Buscar:2 in progress

10LP box set + 60 page book from the influential cult progressive rock collective.

Celebrating four classic years (1976-1980) of touring throughout USA, encompassing the full Gentle Giant live experience through never-before pressed vinyl, unseen memorabilia and photographs.

Swiftly recorded by an independent production company and licensed to Decca for a tiny pressing in September 1970, this London quintet’s superb collection of bluesy progressive rock has become one of the rarest and most sought-after LPs of the period.

A live recording from 1977! First time on vinyl! Previously only available on CD as part of the Past & Future Landslide 3CD box set! LIVE AT THE QUEENS HOTEL MARGATE 1977 It was 1977 and things were progressing extremely well. We had signed to Beggars Banquet and our first single ‘Shadow’ b/w ‘Love Story’ had been released. John Peel had been playing both sides of the single most nights on his radio show, so we were getting heard by a lot of people. But we didn’t yet have a "proper" tour bus, so we all piled into a transit for the trip down to Margate with our tour manager Mike Stone in the driving seat. The Queens Hotel turned out to be a pretty good venue. There was a nice high stage which we much preferred over the low-slung platforms of some of the places we played. It meant that the crowd wasn’t totally swamping us the whole time, although there would still be a constant stream of people jumping on and off stage, bumping us, knocking equipment over and so forth. We weren’t sure if many people would turn up on a cold and windy night so close to Christmas, but it was a good turnout, and they were out for a good time too. There was none of the aggro stuff which would become a problem later on at our shows. The actual gig was typical of a Lurkers show at that time, being fairly chaotic with a lot of crowd "interaction". There is a recklessly fast version of ‘Pills’ on the recording, and I think we were playing ‘It’s Quiet Here’ for the first time live. Howard was on good form too; it would be his birthday on Christmas Day. My favourite quip from him is towards the end of the show when he says "eat your heart out Hank Marvin" after one of my more eccentric Shadows guitar intros. PETE STRIDE 2022

RIYL: The Fall, Royal Trux, The Dead C, Shirley Collins, ’70s British progressive rock, Dean Blunt.
Throughout their legendary, decade-long run, the Shadow Ring were an enigmatic force on the international musical sub-underground. Before their disbandment in 2002, this shambolic rock outfit, formed by a group of rowdy teenagers in southeast England, left behind a mighty run of eight LPs, a handful of 7"s, and a spate of raucous live shows and cryptic zine appearances on both sides of the Atlantic, all which have bolstered their enduring word-of-mouth mystique. Beginning this year with the first-ever vinyl pressing of the self-released pre-Shadow Ring tape The Cat & Bells Club (1992), Blank Forms Editions is conducting a systematic retrospective of the storied group, including a multi-year LP reissue effort and a forthcoming comprehensive CD box set and an over five hundred page book. Recorded in summer of 1994 at S.H.P studios (frontman Graham Lambkin’s parents’ home), the group’s sophomore record Put the Music In Its Coffin is a more sinister, saturnine affair than their debut City Lights. Coffin was many listeners’ introduction to the Shadow Ring, who had hitherto self-released their music, courting a steady stable of international fans through the magazine and mail-order catalog Forced Exposure. For their follow-up, the duo reached out to the ascending Philadelphia label Siltbreeze, whose eclectic roster of sneering, low-fidelity rock and noise connected disparate subterranean scenes from rust-belt America to the English Midlands, Dunedin, and beyond. As luck would have it, Siltbreeze proprietor Tom Lax was already a fan of the band’s first record and arranged to release both a 7” and their “difficult second album.” The connection proved to run deeper than vinyl within six months, Lax would pick up the pair from the airport for their spring 1995 US tour. This episode marked not only their first trip to the States but their first live performances at all, formally introducing the Shadow Ring to the American underground and solidifying the allure of the Folkestone pair. From the get-go, the record has a menacing, vile ambience. Its opening track “Horse-Meat Cakes,” inspired by an anecdote by pulp author Philip K. Dick about how he and his wife subsisted off low-grade pet food when he first arrived in San Francisco, sets the tone lyrically and sonically. Subsequent tracks are filled with Rabelaisian body horror and sinewy, haptic diction. “I try to pass out vital organs, convinced that they are waste,” intones Lambkin in “Heart, Liver & Lungs,” before a chorus of detuned guitars kicks in, nearly drowning out the speaker’s account of consuming chevaline intestines. Later songs similarly detail vernacular cooking (“Caribbean Porridge,” about a cornmeal hangover cure), bodily processes (“Nocturnal Middle Rumbles,” about nighttime defecation), and creaturely conflict (“Crystal Tears” and “Spin The Animal Dial”). The album’s makeshift percussion and teenaged rawness resembles the verve of City Lights, while its screeching strings and gnarly distorted vocals give it a sparse, miasmic atmosphere that look towards the uncompromising, otherworldly experimentation of the band’s Hold Onto I.D. (1996) and Lighthouse (1997), making this one of the Shadow Ring’s most distilled musical statements

Kikagaku Moyo 1st self-titled album reissue. Originally released by Cosmic Eye Records in Sep 2013. Kikagaku Moyo's debut album exerts an elemental power. Enlivening their sound with sitars, percussive drums, theremins, wind instruments and ethereal vocals, the band manages to sound powerfully spacious and lazily serene all at once. Their songs can be light as air, or heavy as earth. comes with digital download

Many evolve out of intense experiences of engagement with the natural world. The album’s first track, “Can You Imagine Nothing?” was written over a night spent jamming on a suspended footbridge in remote mountains. As the song progressed the bridge began to sway, making band members feel as though they were floating weightless in midair.

Kraut synth funk explosion from the sci-fi, library & soundtrack specialists.

DIY funksters break into museum, steal modular moog and record proto-electro-punk with dusty live drums, wild percussion and out-of-control analog synth sequencing onto Tascam 8-track tape.

Following their debut 'Space Voyage' for Warner Chappell's music library and the outernational soundtrack LP 'Occhio Occhio', the U.K. based trio return with a darker, heavier edge on their new full-length 'Synchronization'.

The soundtrack to a strange and mysterious dystopian future Immersed in the sounds of arpeggiated vintage synths, full fat drum breaks and fuzz guitars. At times the album is reminiscent of post punk with hints of boom bap hip hop and as the album progresses the listener is transported to the dance floors of Berlin's underground raves. In an age that sees AI increasingly omnipresent, Eleven76 take control of the technology, creating a hybrid, genre spanning, production style that could only come from their hive mind.

The trio surrounded themselves with an enviable array of vintage synths and modern classic studio toys, with Paul Elliott and Anthony Donje at the helm of patching, connecting and bringing these analog beasts to life, while Timmy Rickard continued to lay down the grooves as the heart of the rhythm section. The result is SYNCHRONIZATION, of synth and drums, pictures and sounds, man and machine – and of your heart and brain if you're ready to get synchronized.

Throughout their legendary, decade-long run, the Shadow Ring were an enigmatic force on the international musical sub-underground. Before their disbandment in 2002, this shambolic rock outfit, formed by a group of rowdy teenagers in southeast England, left behind a mighty run of eight LPs, a handful of 7"s, and a spate of raucous live shows and cryptic zine appearances on both sides of the Atlantic, all which have bolstered their enduring word-of-mouth mystique. Beginning this year with the first-ever vinyl pressing of the self-released pre-Shadow Ring tape The Cat & Bells Club (1992), Blank Forms Editions is conducting a systematic retrospective of the storied group, including a multi-year LP reissue effort and a forthcoming comprehensive CD box set and an over five hundred page book. Recorded and self-released by the group's own Dry Leaf Discs in 1993, City Lights is the debut record of the then duo Graham Lambkin and Darren Harris_an assured arrival statement teeming with stripling angst and ambition. Lifelong chums Lambkin and Harris were barely nineteen and living at home in the seaside town of Folkestone, Kent, with few overhead expenses. The two were freshly employed as a forklift operator at a hardware store and an aide at a home for children with disabilities, respectively, affording them the time and funds to commit to a proper full-length release. Frontman Lambkin describes the album as a "microscopic examination of leisure activities, this time centered around a nightclub," a conceit surging through its lyrics, song titles, cover art (depicting an audience of cats and mice at the Leas Club, a Folkestone fixture), and flip side (replete with fictional bandmates and pseudonymous liner notes). On a recently-acquired secondhand guitar, Lambkin plays repetitive, brooding licks that form the record's backbone, weaving in and out of sync with Harris's free-form percussion and the pair's sing-song poetry. Tracks range from unraveling nursery-rhyme ditties to extended jams awash with Casiotone and toy piano noodling. The duo's musical hobby-horses work themselves in: the influence of Mark E. Smith's breathless deadpan, the headless outer-edges of ESP-Disk's back catalog, the eerie atmospherics of Hirsche Nicht Aufs Sofa, and the deconstructed rock tunes of the Dunedin scene are all detectable, although there is a sui generis quality to the Shadow Ring's artless temerity. "I've got to see and taste those city lights," intones Lambkin on the album's title track_indeed, this is a record of naked drive and pent-up desperation, and a shimmering glimpse of what's to come. For Fans of The Fall, Royal Trux, The Dead C, Shirley Collins, '70s British progressive rock, Dean Blunt.

Hailing from the hallowed city that birthed classic death metal acts such as Entombed, Dismember and Unleashed before them, Stockholm, Sweden’s XORSIST are preparing to release their sophomore album, At the Somber Steps of Serenity, via Prosthetic Records in October. Following their self-released debut album Deadly Possession in 2022, XORSIST caught the attention of the Los Angeles metal label with their old school approach to and affinity for Sweden’s death metal legacy and history. Founded by Gustav Ryderfelt (vocals and guitar) before cementing their line-up with both Birk Castenmalm (vocals and bass) and Alphonse Bouquelon (drums), XORSIST’s core sound is one rooted in deep reverence for the genre’s roots as much as it is a spirited progression of the raw and uncompromising Stockholm sound. Seeking to continue their working relationship with the legendary Sunlight Studios (Dismember, At The Gates, Entombed, Grave and more), XORSIST once again opted to retain Tomas Skogsberg on co-production duties with Iñaki Marconi (Soen, Sepultura, Carcass). XORSIST’s proclivity for musical tradition is not mere homage so much as it is a graceful carrying of the genre’s torch. Having built up a glowing reputation in the Swedish underground by fans new and old, At the Somber Steps of Serenity sees the young band ensure the old school Swedish death metal torch continues to burn brighter than before for the fabled city in which they reside.

Raw Poetic, das Duo aus MC/Poet Jason Moore und Gitarrist P-Fritz (Patrick Fritz) präsentiert sein neues Werk auf Def Pressé. Nach den 'radikal optimistischen Unternehmungen' (The FADER) und dem 'spirituell abgestimmten Hip-Hop' (Bandcamp) von 'Laminated Skies' und dem Triple-'Magnum Opus' (Jazziz) von 'Space Beyond The Solar System' folgt mit 'Away Back In' eine transzendente musikalische Fusion aus Hip-Hop, Jazz und Garage-Rock, untermauert durch das geschickte Drum-Programming und die Produktion des langjährigen Kollaborateurs Damu The Fudgemunk. Progressiv und voller Soul ist 'Away Back In' vollkommen anders als seine Vorgänger.

After a string of successful releases, Lenske regular AIROD is back on the label with a striking new single and subsequent EP.

A certified dance floor pleaser both in and out of the studio, AIROD's distinct sound has kept him at the forefront of cutting-edge underground techno as it continues to evolve rapidly. Circling back for another release on Lenske, his latest work is another bold statement of intent, staking his claim as one of the genre's most exciting talents.

Released first, on the 4th August is standalone single 'Meet Me In The Club', it teases with a wave of high-octane club-focused goodness. Building around a catchy vocal hook - the track comes in hot with racy grooves and riveting musicality. A core of thumping drums, fizzing hat sequences and erratic melodies flood the mix, twisted and pulled around with clever modulation and use of FX to carve out an energetic dance floor journey with hints of euphoric nostalgia throughout.

The title cut 'Golden Pills' emulates a progressively intensifying sprint. Ethereal melodies and unwavering drums create an ever-increasing sense of urgency, dissected by ominous vox chops, atmospheric breaks, and a sea of instrumental flare from start to finish.

'I Just Wanna Rave' has 'warehouse track' written all over it. Furious drum work and minimal accompanying percussion set the base of the track, paving the way for an onslaught of shuddering synth layers and electrifying bass tones that keep you stomping until the last beat.

'At All Costs' cuts a sinister line from the outset. Its striking selection of infernal musical layers make the perfect match for a potent beat structure and catchy vocals, leading into a continuum of peaks and troughs, steered by crescendoing snare rolls and huge throwdowns with gripping melodic progressions either side.

Colombian producer Faunes Efe known under his moniker Filmmaker, is one of the most productive and vital producers in the EBM, Industrial, Synth-wave and Electro community. He has quickly built a cult following amongst those with an affinity for dystopian electronics drenched in seductive darkness.

After more than 20 records within a 5 year span, Filmmaker keeps running engines with “Machinations”, a mini-album containing 7 cuts that blast a mechanical blend of Electroclash and Minimal Synth. This ride of prominent square waves, robotic beats and detuned atmospheres is born from mainly two instruments: a Syntakt & a processed guitar.

