12" Excl
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Cat-No:RBxPP001
Release-Date:20.09.2024
Genre:House
Configuration:12" Excl
Barcode:4251804182256
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Cat-No:RBxPP001
Release-Date:20.09.2024
Genre:House
Configuration:12" Excl
Barcode:4251804182256
1
Krystal Klear & La Raf - Boli Boli – Extended Mix
2
Krystal Klear & La Raf - Boli Boli – Dub-strumental
3
Krystal Klear & La Raf - I See – Balkan Bass Tool
4
Krystal Klear & La Raf - I See – Demo Mix
12"
Tracklist:
A1. Boli Boli – Extended Mix
A2. Boli Boli – Dub-strumental
B1. I See – Balkan Bass Tool
B2. I See – Demo Mix
German Powerhouse Labels Public Possession and Running Back Team up to bring you a nostalgic tribute to 80s Disco-Synth-Pop and Balkan Self-Pity. In a blend of cultural nostalgia and contemporary resonance, be-friended artists Krystal Klear and La Raf are set to release their first collaborative record titled "Boli Boli" (It hurts, it hurts) this autumn. The record is a steamy homage to the 80s disco-synth-pop. La Raf’s vocals equipped with Krystal Klear’s sound remind us of the bittersweet memories of the bygone yet still beloved music-era from former Yugoslavia.
The song came to life during a spontaneous creative outburst when Krystal and Raf reunited in a studio in London last year. Singer La Raf, a Croatian native based in Berlin, channeled the raw emotions of a not so recent break-up regret into the lyrics of "Boli Boli."
Infused with Balkan self-pity, the song delivers a very personal experience of pain and regret, not as mere sorrow but as a confident, joyful indulgence in one's own grief. This emotional depth finds a perfect counterpart in Krystal Klear’s talent for crafting melodies
that evoke both happiness and melancholia. Together, they have created a track that is as introspective as it is danceable, offering its listeners a glimpse into a world where sadness is embraced with a sense of pride and joy, capturing the cultural tapestry of the Balkan region.
More
Tracklist:
A1. Boli Boli – Extended Mix
A2. Boli Boli – Dub-strumental
B1. I See – Balkan Bass Tool
B2. I See – Demo Mix
German Powerhouse Labels Public Possession and Running Back Team up to bring you a nostalgic tribute to 80s Disco-Synth-Pop and Balkan Self-Pity. In a blend of cultural nostalgia and contemporary resonance, be-friended artists Krystal Klear and La Raf are set to release their first collaborative record titled "Boli Boli" (It hurts, it hurts) this autumn. The record is a steamy homage to the 80s disco-synth-pop. La Raf’s vocals equipped with Krystal Klear’s sound remind us of the bittersweet memories of the bygone yet still beloved music-era from former Yugoslavia.
The song came to life during a spontaneous creative outburst when Krystal and Raf reunited in a studio in London last year. Singer La Raf, a Croatian native based in Berlin, channeled the raw emotions of a not so recent break-up regret into the lyrics of "Boli Boli."
Infused with Balkan self-pity, the song delivers a very personal experience of pain and regret, not as mere sorrow but as a confident, joyful indulgence in one's own grief. This emotional depth finds a perfect counterpart in Krystal Klear’s talent for crafting melodies
that evoke both happiness and melancholia. Together, they have created a track that is as introspective as it is danceable, offering its listeners a glimpse into a world where sadness is embraced with a sense of pride and joy, capturing the cultural tapestry of the Balkan region.
More
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12" Excl
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Label:Caribbean Shaketown
Cat-No:ST02
Release-Date:04.10.2024
Configuration:12" Excl
Barcode:
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Label:Caribbean Shaketown
Cat-No:ST02
Release-Date:04.10.2024
Configuration:12" Excl
Barcode:
1
Unknown - Zisou (Magic Jams' Dub Edit)
2
Unknown - Soleil Choco (Magic Jams' Extended Club Remix)
3
Unknown - Love Energy (Noema Edit)
4
Unkown - Cha Cha (Magic Jams' Rondo Edit)
Vinyl Only!
The Shaketown series strikes again! This time, we’re diving into the vibrant rhythms of the Caribbean,
delivering four dazzling zouk gems, each reimagined with a fresh and modern twist. Following in the
footsteps of Noema’s legendary edit of Ata Kak’s “Daa Nyinaa”, the brand new CARIBBEAN
SHAKETOWN EP is packed with uplifting grooves, infectious Balearic synths, and vocals that will
keep you hooked from start to finish.
Guiding this sonic adventure is David Benjamin, aka NOEMA, aka MAGIC JAMS - a DJ, Producer,
Guitarist and Label Owner from Berlin. In his studio work, he has released one very well received
album as well as several EPs, remixes and edits. In this context he collaborated with heavy weights
like Apparat, Dj Dixon, and Grammy winners Basement Jaxx as well as electronic music underground
heroes such as Lauer, Kalabrese, Shubostar, O/Y, Acid Pauli, Auntie Flo, Dreems, Khidja, Panthera
Krause and Mehmet Aslan.
Looking back at more than 25 years of DJing, David is a true master at the decks. Constantly refining
his craft during a former 10-year residency at the legendary Berlin Club institution Wilde Renate, he
developed a unique style combining an outstanding selection, ranging from Disco to IndieDance and
House, with out-of-this-world mixing skills. While David releases and plays rather electronic,
contemporary and psychedelic music under his NOEMA moniker, his MAGIC JAMS alias is all about
acoustic sounds and crate digging, with focus on Music of the African diaspora, Cosmic Disco and
Balearic Beat.
Furthermore David holds a diploma in classical guitar with focus on music theory, works as a
teacher/mentor and runs the highly acclaimed The Magic Movement label and released music by the
likes of Nicola Cruz, Axel Boman, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Xique-Xique, Eddie C and many more.
All proceeds of this release will be donated to the LOVE AND HOPE MUSIC SCHOOL in City Soleil,
Haiti. This beautiful project is offering free music lessons in several orphanages in one of the most
dangerous slums of Port Au Prince.
Tracklist:
THIS 1 // Zisou (Magic Jams' Dub Edit)
THIS 2 // Soleil Choco (Magic Jams' Extended Club Remix)
THAT 1 // Love Energy (Noema Edit)
THAT 2 // Cha Cha (Magic Jams' Rondo Edit) More
The Shaketown series strikes again! This time, we’re diving into the vibrant rhythms of the Caribbean,
delivering four dazzling zouk gems, each reimagined with a fresh and modern twist. Following in the
footsteps of Noema’s legendary edit of Ata Kak’s “Daa Nyinaa”, the brand new CARIBBEAN
SHAKETOWN EP is packed with uplifting grooves, infectious Balearic synths, and vocals that will
keep you hooked from start to finish.
Guiding this sonic adventure is David Benjamin, aka NOEMA, aka MAGIC JAMS - a DJ, Producer,
Guitarist and Label Owner from Berlin. In his studio work, he has released one very well received
album as well as several EPs, remixes and edits. In this context he collaborated with heavy weights
like Apparat, Dj Dixon, and Grammy winners Basement Jaxx as well as electronic music underground
heroes such as Lauer, Kalabrese, Shubostar, O/Y, Acid Pauli, Auntie Flo, Dreems, Khidja, Panthera
Krause and Mehmet Aslan.
