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The quintessential cult classic 1991 debut from the legendary
group gets a fully remastered LP and CD reissue this August.
Little Brother Reissues
Little Brother’s classic first album, The Listening, and major label debut/ sophomore LP, The Minstrel Show, come to limited edition vinyl this fall.
Available on gold and white LP vinyl this fall
Kutmah - TROBBB!
Kutmah's long overdue debut on Big Dada is a masterwork for the luminary producer, featuring an incredible cast of guests including Gonjasufi, Jonwayne, Natureboy Flako, Zeroh, Jeremiah Jae, and many more.
File under: Soundtrack, Leftfield Hip-Hop, Abstract Soul, Punk, Beats.
Not downtempo! Not house! Not techno!
Nolan the Ninja - YEN
YEN picks where Nolan left off on his debut, he(art), solidifying his place as one of the sharpest
young talents in Detroit’s hip-hop landscape, featuring guest help and production from
Royce Da 5'9, Blu, Black Milk, Quelle Chris, Denmark Vessey and many more.
$24.99
The Sean Price legacy continues with the highly anticipated posthumous release of his 4th studio album, “Imperius Rex”. The project features all new music with features from DOOM, Prodigy, Styles P, Smif N Wessun, Rock, Method Man, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Junior Reid, Buckshot, Ruste Juxx, Bernadette Price & more. Production from Alchemist, Harry Fraud, Nottz, amongst others.
$19.99
Includes printed inner sleeves and download code WTYTT??!!?!?!?! is about boundaries and permissions. The artist creating their own license to ill. What it means to answer a call that never comes. How one goes from being told you rap funny to being a canonical rapper. The process of flaw turned idiosyncrasy, turned style. That old transmutation spell. The happening as one perfects tricks and in turn masters magic. To set the elenchus upon itself; to begin a poet and end a rapper. To have agency to reject and mold and sculpt the audience. That is what makes the rapper an exceptional artist, beyond a poet. The rapper is personification of art for art's sake. - Milo Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?! is the forthcoming full-length from iconoclastic east coast rapper Milo. As one of the emerging voices in 21st-century hip-hop and the modern state of experimental music, his record label Ruby Yacht has become the proper home for his musings, ruminating a culture of sonic beauty and surrealism through wordplay. Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?! will release worldwide on August 11, 2017, and will be offered through all streaming platforms and see pressings across various formats (vinyl, CD, cassette). Features come in an abundance of variety, including Los Angeles' homegrown living legend Busdriver, the wild styles of Signor Benedick the Moor, and the universal wisdom of Freestyle Fellowship's Self-Jupiter. New York's Elucid and Youngman take part during the first half of the album, with cohorts Lorde Fredd33 and YCP Beno representing Milwaukee's creative corridor in the second half. With 2015's So The Flies Don't Come sourcing its production foundations from the highly skilled and venerable Kenny Segal, Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?! expands the sonic palette and the minds behind each track's beat. Production credits include Milo's alternative music path known as Scallops Hotel, Low End Theory's DJ Nobody, frequent collaborator Kenny Segal, Detroit's Illingsworth, and CoryaYo and Harris Cole, two rising names in Chicago's underground music scene. Where So The Flies Don't Come was the door opening, Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?! is the ascension and voyage through new terrain. Found in gardens of intricate tones and soulfully abstract beats, vortexes of unique meaning spiral from Milo's pen. The production elevates the lyricism and is unique from track to track, supplied with the backdrop of varying samples, harp, flute, keys, guitar, electric bass, violin, synth, and many other instrumental elements. It's an adventurous travel from beginning to end, finding abstract connectivity through the philosophical lens, allowing for alteration of perception and the passage of openness. There's an abundance of peaks and valleys, where subtle and panoramic elements coalesce, emerging as one through the symmetry of soulful grooves and tightly laced vocals. The phrasing and word passages derive sonic value that can be felt outside of the deep meanings, pouring out saxophone like tentacle movement that taps into the abstract extension of color and form through wordplay. A small but striking slice of quintessential knowledge from American novelist, essayist, poet, and social warrior James Baldwin initiates Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?!, jumping out of the gates with a sense of boldness that meshes perfectly with the album's overall feel. Lifting into the aerial view and the fifteen pieces on Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?! speak the language of experimental hip hop's soul, bringing that energy forward and adding to the evolving chapters of the genre's legacy. Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?! will coincide with a nationwide tour, extending Milo's new body of work to audiences all over the States. Stream or purchase Milo's new LP Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?! August 11th, 2017 via Ruby Yacht or grab the various physical formats on Milo's forthcoming tour.
$24.99
The Ecstatic is the 2009 fourth studio album from Mos Def (Yasiin Bey). The album was described as a conscious and alternative hip hop record with an eccentric, internationalist quality. A widespread critical success, The Ecstatic was viewed as a return to form for Mos Def and one of the year's best albums. Continuing with its vinyl reissue campaign UMe will be reissuing this classic back on standard weight black vinyl for the first time since its original pressing.
