Still
5
Frank & Tony - By The End They Will
6
Frank & Tony - Cecile (with Eliana Glass)
7
Frank & Tony - Drift (with DJ Aakmael)
8
Frank & Tony - From Life Ahead
9
Frank & Tony - Continuity
Double-LP, Gatefold sleeve
GENRE/S: House, Deep House, Lo-Fi House, Electronica
TRACKLISTS:
A1. Olympia (with Eliana Glass)
A2. Ethos (with DaRand Land)
B1. Too Poor For Movies, Too Tired For Love (with Lawrence)
B2. Nobody Present Ever Stood So Still
C1. By The End They Will
C2. Cecile (with Eliana Glass)
D1. Drift (with DJ Aakmael)
D2. From Life Ahead
D3. Continuity
SHORT INFO:
More about the world has changed than not in the decade since dance production dyad Frank & Tony released their last full-length record, 2014’s You Go Girl. Despite, or perhaps in spite of, this shifting landscape, house music has managed to stay fundamentally reliable (either a bug or its greatest feature, depending on who you ask). Where previously, Frank & Tony have been celebrated for their contemplative, studious approach to the genre, with 2024’s Ethos, the Brooklyn/Biarritz-based duo return amidst metastatic cultural upheaval to prove out those scholarly credentials — with an album that serves to remind listeners why dancefloors and liberatory politics consistently share the language of movements and revolutions.
Undoubtedly, Ethos is tremendously influenced by the multitude of projects originating from, and supported by, the duo and their label in the decade since You Go Girl– releasing records from a vast diversity of artists (including Nadia Khan, Gry, Villete, Darand Land, Alex Albrecht, DJ Sprinkles and CCL), and Harris becoming curatorial voice of Brooklyn’s premiere venue for audiophiles, Public Records, where he continues to amplify work across a global diaspora (and where the duo maintain a residency of wide praise).
It is this bright energy and focus on the necessity of community and relationships that animates the aptly-titled Ethos. If past Frank & Tony releases have been lauded as ‘a coloring book in which someone has exclusively drawn inside the lines… with extreme precision,’ Ethos deviates by inviting friends in for a game of exquisite corpse. From singer and pianist Eliana Glass, whose androgynous, double-reeded voice freestyles across album opener Olympia, to distinct track features from fellow house masterminds DaRand Land, DJ Aakmael and Lawrence over half of the album’s nine tracks highlight artists in the larger Scissor & Thread circle.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
GENRE/S: House, Deep House, Lo-Fi House, Electronica
TRACKLISTS:
A1. Olympia (with Eliana Glass)
A2. Ethos (with DaRand Land)
B1. Too Poor For Movies, Too Tired For Love (with Lawrence)
B2. Nobody Present Ever Stood So Still
C1. By The End They Will
C2. Cecile (with Eliana Glass)
D1. Drift (with DJ Aakmael)
D2. From Life Ahead
D3. Continuity
SHORT INFO:
More about the world has changed than not in the decade since dance production dyad Frank & Tony released their last full-length record, 2014’s You Go Girl. Despite, or perhaps in spite of, this shifting landscape, house music has managed to stay fundamentally reliable (either a bug or its greatest feature, depending on who you ask). Where previously, Frank & Tony have been celebrated for their contemplative, studious approach to the genre, with 2024’s Ethos, the Brooklyn/Biarritz-based duo return amidst metastatic cultural upheaval to prove out those scholarly credentials — with an album that serves to remind listeners why dancefloors and liberatory politics consistently share the language of movements and revolutions.
Undoubtedly, Ethos is tremendously influenced by the multitude of projects originating from, and supported by, the duo and their label in the decade since You Go Girl– releasing records from a vast diversity of artists (including Nadia Khan, Gry, Villete, Darand Land, Alex Albrecht, DJ Sprinkles and CCL), and Harris becoming curatorial voice of Brooklyn’s premiere venue for audiophiles, Public Records, where he continues to amplify work across a global diaspora (and where the duo maintain a residency of wide praise).
