We had a party at the store with The Very Polish Cut-Outs, plus Johanna Knuttson and Luca Lozano from Klasse Recordings. Thanks to everyone who came down, we had such a great day. Looking forward to the next in store on Monday!

Cheap beer and good music - can’t beat it!

Markus telling Groove Magazine how it is.

The Very Polish Cut-Outs

Before the rain…

Johanna Knutsson on the decks

Hi, I’m Eli. I fell in love with music aged about 12 hearing my mum’s ABBA and Simon & Garfunkel records. I’d wanted to work in a record store ever since I first saw “Pretty in Pink”

I started DJing in 1995 and I love a real mix of stuff. Lots of bass and interesting breaks, I try to connect different styles via my sets (surprise, surprise!) There’s nothing as boring as playing four to the floor all night. 

Listen and Enjoy! 

Mark Ernestus Pres. Jeri Jeri With Md Nekh - Dub Dafa Nekh/Ndagga (Honest Jon’s)

Rocket Juice & The Moon - Rocket Juice & Moon (Honest Jon’s)

Trikk - Jointly / I Fall Down (Man Make Music)

Francis Bebey - African Electronic Music (Born Bad)

Maya Jane Coles - Nobody Else / Hummingbird Rmxs (Hype Ltd.)

Bob Chance - Wildlife It’s Broken / It’s Broken (Emotional Rescue)

Siriusmo - Doctor Beak’s Rantanplant (Monkeytown)

Lone - Crystal Caverns 1991 (R&S)
 
Tevo Howard - Monument EP (Buzzin Fly)

The M.e.b. - Il Principal (Brennan Green / Chicagodamn) (Let’s Play House)

Love Apple - Love Apple (Numero Group)

Burrell Brothers - The Nu Groove Years Part 2 (Rush Hour)

Gene Hunt - May The Funk Be With You (Theo Parrish remix) (Rush Hour)

Hi I’m Thomas, I hung about the store until they gave me a job. I don’t DJ as much or as well as the others, but here’s a mix of 12”s and LPs that I’ve really enjoyed over the past month or so. I hope you like them too. 

Photek - DJ Kicks (K7)

Addison Groove - Transistor Rhythm (50 Weapons)

Burial - Kindred EP (Hyperdub)

Legowelt - The Teac Life (Legowelt)

2562 - Air Jordan (When in Doubt)

Martyn - Hello Darkness (Brainfeeder)

Shlohmo - Vacation (Friends of Friends)

Shangaan Electro Vs - Demdike Stare/Hype Williams (Honest Jon’s)

Francis Bebey - African Electronic Music 1975-1982 (Born Bad)

Grimes - Visions (4AD)

Rush Hour have played an important role in both European and US Dance Music. The Amsterdam-based label put their native Netherlands firmly upon the electronic music map while drawing music from the US and Europe and repeatedly putting out fresh new music. Additionally, Rush Hour, often release longer retrospectives which allow listeners to explore the depths of club music history. It’s this ability to select music from all over the world and embrace heritage whilst remaining foward-thinking which make Rush Hour one of our favourite ever record labels. Here’s a run down of some things currently in store. 

OR

Browse all of Rush Hour

Burrell Brothers - Nu Groove Years LP #1 and #2

Here’s an example of the calibre of retrospective we just mentioned. Rheji and Rhano Burrell released some pretty heavy house between 1988 and 1992 and as well as letting record buyers rediscover older talent, this style of release also helps older music back onto dance floors. The Burrell Brothers two recent LPs sit perfectly beside much more recent dance music but also have are also rich and analogue in nature. Killer stuff.

James Mason - Nightgruv/I Want Your Love

This new 12” was featured in both Paramida and Tinko’s staff charts. James Mason is known for his late 70s fusion of soul and jazz but these disco-style tracks were recorded during the mid-80s and have only ever been released in small and now expensive batches. Before the 2012 edition there hasn’t been a pressing since 2000 but this still sounds amazing amongst modern edits.

Hunee Tide/Minnoch

If like us, you’re based in Berlin, then you’ll have heard Hunee everywhere last summer. Good news, he’s back with this release on Rush Hour with this slow house track with a cool analogue synth riff. The B-side Minnoch is tropical house at its finest.

Tinko’s put together a collection of stuff that he really likes, there’s some disco, some house and some deep house plus a couple of things that’ll sound great outside of the club. As well as a list of records he’s also included why he’s picked each one and put together a mix of some of the tracks:

Asphalt Jungle - Freakin’ Time (Tec Records)

This was used for a famous edit a couple of years ago.

Hypertension - Got This Feelin’/ I Know I Can (Boogie Times)

Best reissue on Boogie Times for quite a while, both sides are sure shots.

Joy Orbison & Boddika - Froth (Sunklowun)

I LOVE TECHNO!

Hundred20/Hunee - Dekmantel Anniversary Series Pt. 3 (Dekmantel)

Fleetwood Mac - The Balearic Sound Of… (Sunkissed Recordings)

A beautiful collection of disco-esqe Balearic tracks including “Hypnotised” which featured on Rimini Edits #1

James Mason - Nightgruv/I Want Your Love (Rush Hour) 

Kendl Winter - The Mechanics of Hovering Flight (K-Records)

My lazy Sunday record at the moment. Wonderful, lofi, banjo-driven songs from the 1960s, and a great cover too!

