There’s a wonderful lightness of being to John Barera & Will Martin's productions. Barera's solo contribution to our then-nascent  Upfront series  was a delightful tour through their native Boston, but it's when the pair get together that the magic truly occurs. It’s music tailor-made for planting a smile firmly on two hundred faces as things lift off at 1am, and we're delighted to present the next instalment in their faultless catalogue to the world. 

On releases prior they've plumped for more driving kicks, more arresting vocals, more forthright piano stabs – compared to the likes of "Say It Now" or "It's Alright", "1,2,3 (Feels Right)" is a touch more subdued. It's all relative though, as the track is no less emphatic and certainly no less effective; there's a twinkling lead subtly spiralling throughout, reminiscent of "Ragysh"'s eternal wind-down. The entire EP is killer, and due out on Argot no less – a label that, much like JB&WM, is quietly but diligently establishing a 'buy-on-sight' reputation. Cop it in a few weeks.

John Barera & Will Martin "1,2,3 (Feels Right)" - Boiler Room Debuts

Pablo Diarra - Humour Noir 
Griffe Sonam EP [Sonam 001 / Songe Anima]

Produced by Pablo Diarra
Mastered by Neel at EnissLab Mastering Studio
Artwork by William Jones
Released by Songe Anima Records from Marseille, France
Release Date: September 19th, 2025

The EP's surprising influences include techno and ambient, with drums somewhere between Afrobeat, jazz and Maracatu, and colder textured pads. A direction that may remind us of a sound design close to that of Alva Noto, a sound similar to that of Marco Shuttle, Joey Anderson or Dorisburg. The EP can't be summed up in a single musical style, and explores musical universes we've rarely heard together. The resulting unity is a mature, rhythmically complex sound, an insider's music that's easy to access because it's so danceable. The EP can be seen as part of a certain contemporary trance movement.

The Balafon in Humour noir (track 1) reveals Pablo Diarra's Malian influences. The rhythmic mix of intense Afrobeat, raw jazz and Afro-Brazilian influences contrasts with a harmonic line whose texture is more reminiscent of a Boards of Canada cinematic universe. The appearance of heady themes in the first two tracks bears the organic signature of FM synthesis. We sense the use of warm saturation that brings out certain harmonies, hoarse the sound that emerges close to what could be a muted trumpet or a kind of blown organ.

Track 2, After Trane, is an explicit tribute to John Coltrane. Here, the main lead evokes a sound somewhere between trumpet, flute and organ. Its polyrhythmic tangle with a second lead to the 5th can evoke a Balkan fanfare, a Celtic ritornello, West African chants, or even an Oriental dimension; there's something quite universal about this appearance; whose main characteristic is to produce a trance effect. The closing solo may evoke something of Joe Zawinul, and in some aspects takes the allure of a Coltranian pastiche in its articulation. You'll even recognize a brief citation of the Impressions theme, breaking through the mix and setting the track on fire at 5''33.

This EP feels both grounded and ethereal. The whole low-end spectrum stares us in a very dub-like direction, the snare, Rim, hats game is as swift as it is aerial, while the electro sound design elements take us, through experimental effect, into a vast, hushed soundscape.

Pablo Diarra (Marseille, France)
https://soundcloud.com/saiph_sound
https://www.instagram.com/saiph_sound

Drawing Artist William Jones
https://www.instagram.com/oddl_liam

Songe Anima Records
https://www.instagram.com/songe_anima
https://songe-anima-records.bandcamp.com

Oslated.
http://www.oslated.com

Griffe Sonam EP

Humour Noir

Support & Buy

Pablo Diarra - Humour Noir [Songe Anima]

Un álbum que comienza la migración del Inglés al Español; This is the album that starts the migration from English to Spanish.

La canción "Ritual" es mi debut cantando, y es una canción original que escribí inspirado en una historia de amor imaginaria, que me salió del corazón soñador de romántico empedernido moderno, sobreviviente de los caballeros de la casi extinguida cortesía.

The song "Ritual" is my singing debut, and it's an original song I wrote inspired in an imaginary love story, that came out of my dreamy / helpless/hopeless romantic modern heart. I am one of the last surviving gentlemen of the almost vanished courtesy.

