Rediscovered 80’s British acid house gem ‘Cortina Kidz’ recently made a serious impact on Andy Butler’s Mr. Intl with remixes from Factory Floor and Juan Maclean & Tim Sweeney. Hot on the heels, Moscow’s Lipelis’ steps in to remix with striking results. Pitchfork enthused of the recent reissue being “a chilly acid-house track operating the influence of both Soft Cell and the Specials,’ XLR8R as “drenched in dark and sleazy overtones, the track encapsulates a downtrodden time in London”, while Ransom Note noted “Cortina Kidz is more than just an old skool oddity- it's a banger that's stood the test of time”.
Originally recorded on London’s Stoke Newington Road in 1987, produced by a young Tim Brinkhurst ahead of his imminent record deal with Virgin Records with his band Soho, and long before his current role as manager of Mercury Prize winners, Young Fathers, ‘Cortina Kidz’ remained undiscovered and the eccentric spoken word overlay and weird lead vocal made it very unlike the prevailing dance music sound of the time. Leonid Lipelis explains that “since it’s a reissue of a relatively unknown record it gave me a certain freedom of expression (when it’s something well known and classic you're likely to produce something more serious). I came up with more of a pop song, structured with a vocoder for the main version and had fun playing with vocal samples for the dub mix, paying homage to the 80s sound in both." Lipelis’ recent release on LIES records has gained him support from Four Tet to Dimitri from Paris. He also runs a side project for hardware jams called TMO and co-runs Low Budget Family records. More

Hercules & Love Affair return to the fray with “Controller”, a pulsing, propulsive new song that signals the first salvo from their long-awaited new album. Featuring The Horrors’ Faris Badwan on vocals, it takes the Hercules’ disco-house heritage and fuses it with starker post-punk stylings. A taster both sonically and aesthetically of the new album, Controller connects new wave, post-punk and 80s electro within the clubland realm of Hercules & Love Affair. Also featured is Tuff City Kids Italo-Disco inspired remix, and Mike Simonetto homage to early 90’s West Coast Break-beat House, and then there is the superb Dub of the original….What a package! Hearing the The Horrors’ live version of Frankie Knuckles & Jamie Principle’s ‘Your Love’, Andy realised he’d found a rock artist willing to engage with dance culture's history. With its underbelly of seamy ‘80s electro-pop yet recalling early house records by the likes of Lil Louis and Bam Bam, “Controller”’s sub-dom, master-and-servant roleplay in the lyrics work perfectly with Faris vocals delivery creating something truly quiet special. More

Quriky Icelandic four-piece Sísý Ey, debut on Andy Butler from Hercules & Love Affair’s Mr.Intl label with a huge summer anthem. ‘Do It Good’ is released in with remixes from Neville Watson, Citizenn, and Andy Butler and is gearing up to be this year hot ticket! Sísý Ey can only be described as kooky, fierce, energetic and off-the-wall. The three sisters who sing in close vocal harmony forge a wonderfully unique sound that slays dancefloors. Sísý Ey featured on Kasper Bjorke’s 'Apart' single in December 2014, and the retro-future classic ‘Do It Good’ is destined to be an anthem this summer, with additional production from Andy Butler and Constantin from Hercules. Icelandic band Sísý Ey (pronounced See See Ay) was founded in 2011 to get the three sisters, Elin, Elisabet and Sigga to sing live house music which would serve not only the exquisite combination of their beautiful voices into new and exciting territory, but would also showcase their abilities in a different context as all have more acoustic-driven music careers, working together with producer and DJ, Oculus. The band’s main focus is live performance as this is the best environment to experience their one-of-a-kind talent, together with the intense energy of the music. Andy Butler’s Mr Intl label is a breeding ground for quality disco dust and a creative outlet for the producer outside of his life as the pioneering Hercules & Love Affair. More

Hercules & Love Affair frontman Andy Butler resurrects his revered debut solo EP, reworked by Arttu & Dan Beaumont & Luke Solomon. Originally released on Butler’s own Mr Intl imprint earlier this year, the impassioned vocals of rising NYC star Richard Kennedy are infused with grandiose charm in this unique new alchemic explosion. Andy Butler’s Mr Intl label is a breeding ground for quality disco dust and a creative outlet for the producer outside of his life as the pioneering frontman of Hercules & Love Affair. This follows the band’s third album, 'The Feast of the Broken Heart', released to global critical acclaim. A more electronic body of work than its predecessors, it hinted at the direction Andy's solo work was headed. Luke Solomon is undeniably one of British house music’s unsung heroes. From setting up the seminal label Classic Recordings with Derrick Carter to taking quirky house to the UK Top 10 and international charts, with his band Freaks, he is joined along side the irrepressible Dan Beaumont (Classic / Disco Bloodbath / No Fit State) on remix duties. Artuu Snellman PKA Arttu, the renowned Berlin based produced is responsible for killer releases over the past four years on Clone's Royal Oak label, Gerd's 4 Lux imprint , Philpot and Chiwax. More

After three groundbreaking albums as Hercules & Love Affair, Andy Butler – the driving force behind the retro-futurist disco house kingpins – releases his debut solo EP on February 23rd. The EP features two tracks and is released on mr.intl - Butler’s own label. Leading with You Can Shine - hard-hitting techno-soul and showcasing the impassioned vocals of rising NYC star Richard Kennedy, it’s backed with Personality Track, a whiplashing techy instrumental pounder. You Can Shine follows an incredible year for Hercules & Love Affair. Their third album 'The Feast of the Broken Heart', was released to exceptional global critical acclaim and the collective embarked on an extensive worldwide tour. A tougher, more electronic body of work than its predecessors, ‘The Feast Of The Broken Heart’ hinted at the direction in which Andy's solo material was heading. More

Hercules & Love Affair’s main man Andy Butler delivers another killer single for his relaunched mr.intl label. The A Side ‘Soldier’ is a co-production between Andy Butler & Ha-ze Factory (Constantin Zeileissen & Philipp Haffner) and features Mad Panther (aka Cleo Panther) on vocals. A infectious, bumping mid-90’s New York inspired House groove underpins Cleo’s powerful torch-like vocal. A sure fire killer of a track! On the flip, Ha-ze Factory team up with the legendary Tin Man (Johannes Auvinen) and get deep and ominous, delivering another timeless classic underground tough-jam complete with modern twist. It’s a great double-header of a release. More

Following a rapturous reception for their latest album The Feast Of The Broken Heart and a triumphant sell out London show, Hercules & Love Affair release new single I Try To Talk To You feat. John Grant lovingly rework by Seth Troxler, Morgan Geist and Ha-Ze Factory Already deemed one of the album's highlights Grant "digs deep with his lyrical contribution tackling his story of becoming HIV positive, in that beautifully punky, spirited and courageous way he has about him" says Hercules' Andy Butler. The A side features Seth Troxler's huge NYC Extended Mix, shaping up to be one THE remixes of the year, Seth's mix is simply huge, extending the track into an epic eight-minute opus, Grant's vocals soaring with anthemic grace over groove dripping synths and a party-ready bassline On the flip and Jersey native and international dancefloor master Morgan Geist, effortlessly creates a superb string laded killer of a remix. Finally, classic house devotees and album co-producers Ha-ze Factory lay down their Mucho Elegante Rework, an intoxicating interpretation that sees cinematic strings and tribal percussion paired to perfection. a More