Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band – Expansions (Big Crown Records) - PRESALE

Pre-Order Indie Deep Emerald Vinyl LP £20.99 Add to basket
Pre-Order Vinyl LP £19.99 Add to basket
Pre-Order CD £10.99 Add to basket

Release Date: 16th July 2021

Indies only vinyl is on Deep Emerald Vinyl.

Steel Drum Covers of Grace Jones, Galt MacDermot, Slum Village, Minnie Riperton, Jay Z, Ike Turner, and more.

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, the mysterious steel pan out­t hailing from Hamburg, Germany have amassed a cult following around the globe. With a slew of classic 7”s and two critically acclaimed full length albums, they set a high bar for themselves, one they clearly intend on pushing even higher with this new offering. On their third album, aptly titled Expansions, BRSB are back with more of the same, but more of the same with them is inherently different. Covering songs that span genres and range from mega hits to album cuts, they make them their own with their unique approach to the traditional steel pans of Trinidad and Tobago.

Part of the allure of a new record from Bacao is finding out what covers they chose. However, die hard fans are also waiting to hear the original numbers like the stellar album opener “Tough Victory”. Its airtight rhythm section, brass arrangements, and layers of steel pan melodies make the term “cover band” a shoe that could never fit Bacao. Within the next three songs they go from Jazz (Galt MacDermot), to Hip Hop (Slum Village / J Dilla), to a dance floor classic (Grace Jones) taking them all on with their signature style, expanding on the originals. An easy crowd favorite is their gritty, gully, and neck snapping cover of the Timbaland produced Jay-Z club hit “Dirt Off Your Shoulder”. The infamous crushing Bacao drums start the show and the moment they start playing the top line on the pans, all bets are off. Sure to become a dance -oor ­ller is their bottom heavy, four on the -oor version of Sylvester’s classic “I Need Somebody To Love Tonight”. They venture into some gutbucket funk with Ike Turner’s “Getting Nasty” and bring the steel pans to Minnie Riperton’s Jazz classic “Les Fleurs”. Digging deeper in the modern canon and paying tribute to a tribute, they cover Erykah Badu’s homage to the late great J Dilla, “The Healer”. This is the type of thing to make Spice Adams jump on his kitchen counter and scream. From the second the beat drops they give the original Madlib production a run for its money, shaking subwoofers with the eerie tremolo bass while the pans play E. Badu’s vocal melodies.

By the time the album is through Bacao has taken the listener on a journey that spans a myriad of energies, tempos, and moods while somehow managing to keep it all under one umbrella. For all that, these songs are alive, and they will be taken out of the context of this album and sewn into the fabric of DJ sets around the globe for many years to come. Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band is breathing renewed life into the originals and continuing to push the boundaries of steel pan music, or, as the title suggests, expanding on it.

Tracklist:
1. Tough Victory 2. Space 3. Raise It Up 4. My Jamaican Dub 5. I Need Somebody To Love Tonight 6. Dirt Off Your Shoulder 7. Getting Nasty 8. Blow Your Cover 9. Represent 10. The Healer 11. Les Fleur 12. Squaring The Circles

CD Has Three Bonus Tracks: Juicy - Look Out Baby (Here I Come) - Kaiser Noir

El Michels Affair Meets Liam Bailey - Ekundayo Inversions (Big Crown Records) - PRESALE

Pre-Order Indie Clear Red Vinyl LP £19.99 Add to basket
Pre-Order Vinyl LP £18.49 Add to basket
Pre-Order CD £10.99 Add to basket

Release Date: 13th August 2021

El Michels Affair reimaginging Liam’s Ekundayo Album.

Produced by Leon Michels.

Also includes three unreleased vocal tracks from the Ekundayo sessions.

There has always been a Reggae in­uence in the music of El Michels Affair. From their cover of “Hung Up On My Baby” done in a Reggae style, to the general sound and approach that permeates Leon’s production style. While recording Bailey’s 2020 Ekundayo album, they did some straight forward reggae tunes inspired by different eras alongside some modern R&B tracks that would -t more comfortably next to Frank Ocean than Jacob Miller. It is this same notion that old and new can live so comfortably together that birthed the idea of Ekundayo Inversions. Traditional dub came out of reggae in the late 60s and early 70s when pioneers like King Tubby and Lee Perry started taking the multi track recordings of songs and running them back through the board adding effects and additional instrumentation. These recordings are called “dubs” or “versions”and are typically instrumentals with ­ourishes of vocals from the original tracks.

One of the highlights on Ekundayo Inversions is a guest appearance from the legendary Lee “Scratch” Perry on the “Ugly Truth” version. L$P switches between singing and talking, proclaiming his powers one minute and playing with the track’s title the next. On “Awkward take. 2” Leon takes one of the most experimental songs from Ekundayo and actually straightens it out. A track that once seemed to be ­oating in space has now been anchored by the addition of drums and bass. “Faded”, a version of “Paper Tiger”, is given the full EMA treatment with the addition of emotive horns over an uncomfortably sparse rhythm track peppered with Liam’s voice drenched in delay and echo.

