For our 100th Eccentric Soul 45, Numero returns to our Ohio roots with three replica 45s from the Capsoul universe. Marion Black's timeless two-sider "Who Knows" b/w "Go On Fool" made a few blips upon its 1970 release, but has taken on a life of its own soundtracking prestige TV and car commercials around the globe and finally going gold after 65 years. We discovered Ron Harrington's "Because You're Mine" demo amongst the Capsoul tapes, a demo cut for founder Bill Moss that never escaped greater Columbus. The mid-tempo harmony joint "It Happened To Me Again" adorns the flip, with a lo-fi funk backbeat tossed in for good measure. Capsoul's crown jewel group harmony quartet Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum & Durr cut just two records in their short time together, but the quartet's "You Can't Blame Me" has endured as a classic example of the raw and unhinged soul sound that Numero is known for. Eccentric Soul from the heart of it all.

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For our 100th Eccentric Soul 45, Numero returns to our Ohio roots with three replica 45s from the Capsoul universe. Marion Black's timeless two-sider "Who Knows" b/w "Go On Fool" made a few blips upon its 1970 release, but has taken on a life of its own soundtracking prestige TV and car commercials around the globe and finally going gold after 65 years. We discovered Ron Harrington's "Because You're Mine" demo amongst the Capsoul tapes, a demo cut for founder Bill Moss that never escaped greater Columbus. The mid-tempo harmony joint "It Happened To Me Again" adorns the flip, with a lo-fi funk backbeat tossed in for good measure. Capsoul's crown jewel group harmony quartet Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum & Durr cut just two records in their short time together, but the quartet's "You Can't Blame Me" has endured as a classic example of the raw and unhinged soul sound that Numero is known for. Eccentric Soul from the heart of it all.

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After three albums of reverberated guitar wandering, Master Wilburn Burchette's Psychic Meditation Music takes a turn towards the kosmiche. Two side-long synth explorations transport the listener to the avocado hues of 1974, expanding consciousness one oscillation at a time. Bug out your third eye!

Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiLfq--9n1c

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The idea of what makes "modern soul" has long been a subject of debate, even among those at the top, specially tasked with arbitrating its definition. At Success Bottling Co., such spats escalated to the point where A&R team members Stephen Arndt and Tim Zawada had to be physically separated during a heated tracklist meeting. Yet we know that M-soul's origins can be traced to the UK's Northern Soul scene, where, in the late 70s, disco-adjacent 45s began appearing alongside traditional 60s selections. Today, modern soul is often associated with the 80s, incorporating synths and rhythm-machines. Quibbles persist: How much brass is too much? Can strings and synths truly coexist? Eccentric Modern Soul explores these ideas across eleven rambunctious ones, pinching previously unissued recordings from Wee, Ujima, and Wind alongside neat classics from Universal Togetherness Band, Mind & Matter, Maxx Traxx and 94 East.

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Townies, homecoming queens, and big men on campus manifest a homegrown and revolutionary sound in Civil Rights-era Greensboro.

Among presidential hopefuls and future astronauts, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, located in Greensboro, was a hotbed of black excellence, activism, and raw talent. At the helm of a half-dozen labels, local yokel Walter Grady assembled a rotating cast of townies, homecoming queens, and big men on campus to manifest a scintillating sound that was both homegrown and revolutionary. Eccentric Soul: The Linco Label compiles melodic milestones from the birthplace of the civil rights movement.

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Whatever sense of unity bound a hodgepodge of underground American punk sounds in the 1990s like a Duct-tape wallet began to come unglued by the end of the decade. A couple years into the new millennium and the emo scene that once had enough space for a band as brazen in their fusion of slowcore, jazz, and post-hardcore as Boston’s Karate would barely be reflected in a cookie-cutter style commercialized by major labels and mid-level indies that acted like the majors. The part of punk that overlapped with indie rock would begin a slow ascent from its comfortable home on college radio charts to the soundtrack of American Apparel shops and eventually the Billboard charts. In this strange, stratifying milieu, Karate, a band that seemed to thrive by cleaving to a nether-zone between several sounds that otherwise never touched, delivered an engrossing constantly shifting shot of rock that covered three sides of 12-inch vinyl: Unsolved arrived in 2000.

Karate spent much of the ’ 90s wrestling punk aggression and volume into svelte shapes and often condensed what felt like a generation of scuffed-up intensity into whispers. The quiet moments carried much of that unbridled intensity throughout Unsolved—the fuzzy guitar squawk and snatchet of machine-gun drumming on “Sever” aside, things hit a little more sharply the moment the trio pivoted into their subdued jazz melodic interplay on that song. Karate’s transition into indie-rock maturity had become so complete by the time they dropped Unsolved that you could play the coffeehouse soul of “Halo of the Strange” and sultry jazz of “Lived-But-Yet-Named” to an unsuspecting punk and spend an entire evening trying to convince them that, yes, this band had made their bones playing the same DIY circuit made of bands that sounded like they wanted to harm their audience. But few bands other than Karate played like they understood the musical lingua franca of scene godheads such as Fugazi and Unwound, and knew how to make that language evolve, and nearly every song on Unsolved made that clear. If you didn’t get the memo by the end of the elegiac 11-minute closer “This Day Next Year,” which gained an irrepressible power from a plaintive guitar melody cycling through the song’s back half like a yearnsome cry for the divine, you might’ve been better off buying a ticket for Warped Tour and waiting a decade or two to figure it out.

