Telling a tale of house music’s early days or roots without mentioning Tony Humphries as a club DJ, remixer and radio disc jockey would make it an incomplete, forged and most of all a bit of a yawn.

Born in Brooklyn in 1957, Humphries’ musical journey is synonymous with New York City’s dance music history and the evolution from uptempo soul music to house: from being a dancer at David Mancuso’s infamous Loft parties to becoming a mobile DJ and getting the call from Shep Pettibone to become his right hand at the then new Kiss FM radio station, followed by countless remix offers and a legendary residency at Newark’s Club Zanzibar.

Next to that one, it was especially his work as a radio disc jockey for said station during most of the 1980s until 1994 that gave him majestic clout. Breaking new records week in, week out, putting New Jersey acts like Adeva and Jomanda or countless up-and-coming producers from there on the musical map, while simultaneously playing the hottest imports from Europe, trax from Chicago, dance classics and all things straight from New York’s music factory that never seemed to stop. Going to his vast and almost complete archive of radio shows from way back when he graced those airwaves, we at Running Back Records have picked original recordings that symbolize his importance as an industry giant and ambassador of this style of music.

„But one thing I would like to point out is that, as a DJ, the music I play is not my music. I want to make it perfectly clear that it is music that is released, and it’s everyone’s music. I do not take any other credit than being the middle person exposing this music.“ (Tony Humphries in: What Kind of House Party Is This?, Jonathan Fleming, 1996)

TRACK LISTING

LP1 Tracklist:
A1. Dee Dee Brave – My My Lover (Tony Humphries Dub)*
A2. Jomanda – Don’t You Want My Love (Street Style)
B1. R-Tyme – Illusions (Mayday Mix)
B2. Blakk Society feat. David Hollister – Just Another Lonely Day (Club Mix)
C1. Anthony Thomas – You Don’t Love Me
C2. Victor Romeo – Love Will Find a Way (Zanzibar Edit)*
C3. Romanthony – In The Mix (Tony’s Classic Mastermix)
D1. Slam – Eternal
D2. Mondee Oliver – Make Me Want You (Club Mix, Extended)
E1. Bobby Harding – Feelin' Happy (The KiKi Club Mix)
E2. Deskee – Let There Be House (Mix ABCD I)
E3. Bizzy B – B With U
F1. When Worlds Collide – Deep (2263 Mix)
F2. Jay Williams – Sweat (Dance Track) (*Previously unreleased)

LP2 Tracklist:
A1. Jomanda – Make My Body Rock
A2. Mae-1 – Sweet Feelin’
B1. Billy “Jack” Williams presents Utterance – Grant Me Utterance *
B2. Precious – Definition of a Track B3. Man-Machine – Elektro-Genetik
C1. Jay Williams – Sweat (Sweat the Club Mix)
C2. Kerri Chandler – Kerri KAOZ Beat (Acetate Instrumental)
D1. Romanthony – Falling From Grace (Tony Humphries Demo Mix)*
D2. Ed The Red feat. Passion in Fashion – 1-900 (Instrumental)
E1. The Brotherhood – Love Will Make It Right (Club Mix)
E2. A Slice of Life – You Make Me Feel So (ASOL Mix)
F1. The It – Donnie (Hardy Mix by Ron Hardy)
F2. Cisco Ferreia – Cisco’s Groove (*Previously unreleased)

MIXED 2CD Tracklist:
1. Dee Dee Brave – My My Lover (Tony Humphries Dub)*
2. The Brotherhood – Love Will Make It Right (Club Mix)
3. Deuce & Satin – Hyper
4. Jomanda – Make My Body Rock
5. Bobby Harding – Feelin' Happy (The KiKi Club Mix)
6. Man Machine – Elektro-Genetik
7. Mae-1 – Sweet Feelin’
8. Romanthony – Falling From Grace (Tony Humphries Demo Mix)
9. Kerri Chandler – Kerri KAOZ Beat (Acetate Instrumental)*
10. Jomanda – Don’t You Want My Love (Street Style Mix)
11. Anthony Thomas – You Don’t Love Me
12. Jay Williams – Sweat (Dance Track)
13. Jay Williams – Sweat
14. Precious – Definition of a Track
15. Victor Romeo presents Leatrice Brown – Love Will Find a Way (Zanzibar Edit)*
16. When Worlds Collide – Deep (2263 Mix)
17. Mondee Oliver – Make Me Want You (Club Mix, Extended)
18. Deskee – Let There Be House (Mix ABCD I)
19. Ed The Red feat. MJ White – Broken Promises (Club Mix)
20. Mr. Monday – Appreciate
21. How II House – Time 2 Feel the Rhythm (Symphonic Mix)New Release Information
22. Romanthony – In the Mix (A Tribute to Tony Humphries)
23. Billy “Jack” Williams presents Utterance – Grant Me Utterance (*Previously unreleased)

