Sonar Kollektiv are very proud to present a sweet slice of obscure Philly soul with deep connections to our very own Berlin family. Shirley Turner’s 1965 recording of I Wish You A World Of Happiness has long been a crate digger’s delight and now receives a very special reissue, alongside a rather stunning cover version from Hamburg based quartet, The KBCS, featuring the vocal talents of Nora Becker. 

Philadelphia in the early 1960s, and Virtue Records (headed up by musician and music producer Frank Virtue) had become prolific in releasing soulful underground hits like The Horse by Cliff Nobles & Co. and Boogaloo Down Broadway by Fantastic Johnny C. as well as producing a number of somewhat less popular, more low-fi soul and garage records that were slept on at the time but have remained highly sought after records to this day. 

One of those records was I Wish You A World Of Happiness, which started life as a popular 60s instrumental cut Bird Walkin’ by Emanon’s Orchestra. The song was written by Weldon A. McDougal III and Johnny Stiles, with lyrics by Eddie Holman, of Hey There Lonely Girl fame. Virtue had been looking for someone to record a vocal version of the tune for some time, and having had a rough demo recorded by an uncredited singer, somehow said demo found itself in the hands of seventeen year old gospel vocalist Shirley Turner. The young, aspiring soul singer learned the lyrics from the dubplate by heart, and on the night she turned eighteen, went into Virtue Studios to record her version of the song. Several takes were laid down and three dub plates produced all on the same night, one of which was taken home by the eighteen year old hopeful, where it remained for years to come. 
The recording was largely forgotten about as Shirley grew up and had a family, that is until her son started playing with the dubplate as a child. Shirley's son is Sonar Kollektiv’s very own Hollis P. Monroe - now a producer, composer and DJ as well as being responsible for the late 90s hit, I’m Lonely. Hollis took an interest in the record from an early age with the dubplate being one of the first records he learned to scratch with! 

Some years later, and with the help of the internet, Hollis’ continued interest in his mother’s recording led him to a number of specialist soul blogs and in particular to UK based DJ Andy Rix who posted about a dubplate he had found which sounded very familiar! The 45 was widely credited as featuring vocalist Ann Robinson, but Hollis was soon able to set the record straight which enabled him to tell the true story behind this fascinating recording. 

Some fifteen years later, and taken directly from Shirley’s personal dubplate, Sonar Kollektiv were finally able to restore and remaster this rare take from that session. Not only that, we commissioned Hamburg four-piece The KBCS to deliver their own interpretation of this timeless piece of music. The result is a sophisticated, balladic reworking that respects the original but gives it a very different twist that should please lovers of modern and two-step soul alike.

A - The KBCS - I Wish You A World Of Happiness

Digital Bonus - The KBCS - I Wish You A World Of Happiness (Instrumental)

B - Shirley Turner - I Wish You A World Of Happiness

booking@best-works.com
Hollis P Monroe is responsible for classic songs in both the Deep Houseand Funky Breaks genres. Since 1994, Hollis has made significant musical contributions on highly respected labels including Ovum,Defected, West End, Stickman, Soul Candi, and Jive Electro.

Since 2012, Hollis has been refueled by Noir Music's highly acclaimed remixes of his timeless track, "I'm Lonely" and rejuvenated by talented music veteran but newcomer to House music, Overnite.

Overnite brings his vast experience as a vocalist and producer into the musical direction, DJ sets, and live performances as they swiftly move forward as The Black 80s.

Sometimes billed as Hollis P Monroe & Overnite, The Black 80s have already made a big impression on the House community with releases on Freerange, Compost Black Label, Defected and N A U as well as stand-out collaborations with Rampa for Keinemusik, KiNK & Sierra Sam for UponYou Recordings, Trickski for Suol, Kevin Over and Marc DePulse both for Noir Music.

2016 and 2017 were also big years for Hollis as a solo artist as well as TheBlack 80s duo with a strong stream of releases and remixes, most notably being their acclaimed debut album "Heart To Art" being released on the highly respected Sonar Kollektiv imprint.

Hollis P. Monroe >> BEST WORKS AGENCY << Exclusive mix No.1. / Nov. 2023

Find My Balance is the latest offering from Alexander IV - pseudonym of the eclectic Dutch producer, multi-instrumentalist and illustrious tunesmith, Joris Feiertag, who uses the Macedonian monarch’s title to delve into the more soulful side of his sonic output - taking in hip-hop, boogie, jazz and funk influences along the way.

With his latest, effortless outing Alexander IV transports us to the south of France courtesy of plaintive piano and handclaps making way for breezy beats and lonesome brass, complemented perfectly by the soulful vocals of young singer-songwriter Leonard Luka.

Hailing from The Netherlands, with Indonesian roots, Luka is something of a rising star on the electronic end of the R&B scene. His understated, sophisticated delivery belies his tender years, and here provides the perfect foil to Joris’ carefree instrumentation.

Alexander IV’s music fuses organic and electronic elements with ease, which isn’t surprising given the artist’s experience not only as a consummate dance music maker, but also as drummer of choice for Dutch superstars Kraak & Smaak. His music delivers something brand new yet retro; uncomplicated yet masterful.

