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Optimo (Espacio) started life as a weekly club night. It was born at The Sub Club in Glasgow on a wet, windy, wintry November Sunday night in 1997. Run by JD Twitch and partner in crime Jonnie Wilkes. Optimo was a reaction against what felt like an increasingly conservative musical soundtrack in clubs here at that time. Clubland felt as if it had become very bland and a bit too serious; it was the era of the dawn of the Superstar DJ. Clubs often felt like bastions of male energy. It seemed dance music and culture was going somewhere far, far away from where it was meant to be. The notion of fun had got lost.

It was no longer the world they had devoted ten years of their lives to already, and lots of their friends felt the same. When the opportunity came up to do a Sunday night at The Sub Club it felt like the perfect opportunity to rip it all up and start again. So they did. There was nothing in the city (or possibly anywhere) like it. As the club believed wholeheartedly in what they were doing, there was no pressure from The Sub Club to fill the club. So, they embraced the freedom. Groups of people who had never been in the same room at the same time before came together. A community of kindred spirits started to emerge.

Word spread, slowly. Lots of people checked it out. Many loved it, some hated it. The core of the Optimo idea was to embrace music they loved that might work on the dancefloor from whatever era or genre they thought felt right. It might not seem very radical now but at that time it was revolutionary.

After about a year and a half, the club went from having 100 people attending most nights to suddenly one week having 500 people turn up. It was very weird. It was as if a collective light bulb went off in people’s heads in Glasgow. From that week on, until the very last weekly Sunday night at the Sub Club, in 2010, over a decade later, it was packed.

There were 550 Sunday Optimo nights. A LOT of music was played. So, what was the music? People often find it hard to pin down exactly what Optimo is. This has been a positive but also a negative as we live in a world where people want easily defined “brand identities”. The simplest definition of the music played is “music for dancing”, which of course is a very broad definition. Even better than trying to define it in words, we have these 2 volumes of music that give a hint of what that might be.

This is not a “Best of Optimo” or a “Greatest Hits of Optimo” compilation. For people who come to, or used to come to the nights there are of course “Greatest Hits”. But, over such a long timespan they are “hits” belonging to a certain moment in time and space. Someone who came to Optimo in 1997 would have a completely different notion of the big tracks at the club to someone coming in 2003, or 2010, or today. This compilation is just a snap shot missing several genres that might make up the DNA of Optimo. There is though a broad sweep through lots of music Optimo loves, that they believe is amazing. Music that they know will rock a dancefloor, that they have played between 1997 and 2023. Of course Optimo nights were not all about rocking the dancefloor. The first hour was always a time for them to play music they loved that often was far removed from the dance. Side 1, Volume 1 of this compilation is the kind of music one might hear at the very start of an Optimo night.

Optimo have always loved a good slogan. The most long lived, and fitting Optimo slogan is "We Love Your Ears", which is in essence what it is all about to them.

Optimo (Espacio) started life as a weekly club night. It was born at The Sub Club in Glasgow on a wet, windy, wintry November Sunday night in 1997. Run by JD Twitch and partner in crime Jonnie Wilkes. Optimo was a reaction against what felt like an increasingly conservative musical soundtrack in clubs here at that time. Clubland felt as if it had become very bland and a bit too serious; it was the era of the dawn of the Superstar DJ. Clubs often felt like bastions of male energy. It seemed dance music and culture was going somewhere far, far away from where it was meant to be. The notion of fun had got lost.

It was no longer the world they had devoted ten years of their lives to already, and lots of their friends felt the same. When the opportunity came up to do a Sunday night at The Sub Club it felt like the perfect opportunity to rip it all up and start again. So they did. There was nothing in the city (or possibly anywhere) like it. As the club believed wholeheartedly in what they were doing, there was no pressure from The Sub Club to fill the club. So, they embraced the freedom. Groups of people who had never been in the same room at the same time before came together. A community of kindred spirits started to emerge.

Word spread, slowly. Lots of people checked it out. Many loved it, some hated it. The core of the Optimo idea was to embrace music they loved that might work on the dancefloor from whatever era or genre they thought felt right. It might not seem very radical now but at that time it was revolutionary.

After about a year and a half, the club went from having 100 people attending most nights to suddenly one week having 500 people turn up. It was very weird. It was as if a collective light bulb went off in people’s heads in Glasgow. From that week on, until the very last weekly Sunday night at the Sub Club, in 2010, over a decade later, it was packed.

There were 550 Sunday Optimo nights. A LOT of music was played. So, what was the music? People often find it hard to pin down exactly what Optimo is. This has been a positive but also a negative as we live in a world where people want easily defined “brand identities”. The simplest definition of the music played is “music for dancing”, which of course is a very broad definition. Even better than trying to define it in words, we have these 2 volumes of music that give a hint of what that might be.

This is not a “Best of Optimo” or a “Greatest Hits of Optimo” compilation. For people who come to, or used to come to the nights there are of course “Greatest Hits”. But, over such a long timespan they are “hits” belonging to a certain moment in time and space. Someone who came to Optimo in 1997 would have a completely different notion of the big tracks at the club to someone coming in 2003, or 2010, or today. This compilation is just a snap shot missing several genres that might make up the DNA of Optimo. There is though a broad sweep through lots of music Optimo loves, that they believe is amazing. Music that they know will rock a dancefloor, that they have played between 1997 and 2023. Of course Optimo nights were not all about rocking the dancefloor. The first hour was always a time for them to play music they loved that often was far removed from the dance. Side 1, Volume 1 of this compilation is the kind of music one might hear at the very start of an Optimo night.

Optimo have always loved a good slogan. The most long lived, and fitting Optimo slogan is "We Love Your Ears", which is in essence what it is all about to them.

Originally released by the Norway Ramones fan club on cd only in 2004, this is the first time on vinyl for the hardest to find of all Ramones cover albums, recorded twenty years ago by a short lived spin off project from members of The Yum Yums and the Kwyet Kings. Mastered by the one and only Daniel Rey. Revised exclusive artwork by Dyna Moe.

ESP Institute artist Bartellow, one third of the project Tambien and otherwise known in the Contemporary Classical sphere as Beni Brachtel, returns to the label with his second full-length release, Noosphere. While currently heading the SVS label and residency series out of Munich, Beni’s resume expands well beyond electronic music to include immersive sound installations such as The Adven- ture Of The Empty House (solo live performance across seven floors of Walter Henn’s Deckelbau building), a slew of compositions for the Bavarian State Opera (for which he doubled as conductor), and a prolific career of over twenty-five theater scores for institutions such as the Münchner Kammerspiele, Schauspiel Basel, Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin, Berliner Ensemble, Schauspiel Köln, Schaus- piel Graz and with directors Ersan Mondtag, Alexander Eisenach, Jessica Glause and Tobias Staab among others.

Noosphere is a compendium excerpting from theatrical scores WUT (Elfriede Jelinek, at Schauspielhaus Köln, directed by Ersan Mondtag, 2020), Ödipus and Antigone (Maxim Gorki Theatre Berlin, directed by Ersan Mondtag, 2017), Der Zauberberg (Thomas Mann, Schauspiel Graz, directed by Alexander Eisenach, 2017), Hass Tryptichon (Sybille Berg, Wiener Festwochen / Maxim Gorki Theatre, directed by Ersan Mondtag, 2019), Wonderland Ave. (Sibylle Berg, Schauspielhaus Köln, directed by Ersan Mondtag, 2018), Die Verdammten (after Visconti ́s film, Schauspielhaus Köln, directed by Ersan Mondtag, 2019) and Roi Ubu (Alfred Jarry, Theater Neumarkt, Zurich, directed by Alexander Eisenach, 2018).

The work traverses homages, infusing everything from Baroque to Impressionism, and while these types of references are certainly built into the canon of Theatre as a discipline, here we gather histor- ic layers in an even wider net. Under the self-referential thumb of Contemporary Classical music, this sort of "hindsight" approach has been largely avoided, however, in today’s all-access arena, the constant stream of historic causal-chained events has opened a delta where anything is possible. This defines Bartellow’s stance among his colleagues as well as his cultural position as a composer.

Beni considers beauty a fleeting objective in the arts, that expression is often expected to follow notions of Destructivism or the unfulfilled. Art will pore over wounds, collective angst, mourn- ing a loss of natural habitat or a fear of technological invasion, yet there is a bitter irreverence for the friction or salvation in beauty itself. Acknowledging this subjectivity — what one audience considers superficial pleasure may be deeply profound to another — he leans into musical instinct as if composing via divine conduit.

Noosphere conjures a array of suspense, ecstasy, melancholy, and dread, but in isolating the work from its theatrical component, Brachtel directs our focus toward formal qualities, clearing unim- peded space to conceive fresh narratives and examine dynamism and interconnectivity. In sympathy with often difficult theatre pieces, the passages can be dark and transgressive, but more importantly they remain relative to Brachtel’s circumstances at their time of creation. The title Noosphere speaks to the evolution of human thought and knowledge, opening a door to subjective points-of-view. For example, Nexus II On The Beach refers to both Roberto Musci’s Water Messages On Desert Sand as well as the film Bladerunner, invoking the image of an android enjoying the sunset, but whether or not this abstraction may be considered beautiful depends the listener’s cumulative life experience and perspective.

