Emotional Rescue

Played by: MR ABSOLUTT, Secret Soul Society

Review: There is always a good backstory to the music that Emotional Rescue releases and this EP is a case in point. It comes from Betty & The Code Red and Betty was the girlfriend of Tunde Obazee, a Nigerian-born artist who used music as a "non-violent tool to express his socio-political opinions on global injustice." The pair would entertain people on campus by playing anything they could get their hands on, informed by the old Edo folk songs they had grown up around. They went on to live in Italy and the US and start a family as well as lay down self-released songs that have become cult classics. A selection of them feature on this, the first of two EPs from the pair.

Played by: Juno Recommends Reggae

Review: Noted reggae vocalist Barry Biggs comes under the Emotional Rescue microscope here with celebrated LA digger Patrick Billard aka DJ Duckcomb remixing one of his cuts. First up is the original version of 'Illusion' which has big pianos over the clean digital dub. The soaring vocal is obscured by plenty of lush effects and melodies. After a version twists and contorts the original, the DJ Duckcomb Discomix slows things down and ups the dazzling disco vibes but keeps the dub dubby bottom end to ensure plenty of dance floor impact. This is a classy one as ever from this label.

Played by: Juno Recommends Reggae

Review: The sounds of 80s dub reggae coming out of the alternative and post-punk scenes of a rebuilt but divided (West and East) Germany is explored on a sampler of The Vision. A consciousness dream built by Hanover homegrown, Felix Wolter aka Dubvisionist with cohorts Sister Natty and Tygrr, they explored the meeting of cultures of that moment, combining their background in and love of rock, krautrock, punk and post-punk, diving deep into an adoration of reggae and dub, especially emanating from discovering On-U Sound. Later encouraged by Adrian Sherwood himself during a pilgrimage to London, The Vision was born. Working from riddims rather than songs, jamming continuously before vocals are added, arranging and then dubbed live on the mixing desk, utilised as instrument over a mere sound tool. Their debut '10 Tracks Of Reggae & Dub Music', from which this release is culled, was released in 1987, seeing the band go on to release and tour for the following decade, with spin off bands, projects, producing and a studio continuing up until today. A live band exploring the studio with their interpretation of dub reggae in all its forms, the songs Far Away, Different Language and Whirl showcase Sister Natty's conscious style atop roots and steppers riddims. The African Headcharge-inspired Natty Vision, possibly the release highlight, opens to percussion jams before the spoken words of Fear and speaker shacking, On-U-dubs-clash-crash of No 4 complete this EP sampler with ears wide.

Played by: Juno Recommends Reggae, Ted Ganung

Review: Emotional Rescue is delighted to debut a first. Rather than a straight reissue of an (obscure) classic or a collection of music by an artist or label, here is a compilation of various artists centered around a sound and movement - reggae-tinged music and how it influenced and spread from the Caribbean and diaspora. Drawn from the off kilter digging of archivist, DJ and collector Bruno (perfectliv.es), Nowhere Like Here is not a follow up, but a sideways accompaniment, to his recent and already cult like 'Perfect Motion' collection of left field pop and new wave, recently self-released with Flo Dill (NTS). This is a special release to celebrate the label's 10th year and beyond, offering a treasure trove of lo-fi and often pop inspired reggae cuts, mixing heartfelt Lovers Rock style paeans and quirky private press oddities, all guaranteed to 'make-a-move and tap', these are, in the main ridiculously rare or impossible to find alternative bombs, that are just as sound system rocking and massive bass line quaking showcases of the enduring legacy of this Jamaican music phenomenon. As with much of the early 80s period, the music community was in the throes of a do-it-yourself cultural renaissance as small labels, where crazy limited, one-off White Label Only's came and went. Songs like Avalanche's Your Love Is Such A Good Thing or Warp Speed's Take It To The Night were part of the claiming the means of production in to their own hands, pressing up the records and self-distributing. This raw, naive exuberance can be heard in the songs themselves. This is not reggae or Lovers as known, but something more expressive. Musical, simply produced, but with intelligible and uplifting optimism that is just superlatively catchy. While Paul Thompson's Can I Take You Home and Ras Ibuna's Black Beauty are more straight-ahead Lover's style cuts, there is the parallel dance pop private pressing vibrations of the two Keith Robinson songs and Majority's Caroline included - all part of a thread; a joining of the dots that Nowhere Like Here is at its most basic, a warmth the whole album exudes. This is not a Lovers Rock Hits of some, but a left-of-center versioning, fitting the ethos of Emotional Rescue by presenting something most will not have heard before and all the better for it.

