One of the most used adjectives by journalists to describe Gecko Turner’s music is"effortless", probably because, as an Austrian critic wrote, Gecko’s tunes brighten up the darkest of days. “Gone Down South” is quite possibly Turner’s best effort yet, the one he has worked on the most even though to him it comes naturally.



It’s been four years since “Chandalismo Ilustrado” and since that album Gecko has gone through quite a bit in both his personal and professional life. He has played all over the world shared his music with artists from many different places and has been exposed to all kinds of sounds new to him.



“Gone Down South” is an album on which all those different influences come together to create a bigger picture: the unique, easy-going and sunny Gecko style. The album was recorded in Extremadura, Texas (with Tim Gerron), London (with Antonio Feola), Madrid and California (with Sunny Levine) with a wide range of musicians such as Irapoan Freire with his characteristic trumpet sound, the voice of Spanish soulman Gene García and the stunning piano of Cuban Javier "Caramelo" Masó.

Gecko Turner - Truly (by Tomás Navarro // Crampton.es) from Lovemonk Records on Vimeo.

Many of these tracks sound strangely familiar, as if you’ve always known them, fresher and more immediate than ever in Valle’s modern renaissance on Far Out Recordings. This album – Valle’s fourth original recording for Far Out – features standout compositions including the instant classic ‘Vamos Sambar’, the infectious jazz of ‘Baião Maracatú’, and the stunning duets and brass of ‘Papo De Maluco’. Valle’s soft scatting on the floaty ‘Arranca Toco’; cinematic orchestral ‘Novo Acorde’; and rich psych incidentals show that Valle is as creatively inspired – by Rio, music, and a lifetime of travel touring the globe – as he ever was as the original Ipanema beach poet. Produced by Daniel Maunick (son of Bluey, Incognito); recorded, mixed, and co- produced by David Brinkworth (Harmonic 33); and with Marcos’ unparalleled arrangements, aided by horn and string arrangements by Jesse Sedoc Vocals, Valle is brought back with a widescreen bang.

Joe Davis’ flagship UK based Brazilian record label brought together Valle and a host of famous Brazilian musicians in the early ‘90s for the legendary Friends From Rio series of albums, which breathed new life in to Valle’s career. Working with producers Joe Davis and Roc Hunter he recorded three acclaimed albums ‘Nova Bossa Nova’ (‘98), ‘Escape’ (‘01) , and ‘Contrasts’ (’04) and saw his music remixed and by the ‘90s drum ‘n’ bass explosion & the hottest DJs & producers from Bugz In The Attic to Jazzanova, Valle has always “stayed abreast of the times without compromising the spirit of bossa.”

One of the second-wave of early bossa nova composers, following in the footsteps of Gilberto and Jobim, he is “the man who punched Marlon Brando and made millions”. Responsible for the bossa classic ‘Summer Samba (So Nice)’, written by the 21-year-old Valle as a tribute to the joys of life as a Rio surfer, it is the one bossa nova tune apart from "The Girl from Ipanema" that everyone knows. Made into a hit by Walter Wanderley in 1967, the song has been covered by hundreds of artists. Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1943, Marcos began writing songs with his brother Paulo Sergio (who wrote lyrics to two tracks on ‘Estática’). As his reputation grew, he released his debut album 'Samba Demais' for EMI Brazil. It was his first release on Verve however that brought him well-deserved fame, 'Samba '68' becoming a Brazilian musical landmark thanks to tracks such as 'Batucada' and 'Crickets Sing for Anamaria'. The early-seventies spawned two Valle masterpiece’s, ‘Garra’ and ‘Vento’, which combined the “cosmic expansion of Pink Floyd with the orchestral sweep of Ennio Morricone” MOJO. From there Valle has written brilliant album after another and was even commissioned to provide the equivalent of the USA Moss/OZ magic for the Brazilian edition of Sesame Street.

Julio De Caro founded the sextet with 2 bandoneons, 2 violins, piano and double bass for the Argentinean tango in 1924. Almost 50 years later in 1973, it remains the most well known of all tango bands with still the same composition. José "Pepe" Libertella and Luis Stazo, the two bandoneon players, were the initiators. In spite of a few changes of the band members, the compositions and arrangements of these two were the continuous element of Sexteto Mayor. They had solid roots in the Argentinean tradition even though the arrangements were not averse to modern influences at all, and now and then a waltz or a milonga was interwoven. You could have expected that the death of Libertella (2004) and the leaving the group by Luis Stazo in the same year (he emigrated to Berlin) would result in a break with the past. But far from it! The two "elder statesmen" Abramovich and Walczak, who had represented the string fraction at Sexteto Mayor for years, took the reins and carefully expanded the range. In the meantime, Horacio Romo has become the conductor of the ensemble. He has played with very well known orchestras (Symphony Orchestra of London, Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra and many more) and musicians (Roberto Goyeneche, Julio Iglesias, Néstor Marconi, Gustavo Beytelman and many more.); his virtuosity, his expression and his sensitivity are unparalleled. The young Lautaro Greco has played alongside him since 2007, and he will follow in the footsteps of Romo one day. Since his concert debut in 1994 (he was only 7 years old!), he only had the best teachers; he has been touring internationally since 2004 (among others, with Carla Pugliese). On the other hand, the pianist Fulvio Giraudo can already look back at a long career with numerous distinctions and international tours. Enrique Guerra on double bass, who is also a member of Banda Sinfónica de Buenos Aires, has already performed on all famous stages in Argentina and has been on around 20 global tours with well known tango groups. "Sexteto Mayor" is still considered the best tango orchestra in the world, and it has made more than 20 recordings, received numerous distinctions (among others, the Latin Grammy ® Award), and will continue to go on its way. The international fans of tango remain fascinated by this sextet, which continues the philosophy and tradition of the founders with reverence. The special feature of this new CD is that previously unreleased live recordings from the last tour with Libertella and Stazo (2004) are included as "encore" to the newly recorded pieces. This functions as proof of preservation of the spirit of group even after the death of Libertella.

The Album tells a multifarious story of a evening in the circus. The varied tracks of the album present a spectacular program with many little tricks and artistic performances.
There is for example the marvelous "Madame Mila", who heats up the circus tent with her brass band or the fabled "Zebril" - an African crocodile that has swallowed a zebra and finally the star of the show, the little lost-looking elephant Pete doing his tricks on his all too small bicycle, called "Elephancycle".
It will display their very own take on Deep - and Tech-House paired with catchy and at the same time advanced sounds perfectly suited for the out-door raves this summer, as well as crisp hooks for your innovative prime-time set. “Musical variety was given priority in all phases of our work. Who wants to listen to an album containing a hand full of 10 minute DJ edits."

Bara Bröst demonstrate that their restive structure of shuffled sub-bass-lines, long silky kicks and swaying percussion forms a scaffolding with plenty of free space, but ever solid enough to stage yet the brightest candy-coloured leitmotif to lure you into dancing with a big smile on your face. They demonstrate a great sensitivity for buildups, unpredictable peaks and effortless moments of deepness.

When DJ, producer and songwriter Danny Massure moved home to San Diego, he teamed up with a new group of musicians. The result is ‘Busted’. Four new tracks that are original compositions with live instrumentation and no samples. The EP starts off with the title track, ‘Busted’, a banging afrobeat tune. ‘Knuckle Sandwich’ lays low with an infectious 60s/70s latin swagger. On ‘No Saint’ Danny called up his favorite singer and long time collaborator Miya Collins from Seattle. Miya's catchy lyrics and soulful vocals over Danny's funk produced a sassy funk anthem for the ladies who aren't tryin' to get played. ‘Fix It’ rolls into the late night, chopping Miya's vocals over a house groove for DJs transitioning from funk and afrobeat into a jackin' house set. Diesler, one of Danny's favorite producers, flips ‘Busted’ into a relentless afro-chugger that builds pressure with an acid bassline. Atlanta duo CaZ laces a pair of boogie shoes on ‘Busted’ for a trip to afro-disco land finished off with analog synths, afro vocals and a stompy shuffle. Shantisan transforms ‘Knuckle Sandwich’ into a bouncy afro-house track with a pounding beat, african vocals and instrumentation and a 70s flavor. Ed Royal takes us back to the glory days of house with a stompy beat and grooving bassline on his remix of ‘Fix It’. Zamali brings the sexy to the funk on his uplifting disco-breaks remix of ‘Fix It’. Trotter aims to destroy the dancefloor with his nufunk breakbeat twist on ‘No Saint’ which is sure to be a hit with the midtempo breaks crowd.