This is hybrid chamber music, augmented by electro-acoustic layers, juxtaposing various periods and successively processing their residual themes into a trans-generational rendering of “now.”

If the Corona pandemic and the accompanying concert bans have at least one good thing going for them, it's the extra time musicians have to write songs and live out their creativity. This circumstance was also the driving force for the SAMURAI PIZZA CATS, who come from the Electric Callboy environment. Frontman Sebastian Fischer was behind the microphone in their predecessor band Her Smile In Grief, whose line-up also included Daniel "Danskimo" Haniß, who is now celebrating success as guitarist, songwriter and producer of Electric Callboy. The contact between the two never broke off and so Daniel also produced Sebastian's later band Fall Of Gaia in recent years, whose former drummer and multi-instrumentalist Stefan Buchwald is also involved in this new project - family business from downtown Castrop Rauxel! So while Stefan contributes the music, Sebastian writes the lyrics and Daniel, as a creatively involved producer, ensures a well-rounded overall result. Okay, before we try your patience any further, let's talk about the elephant in the room: the band name. The SAMURAI PIZZA CATS have named themselves after a Japanese anime series from the early nineties. Why? Stupid question! Of course, because they are fearless warriors on their instruments, love to eat pizza and like cats! And maybe a little bit because they have soft spots for anime and silly band names - but only maybe. Rumour also has it that "Banzai! Smack! Meow!" is an onomatopoeic description of the band's sound.

New pressing on limited orange vinyl. In the early days of Pinback, they were known mostly as two lauded musicians who spent their spare time away from their primary projects (Three Mile Pilot, Thingy, Heavy Vegetable) to hone their home recording skills while experimenting with ideas, tones, and instrumentation that didn’t quite fit into those primary projects. Pinback hadn’t yet become their day job; it hadn’t yet become a well-oiled 5-piece touring machine; and it had no idea where it was going to go. In retrospect, that earnest curiosity is what makes those early Pinback recordings so resonant and so unique, and what separated them from every indie rock band of this century. Every bit as powerful and expressive as their first two albums, the 1999 EP, Some Voices, and the 2003 EP, Offcell, famously bucked the perception of EPs as outtakes and toss-offs. What were ostensibly minor stopgaps between albums became massive fan favorites and staples of Pinback’s live show. Having never been released on vinyl, it’s only fitting that we revisit these poignant recordings – and take the opportunity to painstakingly remaster and repackage them into the full-length album that never was, the aptly named Some Offcell Voices

EP compilation of essential UK house cuts recorded between 1987 - 1990. TIP!


Before British house and techno found its’ distinctive groove at the turn of the 1990s, one act led the way: Bang The Party, a trio who emerged from London’s vibrant underground party scene in the mid 1980s and proved, beyond any doubt, that UK producers could make music every bit as magical as the pioneering productions put forward by their counterparts in Chicago, Detroit and New York.

By the time long-running DJs and party promoters Kid Batchelor and Leslie Lawrence joined forces with trained engineer Keith Franklin at legendary North-West London reggae studio Addis Ababa in 1987, they’d spent years as DIY dance music activists in Britain’s capital city. They channelled these experiences and their love of imported house and techno sounds into a new project, Bang The Party, in the process becoming the first British act to appear on Transmat, a reflection of the quality and authenticity of their music.

The latest Rush Hour Reissue Series release offers a snapshot of some of the numerous gems nestled in the Bang The Party catalogue, delivering a much-deserved celebration of one of Britain’s most significant early acid house collectives. It features four fully remastered cuts recorded and released between 1987 and 1990 – on-point and far-sighted club workouts that sound as fresh and timeless now as they did when Britain was sweltering under its infamous ‘second summer of love’.

Fittingly, the EP begins with ‘I Feel Good All Over’, the group’s ground-breaking debut single. Dedicated to their home city and one of the earliest UK interpretations of house music, the track exists in the grey area between Chicago house and New York ‘garage house’ – all jaunty organ stabs, jacking Windy City beats, restless bass and soulful vocalizations. ‘Jacques Theme’, which follows, originally nestled on the B-side of that single release. An early, acid-flecked expression of hip-house with a British twist, breakdance-friendly bongo patterns and a dose of Larry Heard-inspired deep house dreaminess, the track remains an under-appreciated classic whose rap verses reflect the popularity of hip-hop in London at the time.

1988’s ‘Release Your Body’, Bang The Party’s most celebrated early release, was reissued in the United States by Transmat, reflecting the strong working relationship between Derrick May and Kool Kat Records’ Neil Rushton. A hypnotising affair propelled forwards by sweat-soaked drum machine beats, jacking fills and an addictive bassline, the track offers another near perfect distillation of the band’s Black American musical influences while delivering something genuinely new and fresh.

Rounding off the EP is a choice cut from Bang The Party’s sought after 1990 album Back To Prison. Doused in the star-lit synth sounds of the Motor City with jaunty organ stabs inspired by the kind of New Jersey jams championed at East Orange institution Club Zanzibar, ‘Let It Rip’ is a superb slice of deep house soul featuring a lead vocal every bit as emotive as anything laid down by Robert Owens. Like the rest of Bang The Party’s output, it has stood the time better than anything laid down by their London contemporaries.

SOURCED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES: 2LP SET PRESENTS 1991 ALBUM IN 45RPM SPEED FOR FIRST TIME.

PCM Digital Master to Analog Console to Lathe.

Dire Straits never made a big to-do about its final run. In classic understated British fashion, the band simply let its music speak for itself. And how. Originally released in September 1991, On Every Street became the group’s swan song – a lasting testament to the influence, musicianship, and integrity of an ensemble whose merit has never been tainted by cash-grab reunions or farewell treks. It remains an essential part of the Dire Straits catalog and a blueprint of the distinctive U.K. roots rock the collective played for its 15-year career.

Sourced from the original master tapes, housed in gatefold packaging, and pressed at RTI, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set of On Every Street presents the album like it has always been meant to be experienced: in reference-grade audiophile sound. Recorded at AIR Studios in London and produced by Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler, it features all of the band’s sonic hallmarks – wide instrumental separation, visceral textures, seemingly limitless air, broad soundstages, atmospherics that you can almost reach out and feel. Each element is made more vibrant, physical, and lifelike on this collectible reissue, which marks the first time this 60-minute work has been available at 45RPM speed.

Afforded generous groove space and black backgrounds, the songs from On Every Street burst with nuanced details and vibrant colors. Dire Straits’ playing appears to float, their intricate performances organized amid hypnotic, fluid, three-dimensional arrangements. Mobile Fidelity’s definitive-sounding set also brings into transparent view Knopfler’s finely sculpted guitar lines, expressive tones, and laid-back vocals – as well as the balanced accompaniment from his band mates. Here’s a record on which you can hear the full blossom and decay of individual notes, and imagine the size and shape of the studio. It is in every regard a demonstration disc. And it happens to be filled with timeless fare.

Remarkably, On Every Street almost never came to light. Dire Straits initially dissolved in September 1988 after touring behind its blockbuster Brothers in Arms and suffering the departure of two members. At the time, Knopfler professed his desire to work on solo material; bassist John Illsley also explored side projects. But Knopfler’s decision in 1989 to form the country-leaning Notting Hillbillies reignited a spark to reconvene his primary band and craft a fresh batch of songs. Six years removed from Brothers in Arms, Knopfler, Illsley, keyboardist Alan Clark, and keyboardist Guy Fletcher teamed with A-list session pros – steel guitarist Paul Franklin, percussionist Danny Cummings, saxophonist Chris White, guitarist Phil Palmer included – to create what still stands as an unforgettable farewell.

The platinum record brings the band full circle in that it returns Dire Straits to a quartet formation; finds the group refreshingly out of step with the era’s prevailing trends; and sees Knopfler and Co. knocking out song after song with the deceptive ease of a punter tossing back a pint at a pub. That subtle cool, clever poise, and innate control – signature traits that no other band ever matched – dominate On Every Street. Knopfler’s clean, virtuosic six-string escapades unfurl with dizzying melodicism and economical efficiency. Led by his winding fills and focused solos, Dire Straits traverse a hybrid landscape of rock, jazz, country, boogie, blues, and pop strains with near-faultless prowess.

More than any other entry in the group’s oeuvre, On Every Street welcomes quick detours down back alleys and into the depths of human souls. What makes it more brilliant is its staunch refusal to cater to commercial expectations or take advantage of prior successes; every passage feels true, every measure echoed in the service of song. It’s evident in the humorous satire of “Heavy Fuel,” closeted desperation of the witty “Calling Elvis,” and shake-and-bake bounce of “The Bug.” It pours from the album’s darker corners, as on the high-and-lonesome melancholy of the title track and bruised emotionalism of “When It Comes to You.”

