Next up on First Word Records, we welcome the return of Don Leisure, with an EP of beats that see his two alter-egos go head-to-head, 'Shaboo vs Halal Cool J'.
The first release from Certain Sound is a collaborative effort, the result being two stellar tracks from the dynamic duo; Producer, DJ and label owner Barry Manalog, with MC and all-round wordsmith Ash The Author.
Side A, Cloud Riders, is a light and poetic number. The production oozes those jazz stylings reminiscent of that classic Hip Hop vibe, something to nod your head to on a late night. Ash’s lyrical content is hopeful, and dream filled, rising above the clouds like Superman with his Lois Lane. Smooth as butter, the production and vocals go together effortlessly.
Side B, Extraterrestrial, completely flips the script! Whilst side A had us riding through the clouds, Side B completely blasts off and takes us out of this world! The production is gargantuan, heavy drums, haunting samples, it hits you like a slap in the face! Ash comes in on exactly the same tip, a relentless barrage of wordplay and punchlines. Venomous, but still with that slice of wit we’ve come to love him for, Ash’s hunger really comes through on this track! To top it off, we have some seriously ferocious cuts from veteran turntablist DJ Chud, from the legendary Steel Devils crew.
a1. Ash The Author x Barry Manalog - Cloudriders
b1. Ash The Author x Barry Manalog - Extraterrestrial
In his second volume of the Beat Tape series, Istanbul based acclaimed beat-maker Da Poet works his hip hop magic with 14 killer tracks. The album features collaborative beats of Gantz, Grup Ses, Ahu, Gokalp K, OtherMan and Ince Sarj.
Ghetto Funk emerged from the UK as an online blog and record label in August 2010. The blog and label also played a vital role in the establishment of 'Ghetto Funk' as a genre - a term that would go on to describe this style of mid-tempo breakbeat music with big bad basslines.
In the beginning, Ghetto Funk productions centered around unlicensed sampling to fuel an iconic sound with influences from funk and hip hop. 5 years on and some 20 releases later, Ghetto Funk producers have begun to collaborate with the artists they originally sampled. Impressed with what they were hearing, the original vocalists embraced and wanted to work with producers of the genre to explore and create new sounds.
This 20th release is testament to the creation of music that Ghetto Funk producers would have wanted to sample 5 years ago. Second Hand Audio have forged an EP, collaborating with the likes of Jurassic 5's Akil The MC, Ugly Duckling's Dizzy Dustin, Psycho Les from the Beatnuts as well as showcasing fresh UK talent in the form of Too Many T's and Natty Speaks. The original beats have been crafted by the brainchild of production powerhouse duo: DJP & The Breakbeat Junkie under their collective pseudonym; a duo that separately and now collectively, have been and the forefront of this new sound prior to and since its creation. This EP is a glimpse into the future of a sound and idea that has gone full circle. Original beats and dope original vocals.
Ltd 12" vinyl housed in a custom sleeve. All tracks written by N.Andrew. Track A2 Remixed by Darkhouse Family. Track B1 and B3 remixed by dBridge. Vocals by Guilty Simpson. Mastered by Beau at Ten Eight Seven. Creative direction by Simone Sebastian. Photography by Erlam Robinson. Layout by Christian ‘Woodsy’ Wood.
a1. Dolenz - Pull (feat. Guilty Simpson)
a2. Dolenz - Pull (feat. Guilty Simpson) [Darkhouse Family Remix]
After a hugely successful collaboration on their debut LP, once again the dynamic lyricism and production skills of the inimitable Andy Cooper (Ugly Duckling) are present and correct on the track 'Main Event' also destroying all-comers on the battle Rap behemoth, 'Buzzsaw'
Lee Scott teams up with Jazz T on the production dropping two killer jazz laced boombap bangers "Ceiling" and "Urn Money".
Lee shows why he is one of the best lyricists out there killing the beats with intricate flows and raw hooks!
On remix duty we have Sleepwalker, AKA King Kashmere from Strange U, flipping "Ceiling" and Pitch 92, the legendary Mouse outfit producer, with his take on "Urn Money"
Artwork is by Stilts who completes this dope package.
Kicking off 2019 two tracks the first time on a 45 from prolific Japanese producer DJ MItsu The Beats from the Sendai hip hop group GAGLE and licenced from the Jazzy Sport organisation.
Mukatsuku put out two GAGLE 45's produced by DJ Mitsu back in 2008 so this is a welcome return to the label for the producer . A side kicks off with a dreamy jazzual affair featuring Kaneko Takumi on keys.On the flipside an excellent low slung jazz hip hop instrumental
On their new 45, Mako & The Hawk take you back to a time when breaks were funky and rappers knew how to rhyme for a massive double dose of fresh original boom-bap.
With beats forged from previously un-sampled (and legally cleared!) vintage funk breaks and emcee Chima 'The Doctor' Anya delivering lyrical wisdom, The Devil Made Me Do It and Strut Your Stuff are a pair of block-rocking jams to turn any party out!
