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The Yummy Fur’s first album of new material in over 25 years is seductive and ambiguous; a fast-paced flip through scenes from art, myth, life and fantasy; a witty whole made from glittering scraps. The band’s original incarnation – fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist John McKeown from 1992 to 1999 – morphed from making quick-hit cartoon-art songs to Eno and Cale-influenced creepers, populated by characters from McKeown’s life in Glasgow and the films, books and poetry that he lived a parallel life through. Everybody Talks About The Weather delights in using every past iteration of the band as potent collage material: a melee of sounds and ideas existing at once, revealing themselves then dipping back into hiding.
Recorded by the original core trio of McKeown, Brian MacDougall (guitar) and Paul Thomson (drums), Everybody Talks About The Weather comes 17 years after the band reformed for sporadic live shows, and seven years after the release of their sorta-greatest hits compilation Piggy Wings (Rock Action). Ten tracks long with nothing to spare, it is as condensed and vital as their best songs, with a new clarity of sound that allows their ambiguities to come into the light.
The album begins with “Cogs”, a taunting inquisition from within. As McKeown stages a fight between his id and ego, the tension heats up between conversational guitar lines and minimalist repetition; threatening sing-song melody and real, palpable menace. The band members are forced in tandem only to break apart, sustaining a genuine sense of just-hidden danger throughout the whole record – except, arguably, “Headphones”, a looser moment which sees McKeown make an existential something out of nothing while waiting for someone in the car (“I should have brought a book.../My ears are bleeding from the compression on your album”)
The songs are riots of reference: “Unity Over Europe” is a slyly complex two act play about the Mitford sisters – Diana, Unity, and Nancy, in a wink to the YF canon – smashing tragic biographical detail together with allusions to Thomas Pynchon and Francis Bacon. Pynchon is also lifted to serve “Blue Sunshine”, a collision of school shooters, serial killers and fictional fuck-ups (“Fast forward to Compton/Fast forward to Pynchon/Fast forward to Columbine'”) whose buzzy guitar lines are taunting and confrontational like a smarmy teenager. The innocuous title of “My Lasagne” belies a song that exists in several time periods at once: a visit to see Guernica, 50 people with their backs to the portrait of Dora Maar; the time that Picasso painted from; the Reina Sofia and the dirty streets of the Malasaña; myth-making musicians and the myths they’re riffing off overlapping and leering at each other.
All this could be laboured in lesser hands, but cultural verbosity is second nature to The Yummy Fur, who transform all this source material into songs that are weird, sexy, funny and absurd. Meaning is not happily understood or flattened. Susan Sontag's essay Against Interpretation accompanied McKeown as he wrote this album, and she’s paraphrased in “Semolina Ballerina”, the album’s justification of artistic ambiguity. Thomson’s motorik beat leads a gathering of back-and-forth instrumental phrases – including a wiry contribution on saxophone – embodying the futility of trying to parse something definitive from repeated action. “Listen to the very first thing that’s in your head,” Sontag-via-McKeown commands directly, then slinks sideways: “Interpretation is a conversation in an unmade bed”
The album features two more focused portraits, or at least The Yummy Fur’s version of such a thing. “Wanda” merges the life of filmmaker Barbara Loden and the title character of her semi-autobiographical 1970 feature film, with Loden’s then-husband Elia Kazan joining the fray of no-good men in her film. It’s a mix of adaptation and avant-criticism, with McKeown’s wordplay and mannered pronunciation mirroring the way that non-fiction and fiction twist around each other in the song. The title track is a series of vignettes and impressions from the lives of the band’s ‘90s inner circle, positing painter Mac McNaughton as a kind of Falstaffian ringleader. As with Piggy Wings and the recent single “New T-Shirt”, McNaughton painted the cover of Everybody Talks About The Weather – like the album’s music, the image of a coy girl in a white dress is an uncanny amalgamation of styles, suggestions and references just out of reach, as though seen in an art museum in a dream.
The album ends with two reads of the same frustration. “King of Nothing” is the closest The Yummy Fur will ever get to sludge-rock: the band melts together into a dusty, dreary haze as McKeown drowns in a drudgery of personal struggle (“Two jumpers on in Babylon/And only cats to talk to”) and the rhythmic toppling of heroes (Rowlands, Duvall, Munro). The majority of visible dirt is cleaned off for “Say Hello”, an uncharacteristic depiction of throwing the windows open after a dark night of the soul. Here, the situation is still cold and hard (“When the sun burns gold, but the heat never reaches your fingertips”) but it feels surmountable. Everybody Talks About The Weather is an unpredictable album from an unpredictable group, but ending on a moment of almost uncomplicated light is maybe its biggest surprise. - Claire Biddles (2026)

Rejoice is surely the album Tahiti 80 always wanted to make: free from all constraints, driven by curiosity. A collection of independent songs that speak to each other without sounding alike, yet form a cohesive whole, somewhere between the freedom of the White Album and the eclecticism of a Souljazz compilation.

Rejoice is surely the album Tahiti 80 always wanted to make: free from all constraints, driven by curiosity. A collection of independent songs that speak to each other without sounding alike, yet form a cohesive whole, somewhere between the freedom of the White Album and the eclecticism of a Souljazz compilation.

floatist

Welcome to Somewhere Else Entirely – a cinematic road trip to the sea, picking up traces of Indie Folk, Dream Pop and Neo-Soul along the way.

Floatist's debut explores finding connection in uncertain times through playful yet driving grooves, cinematic strings and hazy analogue soundscapes - embracing the unknown with curiosity, courage and joy.

Somewhere Else Entirely brings together twelve tracks that drift between worlds. Gentle, intimate voices tell stories and merge into immersive choirs, floating on airy grooves. The music invites the listener to sink in, get comfortable, roll down the imaginary window and lean their head into the warm rush of air, while sun-drenched maritime landscapes pass by and the salty breeze announces the approaching sea.

For fans of: Helena Deland, Nick Hakim, Puma Blue, Feist, Konradsen, Clairo, Alice Phoebe Lou, Lianne La Havas, Lutalo, Klangstof, Sam Evian, Hannah Cohen, Rosie Lowe

CHTHONIC's award-winning 2018 album Battlefields of Asura reissued on vinyl in September via Svart Records CHTHONIC is a Taiwanese metal band formed in Taipei in 1995, with the members nowadays split between Helsinki and Taipei. Their 2018 album Battlefields of Asura is an award-winning release. With this album, CHTHONIC won their second Golden Melody Awards, Taiwan’s equivalent of the Grammy Awards. CHTHONIC's lyrics are inspired by Taiwanese mythology, folk stories, and history, while its music incorporates elements of traditional Taiwanese folk music, enka, and the sorrowful melodies of Taiwanese opera. These are accompanied by traditional instruments such as the hena and koto. Also integral to CHTHONIC's sound are elements of symphonic black metal and melodic death metal, along with intense riffs and solos. Critics have attempted to categorize CHTHONIC as death metal, folk metal, or black metal, but the band has opted for the simpler label of metal. They've performed at many major festivals around the world, including Fuji Rock and Summer Sonic in Japan, Ozzfest in the US, Download in the UK, and Wacken Open Air in Germany, as well as having toured extensively across Europe, North America, and Asia over the years. Prior to this album, CHTHONIC was signed to Spinefarm Records / Universal Music Group, under which they released three albums and toured internationally. After their 2014 European tour, the band decided to slow down, and vocalist Freddy Lim began his political career. He was elected to Taiwan's Parliament in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. During his tenure, he pushed for LGBTQ rights and gender equality, helping Taiwan become the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage, along with advocating for Indigenous rights and other human rights issues..

