thanks for looking.
another list of solid goods for you perusal… read about em here or for optimal results, come on by the shop and check em out in person. as always, to stay on top of all the recent arrivals (as well as other odds and ends of interest), follow tequila sunrise records on facebook and/or twitter ! gotta run, hope to see you soon!
gracias
anthony vogdes
as always, many of these titles are in very limited quantity, so if you're interested in anything listed below and can’t make it to the shop you can make a purchase via paypal or over the phone with a credit card and pick them up later or have them shipped (see more information below). i will no longer hold records. sorry.
prices are subject to change without notice.
prices do not include shipping and handling. for those of you shipping within the continental united states I offer a 5.00usd flat shipping rate for any amount of records and/or compact discs. shipping cost for international orders are calculated on an order by order basis. payments for orders can be made via paypal or with a credit card by telephone between 12-6pm/est.
i also offer bike messanger service via timecycle couriers. for the low cost of 10.00usd i can deliver any amount of records and/or cds you wish to purchase to your center city philadelphia location (this includes some parts of south, west and north philadelphia) within two hours (and for those of you who need your records even faster, we also offer ‘rush’ service for the low flat rate of 20.00usd for any amount of records/cds delivered to you within one hour). of course, we are still more than happy to ship records via the usps within philadelphia. orders placed before 5pm/est will ship out that evening and should reach their destination by the following day.
ROCK AND PSYCHEDELIC
CAVE- PURE MOODS 12” (drag city, usa)
12.98usd/7.77gbp/8.62eur/1136jpy (approx)
*Crusty - foul, upper crusty. What's poking through? Ah yes, the collective middle finger. But wait. There it is, for all to see - that middle finger is sporting the peace-iest mood ring this side of the '70s. It's a warm mood -- PURE, even. Yes, Pure Moods -- the sound of Cave, the five-fingered cave to be exact, the quintet version of the band that toured the USA and Europe in 2009. Pure Moods was recorded in semi-written, semi-improvised fashion following the annihilation of mainland Europe last fall. Afternoon sessions faded into the night and tripped into morning, songs coalescing, jams extending, beer bellies expanding. Fine-tuned, clean guitar amps grew crunchier and crunchier the longer their tubes burned, increasing tonal density accordingly as mass pushed volume. Cave throbs as an entity. They core themselves around sickeningly tight drum and bass that drive like a thinline, curvy, armored-vehicle so that the sinewy, metaphysical guitar-work can punctuate, aggressive yet deceptively seamless, through any fleshy surface -- be it human, water, or a wall of 'Hot Bricks,' the first nug on this here EP. All is surrounded by a glistening force-field of lake-misty keys and synths, like an unfurling cloak set to shroud and envelope a grungy beard or sixty. Hark! The group-chant vocals are singing -- 'Teenager,' with its comeslither refrain, cuts through the before-mentioned mist and tickles the scrote (or the cute little six-pack space, if you got tits) between the delayed echoes of guitar. Hair-raising, if nothing else; of course, we know it's probably not the only thing this track will raise.
RANGDA- FALSE FLAG LP (drag city, usa)
15.98usd/9.57gbp/10.61eur/1399jpy (approx)
*When witch-gods collide, it might sound something like this. Six Organs of Admittance...Richard Bishop...Chris Corsano. Riders of the apocalypse, it's them vs. us. After absorbing their über-holy dynamo, you'll be prepared to join up with these wraiths, making it all of us against...well, whomever's fool enough to stand in our way. To evil! Rangda's been building up behind the scenes for some time now. As label mates and members of an exclusive mutual admiration society, Sir Rick and Kid Chasny thirsted for a conflagration involving two electric guitars plus a drummer. In such an environment requiring excellent survival skills as well as composition and improvisation rhythms, who better than Chris Corsano to work the skins... On paper, this was colossal, but actually getting everyone together proved awesomely impossible, with each man in a different city sprawled across the vastness of the United States -- not to mention each man's diverse state of mind sprawled across the vastness of inner space. And so, time passed. Chuckling, the guitar men dreamed of visiting Rangda on our world, working figures on their necks in anticipation. Finally, with the desperate recklessness of the ancient witchsoul herself, they booked a live show, followed by a studio session with Seattle sound guru Scott Colburn. Beforehand, a mere ninety minutes was allotted for the three to further discuss ideas and play together for the very first time. What would happen... What do you think happened, stupid... Of course they planted a garden of lyricism seeded with several compositions and several improvisations! Placed end-to-end, the six pieces of the Rangda saga (part the first) rock from splintering onslaught to soulful meditation and back again with manifest precision -- this was a planned attack. Unceasing battery slides suddenly into ritual form with elemental ease. The fretworks of Richard Bishop and Ben Chasny split time while Corsano shapes the air around them. Each players moves as part of the whole of Rangda, and whether surging, cycling, or in pastoral, they are never less than explosive. This initial foray flies under the banner of False Flag. Yet this is only the beginning, for Rangda is alive. To ensure your future in the endless cosmos, march forward with the forces of Rangda, heart and soul, now and forever.
V/A- DEUTSCHE ELEKTRONISCHE MUSIK VOLUME 1: EXPERIMENTAL GERMAN ROCK AND ELECTRONIC MUSIK 1972-83 2LP (soul jazz, uk)
24.98usd/14.95gbp/16.58eur/2187jpy (approx)
V/A- DEUTSCHE ELEKTRONISCHE MUSIK VOLUME 2: EXPERIMENTAL GERMAN ROCK AND ELECTRONIC MUSIK 1972-83 2LP (soul jazz, uk)
24.98usd/14.95gbp/16.58eur/2187jpy (approx)
*The objectives of German experimental rock and electronic music in the 1970s were to create a new music, 'free' from the past. A music that gave seed out of the cultural 'nothingness' that young Germans felt as a consequence of Germany's role in the Second World War. A generation who grew up stifled by the recent history of Nazi atrocities, the guilt of their parents' generation and their disillusionment at the reintegration of old Nazis into mainstream society. The first seeds of German rock and experimental electronic music were planted in 1968, as students and workers in Paris, Prague, Mexico and throughout the world demonstrated against mainstream society, the war in Vietnam, imperialism and bourgeois values. The birth of a counter-culture, drug experimentation and social change expanded musical worlds. Germany experienced its own cultural revolution fuelled by these worldwide student and worker revolts and by a generation's desire to rid itself of the guilt of war. Many German youth turned their back on mainstream society. From the opening of the first collective/cooperative in 1967, Commune 1, in Berlin, to the formation of the Baader-Meinhof terrorist group and the bombings, kidnappings and killings of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (RAF), young Germans sought out new values and a lifestyle outside of 'the system'. These cooperative and communal experiences led to a number of new radical German bands including Amon Düül, Faust and Can. Many artists and musicians believed a complete rejection of everything musically that had gone before was also necessary in order to build a new identity for German culture. At this time German music meant 'schlager' music -- insipid pop music that hardly confronted the country's recent historical events. The first recordings of groups such as Kluster (later Cluster) were extreme experiments with sound; un-music, anti-melody and anti-rhythm - attempts to destroy any musical links with the past. Holger Czukay and Irmin Schmidt of Can studied music under the radical avant-garde composer Karlheinz Stockhausen and Conrad Schnitzler studied art under the conceptual artist Joseph Beuys. German rock groups were as interested in musique concrète and serial composition as they were in the psychedelia of Pink Floyd or the rock, soul and jazz music played by resident American forces. From this beginning German rock music began an evolutionary journey of experimentation. Electronic music became a pathway to notions of space and the cosmos. Conversely, the emergence of communal living led to a number of musicians setting up live/work spaces in rural areas and developing a 'pastoral' outlook, with musical ideas engaged closely with nature. And despite an aversion to the politics of American society, German rock bands were nevertheless fascinated by the emerging stateside counter-culture of psychedelic music and drug experimentation. A band such as Ash Ra Tempel even recording an album with drug guru/theoretician Timothy Leary (Seven Up, 1973). And whilst some of the bands featured here slipped by the wayside over the years, others such as Faust, Cluster, Can, Tangerine Dream are now well into their fourth decade having firmly established that which they set out to achieve -- a new German music.