“Champions” features a verse from Black Thought of The Roots and halfway through, El Michels sends the rhythm section 50 years back. At the end of the day, Ekundayo Inversions is a testament to how strong the original songs are. Whether they’re in a R&B style, reggae style, stripped down to their bare bones, or loaded with production, the songs will move you.

Tracklist:
1. Conquer & Divide feat. Black Thought 2. Amazing Woman 3. Angel Face 4. Walk With Me 5. No One Else 6. King 7. Ugly Truths feat. Lee Scratch Perry 8. I Love NY 9. Superstar 10. Awkward (Take 2) 11. Lucky Man 12. Faded

The Resonaires - Standing With You (Colemine Records) - PRESALE

Limited Edition Opaque Orange 7" Vinyl £6.99 Add to basket
7" Vinyl £5.99 Add to basket

Orders will be shipped Wednesday 5th May

A. Standing With You / B. Don't Let It Bring You Down

The debut single from The Resonaires! A group featuring members that have been apart of some of the pivotal artists of the soul revival movement: Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, Lee Fields. Now striking out on their own with the powerful vocals of Saundra Williams, The Resonaires hope to strike a chord with their debut single "Standing With You"!

The Harlem Gospel Travelers - Nothing But His Love (Colemine Records) - PRESALE

Limited Edition Clear 7" Vinyl £6.99 Add to basket
7" Vinyl £5.99 Add to basket

Orders will be shipped Wednesday 5th May

A. Nothing But His Love / B. God's Gonna Move His Hand

As the world around us succumbs to disgusting hate-fueled violence, folks are looking for answers....looking for a ray of hope. And while it may not save the world, we all certainly hope this new tune from The Harlem Gospel Travelers brings a note of positivity in your life. "God’s Gonna Move His Hand” is the B-side to “Nothing But His Love”, which was a part of our Brighter Days Ahead campaign with the goal of providing folks with new music while looking forward to better days in the future. We hope this 45 and the stirring B-side can do that!

Black Market Brass - Chemical Plant Zone (Colemine Records) - PRESALE

7" Vinyl £5.99 Add to basket

Orders will be shipped Wednesday 5th May

A. Chemical Plant Zone / B. Sagat Theme

It's 1992. You're seven to twelve years old. What are you doing? You're probably biking home from Blockbuster with a Sonic the Hedgehog 2 cartridge. You’ve waited weeks to get your paws on it, but since it’s still a “new release,” it’s only a three day rental. No matter - you’ve already stocked a whole weekend’s worth of Surge and Fun Dip.

You fire up your Genesis. Your television screen erupts with a blinding flash of white light, as The Blue One tears across the screen leaving the letters S - E - G - A emblazoned in his path. You’re in a tizzy. Your thumbs begin to twitch in anticipation. Level two, CHEMICAL PLANT ZONE, is uncharted territory. Your palms start to get sweat as you see toxic sludge fill the screen. The Surge and the Fun Dip hit you at the same time. Rings, spin dashes, Chaos Emeralds...everything blurs into a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes and sounds and...

You snap out of it. It’s not the nineties. It’s 2021 and you’re in your 30s. Drats. The Good News: you’re holding the new “Chemical Plant Zone” 45 by Minneapolis rascals Black Market Brass, with 12-piece psych-afrobeat takes on 16-bit masterworks from Sonic 2 and Street Fighter. What more can be said...plug yourself in and turn to dust.

Evidence - Unlearning Vol.1 (Rhymesayers) - PRESALE

Pre-Order Double Vinyl LP £26.99 Add to basket
Pre-Order CD £10.99 Add to basket

Release Date: 25th June 2021

In March 2020, right as the whole world was entering into a transitional phase, Evidence released a single titled “Unlearning”. Now, a year later, Evidence launches the campaign for his upcoming album, Unlearning Vol. 1, picking up where the single of the same name left off, and going beyond.

Unlearning Vol. 1 pairs Evidence’s own production with works from The Alchemist, Nottz, Sebb Bash, Animoss, Mr. Green, V Don, Daringer and EARDRUM (QThree). This highlights perhaps an undervalued skill of Ev’s—his ability to collaborate with a multitude of producers on a project, while still creating an album with a cohesion and consistency rarely found in such extensive collaboration. While the album’s musical soundscape sets the scene, it's Ev’s gift for relatable yet inventively clever writing that really paints the picture, continually pulling the listener in. That said, a small but powerful cast of guest appearances also decorate the landscape, courtesy of stellar performances from Boldy James, Conway The Machine, Fly Anakin, Navy Blue, and Murkage Dave.

Tracklist:
1. Better You 2. Start The Day With A Beat 3. Sharks Smell Blood 4. Pardon Me 5. All Of That Said (feat. Boldy James) 6. Won’t Give Up The Danger (feat. Murkage Dave) 7. Moving On Up (feat. Conway The Machine) 8. Talking To The Audience 9. All Money 1983 10. Pray With An A (feat. Navy Blue) 11. Lost In Time (Park James) 12. Delay The Issue (feat. Fly Anakin) 13. Only Got One 14. Where We Going From Here..

