Genre: Jazz, Video Game Music, Piano, Modern Jazz

CD: Limited Edition, Digipack CD, Cavalier

Tracklisting CD
01. Overworld Suite
02. Triforce Suite
03. Dungeon Suite
04. Forest Suite
05. Kawaii Suite
06. Dark World Suite
07. Boss Suite II
08. Kakariko Village

Info

*A MODERN JAZZ REINTERPRETATION OF THE MUSIC FROM THE LEGEND OF ZELDA*

WRWTFWW Records is happy to announce the release of Casimir Liberski ReTRio's The Z Suites, a full-length jazz album reinterpreting the music from iconic Nintendo video game series The Legend of Zelda. The epic Z-Jazz journey is available in the following formats: limited edition 180g half speed mastered vinyl double LP housed in a heavyweight sleeve with obi, digipack CD with cavalier, and digital.

Casimir Liberski reimagines the golden era of video game soundtracks with jazz versions of Zelda favorites The Legend of Zelda (1986), A Link to the Past (1991), Link's Awakening (1993), and Oscarina of Time (1998) - plus a few Easter eggs! Dancing between nostalgia and avant-garde, the Brussels-born pianist and composer crafts a sonic world of pixelated folklore where melody and improvisation coexist in harmony.

Music critic Arthur Meurant perfectly explains:

For many video games are a journey of the mind. Since its inception - dating back to the early seventies - this avant-garde artistic medium has nourished the imaginations of a digital age. Casimir, like many others, has been fed a steady diet of pixels from an early age. From simple squares to cultural cornerstones they have become the trail on which playful travelers of the mind retrace the steppes of history. A shared universe, familiar yet endless, of pocket-sized mythology. Its name? Hyrule. Its goal? To amaze. In these few tracks - selected with care - the Casimir Liberski ReTRio invites you, finally, to visit a space which does not exist yet holds us all. A land where all feel welcome. Where all are happy. But also... to rediscover under another timbre the classical compositions of Master Composer K?ji Kond?. A man who, unbeknownst to him, composed our dreams as well as music. That single noble pursuit, where an artist gives soul without losing his own, is yet again a statement of humanity in its purest of forms: art as that which brings us together and makes us whole in a world eroded by modernity. Pick up your key. Gather your maps. Open the door. Adventure calls.

Long live Hyrule jazz!


Points of interests

For fans of Zelda, jazz, video game music, Nintendo jazz, modern jazz, piano, Ryo Fukui, Brussels, fantasy, the 80s, the 90s, nostalgia, vintage consoles, Hyrule, thick half speed mastered vinyl, adventures, and the pleasure of feeling alive.

Limited edition vinyl and CD release of the modern jazz version of the Zelda soundtrack!




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

Genre: Jazz, Video Game Music, Piano, Modern Jazz

CD: Limited Edition, Digipack CD, Cavalier

Tracklisting CD
01. Overworld Suite
02. Triforce Suite
03. Dungeon Suite
04. Forest Suite
05. Kawaii Suite
06. Dark World Suite
07. Boss Suite II
08. Kakariko Village

Info

*A MODERN JAZZ REINTERPRETATION OF THE MUSIC FROM THE LEGEND OF ZELDA*

WRWTFWW Records is happy to announce the release of Casimir Liberski ReTRio's The Z Suites, a full-length jazz album reinterpreting the music from iconic Nintendo video game series The Legend of Zelda. The epic Z-Jazz journey is available in the following formats: limited edition 180g half speed mastered vinyl double LP housed in a heavyweight sleeve with obi, digipack CD with cavalier, and digital.

Casimir Liberski reimagines the golden era of video game soundtracks with jazz versions of Zelda favorites The Legend of Zelda (1986), A Link to the Past (1991), Link's Awakening (1993), and Oscarina of Time (1998) - plus a few Easter eggs! Dancing between nostalgia and avant-garde, the Brussels-born pianist and composer crafts a sonic world of pixelated folklore where melody and improvisation coexist in harmony.

Music critic Arthur Meurant perfectly explains:

For many video games are a journey of the mind. Since its inception - dating back to the early seventies - this avant-garde artistic medium has nourished the imaginations of a digital age. Casimir, like many others, has been fed a steady diet of pixels from an early age. From simple squares to cultural cornerstones they have become the trail on which playful travelers of the mind retrace the steppes of history. A shared universe, familiar yet endless, of pocket-sized mythology. Its name? Hyrule. Its goal? To amaze. In these few tracks - selected with care - the Casimir Liberski ReTRio invites you, finally, to visit a space which does not exist yet holds us all. A land where all feel welcome. Where all are happy. But also... to rediscover under another timbre the classical compositions of Master Composer K?ji Kond?. A man who, unbeknownst to him, composed our dreams as well as music. That single noble pursuit, where an artist gives soul without losing his own, is yet again a statement of humanity in its purest of forms: art as that which brings us together and makes us whole in a world eroded by modernity. Pick up your key. Gather your maps. Open the door. Adventure calls.

Long live Hyrule jazz!


Points of interests

For fans of Zelda, jazz, video game music, Nintendo jazz, modern jazz, piano, Ryo Fukui, Brussels, fantasy, the 80s, the 90s, nostalgia, vintage consoles, Hyrule, thick half speed mastered vinyl, adventures, and the pleasure of feeling alive.

Limited edition vinyl and CD release of the modern jazz version of the Zelda soundtrack!




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

Limited edition double lp of Mo Kolours’s new epic album on We Release JAZZ!

Genre: Jazz, Hip Hop, Reggae, Soul, Fusion, Broken Beat, Leftfield

DLP: Biovinyl, Heavy 350gsm Sleeve, Obi, Original Artwork by Mo Kolours

Tracklisting DLP
A1. Magic Momentum
A2. Rockets To Mars
A3. The News These Days
A4. Life (Skit)
A5. Love Vibration
B1. Original Flow
B2. Hold On
B3. Surviver (Skit)
B4. Tatamaka Pt.1
B5. Tatamaka Pt.2
C1. Time (Skit)
C2. Time
C3. Jinja (Skit)
C4. Kochirakoso
C5. Our Tactus
C6. Nah Personal
D1. No Chains
D2. Push Comes To Shove
D3. We No Let Y'All In
D4. Mexico (Skit)
D5. Future For Our Children

Info

We Release JAZZ is very happy to announce an exciting new body of work by Joseph Deenmamode aka Mo Kolours. The singular musical spirit’s new 21-track album Original Flow is available as a double LP housed in a heavy 350gsm sleeve with original artwork by Mo Kolours himself and the classic WRJ obi strip, as well as in digipack CD and digital formats.

A catalog of critically acclaimed records, including his self-titled debut (2014), ‘Texture Like Like Sun’ (2015), 2018 album ‘Inner Symbols’ and three companion EPs, established Deenmamode as a prodigious musician and vocalist. Pitchfork extolled his “hypnotic, tribal-infused dance grooves”, DJ Mag appreciated the “colourful celebration of soundsystem culture”, and Resident Advisor advocated that “no one sounds quite like Mo Kolours”. Musical analogies were drawn by The Guardian as “The best album Curtis Mayfield never made with A Tribe Called Quest and Lee Perry” and Mojo as “like Marvin Gaye produced by J Dilla”.

Five years ago, Deenmamode moved to the Japanese countryside. Far away from familiarity, he contemplated his place and further questioned his identity. “I had none of my ‘own’ people around. I had time to really find what makes me tick musically. Japan has helped me go back to those subconscious leanings, really go deep, and reflect the aspects that make up my story”.

The tracks on ‘Original Flow’ have been constructed from sessions, improvisations and soundbites captured around the world during this time; collecting contributions from musicians including Deenamode’s brothers Reginald Omas Mamode and Jeen Bassa plus Andrew Ashong, Charles Bullen, Dwaye Kilvington, Eddie Hick, Stefan Asanovic, Myele Manzanza, Ross Hughes, and Tom Dreissler. Deenamode says “I’m proud of this album’s creative process. Coming from a tradition of scouring through hours of records, I wanted to create my own samples, to find that perfect loop that no other producer could put their hands on. I decided to invite a group of friends and acquaintances, who also happen to be incredible musicians, to a studio in Crystal Palace to improvise based on some loose ideas I had. We spent all day, and recorded everything”.

‘Original Flow’ is an album of UK street-soul nouveau, future indigenous jazz fusion, Rasta Segga, Nyahbinghi jazz, Malagasy Hebrew hip hop. While retaining a spirit of exploration and improvisation, it sees Deenmamode grow and flex beyond beat tape brevity, expanding composition and stretching his musical muscle to play live with other musicians. Themes of empowerment, overcoming adversity, and mental liberation coexist with notes from ancient history, futurism, and science, as well as musings on family and togetherness.

