Press Play #70 - Mr Mendel

Since the seasons on both sides of the equator are about to head off in different directions, i thought it apt to drop two Press Play mixes at once, one for each hemisphere if you like. This one here from Dutch Funk, Soul & Disco DJ Mr Mendel is all about ghetto blasters and summer grooving, while the one in the post below from Andy Pye traverses more insular wintery sounds. 

Mr Mendel, for those that dont already know, is a man to keep an eye on. Not that he's new on the scene; Mendel hosts top class nights I Love Vinyl and The Daisy Age in his hometown Amsterdam and he's been digging hard since he made the cross over to more varied sounds from his Hip Hop early days. One need only to listen to any one of the mixes he has up on his soundcloud page to discover the depth of his skills at both digging and spinning. One might argue that Mendel is amongst the next generation of a lineage that runs through Rahaan, Kon & Amir, Rich Medina, Sadar Bahar and even our friend Marcel Vogel. With some edits of his own beginning to surface, it's pretty clear the guy has a little bit of what we love written all over his future.

As always i feel blessed to have dj's like Mr Mendel drop in on a.n.o.e. Thank you so much for this truly feel good session Mendel. Get on it people...

press press play #70 - mr mendel - sunshine boogie

Track List:
(to follow soon)

Press Play #69 - Andy Pye

I love a good Balearic mix; done right, it can open portals of light leaks on antique memories of lush places you've never visited. It needn't even be beaches, as was traditionally expected of or referenced in this somewhat undefinable category. Andy Pye curates an extensive and truly wonderful series of mixes with his Balearic Social radio show, if you know this area of music, you're already tuned in. People from all over the planet who obsess about music more than most have featured; Moonboots, Graeme Fisher, Paul Jenks, Seahawks, Frank Tope & Balearik Soul amongst them. Andy's one of them, those that obsess about music more than most, i mean. Actually he does the job very well; I'm delighted to have a mix made especially for us here at a.n.o.e. from the man. It's fitting also that it turns out to be called 'Tropical Winter', so those of us heading into the darker colder hours will find the selection goes well with pale sunned mornings and icy sunsets. Thank you so much Andy.

press press play #69 - andy pye - tropical winter

Drop Out Orchestra Interview

Thanks to the help of one Dicky Trisco, I managed to get some questions to the two guys behind Drop Out Orchestra. Their 6 track EP of original Disco 'The Power Of Music' is currently in stores and doing the rounds with a bunch of underground heavyweights. Check out clips of the release after the words if you havent heard them yet; my favourite by far is 'The Blue Train'.

Here's the interview, it went rather well i think...

Tell us about Drop Out Orchestra, How did you meet and decide to work together? Who does what in the group?

Right now there are two of us, Gary Baldi who djs and does most of the studio work, and Inko who is the guitar and bass player. We've known each other for years, and we've played on each others tracks a lot. Somehow the idea to bring the electric bass to the djs booths came up, and we took it from there.

I am loving the 6 originals release, as well as all the remixes that you guys have put through File Under Disco. Are they brand new tracks or have they had a longer life? How did you guys decide who would should remix your tracks? Did it concern you what the artists you chose might do with the originals?

Glad you like em. All six are brand new, we wrote them specifically for this project, we wanted to make an ep with a special sound - lots of live instruments, lots of strings, no vocals.
We listen closely to what the remixers do, but part of the charm to us is not to have too many opinions on what their work, but rather let them play with the parts as they please. The end result is usually more interesting that way.

I see you have been touring all over the place, obviously playing out is a very important thing for you as artists. Would you say the music you make is designed primarily for playing out? I mean is the dance floor the main reason you make music?

Yes and no. Most of our tracks are made to fit our performance, others are more pop oriented with vocals, but we don't play them so much live. We'd get bored if we did only the one sound all the time.

What's it like working with File Under Disco?

Fantastic. Mr Dicky Trisco has to be one of the most professional label managers in the business, and we've seen a few.

Please tell us about your biggest musical influences and some of your absolutely favourite records.

Gary Baldi: Biggest musical influence has to be Kraftwerk, Beach Boys and Chic. Records I always return to are Trans-Europe Express, Pet Sounds, the first two Ramones albums and Madman Across The Water by Elton John. Among the dance records I still think work today and that I still play out would be Brothers by DAF, Number One by Ray Mang, French Kiss by Lil Louis. And Over and Over by Sylvester is simply untouchable.

