1
Gerardo Frisina - Mystical Funk
2
Gerardo Frisina - Spaced Out
Currently at work on new compositions that will give shape to a new album scheduled for the fall of 2024, Gerardo Frisina delights our ears with a 45rpm containing two unreleased tracks representing a brief funk digression within his musical journey without, of course, affecting his unmistakable style.
“Mystical Funk” and “Spaced Out” skilfully mix “modern funk” elements with electronic influences, creating a unique sonic experience. In both cases, one of the surprising features is the hypnotic, incessant groove, capable of drawing the listener into a sound universe full of cosmic percussion and atmospheres, enhanced by Dennis Coffey-style guitars and by a Deodato-like Fender piano.
Once again Gerardo hits the mark: the production is masterful, with a clear attention to details and those typical arrangements that reflect the overall quality of the sound with delicate power.
A - Mystical Funk
B - Spaced Out
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
“Mystical Funk” and “Spaced Out” skilfully mix “modern funk” elements with electronic influences, creating a unique sonic experience. In both cases, one of the surprising features is the hypnotic, incessant groove, capable of drawing the listener into a sound universe full of cosmic percussion and atmospheres, enhanced by Dennis Coffey-style guitars and by a Deodato-like Fender piano.
Once again Gerardo hits the mark: the production is masterful, with a clear attention to details and those typical arrangements that reflect the overall quality of the sound with delicate power.
A - Mystical Funk
B - Spaced Out
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
More records from Schema Records
1
Toco - Clube
2
Toco - As Vezes
3
Toco - Carnaval Primeiro
4
Toco - Coragem
5
Toco - Noite Secreta
6
Toco - Vento Doce
7
Toco - Alma de Turista
8
Toco - Luz Da Bahia
9
Toco - Golpe Fatal
10
Toco - Mar
11
Toco - Lágrima
12
Toco - Domingo
Schema Records presents “Riviera”, the new album by Toco, one of the Milan-based label’s top artists with over 100 million digital streams, is finally released on 19 April 2024. “Riviera” pays tribute to the places where Toco grew up, and is the aesthetic synthesis of Toco’s varied songwriting, able to create true musical mosaics that mix pop lightness, poetic lyricism, desire, joy and pain. Mainly inspired by the tradition of samba and bossa nova, and contaminated with jazz, funk, pop and rock, the album alternates light and shadow in a balanced chiaroscuro enriched by friend and musical partner Stefano “S-Tone Inc.” Tirone’s production.
Anticipated by a series of singles that outlined its various facets and musical influences, Toco’s new album “Riviera” is finally released on 19 April 2024; ten years have passed since “Memoria”, filled with various collaborations and dedicated to this record itself, carefully curated in production and arrangements down to the smallest detail; this has been made possible thanks also to the presence of a large lineup of guests, including Toco’s labelmate Gianluca Petrella for the first time ever.
The album’s title is a tribute to two places very dear to Toco: Riviera is the neighborhood in São Paulo where he spent his childhood, while Riviera Ligure is where he lived for a long time in Italy: two opposite shores and cultures that turned out to be fundamental in the artist’s formation.
“Riviera” is the aesthetic synthesis of Toco’s varied songwriting, able to create true musical mosaics that mix pop lightness, poetic lyricism, desire, joy and pain. Mainly inspired by the tradition of samba and bossa nova, and contaminated with jazz, funk, pop and rock, the al¬bum alternates light and shadow in a balanced chiaroscuro enriched by friend and musical partner Stefano “S-Tone Inc.” Tirone’s production. This collaboration further consolidates the duo’s fellowship that brush¬es magical sonorities on the different themes delivered.
An excellent comeback!
A1 - Clube
A2 - As Vezes
A3 - Carnaval Primeiro
A4 - Coragem
A5 - Noite Secreta
A6 - Vento Doce
B1 - Alma de Turista
B2 - Luz Da Bahia
B3 - Golpe Fatal
B4 - Mar
B5 - Lágrima
B6 - Domingo
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
Anticipated by a series of singles that outlined its various facets and musical influences, Toco’s new album “Riviera” is finally released on 19 April 2024; ten years have passed since “Memoria”, filled with various collaborations and dedicated to this record itself, carefully curated in production and arrangements down to the smallest detail; this has been made possible thanks also to the presence of a large lineup of guests, including Toco’s labelmate Gianluca Petrella for the first time ever.
The album’s title is a tribute to two places very dear to Toco: Riviera is the neighborhood in São Paulo where he spent his childhood, while Riviera Ligure is where he lived for a long time in Italy: two opposite shores and cultures that turned out to be fundamental in the artist’s formation.
“Riviera” is the aesthetic synthesis of Toco’s varied songwriting, able to create true musical mosaics that mix pop lightness, poetic lyricism, desire, joy and pain. Mainly inspired by the tradition of samba and bossa nova, and contaminated with jazz, funk, pop and rock, the al¬bum alternates light and shadow in a balanced chiaroscuro enriched by friend and musical partner Stefano “S-Tone Inc.” Tirone’s production. This collaboration further consolidates the duo’s fellowship that brush¬es magical sonorities on the different themes delivered.
An excellent comeback!
A1 - Clube
A2 - As Vezes
A3 - Carnaval Primeiro
A4 - Coragem
A5 - Noite Secreta
A6 - Vento Doce
B1 - Alma de Turista
B2 - Luz Da Bahia
B3 - Golpe Fatal
B4 - Mar
B5 - Lágrima
B6 - Domingo
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
The Dining Rooms - Just a Child feat. Chiara Castello
2
The Dining Rooms - Assai Giassai
3
The Dining Rooms - No Fun feat. Daniel Richards
4
The Dining Rooms - On And On feat. Egeeno and Elea
5
The Dining Rooms - Nun Tengo Chiù A Te feat. Marica Clemente
6
The Dining Rooms - Melancolia
7
The Dining Rooms - Fior Di Veleno feat. Egeeno
8
The Dining Rooms - La Verità feat. Toco
9
The Dining Rooms - Common Questions
10
The Dining Rooms - Genova Nervi
11
The Dining Rooms - Stone (My Heart) feat. Chiara Castello
12
The Dining Rooms - Eclisse
13
The Dining Rooms - A Song To Make Love To
“Songs to Make Love To” is the 10th studio album by The Dining Rooms (Stefano Ghittoni and Cesare Malfatti), extending the Milanese duo’s classic sound legacy among psychedelic folk, cinematic atmospheres and hip hop-inspired downtempo rhythms. As always divided into instrumental and vocal tracks, it is entirely played and produced by Stefano and Cesare and features guest appearances on vocals by Chiara Castello (I’m Not a Blonde), Egeeno (of the Roman collective Tropicantesimo) and labelmate Tomaz Di Cunto aka Toco. “Songs To Make Love To” talks about love and relationship dynamics in every aspect, but also explores anthropological and ethnomusicological themes by making use of field recordings.
“Songs To Make Love To” talks about love and relationship dynamics in every aspect, but also explores anthropological and ethnomusicological themes by making use of field recordings.
“Songs To Make Love To”, whose artwork was made with works by artist Tatjana Zonca, talks about love and the explicit act of loving each other, but also and especially about the construction of love, the dynamics of love relationships inside and outside the couple, free and liberated love, without constraints and outside the concept of possession. A further peculiarity that contributes to the uniqueness of “Songs To...” is the in-depth exploration of anthropological and ethnomusicological themes, particularly dear to Alan Lomax: the classic TDR sound therefore blends, especially in the instrumental tracks, with classic field recordings of sounds from the Genoese carruggi, the Milanese dockyard, the Spanish quarters of Naples and cities such as Istanbul and São Paulo.
A1 - Just a Child feat. Chiara Castello
A2 - Assai Giassai
A3 - No Fun feat. Daniel Richards
A4 - On And On feat. Egeeno and Elea
A5 - Nun Tengo Chiù A Te feat. Marica Clemente
A6 - Melancolia
A7 - Fior Di Veleno feat. Egeeno
B1 - La Verità feat. Toco
B2 - Common Questions
B3 - Genova Nervi
B4 - Stone (My Heart) feat. Chiara Castello
B5 - Eclisse
B6 - A Song To Make Love To
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
“Songs To Make Love To” talks about love and relationship dynamics in every aspect, but also explores anthropological and ethnomusicological themes by making use of field recordings.
“Songs To Make Love To”, whose artwork was made with works by artist Tatjana Zonca, talks about love and the explicit act of loving each other, but also and especially about the construction of love, the dynamics of love relationships inside and outside the couple, free and liberated love, without constraints and outside the concept of possession. A further peculiarity that contributes to the uniqueness of “Songs To...” is the in-depth exploration of anthropological and ethnomusicological themes, particularly dear to Alan Lomax: the classic TDR sound therefore blends, especially in the instrumental tracks, with classic field recordings of sounds from the Genoese carruggi, the Milanese dockyard, the Spanish quarters of Naples and cities such as Istanbul and São Paulo.
A1 - Just a Child feat. Chiara Castello
A2 - Assai Giassai
A3 - No Fun feat. Daniel Richards
A4 - On And On feat. Egeeno and Elea
A5 - Nun Tengo Chiù A Te feat. Marica Clemente
A6 - Melancolia
A7 - Fior Di Veleno feat. Egeeno
B1 - La Verità feat. Toco
B2 - Common Questions
B3 - Genova Nervi
B4 - Stone (My Heart) feat. Chiara Castello
B5 - Eclisse
B6 - A Song To Make Love To
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
Mario Biondi And The High Five Quintet - A Child Runs Free
2
Mario Biondi And The High Five Quintet - No Mercy For Me
3
Mario Biondi And The High Five Quintet - Slow Hot Wind
4
Mario Biondi And The High Five Quintet - This Is What You Are
5
Mario Biondi And The High Five Quintet - I Can’t Keep From Cryin’ Sometimes
6
Mario Biondi And The High Five Quintet - Rio De Janeiro Blue
7
Mario Biondi And The High Five Quintet - A Handful Of Soul
8
Mario Biondi And The High Five Quintet - On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)
9
Mario Biondi And The High Five Quintet - Never Die
10
Mario Biondi And The High Five Quintet - Gig
11
Mario Biondi And The High Five Quintet - No Trouble On The Mountain
Originally released in 2006, this album sold more that 300.000 copies.
It is now reissued by Schema Records in a new special edition, consisting of a 2-LP set, blue transparent colored vinyl enclosed in a gatefold sleeve
Everything about this incredible album, that hit like a bolt from the blue at the time, has already been said. Mario’s deep and warm voice recalls the great soul and rhythm’n’blues music interpreters. Many will think of a black singer, while Mario comes from the town of Catania, Sicily. “Handful of Soul” ranges between jazz and soul, resulting in a very enticing music release, whose sound swings from smooth vocal melodies to rhythmic tracks to dance to. The singer and the producers successfully managed to find out songs that wouldn’t change the nature of Mario’s voice, that could highlight the deepness of his tone, yet in the same time would still be able to represent the artistic direction and the music lead followed by Schema Records.
The love for r’n’b and soul, the styles of music mostly appreciated by Mario, brought him to listen to a certain music repertoire, in particular some of the most representative related artists (Earth, Wind & Fire, Donny Hathaway. Billy Paul, Luther Vandross, Lou Rawls, Aretha Franklin, Eryka Badu, Will Dowing...).
The songs on this record have been played by trumpeter Fabrizio Bosso and his High Five Quintet, a strong all-star ensemble with an excellent interplay that involves some of the best musicians in today’s Italian jazz scene: Daniele Scannapieco on tenor sax, Luca Mannutza, Pietro Ciancaglini and Lorenzo Tucci, respectively on piano, double bass and drums, forming a solid rhythm section. Mannutza and Ciancaglini were also in charge of the arrangements. High Five are able to play Jazz in an instinctive way; they perfectly adjusted to this production in a natural way, making this album a very pleasant listening.
