Straight from Honolulu, Bombye is a newly found Hawaiian soul trio led by Nick Kurosawa, one of Hawaii’s most captivating voices. Known for his rich,
velvet tone and vintage-inspired phrasing, Nick and his band channel the essence of 1970s soul, funk, and R&B into a deeply organic soundscape that feels both nostalgic and new.
The EP features four tracks that showcase the band’s musicianship and emotional depth.
Mixing by Andrew Garma and mastering by Wax Alchemy deliver exceptional clarity and analog warmth, while Shiro Ishihara (SNEA) provides the minimalist yet evocative artwork
that perfectly complements the record’s soulful aesthetics. This limited-edition vinyl includes a bonus “Bombye” sticker exclusive to CONNECT RECORDS. Each copy is pressed with
care for collectors, DJs, and analog enthusiasts seeking authentic, heartfelt soul music with timeless groove and depth.
Formed in Southend in the late 90’s, Beatglider’s tale is a familiar one taking in early acclaim only for momentum and promise to be dashed by major label statis and indifference.
After the release of the debut long-player, ‘40 Days Of Summer’, in 1999 the band signed to Sony subsidiary Lakota and decamped to LA to record its follow-up, ‘Dreaming Of Roads’, an album that was never to see the light of day.
And now, over 20 years later, ‘Dreaming Of Roads’ eventually gets a deserved release on 28th February via the Arlen label. A beautiful 11-track understated delight which musically falls somewhere between the likes of Elliott Smith, Grandaddy, Yo La Tengo and Sparklehorse, the album has not only stood the test of time, but arguably sounds as fresh as ever in 2026.
The tracklisting of the album - recorded in Los Angeles at the famed Sound City studios - is as follows:
291out are back on Tasty Treats Records with their new album "Alter Quantum".
The title has inspired by the famous italian magazine of the 70s "Alter Alter" specialized on adventure comic books.
Alter Quantum is a blend of cinematic funk, jazz and rock music and it's meant to be listened to track by track for having a full immersion into an album that seems to be perfect as a soundtrack for an adventure's story.
Hardcover slipcase box
Celebrate twenty-five years of Ape Escape and thirty years of PlayStation with Ape Escape 3 Originape Soundtracks in a Box!
Ｓａｒｕ Ｇｅｔ Ｙｏｕ ３
As with the Ape Escape Originape Soundtrack, composer Soichi Terada has meticulously re-recorded and reconstructed all tracks from the Ape Escape 3 Original soundtrack. Previously only available on CD, this is the complete soundtrack's first time on vinyl. This box set was produced in partnership with Mr. Terada and Far East Recording, and is an officially licensed Sony Interactive Entertainment product.
This release contains eighty tracks, spanning four individually sleeved records, housed in a hardcover box. It is similar in construction to the Ape Escape Originape Soundtracks in a Box release (2024), and the two will look quite nicely next to one another on your shelf!
We are happy to announce that this box set features a definitive edition of the Ape Escape 3 Originape tracklist. This also includes "Swanlake," a track previously unavailable on the CD release. At its core, the Ape Escape 3 soundtrack features much of Soichi Terada's signature sound: lush electronic, jungle, silky smooth synthesizer, humor, and charm.
Ape Escape 3 was originally released in 2005 (Japan), and its moviemaking pipos were unleashed across the rest of the globe in 2006. The game features two new protagonists (Kei and Yumi) who battle the Freaky Monkey Five, underlings of the nefarious Dr. Tomoki and the evil monkey Specter.
Complimenting the game's journey through the TV-verse, the Ape Escape 3 soundtrack also features twists on themes from Wild West Showdowns, Kung-Fu movies, and space operas. Fans of the Ape Escape Originape Soundtrack, as well as newer work like Asakusa Light, will certainly enjoy all elements of Soichi Terada's music present in Ape Escape 3.
The music on this box set was mastered by Justin Perkins of Mystery Room Mastering, who also mastered the original Ape Escape Originape Soundtracks box set (2024). Using Mr. Terada's premastered source files, the music was completely and specifically mastered for vinyl. The box set also features original Ape Escape 3 character renders and key art. All of the design elements have been put together with careful thought, referencing the original Japanese guidebook for inspiration and visual cohesiveness.
It is with great pleasure that we celebrate Soichi Terada's music and the Ape Escape franchise with this four-disc release!
Dae Han is the unsung backbone behind progressive Honolulu acts and international artists. He’s the go-to drummer whenever Japanese rapper Shing02 tours the US and Asia with a full band. In 2019, Takuya Kuroda tapped Dae to organize a band to support the Brooklyn-based trumpeter’s gig at Blue Note Hawaii. Dae also recently teamed up with guitarist Gilbert Batangan and bassist Mark Tanouye to open for Khruangbin. And every year he organizes an always impressive jazz-forward tribute to the late J Dilla.
On the drums, Dae’s swift, technical style compliments every situation, from jazz and funk to R&B, reggae, and hip hop. Much the same, Dae has approached the compositions and arrangements for his debut with craft and purpose.
BLUE, coming in February 2020, came to fruition over the past 12 months with the help of Nelson Cho, the musician and recording engineer behind Lightworks Recordings in Wahiawa, Oahu. Together, the two spent countless hours honing a sound that travels across hip hop, jazz, and house.
The resulting songs act as a diary of the artist’s fateful journey from Washington D.C. through New York to Honolulu, where he resides today. Reflecting on joyful highs and the lowest lows, Dae creates a collage for the listener to hear, appreciate, and understand the path he’s traveled thus far.
A blend of Metal Indus and Bass Music, VIOLENCE is an ambitious and atypical project produced by Niveau Zero, one of the pioneers of French Bass Music. Composed of Fabio Meschini (Guitar / Ex: As They Burn) , Morgan Sansous (Drums), John Kazadi (Lead Vocal) and Frédéric Garcia aka Niveau Zero ( Machines and Vocal ).
OPUS I', their 1st album (2021), composed in collaboration with choice guests such as Billy Graziadei (Biohazard, Powerflo), Bastien Hennaut (HORSKH) and Code: Pandorum... has frankly succeeded in arousing the enthusiasm of both Metal and Bass Music audiences.
On stage, the band has not been outdone, offering a crescendo of increasingly furious performances over the last year alongside bands like Biohazard, Mass Hysteria, Ten 56, Horskh, Shaargot, Novelist, Revnoir, King Yosef.
The Song “Hard, Hard Promises” showcased on this latest Soul Direction release, showcases Bobby Hebb’s song writing talents and brings together the album only release performed by
Alice Clark and the Unreleased demo version sung by Bobby Hebb himself. Incidentally the studio dub was entitled “Hard Heart Promises”. We don’t know if he ever intended to release the song himself, but it showcases his talent as a songwriter and a singer. After a few conversations with Universal Licensing, they graciously allowed Soul Direction to release this version and with the consent of Bobby Hebb’s Publishing Company. To both these, we are extremely grateful. Thank you for your continued support.
The most popular acoustic folk music group of the 1960s, Peter, Paul and Mary mixed great songs with political and social activism. They brought folk music to a new prominence in the post-McCarthy era, putting lyrics about politics and morality on the radio amid the syrupy boy-girl love tunes that dominated the airwaves. Presented here is the trio's debut album, originally issued in 1962, the splendid selftitled Peter, Paul and Mary. It features some of their most popular compositions such as 'Early in the Morning' and 'Cruel War', and great renditions of Hedy West's '500 Miles' and Pete Seeger's 'If I Had a Hammer'.
