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Heels & Souls Recordings hit release number nine, looking across the pond to Toronto in the mid-'90s to reissue two blissfully Balearic house gems from 100th Monkey. Alongside remastered versions of ‘Raindance’ and ‘Nyika Nyika’, the flip features a pumping remix of ‘Raindance’ courtesy of dream house hero @manuel-darquart and a previously unreleased ‘90s stunner, ‘River Ride’.
 
100th Monkey were most known under their Boomtang Boys moniker, a killer Canadian production trio and record label. In the early ‘90s, with a release already out as Fun Wow, brothers Tony and Paul Grace were introduced to Rob DeBoer. With respective backgrounds as a drummer, DJ and keys player and inspired by the sounds coming across from the UK, they began producing releases for the label under a variety of different monikers. From the street soul grooves of ‘Love Trip’ as Boomtang Boys, to the hip house flavours of D.S.B. and the progressive rhythms of The Riders of the Soundguard.
 
Their only release as 100th Monkey though is a jewel in this Canadian crown. Cooked up in their home studio, packed with synths, samplers and drum machines, ‘Raindance’ is a hit of summertime heat that instantly transports you to sandy shores. A slice of mid-tempo, Balearic deep house anchored by shuffling hats and a spine-tingling bassline, the African vocal samples, dreamy strings and goose-bumping chords merge to send you floating out across the horizon.
 
Picking up the pace, ‘Nyika Nyika’ is another dream-inducing house cut, equally adept at soundtracking a sunset, as it is at powering a dancefloor. Shimmering arps and looped African vocal samples glisten through the haze, with a punchy bass and enveloping strings reeling you in.
 
On the B side, Manuel Darquart puts his trademark spin on ‘Raindance’, looping up elements from the OG with a dash of that Darquart hot sauce. The kick gets an injection, steamy synthlines are laid down and a salacious sax is slipped in the mix.
 
Finally, plucked from the 100th Monkey vaults, ‘River Ride’ is an unreleased cut from 1996. Washing over you with a wave of floating pads, trickling arps, a laidback breakbeat and grooving bassline, it’s the perfect warm-down or warmup material, that rightly sees the light of day for the very first time.
 
Licensed from The Boomtang Boys and remastered from the original DATs by Justin Drake.

Pre-order

[PREVIEWS] 100th Monkey - Raindance / Nyika Nyika (w/ Manuel Darquart Remix)

PRE-ORDER: https://heelsandsouls.bandcamp.com/album/hot-slot-machine-hsrec010

Hitting their tenth release, Heels & Souls Recordings journey to South Africa reissuing Hot Slot Machine’s pioneering and sought after self-titled album from 1992. Cultivating a sound and vibe that took South Africa by storm in the early '90s, the six track LP drew influence from the genres that drifted over the Atlantic from the US and UK. From house and R&B, through to soul, hip-hop and reggae - creating a rhythm-driven, bass-heavy blend of them all, repackaged with a township flavour.

Known to many as Joe Nina, Makhosini Henry Xaba’s early forays into production would help lay the foundation for the infectious, groove-laden genre that would go on to be labelled as kwaito. With two albums already under his belt as T. McCool and King Rap, aged just 16 Makhosini wrote and produced Hot Slot Machine with the help of Gerdes Chessman - an LP that was far beyond both its time and his youthful years.

Striving to imitate the heavy house sounds inbound from the UK and America, artists like Blackbox and Ten City became big influences. Hot Slot Machine radiates with those impressions, providing something unique in South Africa in the early ‘90s. Leaning more into house and hip hop than the disco-flavoured bubblegum rhythms, the tracks were richer in sound, heavier on the synths and powered by rattling basslines.

Undeniably infectious and unquestionably well put together, the album contains six hits and no misses. With the chunky hip house grooves of ‘Rhythm’, ‘Unchain My Heart’ and ‘Shake Ya Down’, running side by side with the low slung, magnetic bounce of ‘Lookin’ Mix’, ‘I’ll Be Ready’ and ‘Lovin’ Mix’.