A1 - A Child Runs Free
A2 - No Mercy For Me
A3 - Slow Hot Wind
B1 - This Is What You Are
B2 - I Can’t Keep From Cryin’ Sometimes
C1 - Rio De Janeiro Blue
C2 - A Handful Of Soul
C3 - On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)
D1 - Never Die
D2 - Gig
D3 - No Trouble On The Mountain
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
It is now reissued by Schema Records in a new special edition, consisting of a 2-LP set, blue transparent colored vinyl enclosed in a gatefold sleeve
Everything about this incredible album, that hit like a bolt from the blue at the time, has already been said. Mario’s deep and warm voice recalls the great soul and rhythm’n’blues music interpreters. Many will think of a black singer, while Mario comes from the town of Catania, Sicily. “Handful of Soul” ranges between jazz and soul, resulting in a very enticing music release, whose sound swings from smooth vocal melodies to rhythmic tracks to dance to. The singer and the producers successfully managed to find out songs that wouldn’t change the nature of Mario’s voice, that could highlight the deepness of his tone, yet in the same time would still be able to represent the artistic direction and the music lead followed by Schema Records.
The love for r’n’b and soul, the styles of music mostly appreciated by Mario, brought him to listen to a certain music repertoire, in particular some of the most representative related artists (Earth, Wind & Fire, Donny Hathaway. Billy Paul, Luther Vandross, Lou Rawls, Aretha Franklin, Eryka Badu, Will Dowing...).
The songs on this record have been played by trumpeter Fabrizio Bosso and his High Five Quintet, a strong all-star ensemble with an excellent interplay that involves some of the best musicians in today’s Italian jazz scene: Daniele Scannapieco on tenor sax, Luca Mannutza, Pietro Ciancaglini and Lorenzo Tucci, respectively on piano, double bass and drums, forming a solid rhythm section. Mannutza and Ciancaglini were also in charge of the arrangements. High Five are able to play Jazz in an instinctive way; they perfectly adjusted to this production in a natural way, making this album a very pleasant listening.
A1 - A Child Runs Free
A2 - No Mercy For Me
A3 - Slow Hot Wind
B1 - This Is What You Are
B2 - I Can’t Keep From Cryin’ Sometimes
C1 - Rio De Janeiro Blue
C2 - A Handful Of Soul
C3 - On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)
D1 - Never Die
D2 - Gig
D3 - No Trouble On The Mountain
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
Toco - Leão Leonardo
2
Toco - Guajiru
“Leão Leonardo” and “Guajiru”, here gathered in an exclusive 7-inch record, represent the first two steps in a journey that will lead to the Spring 2024 release of the new album by Toco, a Brazilian singer-songwriter with a unique sensibility and taste.
“Leão Leonardo” is a very heartfelt and engaging song that constitutes a homage to a childhood friend, a tribute to a deep and everlasting bond, as well as a return to a place very dear to Toco: the Guarapiranga water reservoir near São Paulo in Brazil; it is mainly inspired by two great samba jazz masters, Jorge Ben and João Donato. “Guajiru”, a classic samba-rock track inspired by Orlandivo’s swing and Jorge Ben’s sensuality, explores the more romantic side of Toco’s multifaceted style and tells of a fleeting summer love in northeastern Brazil, where the indigenous fishing village of Guajiru, on the coast of the state of Ceará, is located.
As the whole new album, both “Leão Leonardo” and “Guajiru” have been recorded at Schema Records’ Blue Spirit studios and produced by Stefano “S-Tone Inc.” Tirone, who skillfully captured the spirit of these tracks and elaborated the essence and energy of their songwriting. Both of them see Toco’s alluring voice masterfully surrounded by an ensemble of exceptional musicians: Donatinho (keyboards), Tuca Milan (percussion), Ramiro Levy (guitars), Edu Hebling (bass), Mauro Martins (drums), Priscila Ribas (vocals), Gianluca Petrella (trombone), Mirco Rubegni (trumpet) and Marquinho Baboo (percussion).
This 45rpm is therefore a tasty appetiser for an album that we expect to be unique, just like Toco’s style!
A - Leão Leonardo
B - Guajiru
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
“Leão Leonardo” is a very heartfelt and engaging song that constitutes a homage to a childhood friend, a tribute to a deep and everlasting bond, as well as a return to a place very dear to Toco: the Guarapiranga water reservoir near São Paulo in Brazil; it is mainly inspired by two great samba jazz masters, Jorge Ben and João Donato. “Guajiru”, a classic samba-rock track inspired by Orlandivo’s swing and Jorge Ben’s sensuality, explores the more romantic side of Toco’s multifaceted style and tells of a fleeting summer love in northeastern Brazil, where the indigenous fishing village of Guajiru, on the coast of the state of Ceará, is located.
As the whole new album, both “Leão Leonardo” and “Guajiru” have been recorded at Schema Records’ Blue Spirit studios and produced by Stefano “S-Tone Inc.” Tirone, who skillfully captured the spirit of these tracks and elaborated the essence and energy of their songwriting. Both of them see Toco’s alluring voice masterfully surrounded by an ensemble of exceptional musicians: Donatinho (keyboards), Tuca Milan (percussion), Ramiro Levy (guitars), Edu Hebling (bass), Mauro Martins (drums), Priscila Ribas (vocals), Gianluca Petrella (trombone), Mirco Rubegni (trumpet) and Marquinho Baboo (percussion).
This 45rpm is therefore a tasty appetiser for an album that we expect to be unique, just like Toco’s style!
A - Leão Leonardo
B - Guajiru
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
Cosmic Renaissance - Universal Language - Revisited
2
Cosmic Renaissance - Connection - Revisited
3
Cosmic Renaissance - Mutation
4
Cosmic Renaissance - Universal Language - Instrumental Revisited
5
Cosmic Renaissance - Universal Message
After reuniting Cosmic Renaissance and releasing the album “Universal Language” (SCLP/CD513) in 2022, Gianluca Petrella returns to the future jazz scene 2023 as a protagonist with a new five-track LP, “Universal Message”, again on Schema Records label, keeping the wind section of the original record unchanged. Among the most versatile musicians around today, Gianluca here evolves his style into new forms of futurism afro-jazz with three revisitations in electronic-jazz dance key of “Universal Language” and “Connection”, as well as two previously unreleased tunes, the title-track and “Mutation”, for a final result that is greater than the sum of its parts. And there is no better description of this music than a complete and total immersion in its sonic waves!
A1 - Universal Language - Revisited
A2 - Connection - Revisited
A3 - Mutation
B1 - Universal Language - Instrumental Revisited
B2 - Universal Message
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
A1 - Universal Language - Revisited
A2 - Connection - Revisited
A3 - Mutation
B1 - Universal Language - Instrumental Revisited
B2 - Universal Message
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
Cosmic Renaissance - Universal Language
2
Cosmic Renaissance - Wonder
3
Cosmic Renaissance - Comes from the Ground
4
Cosmic Renaissance - Natsu
5
Cosmic Renaissance - Nomads
6
Cosmic Renaissance - Ancient Jazz
7
Cosmic Renaissance - Unknown Dimension
8
Cosmic Renaissance - Connection
Gianluca Petrella is one of the most internationally renowned Italian musician, composer and producer who leads the music collective Cosmic Renaissance.
Cosmic Renaissance’s aim is to write and play music that actually starts from jazz and reaches new heights and music genres, in the name of unity, discovery, connection, understanding and other beautiful things that make us human. Try to imagine all this into music, and you’ll have an idea of how “Universal Language” really sounds!
Tracklist:
A1 - Universal Language
A2 - Wonder
A3 - Comes from the Ground
A4 - Natsu
B1 - Nomads
B2 - Ancient Jazz
B3 - Unknown Dimension
B4 - Connection
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Cosmic Renaissance’s aim is to write and play music that actually starts from jazz and reaches new heights and music genres, in the name of unity, discovery, connection, understanding and other beautiful things that make us human. Try to imagine all this into music, and you’ll have an idea of how “Universal Language” really sounds!
Tracklist:
A1 - Universal Language
A2 - Wonder
A3 - Comes from the Ground
A4 - Natsu
B1 - Nomads
B2 - Ancient Jazz
B3 - Unknown Dimension
B4 - Connection
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
Nicola Conte & Gianluca Petrella - New World Shuffle (DJ Spinna Galactic Soul Remix)
2
Nicola Conte & Gianluca Petrella - Inner Light (Anthony Nicholson Miquifaye Remix)
This is the second in the 12” EP releases series featuring reinterpretations of tracks taken from the People Need People album, Nicola Conte & Gianluca Petrella’s brilliant collaborative jazz dance album released in 2021.
After Joe Claussell’s fantastic work on “Inner Light” on the previous 12”, the same song gets here a further interpretation by the great Anthony Nicholson, one of the most respected producers and key characters in the tribal / afrocentric house scene, with more than 30 years of experience in the field.
We also asked DJ Spinna to put his artistry on “New World Shuffle” and the result is uplifting: Bridgette Amofah’s original vocals shine over a sunny house groove full of keys and moog lushy layers, in a distinctive ‘Spinna feel’. Yet another meaningful perspective on the “People Need People” original release, which will soon receive another significant treatment by none less than Tall Black Guy, Andrés and Fred P! Stay tuned!
TRACKLIST:
A. New World Shuffle (DJ Spinna Galactic Soul Remix)
B. Inner Light (Anthony Nicholson Miquifaye Remix)
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
After Joe Claussell’s fantastic work on “Inner Light” on the previous 12”, the same song gets here a further interpretation by the great Anthony Nicholson, one of the most respected producers and key characters in the tribal / afrocentric house scene, with more than 30 years of experience in the field.
We also asked DJ Spinna to put his artistry on “New World Shuffle” and the result is uplifting: Bridgette Amofah’s original vocals shine over a sunny house groove full of keys and moog lushy layers, in a distinctive ‘Spinna feel’. Yet another meaningful perspective on the “People Need People” original release, which will soon receive another significant treatment by none less than Tall Black Guy, Andrés and Fred P! Stay tuned!
TRACKLIST:
A. New World Shuffle (DJ Spinna Galactic Soul Remix)
B. Inner Light (Anthony Nicholson Miquifaye Remix)
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
S-Tone Inc. - Body and Soul (Remix)
2
S-Tone Inc. - Pra Voce (Extended Remix) feat. Toco
3
S-Tone Inc. - In The Name Of Love (Extended Remix) feat. Laura Fedele
4
S-Tone Inc. - Blow My Mind (Remix) feat. Afra Kane
5
S-Tone Inc. - Flying Away (Remix) feat. Afra Kane
6
S-Tone Inc. - Rosa Da Ribeira (Extended Remix) feat. Toco
7
S-Tone Inc. - Got To) Move On (Remix) feat. Afra Kane
8
S-Tone Inc. - No Meio Do Samba (Remix) feat. Toco
9
S-Tone Inc. - Odoya (The Invisible Session Remix) feat. Toco
10
S-Tone Inc. - Midnight Sun (Remix)
With seven releases - including this one - on Schema Records and three - considering also the Cosmorama project - on Milano 2000, Stefano Tirone has tightened his collaboration with the Edizioni Ishtar group. He is today one of the label’s most popular artists, with more than 300.000 monthly listeners and millions of plays of his acclaimed hits on Spotify – more than 3 million overall for his recent digital singles “Blow My Mind” and “No Meio Do Samba”.
His previous full-length Body & Soul shows influences from the early ’90s British acid jazz scene and his deep love for the ’70s soul, Brazilian and jazz music that constitute the basic foundations of S-Tone Inc. Here, instead of asking other artists to remix his tracks, Stefano has decided to do that himself, reworking in a nu-disco key the entire “Body & Soul” record, herein named “The Disco Experience”.
The title and the graphic layout take us to a period in time between late ’70s and early ’80s when the artist as a teenager, completely absorbed by the sound of disco music, used to go to clubs and discotheques to listen and dance to those unmistakable sonic frequencies. In those years the American DJ Larry Levan and the Italian Mozart and Baldelli used to play their music in front of crowded disco halls, while record labels such as Prelude and Solar set the standards with artists such as D-Train, Sharon Redd, Whispers, Shalamar and their soulful vocals combined to strong basslines, funky guitars and uptempo rhythms.
This is how “Body & Soul - The Disco Experience” was born, as a homage to the music that Stefano used to immerse in during those adventurous years, with a few exceptions: “No Meio Do Samba”, a tribute to the house sound of Frankie Knuckles in the early ’90s, and the two downbeat tracks “Flying Away”, with its essential R&B arrangement, and “Midnight Sun”, that keeps its cinematic mood but with a more funky attitude. “Odoya” is the only track remixed by The Invisible Session in a minimal spacey disco arrangement that fits perfectly with the overall sound of the album.
