Back in stock: All genres

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


As part of a new looking back on German art rocker Nico's esteemed career by the indie label Domino, Desertshore chronologically follows The Marble Index, and is her third album, following the prior project's establishing her as an avant-garde artist with one foot in the mainstream, in stark defiance of the the prejudiced poo-poohs that followed her first (baroque pop) album, Chelsea Girl. Desertshore is more of a reconciliation of her prior two projects, bringing back the initial western pop sensibility while now firmly basking in a newfound weirdness-and-she-knows-it. From the opening dark waves of 'Janitor Of Lunacy' to the piano-balladic injection of sadness that is 'Afraid', this is another avant-garde masterpiece by the musician, never justifiably passed over.

Notes: Heavy-duty 100-capacity 12"/LP record box with hinged lid, aluminium frame, reinforced rounded corners and butterfly clasp.

Notes: Ultimate strength 100-capacity record box with 20mm aluminium frame, removable lid and reinforced corners.

Notes: Aluminium-framed 50-capacity hinged 12"/LP record box with removable lid, reinforced rounded corners and EVA lining.

Notes: Solid 7" aluminium-frame lockable record box with 50 capacity, EVA lining and hinged lid.

Notes: Solid 7" aluminium-framed lockable record box with 50 capacity, EVA lining and hinged lid.

Notes: Aluminium-framed 100-capacity 7" record box with reinforced corners, hinged lid, EVA/egg foam lining, twin handles and supporting feet.

Notes: Solid aluminium-framed lockable 7" record box with 100 capacity, hinged lid, reinforced corners, twin handles and supporting feet.

Notes: 200-capacity 7" record box with aluminium frame, hinged lid, egg-foam/EVA lining and supporting feet.

Notes: 200-capacity lockable 7" record box with aluminium frame, hinged lid and egg-foam/EVA lining.

Review: You can't beat a good edits label and that's what we seem to have here off the evidence of the first release from NIN Edits out of Italy. Ninja Edits 1 opens with the fused charms of what sounds like sleek, proto-techno synths from Kraftwerk and disco percussion on 'Dance & Music'. 'Get Up & Down' is a deeper cut with some smoky and soulful pads and nice loose percussion that throws it back to the New York disco scene, and the most buttery and seductive of the lot comes last. 'Moon & Night' has a woozy groove and lush strings scoring high next to plenty of rich instrumental funk.

Review: Soul gems from the 60s - well, 1969 to be precise - don't come much more coveted than this one from The Notations. An original copy of this 45 rpm will quite likely fetch over 1500 quid. The r&b group was formed in Chicago, Illinois and featured Clifford Curry, LaSalle Matthews, Bobby Thomas and Jimmy Stroud. They went on to put out four albums and around 15 EPs but none as cherished as this one. 'Trying My Best To Find Her' now lands on a one-sided 7" and is a superb Northern Soul-style, high-energy soul cut with raw drums and aching vocal harmonies that soar and soar and soar.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Decades after he died, pioneering rapper Christopher Wallace aka Biggie aka B.I.G remains a hip hop giant, not least for us here at Juno HQ. He had the flow, the character, the lyrics, and showed all of it on his masterclass album The Notorious BIG. It is now getting a well deserved reissue on double vinyl, with all the original tunes included. There are uber-hits like the ubiquitous 'Juicy', tracks that make astute social commentaries about the black experience such as 'Everyday Struggle' and then some darn right killer grooves like 'One More Chance' and 'Big Poppa.' RIP to the greatest to ever do it.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


In anticipation of Nouvelle Phenomene's forthcoming album, Bordello A Parigi concomitantly announce the reissue of their acclaimed debut LP Glory Of Romance, almost ten years after its initial release. An emotively depth-scouring work of contemporary synthwave-via-darkwave, the musical quadrangle of Angela Santa, Fanni Santa, Peter B. and Zsolt Dziba first produced this impressive studio project under the ambit of Russian indie label Other Voices, giving rise to the likes of 'Glory Of Romance' and 'Caresse', both excellent singles venturing into a well-established sound, yet colliding it with a fabulously fresh thematic locus, such as modern-day fatigue and artifice. Truly an ever-new phenomenon, Nouvelle Phenomene's style - that of gothic-sonic art nouveau - is a newness that nevertheless does not forfeit timelessness.

