{"title":"Rush Hour","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRush Hour is a Dutch record label and distributor based in Amsterdam. Founded in 1999 by Christiaan Macdonald and Antal Heitlager, the label has become a prominent player in the music industry. With Dirk-Jan Deckwitz as the label and production manager, Rush Hour has established itself as a trusted name in the field.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs a record company, Rush Hour has been associated with entities such as Record Industry and Clone Distribution. These associations have allowed them to consistently deliver high-quality releases under their RH logo branding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to their record label, Rush Hour also operates a publishing arm and distribution arm. This further strengthens their presence in the industry and enables them to support artists on multiple fronts.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"dream-2-science","title":"Dream 2 Science","description":"\u003cp\u003eofficial re-release of this 'lost' 6-track mini album by new yorker ben cenac (of newcleus fame). recorded and released in 1990 - it is an absolute gem of a record - very much in the vein of larry heard's best recordings.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"12\" - 351036","offer_id":50389345141067,"sku":"351036","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/dfe262f8-4e2d-40ab-8eb1-e35431e50f28_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726357976"},{"product_id":"1st-unit-underpass-records-ep","title":"1st Unit: Underpass Records EP","description":"\u003cp\u003eAll musical movements require a spark to set them alight; in the case of Japanese house music, that spark was provided by the forward-thinking resident DJs of The Bank in Roppongi, Tokyo. In 1989, to celebrate the ground-breaking club’s first birthday, the venue released a 12” EP featuring first-time productions from three of its DJs, Junichi Soma, Shuji Wada and Strong Katsuya AKS Katsuya Sayo.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWidely considered to be one of the first ever EP of house music produced in Japan, 1st Unit was never officially released. Instead, 500 of the 1000 copies pressed were given away at The Bank’s first birthday party, with the rest initially being sold not in local record stores, but rather the venue’s own in-house shop. Three decades on, the 12” is finally set to get its first worldwide release via Rush Hour’s Store JPN Series.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe record has its roots in The Bank’s willingness to give its ever-changing roster of DJs a free hand to play what they liked – at the time a rarity in Tokyo nightclubs, whose musical offerings usually revolved around strictly defined playlists. At The Bank in 1989, it was not only common to hear European body music and the kind of post-disco New York productions associated with Larry Levan’s sets at the Paradise Garage, but also acid house – something not offered at the time by other clubs in the city.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis cutting-edge blend of sounds, combined with the venue’s unique decor (it was modeled on the inside of a London bank, complete with a cashier’s window to take entrance fees), made The Bank a go-to spot for young party-goers, celebrities and forward-thinking Japanese musicians (Ryuichi Sakamoto was reportedly a weekly visitor).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen it came to celebrating the club’s birthday by cutting a unique record, it made sense for The Bank’s owners to turn to three of their most exciting resident DJs, who were assisted by Heigo Tani and Jun Ebi. The collective name, 1st Unit, was chosen to reflect the fact that all three resident DJs were debutants with no previous studio experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs this reissue proves, the music remains timeless, magical, and authentic to the sound of American house productions of the period – albeit with occasional twists,. Katsuya Sano’s EP opener, ‘I Need Love’, sounds like a twist on Larry Heard productions of the period – all jacking TR-909 drums, undulating analogue bass, dreamy JUNO synthesizer chords and evocative vocal samples.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe influence of Chicago acid house is also evident on Junichi Souma’s ‘Ubnormal Life’, whose unusual title contains what he says was an intentional misspelling. Driven forwards by restless drum machine handclaps, sweet chords and rising and falling melodic motifs, the track is an energetic and uplifting treat.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerhaps the most influential of the three tracks at the time – within Japan at least – was Shuji Wada’s similarly misspelled ‘Endless Load’. Deeper and more melodic with a more expansive arrangement, the track’s combination of marimba-style lead lines, tribal drum patterns, dreamy chords and jazz-funk influenced bass offered a loose blueprint for the more successful and better-known Japanese deep house tracks that followed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"Black 12\"","offer_id":50413854327115,"sku":"2177453","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/rh-store_jpn_12_label_a_f381bf6e_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726678591"},{"product_id":"sounds-from-the-far-east","title":"Sounds From The Far East","description":"Joyful house music filled with warmth, melody and playful energy. \u003cb\u003eSoichi Terada\u003c\/b\u003e’s grooves feel timeless, radiating optimism without losing their underground spirit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNigel, Rough Trade Office\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"2LP - Black","offer_id":50416796041547,"sku":"385885","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50416795189579,"sku":"387467","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"2LP - Black \/ 2025 Edition","offer_id":55831555506507,"sku":"R4517-2389","price":34.