Mysticisms

Review: Mysticisms delves into the spiritual realm with the archival recordings of London based Japanese duo, Afrobuddha to present their highly sought music to date, in Obame and Zone, on one EP.
With copies of their debut releases now selling for dizzying prices, a chance to work with label friend Kay Suzuki attained. With his respected Time Capsule label releasing a stream of amazing world music inspired reissues, his project with Koichi Sakai is revisited and reborn.
Released as a celebration of the spiritual affinity felt with the African and Afro-Caribbean music community, enter 'Obame'; a collaboration with the Kakatsitsi Drummers - pioneering percussionists of the Ga tribe of Southern Ghana. Combining traditional drumming with flutes, xylophone and folkloric chants, Suzuki and Sakai's art and philosophy of rhythm via house, disco, afrobeat and reggae, underpins this offering to stunning effect.
'Zone' follows. A spiritual essence of London's vibrant multi-cultural society, the track fuses intoxicating raw percussion. Featuring Ghanaian master drummer Afla Sackey's thundering congas and djembe on a 3/4 signature of polyrhythm beats, repetitive chants and deep analogue synths, this is a stripped backed journey into drum dub of space-bending delays and reverb effects.

Review: In today's age we get mindful of life and love.

The now rare nights of the true hedoni$t.

A hero who's not afraid of the consequences.

Who is ready to live that full life.

To push the mind and senses of joy.

No rules. Just reality. Wildness. Nothing can be stopped.

Rule that Mystery.

Review: Exploring machine funk, the true hedoni$t returns.

Absolution, one's senses rational is to find happiness.

Intrinsically seeking doctrine, a philosophy for pleasure.

Through liberty and triumph, vice weeps before joy.

This primitive. Our delinquent hero. Who will never cease.

Libertine. Utilitary. Wildness.

Embrace the Mystery.

Review: The Mysticisms label once more turns its attention to rarefied gold dust from the annals of deep house history, this time shining a light on Soiree Records, which was helmed by cult favourite Drivetrain. Nu-C Zn's "That's How Lovers Be" was an unconventional but oh so sweet curio back in 1995, and now it's been revived with Drivetrain delivering a new mix of the track that lets the smoky keys, plastic sax and gorgeous vocals hover tentatively. UK house stalwart Nail is up next with a bumping, crafty update on the track, while Scott Grooves lays down honey-coated keys that shift the mood of Nu-C Zn's original into a different emotional headspace.

Review: Persian, the man who launched the label in 2017 returns, again offering classics from the archive tapes in the Garage bounce of Feel Da Vibe and the Jungle tinged Silver Spaceships.

Since appearing on Acetate 10" back in (where were you in) '92, Persian, Persian Prince or Artist Formerly Known As PP, aka Peter Riley, has been following his own path, breaking ground with self released, slabs of dynamite wax.

Delivering a myriad of styles, from Breaks to House, Digidub to Jungle, here, as with MYS001, the original masters were handed to contemporaries to work their magic. Brother Nebula is a secret non de plum of a producer who has been around long enough to know the score, switching continents and releasing music on a myriad of labels before setting up his new Legwork label, creating a fresh wave.

The respectful but wonderful spacial dub house remake of the anthem Feel Da Vibe builds perfectly before snaps bring it back down to Earth. Alphonse (Especial / Klasse Wrecks) however, heads for the heavens with an expanse of floating percussion that explores the line between Breaks and Jungle to move Silver Spaceships in to a new decade.

Review: After reissuing the classic Cassiopeia by Nail, Mysticisms return with more cosmically charged party cuts geared towards wiggy dancefloors inside and out. The Alchemy 12" brings together some of the label's key characters to date and some new crew, leading in with the heady, sticky thump of Persian's "Worries In The Dance" as faithfully remixed by Jonny Rock. Vertigo Inc eschew common dynamics for a loping, acoustic groove that favours more esoteric spaces while retaining a strange forward momentum and bewildering atmosphere. Asian Psilocybe Foundation get into a trippy strain of tech house with the gorgeous "Wave Control", and then Afrobuddha rounds the set out with the deeply layered Kakatsitsi drumming of "Obame (Treat Mix)".