MINT

Travelling extensively across Asia and Africa between 1974-1985 to study music, Roberto made many field recordings and collected many instruments on his travels which he would then combine with synthesizers and electronics back in Italy.Music From Memory returns with their penultimate release of 2016, this time bringing together a compilation of works by the Italian composer and musician Roberto Musci. Whilst studying guitar and saxophone in his hometown of Milan, Musci developed a deep fascination for non-western music and set out to travel across India, Asia and Africa, which he would do extensively between 1974-1985. During his many journeys Roberto would become deeply embedded in each unique world of rhythms, scales and approaches to making and performing music. Throughout this period of travel he would make many field recordings as well as collect and study many traditional and indigenous instruments that he would then later combine with synthesizers and electronics on his return to Italy.Combining personal documents of music and sounds deeply connected to the history and cultures of those lands, with his own explorations and experiments with cutting edge sound technology Roberto Musci would develop through his music a very unique and at times wholly mystical space, where ancient and modern would evolve into a new musical language.As well as making his own music, during the 1980’s and 1990’s Roberto would also regularly broadcast radio shows of experimental and indigenous music on Italian radio stations such as Rai and Radio Popolare. Deeply connected to the arts he would also compose and perform numerous pieces of music for theatre, dance and performance art pieces as well as soundtracks for film and television.‘Tower of Silence’ brings together a double LP of material from Roberto Musci’s solo recordings commencing with the Loa of Music sessions from 1984 up until later very recent works. The compilation also includes a number of collaborative pieces, many performed and written in collaboration with Giovanni Venosa, such as material taken from their ‘Water Messages On Desert Sand’, which as an album was Grammy-nominated in in the UK in 1987. A unique and at times intensely mesmerising musical world ‘Tower of Silence’ offers an introduction to the work of a unique and visionary artist.

Limited edition of 500 , hand numbered

First Word are keeping it moving for 2017 and welcoming Kaidi Tatham into the fold, with a firing four-track EP, 'Changing Times'.Kaidi is a talented multi-instrumentalist that's produced, featured, remixed and performed with an array of artists across numerous genres; jazz, soul, broken beat, hip hop and beyond.Perhaps best known for his work with Bugz In The Attic, 4Hero and Dego, his accomplished catalogue of musicianship can be heard amongst the likes of Amy Winehouse, Slum Village, Mulatu Astatke, Soul II Soul, Leroy Burgess, Amp Fiddler, Macy Gray, King Britt, DJ Spinna, Gene Harris, Mr Scruff, The Salsoul Orchestra, Kyoto Jazz Massive, Blu, Vikter Duplaix, Nathan Haines, Phil Asher, IG Culture and Eric Lau, to name a fraction.

Finally available again on a 7", two essential disco and soul cuts from Silvia Striplin orginally releases in 1980. Produced by Roy Ayers on his Uno Melodic label.A. 'Give Me Your Love'An umptemp disco groover for the more discerning dancefloor. Sylvia’s glorious vocals float over a sumptuous uptempo Roy Ayers tracj. Sampled by Armand Van Helden, Deepdown and Madd Rapper.B. 'You Can't Turn Me Away'A soul breakbeat classic. Deep downtempo business, this shows Roy Ayers at the height of his powers and Sylvia more than does the track justice. Beautiful!The instantly recognisable bassline was sampled by Notorious BIG/Junior Mafia on ‘Get Money’. Also sampled by Naughty By Nature and Backstreet Boys.

Mukatsuku launches into 2017 with two killer official reggae disco versions to ignite your jam ...

On their new 45, Mako & The Hawk take you back to a time when breaks were funky and rappers knew how to rhyme for a massive double dose of fresh original boom-bap. With beats forged from previously un-sampled (and legally cleared!) vintage funk breaks and emcee Chima 'The Doctor' Anya delivering lyrical wisdom, The Devil Made Me Do It and Strut Your Stuff are a pair of block-rocking jams to turn any party out!Mako & The Hawk bio.They might sound like a seventies cop show but Mako & The Hawk are always on the cut, producing and spinning floor-filling dirty funk and soul, old school hip-hop, reggae and party breaks.Since forming in 2009, the pair have had vinyl and digital releases on Breakbeat Paradise, Freestyle Records, Funk Blasters and Tour of Booty, garnered frequent radio plays on Craig Charles' BBC Radio 6 Funk And Soul Show, supported the likes of JStar and The Bongolian and held down a never-less-than-packed seven year long residency at Mr Wolf's in central Bristol.The Hawk is bassist for mod-funk legends and BBC Radio 2 darlings Big Boss Man, while Mako also produces as one half of Mako & Mr Bristow and is the long-running editor of music site monkeyboxing.com.This autumn will finally see the long-awaited vinyl seven inch release of their throwback boom-bap double A-side featuring rapper Chima Anya on beats created from never-previously-sampled early 70s Stateside funky soul."I've got a real soft spot for what this pair get up to!" (Craig Charles, BBC Radio 6)Chima Anya bio.Chima Anya is an internationally renowned emcee who time and again has proven to be ahead of the curve while simultaneously staying true to the foundation. When not blessing mics worldwide, he moonlights as a medical Doctor in the depths of south London.

Syrupy Instrumental Electro-Funk full-length from Devonwho on Leaving Records featuing vocal contributions from Zackey Force Funk, I, CED, andn Pink Siifu.