Clearly File Under Disco is all about current original disco productions, it's an exciting project given that so much of the Disco we get to hear is in a re-edit format (i have no issue with the basic premiss of doing re-edits of course). Tell us do edits actually play any part in influencing the way in which you make your particular brand of Disco?

We only make edits to play out. Sure, some of that stuff is cool but we much prefer original stuff. There's a lack of good songwriters in our genre. Where are the Gamble & Huffs, the Thom Bells and the Arthur Russells of the 2010s?

Lastly could you tell us what your game plan for the next year is. Where to from here?

We'll be touring a lot, making new music - probably turning to more vocal stuff for a while now - and perhaps we'll be trying out new tricks for the live set.
Thanks for the chat, nice one.

Press Play #68 - Marcel Vogel

Ok well i missed my February deadline on a bunch of things that were meant to go up on anoe, not unusual really given the frenetic pace of life outside of the blog these days, not unusual given the ever increasing gaps between posts on the blog. It should be said though, i continue at the very least to hunt out new (and old) participants for our top line of mixes; sterling dj's who love their trade more than air... well almost. I have some other things that must go up too..

So February has traditionally become the month in which Marcel Vogel drops in on our little corner of the www and hands over a new mix for the Press Play series. As already mentioned, i missed the February deadline, so rather belatedly here it is. The mix comes off the back of Marcel's recent mini tour of the States and includes a few tunes from digging sessions out there. What a great mix it is too. Once again, as is often the case when listening to one of Marcel's sets, i'm inspired to go record hunting, as well as to harass the man about who done what track. 

Mr Vogel's label Lumberjacks in Hell is really doing the business right now what with those killer Hugo H tracks hitting shelves about a month back. If you aren't aware, however, that Marcel has also launched a second label called Intimate Friends then 'like' this page. With its focus on original music and some amazing producers, I.F. promises to be a rather splendid affair. I've heard a bunch of tracks made for the label and can say i'm itching to get my hands on all of them. Friends kicks off with a ltd edition 7" featuring remixes of Marcel and Milos Gersi's remake of 'Body to Body'; one by Ruf Dug, the other by Jordan Czamanski, both killer items.

For now however, download this...
 
press play #68 - marcel vogel - who let jeff in?

Press Play #67 - Rahaan (pt3)

And so the final part of Rahaan's 6 hr Basement Session. Truly great stuff indeed. I'm hoping there are at least a few completest types out there who'll have grabbed all three volumes. I certainly did.

Rah tells me that he started dj'ing in 1988, but that he was buying records from '84. I asked him if he knew what the first record he bought was, to which he said that 'The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight' by Dominatrix was one of the first (though he couldn't be sure if it was the very first). I have twisted dreams about going through Rah or Theo's records.... I know, it's not normal.

So there it is folks, the whole enchilada, the full 6 hours. It's been  an honour to have the man drop in and share his grooves with us. I'll definitely be bothering more great dj's to join the series and am hoping to get a couple of guys back in for a visit. Keep em peeled....

press play #67 - rahaan - the basement session pt 3

gift

It's been another quiet year on a.n.o.e., well relatively quiet compared to it's formative years. That said, as far as Press Play mixes go, we've had a bunch of really top class guests hand over some amazing journeys into sound.... and for this i am truly grateful (kinda like in the prayer... kinda). More of the same in 2013 as i continue to bother great dj's to sign on for the greatest mix series on the www.... well kinda....

By way of saying thank you to you readers I wanted to hand over something both special and mysterious, as i did last year for Christmas. Sometimes it's best to just listen to a track without knowing who it's by or when and where it was made. Listening without preconceived ideas or parameters so to speak. Here's wishing you all a fantastic year ahead... may it be prosperous, good fun and a treat.

gift

Press Play #66 - Theo Lawrence

I'm really quite chuffed about this mix from Theo Lawrence. Theo and I have been chatting over the www for sometime now, he's a digger/ collector of the Balearic'ish variety. Obviously we share an interest in lesser known records from all over the planet. Anyway I've been bugging the man to do a mix for this here blog because i believe he has some wonderful records in his collection, turns out he does indeed.