"Tale Spinnin'" - Joe Zawinul (keyb, perc, voc); Wayne Shorter (ts, ss); Alphonso Johnson (b); Alyrio Lima (perc); Leon "Ndugu" Chandler (dr)
»We played music that people listened to every day just as they watch the news every evening, music which changed constantly - just like the weather«, reminisced Joe Zawinul when talking about coming up with a name for the group. This would probably frighten off listeners in today's mass market. But back in those days CBS was satisfied with the group's sound being somewhat similar to the Miles Davis Combo and offered them a recording contract without carrying out the usual sound check. The magic potion "Bitches Brew", which Zawinul and Wayne Shorter had conjured up with Miles Davis, was promising of exhilarating new things to come.
The heart-stopping mix of motivic fixed points and exciting improvisations, »the sketchy melodies, all that a synthesizer and other similar electronic devices could offer, combined with a Milky Way of rhythms« (Der Spiegel) was the pathway down which the group went - without ever becoming pure routine. The fifth album, "Tale Spinnin'", is captivating for its wealth of distinctive, often warm, synthesized sounds, which are further enhanced by Wayne Shorter's bright, twangy soprano saxophone, lending it a jazzy aura. To be sure, this gripping jazz fusion never progresses steadily all the time, but takes up snatchy, though seemingly familiar, melodic ingredients and combines them to produce a new mixture. "Badia", however, is completely different: a quietly flowing and totally rhythmic ethnic work, which today would be classified as World Music.

Moments of eternity: the first plucks at the strings, a bass note cementing the drift into place a little more than a minute in. The organ drones, iterating unrelivable ancient history, a chiming note of the church. Guitars strings, climbing that stairway to heaven. Gossamer-light when viewed from a distance; up close, the gears grind with a visceral physicality. With BCMC, Cooper Crain and Bill MacKay unite to create Foreign Smokes: provocalogues, equal parts avant-garde noir and fire-and-icy jams to recall bright shades and warm stretches of infinity drawn through the buzzy overdrive of this side of life"s strange and sunny days. Cooper"s organ and synths and Bill"s guitar draw songs from spontaneous statements and elegiac scraps, floating closer, then farther, and closer again to the sounds of the other. Starting with a melody, as set of progressions or even as little as a scale or just a key, gives room for either one of "em to take the lead, depending on where they are or are going at any given time. The reigning motif most often seems to be, to melt and wind around each other"s sound, part of a singular undulation, handed back and forth, a slowly emerging trip up into and through an ideal of exuberance.

Along with Aunt Mary, Junipher Greene and Terje Rypdal, Saft were also a well known group who
were part of the growing norwegian music scene in the end of the 60s and the beginning of the 70s.
Their rare debut album, released in 1971 on Polydor, is a great mixture of beatlesque songs,
garnished with some progressive pieces and touches of folk. You really can feel the enthusiasm of the
band to create a long lasting experience for their listeners throughout the entire album... and they did a
great job because every track is a brilliant musical journey on its own.

Nachdem der französische Pianist und Producer sich mit 'O', dem ersten Album (2020 auf Mercury) einer elektronischen Symphonie widmete, kehrt LAAKE mit 'VOLT' zurück, mit einem umfangreichen und sonnigen Werk vollkommen contrair zur Entwicklung der aktuellen elektronischen Musik- Szene. Die Piano-Loops, eine der musikalischen Speerspitzen des Musikers, kollidieren mit Percussions und Drums in einer progressiven und treibenden Sintflut. Die Energie des Albums bewegt sich mühelos zwischen elektronischen und klassischen Dimensionen und flirtet mit Orgelklängen, kraftvollen Bässen und polyphonen Stimmen. Aufgenommen mit 10 Musikern aus der Klassik- und Jazzwelt zwischen Paris und Brüssel, folgen die 10 Titel des Albums einem Konzept, ohne sich zu wiederholen.

Never Before Reissued On Vinyl! After the smash success of Deee-lite's debut record World Clique, and their now-iconic dance club hit "Groove Is In The Heart", anticipation was high for a follow-up from the New York-based dance music trio of vocalist Miss Lady Kier, and producers DJ Towa Tei and Super DJ Dmitri.

For their sophomore record Infinity Within, Deee-Lite opted to venture in a different direction of sorts. The club-embracing disco-funk sounds and groovy vibes of World Clique were everpresent, but while that record contained themes of global togetherness, Infinity Within took a more socially aware route, with politically charged themes of environmentalism, (To show their bonafidese, Infinity Within was one of the first titles to be issued in an ecologically friendly Eco-pak.) sexual liberation, voting rights, and critique of the juidicial system.

Taking major inspiration from the ancient Chinese divination text I Ching, Miss Lady Kier would later explain that Infinity Within was a natural progression for the group, not a departure. Elaborating in an interview with Reflex Magazine, she remarked: "The reason why we titled this new album Infinity Within to balance out World Clique’s idea of looking outward and thinking about unity is if you look outward, you should look inward to see what you’re doing as an individual.

Because people seem to be so passive I’d like to see people turn their TV sets off and start protesting." Infinity Within was not the overwhelming commercial success that World Clique was, but it's tracks shined on the Billboard Dance Club charts, with it's lead single "Runaway" reaching #1 on the chart, bolstered by a Gus Van Sant-directed music video.

The record also featured a slew of top-tier collaborators, including Parliament veterans Bernie Worrell, Maceo Parker and Bootsy Collins (Returning from their appearances on World Clique) as well as Bootsy's brother Catfish Collins, legendary house DJ Statoshi Tomiie, and rap verses from Michael Franti, Jamal-Ski, and a pre-"Tennessee" Arrested Development.

Even though critical reaction at the time was cooler than their debut, over the years Infinity Within has been considered an underrated
gem of 90's dance, a classic of early club and house music, and a remarkable follow-up for Deee-Lite.

First released over 30 years ago, this EP is where The Future Sound Of London started before “Papua New Guinea” later in 1991. All four tracks were instrumental in establishing a new genre of electronica within dance music. They were ahead of their time and extremely progressive, and here three decades later they are making an impression. “Pulse State” has been described as the ‘best bleep track ever made’, and at the time dominated the airwaves on London pirate stations.

Als Progressive Metal getarnt verdrehen The Hirsch Effekt auf ihrem sechsten Langspieler "Urian" wieder die Gewohnheiten. Das neue Album taucht musikalisch tief in die immer aufdringlicher werdende Ambivalenz aus Krisen und Alltag ein. "Urian" wird der ungebetene Gast genannt, dessen Begegnung meist ziemlich unerwünscht ist. Eine knappe Stunde fesselt es dich klanglich und weist mit einer hinterlistigen Umarmung geschickt auf all den schief gewickelten Mist hin!
"Urian" nimmt sich Zeit, lässt uns zwischen kraftvollem Dauerprasseln atmen und Luftholen. Harte Ansätze vor atmosphärischen Collagen - mal einfühlsam-akustisch, mit ausgefeilten Gesängen und groovigen Passagen - bis dir Urian wieder derb in die Seite prügelt. Deutlich weniger konzeptuell als das 2020er Album "Kollaps" ist es dennoch eine absolute Weiterentwicklung. Textliche Chiffren wirken intimer, Bezüge und Verweise liegen scheinbar klar auf der Hand. So werden sozialpolitische Themen besprochen, bei denen die Musiker sich selbst und die derzeitigen Entwicklungen kritisch hinterfragen. Neben Bots, die sich in Insta-Kommentaren demokratie-zersetzend in menschliche Köpfe einnisten, geben THE denen eine Stimme, die keine haben oder denjenigen, auf die all das schöne Leben noch wartet. Aus diesem zwar dystopischen, allerdings klaren Welt- und Werteverständnis erwächst eine gesittete Hoffnung, dank der "Urian" noch zum Tee verweilen darf.
1. Agora (CD)
2. Otus (CD)
3. 2054 (CD)
4. Urian (CD)
5. Stegodon (CD)
6. Granica (CD)
7. Blud (CD)
8. Eristys (CD)
a1. Agora (Tape)
a2. Otus (Tape)
a3. 2054 (Tape)
a4. Urian (Tape)
a5. Stegodon (Tape)
b1. Granica (Tape)
b2. Blud (Tape)
b3. Eristys (Tape)
b6. Der neue Song (Hörschpielsammlung) (Tape)
b7. Im Studio (Hörschpielsammlung) (Tape)
b8. Der fiese Husten (Hörschpielsammlung) (Tape)
b9. Das Umparken (Hörschpielsammlung) (Tape)
b4. Die Autofahrt (Hörschpielsammlung) (Tape)
b5. Der Soundcheck (Hörschpielsammlung) (Tape)

A pungent ooze emanates from the subway. As a sticky drum machine sequence rolls out like thick dark fog, ice cold synth swirls rise from the depths.

Since the debut album Europe By Night, one of the main references associated with Henrik Stelzer and his Metro Riders project has been that of cinema, and particularly the European genre films of the 1980s. With its seedy subject matters manifesting both in visual style and music, the vibe of that era has crystallized over time. Passed down to us from deteriorating video cassettes, it became an invaluable key to decoding our present day reality.

And this is true for this album as well; Stelzer does not hide the fact that he builds heavily on that vibe; referencing it through track titles and utilizing a particular recording setup consisting of a Fostex and a reel to reel in order to achieve and recreate the feeling of those soundtracks — as heard on magnetic tape rather than vinyl.

The motion picture soundtrack as an arbitrary genre definition becomes, in the hands of Stelzer, a pair of X-ray specs for him to envision a kind of music that deals in grains and contrasts rath- er than hooks and choruses. And like Roddy Piper in John Carpenter's 1988 film They Live, he hands those glasses over for us to see the true face of our times.

On Lost In Reality Metro Riders maps out an emotional geography of the cities at night, wherein the cinematic haze becomes a tool by which we can view the cities with new eyes. Not steering away from the darker alleys nor the harsh realities of modern day politics masquerading as progress. Yet escapism, in the end, seems the only viable option. But not as an endgame, but rather a stepping stone for building a new vocabulary for an utopian language.

The American rock/metal band Alter Bridge released their third album AB III in 2009. It was a new venture in which they combined progressive metal and hard rock. The album received acclaim from many music critics. Rob Laing from MusicRadar called it “one of the guitar albums of the year” and Rick Florino from Artistdirect gave the record a perfect 5 out of 5 score and said “it’s a sprawling masterpiece that illuminates just how brilliant this band truly is". "Isolation", the band’s most successful single to date, is one of the many highlights the band recorded for this album. It doesn’t matter if you like to call it a metal or a hard rock album, because it’s the music that speaks for itself.

Alter Bridge was formed by Creed bandmembers Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall. They recruited vocalist Myles Kennedy, and have since released five albums, all of which charted in both the UK as well as the US charts.

REMIXED & REMASTERED REISSUE OF THE PINEAPPLE THIEF'S 2003
STUDIO ALBUM
Kscope present 'Variations On A Dream', the third album from The Pineapple Thief
newly remixed by Bruce Soord & remastered by fellow bandmate Steve Kitch.
The Pineapple Thief are one of the leading lights of Europe's experimental rock
domain, led by post-progressive mastermind Bruce Soord, the band have built an
incredibly loyal fanbase over the past 23 years through extensive touring &
consistently lauded recordings. Founder Bruce Soord started The Pineapple Thief
as an outlet for his music back in 1999 & has since released over 15 studio
albums.
Albums like 'Someone Here Is Missing' (2010) & 'All The Wars' (2012) paved the
way to their recent releases. Multiple headline tours followed, including their
biggest headline performance in the UK at O2 Shepherds Bush Empire & their first
ever tour of North America.
'Variations On A Dream' opens with the timid beginnings of 'We Subside' as they
slowly move into the more progressive leaning 'Vapour Trails' before the delicate
strings of 'Resident Alien' position us toward the grand finale of the 16- minute
epic 'Remember Us'.
While earlier Kscope releases were many people's introduction to the band, The
Pineapple Thief spent the previous ten years building up a dedicated fan base
across the globe, selling over 25,000 records & nurturing their 'bittersweet'
progressive sound. A sound that has recently been revisited in a beautifully
packaged 'How Did We Find Our Way - 1999 - 2005' deluxe book set.
Kscope will be presenting 'Variations On A Dream' as a single black LP.

"Dance My Hurt Away" is the first single from the upcoming debut album by The Faithful Brothers from Tel Aviv/Israel. Is there a Northern Soul scene in Tel Aviv? The surprising answer is - yes, there is. If you're a soulie and in town, look for the Tel Aviv Soul Club, and you might find yourself swaying across a talcum-powder covered floor to Tel Aviv's own unique blend of classic Northern Soul 45s and early 1960s R&B sounds. Chances are that those 45s will come out of the record boxes of one of the brothers Neeman, Johnnie and Bin. Tel Aviv Soul Club, aka TASC, is the brainchild of Yashiv Cohen, a DJ who, in 2006, lured the brothers Neeman, whose massive soul collections been hitherto confined to their respective living rooms, into playing their records to the Tel Aviv public. Yashiv is also the lead singer of Men of North Country (MONC), a Tel Aviv band with a distinct sound, blending rock, British pop and soul. Since Neeman means Faithful in Hebrew, Yashiv woke up one morning with the crystallization that MONC must create a spin-off, a more puristic soul band, called the Faithful Brothers. It took a few more years, but gradually the brothers succumbed to their fate, to continue their musical progression, from collectors to DJs to musicians. Johnnie took his guitar, Bin took to the piano, and the brothers began pouring out some of their influences, creating new songs. It is finally all coming together now.

Repress!

Having been brought up as much on albums as singles, it is a natural progression for Kent to make a 12' version of our 'Masterpieces Of Modern Soul' CD series. The Modern soul fan is used to wielding 12' of plastic in various forms and our latest Kent LP is aimed squarely at them.

We have lifted a fantastic LP-only track from theSpring album by Act 1, 'It's The Same Old Story', one of the most catchy, melodious songs of the era and as a Ray Godfrey Spring production it is high quality. The same source provides the Millie Jackson LP track 'If That Don't Turn You On'; inevitably raunchy - but clean!