It is this bright energy and focus on the necessity of community and relationships that animates the aptly-titled Ethos. If past Frank & Tony releases have been lauded as ‘a coloring book in which someone has exclusively drawn inside the lines… with extreme precision,’ Ethos deviates by inviting friends in for a game of exquisite corpse. From singer and pianist Eliana Glass, whose androgynous, double-reeded voice freestyles across album opener Olympia, to distinct track features from fellow house masterminds DaRand Land, DJ Aakmael and Lawrence over half of the album’s nine tracks highlight artists in the larger Scissor & Thread circle.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Label:Smallville Records
Cat-No:smallville62
Release-Date:17.05.2024
Genre:Deephouse
Configuration:12" Excl
Label:Smallville Records
Cat-No:smallville62
Release-Date:17.05.2024
Genre:Deephouse
Configuration:12" Excl
1
Lawrence - Gravity Hill
2
Lawrence - Beaver
3
Lawrence - The Swamp
4
Lawrence - Stargazer
2024 repress, full cover, same set up as before
Tracklist:
A1 Gravity Hill
A2 Beaver
B1 The Swamp
B2 Stargazer
Dial Records boss makes a welcome return to Smallville in March of 2024 with a fresh four-tracker EP ‘Gravity Hill’. Peter Kersten, better known to most as Lawrence, has been at the forefront of underground house and techno for decades now. His Dial imprint, co-founded alongside Carsten Jost, has grown to become a north star for many seeking out raw, emotive and understated electronic music and Lawrence’s own productions follow a similar path, finding a home on many beloved labels beyond Dial such as Kompakt, Mule Musiq, Ghostly
International, Giegling, Pampa and of course Smallville, that he co-founded together with Stella Plazonja and Julius Steinhoff in 2005.
Title-track ‘Gravity Hill’ opens the project and perfectly sets the tone with Lawrence’s distinct atmospheric haze of keys, chords and pads billowing atop swaying bass tones and crisp drums. ‘Beaver’ follows next and edges into dubbed out realms with expansive stab delays, rounded subs, modulating percussive flutters and a robust rhythmic drive.
‘The Swamp’ then leads the B-side, diving into a deeper territory via airy Rhodes melodies and subtly unfurling pads, intertwined with organic percussion and a jazz tinged bass line. ‘Stargazer’ then concludes the package and shifts back to a more straight, dance floor- oriented feel via a twitchy acid bass, circling resonant synth licks, hypnotic textures and a swinging drum groove.
Smallville 62 artwork by Stefan Marx as always and it's the first 12“ Smallville cover in full colour ever after 61 black/white releases.
All tracks written, produced and mixed by Peter M. Kersten
Mastering by Helmut Erler, vinyl Cut by Lathesville
Artwork and Typography by Stefan Marx
Distributed by Wordandsound
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Tracklist:
A1 Gravity Hill
A2 Beaver
B1 The Swamp
B2 Stargazer
Dial Records boss makes a welcome return to Smallville in March of 2024 with a fresh four-tracker EP ‘Gravity Hill’. Peter Kersten, better known to most as Lawrence, has been at the forefront of underground house and techno for decades now. His Dial imprint, co-founded alongside Carsten Jost, has grown to become a north star for many seeking out raw, emotive and understated electronic music and Lawrence’s own productions follow a similar path, finding a home on many beloved labels beyond Dial such as Kompakt, Mule Musiq, Ghostly
International, Giegling, Pampa and of course Smallville, that he co-founded together with Stella Plazonja and Julius Steinhoff in 2005.
Title-track ‘Gravity Hill’ opens the project and perfectly sets the tone with Lawrence’s distinct atmospheric haze of keys, chords and pads billowing atop swaying bass tones and crisp drums. ‘Beaver’ follows next and edges into dubbed out realms with expansive stab delays, rounded subs, modulating percussive flutters and a robust rhythmic drive.
‘The Swamp’ then leads the B-side, diving into a deeper territory via airy Rhodes melodies and subtly unfurling pads, intertwined with organic percussion and a jazz tinged bass line. ‘Stargazer’ then concludes the package and shifts back to a more straight, dance floor- oriented feel via a twitchy acid bass, circling resonant synth licks, hypnotic textures and a swinging drum groove.