$24.99
Digital remaster of the classic debut album from Hip-Hop group Main Source. "One of the quintessential cult classics in hip-hop history" - Allmusic. "5 Mics, Top 100 Rap Album" - The Source
$64.99
Includes bonus material featuring music from the three 12" singles: “Ya Mama,” “Otha Fish,” and “Passin’ Me By”, and brand new liner notes from Jeff Weiss. A true West Coast original that sprang up amidst the early 1990s gangster rap landscape like LA’s answer to De La Soul’s D.A.I.S.Y.-Age mentality in its freeform creativity. Featuring brand-new liner notes by music writer Jeff Weiss (Pitchfork, Passion of the Weiss), the 25th Anniversary of the gold-certified album features the original album in its entirety, plus tons of bonus material featuring music from the three 12" singles: “Ya Mama,” “Otha Fish,” and “Passin’ Me By”. Critically acclaimed as an absolute classic of the alternative Hip-Hop genre, it’s been name-checked by Kanye West as his favorite album of all time and aptly described by NME as "... a cartoon-strip of blunt-smoking antics, sexual innuendo and unashamed political incorrectness, crammed with infectious funky beats.”
$11.99
LIMITED EDITION OF 2,000 12” EPs Earlier this year, avant-garde jazz titan Kamasi Washington premiered Harmony of Difference, an original six-movement suite, as part of this year’s Whitney Biennial. The EP is the first new music from Washington since his universally acclaimed 2015 debut album The Epic. Harmony of Difference explores the philosophical possibilities of the musical technique known as “counterpoint,” which Washington defines as “the art of balancing similarity and difference to create harmony between separate melodies.” Washington’s suite includes visual elements married to the musical works and draws voraciously on jazz for its foundation. Each of the first five movements is its own unique composition. “Truth,” the sixth movement, fuses all five compositions into one simultaneous performance. Beyond the artistic impulse to expand the possibilities within counterpoint, Washington wanted to create something that opened people’s minds to the gift of diversity. In his own words, “my hope is that witnessing the beautiful harmony created by merging different musical melodies will help people realize the beauty in our own differences.”
$24.99
Soundtrack partnership with HBO x Mass Appeal Records. Includes features from Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Danny Brown, DJ Shadow, Hudson Mohawke, Too $hort, and more. Silicon Valley: The Soundtrack, music from the original series. Curated by show creators Mike Judge & Alec Berg, music supervisors Jason Alexander & Rudy Chung and Mass Appeal Records, Silicon Valley: The Soundtrack features a collection of new exclusive songs and song highlights from past seasons from an array of legendary and rising artists.
$29.99
Issa Album is the debut studio album by American rapper 21 Savage. It features production from frequent collaborator Metro Boomin, alongside Southside, Pi'erre Bourne, Zaytoven, Wheezy, DJ Mustard and 21 Savage himself. It succeeds 21 Savage's collaborative EP with Metro Boomin, Savage Mode (2016).
$26.99
The official release of Brand New’s fifth album, Science Fiction.
Sold Out - $12.99
Four Tet presents a new 12" on Text, SW9 9SL/Planet.
$24.99
Sketches of Brunswick East, a collaboration with LA tripster troupe Mild High Club, is a chance to get to know King Gizzard’s sunny, playful side. Where previous albums have slipped down sonic worm-holes to explore distant galaxies, this one is an examination of (and homage to) the Melbourne suburb in which King Gizzard write & record in their own studio. A nod to Miles Davis’s Sketches of Spain, this album sees the band further exploring a Tropicalia element only ever previously hinted at.
$24.99
Omerta Inc. will be bringing LE$ to the vinyl format for the first time ever. Limited to 300 copies worldwide on 180gm hot pink vinyl, housed in a high quality matte sleeve with original artwork - One of the smoothest front covers of the year! Each copy will be individually hand numbered on the back. LE$ and DJ Mr. Rogers dropped one of the hottest and most slept on tapes of the year so far back in May with Midnight Club. The 10 track tape has just one feature, Domo Genesis, the rest of the tape showcases LE$’s lyrical ability and smooth flow, which sit perfectly over the beats. 45 South see LE$ add his spin to Childish Gambino’s massive hit Redbone. One of the chillest tapes to listen to this summer!
$18.99
This summer, Kool G Rap will release his new solo album, Return Of The Don, which is entirely produced by MoSS and features a veritable who’s who list of new and familiar spitters; Freeway, Noreaga, Cormega, Raekwon, Sheek Louch, Saigon, Termanology, Fame, KXNG Crooked, Conway The Machine & Westside Gunn (the newest signees to Eminem’s Shady Records) and the late Sean Price. “Rest in peace to Sean Price who I was fortunate enough to record with” G Rap commented. “What motivates me to get in the studio is really being in that creative zone that you cannot just enter on demand” G Rap stated. “It is more like an extremely powerful vibe that overcomes you. It’s triggered by hearing a particular track, or being inspired by another artist; or, a life experience that makes your mind and heart open up and lyrics just pour from your soul in the capacity of an avalanche. That’s what The Return Of The Don represents; an amalgamation of past, present and future and a tribute to some of my most favorite spitters worldwide; this is my salute to those artists." Canadian born (and a Toronto resident), MoSS’ production credits are instantly recognizable and have resulted in over 2 million record sales worldwide. Ghostface Killah’s smash hit “Kilos”, Raekwon’s ”Have Mercy”, Obie Trice’s entire Special Reserve album and most recently his debut producer album, Marching To The Sound Of My Own Drum, which featured appearances from Joe Budden, DJ Premier, AZ, Joell Ortiz, Sean Price, Jon Connor, Skyzoo, Inspectah Deck, Havoc, Slum Village and others. MoSS reflected on the creative journey that would become Return Of The Don. "G Rap and I have worked together a few times over the years and we reconnected and started recording songs that ended up being the foundation to The Return Of The Don. The album kind of took on a life of its own."
