Fila Brazillia are set to release ‘Retrospective Redux 90 → 22’, an up-to-date collection that encompasses their wide ranging output. From pioneering psychedelic beats in the early 90s through to subaqueous house, downtempo deliciousness, rustic funk, and deranged disco in the current day; the neoteric duo’s healthy lack of reverence to scene and industry pressures has resulted in this enthrallingly fluid compendium of the past 30 years of electronic music.

Formed in Hull in 1990 by Steve Cobby and David McSherry, their early releases on Pork Recordings (also based in Hull), included albums ‘Old Codes New Chaos’, ‘Maim That Tune’, ‘Mess’, ‘Black Market Gardening’ ‘Luck Be a Weirdo Tonight’ and ‘Power Clown’. After creating their own label Twentythree Records they released further albums ‘A Touch Of Cloth’, ‘Jump Leads’, ‘The Life And Times Of Phoebus Brumal’ and ‘Dicks’.

They quietly called time on Fila Brazillia with the release of an original ‘Retrospective’ compilation in 2006. McSherry became a lecturer in Sound and Music Production at the University of Lincoln and Cobby has released several solo and collaborative projects. The duo reformed in March 2020 with the release of ‘MMXX’ EP and a reissue of their debut single ‘Mermaids’ was released by Gerd Janson's Running Back label last year.

With Fila Brazillia’s original albums highly sought after on vinyl - regularly changing hands for three figures on Discogs - this updated ‘Retrospective’ also includes previously digital only tracks ‘Madame Le Fevre’ and ‘Neanderthal’ along with an exclusive new composition ‘Toro De Fuego’.

David McSherry explains, “This retrospective separates Fila’s output into four distinct periods: the early Pork Recordings era, where you’d find us hunkered over a sampler and an Atari; the latter Pork chapter, when we were based in Stunk Dusty, further expanding the FB sound away from any pigeon-holes; the 23 Records period where we developed the live band approach to take on the road, and, finally; the post-Hull years with us working mostly remotely.” Steve Cobby adds “All the tracks have been remastered from the original DATs with a brand new tune ‘Toro De Fuego’ commissioned purely for the release”.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Sheriff
2. A Zed And 2 L's
3. Harmonicas Are Shite
4. Little Dipper
5. Throwing Down A Shape
6. Airlock Homes
7. Bumblehaun
8. Madame Le Fevre
9. Neanderthal
10. HushHush
11. Toro De Fuego (exclusive) 

'Idiot Check' is the Genre-bending Irish musician and producer David Kitt's 9th studio album. A unique and sincere songwriter with an expert ability to meld inspirations, eras and sounds, Kitt’s music glimmers with a sense of timelessness well-earned after over twenty years immersed in music.

Produced and recorded by Kitt himself using his “Breaking Bad mobile studio set-up”, the album was written between 2016 and 2022 in Dublin, Paris and eventually the remote town of Ballinskelligs in south-west Kerry, where the artist moved during the pandemic and has stayed ever since. Blending acoustic and electronic elements with expert precision, the record showcases both the diverse circumstances of its inception and Kitt’s personal breadth as a songwriter and producer. From the fuzzy, lo-fi “Wishing Well” fluttering with a gentle sense of magnetism, to the infectious and upbeat “Not So Soon”, and jovial, traditional folk cut “Balances”, “Idiot Check” is an evergreen album as experimental as it is ageless. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Every Little Drop
2. Not So Soon
3. Wishing Well
4. All Folly
5. Its In Some Of Us
6. Leave Me Making
7. Wexford Strawberries
8. Till The End
9. Balances
10. Wave Of Peace 

Small’s “Don’t Leave Me In The Rain” is an infectious South African house-infused pop record from 1991 drawing on influences from some of the greats in the genre. Sounding like a long-lost Frankie Knuckles LP or something The Pasadena’s might have put out in the early 90s, it's an under-the-radar holy grail for all those seeking good time house music with an invigorating, life afirming vibe that'll slot into any party.

For all those that enjoyed the releases from Lucky Mereki or Bibbi this one is going to be right up your street. It's more of the same from the townships of S.As 1990’s pop, bubble gum, kwaito & house scene of the time. The sound was sweet, the message was positive, the clothes were loud and they seemed to be having the time of their lives. I guess much like our youth were doing over here as the global house phenomenon took hold. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Uplifting and highly infectious bubble gum and house music from this barely known SA group. The only record they ever made and it's become highly collectable. A treasure of a reissue that house heads aren't gonna wanna be without.