Review: Emotional Rescue returns to early 1980s Manchester with the previously unreleased music of Michael James Pollard and his beautiful distillation of indie pop in Too Confusing and bedsit cover version of Ashford and Simpson's Surrender. While studying photography at Manchester Polytechnic, (MJ) Pollard lived and played in a band in a ramshackle house in Walley Range. In the cellar studio he would write and record his own songs using their guitars, fretless bass and keys, as well as his own Casio VL-Tone VL-1 and Simmons Clap Trap to augment his drums onto a 4 track TEAC. By 1983, and now solo, he was recording out of Dislocation Dance's studio (ERC111), had secured a Peel Session and via Factory Records' Lindsay Reade, was discussing with Fundacao Atlantica about releasing an album. Working with singer Sioux Goddard as a duo, they put down 8 songs in 2 weeks in summer '84. However, Fundacao Atlantica's financial difficulties and soon closure meant the songs were lost until now. Recovered off the original tapes and lovingly restored, Too Confusing captures the optimism of the sessions, a summer love melody of forlorn youth. Surrender accompanies, recorded back in that cellar in '81, with friend Stephanie Danziger on vocals, its lo-fi simplicity is a perfect take on an all-time classic, making this a newly prized gem of British indie pop history.

Played by: Juno Recommends Reggae, Juno Download

Review: To close the 3 EP reissue series of Neville King and Lee Laing's King & City label, the all female group Charisma are presented with their summer infused Lovers cut, Everything Is Fine. Three Lewisham friends, Angela Richardson on lead vocals, with Geselle and Janie backing, were active from 1982 to 1990, but are really remembered for the early recordings made with Neville King. Their debut, Everything Is Fine rides the Lovers sound at its peak. Written with One Blood's Lloyd Robinson, with the rest of band of Robinson brothers providing the rhythm section, this is pure South London sound system music. Recorded again at TMC (Tooting Music Centre) Recording Studios - working alongside the likes of Dillinger, Tradition and New Musik - Everything Is Fine rides a beautiful soul reggae rhythm as Trevor (Drums) and Lloyd (Bass) Robinson set the foundations, while One Blood provide the Dub mix. A true love's lament, a song of hope, serenity and pure vibes. Label head Chuggy slides behind the mixing desk for an extended Discomix that stretches, loops and dubs the vocal and dub back forth, to close a glimpse at this uniquely British phenomenon, taking reggae closer to it's heart and soul.

Played by: Dj N◉va ▶ Rodon FM 95, Juno Recommends Downtempo, Kongisto

Review: The second EP of remixes from Man Jumping's reissue on Emotional Rescue features luminaries Bullion, Reckonwrong, Gengahr and William Doyle with their reversions of songs from the Jumpcut album.

Nathan Jenkins aka Bullion follows his recent rerub of Thomas Leer (ERC072) to provide two remixes. His remake of In The Jungle keeps the originals (leftfield) dance floor roots, but sprinkles the ubiquitous warm glow and off kilter fun(k) that he evokes; while his retake of Walk On, Bye drifts back, highlighting intricate percussion; congas, bass and vocal atmospherics along some breezy swing.