CHTHONIC's award-winning 2018 album Battlefields of Asura reissued on vinyl in September via Svart Records CHTHONIC is a Taiwanese metal band formed in Taipei in 1995, with the members nowadays split between Helsinki and Taipei. Their 2018 album Battlefields of Asura is an award-winning release. With this album, CHTHONIC won their second Golden Melody Awards, Taiwan’s equivalent of the Grammy Awards. CHTHONIC's lyrics are inspired by Taiwanese mythology, folk stories, and history, while its music incorporates elements of traditional Taiwanese folk music, enka, and the sorrowful melodies of Taiwanese opera. These are accompanied by traditional instruments such as the hena and koto. Also integral to CHTHONIC's sound are elements of symphonic black metal and melodic death metal, along with intense riffs and solos. Critics have attempted to categorize CHTHONIC as death metal, folk metal, or black metal, but the band has opted for the simpler label of metal. They've performed at many major festivals around the world, including Fuji Rock and Summer Sonic in Japan, Ozzfest in the US, Download in the UK, and Wacken Open Air in Germany, as well as having toured extensively across Europe, North America, and Asia over the years. Prior to this album, CHTHONIC was signed to Spinefarm Records / Universal Music Group, under which they released three albums and toured internationally. After their 2014 European tour, the band decided to slow down, and vocalist Freddy Lim began his political career. He was elected to Taiwan's Parliament in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. During his tenure, he pushed for LGBTQ rights and gender equality, helping Taiwan become the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage, along with advocating for Indigenous rights and other human rights issues..

In 2024, Audrey Powne emerged as a compelling new voice in contemporary jazz with the release of her acclaimed debut album From the Fire; a self-produced and self-composed work celebrated for its lush string arrangements, soaring trumpet performances, and emotionally rich songwriting. Now, two years later, Powne returns with Bodies of Water, a bold and deeply introspective follow-up that continues her elemental exploration: from fire to water. An exploration of what it means to exist alongside others in an increasingly unstable world, Bodies of Water reflects on vulnerability, responsibility, and human interconnectedness. The album’s title and conceptual foundation were inspired by a passage from Caleb Azumah Nelson’s novel Small Worlds: “...to make himself a body, like water, a still surface, but beneath this, a ripple, and beneath this, an ebbing tide, and beneath that, a violent, constant tow…” Throughout the record, lyrics ruminate on the idea that like all bodies of water, we are vulnerable to disruption and catastrophe. Unlike inanimate bodies of water, however, we are conscious participants in both the damage and the repair. That tension between what we are made of and what we are responsible for became a grounding and harmonious thought. This album is a meditation on that idea, both in my personal life and in a broader, collective sense. Swollen, Broken Record, and Karma, reflect on moments of cruelty and error including her own that felt unbearable. Viewing them instead as forces moving through the landscape of a life, violent but temporary to survive their immediate impact. More socially conscious tracks Stay Awake, Creeds, RYV, and Two Sides confront frustration with political polarisation and the emptiness of language unaccompanied by action. The title and final track Bodies of Water brings these ideas together, reimagining both personal and societal upheaval as events shaped by bodies of water moving through the world destructive at times, transformative at others, and always in motion. Blending traditional jazz with Afrobeat rhythms, Dilla-inspired grooves, ambient textures, and expansive arrangements, Bodies of Water reveals the breadth of Powne’s artistic vision. The record moves fluidly between spiritual jazz, warped soul and rhythm-driven experimentation, while layered interludes and meticulous production thread its disparate influences into a unified and immersive sonic world.

Mit “His Majesty King Funk”, seinem einzigen Album für Verve Records, schuf der Gitarrist Grant Green im
Mai 1965 einen absoluten Klassiker des Soul-Jazz. Zugleich war es das fünfte und letzte Album, auf dem
er mit dem aufregenden Hammond-Organisten Larry Young zusammenarbeitete. Einer der Höhepunkte ist
das von Green komponierte Stück “The Selma March”, das ein musikalischer Kommentar zu den Märschen
der US-amerikanischen Bürgerrechtsbewegung war, die zwei Monate zuvor Schlagzeilen gemacht hatten.
“Greens ‘His Majesty King Funk’ trägt seinen Namen zu Recht”. schrieb John Heidt 2007 im Magazin
Vintage Guitar über das Album. “Bei fünf Stücken voller soulgetränktem Jazz wird schnell klar, warum er
der Liebling der Acid-Jazz-Bewegung ist. Sein Spiel zeichnete sich durch eine Bodenständigkeit aus, die
man bei vielen anderen Jazzgitarristen vermisst, und dieses Album lässt diese besonders gut zur Geltung
kommen.”

Soulful, future-leaning house & hip hop distilled into wax form. Standout cuts by AKA ZEB & LIL DAVE 215, with appearances from J-LIVE, BLU and BLOOMY MEADOWS, bridging the gap between classic andy with contemporary with warmth and depth. Support from CRACKAZAT

,Our Final Album - Vol. 1" ist das vierte Album von Glenn Morrow's Cry For Help und zeigt die Band aus Hoboken, New Jersey, auf dem Höhepunkt ihrer Kreativität. Obwohl der Titel einen Abschied suggeriert, präsentiert das Album eine lebendige und vielseitige Sammlung von elf neuen Songs, die von klassischem Gitarrenrock über gefühlvolle Balladen bis hin zu Bossa-Nova- und Soul-Einflüssen reichen. Angeführt wird die Band von Glenn Morrow, einer Schlüsselfigur der unabhängigen US-Musikszene, der als Musiker, Journalist und langjähriger Betreiber des Indie-Labels Bar/None Records bekannt wurde. Gemeinsam mit Bassist Mike Rosenberg, Gitarrist Ric Sherman und Schlagzeuger Ron Metz greift Morrow auf jahrzehntelange Erfahrung in der traditionsreichen Hoboken-Musikszene zurück. Aufgenommen wurde das Album erneut im Magic Door Studio von Produzent Ray Ketchem, der besonders das Gespür der Band für eingängige Melodien und starkes Songwriting hervorhebt. Unterstützung erhält die Band diesmal vom renommierten Keyboarder Andrew Burton, dessen Beiträge den Songs zusätzliche Tiefe und Klangfarben verleihen. Musikalisch verbindet ,Our Final Album - Vol. 1" kraftvolle Rocksongs wie ,That's That", ,Beatle Bones" und ,Into Something New" mit nachdenklicheren Momenten wie ,Stop Your Crying", dem Bossa-Stück ,Boom Boom" oder dem souligen ,Let's Stay In Bed". Dabei ziehen sich Glenn Morrows persönliche Geschichten, Lebenserfahrungen und eine leichte Melancholie durch das gesamte Album. Das Ergebnis ist ein abwechslungsreiches, warmes und zeitloses Rockalbum, das die Stärke einer Band zeigt, die auch nach vielen Jahren nichts von ihrer Leidenschaft verloren hat.