SOFT ROCK AND LIGHT PSYCHEDELIC HARMONY
JEFF EUBANK- A STREET CALLED STRAIGHT LP (drag city, usa)
15.98usd/9.57gbp/10.61eur/1399jpy (approx)
*Welcome to A Street Called Straight, where the sounds echo from a time so long ago...well, it was like another lifetime ago. The street on which Jeff Eubank lived was already slipping away when this album was released in 1983. Those golden-hued 'good vibes' from the 60s and 70s seemed much more finite in the early days of the 1980s, encroached upon by the creeping darkness of changing times. A Street Called Straight was a cry into the darkness -- man can live and flourish. A Street Called Straight is a beautiful slice of second-wave album-oriented rock, unfolding a series of peaceful, easy feelings, articulated with carefully crafted music and lyrics. How is it that a landlocked creature could come up with such beachy sounds, such cheerfully extraterrestrial visions? Jeff Eubank channeled the sunshine and moonlight of southern California via Kansas City, Missouri. He'd been playing music since the mid-70s and had finally gone out to L.A. and played music there before returning to lay his songs down in familiar lower-midwestern stomping grounds where studio rates were cheaper. You hear what you hear in the music. Some of the names that listeners have been so far reminded of include Fred Neil, Al Stewart, David Crosby, Kenny Rankin and a fellow traveler of the early 80s private press highway, Bobb Trimble.
JOANNA NEWSOM- HAVE ONE ON ME 3LPBOX (drag city, usa)
28.98usd/17.35gbp/19.24eur/2538jpy (approx)
*shop favorite restocked… Joanna Newsom releases her first album since late 2006's Ys, making up for lost time with a disc for 2008, one for 2009 and one for today. Featuring Ryan Francesconi and Neal Morgan from Joanna's Ys Street Band, Have One On Me is an extravagantly packaged (and extravagantly nicely-priced) collection of fantastic new Joanna Newsom songs -- her most colorful record to date.
ELISA RANDAZZO- PURE MOODS LP (drag city, usa)
15.98usd/9.57gbp/10.61eur/1399jpy (approx)
*Bruises & Butterflies is the debut solo album from Elisa Randazzo, a California musician, songwriter and clothing designer. Bruises & Butterflies is a personal work that stands outside the boundaries of her previous musical projects. Elisa begins the album with the line, 'That's not what I wanted,' which should give an idea of the themes in effect here. Friendship lost is the main thrust, but fortunately, friendship found is at the other end of the long night/thrust. Friendship lost comes first, darn it. Underneath the elegiac California ennui of Bruises & Butterflies runs a bloody gurgling of rejection and outrage. Drawn from the bottom of the well of Randazzo's broken marriage, Bruises & Butterflies uses a musical palette of British folk (like murder ballads, geddit?) and the mythic shadows of classic west coast rock to paint the portrait of a desecrated woman, attempting to understand her own heart. As we promised, there are glimmers of resignation and resolution for the future. And indeed, the process of making the album brought new people into Elisa's orbit. Guitarist Aaron Robinson became a songwriting partner over the course of many late night recording sessions. Additionally, Elisa met legendary 1970s British folk singer Bridget St John (a hero of hers and ours) during the time the record was being made. They became fast friends and eventually co-writers of two songs on this album. And now, maybe Elisa Randazzo can get some proper sleep. Bruises and butterflies -- two great things that you didn't know go together! Here's something else you don't know but you should -- Bruises & Butterflies, the new musical expression from Elisa Randazzo.
PUNK AND POST PUNK
V/A- THE MINIMAL WAVE TAPES VOL. 1 2LP (minimal wave/stones throw, usa)
18.98usd/11.36gbp/12.60eur/1662jpy (approx)
*Minimal Wave: both a genre of underground DIY electronic music from North America and Europe in the late 1970s and 80s, and the name of the label devoted to unearthing these recordings. The Minimal Wave Tapes is the first official anthology (on CD, LP and digital) of Minimal Wave music from this label. Most of the songs were originally released on limited edition cassettes or vinyl by the artists themselves, and only a handful of people knew about them. They’ve been remastered from their analog source tapes and compiled here by Minimal Wave's Veronica Vasicka and Stones Throw's Peanut Butter Wolf. The double LP version is now exclusively available via Stones Throw and Minimal Wave.
CHIN CHIN-SOUND OF THE WESTWAY LP (mississippi/slumberland, usa)
11.98usd/7.17gbp/7.95eur/1049jpy (approx)
*In 1985, Sound of the Westway was released on Chin Chin's own Farmer Records. As a progression from their first 7", SOTW proved to be a brilliant mix of post punk and pop sensibility. The band's fierce DIY stance and girl-positive ethics have echoed down through the indie scene. Mississippi and Slumberland are excited to collaborate on this classic reissue. On vinyl only, remastered by Tim Stollenwerk and new original artwork by Alec Icky Dunn. Includes Free Download Card.
GREY AREA
GROUPER- WIDE LP (weird forest, usa)
18.98usd/11.36gbp/12.60eur/1662jpy (approx)
*shop favorite reissued/restocked, already out of print from the label… Wide is Grouper's second full length-album. Previously released on Free Porcupine Society and Weird Forest, this is a co-re-release between Weird Forest and Grouper's own label with new artwork by Liz Harris. Edition of 1000 copies.
INCA ORE- BRUTE NATURE VERSUS WILD MAGIC LP (weird forest, usa)
15.98usd/9.57gbp/10.61eur/1399jpy (approx)
*shop favorite restocked… Inca Ore is the solo voice of Eva, the singer of such fine bands as Alarmist and Malibu Falcon. Inca Ore travels the cosmos on fiery phoenix mattresses with the voice of a goose-quilled cloud pillow siren calling to all the constellations in the universe. Eva uses her vocal range and delay complement to create the sounds of entire sorceress covens through her lone voice. Lovely psychedelic drone mixed with narcoleptic folk. An enchantress of the highest order! Side A was previously issued as a CD-R in a small pressing of 100 copies on the Collective Jyrk label. The B-side is a brand new track consisting of one astounding, 18-minute interstellar vocal trance-out!
