Brian Bennett
Voyage (A Journey Into Discoid Funk)

Squarepusher goes full on Vocoder-Funk on your ass. Slick slick slick!

This EP – taking 4 years in the making – marks the first ever 12” release of the elusive downtempo italo-boogie tune “Guarda l’Amore”, sung by the mysterious italian duo Gianni & Donatella, only previously available on the impossibly rare 1987 “Disco Italia” compilation LP, released on the tiny italian “Disco In” label.Our archives diggin’ job proved to be incredibly fruitful, to the point that we’ve unearthed four *previously unreleased* demo tracks sung by tracks author Walter Canducci along with Gianni, supposed to be part of an LP release that ultimately never saw the light of the day….until now, and guess what – they’re jaw-dropping!Starting with the slap-bass funk bomb “Si, No”, then going into the late-night love maker “Amore Mio”, topping it all with the mellow beach vibes-infused “Come Allora”. On top of that, you’ll also get an alternate “Guarda l’Amore” demo version.We will never know how these lo-fi demos would sound if the original project of Gianni & Donatella singing on all tracks succeeded, but the only existing recorded evidence can sure give a feel of this unique italo-boogie studio project, that has a space in the most respected DJ bags only.

NOTTE BRIGANTE is back in the longplayer spheres, unearthing for mother earth nine tracks by French producer, musician and PMR label runner ASSID, that spellbind under the entitlement “Connaissance des Lois Cosmiques“.An utterly surprising, dark-ish fever dance of many styles, synth-ages, tribal zones, and cosmic flashes! Ingredients, that ASSID sucked up from his many musical adventures. As Trackmark he is active since 1998 and self-released four longplayers that glitch abstract through the electronic galaxies. He is also part of the Strasbourg, France based band The John Merricks, living the psychedelic dream in unity with lo-fi swing, dub, electronic, Acid rock and all that noise. When he feels like going fully electric, he joins his buddy Doudouboy and invents as Electric Muezzin abstract dub, that thrills all delays and echoes of creation.With “Connaissance des Lois Cosmiques “, the man from the Drôme department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France distributes an amalgamation of all his different artistic avenues. You get dubbed. You get cosmic. You get waved into a darkness, that is illuminated by psychedelic drifts, but at the end it’s just a trip!

Apron Records has been instrumental in shaping the current landscape of contemporary electronic music coming out of the U.K. since 2014. After almost a decade of pushing their unique vision has made the Apron Records imprint one of the most in-demand labels in most independent record stores. Now more than 45 releases deep in their journey, Apron Records have teamed up with Patta Soundsystem to work on their first various artists release and to celebrate this monumental milestone, both camps have collaborated to create a clothing capsule to accompany this release. After working with the artist formerly known as Funkineven on ‘The Wave’ late last year, it was only right to showcase the diverse talents behind this movement.Sharing a drawing board with Patta for the first time with Apron Records, together they have created a Trucker Cap and a Graphic T-Shirt that echo the racing theme of the whole project. Better Together is the slogan that runs throughout the entire collaboration, stressing how unity makes us stronger as individuals. Artwork for the record has been provided by Amsterdam based artist Jim Klok. His unique Acetone printing technique has now been immortalised on this LP, juxtaposing vintage cars with checkered racing flags to create a dynamic cover that would be right at home in a picture frame as well as a record bin.System Olympia’s ‘Passi Mai’ is a beautiful 80’s inspired driving riddim layered with her own vocals that wouldn’t be out of place in an arcade or a sticky nightclub floor. Followed up by ‘Leven’ by Brassfoot, we get a wobbler from the NTS regular. Layed with Jamaican vocal samples and audacious arpeggiated bleeps, Leven is a soulful approach to techno tropes that have been bouncing around Brassfoot’s head. Shamos’ 737363 is a cryptic masterpiece. With dreamy pads as a backdrop for shuffling drum beats, euphoric sweeps and dynamically designed synthesis, this closes off the themes explored in the first half of the record.Side B kicks off with J M S Khosah’s contribution to the record titled ‘Lessons’ which is a dancefloor filler, adorned with glamorous percussion, vocal samples and syncopated stabs ontop of a driving 4x4 kick pattern. Kicking things into 6th gear is a club-ready production from London's most soulful selector Shy One. Groovy basslines and a 2-step riddim make ‘Candy Floss’ an ode to the grimey and the glittery sides of London nightlife. This project champions one of the people that have been pivotal in the success of the label, Steven Julien whose track E46 is an emotional journey through his synth-laden East London studio. Bookending the project are two compositions from Compton’s-own AshTreJinkins. Showcasing his abilities to approach the project from both an ambient and a pure beat-making perspective in order to hold the whole project together.

Flutter is the fourth release from Simpler Times and features 3 beautifully crafted cuts from Tys.180 gram vinylLimited run - Vinyl OnlyNo Repress