{"title":"First word records","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"kaidi-tatham-in-search-of-hope","title":"Kaidi Tatham - In Search of Hope","description":"\u003cp\u003eCat #: FW208LP\u003cbr\u003eUPC: 5050580736061\u003cbr\u003eFormat: 2 x Vinyl LP\u003cbr\u003eRelease: 15th May 2020\u003cbr\u003eLabel: First Word Records\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Electronica\/Dance\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom his earlier work with pioneering London production outfits like Bugz In The Attic, DKD, Silhouette Brown, Blakai, Likwid Biskit, Neon Phusion and Agent K, to his recent releases and collaborations with Dego and the extended 2000black family, Kaidi Tatham is one of the most quietly influential British artists of his time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2008's 'In Search of Hope' is the second solo album from Tatham and the first under his own name. It pushes the musical boundaries of electronic and dance music in a way that is still rarely heard today. While the album retains its contemporary London influences, it allowed Tatham to stretch out musically in a way he hadn't done on record before. The majority of the album's tracks aren't in the standard 4\/4 time signature that most contemporary dance music follows, and some switch between a handful of different time signatures over the course of a few minutes. In a way, the album could be viewed as Tatham's mission statement and a sign of what was to come from him as an artist: uncompromisingly and unapologetically sophisticated modern black music. His face melting virtuosity never gets in the way of coherent groove, melody, harmony and arrangement. Originally released on Tokyo based label Freedom School and recorded on a modest set up at his flat in south London, 'In Search of Hope' has become a holy grail record for dance music fans and jazz heads alike. Its mythical status is spurred on by the fact that it was unavailable digitally, until now, with physical copies fetching astronomical prices online, especially considering how recently it was released compared to other records that reach similar prices.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":34073588596780,"sku":"FW208LP","price":26.1,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/KaidiTatham-InSearchofHope.jpg?v=1589090995"},{"product_id":"souleance-les-mouches","title":"Souleance - Les Mouches","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW218\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580741010\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 30th October 2020\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Electronica\/Dance (Beats and Breaks)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Les Mouches\u003cbr\u003e02: Aquarelle\u003cbr\u003e03: The Bounce\u003cbr\u003e04: Mont Maudit\u003cbr\u003e05: Maneuvers\u003cbr\u003e06: L'Opuleance\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWorldwide Award winners First Word Records are pleased to welcome back Souleance; a duo that have been releasing music with us for a decade now, and triumphantly returning to the fold with some brand new music for 2020.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis vinyl \/ digital EP, 'Les Mouches', is their first release for First Word since the acclaimed beat-tape 'French Cassette' from early last year.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExpanding on the original Normand-Parisian super-duo of Fulgeance and Soulist, the Souleance crew now includes Vincent Choquet on synths and Guillaume Rossel on drums as part of their live outfit. Whilst sonically their style remains unchanged, the formation into a full band sees the Souleance sound become bigger, more realised and more formidable than ever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe title track 'Les Mouches' sets off the EP in a playful disco manner - a chugging bassline, assorted synthesisers, disco claps and a four-to-the-floor drum track, inspired by the likes of Larry Levan and Candido. Meaning \"flies\", Les Mouches was a legendary Manhattan club that existed around the era of Studio 54, and was infamously a hangout spot for Imelda Marcos. The club itself was named after a play by Jean-Paul Sartre.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNext up is the single 'Aquarelle' (meaning watercolours), which contains more layers than a Bob Ross painting. With its various elements splayed across its aural canvas, sprinkled with some subtle scratches, it's four minutes of funk presented in Souleance's inimitable way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'The Bounce' follows and enters a more soulful side of the dance, dropping the tempo a touch and inviting in a huge bassline, squelchy keys and intermittent vocal hooks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Mont Maudit' takes more of a latin jazz direction with big drums and cymbals rocking throughout, whilst an infectious piano hook cruises throughout, and an ethereal gospel choir switches up the proceedings mid-way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThings get deeper still with the epic broken beat-esque 'Maneuevers'. Crunchy rhodes dominate this slightly tweaked-out rhythm, a delectable piece of heads-down nujazz fused with Souleance's unmistakable funk once again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'L'Opuleance' closes out this EP with some more traditional Souleance fare - the tempo a little more head-nod, this one is comprised of some deliciously wobbly bass, chopped samples and hefty breaks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis EP is essentially a set of grooves marinated in nostalgia whilst managing to sound entirely current. Analogue synths, live bass, sleek cuts and intoxicating drums. This is another round of sure-shot dancefloor fire from our favourite French family.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePrevious support has come from OkayPlayer, Bill Brewster, BBC 6 Music's Gilles Peterson, Tom Ravenscroft \u0026amp; Huey Morgan, and various DJs on Worldwide FM, NTS \u0026amp; Le Mellotron,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Les Mouches' is out on vinyl \u0026amp; digital, early September 2020.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":36591015428252,"sku":"FW218","price":8.55,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/Souleance-LesMouches.jpg?v=1603465296"},{"product_id":"allysha-joy-light-it-again","title":"Allysha Joy - Light It Again","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e 12\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCat:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e FW221\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eReleased:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e 18th December 2020\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre:\u003c\/strong\u003e Soul\/R\u0026amp;B (Neo Soul)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records are extremely proud to welcome aboard Allysha Joy and her first EP\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003efor the label, 'Light It Again'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWell versed in poetry and performance, Allysha Joy's potent lyricism, unique musicianship and killer vocals have garnered legions of attentive fans the world over. She's an integral member of the Melbourne soul jazz scene, known as part of the acclaimed 30\/70 Collective and for her own equally revered solo work.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Light It Again' is a 4-part expedition across a variety of grooves and deep lyricism that marks a defiant statement of intimacy and hope. Produced and engineered by twice Grammy nominated artist Clever Austin (Hiatus Kaiyote), the EP features accompaniment from an all-star set of Melbourne artists; Horatio Luna, Ziggy Zeitgeist, Danika Smith and Josh Kelly. This EP marks a new sound for the young artist, transmitting her honest and raw expression through the signature crunch and sonic landscape of Clever Austin.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAllysha is already well established across Europe, performing on the live circuit alongside the likes of Sampa the Great, Matthew Halsall, Ezra Collective, Bradley Zero and Children of Zeus, as well as currently hosting two regular radio shows, on Worldwide FM and Reform Radio in Manchester respectively.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer 2018 debut album 'Acadie : Raw' on Gondwana Records won 'Best Soul Album' at the Music Victoria Awards, was nominated for a Worldwide Award, and featured in many an end-of-year list, including Bandcamp's Top Soul Albums, whilst she's also featured on releases on UK labels such as Rhythm Section, Total Refreshment Centre and now an EP for First Word, 'Light It Again'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe EP touches on love, shame, mental health, grief \u0026amp; spirituality. 'Watercolours' sets off on a mid-tempo neo-soul jazz tip. Allysha says \"I wrote this in the hope that maybe we could all feel the beauty that is present in the every day - in nature, in art, in each one of us mirroring each other so intrinsically. Then maybe we'd all start to live out a message of love.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Better' follows on an uptempo vibe influenced musically by The Senegambian Jazz Band, who Allysha would watch regularly at Bar Oussou in Melbourne. Lyrically the song explores the external and internal struggles that occur trying to create a more inclusive and compassionate world. \"It's about catching myself pointing the finger outwards to challenge social \/ political systems and certain individuals, then coming to the realisation that I must turn that finger back on myself to ask, \"how can I do better, how can I know better?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLead track 'Light It Again' begins with Allysha's keys gliding a steppa-like rhythm - head-snap snares and punchy bass accompany ethereal harmonies and delicate vibes on an ever-evolving groove before switching entirely mid-track. This time the subject matter is mental health and \"the cycle of addiction and pain, the coping mechanisms that hold us back from reaching our true potential\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe EP closes out with the beautiful 'Mardi'; deep Rhodes, sax and synths build ahead of deliciously slushy percussion and jilted drums. Named for her grandmother, 'Mardi' is a tribute to the spiritual connection they shared before her passing. Allysha writes, \"it's about the connective forces of the matriarchal lineage and the drive to step into my own sense of self, in all the beauty and pain which that entails\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAllysha's lyrics weave together a heartfelt mix of love, power, desire, wonder, anger, faith and hope for change. An artist that presents a palette of intricate grace and optimism, whilst unafraid of adding uncomfortable truths. Allysha is an incredibly powerful live performer; her husky vocals sonically synced with her formidable Fender Rhodes playing, whilst her influences are a solid base of jazz, hip hop and R\u0026amp;B; all glazed with the unique special sauce the Melbourne soul scene has become known for globally. A gloriously meditative, raw soul, we are delighted to be able to share her music with you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Light It Again' is released on vinyl \u0026amp; digital worldwide, November 20th 2020.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":37255223345308,"sku":"FW221","price":8.55,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/AllyshaJoy-LightItAgain_26d0c915-cee9-4b4b-9311-471909aee1b3.jpg?v=1608476007"},{"product_id":"olivier-st-louis-m-o-t-h-matters-of-the-heartless","title":"Olivier StLouis - MOTH (Matters Of The Heartless)","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW217\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580745438\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 29th January 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Soul\/R\u0026amp;B (Soul)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Jump the Line\u003cbr\u003e02: Runnin' Wild (Extended Version)\u003cbr\u003e03: Confliction (feat. Oddisee)\u003cbr\u003e04: All in Love\u003cbr\u003e05: Quit\u003cbr\u003e06: Serotonin\u003cbr\u003e07: Steady\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing on from a series of singles, 'Runnin' Wild', 'Confliction' and 'Jump The Line', First Word Records is very pleased to present a full-length EP from alt-soul artist Olivier St.Louis, produced by Oddisee - 'M.O.T.H. (Matters Of The Heartless)'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOlivier was born in Washington DC of Haitian and Cameroon heritage, but spent his teens studying in the UK. As a teenager, his CD and tape collection would encompass a wide range of genres, from hip hop and r\u0026amp;b to garage and British alternative rock. A bio-science student, Olivier couldn't suppress his true passion of music. After graduating, he took on a \"Jekyll and Hyde\" lifestyle; working as a scientist in the day, and a musician at night.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis work as a recording artist eventually lead to his debut release in 2011, 'The Mr. Saint Louis EP', released under the moniker Olivier Daysoul and produced by longtime collaborator and fellow Washingtonian, Oddisee, a revered hip hop producer \/ artist in his own right. From here on, Olivier began laying down vocals, collaborating and touring with a wide-range of artists over the following years, including Hudson Mohawke, C2C, Laura Mvula and German rockers, AnnenMayKantereit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter taking a hiatus from feature work, Olivier decided to concentrate on nurturing his own sound. Embracing a newfound love for blues, rock and funk, a series of late night sessions saw him engulfed in new soundscapes, and reverting back to his birth name, Olivier St.Louis. This saw him release two critically-acclaimed EPs with Berlin-based label, Jakarta, and the release of 'The Serious EP' with Bibio on Warp Records.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing world tours with many of the afore-mentioned, Olivier has been working on all-new material, which is now set to be unleashed upon the world via Worldwide Award-winning London label, First Word Records.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe 'M.O.T.H.' EP begins with the downtempo bump of 'Jump The Line' before the adrenaline-racing rhythm of 'Runnin Wild' steps up the pace. Next is second single 'Confliction'; a considerably moodier affair, with Oddisee on assist on the bars as well as on the boards. The flipside begins on a similar vein as the first with the smoothed-out soul of 'All In Love', before we head into the slightly jazzier tinged 'Quit'. 'Serotonin' follows next with a groove and bassline reminiscent of Sly Stone, before we close out with the feel-good uptempo boogie stepper, 'Steady'. With Oddisee on the boards throughout, this EP exemplifies Olivier's unique take on alternative soul.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eComparisons have already been made to something between D'Angelo and Shuggie Otis - big boots to fill, though easy to believe once you've seen and heard this man do his thing. This EP is essentially a classically-structured selection of soul-funk with a rock edge, and a touch of jazz. Each track is laced with Olivier's sweet harmonies and fuzzed-out guitar licks throughout, and mixed down with a little 2020 boom bap thump. A prime example of Olivier's unique talents and a set of quality contemporary alt-soul.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen asked his thoughts on his artistry, Olivier St. Louis simply states \"no punches pulled, no compromises, just me\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'M.O.T.H. (Matters Of The Heartless)' is released via First Word Records in January 2021.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":37362737283228,"sku":"FW217","price":8.98,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/OlivierSt.Louis-M.O.T.H._MattersOfTheHeartless.jpg?v=1609504007"},{"product_id":"kaidi-tatham-an-insight-to-all-minds-2-x-vinyl-lp","title":"Kaidi Tatham - An Insight To All Minds [2 x Vinyl LP]","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 2 x Vinyl LP \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW228\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580753457\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 2nd April 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Electronica\/Dance (Broken Beat)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Try n Follow\u003cbr\u003e02: Intergalactic Relations\u003cbr\u003e03: Interlude\u003cbr\u003e04: Carry It Mongo Man\u003cbr\u003e05: Chungo (feat. Uhmeer)\u003cbr\u003e06: Insight to All Minds\u003cbr\u003e07: Nah Top Yuh Noise\u003cbr\u003e08: DSXSWC\u003cbr\u003e09: Rodney\u003cbr\u003e10: Rain\u003cbr\u003e11: Could It Be\u003cbr\u003e12: Interlude 2\u003cbr\u003e13: Stro Kyat (feat. Stro Elliot)\u003cbr\u003e14: Tek Care\u003cbr\u003e15: Enjoy Life\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records are very proud to present a brand new album from Kaidi Tatham!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'An Insight To All Minds' is Kaidi's 3rd solo album under his own name, following several EPs and two albums for First Word; 2018's acclaimed 'It's A World Before You' and the re-press of his seminal 2008 sophomore album 'In Search Of Hope' last year.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor those that don't know, Kaidi Tatham is a legendary multi-instrumentalist. Once dubbed \"the UK's Herbie Hancock\" by Benji B, he's a virtuoso on the keys and a true innovator in sound production as one of the original creators of the Broken Beat sound. Over the years his musical prowess has blessed numerous projects, initially with the likes of Bugz In The Attic and The Herbaliser, and more recently with DJ Jazzy Jeff (through the PLAYlist projects), Andrew Ashong (on the acclaimed 'Sankofa Season' EP last year) and with longtime accomplice, Dego. This in addition to session work for artists such as Mulatu Astatke, Slum Village, Amy Winehouse, Soul II Soul and Leroy Burgess, along with First Word label mates such as Eric Lau, Children of Zeus and Darkhouse Family. Kaidi is also a revered DJ known for rocking parties globally, whilst his solo catalogue spans tons of EPs and releases for labels such as 2000 Black, Eglo and Theo Parrish's Sound Signature.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn 'An Insight To All Minds', Kaidi says it's \"not about a destination, but a process. It's about how you drive, not where you're going. Nothing in this world can torment you as much as your own thoughts… We are all going through it. We can all feel what the next person is feeling, believe it or not. It's learning how to tap into it\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe album is comprised of an assortment of Kaidi's unique flavours - uptempo jazz-funk bruk, laced with rhodes, flutes, live bass and delicious percussion. Using that blueprint he moves effortlessly through latin and samba, half-step, deep afro house and a sprinkle of curveballs, all presented in Kaidi's inimitable way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Intergalactic Relations' brings with it some 110bpm synthed-out spacey electro-breaks, 'Could It Be' sets off sounding like a Morricone film score, whilst 'Rodney' is some serious heads-down business; stark and punchy off-kilter broken beat and vocal stabs. There are a few guests too - 'Chungo' sees the return of Uhmeer (who previously appeared on 'Cupid' on the album 'It's A World Before You'); here the young Philly MC deftly rides a 9\/4 time signature beat. Meanwhile 'Stro Kyat' invites in another supreme talent, Stro Elliot (The Roots), who provides a suitably crisp \u0026amp; crunchy riddim to accompany Kaidi's key play over a mind-bending 5\/4 time signature.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith this new album, Kaidi Tatham adds further to his already impressive catalogue, a body of work that falls within the cracks of jazz and dance music, exemplifying modern British black brilliance once again; uncompromising, innovative, groundbreaking, intricately sophisticated and deeply funky. His fanbase expands on every release and it's no surprise that that fanbase includes peers such as Madlib (\"ahead of his time\"), Gilles Peterson (\"a key part of an entire movement\"), K15 (\"a limitless source of inspiration\"), Alexander Nut (\"a true virtuoso\") and Kyle Hall.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'An Insight To All Minds' is released on double vinyl, CD \u0026amp; digital via First Word Records, April 2nd 2021.