Your music has potential but your nearly nude photos and your fans drug use is inappropriate, I got beaten into a coma after your tour, they stole my life savings and I'm dying from HIV from the rape they did on me, you ruined my life 🧬

Great stuff

Taken from the Long Player "On My Way"

About 

What leads an individual to walk the often obsessive path of the crate digger? Raiding filthy basements and accumulating back-breaking stacks of wax on a tantalising search for the unearthed groove, Kon cites early exposure as the source of his calling: "One of the first physical records I fell in love with was Electric Light Orchestra's El Dorado. The music on that LP is incredible, climatic strings, and full of amazing songwriting. To digest and absorb music with such depth is the best thing for a 4 year old. Get 'em going young! I know this is part of the reason why later in life I searched further than what was just on the radio."

This search began in a city with a thriving live music scene and a small, significant but overlooked nest of remarkable DJ and b-boy talent: the esteemed Floor Lords crew represented through the 80s, the team behind the notorious Dope Jams record store cut their teeth in the 90s, and, today, the globetrotting Soul Clap duo call Boston home.

Kon's father was a drummer, and his love of the break not only inspired the quest for the funkiest rarities that birthed the iconic On Track and Off Track compilations, but also informed his approach to the edit. Check the 'Nite Time Remix' of 'Hooked' as the perfect introduction to his style: breaking things down to the bare essentials, the rhythm section takes on a life of its own in what has fast become the definitive version of an already classic disco workout. Kon's output has given new life to this art form, and on the road to mastery he studied the golden touch of editing and remix masters Walter Gibbons and BBE label-mate John Morales.

The natural next step for this beat-juggling heavyweight was a return to the  crafting of his own original productions. Bringing together a close-knit team of musician friends, Kon has revived a longstanding partnership with BBE and recorded his debut album titled On My Way. Kon's first productions were committed to tape in the early 90s when he a formed a rap group called Mikst Nutz. Their demo was given heavy rotation by DJs Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito, and, in 1992, Jive Records came close to signing the project. 

Since then, his sound has evolved with the musical influences he's absorbed during the last two decades of his crate digging career. The one constant throughout the eight tracks that comprise On My Way though is the funk, a term Kon breaks down with his trademark wit: “Funk. A word often used for many different things. There are more terms that can get confusing too, like boogie, modern soul and disco. I don't know what they mean, really. I just know that I either like it or I don't. I guess we need these words to define sounds and genres though. Some would even argue that P-funk just isn't funk. Even if you think it's not funk, it's still funky. Sheeeeeeet... what would Dr. Dre, Snoop and The Chronic be without it? Exactly!”

Upon this bed of funk-laced rhythms straddling house, disco and boogie drift the soulful keys of Yuki Kanesaka, a friend who was first introduced to Kon via Boston's aforementioned Floor Lords crew. “I was told I needed to link with this amazing player and Yuki is brilliant. He comes from a DJ background, so not only can he play, but he 'gets it' as well. The chops are there, and working with him is a breeze because I can reference a style of playing, or specific sound and era, and he knows exactly what I mean.” 

We are also treated to the unmistakeable vocals of UK talent Ben Westbeech, who Kon first met at the Southport Weekender. “I was with Amir leaving to catch the car service back to our hotel when I heard a guy yelling our names. Turns out it was Ben, and I had no idea he knew about our On Track compilations. And in turn he seemed to be shocked that I knew who he was! I've always liked Ben's work and I was staying in London with him when we first cut this tune. It was originally recorded to a totally different track that was all samples.”

The musical arrangement of On My Way reflects a deep understanding of dance floor dynamics, and Kon honed his craft as a DJ playing at house parties in the 80s, coming from a party rock background where all styles were thrown into the mix. He remembers looking up to Boston radio jocks like DJ Jesse McGee and DJ T-Clark, while records like Cash Money & Marvellous' Ugly People Be Quiet influenced his technical craft: “They contained scratches that were ahead of their time. I really didn't have any mentors, except for these records and the mixes those guys would do on the radio.”

Kon's love for wax is for life, but he has little time for those passing judgement on a selector's format of choice: “It’s a DJ’s skill set and taste that matters. Music is meant to be shared and spread to as many as possible. Who cares what medium I choose to play my music from? We are messengers, period. Nobody owns the sounds that are blasting out of the speakers except the actual musicians. You may own the little piece of plastic it’s recorded onto, but that’s it. Fools need to stop trippin’. I’m not caught up in the hype. I still buy vinyl and I know it’s the coolest medium to store music on. Nothing can beat it. The feel, the smell, the labels and so on, but I can’t take vinyl with me when I die. Now the sounds that have fed and nourished my soul, I take with me everywhere I go. I can take them with me to the grave, or where ever I end up when my physical shell can no longer take it. The music itself is staying with me forever.”