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Wenn sie nicht gerade aus dem Fenster auf die stürmische Skyline von Manhattan blickte, verbrachte Margo Guryan ihre dreißiger Jahre damit, Ohrwürmer für Leute wie Bobbie Gentry, Jackie DeShannon, Claudine Longet, Carmen McCrae und Julie London bei CBS's April Blackwood Music zu schreiben. Guryans zeitlose Gedanken über Liebe, Sonntage, Erdbeben, Weinen und Jungs namens Timothy haben unzählige Filme und virale Videos unterlegt. Meisterwerke aus früheren Zeiten. 28 ihrer Songwriting-Demos aus den 60er und 70er Jahren sind auf dieser 25-jährigen Jubiläums-Doppelalbum-Edition.

Trackliste
1.1WHAT CAN I GIVE YOU
1.2SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH THE MORNING
1.3I LOVE
1.4SUNDAY MORNING
1.5CAN YOU TELL
1.6THINK OF RAIN
1.7SUN
1.8MOST OF MY LIFE
1.9THE 8:17 NORTHBOUND SUCCESS MERRY-GO-ROUND
1.10LOVE SONGS
1.11THOUGHTS
1.12I DON'T INTEND TO SPEND CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU
1.13COME TO ME SLOWLY
1.14TIMOTHY GONE
2.1IT'S ALRIGHT NOW
2.2VALUES
2.3I THINK A LOT ABOUT YOU
2.4THE HUM
2.5PLEASE BELIEVE ME
2.6YES I AM
2.7I'D LIKE TO SEE THE BAD GUYS WIN
2.8CALIFORNIA SHAKE
2.9SHINE
2.10HOLD ME DANCIN
2.11GOODBYE JULY
2.12WHY DO I CRY
2.13UNDER MY UMBRELLA
2.14I OUGHT TO STAY AWAY FROM YOU

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Channeling the Euro-pop sensibilities of Crepuscule and the ethereal goth of 4AD, Vazz arrived in Glasgow just as the Sound of Young Scotland was taking off. Armed with a drum machine, guitar, bass, and Anna Howson’s icy cooing, the duo offered a darker take to a scene dominated by poptimists Orange Juice, Josef K, and Aztec Camera. This 40th anniversary edition of their 1986 mini-album Your Lungs and Your Tongues compiles their complete Cathexis recordings and adds a handful of unissued minimal wave pearls. Colder than Dalwhinnie on the solstice—better bring a parka.

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The Notations 1973 viral smash "What More Can I Say" returns to the mother format with their all-time lowrider tail-pipe dragger "I'm Still Here" on this limited, twin-smash Numero Classics 45. Sampled NxWorries, Anderson.Paak, redveil, and Snoop Dog, these Notations hits are sure to tickle the trainspotters and old-timers alike.

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Venomous Tex-Mex R&B and early rock n' roll from San Antonio's West Side scene. From 1961-67, Bexar county kingmaker Abe Epstein cut every teen combo to grace the Patio Andaluz stage, launching the careers of Doug Sahm, The Royal Jesters, Sonny Ace, The Dreamliners, and hundreds more throughout the decade. Spread across two luxurious slabs of vinyl, The Cobra Label compiles 28 neurotoxic sides from Epstein's first bite in the biz.

Track List
Sonny Ace & The Twisters Wooleh Booleh
Mike & The Belairs ft: Nyolia Moore Buscando (Searchin')
Royal Five My Baby Cares for Me
J. Jay & The Dell-Tones Just A Matter of Time
Little Henry & The Laveers I Don't Want No Woman
Danny Segovia and the Sessions Hey Babe
Dell Tones Golly Gee
Sonny Ace & The Twisters Stand-By Love
Henry & The Kasuals Funny Funny Funny
The Royal Jesters with The Jimmy Johnson Combo Is That Good Enough For You?
Mad Mods Warm And Tender Love
J. Jay & The Dell-Tones If I Cry A Little More
The Dreamliners Just Me And You
The Royal Jesters and The Memphis III Love Me
Doug Sahm Just A Moment
Henry & His Kasuals Slowly But Surely
Dell Tones The Best Man Cried
Royal Five Someone Who Cares
J. Jay & the Dell-Tones Too Late To Forgive
Shades McRay & The Invictas Summer Is Here
The Royal Jesters With The Casuals I Want To Be Loved
Sonny Ace & The Twisters Fever
Rod Andrea & The Ram Rods If It's Lovin' You Want
Little Henry & The Laveers Break It To Me Now
Mike & The Belairs ft. Nyolia Moore She's Mine
Dino & The Dell-Tones Sticks And Stones
Henry & His Kasuals Workout
Freddie Martinez Summer Rain

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Opaque Gold Colored Vinyl!

