quête:a team

Four heady cuts, mind-bending and bold.
For curious dancers, their stories to unfold.
From Lithuanian maestro, Pletnev his name.

Modular beats, a rhythmic refrain…
Echocentric Records & R.A.N.D. Muzik Recordings team up to bring you,
‚And You Never Come Back EP‘ by Pletnev.

Repress! Little Barrie And Malcolm Catto Team Up For Seven Tracks Of Breaks And Sci-Fi Fuzz For Maverick Producer Madlib's Label

Quatermass Seven, the meeting of minds between guitarist Barrie Cadogan, bassist Lewis Wharton and drummer Malcolm Catto represents a re-birth of sorts for Little Barrie, with these their first recordings since 2017’s Death Express and the untimely passing of their gifted drummer and friend Virgil Howe. As Lewis explains, the sessions played a part in the healing process, a way to re-connect through music without any intentions to necessarily come away with a finished record. “It was good to get in the studio again after such a long break especially as we didn’t go in with any agenda or expectations,” he explains. There was no preconceptions that we would make a new Little Barrie record, it was just an opportunity to work on some things Barrie had written for fun with zero pressure.” With most tracks recorded live with minimal overdubs, and produced by Malcolm at his Quatermass studios, The Heliocentrics’ main man brings new flavour to the band’s rhythm section by blending his power behind the drum kit and his expansive skills behind the mixing desk to take Little Barrie’s music forward into new territories. Recorded on Catto’s treasure trove of analogue gear, and mastered onto ¼” tape, the overall effect is guitar, bass and drums finding a sweet spot where genres collide, delivering a record that takes the influences of the past and pushes them towards somewhere more contemporary. “I definitely hear in Barrie’s songs a lot of common musical ground’” explains Malcolm. “It felt like a great thing to do, work with Malcolm while we’re figuring out what we wanna do,” Barrie concludes, “let’s just go in and do some playing and see what happens, and we came out with more than we ever intended.” Quatermass Seven delivers a dark, deep and expansive set of grooves, layered with frazzled and flawless guitar and flowing melodies, as well as pointing toward a future of exciting new musical opportunities. “Still here, so fine, just a little darker state of mind” sings Cadogan on ‘Steel Drum’, words which sum up hope in times of uncertainty, whilst unintentionally offering a perfect description of Quartermass Seven.

Theo Parrish has teamed up with Rotating Assembly member Duminie DePorres and Dirt Tech Reck head Waajeed. The EP, Gentrified Love Part 2, is the first new work Parrish has released since his 2014 album American Intelligence.

Fettes Re-Press zum Sonderpreis. behind "defunct" are a new producer team who also produced the latest niels van gogh track.A murder club anthem. Styled like tomcraft & moguai. beautiful vocal lines... the next burner on fast forward. nothing to say anymore... it´s a murder...

In an age where most contemporary bluesmen strive to mimic the past and pattern their music after the greats, Keb' Mo' is content to be himself. Original, charismatic, and immensely gifted, the guitarist/vocalist (born Kevin Moore) brings country blues in the late 20th century on his stunning self-titled Epic debut, which quickly climbed the charts and turned the former backing instrumentalist into a household name. Replete with gritty textures, close-up vocals, and resplendent acoustics, Mobile Fidelity's scintillating version of this 1994 set finally possesses the fidelity that brings Mo's Delta strains out of the backwoods and onto a lively back porch.

Half-speed mastered from the original tapes, this numbered edition 180g LP represents the very first time that Mo's watershed album has been given a much-needed sonic facelift. Gone are the hazes that obscured his singing, artificial ceilings that blunted the highs, and digital fog that interfered with the multitude of illuminating tones, details, and notes. What's revealed is startling intimacy and soothing emotion, Mo's gorgeous vocal timbres and inflections given equal space with his guitar, harmonica, and pace. Finally, a great-sounding contemporary blues record that doesn't resort to derivative recycling and bland revivalism.

The son of Southern parents, Mo' channels his heritage via a batch of superb folksy songs that relax, refresh, and regale. While he's since traveled in a more commercialized pop-oriented direction, Mo's initial salvo is nothing but raw, pure blues played with unbridled passion, tremendous conviction, and what is best deemed the essence of heart and soul. Keb' Mo' engages with a compelling mix of tradition and modernity, the headliner refraining from any attempt at assuming an artificial personality and instead basing his reputation on quality songs. As such, Mo's material resonates with deep, mellow vibes and extraordinary National steel guitar work, which complements his fluid, acoustic finger-picking and soulful strumming.

Mo' occasionally teams with an ensemble. But this record is mostly all about the basics: guitar, voice, and harmonica. Tunes such as "Victims of Comfort" and "Angelina" testify on behalf of his phenomenal country-blues songwriting; his covers of Robert Johnson's "Come On In My Kitchen" and "Kindhearted Woman Blues" speak to his reverence for the past. Shuffles, ballads, dance songs – Mo nails them all.

Keb' Mo' remains one of the finest blues albums made in the post-Stevie Ray Vaughan era. Don't miss this American gem that so many have since tried to copy.

Celebrate the technical expertise of the world's finest LP pressing plant — Quality Record Pressings — with the finest LP sampler ever assembled!

The Wonderful Sounds Of Quality Record Pressings includes music hand-picked by Acoustic Sounds CEO Chad Kassem and classical music tracks chosen by the team at Reference Recordings.

Every song meets the criteria of excellent performance, perfect recording and flawless mastering. What better way to celebrate such a monumental anniversary for one of the absolute leading brands in analog high fidelity than with this to-die-for LP sampler? Contains most genres of music — blues, jazz, classical, R&B and female vocal. From now on, you'll only need to carry one demo record around with you.

Vinyl expert Michael Fremer, of Analogue Planet and Stereophile, gives you a track-by-track tour of the history and production of the songs on this special album.

What separates our world-renowned Quality Record Pressings LPs from other manufacturers? Since Acoustic Sounds CEO Chad Kassem launched QRP in 2011, the focus has been on producing consistently virtually silent vinyl playing surfaces, as well as reproducing details that were hallmarks of vintage labels — the "deep groove" label of Blue Note LPs, for example.

The craft of pressing fine vinyl is perfected in such details. Such as plating lacquers within 24 hours of their arrival at the plant. Cut grooves are prone to change with temperature fluxuations, high humidity and time. The sooner that lacquers are plated, the better the fidelity of the final pressing. Other keys include using a proprietary silver spray formulation, made fresh daily. And incorporating computer microprocessors on our presses to precisely control press functions with absolute precision. And an imbedded temperature sensor in the dye cycles the press with just as much control. The result — more consistency in each LP, high fidelity and reduced distortion. The ultimate sonic advantage.

With its name indicative of the music's boundary-testing diversity and Southwestern inspiration, On the Border finds the Eagles leaving everything on the table and embracing a harder edge that takes the band out of more relaxed territory and establishes it as a group that knows how – and wants – to rock. Glenn Frey, Don Henley, new member Don Felder, and company immediately announce their intent on the defiant album-opening hit "Already Gone" and never look back, crafting a gem of a record that from start to finish is arguably their most consistent and balanced effort.