In On My Way, a rich cultural heritage has been distilled into an upfront album of burning dance floor action, showing us why the BBE-crowned 'King of Digging' has for so long remained a formidable, worldwide musical icon.
	


On My Way - Instrumentals

All Night (Everybody)

Kon - All Night Everybody- feat. Amy Douglas

Change

Pre order the remix bundle featuring Paul Woolford mix here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/i-can-tell-by-way-you-move/id708573876

Original available now on Beatport: www.beatport.com/release/i-can-te…you-move/1136888
 
Catch George at the below dates, with a headline show at London's XOYO on October 25th.
 
14/09 - The Zoo Project - Ibiza, Spain
21/09 - Mint Festival - Leeds, UK
23/09 - Sankeys - Ibiza, Spain
28/09 - Verboten - New York, NY USA
29/09 - TommorrowWorld - Atlanta, GA USA
04/10 - Le Sucre - Lyon, France
11/10 - Warehouse Project - Manchester, UK
18/10 - Toffler - Rotterdam, Netherlands
19/10 - Motion - Bristol, UK
25/10 - XOYO - London, UK
26/10 - Ocean Scene Boat - Southampton, UK
03/11 - Golden Pudel - Hamburg, Germany
08/11 - Plug - Sheffield, UK
09/11 - Astoria - Portsmouth, UK
16/11 - Panorama Bar - Berlin, Germany
22/11 - Warehouse Project - Manchester, UK
29/11 - Stealth - Nottingham, UK
30/11 - The Warehouse - Leeds, UK

I Can Tell (By The Way You Move)

I Can Tell (By The Way You Move) Paul Woolford Remix

bandcamp

Saturday Nite - Jean Claude Gavri Re Edit

From the album "The World As I See It"
2006

Dennis Ferrer - How Do I Let Go - King Street / Defected (2006)

Dennis Ferrer - Underground Is My Home - King Street / Defected (2006)

Buy 'Do You Feel The Same?' (Remixes)- 
http://defct.de/herculesi

Buy Album on iTunes - herculesandloveaffair.net/HLAiTunesAlbumOrder

Buy Album on Amazon - herculesandloveaffair.net/HLAAmazAlbumOrder

"It’s Butler’s precision on the boards that’s most impressive here - his polished, spacious touch is pumped with enough groove to win over any dance floor without inhibitions" DJ Magazine. 8.5

"John Grant follows in Antony’s footsteps, bringing the melancholy to Hercules and Love Affair’s tough old-school house production Guardian - mention from Alexis Petridis

"It’s back to 1989 for this amazing Acid House collection featuring vocals by John Grant" - Daily Star

Heartbreaks and 808s near a perfect balance between chart-ready house and the flouncy electro-pop/ Italo disco image H&LA have nurtured. CLASH 8/10

“Only a fool would dismiss Butler’s expansive vision and flair for daring reinvention.” Mixmag 8/10

“A set of classy no-frills, no-nonsense house anthems, all vintage 808 drum patterns and bubbling bass squelches, it works a treat.” Q Magazine

Hercules & Love Affair’s new album ‘The Feast Of The Broken Heart’ (released 26th May / pre-order here georiot.co/3mv7) sees another musical reinvention from ringmaster Andy Butler - delivered by an impeccable new line up.

The ever-revolving collective led house music’s resurgence with club anthem ‘Blind’ in 2008 (Pitchfork’s record of the year), and 2014’s line up is another roll call of exceptionally talented vocalists. Brits nominee John Grant’s ability for translating hardship into elegance is writ large on ‘I Try To Talk To You’ and ‘Liberty’; Rouge Mary, whose deep, spiritual voice is hewn from a gospel education; Belgian singer Gustaph whose counter tenor takes lead on the single ‘Do You Feel The Same?’ and smoky voiced virtuoso Krystle Warren, who was introduced to Butler by Grant, and sings the provocative ‘My Offence’.

Andy Butler comments: “I wanted nasty basslines, stormy, bleary-eyed sounds, fiery, rough, tough and ragged old school house productions that sounded almost techno. I didn’t want polite, I wanted aggressive.”