Wes Montgomery - A Day in the Life (Elemental)

Limited Edition Gatefold 180g Vinyl LP £22.99 Add to basket

Reissue of the debut album on A&M Records by jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1967. Featuring Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Ray Barretto and Grady Tate. Arranged by Don Sebesky.

It reached n umber1 on the Billboard Jazz Album chart and number 2 on the R&B chart. Considered by fart he best of his three albums on A&M (in partnership with Creed Taylor's CTI Records), A Day in the Life features a plethora of star sidemen, such as Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Ray Barretto and Grady Tate, among others, as well as superb arrangements by Don Sebesky. The LP was masterfully engineered by Rudy Van Gelder.

Chic - Risqué (Half- Speed Remaster) (Rhino)

Heavyweight Vinyl LP + MP3 £14.99 Add to basket

On June 21, CHIC’s first three albums will be released individually on 180-gram vinyl. These versions of Chic, C’est Chic and Risqué feature the Nile Rodgers’ Signature Edition Remasters, which debuted last year as part of The Chic Organization 1977-1979 boxed set. Each album was remastered from the original Atlantic stereo tapes by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios. Rodgers served as executive producer and supervised the remastering with the approval of Bernard Edwards’ estate. To ensure exceptional sound quality, the albums were mastered at half-speed and pressed on 180-gram vinyl.

Other Mirror - Other Mirror (King Underground)

Vinyl LP £17.99 Add to basket

Other Mirror was formed by longtime friends, Jonny Cuba (Soundsci Producer), Amelie Chevalier (vocalist), and James Tilley (multi-instrumentalist). In 2018, the band found themselves creating music together, for a project that they had talked about starting since becoming school friends many years prior. Although this is the band’s debut album and debut on KingUnderground, the members who make up the group are far from newcomers.

Liam Bailey - Champion (Remix) feat. Black Thought b/w Ugly Truth (Remix) feat. Lee Scratch Perry (Big Crown)

7" Vinyl £8.99 Add to basket

A. Champion (Remix) feat. Black Thought / B. Ugly Truth (Remix) feat. Lee Scratch Perry

Liam Bailey follows up his “Ekundayo” album with this heavy hitting remix 7” featuring two absolute legends.

The A side is a remix of Champion featuring Black Thought of The Roots. Black Thought kills the first verse finding the pocket over the Leon Michels produced reggae banger designed to bust up woofers and blow out dance floors. Liam and Thought combine to sing praises to a woman worthy of all the admiration they can muster, and in doing so, they take what was already a classic to another level.

The B side is straight from the far flung corners of outer space. Producer Leon Michels strips down and revamps the album cut Ugly Truth, making room for the most special of guests, the one and only, Mr. Lee “Scratch” Perry. The Upsetter switches between singing and talking, one minute proclaiming his powers and the next playing with the title of the original tune. Some proper Lee Perry business alongside the already unstoppable chemistry of Liam Bailey and Leon Michels...An absolute Big Crown Surehot.

Brainstory - Seasons b/w Bye Bye (Big Crown)

7" Vinyl £8.99 Add to basket

A. Seasons / B. Bye Bye

Brainstory is back with a pairing of tunes that the world's top sommelier couldn’t hold a candle to. This gorgeous two-sider features the two vocal songs from their otherwise instrumental forthcoming EP, Ripe.

On Side A, Seasons showcase Brainstory’s sunny California soul and mixes in a touch of Roy Ayers east coast energy. The result is an infectious and uplifting tune penned at the beginning of quarantine with the hope of finding a brightside in the trouble the world is facing.

Sibe B, Bye Bye, is another stone cold B side ballad from the group that gave us Dead End. The Darling Dears of Rialto have recorded what is sure to become another staple in sweet soul sets around the globe. But, in true Brainstory fashion this tune is uniquely theirs. Elements of psych, hip hop and jazz distance it from their soul-loving peers.

The Gripsweats - G'on Use It Pt. 1 b/w G'on Use It Pt. 2 (Colemine Records)

7" Vinyl £5.99 Add to basket

A. G'on Use It Pt. 1 / B. G'on Use It Pt. 2

From a funky basement in Nashville, TN comes the third 45 from The Gripsweats. Nasty, vocal shout style NOLA funk. Heavy, dirty, raw, and in the cut. This one is meant for playing loud in the clubs. A classic part 1 / part 2 approach to this sweaty dancefloor burner.

Monophonics - It's Only Us b/w Get The Gold (Colemine Records)

7" Vinyl £5.99 Add to basket

A. It's Only Us / B. Get The Gold

“It’s Only Us” is the sound of Monophonics continuing to grow as songwriters, musicians, performers and people — reflecting on where they’ve been, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the years to come. The title track from their most recent album is arguably the song that epitomizes the album’s sonic palette best: soulful, psychedelic, and looking forward. It is now available as a 7-inch single. Including a bonus B-side titled “Get The Gold”.

