HERNAN CATTANEO
“Alola was one of the finest house music labels coming from the United Kingdom in the past decade. High quality underground music on every release; Vince Watson -Mystical Rhythm is one of my favourites from many, many, great records.”

DANNY HOWELLS
“Alola was one of THE labels for me… such a consistently high quality of music and a great roster of artists. I still have them all on vinyl – nice to see you back again!!”

STEVE PARRY
“Alola was sometimes deep, sometimes melodic, but always cool. It was never one specific genre, crossing the musical boundaries, yet retaining its core underground sound was always its speciality.”

LEE BURRIDGE
“The list of dj’s carrying Alola vinyl around the world encompassed everyone and anyone who ever professed to having a decent taste in music. Long live Alola!”

MR C
“Alola was a seminal deep house label that broke down the divisions between house & techno with a depth that was & still is extremely hard to parallel.”

SCOTT RICHMOND, SATELLITE RECORDS NYC
“16B Productions – Secrets: one of the best deep house tracks of the 90s. When Omid created this, Trail of Dreams, and Voices all in ‘95 & ‘96 he put the house music world on notice.”

Sounds Like Alola - Omid 16B

OMID 16B presents SOUNDS LIKE ALOLA – Volume 1 – ALOD001

01. Omid 16B – The Boy That Never Sleeps (new and unreleased 2011)
02. Pete Moss – Give You Love (back cat. 2003)
03. Eli Nissan – Uplifting Blues (back cat. 2001)
04. Omid 16B – Sky As A (new and unreleased 2011)
05. Omid 16B – Evo Lustation (new and unreleased 2011)
06. Anthony Teasdale – Santa Monica (back cat. 1999)
07. Omid 16B – It Doesn’t Have To End (new unreleased mix)
08. Omid 16B – Re-Arranged (new and unreleased 2011)
09. Omid 16B – Jungle Home (new and unreleased 2011)
10. Omid 16B – 3am (new and unreleased 2011)
11. SexOnSubstance – Leads To Love (new and unreleased 2011)
12. Omid 16B – Who Are You? (new and unreleased 2011)
13. Omid 16B – At Night (new and unreleased 2011)

DEMI presents SOUNDS LIKE ALOLA – Volume 2 – ALOD002

01. House of 909 – Blandford Superfly (back cat. 2002)
02. Pete Moss – Strive to Live (Omid 16B Mix) (back cat. 2003)
03. 16B – Secrets (Late Night Mix) (back cat. 1999)
04. Remote Control – Tranquility Base (back cat. 2003)
05. The Novak Project – Testament (back cat. 1997)
06. Marco Da Mata & Matthew – Dancing With Elephants (new and unreleased
2011)
07. Vince Watson – Beneath The Sound (Powder Beats) (back cat. 2001)
08. Remote Control – 4pm In Frisco (back cat. 2003)
09. Remote Control – Reflexions (back cat. 2003)
10. 16B – 2 Cold (back cat. 2003)
11. NAV – Space Chase (Demi’s Back To The Future Edit) (back cat. 1996)
12. Trevor Loveys – The Live Track (unreleased 2011)
13. YMC – Jazzamatic (back cat. 2000)
14. Eli Nissan – Uplifting Blues (back cat. 2001)
15. Vince Watson – Mystical Rhythm (Omid 16B Rmx vs Original Mix) (back cat.
1999)
16. SexOnSubstance – Cactus (new and unreleased 2011)

Sounds Like Alola – Volume 1 & 2 are available now.

Omid16B

“When I started ALOLA back in 1993 with £500 I’d borrowed from my dad,
it was an outlet to release my own music and slowly, music by like-minded
artists whom I admired… After 17 years it’s time for the past, present
and future to fall in sync.” Omid 16B Nourizadeh

The idea is that the ALOLA back catalogue will be slowly introduced to the
digital world through 2011, along with new material. It would be pointless
to just throw it all out at once; this is music to be savoured; in a
disposable world this is music to be treasured for a long, long time.

Omid’s desire to present so much music in a coherent way has led to the
decision to release a series of mix compilations, combining forgotten back
catalogue classics with unreleased material by ALOLA artists to add
something fresh to the whole concept.

