The only proved efficient time traveling method to date is through listening to music, particularly evident when indulging in Jona Jefferies' latest EP released by Spanish house specialists Apersonal Music. It's a refreshing nod to the golden era of 90s electronic music. Across its three tracks, Jefferies masterfully blends elements of ambient, downtempo, and electronica, evoking a sense of nostalgia as if plucked from a bygone era. In contrast to today's TikTok-dominated landscape of short, immediate singles, this EP harkens back to a time when music was crafted with depth and complexity. Drawing inspiration from legendary acts like Boards of Canada and Underworld, it seamlessly transports listeners to the Gen-X decade, when acts like Daft Punk, Orbital and The Chemical Brothers reign supreme and exploited the electronic scene during the MTV era.

On the A side, "Es Camp" embodies the seamless influence of British electronic music on the Balearic scene of the 90s, and viceversa. Feels like Moby’s “Porcelain” if the film "The Beach" had been set in Ibiza. Max Essa's "Romantic Breaks Mix" elevates the track to pure Balearic bliss, setting the perfect mood for any sunset terrace around the globe.

Side B, tailored for the dancefloor, runs through “Lost in Paradise”, a track that channels euphoria reminiscent of the underground rave culture during the final years of the 20th century. Apersonal's trusted remixer, Eddie C, delivers an extended rendition of the track that continually evolves, echoing Jim Morrison’s words: 'the music was new, black polished chrome, and came over the summer like liquid night.'

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Two pastoral electronica bliss-outs, reminiscent of a weekend spent in the back of some Welsh hippy's camper van on a cocktail of drugs visiting various free parties along the way. Eddie C and Max Essa do their thing - moulding them into more typical dancefloor movements. Nice to see Apersonal back in the fold too.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Es Camp
A2. Es Camp (Max Essa Romantic Break Mix)
A3. California Sunrise… Do You Remember?
B1. Lost In Paradise
B2. Lost In Paradise (Eddie C Remix) 

BINK!
A new style of dance music created by South African Kwaito legend Sandy B, Berlin boogie-funk monster LJ Simon and Canadian crown prince of downbeat disco, Eddie C.

Brought to you through Red Motorbike Records, 'Sukuma' is the first vinyl release to showcase Sandy B's pioneering Kwaito rap and r&b vocal stylings over the mid-tempo electronic funk championed over the years on the Red Motorbike series. 'Sukuma' is the anthem summer 2024 needs!

Join Sandy B as he embarks on his 30 year anniversary World KwaiTour this year introducing the world to the new dance sound of BINK!

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: A match made in heaven. I've been digging both Sandy B and Eddie C for ages now - so to see them collaborate on a new Kwaito subgenre is music to my ears! Already in my record bag for the weekend garden parties!

TRACK LISTING

A. Sukuma
B. Sukuma (Eddie C Remix)

Following the hugely popular first ‘Acid Jazz (Not Jazz)’ release in 2022, label heads Eddie Piller and Dean Rudland return with a second volume, ‘We’ve Got A Funky Beat’.

The record further takes in the club sounds of the original acid jazz scene in the early 1990s, where obscure funk, soul and rock records were mixed with new productions that turned up at the Acid Jazz (then Denmark Street) offices on a near-daily basis.

A document of an era, before the internet, where clubs and record stores informed the tastes and direction of the burgeoning London music community and the close-knit groups of producers, musicians, label and shop owners that were constant companions in search of the new sound.

Ballistic Brothers and X-Press 2 appear alongside unsung heroes such as Night Trains and The Hightower Set.

Presented in a beautiful geometric graphic sleeve, with a printed inner sleeve documenting the original release designs.

