Second Circle is very excited to announce ‘In Dream’, the eight-track debut album from Tokyo-born, Berlin-based producer and DJ Courtney Bailey.

Sonically, 'In Dream' unfolds as a rich, lush soundscape, woven together with expansive digital synth pads, Fairlight-esque stabs, and vibrant acid bass lines. At times the EP leans back horizontally to evoke the balearic spirit of Yello ('Burnt Moon'), at other times it leans more upright towards to dancefloor ('In Heaven'), but what remains throughout is a sense of intimacy, gracefully guided by Bailey’s whisper soft spoken vocals and gentle melodic vocal lines.

Building on an initial spark of inspiration that arose when listening to the work of Japanese artist Dream Dolphin aka Noriko Kodera, ‘In Dream' is Bailey’s direct creative response to new feelings, energy and emotions. Time spent in the outdoors, specifically in the natural landscapes of Australia also had a profound influence on the making of the record; opener ‘Kodou’ was directly inspired by a moment in Melbourne watching rainbow-colored parrots in a pink-flowering tree. Similarly, 'Burnt Moon' captures the essence of watching moonlight shimmer on ocean waters. At its core, 'In Dream' embraces a child-like wonder for the beauty of nature, an act which infuses the music with a radiant, luminous sense of positivity.

Capturing the essence of stepping into the unknown and more importantly, doing it with curiosity and optimism, ‘In Dream’ paints a vibrant, multi-colour vision of life, with Bailey inviting us all to immerse ourselves in it’s wonders.

Sleeve art and design by Michael Willis.

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Introducing: Temporary Blessings, the new project by stalwart Naarm / Melbourne trumpet player and composer Liam McGorry. Assembled to realise McGorry's compositions drawing on 1960s Italian & French soundtrack music, Temporary Blessings brings together trusted instrumentalists and fellow travelers from Melbourne's rich enclave of cinematic soul. With Liam at the helm, the group is composed of members of Surprise Chef, Karate Boogaloo, Saskwatch and Let Your Hair Down. The resulting recordings realise McGorry's sonic visions of film noir, giallo, library music and cinematic soul, captured live in one room with what the maestro describes as "a shared spirit". The recordings, produced by paragon Henry Jenkins, bring together emotive string arrangements, tough horns and a steadfast rhythm section with an acute attention to detail McGorry has developed over years in the saddle.

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Legendary dub techno artist Paul St. Hilaire (AKA Tikiman) announces new collaborative album, marking 10 years of Kynant Records



Building on the success of Paul St. Hilaire’s landmark solo album for Richard Akingbehin’s label Kynant in 2023, w/ The Producers switches up the formula to pair St. Hilaire’s with a different producer on each track. Referencing fellow dub techno pioneers Mark Ernestus & Moritz von Oswald’s acclaimed album w/ The Artists as Rhythm & Sound, St. Hilaire flips the concept to feature as the lone vocalist.



Over the album’s nine tracks, St. Hilaire offers a range of conscious song-writing and headtop musings, such as the spoken-word dread of “What’s This” or the sparse call-to-action of “Send Them On”. The record weaves through all shades of contemporary dub evolutions, showing the vocal range and versatility of St. Hilaire. w/ The Producers is yet another essential record in St. Hilaire’s unmatched discography.



The producers were curated by label owner and DJ Richard Akingbehin to give the new album a future-facing feel and mark 10 years of Kynant Records. Akingbehin sourced beats from luminaries such as Digital Mystikz boss and dubstep trailblazer Mala or elusive Chain Reaction artist Shinichi Atobe. They sit alongside some of the most exciting names in recent electronic music - Batu, Gavsborg, Azu Tiwaline, Priori, Cousin, Russell E.L. Butler, Aurora Halal and DJ G - all of whom bring different elements of dub techno into their productions.



w/ The Producers finds Kynant Records bridging the original voice of dub techno with the genre’s new wave. It’s a statement of intent from the label, which began 10 years ago with deep, hypnotic techno and has veered gradually towards more dubwise sounds



Tracklist

A1 Paul St. Hilaire & Mala - Like It’s Always Been
A2 Paul St. Hilaire, Aurora Halal & DJ G - Mary Jane Greenfield
A3 Paul St. Hilaire & Cousin - Back Inna Business

B1 Paul St. Hilaire & Priori - Send Them On
B2 Paul St. Hilaire & Shinichi Atobe - Time to Wake Up

C1 Paul St. Hilaire & Batu - Free Your Mind
C2 Paul St. Hilaire & Azu Tiwaline - Let The Night Start

D1 Paul St. Hilaire & Gavsborg - Confidential
D2 Paul St. Hilaire & Russell E.L. Butler - What’s This