Reckonwrong is next; turning the bossa vibes of Sqeezi into his own new wave meets Italo reversion; topped with his unique 'under the cupboard stairs' vocals. Funky, driving, this overlooked star adds to his cannon for Whities, Pinkman and DEEK.

After a string of impressive releases for Trangressive / Beggars, Gengahr make a surprise addition, lifting Down The Locale from deceptive beginnings to anthemic heights, adding echo-laden guitar and vocals to the original's underbelly, before a bass break and return lifts to the heavens.

Finally, William Doyle provides perfect closure. Moving away from his East India Youth moniker (XL Recordings), his output has drifted towards ambient introspection, however, here points to addtional layers; rebuilding Belle Dux On The Beach with added bass, guitar, drums and finally vocals that culminate in a prefect 'to the skies' outrospection.

Played by: Juno Recommends Downtempo

Review: To accompany the reissue of Man Jumping's Jumpcut album, Emotional Rescue offers 2 remix EPs that showcase the band's music with versions by contemporary producers.

Starting with stalwarts and friends in duo Khidja, it's not often you can put together a reissue that modern day wunder producers have requested, however, that is precisely what occurred. Badgering over several years about their love of Man Jumping and how they should be revered, when the call came that the reissue was happening, Khidja were the first names down.

After breaking through on sister label [Emotional] Especial way back in 2013, the pair have gone on to much acclaim with releases for Malka Tuti, Hivern Discs and DFA to name (drop) a few.

Handed the tapes, their love of Man Jumping's virtuoso playing is evident in these amazing remixes. Walk On, Bye takes its Reich meets Pop aspirations and drifting across 9 minutes of laidback but bass heavy rhythms, intricacies of clarinet, sax and trumpet are stretched and fused to repetition perfection.

Following, Down The Locale's jazz roots is developed, recast and updated, extenuating the bass, while piano and vocals interplay over scattered, skipping drums to become a latter day 'contemporary dance' odyssey.

Played by: Dj N◉va ▶ Rodon FM 95, Juno Recommends Downtempo, LEGO EDIT, Kongisto, Paper Street Soul

Review: Emotional Rescue presents the music ensemble Man Jumping, with a reissue of their experimental, post-minimalist meets pop debut album Jumpcut, to be followed by 2 special remix EPs featuring Khidja, Bullion, Reckonrong and more. Formed in 1983 out of the disbanded The Lost Jockey (Les Disques Du Crepuscule), Man Jumping's aim was to move on from the unwieldy nature of that collective to combine the 'systems music' of Steve Reich, Terry Riley, LaMonte Young etc with rock, funk, dance and world music and create a new cross over. Consisting of studied musicians and created from theory as well as technique, the liberation from formal restrictions took shape over four years that spawned 2 albums and one 12". Released on Bill Nelson's 'Cocteau' label in 1985, Jumpcut's was critically praised but destined for more discerning ears. The 8 songs - including here a 12" mix of Aerotropics - developed from 16 stave manuscript into live recordings straight to tape, with no sequencing to keep their live feel intact. Carefully planned but made in the moment, members Charlie Seaward, Glyn Perrin, John Lunn, Orlando Gough and Shaung Tozer's legacy is demonstrably durable, a testament to their originality of thought to an idea of what might be rather than an imitation of what has been.

Played by: Juno Recommends Downtempo

Review: Emotional Rescue is delighted to present a collection of works by the founding father of the modern drum movement, Glen Velez. Collated from his first 3 solo albums from 1985 to 1989, Sweet Season is a snapshot in to the pioneering composing and performance of this four-time Grammy winner. Born in 1949, of Mexican American ancestry, Velez grew up in Texas before moving to New York in 1967. Playing jazz on the drums he soon gravitated to hand drums from around the world (frame drums in particular), seeking out teachers from many different musical traditions.

Among the many instruments Velez favours are the Irish bodhran, the Brazilian pandeiro, the Arabic riq, the North African bendir and the Azerbaijani ghaval. Although these instruments are similar in construction they have their own playing techniques that open new possibilities.