Tracklist:
A1 - Body and Soul (Remix)
A2 - Pra Voce (Extended Remix) feat. Toco
A3 - In The Name Of Love (Extended Remix) feat. Laura Fedele
A4 - Blow My Mind (Remix) feat. Afra Kane
A5 - Flying Away (Remix) feat. Afra Kane
B1 - Rosa Da Ribeira (Extended Remix) feat. Toco
B2 - Got To) Move On (Remix) feat. Afra Kane
B3 - No Meio Do Samba (Remix) feat. Toco
B4 - Odoya (The Invisible Session Remix) feat. Toco
B5 - Midnight Sun (Remix)
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
His previous full-length Body & Soul shows influences from the early ’90s British acid jazz scene and his deep love for the ’70s soul, Brazilian and jazz music that constitute the basic foundations of S-Tone Inc. Here, instead of asking other artists to remix his tracks, Stefano has decided to do that himself, reworking in a nu-disco key the entire “Body & Soul” record, herein named “The Disco Experience”.
The title and the graphic layout take us to a period in time between late ’70s and early ’80s when the artist as a teenager, completely absorbed by the sound of disco music, used to go to clubs and discotheques to listen and dance to those unmistakable sonic frequencies. In those years the American DJ Larry Levan and the Italian Mozart and Baldelli used to play their music in front of crowded disco halls, while record labels such as Prelude and Solar set the standards with artists such as D-Train, Sharon Redd, Whispers, Shalamar and their soulful vocals combined to strong basslines, funky guitars and uptempo rhythms.
This is how “Body & Soul - The Disco Experience” was born, as a homage to the music that Stefano used to immerse in during those adventurous years, with a few exceptions: “No Meio Do Samba”, a tribute to the house sound of Frankie Knuckles in the early ’90s, and the two downbeat tracks “Flying Away”, with its essential R&B arrangement, and “Midnight Sun”, that keeps its cinematic mood but with a more funky attitude. “Odoya” is the only track remixed by The Invisible Session in a minimal spacey disco arrangement that fits perfectly with the overall sound of the album.
Tracklist:
A1 - Body and Soul (Remix)
A2 - Pra Voce (Extended Remix) feat. Toco
A3 - In The Name Of Love (Extended Remix) feat. Laura Fedele
A4 - Blow My Mind (Remix) feat. Afra Kane
A5 - Flying Away (Remix) feat. Afra Kane
B1 - Rosa Da Ribeira (Extended Remix) feat. Toco
B2 - Got To) Move On (Remix) feat. Afra Kane
B3 - No Meio Do Samba (Remix) feat. Toco
B4 - Odoya (The Invisible Session Remix) feat. Toco
B5 - Midnight Sun (Remix)
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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1
Toco - Outro Lugar
2
Toco - Litoral
3
Toco - Zum Zum
4
Toco - Assuntos Banais
5
Toco - Bom Motivo (Feat. Rosalia DeSouza)
6
Toco - Simples
7
Toco - Samba Noir
8
Toco - Barracão
9
Toco - Voz de Lapa
10
Toco - Guarapiranga
11
Toco - Contradição (Feat. Coralie Clément)
Edizioni Ishtar and Schema Records proudly celebrate the 15th anniversary of one of their most
successful releases and artists (more than 30 million streams and 300 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify)
with the first ever vinyl edition of Toco’s Outro Lugar. Produced by S-Tone Inc., this record includes fanfavourite
tracks “Outro Lugar”, “Samba Noir" and most of all “Guarapiranga”, which was chosen for the
soundtrack of “Silver Linings Playbook”, a film that awarded Jennifer Lawrence an Academy Award prize as
best actress in a leading role in 2013. The strings at the beginning of the title-track have also been sampled
by PinkPantheress for her song “Nineteen”, out of her latest album “To Hell With It”.
Outro Lugar hasn’t aged a bit during all these years, for various reasons; first of all it benefits from the
outstanding contribution of bossa nova pioneer and inspiration source Roberto Menescal, who played
guitar in every track. Most of the album was recorded in Rio De Janeiro at Menescal’s studio, with the
participation of some of the best ‘carioca’ musicians, especially double-bass player Adriano Giffoni and
pianist Adriano Souza. All these elements gave the album exactly the taste requested by the artist and the
producer: inspired from the past yet, through thorough attention, aimed at a sound at the same time fresh
and modern, slightly electronic, filled with grooves perfectly blending into acoustic instruments. The second
part of the recording was carried out in Milan, with some of the best musicians in the Milanese jazz scene.
The album also sees the contribution of Rosalia De Souza, singing in several tracks and standing out in
“Bom Motivo” especially. French chanteuse Coralie Clément appears in “Contradição”, her own piece here
re-interpreted by Toco.
Outro Lugar is an album for any kinds of Brazilian music lovers that showed the world what Toco
was capable of: a refined and cultured musician, a gifted performer of a warm and smooth voice able to
awaken the emotions of the most sensitive listeners.
TRACKLIST:
A1. Outro Lugar
A2. Litoral
A3. Zum Zum
A4. Assuntos Banais
A5. Bom Motivo (Feat. Rosalia DeSouza)
A6. Simples
B1. Samba Noir
B2. Barracão
B3. Voz de Lapa
B4. Guarapiranga
B5. Contradição (Feat. Coralie Clément)
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
successful releases and artists (more than 30 million streams and 300 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify)
with the first ever vinyl edition of Toco’s Outro Lugar. Produced by S-Tone Inc., this record includes fanfavourite
tracks “Outro Lugar”, “Samba Noir" and most of all “Guarapiranga”, which was chosen for the
soundtrack of “Silver Linings Playbook”, a film that awarded Jennifer Lawrence an Academy Award prize as
best actress in a leading role in 2013. The strings at the beginning of the title-track have also been sampled
by PinkPantheress for her song “Nineteen”, out of her latest album “To Hell With It”.
Outro Lugar hasn’t aged a bit during all these years, for various reasons; first of all it benefits from the
outstanding contribution of bossa nova pioneer and inspiration source Roberto Menescal, who played
guitar in every track. Most of the album was recorded in Rio De Janeiro at Menescal’s studio, with the
participation of some of the best ‘carioca’ musicians, especially double-bass player Adriano Giffoni and
pianist Adriano Souza. All these elements gave the album exactly the taste requested by the artist and the
producer: inspired from the past yet, through thorough attention, aimed at a sound at the same time fresh
and modern, slightly electronic, filled with grooves perfectly blending into acoustic instruments. The second
part of the recording was carried out in Milan, with some of the best musicians in the Milanese jazz scene.
The album also sees the contribution of Rosalia De Souza, singing in several tracks and standing out in
“Bom Motivo” especially. French chanteuse Coralie Clément appears in “Contradição”, her own piece here
re-interpreted by Toco.
Outro Lugar is an album for any kinds of Brazilian music lovers that showed the world what Toco
was capable of: a refined and cultured musician, a gifted performer of a warm and smooth voice able to
awaken the emotions of the most sensitive listeners.
TRACKLIST:
A1. Outro Lugar
A2. Litoral
A3. Zum Zum
A4. Assuntos Banais
A5. Bom Motivo (Feat. Rosalia DeSouza)
A6. Simples
B1. Samba Noir
B2. Barracão
B3. Voz de Lapa
B4. Guarapiranga
B5. Contradição (Feat. Coralie Clément)
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
Nicola Conte & Gianluca Petrella - Inner Light - Joaquin Joe Claussell Sacred Rhythm (Cosmic Arts Version)
2
Nicola Conte & Gianluca Petrella - Inner Light - Joaquin Joe Claussell Sacred Rhythm (Cosmic Arts Dub Version)
Nicola Conte & Gianluca Petrella’s 2021 brilliant collaborative jazz dance album People Need People channelled a vision of togetherness and used the universal language of music to elevate our spirit during these trying times. This vision can’t be more relevant today and the album’s legacy is kept alive with the same spirit of collaboration that distinguished the project.
“Inner Light” - featuring Raashan Ahmad on vocals - is the first song from the album chosen for a series of reinterpretations of the project that will be released throughout 2022. Joaquin Joe Claussell needs no introduction, the Body & Soul founder and Sacred Rhythm label honcho is a true legend and purveyor of spirituality – a cosmic messenger that brings us two versions of “Inner Light”; his work here is not to be solely intended as a remix but, as the title suggests, delivers two new proper versions of the original song.
This EP is the first in a trilogy of 12” releases that will also feature further reinterpretations of tracks taken from the “People Need People” album, by none less than Anthony Nicholson, DJ Spinna and Tall Black Guy!
A - Inner Light - Joaquin Joe Claussell Sacred Rhythm (Cosmic Arts Version)
B - Inner Light - Joaquin Joe Claussell Sacred Rhythm (Cosmic Arts Dub Version)
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
“Inner Light” - featuring Raashan Ahmad on vocals - is the first song from the album chosen for a series of reinterpretations of the project that will be released throughout 2022. Joaquin Joe Claussell needs no introduction, the Body & Soul founder and Sacred Rhythm label honcho is a true legend and purveyor of spirituality – a cosmic messenger that brings us two versions of “Inner Light”; his work here is not to be solely intended as a remix but, as the title suggests, delivers two new proper versions of the original song.
This EP is the first in a trilogy of 12” releases that will also feature further reinterpretations of tracks taken from the “People Need People” album, by none less than Anthony Nicholson, DJ Spinna and Tall Black Guy!
A - Inner Light - Joaquin Joe Claussell Sacred Rhythm (Cosmic Arts Version)
B - Inner Light - Joaquin Joe Claussell Sacred Rhythm (Cosmic Arts Dub Version)
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
S-Tone Inc. - (Got To) Move On (feat. Afra Kane) - Remix
2
S-Tone Inc. - Rosa Da Ribeira (feat. Toco) - Remix
“(Got To) Move On / Rosa Da Ribeira” continues the series of edits and remixes from Stefano Tirone aka S-Tone Inc.’s latest studio album, Body & Soul (2020, SCCD/LP493); this 7” is also a preview of the forthcoming release of a project named “Body & Soul - The Disco Experience” where Stefano, with the help of some of his faithful collaborators, reinvents and transforms into a new ‘disco-groove boogie’ dress the entire Body & Soul LP.
Both songs here combine nu-disco with late ’70s funk / soul / dance, Stefano’s first real ‘musical love’: a way therefore to underline his unconditional passion for the music that represented his youth and, at the same time, the awareness of the inevitability of the modern times we live in.
“Got To (Move On)” is an up-tempo song with a leading pulsating bass that sees the participation of Afra Kane, a Nigerian singer who has lived in Italy, England and Switzerland, and who gives ‘black’ shades to the songs with her splendid voice.
“Rosa Da Ribeira”, sung by Toco with the additional backing vocals of Priardi Ribas, Luzia Dvorek and Gui Hargreaves, shows off an exotic touch given by the Brazilian melodies and the Portuguese lyrics, and is further enriched by Gilberto Tarocco’s baritone sax and Randy Freeman’s trombone.
A - (Got To) Move On (feat. Afra Kane) - Remix
B - Rosa Da Ribeira (feat. Toco) - Remix
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Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Both songs here combine nu-disco with late ’70s funk / soul / dance, Stefano’s first real ‘musical love’: a way therefore to underline his unconditional passion for the music that represented his youth and, at the same time, the awareness of the inevitability of the modern times we live in.
“Got To (Move On)” is an up-tempo song with a leading pulsating bass that sees the participation of Afra Kane, a Nigerian singer who has lived in Italy, England and Switzerland, and who gives ‘black’ shades to the songs with her splendid voice.
“Rosa Da Ribeira”, sung by Toco with the additional backing vocals of Priardi Ribas, Luzia Dvorek and Gui Hargreaves, shows off an exotic touch given by the Brazilian melodies and the Portuguese lyrics, and is further enriched by Gilberto Tarocco’s baritone sax and Randy Freeman’s trombone.