Baltimore's End It is telling it like it is on their debut album, Wrong Side Of Heaven, set for release this summer. The hardcore band has built a reputation through being unapologetically outspoken, playing fast, ripping songs, and putting on an electrifying live show. Now they're ready to enter their next era. Formed in 2017, the band consists of vocalist Akil Godsey, drummer Chris Gonzalez, guitarist Ray Lee, and bassist Patrick Martin. Signed to Flatspot Records, End It came out strong with the release of their self-titled EP the same year they started, and followed it up with 2020's One Way Track EP. In the summer of 2022, the band took the hardcore world by storm with their Unpleasant Living EP, solidifying the Baltimore outfit as one of the most exciting acts in the genre. Following the release, End It embarked on a packed touring and festival schedule across North America and Europe, playing alongside No Warning, Terror, Cold World, Drain, Speed, Angel Du$t, Scowl, and many more. The band's reach goes even farther with breakout single "New Age Slavery" featured on the soundtrack for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4. No matter where they are and what they're doing, End It is true to keeping things authentically them and that shines through on the forthcoming Wrong Side Of Heaven. Entering Salad Days Studio with renowned producer Brian McTernan (Turnstile, Snapcase, Hot Water Music) the band came in with a few demos and wrote the majority of the album during the two month recording process in early 2025. Taking direction from classic hardcore, thrash, and soul music, End It has crafted a 15 song magnum opus centered on "Spreading awareness of the change that's coming to Americans, personal growth, and maintaining the ethics and integrity of hardcore."

Life Creates Itself is the new album by Bill Baird, releasing September 25th, 2026 on Royal Oakie Records. After years of restless wandering that took him from the Bay Area to India to Abbey Road and back again, Baird has returned home to San Antonio, Texas. Inspired by Lone Star legends Doug Sahm and Roky Erickson, the album inhabits a world where outsider country, avant-garde pop, and psychedelic folk dissolve into one.


Produced by longtime collaborator Jasper Leach (Tony Molina, Color Green) and mastered by indie-rock legend KRAMER (Galaxie 500, Daniel Johnston, Will Oldham), Life Creates Itself was recorded at Sear Sound in New York City in a single remarkable day — fitting for an album as indebted to Arthur Russell and Captain Beefheart as it is to Sir Douglas Quintet and Townes Van Zandt. The sessions brought together a constellation of collaborators around Baird and Leach, including Pedrum Siadatian (Allah-Las, PAINT), Phil Carluzzo, Austin Day, Oliver O'Haver, Jordan Johns, Michael Vattuone, Clara Kennedy, and Carluzzo’s dog Ernie.


Lead single "Yanaguana" — the original Payaya name for San Antonio, meaning either "land of many waters" or simply "where I am right now" — serves as a thesis statement for the album, a restless soul reckoning with what it means to finally come home. Meanwhile, "Karma Loan" is a fuzzy, sprawling psych track that spilled out of Baird during a deep immersion in Bach that features cello by Clara Kennedy and closes with a sound collage of spiritual gurus hawking easy paths to enlightenment. Then there's "Horse Moon" — built around pedal steel that shimmers like rays of moonlight, drifting through vignettes from a late night walk across New York City, with Pedrum Siadatian's lead guitar lending the whole thing an unhurried, dreaming quality. The night they tracked it, Baird climbed to the roof of Sear Sound and watched a full moon wash the city in a warm glow.


Baird has never sounded more at home, and Life Creates Itself may be his most cohesive record yet – a songwriter record through and through that stands apart from the rest of his discography. Royal Oakie Records is proud to release Life Creates Itself on September 25th, 2026, available on vinyl LP, CD, and digital download/streaming worldwide.

First up in the series - Heavy Salsa and Latin Soul from Puerto Rico-born pianist Eddie Lebron and Orquesta Suave, the album that kickstarted Ghetto Records. Ghetto Records was Joe Bataan’s way to get over on “The Man” and out of the ‘hood, a bold move by an artist looking for independence and creative control in an industry that had exploited his talents and treated him like chattel. As Bataan puts it today, “Ghetto Records was part of my journey, a stepping stone to everything else that I’ve done. I learned enough that it enabled me to get out of the box with my thinking, it showed me how to deal with adversity.” Like many dreams and schemes born of the street, this one was audacious, perhaps even reckless to a fault. Hatched from desperation yet full of hope Ghetto Records came crashing down shortly after its inception. The seven albums in its discography languished out of print - until now. These are the definitive reissues of these albums, licensed from Joe Bataan, with his oversight and input into a 16 page oversize book by Pablo Yglesias that details Bataan’s larger-than-imagination life and his little Latin label that could.

Hypnos , a new collection of his own mesmerising compositions, enchants us with sublime, atmospheric guitar intricacies beautifully constructed over soul- drenched hammond sound-beds. "With Hypnos , I wanted to create something paired back and super simple. These pieces were initially written as etudes for solo guitar, and they reflect the wide range of influences found in the music I love to listen to. A life spent listening to Django Reinhardt and Philip Glass! The inclusion of the Hammond organ came from a desire to pair the nylon- string guitar with an instrument you don't usually hear alongside it. For me, the Hammond evokes gospel and the classic organ trios of Wes Montgomery - it's a soulful, funk sonic and very spiritual. It was a real blessing to have Nathaniel Ledwidge play Hammond on the record and to showcase the softer side of this iconic instrument. Hypnos is the Greek god of sleep, the father of Morpheus, the god of dreams. Is the music dreamy and hypnotic, a brief slumberous escape from the madness out there? I hope so." - Robin Katz It's available as a limited- pressing 180g vinyl 'Gearbox Cut' LP and gatefold CD digi sleeve with obi strip & photo insert.

Fans and headz worldwide have been clamoring for a follow- up, but all Emapea wanted to do was just 'zone out.' And that's what happened, with the release of Emapea's twenty song album Zoning Out, Volume 1. Emapea's cuts are meant for the listener to get lost in - but they're not only for chilling, or when deep in thought, but also for getting in that crucial head-nod zone, like when the DJ drops the dopest beat. Expertly crafted and sequenced, the album presents a boom-bap journey that's dreamy and spacey while remaining tough and jazzy. "Check It Out" exemplifies the mood with its smooth drums, chiming keys, subtle sax riffs, and hip hop shout-outs. The vibe expands on "Motion", adding an exotic, worldly flavor to the seductively loping rhythm. And "Classy" features a smokey saloon piano melody that cruises smugly out of jeep-beat speakers.

Hailing from Providencia, Colombia (Old Providence Island), Henner, Derrick, Luis, Feliciano and Senen are the Black Diamonds; a band that seamlessly blends the irresistible grooves of reggae with the infectious rhythms of calypso, creating a sound that is both timeless and refreshingly original.