‘Magik Momentum’ springs from a discussion that features at the start of the song, an inspiring mentor answering a question from Deenmamode about improvisation and what role it plays in life when planning and manifesting the future. ‘Rockets to Mars’ questions the lack of care for the billions of people with nothing, while governments plan to explore space. “This sparked a comparison in my mind to a Sonny Okuson song that I would reference when performing. Okuson’s song talked of the lack of resources in many communities in the world, while governments go to the moon”.

He says the music behind ‘The News These Days’ is “possibly my favourite on the album”. Looped like he would a late sixty jazz-fusion sample, there was nothing added and the track was complete within a matter of minutes. “It was the first and best moment from the entire Crystal Palace session”, he adds. The album’s contrasting title track with minimal instrumentation played solo by Deenamode. While frustratingly searching for gems in past recordings, he thought in a burst of ego, “I don’t need no-one else to make a dope beat!” picked up his ravanne, (the traditional frame drum of his fathers home-land of Mauritius), pressed record, and started to play. He says, “In my thoughts were the rhythms of the Nubians in Upper-Egypt and Sudan, the swing of the huge drums played by Mauritanian women, of-course the Sega beat of Mauritius, and the ever inspiring beat of James Yancey”.

Driven by UK broken beat, Cuban congas, Nigerian and Mauritian inflections, ‘Love Vibration’ follows the concept that all emotions carry a vibratory frequency and pays homage to the frequency of creation and the power of love. The two part ‘Tatamaka’ tells of the history of Deenmamode’s ancestors, the maroons of Mauritius. “We are people who managed to run from our oppressors and find refuge in a corner of the island called ‘Le Morne’ where they could not reach us. One bloody day they came in numbers to re-capture, to revenge. Many of us chose to jump to our deaths, rather than be taken back into subjugation. The poem by Creole Richard Sedley Assonne says; “there were hundreds of them, but my people, the maroons chose the kiss of death over the chains of slavery”. Tatamaka was the name of a famed maroon leader who was murdered for claiming his, and our people’s freedom. The song is the imagined journey of escape and freedom by an ancestor of the maroons of Le Morne”.

Born in the west midlands and raised on the traditional sega music of his father’s Indian Ocean homeland of Mauritius alongside records by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Santana and Michael Jackson; his influences expanded with late 90s jungle and drum and bass nights in Bristol, experiments at art college in Camberwell, and the rich culture of Peckham, “at the time we called it the Afro Quarters of London” says Deenmamode, adding hip hop, dub, soul and soundsystem styles to his individual sound.

He explains, “I love drum music, from hand-drums to 808s. I love music from the ancient past, heritage music, indigenous music, traditional music passed down from the beginning of time. Music from the body, hand claps, grunts and foot stomps. Music with audible depth, busy, bustling, highly charged. Music from the soul, the music from beyond. I love music from the islands and the mountains. The music of the streets, hustle music, alleyway beats. Club music”.

He describes the creative process as thinking in images. “The visual world and the world of sound seem to intermingle in my thought process. When I play the drum with my eyes closed, a world of imagery dances and moves with beat. Improvised drumming feels like I am listening to what I want to hear, rather than trying to play what I want to hear. Following the rhythm and finding new pathways to walk within the patterns is what I experience. In this way I often feel I am just a listener, instead of the player”.
Original Flow is pressed on biovinyl, a sustainable alternative to traditional vinyl. Biovinyl replaces petroleum in S-PVC by recycling used cooking oil or industrial waste gases, resulting in 100% CO2 savings in bio-based S-PVC production. Furthermore, it is 100% recyclable and reusable, embracing the circular economy ideology.

Points of interests

- For fans of SOUL, music from the heart, jazz, hip hop, J Dilla, Lee Perry, pure gems that just feel right, live improvisational sessions between friends, worldwide love, reggae, pure bliss, chance meetings, groove, HUMAN MUSIC.



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

Genre: Jazz, Hip Hop, Reggae, Soul, Fusion, Broken Beat, Leftfield

CD: Digipack, Cavalier, Original Artwork by Mo Kolours

Tracklisting CD
01. Magic Momentum
02. Rockets To Mars
03. The News These Days
04. Life (Skit)
05. Love Vibration
06. Original Flow
07. Hold On
08. Surviver (Skit)
09. Tatamaka Pt.1
10. Tatamaka Pt.2
11. Time (Skit)
12. Time
13. Jinja (Skit)
14. Kochirakoso
15. Our Tactus
16. Nah Personal
17. No Chains
18. Push Comes To Shove
19. We No Let Y'All In
20. Mexico (Skit)
21. Future For Our Children

Info

We Release JAZZ is very happy to announce an exciting new body of work by Joseph Deenmamode aka Mo Kolours. The singular musical spirit’s new 21-track album Original Flow is available as a double LP housed in a heavy 350gsm sleeve with original artwork by Mo Kolours himself and the classic WRJ obi strip, as well as in digipack CD and digital formats.

A catalog of critically acclaimed records, including his self-titled debut (2014), ‘Texture Like Like Sun’ (2015), 2018 album ‘Inner Symbols’ and three companion EPs, established Deenmamode as a prodigious musician and vocalist. Pitchfork extolled his “hypnotic, tribal-infused dance grooves”, DJ Mag appreciated the “colourful celebration of soundsystem culture”, and Resident Advisor advocated that “no one sounds quite like Mo Kolours”. Musical analogies were drawn by The Guardian as “The best album Curtis Mayfield never made with A Tribe Called Quest and Lee Perry” and Mojo as “like Marvin Gaye produced by J Dilla”.

Five years ago, Deenmamode moved to the Japanese countryside. Far away from familiarity, he contemplated his place and further questioned his identity. “I had none of my ‘own’ people around. I had time to really find what makes me tick musically. Japan has helped me go back to those subconscious leanings, really go deep, and reflect the aspects that make up my story”.

The tracks on ‘Original Flow’ have been constructed from sessions, improvisations and soundbites captured around the world during this time; collecting contributions from musicians including Deenamode’s brothers Reginald Omas Mamode and Jeen Bassa plus Andrew Ashong, Charles Bullen, Dwaye Kilvington, Eddie Hick, Stefan Asanovic, Myele Manzanza, Ross Hughes, and Tom Dreissler. Deenamode says “I’m proud of this album’s creative process. Coming from a tradition of scouring through hours of records, I wanted to create my own samples, to find that perfect loop that no other producer could put their hands on. I decided to invite a group of friends and acquaintances, who also happen to be incredible musicians, to a studio in Crystal Palace to improvise based on some loose ideas I had. We spent all day, and recorded everything”.

‘Original Flow’ is an album of UK street-soul nouveau, future indigenous jazz fusion, Rasta Segga, Nyahbinghi jazz, Malagasy Hebrew hip hop. While retaining a spirit of exploration and improvisation, it sees Deenmamode grow and flex beyond beat tape brevity, expanding composition and stretching his musical muscle to play live with other musicians. Themes of empowerment, overcoming adversity, and mental liberation coexist with notes from ancient history, futurism, and science, as well as musings on family and togetherness.

‘Magik Momentum’ springs from a discussion that features at the start of the song, an inspiring mentor answering a question from Deenmamode about improvisation and what role it plays in life when planning and manifesting the future. ‘Rockets to Mars’ questions the lack of care for the billions of people with nothing, while governments plan to explore space. “This sparked a comparison in my mind to a Sonny Okuson song that I would reference when performing. Okuson’s song talked of the lack of resources in many communities in the world, while governments go to the moon”.

He says the music behind ‘The News These Days’ is “possibly my favourite on the album”. Looped like he would a late sixty jazz-fusion sample, there was nothing added and the track was complete within a matter of minutes. “It was the first and best moment from the entire Crystal Palace session”, he adds. The album’s contrasting title track with minimal instrumentation played solo by Deenamode. While frustratingly searching for gems in past recordings, he thought in a burst of ego, “I don’t need no-one else to make a dope beat!” picked up his ravanne, (the traditional frame drum of his fathers home-land of Mauritius), pressed record, and started to play. He says, “In my thoughts were the rhythms of the Nubians in Upper-Egypt and Sudan, the swing of the huge drums played by Mauritanian women, of-course the Sega beat of Mauritius, and the ever inspiring beat of James Yancey”.

Driven by UK broken beat, Cuban congas, Nigerian and Mauritian inflections, ‘Love Vibration’ follows the concept that all emotions carry a vibratory frequency and pays homage to the frequency of creation and the power of love. The two part ‘Tatamaka’ tells of the history of Deenmamode’s ancestors, the maroons of Mauritius. “We are people who managed to run from our oppressors and find refuge in a corner of the island called ‘Le Morne’ where they could not reach us. One bloody day they came in numbers to re-capture, to revenge. Many of us chose to jump to our deaths, rather than be taken back into subjugation. The poem by Creole Richard Sedley Assonne says; “there were hundreds of them, but my people, the maroons chose the kiss of death over the chains of slavery”. Tatamaka was the name of a famed maroon leader who was murdered for claiming his, and our people’s freedom. The song is the imagined journey of escape and freedom by an ancestor of the maroons of Le Morne”.