Sweet Season highlights this vocabulary, mixing and adapting techniques from various cultures to develop new ones. The music, often composed as cross-cultural ensembles, has a particular fondness for polyrhythms - superimposing different meters simultaneously - while incorporating Stepping Split-tone and Central Asian Overtone singing to complete the global horizons.

This new genre of contemporary drumming has been hugely influential and seen Velez work with the likes of John Cage and Steve Reich, as well as teaching his virtuosic combinations of hand movements and finger techniques to many emerging players.

Played by: Juno Recommends Downtempo

Review: Emotional Rescue are doing a fine job of sifting through the considerable Vox Populi! archives to present the finest sounds from this most adventurous of French collectives. The specific period focused on here is the post-1989 sound of the band exploring more explicit world influences with stunning results. At times delicate and folky, occasionally funky and elsewhere more experimental and heavy in its atmosphere, there's so much to absorb here as core members Kyrou, Mitra and Khalatbari work with a swelling cast of musicians to take trips to distant lands both real and imaginary.

Review: Emotional Rescue serve up a balmy curveball cut perfect for the summer months here. Glen Ricks "I Have Been Waiting For You" was originally released back in 1983 on the highly collectible Seraf label, and it's rightly been a holy grail dig ever since. With a distinctive swinging funk in the groove and some deliciously wobbly dub chords, this is not your average 80s boogie cut. Ricks' vocal channels the most soulful Jamaican deliveries, sealing the deal on this evergreen jam that sounds great in original and version forms. DJ Duckcomb steps up with a tender "Digimix" that retains the dusty crunch of the original with just a little extra bite in the beats.

Review: Spanish multi-instrumentalist and producer Luis Paniagua gets the Emotional treatment here with the reissue of the stunning 1987 album "Neptuno". It's a joyous album that revels in global musical traditions, and its accomplished finish is a marvel considering he recorded it with Luis Delgado in his Madrid attic within just a few days. From the treated string swells and sitar lilt of the title track to the lively percussive tumble of "Gacelle" and on to the bell chimes of "Aqui Y Ahora", this is a stunning record executed with talent and rich with the many wonderful tones to be enjoyed from a whole world of instrumentation.

Review: Emotional Rescue heads to the Caribbean and the effervescent boogie funk of Glen Ricks. The Jamaican groover originally released the much sought-after "I've Been Waiting For You" in 1983, and it's been hard to track down ever since. Whether in its full vocal form or the beautifully dubbed out instrumental version, this is a seriously sunny slice of good time party music that stands up to any boogie classic you care to mention. LA's DJ Duckcomb steps up for a Discomix of the original that draws on the vocal and instrumental takes to sustain that balmy vibe for even longer - the selector's dream!

Review: Thomas Leer was mainly active in the late 70s and early 80s, dropping two singles on Cherry Red that provided the source material for the two original tracks on this Emotional Rescue reissue 12". Opener "Saving Grace" is a rich, bombastic blast of synthwave, all chugging arps and massive leads, while "Tight As A Drum" heads into more psychedelic territory, using strange gating techniques and deft FX to create a wondrous, shimmering bed for Leer's poetic chat over the top. Bringing an inventive angle to the release, the label signed Bullion up for two wonderfully warm, wobbly remixes. Honing in on the weirder qualities of Leer's work, these modern interpretations make a perfect bridge from the old to the new - highly recommended!

Review: Emotional Rescue is delighted to present the first of two EPs from British '80s band Furniture, starting with their much sought-after, six-song "mini-album" - as they were known then - which has recently been rediscovered by a new generation of DJs and collectors.

"Transatlantic Cable" compares the cliches of a certain type of American romance - Bogart, Sinatra, Dean - to the reality of life in West London. "They're On Me" is probably one of very few pop songs to feature double bass and the word "newsagent", while "Robert Nightman's Story" is powered by a riff on marimba and abrasive rhythm guitar.

