Hip-Hop

BACK IN STOCK ‘Texture Like Sun’ is the follow up to the much-loved self-titled debut by Anglo-Mauritian producer, singer and percussionist Joseph Deenmamode aka Mo Kolours. NOD! TIP!The Guardian described ‘Mo Kolours’ as “the best album Curtis Mayfield never made with A Tribe Called Quest and Lee Perry”“This record is about cycles. From the tiny cycles of loops within songs to the broader cycle of the whole album, which is designed to take you away and bring you home again at the end. Loops within loops. Loops overlapping in different ways and shifting as they go can take you very far away. You hear it in lots of African music, in jazz and hip hop”.Mo Kolours explores this theme through both music and lyrics. ‘Pass It Round’ is about giving and receiving, and the importance of depending on others. ‘Orphan’s Lament’ is named after a Mongolian folk song, and Mo Kolours' own words urge the listener to “fall to get up again” among a set of inescapably linked opposites. The message may be optimistic or otherwise, depending on the listener’s point of view. The theme also appears in his choice of cover versions as he reinterprets songs absorbed in his youth: ‘Harvest For The World’ by the Isley Brothers and The Stranglers’ ‘Golden Brown’, from which the album title is derived.“The Stranglers are one of my earliest memories of music. I had an auntie who was a huge fan and my parents had all their records. ‘Golden Brown’ always gave me such a beautiful feeling, way before I knew what it was supposed to be about”.Raised on the traditional sega music of his father’s Indian Ocean homeland alongside records by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Michael Jackson, Mo Kolours adds hip hop, dub, soul and other electronic styles to his individual sound. His approach could find him placed alongside Madlib or The Gaslamp Killer but he would be equally happy in the company of James Blake, Erykah Badu, Theo Parrish or Moodymann.“I've always admired producers who push your ear, who draw you into unexpected elements of a song. I like it when people use a minimal number of elements and find ways of making you re-engage with each of them. It can be subtle, just a drum or the repetition of a word. I was thinking about that in the arrangement of the whole album”.His energetic, improvised live show sees tracks layered up from loops of voice, percussion and drum machine before skewing in new directions. It’s a thrilling approach which has taken him to clubs and festival stages from Brighton to Brisbane, as well as to the BBC’s hallowed Maida Vale studios at the invitation of Gilles Peterson. Mo Kolours will be touring widely in support of ‘Texture Like Sun’.

Gatefold Sleeve Free download includedhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3q8nGnls1Ow

Repress of debut LP from LA producer Nosaj Thing

When you’ve been in an industry for over 20 years, adaptation and evolution are key functions in any field. If you’re Kevin Hansford aka K-Def, you’ve seen good, you’ve seen bad, you’ve seen change and on occasion, you’ve seen history repeat itself. For some artists, staying true and being innovative can be a fine line and a struggle. On one hand, a reputation is built from birth creating a connection that should always be maintained. On the other hand, growth or lack of growth will occur whether change is embraced. A producer like K-Def would not still exist today in 2016 without being aware of those survival tactics. In a society dictated by technology, it’s hard to imagine the world as we know it without the devices and digital platforms we entertain unconsciously.As he continues to push himself, more recently K was inspired to track down all of his original 90’s gear and works dating prior to his software transition after a recent resurgence of old machines from the younger generation. That meant pulling out 2 full trash bags of floppy disks, revitalizing his old MPC 3000 to new condition, dusting off rack sampler modules and hunting down his MPC 60ii which was the first machine he used debuting in 1993 under Marley Marl. Going through that process brings us K-def’s new album, The Way It Was. The title sums it up. Instead talking about dues he paid and the roots of his skill set, The Way it Was is a living demonstration for younger listeners who grew up after the 90’s and his core fans who remember the days of his Lords of the Underground, Real Live, Mic Geronimo and World Renown productions like yesterday. Though mostly instrumental, frequent collaborator Blu appears on 3 tracks. Blu was inspired to record the socially aware, “The Boys” and the lively “Strawberry Lemonade” (featuring Damu the Fudgemunk and newcomer Kunal) after hearing K-Def’s original demo cassettes. At 11 tracks, “The Way It Was” is a must have for 90’s fans. It IS exactly “what it was”.• A collection of rarities & unheard tracks from the vaults + a handful of new, vocal collaborations• Includes vintage instrumentals from the 90s, some that were used for singles by Lords Of The Underground, Tragedy, & Mic Geronimo & Others + many beats that were never released• Includes vocal collaborations with Blu, Damu The Fudgemunk & Others • One of two K-Def albums released on the same day. Each album is available on vinyl individually, or on a CD together• Sea Blue Vinyl

In a genre where the most pivotal and defining moments occurred over 2 decades ago according to popular to consensus, few artists have managed to consistently achieve excellence and visibly contribute from the early 90’s to present day 2000’s. With regime changes, trend cycles, and technological advancements, producer K-Def is in a class of “rare breed” artists that pridefully embody the title veteran. So much can be said about what he has accomplished throughout his 20 plus year career, but specifically in 2015, K’s output and quality have stayed atop the conversation. Building a foundation at Redefinition Records, who adopted the catchphrase “Quality Over Quantity”, is not a question of how much, but rather how good. For the label, K-Def is an exception. His latest offering entitled “The Unpredictable Gemini” (1 of 2 new albums released simultaneously), is a fully instrumental opus into the mind and soul of one of hip hop’s greatest producers. The Unpredictable Gemini showcases his evolving style and genre pioneering tricks and techniques he continues to refine through the use of his unique production tools. Keeping this project very close to heart and classified from the public over the last 3 years, K meticulously produced, composed, arranged, mixed and mastered well over 100 tracks before making executive decisions on this album he wants the world to hear. Speaking on the album, K-Def made the following statement: “I want you to know that the sounds on this album display some of my true inner feelings about music & life. With the advancement of technology and my knowledge of using all kinds of recording equipment dating back to the late 80’s, I present to you the unpredictable Gemini.

Ivan Ave & MNDSGN follow up their critically acclaimed "Low Jams" EP with a full length release, which also marks Ivan Ave's Solo LP Debut in 2016 with Jakarta Records.Ivan signed with Berlin based Jakarta Records in 2014 to release "Low Jams", a five track phenomenon produced by Stones Throw artist MNDSGN.The EP was described by Okayplayer.com as "an enveloping head nodder that peppers irresistible grooves with vivid double-entendres and exists in the same elusive strata of true school perfection occupied by Nas' debut Illmatic LP."Ivan Ave's relationship with music started in the CD shelves of his older sisters. Today the Norwegian MC makes songs clearly shaped by sneaking into 90s bedrooms to play albums by The Fugees and Janet Jackson. In the last few years he has put out several EPs, all deeply rooted in the RnB and Hip-Hop of his childhood, perhaps even more the 70s jazz and soul that inspired it.In 2016 this Oslo-to-LA collaboration delivers again. This time a full Ivan Ave solo LP, produced entirely by Mndsgn. Picking up where "Low Jams" left off, but also moving into new realms, the "Helping Hands" LP will be released on February 12. Available for pre-order now. The release is acompanied by a 20+ stop tour all over Europe in February 2016.