Sonics of tronics

TV Machine

The Object – The Way It Is (EOE Edit)

NOBODY IS PERFECT - Cornelius Doctor invites Ceyda Yagiz [27.04.2023]

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.

Pre-Order

Elaine Vassell - Never Give Up

Instant Mastery

Instant Mastery (Die Wilde Jagd Remix)

This Bliss

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Filter June 2024

comes out 24.09.24

https://nthng.bandcamp.com/album/two-people

music by nthng
mastered by Isabel @ OLO Mastering
lacquer cut by isabel @ Scape
pressed at RAND MUZIK
distributed by Inchbyinch

Two People

comes out 24.09.24

nthng.bandcamp.com/album/two-people

music by nthng
mastered by Isabel @ OLO Mastering
lacquer cut by isabel @ Scape
pressed at RAND MUZIK
distributed by Inchbyinch

Echo Trak

In Statics

music by nthng
mastered by Isabel @ OLO Mastering
lacquer cut by isabel @ Scape
pressed at RAND MUZIK
distributed by Inchbyinch

Don't Be Scared

Glasgow's Auntie Flo marches into Multi Culti dance formation with Gods Of War, flanked by a deep, dope Von Party remix.

War, what is it good for? Dancing. That's it. Seriously. The rhythms of chaos, the clashing of forces, the rising of tensions, these are not merely the tropes of warfare, but the hallmarks of effective EDM. Goan via Scotland's Auntie Flo tackles the theme with a restrained fury, a potently tribal sonic ritual capable of inciting revolutionary dance moves. Add your own battle cries, this one is intense. It's one of the Highlife DJing, Huntleys & Palmers releasing producer's most aggressively charged tracks ever, and an exciting departure for a label mildly in danger of getting locked into the chill-out room.

The Goan yin to this Goan yang comes from label-honcho Von Party, who packs all of this raw aggro energy into his pipe and literally smokes it with his 'Peace Pipe Dub.' A paean to peaceful dance-floor tripping, where each dancer has the freedom to keep their head down, their heart up, and their feet stomping to the groove, subduing the enemy through internal vibing, rather than violence. The melodies are haunting, deep, and ravey, the whole thing laced with emotion, flirting with dissonance, and drenched in acid. 

Multi Culti grows one release wiser, tackling the heavy concepts, fighting for unity one beat at a time. 

PEACE


Auntie Flo - Gods Of War (Von Party's Peace Pipe Dub)

Buy on Bandcamp

Blaise Amoussou - Ancêtres (Vocal)

Early Origin welcomes Sergey Alymov from Moscow with his latest track, subtly inspired by the classic progressive house sound. After returning to releasing music earlier this year, Sergey continues to explore and shape his musical direction with Opulent Simplicity.

Its title speaks for itself: a tasteful balance of elegance and simplicity, built on gentle grooves and restrained melodic layers. With its smooth and inviting atmosphere, this track perfectly suits a relaxed seaside evening, understated, light, and quietly captivating.

Opulent Simplicity

Sergey Alymov - Opulent Simplicity [Early Origin]

Áchim György & Pege  - best 74 track to 233 my & Pege Norbert music IN MY LIFE! (my and my padavan)

03 Hard Even & Pege - the song of the song (Hard Even instrumental remix)

Exclusive Toh Imago - La Napoule (Nathan Micay's Life In Every Breath Remix)

Berliner by choice and Torontonian by heart Nathan Micay, also known under his Bwana artist moniker under which he released on labels such as AUS Music or Fort Romeau's Cin Cin, took on remix duties for Toh Imago's track La Napoule, which was originally released on Toh's album Nord Noir last year. Just as the remix title suggests Nathan's approach breathes new life into the original as he delivers a less playful but straight to the point livable version that does not lose the original's character but emphasizes the lead-synth melody. In typical Micay-manner a more techno-esque bassline is added and gives the take a darker note, maybe a little Berghain/ Panorama Bar vibe, which symbolically stands for a more raw and unfinished approach at places, where the electronic music culture still has time and space to unfold its magic and sprinkle the same to its audience just like Nathan Micay does with every beat, with every breath of his remix to both, namely the scene and the Toh Imago's original.

Toh Imago's EP Nord Noir Remixes will be released on InFiné on March 6th, 2020.

Buy the EP
Beatport: www.beatport.com/release/nord-noir-remixes-remixes/2853904
Bandcamp: https://tohimago.bandcamp.com/album/nord-noir-remixes

Artist & label information
Toh Imago: www.facebook.com/toh.imago // @toh-imago // www.instagram.com/tohimago
Nathan Micky: www.facebook.com/NathanMicay // @nathanmicay // www.instagram.com/nathanmicay
InFiné: www.facebook.com/infinefanpage // @infine-music // www.instagram.com/infinemusic

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