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Portland ist einer der überzeugendsten Indie-Exporte Belgiens. Mit einer Mischung aus cineastischem Pop, melancholischem Folk und festivaltauglichem Rock feierte die Band ihren Durchbruch 2019 mit ihrem Debüt „Your Colours Will Stain“ und dem Nachfolger „Departures“ (2023). Bekannt für ihre zarten Harmonien und emotionsgeladenen Live-Shows, wurde Portland von europäischen Trendsettern hoch gelobt und stand auf Bühnen von Rock Werchter bis Eurosonic. „Champain“ ist ihr bisher persönlichstes und furchtlosestes Werk.

„Champain“ ist Portlands drittes Album und die erste Songsammlung, die nach dem Kampf der Singer-Songwriter Jente Pironet gegen Hirnkrebs entstand. Es ist ein Album, das die Narben der letzten Jahre deutlich sichtbar trägt, aber gleichzeitig eine unbändige Lebensfreude ausdrückt. Es liest sich wie das ehrliche Reisetagebuch einer wandernden Seele, von der Bühne ins Krankenhaus an den Schreibtisch und wieder zurück. Vom Fallen – hart und tief – und dem Wiederaufstehen. Von einem Sänger und einer Band, die durchhalten. Und das Ergebnis zeigt: Portland hat noch nie so energetisch, reifer und reicher geklungen wie auf diesen 10 neuen Songs.

2025 Repress

Portland was produced by our mate Dave Clark aka Sparky and was the first record we released in 2002, about a year before the first ever Numbers party took place.

Originally recorded live to tape using an MMT8, a Microwave II, and an ESi32 in the summer of 1998, it was released on an old label of ours named Stuffrecords and formed part of a somewhat rambling compilation called STUFF001. We hastily stuck this record out without any proper distribution, because at the time we didn't know any better. Despite this the record did pretty well, selling 500 copies to a few select stores who had faith in what we were doing.

Fast forward a year or so to when Numbers kicked off and the track became one of the first bonafide anthems in the club. It was our tune and it would tear the roof off at any of our parties.

A couple of years later, we booked DJ Pete, aka Substance, to play. We're talking about the record in the pub when he suddenly informs us that Ricardo Villalobos is crazy about it and even charted it. This was a deep, almost Drexciyan electro track and here was the king of crazy experimental minimal house music caning it in his DJ sets.

Not long after that night, the Numbers label was up and running and the idea to re-release Portland with a remix from Mr Villalobos was brought up almost as a kind of pipe-dream. Now in 2013, with a little help from Gerd Janson, it has finally happened. Recorded live in one take and clocking in at over 30 minutes long, it's cited as an "experiment" by Ricardo. Designed to play at two speeds, at 33rpm its almost like an early 90s Black Dog track stretched out to infinity, whilst at 45rpm, it's a club-ready groover with an almost Dopplereffekt rhythm to it - the sort you could imagine sneaking into a DJ Assault or Godfather Ghettotech mix. Somehow, it also manages to be classic Villalobos.

To finish off the record Dave gave us a two unheard tracks from those original Portland sessions in 1998. The malevolent electro of 'Jigsaw' would instantly have become another Numbers anthem if only Dave had let us hear it ten years ago, and closer track 'Wilson St' heads down an ambient route.

After lot of Skep Waxing Amelie and Rob and Cathy, Ian and Peter are back for indie good! It's been a long time coming but influential jangle guitarpop band Heavenly are releasing a brand new 7" single, with a full album to follow in February 2026. Portland Town is as effervescent a pop song as any of Heavenly's past recordings, with duelling vocals from Amelia and Cathy; looping, twanging, `how-did-he-do-that' guitar escapades from Peter, and a super-catchy melody. As so often with Heavenly, though, the lyrics have real bite. The song embraces those who find themselves on the margins of a hostile world where maleness, straightness and conformity are in the ascendant. So why Portland? It has always been a sanctuary - one of those places where difference is celebrated, a place where, as the song puts it, anyone can fit in. The flip is a cover version of a much-loved Only Ones song, `Someone Who Cares'. Heavenly are: Amelia Fletcher (guitar, vocals), Cathy Rogers (guitar, vocals), Rob Pursey (bass), Peter Momtchiloff (guitar), Ian Button (drums)

Portland is a project born of instant connection, yet it’s also one
that has survived some of the darkest life can throw at them.
Dreamy songwriting bathed in beauty, the Belgian two-piece
thrive on pure expression, infusing their beatific, ethereal work
with incredible honesty. New album, ‘Departures’, pushes them
to the brink, forcing them to open up as never before, and in the
process discover themselves all over again.
 The story starts almost a decade ago. Sarah Pepels was new in
town, a music student attempting to make some roots. Hearing
music coming from down the corridor in her student home, she
knocked, and met Jente Pironet for the first time. One
conversation led to the next, and within hours they were writing
together, playing each other their ideas and sharing some
profound secrets. “We shared the same passions,” she reflects.
“We became best friends, soul mates… and the band emerged
from that.”
 The two won the prestigious De Nieuwe Lichting prize - one of
Belgium’s top honours for young songwriters - before releasing
their precocious debut album ‘Your Colours Will Stain’ in 2019.
Word quickly spread on their hazy dream pop - reminiscent of
Beach House or School Of Seven Bells - but the pandemic
pulled the shutters down on their burgeoning careers. As Jente
puts it: “We went through some difficult times, I guess. The
pandemic was very isolating for us both, and as a result the
music took on board those emotions.”
 ‘Departures’ was born of this. Put simply, it’s magnificent - all
the promise of their earlier work realized, it drifts between the
grace of Slowdive and a sense of classic songwriting that
recalls everyone from Fleetwood Mac, say, to Angus and Julia
Stone. Sonically beautifully and emotionally gripping, it’s a
profound song cycle, the work of musicians digging deeper than
ever before.
 For fans of Beach House, Angus & Julia Stone, Mazzy Star,
Ben Howard.

Portland is a project born of instant connection, yet it’s also one
that has survived some of the darkest life can throw at them.
Dreamy songwriting bathed in beauty, the Belgian two-piece
thrive on pure expression, infusing their beatific, ethereal work
with incredible honesty. New album, ‘Departures’, pushes them
to the brink, forcing them to open up as never before, and in the
process discover themselves all over again.
 The story starts almost a decade ago. Sarah Pepels was new in
town, a music student attempting to make some roots. Hearing
music coming from down the corridor in her student home, she
knocked, and met Jente Pironet for the first time. One
conversation led to the next, and within hours they were writing
together, playing each other their ideas and sharing some
profound secrets. “We shared the same passions,” she reflects.
“We became best friends, soul mates… and the band emerged
from that.”
The two won the prestigious De Nieuwe Lichting prize - one of
Belgium’s top honours for young songwriters - before releasing
their precocious debut album ‘Your Colours Will Stain’ in 2019.
Word quickly spread on their hazy dream pop - reminiscent of
Beach House or School Of Seven Bells - but the pandemic
pulled the shutters down on their burgeoning careers. As Jente
puts it: “We went through some difficult times, I guess. The
pandemic was very isolating for us both, and as a result the
music took on board those emotions.”
 ‘Departures’ was born of this. Put simply, it’s magnificent - all
the promise of their earlier work realized, it drifts between the
grace of Slowdive and a sense of classic songwriting that
recalls everyone from Fleetwood Mac, say, to Angus and Julia
Stone. Sonically beautifully and emotionally gripping, it’s a
profound song cycle, the work of musicians digging deeper than
ever before.
 For fans of Beach House, Angus & Julia Stone, Mazzy Star,
Ben Howard.

Released in 2016, It’s Immaterial found Black Marble refining its coldwave and synth-pop foundations into a warmer, more melodic expression of isolation, longing, and quiet resilience. Guided by Chris Stewart’s unmistakable baritone and a palette of analog synths, pulsing basslines, and minimalist rhythms, the album feels simultaneously nostalgic and forward-leaning. Its songs drift between shadowy introspection and subtle hope, creating a cinematic atmosphere that’s both intimate and hypnotic.
With It’s Immaterial, Black Marble deepened its signature sound, offering a collection that resonates like a faded memory—soft, hazy, and endlessly replayable.

"Melodies twist inward and out of the comfort zone, but never overstep their boundaries or demand extra attention they don’t deserve. The fragments that have been found, from beginning to end, click and fall into place almost effortlessly. It’s surprising how nothing feels forced." - Drowned in Sound

Floating Points' personal collection of global soul, ambient, jazz and folk treasures form the latest in the warmly revered Late Night Tales series.

Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points' music taste is notoriously tricky to define, ranging from ethereal classical at one end to coruscating techno at the other, united only in a firm belief in the transcendental power of music to move hearts, minds and - yes - feet. Similarly, his production career has ranged from early experiments in dance music with breakout records such as the 'Shadows EP' and collaborating with legendary Gnawa master Mahmoud Guinia to his expansive album 'Elaenia', which met with critical acclaim upon its release in 2015.

This Late Night Tales excursion into the depths of the evening reflects his broad tastes. The globally-travelled producer has collected untold treasures on his travels from dusty stores in Brazil to market stalls near his hometown. There's the gorgeous 'Via Làctea', culled from Carlos Walker's debut album, Abu Talib's (Bobby Wright) plaintive 'Blood Of An American' and Robert Vanderbilt's gospel reworking of Manchild's 'Especially For You'. Raw soul and feeling oozing from each song's pores.

At the other end of the music scale are the modernists, such as Québécoise Kara-Lis Coverdale who weighs in with the indelible 'Moments In Love', Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith whose 'Milk' is an exercise in tranquility, while Sarah Davachi's meditative mix-opener offers respite from a weary world.

We have some exclusive tracks for Late Night Tales; alongside Davachi's offerings there is also Toshimaru Nakamura's 'Nimb #59', as well as the now traditional cover version. hepherd delved into his childhood
memory for this one, a track taken from the first album his parents bought him, Kenny Wheeler's 'Music For Large & Small Ensembles': Sam offers up his interpretation of 'Opening Part 1'. Wheeler also contributes horns to Azimuth
track The Tunnel, written and performed by Norma Winstone and John Taylor who, coincidentally, are the parents of Floating Points' drummer Leo Taylor. Closing the album, Lauren Laverne reads the suitably nocturnal poem 'Ah! Why, Because The Dazzling Sun' by Emily Brontë.

'I tried to find music that reflects the stillness of night. And because my musical interests lie all over the place, it's quite difficult to distil that notion down to just a few songs. I was quite keen to have some electronic music in there but I also really wanted to have some soul music mixed in, so I had to try and find a pathway between all of this different music.' - Sam Shepherd (Floating Points) March 2019

Gatupreto release their sophomore "Distino Di Nos Vida" on TINK! Music! The duo from Lisbon's hinterland return with a second round of their impeccable, futuristic theory on modern club music after the acclaimed "Modo Di Trabadja" EP, released in 2015. The tropical taste of Cabo Verde, the cool of that Lisbon dance floor fusionism, the appeal of classic vibes. Tracks too dark and twisted to be called "Afro", too sexy and melodic to be called "Techno", too smart and freaky to be called "House" and too cool and mature to be called "Kuduro", it is simply Gatupreto.
On the A side "I Became Me", deep afro dub with a killer sub bass and endless echoes, starring Portuguese soul and hip hop legend NBC as guest vocalist and a remix by afro Dutch master and fellow TINK! artist Philou Louzolo - who turns "I Became Me" into an irresistible deep house with african undertones.
On the flip side, the dark dramatic stomping tracks "Afrowerk" and "Gatu Di Noti", the first an eerie, irresistible peak time banger, and the later a stormer with sounds from natural Africa, harpy acid lines and an off kilter beat.

Auf ihrem selbstbetitelten zweiten Album taucht das Cosmic Tones Research Trio - bestehend aus Roman Norfleet, Harlan Silverman und Kennedy Verrett - tiefer in die spirituellen Klanglandschaften ein, die ihren genreübergreifenden Ansatz ursprünglich geprägt haben. Das in Portland, Oregon, ansässige Trio schafft ein transzendentales Hörerlebnis, das sowohl in meditativer Stille als auch in rhythmischer Dynamik verwurzelt ist. Mit einer Mischung aus Cello, Altsaxophon, Klavier, Flöten und einer eklektischen Palette von Texturen und Percussions vermittelt das Album eine heilige Energie, die sich sowohl uralt als auch zukunftsweisend anfühlt. Es ist Musik zum Nachdenken, zum Bewegen und für innere Reisen. Die Stücke entfalten sich mit geduldiger Anmut, pulsieren jedoch mit bewussten Rhythmen, die den Zuhörer erden - und damit den zeremoniellen Geist des kosmischen Jazz und tiefer Improvisationstraditionen widerspiegeln. Dies ist keine Hintergrundmusik, sondern eine Einladung, sich ganz einzulassen, mit den Instrumenten zu atmen und den Grenzraum zu erkunden, in dem Klang zum Gebet wird. Mit dem Cosmic Tones Research Trio setzen Norfleet, Silverman und Verrett ihre Erkundung klanglicher Territorien fort, in denen das Mystische und das Musikalische verschmelzen.

More than a decade into one of contemporary folk’s most quietly extraordinary careers, Alela Diane returns with Who's Keeping Time? The Portland songwriter’s seventh full-length came as the consequence of intuition, coincidence, and community. “I came to the end of a season last year,” Alela shares. “My daughters had grown a bit. I no longer had babies waking me in the middle of the night. I could hear myself think again.” More and more, those thoughts circled music.

The ultimate spark for Alela’s return to her music community came in April of last year with the death of her close friend and mentor Michael Hurley — folk legend and indispensable presence in the Portland music scene. Tracked live in the attic of her 1892 Victorian home, Who’s Keeping Time? was produced by Sam Weber (Madison Cunningham, Anna Tivel) and brought to life with staples from the local music orbit, including members of the bands Lucius and Blind Pilot and fellow singer-songwriters Anna Tivel and AC Sapphire. Over the years, Alela's lustrous discography has gathered major critical acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork, NPR Music, The Guardian, and plenty more. UNCUT counted her work in their ambitious “50 best singer-songwriter albums” of all time roundup—a canon comprising John Lennon, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Paul Simon—with Consequence echoing that significance, declaring, “Hers is a timeless sound, that of a wayfaring troubadour, which only seems to come a few times a generation.” The Portland songwriter’s seventh full-length album, ‘Who’s Keeping Time?’ will be available on LP, CD and Digitally.

