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Fat Beats Records is proud to present Baker’s Dozen, an exclusive series that shines a light on the best minds of instrumental hip-hop, ambient, and electronic music. Each installment gives one artist carte blanche to capture their signature sound.Every volume’s limited vinyl pressing features one artist and twelve tracks, and comes equipped with a 5x7” postcard insert that features a photo of the artist’s workspace along with the equipment used in their music-making process. Visually cohesive and packaged with the utmost attention to detail, Baker’s Dozen is a series that speaks up for artists whose craft renders voices superfluous, whose instrumentals alone suffice to make a statement.Volume nine highlights the Guelph, Ontario producer Elaquent, who breaks down his creative process below:“Since the beginning, my philosophy has always been that perfection is boring, so despite all the changes that have occurred with my equipment and system, that main philosophy remains the same. In the beginning it was all about flipping samples with FL Studio and just my computer keyboard, and over the years, I added the MPD and Masterkey in order to be able to jam out drums live and play keys, which speeds up the workflow. I like the effects on the 404, and there’s a lot of dope ways to integrate my iPad into it, but at the end of the day, it starts with a melody or sample, and I kinda just let the vibe take over.”-ELAQUENT

An underground classic in every sense of the term, Slum Village's 1998 production Fantastic, Vol. 2 was a breath of fresh air for hip-hop heads when it finally hit shelves in 2000, earning heavy acclaim and artistic clout for the trio of T3, Baatin, and the late production legend J Dilla. Fantastic, Vol. 2 featured vibes and lyrics harkening back to the classic sounds of De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, smooth and infectious production that would go on to set a blueprint for the 00's arrival of neo soul, and top-shelf guest appearances from Q-Tip, D'Angelo, Busta Rhymes, and many more. Now, upon the 20th anniversary of the album’s completion, Ne'Astra Media Group is proud to bring a whole new collection of long lost tracks from the Fantastic, Vol. 2 sessions to you. Produced between 1996 and 1999, The Lost Scrolls Vol. 2 (Slum Village Edition) features 11 unreleased demos and remixes featuring the classic Slum Village lineup. Tracks that have never previously been heard, and might not have ever seen the light of day otherwise. Featuring a never-before-heard freestyle from J Dilla, a newly discovered remix of the single “Hold Tight” featuring Q-Tip, a long-lost Kurupt-guesting track “Talk About Hoes”, a posthumously discovered Baatin solo cut, and numerous other unearthed gems of underground hip-hop.

Anglo-Mauritian producer, singer and percussionist Joseph Deenmamode aka Mo Kolours is set to release ‘Inner Symbols’, his third solo album, on 22ND June via Five Easy Pieces.You won’t find many producers quoting Plato - ‘Inner Symbols’ takes its cue from the philosopher’s words "Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, charm and gaiety to life and everything''. Influences are many and all, ranging from colonization and African diaspora to Korean shamanism, Doug Hammond to Junior Byles.“Inner symbols is a musical path that begins within, and reveals itself outwardly, only to return to the INNER. Themes are, introspection, truth, history, family, mental nature of reality, recognizing positivity, greed, honesty, unity, love, ignorance, lust, and of-course DRUMS!” - Mo KoloursThe entire album was created on a Electro Harmonix looper using samples and live instrumentation and a Roland drum machine. Similarly his energetic, improvised live show sees tracks layered up from loops of voice, percussion and drum machine before skewing in new directions. It’s a thrilling approach which has taken him to clubs and festival stages from Brighton to Brisbane, as well as to the BBC’s hallowed Maida Vale studios at the invitation of Gilles Peterson.Raised on the traditional sega music of his father’s Indian Ocean homeland alongside records by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Michael Jackson, Mo Kolours adds hip hop, dub, soul and other electronic styles to his individual sound. His approach could find him placed alongside Madlib or The Gaslamp Killer but he would be equally happy in the company of James Blake, Erykah Badu, Theo Parrish or Moodymann.Along with Reginald Omas Mamode IV, Jeen Bassa, Henry Wu, Al Dobson Jr and Tenderlonious, he’s helped forge in the 22a co-operative that The FADER calls “a kaleidoscopic patchwork of hip-hop, house, and groove investigations bound by one thread: a timeless belief in rhythm as a universal language”.

Come To Canada You Will Like It is a record about slowing down while finding a balance between rural and city living. Inspired by subjective memories and ideas about things and places: Looking back and moving forward.

Into the Light continues its journey to unearth and update overlooked Greek music. This time focuses on a smooth, warm, youthful yet intelligent work that finds effortlessly its place in the tiny Greek electronic scene of the mid 90's. . Gilb'r (Versatile): "Each release on this label is good news. There is no exeption.""The Nireus Years" is a rare selection of eight unheard home recordings produced between 1995 and 1997 by the then 16-year old Angelo Ioakimoglu in Athens. The album encompasses his most special productions ranging from bucolic new age to dubbed out midi electronics, jazzy r&b to Mediterranean ambient trance!Angelo was born and raised in Zografou area of Greece's capital in 1981. It was there where his father had a typical 80's electronic lab and it was that specific environment where Angelo spent most of early childhood. A first attraction for electronic musical equipment was developed that very soon became a passion for hunting down used pieces of gear soon to form the basis of his well equipped bedroom setup.During his teens, his connection with music was either practicing the piano at home or listening to the most recent dance hits at his uncle's place who happened to be a professional DJ. Big part of Angelo's demos around that period is driven by those two aforementioned worlds. But there were moments of escape. Moments where the music went for the unexpected. Leaving the producer following a solitary path where he could express his teenage dreams and fantasies...through extensive midi programming, live keyboards mimicking string, brass and steel instruments and sampled portions of his live percussion burst.Angelo's work, which can sometimes seem naive or surrealistic, is supported by his unique and surprisingly energetic approach, one that gives us the courage to continue something different.

First official reissue of the extremely rare full-length album by Lagos-based bandleader Shina Williams. Replica original artwork.The record was born in 1979 when Shina put Biddy Wright, Fred Fisher, Saliu Alabi, Prince Bola, Tutu Shoronmu, Tunde willimas and several other decorated Nigerian musicians – who played with the likes of Fela Kuti, SJOB Movement, Sonny Okoson, King Bucknor amongst others – together to record. The result is ‘African Dances’, a timeless fusion of afrobeat, electronics, boogie and disco.Includes his most well-known song, ‘Agboju Logun’ that Williams knew was ground breaking – “I want to show the whole wide world that Africa is alive with modern musicians to reckon with anywhere,”. This album version is a different mix to the two-track 12” that came out under on Earthworks, Rough Trade in 1984.