Release Date: 1st April 2022

As reggae lovers for decades, one of our biggest dreams was to collaborate with the creative genius behind the legendary sound of the Black Ark studio, one of the dub originators, the man responsible for shaping the sound of Bob Marley and the Wailers amongst many other greats, the mighty Upsetter, the unspeakable Lee “Scratch” Perry! That happy day has finally arrived in 2019 when Lee, who lived in Switzerland for a longtime, recorded his voice on The 18th Parallel’s ‘Cosmic Drop Riddim’.

The details around ‘Words From The Upsetter’ recording are not that common. In summer 2017, we at Fruits Records had the privilege to tour European festivals with Lee “Scratch” Perry as members of the Najavibes backing band. This is how we got to know the legend and start the production process. The first seed was sown. Nevertheless, the riddim track of the song was laid down in Kingston in 2014, as our crew of musicians – not known yet as The 18th Parallel – was recording our first release ever, A Little Walk album with the legendary Sino-Jamaican singer I Kong. The unused riddim slept in the hard drive for five years until we found the right artist to ride it. The Upsetter had that mystic vibes we were looking for, it was a perfect fit.

Then we spiced it up with a few more overdubs – analog string synthesizer, cosmic guitars, subtle sounds of musique concrète. Finally Roberto Sánchez brilliantly recreated the type of sound that the Black Ark was famous for: full of Mutron Bi-Phase, tape delay and spring reverb hits as testifies the dub version ‘Spring Thunderstorm’.

The production of this song has been a long and heavy process, but we're now able to present this brand new recording to the world. Sadly, Lee’s not physically here anymore to witness this release, but his musical legacy is so immeasurable that his memory will live forever in every music enthusiasts’ heart around the world. And this record is now a part of this legacy. We’ll be forever thankful for this opportunity and would like to give a special thanks to his family and friends (big up Dr. T!) who helped us and gave us assistance during the creative process. This record is dedicated to the loving memory of Lee “Scratch” Perry.

The ‘Cosmic Drop Riddim’ wouldn’t be fully completed without two extra unexpected cuts. The first one is an amazing instrumental song featuring Perry’s longtime friend and Jamaican number one trombonist Vin Gordon where trombone meets bass clarinet and bass flute to create a deep, foggy, mystical atmosphere. This will take you to a night journey to East Africa. The second cut highlights the art of dub poetry through the beautiful poem by Yasus Afari, ‘Healing Chant’.

a1. Vin Gordon & The 18th Parallel - Cosmic Drop

b1. Yasus Afari - Healing Chant

Release Date: 8th April 2022

HYPHO joins the Wheel & Deal camp with his debut MUHARIB EP available on limited vinyl and digital.

‘MUHARIB SKANK’ is a haunting street anthem. It's laid back flow but aggy vibe is laced with street samples and vocals. The combination of minimal Half Step beats, stabbing synths, rib shaking bass and street slogan ‘Don’t piss me off!’ is infectious. The word Muharib means ‘Warrior’ in Arabic, setting the scene perfectly for the rest of this solid EP.

‘AFFEKTION’ is the track that first drew N-Type’s attention. LLush, laid back melodies, trickling drill beats and distant oriental style synths makes this perfect listening at home, on a long journey or at a club to break up a set.

‘MOODY MARGE’ is another haunted dub roll out, continuing the laid back smoked out theme of the EP. HYPHO shows off his talent for executing deep, spacious, minimal Dubstep with catching melodies and bass.

‘MS20 SKANK’ is a rave dub skanker! Heavyweight bass drop, Dub samples, echo’s and delays, make this impossible not to move to! This one is a great track to start your set with to get the crowd skanking out! This is half step dubstep at it’s finest and concludes HYPHO’S debut EP on WHEEL & DEAL RECORDS.

a1. Hypho - Muharib Skank

a2. Hypho - Affektion

b1. Hypho - Moody Marge

b2. Hypho - MS20 Skank

Release Date: 25th March 2022

Uncompromising soundsystem advancer Mars89 is the kind of artist who reframes the rave tradition with every release. That makes him the ideal candidate for Sneaker Social Club, where we love slinging bassweight sonics into the far reaches as often as possible. 