“I’ve approached some of my favourite DJs who have had some affiliation
with the label and some who were part of the label to mix a variety of comps
with me through 2011. Who better could I want to do the first one with than
Demi? He did his mix unintentionally when I gave him all the old ALOLA vinyl
a while back, which made me realise again how much music had gone through my
ALOLA heart!  He’s put a mix together what showcases some of the moments
in the label’s history when things couldn’t go unnoticed, even if you
tried; the pure elements of house music through to jazz and electronic
bliss.” Omid 16B

“As the late, great Jimi Hendrix once said, ‘our music is like a jar of
candy, everything’s all mixed up!’ And to substantiate that wonderful
anecdote with one of my own that I adhere to, ‘expect to be given what you
want, not necessarily what you expect’, founded on two words that
encapsulate this school of thought: Relevance and Significance. The past is
the future of the present and the relevance and significance of the
re-launch of ALOLA quite simply ticks all the boxes that need be. This is my
debut solo mix for an official release and I would happily leave it to be my
last, because if ever I wanted to encompass all that I represent as a DJ,
then what I present to you here is my blueprint. From the bottom of my
heart, I thank Omid, whose labour of love is a continued source of
inspiration to myself and to many who choose to follow their dreams. And a
special mention to all the artists whose music was selected to represent and
reflect my perspective on a label that continues to represent music in its
highest and purest form. This really was a labour of love and a joy to put
together. Long live ALOLA!” Demi

Omid admits that being totally blown away by Demi’s mix meant he had
reservations about doing one himself, so decided to do one that showcases
mostly his own material that’s set for release in the future on ALOLA,
allowing the past, present and future to fall in sync.

“I did use a few tracks by other artists like Anthony Teasdale, Eli Nissan
and Pete Moss, which accidentally added another idea to the concept: you can
do whatever the f**k you want, as long as it sounds like ALOLA!” Omid 16B

Guy J

Guy J is a young, much-in-demand, innovative producer, DJ and live act, whose infectious production talents, busy worldwide touring schedule, electric live shows and groundbreaking debut album on Bedrock (released in 2008) have all led to this point and the creation of his stunning new masterpiece: 1000 Words.

Along with a handful of his fellow countrymen, this young Israeli (now based in Antwerp, Belgium) is now at the forefront of a movement towards the melody-rich and emotionally charged roots of the house music spectrum. 1000 Words, spread over 3 CDs on John Digweed’s forward thinking Bedrock label showcases the extraordinary talents of Guy J.

His productions have constantly earned praise and gained many fans for their tight, driving beats, shimmering, warm synths and blossoming, journey like arrangements. Across 3 CDs he is given the space to explore the exciting, timeless space between ambient, experimental electronica, house, techno and beyond. Throughout, he constantly maintains a melodic and highly emotive core, creating a body of work structured and presented in a highly creative way.

CD1 gives a nod to classical composition, taking the form of a series of movements, as Guy J mixes, segues and joins the dots between individual tracks to create an end result that is greater than the sum of all its parts. Opening with a swirl of muted bells and atmospheric pads, the lush opening 3-track sequence is concluded with the gorgeous, heavenly vocals of Miriam Vaga.

Just when you think you know what’s coming next, the soaring, melodic shower of “Fall Star”, Guy J lets the spirit of the Mad Professor into the studio and spins into a fizzing dub experiment (“The Right Place”), before getting horizontal and beatless with the melancholy beauty of “My Organ Friend”, to draw the second movement to a close.

“Spica” wouldn’t be out of place on the Bladerunner movie soundtrack, as it cuts to the pulsating disco swing of “Electric Tale” with a nod to Giorgio Moroder and morphs and breaks down into the spiralling, ecstatic chords of “Lamur”, before flowing into the distant storm of a perfect sunrise moment (“I Lost My Head”). The majestic beats reprise of “Stay Cow” and the stunning finale of “Fly” (once gain featuring Miriam Vaga), bring to a close what can only be described as a listening experience that has been heaven sent.

Imagine being able to create your perfect DJ set; having the skill as an artist to create all the music you want to play; all the subtle emotional nuances, mood swings and changes of direction at your fingertips. CD2 is packed with expansive dancefloor creations. In classic Guy J fashion this is a musically dense and diverse trip that is as dynamic as it is organic, gradually progressing, turning up the pressure, keeping you hanging on until the very last drop has poured out of the speakers!

From the deep, swinging, handclapping grooves of the opening sequence of “Doves”, “Limbo” and “Easy Can Be”, with their subtle, uplifting, intelligent beauty, this is a true journey by DJ, a master artist at work. As the mood moves towards the deep, throbbing intensity with lights down low (“My Thought Of You”, “Sahara” and “Teva”), it’s easy to become lost in the swirling electronic music as Guy J pushes emotion buttons, exploring the psyche of the dance, exploring possibilities, forging ahead into the future.

The full-length club mixes gathered on the unmixed CD3 rounds of this superb package in style, dedicated to bringing any self-respecting DJ’s record collection up to speed with a selection of some of Guy J’s finest moments from 1000 Words.