Born in the west midlands and raised on the traditional sega music of his father’s Indian Ocean homeland of Mauritius alongside records by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Santana and Michael Jackson; his influences expanded with late 90s jungle and drum and bass nights in Bristol, experiments at art college in Camberwell, and the rich culture of Peckham, “at the time we called it the Afro Quarters of London” says Deenmamode, adding hip hop, dub, soul and soundsystem styles to his individual sound.

He explains, “I love drum music, from hand-drums to 808s. I love music from the ancient past, heritage music, indigenous music, traditional music passed down from the beginning of time. Music from the body, hand claps, grunts and foot stomps. Music with audible depth, busy, bustling, highly charged. Music from the soul, the music from beyond. I love music from the islands and the mountains. The music of the streets, hustle music, alleyway beats. Club music”.

He describes the creative process as thinking in images. “The visual world and the world of sound seem to intermingle in my thought process. When I play the drum with my eyes closed, a world of imagery dances and moves with beat. Improvised drumming feels like I am listening to what I want to hear, rather than trying to play what I want to hear. Following the rhythm and finding new pathways to walk within the patterns is what I experience. In this way I often feel I am just a listener, instead of the player”.
Original Flow is pressed on biovinyl, a sustainable alternative to traditional vinyl. Biovinyl replaces petroleum in S-PVC by recycling used cooking oil or industrial waste gases, resulting in 100% CO2 savings in bio-based S-PVC production. Furthermore, it is 100% recyclable and reusable, embracing the circular economy ideology.

Points of interests

- For fans of SOUL, music from the heart, jazz, hip hop, J Dilla, Lee Perry, pure gems that just feel right, live improvisational sessions between friends, worldwide love, reggae, pure bliss, chance meetings, groove, HUMAN MUSIC.



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

Genre: Jazz, Easy Listening, Saxophone, Funk

LP: Biovinyl, Half Speed Mastered, Heavy 350gsm Sleeve, Sticker

Tracklisting LP
A1. Prince Karl
A2. Improvisation electronique 1
A3. Summerau Dance
B1. Hot Roots
B2. Improvisation electronique 2
B3. For FD




Info

We Release JAZZ is so happy to announce the fourth Bruno Spoerri release in the WRWTFWW discography, this time focusing on the Swiss legend’s unheard jazz catalogue. The pristine 6-track album Musiques Légères (1976-1982) is available as a limited edition half speed mastered biovinyl LP housed in a heavy 350gsm sleeve with superb design by Nicolas Eigenheer and the classic WRJ obi.

Swiss jazz and electronic music pioneer Bruno Spoerri unveils a treasure trove of never-before-released songs in this rare archival collection recorded between 1976 and 1982 that includes collaborations with the fabled Radio Suisse Romande-backed music ensemble GIR (Groupe Instrumental Romand) which featured the crème de la crème of Helvetic forward thinking musicians with an international reputation. The super team of instrumentalists / composers represented Swiss national radio in endeavors that spanned a vast array of music genres such a jazz, pop, experimental music, or what they referred to as “musiques légères” (light music), their very own brand of jazz and funk infused easy listening. One notable member of GIR was drummer extraordinaire Stuff Combe that We Release JAZZ collectors will know from his Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion LP.

Musique Légères (1976-1982) offers a marvelous blend of easy listening jazz, joyful synth improvisations, and soulful funk ballads, a testament to Bruno Spoerri’s multifaceted talents and ability to approach various genres while keeping his very personal and very magical touch. Among the hidden gems on the carefully curated collection is the immensely catchy "Prince Karl", an undeniable hit that truly deserves to be heard.

This is the fourth Bruno Spoerri release from WRWTFWW, following the synth heavy and galactic Voice of Taurus and The Sound of the UFOs, and the compilation of unreleased experimental tracks Rare & Unreleased 1971-1998.
Musiques Légères (1976-1982) is pressed on biovinyl, a sustainable alternative to traditional vinyl. Biovinyl replaces petroleum in S-PVC by recycling used cooking oil or industrial waste gases, resulting in 100% CO2 savings in bio-based S-PVC production. Furthermore, it is 100% recyclable and reusable, embracing the circular economy ideology.

Points of interests

- For fans of the great Bruno Spoerri, smooth jazz, saxophone, ballads, lightness, the good feeling of simple things.

- Limited edition half speed mastered biovinyl of Bruno Spoerri’s latest archival collection, available for the first time ever!




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

DLP: Limited Edition of 300, Obi

Tracklisting LP
A1. Introduction by Claude Nobs
A2. Cenovis (Live)
A3. 1224 (Live)
A4. Le Colin (Live)
B1. Rahsaan Rahsaan (Live)
B2. Straight Life (Live)
C1. Spain (Live)
C2. Backlash (Live)
D1. Dolphin Dance
D2. Adam's Apple
D3. 5th of July, Dulong Street


Info

We Release Jazz is sooooo happy to announce the release of a very limited edition double LP for Boillat Thérace Quintet’s 1974 Montreux Jazz Festival performance, with 3 bonus studio tracks! This gem from the Geneva, Switzerland band follows the acclaimed WRJ reissue of their self-titled album (1974) and My Greatest Love (1975), their full-length with Benny Bailey. The 300-copies-only white sleeved DLP comes with the classic obi and features fully remastered audiophile-ready recordings.

Captured live at Montreux Jazz Festival, July 3rd 1974, this rare audio treat features Boillat Thérace Quintet fan-favorites including their infamous homages to Swiss Marmite ("Cenovis"), and Geneva's public transport line Tram 12 ("1224"), as well as remarkable renditions of timeless jazz numbers by Freddie Hubbard ("Straight Life" and "Backlash") and Chick Corea ("Spain").

Additionally, the double LP offers 3 bonus songs taken from the ensemble’s sessions for their self-titled debut: superb takes on Herbie Hancock’s "Dolphin Dance", Wayne Shorter’s "Adam’s Apple", and Claude Engel’s "5th of July, Dulong Street".

All in all it’s a beautiful soul-jazz/modal fest full of flair and heart, one that perfectly encapsulates the vibrant and inventive Swiss jazz scene of the 1970s. A must have for fans and collectors.

This new album from We Release Jazz follows the label’s celebrated releases of the Ryo Fukui catalogue (Scenery, Mellow Dream, A Letter from Slowboat, Ryo Fukui in New York, My Favorite Tune), Hiroshi Suzuki’s seminal Cat album, and Le Cercle Rouge soundtrack by Eric Demarsan among other jazz wonders.


Points of interests

- For fans of soul jazz, modal, good jazz, good Swiss jazz, good Geneva jazz, Cenovis, taking the tram in Geneva, Montreux Jazz Festival, rare recordings, limited double LPs in white sleeves, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Claude Engel, Claude Nobs, and groooooove.

- First ever vinyl release of Boillat Thérace Quintet’s Montreux Jazz Festival concert in 1974 with additional studio tracks, courtesy of We Release Jazz (Ryo Fukui, Hiroshi Suzuki, Stuff Combe).








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

-NO SALES TO JAPAN-
LP: 180g vinyl, half speed mastered, heavy sleeve, obi, liner notes, sticker

Genre: Jazz, Hard Bop, Contemporary Jazz, Soulful, Solo Piano

Tracklisting LP
A1. Voyage
A2. Scenery
A3. Mellow Dream
A4. Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen
B1. Nobody's
B2. My Conception
B3. After Hours
B4. Nord Tracklisting CD
01. Voyage
02. Scenery
03. Mellow Dream
04. Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen
05. Nobody's
06. My Conception
07. After Hours
08. Nord



Info

We Release Jazz is very happy to announce the official reissue of Ryo Fukui's only solo piano al-bum, recorded live, June 4-5, 1994 at The Lutheran Hall in Sapporo. Sourced from the original mas-ters, this intimate offering from the Japanese jazz legend is available on limited edition 180 gram vinyl mastered at half speed for full audiophile sound, as well as on digipack CD. Both formats come with liner notes by Yusuke Ogawa.
Originally released on CD only by Sapporo Jazz Create in 1994, My Favorite Tune is a beautiful bop adventure which includes two superb compositions that Ryo Fukui wrote as an homage to his belo-ved Hokkaido region, the fan-favorite "Nord" and "Voyage", a tribute to his mentor Barry Harris ("No-body's"), alternate versions of his mega classics "Scenery" and "Mellow Dream", and, last but not least, bewitching takes on timeless gems by Sonny Clark and Avery Parrish.

My Favorite Tune plays like a cool summer night, full of contemplative notes and deep feelings, with Ryo Fukui baring his heart on the piano and displaying the soulful sophistication he is loved for. A true masterpiece completing his amazing discography.


Points of interests

- For fans of jazz, soul jazz, modal, hard bop, piano, Japanese jazz, Hokkaido, Scenery, cool sum-mer nights and intimate piano moments.