Based in Japan and active beyond the confines of his studio, Mars89 has made a sizable impression in just four years of releasing a handful of records. Bokeh Versions carried his first releases, while he’s gone on to soundtrack a VR experience for the label more recently. He’s also collaborated with Jun Takahashi’s Undercover fashion label, appeared on Flore’s POLAAR label and played an important role in coordinating protest raves in Shibuya. 

There’s a stark, stern heaviness to the Mars89 sound which leaves its mark from the first surge of dread bass. It hits with a primal urgency which calls to mind early grime instrumentals, but there’s also a touch of industrial clank and subliminal avant-garde notes lurking behind the foreground pressure. ‘Night Call’ stalks on a thunderous kick and pitch-black string stabs, while
‘Vigilante’s nervous refrain is underpinned by massive subs and an 808 cowbell turned into a musical instrument. On the flip, ‘North Shibuya Local Service’ ups the angular intensity with an interlocking barrage of claps, snaps and lock-ons, and ‘Aeropolis’ edges towards outright rave with its slithers of squashed breaks, 4x4 kick runs and a disheveled synth hook. 

Even on the more forthright B side though, Mars89’s palette is so lean you can pick out every individual element. There’s no fat to be found anywhere on the record, ensuring every part lands with presence and purpose. You can somehow link the sound back to UK soundsystem culture, but there’s a necessary individuality at work here, which we’re beyond proud to platform and press up for the dance.

a1. Mars89 - Night Call

a2. Mars89 - Vigilante

b1. Mars89 - North Shibuya Local Service

b2. Mars89 - Aeropolis

Release Date: 25th March 2022

A brand new label within the Vinyl Fanatiks family. AmenTec is a collaboration between Amen Brother and Emotec, which is an electro/techno label run by Damo B, who hosts a weekly show on Unity FM in Manchester. The idea being that one label creates two tracks and the other brings in their talent to remix them.

Bufobufo is a producer who has released many great electro breakbeat inspired releases over the last few years but is also a published author. Namely is book on the history of jungle and drum & bass titled ‘Renegade Snares’, which documents the history of the culture during its formative years. These two tracks by Bufo forge together the world of electro visions into the gritty underbelly of breakbeat. And fighting out of the Amen Brother corner we have DJH, who made a name for himself as a 15 year old producer on Dance Force Records in 1993 and Crashead, who first came to the rave world’s attention on Bionic Sounds, again in 1993.

This release brings together the best of the electro world and the finest of the hardcore world and creates a release worthy of a place within the collection of any dance music connoisseur.

a1. Bufobufo - Catch Wreck

a2. Bufobufo - Golden Frog

b1. Bufobufo - Catch Wreck (DJH Remix)

b2. Bufobufo - Golden Frog (Crashead Remix)

Release Date: 8th April 2022

Breaka’s come a long way since he first turned heads in 2018 with shivering bass anthem ‘Rory’s Theme’. After releasing further records on Holding Hands and other labels, he also kicked off his own eponymous label, and held down remix duties for Interplanetary Criminal and Kelly Lee Owens. Now, his musical curiosity gets the spotlight with self-released debut LP ‘We Move.’

Made on a laptop and midi keyboard during the winter of 20/21, the album clearly goes out to the club: singles ‘Mass Gathering’ and ‘Solaria’ earned attention from DJs like Anz, Call Super, and Om Unit, while also doing the rounds on NTS, Rinse FM, and the BBC, as well as featuring on BBC essential ‘Mix of the Year’ by Elkka. Tracks such as ‘Look Inside’ and ‘Solaria’ navigate themes of reflection and isolation, while numbers ‘We Move’, ‘Honeydrum’ and ‘Baile Steppa’ work genres like UK funky, trance, kuduro, and samba together into new forms. Whether considering the dance from a distance or toying with new ideas of what the dance can be, ‘We Move’ is a confident statement of intent, showcasing Breaka’s love for explorations across the electronic axis.  