The bonus tracks were recorded live in San Francisco and Long Beach, California, late 1962: 'One Kind Favor', 'The Times They Are A' Changin', and 'If I Had My Way'. "The debut album by Peter, Paul & Mary is still one of the best albums to come out of the 1960s folk music revival. It's a beautifully harmonized collection of the best songs that the group knew, stirring in its sensibilities and its haunting melodies as it crosses between folk, children's songs, and even gospel. Peter, Paul & Mary, which hit the top spot on the album charts as part of a 185-week run, is the purest of the trio's albums, laced with innocent good spirits and an optimism that remains infectious"
f 6 ONE KIND FAVOR [Live version]
[m] 13 THE TIMES THEY ARE A' CHANGIN' [Live version]
[n] 14 IF I HAD MY WAY [Live version]
[f] 6 ONE KIND FAVOR [Live version]
[m] 13 THE TIMES THEY ARE A' CHANGIN' [Live version]
[n] 14 IF I HAD MY WAY [Live version]
Roberto y su Nuevo Montuno recorded their first album, “El Nuevo Montuno Llegó” (1970), when Roberto Berríos was just 22 years old. This was also the debut release on Haddock’s own Uniart label. Berríos remembers that they did the recording in two sessions, splitting it up into four tracks per visit. The engineer was the famed Pedro “Pedrito” Henríquez, who recorded El Gran Combo, Roberto Roena and many others. The band had a mix of tasty, powerful originals, from Tony Cintrón’s title track that announced the band had arrived, ‘El Nuevo Montuno Llegó,’ to Quique Dávila’s mournful ‘Triste Arrabal.’ Then there was the hit Santería themed tune, ‘Llamé a Changó,’ which was a song that Quique Dávila brought to the band, but had been originally composed by Carlos Pinto, though Quique was given the credit. Dávila also composed ‘Me Queda Un Guaguancó,’ which is Roberto’s favorite song on the record (as well as a fan favorite), with Papo sounding like his friend Héctor Lavoe, and Quique Dávila’s proud manifesto declaring that Puerto Rico now had its own son montuno, ‘Oye Tu Son, Borinquen,’ featuring the pianist’s tasty but brief solo. The cover versions came from the group’s earliest period when most of their repertoire consisted of renditions of beloved but lesser known tunes, and include Louie Ramírez’s ‘Balancéate’ (a favorite of Roberto’s from Ray Barretto’s songbook), Bobby Valentín’s ‘Monina y Ramón’ (recorded during his stint with Willie Rosario), and a bolero indelibly sung by Cheo Feliciano when he was with the Joe Cuba Sextet, ‘Dichoso,’ written by Joe Cuba’s talented pianist, Nick Jiménez. Some of the arranging was done by Cintrón and some by Dávila, though Quique had some help from his old friend from El Combo Moderno, Freddie Miranda, who at that time was with Roberto Roena’s Apollo Sound. Roberto says that the arrangements of the cover tunes were made specifically to be different and more contemporary sounding than the originals. “El Nuevo Montuno Llegó” has become a legendary salsa dura classic from Puerto Rico and we are thrilled to present this first legitimately licensed and remastered vinyl reissue. It includes detailed liner notes that reveal the untold story of the band and their debut album, and rare photos.
Another Thought was the first collection of Arthur Russell’s music to be released after his death in 1992. Released in 1993 on Point Music it marked the beginning of nearly 30 years of work to let the world hear the enormous archive of unreleased recordings Arthur left behind. Be With revisits this first compilation for a new gatefold double vinyl version and a triple-fold digipak CD reissue.
Both versions of Be With’s 2021 reissue of Another Thought have been mastered by Simon Francis and the vinyl cut by Pete Norman. The original artwork has been restored and tweaked at Be With HQ for the gatefold sleeve and the triple-fold digipak, with the essential help of Janette Beckman. Each version comes with an insert reproducing the liner notes and lyrics from the original CD release.
Together with Calling Out Of Context, Soul Jazz’s World of Arthur Russell, and much of the ongoing work of Audika, Another Thought is absolutely essential for even the most casual Arthur Russell collection. In fact we’d argue it’s essential for any fan of non-obvious pop music. This is the only place where you can hear some of Arthur’s most recognisable tunes and it’s an album that absolutely deserves to be kept in press.
We’ll assume that by now you’re all at least a little familiar with the story of Arthur Russell, the farm boy from Iowa who moved to 1970s New York. Arthur Russell the genuine musical genius who died just 40 years old, leaving behind a wealth of music that dwarfed the few 12"s and LPs that were released during his short life.
Although Arthur had been working on an album for Rough Trade during his last years, with the label no-longer operating it was Point Music (Philip Glass and Michael Riesman’s label set up together with Philips) who stepped in to help Arthur’s partner Tom Lee start working out exactly what Arthur had left behind.
Tom suggested that Arthur’s friend Mikel Rouse was the right person to make the first catalogue. Working in Tom and Arthur’s apartment he had only two weeks to go through what turned out to be around 800 tapes.
As Tom explained “at the end of each day he would generally wait for me to come home and I would, to the best of my knowledge, name and identify pieces in question from that day’s work. As he worked Mikel compiled about a dozen cassettes that he thought would present the most finished sounding songs for Don/Point to use. As Don listened he would then suggest and ask me and thus we collaborated on the choices.”
Don is Don Christensen, Another Thought’s producer. With a final selection of songs from recordings made between 1982 and 1990, including sessions with some of Arthur’s regular collaborators Peter Zummo, Steven Hall, Mustafa Ahmed, Elodie Lauten, Julius Eastman, Jennifer Warnes and Joyce Bowden, it was then Don’s job to turn these into a finished album.
Another Thought is a little different from the compilations of Arthur’s music that came out since. In our conversations with Steve Knutson (who founded Audika Records and who manages Arthur’s estate together with Tom), he explained that “more than any project released by Arthur during his lifetime or posthumously by Audika, ‘Another Thought’ is the most worked over. The material was significantly edited and rearranged from the original source tapes”.
If the aim was to release a comprehensive exploration of every facet of Arthur’s music, from the most avant-garde of his avant-garde compositions through to the most disco-not-disco of his disco-not-disco tunes then the project was a spectacular failure. But as a coherent album of non-obvious pop music Another Thought is wonderful.
Starting with the sparse voice-and-cello of the title track, A Little Lost adds some guitar along with the sneaking suspicion that we’re listening to something nowhere near as simple as it first sounds. By the time we get to This Is How We Walk On The Moon - it could be the moment you notice the congas, or the percussion that’s been building behind them, or maybe it’s that blast of trumpet and trombone - we realise we’ve gone from splashing around to being completely submerged in the musical world of Arthur Russell.
From here the album heads off on its journey around the sounds of the left-field contemporary classical music of the time, re-directed towards pop ears, with minor detours through the swirling woozy disco of the half-remembered night before on In The Light Of The Miracle and My Tiger, My Timing. Whether it’s just Arthur, his cello and some bleeps on Just A Blip, or whether he has some vocal help as he does on the bounding Keeping Up, this is difficult music made so, so easy. And through it all is Arthur’s voice and cello. Sometimes drowned in distortion and sometimes clear as a bell, but always there somewhere.
A Sudden Chill finally returns us to the calmer waters we started in and this last track closes the album with a melancholy that’s not surprising given how soon after Arthur’s death the album was put together.
Whilst Another Thought holds together with the consistency of a proper album, there’s still no getting away from the fact that this was put together from audio recorded in different ways, in different places, with different people at different times. Those with keen ears will hear traces of tape hiss, the occasional blown-out note and some digital fuzz, all fingerprints of those original recordings as well as of the 1990s digital equipment that was used to piece Another Thought together.
