Notes: Q-Bert's Thud Rumble has teamed with Serato to forge new essentials for your DJ battle arsenal - Weapons of Wax. This specialty 12" series of die cut records is the first official Serato vinyl release in anything other than the
classic disc format.
The W.O.W. series is comprised of four separate releases (Titled: Spike, Ninja, Guillotine, and Buzz ). Aside fromadding an intimidation factor to your decks, the vinyl allows you to scratch and manipulate sounds and tracks in ways you never thought imaginable. A must have for any DJ at any skill level.
Review: It's been a while since the Albion stable graced our platters, but they're back in style with more of that on-point house music voodoo for the heat of the night. This single is a vessel for the various sides of Tommi Vicari Jr, who rolls out his Czevski alias to deliver a bruising remix of "57 Hertz" by 76-79. It's a reverb-soaked, dubbed out affair with a rock solid rhythm section and plenty of trippy FX tweaking on top. On the flip it's a different story with a similar feeling as we get the straight up Tommi Vicari Jr material in the shape of two killer tracks crafted for transcendental moments of dancefloor hypnosis.
Harry Romero - "Revolution" (House Masters edit) (5:13)
Prunk & Rona Ray - "Keep It Simple" (6:41)
Review: The mighty Defeated has got a fun package on its hands here with some fat disco and house anthems primed and ready for big room summer fun. A'Studio's 'SOS' (feat Polina - Skylark remix - Nic Fanciulli edit) is chunky house with a hooky vocal and rolling groove designed to sweep you up and away. Chloe Caillet then remixes Tensnake's classic 'Coma Cat' into a hands-in-the-air house stomper with epic strings. Harry Romero's sweaty 'Revolution' gets its drums buffed up and well swung by a House Master's Edit and Prunk & Rona Ray steal the EP at the last with their lush vocal house cut 'Keep It Simple.'
Curtis Baker & The Bravehearts - "Fried Fish ’n’ Collard Greens" (2:40)
The Native Yinzer - "The Hip Strip" (2:33)
Review: The fourth edition in Original Gravity's Down In The Basement series, which gathers instrumental soul and swing cuts onto worthy 7" slabs, resounding the fervent 1960s decadal gap in which mod reigned supreme. With juleps flowing and kneecaps knocking, Abramo & Nestor bring newfangled electric pianistic swing with 'Dig It!', while a twinned "hit it!" injunction is heard from Floyd James & The GTs on the reissued 'Work That Thang'; James' voice is tubed and speed-delayed to terrific effect, achieving a sprung intonation. Curtis Baker brassifies the bonanza with the lively 'Fried Fish 'n' Collard Greens', while The Native Yinzer's exiting excitation 'The Hip Strip' quilts our ears with a mnemic, down-feathery Hammond-breaks bit.
Review: Utter wildness ensues, and the dancefloor is left tarnished. After the success of their last release together, 'Mirazh', Thomas Schumacher and A.D.H.S. reunite for a potent follow-up, both bottling and jarring the essence of Berlin techno. Simplicity abounds on 'Ex Machina' - perhaps alluding to the portentous Alex Garland film of the same name whose artificially intelligent omens will never leave us - as repetitious carnival drums blend madly with a semaphoric, high-octave melody. 'Umbra' and 'Morbida' are of course wicked techno accompaniments to boot, but in our view, it's really the A that risks most for the biscuit; we're sure you'll love it.
Review: The legendary Fokuz label outta the Netherlands hits a 110th release and opts for a selection of remixes from various artists. AirK & Cephei open up with 'Desire,' a slick roller with booming bass and epic synths. Break then comes through with tight remix of A2 Soligen & Type 2 's 'Can't Go' complete with expertly design hits. Break then goes it alone on the original 'Coming 4U' with its low end oscillations and closes out the EP back in remix mode. His take on 'What Are You' is a roaming, textural affair with twisted leads and flurries of toms.