NME favoured Scandinavian/French Indie Pop Sensation Cours Lapin with their much acclaimed Debut. Think if Domino are to release the ultimate Vanessa Paradis album she never did and Sigur Ross to produce it together with Benjamin Biolay- this would be it! You are taken in a moviesque underworld of twisted French fairytales mixed with sexy finger clipping jive from the first minute.

Cours Lapin consist of four Danish film composers Asger Baden, Peder, Jonas Struck and Louise Alenius and the mood of the album delivers on this: Un, Deux, Trois moves from the dark and sensual to naive and hopeful, reminiscent of the atmosphere found in the films of Tim Burton and David Lynch. One minute you are initiated into the mysterious intrigue surrounding a murder scene in the 1950s and the next minute you are following strange creatures on strings in a 20th century puppet theatre short before the sunburst. The music is beautifully gloomy with wonderfully catchy melodies. The acoustic instruments are complimented by a few subtle electronic elements, which create an intense atmosphere around Louise Alenius’ fragile vocals and melancholy lyrics. Whilst the songs “Mes larmes secrets (My secret tears)” and “1,2,3″ are delivered with a classic innocence inspired by Classic French Chanson Traditions, “Cache-cache (Hide and seek)” and “Cours lapin (Bunny run)” mix sexy jazzy nightclub sounds with a couple of old-school surf-riffs.

Bright and Unique but also Soothing and amorph Un, Deux, Trois is one of the most complete Indie Pop Albums we heard this year, Cours Lapin played Roskilde Festival as well as a Nottinghill Arts Club in 2010 to a rapturous reception from both audiences and the critics and got rave revious all over europe from French “Les Inroctibles” to leading Uk indie Mag “Drowned in Sound”.

A horn in a harbour signals‚ cast off’ for Sinan Mercenk’s Soulful Remix of Blank & Jones‘s „Relax [Your Mind]“. With jazzy Rhodes and Afro percussion the compilation „sounds like stilwerk Vol. 4“ embarks on an accoustic cruise to the shores of chilled and funked-up Deep House vibes. Diversity is the compass for the compiler’s route. The journey takes you from jamaican dub influences of Levthand’s „Cadillac Track“ to the lascivious funk regions of Miguel Mig’s „Get Down“ without interference. The common denominator of soulful vocals yields a seamless mix of Robert De Carlos „Magic Star“ with Random Soul & Seminal Groove, blending Salsoul disco moods with a clubby edge. Sinan Mercenk himself drops his producer skills by showcasing Pat Appleton’s (De-Phazz) bewichting voice in front of a contemporary Deep-House backdrop. But not only vocal tracks are among the highlights of this smooth and groovy affair: By aid of samba drumming and airy synthlayers, „Summer Thrills“ evokes the euphoric feeling of a never-ending day on the beach of Rio. While listening to Raw Artistic Soul feat. Mitra Junco Wamburg, nu-jazz lovers should actually fall in love with the soulful offering „What About Love“. With „Change Your Ways“, Sinan Mercenk’s changes direction indeed. He combines a Spanish solo guitar with an electronic bassline and thereby comprises an unusal mix of contemporary sounds with a traditional flavour. This is the turn towards dancefloor regions. Reis è Pirates kicks off with offbeats and hornlike keystabs that makes you wanna shake a leg. There is no rest, for Kwality Control feat. Alana Bridgewater excersice a track that hails back to the days of New York’s Paradise Garage. „Don’t Stop“ is a fingerlickin’ gourmet track for Nuyorican Soul and Masters At Work aficionados. At the end of this journey, a fine selection goes back to the harbour in style. The clubby „Isla“ by Doomworks reduces itself to the bare bone of Rhodes – chords that makes you wanna get on that boat again and again.

After a decade, Uwe Walkner & Karl Moestl are reunited and once again they are defining the electronic sound with their own style. A dirty, fresh fusion of dub, electro, wonky breakbeat, dubstep, techno and garage elements come together on Structures. In 1999 and 2000, Walkner.Moestl brought us two outstanding EPs Bluish and Heaven
Or Hell on GStone; laid back dopey tracks, typified by mellow percussive ambience and featuring the talents of dub MC Sugar B. Remixes for Tosca on their massive Suzuki in Dub rework album, Planet E, Trio Electrico and Freedom Satellite followed at the height of the nu-jazz and downtempo wave that swept global stereos.
Many terrific vocalists, like Eva Klampfer, Martin Klein, Farda P., Didier Uwayo, Elle Fee and Nina are a part of this extraordinary opus called Structures. This brings organic soulful, big voices and highlights to the cool, abstract, sometimes low slung but energetic movements. After the legendary EP releases on Kruder&Dorfmeister s label, they have created another masterpiece and milestone. This is their first full album, and a journey into future electronic sound.

The Strange Games… series which began in the summer of 1997, represents the blueprint for modern R&B and rap music. It joins the dots between 70s soul, 80s rare groove and 90s mass market hip hop. This compilation contains a wide variety of styles of tracks, from classic dance-floor fillers as well as lesser known delights. A more accessible diggers delight if you wish with an emphasis on quality track and not just songs worth having for a 2 second sample.
Featuring a much more worldly selection than its predecessors - tracks by the multi platinum selling War to Sylvia (Founder of Sugarhill Records) sit side by side with world music underground icons like C.K. Mann and Francisco Aguabella.
This volume is the 5th in a series of compilations that appears to have the widest appeal of all BBEs compilations and proves to be even better by the fact that there is a bonus mixed CD by the one and only Dj Spinna!

Prospecta spends his days as a carpenter. We at Umblu Recors wonder could this be the reason why this boy produces the wickedest Jungle tunes on Estonian soil? Probably not. Prospecta, Kaido Luht to his mum, started sending us tracks more than 10 years ago. We've been talking about the album for the last 5 years. So when he finally delivered it we broke some chairs in our office as a result of jumping around, for him of course to fix later. It's funky and it's soulful - rarely a synonyms for D&B nowadays. Prospecta delivers and he's got General Levi on it. Incredible.

DJ Delay presents Beyond The Kolo - 9 contemporary artists interpret the traditional Cacak Kolo. Electro, Dubstep, Jungle and breakbeat gems set the dancefloor alight while Downbeat, Dub, Cumbia & Contemporary Classical flavours make for the perfect after party.

One of the greatest jazz guitarists of all time, Wes Montgomery became famous for his trademark use of octaves. His particular style of playing brought him great commercial success during his last few years, before he died prematurely of a heart attack aged only 43. His influence lives on and can be heard on many young guitarists. Featured here are two of his early albums originally released on the Pacific Jazz label; "Montgomeryland" and "The Montgomery Brothers & 5 Others".

There's plenty to celebrate in a zeppelin high above the Munich clouds-the secret command center of Permanent Vacation. Four years after its foundation, the label heads Tom Bioly and Benjamin Fröhlich have reached the magic catalogue number 50. Of course, they have reserved the big 50 for a special release: the second part of the label round up 'Selected Label Works'. It's been four years during which the disco virus and all of its mutations spread around the globe once again. Four years during which Permanent Vacation sharpened its profile to finally secure one of the leading positions among the best labels for contemporary club music and beyond (at least if one trusts the yearly voting of the website "Resident Advisor"). Four years are a long time in the ever fast spinning world of music and 50 releases a considerable number in order to sound as fresh as on the first day. 50 releases that equally comprise major club mashers, avant-garde electronic from the GDR, the latest Deep House track and obscure "Library Music" from the 70s without one being considered to be out of place. 50 releases which happily embrace classics like Kathy Diamond's Album "MISS DIAMOND TO YOU" and the re-release of the cult album "Camino del Sol" by ANTENA, next to Sweden's uncrowned queen of Italopop, princess Sally Shapiro and Norway's Belearic Superstar Todd Terje. 50 releases featuring 12" vinyl by artists from all over the world, from old heroes to hopeful debutants and diverse music styles from FutureBoogie to PianoHouse and CosmicRock to KrautDisco.