The Mayberry Movement were on sister label Event and we have their smooth and addictive 'Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right', unreleased until Kent issued it. On the pricey side we feature Eddie Billups' anthem 'Shake Off That Dream'. Scarce is more the word for Gail Anderson's Doré release 'Just A Little Ugly' which is anything but and stablemates Natural Resources have a recently discovered find, 'If There Were No You': it would have been the buzz of the Mecca a few decades earlier. Into the 80s we go with a 60s legend: Dave Hamilton, whose later recordings are proving to be as highly admired as his tracks from the golden era of 60s soul. Nightchill's 'I Don't Play Games' sounds like a hit to me and the New Experience's pleading 'I've Never Felt This Way Before' is one for those who like to sympathise with a bit of anguish. Darondo provides another gem of west coast soul from his own special perspective.

The Hesitations' GWP recording is as polished and professional as ever and there is more top harmony from Street People with a previously unissued track from their first recording session.

There had to be a teaser. After reissuing Herman Davis' 'Gotta Be Loved' we discovered a brilliant unissued Part 2 to the highly collectable single. It had been abandoned before the 45s' pressing but now rounds off an LP that will grace those large and overburdened LP shelves of the modern soul Kent fans.

As one of the most triumphant and beguiling directorial debut features to emerge from the fruitful Polish New Wave, Andrzej Zulawski’s 1971 film Third Part Of The Night not only earned the thirty-year-old filmmaker a place next to other radical Polish directors such as Polanski, Skolimowski and Has, but also galvanised a creative bond with long running collaborator and composer Andrzej Korzyński, providing fans of foreign abstract/suspense cinema with a potent creative fusion to match those of Polanki/Komeda, Fellini/Rota and Argento/Goblin, amongst others.

Quite simply one of the heaviest psych rock film soundtracks of all time Andrzej Korzyński’s short and unreleased score matched the blueprint that adorned the drawing boards of conceptual French jazz orch rock composers like Jean-Claude Vannier, Francois De Roubaix and Alain Gourageur, creating a soundtrack that unknowingly begs comparison to Masahiko Satô’s Belladonna Of Sadness and Billy Green’s Stone. As one of the first progressive pop writers to come out of the vibrant (but carefully scrutinised) Polish beat scene with his bands Ricecar 64 and later Arp Life (and composing for national heroes such as Czeslaw Niemen, Niebiesko-Czarni and Test) Korzyński’s growing passion for conceptual rock and jazz music soon lead to instrumental composition and soundtrack scores.

His cinematic debuts scoring two consecutive transitional new wave films for Andrzej Wajda (in collaboration with the radical Polski pop groups Trubadurzy and Grupa ABC) also provided Korzyński with another significant cinematic muse in that of the stunning actress Malgorzata Braunek with whom they would both eventually achieve their finest performances under the direction of the ravenous first-timer Żuławski. Third Part Of The Night (1971) perhaps epitomises that triangular on-screen unison in its vibrant youth and feeds it through a hallucinogenic mangle finding astonishing beauty (within a repulsive synopsis) against a bleak and shattered backdrop and accompanied by progressive, psychedelic orchestral rock music – elements which would intensify for all three creatives with the next film, Diabel, which was banned by the Polish government the following year until 1988.

Third Part Of The Night also marks the public unison of Żuławski and Braunek whose later private romantic relationship is said to form the basis for another defining Żuławski/Korzyński defining endeavour with the 1981 film Possession exactly a decade later, encapsulating a period that bequeaths a previously unopened vault of some of the composers finest and most inspired sonic adventures.

Renaissance is an English progressive rock band, best known for their 1978 UK top 10 hit Northern Lights and progressive rock classics like Carpet of the Sun, Mother Russia, and Ashes Are Burning. They have developed a unique sound that combines female lead vocals with a fusion of classical, folk, rock, and jazz influences. Characteristic elements of the Renaissance sound include Annie Haslam's wide vocal range, prominent piano accompaniment, orchestral arrangements, and vocal harmonies.

Renaissance is an English progressive rock band, best known for their 1978 UK top 10 hit Northern Lights and progressive rock classics like Carpet of the Sun, Mother Russia, and Ashes Are Burning. They have developed a unique sound that combines female lead vocals with a fusion of classical, folk, rock, and jazz influences. Characteristic elements of the Renaissance sound include Annie Haslam's wide vocal range, prominent piano accompaniment, orchestral arrangements, and vocal harmonies.

Released in 1998, THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC earned double-platinum certification and continues to captivate audiences with fan favorites like “Music Box Blues,” “Boughs Of Holly,” and “Ghosts Of Christmas Eve.” The album also introduced “Christmas Canon,” which has become one of the band’s most popular songs and a modern holiday classic. THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC tells the heartwarming tale of a little girl’s magical night spent in an attic filled with yuletide memories, accompanied by spellbinding guitar solos and soaring choral vocals set against a rock orchestral backdrop. The record serves as the second installment in TSO’s celebrated Christmas trilogy, which also includes Christmas Eve and Other Stories (1996) and The Lost Christmas Eve (2004).

TSO was conceived by the group’s late founder, composer, and lyricist Paul O’Neill. His ambitious vision was to create a progressive rock band that combined rock opera and classical rock with a dazzling live show that featured lights, lasers, and pyrotechnics. In the 1980s and 1990s, O’Neill produced several albums for the influential heavy metal band Savatage, which is how he connected with longtime collaborators Jon Oliva (vocals), Al Pitrelli (guitar), and Robert Kinkel (keyboards/producer).

With more than 10 million albums sold, TSO has inspired generations of fans to rediscover the multi-dimensional art form of rock opera. Since its touring debut in 1999, the band has emerged as one of the world’s top live acts, performing for over 10 million people across the globe, selling more than $280 million worth of tickets, and donating $11 million to charity.

Released in 1998, THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC earned double-platinum certification and continues to captivate audiences with fan favorites like “Music Box Blues,” “Boughs Of Holly,” and “Ghosts Of Christmas Eve.” The album also introduced “Christmas Canon,” which has become one of the band’s most popular songs and a modern holiday classic. THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC tells the heartwarming tale of a little girl’s magical night spent in an attic filled with yuletide memories, accompanied by spellbinding guitar solos and soaring choral vocals set against a rock orchestral backdrop. The record serves as the second installment in TSO’s celebrated Christmas trilogy, which also includes Christmas Eve and Other Stories (1996) and The Lost Christmas Eve (2004).

TSO was conceived by the group’s late founder, composer, and lyricist Paul O’Neill. His ambitious vision was to create a progressive rock band that combined rock opera and classical rock with a dazzling live show that featured lights, lasers, and pyrotechnics. In the 1980s and 1990s, O’Neill produced several albums for the influential heavy metal band Savatage, which is how he connected with longtime collaborators Jon Oliva (vocals), Al Pitrelli (guitar), and Robert Kinkel (keyboards/producer).

With more than 10 million albums sold, TSO has inspired generations of fans to rediscover the multi-dimensional art form of rock opera. Since its touring debut in 1999, the band has emerged as one of the world’s top live acts, performing for over 10 million people across the globe, selling more than $280 million worth of tickets, and donating $11 million to charity.

Als Progressive Metal getarnt verdrehen The Hirsch Effekt auf ihrem sechsten Langspieler "Urian" wieder die Gewohnheiten. Das neue Album taucht musikalisch tief in die immer aufdringlicher werdende Ambivalenz aus Krisen und Alltag ein. "Urian" wird der ungebetene Gast genannt, dessen Begegnung meist ziemlich unerwünscht ist. Eine knappe Stunde fesselt es dich klanglich und weist mit einer hinterlistigen Umarmung geschickt auf all den schief gewickelten Mist hin!
"Urian" nimmt sich Zeit, lässt uns zwischen kraftvollem Dauerprasseln atmen und Luftholen. Harte Ansätze vor atmosphärischen Collagen - mal einfühlsam-akustisch, mit ausgefeilten Gesängen und groovigen Passagen - bis dir Urian wieder derb in die Seite prügelt. Deutlich weniger konzeptuell als das 2020er Album "Kollaps" ist es dennoch eine absolute Weiterentwicklung. Textliche Chiffren wirken intimer, Bezüge und Verweise liegen scheinbar klar auf der Hand. So werden sozialpolitische Themen besprochen, bei denen die Musiker sich selbst und die derzeitigen Entwicklungen kritisch hinterfragen. Neben Bots, die sich in Insta-Kommentaren demokratie-zersetzend in menschliche Köpfe einnisten, geben THE denen eine Stimme, die keine haben oder denjenigen, auf die all das schöne Leben noch wartet. Aus diesem zwar dystopischen, allerdings klaren Welt- und Werteverständnis erwächst eine gesittete Hoffnung, dank der "Urian" noch zum Tee verweilen darf.

The lost Belgian blueprint of Brussels based jazz fusion and how free form Franco-Flemish punk put Zeuhl school in the Classroom via to the conception of COS.

Emerging from behind the same clouds that kept formative Belgian progressive jazz records like Brussels Art Quintet and Kiosk’s Mona Call in tangible obscurity, these impossibly rare early Euro jazz recordings shed a new ray of light on the intricate foundations of the scene that elevated COS, Marc Moulin, Placebo, Marc Hollander and Telex to Zen master status, while also capturing one of Europe’s best female vocal artists in the midst of her wide eyed and uninhibited prime.

Never before released on vinyl, these tracks provide us with a sonic chalkboard of Daniel Schell’s ambitious musical equations, recalculated by precocious polymaths, then conveyed via Pascale Son’s inquisitive child-like vocal explorations. For those keen to learn the Histoire De Melody COS? The classroom door is open - prepare to be schooled!

Das dreizehnte Studioalbum von Wilco "Cousin" wurde über einen Zeitraum von zwei Jahren im legendären Studio der Band in Chicago - The Loft - aufgenommen. Die zehn neuen Stücke stammen aus der Feder von Bandleader Jeff Tweedy und werden von der langjährigen Besetzung Nels Cline, Mikael Jorgensen, Glenn Kotche, John Stirratt, Pat Sansone begleitet. Nach einem kurzen Abstecher zu ihren Country-beeinflussten Wurzeln auf dem letztjährigen Doppelalbum "Cruel Country", kehren Wilco mit "Cousin" in ihr vertrautes progressives und experimentelles Rockgenre zurück.

Confidence is the NBR absolute party starter! Big big drums, live saxophone and organ, a crazy tempo and a hook we've been spotted shouting along to walking to work at 9am! Like Phill Most says “Occasionally / Its even amazing to me/ how ill I can be /when I MC”. Damn straight Phill Most! We've seen early acetates of this absolutely tear up the festival circuit last summer & consider this 45 the ultimate party 45 on the label!

Flip it over to hear the exclusive to this 45 If Ya Let 'Em (Remix). Phill Most Chill on a cautionary tale about grabbing hold of our own destiniy! This very unusual beat that emulates a band sound by progressing & switching from bar 1 to the end. Snafu & Bankrupt Euros' Craig Cloy go wild on bass, piano & cello arrangement over a tough, classic break using live instrumentation and some sample chops, trying to replicate the feel of a soul band with hip hop sensibilities. Grazzhoppa steals the show on both sides with his turntable wizardry once again blurring the lines between beat and scratches blending his scratches into the instrumentation!

„III“ wurde ursprünglich 1978 privat veröffentlicht und war bei Sammlern schon lange begehrt. Es ist das einzige Album des niederländischen Progressive-Rock-Quartetts Het Pandorra Ensemble, das von zwei Gitarren angetrieben wird und dem sie einen Hauch von Anarchie in ihre Mischung aus Improvisation und King Crimson einbrachten.

Dictator Ship, the Swedish four piece is back with their second studio album ”Electric Jihad”. Blending energetic and raw rock’n'roll with exquisite multi-layered vocal harmonies and melodies inspired by 60’s soul and doo-wop, the band has carved out their very own niche in the rock landscape, perfectly displayed throughout the whole album. In many ways, the album is the natural progression of their critically acclaimed 2020 debut album "Your Favorites"

Das Debütalbum der Punk-Superstars RISE AGAINST von 2001. THE UNRAVELING in der Neuauflage (Remix, Remaster, Bonustracks) von 2018. Die aus Chicago stammende Band thematisiert Ungerechtigkeit und Ungleichheit, bricht weiterhin Rekorde, füllt Arenen und macht ihr riesiges globales Publikum auf wichtige progressive Themen aufmerksam. Alles begann im Jahr 2001, als ein Demo von zwei ehemaligen Mitgliedern von 88 Fingers Louie zu Fat Wreck gelangte. Es war ihre neue Band, Rise Against. FAT nahm sie sofort unter Vertrag, holten sie ins Studio und veröffentlichten ihr Debütalbum "The Unraveling". Nach der eiligen Veröffentlichung ging die Band auf Tour. Jahr für Jahr, Tour für Tour baute Rise Against langsam eine treue Fangemeinde in den USA und Europa auf. Rückblickend waren sowohl die Band als auch FAT der Meinung, dass die Produktion von "The Unraveling" aufgrund der Eile, mit der das Album veröffentlicht wurde, zu wünschen übrigließ. Nun, da die Band gewachsen ist und ihren spezifischen Sound besser gefunden hat, wurde beschlossen, das Album neu abzumischen, zu remastern und erneut zu veröffentlichen. FAT hat es dabei nicht belassen: Das Album enthält außerdem zwei Bonustracks aus derselben Zeit. "The Unraveling" ist ein Muss für die immer noch ständig wachsende Fangemeinde von Rise Against! "Rise Against sind melodischer Hardcore. Die Band zeigt, dass sie ihren Wurzeln bei 88 Fingers Louie nicht allzu fern ist, denn die Punk-Energie ist hier pur und unverfälscht. Wenn es jemals ein Album gab, dass dazu beitragen könnte, das Fingerzeigen und die Circle Pits zurückzubringen, dann wäre "The Unraveling" eine gute Wahl."

