Due out March 2022, to pre-order please get in touch.
Note: this 7” is likely to be about $28.
Sound Signature presents a repress from this superdope disco/funk jam from 1981, composed by Amp Fiddler - highly recommended!
Note: this 7” is likely to be about $28.
Sound Signature presents a repress from this superdope disco/funk jam from 1981, composed by Amp Fiddler - highly recommended!
Due out May 2022, to pre-order, please get in touch.
Soichi Terada & Masalo team up to produce club mixes of tracks from Soichi's 'Asakusa Light' on Rush Hour.
For the next release we head to Barbados and 1985 for the first official reissue of ‘Exit’ by Fire Flight. The best reissues succinctly capture a moment in time and this album provides a snapshot of Island life in the Caribbean region of the America’s in the middle of the 1980’s. The LP encompasses new wave, funk and early house rhythms with a backbone of calypso.
The idea for Fire Flight started with Carl “Beaver” Henderson, a musician, arranger and producer who initially provided back up band services for the Royal Bank of Trinidad & Tobago’s annual staff Calypso competition. In 1981 the idea quickly evolved into the 15 piece band that was Fire Flight who took Trinidad and Tobago’s performance spaces and annual carnival by storm with their electrifying life performances. The band also travelled to Toronto, Montreal and New York for their annual carnivals. In 1984 the band entered the now defunct Coral Sound Studios in Barbados to record their debut album. The driving force behind the LP was the band’s main songwriter Francis Escayg’s desire to explore alternative avenues of recognition for the band and to perform and thrive in the carnival off season. Highlights from the LP include the slow new wave funk of ‘Best Shot’ & ‘White Horse’, the melting pot of calypso, zouk and reggae influences on ‘Hard Life’ & ‘Mornin Lovin’ and the tropical proto house of ‘Wantin U’ that was a highlight of the Fire Flight live show.
The LP is pressed on heavyweight 180 Gram Vinyl with new full sleeve artwork from Bradley Pinkerton.
Kamazu's certified floorbanger gets the dope edit treatment from veteran producer, Dimitri from Paris. On the flipside you'll find the kwaito gem 'Mjukeit' taken from Kamazu's 1997 CD.
The second release on Canopy Records lifts off from where the last release touched down, inspired by the vintage Edo-funk and reggae-disco of General Ehi Duncan’s “Africa My No. 01”.
Colombian based producer bosq re-joins long-time collaborator and vocalist, Kaleta, while also bringing in Ibibio Sound Machine who add their horn section & keys, followed by guitar, balafon and timbales, to deliver a special afro-funk-reggae-disco vibe.
Loose and jammy, earthy and organic rhythms that bring a positive message and echo sun-kissed tropical lands. Light electronics complement the instruments, percussion and warm organic production.
An Afro-funk electronic disco groove, vocal & percussive, with reggae-highlife touches and instrumental flourishes. Explosive horn arrangements go head to head with timbale breakdowns all transcended by soaring trumpet solos….Summery balafon melodies bounce among the joyous fretwork of Alfred “Kari” Bannerman's guitar, while Kaleta’s vocals sing a timeless message of peace.
Reissue of Saturday Fever by Jivaro, A super strong South African bubblegum album with that characteristic infectious bassline sound all over. Also includes two synth-heavy reggae numbers. - Produced, arranged and composed by Victor Ndlovu, with backing vocals by Beleoi Khamsule and Magengenene sisters Lizy and Ntsaleni.
The much-acclaimed city pop masterpiece with flavors of boogie-disco, funk and fusion and the soulful voice of Eri Ohno. Originally released in 1981 and repressed on vinyl for the very first time from the original master tapes.
Limited edition. Comes with insert.