‘Yarrow’ is a bouquet of new music by Portland, Oregon-based musician and field recordist Patricia Wolf, marking the label’s ninth release and the third of Season Two. These works are her reflections on the life cycle of plants and their dynamic ecological relationships.

Wolf created the album in response to her artist residency at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, Colorado, as part of the Art-Science Exchange Project in the summer of 2024. She worked closely with ecologists Dr Paul CaraDonna, Dr Amy Iler, Dr Jane Ogilvie, Dr Nickolas Waser, Dr Mary Price, and Dr Will Petry, spending weeks engaged in long-term research on plants, pollinators, and their interactions as the climate changes.

Each track on Yarrow looks at a different part of a plant’s life. The songs touch on the conditions that plants need to grow, the quiet life of roots, how flowers attract pollinators, and the strength of seeds. The first single, 'Inflorescence', the scientific name for the floral display that a plant makes in an effort to reproduce, captures this event in song. The music slowly builds layers, reflecting the album’s overall feel. The album ends with the majestic Boards of Canada-esque 'Adapted for Extreme Conditions', and the entire b-side features Patricia’s field recordings from around Gothic, Colorado, and a guided meditation by Dr Paul CaraDonna, whose research inspired the project, inviting listeners to tune into the sounds and activities of the ecosystem.

A little over a year ago Tim Reaper made his first appearance in the town LoDubs is based in, Portland, Oregon, at the always forward thinking westside venue Barn Radio. The bill was rounded out by yours truly, Jon AD, who set the standard for the night, which was a boggy, thick warehouse vibe, even though the venue was more of a tightly packed repurposed storefront with an overactive fog machine.

This stop turned into a bit of a several day stopover for the TR, who saw the town, met up with other Portland people, and after that was left with a bit of a aural vision of the whole experience, the DIY ethos of the Portland, and the desire to document these impressions on the label of his bill mate for the aforementioned night, LoDubs.

Shortly thereafter "Triumphant March" arrived at the LoDubs mailbox, and reverb heavy, oozing slab of Jungle funkiness.

Upon realizing this would be good material for a dubby remix, the next step was reaching out for people to do so, and Beatrice M was at that time really getting noticed with their take on Dub. This year has seen them really move up the ranks, needless to say.

Winter Collection arrives a little late, but it arrives right. Four tracks across two sides, drawing from Chicago, Detroit, Oakland, and Portland, mastered for DMM cut by Lawrie Dunster of Curve Pusher. The vinyl sounds like it means business.

The A-side opens with the Bryan Zentz Remix of Basic Analogue, originally written and produced by Mazi and Joshua Collins. Dunster’s remaster serves the synth work well, keeping the melodic lines clear and the low end present without overcrowding the mix. Zentz built something durable here, and the vinyl pressing confirms it.

Sound Whore by DJ Mes follows, and Mes doesn’t waste any time. The wah-wah guitar arrives early, the trumpet not far behind, and then the Latin percussion and vocal samples start stacking up. It’s a lot, but Mes holds it together with a groove that keeps pulling everything back toward center. You don’t resist it. You just follow.

The B-side belongs to the most requested track in the label’s catalog, and it’s easy to understand why. Mike Huckaby’s remix of Cesar Ramirez’s Congo Fury anchors itself to a conga line and then opens outward, synth lines drifting across the rhythm like smoke. Huckaby had a particular gift for this, the ability to make a moment feel like it could last forever without ever losing tension. Ramirez’s own keyboard solo survives toward the end, a subtle crescendo that feels earned. Dunster captures the whole thing with care.

It’s Time to Jack by Da Outlawz closes the record. 909 drums, cracking snares, chopped vocal fragments. Barebones Chicago house, designed for a sound system that can take the weight. Nothing complicated about it, and that’s the point.

Play it loud.

Track A1 written and produced by Maziar Namvar and Joshua Collins. Remixed by Bryan Zentz.
Track A2 written and produced by Jason Sutton.
Track B1 written and produced by Cesar Ramirez. Remixed by Mike Huckaby.
Track B2 written and produced by Gabriel Palomo & Geto Mark.
Mastered by Lawrie Dunster at Curve Pusher, UK.
Copyright Control
2026 Fresh Meat Records

Shorter Version

Winter Collection arrives a little late, but it arrives right. Four tracks across two sides, drawing from Chicago, Detroit, Oakland, and Portland, mastered for DMM cut by Lawrie Dunster of Curve Pusher. The A-side opens with the Bryan Zentz Remix of Basic Analogue, originally written and produced by Mazi and Joshua Collins. Dunster’s remaster keeps the melodic lines clear and the low end present. Zentz built something durable here, and the vinyl confirms it. Sound Whore by DJ Mes follows. The wah-wah guitar arrives early, the trumpet not far behind, then Latin percussion and vocal samples start stacking up. Mes holds it together with a groove that keeps pulling everything back toward center. You just follow. Mike Huckaby’s remix of Cesar Ramirez’s Congo Fury anchors itself to a conga line and opens outward, synth lines drifting across the rhythm like smoke. Huckaby had a gift for making a moment feel like it could last forever without losing tension. Ramirez’s keyboard solo survives toward the end, a subtle crescendo that feels earned. It’s Time to Jack by Da Outlawz closes the record. 909 drums, cracking snares, chopped vocal fragments. Barebones Chicago house, designed for a sound system that can take the weight. Play it loud.

,Crusher", das Debütalbum von Sooj - einem Gemeinschaftsprojekt von Mitgliedern von Duster und Dirty Art Club. Die Platte taucht völlig unerwartet auf, wie eine schwach beleuchtete Übertragung von irgendwo zwischen Portland, Charlotte und Santa Cruz. Crusher knüpft dort an, wo ihre 2024er-Doppel-A-Seite ,Anhedonia II / Ecstasy Cowgirl" aufgehört hat, und lässt den Slowcore von Duster in die sample-lastige, collageartige Produktion von Dirty Art Club übergehen. Das Ergebnis ist weder eine Band noch ein Nebenprojekt, sondern etwas schwerer Fassbares - ein dritter Raum, erbaut aus Bandrauschen, zerhackten Erinnerungen und nächtlichen Signalüberläufen. Während seiner gesamten Laufzeit entzieht sich das Album der Anziehungskraft der Nostalgie. Stattdessen schwebt es in einer liminalen Gegenwart - teils Zusammenarbeit, teils Fluchtweg. Sooj, gegründet von Clay Parton, Canaan Amber und Matt Cagle, entstand aus einer Tour-Freundschaft, die sich allmählich zu etwas Dauerhafterem entwickelte. Frühe Gespräche führten zu gemeinsamen Sessions, wobei Cagle von North Carolina nach Portland reiste, wo schließlich der Großteil von ,Crusher" Gestalt annahm. ,Musik zu machen ist manchmal eine seltsame, ätherische Sache", erklären Sooj. ,Es kann so zerbrechlich sein, so flüchtig. So eine Art Höhepunkt eines bestimmten Moments und des gesamten Weges davor, plus all die zusätzlichen Dinge, die sich kosmisch einmischen können."

,Crusher", das Debütalbum von Sooj - einem Gemeinschaftsprojekt von Mitgliedern von Duster und Dirty Art Club. Die Platte taucht völlig unerwartet auf, wie eine schwach beleuchtete Übertragung von irgendwo zwischen Portland, Charlotte und Santa Cruz. Crusher knüpft dort an, wo ihre 2024er-Doppel-A-Seite ,Anhedonia II / Ecstasy Cowgirl" aufgehört hat, und lässt den Slowcore von Duster in die sample-lastige, collageartige Produktion von Dirty Art Club übergehen. Das Ergebnis ist weder eine Band noch ein Nebenprojekt, sondern etwas schwerer Fassbares - ein dritter Raum, erbaut aus Bandrauschen, zerhackten Erinnerungen und nächtlichen Signalüberläufen. Während seiner gesamten Laufzeit entzieht sich das Album der Anziehungskraft der Nostalgie. Stattdessen schwebt es in einer liminalen Gegenwart - teils Zusammenarbeit, teils Fluchtweg. Sooj, gegründet von Clay Parton, Canaan Amber und Matt Cagle, entstand aus einer Tour-Freundschaft, die sich allmählich zu etwas Dauerhafterem entwickelte. Frühe Gespräche führten zu gemeinsamen Sessions, wobei Cagle von North Carolina nach Portland reiste, wo schließlich der Großteil von ,Crusher" Gestalt annahm. ,Musik zu machen ist manchmal eine seltsame, ätherische Sache", erklären Sooj. ,Es kann so zerbrechlich sein, so flüchtig. So eine Art Höhepunkt eines bestimmten Moments und des gesamten Weges davor, plus all die zusätzlichen Dinge, die sich kosmisch einmischen können."

Following her debut album, I’ll Look for You in Others (Past Inside the Present), earlier this year, Patricia Wolf joins Spain’s Balmat label with See-Through, her second album. See Through finds the Portland, Oregon musician and field recordist continuing to develop her signature style of ambient, balancing radiant soundscaping with a carefully expressive sensibility. But the new album is also marked by an important difference. Where I’ll Look for You in Others was largely written in response to the death of a loved one, See-Through represents a kind of rebirth.

“After a long period of grief, I had been hoping to find my way to a place of lightness, peace, playfulness, curiosity, and sensuality again,” Wolf says. “What I was surprised and pleased to find is that for the most part, I had.”

She wrote and recorded many of the album’s songs quickly, in preparation for an August 2021 broadcast on the online radio platform 9128 Live. Excited for the opportunity to play live after more than a year of the pandemic, Wolf decided to write all new material for the event, working with a lean setup of Octatrack, Roland Synth Plus 10, Make Noise 0-Coast, and Novation Summit. (In fact, Wolf was the first sound designer invited to create patches for the Summit.) She also picked up an acoustic guitar that her brother had loaned her. “I decided to take the surrealist approach of ‘pure psychic automatism’ to see what poured out of me,” she recalls. “Woodland Encounter,” “Under a Glass Bell,” “The Grotto,” “The Mechanical Age,” “The Flaneur,” and “Psychic Sweeping” are all products of those sessions; the through line holding them together is their exploratory spirit and clarity
of vision.

Other songs, like “A Conversation With My Innocence,” “Recalibration,” and “Psychic Sweeping,” wrestle with the traumas of the preceding year. Though they may linger on the heaviness of loss, Wolf says, “What I discovered is that a stronger archetype had grown inside me to steer my emotions and thoughts to a better place.” Likewise, “Wistfulness” and “Upward Swimming Fish”—her first experiments with VST synthesizers—balance the bittersweet embrace of melancholy with the freedom to choose happiness.

“Pacific Coast Highway,” the album’s lone song with drums, might at first seem like an outlier. But it also signals Wolf’s interest in finding a fusion between the introspection of ambient and the togetherness of beat-oriented music. “Experiencing loss and isolation is what drove me into gentler territories of sound,” she says, “but I want to start making more beat-oriented music. After an extended period of loss and isolation, I’m ready to experience more joyous and social things.”

Listeners with keen ears might recognize the album’s closing song, “Springtime in Croatia”: A different mix of the song originally appeared on the 2021 digital compilation secondnature & friends Vol. II, from the Seattle label secondnature. This marks its first appearance on vinyl, however, and its spiritual home is undoubtedly here, at the close of See-Through. As the bookending answer to the opening “Woodland Encounter”—another song in which field recordings play a crucial role—it closes the circle of an album that is itself keyed to the steadily turning cycles of life.

The Body"s landmark record Master, We Perish, originally released in 2013, found the acclaimed duo at a crossroads in their career. Recorded just before the duo of drummer Lee Buford and guitarist/vocalist Chip King were leaving their longtime home of Providence for Portland and released in between their breakthrough albums All the Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood and Christs, Redeemers, Master expanded on the duo"s love of layered worldbuilding with more precision and a stronger emphasis on percussive samples than ever before. The seeds of the duo"s celebrated collaborative inclination are evident as the album features Assembly of Light Choir leader Chrissy Wolpert, choir member Reba Mitchell, Otesanek vocalist Leslie Weitz, and guitarist David Lifrieri. With the expanded edition, the album"s striking cover painting by Providence mainstay Manifester aka Matt Brinkman (Mindflayer, Forcefield) is finally rendered in its original form. Master, We Perish is expanded with rare bonus tracks from The Body"s early days, taken from a pair of rare 7" singles Cop Killer/Dead Cops as well as a split with Get Killed. These storied singles mark the first time the band truly pushed the boundaries of sound in the studio and on record. It also marks the beginning of The Body"s practice of wielding the studio as a veritable weapon to translate their gargantuan sound with deeper impact on LP. The results are not only pushing the capacity of the album format but are sonically riveting. The bonus material was recorded at Machines with Magnets. The band described them economically: "NASTY."

The Body"s landmark record Master, We Perish, originally released in 2013, found the acclaimed duo at a crossroads in their career. Recorded just before the duo of drummer Lee Buford and guitarist/vocalist Chip King were leaving their longtime home of Providence for Portland and released in between their breakthrough albums All the Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood and Christs, Redeemers, Master expanded on the duo"s love of layered worldbuilding with more precision and a stronger emphasis on percussive samples than ever before. The seeds of the duo"s celebrated collaborative inclination are evident as the album features Assembly of Light Choir leader Chrissy Wolpert, choir member Reba Mitchell, Otesanek vocalist Leslie Weitz, and guitarist David Lifrieri. With the expanded edition, the album"s striking cover painting by Providence mainstay Manifester aka Matt Brinkman (Mindflayer, Forcefield) is finally rendered in its original form. Master, We Perish is expanded with rare bonus tracks from The Body"s early days, taken from a pair of rare 7" singles Cop Killer/Dead Cops as well as a split with Get Killed. These storied singles mark the first time the band truly pushed the boundaries of sound in the studio and on record. It also marks the beginning of The Body"s practice of wielding the studio as a veritable weapon to translate their gargantuan sound with deeper impact on LP. The results are not only pushing the capacity of the album format but are sonically riveting. The bonus material was recorded at Machines with Magnets. The band described them economically: "NASTY."