- Official reissue of the only solo piano album by legendary Hokkaido pianist Ryo Fukui.

- 11th release from We Release Jazz, notably following Hiroshi Suzuki's Cat, Ryo Fukui's Scenery and Mellow Dream, the soundtrack of Le Cercle Rouge by Eric Demarsan, and Marc Moulin's Pla-cebo Live 1971. We Release Jazz is the sister-label of Geneva-based WRWTFWW Records.



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

-NO SALES TO JAPAN-
CD (digipack)

Genre: Jazz, Hard Bop, Contemporary Jazz, Soulful, Solo Piano

Tracklisting CD
01. Voyage
02. Scenery
03. Mellow Dream
04. Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen
05. Nobody's
06. My Conception
07. After Hours
08. Nord




Info

We Release Jazz is very happy to announce the official reissue of Ryo Fukui's only solo piano al-bum, recorded live, June 4-5, 1994 at The Lutheran Hall in Sapporo. Sourced from the original mas-ters, this intimate offering from the Japanese jazz legend is available on limited edition 180 gram vinyl mastered at half speed for full audiophile sound, as well as on digipack CD. Both formats come with liner notes by Yusuke Ogawa.
Originally released on CD only by Sapporo Jazz Create in 1994, My Favorite Tune is a beautiful bop adventure which includes two superb compositions that Ryo Fukui wrote as an homage to his belo-ved Hokkaido region, the fan-favorite "Nord" and "Voyage", a tribute to his mentor Barry Harris ("No-body's"), alternate versions of his mega classics "Scenery" and "Mellow Dream", and, last but not least, bewitching takes on timeless gems by Sonny Clark and Avery Parrish.

My Favorite Tune plays like a cool summer night, full of contemplative notes and deep feelings, with Ryo Fukui baring his heart on the piano and displaying the soulful sophistication he is loved for. A true masterpiece completing his amazing discography.


Points of interests

- For fans of jazz, soul jazz, modal, hard bop, piano, Japanese jazz, Hokkaido, Scenery, cool sum-mer nights and intimate piano moments.

- Official reissue of the only solo piano album by legendary Hokkaido pianist Ryo Fukui.

- 11th release from We Release Jazz, notably following Hiroshi Suzuki's Cat, Ryo Fukui's Scenery and Mellow Dream, the soundtrack of Le Cercle Rouge by Eric Demarsan, and Marc Moulin's Pla-cebo Live 1971. We Release Jazz is the sister-label of Geneva-based WRWTFWW Records.



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

No sales to Japan!

CD
Genre: Jazz, Fusion, Funk

Tracklisting CD
01. Shrimp Dance
02. Kuro To Shiro
03. Walk Tall
04. Cat
05. 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: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore

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: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore

No Sales to Japan....

Format: Digipack CD, cavalier

- For fans of jazz-funk, soul jazz, spaced out sounds,fusion, deep solos, Belgian magic, Montreux Jazz Festival, Soft Machine, Weather Report, epic suites for the mind travelers, cognac by the fireplace.

- First ever CD release of the first ever live performance and recording by Marc Moulin's Placebo available on 180g vinyl mastered at half speed.


Tracklisting

01. Showbiz Suite 26:08


Info
We Release Jazz is ecstatic to present its fifth release (following Ryo Fukui's Scenery and Mellow Dream, Le Cercle Rouge's soundtrack by Eric Demarsan and Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion), the first ever live performance and recording by Marc Moulin's sought-after jazz-funk band Placebo, captured at Casino Kursaal during the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1971 and never released before. Placebo's Live 1971 is available in a limited edition 180g vinyl mastered at half speed, housed in a 350gsm sleeve with UV coating and an obi strip.

June 17th, 1971, the Montreux Riviera, its delightful microclimate and postcard scenery, its fabled music history and the luscious wines of the region. A dream setting for Marc Moulin to lead his ensemble on a 26 minutes+ jazz adventure - Nick Kletchkovsky on bass, Freddy Rottier on drums, Johnny Dover on bass clarinet, Alex Scorier on soprano saxophone, and Richard Rousselet on flugelhorn. The magic of that night is dripping through Placebo's sumptuous "Showbiz Suite", a soulful piece in two parts in which every instrument gets enough room to shine, smoothly navigating between cozy cognac-by-the-fireplace funk and heartfelt grittiness, served with a pinch of Soft Machine vibes. It's the night Placebo was born, when foundations were laid for three classic albums: Ball of Eyes (on which you can hear a shorter studio version of "Showbiz Suite"), 1973, and their final self-titled album.

Born in 1942 in Ixelles, the multifaceted Marc Moulin had one of the most fascinating careers in the history of Belgian music, from his jazz roots and Placebo to founding electronic disco pop band Telex ("Moskow Diskow", "Rock Around The Clock"…), producing a vast array of French and Belgian hits (notably for Philip Catherine and Lio), pioneering downtempo and electro jazz with three albums on Blue Note, and exploring other avenues of expression such a radio hosting and comedy. He sadly left us in 2008. His incredible legacy shall live on.


Points of interests
- 5th release from We Release Jazz, following Ryo Fukui's Scenery and Mellow Dream, the soundtrack of Le Cercle Rouge by Eric Demarsan and Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion. 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, MKWAJU ensemble's KI-Motion, Jun Fukamachi's Nicole, Bruno Spoerri's Voice of Taurus and The Sound of the UFOs, Piero Umiliani's Tra Scienza e Fantascienza and Il Mondo Dei Romani…)


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

-NO SALES TO JAPAN-
LP: 180g vinyl, half speed mastered, heavy sleeve, obi

Tracklisting LP
A1. Sonora
A2. Stella by Starlight
A3. Speak Low
A4. Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen
B1. Old Country
B2. Soultrane
B3. Chasin’ The Bird
B4. Be My Love

Info:

We Release Jazz is delighted to announce the official reissue of Ryo Fukui’s final album, the very personal contemporary jazz offering, A Letter from Slowboat, 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.
Known for his miraculous albums Scenery (1976) and Mellow Dream (1977), legendary Hokkaido pianist Ryo Fukui, with the help of his wife Yasuko, opened his very own jazz club in Sapporo in 1995, Slowboat. This is where Ryo Fukui spent the latter half of his career, playing again and again, welcoming peers for unforgettable sessions, and perfecting the craft he lived for: jazz.

A Letter from Slowboat is a poetic, soulful, and honest love letter to Hokkaido, to Fukui’s jazz club, and to endless hours of practicing artistry in a place called home. Backed by longtime collaborators Takumi Awaya on bass, and Ittetsu Takemura on drums, Ryo Fukui flows through classics and originals with natural class, fluidity and absolute precision, expressing a smooth balance between skills and heart. Slowboat, full of breathtaking solos and exquisite moments of clarity, is another crucial piece in the career of one of the most fascinating jazzmen to ever grace the piano. It was released in 2016, sadly the year Ryo Fukui passed away, leaving behind a legacy of works that is sure to captivate jazz lovers for generations to come, and Slowboat, where the magic still happens to this day.

This is reissued in conjunction with Ryo Fukui’s Ryo Fukui in New York (1999), also available via We Release Jazz.


Points of interests

- For fans of jazz, soul jazz, modal, hard bop, piano, Japanese jazz, boats, Sapporo, Scenery, jazz clubs and very personal letters.

- Official reissue of the final album by legendary Hokkaido pianist Ryo Fukui.

- 8th release from We Release Jazz, following Ryo Fukui’s Scenery and Mellow Dream, the soundtrack of Le Cercle Rouge by Eric Demarsan, Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion, Marc Moulin’s Pla-cebo 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, MKWAJU ensemble’s KI-Motion, Jun Fukamachi’s Nicole, Bruno Spoerri’s Voice of Taurus and The Sound of the UFOs, Piero Umiliani’s Tra Scienza e Fantascienza and Il Mondo Dei Romani…)




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

-NO SALES TO JAPAN-
CD

Tracklisting CD
01. Sonora
02. Stella by Starlight
03. Speak Low
04. Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen
05. Old Country
06. Soultrane
07. Chasin’ The Bird
08. Be My Love

Info:

We Release Jazz is delighted to announce the official reissue of Ryo Fukui’s final album, the very personal contemporary jazz offering, A Letter from Slowboat, 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.
Known for his miraculous albums Scenery (1976) and Mellow Dream (1977), legendary Hokkaido pianist Ryo Fukui, with the help of his wife Yasuko, opened his very own jazz club in Sapporo in 1995, Slowboat. This is where Ryo Fukui spent the latter half of his career, playing again and again, welcoming peers for unforgettable sessions, and perfecting the craft he lived for: jazz.