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Sounds_from_the_Far_East_677e3866_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726710235"},{"product_id":"asakusa-light","title":"Asakusa Light","description":"\u003cp\u003eBack in 2015, Japanese deep house pioneer Soichi Terada stepped back into the limelight courtesy of Sounds From The Far East, a Rush Hour-released, Hunee curated retrospective of material released on his Far East Recording label in the 1990s and early 2000s. Buoyed by the positive response and renewed interest in his work, Terada went back into studio to record his first new album of house music for over 25 years, Asakusa Light.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDeveloped over 18 months, Terada tried to recreate the mental and physical processes that led to the creation of his acclaimed earlier work. Those familiar with Terada’s celebrated, dancefloor-focused sound of the 1990s – a vibrant, atmospheric, and emotive take on deep house powered by the twin attractions of groove and melody – will find much to enjoy on Asakusa Light.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I tried to recall my feelings 30 years ago, but when I tried it, I found it super difficult,” he explains. “I didn’t even know what I thought about myself five years ago, and the mental metabolic cycle seems to be faster than I thought. I tried different methods, including digging up my old MIDI data and composing by remembering old experiences. With the help of Rush Hour, I found some of the light from my heart that I had 30 years ago. I nicknamed the light I found in my heart, ‘Asakusa Light’.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProduced using the very same synthesizers and drum machines that powered his 1990s work, the album is a joyous, colourful and life-affirming collection of timeless house music that not only recalls Terada’s own impeccable back catalogue, but also that of similarly celebrated contemporaries such as the Burrell Brothers or Ben Cenac (Dream 2 Science, Sha-Lor).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTerada, who has spent much of the last two decades writing video game music, has always had a gift for combining warm, undulating synthesizer basslines and perfectly programmed machine drums with stirring chords, smile-inducing melodies and mellow musical flourishes. It’s this immersive, sun-kissed and tuneful trademark style that takes centre stage on Asakusa Light, an album for the ages.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe set begins with the alien-sounding chords, soft-touch percussion and dawn-friendly warmth of ‘Silent Chord’ and ends on a high via the bouncing string stabs, starlight chords and thickset grooves of ‘Blinker’; in between, you’ll find a deluge of effortlessly feelgood music that’s the aural equivalent of a dopamine rush at sunrise.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere are subtle variations aplenty throughout the album – see the 8-bit lead lines and pulsing electronic textures of \u003ci\u003eTakusambient\u003c\/i\u003e, the vintage Tony Humphries flex of \u003ci\u003eDiving Into Minds\u003c\/i\u003e and the effortlessly funky \u003ci\u003eMarimbau\u003c\/i\u003e – but it’s the uniquely atmospheric, vivid and tactile nature of Terada’s loved-up sound that resonates. After well over 30 years in house music, the light in his heart is shining brighter than ever.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50417071194443,"sku":"1133896","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/3ac908e3-4ac4-44ca-a068-63c4ac26c3cb_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726715754"},{"product_id":"party-volume-1","title":"Party Volume 1","description":"\u003cp\u003eArtwork insert, in PVC outer sleeve.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAwanto3 (also known for his work with Aardvarck and Kid Sublime on Rednose Distrikt) returns to Rush Hour with \"Party\" Volume 1.   Moody and rolling MPC work outs with live accompaniment from a solid cast (Jos De Haas (New Cool Collective) on percussion and Stefan Schmid (Zuco 103) on  keys).    Broken Beat heads look out ....  this really smacks. TIP! \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBackstory:  Party was born in a small village located in Wallonia during a period of house-sitting for a family on holiday.  Initially my mother was asked to take care of the chickens, goat, dog and donkey but eventually I decided to take care of them to relieve my mother. This week turned out to be a small nightmare, because I think the house was being possessed by a spirit that I had to deal with night and day. The vibe of the house was so grimy, due to the fact that there were calendars with all kinds of weapons and dark oak furniture, interspersed with a huge flatscreen and blinds at the ready to be rolled out when the sun started to go down (by request of the paranoid owner). This setting affected my sketches; a dark side that was looking for contra light weight. After I took care of the animals, I had an energy to escape to my MPC to make the basis for  a possible new album. When I got back in Amsterdam, I started to work out some of the sketches I’ve made in the ghost house together with Stefan and Jos in Studio K at Sloterdijk. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"12\"","offer_id":50424474992971,"sku":"2016402","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/CS930355-01A-BIG_a144e5d2_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726778681"},{"product_id":"message-is-love","title":"Message Is Love","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe United Kingdom has long been an ardent supporter and consumer of African-American music. Dating back to the electrifying earliest performances of blues artists like Big Bill Broonzy during the early 1950s – an influence on Eric Clapton and John Lennon – right through to the dawn of Chicago house and onwards. In fan clubs, like the Tamla Motown Appreciation Society, started by soul writer Dave Godin, to the numerous fan magazines that have documented dance music culture from Blues \u0026amp; Soul to Mixmag, there has been an extended obsession with black music culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis lineage continued into the house era, our generation’s defining dance genre, and one with which British producers were swift to adopt. This record is a prime example of this. Although Mother Tongue was a one-off project, its history is rooted in this long-standing culture stretching back decades. The main man behind Mother Tongue was a drummer and record producer named Richie Stevens. Stevens was steeped in music and the industry, thanks to his father, John Stevens, also a professional drummer. Stevens senior played in numerous jazz ensembles during the 1960s and onwards, including performing with Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Evan Parker, Derek Bailey and was a session player with John Martyn (among numerous others) during Martyn’s finest period (it’s John’s drumming you can hear on ‘Big Muff’).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis son, Richie, was playing professionally while still a teenager for the Dennis Bovell Dub Band and has subsequently backed everyone from Tina Turner and Simply Red to Hugh Masekela and George Clinton. He is also a long-term collaborator with Boy George. But the story of Mother Tongue begins with a band called Well Red. This group, effectively a studio creation by Richie and his then manager Martin Poole, recruited vocalist Lorenzo Hall, a fixture on the London reggae scene and sold the concept to Virgin Records. Well Red yielded two albums – Motion and Respect Due – but never really got the crossover success their songs perhaps deserved. “Virgin were very supportive of us,” recalls Poole, today. “They gave us a lot of money. They pumped money into it, and it never quite paid off, but we did okay. We recouped and got to make a second album with George Clinton. It was a good move, recording with him. It did us a lot of good here and in America. We did pretty well in the US. We were very well-supported over there.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis same team, working in a tiny studio near Richie’s house in Wood Green, north London, called The Watershed, produced ‘Message Is Love’. It features the vocals of Syn-Dee (Sindy Finn) and Lovebase (Louise Porter), who co-wrote the track with Richie and Alan Lane, another Stevens collaborator, and Ian ‘Spy’ Austin, who’d previously played in the same reggae band, The Instigators, as Lorenzo Hall from Well Red. “Remember it well,” says Martin Poole. “We were just writing it there and then in the studio. It was me, Richie, Spy, and I think Syn-Dee was there as well. When I got home later, Richie played it to me over the phone and I said, ‘That just sounds brilliant,’ from how we'd started it off, you know?” Thanks to their experience in the studio with Well Red, they managed to produce a song that has the timeless feel of all good music.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMother Tongue was the opening track on a compilation called On The Loose Volume 1 on their own Furious Fish Records. Every track on the album, despite having different artist credits, was done by Stevens and Poole, often using a rotating cast of characters that had also appeared on ‘Message Of Love’. Although it did not sell especially well at the time, it’s become a collector’s item over the years. This is the first time Mother Tongue has appeared as a 12-inch single, a long overdue (but very welcome) happening.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"Black | 12\"","offer_id":50452636860747,"sku":"1156583","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/ddf7215f-95b1-488a-8bbc-1043e9471082_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727159149"},{"product_id":"diving-into-minds","title":"Diving Into Minds","description":"\u003cp\u003eSoichi Terada \u0026amp; Masalo team up to produce club mixes of tracks from Soichi's \u003ci\u003eAsakusa Light\u003c\/i\u003e on Rush Hour. 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After all these years, he finally presents his own true musical output. \"Nos Magia\" is a classic sounding, but unheard Cape Verdean funana song featuring the old skool Americo Brito on vocals. The b-side holds two collaborations with afro-beat protagonist Orlando Julius.....enjoy!!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"Black | 12\"","offer_id":50452701643083,"sku":"1120762","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/3b9f92b4-7ccc-4621-a142-c2a79ca8df7e_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727161133"},{"product_id":"esotetric-paradise","title":"Esotetric Paradise","description":"\u003cp\u003eNapoli has long been one of Italy’s most musically vibrant cities – a metropolis famed for colourful, atmospheric and vivid dance music, with a rich and diverse sonic history stretching back to the disco era. For the last 36 years, it has been home to Gigi Testa, a bona fide local hero whose work not only draws inspiration from Neapolitan music of the last four decades – think Pino Daniele, Tullio de Piscopo, Tony Esposito, James Senese \u0026amp; Napoli Centrale, Nu Guinea, Mystic Jungle Tribe and rising stars such Fabio Fattore, Daniel Monaco and Raffaele Attansio – but also high-quality deep house and African music in all its forms.