Review: The heady collaborative cocktail of Marc Collin and the late Olivier Libaux, who came together in 2003, led to the quiet storm that its Nouvelle Vague, a project with its heart set on a winner from the start: the fusion of post-punk songwriting with the form and instrumentation of bossa nova. Intended as a one-off, the success of the project came as a surprise, but the duo were hardly willing to let a good thing slide for the sake of dourer endeavours. As part of a retrospective, comprehensive reissues series on top of a new album, this repress of the first album takes us back to where it all began.

Review: On their debut album, 2016's the Tony Allen Experiments, Naples twosome Nu Guinea re-invented tracks by the legendary Afro-beat drummer as synth-heavy chunks of deep jazz-funk and nu-Balearica. For this follow-up - their first full length entirely made up of their own compositions - the duo serves up a set of jazz-funk, disco and boogie cuts rich in both their trademark colourful analogue synthesizer sounds and live instrumentation. It's a formula that guarantees a string of memorable highlights, from the sun-kissed peak-time brilliance of "Disco Sole" and rubbery, funk-fuelled "Je Vulesse" (a killer vocal number), to the wobbly downtempo trip of "A Voce E Napule" and Mizell Brothers fizz of closer "Parev Ajare", the album's most synthesizer-heavy cut.

Review: The late legendary Japanese beatmaker Nujabes was a musical genius, this we know to be true. His constant resurgence on social media throughout the years affirms this, with 'Modal Soul', his second full-length album in 2005, blowing up time and time again online. It comes as no surprise, his meticulous devotion to hip-hop-jazz was unlike any before him, or since. 'Other Side of Phase' is a 12" three track record, with its title track being the instrumental for the famous anime 'Samurai Champloo', originally featuring one of Japan's most prolific MCs to ever hold the mic. A standout is 'Rainyway Back Home', a fly song combining the keys from an old Jeru the Damaga cut and the drums from a Power of Zeus track. Nujabes will never - ever - go out of style.

Review: Despite selling out instantly on first press back in November 2018, it is only now that Nujabes' first solo album "Metaphorical Music" makes it to wax once more. This most spiritual of hip hop records - first released in 2003 - brings together downtempo, trip hop, instrumental, classic era boom bap, neo soul and funk into an accomplished collection of tunes that pack a dance floor as well as heartfelt punch. The album showcases some of the best music that the hip hop genre is capable of. Do not miss this, as it won't be around for long.

Notes: ***B-STOCK: Box opened, product in perfect working order***


Pro features at a good price with this excellent four-deck controller. Large jog wheels, full four-channel mixer section, performance pads and much more. Designed for software including Serato.

Supplier's Notes:
With full audio control over 4 DJ software decks, toggle FX, and professional inputs and outputs, the NS4FX is a feature-packed DJ controller that unleashes the full creative mixing potential of event, club, and livestreaming DJs!

Mix Like an Artist

With full audio control over 4 independent channels, DJs can mix tracks, samples, loops, and more from up to 4 DJ software decks at once.

The 4 channels of the NS4FX each feature dedicated premium-quality volume faders, 3-band EQ, and large high pass/low pass Filter knobs.

Crossfader assignment switches on the front panel allow each channel to be assigned to side A or side B of the crossfader, or can be set to bypass the crossfader altogether. This ultimate flexibility is perfect for crafting artistic mixes on a livestream, creating exciting build-ups in the club, or preparing multiple songs in advance at events.

