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Ground-breaking percussive ambient recordings from Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors, inducing altered states of consciousness through ecstatic dance. "Selected Works from 1985 to 2005" finally available on Time Capsule

Despite featuring an extraordinary cast of musicians (with credits including Pharoah Sanders, Miles Davis, Sun Ra, Santana and Milton
Nascimento) and selling hundreds of thousands of albums, the music of Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors remains largely unheard beyond their sphere. Conceived as live, improvised soundtracks to Roth’s transcendental dance workshops, musical acclaim was never on the agenda.Instead, for a passionate dancer and spiritual polyglot like Gabrielle Roth, movement was a means through which to channel a wide spectrum of teaching, from experimental psychology to psychedelic counter-culture. It was from this heady mix that she devised a movement meditation known as 5Rhtyhms, which came to define her life’s work.

As “guide and catalyst”, Roth would dance to inspire the percussion-led instrumentals that would in turn fuel her 5Rhythms workshops, stimulating a secular form of ecstatic dance with roots in Native American shamanic traditions, Afro-Brazilian Candomblé and Yoruba drumming. Using anything from a Sioux pony drum to East African kihembe and Japanese Kabuki drums, Gabrielle’s lawyer-turned-drummer husband Robert Ansell set the foundational rhythms for The Mirrors’ recordings, each of which would then feature a rotating cast of friends and professional musicians.

“The secret of everything we’ve done is that we never told anybody what to play,” Robert shares. “Instead of our albums being a musical vision of one person like me or Gabrielle, they were the musical vision of a whole bunch of people.”At times the recordings have a Middle Eastern flair, at others, West African and spiritual jazz modes come to the fore. Hints of kosmische musik, proto-house and electronic ambience are laced like LSD through the organic rhythmic structures. This was kaleidoscopic ambient music to stir the body and free the mind.

In practice, the task of synthesising these different elements fell to Scott Ansell, Robert’s son and a recording engineer whose credits now include Nile Rogers, Duran Duran, Grace Jones. With meticulous attention to detail he captured and translated the dynamic energy of each drum onto record. Their sessions became legendary, and with access to the best studios in the NYC, The Mirrors sparkled.

Despite being initially overlooked by the burgeoning ‘80s New Age market, which preferred pipes and gongs to The Mirrors’ heavy-grooving drums, Robert Ansell set up Raven Recording to self-release the music, creating a vast sonic archive of sixteen albums over almost forty years. The breadth of Raven’s catalogue is such that curator Pol Valls had to cut an initial selection of sixty-six tracks down to the eleven featured here. What crystallises is a stunning, mind-altering collection which spans, in Pol’s words, “a variety of genres, styles, and vibes within their catalogue, whether it is emotional, esoteric, spiritual, melancholic, hypnotic, dark, or at times a combination of these elements together.”Music for immersive and intimate environments, Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors were born from the dance. In the hands of the right DJ, at the right time, in the right place, they might just return there.

On Beacon Hill: at twilight we find Anthony Moore, roots winding backwards to the halcyon days of Slapp Happy and the "70s progressive art rock scene, at guitar and piano. With the atmospheres and accompaniments of AKA & Friends, he breathes infernal new life into songs from his six decades of multivarious music making. This new delivery system is unto a séance, a communal incantation, twining Anthony"s avant and pop traditions together in a darkly radiant coil of folky chamber music; a rope to lower the listener through cobwebs and murk, unveiling new life beneath Anthony"s mad old lines. AKA are Anthony Moore, Keith Rodway and Amanda Thompson. A pagan family of sound worshipers hailing from that unholiest of all places: Hastings UK, home of Crowley and Turing. Like their sinister forbears in that infamous tradition, this latest trinity shares a passion for subverting pattern and number, factoring unlikely permutations arising from sea and horizon, greensward, the southerly aspect, and the planisphere as half-world. Their equatorial shore speaks of a planet of water and earth, fire and air. AKA"s humble tools of choice for this endeavor are guitar, piano, organ, synthesizer and vocals. The Friends of AKA are Tullis Rennie, trombone and electronics; Olie Brice, double bass; Richard Moore, violin; and Haydn Ackerley, guitar. They too navigate the shoreline of the south coast, haunt the same taverns and regularly play together in whatever combinations fit the bill. Leaving the drums (and their drummer) at home to realize anew these dreamladen songs, AKA & Friends ensure that the notes fall around the beat and not on it, so as to define the pulse with absence. As such, time is liberated, prised free from the merciless clock; a rhythm of waves, passing through a steady-state universe of no beginnings and no endings. Discontinuities are dissolved, all is transition.

Noumen returns to Central Processing Unit after a six-year absence with Altum. This bumper record, the Ukrainian artist's fourth release for the Sheffield label and first since 2019 double-LPObscurium, serves to remind us all why Noumen's music has been lauded by the likes of Mixmag and Resident Advisor in the past.Altumis a consummate piece of contemporary electronic production, a technoid exploration of outer-edges electronica that nods to genre greats like Autechre while still maintaining its own unconventional charm.

Across well over an hour of music here we find Noumen repeatedly playing punchy mid-tempo beat work off of some more cerebral tuned synths.Altumkicks off with the epic 'Oion' - beginning in that Autechre/AFX mid-tempo zone, full of deep-sea bangs and whirrs, the track slowly builds to a final stretch of delay-drenched keys which set us free amidst the outer cosmos, almost Sun Ra-style. It's a perfect liminal-space roller and an apt scene-setter forAltum.

'Oion' provides a blueprint for several of the album's other highlights - plenty of the joints here adopt that same approach of hitting hard with the drums and soft with the synths. Second track 'Splitter' takes on the baton from 'Oion' while souping up the kick to warehouse levels; the beats in 'Far Wind' splutter like a needle skipping on a mid-90s Tresor drop; 'Fate Carette', all eerie looped synth leads, is a highlight as the album enters the home straight.

The rhythm production (which, it should be noted, is exemplary throughoutAltum) is ratched up in intensity on a handful of numbers. 'Telemask' displays a delightful breakbeat - if you'd told me this was sampled from golden age A Tribe Called Quest, I'd have believed you. Mid-section anchors 'Awe' and 'Axis' are glitchers in the Mike Paradinas mould, with the latter showing off some pleasing steel pan-esque synth leads for good measure. And whileAltumgenerally maintains a processional pace throughout, there are points where Noumen toughens up the drums for club deployment - 'Unveilness' shows off a real chunkiness in the low end, closer 'Spurling Sign' plays a satisfying rolling groove off of ever-layering synths, and the title-track is an alien machine-funker in keeping with fellow CPU electronauts like Silicon Scally and Cygnus.

Noumen's third album for Central Processing Unit is a pleasingly hefty double-LP which builds on the zany invention of acts like Modeselektor and Autechre to delightful effect.

FFO: Autechre, Aphex Twin, Modeselektor, Bochum Welt, LFO

SoftSun was formed in 2023 by guitarist Gary Arce (Yawning Man) and bassist/vocalist Pia Isaksen (PIA ISA). On their second album they are joined by Robert Garson on drums. The band is experimenting with sounds and are difficult to place in a specific genre. They have a style of their own with contrasts of softness and distortion, beauty and noise and emotional peaks and valleys. The music is patient, heavy and dreamy, with haunting vocals and beautiful guitars drenched in distortion and reverb over patient and thought out drums. The songs are flowing slowly and take inspiration from both the Californian desert landscapes to the Norwegian oceans where the two founding members come from. On this second record SoftSun has developed their sound further and sound both moody, experimental, beautiful, and raw.

Aqua Blue vinyl, limited to 350 copies. SoftSun was formed in 2023 by guitarist Gary Arce (Yawning Man) and bassist/vocalist Pia Isaksen (PIA ISA). On their second album they are joined by Robert Garson on drums. The band is experimenting with sounds and are difficult to place in a specific genre. They have a style of their own with contrasts of softness and distortion, beauty and noise and emotional peaks and valleys. The music is patient, heavy and dreamy, with haunting vocals and beautiful guitars drenched in distortion and reverb over patient and thought out drums. The songs are flowing slowly and take inspiration from both the Californian desert landscapes to the Norwegian oceans where the two founding members come from. On this second record SoftSun has developed their sound further and sound both moody, experimental, beautiful, and raw.

As trans-Atlantic alchemists pulling from a shared dialectic that somehow encompassed both postmodern deconstructionist tendencies and a delightfully subversive sense of poptimism, it’s easy to see how David Cunningham and Peter Gordon immediately hit it off upon initially meeting each other back in the late-1970s at the height of their youthful transgressions. Having initially worked together on the second Flying Lizards’ LP fourth wall, with its ingenious fusion of dismantled rhythms and rearranged melodies juxtaposed against the slyly sultry singing of Snatch’s Patti Palladin— with Gordon adding a few sprinkles of mischievous sax in the mix— it’s no wonder the collaboration would lead to further musical adventures.

