Chris Carrier
Voyage Naturel

*2023 repress*This NYC house master piece was originally released in 1990. Ben Cenac aka Dream 2 Science released this African influenced house LP under his Push/Pull moniker. It sounds somewhere in between the NYC band No Smoke (Koro Koro) and the Dream 2 Science's signature sound. Original copies are rare!

In early 2023, Tresor Records will reissue the sole output from Shifted Phases entitled The Cosmic Memoirs Of The LateGreat Rupert J. Rosinthrope. Initially released in 2002, soon after James Stinson passed away, this LP plays a mysterious andcompelling role in the Drexciya journey. While other records of Drexciya and related projects have received numerous reprintsand editions, The Cosmic Memoirs... has remained out of print since its release. This rarity leaves it more open to interpretation with its place in the Drexciyan storm series, as it became increasingly hard to find and underexplored.Track titles Solar Wind, White Dwarf, and Lonely Journey of the Comet Bopp reveal a focus on cosmic realms, suggesting a linkwith the Drexciya LP Grava 4 that moves from the underwater to the galactic. As it launches with mechanical blows on a precise orbit, each repetition entrenches the gravitational pull in the galaxy of Shifted Phases. In many places, it sounds like the readout of frequencies harvested from outer space, pockmarked with packet loss from the millions of kilometres distance travelled.The music is hard to contain, intuitively restless in motion through its unfolding universe and achingly resonant. It shapeshiftsacross aectedly melodic sequences such as in Lonely Journey..., to the sparse, hard-hitting timbres found in Alien VesselDistress Call and the mangled reverse vocals in The Freak Show, somewhat reminiscent of another Drexciya side-project, GlassDomain. The mythology of Drexciya is evident in how keenly James Stinson and Gerald Donald created their imaginary worlds.In Crossing Of The Sun-Ra Nebula, there is an undisputable reference to another Afro-futurist who delved deep into a galaxy oftheir own making.This reissue does not merely close the loop on Tresor's reissue series of the Drexciya catalogue but brings Shifted Phases tofresh ears more than other records. Accompanied by newly commissioned artwork from Matthew Angelo Harrison, the 3xLPvinyl reissue also features the tracks Crossing Of The Sun-Ra Nebula and Alien Vessel Distress Call, which were previously onlyon the original CD release.

Bologna's Irma label always does a top job of delving into the archives to serve up on point retrospective compilations. House Classics: Sounds Of The 90's is another case in point and it kick off with a seriously seminal tune from Balearic beat master Don Carlos. 'Alone' is pure sunset house to send shivers down the spine. From there you get plenty more definitive house sounds all with a deeper bent, jazzy melodies and the sort of proper musicality that you don't get so often on modern tunes. From the New York bump of Be Noir's 'Give Me Your Love' (Philadelphian mix) to the Italo and Med' vibes of Riviera TRaxx's 'Parfume 1' this is a real feel good selection.