Smallville 62 artwork by Stefan Marx as always and it's the first 12“ Smallville cover in full colour ever after 61 black/white releases.
All tracks written, produced and mixed by Peter M. Kersten
Mastering by Helmut Erler, vinyl Cut by Lathesville
Artwork and Typography by Stefan Marx
Distributed by Wordandsound
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka Shade - A. 01 M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka Shade - Body Language (Patrice Bäumel Remix)
2
M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka Shade - B1. M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka Shade - Body Language (HOSH Remix )
3
M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka Shade - B2. M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka Shade - Body Language (Original)
Get Physical strides into its 21st year with a reissue of one of its most iconic tunes. M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka
Shade's 'Body Language' has been remastered for the occasion and will be available on vinyl, as well as
digitally and on streaming platforms for the first time ever, with new remixes from HOSH and Patrice
Bäumel.
Tracklist:
01 M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka Shade - Body Language (Patrice Bäumel Remix)
02 M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka Shade - Body Language (HOSH Remix )
03 M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka Shade - Body Language (Original)
M.A.N.D.Y. aka Patrick Bodmer and Philipp Jung, and Booka Shade, aka Walter Merziger and Arno
Kammermeier, are Get Physical co-founders alongside DJ T., and 'Body Language' is one of the label's, as well
as dance music's, biggest ever tunes. Released in 2005, it defined an entire generation of house music and
spawned myriad copycats in its wake as well as making household names of the artists behind it. It became an
instant classic that worked as well in cosy clubs as it did on festival main stages and it has remained an
ever-green house anthem. The influential track has been sampled many times over the years but nothing beats
the original.
The chunky house drums still sound from the future today, with fleshy hits and warming bass. What makes it such
a standout track, though, is the gorgeous melodic hook that rides up and down the scale. Those soft focus notes
are full of subtle but playful soul that never fails to unify a crowd, bring smiles to faces, and get hands in the air.
The first to remix is acclaimed German artist Patrice Bäumel. He is a master of stylish and deep house and techno
with expressive synth work on labels like Kompakt and his own HALO. His superb version is a complete overhaul
with deeper drums and a sense of late-night tension that is released in glorious fashion when the iconic melody
comes in. It's the sort of tune that is suited to 4 am dance floors and will take things to the next level. The second
remix comes from fellow German HOSH. For many years a core part of the Diynamic family he is also the founder
of the fryhide imprint and an assured underground talent. He layers in some fresh and airy breakbeats to power
along an expansive remix. After a long and atmospheric build with plenty of cosmic synth work, the original
melody arrives during a breakdown and then plays out over the suspensory grooves.
This is a superb package that brings a widely loved favourite back to the fore with contemporary remixes and a
fresh remaster.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Shade's 'Body Language' has been remastered for the occasion and will be available on vinyl, as well as
digitally and on streaming platforms for the first time ever, with new remixes from HOSH and Patrice
Bäumel.
Tracklist:
01 M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka Shade - Body Language (Patrice Bäumel Remix)
02 M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka Shade - Body Language (HOSH Remix )
03 M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka Shade - Body Language (Original)
M.A.N.D.Y. aka Patrick Bodmer and Philipp Jung, and Booka Shade, aka Walter Merziger and Arno
Kammermeier, are Get Physical co-founders alongside DJ T., and 'Body Language' is one of the label's, as well
as dance music's, biggest ever tunes. Released in 2005, it defined an entire generation of house music and
spawned myriad copycats in its wake as well as making household names of the artists behind it. It became an
instant classic that worked as well in cosy clubs as it did on festival main stages and it has remained an
ever-green house anthem. The influential track has been sampled many times over the years but nothing beats
the original.
The chunky house drums still sound from the future today, with fleshy hits and warming bass. What makes it such
a standout track, though, is the gorgeous melodic hook that rides up and down the scale. Those soft focus notes
are full of subtle but playful soul that never fails to unify a crowd, bring smiles to faces, and get hands in the air.