Limited to 10,000 numbered copies, pressed on dead-quiet MoFi SuperVinyl at RTI, and mastered from the original analogue master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's ultra-hi-fi UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP collector's edition pays tribute to the record's significance and enhances the experience for generations to come. Playing with reference sonics that elevate an effort revered by audiophiles, it provides a lively, dynamic, transparent, and intimate view of a release whose contemporary importance continues to grow. The opportunity to zero in on the particulars of the Eagles' golden harmonies, distinct vocal timbres, and cohesive interplay has never been better.

Visually, the premium packaging and gorgeous presentation of the UD1S On the Border pressing befit its select status. Housed in a deluxe box, it features special foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording. No expense has been spared. From every angle, this UD1S reissue exists as a curatorial artefact meant to be preserved, touched, and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art – and everything involved with the album, from the iconic Navajo cover painting to the meticulous finishes.

And with On the Border, there's plenty to take in and soak up. Declared by famed critic Robert Christgau as "the Eagles' best album," the 1974 set claims a rich backstory. Initially recorded amid tumultuous sessions with producer Glyn Johns in London shortly after the release of the group's sophomore Desperado set, On the Border took a new turn after the band elected to scrap most of the prior work, return to its native California, and team with producer Bill Szymczyk to give the material less of a smooth, polished sheen and more toughness. Szymczyk also afforded the Eagles more input and freedom in the arrangements, and suggested adding another guitarist to play on "Good Day in Hell." Felder got the call, and so won over the Eagles with his skills, he quickly became the fifth member of the band.

While the late-arriving Felder only plays on one other album cut, "Already Gone," his mates more than prove their muster on the remainder of a double-platinum affair that established the Eagles as a force whose range transcended the calmer country-leaning style it perfected on their first two LPs. Primarily written by Jackson Browne and shelved during the Desperado sessions due to its higher-energy nature, the throttle-twisting "James Dean" ricochets with barbed riffs and rebellious swagger. Listen without limits to how Szymczyk's raw production stamps the song with a leather-and-jeans cool befitting its protagonist. Similarly rugged, the slide-guitar-fueled "Good Day in Hell" boasts its own mean streak. And the funk-laced, boot-stomping title track cautions "don't you tell me 'bout your law and order." Throughout On the Border, the Eagles are in no mood to mess around.

Not that the band skirts sentimental territory. On one of the era's finest covers, the Eagles nail the bittersweet feelings and bring high-definition detail to the vivid scenery of Tom Waits' "Ol' '55," a song the group makes its own. The rustic ballad "My Man" serves as a tribute to the recently deceased Gram Parsons, with singer-guitarist Bernie Leadon taking the lead on the microphone as he pours his heart out to his former Flying Burrito Brothers mate. And when it comes to romance, is it possible to top "Best of My Love"? Graced with Henley's honey-dipped vocals, refined wordless group harmonies, brushed drums, and the gentle strum of acoustic guitars, the Johns-produced cut soared to Number One and set the stage for what would soon be the Eagles' reality: global dominance.

More About Mobile Fidelity UltraDisc One-Step and Why It Is Superior
Instead of utilizing the industry-standard three-step lacquer process, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's new UltraDisc One-Step (UD1S) uses only one step, bypassing two processes of generational loss. While three-step processing is designed for optimum yield and efficiency, UD1S is created for the ultimate in sound quality. Just as Mobile Fidelity pioneered the UHQR (Ultra High-Quality Record) with JVC in the 1980s, UD1S again represents another state-of-the-art advance in the record-manufacturing process. MFSL engineers begin with the original master recordings, painstakingly transfer them to DSD 256, and meticulously cut a set of lacquers. These lacquers are used to create a very fragile, pristine UD1S stamper called a "convert." Delicate "converts" are then formed into the actual record stampers, producing a final product that literally and figuratively brings you closer to the music. By skipping the additional steps of pulling another positive and an additional negative, as done in the three-step process used in standard pressings, UD1S produces a final LP with the lowest noise floor possible today. The removal of the additional two steps of generational loss in the plating process reveals tremendous amounts of extra musical detail and dynamics, which are otherwise lost due to the standard copying process. The exclusive nature of these very limited pressings guarantees that every UD1S pressing serves as an immaculate replica of the lacquer sourced directly from the original master recording. Every conceivable aspect of vinyl production is optimized to produce the most perfect record album available today.

White Marbled Vinyl

LTD. CLEAR PINK VINYL

Barely disco and hardly jazz, Rupa Biswas’ music the halfway point between Bollywood and Balearic. Tracked in 1982 at Calgary’s Living Room Studios with a crack team of Indian and Canadian studio rats alike, both “Moja Bhari Moja” and “East West Shuffle” are the perfect fusion sarod and synthesizer. Remastered from original analogue source material and with permission and blessing of the producers and performers.

We are very proud to present you the third release on Schatzimusik with the reissue of the much sought after I.B.M. – Computer Love 12″ inch and an unreleased track and a remix. For this release we have teamed up with none other than Dario di Pace & Raffelle Arcella from Naples, better known as Mystic Jungle and Whodamanny. The two have done numerous remixes for very well-known Italo-Disco songs. For this remix, they have delivered a brilliant reinterpretation of Computer Love. Rhythmic, driving, funky and playful, they put Computer Love in a new light. The release is rounded off with the previously unknown track “Metropolis” and the long version of “Computer Love”. A little background info on the original vinyl. Thomas Waver & Rudi Raders the two originators of the group I.B.M. emigrated to Alicante (Spain) in the 80s. They stored the records of Computer Love in the attic of Thomas’ aunt. Unfortunately, she died, and the attic was dissolved along with the records. So, the original vinyl is unfortunately a rarely seen item.

2nd installment in RZA's brandnew 2022 Bobby Digital Trilogy on Electric Blue vinyl! Rza returns with the second of his three record Bobby Digital Trilogy, coming on the heels of his critically acclaimed first installment "Saturday Afternoon Kung Fu Theatre Rza vs Bobby Digital, Produced by DJ Scratch! The album is also the soundtrack and addition to the new Bobby Digital comic of the same name. "Dating back to the 1990's RZA has been using Bobby Digital as a pseudonym for various solo projects. These are not strictly outside of the Wu-Tang Clan diaspora as various members make cameos or co-produce, but they've allowed Diggs to explore musical and lyrical ideas that fight better with his alter ego. Bobby Digital can be considered a comic book superhero, fighting evil in both the physical realm and the virtual world of cyberspace, achieving a "meta" reality long before Facebook thought to trademark the term." - rap revies 2022 2022 release. The founding member of the multimedia supergroup, The Wu-Tang Clan, introduced the world to his alter-ego in his 1998 album Bobby Digital in Stereo. With lush digital orchestral sounds and inventive beats, he was putting the love of comic books on full display through it's concept and execution. Now, exactly 23 years since it's original release, RZA announces a partnership with Z2 Comics to give the character a story in the medium which inspired his creation! Bobby Digital: Pit Full of Snake pairs RZA with White Noise Studios member Ryan O'Sullivan, whose last collaboration with Poppy was widely celebrated by fans and critics alike, with Sound & Fury artist Vasilis Lolos rounding out the team to bring the world of Bobby Digital to life.