Das Debütalbum der Punk-Superstars RISE AGAINST von 2001. THE UNRAVELING in der Neuauflage (Remix, Remaster, Bonustracks) von 2018. Die aus Chicago stammende Band thematisiert Ungerechtigkeit und Ungleichheit, bricht weiterhin Rekorde, füllt Arenen und macht ihr riesiges globales Publikum auf wichtige progressive Themen aufmerksam. Alles begann im Jahr 2001, als ein Demo von zwei ehemaligen Mitgliedern von 88 Fingers Louie zu Fat Wreck gelangte. Es war ihre neue Band, Rise Against. FAT nahm sie sofort unter Vertrag, holten sie ins Studio und veröffentlichten ihr Debütalbum "The Unraveling". Nach der eiligen Veröffentlichung ging die Band auf Tour. Jahr für Jahr, Tour für Tour baute Rise Against langsam eine treue Fangemeinde in den USA und Europa auf. Rückblickend waren sowohl die Band als auch FAT der Meinung, dass die Produktion von "The Unraveling" aufgrund der Eile, mit der das Album veröffentlicht wurde, zu wünschen übrigließ. Nun, da die Band gewachsen ist und ihren spezifischen Sound besser gefunden hat, wurde beschlossen, das Album neu abzumischen, zu remastern und erneut zu veröffentlichen. FAT hat es dabei nicht belassen: Das Album enthält außerdem zwei Bonustracks aus derselben Zeit. "The Unraveling" ist ein Muss für die immer noch ständig wachsende Fangemeinde von Rise Against! "Rise Against sind melodischer Hardcore. Die Band zeigt, dass sie ihren Wurzeln bei 88 Fingers Louie nicht allzu fern ist, denn die Punk-Energie ist hier pur und unverfälscht. Wenn es jemals ein Album gab, dass dazu beitragen könnte, das Fingerzeigen und die Circle Pits zurückzubringen, dann wäre "The Unraveling" eine gute Wahl."

The EP also includes a remix of the popular single ‘SAMO’, which
spent four weeks on the BBC 6 Music playlist, accompanied by an
animated lyric video paying homage to the graffiti tag it was named
after by Al Diaz and American artist and wunderkind, Jean-Michel
Basquiat. The final track on the EP is a remix of ‘Waiting on a Train’,
presenting a new and special version of the original song, with the
presence of featuring artists Ellen Beth Abdi and Chunky remaining
strong.

Formed in 1978 with a core line-up of Jez Kerr, Martin Moscrop and
Donald Johnson, A Certain Ratio emerged from the hallowed grounds
of the late 1970s punk scene, and from that day on they’ve moved
forwards with gleeful disregard for the boundaries of style and genre,
their eye fixed firmly on constant progression.

“La Settima Donna” (1978), also known as “The Last House On The Beach”, is a disturbing thriller directed by Franco Prosperi and set in a secluded cottage overlooking the Tyrrhenian sea, starring Florinda Bolkan, in the role of Sister Cristina, governess of five female students on a short vacation, rehearsing their Shakesperean end-of-year play. The unfortunate inhabitants of the house became soon hostages of three vicious criminals looking for a hiding place after a bank robbery, but the psychological and sexual violence ends when the nun abandons her vows. And the victims decide to get justice. Roberto Pregadio's brilliant music is not surprisingly, functional and almost disconnected from the bloody images: there is no overwhelming sense of disturbance for the listener.

The soundtrack of “La Settima Donna” was published only once, in cd format, attached to the rare dvd of the film, gaining new life on vinyl thanks to Musica Per Immagini. Some of the eleven tracks of the score are characterised by an easy listening mood and united by a psychedelic feel, in harmony with the progressive atmospheres found in albums such as “A Saucerful Of Secrets” (1968) and “Meddle” (1971) by Pink Floyd. However, the English band is not the only reference for the jazz pianist, who quotes a piece by Bryan Ferry, entrusting it to the voice of Ray Lovelock, one of the three kidnappers. After that, the Sicilian composer remodels an international hit by Donna Summer, background of the sequence in which the nun is forced to strip naked in front of her tormentors.

A month after the release of his debut album as Tambores En Benirras, 2021’s fabulous Orbe Dotodo, Graham Newby’s life changed forever. After years living with a visual impairment, his sight had deteriorated so much that he was declared “registered blind”. For a man who had spent decades dividing his time between travelling, DJing, running clubs and lengthy sessions in his own studio, it was a genuinely life-changing moment.

It was against this backdrop, and the need to alter his working methods, that Ondas Horizontales, the second Tambores En Benirras album took shape. Inspired by a mixture of daydreaming, visualisation, immersion in other people’s music (escapism that provided mood enhancement, rather than a specific set of ideas) and long periods spent soaking up the sun in Ibiza, the album is the most vividly detailed, sonically colourful, and sun-soaked collection that Newby has released to date.

Newby’s declining sight forced him to stop spending long spells staring at a screen and undoubtedly slowed down the production process. Yet it also allowed him to reconnect with his emotions, appreciate the storytelling and mood-shifting potential of music, and mine mind’s eye memories of places and spaces that have meant much to him over the years.

The results are undeniably stunning. Designed with horizontal listening in mind, the set distils a range of musical and real-life inspirations –or, as he puts it, “ambient soundtracks, cosmic journeys, Balearic rhythms and poolside sessions” – into ten mesmerising and magical tracks; an undulating, slow-motion journey that’s as breath-taking as it is beguiling.

Newby sets the tone with ‘Mi Sueno Vibe En Reverb’, a swelling, slow-burn ambient masterpiece that tiptoes between hope and melancholia, before flitting between imaginary sunset soundtracks (‘Estrellas En Mastella’, where lilting pedal steel sounds, bubbling electronics and shuffling breakbeats catch the ear), kaleidoscopic sun-up beats (the gorgeous warmth of ‘Generadora De Reyos’), enveloping beatless soundscapes (‘Templos Del Sol’, a drowsy drift in becalmed waters under the heat of the mid-afternoon sun), and dubby, loved-up lusciousness (‘Mokono’).

As the album progresses, bobbing and weaving on an ocean of vibrant chords, pulsing melodies and heart-stopping melodies, there’s no sign of Newby’s inspiration waving. ‘Alma Hablando’ channels the spirit of mid-80s ‘worldbeat’ and douses it in layers of Balearic bliss, while ‘Extrensor Entragado’ recalls the head-nodding haziness of his best Gripper productions of old while combining them with the musical equivalent of a humid summer breeze. Then there’s the mood-enhancing joy of the album’s superb title track –a mission statement of sorts – and the life-affirming post trip-hop/Balearic fusion of ‘Un Placer Celestial (Reprise)’, where the influence of his old friend Aim is clearly evident.

A serious sonic step-up from its predecessor and a future Balearic classic in its’ own right, Ondas Horizontales marks the start of a new musical and personal journey for its creator. It is, in his words, not the end of an era, but the start of a new one.

wAFF makes a triumphant return to Hot Creations after a seven-year hiatus with his three-track, groove-driven ‘Slapfunk EP’.

Since his first outing back in 2012, wAFF has been an integral part of the Hot Creations family, remixing various releases and dropping a total of four EPs - the last being ‘Sick Pleasure’ in 2016, which still stands today as a highlight in the label’s extensive catalogue. Marking a long-awaited return to Jamie Jones and Lee Foss’ beloved imprint after seven years, with material via renowned labels such as Solid Grooves, Cocoon, Desolat and his very own NATURE imprint over that period further establishing him as a leading name, he arrives fresh from his third Paradise show of the season ready to ignite dancefloors with a trio of irresistible beats on ‘Slapfunk’.

Title track ‘Slapfunk’ opens the release with shifting stabs, warping bass patterns and fizzing lead synths, steadily progressing into a menacing club-focused workout. Continuing his signature style, ‘Questions’ showcases a blend of pulsating beats synchronised with a warped vocal topline that enhances the allure. Finally, ‘Next Game’ delivers a punchy trip loaded with subtle minimal-leaning influences, combining chopped vocal snippets with slick, stripped-back percussion.

Alinka Returns to Rekids with her latest EP ‘I’m Your Ghost’

Following the relaunch of her label Twirl alongside Shaun J. Wright, Alinka now brings her brand new EP' I'm Your Ghost' to Radio Slave's Rekids. Having made frequent appearances within its catalogue, her 'I'm Your Ghost' EP sees the Ukranian-born, Chicago-raised and Berlin-residing producer return with four eclectic and club-orientated house tracks. These will sit amongst her previous releases on Permanent Vacation, Needwant, HE.SHE.THEY and Crosstown Rebels.

'Teachers' is the first cut presented on 'I'm Your Ghost' with its sharp percussive layers building towards the well-honed grooves in its composition. Title-track 'I'm Your Ghost' punches through next with weighty, wobbling subs placed against a catchy lead. 'I Still Believe' is featured with rising chord progressions and pounding kicks as '909 Lives' draws the EP to a close with an intricate mix of synths and striding drum work, paying homage to its title. It’s a package highlighting why Alinka is on an unstoppable rise, with support from some of the biggest names across house music.

Germany’s progressive death metal masters OBSCURA complete their long-running, four-album conceptual circle with the release of Diluvium (defined as a great oceanic flood), their most evocative, diverse and vibrant release to date. Recorded with longtime producer V. Santura (Triptykon, Pestilence) at Woodshed Studios in Landshut, Germany, Diluvium is a stunning achievement for the illustrious quartet and a landmark release for progressive metal as a whole. Complete with all the band's signature elements plus groundbreaking polyrhythms, dramatic songwriting, and jaw-dropping virtuosity, OBSCURA raise the bar once again with an album that will go down in the annals of metal history as one of the most astonishing performances the genre has to offer.

Five years since the release of the universally-acclaimed Omnivium, Germany's progressive metal masters OBSCURA are poised to return with their strongest and most dynamic release to date. The aptly-named Akroasis (Greek for "hearing" or "listening") draws on all the various elements of OBSCURA's signature sound and combines those qualities into a mind-blowing and cohesive whole. Produced by the band and V. Santura (Triptykon, Pestilence), Akroasis is eight songs diverse enough to serve as a near-comprehensive introduction to all of extreme metal. Packed to the gills with virtuosic musicianship, compelling themes, and airtight songwriting, OBSCURA will undoubtedly breathe new life into death metal, progressive metal and beyond.

Bobby Caldwell's second album, Cat In The Hat, from 1980, is one of his greatest moments and another masterwork of soulful sophistication. Featuring the eternal "Open Your Eyes", brilliantly sampled by J Dilla for Common's "The Light", it's about as essential as records get. Like its eponymous predecessor, it's been out of print for far too long. To finally release the hugely-anticipated reissue is one of our sincerely proudest moments.

Whilst Ned Doheny is known in Japan as "Mr California", native New Yorker Bobby Caldwell has always been "Mr AOR" to his Far-Eastern friends. His distinct charm is an irresistible blend of soul, jazz, and pop influences. He possessed phenomenal songwriting prowess, smooth vocal performances, was both a great soul guitarist and dextrous keyboard player and known for genius chord progressions. It all added up to a multi-layered brilliance entering the studio, and the singular sound he landed on was laced with soulful, sweeping strings and funky horns, touching lightly on disco, while allowing his supple voice to carry the stunning tracks he'd crafted.

Right from the off, it's easy to tell that Cat In The Hat is a deeply special record. It's fantastically produced and incredibly well-rounded, carving its own lane with deep soul, warm jazz and a stunning vocal delivery that really helped Bobby reach out to some big new audiences at the time. Goosebumps at the ready for the rolling power-piano funk of "Coming Down From Love", opening up the album with a track as good as anything Steely Dan or The Doobies ever crafted, with a vocal performance from the heavens. Pumping AOR wonder "Wrong Or Right" is up there with the slick, classy rhythms of prime Ned Doheny whilst the cool, skipping soul of guitar-drenched "To Know What You've Got" is a funky ballad par excellence, with elemental traces of "What A Fool Believes". No bad thing. Closing out Side A, the folk-funk of "You Promised Me" is a bright, soulful strut with a wonderful vocal coda that just builds. Sensational.

The delicate bounce and falsetto self-harmonising of "It's Over" offers a truly delightful introduction to Side B, and serves as a great precursor to what follows. Bobby's dynamite "Open Your Eyes" is likely the reason you're all here. As if he needed it, the eternal J Dilla further immortalised Caldwell in the hip-hop canon with his production of Common’s epochal “The Light,” which heavily samples the magical “Open Your Eyes.” On a post paying tribute to Bobby in March 2023, Questlove claimed that he "got word Brother Bobby loved it". Bobby's original has seen new life even more recently from the likes of Dwele and Kendrick Lamar and deservingly so, as its insistent drums and staccato piano created a modern-soul classic. You'd think that would be hard to follow, wouldn't you? Not so, when you're Bobby Caldwell. Indeed, the horn-drenched stepper "Mother Of Creation" is absolutely ace, and, whisper it, possibly the album's finest track, all funky piano and guitars with horn lines to die for. Exquisite ballad "I Don't Want To Lose Your Love" rounds out the album beautifully.

Bobby sadly passed away on 23rd March 2023, after a long struggle with mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress, due to an adverse effect from a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. The reissue of Cat In The Hat will be available on vinyl across the globe, ensuring that fans of his incomparable talent - and soul music enthusiasts worldwide - can radiate in the deep beauty of this seminal album. Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possibly quality at Record Industry in Holland.

For the 6th time, dark metal legends AMORPHIS hit the #1 chart position in Finland with an album and 'Halo' is a pure gem featuring some of the best melodies and progressive riffs that the band has written in their 3 decade spanning career. With hits like "The Moon" or "On The Dark Waters", 'Halo' was voted 'album of the month' in Metal Hammer (GER), Rock Hard (GER), Spark (CZ) and Legacy (GER) and now, right in time for their European Tour, AMORPHIS launch a beautiful blue blackdust vinyl of their latest album. A gem for every collector!

