Astral Black
Available: 18th May 2021
Astral Black welcome Eahwee (pronounced errr-wee)to the fold for his 'Solitude' EP. Through his production work with MC's such as Mutant Academy's Koncept Jack$on & High Focus' Coop, a handful of releases on Dallas-based label Sunday Dinner and a flurry of bandcamp beat tapes - the London-based producer has quietly made a name for himself on the international beat scene. With the release of 'Solitude', Eahwee joins the ranks of Astral Black alumni & his production peers Budgie, Shy One & JD. Reid amongst the labels forward-thinking-producer blessed catalogue.
Across the 12-tracks here on 'Solitude', Eahwee contorts a gold-mine of 70's soul samples into a psychedelic reflection on isolation & the human experience, presented in the form a life affirming 17-minute long mixtape. From the exultantly ethereal sounds of 'Duuduu' & 'Windough' to the heart string pulling 'Naybahuud' & 'Rarecandy', Solitude is a testament to how Eahwee has developed his craft into an effortless touch. Though largely instrumental, peppered along the way are a handful of vocal performances in the form of guest appearances from Blah Records commander-in-chief, Lee Scott, the mafioso memoirs of extra terrestrial MC Melanin 9 and neo-soul sage, Ninjah Aragniz – who closes off proceedings with the infinitely loop-able summer anthem 'yah yah'.
The 7" vinyl edition is limited to 100 copies and includes tracks 'LOOOL', 'Shame' & "yah yah' featuring Lee Scott, M9 & Ninjah Aragniz respectively, alongside their instrumentals. Whilst the cassette edition, limited to 30 copies, features all 12 tracks in full on the A-side, with all 12 instrumentals on the B-side.
The Artwork, a comment on working with the best & worse of human nature, comes courtesy of Eahwee himself with yypography & additional design by Morgan Hislop.
A1. LOOOL ft. Lee Scott
A2. LOOOL (instrumental)
A3. yah yah ft. Ninjah Aragniz
B1. Shame ft. M9
B2. Shame (instrumental)
B3. yah yah (instrumental)
Release Date: 15th October 2021
Following critically acclaimed releases with Dance Regular and Rhythm Section (releasing under SAUL with Jack Stephenson-Oliver), London-based producer/DJ Footshooter lands on Astral Black with his full-length debut, the 'Southside Hymns' LP.
'Southside Hymns' is a decadent tribute to the community, club nights and culture of London that Barney Whittaker (Footshooter) is intrinsically a part of. This ethos is embodied in the skippy, broken-beat of the MA.MOYO featuring 'Passing Clouds' (a tribute to the community-ran venue of the same name), whilst the piercing synth stabs and horn laden grooves of 'Juno Café' is a nod to the South East London club space it's named after.
Following the Albertina-featuring single 'Twilight', the EP transitions from a dusk drive through the city - taking in the sights and sounds of Whittaker's favourite foliage-flaunting haunts, to parking the listener firmly on the dance floor with the trunk rattling bass of 'Untether' and the Natty Wylah featuring 'Bloom'.
Through enlisting a guest cast including the likes of vocalists MA.MOYO, Natty Wylah & Albertina, guest instrumentalists and long-term collaborators Wilf Petherbridge, Isobel Risk, Ebyan Rezguli & James Mollison, as well as artwork by Illustrator & NTS resident Anu Ambasna - Footshooter has ensured that 'Southside Hymns' at once embodies the contemporary London music community that it is also a dedication to.
A1. Hymn 1 (Still Blue) (ft. Wilf Petherbridge)
A2. Passing Clouds (ft. MA.MOYO & Isobel Risk)
A3. Juno Café (ft. James Mollison)
A4. Hymn 2 (Dancers) (ft. Ebyan Rezgui)
B1. Twilight (ft. Albertina)
B2. Bloom (ft. Natty Wylah)
B3. Untether
B4. Blood Moon (ft. MA.MOYO)
B5. Hymn 3 (We Move)
Released 14th November 2016
Having repeatedly proven himself to be one of the UK's most innovative rising producers, Impey returns with his debut EP, 'Midnight In Little Havana', on the critically acclaimed Astral Black imprint. The release follows his 'BangClap' single which comes off the back of two prolific years that have seen the 20 year old producer crafting soundscapes for viral campaigns for Converse, securing a residency on NTS, tearing up radio sets alongside the likes of Faze Miyake, and having the likes of Skepta, Trim, Capo Lee and Rocks FOE bless his instrumentals on sets from Slimzee, DJ Maximum, Kahn & Neek, Murlo and Plastician. 'Midnight In Little Havana' sees Impey serving up a diverse five track collection that showcase his versatile production skills drawing influence from Grime, Jersey club and Vangelis-esque synthscapes. The EP is as much for the dance floor as it is the after hours bus home. At its centre is long time crowd favourite 'Bleepz' which finally sees its official release, having been a go-to track exclusively for DJs such as Boofy & Hi5Ghost and Kromestar. The track is framed by 130bpm dance floor melters 'Pep Talk' and 'Pong Song' as well as showing Impey's more intricate side through its title track and 'Inner', both of which resemble Astral Black releases by the likes of Drae Da Skimask and Jaisu moreso than its club-focussed vinyl releases. 'Midnight In Little Havana' is presented visually with another stellar effort from Astral Black in-house designer Oscar Whale; the 12" being housed in a full colour sleeve depicting an illustration of Miami's Little Havana strip, as detailed & nuanced as Impey's productions. 'Midnight In Little Havana' is set for release on October 14th on 12" vinyl & digital via Astral Black.
