Stefano De Santis kicks off this Best Of Various with Murk, as the name suggests its a dark workout from one of Rome’s finest producers. Following that are Batavia Collective from Jakarta. When we first heard the live demo for this we were blown away and had to get it out on TLM. Batavia Collective are Elfa Zulham on drums, Doni Joesran on keys and Kenny Gabriel on synth bass. All mixed by Stefano De Santis. Rounding off the A side we have Cormac Fulton and his follow up to Perplexed on TLM025 with a new track called Loungeware. Based in Salford this is another atmospheric track from Cormac featuring Netherlands born but now Rio de Janeiro based flautist Floor Polder. Floor also appeared on Steve Conry’s rework of Guinu - Eletromadinga which featured on Colin Curtis Presents Jazz Dance Fusion 4 Part 2. Loungeware was mixed by Steve Conry and Matt Cox. Onto the AA side and we have Montreal resident Mike Perras with Soullous, a superb dancefloor track, live drums and amazing keys, in fact everything you want from house music. Next up is Future Jazz Ensemble from Vibo Valentia who follow on from their Rough Time EP TLM028 and appearance on TLM030 with another broken jazz monster of a track called Over The Rainbow. Finishing off side AA is Takahiro Fuchigami from Fukuoka with another fine track called Outer Heaven, a great follow up to Strange Acquaintance which was on TLM034. More

TLM034 will be our 45th release since 1996 and 25th since reforrning the label in 2019. It seemed inevitable that this release would be one of our Best Of Various EPs featuring new and established artists as we have done previously. Starting off this milestone release we have the ever growing Cumulative Collective with AskaFara. An Epic 10 minute track pushing all the right buttons for listening and the dancefloor alike. Featuring Cormac Fulton, Stefano De Santis, Takashi Nakazato, Ayumi Suzuki and Mitsuru Tanaka, musicians from England, Italy and Japan respectively. All brought together by head of the label Steve Conry who also produced and mixed the track with Stefano De Santis. Track 2 on the A side is by a new name to most, Takahiro Fuchigami with Strange Acquaintance. A beautiful broken beat track with a distinctively Japanese sound. Onto side AA and that kicks off with Melchior Sultana and The Playground. Melchior has previously released on TLM in 2022 and 2023. For 2024 he delivers a superb jazzy deep house track in his own particular Mediterranean style. Next up is Brazilian multi instrumentalist Fabio Santanna with Melô Da Cuíca, a fantastic Brazilian Boogie track. Fabio came to our attention from his release Chega Mais Lincoln on Joutro Mundo’s superb Brazilian label Onda Boa. Finally rounding off the AA side is The Robinson from Italy with Song 1. A brilliant blues tinged broken beat track that gets better every time you hear it. More

TLM033 introduces a new series to Ten Lovers Music, The Coin EP's all with one track either side of a 12".
On the A side we have Cumulative Collective with Suede Bear. Musicians involved in this ever growing project are Roderick Stewart on Bass, Stefano De Santis on Keys, Takashi Nakazato on Percussion, Luke Radford on Sopranino Saxophone and Ayumi Suzuki on Vibraphone. Using musicians from the United Kingdom, Japan and Italy this has a truely international feel to it. The track was produced, arranged and programmed by Steve Conry who also mixed the track along with Stefano De Santis.
Onto side AA and we have Re:Fill with their track Live Vibe. As the name suggests the track was recorded live in Rome, Italy in one take. Re:Fill are Gaetano De Carli on Drums and Stefano De Santis on Keys and they have previously released on Italy's Cognitiva Records. As always Jose Rico takes care of mastering duties keeping that TLM sound. More

