Cerca:7 universal

“Music is my forever cove,” writes Portland, Oregon’s Luke Wyland of the ideas that give shape to Kuma Cove, his latest album under his own name. Though named after a real place on the Oregon coast, Kuma Cove casts its gaze far beyond the sightseer’s line of vision. Recorded live in the studio and blurring obvious lines between computer-based composition and electro-acoustic instrumentation, it is an album about flow, borders, transitory states, and shelter. Composed of discontinuous ripples and repetitions (“I’m forever searching for a better descriptor than looping, which feels too simple and flattened by overuse,” Wyland says), shaped into richly emotive arcs, and informed by his experience as a person who stutters, it is also an album about identity, self-expression, and the energies that sluice through and across what we perceive as linear time—like floodwaters seeking an exit, like streams running into the sea.

Artist’s Statement:
I made this record while spending significant time in the woods by the Sandy River in Corbett, Oregon,
where I've had my studio for the last five years. It is a diary of spontaneous live recordings edited to highlight the moments of clarity that emerge from long-form improvisations. These compositions express a slowing internal rhythm. An unwinding. A somatic recalibration as I enter middle age. A newly empowered vulnerability.

Here are the internalized cadences of my stutter, flowing freely from my fingers. The musicality of my disfluency is revealed in its frictions, elongations, and foreshortenings. Disruptions in linear time, where the bubbling cadences of my stutter find unexpected pathways, reveal the elasticity of the present moment. This is my idiosyncratic language, shaped and inspired by my disability. Subliminally mirroring internal processes, neural firings, cognitive entanglements...

The title, Kuma Cove, refers to a beloved cove on the coast of Oregon my wife and I return to yearly. There has always been something so magnetic about coves. The way they cradle one from the overwhelming enormity of the ocean beyond, muting a primordial fear. I experience these improvisations as ecosystems I'm able to inhabit for stretches of time, embodying the particular rhythms and sensorial textures within each. Music is my forever cove. Everything you hear is created live in Ableton on a setup I've been honing for 15 years. I celebrate MIDI and computer music as an extension of self and strive to make it as expressive as any analog instrument. I was a visual artist for the first half of my life and quickly adapted those skills to composing and producing on a computer. The transition felt natural within the landscape of DAW's interfaces, especially as a synesthete. Ableton and its community of Max creators continue to surprise me with its expansiveness.

I'm forever searching for a better descriptor than looping, which feels too simple and flattened by overuse. I envision sonic loops as tangled masses of time, three-dimensional knots spinning on tilted axes, or overlapping wreaths refracting out a myriad of colors. My practice is continually refocusing my ear to what is revealed in the repetitions, searching for the fingerprint of each. I find it incredible how technology lets us manipulate time like this. Nothing on this record is quantized or locked to a universal bpm. Experiencing numerous tempos at once feels important. Recordings as mirrors. Freedom from expected (conversational) flow as we hold time for each other.
-Luke Wyland, August 2024

Artist Bio:
Luke Wyland is an interdisciplinary artist, composer, and performer based in Portland, OR (USA). Wyland has been releasing critically acclaimed records for the past 20 years in the groups AU and Methods Body, as LWW, and under his own name, working with such labels as New Amsterdam, Beacon Sound, Balmat, The Leaf Label, and Aagoo Records. As a person who stutters, Wyland’s approach to music is informed by his idiosyncratic relationship with language. Wyland believes deeply in the cathartic power of live performance as a means for collective healing. Through an interdisciplinary art practice that focuses on improvisation, somatic embodiment, bespoke tuning systems, the cadences of disfluent speech, and time manipulation technologies, he’s collaborated with choreographers, high-school choirs, filmmakers, sound designers, and renowned musicians such as John Niekrasz, Holland Andrews, Colin Stetson, and Abraham Gomez-Delgado. He’s also the co-creator of the “It’s A Fucking Miracle” dance class with Tahni Holt.
Wyland has toured nationally and internationally and performed at the Whitney Museum, Ecstatic Music Festival, Issue Project Room, PICA’s Time-Based Arts Festival, End of the Road Festival, and Les Nuits Botanique, among others.

Wicked: The Soundtrack features performances by the stars of Universal Pictures’ new cinematic event, Wicked, with music and lyrics by legendary Grammy and Oscar® winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz. The soundtrack includes songs performed by Emmy, Grammy, and Tony winning powerhouse and Oscar® nominee Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda. In addition, the soundtrack features the musical talents of Oscar® winner Michelle Yeoh as Shiz University’s regal headmistress Madame Morrible; Olivier Award winner and Emmy nominee Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers) as Fiyero, a roguish and carefree prince; and pop culture icon Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz. Based on one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on stage for the past two decades, the spectacular, generation-defining film adaptation of Wicked is destined to be the most talked-about film of the holiday season. The official soundtrack track list includes iconic Wicked songs “Defying Gravity,” “Popular,” “Dancing Through Life” and more, performed as you’ve never heard them before! Wicked, in theaters November 22, 2024, is the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. Wicked Part Two is scheduled to arrive in theaters next year, on November 21, 2025.

On her new album, ‘Almost in Your Arms’, Claire returns to a previous successful formula: her highly experienced Swedish trio of pianist, Martin Sjöstedt, double bass player, Niklas Fernqvist and drummer, Daniel Fredriksson accompanied by several superlative guest musicians. The songs Claire has chosen for the trio indicate her wide-ranging interest and knowledge in the many sub-genre areas of popular music and jazz. Claire’s innate enthusiasm for fresh stimulus and intriguing contrasts was invested in assembling a selection of material which she, with the assistance of James McMillan, found strong personal resonance with. Claire Martin is one of the most accomplished and inspired jazz singers in the world today. Full stop. This is a statement that would find virtually universal agreement with jazz writers, reviewers, broadcasters, listeners and live-performance audiences.

Here, gleaming tensile techno forms clean, straight lines while scratchy acoustic guitars scuff up edges to produce

ghostly audio. Poetry is snatched from the overhead, removed from the overheard; words borrowed from the ether are

spun into dizzying new shapes, sometimes reappearing in new settings, twisted back to front, side to side. Each track a

very different room - some soundtracked by little more than metronomic kick drum and robotic voice, others deep in

layer upon layer of melody and euphoric noise - and each room unmistakably, uniquely Underworld. The only advice

from Underworld’s Rick Smith and Karl Hyde upon entering: “Please don’t shuffle.”

Strawberry Hotel features the singles ‘and the colour red’ and ‘denver luna’, as well as new release ‘Black Poppies’ - a

celestial love song, a hymn to the universe and to boundless, positive change. Ambient and beatless, Black Poppies is

a celebration of full dancefloors and the beauty of life itself.

Underworld are Rick Smith and Karl Hyde. Their peerless first album - dubnobasswithmyheadman - was released to universal acclaim in 1994. In the thirty years since that mould breaking debut, the band have established their reputation as one of the most groundbreaking and important electronic acts of all time, one that constantly pushes creative boundaries, twists genres, and refuses to stay still. In those thirty years, their music has soundtracked approximately 100,000,000 nights out, and the mornings after. In the past year alone, Underworld have played live in front of over half a million people across the globe.

A New Entry In The Canon Of The Genius Ray Charles The First Black Artist To Record A Country Music Album His Original Iconic Country Recordings Includes ""I Can't Stop Loving You"" & ""Seven Spanish Angels"" Mastered By Multi-GRAMMY® Winning Engineer Michael Graves Produced In Full Cooperation Of The Ray Charles Foundation

Ray Charles changed the way the world perceived country music.

A new, stand alone album, with a track-list of iconic songs cherry picked from across Ray’s country music recordings. With thoughtful attention to detail, this piece looks and feels authentic and period appropriate. This collection not only showcases Ray’s unparalleled interpretations of country classics, but also serves as a timely reminder of his role as a cultural pioneer who helped bridge racial divides through the universal language of music.

Black Cherry. Fiddlehead's debut LP Springtime and Blind is an exploration of grief both introspective and through the insight of others. Following the release of their Out of the Bloom EP on Lockin Out Records, the Boston-based band have created a debut LP that shares an anguishing, relatable story of love and loss through the catharsis of spirited, loud indie rock. Consisting of guitarist Alex Henery (also of Basement), vocalist Patrick Flynn and drummer Shawn Costa (both of Have Heart), Fiddlehead explore musical styles different from their other projects while bringing a familiar energetic and emotional core to the collaboration. Springtime and Blind stemmed from Pat's loss of his father. Flynn looks at how his mother coped with the situation- losing her spouse, her center of gravity -writing the lyrics as an emotional catharsis for both of them. While the process of writing and recording helped Flynn cope with his personal loss there's no doubt it carries a universal message that can help ease others' loneliness. A contrast to itself, Springtime and Blind is a multidimensional and relatable journey through its cathartic message and spirited instrumentals.

Enjoy The Ride Records in conjunction with Universal Music Group proudly presents Autopilot Off - Make A Sound, available on vinyl for the first time in celebration of the album's 20th anniversary. Make A Sound features the single "What I Want," plus " Make A Sound," "Chromatic Fades," "Clockwork," and "What I Want," which were featured in various video games of the era.

For Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms, country music is soul music. Just as soul music resonates the mind, body, and spirit with powerful rhythms and expressive vocals, so too does the reflective storytelling and crooning country music on their latest record, Gold In Your Pocket. Blending classic country, bluegrass, old-time, and Cajun influences, Caleb & Reeb offer a refreshing departure from the often sorrowful themes found in traditional music. In fact, love–particularly remembering, giving, and receiving it–is the thematic glue connecting all 13 tracks. Celebrated for their charismatic performances and deeply-rooted musical style, the duo’s pared-down approach is supplemented by pedal steel and electric guitar, channeling classic country duos of old. Legendary Cajun musician and engineer Joel Savoy, along with Nashville session savant Chris Scruggs, added tasteful performances to Gold In Your Pocket at sessions in Louisiana and Nashville. As a vocally-led band, Caleb & Reeb focus on the art of harmony, capturing listeners with the joy of telling a universal story through song. Their creations also honor the communal side of country and honky-tonk music. These longtime leaders of the vibrant Pacific Northwest underground country scene prove that getting us to dance and sing together is more important than ever.

"Enjoy The Ride Records in conjunction with Universal Music Group proudly present The Damned Things - Ironiclast. Available on vinyl for the first time, The Damned Things is a supergroup featuring Keith Buckley (Every Time I Die, Many Eyes), Scott Ian (Anthrax, S.O.D., Mr. Bungle), Rob Caggiano (Anthrax, Boiler Room, Volbeat), Andy Hurley (Fall Out Boy), & Joe Trohman (Fall Out Boy).

Pressed on 140-gram limited edition color vinyl, Ironiclast includes a double-sided insert with lyrics and an exclusive retrospective essay by Keith Buckley."

Red Laser continue their prolific purple patch, unpacking four more slabs of red lit Manctolo from a host of box jammers, old and new.

Frank Butters wastes no time at all, 'The Call Of The Wild' engaging photon tubes with a highly kinetic array of crystalline synth shards, thunderous bass and hyperactive sfx. Without geeking out too much, special mention has to go out to the synthesis on display here - Butters advancing up the levels of sonic shamanism as he conjures up never-before-heard patches of interstellar cosmic NRG...

Bob Swans' 'Bodyform4U' unites the robots with a universal message of togetherness. Its multiple layers of shuddering arpeggios and star-aligned synths working in unison to quell any fears and send us off into a space age utopia. One that'll work as well soundtracking the end of the session as it will as the dancefloor's filling up; its subtle anthemic qualities sure to rouse the spirits of even the most dehumanized cyborgs.

New signing Lone Saxon drops 'Hypersleep' which utilises rich piano chords and a hefty breakbeat, switching up the vibe but keeping things super uplifting. This one reminds us of that innocent period when you could get on the megabus for 50p and score three for a tenner on the dancefloor. An evocative vocal refrain adds a moment of thoughtful introspection in between the e-rushes and arm-raising for another moment of interactive harmony.

Finally, 'Webo' sees Franz Scala (with a little help from Il Bosco) return to source, delivering a bona fide slice of maximum balls out MANCTALO chug. With tension-wrought chord progressions, delicious layers of lead melodies and a soaring vocal, there's few that can resist the charms of this late night electro-disco hyper anthem.

All aboard the starship !

RL x

Matter-of-factly, Lycox exclaims "Yaaahh" right at the beginning. That's an affirmation but in times of distress it can also mean resignation, something like "Yeah, whatever". Lycox says he was only freestyling though. Then the bassline appears. Elastic, expressive, full-bodied. And it's not even present the whole time. He was "trying to develop a new formula for the Kuduro beat."

Songs for the club? Most certainly. Different sensibilities, one same focused mind. Lycox evolves within tradition, he has mastered the groove, the ambience, the right tones. Simply called "Energia", the last track circles above wistfully, menacing but maybe just promising some sort of action. With a few drops one could almost switch over to a parallel universe of old school Trance, a reference that feels as alien here as maybe this track feels to someone for whom the standard Afro House sound represents modern African music.

These songs pile up in a threshold balanced between styles, sensations, maybe in the middle of life itself. Such a concentration of energy is bound to need release and that comes figuratively through details in the music reaching out to receptive ears. "To Bem Loko" explicitly tries to "literally drive everyone crazy on the dancefloor." Once again Lycox provides vocals, as in "Edson no Uige", about a friend who embarked on a trip to the Angolan province of Uige and came back speaking only the local dialect known as lingala. A nod to tradition, very emotional, without compromising complex arrangements. Consequently, we the listeners are kept believing there is still enough space for a bright future. To ears accustomed to Lycox productions the title "Contemporaneo" (opening of side B) reads like a redundancy, then.