The Winston Brothers - Winston Theme b/w Boiling Pot (Colemine Records)

7" Vinyl £5.99 Add to basket

A. Winston Theme / B. Boiling Pot

The Winston Brothers are taking Colemine back to its roots. Heavy drums, breakbeats, nasty funk, and all instrumental. The debut 45 from this German based funk powerhouse is just a tease for what’s to come from their forthcoming LP. Very much coming from the boom bap side of things and sharing production credits for Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, that makes sense. This is a 45 tailor made for DJs so grab doubles.

Black Market Brass - Omega b/w Maraka (Colemine Records)

7" Vinyl £5.99 Add to basket

A. Omega / B. Maraka

Black Market Brass is a Minneapolis-based group performing their own brand of originally composed Afrobeat/Afrofunk music, as well as completing authentic renditions of the classic 1970's West African sound. Taking their cues from the godfathers, the band draws on complex polyrhythmic percussion, driving bass lines, dizzying guitar interplay, rolling keyboards, and room-commanding brass. The result? An eclectic blend of cool deep funk and driving Afrobeat grooves that will lure you to the dance floor and never let you leave.

Roc Marciano - Mt. Marci (Fat Beats)

CD £13.99 Add to basket

Mt. Marci is the 8th studio album from legendary emcee / producer Roc Marciano. This new album is in conjunction with Josue Thomas of The Gallery Dept, and without question is a must have for the true music / Roc Marciano fan. This is Art That Kills.

MF Doom - Operation: Doomsday [Metal Face Records] - PRESALE

Pre-order Double Vinyl (Original Cover) £24.99 SOLD OUT

Pre-order Double Vinyl (Alternative Cover) £24.99 Add to basket

Pre Orders will begin shipping 4th June 2021

Original Cover
in a standard black pressing. Comes Bundled With An 18 X 24” Poster Of The Original Cover Art!! Back again on vinyl where it belongs.

Alternative Cover
2LP black vinyl edition with an 18 x 24” poster of the cover art (Alternative MC Sleeve).

MF DOOM's 1999 classic Operation: Doomsday is now presented on a premium grade LP, with audio re-mastered from the original Fondle'Em Records release, and a poster of the album cover art!

Underneath his mysterious metal mask, MF DOOM hides the cachet underground legends are made of. After KMD (his first group)’s 1994 sophomore album Bl_ck B_st_rds was shelved by Elektra in 1994 and his blood brother Subroc (one half of the sibling rap duo) passed away, surviving frontman Zev Love X mutated into the MC Avenger known as MF DOOM and the Rap world is better for it. This 19-cut deep album is ridiculously dope, in a bizarro Ol’ Dirty Bastard kind of way. Doom sounds either high or drunk on most of the tracks, his self-produced beats are gritty, and his rhyme styles are almost indecipherable. On arguably the best track, “Rhymes Like Dimes,” Doom weaves some pointed lyrics through his abstract wordplay, spitting ‘only in America could you find a way to earn a healthy buck / And still keep your attitude on self-destruct.’ Who You Think I Am? features DOOM‘s crew M.onster I.sland C.zars, while on “?” he trades hot verses with former Columbia artist Kurious Jorge. Doom’s avant-garde ghetto-rhyme philosophies take even more intentionally weird twists on “Tick, Tick...” where he and guest MC MF Grimm’s flows warble over a rhythm track whose tempo speeds up and slows down continually. The comic-book themed skits, will help take you deep into the mind of an MC who is as otherworldly as they come. And in today’s bland commercial Rap universe, Operation: Doomsday’s left-of-center beats and rhymes are the perfect remedy.

MF Doom - Operation: Doomsday (Silver Sleeve 2012 Version) [Metal Face Records] - PRESALE

Pre-order Double Vinyl (Silver Cover) £24.99 Add to basket

Pre-orders will begin shipping 4th June 2021.

This special edition 2LP package comes housed in an a silver jacket featuring DOOM’s infamous metal mask icon embossed on it.

Each record is pressed on black vinyl. An absolute must have for the DOOM completist. The long awaited reissue of DOOM's first solo gem, Operation: Doomsday. Remastered from the original Fondle 'Em 1999 issue. Side A is listed as "Side Zero". Side B is "Side One". And so forth. Underneath his mysterious metal mask, MF DOOM hides the cachet underground legends are made of. After KMD (his first group)’s 1994 sophomore album Bl_ck B_st_rds was shelved by Elektra in 1994 and his blood brother Subroc (one half of the sibling rap duo) passed away, surviving frontman Zev Love X mutated into the MC Avenger known as MF DOOM and the Rap world is better for it. This 19-cut deep album is ridiculously dope, in a bizarro Ol’ Dirty Bastard kind of way. Doom sounds either high or drunk on most of the tracks, his self-produced beats are gritty, and his rhyme styles are almost indecipherable. On arguably the best track, “Rhymes Like Dimes,” Doom weaves some pointed lyrics through his abstract wordplay, spitting ‘only in America could you find a way to earn a healthy buck / And still keep your attitude on self-destruct.’ Who You Think I Am? features DOOM‘s crew M.onster I.sland C.zars, while on “?” he trades hot verses with former Columbia artist Kurious Jorge. Doom’s avant-garde ghetto-rhyme philosophies take even more intentionally weird twists on “Tick, Tick...” where he and guest MC MF Grimm’s flows warble over a rhythm track whose tempo speeds up and slows down continually. The comic-book themed skits, will help take you deep into the mind of an MC who is as otherworldly as they come. And in today’s bland commercial Rap universe, Operation Doomsday’s left-of-center beats and rhymes are the perfect remedy.