Robert Glasper is a premiere example of musical aptitude and a proven champion of Black music - boasting nine Grammy nominations and four wins for Best R&B Album, Best R&B Song, Best Traditional R&B Performance, and Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, and an Emmy Award for his song for Ava Duvernay’s critically hailed documentary “13th” with Common and Karriem Riggins. The 43-year old Houston native has a rich history contributing his artistry across both music and film, all the while carrying a consistent cultural message. In 2012, Glasper delivered his album Black Radio that hit the scene as the first album in history to debut in the top 10 of 4 different genre charts simultaneously: Hip Hop R&B, Urban Contemporary, Jazz and Contemporary Jazz. The feat was then repeated by Black Radio 2. The ongoing Black Radio series has since become Glasper’s calling card, upholding a place at the heart of a trailblazing community: from long-time sonic brothers Mos Def and Bilal, to legends including Ledisi, Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Jill Scott, and Erykah Badu.
Black Radio and Black Radio II are landmark albums that have shaped the genres of jazz, hip hop and r&b for the past decade. Direct lines can be drawn to Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, Kendrick Lamar, and black music writ large.
For Black Radio III, 4-time grammy® winner Robert Glasper cements his legacy as producer, curator and cultural icon. These collaborations range from the most powerful voices in contemporary black music (Killer Mike, ty dolla $ign, D Smoke, PJ Morton) to the most important lyricists and performers of the past 30 years (Jennifer Hudson, Ledisi, Common, Gregory Porter, Musiq Soulchild, India.Arie)
Black Radio III is also a statement for these times. It is Glasper’s most direct statement of the frustration and opportunity of a world disrupted by social change.
It is at once beautiful, powerful and innovative.
TRACKLIST:
1. In Tune ft. Amir Sulaiman
2. Black Superhero ft. Killer Mike + BJ The Chicago Kid + Big K.R.I.T.
3. Shine ft. D Smoke + Tiffany Gouché
4. Why We Speak ft. Q-Tip + Esperanza Spalding
5. Over ft. Yebba
6. Better Than I Imagined ft. H.E.R. + Meshell Ndegeocello
7. Everybody Wants To Rule the World ft. Lalah Hathaway + Common
8. Everybody Love ft. Musiq Soulchild + Posdnuos
9. It Don't Matter ft. Gregory Porter + Ledisi
10. Heaven's Here ft. Ant Clemons
11. Out of My Hands ft Jennifer Hudson
12. Forever ft. PJ Morton + India.Arie
13. Bright Lights (with Ty Dolla $ign)
Modes continues the forward thinking soundscapes explored on Dyne’s recent album Teal, which garnered acclaim from peers and fans alike -including Late Night Tales, Toddla T, Ransom Note, and BBC6 Music presenters - and sold out quickly on vinyl.
Lush synths and dreamy vocals are paired with up-tempo afro-inspired house, with tinges of percussive jazz and future soul. Dyne's trademark slick production can be relied upon once more, as well as the music's insistent rhythmic drive and intensity.
Modes employs some of New Zealand's most well known and iconic vocalists, in addition to many new rising stars. Frequent collaborators Lord Echo, Ladi 6 and Mara TK (Electric Wire Hustle) return, alongside soul legends Dallas Tamaira aka Joe Dukie (Fat Freddys Drop), Che Fu and Troy Kingi.
Official 2021 repress including Larry Levan 1982 version and Dimitri From Paris Is Nightdubbin' Remix.
A STYLISH SELECTION OF CITY POP, FUNK AND MODERN SOUL FROM JAPANESE LABEL NIPPON COLUMBIA, SELECTED BY DJ NOTOYA AND FEATURING CULT CLASSICS AND RARITIES BY HIROSHI SATO, HATSUMI SHIBATA, HITOMI 'PENNY' TOHYAMA & MANY MORE. ANNOTATED BY NOTOYA WITH JOURNALIST NICK LUSCOMBE AND ARTWORK BY OPTIGRAM. AUDIO NEWLY REMASTERED BY NIPPON COLUMBIA
Following the recent success of the 'Tokyo Dreaming', Wewantsounds comes with another compelling set, this time compiled by City Pop expert DJ Notoya who has dug the rich Nippon Columbia catalogue to bring a breezy selection of funky gems by Hiroshi Sato, Hitomi "Penny" Tohyama, Midori Hara, many of which making their vinyl debut outside of Japan. The 2-LP gatefold album has been designed by Optigram and is annotated by DJ Notoya with Nick Luscombe. The audio has been newly remastered in Tokyo by Nippon Columbia.