So maybe you're wondering who Theo Lawrence is, well he's a transit van driver mainly in the north west of the UK. He dj's occasionally (personally i think he should do this a lot more), but mainly his very deep passion for music gets a thorough workout over the many hours spend on the road. He says 'I listen to a lot of really great mixes of evidently quite amazing record collectors with some serious diggin skills going on. It's where i listen to music the most, and possibly how i enjoy it the most....'. Without wanting to sound like a clever dick, I'd have to say there is a definite travelogue feel to Theo's brilliant 'Fragments Of Freedom pt1.' mix, but also a surprising essence of sunshine for someone who drives the dark northen roads. What i really wanna say is i love love love this mix a lot, it's Press Play quality for sure. The fact that Theo is not a big name dj matters not, what matters is that you know him now and you'll surely remember his name once you give this a listen... i reckon! Mix of the year? Definitely perfect for the holidays!

Huge thanks go out to you Theo, for the rest of ya, you know where to get it... Happy holidays everyone.

press play #66 - theo lawrence - fragments of freedom pt1.

Press Play #65 - Olivier Boogie

Recently Lumberjacks released their 8th 12". Lumberjacks in Hell that is, of course. On the flipside of the big Red Greg 'Inner Rhythm' edit are two burning hot tracks by Amsterdam resident O.Boogie aka Olivier Boogie or even Olivier Tuineir. As far back as 2007, if you can remember that far back, Rush Hour Recordings included the man on their excellent Beat Dimensions compilation (the first one) and followed it up with a couple of 12"s with various other players (check Discogs if ya llike). Since then Olivier has gained a reputation as a very much on fire DJ with appearances in New York, his home town Amsterdam, Flanders and a bunch of places in between. With the least amount of searching you'll find a few eclectic mixes already on line by the Boogie, some of which i have heard and loved. The Boogie plays a heady mix of edits, hard to find tracks, current underground releases and forgotten gems, across a tight range of genre's.

So, continuing with December's big Press Play push (which will probably spill over into January at this rate), I'm delighted to hand over this new mix for your boogieing pleasure, and you will surely boogie, from O. Boogie.... Thanks so much Olivier for dropping by, the rest of you know exactly what to do next...

press play #56 - olivier boogie - the boogie is on....
 
Track list:

Pollyn - Sometimes You Know (DJ Harvey Remix)
Sir Won - Hooked (Kon's Nite Time Remix)
Dr. togo - Be Free (Extended Version)
Chris Rea - Josephine (Le Edit 123)
Boof - Joi Is Smiling
Intrigue - I Like It (TZ Would Rather Have The Money Edit)
Patchworks Ginger Xpress - Brother's On The Slide (Brooklyn Mix)
Unlimited Touch - In The Middle (Jski Extended)
Salsoul Orchestra - Ooh I Love It (Love Break)
Ten City - Devotion (Melon Drumapella Edit)
Pezzner - Mesh (Zepp01 Remix)
Carol Jiani - Hit 'N Run Lover (Ebokai Edit)
Central Line - Suprise Suprise (Olivier Boogie Edit)
Wuf Ticket - The Key (Numatik Edit)
Eli Escobar - Come Go With Me

Press Play #64 - Rahaan (pt2)

December should be rather excellent on the ol' blog if all goes according to plan, a month of heavyweight Press Play action along with a few track posts thrown in for good measure in fact. First up is the second part of Rahaan's epic 6hr 'Basement Session'.If you're a fan like i am or if you enjoyed pt1 you're already downloading pt2. If you're just discovering the man then read this and check out both parts. Rahaan goes deeper and deeper into Disco & Funk madness, spinning both classic underground hits and plenty far lesser known items. Being that Rah is from Chicago, he has an insiders knowledge of the practically  insurmountable history that went down as dance music flourished over three decades in the city. Is it corny to say it's in his blood and you can hear it? Anyway thanks again to the man and keep em peeled for the final 2 hrs...

press play #64 - rahaan - the basement session pt2

Press Play #63 - Rahaan (pt1)

Well it's not like I need to explain who Rahaan is, except to say that along with Sadar Bahar, Theo Parrish, KDJ and Marcel Vogel, he's at the top of my personal top 5 Dj's list (yeah i know lists suck). It is thusly a big big thing for me to have the man drop in with a 6hr exclusive set for a.n.o.e. Yip you read that right, 6hr's of pure Rahaan grooving. I'm gonna put the entire session up in 3 parts of more or less 2hr sections over the next month or so. Rahaan digs deep with generally hard to find Disco bits n' pieces, Afro goodies, funkyfied Funk, Soulful Gospel, some House gems, a few Latin bombs and some uncategorisable stuff. The mixing is right on the money Rahaan style, it's a monster pack of beauties and beasts, plus it's an uplifting, deeply moving and damn near religious session. Grab it, share it, turn it up and get your groove on, right there in your lounge, studio, office, kitchen, basement, garden shack, wherever, now!.... Dance i said, Dance!

