Of indisputable +313 vintage, Scan 7, with deep roots in the rich musical heritage of Detroit techno, drop their new triple vinyl album since 20 years on Deeptrax Records!

Scan 7,closely related to Underground Resistance, forms a mysterious Detroit underground collective and with this triple album, the enigmatic outfit raises the flag for Motor City techno once more!

Metroplex-era electro, rushing orchestral techno, deep Detroit house and galactic funk aplenty, it instantly harks back to that 'classic' Detroit-patented sound. Starting with the energizing flurry of "Stringing me along" with thick Deja-Vu UR / DJ Rolando flashes, towards the political tinged new electro monster "It's time" and from Berghain / Tresor-influenced bangers like "I'm Covered" with the frightening words 'no weapons formed against me shall prosper' until deep vibin' floating house sounds close off the EP with a more organic palette and relaxed tempos.

Fun fact!: SCAN 7`s name originates from the word DETROIT, which consists of 7 letters, and its area code, 313 (which, added up, equals 7)!

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Bang! Fresh-as-u-like, Dee-troit patented alchemy here from master sorcerors Scan 7 who herald a new age for Motor City techno. You need this!

High quality laquer cut LP with silver and pink pantone colors on cover. Mutual Intentions is proud to present "Astral Traveling" which is Byron The Aquarius' debut album. A stunning piece of fusion built from everything between jazz, soul, hiphop and house makes Mutual Intentions a perfect platform for the release. String compositions is an on-going theme throughout the album. From the first chord on "Love Is 4U", until the very last second of "Spazzing Out", where Byron raps over a beautiful backdrop consisting only of Fender Rhodes, electric bass & strings. Byron jumps seamlessly between different genres throughout the whole album. From the acid house inspired "Sorry Kari", to 70's prog jazz sounding cuts like "Lost In Love". Once you put the needle on side B, you'll hear "Deep In That ***** feat. MDMA" which sounds pretty much like if Dexter Wansel took MDMA in 2019, inside Legowelt's studio and tried to re-create his classic cut "Theme From The Planets"

Emra Grid’s "Shays Vacation House" is a work that feels suspended in time - both ancient and modern - a microcosm that ceases to exist in any particular time or space. Cinematic opening piece "Land Is" is smothered in a wintery patina, like a silent wind blowing through a deserted, snow-covered village. "Replaced" has an almost historic, mythical presence, like sonic messages of a troubled past are etched into precious metals buried in rock. The listener is the alchemist, extracting heart-wrenching moments from previous encounters.

Emra Grid’s second Opal Tape is a profoundly beautiful work, loaded with emotional weight and high-spec synthesis. Beneath its dark exterior, it exudes a tangible, pristine beauty like that of an ancient gemstone being discovered for the first time. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Well, that went quick dint it! Another lesson in using our pre-order service (although you had to be quick on the draw this time)... we're all starting to get the feeling here at HQ that old Keiren H could be planning a major project...

For Fans Of…Temples, Allah-Las, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Khruangbin, David Axelrod et al.

Ghost Funk Orchestra are a mystery. Plain and simple. Dirty, soulful production, 'verbed and fuzzed out guitars & mysterious vocals that feel like a lost score to a Quentin Tarantino film. The brainchild of one-man producer / musician / arranger Seth Applebaum, GFO is forging new territory and blurring the line between soul and psychedelic, just in time for that BBC3 Woodstock documentary everyone's been banging on about! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Just in time for that BBC3 Woodstock documentary everyone's been banging on about, a modern interpretation of soul and psyche that's sure to excite the hippies. Refracted through a cinematic prism, the track's have a focus and direction which elevates them above other druggy bandwagon hoppers...

FORMAT INFORMATION

Coloured LP Info: Limited gold vinyl.

The debut 12" from Sydney-born, London-based producer Logic1000. First discovered by Four Tet, lead track ‘Please Forgive Me’ has since made it into the sets of Daphni, Ben UFO, Anthony Naples and DJ Python. Limited to 300, the white label also features the footwork-influenced ‘Derrière’.

LA-based experimental music and art collective Arthur King are releasing the next installment of their ongoing album release series, Arthur King Presents.The new experimental record finds Lytle exploring new territory, created entirely from one analog synthesizer and one nylon-string acoustic guitar. He describes the process as “oddly refreshing,” saying “turns out it was a pretty fulfilling exercise just concentrating on going deep and trying to achieve certain feelings based on the song titles and subject matter I was chasing.”

