Peoples Choice
Strikin'

Repress of this essential Brazilian-boogie album! Pure class throughout, with a dream team of incredible musicians and producers behind the scenes including Tim Maia, Robson Jorge and Lincoln Olivetti. Absolute banger!

At just 17, Aaliyah released her second album and was already one of the most commanding artists in modern R&B, all while finishing drama school and preparing to star in Romeo Must Die. Linking up with Missy Elliot and Timbaland on a number of tracks, this 1996 2xLP was a bold step up from her debut with a future-leaning sound. With OG pressings asking for a lot, this reissue is a chance to cop a pivotal piece of R&B history on wax. Essential!

Athens of the North serves up something of a lovely curveball here with their first-ever beat tape. It is the work of Scottish beatmaker and hip-hop producer Jaisu, who has long been a friend of the label. He crafted this record in his studio in Niddrie from beats already put out on the Athens label. In loading up his MPC with such great source material, he was always sure to serve up some great sounds and so it is - these are lived-in, real, raw beats that have lo-fi fringes, soul vibes and a certain sense of timelessness that stands each track apart. Dooooope!