Alexander IV - Toulouse

Our radio studio is back with a new episode of "The Space In Between" directly from the label office.

The Space In Between is a celebration of the spaces that exist between musical genres, where artists are free to experiment, innovate, and push the boundaries of what's possible. From jazz to electronica, from funk to soul, house to disco, this series will showcase a diverse range of musical styles, united by a spirit of creativity and exploration.

We invited Joel Holmes, a remarkable musician who has achieved widespread acclaim for his unique fusion of jazz and electronic music. Over the years, he has collaborated with some of the most relevant artists in jazz, earning four Grammy nominations for his contributions. We’re very happy to have him for this show and to get to know more about his brand new album on Kryptox, "Into the Abyss" and upcoming concerts.

Be sure to follow us on Twitch, YouTube and Mixcloud and all that good stuff!

Catch us broadcasting live on YouTube and Twitch every Friday from 11hr-13hr from THE SPACE IN BETWEEN at the Sonar Kollektiv Office.

https://bio.to/sonarkollektiv

youtube

Joel Holmes w/ Daniel W. Best & Marian Tone from The Space In Between // 05-05-2023

Ingenious and restless musical soul, Feiertag, returns to Sonar Kollektiv with club-ready single 'Colorball.'

Read more: https://whenwedip.com/2024/05/premiere-feiertag-sonar-kollektiv/

Follow: @iamfeiertag / @sonar-kollektiv

Connect: When We Dip on Spotify - open.spotify.com/user/whenwedip

www.whenwedip.com
YT: youtube.com/user/whenwedip
FB: facebook.com/wwdofficial
IG: instagram.com/whenwedip/
TW: twitter.com/WhenWeDip

Premiere: Feiertag - Colorball [Sonar Kollektiv]

TRACKLIST: https://plus.inflyteapp.com/in-the-basement-004

In the Basement Episode 4 drops some brand new material from Bristol collective Ishmael Ensemble alongside Dutch producer Feiertag’s latest number on Sonar Kollektiv. Chambord make an appearance on Around Midnight, while Kraak & Smaak turn out a killer remix for Tonique & Man, before Ben Gomori closes things out with his brand new offering on True Romance.  Paul Inflyte is at the controls as usual.

TRACKLIST: https://plus.inflyteapp.com/in-the-basement-004

TRACKLIST

In The Basement: 004 - with Paul Inflyte

Modumodi Mix - Music for hot summer days pt.14
(Swound warm-up sun downer mix)

recorded @ Usus am Wasser 11.7. 2024
broadcasted @ FM4 Liquid Radio 11.8.

playlist: https://fm4.orf.at/radio/stories/3042830/
Cyma, Loli Cosmica, Cuerva Cuerva - Musiquita / Ritmos del Sur
Mente Organica - El Guapachoso Invierno 
Baget - Baia / Serafin Audio
Yemanjo - Fuerza De Bondad / Urban Cosmonaut
Oonga - Moontribe Raza / Ritmos del Sur
Alexander IV - That Blew my Mind / Sonar Kollektiv
Eric Hilton - Nico / Montserrat House
B.Visible - Rubberlegs / Data Snacks
Matija - Willie was a poor Guy / down.
Terror Cactus & Pahua - Sueno Tu Canto
Porangui - Danza del Viento  
Be.Lanuit - Hippie Picasso / Music for Dreams
El Buho - Corazon de Rubi
Akuba - Kusura Bakma Yani / Sounds of Sirin
Captain Planet - Mirage feat. Taj Bethel / Bastard Jazz

if you enjoy this mix, you could like these too:
#musicforhotsummerdays

MODUMODI MIX - Music For Hot Summer Days Pt.14

Leon Raum is a prolific German producer, drummer, multi-instrumentalist and creative who has worked with several live bands and music projects across a number of different genres. These include instrumental electronic outfit Bokoya, whose style ranges from ambient to drum & bass and dub, as well as hip hop duo Wyl, a downtempo collaboration with DJ and producer Felix Fleer, and soul jazz project Wukan. Leon’s debut EP offers up snapshots of different periods of the producer’s process. Its title, 'Basement Meditation', comes from the fact that these tracks were made alone in the studio, where the emerging loops often created a trance-like meditative state. The loops are a mixture of analog instruments and synthetic sounds, and whilst the music is very much an independent, individual project, the artwork that accompanies it is drawn by Leon’s sister, Penelope.

