“The 4 A.M. era was marked by energetic evolution. There was always a new, earth-shattering theory to challenge a composer to go beyond the easy "tink, tonk, bleep, blop" sound of the sequenced rhythm.”  - Lupos Sobre-Vega

Under the pseudonyms 4 A.M. and Beat Per Bar, Lupos Sobre-Vega released two eccentric 12”s, of what, in retrospect, can be called vernacular house music. Both records are individualistic collisions of New Wave, Bass, Freestyle, Hi-NRG, Acid, and Sample House recorded in Sobre-Vega’s home studio in Orange County, Los Angeles. Using a Yamaha QX-5, Roland S-50, his mom's Roland Juno 60, EMU drum machines, and Yamaha DX-7, he put his nascent jazz chops to use and laid down the idiosyncratic dance tracks that he would self-release on his own label, House Hold Records, in 1988 and 1989 respectively. Although both 12”s were credited to groups, Sobre-Vega confirms that “the so-called band members were club friends. A couple were models and actors, or just plain good ol’ dancers. They were strategically picked by me, of course. So yeah, 4 A.M. and BEAT PER BAR are 300% me. There is no other.”

Despite working within the confines of dance music’s ready-made rhythms, Sobre-Vega’s sensitivity transcends the inarticulate 4/4 beat - vulnerable, idealistic and yearning. The timeless themes on the records reveal his youthful worries about money, intimacy, love and sex. Looking back at dance music history, it is luminaries such as Arthur Russell, Sylvester, Grace Jones, Theo Parrish, and Larry Heard, that stand out as enduring visionaries that transcended stylistic trends. Mixed Signals is proud to illuminate Sobre-Vega’s work in the constellation of dance music’s radical dreamers with this EP comprised of two songs from each his scarce and singular 12”s.

Limited edition of 200 with risograph artwork and hand-stamped covers.

Tracklist:

A1 That’s Nice - Gimme a Couple More (US Jack Mix)
A2 Yahh...Money?!

B1 Just Wait And See (Deepest Mix)
B2 Love It (After Hours Mix)

Release by Mixed Signals

Beat Per Bar - Yahh...Money?! (MS05)

To celebrate our collaboration with Henry Jones (Smiling C / Further Steps) we joined forces on a mix that explores our shared interests in off-beat drum machine soul, instrumental g-funk, vernacular house, balearic IDM, and weird wave. Melodious Signals is the inaugural trip in a planned series of voyages down these outlying pathways. We couldn't be happier about working with Henry, and we're cooking up a lot of projects together that we can't wait to share.

https://www.seance-centre.com/mixed-signals

Melodious Signals (A vernacular mix by Henry Jones and Brandon Hocura)

Wet Silk was a rare digression into house music by the legendary star-crossed duo of Lamar Thomas and Judy Taylor. For this sonic liaison, Thomas brought aboard his high school friend, disco impresario Patrick Adams to co-produce, and the resulting Let Me Do You Baby is a slow and seductive sunset soirée with champagne and caviar. The track is skillfully arranged with slippery 808 programming, serpentine guitar, and silky pads, all sliding around Thomas and Lamar’s playfully suggestive vocals. For the first 12” release of this hypnotic track, Mixed Signals have paired it with two other sumptuous Thom/Tay productions, the rare and dubby house mix of Shelly Pearse’s If You Want My Love, and the instrumental end-of-the-nighter I’ll Be Waiting.

Limited edition of 100 with risograph artwork and hand-stamped covers.

Tracklist:

A1 Let Me Do You Baby
B1 If You Want My Love (House Mix)
B2 I’ll Be Waiting (Instrumental)

Release by Mixed Signals

Purchase digital on Bandcamp: https://wetsilk.bandcamp.com/album/wet-silk

MS06

Wet Silk - Let me Do You Baby (MS06)

Wet Silk was a rare digression into house music by the legendary star-crossed duo of Lamar Thomas and Judy Taylor. For this sonic liaison, Thomas brought aboard his high school friend, disco impresario Patrick Adams to co-produce, and the resulting Let Me Do You Baby is a slow and seductive sunset soirée with champagne and caviar. The track is skillfully arranged with slippery 808 programming, serpentine guitar, and silky pads, all sliding around Thomas and Lamar’s playfully suggestive vocals. For the first 12” release of this hypnotic track, Mixed Signals have paired it with two other sumptuous Thom/Tay productions, the rare and dubby house mix of Shelly Pearse’s If You Want My Love, and the instrumental end-of-the-nighter I’ll Be Waiting.