A Letter from Slowboat is a poetic, soulful, and honest love letter to Hokkaido, to Fukui’s jazz club, and to endless hours of practicing artistry in a place called home. Backed by longtime collaborators Takumi Awaya on bass, and Ittetsu Takemura on drums, Ryo Fukui flows through classics and originals with natural class, fluidity and absolute precision, expressing a smooth balance between skills and heart. Slowboat, full of breathtaking solos and exquisite moments of clarity, is another crucial piece in the career of one of the most fascinating jazzmen to ever grace the piano. It was released in 2016, sadly the year Ryo Fukui passed away, leaving behind a legacy of works that is sure to captivate jazz lovers for generations to come, and Slowboat, where the magic still happens to this day.

This is reissued in conjunction with Ryo Fukui’s Ryo Fukui in New York (1999), also available via We Release Jazz.


Points of interests

- For fans of jazz, soul jazz, modal, hard bop, piano, Japanese jazz, boats, Sapporo, Scenery, jazz clubs and very personal letters.

- Official reissue of the final album by legendary Hokkaido pianist Ryo Fukui.

- 8th release from We Release Jazz, following Ryo Fukui’s Scenery and Mellow Dream, the soundtrack of Le Cercle Rouge by Eric Demarsan, Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion, Marc Moulin’s Pla-cebo 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, MKWAJU ensemble’s KI-Motion, Jun Fukamachi’s Nicole, Bruno Spoerri’s Voice of Taurus and The Sound of the UFOs, Piero Umiliani’s Tra Scienza e Fantascienza and Il Mondo Dei Romani…)




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

-NO SALES TO JAPAN-

LP: 180g vinyl, half speed mastered, heavy sleeve, obi

Tracklisting LP
A1. Hot House (Charlie Parker)
A2. All The Things Your Are (Jerome Kern)
A3. Red Carpet (Duke Ellington)
A4. Bouncing With Bud (Bud Powell)
B1. Embraceable You (George Gershwin)
B2. Just One of Those Things (Cole Porter)
B3. Mellow Dream (Ryo Fukui)

Info

We Release Jazz is so happy to announce the official reissue of Ryo Fukui’s New York sessions with Lisle Atkinson and Leroy Williams, the aptly titled album Ryo Fukui in New York, 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.
Recorded in February 1999 at Avatar Recording Studios in New York and inspired by Ryo Fukui’s idol and mentor Barry Harris, the fourth album from the famed Sapporo pianist captures memorable ses-sions with seasoned American jazz musicians (and frequent Barry Harris collaborators) Lisle Arthur Atkinson on bass and Leroy Williams on drums.

Ryo Fukui in New York is pure bop heaven, glowing with poetic takes on classics by Charlie Parker, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, and Bud Powell, plus a supreme remake of Fukui’s very own "Mellow Dream". It’s expressive, soulful, and vibrating with a bouncing swing feel all the way through; every note falls exactly where it should, undeniable brilliance. Much like the other albums by the genius from Hokkaido, it’s got that "special something", hard to grasp, hard to describe, but 100% felt. Skills and heart, the Ryo Fukui way.

Following his New York adventures, Ryo Fukui headed back to Sapporo, and more precisely to his jazz club Slowboat, where his newly acquired experience inspired numerous jam sessions and a full dedication to perfecting his craft. He sadly passed away in 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that is sure to captivate jazz lovers for generations to come, and Slowboat, where the magic still hap-pens to this day.

This is reissued in conjunction with Ryo Fukui’s A Letter from Slowboat (2016), also available via We Release Jazz.


Points of interests

- For fans of jazz, soul jazz, modal, hard bop, piano, Japanese jazz, Barry Harris, Scenery, jazz clubs and New York nights.

- Official reissue of Ryo Fukui’s New York sessions with Lisle Atkinson and Leroy Williams.

- 9th release from We Release Jazz, following Ryo Fukui’s Scenery, Mellow Dream, and A Letter from Slowboat, 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, MKWAJU ensemble’s KI-Motion, Jun Fukamachi’s Nicole, Bruno Spoer-ri’s Voice of Taurus and The Sound of the UFOs, Piero Umiliani’s Tra Scienza e Fantascienza and Il Mondo Dei Romani…)




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

-NO SALES TO JAPAN-

CD

Tracklisting CD
01. Hot House (Charlie Parker)
02. All The Things Your Are (Jerome Kern)
03. Red Carpet (Duke Ellington)
04. Bouncing With Bud (Bud Powell)
05. Embraceable You (George Gershwin)
06. Just One of Those Things (Cole Porter)
07. Mellow Dream (Ryo Fukui)

Info

We Release Jazz is so happy to announce the official reissue of Ryo Fukui’s New York sessions with Lisle Atkinson and Leroy Williams, the aptly titled album Ryo Fukui in New York, 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.
Recorded in February 1999 at Avatar Recording Studios in New York and inspired by Ryo Fukui’s idol and mentor Barry Harris, the fourth album from the famed Sapporo pianist captures memorable ses-sions with seasoned American jazz musicians (and frequent Barry Harris collaborators) Lisle Arthur Atkinson on bass and Leroy Williams on drums.

Ryo Fukui in New York is pure bop heaven, glowing with poetic takes on classics by Charlie Parker, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, and Bud Powell, plus a supreme remake of Fukui’s very own "Mellow Dream". It’s expressive, soulful, and vibrating with a bouncing swing feel all the way through; every note falls exactly where it should, undeniable brilliance. Much like the other albums by the genius from Hokkaido, it’s got that "special something", hard to grasp, hard to describe, but 100% felt. Skills and heart, the Ryo Fukui way.

Following his New York adventures, Ryo Fukui headed back to Sapporo, and more precisely to his jazz club Slowboat, where his newly acquired experience inspired numerous jam sessions and a full dedication to perfecting his craft. He sadly passed away in 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that is sure to captivate jazz lovers for generations to come, and Slowboat, where the magic still hap-pens to this day.

This is reissued in conjunction with Ryo Fukui’s A Letter from Slowboat (2016), also available via We Release Jazz.


Points of interests

- For fans of jazz, soul jazz, modal, hard bop, piano, Japanese jazz, Barry Harris, Scenery, jazz clubs and New York nights.

- Official reissue of Ryo Fukui’s New York sessions with Lisle Atkinson and Leroy Williams.

- 9th release from We Release Jazz, following Ryo Fukui’s Scenery, Mellow Dream, and A Letter from Slowboat, 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, MKWAJU ensemble’s KI-Motion, Jun Fukamachi’s Nicole, Bruno Spoer-ri’s Voice of Taurus and The Sound of the UFOs, Piero Umiliani’s Tra Scienza e Fantascienza and Il Mondo Dei Romani…)




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

Vinyl LP: 350gsm sleeve, obi

Tracklisting LP
A1. 1224 05:34
A2. Sweet Fire 08:05
A3. Rahsaan Rahsaan 05:45
B1. Cenovis 06:38
B2. In Your Quiet Place 06:41
B3. Straight Life 06:31

Info

Swiss jazz bliss!

We Release Jazz is very, very, VERY happy to present its sixth release (following Ryo Fukui’s Scenery and Mellow Dream, Le Cercle Rouge’s soundtrack by Eric Demarsan, Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion, and Marc Moulin’s Placebo Live 1971) coming straight from its beloved hometown of Geneva. Boillat Thérace Quintet’s self-titled album is available for the first time since its original limited private pressing in 1974 and comes as a vinyl LP as well as a digipack CD* (with 3 never-heard bonus songs).

Full of prolific and inspired local clusters and boosted by the recently launched Montreux Jazz Festival, the Swiss jazz scene was vibrant and inventive in the 1970s, notably in the region surrounding Lake Geneva. This is precisely where jazz activist and brilliant pianist Jean-François Boillat and wind instrument master Raymond Thérace formed their quintet whose dazzling debut album was recorded in 1974.

An absolute Lemanic gem of the soul-jazz/modal kind, the self-titled album includes superb covers of Freddie Hubbard’s “Straight Life”, Keith Jarrett’s “In Your Quiet Place”, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s “Sweet Fire”, plus groovy original compositions from the Boillat-Thérace crew. Helvetian fun facts: the velvety “1224” is dedicated to Geneva's public transport line Tram 12, and one exquisitely funky track on the album is named after the famed yet elusive (and locally legendary) Swiss Marmite: “Cenovis”!

This is reissued in conjunction with Boillat Thérace Quintet’s My Greatest Love featuring Benny Bailey (1975), also available via We Release Jazz.

*The CD version includes 3 bonus tracks (Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Claude Engel covers), never released before.


Points of interests

- For fans of jazz, soul jazz, modal, funk, saxophones, flutes, Montreux Jazz Festival, Keith Jarrett, Freddie Hubbard, Cenovis, public transports in Geneva, and 70s flair.

- Reissue of the very rare private press debut album by Swiss jazz ensemble Boillat Thérace Quintet.

