2008 saw the duo release their debut album, Meanwhile, earning them global critical acclaim, and radio rotation from Zane Lowe, Mr Scruff, Ras Kwame, and Benji B, amongst others. Indeed, Gilles Peterson became the duo’s number one champion, inviting them to record a live session at Maida Vale Studios.

The Part Time Heroes sound has often been compared to scene defining stalwarts like Koop, Zero 7 and Portishead, and Meanwhile continued that legacy, pushing forward with a uniquely refreshingly, wholesome and honest style, complete with live instrumentation, deep jazz roots, folky flourishes and organic, soul nourishing goodness.

So it was then time to take it to the next level. The Heroes pulled more favours, twisted more arms, and enlisted a selection of the music scenes finest producers to give their own interpretation of the Heroes music.

Southampton beat juggler Featurecast gives Method his own b-boy bounce; Bristols finest, Unforscene, get deep and epic with Angels Fly; Boom Clap Bachelors and our very own Scrimshire both re-work the beautiful Sun Will Shine; and on the dance floor tip, Compost’s Marbert Rocel and UK production don Landslide turn In My Soul and Realise respectively into a pair of big club bangers! And as if that wasnt enough, the Heroes themselves deliver cracking remixes of Ready For Change, Shadowlands and a monstrous drum & bass version of Stop, Fade, Blur!!!!

The Part-Time Heroes sound has often been compared to scene defining stalwarts like Koop, Zero 7 and Portishead, with a uniquely refreshingly, wholesome and honest style, complete with live instrumentation, deep jazz roots, folky flourishes and organic, soul nourishing goodness.

Following on from the digital release of their Remixes album project in May, we have unleashed two of the finest and most popular reinterpretations on strictly limited 12 inch vinyl!! Bristol’s kings of stoned soul, Unforscene, deliver an ethereal dance floor rework of Angels Fly (featuring the spine tingling vocals of Jono McCleery) that comes in at just under an epic 8 minutes. On the flip, we give you a drum n bass monster from one half of the PTH duo (Ross Wakefield) showing us his dark side with a stunning junglist rework of the usually sultry Stop, Fade, Blur, featuring Laura Vane on vocals. Defikews Stop, Fade, Roll Remix is a tops off, arms in the air, sweat inducing ravers anthem!!

Blimey, a decade of Wah Wah wax eh?!

Since starting out slowly with the Espen Horne single, (the now classic) Magnetica in 99, its been a long, exciting journey. Ten years later, weve released nearly fifty singles and almost a dozen albums; weve seen vinyl come, nearly go then come on strong again; weve moved into the digital realm with much excitement; and have seen our club nights grow from The Jazz Cafe, Cargo, Vibe Bar and now to our 10th Birthday Session at The Scala in October!! More details on that below.

On this compilation, a celebration of all thats fresh out of the Wah Wah camp in 2009, weve got soul/jazz treats from Scrimshire, Ashley Thomas and Stac; twisted electronica and dope beats from Unforscene (remixing Part Time Heroes), Red Astaire on the remix for Kendra Lou & The Miracles, and cutting edge Norwegian producer King Knut. Elsewhere theres stunning music out of Canada from Alister Johnson, Scrimshire on the bossa tip for his mix of PTH, dance floor funk from Jamie Finlay and Lack Of Afro (remixing Middlewood Sessions), brand new Colman Brothers latin jazz heat, and a killer jungle workout ofStep Forward courtesy of the mysterious Chief!!

Look out for the birthday party at The Scala in London on October 30th. It’s going to be a proper cracker! In the meantime, enjoy the comp, and heres to the next ten years!!

Sometime in the early 21st century, deep in the leafy suburbs of downtown Southampton, a mild mannered part-time shop assistant and unassuming sandwich delivery-boy were hatching a plan to rescue quality soulful music from almost certain oblivion.

Ross Wakefield and Toby Vane (as they’re known to the taxman) harnessed their shared influences, ranging from Public Enemy and Joe Cocker to Elbow and Nick Drake, and began to create their own unique supersonic sound. They invited selected friends and musicians to bring more of a live element to their recordings, including newcomers Jono McCleery (Music Weeks ‘Best Unsigned Act of 2005’), Lucy Kitchen, Bridgette Amofah (Oi Va Voi), Pete Simpson (Elektrons), BBC Jazz award winner and Ronnie Scotts’ fave Liane Carroll (London Elektricity) and Laura Vane (MJ Cole, Hardkandy).