Nippon Columbia is one of the most important and oldest labels in Japan. It has amassed an incredible back catalogue over the decades. Particularly strong in the 70s and 80s, the label was one of the main purveyors of great music at a time when Japan was entering its greatest economic boom and labels had budgets at hand to create the highest quality music. As Notoya explains in the liner notes "Back in the day, the record companies had big budgets and could afford to have many great musicians playing on one record, plus strings and horn sections, top drummers and keyboardists. It all made for a very rich sound, which is generally very different to today’s music."
Keen to emulate the music created in the US by their American counterparts, Japanese musicians came with their own blend of funk, Boogie and Soul that has come to be known as City Pop.
The selection on Tokyo Glow is full of such gems and starts with 'Kimugare' a relaxed mid tempo track by Kumi Nakamura, actually a famous actress who only recorded one album in 1980 for Columbia. The set continues and flows effortlessly with the sunshine grooves of Miyuki Maki, Hatsumi Shibata and cult keyboard player Hiroshi Sato before the pace starts going faster and funkier with New Generation Company, Kengo Kurozumi - with his superb boogie, 'Juggler' - and one of the queens of the genre, Hitomi 'Penny' Tohyama with 'Tuxedo Connection'.
Tokyo-based DJ Notoya is from a new breed of Japanese DJs there focusing on nippon music and is an expert on Funk, Modern Soul and Boogie from the Island. With 'Tokyo Glow', Notoya says he "focused more on the slightly more underground tracks from the era, rather than the bigger, well-known releases. For me that was a more fun and satisfying approach."
Another fine example on the set is the mid-tempo groove of "I Wander All Alone Part III" by New Generation Company, an aggregate group of some of the best Japanese session musicians led by arranger Katz Hoshi and including Hiroyuki Namba (key), Kazuo Shiina (gtr) and Yutaka Uehara (ds) who all played with Tatsuro Yamashita among many others.
There are many other fine examples in 'Tokyo Glow', showcasing the diversity and specificity of Japanese City Pop during the late 70s and 80s. Collaborating with Nippon Columbia who have opened their much guarded vaults and remastered the tracks in Tokyo, Wewantsounds is delighted to propose a unique insight into one of the most creative period in Japanese music with 'Tokyo Glow', a double album full of groove and slickness.
Tracklist:
1. Kumi Nakamura – Kimagure
2. Miyuki Maki – Indo No Michibata
3. Haruyoshi Yamashina – Osake To Joke
4. Sumiko Yamagata – Natsu No Hikari Ni
5. Hatsumi Shibata – Party Is Over
6. Makoto Iwabuchi – Moonlight Flight
7. Hiroshi Sato – Saigo No Tejina
8. Arakawa Band – Paradise’s Dream
9. New Generation Company – I Wander All Alone (Part III)
10. Kiyohiko Ozaki – Ojosan Oteyawarakani
11. Kengo Kurozumi – Juggler
12. Ken Nishizaki – Koi No Paradigm
13. JADOES – Simply Another Love
14. Midori Hara – Aamar Jabar
15. Hitomi ‘Penny’ Tohyama – Tuxedo Connection
16. Mizuki Koyama – Oh! Daddy
17. Haruo Chikada & Vibra-Tones – Sofa Bed Blues
18. Mitsuko Horie – Chigasaki Memory
Kalita are excited to announce the first ever re-release of ‘Asew Watchman’ and ‘Mabre Agu’, two phenomenal pieces of Ghanaian boogie/burger highlife from Wilson Boateng's sought-after 1988 record 'Highlife Rock'! With original copies impossible to find, it’s perfect time for Kalita to shine a spotlight on Wilson and his music via a loud-cut 12” single optimised for dancefloor action. In addition, Kalita invite Amsterdam-based producer and DJ Mendel back into the fold for two remixes sourced from the original multitrack session tapes.