Maybe this music can never be quite as massive as other Afro styles. Without sounding pretentious, it avoids simplistic patterns, it demands a bit more mental processing while it certainly aims to loosen the limbs. Universal in vocation, underground at the core, Lycox definitely calls it Batida but for some it is still Ghetto Music. Like DJ Veiga said when describing a previous release for Príncipe, Ghetto is home, though. Lycox adds it is a foundation of personality. "Few in our community will recognize your work when you come from the same environment, but once you establish your reputation outside of the neighbourhood and even outside of the country, people will look at you differently, as if you were a star."

THE DYNAMICS • DRAG’N'FLY
by VINCENT HELLO.

Jamaica, 1960s. Ska artists, rock steady and reggae take back some soul songs of the United States, thus giving their versions that will in turn become future classics. The hits of the moment are also seasoned with Jamaican sauce, no matter where it comes from Original, pop, country, jazz... The rhythms of the island permanently transform the tracks of origin. In 2024, with their third album called Dragn'fly and decorated with a beautiful dragonfly (a "dragonfly" so in the language of King Tubby) the Dynamics honour Jamaican tradition and dynamite 10 versions of hits from yesterday and today. The Dragonfly spread his wings reggae, soul, funk to land in all headsets at the heart of good stereos and on spicy dancefloors. Because this dragonfly is a true superfly that speaks to the heart... and legs.

After two albums whose success led them to walk the globe of Glastonbury in Tokyo, honoured by the large elders (the first part of Lee Perry here, a regular dj support of Don Letts over there) the Dynamics are alive so their 'soul reggae vocal sound system” in front of audiences specializing in Jamaican or to those who are who were lucky enough to meet them by chance in Chemical Brothers... or Lady Gaga.

The Dynamics have forgotten the weight of ancestors to make their own recipe. They proclaim it, they are Sound System! The voices of Mounam, Steve Levi and Mr Day are in the front row, so making lovers, preachers, crooners and crooners to Turns of Duty, while Fab Master Flab all in one of the roots and futuristic echos. But if the mind is a sound system, the dynamics sounds also as a group through instruments live performances that plunge the tracks into a fervor unique. And then there are the hits, so, from all times and of all styles.
The low rider becomes toaster and leaves the road a American carried by these vocal harmonies Sky to take the exit Kingston. On the roadside, the joker delivers his lovers soft rock after a small detour to Muscle Shoal, The time to borrow a guitar from Duane Allman. In the south again, Mounam “Mrs Dynamics” meets the spirit of «Mr Dynamite» and tells him his radical, soul version. “ man’s world...” inna digital style! The spiritual anthem “you got to have freedom” by Master Pharoah Sanders becomes a universal skank, pop and dub who sends resounding high its universal message Dance! The dynamics are mutating the classic of ESG into a small, minimal pop bomb that is not without resemblance to the Neptunes of Mr Pharell Williams. On the edge of the track, Peter Gabriel sees his “Sledgehammer” groover as he does could imagine it and dissolve into sublime soul scrolls. Later, “After laughter...” soul classic celebrated and sampled Born into a rock steady air promised also to eternity. JJ Cale’s "cocaine," leaves its on the dancefloor for a reggae disco version, necessarily! And then, we must conclude. So it’s time to send an original title. It will be "Rubba Sub", to the aromas of sleng teng, which proves that far from the hits, the Dynamics deploys same layouts to deliver fresh and authentic sounds. And when the dub echoes evaporated, that the riddims have been silent, only remains an album majestic, in turn a future classic, full of unique Dynamics sound that mixes with instinct the echoes of yesterday to its own voices today.

Die Karriere von Devin Townsend besteht aus vielen verschiedenen Epochen. Er war der Anführer von Strapping Young Lad, der Dreh- und Angelpunkt des Devin Townsend Project und der Mitarchitekt des Country-Duos Casualties of Cool, während er gleichzeitig sein produktives und gelobtes Soloprojekt weiterführte. Jetzt beginnt die neue Ära des Universalgelehrten mit PowerNerd: ein prägnantes, aber dennoch progressives Album, das von der Liebe seines Masterminds zu Vintage-Rock aus seiner Kindheit zeugt.Von dem Moment an, in dem der Titeltrack die Platte mit dem Gebrüll "PowerNerd!" einleitet, ist Devins 28. Studioprojekt ein Galopp aus Melodie, Lärm und Gefühl. Der Opener und "Knuckledragger" sind Hochgeschwindigkeits-Amokläufe, deren Wirkung durch den charakteristischen "Wall of Sound"-Produktionsstil der Hauptfigur noch verstärkt wird. Diese Aggression ist jedoch bei weitem nicht das Einzige, was die 11 episodischen Tracks von Powernerd zu bieten haben. "Dreams of Light" ist im Vergleich dazu eine beschwörende und dynamische vierminütige Ballade. "Younger Lover" beruhigt sich nach einem explosiven Anfang zu üppigen Strophen mit Synthesizern und Gesang, während "Falling Apart" und "Jainism" eine Textur nach der anderen zu den lieblichen, akustischen Einleitungen hinzufügen. Jeder Song hat einen unwiderstehlichen Hook als Herzstück, und Devin hat zweifellos einen gefühlvollen Instant-Klassiker eines Rock-Albums geschaffen."PowerNerd" ist erhältlich als Limited 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook (inkl. Bonustracks, Dolby Atmos & High-Resolution Stereo Mixes), Ltd 2CD Digipak in O-Card (inkl. Bonustracks), Standard CD Jewelcase & Gatefold 180g LP + LP-Booklet, sowie digital in Stereo & Dolby Atmos.

Die Karriere von Devin Townsend besteht aus vielen verschiedenen Epochen. Er war der Anführer von Strapping Young Lad, der Dreh- und Angelpunkt des Devin Townsend Project und der Mitarchitekt des Country-Duos Casualties of Cool, während er gleichzeitig sein produktives und gelobtes Soloprojekt weiterführte. Jetzt beginnt die neue Ära des Universalgelehrten mit PowerNerd: ein prägnantes, aber dennoch progressives Album, das von der Liebe seines Masterminds zu Vintage-Rock aus seiner Kindheit zeugt.Von dem Moment an, in dem der Titeltrack die Platte mit dem Gebrüll "PowerNerd!" einleitet, ist Devins 28. Studioprojekt ein Galopp aus Melodie, Lärm und Gefühl. Der Opener und "Knuckledragger" sind Hochgeschwindigkeits-Amokläufe, deren Wirkung durch den charakteristischen "Wall of Sound"-Produktionsstil der Hauptfigur noch verstärkt wird. Diese Aggression ist jedoch bei weitem nicht das Einzige, was die 11 episodischen Tracks von Powernerd zu bieten haben. "Dreams of Light" ist im Vergleich dazu eine beschwörende und dynamische vierminütige Ballade. "Younger Lover" beruhigt sich nach einem explosiven Anfang zu üppigen Strophen mit Synthesizern und Gesang, während "Falling Apart" und "Jainism" eine Textur nach der anderen zu den lieblichen, akustischen Einleitungen hinzufügen. Jeder Song hat einen unwiderstehlichen Hook als Herzstück, und Devin hat zweifellos einen gefühlvollen Instant-Klassiker eines Rock-Albums geschaffen."PowerNerd" ist erhältlich als Limited 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook (inkl. Bonustracks, Dolby Atmos & High-Resolution Stereo Mixes), Ltd 2CD Digipak in O-Card (inkl. Bonustracks), Standard CD Jewelcase & Gatefold 180g LP + LP-Booklet, sowie digital in Stereo & Dolby Atmos.

Sam Redmore made a significant impact on the UK music scene with his debut album Universal Vibrations, a vibrant collection of eclectic, dancefloor-ready tracks that earned extensive radio play on BBC 6 Music. His follow-up album Modulate builds on this foundation, blending electronic and live instrumentation across a diverse range of genres, from house and funk to afrobeat and salsa. Sam, now exploring and expanding his creative process, incorporated live performances into the album's development, and collaborated with notable artists including Dele Sosimi and Abdominal.

The title alone sums up perfectly the 8th album of French artist My Jazzy Child. Inspired by Noam Chosmky's "universal grammar", it refers to man's innate ability to develop language. It is that English, Occitan, French patois, Hindi, Pygmy or French cohabit on this record, juxtaposing on rhythms and beats that appear as a fantasized primordial tradition.

If My Jazzy Child aka Damien Mingus, questions languages about Innéisme, he also questions musical languages, mixing Asian rites and free jazz, electronic wanderings and traditional percussions. A virtuoso and experimental collage that nevertheless knows how to remain melodic and, in the end, strangely pop.

Fully Restored Vinyl Remaster & Restored Original CD Release Artwork For Vinyl With
Memorabilia Assemblage Full Colour Inner-Sleeve
“A pitch-perfect exercise in the type of literary pop music that I felt had gone amiss since
Factory stopped releasing records. “ Alan McGee (On 17 Stars – The Guardian 2009 )
After a short label hiatus, Caroline True Records are delighted to bring you a limited
vinyl edition of a classic Salford /Manchester album.
The Montgolfier Brothers, Mark Tranmer (GNAC) & Roger Quigley (At Swim Two Birds)
initially released “Seventeen Stars” on the Salford-based Vespertine label in 1999.
Much critical acclaim & appreciation from pop dynamo Alan McGee led to a 2000 re
release on his nascent post-Creation Poptones imprint.
“So we ended up pressing records as usual. Our first record was Seventeen Stars by the
Montgolfier Brothers, a baroque, cinematic classic that almost no-one has ever heard.” Alan
McGee (On Poptones in “Creation Stories: Riots, Raves & Running A Label” 2013 )
Since that moment, “Seventeen Stars” has gathered universal plaudits & affection,
along with occasional live performances from the group.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the original release, CTR have remastered this brilliant
work for vinyl. The sleeve expands the original Vespertine CD release artwork to LP
size. Beautiful, memorable, fragile ... An album that proves the longevity of great
songwriting, tunes and textures that stay with you.
“An exquisitely beautiful elegy to a lifetime of misspent opportunities.”. (Exclaim – USA 2000)
For lovers of Felt, The Durutti Column, Jacques Brel, The Blue Nile & François de Roubaix.
This is a vinyl only strictly limited-edition release with no repress.

Coming together as Raz & Afla, Raz Olsher and Afla Sackey converge worlds through their dynamic fusion of electronic and traditional African rhythms, forging a path that is as bold as it is innovative. Rooted in their deep-seated passion for music and cultural exploration, they seamlessly blend their distinct musical backgrounds to create a unique sonic landscape that captivates audiences worldwide.

Raz Olsher is a visionary producer and composer known for his boundary-pushing electronic soundscapes, bringing his expertise in blending diverse musical elements to the duo. His meticulous attention to detail and penchant for experimentation form the foundation upon which Raz & Afla's sound thrives.

Already part of the Wah Wah 45s family with his band Afrik Bawantu, Afla Sackey is an esteemed percussionist and vocalist with roots tracing back to Ghana. He infuses the duo's music with rich traditional African rhythms and melodies. Afla's virtuosity on percussion instruments and his soulful vocals add a visceral, organic dimension to their compositions, creating a mesmerising auditory experience that transcends cultural boundaries.

Together, Raz & Afla defy genre limitations, seamlessly weaving together electronic beats, Afrobeat grooves, and intricate percussive textures. Their music resonates with a deep sense of cultural authenticity and a forward-thinking approach that pushes the boundaries of contemporary music.

Following on from their critically acclaimed full length debut The Cycle, and its subsequent remix project, their sophomore LP, Echoes Of Resistance, finds the duo remaining committed to exploring new sonic territories and creating music that speaks to the universal language of rhythm and melody. Once again, they invite listeners on a journey that celebrates the beauty of cultural exchange and the power of music to inspire and unite.

From more politically conscious cuts like the singles What's Going On? and We Taya, and On Da Phone, which deals with addiction to social media, to dealing with more personal and social issues on songs like ENo Be Me and Ano Be Mumu, Raz & Afla's music is something for the mind, body and spirit, as well as the feet.

There are moments of pure euphoria and unadulterated joy too though, as tracks like Mon Ni Fere, Voodoo Zeezee and Baby Moo inspire elated, tribal dance floor pleasure, and there's still time for a little, good old fashioned loving as Shikor Shikor conjures up the raw emotions of care and affection whilst delivering a hypnotic beat and instantly irresistible vocals from Afla Sackey.

With a growing discography that includes critically acclaimed releases and collaborations with musicians from around the globe, Raz & Afla continue to carve out their place in the international music scene. Their electrifying live performances are celebrated for their energy and the profound connection they forge with audiences, making every show a vibrant celebration of musical diversity and harmony.

'Whiplash' is the first album recorded by bôa in over twenty years, following the incredible reemergence of 'Duvet'. The album is a collection of melody-driven narratives, leaning into the emotive and relatable lyricism which resonates so well with fans. “Whiplash” is very human and uniquely universal — reflecting on the tides of time and relationships, which can refer to past entanglements, deep-rooted friendships, or even the abruptness of social change around us today. Newer fans craving more of the timeless warmth that has made “Duvet” an enduring hit will find that in abundance here, while decades-long fans will feel as if they’re welcoming an old friend back into the fold.