Vakula Feat. Disces - SHEVC005 (Shevchenko)

More great, trippy deep house from Vakula

Jason Grove - Lost Wax pt 2 (Wax Classics) 

Various - Minimal Wave Tapes Vol.2 (Stones Throw)

Absolutely essential!

The Raw Interpreter - Warm Sounds 2 (Warm Sounds)

Still amongst my favourites- great, dirtily produced house music

Wendy Rene - After Laughter (A Light In The Attic) 

Finally a collection from the legendary Stax artist, including a track which RZA/Wu-Tang Clan sampled for “Tearz” with Booker T on the Hammond B3.

Continuing on the afro theme, Eli has picked out some records from the store and said why she thinks they’re so great.

Orchestre Poly Rythmo de Cotonou - Cotonou Club (Strut)

This band from Benin have been active since the 1960s are are like a less well known Buena Vista Social Club. Orchestre Poly Rythmo make funky afrobeat with a psychedelic flavour and of course, great polyrhythms! Buying music from Africa is the best way to support the continent’s musicians, and this is a superb project to get behind.

Ifetayo - Black Truth Rhythm Band (Soundway)

Ifetayo are from Trinidad in the West Indies but their Afro influence is really clear. The music here is long, varied and intricately detailed, the standout track is probably “Aspire” on which the band are joined by a choir.  Members of Ifetayo went onto play with Fela Kuti, but they’re on superb form on this reissue of their only studio album (recorded in 1970).

Shaolin Afronauts - Flight of the Ancients (Freestyle Records)

Neo-afro, afro-soul, call it what you like, I really like this Australian band’s reinterpretation of 1970s West African sounds. There’s lots of horns, a huge rhythm section and lots of percussion. Despite having the luxury of modern recording techniques, Shaolin Afronauts have created a truly authentic sounding record. This might not be to purists’ tastes, but I really like it.

Asmara All Stars - Eritrea’s Got Soul (Out Here)

Eritrea’s a young, small and political unsettled country but Asmara All Stars are a band who ensure that the country’s music receives recognition on a world stage. This project was given French support which has helped us here this great music in Europe.

Various Artists - Shangaan Electro (Honest Jon’s)

This is the most recent thing I’ve picked and it’s a radical change from earlier stuff. I didn’t fully appreciate the Shangaan Electro project until I saw it at Berghain in 2011. While it’s sometimes funny on record, it really works live, and all of the remixes released on 12”s throughout the past 6 months have been great too. 

This New York label have been releasing psychedelic disco and edits since 2008. Here’s a little rundown of their releases to show you why they’re our label of the week.

Juju & Jordash - JEWSEX EP

This Israeli duo have relocated to Amsterdam and make some of the most psychedelic dance music we’ve ever heard. Their sound borrows from a variety of genres but this EP has a tough dance floor kick that’ll sound killer in the club. We’ve got in on pre-order so take a listen to the preview via Soundcloud.

Various Artists - Try To Find Me Vol. III

Golf Channel have a reputation for putting out some top edits. If you’re unfamiliar with them, then the Try To Find Me EPs are a great place to start. Here’s the most recent one. (TTFM3 is a hand-numbered, limited release.)

DJ Nature - Edits Vol. I

Slo-mo treats from DJ Nature. He patiently builds deep, peculiar dance floor grooves. Billy C is a soulful  jam which nods towards Theo Parrish.

Brian Shimkovitz is the man behind Blog and Record Label Awesome Tapes From Africa. Brian, who studied ethnomusicology, began visiting West Africa and returning with cassettes of overlooked and undiscovered music. He’s recently relocated to Berlin and DJed with a cassette deck at Soju Bar on Thursday night! Here’s a little chart of bits and pieces which he really likes:

Founded in Ghent, Belgium in 1984, R&S gained popularity releasing the music of Model 500 and Aphex Twin. After a break from 2001 until 2006, they relocated to London and started releasing a new wave of electronic music. R&S are the label behind releases from James Blake, The Chain, Klaus, Vondelpark, Blawan, Untold and Pariah. This Friday, the seminal electronic music label showcases its talent at Berghain. 

Here’s some stuff from R&S we have in stock at the moment. 

James Blake - Love What Happened Here

Having made some serious impact on radio shows and blogs last year, Love What Happened Here has finally been released on wax. R&S were the label behind Blake’s earlier CMYK EP. Blake’s latest release showcases the young producer/singer-songwriter at his sonically adventurous and playful best.

Various Artists - IOTDXI

In Order To Dance compilations were an earlier staple of R&S’ ouput. This, their eleventh installment shows how much the label has evolved with recent times. R&S is home to talented, young producers like Pariah, Untold and Space Dimension Controller, as well as a generation of new groups like Vondelpark and Cloud Boat who blur the divide between bass music and performing bands.

Model 500 - Ofi / Huesa (Space Dimension Controller)

In case you were beginning to think that that R&S had abandoned their roots, they still regularly release the seminal music of Detroit techno Godfather Model 500 (Juan Atkins).

Dope label, we’ve lot loads of other stuff in store.