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTesta remains largely unheralded outside his home city, where he’s long been a regular fixture behind the decks at events such as Neuhm and at renowned audiophile club Basic, despite winning plaudits for a string of singles and EPs on his own World Peace Music and Freedom Dance imprints. Now Testa has become the latest artist to contribute to the Rush Hour Store Jams series, delivering a four-track EP that takes his self-proclaimed world music-meets-club music approach in kaleidoscopic new directions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInspired by a mixture of 1980s, post-boogie African music, the sounds of the Caribbean, Testa’s love for dance music from New York and his own Neapolitan musical roots, the Esoteric Paradise EP is an entertaining, each-catching collection of cuts the effortlessly blurs existing musical boundaries. Rich in synthesizer and drum machine sounds, it should delight all those who love melodic, tropical-tinged electronic music.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"Black | 12\"","offer_id":50453547647307,"sku":"1157816","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/32903434-0ecc-4dba-8719-4758937a83a8_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727173527"},{"product_id":"ron-trent-presents-prescription-word-sound-and-power","title":"Ron Trent Presents Prescription: Word Sound and Power","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe legendary Prescription Records defined the 1990s deep house sound. Now captured in this monumental 6LP anthology boxset! Holds numerous classics that have been out of press for years + previously unreleased tracks! 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His first EP, containing the epic instrumental“Altered States,” was released on Armando Gallop’s Warehouse Records in 1990. Chez Damier (Anthony Pearson) grew up in Chicago, where he danced at the Warehouse as a youth. He left for Detroit in the 1980s, helping to open the Music Institute and working A\u0026amp;R for Kevin Saunderson’s label, KMS. Damier and Trent met while Damier was visiting Chicago and immediately hit it off. Today, Prescription is cited by countless producers as a major influence. “It’s a very dub experimental label... sound bites, samples, rhythms, and a lot of ethereal stuff, too,” Trent expounds—not to mention. Prescription’s embrace of heavy sub-bass. 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Once again, he wanted to challenge himself, explore the more exotic side of his musical influences, and discover a course through the musical desert to ultimately become a better musician, producer, and composer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe result is Nomad, an album that not only brings together two sides of his work – the immersive ambient explorations at the heart of Dystopia, and the club-focused rhythms that marked out his early career deep house explorations – but also draws on a familiar palette of influences, from Latin jazz-fusion and the deep jazz brilliance of ECM Records releases, to the ‘fourth world’ works of Jon Hassell and the African music that had initially inspired the ‘Nomad’ and ‘Massai’ singles.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSearching from the start for a more ‘analogue’ sound – hand percussion, kalimba, piano, voice, bass guitar, acoustic and electric guitars, alongside the modular synth sounds that were such a part of Dystopia – Bartkuhn combined improvisational and traditional composition techniques, painstaking editing, tweaking and reworking tracks over an extended period.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAdded to impeccable sound design – even the more dancefloor-focussed excursions are optimised for headphone listening – the results are startling, even by Bartkuhn’s impressively high standards. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere are, of course, radically reworked versions of previous singles – a sun-kissed, Brazilian jazz-fusion informed re-invention of ‘Transcend’ (where Bartkuhn offers nods to another musical hero, Pat Metheny), an expansive, solo-laden take on ‘Nomad’ and a ambient inspired re-recording of ‘Massai’ – plus the kaleidoscopic brilliance of 2021’s ‘Every Morning I Meditate’, but far more never-before-heard highlights.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere’s the 6\/8 time, Latin-tinged sunshine of ‘Back To My Innerself’, a track built on organic performances that were improvised straight into the sequencer; the meandering, densely layered sound world that is ‘Flame’ (a tribute to ECM recordings of the 1970s); the lightly techno-influenced fourth world futurism of ‘Ghibliman’; the organic deep house bliss of ‘African Skies’, where Bartkuhn’s vocalisations come to the fore; and the slow-motion ambient house of ‘First Kalimba’.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNomad, then, is an album that effortlessly showcases Bartkuhn’s unique musical personality and ability to craft warm, colourful sound worlds – some rhythmic, others not so much – while neatly sidestepping categorization. It could well be his strongest and most personal musical statement yet.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50508140937547,"sku":"2200500","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/rhm_044_lars_bartkuhn_nomad_cover_front_1605b7c9_thumbnail_4096.png?v=1727856630"},{"product_id":"total-comfort","title":"Total Comfort","description":"\u003cp\u003eDutch multi-talent Oceanic debuts on Rush Hour with the outstanding \u003ci\u003eTotal Comfort\u003c\/i\u003e EP, displaying his skills as an increasingly confident producer, taking cues both from classic Detroit and UK techno whilst looking at the future with four slices of delicately woven post-modern breakbeat techno. Excellent stuff!