Say what you want, but Strahil Velchev has never been one to sit still - not on stage, not in the studio, and certainly not on "Versions". Here, KiNK turns his own material inside out, upside down, and somehow still lands on his feet, grinning. His return to Running Back arrives as four slices of hi-octane KiNK logic and mischief. Purpose made to give you sugar rushes and massive feels. Recommended! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: KiNK continues to innovate and develop his style. Expanding on his live and loud approach, four new tracks from his studio which find the producer in fine fettle - rolling out the big guns for the late night fist pumpers and the up-all-nite crew that refuse to go home long after the lights are switched on.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Comin
A2. Pump – Version A
B1. Pump – Version B
B2. Pump – Version C

The saga of squelch continues. After the first round proved that the acid line might be the most durable cliché in dance music (and still the best one), part two turns the resonance knob a little further.

Steve Bug & Stefan Braatz, Deetron, Todd Osborn, and Mathew Jonson with The Mole join forces for another ode to the silver box - less museum piece, more perpetual motion machine. Proof that you can't retire a sound that never had a desk job.

Once again, Gasius supplies the visual psychedelia, while the tracks handle the auditory side of the trip. Dial 303, accept the charges, and remember: the only thing more reliable than acid is its ability to surprise you.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Five more producers worship at the church of 303 as Running Back's Acid Sampler series continues in earnest. Some big names on this one!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Deetron - Acid Choir
A2. Steve Bug & Stefan Braatz - Simplicity
B1. Todd Osborn - Rain
B2. Mathew Jonson & The Mole - Acid Swing

Butch’s unmistakable music has always worn the influence of disco proudly on its sleeve. Both his mega-hit "No Worries" and his first contribution to the Running Back catalogue, "Desire", are essentially modern-day disco records. The same goes for his return to the label with "Glory Night", perhaps even more so, thanks to its vintage engineering and authentic aural treatment. Equipped with the genre’s signature sounds and arranged like a lost disco edit from the late ’70s, Butch applies the lotions and potions that today’s dancers demand, creating one of those peak-time sensations that make him unique - complete with confetti, a firecracker breakdown on top, and an extra rhythm section bonus tool included. "Just Chill" and "Just Fly" continue that narrative. While the first appeals to fans of r&b or funk samples (though no recordings were harmed in the process), it is catchy as hell and creates an inescapable maelstrom. The second, meanwhile, draws on the principles of deep house and exercises itself in contemplation. Be that as it may, here are a couple of tracks that work on almost any floor and at any time. Or, to quote Giorgio Moroder: 'Disco is music for dancing, and people will always want to dance.'

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Butch switches on the red lasers, huffs a load of amyl nitrate, and engages photon thrusters for a space disco themed EP on course for galaxy FUN.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Glory Night
A2. Glory Night Tool
B1. Just Chill
B2. Just Fly

Some records come from the head, others from the heart. "Weltraum EP" by Cara Carpaccio is a bit of both - an interstellar blend of cosmic vibes, disco roots, and a touch of robot melancholy. Born out of a time when the world felt both distant and strange, the EP channels those moments of isolation, longing, and unexpected creativity into something playful and deeply human. What started as an open-ended studio session turned into a journey guided by synthesizers we could only dream of owning, Marvin the robot’s dry wit from The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, and Cara’s love for cosmic sounds and disco grooves. The tracks came together in single evenings, capturing emotions as they unfolded.

Cara brought her energy, composing, performing, and singing her way into the stars, with Luis (aka Planet Zwo) riffing on guitar to ground it all. Marabou (Fabian) tied it together, wiring up gear, recording, and even finding a remix idea in the middle of mixing.