Venomous Tex-Mex R&B and early rock n' roll from San Antonio's West Side scene. From 1961-67, Bexar county kingmaker Abe Epstein cut every teen combo to grace the Patio Andaluz stage, launching the careers of Doug Sahm, The Royal Jesters, Sonny Ace, The Dreamliners, and hundreds more throughout the decade. Spread across two luxurious slabs of vinyl, The Cobra Label compiles 28 neurotoxic sides from Epstein's first bite in the biz.

Track List
Sonny Ace & The Twisters Wooleh Booleh
Mike & The Belairs ft: Nyolia Moore Buscando (Searchin')
Royal Five My Baby Cares for Me
J. Jay & The Dell-Tones Just A Matter of Time
Little Henry & The Laveers I Don't Want No Woman
Danny Segovia and the Sessions Hey Babe
Dell Tones Golly Gee
Sonny Ace & The Twisters Stand-By Love
Henry & The Kasuals Funny Funny Funny
The Royal Jesters with The Jimmy Johnson Combo Is That Good Enough For You?
Mad Mods Warm And Tender Love
J. Jay & The Dell-Tones If I Cry A Little More
The Dreamliners Just Me And You
The Royal Jesters and The Memphis III Love Me
Doug Sahm Just A Moment
Henry & His Kasuals Slowly But Surely
Dell Tones The Best Man Cried
Royal Five Someone Who Cares
J. Jay & the Dell-Tones Too Late To Forgive
Shades McRay & The Invictas Summer Is Here
The Royal Jesters With The Casuals I Want To Be Loved
Sonny Ace & The Twisters Fever
Rod Andrea & The Ram Rods If It's Lovin' You Want
Little Henry & The Laveers Break It To Me Now
Mike & The Belairs ft. Nyolia Moore She's Mine
Dino & The Dell-Tones Sticks And Stones
Henry & His Kasuals Workout
Freddie Martinez Summer Rain

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The Numero Group guide to private issue new age. Featuring Laraaji, Iasos, Joanna Brouk, Don Slepian, Peter Davison, Master Wilburn Burchette, Jordan De La Sierra, David Casper, Robert Slap and 9 other pioneers of the Perrier underground. Adorned with Marcus Uzilevsky's Linear Landscapes, this 2xLP compilation is housed in a sturdy tip-on jacket and is accompanied by a 32-page booklet. The fourth world awaits.

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San Jose slowcore/space rock outfit Duster returns with surprise album "In Dreams," continuing their of inclination of sonically capturing an open-ended question. These thirteen tracks hone in on their trademark dark, droning guitar tones, dialed back percussion, and alluring hard-panned vocals while expanding and exploring synth-heavy and drum machine avenues.

it's the fifth duster album, ok


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Aqua Tofana Colourless Vinyl!

San Jose slowcore/space rock outfit Duster returns with surprise album "In Dreams," continuing their of inclination of sonically capturing an open-ended question. These thirteen tracks hone in on their trademark dark, droning guitar tones, dialed back percussion, and alluring hard-panned vocals while expanding and exploring synth-heavy and drum machine avenues.

it's the fifth duster album, ok


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Black Vinyl.

A trio of Kansas City soul sweepers, from the sprawling midwest burg's storied Cavern, Damon, and Forte concerns. Bump and the Soul Stompers' 1970 sweet soul double sider "I Can Remember" was a tail pipe-dragging, low rider classic in the making, had it ever been released. A few years later Jerald "Bump" Scott took his new group to Cavern's subterranean confines to cut the group harmony masterpiece "Living In The Past," but remained unissued prior to Numero's discovery of the Cavern tapes. As disco was cresting at the top of the next decade, Sharon Revoal tracked her James Brown meets James Bond stepper "Reaching For Our Star"_ the last 45 released on Marva Whitney's peerless Forte label.

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Coke Bottle Clear Vinyl.

A trio of Kansas City soul sweepers, from the sprawling midwest burg's storied Cavern, Damon, and Forte concerns. Bump and the Soul Stompers' 1970 sweet soul double sider "I Can Remember" was a tail pipe-dragging, low rider classic in the making, had it ever been released. A few years later Jerald "Bump" Scott took his new group to Cavern's subterranean confines to cut the group harmony masterpiece "Living In The Past," but remained unissued prior to Numero's discovery of the Cavern tapes. As disco was cresting at the top of the next decade, Sharon Revoal tracked her James Brown meets James Bond stepper "Reaching For Our Star"_ the last 45 released on Marva Whitney's peerless Forte label.