TRACK LISTING

1. Super Strut - The Apostles
2. Escucha Ma Funk - The Hightower Set
3. Testify - Mains Ignition
4. Russian Roulette - Night Trains (ft. Afrika Bambaataa)
5. From The Ghetto - Dread Flimstone
6. Delancy St… The Theme - Ballistic Brothers Vs. Eccentric Afros
7. Tranz Euro X-Press - XPress 2
8. Farside - Jaziacs

Eddie Leader has had his most productive year since releasing his first record under the Slum Science alias in 2004. Leader has delivered music on labels like Jovonn’s Body n’ Deep, Doorly’s Reptile Dysfunction, the iconic Hard Times label and his own Hudd Traxx in the past 12 months, most recently collaborating with Chez Damier on ‘Pressure’. This record is by far the deepest of them all. ‘Lost In…’ kicks things off and takes you on a deep hypnotic journey along the house spectrum. ‘The Unknown’ has a raw and underground vibe with a heavy bass line and takes inspiration from both Chicago & Detroit. The Tribal Manifestation Mix of ‘The Unknown' picks up the tempo on the B side for a peak time dancefloor rework. Eddie closes out the EP with ‘You’, which is a smooth vocal infused early hours future classic. Hudd Traxx have also had a very productive year and there’s still more to come in 2023.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: 'Uddersfield's finest, Eddie Leader back on a true house tip. He's been firing this year, with release after quality release on a variety of labels. Back on his home turf, four deep house slayers for your late night delectation.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Lost In... 
A2. The Unknown 
B1. The Unknown (Tribal Manifestation Mix) 
B2. You 

Mark is one of the most indomitable yet gentle spirits I ve ever met. He will always be one of my favorite artists I ve ever worked with. And someday when I grow up, I want to be just like him.

Alice Cooper. This book is a puzzle. The outside frame pieces are about me, but the picture wouldn t be complete without the perspectives of all the people telling you about me.

Mark Volman. Mark Volman has led a storied life, and many of those stories are contained in Happy Forever. A true son of southern California, he has gone from topping the charts with The Turtles ( Happy Together ) to underground cred with Frank Zappa and beyond.

As Flo & Eddie, Mark and his longtime singing partner Howard Kaylan were the not-so-secret ingredient on many other artist s records, taking Bruce Springsteen into the Top 10 for the very first time and helping T. Rex dominate the British charts. Then came The Ramones, U2, Blondie, Duran Duran, and so many more; the list of credits is long and varied.

Happy Forever covers all of that, along with subsequent forays into animation, a stint as a radio personality in Los Angeles and New York, and a midlife return to academia, which led Mark to create and run innovative college programs in LA and Nashville. But this is not the world according to Mark Volman, and it is not your average musical autobiography. Alongside his own comments, this uniquely insightful book contains contributions from more than one hundred of Mark s peers, friends, and lovers who share their thoughts on the man himself and on topics that span the social and cultural landscape of past half-century.

Happy Forever s cast list reads like a who s who of popular music, featuring members of The Doors, The Monkees, The Byrds, The E Street Band, and many more; producers Tony Visconti, Bob Ezrin, and Hal Willner; voice actors from The Simpsons and the Firesign Theatre; and key figures from the worlds of radio, animation, and academia. The book also includes previously unseen photographs and forewords by Alice Cooper and Chris Hillman.

Hot on the heels of his recently released ‘Forever EP’ on Radio Slave’s evergreen Rekids, Eddie Fowlkes returns to the label with ‘Bahama Man EP’, another four-track EP of red-hot dancefloor cuts. From the swinging opening title track through to the jacking low end of closer ‘Cube’, Eddie’s knack for crafting his unique style of club-friendly cuts is on full display across the record, some of his finest work to date.

As one of techno’s originators, Eddie Fowlkes has shaped the genre for over 36 years. With his releases on Metroplex, Tresor, Sony, Peacefrog, and his own imprints CityBoy Records and Detroit Wax, Fowlkes' contribution to the blueprint of modern electronic music cannot be overstated.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: A true pioneer; Eddie Fowlkes has shaped the techno genre since day dot. His productions have always contained a maverick and reckless air; whilst also displaying some seriously advanced and sophisticated skills. He continues to be relevant and continues to push himself now; at 60 years old! Often overshadowed by Derrick May, Juan Atkins et al - Flashin' Fowlkes is a true legend of Detroit techno.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Bahama Man 
A2. Follow Me 
B1. Chi 2022 
B2. Cube 

