New Powers Music

Trip Hop, Dub and World-Fusion Releases Out Now
For ordering info

Prices are in Canadian dollars (which is around 60% of US money).

All descriptions in "quotes" are from press/wholesale releases or other sources. Mixes and formats often change without notice.
Statements not in quotes are my opinions/reviews, or are facts verified by me.

Air
Kelly, Watch The Stars
Virgin / Astralwerks UK CDEP/12" @ $12

w/ "Beck remix of "Sexy Boy", D Whitaker remix of "Remember" and Etienne De Crecy remix of "Kelly"."

Air remixes Etienne Daho's "Me Manquer"
on A New World
Virgin UK CDEP/12" @ $12

w/ Dom T remix of title track from French pop singer into a Bukem-style drum and bass

Ashley Beedle, Les Rhythmes Digitales remix Cornershop
Sleep On The Left Side
Wiija UK CDEP/12" @ $12

Asian Dub Foundation
Buzzin'
FFRR UK CDEP #1/#2/12" @ $12

Latest single from militant rap/rockers. "CDEP #1 and 12" w/ Dylan Rhymes remix. CDEP #2 w/ "Naxalite", "Free Satpal R" and "Charge" live in London." They'll be at Harbourfront in Toronto this summer.

Howie B's Pussyfoot label:

Dobie

Cloud

UK 12" $12

Mixes by Howie B and Milo.

Dobie

Sound Of Hand Clapping

UK CD $34

Ballistic Brothers
Marching On The Radio EP
Soundboy Entertainment UK CD $17 12" #1/#2 $12

CD features 5 trax including Stevie Wonder cover, Masters At Work remix and guest vocalist Cleveland Watkiss.
12" #2 w/ Buy this one for the very cool jazzy-breaks of the exclusive Nu Yorican Soul remix.

DJ Cam & Various
Lesson One Revived
Scenario UK CD $35 2LP $32

Remixes of Scenario label trip hoppers by DJ Cam, A Forest Mighty Black, Alex Gopher, Rae & Christian, Anoesis, Soul Circuit and others. Jazzy hip hop, acid jazz, slow groove mixes and one tech-step mix.

DJ Vadim's Jazz Fudge label:

Mark B Feat Blade

Hitmen For Hire

UK 2x12" $19

w/ Lewis Parker and The Scratch Perverts.

David Holmes remixes Skinny
Failure
Cheeky UK CDEP/12" @ $12

4 tracks. A good track to mix with Propellerhead's "History Repeating" by an English group who quote Tony Bennett's line "why have I always been a failure" in a jazzy big band/hip hop context. Actually Tony wouldn't let them sample him so they got a UK singer who does a tribute to him to sing it. Includes instrumental and two remixes including one by David Holmes.

David Holmes
Stop Arresting Artists
Polygram UK 4x12" Box $60

Vinyl box set (in the style of Mo Wax's Major Force collection) featuring remixes of tracks from the excellent Let's Get Killed album. Some new, some previously released.
12 #1 w/ remixes of "Rodney Yates", "Head Rush" and "Don't Chant..."
12" #2 w/ remixes of "Gritty Shaker" by Richard Fearless, Red Snapper and Ballistic Brothers
12 #3 w/ remixes of "Don't Die Just Yet" by Max 404, Arab Strap and Delakota
12 #4 w/ mixes of "My Mate Paul" by Major Force, UNKLE's Tim Goldsworthy and Stereo MCs.

Kid Loco remixes St Etienne
Bad Photographer
Creation UK CDEP #2 $12

CDEP #2 features remixes by Kid Loco (jazzy funky drumming), Add N To X (synths!) and Bronx Dogs (probably house).