Hinting at the open-minded approaches and boundless curiosity he’d embrace as a solo artist, Knopfler doesn’t limit himself when it comes to style or subject matter. Look no further than “You and Your Friend,” a shuffle whose all-inclusive lyrics encourage an array of interpretative meanings. Another of the album’s deep cuts, “Iron Hand,” comes on as one of the band’s most memorable moments – the narrative addressing the abuses of power at the 1984 Battle of Orgreave during the U.K. miners’ strike. Given cinematic heft by the expert production, the true-fiction account puts into perspective the richness, poetry, and depth of On Every Street.

“Every victory has a taste that’s bittersweet,” sings Knopfler on the title track. At least that bittersweetness seldom sounded so damn good on record.

Mates now for many moons - Mr.G and Duncan Forbes met at the time of Duncan’s Animated project; forging a friendship through weekly record shopping trips; a love of Soho; and regular banter over Duck and Rice. But it was their chance meeting at Glastonbury a few years back which finally sparked them to work together; since leading to a string of remixes for both Phoenix G and 49North, and culminating in their first, combined studio creation, ‘Curry Nite’, in late 2022.

Fast forward to Spring 2023, and what we have here is their first, collaborative full-length on vinyl - artist album, ‘All Under One Moon’. Conceived and created in Duncan’s studio on a long, full moon weekend with cosmic forces at play; the pair - both chomping-at-the-bit with excitement and no real plan or outcome in mind - set about creating, with a pure love of making music and the freedom to go wherever it might take them as their only guide. As G sums up for us…

“Two friends of old with a shared love of music ,having fun making music together in D’s studio. It was a long time coming but in truth caught us both off guard… the sum of both parts being sooo much more (y). The beauty of being free, making music. What a great moment”

So, on paper, we have - two mates, excited to play away in the studio with their favourite toys until they have to come up for air. But on record, what we actually have is - two close friends, united by a deep love of House, Techno and everything between / beyond - relishing a rare opportunity to jam, and with freedom…. it’s only when you consider quite how almanack-like our two music-obsessed pals are anyway, as individuals; that it begins to dawn on you, just how mind-meltingly rich and stylistically explosive - an album, that’s the sum-of-their-parts - is inevitably going to be.”

This project should have been born in 2005. Indeed, hardock striker had just released his single control (with lyrics borrowed from Ian Curtis) and he recorded at the same time a cover of his favorite group Joy Division by imagining this track interpreted by new order and mixed by shep pettibone. Caught in a whirlwind of releases and dedicated exclusively to all artists signed at the time, this project was left aside. More than 15 years later, delighted to see a whole generation of producers greatly inspired by new wave and italo disco, he finally decides to release it realizing that the production hasn't aged a bit. As a bonus, it comes up with 2 monstruous remixes by the brilliant Spanish producer who is exploding everything at the moment, the future great Parissior.

Temple, Bassey, MacLaine and now, Hurt; in a world of Shirleys, the name Sophia Ruby Katz has chosen for her music is perhaps prophetic as it captures her stunningly emotive vocal approach. And whilst Shirley Hurt might be the perfect nom de plume for the creative Toronto-based artist, it’s her self-titled debut album which positions her as protagonist of her own universe.

Traversing sonic landscapes, Shirley Hurt’s vocals ebb and flow like lyrical Ley lines tracking the contours of her own well-travelled map. By the age of 18, Hurt had travelled extensively, having lived in upwards of 20 different apartments and houses, as a result never really feeling “at home” anywhere. At this age was when Hurt found herself in New York, dipping her toes into various scenes and musical realms. The first and only place she ever felt at home, and a partial home-base for her, she travelled between Toronto and New York until the age of 26.When the project she was working on in New York reached a dead-end she returned West, moving in with musicians Harrison Forman (Hieronymus Harry, Zones) and Patrick Lefler (Roy, Possum). Being surrounded by their improvising at all hours, a new approach emerged. “Harrison is a virtuosic guitar player, and I hadn't picked up a guitar in any serious way since I was 16,” she says, “by osmosis I started playing again for fun.” Without agenda, the process grew organically from there.

Hurt and Forman decided to travel across the US and Canada in a trailer for half a year, with the entire album written in the final months of their trip. Hurt had been writing loose ideas here and there but felt blocked creatively. When the pair reached Berkley, they wound up house-sitting for a tuned-in friend who recommended she pray, in a very direct way, to remove the block. “I took her advice and to my surprise it worked. The album was conceptualized and finished within a couple of months.” Shapeshifting in tone and phrasing, Hurt’s music alchemizes the furthest corners of experimental indie folk, pop, and country into a singular sound with elegant unpredictability.

Whilst Shirley Hurt’s lyrical and structural ideas may have emerged on the road, the album was self-produced and recorded at Joseph Shabason (The War on Drugs)’s Aytche studio in Toronto’s West End. It was engineered by Nathan Vanderwielen and Chris Shannon (Bart), and Hurt enlisted collaborators Jason Bhattacharya, Nick Dourado, Patrick Lefler, and Harrison Forman to hone her vision. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with the songs until we returned to Toronto,” she recalls. “Joseph and I had been talking about working together after sending across some demos and Jason happened to recommend his studio at the exact same time, so everything came together naturally at that point.”

Whilst her most recent adventures may have seen Shirley Hurt bound for Texas as an official SXSW artist (hand-picked by Gorilla Vs Bear to perform at their own showcase), she currently resides in her native Canada, more specifically rural Ontario, close to friends and family, and is already working on her second album. The ties to lineage are interwoven in the fabric of the music. Hurt’s mother, artist Leala Hewak, instilled a lust for life and innate value of creativity in her from a young age as she explored the role of gallery owner, vintage jewellery show host, mid-century modern furniture expert, real estate agent, painter. Hurt’s father, a civil litigation lawyer and new-wave obsessed music lover with an extensive vinyl collection, introduced Hurt to a wide-range of artists at a young age such as Nina Hagen, Laurie Anderson, Tom Tom Club, and endless others.

In her video for ‘Problem Child’ Hurt’s grandmother walks her through a generationally revered pie-making process. One would be tempted to hear this, and other songs, as autobiographical. Yet, Hurt’s lyrics are rarely pulled from her relationships or personal history––at least not consciously. Rather, they arise from somewhere less tangible or defined. “Lyrics tend to come to me when I am doing non-musical things - washing dishes, brushing my dogs, walking to the grocery store. I have a lot of voice memos on my phone and half-filled notebooks and when I hear something, I have to stop what I'm doing to get the idea down. Usually it’s bits and pieces. It's rare a full song comes to me in one go, but it's great when they do, and those are often my favourites.”

Carving out a space of her own in an all-encompassing universe, Shirley Hurt is the introduction to a long artistic story, and if the journey so far is anything to go by, it will be stippled with evermore unpredictable chapters.

Tommy Boy Music veröffentlicht ein Compilation-Projekt mit dem Titel "... And You Don't Stop", um das 50-jährige Jubiläum des Hip Hop mit einem 6 LP Box-Set zu feiern. Es wird einige der größten Hits aus dem Katalog enthalten, von den kultigen Naughty By Nature, De La Soul, Digital Underground und Queen Latifah bis hin zu digital unveröffentlichten Hits von G.L.O.B.E & Whiz Kid, Sweet Trio und mehr.

Welcome to Masters Series - for people who understand that some things just can't be tamed. (Read: these are scratchy, poppy, and rough recordings from busted acetates. Click the listen tab to preview quality. These are cleaned up as best we can get them - if that's not going to work for you, don't order!)

For the third installment of our Master Series we present This Is Me by Mark Bluford. A heavy slice of early 70s Psychedelic Deep Funk from the Bay Area. Hard to miss the massive wah-wah guitar leads, but the arrangement is pretty complex with piano, bass, and strings backing the earnest vocals.

There are breaks on both sides, parts one and two. The first break is a string break, very unique to a Funk record. But, somehow this fits for a Bay Area Funk record. The break in part two is one of the heaviest drum breaks no one has heard in 50 years.

A very limited special upgrade option for this release: choose to get MS-003 in a one of a kind, hand-painted sleeve by the legendary McBoing Boing. Only 12 completely unique sleeves were hand painted by the man himself, and one of those 12 is staying right here in our HQ. So there are now only 11 out there! (Yes, the vinyl comes with the sleeve.)

Big thanks to Dr. Scott Bulleit for digging this acetate out of a flea market and contributing it to the Preservation Project! This is a sure shot, don't miss out on this limited run!

The story behind The Masters Series

In our hunt for unreleased soul, we occasionally find some incredible gems that are just a bit too beaten to restore to the ears of the general public. Rather than return them to the moldy basements from whence they came, we press them in small batches to share with those who love to share.

Welcome to Masters Series - for people who understand that some things just can't be tamed. (Read: these are scratchy, poppy, and rough recordings from busted acetates. Click the listen tab to preview quality. These are cleaned up as best we can get them - if that's not going to work for you, don't order!)

