Sewer Election
Kassettmusik (limited LP + insert)

8 different artists from Mexico to Lithuania, Peru, Portugal, Florida, UK & Belgium, on Le Motel’s new label.

Detroit's finest Javonntte pulls out all the stops w his debut album, an exploration into the jazz fusion sounds forged in the Motor City.Javonntte toured w the late Aretha Franklin, and this album presents his first exploration into jazz and soul sounds forged by the late the queen of soul. An emotive and personal record which was recorded entirely in Detroit, the influence of the Motor City can be heard transcending through each track.Dripping with jazz, soul and funk, the album is a testament to Javonntte's mastery of both keyboard and bass with additional vocals provided by the man himself.

Emerging young producer and DJ releases new EP. Louder Than War’s Paul Scott-Bates reviews.After a string remixes for Blancmange it must have been an inevitable question: “Dad, do you fancy collaborating on a single?”“Believe you me Son!”And so, Father and Son, Joe and Neil Arthur (aka Kincaid and Blancmange), recorded Big Fat Head.One hopes that the Single Edit receives airplay. The interest of the connection between one of the UKs emerging producer/DJs and an iconic 80s star currently enjoying an staggering second wind, is enough in itself but, Big Fat Head is a cracking track. One of those tracks that becomes more and more addictive with each listen.Starting with a brief panpipe riff followed by Neil Arthur’s unmistakable vocal and tabla pecusson maybe tipping a hat to Blancmange’s first coming, it is catchy and intriguing to say the least. By all accounts, the track was a long time coming and to be fair, it sounds as though ideas have been many before they were all slotted into place in a complicated but clinical sounding piece.A wonderful driving bass underpins the track as the words “In your big fat head” are constantly re-iterated. The Club Mix introduces hand claps and adds a subtle dance beat as reverbed effects echo gently in the background whilst the Dub Mix contains a few further bits of understated electronic wizardry and innocuous echoes whilst the elongated Instrumental Mix does exactly what it says on the sleeve.The Nucat Remix by Disco Halal head honcho Moscoman collaborating with Portuguese musician Trikk takes the track on a different slant by adding further percussion and experimental effects which lift the track even further. A new bassline is introduced which rises and falls in tone alongside a vocoder vocal and fluttering key changes.An exciting partnership but more importantly, an early sign of a great talent appearing in the shape of Joe Kincaid. You’ll hear (and hear) more of him undoubtedly and, quite rightly so.

2021. A strong compilation of grooves by two of Belgium’s most iconic selectors, filled with new productions. San Kofa Rhythm Records kicks off 2021 with a killer compilation by AliA & DTM Funk. After three stellar releases, DTM Funk’s San Kofa Rhythm Records is proud to present its first compilation, filled with new productions of ten different talented outsiders.'Black Gravity' refers to the Herbie Hancock and A Guy Called Gerald collaboration from 2001. According to DTM Funk, this track is "the perfect example of two different grooves coming together in perfect harmony". The result shows that groovy soul and alternative electronica go hand in hand. This powerful fusion of influences gave rise to a monthly show on Brussels' online station Kiosk Radio. A few months later, Black Gravity Rhythms now becomes a compilation series around an ever-evolving sound that winks to the past while firmly looking towards the future.In each new volume of the series, DTM Funk will collaborate with another befriended DJ, assembling a varied collection of productions representing the sound of the guest selector. For the first edition, we look to ​AliA​, probably Belgium's most skilled sound digger of her generation. Still only 21-year-old, she is known for her eclectic style, impeccable skills and versatile selection that ranges from broken beats to bossa nova and from alternative techno to off-beat belters. She's a regular at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Festival, Listen Festival and frequently plays together with Belgium's most renowned DJ, Lefto. Settling on ten definitive tunes together with DTM Funk proved to be as easy as a B2B DJ-set (of which they have done plenty of).The final selection on the compilation delivers for any music fan. From broken beat (Faraji Heritage Experiment, Kuna Maze and Pippin), dub-infused Afro house (SofaTalk and Àbáse), laidback grooves (Chery Moya and Duke Hugh) or soulful house (Forbidden Fruit and Windows & Daidu). Whether you need something to shuffle to in your living room or reminisce the long-gone days of clubbing, these are the kind of vibes that suit any occasion.As will be the standard from here on out, the compilation's producers originate from a wide array of places and backgrounds. Forbidden Fruit (who keen observers might know from his Title and Soft Focus aliases), Kuna Maza, Cherry Maze and Pippin represent Belgium's versatile and fruitful beatmaker scene, while Farija Heritage (Morocco), SofaTalk (Italy), Àbáse (Hungary), Windows & Vertigo (The Netherlands), Kodäma (UK) and Duke Hugh (The Netherlands) bring in a decent dose of worldly flavours. In fact, the latter is a favourite of NTS Radio resident Bradley Zero, who released Duke Hugh’s debut Canvas EP on his renowned Rhythm Section record label.The compilation perfectly fits the philosophy of the record label. "The meaning of San Kofa implies that all music comes from somewhere", explains DTM Funk. "If you acknowledge the music's origins and its essence, it becomes so much more valuable, and you become better prepared for the future". The first episode of this collaborative compilation series does just that. With plenty more releases on the agenda in 2021, Black Gravity Rhythms Vol. 1 is a strong start of a bountiful year filled with forward-facing music.

Since our first contact with NYC based producer Thavius Beck in 2018, he sent us over 100 unreleased tracks, or beats, as he calls them. 25 of them have been selected for releases on U-TRAX, good for over 2 hours of music, across this album and the Lovesick EP.Growing up in LA, Thavius Beck entered the hip-hop scene as member of Global Phlowtations, and released several solo albums under the Adlib moniker. In later years, he released five albums under his own name on labels like Mush, Big Dada and Plug Research, and also produced albums for artists like Saul Williams and K‑the‑I???, and did some remixing for amongst others Nine Inch Nails.Nowadays he combines making music with a career as a succesful certified Ableton and Bitwig trainer and as a music teacher at Berklee NYC.The tracks vary in style a lot, but what they have in common is that they either are moody – in U-TRAX lingo: deep - or they are drum heavy. The common denominator would probably be 'experimental/instrumental hip-hop', reminiscent of producers like Flying Lotus. People have tried all sorts of comparisons to pinpoint Thavius' sound, ranging from 'between DJ Shadow and Orbital' and 'a mix of Massive Attack and The Orb'. None of these are spot on, yet quite a few of these tracks feel like a happy marriage between hip-hop beats and techno sounds.Despite the fact that some tracks are 20 years old and have been made with widely different gear (one track was even made on a PlayStation 2), this selection sounds remarkably balanced, yet diverse.From the irresistible single 'Lovesick/Still Sick' to the dark and massive 'Birdsong' (that echoes the sound of his popular song 'Atmos'), and from the head-nodding 'Work!' to the soothing 'Reunited With The All' - if this collection showcases anything, it's Thavius' brilliant production and composing skills, as well as his wizard-level sampling techniques. The result is a luscious electronic music album with a broad appeal.Available on double 180 grams colored vinyl vinyl, comes in gatefold picture sleeve.