Es beherrscht ein grauer, stimmungsvoller und dichter Spätherbst-Tag das Geschehen. Viel zu früh hat der Himmel sich verdunkelt. Jetzt plätschert gleichförmig und regelmäßig Regen auf die Straßen, auf die Erde, auf die griesgrämig wirkenden Menschen herab. So stellt man sich die Atmosphäre vor, in welcher das sechste Subsignal-Studioalbum "A Poetry of Rain" entstanden ist.
Fünf endlos wirkende Jahre ließen Subsignal ihre Anhänger auf neue akustische Klang-Abenteuer warten. "Und auch das hatte wieder mit der Pandemie zu tun", offenbart Markus Steffen den Grund für die quälend lange Pause. "Existenzängste schlichen sich ein", reflektiert er. "Im Zuge dessen verließ der langjährige Bassist Ralf Schwager die Band. Mit Martijn Horsten aus Rotterdam war allerdings rasch würdiger Ersatz gefunden. Dennoch schwelgen die zehn Kompositionen vor Sehnsucht und einer gehörigen Portion Wehmut."
Der progressive Mix aus Rock, Metal und Artrock gelingt scheinbar spielerisch. Ausnahme-Drummer Dirk Brand setzt dabei eine fulminante Basis, auf die mal rockige, mal elegante Gitarren-Sounds zusammen mit den Keyboards einmalige Klangwelten zaubern. Darüber schwebt das wunderbare Timbre von Sänger Arno Menses - immer präsent, immer einnehmend, voller Leidenschaft und Kraft. Dazu trägt auch die kristallklare und druckvolle Produktion von Yogi Lang von ihrem Label Gentle Art Of Music bei.

Presse:
Rocks 9/10: "Songs wie ›Impasse‹ oder "Marigold‹ berühren, transportieren Gefühle und packen den Hörer, wie es sonst Marillion, Yes oder Kansas am besten können. Auf welch hohem Niveau die Herren musizieren, wird bei Nummern wie The Art Of Giving Ins oder ›Sliver (The Sheltered Garden)‹ klar, aber Komplexi-lät ist hier nie Mittel zum Zweck."

Deaf Forever 8.5/10: "…meistens die wie immer großartigen Refrains, die einen aufrichten. ….wie gewohnt exzellent gesungene Artrock-Stücke, die von den nach fünf Jahren Wartezeit dürstenden Anhängern nun endlich auch zu Hause genossen werden können."

Rock It - Soundcheck #6/32: "…so steht der Name Subsignal auch auf Album Nummer sechs doch für handgemachte Qualitätsarbeit mit Herz und Seele. Reinhören, eintauchen und mitfühlen!"

Break Out: "Mit "Poetry Of Rain" unterstreichen Subsignal ihre Ausnahmestellung im Rock: Scheibe unbedingt zulegen! Ich bin mir sicher, dass niemand bei diesem Longplayer enttäuscht sein wird, der sich in melodischen Bereichen mit progressiven Parts wohlfühlt."

Gäste:
David Bertok - Keyboards "Embers Part II - Water Wings)
Marek Arnold - Saxophon "The Last of its Kind"
Yogi Lang - Keyboards
Dietmar Waechtler - Pedal Steel "The Art of Giving In"
Iraklis Choraitis - Backing Vocals "Sliver (The Sheltered Garden)"

Mix & Master von Yogi Lang, Farm-Studios Freising

Es beherrscht ein grauer, stimmungsvoller und dichter Spätherbst-Tag das Geschehen. Viel zu früh hat der Himmel sich verdunkelt. Jetzt plätschert gleichförmig und regelmäßig Regen auf die Straßen, auf die Erde, auf die griesgrämig wirkenden Menschen herab. So stellt man sich die Atmosphäre vor, in welcher das sechste Subsignal-Studioalbum "A Poetry of Rain" entstanden ist.
Fünf endlos wirkende Jahre ließen Subsignal ihre Anhänger auf neue akustische Klang-Abenteuer warten. "Und auch das hatte wieder mit der Pandemie zu tun", offenbart Markus Steffen den Grund für die quälend lange Pause. "Existenzängste schlichen sich ein", reflektiert er. "Im Zuge dessen verließ der langjährige Bassist Ralf Schwager die Band. Mit Martijn Horsten aus Rotterdam war allerdings rasch würdiger Ersatz gefunden. Dennoch schwelgen die zehn Kompositionen vor Sehnsucht und einer gehörigen Portion Wehmut."
Der progressive Mix aus Rock, Metal und Artrock gelingt scheinbar spielerisch. Ausnahme-Drummer Dirk Brand setzt dabei eine fulminante Basis, auf die mal rockige, mal elegante Gitarren-Sounds zusammen mit den Keyboards einmalige Klangwelten zaubern. Darüber schwebt das wunderbare Timbre von Sänger Arno Menses - immer präsent, immer einnehmend, voller Leidenschaft und Kraft. Dazu trägt auch die kristallklare und druckvolle Produktion von Yogi Lang von ihrem Label Gentle Art Of Music bei.

Presse:
Rocks 9/10: "Songs wie ›Impasse‹ oder "Marigold‹ berühren, transportieren Gefühle und packen den Hörer, wie es sonst Marillion, Yes oder Kansas am besten können. Auf welch hohem Niveau die Herren musizieren, wird bei Nummern wie The Art Of Giving Ins oder ›Sliver (The Sheltered Garden)‹ klar, aber Komplexi-lät ist hier nie Mittel zum Zweck."

Deaf Forever 8.5/10: "…meistens die wie immer großartigen Refrains, die einen aufrichten. ….wie gewohnt exzellent gesungene Artrock-Stücke, die von den nach fünf Jahren Wartezeit dürstenden Anhängern nun endlich auch zu Hause genossen werden können."

Rock It - Soundcheck #6/32: "…so steht der Name Subsignal auch auf Album Nummer sechs doch für handgemachte Qualitätsarbeit mit Herz und Seele. Reinhören, eintauchen und mitfühlen!"

Break Out: "Mit "Poetry Of Rain" unterstreichen Subsignal ihre Ausnahmestellung im Rock: Scheibe unbedingt zulegen! Ich bin mir sicher, dass niemand bei diesem Longplayer enttäuscht sein wird, der sich in melodischen Bereichen mit progressiven Parts wohlfühlt."

Gäste:
David Bertok - Keyboards "Embers Part II - Water Wings)
Marek Arnold - Saxophon "The Last of its Kind"
Yogi Lang - Keyboards
Dietmar Waechtler - Pedal Steel "The Art of Giving In"
Iraklis Choraitis - Backing Vocals "Sliver (The Sheltered Garden)"

Das fünfte Studioalbum der polnischen Rockmeister RIVERSIDE aus dem Jahr 2013 ist endlich wieder auf Vinyl erhältlich: 10th Anniversary Re-Issue als Ltd. Edition transp. hellblau 2LP auf 180g Vinyl, inkl. 4-seitigem LP-Booklet und den beiden "Night Session" Bonustracks. "Shrine of New Generation Slaves" wurde im Serakos Studio in Warschau, Polen (wo auch die "Reality Dream"-Trilogie entstand) mit Magda Srzednicka und Robert Srzednicki aufgenommen, gemixt und gemastert. Es bietet über 50 Minuten hochklassige RIVERSIDE-Musik, aufgeteilt in 8 Songs, die nicht nur eine weiterentwickelte, moderne Sichtweise auf die charismatischen Trademark-Elemente der Band deutlich widerspiegeln, sondern auch weitere Vibes aus dem Classic-Rock-Segment sowie jazzige Art-Rock-Anteile wirkungsvoll in den immer wieder herausfordernden Mix einbringen, für den RIVERSIDE seit jeher steht, vielleicht nur weniger standardmetallisch und auch weniger komplex, ohne weniger progressiv zu sein.

After already having taken forward-thinking extreme music to unprecedented heights over the course of their short but propulsive career, Richmond's INTER ARMA are back with another opus of epic proportions. Like the band's previous works, the new album Paradise Gallows is direct and foreboding while maintaining a nuanced, artful perspective. INTER ARMA's signature palette of dissonant high-end and abyssal low-end has been augmented with swathes of thick, impressionistic melody that lend Paradise Gallows a truly biblical sense of scale, both lyrically and in terms of the album's sonic content. Harsh and acoustic passages (including the band's first-ever foray into clean vocals) spar with complex rhythmic structures across nine sweeping tracks over 71 minutes of expansive, progressive heaviness. Dense, funereal, and richly evocative, Paradise Gallows is a vibrant blend of doom, post-metal, sludge, avant-garde, black and death metal, and is a singular and powerful new addition to the band's already monumental discography. Includes Digital Download

OBSCURA's Relapse debut, Cosmogenesis is a front-to-back stroke of brilliance that seamlessly fuses modern metals extremity, the upper levels of technical virtuosity, and the symphonic grace of progressive music into a flawless album experience. On Cosmogenesis, OBSCURA more than justified their impressive pedigree as technical metal masters with what has been regarded as one of the best metal albums of the 21st century.

Carbon Music continues its conquest in a special single summoning some of drum & bass' greatest minds, as Goldie & Lenzman make illustrious debuts alongside label pillars Jubei & Submotive.

Two years after their first collab 'Component' (CM002), Submotive & Jubei reforge the foundations upon which Carbon Music was built, in two tracks written with two powerhouses sharing the same ethos.

Goldie reinstills his prowess, linking to form a holy pantheon on 'Game Of The Gods'. 10 years since Jubei released his album on Metalheadz, they collaborate again with a mutual accomplice in Submotive. Reinforcing the core principles, its a celebration of vigour and mysticism; brute force balanced with celestial pads - bringing shared beliefs full circle towards a new golden era.

Lenzman makes his intro on the flip, with a touch of nonchalent class on the effortlessly rolling 'Members Only'. Having all released with The North Quarter and Metalheadz, the trio share a close bond, developed over years of performing and travelling together. Its an innate understanding; a brotherhood; three elements that progress, intensify and naturally form, in a way that no others can.

DJ Support:

Goldie
Skeptical
Lenzman
Jubei
Bryan Gee
Halogenix

Originally released in 1994, this re-issue bring new wind to "Lamento" with a compatriotic remix by Berlin based Italian producer Trent. Sitting somewhere between tribal and techno with early hints of progressive trancey elements, "Lamento" boasts an assertive underlaying beat coupled with playful percussive elements that get skillfully laced with a driving sawtooth wave synths. 4 mixes to choose from, peak time italian 90s early progressive sound brought back to your record bags with newly remastered care.

ORKA is a duo comprising Francine Perry from London and Jens L. Thomsen from the Faroe Islands. They crossed paths in the vibrant club scene of London, an immersive world that had a profound impact on their creative journey. ORKA's music draws inspiration from the Hardcore Continuum and UK sound system culture, blending it with elements of minimal techno, progressive electro, and ambient music, resulting in a diverse range of stylistic influences. Now ORKA emerges with their long-awaited new album. Once again, they greet us with their distinct blend of earthy tones and a bold, adventurous spirit, taking us to a realm bursting with neon-lit hues, pulsating club beats, and an abundance of sensory stimulation. Aptly named "All At Once," the album title provides a clue to the auditory and sensory experience that awaits the listener in this immersive record. ORKA has continuously evolved as a project over many years and iterations, embracing fluidity and a relentless quest for fresh sonic amalgamations. Their journey has been marked by a gradual refinement, stripping away layers to reach the core essentials. This transformative process has unfolded over the years, reaching from their site-specific, cowshed sampling and band-based expedition in "Livandi oyða" (2007) to the bold, innovative exploration of minimalist techno in "Vað" (2016). However, their latest release, "All At Once," signifies yet another remarkable leap forward in their artistic evolution. The seeds of this artistic progression were already planted in previous releases like the <13 EP (2017) and the hard-hitting techno single "Juno" (2018). However, it is with the arrival of the album "All At Once" that ORKA's vision fully blossoms, unveiling a vivid and expansive sonic landscape. This latest offering presents a glorious and vibrant tapestry, showcasing a maximalist approach to techno that pulsates with energy coupled with their signature meticulous attention to sound design, reflecting a deep awareness and intentionality in their creative process. If this album was to be thought of as a place, it would be a shimmering, futuristic, buzzing kind of city with vibrating night-time drizzle from above and endless glowing lights in the distance. Several of the tracks are built around cut-up vocal samples that are divided from their semiotic meanings and reconfigured as loops, and thus mined for their timbral and percussive qualities. Recurring collaborators South London duo LV (Hyperdub, Keysound, Brownswood) are featured on a handful of these tracks, mixing in their complex cocktail of grime and bliss. The result is a sort of queer erotic dance-floor mysticism, and the closest to a full-blown dance record that ORKA have ever made. There must be a club in that shimmering futurist city of the night.. and it is a collective, inclusive and alluring place. There is no need to fear any dancefloor exhaustion by listening to this album though, as there are also moments of floating cyber beauty and pure enveloping warmth to be found among its tracks. As always, following the artistic journey of ORKA is a joyous experience, filled with unexpected twists and turns that keep us captivated.

The Faithful Brothers

Soul and R&B from Tel Aviv

"It's so difficult to produce the feel and the excitement of the classic northern sound, but The Faithful Brothers were born to do it and they do it so well." Craig Charles, The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show, BBC Radio 6 Music.

Is there a Northern Soul scene in Tel Aviv? The surprising answer is – yes, there is. If you're a soulie and in town, look for the Tel Aviv Soul Club, and you might find yourself swaying across a talcum-powder covered floor to Tel Aviv's own unique blend of classic Northern Soul 45s and early 1960s R&B sounds.