It’s with great pride that we announce this amazing album on Optimo Music from Portland-based duo Natural Magic. It was the final vinyl release that Keith McIvor aka JD Twitch put into production before his untimely departure in late September this year.

Having been a long time lover of everything krautrock, space rock, experimental and psychedelic it seems more than fitting that he leaves us this LP as his parting gift; because this sublime album is all these things wrapped up into one and much more.

The album’s opening track “Galaxy Builder”, with its driving tempo, monolithic bass and screaming guitars might give the impression we’re about to hear a Neu for the 21st Century, but no, by the 2nd track we’re already on the first of several wild detours into uncharted territories: part shoe gaze, part ethereal, part psychedelia it’s a unique piece of beautiful euphoria from start to finish. By the time we reach the end of the A-side’s closing track “Distant Bells” the whole place is in tears after hearing possibly one of the most poignant pieces of electronic music of the entire year.

The B-side takes us even deeper into this trip through the duo’s homeland in the Pacific Northwest opening with “Skyward Eye”. If the Orb had ever teamed up with Slowdive and gotten Andrew Weatherall on production this could be it. “Get It Right” is a fuzz-filled epic with heavy dub leanings and meanings...it soars high up into the beyond and prepares us for “Ride”; an unashamed space voyage in the true sense…cosmic guitars, laden with FX; before returning gently down to the rolling green hills of Earth with the closing track “Chugsby’s Theme”. Whoever Chugsby is, his vibe is organic, deeply grounded and beautiful.

In the duo’s own words:

“Natural Magic II is a west coast road trip soundtrack for the fading summer. Taking inspiration from the majesty and myths of their home in the Pacific Northwest, the seven track album is culled from the late night, dimly lit, live sessions of Mike McKinnon on keys/drums and Matthew Quiet on bass. Overdubs of guitar, synths and percussion followed. All this from the same space they throw their legendary Limited Edition parties - all-night free experimentation celebrations in their own right. The album art work is handmade flower pigments, opium poppy pollen ink and wood-scrap charcoal by their friend and collaborator Pith Cocomici. Roll the widows down, tilt the seat back and turn it up. Gas, grass or black mass... there's magic in the hills.

Various Small Whistles and a Song, the new album by Chicago-based artist Lia Kohl, incorporates notions of space, social relations, and humor. As the title suggests, the album responds to Ed Ruscha’s 1964 photographic artist book Various Small Fires and Milk, which Kohl sees as a wondrous celebration of ordinariness, one that reveals Ruscha’s trademark deadpan humor and depth. In the spirit of that publication, Kohl created her own series of sonic vignettes, with guest appearances from her close community of collaborators including claire rousay, Macie Stewart, Patrick Shiroishi, and others, reflecting the same sense of humor and mundanity.

The structure of the album—16 one-minute tracks—directly mirrors Ruscha’s book, which comprises 15 photographs of fire and one of a glass of milk. Ruscha’s “small fires” are represented here by recordings of whistles—mostly human whistling, with occasional appearances by train whistles, emergency whistles, and a woman selling penny whistles on the street in Guangzhou, China. About this choice of material, Kohl writes: “I’ve always been captivated by whistling—it’s musical but often a bit unconscious; usually solo but often done in public places. There’s something tender and human about hearing someone whistle, a socially acceptable version of hearing their mind wander.” As with Ruscha’s photographs, the whistles are not random snapshots but windows into social situations, narratives, or spaces.

The “milk” of the title — the 16th photograph in Ruscha’s book — is interpreted here as a single recording: a group of people singing together in Barcelona around 6 a.m. on New Year’s morning, captured through the floor of an Airbnb. Kohl describes this as a social, collective sound that contrasts with the solitary nature of whistling. The song functions as a counterbalance—a quiet celebration of shared experience.

Lia Kohl is a composer and sound artist based in Chicago. Her wide-ranging practice includes composition and performance, installation, improvisation, and collaboration. She tours nationally and internationally, working in theater, jazz, rock, and experimental contexts. Her work centers curiosity and patience, an exploration of the mundane and profound possibilities of sound.

Pacific Northwest native and a mainstay of the Portland and Seattle scenes since the late 90s, Trevor Vichas, now becomes part of the Selections label family with the sort of smooth cruising EP that will quickly become a staple in the record bags of deep house heads. 'With You' opens with the sort of gentle, meandering chords that get you daydreaming while the subtle sax lines add some soul to a warm groove. London's Max Sinal of Soul Quest Records remixes with extra drive, then 'Your Love' brings a Terrence Parker-style soul to the EP. Rising Toronto DJ and producer Nicholas Nothing adds a more funky perspective to round out a diverse and delicious EP.

WVLT is the newest sonic addition from WNDFRM (Portland-based, Tim Westcott), an album of eight distinct explorations exploring the many facets of experimental IDM.

Tim Westcott’s practice is rooted in an acute, nearly forensic attention to sound. Subtle tones, sculpted drones, and lean percussive gestures, always pursued with a patient ear and obsession with sound design. 

With previous releases on Prologue, Home Normal, and Dragon’s Eye Recordings, and several live performances at Mutek, a new album from Tim is a rare yet welcome occurrence. The conceptual approach for WVLT began in 2021, mixing synths with drum machines and granular processing. Lightly arced structures slip between gates of rhythm, shifting pulses, translucent washes, and disquieting residue. There’s a precision to the hesitation and an insistence in the space between notes, a deft balance of raw improvisation and sculpted quietude.

An exercise in immediacy and response, each track builds and unspools, like form in fleeting motion, driven by the moment’s tonal contrasts, micro‑rhythmic interplay, and slight gestures that alter entire planes of listening. It’s minimal without sparsity, intense without density.

Building on the subtle beauty of her last album ‘Kassi Valazza Knows Nothing’ (???? The Times, ???? Mojo) ‘Weight Of The Wheel’, the first single off her new album ‘From Newman Street’, evokes feelings of heaviness and confusion with life’s constant cycle. Delivered with what can only be described as exquisite songwriting alongside her unmistakably tender yet warm voice that conjures up thoughts of the likes of Karen Dalton, Joni Mitchell and Sandy Denny with much of the same quiet wisdom.
Kassi Valazza returns with From Newman Street on May 2 via Loose Music. Newman Street refers to the location of a friend's house in Portland where Kassi found shelter and a safe space while navigating change in 2023. Here, she wrote most of the songs for the new record and planned her move to New Orleans, Louisiana. The 10-track set is delivered through a strikingly honest lens as Valazza ponders her willingness to accept change, finding positivity where she can. From Newman Street follows 2023's Kassi Valazza Knows Nothing, which received rave reviews from NPR Music, UNCUT, No Depression, MOJO, The Times, Holler, and more.
‘Weight Of The Wheel’, the first single from the new album, evokes feelings of heaviness and confusion with life’s constant cycle. Delivered with what can only be described as exquisite songwriting alongside her unmistakably tender yet warm voice that conjures up thoughts of the likes of Karen Dalton, Joni Mitchell and Sandy Denny with much of the same quiet wisdom.

It says a lot about the interconnectedness of the global dubwise underground that it took downtime with Bristolian Neek in Portland to spur the link between ZamZam and Feel Free Hi Fi out of the Minneapolis Twin Cities. Once he put us on to them we were hooked- not only by their brilliant music but by their rigorously DIY approach and aesthetic. Heavily inspired by the more esoteric angles of early digi-era JA dancehall and UK dub (Shaka, Disciples, Mixman and Gussie P being some touchstones) the duo create a sound both reverential and unique, steeped in the traditions but striking out hard left into idiosyncratic territory all their own. Releasing all of their works up to this point on their own fantastic Digital Sting label, we’re excited to showcase them on ZamZam.

If ever there were an act that so correctly set out their stall with a well-chosen name, this was it, and its criminal that such an accomplished act has remained barely known until now. From 1975, these are the earliest of the buried-tape revelations in our Albina-Portland series, and also the straight-up funkiest. Both horn-led sides are among the finest discoveries of their ilk, too – tight but fluid, heavy but joyous – utterly splendid joints that would have set the old Deep Funk scene ablaze.

First time ever on 7" 45rpm vinyl, dinked centre hole with picture sleeve, 500 numbered copies only.

Portland's finest practitioners of Great Black Music offering to the planet! All Is Sound could not be a more apt title for this. Through saxophone, cello, piano, and flutes The Cosmic Tones Research Trio created a truly beautiful record. All Is Sound breaks new ground. At its heart, it's healing/meditation music, but the Gospel and Blues roots are in there too...as well as hints of forward-looking Spiritual jazz.

As sincere a record as you could ever hope for. Music is indeed the healing force of the universe. Formed by alto sax player and composer Roman Norfleet, cellist and multi-instrumentalist Harlan Silverman, and pianist Kennedy Verrett—who also plays a wide variety of wind instruments—, The Cosmic Tones Research Trio focuses on healing music. In All is Sound, delicate, profound melodies create peaceful, immersive soundscapes, which the group develops through their combined background in acoustic ecology, sound meditation, mindfulness, and active community involvement.

A noteworthy follow up to Norfleet’s first length with Mississippi Records (the self-titled Roman Norfleet and Be Present Art Group, from 2023), All is Sound offers the chance to engage with songs intended for healing. Following the steps of musicians such as Sun Ra, Alice Coltrane, and Pharoah Sanders, The Cosmic Tones Research Trio delivers music that is both restorative and sonically rich—each tone falling into perfect place, as if by magic. Praise for Roman Norfleet and Be Present Art Group: “A free-flowing suite.” — The Quietus // “Life-affirming music.

The time has arrived for the release of the long awaited EP by LEBA, with the prolific title - Into The Lights.

Carefully and thoughtfully crafted over two years, the legendary record producer of High Power Music, General Lee, teamed up with the magnificent Legends Sly and Robbie, to produce the daughter of legendary Jamaican Icon Toots Hibbert: LEBA.

This LP features 7 songs including a feature from Jamaican Portland deejay Blackout JA, on track "No one loves you like me", which was released in 2021. These songs carry you on a musical journey of time and space, on a dub and reggae background, which soothes the ears of its listeners, and gets them grooving to the bassline of the late Robbie Shakespeare OD and Sly Dunbar OD and Taxi Gang.

The songs paint a picture through conscious words and messages, heavy and spacey instrumentation, recorded & mixed at One Pop Recording Studio Kingston Jamaica by Rorey Baker. An atmosphere that will surely transport its listeners into the calm and relaxing space of reggae and dub music.

Berlin-based truthspeaker returns with a full-length Album with 9 new tracks. With forcefully driven rhythms and mystifying atmospheres, they have made previous appearances on labels such as PUPPY, Post Hoc, Ectopic, and Massive Gain while also playing worldwide, from Berlin’s Berghain to touring the North American underground, making appearances throughout New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Providence, Portland, Richmond, Baltimore, and Nashville. The artist has built a reputation for delivering a transcending, occasionally unpredictable, yet intensely immediate listening experience for the dance floor. Citing previous experience in noise and experimental music, truthspeaker is establishing a functional yet disruptive sound, opening up obscure spaces within the confines of the harder edges of dance music.

We're back with another heavy release for the soundsystems.

This time we welcome Boomarm Nations own Gulls to the label.
Hailing from his dojo in Portland, Oregon, Gulls delivers us a
meditative dub hybrid, combining elements of dub, hip hop and contemporary electronica. The tune is called ''So Blessed'' and is topped by the fine voice of Wayne Daniel outta Kingston, Jamaica.

''So Blessed'' got exactly the vibe you'll need in this challenging time. Keep your head up, feel gifted for what you've got and give something back to the people around you. This tune's backing you up.

If that wasn't enough, the Portland rapper Madgesdiq steps pon the mic for some blazin' bars in his signature conscious style.

Get lost in this wicked production while heading right into the dub version to exceed the border between music and meditation.

To feel the sound through your body and soul, LXC lifted the frequencies again.

Hailing from Normandy (France), YOU SAID STRANGE offer an indie rock sound made up of psych pop-rock, shoegaze and proto-grunge. The band's music is the work of passionate musicians, combining the dazzling power of their instruments and the union of their voices to create a fusion of melancholy and energy. The band recorded their 1st album, Salvation Prayer, in 2018 in Portland (USA), with Peter G. Holmstrom from The Dandy Warhols. Seduced, the iconic Kevin Cole invites them to perform live in the studios of the prestigious KEXP radio, where their next project will emerge. At the end of 2021, Thousand Shadows Vol.1 is released. Then, after defending it on European and American stages, comes its sequel Thousand Shadows Vol.2 in 2023.

"TRADE YOUR SOUL" plunges us into the complex exploration of human relationships, love, trust and disillusionment, addressing several universal themes in an introspective way. This post-rock tale unfolds as a metaphorical journey of spirituality through life's most intense and intimate emotions and experiences.

YOU SAID STRANGE continues to combine abstract and concrete indie rock with psych-rock, post-punk, shoegaze and indus, inviting listeners to reflect ever more deeply. Nevertheless, "TRADE YOUR SOUL" marks a significant milestone for the band, with a more striking musical approach and a number of innovations, while remaining the work of passionate musicians who combine the dazzle of instruments and the union of voices to fuse melancholy and energy.