A - (Got To) Move On (feat. Afra Kane) - Remix
B - Rosa Da Ribeira (feat. Toco) - Remix
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
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DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Customers who bought this also bought this
Label:We Release Jazz
Cat-No:WRJ010LTD
Release-Date:16.07.2021
Genre:Jazz / Nu Jazz
Configuration:LP Excl
Label:We Release Jazz
Cat-No:WRJ010LTD
Release-Date:16.07.2021
Genre:Jazz / Nu Jazz
Configuration:LP Excl
1
Hiroshi Suzuki - A1. Shrimp Dance
2
Hiroshi Suzuki - A2. Kuro To Shiro
3
Hiroshi Suzuki - B1. Walk Tall
4
Hiroshi Suzuki - B2. Cat
5
Hiroshi Suzuki - B3. Romance
No sales to Japan!
LP: 180g vinyl, half speed mastered, heavy sleeve, obi, gold ink
Genre: Jazz, Fusion, Funk
Tracklisting LP
A1. Shrimp Dance
A2. Kuro To Shiro
B1. Walk Tall
B2. Cat
B3. Romance
Info
We Release Jazz is ecstatic (purrrr!) to announce the official reissue of Hiroshi Suzuki's glorious jazz-fusion-funk Holy Grail Cat (originally released in 1976), sourced from the original masters and available on limited edition 180 gram vinyl mastered at half speed for full audiophile sound, as well as on digipack CD. Both versions come with liner notes by Teruo Isono.
Cat was recorded in October 1975 at at Nippon Columbia Studio, while Hiroshi Suzuki was visiting his home country of Japan after moving to Las Vegas in 1971 to play with Buddy Rich and perfect his craft. Back on his old stomping grounds, the man known as Neko (Cat) immediately reunited with his dear friends for an epic two day session of groove magic. The chemistry was still intact. The skills and style had grown.
The result, Cat, is a smooth masterpiece, a deep and soulful affair where stunning trombone solos by Hiroshi Suzuki flirt with Takeru Muraoka's heavenly saxophone and the sensual rhythm section of Hiromasa Suzuki (keyboards), Kunimitsu Inaba (bass), and Akira Ishikawa (drums).
Celebrated in jazz collectors circles, in the lofi beat scene, and among music diggers around the world, Cat has become one of the most sought-after Japanese jazz albums of all time and, much like Ryo Fukui's Scenery, has fascinated old and young generations alike.
Points of interests
- For fans of jazz, fusion, funk, trombone, Japanese jazz, smooth rides, cats, allure.
- Official reissue of the glorious jazz-fusion album by Japanese trombonist extraordinaire Hiroshi "Neko" Suzuki.
- 10th release from We Release Jazz, following Ryo Fukui's Scenery, Mellow Dream, A Letter from Slowboat, and Ryo Fukui in New York, the soundtrack of Le Cercle Rouge by Eric Demarsan, Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion, Marc Moulin's Placebo Live 1971 and Boillat Thérace Quintet albums. We Release Jazz is the sister-label of Geneva-based WRWTFWW Records (Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass and Lunar Cruise with Masahiko Sato, Pierre Barouh's Le Pollen, Jun Fuka-machi's Nicole, Grauzone's discography, …)
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
LP: 180g vinyl, half speed mastered, heavy sleeve, obi, gold ink
Genre: Jazz, Fusion, Funk
Tracklisting LP
A1. Shrimp Dance
A2. Kuro To Shiro
B1. Walk Tall
B2. Cat
B3. Romance
Info
We Release Jazz is ecstatic (purrrr!) to announce the official reissue of Hiroshi Suzuki's glorious jazz-fusion-funk Holy Grail Cat (originally released in 1976), sourced from the original masters and available on limited edition 180 gram vinyl mastered at half speed for full audiophile sound, as well as on digipack CD. Both versions come with liner notes by Teruo Isono.
Cat was recorded in October 1975 at at Nippon Columbia Studio, while Hiroshi Suzuki was visiting his home country of Japan after moving to Las Vegas in 1971 to play with Buddy Rich and perfect his craft. Back on his old stomping grounds, the man known as Neko (Cat) immediately reunited with his dear friends for an epic two day session of groove magic. The chemistry was still intact. The skills and style had grown.
The result, Cat, is a smooth masterpiece, a deep and soulful affair where stunning trombone solos by Hiroshi Suzuki flirt with Takeru Muraoka's heavenly saxophone and the sensual rhythm section of Hiromasa Suzuki (keyboards), Kunimitsu Inaba (bass), and Akira Ishikawa (drums).
Celebrated in jazz collectors circles, in the lofi beat scene, and among music diggers around the world, Cat has become one of the most sought-after Japanese jazz albums of all time and, much like Ryo Fukui's Scenery, has fascinated old and young generations alike.
Points of interests
- For fans of jazz, fusion, funk, trombone, Japanese jazz, smooth rides, cats, allure.
- Official reissue of the glorious jazz-fusion album by Japanese trombonist extraordinaire Hiroshi "Neko" Suzuki.
- 10th release from We Release Jazz, following Ryo Fukui's Scenery, Mellow Dream, A Letter from Slowboat, and Ryo Fukui in New York, the soundtrack of Le Cercle Rouge by Eric Demarsan, Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion, Marc Moulin's Placebo Live 1971 and Boillat Thérace Quintet albums. We Release Jazz is the sister-label of Geneva-based WRWTFWW Records (Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass and Lunar Cruise with Masahiko Sato, Pierre Barouh's Le Pollen, Jun Fuka-machi's Nicole, Grauzone's discography, …)
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
Fireground - Never Sleep 05:17
2
Fireground - Gaze 05:31
3
Fireground - Obsession 04:32
4
Fireground - Driving Stars 04:49
5
Fireground - Into A Diamond 05:17
6
Fireground - Wedding (Digital Bonus) 04:52
Territories: World excl. UK + North America
FORMAT: 12" 180g vinyl, generic sleeve, dl card
TRACKLIST:
1. / A1 Never Sleep 05:17
2. / A2 Gaze 05:31
3. / B1 Obsession 04:32
4. / B2 Driving Stars 04:49
5. / B3 Into A Diamond 05:17
6. Wedding (Digital Bonus) 04:52
RELEASE INFO:
The phrase “concept album” brings to mind long and complicated works by 60s rock bands or rap magna opera destined to be
pored over by Dissect podcast. But what if the concept is based on a simple conceit? With Refreshing Part 1, their third EP and
first vinyl release on Tresor, Fireground soundtrack an imaginary night spent at the Kraftwerk building on Köpenicker Straße,
moving between the smoke-filled basement of Tresor and the bass-heavy loft of Globus.
Opening piece, Never Sleep, has long been a feature of the Fireground live set and evolved over many months before reaching
its final form in something of a “eureka” moment during a performance in Tresor. The track kicks o the EP with a hint to
techno classic Knights of the Jaguar before quickly carving its own path through the foliage. The tribal leitmotif continues on
second track, Gaze, which again has subtle nods to classics whilst showcasing the duo’s ability to bring new life to 90s house
and techno tropes.
Obsession dispenses with any pretence and gets right down to business from the opening second: Inspired by the Tresor
dancefloor “when it reaches its peak; the strobe lights together with the smoke become so intense that for a few moments
you can't see anything and completely abandon yourself to your sense of hearing.”
A counterpoint to the finessed Never Sleep, Obsession was recorded live with minimal post-production this track finds
Fireground at their rawest and most uncompromising.
As if needing a spot of fresh air after the ferocity of Obsession, the second half of the EP leaves the dense and smoky
atmosphere behind and ascends towards the sky beginning with Driving Stars; lighter though this may be there’s no loss of
drive. Penultimate track Into a Diamond finds Fireground floating ever-upwards propelled by elements of jazz including a
gorgeous electric piano solo that recall the airy mid-90s UK house of labels like Nuphonic, Heavenly, Faze Action, and Soma.
Digital-only track, Wedding, closes the EP with the perfect end-of-night feeling, leaving us joyful, as if we are stepping out
into the morning sun surrounded by close friends, the sounds of the evening orbiting our minds.
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: 12" 180g vinyl, generic sleeve, dl card
TRACKLIST:
1. / A1 Never Sleep 05:17
2. / A2 Gaze 05:31
3. / B1 Obsession 04:32
4. / B2 Driving Stars 04:49
5. / B3 Into A Diamond 05:17
6. Wedding (Digital Bonus) 04:52
RELEASE INFO:
The phrase “concept album” brings to mind long and complicated works by 60s rock bands or rap magna opera destined to be
pored over by Dissect podcast. But what if the concept is based on a simple conceit? With Refreshing Part 1, their third EP and
first vinyl release on Tresor, Fireground soundtrack an imaginary night spent at the Kraftwerk building on Köpenicker Straße,
moving between the smoke-filled basement of Tresor and the bass-heavy loft of Globus.
Opening piece, Never Sleep, has long been a feature of the Fireground live set and evolved over many months before reaching
its final form in something of a “eureka” moment during a performance in Tresor. The track kicks o the EP with a hint to
techno classic Knights of the Jaguar before quickly carving its own path through the foliage. The tribal leitmotif continues on
second track, Gaze, which again has subtle nods to classics whilst showcasing the duo’s ability to bring new life to 90s house
and techno tropes.
Obsession dispenses with any pretence and gets right down to business from the opening second: Inspired by the Tresor
dancefloor “when it reaches its peak; the strobe lights together with the smoke become so intense that for a few moments
you can't see anything and completely abandon yourself to your sense of hearing.”
A counterpoint to the finessed Never Sleep, Obsession was recorded live with minimal post-production this track finds
Fireground at their rawest and most uncompromising.
As if needing a spot of fresh air after the ferocity of Obsession, the second half of the EP leaves the dense and smoky
atmosphere behind and ascends towards the sky beginning with Driving Stars; lighter though this may be there’s no loss of
drive. Penultimate track Into a Diamond finds Fireground floating ever-upwards propelled by elements of jazz including a
gorgeous electric piano solo that recall the airy mid-90s UK house of labels like Nuphonic, Heavenly, Faze Action, and Soma.
Digital-only track, Wedding, closes the EP with the perfect end-of-night feeling, leaving us joyful, as if we are stepping out
into the morning sun surrounded by close friends, the sounds of the evening orbiting our minds.
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
2xLP: Cotton Candy Skies Vinyl, Gatefold Jacket,double-sided 11x17 poster,obi strip, marketing sticker
Larry June & prolific producer Cardo have joined forces once again to bring you their latest masterpiece: "The Night Shift," a nocturnal adventure that takes you on a ride through the vivid and pulsating streets of Larry's life, as brought to life by Cardo's distinctive production. Larry June, the San Francisco native known for his smooth, laid-back flow and his unwavering commitment to living a healthy and prosperous lifestyle, seamlessly blends his distinctive style with Cardo's signature production, creating a sound that's as crisp and refreshing as a glass of cold-pressed orange juice. "The Night Shift" is the soundtrack to those late-night drives, providing the perfect backdrop for contemplation and cruising. "The Night Shift" is more than just an album; it's a testament to the chemistry between Larry June and Cardo, two artists at the top of their game. This project is a reminder that, in the still of the night, when the city's lights are aglow, and the world is asleep, Larry June and Cardo are hard at work, crafting music that transcends time and place.