For years, Black Diamonds have been synonymous with the laid-back, soulful reggae sound of Old Providence Island, crafting songs that reflect the Caribbean's easy rhythms and rich cultural heritage. Their debut release, however, takes an unexpected—and thoroughly enjoyable—detour into upbeat calypso, proving that the band is more than capable of stepping outside its comfort zone.

"De Seh Seh" (gossip.. chat and talk to much about the others in Creole) also features a remix by Venezuelan producer and multi-instrumentalist Caribombo, who transforms the song into a dancefloor-ready journey, blending electronic textures with soukous-inspired Afro-house rhythms for a bold, cross-Caribbean reinterpretation.

Intentions, the debut of LA-via-Chicago beat maker, composer, and multi-instrumentalist megiapa, is a 40 minute master class in synth-heavy, jazz-informed Neo-soul.

megiapa's lush and emotionally layered album feels less like a collection of songs and more like a living archive of transformation. Across its warm synths, fluttering basslines, meditative voice notes and spiritual grooves, the Los Angeles-based producer, vocalist and composer maps the uncertain terrain between heartbreak, healing, fear, and surrender.

The album's title is genuine.

"The record is literally my intentions," she says. "It's a representation of my intentions, my dreams over the last five years or so."

Those years carried the weight of upheaval: the pandemic, the collapse of a long-term relationship, a move away from Chicago, and the disorientation that follows when the structure of your life suddenly disappears beneath you. But Intentions never sounds defeated. Instead, it radiates the quiet confidence of someone learning to trust herself in real time.

Intentions, the debut of LA-via-Chicago beat maker, composer, and multi-instrumentalist megiapa, is a 40 minute master class in synth-heavy, jazz-informed Neo-soul. megiapa"s lush and emotionally layered album, feels less like a collection of songs and more like a living archive of transformation. Across its warm synths, fluttering basslines, meditative voice notes and spiritual grooves, the Los Angeles based producer, vocalist and composer maps the uncertain terrain between heartbreak, healing, fear, and surrender. Featuring: Ahmad Muhammad (aka Kafari), Mekala Session, Blvck Spvde, Aankha Neal, Telemakus, Aisha Mars, 10.4 ROG

Feelin’ Love returns to Soulfuric Deep with a fresh remix package built around one of house music’s most recognisable vocal anthems, bringing new energy to a timeless dancefloor favourite.

Originally released by Soulsearcher, the track has remained a staple across house and disco sets for decades, celebrated for its uplifting vocal, infectious groove and enduring crossover appeal.

This new edition pairs the original Soulsearcher Club Mix with a selection of contemporary reinterpretations, including brand-new remixes from RUZE & Chesster and Dr Packer, alongside the Ian Carey Main Mix, offering a versatile package for both modern and classic house DJs.

Blending soulful vocals, groove-led rhythms and contemporary production touches, the release bridges generations of house music while retaining the feel-good energy that made the original such a lasting success.

Back on fresh 12" vinyl, Feelin’ Love continues to resonate with both long-time collectors and a new wave of DJs, making it a strong addition to any house-focused record selection.

A highly recognisable and DJ-friendly release for stores supporting house, deep house and soulful dancefloor sounds.

Since launching the edit and remix focused Brooklyn Lathe Cuts imprint last year, Patrick Sullivan aka P-Sol has not put a foot wrong. He's already released a swathe of superb two-trackers this year and here returns with another notable entry to the label's growing catalogue. A-side 'Canvas' is simply superb, with effects-laden Godfather of Soul vocal samples rising above a slipped beatdown-house groove, dreamy deep house sonics and jazzy, sun-baked instrumentation. He once more reaches for Brown vocal snippets on the even stronger 'Circles', a languid, break-powered slab of summery and shuffling deep house excellence.

Die britische Singer-Songwriterin und Musikerin Martina Topley-Bird wurde durch ihre Zusammenarbeit mit
den Trip-Hop-Pionieren Tricky und Massive Attack in der Musikbranche bekannt. Besonders hervorzuheben
ist ihr gefühlvoller Gesang auf dem Track ”Teardrop” von Massive Attack aus deren Album ”Mezzanine”,
der zu seiner atmosphärischen Wirkung beiträgt. Auch auf Trickys Debütalbum ”Maxinquaye” (1995)
hat ihre eindringliche Stimme den unverwechselbaren Sound geprägt. Als sie 2003 zu einer Solokarriere
überging, erntete sie mit ihrem für den Mercury Award nominierten Debütalbum ”Quixotic”, das bei Independiente Records erschien, großen Beifall der Kritiker. 2004 erweiterte Topley-Bird ihre Zusammenarbeit
und lieh ihre Stimme den Gorillaz-Tracks ”All Alone” und ”Kids with Guns” von deren Debütalbum ”Demon
Days”. Seitdem hat sie weitere Alben veröffentlicht, darunter ”Anything” (2004), ”The Blue God” (2008)
und ”Some Place Simple” (2010).
Martina Topley-Birds von der Kritik hochgelobtes und für den Mercury Award nominiertes Debütalbum
”Quixotic” wird zum ersten Mal auf Vinyl veröffentlicht. Diese erweiterte Ausgabe enthält das Originalalbum sowie drei B-Seiten und einen unveröffentlichten alternativen Mix der ersten Single ”Sandpaper
Kisses”. Sie wird auf Doppel-Vinyl gepresst und in einem Gatefold-Sleeve verpackt sein.

Crystal Motion were from New Bedford, Massachusetts, formed in 1974 and released this soul gem the following year, originally on the Sound Gems label.
The track has long since been a soul scene favourite, Jack Faith's arrangement adding to its Philly flavour. Rare mint originals exchange hands for nothing less that £100.

A long-lost Japanese acid folk gem, Niningashi’s 1974 private press debut Heavy Way shimmers with originality, deft song writing and a dream-like groove.

Although he was training as a pharmacist, Kazuhisa Okubo was much more interested in prescribing musical medicine.
A coming-of-age album, Heavy Way captured a turning point in Okubo’s life, and Japanese society more widely as a nostalgia for the pastoral calm of the traditional life, met the cosmopolitan thrill of coffee, sex and cigarettes in the big city.
Intoxicated by Tokyo, driven by a passion for music and surrounded by a thriving acid folk scene, the young student filtered his experiences through a psychedelic cocktail of soulful influences from the US and Japan.
Niningashi was his first band, and Heavy Way was their only album. It was honest and raw, deep and strangely funky, in an off-beat kind of way. Across nine tracks, Okubo and the 6-piece band put their own spin on the new folk sound of Japan, combining witty lyrics with electric guitar-driven solos and crisp, understated grooves.