Which leads us directly to the genesis of The Yellow Box. Embarking on a collaborative exercise in the structural repurposing of music as untethered puzzle pieces in need of rearrangement with no predetermined outcomes, the duo gave birth to a project that would see them move through both time and recording studios across Europe, taking nearly two years from 1981-1983 to complete. Enlisting the great Anton Fier on drums from The Feelies/Lounge Lizards nexus and John Greaves on bass from Henry Cow/Soft Heap lore to round out their dueling creative counterparts, the album would be something of a lost treasure until its eventual release on Cunningham’s Piano imprint in 1996.

Cinematic in scope, and filled with drifting drones, beautiful counter-melodies, eery minimalism, Kraftwerkian synthesizers, looped voices, skronky interludes, and other shifting undercurrents of sound, it was an album that utilized both a diverse array of expressive languages, as well as early sampling techniques and prepared instruments, well before most people were thinking in such expansive, integrated terms at the dawn of the 80’s. But such is life at the vanguard of new music. And one of the reasons that it likely sat on the shelf for so long before finally being released well over a decade later. Like a sparser, less groove-oriented version of My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, or a more radical take on the experimental work of Can’s Holger Czukay, The Yellow Box stands at the crossroads of time and technology, fusing multiple strands of musical thought and compositional techniques into a disjointed whole that somehow still comes off as a conceptually complete record.

Now, here it is again, over 40 years later, with perhaps even more historical resonance than it had before, remade and remodeled just waiting to be rediscovered again.

During the past 50 years, tenor-saxophonist Scott Hamilton has been one of the most consistent jazz artists, always taking thoughtful and swinging solos while displaying a warm tone. His 2004 live recording brought a top-notch quartet to the Jazzclub De Tor, Enschede, the Netherlands. Accompanied by pianist Rein de Graaf, bassplayer Marius Beets and on drums Eric Ineke, Scott Hamilton plays six jazz tracks from the set including "Rhythm Riff", a 12-chorus solo that gradually builds in excitement. Live at De Tor is available as a limited edition on silver coloured vinyl, contains liner notes on back of the sleeve by jazz journalist/author Scott Yanow.

"The Bad Seeds and Zakary Thaks were mid ‘60s Texas garage rock bands formed in the wake of the British Invasion, influenced by The Rolling Stones, Kinks, Yardbirds and others, becoming top local live attractions at a time when the 13th Floor Elevators and Moving Sidewalks were leading the way into psychedelia. In late 1966 Rod Prince on guitar and Roy Cox on bass from Bad Seeds joined up with David Fore from Zakary Thaks on drums to create a new band out of San Antonio featuring two lead guitarists. Todd Potter filled out the quartet on second guitar and they chose the name Bubble Puppy, taken from Aldous Huxley’s 1932 dystopian novel Brave New World. Huxley was an early advocate of LSD, appropriately. In 1969 Bubble Puppy scored a top 20 hit single with “Hot Smoke & Sasafrass” which led to their LP “A Gathering Of Promises”. International Artists, the legendary Texas label that previously had unleashed mind expanding classics by the Elevators, Red Crayola, Golden Dawn and others was a perfect fit. After the LP and additional 45s didn’t repeat the success of “Hot Smoke & Sasafrass” the band hooked up with Nick St. Nicholas of Steppenwolf as their new manager and moved to Los Angeles. A new band name was in order, Nick St. Nicholas chose Demian, title of the 1919 novel by Herman Hesse. His books were popular with the counterculture at the time and had provided Steppenwolf with their new name after they changed it from the Sparrow and hit it big. Demian recorded the LP live in the studio at the Record Plant in one midnight to six session. They had their arrangements fully realized, allowing them to combine live show energy and economy with to-the-point delivery suitable for repeated listening. No doubt they were aiming for pop hit success, using proto hard rock skills in a radio friendly way without compromising the heavy guitar moves. The vocals have echoes of the earlier Bubble Puppy style in spots but are more melodic with vibrant harmonies reminiscent of Moby Grape, Buffalo Springfield, James Gang… at times flashing on Steve Stills/Richie Furay westcoast without being too sweet about it. It works terrifically when the radio friendly voices top off killer hard guitar ensemble action. Early hard rock that is too bluesy flashy can get tiresome with repeat listening, especially if overdosing on guitar solos with the band relegated to the background… Demian keep it interesting with inventive song structures allowing all four players to integrate constantly into an ever changing but focused whole. This LP is a grower, despite the basic two guitars, bass and drums lineup and no frills production you reach a lot of different places during the ride. Demian is deadly hard rock, a perfectly organized vibe straddling live energy and crafted itinerary, amongst the first obscure major label killers that commanded premium $$ with collectors even way back in the late ‘70s. It gets you there every time, even half a century later!"

Deep black, with ghostly glimmers of an old car melting into the tarmac: the cover of Never En-ding Rodeo sets the tone. This isn't just a late-night drive, but a controlled skid across the borders of Post-Rock, Noise and Psych. The engine roars, the ground shakes, the white lines blur. Six years after the release of Ain't That Mayhem, the Lyon-based band returns with a dense, smoke-veiled record. Never Ending Rodeo: a deceptively playful, almost cartoonish title for such an intense album. As if, after circling endlessly around dust, bucking, and stampedes, Zëro had carved out its own orbit. Unstable, inevitably. But magnetic. Éric Aldéa (guitar, vocals), Franck Laurino (drums), Ivan Chiossone (Persephone, synths), and now Varou Jan (guitar, bass) - (Le Peuple de l'Herbe, Condense) - have lost none of their bite. Better still: this new album marks a turning point in production quality, thanks in particular to the mixing work of Niko Matagrin. The sound is broader, more inhabited. Every snare crack, every synth layer sits precisely in a meticulously sculpted space. "As if Tom Waits had collided with Nine Inch Nails. Before a frightening modernity hurled this so-nic convoy into a headlong rush." ~ Indiepoprock "You don't simply pass through Never Ending Rodeo: you step inside, you lock yourself in, drawn irresistibly by its magnetism." ~ Solénopole

Limited edition PLUTONIUM vinyl 1000 copies worldwide. Remastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service. Originally released in 1986 vinyl reissue includes 2 bonus tracks. "This is a bit different than previous records in that there's only a couple of songs with their distinctive bass licks and chunky melodies. So instead of bordering on redundancy, they prove their diversity by being more melodic, rockin', and even pop. This LP is more challenging than before and really great." - MaximumRockNRoll, April 1986 - // Naked Raygun were an extraordinary staple in the Chicago music scene - beginning in the early 80's and continuing until their quiet demise in the early 90's. Their music showed the world that punk rockers could play and be really good at it. Founded in Chicago in 1980, by Marco Pezzati, Jeff Pezzati and Santiago Durango, Naked Raygun released six albums during their eleven year career that would change the sound of punk rock indefinitely. The band is widely recognized as being one of the most influential punk bands of the 80's. Their anthemic style incorporated politics in a uniquely accessible way, melding pop and hardcore into one cohesive sound, that would later be dubbed, "The Chicago Sound". Shortly after their first release, Basement Screams, Durango left to join Big Black permanently, and was replaced by John Haggerty, whose unique style of buzzsaw guitar would define Raygun's sound for their next four albums. Additionally, Pierre Kezdy replaced Camilo Gonzalez and Eric Spicer took over drums for Jim Colao. In 1990, Haggerty left the band to start Pegboy. Bill Stephens joined the band for their final studio release entitled, Raygun...Naked Raygun.

Limited edition DARK TEAL vinyl 1000 copies worldwide. Remastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service. Originally released as a 6-song ep in 1983 vinyl reissue includes 8 bonus tracks. "The long- awaited NAKED RAYGUN EP has finally been released, and musically it's a beauty. The songwriting is extremely imaginative, the vocals are unbelievably catchy, and the unique fuzzed-out guitar work sounds wonderful." - MaximumRockNRoll, October/November 1983 - // Naked Raygun were an extraordinary staple in the Chicago music scene - beginning in the early 80's and continuing until their quiet demise in the early 90's. Their music showed the world that punk rockers could play and be really good at it. Founded in Chicago in 1980, by Marco Pezzati, Jeff Pezzati and Santiago Durango, Naked Raygun released six albums during their eleven year career that would change the sound of punk rock indefinitely. The band is widely recognized as being one of the most influential punk bands of the 80's. Their anthemic style incorporated politics in a uniquely accessible way, melding pop and hardcore into one cohesive sound, that would later be dubbed, "The Chicago Sound". Shortly after their first release, Basement Screams, Durango left to join Big Black permanently, and was replaced by John Haggerty, whose unique style of buzzsaw guitar would define Raygun's sound for their next four albums. Additionally, Pierre Kezdy replaced Camilo Gonzalez and Eric Spicer took over drums for Jim Colao. In 1990, Haggerty left the band to start Pegboy. Bill Stephens joined the band for their final studio release entitled, Raygun...Naked Raygun.

