quête:20

The Pheromoans are tenants of an unruly domain. Over the last 18 years the group have evolved from garage rock primitivists to auteurs of their own curious sound; a frothy brew of loose electronics, refractory rock and humdrum musing. Their songs are mutable, capricious, unreliable narrations, often withholding as much as they reveal. Russell Walker’s understated vocal has always been the band’s unifying focus, it is wry, unsparing and wilfully honest. Walker’s lyrics are an observational tour de force, sometimes droll, yet often tipping over into unlikely pathos. With previous releases on Upset The Rhythm, Convulsive and Alter, 2024 will witness The Pheromoans return with lucky album number 13, entitled ‘Wyrd Psearch’ (out March 1st on Upset The Rhythm).
‘Wyrd Psearch’ was recorded in Lewes throughout 2023. This was undertaken by founding member James Tranmer, his keen instinct for how the band should sound shaping many of the creative decisions. Joined by new guitarist Henry Holmes, the five piece doubled down on a decidedly breezy, melodic approach. Scott Reeve’s drumming is ever brisk, whilst Daniel Bolger explores AOR peripheries on keyboard and bass. “Wyrd Psearch finds us on relatively zestful form” affirms Walker “whether it be merrily recalling the Jason Williamson / Tim Lovejoy Covid summit, or mentally bathing in the pleasures of lunch hours spent strapped to a listening post in Borders.” With The Pheromoans there is always a familiarity at play, only broken and reassembled, like a bygone sitcom gone rogue in your memory. This contributes to the group’s peculiarly British outsider perspective, one that shouts from the sidelines, but never goes unnoticed.
Subjects covered lyrically on ‘Wyrd Psearch’ include “mid-life crises, male pattern baldness, and thwarted artistic and personal ambitions” according to Walker himself. “Nothing is off limits for scrutiny, even rural arts communities” he concludes. Lead single ‘Downtown’ swings with chiming guitars and finds Walker mid-breakdown trying to persuade a loved one to accompany him into the town centre to collect controlled medication and wind back the clock to happier times. “I want to keep you in cotton wool until pay day” he confides. ‘Cropped to Death’ and ‘Father Austin’ are ruminative and more relaxed in nature, whilst ‘Twibbon Wife’ is a more energetic effort, all jabbed synth chords, circuitous basslines and rampant drum fills. ‘Faith in the Future’ similarly bounds along with reverie.
Walker claims that the album’s title is an expression of his frustration at the ubiquity of people claiming things are eerie or weird / wyrd in the present cultural milieu. The artwork for the record is designed as an actual word search too, a knowing nod to how we all grapple for meaning amongst the absurdity of each day. Leaning into ‘weird’ as a coping mechanism is not on The Pheromoans’ agenda however. This album holds little sway with the supernatural, it’s not enough. The overriding impression given by ‘Wyrd Psearch’ is of a band renewed with ideas. There’s no trouble finding the right words, they’re hitting their mark, keeping up with the commentary. ‘Wyrd Psearch’ is a document of The Pheromoans mastering their unquiet moment.

Als Mark Shelton am 27. Juli 2018 im Alter von nur 60 Jahren nach einem Auftritt von Manilla Road beim Headbangers Open Air in Brande-Hörnerkirchen starb, war der Schock in der Heavy-Metal-Underground-Gemeinde groß. Die Band löste sich auf, während 2019 auf dem Keep It True Festival eine Manilla Road-Tribute-Show zu Ehren von Mark gefeiert wurde. Fünf lange Jahre hat es gedauert, bis sich die Ex-Manilla-Road-Mitglieder Bryan Patrick (Gesang), Phil Ross (Bass) und Andreas "Neudi" Neuderth (Schlagzeug) entschlossen haben, eine neue Band zu gründen und das Erbe der Epic-Metal-Meister fortzuführen. Sie werden von Kalli Coldsmith an der Gitarre unterstützt. Der Name der Band ist Sentry und sie unterschrieben direkt nach einem ersten Lebenszeichen - einer Zwei-Track-Promo-EP (mit "Heavensent" und "Black Candles") - bei High Roller Records. Das Ergebnis ist ihr selbstbetiteltes Debütalbum, das aus sechs brandneuen Kompositionen sowie den beiden Songs der Promo-EP besteht (die CD-Ausgabe enthält einen zusätzlichen Bonustrack, "Incarnation Of Evil" von den mächtigen Candlemass). Das Material auf dem Album wurde in Kalli Coldsmiths Studio in der Nähe von Darmstadt sowie in Phils eigenem Studio in Wichita, Kansas, USA, aufgenommen.

Eines ist Sentry sehr wichtig - sie wollen nicht als Kopie von Manilla Road gesehen werden, wie Gitarrist Kalli Coldsmith unmissverständlich klarstellt: "Wir sind einfach eine andere Band mit eigenen, originellen Songs und ohne einen großen Backkatalog. Wir versuchen, für uns selbst zu stehen und unseren eigenen Stil zu finden, an dem man erkennt 'Das ist Sentry!'" Er fährt fort: "Da ich das meiste Material geschrieben habe und nie bei Manilla Road war, gehen die Songs nicht auf die Zeiten von Mark zurück. 'Heavensent' ist ein Song, der unter den Eindrücken der Mark Shelton Tribute Show im Keep It True geschrieben wurde, die für alle beteiligten Musiker und Freunde eine emotionale Achterbahnfahrt war. Dieser Song wurde also sozusagen vom Himmel geschickt. Die meisten anderen Songs waren brandneu, zusammen mit einigen alten Ideen aus meinen Riff-Kellern." Bassist Phil Ross fügt hinzu: "Diese Band würde ohne Mark nicht existieren, also kann man es natürlich in gewisser Weise als Tribut an ihn bezeichnen. Textlich gibt es viele Hommagen, die man als 'für oder an' Mark bezeichnen könnte. Wir glauben, dass ihm diese LP gefallen würde, aber wir versuchen absolut nicht, Musik 'für Mark' oder 'für Manilla-Fans' zu schreiben. Wir machen das, weil wir denken, dass wir innerhalb der Struktur dieser Band etwas Neues schaffen können, das Metal-Fans interessiert, und das schließt Manilla-Fans ein! Ich denke, jedes Mitglied hat auf eine Art und Weise zum neuen Album beigetragen, wie wir es bei anderen Aufnahmen nicht getan haben. Wir sind darauf bedacht, zu respektieren, woher wir kommen und wie wir hierher gekommen sind, aber es ist natürlich und organisch passiert. Wir haben die Band nie gegründet, um Mark 'Tribut' zu zollen."

Als Mark Shelton am 27. Juli 2018 im Alter von nur 60 Jahren nach einem Auftritt von Manilla Road beim Headbangers Open Air in Brande-Hörnerkirchen starb, war der Schock in der Heavy-Metal-Underground-Gemeinde groß. Die Band löste sich auf, während 2019 auf dem Keep It True Festival eine Manilla Road-Tribute-Show zu Ehren von Mark gefeiert wurde. Fünf lange Jahre hat es gedauert, bis sich die Ex-Manilla-Road-Mitglieder Bryan Patrick (Gesang), Phil Ross (Bass) und Andreas "Neudi" Neuderth (Schlagzeug) entschlossen haben, eine neue Band zu gründen und das Erbe der Epic-Metal-Meister fortzuführen. Sie werden von Kalli Coldsmith an der Gitarre unterstützt. Der Name der Band ist Sentry und sie unterschrieben direkt nach einem ersten Lebenszeichen - einer Zwei-Track-Promo-EP (mit "Heavensent" und "Black Candles") - bei High Roller Records. Das Ergebnis ist ihr selbstbetiteltes Debütalbum, das aus sechs brandneuen Kompositionen sowie den beiden Songs der Promo-EP besteht (die CD-Ausgabe enthält einen zusätzlichen Bonustrack, "Incarnation Of Evil" von den mächtigen Candlemass). Das Material auf dem Album wurde in Kalli Coldsmiths Studio in der Nähe von Darmstadt sowie in Phils eigenem Studio in Wichita, Kansas, USA, aufgenommen.

Eines ist Sentry sehr wichtig - sie wollen nicht als Kopie von Manilla Road gesehen werden, wie Gitarrist Kalli Coldsmith unmissverständlich klarstellt: "Wir sind einfach eine andere Band mit eigenen, originellen Songs und ohne einen großen Backkatalog. Wir versuchen, für uns selbst zu stehen und unseren eigenen Stil zu finden, an dem man erkennt 'Das ist Sentry!'" Er fährt fort: "Da ich das meiste Material geschrieben habe und nie bei Manilla Road war, gehen die Songs nicht auf die Zeiten von Mark zurück. 'Heavensent' ist ein Song, der unter den Eindrücken der Mark Shelton Tribute Show im Keep It True geschrieben wurde, die für alle beteiligten Musiker und Freunde eine emotionale Achterbahnfahrt war. Dieser Song wurde also sozusagen vom Himmel geschickt. Die meisten anderen Songs waren brandneu, zusammen mit einigen alten Ideen aus meinen Riff-Kellern." Bassist Phil Ross fügt hinzu: "Diese Band würde ohne Mark nicht existieren, also kann man es natürlich in gewisser Weise als Tribut an ihn bezeichnen. Textlich gibt es viele Hommagen, die man als 'für oder an' Mark bezeichnen könnte. Wir glauben, dass ihm diese LP gefallen würde, aber wir versuchen absolut nicht, Musik 'für Mark' oder 'für Manilla-Fans' zu schreiben. Wir machen das, weil wir denken, dass wir innerhalb der Struktur dieser Band etwas Neues schaffen können, das Metal-Fans interessiert, und das schließt Manilla-Fans ein! Ich denke, jedes Mitglied hat auf eine Art und Weise zum neuen Album beigetragen, wie wir es bei anderen Aufnahmen nicht getan haben. Wir sind darauf bedacht, zu respektieren, woher wir kommen und wie wir hierher gekommen sind, aber es ist natürlich und organisch passiert. Wir haben die Band nie gegründet, um Mark 'Tribut' zu zollen."

Die Schweiz war schon immer ein fruchtbarer Nährboden für Extreme Metal. Messiah wurden 1984 gegründet und veröffentlichten zwei bahnbrechende Alben auf Chainsaw Murder Records, "Hymn To Abramelin" im Jahr 1986 und "Extreme Cold Weather" ein Jahr später. In den frühen 1990er Jahren unterschrieben Messiah bei Karl Walterbachs Label Noise Records und veröffentlichten drei weitere Alben in voller Länge: "Choir Of Horrors" (1991), "Rotten Perish" (1992) und "Underground" (1994), bevor sie getrennte Wege gingen.

Im Jahr 2018 beschlossen Messiah, sich in der Originalbesetzung ihrer Noise Records-Alben mit Andy Kaina am Gesang, Steve Karrer am Schlagzeug, Patrick Hersche am Bass und Bandgründer R.B. Brögi an der Gitarre zu reformieren. Aufwendige Re-Issues von "Hymn To Abramelin" und "Extreme Cold Weather" erschienen auf High Roller Records, bevor 2020 ein neues Studioalbum mit dem Titel "Fracmont" veröffentlicht wurde. 2024 folgt nun endlich "Christus Hypercubus", das Opus Magnus von Messiah.

Am 4. November 2022 ereilte das Schicksal den ehemaligen Messiah-Sänger Andy Kaina, der im Alter von nur 53 Jahren an einem Herzinfarkt starb. Es war ein großer Schock für alle Beteiligten. Andys letzter Live-Auftritt mit Messiah fand am 20. November 2021 im Alten Capitol in Langenthal, Schweiz, statt. Gegen Ende des Jahres verließ Andy Messiah, weil er nach eigenen Worten "die Motivation verloren hatte, in der Band zu sein und sich auf andere Dinge im Leben konzentrieren wollte". Messiah und Andy Kaina blieben jedoch Freunde.

Messiah hatte sich aber bereits nach Andys Ausstiegsankündigung entschieden, die Band weiterzuführen. Marcus Seebach aus Chur wurde Ende 2021 der neue Messiah-Sänger. Kurze Zeit später begannen die Arbeiten an einem neuen Studioalbum. "V.O. Pulver renommierter Schweizer Plattenproduzent und derzeit auch zweiter Gitarrist bei Messiah und ich haben im Januar 2022 die Grundlagen für neue Songs geschaffen", erklärt Gitarrist und Gründungsmitglied Brögi. "Innerhalb von drei Wochen hatten V.O. und ich das gesamte neue Album geschrieben. Ich habe in dieser Zeit auch das ganze Konzept und die Texte entwickelt (bis auf einen Songtext, der von Marcus Seebach stammt). Es war wirklich eine sehr kreative Zeit."

"Wir haben es so gemacht, wie wir es immer machen", lacht Brögi, "wir haben die Songs für "Christus Hypercubus" einfach geschrieben und aufgenommen, ohne viel darüber nachzudenken, ganz spontan. Die Umstände waren dieses Mal allerdings etwas komplizierter, weil wir nicht alle zusammen im Proberaum waren, um das Material zu arrangieren. Das Schicksal schlug zu, da Steve Karrer aufgrund eines Skiunfalls sechs Monate lang nicht Schlagzeug spielen konnte. Insgesamt ist das neue Material härter und schneller als "Fracmont". Es gibt auch einen neuen Touch, der durch Marcus' Gesang entsteht, denn er ist in der Lage, diese hohen Schreie zu machen. Ich denke "Christus Hypercubus" repräsentiert unsere neue Situation sehr gut - es weht ein neuer Wind, aber wir haben nichts von den bewährten Messiah-Trademarks von früher verloren."