Chances are that those 45s will come out of the record boxes of one of the brothers Neeman, Johnnie and Bin. Sons of an Israeli diplomat, they travelled abroad extensively as children, in the 1960s and 1970s, discovering the wonderful world of rare soul music on the way. Tel Aviv Soul Club, aka TASC, is the brainchild of Yashiv Cohen, a DJ who, in 2006, lured the brothers Neeman, whose massive soul collections been hitherto confined to their respective living rooms, into playing their records to the Tel Aviv public. Yashiv is also the lead singer of Men of North Country (MONC), a Tel Aviv band with a distinct sound, blending rock, British pop and soul, that has recorded two albums for the London based label Acid Jazz Records, and toured Europe numerous times.

Since Neeman means Faithful in Hebrew, Yashiv woke up one morning with the crystallization that MONC must create a spin-off, a more puristic soul band, called the Faithful Brothers. There the biological Neeman/Faithful brothers would be joined by some of the members of MONC and a few more musical brothers from Tel Aviv to create new, original soul and R&B music. With a nod to the Northern Soul slogan "Keep The Faith", the name seemed too perfect to waste. The fact that the Neeman brothers were collectors, and not musicians, did not bother a man of vision like Yashiv. One day, he sent Johnnie some lyrics he wrote, asking him to compose music for it. Well, Johnnie called Bin, and they met in Johnnie's record room. With Johnnie playing some of the few chords he knew on his dusty old acoustic guitar, out came Teenage Frost, the first-ever musical composition of the Neeman brothers, recorded by MONC.

It took a few more years, but gradually the brothers succumbed to their fate, to continue their musical progression, from collectors to DJs to musicians. Johnnie took his guitar, Bin took to the piano, and the brothers began pouring out some of their influences, creating new songs. It is finally all coming together. The Faithful Brothers – now an eight-piece band, complete with a mighty brass section – release their first album "The Faithful Brothers".

Sydney Northern Beaches' very own hard-biting rockers C.O.F.F.I.N are proud to announce their fifth full-length studio album entitled 'Australia Stops', the highly-anticipated follow-up to their monumental 'Children In Finland Fighting In Norway' album from 2020. Due for release on September 15th 2023 via Bad Vibrations in Europe, the new album comes off the back of the band's world tour with Amyl and the Sniffers in 2022, and their recent UK headline dates this May where C.O.F.F.I.N stunned audiences with the high-intensity rock action they are renowned for. 'Australia Stops' was recorded in January 2023 at The Pet Food Factory studio with producer Jason Whalley (Frenzal Rhomb) behind the desk. A record that showcases a collection of diverse and gripping new works that highlight the band's evolution into more melodious, 1970's Australiana and boogie rock and roll. Frenzied, high-voltage guitars, thumping rhythms, flowing melody and clever, captivating lyrics exhibit an undeniable progression in composition and songwriting, while still unmistakably the C.O.F.F.I.N that fans world-wide have come to worship over their 18-year lifespan. 180g green vinyl, printed inner-sleeve, download card included

Buffalo Nichols sophomore album, The Fatalist, is in stores September 15. Milwaukee, WI-based Buffalo Nichols today announced his anticipated new album The Fatalist will be released on September 15th, 2023 via Fat Possum, and shared its lead single: a dusky take on Blind Willie Johnson’s original "You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond." The follow-up to his 2021 self-titled debut LP for Fat Possum–a critically acclaimed record that earned him his network television debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, various major festival performances, and rave coverage via NPR Music (All Songs Considered, Tiny Desk (Home) Concert), Rolling Stone, Guitar World, Texas Monthly, and more–The Fatalist sounds unlike any blues record you’re likely to hear in 2023. The lead single’s video, directed by Samer Ghani, captures songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Carl Nichols singing of salvation and relief in his soundscape that teems with the joyous claustrophobia of classic gospel. Sampled triggers of Charley Patton’s version connect the earliest blues recordings to the present, both singers’ voices urgent in their message. Nichols explains: “A traditional song made modern. Which aspects of ‘the Blues’ are essential? Is it a melody? A certain vocabulary? Delivery? Instrumentation? Is this still a blues song? And most importantly: who gets to decide? I tried to reimagine the blues with this song as if it were allowed to grow and progress uninterrupted, uncolonized and ungentrified.”

Ein Meisterwerk unentrinnbarer Finsternis!

Die schwedische Instanz SHINING wird am 15. September 2023 ihr selbstbetiteltes 11. Studioalbum über Napalm Records veröffentlichen. Die 1996 gegründete Band gilt als eine der kontroversesten und musikalisch brillantesten Bands der Black Metal-Szene.
Auf ihrem elften Werk präsentieren sie sich noch düsterer und brutaler als je zuvor. Laut eigener Aussage wird Shining ”eine abwärts gerichtete Reise in Stereo sein, die die Welt in eine hypnotisierende, unentrinnbare Dunkelheit tüncht”.

Auch wenn die musikalischen Einflüsse hauptsächlich im Black Metal liegen, lässt sich die Band um Mastermind Niklas Kvarforth nicht auf ein Genre alleine festlegen. SHINING verbinden auf unvergleichliche Weise Einflüsse aus verschiedenen Stilen wie Klassik, Jazz und Progressive Rock, um eine düstere Stimmung, schmerzende Wunden und tiefe Leere klanglich darzustellen. Themen wie Selbstzerstörung, Selbstmord und Gewalt spielen eine wichtige Rolle in der Musik der Band. Im Laufe von zehn Studioalben, darunter Meisterwerke wie das legendäre V. Halmstad und Redefining Darkness, haben SHINING sich eine große Fangemeinde erspielt, die in den Bann des musikalischen Genies und der exzentrischen Art von Niklas Kvarforth gezogen wurde.

Das nunmehr 20. Studioalbum der erfolgreichsten deutschen Art- & Progressive Rockband ELOY. Es ist zugleich das 3. Album einer einzigartigen, vom Band- Mastermind Frank Bornemann als Rock Opera gestalteten Trilogie über das Leben und Schicksal der französischen Nationalheldin und Heiligen Jeanne d´Arc.
Bereits die beiden ersten Alben mit dem Titel „The Vision, the Sword and the Pyre, Part 1 & 2“, auf denen sich diverse illustre Künstler (u.a. Alice Merton) auf der Gästeliste befinden, wurden nicht nur durchweg positiv rezensiert, und erreichten hohe Chartsplatzierungen, sondern fanden auch aufgrund ihrer auf profunden Kenntnissen basierenden Umsetzung in allen historischen Details auf kultureller Ebene viel Beachtung.


Mit „Echoes from the Past” legt nun der Autor nochmal nach, und lässt den durch die Handlung der ersten beiden Alben führenden Protagonisten und Waffengefährten von Jeanne d´Arc, Jean de Metz, die aufwühlenden Ereignisse der Vergangenheit auf sehr emotionale Weise reflektieren.


Musikalisch entstand dadurch ein Werk, bei dem sich sensible und atmosphärische Passagen mit gewaltigen, dramaturgisch geprägten Klangwogen abwechseln, die den ELOY-Fan sicherlich an frühere Konzept-Werke der Band erinnern werden.


Diese Melange ist aber gemäß Frank Bornemann, der sich bei dieser Produktion erneut mit Veränderungen im Line up konfrontiert sah, voll beabsichtigt. Obwohl es sich bzgl. seiner musikalischen Elemente bestens in die Trilogie integriert, ließ es bei seiner Entstehung offensichtlich doch viel Spielraum für künstlerische Momente, die man nicht erwartet, aber die sich außerordentlich prägend für das Album auswirken, welches wieder einmal einzigartig ist.

Melbourne band, Floodlights release their second album Painting Of My Time physically in the UK on September 15th after an initial digital release on April 21.

Painting of My Time encapsulates the sonic and personal progression of the group, masterfully showcasing the signature, evocative lyricism that the band is known for. It’s a journey of observations, reshaping views and identity, elaborating on themes of personal turbulence, self-exploration, and the Australian landscape as a form of escapism.

Alex Silvi also known as Alien Signal is an Italian composer who profoundly tasted the creation and evolution of electronic dance music. He grew his music interest during the late 80s in Belgium under the strong ascendancy of key venues such as La Rocca, Boccaccio, and Fuse. Consequently moving to Rome in the early 90s where the techno scene was flourishing. In 1992 released on Upland Recordings, managed by S.Paganelli author of Defcon 5 And Altitude, the album "Alien Signal" - "The Search Begins" including the track called "Atomic", which very soon became one of the anthems for the Roman techno hood of that time. Superluminal Recordings is honored to guide you through trance-progressive themes of evangelical nostalgia. "Circularity" induces inner meditation due to melancholic strings and slow-descending ethereal scenarios, fresh-tasting melodies blended into soft-decaying instrumental charm. All compositions have been re-collected from an early 90s Alien Signal archive.

Seminal early '90s UK business right here from Frontier Man, remastered and reissued with brand new remixes from Monstergetdown and Fantastic Man.

Landing on the mighty Hooj Choons in 1992, 'Express It Thru The Dance' is a real snapshot into the landscape of club culture in the UK at the time. The Skank Mix blends elements of rave, breakbeat and progressive house with that rough and ready, heavyweight low-end. Ramping up the levels, the Techno mix is a furiously paced, acid laced powerhouse.

On remix duties, Monstergetdown hits hard with a rave inspired, techy groove interpretation, whilst Fantastic Man heads down the wormhole with a trademark, trance-leaning techno take on this classic.

Toronto-based producer and DJ Ciel is renowned for a style of dancefloor material that’s as heady as it is visceral. The Xi’an-born artist’s ascendant profile has seen her cutting- edge and club-ready EPs released on UK labels Peach Discs and Coastal Haze, as well as Stateside imprints Spectral Sound and Mister Saturday Night.

As a member of the renowned collective Discwoman and the creator of femme-forward party Work in Progress Ciel’s thoughtful narratives are clear, running in parallel to the perception-altering sounds that are consistently woven deeply into her wide-ranging sets, beloved mixes and inventive collaborations. Now the Parallel Minds label co- founder is crystallising her imaginative and omnivorous sound with her !K7 Records debut, ORLANDO.

Written during her emergence from an uncharacteristic bout of writers’ block, the three original tracks of Orlando chart a return to the musical self, spurred along by a cinephile’s embrace of film, a love of classic literature, and a curiosity for the oddest corners of popular culture. “SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE” might share a name with the episodic series, but is rather a nuanced critique of the modern rite of union, moving through structured chapters, and mirroring the un-static nature of longtime love.Inspired by Virginia Woolf’s radical novel, and its superphysical protagonist, “ORLANDO” considers the cult literary figure who lived from the renaissance to the modern age, and embodies both sides of the sex binary.

The thrown sounds and aural illusions of “EL CALIFA” create the effect of a beckoning, beguiling psychedelic experience. To complete the EP, Ali Berger, Ciel’s recent collaborator on the Jacktone Records’ release Damn Skippy! repurposes the mind-bending flourishes of “El Califa” into a noodly and spacious deep house production, replete with pillowy, gauzy pads.

Following nearly 20 years of working together as a trio, and numerous cross-collaborations in different configuration between them, Ideologic Organ presents Placelessness, the debut full-length by Chris Abrahams, Oren Ambarchi, and Robbie Avenaim, comprising two long-form works at juncture of ambient music, minimalism, rigorous experimentalism and improvisation, and machine music. Having carved distinct pathways across a diverse number of musical idioms for decades, Chris Abrahams, Oren Ambarchi, and Robbie Avenaim are each, respectively, among the most noteworthy and groundbreaking figures to have emerged from Australia's thriving experimental music scene. Ambarchi and Avenaim first encountered Abrahams when seeing the Necks - the project that has served as the primary vehicle for his singular approach to the piano since its founding in 1987 - together during the late 1980s, not long after having met in Sydney's underground music community. The pair's collaborations date back more than 35 years, criss-crossing Ambarchi's pioneering solo and ensemble work for guitar and Avenaim's visionary efforts for SARPS (Semi Automated Robotic Percussion System), robotic and kinetic extensions to his drum kit. In 2004, fate brought the three together in a trio performance at the What Is Music? Festival, the annual touring showcase of experimental music founded and run by Ambarchi and Avenaim between 1994-2012. For the nearly two decades since, Abrahams, Ambarchi, and Avenaim have intermittently reformed in exclusively live contexts, in Australia and abroad, cultivating and refining the fertile ground first tilled in that early meeting. Placelessness is the first album to present this remarkable trio's efforts in recorded form. Placelessness is the joining of three highly individualised streams, working in perfect harmony; the point at which friendship, mutual respect, and decades of creative exploration produce a singular spectrum of sound. Featuring Abrahams on piano, Ambarchi on guitar, and Avenaim on drums, the album's two sides draw on each artist's enduring dedication to long-form composition. Its two pieces, Placelessness I and Placelessness II, initially began as a single, 40 minute work, before being divided and reworked into distinct, complimentary gestures for the corresponding sides of the LP. Beginning with restrained clusters of reverberant piano tones, Placelessness I progresses at an almost glacial pace, with Abrahams' interventions increasing met by sparse responses, darting within vast ambiences, on guitar and percussion by Ambarchi and Avenaim. Remarkably conversational within its convergences of tonal, rhythmic, and textural abstraction, over the work's duration a progressive sense of tension unfurls and contracts, refusing release, as each of the ensemble's members contribute to an increasingly tangled sense of density at its resolve. While an entirely autonomous work, Placelessness II rapidly realises a distillation of the energy hinted at across the length of its predecessor. Following a luring passage of harmonious calm, Abrahams' launches into shimmering lines of repeating arpeggios, complimented at each escalation of tempo by Avenaim's machine gun fire percussion work and Ambarchi's masterful delivery of tonality and texture, as the trio collectively generate dense sheets of pointillistic ambience within which individual identity is almost lost, before slowly unspooling into unexpected abstractions and dissonances that deftly intervene with the work's inner logic and calm. What could easily be termed a maximalist take on Minimalism, Placelessness is a masterstroke of contemporary, real time composition, that blurs the boundaries between ambient music, experimentalism, free improvisation, and machine music. Drawing on Chris Abrahams, Oren Ambarchi, and Robbie Avenaim's decades of respective solo and collaborative practice, and the culmination of nearly twenty years of working together as a trio, it's two durational pieces - Placelessness I and Placelessness II - take form with a startling sense of effortlessness and grace, neither shying away from explicit beauty or rigorously tension within their forms.