Don your deck shoes, carelessly knot your cashmere knit and slip into some chinos; Chromeo's third album is ready for action. Business Casual sees Dave 1 and P-Thugg, the most successful Jewish/Arabic partnership since the dawn of human culture, perfect their unique hybrid of Rick James meets Hall & Oates electro-funk.
The first glimpses of Business Casual have come in the form of the guitar lashed propulsive electro groove of "Night By Night" and current single "Don't Turn The Lights On", the videos for both of which are now circulating in cyberspace. The album's other numerous highlights include electro-boogie duet "Hot Mess"; the insatiable shimmering disco of "When The Night Falls", featuring Beyonce's sister Solange Knowles; the lush, string-laden "Don't Walk Away" and tough electro cut "You Make It Rough".

Die englische Kultband Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark kehrt nach 14 Jahren Abstinenz mit einem neuen Studioalbum zurück in die Poparena. Das neue Album markiert musikalisch eine Rückkehr zu den Anfangstagen der Band, in denen OMD Pionierarbeit in Sachen elektronischer Musik leisteten und einen Sound kreierten, der heutigen Elektro-Acts als Vorbild dient. James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem), The XX und The Killers berufen sich alle auf OMD als musikalische Inspiration. "History Of Modern" ist ein kraftvolles, pulsierendes, lebhaftes und zeitgenössisches Album mit großem Pop-Appeal. Tracks wie "Pulse", "Save Me", "Sister Marie Says" und "The Future" werden die Tanzflächen füllen, während langsame Songs wie "Bondage Of Fate", "New Holy Ground" oder "Sometimes" einfach schöne und klassische OMD Songs sind.

One of the greatest jazz guitarists of all time, Wes Montgomery became famous for his trademark use of octaves. His particular style of playing brought him great commercial success during his last years, before he died prematurely aged only 43. His influence lives on an can be heard on many young guitarists. Featured here on this anthology are his best recordings on the Pacific Jazz record label.

A Man Called Adam’s Steve Jones and Sally Rodgers finally open the vaults and, for the first volume of this ‘Collected Works’ series (four albums in total), have hand picked, what they consider to be, the very best of their ‘chill out’ and ‘lounge’ recordings. Featuring seminal tracks such as Yachts, and the ‘pacific classic’ Easter Song this album is the perfect soundtrack for a day at the beach or night under the stars. With their lyrical depth and evocative soundscapes tracks like Estelle and Barefoot in the Head really mean something to millions of people around the world and have sound-tracked holiday sunsets, births, deaths, courtships and marriages. Defining the sound of the Balearic genre this collection illustrates A Man Called Adam’s influence on the pre and post-club scenes of the last fifteen years. From beer to breakfast cereal, Yoga TV to Sex In the City, and integral to the sales of a million compilation albums (Café del Mar and Hotel Costes to name but two) this music helped to shape the aesthetic landscape of the 1990s and sounds as good today as it did then. Featuring three previously unreleased versions and hard to find mixes of classic tracks, A Man Called Adam - Collected Works Volume One is just a taste of the series to come.

A deep earthy percussion influenced selection of Afro-Latin & Roots tracks from the vast vaults of Far Out Recordings. An album that reflects the more spiritual & tribal side of the Far Out catalogue. This digital only exclusive compilation is also a taster for the forthcoming re-issue album by Rubens Bassini Y Los Latinos: an album full of deep traditional African, Brazilian, Cuban and South American rhythms coming out this autumn…

This album features some of the most established Latin American artists such as Far Out favourites The Ipanemas, Joyce, Azymuth, and Grupo Batuque as well as showcasing some more obscure offerings from North West Brazil’s mad percussion masters Orquestra de Tambores to Rio’s tripped out songstress Krishnanda. Latin spirit add to the beat fuelled party curtesy of Cuban legends Irakere and the modern day dancing samba girl Clara Moreno. This special collection of spititual rootsy soul is brought together by a world of infectious rhythms.

“What is the soul of Latin American music?” One answer would be that its soul resides in the rhythms of Africa. Most, if not all, of the popular music and rhythms of Latin America have been influenced by African music. Much of the music has grown out of the inter-cultural minglings of the different peoples and musical traditions brought to the area; European, Native American, Spanish, Portuguese, and African traditions have combined to create the many forms of popular Latin-American music known today the world over. However, African based rhythms have had an indelible effect on the music of Latin America.

Brazilian musical forms such as Baião, Batucada, Capoeira, Maracatu & Samba as well as the more general Salsa, are all under heavy influence of African rhythms.

Just listen for yourself…This album spans 5 decades of Afro Latin Roots Rhythm from popular to spiritual. The rhythmic pulse at the heart of Latin American music is in its origins an African dance!

Previously known as Universal Funk, The Black Lillies debut Freestyle release is a distinctive and highly original work. Fusing electronica, soul, house & jazz with an ethereal, eclectic other worldly feel and featuring contributions from Thulla Wamberg, Hannah Vasanth & Jo Harrop.Back in the winter of 2008, Tonny Svensson and Jens Minke started work on fresh material for a new album for Freestyle Records, and now in 2010 this Copenhagen collective present their new material imbibed with a fresh and highly original approach.Opening with atmospheric strings and piano Cannonball serves notice that this project benefits from the widest possible musical horizons and fresh production ideas. If proof were needed of that the inclusion of Thulla Wamberg, who is a highly original vocalist whose voice brings a timeless, quirky folky edge to all the tracks she sings on, but none more so than In A Sweet Way which hints what Bjork and Zero 7 may have come up with after being locked in a studio together.Contrastingly, following on is the uptempo jazz infused club number Cargo where plaintive piano chords ride across Brazilian beats and brass to create a hypnotic, mesmerizing soundscape.In demand keyboardista sista Hannah Vasanth (Rihanna/Natalie Williams/ Bugz in the Attic, Gnarls Barkley) and vocalist Jo Harrop who work together as Stereofixx contribute wonderfully on several tracks, but never more beautifully than on Between The Lines a lively, brass led latino house stepper that has already seen the light of day as a Freestyle 12 inch (FSR089)The Back Lillies have struck a wonderful balance between touching composition and inspiring grooves, a feat not all that try actually succeed at. The Black Lillies have created their own niche by avoiding the obvious, striving to create new sounds using whatever influences and sounds they can combine and make beautiful music - and they have succeeded.

ONIONOISE is the third CD by the vegetable orchestra, an ensemble unique to the world of music which is committed to the exploration of the acoustic qualities of vegetables. In addition to performing on the international concert circuit, the 12-people collective from Vienna has spent the last dozen years experimenting with the building of vegetable instruments, industriously unearthing the acoustic universe of roots and legumes, cabbages and courgettes. All the instruments used are exclusively made from vegetables: from fresh as well as dried plant material such as carrot, leek, celery root, artichoke, dried pumpkin and onion skin. All these components are used for building organic instruments and sound generators which usually only last for one concert or one day in the studio. In addition to the vegetables, various utensils like record players or power drills are used to create unusual noises and to add unexpected texture to the music.

Rick Wilhite and his Vibes new&rare music record store have been a main source in Detroit for over 17 years. His store is the place to go for many Detroiters looking for new soulful, electronic music. And as a DJ and promoter Rick has been holding it down for years. Next to that he mostly known for his affiliation with Three Chairs (together with Kenny Dixon Jr & Theo Parrish) and for his solo recordings, under his The Godson pseudo.
Now its time for Rick to get his peers and friends in the mix for his first compilation, aptly titled Vibes new&rare music. All tracks are new and exclusive.

The compilation features the cream of the crop of the Chicago and Detroit house scene. Both the usual suspects as well as some new cats come together on this project. All deliver their best work, curated courtesy of Rick Wilhite.
Besides house hold names like Theo Parrish, Glenn Underground, Marcellus Pittman and Rick himself (as The Godson), new names like Ricardo Miranda, Derwyn Hall and Marc King (more or less) debut on this release. Man of the moment Kyle Hall is alsofeatured with two tracks he did when he was only 15 and the is Vincent Halliburton, known for his release on Ferris Park. The bonus has to be the very special Urban Tribe line up: Carl Craig, Kenny Dixon, Shake and original tribester Sherard Ingram come together to create ‘First Mistake’. A special treat!

