2017

First ever LP reissue of this timeless masterpiece by Philippe Sarde, the most versatile and talented French film composer. Les choses de la vie, an outstanding score which offers both the wonderful “Chanson d'Hélène” and most of the musical features which appeared later in Philippe Sarde's musical career : Nostalgia, melancholy, experiment and sound discord. Les choses de la vie is the film which confirms Sautet as a genuine author and Philippe Sarde as a rising composer. This is also the start of a long partnership that spanned twenty-five years and eleven films.

After a first year of activity with 3 beautiful single reissues, SOL DISCOS presents its first album, with the compilation Message In Our Music, selected by WAXIST. Focusing on Modern-Soul genre, the selection ranges from 1977 to 1983 and gathers a nice selection of independent and private press records, all officially licensed.From the David Nathan‘s downtempo previously unreleased version of « Ain’t Nothing Like The Love », to the beautiful Glen Missick‘s gospel dancer « Message In Our Music », the album aims at providing to the listener a glimpse of the wide spectrum of productions that exist in this musical genre.Some of these beauties are officially reissued on vinyl for the very first time, including some highly sought after records such as « Deep Inside Of You » by The Harden Brothers, « My Dream » by Harvell Guiton, or « Love With Me » by Don Scott.The album has been fully remastered by The Carvery in the UK, and features liner notes for each of the songs, plus exclusive pictures provided by the involved artists & producers.

Analog tape mastered from original tapes at audiomoto & faible studio for a high quality analog sound and a high fidelity vinyl press.The Vinyl comes in a wonderful, authentic and special old-fashioned cardboard cover with vintage haptics.

A lynchpin in South Africa's new generation of jazz musicians, KwaZulu-Natal-born guitarist and vocalist Sibusile Xaba has all the makings of an acoustic guitar master. With a vocal style that is part dreamscaping and part ancestral invocation, Xaba divines as opposed to plainly singing. Combined with a guitar style that is rooted in expressive picking, Xaba's music shatters the confines of genre, taking only the fundamentals from mentors such as Madala Kunene and Dr Philip Tabane and imbuing these with a mythology and improvisational intensity all of his own.'Open Letter to Adoniah' is an album reverent of life and its connectedness to a higher source. The music emanates from dreams revealed to guitarist Sibusile Xaba over consecutive days. With percussionists Thabang Tabane and Moahanganai Magagula, the trio coalesces both geographic and spiritual influences, hinting at Maskandi (a music style dominant in Xaba’s native KwaZulu-Natal) and the improvisational culture of South Africa's jazz avant garde. Collectively, the musicians remold these influences, situating them within rhythms that span the continent. Thabang Tabane’s influence over the project gives it a spiritual sensibility allusive to the Malombo Music his father, Dr Philip Tabane, originated in the late 1960s.Mushroom Hour Half Hour is a Johannesburg based, independent record label and mobile recording studio that unearths and records unique music from the African continent. Xaba's debut project is Mushroom Hour's first international release. The second will be the eagerly awaited debut album of Thabang Tabane in September 2017.

Canada’s fastest moving and hardest working collective are back with one of their finest albums to date, a brand new journey into tropical, soul and jazz styles on their scorching new release, ‘Under Burning Skies’.Turbulent times call for strong voices and The Souljazz Orchestra’s new set packs a suitably heavy lyrical punch, with wry observations and an urge for progressive change. Musically, the band continue to push the limits, dusting off ‘80s vintage synthesizers and early drum machines for the first time, bringing lo fi disco, boogie and electro touches to their trademark horn arrangements and earthy analogue sound. The fruits are a-plenty and the group sound at their confident and versatile best from start to finish.Opener ‘Dog Eat Dog’ powers in with Mabinuori Idowu and Philippe Lafrenière lambasting the powerful and the corrupt over an infectious Afro-disco groove, ‘Lufunki’ takes the group right back to their B-Boy roots, bringing the Afro vibes to Beat Street and ‘Is Yeelyel’ delivers a killer rework of an obscure original by Somalian super-group Dur-Dur Band. The band go on exploring their passion for French Caribbean styles on the beautiful, lilting ‘Oublier Pour Un Jour’ and ‘Tambour À Deux Peaux’ and they take time for reflection on the potent instrumental title track and poignant closer ‘Aduna Jarul Naawo’, featuring the vocals of Élage Mbaye. The Souljazz Orchestra continue to be an unstoppable force. Nominated for a Canadian Juno award for the third time in 2016, the band regularly tear up venues worldwide through their punishing touring schedule – they have played to audiences in over two dozen countries across the globe and have shared bills along the way with heavyweights as varied as Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, and Femi Kuti. Not many bands out there have been going for 15 years with their original line-up still intact while still sounding as fresh as this. As saxophonist Ray Murray says, “Souljazz is more than just a band for us, it’s a way of life.” ‘Under Burning Skies’ is released on LP, CD, cassette and digital formats. The LP is pressed on bright yellow vinyl and all formats feature superb illustrated artwork by The Souljazz Orchestra’s Pierre Chrétien.- Great new album from groundbreaking Canadian collective exploring Afro, Latin and tropical styles- Includes new version of Dur Dur Band’s ‘Is Yeelyel’- Striking artwork and pressed on yellow vinyl- Full European tour accompanies release of album during Autumn 2017