From the majestic opening notes of “Doves”, he first explores deep house vibes with an opening trio of low-slung grooves sprinkled with melodic flourishes, Detroit techno influences and dub drops. “My Thought Of You” turns up the energy levels and gets a little twisted, alongside “Teva” exhibiting no nonsense big room floor pressure.

“Sahara” lightens the mood with ethereal beauty, while the stunning, gorgeous voice of Miriam Vaga will prove to be a highlight in any set anywhere. The heavenly atmospherics of Detroit techno bring CD3 to a close with the moody magnificence of “Azimuth”, which is preceded by the pure melodic beauty of “I Lost My Head” and energetic techno styling of “Heliscope”, showing that Guy J is one of the stand-out electronic artists in the world today.

1000 Words – Tracklisting:

CD1 – Mixed
1.Intro
2.Moderate
3.Guy J & Miriam Vaga – You
4.Fall Star (Rising Mix)
5.The Right Place
6.My Organ Friend
7.Spica
8.Electric Tale
9.Lamur
10.I Lost My Head (AM Mix)
11.Stay Cow
12.Guy J & Miriam Vaga – Fly

CD2 – Mixed
1.Intro
2.Doves
3.Limbo
4.Easy As Can Be
5.My Thought Of You
6.Sahara
7.Teva
8.Guy J & Miriam Vaga – No Under But You
9.Heliscope
10.Personal Haze
11.Azimuth
12.I Lost My Head (PM Mix)
13.Whirlpool

CD3 – Unmixed – Full-Length Club Mixes
1.Doves
2.Limbo
3.Easy As Can Be
4.My Thought Of You
5.Sahara
6.Teva
7.Guy J & Miriam Vaga – No Under But You
8.Heliscope
9.Personal Haze
10. I Lost My Head
11.Azimuth

guy j - 1000words

Guy J
1000 Words
(Bedrock) BEDGJ002
3 x CD LP
Release: 25/04/11

Guy J Tour Dates:

15 April   India TBC
16 April   India TBC
21 April   Bedrock @ Arcadia, London
23 April   Bedrock @ Arches, Glasgow
29 April   Bedrock, Tel Aviv TBC
30 April   Noize, Falsterbo
14 May    H2O, Mexico City
21 May    The Proud Bird, Los Angeles
12 June   Cafe D’Anvers, Antwerp
25 June   Boat Party, London

This mix simply exemplifies why Warren is so revered  by many and on furthers his reputation as a selector who understands the challenges and subtleties of  a successful and enduring mix album.

Name-checking the likes of Egbert, Victoria R, Applescal, Solee and Petar Dundov as current faves, it’s clear that his long-time melodic leanings have now been bolstered by a love of imaginative, new school techno, and indeed this compilation blends the two immaculately.

Disc 1 gets off to a graceful, deep start – a warm sunrise feel surrounding tracks like Underset’s delicate Berlin – before unexpectedly twisting into the jacking techno throb of Flord’s The Tribe Has Spoken (soaring melodies intact mind you). Paul Hazendonk’s stripped-down My Addiction throws our attention before Eelke Kleijn’s Monkey Movin’ connects the dots and brings the groove back.

The mix hops and skips between percussiveness and melodic flourishes at will, keeping you on your toes in anticipation of what’s to come next. Nick W’s TLB keeps it stab-heavy, before Nomad In The Dark’s Drones (Send Me) juxtaposes squelching funked-up bass with psy-trance-esque acid shimmers. Giorgos Gatzigristos’ Tickless brings the first half down to a sub-aquatic close, laden with hazy pads and hypnotic tones.

Warren’s own remix of Tripswitch’s Collider kicks off the second disc with nods to groove-driven, atmospheric ‘90s house music, all cool and slow-burning, and demonstrating he’s a producer to be reckoned with. Beat Factory’s Let’s Take A Walk takes the mix to sensual new heights with its soft, morphing chime refrain and gorgeous synths, with Lank’s Ain’t No Problem stating its intent next with a killer, shimmying groove that builds to incessant and heady heights.

Yamil Colucci’s Bristol Warm makes for a resplendent centrepiece with its heavenly pianos and lashings of
warmth, leading us towards the ethereal charms of Solee’s Aragon and the techy splash and buzzing refrains of Steve Mill’s Someday, with Solee reappearing to add a cinematic lift to the end of the mix in his remix of Warren’s Flowers. It’s left to Pablo Acenso’s pulsing Bread to cap a beautiful collection off with its bold, melancholy chords making for an engrossing and tantalising finale.

Nick Warren says; “This album treads a techier and deeper path while sticking to my template of sourcing music from every corner of the globe, once more finding some new and exciting producers.” He adds “It’s the coolest end of the compilation market and an honour for me to be involved.”

