Review: Arp Frique & The Perpetual Singers - Alpha & Omega (Colorful World Records / Rush Hour)

It's always exciting to find a new 12" with Amsterdam's Rush Hour's seal of approval on it and can you imagine Prince, Isley Bros. and George Clinton going to the church of funk with some great gospel singers? 

And we're not talking any old singer, when you've got, "Texas born gospel singer Brandon Delagraentiss, longtime collaborator Marissa Nyamekye aka Mariseya and the legendary LA-born vocalist Rocq-E Harrell who - in her career spanning decades - has sung with Stevie Wonder, Patti Labelle, Earth Wind & Fire, and toured with Diana Ross and the legendary Barry White"; aka The Perpetual Singers.

Like Arpy Brown, Arp Frique's love of the Arp Instruments vintage analog synths, matched with Chic's 'Le Freak' plus The Perpetual Singers have producer an EP with 4 tracks on it that follows the album, 'The Gospel Of Jesamy' but more intensely like the 'Hold The Line' rework.

I can't say I've read the bible for a while so i'm not up with the meaning of 'Alpha & Omega' but 'For Your Love' (not the 60s hit) is one to join in with the girls, raise your arms and "Praise him and sing Hallelujah"

'Help Me Jesus' is the surprise in the packag as its the most Isley Bros.in their 70s period on the fast-track railroad as they catch the tain to check out Pastor T. L. Barrett as the ship is about to sail: gospel rock house?  And the title track is in even more overdrive than this one!

'Live Together Live' is in the same ball park but with George Clinton leading the funky congregation in the church of a atomic dog house; with cautionary lyrics about the love of money, bettter mend your ways people.

These track moves the project along that already has loads of 'big head' fans like Gilles Peterson, Louie Vega, Moodymann which has led to appearances at festivals like We Out Here, North Sea Jazz and all the best ones in Europe; expect to hear more from these guys.

It's Bootsy baby, but not as we know it.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: ▶︎ The Gospel Of Jesamy | Arp Frique & The Perpetual Singers | Arp Frique

Artist: Arp Frique &The Perpetual Singers

Title: Alpha & Omega

Release date: 6th February, 2026

Label: Colorful World Records / Rush Hour

Cat. No: TBC

Format:  Digital / Bandcamp.

Review: Various Artists - Techno Kayo: Japanese Techno Pop 1981-1989 Vol. 1 (Compiled by Dubby & Antal) (Rush Hour)

You can't mention Japanese Techno Pop without mentioning Yellow Magic Orchestra who managed to link pop, dance music and Far Eastern folklore during the late 1970s which then >>>>> became synonymous with Techno Pop in Japan.

So what with the now omnipresent J-pop and the indepth explorations of all things J-Jazz from BBE (see review HERE) and increasing interest in all things JPN, it's time to dig deeper and at Rush Hour, they couldn't pick anyone better than the duo of Dubby (owner of the legendary record shop Ondas in Tokyo, was one of the first to make Japanese music available to the outside world) along with Antal (co-founder of the Amsterdam-based, Rush Hour Records).

We know the minds at Rush Hour can what they say about judging bookwonder from Ron Trent's 'Lift Off' (see review HERE) to Planet People (see review HERE) to much further afield with link ups with Japan's Jazzy Sports but this mere 7 track compilaton is the first in a series of planned compilations.

"Techno Kayo?", I hear you say. Well, well bringing kayōkyoku style up-to-date with a mix of pop and the new 'futuristic sounds' of synths and drum machines (that we're literally on their Japanese doorsteps; Roland, Korg, Yamaha) and the influence of the European cousin's like Kraftwerk, Yellow Magic Orchestra's main members, Haruomi Hosono (bass), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards) could see/hear the future.

But could they have seen that Hosono would be the most influencial of the trio (as well as having a solo career that included albums known as the "Tropical Trilogy") or that Tomita's studio assistant (remembering 'Snowflakes Are Dancing') would also be leading figure?  Luckily there's additional notes by Ken Hidaki who can distinguish 3 types of Techno Kayo!  You may be an expert yourself, but Dubby and DJ Antal and they kick off with an obscure track, 'Happy Times' by The Peters; repetitive and joyous.

Kuniko Yamada's 'Tetsugaku Shiyo (Viens Philosopher)' picks up on some spoken word/rap whilst Kazuo Ohtani's 'Last Battle' is clearly from the turntable / computer game/OST crossover connection a la Miami Vice/Tom Tom Club?

Put all this into a synergy pot, and the ping chef says 'Microwave' (the "manufactured pop singer" Kyoko Koizumi) and the High Speed Bullet, Targets' 'City Train'.

