Aaron Neville Al Jarreau
Hercules / Use Me

PPU's first long-play LP highlights some of the early beginnings of one of the label's favorite producers, UKku Kuut. Written and recorded at Uku's home studio in Los Angeles and Stockholm between 1982 & 1989.Some tracks co-written with Maryn E. Coote, famous jazz vocalist who had her beginnings in 1960s Soviet Union. "That's my MOM" recalls UKU, "I remember when I was little, sitting under the mixing board at her sessions". Growing up in studios, Uku's love of music production began early, and over the years he has amassed a vast collection of domestic and soviet electronic gear. In true PPU style this LP is a mix of Uku Kuut's raw cassette demos, forgotten masters and unreleased magic.

Rare tracks taken from key albums from Spanish / Balearic Islands musician Joan Bibiloni’s extensive career focusing on the period 1982 to 1989. This will continue the NuNorthern Soul Selected Works series, following on from the x2 Ryo Kawasaki EPs released. One of those was a RSD release in 2017.Vinyl will be black, sleeve notes will come from interviews conducted by Marc Rowlands plus the RSD release will contain a poster of the front cover sleeve artwork.

First Album of Montpellier based Funk band "The Dramatix" a pure shot of classic Soul Funk in 2020's style !!! Guitars : Jon Da Costa FerreiraVocals : Marie NosmasBass : Pablo AugusteDrums : Jordi CantagrillKeybords : Auguste CaronTrumpet : Samuel VeneSaxophone Tenor : Matthieu ChedevilleTrombone : Julien VezelierGuest : Vocals : Florent Gabard & Jonathan JeantonAll tracks Composed by jon Da Costa FerreiraLyrics : Marie NosmasRecorded & Mixed by Jeff Fernandez at MLinimoon StudioProduced by Bett BettyArtwork by Bett BettyMore infos : www.bettbetty.com

A.B. Crentsil is a heavyweight of Highlife music and the main vocalist of Sweet Talks, one of the most popular Ghanaian bands of the 1970’s. In 1992, musician Charles Amoah and producer Richie Osei Kuffour offered him the opportunity to explore a new popular sound: Bürger Highlife. Little did he know these studio sessions would give birth to the biggest song of his career.Charles Amoah, who had released his Sweet Vibrations LP in 1984 to great acclaim, extensively toured in Europe with bands such as Black Earth and Saraba, was eager to bring a new sound to Crentsil, an artist he had admired for years. Throughout the 1980’s, Highlife had been changing pretty radically, following the same evolution as Congolese Soukous, Caribbean Zouk and most popular black musicgenres of that era: Heavy use of drum machines, synths and digital technology was conveniently replacing big bands and expensiveanalog studios and equipments. Mostly recorded, produced or mixed in Germany, this new breed of electric Highlife dubbed ‘Bürger Highlife’ could be defined as a fusion of Disco, Jazz, Funk and Pop with the popular Highlife beats, rhythms and lyrics.According to A.B. Crentsil, the name was a reference to the ever present American cultural influence on Ghanaian musicians. CharlesAmoah has his own take: “I initially called this particular kind of Highlife ‘Ethno Pop’. Bürger is the German word for citizen, and that’s how Ghanaian musicians living and working in Germany were calling each other”.The music for both “Obi Baa Wiase'' and “Sika Be Ba” was entirely composed and played by Charles Amoah, using minimal equipment: aDX7 synth, a Korg M1, a Yamaha RX5 drum machine, and an Akai 1000 sampler. A.B. Crentsil provided the lyrics for both tunes on the spot. Obi Ba Wiase’s message is one of gratitude and faith: it says we should appreciate our life way more and follow the example of people who have a lot less but still praise God all day.Charles remembers fondly Crentsil’s larger than life personality: "A.B. slept a lot, he really loved sleeping. His lack of punctuality was easily dismissed by his wonderful sense of humour and it wasn't uncommon to find musicians rolling with laughter on the studio floor."Charles also remembers vividly the "Obi Baa Wiase" session: he could feel the magic in the air while working on the soon to be hit, andknew something special was happening. A.B. asked for a break in the middle of the session, which Charles adamantly refused until the song was finished and the magic fully captured.Success was not immediate, and Charles was first a little concerned by the lack of buzz following the immediate release of the Gyae MeLife Ma Me album. But a few months down the line, the situation took a new turn. "Obi Baa Wiase" was making its way into radio playlists,weddings and festive celebrations. It was covered by local bands, and soon most of Ghana and its European and American diasporas were hooked. It became A.B. Crentsil’s most requested song at live events for the following decades.As producer Richie Moore wrote on the album back cover : "A perfect integration of two musical geniuses, the result of which are thescintillating tracks of music on this record… so all you party fans go onto the floor and dance the body music"

PaesaggiM. Zalla

"Here is our last mainstream 80es funk project pressed as limited edition on 7” (250 copies)We are pleased to introduce our last discovery “Ella MAY” born and raised in Sweden.We are currently working on our forthcoming projects featuring this gorgeous singer who has a grasp on funk, soul & jazz. Her warm and charming tonality spectrum. It makes all the tracks really hot!The original version is produced and arranged by Ian ASH as an homage to Luther VANDROSS’s mega hit : “Never To Much”.B side brings a massive remix by renowned French producer MAGOO. He gives this track the sound in the style of the likes of a “D. TRAIN” production. This version gets straight into Modern Funk as if it was pressed on Prelude Records.VINYL & DIGITAL 12€Ella-May is a Swedish Singer/songwriter who grew up with a Swedish mother and African American Father. Spending hours on end listening to her parents vinyl collection , she was exposed to a broad spectrum of music. (Soul, funk, disco, reggae, calypso) Artists that has always inspired her among others are Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Earth wind and fire, Ashford & Simpson. In the early 90s she worked as a backing dancer for both Swedish and international artists (Jazzy B, Papa Dee,among others).Arriving in the mid 90's while living in London, England, she got discovered during a rehearsal at a local recording studio and got to record on demos. After years in Sweden and now in Switzerland working the live jam stages to find her way back into the singing and songwriting. This opened the doors to per-forming at the Balélec Festival, and Festichaux and many more stages.(info sheet freom distrib.)