Kruder and Dorfmeister And Various
High Performance 2: The Eclectic Sound Of Vienna
Instinct Records US CD $24

Instinct continues their spotlight series on European producers with this collection of hot tracks licensed from Spray Records' The Eclectic Sound Of Vienna release, and other related Austrian companies. Austria's biggest trip hoppers, Kruder and Dorfmeister make appearances with side-projects while still appearing unwilling to work on their long-awaited debut album. Dorfmeister, and his partner in Tosca, Rupert Huber, contribute a track from their great Fuck Dub Remixes Vol 1 album. The Uptight label's Rodney Hunter and Demon Flowers' technofied reworking of Tosca's funked blues tune "Worksong" leads off this disc split between trip hop-funk and drum & bass selections. Austria is more respected for their trip hop and electro-funk at this point than their drum and bass production. Bask, for instance, represented here by a track from their excellent Spray album Dark Monkey Moods, is another name to look for if you're into the Pussyfoot-style of funky - jazzy hip hop with keyboard melodies. For his part, Kruder supplies a twangy drum and bass remix of Austrian jazz-funkers Count Basic's "Speechless" (from the Speechless Remixes EP and The Remix Hit Collection cd). Kruder is easily the most experienced remixer here, and he alone is able to retain his individual sense of funk in the drum and bass format. The other jungle tracks might as well be from London.

Laswell produces Sapho
Digital Sheikha
Baraka Swiss CD $30

Bill Laswell plays on and produces four tracks for the Morroccan/French singer Sapho, who's Arabic dance music needs a bit of his technological infusion. On the opening "Sois Plus Radical" Sapho's techno-rai themes are arranged amongst junglist tablas and an upbeat version of the Laswell dub bassline. On "Laouah" the fat bassline is also unmistakable, as more traditional-sounding violins replace the cliched keyboard lines heard in the other tunes, including the cheesy piano house of the Laswell-produced "Petit Demon". On the traditional song "Dabayji" Sapho steps aside as vocalists Zahera and Hallilifa take the wilder-sounding leads on this, the most interesting of the Greenpoint recordings.

Leaf label:
Sons Of Silence Vs Ronnie And Clyde

s/t

US $10 UK 12" $13

Released in the US by Derailed. On one side SOS present "Vibra Slap" a track awash in ambient elemenz, thick dubby bass, chunky rhythms, while Ronnie & Clyde present "Fire In The Hold" which is a Jazzy-dubby breakbeat groover on a Skint tip. On the other side the artists remix each other's tracks in smashing fashion.
side S
1. Vibra Slap [performed by The Sons Of Silence]
2. Fire In The Hold (South Park Strut) [performed by Ronnie & Clyde. remixed by The Sons Of Silence]
side R
1. Fire In The Hold [performed by Ronnie & Clyde]
2. Vibra Slap (65 Elements) [performed by The Sons Of Silence. remixed by Ronnie & Clyde]

Various

Classic Plant

UK CD $32 2LP $28

"Classic Plant is the first ever compilation of tracks >from The Leaf Label's EP releases over the last three years, many of which have long since been deleted; most have never been available on CD."
"The tracklisting for the CD version of Classic Plant is as follows:
1. Boymerang - 'Autumnal' (9:52)
2. The Sons Of Silence - 'Silence Go Boom!' (4:13)
3. Four Tet - 'Field' (5:32)
4. Luger - 'Pass Agent' (7:03)
5. Richard Thomas - 'Manicougan 5' (3:08)
6. Witchman - '4am On Point' (5:47)
7. A Small Good Thing - 'The Horn' (4:51)
8. Twisted Science - 'Cold Fusion' (4:38)
9. Ronnie & Clyde - 'Chicken Dinner' (6:00)
10. The Sons Of Silence - 'A Grain Of Sand' (6:05)
11. Boymerang - 'The Don' (6:06)
NB: The double vinyl version of the album has the same tracks, but in a different order."

Massive Attack
Mezzanine
Virgin Can CD $20 UK 2LP $43 MD $TBA

Limited fold-over digi pak version now out in Canada (nothing too exciting about the packaging really). Generally moodier than their previous album, this is will please any fan, while not turning into the slick pop of Moorcheeba etc. Guest vocalists include Cocteau Twin's Elizabeth Fraser, who sings on the single'Teardrop', 'Black Milk' and 'Group Four'. Also again featuring their fave reggae singer Horace Andy - on 'Angel', 'Exchange' and 'Man Next Door' (the highlight of the album, previously covered by the Slits). For some strange reason they are into sampling stuff from the new wave era, like an irrelevant Cure sample in one of the new tunes...