Melancholy and profound, opening track ‘Ameagari’ feels like a synthesis of Harvest-era Neil Young and Haruomi Hosono’s Happy End. Then there’s the whimsical washboard country sound of ‘Semai Boku No Heyade’; the moody, low-lit charm of ‘Restaurant’; and ‘Hitoribotchi’, a sensitive portrayal of childhood, steeped in memories of rainfall that will resonate with fans of Woo and Mac Demarco.
While Okubo would go on to taste success with psychedelic folk bands Neko and Kaze, the latter of which scored three #1 albums, little is known about his mysterious debut with Niningashi.
Self-released by Okubo in 1974, and featuring album artwork by his brother, it has slowly generated a cult following online, intrigued by its soft and enchanting sound. So few records were ultimately pressed that those remaining have fetched up to £1,500 online.

Featured on Time Capsule’s era-spanning collection Nippon Acid Folk, Niningashi’s Heavy Way is a deep-cut grail of a vibrant time in Japan’s musical history, where even the pharmacists were making jams.

2026 Repress

With this seventh instalment of retweaked heat, Perro Bueno Edits once again prove that less is more when you know exactly what you're doing. Both refixes strike a sweet spot between respectful crate-digger sensibility and dancefloor punch while updating Afro-funk classics without sanding off their soul. 'TFOM' puffs out its chest with big, bold, playful horns leading the charge as Latin vocals bring some sunshine and funky bass keeps things moving. 'SMPP' slows the tempo, which means more room to luxuriate between the dumpy kicks and appreciate the sharp horns and organic percussion before some raw vocals bring a Brownian funk edge.

FKJ returns with Tyber— a project that captures a period of personal and creative transformation following the release of his acclaimed album ‘V I N C E N T’. Written and recorded across multiple continents, the album reflects years spent navigating movement, solitude, collaboration and renewal.

The result is FKJ at his most expansive and uninhibited. Across ‘Tyber’, groove-driven compositions sit alongside jazz-led instrumentals, sample-heavy explorations and more direct songwriting moments, moving seamlessly through genres without ever losing cohesion. The album feels both deeply personal and globally informed, spotlighting an artist documenting his evolution in real time. It captures musical snapshots across London, Los Angeles, Paris, Brazil, and beyond to create music that combines intricacy and intimacy seamlessly.

Anchored by themes of emotional equilibrium and self-care, Tyber balances vulnerable storytelling with an unmistakable, groove-laden optimism. The album seamlessly weaves together spontaneous, late-night collaborations with artists like Labrinth, Bas, and Baby Rose, alongside deeply personal solo compositions. Ultimately, Tyber is a vibrant celebration of human connection and resilience, offering listeners an immersive, cinematic invitation into FKJ’s newly restored world.

For over 11 years, Nowadays Records has been shaping the French electronic music scene with boundless energy and total artistic freedom. Much more than a label, Nowadays is a big musical family where every release, meeting and event becomes a real celebration. With over a hundred albums and nearly a thousand titles to its credit, Nowadays Records embodies musical diversity across a variety of genres: abstract hip-hop, house, electronica and alternative pop.



It's in this festive spirit that the Club Nowadays project is born, a true embodiment of the collective's vision. Through its club compilations and evenings featuring label artists and outside guests.



Today, the label continues to chart its course with the release of Club Nowadays Vol. 6, a new opus in its series of compilations, which fully embodies its vision of club music. This sixth volume brings together emblematic figures of the label and emerging artists around the following dance tracks.



Don't Lie, the first single from the compilation, is a heartfelt track born of a broken heart, but turned towards the light. Mira Ló composed this track as an act of resilience, following a break-up in love. She transforms her pain into positive energy, hoping that everyone can recognize themselves in it and find a little sweetness to soothe their own grief.



R1D1 brings together his groovy house and garage influences to create the track Marsupilami around a hand-crafted synth, sharp drums and deep bass. Influenced by hip-hop beatmaking, he incorporates vocals from radio and interviews, transformed into rhythmic elements. The name, a nod to the famous character, comes naturally through the sampled “houba houba”. Between offbeat textures and assertive groove, the track embodies R1D1's singular, hybrid universe.



OOGO & Blanka, two pioneers of the label, offer us Phô Real, a hybrid track between soulful deep house and hip-hop groove, mixing organic and digital textures. A track to get the dancefloor moving, with a delicious nod to La Fine Équipe's culinary universe.



With Tracksuit & Loafers, Yambow creates a bridge between groovy French Touch elegance and the effervescent energy of UK house, in the tradition of producers like Salute and Oppidan. The track is conceived like an acid cocktail: funky, euphoric and dancefloor-friendly. The title is a nod to cultural contrasts - between English tracksuits and French loafers - which translate into a musical interplay between sophistication and fervor.



Finally, Laaanky, the Parisian producer, breaks codes and gives free rein to his passion for raw sound, efficiency and groove on the track Bloom. Between textured house, dub echoes and Afro-tinged post-dubstep rhythms, he explores a danceable, minimalist and percussive electronica. Less is more.

FKJ returns with Tyber— a project that captures a period of personal and creative transformation following the release of his acclaimed album ‘V I N C E N T’. Written and recorded across multiple continents, the album reflects years spent navigating movement, solitude, collaboration and renewal.

The result is FKJ at his most expansive and uninhibited. Across ‘Tyber’, groove-driven compositions sit alongside jazz-led instrumentals, sample-heavy explorations and more direct songwriting moments, moving seamlessly through genres without ever losing cohesion. The album feels both deeply personal and globally informed, spotlighting an artist documenting his evolution in real time. It captures musical snapshots across London, Los Angeles, Paris, Brazil, and beyond to create music that combines intricacy and intimacy seamlessly.

Anchored by themes of emotional equilibrium and self-care, Tyber balances vulnerable storytelling with an unmistakable, groove-laden optimism. The album seamlessly weaves together spontaneous, late-night collaborations with artists like Labrinth, Bas, and Baby Rose, alongside deeply personal solo compositions. Ultimately, Tyber is a vibrant celebration of human connection and resilience, offering listeners an immersive, cinematic invitation into FKJ’s newly restored world.

Chicago was a hotbed for talent in the 1970s (well, it always has been and always will be, to be honest) and one of the groups to emerge at that time was Heaven & Earth, a vital soul vocal collective. They released four high-quality albums and this one, 'I Can't Seem To Forget You', was the first on Clarence Johnson's G.E.C. Label. It is packed with super sweet vocals and Dwight Dukes' lush falsetto and has never before been reissued. This version from the good folks at P-VINE has an extra bonus cut 'Promises,' which has previously only been available as a single from 1975.

Trusted Rhythm Records seeks to live up to its name right from the off with a debut vinyl compilation that explores deep house from multiple angles. Yuu Udagawa first comes at things from a soulful perspective, with diffuse pads and jazzy melodies heating up a nice soft groove. DFRA's 'Give Me' (Masaki Morii remix) is a playful, musical sunset sound for when you're dancing by the Med somewhere and the flipside begins with a tropical deep house heater that is organic and baked in sunlight. Trinidadian Deep keeps things dialled in and spiritual with his mix of Jean-Jez and a Coflo remix closes with more bold rhythms but no lesser depth. Sophisticated stylings all round.

Two of the most prolific remixers in the world of Disco,Dave 'Love' Lee and John Moraleshave teamed up for one of their biggest projects to date - 'Mixed To The Maxxx'. After gaining access from the legendary original artists, the pair take the multi-track tapes of many classic Disco, Funk & Soul tracks and re-work them...to the Maxxx!

