Now-Again Records

Dec. 3rd at Rappcats – Rap, Disco, Rare Grooves and Beats from the Dealer who shaped the 90s Hip Hop Sound

Saturday, December 3, 2016
Noon — 6PM
5636 York Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90042

Rappcats is bringing back Ubiquity Records founder Michael McFadin and key records from the peerless collection of “Boston” Bob Gibson for a one day pop up shop in Highland Park. The first installment, in August, focused on the breadth of Gibson’s collection, which is considered by collectors like DJ Shadow, the Groove Merchant’s Chris Veltri and Chairman Mao to be one of the best of its kind ever assembled. From one-off, uber-rare Northern Soul and Deep Funk 45s to rare groove classics to heavy psychedelic rock, the shop showcased but the tip of the iceberg of a collection that numbers in the tens of thousands LPs and 45s.

This installment focuses on Gibson’s rap records – and the records he collected, and often sold, that influenced every important New York hip hop producer of the 1990s and, by extent, the rap world in general. Gibson, as his name reflects, lived in Boston which, in the pre-Internet 80s, might as well have been in a different country than New York City. But Gibson was a preternatural collector and, while Lenny Roberts’ Ulitmate Breaks and Beats was the biggest direct influence on the 80s hip hop soundscape, Gibson was using Roberts’ template as a springboard, and going deep. Deeper than any collector had ever gone, at at time when the records he was buying were not fashionable. But they would become so. MORE

Egon’s Pop Up Record Shop At Rappcats – November 12th

Saturday, November 12, 2016
Noon — 6PM
5636 York Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90042

On November 12th, Egon’s hosting his last record store of 2016 at Rappcats, selling records from his collection, one-day only. This event will continue in 2017, once every quarter, with unique records being made available at each event. For this event, he’s also selling rare jazz records from the 50s, 60s and 70s, all sourced from the well-maintained archives of a serious Pittsburgh collector: from first press, stellar copies of classics like John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” to Ian Carr’s 70s modal fusion. Of course, records from Island funk to West African highlife to Brasilian bossa-nova will also line the walls of the 1500 square foot Rappcats space in Highland Park.

We at Now-Again have recently issued the World Experience Orchestra’s two spiritual jazz masterworks as part of our Now-Again Reserve subscription series. A career-wide retrospective of Houston drummer Bubbha Thomas and his Lightmen Plus One group – including many unreleased tracks – has been in the works for the past decade, and is planned for issue in 2017.

Also available on site will be the entire Now-Again catalog — for a one day discount of 25% less than our normal retail prices. If you can’t make it to Highland Park, all online Now-Again orders from the Rappcats store placed on November 12th will receive a 25% discount as well.

November 25: Rappcats Record Store Day Sale! Stay tuned for info.
December 03: Ubiquity Records/“Boston” Bob Gibson’s Collection Pt. 2. Focusing on rare hip hop throughout the decades as well as disco.
January 14-15: “Cool” Chris Veltri and the Groove Merchant. San Francisco’s legendary record store in LA; one weekend only!

Paternoster – The Remixes

German label Heart Working Class presents an album of German and Austrian beat makers reimagining Paternoster’s incredible psych-rock opus.

Listen to more at Heart Working Class’s Soundcloud

Berlin-based label owner, journalist and all-around music enthusiast Stephan Szillus, associate producer of our Paternoster reissue – the first issue in our Now-Again Reserve subscription series – has just issued a remix album of our favorite 70s, underground Austrian album, featuring some of Austria and Germany’s underground beat-making heroes. As he writes:

“In 2015 I embarked on a journey to find the remaining members of the short-lived Vienna underground band Paternoster, because my friend Eothen “Egon” Alapatt of Now-Again Records wanted to re-issue their first and only record, one of Euro prog rock’s holy grails. I met Franz Wippel, the band’s mastermind and songwriter, and Paternoster was re-released as part of the Now-Again Reserve subscription service in April 2016. Around the same time I sent the master files to a few of my beatmaking friends from Germany and Austria, resulting in this collection of remixes and versions. From underground trap to throwback boom-bap and afro house — Paternoster still sounds very much alive, even 44 years after its release.”