Sadly the tapes were long lost, so the wizards Sean P and Justin Drake ripped and restored the album, with Justin giving it a well-deserved remaster. Licensed from Gallo with the blessing of Makhosini, this truly must-have LP now comes complete with a printed inner sleeve housing liner notes and never-before-seen photography. 
credits

Pre-Order

[PREVIEWS] Hot Slot Machine (HSREC010)

This month, we were joined by London duo @Good-Block for a 60 minute guest mix of downtempo oddball gems and tripped out groovers.

Heels & Souls with Good Block (WWFM)

This month we were joined on Worldwide FM by one of Brazil's finest, @barbaraboeing. Co-captain of the Alter Disco parties / mix series and now residing in Lisbon, she offers up a flawless 60-minute mix that travels the globe with a big nod to her beloved Brazil. We cruised the first hour with a selection of street soul and downtempo cuts.

Heels & Souls with Barbara Boeing (WWFM)

Reissue number three for Heels & Souls Recordings combines the Balearic bliss of Paprika Soul’s, ‘Come With Me’, with Soft Sugar’s dream house gem ‘Métro’ and an unreleased version of the tripped-out groover ‘Swampin'. A cherry picking of the best of three rare and sought after ‘90s EPs from the minds of High Wycombe’s Alan Barnes, Andrew Spiller and Andrew Hughes.

As anthemic as they get, Paprika Soul's 'Come With Me (Sea Breeze)' is an otherworldly electronic interpretation of Tania Maria’s beloved Brazilian jazz funk classic from '83. Vocalist Sarah Newell's unique delivery combines with a euphoric blend of Barnes’ and Spiller’s crisp drum machine programming and cosmic synthwork. Complete with crashing waves and Balearic birds, it’s a timeless, endorphin-tingling track that feels even more relevant than ever. The A-side also features the brilliant street soul flavoured ‘The Chill’ mix and the ‘Bossa Mix’, the most true in form to the original.

On the flip you’ll find Soft Sugar’s dream house flavoured ‘Métro (Funk Mix)’, Barnes and Andrew Hughes’ homage to time spent cruising the Parisian train system. Barnes’ favourite of their joint-productions, it blends that riviera feel of classic M1 stabs and sweeping pads with a dreamy bassline and stuttering breaks. Flying under the radar at the time, it’s since become hot property for the eagle-eyed digger out there.

Closing out the B, an unreleased, alternate version of Soft Sugar’s slung-back ‘Swampin’ from their Basement Records House Department EP. Mesmerizingly smooth, the 110bpm house-groover busts the brain with wigged out chants and intoxicating arpeggiations.

Fully licensed from Alan Barnes and remastered by Cicely Balston, 20% of profits from Heels & Souls Recordings and Prime Direct Distribution will be donated to Zaatari Radio – a humanitarian collective working with war-affected communities around the world.

Paprika Soul - Come With Me (The Chill)

Our guest for the last Worldwide FM show of 2021 was Gary Abugan aka Invisible City, representing Toronto with a guest mix in the second hour. Alongside being an incredible DJ, he’s the head of both Invisible City Editions, the record label responsible for some of our favourite reissues of recent times, and also the mouth wateringly good Invisible City record shop.

Heels & Souls with Invisible City (WWFM)

O duo de DJs/festa sem fins lucrativos/selo Heels & Souls, aka Ben e Pat, intensifica os ares da atmosfera altercaster, com uma mistura que apresenta todos os tipos de sonoridades - baleárico, reggae, street soul, hip-hop, boogie, material de gravadora a ser lançado, uma viagem sonora precisa! @heelsandsouls para os pedidos de faixas, aproveitem 🏄‍♀️🏄‍♂️

DJ duo, not-for-profit party and reissue label Heels & Souls, aka Ben and Pat, step up this week for the podcast. The mix features all sorts - balearic, reggae, street soul, hip-hop, boogie, forthcoming label material and even a cheeky H&S edit! @heelsandsouls for the ID requests, enjoy 🏄‍♀️🏄‍♂️

Heels & Souls - Alter Disco Podcast 117

For our first Worldwide FM show of the year we were joined by San Francisco based, Irish/Iranian DJ @sineadj. Head of the Metropolis party out there, she's a wicked DJ to boot and provided a buttery house mix in the second hour with us on a similar tip in the first.