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Reaching For Our Star b/w Run Between The Raindrops (While My Teardrops Fall). A trio of Kansas City soul sweepers, from the sprawling mid west burg's storied Cavern, Damon, and Forte concerns. Bump and the Soul Stompers' 1970 sweet soul double sider "I C an Remember" was a tail pipe-dragging, low rider classic in the making, had it ever been released. A few years later Jerald "Bump" Scott took his new group to Cavern's subterrane an confines to cut the group harmony masterpiece "Living In The Past," but remained unissued prior to Numero's discovery of the Cavern tapes. As disco was cresting at the top of the next decade, Sharon Revoal tracked her James Brown meets James Bond stepper "Reaching For Our Star"_ the last 45 released on Marva Whitney's peerless Fortelabel.


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Leon Michels has quietly become one of the most sought-after producers in music. His signature sound has caught the attention of the mainstream while continuing to inspire the underground. Since 2023's El Michels Affair & Black Thought album Glorious Game, Michels has been busy producing records for other artists; Norah Jones' Grammy winning Visions, Clairo's Grammy nominated Charm, Kali Uchis' "Moonlight", as well as albums for labelmates Brainstory, Derya Yyldyrym & Grup imek, Thee Heart Tones, and Liam Bailey. His new album 24 Hr Sports marks the highly anticipated return to recording under his own moniker, El Michels Affair 24 Hr Sports was inspired by the fashion and graphic design of `80s & `90s Sports Illustrated magazines, MF DOOM's Special Herbs albums, the sample sources used on them, and gospel music a la Pastor T.L. Barrett. The sum of those inuences with Michels' impeccable creative touch prove to be the recipe for an instant classic that will surely be one of the most heralded releases of 2025. The album opener "Drum Line" is an anthemic, uplifting tune with marching band drumming and thundering brass arrangements that command undivided attention and set the tone for what's to come. 24 Hr Sports sees a signicant departure from the largely instrumental music of the El Michels Affair catalog with a roster of vocal features that manages to mirror the undenable genre of his music. The rst one on the album is "Mágica" which features Brazil's Rogê. He takes the already pumping energy of the track over the top with his fútbol inspired lyrics. Moving from Brazil to Ghana, "Say Goodbye" features Florence Adooni who touts her individuality with an effortless swag jumping between Frafra and English, telling it like it is in the earworm chorus, "never gonna nd a girl like me_". Labelmate and world renowned trumpeter from The Roots, Dave Guy joins the `70s groove of "Oakley's Car Wash" with his distinct horn lines before the track switches lanes, closing with a dubby outro. From raucous to serene, "Anticipate" featuring Clairo picks up on the musical synergy between her and Leon that created 2024's Charm album. Clairo rides signature EMA arrangements perfectly as she pines for an unattainable love over the band's airtight instrumentation. "Eastside" is a song that could soundtrack a sunrise over the ocean, putting Leon's tasteful use of space and arrangement on a pedestal. By way of Japan, The Suginami Children's Choir join in on the lush "Clean The Line" singing a song about the moon, the sun, and birds. Next, "Cortex" kicks in the door with gritty distorted guitars and thundering drums that puts a moment of pure cinematic intensity in the middle of the album. Leon himself handles lead vocals on "Shining," a song about looking for a friend to share the joys of a sunny day with. The universally adored Shintaro Sakamoto is featured on "Indifference", a swanky tune built on bouncing basslines and ute chops. Shintaro uses the arrangements to go from singing to speaking, musing over a eeting love. The Grammy winning duo of Norah Jones and Michels reunite on "Carry Me Away" with Jones' honeyed vocals soaring over a track that is hard to place but easy to love. Leon leans into El Michels Affair territory on the tune that sounds decidedly different from the Norah Jones records he has produced. "Take My Hand" puts gospel inuence front and center with the Fabulous Rainbow Singers choir on the chorus and a saxophone solo from the late great Rahsaan Roland Kirk. "Open Season", a mid tempo, piano driven number with group vocals chanting "we want the gold, we want the gold_" could soundtrack a slow motion highlight reel, while the aptly titled album closer "Victory Lap" is a dreamy euphoric wind-down worthy of the record that just nished. When all is said and done, the trophy on the cover of the album speaks volumes. El Michels Affair is champion sound and 24 Hr Sports hammers that home.

Tracklist
1.1DRUMLINE
1.2MáGICA FEAT ROGê
1.324 HR SPORTS THEME NO 1
1.4SAY GOODBYE FEAT FLORENCE ADOONI
1.5OAKLEY'S CAR WASH FEAT DAVE GUY
1.6ANTICIPATE FEAT CLAIRO
1.7EASTSIDE
1.8CLEAN THE LINE
1.9CORTEX
1.10SHINING
1.1124 HR SPORTS THEME NO 2
1.12INDIFFERENCE FEAT SHINTARO SAKAMOTO
1.13CARRY ME AWAY FEAT NORAH JONES
1.14TAKE MY HAND FEAT RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK
1.15OPEN SEASON
1.16VICTORY LAP