CD1

1. Ormatie – Only
2. Spieltape feat. Shamil – Morning Paper
3. Underset – Berlin
4. Flord – The Tribe Has Spoken
5. Paul Hazendonk – My Addiction
6. Eelke Kliejn – Monkey Movin’
7. Jamie Anderson And Owain K – Without Sound
8. Nick Warren – Buenos Aires Terry Lee Brown Jnr Mix
9. Nomad in the Dark – Drones (Send me)
10. Franck Orff – Hibiscus
11. Giorgos Gatzigristos – Tickless

CD2

1. Tripswitch – Collider (Nick Warren Mix)
2. Julio Largente – Darkened Underpass
3. Beat Factory featuring Stamina – Let’s Take a Walk
4. Lank – Ain’t No Problem
5. Yamil Colucci – Bristol Warm
6. Victoria R – Cosmos
7. Solee – Aragorn
8. Steve Mill – Someday
9. Steven Libby – 80D Test
10. Nick Warren – Flowers (Solee Remix)
11. Pablo Acenso – Bread

Balance 018: Nick Warren

Label: Balance Music (Australia)
Cat. No. BAL002CD
Distribution: Republic Of Music (UK) / NEWS (Europe)
UK & EU Release Date: 25th April 2010
(Australia/Asia: 15th April / N America: 26th April)

Eelke Kleijn 'Untold Stories'

Rotterdam based Eelke Kleijne is without any doubt one of the brightest stars on the house music scene these days. After having seen his debut album ‘Naturally Artificial’ getting a release on Global Underground (and a myriad of chart topping EPs and remixes) Eelke now returns with his second album ‘Untold Stories’, which is an incredible musical exhibition of the young producers public display of his incredible skills and his rich taste in the broad field of electronic music. ‘Untold Stories’ will be released on Paul Hazendonk’s respected Manual Music Label, with an unmistakeable talent for recognising creativity and forward-thinking music.

Eelke Kleijn

Over the course of just a few years, Dutch DJ/producer and mastering expert Eelke Kleijn has proven to be one of the most skilled artists in the global house and techno scene. His debut release, the 8 Bit Era EP was instantly chosen as a weapon of choice by DJ’s such as Nick Warren, Dave Seaman and Hernan Cattaneo which prompted the Global Underground label to release Eelke’s debut album ‘Naturally Artificial’.

Throughout the years, Eelke has developed himself into a multi-talented artist with a very broad vision on the electronic spectrum. The urge to experiment keeps on coursing through his veins, assisting in creating a consistent flow of impressive fuses soaring from progressive house, techno, tech-house and even elements of ambient-esque structures. Energetic and thematic, Untold Stories is an example of how the emotive touch is never omitted from his music.

‘Untold Stories’ is a musical journey full of sounds of mystical fairytales, exciting adventures, psychological drama’s and of course no untold story album would be complete without romance and love, which is beautifully executed with the emotive ‘Will I Love’ featuring Neils Geuzebroek, which interestingly, is the only track with vocals on the album.

The intro track Ortni is both captivating and mezmerising to assist in maintaining the listeners attention throughout. This track then leads into one of the most beautiful on the album and is a track for any person who is a lover of the sound of violin Violintermezzo is simply exquisite.

Untold Stories has been written and produced as a single flow of constant dynamics, with tracks merely being chapters in a pulsating, flowing and shape shifting whirlwind of electronic genres. The result is an astonishingly and highly inventive piece of cinematic brilliance on which Eelke once more redefines his own sound, whilst also reconfirming his status as one of the most creative and versatile artists in the game.

Untold Stories is a stunning and ambient album, full of beautiful electronic sounds that help create a tranquil ambience and ensures the listeners entertainment throughout.

UNTOLD STORIES TRACKLISTING

1. Ortni

2. Violintermezzo

3. Arpeggiator Stories

4. Arpeggiator Stories Continued

5. Harpy

6. The Lone Ranger

7. Nu Gaat Het Los

8. Sad But No

9. Theme For Nosey

10. Gevoeslsplaat

11. Theme For Spliffy

12. Compact ft. Nick Hogendoorn

13. Survival Of The Fattest

14. Flavour Savour

15. Will I Love ft. Niels Geuzebroek

16. Bend It Like Bender

http://www.eelkekleijn.nl/blog/

http://www.manual-music.com/

http://epiqurus.com/

Technasia - Force 10th Anniversary issue

When the classic Technasia track Force was released way back in April 2000, how many of us would have thought that track would be as popular ten years down the line as it was on the millennium dance floor.

This summer Technasia launched a competition in conjunction with Whatpeopleplay.com inviting young and upcoming DJ’s around the world to come up with their own unique take on the classic track Force via the medium of the remix.