Following on from their Nana Tuffour retrospective in 2018, here Kalita focus again on the 1980s phenomenon of burger highlife, a crossover of highlife melodies with synthesizers, disco and boogie that took over Ghanaian airwaves during the decade and beyond.
Originally privately released in a small run by Wilson himself, ‘Asew Watchman’ and ‘Mabre Agu’ were both recorded in Brixton, London in 1988 after his relocation from Ghana to the UK in search of stardom, following the footsteps of burger highlife stars Pat Thomas, George Darko and Thomas Frempong.
Sadly, however, after pressing one thousand copies of the album, and although the music itself rivalled the very best burger highlife of the time, Wilson was beset by various obstacles both in London and back home. As such, the record was unable to make the headway that it deserved, and the music was soon lost into obscurity.
Born out of an impromptu post-pub jam session in Margate, the 5-piece group Pigeon swoops onto the scene with their blistering debut EP Yagana.
As the tracks cross effortlessly between Afro-disco, grunge, no wave and jazz, the cohesive symbiotic relationship of the band members is obvious from the start. The powerful vocals of Guinean singer Falle Nioke are complemented by a wealth of talent from Graham Godfrey on drums, Steve Pringle on keys, Tom Dream on guitar and Josh Ludlow on bass.
Having moved to the UK from West Africa in 2018, Falle Nioke has recently been in the spotlight following recent collaborations with Ghost Culture which were supported by indie radio and BBC 6 Music playlisters. On Yagana, he continues to sing in a multitude of languages, but this time shifts towards a more organic musical direction, showcasing his incredible versatility as a vocalist.
This new path can be attributed to the pedigree of the rest of the group – including veteran musicians Steve Pringle and Graham Godfrey who are key members of Michael Kiwanuka’s band, Godfrey also performing with Little Simz, Cleo Sol and SAULT, among others.
The Yagana EP is an emotionally-charged offering, exploring themes of lust, saudade, homesickness, and hope for peace. The title track ‘Yagana’ translates to “it’s been a while”, and though its up-tempo disco rhythm and wild synth solos lend a cheerful disposition, the lyrics describe a melancholic yearning for Africa.
Recorded in a single weekend, Pigeon’s Yagana EP is a clear testament to each member’s skilfulness and varied experiences, creating a fullyfledged being that is greater than the sum of its parts. With an opening hand like this, we await with bated breath to see what more the humble Pigeon can bring to the world.
Hunee presents a collection of his favorite dance floor cuts ... Biggest tip!!
"Hunchin' All Night" hosts a wide spectrum of tracks from the likes Boncana Maïga, Black Beat Niks, Larry Heard, Mappa Mundi and many more.
Hunee, aka Hun Choi, is a Korean Berliner who has been drawn in music since a very young age. After working in record stores and studying musicology he resided in Amsterdam, where he released his debut album Hunch Music. As a DJ he has always followed ‘a hunch’, which gave him wings to communicate the music he loves with crowds all over the world. With Hunchin’ All Night, Hunee expresses his relationship with the dance floor.
After a deluge of dance producers sampling QSO's classic 'Pushin On' the original composer Will Holland decided the time had come to take the wheel himself. 'I Won't Fade Away' features the timeless vocal of Alice Russell but veers away from previous channels, deep diving into UKG through an analogue lens, tape hiss included. By mining the less obvious vocal aspects and taking unexpected steps through broken beats, Quantic has cooked up a genuine summer dance floor anthem just in time for our return.
A1. Quantic - I Won't Fade Away
B1. Quantic - I Won't Fade Away (Instrumental)
Due out December 2021, to pre-order, please get in touch.
The next official reissue is an off the wall Dub album from Ambient Warrior originally released in 1995 on the Lion Inc label. The album is rooted in Dub but has a much broader scope taking in various musical influences from across the globe.
