Format : Vinyl 12” (180 gr., Limited Full Cover)

Track list:

A1 I Can Tell You What You Want
A2 A Taste of the 90s
B1 Dirty Jazz
B2 You Know What I Mean?

Release Info:

DJ Sneak returns to his roots on his Synesthesia EP on Heist Recordings.

Last year, when DJ Sneak visited our studio during ADE, we spoke for a long time about his newly found joy in house music, producing music in the current landscape, and letting go of all the things that made him uneasy with the scene for a long time. At one point, he grabbed a bunch of his hard drives, fired up our Dave Smith & Pioneer Toraiz sampler (the one we used for our live shows and the workstation he swears by for producing and arranging all his music), and showed us what must be one of the most impressive collections of demos we’ve ever seen. He talked us through his ideas for a new record on Heist with the enthusiasm of a producer who had just bought his first MPC60 back in the 80s. His ‘Back to love’ EP was still due to release and we already knew the follow-up would be equally amazing.

Fast forward about a year and after amazing feedback on his Heist debut from platforms like XLR8R, DJ Mag, Faith fanzine and plenty of radio coverage, along with DJ support from the likes of Joy Anonymous, Louie Vega, Jamie Jones, Honey Dijon, TSHA, Dj Seinfeld, Jennifer Cardini, Carista, he drops a new record on Heist recordings; The Synesthesia EP is another showcase of the raw talent of DJ Sneak, skillfully working his gear and churning out massive tunes full of classic Chicago house references, 90’s euphoria, and chunky synths.

The EP kicks off with ‘I can tell what you want’, a deep and bubbly groover where DJ Sneak takes some naughty chopped up R’n’B vocals and adds a pinch of the ghetto sound that he adopted in his formative years in Chicago. Sneak manages to take that influence and deliver something altogether contemporary with this track, ticking all the right boxes of catchy vocals, moody chords, a nasty bassline, and clever sampling.

If the first track embodies his Chicago spirit, then ‘A taste of the 90s’ embodies DJ Sneak’s New York spirit. With funky guitar and key licks, loopy horns, shuffling percussion and plenty of changeovers in the arrangement, he masterfully shows us the joy of classic house music. There’s always another element that gets added or taken away to build anticipation or release the energy with its chunky low end. It’s a true party starter with the energy of a young DJ Sneak spinning his first records way back when.

On the flip, we’ve got ‘Dirty jazz’. This delicious piece of Deep House is built around off-kilter drums with a syncopated bass line and quirky sample cuts. It’s got enough beef to keep the energy going, and the right amount of weirdness to grab your attention whenever this is played.

The closing track ‘You know what I mean’ adds another layer of weird-sounding vocals that will stick with you until long after the song is over. This track – and the whole EP for that matter – oozes the playful energy of a producer who’s completely comfortable with his musicality. It’s fun and playful, delivered with the class that only a hero of the underground like Sneak can do.

On the Synesthesia EP, DJ Sneak takes you deep on a trip through his musical roots and keeps you on the edge of your seat with 4 tracks bursting with personality.

Grab this record while you can and share the love,
Heist Recordings.

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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Tracklist 12":

A1) So Damn Electrik
A2) Elektrik Deep
B1) Ass Is Gonna Work
B2) West Side Radio


DJ SNEAK on Toy Tonics! Yes. It's happening. Another US legend joins the German house label. After Kai Alcé (EP on Toy Tonics in September 2023) and Joe Claussell who did an amazing remix for the label some time ago, now it's DJ Sneak. It makes sense as Toy Tonics stands for that funky mix of three main inflences: original amercian soul based house music, the italo disco heritage and the more London or Paris 1990ies wildstyle house sound. DJ Sneak reached out to the label last year giving his props and showing love for many of Toy Tonics releases and the guys immediately invited him to join the label with an EP as its also his sound that is getting so popular again with the younger dance generation. So here it is: 6 tracks (4 on the vinyl) that remind the classic, bumpin DJ Sneak sound. Full of energy and emotion. Perfect for the dance floors of today and great to introduce the maestro to the kids who love house now but never heard about the grandmasters.














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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
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Format : Vinyl 12” (180 gr., Limited Full Cover)

Track list:
A1 Love Can Make It Happen
A2 Going Back to It
B1 Full Cycle
B2 Pockets

Release Info:

House music legend DJ Sneak shows us why he’s a master of the groove on his ‘Back to love’ EP for Heist Recordings.