- 6th release from We Release Jazz, following Ryo Fukui’s Scenery and Mellow Dream, the soundtrack of Le Cercle Rouge by Eric Demarsan, Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion, and Marc Moulin’s Placebo Live 1971. 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, MKWAJU ensemble’s KI-Motion, Jun Fukamachi’s Nicole, Bruno Spoerri’s Voice of Taurus and The Sound of the UFOs, Piero Umiliani’s Tra Scienza e Fantascienza and Il Mondo Dei Romani…)



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

Tracklisting CD
01. 1224 05:34
02. Sweet Fire 08:05
03. Rahsaan Rahsaan 05:45
04. Cenovis 06:38
05. In Your Quiet Place 06:41
06. Straight Life 06:31
07. Dolphin Dance 05:32
08. Adam’s Apple 06:14
09. 5th of July, Dulong Street 04:01


Info

Swiss jazz bliss!

We Release Jazz is very, very, VERY happy to present its sixth release (following Ryo Fukui’s Scenery and Mellow Dream, Le Cercle Rouge’s soundtrack by Eric Demarsan, Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion, and Marc Moulin’s Placebo Live 1971) coming straight from its beloved hometown of Geneva. Boillat Thérace Quintet’s self-titled album is available for the first time since its original limited private pressing in 1974 and comes as a vinyl LP as well as a digipack CD* (with 3 never-heard bonus songs).

Full of prolific and inspired local clusters and boosted by the recently launched Montreux Jazz Festival, the Swiss jazz scene was vibrant and inventive in the 1970s, notably in the region surrounding Lake Geneva. This is precisely where jazz activist and brilliant pianist Jean-François Boillat and wind instrument master Raymond Thérace formed their quintet whose dazzling debut album was recorded in 1974.

An absolute Lemanic gem of the soul-jazz/modal kind, the self-titled album includes superb covers of Freddie Hubbard’s “Straight Life”, Keith Jarrett’s “In Your Quiet Place”, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s “Sweet Fire”, plus groovy original compositions from the Boillat-Thérace crew. Helvetian fun facts: the velvety “1224” is dedicated to Geneva's public transport line Tram 12, and one exquisitely funky track on the album is named after the famed yet elusive (and locally legendary) Swiss Marmite: “Cenovis”!

This is reissued in conjunction with Boillat Thérace Quintet’s My Greatest Love featuring Benny Bailey (1975), also available via We Release Jazz.

*The CD version includes 3 bonus tracks (Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Claude Engel covers), never released before.


Points of interests

- For fans of jazz, soul jazz, modal, funk, saxophones, flutes, Montreux Jazz Festival, Keith Jarrett, Freddie Hubbard, Cenovis, public transports in Geneva, and 70s flair.

- Reissue of the very rare private press debut album by Swiss jazz ensemble Boillat Thérace Quintet.

- 6th release from We Release Jazz, following Ryo Fukui’s Scenery and Mellow Dream, the soundtrack of Le Cercle Rouge by Eric Demarsan, Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion, and Marc Moulin’s Placebo Live 1971. 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, MKWAJU ensemble’s KI-Motion, Jun Fukamachi’s Nicole, Bruno Spoerri’s Voice of Taurus and The Sound of the UFOs, Piero Umiliani’s Tra Scienza e Fantascienza and Il Mondo Dei Romani…)




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

Vinyl LP: 350gsm sleeve, obi

Tracklisting LP
A1. Prompt 05:53
A2. Gibraltar 06:17
A3. Blue Bossa 06:45
B1. Le Colin 07:02
B2. My Greatest Love 05:06
B3. Gemini 07:05

Info

More Swiss jazz bliss!

We Release Jazz (Ryo Fukui’s Scenery and Mellow Dream, Marc Moulin’s Placebo Live 1971…) is madly happy to unleash another reissue from Geneva’s very own Boillat Thérace Quintet. The My Greatest Love album features none other than bebop and hard-bop legend Benny Bailey and is available for the first time since 1975 on vinyl LP as well as digipack CD.

Galvanized by the creation of the Montreux Jazz Festival in the late 60s and lively local scenes, jazz music was healthy and booming in Switzerland in the 1970s. One band that beautifully captured this energy was Jean-François Boillat and Raymond Thérace’s Boillat Thérace Quintet whose self-titled debut and impressive Montreux appearance set the tone for quality Helvetic jazz in 1974.

Following this first excellent impression, the Boillat-Thérace ensemble connected with American trumpeter Benny Bailey and recorded the magnificent My Greatest Love in May and June of 1975. The modal, hard bop and soul-jazz gem includes first-class takes on Freddie Hubbard’s “Gibraltar”, Kenny Dorham’s “Blue Bossa”, and Jimmy Heath’s “Gemini”, plus deliciously funky originals from the Geneva crew, including the upbeat “Le Colin” and the swaying fan-favorite “Prompt” and its thrilling solos. Bailey is on trumpet and flugelhorn, Boillat on Fender Rhodes and piano, Thérace on saxophone and flute, Roger Vaucher on Fender bass, Eric Wespi on drums, and Rogelio Garcia on percussion and tenor saxophone…heavy sessions and deep vibes!

This is reissued in conjunction with Boillat Thérace Quintet’s self-titled debut album (1974), also available via We Release Jazz.


Points of interests

- For fans of jazz, soul jazz, modal, hard bop, funk, saxophones, flutes, trumpets, Montreux Jazz Festival,Kenny Dorham, Freddie Hubbard, Stuff Combe, Jimmy Heath, Ryo Fukui, delicious Cenovis, Lake Geneva, and the Swiss kind of bliss.

- Reissue of the very rare album by Swiss jazz ensemble Boillat Thérace Quintet featuring the God Benny Bailey.

- 7th release from We Release Jazz, following Ryo Fukui’s Scenery and Mellow Dream, the soundtrack of Le Cercle Rouge by Eric Demarsan, Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion, and Marc Moulin’s Placebo Live 1971. 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, MKWAJU ensemble’s KI-Motion, Jun Fukamachi’s Nicole, Bruno Spoerri’s Voice of Taurus and The Sound of the UFOs, Piero Umiliani’s Tra Scienza e Fantascienza and Il Mondo Dei Romani…)


Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
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lim. 2xLP colored yellow and oxblood vinyl with A3 Poster, Sticker & Mp3 Download!

We are back with another chapter in our ongoing series of unearthing smooth vibes from all over the world, this time we go back to the FUTURE for you with:
THE SUNSET MANIFESTO Volume 2.
After a five year break mainly concentrating on the late 70s/early 80s Westcoast Soul/Yacht/AOR sound, we finally dive deep into the modern world of our beloved sister-label Too Slow To Disco NEO (for the third time after 2018s TSTD NEO - En France and 2020s The Sunset Manifesto excursions).
But of course it wasn't a real 5 year break since the first Sunset Manifesto compilation, as in the meantime we also released a few digital TSTD Neo singles, and - more importantly - our "Too Slow To Disco NEO - FM" playlist on spotify (handcurated by Dj Supermarkt every week and now hosting more than 1500 tracks of mellow, modern sunshine vibes) was growing steadily and becoming a new, important fixpoint in the TSTD musical universe.
TSTD NEO is the outlet Dj Supermarkt is using to unearth modern laidback, smooth, sunny slow disco vibes with a soulful Westcoast/Balearic touch. For him TSTD always has been about a laidback vibe/feeling, not a certain time period in musical history.
And that sunny Westcoast vibe we dug out on those traditional TSTD compilations has become a huge influence to so many modern artists.
So it makes sense that we present the cream of new slo/mo Nu-Disco/Sunset Disco/Daytime Disco acts in the TSTD format, a luxurious compilation, with artists from all across the globe: Not only from the two homelands of that modern slow disco sound, Los Angeles/California and France, but also from Beijing, Montreal, Mexico, London, New York, Stockholm, Rotterdam… the moon, you name it! This music is more a state of mind, a feeling, then a geographical thing.
We are happy and really excited to annouce the following passengers are on board with exclusive tracks: Poolside, Woolfy, Prep & Eddie Chacon, Turbotito, Young Gun Silver Fox, Lovetempo, Kimchii, Goodvibes Sound a.m.m.