2006 saw the duo release their debut recording, the ‘Realise’ EP, earning them global critical acclaim, and radio rotation from Zane Lowe, Mr Scruff, Ras Kwame, and Benji B, amongst others. Indeed, Gilles Peterson became the duo’s number one champion, inviting them to record a live session at Maida Vale Studios. By the end of the year the Heroes had landed themselves two nominations at the BBC Worldwide Awards and things were starting to hot up!

Having turned out well received remixes for a plethora of artists, including Wallis Bird and N’Dambi, and having delivered some more dance floor focused cuts (under their PTH Projects guise) for Wah Wah 45s, the time had now come to unleash the debut LP – “Meanwhile…”.

The Part-Time Heroes’ sound has often been compared to scene defining stalwarts like Koop, Zero 7 and Portishead, and “Meanwhile….” continues that legacy, pushing forward with a uniquely refreshingly, wholesome and honest style, complete with live instrumentation, deep jazz roots, folky flourishes and organic, soul nourishing goodness.

The Heroes will be touring the album with their full live band throughout the latter half of 2008 and into ’09, following up road blocked gigs at The Jazz Café & Pigalle Club with a number of festivals over the summer and a huge album launch at Cargo on September 12th. Shop assistant and delivery boy RIP, these boys are on a mission, and won’t stop until their work is done.

Sometime in the early 21st century, deep in the leafy suburbs of downtown Southampton, a mild mannered part-time shop assistant and unassuming sandwich delivery-boy were hatching a plan to rescue quality soulful music from almost certain oblivion.

Ross Wakefield and Toby Vane (as theyre known to the taxman) harnessed their shared influences, ranging from Public Enemy and Joe Cocker to Elbow and Nick Drake, and began to create their own unique supersonic sound. They invited selected friends and musicians to bring more of a live element to their recordings, including Oi Va Voi chanteuse Bridgette Amofah, and vocalist for Justin and Luke Unabombers Elektrons project, Pete Simpson, who both appear on this release.

2006 saw the duo unleash their debut recording, the Realise EP, earning them global critical acclaim, and radio rotation from Mr Scruff, Ras Kwame, and Gilles Peterson – and by the end of the year the Heroes had landed themselves two nominations at the BBC Worldwide Awards. Things were starting to hot up!

The new Ready For Change EP paves the way for the Heroes debut album, Meanwhile. This three track taster kicks off with Pete Simpsons life affirming vocals on what is sure to be a summer smasher, before the dance floor pressure continues with instrumental exclusive Pressating and we round things off with Bridgetts sultry tones on the gorgeous Sun Will Shine.

The Heroes will be touring with their full live band throughout the latter half of 2008 and into 09, following up road blocked gigs at The Jazz Cafe & Pigalle Club with a number of festivals over the summer and a huge album launch at Cargo on September 12th. Shop assistant and delivery boy RIP, these boys are on a mission, and wont stop until their work is done.

Ready For Change EP released on vinyl/download 23rd June

Meanwhile… LP released on CD/download 1st September

QUOTES:

I Highly rate them, watch out for them Gilles Peterson

A summery blast of addictive dance floor fun. IDJ Magazine

The second coming on Wah wah 45s for the mysterious duo from Southampton! The Part Time Heroes have seen themselves thrust into the limelight in the last 12 months, following their first release on Wah Wah and the Realise EP on Mums The Word. Gilles Peterson and co went nuts, the boys smashed it live at Cargo and The Big Chill, and ended 2006 with a Maida Vale session and a nomination for single of the year.

Their second release on Wah Wah 45s sees them return to their PTH Projects alias once again, as they re-work Pretend Paradise, their collaboration with BBC Jazz Artist of the Year 2005 Liane Carroll. The Parta Herois De Tempo Mix is unsurprisingly a latin flavoured re-jig that grabs the dance floor by the balls and refuses to let go until the samba heavy crescendo! On the flip, the PTH boys come through with a brand new cut What The Sun Brings; another uplifting club cut, reminiscent of RSL at their best.

Our glut of releases (one per week for 5 weeks!) kicks off with a cracker from The PTH Projects. PRETEND PARADISE features the killer vocals of Miss Liane Carroll (London Elektricity) and is an organic fractured house / club jazz monster! On the flip, Laura Vane (fresh from her work with Diesler and MJ Cole) delivers the sultry THIN AIR, the perfect antidote to the dance floor mayhem of the A-side. An enormous twelve we think.