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"Black | 12\"","offer_id":50512871981387,"sku":"1126027","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/7e928106-5815-48d2-876c-1e9be95f5667_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727908861"},{"product_id":"surinam-funk-force","title":"Surinam Funk Force","description":"\u003cp\u003eA compilation of highly collectable and rare Surinamese 45's and LP cuts. Compiled by Antal Heitlager \u0026amp; Thomas Gesthuizen this is the follow up to the Kindred Spirits released Surinam! compilation. This volume goes even deeper into the field of 70ties and 80ties funk music from the Surinamese dance floors...Recommended! Fresh Artwork by Cosmo Knex (Johann Kauth)..\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMCDE: \"Killer compilation! lots of favorites on there and stuff i still need to find\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGilles Peterson: \"Jammin is a salacious boogie number, cooked up with quick-fingered bass work, female harmonising and guitar solos.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50519393370443,"sku":"2226387","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Surinam_Funk_Force_49da4547_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727970367"},{"product_id":"residual-ep","title":"Residual EP","description":"\u003cp\u003eLate nineties saw three releases of Boo Williams on Titonton Duvante run Residual Records. From these three eps we pulled the four best tracks, which make up this 'Residual EP'. Four times raw, deep, melancholic, late night grooves at which Boo is a master. Essential house music!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"Black 12\"","offer_id":50521346769227,"sku":"2172159","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Residual_-_EP_55f45a6d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727990844"},{"product_id":"cruising","title":"Cruising","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginally released on Resound Records, a one-off subsidiary of the classic Gherkin imprint in 1990. The title track is a deep hypnotic 12 minute ride through the Chicago underground. On the flip are the smooth \u0026amp; emotional \u003ci\u003eIsolation\u003c\/i\u003e and the euphoric rush that is \u003ci\u003eSilent Noise\u003c\/i\u003e. Timeless Chicago House Music. Essential EP!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"Black | 12\"","offer_id":50521549275467,"sku":"1114963","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/9215ef3e-3649-4591-9f62-ca4cf5da14bb_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727992217"},{"product_id":"i-feel-good-all-over","title":"I Feel Good All Over","description":"\u003cp\u003eEP compilation of essential UK house cuts recorded between 1987 - 1990. TIP!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"Black | 12\"","offer_id":50521976471883,"sku":"2172332","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/rh_rss_32_preview_e66a66f2_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727997403"},{"product_id":"artificial-dancers-waves-of-synth","title":"Artificial Dancers  Waves of Synth","description":"\u003cp\u003eBirthed at the turn of the ‘80s, synth and wave music has remained a constant force over the last four decades, with a recent spike in interest in the sound offering further proof of its’ timeless, out-of-this-world quality. It’s against this backdrop that Dutch DJ Interstellar Funk presents his celebration of the style, “Artificial Dancers – Waves of Synth”.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA bumper compilation bristling with obscure and hard-to-find gems, the set sees the Artificial Dance label founder joining the dots between synthesizer and drum machine-driven tracks in a variety of subtly different styles. It’s the result of hundreds of hours spent digging through dusty old records, tapes, and the Bandcamp accounts of DIY musicians who have been active since the sound’s first boom in the early 1980s.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 11-track set draws on tracks made and released at different times over the last 40 years, with the earliest cut committed to tape in 1978 and the most recent in 2018. While the tracks date from the ‘80s, ‘90s, noughties and 2010s, the showcased cuts are united by a primitive but futuristic quality that makes dating them difficult. In many cases, it’s hard to tell which tracks were made in the early 1980s and which were conjured up in 21st century studios.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs you’d expect, highlights are plentiful with a number of the most unknown or sought-after cuts appearing on vinyl for the first time. In this category you’ll find the Human League’s odd but inspired early number “4JG”, a near mythical 1982 live version of Liasons Dangereuses’ “Dias Cortas” (previously only available on a VHS video) and Chris and Cosey’s “Hybrid C”, a brilliant mid-’90s cut plucked from their CD-only album “Skimble Skamble”. You’ll also find a rare demo version of Clan of Xymox’s Dutch darkwave classic “Stranger”, which became a club smash across Europe in 1983.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eClan Of Xymox - Stranger (Demo) Det Gylne Triangel - Maskindans Zahgurim - The Living Room, The Human League - 4JG, Liaisons Dangereuses - Dias Cortas, Sociedades En Tetra Brik - Detector Martenot (Original Version), Batang Frisco - Sewing Machine, Chris And Cosey - Hybrid C, Im Namen Des Volkes - Alles Ist Gewinn Stephen Huss - Infinity Sign, Richard Bone - Alternate Music For The Hindenberg Loung.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50528920895819,"sku":"1093786","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50528932102475,"sku":"1101755","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/68f130d4-f66b-4e83-a08b-572e23478c5b_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1728062061"},{"product_id":"bang-the-drums","title":"Bang The Drums","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis NYC house master piece was originally released in 1990. Ben Cenac aka Dream 2 Science released this African influenced house LP under his Push\/Pull moniker. It sounds somewhere in between the NYC band No Smoke (Koro Koro) and the Dream 2 Science's signature sound. Original copies are rare!