There’s only a handful of people that can really say they’ve seen House music since its earliest days. Puerto Rica-born, Chicago-bred, and LA-based artist DJ Sneak is definitely one of them. He has been the king of the groove ever since his big break back in ’94 through Cajmere’s label Cajual and was key in the development of that mid-nineties house sound with appearances on labels such as Strictly Rhythm, Henry St Music and 83 West. Sneak has worked with some of the biggest artists in the game including Daft Punk, (delivering lyrics for their track ‘Digital Love’), Armand Van Helden and many more.

After a break in the past few years where Sneak re-evaluated his relationship with the scene and his music, he’s now back doing the thing he loves most: Making killer tracks and slamming it on a record. We’ve always considered each other friends and Sneak has been a true supporter of our music and the label since day 1, so it’s humbling to realize that we’re now in a place where we can let his music shine on Heist. With that, we’re proud to present this future classic from the master himself.

The aptly titled “Back to love” EP starts off with one of Sneak’s most intimate productions to date: “Love can make it happen”. Built around an ever-evolving vocal loop, and dreamy strings this track is deeper than deep with the percussion matching that meditative energy, with the grunt only Sneak can bring.

“Going back to it” is Chicago house music in its core. Moody chords, some vocal chops, a badass bass line, and solid percussion is all you need. With ‘Full Cycle’ on the flip, we see Sneak take back his rightful place as the king of the groove. It’s a track that has us reminiscing the days of ‘Paperclip People’ where the bluntness of a live recorded ‘on/off’ arrangement really adds something special to a track.

The EP ends with “Pockets”, a house jam with classic 90s vocals and energetic snare drums to add that classic New York touch to this already amazing record and shows us that DJ Sneak has a great feel for bringing modern day house music with a vintage feel.

As always, enjoy the music and play it loud!

Maarten & Lars


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Tracklist:
A1. Don’t Make Me Fall In Love - Timmy Regisford Vocal Mix 9:19
B1. Don’t Make Me Fall In Love - Timmy Regisford Instrumental Mix 5:44
B2. Don’t Make Me Fall In Love - Gerd Janson Bass Beat Edit 4:12

Info:
“[…] it was dance music, it had lyrics, it had songs, it wasn’t all instrumental, it was basically uptempo soul music, to be exact.”*

This quote from Timmy Regisford already sums up everything you need to know about his remix of Basic Black’s “Don’t Make Me Fall In Love.” Signed to Motown during Regisford’s reign as vice president and A&R, their self-titled debut album from 1990 is a testament to the massive popularity of new jack swing at the time. In his remix, the co-founder, resident DJ, and key figure of Club Shelter reconfigures the song’s structure with the signature sounds of New York’s prime dance floor scene, while preserving the heartfelt storytelling of the lyrics and the group’s voices on top of an irresistible groove and a bassline to die for.
At the time, it was only available in the record crates of the Big Apple’s DJ elite and later on as a white label in specialist shops. This soulful, yet driving piece, however, never saw an official single release—until now. Lifted from a DAT tape in Tony Humphries’ archive and carefully and faithfully restored, it now even features a condensed, never-before-released instrumental version of the remix, as well as a bass-and-beats-only edit for mixing purposes by yours truly. New jack swing transformed into New York club music by a king. This remix is a testament to Timmy Regisford’s prowess in the studio, but also honors the roots of the music he loves and grew up on—serving as a perpetual piece of the city’s vast history in underground dance music.
Gerd Janson


*Timmy Regisford interview from Jonathan Fleming, What Kind of House Party Is This?, MIY Publishing Ltd,
1995.

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2 x 12"

Tracklist 12":

A1 Spaceship
A2 Hot & Sick (Extended Version)
A3 Berlin Boogie Town
B4 Mystery (feat. GUINNY)
B5 Prana & Passione
B6 Selfish Gods
C7 Arte Poverina
C8 Jerks of Neukölln
C9 Stoicus Lex
D10 Doyum
D11 Miracle Club
D12 Ritual of Unconformity

Toy Tonics Music Berlin presents "Para Mytho Disco". The 2nd "Kapote" album of label founder and creative director Mathias Modica.
Keyboarder, DJ, producer, music nerd, graphic designer, multi-instrumentalist, sub-culture impressario and artist (formerly known as Munk of Gomma records.)