Czarface & MF Doom - Czarface Meets Metal Face (Silver Age) - PRESALE

Pre-order Vinyl LP £23.99 Add to basket

Pre Orders will begin shipping 4th June 2021.

Rising from the wreckage of a war torn planet, Czarface joins forces with MF DOOM in the epic Czarface Meets Metal Face! Blending DOOM's trademark abstractions and CZARFACE's in-your-face lyrical attack, this album is ripe with cartoon violence, societal observations and pop culture musings. Over banging beats provided by The Czar-Keys, the armored team give you the witty unpredictable treats any hip-hop fan can sink their fangs into. Expect beats, rhymes, and metal as Czarface controlled by WU-TANG CLAN powerhouse Inspectah Deck and 7L & Esoteric team up with everyone's favorite villain, MF DOOM. With track titles like "Nautical Depth","Meddle With Metal", "Astral Traveling" to "Madness of Badness" this album packs a punch with 16 brand new tracks. Add that with features from Open Mike Eagle and Jedi Mind Tricks' Vinnie Paz, we promise you mind-bending metaphors and brain-melting beats as this powerful pairing sounds off in March 2018! Long time rumored full length collaboration album from Czarface and MF DOOM, fan favorite "Ka-Bang" from Czarface's 2015 sophomore LP Every Hero Needs A Villain had fans begging for more. Cover Art by clothing brand Mishka's head designer Lamour Supreme. Album features Vinnie Paz of the legendary Jedi Mind Tricks, and Open Mike Eagle, who's most recent album "Brick Body Kids Still Daydream" was on Rolling Stone & Pitchforks top 50 albums of 2017 list. The albums lead video "Meddle With Metal" done by Animation Firm TFU Studios who have worked with MF DOOM prior on the "All Caps" video as well as with Mayer Hawthorne, Biz Markie, Cut Chemist and more!

Pharoahe Monch & Buckwild - "Get Down" Remix (Coalmine/Fatbeats)

Translucent Purple 7" Vinyl £14.99 Add to basket

A. Main ft. DJ Revolution / B. Instrumental

Hip-hop production icon Buckwild flips Pharoahe Monch’s “Get Down”—originally produced by M-Phazes—into a jazzy slice of boom-bap that sounds like an unearthed gem from the Golden Era. Heads will no doubt remember their timeless chemistry on classics such as, "Stress" by Organized Konfusion. To complete the cypher, DJ Revolution puts his incredible skills on display with a DITC-themed scratch hook. This release is limited to just 500 units and pressed on translucent purple vinyl, with artwork designed by Dewey Saunders (Anderson .Paak, Future) and Blue Note-inspired donuts. Can you dig it?

Andy Cooper - L.I.S.T.E.N. Lyrical Innovation Supplying The Ears Need (Unique)

Vinyl LP £17.99 Add to basket
CD £8.99 Add to basket

Andy Cooper is back with his third solo LP ‘L.I.S.T.E.N.’ (Lyrical Innovation Supplying The Ear’s Need), bringing his usual musical and vocal explosions to an expectant audience. Ten tracks overflow with Andy’s special brand of high-agility rhyming over flavour-packed production, offering heads a wild ride through Cooper’s hip-hop amusement park.
Taking just over three minutes to prove he's 'The Man', Cooper's opening act is to wreck the mic with superlative, lung-collapsing, seatbelt-smashing show-n-prove over a full phat funk buffet co-produced by The Allergies' DJ Moneyshot.

Side A :
Deluxe / L.I.S.T.E.N. / The Man / Struttin' / Sinking In
Side B :
Tension Release / Heart / Fly Tonite / What Do You Do? / Stand On Up

Danger Doom - The Mouse And The Mask (Metal Face Records Repress)

Digipak CD £15.99 Add to basket

The Mouse and the Mask was produced by Lex super-producer Danger Mouse and masked supervillain MF Doom. The album features Cee-Lo Green (also of Gnarls Barkley), Talib Kweli, Ghostface Killah, Money Mark and the cast of cult cartoon show Aqua Teen Hunger Force and ten years on remains Doom's best selling album to date.