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El Michels Affair pulls two standouts from his forthcoming 24 Hr Sports album and presses them on a sureshot two-sider 7". The A side 'Say Goodbye' is an instant hit with bouncing basslines & drums that carry the infectious and endearing vocals of Ghana's own Florence Adooni. The bouncy energy of the track is taken to the next level by Florence's earworm chorus which is sure to make this a record in heavy rotation around the globe. The B side 'Mágica' is yet another instant hit that smashes through the speakers from the first note. El Michels Affair teams up with Brazil's own Rogê, whose vocals pour gas on the already fire track. Turn this one up to 10 and find the dancefloor_

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The Dubplate series comes to the label’s spiritual home of Hackney, the stomping ground of the Douglas “Dougie” Waldrop and his Conscious Sounds label with the spin off Dub meets Funk project. The music of the Dub Specialists is presented with extended re-edits by label owners Piers Harrison and Stuart “Chuggy” Leath, alongside rising selector star Millie McKee and studio master extraordinaire Matt Bruce (Vanity Project).

Formed in 1989, Conscious Sounds and the Conscious Music studio have been mainstays on the UK Digital Roots scene to this day, working with the likes Bush Chemists, Johan Dan, Kenny Knots and Pablo Gad. The Dub Specialists was a project created by Dougie to put aside studio sessions and explore a new interest in samplers, working with friend Chris Petter (Love Grocer) and his interest in Jazz and Funk.

Using the Atari 1040 running Cubase, with a Soundcraft mixer, drum loops and Reggae basslines were played over Funk samples and layered with Petter’s chords to create a series of short tracks for DJ play. Releasing 3 albums between 1995 and 1999 on the sub label Crispy Music, they have more recently been gaining cult status.

The tracks chosen all come from the first and increasingly sought after LP, Dub To Dub Break To Break and have been extended, stretched, looped and dubbed by the label family to form a club friendly EP. From the dance floor jams of Dub De Funk and Funkin’ Dub to the deeper Movin Ya (with additional flute by Millie) and Murderous Style, this is a unique fusion of Funk and Digidub that fits perfectly the ideals of the Dubplate Series.

Break The Mystery.

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Repress!

Mysticisms’ Dubplate series returns by bringing Nick Barber aka 90s Trance icon Doof, to the label, releasing a selection of previous digital only dub recordings for the first time on to vinyl.

Recorded straight to tape and remixed and live dubbed on the desk, the tracks have been remastered from the original tapes by Nick, bringing the recordings back to life. Best known as Doof, Nick was a pioneer of the early Trance explosion, his debut EP on Mute Record subsidiary, Novamute, placed him at the forefront on the burgeoning scene. Further EPs followed, including on Youth’s seminal Dragonfly label and the infamous TIP Records.

After his 1996 debut album became of the defining albums of the early Psy-Trance sound, Doof toured extensively across the globe from Brazil to Japan. During this time, he began experimenting with his love of dub. “Chill Out” or downtempo had long been part of the Acid-House and later Trance experience, with the merging of Dub influences with Ambient and Psychedelic elements propagating the evolving Digi Dub sound .

It is here, that Love Dub So emerges. Recorded as much for personal pleasure, with some appearing on compilation CDs of the time, a "Best Of" album was eventually released on Dubmission in 2010. By now, becoming disillusioned with the electronic scene, Nick explored his acoustic recordings inspired by his experiences in medicine ceremonies, however his Dub recordings were not lost. Working with Mysticisms to create the next Dubplate, four of his experiments are presented.

Featuring his classic Baba, Love Dub So, here he has crafted a new live dub mix especially for this vinyl cut. Based on the infamous Baby I Love You So riddim from Augustus Pablo’s 1974 production for Jacob Miller – itself utilising Herman Chin-Loy's "Jah Jah Dub” from the previous year – the song went on to become a classic, famously covered Dennis Brown and inspirationally, Colourbox, Doof’s version brings it all up to date with a wonderful extended Ambient to 4/4 Dub remake.

Accompanying is the Trip-Hop Dub of Mantra. A time-capsule of that late 90s “Dopes on Plastic”” remembrance. Bringing the 4/4 kick back on the flip is Skunked On Planet Dub, a smoke-infused, hot London Summers days, the real Digi Dub groove laying a laid back bounce that twists and turns the roach.

Sticks And Stones completes the Dubplate vinyl, a Dub House "drum and bass" overlaid with Psychedelic oscillations and Acid wiggle that never fails. Doof by name, Dubplate by nature.

Love The Mystery.

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For our 100th Eccentric Soul 45, Numero returns to our Ohio roots with three replica 45s from the Capsoul universe. Marion Black's timeless two-sider "Who Knows" b/w "Go On Fool" made a few blips upon its 1970 release, but has taken on a life of its own soundtracking prestige TV and car commercials around the globe and finally going gold after 65 years. We discovered Ron Harrington's "Because You're Mine" demo amongst the Capsoul tapes, a demo cut for founder Bill Moss that never escaped greater Columbus. The mid-tempo harmony joint "It Happened To Me Again" adorns the flip, with a lo-fi funk backbeat tossed in for good measure. Capsoul's crown jewel group harmony quartet Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum & Durr cut just two records in their short time together, but the quartet's "You Can't Blame Me" has endured as a classic example of the raw and unhinged soul sound that Numero is known for. Eccentric Soul from the heart of it all.