a1. Midnight In Havana
a2. Pep Talk
a3. Bleepz (feat. O-Dessa)
b1. The Pong Song
b2. Inner
Release Date: 26th February 2021
Jossy Mitsu (Rinse FM / 6 Figure Gang) makes her production debut on Astral Black. A resident DJ for the labels monthly club residency and host for their monthly radio shows, the club night-cum-label is the perfect home for Jossy's debut solo release. The Birmingham-raised, London based DJ has become known for her ability to shell down any club, whether that’s rinsing out a twisted concoction of sweaty House, Techno and left field club heaters, firing heavy-weight Rave and Jungle sets, or serenading you with her 2-step vinyl collection. Now holding down a Rinse FM residency and part of the much loved ‘6 Figure Gang’, the past 18 months has seen Jossy DJ across Europe and the UK, alongside artists such as Joy Orbison, Dance System, Maya Jane Coles & Dusky and perform at events such as The Warehouse Project, Glastonbury & Outlook Festival among many others.
Throughout the 4-tracks here on 'Planet J', Jossy invites the listener to take a step inside her sonic world. The meandering pads and scattering drum patterns of EP opener 'Odyssey' are seasoned with warped chords 8-bit arpeggiators and ticking cow bells reminiscent of producers such as Skee Mask or INVT. '1997' brings together pounding 4x4 kicks, bouncing basslines and pitched vocal samples, giving the track the makings of a house anthem and leaving the listener yearning for a return to sweaty basement clubs. The high octane energy of 'Turismo' takes the records BPM up a notch for a marathon of skittering snares drums, raucous percussion and menacing sub bass. Whilst the heavily reverbed chords and melodic basslines of subdued EP closer 'Ø' demonstrate Jossy's ability to create thoughtful electronic music whilst still retaining a
hard, dance-floor focussed edge.
The EP comes in a full colour sleeve with Planet J’s capital city visualised in a high-res CGI rendering courtesy of London-based designer Kerrie.IRL
a1. Odyssey
a2. 1997
b1. Turismo
b2. Ø
Release Date: 4th December 2020
THUGWIDOW (Circadian Rhythms / Tar) is an artist that creates 'modern jungle with a sense of atmosphere and space that alludes most of his peers' (Resident Advisor), Bruised Skies (Pure Life Records / Blank Editions) creates ambience that captures a hyper-real landscape. Here on 'Requiem For a Sesh', the pairs first collaborative record, these two worlds collide to bring the listener an offering of strobe-laden 4x4, disfigured break beats, low slung sqaure waves and euphoria inducing top lines.
EP opener 'Epic Questing' is arguably the most dance-floor refined offering from either artist - sliced vocal chops and hard hitting kick drums tip the hat to classic 90's house anthems before heavily chopped jungle breaks and compressed 808's splinter around your ear drums like it's 3am at Unit 18 and the lighting technician is coming up riding the lazer fader. The ecstasy-laced piano melodies of title track 'Requiem For A Sesh' sounds like the sonic fruits of children raised on Olvie's 'You're not alone' and early XL Recordings 12"s. Elsewhere, 'Void Release' is a peak time 6-minute cataclysm of heavily sliced jungle breaks and jittering basslines, whilst EP closer 'Infinite Bass' feels like the clock winding down on the end of a night that we wish could go on forever.
Bruised Skies has recently been receiving radio support from Murlo, Lee Gamble & Francis Redman. Whilst THUGWIDOW's recent releases have received support from Team Sesh, Amy Becker & Whities as well as glistening reviews on The Quietus, & Resident Advisor.
a1. Thugwidow & Bruised Skies - Epic Questing
a2. Thugwidow & Bruised Skies - Void Release
b1. Thugwidow & Bruised Skies - Requiem For A Sesh
b2. Thugwidow & Bruised Skies - Infinite Bass