The first to remix is acclaimed German artist Patrice Bäumel. He is a master of stylish and deep house and techno
with expressive synth work on labels like Kompakt and his own HALO. His superb version is a complete overhaul
with deeper drums and a sense of late-night tension that is released in glorious fashion when the iconic melody
comes in. It's the sort of tune that is suited to 4 am dance floors and will take things to the next level. The second
remix comes from fellow German HOSH. For many years a core part of the Diynamic family he is also the founder
of the fryhide imprint and an assured underground talent. He layers in some fresh and airy breakbeats to power
along an expansive remix. After a long and atmospheric build with plenty of cosmic synth work, the original
melody arrives during a breakdown and then plays out over the suspensory grooves.
This is a superb package that brings a widely loved favourite back to the fore with contemporary remixes and a
fresh remaster.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Label:Be With Records
Cat-No:bewith166lp
Release-Date:22.03.2024
Genre:HipHop / Beats
Configuration:2LP Excl
Label:Be With Records
Cat-No:bewith166lp
Release-Date:22.03.2024
Genre:HipHop / Beats
Configuration:2LP Excl
1
Bahamadia - Intro (0:50)
2
Bahamadia - WordPlay (3:17)
3
Bahamadia - Spontaneity (4:08)
4
Bahamadia - Rugged Ruff (3:08)
5
Bahamadia - Interlude (0:29)
6
Bahamadia - I Confess (4:06)
7
Bahamadia - UKNOWHOWWEDU (3:35)
8
Bahamadia - Interlude (1:09)
9
Bahamadia - Total Wreck (3:26)
10
Bahamadia - Innovation (3:23)
11
Bahamadia - Da Jawn (5:19)
12
Bahamadia - Interlude (1:05)
13
Bahamadia - True Honey Buns (Dat Freak Sh t) (3:41)
14
Bahamadia - 3 Tha Hard Way (4:12)
15
Bahamadia - Biggest Part Of Me (4:51)
16
Bahamadia - Path To Rhythm (3:24)
Territories: Worldwide no restrictions
Format Notes:
2024 first time double vinyl reissue with exclusive bonus track, 140g double vinyl, remastered audio with restored artwork
Track List:
A1 Intro 0:50
A2 WordPlay 3:17
A3 Spontaneity 4:08
A4 Rugged Ruff 3:08
A5 Interlude 0:29
B1 I Confess 4:06
B2 UKNOWHOWWEDU 3:35
B3 Interlude 1:09
B4 Total Wreck 3:26
B5 Innovation 3:23
C1 Da Jawn 5:19
C2 Interlude 1:05
C3 True Honey Buns (Dat Freak Sh*t) 3:41
D1 3 Tha Hard Way 4:12
D2 Biggest Part Of Me 4:51
D3 Path To Rhythm 3:24
Release Notes:
Bahamadia’s 1996 debut album Kollage is rightly regarded as one of the greatest rap albums of the 1990s. For the first time ever, Be With present the definitive double LP version of this eternal hip-hop classic, including the legendary "Path To Rhythm" which never appeared on the original LP or on vinyl, anywhere. An indelible VIBE from start-to-finish, Kollage presents Bahamadia's swirling rhymes delivered with an irresistibly butter flow and razor-sharp assuredness over a steady slew of smoothed-out, jazzed-up, blunted beats. Achingly cool and effortlessly funky throughout, it's an absolute must for true 90s hip-hop fanatics.
The entire Kollage project was recorded at D&D Studios and the ties to Gang Starr are keenly felt, with DJ Premier producing five tracks in addition to the killer songs Guru had already produced with her. Working with the cream of the mid-90s East Coast sound, Kollage is, accordingly, a record that demonstrates a varied musical taste with disparate influences, as Bahamadia has previously stated: “The title Kollage was a reflection of my state of mind. I first got interested in music from playing my parents’ and grandparents’ records, as well what I heard on the radio. I wanted Kollage to reflect that diversity both lyrically and sonically."