My Life, Americana trailblazer Iris DeMent’s sophomore album, cemented her legacy as one of the nation’s greatest living songwriters. Dedicated to her father, Patrick Shaw DeMent, who died in 1992, the album illustrates DeMent’s razorsharp songwriting on originals like “Sweet Is the Melody,” “No Time to Cry” and the title track. The songs “are jewels of universal longing” (Chicago Tribune) and “it is nearly impossible to exaggerate the beauty of these recordings.” (AllMusic). The album is being officially reissued for the first time for its 30th anniversary, pressed on maroon color vinyl and remastered by Mike Westbrook of MW Audio. The lacquer is cut by renowned mastering engineer Kevin Gray and is pressed at the state-of-the-art audiophile facilities at Citizen Vinyl in Asheville, North Carolina. This pressing is limited to 2,000 copies worldwide.

"Waxwork Records is honored to present the release of the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to George A. Romero’s horror classic, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. Written, filmed, and released in 1968 by a rag tag group of Pittsburgh based misfits, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is an American independent horror film that follows the story of seven people trapped in a rural farmhouse that is besieged by a large and growing group of living dead ghouls. The film is regarded as a cult classic by critics, film scholars, and fans and has garnered critical acclaim. The film has been selected by the Library Of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry and is deemed “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant”.

Filmed and released on a shoestring budget, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD became a smashing success earning over 250 times its budget. The film is a first of its kind and ushered in a new way of writing, directing, and filming horror films. The overused script of romantic, fantastical tales of otherworldly monsters and creatures was completely flipped and tossed aside by visionary George A. Romero. As the film’s writer and director, Romero created a new, obvious threat, and one that is universally recognizable - Our very own neighbors. Due to an unseen force beyond man’s control, the recently deceased arise from the dead in seek of living human victims. These ghouls kill and feast upon the flesh of their victims, and the only way of stopping them is by destroying their brains.

From 2015 to 2018, Waxwork Records worked closely with the remaining members of the independent production company that made NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, Image Ten, to produce a definitive soundtrack album featuring all music from the film. Much of the film’s music was thought to be lost or destroyed but was located in its entirety and faithfully restored and re-mastered for vinyl. This special release of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD features the complete soundtrack, double LP “Black & White Hand Poured” colored vinyl, all new artwork by Robert Sammelin, a booklet featuring never before seen production photos, liner notes by Daniel Kraus (co-author of THE SHAPE OF WATER with Guillermo Del Toro), liner notes by Night Of The Living Dead’s dialogue recorder and sound engineer, Gary Streiner, and deluxe packaging."

2024 Restock

An excellent album by one of the greatest Brazilian funk bands ever – a wonderful blend of funk, jazz, and soul – and a set that rivals any of the best work coming from the US at the time! These guys are right on the money right from the start – moving through sharp changes with effortless ease, yet never in a way that's too slick or commercial – kind of like that perfect balance that Kool & The Gang hit for just a few records in the mid 70s – but with more of a Brazilian feel overall. Jazzy licks abound – and the keyboards, guitar, and horns are just great – but the set's also got some more regional percussion, too – which really rounds out the record wonderfully. The grooves all have a really universal appeal – essential for any fan of funky sounds – and titles include "Mr Funky Samba", "Junia", "Casa Forte", "Na Baixa Do Sapateiro", "Lelbon Via Vaz Lobo", "Baia", "Maria Fumaca", and "Metalurgia".

It is summer dawn . . . and you are alone. Here is music for your strange mood. The piano starts the first track, slow tempo beat, a strict beat, a swinging beat. Lillemor—here minor harmonies give the tune a rural, romantic feeling of some place in Spain or France. The tempo changes to medium fast—the flute solos. Light phrasing contrasts beautifully to the earthy, swinging beat of the rhythm section and the repeating piano figures. The trombone adds a new color, a counterpoint of sound and phrasing, backed by the pulsating beat of this wonderful rhythm and the driving piano. Summer dawn . . . This music has more to offer, because it shows the personality of Sahib Shihab at its best. Sahib is a universal musician who reflects musical experiences in jazz since the end of the thirties. He lived through the important periods of modern jazz with his heart and mind wide open toward everything that was good music, regardless of being termed "Mainstream", "Bop", "Cool", "Westcoast", "Eastcoast", "Hard Bop'', et cetera. When you listen closely to his music, you will find traces of all these, but they are immersed in his deep musicianship and his true jazz personality. Sahib Shihab's background reads like the record of a master of advanced studies. Furthermore he played and collaborated with the coolest jazz musician of that period. Above all let's name Budd Johnson, Theolonius Monk, Tadd Dameron, Milt Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jaquet, Elmer Snowden, Luther Henderson, Larry Noble, Fletcher Henderson, Roy Eldridge. In his early professional years, Sahib was heard mostly on alto sax; later, more often on baritone sax and flute. Today, his name is inseparably connected with these two instruments. The unity of his jazz performances is not alone bound up with the com¬positions and the arrangements of Sahib Shihab, though in their understated simplicity they have a melodic beauty that is seldom found in jazz of today. The rhythmical subtleties add to the overall qualities of being relaxed vehicles for free-blowing, but there is an immediacy that you hear and feel every moment when listening which defies analysis. The playing of the rhythm section helps greatly to promote the sense of flux and contrasting constant renewal that makes listening to this record so invigorating an experience. Well, this is no surprise, with Kenny Clarke as the nucleus of the rhythm group. Kenny 'Klook' Clarke is a major figure and contributor in jazz, one of the founders of modern jazz, and is ranked as one of the all-time great drummers. He influenced a whole generation of musicians with his playing, though living in Paris since the middle of the fifties somewhat dimmed his name to the general American public. Nevertheless, his name alone will assure a connoisseur to expect top class musical experiences. Talking of the rhythm section we have to name Jimmy Woode's bass, which together with Kenny's drumming, is the driving force for the group and the reliable harmonic anchor for the improvisors. By the way, Jimmy has been with the Duke quite a while, and this alone is an award for extraordinary craftsmanship and artistry. The good sounding rhythm with its full-bodied color is also a result of the added bongos of Joe Harris, who manages to stay out of the way of the players—a quality not often found with drummers—but his playing is felt through the set. There are two members of the group not yet mentioned. Two Europeans, pianist-composer-arranger Francy Boland from Belgium, and trombonist Ake Persson from Sweden. Francy Boland this time is a sideman, though normally he is a leader of recording sessions, both as composer-arranger and as musical director of the band. In the fifties he was in the States writing arrangements for different name-bands, such as Basie and Goodman. In Europe, he is famous for his swinging modern big band arrangements; and his inventiveness as a writer is reflected in his piano playing. He has the talent of using the right dynamic approach every moment, thus making his playing helpful to soloists and interesting for listeners as well. Ake Persson has been Scandinavia's out-standing trombone player for about ten years. There are only a few trombonists in Europe who might match his talents at times, but they lack the consistency of his playing. He is impressive, whether playing in a big band, or whether main soloist in his own small groups. American musicians love the sound of his slide trombone and his easily flowing romantic improvisations, so he often joins American name-bands as they travel in Europe. The music speaks alone . . . , we said it before. You have your soul to feel the beauty, to follow lines and structure, and to enjoy the spiritual excitement. Whether you enjoy the flowing, easy sounding theme of "Please Don't Leave Me", or the climaxing piano solo in the same piece—the bass solo in "Waltz For Seth" or the swinging baritone sax—listen to the first bars of this solo and pay attention to Kenny. Whether you listen to "Campi's Idea", (named after Gigi Campi, the well known Cologne jazz enthusiast who organized this recording) with the romantic flute solo of Sahib, the interesting tempo changes, the piano comping, the moving trombone solo; or to the up-tempo "Herr Fixit", with the cooking Kenny and humorous, driving flute solo, you know that these six musicians where in the right mood, in the right stimulating surroundings to feel what we all feel when it's: SUMMER DAWN.

Red & Yellow Splatter Vinyl. Dan Reeder is a multi-faceted artist, recently championed by boygenius. He is Oh Boy Records longest signed artist, and was personally signed by the legendary John Prine himself. Reeder is releasing a collection of songs titled,Smithereens, an eclectic mix of songs, many recorded and played on gear he built. A true DIY maestro, Dan seamlessly assumes the roles of producer, mixer, mastering engineer, and visual artist, imbuing every facet of his artistry with his distinct touch. His musical stylings often draw comparisons to the likes of Blaze Foley, Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens, and Ween.

On 4 October 2024 Universal Music Recordings and Decca Records are making Jamaican/British jazz saxophonist Joe Harriott’s album ‘Movement’ available again for the first time since it was released in 1964. Long sought after by collectors and connoisseurs, original copies now sell for upwards of £1,000.

This new edition was mastered at Abbey Road using high definition 24bit/192kHz audio files, copied directly from the original stereo analogue master tapes (previously only the mono version has been on vinyl). Images of those tapes are included in the package alongside new sleeve notes written by noted author, compiler and documentary maker Tony Higgins, who also acts as Executive Producer for Decca’s ‘British Jazz Explosion’ series.

Recorded in 1963, ‘Movement’ was released as part of the Lansdowne Series, overseen by the influential Denis Preston, one of the UK’s first independent record producers, and engineered by Adrian Kerridge. Of the nine tracks, seven are Harriott originals, whilst the other two were written by another pioneer of British Jazz, Michael Garrick. Playing alongside Joe were bassist Coleridge Goode (b. 1914 Jamaica, d. 2015 London), drummer Bobby Orr (b. Scotland 1928, d. 2020), pianist Pat Smythe (b. Scotland 1923, d. 1983), and trumpet/flugelhorn player Ellsworth ‘Shake’ Keane (b. St. Vincent 1927, d. 1997).

Born in Jamaica in 1928, Joseph Arthurlin Harriott was a pupil at the Alpha Boys School (alma mater to Harold McNair, Dizzy Reece, and a myriad of Ska greats). He arrived in Britain in the early ’50s, initially touring with the Ozzie Da Costa Band, followed by a brief spell with the Ronnie Scott Big Band, and sessions backing the likes of George Chisholm, and Lita Roza.

By the mid ’50s Joe was a big enough draw to release records under his own name, and whilst these early recordings conform to the then popular bop style, the following decade would see him release albums whose titles chart his development; ‘Free Form’ in 1960, and ‘Abstract’ in 1963.

‘Movement’ is a testament to Joe Harriott’s visionary approach to jazz. It blends structure with freedom, tradition with innovation, and individual expression with collective creativity. His development of free-form jazz represents a significant contribution to the genre, paralleling yet distinct from the work of Ornette Coleman and other American free jazz artists. It is an essential listen, not only for fans of British jazz, but jazz fans in general.

It is perhaps best summed up by the epitaph that now adorns Joe’s gravestone; “Parker? There’s them over here can play a few aces too.”

A joint collaboration between long standing L.A garage label In The Red, Universal Music Australia and spearheaded by Feel Presents and Saints founder Ed Kuepper, the deluxe edition of (I’m) Stranded will feature 4 x vinyl long players covering all the band’s studio and live recordings from 1976 thru 1977 and includes; • The iconic debut album remastered for vinyl for the first time in over 40 years • A five-song live performance from Paddington Town Hall Sydney 3.4.1977 appearing on vinyl for the first time. • A full live performance from the Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival, London November 1977 appearing on vinyl for the first time • All three tracks from the 1977 This Perfect Day 12” single and all four tracks from the 1977 1-2-3-4 double 7” single • The previously unreleased 1976 demo mix of the full (I’m) Stranded album. In addition to all that vinyl (I’m) Stranded deluxe edition will also features a 28 page 12” x 12” photo essay of the band covering their origins from 1973 through the end of of ’77, authorised band history, an 8” x 10” 1976 promo photo and a (I’m) Stranded sticker.

Two seminal 12" mixes of a pair of Michael Wycoff heavy hitters from 1982. One a two-step favourite and one a Loft classic, these sought-after versions have never been paired on the same record.

Side A features the smooth-gliding anthem "Looking Up To You". The unmistakable snap of that sighing intro is unlike anything else. As such, it's no surprise that Leon Ware, celebrated master of the unexpected chord, has his fingerprints all over the track. Co-written with Zane Grey, "Looking Up To You" stands among the very best of Leon's staggering bank of compositions, both solo and with Michael Jackson, Minnie Riperton and Marvin Gaye. It's such an influential track, serving as the sample foundation of a massive top five R&B hit for Zhane in 1993, but it has never been bettered upon. Original 12" copies - if you can find them - go for over £50 today, making this side worth the price of admission alone.

If that wasn't enough, it's arguable that the B-Side wins again. A staple of David Mancuso's New York Loft parties, the Tee Scott mix of uplifting boogie gem "Diamond Real" is on another level entirely. A DJ legend of infamous clubs Better Days and Zanzibar and a trailblazing innovator, Tee Scott mastered the art of the reconstructive club mix.

For maximum destruction of discerning dancers, we've opted for here for his heavenly dub. 7 minutes of devastatingly slick dance floor dynamite, at once polished and dilapidated, its ecstatic charm is universal.

Devout lovers of modern soul have long worshipped the rapturous, sophisticated funk of Michael Wycoff. In combining that richly elegant voice, redolent of Donny Hathaway, with the production of keyboardist and arranger Webster Lewis, it's no surprise that both of these tracks became vital club classics of the early 80s R&B scene. Clear, full-bodied and bright - the 12" versions of these tracks are notoriously punchier than those featured on Wycoff's LP, and feature boomin' low end and neck-snapping drums. Buy on sight.

The Decades Collected compilations are part of the Collected compilation series, which is a collaboration between Universal Music and Music On Vinyl. The compilations bring together the biggest names of each decade, combined with forgotten hits and less discovered gems, giving the listener an experience of listening to their favourite tunes while uncovering new musical grounds at the same time.