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50528952189259,"sku":"380522","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/product_id._fa245f43_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1728062084"},{"product_id":"nde","title":"N.D.E.","description":"\u003cp\u003eFirst ever vinyl pressing of Haruomi Hosono's full album N.D.E. Featuring Goh Hotoda, Yasuhiko Terada, Yasuaki Shimizu, Bill Laswell \u0026amp; François Kevorkian. Big TIP!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEver since his days as a pioneer of Japanese electronic music in the 1970s, Haruomi Hosono has constantly pushed forwards musically. The 1990s was a particularly fertile decade for the Yellow Magic Orchestra co-founder. Following two decades spent creating and releasing innovative electronic pop, imaginary sound worlds and inspirational ambient music, Hosono established the Daisyworld label to showcase cutting-edge ambient, techno and electronica, while also embarking on a wide range of often overlooked collaborative projects.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eN.D.E. - , one of the headiest, psychedelic, evocative and gently mind-altering albums in Hosono’s vast discography, is one such project. It formed part of a run of albums that saw the Japanese producer embrace contemporaneous influences – think Spacetime Continuum style ambient techno, DJ Spooky-esque illbient, weighty ambient dub and the ‘ambient house’ antics of The Orb – in his own inimitable, far-sighted style.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe was ably assisted on N.D.E. by an undeniably impressive roll call of collaborators, most notably no-wave hero turned ambient explorer Bill Laswell (who Hosono subsequently worked with on joint album Interpieces Organisation), NYC DJ\/producer Francois Kevorkian, and fellow Japanese ambient pioneer Yasuaki Shimizu.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith such a stellar cast-list, it’s perhaps unsurprising that N.D.E. has achieved cult status over the years, despite being near impossible to find outside of Hosono’s native Japan. Remarkably, it never received a full vinyl release, with only five of the set’s cuts appearing on an ultra-limited sampler. Now Rush Hour is putting the record straight, delivering a DJ-friendly, remastered version that spreads that album’s seven tracks across two slabs of vinyl, cut at 45rpm.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eN.D.E. remains an impressive, unearthly and otherworldly album. Its unique and distinctive sound makes use of multiple nods to Eastern musical culture – think Tabla rhythms, heady violin courtesy of guest musician Arun Bagal, and transcendental synth sounds – but also throbbing techno grooves, Pete Namlook style ambient electronics, spaced-out dub rhythms, bubbly melodies reminiscent of Warp Records Artificial Intelligence-era IDM output, trippy tribal drums, and immersive electronic dream-scapes that recall the greatest exponents of Japanese new-age ambient music.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHighlights are plentiful, from the Test Department-at-dawn brilliance of Bill Laswell co-production ‘Edge of the End’ and the sunrise-ready, dew-fresh dreaminess of ‘Aero’, to the surging ambient techno hedonism of ‘Strange Attractor’ – a near cult cut that remains a timeless slab of hallucinatory dancefloor excellence – and the slow-motion space-dub of Francois Kevorkian collaboration ‘Teaching of Sphinx’, whose oddly processed sounds and low-slung bass subtly reference the Orb’s earlier remix of YMO’s ‘Tong Poo’.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere’s also the impeccable, pleasingly experimental ‘Spinning Spirits’ – all addictive Indian rhythms, punishingly distorted bass, raw electronics and paranoid aural textures – and the sparkling bliss of ‘Heliotherapy’, a woozy chunk of sun-bright electronic hypnotism that encapsulates everything good about Hosono’s mid-90s productions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50903115235659,"sku":"2013360","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/rh-store_jpn_10_sleeve_front_0_56fa5023_thumbnail_4096.png?v=1732799567"},{"product_id":"witches","title":"Witches","description":"\u003cp\u003eSuperb mid 80s wavy UK Disco gem ! TIP!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRush Hour’s RSS series excels in unearthing buried treasure, offering a second chance for artists and releases that have long been overlooked. That’s certainly the case with ‘Witches’, the superb sole single by British 1980s wave trio Zenana.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOriginally released on seven-inch by the tiny PRM label in 1986, ‘Witches’ was the product of a sister-brother song writing team whose music was mostly recorded in the front room of a terraced house in Nanpean, a small industrial village in Cornwall, England’s most south-westerly county. While the single was infectious and dancefloor-ready, it sold in limited quantities at the time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eZenana’s story can be traced back to the early 1980s, when singer-songwriter Anita Tedder founded the all-female trio as a vehicle for her socially conscious and politically charged songs, with a burning desire to put strong depictions of women front and centre. To bring Zenana to life, she joined forces with her brother Mike, an early adopter of electronic music who had built a small studio in his Cornish home, and recruited two fellow bandmembers, Penny Griffiths and Ruth Elder.