"I Miss You", a torch song so good you'd think Julie London might have cut it. A highlight for many is "Why Are We In Love". This track is a key reason for the revival of interest in the band, with pattering rhythm part and the sweet clarinet melody, creating an atmosphere that has attracted a following among discerning DJs. "A Letter To Myself" introduced the band's new, expanded line-up adding Sally Still (bass, vocals) and Maya Gilder (keyboards), which would endure until the band stopped in 1990.

Review: Emotional Rescue previously dived into the plush, soulful and verdant sound of Jaki Whitren and John Cartwright with the reissue of their essential International Times album back in 2013. Sadly Whitren and Cartwright passed away two years ago, and this 7" of previously CD/digital-only material materialises in tribute to these wonderfully talented souls. "That Will Be That" is an effervescent boogie jam with rich synths that interplay beautifully with Whitren's stunning vocal, while "This Time" takes a starkly opposite approach with just the most delicate of keys lingering behind Whitren's powerful, echoing vocal. It's a poignant note of remembrance for two gifted musicians who shone their light into the world.

Played by: Private Agenda

Review: Emotional Rescue unearth yet another pearl of curiosity from the mists of the 80s here, kicking off a series looking at the work of guitarist Carl Weingarten. This album is a fine place to start, as Weingarten teams up with Walter Whitney for an engrossing exploration of ambient synth work merged with careful use of slide guitar and more besides. It's very much of its time, originally released on Multiphase in 1985, and it's as charming and naive as it is accomplished. There's a new age sweetness to the harmonic composition, but the sound palette is deceptively deep, not least thanks to Weingarten's multifaceted approaches to his instrument. Dreaming In Colours sets a promising tone for what the rest of the series holds.

Played by: Halvtrak

Review: Following the excellent reissue of Aither last year, Emotional Rescue return to the dreamy, decidedly tripped out sound world of French-Persian outfit Vox Populi! with this enchanting collection of early rarities from the early to mid 80s. There's a range of moods on offer here, sounding very much of the era with dashes of On-U dub colliding with kosmische and the worldly outlook of Byrne, Eno, Hassell et al. It's a varied listen and a wonderful introduction to a band that could have so easily been more widely appreciated if they had managed to break out of the French underground.

Played by: Juno Recommends Ambient/Drone

Review: Emotional Rescue continue to mine hidden corners of esoteric music to bring your rarified delights in a freshly mastered form. This time the label has turned to cult Spanish label Auxilio De Ciento, who have been quietly picked up by more tuned in heads for their excellent new wave, synth pop and industrial wares. La Caida De La Casa Usher present the most abrasive material on here, but largely it's a relaxed affair. You can lose yourself in the bubbling synthesizer goodness of Bene Gesserit and Danny Alias, or trip out to the pattering drums of Zazou, Nodland, Lema.

Played by: ROTCIV

Review: Emotional Rescue's love affair with Dancefloor Records continues apace as they turn their attention to the staggeringly futuristic freestyle of Shavonne. Like much dance music of the era, Shavonne was something of a shortlived talent, but the production on "So, Tell Me, Tell Me" is next level for the original release date of 1989. On the "Clubhouse Mix" there are all kinds of classic rave samples knocking about in the mix while the "Trance Mix" pares things down to a sensual core, but it's in fact the bombast of the original "Vocal Mix" that really catches the ear. With it's pitched up vocals and nimble 808 beat programming it could easily align with Rustie and the like.

Review: Having worked with the likes of Don Cherry and Laurie Anderson, there's little doubting the credentials of Ramuntcho Matta. Emotional Rescue have tapped him up for some truly outernational jams that sport African percussion, skronky jazz tones and an engaging minimalism that's hard to resist. The fretless bass and exotic animal cries of "Ecoute" are especially appealing, while the squelchy sound design in "O Clapo" may well do funny things to all who hear it. It's a startlingly original record that serves as a perfect introduction to a lesser known figure in leftfield music with a great heritage behind him.