For this limited edition Masters Series release, we enlisted the help of two of the world's heaviest collectors and djs, and champions of the Preservation Project from day one, Supreme la Rock on Side-A, and Skeme Richards on the B-Side.

Both gentlemen tackled reworking and re-editing funky previously unreleased psych songs. Both songs, "Sad Country Boy" on Side A and "Your Mind" on Side B, are by unknown groups and both feature drum breaks intros - perfect for you to cut up, so you're gonna need two copies. We won't be mad at you if you feed the breaks and chop them up either. This one is for the heads.

The story behind The Masters Series

In our hunt for unreleased soul, we occasionally find some incredible gems that are just a bit too beaten to restore to the ears of the general public. Rather than return them to the moldy basements from whence they came, we press them up to share with those who love to share.

"Welcome to the first of the Masters Series, a cache of limited releases for people who understand that some things, no matter how hard you try, just can't be tamed. (Read: these are scratchier/rougher recordings that are cleaned up as best we can get them - if that's going to not work for you, don't order!)

Already championed by the likes of Michael Robinson (Dig Deeper, NY) and just entering the collective consciousness of the R&B scene worldwide, this release is a double-sided dancefloor destroyer. Both sides rip with tremendous energy.

Those who know will recognize the name Carl Holmes from well established winners like ""Soul Dance No. 3"" and ""Unchain My Heart"". Here he is with an unreleased song called ""Love With A Feeling"", featuring a raucous drum break with his soulful vocals throughout. Not that the tune needs a pedigree, but things like that never hurt.

On the flip is an unknown funky Soul R&B bomb ""Some Of These Days"". This female led tune is perfect for either a Northern Soul or R&B party.

The story behind The Masters Series

In our hunt for unreleased soul, we occasionally find some incredible gems that are just a bit too beaten to restore to the ears of the general public. Rather than return them to the dusty basements from whence they came, we press them in small batches to share with those who love to share."

"From the first fuzzed out note of guitar on this record you'll know you're dealing with two heavy instrumental Psychedelic Funk sides. For our 14th regular release, we reached back into our acetate archive to bring you the never heard before Chordata. This recording seems to be related tangentially to Mancefield & Brother Man Band. And though we believe the group is likely from NJ/NY, we haven't been able to pin it down.

""Super Dynamite"" on the a-side features heavy guitar work, punchy horn stabs and arrangements, and heavy percussion. And what great Funk song doesn't have a drum break? Two thirds of the way through the side, Chordata delivers a pure drum and percussion break that extends while the guitar player and horns add a discordant layer to the mix.

The b-side, ""What It Is"" takes us on a jazzy trip that is like a group of teenagers dropping acid and trying to recreate a mix of Miles Davis' ""Bitches Brew"" and a lost Funkadelic session. It’s heavy, sonic, drenched in sweat, and amazing. The guitar player goes off on this side and is the focus. And while this is a less accessible recording, it might end up being your favorite side after repeated listens. "

"From the first fuzzed out note of guitar on this record you'll know you're dealing with two heavy instrumental Psychedelic Funk sides. For our 14th regular release, we reached back into our acetate archive to bring you the never heard before Chordata. This recording seems to be related tangentially to Mancefield & Brother Man Band. And though we believe the group is likely from NJ/NY, we haven't been able to pin it down.

""Super Dynamite"" on the a-side features heavy guitar work, punchy horn stabs and arrangements, and heavy percussion. And what great Funk song doesn't have a drum break? Two thirds of the way through the side, Chordata delivers a pure drum and percussion break that extends while the guitar player and horns add a discordant layer to the mix.

The b-side, ""What It Is"" takes us on a jazzy trip that is like a group of teenagers dropping acid and trying to recreate a mix of Miles Davis' ""Bitches Brew"" and a lost Funkadelic session. It’s heavy, sonic, drenched in sweat, and amazing. The guitar player goes off on this side and is the focus. And while this is a less accessible recording, it might end up being your favorite side after repeated listens. "

Million Seller is the new electro-acoustic album and project led by Matt Calvert, one of the founding members of the underground alt-rock sensation Three Trapped Tigers The inspiration for the project originated as Matt revisited his collection of early 70s releases by Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi group - some of the pianist's most overlooked and least understood albums. "The concept of Million Seller was to create a contemporary sound with similar elements to the Mwandishi band, putting the electronics and percussion at the forefront, merging organic and synthetic." Mwandishi (originally a sextet, later a septet with added electronics) had three horn players: Million Seller has none, instead using three synth players: Calvert himself is joined by Stale Storlokken of free- form experimental legends Supersilent, and by the unclassifiable improvisor Matthew Bourne. The line-up is completed by drummer Dave Smith, who brings his comprehensive knowledge of the Gambian tradition of Sabar drumming alongside his extensive jazz background, and a trio of guest musicians: Mamadou Saar on sabar and djembe drums, Kadialy Koudate on kora, and Sam Wilson on contemporary percussion. The results are a striking fusion of ancient and modern sounds, of heavy yet playful synth interactions topped by driving acoustic percussion, of wild improvisation mixed with moments of ambient beauty, all creating a sonic identity that's every bit as unique, wide-ranging and unforgettable as its inspiration.

While this may be the first release on Sheffield's Central Processing Unit from Global Goon, the one known to friends and family as Johnny Hawk brings a whole heap of experience to the Nanoclusters mini-LP.

Hawk started dropping Global Goon records on the legendary Rephlex Records back in the 1990s. The project's subsequent releases have taken in imprints as esteemed as WéMè and Balkan. Factor in a whole host of other aliases which have delivered missives via the likes of Planet Mu, and you know even before you press play on this witty, wily record that you're dealing with a master at work here.

The confidence with which Global Goon approaches Nanoclusters shines through in Hawk taking much of the mini-album at midtempo. Cuts like 'Khroxic Mould', 'Metallik' and 'Syntheseers' sound like Bochum Welt heading down a dark alleyway. The former in particular is a seasick lope, the tuned synths lurching around like sailors on deck in a storm as bass ebbs and flows underneath the mix.

The influence of Kraftwerk comes through prominently at times here, particularly in the way 'Calcula' and 'Digit Six' play pensive, slightly sombre synth chords off some simple but effective forward motion in the drum programming. That is not to say that Nanoclusters is not full of invention, though. None of the productions are overly flash, but this approach allows the little details to shine through more clearly, from cleverly panned hi-hats to hissing synth counter-melodies which flit in and out of the mix. Enthralling and packed full of ear candy, they're further evidence that Nanoclusters is the work of an expert craftsman.

While the pulse of Nanoclusters remains relatively steady throughout, it's still a rather lively record. Plenty of these tracks will get the dancefloor moving if deployed correctly - though whether they're heard at home or in the dance, it's the attention to detail which makes them stand out.

'Snapterisk' is as perfect an example of machine-funk as you're likely to find - the drum programming is razor-sharp but rubbery with bongos, the bass a lithe burble, and those wobbly stabs of keys that put a bit of wiggle in the beat? Delightful stuff. Elsewhere the ever-looping arpeggio of 'Metro Esc' has hints of Frankie Knuckles' house classic 'Your Love', though an array of interesting sonic nuggets - snippets of vocal, radar-like bloops, a gently insistent low-end pulse - soften the track's clubbier elements with a pillowy sheen. And Hawk throws us a curveball right at the end of Nanoclusters, tapping back into that old Rephlex sound for the fizzy, braindancing 'Metal Glass'.

Global Goon doesn't need to show off on Nanoclusters - from brilliantly slick machine-funk to Kraftwerkian reveries, the CPU debutant lets the music do the talking here. It makes for a confident and vivacious mini-LP, one which wears its expertise lightly.

RIYL: Cardopusher, Bochum Welt, Cygnus, D'Arcangelo

-Domino is a spooky, bittersweet collection of cinematic soul cuts influenced by 1970’s ‘Giallo’ film scores layered with luminous vocals.
-Ella Thompson's first solo LP release since Janus (2015).
-Ella is the vocalist from the electro duo GL and formerly frontwoman of The Bamboos.
-Music by Karate Boogaloo aka The Frollen Music Library.
-She will be opening for Lee Fields on his Australian dates in December.
-For fans of Kadhja Bonet, Cleo Sol, Nancy Sinatra, Lady Wray.
Ella Thompson’s Domino is a spooky, bittersweet collection of cinematic soul cuts influenced by 1970s Italian 'Giallo' film scores, with luminous vocals that draw a line between 60s icons like Nancy Sinatra and contemporary soul artists like Kadhja Bonet. Ella’s effortless singing and haunting lyrics paint angular pictures in the moody darkness.
The sparse production is intentionally cinematic, deeply influenced by the music of Italian ‘Giallo’ film scores of the 1970s, particularly by composers like Piero Piccioni but comparable to current artists like Adrian Younge or Bad Bad Not Good in a meditative mood. Minimal but propulsive bass and drums know when to hang back, as they do in the title track and when to step forward as they do in the chugging, deep and funky rhythm section work on the single Never Fight The Way You Feel.
All the instrumentation used in Domino was created by Frollen Music Library, a library music project by the musicians behind Karate Boogaloo, Henry Jenkins, Hudson Whitlock and Darvid Thor, all long-term collaborators and friends of Ella’s.
Ella returned to making music under her own name in 2023 after years of releasing music with her electro-pop duo GL and cult indie band Dorsal Fins. One of Australia’s truly accomplished singers, Ella’s range ranges from art music to cinematic soul, jazz, and pop. In addition to her solo project and bands, she has been a featured artist for numerous acts, most notably deep funk pioneers The Bamboos and Mark Ronson.