First release from Ten Lovers Music in 2023 is from Stefano De Santis with a superb 7" featuring two tracks Barra Nova and Partido#2, Barra Nova is an up-tempo Brazilian Broken Beat Fusion piece carrying on from where his last tack on Ten Lovers Music “Song For George D.” TLM030 left off. The AA side drops a few gears for some slow Broken Beat action with the track Partido#2 but still retaining his unmistakable sound, keeping it jazzy. Stefano is a multi instrumentalist, playing the Rhodes Piano, Moog, Prophet 5, Solina Strings Ensemble, Juno 6, Upright Piano and Percussion on both tracks. This 7" is release 40 number on Ten Lovers Music, so this a very proud time for us to be able to put out such amazing music. More

The fourth instalment of Best Of Various sees Marcello Cassanelli join the TLM family with Fantasia. Marcello is joined by Blake Franchetto on Bass, Giulia Barozzi on Vocals and Antonio Rapa on Drums. Next up is good friend of the label Zarenzeit with Deep Work featuring Roger Versey on vocals, a very deep track for the dancefloor. Onto the AA side and another new member to the TLM family, Stefano De Santis has some broken beat action for us with his tribute to his hero George Duke. Future Jazz Ensemble are back on TLM after their Rough Time EP earlier this year with a track called Freeway, it's a sample of what to expect from their forthcoming TLM album early next year. FJE are now a three piece with Guido Tabone on Saxophone and Michele Macchi on Percussion, the sound of FJE is ever evolving with more members joining the Ensemble for the album. Final track is from the unreleased vaults at TLM, Caruso with Vestimenta, originally recorded in 2015 and restored by Jose Rico. More

The third instalment of the Best OF Various series sees Malta's Melchior Sultana return to Ten Lovers Music with an amazing new track called Spectres. Following that we have a special reprise of Secret Garden by Paul David Gillman Presents Red Earth Design, from England. The main mix of Secret Garden features on Paul's debut album (TLP004) of the same name, we thought this reprise was too good to remain unreleased. On to the AA side and we have two tracks back to back from Italy's ReeKee with his debut release on TLM, Here We Stay and Next To Me showcase his unique sound. We have been a fan for a while so great to have him on board. Finally someone who needs no introduction, from the USA, Detroit's very own Javonntte following up his TLM 7' release last month with this superb track called Satellites and Dreamers. More

Javonntte is back on Ten Lovers Music with a 7" following on from his three albums he did for us No Rush (2019), Runaway Galaxy (2020) and Flight 77 (2021). This limited 7" shows Javonntte in his best form to date with two amazing tracks for the summer kicking off with Wind Of Seven Seas, a killer track that just makes you smile. Backed up with the superb Orion's Belt. This is a collectors item for any fan of Detroit's finest Jazz Fusion artist. More

Future Jazz Ensemble is a project from multi instrumentalist Nicola Penna. With Future Jazz Ensemble, Nicola is exploring of the intersected sonic paths of jazz, ethnic and electronic music; trying to recall the past and evoke the future. His previous two Future Jazz Ensemble releases; The Mankind's Place 12" LP and Art For Art's Sake 7" were limited runs and are now very sought after. We are very proud to have Nicola releasing music on Ten Lovers Music and look forward to future projects.
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After capturing the attention of audiences, DJs worldwide and the media with the brilliant "Flight Of Sagittarius", Brazilian Diogo Strausz, signed to Parisian label Goutte d'Or Records, presents : Samba From Outer Space

This second opus takes us on a journey through time and style, from jazz-funk to dance music and Afrobeat, invoking masters such as Caetano Veloso, Giorgio Moroder or Tony Allen.

"This idea of "Samba From Outer Space" comes from dance music being a universal language beyond electronic but mainly a form of gathering people together in the same frequency." says Diogo. We could summarize everything in "Electronic dance music is nothing but samba from outer space."

A1 - Junto de Nós
A2 - Dans Une Langue
A3 - Flexi´vel
A4 - Dan=ça
B1 - Samba From Outer Space
B2 - Why Can't We Be Together
B3 - La Forme d'Un Grand Coeur More

Strut proudly presents the first official remastered reissue of the funk/Afro classic, Lafayette Afro Rock Band's 'Soul Makossa' from 1973.