I have to say thank you so much to head Lumberjack Em Vee for hooking up the connection and also a massive thanks and big love to the Dj's Dj Rahaan for this epic mix.

press play #63 - rahaan - the basement session pt1

DOO on File Under Disco

I had a bit of a moment playing Ron Basejam's remix of Drop Out Orchestra's 'Day Vague' at my last gig. Hearing it on a big system was quiet special, this is a hot hot remix that deftly combines delicious House and Disco elements in a very deep (there just isnt another word for it) way. The crowd of course loved it, especially the girls (usually a good sign in my book).

So the 12", which is a taster of an upcoming 6 track release from DOO called 'The Power Of Music' (out in February), has the aforementioned Basejam monster and a fantastic Dicky Trisco remix of 'Blue Train' on the flip. Instead of me describing the tracks with limiting references and inadequate lingo for you, check the soundclips below instead and grab it in stores over the next days.

Mr Trisco's File Under Disco is getting lots of attention from underground good guys from all over the planet, it is a testament to the kind of quality new original Disco the label is pushing. Ashley Beedle, Rahaan, Bill Brewster, Harri, Downtown Party Network and Jacques Renault are amongst those dropping the new 12" and showing love for these two future classics. Now on their 3rd release File Under Disco are already a go to imprint for discerning floor pleasers but also a label that's pushing the Disco sound forward; Nu Disco this is not, rather you'll find calling it Modern Disco, Disco Disco or even just Disco more accurate. Support!!

Free Association

So much good music around, so little time to write anything half decent about it.That said things are picking up on a.n.o.e...

Many moons ago Andrew Allsgood contributed a lovely mix to our then fledgeling Press Play series, this just as he was beginning to make his way into international waters with his unique Rock/ Dub/ Disco edits. Over the years Andrew and I have chatted a fair bit over the www, more recently he mentioned a project that he'd been developing with Alister Johnson aka Catalist (a guy who incidentally rocked local dance floors on his recent visit to South Africa). Well it seems Alister & Andrew have their first ep hitting store shelves in vinyl format pretty damn shortly; Their debut Free Association record is, as i had imagined, mad good. You can listen to at least one of the ep's tracks 'Goodie Goodie' here on youtube, it's a dubbed to hell 'n back reshuffle of... you got it 'Money' (the Bob-A-Rella version i think) with lots of extra production, twists and general bump and hustle! Damn fine! The rest of the ep excites as much and it also contains 'River Styx', an exquisite mid tempo percussive groove with floaty meandering bits on top, a track with an unstoppable goose bump effect! You'll hear it soon enough and want it as much as i do. Tracks range from Disco to Rock to the uncategorisable, all of them given the Free Association fix, plus it comes in a Myth Paradise custom art sleeve (not the pic shown). SImply not to be missed.

Alister & Andrew are giving a.n.o.e. readers a dynamite, 320k, re-wired, Free Association take of 'Pistolero' for your downloading, dancing, dj'ing pleasure. It's exclusive to you and not on the ep.A huge thank you FA.

Free Association - Pistolero

Press Play #62 - Paul Jenks

Ok first let me say there are some heavy heavy Press Play mixes incoming, amongst them is this new one from Cutloose man Paul Jenks. We've had Paul up on the blog before with his absolutely stunning 'Wildwood' mix which you can find on the right hand bar under 'anoe exclusive mixes'. This time round Mr Jenks drops a killer travelogue journey into lesser known sounds inspired by Chris Watson, of Weather Report's album of field recordings 'El Tren Fantasma'. This review of the album outlines the release as 'a composite document of a train ride across Mexico, describing a passage from Los Mochis to Veracruz, [from] coast to coast, Pacific to Atlantic'. Paul's mix takes it a little further with diverse beats & songs from a similar journey but set in the past; almost as if one had a radio on the train with a particularly fine dj playing music from various regions along the way. In less wordy terms, it's a diggers delight with rich soul tugging beauties all the way through. Every track is a gem!

