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With 2026 being our 30th anniversary as a label, we’ve been taking occasional leisurely strolls down memory lane, re-visiting some of our catalogue from more recent years and highlighting them on our social media platforms.

We now go much further back in time, to a track we released exactly 24 years to the day on May 6th 2002. “Meltdown” by hip hop group Belles in Monica was the second lifted from their only album release ‘Resistance is Futile’. The 12″ vinyl and CD formats included remixes by Phi Life Cypher’s DJ Nappa, scratch turntablist and DMC finalist Krash Slaughta (Monkey Mafia / II Tone Committee) and Manchester producer Gripper. Alongside previous single “Y’All Under Surveillance” it became one of the crew’s most recognizable tracks.

It also became one of their most contentious cuts in relation to its actual lyrical meaning, causing some consternation and hand wringing in certain quarters, mainly those of an eternally confused nature…..despite the clue being in the name and self evident to most at the time…..

Nevertheless, with all of the various historic interpretations, we felt the time had come to explain this once and for all through the medium of filmic references which will either finally bring clarity, or confuse further…..and both’s fine by us……

So without further ado, as we help ourselves to another slic of birthday cake – and very tasty it is too – may we present “the Box Office smash of 2026 just waiting to happen“, 24 YEARS LATER – BELLES IN MONICA “MELTDOWN” [Decoded] on Youtube

Formed a long time ago in a land time forgot, Belles in Monica went through many personnel line ups before settling on the trio of Kruze, Red and DJ Dema. Their first airplay came about in appropriately bizarre fashion in the Spring of 1994, when the then presenter of BBC Radio 1’s flagship breakfast show, the late Steve Wright, asked for demos to be sent in for possible broadcast. A demo was duly dispatched, and not thinking it had a hope in Hell of being played, they went on vacation….only to be told on their return by many who had heard the show that it had indeed been selected, played and received props from the presenters. All of which they’d missed…….

Seven years later having signed with New Dawn, they again enjoyed Radio 1 airplay as their aforementioned singles received strong support from Steve Lamacq, host of the renowned Evening Sessions show. Steve had form as a champion of UK hip hop at the time, something that’s not been forgotten. This was just before the BBC decided to launch its 1Xtra station specifically for this genre, the impression given at the time it “wasn’t quite right” for Radio 1 listeners….how times have changed. We remember George Ergatoudis, head of the new channel, contacting us and other labels at the time for vinyl to play and help kick start the new programming…..how times have changed. We also realise that for current generations this news post will have received a TL;DR after the first sentence…..how times have changed…..

All fun in the sun though. We released Belles in Monica’s catalogue in digital format for the first time in 2019, combining their first two singles in the “Y’All in Meltdown EP” It’s on Bandcamp and Spotify among others.

The full version of “Meltdown” is on Youtube

We hope you’ve enjoyed this little journey down Amnesia Alley. Must dash, the nurse says it’s custard and rhubarb on the menu tonight but it’s first come, first served and you know what him two rooms down’s like….

Returning to the original point momentarily though, it’s all in the mind……

Peace in the valley

TEAM NDR

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What is real ? Do you want to know…..what….it…..is……?

You can see it for yourself when you watch this video playlist……

You can feel it in this Spotify playlist…..

It is also all around us on Soundcloud…….

All we are offering is the truth, nothing more……

Welcome…..to the real

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NDR

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As someone pointed out to us the other day, 2022 marks the twentieth anniversary of some of our original single releases which at the time enjoyed healthy support, often appearing in DJ Magazine’s hip hop club charts, reviews in UK & US publications and notable for the airplay afforded to them by among others, Steve Lamacq who hosted BBC Radio 1’s flagship Evening Sessions show.

Time flies indeed !

They were all by the crew Belles in Monica and included a number of remixes, all released on 12″ & CD formats. We in fact still have a very limited amount of original stock available of both formats, details at our STORE.

“Y’All Under Surveillance” with remixes by G-Sharp (including cuts by DJ Devestator), DJ Nappa of Phil Life Cypher and The Runaways. Originally released on February 4th 2002

“Meltdown” with remixes by Krash Slaughta, Gripper and Phi Life Cypher’s DJ Nappa including cuts by DJ Mr Thing. Originally released May 6th 2002

What D’Ya Need with remixes by DJ Krash Slaughta and Unsung Heroes. Originally released September 23rd 2002

All of these together with most of our original back catalogue were of course made available in digital formats since we re-launched the label in 2019, streaming on Spotify, Tidal, Apple, Amazon and many more including on our Youtube channel. We have included some versions on our Youtube channel’s Singles Playlist

Included in the 18 track playlist are our most recent singles released over the past couple of years, taken from albums by London’s Ramson Badbonez, Phoenix da Icefire & Husky Brown and New Jersey’s Tru Trilla.