Tracklist
1.1Soul Makossa
1.2Azeta
1.3Oglenon
1.4Voodounon
1.5Hihache
1.6Nicky More

Sacred Medicine, the joint project/label Joaquin Joe Claussell and Ron Trent have been carefully crafting and honing over the past couple of years, brings you the second instalment of deepness and authenticity.The much anticipated ‘Magic Carnival’, a song heavily programmed in their sets to maximum effect, is finally here!Another manifestation of the powerful and original output of the label, ‘Magic Carnival’ builds and builds in a musical crescendo with signature musical elements pulsating all over the song to full impact.A relentless spiritual groove….another jam in the Sacred Medicine building catalogue…a special one-sided 12 inch made with love and extra care, to spread the message loud and clear! More

Strut proudly presents the first official remastered reissue of Lafayette Afro Rock Band's elusive funk/Afro original album, 'Malik,' originally released in 1974.

Tracklist

1.1Djungi
1.2Raff
1.3Conga
1.4Avi-Vo
1.5Malik
1.6Darkest Light
1.7Baba Hya More

Cataleya Music debuts with a bright effort from Chicago’?s Vick Lavender entitled No One’?s Going To Love You. Here, the Sophisticado Recordings boss drops his uptempo reimagination of a time honoured Soul classic. With a Balearic tinged guitar, a fat bassline and buoyant synths, Lavender has created a real beauty. Remixes come courtesy of Californian rising star Coflo. His Remix deploys a mysterious vocal over questioning keys and steadfast percussion. The Remix offers expressive rhodes passages and glorious guitars, whilst Coflo’?s Dub Tool is a driving finale. Cataleya Music is a new label from Sweden, dedicated to Deep and Soulful House music. The imprint has many more exciting releases lined up for 2024. More

New Parisian label, Disques Messager, presents its new and second release. As its name suggests, the label has a simple leitmotiv: to place itself among the best messengers for rarities and sought-after gems of the international rare groove. A mission which began like fire last year with a 7inch reissue release including two Brazilian Disco bangers by Cristina Camargo. For this second efforts, the label doesn’t deviate from the artistic and quality path taken, however also making quite a U-turn, this time presenting 2 underrated kind of musical UFO, both from the French scene.
Not many info can be found about Yoanson & Karamie, two young artists from the French African diaspora, who randomly met with Nessim Saroussi and his label Ness Music in the late 80s. Nessim himself doesn’t remind much about the 2 guys, except that he quickly offered to produce them, which resulted in their only EP release, Kalimba (1988). Part of this EP, “African Leaders” is a stunning track melting Afro-Tropical percussions, Disco bass, Early-Electro beats and Leftfield vocals in a way that could remind of Doctor L or Arthur Russel productions.
On the contrary, Philippe de Lacroix-Herpin (aka Prof Jah Pinpin) has a long musical career started in the mid-70s and became a renowned saxophonist playing and recording for many famous French acts such as Jean-Jacques Goldman, Alain Chamfort, FFF, or even rap band NTM. In 1994, he moved definitely to the Reunion Island where he quickly launched the Prof Jah Pinpin 4tet, in his own words willing to play “free/funk/jazz/rock/tropical” music… Quite a vast and large musical tag, but which immediately make sense when listening to the surprising “The Final Bird” track. Only released as CD in 1996, this instrumental production has indeed a unique sound and flavor mixing all kinds of elements together (even samples of Weather Report).
Well as you can understand, words are not the best way to describe these 2 hidden treasures, so we strongly recommend the spinning to make your own view!