Heels & Souls with Sinéad (WWFM)

In February we were joined by Anya and Izaak of the mighty @loveshadowdjs on our Worldwide FM show. Having released one of our favourite records of 2021, their eponymously named debut LP on Music From Memory, it was a joy to have them pull out some gems from their collection in the second hour of the show.

Heels & Souls with Loveshadow (WWFM)

This month we were joined by London-based DJ @tiacousins, who is as equally at home commanding club dancefloors from behind the decks as she is cruising the downtempo, street soul, Lovers lanes. 

Crazy Beat digs and recent finds in the first from H&S, with a killer guest mix from Tia in the second.

Heels & Souls with Tia Cousins (WWFM)

This month we were joined by NYC vibesmith, dope DJ and killer producer @gregdroggitis on @worldwide-fm with an exquisite hour of dubby downtempo, chillout business 💆‍♂️

Resident at Good Room and Public Records, 1/2 of Infinity Machine, 1/3 of Earth Beat and with releases on firm favourites Planet Trip and Superior Elevation this man knows a thing or two about weaving together a bit of magic for your mind 🪄

We ease you in with some ice-cold chillers for the first hour with Greg steppin up in the 2nd.

Heels & Souls with Gee Dee (WWFM)

Top tier tackle from Heels & Souls Recordings for their fourth reissue as they let loose a much anticipated double header, Gold In The Shade’s 'Over You' backed with 'Shining Through'. Rough, tough, straight-from-the-heart ‘90s street soul, coming courtesy of TSR bossman Robert Roper and the Gold In The Shade ladies Arletta Davis and Sonia Johnson. One of the most sought-after cuts of this scene, it encompasses much of what made street soul special - heavy bass, gritty breaks, emotive chords and off-kilter vocals, marrying together to form a snapshot of a raw DIY scene with optimism at its heart.

The trio’s first single from 1990, ‘Shining Through’ is a no nonsense, bassbin-rattling love song from the underground, seeing long-term friends Sonia and Arletta pulling on the heartstrings from the mic as Robert works his magic behind the studio controls.

Lovingly remastered from the DAT by Cicely Balston, if only ‘Over You’ had been so easy. Two years of endless searching for the tape and subsequently a clean copy of the record, Heels & Souls even went to the lengths of having the multitracks restored so that Robert could attempt to recreate the original mixdown in the studio – but the magic of ‘91, unfortunately, can’t simply be conjured at the drop of a hi-hat.

After all but losing hope, Sean P (by way of Backatcha’s Aiden Leacy), came to the rescue with a mint condition copy of the record that he had from running in the same circles as Robert and Duval back in the day, ripping and restoring it with a precision he’s rightly famed for. And so (finally!) here it is: distorted samples, low-fi hits, speaker rumbling bassweight and all. Raw to the core, but that’s the point – pure, unbridled emotion from the depths of North West London.

Fully licensed from Robert Roper, 20% of profits from Heels & Souls Recordings and Prime Direct Distribution will be donated to Lives Not Knives, a youth-led London-based charity, working to prevent knife crime, serious youth violence and school exclusions.

Early DJ support:

Hunee, Jamie Tiller, Ari Goldman, Trujillo, Adi Toohey, Piers Harrison, Moxie, Apiento, Mendel, Alicia Carrera, Barbara Boeing, Eternal Love, Mike Who, Fredfades, Cam Hildebrant, Daniel Lupica

A1 - Gold In The Shade - Over You

The Tiger Tapes are back and this time we're really happy to have two very special guests: @heelsandsouls  - one of London's foremost not-for-profit parties, re-issue label, and the DJ duo of Ben Croft and Patrick Forrester. 