Looking back at more than 25 years of DJing, David is a true master at the decks. Constantly refining
his craft during a former 10-year residency at the legendary Berlin Club institution Wilde Renate, he
developed a unique style combining an outstanding selection, ranging from Disco to IndieDance and
House, with out-of-this-world mixing skills. While David releases and plays rather electronic,
contemporary and psychedelic music under his NOEMA moniker, his MAGIC JAMS alias is all about
acoustic sounds and crate digging, with focus on Music of the African diaspora, Cosmic Disco and
Balearic Beat.
Furthermore David holds a diploma in classical guitar with focus on music theory, works as a
teacher/mentor and runs the highly acclaimed The Magic Movement label and released music by the
likes of Nicola Cruz, Axel Boman, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Xique-Xique, Eddie C and many more.
All proceeds of this release will be donated to the LOVE AND HOPE MUSIC SCHOOL in City Soleil,
Haiti. This beautiful project is offering free music lessons in several orphanages in one of the most
dangerous slums of Port Au Prince.
Tracklist:
THIS 1 // Zisou (Magic Jams' Dub Edit)
THIS 2 // Soleil Choco (Magic Jams' Extended Club Remix)
THAT 1 // Love Energy (Noema Edit)
THAT 2 // Cha Cha (Magic Jams' Rondo Edit) More
12" Excl
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Label:SUPERSTITION RECORDS
Cat-No:2854
Release-Date:18.11.2022
Configuration:12" Excl
Barcode:4250382447085
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Last in:22.04.2024
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Label:SUPERSTITION RECORDS
Cat-No:2854
Release-Date:18.11.2022
Configuration:12" Excl
Barcode:4250382447085
1
ENERGY 52 - Café Del Mar (Nalin & Kane Remix)
2
ENERGY 52 - Café Del Mar (Deadmau5 Remix)
Vinyl only
GENRE/S:
Progressive House, Techno, Trance
TRACKLISTS:
A1. Café Del Mar (Nalin & Kane Remix)
B1. Café Del Mar (Deadmau5 Remix)
SHORT INFO:
Energy 52’s Café Del Mar has come to represent the most euphoric and hedonistic pleasures of dancefloors - in Ibiza and all around the world - and has been remixed by some of the biggest names in electronic music. Known for its infectious melody and its strong impact on dancefloors around the globe it charted multiple times around the world and won countless awards. Now, 30 years after its first original release, Superstition Records will be putting out a new series of releases, with brand new remixes as well as some of the many remixes from across the last three decades.
The second part in the series features two of the most recognizable interpretations, which fed into the hearts of millions: the remixes from 90ies Trance legends Nalin & Kane, originally released in 1998, which takes us on a deeper trance journey, raiding the senses with warm, calming pads before lush basses come through and ultimately that famous, instantly recognizable melody, alongside iconic Deadmau5 who delivered a remarkable housegrooving deep interpretation of the classic in 2008.
After about 15 years this cult classics are finally available again on vinyl in a new cutting.
More
GENRE/S:
Progressive House, Techno, Trance
TRACKLISTS:
A1. Café Del Mar (Nalin & Kane Remix)
B1. Café Del Mar (Deadmau5 Remix)
SHORT INFO:
Energy 52’s Café Del Mar has come to represent the most euphoric and hedonistic pleasures of dancefloors - in Ibiza and all around the world - and has been remixed by some of the biggest names in electronic music. Known for its infectious melody and its strong impact on dancefloors around the globe it charted multiple times around the world and won countless awards. Now, 30 years after its first original release, Superstition Records will be putting out a new series of releases, with brand new remixes as well as some of the many remixes from across the last three decades.
The second part in the series features two of the most recognizable interpretations, which fed into the hearts of millions: the remixes from 90ies Trance legends Nalin & Kane, originally released in 1998, which takes us on a deeper trance journey, raiding the senses with warm, calming pads before lush basses come through and ultimately that famous, instantly recognizable melody, alongside iconic Deadmau5 who delivered a remarkable housegrooving deep interpretation of the classic in 2008.
After about 15 years this cult classics are finally available again on vinyl in a new cutting.
More
Label:Transmigration
Cat-No:TM/XS001
Release-Date:26.07.2024
Genre:Techno
Configuration:2LP
Barcode:
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Last in:04.10.2024
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Last in:04.10.2024
Label:Transmigration
Cat-No:TM/XS001
Release-Date:26.07.2024
Genre:Techno
Configuration:2LP
Barcode:
1
Ebi - Sou
2
Ebi - San
3
Ebi - Tsuru
4
Ebi - Hi
5
Ebi - Zen
6
Ebi - Chuu
7
Ebi - Sei
8
Ebi - Kaze
9
Ebi - Tsuki
2024 Repress!
No introduction needed here, the collectors version of 2 previously re-issued LPs on Transmigration no available as one double LP. Now complete with Obi strip and insert.
Susumu Yokota's vision of techno - house, lovingly collected in collaboration with Space Teddy and the Yokota family. Presented through linear notes in English and Japanese with archival photos from Uwe Reineke and Mijk Van Dijk. All tracks have been remastered by Steffen Müller.
Very limited quantities! More
No introduction needed here, the collectors version of 2 previously re-issued LPs on Transmigration no available as one double LP. Now complete with Obi strip and insert.
Susumu Yokota's vision of techno - house, lovingly collected in collaboration with Space Teddy and the Yokota family. Presented through linear notes in English and Japanese with archival photos from Uwe Reineke and Mijk Van Dijk. All tracks have been remastered by Steffen Müller.
Very limited quantities! More
LP Excl
in stock
Label:Be With Records
Cat-No:BEWITH006LP
Release-Date:12.05.2023
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:LP Excl
Barcode:8713748984588
in stock
Last in:13.09.2023
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Last in:13.09.2023
Label:Be With Records
Cat-No:BEWITH006LP
Release-Date:12.05.2023
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:LP Excl
Barcode:8713748984588
1
letta mbulu - Sweet Juju
2
letta mbulu - Nomalizo
3
letta mbulu - Nkedama
4
letta mbulu - Hamba Nam We
5
letta mbulu - Vumani Makhos
6
letta mbulu - Down By The River
7
letta mbulu - The Village
2023 repress
Tracklist:
A1 Sweet Juju (4:45)
A2 Nomalizo (5:10)
A3 Nkedama (4:44)
A4 Hamba Nam We (4:36)
B1 Vumani Makhosi (4:57)
B2 Down By The River (5:09)
B3 The Village (4:25)
Release Notes
Originally released in South Africa in 1983, In The Music… The Village Never Ends is one of those holy grail African records that barely needs any introduction. Featuring the enormous “Nomalizo”, it’s a record that aficionados around the world have been waiting many years for. Now, Be With Records proudly presents the hugely anticipated vinyl reissue of this bona fide classic.
This release is officially licensed and has been lovingly mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis (Claremont 56 mastering engineer). It has been pressed on audiophile 180g vinyl for the first time and features the original, rarely seen artwork.
South African singer Letta Mbulu possesses one of the most beautiful voices the world has ever known. Her immaculate voice emits a sweetness that radiates from deep within, brimming with a joy of life and inspiring a spirit of hope and happiness. On this album, her voice soars over a strident musical force that veers between disco, soul and pop music of the most incredible kind. The gleaming guitars recall disco’s finest hours while the thump of the beats anticipate 80s British soul.