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Legendary French industrial pioneers Vox Populi! arrive on Dark Entries with a reissue of Sucre De Pastèque. Vox Populi! was founded in Paris in 1981 by Axel Kyrou, a multi-instrumentalist of Greek, French, and Palestinian roots. He soon recruited his future partner, Mytra, and her brother Arash Khalatbari, who were second-generation immigrants from Tehran, as well as bassist Fr6 Man (Francis Manne). Their sound was motley, combining elements of musique concrete and early industrial with horns, flutes, and traditional Persian instrumentation. Improbably prolific and ceaselessly divergent, Vox Populi! found their way onto dozens of cassette compilations during the heyday of the 1980s DIY tape music scene, including releases on era-defining labels like Insane Music, Cthulhu Records, and their own Vox Man. Sucre De Pastèque, the band’s sixth full-length release, came out in 1986 on Unlikely Records, the cult outlet of Rimarimba’s Robert Cox. Like most of Vox Populi’s output, Sucre is a scattershot endeavor, encompassing psychedelic dirges, cosmic drones, hypnotic chants, and fractured machine-funk. The mood is understatedly bleak, but Vox Populi’s genre agnosticism and curious sense of wonder prevent things from feeling oppressive or heavy-handed. The cover for Sucre DePastèque was designed by Eloise Shir-Juen Leigh, and features a collage by Vox Populi member Fr6 Man. Each copy includes an insert with photos and notes by the band. This is deeply fried material, perfectly capturing the obscurantism that characterized much of the 80s DIY cassette scene.

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Back by popular demand, the limited-edition repress of one of Joe Claussell's most cherished compositions has returned. Originally released in 1999 and created in collaboration with Afro-dance innovator Jephte Guillaume and the late music legend Boyd Jarvis, Agora É Seu Tempo first appeared on the Trip do Brazil compilation in France. It was later issued as a highly sought-after promotional 12" on Spiritual Life Music-quickly becoming a defining release in the rise of Brazilian-influenced dance music from the late '90s onward.
In 2018, Joe Claussell revisited the piece, crafting two entirely new versions inspired by the musical spirit of New York City's barrios. Released as a limited 7", these remixes sold out within weeks. Now, answering the overwhelming demand, we're pleased to announce a new limited repress of this timeless and deeply soulful classic. Warm music for the heart and soul.


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Hailing from Raw Culture, Anna Funk Damage returns with his third release on the Roman label, delivering a record as fierce as it is intimate. Tarantola was born out of a winter suspended between contrasting emotions – melancholy, anger, love, confusion – distilled into a sound that transforms personal fragility into collective energy. There’s no pursuit of perfection here, but rather an urgency running through the veins, taking shape across supersonic punk, wave, ambient and industrial.

Each track is an emotional fragment, a bite that leaves its mark: from the electric tension of Vivere Distaccati to the feverish rush of Trasmissione, from the rawness of Decadente to the hypnotic title track Tarantola, which embodies the beating heart of the album. Side B unfolds into more nocturnal and intimate landscapes, from Chiang Mai to the disenchanted sincerity of Lavoro Troppo, closing with a party that carries the bittersweet taste of reality.

Tarantola is a journey into the chaos of human emotions, an album that doesn’t just narrate but pulls you deep into its sonic labyrinth, giving noise back its vulnerable yet powerful soul.

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Joaquin Joe Claussell Presents the Second Installment of His Acclaimed Alias: BlackSalsoul
Brooklyn, New York City - Renowned producer, DJ, and spiritual music visionary Joaquin Joe Claussell returns with the second chapter of his celebrated alias, BlackSalsoul. Continuing his lifelong exploration of deep, soulful soundscapes, this latest release focuses on edits and reinterpretations across Spiritual Jazz, Soulful Disco, and African Dance traditions.
Following the success of the debut 7" (Cat# CIRCUIT.7), which sold out within weeks and remains a one-time pressing despite overwhelming demand, the BlackSalsoul series reaffirms its commitment to exclusivity. Each edition will be available strictly on limited 7" and 12" vinyl-a tribute to the physicality and ritual of true record culture.
Blending the warmth of analog production with Claussell's signature spiritual energy, this release bridges eras and continents-honoring the roots of soulful expression while speaking directly to today's dance floors.
For fans of Fusion Jazz, Soulful Disco, and Afro-inspired Edits, the new BlackSalsoul record offers another essential journey through rhythm, emotion, and transcendence.


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Format:
- Limited edition Cool Grey 2x12” vinyl LP.
- Housed in PMS printed inner sleeve, featuring custom fonts by No Format and spot gloss abstraction of the original album artwork.
- Accompanied with a double sided 2-panel insert and double sided 4 panel poster.
- All sleeved in a custom PMS reverse board outer sleeve with die cut square centre panel and belly band.

Will heralded a disarming, groove-based return to deep house. A wild melange of bumping beats, freestyle samples and esoteric goodness. Recorded over the same period as Grinning Cat this anomaly within the Skintone catalogue was seen as a way to circumvent the swirling politics of his club-oriented releases elsewhere. In itself Will was a reminder of Yokota’s ability to deliver a complex array of sounds within a more recognisable format.

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Info: Slow-burn funk, tribal wrong-speed chug and a boogie-disco breaker — three floor-fillers that creep, groove and bounce.

A low & loose opening with a reworking of 'Night People' – with intro and outro stretched, drum breaks extended, and percussive overdubs layered - the EP sets the tone with a warm-up tool that fills a floor almost unnoticed at 98 BPM. From there, 'Lions' prowls as a 45rpm slowed down to a hypnotic, percussive workout laced with chants and tribal drive, closing with 'Breakin’, a rogue boogie–disco hybrid bursting with bongos and breakbeats: Absolute DJ fuel.

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