GRAILS don’t mince words. Awesomely communicative but entirely instrumental, this dynamic band’s violin, guitars, piano, and drums collide with sober melodies and massive emotion. At alternate moments, Grails can sound vaguely classical, Eastern European, Irish, like the lost tapes of Pauline Oliveros, and, you know, rock. They’re not really like anything else on the Neurot roster, but they’ve got something in common with all the Neurot bands: a commitment to intense music that forges new paths and, yeah, communicates in the most real way possible.
Grails have their fair share of ambient noise - shivery violins, a trickle of a high-hat, the amplified scrape of a guitar string - but their music is based on strong, narrative melodies that resonate in the heart. At times it sounds delicate, but they never cower; Grails ROAR, even when they’re being quiet.
The Burden of Hope is the debut LP, following a pair of self-released, eponymous ep’s in 2000 and 2002. The LP is the culmination of a year’s worth of recordings, including a reinterpretation of Sun City Girls’ classic “Space Prophet Dogon.”
Grails are gathered in Portland, Oregon from Baltimore, Little Rock, Louisville, Chapel Hill, and Reno. As an ensemble, their respective backgrounds in hardcore, classical, folk, and rock blend seamlessly. Formed in late 2000 to execute live the bedroom recordings of guitarist Alex Hall, the once-tentatively-assembled group found unexpected success with both audiences and local press. Originally formed under the moniker Laurel Canyon, the name of the group was changed to Grails to coincide with the release of The Burden

Transformation, growth, and rebirth drive Ascent Effort, the latest release from Portland, Oregon trio Rhododendron. The title points upward, but not toward arrival. The record documents a period of change defined as much by instability as progress, where confusion and renewal unfold at the same pace.
Formed in 2019 while the band’s members were still in high school, Rhododendron’s Ezra Chong (guitar, vocals), Gage Walker (bass), and Noah Mortola (drums) set out to push their musical limits without regard for genre boundaries or audience expectation. For Ascent Effort, the band joined the roster of The Flenser, aligning with a label that has long championed artists who work in tension rather than comfort.

In the past seven years the trio has developed a sound rooted in technical precision and repetition. Drawing from the angular experimentation of underground rock in the 1980s and 1990s alongside elements of jazz, ambient, and progressive music, their compositions are deliberate with intensity. Riffs fracture and reform, rhythms lock into patterns only to break apart, and extended passages build pressure before shifting direction.
Performing regularly in Portland, the band has cultivated an intense and loyal local following. The live setting hardened the material. Songs grew heavier, sharper, more physical through repetition and high volume.

The material that became Ascent Effort was tested on tour before entering the studio. Written largely in sequence, the album traces a period of personal change and internal friction. Growth is not always clean; sometimes it grinds forward. Nothing resolves without cost. Confusion and strain do not sit outside the songs, they shape their architecture. That is what the band has accomplished with Ascent Effort, a work that is not always clean but well-shaped by struggle and growth. The Pacific Northwest lingers in the background of the record, its long winters and brief summers echoing the album’s shifts between abrasion and restraint. Ascent Effort does not offer catharsis in the traditional sense. It allows tension to remain. In that unresolved space, transformation takes form and a band in motion is revealed.

Transformation, growth, and rebirth drive Ascent Effort, the latest release from Portland, Oregon trio Rhododendron. The title points upward, but not toward arrival. The record documents a period of change defined as much by instability as progress, where confusion and renewal unfold at the same pace.
Formed in 2019 while the band’s members were still in high school, Rhododendron’s Ezra Chong (guitar, vocals), Gage Walker (bass), and Noah Mortola (drums) set out to push their musical limits without regard for genre boundaries or audience expectation. For Ascent Effort, the band joined the roster of The Flenser, aligning with a label that has long championed artists who work in tension rather than comfort.

In the past seven years the trio has developed a sound rooted in technical precision and repetition. Drawing from the angular experimentation of underground rock in the 1980s and 1990s alongside elements of jazz, ambient, and progressive music, their compositions are deliberate with intensity. Riffs fracture and reform, rhythms lock into patterns only to break apart, and extended passages build pressure before shifting direction.
Performing regularly in Portland, the band has cultivated an intense and loyal local following. The live setting hardened the material. Songs grew heavier, sharper, more physical through repetition and high volume.

The material that became Ascent Effort was tested on tour before entering the studio. Written largely in sequence, the album traces a period of personal change and internal friction. Growth is not always clean; sometimes it grinds forward. Nothing resolves without cost. Confusion and strain do not sit outside the songs, they shape their architecture. That is what the band has accomplished with Ascent Effort, a work that is not always clean but well-shaped by struggle and growth. The Pacific Northwest lingers in the background of the record, its long winters and brief summers echoing the album’s shifts between abrasion and restraint. Ascent Effort does not offer catharsis in the traditional sense. It allows tension to remain. In that unresolved space, transformation takes form and a band in motion is revealed.

Transformation, growth, and rebirth drive Ascent Effort, the latest release from Portland, Oregon trio Rhododendron. The title points upward, but not toward arrival. The record documents a period of change defined as much by instability as progress, where confusion and renewal unfold at the same pace.
Formed in 2019 while the band’s members were still in high school, Rhododendron’s Ezra Chong (guitar, vocals), Gage Walker (bass), and Noah Mortola (drums) set out to push their musical limits without regard for genre boundaries or audience expectation. For Ascent Effort, the band joined the roster of The Flenser, aligning with a label that has long championed artists who work in tension rather than comfort.

In the past seven years the trio has developed a sound rooted in technical precision and repetition. Drawing from the angular experimentation of underground rock in the 1980s and 1990s alongside elements of jazz, ambient, and progressive music, their compositions are deliberate with intensity. Riffs fracture and reform, rhythms lock into patterns only to break apart, and extended passages build pressure before shifting direction.
Performing regularly in Portland, the band has cultivated an intense and loyal local following. The live setting hardened the material. Songs grew heavier, sharper, more physical through repetition and high volume.

The material that became Ascent Effort was tested on tour before entering the studio. Written largely in sequence, the album traces a period of personal change and internal friction. Growth is not always clean; sometimes it grinds forward. Nothing resolves without cost. Confusion and strain do not sit outside the songs, they shape their architecture. That is what the band has accomplished with Ascent Effort, a work that is not always clean but well-shaped by struggle and growth. The Pacific Northwest lingers in the background of the record, its long winters and brief summers echoing the album’s shifts between abrasion and restraint. Ascent Effort does not offer catharsis in the traditional sense. It allows tension to remain. In that unresolved space, transformation takes form and a band in motion is revealed.

Amulets is the solo project of Portland-based audio and visual artist Randall Taylor. Amulets employs handmade cassette tape loops and live processed guitar loops to create live, lush soundscapes and immersive drones. Through the recontextualisation of cassettes, sampling, field recording, and looping, these long-form compositions blur the genres of ambient, drone, noise, and electronic music. Amulets has steadily built a catalog defined by tactile intimacy and patient exploration. Deeply immersive, the album navigates the dreamy boundaries between the tangible and the ethereal, where sound behaves as memory itself: unstable, layered, and quietly transformative. Known for his ability to weave soundscapes that evoke powerful emotions with minimalistic instrumentation, Taylor's newest project is a masterful exploration of mood, atmosphere, and texture.Throughout the ambient soundscapes is introspection, melancholy, and an almost hypnotic calm. The album resists forward motion, instead inviting the listener to linger inside its evolving textures, to sit with what's left behind rather than rush toward resolution. Central to Amulets' identity is Taylor's insistence on working, quite literally, outside the box. While many contemporary experimental artists rely heavily on software, Taylor's process remains rooted in physical interaction with sound. "This album differs from previous albums because it's a lot of found sounds, song fragments, and other samples that I have that I wanted to fuse together. I also heavily relied on a lot of ambient guitar and live guitar recording to marry all the sounds together." (Randall Taylor) FOR FANS OF Tim Hecker * Ben Frost * Lawrence English * Alessandro Cortini * This Will Destroy You * Mono * Windy & Carl The single colour edition comes as Lavender vinyl!

Redux, an ambient-folk album from Portland, Oregon musician, poet, and multimedia artist Dao Strom, is a collection of nine resurrected pieces. Reimagining songs she initially composed as a member of the Austin, Texas alt-country and singer-songwriter scenes of the early 2000s, Strom reworks these lost songs into ambient-folk mini-epics—part grounded and earthly, part ethereal and otherworldly. Drawing on an intimate yet spacious palette of folk, ambient, and experimental textures, woven through with a poetics of vulnerability and quiet emotion, Redux explores song as gently reverberant fields of layered vocals over finger-picked guitars with touches of electronics and sampling. Strom’s musical journey initially began in a roots and acoustic vein, simultaneously with her career as a fiction writer. In the years since, she has moved from Austin, Texas to Juneau, Alaska to Portland, Oregon; her work too has expanded across genres into more experimental formats of poetry, music, and multidisciplinary art. In returning to these earlier songs, Strom reclaims and revives them, exploring her relationships to time, voice, and the continuances of emotion and memory. The word redux means “brought back; revived”; a sense of something restored—earlier renditions of some of the Redux songs were recorded with Austin-based collaborators and producers; some songs were written in that time period but never recorded. Produced, performed, and recorded by Strom alone in her home studio, Redux is a return and reemergence of the artist to her own most personal, intuitive structures and atmospheres of voice, sound, and song. Released on cassette by Antiquated Future Records, and reissued on vinyl in 2026 by Disasters By Choice.

Dao Strom is an artist who works with three “voices”—written, sung, visual—to explore hybridity and contemplate the intersection of personal and collective histories. Her music releases move between “song-poem” cycles and ambient-folk albums. She is the author/composer of several hybrid projects that blend poetry, music, and visual art into unique multimodal experiences, including Tender Revolutions/Yellow Songs, a song-cycle with set of four chapbooks, jointly released by Beacon Sound, Antiquated Future Records, and The 3rd Thing Press (2025), and Instrument/Traveler’s Ode, a poetry-art collection and song-cycle released by Fonograf Editions and Antiquated Future Records (2020). Born in Vietnam and based in Portland, Oregon, Strom began her musical journey in the early 2000s, when she first began infusing into the context of “Americana” folk/roots music her own diasporic Vietnamese experience and stories. Her music has since moved in more experimental directions, resisting easy categorization, yet still maintaining tendrils of folk ethos. She also writes songs about the ineffable nuances of emotion, memory, and connection, as captured on the album, Redux, which gathers songs from across her songwriting years into an ambient-folk setting, self-produced and recorded by Strom, released on cassette in 2022 by Antiquated Future Records, and reissued on vinyl in 2026 by Disasters By Choice. As a multidisciplinary artist, Strom has presented performance and installations at venues such as the Time Based Art Festival (Portland Institute for Contemporary Art) and Moving Poets Novilla in Berlin, Germany, and has received awards from the Creative Capital Foundation, Spark Artist Award, and others. Strom is also a founding member of She Who Has No Master(s), a collective of Vietnamese women writers and artists making polyvocal poetry-art works as a means of reaching across borders.

Kicking off the collection, we have POISON IDEA performing their first ever gig as a high-velocity punk band on New Years Eve 1980 – truly an incredible find. “We put our gear in shopping carts and pushed it to the venue” Jerry recalls as well as the reaction from Portland’s first wave of hardcore kids, “They only had 30 seconds in a song to throw each other around and pogo, so they’d go for it. It came naturally, like the music possessed them”. The embryonic versions presented here of future POISON IDEA classics like “Give It Up” and “Castration” are played in a more quirky and herky-jerky manner than how they would appear three years later on their debut seven-inch EP, Pick Your King. This recording also holds the most unfiltered display of Germs vocalist Darby Crash’s influence on Jerry. “His voice gave me the license to go” states Jerry. “You didn’t have to be a trained singer. Just open up your soul and scream”.

The remainder of this release is culled from a recording done in June of 1981 at a birthday party for Kim Kincaid, vocalist for local punk group, Neo Boys. The event was held at the short-lived but groundbreaking punk venue for Portland, Clockwork Joe’s. “Clockwork Joe’s was like Peter Pan’s island of lost boys” Lang recollects, “There was a lot of booze, a lot of drugs and a lot of young kids”. Hearing this ferocious, tightly-wound set, one can only imagine the sweaty debauchery that occurred that night, especially during the pounding rendition of “Underage” presented here, yet another future Pick Your King track.

Als Blackwater Holylight vor drei Jahren ihre Heimatstadt Portland, Oregon, verließen, war es ihr Ziel, der Tristesse des pazifischen Nordwestens und dem beruhigenden Komfort des Vertrauten zu entfliehen. Mit dem Ziel, das sonnigere Klima von Los Angeles zu genießen, fand sich die Band nicht nur in einer wärmeren Umgebung wieder, sondern auch in einer völlig neuen Landschaft - einer ohne Arbeitsplätze, langjährige Freundeskreise und die bequeme Zuflucht alter Gewohnheiten. Und genau hier, unbelastet von der Zufriedenheit der Sicherheit, begann Blackwater Holylight fleißig an ihrem vierten Album ,Not Here Not Gone" zu arbeiten. Wie schon ihre früheren Werke beschäftigt sich ,Not Here Not Gone" mit der Dualität von Licht und Dunkelheit - bedrohliche Riffs bilden das Fundament für betörende Melodien, dichte Wände aus Shoegaze-Gitarren paaren sich mit luftig-leichten Synthesizern, und schwere Themen werden durch sirenenhafte Gesänge vermittelt. Im Laufe des Albums verspürt der Zuhörer mal ein Gefühl der Stärke, mal ein Gefühl der Verletzlichkeit. Wie Schlagzeugerin Eliese Dorsay es beschreibt: ,In einigen Songs sind wir die Raubtiere, in anderen die Beute." Die Gegenüberstellung von Selbstvertrauen und Unsicherheit ist nirgendwo so deutlich zu spüren wie bei einer lebensverändernden Entscheidung, was vielleicht erklärt, warum der Umzug der Band ihr Studium der Kontraste auf ,Not Here Not Gone" zu neuen Höhenflügen intensiviert hat . ,Not Here Not Gone" wurde im Sonic Ranch außerhalb von El Paso, Texas, von Sonny Diperri (Narrow Head, DIIV, Emma Ruth Rundle) aufgenommen, wodurch die Band erneut ihre Komfortzone verlassen und sich an einem Ort isolieren konnte, an dem sie sich ausschließlich auf ihre Kunst konzentrieren konnte. Das Ergebnis ist das Kronjuwel von Blackwater Holylights Diskografie - eine reichhaltige und eindringliche Studie in tonalen Hell-Dunkel-Kontrasten, in der das Licht seinen Weg aus den Schatten findet.

