Tatsu Yamashita
Ride On Time

Koincidence by BARNIKLE·FREEE

Reconnected is compiled from Harold Lucious’ addictive 1990 release Connections, a visionary mix of soulful house, New Jack Swing and RnB, an American predecessor of street soul. Deeply connected to music from an early age, Harold started his music career in the early 70s at the age of 16. He sang in his first group, The Final Seconds, who pressed a 7” single in New York City in 1973. The group would go on to record a full album called Neo Cosmic Blues, but never had the chance to press it. They would continue to perform and write together throughout the 70’s and searched in vain for a label to work with. During that time, Harold landed a guest spot on the legendary Brother Ahh record Move Ever Onward, set up by his manager who was Brother Ahh’s sibling. Harold is listed as having played koto, but really he provided background vocals. Throughout the 80’s, Harold worked at WBI radio programming talk shows. On air, he would act out modified scripts to Richard Wright novels like “The Outsider”.Connections was his effort to finally release a record after years of recording and playing music. Experimenting with dance music he came up with an album that was inspired by his love of house music and RnB. He sold the record out of his backpack, ending up with boxes of copies that were eventually destroyed when he had to move from his long-time apartment in Brooklyn. Few of the original LP remain, and it has become almost impossible to find.Reconnected is a remastered redux with four songs taken from the original LP, and pressed onto a loud 45rpm 12” for maximum dance-floor potential. Mixed Signals is honoured to introduce Harold’s music to a contemporary audience around the world.

From Nursery to Misery crawl back to Dark Entries with Tree Spirits, the follow up to 2017’s Pixies In The Woods. The project was founded in 1987, when producer and keyboardist Lee Stevens invited identical twins Gina and Tina Fear over to record in his home studio in Basildon, Essex. Four years of prodigious studio experimentation followed, resulting in two full length cassettes (1989’s The Oak Tree and 1990’s Equilibrium), and a split EP with Nostalgie Eternelle in 1990. Stalwarts of the Mail Art scene, they also appeared on over 22 cassette compilations, home-dubbed in true DIY fashion, before splitting in 1991.

Kologo by AlostmenFormed by Stevo Atambire and produced by Wanlov (Fok’n Bois) and Percy Yip Tong, Alostmen’s music is based around the Frafra traditions of the kologo, a stringed lute, using traditional instrumentation in entirely new ways. “I like to force my instrument to work,” explains Stevo. “I’m a yout’man and into rap, reggae, Malian music. I add these to the band’s sound.”“I had toured with Stevo in my band Afro Gypsy in 2017,” Wanlov continues, “and we recorded the tracks for this album on the road in Uganda and North West Ghana in hotel rooms” The band comprises Stevo (kologo, vocals), Jo Ajusiwine (goje fiddle, vocals), Aminu Amadu (talking drum) and Sowah (gome box, djembe and conga) while featured guests include highlife legend Gyedu-Blay Ambolley and Ghanaian stars Yaa Pono and Medikal.“We are Alostmen because we were lost in the street, the forgotten people,” explains Stevo. “People at home see music as a teaching so I always try give my community hope to achieve.”

Who is Magou? All we know is that, 2 years ago, Toy Tonics released a 12” EP that created a little buzz on this artist without a face and social media. The only clue is that Magou is allegedly a mysterious side-project by an otherwise well-known Italian music maker, producer and DJ. Who cares about fame? This one is all about the music, so Toy Tonics is now back with a sassy 2LP release of Magou's full album.

FATHOP008 - UK - 2021Jerome Hill revives his Itsu Uno guise for the first time in 7 years and starts 2021 with some much needed fun. He serves up 2 Cut n Paste Party Rocking Funk Bombs for the B-Boys and B-Girls. No prizes for guessing the inspiration for "Shooter (Super Sharp B-Boy) although you'll not have heard it like this before. Meanwhile in "Battle Of The Breaks", Itsu Uno goes to town and serves up all manner of funky-ass beats and samples culminating in a finale that will get you ‘jumpin' Fat Hop was started by Jerome in 2009 to house B-Boy Break jams, Old Skool style Hip Hop and Britcore.