-The third volume of Professor Creepshow's best-selling project.
-Limited edition of 250 copies pressed on half blue half purple vinyl.
Professor Creepshow's 32 Bit Breaks returns for a third volume - with 16 tracks containing a fusion of Hip Hop and Vaporwave to create the ultimate experience of tomorrow's nostalgia.

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Major Arcana, Speedy Ortiz will release a remastered edition, on Carpark Records.

On their debut full-length, Western Massachusetts' Speedy Ortiz manages a bit of magic by conjuring the spirits of classic American indie rock, while twisting those ghosts into new shapes. It's easy to hear the influences of Helium, Jawbox, and Chavez on this album, as well as nods to their contemporaries including Grass is Green, Pile, and Roomrunner. Sweet vocal harmonies run up against gnarly distortion, aided by basic, chunky bass parts and heavy, fill-laden drums.

The album was recorded in a few days in November at Justin Pizzoferrato's (Dinosaur Jr., Chelsea Light Moving) studio, Sonelab, a huge space in an old factory in Easthampton, Mass. The sessions went from very early in the day until very late at night, with the band taking its time to experiment. Pizzoferrato's collection of old distortion pedals were utilized on both the record's guitars and vocals.

The theme of the occult and the supernatural runs deep through Major Arcana, inspired by singer-guitarist Sadie Dupuis' reading on black magic. Dupuis' sometimes knotty and abstract lyrics bring to mind fellow wordsmith Stephen Malkmus, while referencing horror film tropes, chemistry, and neuroscience. Major Arcana's literal translation is 'major mysteries,' a phrase from tarot cards. 'I don't write in a narrative way and am more concerned with use of language than meaning,' Dupuis says, 'so I like the open-endedness of the title and the way it invites interpretation.'

After too much time freelance writing and watching re-runs in a windowless Brooklyn basement, guitarist and songwriter Sadie Dupuis left New York City for the wilds of Northampton, MA in order to pursue a master's degree in poetry. In doing so, she began Speedy Ortiz, a self-recorded lo-fi project named after a minor character from the Love and Rockets comic series. Speedy Ortiz soon became something else entirely as bassist Darl Ferm, guitarist Matt Robidoux, and drummer Mike Falcone teamed up to form a full band, balancing abrasive noise with infectious earworms. The newly minted Speedy Ortiz quickly found an audience in the Boston DIY scene, playing frequently with their friends Pile, Grass is Green, Fat History Month, Sneeze, Krill, and Arvid Noe.

Almost immediately, the band recorded a two-song single, 'Taylor Swift' and 'Swim Fan,' with Paul Q. Kolderie (Pixies, Hole) and Justin Pizzoferrato (Chelsea Light Moving, Dinosaur Jr.), and self-released it in March of 2012. Shortly thereafter they spent a few weekends at the dingy yet atmospheric Sex Dungeon Studios in Philadelphia recording the Sports EP, a five-track, loosely conceptual 10' released that June on Exploding in Sound Records.

The creation of Major Arcana, their full-length debut, marks the evolution of Speedy Ortiz into a wholly collaborative effort. Darl leans toward basic, chunky parts, while Mike, a talented songwriter in his own right, helped arrange while also providing aggressive, boisterous drums. And Matt is a classically trained guitarist, but his experience in noise and experimental music comes through in his anti-melodic guitar solos, which counterbalance Sadie's angular, scalar guitar riffs and poppy vocals.

The end result is a band able to distill their influences and creative impulses into something at once dissonant and melodic, noisy yet undeniably pop.

Bathed in a green haze, the crowd oozed to the mutant rock and roll roaring from the basement's dusty depths — everything and everyone was sweaty and sticky. But as Speedy Ortiz crammed into the back corner, their grins just inches away from ours, D.C.’s Dougout became a moshed-and-sloshed sauna of 20-somethings delirious on rock euphoria.

After spending much of the new millennium bored out of my skull by network soap indie, Speedy Ortiz — not to mention its pals in Pile, Ovlov, Grass is Green and the rest of New England’s burgeoning basement scene — was rock's wild howl. The songs were unpredictable, yet weirdly memorable, swaggering with a winky and wry sense of self. Riffs would twist with a topsy tenderness, then slam a ruptured discord. Sadie Dupuis' sphinxian-yet-sensitive lyrics were not only matched but accentuated by her coil-sprung vibrato. How could Speedy Ortiz not immediately become my new favorite band?

What began as a short-lived solo project recorded in Dupuis' off-hours as a rock camp counselor became a four-piece band in Northampton, Mass., by the end of 2011: Dupuis on guitar and vocals with drummer Mike Falcone, bassist Darl Ferm and guitarist Matt Robidoux. They made cool mixtapes, cracked inside jokes and gushed about teenagers that opened for them on tour. They freaked out (via LiveJournal) when they met the bassist from Polvo or Helium's Mary Timony, but also rolled their eyes at '90s indie-rock comparisons. The band's first single — the gender-bending got-laid grunge yowler "Taylor Swift'' — elicited that rare response of the simultaneous giggle and headbang. The Sports EP amped up the taut yet rubbery riffery.

Released July 9, 2013, Major Arcana is filled with wedding chapel exorcisms, oiled-down attractants and criminally twisted puny little villains — this is Dupuis' haunted lexicon as she scales the toxic Aggro Crag of a breakup. And while Dupuis wrote these songs, the band's convulsing arrangements and diverse influences sprawled the squigglier edges of feedbacked fuzz to mete out matters of the heart. Falcone — who, it's worth noting, has a knack for vocal harmony — swung as much as he smashed the drums. In easily tipoverable songs, Ferm's burly bass and percussive overdubs gave the unruly glee its momentum. Robidoux ripped skronky guitar solos and countered Dupuis' riffs with decorative splatter. Over a four-day marathon session at Sonelab in Easthampton, recording engineer Justin Pizzoferrato sparked the studio imagination of Speedy Ortiz — not only leaning into gritty tones but layer-caking dense dynamics that made these songs pop and pulverize.

For all her sweet-toothed seething, Dupuis was not easy on herself. Everyone's allowed the idiot growing pains of your 20s and the misery that follows, but I can only imagine the emotional exhaustion that playing these songs on the road, night after night, must have wrought. "But you left something on my lips: a mark so sick," she repeats over the doomy destruction that ends the album. Thinking back to the many Speedy Ortiz shows I caught in those early years, including an unofficial after-after party for my own wedding, "MKVI" often served as the noisy down-and-out closer — heads would bang in solidarity as the crowd became co-authors in the chaos, the biting phrase now a hex, Speedy Ortiz forever our coven. —Lars Gotrich

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Major Arcana, Speedy Ortiz release a remastered edition on Carpark Records.

Buckle up and fasten the spaceship seatbelts! The Third Room, the multidisciplinary techno project from the industrial heart of Germany, is about to fire another satellite in the orbit. A stunning various artists series between fierce meteors, bright suns, dark moons and shining comets will continue to define the Essen-based collective's sound vision which is as diverse and timeless as space itself. Convince yourselves of a well-considered, galactical curation that contains quality tracks from talents, locals and longstays.

On the first of four releases, established producers named Beste Hira, Stranger, Alarico and OFF/GRID put out a stunning yet humble peak-time record. Four laser-beaming tunes speak for themselves and mark the beginning of the next chapter in the T3R adventure.

Don't miss to ascend to higher spheres - secure your copy and pre-order one of the limited records now!

©️ 2023 The Third Room
Mastering by Ahmet Sisman (The Third Room Studios)
Artwork by Daniel Bornmann & Elisa Jauch (Duat Agency)

DEVO’s Hardcore documents the group’s beginning as pre-punk outcasts in the fertile Akron, Ohio, underground rock scene. Spawned at the nearby college of Kent State, site of the infamous May 4 Massacre, DEVO formed as a conceptual art project armed with the radical philosophy of de-evolution. Brothers Mothersbaugh (Mark, Bob and Jim) and Brothers Casale (Jerry and Bob) along with drummer Alan Myers soon whipped up an otherworldly brand of “devolved blues” that could hold its own alongside the beatnik groove of 15-60-75 (a.k.a. The Numbers Band) or the primal rock poetry of The Bizarros. Recorded on various four-track machines and in tiny studios, basements and garages between 1974-1977, Hardcore reveals their strikingly clear vision: rock ’n’ roll stripped bare of its collective cool and jerked back into propaganda fit for post-modern man. It’s no surprise that these transmissions would soon catch the eye and ear of Brian Eno, who later produced their landmark 1978 debut album. Noisy synth, strangled guitar chops and a primitive rhythmic thud power the early DEVO sound. Threaded beneath it all are lyrical themes of post-McCarthy paranoia, middle-class ephemera and DEVO’s long-running topic of choice: sex, or lack thereof. Few moments in pop music history can match the grinding, pent-up energy of “Mongoloid” and the spastic bounce and sputter of “Jocko Homo” (two anthems presented in their earlier and superior versions here). Cult favorites like “Mechanical Man” and “Auto-Modown” make Volume 1 essential listening. Superior Viaduct and Booji Boy Records are proud to present DEVO’s Hardcore to a new generation of spuds, lovingly packaged with Moshe Brakha’s stunning cover photography. As David Bowie said in 1977, DEVO is indeed “the band of the future.”