DJ Eddie Fowlkes created the techno genre alongside Derrick May, Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson. Now the 'Godfather of Techno Soul' uses his extensive knowledge and experience to create a dynamic wax release drenched in Motor City inspiration - this four-track vinyl package is both a love letter to his musical roots and an inspired representation of the left-of-centre house that Classic is known for. For the lead track, 'AHYEE', Eddie carves out his own sound in a low growl as distorted percussion whirs over a four-on-the-floor beat. 'Blow' goes tougher, with an undulating bass that adds a wonky unease to the rhythmic kick and syncopated decoration. On the B-side, ‘Talking To Me’ makes use of a distinctive spoken-word vocal over an expansive and rhythmically intricate accompaniment, celebrating the culture through expert sampling and production techniques, whilst ‘Complex’ is more beat-focused with driving synth rhythms. Coming from producing some of the first techno records nearly 40 years ago, unique releases like this continue to prove Fowlkes' status as a constant innovator, and his ear for house music is undeniable.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: A triumphant return from one of the true godfathers of Detroit techno. Funky and silky; possessing that incessant Motor City spirit, this shit'll have you swinging off the rafters in no time.

TRACK LISTING

A1. AHYEE 
A2. Blow 
B1. Talking To Me 
B2. Complex 

For fans of: Nick Hakim, John Carroll Kirby, Khruangbin, Bullion, Duval Timothy.

‘Sundown’ is “low-key R&B legend” Eddie Chacon’s soulful, meditative debut for Stones Throw Records. The album was written with and produced by John Carroll Kirby. Eddie Chacon rose to fame in the duo Charles & Eddie, whose 1992 single “Would I Lie To You” was a #1 hit around the world. Chacon returned in 2020 with the album ‘Pleasure, Joy and Happiness’, widely acclaimed by the New York Times, Guardian, and many more.

Soulful, low-key R&B from Eddie Chacon, who soared to fame in Charles & Eddie, and returned in 2020 with the beloved album Pleasure, Joy and Happiness.

Produced by multiple Grammy nominated producer and artist John Carroll Kirby (Solange, Harry Styles, Steve Lacy).

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: If ever an album screamed 'Rhodes' and 'Ibiza' more than this little gem from Eddie Chacon, i'm yet to hear of it. Wonderfully meditative but without sacrificing the swimming melodicism and horizontal soul we've come to expect from Chacon (of Charles & Eddie fame). A shimmering, hazy Balearic beauty.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1) Step By Step
2) Far Away
3) Comes And Goes
4) Sundown

Side B
5) Holy Hell
6) Haunted Memories
7) Same Old Song
8) The Morning Sun

A compilation of the finest early ’90s underground club sounds presented by Eddie Piller and Dean Rudland. As Acid Jazz began a period of extraordinary commercial success – Brand New Heavies and Jamiroquai selling millions of records – London’s club scene began to have a global influence. The compilation offers a snapshot of the kinds of records that were being played at the time, combining original Acid Jazz releases with sides from other labels that surrounded the scene. These records could fill a dance floor in seconds. This collection gives them a new platform to be celebrated.

TRACK LISTING

Blacker – The Ballistic Brothers Vs. Eccentric Afros
Beads, Things & Flowers – Humble Souls
Come On – Marden Hill
Last Night Beats – The Subterraneans
APB – A Man Called Adam
Modal (Blue Train Dub) – The Quiet Boys
Jazz Jupiter (Da Scat Mix) – A-Zel
Everything Is Going To The Beat – Dhama B Vs. Ace Of Clubs

Collection of the lost recordings of Fast Eddie, one of the most exciting live bands of the early 1980s Rhythm ‘n’ Soul-fuelled Mod Revival.

From Billericay, the band followed in the wake of Thames Delta Blues pioneers Dr. Feelgood, originally playing raw, authentic R&B before expanding their sound to incorporate club soul and a broader palette of influences and sounds.

Originally produced and managed by legendary label man and broadcaster Eddie Piller, founder of Acid Jazz, who released their first single on his first own Well Suspect marque in 1982.

An exciting collection of Mod-Revival-era tunes, and an important document of the wider Mod Revival and Acid Jazz Records story.