These lads have been making waves in the music scene by re-issuing amazing gems such as The Soundstealer's classic jam "Amazonia" in collaboration with a rework from buddies Good Block with their signature dubby goodness.

Much more can be said about these two, but let's let the music talk for itself, as they have delivered a proper chuggy downtempo workout that moves into more psychedelic proggyness.

Tiger Tapes 007 - Heels & Souls

This little melting pot of goodness from the Italian stallion and all-round don Raff Todesco under the moniker Free On Board, aptly named ‘In My Soul’, had all the makings of a winner but only clocked in at a criminally short 3 minutes. We got the scalpel out on this ‘90s gem, spliced and diced in some new sections and took out that semi-questionable guitar breakdown to create what we hope is a feel-good, dancefloor heater ☀️

Free On Board – In My Soul (Heels & Souls Edit)

A little isolation enforced edit of a £1er that Jamie from Music & Video Exchange in Greenwich (the mecca) held back for us, spliced and diced for your listening pleasure :)

Dream Trois - Summer Time (Heels & Souls Edit)

Toronto titan @camhildebrandt joined us for our penultimate show on WWFM in signature style. 

It's been such a joy linking up with some of our favourite DJs from across the globe via the show and Cam is no exception. He provided a lovely guest mix that takes in downtempo, shoegaze and house with us in the first on a chiller flex.

Heels & Souls with  Cam Hildebrandt (WWFM)

For our final ever show on the Worldwide FM airwaves we were joined by Skopje selector @musicsoulcase. One of the city's rising stars, he’s got crates as deep as they get and cheffed up a super killer guest mix full of all that diggery deliciousness that we love. 

We're up in the first hour with some emotion selects before Bojan steps up.

Heels & Souls With Soul Case (WWFM)

Heels & Souls Recordings’ fifth reissue sees them reach across the Atlantic to Vancouver, pressing up Pilgrims Of The Mind’s What’s Your Shrine? for the first time ever on vinyl, 25 years since its CD-only release on Map Music. A departure from the label’s previous releases, the LP is a beautiful smorgasbord of styles - progressive house, downtempo, ambient, tech house and trance all nestle together, a wiggling journey of sonic delight from the mind of Stephane Novak.

Turn the dial back to ‘97 and Vancouver's underground had a distinctive buzz to its rumblings, an amalgamation of scenes and styles gave rise to a cohort of producers that were unconstrained by genre, offering up a heady mix of sounds to expand the mind. ‘Welcome To Lotus Land’ the key 1996 compilation on Robert Shea’s seminal Vancouver Label, Map Music, championed much of this output including two cuts from POTM. Stephane then released his first and only full length album, ‘What’s Your Shrine?’ on the same label the following year.

Picking out choice moments from an album as considered and complete as this is tough. Those horizontally inclined will be drawn to the ambient dwellings of Sandcastle & Following the Sofuto Kuriimo, tracks like Nothing Can Pull Us Apart and L’Amour? Encore?! are perfectly suited to warming up limbs on the dancefloor, My Baby Likes Rum & Loosejaw prime for one in full swing. Yet to pick individual tracks misses the stunning sum of its parts that this 70+ minute cruise is, surely one of the finest albums from North America’s West Coast during its halcyon days of the ‘90s.

Digging deep in his vaults, Stephane managed to uncover the original unmastered DATs that have been given a fresh mastering by Justin Drake at the Bakehouse Studios. This beautiful, double-disc gatefold comes complete with liner notes from Ciel, words from Stephane himself, plus never-before-seen photography - the complete package this music always deserved.

20% of profits from Heels & Souls Recordings and Prime Direct Distribution will be donated to Saffron a non-profit organisation who aim to advance gender equality in the music tech sector by creating a safe space for women, non-binary people and other minority genders to learn and build confidence.

Pilgrims Of The Mind - Sandcastle

Pilgrims Of The Mind - La Belle Du Jardin

Pilgrims Of The Mind - Nothing Can Pull Us Apart

Not-for-profit party, reissue label and DJ duo Heels & Souls take the reins on the Secretsundaze show this month, running street soul, kwaito, house and plenty more besides over two hours. There's even an exclusive announcement of a forthcoming release live on air.