Key Marketing/Selling:
- Larry June & Cardo are each extremely respected and notable individual artists in the Hip-Hop community
- Album activations & listening parties in LA, SF, Houston, Dallas and NY during release week, with exclusive merch drops released alongside each event
- 3 previously released singles include "The Good Kind," "Chops On The Blade," & "Without You (Blxst Interlude)"
- Multiple music videos set to be released in support of the album
- Extensive outdoor and digital campaign in major markets
- Larry June's previous releases, Orange Print, Spaceships On The Blade & The Great Escape have done exceptionally well at retail
- The Great Escape peaked at number 32 on the Billboard 200 while Spaceships on the Blade peaked at number 39
- All production is handled by Cardo
- Cardo has produced for the likes of Wiz Khalifa, Drake, Mac Miller, Payroll Giovanni, Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz, Travi$ Scott, Jay-Z, Meek Mill, Schoolboy Q & Skepta, among others
- Cardo most recently went 16x Platinum for his work on Drake's "God's Plan" & 5x Platinum on Drake's "Wants And Needs"
- Larry June is most recently off of an impressive run of sold out headlining shows - a 56 date US tour, and international stops in Europe, New Zealand, Australia & Japan
- Larry June is your favorite rapper's favorite rapper & more often than not, Cardo is the producer behind some of the biggest songs in Hip-Hop
Tracklist:
1. Clocked In
2. Chops on the Blade
3. Ocean Cuisine (feat. 2 Chainz)
4. Love of Money
5. Sweet Lady (feat. Dej Loaf)
6. Pop Out (feat. ScHoolboy Q)
7. Glasshouse Knockin'
8. Without You (Blxst Interlude)
9. GRGP (feat. Too $hort & Peezy)
10. Stickin' and Movin'
11. Won't Wait (feat. Jordan Ward)
12. Let Me Know
13. Made A Way (feat. Payroll Giovanni)
14. Road Runnin'
15. Big Fish (feat. Alemán)
16. The Good Kind
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
Little Dragon - Twice
2
Little Dragon - Turn Left
3
Little Dragon - No Love
4
Little Dragon - Recommendation
5
Little Dragon - Constant Surprises
6
Little Dragon - Forever
7
Little Dragon - After The Rain
8
Little Dragon - Place To Belong
9
Little Dragon - Stormy Weather
10
Little Dragon - Test
11
Little Dragon - Wink
12
Little Dragon - Scribbled Paper
LP: Black Vinyl With printed inner
Territory: No sales to: Japan, UK, Eire, Benelux and Americas
The debut album from soulful electronic pioneers Little Dragon originally released in 2007 was initially a record
slept on as no one in their right mind would have expected the future of soul music to come from Gothenburg,
Sweden. But there it is in the dreamy, rhythmical, shifting, moody rainbow creature that is Little Dragon. With
hindsight it is easy to see why some of the world’s top musical luminaries went onto fall over themselves to work
with them.
Includes the must own classics “Twice”; a master class in low key pop, with a sparse piano line offset by classy
strings and woozy synth wobbles; it is restrained, but never detached (over 100 million streams across multiple
DSPs) and “Constant Surprises” where Yukimi’s delicious vocal skips and glides atop hi-hats and bubbling bass
laying down the bands distinct soulful credentials (30 million streams)
Tracklist:
Twice
Turn Left
No Love
Recommendation
Constant Surprises
Forever
After The Rain
Place To Belong
Stormy Weather
Test
Wink
Scribbled Paper
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Territory: No sales to: Japan, UK, Eire, Benelux and Americas
The debut album from soulful electronic pioneers Little Dragon originally released in 2007 was initially a record
slept on as no one in their right mind would have expected the future of soul music to come from Gothenburg,
Sweden. But there it is in the dreamy, rhythmical, shifting, moody rainbow creature that is Little Dragon. With
hindsight it is easy to see why some of the world’s top musical luminaries went onto fall over themselves to work
with them.
Includes the must own classics “Twice”; a master class in low key pop, with a sparse piano line offset by classy
strings and woozy synth wobbles; it is restrained, but never detached (over 100 million streams across multiple
DSPs) and “Constant Surprises” where Yukimi’s delicious vocal skips and glides atop hi-hats and bubbling bass
laying down the bands distinct soulful credentials (30 million streams)
Tracklist:
Twice
Turn Left
No Love
Recommendation
Constant Surprises
Forever
After The Rain
Place To Belong
Stormy Weather
Test
Wink
Scribbled Paper
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
About:
The Villain I Never Was is the debut studio album from Ghanaian singer and rapper, Black Sherif. Originally released on October 6, 2022, the 14-track album was supported by five singles, “Second Sermon (Remix),” “Soja,” “45,” “Konongo Zongo,” & the smash hit, “Kwaku The Traveller,” which debuted at number 2 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart. Since the release of The Villain I Never Was, Black Sherif’s career has seen considerable growth and accolades, such as Artist of the Year (Ghana Music Awards UK 2022), West African Artist of the Year (The Headies 2023), & Best International Flow (BET Hip-Hop Awards 2023). Now for the first time, fans are able to enjoy this momentous album on vinyl. First pressing limited to 500 copies worldwide.
Key Marketing/Selling:
• WON Hip-Hop Song of the Year: Black Sherif "Kwaku the Traveler" @ 2023 VGMA’s
• WON Video of the Year: Black Sherif "Konongo Zongo" @ 2023 VGMA’s
• WON Artist of the Year @ 2023 VGMA’s
• WON Most Popular Song of the Year: Black Sherif "Kwaku the Traveler" @ 2023 VGMA’s
• WON Artist of the Year @ 2022 Ghana Music Awards UK
• WON Best International Flow @ 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards
• First official vinyl pressing of the album
• First pressing limited to 500 copies worldwide
• Contains the song “Kwaku The Traveller” which debuted at number 2 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart
? the track has over 40M streams on Spotify alone
? the music video has over 26M views on YouTube
• Black Sherif is the premiere Ghanaian Drill artist
• Black Sherif’s music is a blend of Highlife, UK drill, Hip-Hop & Reggae
Tracklist:
A1/1. The Homeless Song
A2/2. Oil in my Head
A3/3. 45
A4/4. Soja
A5/5. Prey Da Youngsta
A6/6. Sad Boys Don't Fold
A7/7. Konongo Zongo
B1/8. Wasteman
B2/9. We Up
B3/10. Toxic Love City
B4/11. Don't Forget Me
B5/12. Oh Paradise
B6/13. Kwaku The Traveller
B7/14. Second Sermon (Remix) (feat. Burna Boy)
Socials:
IG: 2.2M followers
FB: 1.2M followers
TW: 1.3M followers
YT: 952k subs / 171M+ views
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
The Villain I Never Was is the debut studio album from Ghanaian singer and rapper, Black Sherif. Originally released on October 6, 2022, the 14-track album was supported by five singles, “Second Sermon (Remix),” “Soja,” “45,” “Konongo Zongo,” & the smash hit, “Kwaku The Traveller,” which debuted at number 2 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart. Since the release of The Villain I Never Was, Black Sherif’s career has seen considerable growth and accolades, such as Artist of the Year (Ghana Music Awards UK 2022), West African Artist of the Year (The Headies 2023), & Best International Flow (BET Hip-Hop Awards 2023). Now for the first time, fans are able to enjoy this momentous album on vinyl. First pressing limited to 500 copies worldwide.
Key Marketing/Selling:
• WON Hip-Hop Song of the Year: Black Sherif "Kwaku the Traveler" @ 2023 VGMA’s
• WON Video of the Year: Black Sherif "Konongo Zongo" @ 2023 VGMA’s
• WON Artist of the Year @ 2023 VGMA’s
• WON Most Popular Song of the Year: Black Sherif "Kwaku the Traveler" @ 2023 VGMA’s
• WON Artist of the Year @ 2022 Ghana Music Awards UK
• WON Best International Flow @ 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards
• First official vinyl pressing of the album
• First pressing limited to 500 copies worldwide
• Contains the song “Kwaku The Traveller” which debuted at number 2 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart
? the track has over 40M streams on Spotify alone
? the music video has over 26M views on YouTube
• Black Sherif is the premiere Ghanaian Drill artist
• Black Sherif’s music is a blend of Highlife, UK drill, Hip-Hop & Reggae
Tracklist:
A1/1. The Homeless Song
A2/2. Oil in my Head
A3/3. 45
A4/4. Soja
A5/5. Prey Da Youngsta
A6/6. Sad Boys Don't Fold
A7/7. Konongo Zongo
B1/8. Wasteman
B2/9. We Up
B3/10. Toxic Love City
B4/11. Don't Forget Me
B5/12. Oh Paradise
B6/13. Kwaku The Traveller
B7/14. Second Sermon (Remix) (feat. Burna Boy)
Socials:
IG: 2.2M followers
FB: 1.2M followers
TW: 1.3M followers
YT: 952k subs / 171M+ views
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
Transmission Towers - Up
2
Transmission Towers - Roller Skater 23
3
Transmission Towers - Planetary Alignment
4
Transmission Towers - Go Slow Heart
5
Transmission Towers - Cosmic Trigger
6
Transmission Towers - Mega
7
Transmission Towers - Everything
8
Transmission Towers - Sparse
9
Transmission Towers - One
10
Transmission Towers - Affirmation Of Love
Preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op0O2eD3iy8
Aerials live, dials tuned, Transmission Towers broadcasting. On either side of the river Mersey, transcendental communications are traded back and forth. Two late-night revellers, one firing messages filled with music, the other returning them laced with lyrics. The result, a dopamine hit of oddball machine soul, melded with a highlife, Afrofuturist touch. Wonky and murky yet deeply emotional, Transmission One, is a debut album that also marks the first release on Luke Una’s É Soul Cultura label, encompassing expertly the off-kilter atmosphere the label sets to orbit.
A synthesised landscape with a Northern charm, Transmission Towers marry the musical worlds of two artists that last collaborated over a decade ago. 10 years have passed, lives have been led, but a gravitational pull has placed Mark Kyriacou and Eleanor Mante back in each other’s spheres on opposite sides of the city of Liverpool. Energised with a newfound desire to strip it all back to the sounds that influenced their formative years in the late ‘80s and ‘90s - astral travelling, intoxicated on Motor City techno, Black Dog IDM and mystical Sun Ra.
Mark half Irish, half Greek Cypriot, Eleanor half Nigerian, half Ghanian, the music contained within is an alchemy of those roots and the pivotal acts that buried deep into their minds. A cosmic contrast, part machine-made, part distinctly human. Take the opener ‘UP’, an ESG-channelling, sci-fi punk beatdown or the polychromatic hyperspace anthem ‘Roller Skater 23’.
Transportive throughout, you ride the solar waves, pace and emotion ebbing and flowing. Tracks like ‘Go Slow Heart’ and ‘Cosmic Trigger’ step to a slower beat but hit with a punch. The former, a slo-mo blast of celestial tenderness, the latter an otherworldly, chugged-out lunar excursion, micro-dosing on whacked-out Wah Wah and Eleanor’s ethereal vocals. Beaming love letters to space and back, ‘Sparse’ marries the organic with the artificial, pianos and percussion circling around synth pads and broadcasting bleeps.
Elsewhere, vibrations move faster. ‘Mega’ strikes, fusing sonic tribalism with psychedelic swirls, as ‘Everything’ sweeps you up in its extra-terrestrial new wave grip. Synth stabs and basslines fizzing from every angle.
Demos of Transmission Towers music surfaced on Luke Una’s radar, making him stop in his tracks. Something magical was emerging, perfectly aligned with the E Soul guardian’s tastes. Guidance followed, quickly turning into conversations about Transmission One becoming the first release on Luke’s own label.
Escapist and futurist yet grounded and relatable. Transmission One is synthesis meets sentiment with a deep, spine-tingling soul at its core.
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
Aerials live, dials tuned, Transmission Towers broadcasting. On either side of the river Mersey, transcendental communications are traded back and forth. Two late-night revellers, one firing messages filled with music, the other returning them laced with lyrics. The result, a dopamine hit of oddball machine soul, melded with a highlife, Afrofuturist touch. Wonky and murky yet deeply emotional, Transmission One, is a debut album that also marks the first release on Luke Una’s É Soul Cultura label, encompassing expertly the off-kilter atmosphere the label sets to orbit.
A synthesised landscape with a Northern charm, Transmission Towers marry the musical worlds of two artists that last collaborated over a decade ago. 10 years have passed, lives have been led, but a gravitational pull has placed Mark Kyriacou and Eleanor Mante back in each other’s spheres on opposite sides of the city of Liverpool. Energised with a newfound desire to strip it all back to the sounds that influenced their formative years in the late ‘80s and ‘90s - astral travelling, intoxicated on Motor City techno, Black Dog IDM and mystical Sun Ra.
Mark half Irish, half Greek Cypriot, Eleanor half Nigerian, half Ghanian, the music contained within is an alchemy of those roots and the pivotal acts that buried deep into their minds. A cosmic contrast, part machine-made, part distinctly human. Take the opener ‘UP’, an ESG-channelling, sci-fi punk beatdown or the polychromatic hyperspace anthem ‘Roller Skater 23’.
