Netherlands

Following reissues for Rush Hour & Studio Mule, Sound Of Vast present "A Love From Tokyo 1991-2003," a collection of work from Japanese artist, Hiroshi Mastui.The album features ten tracks produced between 1991 and 2003, and includes material reissued for the first time and previously unreleased treasures from his own 'WANT YOU! Records'.The album opens with two first-time reissues, an emotional piano house anthem, "Crazy Love," which appeared on the CD mini-album "Call You Back," released in 1991 on Japanese major label 'Alfa Music', and the breakbeat house banger "Call You Back”. The opening track soon makes you realize that Hiroshi’s music is timeless. “Little Bit Of Our Love" (1993) and “Super Love” (2003), featuring Japanese vocalist Suzi Kim, who also appears in "(Earth In) Blue" (1999), resemble that euphoria of the first golden age of House music in the 1990s. While "Love Luv Rendez-vous" (1994) and "Dancing On Mars" (2003) are direct descendants of the sounds of early Chicago House music. The bustling arrangement of the anthem track “Samba De Howa Howa" (1992) and jacking acid house track "Tsun-Ban-Tsun-Yeah" will drive even the modern-day floor to its peak. The album concludes with the long-awaited, previously unreleased "Love Me One More Time" (produced in 1993).Professionally Hiroshi Matsui is a 'career musician' who has written and arranged countless commercial music/songs/pop songs since 1986. The tracks in this album are pure dance music that was independently produced and released spontaneously in parallel with his day job. Underground house fans are familiar that "Howa," licensed to [King Street], appeared on "Sounds Of Far East Dance Music - Compilation Vol 1" (1993), along with Soichi Terada's "Sun Shower" and other tracks. His excellent works became highly sought after in the second-hand market. Alongside the reissues mentioned above and "ハウス (House) Once Upon A Time In Japan..." (2015), produced by Brawther & Alixkun, his tracks are starting to be revived on modern dancefloors.The tracks on the compilation are heavily influenced by US House music from the same period, and also display Hiroshi’s distinct melodic sense and compositional ability composer/arranger that he developed through his musical career. It seems as if we have heard it somewhere before, but at the same time, it also sounds completely new. In other words, his work invites you to a unique musical experience, as if looking back on a parallel past, and it is through this experience that we may find LOVE - the theme of his work.

Part 1 of the Needs (not wants) retrospective, comes with an insert with a collage of archival photos and liner notes by Gerd Janson. Re-mastered by François Kevorkian.Sometimes, three words are enough to tell it all. Accordingly, the core story of Needs – the musical adventure of brothers Lars and Marek Bartkuhn and their partner Jan “Yannick” Elverfeld – can be understood from the inspiration behind this compilation’s title. Paying homage to the title of a lesser-known Marshall Jefferson and Ce Ce Rogers production for Strictly Rhythm, Needs (Not Wants) typifies their aesthetic, ethos, innovations and modus operandi.Materializing in this collection are some of the outfits’ best takes (from 1999 to 2006), moments of glory and predictive flashes of genius paint a beautiful picture of what can happen if devotion and imagination are paired with moxie and skill.

Amsterdam and Naples based bassist Daniel Monaco (bass player for Nu Genea, Mystic Jungle & Capinera) joins the Rush Hour Store Jams imprint. A strong disco heavy two tracker featuring vocals from Mame N'Diack Seck Thiam and a wink to Cerrone, including instrumental versions. Released in conjunction with Utopia records London.