Massive Attack
Daydreaming
Virgin UK 12" $12

single from 1990 back in print. Tribal, booming bass drum and female soul singer - Kraftwerk-y keys in the background.

Massive Attack & Elizabeth Fraser
Teardrop
Virgin UK CD/12" @ $12

Don't miss the video for this tune - its wild. A foetus floats around the womb and sings the parts of Cocteau Twins' vocalist Elizabeth Fraser, bringing a new level to 'oceanic pop'. And if you were ever a fan of her singing this track is a refreshing, spacey trip hop arrangement for her to warble in. Both formats feature Primal Scream remix and "Eurochild (Euro Zero Zero)" mix. CD adds a Mad Professor dubbed instrumental. The 12" switches that for a Mad Professor vocal remix.

Massive Attack's Melankolic label:

Alpha

Slim

UK CDEP/12" @ $12

Bristol pop duo with remixes by More Rockers, Underdog and Cup Of Tea's Receiver.

Material, Burroughs And Various
The Road To The Western Lands Remixes
Triloka US CD $20 2LP $20

Remixes of tracks from Material's Seven Souls album with William Burroughs (reading from his book The Western Lands - where he is now lounging, one hopes). The original was very much a setting for his voice and these spacey remixes are no different - no one takes the liberty to bust out rhythmically.
1. "The Seven Souls" Bill Laswell 5.47 w/ Alicia Renee aka Blue Eyes vox Skop/Musso
2. "The Western Lands" Talvin Singh 6.36
3. "The Western Lands" Dj Soul Slinger 5.09
4. "The Road To The Western Lands" Spring Heel Jack 6.17
5. "Joan's Haunted Hints At The Gate To The Western Lands - The Audio Janitor (DJ Olive)"
6. "Seven Souls (The Secret Name)" Bill Laswell 10.37 same line up as #1
7. "The Western Lands (A Dangerous Road Mix)" Material 8.31 w/ Wobble, Skopelitis, Tetsu Inoue, DJ Spooky, Musso

Mighty Bop
Feelin Good
Yellow Productions France 12" $14

Monkey Mafia
Long As I Can See The Night
Heavenly UK CDEP/12" @ $12

Disappointingly commercial tune from Richard Fearless with a female singer. Includes 2nd track and 2 mixes by Adrian Sherwood. Album due after.

Mo Wax label:

Liquid Liquid

Cavern / Scraper

UK 12" $12

Limited single with cool new remix by hip hopper Cut Chemist of early 80's New York art-funk band's great track "Cavern" which was ripped off by Sugarhill/Grandmaster Melle Mel for "White Lines". Also "Scraper" remixed by The Psychonauts.

Muslimgauze
Lahore And Marseille
Soleilmoon US 2xCDEP $23

Limited edition double CD single that is worth checking out, as new synocapted dance rhythms are added to the Muslimgauze mix.

Nation label:

Natacha Atlas

Halim

Beggars Banquet US CD $20

Out now in North America is the 2nd solo album from Transglobal Underground vocalist Natacha Atlas. With the diverse help of four producers (including her TGU bandmates, and Sinead O'Conner's husband John Reynolds) Atlas goes further into her Arabic roots than the previous Diaspora. The stand-out track is "Ya Albi Ehda", a 'classical' piece that she recorded in Egypt with an orchestra handled by a distant uncle, Essam Rashad. Also on the orchestrated side are two tracks produced by Killing Joke's resident chart wrangler, Jaz Coleman. Halim is Arabic for being "beautiful on the inside", which Natacha Atlas proves with more than just her pretty face on the serious and haunting side of this impressive album.

Nation label:

Fundamental

Erotic Terrorism

US CD $20 UK 2LP $32

UK Asian group into big beats and angry rap

Recycler

Deumtouch

UK 12" $12

2nd single from tribal percussion outfit: "global beats with a herd of Rhino trampling on your head." Title track is from their previous single: "Deumtouch" 4.55 tribal drumming, shaker percussion to noisy big beats.