Sound Like a Pro with Premium Inputs and Outputs

The NS4FX boasts an impressive array of connectivity options, making it the perfect solution for mobile and event DJs as well as club jocks and livestreaming mixmasters. The balanced XLR main outputs deliver high-quality 24-bit audio, ensuring that event guests are always treated to an incredible, immersive dancefloor experience. The additional RCA booth output with dedicated control is perfect for sending audio to a personal monitor speaker or to an additional zone or area of a larger sound system. For events or gigs that call for more than one microphone for MCing or formal announcements, the NS4FX features 2 independent 1/4" microphone inputs with dedicated volume and tone controls. The Mic 1 input can be easily switch to an Auxiliary option to allow audio from a smartphone or external media device to be played through the RCA inputs on the back of the controller. Livestreamers that regularly feature guests or play external audio from other sources will certainly appreciate the audio freedom that the Numark NS4FX provides.

High-Quality, Performance-Focused Decks

The NS4FX is packed with all the pro DJ features needed for exceptional performances. The high-quality, touch-sensitive jog wheels are expertly calibrated for precision mixing and scratching. The centre of the wheels features a vibrant LED display that shows track position, BPM, pitch range, and time. The Layer button on each deck allows each side to toggle control quickly between multiple decks, making it easy to layer and mix up to 4 tracks at the same time. The long pitch sliders on each deck with selectable range offer ultra-precise control over tempo when mixing, and the Pitch Bend buttons allow for fine adjustments for perfectly aligned mixes. The 16 Performance Pads offer limitless mixing possibilities with selectable pad modes including Cue, Auto Loop, Fader Cuts, and Sampler (additional pad modes can be unlocked with Serato DJ Pro).

Professional DJ Looping and Effects Control

A dedicated loop section with multipliers on each deck grants quick access and control over seamless loops to extend mixes or craft custom transitions. To add additional flavour and creativity, the interactive FX section features 6 quick-launch software effects that are triggered by using the sturdy and fun paddle toggle switches. The FX area also provides full hardware control over the wet/dry mix and beat division to help DJs craft artistic and expressive performances.

Serato DJ Pro Ready

The Numark NS4FX comes with Serato DJ Lite software, allowing DJs to start mixing with 2 channels right away. Since the NS4FX is fully mapped and ready for Serato DJ Pro, DJs can upgrade to a full-featured, 4-channel mixing experience whenever they'd like!

Specifications

Outputs: 2 XLR balanced outputs, 1 RCA stereo output, 1 1/4" (6.35 mm) TRS headphone output 1 1/8" (3.5 mm) TRS headphone output
Inputs:, 1 RCA stereo input, 2 1/4" (6.35 mm) TS microphone inputs
Power: Via power adapter, DC 12 V, 2.0 A
Audio: 44.1 kHz, 24-bit
Dimensions (width x depth x height): 23.5" x 10.8" x 2.4" / 59.7 x 27.4 x 6.1 cm
Weight: 6.6lbs/3.0kg

Review: Ohm and Kvadrant return to their spiritual home of Kontakt with more of that grandiose dub techno immersion they do so well, plumbing epic depths both within and beyond the functional demands of the dancefloor. 'Precious Little Diamond' kicks the record off in a steady-cruising form, guided by a smooth minimal tech house beat as the engine for some choice dub techno chords and mechanical hiccups. Deadbeat then takes the helm for a version which plunges into abstract echo chamber sonics he's spent decades perfecting before Levon Vincent completes the picture with a remix which heads into the outer limits of deep techno immersion.

Notes: Control the expression inputs of your effects with Old Blood Noise's clever Ramper. Glide or step between two adjustable expression settings. A cheap and effective way to expand creative options.

Supplier's Notes:
Expression Ramper - Parameter Mover

Simplicity is the heart of innovation. This is exactly what the Expression Ramper from Old Blood Noise Endeavors offers - a super simple, yet highly innovative way to automate expression control, letting you conjure sounds you never thought possible from any pedal with an expression input. It's time to release your Inner-Ramper!

The Expression Ramper allows you to pick two expression settings and move between them, either in one motion or as a continuous LFO activated by a single footswitch. Just hook up the Expression Ramper to your expression-enabled effects pedal, simply pick your first expression setting in the A position, then your second in the B position and you're good to go.

