Two classic tracks by keyboardist Don Laka, who collaborated with Ray Phiri—a key figure in the Johannesburg scene of the ’80s—on projects like UMOJA. The first is “Stages Of Love,” a classic 80s African synth disco and boogie track that was also included on HUNEE’s compilation, and the second is “I Wanna Be Myself,” which has been selected for com ...Read morepilations by Andy Smith and DJ Okapi. Each track has been reimagined with a Prins Thomas & Gerd Janson edit, transforming them into sounds perfectly suited for today’s dance floor! These tracks have the potential to make for the highlight of any night out. The way the stars are arranged on the cover is simply brilliant. You’ll definitely want to add this to your collection. (Saito)

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『Tracklist A. Stages - Prins Thomas Edit 08:34 B1. I Wanna Be Myself - Gerd Janson Edit 07:20 B2. Stages Of Love - Original 05:55 Info: Some tracks don’t need fixing. They just need a bit more room. South African composer and keyboard wizard Don Laka has been quietly sitting in DJ bags for years, especially with people who like their synth music warm, slightly mysterious, and impossible to date properly. Somewhere between jazz funk, township pulse and studio electronics, but really just its own thing. Stages was an obvious candidate for extension. Prins Thomas what he does best here: opens the arrangement, lets the synth lines breathe, stretches the groove until it starts floating a little higher off the ground. Nothing forced, nothing added for the sake of it. Just more of a very good thing. I Wanna Be Myself gets a gentle nudge from Gerd Janson. The idea was simple: keep the personality, and give DJs a version that lands naturally in a modern set without losing the original charm. It’s still the same track, just standing a bit straighter. And because the source matters, the original version of “Stages” is here as well. Always good to remember where the magic started. Three versions, no drama. Just strong music that already knew what it was doing.』

Four tracks named after the “Halle Weissensee” rave warehouse—the venue for the legendary Mayday rave held in Berlin in 1993, which featured Gerd Janson and Sascha Funke of Running Back. While not strictly a nostalgic tribute to rave, the album features dance tracks that blend old-school flair with a modern sensibility—such as “Reality,” which seem ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Saito)s inspired by “Computer Madness,” RELEIF’s old-school Chicago ghetto sound, and bleeps, and “Fantasy,” which builds from a similar progression into dreamy synths—these are dance tracks that blend old-school flavors with a modern sensibility. The spatial quality, the intriguing use of electronic sounds and samples, the rhythm, the number of tracks, and the magic of how time unfolds—it’s pure trance entertainment. (Original Japanese text by Saito)

『ローマン・フリューゲルが、マシン・ファンクとダンスフロアの陶酔感との絶え間ない愛の物語の新たな一章を携え、Running Backに帰ってきた。『Garden Party』から最近の『Dusty Jukebox』EPに至る一連のリリースに続き、この最新作もまた、紛れもなく彼独自の道を歩み続けている。ここには何の制約もない。 たっぷりと盛り込まれたベースライン、レイヴ・シグナル、ブリープ音、そしてリズム・トラック。これらすべてに、ローマンのプロダクションを「今ここにある」と同時に「時代を超越した」ものと感じさせる、本能的な音楽性が重ねられている。 初期のレイヴ・カルチャーの精神は、ノスタルジアとしてではなく、生き生きとしたインスピレーションの源として、ハウス・ミュージックが持つ喜び、驚き、そ ...Read moreして共同体の解放感という無限の可能性に注ぎ込まれ、今もなお指針となっている。いつものように、その目的はシンプルだ。その瞬間を祝うこと。できれば大音量で、できれば皆で、そしてできればたっぷりのアイシングを添えて。 (インフォメーションより)』

Ben Westbeech’s layered vocals, refined electronics, effects, and sound production. Four versions: EXTEBDED, DEEP DUB, WP Instrumental, and WP Dub. (Saito)