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39609863864476,"sku":"FW228","price":26.13,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/KaidiTatham-AnInsightToAllMinds_9df40f59-5be8-4b0c-9f9a-716b8a9936b9.jpg?v=1618071905"},{"product_id":"various-artists-a-family-affair","title":"KAIDI TATHAM \/ TAKUYA KORODA \/ BRUK - A Family Affair","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW200\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580759282\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 23rd April 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Electronica\/Dance (Broken Beat)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Allysha Joy Better (Kaidi Tatham Remix)\u003cbr\u003e02: Quiet Dawn \u0026amp; Sarah Williams White One By One (Bruk It Version)\u003cbr\u003e03: Takuya Kuroda Fade (KEARL Remix)\u003cbr\u003e04: Teotima But I Can't (K15 Remix)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe started First Word Records in late 2003. The core team is based in London, but our roster is comprised of artists from all over the globe. As we look ahead to our 20th anniversary, and hit our 200th release, this EP is a collaborative effort from some of our current artists.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs a label, we've often championed musicians that create sounds that fall within the cracks of more defined-genres. Our aim has always been to highlight unique talent where we find it, and ultimately find things we deem worthy of inclusion in the great mixtape of life! Quite often the links may not seem apparent, but we feel blessed to have been able to slowly build a family of artists that not only have great respect for each other, but will quite often collaborate together without any prompts from us. This collection of music is a series of examples of that. 'A Family Affair'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor this vinyl EP, there is a heavy dancefloor vibe, with four tracks that nestle within the realms of broken beat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing her debut EP 'Light It Again' for us in late 2020, Allysha Joy's track 'Better' is re-visited by the don Kaidi Tatham, who reworks the track in his own inimitable way; starting on a half-tempo neo-soul vein, before switching to his trademark fusion of bruk, boogie and jazz mid-way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter a lengthy absence we're delighted to welcome back Quiet Dawn and Sarah Williams White, with a collaborative piece between the two entitled 'One By One'. You can expect longer projects from them both later in the year, but here's a little vibe to wet your whistle. This, the 'Bruk It' version doing exactly what it says on the tin.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn the flipside, we have a delicious rub of Takuya Kuroda's 'Fade' featuring the vocals of Corey King and taken from Takuya's highly-acclaimed LP 'Fly Moon Die Soon'. The remix work on this one courtesy of a killer combo in their own rights, KEARL aka Earl Jeffers (Darkhouse Family) and K15 (Profusion).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSpeaking of K15, this EP closes out with his interpretation of Teotima's 'But I Can't' originally from their 2019 album 'Weightless'. Taking elements of the original vocal from Ellie Rose Rusbridge, K15 transforms this one into a dreamy boogie-tinged groove - previously supported by Mary Anne Hobbs and the like.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTwo of these tracks have never been available on vinyl before, whilst the other two are brand new tracks being released for the first time on any format.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A Family Affair' is out on First Word Records on 12\" vinyl, April 16th 2021.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39736266588316,"sku":"FW200","price":8.55,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/VariousArtists-AFamilyAffair_d6ca9f66-5d19-4ed7-8e23-9759a986d39e.jpg?v=1619096183"},{"product_id":"children-of-zeus-balance-cd-album","title":"Children of Zeus - Balance [CD Album]","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat: CD Album \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW230CD\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580757004\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 4th June 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Soul\/R\u0026amp;B (Contemporary RnB)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e01: Sunrise\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02: No Love Song\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03: I Know\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e04: Be Someone\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e05: I Need You\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e06: Nice \u0026amp; Sweet\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e07: Balance (feat. Akemi Fox \u0026amp; Georgie Sweet)\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e08: Cali Dreams\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e09: 42Long\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e10: The Most Humblest Of All Time, Ever\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e11: What I'm Seeing\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e12: Love Again\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e13: Sunset\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFirst Word Records is extremely proud to welcome back Children of Zeus with their sophomore album, 'Balance'.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFollowing the release of their debut album 'Travel Light' in 2018 (which featured in numerous 'Album of the Year' lists), Tyler Daley and Konny Kon spent the next two years extensively touring the UK, Europe, Australia and South Africa.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWith shows on ice over the last 12 months, Children of Zeus took the time to mature their sound; 'Balance' is 50 minutes of future-classic British soul music encompassing hip hop, neo-soul, gospel and r\u0026amp;b. Konny's laidback flow once again merges with Tyler's unmistakable buttery vocals across a set of bass-heavy backdrops and smoothed-out keys, taking the blueprint from their debut and evolving it into a deeper, more-refined sound.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAs with previous material, the album is largely produced by the duo themselves, though we also see the return of Grammy-winner Beat Butcha, whose previous production credits include Jay Z, Beyonce, Nipsey Hussle, \u0026amp; Griselda (one of Butcha's productions graces first single 'No Love Song'). Title track 'Balance' comes from upcoming producer \u0026amp; Soulection regular, cay caleb and also features the only vocal feature on the album, from rising UK soul talents Akemi Fox and Georgie Sweet.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Children of Zeus journey began with a mutual love of 90s Manchester pirate radio; consuming hip hop and beats, r\u0026amp;b and street soul, lovers rock and dancehall, garage and bass music. Then followed decades of performing, creating and collaborating in different guises. Over the past few years, the hip hop soul duo have garnered props far and wide; from Jazzie B to Jazzy Jeff. They've done performances for the likes of Soulection and BBC, in addition to hosting their monthly NTS Radio show and collaborating with artists like Black Milk and Goldie.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFrom travelling light, to travelling nowhere, it's been a time where we've all had to reflect on the lives we lead. This album is about equilibrium; walking the thin line of life and striving to keep your footing firm at all times, ever pushing forward. Balancing the rough with the smooth and the work with the play.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Children of Zeus sound is now fully grown. It's time to bring 'Balance' into the universe. This is unashamedly big people music to be played out of big speakers. The definitive sound of UK street soul in 2021. The story continues..\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'Balance' is released worldwide on June 4th 2021.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39752704622748,"sku":"FW230CD","price":10.8,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_cebda3ce-2a53-4de4-b93c-58d96cb45870.jpg?v=1619259972"},{"product_id":"nathaniel-cross-the-description-is-not-the-described","title":"Nathaniel Cross - The Description Is Not The Described","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW229\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580754713\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 1st September 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Jazz (Crossover Jazz)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Goodbye for Now\u003cbr\u003e02: Charge It to the Game\u003cbr\u003e03: Light in the Darkness\u003cbr\u003e04: Who Looks Inside, Awakes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is incredibly proud to welcome Nathaniel Cross to the label, here with his debut solo EP 'The Description Is Not The Described'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOnce dubbed \"the Quincy Jones of Catford\" by Rolling Stone magazine, the South Londoner has been a prominent force behind the scenes for several years now as an arranger and trombone player. His skillset has seen him perform and record with a wide range of luminaries including Solange, Emile Sandé, Stormzy, Zara McFarlane, Kano, David Murray, LCSM, Swindle and Macy Gray to cite a few, additionally to working on both of Moses Boyd's albums, including the Mercury Prize nominated 'Dark Matter'. Growing up in a musically-focused family, Nathaniel has been playing the trombone since the age of 10 and studied at Guildhall School of Music \u0026amp; Drama. Two decades since first picking up the trombone, it's now finally time for Nathaniel to release his own compositions into the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo to the EP - a four-track instrumental opus that falls within the cracks of contemporary jazz, whilst encompassing a wide-range of black music sub-genres that he heard growing up in a British-Caribbean household. \"The overview for this EP at the core of each track is jazz arranging, but disguised under a range of styles of music from the black diaspora\" says Nathaniel. Sonically, the full-set threads in strains of bruk, calypso, dancehall, neo-soul, hip hop, gospel, afro-cuban and West African music.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe title itself 'The Description Is Not The Described' comes from a quote by Jiddu Krishnamurti. In Nathaniel's words \"the title is a reflection of where we are in the world today. So many of us are caught up in labels and descriptions that we end up looking at people for WHAT they are, rather than embrace them for WHO they are. No matter how detailed the description is, it will never capture the essence\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe EP's track subjects encompass a range of topics, from grief and loss ('Goodbye For Now', dedicated to Nathaniel's late father), to overcoming the trials and tribulations of life ('Charge It To The Game'), to remaining positive in challenging times ('Light In The Darkness'), to looking for validation internally instead of externally ('Who Looks Inside, Awakes', named after a Carl Jung quote).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'The Description Is Not The Described' is released by First Word Records on vinyl \u0026amp; digital worldwide, May 7th 2021.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40798515101852,"sku":"FW229","price":8.55,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_75a014a7-fafc-4838-930f-9b4e7b7229f1.jpg?v=1630426312"},{"product_id":"k-s-r-peace-harmony","title":"[ K S R ] - Peace + Harmony","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW246\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580771963\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 10 Dec 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Contemporary RnB\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: I Wonder\u003cbr\u003e02: Lily Apart\u003cbr\u003e03: Born In 98\u003cbr\u003e04: CGWY (feat. Children of Zeus)\u003cbr\u003e05: Harmless\u003cbr\u003e06: Given Summer (feat. Ayeisha Raquel)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is very proud to present you with 'Peace + Harmony'. The first EP from our most recent signing, [ K S R ].\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHailing from Moss Side, Manchester, this young talent has been steadily building a rep for himself over the past few years as one of the UK's most exciting soul vocalists, with his releases encompassing an eclectic assortment of alternative R\u0026amp;B, future soul, hip hop and D\u0026amp;B. Influenced by an array of neo-soul artists, such as D'Angelo and Anderson .Paak, his own soulful style has already seen him tour and collaborate with a number of UK peers; working on projects with label-mates Children of Zeus \u0026amp; Australia's REMi, and supporting the likes of Etta Bond \u0026amp; The Mouse Outfit, as well as performing sell-out headline solo shows in Manchester and London, and playing various festivals across Europe, including the We Out Here festival very recently.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSince he began developing his music in 2017, [ K S R ] has had support from the likes of 1Xtra, BBC Radio 1, BBC Introducing, Mixmag, NTS, Reprezent, Unity \u0026amp; Soho Radio, in addition to featuring on a slew of D\u0026amp;B tracks with artists like Lenzman, BCee, Emba \u0026amp; Redeyes. The collab with Emba was recently named a 'Kiss FM Future Selection' courtesy of Hybrid Minds and features have been supported on Spotify's 'New Music Friday' and 'Mandem - Kings' amongst others. His debut release 'Unfiltered' appeared on Polarface Records in 2019, which was followed by single 'Flex With Me' (also produced by Tyler Daley from Children of Zeus) then an independent second EP, 'Take Control', followed in late 2020 (during the pandemic) which amassed over 500k streams. Additionally to the releases, he was recently recruited by Manchester United as part of their 21\/22 season kit announcements, as well as working with Nike and Size? on a special MCR-themed Air Force 1 release.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt's now time for a new extended project from Roosevelt Kazaula Sigsbert - better known as [ K S R ]. 'Peace + Harmony' is a solid set of alternative R\u0026amp;B, produced by Dom Porter and mixed by Eric Lau. Six tracks in all, including the single, 'Harmless' (which received support from the likes of Mr. Scruff (Worldwide FM), BBC Manchester and Victoria Jane (BBC Radio 1), was 'Track Of The Week' on 1Xtra\/BBC Introducing, and saw the video racking up several thousand plays in its first weekend) and follow-up 'CGWY' featuring Children of Zeus on a brand new interpretation of their classic track 'Get What's Yours'. From the intro track 'I Wonder', to the downlow future soul of 'Lily Apart', to the autobiographical vibes of 'Born In '98', to the closing track 'Given Summer', also featuring the vocals of Ayeisha Raquel, each track on the EP is of course laced with Roosevelt's unmistakable silky smooth vocals, and is set to join his already impressive catalogue of underground soul classics such as 'Alien Boo', 'Stylin' and 'New Love'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[ K S R ] says \"my third EP, [ P E A C E + H A R M O N Y ] is a collection of my thoughts and experiences from my journey throughout the last two years of my life. Lots of aspects of my life changed over 24 months, along with everyone around the globe. When we were thrown into the unknown at the start of 2020, I stepped away from music for a while as I couldn't find any peace in my creativity and needed to evolve. I finally started to feel cohesive with my songwriting and music, and I could feel harmony between myself and my art once again.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Peace + Harmony' by [ K S R ] is released on vinyl \u0026amp; digital on First Word Records, late 2021.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41206414934172,"sku":"FW246","price":10.8,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_d1a7206b-2bd2-44aa-8ba2-baa2f9082091.jpg?v=1636731109"},{"product_id":"sarah-williams-white-unfathomable","title":"Sarah Williams White - Unfathomable","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW236\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580771666\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 28 Jan 2022\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Synth Pop\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Nebula\u003cbr\u003e02: Oh!\u003cbr\u003e03: Monsters\u003cbr\u003e04: Spectrum of Light\u003cbr\u003e05: Those Ones\u003cbr\u003e06: Green\u003cbr\u003e07: Greetings\u003cbr\u003e08: How I Need You\u003cbr\u003e09: 364\u003cbr\u003e10: Unfathomable\u003cbr\u003e11: Exit Lyra\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is very pleased to present a brand new full-length album from Sarah Williams White! Emanating from the \"hilly fields of Lewisham\" in South London, Sarah Williams White is a singer songwriter, multi-\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003einstrumentalist and producer. Her sound is a unique blend of psych-soul, folktronica and experimental synth-pop.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSarah released her acclaimed debut album 'Of The New World' on First Word in 2015, which was written, produced and performed by Sarah from her home studio, with the assistance of drummer, engineer \u0026amp; husband, Timmy Rickard. Her projects have seen support from the likes of Lauren Laverne, Tom Ravenscroft, Nemone \u0026amp; Chris Hawkins (BBC 6 Music), Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), FIP Radio, Clash \u0026amp; The Guardian, to name a few, and she's toured the UK with Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip and Golden Rules (Lex). There have been additional collaborations with label-mate Quiet Dawn (on the 2021 compilation \/ EP 'A Family Affair') and with her brother, Paul White - a revered producer in his own right, with credits including Danny Brown and Sudan Archives.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing a hiatus, Sarah now brings us her sophomore album, 'Unfathomable'. A project that offers up escapism from the mundane, enticing us to connect with our natural planet in this prevalent time, via the eyes of a new mother.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn her words, Sarah states that the album is \"about escape. It's about deflating the ego by looking up to the endlessness of outer space, connecting with the greatness of mother nature, and loving how unfathomable the universe and life itself is\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e11-tracks in all, including the recent singles 'Nebula', 'Green' and 'Monsters', this opus sees Sarah's buttery lathing of vocals merged with cutting beats and atypical pop sensibilities across the project, again entirely self-produced from home, defining her as one of the UK's most irresistible DIY psych-soul talents.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith a voice reminiscent of Peggy Lee, tapestried harmony akin to Hiatus Kaiyote, beats fit for Little Dragon, and experimental production evocative of Kate Bush, Sarah Williams White's signature genre-defying sound invites us into a world uniquely hers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Unfathomable' is released on vinyl and digital in late January 2022.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePrevious releases:\u003cbr\u003e\"Future-facing... wonderfully atmospheric\" - Clash\u003cbr\u003e\"Absolutely beautiful\" - Lauren Laverne, BBC 6 Music\u003cbr\u003e\"New and special\" - Jamie Cullum, BBC Radio 2\u003cbr\u003e\"A shining and soulful sonic odyssey\" - The 405\u003cbr\u003e\"Dark, feminine, chaotic\" - The Guardian\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41327250112668,"sku":"FW236","price":16.2,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_52d70a7f-3b2e-40ab-8547-60ed4a205256.jpg?v=1641409488"},{"product_id":"werkha-eterno-retorno-in-saint-gilles","title":"Werkha - Eterno Retorno \/ In Saint-Gilles","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 7\" Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW240\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580778160\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 04 Feb 2022\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Breaks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Eterno Retorno (feat. Moreiya)\u003cbr\u003e02: In Saint-Gilles (feat. Le Motel)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is very pleased to bring you more music from Werkha!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing on from his EP 'The Rigour' from early 2020, the Mancunian musician dropped a little taste of his new material late last year in the form of single 'Battered Mars Bar' and limited cassette 'Beat Tapestry'. Now we have a double aa-side single featuring two cuts from his forthcoming album 'All Werk Is Play'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Eterno Retorno' features the glorious Portuguese vocals of Moreiya, gliding across Werkha's uniquely skippy bruk vibes, with squelchy bass stabs and delicate guitar strums in tow.