The results were astounding, like a fine wine the track just improves with age,  of course the latest technology also helps a little too.

The ultimate prize for the competition entrants was to have their personal remix included on the tenth anniversary release of Force.  The five track compilation was released to critical acclaim at the end of the summer and the remixes are almost certainly being played at a club near you as we write.

The Whatpeopleplay.com remix competition winner Zadig hails from the French capital of Paris, his version of Force is described as elegant and completely redesigned.

In second place was Matt Star & Michael Peter and in third Petkovski, their respective visionary remixes of the classic track are described as delicate yet bursting with vitality.

The Technasia compilation is completed by the reworking from hotly tipped Catalan talent Dosem who delivers a 2010 style funky remix that is sure to cause mayhem on the dance floor. Marc Romboy makes up the numbers with his dark and acidic techno remix.

Feedback from the top DJs around the globe has been excellent for the ’stars’ who have contributed to this tenth anniversary release of Force, with each of the contributors earning praise for their particular versions, but particular favour towards the Dosem mix.

Artist: TECHNASIA
Title: Force 10th Anniversary Remix Contest with Whatpeopleplay.com
Label: Technasia
Cat #: TA05RMX
Format: 12” & digital download (all stores)
Release date: Out Now
Tracklisting:
1. DOSEM MIX
2. MARC ROMBOY MIX
3. ZADIG MIX
4. MATT STAR & MICHAEL PETER MIX
5. PETKOVSKI PROPERLY DEEP MIX

Balance 017 - Timo Maas

The excellent Balance series reaches number seventeen and this double CD collection mix from Timo Maas continues the extremely high standard set from day one by his predecessors.

Timo Maas is an artist who will succeed at whatever he puts his hand to, and his next move is always highly anticipated. Behind the decks, he packs one of the hardest punches around, pulling you inside his hypnotic world and
creating sets that live, breath and thump as one cohesive, gargantuan entity. So dedicated is he to his craft that he’s built a club on his own land – a Funktion One-packed barn next to his farmhouse in Germany where
he rigorously tests out his newest productions and finds. Only a DJ and producer as innovative, technically brilliant and downright loveable could be worthy of an undertaking as prestigious and lauded as the mixing of a Balance compilation. Fittingly, this is Maas’ first official compilation for 9 years.

Timo Maas was drawn to the Balance format by the diversity that he was able to include into the mix over the more formatic creation of a live club set, along with his production partner Santos the compilation process stretched over four months.

He says;

“The format of the Balance mix series was always quite appealing to me; to spread myself out over 2 CDs without essentially having to “rock” a crowd from the beginning is a very good thing. I was able to also include deeper, downbeat, “earlier set” material, that I personally like to listen to, but am not essentially playing out on a normal club night. For me “the trip” is quite important to create, with a mix of brand new, even exclusive material, but also tracks that rock my world at the moment and most essentially have rocked my world for many years (the so called “classics”).”

BALANCE 017 – TRACKLIST
* denotes exclusive to this compilation
** denotes exclusive to this compilation & to be released on a special
Balance 017 EP

CD1
01 Timo Maas – Morning Beauty *
02 Timo Maas – A Day After George **
03 Nicolas Jaar – Time For Us (Original Mix)
04 Dana Bergquist & Peder G – Acapulco (Sasse Remix)
05 Solvent – Loss For Words (Vector Lovers Remix)
06 Random House Project – The One For Ever (Toby Tobias Dub Mix)
07 Phattivan – Man From Ternopil *
08 Deetron – Sing
09 Mathias Kaden – Kawaba (DJ Koze’s Kosi-San Remix) W/ DJ Koze – Blume
Der Nacht
10 Henrik Schwarz & Kuniyuki – Once Again (Kuniyuki Version)
11 Giorgio Roma – Across The East Side * W/ Timo Maas – Spacemooger
Experience *
12 Alex Flitsch meets Mutant Clan – Imanah (Patrick Chardronnet Deep Mix)
13 Mathias Schaffhäuser – The 1st Thing *
14 Danny Tenaglia – Elements (The Dtour)
15 Santè & Adam Port – Solano *
16 The Crystal Ark – The City Never Sleeps (Instrumental)
17 Florian Hollerith – Fluxus
18 Carl Craig – At Les
19 William Orbit, Elgar – Nimrod (Timo Maas & Santos Remix)