Artwork comes courtesy of Breaka and Jake Elwes, with featured photography from Sophie Jouvenaar.

a1. Breaka - Look Inside

a2. Breaka - We Move

b1. Breaka - Descending

b2. Breaka - Honeydrum

b3. Breaka - Baile Steppa

c1. Breaka - Mass Gathering

c2. Breaka - In Ur Dreams

d1. Breaka - Solaria

d2. Breaka - Admit Ignorance

Release Date: 1st April 2022

Comin’ in hot, Break and Total Science unleash another tasty single via Triii Audio, ‘Blame You’ / ‘Aardvark’.

In the aftermath of the inaugural release of ‘Gunfinger’ and ‘Acquiesce’, the trio have now revealed stunning work in the form of ‘Blame You’ and ‘Aardvark’.

From the first play ‘Blame You’ has captivated audiences and selectors, while ‘Aardvark’ comes through with the rootsy, rudeboy, head-nodding vibes. Be sure to get involved and have a listen to the latest offerings from Triii Audio below.

a1. Break & Total Science - Blame You

b1. Break & Total Science - Aardvark

Release Date: 3rd June 2022

a1. Foamplate - Monophasic

a2. Foamplate - Hungry Ghost

b1. Foamplate - Quake

b2. Foamplate - Unmoor.

Release Date: 13th May 2022

Following releases with YAM, Tiff’s Joints, Dr Banana and Touching Bass, artist Romaal Kultan (Ollie Malin) now inaugurates his own record label, Personal Discs.

No Time Like The Future showcases Romaal Kultan’s finest productions, charting a distinct personal trajectory between hiphop, house and broken beat. Opener One Moment Please is a sassy boom bap affair, with an unexpected nod towards jungle. Music Room, made in collaboration with producer Cypriano, is a patient, moody chugger — a tapestry of piano, organic percussion and crackly vinyl samples laced with acid.

On the B-side, Personal Effects delivers a unique, hypnotic broken beat groove, where swelling synths and a twinkling Rhodes meditate together in careful arrangement. Finally, the intimate title track No Time Like the Future stomps off into the sunrise, carried along by a rolling, yearning dreaminess.

Each one of these tracks represents a special, all-too-rare moment of ecstasy in the studio. I hope that this feeling lives on in the music.

So far the record has received support from Alexander Nut, Mr Scruff, Lefto, Kai Alcé, Bradley Zero, Mary Anne Hobbes, K15, Dr Banana, Alex Attias, EVM128, Zakia, Shy One, Tereza, Alia, Earl Jeffers, Footshooter, K-Lone, Poison Zcora, Dean Chew, Marcia Carr, Leanne Wright, Dead Man’s Chest and more.

a1. Romaal Kultan - One Moment Please

a2. Romaal Kultan & Cypriano - Music Room

b1. Romaal Kultan - Personal Effects

b2. Romaal Kultan - No Time Like the Future

Release Date: 15th April 2022

Dansu Discs are back with another instalment to their vinyl-only white label series.

Dafs steps up delivering 6 edits and remixes. R&B heavy, from new school to old school and everything in-between. It’s BIG!

a1. Dafs - Sober Refix

a2. Dafs - Time Machine

a3. Dafs - Stay Ready

b1. Dafs - Best Part

b2. Dafs - My Boo

b3. Dafs - Be Down 

Release Date: 25th March 2022

No stranger to making sick beats in their own right, Lampa and Senncoria have teamed up to deliver 5 slices of absolute sublime music for Deep, Dark & Dangerous.

We simply had to give this release the vinyl treatment! The EP traverses the landscape of sound design from middle eastern inspired melodics, crunchy gnarly basses, triplet rollers to chill vibes, it's a diverse yet cohesive release full of high notes.

a1. Lampa & Senncoria - Things That Aren't Hats

a2. Lampa & Senncoria - Watchtower

b1. Lampa & Senncoria - Please Don't Tell

b2. Lampa & Senncoria - 0161 Skyline