Forging acclaim for their fiercely unrelenting sound production, New Frames are no stranger to shattering the parameters and caveats within electronic music with their masterfully curated approach to chaos. The collaborative project of Berlin-based David Frisch and Mathis Mootz (aka The Panacea) sees the duo engineer their hybridised palette of maximalist yet modular techno music in both their DJ and live sets. Pulling influence directly from dance floors both contemporary and from raving's genesis, New Frames' all encompassing signature of ferociously layered sonic weaponry promises to leave no stragglers in their wake. Presenting their debut double long player 'Scherben' - the body of work demonstrates the pair's eclectic merging of cataclysmic pure and raw techno, ominous vocals and distorted sound design across the eight track LP. Nimble mixing interbreeds New Frames' quintessential cacophony of instrumentation, laminated with bombastic drum-beats and carnal vigour. Additionally with appearances from Eva Vuillemin, fellow BITE Records protagonist Omon Breaker as well as label co-founder Phase Fatale, the album comes as a natural progression following two previous EP releases on BITE as well as featuring on the labels fifth anniversary compilation record 'Shedding Skin' .

There's a new band in town! comforter2 is the new baby of Meetsysteem, Tammo Hesselink & Marianne Noordzij. Born from a residency space in Arnhem as they we're being snowed in over the pandemic, comforter2 is a band for club heads and a club act for band heads. Sometimes two worlds meet - and through this conversation love is found - that's a quote from the album > there's a lyric sheet included with the cassette so you can read along. If you're familiar with their solo projects you won't be surprised by the size of this debut; 16 fresh, club-leaning, indie pop/rock tunes that we'll release on cassette as well as digital. The tracks are formed by all members: Tammo's knack for bass and rhythms, Meetsysteem's song- writing skills (the album is sung in English) and together by Marianne's designs and voice, adding a touch of blissful psychedelia. It's an honest, upfront album about the highs and lows of modern life, seen through the eyes of a raver at their peak. It lends their sound a sense of alluring melancholy, a beautifully bittersweet sense of mood that stays with you long after the rhythms have finished. Like lullabies, for the dancefloor.

GRAMMY Nominated R&B singer & songwriter Eric Bellinger kicked off 2023 much like he kicked off 2021, with a hit album. For the first time ever, 1-800-HIT-EAZY Line 1 & 2 will be available on vinyl as a double album release. Executive produced by a literal hit maker in Hitmaka, both albums feature Eric's signature crooning voice over rich & silky R&B production. At 14 tracks per album, standout singles from 1-800-HIT-EAZY Line 1 include "Hit Eazy," & "Only You," while 1-800-HIT-EAZY Line 2 includes infectious songs such as "Curious (feat. Cordae & Fabolous)," "Decide," "Obsession (feat, Muni Long) - Remix," & "Sum 2 See (feat. Blxst)." Features across the two albums include Tink, Muni Long, Blxst, Cordae, Fabolous, Rahkay, Kalan.FrFr & Chrishan. Pressed on Aqua & Orchid Smash Vinyl

The follow-up to his acclaimed Constellation debut Third Album released in lockdown spring 2020, Markus Floats returns with Fourth Album, pushing the Montréal-based artist's distinct abstract electronic compositions into newly evocative terrain (while preserving his record-titling literalism). Faced with another couple of years spent unexpectedly, though not unfamiliarly, secluded and studio-bound, working on both paintings and music, Floats emerged by the end of 2022 with a set of tracks "about 60% finished" and a determined desire to throw off the shackles of distancing and isolation. "I had always thought about Markus Floats as a solo project but I am wrong about that. Fourth Album is about asking for help, inviting in, and making a home. It's about trust, exploration, and the effort of letting go."Sharing his in-progress recordings with a trio of close friends and collaborators from the powerhouse free music ensemble Egyptian Cotton Arkestra, each of these players then spent a day improvising to the tracks at Montréal's Hotel2Tango studio. With violin by Ari Swan, saxophone and mbira by James Goddard, and guitar and drums by Lucas Huang, Floats stitched their extemporized instruments back into his compositional process. The result is a fluid, lustrous, dynamic expansion of his sound and structure that continues to strike the ineffable balance of abstraction and soulfulness rightly highlighted and celebrated in the critical response to Third Album. Fourth Album sustains much of that previous work's enchanting equanimity, while inviting a bit more restlessness, accident and grit, with the incorporation of acoustic instruments and improvisation melding Floats' own background in Electroacoustic Studies and Jazz Performance more than ever before.Signature avant-electronic explorations of arpeggiated and timbral transformation, subtle shifts in harmonic consonance and dissonance, and a through-composed praxis that draws coterminously upon free jazz, musique concrète and modern Minimalism, all continue to shape Fourth Album to great effect. But an additional palette of sonic and gestural raw material is now also decidedly "out-of-the-box", charting a wider range of gestures, textures and temporalities. Fourth Album complexifies and intensifies across its 12 tracks, thematizing dualities and introducing new elements of play and accident, even a sort of looseness here and there, as it conjures communal expressivity within shorter, still scrupulous formal structures. Fourth Album also for the first time includes spoken word as a recorded element, previously only (and always) a feature of Markus Floats live performances. The album's final track samples the poet and activist Fred Moten, closing with these words: "What we've been trying to figure out how to get to is how we are when we get together to try to figure it out." This koan of socially-engaged process and creation/advancement of meaning through praxis and immanence reflects the unique fusion of intangible materiality and affective sensibility at work in Markus Floats music, unfolding in new depths and currents with Fourth Album.

‘Hey don’t touch that dial, good news Punk Rock Is Back!’ Mal-One

Mal-One’s new album starts with running through the radio dial, looking for some suitable music to listen to. These snippets are actually samples of songs from his previous album ‘It’s All Punk Rock’. Leading the listener nicely into a new set of songs to get their Punk Rock teeth into.

Songs that cover… the great New York punk scene of the 1970’s that grew out of a little bar in the Bowery District of New York City called CBGB’s ‘New York City Punk’. The Clash’s first album discussed in ‘When The Two 77’s Clashed’. The excitement of London’s Roxy Club revisited with its one line chant ‘Down The Roxy’. Those great ‘Punk Rock Fanzines‘, that kept us all so well informed. An early Sex Pistols gig at the Chelsea School of Art, ‘Machine Bubble Disco’. So named after what was to be the main event of that nights entertainment!!!.’45 Random Punk Memories’ sprang from Mal-One’s own reminisces. Talking of memories ‘Looking At The Decals On Steve Jones Guitar’, the recollection of Steve Jones, future guitarist of the Sex Pistols, stealing Mal-One’s bike when he was the tender age of seven years old. An incident that might have triggered this whole road of discovery in the first place.

A reflection on London’s harsh setting in those heady Punk times in ‘Corrugated London’ alongside a call and response to remember that ‘London’s Turning’ all the time for better or worse and that we can’t always pick and choose the bits we want to keep. The self-explanatory, ‘We Will All Lose Some Good Friends Along The Way’. ‘Shakespeare Meets Chuck Berry On Shepherds Bush Green’, a great story when Joe Strummer was asked by a reporter what he was up to and what he might call The Clash’s next album, which would turn out to be the timeless ‘London Calling’. Joe’s rather
tongue in cheek answer was “Shakespeare Meets Chuck Berry On Shepherds Bush Green’’.
A place close to Mal-One’s heart and a great title, that was crying out to be reused. Which Mal-One does via what he calls his Punk Art Poetry. Sometimes these lines are turned into lyrics and reworked into songs.

The album ends with such a call, ‘An Open Letter To…’ all those people who helped influence us all along the way. As the lyric states often without thought of financial gain, but done so, quiet simply because it had to be done.Maybe some young guns might in some small way, be inspired and find in Mal-One’s current efforts that ‘anything is possible’ and the true meaning of Punk was in fact, ‘Do It Yourself’.

The vinyl version of this release includes a poster that is part of Mal-Ones continuing Street Art project that involves putting up posters around London. This time declaring the news ‘Punk Rock Is Back!’. Included in the album packaging also is a signed and blind stamped limited print of one of Mal-One’s works ‘What Is It About Punk That’s So Different So Appealing’. A punk collage that just carries one word in among its multiple punk images and that word is PUNK. We hope you enjoy the indulgence.