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This one was an unexpected treat. Two of our favourite contemporary musicians, Finn Rees & SHOLTO coming together and collaborating on a double dose of celestial, cinematic alchemy.

At Mr Bongo we are massive admirers of drummer, musician, and producer SHOLTO (Oscar Robertson). His two albums on Funk Night Records and DeepMatter Records, had both been highlights of their respective years. We’d gotten to know Oscar and sent him a few records. Included in the package was Australian pianist-composer Finn Rees’ debut album, Dawn Is A Melody, which was one of our favourite releases on Mr Bongo in 2024.

In Oscar's words 'For me it was a standout modern jazz record - encapsulating a spiritual / hazy dreamy soundscape which hugely resonated with me. Glissando keys and harp with lush melodies, I was instantly intrigued.”

The pair started following each other online and as luck would have it, Finn was staying in London for the summer season, so they arranged to meet. The pair instantly clicked and said it felt like they'd known each other for years. After 40 minutes of chatting, they started to jam.

'Love In Memory' and 'Bluebell' were recorded over two days - a track a day in Oscar's SFJ studios. Laid down on mostly analogue equipment, the pair utilised Wurlitzer’s, mellotrons, and ribbon mics through Oscar’s ‘70s Studer desk. Composed and crafted without any real intentions, other than a shared appreciation for the same style of music and approach, the tracks started to take shape. The results were as lush, nostalgic and textured as you’d expect from these two brilliant musicians, with a classical feel inspired by artists such as Piero Piccioni, Piero Umiliani, and Henry Mancini.

For the beautiful string arrangements, the pair recruited the talents of Sholto's long-time friend and collaborator Clementine Brown (Penguin Cafe Orchestra) and Matthew Hayes of 30/70, Allysha Joy, Xpress Point, Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange fame, was brought in to play bass on 'Bluebell'.

So here we have it, a chance collaborative project built on two musicians' mutual respect for each other's outputs. The result is truly breathtaking.

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Wah Wah 45s are very proud to present the debut LP from an exciting, brand new signing for 2025. The music of Isaac de Martin, otherwise known as IKE, blends jazz and electronic influences into warm, smooth, and often cinematic soundscapes. A certain eclecticism is not surprising considering that the composer, producer and guitarist was born in Italy into a musical family with British roots, studied classical guitar, graduated in jazz and went on to develop his personal style through creative experimentation, live touring and collaborative work with artists from a variety of disciplines and countries. Under the shadow of the pandemic, IKE headed to Egypt, a country that has always held a deep fascination for him. Finding sanctuary between teaching at Cairo's Heliopolis University and observing the progress of an ecological development community, the creative foundation of IKE's forthcoming LP, entitled On Higher Dreams began to take form. Music holds a revered position in Egyptian culture; it has done so for countless generations. With a western eye, some can be guilty of seeing music solely through the lens of entertainment. In Egypt, music holds its more natural position, as an essential and supportive accompaniment to the human experience. In Egyptian universities, faculty meetings often commence with live concerts, setting the correct tone and environment for the discussions to follow. IKE was invited to perform in this setting, and this approach to music, as well as the philosophy that underpins it, was keenly absorbed. In western culture, all too often we bear the contrast of living with a physical and social connection, freedom and expression against one with isolation, restriction and fear. For IKE, Egypt displayed another stark contrast; one which formed the thematic centre of On Higher Dreams. It is water that dictates the pulse of life in Egypt, with the Nile Delta standing as a lush, nourishing testament to the transformative power of the element, when set against the backdrop of the arid landscape it carves its ways through. There is a deep connection between the people of Egypt and this life-giving force. This album is an ode to this fundamental relationship. Upon returning to Europe, IKE spent a year digesting, interpreting, understanding and refining the spirit of the work, before setting about recording in 2022 at Big Snuff Studios, Berlin. The all-analog setup that was available allowed IKE to integrate the warmth of '60s and '70s recordings, creating an atmospheric bed on which contemporary synths could lie. A live studio environment was consciously selected to preserve the raw, honest emotion of the performances. Tracks like Nilo capture the lifeblood of Egypt—the Nile—while Sidda navigates the journey down the Blue Nile to its source at Lake Tana in Ethiopia, paying tribute to Ethiopian traditional music. Risorgini is a homage to Italian film composer Giuliano Sorgini, blending experimental and Afro elements into a resuscitation of his musical approach. The album's overall vintage yet dynamic atmosphere, reinforces the themes of nature and existential flow. It is this that perhaps most prominently shines through on the record. It invites listeners to open themselves to the ebb and flow of life, encouraging a spontaneous, heartfelt engagement with the world in the spirit of acceptance and serenity. IKE's journey through Egypt serves as both a narrative and a metaphor for this liberating approach to life—where, like the water of the Nile, we find our own paths naturally, beautifully, inevitably to reach Higher Dreams.