This an essential purchase for those who are into anything house and/or Detroit and Chicago.

With skills honed over four albums and countless sold-out shows, New Zealand Shapeshifter have consolidated their awesome powers on brand new long player, The System is a Vampire, creating a future-proofed sound that is both unrelenting and uplifting. ??If you haven’t witnessed New Zealand Shapeshifter lock into one of their monstrous live grooves that synthesize barreling drum’n’bass, cavernous dub soundscapes and pounding hard rock, The System is a Vampire will transport you to these stages where all parts move as one and tempos are ratcheted to breaking point, and New Zealand Shapeshifter command the crowd to follow its lead. ??When New Zealand Shapeshifter’s five-strong line up of PDigsss (vocals), Devin Abrams (sax/keys/synths), Sam Trevethick (guitar/synths/sampler), Nick Robinson (bass/synths/MPC) and Johnny Hooves (drums), fuse their talents as one band, they drive a sound as unrelenting as a force of nature. The System is a Vampire is a true document of their heavy soul, designed to motivate dance floors, arenas and festival fields.?? While Shapeshifter continue to set their own terms for their music and how it’s presented, this didn’t stop The System is a Vampire debuting at number one on the New Zealand album charts. Its success has been as unstoppable as the rolling drum breaks that fuel New Zealand Shapeshifter – the album was released on a Friday and by lunchtime had sold more albums than any other that week, going on to become their third LP to clock platinum sales. ??It’s little wonder that New Zealand Shapeshifter have won this kind of loyalty – their stadium rave is custom built to draw together music lovers, delivering living, breathing electronic music that opens the door to all.?? For over a decade, the musicians in New Zealand Shapeshifter have made their own lane for their heavy soul, working outside the system to create uncompromising and unstoppable electronic rhythms, wholly on their terms. Hospital’s album release features a host of brand new remixes, from artists such as State Of Mind, Logistics, Netsky, The Upbeats, and many more!

Italo! House! Now! Compiled by Munk with brand nu tracks by Bottin, Horse Meat Disco's DJ Severino, Cecile, Ajello, The Barking Dogs feat. Hard Ton, Telespazio & Rodion ! Gomma presents a compilation that features all the new young Italian musicians and producers who produce fresh, innovative, futuristic house music. Yeah! You might have noticed that while most people were excited by the Italo Disco revival of the last years there has grown a new generation of kids who know all about the 80ies Italo disco movement but have stared to create a new hot innovative sound. They don’t imitate their fathers. No way. They do new dance music … with the right skills…and a fresh sound.

When Norman Granz brought two major jazz stars into the recording studio for the first time together in 1956, the results were never going to be less than enjoyable. Sure enough, the three albums Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong recorded together proved to be highly popular and remain so to this day. We have pleasure in presenting all three original albums here, including 12 bonus tracks!

"As any long-term fan knows, 'live and direct' is the very best way to feel the mercurial magic of Fat Freddy's Drop. Onstage performance is the life-blood of their music, which evolves in a spontaneous, eclectic and collective experience." (Jon Lusk, Guardian, UK) "These guys are great, the remixes are well done and the sound is wicked!" (Fabrizio Carrer, MTV Networks, NY)
Fat Freddy's Drop is proud to announce the release of Live at Roundhouse documenting an epic night of music at London's legendary Roundhouse in December 2008.
Captured at the second of two luminous nights at the converted rail roundhouse in Camden, the album is a six-track ride featuring The Camel, The Raft, Flashback, Pull The Catch, The Nod and Shiverman.
Guardian writer Jon Lusk who has contributed liner notes for Fat Freddy's Drop Live at Roundhouse described Fat Freddy's Drop as "lost in music in the best way possible."

The legendary wave tune Echo Beach by the Canadian combo Martha & The Muffins is back on earth. Germany's finest (as far as progressive sounds and flows are concerned) dub label, named Echo Beach and inspired by the lyrics and spirit of that track, has set out to pay tribute to this song which is more than a classic. The first mix/remix of Echo Beach, done by Reverend E.C.H.O. and released on the Echo Beach sampler 'Various Artists: Far Away In Time' has already enjoyed a strong reputation world wide. Marki Gane, the original composer of Echo Beach and still a member of M & M (aka Martha & Muffins) - and by the way, also married to Martha Johnson (lead singer of the band M&M) - enthused: "It sounds as if the original ECHO BEACH was shot into outer space, hit a planet and floated back to earth in pieces...!!!" Now – 30 years later - after Echo Beach was written - the Echo Beach label proudly presents the 30th Anniversary Remixes and the full and essential: ... it is one of those tunes that on first hearing you like, but can`t exactly place why, and by 30 seconds into the spin you´re close to falling in love. You just have to go with it and this seductively simple number is just that. Don´t try to understand it just accept this as love at first sight. So check out the vibes ( you will listen to a beautiful, uplifting and classy dubby-housy-funky-chilly-ambient album) and head out to the Echo Beach, the place were almost everybody wanted to be...

Hip Hop purists, make room in your crates under "Baroque/Blunted Beats" for Jules Chaz. You may have never heard of him and Google certainly won't help, but the man's street cred weighs a ton. After playing in various bands around British Columbia, cruising around the world on a ship and supporting the celebrated Cobblestone Jazz crew over the last 15 years, one of Canada's hardest working and most talented DJs, musicians and producers has finally stepped up to release a CD under his own name.
Making up for lost time, Jules Chaz's eagerly-anticipated debut "Toppings" on Wagon Repair features 21 tracks of fuzzy downtempo bliss, punctuated by finely sliced and diced snippets of Hall and Oates, Julee Cruise ("Blak Lodge"), reggae and bangra ("Saysumthin") samples, with cameos by Cobblestone keyboardist Danuel Tate ("Yes I Do") and fire-spittin' emcee Ishkan ("Could Happen").

Strut re-kindle their involvement with one New York’s most revered DJs and re-edit pioneers, Danny Krivit, with a fresh album of essential new, rare and classic re-works, past and present. An acknowledged leader in New York clubland for many years, Krivit learned his craft through a series of early residencies, including a four-year stretch at The Roxy as hip hop came downtown from the Bronx during the mid ’70s. Throughout the ‘80s, he was then often DJ-ing six nights a week at seminal nightspots like Area, Danceteria, Save The Robots and more. Since then, he is perhaps best known for his residency at the legendary Body & Soul parties from the inception in 1996 alongside Francois Kevorkian and Joe Claussell, a calling card that has kept him an in-demand DJ globally as club-goers gravitate towards his unique blend of emotive soulful house, disco and Afro sounds. The party has continued in Brooklyn and Manhattan, with Krivit’s 718 Sessions now a regular fixture of New York’s club diary. As a producer, Krivit is the acknowledged “King Of The Edit“ and has been a major influence on today’s re-edit culture. From early classics like the ‘Feelin’ James’ and ‘Rock The House’ JB cut-ups during the mid-‘80s, he has released over 300 unique versions, often under the mysterious ‘Mr. K’ moniker. After releasing a batch of his finest edits on the ‘Edits By Mr. K’ compilation in 2003, Strut now delve back into the tape cupboard for an all-new edition, bringing together some of Krivit’s secret weapons in a wide-ranging selection covering soulful disco, funk and jazz. Tracks include in-demand Krivit rarities including his previously unreleased re-work of Black Blood’s Afro-rock rarity ‘Chicano’, the revival of a soulful Patrice Rushen sleeper, ‘Music Of The Earth’ and an extended workout on the Chairmen Of The Board’s psychedelic soul classic, ‘Life & Death’.