TRACK LISTING

Shake A Tail Feather
I Don’t Need No Doctor
Sugar Coated Love
Sweet Sensation
Turn On Your Love Light
Vicinity
My Babe
Ninety-Nine & A Half
Out Of Sight
Fever
Keep Your Hands Off It
Teenie Bit Of Your Love *
Barefootin’
Hit The Road Jack
36-22-36
Homework
Treat Her Right *
Land Of 1000 Dances *
Little Suzy (Instrumental) *
Help Me *
* = CD Only Track

In the words of Mac DeMarco: “Eddie Chacon is planet earth’s number one musician. Yesterday, today, and forever.”

"'The soulful singer had a worldwide hit with 1992’s Would I Lie to You, but he was dropped and his musical partner died. Now, he has poured his pain into a cathartic comeback album''

Eddie Chacon experienced proper, peak-nineties acclaim in the soul duo Charles and Eddie: they scored a global No. 1 in 1992 with “Would I Lie To You,” appeared three times on Top of the Pops, and featured on soundtracks from True Romance to Super Mario Bros..

Produced by John Carroll Kirby, the like-minded artist and collaborator with Frank Ocean and Solange Knowles, it features restrained percussion from Kanye West’s Sunday Service drummer Lamar Carter. Celestial soul as a break from chaos, these are quietly challenging songs as timeless as they are contemporary.

By that time, Chacon had already been navigating music in interesting ways, all the way back to his teen garage rock band with the late Cliff Burton (Metallica) and Mike Bordin (Faith No More). In the late ’80s, he released a full-length on Uncle Luke from 2 Live Crew’s label and signed to Columbia as a solo act. He was a working artist, always popping up in unexpected places: through the course of his career, Chacon would write, sing, or produce ten Top 40 hits around the globe.

Years ago, Chacon retired from music for a second calling as a fashion photographer and creative director. In an interview at the time, he said, “I was fortunate to have a 35-year music career and felt that there wasn’t that much more for me to say or achieve.” Very thankfully, that’s no longer the case. Private experiments, far from the major-label center he once frequented, began to feel urgent and new. “There’s nothing more exciting for me than getting to start from the beginning again,” he says today.

“Pleasure, Joy and Happiness” will be available on the boutique Los Angeles-based label Day End Records. This is a thoughtfully considered album of quiet, confident R&B: it doesn’t jump out at you, but rather gets in you.

Produced by John Carroll Kirby, the like-minded artist and collaborator with Frank Ocean and Solange Knowles, it features restrained percussion from Kanye West’s Sunday Service drummer Lamar Carter. Celestial soul as a break from chaos, these are quietly challenging songs as timeless as they are contemporary.

“What a rare and cool challenge it was for me to help Eddie re-emerge after a long hiatus,” says John Carroll Kirby. “I was excited to produce a record for him that captured the chill, laid-back wisdom and easy vocal mastery he has that you don’t see that much these days.”

Lead single “My Mind Is Out of Its Mind” finds a deep groove to try and contain spiraling heartbreak, while the sweet and wobbly “Trouble” balances the delightful near whisper of the title track “Pleasure, Joy and Happiness.” But even the project’s lightest moments feel sincere and mature. Altogether: a truly unifying release, coming from a man who’s earned the right to share such a regal, romantic sound.

“I used to think to myself,” Chacon says, “if I ever make a record again, I’d want it to be a record you’d have to be my age to make.”

TRACK LISTING

A1. Trouble
A2. Hurt
A3. Outside
A4. My Mind Is Out Of It's Mind
B1. Pleasure Joy & Happiness
B2. Papa
B3. Wicked World
B4. Above Below

A follow up to 2018’s Jazz On The Corner which has now sold over 10,000 copies, and last year’s equally successful Soul On The Corner, this compilation see Martin and Eddie return to the world of jazz for another bite at the cherry after Volume one was declared to be “the best jazz compilation of the last 20 years” by Jazz FM’s Chris Phillips.

The concept came from a radio show that Freeman and Piller put together for BBC Radio 6 Music which was so well received that the pair decided to dig deep into their record collections and build a double album of some of their favourite tracks.

The concept is simple: an album packed full of jazz gems which they hope are slightly off the beaten track. This year we have hidden gems from Nina Simone and Nicola Conte, classics from Roberta Flack, Roy Ayers and The MJQ, whilst the new British jazz generation is represented by Emma Emma-Jean Thackray. Running the gamut from hard bop, to progressive fusion via Latin beats, it’s an exhilarating listen from start to finish.