For those of you who don't know (and might like to) Paul runs the very classy Cutloose night in Manchester. They've hosted guests like Theo Parrish, Lovefingers, Mark Seven, Phil Mison, Thomas Bullock, Daniele Baldelli, Dj Nature, Brennan Green and many more. There isnt a single guest they've had on that i don't already have massive respect for. This December they host the very excellent Sadar Bahar. Anyway same goes for Paul too, he's a consummate collector and digger, i love his selections and have a great deal of respect for the man and his vision.

So, thank you so much Mr Jenks for the lovely contribution to the series. Check it people!!

press play #62 - paul jenks - el tren fantasma

it's a fox life

Currently in stores is a brand new vinyl release from Andras Fox on the always excellent Audio Parallax. This is AP's second vinyl outing, they're being super selective about what lands up getting committed to the black stuff from their stable and honestly this slice of Foxy wax is exactly the kind of 12" you and I will be playing for years to come. So, good call David at AP! Great Call!! Obviously if u know this blog half well, then you know Andras has been someone who's music i've been very keen on for years. Andras makes Detroit flavoured beats with obscure samples and warm analogue sounds smoothed over like some white boy J Dilla sh*t. You think I'm joking; check out his hot chops on 'Your Life', 'Big Blue' & 'Magpie Echoes', the three tracks included on this clear blue vinyl gold. From slow mo beats to mid tempo House lite, Andras drops beautiful melancholy, heart aching loops onto atmospheric soundscapes that sound at once familiar and simultaneously distant and foreign. Beguiling, enchanting, soulful, beautiful....ok i said beautiful already. Only 300 in print, don't expect a repress, don't sleep until u have it securely on your decks.....
 

Press Play #61 - Waxist Selecta

Not that I want to add validity to a tired old saying like good things come to those who wait, but apparently... good things do come to those who wait... The hunt for great dj's with real quality music (note: where the word 'quality' actually means 'quality' and isn't just an empty marketing tag) has always been part of what drives this blog's Press Play series. So without much further ado here's number 61 in the pack. French Dj, digger and collector Waxist Selecta brings the heat with a deep dive into his very impressive crates. 

Selecta is already known in underground circuits for his uncanny knack for hunting down on fire Afro Funk and Disco, Brazilian sounds, Jamaican beats, modern soul obscurities, tropical cover versions and all manner of goodness. Of course it's more skill than knack, Selecta is a real digger for sure and since that's still what excites us most around these parts, his dynamite mix fits right in. Waxist has spun alongside dj's like Rahaan, Jeremy Underground Paris & Rickard Masip, but more significantly he has a second slice of edit wax coming out on his own Red Stripe Disco label soon soon... seriously, check it here.

So, thanks so much for this WS, it's a superb mix, I been playing it a lot just lately. For the rest of ya, I'll put the track list up in a bit.. check it!!!

press play #61 - waxist selecta -  we dance them sleep

Press Play #60 - Timm Sure

So much for getting back to posting new goodies. Well let's try again, actually i have a bunch of great things going up in the next weeks, so tune back in.

Some time ago a.n.o.e. featured a press play mix from beach heads Coyote. It was a really popular mix and was heavily discussed by record geeks all over the place. So i'm stoked (and apparently 15 again) to have Timm Sure drop in and spin some tunes for us. Dont know if you caught the Coyotes on Tim Sweeney's Beats In Space recently (check it here if not) but it's splendidly evident that these guys know music.

I have a track list, but I'll give it a minute before posting it. Thanks so much Timm for the magic...

track list:
my head is my only house unless it rains - captain beefheart
neptune(mike simonetti cafe del mike remix) - lemonade
scribble me this - dara
baa boo - reverso 68
blind andy - tommy awards
going out - coyote
home - bing ji ling
keep on keepin on - curtis mayfield
unknown - unknown
i'm crazy - starbuck
shouldnt have to be like that - fra lippo lippi
when i see you again - canyons

press play #60 - timm sure - drive to the coast

deep space explorer

Ok ok, it's time to get back to updating this little beast, there's been masses of super new music in those Disco, Edits, House and Balearic boxes, it's one of those times where music just soars higher and higher. And I been sleeping on a.n.o.e. So...