Link:
@sonar-kollektiv
@leonraum

Basement Meditation EP

APPAREL PREMIERE: Leon Raum - All Night [Sonar Kollektiv]

DJ Makossa & Mc Sugar B present their legendary weekly saturday night radio dj mix show on Austrian nationwide radio station FM4 since 18.1.1992 (every sat 10 - 12 pm m.e.t. on air)
livestream: http://tinyurl.com/streamswoundsound
on demand: http://fm4.orf.at/radio/stories/fm4swoundsoundsystem

Sonar Kollektiv was founded in 1997 by Jazzanova. Designed as a platform for own releases it soon attracted numerous new discoveries and like-minded musicians to lead their trumps right here. Still it was never the intention of Sonar Kollektiv to pursue one specific sound or provide an already existing scene. Each and every release on the label (450 and counting) was at all times meant to illustrate the musical taste of the collective, its flavourful development and recollection of past sounds. The various compilations and label showcases played a big part of it. From the renowed „Secret Love“ compilation (No. 6 will be released these days), the „Computer Incarnations For World Peace“ edition, the  „...Boadcasting“ and „....Mixing“-series to the „Romanian Jazz“ label showcase Sonar Kollektiv continuously cares about broadening its own and the horizon of any type of music lovers. How broad this horizon can be expanded showed the release of Âme’s „Rej“ in 2005. Shorthandly minimal techno was redifined and at the same time the sublabel Innervisions (runned by Dixon) was leveraged to worldwide fame. Other milestones in the eventful history of Sonar Kolletiv were the discovery of the New Zealand reggae soul combo Fat Freddy’s Drop (2005), the debuts by Micatone (2003), Benny Sings (2005), Clara Hill (2003) and Eva Be (2004), the first releases by Dimlite (2003), Tricksi (2006), Christian Prommer’s Drumlesson (2007), as well as Georg Levin (2005) and his collaborative project with Dixon, Wahoo (2004). Also for some of today’s legends of more sophisticated electronic music, like Ulrich Schnauss, Ben Klock and Marcin Kozlowski (now a member of Whitest Boy Alive) Sonar Kollektiv offered a stepping stone to their international careers. And in 2003 a certain Eric Wahlforss released his first record here, just before founding Soundcloud.

When at the end of 2009 the rate of fire ceased some thought the label is running on empty or lost touch to contemporary sounds. But the releases of this year so far should prove doubters wrong. The remix album „Jazzanova Upside Down“ (released in January) gathers the who’s who of the currenty most happening and game-changing DJs and producers (Henrik Schwarz, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Filippo Moscatello, Manuel Tur, Mark E, and more) to catapult Jazzanova classics into the future. By signing Phil Gerus from Moscow, the new project Hot Coins out of the UK, EnaWadan from South Africa and the pan-Geman duo Paskal & Urban Absolutes four of the most promising new acts slantingly offside the dancefloor have been added to the already impressive roster. And once again all true pop aficionados with an addiction for soul and a genuine craft in songwriting are pierced to the heart with the brand new albums by FETSUM („The Colors Of Hope“) and Micatone („Wish I Was Here“).

But what is the formula of success of the Berlin based label? A dance music imprint that – with a few exceptions – actually doesn’t release club music? Is it even after all exactly this? Delievering music for prior to, succeeding and one day after a club night?

There’s no other German record label that can boast such an adventurous range of styles: reggae, folk, electronica, jazz, funk, calypso, house, techno and now also chillwave, dubstep, dream pop, and so on. At Sonar Kollektiv there’s somehow room for everything. Still, all of the 250 and counting releases have one common denominator: It’s music made out of passion - without any financial aim or attemps of ingratiation. From and for music lovers.

https://www.whenwedip.com/

When We Dip Radio - Features awesome premieres, free newbies and some of our favourite podcasts from friends.

The When We Dip radio show is in collaboration with the lovely people at Ibiza Sonica. Tune in here: ibizasonica.com

'The need to explore this genre arises from the idea of bringing something new to the electronic scene. The two dogs in our logo are the yin and yang, day and night, good and bad, the contrast generated by everything... but above all love.'

Apparel Music ® was created by @KiSk in 2010 following a quest for the most diverse musical styles. @Apparel-Tronic' mother, @Apparel-Wax & @AppaRec 'father.

Apparel Music ® licensed by Seisei S.r.l., Italy. distributed by Wordansound, De.

APPAREL FM
’Apparel.FM’ is the home of all our radio frequencies, our shows, our podcast series. (format: Apparel Radio, Label’s Cable)

APPAREL PREMIERE
We are happy to introduce you to ‘Apparel Premiere’, our new premiere channel where we’ll share new tracks from the artists and labels we love!

promo contact: promo(at)apparelmusic(dot)com

Since 1996 Berlin-based agency Best Works serves as a powerhouse for booking, staging, staffing and publishing. We represent about 40 talents of manifold musical styles and formations. Besides touring DJs and live bands around the globe, we have long-time experience in corporate booking and music planning.

As a music activist and DJ, XJAZZ Festival, Berlin co-founder and booker Daniel W. Best has more than three decades of experience behind the decks. The sound with which he brings his audiences worldwide into ecstasy constantly changes between jazz, soul, reggae, rare groove, disco and house - sometimes all in one set. He has released several compilations incl. Polish Jazz (JCR) , Best Seven Selections 1,2,3 (Sonar Kollektiv), GIDisco compiled together with Kalle Kuts (BBE) and released electronic music under the Winnie & Somow moniker. He also runs the weekly XJazz radioshow on Flux FM, Berlin.

Please send your booking request to: booking@best-works.com
www.best-works.com

New tracks tagged #sonar kollektiv