Review: While some of the material reissued on Emotional Rescue will be familiar to Baelaric and kosmiche crate-diggers, it's likely that few will have heard of Carlos Cataia's Orquesta. Written, produced and released in Argentina way back in 1985, it sees noted keyboardist Cutaia - ably assisted by producer pals Alejandro Oucinde and Oscar Dominguez - joining the dots between quirky synth-pop, post-boogie space funk, Berlin-School ambience, and the kind of dreamy, chugging fare that would now be described as "Balearic". It's more than a little eccentric, but contains a slew of brilliant cuts, including the weirdo space-pop of "Operativo", and the tape delay heavy piano ambience of sublime closer "Aproximaciann Uno".

Played by: Craig Charles Funk And Soul, Juno Recommends Broken Beat Nu Jazz

Review: Emotional Rescue starts 2016 digging deep in to the early 80s Bristol post punk scene of Pig Pag, the Wild Bunch and the Dug Out club. A short lived project of just 3 releases, Mouth trail-blazed leftfield percussive jams in the rich vain of Liquid Liquid and ESG but in their own jazz-infused way. Centered round the cultural melting post of the St Paul's district, it's pubs, clubs and blues parties threw together young and old to the sounds of dub, funk, jazz and soul and took the spark lit by punk rock and new wave and spawned music that still resonates today. Here then, on one EP are their complete recordings, including as the title cut, their best and deepest, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea. Featured on a compilation LP from the legendary Y Records, its bottom heavy dub sound is augmented by female and toasted vocals riding a top a heavy stepper style riddim. This is followed by an increasingly dizzy array of percussion jams. Acab (Part 2) is all skips and trumpets, while the versions of Take Your Coat Off perfect skat vocal / tom interplay, before the finale busts out the rockabilly influences in full effect with jagged guitar, skipping hats meets double bass punk style.

Played by: Andy Warburton, Juno Recommends Downtempo, Kenneth Bager // Musicfordreams

Played by: Vermelho

Review: Emotional Rescue's latest reissue project sees them collect three separate EPs of collected material from Dunkelziffer, one of Germany's best - and most underrated - bands. Arriving at the end of the Krautrock explosion of the 1970s, Dunkelziffer was formed out of the original sessions that created the classic Phantom Band, and was centred around Dominik von Senger (Golf Channel), Reiner Linke and Helmut Zerlett, but with a cast of floating members that included Jaki Liebezeit, Damo Suzuki, Olek Gelba, Wolfgang Schubert, Stefan Krachten and Matthias Keul. Making four groundbreaking albums over a 6 year period, they took their cue from the classic Krautrock triumverate of heavy repetitive drumming, intricate, overlapping melody and sonic intonation, adding dub, soul and jazz elements to expand the sound into the new decade. The first part features four tracks all fully licensed and remastered; "This Is How You Came", "Q", "Klein Python" and "Network", which all perfectly introduce the group's expansive sound to the uninitiated.

Played by: Dynamicron (Los Grandes/Our Nights)

Review: Emotional Rescue certainly laid a claim for the most esoteric of reissue endeavours last year, and they are looking to maintain this approach in 2013. Their first release sees the label dig further into the cassette archives of Kevin Harrison, focusing specifically on the Neo project the Coventry musician did in cahoots with fellow electronic explorer, Peter Every from Neophyte Records. As you can tell from the primitive drum heavy tone of the music, Neo surfaced in 1985 with the 8 track cassette release Global Network. This release presents five of those tracks, all of which echo the pulsing electronic rhythms of the Fly EP, Emotional Rescue's previous Harrison reissue, and will find as much favour with those who sleep on the left side of disco as fans of cold wave.

Played by: THE GROOVERS, Flash Atkins