Limited edition GRAPE CRUSH vinyl 1000 copies worldwide. Remastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service. Originally released in 1988 vinyl reissue includes 4 bonus tracks. "Plenty of bands can claim Naked Raygun as an influence, from post-punkers to hardcore acts. All of them could learn a thing or two or three by studying the whoas. With Jettison... Naked Raygun achieved creative bliss. Here is an album that successfully combines dissonant instrumentation with supremely catchy vocals." - Punknews.org - // Naked Raygun were an extraordinary staple in the Chicago music scene - beginning in the early 80's and continuing until their quiet demise in the early 90's. Their music showed the world that punk rockers could play and be really good at it. Founded in Chicago in 1980, by Marco Pezzati, Jeff Pezzati and Santiago Durango, Naked Raygun released six albums during their eleven year career that would change the sound of punk rock indefinitely. The band is widely recognized as being one of the most influential punk bands of the 80's. Their anthemic style incorporated politics in a uniquely accessible way, melding pop and hardcore into one cohesive sound, that would later be dubbed, "The Chicago Sound". Shortly after their first release, Basement Screams, Durango left to join Big Black permanently, and was replaced by John Haggerty, whose unique style of buzzsaw guitar would define Raygun's sound for their next four albums. Additionally, Pierre Kezdy replaced Camilo Gonzalez and Eric Spicer took over drums for Jim Colao. In 1990, Haggerty left the band to start Pegboy. Bill Stephens joined the band for their final studio release entitled, Raygun...Naked Raygun.

Limited edition ORANGE SWIRL vinyl 1000 copies worldwide. Remastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service. Originally released in 1990 vinyl reissue includes 3 bonus tracks. "We drove up there and my cousin Tracy had turned punk rock. And she said, 'I'm going to this show tonight. Come with me.' And so I went to this club called The Cubby Bear - it's right across the street from the baseball stadium - and a band called Naked Raygun were playing, and they're this legendary Chicago punk rock band. But I'd never seen live music. So my introduction to rock and roll was in a club that held about 150 people that was half full and I was belly up against the stage watching this incredible live band, like, sweat and spit and bleed in front of me." - Dave Grohl interview, The Record, 2011- // Naked Raygun were an extraordinary staple in the Chicago music scene - beginning in the early 80's and continuing until their quiet demise in the early 90's. Their music showed the world that punk rockers could play and be really good at it. Founded in Chicago in 1980, by Marco Pezzati, Jeff Pezzati and Santiago Durango, Naked Raygun released six albums during their eleven year career that would change the sound of punk rock indefinitely. The band is widely recognized as being one of the most influential punk bands of the 80's. Their anthemic style incorporated politics in a uniquely accessible way, melding pop and hardcore into one cohesive sound, that would later be dubbed, "The Chicago Sound". Shortly after their first release, Basement Screams, Durango left to join Big Black permanently, and was replaced by John Haggerty, whose unique style of buzzsaw guitar would define Raygun's sound for their next four albums. Additionally, Pierre Kezdy replaced Camilo Gonzalez and Eric Spicer took over drums for Jim Colao. In 1990, Haggerty left the band to start Pegboy. Bill Stephens joined the band for their final studio release entitled, Raygun...Naked Raygun.

Limited edition GREEN SWIRL vinyl, 1000 copies worldwide. Remastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service. Originally released in 1985 vinyl reissue includes bonus track. "This band consistently defies categories. More than hardcore. More than rock. More than experimental. And this LP blazes out with a fury that's sharp, clean, and loud as fuck. The sound on this release is more concise and focused than earlier stuff but doesn't sacrifice any of their drive. Possibly one of America's most important bands." - MaximumRockNRoll, March 1985 - // Naked Raygun were an extraordinary staple in the Chicago music scene - beginning in the early 80's and continuing until their quiet demise in the early 90's. Their music showed the world that punk rockers could play and be really good at it. Founded in Chicago in 1980, by Marco Pezzati, Jeff Pezzati and Santiago Durango, Naked Raygun released six albums during their eleven year career that would change the sound of punk rock indefinitely. The band is widely recognized as being one of the most influential punk bands of the 80's. Their anthemic style incorporated politics in a uniquely accessible way, melding pop and hardcore into one cohesive sound, that would later be dubbed, "The Chicago Sound". Shortly after their first release, Basement Screams, Durango left to join Big Black permanently, and was replaced by John Haggerty, whose unique style of buzzsaw guitar would define Raygun's sound for their next four albums. Additionally, Pierre Kezdy replaced Camilo Gonzalez and Eric Spicer took over drums for Jim Colao. In 1990, Haggerty left the band to start Pegboy. Bill Stephens joined the band for their final studio release entitled, Raygun...Naked Raygun.

Limited edition BROWN & BLACK SWIRL vinyl 1000 copies worldwide. Remastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service. Originally released in 1989 vinyl reissue includes 2 bonus tracks. "...one of the best examples of melodic hardcore just a step away from emo. The album is excellently played and is full of breathtaking anthems that, from time to time, even wink at metal soundscapes." - Debaser - // Naked Raygun were an extraordinary staple in the Chicago music scene - beginning in the early 80's and continuing until their quiet demise in the early 90's. Their music showed the world that punk rockers could play and be really good at it. Founded in Chicago in 1980, by Marco Pezzati, Jeff Pezzati and Santiago Durango, Naked Raygun released six albums during their eleven year career that would change the sound of punk rock indefinitely. The band is widely recognized as being one of the most influential punk bands of the 80's. Their anthemic style incorporated politics in a uniquely accessible way, melding pop and hardcore into one cohesive sound, that would later be dubbed, "The Chicago Sound". Shortly after their first release, Basement Screams, Durango left to join Big Black permanently, and was replaced by John Haggerty, whose unique style of buzzsaw guitar would define Raygun's sound for their next four albums. Additionally, Pierre Kezdy replaced Camilo Gonzalez and Eric Spicer took over drums for Jim Colao. In 1990, Haggerty left the band to start Pegboy. Bill Stephens joined the band for their final studio release entitled, Raygun...Naked Raygun.

Indian Summer of Love finds The Bongolian immersed in a new set of sounds and influences for a new Belle Epoch. It’s a musical landscape informed by the Sixties psychedelia of India via a Haight Ashbury happening.

It’s a kaleidoscopic vision that takes us from a 20th century Fin de Siècle and lands us in the here and now of the 21st Century. It’s for dancers, for seekers and is all underscored by The Bongolian’s trademark heavy rhythms and breaks. It’s another fine instalment of essential cuts for the dancefloor and for high fidelity listening, quality is guaranteed.

From the East to the West, welcome to the Indian Summer of Love. Nasser Bouzida performs drums, percussion, guitars and keys whilst the album features several new flavours to the Bongolian sound with the prominent instrumentation of sitars and bansuri, along with flute, trumpet, saxophone and trombone performances from several stellular international guest musicians.

Indian Summer of Love finds The Bongolian immersed in a new set of sounds and influences for a new Belle Epoch. It’s a musical landscape informed by the Sixties psychedelia of India via a Haight Ashbury happening.

It’s a kaleidoscopic vision that takes us from a 20th century Fin de Siècle and lands us in the here and now of the 21st Century. It’s for dancers, for seekers and is all underscored by The Bongolian’s trademark heavy rhythms and breaks. It’s another fine instalment of essential cuts for the dancefloor and for high fidelity listening, quality is guaranteed.

From the East to the West, welcome to the Indian Summer of Love. Nasser Bouzida performs drums, percussion, guitars and keys whilst the album features several new flavours to the Bongolian sound with the prominent instrumentation of sitars and bansuri, along with flute, trumpet, saxophone and trombone performances from several stellular international guest musicians.