$24.99
Gatefold packaging includes poster insert and download card. Oneohtrix Point Never returns with his new album Good Time: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack out on Warp Records. Rapturously received by Cannes film critics, Good Time is directed by Josh and Benny Safdie and stars Robert Pattinson (in a widely regarded career best performance) and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The hypnotic crime thriller follows Pattinsons Connie in a twisted odyssey through the New York underworld in a desperate attempt to get his brother out of jail. Oneohtrix Point Never received the prestigious Cannes Soundtrack Award at this years 70th anniversary edition of the festival for his visceral original score for Good Time. OPN was in competition with the likes of Jonny Greenwood, Jed Kurzel and Ibrahim Maalouf and took home the celebrated prize. The score will be released alongside the film on a 2xLP vinyl with poster insert.
$17.99
Bonus edition re-release of Sean Price & M-Phazes’ collaborative EP, first released December 17th of 2013 Coalmine Records is pleased to relaunch ‘Land of the Crooks,’ the collaborative extended play project from the late Sean Price and Melbourne’s go to producer, M-Phazes. The project finds the longtime underground legend lending his distinctive, Brownsville-bred grimy vocals over Phazes’ rich tracks full of dramatic pianos, rich bass-lines, swinging horns and hard drums. The A-side includes the main passes, comprised of four original tracks with the addition of the Small Professor Remix for ”Murdah Type Thinkin (feat. Guilty Simpson).” For this special edition rerelease, Coalmine has also added the Divided Souls Ent. & DJ Pain 1 Remix of “Land of the Crooks,” which was only previously made available on the label’s remix compilation, ‘Remineded,’ which first dropped back in January of 2015. The B-side includes the instrumental passes of all of the original tracks, as well as the Small Pro Remix, in addition to the “Crookapella,” which includes various scratch stems taken from the EP, in addition to various isolated drum sounds, sound effects, and acapella of the “Land of the Crooks” single. Additional features on LOTC include Roc Marciano, Billy Danze (of M.O.P.), Maffew Ragazino, Loudmouf Choir and the Dilated Junky, DJ Babu. Vinyl is manufactured on classic black discs, and comes complete with the Andres Guzman designed artwork, inspired by the vintage ‘80s movie, ‘Crocodile Dundee.’ Sean Price was Hip-Hop’s Gray Hulk, a barbarian with the pen, with the sharpest of wits. A true Brooklyn legend...riP!
$27.99
2xLP, gatefold packaging. Grizzly Bear releases their highly anticipated fifth full-length album "Painted Ruins" following up their 2012 commercial breakthrough "Shields." The band spent the better part of two years writing and recording the eleven new compositions featured on "Painted Ruins" with the entire album produced by Grizzly Bear's own, Chris Taylor.
$35.99
First pressing of 750 numbered copies on red vinyl. Menace II Society is a 1993 American hood drama thriller film directed by Allen and Albert Hughes in their directorial debut, and starring Tyrin Turner, Jada Pinkett, Larenz Tate and Samuel L. Jackson. The film is set in the 1990s South Central Los Angeles, California. The film follows the life of a young man named Kaydee “Caine” Lawson and his close friends. It gained notoriety for its scenes of violence, profanity, and drug-related content. It was released in May 1993 to critical acclaim for its gritty portrayal of urban violence and its powerful underlying messages. The soundtrack is a nice compilation of old school Rap and R&B songs, which brings the listener to the Los Angeles hood in the 90s. It peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at number 11 on the Billboard 200. The album has been certified Platinum by the RIAA since October 11, 1994.
$26.99
Gatefold packaging includes booklet and download card Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, is the highly anticipated 5th studio album from Calvin Harris. The ten track album features the previously released singles ''Slide'' featuring Frank Ocean & Migos, plus ''Heatstroke'' featuring Young Thug, Pharrell Williams & Ariana Grande. The album boasts 19 guests artist collaborations including Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, Kehlani, Future, Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, Big Sean, John Legend, Khalid, Migos, Schoolboy Q, Ariana Grande, Young Thug, D.R.A.M., Nicki Minaj, Lil Yachty, Jessie Reyez, Partynextdoor plus Snoop Dogg. The Grammy Award-winning record producer, songwriter and DJ Calvin Harris stands as the figurehead for modern music, having broken world records and dominated global charts with his continued hit releases. As one of the most successful artists of all time, he currently has over 5 billion streams across all major streaming services, 5 billion video views, and 10 consecutive platinum singles.
$29.99
2017 debut album from music producer Mura Masa. The album's lead single "What If I Go?" (which features uncredited vocals from Irish singer/songwriter Bonzai) was released in April 2016. The album's second single "Love$ick", which features vocals from ASAP Rocky, was released in September 2016. "Love$ick" was originally released as an instrumental, entitled "Lovesick F***", and was featured on Mura Masa's debut extended play Someday Somewhere. Mura Masa is a Guernsey born DJ, electronic music producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His stage name is taken from Japanese sword-smith Muramasa Sengo. He is best known for "Love$ick" which reached #1 on the Spotify Viral charts in the United Kingdom and the United States. He also co-wrote "First Things First" on Stormzy's Gang Signs & Prayer, which entered the UK Albums Chart at #1 on 3 March 2017.
