The Guest List: April essentials by Rush Hour Records' Antal

Without highlighting the obvious, we all know that Amsterdam is home to a plethora of delights that people flock in to enjoy from around the world. There’s one mainstay that’s held its ground despite all other similar stores and businesses vanishing over time as our world transgresses from analogue to digital realms.

Rush Hour Records formed in the basement of a hairdresser back in 1997 — it’s now found a new home in Amsterdam’s Spuistraat, with a large enough space to keep expansion in mind as they continue to grow in selection and style.

We asked Rush Hour Records co-founder Antal to breakdown this month’s store chart for us in Asia, especially those of us who are still stubborn enough to insist on buying more records even when we can’t play them out — and yes, we all know it’s a stubbornness that brings us nothing but utter, unadulterated joy.

From Kaifeng-born Yu Su, cosmic jazz on current affairs to 45 years of Angolan independence, here are Rush Hour Records’ Antal’s top 10 for April 2021 via co-founder Antal.

"Jordan GCZ takes our minds raving along psychotropic wallpapered hallways of sound with this tight set of emotive belters for Rush Hour! The Juju & Jordash and Magic Mountain High keyboard maestro leaves the noodles at home for this EP. After cooking up the hooky, Acid dipped title track, he turns the heat up high over three 90s style techno cuts."

Listen below, Buy here.

"What a debut from Mad Honey on the newly grown Space Grapes label! All original material - the music has a strong reference to the 70s/80s New York disco sound from the likes of Patrick Adams or Leroy Burgess."

Listen below, buy here.

"One particular record has been punishing our Klipsch speakers for a solid week now: ‘Decadent Skies’ by mysterious outfit An Anomaly on the ever reliable Offen Music imprint.

Firmly built on the legacy of Belgian EBM/new beat/early European house bastions Liaisons Dangereuses Radio and Boccaccio (do check out the excellent ‘Sound of Belgium’ documentary if you have the chance - it’s on YouTube) it perfectly captures the excitement and grit of the Belgian late eighties sound while dragging it into the 21st century pants down."

It's sold out for now, but you can still have a listen here.

"A staple in many a House DJ's bag since the 90s, the name LHAS (Larry Heard Appreciation Society) should give you serious clue on what to expect here."

Listen below and buy here.

"In 2019 Kaifeng born, Vancouver based artist Yu Su released the excellent ‘Roll With The Punches’ on Second Circle. ‘Yellow River Blue’ is her stunning debut album for Second Circle’s parent label Music From Memory."

Listen below, buy here.

"Chicago’s finest, the owner of Mr. Peabody’s Records shares four “old school jackin' Chicago house” tracks originally produced in early 2000’s finally released two decades later."

Listen and buy here.

"Here’s a record that’s destined to be all over 2021’s end-of-year-lists: Floating Points’ collaboration with Pharoah Sanders, the spiritual jazz master who has worked with both John and Alice Coltrane extensively and is responsible for some of the most memorable masterpieces in jazz history — cornerstone compositions like ‘The Creator Has A Master Plan’ and ‘You’ve Got To Have Freedom’. To name just a few."

Listen below, buy here.

"Seven years after the classic ‘Theatre of a Confused Mind’ (as Population One), Detroit techno phenomenon Terrence Dixon is back on Rush Hour with a new album, this time under his own name. ‘Reporting from Detroit’ is another prime example of the distinctly unique sound language Dixon has developed over the last three decades — defiant, forward-thinking afro-futurist techno that could only have been made in the Motor City."

Listen below, buy here.

"Since her debut album ‘The Oracle’ hit the store in late 2019 we’ve been total fans of Angel Bat Dawid, the Chicago-based instrumentalist, composer and bandleader who carved out her own unique path in modern spiritual jazz."

Listen below, buy here.

"To celebrate 45 years of Angolan independance, Keep On Pushin records present to you 'Morgadinho', a 45 single of the Turma da Bênção project by Conjunto Angola 70 & Paulo Flores."

Listen below, buy here.