Add to this Arthur’s obvious pleasure in making music from the sort of sounds that can make microphones, speakers and ears uncomfortable, it’s no surprise that Another Thought isn’t glossy and pristine. Don Christensen’s productions have been careful to not scrub up those original recordings so much that they lose their original vibe, understandable given that Arthur wasn’t around as a guide. We’ve applied a similarly light touch with the mastering for these Be With versions, just working to make sure they sound like they should on both the vinyl and the CD.
Despite the Discogs rumours, Another Thought was never originally released as an LP. So when it came to the sleeve for this Be With vinyl version we took the original CD artwork as a starting point to come up with something that looks like it could have been in the record racks back in 1993.
We have to thank Janette Beckman for helping us reproduce her iconic photograph of Arthur in his newspaper boat hat. One of many photographs she took of Arthur, Janette shot this in her New York studio back in 1986 for a short article in the January ’87 issue of The Face Magazine. Those with eagle-eyes will notice we’ve used an ever-so-slightly different shot from the one that appeared in The Face and then again on the original cover of Another Thought. The original has long since been lost so we’ve worked with what is left in Janette’s archives. And we also have to thank Tom Lee for giving us permission to reproduce his liner notes from the original CD booklet, together with Arthur’s lyrics.
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If you know your death metal history, you are then well aware that 'Hating Life' stands for one of GRAVE earliest and gnarliest demo days classics, later on rerecorded on their immortal debut 'Into The Grave', later on once again used as the title of their fourth full-length, back in 1996. So when a brand new entity proudly waving an old-school death metal flag and bearing the same name seemingly creeps out of nowhere, you're entitled to except the same kind of HM-2 drenched, tribute-in-disguise and downtuned death metal innit? Well, for the time being, the answer would be yes. And no at the same time. Not so hidden behind the whole thing is Santi, guitar player and founding member of ATARAXY, one of Spain most respected and relentless old-school death metal outfit since 2008. "The whole process was very spontaneous, the result of me jamming with a Gibson Les Paul and a HM-2 pedal and ending up soon with great riffs, melodies and plenty of ideas. With ATARAXY having now a very specific personality, it felt great to rediscover primitive death metal roots." Describing HATING LIFE overall sound as "putrid and raw", he doesn't deny the obvious GRAVE nod, especially since the opening track/intro of their debut recording is simply called 'Into The Grave'. "You can call it a tribute or a declaration of intent. The first GRAVE material was and remains a clear exponent, among many others, of the kind of death metal that truly motivated me to compose the tracks for this."
CATCHING FLIES ANNOUNCES BEATS & PIECES II - A Bold, Dancefloor-Driven Follow-Up to Acclaimed Mixtape
The Limited Edition Orange Vinyl releases a month before the digital release, and contains exclusive Vinyl versions of some of the tracks, which will not be available anywhere else. Following a run of celebrated releases on Cercle Records and Anjunadeep, alongside a widely praised BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, London-based producer Catching Flies returns with Beats & Pieces II — a dynamic, dancefloor-focused counterpart to his previous mixtape, Beats & Pieces. Described as its "uptempo sister," the new project signals a confident shift in energy while preserving the organic textures and emotive detail that define his distinctive sound. Beats & Pieces II has already notched up a series of notable milestones.
• The track "Iajo" has been featured on the EA Sports FC 26 soundtrack (FIFA).• Catching Flies will deliver a BBC Radio 1 Chill Mix during the album's release week.• He has been named the cover artist for Spotify's Altar playlist.• Tracks from Beats & Pieces II have received support and praise from artists including Bonobo, Diplo, Solomun, and MJ Cole.• This summer, Catching Flies will perform live at festivals across Europe.• He will join melodic house artist Monolink on a North American tour coinciding with the album's release.• Catching Flies will perform at Anjunadeep's London Open Air event at the iconic Naval College in Greenwich this summer.
Die genreübergreifende Instrumentalband Polyphia besteht aus den Gitarristen Tim Henson und Scott
LePage, Bassist Clay Gober und Schlagzeuger Clay Aeschliman. Seit ihrer Gründung 2010 in Plano,
Texas, hat sich Polyphia einen Namen gemacht, indem sie komplexe Gitarrenriffs mit Hip-Hop-Rhythmen,
basslastigem Trap und Einflüssen aus Progressive Metal und Rock verbindet. Die Band hat bisher drei
Studioalben veröffentlicht – „Muse“ (2014), „Renaissance“ (2016) und „New Levels New Devils“ (2018)
– sowie zwei EPs und einige Singles. Ihr beeindruckender Katalog hat ihnen über 400 Millionen Streams
weltweit, über 140 Millionen YouTube-Aufrufe und internationale Anerkennung eingebracht.
This is Jah Wobble"s first post punk LP in recent years following travel and dub records. The brash guitar driven tracks reflect his continuing preoccupation with the declining state of the nation. Driven by his experience working each week at a music based community project in Merton, with Jon Klein, it is reminiscent of Mark Stewart. Angry in an empathetic, constructive way it resolved with the beautiful instrumental "Brockwell Lido". Like much of his work these days, much of the lyrical content comes while traversing London"s transport system. Jah Wobble, is an English bass guitarist and singer. He became known to a wider audience as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd (PiL) in the late 1970s and early 1980s; he left the band after two albums. Following his departure from PiL, he developed a solo career. In 2012, he reunited with fellow PiL guitarist Keith Levene for Metal Box in Dub and the album Yin & Yang. Since 2013, he has been one of the featured pundits on Sunday morning"s The Virtual Jukebox segment of BBC Radio 5 Live"s Up All Night with Dotun Adebayo. His autobiography, Memoirs of a Geezer, was published in 2009. Jon Klein Is an English guitarist and producer, best known for being a member of Siouxsie and the Banshees for seven years, from 1987 until 1994. He also founded Specimen and The Batcave nightclub. Klein has worked for other artists including Talvin Singh and Sinéad O"Connor. More recently he has worked as a co-producer and guitarist with Jah Wobble.
Nachdem Ásgeir jahrelang mit Übersetzern wie John Grant zusammengearbeitet und die Poesie seines Vaters, Einar Georg Einarsson, vertont hat, betritt er nun neues Terrain: Zum ersten Mal in seiner langen und gefeierten Karriere hat er die Texte komplett selbst verfasst.
Ásgeir wird seit Langem für seinen detailreichen Folk-Pop, die opulente Produktion und sein sehnsüchtiges, gefühlvolles Falsett gefeiert. „Julia“ markiert eine Wende – nicht nur hin zu lyrischer Eigenständigkeit, sondern auch zu kathartischer Direktheit, mit Songs, die nicht nur meisterhaft vorgetragen, sondern auch durchlebt wirken. „Das war irgendwie das erste Mal, dass ich die Texte völlig allein geschrieben habe“, erzählt er. „Es war beängstigend. Ich versuche immer noch, mich darin zu finden. Aber ich habe versucht, mich zu öffnen, und habe in diesem Prozess viel gelernt. Es war auf jeden Fall therapeutisch für mich.“
Dieses neue Gefühl der Verletzlichkeit zieht sich durch die zehn Stücke des Albums, die über einen Zeitraum von fast zwei Jahren geschrieben und aufgenommen wurden. Viele der Songs entstanden zunächst auf der Gitarre, wobei Ásgeir auf Schlichtheit setzte und Melodie, Klarheit und Bedeutung in den Vordergrund stellte. Die Produktion, gemeinsam mit seinem langjährigen Weggefährten Guðm. „Kiddi“ Kristinn Jónsson entwickelt, bleibt organisch und zurückhaltend – und gibt so Ásgeirs Stimme, und vor allem seiner Stimme als Songwriter, den nötigen Raum.