Limited edition of 100 with risograph artwork and hand-stamped covers.

Tracklist:

A1 Let Me Do You Baby
B1 If You Want My Love (House Mix)
B2 I’ll Be Waiting (Instrumental)

Release by Mixed Signals

Purchase vinyl: https://www.seance-centre.com/mixed-signals/wet-silk

Purchase digital on Bandcamp: https://wetsilk.bandcamp.com/album/wet-silk

Shelly Pearse - If You Want My Love (House Mix)(MS06)

Visionary “Rap” EP by precocious 18-year-old duo Eric Davis (ELV) and Chuck Prater (Chuk Chu) from 1989. Imagine if Schoolly D had joined Native Tongues and made an early hip-house EP produced by Larry Heard.

The story of Me & E took shape in Avalon Park in South Chicago, a vibrant, diverse, and politically active community with a rich musical culture. This was the fertile playground for producer Eric Davis (ELV) and lyricist Chuck Prater (Chuk Chu). The park itself was adjacent to Eric’s backyard and they would hop the fence to listen to music, drink beers, and freestyle, even in the middle of the notoriously cold Chicago winters. Eric’s dad, Arlington Davis Jr., was a jazz drummer who played in the legendary spiritual jazz group The Awakening in the ‘70s. Jazz ran deep in their family with proud connections to Miles Davis. Arlington would host weekly jam sessions at his home, and Chuck & Eric were in regular attendance. On those evenings, Eric and his brothers were able to take turns on the sticks alongside the veteran players, honing their fledgling chops. These experiences gave them the confidence to take music seriously, and start a group.

Channeling his drumming skills through an array of synths and drum machines, Eric produced tracks in his bedroom, inspired by artists like The Art Of Noise, Kraftwerk, and New Order. Combining their atmospheric electronic elements with his jazz background, and beat-making skills, he created a distinct sound that still sounds fresh today. Chuck was listening to Hendrix, Joplin, Public Enemy, MC Lyte, and Big Daddy Kane and developed a unique and uplifting lyrical flow. They met up after school almost every day to make music, and quickly produced the four songs that make up their Rap EP.

The music duo never lost touch, and continued to produce throughout the 90’s, forming Rich Boys, another rap group with their crew from Avalon Park. In 1995, Chuk Chu released a solo album, Memoirs of a Blue Light Special, focussing on a more sample based production style. Eric inspired by the house scene in Chicago, produced some ethereal and otherworldly electronic music, which Mixed Signals is compiling for future release. The Rap EP is just an introduction to the ongoing story of Me & E. 

Limited Edition of 100 with risograph printed artwork. Regular Edition of 350 with disco sleeve and sticker.

Tracklist:

A1 Whatcha Need (3:50)
A2 The Wrath (3:43)

B1 Swing On (4:03)
B2 Silent Is The E (3:37)

Release by Mixed Signals

Purchase digital on Bandcamp: https://me-and-e.bandcamp.com/album/rap

Me & E - The Wrath (MS07)

Visionary “Rap” EP by precocious 18-year-old duo Eric Davis (ELV) and Chuck Prater (Chuk Chu) from 1989. Imagine if Schoolly D had joined Native Tongues and made an early hip-house EP produced by Larry Heard.

The story of Me & E took shape in Avalon Park in South Chicago, a vibrant, diverse, and politically active community with a rich musical culture. This was the fertile playground for producer Eric Davis (ELV) and lyricist Chuck Prater (Chuk Chu). The park itself was adjacent to Eric’s backyard and they would hop the fence to listen to music, drink beers, and freestyle, even in the middle of the notoriously cold Chicago winters. Eric’s dad, Arlington Davis Jr., was a jazz drummer who played in the legendary spiritual jazz group The Awakening in the ‘70s. Jazz ran deep in their family with proud connections to Miles Davis. Arlington would host weekly jam sessions at his home, and Chuck & Eric were in regular attendance. On those evenings, Eric and his brothers were able to take turns on the sticks alongside the veteran players, honing their fledgling chops. These experiences gave them the confidence to take music seriously, and start a group.

Channeling his drumming skills through an array of synths and drum machines, Eric produced tracks in his bedroom, inspired by artists like The Art Of Noise, Kraftwerk, and New Order. Combining their atmospheric electronic elements with his jazz background, and beat-making skills, he created a distinct sound that still sounds fresh today. Chuck was listening to Hendrix, Joplin, Public Enemy, MC Lyte, and Big Daddy Kane and developed a unique and uplifting lyrical flow. They met up after school almost every day to make music, and quickly produced the four songs that make up their Rap EP.