CD2
01 Timo Maas – Latenza *
02 Marc Romboy & Stephan Bodzin – Luna (Mutant Clan Laser Gun Remix)
03 Kenny Larkin – Glob (Kenny Larkin Mix)
04 Alex Niggemann -  Take Control (Matthias Tanzmann Remix)
05 Alex Dolby & Santos – To Be Large *
06 The Mole – Nervous Disid
07 Mutant Clan – Totally Wet (Santè & Adam Port Remix) *
08 We Fell To Earth – Lights Out (Timo Maas Remix)
09 Timo Maas – Kick 1 Kick 3 *
10 Mutant Clan – Arcadia **
11 Santè & Adam Port – Faire Des Siennes (Mutant Clan Caraibic Remix) *
12 Santos – Matinèe
13 Rockets & Ponies – Chinese Massage (Alex Dolby: Porno Dolby Remix) *
14 Timo Maas – Clouds **
15 Lost Veteranos – It’s Wronger
16 Emmanuel Top – Somewhere
17 Hardfloor – Acperience 1
18 Placebo – Ashtray Heart (Timo Maas Unreleased Remix) *

Balance 017 is released in the UK and Europe on October 18th. You can catch Timo Maas entertaining the masses at DC10 Ibiza closing party on October 4th.

For further information visit the Balance Label or the Timo Maas My Space.

Balance Series Party @ Cable, London

Looking for something special in the London this weekend?

Then look no further than the excellent Balance Series Party which takes place on this Saturday July 17th at Cable in South East London.

Featuring a four hour set from AGORIA back 2 back OXIA with additional sets from Emerson Todd (EQ/Cocoon) and Jozif (Wolf & Lamb).

In the bar, get on down with GET DOWN GOOD featuring Jimster, along with Tom Bulwer, Greg Sawyer and Jo Sayers.

CABLE is situated at Bermondsey Street Tunnel, London SE1 3JW, nearest tube station London Bridge.

Tickets £10 in advance or £13 on the door. For further information visit the Cable website.

International Peoples Gang - Up

Not what you might call prolific, this is the third album from The International Peoples Gang since 1995’s debut 3395, their second Action Painting was released in 2006.

Up is the first IPG album to be released through Amsterdam’s Hi-Phi Music and it finds the gang expanding their hybrid sound even further than before, creating a sumptuous mix of kaleidoscopic house, funk, folk, down-tempo and pop music.

Inspired by a lyric from David Bowie’s Panic In Detroit, The International Peoples Gang was formed by Nottingham (UK) residents Martyn Watson and Ric Peet who have since created their own sublime sound through their IPG albums and masses of production work and remixes.

Martyn and Ric use concepts of sound as their material, throwing them at blank spaces and watching abstract images and audio-visual beauty take shape. The result combines warm, organic dub soundscapes with classical stylings, elements of folk with fuzzed guitars, creating a manipulation of language with electronic experimentation.

Up kicks off with the anthemic and uplifting Second (featuring elements of The Who’s “Blue, Red and Grey”) showing off the pair’s impeccable taste for beautiful sound but as the name also suggests, this album was produced by Martyn & Ric with much valued contributions from their gang.

The pair have brought out fantastic vocal performances from Jay Thomas (daughter of house producer Tony Thomas) on Angel Delight and Katty Heath (who has also sung for Mylo, Bent and breakbeat duo Slyde among others) on the tracks Caught Up In Something which features Crazy P producer Jim Baron on Trombone and 271 The Trencherman, with upright bass by Arwel Hughes.

From the shimmering and hypnotic Son of Still to the more upbeat stance of Instant Sideways and Chika Woodward’s spoken word diatribe on the sparsely beautiful Nascent, International Peoples Gang continue their musical ascent with Up.

The sleevenotes give a valuable track by track insight into how the album evolved from none other than the The International Peoples Gang themselves;

Up Sleevenotes:

Junior Cycle
Due to a love affair with the fuzz-tone noise of Johnny Thunders and Mick Jones I’d always fancied a Les Paul Junior and, after treating myself to one as a birthday present, I played it non-stop for about a month…riff, riff, riff and then another riff. Eventually I formulated this pretty little cyclic tune that has alternating bars of 6/4 and 5/4 but; please don’t go scratching that ‘prog’ rash y’all, it grooves.

Second
I’ve always loved the ‘me against the world’ sentiment of Townshend’s lyrics to ‘Blue Red and Grey’ and, with its sonic-palette of ukulele and brass, it’s certainly an odd sounding Who record. The track has been a nagging inspiration since autumn ’75 and Ric and I were so made up when Pete let us use it.

Caught Up In Something
Featuring an ace vocal interlude from Katty Heath, a woozy, boozy coda courtesy of Jim Baron’s trombone (Fa fa faah…), an experiment with mutating room-ambience and a lawn-mower solo; this is the latest in a long line of IPG ‘musique-concrete’ melodic creations.