It began with a cassette tape entitled 'Pleased To Meet You' gifted to us at Sessa's Fasching, Stockholm show by Yann Dardenne, the multi-tasking tour manager/sound engineer/producer/merch stall worker and co-owner of Seloki Records. On first listen, the selection of underground Brazilian artists from the Seloki's roster was superb, however, one song stopped us in our tracks. The hauntingly captivating ' GOSTO MEIO DOCE' by Nina Maia and Francisca Barreto, gave us a taste of Nina's ethereal, addictive voice and we knew we needed to hear more. Born in Minas Gerais but now based in Sao Paulo, the 22-year-old has already packed a lot into a relatively short space of time. The singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer, has already collaborated on the soundtracks for six Brazilian feature films, including a track with the vocalists Maria Gadu, Iza, and Liniker. But things enter a new exciting era with this, her remarkable debut album entitled 'INTEIRA', which translates to English as 'whole'.

As much inspired by Billie Eilish and Rosalia, as Milton Nascimento and Toninho Horta and not sounding like other records coming out of Brazil, 'INTEIRA' is unique. Though rich in its Brazilian heritage, inspired by samba cancao, MPB, and the Clube da Esquina movement, it also channels influence from bands such as Portishead and Massive Attack, mixed with jazz, contemporary leftfield and electronic pop artists. Musically, it is not easily pigeonholed, with beautiful, well-crafted songs, sophisticated arrangements, eloquent vocals and intimate lyrics. Each track reflects different moments and stories from Nina's youth but with dialogues, feelings, and questions that span generations and resonate with all. This ambitious debut album is Nina's vision and sound, expressing herself without constraints and making music with her friends. Featuring a lineup of Thalin (drums), Valentim Frateschi (bass), Francisca Barreto (cello and vocals), Thales Hashiguti (viola and violin), Yann Dardenne (acoustic guitar and co-producer) and Nina on piano, Rhodes, guitar and production. The album led to a nomination in Paulista Association of Art Critics (APCA) award's 'Breakthrough Artist' category, who also listed 'INTEIRA' as one of the 50 best albums of 2024.

It also received support from Bandcamp Weekly and Jamz Supernova on BBC 6 Music. Released digitally by Seloki Records in Brazil in 2024, Mr Bongo in partnership with Seloki Records now present this new, deluxe worldwide edition that includes four additional songs. These comprise the brand-new exquisite 'MANHA', as well as an original twist on Vinicius de Moraes' classic 'Serenata Do Adeus'. Elsewhere you'll find a live recording showcasing Nina's remarkable energy on stage courtesy of 'DE DENTRO' and 'GOSTO MEIO DOCE' with the amazing musician/vocalist Francisca Barreto, where our whole story began. Here at Mr Bongo, we are honoured to release music by such a remarkable new talent - one whose musical trajectory is most certainly about to soar.

*Long overdue reissue of the first album by The Hanging Stars to coincide with their tour support slot with Edwyn Collins – initial 300 copies come with 12 x 12 print*

“In late-Sixties California, the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers combined traditional country music with hippy rock to great success. The influence lingered and whatever cultural relevance it has this is a delightful, transporting listen” – The Times 4/5

London-based psych-folk outfit The Hanging Stars re-release their much-loved debut album Over the Silvery Lake on Crimson Crow. Blending folk pastoralism with swampy 60s Americana, they sound like the missing link between the California desert sun and the grey skies of London Town. The album was recorded between LA, Nashville and Walthamstow, with each of these vastly different places leaving an indelible mark on the songs.

Now signed to the Loose Records label and fronted by London-based songwriter, singer and guitarist Richard Olson (The See See, Eighteenth Day of May), The Hanging Stars are essentially a loose collective of people who weave together a blissed-out psychedelic tapestry. The rest of the core band is made up of Sam Ferman on bass and Paulie Cobra on drums, Horse on pedal steel and Patrick Ralla on banjo, guitar. They jam rather than write and hang out rather than rehearse, harnessing a kind of tipsy euphoria resplendent with luscious arrangements and glorious vocal harmonies.

During 2015, prior to this album’s original release the band released two critically acclaimed singles via The Great Pop Supplement (both of which also appear on the album). “Golden Vanity” was premiered by The Line of Best Fit who said; “you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd just unearthed a rare deep cut from the late 60s/early 70s boom of psychedelia infused Americana” and “The House on The Hill” was described by The Guardian as; "a hazy, desert-dream of a song, nicely sharpened with steely-eyed guitars, Mersey-laced harmonies and just a whiff of the Gun Club”.

There are a number of allusions to nature and the weather on the album, borne in part out of the contrasting surroundings in which it was produced. The band’s fascination with Americana led them to record some of the material Stateside, laying down some of the parts at Battle Tapes Studios in Nashville (Lambchop, Paperhead), as well as at Vision Quest Studios in Los Angeles with Rob Campanella. His work with The Quarter After, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Beachwood Sparks The Tyde, and GospelbeacH was a perfect match to capture their sound and they even had San Franciscan legend Chrystof Certik step in on lead guitar for a couple of tracks.

Following the LA recordings, a trip to the Californian desert provided the core notion of what they wanted to produce - a shard of light that they clung on to whilst recording the rest of the album in the significantly more rain-soaked atmosphere of Walthamstow, London, under the watchful eye of Brian O'Shaughnessy at Bark Studios (The Clientele, Comet Gain). As the band explained at the time: “Ultimately we hope you can hear both the sand and the rain in this record.”

The Hanging Stars place themselves firmly as part of a long folk tradition encompassing European and North American influences – as a continuation rather than a pastiche of these styles. This is the sound of a band really coming in to their own, fully formed and in no doubt of their vision. With Over the Silvery Lake they succeeded in producing a record, which has the country, blues and folk traditions at its heart.

Australia's powerhouse Hammond Organ trio Cookin' On 3 Burners serve up a heavy double-sider, offering DJs and collectors a taste of what's to come from their first studio LP in six years, due October 2025. With a 27-year legacy in the global funk and soul scene, CO3B have earned praise from the likes of Dusty Groove, Wax Poetics, and Rolling Stone Australia, and boast over 2 billion streams worldwide — thanks in part to their breakout hit "This Girl" (Kungs remix).

Side A – Cookin' The Books
A gritty, upbeat Hammond-led instrumental cooked low and slow in the heart of Melbourne's funk scene. It's all business up front — deep pocket drums, greasy organ licks, and guitar work that snaps and struts. No vocals, no fat — just a raw funk workout that's ready for the crates.

Side B – Give a Little Bit More (feat. Stella Angelico)

A classic-feeling, mid-tempo soul joint with a message that cuts deep. Longtime collaborator Stella Angelico delivers a powerful vocal performance about generosity, empathy, and turning things around when it matters. With uplifting lyrics, smooth horns, and a groove that nods to vintage 45s, this one lands straight in the heart — timeless, spiritual, and soul-drenched.

Captured live to tape at Soul Messin' Studios using vintage gear, the record oozes warmth and authenticity. Supported with airplay from Craig Charles (BBC6) and limited to just 500 copies on black vinyl in a Soul Messin' Records disco sleeve, this 45 is a must-stock item for funk, soul, and groove-focused retailers.

FFO: The Meters, El Michels Affair, Menahan Street Band, Quantic, Daptone Records

It"s been six years since LA DISPUTE released their last album, Panorama. Since then, the Michigan post-hardcore band-made up of Jordan Dreyer on vocals, Brad Vander Lugt on drums, Chad Morgan-Sterenberg and Corey Stroffolino on guitar, and Adam Vass on bass-dealt with the stagnance of the pandemic, celebrated the ten-year anniversaries of Wildlife and Rooms Of The House, and began working on NO ONE WAS DRIVING THE CAR. The fifth studio LP is the first entirely produced by the group, and it came together in Grand Rapids and Detroit, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Philippines: "I think the change in environment was really helpful to breathing new life into the process each time we came back to it," Dreyer says. Partly inspired by the 2017 psychological thriller First Reformed, NO ONE WAS DRIVING THE CAR reckons with malaise in the shadow of the looming apocalypse, which has noticeably been worsened by the advancement of tech. The title comes from a quote from a police officer Dreyer read in a news article about a lethal self-driving Tesla crash, an absurd event which raises questions about the amount of control we have in our own lives. In fourteen dynamic tracks, the band grapples with the existential topic and the human need to find comfort and a sense of security in an existence where we"re often thrust into chaos without permission.

Suburban Architecture are pleased to announce the sixth instalment in their 'Architecture Dubs' series of limited edition 10" vinyl releases. While previous editions have seen some of the most revered names active during the mid 90s golden era of Drum & Bass deliver remixes of Suburban Architecture material, this final release from the series sees the remix duties handled by the duo themselves.

Following on from the now sold out release of Architecture Dub #001 to #005 (featuring remixes from Peshay, Blame, Nookie, Ray Keith and 4Hero among others), edition #006 features a pair of VIP versions, previously only heard in Suburban Architecture DJ sets.