With intelligent, poetic lyricism and a laconic verbal style bursting with both warm texture and deceptive energy, Bahamadia’s flow was as inspired by Aretha and Nancy Wilson as it was Q-Tip, Schoolly D and Lady B. Swaggering out the gate, "WordPlay" finds Bahamadia confidently showcasing her considerable old-school battle-rhyme skills over a Guru beat that utilises an infectiously bouncy bassline with splashes of sultry jazz horns and a Jeru vocal snatch for the hook. Up next, the quietly shimmering and ruggedly beautiful "Spontaneity" is one of the most alluring on the record, Da Beatminerz crafting a brilliantly soulful and jazzy soundscape for Bahamadia's effortless vocals to float across. It's followed by "Rugged Ruff", where the rapper carefully constructs a swift off-beat flow over Premier's raw jazzy fire.
With smooth spacey synth vibes overseen by former Geto Boys producer N.O. Joe, "I Confess" is, without question, a fly love song and soothing (p)-funk groove. "UKNOWHOWWEDU" is an airy, chilled tribute to her hometown. Produced by Ski Beatz & DJ Redhanded, it rides a gloriously mellow break. It's a true Philly anthem, shouting out a who’s who of the entire city’s scene. Early banger "Total Wreck" follows, presenting a murky Guru instrumental elevated by jazzy horns. Bahamadia invokes the title's suggestion, firing her brilliant bars more aggressively than we’re accustomed to. More Beatminerz-brilliance comes in the way of "Innovation", an opportunity for the MC to invoke Freestyle Fellowship in her forward-thinking and literary verses. "Da Jawn" features hometown buddies The Roots, with Black Thought gliding into a back-and-forth with Bahamadia over ?uestlove’s warm, snapping percussion. With the strut club banger "True Honey Buns (Dat Freak Sh*t)", DJ Premier provides some laidback vibrant boom bap for Bahamadia to share a wild, cautionary tale about a night out with her girl, Kia.
Fan favourite "3 Tha Hard Way" is a hypnotically sinister cut, with Bahamadia, K-Swift and Mecca Star taking star turns to coast over DJ Premier’s raw beat whilst the tender "Biggest Part Of Me" is a heartfelt stunner dedicated to her son. Incredibly, only the European and Japanese CD versions of Kollage was released with the brilliantly breezy “Path To Rhythm”, featuring Ursula Rucker. Whilst ostensibly a "bonus track", it's anything but, to our ears. Very much in sonic conversation with KRS-One's stretched-out sleeper classic "Higher Level", it's absolutely essential so we had to include it, appearing on wax for the first time here, exclusively. Quite a coup.
Somewhat predictably, whilst Kollage was released to significant critical acclaim, it suffered from disappointing sales. In the intervening years - and for far too long - it was a criminally underrated record, an increasingly hidden gem. We hope this double LP reissue - which looks and sounds amazing - will go some way to correct this. This 2024 Be With double LP re-issue has been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Cicely Balston and pressed at Record Industry. It's too bold and beautiful to remain overlooked and underserved.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Format Notes:
2024 first time double vinyl reissue with exclusive bonus track, 140g double vinyl, remastered audio with restored artwork
Track List:
A1 Intro 0:50
A2 WordPlay 3:17
A3 Spontaneity 4:08
A4 Rugged Ruff 3:08
A5 Interlude 0:29
B1 I Confess 4:06
B2 UKNOWHOWWEDU 3:35
B3 Interlude 1:09
B4 Total Wreck 3:26
B5 Innovation 3:23
C1 Da Jawn 5:19
C2 Interlude 1:05
C3 True Honey Buns (Dat Freak Sh*t) 3:41
D1 3 Tha Hard Way 4:12
D2 Biggest Part Of Me 4:51
D3 Path To Rhythm 3:24
Release Notes:
Bahamadia’s 1996 debut album Kollage is rightly regarded as one of the greatest rap albums of the 1990s. For the first time ever, Be With present the definitive double LP version of this eternal hip-hop classic, including the legendary "Path To Rhythm" which never appeared on the original LP or on vinyl, anywhere. An indelible VIBE from start-to-finish, Kollage presents Bahamadia's swirling rhymes delivered with an irresistibly butter flow and razor-sharp assuredness over a steady slew of smoothed-out, jazzed-up, blunted beats. Achingly cool and effortlessly funky throughout, it's an absolute must for true 90s hip-hop fanatics.