Not a label to just rummage around in old drawers, the Rocafort heartbeat also pounds to the sound of the fresh and current. Coming at you like a welcome slap on the back from two familiar faces, this latest 7" release sees DJ Format & Abdominal reminding you why you may be pushing 40 but can't turn your back on the funky rap thing.
Taken from their new LP "Still Hungry", these mature B-boys continue to breeze effortlessly through what they do best: bold sharp beats, ingenious instrumentation, a crisp, fresh lyrical style that harks back to the carefree early 80s.
"We're back" does what it says on the tin. DJ Format whips up a banging soulful groove, buoyed along by an upbeat flute and Abdominal's accomplished, perfect diction – as always, voracious and loquacious. "Diamond hammer", a reference to "excavating gems" is more frantic and scratchy, equipped with horror film organ loops and psychedelic guitars. A pumped up, supercharged affair delivered in brash, brazen style by the most likeable duo in rap.
We are super excited to present Al Dobson Jr.'s second "Sounds From The Village" issue on almighty Kutmah's Izwid imprint on vinyl. 23 tracks in total. Artwork by Kutmah. Sleeve design by Brandy Flower of the Hit+Run Crew.
After his debut EP "Bites & Pieces" F. Of Audiotreats follows up with his debut album. After 25 years in the game as DJ and Producer for acts like Dendemann, Joy Denalane, Slum Village, Oddisee, Kev Brown and collaborating with Shuko for the "Cookies & Cream" series on Jakarta and Shuko's For The Love Of It label he is ready for his instrumental release on Shuko's label.
90´s flavour with a Dilla swing and smooth soul & jazz samples are the big part his production style.
The album is a collection of jazz inspired, hip hop instrumentals with MPC drums and live instrumentation. Simiah is well known for his live double MPC show cases and has performed alongside other live musicians so this new project is like a studio album of what he does naturally on stage. The unique sound has been developed through a monthly residency at Bristol's Gallimaufry bar where the band has improvised new material and fine-tuned ongoing compositions while welcoming special guests from the local jazz scene to sit in.
Long distance mission manoeuvres: DRS digs out the keys to his shiny new mothership for the second ever Space Cadet voyage. Once again there are seats on board for everyone. Buckle up and bring supplies, this one goes deep…
Guerrilla-dropped with no hype, build-up or blaring pregame klaxons, ‘From The Deep’ is the Manchester MC’s most raw, honest and revealing album to date. File under switch-flipped; Delroy Pottinger’s third solo artist LP takes us right back to his hip-hop foundations as he sets the coordinates for Planet Roots and gives us a classic vibe time trip that’s every bit as personal as it is gilded; soulful, stripped back, soaked in positive messages but shadowed by a bleak demons, ‘From The Deep’ is the sound of a man hauling his way out of a black hole with pure hope.
Produced with rising Manchester beatmaker Pitch 92 over the course of an inspired two week writing exploration, ‘From The Deep’ is DRS’s first hip-hop LP since his debut post-Broke N English solo album ‘Grown Man Biznizz’ in 2010 and tells the story of a man with a painted on smile and a barbed soul behind the bars. His own personal way of dealing with tragic losses, knowing his heart that will never fully heal, each track on ‘From The Deep’ is Delroy’s message to himself and anyone who’s suffering that things will change.
A way of returning to reality and putting inner demons on blast, this is less of a trip into outer space but more of a safe landing back to earth from outer space where it’s easier to hide from the truth. It’s a toolkit that reminds you that life is turbulent and seriously shit sometimes, but there are priceless factors that make it worthwhile; family, friends, love, music, adventures, real connections and reliable high grade weed vendors.
It also reminds you how funky, soulful and versatile DRS is. Renowned for his skills at both true blues and raw doubletime brutality across the drum & bass spectrum, ‘From The Deep’ flexes back to Delroy’s most craft honing chapter as an artist and as a founding member of Manchester hip-hop trio Broke N English. A groundbreaking act in Manchester’s music scene, the fact all three members - DRS, Konny Kon and Strategy - have gone on to set next level benchmarks and inspire the city’s next generation speaks volumes and continues to echo in the city’s next generation.
Rooted but not nostalgic. Emotional but not sentimental. Deep but more focused than anything Delroy has ever created to date. No hype, build up or klaxons are necessary for a body of work as honest as this; long distance mission manoeuvres are ultimately timeless. Stay tuned for the next astral transmission.
Second release on Gyptology, short vinyl run of the 2017 digital-only single from Shawty Pimp. First physical edition, individually numbered and lovingly double-wrapped for extra protection. Includes exclusive instrumental b-side, making 2 copies useful for beat-juggling. Second release from Gyptology Records outta Luxor, Egypt. Handle with care, there are no more after this 1000 copies.
GYPT001-MC, The cassette version of Shawty Pimp's classic memphis liquor store tape "...Still Comin' Real" from back in 1995. Very short run, limited edition. Available very soon from your usual sources.
Remastered versions as they appear on the debut vinyl issue, GYPT001.