The A-Side features a rework of the track that started it all, 'Visions '96', the title cut from the duo's 2019 debut EP. The familiar pitched Rhodes pads, ominous vocals and intricately chopped Apache breaks of the original are all present, but new layers of atmospherics, tougher drum programming and a full, deep bass all serve to elevate the track in this 2025 rework.

On the flip, 'Future Jazz '95', originally featured on the duo's 2020 sophomore EP 'Alternative Futures', gets a musical rework. Maintaining much of the structure of the popular original, the original vocals and some of the drums remain while, Rhodes, Bass, Atmospherics and more are all replaced, delivering a cut which manages to feature largely new material while retaining the feel of the original.

Pressed on 10" vinyl and housed in brown Kraft paper sleeves, the series makes visual reference to the exclusive dubplate pressings which introduced so many classic cuts to the UK's dancefloors in the 90s.

Black Vinyl LP with insert (including the story behind the album and lyrics with English translation)

After their first LP, in 1987, Pedro gathered his usual band, Carlos Sousa on keyboard, Bulimundo on drums, Nuno Santos and Zézé on lead and rhythm guitars, Augusto Rasta on bass, Daló on sax and finally Dalú on percussions, for yet another project, one that carried both their names: Jacinta Sanches - Pedro Ramos. Eight days, no more, that’s all Pedro Ramos and Jacinta Sanches needed inside the Estúdios Musicorde. The process was natural, as with all their music, memories recollected and arranged by Pedro on café napkins, rehearsed and perfected at home with Jacinta. Together they imagined music where Cape Verdean saudade could dance together with Kingston’s skank, two island hearts beating inside European concrete.

His name is Pedro Correia Ramos Varela, born in Praia, Santiago, Cabo Verde on April 6th 1954; her name is Jacinta Lopes Veiga Varela, born in Cidade Velha, Santiago, Cabo Verde on January 22nd 1959. The two met in Praia, where a few exchanged words turned into long evening conversations; conversations into friendship; friendship into love; and love into six wonderful children. After the independence of Cabo Verde, they got married in 1978 and moved to Portugal, where Pedro started working as a welder for Lisnave and playing the guitar in a band in Ramada. Trading shipyard sparks by day for the after-hours pulse of Cova da Moura, his love for music proved harder than steel. And in 1982, after seeing Bob Marley and Peter Tosh in Rotterdam, he opened his own Dancing Bar just below their house, a pioneering space for the promotion of reggae music in Portugal.

Their Dancing Bar kept its doors open from 1982 to 1994, seeing the release of two albums and more singles. To this day, Pedro and Jacinta are still making music, one the inspiration of the other. They define themselves as simple people, living happy without prejudice, friends with the world.

Formed in 2010, Magic In Threes is a Nashville, Tennessee based instrumental combo specializing in psychedelic cinematic-soul. Heavy on atmosphere and quite smoked out.

Dave Singleton - guitar, bass, keys, percussion
Nick DeVan - Drums, keys, percussion, horn arrangements

Featuring:
Joe D Douglas - flute, alto sax
Mikie Martel - trumpet, flugelhorn
Andrew Muller - Guitar
Kirk Donovan - trumpet flugelhorn

In 2019, SWEET embarked on the biggest tour of their long career to date with the ‘Still Got The Rock’ tour in Europe and the UK. In between, they even found time to fly to Australia to play as co-headliners on the ‘Rock The Boat Cruise 2019’. The band was fired up and looking forward to the future. But suddenly in 2020, the whole world was in turmoil, triggered by a global pandemic and all wheels came to a standstill overnight. But for Sweet, there had to be a way out, otherwise musical creativity in all its forms would be lost forever. So, in what was a new isolation for everyone, they began to produce a Sweet album with the ‘new’ guys Paul Manzi and Lee Small and the ‘old guard’ Andy Scott and Bruce Bislan. The album was given the title ‘Isolation Boulevard’ to suit the situation. The songs are re-recordings of 12 classics from Sweet's extensive collection. There was little time between the lockdowns in the UK to achieve the desired goal. On top of this, there were numerous technical obstacles that had to be overcome. With this in mind, the overall performance of everyone involved is all the more impressive, from the driving drums and bass to the ‘in your face’ guitars and stratospheric vocals. In the end, it was a pleasure for everyone to record ‘Isolation Boulevard’, despite being under very strict distancing rules. The result speaks for itself. The album will now be released as a Ltd. Edition Neon Yellow Vinyl.

Things just get heavier and heavier in Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich’s career and his short-lived classic band The Hidden Hand is no exception. Formed in 2002 and already disbanded in 2007 the trio featured Wino, Bruce Falkinburg on bass/songwriting/vocals and drummer Dave Hennessy.
If The Obsessed, St. Vitus, Shrinebuilder, Probot and Spirit Caravan aren’t enough to bring Wino's CV to legendary status, stop reading now.
LINER NOTES from WINO:

"When I returned from California after The Obsessed Columbia record deal fell apart, I didn't have any gear at all and after we put together (SHINE) which became Spirit Caravan, I was hustling to put a guitar rig together. I discovered ATOMIC MUSIC a super cool store in MARYLAND that encouraged trades, and had a lot of cool shit there,we had met another cat Sonny, who being the gregarious friendly cat he was befriended us (the band) and introduced me to his friend who's recording studio shared space with Atomic Music, Bruce Falkinburg and Phase recording studio. Bruce was a very interesting and hyper intelligent guy, bassist, knowledgeable in all things but specializing in recording rock music. We had decided to diversify our recording process and parted ways with one of my old friends Chris Kozlowski and PolarBearLair studios who had recorded everything Spirit Caravan had done so far.

I hired Bruce to record the version of Darkness and Longing that was our song on the Sixty Watt Shaman -Spirit Caravan split single. We liked what he did on that recording and decided to record more with Bruce at Phase and so we did ;the last SC single -" So Mortal Be/ Undone Mind" and recorded three tracks that were eventually released on "The Last Embrace." Bruce and I had firmly cemented our friendship and when shit fell apart with Spirit Caravan , we decided to form a band. Out of a very interesting list of possible band names Bruce's idea" The Hidden Hand " seemed to resonate the most and once Bruce had recruited Dave Hennessy (guitarist for OSTINATO) to play drums it was ON. Over the next couple years and a couple different drummers, The Hidden Hand would record one single, one split ep ,one compilation song and Three full length albums. Knowing Bruce, and working with everyone in The Hidden Hand realm enriched my life greatly . Bruces enthusiasm, knowledge, creativity, intellect and musical abilities remains an inspiration. Thanks Bruce, Sonny, Louis and Eric and all at ATOMIC MUSIC, Dave Hennessy,Matt and Jeremy Osinato ,Evan Tanner, J Robbins, Mcarthyism records, Andreas at Exile from Mainstream records, Greg Tubevision, 930 club ,Black Cat, Gussound, Diana W, Woody, Stinking Lizaveta, Jadd Schickler and Meteor City, Southern Lord records and extra special thanks to Gianluca and Improved Sequence for keeping this music alive!"
Wino - summer 2024

Things just get heavier and heavier in Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich’s career and his short-lived classic band The Hidden Hand is no exception. Formed in 2002 and already disbanded in 2007 the trio featured Wino, Bruce Falkinburg on bass/songwriting/vocals and drummer Dave Hennessy.
If The Obsessed, St. Vitus, Shrinebuilder, Probot and Spirit Caravan aren’t enough to bring Wino's CV to legendary status, stop reading now.
LINER NOTES from WINO:

"When I returned from California after The Obsessed Columbia record deal fell apart, I didn't have any gear at all and after we put together (SHINE) which became Spirit Caravan, I was hustling to put a guitar rig together. I discovered ATOMIC MUSIC a super cool store in MARYLAND that encouraged trades, and had a lot of cool shit there,we had met another cat Sonny, who being the gregarious friendly cat he was befriended us (the band) and introduced me to his friend who's recording studio shared space with Atomic Music, Bruce Falkinburg and Phase recording studio. Bruce was a very interesting and hyper intelligent guy, bassist, knowledgeable in all things but specializing in recording rock music. We had decided to diversify our recording process and parted ways with one of my old friends Chris Kozlowski and PolarBearLair studios who had recorded everything Spirit Caravan had done so far.