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With two critically acclaimed compilations already under his belt, DJ / collector miche returns to Mr Bongo with the third instalment of his With Love series. Testament to his ever-expanding taste, Volume 3 isn’t just a subs bench call-up from the past compilations, it’s an evolution and progression casting the net deeper and wider than before.

Keeping true to the series, but with some fresh surprises along the way, this carefully curated compilation is a celebration of soulful, independently released music from across the globe, and the amazing (often unsung) musicians and vocalists that made these sublime records.

Across the third volume, miche explores a jazzier side of his tastes. “The deeper I went, the more I found myself gravitating towards jazzier music - not leaving soul behind, but following that same feeling into new territory”, he explains. Tracks like the gliding jazz funk found on Late Nite Music Band’s ‘Sundance’, or the glorious jazz-soul number ‘In Flight’ by Spectrym are shining examples of this.

That defining soulful thread of previous volumes is still in full effect throughout this latest edition. “There’s a healthy dose of impossible-to-find soul gems that have that unmistakable, heartwarming feel. Tracks like John Simmons' 'Ain't Nothing Like The Love', which I've adored ever since Zaf Love Vinyl played it, sit perfectly alongside records like Le Cop and New Way”, states miche.

The addition of some top-tier Turkish music showcases another side to his ever-broadening taste. Nükhet Ruacan's 'Gölge' is something unique, a floaty Brazilian-inspired gem recorded in Turkey and not what you’d typically expect from Turkish records of this era.

It also wouldn’t feel right to leave out a stop in Brazil, with miche looking to the work of Carlos Bivar whose track 'Amargo Amar' carries that undeniable groove of samba-funk from Rio.

Spreading the With Love message far and wide the series has led to miche DJing across the globe, “from batucada sessions in Timisoara, to all-night sets in a club in Beijing, and even an eight-hour Root Down With Love stage takeover at We Out Here festival, joined by Danilo Plessow, Jeremy Underground, and of course, my mentor and buddy Rainer Trüby.”

Volume 3 then, carries that message even further. It’s an eclectic but intentional collection, built for the music lover who wants to discover something new. Working just as well as a soundtrack to cook dinner to, as it does keeping a packed dancefloor moving into the small hours.

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Balmat 17 marks both a return and a new frontier. It is the second album on the label from Patricia Wolf, whose 2022 album See-Through is one of the most beloved in Balmat’s catalog; it also marks the first time that Wolf has turned her hand to a film soundtrack. The results are every bit as magical as fans of the Portland, Oregon, composer’s music might expect.

Hrafnamynd—Icelandic for “raven film”—is a new feature-length documentary by experimental filmmaker Edward Pack Davee. Shot on a mix of film and digital formats, and incorporating his father’s Ektachrome slides from the 1970s, the autobiographical film works on multiple levels at once: a reminiscence of his childhood in Iceland, an exploration of landscape and folklore, and a documentary study of the island nation’s ravens—including a talking raven named Krummi.

Wolf is the perfect artist to score such an unusual film. Mixing ambient music and field recording—including extensive experience documenting bird song—Wolf brings an unusually empathic perspective to her music. In the context of Hrafnamynd, her airy melodies, pensive atmospheres, and vivid textures intuitively complement the film’s grainy film stock and blown-out colors. Friends for years, the two artists further bonded when Wolf asked Pack to film music videos for her songs “Woodland Encounter” (from See-Through) and “The Culmination Of” (from I'll Look For You In Others). Pack used Wolf’s previously recorded music as placeholders as he began assembling a rough cut of the film, which made her a natural choice to help him complete his idiosyncratic vision with an all-new, bespoke score.

But Wolf’s soundtrack also indisputably stands alone as a full-length album. Largely created using the UDO Super 6 synthesizer, it features a carefully distilled palette of warm, string-like pads and darkly glistening mallets, rounded out with the very occasional introduction of nylon string guitar. Musically and stylistically, the album’s 11 tracks represent both a continuation of the ruminative sound of See-Through and also an extension into new expressive modes. Few musicians, ambient or otherwise, are as skilled at balancing melody with atmosphere, or at finding ways to eke fresh at finding ways to eke fresh, surprising sounds out of an intentionally reduced toolkit. Meditative, immersive, and emotionally generous Wolf’s Hrafnamynd soundtrack evokes a range of ambient classics from decades past while confidently marking out its own verdant patch of ground.