Review: This is one of those raw soul sounds that never goes out of fashion, and thankfully neither does it often disappear from availability. It features two r&b classics, the dancefloor-ready 'Last Night' and the soulful 'Don't Break Your Promises', both originally released on the Rainbow label in the UK and a long-time bastion of Aitken's mastery of blending Jamaican and British influences. The opener draws from The Mar-Keys and Georgie Fame, showcasing r&b's imprint on Aitken's style. 'Don't Break Your Promises' is a Milson Luce cover that gained fame in Jamaica before inspiring numerous versions.
Review: Fourth part of the compilation celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Milanese record shop. This collection is entirely composed of previously unreleased music, exclusively produced for the occasion by many artists of great relevance in the worldwide music scene, who supported the store over the last ten years.
This EP features Ellen Allien, Kreggo, Timeslip89, Itinerant Dubs and Heith.
Toby Tobias - "Streets of Gold" (Alphonse remix) (5:12)
Pyramids Of Space - "Quantis" (5:20)
Dance - "Amber" (4:25)
Review: Voice Notes is a new imprint run by London underground veteran Toby Tobias with Alphonse. A five track various artist EP, Voice Notes 002 is a time-honoured memorial for its sister label London Housing Trust, that they shut down a few years ago after 10 releases. Featuring tracks by label boss Tobias who delivers some emotive electro on 'Streets Of Gold', his evil twin Alphonse on the UK flava of 'Rujac', plus introducing Dance with the dub techno deconstruction of 'Amber', Rodney Bennett with the classic Stateside deep house of 'Palm Sunday' and Pyramids of Space with the downbeat IDM journey 'Quantis'.
Review: BOOM! Our favourites, Cititrax, roll the third editions of Tracks out onto our shelves, and the results are unsurprisingly strong on this excellent various artists comp. It's a mixed bag of skills, as per usual, and the sounds are those of a new NYC, fuelled by a new sort of post-industrial sensibility. Amato Y Mariana open with the tight beats and groove of "Queires Bailar", followed closely by the ominous compositions of the EBM-flavoured "Montgat" from The Sixteen Steps. On the flip, His Dirty Secrets bleeps out some morphed acid on "Structures", and "Another Stranger" from Further Reductions churns out a slow, mild-mannered house experiment with its roots clearly planted in the coldest of waves. Sick.
Review: There's a delightfully celebratory feel about this debut volume of Cititrax Tracks, a new 12" series from Minimal Wave offshoot Cititrax. As beautifully presented as we've come to expect, Tracks Volume 1 boasts a quartet of dancefloor-ready smashers from a blend of new faces and label stalwarts. Amato (aka The Hacker) kicks things off with the glistening EBM funk of "Physique" - all restless synth refrains and pounding bottom end - before LIES affiliate Tsuzing go all dark, psychedelic and twisted on the thrillingly intense, acid-flecked "King of System". An-I go all DAF (with a touch of Front 242) on the fuzzy and dystopian stomper "Mutter", before Cititrax regulars Broken English Club delivers a storming chunk of industrial-tinged analogue funk ("Glass"). Bravo!
Review: Amorphic and Tensal hook back in to the machine to dialyse their crafts once more, with 'Highland Frequencies' offering up four, machine-numbered atoning lambs to our mech overlords, following up the equally arrayed 'Distant Landscapes' EP (2024) on Blueprint. Now bringing their distinctive cataloguing system to the discographic vanitas Mord, four more 'AT' tracks make for an irresistibly well-layered, synthetically one-of-a-kind release. Only 'AT4' gets a subtitle, 'The Sleepwalker', where a sandman's slumbrous, lollygaggling beats somehow, at the same time, betray a subconscious, paradoxical restlessness.