News of this reissue has already been causing a significant stir amongst those in the know so do not sleep on this - you have been warned! More
Tracklist:
A1 Sweet Juju (4:45)
A2 Nomalizo (5:10)
A3 Nkedama (4:44)
A4 Hamba Nam We (4:36)
B1 Vumani Makhosi (4:57)
B2 Down By The River (5:09)
B3 The Village (4:25)
Release Notes
Originally released in South Africa in 1983, In The Music… The Village Never Ends is one of those holy grail African records that barely needs any introduction. Featuring the enormous “Nomalizo”, it’s a record that aficionados around the world have been waiting many years for. Now, Be With Records proudly presents the hugely anticipated vinyl reissue of this bona fide classic.
This release is officially licensed and has been lovingly mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis (Claremont 56 mastering engineer). It has been pressed on audiophile 180g vinyl for the first time and features the original, rarely seen artwork.
South African singer Letta Mbulu possesses one of the most beautiful voices the world has ever known. Her immaculate voice emits a sweetness that radiates from deep within, brimming with a joy of life and inspiring a spirit of hope and happiness. On this album, her voice soars over a strident musical force that veers between disco, soul and pop music of the most incredible kind. The gleaming guitars recall disco’s finest hours while the thump of the beats anticipate 80s British soul.
News of this reissue has already been causing a significant stir amongst those in the know so do not sleep on this - you have been warned! More
Label:Be With Records
Cat-No:bewith011twelve
Release-Date:12.07.2019
Configuration:12" Excl
Barcode:4251648412564
in stock
Last in:26.06.2019
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Last in:26.06.2019
Label:Be With Records
Cat-No:bewith011twelve
Release-Date:12.07.2019
Configuration:12" Excl
Barcode:4251648412564
1
Skyy - A1 : Here’s To You (5:21)
2
Skyy - B1 : You Got Me Up (5:07)
Track List:
A1 : Here’s To You (5:21)
B1 : You Got Me Up (5:07)
Release Notes:
The word masterpiece gets bandied about a lot. Not least by us. But here is a release that truly befits such a lofty title.
In 1980, Randy Muller’s Skyy dropped the monumental “Here’s To You”, comfortably one of the greatest dance singles of all time. Released on Salsoul, “Here’s To You” is now exceptionally hard to find in its original form. On this special Be With double-header, we present the sought-after 12" mix and back it up with the strutting “You Got Me Up”, which has never been on a 12" before.
Naturally, both are cut loud and bumping for devastating dance floor power.
A sure-fire classic of the NYC club scene and a true block party rocker, “Here’s To You” beautifully combines sweeping synth-strings, loose cymbal hits and swaggering lyrics delivered with enviable style. But the real hero is *that* bassline. Oh, wait, no, actually, it’s *that* synth refrain halfway through. Harnessing the Oberheim Matrix 12 to emulate a horn section has provided goosebumps on discerning dance floors ever since.
As Muller expressed in his 2007 Red Bull Music Academy lecture, “It’s a very special record, it’s positive and has that spontaneous, life-giving spirit in the groove. Everything locks, just pure chemistry.”
Like we said, it’s a masterpiece.
If that wasn’t enough, over on the B-side is “You Got Me Up”, a real hidden gem from Skyy’s Skyway LP. Also released in 1980, the track is a wonderful showcase of the group’s airtight rhythm section and Muller’s uncanny ear for a groove and a melody.
More
A1 : Here’s To You (5:21)
B1 : You Got Me Up (5:07)
Release Notes:
The word masterpiece gets bandied about a lot. Not least by us. But here is a release that truly befits such a lofty title.
In 1980, Randy Muller’s Skyy dropped the monumental “Here’s To You”, comfortably one of the greatest dance singles of all time. Released on Salsoul, “Here’s To You” is now exceptionally hard to find in its original form. On this special Be With double-header, we present the sought-after 12" mix and back it up with the strutting “You Got Me Up”, which has never been on a 12" before.
Naturally, both are cut loud and bumping for devastating dance floor power.
A sure-fire classic of the NYC club scene and a true block party rocker, “Here’s To You” beautifully combines sweeping synth-strings, loose cymbal hits and swaggering lyrics delivered with enviable style. But the real hero is *that* bassline. Oh, wait, no, actually, it’s *that* synth refrain halfway through. Harnessing the Oberheim Matrix 12 to emulate a horn section has provided goosebumps on discerning dance floors ever since.
As Muller expressed in his 2007 Red Bull Music Academy lecture, “It’s a very special record, it’s positive and has that spontaneous, life-giving spirit in the groove. Everything locks, just pure chemistry.”
Like we said, it’s a masterpiece.
If that wasn’t enough, over on the B-side is “You Got Me Up”, a real hidden gem from Skyy’s Skyway LP. Also released in 1980, the track is a wonderful showcase of the group’s airtight rhythm section and Muller’s uncanny ear for a groove and a melody.
More
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Label:Because Music
Cat-No:BEC5907322
Release-Date:08.10.2021
Configuration:2LP Excl
Barcode:5060899073221
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Last in:23.01.2024
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Last in:23.01.2024
Label:Because Music
Cat-No:BEC5907322
Release-Date:08.10.2021
Configuration:2LP Excl
Barcode:5060899073221
Rights : World excluding France, UK & US
2 x 140 G Black Vinyl . 5mm Spine Printed Sleeve, 2 x White Inner Sleeve. Marketing frontsticker.
DESCRIPTION / SHORT BIOG:
Cerrone, the legendary French King of Disco, is celebrating 45 years of career . All Cerrone’s greatest hits from 1976 – “Love in C minor” to now – “The Impact” for the first time on Vinyl and as Edit Versions (single edit) : Double Vinyl , 19 songs.
TRACKLIST:
A1__Supernature (Edit)
A2__Cerrone's Paradise (Edit)
A3__Look For Love (Edit)
A4__Love Is Here
A5__Je Suis Music (Edit)
B1__Give Me Love (Edit)
B2__Freak Connection (Edit)
B3__Music Of Life (Edit)
B4__2nd Chance (Feat. Tony Allen)
B5__The Impact (Edit)
C1__Love In C Minor (Edit)
C2__You Are The One (Edit)
C3__Midnight Lady (Edit)
C4__Hooked On You
D1__Therapy (Feat. James Hart)
D2__Rocket In The Pocket (Edit)
D3__Bodytalk
D4__Got To Have Loving (Edit)
D5__Club Underworld (Edit)
More
2 x 140 G Black Vinyl . 5mm Spine Printed Sleeve, 2 x White Inner Sleeve. Marketing frontsticker.
DESCRIPTION / SHORT BIOG:
Cerrone, the legendary French King of Disco, is celebrating 45 years of career . All Cerrone’s greatest hits from 1976 – “Love in C minor” to now – “The Impact” for the first time on Vinyl and as Edit Versions (single edit) : Double Vinyl , 19 songs.