Tracklist:

A1 Lovetempo - Same Ole Love (365 Days A Year) (Extended Summer Breeze Mix)
A2 Nicholas Cangiano - Falling Behind
A3 Poolside - Ventura Highway Blues (Monsieur van Pratt Dub)

B1 Prep & Eddie Chacon - Call It (Turbotito Remix)
B2 Moi Je - Découvre
B3 Turbotito - Time Starts Moving Slow

C1 Young Gun Silver Fox - Curious
C2 B.U.M.P. - Give A Little Love A Lot
C3 Woolfy vs Projections - Seeds
C4 1-900 - Breakin' 84

D1 Goodvibes Sound - Stay For One More Night (Matt Hughes Remix)
D2 Moods & Nic Hanson - Music Never Looked So Good Good
D3 BowAsWell - Over When The Night Is Gone
D4 Joel Sarakula - Hands Of Love (Phil Martin Remix)
D5 Kimchii - Do You Ever


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Tracklist:

A1) Paul Older - Che Disco Vuoi (Extended Version)
A2) Riva Starr - Allora Amore (Extended Mix)
A3) Valentino Vivace - Statua Greca
B1) Hey Cabrera! - Tutto Matto (Extended Version)
B2) Sam Ruffillo & Fimiani feat. Gianni D'uomo - Non Era Facile (Extended Version)
B3) Kymono - Lasciati Andare (Extended Version)
C1) Dov'e Liana - La Notte Infinita (Extended Version)
C2) Mille Punti - Matto (Extended Version)
C3) Bruno Belissimo - Donna Piu
D1) Fimiani - Proibito (Extended Version)
D2) Alessandro Rotter - La Sera, La Discoteca, La Spiaggia
D3) Alberto Melloni – Credimi


Toy Tonics ITALOMANIA Vol. 3 is a compilation dedicated to NEW ITALIAN DISCO. (Not Italo Disco.)
14 young contemporary Italian producers made new organic disco, indie dance, pop house tracks with Italian vocals.
Everything on this compilation has been produced in 2024. Fresh dance music by Italian artists
Paul Older, Riva Starr, Valentino Vivace, Sam Ruffillo & Fimiani, Kymono, Mille Punti, Mind Enterprises, Bruno Belissimo and legendary cosmic disco pioneer Daniele Baldelli + french italo hitmakers Dov'e Liana.
The ITALOMANIA compilation was initiated by Toy Tonics boss Kapote. Italo-German producer, DJ, keyboarder and head of Toy Tonics and Gomma records.
ITALOAMNIA is a MANIFESTO to show the status of Italian Disco of today.
Kapote invited the most relevant Italian producers to make new tracks with Italian vocals and show different styles of modern Italian disco with Italian vocals.

Italian Disco is not Italo Disco.
The last years the trashy pop music of the 1980’s called Italo Disco (with English lyrics) had a big revival.
But this compilation is about something else: It’s about this Italian Disco. Because the popularity of good Italian pop music is rising all over the world.
And Toy Tonics want to show a new way to combine Italianity with dance culture.
Its funny that also in France, Swiss and Germany there are new artists singing in Italian.
Let’s not forget: The culture of party, dancing, show bizness and pop music would be unimaginable without the heritage and creativity that Italians contributed.
Italy is not just the country of good food, beaches and high fashion, but it’s also the original country of dance music. Since the ancient roman times the Italians have been the kings of entertainment.
And if it comes to music; The DISCO wave of the 1970ies and the Pop music of the 1980ies has been co-created by Italians (and Italo-americans in New York).

The ITALOMANIA Pt 3 artists

Kymono

..are a jazz-funk band from Bologna. They are just at the beginning but can easily be compared to bands like Nu Genea or Il Mago Del Gelato, They are 5 amazing musicians, influenced by the great soul bands from the 1070es. Kool and the Gang, Jamiroquai, Roy Ayers… are they heroes and you can hear this in their music. They combine these skills with a big love for Italian songwriters like Battisti or Lucio Dalla. They can be big on day!

Mille Punti
is an indie dance band from Milano. Coming from a 1980s love of guitar bands with post punk attitude now they started to combine this vibes with disco. And its fun! Very catchy and very indie.

Bruno Bellissimo
is also coming from a more rock and indie scene. He plays bass, he sings, he tours around Italy as part of the band of Fra Quintale and other gib artists. Now he started to produce dance music and runs the fabulous POLYAMORE record label from Bologna.

Dov’e Liana
are from Paris, but sing in Italian language. Their raw, ironic electro pop music has been very popular over the last 2 years. They fill big concert venues in Italy now, with thousands of young fans singing they songs. It’s a phenomenon!

Riva Starr
..come from Napoli, lives in London and is one of the most successful house music producers coming from Italy since the 1990ies. He worked with Defected and many other labels. Is a regular in all important Ibiza clubs and made this pop house hit song „Allora Amore“ for Toy Tonics together with Dario Basssolino from Napoli.

Paul Older
Italian from the north. Famous in the dance world for producing funky, new school disco tracks that are played by DJs like Folamour, Jamie Jones and DJ Tennis. His song „Che Disco Vuoi“ has a big 1970ies influence. Deep & soulful.

Sam Ruffillo
Sam Ruffillo is an upcoming Italian DJ and producer and one of the lead artists of Toy Tonics (along with Coeo, Kapote and Cody Currie). He had a few underground hits combining leftfield disco and Lofi House with Italian vocals creating a new genre that is finding lot of fans right now. One of his songs (Chiamami Subito) made it into the rotation of big Italian radio station M20. On Instagram you can see his DJ sets where hundreds of Italians sing his songs at Toy Tonics parties.

Fimiani aka BPlan
The DJ und producer from Napoli is part of the new, vibrant disco scene from Napoli. (NuGenea, Mystik Jungle, Manny Whodamanny )

Valentino Vivace
is Italian from Switzerland. And is one of the most promising artists on this compilation. He combined 1980ies Italo Disco vibes with new House music and very catchy song writing. His live show with a 6 person band is one of the most existing bands of the new Italian dance scene you can see currently on stages all over Europe.

Mind Enterprises
.. are dedicated totally to the trash pop 1980ies sounds. ironic, funny, catchy. They are regularly playing in Ibiza with the hybrid live show. And their song „Americano“ is probably a radio hit…

Daniele Baldelli and DJ Rocca
are not new to the scene. Baldelli was a legend already in the 1990ies because he co-started the Cosmic Music thing with FDJs like Loda or Mozart. He is one of the most important guys in the Italian dance scene and the only older person on this compilation.


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.





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Collecting Orders for Repress!

In an unprecedented international collaboration, Energy Exchange Records presents 'The Napoli Exchange' - the brainchild of Energy Exchange Records co-founders, Lewis and Ziggy, joining forces with producer and label boss Federico Gallotti (Tartelet / La Scimmia), the project was inspired by numerous visits to Naples, allured by the mediterranean breeze and of course the underground disco and funk forged by labels such as Early Sounds and Periodica Records. This meeting of minds created an opportunity to build bridges from the historic Italian city to the broader european scene of club crossover music.

A1. Juno, Minerva, Venus e Fortuna
A2. Napoli Fresca
A3. A Pusteggia
A4. Holding Your Heart
B1. Seratina
B2.Cavalluccio Rosso
B3. Hurting Lies
B4. Girovago
B5. Controra


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Territories: Worldwide no restrictions

Format Notes: First ever vinyl release of Stimulator Jones's formative early boom-bap beat experimentations, 140g vinyl.

Track List:

A1 Pharoah Jones
A2 Ghost Gospel
A3 Ill Feeling
A4 Capital Punishment
A5 Do Not Adjust
A6 Cool Green Trees
A7 Chill Scratch
A8 Poisonous Fumes
A9 Welcome Aboard The Starship

B1 Keep On Runnin
B2 Sounds Impossible
B3 Painted Faces
B4 The Knew Style
B5 Chicken Wing Blues Sauce
B6 Kool Breeze
B7 Sexx Bullets
B8 Soul Child
B9 Take Off Runnin
B10 Centurian
B11 Bozack
B12 Church
B13 Splash One
B14 Hank
B15 73 Goatee

"Chasing the funky symphonies that filled my head and my dreams..."

December 25th, 2023 - an Instagram post. Stimulator Jones shared half a dozen FIRE tracks from his beat tape archive. We were immediately drawn to the rough hewn boom bap.

"I'd release that", Rob commented.

Hours of material was shared and the result is this: Cool Green Trees (1999-2005). A collection of beats and loops Stimulator Jones created between the ages of 14-20 at home in his basement, bedroom and computer room in Roanoke, Virginia.

You will not believe the profound soulful genius contained within these naive schoolboy melodies.

December 25th, 1998 - 25 years ago to the day and his much-coveted Yamaha SU10 sampler was finally bestowed upon young Stimmy AKA Sam Lunsford: "I immediately hooked up a CD Walkman to the input jack and looped the beginning two bars of Grover Washington Jr.'s "Mercy Mercy Me". I don't know what exactly was so thrilling about hearing two measures of music repeating over and over but it was so infectious and hypnotizing and enthralling to me. I'll never forget that ecstatic rush of making my first loop - an uncontrollable, gleeful smile plastered all over my face." When you hear the pocket breakbeat symphonies featured here on Cool Green Trees, you'll feel the same sense of frisson.