STARVING WEIRDOS- PATH OF LIGHTNING 2LP (weird forest, usa)
24.98usd/14.95gbp/16.58eur/2187jpy (approx)
*First off, this 2xLP set has THEE best cover I've laid my sockets on in many moons. It is soooo eye-burningly great that I'm tempted to run out and buy a van just to have the image painted on it. It's about time the art world came around to the lucrative 'ray-gun touting topless women riding giant tarantulas through darkened valleys' market. Bra-fuckin'-vo! But I'm not getting off my high horse just yet. I must say that this latest from NorCal's finest, Starving Weirdos, is one of their most swell/swollen yet to date. Four flippin' sides of confuse-adelia for both the farm-fresh kid to the well-heeled cad. Way noisier than the releases on Root Strata, Path of Lighting is chock full of mystery moves and dynamo hums, from the tripped-out textural flips on 'Into the Flatlands' flickering in and out of foci to the almost-an-environmental-statement of 'N.Y. Blues' with talk show jibber jabbing into the corrosive static as the grooves run out. The two dudes in Starving Weirdos are joined by yet another dude for two tracks and it's tough to know exactly what he's adding (besides another layer of ecstasy gush) but they're my fave sides. For sure. These two sides sound like the fine line that separates No Neck Blues Band from Sunburned Hand of the Man. The final track could/should have been in the movie Rosemary's Baby, right around the time Mia Farrow is screaming 'What have you done to his eyes!' As the kids these days say, 'Fuck you, dad!' -- no wait, 'Dude, that would rule!' Yeah, that's it. So, let recap -- you get the deluxe gatefold jacket courtesy of the always peachy Weird Forest label, twin slabs of head-spinning secret laboratory recordings and man -- that cover is making me so hot!. -- Dennis Yudt
STARVING WEIRDOS- SELF-HYPNOSIS 2LP (weird forest, usa)
24.98usd/14.95gbp/16.58eur/2187jpy (approx)
*What's going on here? Well, a couple sides of Self-Hypnosis were recorded in a concrete racquetball court (and a couple of sides weren't) which has been mysteriously transformed into the legendary Black Ark Studios and Lee Perry is going NUTS with the ol' echo effects. A tiny clatter in the background suddenly rushes up to your ear-bones, magnified into giant sheets of rubberized steel plates which bounces as high as you are. The backwards flow-motion is set on fire as the storm approaches. Various liquids are aerated while dub insects skitter about the killing floor. Little crashes, hither and thither, mostly between the buildings -- not causing much damage at all. Oh oh, those voices sound pretty serious. Time to go? Nope. These here farming combines sure are hard to start up but, boy, when they do you're in for a thrashing. Ham radio on rye. Moldy rye. Mutter all you want and loop it, why don'tcha? The other two sides are not rock and roll or hoochie-coo. The mystery is killin' me! Is that a giant wet thumb rubbing on a window? Aren't you the big man, buster! I like how the guitar gets sucked into a vortex and then keeps popping out and scaring me. It's all bone saws and throwing stars. Ducks and covers. And where is that humming noise coming from? Oh, now I get it. Awesome! Lemme play this again! -- Dennis Yudt
FOLK, BLUES AND ROOTS
ABNER JAY- FOLK SONG STYLIST LP (mississippi, usa)
12.98usd/7.77gbp/8.62eur/1136jpy (approx)
*Long awaited follow up to the True Story of Abner Jay LP. Abner Jay was a man who had a grand sweeping vision of what folk music was. In his lifetime his expression of what folk music could be encompassed some serious stylistic variations. Sometimes he was a one man band traveling troubadour playing an electric banjo, harmonica, & drums who tried to hoodwink audiences into believing that he was 150 years old & the standard bearer for authentic Americana. Sometimes he played in electric straight up R&B bands such as 'Koko Joe & the Jobhunters'. Sometimes he claimed to be the 'black Bob Dylan' strumming an acoustic guitar & singing socially conscious urban folk. On this LP we find Abner in all of these modes & more. (He also does a pop song about a submarine disaster & a beautiful gospel song). Culled from a mix of Abners' 45's & LPs spanning the period 1964-1973, including Abner's first long lost LP, which we reproduced the cover image for this LP from. We hope that this release will help to further the current wave of understanding that Abner Jay is an important artist who deserves a wider audience than he ever received during his lifetime. Comes with a self promotional pamphlet penned by Abner & a color photo of Abner. Housed in an old school tip on sleeve. We are very proud to get this incredibly hard to find material out into the world.
ABNER JAY- FOLK SONG STYLIST LP (mississippi, usa)
12.98usd/7.77gbp/8.62eur/1136jpy (approx)
*shop favorite restocked… Compilation culled from Abners' self released LPs and 7"s featuring hits such as "I'm So Depressed," "Cocaine," "Vietnam," and "The Reason Young People Do Drugs." Abner Jay was a one-man band singer/songwriter deserving of a wider listening audience than he received in his day. This is the first vinyl release of his material since the 1970s. Great soulful folk and R&B music.
V/A- BEEN HERE ALL MY DAYS: SELECTIONS FROM THE GEORGE MITCHELL ARCHIVE LP (mississippi, usa)
12.98usd/7.77gbp/8.62eur/1136jpy (approx)
*Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, George Mitchell recorded extensively in the South. Mitchell concentrated mainly on local blues traditions recording some famous bluesmen and many otherwise ignored artists. The George Mitchell Collection was originally released as a series of forty-five EPs on Fat Possum, this LP contains our favorite fourteen tracks. This LP represents songs from many well known blues musicians such as Fred McDowell, Furry Lewis and Joe Calicott as well as some from criminally under represented artists like Jessie Mae Hemphill, Rosa Lee Hill and John Lee Ziegler. Comes with a short booklet of photos, discographical notes and recollections.
V/A- FIGHT ON, YOUR TIME AIN'T LONG LP (mississippi, usa)
9.98usd/5.97gbp/6.62eur/874jpy (approx)
*shop favorite restocked… Compilation of sanctified blues recorded between 1927-1934. This is our sequel to the popular Life Is A Problem LP. Twelve songs of pure guitar-driven gospel. This slab is as melodic as it is rockin'. Features songs by Bukka White, Willie Mae Morris, Bo Weevil Jackson, Kid Prince Moore and more.
GLOBAL SOUNDS
DISCO BLAZE- JUMP BACK! LP (africa sun recordings, spain)
29.98usd/17.95gbp/19.90eur/2625jpy (approx)
*Superb funk rock rarity from Nigeria, mid-'70s, with some good electric guitar. Absolutely unknown album. Remastered, but not in pristine sound quality as the few located copies are all trashed, but much more than enjoyable.