From here, you can set Expression Ramper to move between A and B in three different ways. In TRI mode, it glides in a linear Triangle wave sweep from A to B, while in SQR mode it will make instant Square Wave jumps. Both TRI and SQR are LFO modes - you start the LFO when you hit the footswitch once, then stop it as you press the switch again. Alternatively, A<>B mode triggers a cool one-shot sweep, where every press of the footswitch jumps from one position to the other. The speed of the LFO and One-Shot movement is set via the Rate knob.

These simple and intuitive features can unlock worlds of sound. For instance, if you have Expression Ramper hooked up to a pitchshifter, you can create classic Whammy-like octave glides in one-shot mode, stretchy modulation in Triangle wave mode or hypnotic pitch sequences in Square wave mode. Got an expression-enabled phaser? Turn it into a step-filter with Expression Ramper's square wave. Or maybe an expression-enabled delay pedal? Use Expression Ramper to create swelling Feedback waves in Triangle mode or jump between two preset delay times in one-shot mode. The list goes on and on and the possibilities are basically endless.

While it should suit most effects pedals right out the box, Expression Ramper can easily be configured for different polarity or types of expression pedal simulation by using the internal jumpers. Plus, you can even change the supplied internal 50K digital socketed potentiometer and replace it with one of 10K or 100K values if needed. This enables the pedal to be specifically tailored for whatever expression-enabled devices you might have like keyboards, synths, vintage gear or more esoteric sound devices. All of this goodness is packed into a highly compact enclosure, ensuring that you can fit the Expression Ramper (or several Expression Rampers) into any setup.

Notes: Open up your signal routing options with this neat and simple pedal. Split one signal into three, run effects in parallel, mix three signals together, set up ABY routing or set levels. Versatile.

Supplier's Notes:
The Signal Blender provides a number of parallel routing solutions through its use of a pair of send/returns, primary input and output, switching, and volume control.

Signal Blender can be used as a:
Parallel effect blender
3-to-1 mixer
1-to-3 splitter
Active ABY in either direction
Volume level setter

and more.

A courtesy 9V power outlet and phase correction switches for both Sends add further versatility to this box. Clever switching allows for latching or momentary on/off action.

The Signal Blender uses standard 9V center negative power, and has a current draw of 31 mA.

Notes: Dynamic hold effects are the aim with this creative reverb pedal. Three reverb modes (tape, comb filtering and resonant bandpass filtering) can be frozen and triggered to create infinite sustaining textures.

Supplier's Notes:
Dynamics. It's the shifting ebb and flow of the tide. It's the ups and downs of life. It's witnessing night turn into day, as the sun attacks and sustains through the nightly veil, making the darkness release its gloomy grasp and decay. It's where you'll find the Old Blood Noise Endeavors Sunlight Dynamic Freeze Reverb. An envelope triggered multi-mode reverb with the ability to dynamically freeze and sustain your notes forever, seeing you create truly mesmerising sunlit soundscapes.

Building on what made OBNE's top-selling Dark Star such a stellar early-chain pad reverb, Sunlight twists it into the other dimension as a reverb pedal centred around the idea of a dynamic hold. When you play, your new notes are let through and old notes are allowed to fade away, but when you stop playing, old notes have the chance to repeat forever.

A dead simple to use interface of just two knobs controls the nature of this relationship. In addition, there are three sonic modes that highlight modulation, comb filtering and resonant bandpass filtering, each of which takes their own spin on the reverb signal. The Mix, Input and Decay controls work exactly the same across each mode, as they help control the dynamics.

Mix sets the loudness of the reverb, which goes from all dry to all wet and anywhere in between, allowing you to create everything from subtle reverberations to deep ambient textures. Now, the interplay between Input and Decay is where the real Sunlight magic starts to happen. Decay determines how long the reverb trails will sustain, which will go from quick ephemeral evaporations to infinite reverb pads. On the other hand, Input controls how much of your signal is allowed into and fed back within the reverb. At zero, no new input will be added to your reverb, but as you increase it, more signal is let through, letting you create gently evolving ambient textures or drastically changing synth-like pads.