This aesthetic coupled with tales of emotional triumph makes for something tough yet soulful. Meaningful house music that IS pop music and can speak to the most musically adroit of tastes.

One of dance music’s finest live acts Hercules & Love Affair are set to announce a full run of summer shows and festivals. They tour Europe in May.

Connect with Hercules & Love Affair:
Hercules site - herculesandloveaffair.net
Hercules YouTube - herculesandloveaffair.net/YouTube-Subscribe
Hercules Facebook Page - herculesandloveaffair.net/Facebook-Like
Hercules Twitter - herculesandloveaffair.net/Twitter-Follow
Hercules Instagram - herculesandloveaffair.net/Instagram-Follow
Hercules SoundCloud - herculesandloveaffair.net/SoundCloud
Hercules MixCloud - herculesandloveaffair.net/MixCloud
Hercules Tumblr - herculesandloveaffair.net/Tumblr
Hercules Google+ - herculesandloveaffair.net/G+
Hercules Free Music - herculesandloveaffair.net/Free-Music - Get free downloads of other Hercules tracks
Hercules beatport - herculesandloveaffair.net/beatport
Hercules Spotify - herculesandloveaffair.net/Spotify

Do You Feel The Same?

A song that makes people DANCE every time it’s dropped.
 
Supported by the likes of Marcellus Pittman and Dan Shake, it’s an underground record that will never get old.
 
@melvobaptiste: “I just found this video of Marcellus Pittman on my phone & it made me smile. So hopefully it does the same to you.”
 
Featured in our Defected Classics playlist - link in bio. 🔗

'Heat'

'Heat'(Feat. Nathan Thomas)

Rapson 'Heat'(Feat. Nathan Thomas)

3-06 Tracey In My Room (Lazy Dog Bootleg Vocal)

| Beatport: defct.de/lvjmdlbp | Traxsource: defct.de/lvjmdlts
| Bandcamp: defct.de/lvjmdlbc

Louie Vega is an artist who needs little introduction; a Master At Work, Grammy Award Winner and house music innovator, he is arguably one of the most recognised names in dance music. ‘Diamond Life’, co-produced with Jay ‘Sinister’ Sealee and featuring the vocals of Julie McKnight, is instantly recognisable and a genuine house music anthem. Remixes come from Masters At Work, Deep Dish, Copyright, Danism, Kenny Summit, Nikos Diamantopoulos & Richard Earnshaw.

Louie Vega & Jay ‘Sinister’ Sealee starr. Julie McKnight 'Diamond Life' (Dance Ritual Mix)

This is the 2nd track of my album ƒin. 
It was half produced half in Barcelona and half in Pional's studio in Madrid. We made three sessions of recordings during 2011 and in fact it's the track that took most time to finish in the album. Pional played some keys too and some percussions, he's the best :)  


Destiny feat. Pional

30 Years EP

Good Life (Inner City Edit of Carl Craig Remix)

Want You In My Soul

Want You In My Soul (feat. Stee Downes)

Part of the "Fall For You" Ep coming out on Defected April 8th.

Keep in touch with me at:

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/sandyriveradj 
TWITTER: twitter.com/djsandyrivera
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/user/sandyriveras…ial?feature=watch



Buy at Traxsource

Kings Of Tomorrow feat April - Fall For You - Defected

The ever shape shifting, critically hailed Hercules & Love Affair return with brand new album In Amber, to be released on 17th June 2022 via Skint/BMG.

“Across this record, there are emotional fields I hadn’t ventured into previously with Hercules & Love Affair,” says Butler. “Destruction, rage, loss, but also redemption and journeying towards empowerment are all touchstones on the album. It has taken years to make, but I am happy to put it forward now, at a moment in time where we have all been confronted with such heightened feelings collectively and on an unprecedented scale”.

Reuniting with ANOHNI for the first time since her stellar turn on the eponymous debut in 2008 (which undeniably produced one of the most beloved dance tunes of the oughts “Blind”) proved key to this process. Both share a love and deep respect for music of a more aggressive bent, zig zagging from grindcore like Godflesh and Bolt Thrower, via electronic avant-garde like Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire to female fronted punk and metal like Sacrilege, Fear of God and Diamanda Galas.  On the other end of the spectrum, they have an equally intense appreciation for darker ethereal acts such as This Mortal Coil and Dead Can Dance. In Amber reflects this wide swathe of emotion and sound.

Do You Feel The Same?

Hercules & Love Affair

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