The result? A collection of tracks that balances nostalgia and futurism, melancholy and euphoria. Adding even more fuel to the ship are remixes from the likes of Intergalactic FM’s I-F + Gerd Janson, and Dan Tyler of the Idjut Boys.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Real deal cosmic musica! Channel the spirit of Baia Degli Angeli (albeit a little quicker and less opiated) with this interstellar classic brought up to speed with some fresh remixes.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Im Weltraum - Original
A2. Im Weltraum - Marabou Dub
A3. Im Weltram - I-F Remix
B1. Im Weltraum - Gerd Janson Remix
B2. Im Weltraum - Gerd Janson Instrumental

The second outing of Johannes Volk for Running Back picks up where "Extra Dimensions" left us: traditional techno components, an inclination for melodies, 80s electro(nic) pop and aesthesia for ecstasy. Something for everyone’s taste and nothing tacky.

"Lightweave" is like the conversation that Giorgio Moroder and Wolfgang Voigt never had ('I Feel Sägezahn'). With a power plant of a bassline that’s pretty much all you need.

The direct connection to the EPs artwork is "Cubistic Pathway". Painted with acryl on canvas as a birthday present, it’s like the title tracks little and playful brother and a homage to 16bit platform games like Turrican or Contra.

"Fragments of Moments" is the sort of piano-not-piano-house stomper that classic techno DJs love, while "Sense of Wonder" is one of those songs without vocals that appeals to 80(8)s-kids and their offspring.

Last but not least, "Emotional Message" and its hypodermic breakbeat dates back to 2011, wears the heart on the sleeve, and screams tearjerker, bear hug or elevation. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Tough and melodic in equal measure. Volk manages to harness a wild, flailing, technicoloured club sound that could dip into both techno and electro-disco flavoured DJ sets. The poise and, ultimately, release is quite spectacular. This could send listeners rocketing up to the stars!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Lightweave
A2. Cubistic Pathway
B1. Fragments Of Moments
B2. Sense Of Wonder
B3. Emotional Message

If Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira were a utopia instead of its opposite, this EP could be a possible sound track. Using the ingredients of classic house as a platform (pianos anyone?), Nick Nikolov‘s imagination as a producer for his new NKLV project is far too vivid to stay on the beaten track.

The sound design and nerdy attention of IDM and ambient (“Clusters”) connects with the brazen boogie approach of the French touch, micro-sampling manifestos have to stand up to the weirder moments of signature sounds like Basement Jaxx or KiNK‘s musical side (“Heartbeat”). Not too far off from his peer‘s early approach, the Bulgarian‘s take is emotionally charged, play- and powerful.

For instance, “Speak to Me” and “No More” hit their respective topical nails on the head and the EPs title track “Inbetween” is sultry serotonin soul. If you are looking for plain and pure euphoria in between all the hardships, happiness is just around the bend

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Big room fun here which should have arms involuntarily aloft and feet shuffling, unbeknownst to their host. Wide-screen ear worms that'll capture the energy of the masses.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Inbetween 6:55
A2. Speak To Me 5:47
A3. No More 4:29

B1. Heartbeat 6:22
B2. Crisis 5:32
B3. Clusters 5:24

Good things come to those who wait! A commonplace saying that is also true in the case of Perel’s Running Back debut. Ever since "Die Dimensionen“ appeared on DFA, their CEO couldn’t wait for a call from the lady herself. Star is the consequence of said call and not only that. The very first 7“ on Running Back features Perel’s vocal talents in her native tongue. "Star (German Version)" is mesmerizing and charming, dead on target and unforgettable.In her hometown, they call this an Ohrwurm. Collectors and completist will be delighted to hear that the flip side contains two more track exercises: Eis am Stil and In The Box. A magnificent 7.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Star (German Version)
B1. Eis Am Stil 
B2. In The Box 

History revealing compilation project centering around the legendary Front Club in Hamburg Germany that existed from the 80´s - late 90´s - a leading club in terms of music selection, mixing technique, rave culture - in a very important period of time.

Eponymous resident DJ´s Klaus Stockhausen and Boris Dlugosch take a close look back at that time, guide you through the history, the early beginnings and absolute key moments of house music club culture in Germany.

37 legendary tracks make up the CD release - many of which have not been on sale forever and a day while the vinyl, set across two volumes, selected 16 of the hardest hitting numbers for an unmixed selection for the DJs and collectors alike.