They include features by heavyweight names from both sides of the Atlantic including Reks, Skyzoo, Ruste Juxx, Recognize Ali, Genesis Elijah, Micall Parknsun, Jehst, Kashmere, Sleep Sinatra, Johaz of Dag Savage, MysDiggi, Truemendous, Juxx Diamondz, Justo the MC and the late, great Blacastan and Primo Brown of legendary Italian crew Cor Veleno.

Also added are the two singles from this summer, Qadir’s remix of “Bismillah” and Shahin’s re-working of “Lame Duck”. Dope rhymes, bangin’ beats and serious turntablist skillz from then and now as a soundtrack for your day – enjoy !

We’ll have news of new forthcoming joints and albums currently cooking in various kitchens shortly, so keep ’em peeled.

Peace

Team NDR

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Just to round off the old year, we put together a special mix with some of the singles we’ve released from 2002 to 2022 by artists from the US & UK, all reppin’ the origins of dope rhymes, bangin’ beats & sick turntablism.

All of our singles, EP and album releases are now available from our official BANDCAMP PAGE and of course you’ll also find them streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Tidal and many other digital platforms. For direct links to each release and digital store, visit our RELEASES PAGE where they are separated per artist.

We also have some very limited stock of vinyl and CD’s available of our original catalogue from back in the day. These are now rare collectors’ items, a couple of which are included in this new mix, and details can be viewed on our Physical Releases page.

A video of the new mix has just been uploaded to our official Youtube channel

The audio only stream is on Soundcloud

Tracks used

1 Belles in Monica – “Meltdown” [Krash Slaughta Remix]
2 Tru Trilla – “God’s Mercy” [produced by DNA Beatz]
3 Ramson Badbonez – “Black Hole Cypher”
ft Kashmere, Truemendous, MysDiggi, Micall Parknsun, Joker Starr, Gee Bag, Confucius, Jehst & Phoenix da Icefire
4 Phoenix da Icefire & Husky Brown – “Dark Rainbow Light”
5 Tru Trilla – “Word of God” [produced by DNA Beatz]
6 Ramson Badbonez – “Lead by Example”
ft Recognize Ali, Skyzoo & Juxx Diamondz [cuts by DJ Jazz T]
7 Belles in Monica – “Y’All Under Surveillance” [G-Sharp Remix. Cuts by DJ Devestator]
8 Tru Trilla – “God’s Sympathy” [produced by DNA Beatz]
ft Fly Kwa & Confucious
9 Phoenix da Icefire & Husky Brown – “Cosmic Soul”
10 Ramson Badbonez – “Rap to the Future”
ft Dizzy Dustin, Mr Hooper & Moka Only [cuts by Kompoze]
11 Ramson Badbonez – “Stay True”
ft Reks, Ruste Juxx & Blacastan
12 Ramson Badbonez – “Lame Duck”
ft Tru Trilla, Fly Kwa & Prince Ak

New releases for 2022 are in the works, currently at the recording stage with some serious heat being cooked up in the kitchen !!

Meantime, we know the past couple of years has been difficult for everyone, so we’d like to thank you all for the continued support, and wish you & yours a healthy and prosperous new year when it comes.

Peace

Team NDR

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We are pleased to announce that, finally, our new Bandcamp page has been launched

Initially we have uploaded our entire digital back catalogue there, with the options of full EP, album and individual track downloads provided. Check full availability HERE

We will broaden out the page to all formats over time, and we’d like to thank Bandcamp’s Head of Label and Artist liaison for the support provided during this process.

In addition, at their request, we were happy to assist several artists in the design and setting up of their own new Artist Pages. Click on the artist names to go directly to their pages – TRU TRILLA, PHOENIX DA ICEFIRE, AZ IZZ

Each allows fans to contact the artists directly and connect with them on social media via the links on the main page and by clicking the icons on their banners.

Look out for all future releases coming to Bandcamp as well of course as continuing to be made available to stream and download at Spotify, Apple, Tidal, Amazon, Deezer, Beatport and many more.

Meanwhile, here’s a little selection of what’s available now

So take a look around and enjoy the sounds !

TEAM NDR

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To mark what has felt an incredibly quick, but also a busy and fulfilling first year back since re-launching, we got DJ Santoi to put together a special “Re:Generation” mix of singles and tracks we have released in the past 12 months

Included in the set are Underground Cartel, Tru Trilla, Belles in Monica, Az Izz, Phoenix da Icefire & Husky Brown and Krash Slaughta, artists from the USA, UK and Europe. Cool blend of hip hop beats, dope rhymes and turntablism….a little somethin’ to beat the lockdown blues.

The full track versions can be heard on the corresponding Spotify Playlist we set up here, but meantime give it a spin on Mixcloud…enjoy!

Stay the course and stay safe people

Team NDR

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Thanks to our partnership with distribution company Ingrooves, all our digital releases to date and in the future are available to stream and download on a wide range of online platforms and stores.