Heels And Souls on NTS Radio 12/01/23 (Covering for Secretsundaze)

Chopped and screwed B.B. Nation’s 1995 104 bpm stomper ‘Too Many Walls (Groove Nation)’ for a cheeky little rework that loses those questionable euro house vocals and doubles down on the cosmic ragga tip. A beefy, bouncy, party starter that blends the best bits of a whole host of genres – hope you like the rerubbed results!

WAV is downloadable for free - enjoy :)

B.B. Nation - Too Many Walls (Heels & Souls Edit)

Beaming with energy from behind the decks, pals Ben and Pat aka Heels & Souls provide us with this week's mix. The pair are known for playing a truly wide variety of styles, but for their Dimensions Podcast they focus on house of various shades across 2+ hours, from dubbed out groovers to chunky house, high-energy prog and deep 90s tech-house ❤️

Long-standing friends and partners of Dimensions, their beach takeovers in Tisno have become a well-loved fixture of the past few years, providing a sun-kissed session of reggae, street soul, house, oddball downtempo and plenty more besides. We welcome them back this year for more of the same, with the likes of Prosumer, Paramida, Joe Delon and Alex Kassian joining the fun.

Enjoy the ride 🚀 soundcloud.com/heelsandsouls

DIM288 - Heels & Souls

Heels & Souls step back to 1988 for their sixth reissue, relicensing and remastering Flair's anthemic soul number 'Chasin' The Rain.' For the uninitiated, strap yourself in for six blissful minutes of heavy bass licks, soaring vocals, and infectious synth lines.

Consisting of Janet Rose (aka UK Soul queen JB Rose), Joe Matz, Peter Bielig, and Peter Shindler, Flair was a predominantly German affair, with Rose being the only UK band member and Bielig living in London during the late '80s. This is a curious detail considering 'Chasin' The Rain' is often lauded today as a UK Soul classic - partially due to its release on the prolific UK label Champion. However, it's squeaky-clean production values, and the fact it was mixed and mastered at the famous Jankowski studio in Stuttgart by three Germans, reveals a somewhat different story.

The track has that UK street soul heavy low-end, but with a synth-pop flavour sprinkled in the mix - swinging synth lines and gated snares aplenty. Yet from chatting to Peter Bielig, who's been instrumental in getting this record reissued, the sounds sweeping across the Atlantic from the likes of Jam and Lewis, who blended R&B, funk, soul and pop, were clearly a big influence too.

Those were heady days for four young twenty-something musicians, with Peter recalling cherished memories these tracks bring back, telling of his and JB's PA sessions at London's Gulliver's nightclub. However, while 'Chasin' The Rain' had all the hallmarks of a chart-breaking hit, Champion prioritised other projects and the record never broke. Sadly the group disbanded after only two releases, and this musical gem was consigned to the crates of those in the know. Soon after, Peter Bielig went to Jamaica to work at Tough Gong Studios, working on albums for Rita Marley Music. He now lives in Brazil, producing local artists in his studio in Salvador.

Unfortunately, the master tapes were nowhere to be found, so we had the maestro, Sean P, rip and restore a mint copy of the record, with award-winning mastering engineer Cicely Balston working her studio magic for that added punch.

Flair - Chasin' The Rain [HSREC006]

"Pressing record for BPT hits different baby. Clingin on to every last smidgen of summer, here's 2 hours of finely fermented digs, X-rated raunch, and bargain bin heat, taking you from mellow to hello, yes sir another glass please. Best served chilled, enjoy x" - @heelsandsouls

B.P.T. Radio 075: Heels & Souls

Rinse FM Podcast

Heels & Souls - 10 December 2023

Heels & Souls Recordings roll into reissue number eight with a double dose of early '90s UK street soul magic, splitting the sides between two sought-after cuts from Elaine Vassell and 3rd Zone.

