EM Records return to the Wicked Witch

The archive of DC outsider funk artist Richard Simms is revisited for a doublepack on the Tokyo label featuring new reworks from DJ Slyngshot and YYPYY.

Koki Emura’s long-running EM Records is a label that delights in equal measures whether you dip in and out of their prodigious and wide-reaching output or follow each and every release with forensic detail. Most recently the Osaka-based label was concerned with releasing the ‘Zurhyrethmic’ experiments of noted local artist YPY – read our indepth profile on Koshiro Hino here if you haven’t yet – but there is a veritable treasure trove of archival delights to work through too. Finis Africae, the Hawaiian synth experiments of Frank Tavares as Haku, and the Mexican synth pop of Syntoma have all been the focus of attention from EM Records in recent times and subject to verbose praise in Flora Pitrolo’s monthly reissue roundup.

Back in 2008, EM honed in on the dense post-funk experiments Washington DC-based musician Richard Simms released under the name Wicked Witch with the suitably-named Chaos 1978-86. This seven-track retrospective compiled material from the small Wicked Witch discography and is a must for any fans of the darker end of the PPU spectrum. Next month will see a new Wicked Witch release on EM Records entitled Under Your Spell which features three previously unheard tracks from the Simms archive. Complementing this, the second disc on the 12″ double pack houses Wicked Witch remixes from Yappin Records founder DJ Slyngshot and the YYPYY pairing of Koshiro Hino and Yousuke Yukimatsu.

EM Records will release Under Your Spell by Wicked Witch in early August.

Tracklisting:

A1. Under Your Spell
A2. Funky by U
B1. Take a Bite of Brains
B2. Under Your Spell 2016
C1. Take a Bite of Brains (DJ Slyngshot Re-edit)
D1. In the Way of WSB (YYPYY Reconstruction)

EM Records on Juno