A - Yoanson & Karamie - African Leaders
B - Prof Jah Pinpin 4tet - The Final Bird (Le Temps D’une Vie) More

FIRST OFFICIAL REISSUE OF ONE OF THE MOST SAMPLED TURKISH RECORDS IN 45 YEARS! SAMPLED BY RAP LEGENDS LIKE SCARFACE OF THE GETO BOYS. TURKISH PSYCHEDELIC MASTERPIECE FROM 1980

Licensed from "Warner Records Sweden" and remastered from original material in Warner Record's vaults by Shawn Joseph at Optimum Mastering Bristol. 180 gr heavyweight vinyl Manufactured in Optimal Berlin.
Recorded between Istanbul and Stockholm, it captures the era between Okay Temiz's Don Cherry Trio touring and his own band Oriental Wind's sensational debut.
Mentioned distinctive elements have elevated the record to 'cult' status among record collectors, sample enthusiasts, and diggers around the world.
By 1980, Okay Temiz had already embarked on a series of dynamic collaborations and sound experiences with Don Cherry as a member of the Don Cherry Trio. This period included a noteworthy summer in the early '70s at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, hosted by Jon Appleton, a notable American composer and visionary in electro-acoustic music.
"During that summer, Jon asked me, 'What kind of sound do you have in mind?' I had already given this considerable thought, using a tape recorder to capture sound frequencies influenced by the moon's position. Jon Appleton's question made me think about the extension of 'Organic Music Theory,' which we were exploring with Don Cherry at the time."
In 1982, Okay Temiz recorded the most comprehensive answer to 'What is Turkish Jazz?' at the Montreux Jazz Festival (CAZLP 004) with his band Oriental Wind, featuring Bobo Stenson (of the Jan Garbarek - Bobo Stenson Quartet), Palle Danielsson (of the Peter Erskine European Trio), and Lennart Åberg (of the Scandinavia New Jazz Group).
In 1980, without fully realizing he was navigating between these two worlds, Okay Temiz entered Stockholm's renowned Metronome studios to record the 'sound in his mind' as a solo artist.

`Drummer of Two Worlds` is a star map of Okay Temiz's musical worlds. Blending elements from the grand piano to his handmade drums, and from the amplified Berimbau to his cowbell array, weaving Turkish rhythms like 9/8 and 7/8 with the universality of 4/4, it presents a unique sound narrative that resonates with the dimensions of a well-traveled mind."

Haluk Damar

A1 - Eastern Breeze
A2 - Penguin
A3 - Galaxy Nine
A4 - Savsat Bari
A5 - Repercussions
B1 - Drummer Of The Two Worlds
B2 - Sipsi
B3 - Ocean Rolelr
B4 - Fantasia Drive More

Favorite recordings and Lea Lisa presents Many Shades of House, a personal selection of House music tracks that have a very special place in Lea Lisa's heart and in her record box.

Amongst this selection, Many Shades Of House is including many very rare and hard to find titles, mostly never reissued on vinyl until now.

Lea Lisa (Phonica Records, Wolf Music…) is a DJ, producer & vinyl addict who never stops digging and hasn’t since she first started in 1995. House music is so rich and varied that she naturally felt the desire to show and share this diversity. “Through this compilation I wanted to present artists and records that have greatly influenced me throughout my career. Whether through the strong messages they convey or through the emotions I felt discovering each of these vinyl.” said Lea Lisa.

Carefully packed with long-forgotten US house gems (Transient's groove keeper "Higher" and a 1997 NYC House tune from Kerri Chandler in his garage house days), iconic early house/techno treasure (Mark Goddard's "Truth"), intensive journeys (Passion Dance Orchestra) to atmospheric soundscapes (Pure Science), soulful grooves (Ron Trent's boogie infused "Can't Change Me") and timeless deep house gems (Slowhouse, Abacus).