Der aus Nashville stammende Cellist Nathaniel Smith, den Ásgeir als „Zauberer“ beschreibt, steuert hier und im gesamten Album atmosphärische Klangteppiche bei. Mit improvisierten Melodien verleiht er den Stücken Leben und Tiefe – auf eine Weise, die Ásgeir sich zuvor nicht vorgestellt hatte.
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World Of Echo announces the reissue of two remastered albums by Japanese guitarist and songwriter Naoki Zushi, 1988’s Paradise, and 2005’s III. Two classics of Japanese psychedelia, both Paradise and III were originally released on Org Records, the imprint of Shinji Shibayama of acid-folk group Nagisa Ni Te, with whom Zushi has guested on second guitar for decades. Both intimate and expansive, rich with revelatory songwriting and blasted, sky-scouring guitar, these reissues return these albums to print for the first time since the 2000s. It’s the first time III has been officially released on vinyl, with an extra, previously unreleased track, “Under The June Moonlight.”
Recorded in Kyoto’s Townhouse Studios in mid 1987 and released in limited-to-500 vinyl pressing in 1988, Paradise emerged from a scene in Kansai, Japan that was embracing the idiosyncracies of 1970s singer-songwriters, the soaring solos of early seventies psychedelia, and the DIY impulse of 1980s post-punk. While Zushi’s musical history stretched back to the early eighties – he was a founding member of Jojo Hiroshige’s noise outfit Hijokaidan – he found his feet with groups like Hallelujahs, whose dream-pop collection Niku O Kuraite Chikai Wo Tateyo was recently reissued by Black Editions, and Idiot O’Clock.
Paradise appeared two years after that Hallelujahs album and share much the same membership – Zushi’s backing band on several of the songs includes Shibayama on drums and Ken-Ichi Takayama (aka Idiot) on electric guitar, though just as often, Zushi plays all the instruments himself. The coordinates here are wide-reaching – you can hear the volume and intensity of Neil Young & Crazy Horse (on “Hallelujah: Left Side” and “Paradise: Midday”), the slow-motion magic of Galaxie 500, the idiosyncratic spirit of The Only Ones, all mixed up with tender guitar miniatures and stumbling garage-psych-pop moves.
Seven years later, after the transitional album Phenomenal Luciferin, Zushi released III. Perhaps his masterpiece, it’s already been bootlegged on vinyl, but this reissue is the real deal. The album was recorded at Studio Nemu over seven years, and sees Zushi backed by Shibayama (bass) and Masako Takeda (drums), his erstwhile bandmates in Nagisa Ni Te. By this stage, Zushi had started to really stretch out, and many of the songs on III swoon languorously, taking their sweet time to say what they need to say. It’s rich with lovely, melancholy songs, in a similar realm to bandmates Nagisa Ni Te, of course, but you can also hear traces of everything from Syd Barrett’s The Madcap Laughs, through seventies private press loner folk, to the slow-burn meanderings of the likes of early Low or Damon & Naomi.
When interviewed by Shibayama in the mid-nineties, Zushi said of Paradise, “it was a sort of collection of songs that had meant something to me up to that point… it was my paradise. I wanted to create paradise.” That’s something Zushi achieves on both of these albums – visionary Japanese psychedelia, en route to paradise. - Jon Dale
ULI SAILOR -> File under: Punkrock am KlavierNach über 30 Jahren auf Bühnen zwischen Punkkeller und Festivalhauptbühne bringt Uli Sailor nun sein erstes Piano Solo-Album heraus. ,Besser Anders" ist das Ergebnis von zwei Jahren intensiver Arbeit - zehn Songs voller Energie, Melancholie und Haltung. Produziert wurde das Album halb in Berlin von Thies Neu, halb in Köln von Tobias Röger (Wohlstandskinder, Udo Lindenberg, Slime).Musikalisch schlägt Uli eine Brücke zwischen Indie-Rock und Punk, bleibt dabei aber weit entfernt von weichgespültem Pop. Klavier, Cello und Gesang treffen auf kantige Arrangements und Texte, die irgendwo zwischen Tagtraum und Knochenfabrik liegen - poetisch, wütend, reflektiert. Themen wie Gentrifizierung, digitale Entfremdung und die unerschütterliche Liebe zum Punk ziehen sich durchs ganze Werk.,Besser Anders" ist ein Album gegen die Austauschbarkeit. Kein KI-Produkt, keine Routine - sondern Handarbeit, Schweiß und Herzblut. Uli zeigt, dass Punkrock auch mit Klaviertasten funktionieren kann, solange man das richtige Maß an Wut, Humor und Zärtlichkeit mitbringt.Patrick Reerink (GUTS PIE EARSHOT) sorgt auf dem Album für die Cello-Parts. ,Kiezblock" entsteht gemeinsam mit Chris Kotze (KOTZREIZ), unterstützt von Totze Trippi (BEATSTEAKS) am Bass und einem Chor von Freund*innen - unter anderem Dead End Kids, Berlin Blackouts, Von.Orten und Töff Malstroem. In ,Der demagogische Wandel" greift Guido Donot (DONOTS) zur Gitarre und setzt ein Solo, das hängen bleibt. Das macht ,Besser Anders" zu mehr als einem einsamen Solo-Projekt, sondern ein kollektives Statement mit Haltung.Mittel-Version (2600 Zeichen)Sommer 2025: In einem Berliner Proberaum sitzt ein Mensch und macht das, was er am liebsten tut - Musik. Dieser Mensch heißt Uli Breitbach, besser bekannt als Uli Sailor. Seit über 30 Jahren ist er kreativer Arbeiter, mal euphorisch, mal verzweifelt, und nach zwei Jahren intensiver Arbeit erscheint nun sein erstes Solo-Album: ,Besser Anders".Was wie eine klassische Musikerbiografie klingt, steht im Kontrast zur Gegenwart. Während Künstliche Intelligenz längst komplette Bands ersetzt, bleibt Uli Sailors Musik das Gegenteil davon: handgemacht, ehrlich, mit hörbarem Herzblut. Uli geht auf die 50 zu und bringt sein Debüt erst jetzt heraus - nach Jahrzehnten als Teil verschiedenster Bands wie den Skatepunks D-SAILORS, den Indierockern TUSQ und der legendären Deutschpunkband TERRORGRUPPE.Nach deren Ende wagte Uli ein ungewöhnliches Experiment: Punksongs seiner Jugend auf dem Klavier - unterstützt von Cello. Was zunächst abwegig klang, traf einen Nerv. Seine Konzerte führten ihn in kleine Clubs ebenso wie auf große Bühnen - vom Sisyphos über Rock am Ring bis zur Volksbühne. Egal ob Punkkneipe oder Festival: Uli Sailor funktioniert überall.2024 folgte die EP ,Für immer jung", fünf eigene Songs zwischen Wut und Sentimentalität, die von Kritikern durchweg gelobt wurden. Jetzt also das Album. ,Besser Anders", das am 27. Februar 2026 erscheint - zehn Songs, produziert zur Hälfte von Thies Neu (SHIRLEY HOLMES, DYSE, DEAD END KIDS) in Berlin und von Tobias Röger (WOHLSTANDSKINDER, SLIME, UDO LINDENBERG) in Köln.Musikalisch wagt Uli den Schritt vom Piano-Punkrock hin zu einem Mix aus Indie und Punk, ohne dabei seine Haltung zu verlieren. ,Sellout?", mögen manche rufen. ,Hört doch erst einmal rein", wäre die passende Antwort. Denn ,Besser Anders" ist weit entfernt von weichgespültem Befindlichkeits-Pop. Die Texte bewegen sich zwischen Tagtraum und Knochenfabrik, kraftvoll, poetisch und differenziert. Uli Sailor benennt Missstände, bleibt aber empathisch, reflektiert und wirkt nie platt. Es ist ein vielseitiges, eigenständiges Album mit Songs über Gentrifizierung, digitale Abhängigkeit, verblühende Liebe und die unerschütterliche Kraft des Punk.Patrick Reerink von GUTS PIE EARSHOT steuerte die Cello-Parts bei. Mit Chris Kotze (KOTZREIZ) entstand eine gemeinsam geschriebene Anti-Gentrifizierungshymne, unterstützt von Totze Trippi (BEATSTEAKS) am Bass und einem Backgroundchor, der sich gewaschen hat: Mitglieder von Berlin Blackouts, Dead End Kids, Von.Orten und Töff Malstroem. Bei ,Der demagogische Wandel" wiederum griff Guido Donot (DONOTS) zur Gitarre und setzte ein Solo, das man so schnell nicht vergisst. ,Besser Anders" ist damit weit mehr als ein Solo-Album - es ist ein Gemeinschaftswerk mit Haltung.Vielleicht wird Uli Sailor keine Millionen Klicks erzielen. Aber das ist gut so. Dieses Album ist kein Algorithmusprodukt, sondern das Ergebnis ehrlicher Handarbeit, Leidenschaft und einer großen Liebe zur Musik. Punkrock bleibt hier der rote Faden - anders, besser, echt.