MagneticSoul's recent Rotating Souls 12" is still in me dj'ing bag and is still getting heavy plays, it's one of those very useful records which works in a number of contexts. Interestingly Steve, the man behind the moniker, recently got in touch about sharing a new mix he's got up on Soundcloud with us. The mix further expands my understanding of this talented edit head. It includes Housier elements, Disco bits and some very deep and 'expansive' spacey tunes. Could be it's a bit of a classic mix, in fact it is! check it below...

placebo

What started out as a post about 70's Jazz Funkateers Plus, turned into a post about the super smooth Marc Moulin and his Modal band Placebo and their version of Marvin Gaye's paean to urban dislocation and suffering 'Inner City Blues'. Actually 'paean' may be the wrong word since it means a song of celebration. From their collectable (but also re-issued in Japan) 'Ball Of Eyes' LP, Placebo's take is a low key exercise in understated reserve with honey on top. It's golden and somehow at odds with the original's 'makes you wanna holla' call to arms, or is it? Not unlike some beauties from the Tropocalia era, the tracks pastoral groove delivers it's message deep in the cortex without alerting intellectual guards. Anyway as I said, it's golden...

Placebo - Inner City Blues

Magic Wand 5

Time passes quickly, Magic Wand 05 is upon us, in fact it's just in the stores this morning. Obviously I love this label; Magic Wand isn't even Timm Sure & Richard Hampson main musical concern, their Is It Balearic? label occupies a significant place on the map of important breeding grounds for forward thinking electronic (and other) music. It perpetually asks us to decide whether or not their musical output embodies the spirit of the white islands, but more than that, it actually helps define it. Anyway somewhere in the back of their label's office, hides the Magic Wand box, from which an eclectic array of tricky edits and refixy potions come.

Wand 05 features a.n.o.e. favourites and newcomers Mori Ra, two edits from FJ and another by the always present Coyote. Actually a well known deep house magician is behind both FJ edits, his muted library funk track 'Deep Freese' is a definite highlight on the 12". As is Mori's brilliant 'Oyama', dont even ask me to discribe it as I wouldn't begin to know how, except maybe to say it's already a classic in my household. But Coyote's quirky, dubby 'Marga' re-fiddle is likely to be the one i play over and over again. Get it folks...

get it here?

because of you...

I recently found a decent copy of Tim Buckley's 'Sefronia' while digging in my usual spot. Tim was a tragic figure as you know, not unlike Nick Drake, his music is probably better known and more loved now than when he was around. Critics hated his last albums, and 'Sefronia' is one of them, but boy did they miss the absolutely superb gem that is 'Because Of You'. Of course you do or should know his classic 'Dolphins' which is included, but if, like me you're after a Buckley track with immense soul and light Disco'ish flourishes then 'Because' is it. Sweeter, deeper, pure brilliance...

Tim Buckley - Because of You

sunday night fevers and for the love

Over the last few years Dicky Trisco has been, in one way or another, behind some of my very favourite vinyl releases, the kind you play over and over and over. As you know he runs a number of labels, he makes his own music, he does edits, he does remixes and dj's all over the planet. His dj'ing schedule alone suggests the guy has an untameable passion for making heads dance. Most importantly Trisco does everything he puts his hand to with real style and an impeccable ear for truly memorable party music. For those of you who dont know him, his name is a clue to the kind of beats he spins. But you know him right? I know you do.

Dicky has a really fantastic cd with Pete Herbert out on limited release, it's in the stores as we speak and it's called 'Sunday Night Fevers'. What you get are 10 Disco heavy excursions by the pair, compiled from reworks they've made and played over recent years. It's an all killer, no filler sort of a ting. The edits are nice and clean, beautifully mastered, sparkling with extra production (though nothing too housey, always true to the original), and all of them sure fire dance floor weapons. The pair take on a bunch of New York'ish classic Disco beauties, you'll recognise many or most of the originals here, but Trisco & Herbert's deeper extended re-cuts freshen them up for current ears and feet. Really I want to say, more than refresh, most of these edits reignite a fire I've had about many of the originals in a way I found fairly surprising. I suggest checking it out and grabbing one of the small run. 