Created in 2005, Favorite Recordings presents a rich catalogue combining the productions of new artists with reissues of forgotten masterpieces all along the wide groove music spectrum, from Soul/Funk, Jazz, Disco, to Reggae, Hip-Hop, House or Electronic genres. Before launching Favorite. Pascal Rioux, founder and label honcho, started in the mid-90s with the House music label Rotax Disques. In 2014, following his meeting and affinity with French House DJ Jeremy Underground, they quickly collaborated on a series of compilations (My Love Is Underground) curated by Jeremy and reissuing some of his finest Underground House music hidden gems. Today the story starts again with Lea Lisa with this finest compilation for House Music Lovers…

A1 - Kerri "Kaoz 6:23" Chandler - Be There (Kerri's Club Mix)
A2 - Slowhouse 2 – Untitled
B1 - Truth – Emotional
B2 - Passion Dance Orchestra - Inner Dance
C1 - Abacus - Blax Thanxs
C2 - Transient feat Sherman Benton - Higher (Club Mix)
D1 - Pure Science – Ekeyz
D2 - N'Dambi - Can't Change Me (Ron Trent Remix) More

Authenticity is important in music culture, at least to those whose relationship with it is a lifelong love affair. As listeners, we instinctively respond to artists whose musical output is an authentic representation of their inspirations, experiences and working methods.

By any measure, Guillaume Metenier’s collaborative Soul Sugar project oozes authenticity. It began in the late 2000s as an outlet for the virtuoso organist and producer’s updated takes on ‘60s and ‘70s soul-jazz and Hammond funk, but over the years it has evolved into something entirely different: a vehicle for classic dub and reggae inspired musical fusions made in collaboration with friends and like-minded musicians. As a result, Soul Sugar albums mix impressive musicianship with great grooves and untold nods to the sounds and artists that have helped shape Metenier’s musical outlook.

This authentic approach and soul-enriching sound is naturally in evidence on Soul Sugar’s firth studio set, Just a Little Talk, which is set to be released by Metenier’s own Gee Recordings label in March 2024. This time round, Metenier’s close circle of musical collaborators includes Blundetto, Samuel Isoard, Yvo Abadi, Jolly Joseph, Jahno, Shniece, Slikk Tim and Leo Carmichael. While many are old friends who have appeared on previous albums and singles, there are some first-time collaborators too.

This familiar-but-also-fresh approach is mirrored by the blend of tracks on offer on Just a Little Talk. New songs and instrumentals sit side by side with a small selection of on-point cover versions – something Metenier has been doing since the inclusion of Jimmy Smith and Dr Lonnie Smith covers on 2009 debut album Nothing But The Truth. Memorable covers since have included ‘Why Can’t We Live Together’, ‘I Want You’ and ‘Never Too Much’, all featuring the honeyed voice of Leo Carmichael.
This time round, the headline-grabbing covers are undeniably special. You’ll find takes on Curtis Mayfield’s ‘Makings Of You’, re-framed as a languid roots reggae song featuring voiced by the returning Carmichael, and Donald Byrd’s ‘Blackbyrd’, which Metenier has brilliantly re-imagined as a fabulous fusion of Studio One dub and Blaxploitation funk.

Yet it’s the album’s original compositions that arguably stand out. For proof, check lovers rock-influenced reggae-soul treat ‘The End of Your World’ (featuring heart-aching roots style lyrics and Junior Murvin-esque lead vocals by Jolly Joseph), the similarly conscious ‘Just a Little Talk’ and recent single ‘Top of My List’– an effortlessly emotive gem marked out by Metenier’s weighty dub bassline and Shniece’s incredible lead vocal.

The original instrumentals, in which Metenier often trades licks and solos with guitarists Slick Tim and Samuel Isoard, are similarly impressive – and, to return to our theme, as authentic as they come. Fittingly, one of these – ‘Tubby’s Ghost’ – was originally written and recorded in 1998 with bassist Patrick Bylebyl, who was then Metenier’s partner in a project called Seven Dub. It is, then, a new cover of one of Metenier’s own tunes – and a pleasingly heavyweight one at that. It delivers a genuinely pleasing conclusion to Soul Sugar’s most true and authentic album to date.

A1 - The Makings Of You
A2 - Happy Riddim
A3 - The End Of Your World
A4 - Black Byrd
B1 - Top Of My List
B2 - Fly Away
B3 - Just a Little Talk
B4 - Tubby's Ghost More