TRACKLIST:
A1__Supernature (Edit)
A2__Cerrone's Paradise (Edit)
A3__Look For Love (Edit)
A4__Love Is Here
A5__Je Suis Music (Edit)
B1__Give Me Love (Edit)
B2__Freak Connection (Edit)
B3__Music Of Life (Edit)
B4__2nd Chance (Feat. Tony Allen)
B5__The Impact (Edit)
C1__Love In C Minor (Edit)
C2__You Are The One (Edit)
C3__Midnight Lady (Edit)
C4__Hooked On You
D1__Therapy (Feat. James Hart)
D2__Rocket In The Pocket (Edit)
D3__Bodytalk
D4__Got To Have Loving (Edit)
D5__Club Underworld (Edit)
More
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in stock
Last in:06.03.2024
Label:Ed Banger
Cat-No:bec5772110
Release-Date:18.04.2011
Genre:Electro
Configuration:2LP Excl
Barcode:5060107721104
RE-RELEASE! No one can say they didn’t see these two brats coming! Justice, who’s name the world (well at least that part of the world that loves to dance) chants with emotion and whose first album is awaited with bated breath ever since the French duo revolutionised dancefloors with two radically different hits. It comes as no surprise that «†», the first album by Justice, is a fantastic treat for the ears and for the feet. A kind of musical opera marked with religious and baroque symbols, where the melodies are ripped to shreds by the beats, where electro teaches rock a lesson and where pop gets a botox injection.
More
12" Excl
in stock
Label:Be With Records
Cat-No:bewith014twelve
Release-Date:24.04.2020
Configuration:12" Excl
Barcode:4251648417644
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Last in:27.03.2020
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Label:Be With Records
Cat-No:bewith014twelve
Release-Date:24.04.2020
Configuration:12" Excl
Barcode:4251648417644
1
Sass - A1 : Much Too Much (5:52)
2
Sass - B1 : Much Too Much - Instrumental (6:15)
Format Notes: 2020 re-issue, 140g vinyl, 45 RPM, audio from the original tapes, plain sleeve
Track List:
A1 : Much Too Much (5:52)
B1 : Much Too Much - Instrumental (6:15)
Release Notes:
Be With hereby presents aural perfection.
Don’t let the title mislead you, “Much Too Much” by Sass has just the right amount of everything, whether you’re talking about the vocal or the instrumental. And that’s as true now as it was when it was originally released back in 1982.
In 1981 The Jack Sass Band, as they were known, were still working the NYC club circuit. Along with the likes of Change, The BB & Q Band and High Fashion, they were part of the Little Macho Music phenomenon and that’s how they ended up in an 8 track studio on 7th Avenue near 20th Street, where Little Macho recorded demos.
Produced by the band’s vocalist Mic Murphy, who also wrote the track along with fellow band member LaForrest Cope, the band needed just one session to capture “Much Too Much”. The recording studio just so happened to be run by Silvio Tancredi and when the tracks were finished he offered to put them out on his 25 West record label. The vocal version and an instrumental mix were released as a 12" the following year. Mic tells us this meant Sass “were one of the few bands to have a record release while still playing on the club circuit. So the reaction exceeded our expectations at the time”.
According to Mic “Much Too Much” was something a little different from the band’s live sound at the time, “it was more R&B smoothed out than the more funk rock we usually leaned into”. Indeed, the track glides with grace, poise and patience. The elegant, easy tempo, combined with the magnificent melody and Mic’s signature sublime vocal conjures magic. The blend of deep boogie-funk power and heavenly sweetness is both infectious and goosebump-inducing.
Over on the flip-side, the instrumental slaps harder. Without Mic’s vocal it’s just pure groove, with nothing to stop you vibing all night - the bassline, the drums and the melody still connect. Hard. Pick your side, you won’t lose.
Working directly with Mic Murphy means that the audio for this re-issue of the classic 12" comes from the original tapes. Cut at 45 RPM and released in a plain sleeve, we’ve made sure this record is well up to the job of having a permanent place in every DJ’s bag. As far as we’re concerned, this is essential stuff.
Mic told us just how much it means to him to have “Much To Much” re-issued: “It’s an amazing feeling to have something you created almost 40 years ago still have relevance and even more amazing to be considered among the Northern Soul boogie anthems. And it’s especially important to me that we’re available again on vinyl”.
More
Track List:
A1 : Much Too Much (5:52)
B1 : Much Too Much - Instrumental (6:15)
Release Notes:
Be With hereby presents aural perfection.
Don’t let the title mislead you, “Much Too Much” by Sass has just the right amount of everything, whether you’re talking about the vocal or the instrumental. And that’s as true now as it was when it was originally released back in 1982.
In 1981 The Jack Sass Band, as they were known, were still working the NYC club circuit. Along with the likes of Change, The BB & Q Band and High Fashion, they were part of the Little Macho Music phenomenon and that’s how they ended up in an 8 track studio on 7th Avenue near 20th Street, where Little Macho recorded demos.
Produced by the band’s vocalist Mic Murphy, who also wrote the track along with fellow band member LaForrest Cope, the band needed just one session to capture “Much Too Much”. The recording studio just so happened to be run by Silvio Tancredi and when the tracks were finished he offered to put them out on his 25 West record label. The vocal version and an instrumental mix were released as a 12" the following year. Mic tells us this meant Sass “were one of the few bands to have a record release while still playing on the club circuit. So the reaction exceeded our expectations at the time”.
According to Mic “Much Too Much” was something a little different from the band’s live sound at the time, “it was more R&B smoothed out than the more funk rock we usually leaned into”. Indeed, the track glides with grace, poise and patience. The elegant, easy tempo, combined with the magnificent melody and Mic’s signature sublime vocal conjures magic. The blend of deep boogie-funk power and heavenly sweetness is both infectious and goosebump-inducing.
Over on the flip-side, the instrumental slaps harder. Without Mic’s vocal it’s just pure groove, with nothing to stop you vibing all night - the bassline, the drums and the melody still connect. Hard. Pick your side, you won’t lose.
Working directly with Mic Murphy means that the audio for this re-issue of the classic 12" comes from the original tapes. Cut at 45 RPM and released in a plain sleeve, we’ve made sure this record is well up to the job of having a permanent place in every DJ’s bag. As far as we’re concerned, this is essential stuff.
Mic told us just how much it means to him to have “Much To Much” re-issued: “It’s an amazing feeling to have something you created almost 40 years ago still have relevance and even more amazing to be considered among the Northern Soul boogie anthems. And it’s especially important to me that we’re available again on vinyl”.
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Label:Be With Records
Cat-No:bewith102lp
Release-Date:20.09.2024
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Cat-No:bewith102lp
Release-Date:20.09.2024
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1
Ian Carr’s Nucleus - A1 : Roots (9:24)
2
Ian Carr’s Nucleus - A2 : Images (4:55)
3
Ian Carr’s Nucleus - A3 : Caliban (4:35)
4
Ian Carr’s Nucleus - B1 : Whapatiti (3:22)
5
Ian Carr’s Nucleus - B2 : Capricorn (4:00)
6
Ian Carr’s Nucleus - B3 : Odokamona (3:24)
7
Ian Carr’s Nucleus - B4 : Southern Roots And Celebration (7:45)
Format Notes: 2024 repress, 140g vinyl, remastered from the original analogue tapes
Track List:
1 A1 : Roots (9:24)
2 A2 : Images (4:55)
3 A3 : Caliban (4:35)
4 B1 : Whapatiti (3:22)
5 B2 : Capricorn (4:00)
6 B3 : Odokamona (3:24)
7 B4 : Southern Roots And Celebration (7:45)
Release Notes:
What an unbelievable record. From the wild cover to the iconic breakbeats, Roots from Ian Carr’s Nucleus is one of the dopest albums we know. This is seriously thick, funky-prog jazz-rock heaven. Originally released on Vertigo in 1973, other than a couple of versions at the time for other territories, Roots was never re-pressed since so it’s gone on to become another one of those impossible to find records.