Tracks:
El Chupa Nibre / Sofa King Feat. MF DOOM / The Mask Feat. Ghostface Killah / Perfect Hair / Benzi Box Feat. CeeLo Green / Old School Rules Feat. Talib Kweli / A.T.H.F. (Aqua Teen Hunger Force) / Basket Case / No Names Feat. Money Mark / Crosshairs / Mince Meat /Vats Of Urine / Space Hos / Bada Bing

Arthur Verocai – Arthur Veroca (Mr Bongo Reissue)

Gatefold Vinyl LP £18.99 Add to basket

Official limited reissue of the ultimate Brazilian classic: Arthur Verocai - Arthur Verocai. Comes in a gatefold sleeve with unreleased photo's, remastered audio and a printed innersleeve. Mr Bongo releases the collectors edition of this Brazilian classic. Originally released in 1972, the self-titled album by Arthur Verocai became one of the most sought after releases from Brazil to date. The last copy on ebay went over 5000 USD. The entire album is a true masterpiece, containing funk flavorings, a touch of folk, jazz style soloing, 20 piece string arrangements, the blending of electronics and keyboards with organic sounds, and superb soundtrack style music. Madlib: 'I could listen to this album everyday for the rest of my life'

Metal Fingers - Special Herbs (Nature Sounds Repress)

Volume 1 & 2 CD £14.99 Add to basket
Volume 3 & 4 CD £14.99 Add to basket
Volume 5 & 6 CD £14.99 Add to basket
Volume 7 & 8 CD £14.99 Add to basket
Volume 9 & 0 CD £14.99 Add to basket

Reissues with New Cover Artwork!

MF DOOM is the man in the iron mask who will be remembered as one of the most influental artist's from his era. The most mysterious figure in hip-hop is also known as one of the most popular, supplying beats and rhymes for Gorillaz, De La Soul, Madlib, Danger Mouse, and Wu-Tang Clan, and drawing praise from heavyweights like Just Blaze, Nas, and Mos Def. Since 2002, DOOM has released numerous volumes of Special Herbs, one of the longest-running instrumental series in hip-hop history.

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - The Witch Doctor (Blue Note Reissue) - PRESALE

Pre-order Vinyl LP £32.49 Add to basket

Pre-orders will begin shipping 4th June 2021.

Recorded in 1961, but not released until 1967, The Witch Doctor features one of Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers’ all-time great line-ups: Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Lee Morgan on trumpet, Bobby Timmons on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass. Shorter and Morgan each contribute two tunes, with Timmons penning one. Highlights include Morgan’s spectacular 6/8 modal piece “Afrique” and Shorter’s minor masterpiece “Those Who Sit And Wait.” Bobby Timmons brings the deep soul goods on his composition “A Little Busy,” and the album closes with a fleet-footed romp through Clifford Jordan’s tune “Lost and Found.” Blue Note Records’ Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series is produced by Joe Harley and features all-analog, mastered-from-the-original-master-tapes, 180g audiophile vinyl reissues in deluxe gatefold packaging. Mastering is by Kevin Gray (Cohearent Audio) and vinyl is manufactured at Record Technology Incorporated (RTI).

Celeste - Not Your Muse (Polydor)

Deluxe Version Vinyl LP + Booklet + MP3 Download £25.99 Add to basket

Black Vinyl - Single card reverse board sleeve with printed insert - Vinyl label printed disco bag design by Sophie McElligott - Download card with full 12 track album audio

The debut album from the alluring soulful Celeste. The 25-year-old British-Jamaican, who grew up in Brighton, started singing around 10 years ago when she was inspired by hearing Elton John's Your Song.

She showcases a melting pot of influences ranging from soulful greats Aretha Franklin, Minnie Riperton etc to the cosmic sounds of jazz experimentalists Kamasi Washington, Thelonious Monk, Sun-Ra and Alice Coltrane, via the raw urgency of Amy Winehouse’s early releases. The soul-drenched songs match her raw, expressive vocal tone that cascade the listening ears like hot butter over a fresh slice.

Tracklist

Side A
Ideal Woman | Strange | Tonight Tonight | Stop This Flame | Tell Me Something I Don't Know | Not Your Muse

Side B
Beloved | Love is Back | A Kiss | The Promise | A Little Love | Some Goodbyes Come with Hellos

Gray - Shades Of...(Ubiquity)

Limited Grey Triple Vinyl LP + Booklet + MP3 Download £59.99 Add to basket

Repress 3LP on Ubiquity Recordings.

April 29th, 1979, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Michael Holman met for the first time at "The Canal Zone" party, and decided to start a band together. Gradually, they invited various Downtown artists to join the group; first Shannon Dawson, then Wayne Clifford, then Nick Taylor and eventually Vincent Gallo. In 1981, Basquiat named his industrial sound band, Gray. Jean named the band after Gray's Anatomy, an important reference source for his later paintings and the perfect name to capture the haunting, machine-like ambient music the band wrote and performed.

Gray’s “Shades Of... Anthology” is a reissue of the band’s previously limited self-released album, plus unreleased material and remixes from: Todd Rundgren, Hank Shocklee, King Britt, Sal P (Liquid Liquid), Deantoni Parks, Tewz, Free The Robots and The Gaslamp Killer with features from Amir Yaghmai and Kool Keith!