$7.99
Ariel Pink’s “Another Weekend” b/w “Ode To The Goat” 7” features the first single from the forthcoming album Dedicated To Bobby Jameson and a bonus b-side that will be unavailable elsewhere. Artwork by Matt Fischbeck, a longtime collaborator of Ariel Pink.
$19.99
"For me personally and for where I am artistically, this is a supreme statement piece. It's more than a record for me. This is pure art in raw form. I've said this many times but as a drummer I see myself as a painter. I see colors, shapes, even strokes within sonic palettes. ///// EFFECTUAL evokes all these sentiments to me as it is striped down yet still vibrant. It's meant to push all that it encompasses; composition, conceptual art, and of course the drums." - Jamire Williams
$27.99
Where We Come From is the debut album from Jamaican superstar Popcaan. Executive produced by Dre Skull and featuring productions from Dre Skull, Dubbel Dutch, Jamie Roberts, Anju Blaxx and Adde Instrumentals, Popcaan’s first full length offering sees his signature melodies and uplifting tones on thirteen original tracks. As musicologist Wayne Marshall writes in his essay on the album: Where We Come From gives voice, as the best reggae does, to the contradictions of life in a society rife with inequities and yet so rich. Whether odes to the ghetto or the good life, Popcaan’s lyrics bring realist portraits and utopian visions into dynamic tension. Songs about struggle and sex and happiness occupy the same space because they do. And whatever the topic, Popcaan’s infectious positivity comes through. The album Pitchfork called “one of the best pop albums of the year” was included in ‘Best of 2014’ lists by NPR, The Guardian, FACT, The Fader, Dazed, Complex, among others. After selling over 10,000 copies digitally, WWCF is now available in a deluxe gatefold vinyl edition which includes an exclusive photo booklet with musicologist Wayne Marshall’s essay on Popcaan and the album.
$14.99
Penelope is the 2nd installment from the AG & John Robinson EP series produced by Ray West. This time around they call on the prolific West Coast wordsmith BLU on the title track “Penelope” where all the emcees are painting verbal pictures of their own personal Dream Girl, this track also features frequent collaborator Dave Dar. The soundscapes provided by Ray West are ill collages of jazz loops, live horns, percussion sounds, vintage drum machines and more. Each of these recording sessions were labeled “Tea with the Butcha” by the collective and it truly does describe the essence of the sounds and conversations on these recordings.
$19.99
Dday One revisits Journal with a ten track extended version entitled Journal | Extended. The release features remastered versions of the original four tracks accompanied by six previously unreleased cuts. The tracks on Journal | Extended date from the same period, as the prolific Dday One was realizing a spectrum of sample-based experiments. Influenced by personal entries from Dday One’s studio journals (one of which is pictured in the cover art), the music shows the producer constructing new musical possibilities within his unique style. Flipped beats and layered samples abound, placed in compelling arrangements that affirm Dday One’s pensive attention to detail. Tracks like “Heiwa”, evoking the melancholia of a traveler’s search for inner truth, “Meaning”, characterized by otherworldly tones and textures, and “Rhythm Section”, with its playful introduction to the cut’s instrumentation elements, are just a few highlights of this skillful selection. Journal | Extended was remastered by legendary Bay Area engineer Bruce Leighton, known for his work with Public Enemy and The Coup. The project also features photography by Dday One, including images of notes, ideas, and sketches from his studio journals. These photos provide an intimate look into the producer’s creative process.
$17.99
The Sean Price legacy continues with the highly anticipated posthumous release of his 4th studio album, “Imperius Rex”. The CD is housed inside an 84-page hard cover book packaged with rare photos spanning Sean Price’s life; exclusive fan art; and an iconic 11x17 poster featuring the album cover art. The project features all new music with features from DOOM, Prodigy, Styles P, Smif N Wessun, Rock, Method Man, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Junior Reid, Buckshot, Ruste Juxx, Bernadette Price & more. Production from Alchemist, Harry Fraud, Nottz, amongst others.