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'In Saint-Gilles' keeps the tempo up, cleverly switching between a 4\/4 and a half-time rhythm. This one bringing more European vibes with the talents of DJ\/Producer Le Motel from Belgium also behind the boards.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBoth tracks have already been shown support from the likes of AtJazz \u0026amp; DJ Paulette.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWerkha hails from Manchester and has been releasing music for a decade, collaborating and remixing artists such as Quantic, Bryony Jarman-Pinto, Marcos Valles and Andrew Ashong, and touring with Bonobo, Chet Faker and Mr Scruff.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis single is released February 4th 2022 on vinyl \u0026amp; digital via First Word Records.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41349678006428,"sku":"FW240","price":7.18,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_929aa42e-59db-4ca6-9f59-7b7b1c64eaa6.jpg?v=1642412770"},{"product_id":"quiet-dawn-movements","title":"Quiet Dawn - Movements","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW233\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580767546\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 11 Feb 2022\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Broken Beat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Yellow\u003cbr\u003e02: Change Must Come (feat. Oliver Night)\u003cbr\u003e03: Breathe\u003cbr\u003e04: Swirl\u003cbr\u003e05: We Can Do Everything\u003cbr\u003e06: Coming Up\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is very pleased to welcome back Quiet Dawn with a brand new EP entitled 'Movements'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eParisian multi-instrumentalist Will Galland has been with First Word since late 2014, providing several releases for us over the years, from his acclaimed debut album 'The First Day' to his last EP release, the organic opus 'Human Being - The Short Story Of The Reed'. Collaborations have included Makaya McCraven, Oddisee, Miles Bonny and First Word crew such as Eric Lau, Bastien Keb and Sarah Williams White, who he teamed up with on his classic remix of the track 'Hum' and most recently on the track 'One By One' which appeared on the compilation EP 'A Family Affair' at the start of 2021.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor his latest project, 'Movements' sits firmly in the realms of broken beat, after being heavily inspired at First Word's infamous 14th birthday party at Total Refreshment Centre, where he played alongside label-mates such as Kaidi Tatham and Children of Zeus. This delectable six-track EP encompasses a series of deeply percussive grooves and squelchy synths. This is a predominantly instrumental affair, though does feature the supremely soulful vocals of Oliver Night on the track 'Change Must Come', following on from Oliver's work with the CoOp Presents crew amongst others.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eQuiet Dawn says \"after the birth of my son, I took the time to get back to making new music.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd when I started to work on new tracks, I wanted to compose something without concept, unlike my previous records, just because time is precious and I wanted to find pleasure again when I composeand not be fixed to a concept, or a story.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThese new tracks are instinctive; made with my main instruments, rhodes \u0026amp; piano, synths, percussions, vocals, bass and guitars. They are naturally oriented towards my big musical crush, BRUK, along with different rhythms, vibes and grooves. For me, it's definitely a record for the dancers. For this reason, the new EP is called 'Movements'. Aside from the dancer's element, the title relates to everything that is happening in the world at the moment, working on this record over the pandemic. Affecting people in all countries, friendship, mutual aid, solidarity and movements in many instances are very important to me, my family and my musical family, First Word.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe influences on this particular EP come largely from the West London music scene; DKD, Bugz, Neon Phusion, 2000Black, Domu, IG Culture, Jazztronik, MdCL, the First Word fam and many many more artists. There are also heavy vibes inspired by 70's jazz, funk, disco, latin \u0026amp; african music.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Movements' by Quiet Dawn is released on First Word Records on vinyl \u0026amp; digital in late 2021.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41349966987420,"sku":"FW233","price":10.8,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_38291fe0-c10b-4085-99a0-97f898f3850b.jpg?v=1642425430"},{"product_id":"allysha-joy-torn-tonic","title":"Allysha Joy - Torn : Tonic","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW250\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580780095\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 10 Jun 2022\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Neo Soul\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Peace (feat. Rara Zulu) - Allysha Joy\u003cbr\u003e02: Calling You (feat. Ego Ella May) - Allysha Joy\u003cbr\u003e03: YK x YE (feat. BINA) - Allysha Joy\u003cbr\u003e04: Let It! - Allysha Joy\u003cbr\u003e05: Quit, Trying So Hard - Allysha Joy\u003cbr\u003e06: Still Dreaming (feat. Rara Zulu) - Allysha Joy\u003cbr\u003e07: Remedy - Allysha Joy\u003cbr\u003e08: Healers (feat. Dancing Water) - Allysha Joy\u003cbr\u003e09: Fatima (feat. Belle Bangard) - Allysha Joy\u003cbr\u003e10: G.N.D. - Allysha Joy\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is extremely delighted to present 'Torn : Tonic' — the sophomore album from singer, performer, poet and producer, Allysha Joy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDelivered unfiltered, straight from the soul, ´Torn : Tonic' pulls us into a 10 track journey that weaves through the multiplicity of letting go, standing tall, and creating space all at once. The album's expansive and vivid exploration of healing examines the power that comes with accepting the complexity of change. Allysha walks listeners through the remedy she finds in sound and emerges empowered to share this healing with others. Deeply moving and lyrically compelling, 'Torn : Tonic' hosts a stellar line-up of artists, creating a world of collective power, growth, and hope.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAllysha Joy is an integral member of the vibrant Melbourne soul \u0026amp; jazz scene, well known for both her solo work and as lead vocalist for 30\/70. A uniquely-talented soul, her husky voice, and formidable Fender Rhodes prowess have garnered attentive audiences around the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer 2018 debut album 'Acadie : Raw' was named 'Best Soul Album' at the Music Victoria Awards, featured in Bandcamp's 'Top Soul Albums' of the year and received a nomination for 'Best Jazz Album' at the Worldwide Awards. An incredibly prolific artist, Allysha has released on labels; Rhythm Section, Gondwana, Future Classic, Total Refreshment Centre and now another drop for First Word, after her acclaimed 2020 EP, 'Light It Again'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAllysha's production on 'Torn : Tonic' effortlessly arches across a sonic palette, comprised of shuffling broken grooves and exquisite celestial melodies. There are healthy swathes of skippy neo-soul boom bap sensibilities, entwined with stark swing-laden electronic percussion, Detroit-esque sun-saturated synths, and Antipodean bruk backbeats. And whilst this project was produced entirely by Joy herself, she is far from alone, inviting in an array of female and non-binary artists to bless assorted tracks with their own unique gifts. Ego Ella May, BINA, Rara Zulu, Belle Bangard and Dancing Water all appear, expanding upon the formulaic roles of featured artists to share the creative space as equal collaborators.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Torn : Tonic' exudes vibes, from the opening whiplash snare of 'Peace, to the rolling jazz-bruk of lead single 'Let It!', to the sweet soulful sonics of 'Still Dreaming', to the closing triumphant shout of \"All Joy!!\" on 'G.N.D.', this is a 40-minute opus that will definitely require repeat listening.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAllysha's poetic introspection reveals the album's intention to demand space, purpose, and pleasure. Her words are deliberate and direct to the alarm bells and messages her artistic vision carries. Fluid, cross-genre, and spirited with generational stories embodied, 'Torn : Tonic' sits at the intersection of a feminist manifesto of Joy's momentous leap as an artist, and her exploration of what it means to be human in today's capitalist-driven world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn Allysha's words, 'Torn : Tonic' is exactly as the name describes. \"It is looking directly into the shadow of pain and overcoming it with joy. No love songs! Just social, political, emotional anthems for change! It is the first record I have produced entirely on my own and it feels like that perseverance that I have consistently had to conjure up is embedded in this music, overcoming my own conditioning in a society and industry that constantly tells me I can't, so I must!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Torn : Tonic' is released on vinyl and digital via First Word Records on May 13th 2022.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41683206733980,"sku":"FW250","price":17.98,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_659c1a17-5799-43db-987c-ce81202dd731.jpg?v=1654590026"},{"product_id":"souleance-guili-guili","title":"Souleance - Guili Guili","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 7\" Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW253\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580780347\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 08 Jul 2022\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Beats and Breaks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: GUILI (7) - Souleance\u003cbr\u003e02: TORO - Souleance\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is pleased to welcome back Souleance with a brand new single for Summer 2022!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'GUILI GUILI' is a double AA side 7\" single, with an additional remix by Art Of Tones on the digital version.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrench slang for \"tickle\", 'GUILI' is an epic disco-funk piece inspired by the likes of Azymuth, Herbie Hancock and Marcos Valle, but incorporated with Souleance's trademark sounds of fuzzy bass-heavy electronica, synths and samples, giving the track a fresh contemporary twist. Meanwhile, the (digital only) Art Of Tones mix ramps up the disco elements heavily, incorporating some vocals, strings and horn stabs to create some sure fire heat for the summertime. The flipside 'TORO' is a much more tweaked-out, synth-heavy bomb, influenced by artists such as Prince, Parliament and French electronic club music. All tracks mark the evolution of the duo into a full live band, whilst remaining true to their sonic mission of producing music crafted especially for the dancefloor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe band have been performing live at various festivals and venues across Europe, with upcoming appearances scheduled at the Pura Vida Festival, Greece in August and Jazz à Vienne in July.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis two-track vinyl 7\" \/ three-track digi-single is released on First Word Records, worldwide on May 27th 2022. Another essential one for your record bags.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCredits:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBass guitar, synths and programming by Fulgeance.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eScratches and programming by Soulist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWurlitzer, Moog grandmother, ASM Hydra synth \u0026amp; Roland Juno 60 by Vincent Choquet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMastered by DJ VAS.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41729317404828,"sku":"FW253","price":7.18,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_9f374ff6-d6eb-48b6-9804-78b82924c1b7.jpg?v=1656610198"},{"product_id":"takuya-kuroda-midnight-crisp-fly-moon-die-soon-2cd","title":"Takuya Kuroda - Midnight Crisp \/ Fly Moon Die Soon [2CD]","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 2 x CD\u003cbr\u003eCatalogue No.: FW260CD\u003cbr\u003eBarcode: 5050580790339\u003cbr\u003eRelease Date: 21 Oct 2022\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Jazz \/ Fusion\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Midnight Crisp - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02: Time Coil - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03: It's Okay - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e04: Dead End Dance - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e05: Old Picture - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e06: Choy Soda - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e07: Fade (feat. Corey King) - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e08: ABC - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e09: CHANGE (feat. Corey King) - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e10: Do No Why - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e11: Fly Moon Die Soon - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e12: Moody - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e13: Sweet Sticky Things - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e14: Tell Me A Bedtime Story - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e15: TKBK - Takuya Kuroda\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is very proud to bring you a brand new album from Takuya Kuroda!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTakuya Kuroda is a highly respected trumpeter and arranger born in Kobe, Japan and based in New York City. 'Midnight Crisp' is Takuya's seventh studio album, entirely self-produced and following 2020's highly acclaimed 'Fly Moon Die Soon', also released on UK label First Word (winner of the Worldwide Award's Label of the Year in 2019). Consisting of six new tracks, this once again sees Takuya displaying his unique hybrid sound, blending soulful jazz, funk, post-bop, fusion and hip hop.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter following the footsteps of his trombonist brother playing in big bands, he relocated to New York to study jazz \u0026amp; contemporary music at The New School in Union Square; a course he graduated from in the mid-noughties. It was here that Takuya met vocalist José James, with whom he worked on the 'Blackmagic' and 'No Beginning No End' projects.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing graduation, Takuya established himself further in the NYC jazz scene, performing with the likes of Akoya Afrobeat and in recent years with DJ Premier's BADDER band. Premier said \"The BADDER Band project was put together by my manager, and an agent I've known since the beginning of my Gang Starr career. He said, 'What if you put a band together that revolved around a trumpet player from Japan named Takuya Kuroda? He's got a hip-hop perspective and respect in the jazz field…\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTakuya Kuroda is already incredibly prolific, releasing six albums in the past decade and fortifying a solid reputation in the global jazz scene. 2011 saw the release of Takuya's independently-produced debut album, 'Edge', followed by 'Bitter and High' the following year and 'Six Aces' on P-Vine in 2013. Takuya was signed to the legendary Blue Note Records in 2014 for his album 'Rising Son', as well as appearing on their 2019 cover versions project, 'Blue Note Voyage'. He released his 5th album 'Zigzagger' on Concord in 2016, which also featured Antibalas on a reimagining of the Donald Byrd classic 'Think Twice'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis last album was the afore-mentioned 'Fly Moon Die Soon' on First Word, which appears on the second disc here on CD for the very first time, and received plays and support from the likes of Pitchfork, Earmilk, Bandcamp Weekly, Worldwide FM, All About Jazz, Apple Music, Tidal, Stereogum, Treble, Brooklyn Vegan, FIP (France), Tony Minvielle, Jazz FM, Huey Morgan (BBC 6 Music), BBC Radio 3, Novena Carmel, KCRW and tons more DJs, tastemakers, selectors, radio stations, bloggers \u0026amp; magazines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe new project 'Midnight Crisp' will be released October 21st 2022 on vinyl, CD and digital, worldwide via First Word Records.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41972582023324,"sku":"FW260CD","price":13.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_ee6ce289-90e2-4c90-a65f-40db8f1f82e8.jpg?v=1663545786"},{"product_id":"eye-of-the-high-seismic-shift-elevate","title":"Eye Of The High - Seismic Shift \/ Elevate","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 7\" Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW262\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580789098\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 28 Oct 2022\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Soul\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Seismic Shift - Eye Of The High\u003cbr\u003e02: Elevate - Eye Of The High\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is very proud to welcome Eye Of The High to the label, with this vinyl-only double-dose of Brit Funk magic - 'Seismic Shift' and 'Elevate'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEye Of The High is a collaborative project headed by Femi Fem and Glen Scott.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFemi Fem is a DJ and producer, perhaps best known as being a member of Young Disciples, the iconic '90s band on the Talkin' Loud stable, whose seminal classic album 'Road To Freedom' was shortlisted for a Mercury Music Award. An iconic LP in the canon of UK soul music, this was a huge inspiration for First Word as a label. As a group, the YD's also worked with Loose Ends, Des'ree, IG Culture and many more.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA longtime international player on the DJ scene, Femi hosts a weekly Sunday night show on Mi-Soul Radio, runs MOBO Award-winning night 'Rotation' at Ladbroke Grove's Subteranea, and has performed at events for Prince, Janet Jackson, Stella McCartney, Jade Jagger and Gucci, additionally to providing music for shows by fashion designers like Ozwald Boateng and Katherine Hamnett.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGlen Scott is an award-winner producer, multi-instrumentalist and longtime collaborator with Femi since the mid nineties. Together they've worked on productions and remixes for the likes of Mary J Blige, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, D'Influence and The Pasadenas. Meanwhile, Glen's long list of additional productions and accomplished engineer roles include work with artists like Beverley Knight, Craig David, Luis Fonsi and Eric Bibb.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe duo's passion for all things soulful brought them together as a songwriting and production team initially, and forms the basis of their current incarnation, Eye of the High, now a collective of international musicians. Aiming to cater to the mind, body and soul, their sound comes from the cultural foundations of their Jamaican and Sierra Leone backgrounds, fused into the melting pot of London's many flavours. Their sonic influences are worn on their sleeves, with the classical ethics and sensibilities of funk, disco, r\u0026amp;b, jazz and street soul shining through, while presented in a contemporary style and pattern for today's dances, exuding passion, experience and feel-good vibes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo to the sophomore single offering from the band. 'Seismic Shift' is a brand new uptempo track that encompasses all the wonder and power of this new wave of Brit Funk. Tough bassline, smooth vocals, jazzy licks, sweet keys and a heavy disco groove, with a little vocoder action thrown in for good measure. There's no doubt this one will cause a seismic shift when dropped in any dance.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFlipside 'Elevate' was previously released digitally-only last Spring, through their own Higher Grade imprint. Four minutes of sheer upliftment, it received love from Gilles Peterson, Lauren Laverne, Trevor Nelson, Jeff Young, Tony Minvielle, Patrick Forge, Grant Nelson, Ross Allen, DJ Spoony, Ashley Beedle, Gordon Mac, Seamus Haji, Ronnie Herel, Dez Parkes, Mickey D, Roy The Roach and numerous other key selectors, subsequently being played across BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 2, NTS, Mi-Soul, Jazz FM and many others. This is the first time the original track has been released on vinyl.