Artist’s Statement:
Edward and I have been friends for years, but we really started to get to know one another better after I hired him to make music videos for my songs “Woodland Encounter” and “The Culmination Of.” For those projects we got to spend a lot of time hiking in various locations around the Pacific Northwest with his camera, very nice lenses, and tripod. Keeping quiet, hidden, and vigilant we searched for wildlife, good light on the trees, meadows, lakes, rivers, and skies. Edward was already an appreciator of my music and I was already in awe of his filmmaking talents so it felt like a great fit. Although we work in different areas of art our styles compliment one another. We both tend toward slow and careful pacing, with a focus on emotion and introspective reflections on life and the landscapes around us. For this reason, Iknew that I could trust Edward to create videos for my music. We saw so many beautiful and unexpected things on our filming days, but I was moved to tears once I saw how magnificent and poetic it all was. His video work from the cinematography, to the editing, and color correction helped bring my inner vision to life.

A few months after that, Edward surprised me with an invitation to work on the soundtrack for his new film, Hrafnamynd. I enthusiastically said yes. I had always wanted to work on a film, and I knew that his filmmaking style would be inspiring to write music for. I had recently acquired an UDO Super 6 synthesizer but hadn't used it much. I decided that this would be the synth that I'd use for the film. It has the ability to sound very modern, but can also sound so warm and fuzzy, like a synth from the 1970s. It turned out to be the perfect instrument for this project as the film itself straddles time from the ’70s to today.

When Edward sent me the rough cut of the film, he used placeholder music to help give me an idea of the emotion and energy that he was hoping to achieve for each scene. For many of the scenes, Edward used music from my albums as temporary tracks. This told me that he trusted my work and style and therefore I should just trust my intuition with how to proceed. I wanted to make sure that everything that I made was a direct reflection of what was happening on screen, a mirror of its emotion and energy so people could really lock into the film psychologically. This process took my composing to unexpected places—like being led by a strange cat or a raven that seemed to have something to show me. I found that the approach made the music so much more dynamic than my usual style. I really enjoyed being influenced by the action and dialog on the screen. Thankfully, Edward was very happy with the work. I made sure to handle this project with the utmost care because this is about his life and his family, and an exploration of the experiences that made him an artist and filmmaker. While watching the film many times over, I found myself thinking about my own family and my early memories with them and how the place where I grew up has influenced who I have become. I found that his film invites the viewer to reflect on their own lives in a similar way. I hope that this music and film can guide others to contemplate on the history of their beingness and the people and places that shaped them.

Another aspect to this project is the splendor and wonder of Iceland itself. I had the opportunity to visit Iceland for the first time in 2023. I got to play a show there for the Extreme Chill Festival and met many friendly and brilliant Icelanders. I also got to collect field recordings that I used in the film. It's a fascinating place and culture that easily captures the hearts and imaginations of anyone who visits. Whether you spend your time in the city immersed in its impressive arts scene, or venture out into the wilderness to behold its wondrous landscape, it will leave a lasting impression. The soundtrack is also a love letter to Iceland itself.

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Yowzers is a new album by Chicago composer, improvisor, and musical folklorist Ben LaMar Gay.

Gay's de facto debut album—the 2018 compilation Downtown Castles Can Never Block The Sun—properly introduced him to the world by placing fifteen stylistically diverse tracks from seven then-unreleased albums next to one another. The release of his critically-acclaimed 2021 song cycle Open Arms To Open Us followed, and then the explosive free-electronics of 2022’s Certain Reveries. In addition to being featured on a staggering number of International Anthem releases (including albums by Makaya McCraven, jaimie branch, Damon Locks, Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti & Frank Rosaly), Gay is one of the most prolific collaborators in creative music today, making active contributions to Mike Reed’s Separatist Party, Joshua Abrams’s Natural Information Society, Bitchin Bajas, Theaster Gates’s Black Monks of Mississippi, and many more.

A uniting factor in Gay's deep, multi-faceted discography is a never-ending commitment to taking the stories of the past and pushing them outward, filtered through a sense of self, to keep that information moving. Information moves through Yowzers via the intuitive physicality of Gay’s creative polyrhythmic constructions, as he covertly delivers familiar folk melodies. “It’s the most natural thing,” says Gay. “That’s how the world is. There are overlapping rhythms all around us, and so it reminds you of the reality of the world when you hear them. It’s a loop and the loop is always changing.”

Yowzers features Gay's working quartet with Tommaso Moretti (drums, percussion, voice), Matthew Davis (tuba, piano, bells, voice), and Will Faber (guitar, ngoni, bells, voice), as well as guest instrumentalist Rob Frye and a mini-choir comprising vocalists Ayanna Woods, Tramaine Parker, and Ugochi Nwaogwugwu. The album recalls the high-minded freedom of Liberation Music Orchestra, the glitched-out electronic webs of Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, the unbridled rhythms and sandpaper bellows of Bukka White, and the harmolodic cartoon glory of Arthur Blythe’s Illusions. It’s all there, filtered through an improvisational approach and a lifetime of secrets embodied. For a man who has inhabited and traveled these continents so extensively, it’s safe to call this work true “Americana,” despite what that word might mean to the average person in the United States.

https://listen.k7.com/ff1c4674-9e23-4e01-b7e8-7e1c631f4a18


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