These include Apple, Beatport, Amazon, Deezer and Napster, and you can also check everything in one place via our own Soundcloud and Spotify pages

NEW DAWN RECORDS SPOTIFY LINK

We also of course have our official Youtube channel which has a mix of video teasers of forthcoming releases and the various playlists of each EP and album once released. Most recent addition is the Krash Slaughta vs B.I.M. EP “18 Showdown”

To mark our relaunch this year, we have released digital EP’s by legendary hip hop crew Belles in Monica including remixes by G-Sharp, DJ Nappa (Phi Life Cypher) and if course DMC Finalist Krash Slaughta, all made available to stream and download for the first time ever.

We also released the Sapientia EP by Underground Cartel, an international hip hop collaborative project featuring artists from around the world including Dumi Right (Zimbabwe), Grizu (Germany), El Meswy (Spain / Brooklyn), Beni Blanco (France), Magellano (Croatia), Swiss Precise, Crazy Ballhead, The Yukonn MC & Black Market (all USA), Mr CRF (UK) and the late great Primo Brown of Italian crew Cor Veleno.

All available to stream and download from our platforms mentioned above, as will future releases by new signings from the USA & UK which we will be announcing shortly.

Our vinyl and CD releases are available to buy from us direct via our STORE and there are various discounted packages available depending on the quantity ordered. We ship to anywhere in the world, no delivery charge applied. Bespoke orders can be requested via our CONTACT page.

Stay up to date with our news here on our official website, or on our social media platforms on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Thanks again to everyone for their support this year

Team New Dawn Records

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We are proud to see out the year of our return, and coincidentally the end of the decade, by presenting this classic slice of hip hop.

Krash Slaughta vs B.I.M. ” ’18 Showdown ” includes all the digitally remastered remixes produced by legendary turntablist DJ Krash Slaughta (DMC Finalist 1998 / II Tone Committee) for the Belles in Monica crew.

Now available to stream and download for the first time, with the exception of new joint “Venom”, all originally appeared on several of our 12″ vinyl releases. A limited number is still available direct from our STORE

The digital EP is available everywhere, AMAZON APPLE BEATPORT NAPSTER DEEZER SOUNDCLOUD and SPOTIFY

Definitely one of the hip hop heads, Krash Slaughta is renowned for his imaginative production, powerful beats and unique scratch skillz, a perfect backdrop for the hard bars rammed full of conscious rhymes and wordplay. Still releasing new material and performing live sets, you can connect with him on FACEBOOK

” ’18 Showdown ” is the fourth and final EP in our initial series marking our return after a 15 years hiatus. It is exactly 9 months since we relaunched and a lot of work has gone on behind the scenes in that time. As a result, we look forward to announcing our new release schedule for 2020 by artists from the USA and UK shortly.

Thanks again to everyone for the support in these past months, including our distributor Ingrooves, artists, media, club & radio DJ’s and the general public. Very much appreciated

100% hip hop

TEAM NDR

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We have just released the single today, taken from the Krash Slaughta vs B.I.M. “18 Showdown” EP out on December 6th which contains all the remixes produced by the legendary turntablist DJ Krash Slaughta (DMC Finals / II Tone Committee) for the Belles in Monica crew.

Available on all digital formats for the first time, you can stream or download from Apple, Napster, Beatport, Tidal, Amazon, Soundcloud, Deezer & more, including Spotify

The single is also available on 12″ vinyl which you can order online directly from us at our official store We ship to all countries worldwide.

Our in house promotional division UrbanElite PR are currently assisting a number of artists from the USA & UK as they put the final touches to various EP’s and albums which we will look to schedule for release in 2020. Official announcements will be made here & on our various social media platforms shortly.

Thanks again to everyone who has supported us since our re-launch 8 months ago

TEAM NDR

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Earlier this year we released the EP’s “Y’All in Meltdown” & “Natsukashii” by legendary hip hop crew Belles in Monica, and the “Sapientia EP” by Underground Cartel, an international hip hop collaboration featuring artists from the USA, UK, Europe and Africa.

All were made available to stream and download from Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Beatport, Deezer & Soundcloud, and we have just added all the tracks to our own Youtube channel where you can also view video trailers and future official video releases.

Y’ALL IN MELTDOWN – LAZARUS EP VOLUME 1 FULL PLAYLIST
SAPIENTIA EP FULL PLAYLIST
NATSUKASHII – LAZARUS EP VOL 2 FULL PLAYLIST

We release the Krash Slaughta vs B.I.M. ” ’18 Showdown ” EP on December 6th, with the single “What D’Ya Need (H.A.R.D. mix) out November 19th. Again all will be available to stream and download from the usual online platforms and stores including our own Youtube channel where there is already a video trailer.

Drop by the official New Dawn Records Youtube channel and subscribe to be kept up to date with all new videos and audio releases. Remember we have some of these releases on vinyl, so visit the Store to check for availability. New signings for 2020 will be announced here very shortly.

Our thanks to everyone who has supported us during this our year of re-launch

TEAM NEW DAWN RECORDS