Maybe it was a little too out there for the time, but it’s aged very, very well indeed and this Be With re-issue, re-mastered from the original analogue tapes, shows off just why this deserves to be back in press.
Genius trumpeter and visionary composer Ian Carr was one of the most respected British musicians of his era. He was a true pioneer and saw the potential in fusing the worlds of jazz with rock, just as Miles Davis and The Tony Williams Lifetime did in the US. In late 1969, following the demise of the Rendell-Carr quintet, and tiring of British jazz, Carr assembled the legendary Nucleus. Regarding music as a continuous process, Nucleus refused to “recognise rigid boundaries” and worked on delivering what they saw as a “total musical experience”. We can get behind that.
Under bandleader Carr, Nucleus existed as a fluid line-up of inventive, skilled musicians. This constant evolution and revolution was all part of the continuous musical exploration and discovery that took jazz to new levels.
Working together with producer Fritz Fryer and engineer Roger Wake, the seven compositions by Carr, Brian Smith and Dave MacRae that make up Roots flirt with perfection, and Nucleus at that time made up of the cream of 1970s UK jazz with Brian Smith on tenor saxophones and flutes, Dave MacRae on piano and electric piano, Jocelyn Pitchen on guitar, Roger Sutton on bass, both Clive Thacker and Aureo De Souza on drums and percussion, Joy Yates delivering the vocals and of course Carr on trumpet.
The spellbinding title track immediately renders the album indispensable. Riding the illest of loping breakbeats, “Roots” is low-slung, doped-out heist-funk. An absolute monster. If it sounds familiar then that’s likely down to it being sampled by Madlib for Lootpack and Quasimoto’s “Loop Digga”, as well as by a whole host of beat manipulators. “Roots” conjures prime instrumental hip-hop / beat music, only 20 years ahead of its time. Truly, these are the roots. Through sinuous bass, twinkling keys and a hypnotic guitar riff, a smoky brass motif weaves its way into a gloriously deep haze around Carr’s solos. “Roots” is over 9 minutes long, but there’s not a single wasted second, not surprising given that this is a condensed version of an originally 40 minute long commissioned composition.
The soothing vocal fusion delight of “Images” follows. Meticulously constructed, with gorgeous flute work from Brian Smith, with Joy Yates’ silky vocals and Dave MacRae’s Rhodes never sounding better. The cool, driving “Caliban” closes out the first side. Originally the third movement in a four part commission to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday it stands up on its own, all robust rhythms and blended brass. Keyboard colour and Carr’s trumpet are splashed across the funk drums and basslines (and there’s even some bamboo flute). This really is fusion: the elements of jazz and rock coming together in beautifully synthesis.
Side two opens in riotous fashion with the short, thrilling samba of “Wapatiti”. Next up, “Capricorn” forms a smoothed-out, jazzy constellation. Mellow and dreamy, its twinkling percussion and languid horns slowly build the vibe before head-nod drums and a killer bassline enter the fray. With a distinct heaviness that Black Sabbath would’ve envied, “Odokamona” is a venomous slice of riff-soaked jazz metal (yes, you read that right), elevated by Carr’s wah-wah horns.
The album closes with MacRae’s exceptionally cosmic “Southern Roots and Celebration”. Very much in conversation with Weather Report, it opens as a languorous, spiritual jazz of chiming keys and serene guitar that turns slowly, gorgeously into a mid-paced, brass-laced banger. It’s another sure-fire party starter and the sound of the band having a righteous blast, building an ecstatic chaos that ends with Yates screaming.
And of course we need to talk about Keith Davis’ cover for Roots. Perhaps the coolest record cover of all time? Certainly one of the most bonkers. Just your run-of-the-mill high-gloss, acid-tinged airbrush dystopian/utopian living-room party scene. Consider this your chemical flashback trigger warning.
Front-and-centre the hip-to-death green robot holds court with their giant ball of yellow barbwire wool, hooked up to… something(?) being teased out from under the stairs (probably best not to ask). A thoroughly zoned-out, long-legged Pop Art party-goer lounges half-plugged in to the painting behind her as a pair of legs flail into shot from the the top of the stairs opposite. We won’t even begin to guess what the chap’s up to in the middle, but the view out of the windows is rather nice, and someone’s already got the hoover out ready to tidy up. All of the Nucleus sleeves are something special, but this particular one? Crikey.
This Be With edition of Roots has been re-mastered from the original Vertigo master tapes, Simon Francis’ mastering working together with Pete Norman’s cut to weave their usual magic with these wonderful recordings. The crazy cover has been restored at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.
More
Track List:
1 A1 : Roots (9:24)
2 A2 : Images (4:55)
3 A3 : Caliban (4:35)
4 B1 : Whapatiti (3:22)
5 B2 : Capricorn (4:00)
6 B3 : Odokamona (3:24)
7 B4 : Southern Roots And Celebration (7:45)
Release Notes:
What an unbelievable record. From the wild cover to the iconic breakbeats, Roots from Ian Carr’s Nucleus is one of the dopest albums we know. This is seriously thick, funky-prog jazz-rock heaven. Originally released on Vertigo in 1973, other than a couple of versions at the time for other territories, Roots was never re-pressed since so it’s gone on to become another one of those impossible to find records.
Maybe it was a little too out there for the time, but it’s aged very, very well indeed and this Be With re-issue, re-mastered from the original analogue tapes, shows off just why this deserves to be back in press.
Genius trumpeter and visionary composer Ian Carr was one of the most respected British musicians of his era. He was a true pioneer and saw the potential in fusing the worlds of jazz with rock, just as Miles Davis and The Tony Williams Lifetime did in the US. In late 1969, following the demise of the Rendell-Carr quintet, and tiring of British jazz, Carr assembled the legendary Nucleus. Regarding music as a continuous process, Nucleus refused to “recognise rigid boundaries” and worked on delivering what they saw as a “total musical experience”. We can get behind that.
Under bandleader Carr, Nucleus existed as a fluid line-up of inventive, skilled musicians. This constant evolution and revolution was all part of the continuous musical exploration and discovery that took jazz to new levels.
Working together with producer Fritz Fryer and engineer Roger Wake, the seven compositions by Carr, Brian Smith and Dave MacRae that make up Roots flirt with perfection, and Nucleus at that time made up of the cream of 1970s UK jazz with Brian Smith on tenor saxophones and flutes, Dave MacRae on piano and electric piano, Jocelyn Pitchen on guitar, Roger Sutton on bass, both Clive Thacker and Aureo De Souza on drums and percussion, Joy Yates delivering the vocals and of course Carr on trumpet.
The spellbinding title track immediately renders the album indispensable. Riding the illest of loping breakbeats, “Roots” is low-slung, doped-out heist-funk. An absolute monster. If it sounds familiar then that’s likely down to it being sampled by Madlib for Lootpack and Quasimoto’s “Loop Digga”, as well as by a whole host of beat manipulators. “Roots” conjures prime instrumental hip-hop / beat music, only 20 years ahead of its time. Truly, these are the roots. Through sinuous bass, twinkling keys and a hypnotic guitar riff, a smoky brass motif weaves its way into a gloriously deep haze around Carr’s solos. “Roots” is over 9 minutes long, but there’s not a single wasted second, not surprising given that this is a condensed version of an originally 40 minute long commissioned composition.