Where Remixed With Love stands as Dave Lee's own gold-standard body of work, Mixed To The Maxxx sets that legacy alongside Morales' own decades-deep M+M body of work: Lee brings his musically dense, groove-first touch to the likes of Harold Melvin, Syreeta, Lenny Williams and The Brand New Heavies, while Morales applies his extended, dancefloor-built M+M treatment and crushes the likes of Barry White, The Temptations and Loleatta Holloway, plus Dennis Coffey's breakbeat classic "Scorpio" for the DJs and collectors alike. Both work from original tapes, surfacing parts barely audible or entirely unheard in the source mixes, and both know when to let a classic breathe rather than bury it under modern production. It's a pairing a long time in the making. Lee and Morales first talked about working together around a decade ago, and getting Mixed To The Maxxx off the ground took five years of patient work: tracking down usable stems, securing approvals, and navigating a licensing landscape where much of the best material is now tied up with major labels increasingly cautious about clearing remixes. What's landed here is the product of that graft as much as the pair's shared ear for a great record, the sound of two people who know exactly what they're looking for and are willing to put in the time to find it.

A double 12" sampler in summer 2025 previewed the record's range. A bass-driven overhaul ofThe Brothers Johnson's "The Real Thing" and an extended mix of Philly legends Bell & James' "Livin' It Up (Friday Night)" showcased Lee's side, while an anthemic take on Inner Life's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and a tempo-lifted Light Of The World"London Town" flew the flag for Morales. Both drew strong early support ahead of the full LP.

Two of the most prolific remixers in the world of Disco,Dave 'Love' Lee and John Moraleshave teamed up for one of their biggest projects to date - 'Mixed To The Maxxx'. After gaining access from the legendary original artists, the pair take the multi-track tapes of many classic Disco, Funk & Soul tracks and re-work them...to the Maxxx!

Where Remixed With Love stands as Dave Lee's own gold-standard body of work, Mixed To The Maxxx sets that legacy alongside Morales' own decades-deep M+M body of work: Lee brings his musically dense, groove-first touch to the likes of Harold Melvin, Syreeta, Lenny Williams and The Brand New Heavies, while Morales applies his extended, dancefloor-built M+M treatment and crushes the likes of Barry White, The Temptations and Loleatta Holloway, plus Dennis Coffey's breakbeat classic "Scorpio" for the DJs and collectors alike. Both work from original tapes, surfacing parts barely audible or entirely unheard in the source mixes, and both know when to let a classic breathe rather than bury it under modern production. It's a pairing a long time in the making. Lee and Morales first talked about working together around a decade ago, and getting Mixed To The Maxxx off the ground took five years of patient work: tracking down usable stems, securing approvals, and navigating a licensing landscape where much of the best material is now tied up with major labels increasingly cautious about clearing remixes. What's landed here is the product of that graft as much as the pair's shared ear for a great record, the sound of two people who know exactly what they're looking for and are willing to put in the time to find it.

A double 12" sampler in summer 2025 previewed the record's range. A bass-driven overhaul ofThe Brothers Johnson's "The Real Thing" and an extended mix of Philly legends Bell & James' "Livin' It Up (Friday Night)" showcased Lee's side, while an anthemic take on Inner Life's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and a tempo-lifted Light Of The World"London Town" flew the flag for Morales. Both drew strong early support ahead of the full LP.

Following the “immaculate and eternal soul” (The Guardian) of The Indications’ 2019 album, American Love Call, Private Space unlocks the door to a wider range of sounds, boldly launching the band into a world of synthy modern soul and disco beats dotted with strings. Anchored by the high-low harmonies of Aaron Frazer (drums/vocals) and Durand Jones (vocals), and rounded out by Blake Rhein (guitar), Steve Okonski (keys), and Mike Montgomery (bass), The Indications are true masters at melding revival sounds with a modern attitude. The ten tracks across Private Space provide for both an escapist fantasy and a much-needed recentering after a tumultuous 2020.In conjunction with today’s announcement, they share Private Space’s lead single/video “Witchoo.” Reflective of the track’s vibrant, playful energy, the Weird Life-directed video features the five band members and close friends, transitioning from a live performance 
to an electric backstage soirée.“At the end of the day, I just want people to close their eyes and forget where they are. Just the way a Stevie Wonder album does for me,” says Jones. Developed after being apart for much of the year, Private Space is creatively explosive and delights in upending expectations. Throughout, The Indications highlight a collective resiliency – as well as the power of a good song to be a light in the darkness. From an Indiana basement (where the band recorded their 2016 self-titled debut LP as college students), The Indications have catapulted into the soul limelight and an international stage. Following their sophomore album American Love Call
 — a dreamy but pensive record of big string arrangements and sweet soul stylings — The Indications became revered by vintage music fans, the lowrider community and late-night television.

“An amazing new project…” Tony Minvielle, Jazz FM

“A lush, heatwave-friendly piece of dancefloor innovation…” Clash Magazine


First Word Records is delighted to bring you the debut EP from Ships of the Pharaohs.


Ships of the Pharaohs are a London-based collective led by producer Last Nubian, who’s had releases in his own right on labels like CoOp Presents, Eglo Records & Touching Bass. Blending jazz, soul, bossa nova, d&b and house-influenced grooves, the band also consists of vocalist Achanté, keys player Goldbar & bassist, Dougan.

The 7-track EP kicks off with the high-energy, vitamin D-saturated lead single ‘Sun is Rising’, featuring the guest vocals of brilliant Berlin-based singer Red Bird, who appears on three tracks on this project (‘For You’ and ‘Seasons’). ‘Can’t Quit’ follows on a smooth soulful house/bruk tempo, and invites in the thought-provoking spoken word prose of AKEEM. ‘Seasons’, ‘For You’ and recent single ‘Joys’ add another element to the band’s eclectic take on fusion, leaning heavily into the bossa side of the quartet’s influences. The latter track sees Achanté’s soulful harmonies gracefully float across a warm bed of keys, percussion, guitar picks & synth strings. We take a short jazzy breather on the ‘Interlude’ cut, featuring the resplendent sax of multi-talented Norwegian artist, Bror Havnes, who also features on the outro cut ‘One’ - this one seeing the crew ride out with a sonic salute to jungle/d&b, closing this first opus from the group with the energy levels remaining high.

Tre Wright (aka Last Nubian) explains “Our debut EP is a reflection of who we are, both individually and as a collective. Drawing inspiration from jazz, jungle, bossa nova, house, r&b and the music that's shaped us, we've explored our own interpretation of these sounds and how they come together in a way that feels true to us. It gave us the space to experiment without boundaries, trust our instincts, and create something that genuinely reflects where we are creatively right now.”


Originally conceived to perform Last Nubian material live for a Touching Bass showcase at We Out Here festival in 2023, the project soon took on a life of its own, as the group effort unleashed a unique chemistry & sound of its own merit. Thereafter followed numerous sessions in a studio-converted bedroom of a Brixton flat, developing this new sound. The finishing touches were taken care of at the infamous Total Refreshment Centre in North London, resulting in the formation of captivating new original material, which appears across this first extended release.