Hier und da tragen Songs wie das langsamere "Speedsucker Romance" oder "Christus Hypercubus" auch "progressive" Züge, was das Album interessant und frisch klingen lässt. "Das liegt wahrscheinlich daran, dass wir alle Regeln für das Arrangieren von Beats ignorieren", schmunzelt Brögi. "Wir fügen einfach verschiedene Ideen zueinander, meist angeführt von den Gitarren. Deshalb werden wir wohl auch nie einen Rockhit schreiben. Früher war es reines Chaos, heute ist es strukturierter und professioneller."

Die Schweiz war schon immer ein fruchtbarer Nährboden für Extreme Metal. Messiah wurden 1984 gegründet und veröffentlichten zwei bahnbrechende Alben auf Chainsaw Murder Records, "Hymn To Abramelin" im Jahr 1986 und "Extreme Cold Weather" ein Jahr später. In den frühen 1990er Jahren unterschrieben Messiah bei Karl Walterbachs Label Noise Records und veröffentlichten drei weitere Alben in voller Länge: "Choir Of Horrors" (1991), "Rotten Perish" (1992) und "Underground" (1994), bevor sie getrennte Wege gingen.

Im Jahr 2018 beschlossen Messiah, sich in der Originalbesetzung ihrer Noise Records-Alben mit Andy Kaina am Gesang, Steve Karrer am Schlagzeug, Patrick Hersche am Bass und Bandgründer R.B. Brögi an der Gitarre zu reformieren. Aufwendige Re-Issues von "Hymn To Abramelin" und "Extreme Cold Weather" erschienen auf High Roller Records, bevor 2020 ein neues Studioalbum mit dem Titel "Fracmont" veröffentlicht wurde. 2024 folgt nun endlich "Christus Hypercubus", das Opus Magnus von Messiah.

Am 4. November 2022 ereilte das Schicksal den ehemaligen Messiah-Sänger Andy Kaina, der im Alter von nur 53 Jahren an einem Herzinfarkt starb. Es war ein großer Schock für alle Beteiligten. Andys letzter Live-Auftritt mit Messiah fand am 20. November 2021 im Alten Capitol in Langenthal, Schweiz, statt. Gegen Ende des Jahres verließ Andy Messiah, weil er nach eigenen Worten "die Motivation verloren hatte, in der Band zu sein und sich auf andere Dinge im Leben konzentrieren wollte". Messiah und Andy Kaina blieben jedoch Freunde.

Messiah hatte sich aber bereits nach Andys Ausstiegsankündigung entschieden, die Band weiterzuführen. Marcus Seebach aus Chur wurde Ende 2021 der neue Messiah-Sänger. Kurze Zeit später begannen die Arbeiten an einem neuen Studioalbum. "V.O. Pulver renommierter Schweizer Plattenproduzent und derzeit auch zweiter Gitarrist bei Messiah und ich haben im Januar 2022 die Grundlagen für neue Songs geschaffen", erklärt Gitarrist und Gründungsmitglied Brögi. "Innerhalb von drei Wochen hatten V.O. und ich das gesamte neue Album geschrieben. Ich habe in dieser Zeit auch das ganze Konzept und die Texte entwickelt (bis auf einen Songtext, der von Marcus Seebach stammt). Es war wirklich eine sehr kreative Zeit."

"Wir haben es so gemacht, wie wir es immer machen", lacht Brögi, "wir haben die Songs für "Christus Hypercubus" einfach geschrieben und aufgenommen, ohne viel darüber nachzudenken, ganz spontan. Die Umstände waren dieses Mal allerdings etwas komplizierter, weil wir nicht alle zusammen im Proberaum waren, um das Material zu arrangieren. Das Schicksal schlug zu, da Steve Karrer aufgrund eines Skiunfalls sechs Monate lang nicht Schlagzeug spielen konnte. Insgesamt ist das neue Material härter und schneller als "Fracmont". Es gibt auch einen neuen Touch, der durch Marcus' Gesang entsteht, denn er ist in der Lage, diese hohen Schreie zu machen. Ich denke "Christus Hypercubus" repräsentiert unsere neue Situation sehr gut - es weht ein neuer Wind, aber wir haben nichts von den bewährten Messiah-Trademarks von früher verloren."

Hier und da tragen Songs wie das langsamere "Speedsucker Romance" oder "Christus Hypercubus" auch "progressive" Züge, was das Album interessant und frisch klingen lässt. "Das liegt wahrscheinlich daran, dass wir alle Regeln für das Arrangieren von Beats ignorieren", schmunzelt Brögi. "Wir fügen einfach verschiedene Ideen zueinander, meist angeführt von den Gitarren. Deshalb werden wir wohl auch nie einen Rockhit schreiben. Früher war es reines Chaos, heute ist es strukturierter und professioneller."

What the listener might encounter on this album goes all the way down to the sound of a neuron transmitting pain, beatitude or any one of the countless senses and impressions we feel on any one day of life. N E U R O is the debut album by CURA MACHINES, a new project by Daniel Lea whose tracks are at once scientific in their capturing of the morphing of body cells as well as the larger expanses of a poetic filmscape of the contemporary metropolis.

The name CURA MACHINES comes from a sign Lea saw on a trip to Ancona, Italy at an abandoned hospital: Prima E Dopo La Cura (Before and after the cure). The sound in between, of what was lost or found, transmuted in the heavily manipulated and pulsating synthesisers, is the restoration here. With a physically visceral mix by Ben Frost and soaring re-amped bass textures from Yair Elazar Glotman, the album is lush with trans-morphing apeggia that shudder, quack and soar into ashen sparks.

Back in the turn of the 20th century the poet Rilke posited that the suture patterns of fused skull plates could potentially be played by the then-new technology of the gramophone, with each of us having our own personal tonal source code or anthem etched onto our skulls. And with a track like 'Suture' we have such an embodied sound: the close-up exhumation of the neural brain casing, stitched and sewn together in fleeting pulses of whisper and alarm.
The individual is exposed and isolated, but not without the promise of succour.

Or one also has the soundtrack to the loneliness of a morose private eye – a pulp novel set in a future time of neurosis or washed out euphoric beauty. It is here in tracks such as 'Terminal Zone' or 'Inversion Layers', music that is blinking in celluloid frames. The plot could easily be a sci-fi, paranoid tale of brain emulation, transhumanist crimes against humanity itself. After all this is Lea's soundtrack to Los Angeles, the city of angels that has been captured in countless movies: the racing tracking shot of the 2nd Street Tunnel at night, the freeways spreading out in a glorious sprawl of lit up veins and arteries. The last track 'Zosa' marks out the boundary line that delineates between day and night, when the lunar strains wane, the tides subside and the city comes to life.

Die preisgekrönte Progressive-Rock-Band BIG BIG TRAIN veröffentlicht ihr 15. Studioalbum über InsideOut Music und damit das erste vollständige Album mit dem neuen Frontmann Alberto Bravin (ex-PFM). Die mit Spannung erwartete Veröffentlichung von "The Likes Of Us" folgt auf die äußerst erfolgreiche Europatournee von BIG BIG TRAIN, auf der sie 17 Konzerte in neun Ländern gaben und die mit zwei triumphalen Auftritten in der Londoner Cadogan Hall endete. Das Album ist ein atemberaubendes Werk, das alle Elemente enthält, die die Band so besonders machen, darunter fesselnde und einprägsame Arrangements und erstklassige Musik. Abgesehen von den Definitionen sind BIG BIG TRAIN ein großer Fisch im Teich ihrer Wahl. Mit ihrem Album "Common Ground" gelang der Gruppe 2021 die Rückkehr des Prog-Rock in die UK Top-40-Charts. "Big Big Train sind in erster Linie eine Rockband, aber wir sind auch eine Prog-Band", erklärt Bassist und Mitbegründer Gregory Spawton. "Wir sind uns der Traditionen, denen wir folgen, sehr bewusst; wir haben sie nie verleugnet und werden es auch nie tun. Die Tatsache, dass wir klassisch klingenden Prog zurück in die Charts bringen, ist absolut fantastisch." Auf der jüngsten Tournee der Gruppe wurden zwei Stücke aus "The Likes Of Us" - "Oblivion" und "Love Is The Light" - vorgestellt und vom Publikum begeistert aufgenommen. Während einer Flutwelle der Wiedergeburt und des Feierns wurde Bravin als Teil der Familie akzeptiert. In der Tat hat die sich ständig weiterentwickelnde Chemie der Band zu fantastischen Ergebnissen geführt. "Wir haben eine großartige Mischung von Leuten, die hier sein wollen und die Extrameile gehen, um etwas ganz Besonderes zu machen", sagt Schlagzeuger Nick D'Virgilio. "Es gibt eine große Welt an talentierten Musikern da draußen, und glücklicherweise wollen einige von ihnen mit uns abhängen."

Wo ein Krater liegt, muss es einen Vorfall gegeben haben. Etwas ist eingeschlagen oder ausgebrochen, wo jetzt Ruhe ist. 2012 spien Messer das fiebrige Debüt "Im Schwindel" in die brodelnde Begeisterung für Punk aus Deutschland und wuchsen zu einer prägenden Stimme im Post-Punk-Revival der Zehnerjahre. Was auf den letzten beiden Platten "Jalousie" (2016) und "No Future Days" (2020) noch wild wucherte, ist nun auf "Kratermusik" stärker begriffen und gibt zugleich Sicherheit für weiterführende Expeditionen. Die einzelne Idee ist jetzt schärfer konturiert als zuletzt, Kratermusik ein Album im Wortsinn: Jede Seite ein anderes Bild, eine andere Szene mit anderen Figuren, zusammengehalten von einem Einband, einer Motivwelt, einem Sound, der dieses Mal dicht, aber umso detaillierter ausfällt. An anderer Stelle lösen sich Stimmen auf: Pola Lia Levy, die lange schon eng mit der Band befreundet ist und gerade mit ihrer neuen Band Dews in den Startlöchern steht, spendet Harmonien, die im erst sachten, dann zunehmend mitreißenden "Im falschen Traum" mit dem Rest der Band verschwimmen. Im Space-Dub-Finale "Am Ende einer groszen Verwirrung" stimmt sie mit Joachim Franz Büchner in einen beherzten Singsang ein. Was hier tröstlich klingt, wirkt im vielstimmigen Spiegel zerrissen, wenn auch nicht zwingend unheimlich - sondern ähnlich faszinierend-ambivalent wie Mille Petrozza von der legendären Thrash Metal-Band Kreator, der mit einigen englischsprachigen Zeilen durch den wispernden Refrain am Ende des Wave-Epitaphs Grabeland schneiden darf. Messer bleiben also ambivalent, fragend und suchend, gerade wenn es um Krieg und Frieden oder die Zukunft des Planeten geht. Die Bewegung steckt schon im Titel: Das "Messer verwandte Wort" Krater, so Otremba, "ist vieldeutig, ein Wort, bei dem klar ist: Zu dem muss man sich verhalten. Das ist ein scharfkantiges, schroffes Wort." Im Krater steckt immer auch das Potenzial zur Explosion, im Frieden lauert der nächste Krieg. Im Vorrang des Ästhetischen ist die neue Platte aber ein typisches Messer-Album, auch in seiner gewohnten Überschreitung dessen, was Post-Punk sein kann. Vielfältiger klang diese Band nie, ihr Referenzsystem bleibt undurchschaubar. Parallel spülen die Pop-Gezeiten wieder eine (Neue) Neue Deutsche Welle an, doch Messer bleiben ihren eigenen Zyklen verpflichtet, befinden sich in ständigem Übergang: Metaphern nie ganz auflösen, Motive immer neu ausleuchten, Sounds nochmal anders aufeinander beziehen.

Faye Webster hat heute ihr neues Album “Underdressed At The Symphony” für den 01. März 2024 bei Secretly Canadian angekündigt und teilt gleichzeitig ihre neue Single “Lego Ring (feat. Lil Yachty)”.

Eine Art Unbeschwertheit, allerdings mit melancholischem Rückgrat, ist die treibende Kraft hinter dem Song, auf dem Atlanta-Multikünstler Lil Yachty zu hören ist.

Im zugehörigen Musikvideo spielen Faye und Yachty ein Videospiel, bei dem Fans die Möglichkeit haben, über diesen Link mitzuspielen.


Faye Webster - “Lego Ring (feat. Lil Yachty)” (Official Video)


Die Songs von Faye Webster sind ein direkter Draht zum menschlichen Unbewussten, und "Underdressed at the Symphony" dokumentiert, was passiert, wenn man beginnt, aus den Trümmern der alten Routinen ein neues Selbst aufzubauen. Schon ihre zuvor veröffentlichten Songs "But Not Kiss" und "Lifetime" zeigen das selten erforschte Gebiet emotionaler Intimität, in dem Verlangen und Leidenschaft im Konflikt mit Trost, Verständnis und sogar platonischer Liebe stehen. Diese Themen finden sich in “Underdressed at the Symphony” wieder, zusammen mit hyper-spezifischen Symbolen, die ein Bild von Websters Leben zeichnen, wie z.B. "eBay Purchase History" oder die Objekte, die sie bei "Lego Ring"begehrt.