The classic Portland punk of POISON IDEA still destroys. This sophomore release from the band captures a POISON IDEA that’s matured from the straight beatdown thrash of Pick Your King and is in the process of turning into the polished unit that would produce Kings of Punk, and it rules. This is what you’ve been waiting for. This band deals out the goods with frenetic, hammering madness and rabid intensity thrash-style compositions. This reissue pairs the original eight tracks from the EP with five more from the "Drinking is Great" and "Cleanse the Bacteria" compilations, including a cover of the STOOGES “I Got a Right,” and its humblebrag cover artwork remains intact

Dry Socket is a politically charged hardcore band from Portland, Oregon, known for blistering performances and emotionally uncompromising songwriting. Rooted in the raw aggression of classic hardcore, their sound channels the urgency of early Ceremony, G.L.O.S.S., and Negative Approach while carving out a distinctly modern, inclusive space within the genre, one where anger, grief, and survival are not just themes, but lived realities.

Their music confronts systems of violence, coercion, and control with unflinching honesty, creating room to be unapologetically furious, vulnerable, and alive at the same time. Every riff lands like a strike; every lyric feels torn from experience rather than abstraction.

Since forming, Dry Socket has toured extensively across the U.S., Europe, and Mexico, sharing stages with Gorilla Biscuits, The Hope Conspiracy, Torso, and more.

Their latest record, Self Defense Techniques, centers on survival under constant pressure. Inspired by the practice of dehorning rhinos to protect them from poachers, removing a vital part of the animal in order to keep it alive, the album examines the compromises people are forced to make to endure a hostile world. Horns are tools for protection, communication, care, and identity. To survive, so many of us are taught to remove our own.

Across the record, Dry Socket interrogates life inside systems that demand silence, obedience, and self-erasure. Songs wrestle with exhaustion, spiritual betrayal, and economic violence, oscillating between fury and grief. Self Defense Techniques isn’t about triumph, it’s about endurance, documenting the cost of staying alive while refusing the lie that softness is weakness or that silence is peace

Highlights include more terrific songs from the Plague and Lexington Avenue, bands whose members would be better known when they created the Jarvis Street Revue. Twelve tough tracks by the Checkerlads, White Knights, Tomorrow's Keepsake, NRG, and Solid Reputation . The Gaiety roster was rich in talent (the 49th Parallel, Jarvis Street Review, and Souls of Inspyration, not to mention the Checkerlads, White Knights, Dewline, Tomorrow's Keepsake, NRG, Merriday Park, and Portland Street South) -- but it was not rich in resources, which is why these singles are as relatively unknown as they are even today

Amulets is the solo project of Portland-based audio and visual artist Randall Taylor. Amulets employs handmade cassette tape loops and live processed guitar loops to create live, lush soundscapes and immersive drones. Through the recontextualisation of cassettes, sampling, field recording, and looping, these long-form compositions blur the genres of ambient, drone, noise, and electronic music. Amulets has steadily built a catalog defined by tactile intimacy and patient exploration. Deeply immersive, the album navigates the dreamy boundaries between the tangible and the ethereal, where sound behaves as memory itself: unstable, layered, and quietly transformative. Known for his ability to weave soundscapes that evoke powerful emotions with minimalistic instrumentation, Taylor's newest project is a masterful exploration of mood, atmosphere, and texture.Throughout the ambient soundscapes is introspection, melancholy, and an almost hypnotic calm. The album resists forward motion, instead inviting the listener to linger inside its evolving textures, to sit with what's left behind rather than rush toward resolution. Central to Amulets' identity is Taylor's insistence on working, quite literally, outside the box. While many contemporary experimental artists rely heavily on software, Taylor's process remains rooted in physical interaction with sound. "This album differs from previous albums because it's a lot of found sounds, song fragments, and other samples that I have that I wanted to fuse together. I also heavily relied on a lot of ambient guitar and live guitar recording to marry all the sounds together." (Randall Taylor) FOR FANS OF Tim Hecker * Ben Frost * Lawrence English * Alessandro Cortini * This Will Destroy You * Mono * Windy & Carl

Antivenom is the fourth album from Portland melancholic dark alternative trio Darkswoon, refining their blend of darkwave, post-punk, and shoegaze into a focused and emotionally charged statement.

Built on a hardware-driven electronic foundation, the album pairs cold mechanical textures with an intimate human core, carrying Jana Cushman’s ethereally soaring vocals as they con-front themes of loss, anxiety, fear, and inequality with unflinching honesty. Norah Lynn’s melodic, gritty bass lines weave through Rachel Ellis’ propulsive rhythms, while Cushman’s guitar creates a dense sonic web that occasionally drifts into more expansive shoegaze territory.

Cohesive yet urgent, Antivenom unfolds as an atmospheric whole filled with cautionary messages and the weight of words left unsaid, capturing a band confident in its evo-lution and singular voice within the dark alternative landscape

VOLUMES: ONE startet eine neue Archivreihe mit Live-Shows, Demos, unveröffentlichten Aufnahmen und anderem bisher unbekannten Material, das die vielen Epochen und Facetten von Bon Iver zeigt. VOLUMES: ONE "SELECTIONS FROM MUSIC CONCERTS 2019-2023 BON IVER 6 PIECE BAND" ist die erste Folge und vereint 10 Auftritte, die Bon Iver von ihrer wildesten, wärmsten und kraftvollsten Seite zeigen. "Diese 10 Songs sind so etwas wie ,Hier, wenn du Bon Iver noch nie gehört hast oder wenn du es gehört hast und es dir nicht gefallen hat, könnte das hier was für dich sein.' Das ist das, was wir geworden sind. Das ist wirklich unser Bestes. Das ist es", sagt Justin Vernon, der 2020 mit der Arbeit an VOLUMES: ONE begann und Dutzende von Stunden Live-Aufnahmen durchforstete, um die ultimative Trackliste zusammenzustellen. VOLUMES: ONE "SELECTIONS FROM MUSIC CONCERTS 2019-2023 BON IVER 6 PIECE BAND" ist das erste Nicht-Studioalbum von Bon Iver, aber es ist mehr als nur eine Compilation oder ein Live-Album. Die Bandmitglieder Andrew Fitzpatrick, Jenn Wasner, Justin Vernon, Matthew McCaughan, Michael Lewis und Sean Carey sind eine eigene Einheit. Gemeinsam liefern sie sowohl für Neulinge als auch für eingefleischte Fans die definitiven Versionen dieser Songs und lassen die Tracks durch die essentielle Live-Technik von Xandy Whitesel in ihrer reichhaltigsten Form explodieren. Aufgenommen zwischen 2019 und 2023, als Bon Iver ihr bisher letztes Live-Konzert gaben, hebt VOLUMES: ONE die Musik von "22, A Million" aus dem Jahr 2016 und "i,i" aus dem Jahr 2019 hervor, ergänzt durch drei wichtige Stücke. Der COVID-Hymnus "P.D.L.I.F." steht für eine neue Phase von Bon Iver; ein Cover von Mahalia Jacksons "A SATISFIED MIND" erinnert an die frühen Tage von DeYarmond Edison, als Vernon während privater Bandproben sein Falsett entdeckte; und nun endlich kehrt mit "HEAVENLY FATHER" ein beliebter Fan-Favorit zurück. Die berauschende, introvertierte und innovative Seite von Bon Iver, die die Studioalben ausmacht, kann ohne die Live-Band nicht existieren, und VOLUMES: ONE ist wie eine Zeitkapsel - ein prismatischer Blick auf einen alten Freund, der zeigt, wer sie waren und wer sie sind, all das Gute, zu dem sie fähig sind, aber manchmal vielleicht zu schüchtern sind, um es zu zeigen.

Portland-based krautrock band Motrik formed in 2013, its four members united by a pledge to modernize their beloved genre. Sharing a passion for pioneers like Can, Kraftwerk, and Trad Gras Och Stenar, the group has demonstrated its ability to deliver over a series of EPs and albums, most recently 2020's acclaimed Artificial Head. As they continue to experiment by incorporating additional influences ranging from funk and jazz to psych and prog Motrik's third full-length, a double LP titled MOON: The Cosmic Electrics of MOTRIK, is a further continuation in the story of an historic genre befitting of the album's cosmic artwork.

Motrik boldly takes full advantage of the space that four sides of vinyl allow on this latest offering. The middle of the album features two long suites that feel typical of the groups dynamic live performances, which frequently feature fog cannons, lasers, and other prop homages to Kraftwerk and company. The 13-minute "Stabilize" emerges from a haze of synth pulses and guitar tones, settling into a steady NEU!-like chug that swells and recedes like an ecstatic wave. On "Space Elevator", the motorik drive from which the band take their name evolves into an insinuating and sensual disco-like throb before the perfect proggy comedown in the final minute.

The Portland, ME trio returns with Feels Like Hell, their most self-assured and emotionally charged record yet. Despite the title, the album is a celebration of personal growth, creative freedom, and defiant joy in the face of a chaotic world.

Coming off the burnout and frustration captured in their 2021 album Quitter, Feels Like Hell finds Sonia Sturino (vocals/guitar), Annie Hoffman (bass/vocals), and Adam Hand (drums) leaning into clarity, gratitude, and renewed purpose. Sturino’s lyrics are as raw and honest as ever, but now they reflect strength rather than despair. It’s an album that drags existential dread into the daylight and sets it on fire.

“I decided to stop being such a sad-sap negative person,” Sturino says. “Now I practice being grateful, being proud, being happy, and not being envious.” That mindset shift shapes the tone of Feels Like Hell, which looks at darkness but chooses not to be consumed by it.

The record also marks the band’s first foray into co-writing, with Hoffman playing a significant role in shaping its sound. Embracing a more intuitive recording process, the trio stripped back the excess and focused on what felt right. The result is a record that’s resilient, cathartic, and brimming with creative energy.

While the world may still feel like it’s falling apart, Feels Like Hell pulses with the power of letting go. Letting go of fear, of perfectionism, of the illusion that vulnerability is weakness. With driving guitars, unflinching lyrics, and a renewed sense of purpose, Weakened Friends prove that it’s possible to stand in the wreckage and still find something worth singing about.

Rami Gabriels zweites Album ,Tunderizer" bringt den harten Experimentalismus des Post-Punk-Industrial in die gemütliche Atmosphäre von zu Hause. Wie Schatten, die durch Spiegel huschen, verdeckt ein Mix aus Lo-Fi-Noise-Art und Feldaufnahmen das super abgestimmte Songwriting. ,Tunderizer" rockt in allen Bereichen, von mitreißenden Melodien bis hin zu dekonstruktivem Rauschen, von Country bis Tarab, von Skronk bis Delta Blues. Der in Beirut geborene Rami Gabriel ist Komponist und Songwriter und spielt Oud, Buzuq und Gitarre. Er lernte Blues und Jazz, indem er mit legendären Musikern aus Chicago auftrat und diese Musikstile mit arabischen Traditionen verband. Rami tritt häufig in Nordamerika und international auf, unter anderem in Europa, Indien, der Türkei, dem Libanon und Ghana. Kürzlich spielte er beim Portland Jazz Festival, dem NYC Arab Festival und dem Festival International De Louisiane. Rami leitet die in Chicago beliebten Bands The Arab Blues und das R&B-Quartett Rami & the Reliables. Er stand schon mit Größen wie Buddy Guy, Zakir Hussein, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyers und Rakesh Chaurasia auf der Bühne. Er war Vorband für den britischen Songwriter Nick Lowe und nimmt regelmäßig mit Mitgliedern der amerikanischen Rocklegenden NRBQ auf. Außerdem stand er schon mit Prostitute, Marvin Tate und anderen Punk- und Noise-Künstlern auf der Bühne. Seine Musik wurde von experimentellen Künstlern wie Fire-Toolz, Beau Wanzer, Sen Morimoto, Lynyn, k-rAd und Alex Hall von Reliable Recorders aus Chicago remixt.

Sub Pop und Wolf Parade bringen eine neue Pressung ihres legendären Albums ,Apologies to the Queen Mary" auf pinkfarbenem Vinyl raus. Diese Ausgabe lässt das lange vergriffene Album wieder in seinem ursprünglichen Single-LP-Format erscheinen, kurz nachdem die TV-Serie ,Heated Rivalry" in 2025 die Single ,I'll Believe in Anything" aus dem Album einem riesigen neuen Publikum vorgestellt hat, wodurch der Song zu einem echten Viral-Hit wurde. Wolf Parade wurde 2003 in Montreal, Quebec, gegründet. Nach zwei selbstbetitelten EPs veröffentlichte die Band - Hadji Bakara (Elektronik), Dan Boeckner (Gitarre, Gesang), Spencer Krug (Keyboard, Gesang) und Arlen Thompson (Schlagzeug) - im September 2005 ,Apologies to the Queen Mary", das auf breite Zustimmung stieß. Das Album wurde von Modest Mouse-Frontmann Isaac Brock und Toningenieur Chris Chandler bei Audible Alchemy in Portland, Oregon, aufgenommen. ,Apologies to the Queen Mary" stürmt mit voller Kraft und atemlos durch Songs, die in den ersten Jahren der Band Wolf Parade geschrieben wurden. Die eingängige, energiegeladene Dringlichkeit des Albums machte sie sofort zu einer der prägenden Kräfte des Indie-Rock der 2000er Jahre. Es wurde 2006 für den renommierten kanadischen Polaris Music Prize nominiert; The Guardian schwärmte: ,insgesamt großartig"; Pitchfork gab ihm eine Bewertung von 9,2 und meinte: ,Das wahre Talent von Wolf Parade besteht darin, das Alltägliche in etwas Beispielloses zu verwandeln." Später schloss sich Pitchfork dem Chor der Kritiker an, die es zu den besten Alben der 2000er Jahre zählten. Zwei Jahrzehnte später hat "Apologies to the Queen Mary" nichts von seiner Lebendigkeit eingebüßt und gewinnt weiterhin neue Generationen von Fans für sich.