This is the first ever solo album from the legendary cult singer Attila Csihar, known for his work in Mayhem, SUNN O))), Plasma Pool and Tormentor. For this album Attila traveled to the Monolith of Baalbek archeological site in Lebanon and conducted two sessions. The first was an all night session situated directly across from the massive trillion stones of the Temple of Jupiter. For the second session he recorded directly on one of the 900 tons trillions a few km from the temple site. A work in progress for ten years, I am deeply honoured to have the chance to present Attila's work on Ideologic Organ. He has continued to be an inspiration of what is possible to surprise and develop within the extreme sides of music, in a radical and intelligent way. To say he has been a fundamental inspiration of art music creation is an understatement.

Structured chaos- perhaps the most fail-safe description of the ins and outs of being an artist. Between the peculiar highs and all too relatable lows, chaos follows art like houses in motion; all lofty ambitions, and fast-paced progress. For Brighton’s Porchlight, chaos, and the art of being a band, in all its complex commodities, is nothing more than mere childsplay, in the grand scheme of lawless artistry.

Loosely inspired by tales of small-town rural England- cottage villages with dark exteriors, ‘Wives Tales & Hymns of the Earth’ as a whole, is the outcome of five individual tales coming together to form a conceptually emphasised entity to end all conceptually emphasised entities. Completed by the poetic brood of ‘Blue Chalk’, the jagged anxieties of ‘Spin Doctor’ and Porchlight aficionado familiarities of opening track ‘From Monday’, in just short of twenty minutes ‘Wives Tales & Hymns of the Earth’ perfectly captures the sweeping emotions of a debut; a soul-stirring, ear-pounding documentation of a group taking their first steps into a whole new unknown of their own fine-crafted design.

Despite the name, the band does not perform exclusively in trio formation, but expands the lineup with illustrious guests of the jazz genre. In the past AMC Trio has collaborated with Philip Catherine, Bill Evans, Ulf Wakenius, Mark Whitfield, Michael Patches Stewart and many others, including the guest on 'Following the Light' Randy Brecker.

The AMC Trio band has been around for about twenty years and consists of pianist Peter Adamkovic, bassist Martin Marincak and drummer Stanislav Cvanciger. It has its musical foundations in mainstream jazz but over the years has managed to develop its very own musical sound and style. The band incorporates many self-experienced stories and emotions in their compositions.

Although their music is influenced by Slovak music, it goes beyond the usual jazz progressions and touches on a number of diverse genres. For example, the wide range of melodies is inspired by popular and classical music, melodies from Eastern Slovak folk music, nature, literature and spirituality.

Formed in 1968, British band Yes belongs to the giants of progressive
rock/artrock. “Magnification” is their 2nd album with a full symphony orchestra. Recorded without a keyboardist, the album features a 60-piece orchestra conducted by Larry Group . Furthermore, it is the only album in the band’s history involving only four members. Now available via earMUSIC as heavyweight double vinyl gatefold edition.

Recorded in May 2004, the classic Yes line up - Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman and Alan White, join forces once again to celebrate their historic 35 years, creating music and memories together. This magical show features songs spanning their career, including the classics “Roundabout”, “Starship Trooper”, “I’ve Seen All Good People”, “Owner Of A Lonely Heart” and many more! For the first time ever, this concert will be made available on vinyl and truly be a wonderful gem in every progressive rock fan’s music collection.

Superb mental Tribe, progressive and twirling in a deep story telling. The EP instals superb ambiances all along these tunes... Label visual by EXP EXP is totally in the mood of the music : sound system chilling time....

Repress

Superb mystical-acid ambiance with the first tune from Sparks.
Bennou then brings a minimal and mental evolutive tune with a special kick and an acid surrounding ambiance. Powerfull.

The flip opens with Win and "The Message"... Supa Dark and heavy at the hardcore Frontier, with a mental progressive structure... heavy ambiance :-/
The Finish comes with Doodax & TKC : this time for sure a Doom pure tune : Haunted melody with bold 156 BPM Kick.

Meshell Ndegeocello grooved jetzt bei Blue Note Records!

Die GRAMMY-prämierte Multiinstrumentalistin, Sängerin und Songwriterin gibt ihr Blue-Note-Debüt mit einem vielschichtigen Funk-Jazz-Album, das den Beginn eines neuen Kapitels in ihrer Karriere markiert.

Nach ihrem Coverversionen-Album „Ventriloquism“ (2018) kehrt Meshell jetzt mit 100% neuem, eigenem Material zurück, das ein breites Spektrum ihrer musikalischen Wurzeln abdeckt. „The Omnichord Real Book“ wurde von Josh Johnson produziert und präsentiert eine vielseitige Familie von Gastkünstlern, darunter Jason Moran, Ambrose Akinmusire, Joel Ross, Jeff Parker, Brandee Younger, Julius Rodriguez, Mark Guiliana, Cory Henry, Joan As Police Woman, Thandiswa und andere.

teely Dan's gold-selling third studio album Pretzel Logic, charted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and restored the group's radio presence with the single "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," which became the biggest pop hit of their career and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The 1974 album was produced by Gary Katz and was written primarily by Walter Becker (bass) and bandleader Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards). The album marked the beginning of Becker and Fagen's roles as Steely Dan's principal members.

They enlisted prominent Los Angeles-based studio musicians to record Pretzel Logic, but used them only for occasional overdubs, except for drums, where founding drummer Jim Hodder was reduced to a backing singer, replaced by Jim Gordon and Jeff Porcaro on the drum kit for all of the songs on the album. Steely Dan's Jeff "Skunk" Baxter played pedal steel guitar and hand drums.

Pretzel Logic has shorter songs and fewer instrumental jams than the group's 1973 album Countdown to Ecstasy. Steely Dan considered it the band's attempt at complete musical statements within the three-minute pop-song format. The album's music is characterized by harmonies, counter-melodies, and bop phrasing. It also relies often on straightforward pop influences. The syncopated piano line that opens "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" develops into a pop melody, and the title track transitions from a blues song to a jazzy chorus.

Other standout tracks include "Any Major Dude Will Tell You," a reflective ballad with lush harmonies, and "Parker's Band," a playful ode to the jazz great Charlie Parker.

Lyrically, the album explores themes of nostalgia, lost love, and the struggles of the creative process. In "Barrytown," the band reflects on their early days as struggling musicians, while in "Through with Buzz," they offer a biting critique of the music industry and the pressure to conform to commercial expectations.

One of the defining characteristics of Pretzel Logic is its use of unusual chord progressions and unexpected musical twists and turns. The band's intricate arrangements and skilled musicianship are on full display throughout the album.

Rolling Stone praised the album, calling Steely Dan the "most improbable hit-singles band to emerge in ages."

"When the band doesn't undulate to samba rhythms (as it did on 'Do It Again,' its first Top Ten single), it pushes itself to a full gallop (as it did on 'Reelin' in the Years,' its second). These two rhythmic preferences persist and sometimes intermingle, as on 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number,' which jumps in mid-chorus from 'Hernando's Hideaway' into 'Honky Tonk Women.' Great transition." — the review said.

AllMusic gave the album 5 stars, with reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine noting that "instead of relying on easy hooks, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen assembled their most complex and cynical set of songs to date." Dense with harmonics, countermelodies, and bop phrasing, Pretzel Logic is vibrant with unpredictable musical juxtapositions and snide, but very funny, wordplay.

The album's cover photo featuring a New York pretzel vendor was taken by Raeanne Rubenstein, a photographer of musicians and Hollywood celebrities. She shot the photo on the west side of Fifth Avenue and 79th Street, just above the 79th Street Transverse (the road through Central Park), at the park entrance called "Miners' Gate."

After a brief battle with esophageal cancer, Walter Becker died on September 3, 2017 at the age of 67. Steely Dan has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2001. VH1 ranked Steely Dan at No. 82 on their list of the 100 Greatest Musical Artists of All Time. Rolling Stone ranked them No. 15 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.

This stereo UHQR reissue will be limited to 20,000 copies, with gold foil individually numbered jackets, housed in a premium slipcase with a wooden dowel spine.

Overall, Pretzel Logic is a standout album in Steely Dan's discography. The album's blend of catchy hooks, complex arrangements, and thoughtful lyrics has made it a favorite among fans of classic rock and pop music.

Remastered for its 10th Anniversary, the newly cut vinyl edition of Ripely Pine features the bonus track “Up In The Rafters,” long a live favorite that really should have been on the album in the first place. More than anything, Aly Spaltro has 20,000 second-hand DVDs to thank for her first album. Despite being recorded at a proper studio in her recently adopted home of Brooklyn, Ripely Pine showcases songs conceived during her tenure at Bart’s & Greg’s DVD Explosion in Brunswick, Maine. Little did customers know, the same store they’d drop off their Transformers movies was providing the ideal four-year cocoon for the development of a major musical talent. Spaltro worked the 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM shift. Each night, after locking up, she’d walk past Drama and Horror, pull out her music gear from behind a wall of movies, and write and record songs until morning broke. She did this every day, drawing strength from the monotony of her routine and testing out multiple techniques, approaches and instrumentation. Anger, confusion, love, happiness and sadness reigned, and the songs ran rampant, with little form or structure. Isolated for those many hours, Spaltro let melodies morph together, break apart and pair up. This is how she taught herself to write music and sing. Taking the name Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, Spaltro became one of the most beloved musicians in Portland. Her live shows were unhinged, as melodies followed an internal logic only apparent to Spaltro herself. She sang and played guitar, and the songs offered a vivid yet brief snapshot of her expansive world. At 23, with years of writing and performing music already under her belt, she ventured to the next milestone—recording an album. This would be the first time she did so in a professional studio and the first time she shared the process with anyone else. Luckily, she met Nadim Issa at Let ’Em Music in Brooklyn. He was taken enough by her abilities to dedicate nine full months toward the recording of Ripely Pine, and she with his producing abilities to ease comfortably into making him a part of her recording process. She wrote everything—all the songs, all the arrangements. And the two of them assembled an album that finally fit what existed in Spaltro’s mind. Keeping the songs’ stark rawness, the record is a pure representation of her sound. Ripely Pine shouts the introduction of a new talent from every groove. These recordings come as close as possible to conveying the intense majesty of her live shows, and, much like those performances, a narrative breathes through the record’s progression. The album opens with urgency and anger, settles into reconciliation and reciprocation, and ultimately reaches toward resolution, realizing infatuation leads to a loss of self; instead, embracing one’s own strengths is the most powerful thing of all.

Toying with the familiar but not afraid to break with expectations, AVEM presents a versatile range of works that make up his debut album.

Dream State was largely written and produced in times of the pandemic, specifically during lockdown periods — a context that grants the album an air of melancholic isolation. Offering seven songs on a double LP, it marks the collective imprint LOKD’s vinyl premiere. Merging sounds of Electronica, House and Techno, LOKDLP001 finds its place neatly outside of common categories.

In the past years, the Swiss DJ, producer and live act has made a name for himself with a steadily growing catalogue: not only through a handful of EPs, but also by releasing countless singles, remix- es and live recordings. In autumn of 2023, the Basel– based artist now reveals his first studio album.

Instrumentation ranges from studio percussion re- cordings, synthesizer & drum machine classics, all the way to ethereal piano and vocal performances; all performed and recorded by the artist himself.

Familiar structures of House and Techno are introduced, only to be broken again by gleam- ing twists and turns. A focus on percussion is ap- parent throughout the album, be it in the dynamic texture of drum recordings or in the evolving break- beat rhythms of a guiding bass drum.

Dream State tells an ephemeral tale of the uncertain, treading through an unique territory of opposites — from rapid progression to outright hypnosis, from weightless yearning all the way to euphoric catharsis.

Raw Energy by JD Twitch showing Petersen's Trance (Not Trance) the way to the dancefloor.
Synths and sitars for eternal bliss on the flipside. Another pin glowing!

Back in 2017, Basso delved into his micro-press cassette collection to treat us to the first retrospective of kosmische wizard Trance. Spanning both the bucolic and galactic, ‚Tapes' (GBR010) suspended time and space, enveloping us in the nebulous beauty of Jürgen Petersen's misty ambience.

Among the appreciative audience for this mind expanding release was one JD Twitch aka Keith McIvor, one half of the mighty Optimo. Keith's vision of remixing Jurgen's ‚Purification' for the club was embraced by both the artist and the label guy with glowing eyes. Charting a course through progressive house, ambient techno and the weirder bits of the solar system, McIvor combines the celestial synthesis of the original with some tough and tracky drum programming, turning the intensity up to 11 in pursuit of early morning ascension. A sensitive arrangement allows space for Peterson's waveforms to work their magic, while laser fire and additional fx abuse unlock evolutionary abilities buried deep in your unconscious mind.
The previously unreleased, largely unheard ‚Contemplation' was originally intended to feature on the ‚Tapes' compilation, but fell off the edge of that flat Earth thanks to its maximal runtime. Too good to remain a secret, this crepuscular creation enjoys the entirety of the B-side, drifting through the eons via meditative electronics, delicate sitar and a touch of tapey flutter.
Embrace the almost 40 year old tape's flaws and imperfections that could not be restorated and dive into the immersive and unparalleled.
This is music for higher beings.