Place des Abbesses
Whilst living in Paris during the late ‘80s I often found myself ‘people watching’ at the Café St Jean and the art-nouveau splendour of Metro Abbesses. This tune, with its reflective clarinet theme, accordion splashes and heat-haze Algerian buzz takes me right back there.

Son of Still
Anyone remember ‘Still’ from em:t 3395? Check it out. I love the way that the nagging sequencer resonates with the naïve, piano part to create a kind of theatrical suspension between aggression and humility. Yin and Yang.

Instant Sideways
This one’s got a disorientating party vibe as it lurches from one idea to another…never quite making its mind up…like most Friday nights. The joyous kids were recorded on a carousel in Paris, the bells are from a June wedding in Derbyshire and the harmony guitars are totally 1973.

Angel Delight
The centrepiece of the record for us. This track has got a spacey, loopy, bluesy quality that Jay Thomas absolutely nails with a totally gorgeous vocal performance. I’d demoed this in falsetto so Jay sings it in an unusual register for her but still reckons that she’s never sounded better. Love on ya baby.

Spacebook
Dave Morton squeezes out a gorgeous violin tone from his electric guitar and sucks the listener into a propulsive electro groove. Ric’s orchestral collage has a disassociative quality and, when I close my eyes, I get a similar vibe to the stylings of ‘Aeroplane’ from our first album. Lush and dreamlike.

Nascent
I woke up from one of those mad semi-lucid dreams with a template for this in my head. I scribbled down as much as I could and stuck it on the studio wall. Ric spent the best part of six months sound-designing and it ended up as a sprawling monster; a soundtrack looking for a narrative. Independently, Japanese artist Chika Woodward had written a poem musing on the Hiroshima bombing from the perspective of a young mother taking her child to school that morning. We put them together and it worked. Just like that. Synergy.

Astronomy
Dedicated to Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)

Easy
This was written, late at night, during a snowstorm and is my reflection on a brand-new relationship. If Bowie hadn’t done it first this would be called ‘A New Career In A New Town’. I dig what Ric did with the scratchy, flanging, phasing guitar sounds and the breakdown to silence. “Of course you can…”

271 The Trencherman
This one’s a collision between a desire for love and peace and a more prosaic, gritty realism. Kind of like a Hippy v Punk wars being fought in your mind. The title is the address of a Chelsea restaurant owned by ‘60s hipster Terence Stamp…the building seen being bombed with graffiti in The Stones/Godard film ‘Sympathy for The Devil’. The lyrics are a paean to dream state of pre-Manson California and Arwel Hughes’ upright bass cunningly avoids jazz. Phew.

Up
Ric and I worked hard at establishing a sense of order/disorder by the use of pop-art/action-painting/mixed-media collage techniques. We love shaking things up and there are no rules. We did a lot of field recording (aren’t mobile phones ace?) and cared not one jot if we found ourselves ‘doin’ our thang’ in a ‘studio’ or not. Indeed, Isobel’s front room, post-fracture morphine, Ric’s sunlit yard and serene interludes amidst episodes of mid-tour mayhem all played their part. All in all, ‘Up’ took about 3 years to put together…we’d write and record in chunks and then spend ages reviewing and editing material…attention to detail and all that. We guarantee that this record will reward careful listening. You know us.

ARTIST: INTERNATIONAL PEOPLES GANG
TITLE: UP (LP)
FORMAT: CD / DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
LABEL: HI-PHI MUSIC
CAT NO: HIPHILP1
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW DIGITAL / CD COMING SOON

Form @ Village Underground, Shoreditch, London

Saturday 19th June sees the launch of FORM at Village Underground.

Although a new kid on the musical block, this fresh young upstart brings you the kind of savvy format you’d expect from a night much older in years.

A truly bespoke night, it will concentrate on quality programming, production, ambience and and the kind of line ups you rarely see outside of festivals these days. Sound wise each event will be non genre specific.

The main bulk of the evening will revolve around the house and techno spectrum. But be prepared to hear everything from electronica, funk, hiphop, disco, mashup, ska and all that goes inbetween.

FORM has been founded by a team of industry veterans. They have been working under various roles and guises within clubland, music, radio, press, technical, production, fashion and creative for over 20 years collectively. Some have even been lured out of retirement to be involved in this exciting new project. The culmination of their experience, enthusiasm and essentially their “contacts” means they can bring you something very special indeed.

This collaboration of people realised there was something lacking on the London club scene, and a massive target audience were not being catered to. The whole of clubland has become saturated with so-called “underground” club nights at present.

In reality this format is now so common place that all they bring us is the same old crowds, the same old venues, the same old sounds and the same old experiences – all the while still claiming to be individual. These kind of events also alienate lots of people who like a good night out just by the sheer “cliquey” element attached to them.