Aroop Roy is an artist and producer of many dimensions. Aroop's eclectic work as a producer has been supported worldwide by numerous tastemakers including Bugz In The Attic, Kyoto Jazz Massive, Patrick Forge and Laurent Garnier. In 2006, he even had the chance to work with legendary Motown producers The Mizell Brothers.In 2009, his compilation absolute!!:Sounds From Tokyo was released to critical acclaim and he was invited to do a guest mix on Gilles Peterson's legendary Worldwide BBC Radio 1 show.Currently based in London, he is constantly traveling across the globe. During his time in Japan, as a DJ and event organiser, he took Tokyo by storm building up a firm reputation as one of the most forward thinking people in the scene. His events absolute!!, Exposure and Culture all enjoyed immense success whilst opening people's ears to a wider range of music than ever before. He is also resident DJ at Geneva's long running superclub La SIP.Nomadic Soul includes collaborations with much in demand Toronto diva Sacha Williamson whose sultry voice graces the huge dancefloor anthem The Lonely Years. London soul artist Lyric L the voice behind the broken beat hit Loose Lips brings her contagious flow to bruk house club banger Step Back. The melancholic rap and soul of Barcelona based vocalist Sara G is featured on the dark and jazzy techno number Ain't That Sweet. Highly respected US poet and rapper Replife skillfully navigates the twisted syncopated hip hop beats of Stand Up whilst UK Jazz singer Sarah Winton brings the album to a close with an angelic performance on the beautiful Lilly.

We reach for the vinyl heavens again and catch a celestial delight - an exact repress of Boris Gardiner's legendary "Every Nigger is a Star", the long-lost soundtrack to a near mythical Jamaican film! Long a grail-status LP for reggae and funk aficionados alike, Gardiner's OST for Calvin Lockhart's mysterious movie has eluded any official or unofficial re-release since 1974. Presented in its original format and with its original cover art, Every Nigger is a Star is a dose of the finest conscious Jamaican music, generously laced with blaxploitation-style heavy funk. The Boris Gardiner Happening present a deep, cross-genre constellation of sounds that spans sweet reggae to soul balladry, and stretches from the magical carib-funk-jazz of "Negril", through the gold standard funk classic "Ghetto Funk", to the deep acoustic cut of the title track. An essential release for fans of funk, blaxploitation OSTs and reggae, the CD release also comes equipped with detailed historical notes which finally clear up the mystery of the original film. Another 'Deadly Sting' from Jazzman Records - because we dig deeper!

As you may have heard, Man Recordings is celebrating 5 years anniversary this year. The official festivities for our anniversary and our 50th release kick off in Berlin on Sept 3rd with a nice little party - for which y´all should save the date! Watch this space for more Man Rec anniversary news. Man Rec 050, the "Valeu" compilation will be releaesed Sept.6th and will feature exclusive tracks and remixes by Crookers, Seiji, Zombie Disco Squad, Eduk, Schlachthofbronx, Isa Gt and many more.

At the early age of 19, Filip Dragovic a.k.a Molecular Structures has dedicated himself completely to the world of electronic sounds. As a young classically trained pianist and jazz player, he has the ability to make his tracks musically balanced, but also doesn´t hold back from going into unexplored territories of music and trying out new things. "Memories Long Lost" is an Album that blurs the boundaries between Drum´n´Bass and classically composed electronic music. Tracks like "Memories Long Lost", "Emo" (alongside Unquote) or "Sonnenuntergang" (with The Green Man) have an air of filmscores - while "Deeperdation" or "Kersnost" please D&B dj's that go for deepness. His tracks already found the likes of people like Loxy or Blu Mar Ten for example. The Russian scene, based around such names as Unquote or Bop (both signed to medschool and hospital recently), calls some of it "microfunk" - and "Emo" is a perfect example of this new subgenre. "Emo" is also a track very reflective of the musical approach in this album. Other than with some Drum´n´Bass and Dubstep albums (especially in today scene) Molecular Structures tries to encorporate emotions in his tracks, instead of avoiding them. Especially in the collaborations with the Hip-Hop influenced Prozoo, under the pseudonym "PMS", one can definately see the jazzy influences shining through, so that melancholic, as well as dark vibes on this album are also met by soulfull grooves and summer sounds. An album that pushes the boundaries of Drum´n´Bass, bringing a sound that was anticipated for a long time. Both to be enjoyed at home, as well including as sharp breaks and hard hitting bass that can easily find it´s home in clubs, bringing some of the vibes of the late 90ies, refreshed with a clean and modern production, up to todays standards. Molecular Structures a.k.a. Filip Dragovic, born on the 21.12.1990 in Düsseldorf, Germany, soon moved to Belgrade with his family. Thanks to his father, who was a music enthusiast in his spare time he always found musical instruments in the house. Soon, he began his training in classical music, and begann his training in jazz drums and music production, before moving to england, to study Philosophy. First releases under his pseudonym "2key" in 2008 were closely followed by signings on more eminent labels such as Loxy´s Xtinction Agenda/CX imprint and the belgian based Influenza.

Feather light, swirling and floating in a bed of sound, melodies tinged with a bit of be-bop, a dash of soul, and a touch of r n' b, nearly provocative in their free and easy dance with the originals - and yet, always remaining true to the innate soul of the piece. - Whatever the singer, songwriter and guitarist does with his favourite songs on his current solo album ONE PURE SOUL; it's simply fantastic. Bravo, Stephan Scheuss!

Few musicians have had greater impact on contemporary mainstream jazz than Horace Silver. The pioneering hard bop style he developed in the 1950s is now played by several generations of jazz musicians. Featured here on this 35 track Anthology are five of his original Blue Note Albums: 'Blowin' The Blues Away', 'Finger Poppin', '6 Pieces Of Silver', 'The Stylings Of Silver' and 'Horace Silver & The Jazz Messengers'.

A great collection of 45 of the very best Afro Cuban Jazz tracks. All the big names are here, including: Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Tito Puente, Jack Costanzo and many more. A must-have compilation not to be missed by fans of the Latin music genre.

For several years now, "Early Morning Breaks" is a synonym for laid-back Chillout Grooves and Loungy Deep-House Tracks. Divided up into a soft mixed "Chill Session" and a "Deep (House) Session", early morning breaks provides the perfect sound not only for an early morning.

Fresh from winning awards for ‘Best Album’ and ‘Best Compilation’ at Breakspoll, Against The Grain records return with another killer compilation, presented by label head honcho, Skool Of Thought. Best known for the hugely successful ‘Random Acts Of Kindness’ and ‘Heavyweight Breaks’ albums, Skool Of Thought now sets off on a safari of sound where the wild beasts are basslines and the beats bite back. ‘Natural Selection’ has a killer instinct, from the stealth-like approach of Phaeleh’s ‘Selecta’ which creeps and pounces with precision, to the straight-for-the-jugular approach of Affinity’s remix of Freestylers' ‘Slammer’. The album stands tall; proud in its breakbeat roots, safe in the knowledge that it’s scene remains strong and confident for the selection to briefly explore the territories of grime and fidget with tracks like Stenchman’s ‘Computer Expert’ and Superstyle Deluxe’s remix of ‘Critical Systems’ by Kid Digital. Skool Of Thought himself also features tracks on Natural Selection alongside fierce new talent Afghan Headspin, Adsorb, Splitloop and Michael Morph. The sound is raw and true, a departure from the cheap thrills of many passing trends, an endangered species, fierce without being tearing, and uncompromising whilst avoiding self-indulgence; it is indeed, a Natural Selection, a survival of the fittest for beats and breaks in 2010.

Salvatore Freda has come along way since his Trapez release some 3 years ago, which first brought him to our attention. Massive releases down the line, his journey in house music has taken him to some of the hottest labels around - Cadenza, Area Remote, Liebe Detail and Freerange. Salvatore Freda has managed in the space of a couple of years to (almost) become a household name. Former big hitters like Sassicaia on Cadenza, Bombolone on Liebe Detail and Tiramisu on Remote Area helped reinforce both his own reputation as well as that of the blossoming Lausanne scene which he’s intrinsically linked with. A long running resident at one of the cities finest clubs D Club, Salvatore is an experienced DJ as well as accomplished producer, that was also responsible of Adrenogroov, his own label through which he delivered the blended melodic techno house music from the lake city to the world from 2002 to 2005, giving change to new talents and well known artists and helping to line up Switzerland into the electronic music map. Mission still in progress...

Anyone with a passing interest in reggae has heard of Lee Perry also known as ‘Scratch’ or ‘The Upsetter’ but, over the last thirty years, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry has become better known as a ‘performance artist’ than a record producer.

For the six years it was operating his productions from his own Black Ark recording studio set standards that have never been bettered: it was there that Scratch moved his music in directions that no-one else has, even now, thought to consider.