ULI SAILOR -> File under: Punkrock am KlavierNach über 30 Jahren auf Bühnen zwischen Punkkeller und Festivalhauptbühne bringt Uli Sailor nun sein erstes Piano Solo-Album heraus. ,Besser Anders" ist das Ergebnis von zwei Jahren intensiver Arbeit - zehn Songs voller Energie, Melancholie und Haltung. Produziert wurde das Album halb in Berlin von Thies Neu, halb in Köln von Tobias Röger (Wohlstandskinder, Udo Lindenberg, Slime).Musikalisch schlägt Uli eine Brücke zwischen Indie-Rock und Punk, bleibt dabei aber weit entfernt von weichgespültem Pop. Klavier, Cello und Gesang treffen auf kantige Arrangements und Texte, die irgendwo zwischen Tagtraum und Knochenfabrik liegen - poetisch, wütend, reflektiert. Themen wie Gentrifizierung, digitale Entfremdung und die unerschütterliche Liebe zum Punk ziehen sich durchs ganze Werk.,Besser Anders" ist ein Album gegen die Austauschbarkeit. Kein KI-Produkt, keine Routine - sondern Handarbeit, Schweiß und Herzblut. Uli zeigt, dass Punkrock auch mit Klaviertasten funktionieren kann, solange man das richtige Maß an Wut, Humor und Zärtlichkeit mitbringt.Patrick Reerink (GUTS PIE EARSHOT) sorgt auf dem Album für die Cello-Parts. ,Kiezblock" entsteht gemeinsam mit Chris Kotze (KOTZREIZ), unterstützt von Totze Trippi (BEATSTEAKS) am Bass und einem Chor von Freund*innen - unter anderem Dead End Kids, Berlin Blackouts, Von.Orten und Töff Malstroem. In ,Der demagogische Wandel" greift Guido Donot (DONOTS) zur Gitarre und setzt ein Solo, das hängen bleibt. Das macht ,Besser Anders" zu mehr als einem einsamen Solo-Projekt, sondern ein kollektives Statement mit Haltung.Mittel-Version (2600 Zeichen)Sommer 2025: In einem Berliner Proberaum sitzt ein Mensch und macht das, was er am liebsten tut - Musik. Dieser Mensch heißt Uli Breitbach, besser bekannt als Uli Sailor. Seit über 30 Jahren ist er kreativer Arbeiter, mal euphorisch, mal verzweifelt, und nach zwei Jahren intensiver Arbeit erscheint nun sein erstes Solo-Album: ,Besser Anders".Was wie eine klassische Musikerbiografie klingt, steht im Kontrast zur Gegenwart. Während Künstliche Intelligenz längst komplette Bands ersetzt, bleibt Uli Sailors Musik das Gegenteil davon: handgemacht, ehrlich, mit hörbarem Herzblut. Uli geht auf die 50 zu und bringt sein Debüt erst jetzt heraus - nach Jahrzehnten als Teil verschiedenster Bands wie den Skatepunks D-SAILORS, den Indierockern TUSQ und der legendären Deutschpunkband TERRORGRUPPE.Nach deren Ende wagte Uli ein ungewöhnliches Experiment: Punksongs seiner Jugend auf dem Klavier - unterstützt von Cello. Was zunächst abwegig klang, traf einen Nerv. Seine Konzerte führten ihn in kleine Clubs ebenso wie auf große Bühnen - vom Sisyphos über Rock am Ring bis zur Volksbühne. Egal ob Punkkneipe oder Festival: Uli Sailor funktioniert überall.2024 folgte die EP ,Für immer jung", fünf eigene Songs zwischen Wut und Sentimentalität, die von Kritikern durchweg gelobt wurden. Jetzt also das Album. ,Besser Anders", das am 27. Februar 2026 erscheint - zehn Songs, produziert zur Hälfte von Thies Neu (SHIRLEY HOLMES, DYSE, DEAD END KIDS) in Berlin und von Tobias Röger (WOHLSTANDSKINDER, SLIME, UDO LINDENBERG) in Köln.Musikalisch wagt Uli den Schritt vom Piano-Punkrock hin zu einem Mix aus Indie und Punk, ohne dabei seine Haltung zu verlieren. ,Sellout?", mögen manche rufen. ,Hört doch erst einmal rein", wäre die passende Antwort. Denn ,Besser Anders" ist weit entfernt von weichgespültem Befindlichkeits-Pop. Die Texte bewegen sich zwischen Tagtraum und Knochenfabrik, kraftvoll, poetisch und differenziert. Uli Sailor benennt Missstände, bleibt aber empathisch, reflektiert und wirkt nie platt. Es ist ein vielseitiges, eigenständiges Album mit Songs über Gentrifizierung, digitale Abhängigkeit, verblühende Liebe und die unerschütterliche Kraft des Punk.Patrick Reerink von GUTS PIE EARSHOT steuerte die Cello-Parts bei. Mit Chris Kotze (KOTZREIZ) entstand eine gemeinsam geschriebene Anti-Gentrifizierungshymne, unterstützt von Totze Trippi (BEATSTEAKS) am Bass und einem Backgroundchor, der sich gewaschen hat: Mitglieder von Berlin Blackouts, Dead End Kids, Von.Orten und Töff Malstroem. Bei ,Der demagogische Wandel" wiederum griff Guido Donot (DONOTS) zur Gitarre und setzte ein Solo, das man so schnell nicht vergisst. ,Besser Anders" ist damit weit mehr als ein Solo-Album - es ist ein Gemeinschaftswerk mit Haltung.Vielleicht wird Uli Sailor keine Millionen Klicks erzielen. Aber das ist gut so. Dieses Album ist kein Algorithmusprodukt, sondern das Ergebnis ehrlicher Handarbeit, Leidenschaft und einer großen Liebe zur Musik. Punkrock bleibt hier der rote Faden - anders, besser, echt.
This is that absolute stank-face filth: hard, espionage drama-soul and tough, jazzy street-funk. Hogan, The Hawk & Dirty John Crown sounds like the soundtrack of a blaxploitation movie from the early 70s and, packed with funky fusion and smoother orchestral numbers, it is basically that.
Featuring a veritable who's who of killer library break snakes - Alan Parker, Alan Hawkshaw (under sneaky alias William Parrish), Simon Haseley, Reg Tilsley and Gordon Grant - it's not hard to see how this commands over £350 on secondary markets.