PAX NICHOLAS AND THE NETTEY FAMILY- NA TEEF KNOW DE ROAD OF TEEF LP (daptone, usa) 16.98usd/10.17gbp/11.27eur/1487jpy (approx)
*shop favorite restocked… The first record Pax Nicholas appeared on was Lady Shakara -- an international smash hit and one of Fela's greatest. Nicholas was at the right place at the right time. In the 70s, stars like James Brown, B.B. King, Ginger Baker, Stevie Wonder and Manu Dibango came to Lagos to visit Fela's Shrine club to hear this new and incredibly heavy thing called Afrobeat. While playing and recording for Felas's Africa 70 (Nicholas appeared on all Fela's releases between 1971 and 1978), Mr. Addo-Nettey always had his own thing going on the side. He released Na Teef Know The Road of Teef in 1973 and is a heavy afro-funk. Fela reportedly said: 'Don't you ever, EVER play it again!' And so it was. Despite being a killer record, Na Teef Know The Road of Teef remained undercover for more than 30 years.
HEDZOLEH SOUNDZ- HEDZOLEH LP (soundway, uk)
18.98usd/11.36gbp/12.60eur/1662jpy (approx)
*Hedzoleh Soundz were one of the first and most original "Afro" bands from 1970s Ghana, playing a mix of traditional music from across the country tinged with Western rock. They were residents at the notorious Napoleon nightclub where they met South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela in late 1973. The music for Hedzoleh was recorded just months before the band met Masekela to become the backbone of (and sadly over-shadowed by) the Afro-jazz classic LP Introducing Hedzoleh Soundz. Hedzoleh (meaning "freedom") emerged at the beginning of a decade that saw great changes in the West African music scene. At that time, the sight of a band playing music at clubs in the city (as opposed to the countryside), dressed in traditional costumes was fairly radical and typified the new feeling for Afrocentric roots and culture which was gaining popularity amongst the youth of the day. The self-titled LP Hedzoleh has since vanished from public domain despite the success of their collaboration with Hugh Masekela. The original trumpet-less sound of this record hasn't had a chance to be heard for nearly 40 years... until now.
SWEET TALKS- KUSUM BEAT LP (soundway, uk)
18.98usd/11.36gbp/12.60eur/1662jpy (approx)
*Sweet Talks were undoubtedly amongst the top five biggest bands in Ghana in the 1970s, recording a string of hit albums. The Kusum Beat was originally released in 1974 and became somewhat of a household favorite with heavy emphasis on the "Afro" through its traditional rhythms and motifs, blended together into a modern mix that combined highlife, funk and Afrobeat. Like a small handful of seminal Ghanaian albums, The Kusum Beat has stood the test of time and sounds as original and unique today as it did back in 1974, thus original pressings are in high demand and can be found on record exchanges for significant prices. This was the second album from the band who were formerly known as El Dorados, later to change their name to Medican Lantcis before settling on Sweet Talks, having moved to a live residency at the legendary Talk of the Town nightclub in the port town of Tema, just outside the capital of Ghana-Accra. It is here that they established a name for themselves as one of the most exciting young bands in the country. Due to the popularity and commercial success of their first three albums -- Adam & Eve, The Kusum Beat and Spiritual Ghana -- the band began touring on a regular basis and made it as far as Los Angeles and here they went on to record what was to be their biggest-selling record, the Hollywood Highlife Party LP as well as some straight disco recordings aimed squarely at the burgeoning American market. The Kusum Beat is far from typical of their trademark sound but shows just how versatile an outfit they were -- able to turn their hands to any one of a number of styles. It's a great reminder of how open-minded, experimental and curious the music scene in Ghana was back in the first half of the 1970s.
V/A- NEXT STOP… SOWETO VOL. 2: SOUL, FUNK AND ORGAN GROOVES FROM THE TOWNSHIPS 1969-1976 2LP (strut, uk)
19.98usd/11.96gbp/13.26eur/1749jpy (approx)
*Strut continue their essential three-part excursion into the archives of South African music with the second volume of the ‘Next Stop… Soweto’ series. With international forms of music discouraged by the South African authorities during the 1960s, township jive or mbaqanga arose as innovative artists combined close harmony singing and traditional African styles with a bouncy township beat. Imported US music became strictly the domain of house parties, private record collections and underground shebeens. Despite this, a small but healthy soul scene flourished with bands like The Movers adding marabi elements into their funk and early disco sound, The Klooks and the Anchors all directly inspired by US soul and R&B and the Hammond organ of Booker T and Jimmy Smith. From ’69, a string of 3-minute blasts of energy surfaced on local labels like City Special, Soul Town, Atlantic City and Soul-Soul, often under the intimidating gaze of producer David Thekwane. Volume 2 of Next Stop… Soweto also touches on mbaqanga and jazz artists who dabbled with soul and funk fusions during the early ‘70s – the Mgababa Queens and Mahotella Queens, and revered SA jazz combo The Heshoo Beshoo Group. We also feature a rare psychedelic track from one of the only recordings made of playwright Gibson Kente’s acclaimed theatre pieces, ‘Too Late’. The Next Stop… Soweto series is the result of several years of painstaking research and vinyl archaeology in South Africa by compilers Duncan Brooker and Francis Gooding. The CD package features an extensive booklet featuring detailed notes by David Coplan, author of ‘In Township Tonight’, alongside many previously unseen archive photos.
OMAR SOULEYMAN- JAZEERA NIGHTS: FOLK & POP SOUNDS OF SYRIA CD
(sublime frequencies, usa) 16.98usd/10.17gbp/11.27eur/1487jpy (approx)
*Sublime Frequencies is honored to present Omar Souleyman's third Western collection on disc. This retrospective features live recordings spanning 15 years of Omar's tireless repertoire, and is rife with frenzied Syrian dabke (a regional folkloric dance and party music), Iraqi choubi and a host of Arabic, Kurdish and Turkish styles, among others -- an amalgamation that exemplifies the musical essence of Northeastern Syria. Culled from cassettes recorded between 1995 and 2009, this collection offers a further rare glimpse into Syrian street-level dabke folk-pop -- a phenomena seldom heard in the West, not previously deemed serious enough for export by the Syrians and rarely, if ever, included on the import agenda of worldwide academic musical committees. Over the years, Souleyman's popularity has risen steadily and the group tirelessly performs concerts throughout Syria and has accepted invitations to perform abroad in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. In 2006, Sublime Frequencies partnered with Omar to release Highway To Hassake (SF 031CD), the first compilation of his works to be issued in the West. The success of this release and the video for the song "Leh Jani" helped see Souleyman and his group invited for their first Western tour in 2009 alongside label-mates Group Doueh from the Western Sahara. This successful tour quickly elevated Souleyman to the status of an international legend -- and deservedly so. This release coincides with the beginning of Omar's 2010 international tour in May which will take him to the UK, the European mainland, and hopefully the U.S. and Canada. CD features a full-color 8-page booklet with great photos, a general overview of the lyrics translated into English and liner notes by compiler Mark Gergis.