Transportive throughout, you ride the solar waves, pace and emotion ebbing and flowing. Tracks like ‘Go Slow Heart’ and ‘Cosmic Trigger’ step to a slower beat but hit with a punch. The former, a slo-mo blast of celestial tenderness, the latter an otherworldly, chugged-out lunar excursion, micro-dosing on whacked-out Wah Wah and Eleanor’s ethereal vocals. Beaming love letters to space and back, ‘Sparse’ marries the organic with the artificial, pianos and percussion circling around synth pads and broadcasting bleeps.
Elsewhere, vibrations move faster. ‘Mega’ strikes, fusing sonic tribalism with psychedelic swirls, as ‘Everything’ sweeps you up in its extra-terrestrial new wave grip. Synth stabs and basslines fizzing from every angle.
Demos of Transmission Towers music surfaced on Luke Una’s radar, making him stop in his tracks. Something magical was emerging, perfectly aligned with the E Soul guardian’s tastes. Guidance followed, quickly turning into conversations about Transmission One becoming the first release on Luke’s own label.
Escapist and futurist yet grounded and relatable. Transmission One is synthesis meets sentiment with a deep, spine-tingling soul at its core.
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:
1. The Medium
2. Goes By So Fast
3. Magazine (Feat. Salami Rose Joe Louis) https://youtu.be/qSKlCWGaaao
4. Postman https://youtu.be/xI0alDWn2tM
5. THe Loop
6. Last Year
7. Mississippi
8. Clarity (Feat. Sofie)
9. Foreplay
10. Déjà Vu
11. Way Too Hot
12. Millennium (Feat. The Mattson 2)
13. Days In Love
Toro y Moi's seventh studio album, MAHAL, is the boldest and most fascinating journey yet from musical mastermind Chaz Bear. The record spans genre and sound_encompassing the shaggy psychedelic rock of the 1960s and `70s, and the airy sounds of 1990s mod-post-rock_taking listeners on an auditory expedition, as if they're riding in the back of Bear's Filipino jeepney that adorns the album's cover. But MAHAL is also an unmistakably Toro y Moi experience, calling back to previous works while charting a new path forward in a way that only Bear can do. MAHAL is the latest in an accomplished career for Bear, who's undoubtedly one of the decade's most influential musicians. Since the release of the electronic pop landmark Causers of This in 2009, subsequent records as Toro y Moi have repeatedly shifted the idea of what his sound can be. But there's little in Bear's catalog that will prepare you for the deep-groove excursions on MAHAL, his most eclectic record to date. The second the album begins we're immediately transported into the passenger seat, jeep sounds and all, ready for the ride Chaz and company have concocted for us. Seeds of some of MAHAL's 13 songs date back to the more explicitly rock-oriented What For? from 2015. MAHAL was mostly completed last year in Bear's Oakland studio with the involvement of a host of collaborators, Sofie Royer and Unknown Mortal Orchestra's Ruban Neilson to Neon Indian's Alan Palomo and the Mattson 2. "I wanted to make a record that featured more musicians on it than any other record of mine," he explains. "To have them live on that record feels grounded, bringing a communal perspective to the table." As a result, MAHAL is lush and surprising at every turn, from the cool-handed "The Loop," which recalls Sly and the Family Stones, to the elastic psych rock of "Foreplay" and the dizzying Mulatu Astatke-recalling of "Last Year." Lyrically, the album zooms in on generational concerns, picking up where the Outer Peace standout "Freelance" effectively left off. Bear seems to be surveying the ways in which we connect with technology, media, each other, and what disappears as a result. Cuts like the squishy "Postman" and the "Magazine" take a deep dive into our relationship with media in a changing digital world. "It's interesting to see how we adapt to this new age. We're so connected, but we're still missing out on things," Bear ruminates while discussing the album's themes. It's not all introspection. Bear cools things down near the album's end with the Mattson 2-featuring "Millennium," a laid-back jam with tricky guitar licks about ringing in new times even when everything else seems upside down. "It's about enjoying the new year, even when it's been shitty," Bear explains. "There's nothing else to do." Finding a sense of joy in the face of adversity is embedded in MAHAL's DNA, right down to the jeepney that literally and figuratively brings the music out into the community. "We know that touring is messed up for now, and large gatherings are a fluke," he explains. "It's about the notion of us going out to the people and bringing the record to them." And with the wide-open atmosphere of MAHAL, Toro y Moi stands to connect with more listeners than ever before.
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. The Medium
2. Goes By So Fast
3. Magazine (Feat. Salami Rose Joe Louis) https://youtu.be/qSKlCWGaaao
4. Postman https://youtu.be/xI0alDWn2tM
5. THe Loop
6. Last Year
7. Mississippi
8. Clarity (Feat. Sofie)
9. Foreplay
10. Déjà Vu
11. Way Too Hot
12. Millennium (Feat. The Mattson 2)
13. Days In Love
Toro y Moi's seventh studio album, MAHAL, is the boldest and most fascinating journey yet from musical mastermind Chaz Bear. The record spans genre and sound_encompassing the shaggy psychedelic rock of the 1960s and `70s, and the airy sounds of 1990s mod-post-rock_taking listeners on an auditory expedition, as if they're riding in the back of Bear's Filipino jeepney that adorns the album's cover. But MAHAL is also an unmistakably Toro y Moi experience, calling back to previous works while charting a new path forward in a way that only Bear can do. MAHAL is the latest in an accomplished career for Bear, who's undoubtedly one of the decade's most influential musicians. Since the release of the electronic pop landmark Causers of This in 2009, subsequent records as Toro y Moi have repeatedly shifted the idea of what his sound can be. But there's little in Bear's catalog that will prepare you for the deep-groove excursions on MAHAL, his most eclectic record to date. The second the album begins we're immediately transported into the passenger seat, jeep sounds and all, ready for the ride Chaz and company have concocted for us. Seeds of some of MAHAL's 13 songs date back to the more explicitly rock-oriented What For? from 2015. MAHAL was mostly completed last year in Bear's Oakland studio with the involvement of a host of collaborators, Sofie Royer and Unknown Mortal Orchestra's Ruban Neilson to Neon Indian's Alan Palomo and the Mattson 2. "I wanted to make a record that featured more musicians on it than any other record of mine," he explains. "To have them live on that record feels grounded, bringing a communal perspective to the table." As a result, MAHAL is lush and surprising at every turn, from the cool-handed "The Loop," which recalls Sly and the Family Stones, to the elastic psych rock of "Foreplay" and the dizzying Mulatu Astatke-recalling of "Last Year." Lyrically, the album zooms in on generational concerns, picking up where the Outer Peace standout "Freelance" effectively left off. Bear seems to be surveying the ways in which we connect with technology, media, each other, and what disappears as a result. Cuts like the squishy "Postman" and the "Magazine" take a deep dive into our relationship with media in a changing digital world. "It's interesting to see how we adapt to this new age. We're so connected, but we're still missing out on things," Bear ruminates while discussing the album's themes. It's not all introspection. Bear cools things down near the album's end with the Mattson 2-featuring "Millennium," a laid-back jam with tricky guitar licks about ringing in new times even when everything else seems upside down. "It's about enjoying the new year, even when it's been shitty," Bear explains. "There's nothing else to do." Finding a sense of joy in the face of adversity is embedded in MAHAL's DNA, right down to the jeepney that literally and figuratively brings the music out into the community. "We know that touring is messed up for now, and large gatherings are a fluke," he explains. "It's about the notion of us going out to the people and bringing the record to them." And with the wide-open atmosphere of MAHAL, Toro y Moi stands to connect with more listeners than ever before.
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
Surgeon - Remnants Of What Once Was 09:52
2
Surgeon - Black Jackal Throwbacks 11:46
3
Surgeon - Returning To The Purity of Current 08:22
4
Surgeon - At The Heart Of It All 10:43
Territories: World excl. UK + North America
FORMAT: 2x12" 180g vinyl, full printed sleeve, dl card
TRACKLIST
1/A Remnants Of What Once Was 09:52
2/B Black Jackal Throwbacks 11:46
3/C Returning To The Purity of Current 08:22
4/D At The Heart Of It All 10:43
RELEASES INFO
Tresor Records is fortunate enough to be sitting on a catalogue of past releases that no other label in electronic
music would turn down. Three of the nest in this collection were contributed by Surgeon: “Basictonalvocabulary”,
“Balance” and “Force + Form” all originally came out on the Berlin institution between 1997 and 1999.
Surgeon’s inimitable combination of Detroit techno and post-industrial sounds emanating from his British
homeland found its fullest expression in these masterful trio of releases on Tresor. Tresor Records have decided
that its high time to give these seminal albums another airing, and will present each in a staggered series of 2LP
represses throughout the year.
“Force + Form” is the last chapter of this re-issue series, centered around Surgeon and represents a turning point
both in the artist’s career as well as for the history of techno music. Tresor117 was remastered in 2015 by Matt
Colton at Alchemy Mastering, London.
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: 2x12" 180g vinyl, full printed sleeve, dl card
TRACKLIST
1/A Remnants Of What Once Was 09:52
2/B Black Jackal Throwbacks 11:46
3/C Returning To The Purity of Current 08:22
4/D At The Heart Of It All 10:43
RELEASES INFO
Tresor Records is fortunate enough to be sitting on a catalogue of past releases that no other label in electronic
music would turn down. Three of the nest in this collection were contributed by Surgeon: “Basictonalvocabulary”,
“Balance” and “Force + Form” all originally came out on the Berlin institution between 1997 and 1999.
Surgeon’s inimitable combination of Detroit techno and post-industrial sounds emanating from his British
homeland found its fullest expression in these masterful trio of releases on Tresor. Tresor Records have decided
that its high time to give these seminal albums another airing, and will present each in a staggered series of 2LP
represses throughout the year.
“Force + Form” is the last chapter of this re-issue series, centered around Surgeon and represents a turning point
both in the artist’s career as well as for the history of techno music. Tresor117 was remastered in 2015 by Matt
Colton at Alchemy Mastering, London.
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
Little Dragon - A New
2
Little Dragon - Looking Glass
3
Little Dragon - My Step
4
Little Dragon - Feather
5
Little Dragon - Thunder Love
6
Little Dragon - Never Never
7
Little Dragon - Runabout
8
Little Dragon - Swimming
9
Little Dragon - Blinking Pigs
10
Little Dragon - Come Home
11
Little Dragon - Fortune
LP
Territory: No sales to: Japan, UK, Eire, Benelux and Americas
Little Dragon return with a spectacular second album offering in the fall, a pulsating electro pop epic
that Prince would be proud of! Machine Dreams, with its nagging hooks and gloriously infectious tunes, should finally see the
band break out into the mainstream. Having toured relentlessly since the last record, Little Dragon found themselves to be very
popular on the West coast. After appearing on KCRW’s popular ‘Morning Becomes Eclectic’ show, their album became the
most played on the station after Radiohead. No mean feat for the little dragons from Sweden, especially when the record was
only release digitally! The track ‘Twice’ even got played on hit ABC show Grey’s Anatomy, and After The Rain got licensed to
the Hollwywood motion picture 'The Women' starring Meg Ryan. The band soon came to the attention of David Sitek who
became an instant fan (as did notorious basement dweller DJ Shadow) and he wasted no time asking them to support TV On
The Radio on their US tour in May 2009.
Tracklist:
A New
Looking Glass
My Step
Feather
Thunder Love
Never Never
Runabout
Swimming
Blinking Pigs
Come Home
Fortune
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
Territory: No sales to: Japan, UK, Eire, Benelux and Americas
Little Dragon return with a spectacular second album offering in the fall, a pulsating electro pop epic
that Prince would be proud of! Machine Dreams, with its nagging hooks and gloriously infectious tunes, should finally see the
band break out into the mainstream. Having toured relentlessly since the last record, Little Dragon found themselves to be very
popular on the West coast. After appearing on KCRW’s popular ‘Morning Becomes Eclectic’ show, their album became the
most played on the station after Radiohead. No mean feat for the little dragons from Sweden, especially when the record was
only release digitally! The track ‘Twice’ even got played on hit ABC show Grey’s Anatomy, and After The Rain got licensed to
the Hollwywood motion picture 'The Women' starring Meg Ryan. The band soon came to the attention of David Sitek who
became an instant fan (as did notorious basement dweller DJ Shadow) and he wasted no time asking them to support TV On
The Radio on their US tour in May 2009.