Drooma

Now the dust has settled after Louf’s debut, Valby Rotary drops an emotionally driven release from Tom VR. 

Premiering, we have the B-side track ‘Indigo' - a pulsating soundscape of longing & tension that eventually erupts with an uplifting finale of acid and the splash of ride cymbals.

~~~ SUPPORT THE ARTIST AND LABEL ~~~

https://soundcloud.com/tomvalbyrotary

https://www.facebook.com/valbyrotary/

https://soundcloud.com/valbyrotarylabel

~~~ BUY HERE ~~~

https://www.coldcutshotwax.uk/collections/pre-order/products/tom-vr-valby002

IN-STOCK

HOTWAX // Tom VR - Indigo

The MSM guys return to @Trunkfunk for their second outing on the label almost exactly a year after their last release. 

The London based duo’s latest musical journey is divided into the 2 most important phases of space travel: take off and landing. We're premiering the launch phase today called "A Neu Take Off" - a tough and futuristic Acid House track propelled by a relentless 303 line. It's a deep and moody beast for sure!

The Real Fake Moon Landing EP

SB PREMIERE : Metropolitan Soul Museum - A Neu Take Off [Trunkfunk]

After numerous successful records on Ron Trent's "Future Vision" label, Volcov's "Neroli", DeepArtsound, Perpetual Rhythms, Osunlade's "Yoruba", and many others - "About U" is Trinidadian Deep's first release for Croatian label Burek.

Born and raised on the island of Trinidad and Tobago, today a place this producer calls "home" is found on various locations scattered all over the globe and a variety of influences is what is immediately evident by rich sounds and textures engraved onto this piece of vinyl.

A side, "I Want" is the most laid-back moment, in lack of a better term. Warm-sounding tribal percussions supporting the interaction of deep chords and wonderfully lush synths running thought the whole track only to get enriched with a beautiful piano line in the 2nd half. If there is track fitting to represent the sunset, that transition from day to night moment - "I Would" is the one.

B1 "Ghost" is the track on the record with the most forward-momentum. Deep tribal rhythms and lush synth lines are a sort-of a leitmotif on this record and are present here as well, with an occasional vocal snippet that only deepens the magic.

B2 "Abourisha" makes good use of those leitmotifs in a similarly effective but overall quite different manner. Broken rhythm gives it a slightly different energy, making it an ideal track for those 5 am moments when a track like this marks the night.

Buy at  JUNO

Ghost

Banoffee Pies Records release their 8th addition to the original imprint with 4 drum ridden tracks from Bristol local Gallegos with his debut solo EP, “Mad As Hell”. As the leaders pull us towards the abyss, behind the door through which we cannot see. Into a landscape we cannot predict. Inside the realm of those we cannot control. We shout from the rooftops. This is as “Mad As Hell” and i’m not going to take it anymore. As the days and months roll on, the media repeats, the calendar clicks, and the unknown future drags itself ever closer, we question why we are here. Maybe after all it is time to move forward, the next destination, to find our “Beach Feet”. To swim against the current and paddle away. To find firmer ground. To “Be Who You Want To Be”. Tick tick goes the clock, pressure mounts. After all. Times are hard. “England Is A Bitch.” BP x 

Banoffee Pies:
https://soundcloud.com/banoffee-pies

Order

PREMIERE: Gallegos - Beach Feet [Banoffee Pies Records]

After DJ Psychiatre's goosebumps track from the last Whyte Number VA, it was only a matter of time to have the french fella coming back - this time with a full solo EP. As a little icing on the cake we treated ourselves for the 10th piece of wax with a slammin' remix from a producer who was real high on Blak/ Whyte NumberS list for a long time : Black Loops!

LISTEN ON YOUTUBE

PREMIERE : DJ Psychiatre - Just Bass - Drums, Nothing Else

German / French producers Mystigrix & Reo Seis have this very dreamy and deep groover to whilst away the afternoon to. Hypnotic chords glaze over shuffling beats & balearic guitars, very soothing stuff!

Artist: @mystigrix & @reoseis
Label: @thirty-year

Omar S - Be Yoself

strokemeplease_