Originally recorded and released in 1988, Nurse With Wound’s ambient opus was years ahead of its time, a ground-breaking set of atmospheric sound patterns designed for ritual ceremonies. Hailed as a masterpiece on release, it soon became a firm favorite of NWW fans and topped the world ambient chart for over three months! Originally a limited-edition three-album set housed in a handsome 12-inch gold and black foil embossed box, this new edition, a CD facsimile of the original vinyl set, contains the entire album plus 40 minutes of superb quality, previously unreleased music from the original sessions. A green foil blocked cover and new parchment insert makes this one of Dirter Promotion’s most elegant and desirable releases to date

Theo's back with a whole host of friends and a return to his slick, jazz-infected grooves . What we've heard of this new record sounds great, almost like he's revisiting "Summertime" era moods. With a lush and dreamy piano - organ combo, sumptuous strings and that iconic bass motif, we're in Theo Parrish dreamworld here!

Get those orders in as copies are always in high demand!

Second volume from this imperative re-issue series by DJ Duke aka Techfunkers, originally released in 1995.

Vol. 2 features three more tracks from the album, remastered and sounding ultra crisp.

"Da Bomb" is a groovy, concentric, early doors number; with flanging stabs skipping across a rotary Chi-town beat peppered with electronic cowbell and a phased breakbeat.

"Moon Light" deploys wet hats and wetter snare flaps for a submarine dive into the depths of celestial house goodness. Two, wonderful, winding synth brass & synth flute lines decorate the track as the aquatic groove rudders on and on - dreamy AF and yet totally danceable - mega!

"Sunlight" is equally fathoms deep, but undampens the perc section for more direct hitting drums. Goosebump inducing leads slowly converge of rippling arps and warm pads, making for that perfect moment of next-day unity; pick your crew and embrace each in the glorious "Sunlight"!

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Second installment of this mind-blowing Techfunkers LP. They've split up the original 1995 release into three volumes, giving each track much more length (and therefore fidelity) on the wax - these Chi-town rollers sound grrrrreat!

After revealing Kon’s edit of "Heaven" on their blissful 7” debut, The Vision return to release the original on 12”, along with remixes from Mousse T. and Nightmares on Wax. Opening the A-Side is the original, a fiery, funk-laden track vocally-led by Andreya Triana. It pairs her soulful tones with lush instrumentation (featuring frenetic clavs and heavy b-line) and ratchets up the energy levels as it careers through its arrangement. 90s household house don, Mousse T. is called in and drops an "E-Funk Mix", galvanizing those disco stems with just the right sheen of house glamour. On the flip side are the two mixes from dance legend Nightmares On Wax. Bringing his trademark funk-flavoured grooves into the mix, it finds the prolific producer / DJ in fine style, so much so we get a seriously wiggly house 'dub' to conclude this essential record. Party time!

Madding crowds may have found their bounce to the beat of ‘Bad Blood’s post-punk groove but Working Men’s Club will defy all expectation with their eagerly anticipated follow-up. Forcing backs off the wall and deeper onto the dancefloor, electric stomper ‘Teeth’ possesses enough bite to set pearly whites on edge and induce a wildly ecstatic feeling that’s anything but comfortable.

“It is a metaphor,” teases the band’s singer, guitarist and beat-maker, Sydney Minsky-Sargeant. “It could be about going insane or what you see, what you think you feel inside, a lot of things… put through a drum machine… basically we just want to confuse the fuck out of people, in a good way!”

For Syd, alongside fellow Club members Giulia Bonometti, Jake Bogacki, and recently recruited bassist Liam Ogburn, the last 12 months has seen the 4-piece buckle up for a meteoric rise that’s been a hell of a ride; “Signing to Heavenly was a big deal for us,” offers Jake. “We’ve worshiped the label and its bands for a long time so it’s nice to be part of the family. It’s a culture; we’re all running in parallel.”

Like hopping aboard Willy Wonka’s psychedelic boat trip through their own funked-up factory, ‘Teeth’ puts the ‘itch’ into glitch and urges everyone to embrace the rave. Recorded with producer Ross Orton (The Fall, Roots Manuva, M.I.A, Arctic Monkeys) at his Sheffield recording studio, between a brothel and Fat White Family’s base, the vibrations of ‘Teeth’s chatter cut like fork lightning across a fog-filled Hope Valley. As the needle hits the groove, its threatening cowbell and motoric Techno beat buzzsaws Syd’s Mark E mantra, “I see grit in your teeth,” whilst a drum machine and frenetic guitars reinforce the party vibe. “We’re definitely a dance band,” Syd affirms. “If you can make someone move that’s a big thing.” Jake agrees; “When you can convince a person to subconsciously dance without understanding why, it’s a religious feeling and taps into this primal instinct.”