Founder Ronnie Lion explains the concept “The Ambient Warrior was created as an outlet for myself and Andreas Terrano. At the time I was running Lion Music in Brixton, a popular mainly vocal roots label, and Andreas was teaching engineering at our studio. I soon realised he was a very talented guitar and piano player (Basement Jaxx also thought so and he worked with them around this time) and like myself we both wanted to create music that reflected our diverse influences. Andreas is of Italian, Armenian and Russian heritage and these musical influences clearly come through on the LP; over a Dub and Reggae backdrop you’ll hear a Tango and Bossa Nova style. The players on the album also come from different nationalities and genres, not just from the reggae scene, so this really created something authentic and unique”.
The LP has been fully remastered from the original DAT tape with new full sleeve artwork from Bradley Pinkerton. Pressed on heavyweight 180 Gram Vinyl.
At the vanguard of Melbourne's bustling underground music scene you’ll find Surprise Chef. A band very much on the rise, who with two exceptional albums under their belts, are picking up a rapidly swelling fanbase across the world. Working out of the College of Knowledge stable (their home / studio / record label namesake), the band’s take on instrumental cinematic soul and funk has connected with listeners across multiple scenes and genres. Their intoxicatingly laidback sound, which pairs expertly crafted hooks with a seriously funky, watertight rhythm section, has earned them a wide appeal and made their tracks ripe for interpretation.
When floating ideas for potential remixers, two names came to the fore, Masters At Work and Harvey Sutherland. MAW have a long history with Mr Bongo having remixed the Brit-funk classic ‘Dancing In Outer Space’ by Atmosfear for the label in 1997, and releasing the original track, ‘Brazilian Beat’ in 2000. With their studio collaboration now back in full swing, it was the perfect time to inject the MAW magic back into the label. They picked ‘Crayfish Caper’ from the band’s first album ‘All News Is Good News’ as their choice of track to remix. The ’Nuyorican Broken Remix' sees MAW stepping into their Nuyorican Soul guise. A Latin shuffle meets an afro-beat rhythm and some very chunky broken beats, which all underpins an infectious melody constructed around the original track’s bassline. They pair this with horns and synths that add a flourish and reveal new layers as the track develops. It’s a sound that is uniquely Nuyorican Soul and a welcome return for fans of this aspect of their phenomenal output. The 'Masters At Work Remix’ is straight up vintage MAW in House mode. It takes many of the same elements found in the 'Nuyorican Broken Remix' and points things in a House direction. It’s 4/4, but the beats have that Kenny Dope trademark swing. Tough, but oozing soul. Add to that heavy bass, vocal cuts, fierce horns and saxophone, layered synths, and that undeniable MAW bounce.
Rounding off the package is the remix from Harvey Sutherland. Having made international waves since 2013 with his unique take on dance music, Harvey has long been on Mr Bongo’s remix radar, but until now we hadn’t managed to get that ambition over the line. This time around the stars aligned perfectly. Surprise Chef and Harvey Sutherland are both Melbourne residents and they had already been working on projects together. The band set things up and Harvey chose to remix ‘New Ferrari’ from their latest album, ‘Daylight Savings’. His take on the track sees things venturing into dubby-disco territory. A dreamy, cosmic, bass-heavy, sweeping synth-led workout, that retains yet reinterprets the catchy-as-hell hooks from the original track. A roller with serious muscle!
Crayfish Caper (Nuyorican Broken Mix)
Crayfish Caper (Masters At Work Mix)
New Ferrari (Harvey Sutherland's Weird Flex - 12” Mix)
Crayfish Caper (MAW Dub)
New Ferrari (Harvey Sutherland's Weird Flex Mix)
Nas King's Disease II Album Following the Grammy Award winning album, King’s Disease, the king returns to his throne with the second coming, King’s Disease II. The star-studded project offers tacit game on life, love, and loss, uplifting through action and lived experience in a way only Nas can. This is a body of work for the fans, for the day 1’s that contributed to the legacy. Alongside the decorated production savant, Hit-Boy, Nas remains rooted in lyrical prophetism while proving that he constantly reinvents the wheel. The sequel to last year’s King’s Disease features Ms. Lauryn Hill, Eminem, EPMD, Hit-Boy, Charlie Wilson, YG and more.
