Format: Vinyl 12” (180 gr., Limited Full Cover)

Track list:
A1. I need to know
A2. Do you think about me
A3. Freddie’s groove
B1. Phantom feat. The Potash Twins
B2. Endless life
B3. When we last met

Release Info:
Crackazat & Heist present: “Senses”. A stunning mini album that sees the artist deliver a heartwarming perspective on contemporary electronic
music
On “Senses”, we see the pure talent of Crackazat come to life like never before. We’ve all danced to “Alfa” or his most recent hit on Heist “Demucha” and
have heard his venture into the more poppy side of things with his 2022 album ‘Evergreen’ on Freerange. “Senses” however, is on another level. Crackazat
takes you on a sonic journey exploring his musical personality with live keys, vocals, bass and production all coming from his studio in Uppsala, Sweden. The
jazzy horns that are featured throughout are recorded by Adeev and Ezra Potash, better known as the Potash twins. The duo took a sidestep from their
recordings with John Legend, Robert Glasper and even Diplo to dive into this project with Crackazat and help him deliver arguably his best work to date.
The 6-track album starts off with the low-slung groove of ‘I need to know’. The whole atmosphere is warm, dreamy and seems to be written to lift your spirits,
no matter where you are in life. Plucked strings, arpeggios and long horn notes give this song its energy, which is subtly supported by lo-fi drums and sparse
bass licks.
“Do you think about me”, keeps the energy tight with a lovely drum groove and a sparse bass section. From the first note of the track, you get the feeling like
the energy could change any moment. Halfway through this is exactly what happens, when uplifting keys and a buzzing lead take control of the track. The
string arrangement is subtle enough to never overshadow the other instrumentation, but simply adds a beautiful layer to a track that’s already filled with
emotion. It’s all smiles when the energy of this track is set loose!
If “Do you think about me” is Crackazat in pop mode, “Freddie’s Groove” is Crackazat in full-on jazz mode. The nod to Freddie Hubbard is clear, and
Crackazat cleverly takes ideas from both the jazz legend and his legendary French sampler, Pepe Bradock for this track. The horns are deep and moody, the
groove is jazz-house at its best and Crackazat’s soft vocals have the perfect amount of fragility to fit the groove. The changeover into a stabby synth section
halfway through the track is a subtle reminder from the skilled producer that – even with all these musical elements – he can direct you to the front of the
dancefloor with the twist of a note.
“Phantom” sees Crackazat move into a shuffling Latin-dance vibe. Here, the song reaches its full potential through the horn section, so it’s only fitting that this
is the feature track for the Potash Twins. The Latin rhythms are lush, the key progression is on point and the energy on this track just keeps on going with
layers and layers of horns, powerful vocal chops, and subtle but effective percussion changeovers.
“Endless life” is a track that feels like it’s building up momentum with every repetition. Whether it’s the broken beat groove, the offbeat keys or the sparse
horn hits, chord hits or leads, there’s a certain energy in this track that takes a hold of you and simply doesn’t let go.
The outro “When we last met” is built around vibey drunk keys and a downtempo hip-hop groove. There’s a hint of old school D’angelo in this track and you
can clearly hear the artist feels at ease with the path he’s taking the listener on. It’s a perfect ending to a record that showcases the beautiful world that
Crackazat has crafted through his compositions and one thing is for sure: This is an album we will all keep coming back to for a long time to come.
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

Territories: Worldwide no restrictions

Format Notes: 2026 repress, 140g double vinyl, original picture sleeve and insert


Track List:

1 A1 : Rhythm-al-ism (Intro) (1:40)
2 A2 : We Still Party (5:13)
3 A3 : So Many Wayz (5:41)
4 A4 : Hand In Hand (4:18)

5 B1 : Down, Down, Down (4:43)
6 B2 : You’z a Ganxta (4:22)
7 B3 : I Useta Know Her (3:50)
8 B4 : No Doubt (4:12)

9 C1 : Speed (3:21)
10 C2 : Whateva U Do (7:47)
11 C3 : Thinkin’ Bout U (4:05)
12 C4 : EL’s Interlude (4:05)

13 D1 : Medley For A “V” (The P***y Medley) (6:27)
14 D2 : Bombudd II (2:59)
15 D3 : Get 2Getha Again (4:41)
16 D4 : Reprise (Medley For A “V”) (2:39)

Release Notes:

DJ Quik is a giant of West Coast hip-hop. With his fourth album Rhythm-Al-Ism he created his masterpiece, a perfect hip-hop album. As Quik explains, “the name Rhythm-Al-Ism alone tells you what I was doing. I was mixing up rhythms. I was meshing R&B with hip-hop and jazz. And a little bit of comedy”. It’s absolutely sensational and as with a lot of mid-90s albums those original vinyl copies are now rare so here’s the Be With re-issue.

A preternaturally gifted producer/rapper, DJ Quik has produced scores of LA gangsta rap classics. He’s released platinum and gold records of his own, as well as helped craft them for the likes of Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and Dr Dre. Quik has always been quirkier and more interesting than his gangsta rap peers, both musically and lyrically. An old-school funk producer at heart, he’s also incredibly nice on the mic. His raps often deal in boasts, jokes and good times but also cover his beefs, his trials and his trauma. Partying and pain, all mixed up. DJing and producing hype beat tapes from age 14, Quik’s tracks blended the languid funk and rubbery synths of Zapp and George Clinton with a gangsta aesthetic, creating a more danceable foil to Compton’s more typical nihilistic hedonism. Ultimately, his records sound custom engineered to drift out over sun-soaked barbecues.