Timechild ist zurück mit ihrem lang erwarteten zweiten Album "Blossom & Plague", das am 1. September 2023 weltweit über Mighty Music veröffentlicht wird. Die Vision dieses Albums ist es, zu zeigen, wie Heavy Rock auch im Jahr 2023 noch herausfordern und überraschen kann.

Der schwere und dynamische Sound und die Texte der dänischen Band haben sich auf diesem Album in eine progressivere und dunklere Richtung entwickelt. Obwohl das Fundament des Sounds der Band eindeutig von den Giganten der Vergangenheit gelegt wurde, wird die Inspiration sowohl durch die Zeit als auch durch die Genres gezogen. Genau diese Möglichkeit, in die vergangenen Jahrzehnte der Musikgeschichte einzutauchen und dadurch ihren eigenen Sound zu definieren, war ein wichtiger Teil des Songwriting- und Aufnahmeprozesses.

Das Artwork wurde von Travis Smith (Opeth, Megadeth, Katatonia, Avenged Sevenfold) entwickelt, der Timechild dabei half, die perfekte visuelle Darstellung der Platte zu erreichen.

Produziert, gemischt und gemastert wurde das Album erneut von Soren Andersen (Glenn Hughes, Phil Campbell, Jesper Binzer). Mit seiner großen Erfahrung in diesem Genre, sowohl als Produzent als auch als Musiker, war Soren eine natürliche Wahl, als es darum ging, die neuen Visionen der Band zum Leben zu erwecken. Das Ergebnis sind acht starke und einzigartige Tracks, die die dynamische Bandbreite und die künstlerischen Visionen der Band aufzeigen.

Originally released on may 29, 1969, Crosby, Stills and Nash remains one of rock 'n' roll's most impressive debuts. It was big news in 1969 when former key members of the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and the Hollies - three of the finest bands of the '60s - splintered off to form their own trio. Despite their already-proven talents, few could have imagined the gossamer vocal blend that would become the trademark of supergroup Crosby, Stills and Nash. The band's debut effectively provided the soundtrack to the summer of '69. For his part, Steve Stills keeps exploring the progressive folk-rock sound that he'd pioneered with Buffalo Springfield; signature tune Suite: Judy Blue Eyes is an expansive, multi-section affair that makes full use of the group's vocal skills. Fresh from the Hollies, Graham Nash adds an accessible pop sensibility, epitomized by the effervescent ditty Marrakesh Express. David Crosby, always the wild card in the Byrds, here adds rough edges and flashes of mystery with his cutting protest rocker Long Time Gone and the exquisite art-folk of Guinnevere. With this kind of firepower under its belt, it's no wonder csn quickly became one of the biggest groups of their era.

Long festering on the West Coast, Frankie and the Witch Fingers have carved out a niche that’s equal parts molten tar pit teardown and end-stage anxious careen. As they wind out of the stoned-ape psychedelics of their 2020 opus Monsters Eating People Eating Monsters… their sound, over a series of singles, has begun to thicken and throb. It’s coalesced into a darker strain that ingests the explosive impulses of R&B, the rhythmic insistence of 70’s German Progressives, and the elasticity of funk fusionists alike. They weld their arsenal of influences to a chassis of nail-bitten bombast. On the upcoming Data Doom the band hurtles the listener head first into the wood-chipper of technological dystopia, systemic rot, creeping fascism, the military-industrial profit mill, and a near-constant erosion of humanity that peels away the soul bit by bit. With a fuse lit by these modern-day monstrosities the band seeks to find salvation through a thousand watt wake-up of rock n’ roll exfoliation.

What started as a one off project for a bit of fun on the Fuzzbrain Records Compilation LP in 2019, quickly mutated into a fully fledged band made up of four UK heads with plenty under their collective belts: Ben Woolf (Blind Authority, Lawful Killing, Frame Of Mind, Stages in Faith, Layback), Bobby Cole (The Annihilated, Churchgoers), Jon Osbourne (Mastermind), and Ollie Hudd (Fortbragg Zine). When QC heard this ‘demo’ it was so in your face we just knew we had to put it on wax, because this blend of Krackdown and Outburst era NYHC with a still distinct London hardcore sound will blow your fuckin’ face off! Live expect some crazy energy and antics that’s hard as nails. Who else is gonna do a hardcore version of the James Bond theme? Stay warned, friends.

Comprised of two songs that build on OM’s use of cyclical rhythm, riff, and vocal intonation, the duo’s album Conference of the Birds blends metal, chant, drone, dub, and psychedelia. The band’s lyrics expound upon the structure of the universe, potentiality, and freedom from thephysical body. The second album from OM: comprised of two songs that build on om's use of cyclical rhythm, riff, and vocal intonation, the duo's new album "conference of the birds" blends metal, chant, drone, dub, and psychedelia. the band's lyrics expound upon the structure of the universe, potentiality, and freedom from the physical body. engineered by billy anderson and produced by the band, conference of the birds progresses beyond their debut, "variations on a theme", with more fully realized songwriting and production. om is al cisneros and chris hakius, rhythm section of legendary sludge and stoner rock pioneers, sleep

Big reissue for the first release of VIL Records.

Originally released in 1993, 4 banging tracks from the past but still contemporary crossing genres between House, Progressive House and Trance.

2024 BLACK VINYL REPRESS.
One can hardly imagine the genre-busting, culture-crossing musical magic of Outkast, Prince, Erykah Badu, Rick James, The Roots, or even the early Red Hot Chili Peppers without the influence of R&B pioneer Betty Davis. Her style of raw and revelatory punk-funk defies any notions that women can’t be visionaries in the worlds of rock and pop. In recent years, rappers from Ice Cube to Talib Kweli to Ludacris have rhymed over her intensely strong but sensual music.

There is one testimonial about Betty Davis that is universal: she was a woman ahead of her time. In our contemporary moment, this may not be as self-evident as it was thirty years ago – we live in an age that’s been profoundly changed by flamboyant flaunting of female sexuality: from Parlet to Madonna, Lil Kim to Kelis. Yet, back in 1973 when Betty Davis first showed up in her silver go-go boots, dazzling smile and towering Afro, who could you possibly have compared her to? Marva Whitney had the voice but not the independence. Labelle wouldn’t get sexy with their “Lady Marmalade” for another year while Millie Jackson wasn’t “Feelin’ Bitchy” until 1977. Even Tina Turner, the most obvious predecessor to Betty’s fierce style wasn’t completely out of Ike’s shadow until later in the decade.

Ms. Davis’s unique story, still sadly mostly unknown, is unlike any other in popular music. Betty wrote the song “Uptown” for the Chambers Brothers before marrying Miles Davis in the late ‘60s, influencing him with psychedelic rock, and introducing him to Jimi Hendrix — personally inspiring the classic album ’Bitches Brew.’

But her songwriting ability was way ahead of its time as well. Betty not only wrote every song she ever recorded and produced every album after her first, but the young woman penned the tunes that got The Commodores signed to Motown. The Detroit label soon came calling, pitching a Motown songwriting deal, which Betty turned down. Motown wanted to own everything. Heading to the UK, Marc Bolan of T. Rex urged the creative dynamo to start writing for herself. A common thread throughout Betty’s career would be her unbending Do-It-Yourself ethic, which made her quickly turn down anyone who didn’t fit with the vision. She would eventually say no to Eric Clapton as her album producer, seeing him as too banal.

In 1973, Davis would finally kick off her cosmic career with an amazingly progressive hard funk and sweet soul self-titled debut. Davis showcased her fiercely unique talent and features such gems as “If I’m In Luck I Might Get Picked Up” and “Game Is My Middle Name.” The album Betty Davis was recorded with Sly & The Family Stone’s rhythm section, sharply produced by Sly Stone drummer Greg Errico, and featured backing vocals from Sylvester and the Pointer Sisters.

Zumindest äußerlich scheint The Grape in Ventura, Kalifornien, nur ein weiteres anonymes Gebäude in einer Reihe von Restaurants und Geschäften zu sein. Doch im Sommer 2022 sollte dieser einnehmende Veranstaltungsort das lang erwartete Live-Debüt einer der beeindruckendsten Partnerschaften in der Welt des progressiven Metals und der Jazz-Fusion beherbergen. Auf der rechten Seite der Bühne stand Derek Sherinian, der seine betörenden Keyboard-Parts mit eleganter Souveränität vortrug und dabei in gefühlvoller Konzentration versunken war. Links auf der Bühne, fast verloren hinter seinem Schlagzeug, saß der renommierte Schlagzeuger Simon Phillips, dessen hypnotisierende, fliegende Drumsticks gelegentlich zwischen Becken und Toms zu sehen waren. Diese tadellose Partnerschaft wurde durch den ausgefeilten Bass von Ric Fierabracci unterstützt, wobei die unerbittliche, verspielte Double-Neck-Gitarre von Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal ein weiteres melodisches Furnier hinzufügte. Vor 500 dankbaren Fans aufgeführt, hätte der Uneingeweihte, der am Veranstaltungsort vorbeikommt, nicht ahnen können, dass dies eine musikalische Live-Vereinigung war, die zwei Jahrzehnte lang in der Entwicklung war. Sherinian hatte seinen Ruf durch Auftritte mit Bands wie Kiss und Alice Cooper sowie durch seine Zeit bei den Progressive-Metal-Giganten Dream Theater gefestigt. Phillips' Liste der Credits war immens und umfasste die Zusammenarbeit mit Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, Joe Satriani und The Who. Das Live-Album ist erhältlich als schwarzes 180g schweres Vinyl inklusive 2-seitigem Einleger sowie als Ltd. CD Digipak mit 26-seitigem Booklet.

After Miss Machine, Dillinger Escape Plan fans were divided. Many of the folks who were attached to the screaming mathematical metal of Calculating Infinity bailed on the band, disapproving of the experimental musical direction and the meathead appearance of new singer/screamer Greg Puciato. Open-minded listeners were excited about the progressive journey they were taking and many critics hailed the group as a true innovator of metalcore. Ire Works succeeds in many of the same ways that their previous album did, while branching out creatively. They continue to toy with technical metal, blistering hardcore, jazz breaks, and post-punk, but here they evolve again by adding more twists and turns with additional electronic elements. While the merging of too many styles in hardcore can make for a convoluted result (see Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled release), the added instruments and genre changeups enhance the result rather than acting as ornamental distractions. Edgy Aphex Twin-style drill'n'bass drum breaks and stretched and squeezed electro blips feel strangely at home next to the psychotic time-signature changes and manic riffs, especially on the tracks "Sick on Sunday," "Dead as History," and "When Acting as a Wave." Violins, pianos, and trumpets sit nicely in the mix, and the group's willingness to take chances leads to stunning artistic endeavors rather than stale attempts at crossing genres just for the sake of being clever. Original vocalist Dimitri Minakakis makes an appearance, as does Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds, but the most notable inclusion is drummer Gil Sharone, who proves himself an expert at picking up the slack after the departure of founding member Chris Pennie to play in Coheed and Cambria. Undoubtedly, this act added anger to fuel the fire of their heavier numbers. "82588," "Fix Your Face," and "Party Smasher" are as wicked and manic as their most difficult earlier stuff; conversely, the melodic hooks and falsetto of "Black Bubblegum" and the watery ambience of "Mouth of Ghosts" balance out the album nicely. It can be inaccessible and terrifying all at once, but in a genre overly saturated with formulaic groups, Ire Works is a true standout. If DEP aren't careful and continue down this innovative path, they could easily be labeled the Radiohead of metalcore

The 21-track "Complete and Total Hell" double LP features MIDNIGHT's pre-"Satanic Royalty" catalog. Back in print for the collectors of sleazy night dwelling Black Rock N’ Roll. Don't miss out on your chance to add to your collection, grab these classic tracks for the first time. NO CLEAN SINGIN: "Complete and Total Hell flows well as an album, even though it is a compilation. “Funeral Bell” opens with some Bathory-style atmosphere, and then the record pumps out track after track of chunky and distorted riffs. The early tracks sound like they were recorded straight to cassette in a basement over a boombox—which they may have been. The raw recording works in their favor since the songs emerge from simple building blocks. As the record progresses you can actually hear more and more money flow into Midnight’s recording—the guitar solos clear up, the bass rumbles deeper, until the music breaks into jangly boogie rock on “Berlin is Burning,” over an hour later. Yes, an hour"

The UK’s cosmic, psychedelic-funk ensemble issue their first album on maverick producer Madlib’s label, Madlib Invazion. The Heliocentrics’ albums are all confounding pieces of work. Drawing equally from the funk universe of James Brown, the disorienting asymmetry of Sun Ra, the cinematic scope of Ennio Morricone, the sublime fusion of David Axelrod, Pierre Henry’s turned-on musique concrète, and Can’s beat-heavy Krautrock, they have – regardless of the label on which they’ve released their music - pointed the way towards a brand new kind of psychedelia, one that could only come from a band of accomplished musicians who were also obsessive music fans. Drummer Malcolm Catto and bassist Jake Ferguson are the Heliocentrics’ masterminds and producers, and they are obsessive weirdos in today’s musical climate, searching, progressive humans who are often out-of-time with current trends. They have been playing together for nearly two decades and their collective drive is to find an individual voice. The Heliocentrics search for it in an alternate galaxy where the orbits of funk, jazz, psychedelic, electronic, avant-garde and “ethnic” music all revolve around “The One.” With Madilb’s label Madlib Invazion for Infinity of Now, the Heliocentrics have returned to develop their epic vision of psychedelic funk, while exploring the possibilities created by their myriad influences, Latin, African, and more.