Repress on neon magenta vinyl, limited to 200 copies. Portland, Oregon based quartet Hippie Death Cult present their sophomore album "Circle Of Days". An album that serves as a musical bridge to their critically acclaimed debut "111", while being a fresh exploration of sound and vision. "Circle Of Days" is a pensive reflection of frustration and hope, experienced as we evolve from the confinements of self indulgence and into a more altruistic mindset. Listeners new to HDC can expect to hear a band that feels familiar yet also unique. Hippie Death Cult are a group with their own musical identity. One that manages to be influenced by great rock and metal bands of the past while not becoming a blueprint of them.

Scupltures is composer and pianist Derek Hunter Wilson’s third solo album, an ode to the ancient and contested shorelines of the Pacific Northwest. Deeply embedded in place, the six longform pieces that make up the album reflect the artist’s journey through grief (including losing his father) and the passage of time, each one built upon loops created from extended sessions with harpist Joshua Ward. Like the foggy, moss-encrusted locations that inspired the album, Sculptures has a timeless feel to it, shadowed by the rumblings of a colonial system in decay.

Award-winning poet Mathias Svalina composed a poem for the album, entitled “A Dream for Sculptures”. It is reproduced on an insert that accompanies each LP.

Derek Hunter Wilson is a composer and multi-instrumentalist based in Portland. He has released two solo albums on Beacon Sound (Travelogue, 2017; Steel, Wood, & Air, 2019), as well as a collaborative album with Location Services entitled Wake (2022). In 2018 he collaborated with visual artist Gregory Euclide for his Thesis Project label, resulting in a split 10" with Spanish musician Rauelsson. He has additionally worked with poets Zachary Schomburg and Brandi Katherine Herrera for several sound and performance pieces, and has performed live on the West Coast and in Berlin, sharing the stage with artists such as Colleen, Amulets, Patricia Wolf, Pulse Emitter, and Liima.

Heavenly return! As fiercely independent as any punk band, but as sweetly melodic as any chart-topping act, Heavenly combine sharp-edged lyrics with shamelessly joyful pop music. The band comprises original members Amelia Fletcher, Peter Momtchiloff, Cathy Rogers and Rob Pursey, who are now joined on drums by Ian Button. An important element of the Heavenly story was the loss of Mathew Fletcher, who took his own life just before the fourth album was released. It took Amelia, Peter, Cathy and Rob a long time to get over the loss; maybe it took even longer to find a drummer as good as Ian. 'Highway To Heavenly' shares its musical recipe with the band's first four albums, all of which were released in the 1990s at a time when sensitive indie types in the UK were sheltering from the prevailing macho-rock storm under the Sarah Records umbrella, and when women in the US were starting to find their Riot Grrrl voices in the small town of Olympia, where labels like K and Kill Rock Stars were designing a new creative space. The new songs are full of anger, of grief, of empathy, of love, and set themselves in opposition to the resurgence of the cold 'masculine energy' that is making the world a miserable, aggressive place today. It's all pop here, but Highway To Heavenly has a huge range of tones and moods. Heavenly have recently enjoyed a huge resurgence of interest from a younger generation of fans, who have cottoned on to Heavenly's music, but also embraced the band's inclusive version of feminism. The new Heavenly have played a number of sell-out shows in the past couple of years, where older fans have mingled with new devotees. Still our love is Heavenly!

Recorded on a packed night at Portland’s beloved haunt The Showdown, this live album captures Jeffrey Martin at his most raw and spellbinding. Although technically a live recording, the album possesses the same fidelity as his studio work, utilising the same stripped-back techniques that allow him to captivate any audience. This performance captures the full power of Jeffrey’s live presence - complete with his remarkable storytelling, both in and between songs - and firmly places him among the most compelling American singer-songwriters of today.

LIMITED EDITION (500 COPIES) 20TH ANNIVERSARY REMASTER, AVAILABLE ON VINYL (2LP) FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST TWO DECADES. HOUSED IN GORGEOUS GLOSSY GATEFOLD SLEEVE AND PRESSED ON RED & ORANGE VINYL TO COMPLIMENT THE ARTWORK
City Calls Revolution is our second full-length album, created as we absorbed the new wave revival and math rock movements that emerged in the early to mid-2000s, while simultaneously reconstructing elements of classic progressive rock, hard rock, and experimental music in our own way.
The album strongly reflects the attitude we cultivated as a live band—deeply influenced by the American and Japanese bands we shared stages with at the time—and embodies the punk spirit that shaped us.

Recorded and mixed in March 2005 at Headgear Studio in Brooklyn, New York, by Paul Mahajan (known for his work with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, and others), the album was originally released in May of the same year on both LP and CD by Beta-lactam Ring Records, then based in Portland, Oregon. Long out of print, it now returns two decades later as a newly remastered edition to be released by Riot Season Records in the UK.

In 2026, GREEN MILK FROM THE PLANET ORANGE celebrates its 25th anniversary—and also marks 10 years since Damo joined as our current bassist. It is a joy and an honor to have this album, filled with songs we still play live today, reissued in such a milestone year.

Starting January 2026, we will bring this LP on tour across 27 shows in 11 European countries, including the UK. We look forward to seeing all of you at the venues.
/// 2026 Winter European Tour ///

Portland, Oregon dark rock trio HOAXED return with their stunning new album Death Knocks. Three years in the making, the group—featuring vocalist/guitarist Kat Keo, drummer Kim Coffel, and new bassist/vocalist April Dimmick—have honed their stygian craft to perfection. "We've added another element to the writing and collaboration process," says the band. "April comes from a classic heavy metal background, and her influence is in these songs. We've also had experiences on tour that have helped shape these songs. You can hear influence from the bands we toured with and learned from. We played together for three years as we wrote this album, and we learned a lot about our styles, and our sound evolved naturally together on stage. So, when we sat down to write this album, it didn't feel like a departure or a change." Anchored by the witchy spell of opener "Where the Seas Fall Silent," the rock-hardened groove of "Kill Switch," and the dimly lit power pop of "The Family," HOAXED upped the tempo, sawed the edges (Dimmick's raspy menace intimidates), and strengthened their ties to the golden gods of heavy metal. Indeed, cyclical riffs, dynamic rhythms, and bottom-heavy bass propel Death Knocks through its filmic, hard-nosed gloom, but Keo's sorcerous vocal hooks seal the deal. Often smartly paired with Dimmick's angels' n' demons, her performance effuses fragility and potency across the album's alluring expanse. HOAXED recorded Death Knocks at Falcon Recording Studios with producer/engineer Gabe Johnston (Unto Others, Vintersea) and enlisted Arthur Rizk (Power Trip, Kreator, and more,) for mixing and mastering. In total, the group spent eight days in February and March tracking Death Knocks. While most bands spend months ironing their metallic mettle, Hoaxed's expeditious time at Falcon engendered a polished, big-sounding force befitting their larger-than-life songs. Short: Portland, Oregon dark rock trio HOAXED return with their stunning new album Death Knocks. Three years in the making, the group—featuring vocalist/guitarist Kat Keo, drummer Kim Coffel, and new bassist/vocalist April Dimmick—have honed their stygian craft to perfection. FFO: Ghost, Tribulation, Bloody Hammers, Khemmis, Unto Others, GGGOLDDD, Katatonia. Pallbearer

Just as the traditions of great folk-country songwriting come around again to newfound popularity via Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, Sierra Ferrell and other practitioners, Barsuk releases a 20th-anniversary pressing of Rocky Votolato’s brilliant and beloved album Makers. Featuring “White Daisy Passing,” “Portland Is Leaving,” “Tinfoil Hats,” “She Was Only In It For The Rain” and 8 more indie classics, the release is packaged in a gatefold jacket with updated artwork, a lyric insert and a beautiful multicolored black & blue with white splatter vinyl pressing. Download code features the full album and 10 bonus tracks: the 3-song End Like This EP plus 7 previously-unreleased tracks including 4 demos, 2 never-before-heard outtakes, and a heartbreaking cover of Jeff Buckley’s “Lover, You Should've Come Over"

LP, Green Slime Vinyl

The Portland, ME trio returns with Feels Like Hell, their most self-assured and emotionally charged record yet. Despite the title, the album is a celebration of personal growth, creative freedom, and defiant joy in the face of a chaotic world.

Coming off the burnout and frustration captured in their 2021 album Quitter, Feels Like Hell finds Sonia Sturino (vocals/guitar), Annie Hoffman (bass/vocals), and Adam Hand (drums) leaning into clarity, gratitude, and renewed purpose. Sturino’s lyrics are as raw and honest as ever, but now they reflect strength rather than despair. It’s an album that drags existential dread into the daylight and sets it on fire.

“I decided to stop being such a sad-sap negative person,” Sturino says. “Now I practice being grateful, being proud, being happy, and not being envious.” That mindset shift shapes the tone of Feels Like Hell, which looks at darkness but chooses not to be consumed by it.

The record also marks the band’s first foray into co-writing, with Hoffman playing a significant role in shaping its sound. Embracing a more intuitive recording process, the trio stripped back the excess and focused on what felt right. The result is a record that’s resilient, cathartic, and brimming with creative energy.

While the world may still feel like it’s falling apart, Feels Like Hell pulses with the power of letting go. Letting go of fear, of perfectionism, of the illusion that vulnerability is weakness. With driving guitars, unflinching lyrics, and a renewed sense of purpose, Weakened Friends prove that it’s possible to stand in the wreckage and still find something worth singing about.

Als Blackwater Holylight vor drei Jahren ihre Heimatstadt Portland, Oregon, verließen, war es ihr Ziel, der Tristesse des pazifischen Nordwestens und dem beruhigenden Komfort des Vertrauten zu entfliehen. Mit dem Ziel, das sonnigere Klima von Los Angeles zu genießen, fand sich die Band nicht nur in einer wärmeren Umgebung wieder, sondern auch in einer völlig neuen Landschaft - einer ohne Arbeitsplätze, langjährige Freundeskreise und die bequeme Zuflucht alter Gewohnheiten. Und genau hier, unbelastet von der Zufriedenheit der Sicherheit, begann Blackwater Holylight fleißig an ihrem vierten Album ,Not Here Not Gone" zu arbeiten. Wie schon ihre früheren Werke beschäftigt sich ,Not Here Not Gone" mit der Dualität von Licht und Dunkelheit - bedrohliche Riffs bilden das Fundament für betörende Melodien, dichte Wände aus Shoegaze-Gitarren paaren sich mit luftig-leichten Synthesizern, und schwere Themen werden durch sirenenhafte Gesänge vermittelt. Im Laufe des Albums verspürt der Zuhörer mal ein Gefühl der Stärke, mal ein Gefühl der Verletzlichkeit. Wie Schlagzeugerin Eliese Dorsay es beschreibt: ,In einigen Songs sind wir die Raubtiere, in anderen die Beute." Die Gegenüberstellung von Selbstvertrauen und Unsicherheit ist nirgendwo so deutlich zu spüren wie bei einer lebensverändernden Entscheidung, was vielleicht erklärt, warum der Umzug der Band ihr Studium der Kontraste auf ,Not Here Not Gone" zu neuen Höhenflügen intensiviert hat . ,Not Here Not Gone" wurde im Sonic Ranch außerhalb von El Paso, Texas, von Sonny Diperri (Narrow Head, DIIV, Emma Ruth Rundle) aufgenommen, wodurch die Band erneut ihre Komfortzone verlassen und sich an einem Ort isolieren konnte, an dem sie sich ausschließlich auf ihre Kunst konzentrieren konnte. Das Ergebnis ist das Kronjuwel von Blackwater Holylights Diskografie - eine reichhaltige und eindringliche Studie in tonalen Hell-Dunkel-Kontrasten, in der das Licht seinen Weg aus den Schatten findet.

Barry Walker Jr. is a pedal steel player and guitarist whose roots in Americana, Country and Folk traditions influence his melding of minimalism, ambient and spiritual music. The Portland-based instrumentalist is also a member of the Rose City Band, known for his gorgeous phrasing and deft interplay with guitarist Ripley Johnson. On Paleo Sol, Walker demonstrates his singular voice as a pedal steel player and composer. Evoking the American western ranges and basins, the album embodies a longer, geologic view of time that patiently marvels at the ripples of change throughout lifetimes and ages. Walker is joined on Paleo Sol by drummer Rob Smith (Rhytion, Pigeons) and bassist and Mouth Painter bandmate Jason Willmon (Fruited Planes). Paleo Sol"s tranquil landscapes glide, built on warm finger-picked guitar figures and pedal steel swells coupled with deft percussion and bass touches by Smith and Willmon respectively. The trio plays with exceptional fluidity either completing each others phrasing or working together to build momentum. Smith notes: "The drums are not keeping time as much as evidencing its elasticity, mixing into the other instruments, changing phase states." Every gesture on the album is rich with intention, moving with grace and playing with timbre and time.

Searows—aka Pacific Northwest singer-songwriter and guitarist Alec Duckart—is pleased to announce his new album Death in the Business of Whaling, set for release on Friday 23rd January 2026 via Last Recordings On Earth. Though Death in the Business of Whaling arrives as Searows’ second album, it’s the product of many firsts, including his first time recording outside the creative cocoon of his bedroom. His 2022 debut Guard Dog was written, recorded and self-produced in Duckart’s Portland home and independently released with little expectation as to how it would be received. The music soon found a passionate audience that were already sharing snippets of Duckart’s music via communities on TikTok and received co-signs from prominent artists such as Ethel Cain and Gracie Abrams, both of whom he went on to support on tour.