I hired Bruce to record the version of Darkness and Longing that was our song on the Sixty Watt Shaman -Spirit Caravan split single. We liked what he did on that recording and decided to record more with Bruce at Phase and so we did ;the last SC single -" So Mortal Be/ Undone Mind" and recorded three tracks that were eventually released on "The Last Embrace." Bruce and I had firmly cemented our friendship and when shit fell apart with Spirit Caravan , we decided to form a band. Out of a very interesting list of possible band names Bruce's idea" The Hidden Hand " seemed to resonate the most and once Bruce had recruited Dave Hennessy (guitarist for OSTINATO) to play drums it was ON. Over the next couple years and a couple different drummers, The Hidden Hand would record one single, one split ep ,one compilation song and Three full length albums. Knowing Bruce, and working with everyone in The Hidden Hand realm enriched my life greatly . Bruces enthusiasm, knowledge, creativity, intellect and musical abilities remains an inspiration. Thanks Bruce, Sonny, Louis and Eric and all at ATOMIC MUSIC, Dave Hennessy,Matt and Jeremy Osinato ,Evan Tanner, J Robbins, Mcarthyism records, Andreas at Exile from Mainstream records, Greg Tubevision, 930 club ,Black Cat, Gussound, Diana W, Woody, Stinking Lizaveta, Jadd Schickler and Meteor City, Southern Lord records and extra special thanks to Gianluca and Improved Sequence for keeping this music alive!"
Wino - summer 2024

Following on from his highly acclaimed debut Len Parrott"s Memorial Lift, Baxter proves that this was no fluke. His 2nd album Floor Show sounds like it was recorded in St Paul"s Cathedral, with vocals added in the whispering gallery. Narratively, it"s seems to be about a disintegrating relationship, although this is no confession booth moment. Guitars float like ectoplasm, Wurlitzer"s spin beneath mirror balls, summoning the presence of spectral beings, swaying to luxurious, narcotic music that predates trip-hop by a good sixty years. Stand-out tracks include the single "Lisa Said", "Cocaine Man" and the wonderful "Francesca"s Party". The album was produced by Baxter, Nick Terry and mixed by Craig Silvey (The Coral, Magic Numbers) in West London in the winter of 2004 / 2005. The band are Damon Reece on drums and Mike Mooney on the electric guitar- both former members of Spiritualized.

Seedbed is a new revolving-door collective project helmed by Atlanta songwriter JJ Posway (Sloping, Scooterbabe). After six years of recording what was to be the ambitious final studio album of Posway’s long-running Athens-based band Scooterbabe, most traces of the group’s scrappy indie pop had been burnished off to reveal something entirely new. What emerged from the ashes was Seedbed.

Largely composed of performances and songwriting contributions by Scooterbabe’s final lineup (Anna Staddon vocals, keyboard, Michael Buice [bass], Zach Spires [drums]), the formation of Seedbed marks the calling in of producer Terence Chiyezhan to help mix and arrange years of piecemealed recordings. The result is an intensely imposing stylistic shift for Posway and company, as tense as the apt title of Seedbed’s growing pains-fueled debut album Stalemate implies.

Stalemate stares straight into an all-consuming whirlpool of a million swirling emotions spanning the past seven years; It’s glistening and reflective on “Unit 4” and “C c c c c c c c c c c,” while cacophonously turbulent for “Fingertips Like Ice” and foreboding album opener “Mouse At Your Feet.” But the entirety of Stalemate is nostalgia-soaked and dripping with the painful necessity of change. It brazenly steeps in the tension and grief that accompanies evolution - even at the risk of drowning in it completely.

Formed in 2012 by long-time musical companions Oyvind Holm and Hogne Galaen,
the band quickly grew into the six- piece musical force they are today. Their unique
sound fuses cosmic Americana and rich vocal harmonies with catchy melodies, highspirited improvisation, and contagious musical energy that will leave you craving
more.
The six members come from diverse musical backgrounds but are united by their
shared love of psychedelia and cosmic Americana. They draw particular inspiration
from the California sound of the late '60s, with bands like The Byrds, Crosby, Stills,
Nash & Young, and the Grateful Dead as key infuences.
Between 2012 and 2019, the band recorded and released fve critically acclaimed
albums, two of which were recorded in the California desert at the legendary Rancho
De La Luna, nestled among the Joshua trees. Like many other artists, the pandemic
shook their foundations, forcing the band into an involuntary hiatus. In the aftermath
of lockdowns and other imposed restrictions, the backlash from other projects kept
them from picking up where they had left off.
However, the fall of 2024 brought new opportunities. An unexpected email from Mike
Scott of The Waterboys reignited their spirit and motivation. While on tour in Norway,
Scott discovered one of their albums and was so taken by their sound that he invited
them to contribute vocal harmonies to 'The Tourist,' a track off The Waterboys' new
album Life, Death & Dennis Hopper.
Soon after, an even greater opportunity arose--an invitation to join The Waterboys on
tour in the UK and Scandinavia. To accompany the upcoming tour, we've put together
a beginner's guide to Sugarfoot.
The compilation album Cosmic Norse Americana features nine highlights from
Sugarfoot's career so far, along with a newly recorded cover of Emitt Rhodes' 1967
track "Time Will Show The Wiser."
Sugarfoot:
Hogne Galaen - guitars, vocals
Even Granas - drums
Thomas Henriksen - keyboards
Oyvind Holm - guitars, vocals
Bent Saether - bass
Roar Oien - pedal steel
THOUGHTS AND WORDS
The Sugarfoot story begins back in 2011. But before there was Sugarfoot, there were
the Dipsomaniacs, Kulta Beats, Motorpsycho, Too Far Gone, and Deleted Waveform
Gatherings--bands that, in one way or another, featured future members of what would
eventually become Sugarfoot. Six musicians from diverse musical backgrounds,
united by a shared love of psychedelia and cosmic Americana. Drawing deep
inspiration from the California sound of the late '60s, their musical compass points
toward The Byrds, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and the Grateful Dead.
I say eventually, because Sugarfoot didn't start as a band--it began as a duo. Hogne
Galaen and Oyvind Holm had previously played together in Deleted Waveform
Gatherings. But when their drummer moved out of town, the group was put on ice. Not
ones to sit still, the two of them launched a side project to keep the creative wheels
turning.
Throughout the winter of 2011, they holed up in their rehearsal space, writing and
recording rough sketches of what would soon grow into a full album. And that's when
things got interesting. They drew up a wish list--a dream lineup of musicians they'd
love to bring into the fold.
Among the names on that list were Even Granas, Thomas Henriksen, Bent Saether,
and Roar Oien, all soon to be permanent Sugarfooters. Each was invited to contribute
to the project, adding their parts to the pre-recorded tracks--without knowing what the
others were doing. Like assembling a giant musical puzzle, Galaen and Holm later
pieced the album together from these blindfolded contributions. The result was This
Love That We Outwore, released in the fall of 2012.
From there, things escalated quickly. By the following year, Sugarfoot had become a
proper band. Big Sky Country-- written and recorded collectively-- landed in 2014,
solidifying the group's evolving sound, including favourites such as Dolphins Hotel and
Ego In A Bag. When it came time to record a third album, the band felt the itch for
something new. They wanted a change of scenery--somewhere that could spark fresh
inspiration and leave its own sonic fngerprint on the production. So they asked
themselves: where could they go that carried the spirit, the legacy, the stardust of their
musical heroes?
That search led them to the California desert, to the legendary Rancho De La Luna,
nestled among the Joshua trees. Their next two albums, Different Stars (2016) and
The Santa Ana (2017), were both recorded at the Rancho. In fact, The Santa Ana was
both recorded and mixed during a two- week stay in 2015, making it a true time
capsule in the band's discography.

Cinthie makes a welcome return to her own 803 Crystal Grooves imprint this June for its sixth release, the project comprises four original"s showcasing Cinthie"s many different sonic styles and influences.
The past decade has seen Berlin"s Cinthie moving from strength to strength, racking up milestone achievements like her DJ Kicks mix compilation and a steady stream of critically acclaimed material via the likes of Aus, Heist, Shall Not Fade and of course her own 803 Crystal Grooves label where she returns here with some fresh machine jams.
"Grooves" kicks off the package, a dynamic dance floor cut fuelled by processed vocals uttering the track title, murky bass stabs, heavily swung drums and gritty saturated stabs all dynamically evolving and unfolding throughout. "Boxer" follows next and showcases Cinthie"s love for dub-tinged sounds, laying down spiralling dub echoes, a snaking bass groove and hypnotic chord sequences atop a robust, swinging rhythm section.
"Hands Up" then kicks off the B-Side, shifting gears to a classic House aesthetic with dreamy keys, bright stab sequences, glistening synth textures and smooth strings, intertwined with soulful vocals and classic 909 workout. "She Wants It" then concludes the EP on a more cinematic tip with sweeping lead synths, fluttering arpeggios, elongated bass drones and vocal lines running with raw, crunchy drums.