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn Eye of the High's words \"living in the midst of cataclysmic upheaval in the world provoked the Eye of the High team to create differently. Emerging out of this process, 'Seismic Shift' is about making great change. It feels appropriate for us to align with First Word Records to release 'Seismic Shift' as a vinyl single, with the ever popular dancers fave 'Elevate'. In the video and artwork, we reference the imagery of WW2 African American soldiers whom, on their return to the USA, sparked the fires of a seismic shift in civil rights activism. We are part of a new tide in positivity.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne that's absolutely vital for your crates, this limited double AA side 7\" single is released via First Word Records on October 28th 2022.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e-----\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRILY: Young Disciples, STR4TA, Freeez, Beggar and Co, Hi-Tension, Incognito, Central Line, Loose Ends, Omar, EWF, Funkadelic, Acid Jazz, Talkin' Loud, Rare Groove\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42112065732764,"sku":"FW262","price":8.1,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_e5e7c5ff-a878-4ddf-8bcb-f572fb8f692a.jpg?v=1666685427"},{"product_id":"kaidi-tatham-its-a-world-before-you-cd","title":"Kaidi Tatham - It's a World Before You [CD]","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: CD\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW174CD\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580693463\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 06 Jul 2018\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Broken Beat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Joyous - Kaidi Tatham\u003cbr\u003e02: Your Dreams Don't Mean a Thing - Kaidi Tatham\u003cbr\u003e03: Sweet Kinch - Kaidi Tatham\u003cbr\u003e04: Cold - Kaidi Tatham\u003cbr\u003e05: Out Here on My Own (feat. Children of Zeus) - Kaidi Tatham\u003cbr\u003e06: Bien - Kaidi Tatham\u003cbr\u003e07: 2Tone - Kaidi Tatham\u003cbr\u003e08: It's About Who You Know - Kaidi Tatham\u003cbr\u003e09: Outta Audah - Kaidi Tatham\u003cbr\u003e10: Soon Come - Kaidi Tatham\u003cbr\u003e11: It's a World Before You (feat. Dego) - Kaidi Tatham\u003cbr\u003e12: Cupid (feat. Uhmeer) - Kaidi Tatham\u003cbr\u003e13: Unique - Kaidi Tatham\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is very proud to present a brand new full-length album from Kaidi Tatham. 'It's A World Before You'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing on from two EPs released on First Word last year ('Changing Times' and 'Hard Times'), Kaidi has delivered us thirteen tracks that deftly illustrate his various talents as a multi-instrumentalist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKaidi is probably best known for his work with Bugz In The Attic, though his musical contributions over the years have also included Amy Winehouse, Slum Village, Mulatu Astatke, Soul II Soul, Moonchild, Leroy Burgess, Amp Fiddler, Chris Dave, Macy Gray, King Britt, DJ Spinna, Mr Scruff and IG Culture to name but a few! In recent times, he's worked with DJ Jazzy Jeff on a variety of projects, including his most recent album 'M3', touring Europe for Jeff and Will Smith's reunion shows, and on the PLAYlist album 'Chasing Goosebumps', with Glenn Lewis, Stro Elliot (The Roots), Masego, Maimouna Youssef, Rich Medina, Daniel Crawford and more.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll this in addition to heating up dances around Europe with his inimitable DJ sets, and working heavily with First Word label-mate, Eric Lau (who also mixed this album) on a variety of projects, and adding releases to his already impressive catalogue on 2000 Black, Eglo and Theo Parrish's Sound Signature, with regular compadre, Dego (who features on the album's title track).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis album personifies Kaidi's diverse palette of sounds – bar Eric \u0026amp; Dego's features, every piece of music is played by himself. Largely flowing on a broken beat rhythm section, Kaidi effortlessly incorporates washes of afro, latin and funk throughout. From the harmonics of 'Your Dream Don't Mean A Thing', to the breakneck funk of 'Outta Audah', each and every riddim exudes energy. But this isn't simply a bruk record. The album is laced together with downtempo beats and future jazz interludes throughout, and some sweet synth boogie is never very far away, especially on the weighty vibes of 'It's About Who You Know'. To top it all off, there's two delightful nuggets of hip hop soul - Mancunian label-mates, Children of Zeus, feature on the neo-soul vibes of 'Out Here On My Own', and there's a feature from Amir Townes, better known as Uhmeer - an upcoming MC from Philadelphia, and son of one Jazzy Jeff Townes - who rides a sub-heavy, piano-led slice of boom bap, voicing an assortment of characters to tell the tale of 'Cupid'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'It's A World Before You' is set to cause serious damage to sound-systems over the Summer, and show and prove once again the skills of one of the UK's best unsung musical talents, Kaidi Tatham.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42238919082140,"sku":"FW174CD","price":9.9,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_fb51a763-f12c-4011-a627-259eb258c248.jpg?v=1671394724"},{"product_id":"don-leisure-halal-cool-j","title":"Don Leisure - Halal Cool J","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW188\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580709805\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 03 May 2019\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Instrumental East Coast\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Emirgan Sunrise - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e02: Only Built 4 Turkish Linx - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e03: Horse Thieves - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e04: 4am in Kadikoy - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e05: Turkish Samurai - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e06: Mehmet Tarantino - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e07: The Eyes of Izmir - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e08: Live in Ankara '74 - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e09: Kazakh Honey - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e10: Gulum - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e11: One for Hamit - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e12: Kaymak - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e13: Maybe Logic - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e14: Borek Break - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e15: Street Cats - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e16: Doug's Hop - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e17: Buyakada - Don Leisure\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing on from the recent single release on First Word Records, Don Leisure laces us with an all-new 17-track album of beats, 'Halal Cool J'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProbably best known as 50% of Darkhouse Family, along with Melange label boss Earl Jeffers, they released their acclaimed debut album 'The Offering' in 2017 and subsequent remix project last year, featuring DJ Spinna, Kaidi Tatham and more. The duo are coolly establishing themselves as Cardiff's very own Mizell Brothers, recently producing Kamaal William's latest work, featuring on Kutmah's recent Izwid compilation, and collaborating on the Chicago x London project 'Where We Come From', featuring Makaya McCraven, Joe Armon-Jones, Nubya Garcia, Theon Cross and First Word label-mate Quiet Dawn, amongst others.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Halal Cool J' appeared originally in early 2017 with 'An Ottoman Excursion' on First Word's sister-label, Excursions - a series of edits born out of a decade-long love of Turkish music \u0026amp; various record-digging expeditions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn Don's words: \"I got into Turkish music around about 2006 when Egon (ex-Stones Throw) put out a Turkish Funk podcast showcasing artists like Baris Manco, Erkin Koray \u0026amp; Selda. The musical rabbit hole led me to discover re-releases on labels like Finders Keepers, and I've been hooked ever since. It's hard to find original pressings of Turkish music in the UK, so when my cousin landed a job in Istanbul, it was the perfect opportunity to make a bunch of trips there, armed with a portable turntable, hunting for dusty records.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter my first visit, I formed a relationship with Deform Records owner, Ozan. He invited me back to play a few times at Arkoada, in the the Asian side of the Kadikoy district in Istanbul, DJing in the same neighbourhood the original Turkish psych legends would've hung out and performed in, back in the 1970s.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe influence of western artists fused with fuzzed-out traditional instruments and themes is something I'm still amazed by to this day, and I'm always discovering amazing Turkish records that refuel my love for this sound. Following 'The Offering' album launch at Brilliant Corners in London, I went to Istanbul at 6am the next day for another record dig. Most of the discoveries I bagged are incorporated in this new album\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBack in 2017, Don Leisure also introduced us to 'Shaboo' - a beat album inspired largely by Don's Bollywood actor Uncle, Nasser 'Shaboo' Bharwani, and by memories of journey's with headphones hurling out Hip Hop, fused with the sonics of his Mum's interruptions, and her favourite Asian radio station. 'Shaboo' featured in several end-of-year album lists, with Piccadilly Records calling it \"the best album of it's kind since Dilla's 'Donuts'. Unmissable.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBoth prior projects got love from DJs and selectors far \u0026amp; wide, including Tom Ravenscroft, Rob Da Bank, Om Unit, Simbad \u0026amp; Mr Thing, whilst the recent single release 'Shaboo vs Halal Cool J' picked up initial support from the likes of Lefto (Worldwide FM), Chris P Cuts (NTS) \u0026amp; Huey Morgan (BBC 6 Music).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Halal Cool J' is available on vinyl and digital on May 3rd.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42238919606428,"sku":"FW188","price":7.65,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_568cb99e-4604-4848-8732-34522a809ca4.jpg?v=1671394915"},{"product_id":"kaidi-tatham-serious-times","title":"Kaidi Tatham - Serious Times","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW196\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580719491\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 19 Jul 2019\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Broken Beat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Cost of Living - Kaidi Tatham\u003cbr\u003e02: Don't Cry Now - Kaidi Tatham\u003cbr\u003e03: Sugar - Kaidi Tatham\u003cbr\u003e04: Zallom - Kaidi Tatham\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA year on from the highly-acclaimed album 'It's A World Before You', Kaidi Tatham brings more new music to First Word Records - a continuation of his previous EP's for the label (2017's 'Changing Times' \u0026amp; 'Hard Times'), here we enter 'Serious Times'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKaidi Tatham is one of the most revered multi-instrumentalists in the game. Dubbed by Radio 1's Benji B last year as \"the UK's Herbie Hancock\", his versatility as a musician is actually more akin to Prince in the sense that he can play most instruments, and play them well. His contributions as a musician, composer \u0026amp; producer have included work with Bugz In The Attic, Amy Winehouse, Slum Village, Mulatu Astatke, Soul II Soul, Moonchild, Leroy Burgess, Amp Fiddler and loads more over the years, additionally to being a key player on Jazzy Jeff's PLAYlist album 'Chasing Goosebumps' along with Masego, Stro Elliot, 14KT, Tall Black Guy, Rich Medina and the like, and various projects alongside Dego (2000 Black) and First Word label-mates Eric Lau, Darkhouse Family \u0026amp; Children of Zeus.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Serious Times' is another 4-track set comprised of Kaidi's unmistakable style, encompassing broken beat, jazz, boogie and hip hop. The EP starts off with the hype jazz-funk bruk of 'Cost of Living', maintaining the tempo into 'Don't Cry Now' which leads with a sweet latin-tinged piano riff. Onto the flipside, and we're treated to the slinky synth-boogie of 'Sugar' before dropping the tempo down \u0026amp; closing the selection with a warped but jazzy instrumental boom bap piece entitled 'Zallom'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKaidi is a national treasure quite frankly, and this EP is another mere taster of this man's endless talents and unique vibes. Some grown folk music, perfect for these 'Serious Times'…\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVinyl \u0026amp; digital released on Friday 19th July 2019 on First Word Records (Worldwide Awards 'Label of the Year 2019').\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42238920491164,"sku":"FW196","price":11.38,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_81a157bc-87e3-4317-a39f-a1789a598cdd.jpg?v=1671395087"},{"product_id":"kaidi-tatham-dont-rush-the-process","title":"Kaidi Tatham - Don't Rush The Process","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: LP\u003cbr\u003eCatalogue No.: FW252\u003cbr\u003eBarcode: 5050580783096\u003cbr\u003eRelease Date: 10 Sep 22\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Broken Beat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01. Mystery Solved\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02. Don't Rush the Process (feat. The Easy Access Orchestra)\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03. Just Not Right Rudi\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e04. All I Need\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e05. We Chillin' Out (feat. The Easy Access Orchestra)\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e06. Knocknee Donkey\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e07. Any Flavour\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e08. Funky Fool\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e09. Sooretama (feat. Robert Mitchell)\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e10. Runnin' Tru\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e11. What a Dream\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e12. Mind Yourself\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is extremely proud to welcome back Kaidi Tatham, with a brand new 12-track album entitled 'Don't Rush The Process'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is Kaidi's 4th solo album under his own name, following on from 'An Insight To All Minds' (2021), 'It's A World Before You' (2018), and 'In Search Of Hope' (re-pressed in 2020), all released on First Word, along with several EPs from 2017 onwards.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo bring you up to speed, Kaidi Tatham is a legendary multi-instrumentalist born in the Midlands and based in Belfast. Once dubbed \"the UK's Herbie Hancock\" by Benji B, he's a virtuoso on the keys and a true innovator in sound production as one of the original creators of the Broken Beat sound. Over the years his musical prowess has blessed numerous projects, recently with the likes of DJ Jazzy Jeff, Andrew Ashong and with longtime accomplice, Dego. This in addition to session and remix work for artists such as Mulatu Astatke, Slum Village, Marcos Valle, Amy Winehouse, Soul II Soul, Nubya Garcia, Rosie Frater-Taylor and Leroy Burgess, along with First Word label mates Eric Lau, Children of Zeus, Allysha Joy and Darkhouse Family. Kaidi is also a revered DJ known for rocking parties globally, whilst his solo catalogue spans tons of EPs and releases for labels such as Dego's 2000 Black, Alex Nut's Eglo Records and Theo Parrish's Sound Signature.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis new album 'Don't Rush The Process' opens with an intro of sweet strings on 'Mystery Solved', ahead of lead title track, which is on a mid-tempo boom bap vibe, before switching to a more uptempo boogie vein, with the assistance of The Easy Access Orchestra, who also appear on 'We Chillin' Out', which is on a similar boogie tip. 'All I Need' is some gospel flavoured hip hop, whilst 'Knocknee Donkey' steps things up in a jazz-funk fashion. The second half of the album takes on a very Brazilian flavoured stance, with a set of delicious latin flavoured grooves on 'Any Flavour', 'Runnin' Tru', 'What A Dream' and 'Sooretama', the latter featuring the additional prowess of pianist Robert Mitchell. There's a touch more of the hip hop beats thrown in via 'Funky Fool' and the album closes out in inimitable Kaidi style with a short message: 'Mind Yourself'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA hugely prolific artist, here he adds to an already impressive catalogue, a body of work that falls within the cracks of jazz and dance music, exemplifying modern British black brilliance; uncompromising, innovative, groundbreaking, intricately sophisticated and deeply funky. His fanbase expands on every release and it's no surprise that that fanbase includes a diverse set of peers such as Madlib (\"ahead of his time\"), Gilles Peterson (\"a key part of an entire movement\"), K15 (\"a limitless source of inspiration\") and Kyle Hall.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Don't Rush The Process' is released on vinyl \u0026amp; digital worldwide, July 2022 via First Word Records.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42343829930140,"sku":"FW252","price":20.7,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_43f26e36-5051-4f87-8164-b8d78f2161ee.jpg?v=1676399448"},{"product_id":"children-of-zeus-balance-2-x-vinyl-lp","title":"Children of Zeus - Balance [2 x Vinyl LP]","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 2 x Vinyl LP\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCatalogue No.: FW230\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarcode: 5050580756991\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: 9th June 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenre: Soul\/R\u0026amp;B (Contemporary RnB)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Sunrise\u003cbr\u003e02: No Love Song\u003cbr\u003e03: I Know\u003cbr\u003e04: Be Someone\u003cbr\u003e05: I Need You\u003cbr\u003e06: Nice \u0026amp; Sweet\u003cbr\u003e07: Balance (feat. Akemi Fox \u0026amp; Georgie Sweet)\u003cbr\u003e08: Cali Dreams\u003cbr\u003e09: 42Long\u003cbr\u003e10: The Most Humblest Of All Time, Ever\u003cbr\u003e11: What I'm Seeing\u003cbr\u003e12: Love Again\u003cbr\u003e13: Sunset\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is extremely proud to welcome back Children of Zeus with their sophomore album, 'Balance'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing the release of their debut album 'Travel Light' in 2018 (which featured in numerous 'Album of the Year' lists), Tyler Daley and Konny Kon spent the next two years extensively touring the UK, Europe, Australia and South Africa.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith shows on ice over the last 12 months, Children of Zeus took the time to mature their sound; 'Balance' is 50 minutes of future-classic British soul music encompassing hip hop, neo-soul, gospel and r\u0026amp;b. Konny's laidback flow once again merges with Tyler's unmistakable buttery vocals across a set of bass-heavy backdrops and smoothed-out keys, taking the blueprint from their debut and evolving it into a deeper, more-refined sound.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs with previous material, the album is largely produced by the duo themselves, though we also see the return of Grammy-winner Beat Butcha, whose previous production credits include Jay Z, Beyonce, Nipsey Hussle, \u0026amp; Griselda (one of Butcha's productions graces first single 'No Love Song'). Title track 'Balance' comes from upcoming producer \u0026amp; Soulection regular, cay caleb and also features the only vocal feature on the album, from rising UK soul talents Akemi Fox and Georgie Sweet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Children of Zeus journey began with a mutual love of 90s Manchester pirate radio; consuming hip hop and beats, r\u0026amp;b and street soul, lovers rock and dancehall, garage and bass music. Then followed decades of performing, creating and collaborating in different guises. Over the past few years, the hip hop soul duo have garnered props far and wide; from Jazzie B to Jazzy Jeff. They've done performances for the likes of Soulection and BBC, in addition to hosting their monthly NTS Radio show and collaborating with artists like Black Milk and Goldie.