NEW VERSION ON WHITE VINYL! After turning heads with the relentless 2024 EP Råtner på rot, Jordsjuk are back with their full-length debut: Naglet til livet (translates to 'Nailed to life'). Across twelve tracks and 36 minutes, the band delivers a visceral strike of raw, uncompromising metal - free of gloss, gimmicks and nonsense. Naglet til livet is a kaleidoscope of destruction, decay, and ugliness, the band states. From the thrash-fueled chaos of "Grovt skadeverk" and the suffocating aggression of "Parasitt", to the punk-driven decay of "Rennestein" and the gloomy introspectiveness of "Svikter den neste", this is the sound of filth, concrete, ruin, and rage. Twelve tracks of in-your-face, riff-driven and organic metal. Jordsjuk consists of Renton (drums), Mannevond (vocals), Sagstad (guitars), and Larsen (bass) - seasoned musicians from the Norwegian underground. Their sound sits somewhere between black, death, thrash, punk, and rock, forging a sonic identity as raw as it is deliberate. The lyrics, written in Norwegian, dive into personal collapse, trauma, and apocalyptic despair, delivered with uncompromising honesty. Drums were recorded at PhatCat Studios (Rygge, Norway), with the rest captured at various locations in Oslo. Mixing was handled by Kurt Ballou (Converge) at God City Studios (Salem, MA), while Brad Boatright took care of mastering at Audiosiege Studio (Portland, OR). The result is exactly what it needs to be: dirty, sharp, and heavy. Jordsjuk is necro music for necro times, says the band, and after hearing Naglet til livet, it's hard to disagree. The band were booked to by:Larm festival and Midgardsblot in 2025, and it's on stage that their sonic violence truly takes over. For those who've seen them live, expectations are high. For everyone else - prepare to be run over.

Fuzzy Blanket Recordings out of Portland returns with a mesmerizing Various Artists EP, weaving together four deep excursions into house and dub-infused atmospheres. Each track unfolds like a story - warm, textured, and deeply hypnotic. From glowing deep house grooves to magical, dub-touched explorations, this collection captures the label’s unique spirit: intimate, timeless, and endlessly inviting. A record made for dreamers and dancers alike.

Der Erfolg von Pavement mit ihrer ausverkauften Reunion-Tour, den goldenen Schallplatten oder jüngst dem von der Kritik gefeierten "Pavements"-Film ist ein Beweis für ihr großes Erbe, welches bis heute junge Newcomer-Bands beeinflusst. Obwohl sie in ihrer ursprünglichen Zeit von 1989 bis 1999 zu einer der einflussreichsten amerikanischen Indie-Rock-Bands wurden, erreichten sie nie den Mainstream-Erfolg anderer Kollegen dieser Zeit. Ihr Lo-Fi-Stil und die oft ironischen, abstrakten Texte haben allerdings eine treue Fangemeinde aufgebaut. Wie seltsam bahnbrechend diese wunderbar verspulte wie verspielte Band ist, wurde einem gerade erst jüngst wieder im Kino durch den Film "Pavements" bewusst, dessen Soundtrack jetzt auf Vinyl und CD erscheinen wird. Der Soundtrack, zusammengestellt vom Pavement-Produzenten/Cutter Robert Greene und der Band selbst, vereint disparate Elemente des Films. Dazu gehören Dialog-Ausschnitte, Szenen aus dem fiktiven Oscar-Köder-Biopic "Range Life", sowie Aufnahmen der Besetzung aus dem Jukebox-Musical "Slanted! Enchanted!". Ergänzt wird das Ganze durch Live- und Probe-Aufnahmen der Reunion-Tour der Gruppe im Jahr 2021. Die Aufnahmen der kompletten Band wurden von Bryce Goggin abgemischt, der bereits an den Pavement-Klassikern "Crooked Rain Crooked Rain", "Wowee Zowee" und "Brighten the Corners" mitgewirkt hat.

"Touch" is the first new album from the groundbreaking post-everything icons Tortoise since 2016. With "Touch", the Tortoise bandmembers Jeff Parker, Dan Bitney, Douglas McCombs, John Herndon and John McEntire harness their collectivist songwriting approach, a slightly anarchistic but resolutely egalitarian process where ideas triumph over ego towards an abstracted muscularity. While there are still excursions into the dusky, elegantly gnarled jazz ambience that flourished on landmark works like "Millions Now Living Will Never Die" and "TNT", "Touch" is perhaps most remarkable for Tortoise"s unapologetic embrace of grand gesture. Aerodynamically re-engineered Krautrock, hand-cranked techno rave-ups, and pointillist spaghetti western fanfares are all imbued with Tortoise"s now-signature internal logic - equally alluring and confounding, a puzzle to be savored rather than solved. Recorded between the three cities, Los Angeles, Portland, and Chicago, "Touch" is the result of an intentional effort by these five musicians to reconnect, recenter, and reinvigorate their sound for what is perhaps the group"s most diverse release to date.

Building their own bizarre universe out of Portland, Oregon, The Macks announce their new album "Bonanza" (DevilDuck Records). The news of the album rolls out in the form of two new singles and videos: "Dually of Man" and "The Modern Grape". Described by the band as "a collection of miscellaneous rock that could only have been crafted by this dedicated and bull-headedly sincere troupe of desperate artists," The Macks are coming unglued but are fully in their pocket. Founded in 2015 in Portland, Oregon, The Macks are brothers Josef (drums) and Ben Windheim (guitar), Sam Fulwiler (vocals), Jacob Michael Perris (keys) and Aidan Harrison (bass).

Eco Coloured Edition
Elena Tonra ist zwar keine passionierte Schwimmerin, aber der Sound auf dem neuen Daughter Album "Stereo Mind Game" klingt wie ein Ozean, in den man eintauchen möchte. Das dritte Album der britischen Band, gleichzeitig das erste Studioalbum seit sieben Jahren, setzt sich damit auseinander, was es bedeutet, von geliebten Menschen und auch von sich selbst getrennt zu sein - ein komplexes Thema. Daughter, das Trio bestehend aus Elena Tonra, Igor Haefeli und Remi Aguilella - wurde 2010 gegründet. Nach der Veröffentlichung von zwei Studioalben, "If You Leave" (2013) und "Not to Disappear" (2016), und dem Videospiel-Soundtrack Music "From Before the Storm" (2017), beschlossen sie, eine Auszeit voneinander zu nehmen. Kurz zuvor jammten sie allerdings noch gemeinsam in Los Angeles, zwischen einer Support-Tour für The National und ihren ersten Headline-Shows in Südamerika. Hier begann die Arbeit am neuen Album. Danach herrschte erst einmal Stille - als Band und untereinander. In den nächsten Jahren, in denen die Mitglieder an ihren eigenen Projekten arbeiteten, darunter auch Tonras Soloplatte als Ex:Re, trafen sich Daughter gelegentlich zum gemeinsamen Schreiben in Studios in London, Portland und San Diego, wo Haefeli 2019 für sechs Monate lebte. Die zentrale romantische Figur der Platte ist jemand, den Tonra dort kennengelernt hat, als sie aus London zu Besuch kam. Sie teilten eine bedeutende Verbindung, aber sie wusste, dass der Atlantik zwischen ihnen liegt. Daughter begann 2021 konkret mit den Aufnahmen für die zwölf Songs des Albums. Haefeli, der in Bristol lebt, traf sich mit Tonra in den Middle Farm Studios in Devon. Aguilella, der in Portland, Oregon, lebt, nahm seine Schlagzeugparts im Bocce Studio in Vancouver, Washington, auf. Haefeli produzierte eine Reihe der Songs, während Tonra "Junkmail" produzierte. Den Rest haben sie gemeinsam produziert. Die Sehnsucht, physische Entfernungen zu überwinden, ein Gefühl, das sich während der Pandemie noch verstärkt hat, ist in viele dieser Stücke eingeflossen. Auf "Wish I Could Cross the Sea" hören wir Sprachnotizen von Tonras junger Nichte und ihrem Neffen, die in Italien leben. "(Missed Calls)" enthält eine weitere Sprachnotiz, in der ein Freund einen Traum beschreibt. Gefüttert mit einigen modularen Effekten, klingt er geisterhaft eindringlich. Diese Nachrichten, Versuche einer Verbindung von geliebten Menschen, die man nicht sehen kann, "können einen aus dem Brunnen ziehen", sagt Tonra - aber nur, wenn man den Hörer abnimmt. Wenn man andere hereinlässt, kann Schönheit entstehen. Tiefes Gefühl kommt von den Bögen des 12 Ensemble, dem in London ansässigen Streichorchester, das bei vielen Stücken des Albums zu hören ist. Die von Haefeli und Tonra arrangierten und von Josephine Stephenson orchestrierten Stücke wurden, passenderweise, im The Pool aufgenommen, einem Raum in Bermondsey im Süden Londons, der eine ehemalige Badeanstalt war. Ein Blechbläserquartett verleiht auch "Neptune" und "To Rage" eine wohlig klangliche Wärme. Während Daughters frühere Arbeiten ihre Kraft in ihrer entwaffneten und emotionalen Ehrlichkeit fanden, handelt "Stereo Mind Game" von gegensätzlichen Gefühlen. "Es geht darum, nicht in absoluten Kategorien zu arbeiten", sagt Haefeli. Nach mehr als einem Jahrzehnt, in dem sie die dunkelsten Emotionen darstellten, haben Daughter ihr bisher optimistischstes und ein fast schon strahlendes Album aufgenommen.

Als Crushed machen die Musiker Bre Morell und Shaun Durkan maximalistische Dream-Pop-Musik für sich selbst. Sie nehmen in verschiedenen Wohnungen auf, ohne an einen bestimmten Ort gebunden zu sein (Morell aus Texas, jetzt in Los Angeles, und Durkan in Portland, Oregon), schreiben sie die Songs, die sie hören wollen, und stimmen sich dabei auf ihren gemeinsamen Geschmack (für Trip-Hop, Britpop, Electronica und den Kanon des alternativen Radios der 90er Jahre), ihr Verlangen nach Emotionalität und ihr Gespür dafür, wann es richtig und ehrlich klingt, ab; wann es für sie etwas Echtes bedeutet . Ihr Debütalbum verkörpert ihr Vertrauen zueinander und in ihr Handwerk. Ein ,No Scope"-Kill im Videospiel-Jargon wird erreicht, indem man aus nächster Nähe mit einem Scharfschützengewehr schießt, ohne das Ziel anzuvisieren - eine treffende Metapher für zwei Künstler, die ihren Pop-Impulsen folgen und aus der Hüfte schießen, aber mit Präzision. ,Es könnte auch bedeuten, keine Zukunft zu haben", scherzt Morell, ,vom Leben ohne Zielfernrohr getroffen zu werden." Die Realität des Scheiterns schwebt über den meisten kreativen Unternehmungen, vielleicht umso ausgeprägter, je weiter man in seinem Fachgebiet voranschreitet. Mehrere musikalische Leben und nächtliche Übertragungen haben Morell und Durkan zu diesem Projekt geführt. Und auf dem triumphalen ,no scope" nehmen sie die besten Schläge des Lebens mit ihrem stärksten Werk auf und setzen melodische, offenherzige Hooks in einem Labyrinth aus Breakbeats und gespleißtem Sounddesign mit beispielloser Unmittelbarkeit und Klarheit ein. Die nächste Stufe ist erreicht. no scope folgt auf ,extra life", die EP aus dem Jahr 2023, die eine Welle der Unterstützung auslöste und frühe Fans bei Pitchfork (,müheloser, großformatiger Dream Pop, der ruhig ist, ohne sentimental zu sein"), NPR (,...eine Gruppe, deren Musik, obwohl sie nur eine EP veröffentlicht hat, ein tiefes Gefühl für Ort und Zeit vermittelt") und Ghostly International, die die Band unter Vertrag nahmen und ,extra life" 2024 in einer erweiterten physischen Version zusammen mit Remixen der Bandfavoriten Real Lies und DJ Python veröffentlichten.

Expansive and ambitious, Tender Revolutions is the latest from Vietnam-born, Portland, Oregon-based multimedia artist Dao Strom. A fluid album, existing between genres—part ambient folk, part sound collage, part spoken word, part post rock—it blurs the line between the work of an experimental composer and the work of an accomplished singer-songwriter. Instruments slip in and out (guitar, piano, synthesizer, strings, drums, percussion) amid field recordings and samples, all anchored by Strom’s singular voice.

The songs of Tender Revolutions reflect on and embody themes of “yellow subjectivities”—the Asian body as perceived; the Asian feminine body as reflection/catalyst/consort—offering their own forms of response to troubling representations of Asian women in popular media in the West. A “re-voicing” of the problematic hit song “China Girl” by David Bowie re-inhabits this song from a discomfiting silence at its center, and serves as a fulcrum point in the album’s sequencing. Other songs utilize voice as both texture and lyric-driven telling to deepen angles of interiority and thematics of voice/silence.

While Tender Revolutions stands alone as its own whole, it also exists as part of a larger multifaceted project, drawing from a four-part song-cycle (Nhạc Vàng 1-4) and accompanying a series of hybrid-genre literary chapbooks (Yellow Songs 1-4). Released in collaboration with The 3rd Thing, an interdisciplinary publisher in Olympia.



[a] tender variation i [what is tender?]
[b] tender variation ii [when was the first time u felt loved?]
[c] tender variation iii [associations of yellow]
[d] tender variation iv [love object treason]




[i] [hailing tender]

First part of second album! Originating from Normandy, France, psychedelic noise-pop quartet You Said Strange presents a unique blend of indie rock that incorporates elements of psych pop-rock, shoegaze, and proto-grunge. The band recorded their first album, Salvation Prayer, in 2018 in Portland (USA), with Peter G. Holmstrom from The Dandy Warhols, which saw release via Fuzz Club Recirds. In 2022, the band shared their LP Thousand Shadows Vol. 1. Mythomaniac kings, the Mediterranean, the colors of mourning _ these are the detailed subjects, described against a backdrop of psychedelic pop, proto grunge, and shoegaze. The first part of a powerful, reverberant, melodious second album, drawing its inspiration and production stem from encounters during their 2022 European and North American tours, between Normandy, New York, and Oregon. Most recently, You Said Strange shared the second part of their sophomore release, a follow-up to Vol. 1 entitled Thousand Shadows Vol. 2.