I'm talkin' about Beatmasters, but not the late 80s crew that saw collaborations with the Cookie Crew etc, I'm talking about the legendary Bristol beatmaster Boca 45 who has mastered, honed and polished his creative techniques and his distillation of beat making over the last 25+ years. Born out of hip hop and rooted firmly in the Bristol scene of Massive, Wild Bunch, and Portishead, Boca 45 aka Scott Hendy has successfully navigated an ever changing musical landscape with an unwavering connection and honest adherence to those very roots and ethics. It's what makes Bristol such a special place for art of all forms in the city, a DIY, earthy and passionate sound and vision that runs through all the artists that call Bristol home.
And so it continues with Boca's only 45 release this year in ‘22. It’s strictly Limited to 300 copies on High Quality Yellow wax with each copy stamped & numbered.
On this Bomb Donut he teams up with NYC Native Tongue OG Bam of The Jungle Brothers on hype vocals duties for 2 dancefloor burners.
The A side '(Do It) Fluid' goes straight for the jugular with an immediate phat rubbery bassline that precedes a beat that charges and swings between 4 to the floor and wild breaks. Everything else within the track is supporting that drum & bass, heaping bucket loads of flavour into the mix. And to make it even more tasty, the arrangement is a clear 'DJs Choice', eminently cut-able, mixable, and double up-able! The intention of this (and the flip) is most definitely to stick 'nasty faces' on everyone on the dancefloor.
So if you weren't already bleeding from a torn jugular from the A side, then the B side is going to do some serious damage to what is left of your vascular system. Picking up the tempo with a heavy-duty breakbeat that drives ever forward, 'Another Dimension' is peppered with fuzzed up riffs, Bam's hype vocals, and spacy flourishes. The result is a blistering dancefloor nugget heavily laden with urgency and vigour that DJs, dancers and breakdancers alike will be seriously wigging and poppin' out to. Ultimately these are classic Boca productions, full of the energy and verve we all know and love, honest, funky, raw, they have it all.
Both tracks are a step up from cut-and-paste, yet that ethic is loud and proud throughout (and has been a trademark of Boca's beats over the years).
It's perfectly reasonable to predict that this 45 will be going straight into the play crates of DJs across the world. And you can quote me on that.

Following their debut Glastonbury Festival performance, Broadside Hacks in collaboration with British Underground today announce the UK premiere of The Broadside Hack; a new documentary telling the story of the young vanguard of UK artists sharing radical interpretations, proto-feminist narratives and queer histories through the lens of British traditional folk song. An accompanying live album of the songs performed in the film will also be released in December on LP and digitally. Having enjoyed its US premiere at SXSW in March, The Broadside Hack is a short music documentary produced by British Underground, created with the aid of a grant from Arts Council England and PRS Foundation. Directed by Crispin Parry and filmed by The Northern Cowboys, It explores the influence of traditional folk songs on a new generation of musicians, filmed just as the UK was emerging from the dark days of the pandemic. The documentary was made in collaboration with music collective Broadside Hacks and features influential artists and groups from the new folk scene, including Rough Trade signees caroline, former Goat Girl bassist Naima Bock, whose acclaimed album Giant Palm was released on Sub Pop earlier this year, Shovel Dance Collective, Thyrsis, Broadside Hacks and Boss Morris. Discovering a fresh vitality in the tunes and new histories in the stories they tell, the film includes conversations, dances and intimate performances filmed at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Box, Wiltshire between 17th and 19th August 2021. The live concert and screening of The Broadside Hack arguably marks the close of the first chapter in the story of the UK’s new folk scene; a story in which Broadside Hacks has been central. Initially formed as a folk night, the pandemic forced it to change its shape, morphing into a collective of young, like-minded musicians who met to play folk music in South London. “An adventurous exploration of traditional music by the young and folk curious” - The Times // “All your favourite players in one Sunday League team” - Loud And Quiet // "The band play old folk songs, those so old their authors have been lost in time, and inject in them such life, depth and emotion that it's extremely affecting" - The Quietus // Side 1 A1 Boss Morris - Up The Hill A2 Interview Shovel Dance Collective - ‘A Collective Authoring of History’ A3 Shovel Dance Collective - The Bold Fisherman / My Husband Has No Courage In Him A4 [Interview] Thyrsis - ‘Collaboration Across Space and Time’ A5 Thyrsis - Single Sailor A6 [Interview] Naima Bock (Broadside Hacks) - ‘Retracing Beginnings’ A7 Broadside Hacks - Gently Johnny. Side 2 B1 Shovel Dance Collective - Merrily Kissed the Quaker B2 [Interview] Shovel Dance Collective - ‘Queering Folk Songs of the Past’ B3 Thyrsis - Godstow Bridge B4 [Interview] Naima Bock (Broadside Hacks) - ‘The Broadside Hacks Folk Club’ B5 Broadside Hacks - Rain and Snow B6 Boss Morris - Young Collins

Acclaimed Brooklyn artist Bird Streets has returned with Lagoon, an album about separation, rumination, regret, and recurrence. For his second album under the Bird Streets name, John Brodeur has widely expanded on the project’s collaborative foundation, enlisting production b Patrick Sansone (Wilco), Michael Lockwood (Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple), and Zach Jones (Sting) and Oscar Albis Rodriguez (A Great Big World), plus guest appearances from the likes of Aimee Mann, Ed Harcourt, John Davis (Superdrag), Jody Stephens (Big Star), and an array of top-shelf session players. With mixing split between Sansone and Grammy winner Michael Brauer (Coldplay, John Mayer), and mastering by Grammy nominee Pete Lyman (Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton), Lagoon is an enormous step forward from an artist who has been hailed or his evocative storytelling and keen attention to craft. Producer and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Sansone helmed sessions in Nashville (“Burnout”, “Leave No Trace”, the bossa-flavored “The Document”) and later in Memphis, where he and Brodeur were joined by John Davis on guitar and Jody Stephens on drums, forming a power-pop fantasy band of sorts. (“Machine”, “Go Free”, and wistful “SF 1993” come from the Memphis dates.) Back in Brooklyn, Brodeur cut several tracks with the production team of Zach Jones and Oscar Albis Rodriguez, including “Ambulance,” the catchy AM Gold of “Let You Down,” and the Last Waltz-styled soul-rock of “Disappearing Act.” When the pandemic threw a wrench in the works, Brodeur turned to Los Angeles-based producer Michael Lockwood to remotely helm Lagoon’s final stretch. Track listing: Sleeper Agent; Machine; Burnout; The Document; Let You Down; Leave No Trace; SF 1993; Ambulance; Disappearing Act; On Fire; Unkind; Go Free

'Hidden Gem' is the Zenmenn's first full album produced together with songwriter and vocalist John Moods and follows their much-loved debut record, 'Enter The Zenmenn'. Named after a country song that didn't quite make it to the final selection, 'Hidden Gem' is the result of an extended jam session at a friend’s studio, in a field of mystical meadows somewhere south of Hamburg, in which the band would experience a series of inexplicable phenomena.