A decade has passed since Infinity Night graced Bordello A Parigi with his wonderful Winter and Summer EPs. After too long a wait, the French producer returns with the aptly titled Le Temps Qui Passe. Six slices of select synthesizer music make up the 12”, tracks lovingly crafted with Frederic Bergamaschi’s trademark analogue warmth. A melancholic melody meanders through brightness in “Tu Ne Me Réponds Pas”, dulcet words hidden under the machine gauze of a vocoder. Skittish percussion gives way to the refrain of “It’s Full of Stars”. Hazy keys appear as an arpeggiator rumbles below a shimmering sky. “Les Souvenirs De Valerie” picks up where its predecessor left off. Astral notes are beamed into the heavens, echoing into the while crisp cymbals tether the piece. Infinity Night has always sought that point of balance in his music, a bittersweetness he accentuates and explores. This is true in the darker shades of “Nymphomania”. Beats are bolstered, key stabs piercing the tenderness of analogue trills. The title track is a rich patchwork. A burbling undercurrent supports forays into diverse tangents with lyrics surfacing through key shifts and sliding scales. Marching to militaristic rhythms, “I Comme Icare” is the curtain call. The stringent drums are broken by sailing synthlines, vocals masked in a familiar mesh to close. Le Temps Qui Passe, well worth the wait.

“Recorded at BBC Broadcasting House and partially aired on BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction, the first studio encounter between London-based duo Exotic Sin and Swiss percussionist Julian Sartorius is now published in full on this album from Sagome.

Winding through six distinct and interconnected paths, the trio effortlessly create a shared language in this expansive improvised session.

Listening back two years later — the session was recorded on March 24, 2023 — it’s evident how they build at a relaxed pace, offering space for the listener to enter into their evolving sound. Anchored by piano, delicate wood, metal, and air instruments, a fluid system of interactions develops: repeating, deepening, but not fixating. The direction of travel is not cyclical or linear and the pace insists on forward confidently, avoiding the trap or comfort of recurring motifs.

Percussion is not a timekeeper, but a key element, introducing new textures that even on the final track Path 6, trace out a horizon that feels more like a blurred beginning than a definitive end.

In Session, Exotic Sin moves into a lighter, perhaps more playful language for improvisation than on their debut album Customer’s Copy. This could be influenced by Sartorius’ tactile approach to sonic materials or the more stripped-back nature of the improvised session, with less emphasis on synthesised and electric sounds. While the emotional imprint from their debut album—murkier and insistent—remains, it has been aired out to dry. In Session, their sound-world is broad and moves with levity.”

Andrea Zarza Canova – April 2025


Music by
Kenichi Iwasa (electric and acoustic percussion, trumpet, horns, thumb piano, effects).
Naima Nefertari (piano, Yamaha keyboard, flute, bells, percussion).
Julian Sartorius (drums, percussion).

Recorded and mixed live for Late Junction at BBC Broadcasting House, London, on the 24th of March 2023 by Joe Yon and John Boland.
Mastered by Giuseppe Ielasi.
Produced by Silvia Malnati at Reduced Listening for BBC Radio 3.
Extracts from the session were played on Late Junction on the 14th of April 2023.
Artwork by Josef William Back.
Graphic design by Nicola Tirabasso.

Oslo-based label Boring Crew Records (BCR) makes its vinyl debut with the Prærien EP. The EP showcases the label’s diverse range and vision, with six tracks that span various moods and genres, setting the stage for what’s to come.

BCR01 kicks off with Oasen by Anders Hajem, a dark and chugging track. The title track, Prærien, seamlessly picks up where Oasen left off, delving deeper into the atmosphere with a hypnotic bassline and subtle tension. Perkules rounds off the A-side with his Oasen remix, stripping it down into a raw, minimal version with a heavy(!) bottom-end.

On the B-side, Henrik Villard’s Cowgirl hits hard with raw and gritty drums, with a touch of dubbed-out vocals. Woodfall Temple follows, enveloping listeners in its tribal and slight meditative energy. Canadian producer Cooper Saver then closes the EP with his mesmerizing remix of Woodfall Temple, ramping up the tempo with layered synth lines that create an irresistible, trance-like atmosphere.

Boring Crew Records’ Prærien EP offers a captivating and dynamic introduction, teasing more exciting releases on the horizon.

"U.S. Maple's first album, before they fell all apart on """"Sang Phat Editor"""". This is the album that """"rocks"""". Disjointed machinations, poppy locksteps and jarring sideways excursions all leading down a path to nowhere's-ville. Engineered by Jim O'Rourke with a cold. Pressed on Muleta Maroon Colored Vinyl LP includes a vinyl-only bonus track plus a Two-Sided Footlong OBI and Lyric Sheet.

In high school, the members of U.S. Maple never said a word to anyone. And although this had disastrous results (stolen shoes, constant de-pantsing, gum in the hair, etc...), a fire was burning inside each one of them.

A beginning was struck in Chicago, early in 1995. The four met near the corner of Grand and Western Avenues to devise a working method for reorganizing rock and roll, keeping what was felt to be it’s most important core elements.

The mumblings are slick. The melodies are souped-up and soured. The drums are spastic bursts of laughter, rocket fuel and confetti. It is fronted by a singer who reminds one or the other of Kevin Costner's stoner bro. A 7” single and a version of AC/DC’s Sin City are the first to be recorded.

U.S. Maple’s debut full-length, “Long Hair In Three Stages” was recorded late in 1995 with Jim O'Rourke at Solid Sound Studios in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. This was Jim's first legitimate recording session with a rock and roll band. The album receives critical acclaim. Soon thereafter, U.S. Maple find themselves flying coach to Deutschland for a European tour. The extensive six-week tour spans 12 countries and includes a Peel Session for the BBC's John Peel Show. More history is made.

""""Long Hair In Three Stages"""" goes on to be ranked #85 on the Alternative Press “90 Greatest Albums of the '90s” list. We all know better."

TÖRZS, Hungary's premier instrumental post-rock band, return with the understated sonic beauty of `Menedèk', their first new music in six years. Loosely translating as `Refuge', `Menedèk' sees the freshly bolstered trio in their element; finding shelter, comfort and joy in the act of creative collaboration whilst the storm of day to day life weathers ever on. A steadfast and admirable mission statement centred on staying true to themselves in the moment, being open to growth and documenting this process as honestly as possible has led to TÖRZS building a reputation as one of Hungary's most exciting musical collectives. Three stunning albums of organic and perfectly composed contemplation, as well as the band's transcendental live shows alongside acts including contemporaries We Lost The Sea, Oh Hiroshima, Föllakzoid and more have placed TÖRZS at the forefront of a post-rock movement that prizes the shared experience of band and listener above all else. The band's previous full-length release, 2019's `Tükor', was recorded live at Aggteleki Cseppkobarlang, a UNESCO World Heritage protected cave system, 500 metres below the Aggteleki National Park. Embracing the cave's utterly unique natural reverb almost as a fourth member led to `Tükor' receiving critical acclaim, with TÖRZS were subsequently nominated for the HEMI Music Awards 2022 and invited to perform at the likes of Moscow Music Week (2020), The Budapest Showcase Hub (2021) and 2024's Changeover Festival in Belgrade, Serbia. Whilst the intervening years have seen unprecedented change on a global scale, TÖRZS too found themselves in a state of flux. The band returned to the more traditional studio setting in 2023, working alongside long-time producer György Ligeti, in order to faithfully capture the intimate energy of songs meticulously crafted together in their small rehearsal space, a far cry from 2019's subterranean setting. However, having spent countless hours writing, orchestrating and recording the pieces that have become `Menedèk', the band's founding drummer Zsombor Lehoczky stepped away from the band and music as a whole. Where this might have been catastrophic for any other band, remaining members Soma Balázs and Dániel Nyitray soon found a connection with Tamás Szijártó, who approached TÖRZS' music with the same openness to creativity in the moment; not `performing' as such, but simply working together to produce breathtaking, musical escapism away from the daily humdrum. The album's themes of shelter, refuge and support resound clearly on lead single `Otthon'. Meaning `At Home' in Hungarian, `Otthon' serves as a de facto introduction to the record. The song's lilting groove, soaring yet soft guitar palette and the band's signature delicate dynamism all combine to invite the listener to reflect; not steering one way or another yet inviting us to close our eyes and join the flow. Elsewhere, the pounding, chiming `Levegovétel' proves TÖRZS are still staying true to their mission statement of documenting the inevitable process of change. Here the band embrace elements of post-rock's harsher, heavier side with a cacophony of driving half-time drums and distorted, open-chord guitars yet still provide brief havens of space for themselves, the song and the listener alike to breathe before the euphoric swell rises anew. Whilst TÖRZS' previous full-length effort was a spectacular collision of the band's tight-knit existence and the (literal) echo chamber of the world outside, `Menedèk' is introspective, understated and refreshingly brave in its honesty. TÖRZS have opened the doors to their inner sanctum, their rehearsal space, their songwriting process, their friendship; inviting us to live in it with them, to revel in the moment together. FOR FANS OF Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Explosions In The Sky, This Will Destroy You, Caspian, MONO, Sigur Rós