Ships of the Pharaohs have additionally performed live across London at Brick Lane Jazz Festival, House of KOKO, Jazz on Wick Festival, Peckham Levels, 91 Living Room & GROW in Hackney. Developing their powerful stage presence has gone hand in hand with the creation of their own material.

The initial singles from this project received praise & support from a variety of DJs, press outlets & tastemakers from the worlds of jazz, soul and clubland, including Shy One (NTS), Tony Minvielle (Jazz FM), Rohan Rakhit (Worldwide FM), Somewhere Soul & Clash Magazine to name a few.


With sonics somewhat reminiscent of Acid Jazz legends Incognito, merged with the class of Nuyorican Soul, and the dynamic fluidity of 4Hero, the 4-piece have cooked up a set of style & flavours uniquely their own, fresh for modern dances, incorporating organic improvisation with more contemporary club sounds.

The Ships of the Pharaohs are about to set sail for what is sure to be an exciting journey ahead.

‘Part 1’ will be released on 12” vinyl & all digital platforms on September 18th 2026.

This is the 12" already immortalized by Gilles Peterson! Dub Souljah, with its classic Roots Reggae/Dub-styled horns and brilliant lead and backing vocals, comes in two versions when Ekowmania meets DJ Sotofett. The first version, in 1970s tradition, is a rocking dancefloor Disco Dub with extended and highlighted percussion parts. Then there's the Ultra Dub – a severely deep and reduced dub where horns and vocals surface only intermittently through constant echoed kicks, minimal hi-hats, and a two-tone bassline. The title track is from Ekowmania's Dr. Afrodub album, produced by Jimi Tenor, but this 12" also includes two non-album cuts: the psychedelic Afro twist of Afrolistic Rock & Roll, and the cosmic Latin-styled Kuusikasi Funk, featuring beautiful saxophone and flute by Jimi Tenor. THIS 12" IS CUT WITH LOUD VOLUME FOR EXCELLENT CLUB USE!

"Emergence of Shadow" (Mint Condition Records / Self Distribuzione)—the new album by Davide
Ghidoni, produced by Gianluca Pighi—is arriving: its digital release is set for Friday, September 11,
while the vinyl will be available starting Friday, September 18.
A trumpeter with a career marked by international collaborations, Ghidoni here signs his most
personal project to date. It is a predominantly instrumental record in which the trumpet becomes a
voice, a narrative, and an emotion. The only vocal track is "Come On Closer," performed by Heidi
Vogel (The Cinematic Orchestra), creating a moment of suspension and intensity within the project.
Davide Ghidoni’s passion for music and the trumpet was born in his childhood around the age of ten,
fueled also by Western films and Ennio Morricone’s soundtracks: those melodies, where the trumpet
played a central role in the duels of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, deeply shaped the artist's
imagination and sound.
Ghidoni has always maintained an open and curious approach, letting himself be inspired by different
genres, artists, and musical cultures. His projects naturally coexist with influences ranging from rock
to soul, jazz to blues, and other languages that have left a mark on his path. Rather than identifying
with a single genre, he prefers to view music as a guiding thread capable of uniting different styles
through emotion, sensitivity, and respect for artistic identity.
"Emergence of Shadow" represents a new chapter in his journey. After numerous collaborations with
various artists, the musician felt the urge to undertake a completely his own project, giving shape to
ideas he had nurtured for a long time.
The record is inspired by the 1970s soul, rock, and blues sounds, but the goal is not to faithfully
reproduce or imitate those genres: the atmospheres, themes, and arrangements recall that sonic
world, yet are reinterpreted through a personal and original sensibility. The trumpet remains the
primary narrative element, supported by meticulous arrangements and a solid rhythm section that
enhance its character and expressive intensity.
Alongside the sounds that distinguish his path, the album also explores deeper emotional
dimensions. Some tracks are fluid and atmospheric, born from the desire to recount vibrations
without rigid schemes, letting melodies and dynamics guide the listener on an inner journey. The aim
is to offer an engaging listening experience in which music communicates directly, beyond words.
The album encapsulates everything Davide Ghidoni wanted to express and fully represents his
artistic identity: a timeless instrument to communicate emotions and engage in dialogue with different
musical traditions, always keeping the pursuit of musical quality and sharing with the public at its
core.

From Berlin to Lagos: Jembaa Groove expand their sound on "Be A Lover"

Berlin-based outfit Jembaa Groove return with "Be A Lover", a four-track EP set for full release on 18 September via global soul imprint Agogo Records. Following two critically acclaimed albums and an intensive period of touring across Europe and the US — including a SXSW showcase and a widely acclaimed KEXP session — this latest release marks a new chapter in the band’s trajectory. Built around highlife rhythms and shaped by Afro-jazz and the more organic edges of Afrobeats, "Be A Lover" unfolds with a warm, languid and deeply soulful feel, capturing different strands of today’s multifaceted Afrofusion scene.

Here, the band strips back from a seven-piece ensemble to its two founding members, while at the same time opening outward into a deeply collaborative space. At its centre is a close creative partnership with celebrated Nigerian highlife revivalists The Cavemen., alongside contributions from London-based, Nigerian born soul artist Azekel, Lagos vocalist Tim Lyre, and Malian icon Fatoumata Diawara.

“This record has a different flavour,” says Owusu. “It’s really about collaboration — different feelings, different thoughts, different energies coming together.” While centred around the Lagos contemporary scene, the record is shaped by a wider diasporic network stretching across London, Lagos, Berlin and Amsterdam, cities producer and bass player Yannick Nolting describes as “the pillars where everything that is happening in today’s highlife and Afro-fusion scene.”

Formed in Berlin in 2020, Jembaa Groove began after a chance meeting between bassist, producer and composer Yannick Nolting and percussionist, vocalist and songwriter Eric Owusu. Drawing on their respective musical journeys — Nolting’s years working with Lusophone artists in Lisbon and Owusu’s deep roots in Ghana’s highlife tradition, including work with Pat Thomas and late highlife legend Ebo Taylor — the project quickly took shape: their debut album Susuma established a powerful, poly-rhythmic sound grounded in highlife, jazz and soul, while 2024’s "Ye Ankasa | We Ourselves" expanded that vision through collaborations with artists across Ghana and its diaspora, including UK based Ghanaian singer, rapper, percussionist, and arranger K.O.G and legendary Ghanaian highlife musician Gyedu-Blay Ambolley.

The collaborative spirit continues on "Be A Lover", most of which grew out of a meeting with sibling duo The Cavemen. at Supersonic Jazz Festival in Amsterdam in 2023, leading to a sustained exchange of ideas between Berlin and Lagos. With two acclaimed albums behind them, The Cavemen. have emerged as central figures in both Lagos’ alternative music scene and the wider contemporary highlife revival, bringing the genre to a new generation through a stripped-back, melody-driven sound. “There was some kind of magnetism towards Lagos,” says Nolting; for Owusu, who is Ghanaian but spent much of his life in Nigeria, the connection runs even deeper. “I feel lucky to be able to bring different cultures together and make something really beautiful,” he says. A key part of that process was a close working exchange between Nolting and The Cavemen.’s Kingsley Okorie, who effectively stepped into a co-producing role on three out of four of the tracks.