EP on 12" vinyl with insert. Pianist Orson Claeys is a refreshing new presence on the Belgian jazz scene.The music takes cues from the rich sounds of the Middle East, influenced by artists like Dhafer Youssef and Anouar Brahem, and also from the fresh, creative styles of contemporary jazz musicians.



Pianist Orson Claeys is a refreshing new presence on the Belgian jazz scene. After being featured on the third instalment of the 'Lefto presents Jazz Cats' compilations with his track 'Conversations', Orson Claeys is set to release his 5-track debut EP 'Odyssey to Self' on Sdban Ultra.



Spellbound by the allure of the piano at a young age, Claeys joined art school, where his more profound exploration really began. However, it wasn't until a later age, when he discovered the melodies of Herbie Hancock, that he was drawn to jazz and changed his musical course. Under the guidance of renowned artists, Claeys had the opportunity to immerse himself in this new sound atthe Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels. He developed his own style, learning to weave different cultural influences and musical genres. These days, Claeys is constantly searching for his own unique sound in today's modern jazz, fusing different musical traditions into one harmonious expression.

"Odyssey to Self" isn't just an EP; it's a story about life-the ups, downs, and the personal journey we all experience. "From the start, I wanted this project to go beyond my own artistry and connect with more people. That's why I decided to create a visual counterpart to the music, a way to see the journey that you hear in the record."

This is Orson Claeys' first EP, released under Ghent's well-known Sdban Records. It's a deep dive into Claeys' own life, honestly sharing his path through major changes. "Odyssey to Self" captures his personal journey, giving listeners a look at the universal human experience of dealing with life's challenges and embracing change.

The music takes cues from the rich sounds of the Middle East, influenced by artists like Dhafer Youssef and Anouar Brahem, and also from the fresh, creative styles of contemporary jazz musicians such as Aaron Parks, Brad Mehldau, and Ambrose Akinmusire. Claeys aimed to blend these diverse musical influences into one cohesive sound. "Odyssey to Self" invites listeners to experience Claeys' emotions, experiences, and artistic vision, weaving stories that touch on themes we all understand.

Vier Jahrzehnte Alphaville! Als eine der wenigen deutschen Bands hat es die von Marian Gold, Bernhard Lloyd und Frank Mertens gegründete Pop-Formation geschafft, sich mit Hits wie „Big in Japan“, „Forever Young“ oder "Sounds like a Melody" einen festen Platz in der internationalen Musikszene zu erobern und Generationen von Fans zu begeistern. Und das bis heute: Im Herbst erscheint die erste karriereübergreifende Werkschau der Band: „ALPHAVILLE FOREVER! - BEST OF 40 YEARS“ wird ab dem 27. September 2024 auf CD und Vinyl erhältlich sein - auf den Tag genau 40 Jahre nach der Veröffentlichung des Debütalbums „Forever Young“.

Die 3-CD-Version (Digipack) enthält 40 Tracks und ein 20-seitiges Booklet, die gekürzte LP-Version (180g) eine bedruckte Innenhülle mit Credits und vielen Fotos sowie in der limitierten Erstauflage ein exklusives Poster. Das Besondere: die Fans von Alphaville stimmten im Vorfeld weltweit über die Tracklist der 3CD ab. Über ein spezielles Voting-Tool konnten sie ihre 40 Alphaville-Lieblingssongs auswählen, in die gewünschte Reihenfolge bringen und als Playlist abspeichern.

The Undreamt-of Centreis the fourth solo album by prolific Australian drummer/composer/producer Laurence Pike, an evocative, contemporary reimagining of the requiem mass. The album drawson the sounds of modern classical music, Japanese environmental ambient music, fourth world electronics, free jazz and the choral traditions of Estonia, with particular influence from Tallinn-based composer Tonu Korvits. Produced in collaboration with the Vox Sydney Philharmonia Choir, conducted by Pike"s childhood friend, composer Sam Lipmanand recorded in a 19th century Gothic church.

For years, Manu Chao has been travelling the world to meet his fans in unusual venues, villages and small festivals. Elusive, but always accessible to those who cross his path, Manu now presents his new studio album 'Viva Tu', a collection of songs written at the heart of daily lives and struggles, and a fresh take on the state of the world, singing sunny, universal songs in Spanish, French, English and Portuguese, painting an unforgiving picture of social imbalances.
The lead song 'Viva Tu', a heartfelt rumba dedicated to the daily life heroes, has already made its mark. The second single, 'São Paulo Motoboy', is a colorful, sunny ode to the two-wheeled delivery people venturing the Latin American metropoles every day.
The album, to be released September 20th, also features some memorable collaborations, including 'Heaven's Bad Day' with country legend Willie Nelson and 'Tu Te Vas' with rising French rapper Laeti.

For years, Manu Chao has been travelling the world to meet his fans in unusual venues, villages and small festivals. Elusive, but always accessible to those who cross his path, Manu now presents his new studio album 'Viva Tu', a collection of songs written at the heart of daily lives and struggles, and a fresh take on the state of the world, singing sunny, universal songs in Spanish, French, English and Portuguese, painting an unforgiving picture of social imbalances.
The lead song 'Viva Tu', a heartfelt rumba dedicated to the daily life heroes, has already made its mark. The second single, 'São Paulo Motoboy', is a colorful, sunny ode to the two-wheeled delivery people venturing the Latin American metropoles every day.
The album, to be released September 20th, also features some memorable collaborations, including 'Heaven's Bad Day' with country legend Willie Nelson and 'Tu Te Vas' with rising French rapper Laeti.

For years, Manu Chao has been travelling the world to meet his fans in unusual venues, villages and small festivals. Elusive, but always accessible to those who cross his path, Manu now presents his new studio album 'Viva Tu', a collection of songs written at the heart of daily lives and struggles, and a fresh take on the state of the world, singing sunny, universal songs in Spanish, French, English and Portuguese, painting an unforgiving picture of social imbalances.
The lead song 'Viva Tu', a heartfelt rumba dedicated to the daily life heroes, has already made its mark. The second single, 'São Paulo Motoboy', is a colorful, sunny ode to the two-wheeled delivery people venturing the Latin American metropoles every day.
The album, to be released September 20th, also features some memorable collaborations, including 'Heaven's Bad Day' with country legend Willie Nelson and 'Tu Te Vas' with rising French rapper Laeti.

Sophie Zelmani's 2007 album, "Memory Loves You," is a captivating blend of folk and acoustic melodies that showcases her signature intimate sound. The album features ten beautifully crafted tracks, each reflecting Zelmani's emotive songwriting and soulful vocals. Highlights include the fan favourites "Memory Loves You", "Travelling" and "Wait For Cry". Known for her minimalist style, Zelmani's "Memory Loves You" album continues to resonate with fans for its raw emotional depth and simplicity. This album is a testament to her ability to create music that feels both personal and universally relatable. For those who appreciate authentic and poignant music, "Memory Loves You" remains a must-listen. Discover Sophie Zelmani's "Memory Loves You" and immerse yourself in its timeless, soothing melodies. Memory Loves You is a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on crystal clear vinyl.

"They are the Finnish / Dutch / British troupe NIGHTWISH – one of the most fascinating rock bands of the last decades, whose enigmatic paths have proceeded from acoustic passages to symphonic heavy metal and from catchy folk to progressive majesty. If there is one trait the band has year after year, it might be this: expect something familiar but also expect the unexpected. NIGHTWISH has indeed broken all kinds of boundaries – never deliberately, but perfectly naturally.
Now guess what? NIGHTWISH's new studio album ""Yesterwynde"" – the band's tenth overall – is no exception to the rule. But it is more...

“""Yesterwynde"" took more time to make than any previous NIGHTWISH album”, nods keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, who once again envisioned most of the material. ""The new album was intensively worked on for 3,5 years. My ambition and piety really skyrocketed, and I just couldn't let go of the creative process – and didn't want to. Along the way, ""Yesterwynde"" became both an exhilarating obsession and a comforting haven for me. All aspects of the making – compositions, lyrics, arrangements, cover art, videos, mixing and so on – were given more attention than ever before.""
The result? There's a fascinating, but inexplicable feeling that NIGHTWISH has once again been able to find unprecedented nuances, spices and perspectives in their new works – exactly: after a career of nine classic albums. """"Yesterwynde"" is an experience that takes time to digest. The gravid ingredients of the songs are easily recognizable, but beneath the surface lies a large number of intriguing details and features"", Holopainen describes.

""It's interesting – but not surprising – that ""Yesterwynde"" has attracted quite a variety of opinions. Some have stated that it is the most 'band' record to date. For some it appears to be the heaviest and most ominous NIGHTWISH release. It has also been called our most progressive album. And the list goes on.""
And what does Tuomas think of it himself?
""To me, ""Yesterwynde"" sounds, tastes and feels strongly like the true essence of NIGHTWISH – enriched with new moods and flavors.""

The lyrics of ""Yesterwynde"" deal with large-sized universal themes: memories, mortality, humanism, time and much more. ""The new album is the conclusion of the trilogy – textually it follows in the footsteps of its predecessors ""Endless Forms Most Beautiful"" and ""Human. :II: Nature."""", Holopainen says. ""At the same time, ""Yesterwynde"" is the band's most lyrically driven album: our music has never been so 'married' to the lyrics. So here's a tip: if something in the composition puzzles you, the words might clear it up.""
""For me, one of the key lines is 'we are because of a million loves' – taken from the song ""Perfume of the Timeless"". Each of us is part of an unbroken chain that stretches back billions of years. If even one of your ancestors had died too young – mauled by a cave bear, for example – during this incredibly long period of time, you would never have been born. In other words: our existence is such an unfathomable privilege!”

What does the term 'yesterwynde' mean?
""It describes a feeling that cannot be found in any human language. That's why we had to invent a whole new word. The album is supposed to open that feeling to the listener.""
Without taking anything away from the solid delivery of guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, drummer Kai Hahto, bassist Jukka Koskinen and multi-instrumentalist/singer Troy Donockley, it might be worth highlighting one fact: the performance of the eloquent storyteller Floor Jansen is once again unparalleled. It is simply breathtaking how the singer is able to make songs fly with her performance. ""Floor's second child was born just over a month ago, and we hadn't rehearsed together at all... So it was a little nerve-wracking to go to Floor's home studio for vocal recordings. Well, what happened? We had booked twelve working days and after six days everything was completed in style. Floor's preparedness for the sessions was something extreme!""

After the recordings and mixing process, there was one more working phase. Mastering. Could you possibly guess that no shortcuts were taken at this point either?
""The album was mastered seven times until we reached the finish line – one hundred percent satisfied!"", states Tuomas. ""When the record was eventually finished, a three-year, extremely inspiring adventure had come to an end. I felt very, very happy.""
NIGHTWISH's next steps are clear. And they are not the most common ones.
""NIGHTWISH will not go on a world tour this time. This was a decision made for personal reasons. But don't worry... Our contract with Nuclear Blast Records includes several albums, and there's plenty of motivation to create new music!""
May the dream continue...
"

"They are the Finnish / Dutch / British troupe NIGHTWISH – one of the most fascinating rock bands of the last decades, whose enigmatic paths have proceeded from acoustic passages to symphonic heavy metal and from catchy folk to progressive majesty. If there is one trait the band has year after year, it might be this: expect something familiar but also expect the unexpected. NIGHTWISH has indeed broken all kinds of boundaries – never deliberately, but perfectly naturally.
Now guess what? NIGHTWISH's new studio album ""Yesterwynde"" – the band's tenth overall – is no exception to the rule. But it is more...

“""Yesterwynde"" took more time to make than any previous NIGHTWISH album”, nods keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, who once again envisioned most of the material. ""The new album was intensively worked on for 3,5 years. My ambition and piety really skyrocketed, and I just couldn't let go of the creative process – and didn't want to. Along the way, ""Yesterwynde"" became both an exhilarating obsession and a comforting haven for me. All aspects of the making – compositions, lyrics, arrangements, cover art, videos, mixing and so on – were given more attention than ever before.""
The result? There's a fascinating, but inexplicable feeling that NIGHTWISH has once again been able to find unprecedented nuances, spices and perspectives in their new works – exactly: after a career of nine classic albums. """"Yesterwynde"" is an experience that takes time to digest. The gravid ingredients of the songs are easily recognizable, but beneath the surface lies a large number of intriguing details and features"", Holopainen describes.

""It's interesting – but not surprising – that ""Yesterwynde"" has attracted quite a variety of opinions. Some have stated that it is the most 'band' record to date. For some it appears to be the heaviest and most ominous NIGHTWISH release. It has also been called our most progressive album. And the list goes on.""
And what does Tuomas think of it himself?
""To me, ""Yesterwynde"" sounds, tastes and feels strongly like the true essence of NIGHTWISH – enriched with new moods and flavors.""

The lyrics of ""Yesterwynde"" deal with large-sized universal themes: memories, mortality, humanism, time and much more. ""The new album is the conclusion of the trilogy – textually it follows in the footsteps of its predecessors ""Endless Forms Most Beautiful"" and ""Human. :II: Nature."""", Holopainen says. ""At the same time, ""Yesterwynde"" is the band's most lyrically driven album: our music has never been so 'married' to the lyrics. So here's a tip: if something in the composition puzzles you, the words might clear it up.""
""For me, one of the key lines is 'we are because of a million loves' – taken from the song ""Perfume of the Timeless"". Each of us is part of an unbroken chain that stretches back billions of years. If even one of your ancestors had died too young – mauled by a cave bear, for example – during this incredibly long period of time, you would never have been born. In other words: our existence is such an unfathomable privilege!”