Review: Amorphic and Tendal's latest release on Blueprint Records is a masterclass in cutting-edge techno. 'AT1' opens the EP with a heavy sci-fi banger, combining dark, industrial energy with a driving beat that instantly grabs attention. 'AT2' follows with crisp production and a fine-tuned techno loop that brings a big, commanding sound, building on the intensity with a precise, polished rhythm. On the flip side, 'AT7' takes things darker and edgier, with pulsating, minimal beats that maintain a restrained elegance while growing more aggressive as the track progresses. It's a perfect balance of tension and sophistication. Closing out the EP, AT8 strips things down even further, embracing a more minimal approach that complements the earlier tracks while adding a touch of subtlety. The release showcases Amorphic and Tendal's talent for creating forward-thinking techno, with each track offering a unique blend of aggression, elegance and innovation.
Review: Ahead of an oncoming Tbilisi party set to be thrown by the Sameheads crew, their latest 7" appears ahead of time as the latest offering by fellow friends, Andrea & Alexander. With just 300 copies available, this dreamy duo share a juxtaposed space with a more esoteric, gritty B-side, occupied by TINA's 'Vacation', which breaks from the usual Sameheads sound, almost entirely, to indulge a massively wonky inhumation. The A's own 'Olias', by contrast, is light and sixteen-thy, dotting along with detuned Italo saws and descending cadences of relief. Once performed live at the fabled Sameheads festival, City Of A Thousand Suns, the label here celebrate its recorded version for the world to hear on repeat.
Review: Emerald's 25th outing takes the form of another superb compilation with four artists who have already released on the label and plenty of new names making an equally good impression. ANNE kicks off with the deep, thudding kicks of 'Coral Reefs' complete with lush hits to smooth the groove. There is more weight and intensity to the oversized hi-hats ringlets on Mike Konstantinidis's 'Apocalypse', DJ Plant Texture layers in plenty of gritty and grime to his gritty 'Swingers' and Jarrod Yeates goes for a twisted after-party vibe on his intense and unrelenting 'Sesh Gremlin', with many more highlights besides.
Review: The story of this one revolves around San Diego native Anthony "Antone" Williams. He was one day alone in a studio, messing about with the gear and before he knew he it lay down the haunting rhythm that underpins the tune now presented here by the good folks at Athens of the North. It's a sinister, restless one that got released as a hugely limited 7" on Unity Records with otherworldly soul production and a pained vocal up top. Post punk soul, some call it, and that's a fitting descriptor. A remix appears on the flip but the allure of the original is hard to beat.
Aquasky & The Breakfastaz - "Good Sound" (instrumental)
Review: Passenger have embarked on a limited edition run of instrumental 10" releases. These will be issued in strictly low quantity for the DJs who prefer their tracks without vocals. First, we strip down the first two tracks from the Teamplayers series which did global damage on original release. Grab them while you can because there will never be another chance.
Aquasky/The Drummatic Twins - "Bring It On Down" (Aquasky VIP mix)
Aquasky/The Ragga Twins - "Ready For This" (Baobinga mix)
Review: It was a year ago that the much anticipated Aquasky "Teamplayers" album was released and here is the final installment of remixed, revamped and rejigged tunes, released on the Passenger label.. 'Bring It On Down' features Aquasky loosening up the bassline of the original, slapping in a nasty new vocal and giving it a heavy electro funk work out. Also, Baobinga goes on a solo run with a party vibe meets dubstep feel.
Steve Arrington - "Dancin' In The Key Of Life" (Frankie Knuckles edit) (9:07)
The Trammps - "Disco Party" (Frankie Knuckles edit) (7:42)
Review: Disco Queen just keep on pumping out the good stuff with two more divine edits from house music's spiritual and dearly missed father Frankie Knuckles. Two sides for two different peaks of the nights; Steve Arrington's "Dancin' In The Key Of Life" is that classic 11pm feel good warm up that's layered with clever momentum while The Trammps' "Disco Party" lives up to its name with incredible energy and soul and a dynamic drop into the original midway. Rest in peace Frankie.