OMAR SOULEYMAN- HIGHWAY TO HASSAKE: FOLK & POP SOUNDS OF SYRIA CD
(sublime frequencies, usa) 16.98usd/10.17gbp/11.27eur/1487jpy (approx)
*shop favorite repressed/restocked... Omar Souleyman is a Syrian musical legend. Since 1994, he and his musicians have emerged as a staple of folk-pop throughout Syria, but until now they have remained little known outside of the country. To date, they have issued more than five-hundred studio and live-recorded cassette albums which are easily spotted in the shops of any Syrian city. Born in rural northeastern Syria, he began his musical career in 1994 with a small group of local collaborators that remain with him today. The myriad musical traditions of the region are evident in their music. Here, classical Arabic mawal-style vocalization gives way to high-octane Syrian dabke (the regional folkloric dance and party music), Iraqi choubi and a host of Arabic, Kurdish and Turkish styles, among others. This amalgamation is truly the sound of Syria. The music often has an overdriven sound consisting of phase-shifted Arabic keyboard solos and frantic rhythms. At breakneck speeds, these shrill Syrian electronics play out like forbidden Morse-code, but the moods swing from coarse and urgent to dirgy and contemplative in the rugged anthems that comprise Souleyman's repertoire. Oud, reeds, baglama saz, accompanying vocals and percussion fill out the sound from track to track. Mahmoud Harbi is a long-time collaborator and the man responsible for much of the poetry sung by Souleyman. Together, they commonly perform the "Ataba," a traditional form of folk poetry used in Dabke. On stage, Harbi chain smokes cigarettes while standing shoulder to shoulder with Souleyman, periodically leaning over to whisper the material into his ear. Acting as a conduit, Souleyman struts into the audience with urgency, vocalizing the prose in song before returning for the next verse. Souleyman's first hit in Syria was Jani (1996) which gained cassette-kiosk infamy and brought him recognition throughout the country. Sublime Frequencies is honored to present the Western debut of Omar Souleyman with this retrospective disc of studio and live recordings spanning 12 years of his career, culled from cassettes recorded between 1994 and 2006. This collection offers a rare glimpse into Syrian street-level folk-pop and Dabke -- a phenomena seldom heard in the West, not previously deemed serious enough for export by the Syrians and rarely, if ever, included on the import agenda of worldwide academic musical committees.
V/A- ECSTATIC MUSIC OF THE JEMAA EL FNA LP (sublime frequencies, usa)
25.98usd/15.55gbp/17.24eur/2275jpy (approx)
*For centuries, the Jemaa El Fna (Rendezvous of the Dead) has remained the stage for one of the most spectacular social forums on the planet. By day, this central square in the city of Marrakesh, one of Morocco's great imperial cities, fosters a kaleidoscope of entertainment for its local inhabitants; storytellers, acrobats, magicians and snake charmers all create intriguing displays of bewitching spectacle. As the sun sets, the evening grows frantic with the pulse of the crowd; it is then that the night musicians set up. Free from the restrictions and expectations of light entertainment for a tourist crowd, these musicians manifest ecstatic performances that animate the audience and players alike. The groups represented on this album; Troupe Majidi, Amal Saha, and Mustapha Mahjoub, are working and carrying the torch of their musical heroes nightly in the square. These songs come from the repertoire of Morocco's greatest musical exports: Nass El Ghiwane, Lemchaheb, Jil Jilala, Larssad, and many others from the Chaabi (Moroccan popular music) canon and are given a raw, emotional and fiery interpretation. Instruments are powered by car batteries and blown out through megaphone speakers. These recordings represent a rare opportunity to hear this music at such close proximity taking in all the power and passion of the performances. The raw fidelity captures an unflinching immersion of what is simply some of the greatest street music on earth. Recorded by Hisham Mayet in 2005, a few of these performances were featured in his film Musical Brotherhoods From The Trans-Saharan Highway (SF 041DVD). This collection also contains tracks not present in the film for a more potent snapshot of the ecstatic Jemaa El Fna. Limited edition LP comes in a beautiful full-color gatefold jacket with photos of the musicians and liner notes by Hisham Mayet.
V/A- AFRICAN PEARLS: SÉNÉGAL 70 MUSICAL EFFERVESCENCE 2LP
(syllart productions/discgraph, france)
28.98usd/17.35gbp/19.24eur/2538jpy (approx)
*Syllart presents a deluxe gatefold 2LP edition of the mighty African Pearls collection dedicated to the funky sounds of '70s Sénégal. More than any other country in West Africa, Sénégal was strongly influenced by Cuban music largely played by the ORTS (Radio Sénégal). Widely circulated, this Afro-Cuban repertoire stands at the bottom of modern Senegalese music. Links between Dakar and Habana seem natural as evidenced by recordings of orchestras such as Star Band de Dakar or Orchestra Baobab and many bands within this musical constellation. The impact of Star Band is pivotal as well as the monikers "stars" and "étoiles" in the history of modern Senegalese music with bands such as Youssou N'Dour's Super Etoile, Star Number One, etc. James Brown's 1975 Dakar visit set the country on fire, and opened a new era in music. As a result, "Kelen ati leen," a Wolof folk tale, shows the Orchestra Baobab's mighty funk vision driven by Cissoko's horn arrangements. Released on the wonderful Visage Du Sénégal, part of a series of 5 LPs released in 1975 thru Buur Records, it epitomizes a perfect Senegalese groove and stands as Dakar's ultimate funk statement. Produced by Ibrahima Sylla. Limited vinyl pressing of 1,000 copies worldwide. Other artists include: Xalam, Super Diamono de Dakar, Guelawar, Ifang Bondi, and Etoile 2000.
V/A- AFRICAN PEARLS: GUINÉE 70 THE DISCOTHEQUE YEARS 2LP
(syllart productions/discgraph, france)
28.98usd/17.35gbp/19.24eur/2538jpy (approx)
*Syllart presents a gatefold 2LP edition of the mighty African Pearls collection dedicated to the funky sounds of '70s Guinea, when '70s groove turned electric and took West African coast clubs by storm. By the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, Guinea's music came to the forefront of a global Pan-African culture, even being called "The lighthouse of African culture." Genuine mandingo musical explosion, the sound of 1970s Guinea, with its stunning horns, spellbinding vocals, mesmerizing guitars and formidable rhythms has yet to be duplicated in Africa or anywhere else in the world. Limited vinyl pressing of 1,000 copies worldwide. Artists include: 22 Band Kankan, Horoya Band National, Kaloum Star, Pivi et Les Balladins, Super Boiro Band, Bembeya Jazz National, 22 Band Kankan, Keletigui et ses Tambourinis, Camayenne Sofa, Sory Kandia Kouyate, Super Boiro Band, Camayenne Sofa, and "22 Novembre" Band.
REGGAE AND DANCEHALL
DADAWAH- PEACE AND LOVE LP (dug out, uk)
24.98usd/14.95gbp/16.58eur/2187jpy (approx)
*essential/must have reissued… Dark, hypnotic, tripping nyabinghi from 1974. Led by Jamaican Rastafarian singing hand-drummer Ras Michael over four extended excursions, the music is organic, sublime and expansive, grounation drums and bass-heavy (with no rhythm guitar; rather, Willie Lindo brilliantly improvising a kind of dazed blues). Lloyd Charmers and Federal Studios engineer George Raymond stayed up all night after the session to mix the recording, opening out the enraptured mood into echoing space, adding sparse, startling effects to the keyboards. At no cost to its deep spirituality, this is the closest reggae comes to psychedelia. Previously squandered in an incongruous 2-for-1 reissue, now lovingly returned to its original, singular glory at Abbey Road. Pressed on super-fly vinyl and housed in old-school, hand-assembled sleeves.