$12.99
WTYTT??!!?!?!?! is about boundaries and permissions. The artist creating their own license to ill. What it means to answer a call that never comes. How one goes from being told you rap funny to being a canonical rapper. The process of flaw turned idiosyncrasy, turned style. That old transmutation spell. The happening as one perfects tricks and in turn masters magic. To set the elenchus upon itself; to begin a poet and end a rapper. To have agency to reject and mold and sculpt the audience. That is what makes the rapper an exceptional artist, beyond a poet. The rapper is personification of art for art's sake. - Milo Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?! is the forthcoming full-length from iconoclastic east coast rapper Milo. As one of the emerging voices in 21st-century hip-hop and the modern state of experimental music, his record label Ruby Yacht has become the proper home for his musings, ruminating a culture of sonic beauty and surrealism through wordplay. Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?! will release worldwide on August 11, 2017, and will be offered through all streaming platforms and see pressings across various formats (vinyl, CD, cassette). Features come in an abundance of variety, including Los Angeles' homegrown living legend Busdriver, the wild styles of Signor Benedick the Moor, and the universal wisdom of Freestyle Fellowship's Self-Jupiter. New York's Elucid and Youngman take part during the first half of the album, with cohorts Lorde Fredd33 and YCP Beno representing Milwaukee's creative corridor in the second half. With 2015's So The Flies Don't Come sourcing its production foundations from the highly skilled and venerable Kenny Segal, Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?! expands the sonic palette and the minds behind each track's beat. Production credits include Milo's alternative music path known as Scallops Hotel, Low End Theory's DJ Nobody, frequent collaborator Kenny Segal, Detroit's Illingsworth, and CoryaYo and Harris Cole, two rising names in Chicago's underground music scene. Where So The Flies Don't Come was the door opening, Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?! is the ascension and voyage through new terrain. Found in gardens of intricate tones and soulfully abstract beats, vortexes of unique meaning spiral from Milo's pen. The production elevates the lyricism and is unique from track to track, supplied with the backdrop of varying samples, harp, flute, keys, guitar, electric bass, violin, synth, and many other instrumental elements. It's an adventurous travel from beginning to end, finding abstract connectivity through the philosophical lens, allowing for alteration of perception and the passage of openness. There's an abundance of peaks and valleys, where subtle and panoramic elements coalesce, emerging as one through the symmetry of soulful grooves and tightly laced vocals. The phrasing and word passages derive sonic value that can be felt outside of the deep meanings, pouring out saxophone like tentacle movement that taps into the abstract extension of color and form through wordplay. A small but striking slice of quintessential knowledge from American novelist, essayist, poet, and social warrior James Baldwin initiates Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?!, jumping out of the gates with a sense of boldness that meshes perfectly with the album's overall feel. Lifting into the aerial view and the fifteen pieces on Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?! speak the language of experimental hip hop's soul, bringing that energy forward and adding to the evolving chapters of the genre's legacy. Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?! will coincide with a nationwide tour, extending Milo's new body of work to audiences all over the States. Stream or purchase Milo's new LP Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?! August 11th, 2017 via Ruby Yacht or grab the various physical formats on Milo's forthcoming tour.
$9.99
The visionary talents of multi-instrumentalist Zach Witness have sprouted full life in this world, lending his sonic touch to the bulk of Erykah Badu’s latest album, But You Caint Use My Phone (Motown Records). This project was brought to life with Erykah Badu at the Badudio and World Witness Studios in Zach Witness’ hometown, Dallas, Texas. This project put him on a unique trajectory, harnessing his intricately designed fusion productions into the periphery of an entirely new audience around the world. His forthcoming debut EP, Electric Revival: Rise of an Outkast Nation, is the first project to find the light of day after this expansion phase, initially created as a birthday gift to Zach Witness’ friend and collaborator, André 3000. The catalyst behind the creation of Electric Revival has a very specific initiation point. During the recordings for But You Caint Use My Phone, Erykah Badu called on André 3000 for collaborative assistance. This would result in the album’s last track, “Hello,” created at the home studio Zach Witness has lived in his whole life. This moment in time compelled Zach Witness to create an offering for André 3000, and this was in the form of an entire body of music. Electric Revival takes on the stories of the lives entangled around society’s most crippling and hopeless of situations. The social and political intentions of the EP paints a very defined purpose in this context. Experience the transformative sounds of Zach Witness and his debut manifesto.
$17.99
O-Card slipcase/digipack + 36-page booklet In 1988, on the eve of a two decade civil war, Somalia’s authoritarian ruler Siad Barre launched punishing air strikes on the north of the country, known today as Somaliland, in response to agitations for independence. The bombing leveled the entire city. Barre targeted Radio Hargeisa to prevent any kind of central communication system that could organize a resistance. With the attack imminent, a few brave radio operators and dedicated vanguards of Somali culture knew the archives, containing over half a century of Somali music had to be preserved. Thousands upon thousands of cassette tapes and master reels were quickly removed from the soon-to-be targeted buildings. They were dispersed to neighboring countries like Djibouti and Ethiopia, and buried deep under the ground to withstand even the most powerful airstrikes. “We buried them in the ground so the bomb’s won’t hit,” one former leading journalist with Radio Hargeisa told us. These audio artifacts were excavated and recalled from their foreign shelters only very recently. Some of those recordings are now kept safe in the 10,000-strong cassette tape archive of the Red Sea Foundation, the largest