What does the term 'yesterwynde' mean?
""It describes a feeling that cannot be found in any human language. That's why we had to invent a whole new word. The album is supposed to open that feeling to the listener.""
Without taking anything away from the solid delivery of guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, drummer Kai Hahto, bassist Jukka Koskinen and multi-instrumentalist/singer Troy Donockley, it might be worth highlighting one fact: the performance of the eloquent storyteller Floor Jansen is once again unparalleled. It is simply breathtaking how the singer is able to make songs fly with her performance. ""Floor's second child was born just over a month ago, and we hadn't rehearsed together at all... So it was a little nerve-wracking to go to Floor's home studio for vocal recordings. Well, what happened? We had booked twelve working days and after six days everything was completed in style. Floor's preparedness for the sessions was something extreme!""

After the recordings and mixing process, there was one more working phase. Mastering. Could you possibly guess that no shortcuts were taken at this point either?
""The album was mastered seven times until we reached the finish line – one hundred percent satisfied!"", states Tuomas. ""When the record was eventually finished, a three-year, extremely inspiring adventure had come to an end. I felt very, very happy.""
NIGHTWISH's next steps are clear. And they are not the most common ones.
""NIGHTWISH will not go on a world tour this time. This was a decision made for personal reasons. But don't worry... Our contract with Nuclear Blast Records includes several albums, and there's plenty of motivation to create new music!""
May the dream continue...
"

This year marks 25 years since Oasis’ two iconic record breaking live concerts at Knebworth Park in Hertfordshire on the 10th and 11th August 1996. The shows were both the pinnacle of the band’s success and a landmark gathering for a generation of young people. Released alongside the cinema debut of the feature length documentary film of the event, ‘Oasis Knebworth 1996’ is the definitive live recording featuring a setlist packed with stone cold classics album taken from across both nights of the concert, from the opening salvoes of ‘Columbia’ and ‘Acquiesce’, to ‘Champagne Supernova’, ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, ‘Live Forever’, an orchestra backed ‘I Am The Walrus’, and ‘Wonderwall’ the first song from the 1990’s to reach over one billion streams on Spotify and universally loved anthem.

Boxset contains:

3 x Vinyl, LP, Album
2 x CD, Album
2 x Cassette, Album
3 x DVD, Multichannel, Stereo

Es gibt Bands, die machen nach drei Akkorden und einer popeligen Orgelmelodie Feierabend. Es gibt aber auch Bands, die schleifen am Sound, schrauben am Text, polieren die Solos auf Hochglanz und überschreiten das Tempolimit nur an den dafür geeigneten Stellen. Bands, die den Popsong an allen Ecken und Enden abklopfen, bis sie perfekte Schmuckstücke mit dem Gütesiegel "Zeitlos!" herausbekommen haben. Eine amerikanische Band aus dem fernen Wien: Pretty Pleas (Daniel Smith - vocals/guitars, George Clavicle - bass, B.B. Kong - drums) zeigen, dass es neben exzellentem Handwerk und Spaß am Experiment auch die richtigen Einflüsse braucht, um einen authentischen, individuellen Sound zu schaffen, der gleichzeitig großer Pop und tougher Alternative Rock ist. Die Quadratur des Kreises? Vielleicht. Aber war gute Musik war nicht schon immer Alles und noch etwas mehr? Unterstützung beim Modellieren des idealen Sounds fanden Pretty Pleas im Multiinstrumentalisten Paolo Tornitore, der vor allem für die großartigen Arrangements verantwortlich zeichnet, sowie in der fabelhaften Keyboarderin Jasmin Nagl, die einigen Songs das perfekte Sahnehäubchen aus herrlich dahingroovendem Orgelsound aufsetzte. Daniel Smith: "The record is an intriguing blend of power pop, glam rock, new wave, and psychedelia influences." Diesen gelungenen und sehr tanzbaren Mix aus Atmosphäre, Beat und Klang bezeichnet die Band passenderweise als Moody Art Pop. Das Debutalbum "In Circles And Lines" ist das beste Beispiel für diese elegante Soundbeschreibung. Der Opener "Moving Forward" liefert den ZuhörerInnen die atemberaubende Frische, die wir von den frühen Roxy Music kennen. Mit "Broke" wird sofort auf dem gleichen Niveau nachgelegt. Und obwohl die markante Stimme von Daniel Smith eine andere Liga bespielt - das flamboyante Wesen eines Brian Ferry liegt da gar nicht weit entfernt. Aber auch die mitreißende Melancholie eines Stuart A. Staples (Tindersticks) ist Smith keineswegs unbekannt. "The band delves into universal themes such as loss, heartbreak, alienation, as well as the throes of new found love.", erklärt Daniel Smith die Themenwelt der Songs. Damit der Sound von "In Circles And Lines" kompakt und groovy bleibt wie ein Hit von The Sweet, setzt der glasklare Klang der Gitarre die Markierungen in Richtung Power Pop. Aber auch der Orgelsound, der den Garagenpunk der 60s und die britischen Ravebands der 1990er in Erinnerung ruft ("Ghosts"), feiert den Enthusiasmus für funkelnde Melodien - Moody Art Pop it definitely is. "In Circles and Lines" offers a deep dive into the ways we interact with each other in romance, life, and every facet of human relationships - a contemplative exploration of love's many forms and the inevitable heartbreak that often follows." (Daniel Smith)

Three Quarter Skies – the new band formed by Simon Scott from Slowdive – release their
debut album Fade In on September 6. It was recorded by Simon and mixed with the help
of elusive Flying Saucer Attack mainman Dave Pearce.
The eight-track album includes the singles ‘Crows’ and ‘Leave A Light On’, a Nick Drake
cover and brand-new versions of ‘Holy Water’ and ‘Pieces Of Roslin’, which was originally
released on last year’s introductory EP, Universal Flames. While that grew out of a semiimprovised live recording, the new album is as focused as it is ferocious; a cohesive body
of work that came together after a fertile creative period following the death of Simon’s
mother earlier this year.

Honour's debut album is a ligament stretching from Lagos to London and to New York, curling across the diaspora and brushing the darker hues of blues, hip-hop, free jazz, ambient, gospel with Christian mythology and Yoruba folklore. As cinematic as it is painterly, Alàáfíà is a meditation on themes of life, death and love that pulls inspiration from the unexpected poetic profundity of casual conversations, field recordings, literature, ephemera, or personal archives. The result is an impressionistic vision in Black and Blur that both exhausts and implicates language_substantiating a mythos proposed by Fred Moten that sublimates boundaries between everywhere and nowhere; history and the present; the individual and the universal. Alàáfíà delineates a gothic landscape cut by overdriven beats, swooping orchestral blasts, choral bursts and ear- splitting fuzz, where the fleshly and spiritual realms commune. Dedicated to Honour's late grandmother, the title track began to take form after their last embrace and remains steeped in her influence and spirit_a tape-saturated composition that starts in Lagos and ends in London's smoke-stained cityscape, the song's dream-like quality developed out of the artist's grief and PTSD coping with this loss. Beneath the stretched guitar drones and stuttering loops, their grandmother's shared faith bubbles to the surface. "When Angels Speak of Love," borrows its title from two works by Sun Ra and bell hooks, respectively. Sculpting echoes of praise music into disorienting spirals perforated with syrupy DJ Screw-inspired breaks and sharp splinters of melancholic guitar, "When Angels Speak of Love" engages a conceptual dialogue with the spirits of both late thinkers, folding them into Honour's pantheon of ancestral guides. The album's ninth track, "Giz Aard ($uckets)," is a dirge of regimented drums which anchor this somber melody as it whirls into a blizzard of heartache, uncertain if its consequence will be death or eternal joy. The album's sole lyrical offering, "Pistol Poem (Lead Belly)," begins with a darkly humorous bar, "He went thru hell and back/ came back/ 2 get the strap," that swells into a haunting allegory based on the life of Philip "Hot Sauce" Champion. A modern take on the Blues, Honour's lyrics reify the artist's status as a student of both literature and popular culture, crossbreeding the artist's clever wordplay with additional references to Richard Pryor, Robert Johnson, Kelly Rowland & Bryon Gysin. Setting core principles of hip-hop, R&B, jazz and gospel music to atemporal soundscapes and compositions, Honour crafts a record that marinates in its own knotty contradictions. The ghosts that sit on the artist's shoulders have never been more tangible than with this emotive debut.

Heiko Maile und Julian Demarre, vertraut mit dem Schreiben von Popsongs und Filmmusik, arbeiten seit dem Album-Klassiker "MEANWHILE" von Camouflage Mitte der 90er Jahre zusammen. Während Heiko seine Arbeit am perfekten Popsong kontinuierlich weiterführte, kam es bei Julian und Heiko unabhängig voneinander zu ersten Engagements im Bereich Filmmusik. Seit die beiden begannen, auch gemeinsam an Spielfilmen zu arbeiten, wuchs in ihnen stetig das Bedürfnis, eine Liebeserklärung an die elektronische Musik der 70er und 80er Jahre zu schreiben. Mit manch esoterischen japanischen Keyboards aus den 70er Jahren, die für den Klang von morgen entwickelt wurden, entstand so ein Werk für alle Tage danach - das genreübergreifende Album NEOSTALGIA, eine einzigartige und facettenreiche Mischung elektronischer Stile, verbunden mit einer Prise Krautrock. So finden sich dann auch auf so manchen Stücken Intros/Outros, Flöten, Flanger-Gitarren oder Vocoder, und sogar solche, die die Sechs-Minuten-Marke spielend erreichen.

Der Durchbruch nach dem Durchbruch. "In echt" ist das zweite Die Sterne-Album und erschien 1994 auf dem legendären Hamburger L"Age D"Or Label. Locker aus dem Handgelenk geschüttelter Indie Pop, aber funky. Eher Sly Stone, Remo Four und Peter Thomas. Tanzbar! Dazu noch Frank Spilkers Sprechsingtexte über Pop, Politik, Privates und das prekäre Leben. Das hat Flow, das war neu und ist es auf seine Art immer noch. In echt. Inklusive dem Überhit "Universal Tellerwäscher".

On August 16, Toronto-based musician and producer David Psutka aka ACT! (fka Egyptrixx / Anamai / Ceramic TL) will release his latest project ‘Face to Face, Day by Day’ for his own Halocline Trance imprint.

This is is Psutka’s third album proper as ACT! following the release of the “sonic mixtape” ‘Universalist’ in 2018 and the augmented reality soundtrack ‘Grey Matter AR’ in 2021; a series of Snapchat filters created by artist Karen Vanderborght and soundtracked by ACT! which explored the poetic and existential potential of AR and social media.

“Aesthetic accidents in the periphery of the ‘work’ can be the message. In 2018, at an Egyptrixx concert at Bagni Misteriosi de Teatro Franco Parenti - a gorgeous, sprawling outdoor pool theatre in Milan - I had a clarifying moment. Gigs around then had mostly been in pummelling, dark music venues, so I wasn't prepared for this expansive space (and the thoughtful work of the organisers who had layered sheets of plastic film on the pool to parallel eco-materialist themes from a previous album). It was the midday soundcheck that struck me most - brittle digital sounds from the set echoed off the colonial Milanese facades and ricocheted down the Via Carlo Botta, pinging off buildings in the distance and clashing with the noise of traffic, tourists and whatever else. It was a strange, collisionist moment, and a reminder that my essential approach to music is, above all, a preoccupation with the materiality of sound. 

Everything on Face to Face, Day by Day began as an improvisation. Openness to accidents and the emotional complexity that comes from centering them in composition has become important to my work, and helps the music go beyond the possibility of what is playable, imaginable. I also wanted to channel adventurous solo pop records of the 1970’s and 80’s, like Yasuaki Shimizu, Jon + Vangelis and Stevie Wonder. These came from an interesting era in commercial music as studio production techniques became increasingly formalised as compositional devices, like AMS RMX16 percussion sounds and early digital stereo effects. 

Like many musicians, I’ve been travelling and performing less since the pandemic and as a result, have wanted studio sessions to feel more collaborative and improvisational. There were great writing and recording sessions for this album. Vox, synth, sax and guitar jams - much of what ended up on the record isn’t edited much, if at all. I jammed a sm57 into Colin Fisher’s sax bell and created feedback loops using various preamps and distortion units. The clunky sounds were sampled and used as percussion elements. I also had a great synth jam session with Jeremy Greenspan at Barton Building Studio in Hamilton, which was recorded by filmmaker Liz Adler. 

I’ve had a few months to sit with this album and see clear throughlines connecting it to previous projects. There are aspects of the experiential and structuralist sound design ideas from the EGYPTRIXX records; and also some arrangement tricks borrowed from ANAMAI - specifically, the use of interruptionist sound events. Perhaps most of all, it feels connected to the Ceramic TL + Ipek Gorgun record ‘Perfect Lung’ and its splattered take on musical complexity. “ (David Psutka)

In addition to ACT!, Psutka has released music with numerous projects including Anamai, Egyptrixx and Ceramic TL, he has collaborated widely with artists such as Junior Boys, Ipek Gorgun, and Kuedo as well as Jessy Lanza (2016) and an official remix for Massive Attack’s ‘Hymn of the Big Wheel (2012). The contributions on this album, from Robin Dann and Ben Gunning, reflect the deeply collaborative nature of the Halocline Trance label and the Toronto creative scene more broadly.