The music duo never lost touch, and continued to produce throughout the 90’s, forming Rich Boys, another rap group with their crew from Avalon Park. In 1995, Chuk Chu released a solo album, Memoirs of a Blue Light Special, focussing on a more sample based production style. Eric inspired by the house scene in Chicago, produced some ethereal and otherworldly electronic music, which Mixed Signals is compiling for future release. The Rap EP is just an introduction to the ongoing story of Me & E. 

Limited Edition of 100 with risograph printed artwork. Regular Edition of 350 with disco sleeve and sticker.

Tracklist:

A1 Whatcha Need (3:50)
A2 The Wrath (3:43)

B1 Swing On (4:03)
B2 Silent Is The E (3:37)

Release by Mixed Signals

Purchase digital here: https://me-and-e.bandcamp.com/album/rap

Me & E - Whatcha Need (MS07)

Mixed Signals is proud to shed some light on Doctor Wize’s mercurial dance moves from the 90s with the release of this 4-song compilation EP by Corps of Discovery.

One balmy night in Florida, sometime in the mid 90s, psychologist and electronic iconoclast Doctor Wize (Dennis Weise) and his then wife Czara (Sarah Younger) had a revelation while watching a documentary about the Lewis and Clark expedition of the Pacific Northwest. The name of the exploration party was Corps Of Discovery. The couple were looking for a name for their nascent electronic dance unit, and the idea of setting off on a sonic adventure into uncharted territory fit perfectly. 

Ra (Raul Areallno) and Angel (Peggy Powers) joined Wize and Czara on their trip, rounding out the voyage. The group travelled between psychedelic house, day-glo techno, mutant trance, bent jungle, and out-there electronic mantras. No stranger to outlying musical forms, Wize had already self-released two, now legendary sui generis solo records Valhalla and Consciousness Program. Before that he cut his teeth playing with The Wailers in Jamaica, Gong in Europe, and even played on Herbie Hancock’s Rock-it. The music world is starting to wise up, beginning with the 2018 Finders Keepers retrospective compilation, Wize Music. This new release adds another pin on the map, tracing another region of Wize’s unparalleled aural journey.

Limited Edition of 100 with risograph printed artwork. Regular Edition of 200 with disco sleeve and sticker.

Tracklist:

A1 Net Surfers (DJJB Mix) [3:59]
A2 Loving Java Scripts [5:15]

B1 Eye Opener [7:11]
B2 The Yogi And The Fish [8:00]

Release by Mixed Signals

Purchase digital here: https://corps-of-discovery.bandcamp.com/album/corps-of-discovery

Corps of Discovery - Loving Java Scripts (MS08)

Mixed Signals is proud to shed some light on Doctor Wize’s mercurial dance moves from the 90s with the release of this 4-song compilation EP by Corps of Discovery.

One balmy night in Florida, sometime in the mid 90s, psychologist and electronic iconoclast Doctor Wize (Dennis Weise) and his then wife Czara (Sarah Younger) had a revelation while watching a documentary about the Lewis and Clark expedition of the Pacific Northwest. The name of the exploration party was Corps Of Discovery. The couple were looking for a name for their nascent electronic dance unit, and the idea of setting off on a sonic adventure into uncharted territory fit perfectly. 

Ra (Raul Areallno) and Angel (Peggy Powers) joined Wize and Czara on their trip, rounding out the voyage. The group travelled between psychedelic house, day-glo techno, mutant trance, bent jungle, and out-there electronic mantras. No stranger to outlying musical forms, Wize had already self-released two, now legendary sui generis solo records Valhalla and Consciousness Program. Before that he cut his teeth playing with The Wailers in Jamaica, Gong in Europe, and even played on Herbie Hancock’s Rock-it. The music world is starting to wise up, beginning with the 2018 Finders Keepers retrospective compilation, Wize Music. This new release adds another pin on the map, tracing another region of Wize’s unparalleled aural journey.

Limited Edition of 100 with risograph printed artwork. Regular Edition of 200 with disco sleeve and sticker.

Tracklist:

A1 Net Surfers (DJJB Mix) [3:59]
A2 Loving Java Scripts [5:15]

B1 Eye Opener [7:11]
B2 The Yogi And The Fish [8:00]

Release by Mixed Signals

Purchase digital on Bandcamp: https://corps-of-discovery.bandcamp.com/album/corps-of-discovery

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