Tracklist:
A New
Looking Glass
My Step
Feather
Thunder Love
Never Never
Runabout
Swimming
Blinking Pigs
Come Home
Fortune
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:In My Room
Cat-No:imr52lp
Release-Date:13.09.2024
Genre:Alternative/Electronic
Configuration:LP Excl
Label:In My Room
Cat-No:imr52lp
Release-Date:13.09.2024
Genre:Alternative/Electronic
Configuration:LP Excl
1
Trentemøller - A Different Light
2
Trentemøller - Nightfall
3
Trentemøller - Dreamweavers
Territories: WORLD EXCL DE, AT, Scandinavia
LP transparent crystal clear vinyl, leaflet, sticker, download code
GENRE/S:
Alternative, Independent, Shoegaze, Dreampop
TRACKLIST:
A1. A Different Light
A2. Nightfall
A3. Dreamweavers
A4. I Give My Tears
A5. Hollow
B1. Behind My Eyes
B2. Empty Beaches
B3. In A Storm
B4. Winter's Ghost
B5. Closure
SHORT INFO:
In May, fans were treated to the first new music from Trentemøller since 2022. A new single, "A Different Light," showcased a stunning blend of prismatic space rock and folk. For anyone wondering if it foreshadowed the release of a full-length, Dreamweaver will drop in September, on Friday the 13th.
Featuring 10 tracks that traverse Trentemøller's many musical strengths, Dreamweaver also represents an obvious artistic leap, treading new ground while retaining the overall plot. Tracks featuring vocals come courtesy of of Iceland's Disa, who has been in Trentemøller's fold since the Memoria tour.
Dreamweaver's nylon string-led opening track, and first single from the album, "A Different Light," contains many of Trentemøller's trademarks: exploring dichotomies, musical shadowplay, Nordic frigidity, and warm waves. It opens the door for the steady, hypnotic "Nightfall," with its tetherless vocal, wistful guitars, and early morning desert chill. The third track in the opening trifecta, "Dreamweavers" finds its footing with a percussive soft trot, which starts after what feels like a shortwave radio scan in search of the right chords, eventually dialing in a weightless voice. Ostensibly keeping a ruminative pace with the previous two tracks, the song and, by extension, album soon opens up as the rest of the elements drop into place with a grand, luxurious burst.
Dreamweaver is about to enter its next phase. With the hatch blown off of the portal, the noisy "I Give My Tears," driven by its glissed and fuzzy bass line, pours into the void. It's followed by its sibling, the most chaotic track on Dreamweaver, "Behind My Eyes." Arriving as a piece of noise rock pandemonium, "Behind My Eyes," can't be contained in its plush vault. A whip-crack snare and convulsing guitars smash against each other in the song's verse chamber. The tension builds, as the particles collide, pushing past the point of critical mass, kicking off the chain reaction which is the chorus. At times it harkens back to the proto-gaze tracks that gave birth to dream pop, at others it newly defines what that is. There's no time to contemplate it, though, as the song disintegrates in a microphonic feedback instant.
A respite follows with the somnambulistic pair of "Hollow" and "Empty Beaches." Then, a moment of intensity returns as the soaring textures and tribal drum bursts of "In A Storm" take control, before being taken out with the ambient slo-core of "Winter's Ghost" and "Closure." This diptych wraps up an album which certainly feels on-script for Trentemøller, but is also much more psychedelic than previous offerings.
Dreamweaver will be released on Trentemøller's own In My Room label. It is an exceedingly immersive experience, bound to release any dormant hallucinations you may be harboring.
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
LP transparent crystal clear vinyl, leaflet, sticker, download code
GENRE/S:
Alternative, Independent, Shoegaze, Dreampop
TRACKLIST:
A1. A Different Light
A2. Nightfall
A3. Dreamweavers
A4. I Give My Tears
A5. Hollow
B1. Behind My Eyes
B2. Empty Beaches
B3. In A Storm
B4. Winter's Ghost
B5. Closure
SHORT INFO:
In May, fans were treated to the first new music from Trentemøller since 2022. A new single, "A Different Light," showcased a stunning blend of prismatic space rock and folk. For anyone wondering if it foreshadowed the release of a full-length, Dreamweaver will drop in September, on Friday the 13th.
Featuring 10 tracks that traverse Trentemøller's many musical strengths, Dreamweaver also represents an obvious artistic leap, treading new ground while retaining the overall plot. Tracks featuring vocals come courtesy of of Iceland's Disa, who has been in Trentemøller's fold since the Memoria tour.
Dreamweaver's nylon string-led opening track, and first single from the album, "A Different Light," contains many of Trentemøller's trademarks: exploring dichotomies, musical shadowplay, Nordic frigidity, and warm waves. It opens the door for the steady, hypnotic "Nightfall," with its tetherless vocal, wistful guitars, and early morning desert chill. The third track in the opening trifecta, "Dreamweavers" finds its footing with a percussive soft trot, which starts after what feels like a shortwave radio scan in search of the right chords, eventually dialing in a weightless voice. Ostensibly keeping a ruminative pace with the previous two tracks, the song and, by extension, album soon opens up as the rest of the elements drop into place with a grand, luxurious burst.
Dreamweaver is about to enter its next phase. With the hatch blown off of the portal, the noisy "I Give My Tears," driven by its glissed and fuzzy bass line, pours into the void. It's followed by its sibling, the most chaotic track on Dreamweaver, "Behind My Eyes." Arriving as a piece of noise rock pandemonium, "Behind My Eyes," can't be contained in its plush vault. A whip-crack snare and convulsing guitars smash against each other in the song's verse chamber. The tension builds, as the particles collide, pushing past the point of critical mass, kicking off the chain reaction which is the chorus. At times it harkens back to the proto-gaze tracks that gave birth to dream pop, at others it newly defines what that is. There's no time to contemplate it, though, as the song disintegrates in a microphonic feedback instant.
A respite follows with the somnambulistic pair of "Hollow" and "Empty Beaches." Then, a moment of intensity returns as the soaring textures and tribal drum bursts of "In A Storm" take control, before being taken out with the ambient slo-core of "Winter's Ghost" and "Closure." This diptych wraps up an album which certainly feels on-script for Trentemøller, but is also much more psychedelic than previous offerings.
Dreamweaver will be released on Trentemøller's own In My Room label. It is an exceedingly immersive experience, bound to release any dormant hallucinations you may be harboring.
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
1
Ryo Fukui - It Could Happen To You
2
Ryo Fukui - I Want To Talk About You
3
Ryo Fukui - Early Summer
4
Ryo Fukui - Willow Weep For Me
5
Ryo Fukui - Autumn Leaves
6
Ryo Fukui - Scenery
The Standard Edition - Territory - NO Sales to Japan
Ryo Fukui's 1976 highly sought-after jazz masterpiece SCENERY-
LP Edition: Mastered at half speed, 140g vinyl, Sticker
We Release Jazz (WRWTFWW Records' new sister-label) is proud to present its first release, the official reissue of Ryo Fukui's highly sought-after masterpiece Scenery (1976), sourced from the original masters and available on limited edition 180g vinyl mastered at half speed for audiophile sound and on digipack CD.
Unquestionably one of the most important Japanese jazz albums ever recorded, Scenery reveals Ryo Fukui as a miraculously brilliant self-taught pianist fusing modal, bop, and cool jazz influences for a very personal, dexterous and game-changing take on classic standards made famous by Bing Crosby and John Coltrane among others. From "It Could Happen To You" and its serene and calm intro which magically flows into a jubilant and upbeat piece, to the out-of-this-world piano solo of "Early Summer", or the incredible teamwork of "Autumn Leaves" where Fukui leads Satoshi Denpo (bass) and Yoshinori Fukui (drums) into groove heaven, every single note on the album oozes precision, confidence and flair and every single section slides seamlessly into one another, creating a supreme and elegant blend of jazz. Often compared to McCoy Tyner or Bill Evans, Ryo Fukui was a genius in his own right, a true master of his craft whose perfectionism gave birth to some of the greatest music ever recorded. Scenery is his magnum opus and an absolute must-have.
The Hokkaido wizard-pianist followed Scenery with the soulful gem Mellow Dream (also available on We Release Jazz) in 1977. He then focused on improving his live skills, often performing at Sapporo's Slowboat Jazz Club (which he co-founded with his wife Yasuko Fukui) and releasing 2 live albums. Ryo Fukui sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that is sure to captivate jazz lovers for generations to come.
Tracklisting Vinyl LP
A1 It Could Happen To You
A2 I Want To Talk About You
A3 Early Summer
B1 Willow Weep For Me
B2 Autumn Leaves
B3 Scenery
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
Ryo Fukui's 1976 highly sought-after jazz masterpiece SCENERY-
LP Edition: Mastered at half speed, 140g vinyl, Sticker
We Release Jazz (WRWTFWW Records' new sister-label) is proud to present its first release, the official reissue of Ryo Fukui's highly sought-after masterpiece Scenery (1976), sourced from the original masters and available on limited edition 180g vinyl mastered at half speed for audiophile sound and on digipack CD.
Unquestionably one of the most important Japanese jazz albums ever recorded, Scenery reveals Ryo Fukui as a miraculously brilliant self-taught pianist fusing modal, bop, and cool jazz influences for a very personal, dexterous and game-changing take on classic standards made famous by Bing Crosby and John Coltrane among others. From "It Could Happen To You" and its serene and calm intro which magically flows into a jubilant and upbeat piece, to the out-of-this-world piano solo of "Early Summer", or the incredible teamwork of "Autumn Leaves" where Fukui leads Satoshi Denpo (bass) and Yoshinori Fukui (drums) into groove heaven, every single note on the album oozes precision, confidence and flair and every single section slides seamlessly into one another, creating a supreme and elegant blend of jazz. Often compared to McCoy Tyner or Bill Evans, Ryo Fukui was a genius in his own right, a true master of his craft whose perfectionism gave birth to some of the greatest music ever recorded. Scenery is his magnum opus and an absolute must-have.
The Hokkaido wizard-pianist followed Scenery with the soulful gem Mellow Dream (also available on We Release Jazz) in 1977. He then focused on improving his live skills, often performing at Sapporo's Slowboat Jazz Club (which he co-founded with his wife Yasuko Fukui) and releasing 2 live albums. Ryo Fukui sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that is sure to captivate jazz lovers for generations to come.
Tracklisting Vinyl LP
A1 It Could Happen To You
A2 I Want To Talk About You
A3 Early Summer
B1 Willow Weep For Me
B2 Autumn Leaves
B3 Scenery
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
“‘A La Sala,’ I used to scream it around my house when I was a little girl, to get everybody in the living room; to get my family together. That’s kind of what recording the new album felt like. Emotionally there was a desire to get back to square-one between the three of us, to where we came from–in sonics and in feeling. Let’s get back there.” - Laura Lee Ochoa
The title makes it clear. A La Sala (“To the Room” in Spanish), the fourth studio album by Khruangbin, is an exercise in returning in order to go further, and do so on your own terms. It extends the air of mystery and sanctity that’s key to how bassist Laura Lee Ochoa, drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson, Jr. and guitarist Mark “Marko” Speer approach music. Yet if 2020’s Mordechai, the last studio album Khruangbin made without collaborators, was a party record whose ensuing post-lockdown tour enhanced the band’s musical reputation far and wide, A La Sala is the measured morning after. It’s a gorgeously airy album made only in the company of the group’s longtime engineer Steve Christensen, with minimal overdubs. It is a porthole onto the bounties powering Khruangbin’s vision, a reimagining and refueling for the long haul ahead. A La Sala scales Khruangbin down to scale up, a creative strategy with the future in mind.
It is also a response to the unique moment Khruangbin finds itself in now: following a decade spent cultivating extraordinary music paths, beginning a year when they'll perform for more people, in more iconic spaces, staging a live show that pushes a creative envelope peculiar to them alone. (Look for the band at major festivals and venues near you.) 2024 feels like both marker and pivot, cementing Khruangbin’s stature as a commercially and critically successful group that continues to be guided by creative possibilities.