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom travelling light, to travelling nowhere, it's been a time where we've all had to reflect on the lives we lead. This album is about equilibrium; walking the thin line of life and striving to keep your footing firm at all times, ever pushing forward. Balancing the rough with the smooth and the work with the play.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Children of Zeus sound is now fully grown. It's time to bring 'Balance' into the universe. This is unashamedly big people music to be played out of big speakers. The definitive sound of UK street soul in 2021. The story continues..\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Balance' is released worldwide on June 4th 2021.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42343830683804,"sku":"FW230","price":22.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_dcf29546-020e-4aea-a1bb-bd0058b92c1c.jpg?v=1676399487"},{"product_id":"kaidi-tatham-its-a-world-before-you","title":"Kaidi TATHAM - It's A World Before You","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 2xLP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCat: FW174\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 5th July 2018\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Broken Beat\/Nu Jazz\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack in: 10th April 2021\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is very proud to present a brand new full-length album from Kaidi Tatham. 'It's A World Before You'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing on from two EPs released on First Word last year ('Changing Times' and 'Hard Times'), Kaidi has delivered us thirteen tracks that deftly illustrate his various talents as a multi-instrumentalist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKaidi is probably best known for his work with Bugz In The Attic, though his musical contributions over the years have also included Amy Winehouse, Slum Village, Mulatu Astatke, Soul II Soul, Moonchild, Leroy Burgess, Amp Fiddler, Chris Dave, Macy Gray, King Britt, DJ Spinna, Mr Scruff and IG Culture to name but a few! In recent times, he's worked with DJ Jazzy Jeff on a variety of projects, including his most recent album 'M3', touring Europe for Jeff and Will Smith's reunion shows, and on the PLAYlist album 'Chasing Goosebumps', with Glenn Lewis, Stro Elliot (The Roots), Masego, Maimouna Youssef, Rich Medina, Daniel Crawford and more.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll this in addition to heating up dances around Europe with his inimitable DJ sets, and working heavily with First Word label-mate, Eric Lau (who also mixed this album) on a variety of projects, and adding releases to his already impressive catalogue on 2000 Black, Eglo and Theo Parrish's Sound Signature, with regular compadre, Dego (who features on the album's title track).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis album personifies Kaidi's diverse palette of sounds – bar Eric \u0026amp; Dego's features, every piece of music is played by himself. Largely flowing on a broken beat rhythm section, Kaidi effortlessly incorporates washes of afro, latin and funk throughout. From the harmonics of 'Your Dream Don't Mean A Thing', to the breakneck funk of 'Outta Audah', each and every riddim exudes energy. But this isn't simply a bruk record. The album is laced together with downtempo beats and future jazz interludes throughout, and some sweet synth boogie is never very far away, especially on the weighty vibes of 'It's About Who You Know'. To top it all off, there's two delightful nuggets of hip hop soul - Mancunian label-mates, Children of Zeus, feature on the neo-soul vibes of 'Out Here On My Own', and there's a feature from Amir Townes, better known as Uhmeer - an upcoming MC from Philadelphia, and son of one Jazzy Jeff Townes - who rides a sub-heavy, piano-led slice of boom bap, voicing an assortment of characters to tell the tale of 'Cupid'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'It's A World Before You' is set to cause serious damage to sound-systems over the Summer, and show and prove once again the skills of one of the UK's best unsung musical talents, Kaidi Tatham.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42343831011484,"sku":"FW174","price":36.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/KaidiTATHAM-It_sAWorldBeforeYou_4bbfe1a6-ab9f-4aa6-9d0d-295c96897f25.jpg?v=1676399524"},{"product_id":"don-leisure-shaboo-strikes-back","title":"Don Leisure - Shaboo Strikes Back","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW232\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580767010\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 25 Mar 2022\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Rap \/ Hip-Hop \/ Instrumental East Coast\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Egg Yolk Bun\u003cbr\u003e02: In the City\u003cbr\u003e03: Beyond a Shadow\u003cbr\u003e04: Regency\u003cbr\u003e05: Shaboo Strikes Back\u003cbr\u003e06: Big Trouble\u003cbr\u003e07: Amiga 3000\u003cbr\u003e08: The Balcony (feat. David Newington)\u003cbr\u003e09: Love Theme\u003cbr\u003e10: Shaboo's Hideout\u003cbr\u003e11: Clearing Skies\u003cbr\u003e12: Chase Theme\u003cbr\u003e13: El Mono Was Here\u003cbr\u003e14: Naima's Dream\u003cbr\u003e15: Beware\u003cbr\u003e16: Samosa Swiss\u003cbr\u003e17: Muscle Head\u003cbr\u003e18: Sugar Cane Juice\u003cbr\u003e19: Holistic Healan\u003cbr\u003e20: King of Alperton\u003cbr\u003e21: Almost Lost It\u003cbr\u003e22: All Praises Due (feat. Angel Bat Dawid \u0026amp; Amanda Whiting)\u003cbr\u003e23: GTO Nights\u003cbr\u003e24: Neon Drizzle (Hotel Shaboo) [feat. Gruff Rhys]\u003cbr\u003e25: End Credits\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is very proud to welcome back Don Leisure, with a brand new 25-track album 'Shaboo Strikes Back'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFive years have passed since the first 'Shaboo' album was released. A collection of beats and pieces that documented the road trip of Don's youth - hip hop music interspersed with Asian radio station jingles of old, dedicated to Bollywood actor, Nasser 'Shaboo' Bharwani - Don Leisure's late uncle.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis album was heralded as \"the best album of its kind since J Dilla's 'Donuts'\" and deemed \"unmissable\" by the folks at Piccadilly Records. It also had strong support from BBC 6 Music's Tom Ravenscroft (\"very, very good this indeed\"), Huey Morgan (\"my beat of the week\"), Worldwide FM's Lefto (\"defo down with this\"), Rob Da Bank (\"this is wicked\") and the likes of Mathieu Schreyer (KCRW, LA), Alex Ruder (KEXP, Seattle), Kid Fonque (5FM, South Africa), Om Unit, Jon1st, Mr Thing, Rob Luis (Tru Thoughts), Dom Servini (Wah Wah 45s), Tim Parker (NTS) and tons more from across the globe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDon Leisure is a DJ and producer based in Cardiff, Wales, sometimes known as one half of Darkhouse Family, along with Earl Jeffers. He's been a prolific beat-maker for many years, releasing under a variety of monikers for labels such as Metalheadz, International Anthem, Fat City, Izwid, Earnest Endeavours and Group BraCil. His most recent release was a remix for Gruff Rhys, which was released on Rough Trade.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 2020 he was nominated for the Welsh Music Prize for his 'Steel Zakusi' project, and has dropped several releases for First Word, including the acclaimed 2019 'Halal Cool J' album and various Darkhouse Family projects, including collabs with artists as diverse as Charlotte Church, Om'Mas Keith and Children of Zeus's Tyler Daley, additionally to remixes from DJ Spinna and label-mate, Kaidi Tatham. As a DJ he has provided mixes for BBC 6 Music, NTS, Rinse FM, Solid Steel and Boxout FM in India, as well as performing at The Jazz Cafe, Fabric and on Boiler Room.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Shaboo Strikes Back' is a much-awaited sequel to the 2017 smash, and again features a modest 25 tracks. Psychedelic fuzzy samples and phat beats aplenty, Don Leisure once again takes us on a far-out trip across soundscapes. A real tapestry of flavours, from jazz to reggae, and from the soulful to the spiritual, this time round he's invited a few special guests to join him on his travels - most notably Welsh legend Gruff Rhys provides the vocals on 'Neon Drizzle (Hotel Shaboo)', whilst acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Angel Bat Dawid and Jazzman-signed harpist Amanda Whiting lend their talents to 'All Praises Due'. There is even a special cameo appearance from his young daughter, (aka Shaboo's great-niece!), Naima, on 'Naima's Dream'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOnce again, this is a journey into sound.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Shaboo Strikes Back' is released on vinyl \u0026amp; digital by First Word Records, March 2022.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDedicated to Nasser 'Shaboo' Bharwani.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42343831339164,"sku":"FW232","price":15.3,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_74455e66-88bc-47cc-93bb-92eddfb98a73.jpg?v=1676399569"},{"product_id":"yazmin-lacey-when-the-sun-dips-90-degrees","title":"Yazmin Lacey - When the Sun Dips 90 Degrees","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW175\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580692459\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 22 Jun 2018\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Soul\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: 90 Degrees - Yazmin Lacey\u003cbr\u003e02: Something My Heart Trusts - Yazmin Lacey\u003cbr\u003e03: Burn \u0026amp; Rise - Yazmin Lacey\u003cbr\u003e04: Heaven - Yazmin Lacey\u003cbr\u003e05: Body Needs Healing - Yazmin Lacey\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is very proud to present a brand new EP from Yazmin Lacey - 'When The Sun Dips 90 Degrees'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis EP follows on from her two recent singles, '90 Degrees' and 'Something My Heart Trusts', both of which are included here, along with three previously unreleased tracks, 'Heaven', 'Body Needs Healing' and 'Burn \u0026amp; Rise'. This set illustrates again Yazmin's candid songwriting delivered in her uniquely laidback soulful style, whilst a glorious fusion of neo-soul and jazz performed by Pete Beardsworth and her trusty band rides throughout.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn recent times, Yazmin has made live appearances on Jazz FM, BBC Radio 4, 1Xtra and NTS, \u0026amp; received widespread acclaim across the airwaves, including BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music, Worldwide FM and Mi-Soul, plus Spotify love from the likes of The Independent and heavy support from DJs such as Gilles Peterson, Jamz Supernova, Tom Ravenscroft, Huey Morgan and Jamie Cullum. Yazmin appeared heavily in The Guardian \/ The Observer's recent extensive feature on the UK's new Jazz movement too.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInitially a Brownswood 'Future Bubbler' graduate, Yazmin self-released her debut EP, 'Black Moon', last year. This lead to a Maida Vale session late 2017 with Jordan Rakei, Moses Boyd, Oscar Jerome and now label-mates, Children of Zeus. She kicked off the year with a performance at the Worldwide Awards with Skinny Pelembe, and has recently done shows with artists such as Ezra Collective, Tall Black Guy and Fatima. Yazmin has a UK tour scheduled for later in the year, as well as several festival appearances across Europe locked in. There's a lot more to come from this Notts-based Londoner yet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn Yazmin's words: \"'90 Degrees' is about that time of the day \/ night when there's a shift in pace and energy. When you decide to lock off from the 'outside' world and create your own atmosphere, take some time to give thanks for what's breathing love into your life and smoke off the fuckeries. Everyone needs a little routine for self preservation.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe 5-track vinyl \u0026amp; digital EP is released worldwide on June 22nd.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42343847723164,"sku":"FW175","price":13.28,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_adeb7a45-6556-44c9-8ee0-ec910e993e89.jpg?v=1676400638"},{"product_id":"quiet-dawn-human-being-the-short-story-of-the-reed","title":"Quiet Dawn - Human Being: The Short Story Of The Reed","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW170\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580681583\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 02 Mar 2018\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Downtempo\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Human - Quiet Dawn\u003cbr\u003e02: The Reed - Quiet Dawn\u003cbr\u003e03: Planet - Quiet Dawn\u003cbr\u003e04: Passion and Anger - Quiet Dawn\u003cbr\u003e05: Risk It - Quiet Dawn\u003cbr\u003e06: Being - Quiet Dawn\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word kicks off 2018 with the welcome return of Quiet Dawn, and a new EP, 'Human Being: The Short Story of The Reed'. A suitably ice-thawing six-track opus to compliment the change of seasons, dedicated to the winter blooming plant's desire to be human.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eParisian Will Galland first appeared on the label in late 2014, releasing his debut album 'The First Day' the following year. Collaborations on that album and subsequent mixes since have included offerings from Oddisee, Miles Bonny, Eric Lau, Bastien Keb, Sauce81 (Eglo), Mayaka McCraven and Sarah Williams White.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEvolving his music from a palette accumulated over the years of Hip Hop, Broken Beat and House, he has expanded his talents for arranging and composing, and now drafted in a wealth of musicians for this sublime new EP, his most ambitious yet. Strings glide effervescently atop of Quiet Dawn's assorted analogue synths, and an array of percussive organics combine to build the tale of The Reed. In-places, the set transcends into the kind of grooves that saunter somewhere between the land of Bonobo and Quantic, and the cinematic library record craft of Alan Hawkshaw et al. Deep, organic and epic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The reed from the earth and waters,\u003cbr\u003eHuman by the flesh and bones,\u003cbr\u003eBring by the love and others,\u003cbr\u003eNow, you're not alone.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEach track of the EP tells a different chapter of the story. In the words of Quiet Dawn, \"This record is about human behaviour; relationships, happiness, sadness, peace, anger, sex, love, birth, death… But as viewed by The Reed. The Reed is a plant that wants to be human, after observing them all around her. Over the course of the record, The Reed evolves and desires to feel feelings, gradually learning that becoming human is not so simple… .\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlso with artwork by Sophie Bass and Grégoire Marty, this glorious six-track vinyl and digital EP is released February 2018 on First Word Records.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42343863320732,"sku":"FW170","price":8.08,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_0a643c79-ada7-4d35-97a1-98631e552b80.jpg?v=1676401137"},{"product_id":"takuya-kuroda-fly-moon-die-soon","title":"Takuya Kuroda - Fly Moon Die Soon","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: Vinyl LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCatalogue No.: FW216\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e18 September \u003c\/span\u003e2020\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack in stock: 14 Mar 2022\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenre: Jazz (Fusion)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Fade (feat. Corey King)\u003cbr\u003e02: ABC\u003cbr\u003e03: CHANGE (feat. Corey King)\u003cbr\u003e04: Do No Why\u003cbr\u003e05: Fly Moon Die Soon\u003cbr\u003e06: Moody\u003cbr\u003e07: Sweet Sticky Things\u003cbr\u003e08: Tell Me A Bedtime Story\u003cbr\u003e09: TKBK\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is extremely proud to welcome aboard Takuya Kuroda.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA highly-respected trumpeter born in Kobe, Japan, Takuya is a forward-thinking musician that has developed a unique hybrid sound, blending soulful jazz, funk, post-bop, fusion and hip hop music.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter following the footsteps of his trombonist brother playing in big bands, he relocated to New York to study jazz \u0026amp; contemporary music at The New School in Union Square; a course he graduated from in the mid-noughties. It was here that Takuya met vocalist José James, with whom he worked on the 'Blackmagic' and 'No Beginning No End' projects.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing graduation, Takuya established himself further in the NYC jazz scene, performing with the likes of Akoya Afrobeat and in recent years with DJ Premier's BADDER band (also including acclaimed bass player, Brady Watt). Premier said \"The BADDER Band project was put together by my manager, and an agent I've known since the beginning of my Gang Starr career. He said, 'What if you put a band together that revolved around a trumpet player from Japan named Takuya Kuroda? He's got a hip-hop perspective and respect in the jazz field…\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTakuya Kuroda is already incredibly prolific, releasing five albums in the past decade and fortifying a solid reputation in the global jazz scene. 2011 saw the release of Takuya's independently-produced debut album, 'Edge', followed by 'Bitter and High' the following year and 'Six Aces' on P-Vine in 2013. Takuya was signed to the legendary Blue Note Records in 2014 for his album 'Rising Son', as well as appearing on their 2019 cover versions project, 'Blue Note Voyage'. He released his 5th album 'Zigzagger' on Concord in 2016, which also featured Antibalas on a reimagining of the Donald Byrd classic 'Think Twice'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLate Summer 2020, Takuya Kuroda returns with his sixth album 'Fly Moon Die Soon'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn his words, \"this album is about the irony between the greatness of nature and the beautiful obsceneness of humanity. Melodies and grooves fly back and forth from being spiritual to being vulgar.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt took two years to make this album. In 2018, I decided I just couldn't make albums the same way I had been in the past anymore. As a birthday treat to myself, I booked a studio in Brooklyn for two days, with only myself and an engineer, Todd Carder. I brought along some tracks I'd been building at home to see if we could complete them within that time. We began replacing sounds and adding texture, sampling noises from all over the studio; me sipping coffee, hitting a 26\" kick drum, speeding up snares. At the end of the two days we were like \"wow, I didn't know we could make tracks this good in this way\". This is how the process of the full album started. Everything was based on my beats I made at home, inviting musicians in one by one, adding or replacing parts. I was very careful when developing these tracks; just note by note, part by part. I wanted to make the music effectively from a blend of two different recording methods; one very slickly produced part and one very organic part played by live musicians. I remember mixtapes from when I was kid, and wanted to make an album that wasn't just a bunch of flashy singles, trying to catch people's attention in the first 30 seconds, or full of guest features. Instead, I'm essentially just trying to let the grooves breath.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe album consists of nine tracks of excellence. The uptempo jazz-funk of 'ABC' and 'Moody' sit alongside soulful jazz cuts like 'Fade' and 'CHANGE', also featuring Corey King on vocals. The title track is a downtempo groove lead by a heavy Moog bassline, whilst 'Do No Why' contains an infectious piano riff throughout. Aside from Takuya's original compositions, he revisits two classics from Ohio Players ('Sweet Sticky Thing' featuring Alina Engibaryan on vocals) and Herbie Hancock ('Tell Me A Bedtime Story') whilst the album closes with the epic 'TKBK'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTakuya adds \"this special cover was inspired by the Golden Moon I saw during a photoshoot in Death Valley with my homie Hiroyuki Seo\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTakuya Kuroda is a truly unique talent, and this album is a realisation of the evolution of his sound.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Fly Moon Die Soon' is released on Worldwide Award-winning UK label First Word Records on vinyl \u0026amp; digital in September 2020.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42343867416732,"sku":"FW216","price":15.3,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/TakuyaKuroda-FlyMoonDieSoon_60b6ab47-a939-4cba-b2c1-82057ced4cb2.jpg?v=1676401455"},{"product_id":"new-sector-movements-these-times","title":"New Sector Movements - These Times","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Viinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW261\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580792876\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 24 Feb 2023\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Contemporary RnB\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: These Times (feat. Allysha Joy) - New Sector Movements\u003cbr\u003e02: Stand (feat. Mike City) - New Sector Movements\u003cbr\u003e03: Hope (feat. Allysha Joy \u0026amp; NSM Fusion Starship) - New Sector Movements\u003cbr\u003e04: H.E.A.T. (feat. Natalie May) - New Sector Movements\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is extremely proud to welcome the legendary New Sector Movements to the label, and the first new release from this moniker in 15 years! A 5-track EP for 'These Times', comprised of street soul, hip hop, jazz and bruk-tinged vibes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFounded, headed and produced by DJ \u0026amp; musician IG Culture (CoOp Presents \/ LCSM), this all-new quasi-group project also features the vocal talents of Allysha Joy, Mike City and Natalie May with additional accompaniment from Wonky Logic, Wayne Francis, Alex Phountzi and the NSM Fusion Starship!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNew Sector Movements (aka NSM) were the first out the gate at the dawn of the original broken beat movement, releasing their first single 'Groove Now \/ New Goya' on the People label in 1997, then releasing several singles and EPs through to the late noughties, and dropping a classic album on Virgin entitled 'Download This'. The previous incarnation featured several other artists from the bruk foundation era, including Kaidi Tatham, Izzy Dunn, Julie Dexter and Eska Mtungwazi amongst others.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAwarded a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at the 2019 Worldwide Awards, NSM's IG Culture is a hugely pioneering prolific artist in the UK music scene. His catalogue of releases over the years has seen numerous aliases, collaborations, remixes and productions. Appearing on the scene in 1990 as part of Dodge City Productions, to producing several solo albums throughout the noughties, to recent years with his hugely-acclaimed cosmic jazz outfit LCSM (Likwid Continual Space Motion), additionally to co-running the CoOp Presents label, continuing the legacy of the award-winning club night whilst showcasing new artists, IG Culture has been omnipresent at every corner of British black music for three decades deep, influencing many a sound.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is all additionally to projects like NameBrandSound, Likwid Biskit, Da One Away and Son of Scientist to name just a few. His work has appeared on releases by Roots Manuva, Young Disciples, Les Nubians and Monday Michiru, while remix work over the years has included Gang Starr, Femi Kuti, José James, Miraa May, Slum Village, Digital Underground, Luniz, Naughty By Nature, Airto Moreira \u0026amp; Flora Purim.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs a DJ, he's shut down dances all over the world, recently at places like Fabric, We Out Here festival and Summer Dance Forever in Amsterdam, as well as regularly rocking the airwaves on Worldwide FM and combining the two at BBC 6 Music's All Points East stage in the Summer. IG Culture also founded Selectors Assemble; a collective of forward thinking DJs and producers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo, as we head towards Winter 2022, New Sector Movements has returned (but don't call it a comeback!). After a turbulent few years in the world, it seemed a poignant moment to reinvigorate the soul, and reflect upon 'These Times'. Here we have five brand new tracks, each illustrating a pertinent mood and attitude representing the current climate. Allysha Joy leads the vocal on EP opener 'These Times', a sumptuous slice of street soul with a deeply infectious horn hook. 'Stand' is next - uptempo boom bap for the dancers, this one featuring the soulful pipes of Mike City. 'Hope' is a midtempo jazz-funk dub again feature vocal licks from Allysha, and introducing the mysterious NSM Fusion Starship into the fold. 'H.E.A.T.' picks up the pace with some infectious jazz-bruk business, this one lead by Natalie May on the vocals, who explains \"heat = movement, motion\". And finally 'Bless' with closes the set on a four-four riddim with bruk sensibilites, inviting Mike City back with an uplifting vocal requesting we \"bless the people just trying to make it\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn essential EP of cross-genre vibes to resonate cross-generations, New Sector Movements do not ramp. IG Culture and crew proceed to give you what you need for 'These Times'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'These Times' is released on vinyl and digital worldwide via First Word Records late February 2023.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42353444913308,"sku":"FW261","price":10.8,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_c0eee638-eae5-42ee-b2ef-7b31a39f8a47.jpg?v=1676709587"},{"product_id":"kaidi-tatham-the-only-way","title":"Kaidi Tatham - The Only Way","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: LP\u003cbr\u003eCatalogue No.: FW271\u003cbr\u003eBarcode: 5050580808331\u003cbr\u003eRelease Date: 21 Jul 2023\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Broken Beat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01. Reason We're Here\u003cbr\u003e02. The Most Wanted Puffin (Lukey Dukey)\u003cbr\u003e03. Interlude Criss Ting\u003cbr\u003e04. The Only Way (feat. Uhmeer)\u003cbr\u003e05. Windus Mc'Guntus\u003cbr\u003e06. Confidence With Attitude\u003cbr\u003e07. Feels Like I'm On My Own\u003cbr\u003e08. Fricassee\u003cbr\u003e09. Alien @$^% (feat. Trian Kayhatu)\u003cbr\u003e10. It's On\u003cbr\u003e11. Not Suffering (feat. Matt Lord)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is very proud to welcome the return of the inimitable Kaidi Tatham, with his 5th album for us, entitled 'The Only Way'.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKaidi Tatham is a legendary multi-instrumentalist born in the Midlands and based in Belfast. Established as one of the original creators of the Broken Beat sound, he is a virtuoso on the keys and a true innovator in sound production.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eA deeply prolific artist, this is Kaidi's 5th solo album under his own name, following on from 'Don't Rush The Process' (2022), 'An Insight To All Minds' (2021), 'It's A World Before You' (2018), and 'In Search Of Hope' (re-pressed in 2020), all released on First Word, along with several EPs from 2017 onwards.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'The Only Way' is the latest chapter in Kaidi's entirely unique explorations into sound. 11 tracks touching on bruk, funk, jazz, mid-tempo hip hop and hyper-energetic Brazilian flavours, all thrown into a melting pot that's difficult to define, but all containing Kaidi's unmistakable sonic signature. The epic opener 'Reason We're Here' starts the album softly, before switching midway into KT's trademark synth-lead bruk boogie, to set the scene of what's to come. Lead track 'The Only Way' sees the return of Philly MC Uhmeer (Jazzy Jeff's son), his third collab with Kaidi and a timely celebratory track about this thing called Hip Hop, in its 50th year. 'Feels Like I'm On My Own' is a statement within itself, starting off as a jazz-funk jam, before switching to breakneck Brazilian choro, in the only way Kaidi can, with 'It's On' on a similar vein. 'Fricassee' is some heads down dancery business, and there are more guests with Trian Kayhatu appearing on 'Alien @$^%' and Matt Lord on the super energetic album closer 'Not Suffering'.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKaidi Tatham continues to grow on his already impressive catalogue, a body of work that falls within the cracks of jazz and dance music, exemplifying modern British black brilliance; uncompromising, innovative, groundbreaking, intricately sophisticated and deeply funky. His fanbase expands on every release and it's no surprise that that fanbase includes a diverse set of peers such as Madlib (\"ahead of his time\"), Gilles Peterson (\"a key part of an entire movement\") and K15 (\"a limitless source of inspiration\") to name just a few of the many influenced by Kaidi's sound.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'The Only Way' is released on vinyl \u0026amp; digital worldwide via First Word Records, late July 2023.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePREVIOUS CREDITS:\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOver the years, Kaidi Tatham's musical prowess has graced numerous projects, from the likes of DJ Jazzy Jeff, Andrew Ashong, The Herbaliser and longtime accomplice, Dego, in addition to session and remix work for artists such as Mulatu Astatke, Slum Village, Marcos Valle, Amy Winehouse, Soul II Soul, Nubya Garcia, Cody Currie and Leroy Burgess, along with First Word label mates Eric Lau, Children of Zeus, Allysha Joy and Darkhouse Family.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKaidi is also a revered DJ known for rocking parties globally, whilst his solo catalogue spans tons of EPs and releases for labels such as Dego's 2000 Black, Alex Nut's Eglo Records and Theo Parrish's Sound Signature, along with an array of aliases, including Agent K, Shokazulu, Blakai, Da One Away and Likwid Biskit, the last two with another First Word label-mate, IG Culture (New Sector Movements \/ LCSM \/ CoOp Presents), to name but a few.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42533589188764,"sku":"FW271","price":25.2,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/1_c6885d3e-2310-4ee2-9390-27de3eb5a79a.jpg?v=1687373862"},{"product_id":"ruby-wood-sincerely","title":"Ruby Wood - Sincerely","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW272\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580806382\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 01 Sep 2023\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Neo Soul\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Let Him Go - Ruby Wood\u003cbr\u003e02: Me and My Girl - Ruby Wood\u003cbr\u003e03: My Favourite Song - Ruby Wood\u003cbr\u003e04: I'ma Get Mine - Ruby Wood\u003cbr\u003e05: Mr. Unavailable (feat. Isaac Malibu) - Ruby Wood\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is very proud to welcome Ruby Wood to the label, with her debut solo EP 'Sincerely'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRuby is a vocalist \u0026amp; songwriter hailing from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Her soulful yet distinctive voice has enabled her to front numerous projects; perhaps best known as lead vocalist of the critically acclaimed Submotion Orchestra, since 2009.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe also toured as lead vocalist for Bonobo's live band, for Nubiyan Twist, and with hugely successful 1940's-esque vocal trio, The Sugar Sisters. There have also been features for dance outfits such as GLXY \u0026amp; Franky Wah, additionally to writing \u0026amp; recording for the likes of Krept \u0026amp; Konan, Alfa Mist, Roska, Hemai, Barney Artist and XOA, to name just a few.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 2021, Ruby was awarded a DYCP Arts Council grant to fund her own creative project, which was taken as an opportunity to go back to the drawing board creatively, spending time working out how her own music would sound and what messages she wanted to convey.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter initial sketches on her Native Instruments Maschine, she began to work with fellow Submotion Orchestra member, Chris 'Fatty' Hargreaves; a long time friend and collaborator, and a revered musician in his own right, with his low-end theory science triumphantly stamped across his other projects, such as Pengshui and Outlook Orchestra. Ruby and Chris began bouncing ideas back and forth, and gradually this solo project started to take shape and form the bulk of this debut EP.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn Ruby's words \"After years of working in big projects with lots of people, I often struggled to feel like my voice was being heard. Branching out on my own is an opportunity for me to make music that I would actually listen to myself! This process has been healing for me, and I'm so proud of myself for continuing to learn and develop my craft, whilst learning how to produce songs from scratch.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBecoming a mother also changed me for the better, and provided me with a wealth of experiences and challenges that have gone on to fuel my lyrics. I've grown a lot, and this EP gives a snippet of my life thus far\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Sincerely' is comprised of five tracks, firmly based in the realms of hip hop soul and neo soul sonically, with an unashamedly '90s R\u0026amp;B vibe throughout. Throughout the EP, Ruby's story tells tales of motherhood, relationships, commitment, independence and inspirations. Further collaborations on the set come from vocalist Isaac Malibu (on 'Mr. Unavailable'), wind player Arran Kent (on 'My Favourite Song'), and assistance on a couple of beats from acclaimed hip hop producer, Pitch 92 and San Diego's Martel Howard, along with more Submotion alumni, Danny Templeman, Dom Howard and Bobby Beddoe and the debut performance from Ruby's daughter, Amber!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA truly triumphant body of work, this is just the start of a new chapter for Ruby Wood.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Sincerely' is released on vinyl and digital worldwide via First Word Records, September 2023.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42605893419164,"sku":"FW272","price":11.7,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/1_2c9800cb-5093-4a41-82b3-cd0f5942760b.jpg?v=1691516875"},{"product_id":"souleance-beautiful-cd","title":"Souleance - Beautiful [CD]","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat: CD\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW284CD\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 3521383479162\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 13 Oct 2023\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Beats and Breaks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e01: Douce - Souleance\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02: Cultural - Souleance\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03: A Onda - Souleance\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e04: Mamãe não quer (feat. Joao Selva) - Souleance\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e05: Out of Touch (feat. Kit Sebastian) - Souleance\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e06: Breath It (Interlude) - Souleance\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e07: Koul Dan Mon Do (Interlude) [feat. Kaloune \u0026amp; Paptef] - Souleance\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e08: Wiggle - Souleance\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e09: Rapsodie - Souleance\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e10: Feliz - Souleance\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e11: Lightweight (feat. Jenny Penkin) - Souleance\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e12: Grosse Ambiance (Interlude) - Souleance\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e13: La Fête - Souleance\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e14: Diva - Souleance\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e15: Beautiful (Outro) - Souleance\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFirst Word Records in collaboration with Heavenly Sweetness proudly bring you a 'Beautiful' new album from the formidably funky French duo, Souleance.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSo the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder (or perhaps in this case, the ear!). How we define beauty varies from person to person. Be it a meal, a landscape, a picture, a record…\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAppreciating and admiring beauty could be considered an art in itself, and one that Souleance have made a rule of life. This ethic is transposed into their own craft, used as fuel to turn beautiful moments into music. This 15-track album seeks to convey this through an assortment of sun-saturated grooves of different shapes and sizes.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWhile remaining true to their style of creating cut \u0026amp; paste sound collages and incorporating dusty samples, this album seeks to expand upon their own sonic path. Fulgeance lays down masterful work on keys, beats and bass, with Soulist the driving force behind song composition and percussive scratching. Combined, their only guideline is to make music that makes them tick, beyond the constraints of genres, trends or the criteria of \"beauty\" outside of their own tastes. An amalgamation of hip hop backdrops, analog synths and Moog modulations, merged with the swagger of 70's jazz-funk and the energy of club dancefloors, while auriverde guitar hooks glide with an effortless glissando of discoid piano riffs.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFor this project, the duo are not alone, taking on the definition of beauty to a global base. The microphone turns to Joao Selva for a poetic moment in the streets of Rio, then off to Réunion Island for an accordion jaunt with Kaloune \u0026amp; Papatef, before heading to Istanbul for a touch of Kit Sebastian's psychedelic funk, and ending the journey for a joyful jig of the soul in Tel Aviv with Jenny Penkin. There's no pre-defined flight plan here, other than savouring the art of creation itself, and searching for beauty within the dance.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSouleance have been releasing music for almost 15 years, receiving support over the years from renowned selectors worldwide, such as Gilles Peterson, Natasha Diggs, Tom Ravenscroft, Novena Carmel, Bill Brewster, Huey Morgan and Kev Beadle, to name just a few.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis time around, Souleance attempt to explore and define their own natural vision of beauty across this 'Beautiful' album.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWhat could be more subjective than beauty?…\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'Beautiful' is released on vinyl \u0026amp; digital via Heavenly Sweetness and First Word, October 2023.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42725615861916,"sku":"FW284CD","price":12.6,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/1_ecf640f9-5d90-4674-aa14-ce1db06a84d2.jpg?v=1696818245"},{"product_id":"souleance-beautiful-2lp","title":"Souleance - Beautiful [2LP]","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 2 x LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW284\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 3521381579178\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 13 Oct 2023\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Beats and Breaks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Douce - Souleance\u003cbr\u003e02: Cultural - Souleance\u003cbr\u003e03: A Onda - Souleance\u003cbr\u003e04: Mamãe não quer (feat. Joao Selva) - Souleance\u003cbr\u003e05: Out of Touch (feat. Kit Sebastian) - Souleance\u003cbr\u003e06: Breath It (Interlude) - Souleance\u003cbr\u003e07: Koul Dan Mon Do (Interlude) [feat. Kaloune \u0026amp; Paptef] - Souleance\u003cbr\u003e08: Wiggle - Souleance\u003cbr\u003e09: Rapsodie - Souleance\u003cbr\u003e10: Feliz - Souleance\u003cbr\u003e11: Lightweight (feat. Jenny Penkin) - Souleance\u003cbr\u003e12: Grosse Ambiance (Interlude) - Souleance\u003cbr\u003e13: La Fête - Souleance\u003cbr\u003e14: Diva - Souleance\u003cbr\u003e15: Beautiful (Outro) - Souleance\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records in collaboration with Heavenly Sweetness proudly bring you a 'Beautiful' new album from the formidably funky French duo, Souleance.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder (or perhaps in this case, the ear!). How we define beauty varies from person to person. Be it a meal, a landscape, a picture, a record…\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAppreciating and admiring beauty could be considered an art in itself, and one that Souleance have made a rule of life. This ethic is transposed into their own craft, used as fuel to turn beautiful moments into music. This 15-track album seeks to convey this through an assortment of sun-saturated grooves of different shapes and sizes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile remaining true to their style of creating cut \u0026amp; paste sound collages and incorporating dusty samples, this album seeks to expand upon their own sonic path. Fulgeance lays down masterful work on keys, beats and bass, with Soulist the driving force behind song composition and percussive scratching. Combined, their only guideline is to make music that makes them tick, beyond the constraints of genres, trends or the criteria of \"beauty\" outside of their own tastes. An amalgamation of hip hop backdrops, analog synths and Moog modulations, merged with the swagger of 70's jazz-funk and the energy of club dancefloors, while auriverde guitar hooks glide with an effortless glissando of discoid piano riffs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor this project, the duo are not alone, taking on the definition of beauty to a global base. The microphone turns to Joao Selva for a poetic moment in the streets of Rio, then off to Réunion Island for an accordion jaunt with Kaloune \u0026amp; Papatef, before heading to Istanbul for a touch of Kit Sebastian's psychedelic funk, and ending the journey for a joyful jig of the soul in Tel Aviv with Jenny Penkin. There's no pre-defined flight plan here, other than savouring the art of creation itself, and searching for beauty within the dance.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSouleance have been releasing music for almost 15 years, receiving support over the years from renowned selectors worldwide, such as Gilles Peterson, Natasha Diggs, Tom Ravenscroft, Novena Carmel, Bill Brewster, Huey Morgan and Kev Beadle, to name just a few.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis time around, Souleance attempt to explore and define their own natural vision of beauty across this 'Beautiful' album.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat could be more subjective than beauty?…\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Beautiful' is released on vinyl \u0026amp; digital via Heavenly Sweetness and First Word, October 2023.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42725615927452,"sku":"FW284","price":25.2,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/1_08973ffc-4f28-4052-9d4f-40820982b5b7.jpg?v=1696818261"},{"product_id":"don-leisure-beyond-the-midnight-sun-feat-amanda-whiting","title":"Don Leisure - Beyond The Midnight Sun (feat. Amanda Whiting)","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW283\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580813656\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 24 Nov 2023\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Fusion \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Walk With Us (feat. Amanda Whiting) - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e02: Just Be (Free) [feat. Amanda Whiting \u0026amp; Deborah Jordan] - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e03: The First Chant (feat. Amanda Whiting) - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e04: Beyond The Midnight Sun (feat. Amanda Whiting) - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e05: Peace Of Mind (feat. Amanda Whiting \u0026amp; Deborah Jordan) - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e06: Crying Tiger (feat. Amanda Whiting) - Don Leisure\u003cbr\u003e07: Third Bass (feat. Amanda Whiting) - Don Leisure\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records are very proud to bring you a new album from Don Leisure with Amanda Whiting.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Beyond The Midnight Sun' expands upon ground first explored on Don Leisure's track 'All Praises Due', which also featured Amanda (with Angel Bat Dawid), and featured on his previous album 'Shaboo Strikes Back'. This is a full-length project that these two formidable Welsh artists have collaborated on together.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo bring you up to speed, Cardiff DJ and beat-maker Don Leisure has been twice nominated for the Welsh Music Prize, with the afore-mentioned album 'Shaboo Strikes Back', and a previous project, 'Steel Zakusi'. As well as being 50% of Darkhouse Family with Earl Jeffers, he's released music under various monikers on labels such as Metalheadz, International Anthem, Fat City, Earnest Endeavours, Group BraCil and on Rough Trade with another regular collaborator, Gruff Rhys. Other collabs have included Charlotte Church, Om'Mas Keith, DJ Spinna and First Word label-mate Tyler Daley (Children of Zeus).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis DJ portfolio includes sets for BBC 6 Music, NTS, Rinse FM, Solid Steel, Boxout FM (India), The Jazz Cafe, Fabric and Boiler Room, while previous support has come from Lauren Laverne, Tom Ravenscroft, Huw Stephens, Lefto, Rob Da Bank, Huey Morgan, Jon1st, Om Unit, Kid Fonque, Mr Thing and many more. His album 'Shaboo' was named \"the best album of its kind since J Dilla's 'Donuts'\" by Piccadilly Records.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJoining him throughout this project, we have the pleasure of welcoming the phenomenal talents of highly-acclaimed harpist Amanda Whiting to the First Word label. A virtuoso in her field, this classically trained musician quickly established herself as an essential player in the UK jazz scene, carving her unique sound following the paths forged by Ashby and Coltrane.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe's toured extensively with her own band, as well as with Matthew Halsall, Chip Wickham, DJ Yoda and Rebecca Vasmant, whilst previously releasing three solo albums on Jazzman Records, and a remix project for Scrimshire's Albert's Favourites imprint. Along the way, there's been a nomination for 'Instrumentalist of the Year' from Jazz FM and she's garnered the support of DJs such as Radio 2's Jamie Cullum (\"highly recommended\") and 6 Music's Cerys Matthews (\"my highlight of the Cheltenham Jazz festival 2023\").\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDon explains more…\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The project is a journey down the road that was revealed to me on 'All Praises Due' on 'Shaboo Strikes Back'. Amanda's willingness and eagerness to continue collaborating was a dream come true. Being able to get harp parts from someone who is so open minded is such a rare treat that a deeper project was inevitable.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI wanted to move in a different direction from the beat tape format on my previous releases while still maintaining the core Don Leisure sound, fused with live instrumentation and vocals etc\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe talents of Deborah Jordan are also featured on a couple of the album's tracks. Deborah is a stalwart in the UK soul and jazz scene in her own right, working over the years with artists like 4Hero, Bugz In The Attic, Ty, Jneiro Jarel, K15, Robert Mitchell and Kaidi Tatham (someone who's collaborated with all the players on this release at some point).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Beyond The Midnight Sun' is a 7-track affair comprised of delectable spiritual jazz fused with hip hop beats, psychedelic electronics and a touch of soul.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42831690793116,"sku":"FW283","price":15.3,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/1_098659ec-9f31-4e35-91d4-f0d42a7b2ca9.jpg?v=1700415003"},{"product_id":"don-leisure-amanda-whiting-beyond-the-midnight-sun","title":"Don Leisure \u0026 Amanda Whiting - Beyond the Midnight Sun","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW283\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580813656\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 24 Nov 2023\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Jazz \/ Fusion\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Walk with Us - Don Leisure \u0026amp; Amanda Whiting\u003cbr\u003e02: Just Be (Free) [feat. Deborah Jordan] - Don Leisure \u0026amp; Amanda Whiting\u003cbr\u003e03: The First Chant - Don Leisure \u0026amp; Amanda Whiting\u003cbr\u003e04: Beyond the Midnight Sun - Don Leisure \u0026amp; Amanda Whiting\u003cbr\u003e05: Peace of Mind (feat. Deborah Jordan) - Don Leisure \u0026amp; Amanda Whiting\u003cbr\u003e06: Crying Tiger - Don Leisure \u0026amp; Amanda Whiting\u003cbr\u003e07: Third Bass - Don Leisure \u0026amp; Amanda Whiting\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records are very proud to bring you a new album from Don Leisure with Amanda Whiting.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Beyond The Midnight Sun' expands upon ground first explored on Don Leisure's track 'All Praises Due', which also featured Amanda (with Angel Bat Dawid), and featured on his previous album 'Shaboo Strikes Back'. This is a full-length project that these two formidable Welsh artists have collaborated on together.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo bring you up to speed, Cardiff DJ and beat-maker Don Leisure has been twice nominated for the Welsh Music Prize, with the afore-mentioned album 'Shaboo Strikes Back', and a previous project, 'Steel Zakusi'. As well as being 50% of Darkhouse Family with Earl Jeffers, he's released music under various monikers on labels such as Metalheadz, International Anthem, Fat City, Earnest Endeavours, Group BraCil and on Rough Trade with another regular collaborator, Gruff Rhys. Other collabs have included Charlotte Church, Om'Mas Keith, DJ Spinna and First Word label-mate Tyler Daley (Children of Zeus).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis DJ portfolio includes sets for BBC 6 Music, NTS, Rinse FM, Solid Steel, Boxout FM (India), The Jazz Cafe, Fabric and Boiler Room, while previous support has come from Lauren Laverne, Tom Ravenscroft, Huw Stephens, Lefto, Rob Da Bank, Huey Morgan, Jon1st, Om Unit, Kid Fonque, Mr Thing and many more. His album 'Shaboo' was named \"the best album of its kind since J Dilla's 'Donuts'\" by Piccadilly Records.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJoining him throughout this project, we have the pleasure of welcoming the phenomenal talents of highly-acclaimed harpist Amanda Whiting to the First Word label. A virtuoso in her field, this classically trained musician quickly established herself as an essential player in the UK jazz scene, carving her unique sound following the paths forged by Ashby and Coltrane.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe's toured extensively with her own band, as well as with Matthew Halsall, Chip Wickham, DJ Yoda and Rebecca Vasmant, whilst previously releasing three solo albums on Jazzman Records, and a remix project for Scrimshire's Albert's Favourites imprint. Along the way, there's been a nomination for 'Instrumentalist of the Year' from Jazz FM and she's garnered the support of DJs such as Radio 2's Jamie Cullum (\"highly recommended\") and 6 Music's Cerys Matthews (\"my highlight of the Cheltenham Jazz festival 2023\").\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDon explains more…\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The project is a journey down the road that was revealed to me on 'All Praises Due' on 'Shaboo Strikes Back'. Amanda's willingness and eagerness to continue collaborating was a dream come true. Being able to get harp parts from someone who is so open minded is such a rare treat that a deeper project was inevitable.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI wanted to move in a different direction from the beat tape format on my previous releases while still maintaining the core Don Leisure sound, fused with live instrumentation and vocals etc\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe talents of Deborah Jordan are also featured on a couple of the album's tracks. Deborah is a stalwart in the UK soul and jazz scene in her own right, working over the years with artists like 4Hero, Bugz In The Attic, Ty, Jneiro Jarel, K15, Robert Mitchell and Kaidi Tatham (someone who's collaborated with all the players on this release at some point).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Beyond The Midnight Sun' is a 7-track affair comprised of delectable spiritual jazz fused with hip hop beats, psychedelic electronics and a touch of soul.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42858461626524,"sku":"FW283","price":15.3,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/1_8601130a-e8a9-47a3-96a9-52c572cc6f79.jpg?v=1701197489"},{"product_id":"takuya-kuroda-midnight-crisp","title":"Takuya Kuroda - Midnight Crisp","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW260\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580788923\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 21 Oct 2022\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Jazz \/ Fusion\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Midnight Crisp - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr\u003e02: Time Coil - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr\u003e03: It's Okay - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr\u003e04: Dead End Dance - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr\u003e05: Old Picture - Takuya Kuroda\u003cbr\u003e06: Choy Soda - Takuya Kuroda\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is very proud to bring you a brand new mini-album from Takuya Kuroda!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTakuya Kuroda is a highly respected trumpeter and arranger born in Kobe, Japan and based in New York City. 'Midnight Crisp' is Takuya's seventh studio album, entirely self-produced and following 2020's highly acclaimed 'Fly Moon Die Soon', also released on UK label First Word (winner of the Worldwide Award's Label of the Year in 2019). Consisting of six new tracks, this once again sees Takuya displaying his unique hybrid sound, blending soulful jazz, funk, post-bop, fusion and hip hop.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter following the footsteps of his trombonist brother playing in big bands, he relocated to New York to study jazz \u0026amp; contemporary music at The New School in Union Square; a course he graduated from in the mid-noughties. It was here that Takuya met vocalist José James, with whom he worked on the 'Blackmagic' and 'No Beginning No End' projects.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing graduation, Takuya established himself further in the NYC jazz scene, performing with the likes of Akoya Afrobeat and in recent years with DJ Premier's BADDER band (also including acclaimed bass player, Brady Watt). Premier said \"The BADDER Band project was put together by my manager, and an agent I've known since the beginning of my Gang Starr career. He said, 'What if you put a band together that revolved around a trumpet player from Japan named Takuya Kuroda? He's got a hip-hop perspective and respect in the jazz field…\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTakuya Kuroda is already incredibly prolific, releasing six albums in the past decade and fortifying a solid reputation in the global jazz scene. 2011 saw the release of Takuya's independently-produced debut album, 'Edge', followed by 'Bitter and High' the following year and 'Six Aces' on P-Vine in 2013. Takuya was signed to the legendary Blue Note Records in 2014 for his album 'Rising Son', as well as appearing on their 2019 cover versions project, 'Blue Note Voyage'. He released his 5th album 'Zigzagger' on Concord in 2016, which also featured Antibalas on a reimagining of the Donald Byrd classic 'Think Twice'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis last album was the afore-mentioned 'Fly Moon Die Soon' on First Word, which received plays and support from the likes of Pitchfork, Earmilk, Bandcamp Weekly, Worldwide FM, All About Jazz, Apple Music, Tidal, Stereogum, Treble, Brooklyn Vegan, FIP (France), Tony Minvielle, Jazz FM, Huey Morgan (BBC 6 Music), BBC Radio 3, Novena Carmel, KCRW and tons more DJs, tastemakers, selectors, radio stations, bloggers \u0026amp; magazines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe new project 'Midnight Crisp' will be released October 21st 2022 on vinyl, CD and digital, worldwide via First Word Records.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43110428672156,"sku":"FW260","price":23.38,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/1_a0452dba-d7cb-4d80-b9cb-dd305b6a246b.jpg?v=1708536942"},{"product_id":"amanda-whiting-the-liminality-of-her","title":"Amanda Whiting - The Liminality of Her","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW292\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580819993\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 29 Mar 2024\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Jazz \/ Fusion\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Finding the Way - Amanda Whiting\u003cbr\u003e02: Facing the Sun - Amanda Whiting\u003cbr\u003e03: Intertwined (feat. PEACH.) - Amanda Whiting\u003cbr\u003e04: Liminal - Amanda Whiting\u003cbr\u003e05: Nomad - Amanda Whiting\u003cbr\u003e06: Alchemy - Amanda Whiting\u003cbr\u003e07: Waiting to Go (feat. Chip Wickham) - Amanda Whiting\u003cbr\u003e08: No Turning Back - Amanda Whiting03:49 Download Clip\u003cbr\u003e09: Rite of Passage (feat. PEACH.) - Amanda Whiting\u003cbr\u003e10: Feels so Far Away - Amanda Whiting\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is very proud to present 'The Liminality of Her', a brand new 10-track album from their newest signing, Amanda Whiting; a highly-acclaimed Welsh harpist \u0026amp; composer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA virtuoso in her field, this classically trained musician has quickly established herself as an essential player in the UK jazz scene, carving her own unique sound, following on from the paths forged by Ashby and Coltrane.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAmanda recently joined the First Word label roster, via a collaborative project with Don Leisure, 'Beyond The Midnight Sun', as well as a feature on his Welsh Music Prize nominated project 'Shaboo Strikes Back'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe's previously toured extensively with her own band, as well as with Matthew Halsall, Rebecca Vasmant, DJ Yoda and Chip Wickham (who also features on this new project), whilst previously releasing three solo albums on Jazzman Records, and a remix project for Scrimshire's Albert's Favourites imprint. Along the way, there's been a nomination for 'Instrumentalist of the Year' from Jazz FM and she's garnered the support of DJs such as Radio 2's Jamie Cullum (\"highly recommended\") and BBC 6Music's Cerys Matthews (\"my highlight of the Cheltenham Jazz festival 2023\").\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis 10-track album exemplifies Amanda's talents as a performer and composer, taking in an array of hypnotising sonics from the worlds of jazz; from fusion to spiritual and beyond. She is backed with accompaniment from a remarkable set of players in their own right, including Chip Wickham on flute and PEACH. on vocals. A confident display of purposefully blissful compositions that saunter as much as they soothe, whilst being unafraid to lean into some deep uptempo grooves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAmanda describes the theme of this project as \"liminality... that place in between, the transition from one place to another. No longer what it was, yet not what it's going to be.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe harp always presents itself at these moments. It's a sound that causes an emotion. My instrument chose me. It's been with me through every chapter of life. It's how I speak, especially when there are no words.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis album is a rite of passage for \"her\". A feeling of alchemy, a feeling of liberation. Moments of inner searching, intertwined, waiting but moving forward. Never looking back.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'The Liminality of Her' encompasses the highs and the lows. The nomadic love of freedom and spirituality. It's all so much bigger than you or I…\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the cinematic, classical fusion of 'After Dark', to the more playful 'Lost in Abstraction', this album invites you to float in a soundscape of liminality...\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'The Liminality of Her' is released on vinyl \u0026amp; digital worldwide, March 22nd 2024.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43278338588828,"sku":"FW292","price":20.7,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/1_7f4e801f-cd3e-4321-b790-8fefe0363a45.jpg?v=1711454591"},{"product_id":"tyler-daley-son-of-zeus","title":"Tyler Daley - Son of Zeus","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW296\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580821019\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 12 Apr 2024\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Neo Soul\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTyler Daley is the acclaimed and highly renowned Manchester artist now surging into his autonomy with his debut solo EP 'Son of Zeus'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith humble beginnings in Manchester's scene, Daley's influence merges a nostalgic love for pirate radio with a mix of musical inspirations journeying through roots reggae, street soul and R\u0026amp;B whilst modernising his sound through his love for hip hop and UK rave music.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith an impressive roster of collaborations including notable features like Ghetts, Goldie, Shy FX and Bugzy Malone to name a few, his unique artistry plays on his pioneering stature and longevity in the game. Leaning on this wisdom to create a fresh, uncompromising sound, Daley has combined his knowledge with his cutting-edge aptitude for music in his new EP.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaying homage to the multitude of success he's seen through his eclectic journey as one half of the universally loved Children of Zeus, Tyler Daley's new EP fuses his signature sound with a clear personalisation that offers a raw and transparent depiction of his artistry and musical prowess.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHaving travelled the world touring and selling out shows everywhere from KOKO London to South Africa and Dubai, the EP is a self professed tale of balancing a crazy life and equally crazy career. Daley describes the EP as \"that soulful Zeus sound, a blend of dusty low-fi soul, hip hop and R\u0026amp;B for the sophisticated blunt heads and vibe seekers\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Son of Zeus' is released on vinyl c\/o First Word Records, distributed worldwide by Kudos Records UK.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDigital distribution c\/o Ingrooves \/ Virgin Music Group on March 8th.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01. These Cards\u003cbr\u003e02. Been Trying\u003cbr\u003e03. All I Need\u003cbr\u003e04. Small Circles\u003cbr\u003e05. Never Look Down\u003cbr\u003e06. 4SoLong\u003cbr\u003e07. When You're Lonely\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43364146774172,"sku":"FW296","price":15.3,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/0_a0945c59-f844-4d24-b110-fbf83c3a3182.jpg?v=1712169675"},{"product_id":"takuya-kuroda-midnight-crisp-remixed","title":"TAKUYA KURODA - Midnight Crisp Remixed","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Vinyl\u003cbr\u003eCatalogue No.: FW273\u003cbr\u003eRelease Date: 13 Jun 2024\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Broken Beat\/Nu Jazz\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSide 1\u003cbr\u003e1. \"Choy Soda\" (Waajeeds Hi-Tech Jazz remix) 6:06\u003cbr\u003eSide 2\u003cbr\u003e1. \"Dead End Dance\" (Kaidi Tatham remix) 4:47\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!----\u003e","brand":"FIRST WORD RECORDS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44135370195100,"sku":"FW273","price":10.8,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/0_ea8d54e5-97db-4816-936a-cfb106223a79.jpg?v=1719257334"},{"product_id":"allysha-joy-the-making-of-silk-coloured-vinyl","title":"Allysha Joy - The Making of Silk [Coloured Vinyl]","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Album Coloured Vinyl (Limited Edition)\u003cbr\u003eCatalogue No.: FW304G\u003cbr\u003eBarcode: 5050580828636\u003cbr\u003eRelease Date: 13 Sep 2024\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Hip Hop\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 Nothing to Prove\u003cbr\u003e2 Dropping Keys\u003cbr\u003e3 Reset : ____\u003cbr\u003e4 Raise Up\u003cbr\u003e5 Hold On\u003cbr\u003e6 Silk\u003cbr\u003e7 David\u003cbr\u003e8 ____ : Float\u003cbr\u003e9 Your Touch\u003cbr\u003e10 Learning to Love\u003cbr\u003e11 Stay\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44438616015004,"sku":"FW304G","price":26.98,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/0_d3670484-1f00-4d78-b195-731d931d38e7.jpg?v=1725633383"},{"product_id":"allysha-joy-the-making-of-silk","title":"Allysha Joy - The Making of Silk","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Album\u003cbr\u003eCatalogue No.: FW304\u003cbr\u003eBarcode: 5050580826830\u003cbr\u003eRelease Date: 13 Sep 2024\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Hip Hop\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 Nothing to Prove\u003cbr\u003e2 Dropping Keys\u003cbr\u003e3 Reset : ____\u003cbr\u003e4 Raise Up\u003cbr\u003e5 Hold On\u003cbr\u003e6 Silk\u003cbr\u003e7 David\u003cbr\u003e8 ____ : Float\u003cbr\u003e9 Your Touch\u003cbr\u003e10 Learning to Love\u003cbr\u003e11 Stay\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44438627483804,"sku":"FW304","price":23.73,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/0_fc61a380-393c-4b08-9e24-b2deefe79cc4.jpg?v=1725633564"},{"product_id":"tall-black-guy-8-miles-to-moenart-10th-anniversary-edition","title":"Tall Black Guy - 8 Miles to Moenart (10th Anniversary Edition)","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: LP\u003cbr\u003eCatalogue No.: FW316\u003cbr\u003eBarcode: 5050580833234\u003cbr\u003eRelease Date: 01 Nov 2024\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Rap\/Hip-Hop\/Instrumental East Coast\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Black Detroit Intro - Tall Black Guy\u003cbr\u003e02: The Dark Streets - Tall Black Guy\u003cbr\u003e03: Funeral Biz \/ Welcome to Detroit (Interlude) [feat. Malice \u0026amp; Mario Sweet] - Tall Black Guy\u003cbr\u003e04: From Home to Work, and Back (Reprise) - Tall Black Guy\u003cbr\u003e05: Mon Amie De'troit (7\" Version) [feat. Ozay Moore] - Tall Black Guy\u003cbr\u003e06: Running the Motor (Reprise) - Tall Black Guy\u003cbr\u003e07: The Motor Is Running - Tall Black Guy\u003cbr\u003e08: There's No More Soul (feat. Diggs Duke) - Tall Black Guy\u003cbr\u003e09: Rain into the Nite (Outro) - Tall Black Guy\u003cbr\u003e10: Floating - Tall Black Guy\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is very proud to bring you the 10th anniversary edition of Tall Black Guy's debut LP '8 Miles to Moenart'!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt includes two brand new jazz interpretations ('From Home To Work, And Back' and 'Running The Motor'), recorded with a live band, as well as a new intro cut ('Black Detroit'), and an alternative mix of the single 'Mon Amie De'troit', previously only available on 7\" vinyl.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe original vinyl LP release was a one-time limited edition pressing; this being the first time this project has been available on wax since then, and also includes entirely new artwork and photography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom humble origins in Detroit, raised on a healthy diet of Motown, jazz and hip hop, Terrel Wallace (aka Tall Black Guy) has become a standard bearer for the hip hop beats scene. Through a steady stream of soulful productions filled with incredibly clever sample flips and deft production chops, he has won fans across the world, including Gilles Peterson, Benji B, Don Letts, Lefto, Tom Ravenscroft, Lord Finesse, Huey Morgan, Anthony Valadez and countless others, along with sessions for Boiler Room and more.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'8 Miles To Moenart' literally brought Tall Black Guy full circle, and proceeds to do so once again. Detroit was where he started making music, and it's to his hometown he took inspiration for this debut album. Taking in low-slung hip hop, downtempo house and jazz-tinged street soul, it's a record of rare focus. It encapsulated the musical heritage of Detroit, through the looking glass of Tall Black Guy's own signature sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollow up releases included his sophomore First Word album 'Let's Take A Trip' (which also featured the likes of Masego, Daniel Crawford, Miles Bonny and Moonchild), and records on Ubiquity, Bastard Jazz and Street Corner Music, to name a few, along with a steady slew of limited self-released edits amd productions, most recently with his #7DayVaults series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe's worked with a number of formidable artists worldwide, including recent extensive work with Zo! (Little Brother), Ozay Moore, Deborah Bond and Dee Jackson (80's Babies), as well as collaborations with 14KT and First Word label-mate Allysha Joy, to name just a few. He is also an integral player for DJ Jazzy Jeff's infamous PLAYlist Retreat sessions, along with more First Word family, Kaidi Tatham and Eric Lau, as well as artists like James Poyser, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Questlove, and he was a core contributor to First Word's 'Nothing Leaves The House' series, along with Eric, Mr Thing and kidkanevil.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTall Black Guy has firmly established himself to be one of the most influential producers working today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTerrel says \"I made the bulk of this album back in Detroit around 2012\/2013, before I relocated to the UK. I've been back living and working in the States for a while now, and it's great to look back on this project. But while it's nice to reminisce, it's important to look forwards, so I wanted to include something new here to represent my progression as an artist, so there's some new versions included, that I created with the help of some jazz musician friends of mine.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'8 Miles to Moenart' (10th Anniversary Edition) will be released on digital \u0026amp; vinyl on October 18th 2024.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44554834968732,"sku":"FW316","price":21.85,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/1_9134fd77-4f06-4afc-93a5-e263f82dc3b5.jpg?v=1730194040"},{"product_id":"victoria-port-did-it-again","title":"Victoria Port - Did It Again","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Vinyl\u003cbr\u003eCatalogue No.: FW320\u003cbr\u003eBarcode: 5050580841307\u003cbr\u003eRelease Date: 07 Feb 2025\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Soul\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records are delighted to present 'Did It Again', the debut EP from Victoria Port.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVictoria is a British singer\/songwriter that's previously released two albums as half of electronic soul outfit Anushka (on Brownswood and Tru Thoughts respectively), with a third album from the duo scheduled for release later in 2025 on BBE. Now Victoria is finally making the move to showcase her music, in her own unique way, as a solo artist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer first solo single 'Cigarette' saw support from Cerys Matthews \u0026amp; Huey Morgan on BBC 6 Music, Gilles Peterson (Worldwide FM), Mi-Soul Radio ('One To Watch'), Dan Digs (NPR Music), Tony Minvielle (Jazz FM), Somewhere Soul, Soho Radio, Totally Wired, Global Soul (also as part of their live showcase at Koko, London) and many more, while her last Anushka project also received extensive support from tastemakers such as Annie Mac, Huw Stephens and Jamz Supernova, and saw her wowing crowds as a regular player on the UK and international festival circuit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis debut 4-track EP is set to place her where she firmly belongs; as an exciting new talent in the vibrant, eclectic UK r\u0026amp;b\/soul scene.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs well as the single 'Cigarette', the EP includes the beautiful follow-up single 'Haunting', and two more soulful tracks; the slow jam 'Keep Love For Me', and the title track 'Did It Again'. Production comes courtesy of Hemai and Shevlane, with all tracks written by Victoria herself, along with her trusted team of accomplices; JNR Williams, Dominic Martin \u0026amp; Louie Hemus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'Did It Again' is largely inspired by the legacy of her Dominican grandmother, and the tales of all the powerful women she has known, and is yet to know, encompassing their vulnerability and their truth. This in turn with her own journey as a mother. \"I found the journey into motherhood transformative\", she says. \"I felt lost and broken at times, but simultaneously the most capable and powerful I've ever been. I've had to do the work and face my own shortcomings, in order to be the person I want to be, for my child, and ultimately for myself\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSonically, Victoria takes her influences from a lifelong appreciation of soul music, drawing inspiration from artists like Gladys Knight, Minnie Riperton, Diana Ross, Nine Simone, Ella Fitzgerald and Dionne Warwick, to contemporaries such as Cleo Sol and Jorja Smith. She adds \"I'm particularly obsessed with the girl bands from the '60's. I love the stories and the harmonies. Motown was the soundtrack to my childhood. Songs that make you want to dance in your kitchen!\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis debut solo EP is a beautiful example of Victoria's prowess as a vocalist and composer alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'Did It Again' is to be released on vinyl and digitally worldwide in February 2025.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44655013462172,"sku":"FW320","price":11.7,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/11_33b730cb-591e-47c3-8f11-800621f7bef7.jpg?v=1734348968"},{"product_id":"amanda-whiting-a-christmas-cwtch","title":"Amanda Whiting - A Christmas Cwtch","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Album\u003cbr\u003eCatalogue No.: FW322\u003cbr\u003eBarcode: 5050580835467\u003cbr\u003eRelease Date: 06 Dec 2024\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Christmas\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA1        The Night Before (Santa Claus Is Coming To Town) (Intro)\u003cbr\u003eA2        In The Bleak Midwinter\u003cbr\u003eA3        Christmas Is Coming\u003cbr\u003eA4        Christmas Time Is Here\u003cbr\u003eA5        Sugarplum\u003cbr\u003eA6        Happiness Theme\u003cbr\u003eA7        Little Elfy\u003cbr\u003eB1        Skating\u003cbr\u003eB2        Peace Piece\u003cbr\u003eB3        Deck The Halls\u003cbr\u003eB4        The Christmas Song\u003cbr\u003eB5        O Christmas Tree\u003cbr\u003eB6        We Three Kings\u003cbr\u003eB7        Has He Been (Santa Claus Is Coming To Town) (Outro)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44659132465308,"sku":"FW322","price":22.48,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/2_e104ef14-585a-4a6a-b880-655c07e607d5.jpg?v=1734553615"},{"product_id":"various-artists-nothing-leaves-the-house-the-anthology-2lp","title":"Various Artists - Nothing Leaves The House - The Anthology [2LP]","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 2 x LP\u003cbr\u003eCatalogue No.: FW314\u003cbr\u003eBarcode: 5050580836532\u003cbr\u003eRelease Date: 06 Dec 2024\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Instrumental East Coast\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is proud to present 'Nothing Leaves The House - The Anthology'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA vinyl-only album of 16 hip hop instrumentals from Mr Thing, kidkanevil, Tall Black Guy \u0026amp; Eric Lau.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a collection of a long-out-of print series of beats from four of the most revered beat-makers in the underground scene. This double-vinyl collection features four brand new tracks specially created for this 10 year anniversary release.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe concept behind this project was originally birthed on Record Store Day 2012. First Word label founder Gilla explains \"as we dipped in and out of London's Soho record shops, kidkanevil mentioned to me that he wanted to mine Mr Thing's vast record collection for samples. An idea formed to invite a couple of other beatmakers to join him and to press the resulting beats onto vinyl. Mr Thing enthusiastically agreed to the idea with one stipulation: they could sample what they wanted, but the records had to stay within the walls of his flat. We quickly enlisted Eric Lauand Tall Black Guy to complete the quartet and 'Nothing Leaves The House' was born.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe release came to fruition and was released a decade ago, for Record Store Day in April 2014. The quartet met up once again shortly after in another London record shop, to work on a follow up project. For this one, Mr Thing brought one record for each producer from his collection for them to sample. They reciprocated by picking a record from the racks in the shop for him to use. 'Thing Leaves The House' was then released in 2015.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCompleting the trilogy of releases, the crew were invited to the legendary John Peel Archive to dig for samples there. After trawling the legendary Peel Acres collection, the producers individually selected sound snippets to create new beats from; this time under the stipulation that 'Nothing Leaves The Archive'. This double 7\" release again landed on Record Store Day, 2016.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGilla says \"10 years on from the release of the first record, and almost 9 years to the day since we were at Peel Acres, we are now releasing the 4th and final volume. Whilst Mr Thing is still in England, the other three have travelled far and wide. Eric Lau is now in China, Tall Black Guy has returned to the US and kidkanevil has moved to Berlin. Our indie label budget didn't extend to uniting everyone from the different continents, so instead Mr Thing uploaded a folder of tracks for the trio to work from. With the previous volumes now long sold out, we've added the original beats to this anthology and have moved up from a double 7\" to a double 12\" LP. One side for each producer; four tracks made across 10 years.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'Nothing Leaves The House - The Anthology' is released on double vinyl, on Black Friday, November 29th 2024.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01. One To One — Tall Black Guy\u003cbr\u003e02. Solar Coaster For The People — Tall Black Guy\u003cbr\u003e03. Constantly Moving — Tall Black Guy\u003cbr\u003e04. Super Heights — Tall Black Guy\u003cbr\u003e05. Chop For Mr Thing — Eric Lau\u003cbr\u003e06. Dedication A, B \u0026amp; C — Eric Lau\u003cbr\u003e07. YNWAJP — Eric Lau\u003cbr\u003e08. Lau Left The House — Eric Lau\u003cbr\u003e09. Loopin' Ill — kidkanevil\u003cbr\u003e10. Explorer Flip — kidkanevil\u003cbr\u003e11. A Love That's Worth Sampling — kidkanevil\u003cbr\u003e12. Sun Gonna Shine — kidkanevil\u003cbr\u003e13. Changes — Mr Thing\u003cbr\u003e14. Carnival — Mr Thing\u003cbr\u003e15. Higher — Mr Thing\u003cbr\u003e16. Funky Coffee Thing — Mr Thing\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44662303981724,"sku":"FW314","price":25.2,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/2_9f9050de-f78a-484c-8ca6-b067efddc1a7.jpg?v=1734715873"},{"product_id":"takuya-kuroda-rising-son-2lp-1","title":"Takuya Kuroda - Rising Son [2LP]","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 2 x LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: FW288\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580815933\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 26 Jan 2024\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Jazz\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst Word Records is incredibly proud to bring you an exclusive vinyl-only re-issue of Takuya Kuroda's highly-sought after album 'Rising Son'. 'Rising Son' was first released on the seminal Blue Note Records imprint 10 years ago in 2014, with Takuya being the first Japanese artist to sign to the label. The record received widespread critical acclaim, hitting No.1 on Japan's jazz charts at the time, with original copies now fetching hundreds of pounds on Discogs and the like. There has long been high demand for a re-press of this album, and we're very pleased to say it's finally here, a decade on. The re-issue is to be released via London-based Worldwide Award-winning label First Word Records, who coincidentally celebrate their 20th year running in 2024. First Word released Takuya's highly-revered previous two albums, 'Fly Moon Die Soon' (2020) and 'Midnight Crisp' (2022). For those that don't know, Takuya Kuroda is a Kobe-born, Brooklyn-based trumpeter and musician, who was ...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01. Rising Son\u003cbr\u003e02. Afro Blues\u003cbr\u003e03. Piri Piri\u003cbr\u003e04. Mala\u003cbr\u003e05. Everybody Loves The Sunshine\u003cbr\u003e06. Green \u0026amp; Gold\u003cbr\u003e07. Sometime….\u003cbr\u003e08. Call\u003cbr\u003e09. Everybody Loves The Sunshine (Joe Armon-Jones Remix)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"First Word Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44875269177500,"sku":"FW288","price":34.18,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/1_c3f86b10-3a66-402f-9515-e95e9ed3b3e3.jpg?v=1705591038"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.horizonsmusic.co.uk\/collections\/first-word-records.oembed","provider":"Horizons Music","version":"1.0","type":"link"}