Phonica

Eyes Down

I whip my hair back and fourth

Dark Entries and Honey Soundsystem Records have teamed up again to release another volume of gay porn soundtracks by San Francisco-based musician and producer, Patrick Cowley. Perhaps one of the most revolutionary and influential people in the cannon of disco music, Cowley created his own brand of Hi-NRG dance music coined "The San Francisco Sound." Born in Buffalo, NY on October 19, 1950, Patrick moved to San Francisco at the age of 21. He studied at the City College of San Francisco where he founded the Electronic Music Lab. During this time Patrick, along with his classmates Maurice Tani and Art Adcock, would create radio jingles and electronic pieces using the school's equipment, first a Putney, then an E-MU System and finally a Serge synthesizer. He would make experimental instrumental songs by blending various types of music and adapting them to the synthesizer. 
By the mid-70's, Patrick's synthesizer skills landed him a job composing and producing songs for disco superstar Sylvester such as “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)”, “Dance Disco Heat” and "Stars." This helped Patrick obtain more work as a remixer and producer. By 1981 Patrick released a string of dance 12" singles, like “Menergy” and “Megatron Man”, creating the soundtrack for a generation. Also that year, he founded Megatone Records and released his debut album. Around this time Patrick was hospitalized and diagnosed with a then-unknown illness: that would later be called AIDS. Prior to his passing on November 12, 1982, he recorded two more Hi-NRG hits, “Do You Wanna Funk” for Sylvester and "Right On Target" for Paul Parker as well as a second solo album “Mind Warp”.
In 1979 Patrick was contacted by John Coletti, owner of famed gay porn company Fox Studio in Los Angeles. John had heard about Patrick's music from the legendary Sylvester and proposed he write music for his films. Patrick jumped on this offer and sent reels of his college compositions from the 70s to John in LA. Coletti then used a variable speed oscillator to adjust the pitch and speed of Patrick's songs in-sync with the film scene.  “Muscle Up" is a collection of Cowley's instrumental songs recorded between 1973 and 1980 found in the Fox Studio vaults. This compilation also includes bonus compositions found in the basement of Megatone Records owner John Hedges and the attic of former bandmate Maurice Tani. Influenced by Tomita, Wendy Carlos and Giorgio Moroder, Patrick forged an electronic sound from his collection of synthesizers, percussion, modified guitars and self-constructed equipment. The listener enters a world of dark forbidden vices, introspective and reflective of Patrick's time spent in the bathhouses of San Francisco. The songs on “Muscle Up” are divided into four sides, from the ambient, jungle journey of side one to the instrumental demo version of “Somebody to Love Tonight” on side two, to the space-funk of side three and finally the interstellar workouts of side four, that further reveal the depth of Cowley's unique talent.  
Featuring 75 minutes of music, this compilation contains soundtrack music from two Fox Studio films, "Muscle Up" and "School Daze", plus additional songs from the same era, never before released on vinyl. The tapes were restored and transferred using the same speed and pitch settings, then remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA.  The vinyl comes housed in a extra wide spine jacket and giant fold-out poster featuring a handmade collage using photography and xerox graphics of classic gay porn imagery from the Fox Studio vaults by Berlin-based artist Gwenael Rattke. Each double album also contains a 8x11 glossy promotional “Muscle Up” replica poster with original VHS artwork plus an essay from Maurice Tani. For Patrick's 65th birthday, Dark Entries and Honey Soundsystem Records present a glimpse into the futuristic world of a young genius.

5oz Of Funk

Wonderwheel Recordings — purveyors of the worldly, dancefloor-focused jam — are warming up the coals for their next 12". And what an infectiously airy cross continental collaboration it's proved to be.  Italian producer DJ Khalab, whose productions have already found their way onto Clap! Clap!'s Black Acre, teams up with Mali's prolific Baba Sissoko for a bout of minimal, Afro-influenced electronica. The Ibibio Sound Machine remix of "Tata" manoeuvres in funk territory, lathering Baba Sissoko's iconic vocals atop a contagious bassline underbelly.

DJ Khalab & Baba Sissoko "Tata (Ibibio Sound Machine Remix)"

Secretsundaze 18th transmission comes with love from Bristol based artist and newcomer Shanti Celeste. With just a few releases under her belt on the likes of Julio Bashmore's Broadwalk, her own label BRSTL and Idle Hands (the infamous Bristol shop where she also man's the counter a few days a week) she has been quick to impress. She played secretsundaze earlier in 2015 and will play our birthday party in just a few weeks and is a fine DJ with great selection and skills. She recently played back to back with Julio Bashmore on Boiler Room. Her monthly show on NTS Radio has been building nicely so we thought it only right to invite her to do her first 12' for us. This will also be her first release on a non Bristol based label so a coup for secretsundaze we think.