DISCO
V/A- DIMITRI FROM PARIS: GET DOWN WITH THE PHILLY SOUND VOL. 1 2X12”
(bbe, uk) 34.98usd/20.94gbp/23.22eur/3063jpy (approx)
V/A- DIMITRI FROM PARIS: GET DOWN WITH THE PHILLY SOUND VOL. 2 2X12”
(bbe, uk) 34.98usd/20.94gbp/23.22eur/3063jpy (approx)
V/A- DIMITRI FROM PARIS: GET DOWN WITH THE PHILLY SOUND VOL. 3 2X12”
(bbe, uk) 34.98usd/20.94gbp/23.22eur/3063jpy (approx)
*first three double vinyl packs, in a series of four, culled from bbe’s 5th and arguably most exciting compilation with the French dj and ambassador of disco, Dimitri from Paris. This compilation focuses on Dimitri’s essential disco era tracks - made in Philadelphia, that feature the core of the rhythm section that created and defined the sound of the genre. For this compilation Dimitri has exclusively reworked 5 tracks from the original multitrack tapes of Gamble and Huff with a further 4 being edited from the original 2 track stereo masters. It should be noted that nearly all of the disco output from Philadelphia between 1973-1980 featured the work of the same studio musicians known as –The Family, MFSB (Mother, Father, Sister, Brother), The Salsoul Orchestra, Baker - Harris -Young Productions, The John Davis Monster Orchestra or the Montana Sextet depending on who the recording was for. The classic line up of musicians included Karl Chambers and Earl Young (Founder of The Trammps and creator of the disco drum pattern which laid the template for every dance record since) on drums; Norman Harris, Roland Chambers, Bobby Eli (Original MFSB member), and TJ Tindall on guitar; Winnie Wilford and Ronnie Baker on bass; Vince Montana (vibes/arranger and founder of the Salsoul Orchestra) and Larry Washington on percussion and Leon Huff, Thom Bell and Ron Kersey on keyboards. Don Renaldo taking care of strings and horns featuring soloist John Bonnie Rocco Bene on Trumpet. Last but not least the remixers and Tom Moulton (Pioneer of the Disco Mix, the 12 inch vinyl format, the break down sections of records and supplier of missing masters for this compilation) who influenced the popularity of songs with his legendary mixes. For Salsoul Walter Gibbons was the owners choice. Honorable mentions go to Larry Levan and Shep Pettibone for their contributions in this field. These guys were the bridge between the labels and the club dancers and understood how to make a record work in a club. Undisputedly, as producer’s Thom Bell and Gamble and Huff's Philadelphia soul sound evolved from the simpler arrangements of the late 1960s into a style featuring lush strings, thumping basslines and sliding hi-hat rhythms; Philadelphia gave birth to and defined the brand new Disco genre. The anthemic “The Love I Lost” is recognised as the first commercial disco record and was recorded at the legendary Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia in 1973. Recording engineer, Joe Tarsia founded Sigma Sound in 1968 where virtually of all the disco recordings on Gamble and Huff’s Philadelphia International, Salsoul, Philly World, Gold Mind, Atlantic were made, thereby maintaining the unique sound of Philadelphia. Located at 212 N. 12th Street in Philadelphia, it was the second studio in the USA to offer 24-track recording and the first in the country to use console automation. David Bowie recorded his Young Americans album at this legendary studio as was Dusty Springfields - A Brand New Me, while Elton John's 1977 Philadelphia sessions were in such demand recently that they provided a hit single ('Are You Ready For Love') and CD re-issue 3 decades after the recordings were first made. By 1975, Philadelphia International and the Philadelphia soul and disco genre’s it helped define had largely eclipsed Motown and the Motown Sound in popularity and Gamble and Huff were the premiere producers of soul with nearly 200 gold and platinum records to their credit. Salsoul capitalized on the success of the sound by employing the same musicians whilst focusing on club music predominantly. In a recent Blues and Soul interview Kenny Gamble admits to passing over Prince’s demo. Other acts for whom Philly collaborations didn’t happen were Miles Davis, Bob Marley, Barry White and Earth Wind and Fire. Time simply didn’t allow these to happen. Notable acts rushed to Philadelphia to capture the sound. Ex Motown cohorts The Jacksons and Eddie Kendricks utilized the above classic line of musicians up to embrace the new sound and extend their careers. Simultaneously, Salsoul Orchestra and the John Davis Orchestra were essentially basically a moniker core rhythm section of MFSB and recorded several disco hits outside of the PIR umbrella. Now for the first time ever Gamble and Huff have given a label access to the multi track tapes of some Philly International platinum selling classics such as The Love I Lost, Bad Luck featuring the vocals of the late great Teddy Pendergrass, the first black male to release 5 consecutive platinum albums in the United States.
RHYTHM & SOUND FEAT. PAUL ST. HILAIRE- MUSIC A FE RULE 12”
(rhythm and sound, germany) 13.98usd/8.37gbp/9.28eur/1224jpy (approx)
*shop favorite repressed/restocked… After four 10" singles on Burial Mix, here is the first 12" on Rhythm & Sound's own imprint. More exceedingly deep dub excursions with the Basic Channel affiliation, with Tikiman's echo-scattered vocals on one side, an instrumental version on the other.
RHYTHM & SOUND/CHOSEN BROTHERS- MANGO WALK/MANGO DRIVE 12”
(rhythm and sound, germany) 13.98usd/8.37gbp/9.28eur/1224jpy (approx)
*shop favorite repressed/restocked… This very special release is a collaboration with the Wackies label. Rhythm & Sound -- this Berlin-based techno dub project -- offers us this brilliant 3 track release. The A-side features an unreleased track, 'Mango Walk' from 1979 by the legendary Chosen Brothers backed by Bullwackie's Allstars and a dub version. The B-side features a reworked version by Rhythm & Sound.
RHYTHM & SOUND- ROLL OFF/B 12” (rhythm and sound, germany) 13.98usd/8.37gbp/9.28eur/1224jpy (approx)
*shop favorite repressed/restocked… As a pretaster for a full length CD, here is a new Rhythm & Sound release. Famous deep dub techno from Berlin. This 12" features two more experimental instrumentals.
RHYTHM & SOUND- SMILE 12” (rhythm and sound, germany) 13.98usd/8.37gbp/9.28eur/1224jpy (approx)
*shop favorite repressed/restocked… Here we have three new tracks by the well known Rhythm & Sound. One side being 'Smile' with vocal appearance by Savage, a new artist with a Caribbean background, in a vein similar to Paul St. Hilaire's performance on the first Rhythm & Sound ('Music A Fe Rule'). The other side contains the two new tracks: 'Distance' and 'Range.' These tracks are more in a free, empty and sound-oriented vein similar to their earlier work on Basic Channel.