Second part of second album! Originating from Normandy, France, psychedelic noise-pop quartet You Said Strange presents a unique blend of indie rock that incorporates elements of psych pop-rock, shoegaze, and proto-grunge. Thousand Shadows volume 2, a second chapter was needed to highlight the many shadows that still linger everywhere. The shadows that linger on the borders, hiding the violence of the fights for them. The shadows that time has on the relationships and their persistence, because the shadows move. Plato's cave, modern version, would be the one of toxic relationships, antidepressants and the acceptance of the regression of freedom and/or the vision of a dying world... Between shoegaze, noise pop and psychedelic rock, You Said Strange absorbs its time to incant a music in which melancholy, love and the search for plenitude meet. The band recorded their first album, Salvation Prayer, in 2018 in Portland (USA), with Peter G. Holmstrom from The Dandy Warhols, which saw release via Fuzz Club Recirds. In 2022, the band shared their LP Thousand Shadows Vol. 1. Mythomaniac kings, the Mediterranean, the colors of mourning _ these are the detailed subjects, described against a backdrop of psychedelic pop, proto grunge, and shoegaze. The first part of a powerful, reverberant, melodious second album, drawing its inspiration and production stem from encounters during their 2022 European and North American tours, between Normandy, New York, and Oregon. Most recently, You Said Strange shared the second part of their sophomore release, a follow-up to Vol. 1 entitled Thousand Shadows Vol. 2.

2025 Repress, New Colour variant, Apricot colour vinyl. Led by vocalist Amy Boone (The Damnations, TX), Cory Gray on keyboards, & horns, Tucker Jackson (The Minus 5) on pedal steel, as well as former Richmond Fontaine members: Sean Oldham, Freddie Trujillo, and Willy Vlautin. Vlautin, the acclaimed novelist and songwriter for Richmond Fontaine, has penned all ten tracks. Recorded in Portland, Oregon and produced by John Morgan Askew, The Imperial shows us again why songwriter, Willy Vlautin became so enamored with Amy Boone"s voice. The combination of Vlautin"s songs and Boone"s voice creates a late night country soul world full of hopefulness and heartbreak.

2025 repress in a new colour variant (Pearl White colour vinyl) with printed innersleeve. The third album proper for "Country-got-Soul"s finest, The Delines, on Decor Records sees them exploring the US Gulf Coast, not far from where Amy Boone grew up. The songs in this cinematic opus all focus around this area and are inspired by when Amy asked Willy Vlautin to write her a song like Tony Joe White"s "Rainy Night In Georgia" after her tragic accident being hit by a car in 2016 and her 3 year recovery. This follows on from 2019"s The Imperial which was number one in the UK official AMA charts for two weeks. Written and partially recorded before lock down the rest of the album was finished last Summer, produced by John Morgan Askew at his Bocce studios just outside of Portland, Oregon.

Formed in Portland, OR in 1980, Poison Idea debut record features 13 songs in 13 minutes. Poison Idea were one of the first hardcore bands to inspire artists across multiple genre lines. Poison Idea’s 1983 Debut Release!!! Iconic Original Artwork! New Liner Notes by Jerry A. Features Sticker, Lyric Sheet, Credit Sheet, and Liner Notes.

Chaz Bear (formerly Bundick) was a musician from birth. Growing up, it was normal to hear music across genres, from Michael Jackson to Elvis Costello to The Specials, in the Bundick household. These influences were quite unique for a biracial kid growing up in South Carolina, contributing to the complexity of Chaz’s self-understanding and expression through his own music.

Chaz began playing and recording original compositions in his preteen years, forming multiple indie bands starting in middle school and continuing until his personal project, Toro y Moi, was signed by Carpark Records in 2009. Before getting signed, he was already an incredibly prolific artist, having released over 10 Toro y Moi albums on his own (and undoubtedly retaining a vast compendium of unreleased songs). His personal work drew upon a vaster array of influences than did his full band. Early Toro work called upon Chaz’s childhood exposure to 80’s R&B, pop and electronic music, while also evolving with his discoveries of acts like My Bloody Valentine and J Dilla and his burgeoning interest in French house. Just before his graduation from the University of South Carolina, where he earned a degree in graphic design, Chaz caught the attention of music bloggers and record labels with his dreamy, bedroom recordings.

Outer Peace, was written and recorded in the Bay Area after Chaz’s return from a one year stint in Portland. It is somewhat of a homecoming celebration, filled with features by friends and saturated with a playfulness that had not previously been embraced in past Toro albums. Outer Peace stands in contrast to the more sparse and contemplative Boo Boo, an album recorded while in Portland in relative isolation. With Outer Peace, Chaz showcases his ability to remain on the cutting edge of music’s evolution while not taking himself too seriously. There are contemporary hip hop references mixed in with funk, Eurodance and ambient elements, all interwoven expertly and retaining that quintessential Toro y Moi aesthetic.

Balmat 17 marks both a return and a new frontier. It is the second album on the label from Patricia Wolf, whose 2022 album See-Through is one of the most beloved in Balmat’s catalog; it also marks the first time that Wolf has turned her hand to a film soundtrack. The results are every bit as magical as fans of the Portland, Oregon, composer’s music might expect.

Hrafnamynd—Icelandic for “raven film”—is a new feature-length documentary by experimental filmmaker Edward Pack Davee. Shot on a mix of film and digital formats, and incorporating his father’s Ektachrome slides from the 1970s, the autobiographical film works on multiple levels at once: a reminiscence of his childhood in Iceland, an exploration of landscape and folklore, and a documentary study of the island nation’s ravens—including a talking raven named Krummi.

Wolf is the perfect artist to score such an unusual film. Mixing ambient music and field recording—including extensive experience documenting bird song—Wolf brings an unusually empathic perspective to her music. In the context of Hrafnamynd, her airy melodies, pensive atmospheres, and vivid textures intuitively complement the film’s grainy film stock and blown-out colors. Friends for years, the two artists further bonded when Wolf asked Pack to film music videos for her songs “Woodland Encounter” (from See-Through) and “The Culmination Of” (from I'll Look For You In Others). Pack used Wolf’s previously recorded music as placeholders as he began assembling a rough cut of the film, which made her a natural choice to help him complete his idiosyncratic vision with an all-new, bespoke score.

But Wolf’s soundtrack also indisputably stands alone as a full-length album. Largely created using the UDO Super 6 synthesizer, it features a carefully distilled palette of warm, string-like pads and darkly glistening mallets, rounded out with the very occasional introduction of nylon string guitar. Musically and stylistically, the album’s 11 tracks represent both a continuation of the ruminative sound of See-Through and also an extension into new expressive modes. Few musicians, ambient or otherwise, are as skilled at balancing melody with atmosphere, or at finding ways to eke fresh at finding ways to eke fresh, surprising sounds out of an intentionally reduced toolkit. Meditative, immersive, and emotionally generous Wolf’s Hrafnamynd soundtrack evokes a range of ambient classics from decades past while confidently marking out its own verdant patch of ground.


Artist’s Statement:
Edward and I have been friends for years, but we really started to get to know one another better after I hired him to make music videos for my songs “Woodland Encounter” and “The Culmination Of.” For those projects we got to spend a lot of time hiking in various locations around the Pacific Northwest with his camera, very nice lenses, and tripod. Keeping quiet, hidden, and vigilant we searched for wildlife, good light on the trees, meadows, lakes, rivers, and skies. Edward was already an appreciator of my music and I was already in awe of his filmmaking talents so it felt like a great fit. Although we work in different areas of art our styles compliment one another. We both tend toward slow and careful pacing, with a focus on emotion and introspective reflections on life and the landscapes around us. For this reason, Iknew that I could trust Edward to create videos for my music. We saw so many beautiful and unexpected things on our filming days, but I was moved to tears once I saw how magnificent and poetic it all was. His video work from the cinematography, to the editing, and color correction helped bring my inner vision to life.

A few months after that, Edward surprised me with an invitation to work on the soundtrack for his new film, Hrafnamynd. I enthusiastically said yes. I had always wanted to work on a film, and I knew that his filmmaking style would be inspiring to write music for. I had recently acquired an UDO Super 6 synthesizer but hadn't used it much. I decided that this would be the synth that I'd use for the film. It has the ability to sound very modern, but can also sound so warm and fuzzy, like a synth from the 1970s. It turned out to be the perfect instrument for this project as the film itself straddles time from the ’70s to today.

When Edward sent me the rough cut of the film, he used placeholder music to help give me an idea of the emotion and energy that he was hoping to achieve for each scene. For many of the scenes, Edward used music from my albums as temporary tracks. This told me that he trusted my work and style and therefore I should just trust my intuition with how to proceed. I wanted to make sure that everything that I made was a direct reflection of what was happening on screen, a mirror of its emotion and energy so people could really lock into the film psychologically. This process took my composing to unexpected places—like being led by a strange cat or a raven that seemed to have something to show me. I found that the approach made the music so much more dynamic than my usual style. I really enjoyed being influenced by the action and dialog on the screen. Thankfully, Edward was very happy with the work. I made sure to handle this project with the utmost care because this is about his life and his family, and an exploration of the experiences that made him an artist and filmmaker. While watching the film many times over, I found myself thinking about my own family and my early memories with them and how the place where I grew up has influenced who I have become. I found that his film invites the viewer to reflect on their own lives in a similar way. I hope that this music and film can guide others to contemplate on the history of their beingness and the people and places that shaped them.

Another aspect to this project is the splendor and wonder of Iceland itself. I had the opportunity to visit Iceland for the first time in 2023. I got to play a show there for the Extreme Chill Festival and met many friendly and brilliant Icelanders. I also got to collect field recordings that I used in the film. It's a fascinating place and culture that easily captures the hearts and imaginations of anyone who visits. Whether you spend your time in the city immersed in its impressive arts scene, or venture out into the wilderness to behold its wondrous landscape, it will leave a lasting impression. The soundtrack is also a love letter to Iceland itself.

Portland Town is as effervescent a pop song as any of Heavenly’s past recordings, with duelling vocals from Amelia and Cathy; looping, twanging, ‘how-did-he-do-that’ guitar escapades from Peter, and a super-catchy melody. As so often with Heavenly, though, the lyrics have real bite.
The song embraces those who find themselves on the margins of a hostile world where maleness, straightness and conformity are in the ascendant. So why Portland? It has always been a sanctuary – one of those places where difference is celebrated, a place where, as the song puts it, anyone can fit in.
The B side is a cover version of a much-loved Only Ones song, ‘Someone Who Cares’.
Heavenly celebrate the release of Portland Town with a show at Islington Assembly Hall, London on 19th July, as part of the Skep Wax Weekender.
Heavenly are: Amelia Fletcher (guitar, vocals), Cathy Rogers (guitar, vocals), Rob Pursey (bass), Peter Momtchiloff (guitar), Ian Button (drums)

“13 Months of Sunshine” is more than just a slogan for Aminé. Ethiopia’s marketing campaigns of the 60s and 70s used the phrase to entice Western visitors to the country, but for the Portland-born rapper raised by an Eritrean father and an Ethiopian mother, it holds deeper meaning. “13 Months of Sunshine,” a phrase adorned on posters in homes of his aunts and uncles, cousins, and family friends, became something more, a declaration of shifting perspectives and a reinvigorating jolt to one of rap’s most celebrated discographies. He's returned with a new offering, featuring artists as varied as 454, Toro y Moi, and Waxahatchee, that will go down as one of the most exiting rap releases of 2025.

“13 Months of Sunshine” is more than just a slogan for Aminé. Ethiopia’s marketing campaigns of the 60s and 70s used the phrase to entice Western visitors to the country, but for the Portland-born rapper raised by an Eritrean father and an Ethiopian mother, it holds deeper meaning. “13 Months of Sunshine,” a phrase adorned on posters in homes of his aunts and uncles, cousins, and family friends, became something more, a declaration of shifting perspectives and a reinvigorating jolt to one of rap’s most celebrated discographies. He's returned with a new offering, featuring artists as varied as 454, Toro y Moi, and Waxahatchee, that will go down as one of the most exiting rap releases of 2025.

This project started in 2022 in the basement of Graham Jonson's (Quickly, Quickly)'s home in Portland, Oregon. They made `Scared (To Admit It)' in a day, and let it sit for a long time. Ava's song `From Me' blew up online, which led to new creative friendships. Ava started to work with Acrophase Records, it all felt very new and unreal. What followed was a writing frenzy, going through old voice memos looking for promising song ideas, and working with four different producers that each allowed Ava to tell a different story with their incredible help and talents. Ava spent a month in Nashville recording the majority of the project with Josef Kuhn. She felt free to experiment, ask questions, change her mind, and they ate so many epic sandwiches on lunch breaks. "Dragonfly" feels like a patchwork quilt of post-college. Surviving sexual harassment and assault, and allowing herself to speak about it freely after spending almost a decade being ashamed. It's kinda all over the place, but so is she. Ava feels no longer afraid to say everything on her mind since working on this project.

A full LP of never before released Hurley recordings from 1972-73! Great early versions of classic Hurley songs such as Automatic Slim & The Fatboys, Drivin' Wheel, Ghost Woman Blues, Watchin' The Show and The Portland Water that come off for the most part better than later releases of these songs.Hurley is backed up by ''The Fatboys'' - not the rotund hip hop crew from the film ''Disorderlies'' but rather a bunch of not so fat nice guys in Vermont who played mostly for the local dairy farmers (Later they were known as ''Sheriff Mocus & the Deranged Cowboys'').A laid back countryish album sure to please the hard core Hurley fan & casual listener too. Deep & breezy. Cover painting by Michael. A co-release with our friends label in San Francisco - Secret Seven.