A.1 'Golden' is a hypnotic, bouncy house groove that doesn't stick the regular 90's house template with some great synth action and manages to be both wistful and and bumpin at the same time. 'Nu4him' is a stunning, moody track with lush chords and Shanti's own vocal refrains. 'Golden dub' breaks it down for a more experimental techno excursion eschewing some of the melodic flourishes of its counterpart with heavy kick, 808's and some detroity vibes. Final cut 'Sun' starts off all ambient and atmospheric later picking up the pace with some more stomping electro influences.

secretsundaze has been on a great run of late with Endian's 'Finish Me' featured on the likes on Joy Orbison and Scuba's Radio 1's Essential mixes and 'SS1' on Nick Hoppner's well received Resident Advisor Podcast. Shanti Celeste one of 2015's breakthrough artists continues in that veign with 'Alma.'

Buy Vinyl

SECRET018 // B2. Shanti Celeste - Sun

Secretsundaze 18th transmission comes with love from Bristol based artist and newcomer Shanti Celeste. With just a few releases under her belt on the likes of Julio Bashmore's Broadwalk, her own label BRSTL and Idle Hands (the infamous Bristol shop where she also man's the counter a few days a week) she has been quick to impress. She played secretsundaze earlier in 2015 and will play our birthday party in just a few weeks and is a fine DJ with great selection and skills. She recently played back to back with Julio Bashmore on Boiler Room. Her monthly show on NTS Radio has been building nicely so we thought it only right to invite her to do her first 12' for us. This will also be her first release on a non Bristol based label so a coup for secretsundaze we think.

A.1 'Golden' is a hypnotic, bouncy house groove that doesn't stick the regular 90's house template with some great synth action and manages to be both wistful and and bumpin at the same time. 'Nu4him' is a stunning, moody track with lush chords and Shanti's own vocal refrains. 'Golden dub' breaks it down for a more experimental techno excursion eschewing some of the melodic flourishes of its counterpart with heavy kick, 808's and some detroity vibes. Final cut 'Sun' starts off all ambient and atmospheric later picking up the pace with some more stomping electro influences.

secretsundaze has been on a great run of late with Endian's 'Finish Me' featured on the likes on Joy Orbison and Scuba's Radio 1's Essential mixes and 'SS1' on Nick Hoppner's well received Resident Advisor Podcast. Shanti Celeste one of 2015's breakthrough artists continues in that veign with 'Alma.'


SECRET018 // B1. Shanti Celeste - Golden (dub)

Our favourite section of any orchestra has to be the Rhythm Section. It's the engine, the driving force - and Bradley Zero's night was more than instrumental, if not a primary component, to Peckham's musical pool exploding the way it has over the last couple of years. 

Read more here; http://www.theransomnote.co.uk/music/premieres-exclusive-streams/premiere-contours-seven-arched-tongues/

PREMIERE: Contours - Seven Arched Tongues

Manchester based newcomer Contours (@tom-burford) makes lieu to Peckham for a release on @bradleyzero's Rhythm Section International imprint.

Read more on Dummy: http://www.dummymag.com/new-music/premiere-contours-technician

Premiere: Contours - Technician

Don't Ask Me

Nathan Melja is the same young Frenchman whose debut EP we released under the name Melja late last year. Since then, he moved to New York and worked at Mister HQ for a few months, manned the light booth at the Mister Saturday Night and Mister Sunday parties (DJs make the best light guys), and spent most of his time outside that making music. Leo Draws is the culmination of that music-making, two murky but beautiful tracks centered around vocal samples and one off-kilter number named at the dark corners of the dancefloor.

Nathan Melja - Expe 12 - Leo Draws EP - MSN019

Nathan Melja - If You Can Dance Then Rave On It - Leo Draws EP - MSN019

Nathan Melja - Leo Draws - Leo Draws EP - MSN019

Patrick Cowley - Somebody To Love Tonight [Dark Entries, 2015]

Having previously released three critically acclaimed Secretsundaze mix comps, DANCE 2017 is the first label compilation, representing an exciting new chapter for the label. The artwork and name 'DANCE 2017' is a reference to the feel of pioneering late 80s and early 90s house and techno compilations. The comp is delivered in a non-mixed format as well as a mixed format, with the duo mixing it live at The Pickle Factory, where the pair hold their monthly Secretsundaze - All Night Long residency, playing 8 hour sets each month.

DANCE 2017

Shanti Celeste - Nu4him

Taken from "Inside The Dance Vol. 2" - selected and mixed by Corrado Bucci.

Instant DL w/ pre-order: 
https://wonderwheelrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/wonderwheel-recordings-presents-inside-the-dance-vol-2

WONDERWHEEL Recordings is proud to present the 2nd volume of the catalog's deep in the club "Inside the Dance" series mixed by Corrado Bucci. "Inside theDance" highlights all the deeper club cuts from the catalog & features one exclusive new track from the DJ/ producer mixing the compilation. DJ extraordinaire and production whizz Corrado Bucci (Local Talk, Compost, WONDERWHEEL, BBE) delivers a house music banger with "Freedom" exclusive for the series. Other new unreleased songs include Drumspyder's remix of "Haboob" by The Spy from Cairo, Sabo's 4-4 DJ friendly edit of Khalab & Baba Sissoko's Worldwide Awards winning tune "Tata." Songs & remixes from Chancha via Circuito, Nicola Cruz, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Nickodemus, Novalima, Jose Marquez & Chaos in the CBD all blend seamlessly in this 1 hour mix.

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