It was their earlier collaboration on the future classic, 'Homage To A Friend' that kickstarted their idea to team up with John Moods again, and in the late summer of 2021 the band set to work on a full album of material together. Using The Zenmenn's trusted drum kit, good old DX7, an unusual Ukrainian bass and an almost discarded pedal steel guitar, combined with Moods’ uniquely fragile voice, the outcome resulted in six timeless songs. The resulting harmonic sound is, as the band put it, “something like Adult Oriented Rock with a teaspoon of Celtic sentimentalism, a pinch of big city Country wrapped in a late night '70s style jam”.

'Hidden Gem’, much like their previous LP, was recorded without pre-arranged songs or any fixed musical concept. Instead, it captures fleeting moments of creativity and reflects the joint musical sentiments of the band members at the time. “Some artists are amazing at vision and curating, our work-flow is opposite to that. We are pretty messy and all over the place in our creation, as in life. It has its advantages and disadvantages, but hopefully it comes out all right in the end.”

Lag & X-Coast announce collaborative project XL Traxx.

Lag is a DJ/producer who has previously released on MORD, THEM, Elements, and Don’t since his first 12” in 2013. X-Coast has released on Steel City Dance Discs, Unknown To The Unknown and his own Riviera Records following his smash debut with the 90s-tinged ‘Mango Bay’ in 2016. Teaming up for the first time, the Serbian duo unleash their new project XL Traxx with a fierce three-track EP on Radio Slave’s Rekids.

Leading the release is the energetic ‘M-Bomb’, bringing heaving kicks, rave stabs, and vocal snippets together for a rowdy affair. On the flip, ‘E-Dancer’ sees clever sampling and atmospheric pads meet over pounding drums before the propulsive ‘D-Edge’ rounds out the vinyl with slick synthesis and shuffling
percussion.

From an aspiring b-boy to working with luminaries Billy Porter, Joss Stone, Kimberly Davis and Teni Tinks, The Shapeshifters, Simon Marlin announces the release of his brand-new studio album “Let Loose”.

Wrapped in a defining optimistic mood and colourful palette, “Let Loose” plays with the friction between musical persona and influence, delivering a masterclass in Simon’s flourishing depth of integrity as a producer and admiration to those that exert their enduring influence upon him.

“I'm a facilitator of talent. I'm blessed that over the years I've managed to put a team of people together - as a producer, that's what I do, very much in the old school sense like a Quincy Jones or Gamble & Huff, they’re the guys I try to emulate - and make something magic out of nothing, but do it in a contemporary way. That’s what really floats my boat, and that's what this whole project is about.” Simon Marlin – The Shapeshifters

Across the latest and long-awaited studio album “Let Loose” The Shapeshifters pledge rhythmic allegiance to the golden era disco records and their spellbinding qualities; embracing the tension often found between tradition and future to craft a euphoric, certifiable body of work presented to the devoted audience he deserves. The Shapeshifters exemplify a scene in rude health one that is now switching on an ever-younger fan base, and with Marlin being the beating heart of it it’s easy to see why The Shapeshifters are more in demand in the clubs than ever.

The twelve-track album is illuminated with vocal collaborations including the recently released and debut collaboration with the Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award-winning Billy Porter.

Layers of rushing strings, flares of brass and hedonistic grooves provide refreshing dancefloor power dynamics and deliver a liberating, triumphant and inherently uplifting record.

Taking an impeccably smooth course through disco-infused house, The Shapeshifters continue the rich relationship with Glitterbox and its record label; one that has yielded instant classics that epitomise the label’s ethos for preserving disco’s mission to uplift and empower.

Barely disco and hardly jazz, Rupa Biswas’ music the halfway point between Bollywood and Balearic. Tracked in 1982 at Calgary’s Living Room Studios with a crack team of Indian and Canadian studio rats alike, both “Moja Bhari Moja” and “East West Shuffle” are the perfect fusion sarod and synthesizer. Remastered from original analogue source material and with permission and blessing of the producers and performers.

Maxi Priest teams up with Macka B to cover Ras Michael's Rasta Hymn 'None a Jah Children'.

The vocals were orginally used for Maxi's Hit album 'Easy 2 Love'. Now they are remixed by new producer Fliomuzik featuring added vocals by Macka B.

Ltd Edition!

Schwarze Nachpressung des Nada Surfs Album, original veröffentlicht 2016.
NADA SURF melden sich zurück! Die Band mit der großen generationsübergreifenden Fanbase bringt uns mit ihrem siebten Album - You Know Who You Are das Care-Paket, das ganz unerwartet vor der Tür steht und den Frühling rettet. Das Geheimnis von NADA SURF war immer, dass sie einfach Songs schreiben konnten und das hat sich nicht geändert. Das Album ist voll mit Ohrwürmern, die man, wir wissen es jetzt schon, wieder mal monatelang nicht aus dem Kopf bekommt (- Cold to See Clear , - Believe You're Mine , - Rushing ). Verdammte Ohrwürmer, die auch wieder Bret Easton Ellis erweichen werden (er ist bekennender Nada Surf Fan), epische Balladen, College Rock Kracher, alles dabei. Never change a winning Thema! Never change a winning Team: Unser aller BFF* Matthew Caws ist dabei und Ira und Daniel und jetzt neu Doug Gillard (Guided By Voices und Tour Gitarrist) ist jetzt festes Mitglied!

Japanese street music icon, Yasushi Ide released new album featuring Don Letts, Josh Milan, Jeff Mills, DJ Krush and more.


"This is a sound track for rude, underground adults! Amazing mixture of reggae, dub, funk, jazz, rock, afro, house. Masterpiece that goes beyond genres of music created by great producer, Yasushi Ide who has relentless motivation and global network of talents." - Shuya Okino (Kyoto Jazz Massive / Kyoto Jazz Sextet)

"Great album! It is amazing to finish such a big project involved many collaborators at this high quality only in a year and 4 months. The magic of Cosmic Suite is there are variety of styles, and it makes you feel deep and spiritual at one point, but at the same time you can feel relaxed. Also, I have to say that the sound quality is great. It sounds very clear and it can only be done with top level recording and mixing professionals." - Ken Ishii

Yasushi Ide is the Japanese street icon. In the 90's he was called "the Guru of Shibuya-kei" which was the movement of Shibuya style of eclectic pop by the artists such as Cornelius, Pizzcato Five, or Original Love who is once again recognized in City Pop revival of recent years. (Yasushi Ide was a manager of Original Love, and also Kenji Ozawa)

Through his works, he has been creating the global network of musicians such as Josh Milan of the Blaze, house music icon, Don Letts, the pioneer of connecting punk rock with reggae, and Jeff Mills, Detroit techno legend, and released a great amount of hi-quality music on his label, Grand Gallery.

The Cosmic Suite project started in 2020, during the pandemic. It started as a project to reconstruct the parts of music Jeff Mills created for Chieko Kinbara, a violinist which Mills produced. However, it turned out to be 36min of spaced themed original track = Cosmic Suite.
(There are few phrases of Jeff Mills music left in the final version) This masterpiece created a buzz in the music scene in Japan and overseas, and became Yasushi Ide's new beginning.