This beautifully presented reissue, part of Be With's fresh campaign with the legendary library label Music De Wolfe, is well overdue.
Recorded for De Wolfe in 1972, Hogan, The Hawk, Dirty John Crown is a fantastic start-to-finish listen. The flute-funk of Hawkshaw and Parker's opener "The Hawk" comprises driving, fuzzy, wah-wah-drizzled bell-laced breaks with synths and basslines to murder for. Up next, Haseley's "The Happening" is a carefree, rhythmic builder with strings and horns. Let's face it, it doesn't prepare us for the monster that follows...
Hawkshaw and Parker's amazing "Main Chance" is likely the reason you're here; it's a moody, beaty proto-hip-hop banger; all rolling drums and flute-laced, organ-drenched, synth-funk breaks. Just sensational - you'll want to play it again and again and again.
The cool AF "Hogan Baby" has a soft, rounded, bluesy feel - it's a lighter number and Haseley's work here sounds more than a little indebted to Burt Bacharach. It's melancholic, reflective and contains ace breaks with beautiful flutes and wistful horns. It's just gorgeous. Grant's pounding "Dirty John Crown" brilliantly conjures swirling string-swept serenity atop driving, incisive drama-funk breaks. Sublime. Hawkshaw and Parker come roaring back with the murky, creeping crime-funk of "Swarf" with killer basslines underpinning slow-mo high-class flute-funk.
Reg Tilsley enters the fray with the bright, snappy, carefree "Turnover". It's lightweight but still retains some nice orchestral movements. The brief “Tarantula” gets us back on track - from the pen and chops of Hawkshaw and Parker, are we surprised? - with the driving crime funk breaks, super clean yet brooding. Synths, sax and 'nuff guitars. YES.
Side 2 opens with the car chase swag of Haseley's dramatic, driving "Precinct". Jazzy, instrumental flute funk over great percussive breaks. We love this. Haseley's rolling "Sidewinder Version 1" is robust and exuberant with bouncy horns before a cracking Parker-Hawkshaw one-two featuring the tense "Pressure" and the deeply soulful "Call Me", a relaxed, medium-tempo organ feature. With building piano and strings Gordon Grant's excellently titled "Scorch" is as aggressive and dramatic as you'd hope. Hawkshaw and Parker's furtive flute-funk of "Digger" precede the light, melodic and romantic themes of Tilsley's "Marianne" whilst "Sidewinder Version 2", a faster iteration of Track B2 sees Haseley close out this remarkable set in bouncy, bright fashion.
The audio for Hogan, The Hawk, Dirty John Crown has been meticulously remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring this release sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.
Die Indie-Folk-Ikone Sam Beam, auch bekannt als Iron And Wine, bringt ein neues Studioalbum raus, das voll mit wunderschöner, natürlicher Americana ist, darunter zwei Kollaborationen mit dem weiblichen Folk-Trio I'm With Her. „Ich wollte schon immer diesen Titel verwenden", sagt Sam Beam über „Hen's Teeth“, sein achtes Album in voller Länge und sein sechstes für Sub Pop Records. „Ich liebe ihn einfach. Für mich steht er für das Unmögliche. Hühnerzähne gibt's nicht. Und genau so fühlt sich dieses Album an: wie ein Geschenk, das es eigentlich nicht geben dürfte, aber doch da ist. Eine unmögliche Sache, aber sie ist real."
„Hen's Teeth“ und sein vorheriges Album „Light Verse“ sind so was wie Geschwister. Sie wurden während derselben Sessions nach einer einjährigen Pause mit derselben Band im Waystation Studio in Laurel Canyon aufgenommen. „Wenn ich gerade richtig in Schreiblaune bin und die Band mich dort abholt, wo ich gerade stehe, treiben sie mich zu etwas, das ich mir nicht hätte vorstellen können. Ich bin an einem Punkt in meinem Leben, an dem Spontaneität für mich viel wichtiger ist. Ich muss nicht mehr so viel beweisen wie früher. Ich bin viel freier und liebe es mehr denn je, Musik zu machen. Es gibt keine richtigen oder falschen Antworten. Man betet einfach um Glück und gibt sein Bestes." In diesem Fall wurden die Gebete erhört und das Glück schlug voll zu. Die Musiker fanden so schnell zueinander und inspirierten sich gegenseitig so sehr, dass sie Songs oft in nur wenigen Takes aufnahmen, manchmal zwei oder drei pro Tag. Die beiden Alben können daher als zweieiige Zwillinge betrachtet werden: Sie teilen sich die DNA und ergänzen sich, haben aber unterschiedliche Identitäten und zeichnen sich ebenso durch ihre Unterschiede wie durch ihre Gemeinsamkeiten aus. Die Welt von „Hen's Teeth“ ist erdiger, dunkler, robuster und greifbarer als die von „Light Verse“. Die Songs haben Titel wie “Roses", “Robin's Egg", “Dates and Dead People" und “Singing Saw". “Run into the one you love forever / Laugh into each other's empty mouth", singt Beam in “Roses", dem ersten Titel des Albums. Es ist einer von mehreren Songs, in denen Liebende so tief miteinander verbunden sind, dass sie physisch verschmelzen. “Paper and Stone" erinnert daran: “But for the time we fell in two / You'd be me and I'd be you / One crust of bread could fit in our mouths / You'd breathe in and I'd let it out." Und in “In Your Ocean" finden wir Beam betend: “Praying for dry ground / Though I only want to drown / When I find myself swimming in your ocean".
rot/schwarzes Marble Vinyl. Offensichtlich parkverliebt_ eine musikgewordene Parksituation: Du schlenderst langsam durch das zerbrechliche Idyll inmitten der Stadt, die Luft ist kalt und klar, die Arme hinter dem Rücken verschränkt. Hochgewachsene Bäume spannen den Raum auf, gedämpfter Stadtlärm mischt sich mit dem Rascheln der Blätter, mehr oder weniger verwirrte Tiere sehen aufmerksam in Deine Richtung. Du setzt Dich auf eine Parkbank, hältst inne und fängst an Dich darüber zu freuen, wie schön das alles eigentlich ist. ParkWalkers emopop/slowcore sound ist bestimmt durch zwei cleane Gitarren (Hannes & Nicola), eindringliche Basslinien (Arnaud), entspannte Drums (Armin) und der warmen Stimme von Nicola. Melodien, die hängen bleiben, in meist klassischer Songstruktur. Die lieben 90er oder Nullerjahre lassen grüßen, vielleicht fällt einem American Football, Snow Patrol ein oder fühlt sich an Death Cab for Cutie und Weakerthans erinnert. ParkWalker haben sich 2018 gefunden, und leben verteilt in Berlin, Stuttgart und Karlsruhe. Klar in der DIY-Szene verwurzelt haben sie viele Stunden auf Bühnen im In-und Ausland mit verschiedenen Formationen verbracht, u.a. Tidal Sleep. Nach ihrem Debüt "Distant Phenomena" im Jahr 2021 ist für Herbst 2025 das zweite Album "The Extra Mile" bei This Charming Records geplant. Das Album wurde in den RAMA Studios aufgenommen und von Christian Bethge (z.B. Messer) produziert und gemastert
Uw energieboost in plaatvorm: zo klinkt de nieuwe Admiral Freebee. Geboren uit een oerdrive om samen met zijn vrienden slash helden muziek te maken en de studio in te duiken. Openingstrack Seeking A Friend zet meteen de toon: drums zwellen aan, een snedige riff valt in en Tom Van Laere giet er een rauw ‘Armageddooon’ over uit. De wereld staat in brand en Admiral Freebee is er niet blind voor, maar het spelplezier staat voorop. Uptempo, groovy, dansbaar zelfs, met synths en welgemikte opzwepende HEY’s: negen songs lang spatten good times uit de muziek, van eerste single Q&A With Myself over knallers als Future Fathers Of Utopia en The Hunger. Zoals we van Admiral Freebee gewend zijn, is er ook ruimte voor humor en een introspectieve blik. Maar vergis je niet, een schoothondje is hij niet (No One’s Puppy). In slottrack Dog That Never Dies gaat de voet van het gaspedaal en legt het enige ingetogen nummer het album neer, als een synthese van alle thema’s die aan bod komen. En we mogen gerust zijn: met Admiral Freebee gaat het goed, en zowel hij als zijn muziek lopen over van het plezier. Even alle zorgen vergeten en genieten van pure fun.