The entire Kollage project was recorded at D&D Studios and the ties to Gang Starr are keenly felt, with DJ Premier producing five tracks in addition to the killer songs Guru had already produced with her. Working with the cream of the mid-90s East Coast sound, Kollage is, accordingly, a record that demonstrates a varied musical taste with disparate influences, as Bahamadia has previously stated: “The title Kollage was a reflection of my state of mind. I first got interested in music from playing my parents’ and grandparents’ records, as well what I heard on the radio. I wanted Kollage to reflect that diversity both lyrically and sonically."
With intelligent, poetic lyricism and a laconic verbal style bursting with both warm texture and deceptive energy, Bahamadia’s flow was as inspired by Aretha and Nancy Wilson as it was Q-Tip, Schoolly D and Lady B. Swaggering out the gate, "WordPlay" finds Bahamadia confidently showcasing her considerable old-school battle-rhyme skills over a Guru beat that utilises an infectiously bouncy bassline with splashes of sultry jazz horns and a Jeru vocal snatch for the hook. Up next, the quietly shimmering and ruggedly beautiful "Spontaneity" is one of the most alluring on the record, Da Beatminerz crafting a brilliantly soulful and jazzy soundscape for Bahamadia's effortless vocals to float across. It's followed by "Rugged Ruff", where the rapper carefully constructs a swift off-beat flow over Premier's raw jazzy fire.
With smooth spacey synth vibes overseen by former Geto Boys producer N.O. Joe, "I Confess" is, without question, a fly love song and soothing (p)-funk groove. "UKNOWHOWWEDU" is an airy, chilled tribute to her hometown. Produced by Ski Beatz & DJ Redhanded, it rides a gloriously mellow break. It's a true Philly anthem, shouting out a who’s who of the entire city’s scene. Early banger "Total Wreck" follows, presenting a murky Guru instrumental elevated by jazzy horns. Bahamadia invokes the title's suggestion, firing her brilliant bars more aggressively than we’re accustomed to. More Beatminerz-brilliance comes in the way of "Innovation", an opportunity for the MC to invoke Freestyle Fellowship in her forward-thinking and literary verses. "Da Jawn" features hometown buddies The Roots, with Black Thought gliding into a back-and-forth with Bahamadia over ?uestlove’s warm, snapping percussion. With the strut club banger "True Honey Buns (Dat Freak Sh*t)", DJ Premier provides some laidback vibrant boom bap for Bahamadia to share a wild, cautionary tale about a night out with her girl, Kia.
Fan favourite "3 Tha Hard Way" is a hypnotically sinister cut, with Bahamadia, K-Swift and Mecca Star taking star turns to coast over DJ Premier’s raw beat whilst the tender "Biggest Part Of Me" is a heartfelt stunner dedicated to her son. Incredibly, only the European and Japanese CD versions of Kollage was released with the brilliantly breezy “Path To Rhythm”, featuring Ursula Rucker. Whilst ostensibly a "bonus track", it's anything but, to our ears. Very much in sonic conversation with KRS-One's stretched-out sleeper classic "Higher Level", it's absolutely essential so we had to include it, appearing on wax for the first time here, exclusively. Quite a coup.
Somewhat predictably, whilst Kollage was released to significant critical acclaim, it suffered from disappointing sales. In the intervening years - and for far too long - it was a criminally underrated record, an increasingly hidden gem. We hope this double LP reissue - which looks and sounds amazing - will go some way to correct this. This 2024 Be With double LP re-issue has been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Cicely Balston and pressed at Record Industry. It's too bold and beautiful to remain overlooked and underserved.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More