TJ Rehmi

Skrtinizer

UK CDEP/12" @ $12

4 trax, 22m. Recommended 2nd Nation label single of Indian & Middle Eastern music meeting jazzy jungle. Intelligent style programming of a few years ago. Debut album due June.
1. "Skrutinizer" violin and intelligent drum programming, bg rap from Kameelyon & A-Zhi from Maad Ethics and singing bytes, tabla sarangi by MS Bombay T
2. "The Confusionist" pipe byte and chopped up beats, James Brown byte, to sitar/voice bytes, vocal sample from Natacha Atlas, moody synth backing
3. "Jogi (mix two)" flute by Bipin Gil - 2nd mix of track from The Fusionist EP - harder funk-dub bassline, dreamy vibes and female vox
4. "Mera Therapy" druggy hip hop beats, with violin and dreamy synths

Ninja Tune labels:

Mr Scruff

Chipmunk

UK CDEP/12" @ $9

3 trax, 15m. Manchester's Mr Scruff is trip hop's journeyman producer, having released tracks on Cup Of Tea, Echo Drop, Grand Central, Pleasure and now Ninja Tune. Behind the sleeves with the simple cartoon covers, Mr Scruff gently rolls out the quality tracks like "Chipmunk", a pleasant jazzy tune with crisp funky drumming, a moving low bassline and lounging vibes. His sense of humor is more evident on the "Fish" which features a wordclash on the subject between Peter Ustinov and Barnes & Barnes. "Happy Band" rounds off this CDEP, with a Porcini-ish bass-groove and dual keyboard lines from a bright electric piano and a note-bending moog.

Various

Ninja Cuts 3: Funkungfusion

UK 2CD $22 3LP $TBA

New compilation with many exclusive, new-to-cd and forthcoming album tracks from Luke Vibert, Coldcut (live), Amon Tobin, Kid Koala & Money Mark, Neotropic and more. Also the return of Mixmaster Morris' Irresistible Force!

On U's Adrian Sherwood remixes Frantic Language
Move It
Arthrob UK CDEP #1/#2/12" @ $12

"12" & CDEP #2 w/ remixes by Sherwood, Les Rhythmes Digitales and Pelirocco."

Lee Perry And The Upsetters
Return Of Wax
Justice League UK CD $27 LP $20

First time on cd for rare dub classic, now with 2 bonus tracks. Recorded at Black Ark studios in 1975.

Pork label:

Bullitnuts

Cheeky Quarter

UK 12" $12

Various

Sty Wars

UK CD $24

11 trax, 72m. 50th release from this great dub-hop label with exclusive tracks from Fila Brazilia, Bullitnuts, Akotcha, Mammoth Nuts (Baby Mammoth + Bullitnuts), Brazilnuts (Fila Brazilia + Bullitnuts), Solid Doctor, Muzz, Sheik & Beige (Elerby from Bullitnuts) and Third Face.

Scorn's Mick Harris aka The Weakener
What Do You Know About It
WordSound US CD $24

The latest from a post-Scorn Mick Harris - sounds like Scorn. Recorded July 97. Next week his hip hop album with Eraldo Bernocchi will be out.

Scorn's Mick Harris / Eraldo Bernocchi
Hammer Treatment Remix
Quantum Bel 12" $14

Title track is hard funky drumming w/ dark bass synth, eerie jazz >from Eraldo's guitar & electronix
2. "Floater Remix" Material-style atmospheric groover with guitar/organ & jazzy hip hop beats

Talvin Singh remixes Curve
Coming Up Roses
Universal UK CDEP #1/#2/12" @ $12

Unfortunately a not very exciting tabla/hip hop remix by Talvin.
CDEP #1 w/ mixes by Talvin Singh, Wheatley, plus two.
CDEP #2 w/ remixes by Danny Saber, Kevin Shields, Headcase, Blue Amazon, and Wheatley. 12" w/ Blue Amazon (2), Jeremy Healey and Talvin Singh."

Sofa Surfers
Transit
Klein / MCA Aus CD $37 2LP $34

16 trax. My first supplier bailed on this one, but it is available from the UK - if you can handle the major label price tag - but don't complain, its the same price in Europe.
The coolest thing I've heard from a major label in a while (albeit a European one - MCA Austria). This band cooks like the best funk-jazziest Can or Red Snapper, with emphasis on rhythm and percussion ("The Plan"). They also kick out the percussion on hard Orb-like dub grooves like "Lost Muchachos".