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Your energy boost in record form: that’s how the new Admiral Freebee album sounds. Born from a primal desire to make music with his friends aka heroes and dive into the studio. Opening track Seeking A Friend sets the tone: drums swell, a sharp riff takes centre stage and Van Laere lets out a raw ‘Armageddooon’. The world is on fire and Admiral Freebee does not turn a blind eye, but first we have some fun. Uptempo, groovy, danceable even, with funky synths and a bunch of infectious HEYs: for nine songs good times are all over the place, from first single Q&A With Myself to bangers like Future Fathers Of Utopia and The Hunger. As always with Admiral Freebee, there’s also room for humor and he doesn’t shy away from introspection either. And make no mistake: Tom Van Laere is no lapdog (No One’s Puppy). Closing track Dog That Never Dies is the only intimate song on the album and sounds like a synthesis of all the album’s themes. And rest assured: Admiral Freebee is doing fine, and both him and his music are bursting with joy. So leave your worries behind for a moment and have some raw fun.
Picture by Ed Templeton/ Courtesy Tim Van Laere Gallery
Artwork by Jelle Jespers
Admiral Freebee is Tom Van Laere – Tim Coene, Senne Guns en Laurens Billiet. Recorded in summer 2025.
Hamburg is sinking into an ever-expanding landscape of fresh construction ruins born from investor fantasies, concrete monster-bridges and ghostly office spaces. But from secret basements, a Geflecht begins to grow. After the first tape by Hamburg duo Kostenfalle, now comes their second album on vinyl.
The furious electropunk of Kostenfalle has been cut into the matrix at 45 RPM. Nine
songs in the fast lane, driven by sequencers, synthesizers, drum machines, and bass guitar. Despite the electronic machinery, Kostenfalle remain fiercely dynamic, twisting and shifting through intricate structures and sudden turns. Punk and Electronic Body Music lock into a dance; without warning we’re plunged into a psychedelic riff, only to slam angrily into the next guardrail.
With alternating vocals, Christian manning the transistors, Philipp holding the bass, the lyrics emerge dark and oblique, meditating on life as a one-dimensional human and on the spaces between people. Boycott and sabotage. Explode and generate.
San Francisco–born singer-songwriter Ben Kweller returns with Cover The Mirrors, his seventh studio album — and perhaps his most personal work to date. Known in the late ’90s as a member of post-grunge outfit Radish, who were signed to Mercury Records and even counted Nils Lofgren among their fans, Kweller has since carved out a long and prolific solo career rooted in melodic indie rock and unfiltered emotion. Cover The Mirrors is a deeply poignant record, written in honour of what would have been Kweller’s late son Dorian Zev’s 19th birthday. It also marks Kweller’s first release since Dorian’s tragic passing in 2023 — an event that reshaped both his life and his music. Far from retreating into silence, Kweller channels his grief into a collection of songs that explore loss, love, and renewal with raw honesty. “This is the most personal, emotionally raw project I've ever worked on,” he reflects, and every track bears that truth. The album features an impressive roster of collaborators from across the indie landscape: Waxahatchee joins on “Dollar Store,” a sparse and arresting song built on two vocals and a guitar that eventually erupts into a distorted, soaring finale; MJ Lenderman lends his touch to “Oh Dorian,” a tender tribute steeped in warmth and melancholy; Jason Schwartzman resurrects his mid-aughts project Coconut Records for the haunting “Depression”; and psych-rock icons The Flaming Lips appear on the shimmering, otherworldly “Killer Bee.” Musically, Kweller’s craft is as sharp and sincere as ever — intimate yet expansive, stripped-down yet powerful. Cover The Mirrors captures an artist walking through grief with purpose, turning heartbreak into something both fragile and transcendent. It’s the sound of Ben Kweller looking loss directly in the eye — and finding beauty, courage, and connection reflected back. - “One of the great American songwriters” – Jack Antonoff TRACKLIST: A1. Going Insane A2. Dollar Store (feat. Waxahatchee) A3. Trapped A4. Park Harvey Fire Drill A5. Depression (feat. Coconut Records) A6. Don't Cave B1. Optimystic B2. Brakes B3. Killer Bee (feat. The Flaming Lips) B4. Letter To Agony B5. Save Yourself B6. Oh Dorian (feat. MJ Lenderman) Clear Vinyl LP
Our Mirage have carved out a distinct voice in the heavier music scene with emotionally charged lyrics, atmospheric textures, and searing intensity. Formed in 2017, the band quickly gained momentum through an ever-growing fanbase and a string of compelling releases. Their 2022 studio album Eclipse has amassed over 15 million streams on Spotify, cementing their reputation as one of Germany’s most exciting new metalcore exports. Now, the band is gearing up for their most ambitious release yet: Fractured Minds, due out on January 30th, 2026. The record promises to be even more explosive, expanding on their signature mix of crushing heaviness and emotional depth. The momentum is already undeniable —with five singles released from Fractured Minds to date, the band has accumulated over 5.5 million Spotify streams on those tracks alone. Meanwhile, Our Mirage currently count more than 260,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, underlining their ever-growing international presence. Beyond streaming success, Our Mirage have proven themselves a formidable live act, playing major festival stages such as Summer Breeze Open Air and delivering powerful, emotionally raw performances night after night. In January and February 2026, the band will embark on a co-headline tour, bringing Fractured Minds directly to fans across Europe.
Grace Inspace Garner hat schon immer ein nomadisches Leben geführt. Geboren in LA und aufgewachsen in London, wuchs sie mit ihren umherziehenden Künstlereltern an verschiedenen Orten auf. Getreu ihrem Wanderlust-Geist entsteht ein Großteil ihrer Texte in einem Airstream-Wohnwagen am Ufer des Jedediah Smith Redwoods in Nordkalifornien, wo sie einst Jahre unter Marihuana-Bauern, Förstern und Schwarzbären verbrachte. Der Titelsong von Graces letzter EP „Sunshine Kid” wurde in einer weltweiten Kampagne von Celine verwendet, und ihre Musik wurde von führenden Medien wie Clash, The Fader und Coup De Main vorgestellt.
Ihre neue EP „Heavy Hair“ ist ihr bisher persönlichstes Werk. Der Titel stammt von einem Selbstporträt aus ihrer Kindheit, auf dem sie ein Mädchen zeichnete, das unter dem Gewicht ihrer eigenen Haare zusammengebrochen war. „Ich sagte meiner Mutter, ich hätte es gezeichnet, weil sich meine Haare mit all meinen Gedanken und Gefühlen zu schwer anfühlten“, erinnert sich Grace. Jeder Song auf dem Album deckt eine Seite von ihr auf, die vergraben oder vergessen war, und bildet eine introspektive Reise, die sowohl von Schmerz als auch von Freude geprägt ist. Jeder Song auf dem Album bringt eine Seite von ihr zum Vorschein, die vergraben oder vergessen war, und bildet eine introspektive Reise, die sowohl von Schmerz als auch von Freude geprägt ist.