In June, 2022, Ide released "Cosmic Suite 2". Originally, Cosmic Suite was an instrumental. "Cosmic Suite" is the reconstruction of "Cosmic Suite 2" with the element of vocals. In this project, Don Letts, Josh Milan, DJ Krush are featured as guest musicians. Moreover, drums of Tony Allen, the legendary Afrobeat drummer, and Style Scott, a drummer known for his works in early days of ON-U label, and Gota Yashiki, a Japanese drummer known for his works with Soul II Soul are featured in this album. Also, Japanese brightest talents such as Kan Takagi of Major Force, Kaoru Inoue aka Chari Chari, Tomoyuki Tanaka aka Fantastic Plastic Machine and Calm are featured as artists and engineers. This is the true dream team of the Japanese underground music scene.

The artwork is done by Josue Thomas, the founder of popular fashion brand, Gallery Dept. He is also featured as poetry reading artist in track 1 of "Cosmic Suite 2." Ide and him collaborates in various projects under the concept of "Universal Music Connection."

Yasushi Ide's also well received as a dub artist. (beside his wide range of musical styles)
His dub cover of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine (Space Dub Mix)" is selected for "Late Night Tales mixed by Don Letts" in 2021.

Highlight of "Cosmic 2" is the unique dub sound in tracks such as "Lava" feat. UA, the Japanese singer often described as "Japanese Bjork", and "Sumimasen Suite" feat. Rebel Dread (= Don Letts).

Tokyo is the melting pot of street music from all around the World such as Dub, Jazz, House, Hip Hop, Afrobeat, Punk rock, Techno,,, You can see the influence of all spectrums of rebel music in this album. This unique avant-garde music can only be created by Yasushi Ide, who has been heavily involved in this truly unique music scene for a long time.

At the start of the pandemic, Carrellee turned to the microKORG and Yamaha DX7 synths after finding traditional folk music to fall a bit flat in expressing the personal intensity of the year including the dissolution of her marriage. Following her weekly demo videos amassing nearly one million streams on Facebook in 2021, Carrellee teamed up with producer Brett Bullion (Low, Poliça, Now Now), Con Davison (Bad Bad Hats) and Huntley Miller (Lizzo, Slyvan Esso) in Minneapolis to distill 40 demos down to 10 cohesive album tracks. The resulting album conjures crushed artifacts of desire, with each instrument processed through crumpled and scorched analog tape. Carrellee draws inspiration from 80's new wave icons Cockteau Twins and Kate Bush, as well as a wide variety of Italo disco and synthwave artists. The single and music video "Morning Sun" by Doug Pray (Hype, The Defiant Ones) will be released in advance of the album on Negative Gain (Mr Kitty, Twin Tribes) with tour dates to follow.

In 2009, following the death of Jhonn Balance four years earlier, This Immortal Coil's "The Dark Age Of Love" appeared as a tribute to the superb work of the British band Coil over two decades.Formed by musicians from all walks of life, the album was praised by critics but also, and most importantly, by Peter Christopherson himself! 13 years have passed and this passion for the band has never wavered. Following the death of Peter Christopherson in 2010 on the one hand, and meetings with musicians such as David Chalmin or Massimo Pupillo from Zü who in turn wanted to pay tribute to this gigantic band, on the other hand, Stéphane Grégoire's desire to make a new opus took shape in 2017 with a first recording of the title "Where Are You". Just like the first one, more than 5 years will be necessary to realize this new album so that it is at the height of Coil's genius. The Ici d'Ailleurs team is very proud to unveil This Immortal Coil's second album 'The World Ended A Long Time Ago'.That will be available on December 09, 2022 in several formats that will be revealed very soon. The artists this time are Coil lovers but without the album being a "lovers" cover, that would be the opposite of Coil's image. Many, many thanks to Shannon Wright, David Chalmin, Matt Elliott, Christine Ott, Aho Ssan, Gaspar Claus, Aidan Baker, Ulver (Kristoffer Rygg, Ole Alexander Halstensgard, Stian Westerhus), Massimo Pupillo, Mattia Cipolli, Elisa Bognetti, Stefano Michelotti, Francesco Bolognini, Marton Csokas, Ivan Chiossone and Eric Aldéa who make this project a reality.

In 2009, following the death of Jhonn Balance four years earlier, This Immortal Coil's "The Dark Age Of Love" appeared as a tribute to the superb work of the British band Coil over two decades.Formed by musicians from all walks of life, the album was praised by critics but also, and most importantly, by Peter Christopherson himself! 13 years have passed and this passion for the band has never wavered. Following the death of Peter Christopherson in 2010 on the one hand, and meetings with musicians such as David Chalmin or Massimo Pupillo from Zü who in turn wanted to pay tribute to this gigantic band, on the other hand, Stéphane Grégoire's desire to make a new opus took shape in 2017 with a first recording of the title "Where Are You". Just like the first one, more than 5 years will be necessary to realize this new album so that it is at the height of Coil's genius. The Ici d'Ailleurs team is very proud to unveil This Immortal Coil's second album 'The World Ended A Long Time Ago'.That will be available on December 09, 2022 in several formats that will be revealed very soon. The artists this time are Coil lovers but without the album being a "lovers" cover, that would be the opposite of Coil's image. Many, many thanks to Shannon Wright, David Chalmin, Matt Elliott, Christine Ott, Aho Ssan, Gaspar Claus, Aidan Baker, Ulver (Kristoffer Rygg, Ole Alexander Halstensgard, Stian Westerhus), Massimo Pupillo, Mattia Cipolli, Elisa Bognetti, Stefano Michelotti, Francesco Bolognini, Marton Csokas, Ivan Chiossone and Eric Aldéa who make this project a reality.

Confident all-out breakbeat assault by new UK production team.

Emotional Response presents Elektronik Body Girl, a musical alter-ego of artist Shelbatra Jashari, with production by soFa elsewhere. Spontaneously born out of 2 souls in an imaginary industrial wasteland of earthly survivors, this Belgo-Albanian postpunk extravaganza is perfectly suited for our unreal times.

Infused with raw attitude and improvisational approach, Shelbatra is an artist, dancer, performer, and singer in search of challenges and expressive forms into new territory, with an individual way in dealing with the ""empowering feminine" and its representation - a vision central to her artistic creation.

Teaming up with Brussels based soFa DJ, they debut an EP of challenging story-telling comes backed with a wonderfully conjured beatdown remix by label associate, Tolouse Low Trax, to act as a seal of (dis)approval.

First known as a DJ and selector and then compilation curator of the "elsewhere" series of albums across multiple labels - including Emotional Response (ERS042) - soFa recent collaborations as Mameen 3 on Bongo Joe, CCCVVV on Strangelove Music and the highly praised album with Houschyar and Okay Temiz on Second Circle, has established him as a producer of repute in an incredibly short time space.

Taking a production backseat to underpin Jashari's performance, his percussive, atmospheric oeuvre allows her vocals to explore roots in both Kosova and Belgium, molding a focus on the art of "the other" or the outsider. Outside the "normality"", a different energy is heard. Exploring elements of the human body, the human condition and its representation in various "thinking" systems and political contexts, EBG is manifestation in sound and movement.