Missing You (Eric Kupper Director’s cut Tribute To Fk remix) (6:57)
Missing You (Ridney rework) (6:03)
Review: First released a decade ago and revisited periodically ever since, Arftul and Ridney's collaboration with UK soul queen Terri Walker is a 21st century house classic. This 10th anniversary edition - released in limited numbers for Record Store Day 2023 - pairs fresh revisions with classic reworks. Michael Gray steps up with a funk-fuelled, disco-tinged revision, before the insanely talented Opolopo opts for a deeper, jazz-funk-flecked revision that's as classy as it is soulful. Elsewhere, Eric Kupper's 'Directors Cut Tribute To FK' version is a strings-and-piano-laden treat, while Ridney's own 'Rework' is a tasteful, piano-sporting deep house shuffler.
Review: Hyaku marks the 100th vinyl release for Samurai Music, so shout out to the crew for staying dedicated to the format. It also celebrates nearly 17 years of dedication to quality music and timeless design and, for this milestone, the label has assembled producers who epitomise the current Samurai sound. Each track offers a unique take on that from the crunchy breakbeats of ACS to the relentless energy of Sam KDC's 'Mutilate.' Together, these contributions form a diverse collection that highlights the artistry and innovation of this talented crew while also reflecting the journey Samurai has been on for all these years. Here's to many more.
Review: As the Darker Shades Of Roots label hurtles towards its 50th release, it turns to the fine pairing of Ash & Willow. This fledgling outfit debuted in 2016 but has been slow to release. Last year was a busy one with a trio of new 7"s that are now finally arriving to us. 'The Heart Of All Men' opens up this one with slow-motion rhythms and some organic percussion that adds the detail. On the flip, the ice picks up a little and the sun shines down bright over meandering leads on The Shades's 'Revelation 21.'
Review: Darker Shades Of Roots explores just that and has done so expertly over the course of a half-century of releases to date. The New Year starts off for them with another tasteful two-tracker that pairs a couple of contemporary artists. Ash & Willow are up first and offer 'I & I Stand' which has classic melodica leads worked into a tight rhythm that's detailed with earthy guitar riffs and lush chords, and of course some fine mic work. The Shades's 'Brother Sun, Sister Moon' then comes through with more whimsical melodica sounds and moodier vocals.
Review: This third volume of instrumentals continues the faultless Isle of Jura label's deep dive into dub versions and beyond. Side one takes in references from UK street soul and reggae and features two late-'80s tracks by Howard Hill with machine-led rhythms, rudeboy reggae skank and soulful pads. Protek's 'I Love to Dance With You' is a proto-house gem featured in a Jura Soundsystem mix and here it gets a loving re-edit by The Nightlark. Side B includes an instrumental-driven track with spacey FX from The Cool Notes' and Ilija Rudman's 'Dub 4 Love' which is a knowing nod to acid house's golden era.
Review: This 7" reissue of 'I'm So Proud' by Aswad and The Natural Band's 'There Was A Time' delivers a funk-filled gem originally released in 1972. Aswad's 'I'm So Proud' leads with a soulful blend of funk and soul, anchored by a strong vocal performance and tight rhythm section. On the flip, The Natural Band's 'There Was A Time' is a dynamic instrumental jam that showcases tight grooves and infectious rhythms, making it an essential track for any funk enthusiast. Previously fetching high prices on the second-hand market, this reissue is a great opportunity to experience these classic tracks without breaking the bank.