In the wake of his Stones Throw breakthrough - Exotic Worlds & Master Treasures - Stimulator Jones was pegged by many as a 90s throwback artist. However, he literally IS a 90s artist. He's been recording music most of his life and he's now 40. He created the bulk of Cool Green Trees as a teenager. Everything before 2004 was recorded when Sam was still in school. He was in 8th grade when he made the 1999 tracks - he didn't even have his learner's permit. This album is a snapshot of a young man in a simpler time. Things were still mysterious back then and he was flying blind, relying on his ears and having to figure things out for himself: "I had no road map for becoming a beatmaker. I have been collecting music since I was a kid, I am a lifelong digger and seeker of cool and interesting sounds. I was there in the golden age of Hip Hop, and while I may have been a suburban white kid in Roanoke, Virginia, I was tuned in and I bought so many classic albums when they came out. I was attracted to Hip Hop because of the musical and poetic quality. I was hypnotized by the rhythms, partially because I was a drummer. I didn't brag about collecting my breakbeat records or making beats - it was something I did in isolation. It wasn't something I generally wanted to bring attention to and it didn't really score me any cool points. I certainly wasn't flexing on social media about it."

Hell, he can do that now!

Opener "Pharoah Jones" was inspired by Yesterday's New Quintet and Madlib's ability to capture that classic 70s sound whilst playing all the instruments. Sam created this one stoned afternoon by laying down a 2 bar loop and a shaker loop on his Yamaha SU700 sampler. He hung a microphone from the ceiling and played his Yamaha Stage Custom drum kit over the top before adding ender Rhodes and playing his dad's Selmer tenor sax through an Electro Harmonix Memory Man echo pedal. Yes! Up next, "Ghost Gospel" utilises a dope loop from a gospel record and adds some soul-funk drums overtop, whilst working that filter knob. Says Sam: "The loop reminded me of something Ghostface would rap over. The sample was in 3/4 waltz time but I flipped it for a 4/4 groove, a technique I picked up from RZA. "Ill Feeling" uses sped-up pieces from a dusty old funk record and putting them over a classic NOLA drum loop; gain chopping up a slow, bluesy 3/4 time signature and bending it to a 4/4 groove. Classy shit. "Capital Punishment" features drums tapped in live, inspired by MF Doom's Special Herbs series. "Do Not Adjust" consists loops found on a compilation of 70s French music at Happy's Flea Market, a classic Roanoke digging spot.

The sublime, evocative title track, "Cool Green Trees" was created when Sam was still living at home. He dumped samples off his SU10 into the family desktop and arranged them in a demo version of Pro Tools: "This track was sort of my ode to the DJ Shadow style of sample based production. Super spacey, slow, and moody. The heavily filtered drums were inspired by Alec Empire's 'Low on Ice' album. I later added some scratches and sounds from a Spider Man storybook record." "Chill Scratch" snags the final bit of a bossanova record and pairs it with a drum loop before adding experimental scratching run through an Electro Harmonix Memory Man echo pedal. "Poisonous Fumes" was made using a sampler, mixer and a turntable; a kind of mixtape beat collage with added scratches and sounds from various records. Using dialogue from superhero records was a nod to Madlib. "Welcome Aboard The Starship" is dark, downtempo trip-hop with a spooky bent. Sam paired a slow, hard drum loop with a guitar sample grabbed off a psychedelic rock record. To finish, he added various backwards sounds and weird atmospheric effects and a little scratching. Swoon.

Side B opens with "Keep On Runnin", made on a borrowed Roland SP202 sampler. Having always loved the sound of the Lo-Fi filter on those machines, reminiscent of the Emu SP1200, Sam always imagined Del or another of the Hieroglyphics crew rapping over this beat. You can certainly hear why. "Sounds Impossible" sees Sam experimenting with layering multiple kick samples at different volumes to create patterns similar to those heard by Showbiz and Lord Finesse during their God-level 1995 period. "Painted Faces" was made by chopping up a [REDACTED] record which he had gotten from Happy's Flea Market and paired it with a [REDACTED] drum loop. By the time Sam recorded "The Knew Style", he had acquired a shitty old 1960s portable turntable off eBay. It didn't function properly when he bought it but his brother opened it up, cleaned it out and got it working: "I remember he told me that there was a bunch of sand inside of it when he opened it up, as if its previous owner had taken it to the beach. I would take that turntable on my Happy's Flea Market digs so I could preview records...that's how I found this loop."

"Chicken Wing Blues Sauce" loops up a classic blues joint and pairs it with some [REDACTED] drums. A bit of filtering and arranging et voilà! "Kool Breeze", from 1999, is one of Sam's oldest surviving beats, as is "Sexx Bullets". The Roots sampled the same record, leaving Sam frustrated yet vindicated. "Soul Child" was an early SU10 creation, looping a dusty old Soul Children 45 and pairing it with 70s rock drum loops to great effect. "Take Off Runnin" was another loop found digging with a portable turntable. Paired with some boom bap drums it makes for a hypnotic head-nod groove. "Centurian" was intended to be a little beat interlude a la Pete Rock. The sample is from a sun-dappled soft-psych record and it's paired with a Robin Trower drum loop that just happens to fit perfectly. Sometimes you slap things together kind of haphazardly and magic happens. "Bozack" was the first beat Sam made using Pro Tools, his first foray into using chopped sounds instead of loops, an exciting new world. "Church" is beat interlude using a Phil Upchurch loop with the "Long Red" drums - a favourite break of Dilla et al. Sam was really on a tear in late 2004, probably because he was unemployed and phoneless and able to just make beats all day. He made "Splash One" on a borrowed Yamaha SU700 and again was experimenting with tapping the drums in live with his fingers, instead of using a loop or sequenced pattern. Channeling 9th Wonder, Sam used a water splash sound effect from a Batman record as a percussive element, hence the title (also a 13th Floor Elevators reference). The main loop is a backwards portion of one of his favourite Roy Ayers songs.

"Hank" is another fun little beat interlude thing, created on a borrowed Roland SP202 sampler with the fantastic Lo-Fi effect that resembled the Emu SP1200 at a fraction of the price. "73 goatee", from 99, is another of his oldest surviving beats, created in his bedroom with his Yamaha SU10 and his brother's Vestax MR-300 4-track recorder: "This one will always feel special. I can remember having a feeling all the way back then on the night that I created it that this was a solid beat with a catchy loop. There was something in the Fender Rhodes melody that resonated with me emotionally, and I had never heard a producer sample that portion before. I felt like I had found my own unique sound, my own unique loop. It came from an Ahmad Jamal '73. I actually even recorded myself rapping and scratching over this beat way back then, I still have that version in all its imperfect sloppy glory."

Sam explains just how much these tracks mean to him: "They all have immense historical and sentimental value and I'm proud of them. These beats come from an innocent, simple time when I was just figuring out how to craft these sounds. They're something very personal to me. They are the initial part of a journey that I really was taking *alone*. There was no YouTube. I couldn't Google shit. I didn't even know any other beatmakers, producers or DJs in my town that could teach me anything. It was always just me, alone, in a room with some equipment - chasing the funky symphonies that filled my head and my dreams. What I was doing wasn't cool. Most of my peers thought I was a weirdo and couldn't care less. Creating these sounds was an anti-social endeavour. In a sense, I felt like it was me against the world, and all I had to instruct and assist me were the recordings produced by my heroes - RZA, DJ Premier, Erick Sermon, Beatminerz, Showbiz, Diamond D, Beatnuts, Prince Paul, The Bomb Squad, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, E-Swift, Mista Lawnge, DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, Peanut Butter Wolf, El-P and so many more...I dedicate this collection to them, and to my older brother Joe who has always been a musical and technical guiding light for me.

This was a time before every kid was a self-described producer and beatmaker, before everyone had a DAW, before Kanye and "chipmunk soul", before Red Bull beat battles, before there was any social media beyond chat rooms and AOL Instant Messenger, before Soundcloud, before SP-404 mania, before lo-fi beats to study to, before Splice, before targeted ads for MIDI chord packs, etc. In 99 when I told people that I had a sampler and made beats I was mostly met with bewildered confusion and indifference. Kids and adults alike would wonder why I got this weird machine for Christmas instead of something worthwhile like a Playstation or a mountain bike or even a guitar for that matter because at least that could be used to make "real music". Back then, sampling was still not widely respected as an art form - it was seen as lazy, talentless and unoriginal at best and outright criminal theft at worst. I had gotten respect for playing drums and guitar and things of that nature but this was a step in the wrong direction in the eyes of many."

The cover photo is a picture of Sam standing on his back porch in the latter part of 1998, just before he got his first sampler. He was 13 years old, in 8th grade. His dad took the picture with his 35mm film camera: "I actually wanted to be pointing my dad's .22 pistol at the camera lens but he wouldn't let me. He gave me an old walking cane to use instead. The Tommy Hilfiger puffer jacket came from the lost and found at William Fleming High School where my mom worked as a secretary. I was thrilled when she brought it home because we never spent money on expensive name brand clothing like that - we were for the most part strictly a sale rack, bargain bin, thrift store, yard sale, flea market kind of family when it came to clothes. My watch is some cheap off-brand fake gold department store watch." Mastering for this vinyl edition was overseen by Be With regular Simon Francis and it was cut by the esteemed Cicely Balston at Abbey Road Studios to be pressed in the Netherlands by Record Industry.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
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Liebigstrasse 2-20
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