The new sub-label from WNCL Recordings features 12 short “tools” per release, for use on discotheque sound systems and home stereos alike. Released on 10” vinyl with digital to follow at a later date
ABOUT THIS RECORD JANE IN PALMA
(the artist previously known as Don Froth / one half of Bato Bato) graces the Tool Kit series with a selection of Jazz and Latin cuts and a flip side full of live conga jams
Last year Julien ‘Redeyes’ Salvi showed off his versatility on his Blueprints EP. He now takes it one step further with the release of “Broken Soul”, his first full length project for The North Quarter. Through twelve sincere tracks, the Toulouse-based artist showcases an action packed storyline co-starring some of the most sought-after vocalists in the game. Not only do Manchester legends DRS and Tyler Daley make appearances, but there are also features by fresh NQ signee Abnormal Sleepz, HMD, KinKai and Juga-Naut as well as NY underground Hip Hop phenomenon Milano Constantine. Rap, Soul and dusty Jazz flavour is woven through diverse tracks in both tempo and intensity. The Redeyes signature shines bright however, effortlessly capturing current aesthetics and eclecticism. This album shows a veteran artist comfortable in his craft and is not just at home on Lenzman's imprint, it possibly signifies the quintessence of The North Quarter philosophy.
California and New York aren't the only US cities to have spawned underground hip-hop over the years. Back in the nineties, Southern states such as Memphis, TN. were also hotbeds for the fast evolving musical phenomenon. As we push on into the second millenium; from the swathes of DIY tape-only releases that came out in the 1990's, some are at last being cut to vinyl. Shawty Pimp and the Big Pimpin' Productions crew were brought to international ears in 2014 when the (previously tape-only) album 'Comin' Real Wit It' was pressed to vinyl. This seemed to sell out in the blink of an eye. Gyptology Records now present a vinyl pressing of the 1995 sequel; 'Still Comin' Real'. Here are eleven original, raw rap cuts, remastered and restored using mainly Shawty's originals as source material. Available June 2018 for the first time in the format that never goes out of style. Vinyl only for now and in just one short-run, no represses. Produced with the full consent and participation of the artists.
Innovative Future Beats duo Ivy Lab are set to release ‘Death Don't Always Taste Good’, their debut album proper, through their own 20/20 LDN label.
North London outfit Ivy Lab were brought together out of a shared enthusiasm for experimentations on the fringes of the UK bass music scene. The years that followed saw them go from strength to strength, earning a place in Mixmag’s Top 10 DJs of 2015 and propagating a new generation of hip-hop inspired abstractions housed within the framework of their 20/20 LDN project.
Originally starting life as a trio, the duo of Sabre (Gove Kidao) and Stray (J. Fogel) now find themselves at the apex of the Halftime/Future Beats movement - a motley assortment of actors from across the bass music landscape applying their sonic-heritage to experiments with hip-hop and drum machine electronica.
Ivy Lab invested further in the exploration of this sound with the creation of their 20/20 LDN clubnight. Housed primarily at Brixton’s Phonox nightclub, it earned the characterisation of “ultra innovative” (Timeout Magazine) and a “London standout” (Mixmag).
Minted in late 2015, and borrowing the same raison d'être as its elder sibling nightlife brand; 20/20 LDN Recordings was unveiled with the pseudo-mixtape/compilation LP ‘Ivy Lab presents 20/20 Volume.1’ - described as “Uncompromising, insightful and rather awesome” 9/10 by Mixmag and “Impossible to categorise” 9/10 by DJ Mag. Little over a year (and only 5 releases deep) the label was awarded the title of ’Best Breakthrough Label 2016’ in the DJ Mag Best of British Awards 2016.
Now a galvanising presence in the Future Beats movement, Ivy Lab’s’ 20/20 Volume.1 release and the subsequent follow up EPs were benchmark moments in forging the genre into a pillar of the electronic music landscape. Tracks such as ‘Spooky Dub’, ‘Can’t Say No’ and ‘Peninsula’ all garnered incredible currency, supplemented by showpiece remixes for Banks (‘Fuck With Myself’) and Noisia (‘Tentacles’).
That same currency as bass music figureheads has been embraced by festivals as varied as Glastonbury, EDC Vegas, SXSW, Sonar (Barcelona + HK), CTM Berlin, Dour, ADE, Woo Hah!, Shambhala, Lightning In A Bottle, Lowlands, Origin NYE, Exit and Outlook.
Ivy Lab head into the horizon not only with an anchored presence at the cutting edge of the bass-music landscape, but also a secured reputation as pioneering label bosses and event promoters in ownership of one of the UK’s most exciting contemporary music brands.
Drum & Bass veteran Zero T teams up with multi-instrumentalist duo Unitsouled to bring us a slice of 'Irish soul music for the 21st century' with their “Baby Grand EP”. Due on The North Quarter on the 11th of May this exclusive project sees Zero T's trademark sound reach new heights through the addition of live instrumentation and exploration of a broader palette of genres. Additionally a host of talented vocalists are featured throughout the project - including fresh NQ signing Abnormal Sleepz. From start to finish the 'Baby Grand EP' effortlessly moves through Hip Hop, Neo Soul, Broken Beat and Drum & Bass adding another ambitious chapter to the eclectic North Quarter portfolio.
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