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eZenana’s first demo cassette and distinctive presentation – their unique clothes and look were created by bandmember Penny – secured them a management contract, a slew of live bookings, a video shoot and even a television appearance. Buoyed by this underground success, they headed to the remote Sawmills Studio in Cornwall – famously only accessible by boat – to re-record their most popular number, ‘Witches’, a song about female agency inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile this version of ‘Witches’ failed to make an impact at the time, it has become something of a cult classic following its rediscovery by crate digger Kiernan Abbott – and subsequent championing by DJs including Antal, Skyrager, Trevor Jackson and Luke Una – in early 2023. The buzz inspired Anita, Penny and Ruth to perform live again for the first time in decades, with the story of their surprise comeback being covered by British media outlets including the BBC, ITV, The Times and (more surprisingly) the Daily Mail.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNow presented in re-mastered form, ‘Witches’ is a genuinely slept-on gem. Propelled forwards by punchy drum machine beats, a killer synth bassline and fizzing keyboard sounds, the song benefits greatly from strong vocals and an extra-percussive middle eight layered with vocalisations, cosmic spoken word sections and swirling noises.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt comes backed by a brand-new extended ‘spell of love’ remix courtesy of Bristol duo Bedmo Disco, AKA music journalist Matt Anniss (author of Join The Future: Bleep Techno and the Birth of British Bass Music) and DJ\/production partner Gareth Morgan. Anniss, a long-time friend of Mike and Anita Tedder, has fond memories of visiting Mike’s home studio with his family around the time that ‘Witches’ was originally recorded.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWorking from Zenana’s original MFR eight-track recording (tapes of the single version were lost years ago), Anniss and Morgan have turned in the extended ‘dance mix’ the track never had first time around. More atmospheric, moody and dancefloor-focused, it offers authentic nods to New York proto-house, mid-80s Shep Pettibone dubs, and the pioneering synth-pop productions and dub mixes of Factory Records regular Martin Rushent.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"Black 12\"","offer_id":50903838818635,"sku":"2234635","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/zenana_single_artwork_a_ffc0c3f6_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1732810855"},{"product_id":"mamela","title":"Mamela","description":"\u003cp\u003eNeapolitan Daniel Monaco returns on the Rush Hour Store Jams imprint with another disco heavy two tracker, with vocals from TK daMonza. Two feel good songs, to calm and comfort your soul... \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"Black 12\"","offer_id":51246078099787,"sku":"2228101","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/mamela_label_b_093c8098_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1739231724"},{"product_id":"techno-kayo-vol-1-japanese-techno-pop-1981-1989-compiled-by-dubby-and-antal","title":"Techno Kayō vol. 1 - Japanese Techno Pop 1981 - 1989 (Compiled by Dubby and Antal)","description":"\u003cp\u003eCompiled by Dubby and Antal, \u003cem\u003eTechno Kayō Volume One\u003c\/em\u003e is a dancefloor-friendly selection focusing on Japanese proto-techno, electro-pop, and synthpop from the 1980s. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn late-1970s Japan, a new and unique “genre” called techno kayō emerged, blending catchy pop melodies with the futuristic sounds of synthesizers and drum machines. Rooted in the older kayōkyoku style, it was influenced by European electronic acts like Kraftwerk, but had a distinctly Japanese flair. Artists such as Yellow Magic Orchestra pioneered this retro-futuristic sound, creating music that felt both nostalgic and ahead of its time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDubby, owner of the legendary record shop Ondas in Tokyo, was one of the first to make Japanese music available to the outside world. He has teamed up with Antal, co-founder of the Amsterdam-based, Rush Hour Records, to release the first in a series of compilations. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Peters - HAPPY TIME\u003cbr\u003eTPO feat. Linda - Rock The Hour\u003cbr\u003eKuniko Yamada - Tetsugaku Shiyo (Viens Philosopher)\u003cbr\u003eKazuo Ohtani - Last Battle\u003cbr\u003eKyoko Koizumi - Microwave\u003cbr\u003eTargets - City Train\u003cbr\u003eHikashu - Melonno Nakano Hitsuji\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"2LP - Black","offer_id":52930093908299,"sku":"R7989-7291","price":34.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52930093941067,"sku":"R7989-1464","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/9ff41ff6-1e9b-273f-ecaa-933d9e2c24cb.jpg?v=1752745836"},{"product_id":"lift-off-part-one","title":"Lift Off Part One","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAfter five years spent largely confined to the United States, Ron Trent is set to return to global touring in 2025. To mark the occasion, he’s partnered with Rush Hour to release Lift Off, a brand-new album of music recorded at different points over the last decade.