Many of Psutka’s releases have received critical acclaim from media outlets such as Pitchfork, Exclaim, The Quietus and Resident Advisor. As a live performer, he has toured extensively including performing at Sonar Festival, Roskilde, Mutek, MOMA PS1 Warm-UP and CTM Festival. He’s also presented sound installations at various institutions such as Galeria Civica Commune di Modena, and Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO).

In 2015, Psutka launched Halocline Trance as a home for his various sound projects, events and collaborations. Now a creative collective and label, it has grown to include a diverse array of artists including Casey MQ, Xuan Ye, Myst Milano, Colin Fisher and others. The label is described as “genre-agnostic” and conceptually open, supporting work across a wide spectrum of creative fields including soundtrack recording, AR design and traditional artist albums. Their impeccable roster also includes, theorist/improviser Eldritch Priest, and AR/VR artist Karen Vanderborght. In recent years, Halocline Trance has established itself as a platform that facilitates many of Canada’s most exciting creative music projects. Many of the releases have received critical acclaim from outlets including Pitchfork, Exclaim, Bandcamp and Resident Advisor.

OFAMFA by CHILDREN OF THE SUN

Original released in 1971 by the BAG groups (Black Artist Groupe) own label "Universal Justice Records" this album has for years been an impossible to find/listen to album, and this is its first reissue ever ..

Ofamfa by The Children Of The Sun, a band lead by poet/musicien Ajule/aka Bruce Rutlin Is a heady mix of poetry/jazz/political songs/ and a document of a comunity avent. The BAG group being about all the arts theater and dance.

The Muse/icians on the album are….

Rashu Aten / conga, small instruments

Oliver Lake / soprano &Alto sax, flute, poems, small instruments

Floyd LeFlore/ trumpet, small instruments

Ishac Rajab/ Trumpet

Arzinia Richardson/ bass, small instruments Vincent Terrell / cello

Charles "bobo" Shaw / drums, small instruments

Ajule / poetry, arrangements, small instruments, drums

At its best, harmony duo singing can transform simple math into a magic trick. One plus one, instead of equaling two, suddenly yields an unexpected third thing. An upper-case ONE. A universal hum. A deep vibration that encompasses two different points of view. On their latest release, Every Time I Think About You, brothers Page Burkum and Jack Torrey, aka The Cactus Blossoms, once again prove themselves to be among the most adept - and instinctive – modern practitioners of the classic tradition.

All sorts of emotional colors shine through on their new album. “Something's Got A Hold On Me” is pure Saturday night two-steppin' joy, “Keep Walkin'” has a Stones-y swagger and “There She Goes” casts its romantic regret against a danceable bop beat. “Statues” is a gorgeous meditation on the weight of permanent honor, “Is It Any Wonder” weaves its pledge of enduring love through nature images, and the title track is a heart-wrencher about loss and letting go. In all, the ten beautifully open-ended songs here invite listeners in to find their own stories as they revel in the old-school melodies and harmonies.

At its best, harmony duo singing can transform simple math into a magic trick. One plus one, instead of equaling two, suddenly yields an unexpected third thing. An upper-case ONE. A universal hum. A deep vibration that encompasses two different points of view. On their latest release, Every Time I Think About You, brothers Page Burkum and Jack Torrey, aka The Cactus Blossoms, once again prove themselves to be among the most adept - and instinctive – modern practitioners of the classic tradition.

All sorts of emotional colors shine through on their new album. “Something's Got A Hold On Me” is pure Saturday night two-steppin' joy, “Keep Walkin'” has a Stones-y swagger and “There She Goes” casts its romantic regret against a danceable bop beat. “Statues” is a gorgeous meditation on the weight of permanent honor, “Is It Any Wonder” weaves its pledge of enduring love through nature images, and the title track is a heart-wrencher about loss and letting go. In all, the ten beautifully open-ended songs here invite listeners in to find their own stories as they revel in the old-school melodies and harmonies.

The learning process is just as much an act of healing as betterment. The enabling of solutions through sheer willpower and openness to discovery, or a noble mission, never completed. In that spirit, the latest album by Berlin-based Slovak duo Päfgens – comprising Jana Drábeková Kočišová and Filip Drábek – represents a pensive development for the project.

Drifting from their lo-fi shoegaze beginnings, Päfgens drone-infused soundscapes have become increasingly immersive and expressive “framed improvisations,” where spontaneous passages are captured, then revisited with fresh layers upon layers over the course of months, breathing and evolving naturally, mirroring the unpredictability of nature. Songforms have all but melted away, with ethereal guitars and bass nestling up against field-recorded sounds, synth beds, percussion, and singing bowl tones.

The framed improvisation on ‘Aspect of What’ explores love and loss, relishing both the joy and melancholy of paying tribute to Filip’s late ethnologist grandmother, Božena Filová (1926-2020). Her voice opens track 2, ‘Particles’, speaking of the humble desire to “help the people in the rural environment”, and the goal of “uplifting people to better living through education”. The album’s emotionally charged approach to improvisation is suitably uplifting and seemingly made without ego, the couple melting away into the flitting wall of rustling drones and heavenly fuzz. Even at their most serrated (the groaning guitar amp squall underpinning ‘Journey’) or when surrounded by chiming bells, clocks and bowls (‘Around the Clock’), Päfgens is ready to listen, rest, learn, and improve, extracting and nurturing hidden abstract emotion in every piece, plundering something universal and teachable from very personal depths.

Daddies don't always come home for Christmas. From the snow-covered plains of Wisconsin's Driftless region to the palm-lined avenues of Los Angeles, the loneliness of the holidays is a universal theme, best expressed by tear-in-the-beer country music hopefuls. Sung and strummed (and plucked) by an unlikely assortment of Nashville aspirants, our Christmas Dreamers spent the '60s gambling their futures on the AM airwaves of a forgotten America.

Santa's Lager coloured Vinyl. Daddies don't always come home for Christmas. From the snow-covered plains of Wisconsin's Driftless region to the palm-lined avenues of Los Angeles, the loneliness of the holidays is a universal theme, best expressed by tear-in-thebeer country music hopefuls. Sung and strummed (and plucked) by an unlikely assortment of Nashville aspirants, our Christmas Dreamers spent the '60s gambling their futures on the AM airwaves of a forgotten America.

Originally released in 1996 as a limited fan-club pressing for Rockathon, Guided By Voices’ Tonics And Twisted Chasers has always existed as an anomaly in Robert Pollard’s vast discography. In many ways, the album serves as the tail of a creative comet that in just two years included the “classic line-up” trilogy of Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, Under the Bushes, Under the Stars and countless singles that crammed endless hooks in their grooves. In the intervening space, Tonics And Twisted Chasers has taken on a mythic status. It’s arguably Pollard’s strangest, gnarliest, most enlightened record and also the fans first chance to see the stitches that bind his galaxy of songs. It’s like peering at the caliber inside a watch, responsible for making the whole enterprise tick. This nineteen-song collaboration with guitarist Tobin Sprout could be interpreted as spontaneous sketches, late-night improvisations, ideas that blossomed later in the timeline (“Knock ’Em Flyin’” and “Key Losers”), but as with anything in Pollard’s orbit, its intention is clear when heard as a cohesive whole. The Pollard tenet that “less is more” is on full display here. The songs rarely creep past ninety seconds and coalesce much like Pollard’s collage-styled visual art. Arena anthems in miniature (“158 Years Of Beautiful Sex”) bash up against eerie piano laments (“Universal Nurse Finger”) without any time to breathe, acoustic lullabies that sound like a Midwestern summer’s twilight (“Look It’s Baseball”) segue into monochromatic post-rock (“Maxwell Jump”). The euphoric joy and obtuse melancholy in Pollard’s voice is so palpable on the album’s standout, “Dayton, Ohio 19 Something & 5” (which has since become a live staple), that it’s impossible to find a more autobiographical yarn in his catalog. The album’s closest analog is 1993’s Vampire On Titus, as it contains that album’s prickly, dark and shimmering obfuscation that only reveals its beauty after repeated listens. Tonics And Twisted Chasers maintains the lore because the melodies are so strong. Using a primitive drum machine, Radio Shack effects, minimal instrumentation and the DIY spirit that guided them in the first place, Pollard and Sprout constructed a masterpiece of pop that could only come from a basement in north Dayton, Ohio. Anyone in that hallowed era who happened upon it, kept it as a secret.

Originally released in 1996 as a limited fan-club pressing for Rockathon, Guided By Voices’ Tonics And Twisted Chasers has always existed as an anomaly in Robert Pollard’s vast discography. In many ways, the album serves as the tail of a creative comet that in just two years included the “classic line-up” trilogy of Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, Under the Bushes, Under the Stars and countless singles that crammed endless hooks in their grooves. In the intervening space, Tonics And Twisted Chasers has taken on a mythic status. It’s arguably Pollard’s strangest, gnarliest, most enlightened record and also the fans first chance to see the stitches that bind his galaxy of songs. It’s like peering at the caliber inside a watch, responsible for making the whole enterprise tick. This nineteen-song collaboration with guitarist Tobin Sprout could be interpreted as spontaneous sketches, late-night improvisations, ideas that blossomed later in the timeline (“Knock ’Em Flyin’” and “Key Losers”), but as with anything in Pollard’s orbit, its intention is clear when heard as a cohesive whole. The Pollard tenet that “less is more” is on full display here. The songs rarely creep past ninety seconds and coalesce much like Pollard’s collage-styled visual art. Arena anthems in miniature (“158 Years Of Beautiful Sex”) bash up against eerie piano laments (“Universal Nurse Finger”) without any time to breathe, acoustic lullabies that sound like a Midwestern summer’s twilight (“Look It’s Baseball”) segue into monochromatic post-rock (“Maxwell Jump”). The euphoric joy and obtuse melancholy in Pollard’s voice is so palpable on the album’s standout, “Dayton, Ohio 19 Something & 5” (which has since become a live staple), that it’s impossible to find a more autobiographical yarn in his catalog. The album’s closest analog is 1993’s Vampire On Titus, as it contains that album’s prickly, dark and shimmering obfuscation that only reveals its beauty after repeated listens. Tonics And Twisted Chasers maintains the lore because the melodies are so strong. Using a primitive drum machine, Radio Shack effects, minimal instrumentation and the DIY spirit that guided them in the first place, Pollard and Sprout constructed a masterpiece of pop that could only come from a basement in north Dayton, Ohio. Anyone in that hallowed era who happened upon it, kept it as a secret.

"The Blues is a unique sound that comes from particular times, places, and people. However, that sound is universal in that it can be used to articulate every human emotion. In this album, I invite listeners from all walks of life to the world of The Blues as it is in 2024. I invite people to engage with the ups and downs we all experience, through this music.

The blues was a black-American innovation in our history that had many facets to it. There are technical components to the blues - standards and vocal phrasing. There are also components to the blues that are more abstract, such as history, geography, even intellectual movements. In this album, I endeavored to use those building blocks to articulate the humanity I see around me - past, present, and future - without compromising the quality, the foundation that the blues provides.

These fifteen original songs are my invitation to everyone out there - whether you’re a blues aficionado or just passing through the genre, I hope you find plenty to engage with."

"The Blues is a unique sound that comes from particular times, places, and people. However, that sound is universal in that it can be used to articulate every human emotion. In this album, I invite listeners from all walks of life to the world of The Blues as it is in 2024. I invite people to engage with the ups and downs we all experience, through this music.

The blues was a black-American innovation in our history that had many facets to it. There are technical components to the blues - standards and vocal phrasing. There are also components to the blues that are more abstract, such as history, geography, even intellectual movements. In this album, I endeavored to use those building blocks to articulate the humanity I see around me - past, present, and future - without compromising the quality, the foundation that the blues provides.

These fifteen original songs are my invitation to everyone out there - whether you’re a blues aficionado or just passing through the genre, I hope you find plenty to engage with."

Steve Marion, the critically acclaimed-and completely wordless-songwriter and guitarist known as Delicate Steve, has unveiled a new album called Delicate Steve Sings. Is the album title a reference to the instantly recognizable "voice" of his guitar? Does he actually sing this time? Has he not been singing all along? That"s the crux of Sings-Marion is the rare guitarist where you can put on any of his records and know exactly who"s playing. In an indie rock landscape stuffed end-to-end with guitars and amplifiers, nobody else sounds like this. That unique voice has kept Steve busy in an unpredictable variety of settings. The sheer spread of his work outside his own records-collaborating with Miley Cyrus and Paul Simon, playing in Amen Dunes and the Black Keys, and being sampled by Kanye - doesn"t mean Steve"s a chameleon. It means he"s singular. Delicate Steve Sings is a record centered on channeling iconic voices with his guitar. In doing so, Marion is casting himself in the role of iconic singers like Willie who make standards their own. In the process, he reveals just how singular (dare we say iconic) that voice is. The guitar sings these songs-smoothly, sweetly, boldly, and on its own terms. Recorded with Jonathan Rado on bass, Kosta Galanopolous on drums, Renata Zeiguer providing strings, and co-writer Elliot Bergman, the album features both original songs with titles that suggest they might be new recordings of classics. "I"ll Be There" is smooth like a lost Bill Withers track; "Easy for You" isn"t the Elvis song of the same name, but there"s a hint of the king in there, in addition to Marion"s own takes onclassics such as the Emersons" "Baby," The Beatles" "Yesterday" and Otis Redding"s "These Arms of Mine." "You"re tapping into something universal and in the consciousness of pop music," Steve says-tacit permission for his guitar to drift into vocal expressions he"s internalized through years of close, repeated listening. Just like all the great singers.