Hamburg’s Front club was already the stuff of legend, and the story is important now, 21 years later as not many peoiple know how house music infiltrated Germany to give techno some competition on the dancefloor. With Front you wouldn't have Robert Johnson or, to some extent, Parorama - house and disco simply were not celebrated in large numbers until Front, Stockhausen and Dlugosch opens minds and record boxes to the soulful sound. 

TRACK LISTING

CD Tracklist: 
Disc 1 (Mixed By Klaus Stockhausen)
1. Blue Moderne – Through The Night (Dub Mix 1)
2. Connie - Funky Little Beat
3. Skyy – Show Me The Way
4. KC Flightt – Let’s Get Jazzy (Dope Dub Mix)
5. Modern Romance - Can You Move (Midnight Mix)
6. Nitro Deluxe – This Brutal House
7. Shirley Lites - Heat You Up (Melt You Down)
8. Mark Imperial - J' Adore Danser (Club Mix)
9. Mario Reyes - Whatever Turns You On (Club Mix)
10. Wired - To The Beat Of The Drum (On The Burn Mix)
11. Toyin Agbetu Presents Nemesis – After The Storm (Boris DlugoschEdit)
12. John Beltran – Aquatic
13. The Wizard & The Prince – The Wiz Is A Genius
14. Val Young – If You Should Ever Be Lonely (Street Mix)
15. Syncbeat – Music (Boris Dlugosch Edit)
16. CT Satin – I Found A Friend (Underworld Version)
17. Temper – No Favors (Dub)

Disc 2 (mixed By Boris Dlugosch)
1. Üdytü Ützeltürk And His Male Harem – Kairo
2. Answering Service – Call Me Mr. Telephone (Street Dub Mix)
3. Simphonia - You And Me (Dub)
4. Sandee – Notice Me (Notice The House Mix)
5. The 28th St. Crew – I Need A Rhythm (Vocal Club Mix)
6. Solution – Feels So Right (Original Victor Simonelli Mix)
7. Housefactors – Play It Loud
8. Fortran 5 - Heart On The Line (Bassline Mix)
9. Ralphi Rosario - An Instrumental Need (Club Need)
10. Mood II Swing Feat Lee Smith Jr – I Need Your Luv (Right Now)
11. Nick Holder – Frantic
12. Dee Dee Brave – Can’t Get Over It
13. D.O.G. – The Key (Lunar Dub)
14. The Prince & The Wizard – The Music Is Kicking
15. Fila Brazillia – Mermaids
16. Station Q – That Special Melody (Club Mix)
17. Sensory Productions - Deep Introspection
18. Hot Streak - Body Work (Vocal Mix)
19. Steve Arrington - Dancin' In The Key Of Life (Special Mix)
20. Executive - Celebrate Your Love

Vinyl Part One: Gatefold 2LP Tracklist (Unmixed)
A1. Blue Moderne – Through The Night (Dub Mix 1)
A2. Modern Romance - Can You Move (Midnight Mix)
B1. Simphonia - You And Me (Dub)
B2. Answering Service – Call Me Mr. Telephone (Street Dub Mix)
C1. Wired - To The Beat Of The Drum (On The Burn Mix)
C2. Temper – No Favors (Dub)
D1. Steve Arrington - Dancin' In The Key Of Life (Special Mix
D2. Executive - Celebrate Your Love

Vinyl Part Two: Gatefold 2LP Tracklist (Unmixed)
E1. KC Flightt – Let’s Get Jazzy (Dope Dub Mix)
E2. Toyin Agbetu Presents Nemesis – After The Storm (Boris DlugoschEdit)
E3. Dee Dee Brave – Can’t Get Over It
F1. Mark Imperial - J' Adore Danser (Club Mix)
F2. The 28th St. Crew – I Need A Rhythm (Vocal Club Mix)
G1. CT Satin – I Found A Friend (Underworld Version)
G2. Ralphi Rosario - An Instrumental Need (Club Need)
H1. D.O.G. – The Key (Lunar Dub)
H2. Fila Brazillia – Mermaids