Tracklist:

A1 “Wig” A2 “Pillar of Salt” A3 “The Mysterious Ashley Bickerton” A4 “The Man Who”
B1 “Gauntlet of Wriggly’s” B2 “Eight Hour Religion” B3 “Figure It Out For Yourself” B4 “Dan Asher”
C1 “Cut It Up High Priest” C2 “I Know” C3 “Mockingbird” C4 “Washington, D.C. 20013”
D1 “Bad Fool (Red Skelton)” D2 “Life On The Streets” D3 “Doktor Dhoom” D4 “Drum Mode”
E1 “Sweetness Of The New” E2 “Dan Asher (King Britt Mudd Club Mix)” E3 “Sweetness of The New (Free The Robots Remix)” E4 “I Know (Tewz Remix ft. Kook Keith and DJ Flesh One)” E5 “Bad Fool (Hank Shocklee Remix)” E6 “Wig (Sal P. & Sean Bee Wigout)”
F1 “Doktor Dhoom (Todd Rundgren Remix)” F2 “Drum Mode (Deantoni Parks & We Are Dark Angels Remix)” F3 “Life On The Streets (Todd Rundgren Remix)” F4 “Bad Fool (The Gaslamp Killer Revision w/ Amir Yaghmai)”

Hank Mobley - Soul Station (Blue Note)

Audiophile 180g Reissue Vinyl LP £22.99 Add to basket

If the title of "Mr. Blue Note" had been given out to a performer, tenor-saxophonist Hank Mobley would have been its recipient. Mobley's smooth tone and style defined the hard bop era. He put plenty of emotion and intensity into every note he played. During 1955-70, Blue Note's greatest years, Mobley led 25 Blue Note albums and appeared as a sideman on many others. Soul Station, a quartet gem from 1960, is unusual for Hank in that Mobley is the only horn, heading a group that includes pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Blakey; needless to say, a stellar rhythm section! This recording features Hank Mobley at the peak of his powers, taking lengthy solos full of passion and drive. His four originals include his most famous composition, "This I Dig Of You", which he squeezes for every ounce of its expressive power. Hank plays with heartbreaking lyricism on "If I Should Lose You". If proof were ever needed of Hank Mobley's greatness, Soul Station is perfect evidence.

Holy Hive - I Don't Envy Yesterdays b/w Color It Easy (Big Crown)

7" Vinyl £8.99 Add to basket

A. I Don't Envy Yesterdays / B. Color It Easy

A hold-over release while they complete their second studio album, this 7” release contains two new tracks from trio Holy Hive - the breezy ‘I Don’t Envy Yesterdays’ backed with the stripped-back ‘Color It Easy’. Both are mixtures of soul, funk and folk that continue the acclaim that greeted 2020 debut ‘Float Back To You’.

El Michels Affair - Yeti Season (Big Crown Records)

Deluxe Box Set £35.99 Add to basket
Limited Edition Translucent Blue Vinyl LP £19.99 Add to basket
Vinyl LP £18.99 Add to basket
CD £10.99 Add to basket

Fresh off of their 2020 offering Adult Themes, El Michels Affair is back with a new full-length release. Titled Yeti Season, this newest album has everything we’ve come to expect from EMA’s patented cinematic style of instrumental soul music.

Where Adult Themes inspired a soundtrack to an imaginary film, Yeti Season brings us to a different place in time—with new inspirations. Taken with Turkish-styled funk and an almost Mumbai-esque take on soul, El Michels Affair offers us a different kind of drama and imagination with Yeti Season.

Limited Edition Big Crown Deluxe Box Set includes:

– Opaque Red coloured LP.

– 50 page children’s book inspired by the album. Written by Francine Prose and illustrated by Omar “El Oms” Juarez.

Elzhi - Seven Times Down Eight Times Up (Glow365)

Gatefold Double Vinyl LP £23.99 Add to basket

Elzhi, the “Syllable Sensei,” is back again with a highly anticipated release titled “Seven Times Down Eight Times Up,” This 12-track LP is a collage of memories and metaphors layered atop beats crafted by up-and-coming producer JR Swiftz. With collabs from Detroit artists, Monica Blaire and Fes Rock on two of the album's stand-out tracks, Elzhi’s new masterpiece showcases his ability to create meaningful concepts while Detroit’s own comedian and “Real Hip Hop Advocate” Foolish provides commentary throughout the album.

As one of Elzhi’s most cohesive releases to date, his wordsmithing abilities paint images of royalty, excellence, and zombies wearing Gucci, all with an underlying message of resilience. “Seven times Down Eight Times Up” is the mantra for a year that has seen lots of “downs,” and reminds us that no matter what we're faced with, we will remain undefeated, and get back up after being knocked down by this machete-wielding maniac we call “life.”

Nitin Sawhney - Immigrants (Sony)

Double Vinyl LP £24.99 Add to basket

‘Immigrants’, the new album (and official sequel to seminal 1999 Mercury Prize nominated ‘Beyond Skin’) from the multi award winning producer/songwriter/DJ/instrumentalist/composer/cultural pioneer Nitin Sawhney. The album is a unique celebration of immigrants around the world and showcases works inspired and contributed to by artists who either identify themselves as immigrants, are from immigrant heritage or wish to express support for those international immigrants who have found themselves judged or disadvantaged by pure accident of birth.