Necrofier - "Transcend into Oblivion" (VÖ: 27.02.2026)
Mit "Transcend into Oblivion" setzen Necrofier neue Maßstäbe im modernen Black Metal. Die Band aus Houston, Texas, vereint die rohe Energie des amerikanischen Undergrounds mit der düsteren Magie norwegischer Klanglandschaften. Das Ergebnis: Ein Album voller kraftvoller Melodien, melancholischer Tiefe und kompromissloser Intensität.
"Dieses Album ist die Reise, die ich immer gehen wollte", reflektiert die Band. "Es ist das Ergebnis von Chaos, Selbstfindung und künstlerischer Weiterentwicklung. Was wir hier geschaffen haben, übertrifft alles, was wir zuvor gemacht haben."
Necrofier sind längst kein Geheimtipp mehr: Nach Touren mit Szenegrößen wie Danzig und Cradle Of Filth, Festivalauftritten bei Metal & Beer Fest und Hell's Heroes sowie einem exklusiven Artwork von José Gabriel Alegría Sabogal, ist die Band bereit, die Welt zu erobern. Im Februar ziert Necrofier das Cover des Decibel Magazine - ein weiterer Meilenstein auf dem Weg zur Spitze.
Für Fans von Watain, Dissection, Em
Originally released in 1996 via Big Beat/Atlantic Records, From Where??? is the debut album by Richmond, VA-based emcee Mad Skillz, which features countless classic cuts by some of the best producers in the game (roll call: J Dilla, Shawn J. Period, Buckwild, DJ Clark Kent, Nick Wiz, The Beatnuts & Large Professor). The
album was also praised for its strong lyrical content. Skillz, as we know him, was never short on captivating listeners with his punchlines and wordplay. In 2002, he began his annual “Rap Up” series, incorporating a year’s worth of headlines from the prior year. On From Where??? The singles “The Nod Factor and “Move Ya Body” received steady radio and video airplay while album cuts like “VA. In The House, “Doin Time In
The Cypha,” “The Jam,” and the showstopper “Extra Abstract Skillz” (Featuring Q-Tip & Large Professor) all round out the album with bangers from start to finish. Out of print on vinyl in the United States since its original release, Get On Down is proud to present another underrated Golden Era classic on vinyl. From Where??? is pressed on half-and-half with black splatter-colored vinyl, limited to 1000 copies.
Steeped in nocturnal, death rock adventurism, riven with a post-punk anxiety that feels increasingly like the twitching heart of our modern age, and driven by hardcore punk intensity, the second studio album from Boston’s FINAL GASP, titled New Day Symptoms, does what all great rock records do - not only does it place itself within a lineage, summoning up and amplifying a spectrum of powers from Rock n' Roll lore, it makes them resonate in the here and now. It gives voice to those fears and frustrations lurking just under the surface of waking consciousness and turns them into a rallying cry. Throughout New Day Symptoms, FINAL GASP create a potent reaction from the furious and the forlorn, frontman Jake Murphy’s vocalizes both a supercharged howl into the void and a remorseful echo back. But where the band’s 2023 debut, Mourning Moon, was a concentrated shot of acrid, underground death rock, its propulsion tanks largely filled with references to Samhain and Killing Joke, New Day Symptoms keeps all the core urgent energy while vastly broadening its scope. Through the anthemic, acid-corroded vistas of "Look Away" and gothic tub-thumping beat of "Gifted Shame" to "No Hand To Lead" channelling "Don’t Fear The Reaper" and its loping groove, New Day Symptoms takes the familiar into uncharted territory and makes the unfamiliar instantly, internally recognisable. With new space to explore, this is an album that feels a mapping of personal trials and dark recesses. Short: Boston's FINAL GASP return with New Day Symptoms - the new album steeped in nocturnal, death rock adventurism, riven with a post-punk anxiety that feels increasingly like the twitching heart of our modern age, and driven by hardcore punk intensity! FFO: Danzig, Killing Joke, TSOL, Lathe of Heaven, Poison Ruin, Gouge Away, Tribulation
Pacific Avenue, das Indie-Rock-Quartett aus Gerringong, hat sich mit seinem rasanten Aufstieg zu einer
der aufregendsten Bands Australiens entwickelt. Seit ihrem Debütalbum „Strawberry Skies“ im Jahr 2017
hat die Band eine Reihe herausragender Veröffentlichungen herausgebracht – darunter „Something Good“,
„Easy Love“ und „Lucy“, das sechs Tage in Folge die Spitze der Triple-J-Charts anführte. Ihr Debütalbum
„Flowers“ (2023) stieg auf Platz 1 der australischen ARIA-Albumcharts ein, wurde von Triple J als bestes
Album ausgezeichnet, erhielt mehrere ARIA- und AIR-Award-Nominierungen und wurde international von
CBS, BBC und ITV verwendet. Nach einer wegweisenden Debütphase und ausgiebigen Tourneen in Australien und im Ausland kehren Pacific Avenue nun mit „Lovesick Sentimental“ zurück, ihrem brandneuen
Album, das 2026 erscheinen soll.
Uw energieboost in plaatvorm: zo klinkt de nieuwe Admiral Freebee. Geboren uit een oerdrive om samen met zijn vrienden slash helden muziek te maken en de studio in te duiken. Openingstrack Seeking A Friend zet meteen de toon: drums zwellen aan, een snedige riff valt in en Tom Van Laere giet er een rauw ‘Armageddooon’ over uit. De wereld staat in brand en Admiral Freebee is er niet blind voor, maar het spelplezier staat voorop. Uptempo, groovy, dansbaar zelfs, met synths en welgemikte opzwepende HEY’s: negen songs lang spatten good times uit de muziek, van eerste single Q&A With Myself over knallers als Future Fathers Of Utopia en The Hunger. Zoals we van Admiral Freebee gewend zijn, is er ook ruimte voor humor en een introspectieve blik. Maar vergis je niet, een schoothondje is hij niet (No One’s Puppy). In slottrack Dog That Never Dies gaat de voet van het gaspedaal en legt het enige ingetogen nummer het album neer, als een synthese van alle thema’s die aan bod komen. En we mogen gerust zijn: met Admiral Freebee gaat het goed, en zowel hij als zijn muziek lopen over van het plezier. Even alle zorgen vergeten en genieten van pure fun.
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Your energy boost in record form: that’s how the new Admiral Freebee album sounds. Born from a primal desire to make music with his friends aka heroes and dive into the studio. Opening track Seeking A Friend sets the tone: drums swell, a sharp riff takes centre stage and Van Laere lets out a raw ‘Armageddooon’. The world is on fire and Admiral Freebee does not turn a blind eye, but first we have some fun. Uptempo, groovy, danceable even, with funky synths and a bunch of infectious HEYs: for nine songs good times are all over the place, from first single Q&A With Myself to bangers like Future Fathers Of Utopia and The Hunger. As always with Admiral Freebee, there’s also room for humor and he doesn’t shy away from introspection either. And make no mistake: Tom Van Laere is no lapdog (No One’s Puppy). Closing track Dog That Never Dies is the only intimate song on the album and sounds like a synthesis of all the album’s themes. And rest assured: Admiral Freebee is doing fine, and both him and his music are bursting with joy. So leave your worries behind for a moment and have some raw fun.
Picture by Ed Templeton/ Courtesy Tim Van Laere Gallery
Artwork by Jelle Jespers
Admiral Freebee is Tom Van Laere – Tim Coene, Senne Guns en Laurens Billiet. Recorded in summer 2025.