Announcing Johnny! Ghanaian Afro-Rock From JJ Whitefield.

ON SALE AND SHIPPING AT OUR RAPPCATS WEBSTORE – JOHNNY! 3 x 7″ COLLECTION

Introducing: Johnny! Ghanaian Afro-Rock from German producer/composer JJ Whitefield and an international cast of top shelf musicians.

Limited edition of 1000. Not to be repressed. Each 7″ comes with a download card for wav files. Die-cut dress jacket and resealable “Japanese-style” sleeve. Specially priced bundle available at our webstore at Rappcats

Whitefield, who in the early ‘90s revived the gritty, analogue Funk sounds of the ‘60s and ‘70s with his Poets Of Rhythm, has been working with Now-Again Records for almost a decade, releasing a flock of acclaimed projects with Karl Hector & The Malcouns, Whitefield Brothers, Rodinia and the Original Raw Soul III anthology.

He first started exploring African rhythms with the Whitefield Brothers in the late ‘90s, continuing in the ‘00s with Karl Hector & The Malcouns. He’s been instrumental in launching Ghanaian Afro Beat/Funk legend Ebo Taylor´s international career, decades after the maestro recorded the landmark albums that have inspired thousands. Whitefield recorded two new studio albums with Taylor and toured in his band between 2009 and 2013, where he met Taylor’s son Henry and percussionist/Singer Eric Owusu.

The trio now front the Johnny! band and find inspiration not only in Ghana’s hypnotic grooves, but also the full frontal fuzz guitar assault heard on the legion of 70s Zambian Zamrock albums recently reissued by Now-Again. Indeed, Whitefield credits his tours with Zamrock godfathers Rikki Ililonga and WITCH’s Jagari Chanda as instrumental in creating the Johnny’s sonic backdrop. The band is rounded out by Turkish drummer Bernd Oezsevim (Woima Collective, Rodinia) and Indonesian bassist/multi instrumentalist Tomi Simatupang (Whitefield Brothers).

This is Dance Rock at the core with the possibilities to stretch out and go into psychedelic realms. The results, spread out over three 7” singles and pressed in a run of 1000 units each, speak for themselves. Every record comes with a download card for WAV files of all six tracks (vocals and instrumentals from each release) and point at a new direction for the music inspired by the Great Continent. One that takes a direction once mocked as derivative and asserts its importance on the globe’s current musical stage.

Announcing – Maker Vs. Now-Again V. 3

Drums and funk – Maker dives deeper into the Now-Again catalog for another entry in Now-Again’s Music Library series.

ON SALE AND SHIPPING NOW VIA OUR WEBSTORE AT RAPPCATS

Chicago-area beatsmith Maker’s two entries into Now-Again’s Music Library series showcase the verve with which this underground Chicago hip-hop producer undertook an exercise in boom-bap era aesthetics: he dug deep into the Now-Again catalog and found dusty drum breaks to underscore two bar loops. Maker Vs. Now-Again made the case that hip hop didn’t necessarily have to fly into a dub-step inflected future if it was still having fun in its funky past. Maker Vs. Now-Again V. 2 expanded beyond the American funk, soul and jazz that Now-Again was founded upon and included worldly grooves from far-flung locales like Nigeria, Brazil and Zambia flipped up by this hip hop classicist.

With his latest, Maker Vs. Now-Again V. 3, we find that the producer grabbing from the best of both worlds, from the riches of the ever-expanding Now-Again catalog. This limited edition is CD is packaged in a gatefold eco-wallet package and is available in limited quantities. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

This is the 8th album in the Now-Again Music Library Series. Previous entries have included albums by Oh No and Cook Classics. Listen to “New Breed,” based on the Universouls’ “New Generation,” below.