Like every other nation (under a groove), Japans top producers were absorbing all the new waves from around the world, disco, ska, reggae, soul, hip-hop, funk, synth-pop such that Hikashu's "experimental", 'Melonno Nakano Hitsuji' stands out like a sore thumb and fits in like Bowie/Eno/Byrne doing something world.

Think my favourite, at the moment, is TPO featuring Linda (Masters) with 'Rock The Hour' - big 80s hair and synth bounce that's close to a Mrs Fripp/Sam Fox mix - who is Linda Masters and where is she now?

We know quite a bit about Tokyo (you'll recall our Nic Luscombe's involvement in 'City Music Tokyo' (see review HERE) but this is outside of our J-Jazz Kissa Bar musicology snob DJ booth.   Vinyl and CDs come with obligatory OBI strip and expect more in the world of proto-techno, electro-pop to expand you're studies.

And where does Ken Matsudaira fit in with this?

BUY LINKS: 2 x LP (pressed at 45RPM) and CD

Vinyl: rushhour.nl/vinyl

CD: rushhour.nl/CD

Artwork from Johann Kauth (Stenze Quo)

Artist:  Various Artists

Title: Techno Kayo: Japanese Techno Pop 1981-1989 Vol. 1 (Compiled by Dubby & Antal)

Release date: 26th September, 2025 

Label : Rush Hour

Catalog Number : RH-STORE JPN 13 

Format: Vinyl / CD 

Review: Ron Trent - Lift Off (Rush Hour)

If you're a superstar DJ with a reputation the size of Ron Trent, you don't need me to recommend you get ready for his new album 'Lift Off', but I will anyway: be prepared for 'Lift Off'.

You know what they say about judging books by the cover, well, for this LP, you can as it's a perfect graphical interpretation of what on the inside and it's heritage.  From the 60s roots of Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in Chicago to 70's Black Panther movement with EW&F funk / soul  pyramids (along with Sun Ra's Birthday this week) the digital automobile 'spaceships' of today with musical scrolling, Trent nails the lot into 10 outer world grooves that would grace any DJ set.

The track 'Jazz Funk' nails this from the start along with a 'monster' that is 'Woman Of Colour' which is particularly deep that holds your attention for the full 11 minutes.  'Sexstrology' squeezes in a bit of Balearic guitar with the jazzy funk keys (for very nearly 11 minutes) whilst 'Let Me See You Shining' up the tempo and brings in some gospel/house vocals.

Typically, long instrumentals with funky jazz percussion rich with strings/synths, it's surprising to be told that these tracks have been recorded over the past 10 years and much of the post-Lonnie Liston Space minimal house seems to be very now along with Trent's take on Chicago and New York House, Detroit tech and 90s ambient; 'Like And Fly Away' (11 minutes), 'Street Wave' (the longest track at 12 minutes and the epitome of 'Lift Off') and 'Her' (10 minutes of RT's take on Desert Disco, did some say, "Flying Mojito Bros' 'Just Passing Through'?)

And, of course, as soon as you think you've got it sussed, 'Just Another Love Song' has a New Order/80s pop elements to it (Ed. could even be a hit?) with some Kraut-Balearic canned into 'Juice' for some "sunset dance'. 

It's been a while since we were at Rush Hour with Planet People's 'Terra Firma' EP (see review HERE) but Mr Trent is high above that, so do yourself a favour and 'Lift Off' to another level.

Ron's will be extensively touring to promote this album so be sure to catch him in 2025.

Artist:  Ron Trent

Title: Lift Offf

Release date: 23rd May, 2025

Label : Rush Hour

Catalog Number : TBC 

Format: Vinyl / Digital /Bandcamp

Review: Planet People - Terra Firma EP (Planet People/Rush Hour)

It's always exciting to find a new 12" with Amsterdam's Rush Hour's seal of approval on it and Planet People's 'Terra Firma' is no exception.

If you're a DJ on NTS Radio and claim your label (Lost Control Records) showcases, "the best hydrotrip for the 7th dimension", you can imagine when owner, Black Eyes got together with Reedale Rise to form Planet People, the results on the Liverpool-Berlin expressway where only going to be a blend of Detroit techno dub distilled from Chicago & New York House & 90s UK ambient.

The result is instant classic with 'Hyper Glidin' and 'Portal Funk' leading the way closely followed by 'Reaktor Theory' (this one having a touch of synthed up 'Thousand Fingered Man' to my ears).

 'Subsurface Nature' slips into the basement for some bin biz space synths.

The vinyl is super limited so get your feet off the ground and onto your likely suspect record shops quick before they run out.

Artist:  Planet People

Title: Terra Firma EP

Release date: 16th December, 2022

Label : Planet People / Rush Hour

Catalog Number : PP-001 [12” - Limited Edition of 300 ]