Favorite Recordings presents a reissue of Lucas Arruda's first album, Sambadi.

Lucas Arruda’s born in 1983, in a Brazilian state called Espírito Santo, near Rio de Janeiro. Coming from a musical family (his dad and older brother are musicians) he started playing and listening to music very young. At the age of 13, he was also playing professionally already.
After studying electric guitar and playing in various bands, Lucas passion quickly turned into Rhodes and keyboards, expanding his musical range of skills. At the same time he started a project called Du Black, with his older brother Thiago, quickly receiving various local support from people like Ed Motta, William Magalhães (Banda Black Rio), Robert Lamm (Chicago) or Hyldon (Brazilian soul legend).
From the growing notoriety obtained, the band began to work with various other artists and singers such as Tamy Macedo, or Bossa Nova’s legend, Leila Pinheiro, leading Lucas to build a recording studio with Thiago in 2011. Now 2 years after he launched this home-studio, here comes “Sambadi”, first solo album by Lucas Arruda!
On this recording he also started to team up with Fabricio di Monaco (Modo Solar), who clearly became a fundamental piece, as Lucas relates: “Fabricio introduced me to Pascal Rioux at Favorite Recordings, as they released his EP few years ago. He’s a brilliant musician and a great human being.”
In Lucas’ words, Sambadi is highly inspired by Rio de Janeiro. As for the musical side, the album almost sounds like a tribute to his longtime heroes like Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, Marcos Valle, Azymuth, or Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti. And Lucas also humbly concludes: “I really hope to honor all the guys who influenced me.”

Repress of the 2010 classic “The Jazz Files” by Dexter from the legendary Hi-Hat Club series. Jazz is the subject!

Dexter is taking an new look at the long going love affair between hip-hop and jazz. From Stetsasonic to Gang Starr to Madlib, it is not an easy path to follow, but the 26 year old producer is adding a new and fresh style to it. The sound design of Dexter's "Jazz Files" is dusty but with an unmistakable 2010 twist. As much inspired by Wes Montgomery and Ramsey Lewis as by Sun Ra and Dave Pike, Dexter's tracks are never just "jazzy". They live and breathe jazz by combining the freedom and artisty of jazz with the craft of a free-thinking beatsmith.

And the "Jazz Files" are fun too. By implanting quotes an samples from interviews and tv shows such as the classic NBC program "The Subject Is Jazz", Dexter is telling his own little story of jazz. One that had it's starting point in the massive record collection of his father and grew into shape during a long hot summer blasting nothing but Ahmad Jamal and Sun Ra.

About Dexter: The 26 year old producer, DJ and MC is part of the Wortsport collective from Heilbronn. He has made beats for Morlock Dilemma, Damion Davis, Jaques Shure, Audio 88 & Yassin and Retrogott. He likes Flylo, Madlib and Oh-No as much as libary music, psych rock and Amiga Schlager. Dexter is one of the founding member of the Generation Tapedeck blog and has just started a new project with Suff Daddy.

About the Hi-Hat Club: MPM have teamed up with photographer Robert Winter to take a look behind the beat, into the bedrooms and makeshift studios of today's beat generation. Every Hi-Hat Club volume consits of an LP packaged with Rob's photos and accompanied by more pics on the Hi-Hat Club blog plus additional infos, free beats and drinks. Exhibitions in records stores and galleries are in the making too. Hi-Hat Club parties have been taken place in Cologne and Berlin so far. Watch out for more nights in 2010.

Musically the Hi-Hat Club promotes total artistic freedom. We are not bound to any sound or school. A Hi-Hat Club record can be anything from boom-bap to aqua crunk or whatever is fresh and dope.

clear green vinyl

Germany based MC Fava releases his first solo EP on Beatalistics, the imprint he co-runs with Freiburgs soulful tag team partner Enea. This has been a long time coming and it couldn't be more emotional. The 5 track strong "Destiny EP" reveals more of the hopeless romantic songwriter's soul and once again showcases his immense versatility. Finish Drum 'n Bass legend Muffler adds his inimitable minimal melodic touches to the title track and underlines Fava's personal lyrics with his trancy trademark signature. Shooting Star Mountain from Japan shows his unique talent and musical approach on the 80s Synth-Pop influenced "Midnight", a rock-bass driven song characterized by its harmonised vocals arrangement. Teaming up with British vocalist Becca Jane Grey and Slovakian Smote, "Sarah" is a soul touching piano based liquid roller with a long acoustic drum intro which perfectly leads into the highest emotions. Enea himself takes you into deeper shades of colour with the moody "Green Velvet". Hypnotizing pads complete the warm bassline pattern which wraps the simple but distinctive drums perfectly around Fava's mesmerizing vocals. The Green Man from Cologne, Germany concludes the emotional rollercoaster ride with the Downtempo Chill-Hop "Alone in the Dark". Smooth horns and breathy pads create the perfect atmosphere for the German vocalist who playfully mixes melodic singing hooks with calm spoken words and repetitive chants. Outstanding on all levels!

Black Screen Records has once again teamed up with Focus
Entertainment to release the soundtrack to A Plague Tale:
Requiem - the sequel to the award-winning adventure game A
Plague Tale: Innocence - by IFMCA award-winning and BAFTA
nominated composer Olivier Derivière on 180g double vinyl and
CD. After signing the soundtrack for A Plague Tale: Innocence,
Olivier Derivière is back to enrich the intense emotional journey
of A Plague Tale: Requiem with his poignant compositions.
Olivier Derivière is a passionate video games composer and an
international star in the field, who won multiple awards and a
nomination for the 2017 BAFTA. His degree of implication is rare
among video games composers, putting the gameplay at the
center of his considerations and even influencing the
development through his input. The compositions also feature
the cellist Eric-Maria Couturier, and the Estonian Philharmonic
Chamber Choir. Eric-Maria Couturier is a distinguished member
of the Ensemble intercontemporain, a contemporary music
ensemble founded by Pierre Boulez, whom Eric-Maria Couturier
collaborated with among other eminent modern music icons.
The two-time Grammy Award-winning Estonian Philharmonic
Chamber Choir is one of the best-known Estonian ensembles in
the world. With a repertoire that extends from Gregorian chant
to contemporary music, it le

"Black Screen Records has once again teamed up with Tumult Kollektiv to release their soundtrack to Hundred Days, a game of choice, nostalgia and winemaking.Departing from the folkloristic orchestral sounds of Pine, the music for Hundred Days strives for an intimate setting, prominently featuring a small ensemble of synthesizers, cello and guitar. The compositions are lush and intricate, creating a soothing and light-hearted score, tinged with a sense of melancholy.""We are really proud to be releasing our second soundtrack with Black Screen Records and would like to thank everyone that has been supporting our music.Working on the music for Hundred Days was a wonderful experience and a great opportunity to taste some wines (and learn about winemaking).Thanks to Weinhof Lindicke for allowing us to record sounds on their vineyard, and Lawrence Herlyn for showing us around.Furthermore, our deepest gratitude to the wonderful musicians we got to work with on this project. Thanks for borrowing us your talent, near infinite patience, and making the music sing."" - Alexander van der Kruijf, Jonathan Howe & Leonhard van Voorst"

Joan Reggae Drummer, based in the region of Catalonia in Spain, is a great lover of Jamaican music, at a very young age he began to be so passionate about drums that he created his first musical projects, among them, the band that was a turning point was The Pepper Pots. With 6 albums already released and several tours in Europe, UK, Japan, USA & Czech Republic , Joan has opened for internationally artists such as Jimmy Cliff, Kymani Marley, Laurel Aitken, Derrick Morgan, Ticken Jahfakoli or The Pioneers among others. He performed at major festivals such as Summerjam Reggae Festival (Germany), Rototom Sunsplash (Italy), Primavera Sound (BCN), Rock For People (Czech Republic) or SXSW (Austin, USA).