Freed from the strictures of paying for studio time on an hourly rate his music became increasingly intense, multi-layered and extraordinarily experimental.

The exclusive mixes showcased on this release have never been heard before outside of sound system dances. Some will be familiar through their commercial incarnations, such as ‘Bucky Skank’, ‘History’ and ‘Groovy Situation’, but here they have been pushed and pulled, coaxed and cajoled in hitherto unexplored and previously unimagined directions. This is music from a man coming to the end of his tether.

The UK’s leading Brazilian record label Far Out Recordings brings together the very best young talent from around Brazil on this relentless compilation full of underground and popular new classics. Next Generation Brazil picks out the best in modern Brazilian rock, electronica, samba, baile funk, nu-bossa, tropicalia, jazz, folk and more. It’s the perfect introduction to new Brazilian music.

Introducing:

Binario are a passionate seven strong band from Ipanema Beach. They combine psychedelia, guitar fuzz with tripped out space funk. One of the standout tracks from their internationally acclaimed 2008 self titled debut ‘Amor Liquido’ brings battle ready, rhythmical rapping in to a futuristic soundscape filled with paranoid synth bleeps and bounding guitars. Followed by a mesmerising warped ambient rocker from Rio’s Camarades showing Brazilian guitar music is in very safe, creative hands.

Rabotnik is a collective group of musicians guided by their love and passion for electronic experimentation. Led by the founding members Eduardo Manso and Estevao Case Rabotnik push the boundaries by bringing a climatic electro sound straight to your speakers. DDP is their baddest track – like Autechre remixed for a Tarrantino soundtrack. Experimental excellence.

Democustico combine many different styles ranging from Brazilian samba, folk and trip-hop to Indian vibes and beats. The beatiful vocals and swirling music is reworked with big bass to wonderful hynotic effect.

Clara Moreno music is compelling to listen to and has a samba spirit running deep through it. Pouquoi is one of Brazil’s most famous tunes and Clara’s version is highly addictive, D.O.T’s enormous baile funk remix only adding to the party with booming bass and triumphant horns.

Zeep bring music inspired by the attitudes of the 70s with their music being live, urgent, funky and folksy. They spice up rock 'n' roll, funk and classic pop with some samba magic. The sound is a fusion of a cosmopolitan London and an inspirational Brazil by Smoke City’s Nina Miranda and Da Lata’s Chris Frank.

Sabrina Malheiros is Rio‘s original nu-bossa star. Her music is effortlessly beautiful, her songwriting much praised. Her sound ranges from contemporary electronics to samba, disco and house. Connexao was the smash single from New Morning –declared the “album of summer 2008“ by the Evening Standard.

Together the cream of Far Out’s next generation show why they’re among the most exciting talent Brazil has to offer. ‘Next Generation Brazil’ is the perfect showcase for their wonderfully diverse, but always innovative new Brazilian music.

Max Sedgley’s name is eponymous with his worldwide hit “Happy”. A tune so gargantuan it was used as the theme tune for BBC’s coverage of the last world cup and which has helped sell the idea of good times to a generation of clued-up clubbers and big name brands most notably Bacardi who used the track for a worldwide campaign.

On the back of that single Max recorded an album for Rob Da Bank’s Sunday Best label and toured the world with his band The Shoots – living the high life as a festival bill topper.

After Uni - a slight reformed Max was much in demand for his skills on the skins and played drums in a wide variety of bands including King Kooba, Organic Audio and a stint as drummer for Roni Size’s Breakbeat Era project.

During this time Max recorded “Happy” which was about as different to everything else around as it could be - and therein laid its beauty. Initially released as a 500 run on Italian label IRMA it was quickly picked up by one of UK Music’s arbiters of taste Rob Da Bank who signed it to his Sunday Best label with the rest as they say being history.

Forward-Wind to Spring 2010 – Max’s new album is ready – signed to Jalapeno and already causing a stir in the shape of the first single “Something Special” – a track which has been getting love from the old school and the new with supporters including Danny Tenaglia, Tom Middleton, Aeroplane, Crazy P and Mark Knight.

“My new album is a snapshot of my life for the last couple of years, a lot of my influences are in there – from the funk and jazz I grew up with, through drum and bass and house music - all tempered with the experience of being a band leader and knowing how to get the best out of the people I work with live”

Once Max had got together some ideas for the album the first people he turned to were the stalwarts of his live band Tasita D’Mour (who herself has a stellar history providing a multitude of hits for bands like Reel People and Copyright) and MC 2-ICE (Ryan to his mum) the MC from Max’s live shows.

Max also had his mind on a couple of guest vocalists who had impressed him over the previous year. Having already remixed one of their previous singles, Max knew all about NYC rappers QNC (Q Ball & Curt Cazal) who were duly contacted and drafted in. Next on the list was breakthrough toaster Tor - a UK rapper with one of the most distinctive voices around and the perfect person to drop the vocals on “Sound Boy”.

By now the album was really taking shape and with new label Jalapeno on board it was time to put the finishing touches to it. The vocal tracks are glorious dance records with touches of Quincy Jones and 80’s boogie all tied up in slick club production - all tight drums, irresistible bass lines and soaring strings.

Tasita cements her place as one of this decades finest club divas while MC 2-ICE injects some irreverent humour into proceedings on tracks like “Hey Mr. Superstar”. The NYC connection kick it like it’s a back in the day rollerskate jam on “Whatcha Doin” while Tor rips it up sound system style on “Sound Boy” a track that is destined to be the second single from the album.

Max finishes the album and counterpoints the club tracks with an ambient - percussion led comedown tune “Life’s A Beach” which could have come straight from the Bukem era of Drum and Bass.

With the growing popularity of Spoonface's latest hit collaboration with Gabry Ponte, FAADA have decided to compile a set of Dance Tracks to 'recap' the journey so far.This is an especially solid release for Spoonface lovers that haven't had a chance to get beyond "You see the Trouble with Me" or "Hey Girl.Stunning Club bangers from mighty Italian Dance Label Time S.P.A to Hospital records and more.Stand out must have offerings include 'Dont Know Why', 'Insane', 'Here For You', 'Magical Girl' and of course 'Love 2 Party'.

Most recently, Spoek Mathambo has finished recording his solo album, Mshini Wam for BBE, and has built a live band (which includes two dancers) in order to tour the project. The release of this project is particularly exciting as a sign to the world of what Africa has in store in terms of progressive electronic music.
Part of a new breed of African artists, 24 year old Spoek Mathambo (Rapper/DJ and Graphic Designer/Illustrator) is hitting the world hard with his take on Afro-futurism. Spoek sees himself as a part of a new wave of energy in Africa, which is intent on nurturing a sense of progressiveness while maintaining a pride in culture. As front-man for electrorap outfits SWEAT.X and PLAYDOE, Spoek Mathambo has become a increasingly prominent figure in the international music scene over the last couple of years.

After quite a while Unique finally delivers a compilation containing in house tracks exclusively. From late-breaking tunes like Diesler's 'Samba Magic' and Al Supersonic's 'United Nation Of Soul' to Unique classics such as Glen Anthony Henry's 'I Don't Know' or Eli Goulart's 'Meu Samba' (Nicola Conte's Bossa Ahead Remix) - there should be something suitable for every taste. Therefore this compilation offers an excellent profile of Unique's musical spectrum.

Producer and DJ, Richy Pitch moved from UK to Ghana, West Africa and took on the challenge to record a LP which drews on his many musical experiences during his stay. His goal was to record with local stars and talents and fuse the classic sound of Ghanaian music with his own production skills that he'd already developed in London.
Two years later and back to London, Richy knocked on BBE Records' door to deliver Ye Fre Mi Richy Pitch (They call me Richy Pitch in Twi).
His creation gives the listener an excellent taste of the many different styles of Ghanaian and West African music from Highlife, Hiplife to Afrobeat to traditional percussion music, all combined with a fresh production twist.
It features the cream of Ghanaian music talent including MOBO and MTV Africa winner Samini, Reggie Rockstone, known as the Godfather of Hiplife and talented MC's such as Wanlov the Kubolor, M3NSA and M.anifest, plus many other inspiring Ghanaian artists.