TRACK LISTING

1. Don't Leave Me In The Rain
2. Make My Life
3. Takes Two To Tango
4. Happy Song
5. Let's Stop The Fire
6. Melody Of Love
7. Keep On Trying
8. Without You

RE:WARM present a collection of music from one of San Francisco's best kept secrets, Dr Robert Blackman. "The Unimaginable DreamWorks" is a collection of five tracks from three musical masterpieces he put out between 1983-1985 on his own Riverwinds imprint.

A practising chiropractor by day with his own holistic health centre in San Francisco, these songs became his love, passion and focus. Together with Michael Pluznick, a very accomplished percussionist they painstakingly put together an ensemble of musicians to bring the tracks to life. The melting pot for this body of work was Hyde Street Studios which still today is based in deepest San Francisco and has seen names such as Neil Young, Earth Wind & Fire and John Waters to name a few grace its studio space.

Singers and musicians alike came together from all over the world to bring Robert’s vision to reality. This included an Australian didgeridoo player, an electric violin and piano player from Paraguay as well as singers and a choir from the surrounding local churches.

Together through Dr Robert Blackman's eyes they created a fabulous sound of twisted disco-punk-funk like no other that still sounds relevant today as it did back in the eighties. The energy and the stories are clear to hear throughout the five tracks which make up "The Unimaginable DreamWorks” of Dr. Robert Blackman 1983-1985.

Artwork was key to the releases and the ‘Peace Is Alive’ painting incorporated on the label of the release appeared in TIME magazine in 1984 when Dr Robert Blackman was treating combat vets, suffering from PTSD and this was the name of the job fair for veterans he set up.

To promote the album at the time Dr Robert Blackman flew up over San Francisco in a single engine prop airplane loaded with 50,000 leaflets. Strapped in at 500 feet the leaflets were dropped on the city of San Francisco! The following day, the media descended on his holistic health centre, called Riverwinds and in turn he was fined $1,000 for the cleanup!

TRACK LISTING

A1 Dream Dancer 04:05
A1 San Francisco Dance (Extended Version) 06:15
B1 Peace Is Alive 06:55
B2 Master Of Wood 03.38
B3 Only One Wish 03.52 

Warm launch their new reissue label RE:WARM on Record Store Day by heading south of the equator with a New Zealand 7” double-header.

Dalvanius and the Fascinations’ “Voodoo Lady” from 1977 which originally was swept aside as a b-side takes over one side. A perfect slice of south pacific disco to set any dance floor alight. Whilst on the flip, Golden Harvests’ AOR vocal gem “I Need Your Love” from 1978 will immediately get stuck in your head wherever you might go.

Over the past eighteen months’ Warm’s Ali Tillett and Micky Browne have been discussing records and sharing insights into each other’s record collections. Off the back of this RE:WARM is born as an outlet to showcase music from both their collections that they felt deserved to be revisited and shared with the world as a lot of it had previously been overlooked or worse still, undiscovered.

Both having collected records for twenty years or more, their influences and ever-growing collections range from Folk, Jazz, Soul, AOR, Disco, Funk, House, Balearic and much more in between. So over the months and years to come expect every musical stone to be unturned on their quest to reintroduce friends, Peers and contemporaries to some of their favourite over looked gems, all lovingly repackaged and presented with stunning new art work and original photos.

For their inaugural release to launch the RE:WARM label on record store day 2020 they have gone all the way to the Southern Hemisphere for a New Zealand double header.

First up on the A side is Dalvanius & The Fascinations phenomenal track, Voodoo Lady. On first release this track started life as the B-side of the lead track “Checkmate on Love” but later moved to the A side with a slightly longer Disco Version. This version is more recently starting to appear in collectors want lists and on auction sites around the world.

On the flip is Golden Harvest with their AOR-Disco anthem, I Need Your Love. One of those tracks for premium dancefloor moments of joy and hands in the air excitement. This one started life on the independent N.Z label Impact in 1977 and later in 1978 got the Warner Bros treatment for Neighbouring Australia and was later to be included on their only album Golden Harvest – Golden Harvest.

TRACK LISTING

A1: Dalvanius And The Fascinations - Voodoo Lady
B1: Golden Harvest – I Need Your Love