Format: (180 gr., Limited Full Cover)

Track list:

A1 - Byron the Aquarius - I love yo
A2 - Byron the Aquarius - Get up
B1 - Byron the Aquarius - Love
B2 - Byron the Aquarius - Success
B3 - Byron the Aquarius - I love yo (Kush Jones remix)

Release Info:

Heist Recordings has been pushing the envelope for house music since day one and we’re always on the lookout for artists that represent our vision on electronic music. Our next guest on the label fits that profile and more. He is the embodiment of modern-day electronic funk and a true wizard on the keys: Atlanta raised cool guy Byron the Aquarius.

Byron has a solid history on the label: He remixed Parker Madicine back in 2017 and did a mad solo on the 2019 released Dam Swindle track ‘The life behind things’. We’ve done some shows together and stayed in touch while Byron was working together with Jeff Mills on his 2020 jazz crossover record ‘Ambrosia’ on Axis. Now, after a solid string of releases on labels like Shall not Fade and Purveyor Underground, Byron is making his solo appearance on Heist. His ‘Akira’ EP goes from dark basement grooves to dreamy broken beats and features a remix by New York dance music wizard Kush Jones.

The Akira EP kicks off with ‘I love yo’. In this track, Byron decides to leave his keys at home and goes in deep with a moody club workout. ‘I love yo’ is a track that juxtaposes dreamy samples with rough percussion and vocal chops with a clear nod to the work of Mr. G. The melody is mellow, but don’t be deceived; clever drum programming and plenty of sub take this track into the club vibe just the way Byron likes it: warm, hazy and sexy AF.

Byron is not known for delivering straightforward house tunes, but when he does deliver them, he does it in style. Enter ‘Get up’; the A2 of the EP. There’s everything we love about house music: smart vocal chops, driving percussion, classic house keys and a booming sub to get you bumping to this beat.

The B-side sees Byron up the tempo and take a deep dive into bass territory with ‘Love’. In this track, there’s lush pads running over a percussive broken beat and chopped R ’n B vocals to add some serious sex appeal. It’s deceptively simple and clean but ever so catchy, which clearly shows Byron’s prowess as an electronic music producer.

Going back to classic house mode, we’ve got ‘Success’: A spoken word house track that fits right in with the classics. Byron sets the mood with some bumpy key-and synth work while brainstorming about originality and blackness throughout the track. Even though the message underneath might be a serious one, Byron succeeds in delivering this in a fun, uplifting way that never gets pretentious or divisive.

The EP finishes with a remix by New Yorker Kush Jones. This is an artist who understands how to build a groove. He could take you anywhere from house to juke, footwork and techno, which is exactly why he’s been getting so much love for his music recently. Kush is an artist who sees no boundaries in his music and still manages to create his own sonic universe. His remix of ‘I love yo’ takes a dreamy approach with soft chords running over an electronic groove with a pure and improvised feel. All elements fit together perfectly and it’s the clever ad-hoc programming and arrangement that suck you into his unbounded world from the first beat.

As always, enjoy the music and play it loud.

Yours sincerely,
Maarten & Lars

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

"I keep asking myself where they take all that brilliant music from. It's just as if somebody had poked a bees' nest and then it all burst out. I feel deeply connected to the Pampa Style..." (Terry Hogann, The Musical Mistress, 10/2010).
As was to be expected, Pampa is steadily developing into a platform for cross-border electronic dance music. Each Pampa release sounds different from the previous and still Pampa remains a conclusive musical planet. This is all the more surprising in the case of PAMPA005, which features two completely different artists:
Side A: Nathan Fake - Xmas Rush
Having reportedly recorded his track "Xmas Rush" in his London studio during a jam session, Nathan Fake (Border Community, Traum, SAW) has turned in a total brainfuck. It's mercylessly exaggerated, psychedelic, inexorable, and at the same time sweet and heart-warming. A very rare mixture. Unique in its consistency, we haven't heard anything like it since the 90s. It's so nice and overwhelming to have your ears exercised the right way again. Evergreen...
Side AA: DJ Koze pays tribute to Michael Smith - "Mi Cyaan believe it"
In the meantime, DJ Koze has moved on to completely different spheres. Once again, he astonishes his public with an extremely danceable version of Michael Smith's "Mi Cyaan Believe It". Having originally started off as a digital error, and recorded within a single night, this tune recalls the ruthlessness, rawness and revolutionary energy of Public Enemy. You can literally see SW1 deploying on the balcony of Amnesia, shitting down diarrhea. The rough and dry beat sets the perfect scenery for the breath-taking lyrics by Michael Smith, the great dub poet, who was tragically beaten to death by political opponents in Jamaica in 1983 (the incident sadly occurred on Marcus Garvey's birthday), alongside Linton Kwesi Johnson, and Mutabaruka, who was one of the most well-known dub poets.


Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Territories: World excl. UK + North America

FORMAT 12" 180g vinyl, generic sleeve, dl card

TRACKLIST
1. / A1 Woodpecker 05:27
2. / A2 Wavehall 06:56
3. / B1 Backlash 05:27
4. / B2 GUM 07:25
5. Pilot (Digital Bonus) 06:24

RELEASE INFO:
In April 2023, Tresor Records will unveil a new EP from DALO entitled "GUM". DALO, aka Nadia D'Alo, is one of the founders of the
R.i.O label and half of the duo INIT. After several years of performing as INIT with Benedikt Frey, she had her solo live debut in
Berlin in 2022. This record follows releases on labels such as ESP Institute and Warning. "GUM" showcases DALO's expert
mastery of rising tension through analogue sound sources, as it swings in and remains with minimal changes and accentuation.
"Woodpecker" enters a tunnel of reverberant claps, moving in a potent exercise of deftly manipulated acid. "Wavehall" draws
vocal smears across expansive, droning basses and 140bpm techno rhythms. In "Bachlash", she takes inspiration from events
of Iranian and Afghan women revolting for their rights, expressing hope for the rebound of control after long political oppression. Electro beats are introduced underneath the full-frontal melodic acid, while processed spoken word samples bring a new
focus.
DALO takes the rebounding control and strives forward into the unknown with "GUM", its segmented vocal samples playing a
captivating partnership with acidic slides. The EP closes with "Pilot," a digital bonus track that releases some of the tension
built up throughout and propels the dancer towards transcendent shapes.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

»Imagination Creates Reality« returns in powerful form – reimagined, remixed, and ready for the floor, featuring four amazing artists – Italo Brutalo, Kafkactrl, The Black Chamber and Parand – each bringing their unique vision to the sound.

01 - Imagination Creates Reality (Italo Brutalo Remix) 05:42
02 - Imagination Creates Reality (Kafkactrl Remix) 06:14?
03 - State Of Consciousness (The Black Chamber Remix) 05:58?
04 - Coin Of Heaven (Parand Remix) 04:57

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More