SEALED

Mndsgn, born Ringgo Ancheta, grew up in south New Jersey raised with Gospel music at church, B-Boy culture, and his older sisters' favourite artists like SWV, TLC and Mariah Carey. Experimenting with beatmaking in his teen years, he befriended fellow Stones Throw labelmate Knxwledge and the two formed the influential Klipmode collective along with Devonwho and Suzi Analogue.Mndsgn's music flourished when he moved to LA, quickly catching the attention of Stones Throw, who released Yawn Zen, an LP of complex beat creations. Mndsgn then toured the world, co-founded Akashik Records & Tapes, and provided the beat for "Sweeney Song", a high profile collab with underground superstar Danny Brown.Body Wash is a full set of realised songs hinted at on Yawn Zen. Influences here include the likes of early SOLAR records material, Leon Sylvers III, Kashif, and Dave Grusin. Mndsgn adds, "I was also digging back into some early '90s R&B sounds and started really imagining what it would be like if I had mashed the two eras together."This mashup works magically, a clean synthesis of anthems (“Cosmic Perspective”), romantic reflections (“Ya Own Way" / "Guess It's All Over”) and Mndsgn's R&B proclivities ("Lather” / "Vague//Recalibrate”)."A soul record that plays with nostalgic elements in a positive way. Think about it as a box of crayons for you to draw emotions with."

180 gram vinyl 12"

RacecaR & Grant Phabao met at Paris DJs' studio in 2014, thanks to an introduction from hip hop activist Miska with whom the French label has been doing hip hop-themed compilations. They decided to try something new together. Grant Phabao had never produced any hip hop artist before. And RacecaR had never tried to write and record on afro, funk or reggae music in the past. So they planned to produce new tunes together, and blend RacecaR's unmistakable flow with Phabao's unique take on deeply funky American, African and Jamaican grooves.The goal of Grant Phabao and RacecaR's collaboration was not from day one to be in competition with their other projects, or to jump on the beatmaking bandwagon, but instead to explore where both of their musical worlds could meet. What if they tried recording one's hip hop rhymes over the other's reggae, ska, afro, jazz or funk productions ? Exploring some new rare grooves with rhyming and rapping, is uncharted waters in terms of tempo for a boom-bap aficionado ! indeed there's no boom bap here, no maverick beats, no wonky, no wobble — all breaks, skanks, drops and more polyrhythmics. The word was : "let's turn our worlds upside down, and make something different together".LISTEN : https://soundcloud.com/parisdjs/sets/grant-phabao-presents-racecar

Includes a two sided 12"x12" poster.Limited edition 500 copies private pressing.

Bosq (Whiskey Barons, Ubiquity) teams up w/ cream of Old San Juan: Roberto Roena, Tempo Alomar, Tito Cruz, Ray Lugo, Luis De La Rosa Solá, more to explore the intersection of Puerto Rican music w/ African styles, reggae, funk, house, etc.

There are a few terms that get thrown around loosely, two of which are legend and retro-soul. One of these fits Lee Fields hand and glove, one of these doesn't fit at all. Very few people in music have both earned the status of legendary and continue to solidify it. 50 years in the game and only getting better, gaining more fans, and evolving his sound on each album, Lee is in fact a Living Legend. This brings us to the misuse of the term "retro-soul" when talking about Mr. Fields. You don't have to look far to find a younger generation emulating the essence and styles of an era the've only experienced through music and movies. It seems unfair to tag Lee with a term that implies imitation when he is part of the generation that actually defined the genre. Plain and simple, this is not that. "Special Night" is a masterclass in soul music past and present.“I feel that every human being’s purpose is to do what their inner voice says to do,” says Lee Fields. “And my inner voice, my driving force, wants me to put out music and keeping making better records.”Produced by Leon Michels and Thomas Brenneck, and brilliantly performed by the Expressions, Special Night was written, recorded, mixed, and mastered entirely to tape in three weeks at the legendary Diamond Mine Studios in Queens, NY. A sense of urgency, equal parts fun and inspiration, and a decent amount of beer and Jack Daniels were the driving forces during the sessions that produced Lee Fields & The Expressions latest offering. Special Night is also the first record in the Expressions catalogue in which every song was written jointly by Lee Fields and The Expressions. “When I record, I make every song like I actually mean it. I mean every word I say. On Special Night I’m talking to my lady — literally, expressing the way I feel.” says Lee Fields. “You can tell if a song is real or not, and every moment I’m recording, those moments are real, this is a record about what people do in real life”. For one example, he cites the song “Work to Do,” which tells the story of “a guy going to counseling, drinking too much, apologizing to the old lady and trying to keep family together, doing the manly thing.” On “Make This World”, Lee makes a nod back to his early funk roots with a cautionary tale about the health of the planet. The world was designed to last indefinitely,” says Fields. “We’re the only living species on Earth who can alter that process. I’m hoping that song has a chain reaction, helps somebody put into action whatever contribution they can to change what the world is going through.” As always, sticking to the formula but pushing the boundaries “Never Be Another You” from the first note doesn’t sound like something you would hear on a Lee record, that is until he starts singing anyhow. A low tempo ballad with a head nodding drum track, sparse piano lines, and all the space Lee needs to lay down what is sure to be one of the flyest love songs of 2017.Whether tackling a tune about love lost, found, or broader topics like the state of humanity, Lee has a very unique and honest perspective that is on display with each unforgettable performance. Also, The Expressions have never been sharper, they, along with Lee, have created a collection of music on Special Night which holds court with pretty much any soul music that came before it.