Shapeshifting through the band’s collaborative writing process, ‘Teeth’ offers an epic fusion of the band’s broad repertoire of influences from godfathers of early Techno, Stingray to Thelonious Monk’s jazzy piano riffs - not to mention LCD Soundsystem or Delta 5 bounce. “It works because there’s a conflict of what we each want from it,” Jake tells. “It’s like tectonic plates and that friction causes an earthquake. When we meet in the middle, ‘Teeth’ is what comes out.” Reworked from Syd’s electronic-heavy demo, laid-down at his Todmorden home through synthesizers and drum machine, the track’s climactic shakedown ignites a love of Detroit House, Acid House, Afrobeat and Cuban rhythms from his DJ beginnings and stepdad’s influence. “I’ve always been into Nigerian 70s funk, like William Onyeabor,” Syd tells. “It’s happy, jolly, danceable; I don’t think my own lyrics are that happy - but it’s not just about that. It’s about how great music can make people dance.”

Capturing moments to write, whether walking through woods, splitting crisp packets open at the local pubs around their northern hometowns or between chapters of reading Hunter S. Thompson and Sylvia Plath, Working Men’s Club put the groove first, unafraid to rear the wise heads on their younger shoulders. "We’re brought together by the fact we care about being 100% ourselves,” reveals Giulia. “We sing and talk about what needs to be said, to put it out of our minds and bodies. Music is an outlet, a medium to communicate.” Aspiring to the lyrical greats John Cooper Clarke, Lou Reed, Ian Curtis, Glen Campbell and Townes Van Zandt, the band first bonded over back catalogues rather than passing trends. “You should never deny your influences; you do things your own way,” suggests Syd. As for politics? “Bands like Squid, Black Midi, us, Orielles; we’re taken seriously, but aren’t politically adverse for sake of it,” Jake says. “Essentially, the country’s fucked and not enough of us are talking about it. That doesn’t necessarily mean we’re a political band, but we’re not gonna, not talk about it.”

"Watermelon Woman" on Ninja Tune's Technicolour imprint is Yu Su’s most direct nod to the dancefloor since her 2017 breakout "Infi Love".

The release comes with Yu Su’s own ‘Dub’ version, which stretches out the original track’s momentum and urgency to a more languid pace.

Francis Inferno Orchestra’s ‘Augur Sacrifice Dub’ completes the EP, offering a rhythmic, percussive take on the original.

For fans of Leon Vynehall, Anthony Naples, Hunee, Spring Theory, Nathan Micay,

Artwork by Alan Briand.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Nice percussive shamanic house business here from the multi-talented Yu Su. Perfect for those tribal sessions under the foliage.

Light In The Attic’s Japan Archival Series continues with Kankyō Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980-1990, an unprecedented overview of the country’s vital minimal, ambient, avant-garde, and New Age music – what can collectively be described as kankyō ongaku, or environmental music. The collection features internationally acclaimed artists such as Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Joe Hisaishi, as well as other pioneers like Hiroshi Yoshimura, Yoshio Ojima and Satoshi Ashikawa, who deserve a place alongside the indisputable giants of these genres.

In the 1970s, the concepts of Brian Eno’s “ambient” and Erik Satie’s “furniture music” began to take hold in the minds of artists and musicians around Tokyo. Emerging fields like soundscape design and architectural acoustics opened up new ways in which sound and music could be consumed. For artists like Yoshimura, Ojima and Ashikawa, these ideas became the foundation for their musical works, which were heard not only on records and in live performances, but also within public and private spaces where they intermingled with the sounds and environments of everyday life. The bubble economy of 1980s Japan also had a hand in the advancement of kankyō ongaku. In an attempt to cultivate an image of sophisticated lifestyle, corporations with expendable income bankrolled various art and music initiatives, which opened up new and unorthodox ways in which artists could integrate their avant-garde musical forms into everyday life: in-store music for Muji, promo LP for a Sanyo AC unit, a Seiko watch advert, among others that can be heard in this collection.

Kankyō Ongaku is expertly compiled by Spencer Doran (Visible Cloaks) who, with a series of revelatory mixtapes as well as his label Empire of Signs (Music For Nine Postcards), has been instrumental in shepherding interest in this music outside of Japan. Together with Light In The Attic’s celebrated anthologies I Am The Center and The Microcosm, Kankyō Ongaku helps to broaden our understanding of this quietly profound music, regardless of the environment in which it’s heard.

STAFF COMMENTS

Patrick says: Now, while the Japanese ambient revival has been going on for some years (check out essential reissues on Palto Flats, WRWTFWW, 17853) Light In The Attic steal a march on their competitors with this sublime compilation of obscurities from the Land of the Rising Sun. Wonderfully packaged, presented and curated, "Kankyo Ongaku" is a fitting companion to "I Am The Center" and the "Microcosm", exploring the New Age and ambient sounds of 80s Japan. Minimal, relaxing and utterly beautiful, this music is almost heavenly.

FORMAT INFORMATION

2xDeluxe CD Info: 2xCD housed in a custom 7”x 7” hardbound book.

3xLP Box Set Info: Vinyl repress!!
Triple black vinyl LP with deluxe Stoughton “tip-on” jackets and slipcase.