Nathan Haines - "U See That" (feat Vanessa Freeman & Marcus Begg - Atjazz Love Soul mix) (5:12)
The Realm x Atjazz x Kelli Sae - "On The Road" (vocal mix) (7:58)
Review: Back ion 2021, the relaunched Foliage Records imprint offered up a killer mix from NYC house legends Mood II Swing, the must-check Deep Rooted. Soon, the revitalised label will release a sequel, with long-serving British deep house don Atjazz at the helm. This sampler EP boasts six of the highlights from that set - all remixed and reworked by Atjazz himself. There's much to enjoy throughout, from the tense, slowly building deep-tech shuffle of Halo''s 'Glorty (Atjazz Galaxy Art Remix)'and the sun-splashed 6am bounce of Atjazz's remix of Dominique Fils-Aime's gorgeous 'Sun Rise', to the dreamy dancefloor wooziness of Ralf GUM's 'AWA' (re-imagined by Atjazz as an Osunlade-esque spiritual house workout) and the jazzy, bass-guitar-propelled broken house excellence of 'On The Road (Vocal Mix)', a three-way collab between Atjazz, Kelli Sae and The Realm.
Review: After the success of their last outing, A New Chapter, from this label, Balders Audio offers up a second various artists 12" with some punchy techno for loud sound systems. Audio Units opens up with the thrilling drum programming and intense synth textures of 'Transmodality.' Linear System then keeps up the pace with '0724am' which is a sleek, linear, heady techno roller marbled with eerie little cosmic details. Tangram's 'Variant Trials' shuts down with what is a deep, dark, moody acid-laced techno mind melter. Perfect 5 am tackle if you ask us.
Review: This orange 7" is a miniature monument to one of soul's most quietly influential figures. Roy AyersiLos Angeles-born, jazz-schooled, funk-mindedicrafted 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' not to dazzle but to dissolve. It moves with a drowsy clarity: shimmering synth, near-whispered vocals, and a lazily tumbling bassline that never quite lands. Released during a golden run of Ayers' mid-70s material, the track has since become shorthand for warm-weather introspection, equal parts ease and ache. The instrumental version on the reverse keeps the spirit intact, offering a meditative glide through the same terrain. Limited to 300 copies, this orange pressing pairs a low-lit groove with a deepening sense of legacyiAyers' influence isn't just heard, it's felt in the space he leaves behind.
Review: Roy Ayers at his most transcendent. 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' is more than a summertime anthemiit's a spiritual moodboard that's shaped jazz-funk, soul, r&b and hip-hop for nearly 50 years. Ayers, born in Los Angeles and raised in its fertile fusion scene, places the vibraphone at the music's heart, coaxing heat-haze tones from sparse chords, synths, and that honeyed chorus. Flip it over and the instrumental version unlocks a deeper layer: stripped of vocals, it becomes a pure groove, drifting and hypnotic. What lingers is the balanceibetween melancholy and bliss, rhythm and release. A rare track that feels entirely unhurried yet quietly radical, now preserved in a limited pressing that looks as golden as it sounds.
Review: Few recordings capture the easy intensity of a summer afternoon like 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine'. Released in 1976 and wrapped in slow-drifting synths and soft falsettos, the track became a touchstone not just for Roy Ayers, but for 70s soul and beyond. Born in Los Angeles, Ayers helped define the jazz-funk crossover, placing the vibraphone at the centre of a sound both hazy and sharply detailed. The original vocal take on the A-side still melts under its own warmth; the instrumental on the flip uncovers the careful architecture beneath. Issued here on 7" black wax following Ayers' recent passing, this reissue feels like both a keepsake and a quiet honouring of an artist who shaped a whole way of listening.
Everybody Loves The Sunshine (instrumental) (5:31)
Review: 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' represents a pivotal moment for Roy Ayers and Ubiquity, marking a departure towards a funkier and more laid-back sound in 1976. With its languid tempo and dreamy atmosphere, captures the essence of summer with its joyful lyrics and hypnotic groove. Ayers' vibraphone melodies intertwine seamlessly with the band's instrumentation, creating a mesmerizing sonic landscape that resonates with listeners. The song's universal appeal lies in its ability to evoke a sense of warmth and nostalgia, making it a timeless classic that continues to enchant audiences across generations.
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