Joan as a drummer has also worked with a lot of top international soul artists such as Curtis Mayfield's legendary band The Impressions, Eli "Paperboy" Reed, Maxine Brown, Binky Griptite from Daptone Records that has been in bands such as Antibalas, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, The Dap-Kings or The Mellomatics.

In 2020, after a time of musical hiatus due to the Covid, he began his more personal adventure, creating his own channel dedicated solely and exclusively to the world of drums in Reggae and Dub. Currently his Instagram channel has more than 34.000 followers and the content published has so much repercussion.

First this major collaboration last year with Aston Barrett Jr for a special tribute to his uncle , Carlton Barrett (Bob Marley), one of Joan's favorite drummer. And at last all this work led him to record his first debut EP "DUB Explosion" on the label Two Flames Records, a real explosion of DUB, where the common thread of the songs are drums.

JRD "DUB Explosion" is a performance in the form of an EP, consisting of 4 instrumental Dub tracks with a totally different concept than what we are used to, since the songs were created from the drum beats.

Great musicians from different countries have participated in this EP: Guitar - Arturo Landaeta (Venezuela), Bass - Elie El Ossais (Australia), Keyboards - Ireneu Grosset (Spain), Nyahbinghi Drums - Maurici Bongo (Brazil), Trombone and Trumpet - Pablo Martín (Catalonia), Tenor sax - Tomy Muñoz (Catalonia), Bass - Miliu Llorach (Catalonia), Flute - Lluís Doménech (England), Bass - Joshua Jones (Jamaica), Keteh & Triangle - Aurel Cade (France), Trumpet - Glenn Holdaway (United States).

Finally, the production, mixing and dub was done by the musician and producer Ireneu Grosset, in the analogue studio of Dr. Dubwiser. It was quite an experience as the studio has a team very similar to what Jamaican producers had in the golden age of Reggae in the 70's.

Eliades Ochoa has been renowned for over 40 years as a Cuban singer, guitarist and performer, including as a key contributing artist to the multi-million selling 1997 ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ album. World Circuit now releases a Special Edition of Ochoa’s latest album ‘Vamos A Bailar Un Son’. Originally released in 2020, the album features Eliades’ interpretations of songs by important Latin American composers like Ñico Saquito and Agustín Lara, as well as compositions by Eliades himself. The new Special Edition is available on CD, LP and digital formats and features 3 previously unheard bonus tracks. Ochoa continues to explore new collaborations, having recently teamed up with Spanish rapper C. Tangana on his track ‘Muriendo De Envidia’. Eliades comments: “This album has made me feel more alive. I am thrilled that more and more young people are connecting with my music.”

Press play on Beverley Skeete’s ’Warm' and a wave of evocative, vivid images of sultry, sun-kissed summer days will wash over you.

'Warm' is UK street-soul / electronic boogie at its finest. An infectious groove that features an amazing vocal performance invites you to fall in love. Beverley Skeete is an under-the-radar talent and you only need to dip into the sheer number of productions she has been involved with to see the pedigree of her artistry. It includes working with superstars such as Tina Turner, Chaka Khan, Bronski Beat, Elton John, Boy George, and Maxi Priest, to name just a few. She was also the vocalist for the 90s global house hit 'Passion' by Gat Decor. Beverley continues to work in music to this day and, in 2021, released her most recent album, 'Liberty’.

'Warm' was Beverly's third solo single for the fabled UK record label Elite. Released in 1985, it was produced by the stellar underground production team of A Sojka / de Jongh Production. This duo is better known as Andy Sojka (Atmosfear, 3rd Army, et al) and Richard de Jongh. Elite was set up by Sojka in 1979 and was a hotbed for underground UK talent that often became staples of the most discerning US dancefloors too. 'Warm' and the equally remarkable soulful-dancer 'If The Feeling Is Right' are lesser-known jams from the label’s catalogue, but they have rightfully been championed by the diggers and collectors, and what beauties they are!

Official Mr Bongo replica reissue of the original Elite release.

Birdy Sanjazz and Philo Philta. A dream team of birds. Birdy scatters beats like birdseed, Philta makes pickypicky. One after the other. You can still hear "Grrrrr, there isn't more than one 16 per grain" and then he's fluttered on. How long this winter was, but luckily the birdhouse was always well stocked. Well-fed, they are now moving on, from Karlsruhe to Würzburg and back. Always look from above, down on this small world with its people and human-like creatures. A few of them approaching, as always. Timothy Morris, Slice, Johannes Onetake, DJ Ketch, Toby Tobsucht. Beep beep, album ready.


Birdy Sanjazz und Philo Philta. Ein Dreamteam an Vögeln. Birdy streut Beats wie Vogelfutter, Philta macht pickypicky. Einer nach dem anderen. Man hört noch „Grrrrr, mehr als einen 16er gibt es nicht pro Korn“ und schon ist er weitergeflattert. Was war dieser Winter lang, aber zum Glück war das Vogelhäuschen immer gut gefüllt. Jetzt ziehen sie wohlgenährt weiter, von Karlsruhe nach Würzburg und zurück. Blick immer von oben, nach unten auf diese kleine Welt mit ihren Menschen und menschenähnlichen Wesen. Ein paar von denen wie immer mit im Anflug. Timothy Morris, Slize, Johannes Onetake, DJ Ketch, Toby Tobsucht. Pieppiep, Album fertig.

solid white vinyl

For the third release on his own imprint, DTR, VII Circle launches the new split series by teaming up with THAM, on a full split EP.

Following the latest EPs 2020's 'Fearless EP', 2021's Warriors which saw the support from artists like Perc, Paula Temple, Headless Horsemann and Regal just to name a few, VII Circle is with two impactful tracks which are establishing once again his uncompromising sound and exposure to the dark post-punk and heavy music influences he got.

On the other side of the vinyl, THAM shows his genuine and real interpretations of how complex grooves, pounding bass drums and aggressive synths are driving his sound.

With this release, the duo wants to rise a new musical vision and musical compactness that has distinguished them in recent years, making them find their true personal sound.