RHYTHM & SOUND- CARRIER 12” (rhythm and sound, germany) 13.98usd/8.37gbp/9.28eur/1224jpy (approx)
*shop favorite repressed/restocked… Here we have three tracks by well-known Rhythm & Sound. No vocals this time -- these tracks are more in a free, empty and sound oriented vein similar to their earlier work on Basic Channel.
RHYTHM & SOUND- TRACE 12” (rhythm and sound, germany) 13.98usd/8.37gbp/9.28eur/1224jpy (approx)
*shop favorite repressed/restocked… Berlin's Basic Channel Crew has been most influential in the field of minimal techno soundscapes. With the sub-labels Maurizio, Main Street Records, Burial Mix and Rhythm & Sound, Mark Ernestus and Moritz Von Oswald created platforms for different aspects of their own productions, and with Chain Reaction for productions from their musical environment. The present 12" is a teaser for the Rhythm & Sound compilation CD which contains most of the material released on the 12" singles on the Rhythm & Sound label so far.
RHYTHM & SOUND- AGROUND 12” (rhythm and sound, germany) 13.98usd/8.37gbp/9.28eur/1224jpy (approx)
*shop favorite repressed/restocked… The seventh 12" single on the Rhythm & Sound label. Within the output range of Rhythm & Sound's production, this label is the platform for more free or abstract material, with the Burial Mix label focusing on vocal tunes and the respective versions/dubs. With the heavyweight 'Aground' and the densely atmospheric 'Aerial' (with Tikiman's superb distant background vocals) this is an excellent start for a new series.
RHYTHM & SOUND- RHYTHM & SOUND CD (rhythm and sound, germany) 16.98usd/10.17gbp/11.27eur/1487jpy (approx)
*shop favorite repressed/restocked… Berlin's Basic Channel Crew has been most influential in the field of minimal Techno-Soundscapes. With the sub-labels Maurizio, Main Street Records, Burial Mix and Rhythm & Sound Mark Ernestus und Moritz Von Oswald created platforms for different aspects of their own productions, and with Chain Reaction for productions from their musical environment. The present CD contains most of the material released on the Rhythm & Sound label -- only on vinyl 12"/10" so far -- since it's launch in 1998. The material is remastered and partially edited for CD format, to create a continuous flow through the wide spectrum ranging from minimal, abstract electronics to driving uptempo grooves with a stronger influence of classic Jamaican dub elements in the best Basic Channel tradition, including highlights like 'Smile', the only vocal track (featuring Savage), 'Mango Drive' a re-shape of the Chosen Brothers' 1979 unreleased Reggae tune 'Mango Walk', or 'No Partial', inspired by the essential, though never generally released 'Higher Fieldmarshall Dub' by the Wailers Band. Packaged in a stunning 'nature' digipack again.
V/A- HOUSE OF TRAX VOL. 4 12” (rush hour, netherlands) 14.98usd/8.97gbp/9.94eur/1311jpy (approx)
*Rush Hour presents the fourth House Of Trax 12". Blackman originally released "Beat That Bitch With A Bat" in 1993, a song which was popularized by Johnny Dangerous. The original 12" is available now for the first time in 17 years. There's also the vocal and instrumental version of Maurice Joshua's 1988 track (with Hot Hula Hands) "I Got A Big Dick," the A-side of his more known "This Is Acid." These are rare tracks that will still go down a storm on the dancefloor.
V/A- HOUSE OF TRAX VOL. 3 12” (rush hour, netherlands) 14.98usd/8.97gbp/9.94eur/1311jpy (approx)
*This is the third release in Rush Hour's House Of Trax series, and it mostly features the magic of Jamie Principle. However, this EP opens with a sublime, deep vocal track originally released on Trax sub-label Saber in 1991 by Ace & The Sandman (who are also responsible for the Virgo Four tracks).
RON HARDY- SENSATION 12” (rush hour, netherlands)
14.98usd/8.97gbp/9.94eur/1311jpy (approx)
*shop favorite restocked… This landmark house record was originally released in 1985, and is one of the earlier Trax releases. Produced by Ron Hardy -- one of the most important DJs at the time and instrumental in shaping the Chicago house sound. Real body music that remains one of the hardest to get and most in-demand Trax releases. Originals go for over $100, and even the late-'90s repress is expensive, let alone the original limited-edition white vinyl.
DJ DUKE- SLOW TO SPEAK CORE-1995: HEARD/TRENT 12” (slow to speak, usa)
10.98usd/6.57gbp/7.29eur/961jpy (approx)
*DJ Duke, unsung hero of deep house ingenuity, receives a deserved and absolutely essential reissue from NYC’s slow to speak imprint. One of the lost masters of the abundant deep house community of the early 1990’s, Duke epitomized the queen-infused, deeply fierce insular dialogue of New York’s most outcaste underground. Part of his ode to deep house staples of yesteryear lost, “Heard” & “Trent” live up to their namesake, instrumental electronic masterpieces that disregard the concerns of conventional standardization while retaining the indisputable efficacy of NY’s exploratory antiestablishment. Emotive, depthtful and totally accessible, “Core – 1995” is the first re-visitation of forward-looking genius that will continue to epitomize slow to speak’s retroactive genius, speaking more to the potential inventiveness of dance music than it’s former vivacity.
PEARL JAM- BLACK/INDIFFERENCE/CRAZY MARY 12” (slow to speak, usa)
12.98usd/7.77gbp/8.62eur/1136jpy (approx)
*By far the most popular and successful rock group of the 1990’s, Pearl Jam is synonymous with the “grunge” movement, an army of west coast rockers who rose to fame in the early years during that prodigious decade. Really a popularized and commercialized outgrowth of punk, these bands—with Pearl Jam at the helm of the proverbial ship of celebrity—blasted through the collective pop consciousness of the world with a lyrical sophistication, confessional honesty and angst-ridden disgust with post-modern indifference that left the major labels in shock, accustomed as they were to the nihilistic hedonism of 80’s machismo and uncertain how to treat these powerful newcomers. As time passes, the entire cannon of alternative has been effectively assimilated into the gospel of “classic rock” and given the full legitimacy of a divinized subgenre, no longer a threatening or radical departure from the norm but an accepted part of our pop-culture’s history. In fact, many view this era in music as a stain on the uncompromising militancy of the punk aesthetic, and identify Pearl Jam as the champion of the sell-out and their chief cultural enemy. Listening past the dogma, an attentive study of Pearl Jam’s legacy leaves no doubt that they continue to stand as one of the greatest rock outfits of the decade, a breathtaking feat of major label music weighted in a total artistic transparency and the emotionally-charged eloquence of Eddie Vedder’s brilliant mind and cathartic performance. Militants of the real in their own right, Pearl Jam were determined to bring the artistic sincerity of their roots into the mainstream and absolutely refused to compromise their basic autonomy in the creation of song and sound. After the systematic denunciations of “alternative” fade away and the true substance of that important era is visible, Pearl Jam cannot be denied, written off or ignored; to the contrary, their music continues to sound more and more remarkable for it’s time or ours, a project of concentrated and intense creative output that saw the band explode over three years of furious activity, a legacy that continues to this day. During and since this whirlwind of musical creation and lyrical depth, Vedder and his team have left dozens of masterworks in their continuing wake, songs of thematic strength, social perceptivity and searing emotional exploration that remain objectively undeniable staples of modern pop rock music.