collection of Somali cassettes in the world, in Somaliland’s capital, Hargeisa. The Ostinato Records team digitized a large portion of the archive, distilling 15 songs that reveal the panoramic diversity of styles and sophistication of Somali musicianship. Over a millennia of trade in the Indian Ocean invited the cultures of the Arabian Peninsula, Persia, India, Southeast Asia, and even China to slowly work their melodies, scales, and sounds into Somalia’s rich musical repertoire. Each track is a keen illustration of a carefully refined, rarely revealed cultural crossroads of the world. The archive offered a living window to the Mogadishu of the 1970s and 1980s, when the coastal capital glistened as the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean,” when wine flowed freely. With its iconic ivory-colored architecture and crescent beaches overlooking the Indian Ocean, Mogadishu was home to the lavish Al Uruba and Jazira sea side hotels, where youthful bands like Iftiin, Sharero, and Dur Dur serenaded cosmopolitan crowds at some of the most elegant nightclubs in East Africa. These damaged cassettes evoked memories of the revered national theater, where Waaberi Band provided unforgettable soundtracks. Mogadishu’s nightlife culture was rich and booming. Raucous rhythms, rugged horns, celestial synthesizers, and stalking baselines came alive alongside majestic voices like Mahmud “Jerry” Hussen and powerful and adored female singers like Faadumo Qaasim, Hibo Nuura, and Sahra Dawo. Somali music of this era is set apart by its empowerment of women. Female singers, often more prolific than their male counterparts, are inseparable from its evolution. Half the compilation is sung by women, their voices often compared in Somali poetry to the sweetness of broken dates. Poetry, intrinsic to the cultural fabric, forms the foundation of Somali songwriting. Somali music’s golden age, curiously, occurred under a socialist military dictatorship, which effectively nationalized the music industry. A thriving scene was owned entirely by the state. Music was recorded for and by national radio stations and only disseminated through public broadcasts or live performances. Private labels were virtually non-existent. This music was never made available for mass release. Almost all recorded material came from original masters or homemade recordings of radio broadcasts. As a result, most of it has never been heard outside Somalia and the immediate region. During the Cold War, Somalia drifted between Soviet and American support — and a decade of U.S. backing allowed soul and funk to capture the imagination of Somali youth, adding the final touch on this masterpiece era. This project took our team to Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Djibouti, and across the Somali diaspora in Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. For the last year, from Minnesota to Mogadishu to Malaysia, we have tracked down the musicians, songwriters, composers, former government officials, and quirky personalities that colored Somali music life. Their words and stories are revealed in a 15,000-word liner note booklet — the only document of its kind to cover this era of Somali music in depth. Alongside the story of Somalia’s music before the civil war, the selection is also focused on the pan-Somali sound. Spread over much of the Horn of Africa, Somali language and culture transcend arbitrary borders. Somali singers from Djibouti were at home in Mogadishu. This compilation seeks to revive the rightful image, history, and identity of the Somali people, detached from war, violence, piracy, and the specter of a persistent threat. These 15 tracks should serve as a necessary starting point.
$11.99
Wordsworth’s new collaborative album titled Our World Today, is entirely produced by Wilmington, North Carolina’s producer/engineer/M.C. by the name of Sam Brown. Sam Brown has recorded and mixed music for artist ranging from Kev Brown to Nottzraw and for labels the likes of Mello Music Group and Soulspazm (KonSci). While Wordsworth has remained musically prolific, touring with his group eMC, and featured on some of the hottest releases. Wordsworth and Sam Brown’s album is aptly titled Our World Today, provides soulful grittiness. The album is raw emotion with an uncut head nodding Hip-Hop landscape depicting the troubling and celebrated aspects of the world we live in. Songs like The Election and Convicted address controversial headlines in our daily lives. On The Election, Wordsworth raps, “Hillary’s loss was embarrassing/this election caused fights, broke up friendships and destroyed marriages/ racial tension, threats in your inbox/social media arguments had your friends blocked.” There has never been a doubt of Wordsworth’s elite braggadocio wordplay which is highlighted on Horns from the Soul and Church. The song Hero showcases Sam Brown’s stellar production while Wordsworth raps, “The Hulk is on steroids, with Gambit he’s in debt still/Weapon X owes professor X for some X pills” while featuring The Last Emperor; Hero shows that even in our world today it’s hard for a superhero to cope. The album features yU, Pearl Gates, Apocalypse, Tonedeff, Louis., and Hip-Hop icons Masta Ace and Sadat X. Wordsworth and Sam Brown are able to provide music reflecting Our World Today that will affect our lives forever.
$13.99
Dday One revisits Journal with a ten track extended version entitled Journal | Extended. The release features remastered versions of the original four tracks accompanied by six previously unreleased cuts. The tracks on Journal | Extended date from the same period, as the prolific Dday One was realizing a spectrum of sample-based experiments. Influenced by personal entries from Dday One’s studio journals (one of which is pictured in the cover art), the music shows the producer constructing new musical possibilities within his unique style. Flipped beats and layered samples abound, placed in compelling arrangements that affirm Dday One’s pensive attention to detail. Tracks like “Heiwa”, evoking the melancholia of a traveler’s search for inner truth, “Meaning”, characterized by otherworldly tones and textures, and “Rhythm Section”, with its playful introduction to the cut’s instrumentation elements, are just a few highlights of this skillful selection. Journal | Extended was remastered by legendary Bay Area engineer Bruce Leighton, known for his work with Public Enemy and The Coup. The project also features photography by Dday One, including images of notes, ideas, and sketches from his studio journals. These photos provide an intimate look into the producer’s creative process.
$16.99
Jay-Z's 13th studio album featuring Frank Ocean, Damian Marley and Gloria Carter.