New !K7 affilated label Cool in the Pool opens it's account with a state of the art compilation from 24 year old Londoner Brackles. In the last six months, the Blunted Robots co-owner and FWD/Rinse FM regular has been grappling with the 'Future Garage' tag that's been pushed his way, and he's not mad keen: "Too limiting" he says. Brackles prefers the 'Post Dubstep' moniker, but his first commercially available mix album gives us a better snapshot of where this buzzing, vibrant scene is going than any scene name could hope to do.
Brackles represents a new generation of electronic producers and dj's, a million cultural miles away from the 40 + year old Ibiza veterans still punting out the big tunes for ever diminishing creative returns, but unshackled by the 'hardcore continuum' of which they're no doubt a part.
It's a mix for the mind and the soul as much as the body, and it comes from a legion of musical influences, not all of them conscious ones. It was only when Mike 'Mu' Paradinas commented on the Detroit influence he heard in Brackles' sound that the young Londoner went off to explore and enjoy the Motor City mothership, and now it's there, along with the garage, the dubstep, the house, the funky and the rest of it, all channelling into Brackles' contribution to the continuum, all helping shape his Songs for Endless Cities.

Fourth instalment in the Gomma Dance Tracks Compilation series featuring Gomma's biggest dancefloor smashers and hit remixes. No fillers! Just approved killers! All tracks have been hammered by DJ all over the world. Here you get them all together: Gomma remixes by DJ Koze, Prins Thomas, Azari & III, Zombie Nation, Siriusmo and German house legend Ian Pooley. This is hard future disco and funky techno boogie. "Gomma Dance Tracks has the sound of 2011" ... as London's Mixmag descriped the Gomma sound recently.

NIGHTHAWKS – “Today” A musical journey of a different kind A short keyboard motif – its sound seems to emanate from a music box. It is joined by a bouncy, increasingly climactic groove with a jazzy-percussive trumpet on top creating an effervescent, pulsing atmosphere. “Boutique Korkut” – we are in the middle of the vibrant Belgian quarter in Cologne. Once again twilight falls, the sun sets and the night begins to the musical soundtrack of the Nighthawks. The Nighthawks project, launched at the end of the 1990s, is the brainchild of trumpet player Reiner Winterschladen and multi-instrumentalist and producer Dal Martino. Since their first album “Citizen Wayne” (1998), the duo has been known for its profound and stylish jazzy lounge music. However, stirring up associations and images, the Nighthawks’ music goes much deeper than that. “I think it’s great and very important that the listener has visual associations while hearing the music”, says Dal Martino. “Our project started with film music. For me, it is still important that each track has a little script. We aim to trigger images which in turn release certain emotions.” On their new album “Today”, which is their fifth studio album to date, the Nighthawks have embarked on an unusual and extraordinarily exciting world tour of a different kind. It is not really what one would have expected of them. At the start, they only had one aim in mind: “Back to the roots”, summarises Dal Martino. “In the sense that we let our ideas run wild and developed melodies and groove fragments without asking ourselves whether these sound fragments fitted together. The final structure of the album crystallised much later.” Their unceasing curiosity to explore new musical horizons has once again led the Nighthawks halfway around the world – especially to eastern regions. Musicians certainly depend on ideas, suitable ideas. Ideas is something the Nighthawks have never been short of. However, at the start they did not know where these original ideas would eventually lead them. They were happier not knowing, aware of the restraining effect that too much rational analysis would have on their curiosity and instincts. Instead, the Nighthawks placed their trust both in themselves and their ideas. This time, their travels led them into the thicket of the Romanian forests, the glamorous Brazilian Trancoso, to the picturesque “Rialto Hotel” in Warsaw and to the almost deserted steppes of Iran. “I have been travelling around a lot these last few years, I was in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Moldavia,” says Martino. “Of course that affected our music, especially as I met fantastic singers such as Anna Maria Jopek from Poland or Emilia Istvan, a Roma icon, whose qualities have given the new album a unique character.” Things cannot always be planned when you work on an album. Emilia Istvan is a case in point. “In Timisoara, I heard ‘Ederlezi’, a traditional Roma song which impressed me a lot. It’s a wonder that the song finally made it on to the album as Emilia is constantly on the move around the entire Balkan area. By lucky coincidence, I managed to record her voice in a hotel room in Bucharest. When the piece was completed I realised that it effectively represented the starting point of our journey which eventually led to ‘Male Tesknoty’ featuring the fantastic Anna Maria Jopek and Sting’s guitarist Dominic Miller.” Both ‘Ederlezi’ and ‘Male Tesknoty’, a Polish hit from the 80s, demonstrate Dal Martino’s and Reiner Winterschladen’s unique ability to reshape a musically rather absurd original into a typical Nighthawks soundscape. The epic ‘Dust’, the last track on the CD with its somewhat Arabic melodic motif, is evidence of their universal pretensions. On top of this, their music is becoming increasingly compact. Not one note is out of place, not one sample is used just for the sake of it. The Nighthawks are resounding proof of the premise that less is better. In many cases, their music works like a soundtrack to an imaginary film. The new album ‘Today’ is no exception. One should just listen to the bouncy grooving and mysterious ‘The Consul Is Driving’ which would make a brilliant soundtrack for a psycho thriller. The slightly wistful ‘To The Bar And Back’ would also perfectly complement the film noir genre. “Even after the recording process has started, an album such as this always requires numerous decisions to be taken. I could name each album ’One Million Decisions’. However, in the end I believe that only things that really strike a nerve with us pass through the filter of my spirit.” The new Nighthawks CD, which has been called ‘’Today’’ for good reason, demonstrates what Dal Martino and Reiner Winterschladen are getting excited about in the here and now. It is a musical journey of discovery: soul, jazz, pop, reggae, Latin American and Arabic influences, melodies from Poland and the Balkan region – driven by their passion for experiment, the Nighthawks are not concerned with borders. Aside from their undoubtedly top class musicianship, it is their curiosity and their love of the unusual that makes ‘’Today’’ so exciting and entertaining. Line-up: Dal Martino (bass, guitar, vocals) Reiner Winterschladen (trumpet, flugelhorn) Jürgen Dahmen (Rhodes, percussion) Markus Wienstroer (guitar) Xaver Fischer (keyboards) Thomas Alkier (drums, percussion) Guest musicians: Anna Maria Jopek (voc) Emilia Istvan (voc) Dominic Miller (git) Zdidslav Marcinkiewicz (keys) Zwanie Jonson (drums)

The final Volume of 'Sounds For The Soul' is put together by label favourites Reel People. Featuring 2 exclusive tracks from Seven feat. Omar & The Realm this is another must for all soulful music lovers.

Upon visiting a city you’ve never been to before, one of the best things you can do to explore and discover that new ground is definitely taking a cab. The taxi driver sure knows where you want to go. But rest assured he also knows where it’s at, and where the nice spots & cool things happen. The man they call LEVTHAND (aka Levent Canseven) worked and travelled the dancefloors of Europe under the CAN7 moniker and as such delivered flawless remixes & productions for a.o. Bootsy Collins, Randy Crawford, Ricky Martin & Moloko... just to name a few. The CAN7 album „Safari“ released in 2006 on PEPPERMINT JAM marked a turning point in the life & career of CAN7. Levent was broadening both his horizons as well as the variety of genres he was influenced by Funk, soul, pop, reggae, jazz has always been the fuel for his taxi... And so it comes as no surprise that this first LEVTHAND album, is a combination of all of those genres. Always true to where he came from, LEVTHAND gathered an all star line up of close musical friends & like minded individuals to turn his musical vision into a reality: UK pop music legend KIM APPLEBY (of MEL & KIM), MCs/rappers SON OF SLAVES & MISTA GOOD, outstanding vocalists ZOE, LAYGWAN SHARKIE, ELENA LEY & ROMORRIE, trumpeter PATRICK ANTHONY, Washigton DC love poet JEN & downtempo dj colleague GEORGE SOLAR (SOLAR MOON) all contribute to an album that simply wants share’s good vibes with you. As a result, you’ll pass by Little Jamaica & parts of the Bronx, where you will meet & greet some of LEVTHAND’s friends, have a smoke, and take in the vibes... The journey continues, taking you to the uptown area where the nightclubs, bars and cool hangouts are located. There you’ll stay until the early hours of the morning, greeted by a new day... dancing, laughing & simply feeling the vibes! In the backseat, just in time for the sunrise, the taxi drive continues. Nevermind the amount of happy people that are now sharing the cab with you – keep smiling, as LEVTHAND has now turned off the meter, because the last few miles of this ride, are for free. One more look in the rear view mirror, one more uplifting song booming from the car stereo...you’ve now reached your final destination. Great Journey, cool destination and the right place, at the right time!