Step back to 1993, house music has hit, UK Soul is in full flow and its rawer, DIY street soul sibling is making its mark across the UK’s underground. Fuelled by accessible, affordable production gear and ignited through enthusiasm and an influx of ideas and sounds, two acts drew inspiration from a melting pot of genres they were exposed to, providing their take on soul as they saw it.

Up first, Elaine Vassell - ‘Never Give Up’. A rough breakbeat-driven, mid-tempo groover from a North West London production triple threat, made up of Longsy D, Pinky and Murray. Utilising Pinky’s home studio with its DX7, Juno 106, LinnDrum and 808, they masterminded a track that sits at the intersection between soulful house, hip hop and R&B. Its crunching drum loop, chest-rattling low-end and serene synth lines, lay the foundation for Elaine’s powerful yet emotive voice to take centre stage. ‘Never Give Up’ should have been a future classic, but never quite found its feet.

On the flip side another 1993 gem, as Sansel Ali and twin brothers Mark and Stephen Anglin joined forces to form 3rd Zone. Conceived in Mark’s makeshift bedroom studio, the trio laid down their first foray into recorded music, ‘You Stole My Heart’. Originally promoed as a limited whitelabel in 1991, it officially landed on the group's one and only EP ‘No Real Reason' in '93.

Armed with a handful of synth modules, a drum machine and a Korg M1, Mark, Stephen and Sansel hit with a tough but tender, underground triumph. Part dance, part romance, layering synth strings, chunky breaks and M1 stabs underneath Sansel’s heartstrung vocals and Stephen’s hip house rap interlude, it provides another perfect example of house seen through the street soul prism.

Two timeless tracks that fly the flag for the fact that big studios and big budgets aren't necessary to create songs that really resonate. Each side also contains an alternate version, with the A housing a beatless reprise of ‘Never Give Up’ and the B a tougher, bassier remix of ‘You Stole My Heart’.

Licensed from Pinky Music and 3rd Zone respectively and remastered from the original DATs by Justin Drake.

Elaine Vassell - Never Give Up

Kwaito, street soul, UK-bhangra, RnB and plenty more during a recent hour guest mix live from the NTS studio.

Heels & Souls on NTS - January 23rd 2024

HEELS AND SOULS @ The Lot Radio 05-22-2024

Heels & Souls Recordings hit release number nine, looking across the pond to Toronto in the mid-'90s to reissue two blissfully Balearic house gems from 100th Monkey. Alongside remastered versions of ‘Raindance’ and ‘Nyika Nyika’, the flip features a pumping remix of ‘Raindance’ courtesy of dream house hero Manuel Darquart and a previously unreleased ‘90s stunner, ‘River Ride’.
 
100th Monkey were most known under their Boomtang Boys moniker, a killer Canadian production trio and record label. In the early ‘90s, with a release already out as Fun Wow, brothers Tony and Paul Grace were introduced to Rob DeBoer. With respective backgrounds as a drummer, DJ and keys player and inspired by the sounds coming across from the UK, they began producing releases for the label under a variety of different monikers. From the street soul grooves of ‘Love Trip’ as Boomtang Boys, to the hip house flavours of D.S.B. and the progressive rhythms of The Riders of the Soundguard.
 
Their only release as 100th Monkey though is a jewel in this Canadian crown. Cooked up in their home studio, packed with synths, samplers and drum machines, ‘Raindance’ is a hit of summertime heat that instantly transports you to sandy shores. A slice of mid-tempo, Balearic deep house anchored by shuffling hats and a spine-tingling bassline, the African vocal samples, dreamy strings and goose-bumping chords merge to send you floating out across the horizon.
 
Picking up the pace, ‘Nyika Nyika’ is another dream-inducing house cut, equally adept at soundtracking a sunset, as it is at powering a dancefloor. Shimmering arps and looped African vocal samples glisten through the haze, with a punchy bass and enveloping strings reeling you in.
 
On the B side, Manuel Darquart puts his trademark spin on ‘Raindance’, looping up elements from the OG with a dash of that Darquart hot sauce. The kick gets an injection, steamy synthlines are laid down and a salacious sax is slipped in the mix.
 