On My Own Terms / Time, a new non-label created for Yorobi's self-released projects.

The first ep "Projection Palace" features 4 tracks across various genres and tempo's.
From bass heavy breaks and house to sound along the hardcore jungle continuum.

The name of the ep refers to a psychological principle of "projection", whereby you project certain (negative) qualities onto others without them being necessarily right.
Quite often the projections say a lot more about the person who's doing the projecting rather than the person on the receiving end.
The idea then was to make an EP that revolved around this theme. The palace bit being a metaphor as if you were a house which would show you all these mirrors which are wonky and distorted, like a fun house on a fairground

Experimental Rock / Abstract Hip-Hop / Post Industrial music Pascal Bouaziz used to be the singer and leader of French rock band Mendelson, and "Bruit Noir" (Black Noise) is his side project. This is a completely new venture, a departure from everything he's done over the last 20 years, bringing together hard-hitting lyrics and biting sounds. Boaziz has improvised lyrics over music by drummer Jean-Michel Pirès, who has played with Bed and Married Monk, a blend of the stripped-down clarity of Pérec's A Man Asleep and the stormy punk of Suicide. Crossing the boundaries of the politically incorrect, Bruit Noir offers a raw, hard-hitting album, where the sincerity of the words blends with the intensity of the compositions.

The Chills reissue their celebrated early singles compilation, this 24-track expanded version of Kaleidoscope World gathers together tracks from the ‘Dunedin Double’ compilation, live recordings, Doledrums’ single and the band’s seminal ‘Pink Frost’. The collection also contains ‘The Lost EP’, with early takes on their groundbreaking ‘Submarine Bells’ album, alongside the aching ‘I Love My Leather Jacket’, perfectly illustrating the rollercoaster ride of Martin Phillipps and The Chills as portrayed in the award film The Triumph And The Tragedy Of Martin Phillipps. “Singer/guitarist Martin Phillipps’ group was at the forefront of the extraordinary little guitar-pop scene in New Zealand in the early ’80s.. Kaleidoscope World is the major document of their early era.” Pitchfork. Part of the 80’s extraordinarily vibrant and innovative independent music scene in New Zealand, The Chills became flag bearers, taking the Dunedin sound, as championed by the Flying Nun label, to the world. Long recognised as one of New Zealand's most influential bands, Kaleidoscope World is a definitive artifact from Martin Phillipps’ groundbreaking project.

The Athenian producer Aggelos Baltas alias Anatolian Weapons captures on the album Earth the feeling of an optimistic future that grows on the soil of the sweet bitterness of the present and the past.

Under his pseudonym Anatolian Weapons, Baltas combines polyrhythmic percussion and wailing tones of Greek folk music with a thrilling and open Krautrock attitude. The album Earth takes us on a mystical journey through the northern Greek highlands, backed by Baltas’ unique machine-assisted folk, infused with psychedelic drones and exuding an aura that is neither then nor now, neither there nor here. Instead, it exists in a small pocket of its own cosmos. A crossroads of dimensions. A mystical offering to nature and the divinities.

Baltas has explored and reframed various Greek scenes of yesteryear in the past, such as with his Fantastikoi Hxoi project, which created Krautrock mutations from 60s and 70s pop, but Earth is an even more far-reaching expedition. It is a folk reckoning with ancient Greek musical traditions with a modern upgrade. The album reconstructs a sonic narrative of ancient traditions, enhanced with psychedelic and space-rock elements. In the reverb cycle, one hears a certain agrarian reinterpretation of the world, filled with harvest rituals and celestial incantations.

It is with great pleasure to welcome Anatolian Weapons to the label. During a longer stay in Athens, a friendship developed that led to a variety of musical projects and ideas. One of them is the release of the album Earth.

TOP PRIORTY RELEASE. Escape Music is delighted to announce the release date for the long awaited Jelusick debut album title “Follow The Blind Man” featuring Dino Jelusick the most well loved and respected vocalist in the Rock World! will be available on CD, Vinyl, and digital platforms! The Vinyl will be limited edition to 500 copies only! “Blade Bullet” colour and all will be numbered 1-500.Jelusick is: Dino Jelusick – vocals, keyboards, guitar / Ivan Keller – guitar / Luka Broderick – bass, backing vocals / Mario Lepoglavec – drums, backing vocals / Produced by Dino Jelusick, Mixed and Mastered by Simon Jovanovic, Executive Producer Dario Jelusic - JELUSICK played on 4 European tours during 2021- 2023 which also included Guitar Scene festival 2021 where they played with all star band together with John Norum and Gus G. The same line up also played there in 2022 and shared the stage and jammed with Airbourne, Johnny Depp & Jeff Back, Black Label Society, and Beth Hart. Dino Jelusick, born 4 June 1992, is a Croatian rock singer, musician, and songwriter. He was the founder, principal songwriter and lead singer of hard rock band Animal Drive, which was formed in 2012. and dissolved in 2020. Since 2016 Dino became a permanent member of American rock band Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He also worked with Gus G, Mike Mangini, George Lynch, Will Hunt, Michael Romeo, Jeff Scott Soto, Joel Hoekstra, Steve Smith, Jon Oliva, Kip Winger, John Macaluso, Deen Castronovo, Phil Demmel, Mike Portnoy, Henrik Linder, Justin Johnson, Tony Franklin, Kyle Hughes, Virgil Donati, Kiko Loureiro, Jordan Rudess, David Coverdale, Tommy Aldridge, Reb Beach, Michele Luppi, Lachy Doley etc. On July 27th, 2021, upon direct phone call from David Coverdale shortly after that David announced that Dino had become the new member of Whitesnake! In 2009 he started recording a new studio album in Melbourne, Australia which was finalised with producer Robert Ahrling in Malmö, Sweden. The album named “Living My Own Life” was released in August 2011. Between 2012 and 2013 Dino was hired to take part in an international project in South Africa named “Synkropation” where he was featured in several songs and played to an audience of 50.000 people in Johannesburg and also participated in two rock operas. In 2015, American drummer John Macaluso (Ark) invited him as singer and the keyboardist for his new American-Croatian band Stone Leaders. During this time, Dino was also a member of Croatian metal band The Ralph with whom he released the album “Enter Escape” in February 2017. In February 2016 he was noticed by American rock band Trans-Siberian Orchestra. After auditioning and meeting with producer Paul O’Neill and Dino was chosen to join the group. 2018 his band Animal Drive released debut album, “Bite!”, to critical acclaim. April 2019, they released a covers EP titled “Back to the Roots”. Dino was also featured singer on two songs on Magnus Karlsson “Free Fall” album. 2020 Dino Joined ex-Krokus members and Mandy Mayer (Gotthard, Asia, Unisonic…) for a concert project named Gotus and they released a video for the song “Souls Alive” (Unisonic). July 2021 Michael Romeo, guitar master from NY insisted that Dino should sing on his new album “War of the Worlds part 2” and it became a great and successful collaboration. 2022 Dino toured Europe with Whitesnake. As the last part of the EU tour was cancelled due to some DC health issues, Dino joined The Dead Daisies tour replacing Glenn Hughes who got unwell at the end of November 2022.A 2 year long legal battle with Dino’s ex-label was over and he immediately started recording new songs for his band JELUSICK…Welcome back Dino!

If you were to ask for a defining Habibi Funk track, there are a few that come to mind: from Fadoul’s “Sid Redad,” Dalton’s “Soul Brother” to Ahmed Malek’s “Omar Gatlato.” However, none are as widely connected with us at this point as Hamid Al Shaeri’s “Ayonha.” We heard the track for the first time when we were working on selecting tracks for your first compilation and we instantly loved it. We obviously had heard of Hamid El Shaeri’s music before, but only material from his Al Jeel phase when he was already the full-blown
superstar he is now.

Listening to his releases from the early 1980’s opened a whole new door for us. At the time, Hamid had just left Libya to pursue his career in Egypt via a detour in London, where he recorded his first album. Hamid’s distinct sound of the sound is quintessentially reliant on heavy synths and so it was particularly important to purchase these synths in a timely manner. “Whenever a new one synthesizer would come out, we would have to buy it immediately, otherwise someone else would get their hands on that sound.” London also played an important role for Hamid as a musical epicenter.

He fondly reminisces about the many live shows he attended there, including some of the biggest international musicians like Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson. After returning to Cairo where he also recorded his following albums, he connected with SLAM! for the
release of his debut, laying the foundation of a collaboration that lasted for 5 albums. Luckily, we were able to connect with Hamid through our friend Youssra El Hawary, whose extensive network has opened many doors for us within the Egyptian music scene. We met Hamid for the first time probably in 2016 at his office / rehearsal studio in the outskirts Cairo. We were expecting a larger-than-life
character in-line with his status as a certified superstar, yet the actual person turned out to be very approachable and super easy to connect with. He liked the idea of an effort to amplify his early works again,
which, when originally released, were far from an economic success.