The soothing vocal fusion delight of “Images” follows. Meticulously constructed, with gorgeous flute work from Brian Smith, with Joy Yates’ silky vocals and Dave MacRae’s Rhodes never sounding better. The cool, driving “Caliban” closes out the first side. Originally the third movement in a four part commission to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday it stands up on its own, all robust rhythms and blended brass. Keyboard colour and Carr’s trumpet are splashed across the funk drums and basslines (and there’s even some bamboo flute). This really is fusion: the elements of jazz and rock coming together in beautifully synthesis.
Side two opens in riotous fashion with the short, thrilling samba of “Wapatiti”. Next up, “Capricorn” forms a smoothed-out, jazzy constellation. Mellow and dreamy, its twinkling percussion and languid horns slowly build the vibe before head-nod drums and a killer bassline enter the fray. With a distinct heaviness that Black Sabbath would’ve envied, “Odokamona” is a venomous slice of riff-soaked jazz metal (yes, you read that right), elevated by Carr’s wah-wah horns.
The album closes with MacRae’s exceptionally cosmic “Southern Roots and Celebration”. Very much in conversation with Weather Report, it opens as a languorous, spiritual jazz of chiming keys and serene guitar that turns slowly, gorgeously into a mid-paced, brass-laced banger. It’s another sure-fire party starter and the sound of the band having a righteous blast, building an ecstatic chaos that ends with Yates screaming.
And of course we need to talk about Keith Davis’ cover for Roots. Perhaps the coolest record cover of all time? Certainly one of the most bonkers. Just your run-of-the-mill high-gloss, acid-tinged airbrush dystopian/utopian living-room party scene. Consider this your chemical flashback trigger warning.
Front-and-centre the hip-to-death green robot holds court with their giant ball of yellow barbwire wool, hooked up to… something(?) being teased out from under the stairs (probably best not to ask). A thoroughly zoned-out, long-legged Pop Art party-goer lounges half-plugged in to the painting behind her as a pair of legs flail into shot from the the top of the stairs opposite. We won’t even begin to guess what the chap’s up to in the middle, but the view out of the windows is rather nice, and someone’s already got the hoover out ready to tidy up. All of the Nucleus sleeves are something special, but this particular one? Crikey.
This Be With edition of Roots has been re-mastered from the original Vertigo master tapes, Simon Francis’ mastering working together with Pete Norman’s cut to weave their usual magic with these wonderful recordings. The crazy cover has been restored at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.
More
Label:Because Music
Cat-No:BEC5614225
Release-Date:13.09.2024
Genre:HipHop/Rap/Urban
Configuration:LP Excl
Barcode:5056556142256
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Cat-No:BEC5614225
Release-Date:13.09.2024
Genre:HipHop/Rap/Urban
Configuration:LP Excl
Barcode:5056556142256
1
LSDXOXO - A2.4LUVN
2
LSDXOXO - B4.BLOODLUST
Rights: World excluding UK & France
Format: 1 x Crystal Clear Vinyl, 3 mm spine sleeve, black dust inner sleeve, marketing sticker
the Single Tracks A2.4LUVN and B4.BLOODLUST are available as prelisten.
TRACKLISTING
A1.REPEAT (INTERLUDE)
A2.4LUVN
A3.BRAND NEW
A4.GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS
A5.GHOST
A6.BLINDED FT. ROCHELLE JORDAN
-----
B1.WITCHING HOUR
B2.BLACK LIGHT
B3.WASTELAND
B4.BLOODLUST
B5.SUPERSTAR
SUMMER TOUR DATES
May 25th Parrhesia Parallel (DJ) Amsterdam - NL
June 7th Praga Centrum (DJ) Warzawa - PL
July 5th Roskilde Festival (Live) Roskilde - DK
July 19th Dour Festival (Live) Dour - BE
August 9th Øyafestivalen (Live) Oslo - NO
BIOG
The principles of pleasure radiate a knowing, carnal heat throughout the genre-fluid sound of LSDXOXO. His decade of dedication to the sensibility of underground club culture has brought forth club classics interwoven with pop music hooks and subversive, tongue-in-cheek lyrics.
After four years of what LSDXOXO, real name RJ Glasgow, calls a period of "healing and self-discovery," he is consolidating his multiplicitous sound with one compelling masterstroke: the debut album DOGMA, to be released on his own imprint F.A.G. DOGMA marks a complete paradigmatic shift: it is a poetic and fantastical performance, a route for deep escapism through an expanded musical palette including piano and guitar, and a deeply personal confessional through a fresh approach to songcrafting.
Within DOGMA, RJ meditates on the interlinked qualities of fame, infamy, lust and submission, as he rediscovers a pure, unadulterated approach to music-making, all the while adopting a futurist approach to pop music appreciation. RJ's unmistakable signatures-the smutty dancefloor caller, the maker of irresistible bangers, the latter-day electroclash and DnB nostalgist-take on even more shades and intricacies. Despite his widespread acclaim as a collaborator with and songwriter for other artists, RJ strips DOGMA down almost exclusively to himself, carving out intentional space as a chameleonic vocalist and performer. He breathes life into the album with private thoughts, external fears and a red thread through personal themes that crystallise the album's narrative from front to back.
The album's promo single "Bloodlust" offers angsty, intimate indie-tronica, and musings on the intoxicating nature of love and infatuation. The lead single "Ghost" reaches beyond RJ's Philadelphia origins to find itself in the deep south, in a sultry fever dream of coquettish R&B featuring backing vocals from close collaborator Kelela. Elsewhere on the album futuristic love, pensive pop earworms, evocative vintage dance styles and sleazy club tracks intermingle. While the DOGMA era will eventually explore remixes and reworks, the album is RJ's purest embrace of himself and his artistry.
RJ first garnered attention as LSDXOXO in New York City with his on-the-pulse Soundcloud edits and then as part of the cult GHE20GOTH1K collective. His DJ sets and productions quickly earned him acclaim across globally-linked underground scenes. His decision to shift from sampled vocals to picking up the pen and microphone pushed his reach out to the stratosphere; his association with XL Recordings via the Dedicated 2 Disrespect EP in 2021 was a turning point for the burgeoning superstar.
This multiplicity of the LSDXOXO sound has led to enviable co-signs. These include being selected as the opening DJ for Beyoncé's German Renaissance tour dates, remixing Lady Gaga, Pink Pantheress and Shygirl and producing five tracks for Kelela's highly acclaimed 2023 album for Warp Records, Raven. His fully-realised live show has also taken to the stage, serving fierce charisma to huge audiences at festivals including Primavera, Nuits Sonores and Rewire.
More
Format: 1 x Crystal Clear Vinyl, 3 mm spine sleeve, black dust inner sleeve, marketing sticker
the Single Tracks A2.4LUVN and B4.BLOODLUST are available as prelisten.
TRACKLISTING
A1.REPEAT (INTERLUDE)
A2.4LUVN
A3.BRAND NEW
A4.GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS
A5.GHOST
A6.BLINDED FT. ROCHELLE JORDAN
-----
B1.WITCHING HOUR
B2.BLACK LIGHT
B3.WASTELAND
B4.BLOODLUST
B5.SUPERSTAR
SUMMER TOUR DATES
May 25th Parrhesia Parallel (DJ) Amsterdam - NL
June 7th Praga Centrum (DJ) Warzawa - PL
July 5th Roskilde Festival (Live) Roskilde - DK
July 19th Dour Festival (Live) Dour - BE
August 9th Øyafestivalen (Live) Oslo - NO
BIOG
The principles of pleasure radiate a knowing, carnal heat throughout the genre-fluid sound of LSDXOXO. His decade of dedication to the sensibility of underground club culture has brought forth club classics interwoven with pop music hooks and subversive, tongue-in-cheek lyrics.