$15.99
After 3 years of captivating audiences with their unique blend of soul, jazz, and undertones of hip-hop, Minneapolis-based Nooky Jones are finally releasing their debut self-titled album via Young And Foolish Records. A truly cohesive collection of love stories and music that takes listeners to beautiful places alongside deeply provocative characters, the album is a much needed artistic expression of self for vocalist/frontman Cameron Kinghorn. In early 2014, Kinghorn was working mostly as a trumpet player and singing in cover bands around town when he caught the eye of local trumpet player Adam Meckler, who tapped him to front a new project he was starting with drummer Reid Kennedy. That new project would eventually become Nooky Jones, and it would be Kinghorn’s first real foray into this type of artistic expression. Produced over the course of 15 months at RiverRock Studios in the band’s hometown of Minneapolis, their debut album relies on each musician’s unique style as a critical part of the overall sound. Atop airtight yet comfortably loose drum and bass grooves often reminiscent of 90s R&B and Hip-Hop, layers of harmonically complex piano, organ, and Fender Rhodes create a lushness associated with jazz that rarely integrates into pop music so tastefully. Adding flairs of excitement throughout, the horns bring their powerful chops to the forefront when appropriate without ever stepping on the vocals, which float effortlessly from deep sultry textures to a silky smooth falsetto on par with the best soul crooners in the business. A non-stop rollercoaster of emotions, the album masterfully draws the listener in with slow burns that eventually boil over, only to be brought back down and start over again.
$12.50
Credits: Pat Patrick: baritone sax, percussion; John Gilmore: tenor sax, timpani; Marshall Allen: piccolo, alto sax, bells, spiral cymbal; Ronnie Boykins: bass; Teddy Nance: trombone; Jimhmi Johnson: percussion; Robert Cummings: bass clarinet, wood blocks; Chris Capers: trumpet; Bernard Pettaway: bass trombone; Danny Davis: flute, alto sax; Sun Ra: bass marimba, electronic celeste, piano, tympani. Recorded by Richard L. Alderson at RLA Sound Studios, New York City, April 20, 1965 The astonishing session that went light years beyond "free jazz" improvisation to create music of deeply felt, explosive and gentle gestures made from sound itself without reference to previous notions of melody or harmony. This set of tracks finds Sun Ra breaking ground by using synthesizers and having the Arkestra musicians double on percussion. Come with Sun Ra's original self-created jacket art.
$12.50
Personal Affair is proud to announce “ESP-Disk’ Cassette Collection,” an officially licensed release from the Brooklyn based legendary Jazz label, ESP-Disk’, founded by Bernard Stollman. This is the first cassette release of ESP's back catalogue. The third release (PAES-P003) from the collection is Ornette Coleman "Town Hall 1962" in a limited edition special packaging.In 1961, trumpeter Don Cherry had left Coleman's band, and its membership morphed into this trio. The following year, Ornette, tired of receiving lower fees than white musicians drawing smaller crowds, tripled his fee. After the resulting booking drought, in December 1962, Coleman produced and recorded his own concert at Town Hall in New York City. For the next two years, he made no appearances other than informally sitting in on others' gigs on occasion. Thus, when ESP-Disk' acquired some of the tracks from the Town Hall concert (in return for legal work ESP owner Bernard Stollman had done for Coleman) and issued them in the label's first batch of releases in 1965, it was important documentation of Coleman's evolution since the end of his time on Atlantic Records. Not only was it the first recording of his trio with Izenzon and Moffett, who were extremely compatible with the leader's new direction, it also included Coleman's first classical composition, "Dedication to Poets and Writers" (played by a string quartet), which anticipated elements of its composer's later style.Personnel:Ornette Coleman: alto saxDavid Izenzon: bassCharles Moffett: drumsString Quartet on Track #3Selwart Clarke: violinNathan Goldstein: violinJulien Barber: violaKermit Moore: cello
$9.99
Now available on limited edition gold cassette: Trumpeter and composer Josef Leimberg launches his debut full-length Astral Progressions. Hitting vinyl prints and digital formats with the Alpha Pup Records jazz imprint World Galaxy, Astral Progressions is a powerful record in the canon of 21st century music. It also continues the momentum Leimberg achieved on the Kendrick Lamar Grammy Award-winning album To Pimp A Butterfly. A hybrid state of jazz fusion, world music, R&B and golden era hip hop instrumentalism. Josef Leimberg has created a rich tapestry of sound that fits right in with the resurgence of progressive music in the 2010’s, launching out on his own terms after an impressive career of guest work. Leimberg gained a unique level of traction with his work on the multiple Grammy Award-winning Kendrick Lamar LP To Pimp A Butterfly. Credited under the LoveDragon moniker with Terrace Martin, his time with To Pimp A Butterfly only represents a small fragment of his accomplishments. His collaborative resume over the decades is astounding, consisting of production, writing and feature credits with Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, Robin Thicke, Shafiq Husayn, Funkadelic, Freestyle Fellowship, Dr. Dre, Murs, King Tee, Suga Free, Saafir and Busdriver. These connections have undoubtedly spread life all over Astral Progressions. Leimberg’s debut album features an array of innovators and game changers in modern progressive music. Kamasi Washington, Bilal, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Kurupt, Terrace Martin and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson are just a small list of the brilliant minds that make the Astral Progressions outing special. Many of the featured artists became with the LP through world renowned creator Shafiq Husayn. Leimberg would connect with various musicians associated to his camp through studio recordings, gigging and rehearsals, building on his compositions in a very organic and social way. Kurupt connects with Astral Progression’s cosmic message unlike anything else he’s done before, lending his verbal talents over a cosmic west coast flavor. Georgia Anne Muldrow and Bilal add considerable weight as well, taking direction into spiritually tinged fusions of R&B and soul. The ending track pays special homage to Leimberg’s mother, including a recording of her speaking about the complexities of life and where we all fit into the bigger picture of this universe. To describe this record in full would take volumes of thought, bridged under the vision of Leimberg in every note and measure. Leimberg takes the sonic power of Astral Progressions back to the origins of the ‘70s jazz fusion movement. Included is a superb Miles Davis cover of ‘Lonely Fire.’ Originally recorded and featured on the 1970s Miles Davis studio album Big Fun, Leimberg revamps the spiritually tinged piece with uptempo pocket driven drum work, flaring solo’s and a sense of heightened energy that transforms the chord arrangements of the original into something entirely new. Paul Livingston adds lush sitar, tambura and sarod, bringing the Indian influences shed on the original composition into the 21st century state of Leimberg’s vision. It’s a perfect summation of how organic, fluid and exotic the record is as a whole. The artwork and design packaging pulls back to the narrative of prolific album cover work that enhanced many of the world’s most celebrated jazz fusion albums. Artwork created by Tokio Aoyama, the vibrant color schemes intertwine into deeply interwoven symbols, coalescing to form a powerful story before a single note is even heard. Taking the influence his father, mother and communities of musicians around him, Astral Progressions is a record that summarizes the long lasting power of love through sound. Josef Leimberg is a part of the movement that’s creating new standards in the exploration of jazz and fusion. He is defining himself as a worthy composer and purveyor of the deep musical arts and Astral Progressions is just the beginning.