STAFF COMMENTS

Laura says: Eddie Piller dons Sherlock’s Deerstalker, teaming up with national treasure Martin Freeman for another trip through their enviable jazz collections. Eschewing the wilfully obtuse in favour of personal favourites from across the decades, the duo celebrate a lifelong love of the genre.

TRACK LISTING

Double LP Tracklisting

Side A
1. Stanley Turrentine – The Magilla
2. Nina Simone – I’m Gonna Leave You
3. The Jazz Crusaders – Tough Talk
4. Gene Ammons – Jungle Strut
5. George Benson – Shape Of Things To Come

Side B
1. Nicola Conte – Caravan
2. Duke Pearson – Gira, Girou (Round And Round)
3. Chet Baker – Do It The Hard Way
4. The Modern Jazz Quartet – Concorde
5. Lorez Alexandria – Nature Boy

Side C
1. Emanuel K Rahim & The Kaliqs – Al Amin
2. Roberta Flack – Compared To What
3. Horace Silver – Tranquilizer Suite Part : Perservance And Eudurance
4. Emma-Jean Thackray – Ley Lines
5. The Lyman Woodard Organisation – Creative Musicians

Side D
1. Charles Earland – Leaving This Planet
2. Brain Auger Oblivion Express – Freedom Jazz Dance
3. Johnny Mercer – That Old Black Magic
4. Roy Ayers – A Tear To A Smile
5. Lonnie Liston Smith – Summer Days

Double CD Tracklisting

Martin’s Picks
1. Stanley Turrentine – The Magilla
2. Nina Simone – I’m Gonna Leave You
3. The Jazz Crusaders – Tough Talk
4. Roberta Flack – Compared To What
5. Duke Pearson – Gira, Girou (Round And Round)
6. Lonnie Liston Smith – Summer Days
7. Roy Ayers – A Tear To A Smile
8. Les McCann – Us
9. Johnny Mercer – That Old Black Magic
10. The Modern Jazz Quartet – Concorde
11. Horace Silver – Tranquilizer Suite Part : Perservance And Eudurance
12. Chico Hamilton – Conquistadores

Eddie’s Choices
1. Emanuel K Rahim & The Kaliqs – Al Amin
2. Brain Auger Oblivion Express – Freedom Jazz Dance
3. Gene Ammons – Jungle Strut
4. George Benson – Shape Of Things To Come
5. Charles Earland – Leaving This Planet
6. Emma-Jean Thackray – Ley Lines
7. Nicola Conte – Caravan
8. Lorez Alexandria – Nature Boy
9. Chet Baker – Do It The Hard Way
10. The Lyman Woodard Organisation – Creative Musicians
11. The Bukky Leo Quintet – Rejoice In Righteousness
12. Patrice Rushen - Haw Right Now

Brand new (and also the last one) treat in the The Very Polish Cut-Outs 7" series, usually devoted to quirkier and weirder tracks than the much acclaimed 12" samplers.

Eltron John kicks off the A-side with a reggae influenced rework of a Polish children's song from late 80s called 'Ludzie z Marsa'.

His modern, dubby production and close attention to the smallest details fuses perfectly with abstract lyrics. This serious-not-serious song treats about people who are from Mars and invade Earth, because 'they can't remember what the forest animals look like, what a farce!

Already road tested by the members of TVPC, this Caribbean-East European depth of a groove works perfectly in late night drunk sets.
On the B-side Eddie C visits executive suite of a cruise ship with his extended, melancholic rework of 'Stoneczna Promenada'. The original tune is an old Polish cocktail-lounge classic from the late 70s, transformed here into a psychedelic story of epic proportions. Moody loops evoke instant headnodding and added dub effects magnify the nostalgic, sunny vibe.

TRACK LISTING

A. Ludzie Z Marsa
B. Stoneczna Promenada

The seventh batch of this rhythm & blues 45 reissue series ends with yet another classic Chicago blues rocker. "I'm Gonna Love You" has a really sparse feel to it, just using the essentials (bass, guitar, drums) to accentuate the great vocal. As ever with these sevens, the flipside features a slower cut, the rolling blues groover "Looking For Trouble", which includes a great guitar solo.