“Underdressed at the Symphony” wurde mit ihrer langjährigen Band in den Sonic Ranch Studios in Texas aufgenommen und schwelgt in Experimentierfreudigkeit, Verspieltheit und Abenteuerlust. Vocoder-Momente, Schnörkel eines Orchesters, gruselige Harmonien und Synthesizer kommen zum Vorschein, ohne die räumliche Qualität von Websters früherer Musik zu beeinträchtigen, sodass ihre Texte nach wie vor genügend Raum haben, mit zusätzlichen Bedeutungsebenen an die Oberfläche sprudeln. Matt „Pistol“ Stoessels Pedal Steel-Klänge sorgen für genau den richtigen Schimmer, während Nels Cline von Wilco seine unbestreitbar gefühlvollen Fingerfertigkeiten zu einer Reihe von Songs beisteuert. Das Zusammenkauern an der buchstäblichen Grenze zwischen den USA und Mexiko bot den Musiker*innen Raum zum Isolieren, Konzentrieren und Experimentieren. Alle Songs auf diesem Album sind Live-Aufnahmen, von denen einige bereits beim ersten oder zweiten Take aufgenommen wurden und Websters Talent zeigen, aus einem ganz bestimmten, scheinbar kleinen Moment eine universelle Erfahrung zu ziehen.

Faye Webster hat heute ihr neues Album “Underdressed At The Symphony” für den 01. März 2024 bei Secretly Canadian angekündigt und teilt gleichzeitig ihre neue Single “Lego Ring (feat. Lil Yachty)”.

Eine Art Unbeschwertheit, allerdings mit melancholischem Rückgrat, ist die treibende Kraft hinter dem Song, auf dem Atlanta-Multikünstler Lil Yachty zu hören ist.

Im zugehörigen Musikvideo spielen Faye und Yachty ein Videospiel, bei dem Fans die Möglichkeit haben, über diesen Link mitzuspielen.


Faye Webster - “Lego Ring (feat. Lil Yachty)” (Official Video)


Die Songs von Faye Webster sind ein direkter Draht zum menschlichen Unbewussten, und "Underdressed at the Symphony" dokumentiert, was passiert, wenn man beginnt, aus den Trümmern der alten Routinen ein neues Selbst aufzubauen. Schon ihre zuvor veröffentlichten Songs "But Not Kiss" und "Lifetime" zeigen das selten erforschte Gebiet emotionaler Intimität, in dem Verlangen und Leidenschaft im Konflikt mit Trost, Verständnis und sogar platonischer Liebe stehen. Diese Themen finden sich in “Underdressed at the Symphony” wieder, zusammen mit hyper-spezifischen Symbolen, die ein Bild von Websters Leben zeichnen, wie z.B. "eBay Purchase History" oder die Objekte, die sie bei "Lego Ring"begehrt.



“Underdressed at the Symphony” wurde mit ihrer langjährigen Band in den Sonic Ranch Studios in Texas aufgenommen und schwelgt in Experimentierfreudigkeit, Verspieltheit und Abenteuerlust. Vocoder-Momente, Schnörkel eines Orchesters, gruselige Harmonien und Synthesizer kommen zum Vorschein, ohne die räumliche Qualität von Websters früherer Musik zu beeinträchtigen, sodass ihre Texte nach wie vor genügend Raum haben, mit zusätzlichen Bedeutungsebenen an die Oberfläche sprudeln. Matt „Pistol“ Stoessels Pedal Steel-Klänge sorgen für genau den richtigen Schimmer, während Nels Cline von Wilco seine unbestreitbar gefühlvollen Fingerfertigkeiten zu einer Reihe von Songs beisteuert. Das Zusammenkauern an der buchstäblichen Grenze zwischen den USA und Mexiko bot den Musiker*innen Raum zum Isolieren, Konzentrieren und Experimentieren. Alle Songs auf diesem Album sind Live-Aufnahmen, von denen einige bereits beim ersten oder zweiten Take aufgenommen wurden und Websters Talent zeigen, aus einem ganz bestimmten, scheinbar kleinen Moment eine universelle Erfahrung zu ziehen.

Donovan’s Original
A Gift From a Flower to a Garden made for a few firsts: the first double LP of Donovan’s
career, one of the first box sets in pop and, most importantly for Donovan himself; the first
pop album for the children of tomorrow.

He resolved to make A Gift From a Flower to a Garden an album of two halves. The first,
Wear Your Love Like Heaven, was intended for his own generation as they started to think
about the kind of world they wanted to leave behind. The second, For Little Ones, was for
the children they had or would have in the years to come. The result was a kaleidoscopic
folk-jazz suite on the power of love, imbued with all the romance and mystery of an Arthur
Rackham illustration for an ancient English fairy tale. The songs, remarkably adventurous
given Donovan was a globally famous singer at his commercial height, combined the
influences he had amassed so far.

There is something about A Gift From a Flower to a Garden that could never be repeated,
though. It is such an innocent evocation of the childlike imagination, so redolent of its time,
yet set apart from it too. All these years later, the peaceful qualities of this pioneering,
enchanting, deeply unusual album feel more valuable than ever.

The state51 Box Set
With authenticity core to the project, The state51 Conspiracy engaged one of the UK’s
leading experts in box set design, Daniel Mason at Something Else, to painstakingly recreate
the box, records and accompanying ephemera. The first challenge was to find the deep blue
leatherette paper the original box set was covered in; a problem since it was no longer in
production. “I knew people who had stacks of it, gathering dust on top shelves, so I bought it
up wherever I could find it,” says Mason. Then came the reproduction of 12 loose leaf lyric
sheets on fine art watercolour paper, each of them featuring a watermark and a fairytale-like
illustration by Donovan’s artist friends Sheena McCall and Mick Taylor. Where, though, to
find the same paper stock? “I found out that it was made at a paper mill in North Wales
called Abbey Mills. Unfortunately the mill dissolved in the early 70s and very little of the
paper remained. However enough paper remained to allow us to produce the numbered
certificate also signed by Donovan that sits within the box.”

Then to the iconic cover image. Donovan and Jimi Hendrix’s personal photographer Karl
Ferris, used infra-red film to achieve the psychedelic effect on the cover, but the original
negatives couldn’t be found. Mason then used digital technology to ramp up the colour levels
on a reproduction from an original copy of the album while allowing it to remain a little bit
faded, as it would be after half a century. The same labour of love and care has gone into
producing all elements of the box; from the rebuilding of the famous front cover font to the
hand-numbered and signed certificate; letterpress printed on the original paper stock of the
1968 UK release lyric sheets.

To cap it all off the original mono master tapes were waiting safely in the EMI Donovan
Archive and transferred from tape to digital by Abbey Road Studios where new lacquers
were cut, ensuring Donovan's favoured mono version of the album would be presented both
physically (and digitally for the very first time) in striking audiophile quality. The final touch to

A pioneer of the home recording movement, Linda Smith released several collections of delicate, bewitching solo music on cassette in the 1980s and 90s. The 2021 release of Till Another Time: 1988-1996, Captured Tracks' compilation of Smith's work, has helped bestow rightful critical acclaim to the ahead-of-her-time artist. Now, Captured Tracks dives deeper into Smith's catalog with the release of two full-length companion albums, Nothing Else Matters and I So Liked Spring, available for the first time on vinyl & streaming formats. Recorded at Smith's home in Baltimore in 1995, Nothing Else Matters chronicles the tension between the mundanity of daily life and the creative impulse: Traffic noises on the charmingly boisterous "Little To Be Won" showcase this levity, as does the addition of playful hand claps and a laugh track to her striking cover of Young Marble Giants' "Salad Days." I So Liked Spring, recorded the following year, saw Smith experimenting with the unique challenge of putting another artist's words to music. She'd come across a biography of the English poet Charlotte Mew and found her wistful poetry rife for musical interpretation. The songs on I So Liked Spring are delightfully unpredictable, full of upbeat melodies and spellbinding vocal harmonies. This is perhaps best showcased on the title track, one of Smith's most popular songs to date, a lovelorn anthem that recalls the airy melodies of early dream pop. Both of these albums showcase the mesmerizing charm of Smith's songwriting, often compared to the likes of the Velvet Underground and Laurie Anderson. Home recording technology has come a long way since Smith first began recording demos on her tape machine, but her influence reverberates through the work of today's bedroom artists. The release of these two essential albums seeks to further illuminate this connection, welcoming a new generation of listeners to the work of this trailblazing artist.

A pioneer of the home recording movement, Linda Smith released several collections of delicate, bewitching solo music on cassette in the 1980s and 90s. The 2021 release of Till Another Time: 1988-1996, Captured Tracks' compilation of Smith's work, has helped bestow rightful critical acclaim to the ahead-of-her-time artist. Now, Captured Tracks dives deeper into Smith's catalog with the release of two full-length companion albums, Nothing Else Matters and I So Liked Spring, available for the first time on vinyl & streaming formats. Recorded at Smith's home in Baltimore in 1995, Nothing Else Matters chronicles the tension between the mundanity of daily life and the creative impulse: Traffic noises on the charmingly boisterous "Little To Be Won" showcase this levity, as does the addition of playful hand claps and a laugh track to her striking cover of Young Marble Giants' "Salad Days." I So Liked Spring, recorded the following year, saw Smith experimenting with the unique challenge of putting another artist's words to music. She'd come across a biography of the English poet Charlotte Mew and found her wistful poetry rife for musical interpretation. The songs on I So Liked Spring are delightfully unpredictable, full of upbeat melodies and spellbinding vocal harmonies. This is perhaps best showcased on the title track, one of Smith's most popular songs to date, a lovelorn anthem that recalls the airy melodies of early dream pop. Both of these albums showcase the mesmerizing charm of Smith's songwriting, often compared to the likes of the Velvet Underground and Laurie Anderson. Home recording technology has come a long way since Smith first began recording demos on her tape machine, but her influence reverberates through the work of today's bedroom artists. The release of these two essential albums seeks to further illuminate this connection, welcoming a new generation of listeners to the work of this trailblazing artist.

Booker Ervin cut two stellar Blue Note records in the late-60s including Tex Book Tenor which had to wait until 2005 for its first standalone release. With a quintet featuring Woody Shaw, Kenny Barron, Jan Arnet, and Billy Higgins the Texas-born saxophonist slices through a set of captivating bandmember originals. This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe tip-on jacket.

limited 200 copies poster edition

Organically woven heavy techno drums and energetic acid lines.
Dima Gastroler concluded his feelings about the imbalances occurring in the world in this expressive musical experience, melodic, emotional and ambiguous.
Dima Gastroler is an electronic music producer who is inspired by old classic sound. He combines vintage equipment with modern sound processing techniques.
He loves experimenting and moving beyond music genres. The main thing for him is the emotions and feelings born while making music.

STUDIO4℃×Osamu Tezuka

A story of the love and adventure of a woman who lived for 1300 years.

``Phoenix'' Nostalgia Arc has been made into two animated works with different endings!

Theatrical release of the movie “Firebird Eden no Hana” / Disney Plus “Firebird Eden no Sora” world exclusive distribution

Master Osamu Tezuka is hailed as the "God of Manga" and is still revered all over the world. Of the 12 stories in the timeless masterpiece "The Phoenix," which became his masterpiece and life's work, the "Nostalgia Chapter," which depicts the future of the earth and the universe in which we live, will finally be made into an animated film for the first time. STUDIO4°C, which continues to create artistic video works, was the one who completed the spectacular spectacle, which took seven years to create. The voice actors include Rie Miyazawa, who plays the main characters Romi, Yosuke Kubozuka, Issey Ogata, Honoka Yoshida, Shintaro Asanuma, and Ryohei Kimura. A gorgeous voice actor team gathers to make a timeless masterpiece into a movie. The person in charge of the music is Takatsugu Muramatsu, who is active in a wide range of areas including film music and providing music for numerous artists. The music, which has both a grand scale and a poetic feel, gently envelops the story.

LUCKYME® startet 2024 mit der Debüt-EP des Pariser Produzenten Sunareht. Dieser stammt aus der Szene um Teki Latex und dessen Label Sound Pellegrino und betreibt zusammen mit den Zeitgenossen Le Dom, To Van Kao, De Grandi und Birol den Paradoxe Club, ein Label, das sich für zukunftsweisende französische Dance Music einsetzt. Die Youth EP ist genau das – sechs prickelnde Club-Cuts, die den bekannten French Touch-Sound aufgreifen, ihn auf die Spitze treiben und in die ferne Zukunft schleudern. Samples werden in flatternde Sequenzen zerhackt und mit dem glitzernden, basslastigen Sounddesign von Post-Dubstep und Hyperpop vereint.

Der Opener 'Promises' des regelmäßigen Kollaborateurs und Aphex Twin-Lieblings Le Dom ist ein zertifizierter Partystarter und perfekter Einstieg in die Technicolor-Welt von Sunareht. Der rotierende Hook duckt und schlängelt sich durch wunderschön gestaltete Drums in einer beunruhigenden, zerquetschten Landschaft – als ob der Track seine eigene Bandbreite nicht bewältigen könnte. An anderer Stelle quetscht der Titeltrack 'Youth' jeden Tropfen bis zur Unkenntlichkeit aus einem stotternden Pop-Sample heraus; während 'Break Bandits' für helle Euphorie sorgt, indem es Synths von Etienne de Crécy mit Vocals im Overmono-Style mischt.

First vinyl edition of the album Rhetorical Islands, originally released by Giuseppe Ielasi in 2012 as a limited-edition CD on his Senufo Editions label, with recordings made in 2011 as a commission for l’Audible Festival, Paris.

The album’s ten tracks have neither titles nor accompanying text, standing for themselves as what Ielasi himself has called “isolated sound worlds”. They are nonetheless unparalleled in their plasticity, acoustic events with a rare degree of tangibility. Ielasi evokes physical objects, some of which seem to have been constructed out of paper and cardboard, others based on a mechanics of elastic materials. Of course these objects are hallucinations, and precisely because Ielasi constructs them so masterfully there’s no need for any further information. Here’s to everyone creating their very own sculptures while listening to Rhetorical Islands!