John Coltrane is today recognised as one of the most influential figures in the history of jazz. Yet when he first appeared in the ranks of Dizzy Gillespie's orchestra at the end of the 1940s, no-one could have predicted this different young man would, within a decade, become an iconic musician dedicated to making music into hitherto undreamt-of-dimensions. Featured here are his two fine 1958 albums; 'The Last Trane' and 'Bahia', both complete and in their original running orders.

„Versions, Vibes & Remixes“ is CD series. Energie Du Verre got the ball rolling in 2009. And now it’s time for Ensemble Du Verre – the second album of the series is released August 20, 2010. By the end of 2009, I finally succeeded in bringing the master rights for E.D.V.’s first two albums “Facing. Transparent” (SPV 2004) and “Sing Me Something” (SPV 2005) back home. It had been a long and hard struggle with the record company’s insolvency administrator. To celebrate this victory, I decided to re-release this music on my own label Batterie. But that was just the start. I spent the time between Christmas and New Year’s Eve in my studio, opened the drawer with the backup files and reloaded the songs into my computer. I just wanted to polish the files and make everything nice and tidy. My studio had grown considerably over the last years and everything that comes out of it now just sounds so much better. I wanted to share this pleasure with every listener of my music. While I was sitting in my studio, fooling around and filled to the brim with roasted Christmas goose, new ideas for old songs started to surface. I was reluctant at first. But when the idea of “Versions, Vibes & Remixes” came up, I decided to put the pedal to the metal. During the producing process of the album, two remixes, two original versions (more on that later) and a brand new song were born. Not only has my studio grown considerably, so did my collection of instruments – much to the delight of my dear wife J. I bought a 1971 Fender Rhodes some time ago (I’m still restoring this one), an electric bass, a fantastic jazz guitar including amp and lots of other odds and ends. Consequently, I played most of the parts recorded for the album myself. On “One for Garry Brown” my two new favourite guitar players Johann Popp and Norman Mohrholz had their fingers in the pie while Stefan Kuchel played tenor saxophone on “Familienfoto”. He improvised several times over the track and played so many wonderful Coltrane-like lines that I couldn’t resist sampling them. I added those samples to the song in true DJ-fashion later. The fact that the bass line resembles the one on “Acknowledgement” (on John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” Album) was something I realised only during the recordings with Stefan Kuchel. Later on, I asked myself “Why don’t I sing something?”. No sooner said than done – and the homage to one of the greatest albums of the last century was perfect. However, “Familienfoto” is much more than just an homage to John Coltrane. It pays tribute to my own musical background and family. They are represented by 80s synthpop, African percussion, 70s jazzrock, dubdelays, pop and spiritual jazz. And since a family is always some kind of choir, everybody gets involved and puts in his two cents. This is the albums recurrent theme and it can be found in all ten tracks. Now, as announced earlier, a few more words on the original versions. Initially, “Familienfoto” had been used by Ursula Rucker on her album “Ma’ At Mama” (here, the song is called “Uhuh”). I went back to the very beginnings and took a different turn. The result is a completely new piece of music. This is what a Pink Floyd recording featuring Pharoah Sanders produced by Flying Lotus might sound like. Oh, well J. Another original version is “Beep”. This is the track from “Sing Me Something” (2005) that Sidsel Endresen was kind enough to add her vocals to. During the course of the production at the time, something completely new developed. “Beep” turned into “Phonetic” (get the picture?). “Versions, Vibes & Remixes” now features the original version of “Beep” as well as the newest version of “Phonetic (Our Northern Souls)”. As on this album’s predecessor “Sanctuary for Animals” (Batterie 2008), I have been using many different musical ensembles. Fat and juicy ones as well as small and intimate ones. Acoustic and electric. It was never my plan to create one uniform sound. Still, my playful and intuitive approach created just this. And I’m very glad it did. I used the same approach on “Sanctuary for Animals” and, much to my surprise, received an award for it. I was completely blown away. Unexpected pleasures are always the best ones. Speaking of unexpected pleasures: I was just having some red fruit jelly with milk when Hamburg’s jazzclub “Stellwerk” called and asked if I might be interested in doing an experimental concert. We used two drumsets, one trumpet and lots of electronic gadgets to stage the album last Saturday. It turned out extremely well and we had tons of fun. This is something we’ll do again. Promised.

John Coltrane is today recognised as one of the most influential figures in the history of jazz. Yet when he first appeared in the ranks of Dizzy Gillespie's orchestra at the end of the 1940s, no-one could have predicted this different young man would, within a decade, become an iconic musician dedicated to making music into hitherto undreamt-of dimensions. Featured here are his two fine 1958 albums; 'Settin' The Pace' and 'The Last Trane', both complete and in their original running orders.

Serge Gainsbourg may primarily have been known outside his native land for the heavy breathing masterpiece 'Je T'Aime', the only French song ever to top the British charts, but to those at home he stood as one of the most potent cultural figures of post-war France. His poetry was compared to Rimbaud and Baudelaire, his morality to Marquis de Sade, yet he was rewarded the Chevalier Des Arts et Lettres, his country's highest artistic honour. Featured here are the first two albums he ever recorded.

DMX Krew is Ed DMX, longtime artist on Aphex Twin's Rephlex label, boss of legendary UK electro label Breakin' and a regular live performer and DJ around Europe and the world.This is a rare DMX Krew album previously only released in Japan in 2005, now available for the first time to fans worldwide.The album contains 12 solidly 80s songs in the vein of Minneapolis funk, P-Funk and freestyle

Following on from the LP “My Heart Beats Like A Drum” this digital single compiles some great remixes of tracks from the album and one exclusive cover version.

First up, Prince Fatty, who has been making waves with his authentic but modern reggae and dub project, puts “Midnight Sun” through his mixing deck, drafting in his crew of veteran players to turn out a brand new piece of music (plus a heavily dubbed-out version). Pure sunshine vibes!

Next is a cover of Radiohead’s “Street Spirit”. Natural Self told us “I originally did this on a whim – it’s one of my favourite Radiohead tunes. It was going round in my head one day and I realised it actually fits with the tune that DJ Shadow sampled for “Organ Donor”. Mmm, good idea for a mash up I thought… I then immediately realised I don’t like mash ups, I’m a snob like that. So one Sunday afternoon I set about doing it over from scratch. I liked the way it came out so I played it to Tru Thoughts’ A&R Robert Luis. We decided I should give it the proper treatment so I re-played the organ, re-sang the vocal and laced the drums sampling a recording from an unreleased Broken Keys session. This is how it came out.”

Natural Self also remixes himself, turning “All Static” into one of his unique percussive dancefloor nuggets. With Brazilian and Tropical influences and some space age synth noise this is a pure modern club rocker.

Jeremy Sole provides a soulful take on “Midnight Sun”. Jeremy is a Los Angeles based DJ, radio presenter on KCRW and producer, he is a big fan of the French singer Elodie Rama who co-wrote and sings on the track and specifically asked to remix it. This mix also features the talents of trumpet player Todd Simon (who has provided horns for the likes of Mayer Hawthorne and Kanye West).

The remaining three remixers explore Natural Self’s beats and abstract instrumental grooves in their own unique ways. Kid Kanevil (First Word) shows why he has been picking up many fans with his fusion of tough drums and electronic sounds. Eliphino has just had one of his tracks licensed to Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood label and has magazines like XLR8R raving about him, he demonstrates his soulful electronic style perfectly here. Last but not least, French producer Yult asked if he could try to remix something from the album. We’re so glad he asked….Woah! This one is heavy! He took loads of parts from the original and completely twisted them, Year 3000 beats…

Make sure you check all the tracks….we definitely think there’s something on here that you’re really going to enjoy.