While you're at it, stop over on Dicky's Soundcloud page and grab a recording of his set for For The Love which was inspired by the 'sunshine people of Istanbul', I guess a favourite of the mans dj destinations. Actually I'll just pop it up here, it's really top class.

scorpion flower

Over the years i've mentioned the Lafayette Afro Rock Band/Ice/Bobby Boyd Congress connection a number of times. I have a great deal of love and interest in these guys and the various configurations they took on over the course of the seventies. Every one of their albums features a number of amazing Funk, Afro and Soul tunes and every album has that one or two super special items which I go back to over and over again. One particularly interesting record, compiled for Kedzie Records in 1975, called 'Tonight At The Discotheque' features tracks by almost all the different guises that Lafayette recorded under, including Krispie and Company (sometimes also spelled as Crispy and Co), Captain Dax, and Ice, along with a couple of other interesting artists added in. I don't own a copy of this comp yet, though hopefully that's about to change; the stand out track, for me, has to be The Lafayette Afro Rock Band's 'Scorpion Flower', a smouldering Disco Funk beauty. It's a track that pops up on several of the groups records; there's a version on the Crispy And Co album 'Funky Flavored', another can be found on the double album 'Thumpin' by Ice, plus there's a version on The Lafayette's Superclasse comp 'Afon - 10 Unreleased Afro Funk Recordings (1971 - 1974)', but I ain't heard that particular one yet. Of the three version i have heard, the one on 'Tonight At The Discotheque' is the one that trips my head. Check it below...

The Lafayette Afro Rock Band - Scorpion Flower

Press Play #59 - Zaf

Once owner of Berwick St's famous Reckless Records, serious digger/ collector, and currently proprietor of the marvelous Zafsmusic web store, Zaf Chowdry drops in on a.n.o.e. for a decidedly non Disco jaunt through lesser known, but also pretty damned special gems and jams. If you're someone who buys every BBE release (I certainly try to), you'll also know and own his very very fine and recent 'Americana - Rock Your Soul - Blue Eyed Soul and Sounds from the Land of the Free' compilation with Mark Taylor for the label. What else do I need to say? You know this man and few know quite as much as he does!

What a massive pleasure it is to have Zaf on here and to land this truly superb mix. Thank you Z, I owe you one!

Press Play #59 - Zaf - Zafsmusic Spring Uprising

reality

Black Merda's Hendrix influenced eponymous debut album is a sweet deal for Psychedelic Blues & Rock. Almost every track from the 1970 side is a winner. Black Merda were featured on the Psychedelic Funk cult 'Chains & Black Exhaust" cassette which began doing the rounds in early 2000's and found themselves the unwitting subjects of a new investigation into the outsider Black Rock scene. Their story is fascinating (google is your friend), it bumps shoulders with a number of heavyweight players from the time, though the spotlight seemed to miss their particular inferno the first time round and especially with this their first album... Check out 'Reality' below...

Black Merda - Reality

heroes of legions

It's Record Store day around the planet today... I got mine, I hope you got yours. So to celebrate I'm posting an all vinyl mix from Ukraine Balearic head Serge Jazzmate. Serge contacted me some years ago and send me a rather wonderful mix, which I'm ashamed to say I never posted. He's a persistent fella is our Serge, he send me another mix (this one) and a bunch of emails ensuring that I get on with it and show some love on anoe. The fact is the mix is lovely and Mr Jazzmate is a consummate professional and a heavy player on the Ukraine scene. Of course you know Pavel Plastikk, the guy Serge worked together with to create LOW, a regular top night at Club Xlib in Kiev, and you'll know most of the big spinners he's played alongside. Mang, Webster, Kohncke, Lindbaek and the like. For 'Heroes of Legions' the man heads out on a western tinged trip to Balearica. Thanks so much Serge!

Serge Jazzmate - Heroes Of Legions
Tracklist:
Fever Ray – If I Had A Heart (Original Version)
Peaking Lights - All The Sun That Shines
Bryan Ferry - Me Oh My (Quiet Village Remix)
Heroes Of The Galleon Trade - Winter Island Romance
Pacific Horizons – Beaches of the Black Sea
Project Club – El Mar Y La Luna
Pharaohs - Sunblitz
White Elephant – Sir John
Pharaohs - Flutter & Moan
Clare Maguire - Ain't Nobody (Coyote Remix)

feel like dancing

A little while ago I heard a lovely Oliver Sain track on a mix by Sadar Bahar (Theo's favourite dj, in case you weren't aware). The fact that i didnt own any of Sain's records got me hunting down what i could find. Of course his debut lp 'Main Man' is somewhat of a collectors piece and costs a little over a hundred quid. I did, however, find a fantastic compilation of his tracks called 'Fused Jazz' which features my favourite Sain track 'Feel Like Dancing', incidentally not the one Bahar dropped in his marvelous set (though it also features on the comp). 'Fused Jazz' originally came out on AVI Records back in 1983, copies of which are as cheap as chips, weirdly there seems to be a re-issue or bootleg of said record in at Juno (also cheap) which first hit the shelves back in 1990. If you don't know this midtempo beast, check it below, you'll be dancing from the opening bar...