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『When the first lockdown hit, Ben Westbeech ended up stranded in Walthamstow after months spent drifting through India and Thailand, unable to make it back to Ibiza. Ar ...Read moremed with little more than an SM58, a Korg Minilogue and a soundcard, he pieced together a temporary setup in a friend’s flat and got back into the habit of writing music in splendid isolation. Somewhere in the middle of all that, Deetron sent over a sketch that instantly hit a nerve. Ben wrote and recorded the vocal for Deep In Your Soul in one sitting, then the track quietly sat and evolved over the next couple of years until Sam resurfaced with the finished version. A final vocal session in Ibiza sealed it properly. What emerged is one of those records that feels lived-in rather than laboured over: warm, soulful and naturally unfolding across different places, phases and points in time. Another chapter in the long-running musical conversation between Deetron and Ben Westbeech.』

A-SIDE “Kerri Kaoz Beat” is a previously unreleased instrumental version of a raw house track that samples “The House Music Anthem (MOVE YOUR BODY),” inspired by the cool charm of Kerri Chandler’s early career. The B-SIDE is also produced by Kerri Chandler and marks the vinyl release of Tony Humphries’ previously unreleased acetate-only version of ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Saito)singer Dee Dee Brave’s “My My Lover,” originally released by Movin’ in 1990. While the original is fantastic, this version strips away the vocals and focuses on a dubby, stoic groove and keyboard work, making it another compelling example of early underground house. (Original Japanese text by Saito)

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『Telling a tale of house music’s early days or roots without mentioning Tony Humphries as a club DJ, remixer and radio disc jockey would make it an incomplete, forged and most of all a bit of a yawn.
Born in Brooklyn in 1957, Humphries’ musical journey is synonymous with New York City’s dance music history ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Saito)and the evolution from uptempo soul music to house: from being a dancer at David Mancuso’s infamous Loft parties to becoming a mobile DJ and getting the call from Shep Pettibone to become his right hand at
the then new Kiss FM radio station, followed by countless remix offers and a legendary residency at Newark’s Club Zanzibar. Next to that one, is was especially his work as a radio disc jockey for said station during most of the 1980s until 1994 that gave him majestic clout. Breaking new records week in, week out,
putting New Jersey acts like Adeva and Jomanda or countless up-and-coming producers from there on the musical map, while simultaneously playing the hottest imports from Europe, trax from Chicago, dance classics and all things straight from New York’s music factory that never seemed to stop.

Going to his vast and almost complete archive of radio shows from way back when he graced those airwaves, we at Running Back Records have picked original recordings that symbolize his importance as an industry giant and ambassador of this style of music.
„But one thing I would like to point out is that, as a DJ, the music I play is not my music. I want to make it perfectly clear that it is music that is released, and it’s everyone’s music. I do not take any other credit than being the middle person exposing this music.“
(Tony Humphries in: What Kind of House Party Is This?, Jonathan Fleming, 1996)

』 (Original Japanese text by Saito)

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『Telling a tale of house music’s early days or roots without mentioning Tony Humphries as a club DJ, remixer and radio disc jockey would make it an incomplete, forged and most of all a bit of a yawn.
Born in Brooklyn in 1957, Humphries’ musical journey is synonymous with New York City’s dance music history ...Read more (Original Japanese text by Saito)and the evolution from uptempo soul music to house: from being a dancer at David Mancuso’s infamous Loft parties to becoming a mobile DJ and getting the call from Shep Pettibone to become his right hand at
the then new Kiss FM radio station, followed by countless remix offers and a legendary residency at Newark’s Club Zanzibar. Next to that one, is was especially his work as a radio disc jockey for said station during most of the 1980s until 1994 that gave him majestic clout. Breaking new records week in, week out,
putting New Jersey acts like Adeva and Jomanda or countless up-and-coming producers from there on the musical map, while simultaneously playing the hottest imports from Europe, trax from Chicago, dance classics and all things straight from New York’s music factory that never seemed to stop.
Going to his vast and almost complete archive of radio shows from way back when he graced those airwaves, we at Running Back Records have pickedNew Release Information original recordings that symbolize his importance as an industry giant and ambassador of this style of music.
„But one thing I would like to point out is that, as a DJ, the music I play is not my music. I want to make it perfectly clear that it is music that is released, and it’s everyone’s music. I do not take any other credit than being the middle person exposing this music.“
(Tony Humphries in: What Kind of House Party Is This?, Jonathan Fleming, 1996)

』 (Original Japanese text by Saito)