After four years of what LSDXOXO, real name RJ Glasgow, calls a period of "healing and self-discovery," he is consolidating his multiplicitous sound with one compelling masterstroke: the debut album DOGMA, to be released on his own imprint F.A.G. DOGMA marks a complete paradigmatic shift: it is a poetic and fantastical performance, a route for deep escapism through an expanded musical palette including piano and guitar, and a deeply personal confessional through a fresh approach to songcrafting.
Within DOGMA, RJ meditates on the interlinked qualities of fame, infamy, lust and submission, as he rediscovers a pure, unadulterated approach to music-making, all the while adopting a futurist approach to pop music appreciation. RJ's unmistakable signatures-the smutty dancefloor caller, the maker of irresistible bangers, the latter-day electroclash and DnB nostalgist-take on even more shades and intricacies. Despite his widespread acclaim as a collaborator with and songwriter for other artists, RJ strips DOGMA down almost exclusively to himself, carving out intentional space as a chameleonic vocalist and performer. He breathes life into the album with private thoughts, external fears and a red thread through personal themes that crystallise the album's narrative from front to back.
The album's promo single "Bloodlust" offers angsty, intimate indie-tronica, and musings on the intoxicating nature of love and infatuation. The lead single "Ghost" reaches beyond RJ's Philadelphia origins to find itself in the deep south, in a sultry fever dream of coquettish R&B featuring backing vocals from close collaborator Kelela. Elsewhere on the album futuristic love, pensive pop earworms, evocative vintage dance styles and sleazy club tracks intermingle. While the DOGMA era will eventually explore remixes and reworks, the album is RJ's purest embrace of himself and his artistry.
RJ first garnered attention as LSDXOXO in New York City with his on-the-pulse Soundcloud edits and then as part of the cult GHE20GOTH1K collective. His DJ sets and productions quickly earned him acclaim across globally-linked underground scenes. His decision to shift from sampled vocals to picking up the pen and microphone pushed his reach out to the stratosphere; his association with XL Recordings via the Dedicated 2 Disrespect EP in 2021 was a turning point for the burgeoning superstar.
This multiplicity of the LSDXOXO sound has led to enviable co-signs. These include being selected as the opening DJ for Beyoncé's German Renaissance tour dates, remixing Lady Gaga, Pink Pantheress and Shygirl and producing five tracks for Kelela's highly acclaimed 2023 album for Warp Records, Raven. His fully-realised live show has also taken to the stage, serving fierce charisma to huge audiences at festivals including Primavera, Nuits Sonores and Rewire.
More
Label:Be With Records
Cat-No:bewith131lp
Release-Date:25.08.2023
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:2LP Excl
Barcode:4251804140140
in stock
Last in:02.08.2023
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in stock
Last in:02.08.2023
Label:Be With Records
Cat-No:bewith131lp
Release-Date:25.08.2023
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:2LP Excl
Barcode:4251804140140
1
The Tony Williams Lifetime
- Emergency (9:35)
2
The Tony Williams Lifetime
- Beyond Games (8:20)
3
The Tony Williams Lifetime
- Where (12:09)
4
The Tony Williams Lifetime
- Vashkar (4:58)
5
The Tony Williams Lifetime
- Via The Spectrum Road (7:50)
6
The Tony Williams Lifetime
- Spectrum (9:52)
7
The Tony Williams Lifetime
- Sangria For Three (13:08)
8
The Tony Williams Lifetime
- Something Spiritual (5:38)
Territories: Worldwide no restrictions
Format Notes: 2023 first time vinyl reissue, 140g double vinyl, remastered audio with restored artwork
Track List:
A1 Emergency 9:35
A2 Beyond Games 8:20
--
B1 Where 12:09
B2 Vashkar 4:58
--
C1 Via The Spectrum Road 7:50
C2 Spectrum 9:52
--
D1 Sangria For Three 13:08
D2 Something Spiritual 5:38
Release Notes:
Miles Davis: "I could definitely hear right away that this was going to be one of the baddest motherfuckers who had ever played a set of drums.”
The Tony Williams Lifetime's Emergency! is a furious, stunning, seminal album. In 1969, it's explosive sound divided critics in both jazz and rock but is now rightly regarded as groundbreaking. A musical statement so bold and irreverent that it was revolutionary, it's one of the most important records you will ever hear. With Emergency!, provocative percussionist Tony Williams unified the most vital sounds of the era and galvanised the creation of jazz fusion. A sprawling double LP that shattered the boundaries between jazz and rock, it forged fresh frontiers by unleashing dense, courageous and fantastically mysterious music.
The group was founded by Tony Williams, a member of Miles Davis’ radical 1960s quintet, out of his desire to fuse the influences of modern jazz and rock music. To effectively meld the scorching bop of Coltrane with the raging rock of Hendrix, in the process crafting, as Mojo put it, "jazz-rock's equivalent of Are You Experienced?". The album's urgent title was profoundly significant for Williams: “It was an emergency for me to leave Miles and put that band together (...) and I wanted to play an emerging music that was my own." The band he formed was one hell of a power trio, comprising nothing but raw virtuosity: Williams's colossal drumming, John McLaughlin's pioneering, aggressive guitar playing and Larry Young's freeform organ work.
The album's sound is incredibly fierce and inordinately intense. Indeed, the group were famed for playing “louder than rock’n’roll”, as Herbie Hancock said of going to hear them live in 1969: "This is something new...It was exciting and very arresting. It snatched you. It yanked you out of your seat.” Ian Carr, of Nucleus, was equally impressed: "The only other comparable band that existed ...They were incredibly loud, but we liked what they were doing. Fundamentally they had a different approach from ours, with some very highly arranged things that featured Larry Young's organ blending with the guitar, as well as intricate passages where Tony doubled the melody on the drums."
Like all the very best records, Emergency! takes multiple listens for your brain and body to decipher everything going on, to truly process and appreciate the details that our senses are throwing at us. It's a mesmerising, rough sound yet the intuitive interplay of all 3 musicians is super-tight. The tunes are strung out and jamming but retain a tight rhythmic focus.
The incendiary title track immediately presents jazz-rock’s chaotic birth. After Williams's ominous snare-roll signals the brewing storm, the snarling band blasts its way through the gate in truly breathtaking fashion, fuzzed-up wahed-out guitar riffs vying for prominence with gnarled, insistent organ. Thrillingly, Williams manages to both acrobatically crash over every element of his drum kit while keeping the whole groove undeniably funky. "Beyond Games" is a gloriously volatile freeform, featuring Williams' bugged out vocals, whilst the 12-minute "Where" is another deep, wild jam. It's disorientating and humid with weird rhythms, abrupt vibe shifts and semi-classical lines running between guitar and organ. It's like nothing else you've ever heard, absolutely vital.
