Sacred Rhythm US Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Sacred Rhythms invites us back into the deep and mystical world of Roi Azulay who returns to the label for a third outing here. This outing finds him serving up a real focus on his more acoustic leaning sounds. This multi-dimensional producer shows he is adept at laying down tribal drum sounds overlaid with enchanting percussive lines, dancing strings, hypnotic leads and vocal chants that add to the ancient allure of these most hypnotic sounds. Add in a Kuniyuki remix and you have a truly mesmerising new package.

Review: Joe Claussell's Sacred Rhythm Music is back to present new music under his alias The Bayara Citizens. Elektrik Afrika is his second full length of the project, where he pursues yet more of his idiosyncratic style of 'spiritual life music'. By fusing acoustic and electronic together as one, the project represents evolution - producing its own genetics and speaking an individual dialect of rhythm and sound. Traces can be heard in "Zainabu" (Spirit Dancer) which fuses electronic harmonizing on the skins of traditional folkloric rhythms, or the soul power of "Mofo Congoietric" (Joaquin's Sacred Rhythm version), through to the tunnelling and hypnotic power of "Bambara" (The Tribes Of Distortion dub) and the truly life-affirming "Diamonds" (It's Time To Let Our People Go).

Review: The Carlos Sanchez Movement is a project started by Carlos a few years ago after a visit to Cosmic Arts. Sacred Rhythm Music got an early preview of the project and were keen to support it from the off and now it comes to fruition with this stunning new EP of jazz tinged and cosmic house. The lead insult his 'Wisdom' with an epic vocal performed by the global jazz singing sensation Gregory Porter along with some perfectly sunny synth designs and timeles house drums. Next to the instrumental are and two other classy compositions Feat Ledisi and Kenny Lattimore to make this a glorious house EP that brims with rare musicality.

Review: Joaquin "Joe" Clausell launched the "Xperiments" series back in 2016 with a box set containing two single-sided flexi-discs and a seven-inch single, all of which contained some pretty spaced-out sounds. Four years on he's decided to offer-up a new instalment in the avant-garde project: a single-sided seven-inch presented in a special hand-made sleeve by artist Akemi Shimada. Interestingly, the featured track, "Discombobulated Wing", is far more club-ready than its predecessors, with Clausell layering krautrock-esque treated guitars and Tangerine Dream style analogue synthesizer parts atop a low-slung, restless bass guitar line and sparse house drums.

Review: The third part of Joe Claussell's Joaquin Unofficial Edits & Overdubs series is as strong as the first two with four Special Extended Versions making for some joyous listening. "Tears Of Joy" is rapturous house music with gospel overtones that canto fail to bring the soul. "Al's Razerblade" is a lo-fi funk mash up with a strident rhythm section and "Morning" is golden soul with soaring strings that brings some 60s magic to the dance floor. "Life On Earth" is the steamiest of the lot, with tropical sounds and mad jazzy chords all laced with wild percussion that bristles with energy.

Review: If you're wondering what you'll find within the grooves of this vinyl double-pack from Joaquin "Joe" Claussell's Sacred Rhythm label, a cursory glance at the title should fill you in. As it states, what's on offer here is extended versions of some of the most popular unofficial "edits and overdubs" reworks. Of particular interest is his utterly insane 10-minute rub of Czeslaw Niemen's "Zi Listu Do M", a quirky chunk of experimental jazz that Claussell has magically re-imagined as a wonky, soft touch house track. There's plenty to set the pulse racing elsewhere, too, including a Balearic disco style take on Fleetwood Mac, a thumping revision of GB Experience's "Disco Extravaganza" and a wonderfully sweaty and percussive revision of The Impossible Dreamers' exotic "Life On Earth".

Review: The undisputed master of spiritual house music Joaquin 'Joe' Claussell presents Cosmicdelic Afrika: a collection of demos that the New York City based visionary is currently working on in the studio. The idea for the compilation was inspired by the concept of his event Share: the upcoming Share Afrika will see Claussell digging through his archives and bringing out compositions exploring Afrika, African Diaspora, dub and more. Beginning with the deeply magical and meditative vibe of "African Drug" (Joaquin's Drugged Out Sketch mix) by Bob Holroyd, the soulful and uplifting deepness of "Emarofo Tech" (Joaquin's Demo Sketch Mix) by Mampo or Cosmic Ritual's "Abraxas" (Joaquin demo Sketch mix) which is classic Claussell - reminiscent of work on his seminal Language album from the turn of the millennium.

Review: Sacred Rhythm Music, mighty Joe Claussel's personal imprint, has always provided us with the finest and most provocative of house flavours. The label has been an inspiration to many, and producers such as DJ Sotofett have taken its model as a blueprint for their own labels, ones that bring together several different artists and ideas onto one 12". For this one, Claussel is joined by Mental Remedy and "I Pray No More", a guitar-led, mid-tempo house chugger, followed by the deeper than deep "Wail Of The Heart" by Unchained Rhythms. The man appears with a version of "Most Beautiful" by Elements Of Life on the flipside, a bouncy, happy house nugget, while Bolla Afrikan Basement Bo Bo A offer an intricate bundle of percussion on "Drumistic".

Review: It's the big, bad Joe Claussell, and the master reigns in the new year with this absolute stunner of an EP for the Sacred Rhythm label. This is Claussell at his most daring, however, and while you might be expecting some phat-ass house beats and groovy tribalism, the man goes far left of the field on here. The opening "Dungeon Maggots" is a translucent blend of crystal synths and subtle dub echoing, while "Matter Of Factness" injects a delicate house flow into the mix, propelled into motion by a dubby guitar riff. "Affect", "Nuances", and "Seciov" all act as beatless electronic tools, a trio of synth sways to add extra effect to your DJ mix. Yes, Joe!

Review: Paul David Gillman's Colours of the Earth is an album made up of compositions the producer has made over the course of the last decade. Says the artist "I often find myself sitting in the garden just tuning in to whatever nature offers; the sound of the trees as the branches sway back and forth, like a build-up to a bridge of a song or effects." All of that is captured in these beautiful ambient pieces. They are more than just background music as a result - they are living, breathing sonic documents that unfold like miniature movies and with just as much emotion. Overall, it makes for a real journey into organic rhythms and sacred sounds.

Review: Joe Claussel has never been one to stand still. Even so, this must arguably be his most ambitious artistic project yet. Trembling Sensing Space started life as an art installation in Amsterdam, where Lidy Six and Katinka Marac's visuals came together with seven tracks composed by Claussel as a unique 'experience'. This CD/DVD package offers an in-depth retrospective, offering Claussel's colour-themed compositions - mostly beatless but occasionally blessed with a pulse, all presented in 5:1 surround sound - alongside a 40-page booklet explaining the creative process. The included DVD delves deeper, offering footage of the installation in action alongside 'making of' featurettes and such.

Review: More from Joaquin "Joe" Claussell's ongoing "special" overdubs and edits series, in which he offers up tastily tooled-up and subtly reworked gems from his personal stash of reworks. On side A you'll find his fine version of The Singing Fools' "Love Is A Beautiful Thing", a mid-tempo turn-of-the-80s Canadian disco jam that chugs, rises and falls all in the right place. Over on side B he delivers a stomping, house-style fusion of two killer cuts from the El Coco catalogue: "Afrodesia" and "Coco Kane". Claussell has some fun dubbing out key passages - the familiar string section in particular - over a sweaty beat. As far as we can tell there's no vocal, but that's no bad thing.