The front and back cover features 0.058, a work on paper by the artists Thomas & Renée Rapedius. They make sculptures whose form and artistic inspiration are defined by their materials. Like Ielasi’s acoustic islands, their impact derives from self-referentiality, resulting in paradoxical objects that embody both a detailed material study and a potential for free association.

Tritt mit Tamás Kátais visionärem Projekt in das Reich des Avantgarde-Metal ein: Thy Catafalque. Seit mehr als zwei Jahrzehnten leistet Thy Catafalque meisterhaft Pionierarbeit im Bereich der extremen Metal-Musik.
Die Reise geht weiter mit Thy Catafalques zweitem Meisterwerk Microcosmos, einer Offenbarung, die die Dichotomie zwischen Black Metal und Avantgarde-Kunst fein ausbalanciert. Das ursprünglich 2001 erschienene Album erforscht strukturierte thematische Elemente, die vom Weltraum und dem weiten Kosmos inspiriert sind. Eine klangliche Entdeckungsreise, die die rastlose Abnutzung von Tremolo-gezupften Zweiklängen und subtil eingemischten Blastbeats beibehält, während die psychedelisch klingenden Gesänge, die den charakteristischen Sound von Thy Catafalque ausmachen, beibehalten werden.
Jetzt präsentiert Season of Mist stolz die offizielle Wiederveröffentlichung von Microcosmos und stellt damit sicher, dass dieses bahnbrechende Werk für die Nachwelt erhalten bleibt. Fans, sowohl erfahrene als auch neue, können in die Feinheiten von Kátais visionären Kompositionen eintauchen und die Verschmelzung von Aggression und Kunstfertigkeit erleben, die Thy Catafalque ausmacht.

Since the early 80's Allan Crockford has been a major figure in Medway's garage rock scene, including playing for The Prisoners, Billy Childish's Thee Headcoats, the original line-up of the James Taylor Quartet, The Solarflares and many more. Since 2010 he has fronted his own band, The Galileo 7, as writer, guitarist, and lead vocalist. Their unique blend of powerful '60s garage rock'n'roll, psychedelic vocal harmonies and quality songwriting has now featured on no less than eight albums. Their ninth, You, Me and Reality, sounds like the work of a seasoned rock 'n' roll band dialling things up one and approaching its zenith. The group performances of the quartet of Allan Crockford, Viv Bonsels, Paul Moss and Mole ooze energy and dynamics - whether it's the garage ramalama of opener 'Can't Go Home', the woozy psychedelics of 'Slow Down', the chipper folk-rock of 'A Simple Man' or the '60s mod-pop stomp of the title track. As with 2019's last album proper, There Is Only Now, all four group members share lead vocal duties, with Viv's contributions adding an affecting indie-pop flavour that coyly suggests new directions. You, Me & Reality largely eschews its predecessor's predilection for ambling unplugged off the beaten path, instead sticking with up-tempo ensemble performances that showcase the players' musical chops and vocal interplay in the kind of warm, fizzy, analogue soundscape that's become a touchstone of many Medway bands.

Nur wenige Bands vereinen Düsternis, Melodie und Musikalität so sehr wie die Finnen INSOMNIUM. Und das mit großem Erfolg: Ihr letztes Meisterwerk "Anno 1696" (erschienen Anfang 2023) eroberte die internationalen Albumcharts, darunter Platz 1 in Finnland und Platz 5 in Deutschland. Century Media Records bringt nun zwei Alben auf Vinyl zurück, die mehrere Jahre lang vergriffen waren: Bereits 2011 hatte das Album "One For Sorrow" dem stetig wachsenden Erfolg der Band einen weiteren Schub gegeben und sie in die Top10 der finnischen Albumcharts katapultiert. Ihr 2016er Album "Winter's Gate" ist ein Konzeptalbum, das aus einem einzigen epischen 40-minütigen Song besteht. Das Album basiert auf der Kurzgeschichte "Winter's Gate" des Sängers und Bassisten Niilo Sevänen, die in seinem Heimatland mit Preisen und Nominierungen ausgezeichnet wurde. Das Album ging in Finnland sofort auf Platz 1. Beide Alben sind jetzt in 180g farbigem Vinyl erhältlich.

Neue Sonderauflage auf Laguna Blue Vinyl des 2021er Samplers des kanadischen Emo-Trios Arm's Length mit ihren ersten beiden EPs, 'What's Mine Is Yours' (2019) & 'Everything Nice' (2021), die mit ihrem grossartigen, neuen Indie-Emo-Sound samt Pop-Punk-Anklägen direkt für Furore in den einschlägigen Magazinen von Pitchfork bis NPR sorgten.

Dostrotime ist Spaß im Squarepusher-Stil. Schwere, intensive, herausreissende, experimentelle, elektronische Musik für pures Hochgefühl. Keine Entschuldigung nötig, eine für das Squarepunter-Massiv! Anfang 2020 hatte Squarepusher gerade sein letztes Album 'Be Up A Hello' mit großem Erfolg veröffentlicht und bereitete sich auf eine weltweite Tour mit einigen seiner bisher größten Shows vor. Dann kam die Pandemie und alles war vorbei ... Ohne Ablenkung begab sich der Künstler direkt in sein Studio, um mit neuen Aufnahmen zu beginnen. Er sagt: 'Ohne die üblichen Unterbrechungen verlief die Zeit anders.' Es ist eine Episode, die er Dostrotime nennt. Daher ist Dostrotime ein Versuch, die Besonderheit der durch den Lockdown katalysierten Musik als Teil der Feier des Endes des Lockdowns einzufangen.

Das mit einem Grammy ausgezeichnete Tuareg-Kollektiv Tinariwen veröffentlicht eine limitierte Picture-Disc mit den 4 Bonustracks der digitalen Deluxe-Version ihres gefeierten neunten Studioalbums 'Amatssou' (2023). Der Leadtrack 'He Layla' ist von einem Traditional aus der Djanet-Region inspiriert, wo das Album aufgenommen wurde. In typischer Tinariwen-Manier erzählt der Song von der Vergangenheit, als die Sahara unter französischer Kolonie stand, während poetische Metaphern des wilden Lebens in der Wüste verwendet werden.

In den zwei Jahrzehnten, seit Tinariwen aus ihrer Basis in der afrikanischen Wüste hervortraten, um den Globus zu bereisen, haben sie viele renommierte Country-, Folk- und Rockmusiker aus den USA kennengelernt, darunter Kurt Vile, Stephen O'Malley, Jack White und Wilco. Tuareg-Nomaden und Cowboy-Wanderer. Kamelzüge und Mustang-Pferde. Der zeitlose Horizont der endlosen Sahara und die wilde Grenze des Wilden Westens – mehrere tausend Meilen Ozean trennen den Wüstenblues von Tinariwen und die authentische Country-Musik des ländlichen Amerikas, aber die Links sind genau so spürbar wie romantisch.

Der in die Metal Hall of Fame aufgenommene und nach schwerer Krankheit genesene Blaze Bayley veröffentlicht ein brandneues Studioalbum. Auf 'Circle Of Stone' sind Gastsänger Niklas Stalvind von den schwedischen Metalheads Wolf sowie eine Reihe weiterer Gäste zu hören. Nachdem Bayley seine Karriere als professioneller Sänger 1984 bei Wolfsbane begonnen hatte, löste er Bruce Dickinson für zwei Alben bei Iron Maiden ab. Danach verfolgte er eine Solokarriere, beginnend mit seinem Solo-Debütalbum 'Silicon Messiah' im Jahr 2000, gefolgt von insgesamt weiteren elf Studioalben, darunter seine auf Science-Fiction basierende 'Infinite Entanglement'-Trilogie. 2021 erschien auf eigenem Label das von der Kritik gefeierte 'War Within Me'.
Wie bei allen jüngeren Alben von Blaze Bayley co-produziert er mit Christopher Appleton und das Mastering übernimmt Ade Emsley (Iron Maiden, Tank, Voodoo Six). Das Bildmaterial wurde von Akirant Illustration (Iron Maiden, Star Wars) zur Verfügung gestellt.

Complete with 10" vinyl record and booklet presenting Laurianne Bixhain's photographic work and text by Chloe Chignell.

Presented at the Mudam (Museum of Modern Art of Luxembourg) and initiated by a photographic exploration by Laurianne Bixhain, the work "The day begins with a loud boom" interrogates the manner and extent to which we are defined by our relationship to the physical environment, and the cultural import of the techniques of production. Its imagery follows the trajectories of the materials subjected to the processes of diamond cutting and automotive glassware fabrication, and presents the traces of human intervention of which those materials are both the object and the repository.

The interplay of its imagery, music and text constitutes a theatrical whole: both the staging of the text and the sonorities create an architectural space within which each constituent object is deployed. That spatiality is shared and complemented by the text’s sonorous and performative qualities. Likewise, the elements of texture and abstraction in the imagery invoke our sense of touch, as a means of material and spatial appreciation.

The succeeding reiterations of the ostinato the day begins with are treated graphically by its progressive effacement, evoking the tension in assembly line work between repetition and linearity, accumulation and exhaustion, trace and erasure. Such attrition is equally conveyed by the harsh, impassive, and architectural qualities of both the images and the music which accompany the text. The latter notably deploys a range of insidious effects, from the marriage of dissonance and unsettling rhythm evocative of the competing cycles of multiple industrial machines, to sensual and reassuring sonorities which are contaminated by their contrast with the harsh acoustic aesthetic elsewhere.

Blending sounds of early 70s Funk & Soul, Latin-Jazz, and Afrobeat, Mestizo Beat kicks the year off with a heavy dose of new material. First up is “She’s A Rose b/w Lotsapapa,” their next 45, offering two sides of masterful instrumental soul music written & produced by The Magaña Brothers out of their hillside studio, Spc 166 in Topanga, CA. Side A’s “She’s A Rose” takes us back to the golden years of the Blaxploitation film genre and the soundtracks we have grown to love. This song was inspired by the compositional and orchestral arrangements from the greats, such as Curtis Mayfield’s “Superbad,” Johnnie Pate’s “Shaft in Africa,” and Bobby Womack’s “Across 110 Street.” Featuring Tim Felten of Surefire Soul Ensemble on keys, with horns written and arranged by Jesse Audelo, Mestizo Beat takes the listener on an evolving journey, exploring the mood and cinematic elements of flute, saxophone, and wha’d-out guitar, topped off with a funky drum and percussion break. On the flip, “Lotsapapa” rounds out the B-Side, blending the musical styles of Latin and Nigerian disco-funk into a track that’s perfect for the dancefloor and those late nights out. Written about Bernard “Lotsapapa” Crowe, a notorious drug dealer who survived an attempted murder by Charles Manson, this side is sure to get the body moving with the afro-disco rhythms and chant vocals, dubbed out around a tightly arranged horn section written and arranged by Jesse Audelo and Jason Cressey. “Lotsapapa” features guests Steve Haney from Jungle Fire on Percussion and Cressey of the True Loves on trombone.

With each side highlighting the various talents of the ensemble, Mestizo Beat always stays true to their sound and recording techniques. Both tracks are mixed by Sergio Rios at Killion Sound and are featured on the forthcoming LP, Jaraguá, coming mid-2024.

Violet Vinyl

Das 3. Imperial State Electric Albums 'Reptile Brain Music' jetzt erhältlich als Ltd. Violet Vinyl. Imperial State Electric ist eine schwedische Rockband, die 2010 von Nicke Andersson (Entombed, The Hellacopters) mit Dolph de Borst (The Datsuns, The Hellacopters), Tobias Egge sowie Thomas Eriksson gegründet wurde. Empfehlung geht raus an alle Rock N Roll-, Power-Pop-, Hellacopters- und Beatles-Fans!

■ "A Ghost Story" ist ein übernatürliches Drama aus dem Jahr 2017, verfasst und inszeniert von David Lowery, mit Casey Affleck und Rooney Mara in den Hauptrollen. Der Film erzählt die Geschichte eines Mannes, der nach seinem Tod zu einem Geist wird und im Haus verweilt, das er einst mit seiner Frau geteilt hat. Der Film erhielt lobende Kritiken und wurde mit mehreren Auszeichnungen geehrt, darunter von der Boston Society of Film Critics, dem Deauville Film Festival, den Houston Film Critics und dem Sitges Film Festival. Die Musik für "A Ghost Story" wurde von Daniel Hart (bekannt für "The Green Knight" und "Pete's Dragon") komponiert, wie bereits bei allen
vorherigen Filmen von Lowery.

Eine Limited Edition von 500 Exemplaren des Soundtracks ist auf Smoke Coloured Vinyl erhältlich und wird mit einem Druckbeileger geliefert.

Hollow Coves are a dynamic indie-folk duo of Matt Carins and Ryan Henderson, who are brimming with their passion for travel and observing different shades of the world. The group's tender melodies and poignant lyrics have resonated with fans around the world with the band amassing over half a billion global streams to date. Hollow Coves have received acclaim from the likes of Billboard, Clash, Sunday Times, Ones To Watch, Under the Radar, and more and continue to connect with the hearts and minds of listeners across borders and time zones.

On their sophomore album, the earthy acoustics and breezy rhythms provide a soundtrack to the feeling of change. The essence of shifting one’s perspective is a theme Hollow Coves meditate on as they go through their own musical evolution. They invited friend and acclaimed Aussie artist Matt Corby to help co-produce and bring their new songs to life.

Nothing To Lose by Hollow Coves, released 1 March 2024, includes the following tracks: "Milk and Honey", "Harder to Fake it", "Purple", "Be Alright" and more.

This version of Nothing To Lose comes as a 1xCD in a(n) Digipak packaging.