The one exception is opener No Pain No Gain, which features Nigerian-born, East London-based Azekel, whose smooth, R&B-leaning vocal moves through a slow-burning arrangement of bright keys, gently rising horns and atmospheric synths, anchored by Owusu’s organic percussion.

The title track Be A Lover, featuring Afro-fusion Lagos artist Tim Lyre, distills the EP’s central message into its most immediate form. Backed by syncopated percussion and a gently smouldering arrangement, Lyre’s voice moves with a laid-back, melodic ease, delivering a simple refrain: “be a lover, not a fighter.” “It’s a very simple message,” says Nolting, “It’s about showing more love, on a personal level but also more broadly… just show love.” That same sense of warmth runs throughout the record, reflecting its core idea.

On Obi, The Cavemen. take centre stage, with Kingsley Okorie leading through melancholic, plaintive vocals rooted in classic highlife. In contrast, his brother Benjamin James punctuates the track with high-pitched vocal interjections, heightening the emotional tension against a backdrop of slow, restrained instrumentation.

Waka follows with a more melodic, hook-led refrain from Eric Owusu, whose loose, almost conversational delivery creates a striking contrast with Fatoumata Diawara’s unmistakably powerful, raspy vocal. The collaboration grew out of a chance meeting while Owusu was on tour, with ideas exchanged quickly and Diawara returning a finished vocal within days. “We are so proud to have her. It’s a privilege” says Owusu. "Be A Lover" is a record shaped by connections like these — between people, scenes, and cities. “It was partly intention, partly destiny,” says Nolting. “We met these people along the way, and somehow Lagos was meant to come into our path.”

Wow! Chapter 16 of this successful and influential series. This time compiled by Michael Rütten (Soulpatrol) and Michael Reinboth. After 30 years of sharing the love for music and a friendship it‘s about time for these two to get together for a musical trip around the world. Voted one of the best electronic music compilations by music magazines such as Groove, Mixmag, FAZE and DJ mag. With the launch of the series in 1995, it’s fair to say that Michael Reinboth or Compost essentially pioneered and established the future jazz genre. Further info about the artists upon request.

Ein Gespräch mit Thee Sinseers kurz vor der Veröffentlichung ihres neuen Albums ,Love Stories" bei Colemine Records macht eines ganz deutlich: Dies ist kein Album, das eine glatte und ordentliche Liebesgeschichte erzählt. Es geht hier nicht um das Happy End. Es geht um alles, was davor, danach und trotz allem passiert. Auf dieser LP hat sich die Band auf eine erdigere Instrumentierung konzentriert - Kontrabass, Gitarren, die durch Verstärker laufen, um einen wärmeren, an die Sechziger angelehnten Klang zu erzielen - und sich von allem inspirieren lassen, wo es sich bot, selbst an den unwahrscheinlichsten Orten. Es ist dieses genreübergreifende Denken, das Sänger Joey Quiñones als das bestimmende Merkmal der Platte ansieht. "Es fühlte sich zu keinem Zeitpunkt so an, als würden wir Soul-Musik machen", sagt er. ,Es fühlte sich an, als würden wir einfach unsere Musik machen." Die Band wollte etwas Ehrlicheres einfangen als nur die Höhepunkte - sie wollte die Höhen und Tiefen romantischer Beziehungen zeigen und gleichzeitig den Rahmen erweitern, um auch das Familiäre, das Komplizierte und das Ungelöste einzubeziehen. Die Eltern der Bandmitglieder sind auf dem Albumcover zu sehen, ihre eigenen Liebesgeschichten sind in die visuelle Identität der Platte eingewoben, manche dieser Geschichten bestehen noch, andere nicht. ,Jeder einzelne Songtitel führt dich auf einen anderen Weg der Liebe - egal, ob du gewinnst oder verlierst." Quiñones wollte, dass die Zuhörer sich auf diese Mehrdeutigkeit einlassen. ,Liebe ist unendlich", sagt er. ,Sie reicht über ein Leben hinaus. Ich möchte, dass die Leute immer noch verwirrt sind - ich möchte, dass es wie ein offenes Buch bleibt." Doch eines bleibt durchgehend konstant: das Bekenntnis von Thee Sinseers zu ihrer Herkunft. Diese East-LA-Identität stellt sich nicht zur Schau - sie existiert einfach, eingewoben in das Gewebe der Musik, ohne als Abzeichen getragen zu werden. Hier wird kein Liebeskummer vorgetäuscht, sondern es ist das Echte.

Ein Gespräch mit Thee Sinseers kurz vor der Veröffentlichung ihres neuen Albums ,Love Stories" bei Colemine Records macht eines ganz deutlich: Dies ist kein Album, das eine glatte und ordentliche Liebesgeschichte erzählt. Es geht hier nicht um das Happy End. Es geht um alles, was davor, danach und trotz allem passiert. Auf dieser LP hat sich die Band auf eine erdigere Instrumentierung konzentriert - Kontrabass, Gitarren, die durch Verstärker laufen, um einen wärmeren, an die Sechziger angelehnten Klang zu erzielen - und sich von allem inspirieren lassen, wo es sich bot, selbst an den unwahrscheinlichsten Orten. Es ist dieses genreübergreifende Denken, das Sänger Joey Quiñones als das bestimmende Merkmal der Platte ansieht. "Es fühlte sich zu keinem Zeitpunkt so an, als würden wir Soul-Musik machen", sagt er. ,Es fühlte sich an, als würden wir einfach unsere Musik machen." Die Band wollte etwas Ehrlicheres einfangen als nur die Höhepunkte - sie wollte die Höhen und Tiefen romantischer Beziehungen zeigen und gleichzeitig den Rahmen erweitern, um auch das Familiäre, das Komplizierte und das Ungelöste einzubeziehen. Die Eltern der Bandmitglieder sind auf dem Albumcover zu sehen, ihre eigenen Liebesgeschichten sind in die visuelle Identität der Platte eingewoben, manche dieser Geschichten bestehen noch, andere nicht. ,Jeder einzelne Songtitel führt dich auf einen anderen Weg der Liebe - egal, ob du gewinnst oder verlierst." Quiñones wollte, dass die Zuhörer sich auf diese Mehrdeutigkeit einlassen. ,Liebe ist unendlich", sagt er. ,Sie reicht über ein Leben hinaus. Ich möchte, dass die Leute immer noch verwirrt sind - ich möchte, dass es wie ein offenes Buch bleibt." Doch eines bleibt durchgehend konstant: das Bekenntnis von Thee Sinseers zu ihrer Herkunft. Diese East-LA-Identität stellt sich nicht zur Schau - sie existiert einfach, eingewoben in das Gewebe der Musik, ohne als Abzeichen getragen zu werden. Hier wird kein Liebeskummer vorgetäuscht, sondern es ist das Echte.