$12.99
Though the musical heart of the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel is its stellar mix of ’70s pop-rock (Awesome Mix, Vol. 2), the movie has a terrific orchestral score too. Written by Tyler Bates (who also scored the film’s first chapter), the cues here—like the movie itself—range from the thunderous and heroic (“Ego,” “Gods,” “Vs. The Abilisk”) to the surprisingly tender (“Sisters,” “A Total Hasselhoff”).
$9.99
Debut release on Street Corner Music from the CT based producer. "Foisey's music got into my hands thru Mutant Academy. I became aware of these RVA kids last year and told them to send a pack. What initially stood out was the beats from Foisey, a young cat from Connecticut. He kept sending packs and I put together a dope collection of his instrumentals. Laid back vibes with a punch. You won't be disappointed. Beats."
$12.50
Personal Affair is proud to announce “ESP-Disk’ Cassette Collection,” an officially licensed release from the Brooklyn based legendary Jazz label, ESP-Disk’, founded by Bernard Stollman. This is the first cassette release of ESP's back catalogue. The first release (PAES-P001) from the collection is Albert Ayler Trio's “Spiritual Unity,” ESP’s first recording session from 1964. The release includes a bonus track “Vibrations” and comes in a limited edition special packaging. Personnel: Albert Ayler, tenor saxophone; Gary Peacock, bass; Sunny Murray, percussion. Overview: Spiritual Unity, recorded on July 10, 1964, is the album that made Albert Ayler and ESP-Disk' famous (or, in some people’s eyes/ears, infamous). Mr. Ayler had already recorded in Europe and, in February ’64, in New York, but this was the first album where neither he nor his collaborators held back. It was also ESP's first jazz recording. Spiritual Unity presented a new improvisation paradigm: looser structure, less regard for standard pitch, and no obligation to present a regular beat. Ayler’s sound was unprecedented, much rawer than any other jazz of the time. Sometimes it was expressed in squalls of untempered sound, sometimes in outbursts of poignant spontaneous melody. Meanwhile, under and around the leader’s unfettered self-expressions, bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Sunny Murray reinvented the roles of their instruments.
$9.99
The 2nd album by Budabrose (Budamunk and Fitz Ambrose) is a collaboration by two beatmakers who draw attention worldwide. Budamunk’s releases feature many prominent artists and are heralded as culminations in the Japanese hip-hop scene. In parallel with many domestic activities, Budamunk also undertakes many projects overseas. Fitz Ambrose, the Canadian / Cape Bretton Island born, now Tokyo based beat maker draws from 80s & 90s sounds while maintaining the sensation that injected the same magic the originals did. 5lack who is featured on the album continues to gather more attention by offering songs to Japan’s greatest upcomers.
$9.99
Debut LP on Street Corner Music from the CT based producer. "While preparing for my radio show about a year ago, I put a kite out to the kids that I was looking for some heat to play. This kid sent me a 20 second clip of a work in progress. It was sublime. He kept sending beats per my request. It was exciting how consistently good the shit was. Blissful, downtempo escapism. His production took me somewhere else, in a time where a retreat from the increasingly stressful day to day is more than welcomed. That first track he sent, "Huey", starts off Balloons, Wowflower's debut LP on Street Corner Music, just as it started the dialogue between the two of us. The Street Corner faithfuls will not be disappointed. This shit is fantastic." -House Shoes
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Joseph Abajian (DJ Jab) founded Fat Beats in 1994 with nothing more than a shoestring budget and an earnest obsession with the music, the culture, and the brotherhood of New York’s burgeoning rap scene. What began as a simple vinyl shop in Manhattan’s Lower East Side quickly became an integral hub for artists, both aspiring and established, to convene and collaborate on new projects. Joseph’s timing couldn’t have been more impeccable. When the 90’s cultural zeitgeist – and, in turn, the music industry establishment – chose hip-hop as its new arbiter of cool.
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