Die australische Dark Folk & Blackgaze-Szene hat einen neuen Namen: SULDUSK!
Das von Ausnahme-Talent Emily Highfield gegründete, australische Dark Folk/Blackgaze-Projekt SULDUSK machte erstmals 2019 mit dem Debütalbum
Lunar Falls auf sich aufmerksam. Mit diesem „Killer-Debütalbum“ (Folk N Rock) verblüfften SULDUSK nicht nur Hörer/innen und die internationale
Musikpresse, sondern auch das Rock- und Metal-Imperium Napalm Records, das die Band 2023 unter Vertrag nahm.
Am 1. März 2024 veröffentlichen SULDUSK nun ihr zweites Studioalbum mit dem Titel Anthesis und machen dort weiter, wo sie mit ihrem packenden
Debüt aufgehört haben, jedoch musikalisch eine ganze Spur komplexer. Einst als Ein-Frau-Projekt gestartet, rekrutierte Highfield für Anthesis fünf
weitere Musiker, um die Vision eines Akustik-Sounds zu einem intensiven, kraftvollen und harten Album weiterzuführen. Anthesis entführt in eine
düstere, magische Welt, das eine ganze Vielfalt unterschiedlicher, dunkler und extremer Sounds zu einem ganz eigenen Klanguniversum vereint. Laut
Highfield bedeutet Anthesis „Blüte“ und handelt thematisch von Trauer und Akzeptanz. Von den „Mythical Creatures“ über Single-Auskopplungen wie
„Crystalline“ bis hin zum Album-Titeltrack überzeugen SULDUSK auf ganzer Linie durch eine ganz eigene Synthese von Dark Folk-, Blackgaze-,
Post-Rock-, Prog-, Doom- und sogar Black-Metal-Elementen und Emilys Stimme, die zeitweise durch eine sanfte Zerbrechlichkeit beeindruckt.

KLAN sind die Brüder Michael und Stefan Heinrich, die ihren deutschsprachigen Indiepop mit politischem Bewusstsein, gesunder Selbstironie und der
richtigen Menge Drama zu einem unverwechselbaren, verspielten sowie erfrischenden Gesamtkunstwerk verstricken. Mit ihren Alben „Wann hast du
Zeit?“ (2018), „Zwei Seiten“ (2020) und „jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!“ (2022) tänzeln sie in schlafwandlerischer Sicherheit auf dem schmalen Grat zwischen
Eingängigkeit und Abseitigkeit. Große Lovesongs, kleine Anekdoten. Rock, Pop, Indie. Alles da, alles KLAN. Mal mit einer Träne im Knopfloch, mal mit
dem Schalk im Nacken und doch jederzeit kompromisslos offen, avancierten die Brüder mit Songs wie „Nie gesagt“ feat. Mia., „Baby Baby“,
„Gleichzeitig“, „Dass du mich liebst“ feat. LEA, „Mama“ oder „Internet“ feat. Alligatoah zur Band für alle Fälle. 2023 kehren KLAN mit neuer Musik
zurück – die erste Single „Das Ende der Welt“ läutet ein neues Kapitel in der kuriosen Klanographie ein, denn jedes Ende hat einen Anfang und dieser
ist genau jetzt.

Gemeinsames Album des vielseitigen, mit einem Grammy ausgezeichneten Pianisten und Songwriters Bruce Hornsby und des experimentellen
klassischen Ensembles yMusic ,unter dem Namen BrhyM.
Deep Sea Vents ist ein Album mit 10 Songs über Wasser und die Art und Weise, wie wir mit, in oder gegen das Wasser leben. Hornsbys unmittelbare
melodische Leichtigkeit verbindet sich mit der rhythmischen Präzision und endlosen Vielseitigkeit von yMusic, und verbindet die verschiedensten
Einflüsse zu einem unverkennbaren Stil.
yMusic und Hornsby haben bereits bei mehreren Bruce-Hornsby-Alben zusammengearbeitet, darunter auch bei seinem letzten Album 'Flicted 2023,
seinem dreiundzwanzigsten. In seiner langen und abwechslungsreichen Karriere hat Hornsby u.a. mit The Grateful Dead, Pat Metheny, Ricky Skaggs,
Justin Vernon, Jamila Woods Songs aufgenommen und ist mit ihnen gemeinsam aufgetreten.

Intriguing co-op release from a bunch of exciting entities. Don't sleep. TIP!

Instrumentation:
Krisitan Poulsen: Guitar
Mathias Saedrup: Guitar
Sebastian von der Heide: Drums, Percussion
Max Stocklosa: Percussionsynthesizer, Xylophon, Voice

Mixing: Max Stocklosa and Sebastian von der Heide
Mastering: Michael Mørkholt

Cover: Kevin Kemter

Co-published by the following labels:
Sensorisk Verden
Iriai Verlag
Trii Musik
Spost World
KP Entertainment

Recorded in:
Berlin
Cologne
Virum
Copenhagen
between 2022 and 2023

Gemeinsames Album des vielseitigen, mit einem Grammy ausgezeichneten Pianisten und Songwriters Bruce Hornsby und des experimentellen
klassischen Ensembles yMusic ,unter dem Namen BrhyM.
Deep Sea Vents ist ein Album mit 10 Songs über Wasser und die Art und Weise, wie wir mit, in oder gegen das Wasser leben. Hornsbys unmittelbare
melodische Leichtigkeit verbindet sich mit der rhythmischen Präzision und endlosen Vielseitigkeit von yMusic, und verbindet die verschiedensten
Einflüsse zu einem unverkennbaren Stil.
yMusic und Hornsby haben bereits bei mehreren Bruce-Hornsby-Alben zusammengearbeitet, darunter auch bei seinem letzten Album 'Flicted 2023,
seinem dreiundzwanzigsten. In seiner langen und abwechslungsreichen Karriere hat Hornsby u.a. mit The Grateful Dead, Pat Metheny, Ricky Skaggs,
Justin Vernon, Jamila Woods Songs aufgenommen und ist mit ihnen gemeinsam aufgetreten.

Formed in 2006 in Boston, Massachusetts and now based in Berlin, Germany; Arms and Sleepers is the electronic trip hop project of producer Mirza Ramic (formerly a duo with Max Lewis), who has subsequently released 13 full albums and 20 EPs of glitched-out grooves that take as much inspiration from leftfield hip hop experimentalism as they do from the slowburn ambience and panoramic euphoria of contemporary post-rock. His forthcoming 14th full-length album, `What Tomorrow Brings' is a breathtaking aural account that charts the life-changing journey of being forced out of your home over four distinct, musical sections. Initially inspired by watching Kenneth Branagh's award-winning coming-of-age drama Belfast as the fighting in Ukraine broke out, MIrza found himself reflecting on his own experience as a child and how it has formed the man he is today. As such, the album's four sections, titled `Innocence', `Melancholy', `Rupture' and `Reflection', serve as the reification of the life and experience that Mirza lost as well as a representation of the identity he has since shaped for himself. Whereas more recent Arms and Sleepers releases, such as 2022's full-length `former kingdoms', are peppered with the sultry saxophone refrains, syncopated 16ths and smoky ambience of a New York jazz bar; `What Tomorrow Brings' is instead acute and driving, with complex drum breaks reminiscent of powerful post-rock acts such as BATTLES, Mogwai and Caspian brought insistently and urgently to the fore. Double vinyl in single colour orange!

If you are a death metal fan, GRACELESS shouldn’t need an introduction. Three full lengths and two split EPs have granted the Dutch ensemble a respectable reputation across the globe. Closer to home, the four piece has played countless live shows since their 2016 inception. The rock solid line up -unchanged since day one- has delivered ferocious, high energy live performances at Eindhoven Metal Meeting, Into the Grave, Party San Metal Open Air, Ruhrpott Metal Meeting, Stonehenge, SDF2021 and many more festivals and clubs. Joining forces with LISTENABLE RECORDS in 2023 is the next thundering milestone for GRACELESS. Tirelessly working on their fourth full-length, the next chapter for GRACELESS will be another step deeper into the abyss that started with Shadowlands (2018), via Where Vultures Know Your Name (2020), to Chants from Purgatory (2022). For fans of DEATH, ASPHYX, GOREFEST, BOLT THROWER, AMON AMARTH, BLOODBATH

Viktoria Tolstoys ACT-Debütalbum »Shining On You« aus dem Jahr 2004 markiert aus heutiger Sicht einen wichtigen Moment in der Erfolgsgeschichte populärer Jazzstimmen aus Skandinavien. Die Musik für die Aufnahme schrieb Esbjörn Svensson, der zusammen mit Dan Berglund und Magnus Öström die Kern-Band bindet, welche wenig später als e.s.t. weltberühmt wurde. Das von Nils Landgren produzierte Album ist auch ein Treffen vieler Mitglieder der damals noch jungen ACT Family of Artists, die als Gäste an der Session teilnahmen.

Genau 20 Jahre später hat Viktoria Tolstoy für »Stealing Moments« die Idee des »familiären« Musikzierens wieder aufgegriffen. Die Kompositionen des Albums stammen von einer ganzen Reihe aktueller ACT Künstler, von denen viele auch schon an »Shining on You« beteiligt waren. Und auch Esbjörn Svensson ist auf besondere Art am Album beteiligt: Von ihm stammt die Instrumentalkomposition »Hands Off«, für welche seine Frau Eva nun einen Text verfasst hat. Dazu kommen Kompositionen, die langjährige Freunde und Weggefährten wie Nils Landgren, Ida Sand, Wolfgang Haffner, Cæcilie Norby, Lars Danielsson, Iiro Rantala und Jan Lundgren eigens für Viktoria Tolstoy und ihre Stimme geschrieben haben.

»Wenn du singst, geht die Sonne auf«, sagte Pat Metheny einst zu Viktoria Tolstoy. Ihre klare, kraftvoll strahlende Stimme ist der rote Faden, der alle Stücke auf »Stealing Moments« verbindet. Dazu kommt eine Mischung aus Energie und Leichtigkeit, die Viktoria Tolstoy als Person ausmacht und die sich durch die Musik auf die Zuhörer überträgt. Ihre Botschaft ans Publikum, in Anlehnung an den Albumtitel: »Lasst mich Euch ein bisschen Zeit stehlen, um dieser Musik zuzuhören.«

Burn Out - the latest release from Mini Trees - is a defiantly euphoric EP with the sonic and emotional bandwidth of a full-length record packed neatly into five new songs from Los Angeles-based songwriter Lexi Vega. Inspired by a relentless touring schedule that followed the release of her 2021 debut album Always In Motion, the songs of Burn Out confront questions of identity, exhaustion, and how to navigate creating art in an industry fixated on commodifying it.
A month away from music sparked Vega’s creativity and inspired her to return with long-time friend and producer Jon Joseph. Together they determined to push the limits of Mini Trees’ “bedroom pop” description, opening the door to a number of new

collaborators - keys from Zac Rae (Death Cab for Cutie, Lana Del Rey), arrangements from James McAllister (Sufjan Stevens, Taylor Swift), and even bass from longtime family friend Jimmy Johnson (James Taylor, Phil Collins). These songs shimmer in production, even as they’re saturated with the pervasive sense of fractured identity, disillusionment, and otherness that has shaped much of Vega’s sense of self. The overwhelming weight of these disparate identities is reflected in the EP’s cover art - a bed cluttered with clothes she’s chosen not to wear, familial heirlooms and mementos strewn at her feet.

Recorded at Cafe Oto.
Sagome event on the 3rd of December 2022. London, UK.
Contains live versions of the fracks previously released on Faitiche and Muscut labels.

Cover art:
Lettering by Cafe Oto
Cover image taken from a video by Andrew Pekler
Muscut, 2024

Gwendoline werden nicht gern in Schubladen gesteckt. Wir tun es dennoch: Nu Wave with wit, Synthwave with edge, Postpunk with Pop. Als wenn Benjamin Biolay Molchat Doma vorstehen würde, ,I'm Not In Love" (Chrystal Castles) auf ,Anyway" (OTO) trifft, Ladytron mit DAF in den Urlaub fahren würden. Seit 2017 verfolgt das social medial scheue Duo Micka (a.k.a. Mikoune) und Pierre (a.k.a. Daniel) im eher verborgenen ihre Cold Wave-Vision. Das Debut wurde in reinster DIY-Manier zu Hause im Keller aufgenommen und ohne Umschweife in kurzer Zeit produziert. Lange Zeit gab es kaum was zu Gwendoline zu googlen, aber an den Kennnern ist es natürlich nicht vorbeigegangen. Das spanische Label Dead Wax Records fand das so super, veröffentlichte digital und sehr limitiert auf Vinyl, ein Reissue gab's auf bandeigenem Label 2022. Nun sind sie bei Born Bad gelandet und dabei in bester Gesellschaft mit Vox Low, Frustration und Bracco. Was macht Gwendoline einzigartig? Sicherlich ihre Wut und gleichzeitige Zurückhaltung, die sie mit Selbstkritik, Ironie und Humor vermischen, was sich in den Texten wie auch im Sound wiederspiegelt. LP-Version in klassich schwarz mit Download Code und Digipack-CD.

Maybe your demands of punk are a little too high. Maybe they're a little too exacting - you know what you want, but you don't know how to get it. Maybe you've got an itch that's needed scratching since you first heard '(I'm) Stranded' (sounds like a doctor needs to look at that, mind). Maybe all or none of these things are true and you're just in search of three or four chords and some righteous snot. Reader, you have come to the right place. Split System came sauntering out of Melbourne back in 2022 with a self-titled 7" and a debut LP (the sensibly-titled 'Vol. I'), and as a listener of exquisite taste, one or both of those items will have carved out their own spaces within easy access of your record player. With members of acer-than-ace garage punkas Stiff Richards and Speed Week among their number, not to mention the redoubtable Jackson Reid Briggs, they deal in a gloriously back-to-basics take on punk that's part Undertones, part Royal Headache and part Chris Bailey - all hooks and glory, all the time. They're so much more than the sum of their parts and they make this shit sound effortless. Well, here's an update for you: they're back! Second album (the equally-sensibly-titled 'Vol. II') is now upon us, and a thoroughly tremendous follow-up it is too. As soon as opener 'The Wheel' slams into your speakers, it's clear that they've lost none of the pep or power that made their debut such an essential listen; if anything they're even more raucous and revved-up than before. Yep, that's jargon for 'they rule hard', and let me add here that you could listen to this album 100 times in a row or simply try inserting dynamite sticks with lit fuses into your ear canal; either way, your poor little mind is gonna blow. It's an album made entirely of bangers (still on that explosion metaphor, are we?) - the concise questioning of 'End of the Night' is as pure a punk rock nugget as you could ever wish to uncover, and 'The Drain' is just energy distilled to a perfect series of hooks - with a passion for rock'n'roll in its most scintillating form. Just listen to it. That's all you need to do. Your demands have been met - here's your new favourite record.

Fire! have always been about finding the essence by getting to the core of the music. Their 8th album sees the trio - for the first time on record - stripped down to the bare-bones essentials; with no flutes, no electronics, no guests and no extras, recorded live in the studio to analogue tape - the Steve Albini way - with the master himself at the controls in Electrical Audio in Chicago. Thus, this album stands as a true testament to the group's expressive power and glowing intimacy. Musically, Testament can be seen as an extension of their previous full length album Defeat, released two years ago, to the month. A solitary bass figure from Johan Berthling, quickly joined by a stout drum groove, gets it all going in a familiar fashion before Gustafsson adds desolate cries and whispers from his baritone sax. This approach is even more honed on the second track, with the most simplistic groove you're likely to hear in jazz and Gustafsson shifting between extended, lonely, tortured lines, only once abrupted by a series of short bursts. The third track starts with loose and relatively lively drums that continue throughout, but the mournful saxophone maintains a subdued atmosphere. Track four is a real beauty with the trio slipping into a trance-like dream state before shifting gear halfway into its nine minutes. The final track is the most dynamic of the lot, shifting between bursts of energy and lyrical beauty. Fire's debut album, You Liked Me Five Minutes Ago, was released in 2009 to wide international acclaim. "The basic strategy of pairing the expressive energy of free jazz with a sturdy sense of groove has yielded something potent and self-contained" (New York Times). Between this and Testament there's been six albums, including collaborations with Jim O'Rourke (Unreleased?) and Oren Ambarchi (In The Mouth A Hand), as well as the Requies EP with Stephen O'Malley and David Sandström in 2022. Testament was recorded and mixed during a three-day stint at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio in Chicago in December 2022. Mats Gustafsson - baritone sax Johan Berthling - bass Andreas Werliin - drums.

In 1998, Carsten Nicolai, also known as Alva Noto, visited a sound installation created by Robert Lippok for a group exhibition in Weimar, Germany. Soon after, he invited Lippok to release music on his label raster-noton. "Open Close Open" was released in 2001 and marked the beginning of Lippok"s solo career. Before, Lippok had already played in Ornament und Verbrechen (with his brother Ronald Lippok) and To Rococo Rot (with Ronald Lippok and Stefan Schneider). The source material for "Open Close Open" initially served as a soundtrack for a video by Takehito Koganezawa, a visual artist from Japan. For this remastered vinyl reissue, Lippok revisited the original sound material and produced a new track called "Licht."

"The Blinders make their return today with ‘Brakelights’, the first track to be taken from their forthcoming third album, Beholder, which is released on Friday 1st March 2024 via Funhouse Recordings/ EMI.
The perfect introduction to their new album ‘Brakelights’ drips with a dark atmospheric intensity which equally lurks across the albums other 9 tracks. The Blinders are an English alternative rock band originally from Doncaster, now based in Manchester, England. Beholder shares a frenetic energy with their previous albums but there’s a new depth both lyrically and musically to the album. With a visceral urgency live to more than match the likes of contemporaries IDLES or Fontaines DC, The Blinders take their brooding and intense live show, which recalls the dark atmospherics of The Bad Seeds or peak-period Bunnymen around the UK in March"

"10th anniversary product suite for Nick Mulvey’s debut album, ‘First Mind’.“Nick Mulvey’s debut is a charmingly simple and rarely produced album full of beautiful melodies, extensive guitar skills and exotic ryhthms – it feels like the missing soundtrack for the beginning of a perfect summer.” NBHAP
“A total package of pop hooks, instrumental genius and gorgeous rhythms, Mulvey presents us with an intelligent record that demonstrates his passion for sounds outside of insular scenes.” THE LINE OF BEST FIT
“‘First Mind’ is captivating, full of intricacies and influences that should see it celebrated as one of the great albums of 2014.” CLASH"

Sweden's Forndom is among the world's leading artists in Scandinavian folk. Since "Dauora Dura" debuted in 2016, the album has amassed nearly a combined 40 million Spotify plays. Meanwhile, Ludvig Sward has carved out a name for himself across multiple music scenes with celebrated tours and appearances at prestigious festivals. Now, after two sold-out editions, this timeless masterpiece of Nordic folk is available on vinyl once again.

Following his blissfully abstract, piano-based collaborations with Harold Budd and Ruben Garcia over the last 20 years, The Arcades Project is John Foxx’s first solo piano album, released on vinyl for the first time. This latest work has a fresh sense of wonder, as if returning to the instrument after the raging analogue noise of his last major work, 2020’s Howl (by John Foxx And The Maths) necessitated a further retreat into quiet, minimal music. Reviews for The Arcades Project: “Delicate evocation of the ambience of a city’s galleried passages.’ Mojo 4 ****. 'This exquisite and refined solo piano work is a fine addition to a body of work made by an artist always investigating memory and imagination.’ The Quietus Album of the Month for April 2023. 'His most evocative music.’ Uncut Magazine 8/10. ‘Delicate, drifting and hypnotic.’ Record Collector 4 ****. ‘Unmissable’ Electronic Sound Magazine. 'Its minimalism is moving; its restraint rich in reverie. Foxx's 21st-century body of work grows ever more absorbing.’ Prog magazine. ‘An album that has the potential to be a classic of modern times and a reference point for classical ambient for years to come.’ Louder Than War. ‘Awed wonder . . . and frequently beautiful.’ Classic Pop. 'Foxx has created 12 stunning pieces of music . . . sparse, minimalistic, and extremely moving . . . It goes a long way in demonstrating just how much of a genius he is' Spill Magazine.

Limited edition release of this project featuring Chris Braide of The Producers (Trevor Horn,
Chris Braidqe, Lol Crème), Andy Partridge (ex-XTC) and Tim Weller (Divine Comedy).
Recorded in Los Angeles and London, this release will appeal to fans of all three artists as
well as being a strong release in its own right.
Chris Braide is a British producer & songwriter who has co-written, produced and
collaborated with a wide array of artists, including Sia, Hans Zimmer, Beyonce, David
Guetta, Lana Del Rey, Adele, Baz Luhrmann, Nicki Minaj, Selena Gomez, Halsey, Madonna,
Starrah, Demi Lovato, Robin Schulz, Yuna, Elle King, Afrojack, Wrabel, Paloma Faith, Britney
Spears, Christina Aguilera, Bibi Bourelly, Kylie Minogue, Zendaya, Bebe Rexha, Theophilus
London, LP, Natalie Portman, Celine Dion, Kate Hudson, Beth Ditto, Toni Braxton, Tate
McRae, Snoop Dogg, Big Sean, Jason Mraz, Donna Missal, Julia Michaels, Kali Uchis, Jessie
Reyez, Lucy Hale and many more.

Barely Alive' limited edition live album: -housed sturdy 300gsm vinyl sleeve -full color printed innersleeve -black vinyl 200 copies.

Fire! have always been about finding the essence by getting to the core of the music. Their 8th album sees the trio - for the first time on record - stripped down to the bare-bones essentials; with no flutes, no electronics, no guests and no extras, recorded live in the studio to analogue tape - the Steve Albini way - with the master himself at the controls in Electrical Audio in Chicago. Thus, this album stands as a true testament to the group's expressive power and glowing intimacy. Musically, Testament can be seen as an extension of their previous full length album Defeat, released two years ago, to the month. A solitary bass figure from Johan Berthling, quickly joined by a stout drum groove, gets it all going in a familiar fashion before Gustafsson adds desolate cries and whispers from his baritone sax. This approach is even more honed on the second track, with the most simplistic groove you're likely to hear in jazz and Gustafsson shifting between extended, lonely, tortured lines, only once abrupted by a series of short bursts. The third track starts with loose and relatively lively drums that continue throughout, but the mournful saxophone maintains a subdued atmosphere. Track four is a real beauty with the trio slipping into a trance-like dream state before shifting gear halfway into its nine minutes. The final track is the most dynamic of the lot, shifting between bursts of energy and lyrical beauty. Fire's debut album, You Liked Me Five Minutes Ago, was released in 2009 to wide international acclaim. "The basic strategy of pairing the expressive energy of free jazz with a sturdy sense of groove has yielded something potent and self-contained" (New York Times). Between this and Testament there's been six albums, including collaborations with Jim O'Rourke (Unreleased?) and Oren Ambarchi (In The Mouth A Hand), as well as the Requies EP with Stephen O'Malley and David Sandström in 2022. Testament was recorded and mixed during a three-day stint at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio in Chicago in December 2022. Mats Gustafsson - baritone sax Johan Berthling - bass Andreas Werliin - drums.

wieder lieferbar Zwei Jahre nach dem Release "Ten Stones" (2008), das von Fans und Kritikern gefeiert wurde, haben Wovenhand und das Label Glitterhouse beschlossen, ihre Kräfte wieder zu vereinen. Das erste Ergebnis ist das Album "The Threshingfloor". Auf ihrem sechsten Album stoßen Wovenhand zu neuen Territorien vor, während David Eugene Edwards einen leidenschaftlichen Wirbel entfacht, der mitreißt und zutiefst spirituell ist. Seine unverwechselbare Stimme, sein kraftvolles Banjospiel und die beherzte Unterstützung von Pascal Humbert (Bass) und Ordy Garrison (Schlagzeug) machen "The Threshingfloor" zu einem atemberaubenden Erlebnis. Wie schon zu Zeiten seiner ehemaligen Band 16 Horsepower überrascht uns Edwards wieder mit mal einer Coverversion: "Trust" aus New Orders Debütalbum "Movement" wird auf "The Threshingfloor" zu einem manischen, intensiven Song- und Soundgewitter, dass den Hörer atemlos zurücklässt.

The album ‘Trenchtown Rock’ is a celebration of the place where Marley and many other Jamaican artists emerged. It evokes the atmosphere, culture, and resilience of the people of Trenchtown. The title track is often associated with the reggae movement and serves as an example of Bob Marley’s commitment to social and political issues of his time. With hits like ‘Sun is Shining,’ ‘Kaya ,’ or ‘Trenchtown Rock,’ this album helped define and popularize reggae worldwide. Alongside albums such as ‘Catch a Fire,’ ‘Burnin,’ ‘Natty Dread,’ ‘Rastaman Vibration,’ and ‘Exodus,’ it established Bob Marley as one of the greatest icons of 20th-century music.

The "Economix" EP is a cherished item among collectors, embodying a golden era of rave. Released in 1992, it's oftencompared to other iconic EPs of the time, like 2-X-Treme's 'X-tremity EP' The tracks "Loop" and "Panic" particularly stand out for many.

"Loop" garners attention for its sampling of The S.O.S. Band and Alexander O'Neal's "The Finest", while "Panic" is notable for its two distinct samples: one from Hijack's "TheBadman Is Robbin'" and another from MC Duke and DJ Leader1's "I'm Riffin".

This hand stamped run of white label red vinyl represses catersto the enduring demand among the oldskool rave aficionados. Each track on the EP showcases a blend of hardcore, jungle,and house vibes, contributing to its revered status within the oldskool rave community.

Slovenian Jazz legend. Joe Sanders on Bass

Termination is an album inspired by the halting problem in computer theory, i.e. whether the program will finish running or continue to run forever. The halting problem is undecidable, meaning that no general algorithm exists that solves it. This is true also for human life, as it goes up and down and one can’t program it, because simply you cannot predict the future, and even if we could there are so many variables that can easily f*ck up any sort of forecast. Modern Stars is an Italian neo psych rock band which showcases a unique musical style characterized as instinctive, flickering, fuzzy, aerial, groovy, bizarre, distorted, harmonious, and dissonant. Influenced by bands like Spacemen 3, Primal Scream, Suicide, and lesser known musicians. Termination is Modern Stars' fourth studio album, following Silver Needles (2020), PsychIndustrial (2021) and Space Trips for the Masses (2022).

The Minneapolis Uranium Club Band, along with Static Shock Records are proud to present “Infants Under the Bulb”; The Uranium Club’s fourth album and first full length since 2018’s "The Cosmo Cleaners". Precisely timed ahead of the band’s debut tour of Australia commencing March 19, Infants Under the Bulb will light up stores across the globe from March 1st. Recorded in Minneapolis over the course of 2023 by long time collaborator Grant Richardson and just as rampant and agitated as ever.

The Uranium Club once again win their dear listeners over with eccentrically wild guitar parts, revolving voices, elastic-tight drums and the addition of their very own Saints-styled horn section. Lyrically, Under the Bulb opens up the history books of unsolved mysteries - unidentified, unsolved, unanswered subjects of suspicious acts or individuals across the last century. Who, what, when and where… but mostly, why? Ignorant humanity of earth orbits the sun once again.

The Somerton Man, Bergmann, Bauby, Denton, phone phreakers, and just what is lurking behind the cosmic organ of The Wall? As always, the artwork was handled in-house by the Club and ambitious as ever. The spectacular cover shot captures a carefully coordinated event orchestrated by the Club to photograph a crowd of the local volunteers wearing ponchos standing together in an open field to make the shape of a giant spiral. The spiral pictured is 120 feet (36.5 meters) wide, photographed by drone, and was plotted out on the ground using a protractor specially fabricated for the occasion by the band with a pivoting centre and 60ft long adjustable

Hard-hitting Conguero, Johnny Blas has performed and recorded in the world of Latin music and jazz for over 45 years. He returns with his most recent and sixth musical production as a soloist, Salsa Para Ti. With a career spanning over 30 years, Blas has performed with distinguished artists sucha as Francisco Aguabella, Mindi Abair, Chuck Loe, Boney James, Evevlyn Champagne King, Max Bennett, Bobby Allende, Terry Gibbs, Dave Koz and Poncho Sanchez among many others. On the bongo, congas or timbales, Blas belongs to the cream of the crop. But in this instance he takes it further, by adding saxophone and flute solos to his percussion.

After his recordings A Night In LA (Dos Coronas, 1994), Skin and Bones (Cubop 1997), Mambo 2000 (Cubop 1998), King Conga (Cubop 1999) and Indestructible Spirit (Cubop 2007), Blas presents Salsa Para Ti, 11 pieces consisting of his own material plus some Jazz and Salsa classics such as Boranda, Round MIdnight and Baila Que Baila.

What a great little∼big gift from amigo MIKE WATT, himself → 30 years after the release of the MINUTEMEN —mythical, epic & unique— album «Double Nickels On The Dime» coinciding with the very∼first european tour curated by MadameMacario and shared with GUESS WHAT & L’Œillère from Februarry 20 to Aprril 19, 2014 ; MIKE WATT THE MISSINGMEN suggested me to help spread this —tasty & respectful— selection of 6 HOMMAGE interpretations taken from this 1984 «chef d’œuvre»… Just a sweet neat iconoclast blast !

Anlässlich des 50-jährigen Bestehens der berühmtesten Vier aus Birmingham werden die "Erfinder" des Heavy Metal von dem prominent besetzten Tribute-Trio um Gitarrist und Sänger Zakk Wylde mit dem Doppelalbum "Doomed Forever Forever Doomed" erneut geehrt. Mit dieser liebevolle Hommage liefern die Amerikaner brillante Interpretationen von BLACK SABBATHs zweitem und drittem Album ab, also die klassischen Heavy Metal-Meisterwerken "Paranoid" (1970) und "Master of Reality" (1971).

ZAKK SABBATH wurden von BLACK LABEL SOCIETY-Gitarrist und Sänger Zakk Wylde gegründet, der auch als langjähriger Lead-Gitarrist von OZZY OSBOURNE und inzwischen auch noch von PANTERA bekannt ist. Nachdem ZAKK SABBATH anfangs mit wechselnden Mitgliedern nur live auftraten, fand die Band schließlich mit dem OZZY OSBOURNE- und ROB ZOMBIE-Bassisten Blasko und Joey Castillo am Schlagzeug (DANZIG, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) eine stabile Besetzung. Inspiriert durch das 50-jährige Jubiläum von BLACK SABBATHs selbstbetitelten Debütalbum, veröffentlichte ZAKK SABBATH im Jahr 2020 eine Hommage an diesen monumentalen Heavy Metal-Meilenstein unter dem Titel "Vertigo". Das Album wurde von Kritikern und Fans gleichermaßen mit Lob überhäuft. Das Trio feierte einen weltweiten Erfolg, der sich in beeindruckenden Platzierungen in diversen Charts widerspiegelt: Das Album stieg auf Platz 5 in den US Hard Music Charts, Platz 7 in den Current Rock Albums Charts und Platz 27 in den Billboard Top Album Charts ein. In Frankreich gelang sogar ein Platz 1 in den Metal Album Charts und neben einem Platz 3 in den deutschen Album Charts sowie Platz 9 in den UK Top 40 Rock/Metal Charts finden sich weitere Einträge in anderen Ländern.

Die glühende Leidenschaft für Heavy Metal hat ZAKK SABBATH dazu getrieben, BLACK SABBATH mit dem Doppelalbum "Doomed Forever Forever Doomed" ein noch monolithischeres Denkmal zu errichten. Nicht allein Headbanger dürfen sich über fantastische Interpretationen dieser klassischen Songs freuen, die sicherlich zu den einflussreichsten und folgenreichsten zählen, die je von Menschenhand komponiert wurden!

Following the huge success of the album "Two Moons" in 2022, "Two Moons Analog Session" is now
available as an exclusive single release for fans of vinyl

And the second one !! it's more fun to complete !!! Breakcore killerz for a Fukdup superb prod !!

Superb album of a kind... Breakcore killerz for a Fukdup superb prod !!

Jesse James returns to the Soul Junction roster with a new 45 that features his own unique interpretation of a classic song that is backed with one of the more popular songs from his 1990 “Looking Back” album now brought to you for the first time as a 45 release.

Beginning with the A-side, “Everybody’s Talking At Me” which is Jesse’s unique cover of the folk rock singer Fred Neil’s penned song “Everybody’s Talkin’”. Which although recorded by Neil originally, was made internationally famous by Harry Nilsson when used as part of the theme score for the acclaimed United Artists 1969 film “Midnight Cowboy”. The song has been much covered in the style of a ballad but Jesse’s version recorded under the production skills of close friend Willie Hoskins (Wilhos Productions and Boola Boola Records) is a great up-tempo piano driven version of the song. “Everybody’s Talking At Me” is yet another find from the unissued tapes from the self- financed sessions that Jesse recorded at the Searra Sound Studios in Berkley C.A during 1971 that also has brought us SJ543 “(The Girl In) Clinton Park” and SJ544 “If A Man Ever Loved A Woman (Baby I Love You)”.

While the b-side, features the much, admired modern soul favourite “You’re More Than A Friend Of Mine” which first gained a release on the 1990 ‘Looking Back’ album (Gunsmoke Records). “You’re More Than A Friend Of Mine” was up to that point a previously unissued mid 70’s recording produced by the late song writer /producer Ron Carson. Carson the original owner of the San Francisco Soul Clock Records label remains highly respected for his work with the hit group, ‘The Whispers’ (both on Soul Clock and some of their later Janus recordings). Carson had produced and co-wrote Jesse’s 1975, 20th Century Records release “If You Want A Love Affair/I Never Meant To Love Her” now regarded worldwide as Jesse’s signature song. Carson had a follow up release in the can, which never came to fruition due to Jesse and 20th Century parting company for the second time. Carson by then had moved on and was heavily involved in the production of the Janus distributed blackploitation album “Black Fist” for Happy Fox records. “Black Fist” was a various artists compilation which also featured the Jesse James composition “The Same Thing Happens (Part1 & 2)”. The shelved, proposed 20th Century follow up release would have been “Your More Than A Friend of Mine/I Don’t Want It To End” recorded during 1976. Carson had pitched the idea of a song in a similar vein to the Jackson Sisters 1973 Prophesy Records release “(Why Can’t We Be) More Than Friends” to the songs original songwriting team William Peele Jr and Warren Sams. They duly obliged, coming up with the aforementioned “Your More Than A Friend Of Mine”. Warren Sams along with his half-sister Christine Adams Tripp and their friend Rachel Sanders were none other than the respected vocal trio “Water & Power” who recorded the acclaimed 1975 album of the same name for Fantasy Records and a solitary 45 “Mr Weatherman/If You Don’t Want Me”.

Derry-based, LGBTQ+, 3-piece pop-punk band Cherym unveil their long awaited debut album 'Take It Or Leave It'. A spring '24 UK and EU album headline tour is already announced, as well as supporting Enter Shikari in Ireland in March 2024. With previous sold out support shows with Nova Twins & The Beths, as well as performances at SXSW & Truck Festival, the band have received stacks of support from BBC Radio 1 (5 plays of the latest single in one week), Kerrang, 6 Music, & Dork. 2024 is the year of CHERYM.

REPRESS!!

4 new dub plates from the Lee Perry Upsetter cannon.

All are previously and all exclusive to Pressure Sounds!

Side one is taken up with two mouth watering cuts of 'Keep on moving' both cuts are bass heavy, echo drenched sound system friendly mixes.

The second cut was mixed at King Tubby's studio and features all the dynamics associated with his style... Sparse sounds over clattering drums.

With the passing of time, Tubby's mixes are actually better than ever.



The two cuts on the flip are further explorations of 'Mr Music' and 'Police and Thieves'. Stern stuff that takes it to the edge.

More genius from Mr. Perry!!!

We will have a limited amount of the 200 only silk screen printed sleeves!

Repress!

Mr Bongo are delighted to present an officially licensed re-issue of this underground Japanese rock rarity 'Uganda (Dawn of Rock)' by Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffaloes. This album has become highly sought-after amongst psych, prog and acid rock collectors and due to the rare nature of original copies they come at a hefty price tag.

The respected Japanese jazz drummer Akira Ishikawa was not messing around when he recorded the 'Uganda (Dawn of Rock)' album with his band the Count Buffaloes. For this offering, originally released in 1972 on Toshiba Records, Akira Ishikawa takes us on a deep tripped-out journey. 'Uganda (Dawn of Rock)' is a fusion of progressive and psych rock with African percussion workouts, dergy-wah wah blues-funk, and jazzy sensibilities; with different genres morphing and uniting as they progress.

A long way from his funk and afrobeat album 'Back To Rhythm’, re-issued on Mr Bongo in 2019, this record has a darker, deeper, abstract and experimental stoned tone with the listener being pulled into its vortex for the ride. This record doesn’t pull any punches.

For this album, Akira is joined by Hideaki Chihara on bass, guitarist Kimio Mizutani, sounding at times like an early 70s Peter Green, percussionist Larry Sunaga and composer Takeru Muraoka.

The album has become highly sought-after amongst psych, prog and acid rock collectors and due to the rare nature of original copies they come at a hefty price tag.

We are delighted to present an officially licensed re-issue of this underground Japanese rock rarity.

Available in 2 formats: Original LP in Box version & Tip-on Sleeve with OBI version.


• Highly sought-after underground Japanese rock rarity, originally released in 1972.

• Feat. Hideaki Chihara, Kimio Mizutani, Larry Sunaga and Takeru Muraoka.

• Available as the original LP in Box version & Tip-on Sleeve with OBI version.

Als ELECTRIC CALLBOY in diesem Jahr ihr neues Album TEKKNO veröffentlichten, war nicht klar, welche Auswirkungen das Album haben würde.Ausverkaufte Konzerte, Abriss der größten europäischen Festivals und endlich Platz 1 in den offiziellen deutschen Charts. Die Band aus Castrop-Rauxel is begeistert eine unglaubliche Bandbreite an Menschen.Die TEKKNO Tour 2023 findet nun in Arenen statt und Electric Callboy sind bereit für den nächsten großen Schritt.Um dies gebührend zu feiern, wird es eine limitierte 'TEKKNO (Tour Edition)' geben, die neben dem regulären Album, 5 Live-Bonus Tracks enthält, die während der ausverkauften Europatour 2022 aufgenommen wurden. Erhältlich als Ltd. 180g. transp. light blue-lilac marbled Vinyl

2023 Official Reissue

White Vinyl Repress

Acclaimed Japan “minyo footwork” duo WaqWaq Kingdom - aka Shigeru Ishihara (DJ Scotch Egg / Seefeel) and Kiki Hitomi (ex-King Midas Sound) - return with feverishly joyous new album Hot Pot Totto, a bubbling hot pot of dance music that responds to ecological anxiety.

“Two words are conjoined: hot pot and ottotto,” vocalist Kiki Hitomi tells us. “Ottotto is the Japanese equivalent of “oops”, or said when someone nearly falls over but manages to get their balance back: “it was dangerous but now we are safe!” Combined with the heady brew of their musical styles (“like a psychedelic Nabe hot pot: melting traditional Japanese Minyo with Jamaican dancehall, footwork, dub, techno, tribal polyrhythms and Super Nintendo soundtracks”), producer Shige Ishihara’s time in East Africa working with local musicians, and the dayglo hallucinogen of the duo’s visual aesthetic, WaqWaq Kingdom’s thumping, thrilling, irresistible third release is a unique ride.



Thematically - despite its ostensibly celebratory impact - Hot Pot Totto addresses the world’s grave ecological state. “Now our earth is on the way to catastrophe, as global warming becomes a serious problem through humanity’s fault. We are on the edge,” Hitomi writes. “We need to get back on the right track.” The ottotto of the album title refers to this experience - the need to get back on track. However, this is not lamenting music: it is fiercely defiant, full of colour and rapture, maintaining an optimism that we can.



Opening single “Hakke Yoi” ties treated voice, a floor-shaking beat, and a dizzying, transforming colour palette to a heart-quickening BPM. The track is named after the traditional cry of a sumo wrestling match, shouted by the referee to maintain tempo, commonly translated as “put some spirit into it!” The lyrics refer to humanity’s sacrifice of our planet for our own material gains. Later, key track “Buri Buri” features Ugandan experimental dance producer Catu Diosis and centres around the lyric “Turn disaster to our advantage / good fortune and happiness will come to those who smile,” offering not regret but encouragement and empowerment with its neon alien sonics and relentless vibrancy.