Running Back's Mastermix series is a timely reminder of what has made Running Back endure and remain at the top of many house music fans' favourite label lists for over a decade. Gerd Janson's widely adored imprint has invited one of house music's original & greatest proponents of the Mastermix, NYC's Tony Humphries, to curate and mix the CD edition of the compilation, accompanied by an unmixed double-LP which features a handful of the compilations rare & exclusive cuts. Beginning with Todd Terje's blockbuster "Ragysh" and traversing tracks from across the label's history, it includes contributions from long time label regulars alongside more recent additions and reminders of some of RB's best reissues. Label mainstays Tiger & Woods, Matthew Styles, Redshape and Leon Vynehall all appear, alongside Mr G, Paul Woolford and recent breakthrough artists Shan, Jex and Roy Camanchero. Tiger & Woods's "Don't Hesitate" appears on vinyl for the first time, while the Dixon edit of Precious System's anthem "The Voice From Planet Love" will be available on wax again after only appearing on a super limited 12" run the first time around. The choice of Tony Humphries to mix the compilation is a significant one. Having received his break in the early 80s as an understudy for the legendary Shep Pettibone's Kiss FM show, Humphries went on to become one of the defining DJs of house music's formative years with his residency at New Jersey's Club Zanzibar and London's Ministry of Sound. His previous mixes illustrate his continuing ability to bridge dance music's past & present, with prior contributions to Resident Advisor and Fabric's respective series in addition to label compilations for King Street Sounds and West End Records.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: New Jersey don, Zanzibar luminary and Kiss FM's most celebrated dance jock, Tony Humphries takes time to explore the vast Running Back catalogue and delivers a highly enjoyable master-mix that perfectly encapsulates both the impressive depth of the label alongside Tony's unique and coveted DJ style.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Todd Terje - Ragysh
A2. Tiger & Woods - Do Not Hesitate
B1. Tiger & Woods - Time
B2. Precious System - The Voice From PlanetLove (Beat-Appella)
C1. Precious System - The Voice From The Planet Love (Dixon Edit)
C2. Leon Vynehall - Beau Sovereign
D1. Mr. G - Ben & Gerd (Killin 'It M Day)
D2. Paul Woolford - Forevermore (edit)

The eye of the storm: welcome to Tornado Wallace's debut album! How about some references? New Age sounds meet new wave melodies, Grace Jones runs into the Dire Straits at Compass Point, while a Korg Mini Pops and a Roland CR78 make amends for Sly & Robbie's absence, Michael Mann pictures Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness', Robert Rauschenberg tries his luck at naturalism and an imagined Wally Badarou echoes through all of it. The accumulation of about four years of work, with tracks written in Berlin and Melbourne, "Lonely Planet" is nothing like you may have expected from the Australian expat. Merging functionality with a musical playfulness on releases for ESP Institute, Beats in Space and Music From Memory's sister Label Second Circle, Tornado Wallace's found himself as one of the producers behind José Padilla's International Feel album. Here, he leaves the needs of the dance floor behind in order to create a magical mystery tour de trance into his and our inner jungle. Sandwiched between the title track and the yearning beauty of the album's final point "Healing Feeling", you get all of that as well as collaborations with and contributions of NO ZU, David Hischfelder and the voice of Sui Zhen on "Today", who would easily make Anna Domino take her proverbial hat off.
Tornado Wallace created an album that supersedes the requirements and expectations of a debut. Like a lost Island Records or a never released Made to Measure album, "Lonely Planet" soundtracks notions and ideas that recall the nostalgic future in the past as much as it looks ahead.

STAFF COMMENTS

Patrick says: Comprising of seven expansive compositions, ‘Lonely Planet’ transports the listener to a dreamlike landscape alive with excellent birds, dense foliage and breathtaking vistas. As he glides effortlessly between future primitive visions and otherworldly ambient suites, Wallace marries lush FM synthesis with Knopfleric guitar and organic percussion, grounding us in reality while our eyes dart over the intangible. And there, nestled in the midst of all this utopian beauty is ‘Today’, the greatest 80s pop record that never was. Boasting a blithely shrugged vocal from No Zu’s Sui Zhen, the track sounds like a springtime meeting between Talk Talk and Gina X at a far flung resort. Yet despite its abundance of detached cool, this cinematic gem lends the LP a human touch, allowing the listener to find their place in the natural rhapsody. Clear your schedule, close your eyes and take the trip of a lifetime.

TRACK LISTING

1. Lonely Planet
2. Trance Encounters
3. Today Ft. Sui Zhen
4. Warp Odyssey
5. Voices
6. Kingdom Animalia
7. Healing Feeling