One day early in the global lockdown, Frédéric Blais scribbled four words on a Post-It note and pinned it up in his studio. When he headed to a studio in the mountains north of Montreal to start work on his fifth album as Fred Everything, those words went with him. They would not only provide inspiration during two weeks of isolated music-making, but ultimately provide the subsequent album with its title: Love, Care, Kindness and Hope.

Those sentiments – a positive mantra during a period of personal and collective vulnerability and isolation – resonate throughout the album, a gorgeously warm and beautiful affair that counts as Blais’s most personal, musically expansive, mature and sonically detailed set to date.

While each of the tracks began as a rough sketch laid down during Blais’ retreat, they evolved considerably over the months that followed. Blais reached out to a handful of carefully selected guest vocalists and collaborators, including Stereo MC’s, Robert Owens, Sapele, James Alexander Bright, Wayne Tennant, string arranger Pete Whitfield and multi-instrumentalist Finn Peters. He also lent his voice to several tracks, a first in a career that stretches back to the 1990s.

The results are magical, with Blais not only offering subtle variations on his own trademark deep house sound, but also nods to complimentary music styles and classic electronic albums from the late ‘90s and early 2000s.

Naturally, much focus will fall on the album’s high-profile guests, whose contributions work perfectly with Blais’ cultured dancefloor electronica and soul-soaked broken house grooves. Robert Owens – “the voice of house” himself – expertly delivers lyrics full of compassion and reassurance on recent single ‘Never’, Sapele infuses ‘A Long Time Coming’ with lashings of soulful spirituality, and UK hip-hop/soul legends Stereo MC’s make their presence felt on the subtly Latin-infused dub house excellence of ‘Soul Love’.

Then there’s ‘Breathe’, where UK singer-songwriter James Alexander Bright and backing vocalist Wayne Tennant rise above punchy broken house beats, Blais’ trademark square-wave bass and Pete Whitfield’s swelling strings on ‘Breathe’. By the time kaleidoscopic, sun-down breakbeat brilliance of ‘A Good Day’ arrives to draw proceedings to a close, you’ll be overflowing with Blais’ “love, care, kindness and hope” – just as he intended. More

After spending some time on the Adriatic coast of Croatia, Fred wrote his 2018 album Long Way Home. Barbarella was one of the songs on the album. It was inspired by a morning set he did at Barbarellas, the infamous outdoor venue in Tisno. The kitsch disco vibes are also a wink to the cult B-movie of the same name. But it was the 7am in Tisno mix, featured on the alternate version of the album No Way Home that made the song popular.

While there was no plan to release it as a single, Fred had the idea to contact I:Cube, one of his all-time favourite producers, to see If he would be interested in remixing it. The process took a little while but thanks to confinement, with more available time in the studio, the I:Cube Parisian Sleeze Version was born. Taking only a few elements from the original, he completely rearranged the track into a modern disco classic as only the Cube can do. This is one of those cuts that gets better every time you hear it.

On the B-side, Fred’s Slow Down 2021 Version expands on the Balearic vibe at a slower tempo. Sounding a little bit like Sade on acid, with added samples from the 1968 Jane Fonda movie. More

Madhouse Records returns with a new EP from Fred Everything, entitled ‘L’Art de la Retenue’ and featuring three originals from the Quebecois artist. Montreal, Canada based Fred Everything is a stable in the contemporary deep house scene, with a back catalogue boasting material on the likes of 2020 Vision, Freerange, Local Talk and Drumpoet Community as well as helming his own Lazy Days Recordings for the past decade and a half. Here Fred joins the roster of Madhouse Records with his latest collection of soul infused house cuts. ‘Paradiso Petrudo’ leads, laying down a raw, swinging drum groove, crunchy bass stabs and a circling filtered chord sequence throughout while the latter stages ease in an airy resonant synth line and hazy atmospheric vocal chants. Opening the b-side is ‘Lesson In Humility’, stripping things back to shuffled organic drums and cinematic strings alongside an amalgamation of bumpy bass hits, synth shots and bright piano chords. Last up is ‘Imagination & Determination’, taking things even deeper courtesy of hazy stab melodies, soaring vocal chants and fluttering strings atop a robust drum groove. More

A1 - Alone (Together)
A2 – Phoenix
B1 - Alone (Together) [po-lar-i-ty Remix]
B2 - Alone (Together) [Tool]

Fred Everything isn’t a name one tends to throw around willy-nilly. Fred’s contributions to the world of dance music can’t be measured and his ability to continually roll out quality music is unmatched in his field. A dear label brother to us here at ARCo. We’re always overjoyed to have the rare opportunity to release his solo creations to the world.

'Alone (Together)' is electronic but rather organic and reflects the origins of Fred’s work. Sounding super-classic Fred weaves his arrangements in and out and throws drop after drop into the mix. 'Phoenix' is a little flipped in style, although still retaining the classic sound Fred has become known for, the beautiful cascading chord sequence takes you away and makes for a gorgeous listening experience.