Kapote & Toy Tonics
In the last years Kapote was in the spotlight mainly for building the Toy Tonics label with his friends. Developing a platform for new positive quality dance music with a human touch. Toy Tonics is the opposite of the dark, druggy Techno and Trance sounds of the last years.
The warm inclusive music of Toy Tonics represents a new vibe that a young generation of diverse, stylish and culturally intersted generation of dancers loves now. Kapote's Toy Tonics became the key label for that vibe. (In 2024 Toy Tonics made 150 Toy Tonics events in 18 countries. With more than 150.000 people dancing. 90 millions streams on their music.)
Toy Tonics is more than a music label: It's a audio - visual universe. A community, almost a movement.
Based on a new positive attitude and aesthetic diversity. Mixing musicianship with DJ culture, analogue music with electronic, ideas from the past with sounds from now. To create something new. Connecting dance music with graphic design, art and underground fashion.
Kapote and his gang release vinyl, posters, shirts, art fanzines and make exhibitions and partys.

Toy Tonics started in Berlin as a underground niche project. But now became the key label of the new house, wild style disco and organic dance music scene.
Probably one of Berlin's biggest electronic music phenomena along with Keinemusik and Live from Earth.

It went fast: 2020 Kapote's crew started to make small parties in Berlin's off spaces. The "Toy Tonics Jams". The parties became "talk of the town", and Berlin clubs like Griesmühle and Panorama Bar invited the crew. Then international clubs and festival called. Toy Tonics were invited to SONAR (playing the mainstage with Kaytranada and DJ Tennis), KALA festival, Montreux Jazz festival.
Now TT has a residency at Panorama Bar Berlin and sold out events in Europe leading clubs like Phonox in London, Rex Club in Paris, Tunnel in Milan.
Toy Tonics now is the reference brand of a new generation of music loving dancers. Similar to Gomma records, Kapote's former label (2003 - 2015) that was one of the key labels of the "indie dance" scene of the Y2K years (along with DFA and Output Records).

Kapote created a multi-cultural movement with graphic designers, photographers, illustrators from the Berlin scene.
They publish the Toy Tonics Pocket Poster magazine, posters and design shirts. They organize the Toy Tonics Pop Up Galleries mixing music and art. In underground venues in Berlin and in new gallery spaces and museums around Europe.
Toy Tonics has been invited by Palais de Tokio museum in Paris, Triennale Museum Berlin, Design week Milano to create events.
The new Kapote album
The 12 tracks have a very own style. Based on dance music, but going much further. "Para Mytho Disco' is a futuristic mix of sounds. It's far away from the dark monotone techno and trance music from Kapote's hometown Berlin. Instead, he creates warm friendly atmospheres full of sonic colours and little musical surprises.
Kapote's knowlege of music history and his backround as a jazz piano student and son of classic music composer is clearly inside this music. Before turning into a DJ and electronic music producer he has been playing in bands since he was 13 years old.
The album is full of emotional chord progressions played by Kapote on various keyboards. Sometimes reminding music from the past, without being retro at all. The basslines and melodies are inspired by jazz fusion from the 1970ies. And he programmed syncopated grooves that come from afro-american dance music. There are influences from Japanese electronic music (Yellow Magic Orchestra), from 1980s Synthwave and from 1990s electronica (like Squarepusher and Luke Vibert).

Kapote plays keys, bass, flutes and percussions, he plays synth solos and sings on a few tracks. The complexity of the arrangements makes this music never boring. Lot of melodies and solos that catch the listener. Colourful soundscapes that make you want to listen or dance to this album more, and discover details also after you heard it several times.

Kapote background

Before starting Toy Tonics, Kapote used to run a label called Gomma. He produced four albums under the name Munk and music for other artists.
He produced music with Peaches, Franz Ferdinand founder Nick McCarthy, with New York street art legend The Rammellzee, Italian actress Asia Argento, the first three albums of WhoMadeWho and worked with LCD Soundsystem (listen to "Kick out the chairs", the Munk song with James Murphy )
In those "Gomma days" Kapote aka Munk was also one of the main DJs for VICE magazine parties and made music for art projects and fashion brands (Margiela, Prada, Colette).
In 2015 he stopped Munk and Gomma and started Toy Tonics. He found young producers and helped to develop their sound (Coeo, Cody Currie, Gee Lane, Barbara Boeing, Sam Ruffillo). Later he founded the sublabel Kryptox to release music by Berlin based bands that make new forms of jazz or neo classical sounds.

Under the name Kapote Mathias didnt release much:
Only his Kapote debut album "What it is" (2019) and an EP called "Electric Slide" (2022) and a collabo EP with Italian producer Sam Ruffillo ("Robot Salsa").

An although his Munk and Kapote music was an underground phenomena his music has always been a favourite of many great people from the scene.
Supported by DJs like Harvey, Chromeo, Moodymann, Jennifer Cardini, Gerd Janson, MYD, Andrew Weatherall to Blessed Madonna, Justice and Laurent Garnier… to name just a few.





Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore