This year, we’re bringing in several new weekly features to FACT’s schedule.
Joining My Favourite Record and Forgotten Classics is The Week’s Best Vinyl Releases, a Saturday column by our friends at Soho record shop Phonica. It sounds obvious, but few people are onto great records as quickly as a great record store, and after years spent discovering gems in Phonica’s end of year lists, it made sense to give them a regular space on FACT. Every Saturday morning, they’ll run down the five vinyl records doing most damage in Phonica that week.
DENAJI
Unthank006
(Unthank)
Screenprinted 10″s from Unthank, a sub-label of the always on-point Firecracker. DJ Sotofett’s blustery remix is obviously the selling point, but don’t sleep on the slight originals – ‘Dharma Dharma’ is a dream. Comes in various colour schemes, accompanied by sales notes that “writes to you with many kindnesses from my chest area” and offers “many joys and bum pats”.
DIN / CATSUP / HOMO
Diesel / Jarvis Edits
(Moton)
Not-so-ugly edits from the reliable Moton Records, who’ve been exploring the weirder side of disco, afrobeat and more for over a decade now. Expect to hear ‘Catsup’ soundtracking a Tarantino opening credits sometime around 2018 – or not.
ROTLA
Laguna
(Mondo)
Twinkle-toed slow house from Running Back sub-label Mondo – one for the star-gazers and sadboys. Whole EP is great, even drifting into country-esque instrumentals on ‘Bosco’, but the title track’s our pick. Upfront promo, exclusive to Phonica.
MERWYN & INKSWEL
Cloudeaters
(Hot Shot Sounds)
Meet Hot Shot – a new label from the crew behind Peoples Potential Unlimited. Fans of Eglo and Firecracker should be keeping a keen eye on it – Cloudeaters is low-slung dancefloor-tuned funk of the highest order, packaged with remixes from Linkwood and Gifted & Blessed’s GB alias.
WOLF MULLER
Balztanz
(Themes For Great Cities)
Sneaking into the shop on Christmas Eve, Baltztanz‘s lustre is yet to fade, featuring three new tracks by Wolf Muller and remixes by Kontan Chok and J.T.C. Fans of percussive, Kraut-inspired gear will find much to love here – there’s even live gong.
Phonica turns 10 this year, and will be celebrating with a new compilation, 10 Years of Phonica Records, as well as a party at London’s Fire. For more on that, head here.