Strut present a new reissue of Walter Gibbons’ ‘Jungle Music’ compilation LP, the definitive collection of Gibbons’ groundbreaking remixes during the heyday of New York’s disco era.Walter Gibbons remains one of the most important and unheralded DJ / remixers in New York dance music history, a pioneer of reel to reel edits and the art of the remix and a tangible link between early hip hop and disco through his quickfire turntable skills developed during the mid-70's.At his famed residency at Galaxy 21 (alongside a then young percussionist, Francois Kevorkian), Gibbons perfected his turntable prowess, mixing two copies of records seamlessly at a similar time to Kool Herc's famed block parties across town in the Bronx in 1975. He was among the first to make his own reel to reel edits of tracks, extending breaks and restructuring tracks specifically for the dancefloor. As a direct result, he was the first DJ to be granted access to multi-track tapes as Ken Cayre's Salsoul Records brought him in to re-work Double Exposure's 'Ten Percent' in '76, a mix that would set the blueprint for disco, the 12" format and all future dance music mixes.This compilation focuses on some of the more adventurous and ground-breaking mixes that Gibbons produced during the disco era including a freeform treatment of Dinosaur L's 'Go Bang', Paradise Garage favourite 'You Are My Love' by Sandy Mercer and underground disco rarity, 'I've Been Searching' by Arts & Craft.- Reissue of the definitive compilation of 12” mixes by Walter Gibbons- Features rare and acetate-only mixes released widely for the first time- Includes full Walter Gibbons biography by author Tim Lawrence + rare photos- Original LP release in-demand and now fetching large sums on Discogs

Things are happening. It’s a perpetual truth and something of a mysterious, even ominous, sentiment as it applies to XL Middleton’s follow up to “Tap Water.” Fittingly, the content of “Things Are Happening” strays down darker or more cynical paths than its predecessor, and in doing so takes the modern funk ethos as a whole beyond tried and true formulas such as love songs or spiritual anthems. The grooves remain uptempo, the synth work is still warm and percussive. But, there’s a heavier story to tell, and greater truths to face. The album opens with the uptempo, lowrider-ready “Never Have Too Many Freaks.” Upon frst glance it’s a hedonistic ode to maintaining multitudes of willing women for carnal conquest, but further listens reveal the story of a man in search of love, let down too many times and thus led away from the pursuit of romance. “Look Who’s Talkin’” details the strenous nature of socializing as an introvert, with tongue-in-cheek lyrics seated atop a warbly electro-funk instrumental. This theme is explored again, in a more introspective fashion, on the album’s closer, “They Don’t Wanna Leave.” On “Better Friend” (feat. Moniquea), XL plays witness to those who would invade social circles for personal gain - an all too common sight in the music business, perhaps foreshadowing a future hip hop album by dropping a few bars before the song sizzles to a close. Him and Zackey Force Funk team up on “Paradise Of Pavement,” an anthem for the highs and lows of living in LA, framed by cosmic chords and grinding synth bass tones. “Purple Sheets” resonates with a slow Linn drum bounce as XL’s vocoder fnally offers a moment of unbridled love/lust, adding a dimension to the album more akin to “Tap Water” than anything else on the project. Some might argue that the internalized nature of “Things Are Happening” is badly timed, with the hyper-politicized environment we are now living in almost demanding social commentary in art above all else. However, this album is a reminder that, no matter who the president is or what global woes we are facing, we also exist outside of the collective mind and have our own individual stories to tell.