Sofa Surfers
The Plan
Klein / Universal UK CDEP/12" @ $12

Remix single for one of their better upbeat tracks. w/ cool d&b mix by Aphrodite.
1. The Plan (radio edit) 3.57
2. Aphrodite Remix 5.53
3. Tse Tse Fly (Hi Tek Steppas Meet The Demon Flowers Uptown) 7.29
4. Tse Tse Fly (Sofa Surfin' Tek Steppin' Joint) 6.44

Techno Animal And Various
Electric Ladyland V
Mille Plateaux Ger CD $30 2LP $28

Latest cool collection of exclusive dark hop, electro and hip hop tracks from the usual suspects: Techno Animal, Ice, DJ Spooky, Panacea, 4E, Jammin Unit, Kerosene, WordSound's Spectre and Slotek, Jazz Fudge's DJ Vadim aka Andre Gurov and Mark B, Liquid Sky's DJ Soulslinger and more. Nice price for double cd.

CD #1 1. Panacea feat Hanayo "Hallo Hitler"
2. DJ Spooky "Reconstruction"
3. Ice "Viper (Special Instrumental Dub Mix)
4. Techno Animal "Excavator"
5. Mou "System Death"
6. Andre Gurov "Livetime Monologue" w/ Jupiter Jam, JAE, DJ Handsdown
7. Mark B "Level Test (live) Level One"
8. Spectre "Whirling"
9. Patric Catani "Endokuken"
10. Steel "Ah!Rats!" aka Biochip C
11. Disorder "Its Only Human" aka Panacea and Problem Child
12. Bomb 20 "Dry"
13. Mou "Kei"
14. Panacea "Reprise"
CD 2
1. DJ Spooky "The 6th Degree"
2. Ice "Hyperdermic (Special Instrumental Dub Mix)" mesmerizing dark hop
3. 4E "Iglesia Pentecostal De Electronica" cool hard rockin' electro-hip hop tune w/ backwards voices, sound bytes, electronic loops and metal percussion
4. Jammin Unit "Ausgangssperre"
5. Kerosene "Scientologic Output" old skool electro w/ Minister Of Noise-style voice effects
6. Sandbenders "Fallout" hard hip hop instrumental w/ metal percussion and funky sections
7. DJ Soul Slinger "Andromeda Plate(NJC Mix)"
8. Slotek "In The Realm Of Infinite Lustre"
9. Bomb 20 "Testing My PC-200 on sb32awe rom"
10. Slotek "Blood Simple"
11. Mark B "Underworld Connection"

The Kaleidoscope
Beatz'n'Pieces
PIKnMIX UK CD $25

Good mix of Pork-style trip hop and dub trax from English producer. Also a couple of d&b trax.

Wagon Christ, Red Snapper remix Howie B
Take Your Partner By The Hand
Polygram UK CDEP#1/#2/12" $12

3rd single from 2nd album, co-written with Robbie Robertson. Cool remixes - the vinyl is your best buy. Both CDs are picture discs with Escher meets Keith Haring-style designs.
CD #1 1. edit 4.04
2. "DJ Premier Remix" 6.42 jazzy hip hop with scratching and voice sample from Madness' "One Step Beyond" - also original vocals
3. "Hopscotch (Wagon Christ Remix)" 5.37 syncopated hip hop beat with bass synth b-line and smoky sax sample
4. " lp version" 7.21
CD #2 1. Red Snapper remix
2. Dobie mix of "Hopscotch".
3. DJ Premier instrumental remix
12" w/ mixes by Wagon Christ, DJ Premier, Red Snapper and Dobie.

Various
Dubnology presents: Darque Fonque 2
Middle Earth UK CD $32 3LP $34

2nd set of big beats from Monkey Mafia, Dub Pistols, Witchman, Depth Charge, Q-Burns, Zulutronic and more. Also remixes by Monkey Mafia, Solid Ground, Thursday Club and more.

Various
Sun Sun
Sony Fra CD $37 2LP $40

Sony France collection of "22 tracks from DJ Cam, DJ Die, Kruder & Dorfmeister and more."