Things just got real, po-lar-i-ty stepped in for remix detail! Yes, Osunlade & Burlie Mac in their newly found togetherness have flipped the script completely here, as they inject even more class to this already gleaming release. Their version bounces freely around a vocal loop, glissando harp flourishes, and swept lush chords.

Really classy deep-house gear to get your ears around More

Atjazz Record Company is pleased to welcome back prolific artist and dapper gent Fred Everything. From Canada to the UK, this skillful and ever-present producer brings over 20 years of talent and experience to bear on this exciting new release. We delve into the offering firstly with the titular track: O. A soft and muted start slowly builds up into a fizzy melodic vibe that is undercut with a tasty bass riff. As the track drives on, the harmonies continue to build until they crescendo with a dreamy high-end hook juxtaposed with stippled sour characters. Then Mr ARCo. himself, Atjazz, enters the fray with the Galaxy Aart Remix. Staccato rhythms and active bass notes combine with engaging pops of synth to further illustrate Atjazz's mastering of his craft. We follow this with Her, a meaty beats and bass orgy that effortlessly builds into a shimmering and crystalline cut. This track perfectly showcases Fred's commitment to quality legitimate music and you will not be disappointed! We conclude with the shorter and sharper Devil In The Dub remix where only the lightest of tweaks and touches is applied, but this brings a fresh and compelling sound to an already impressive track. More

While the attention to detail might reveal a production career that spans two decades, the music itself oozes out an undeniable freshness and confirms that Ripperton is as hungry as ever to express his talent. From the stripped-down grooves of „See You Never“ to the tremendous techno-influenced „Abandon“ via the emotional ride of „One Day Ok, One Day Not“ or the poignant „Real Smile Fades“, this EP is an absolute delight for your ears, soul and feet!
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The music world is home of many beautiful souls and people who dedicated their lives to give us this special moment of joy and happiness on the dancefloor. Behind ALL IS WELL, there is a man who contributed unique dancetracks since more than 20 years, some of them became timeless classics. On this EP he provides a variation of different vibes, in one moment tracking the groove to knob into cosmic synthesises into another. Music as versatile as his deep and loving personality and as fresh as a newborn subgenre of this thing we call House. This EP fullfills any expectations and it’s useless to say that it’s already championed by many with style and knowledge. Keep on dancing!
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Quarion is back on Drumpoet with an enchanting new EP that leaves nothing to be desired. Cobblestone takes the dancer on a deep sensual journey, builds up continuously and subtly into a truly emotive peak. Sunday Night Pt. 2 tops it by captivating with rhythmic chords, which remind of the early 90ies. Jamaican Morse is a driven drum track, spiced with dubby sounds and a higly addictive beat. Once again, Quarion proves his outstanding quality.
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Drum Union is a new series documenting the different shades of Leftfield House. London based Tony Nwachukwu (aka Attica Blues aka Wah-Chu-Ku) provides a deep broken dub techno monster. Manuel Fischer presents a beat-driven disco-influenced track to make any dance-floor burn and Mitsubishi Galaxy, who are also known as Jack Pattern take us into a wavy trip to another dimension. Look Like rounds it up and is merging Afro-Cuban rhythms with modern Electronica soundshapes. A journey wider and deeper than most of the average 4/4 business! More

Dario & Dersu are from Basel, Dario is a musical pioneer in his city, since a long time he is dj-ing, producing and dropping extra-ordinary nights ranging from soul to techno. As part of Alma Negra, Dario & Dersu along with their buddies Mario and Diego, have built themselves a strong reputation for producing state-of-the-art and progressive afrodiscoboogie-influenced music or whatever you want to call it, they are constantly championed by people like Gilles Peterson, because their music it truly unique and has an original vibe. On the solo-path of D+D they introduce us to this Detroit-tingled house EP which is nothing less than quality and shows the other side of the black soul.
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What can you say about Ripperton, since more than a decade he provides some of the best grooves around and has worked himself into the top league of producers. Releases on labels such as Planet E, Innervisions, Maeve and his own imprints prove this fact. Drumpoet feels honored to release this amazing EP under his house-moniker Headless Ghost. Four killer-cuts of future house, forward-thinking and classic at the same time. We were blown away when Ripa sent them to us. Have a listen yourself! More

The second EP from Zurich based Pacifica is featuring their new song „Memory Man“, a trippy journey combining folk and future house. On top this EP features two touching remixes. Kalabrese delivers a laid-back, but irresistible version. When it’s dropped, the crowd immediately starts to dance and drift. Same thing with the Frankey & Sandrino remix, which works also perfectly at the peak-time of a night and results in euphoria on the dancefloor. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do and thank you for your time! More

Pacifica has grown on the fertile soil of Zurich's rich club scene. Embracing broad influences ranging from Balearic to Deep House and Techno, the two producers and performers Domenico Ferrari and Balint Dobozi love to combine electronic rhythms with their own blend of sonic textures to reach that fragile balance of creating spaces for the listener's mind while delivering the beats for his feet. Working exclusively on a full-blown live setup, they bring true live sequenced and processed music as much to the recording studio as to the stage. Having individually worked with artists like Jamie Lidell, Kalabrese, Vladislav Delay, David August, Nik Ba¨rtsch, Jojo Mayer, and Roli Mosimann, and after numerous releases during the past years, now it's time for their duo debut. More