While he was down to assist with an interview and his blessing for the project he also told us that for any license we needed to speak with the original label SLAM! who released these songs, still held the rights and also remained in business over the decades though they didn’t actively release any new music. Hany Sabet had started SLAM! records in the early 1980s and focused on cassette tape releases, the
format that expedited the success of a new generation of record labels in Egypt. By the mid 1980’s, SLAM! had become one of the most successful and economically dominant record labels in Egypt, with Hamid El Shaeri being just one of their key artists, alongside Mohamed Mounir, Hanan, Hakim, Mustafa Amar and many more. Luckily, Hany Sabet turned out to be a friend of our colleague Malak Makar’s father, which probably helped to warm him to the idea of licen- sing “Ayonha” to this - in the scale of his world - tiny label
from Germany. Eventually “Ayonha” ended up becoming a widely successful release and either Hany or we brought up the idea of a full album dedicated to Hamid El Shaeri’s work on SLAM!.


"Maktoub Aleina” is the first single and will be released January 14th. Following the massive success of "Ayonha,” “Maktoub Aleina” is another mid-tempo groover with a beautiful, synth-forward melody, that brings together a lovely combination of soul, disco and Arabic pop music of the highest order, giving a taste of full album. The second single, “Yekfini Nesma Sotak” will be released January 28th and combines Hamid’s unique formula of soul and pop, held together by a catchy synth melody. “Yekfini Nesma Sotak” picks up the
pace a bit, making the uplifting mood of the track even more powerful. Third single, arriving February 11th, is “Dari Demou’ek,” one of the stand out tracks of Hamid’s early recordings done for SLAM! in the early 1980s. Dominated by a disco infused bassline, the track offers a lot of space of the funky production to shine while Hamid inserts his vocals at all the right moments. A masterpiece of disco touched by Arabic pop music.

Full album arrives February 25th. This release is dedicated to Hany Sabet, the founder of SLAM! and his wife Rosemary Jane Sabet (who
took the photos we used for the cover and the booklet), who sadly passed away during the time it took us to prepare the release.
Vinyl comes with an extensive booklet with an interview with Hamid as well as unseen photos

The dual forces of shadow and light, despair and hope, frustration and catharsis are at play in the music of Cupid & Psyche, the Los Angeles-based indie rock duo of Michael Vidal and Juan Velasquez. First gaining recognition in the late aughts as members of the punk band Abe Vigoda, whose 2010 album Crush was named one of the "Best 50 Albums of the 2010s" by Pitchfork, the two have reunited as collaborators for the first time in a decade. Cathartic jam sessions would birth the emotionally resonant songs that appear on their debut album, Romantic Music. Though they pull from a wide array of `80s and `90s influences, Cupid & Psyche bring together these disparate moods and genres through their own esoteric lens on Romantic Music_making for a singular sound that at once feels familiar and alluringly hypnotic. Listeners will detect the gloom of post-punk and goth, the haziness of dream-pop and shoegaze, the bittersweet guitar melodies of second-wave emo, and the manic electronic rhythms of trip-hop and big beat. The immersive soundscapes on Romantic Music are sometimes agitated and driving, while other times ethereal and transcendent. This duality matches the album's lyrics of looking for a divine escape from the grim realities of existence, as well as the darkest parts of one's psyche. "The thesis of the album is trying to transcend the limits of life and the struggle therein," Vidal says. "There's a lot of lyrics about feeling trapped or frustrated, and then trying to find a way out. There's a lot of times I sing of hope and grasping towards love. But maybe in trying to escape, you take the wrong door, be it substance abuse or other vices." Now as Cupid & Psyche, Vidal and Velasquez return to a friendship that creatively feels like home_except this time, with more experience, self-knowledge, and less pressure to make anything other than the music that emerges naturally. The LP's title Romantic Music is tongue-in-cheek, since there are no love songs proper on the project, and the phrase itself can imply a kind of light listening. But it befits that deep bond that the members have, as friends who understand and empathize with each other's worst, so they're capable of bringing out each other's best.

Hey!Tonal is the first album by HEY!TONAL, a project helmed by the guitarists, multi-instrumentalists and sound designers Mitch Cheney (Rumah Sakit, Sweep the Leg Johnny) and Alan Mills (Chiisai-oto). Each member constructed the album instrument-by-instrument between 2006 and 2008 over a vast geographical area from NYC, Chicago, Florida, San Diego and Nantes in France. Main collaborators included Kevin Shea (Storm & Stress), Theo Katsaounis (Joan of Arc, Dead Rider), and Dave Davison (Maps & Atlases). Kenseth Thibideau (Rumah Sakit, Sleeping People) and Julien Fernandez (Chevreuil) joined the group for a song as well. In 2009 the album was released by Africantape on CD format; now, Hey!Tonal has been remastered by Carl Saff and pressed tovinyl for the firsttime.

PRESSED ON GOLD VINYL WITH OBI LIMITED TO 300 UNITS WORLDWIDE! Gold Bricks is ElCamino's much-anticipated follow-up to his lauded ElCamino 3 album. The project includes the fan-favorite singles´ "Been Hustlin," "Guns N Butter," "Prada Bitch," and "Bloody Hearse." And other than the intro and outro, every song pairs Camino with one of his frequent collaborators, including Jae Skeese, King Trav, Madhattan and Nelle.

If you were to ask for a defining Habibi Funk track, there are a few that come to mind: from Fadoul’s “Sid Redad,” Dalton’s “Soul Brother” to Ahmed Malek’s “Omar Gatlato.” However, none are as widely connected with us at this point as Hamid Al Shaeri’s “Ayonha.” We heard the track for the first time when we were working on selecting tracks for your first compilation and we instantly loved it. We obviously had heard of Hamid El Shaeri’s music before, but only material from his Al Jeel phase when he was already the full-blown
superstar he is now.

Listening to his releases from the early 1980’s opened a whole new door for us. At the time, Hamid had just left Libya to pursue his career in Egypt via a detour in London, where he recorded his
first album. Hamid’s distinct sound of the sound is quintessentially reliant on heavy synths and so it was particularly important to purchase these synths in a timely manner. “Whenever a new one synthesizer would come out, we would have to buy it immediately, otherwise someone else would get their hands on that sound.” London also played an important role for Hamid as a musical epicenter.

He fondly reminisces about the many live shows he attended there, including some of the biggest international musicians like Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson. After returning to Cairo where he also recorded his following albums, he connected with SLAM! for the
release of his debut, laying the foundation of a collaboration that lasted for 5 albums. Luckily, we were able to connect with Hamid through our friend Youssra El Hawary, whose extensive network has opened many doors for us within the Egyptian music scene. We met Hamid for the first time probably in 2016 at his office / rehearsal studio in the outskirts Cairo. We were expecting a larger-than-life
character in-line with his status as a certified superstar, yet the actual person turned out to be very approachable and super easy to connect with. He liked the idea of an effort to amplify his early works again,
which, when originally released, were far from an economic success.

While he was down to assist with an interview and his blessing for the project he also told us that for any license we needed to speak with the original label SLAM! who released these songs, still held the rights and also remained in business over the decades though they didn’t actively release any new music. Hany Sabet had started SLAM! records in the early 1980s and focused on cassette tape releases, the
format that expedited the success of a new generation of record labels in Egypt. By the mid 1980’s, SLAM! had become one of the most successful and economically dominant record labels in Egypt, with Hamid El Shaeri being just one of their key artists, alongside Mohamed Mounir, Hanan, Hakim, Mustafa Amar and many more. Luckily, Hany Sabet turned out to be a friend of our colleague Malak Makar’s father, which probably helped to warm him to the idea of licen- sing “Ayonha” to this - in the scale of his world - tiny label
from Germany. Eventually “Ayonha” ended up becoming a widely successful release and either Hany or we brought up the idea of a full album dedicated to Hamid El Shaeri’s work on SLAM!.


"Maktoub Aleina” is the first single and will be released January 14th. Following the massive success of "Ayonha,” “Maktoub Aleina” is another mid-tempo groover with a beautiful, synth-forward melody, that brings together a lovely combination of soul, disco and Arabic pop music of the highest order, giving a taste of full album. The second single, “Yekfini Nesma Sotak” will be released January 28th and combines Hamid’s unique formula of soul and pop, held together by a catchy synth melody. “Yekfini Nesma Sotak” picks up the
pace a bit, making the uplifting mood of the track even more powerful. Third single, arriving February 11th, is “Dari Demou’ek,” one of the stand out tracks of Hamid’s early recordings done for SLAM! in the early 1980s. Dominated by a disco infused bassline, the track offers a lot of space of the funky production to shine while Hamid inserts his vocals at all the right moments. A masterpiece of disco touched by Arabic pop music.

Full album arrives February 25th. This release is dedicated to Hany Sabet, the founder of SLAM! and his wife Rosemary Jane Sabet (who
took the photos we used for the cover and the booklet), who sadly passed away during the time it took us to prepare the release.
Vinyl comes with an extensive booklet with an interview with Hamid as well as unseen photos