Written with no big plan in mind, Reverend Baron's "Overpass Boy" becomes a Los Angeles meditation, an eight song prayer of poetic topography. The album gives the city its own sound, and its own songs to hum. Recorded in several different locations of LA, and loosely sketching the story of a young wanderer, the album is an easy current of observations and longings. Slices of soul and doo-wop emerge in stacked harmonies, while the percussion and grooves are the blooms that could only come from East LA. Garcia's investment to vocal tenderness and instrumental high style strikes our universal center. His soft serenade reconnects us to something misplaced. Playing almost every instrument on the album, Garcia's spirit is tailored into the sound, designing an amalgam of tones and frequencies as idiosyncratic as the singer himself. Traversing the alleys, passing the sous-chef's cigarette smoke, under the shaking bridges, behind a velvet curtain in a good suit, with a slide guitar in the rain, the titles quilt together for us: Every promise out here walks and waits in the little hours. Jackie and Jimmy drive away and we're left in that little valley, suspended. Recorded and digitally released in 2019, "Overpass Boy" will be re-released by Karma Chief Records on 8/2/2024

Written with no big plan in mind, Reverend Baron's "Overpass Boy" becomes a Los Angeles meditation, an eight song prayer of poetic topography. The album gives the city its own sound, and its own songs to hum. Recorded in several different locations of LA, and loosely sketching the story of a young wanderer, the album is an easy current of observations and longings. Slices of soul and doo-wop emerge in stacked harmonies, while the percussion and grooves are the blooms that could only come from East LA. Garcia's investment to vocal tenderness and instrumental high style strikes our universal center. His soft serenade reconnects us to something misplaced. Playing almost every instrument on the album, Garcia's spirit is tailored into the sound, designing an amalgam of tones and frequencies as idiosyncratic as the singer himself. Traversing the alleys, passing the sous-chef's cigarette smoke, under the shaking bridges, behind a velvet curtain in a good suit, with a slide guitar in the rain, the titles quilt together for us: Every promise out here walks and waits in the little hours. Jackie and Jimmy drive away and we're left in that little valley, suspended. Recorded and digitally released in 2019, "Overpass Boy" will be re-released by Karma Chief Records on 8/2/2024

CasaNova (Engl. Version):
Im November 1988 erschien CasaNova auf Deutsch. Parallel entwickelte der Panikrocker auch von diesem
Longplayer eine englische Fassung, die jedoch 30 Jahre in den Archiven von Universal Music schlummerte.
Die Re-Edition des Albums erscheint am 02.08.2024 in Form einer aufgewerteten, transparenten LP mit
Klappcover und bedruckter Innenhülle, welche streng limitiert und von Hand nummeriert in einer Auflage
von nur 1.000 Stück erhältlich sein wird. Zusätzlich erscheint das Album erstmals als Standalone CD im
Mintpack

In 1995, schoolmates Elin Almered and Johan Duncanson started a band which they named after a gas-station-turned-radio-repair-shop called "Radioavdelningen" (Swedish for The Radio Department). In 2001, the Radio Dept. sent recordings to music magazine Sonic, receiving a positive review and being featured on the free CD sampler that came with the magazine. Labrador Records heard them on the disc and signed them to their label. The band"s debut album Lesser Matters (2003) was well received by the music press, scoring 10 out of 10 in the NME. NME would rank Lesser Matters ninth on their list of the 50 best albums of 2004. The album received an 84/100 (Universal acclaim) on Metacritic from a total of five reviews.

'Gemelo' is the new album from songwriter and pop auteur Angélica Garcia. Its title is a reference to the twin self – the idea of a second, more intuitive self within. It’s a vibrant, prismatic hybrid-pop record that soundtracks a journey through the different stages and forms of grief. Angélica explores its inherent loneliness, beauty, and tension, eventually finding liberation. 'Gemelo' also expertly deconstructs facets of universal themes like religion, spirit, heritage, womanhood, and ancestral veneration.

Born in East LA with Mexican and Salvadoran lineage, Angélica embodies the essence of contemporary America, a cultural landscape continually evolving through its fusion with rich Hispanic influences. In a reflection of modern America itself, 'Gemelo' also marks Garcia’s first album sung almost entirely in Spanish, inviting listeners to reconsider what they think an American record can be.

'Gemelo' was produced by Carlos Arévalo of LA-based rock band Chicano Batman, his first time working in such a role. Sequenced with extreme intent, the album progresses from a delicate, tender entry on Side A which serves almost like a meditation, to the visceral intensity of Side B, which immerses into the difficult, at times terrifying work of healing. With growth and exploration like wind behind her, Garcia arrives at her clearest and most fully realized vision of self on 'Gemelo.'

'Gemelo' is the anticipated follow-up to her 2020 breakthrough 'Cha Cha Palace,' which featured on several year-end lists and brought Angélica to NPR’s Tiny Desk.




[d] Ángel [eterna]

Sweet soul and sentimental music has never really gone out of style, and in the particular cases of the innovative wave of 1950's filin era Cuban boleros, or 1960's Nuyorican street soul, they both remain a thriving beacon of timelessness and universality, capturing a particular style of breezy Caribbean romantic music that has stubbornly thrived in the tough concrete landscape of New York City.

Perhaps there is some love in the heart of the city, as the new ensemble La Triunfadora has managed to tap into something of significant substance on their debut recording, Clasicos Sentimentales Para Una Nueva Generación. Co-produced by band leader Benjamin R. Juliá and renowned talent William Holland aka Quantic (recorded and mixed at the latter's Selva Recording studio in Brooklyn), the group has managed to capture the essence of this reemerging style of classic music, while further injecting their own inspired vision of experimental and psychedelic arrangements.

On A-side display for this debut 7-inch release on Names You Can Trust are two canonized Cuban boleros from maestro composer and guitarist Cesar Portillo De La Luz, stacked together in an old school continuous medley, and transformed with lush orchestration that has the talented musicians sparkling behind the duet of lead vocalists Candace Camacho and bandleader Juliá.

The B-side jumps from 1950's filin into Ralfi Pagan's iconic 1969 latin soul masterpiece "Hijo De Mama." Once again La Triunfadora peppers in just enough exquisite arrangements and musicianship to transform the original into something fresh, yet still guided from an analog sensibility, and ultimately performed with a familiar romanticism that these classic lovers' songs have managed to express over the decades to different generations.

DJ Support: Dam Swindle, Jimpster, Fouk,Franck Roger, Miguel Migs, Fred Everything, Tedd Patterson, Saison, Brian Tappert, Don Carlos, Sebb Junior, Ralph Session, Marcel Vogel, Marc Cotterell

Embark on a journey through the pulsating heart of Berlin's house music scene with Luca Olivotto. Italian-born and Berlin-based, Olivotto's beats resonate with the energy of the city's underground, blending seamlessly with his Mediterranean roots. As a DJ, Olivotto commands dance floors with finesse, effortlessly blending deep and house music. As a producer, he crafts sonic landscapes that evoke emotion and ignite the imagination. This album encapsulates the essence of Olivotto's musical universe: a fusion of cultures, a celebration of diversity, and a testament to the universal language of music. Experience the rhythm of Luca Olivotto, bridging continents with his electrifying sound.

Wortgewandt wie ein junger Debattierclubchampion verfasst der Sohn eines kanadischen Vaters und einer deutschen Mutter intelligente deutschsprachige Raptexte, denen es weder an sprachlicher Raffinesse noch an technischen Details mangelt und knackt damit im Vorbeigehen Verkaufsrekorde. Dabei beherrscht Kollegah seine mitunter augenzwinkernde Inszenierung wie kein Zweiter und bedient sich dabei einer Selbstironie, die dem deutschen Rap lange abging und konträr zum stumpfen, lange vorherrschenden Gangstergetue steht. Anlässlich des 10. Geburtstags erscheint die limitierte Anniversary Edition von "KING" auf goldenem Doppel-Vinyl; nur solange der Vorrat reicht!

Emilia Sisco's latest 7" vinyl single is a testament to the timeless allure of vintage soul music. Backed by the esteemed Timmion Records house band Cold Diamond & Mink, Sisco delivers a stellar double-sider that captivates you from start to finish. On the A-side's "Lemon Lime Sour" Sisco's spirited vocals soar over infectious crossover soul terrain, creating an irresistible groove that celebrates the bittersweet feeling of falling in love. The track's joyful energy invites audiences for a dance along its uplifting message. Flipping the record reveals the B-side, "Love Can Carry Me," a soul-stirring beat ballad that showcases Sisco's growth both as a songwriter and a vocalist. The song's emotive lyrics and dark melodies create an intimate atmosphere, drawing listeners into its introspective narrative of resilience and hope. During these tumultuous times, the two tracks encapsulate what funky, emotion-driven music made by real humans is all about, blending Sisco's undeniable vocal talent with Cold Diamond & Mink's impeccable musical craftsmanship. With its universal themes and timeless appeal, the new single is poised to resonate with soul music enthusiasts around the globe.

Limited Transparent Green Vinyl. Emilia Sisco's latest 7" vinyl single is a testament to the timeless allure of vintage soul music. Backed by the esteemed Timmion Records house band Cold Diamond & Mink, Sisco delivers a stellar double-sider that captivates you from start to finish. On the A-side's "Lemon Lime Sour" Sisco's spirited vocals soar over infectious crossover soul terrain, creating an irresistible groove that celebrates the bittersweet feeling of falling in love. The track's joyful energy invites audiences for a dance along its uplifting message. Flipping the record reveals the B-side, "Love Can Carry Me," a soul-stirring beat ballad that showcases Sisco's growth both as a songwriter and a vocalist. The song's emotive lyrics and dark melodies create an intimate atmosphere, drawing listeners into its introspective narrative of resilience and hope. During these tumultuous times, the two tracks encapsulate what funky, emotion-driven music made by real humans is all about, blending Sisco's undeniable vocal talent with Cold Diamond & Mink's impeccable musical craftsmanship. With its universal themes and timeless appeal, the new single is poised to resonate with soul music enthusiasts around the globe.

Alicia Keys released the Grammy Award winning, 'Girl On Fire' album in 2012. The album's title song and lead single, the universally acclaimed 'Girl On Fire', was a worldwide hit (600m plus streams), and the album also includes 'Fire We Make' (featuring Maxwell), 'New Day' and 'Brand New Me'. A x13 trk, double, Black LP Vinyl.

"Universal." That is the word that Tristan Hallis proudly states when describing his inaugural entry into DJ-Kicks" storied lineage. As DJ BORING, the Australian DJ and producer has forged a vibrant and illustrious career that has taken him to all corners of the globe.

- 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF TESS PARKS DEBUT ALBUM.
- GOLD VINYL, GATEFOLD SLEEVE, HANDWRITTEN LYRIC BOOKLET.
A native of Toronto, Tess Parks moved to London, England at the age of seventeen where she briefly studied photography before deciding to focus on music.
Tess made an impression on industry legend Alan McGee, founder of Creation Records, albeit the timing of their meeting could hardly have been less ideal; McGee was no longer involved in music and Tess was due to move back to Toronto. After moving back to her hometown in 2012, Tess formed a band on the advice of McGee and less than a year after their meeting, he returned to music with his new label, 359 Music.
Tess became one of his first signings and released her debut record ‘Blood Hot’ in November 2013 to excellent reviews. One reviewer described her as “Patti Smith on Quaaludes”. Others have mentioned her “gauzy psychedelic sound” and“smouldering voice”.
Alan McGee himself said: “She’s only 24 and is already an amazing songwriter... she just doesn’t quite know she is yet ... her most beautiful quality is her lack of ego. Tess is an amazing lady”.
‘Blood Hot’ is inimitably confident. It’s slow and psychedelic at times, while being loud and ready to fill a stadium at others. There isn’t a moment on the album that isn’t relatable or that doesn’t ring to the tune of a timeless classic to be talked about for years to come (the same way people discuss The Velvet Underground or My Bloody Valentine records today).
Her cult-like following has turned into a movement. And Tess is gladly leading us all back into that space within ourselves, both deeply personal and entirely universal. Incredibly relevant yet timeless.Cool and anti-cool. An enigma that doesn’t need solving. Tess Parks is as she’s always been. Her best work is already out there. And her best yet is still to come.

Transcendental outernational funk and psychedelic jazz from mystery L.A.- based collective Sun Atlas

2nd edition with alternative sleeve and label design.

Little is known about Sun Atlas. The group members are hidden behind masks and costumes to keep their identities secret and to put the focus entirely on the music and oneness. A sense of community and universal spirit as an alternative to idolization and individualism is heavily reflected in their eclectic musical style.

The sound of Sun Atlas is mystical and cosmopolitan, combining afrobeat, cinematic soul, spiritual & ethio jazz with space sounds, hiphop-breaks and a garage funk vibe.

Their cryptic first 45 single "The Mystic Parade" b/w "Grand Theft" sold out immediately after release and has often been mistaken for either "lost" hiphop samples, 70s habibi funk or another project in disguise from the inner circles of the Mocambo, Big Crown or Daptonefamilies (which it is not).

Return To The Spirit picks up where Sun Atlas' first single leftoff, with everyone wondering where the journey might lead. With the door to a colourful universe opened, the full-length format gives time & space for further exploration.