The Kid Laroi - F*ck Love (Columbia)

Vinyl LP £19.99 Add to basket

F*ck Love is the debut commercial mixtape by Australian rapper and singer the Kid Laroi. It was released on 24 July 2020, by Grade A Productions and Columbia Records. Production was handled by twenty-one record producers, including Benny Blanco, Bobby Raps, Cashmere Cat and Taz Taylor. It features guest appearances from Corbin Smidzik, Juice Wrld and Lil Mosey. A deluxe edition of the mixtape was released on 6 November 2020. F*ck Love received a nomination for Best Hip Hop Release at the 2020 ARIA Music Awards. It reached number one on the Australian ARIA album chart in February 2021, making the Kid Laroi the youngest Australian solo artist to reach number one on the chart.

Action Bronson & Statik Selektah - Well Done (Dcide)

Reissue Coloured Double Vinyl LP £33.99 Add to basket

What do you get when you combine the best hip-hop producer in Boston with one of the best upcoming lyricists in NY? Well Done. This is an album that couldn't have a better fitting title, as it will surely fill the void hip-hop fans around the world have been yearning to fill. In the style of classic producer & MC albums, Statik & Bronson deliver intricate rhymes and head-nodding beats on this noteworthy release.

Coming straight out of Flushing, Queens, NYC, Action Bronson personifies the golden era of East Coast, New York hip-hop. Repping Boston, New York & New Hampshire Statik Selektah is known as the "east coast boom bap ambassador" and holds down weekly radio slots on Eminem's Shade 45. He has produced & worked with Nas, Joey Bada$$, 2 Chainz, Mac Miller, 50 Cent, Jadakiss, John Legend, Wale, Bun B & many more. Check out "Well Done” and get reminded of how good rap used to sound.

Smif-N-Wessun - Bucktown 360 (Nervous)

7" Vinyl £11.99 Add to basket

A. Bucktown / B. Instrumental

Tek and Steele teamed up with two of the track’s original producers, DJ Evil Dee and Mr. Walt of Da Beatminerz, to pay a 360-degree homage to their beloved Brooklyn.

“Bucktown 360” serves as a nostalgic trip down memory lane through the eyes and experiences of the hip-hop duo.

“We analyze our collection, as well as our individual successes and failures throughout this amazing journey,” Tek and Steele said in a statement. “As we do that, we always find ourselves 360 degrees back home in Bucktown."

Main Source – Fakin' The Funk (Mr Bongo)

Limited Edition Neon Green 7" Vinyl £13.99 Add to basket

A. Remix / B. Instrumental

When the film ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ was released in 1992, an EP of music from the film was dropped almost simultaneously. That EP, cheekily titled ‘White Men Can’t Rap’, featured a couple of exclusive gems, notably Gang Starr’s ‘Now You’re Mine’ and a cut from Main Source called ‘Fakin’ the Funk’.

The only single borne of that six-track EP was the Main Source track, released in remixed form on Wild Pitch records the same year. No surprise, it was head and shoulders above the rest.

Opening with those unmistakable harmonies from Main Ingredient’s ‘Magic Shoes’, the intro segues into a crisp beat borrowed from Grady Tate’s frequently sampled ‘Be Black Baby’ from 1969. Throw in a sprinkle of Kool & The Gang and you’ve got a track that would fit seamlessly onto Main Source’s masterpiece of an album, ‘Breaking Atoms’.

Instead, it’s the group’s last hurrah, the final collaboration between K-Cut, Sir Scratch and Large Professor before the latter departed the trio. It’s fitting that he saves one of his best vocal performances for last, railing at sell-outs with the assistance of his long-term collaborator Neek the Exotic.

Never released before on an official 7”, it’s a track that has lost none of its appeal, and the remix is the definitive version of this classic.

Nas - Illmatic (Sony)

Reissue Clear Vinyl LP + Download Code £19.99 Add to basket

Illmatic” is the iconic debut studio album by American rapper Nas. Originally released in April 1994 on Columbia Records. A x10 song album, re-pressed here on limited, ultra-clear transparent LP Vinyl (with download code insert).

Gene Russell - Talk To My Lady (Real Gone Music)

Remastered Vinyl LP £22.99 Add to basket

In between acting as Producer on all of the Black Jazz label releases, keyboardist Gene Russell also cut two fine albums for the imprint, of which this is the second, released in 1973.

Judging by the quality of their respective solo outings for the label, the fact that Russell’s band includes bassist Henry Franklin and guitarist Calvin Keys bodes very, very well for the quality of this record. And indeed, Talk to My Lady represents a sterling stylistic leap for Russell from his New Direction album, which was the first release issued on Black Jazz; here, he’s leading an electric band instead of the basic piano trio format found on the former record, and playing a number of original, soul jazz compositions like “Get Down” and the title tune.

As for the covers, both “Me and Mrs. Jones” and “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” are heartfelt renditions given a little extra bounce by Russell’s ivory tickling and Franklin’s expressive bass playing in particular, while the version of “My Favorite Things” goes way out beyond what John Coltrane played on his original Atlantic studio version. It’s hard to go wrong with a Black Jazz album and you won’t on this one from the label’s creative helm.