TÖRZS, Hungary's premier instrumental post-rock band, return with the understated sonic beauty of `Menedèk', their first new music in six years. Loosely translating as `Refuge', `Menedèk' sees the freshly bolstered trio in their element; finding shelter, comfort and joy in the act of creative collaboration whilst the storm of day to day life weathers ever on. A steadfast and admirable mission statement centred on staying true to themselves in the moment, being open to growth and documenting this process as honestly as possible has led to TÖRZS building a reputation as one of Hungary's most exciting musical collectives. Three stunning albums of organic and perfectly composed contemplation, as well as the band's transcendental live shows alongside acts including contemporaries We Lost The Sea, Oh Hiroshima, Föllakzoid and more have placed TÖRZS at the forefront of a post-rock movement that prizes the shared experience of band and listener above all else. The band's previous full-length release, 2019's `Tükor', was recorded live at Aggteleki Cseppkobarlang, a UNESCO World Heritage protected cave system, 500 metres below the Aggteleki National Park. Embracing the cave's utterly unique natural reverb almost as a fourth member led to `Tükor' receiving critical acclaim, with TÖRZS were subsequently nominated for the HEMI Music Awards 2022 and invited to perform at the likes of Moscow Music Week (2020), The Budapest Showcase Hub (2021) and 2024's Changeover Festival in Belgrade, Serbia. Whilst the intervening years have seen unprecedented change on a global scale, TÖRZS too found themselves in a state of flux. The band returned to the more traditional studio setting in 2023, working alongside long-time producer György Ligeti, in order to faithfully capture the intimate energy of songs meticulously crafted together in their small rehearsal space, a far cry from 2019's subterranean setting. However, having spent countless hours writing, orchestrating and recording the pieces that have become `Menedèk', the band's founding drummer Zsombor Lehoczky stepped away from the band and music as a whole. Where this might have been catastrophic for any other band, remaining members Soma Balázs and Dániel Nyitray soon found a connection with Tamás Szijártó, who approached TÖRZS' music with the same openness to creativity in the moment; not `performing' as such, but simply working together to produce breathtaking, musical escapism away from the daily humdrum. The album's themes of shelter, refuge and support resound clearly on lead single `Otthon'. Meaning `At Home' in Hungarian, `Otthon' serves as a de facto introduction to the record. The song's lilting groove, soaring yet soft guitar palette and the band's signature delicate dynamism all combine to invite the listener to reflect; not steering one way or another yet inviting us to close our eyes and join the flow. Elsewhere, the pounding, chiming `Levegovétel' proves TÖRZS are still staying true to their mission statement of documenting the inevitable process of change. Here the band embrace elements of post-rock's harsher, heavier side with a cacophony of driving half-time drums and distorted, open-chord guitars yet still provide brief havens of space for themselves, the song and the listener alike to breathe before the euphoric swell rises anew. Whilst TÖRZS' previous full-length effort was a spectacular collision of the band's tight-knit existence and the (literal) echo chamber of the world outside, `Menedèk' is introspective, understated and refreshingly brave in its honesty. TÖRZS have opened the doors to their inner sanctum, their rehearsal space, their songwriting process, their friendship; inviting us to live in it with them, to revel in the moment together. FOR FANS OF Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Explosions In The Sky, This Will Destroy You, Caspian, MONO, Sigur Rós

Originally released in the summer of 1994 at the height of interest in the US underground rock scene, ‘Without A Sound’ was Dinosaur Jr’s sixth album, and their third major label offering. Recorded by the then two-piece band (Mike Johnson on bass and vocals, J Mascis performing everything else himself, including drums), the album saw Dinosaur Jr continue to deliver on their distinct formula, J’s soul-searching songs being performed with his trademark effortlessly cool heavy style. Including classics such as ‘Feel The Pain’ and ‘Grab It’, the album remains a firm fan favourite. Released on highly collectable splatter green vinyl to commemorate the band’s flurry of ‘Without A Sound’ themed live shows in May 2025, this is a chance for the uninitiated and younger fans to discover a classic, and for familiar fans to revisit an album which sounds as vibrant and essential today as it did thirty years ago.

Emerging from the Minneapolis underground and heading straight towards the sky, IE arrive on Quindi with a full-length album of sparkling, sophisticated wonder. Touching on kosmische grandeur, Riley-esque cyclical patterns, lounge pop and dubbed out psychedelia, the five-piece allow their songs to unfurl with a natural, hypnotic elegance which can take many different forms.
There's a loose, live quality to the recordings IE's members commit to record, which reflects their steady presence gigging in Minneapolis and the surrounding area. Since putting out their first release in 2016, they've glided from drone and synth-led jam band ambience (2018's Pome) to strung out, stoner-tinted slowcore (on 2023's outstanding Junk Body). For Reverse Earth they strike a smoky note that wraps itself around your skull across extended run times that evolve with a meditative poise.
From the deceptively driving 4/4 thrum of the opening title track through 'Divination Bag's snaking tryptamine mantras on to 'Simplify's slow and smouldering indie-soul, IE's sound is bathed in a sumptuous warm glow that rounds out the lows and the mids, creating a nocturnal shroud in which their nebulous song structures can feel deliciously endless.
Meredith Gill's drums provide rolling and tumbling undercurrents for the slowly shifting phases of the instrumental players, as Michael Gallope and Travis Workman trade keyboard parts and Workman and Sam Molstad chop and pick at their six-strings. Atop the thrum of her bass, Mariel Oliviera's vocal adapts to the scenery, from a distant, dreamlike siren song on 'Reverse Earth' to a spoken word meditation on 'Babel'.
There's space in each track for every instrument to cut through and have its moment, from a spiralling key vamp to a chicken-scratch guitar flex. The gently twisting, head-feeding groove exercises of the first four tracks give way to a slow and powerful march on 'Dark Rome', closing the record on a noirish anti-ballad fit to peal out in the closing slot at Twin Peaks' Roadhouse (circa season three).
As much as the tracks teem with composition, musicianship, and production to savor, a sound like IE's has a soporific quality that soaks in unconsciously. It's an evocative portal where the band feel as if they could just play on each piece ad infinitum - where the time itself seems to dislodge from its moorings.

Conflict formed in 1981 in Eltham, Southeast London, when frontman Colin Jerwood, inspired by early encounters with the Pistols 'Spunk' bootleg and following The Clash on tour, struck up a friendship with Crass and set about crafting a whole new kind of punk that totally upped the ante in terms anger and confrontation. Crass, the renowned anarchist punk collective, having got Conflict started by releasing their debut single 'The House That Man Bult' in 1982 on Crass Records, ended in 1984 as they had always intended. Now it was up to Conflict to pick up the baton and run with it. And they did, charging into the battle lines of authority.

The years that followed saw Conflict go from strength to strength, peaking on the 18th of April in 1987 at the London Brixton Academy for the 'Gathering of the 5,000' concert. A climax and explosion of rage and rebellion that inevitably ended up in a police provoked full-scale riot with police injuries, arrests, and with the band hopelessly in debt and banned from the majority of major London and UK venues.

Undeterred, Conflict continued into the 90s with their acclaimed 'Conclusion' album and remained a mainstay of the live punk circuit throughout. However, after more than two decades since the release of their (2003) 'There's No Power Without Control' album, the band are back with 'This Much Remains'. Featuring sixteen brand new Conflict creations, the album sees the band keeping one eye on their eventful past, and the other firmly on moving forward, both musically and politically. Animal Rights are still at the forefront of Conflict’s collective minds, giving a voice to the voiceless on songs such as 'A Mother's Milk' and 'Shut The Fuck Up', whilst their anger at world governments will never dissipate.

Also featuring an appearance by the late Benjamin Zephaniah on the track 'Cut The Crap', 'This Much Remains' is the sound of a band that continues to surprise and progress, decades after it first began. Conflict are Colin Jerwood - vocals; Fiona Friel - vocals; Gav King - guitars, melodica & Hammond; Fran Fearon - bass; Stoo Meadows - drums. With Benjamin Zephaniah - vocals on 'Cut The Crap'; Mitsuko Sonoda - voice on 'The Impossible Soul'.