Frankey & Sandrino, hailing from Germany delivered one of the most outstanding 12"es in 2014. Their track Lost featuring London based singer Jinadu was one of the most played tracks during the closing of Amsterdam's legendary Trouw. It was championed by many established DJs such as Âme. Their reputation is raising and with an upcoming new 12" on Innervisions they are building a name for themselves. This release is the remix package of their debut on Drumpoet including a stunning version of Lost by Zürich based Washerman, a detroit tingled masterpiece which is hard to resist, as well as the futuristic jacking remix for Starchild by Berlin's MUSK and the hypnotic african inspired version by Hyenah, which was highlighted by Dixon during the last couple of months. More

Brame (Tiarnan Mc Morrow to his parents) is an upcoming young producer from Sligo/Ireland. The 20-year old is on the run to spread his music and we honestly believe that he deserves to be heard. Having lined up EP's on Saft, Morris Audio and Deep Down Slam as well as his current EP on Dirt Crew with his buddi Halo and remixes for Washerman and many others to come it's just a matter of time for him to be recognised the way he deserves it. His music is deep, driving and most of all very natural, just the way we love it on Drumpoet. 3 tracks aiming for nothing more than this beloved feeling, that makes you groove. There's no white noise breakdowns, no trance-elements, no acid-basslines and none of the hip things at all that trainspotters like at the moment. It's simply timeless classic deep house with an honest attitude. Thank you for your time and we hope you enjoy the music as much as we do. - DPC More

What is “Come Easy“ about? High Heels Breaker: „I wanted to write a soulful and electronic song with the idea to leave it as empty as possible by using the minimum of music notes and rhythms. Nowadays we are massivly flooded with (social media) data that I prefer airy and empty music.“ How did the collaboration with singer Sarah Palin come about? High Heels Breaker: “Zurich’s music scene is not that big. We know each other from the cooperation with swiss rapper Big Zis and met throigh my mate Sacha Winkler aka Kalabrese. I called her on a monday morning and asked her, if she’s in and if she could write some lyrics in the next 1-2 months. I sent her the track, she agreed and the following friday the vocals were recorded. During the recording session I got goose bumps, her lyrics about an unwanted breakup is just touching.“ Renowned producers and DJs like Dave Aju (label buddy of Nicolas Jaar), David August and Kalabrese just did remixes for Come Easy. Were they inspired rather from the music or the lyrics? High Heels Breaker: “I think, the song is good, because music, lyrics and vocals are merging. They all felt the universal pain, the reduced instrumentation and of course the soul in it. That’s why they were easily convinced of doing a remix...“

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Washerman is a story at it's best. The humble Gianni Siravo has been around since many years under different names. He released his first records in 1998 as SEQUEL on labels like Straight Ahead and Sonar Kollektiv. In 2008 he introduced us to his AZUNI project and released the album "City Look" on Agnès' label STHLM Audio as well as 12"es on Morris Audio, Quinessentials and Drumpoet. In 2012 he decided to release his music as Washerman. His first single „Kutz From The Basement EP“ for DPC became one of the most played records that summer/autumn and gained him a big reputation, followed up by countless remixes and releases on labels like Nite Grooves, Saft and Deso. He also started his own label DEEP DOWN SLAM, where he is championing music which is inspired by the early house groove of New York and Chicago. He has been busy travelling the world as a DJ and producing music, such as this honest raw album of quality house music. His first album entitled "Raw Poet" features nothing less than a 909, a Juno 60 and some other bits to create this unique groove we can not resist. It's simply underground dance music in its purest way and straight to the point. More

"In the animist framework of Australian Aboriginal mythology, Dreamtime is a sacred era in which ancestral totemic spirit beings created the world." Francis Inferno Orchestra is Griffin James, a young and talented DJ and music producer from Melbourne. He released various 12"s on labels like Let's Play House, Wolf Music and FINA to name just a few. We believe that he could become a major player of this scene as his musical skillz and his sounds impressed the people at Zurich's Drumpoet Community imprint. On this 12" he shows us two different sides of his output. The soulful "Amber Express" could be an hommage to Moodymann's excellent work, similar to "You're The One" whereas "Dreamtime" and "Dusty Echoes" refer more to the Dub and Techno influenced corner of dance music. We were simply overwhelmed by this tracks and the reactions we had, playing them out was great. Anyway, listen and decide yourself, we hope you enjoy it too. More

Daniel Kyo is an upcoming artist from Valencia who delivers here the Detroit-tingled All I Want in cooperation with Mr. White. This package comes with remixes by the humble Irish man John Daly, who gets way deeper and provides a really touching remix. Kayefes is the new project by DPC A&R Ron Shiller with his buddie Foster - they used to be known as Soultourist - the third member is the young and promising Zurich DJ Kejeblos, who's also known as part of Wavetest. Adriatique need no introduction, their recent releases on labels like Diynamic and Off gained them a big reputation. More