Tracklisting
1. The Pressure
2. Death Row East
3. 40 Side
4. EPMD 2 (feat. Eminem & EPMD)
5. Rare
6. YKTV (feat. A Boogie Wit da Hoodie & YG)
7. Store Run
8. Moments
9. Nobody (feat. Ms. Lauryn Hill)
10. No Phony Love (feat. Charlie Wilson)
11. Brunch On Sundays (feat. Blxst)
12. Count Me In
13. Composure (feat. Hit-Boy)
14. My Bible
15. Nas Is Good
Our second LP this month is an unreleased magical modern soul LP from the band Coast To Coast, the full story below by band leader Mark Beiner...
I met Ben Iverson in 1976 when I was 17 years old. I was a junior at Newtown High School in Elmhurst, Queens. At that time, I took a part time job as a Produce Clerk at Walbaum's Supermarket on Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights, Queens, where I met Ben Iverson who was the "Frozen Food Manager." In between the music, this job was steady income, and he and his Wife, Diane, started a family and raised two Daughters, Tonia and Cytherea, whom I am still in contact with today.
Back then, I remember going to work early just to talk to him about his musical background and his time spent in the 50's and 60's with the Ohio Doo Wop Group, "The Hornets", or better known as, "Ben Iverson and The Hornets." However, Ben was somewhat quiet and at a loss for words when I questioned him with regard to "Ben Iverson and the Nue Dey Express", as well as his short career as Manager and Songwriter for Brooklyn's own, "Crown Heights Affair" in the early 70's.
Between the 50's and 60's, "Ben Iverson and The Hornets" shared billing at music events with recording artists such as, The Drifter's, Bill Haley and The Comets, Pat Boone, Etta James, Mary Wells, Nancy Wilson, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Lloyd Price and Al Green. Many of these names got their start in the 50's, which Ben met at music concert events hosted by Radio Disc Jockey, Alan Freed. Alan was truly the first Concert Promoter for Doo Wop, Rhythm & Blues, and early Rock & Roll.
In 1978 after Ben and I discussed getting together and composing music, I started writing poetry and expressing in writing my break up with my college girl friend, Paula Vasta. Paula's middle name was Marie, so in kidding around, I would call her "Paula Marie." Ben thought my lyrics were "powerful" and wanted to put them in music. Thus our first recorded 45 rpm record called "Paula Marie", backed with "I Want You Dear." This launched our musical partnership and within a year, the Coast to Coast Band was formed. Ben and I went on to writing two albums worth of material, which in turn gave us a lot of time and presence on stage at our live gigs.
The regular Coast to Coast Band members consisted of Ben Iverson on Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitarist and Co-Executive Producer, Joe Crowley, who is known today as "New York Congressman Joe Crowley." Carl (Woody Wood) Morton on Bass Guitar, Jimmy Johnson on Keyboards. Woody and Jimmy used to hang and play rap in its early days with "Run DMC" in St. Albans, Queens. Lead Guitarist, Lou Jimenez, currently owns his own recording studio, Music Labs in Elmont, Long Island. On Drums, Eddie Byam, on Alto Sax, Jay Cohen, who in the 70's used to record for "Gary U.S. Bonds." Gary Pevols on Trumpet. On Bone, Scott Burrows, Trumpet player, Steve Becker, whom we lost to Testicular Cancer at the age of 25, along side Neil Levine, Stan Stockley, Tom Russo and additional members that came and went that we used for live gigs and studio recordings.
In addition, special recognition goes out to our Producer, Recording Engineer and Multi-sound Recording Studio, Owner, Dave Weiner and staff. Dave and I launched Multi-Sound Records under the Multi-Sound label in 1980.
Last, of course myself, Mark Beiner, where I served as Executive Producer, Songwriter, Business/Marketing Manager, and background vocals.
Unfortunately, Ben Iverson passed away on March 21, 2008, and cannot be here to share this with us, but his music and voice still lives on!