Post Traumatic is the deeply personal solo album by Linkin Park singer Mike Shinoda, released in the months months after the death of Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington was recorded. Originally released in June 2018, the 16-track album included the 3 songs from the Post Traumatic EP released released earlier this year, as well as the singles "Crossing A Line" and "Make It Up As I Go". This 18-track deluxe vinyl re-release of Post Traumatic includes two bonus songs: "Prove You Wrong" and "What The Words Meant"; tracks that were originally released as a limited edition 10" single and added to the digital album. Despite the title, Post Traumatic - which features collaborations with K.Flay, blackbear, Machine Gun Kelly, Deftones, Chino Moreno and grandson - is an album about healing. healing. The songs deal with Shinoda's experiences with loss and yet, thanks to their honesty and universally applicable thanks to their honesty and heart. universally applicable.

a a1 - Place To Start [Mike Shinoda]
[b] a2 - Over Again [Mike Shinoda]
[c] a3 - Watching As I Fall [Mike Shinoda]
[d] a4 - Nothing Makes Sense Anymore [Mike Shinoda]
[e] b1 - About You (feat. blackbear) [Mike Shinoda]
[f] b2 - Brooding (Instrumental) [Mike Shinoda]
[g] b3 - Promises I Can't Keep [Mike Shinoda]
[h] b4 - Crossing A Line [Mike Shinoda]
[i] c1 - Hold It Together [Mike Shinoda]
[j] c2 - Ghosts [Mike Shinoda]
[k] c3 - Make It Up As I Go (feat. K.Flay) [Mike Shinoda]
[l] c4 - Lift Off (feat. Chino Moreno and Machine Gun Kelly) [Mike Shinoda]
[m] d1 - I.O.U. [Mike Shinoda]
[n] d2 - Running From My Shadow (feat. grandson) [Mike Shinoda]
[o] d3 - World's On Fire [Mike Shinoda]
[p] d4 - Can't Hear You Now [Mike Shinoda]
[q] d5 - Prove You Wrong [Mike Shinoda]
[r] d6 - What The Words Meant [Mike Shinoda]

Post Traumatic is the deeply personal solo album by Linkin Park singer Mike Shinoda, released in the months months after the death of Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington was recorded. Originally released in June 2018, the 16-track album included the 3 songs from the Post Traumatic EP released released earlier this year, as well as the singles "Crossing A Line" and "Make It Up As I Go". This 18-track deluxe vinyl re-release of Post Traumatic includes two bonus songs: "Prove You Wrong" and "What The Words Meant"; tracks that were originally released as a limited edition 10" single and added to the digital album. Despite the title, Post Traumatic - which features collaborations with K.Flay, blackbear, Machine Gun Kelly, Deftones, Chino Moreno and grandson - is an album about healing. healing. The songs deal with Shinoda's experiences with loss and yet, thanks to their honesty and universally applicable thanks to their honesty and heart. universally applicable.

a a1 - Place To Start Mike Shinoda
[b] a2 - Over Again [Mike Shinoda]
[c] a3 - Watching As I Fall [Mike Shinoda]
[d] a4 - Nothing Makes Sense Anymore [Mike Shinoda]
[e] b1 - About You (feat. blackbear) [Mike Shinoda]
[f] b2 - Brooding (Instrumental) [Mike Shinoda]
[g] b3 - Promises I Can't Keep [Mike Shinoda]
[h] b4 - Crossing A Line [Mike Shinoda]
[i] c1 - Hold It Together [Mike Shinoda]
[j] c2 - Ghosts [Mike Shinoda]
[k] c3 - Make It Up As I Go (feat. K.Flay) [Mike Shinoda]
[l] c4 - Lift Off (feat. Chino Moreno and Machine Gun Kelly) [Mike Shinoda]
[m] d1 - I.O.U. [Mike Shinoda]
[n] d2 - Running From My Shadow (feat. grandson) [Mike Shinoda]
[o] d3 - World's On Fire [Mike Shinoda]
[p] d4 - Can't Hear You Now [Mike Shinoda]
[q] d5 - Prove You Wrong [Mike Shinoda]
[r] d6 - What The Words Meant [Mike Shinoda]

Post Traumatic is the deeply personal solo album by Linkin Park singer Mike Shinoda, released in the months months after the death of Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington was recorded. Originally released in June 2018, the 16-track album included the 3 songs from the Post Traumatic EP released released earlier this year, as well as the singles "Crossing A Line" and "Make It Up As I Go". This 18-track deluxe vinyl re-release of Post Traumatic includes two bonus songs: "Prove You Wrong" and "What The Words Meant"; tracks that were originally released as a limited edition 10" single and added to the digital album. Despite the title, Post Traumatic - which features collaborations with K.Flay, blackbear, Machine Gun Kelly, Deftones, Chino Moreno and grandson - is an album about healing. healing. The songs deal with Shinoda's experiences with loss and yet, thanks to their honesty and universally applicable thanks to their honesty and heart. universally applicable.

Another Interplanetary STAR CREATURE team up for a Chicago Tokyo expedition across a soundscape ranging from bossa nova lounge to pre-vaporwave exotica; new age city pop to minimal library boogie. JUNE CHIKUMA is best known now for her ground breaking Video Game soundtracks throughout the late 1980s and early 90s, most notably the now cult-classic status Bomberman Hero OST for Nintendo. During this same period she produced many recordings for a wide variety of clients including Japanese Public Transit Commercials, Video Game Arcades and VHS Nature Documentaries. STAR CREATURES combed her archives and selected a nice mix of tracks as entry point into her work. These tracks have been rescued from obscurity, remastered and waxed up for contemporary universal enjoyment. 500 Copies. Pressed in Detroit.

Jaqee – is rhythm and life ”Places becoming journeys in themselves… Different places where I have lived and learned, places that have made my heart beat, the emotional realms that I have experienced. This is where it all starts, every time. Where I am is where it happens, because I am, there. Here.” She sings. She laughs! And she cries, too. Jaqee cannot tell when music and singing became her life, it has ”just always been there, in my head” she says. Now with the fourth album she has taken a closer look at herself, from every possible angle. No hiding. Different phases, different sides of her personality and musical creativity are all there. All as one. ”I am a diaspora kid, I fell in love with all kinds of music, I let myself embrace it all, because good music, is good music. All the way from Uganda at age 13 to the new home and culture in Sweden, then leaving Sweden as an adult for Berlin – has made me the Jaqee that I am”, says the Ugandan /Swedish artist who also received a Swedish Grammy nomination for her past work. Being on the move is without a doubt an important part of her life. “For me travelling is about being exposed to different perceptions, situations, cultures and extreme emotions, it has always made me grow. How many times have I not thought that: I wouldn’t have experienced this or that, if hadn’t been here. I love that feeling!” Jaqee’s music reflects this constant movement and progress. The album is inspired by places like Berlin, South Africa and Jamaica. The trip to Jamaica resulted in the only collaboration track on “Yes I am” recorded in Kingston with reggae artist Anthony B. Teka, the “Kokoo Girl” and “Yes I am” Producer says: ”This time around, like on the last album, we have worked with our colleagues in different countries. Musicians we love and musicians that are inspiring like Martin Hederos (The Soundtrack of our lives) who arranged the strings on the album. We also had New York drummer Daru Jones of Rusic Records play on some tracks. All these talents enhance the idea and expression that we wanted for “Yes I am”. With the album done, it is again time to hit the road and tour for Jaqee. “Getting out there and meeting the crowd is a high. We laugh, we dance and we get loud together. This is the best part of working with music – having a good time together. Music is a universal language.” On composing music, she admits that this time, more than ever, the words matter. Newly found motherhood has made this album in particular a significant legacy. Every song has a life punctuation of its own she has not limited herself by thinking in genres. Making the tone very straightforward. “The melodies and lyrics are closely intertwined, how I sing a word makes all the difference. Even though I love word play, it has to be very clear. Since I am not educated in reading music, I instead visualize and hear it, it seems to be the way my system works. It is all about rhythm and life, it is “YES I AM“.

With a squall of guitar and a crash of drums, two years on from the release of their exhilarating debut EP, Chicago noisemakers Babe Report finally release their debut album in 2024, in the form of the rough-and-ready Did You Get Better, released this Spring via Exploding In Sound. Formed of ten new songs, and all wrapped in under half an hour, it’s an immediate and breathless arrival.

Opening track ‘Turtle of Reaper’ arrives in a flurry of noise and energy. Presented as an indictment of the fear-mongering in click-bait media, it’s a cacophonous two-minutes of scorched vocals and frenetic drums, the chorus a call back to 12/31/99, when all the news told people to turn off their computers before Y2K hit.

‘Universal’ offers something somewhat more refined, with occasional moments of restraint amid the commotion that arrives in a hardy whack of heavy riffs.

“This one is all about climbing up onto your neighbor’s back to succeed,” the band explain. “Most aspects of life are not a zero-sum game, but when they are, it feels ethically wrong to win.”

Elsewhere, ‘Allergy 2000’ is the album’s weighty centre-point, characterized by its soaring guitar lead line and stifled, murky vocals what might have started out as an experiment in writing a Yo La Tengo song soon comes into its own with a rabid tempo shift that feels indicative of the album’s fervent nature, never allowing the listener to rest on their laurels.

However it finds you or you find it, Did You Get Better finds a way to take the reins, ploughing headfirst into its journey and rarely looking back for approval, to even worry if anyone else is joining for the ride."

Die norwegische Progressive Metal-Größe Rendezvous Point legt mit "Dream Chaser" das mit Spannung erwartete dritte Studioalbum vor. Nach dem von Kritikern gelobten Vorgänger "Universal Chaos" setzt die fünfköpfige Band um Leprous-Schlagzeuger Baard Kolstad, Keyboarder Nicolay Tangen Svennæs, Sänger Geirmund Hansen, Gitarrist Petter Hallaråker und Bassistin Gunn-Hilde Erstad ihre Erfolgsgeschichte fort, indem sie ihr Songwriting noch klarer definiert und sich intensiver auf Groove, Riffs, Melodien und Hooks konzentriert.

"Dream Chaser" taucht tief in das Feld künstlerischer Entwicklung ein und konzentriert sich auf das unerbittliche Streben nach Perfektion. Mit Themen, die von gesellschaftlicher Desillusionierung bis zu persönlichem Wachstum reichen, bietet "Dream Chaser" einen fesselnden Einblick in die menschliche Wahrnehmung. Rendezvous Point laden den Hörer ein zusammen die Komplexität der modernen Existenz und die Tiefen des emotionalen Aufruhrs zu erkunden.

Four years after releasing their debut record, Indus are back in 2024 with Negra, their second album. This record explores the essence of the night through dance, seduction and mystery, while paying homage to Colombian amphibious cultures and the land as that place that has seen us moving and that we always return to. With these ten songs Barranquilla producer Oscar Alford, along with Andres Mercado and a select group of collaborators, builds a bridge between the sounds and histories of the Pacific and the Caribbean, bringing together territories like a river running through them and connecting them. Oscar says that on this record "there's this confluence of various cultural universes, on the one hand there's the traditional music of the coast and river areas, there are various maestros who collaborated on the record and they brought that, also there's electronica which is a universal language, and even hip hop and more urban genres like dembow." The record kicks off with "Deja," a ritual of initiation, a galactic, synthetic entrance into a place of plenty, a journey to the ethereal and the night. It's followed, like light and guide, by the song "Alfa Indi," with Gamero singer Nelda Piña, a release of electronic sounds evoking creation in all its senses. The night is an excuse for and a generator of desire, seduction and flirting in "Candela tu Trá," in collaboration with Tomás Llerena, grandson of the legendary Petrona Martínez. The earth is evident in tracks like "Canción del muerto," homage to the marimba maestro Gualajo, with his brother Pacho Torres and Bogotá rapper N. Hardem, a song that could be a farewell ritual and tribute to the land as the place to which we always return, one that holds the history of those who walked that land and left their mark on it. We hear this in "Corre Cimarrón" with Ka Oddun, portraying the journeys of fleeing enslaved ancestors as they tried to survive until they reached the palenque, a place of freedom. Negra explores the mysticism of the night and the cosmos within the Colombian musical tradition. A dialog between root rhythms, voices and synths with bases oscillating between techno-champeta, afro-tech and future-dembow. With this record Indus comes across as one of the most versatile acts on the Latin American scene, especially in the way they reinterpret ancestral music and resignify its sound.

Aseethe, the trio of guitarist Brian Barr, drummer Eric Diercks, and bassist Noah Koester, carve their own path in the world of heavy music. A singular blend of seismic weight, mesmeric drone, and gripping tension is the Midwestern band"s musical signature. Driven by an exploratory ethos, Aseethe warp sounds into emotionally potent songs that are as detailed as they are immense. The Cost is an album shadowed by devastating losses, a visceral study in aftermaths, centered around how life moves forward after personal and universal traumas. Recorded by acclaimed producer/engineer Sanford Parker (Pelican, Eyehategod, Yob, Voivod) at Electrical Audio in Chicago, The Cost is more focused and elaborate than anything the band have crafted before, expanding Aseethe"s dynamic palette with more nuance and transforming their battering sound into cathartic arcs.

Aseethe, the trio of guitarist Brian Barr, drummer Eric Diercks, and bassist Noah Koester, carve their own path in the world of heavy music. A singular blend of seismic weight, mesmeric drone, and gripping tension is the Midwestern band"s musical signature. Driven by an exploratory ethos, Aseethe warp sounds into emotionally potent songs that are as detailed as they are immense. The Cost is an album shadowed by devastating losses, a visceral study in aftermaths, centered around how life moves forward after personal and universal traumas. Recorded by acclaimed producer/engineer Sanford Parker (Pelican, Eyehategod, Yob, Voivod) at Electrical Audio in Chicago, The Cost is more focused and elaborate than anything the band have crafted before, expanding Aseethe"s dynamic palette with more nuance and transforming their battering sound into cathartic arcs.