Oliver Sain - Feel Like Dancing

fall out frank

It's all over social networks at the minute and probably a few blogs by now too (but who reads those anymore?), Sleazybeats Recordings is about to release their final Ep in what has been a pretty fantastic series of 12"s. This, their 10th wax outing, hit's the stores in the next week or so with 3 new tracks from New Zealand talent Frank Booker aka Chris Cox. Frank's been putting out first rate music since 2009, though as Chris Cox you'll also find earlier work with cool cats like Nathan Haines. Booker's new 'Fall Out' EP for Sleazybeats could be their finest moment too; Frank's tunes for the label are edits of a kind, the kind that deftly weave chunks of the source track into entirely new modern heads down groovers. By adding fresh, crisp and ass moving beats, filtery filters and all manner of clever production tricks and tweaks, Booker guarantees a full floor. All three of the tracks on the ep are superb and not ones you'll tire of easily. Check them out below and grab this one fast, it wont last.

I feel, for fans like myself, I need to mention that this is not the end of Sleazybeats, they'll be back with new releases and a slightly different take (at least in idea) in the near future.

slowrama

Member of Apardys, Disco & Co, Chantereau, and Voyage, Pierre-Alain Dahan has made a fantastic amount of top class music, most of which features on Tele Music from 1971 to 1985. Dahan's soulful touch could make synthesizers cry, he was unquestionably a big influence on fellow countrymen Air and most likely amongst those to inspire digger Nighmares On Wax, as well as others. Check out 'Slowrama' below for evidence...

Pierre-Alain Dahan - Slowrama

Lovin On The Run

If i had a dollar for every time i said someone should pick up Magnetic Soul's 'Lovin On The Run' for a vinyl release, i'd be able to afford new shoes for dancing. To be fair quiet a few people have said it too, including the likes of Mark E & Frank Tope. MS must have put this particular monster up on Soundcloud well over a year ago, it's had nearly two and a half thousand plays since then and it remains one of my favourite edits in recent years. A few weeks back I received a tasty vinyl test pressing from Rotating Souls, a killer EP from Magnetic Soul which happens to include 'Lovin'. Score!

Rotating Souls is one of a handful of newer labels that are hooking up the real deal; like the visionary individuals behind Lumberjacks in Hell and Truth is Light, Curt Jackson has record knowledge. The way i see it having insight into underground records from the past helps when making decisions about releasing evergreen gems now, the fact that they all do it on vinyl is further testament to their know how and conviction. Vinyl is after all a serious commitment. I suspect this will be Jackson's biggest release to date, though you'd have to be a fool not to pick up the East Liberty Quarters & Jupiter Tuning Center releases while you're at it and while they're still around.

Ok so back to the 'Shakedown' EP by Magnetic Soul, 'Lovin' is one of three beauties included; add one off kilter rnb funk bomb called 'Shake Your Love' and a midtempo hook i really should know, reworked into 'Body Vibes',  and you have a 12" to go back to over and over again. Should be in stores soon. keep em peeled!!!

out in space

Recorded in Oakland California, Lady Margaret & Perry Smith from the Bobby Boyd Congress put out a lovely soulful bluesy 7" on Gemini, this in 1979. The Lady did one other 7" with the Stovall Sisters called 'If It Is Let It Be' in 1982. One can't help wonder and imagine what circumstances lead to there being only two singles made by this clearly fantastic vocalist. I love this track, I guess the space theme of both sides makes it that much more desirable for me (if you havent worked out my love for spacey tunes yet, then you'd be new around here). Anyway it's fair to say the 7" is now well sought after and will set u back a few penny's if you're inclined to go after one. It's a funny game this digging thing; when rare records land up in the hands of sellers who know things about potential value, there's always going to be tears... :) Check out the gem below.

Lady Margaret & Perry Smith - Out In Space