ALICE B TOKLAS- DIMENSION 128 : VUH 12” (slow to speak, usa)
15.98usd/9.57gbp/10.61eur/1399jpy (approx)
*Divining with the whisper of impetuous fantasy and earthly pleasure, our ears are once more turned over to the persisting demands of pure sound. An unraveling, winding journey through the castings shadows of perturbing gothic walls and disorienting multi-textural synthetics, 'Vuh' is a hymn to the religious devotion of stripped down, concentrated and ecstatic esotericism at the outer reaches of the ambient canon. Horrifying and divine in the same breath, this masterpiece recalls the titanic feats of gods long since departed from this world, resurrected and rechanneled through the horizontal perception of mortal souls blessed with the touch of the netherworld. Entrancing, dazing and totally mesmerizing, 'Vuh' reminds us that the eternal can be birthed from the temporal effort of human will, a timeless specimen of infinite musical sublimity and celestial transcendence. Chosen by Paul Nickerson for the 1979 Foundation for the Black Arts. 100 Pressed. This release is in direct conflict with the Unlawful Societies Act of 1799.
V/A- SLOW TO SPEAK/CORE: 1995A CDR (slow to speak, usa)
15.98usd/9.57gbp/10.61eur/1399jpy (approx)
*Ages before Paul Nickerson and Francis Englehardt entered the phase of their life’s project involving the creation of Dope Jams and slow.to.speak, they were just like any two kids growing up in the suburban shadows of a formidable U.S. city: in their early teens, they became fanatically obsessed with underground house music. Attending early Boston deep house parties like “The Loft” and “The Paradise,” the two teenagers quickly immersed themselves in the then vibrant dance music community. This mixtape, recorded in 1995, is an aural testament to the early sounds of underground club music that shaped the unique and uncompromising vision that would eventually become slow.to.speak. The records on this mixtape are not experimental, difficult to understand, or even exceptionally complex or intelligent. What they are is obvious and DOPE, a sign of the times before house music was self-obsessed and principally insincere. The mixing is seamless, though certainly less concerned with technical precision than with the conveying of the artists’ authentic excitement with what they were doing, what they were involved in and what they were striving for. What this mixtape bears witness to is the youthful exuberance of individuals truly living their music in an atmosphere of genuine inspiration, raw energy and unabashed honesty, unconcerned with the past or the future, indeed an immersion solely in the present happenings of their environment.
V/A- SLOW TO SPEAK/CORE: 1995B CDR (slow to speak, usa)
15.98usd/9.57gbp/10.61eur/1399jpy (approx)
*Before MP3’s, digital, I-Tunes and the dreaded convenience of the internet, there was the direct & tangible excitement of the mix-tape universe, an open forum in which aspiring and established programmers, niche enthusiasts and curious explorers of the vast web of professional and not-so-pro disc jockeys interacted through the 90 minute medium of the 2-sided tape cassette. It was here that reputations were made & dismantled, and dreams of grandeur were realized in the small-time fame of inner-circle reputation. Of course, the mixes themselves had to do more than simply verify “Yes, I can put 2 records together…I am a DJ”; they had to actually demonstrate an ability to effectively rock a party, compare, contrast & assemble tracks with an intuitive programming wit that only the worthy possessed. This second installment of the retrospective “CORE” mix series, presented by slow to speak’s Paul Nickerson & Francis Englehardt, continues the loyal chronicling of the not-so-distant past of 1990’s classic house euphoria. A demonstration first and foremost in party-rocking mastery, “CORE -1995 (b)” flies with full-on cockiness & show-off confidence, yielding a maximum anthemic force in a time when soulful dance music was beginning to come into it’s own, having weathered the difficult years of inception and only then settling in to cultural solidification. Another authentic & sincere example of classic house music mixed with the energetic virtuosity & quick-fire instinct of youths fully enraptured with newfound creative possibilities of their adored medium.
V/A- SLOW TO SPEAK/CORE: 1996 CDR (slow to speak, usa)
15.98usd/9.57gbp/10.61eur/1399jpy (approx)
*Continuing to document the glorious past of house music with their popular “Core” mixtape/mix-Cd series, slow to speak’s Paul Nickerson & Francis Englehardt are deeply familiar with remaining in the present when it comes to collecting & DJ’ing dance music. As teenagers throughout the promised years of the early-to-mid 1990’s, the two spent most of their time scouring the then vast universe of Boston vinyl establishments in search of the eternal victory of any self-respecting DJ: the discovery of that special record that, unbeknownst to the rest of the world, would become the secret weapon of an entire arsenal of DJ sets, radio shows, mixtapes in the near future to come. This was the ultimate sign of supremacy: not just knowing, but successfully acquiring and subsequently hoarding those gems of special obscurity that had slipped through the hands and attention spans of the competitors in the tightly nit DJ communities scattered across the Northern Hemisphere. Many of the phenomenal tracks on this impressive “Core – 1996” original outing are rooted in the outer limits of dance music obscurity, where few DJ’s dared to venture, the fertile ground of so many crucial and vital discoveries. Records such as CJ Mackintosh’s masterful dub of United Black Men, Nathaniel X Project “Get Up,” Deepsoul’s “The Rhythms”—these were the most exciting elements of these formative years in mixtape experimentation and execution. Of course, the hits were just as vital—many would say more—as these rare and unnoticed masterpieces, standards comprising the roots of any credible and successful DJ set or mix. This was still a time when droves of youths, mostly from the urban epicenters of America, Europe, South Africa and beyond flocked to their club of choosing to hear the records that had, more or less, gained the status of “anthem” —jams that had to find their way into the line-up lest the night descend into a rather boring exercise in obscure track one-upping. A simple gander of the diverse track-listing of this latest “Core” installment will direct the eyes to indisputable anthems such as River Oceans timeless “Love & Hapiness (Yemaya y Ochún), Joe T. Vannelli’s “Play With The Voice” or Shawn Christopher’s U.K. hit “Make My Love” —necessary requirements of any self-respecting deep house mixtape during that special time. Still, part of that very real, almost physically tangible excitement of that time were the sweet treasures of the victorious hunt, precious stones to adorn the crown of deep house supremacy by those steadfast warriors of the grand pursuit. “Core – 1996” captures this impassioned mixture of established underground hits & tracks whose secret have been guarded to this very day. The excitement and enthusiasm surrounding the latter contributed to a lot of the raw energy that fueled the fledging underground dance scenes of the 1990’s, the same excitement that continues to push our gaze backwards from time to time to marvel & draw strength from those formative years.
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ADDRESS
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