Hip-Hop

‘ALL RISE’ is a genuine reflection of Manzo’s art form, which sees so many different styles and influences coming together in the most natural, organic way .While jazz and funk are at the core of Michele Manzo’s musical foundation, the Italian artist deftly draws upon his inspirations in hip-hop, dub, and Brazilian music as both an instrumentalist and producer. But above genres, inimitable grooves are the key driver of his work, and in his grooves one can hear the vibe of a moment being captured and perpetuated for eternity. With this combination of musical depth and raw feeling, it is no surprise Michele hascrossed paths with Darker Than Wax, and we feel truly blessed to present his LP ‘ALL RISE’ to the world. ‘ALL RISE’ is a genuine reflection of Manzo’s art form, which sees so many different styles and influences coming together in the most natural, organic way. Everything was recorded live using bass, synth bass, guitar, old analogue keyboards, blended together with modern synths, dub delays and ambient fx - giving off the familiar warmth of boom bap and progressive stimulation of neo-soul. The pervasive harmonies and clever use of chords give the album a real musical depth, but grounded with an effortless, natural approach to creation. More than just showcasing Michele’s musical prowess and mastery of the instrumental, ‘ALL RISE’ is also a deeply collaborative effort. The chemistry with heavyweight collaborators like Georgia Anne Muldrow, Dudley Perkins, Nicholas Ryan Gant and RayClev is incredible - they compliment his instrumental tapestry with poetic ammo, elevating “ALL RISE” to a level of virtuous artistry. The five vocal cuts also offer a sober reflection on the turbulent social climate of 2019 America, and the world at large. Police violence, racism, and growing divisions that dominate the current zeitgeist are examined front and centre, most prominently by Dudley Perkins on the title track. Yet despite such a worrying state of affairs, there is an underlying message of positivity triumphing, and a rallying call to destroy evil at its root rather than be consumed by it. ‘ALL RISE’ is about people standing up and uniting, being brought together by a common spirit and emotional music.

Berlin rapper JuJu Rogers presents his highly anticipated sophomore LP „40 Acres N Sum Mula“ feat Sampa the Great and productions by Farhot (Isaiah Rashad, Talib Kweli), Like (the producer behind Kendrick Lamar’s „Sing About Me”), Crada (Drake, Kid Cudi) and more...Coming a long way - from his widely acclaimed debut (“Although we don’t usually bestow the ‘future classic’ title to an album (...) we are just ready to call it what it is!”; Music is my Sanctuary) „From The Life Of A Good For Nothing“, supporting DMV's veteran Oddisee on tour throughout Europe, being the 2nd artist to ever be featured on COLORS, the successful Bluestaeb collabo „LIT – Lost In Translation“ and his regular appearance at Splash Festival - JuJu Rogers teams up with Jakarta Records again to finally return to the big screen presenting his highly anticipated 2nd LP „40 Acres N Sum Mula“ providing nothing but bangers with an attitude and bringing back that ‘Real Shit’!The Schweinfurt born and bi-lingual & multi-culturally raised JuJu Rogers comes from an army family. His father, a GI who owns an extensive Soul and Jazz collection of records and a German mother with Austrian roots. After moving to Berlin in 2012 he soon set his mark in the local scene by joining the group Man of Booom. His solo debut „From The Life Of A Good-For-Nothing“ was released by Jakarta Records (The Berlin based label behind critically acclaimed releases by artists such as Anderson .Paak, Kaytranada, Mura Masa, Akua Naru or Ta-Ku) and displayed himself as a searching soul & Eichendorff fan in the most lyrical sense. The Coming-Of-Age-Story behind it oscillates between capitalist bottom lines and free creativity as higher ground.JuJu has no problems telling it like it is: "After talking about depression, temptation, the craving for money in a capitalist world with all its possible consequences, after asking questions of identity with the clear answer: "Babylon" represents the outlook and possible perspective, the break away moment of the album. It's a song of strength and progress. It also creates a very positive vibration as the last song of the album which made a lot of sense to me as the whole album holds a more mystical vibe to it.“The new Album “40 Acres N Sum Mula” unifies the mind state of an Afro-German with the power of observation with German political landscape of Berlin. Heavy sampled beats from his debut album are replaced by contemporary musical landscapes, productions by outstanding musicians and producers from all over the world.JuJu Rogers about his album title: “»40 Acres N Sum Mula«! — Forty acres and a mule refers to Special Field Orders No. 15, a promise made by the United States government for agrarian reform to aid formerly enslaved black farmers. Approved by president Abraham Lincoln, the field orders were written 1865, and specifically allotted each family a plot of land no larger than 40 acres (16 ha) plus a mule for the agrarian reform effort. I changed »a mule« into »sum Mula« in order to place the legitimate struggle for equal rights and reparations into the context of our current capitalist world and underline the historic connection to the very beginning of today’s society.Sound, lyrics and vibrations on this album represent a mixture of ancestral spirit and contemporary characteristics and lead you through the self-reflecting and rebellious thoughts of a black man born and raised in Germoney.” - JuJu Rogers.

Ltd. Gold Marbled LP+MP3’See You Soon’ is the third album from Tokyo-based UK native submerse on the Project: Mooncircle imprint. A mélange of Slow-Jams, R&B, Hip Hop and Soul created while on a steady diet of 90’s NBA basketball and Dreamcast games. ’See You Soon’ features collaborations from fellow Tokyo-based artist Fitz Ambro$e and L.A.-based Devin Morrison and Pink Siifu.

Koralle is the new moniker of Lorenzo Nada, a musician, beatmaker and producer from Bologna, Italy. Nada is best known for his project Godblesscomputers, which kicked off a couple of years ago while he was living in Berlin. After releasing four albums / EPs and touring Europe with a four piece band Nada is heading into a new direction as Koralle. Firmly rooted in hip-hop Koralle is taking his jazz crates and field recordings to the studio. Equipped with an array of synths, rhodes and bass he creates deeply textures tracks that touch mind, body and soul. Early 2019 Koralle signed with Melting Pot Music where he released his first first project “Collecting Vol.1”. The 6-track EP was an instant success amongst beatlovers worldwide and has accumulated more than 2 million streams to date. “Collecting Vol.2” Koralle is a seamless continuation of Vol.1 only better! “Collecting Vol.2” will be available on all digital platforms. We are also releasing a limited edition LP, simply titled “Collecting” which summarizes both EP's on one record.„Collecting it’s an eyes closed journey throughout memories, a collection of some everyday little stories, still paying a tribute to my hip hop musical background. Every beat is like an object found at the bottom of the sea, every sample emerges from my record collection, turning into something new, like corals of the Ocean.“ as Koralle writes in the linernotes.

Atlanta-based rapper/DJ/chef, Dillon is perhaps best known for his collaborations with acclaimed beatmakers, Diamond D (Black Tie Affair), Supa Dave West (Studies in Hunger), Paten Locke (Food Chain) & Batsauce (On Their Way), but that might change when Lobsterdamus washes up.'The Tails of Lobsterdamus' is Dillon's self-produced solo debut, a deep dive into the origin of his bottom-dwelling evil alter-ego, Lobby Dom. Half man, half lobster and 100% jerk, Lobsterdamus was sent to Earth (unwillingly) from his home planet of Lobtropolis on a quest to save humanity from itself. More importantly, he's looking for Lobby Dame!