FORM wants to shake it up and do things differently. They’d like to give you a night which is thoroughly down to earth and without pretention. The line ups are aimed at the sort of regulars who may not go out every week, but will come out of hiding for nights which strike a chord with them and those which have the premise of something a bit special.

The lineups will speak for themselves for each event, bursting with the kind of names that need no introduction.

FORM aims to give you what you’ve been holding out for… A night out with a lovely, welcoming crowd, amazing music, banging soundsystem, eye catching production, and most importantly a night that was actually, for once, worth the effort!

Opening FORM on Sat 19th June 2010 will be: X-Press 2, Jon Carter and CJ Macintosh.

X-Press 2
A phenomenal recording and DJing unit consisting of Rocky, Diesel and Ashley Beadle who first burst onto the international club scene in 1993 with Muzik Express. Expect roasting beats (a la Trance Europe Express), full on epic breakdowns and all kinds of catchy hooks. Currently signed to Skint Records (Fatboy Slim’s label) and partaking of all kinds of six-deck wizardry, expect lots of surprises and innovative collaborations.

CJ Mackintosh
The man responsible for remixing MARRS, ‘Pump Up The Volume’ together with Dave Dorrell. Originally a hip-hop DJ, CJ moved over to house music in the early 90s and scored a residency at Ministry of Sound in ‘94 where he played for seven years. Now a father of two and still pleasing mainstream clubbers as resident DJ at City Loud, Turnmills, London.

Jon Carter
A man of many guises who plays and records under the names Joe Schmoe, Monkey Mafia and Junior Cartier amongst others. Originally inspired by the 80s acid house scene he has since experimented with various musical styles including funk, dub, breakbeat and even reggae. Now best known for funky, energetic old skool house, Carter is one of the worlds most popular DJs.

Form @ Village Underground
54 Holywell Lane, Shoreditch, EC2A 3PQ Saturday 19th June
9pm-6am

X-Press 2
CJ Macintosh
Jon Carter
Leroy Roberts
Tim Gale

£15 in Adv

Tickets from: www.clubtickets.com & www.residentadvisor.net.

For more information visit www.formlondon.com.

secret cinema - welcome to my club

Having started his career back in the 1990’s Jeroen Verheij tasted success almost immediately with his first release Sonar System, an instant rave classic.

He then created the Secret Cinema persona in 1994 and released the international hit Timeless Altitude. Selling over 20,000 copies in six months, the track proved more ‘timeless’ than anyone could have imagined at the time.

In December 2009 under the guise of Secret Cinema, Gem Records was born and using his large musical knowledge to select tracks for his own DJ sets he released his first DJ compilation (GEMCD001).

The latest release on the Gem Records label is Secret Cinema’s Welcome To My Club, One CD, 20 superb tracks and one brilliant mix!

Welcome To My Club, mixed by Secret Cinema, explores the realms of Verheij’s club sound and his flavours for the coming season. The mix includes the latest release on Gem ‘Secret Cinema – Glad Chord’ (GEM003) and an exclusive preview of two tracks from the forthcoming EP ‘Haasten’ by Egbert (GEM004) one of Secret Cinema’s proteges.

The CD kicks off with vintage synth chords from Jamie Lloyd but soon twists in another direction with the sexy P-funk inspired electro beats of Big Bully.

The CD continues to pick up pace as it pounds through twenty excellent tracks, creating an exiting and energetic journey through one of the most action packed compilations around.

This superb collection marks Verheij’s twentieth year in the business, proving that he still has his finger firmly on the pulse of a constantly evolving genre.

Welcome To My Club Tracklisting:

1. Jamie Lloyd – When Good Oompa Loompa’s Turn Bad
2. Big Bully – Nightflight
3. Ahmet Sisman – Baze
4. Steve Parker – Mexhilhao (Handycraft Remix)
5. DJ Sodeyama – Realthing
6. Norm & jochen Pash – Watching You (Norman Zube Remix)
7. Andreas Saag – Jazz Lapse
8. Egbert – Yourself
9. Jewel Kid – Break My Heart (Masi & Mello Remix)
10. Christopher Benjamin – Drop Down Pass Out
11. Psycatron – Is What It Is (So It Is Remix)
12. Peter Horrevorts – Bloody Hands (Marc Marzenit Remix)
13. Cyro – Afrodisiac (Dirty Disorder Remix)
14. Tim Deluxe – When We Come To It
15. Oculus – Awake
16. Jakiro – Fountain Trip
17. Egbert – Haasten
18. Itamar Sagi – One Million Oaks
19. Secret Cinema – Glad Chord
20. Shinsuke Matsumoto – Lantern (Kuba Sojka Remix)

For more information and to listen to the album visit Gem Records.