Rate and Depth are mode-dependent controls. TAPE Mode is a modulated reverb inspired by the unexpected shifts of a tape machine wobbling. Here, Rate and Depth set the speed and intensity of the lopsided vibrato applied to the reverb signal. COMB Mode is a combination of reverb and delay. Four delay lines are placed after the reverb, and the emphasis on stacked short delays creates comb filters like a fixed flanger. Rate sets the time of all four delays, and Depth sets the feedback (or resonance) of the delay section. PASS Mode is a bandpass filter applied between two reverb paths, where a random sample-hold function sets the cutoff frequency of the bandpass. Rate sets the timing of the sample-hold and Depth sets the range of possible cutoff frequencies. If Rate is set to 0, Depth sets a fixed cutoff frequency.

But the sound shaping adventure doesn't end here. Sunlight also contains a bunch of expressive capabilities performed through the on-board ALT switch, which can be set to change control settings either momentarily or latching. It can be assigned to the Rate, Depth, Decay or Input controls or any combination of the four. You can also control them externally via an external expression pedal, the OBNE Expression Slider or even the OBNE Expression Ramper, which will open up even more creative possibilities.

Dimensions:

Product Height (cm): 5.800
Product Width (cm): 6.600
Product Depth (cm): 12.000
Product Weight (kg): 0.300

Box Height (cm): 7.800
Box Width (cm): 8.200
Box Depth (cm): 14.400
Boxed Weight (kg): 0.453

Review: The Dutch folks at Kalahari Oyster Cult sure like to serve up music that melts minds at 5 am, or they do if this new one from Olsvanger is anything to go by. It is a futuristic techno exploration with 'Grand Slamming' opening up with a mix of sleek linear drums, pulsing sonar synths and supersized hi-hats that bring the energy. 'Paranoweed' is a pure and unadulterated looper that undulates with a subtle funk and 'Bubble Toy' brings some deft sound designs and minimal synths to sci-fi effects and more sweet rolling beats. 'Quadi B' closes out and sounds like a tense and paranoid underwater search for malevolent aquatic life forms.

Notes: The eleventh issue of We Jazz Magazine, "Oni Puladi" for Carla Bley. 128 pages, 170 x 240 mm in size and printed on 140g Edixion paper with laminated 300g Invercote covers. All articles presented in English. Carla Bley by Stewart Smith, Gondwana Records by Debra Richards, [Ahmed] by Seymour Wright, Amirtha Kidambi by Ayana Contreras, Ruth Goller by Daryl Worthington, Abdul Wadud by Pierre Crepon / David Neil Lee, Francois Jeanneau by Bret Sjerven, Mette Henriette by Debra Richards, Nduduzo Makhathini by Rob Garratt, Discaholic column by Mats Gustafsson, We Jazz Festival 2023 photo essay by Julius Toyryla, album & live reviews, plus more.

Review: Opa's Back Home was first reocrded in 1975 but not released until 1996; it was the fourth and final album by the esteemed Uruguayan fusion band, whose preferred admixture was usually some melted pot of funk and samba, making for an impressive heuristic building on their intuitive recalling of their mutual upbringing in South America. Mysteriously (for reasons unknown to the band), Opa's debut was shelved and remained so until the mid-1990s. But the story goes that it was recorded after renowned label producer and owner Larry Rosen heard the band playing in a Brooklyn nightclub; with this in mind, Back Home makes for an ironic title, since the sonic turn expressed by the band is not one of homesickness, but rather that of an immersion in New York's metamorphous music scene ('Brooklynville' has an instant proto-hip-hop vibe, if not for its original urban field recording, then certainly for its bulbous broken funk twang). Now reissued on vinyl and CD via Far Out, you won't want to miss this round trip.