With the buoyant “Vashkar”, we begin to experience jazz-rock's many angles; imaginative melodics, taut dynamics and as torrent of searing heat. Perhaps the most economical track on Emergency!, it's the most instant. In a recent retrospective review in Pitchfork, Emergency! received a monumental 9.0 ranking. The writer Hank Shteamer correctly gushed: "Driven by a tumbling Williams pulse, the trio dances through the complex stop-start theme, ending each iteration with a dramatic full-band rest. Then, in the middle of McLaughlin’s scrambling solo, Williams starts playing an embryonic version of an extreme-metal blastbeat, alternating snare and bass in rapid succession while rising precipitously in volume, as Young joins in with shuddering note clusters. During Young’s solo, the organist seems to incite Williams to repeat the move with his increasingly frenzied lines, and soon all three musicians are hurtling toward a supernova climax." WOW!
The laconic "Via the Spectrum Road", a brilliant pop-psych tune, was sampled by Showbiz & AG on their classic debut LP. It oscillates between a tranquil funk groove and strutting improv interludes. The pyrotechnic jam "Spectrum" wakes things up again with pure, molten jazz lava and crazy soloing from all involved. A breathtaking, kaleidoscopic 13-minute cycle through ferocious noise, "Sangria For Three" is a sublimely frenetic detonation of distilled (acid) jazz rock. To quote Shteamer again, "Don’t let the track’s breezy title fool you: As much as, say, “Sister Ray” the year before or “Fun House” the year after, this is punk before punk." Closer "Something Spiritual" finishes this jaw-dropping set with a driving, unrelenting heavy guitar and organ freakout, backed high in the mix by Williams's untamed funk before unsettled dissonance rides us out.
Listeners will be struck by the timelessness of Emergency!; dank, trance-inducing voodoo jazz that's intellectually challenging at the same time as viscerally thrilling. The blurred cover photo, whereby the convulsing vibrations of this sonic apocalypse ensure it looks exactly as the record sounds - out of focus - has been delicately restored at Be With HQ. Mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis and cut by Cicely Ralston for Alchemy at AIR Studios, the magnificent grit and spontaneity remains dizzyingly intact. If you're a jazz fusion fan and don't already have this, consider ownership of this record as an Emergency!
More
Format Notes: 2023 first time vinyl reissue, 140g double vinyl, remastered audio with restored artwork
Track List:
A1 Emergency 9:35
A2 Beyond Games 8:20
--
B1 Where 12:09
B2 Vashkar 4:58
--
C1 Via The Spectrum Road 7:50
C2 Spectrum 9:52
--
D1 Sangria For Three 13:08
D2 Something Spiritual 5:38
Release Notes:
Miles Davis: "I could definitely hear right away that this was going to be one of the baddest motherfuckers who had ever played a set of drums.”
The Tony Williams Lifetime's Emergency! is a furious, stunning, seminal album. In 1969, it's explosive sound divided critics in both jazz and rock but is now rightly regarded as groundbreaking. A musical statement so bold and irreverent that it was revolutionary, it's one of the most important records you will ever hear. With Emergency!, provocative percussionist Tony Williams unified the most vital sounds of the era and galvanised the creation of jazz fusion. A sprawling double LP that shattered the boundaries between jazz and rock, it forged fresh frontiers by unleashing dense, courageous and fantastically mysterious music.
The group was founded by Tony Williams, a member of Miles Davis’ radical 1960s quintet, out of his desire to fuse the influences of modern jazz and rock music. To effectively meld the scorching bop of Coltrane with the raging rock of Hendrix, in the process crafting, as Mojo put it, "jazz-rock's equivalent of Are You Experienced?". The album's urgent title was profoundly significant for Williams: “It was an emergency for me to leave Miles and put that band together (...) and I wanted to play an emerging music that was my own." The band he formed was one hell of a power trio, comprising nothing but raw virtuosity: Williams's colossal drumming, John McLaughlin's pioneering, aggressive guitar playing and Larry Young's freeform organ work.
The album's sound is incredibly fierce and inordinately intense. Indeed, the group were famed for playing “louder than rock’n’roll”, as Herbie Hancock said of going to hear them live in 1969: "This is something new...It was exciting and very arresting. It snatched you. It yanked you out of your seat.” Ian Carr, of Nucleus, was equally impressed: "The only other comparable band that existed ...They were incredibly loud, but we liked what they were doing. Fundamentally they had a different approach from ours, with some very highly arranged things that featured Larry Young's organ blending with the guitar, as well as intricate passages where Tony doubled the melody on the drums."
Like all the very best records, Emergency! takes multiple listens for your brain and body to decipher everything going on, to truly process and appreciate the details that our senses are throwing at us. It's a mesmerising, rough sound yet the intuitive interplay of all 3 musicians is super-tight. The tunes are strung out and jamming but retain a tight rhythmic focus.
The incendiary title track immediately presents jazz-rock’s chaotic birth. After Williams's ominous snare-roll signals the brewing storm, the snarling band blasts its way through the gate in truly breathtaking fashion, fuzzed-up wahed-out guitar riffs vying for prominence with gnarled, insistent organ. Thrillingly, Williams manages to both acrobatically crash over every element of his drum kit while keeping the whole groove undeniably funky. "Beyond Games" is a gloriously volatile freeform, featuring Williams' bugged out vocals, whilst the 12-minute "Where" is another deep, wild jam. It's disorientating and humid with weird rhythms, abrupt vibe shifts and semi-classical lines running between guitar and organ. It's like nothing else you've ever heard, absolutely vital.
With the buoyant “Vashkar”, we begin to experience jazz-rock's many angles; imaginative melodics, taut dynamics and as torrent of searing heat. Perhaps the most economical track on Emergency!, it's the most instant. In a recent retrospective review in Pitchfork, Emergency! received a monumental 9.0 ranking. The writer Hank Shteamer correctly gushed: "Driven by a tumbling Williams pulse, the trio dances through the complex stop-start theme, ending each iteration with a dramatic full-band rest. Then, in the middle of McLaughlin’s scrambling solo, Williams starts playing an embryonic version of an extreme-metal blastbeat, alternating snare and bass in rapid succession while rising precipitously in volume, as Young joins in with shuddering note clusters. During Young’s solo, the organist seems to incite Williams to repeat the move with his increasingly frenzied lines, and soon all three musicians are hurtling toward a supernova climax." WOW!
The laconic "Via the Spectrum Road", a brilliant pop-psych tune, was sampled by Showbiz & AG on their classic debut LP. It oscillates between a tranquil funk groove and strutting improv interludes. The pyrotechnic jam "Spectrum" wakes things up again with pure, molten jazz lava and crazy soloing from all involved. A breathtaking, kaleidoscopic 13-minute cycle through ferocious noise, "Sangria For Three" is a sublimely frenetic detonation of distilled (acid) jazz rock. To quote Shteamer again, "Don’t let the track’s breezy title fool you: As much as, say, “Sister Ray” the year before or “Fun House” the year after, this is punk before punk." Closer "Something Spiritual" finishes this jaw-dropping set with a driving, unrelenting heavy guitar and organ freakout, backed high in the mix by Williams's untamed funk before unsettled dissonance rides us out.
Listeners will be struck by the timelessness of Emergency!; dank, trance-inducing voodoo jazz that's intellectually challenging at the same time as viscerally thrilling. The blurred cover photo, whereby the convulsing vibrations of this sonic apocalypse ensure it looks exactly as the record sounds - out of focus - has been delicately restored at Be With HQ. Mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis and cut by Cicely Ralston for Alchemy at AIR Studios, the magnificent grit and spontaneity remains dizzyingly intact. If you're a jazz fusion fan and don't already have this, consider ownership of this record as an Emergency!
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