Such crossroads are familiar for iconic artists throughout the rock era — your Dylans, Stevies and Bowies, up thru turn-of-the-century Radiohead, all have navigated these straits. On A La Sala, Khruangbin also pulls exploration inward, spurning the din of the crowd’s expectations, mapping a personal direction home. The trio’s collective musical DNA and the years spent constructing it in Houston’s local-meets-global cultural stew ensure the band carries on sounding like no one but itself. A La Sala may in fact be Khruangbin’s purest distillation. A cascade of crisp melodies still emanates from Marko’s reverb-heavy electric, dancing gently around Laura Lee’s minimalist almost-dub bass triangles, while DJ’s drums serve as the tightened-up pocket and unwavering dance-floor on which all this movement takes place.
Where prior album-by-album growth seemed to point the narratives towards music’s polyglot edges, such inquiries now sound like known intimacies. What once seemed like sonic invocations — spaghetti-western film scores, found-sounds, dancing moments more living room than rooftop disco — are ingrained characteristics. This is who they are! And there’s a freshness to the instrumental interactivity on A La Sala that’s less concerned with getting further out than going deeper in. That depth is not about therapeutic self-reflection, but a profound desire to celebrate the world’s external wonders.
A La Sala invites intimate intercontinental partying. The first single is, after all, called “A Love International.” “Pon Pón” holds the band’s table at the West African discotheque; yet the joy now moves to the corner left of the dancefloor, where the back-and-forth between Laura Lee’s bass, DJ’s hi-hat, and Marko’s tuneful rhythm scratches, is a marvel of knowing head-nods. There’s “Hold Me Up (Thank You),” a familial sweetness in its spare lyrics, feeding off the rhythm section’s sturdy funk shuffle, and a chorus on which Marko’s guitar evokes both sides of the Atlantic in confident unshowy rhythms. They’re on “Todavía Viva” too, next to DJ’s noir-soul rim-shots, synth strings and a pregnant pause that is Laura Lee’s favorite moment on the album, the mood kin to the band’s glorious live interpretations of G-funk fantasias. And the rocked-up miniature, “Juegos y Nubes,” demonstrates Khruangbin’s Houston-born superpower to culture-mix, a dancing mood less concerned with worldly glamor than communal grooving.
“I read something long ago, attributed to Miles Davis. He said, ‘When they play fast, you play slow. When they play slow, you play fast.’ And it's definitely how I've approached looking at music: Don't follow the trends. And if the trend is this, then do something else.” - Marko
From the get-go, Khruangbin’s journey has been emphatically its own: a sound and visual representation with few precedents, ignoring pop expectations, relying only on internal inspirations, and a multitude of visions. It’s a mindset of penetrating the self, connecting to the surrounding world, modeling your own life experiences. This ethos is threaded throughout A La Sala, audible in the album’s form and function. (It’s even visible in the vinyl version’s physical package, which will be released as a set of seven distinctive covers and color-sets — more on which in a sec.)
The building blocks for the album’s 12 songs were jigsaw pieces found in Khruangbin’s creative past. Having stockpiled ideas originally set down as off-the-cuff recordings (voice-memos made at sound-checks, on long voyages, as absentminded epiphanies), they began fitting those pieces together in the studio. Which parts were apt? Which could be massaged and stretched out? Which inspired new sections or rhythms or musical interactions? Once more, Khruangbin’s familial DNA kicked in. Layer-by-layer, the intimate work, rework and re-rework bore new fruit. They also brought back a strategy once foundational to their records: seeding an album with field recordings.
Some results fold directly into A La Sala’s down-home feel. “Three From Two” and “May Ninth” are wistful mid-tempo numbers, with guitar melodies that reside somewhere between Bakersfield and by-the-riverside, cues that, for all its borderless inclusivity, another core Khruangbin value is being steeped in American roots. And in the landscape that music comes from. Like all albums prior to Mordechai, Marko made sure environmental sounds — natural and man-made — appeared as textures. (At times philosophically: the group recorded while cricket chirps played in their headphones, presumably for terroir.) It’s how A La Sala achieves such interconnected set-and-setting-ness.
Other results are more metaphorical, especially in Khruangbin’s flirtation with ambient spaces. The dramatically beatless “Farolim de Felgueiras” and “Caja de la Sala” both feature only Marko’s unmistakable guitar dueting with Laura Lee’s Moog, lightly layered with sounds of shoes on stone steps, and cicadas in an open field. The closing “Les Petits Gris” more fully reduces and fleshes out the ambiance, with a piano and a simple single-note bass pattern, Marko’s plaintive spare guitar echoing the melody of a ballerina-turning music box. It feels an apt way of ending — as a passing of this particular moment, preparation for the next one, soon-come.
Even the seven different covers that adorn A La Sala’s various vinyl editions offer a throughline from the music into Khruangbin’s current frame. Designed by the band using Marko’s multitude of travelog photos, they are windows from the band’s living room onto a set of daydreams, scenes of impossible skies, external glances illuminating what is going on inside. These are also directly related to David Black’s images of DJ, Laura Lee and Marko which accompany A La Sala, and to Khruangbin’s live staging reinvention. It’s all about looking out and looking back, in order to better look ahead.
“All the little moments you capture. You don't see how impactful they are until you hear what eventually comes of them. A lot of those scraps end up being the thing — and you don't realize it until it's ‘The Thing.’” - DJ
credits
releases April 5, 2024
Produced by Mark Speer & Steve Christensen
Written, Arranged & Performed by Khruangbin
Art Direction: Tiny Frees
Mixing: Steve Christensen
Mastering: Chris Longwood
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
The title makes it clear. A La Sala (“To the Room” in Spanish), the fourth studio album by Khruangbin, is an exercise in returning in order to go further, and do so on your own terms. It extends the air of mystery and sanctity that’s key to how bassist Laura Lee Ochoa, drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson, Jr. and guitarist Mark “Marko” Speer approach music. Yet if 2020’s Mordechai, the last studio album Khruangbin made without collaborators, was a party record whose ensuing post-lockdown tour enhanced the band’s musical reputation far and wide, A La Sala is the measured morning after. It’s a gorgeously airy album made only in the company of the group’s longtime engineer Steve Christensen, with minimal overdubs. It is a porthole onto the bounties powering Khruangbin’s vision, a reimagining and refueling for the long haul ahead. A La Sala scales Khruangbin down to scale up, a creative strategy with the future in mind.
It is also a response to the unique moment Khruangbin finds itself in now: following a decade spent cultivating extraordinary music paths, beginning a year when they'll perform for more people, in more iconic spaces, staging a live show that pushes a creative envelope peculiar to them alone. (Look for the band at major festivals and venues near you.) 2024 feels like both marker and pivot, cementing Khruangbin’s stature as a commercially and critically successful group that continues to be guided by creative possibilities.
Such crossroads are familiar for iconic artists throughout the rock era — your Dylans, Stevies and Bowies, up thru turn-of-the-century Radiohead, all have navigated these straits. On A La Sala, Khruangbin also pulls exploration inward, spurning the din of the crowd’s expectations, mapping a personal direction home. The trio’s collective musical DNA and the years spent constructing it in Houston’s local-meets-global cultural stew ensure the band carries on sounding like no one but itself. A La Sala may in fact be Khruangbin’s purest distillation. A cascade of crisp melodies still emanates from Marko’s reverb-heavy electric, dancing gently around Laura Lee’s minimalist almost-dub bass triangles, while DJ’s drums serve as the tightened-up pocket and unwavering dance-floor on which all this movement takes place.
Where prior album-by-album growth seemed to point the narratives towards music’s polyglot edges, such inquiries now sound like known intimacies. What once seemed like sonic invocations — spaghetti-western film scores, found-sounds, dancing moments more living room than rooftop disco — are ingrained characteristics. This is who they are! And there’s a freshness to the instrumental interactivity on A La Sala that’s less concerned with getting further out than going deeper in. That depth is not about therapeutic self-reflection, but a profound desire to celebrate the world’s external wonders.
A La Sala invites intimate intercontinental partying. The first single is, after all, called “A Love International.” “Pon Pón” holds the band’s table at the West African discotheque; yet the joy now moves to the corner left of the dancefloor, where the back-and-forth between Laura Lee’s bass, DJ’s hi-hat, and Marko’s tuneful rhythm scratches, is a marvel of knowing head-nods. There’s “Hold Me Up (Thank You),” a familial sweetness in its spare lyrics, feeding off the rhythm section’s sturdy funk shuffle, and a chorus on which Marko’s guitar evokes both sides of the Atlantic in confident unshowy rhythms. They’re on “Todavía Viva” too, next to DJ’s noir-soul rim-shots, synth strings and a pregnant pause that is Laura Lee’s favorite moment on the album, the mood kin to the band’s glorious live interpretations of G-funk fantasias. And the rocked-up miniature, “Juegos y Nubes,” demonstrates Khruangbin’s Houston-born superpower to culture-mix, a dancing mood less concerned with worldly glamor than communal grooving.
“I read something long ago, attributed to Miles Davis. He said, ‘When they play fast, you play slow. When they play slow, you play fast.’ And it's definitely how I've approached looking at music: Don't follow the trends. And if the trend is this, then do something else.” - Marko
From the get-go, Khruangbin’s journey has been emphatically its own: a sound and visual representation with few precedents, ignoring pop expectations, relying only on internal inspirations, and a multitude of visions. It’s a mindset of penetrating the self, connecting to the surrounding world, modeling your own life experiences. This ethos is threaded throughout A La Sala, audible in the album’s form and function. (It’s even visible in the vinyl version’s physical package, which will be released as a set of seven distinctive covers and color-sets — more on which in a sec.)
The building blocks for the album’s 12 songs were jigsaw pieces found in Khruangbin’s creative past. Having stockpiled ideas originally set down as off-the-cuff recordings (voice-memos made at sound-checks, on long voyages, as absentminded epiphanies), they began fitting those pieces together in the studio. Which parts were apt? Which could be massaged and stretched out? Which inspired new sections or rhythms or musical interactions? Once more, Khruangbin’s familial DNA kicked in. Layer-by-layer, the intimate work, rework and re-rework bore new fruit. They also brought back a strategy once foundational to their records: seeding an album with field recordings.
Some results fold directly into A La Sala’s down-home feel. “Three From Two” and “May Ninth” are wistful mid-tempo numbers, with guitar melodies that reside somewhere between Bakersfield and by-the-riverside, cues that, for all its borderless inclusivity, another core Khruangbin value is being steeped in American roots. And in the landscape that music comes from. Like all albums prior to Mordechai, Marko made sure environmental sounds — natural and man-made — appeared as textures. (At times philosophically: the group recorded while cricket chirps played in their headphones, presumably for terroir.) It’s how A La Sala achieves such interconnected set-and-setting-ness.
Other results are more metaphorical, especially in Khruangbin’s flirtation with ambient spaces. The dramatically beatless “Farolim de Felgueiras” and “Caja de la Sala” both feature only Marko’s unmistakable guitar dueting with Laura Lee’s Moog, lightly layered with sounds of shoes on stone steps, and cicadas in an open field. The closing “Les Petits Gris” more fully reduces and fleshes out the ambiance, with a piano and a simple single-note bass pattern, Marko’s plaintive spare guitar echoing the melody of a ballerina-turning music box. It feels an apt way of ending — as a passing of this particular moment, preparation for the next one, soon-come.
Even the seven different covers that adorn A La Sala’s various vinyl editions offer a throughline from the music into Khruangbin’s current frame. Designed by the band using Marko’s multitude of travelog photos, they are windows from the band’s living room onto a set of daydreams, scenes of impossible skies, external glances illuminating what is going on inside. These are also directly related to David Black’s images of DJ, Laura Lee and Marko which accompany A La Sala, and to Khruangbin’s live staging reinvention. It’s all about looking out and looking back, in order to better look ahead.
“All the little moments you capture. You don't see how impactful they are until you hear what eventually comes of them. A lot of those scraps end up being the thing — and you don't realize it until it's ‘The Thing.’” - DJ
credits
releases April 5, 2024
Produced by Mark Speer & Steve Christensen
Written, Arranged & Performed by Khruangbin
Art Direction: Tiny Frees
Mixing: Steve Christensen
Mastering: Chris Longwood
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