Kiki Hitomi was formerly a member of Ninja Tune / Hyperdub’s King Midas Sound (along with The Bug and Roger Robinson), and co-founded iconic Japanese dubstep-noise duo Dokkebi Q. She is also a celebrated illustrator and designer, having created artwork for countless record sleeves (including this one) and brands. Shigeru Ishihara - aka DJ Scotch Egg - has been orbiting the dance music galaxy for over a decade, releasing radiantly unpredictable solo records through Lightning Bolt’s Load Records, as a member of Warp Records’ legendary Seefeel, and performing with both projects across the world. He recently undertook a residency at the Nyege Nyege Villa in Uganda, working with Phantom Limb alumnus MC Yallah. More recently, Ishihara has been releasing music under the guise of Scotch Rolex, collaborating with the likes of Shackleton, Swordman Kitala, Lord Spikeheart and more.



Hot Pot Totto is WaqWaq Kingdom’s third release for Phantom Limb, following the rapturously received album Essaka Hoisa in 2019 and follow-up EP Dokkoisho in 2020. The band recently performed at the label’s sold out 5th anniversary event in London, setting an ecstatic venue alight with energy.








f B1 Buri Buri feat. Catu Diosis

Following his 2021 debut on the reverse label with Retreat Ites EP and a spot on the Molten Mirrors compilation, Jurango is back on Livity Sound with another four tracks of low-slung soundsystem pressure.

On An Amorphous Mass EP Jurango presents a particularly focused sound which draws on halftime D&B, dancehall and broken techno all filtered through the meditative pulse of low tempo club music. The measured pace of the tracks doesn’t detract from their weight, whether it manifests in the heavy roll of murky opener ‘Big Saver’, ‘Inner Seam’s mutant dembow rhythm or the heady breakbeat chops of the title track. The stripped-back subs and fractured percussion of ‘Muni Ce Boa’ close the record in potent yet understated style, proving minimal music doesn’t have to compromise on impact for the dance.

Livity Sound is a label set up by Peverelist in 2011 as a vehicle for a raw and exploratory strain of UK techno, rooted in the heritage of UK dance music and sound system culture. It has since become one of the UK's foremost protagonists for cutting edge underground electronic music.

Part of The Optic Sevens 5.0 Reissue Series.
Limited to 500 copies worldwide. Pressed on Blue Vinyl. Includes poster.
Brand New Remastered Versions.
The June Brides debut single originally released in 1984 on The Pink Label.
Both tracks are from fresh transfers from the master tapes which were then remastered by Jason Mitchell at LOUD Mastering in Taunton in early 2021.
The June Brides are true innovators, hailing from the first wave of British indie, with fans that include Manic Street Preachers (who covered their song “The Instrumental” as a tribute) , Morrissey and Belle and Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch.
They have always been regarded as pioneers, and one of the most beloved of the bands that formed the original UK independent music scene, which has since been tagged as C86.

From Karma Recordings comes their fifteenth EP. For this outing we thought we’d bring back the immense remixing talent of Billy ‘Daniel’ Bunter and Sanxion. With over thirty years in the game who can argue with this. They have taken the original Acid jungle version and turne dit into a bouncy four to the floor club smash. Dan has been playing this out for a good while now and it’s been rinsing dancefloors and festival fields throughout summer 2023. Keep the vinyl on and it glides into the original more jungle Acid vibe from the Karma Krew. Who are they ? Nobody knows !! Flip the vinyl over and we once again have a superb track from the man like DJ Terrace. Every time he sends me a track I’m a little surprised again at what he can do and he certainly is a Karma favourite. The nit smashes Dubious with a track that is half jungle, half modern day dnb which makes you want to bass face all over the place. Another slammin’ 4 tracker from our stable !

'Take Her Up to Monto', das vierte Album von Roísín Murphy von 2015, ist eine abenteuerliche und wilde Entdeckungsreise in ihr kreatives Schaffen. Überall treibt Murphy ihre charakteristischen Sounds auf die Spitze und sorgt so für ein fesselndes und unvorhersehbares Erlebnis. 'Take Her Up To Monto' erscheint nun wieder auf Vinyl.

All music by Andres Specter Ordonez

Illustration by Sean Linn

Graphics by Thomas Xu

2023 Whobody Publishing BMI

All music by Andres Specter Ordonez

Illustration by Sean Linn

Graphics by Thomas Xu

2023 Whobody Publishing BMI

Marcello Cassanelli is back on Ten Lovers Music after previously appearing on TLM030 with the incredible track Fantasia. This time Marcello delivers a fantastic 7″ project for us with two superb tracks where he plays keys, bass, percussion and drum programming himself. He also wrote, produced and mixed both the tracks.

On the A side Espresso is an uptempo number showcasing Marcello’s trademark sound just superb music which carries on with the AA side They Groove which slows the tempo down but still keeps his unique sound running throughout the track. An exciting release to start 2024.

1975 was a banner year for superstar Alice Cooper with the release of the groundbreaking concept album Welcome To My Nightmare. This album showcases Cooper's theatricality, storytelling prowess, and ability to create an immersive world of horror and fantasy.

From the opening notes of the title track, "Welcome to My Nightmare," listeners are transported into a dark and twisted dreamscape. Cooper's signature blend of rock, glam, and theatricality shines throughout the album. His gritty yet melodic vocals, combined with a richly layered musical backdrop, create an atmosphere of eerie enchantment. The album's production incorporates haunting orchestral arrangements, catchy hooks, and powerful guitar riffs, crafting a sonically diverse and captivating listening experience.

Teaming up again with his longtime producer Bob Ezrin, the duo assembled some of the greatest music to go along with the David Winter-produced TV special, and in doing so, created some of his best known songs like the huge hit single "Only Women Bleed." This Top 5 single carried Welcome To My Nightmare into multiple platinum territory and forever etched the word superstar to the name of Alice Cooper.

All the hallmarks of a top-notch Analogue Productions reissue are here for you to savor: Mastered directly from the original master tape by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering and cut at 45 RPM. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings and RTI, and housed in tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing.

Several unique features set the debut studio album by folk rock supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash, released in 1969 by Atlantic Records, apart. It's the only album by the band before adding Neil Young to their lineup. The album spawned two Top 40 singles, "Marrakesh Express" and "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," which peaked respectively at No. 28 during the week of August 23, 1969, and at No. 21 during the week of December 6, 1969, on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The album itself peaked at No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. It has been certified four times platinum by the RIAA for sales in excess of 4 million copies.

Instantly lifting the group to stardom, along with the Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo and the Band's Music from Big Pink, the previous year, the album is cited by music reviewers for initiating sweeping changes in popular music. In 2021 the album held the rank of No. 161 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.

Crosby, Stills & Nash was "the perfect blend of David Crosby's social conscience, Stephen Stills's virtuoso musicianship and Graham Nash's ability to craft the perfect pop melody for radio," writes Rolling Stone, in its review.

The band was brought together after Crosby was fired from The Byrds, Stills's band, Buffalo Springfield had broken up (a band which also featured later member, Neil Young) and Nash's departure from The Hollies. The three decided to form a band after an informal jam led them to discover how well their voices harmonized. Released in May 1969, the band would perform nine of the album's 10 songs at Woodstock, which was the second time they ever did, in August of the same year.

The album features some of CSN's most well known and iconic songs; "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," "Marrakesh Express," "Guinnevere," "Wooden Ships," "Helplessly Hoping" and "Long Time Gone." This album saw a shift in sound to what was popular at the time — blues based rock, opting for a more folk rock, and sometimes jazz-based sound. It would lay the foundations for the California Sound that would be popularised out of Laurel Canyon in the ‘70s. Artists such as The Eagles, Jackson Browne and Fleetwood Mac would take inspiration from the sound of this record.

All the hallmarks of a top-notch Analogue Productions reissue are here for you to savor: Mastered directly from the original master tape by Bernie Grundman and cut at 45 RPM. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, and housed in tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing.

Released in 1960, Giant Steps was a watershed album for John Coltrane, solidifying the saxophone legend's reputation as one of the most influential and innovative musicians in jazz history, as well as delivering jazz to an increasingly mainstream audience, while garnering significant critical acclaim.

Although this was John Coltrane's debut for Atlantic, he was concurrently performing and recording with Miles Davis. Within the space of less than three weeks, Coltrane would complete his work with Davis and company on another genre-defining disc, Kind of Blue, before commencing his efforts on this one.

Coltrane (tenor sax) is flanked here by essentially two different trios. Recording commenced in early May of 1959 with a pair of sessions that featured Tommy Flanagan (piano) and Art Taylor (drums), as well as Paul Chambers — who was the only bandmember other than Coltrane to have performed on every date. When recording resumed in December of that year, Wynton Kelly (piano) and Jimmy Cobb (drums) were instated — replicating the alternate non-Bill Evans lineup featured on "Freddie the Freeloader" on Kind of Blue, sans Miles Davis of course. At the heart of these recordings, however, is the laser-beam focus of Coltrane's tenor solos.

All seven pieces issued on the original Giant Steps are Coltrane compositions. He was, in essence, beginning to rewrite the jazz canon with material that would be centered on solos — enabling the solo to become infinitely more compelling. This would culminate in a frenetic performance style using melodic phrasing that noted jazz journalist Ira Gitler accurately dubbed "sheets of sound."

The Giant Steps chord progression consists of a distinctive set of chords that create key centers a major third apart. Jazz musicians ever since have used it as a practice piece, its difficult chord changes presenting a "kind of ultimate harmonic challenge", and serving as a gateway into modern jazz improvisation. Several pieces on this album went on to become jazz standards, most prominently "Naima" and "Giant Steps."

The Penguin Guide to Jazz selected this album as part of its suggested "Core Collection" calling it "Trane's first genuinely iconic record." In 2003, the album was ranked No. 102 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, 103 in a 2012 revised list, and 232 in a 2020 revised list.

Undeniable music perfection deserves definitive sound and top-notch packaging. This reissue was mastered directly from the original master tape by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound and cut at 45 RPM. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, and housed in tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing.

Overall, Giant Steps is not only a critical triumph but also a defining moment in John Coltrane's career. Its innovative compositions, masterful performances, and profound influence on jazz make it an essential entry in Coltrane's discography and a timeless masterpiece in the history of the genre.

A Colourful Storm begins 2024 with a luxurious suite of daydreaming introspection courtesy of Unchained, the longstanding solo project of Nathaniel Davis who was last seen on vinyl in the final Blackest Ever Black release. Recorded at home between 2020 and 2023, Gabbeh is the latest expression of Davis's guitar-based instrumental musings and represents a stylistic evolution of his self-released noise tapes and CD-Rs into romantic, bossa nova-influenced melody-making. He wrote the tracks sporadically, with minimal instrumentation and intervention. Electric guitar, bass improvisations and rhythms from an old drum machine are layered and given new life, the space between them softly breathing with minutiae of the everyday: the buzz of cicadas, the passing of cars, the whistling of passersby. The psychogeography of Grenoble, Davis' home since 2018, played a conscious role in the weaving of Gabbeh's fabric: "I think certain songs reflect, in ways, Grenoble's natural surroundings. 'Drac' is named after the river that flows from the mountains down to the city… 'Dru' is the name of a well-known peak near Chamonix". Opener 'Largo' sets the mood, its primitive samba rhythm concealed by a cloud of saudade. The bebop sensibility follows suit, the tension between its angular picks and percussive shuffle a wondrous balancing act, while the intoxicating sway of 'Rambler' is perhaps the most poignant expression of longing and loss we've heard in recent years. Highly recommended for fans of Durutti Column, Maurice Feebank, Toninho Horta.

The hottest female ‘Sing Jay’ of 2023 doesn’t disappoint with this heavy hitting album Servant of Jah Army!

Brand new album from Rimzee with a host of exciting features. The UK artist has left an undeniable imprint in the rap landscape since the release of his acclaimed debut project, The Upper Clapton Dream, in 2012 -- a tape that boasts longevity and culture --with the follow up Upper Clapton Dream 2 releasing in 2020, containing 13 songs and features from the likes of Potter Payper, M24, Ay Em, Snap Capone and Stardom amongst others.

Last year saw Rimzee release his most complete body of work yet in Cold Feet, spanning eighteen immaculately curated tracks exploring past pain and trauma -- charting independently at #11. Joined by the likes of K-Trap, Giggs, Emeli Sande, Maverick Sabre, Nemzzz and Tiggs Da Author, Cold Feet was a landmark release, demonstrating Rimzee's versatility and position in the scene, calling on a string of A-List rappers and artists to join him on this musical journey.

25th anniversary vinyl release for the second album from British alternative rock band A. 'A' vs Monkey Kong was originally released through Tycoon / London Recordings in 1999 and featured the singles "Old Folks", "Summer On The Underground" and "I Love Lake Tahoe". The album was integral in paving the way for A's later commercial success which saw the band having two top 20 singles in 2002. Vocalist Jason Perry is now an acclaimed record producer, working on albums by Don Broco, Molotov and McFly. Bassist Dan P Carter is now the host of the Radio 1 Rock Show. First time on vinyl, 'A' Vs Monkey Kong is released as a double 180g vinyl edition on red-transparent & orange clear with black haze colours, packaged in a heavy gatefold sleeve with a 16 page booklet. There will be a 6 week social media campaign with IG live to promote the release and tour dates planned for Summer 2024

The Syphons are the house band at Suit Yourself Music, a collective of exceptional musicians. This is their second release and features Fay Hallam on Hammond organ. In 2024 there will be a series of releases with The Syphons featuring other artists and vocalists in the genres of Soul, Northern Soul, Acid Jazz, Mod Jazz, Rhythm & Blues. All these releases will be new compositions taking inspiration from the original artists in these genres, but ‘Respecting The Architect’ by taking influence to pen new music rather than cover versions.