Finally, plucked from the 100th Monkey vaults, ‘River Ride’ is an unreleased cut from 1996. Washing over you with a wave of floating pads, trickling arps, a laidback breakbeat and grooving bassline, it’s the perfect warm-down or warmup material, that rightly sees the light of day for the very first time.
 
Licensed from The Boomtang Boys and remastered from the original DATs by Justin Drake.

100th Monkey - River Ride

100th Monkey - Raindance (Manuel Darquart Remix)

100th Monkey - Nyika Nyika

100th Monkey - Raindance

Part of the NTS family since day dot, Moxie has held her Wednesday show since the stations first broadcasts. Inviting esteemed guests for interviews & mixes and breaking new, unreleased music, she’s got your Wednesday afternoons covered... Tune in to hear anything from Soulful House, Garage, Afro beats and all the way through to rolling techno. 
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/moxie/episodes/moxie-14th-august-2024

MOXIE w/ Heels & Souls and Lyric Hood 140824

Hitting their tenth release, Heels & Souls Recordings journey to South Africa reissuing Hot Slot Machine’s pioneering and sought after self-titled album from 1992. Cultivating a sound and vibe that took South Africa by storm in the early '90s, the six track LP took influence from the genres that drifted over the Atlantic from the US and UK. From house and R&B, through to soul, hip-hop and reggae - creating a rhythm-driven, bass-heavy blend of them all, repackaged with a township flavour.

Known to many as Joe Nina, Makhosini Henry Xaba’s early forays into production would help lay the foundation for the infectious, groove-laden genre that would go on to be labelled as kwaito. With two albums already under his belt as T. McCool and King Rap, aged just 16 Makhosini wrote and produced Hot Slot Machine with the help of Gerdes Chessman - an LP that was far beyond both its time and his youthful years.

Striving to imitate the heavy house sounds inbound from the UK and America, artists like Blackbox and Ten City became big influences. Hot Slot Machine radiates with those impressions, providing something unique in South Africa in the early ‘90s. Leaning more into house and hip hop than the disco-flavoured bubblegum rhythms, the tracks were richer in sound, heavier on the synths and powered by rattling basslines.

Undeniably infectious and unquestionably well put together, the album contains six hits and no misses. With the chunky hip house grooves of ‘Rhythm’, ‘Unchain My Heart’ and ‘Shake Ya Down’, running side by side with the low slung, magnetic bounce of ‘Lookin’ Mix’, ‘I’ll Be Ready’ and ‘Lovin’ Mix’.

Sadly the tapes were long lost, so the wizards Sean P and Justin Drake ripped and restored the album, with Justin giving it a well-deserved remaster. Licensed from Gallo with the blessing of Makhosini, this truly must-have LP now comes complete with a printed inner sleeve housing liner notes and never-before-seen photography. 
credits

Hot Slot Machine - Rhythm

Hot Slot Machine - Lovin' Mix

Hot Slot Machine - Shake Ya Down

Hot Slot Machine - Unchain My Heart

Hot Slot Machine - Lookin' Mix

Hot Slot Machine - I'll Be Ready

A genre-spanning show focusing on rare grooves, classics, new productions and obscurities with a worldwide perspective and a spotlight on soul, synth pop and leftfield house. All curated with love by Javybz - Anya and Julia.  
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/all-styles-all-smiles/episodes/all-styles-all-smiles-14th-january-2025

ALL STYLES ALL SMILES w/ Heels & Souls 140125

A decade-long dial tone vibrates between two skylines, cloud-streaked and crackling with forgotten breakbeats.

@heelsandsouls

Spaced 37 | Heels & Souls

Secretsundaze kindly invited us to take the reins for their final NTS Radio show of 2020. Expect a broad range of sounds moving from ambient, through lovers rock, to a whole host of forthcoming exclusives from the label and a smattering of house to close it out.

Secretsundaze w/ Heels & Souls NTS Radio 27/12/20

Heels & Souls

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