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArriving almost 35 years since he wowed the world with his game-changing debut, the Afterlife EP, Lift Off was inspired by Trent’s desire to ‘let the imagination speak for itself’ while exploring the diverse influences that have shaped his unique musical perspective. A departure from his previous album, 2022’s downtempo masterpiece as Warm, What Do The Stars Say To You, the 10-track set features a mixture of epic instrumentals, inspired collaborations and vocal cuts whose music was written with certain singers in mind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile it features music that ripples with the experienced producer’s familiar aural trademarks – rich rhythms, warm chords, impeccable instrumentation, inspired arrangements, and lashings of heady hand percussion – it also consciously explores a variety of sounds and tempos, in the process blurring the lines between dance music’s past, present and future. It’s a vision, in his words, of what dance music can become.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor proof, check the five impeccable cuts on\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003epart one\u003c\/strong\u003e. There’s the tactile, Wally Badarou-inspired wonder ‘Hot Ice’, the mind-soothing chords, lilting synth-strings and samba-soaked percussion of ‘Woman of Color’, the warming deep house jazziness of ‘Jazz Funk’ and the restless, far-sighted brilliance of ‘Sexstrology’, where relaxed electric piano solos dance atop an infectious, locked-in dancefloor groove. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBest of all though is Leroy Burgess collaboration ‘Let Me See You Shining’ – an inspired musical meeting of minds that cannily fuses Trent’s signature deep house sound with the soulful, vocal-driven brilliance of the New Yorker’s iconic boogie-era work. Even by the two artists’ dizzyingly high standards, it’s a very special song.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":52946255184203,"sku":"R5544-3162","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/rhmc_006-1_vinyl.jpg?v=1752851213"},{"product_id":"1st-unit-underpass-record-ep","title":"1st Unit: Underpass Record EP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReissue of early Japanese house outing by Junichi Soma, Shuji Wada and Katsuya Sano. Comes with insert with liner notes.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll musical movements require a spark to set them alight; in the case of Japanese house music, that spark was provided by the forward-thinking resident DJs of The Bank in Roppongi, Tokyo. In 1989, to celebrate the ground-breaking club’s first birthday, the venue released a 12” EP featuring first-time productions from three of its DJs, Junichi Soma, Shuji Wada and Strong Katsuya AKS Katsuya Sano.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWidely considered to be one of the first ever EP of house music produced in Japan, 1st Unit was never officially released. Instead, 500 of the 1000 copies pressed were given away at The Bank’s first birthday party, with the rest initially being sold not in local record stores, but rather the venue’s own in-house shop. Three decades on, the 12” is finally set to get its first worldwide release via Rush Hour’s Store JPN Series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe record has its roots in The Bank’s willingness to give its ever-changing roster of DJs a free hand to play what they liked – at the time a rarity in Tokyo nightclubs, whose musical offerings usually revolved around strictly defined playlists. At The Bank in 1989, it was not only common to hear European body music and the kind of post-disco New York productions associated with Larry Levan’s sets at the Paradise Garage, but also acid house – something not offered at the time by other clubs in the city.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis cutting-edge blend of sounds, combined with the venue’s unique decor (it was modeled on the inside of a London bank, complete with a cashier’s window to take entrance fees), made The Bank a go-to spot for young party-goers, celebrities and forward-thinking Japanese musicians (Ryuichi Sakamoto was reportedly a weekly visitor).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen it came to celebrating the club’s birthday by cutting a unique record, it made sense for The Bank’s owners to turn to three of their most exciting resident DJs, who were assisted by Heigo Tani and Jun Ebi. The collective name, 1st Unit, was chosen to reflect the fact that all three resident DJs were debutants with no previous studio experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs this reissue proves, the music remains timeless, magical, and authentic to the sound of American house productions of the period – albeit with occasional twists,. Katsuya Sano’s EP opener, ‘I Need Love’, sounds like a twist on Larry Heard productions of the period – all jacking TR-909 drums, undulating analogue bass, dreamy JUNO synthesizer chords and evocative vocal samples.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe influence of Chicago acid house is also evident on Junichi Souma’s ‘Ubnormal Life’, whose unusual title contains what he says was an intentional misspelling. Driven forwards by restless drum machine handclaps, sweet chords and rising and falling melodic motifs, the track is an energetic and uplifting treat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerhaps the most influential of the three tracks at the time – within Japan at least – was Shuji Wada’s similarly misspelled ‘Endless Load’. Deeper and more melodic with a more expansive arrangement, the track’s combination of marimba-style lead lines, tribal drum patterns, dreamy chords and jazz-funk influenced bass offered a loose blueprint for the more successful and better-known Japanese deep house tracks that followed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rush Hour","offers":[{"title":"12\" - Black","offer_id":52946332778827,"sku":"R7174-5775","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/rh-store_jpn_12_label_a.jpg?v=1752851914"},{"product_id":"the-recovery","title":"The Recovery","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe very special return of Boo Williams on Rush Hour. 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