Released in 1998 on Profile, Rhythm-Al-Ism was the closest Quik ever got to making a commercial splash. “You’z A Ganxta” and “Hand in Hand” made radio waves across the country and the less radio-friendly tracks like “Medley For A ‘V’” were bumping out of car stereos. Combining his soulful, jazzy P-Funk/G-Funk beats with his effortlessly smooth flow, Rhythm-Al-Ism was the quintessential West Coast Party. Squelchy synths, bouncy bass, monstrously knocking drums and freaky keys - this is peaking acidic party-rap, straight out the gate. Music for gliding, for skating, for time with your people and your poison. Sunshine. No cares. BBQs. Heavy smoke in the air. Dripping with wit and good humour. A real swing to the vibe.

The album opens with Quik setting out his mission statement with “Rhythm-Al-Ism (Intro)”, telling us what this is all about before the self-explanatory “We Still Party” rocks the spot. It’s definitely all about the party here, complete with Quik’s signature head-nod/body-moving beat. Next up, the undeniable laidback funk and dripping swing of groove-laden “So Many Wayz”. This positively slaps.

Then we get to the three huge singles. The R&B-tinged radio-friendly minor-hit “Hand In Hand” closes the first side only for the flip to get straight into the rolling and scratching of bleepy computer-funk banger “Down, Down, Down” (featuring a particularly nice use of Howard Johnson’s epochal “So Fine”). The effortlessly smooth, flute and guitar-laced “You’z A Ganxta” completes the trio. Next up the fast-paced, vocoder-enhanced, woulda-beena-global-hit “I Useta Know Her”. This coulda (shoulda) been a single too. Head-nod funk workout “No Doubt”, with its ace sample of Prince's “Sexy Dancer”, closes out the second side.

“Speed” races out the gate on the second disc, sampling Edwin Birdsong’s “Rapper Dapper Snapper” in a harder, better, faster, stronger way than those daft Parisian punks. Amphetamine-swift raps over soaring, string-drenched b-boy beats. A total anthem. Up next, the staggering, near 8-minute laconic, lounge-y sax-rap of “Whateva U Do” cools things down and smooths things out with its flute wrapping around a sample of Smokey Robinson’s “So In Love” and some oh-so-classy lounge-piano tinkling. And speaking of smooth, things don’t get much smoother than the blissfully melodic glider-anthem “Thinkin’ ’Bout U” riding that ace flip of SWV’s “Use Your Heart”. Exceptional.

The exquisite funky-flute-slapper “Medley for a ‘V’ (The P***Y Medley)” opens the fourth and final side, with star turns from Snoop Dogg and a typically suave Nate Dogg. It’s followed by the supremely skanked-out “Bombudd II”, a beautifully sweet reggae-fuelled ode to the herb. “Get 2Getha Again” is slick funk. Stunning.

This 2022 Be With double LP re-issue has been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman and pressed at Record Industry. Unusual for the time, Rhythm-Al-Ism was originally pressed as a double and we’ve reproduced the original LA vibe picture sleeve and insert to match.

As that original front cover says, this is “over 70 minutes of commercial free music” and it’s absolutely perfect from start to finish. There are no stand-out tracks here. It’s all gold.


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

2LP 180g bio vinyl

2. GENRE/S: Electronic / Experimental

3. TRACKLISTS:
A1 - Garden Of Eden
A2 - Construction
A3 - Pass The Time
A4 - Survival

B1 - The Fool And His Harem
B2 - Nothingness
B3 - Near Death
B4 - Beasts Of This Earth

C1 - Fall Into Time
C2 - Folie à Deux
C3 - Screams at the Edge of Dawn
C4 - Divorce
C5 - Three Windows
C6 - TouristsD1 - Shame

D1 - Shame
D2 - Tower of Sin
D3 - Club Kapital
D4 - Volver
D5 - Spirit
D6 - Muse

4. SHORT INFO:

It's been 10 years since Pomegranates - Nicolás Jaar's unofficial/alternative soundtrack to
Sergei Parajanov's 1969 film The Color of Pomegranates - was first released, and to highlight
this occasion we are reissuing the album on vinyl, with the first edition (a collaboration with
the label Mana) having long been out of print.

Longer and slower-releasing than his other albums, Pomegranates often parallels the
cinematic epic on which it’s based, with ideas pursued over long timelines and
across dark landscapes, assembling elements and moods from the aesthetic and folkloric
landscapes of Armenia. Jaar’s identity is perceived within this, folding in his heritage as
Palestinian and Chilean as he attempts to build a musical architecture outwards that frames
as much of the mess and sprawl of life as possible; using a language that investigates the
movement and fluctuation of his own artistic career and character similarly to the film’s tracing
of the coming of age of the young poet, Sayat-Nova.

At times, Pomegranates feels profoundly intimate, as though looking through the archive of a
friend’s music and discovering the accent and common currency that lives within each of
these tracks. Much of Jaar’s most elegant and touching melodic work is nestled here, its
power residing in its simplicity and willingness to speak to the heart and not the mind of the
listener.

In the text document included in the first freely distributed version of the album in 2015, Jaar
writes that the album was conceived during a moment of change, and that the pomegranate
became an icon that heralded that passage of time. The physical publication of Pomegranates
closes one door whilst opening another, keeping promises and marking a significant point in
the career of an artist who restlessly reinvents himself, with a document that illustrates a
common language of lyricism, freedom, and emotional resonance linking his many paths and
projects

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