Das ikonische belgische DJ-Duo 2ManyDJs, bestehend aus den Brüder Stephen und David Dewaele, feiert das 20-jährige Jubiläum ihres Albums 'As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt. 2' mit einer besonderen Re-Issue. 2002 erschien es ursprünglich nach einer Reihe von Radioshows der beiden Brüder, damals vor allem bekannt als die Köpfe hinter der Electronic/Indie-Rock Band Soulwax. Die Re-Issue erscheint mit dem Foto von Richard Young auf dem Cover, das ursprünglich als Cover vorgesehen, aber nach Rechtsstreitigkeiten mit Tipp-Ex verfremdet wurde.

"A new force, LEAGUE OF DISTORTION, unite to defeat the shadows cast upon the music scene with their fresh sound and style! Back in 2017, Anna Brunner celebrated remarkable international success with her symphonic metal band Exit Eden, and now, teams up with notorious guitarist Jim Müller - known from his famous heavy metal band Kissin’ Dynamite. Together, they’ve formed one of the hottest modern metal upstart bands of the year, combining their signature sounds to create a powerful soundscape. Now, having recently signed with Napalm Records, they are ready to fight the darkness yet again with their 2022 full-length, self-titled debut album, League of Distortion. Lifting the dark veil of stagnation caused by the pandemic, LEAGUE OF DISTORTION introduce a new sound that resonates with the uncertainty of this period. “Wolf or Lamb” - the addictive first stand-alone single that introduced the band as a force to be reckoned with - ushered in a completely new era by serving modern, melodic rhythms and technical prowess, igniting the fire of the full album, League Of Distortion. “Rebel By Choice” and “The Bitter End” show the band’s burning passion and dedication to the genre, while “My Revenge” convinces with a catchy hook and bashing guitar riffs. The elemental force of Anna “Ace” Brunner’s distorted, powerful voice merged with chunky riffs played by Jim “Arro” Müller, steady and strong beats delivered by Tino “Aeon” Calmbach and edgy bass by Felix “Ax” Rehmann unifies them, forming a strong blast of an album that cannot be missed! LEAGUE OF DISTORTION showcase the individual musical expertise of its members without ever becoming stagnant or pretentious - unabashedly distorting the order and launching a new age of metal. Songs like “I’m A Bitch” and “It Hurts So Good” abandon all rules, while catchy hooks like in “L.O.D.” mark anthems to claim their new reign. With songs like “Solitary Confinement” and “Sin”, the band shows their lyrical depth by turning their sadness into a powerful war cry, providing expressive pieces and hymns for the lost. LEAGUE OF DISTORTION convince with classic pieces featuring strong instrumentals, on-the-nose lyrics and energetic vocals, proving their penchant to stand out from the pack. They’ve transformed their frustration into a musical statement beyond compare. With “Do You Really Think I Fucking Care”, the band lands the final punch of the album to make the message clear: LEAGUE OF DISTORTION are here to set the scene ablaze! "

Amsterdam's much-tipped seven-piece Personal Trainer return today with news that their debut album, "Big Love Blanket", is landing on November 4th. It follows two excellent singles this year, and a debut EP "Gazebo" that landed mid-pandemic on tastemaker label Holm Front (Walt Disco, Krush Puppies, Sports Team).

The ten tracks of "Big Love Blanket" display a playful diversity of sounds and influences, landing on one all of their own that has been championed as "rapturously fun" by Ones To Watch, "incredibly catchy indie-led pop" by Record Of The Day, "curious and endearing" by Steve Lamacq, "remarkable" by CLASH and even compared to LCD Soundsystem by Marc Riley. The first song to be released ahead of the album, "Key Of Ego", was one of NME's New Bangers too, and rightly so.

For her hotly anticipated sophomore album Nashville songstress Nikki
Lane teamed up with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys for a record that
turns the vulnerable singer-songwriter stereotype on its ears
With songs that crucify ex-boyfriends, celebrate one-night stands (as long as she
can bolt town right after) and proclaim it s always the right time to do the wrong
thing, Lane comes across like a modern- era Wanda Jackson, albeit with more
oats to sow. "My songs always paint a pretty clear picture of what s been going
on in my life, so this is one moody record," she says. "There s lots of talk of
misbehaving and moving on."

(REWORKS & EDITS)

Planetary Assault Systems revisits 'In From The Night' with edits and a remix from Adam Beyer and Wehbba

Planetary Assault Systems is one of UK techno veteran Luke Slater's most enduring aliases, a project focused on forward-thinking techno with maximum cerebral impact. 'In From The Night' came out in 1993 as part of the 'Planetary Funk Vol 1 EP' on Peacefrog and has remained an underground favourite since.

Here on his own Mote-Evolver label, Slater revisits the track with a fresh perspective across two edits and an interpretation from Drumcode's Adam Beyer and celebrated Brazilian DJ/producer Webbha. The techno titans team up to deliver a remix with thunderous energy as tense synths patterns loop, evolve, and grow ever more edgy as the track unfolds throughout.

On the flip, the first 'P.A.S. Edit' is a potent touch-up that finds pounding drums overlaid with raw and textural synth patterns alongside occasional crashing claps and a rising sense of dark cosmic energy. The 'P.A.S. Live Edit' unfolds in broken patterns and reverberates with menace as more searing synth lines fire across the dance floor.

Caution alert! On the volume 3 of the Resurrection series, Simoncino teams up with one the greatest & biggest voice in House Music: the great Robert Owens. The voice behind Mr Fingers and so many other timeless titles. He alone sums up our history, all the greatest tracks that paved the way for our sound & community (yes still though instagram & the self worships) since 40 years. The master sang for Larry Heard but also Frankie Knuckles, Satoshi Tomiie, Photek, Layo & Bushwacka!, Mr. C, Quentin Harris, Marshall Jefferson, Michael Watford, DJ Spen, Gene Hunt, Soul Clap, K' Alexi Shelby, Sandy Riviera and so many others! He is simply the greatest soulful underground vocalist for a generation of househeads. The Italian prodigy simoncino gives us a daunting ep of 6 tracks (!) which navigate between deep techno (that could be a easily played in Berghain) and the purest original house where he excels. Its inimitable style is a clever mix of chicago house tinged with the most classy techno touches. The A side composed of Riccione Part I, Riccione Part II & Masonry is completely dedicated to this kind of techno sound, very pure, very mental and at the same time incredibly funky. It's a total trip. The B side explores the more house influences of the genius of peruggia, notably on All my soul & All My Soul (Riviera Ambient Mix) in direct homage to the italo dream house sound. Pure gold. An absolute marvel. I'll Be Your Friend 4 Ever, Skylax 4 Ever ! Note that on the label's bandcamp, with the purchase of the vinyl, you can get 1 exclusive bonus track : Simoncino "Love Me Forever Or Love Me Not"

“A Dream In A Dream” is the debut LP by DJ Piper, also known as Felix Wagner of techno superstar duo FJAAK.
One might be surprised about this all hip-hop instrumental album looking at Felix’ all dance music focussed musical resumé. Nevertheless, he has been crafting rap beats ever since he started producing as a teen, but had his childhood friends freestyle over the tracks solely. It took until 2020 when he teamed up with Lukas and
Jonathan Nixdorff of Kommerz Records to release his first solo track “Iluminay”, which was part of “Kommerz Season 1: Anti-Virus” compilation and shared by B-Real of Cypress Hill right away.

Now, 2022, marks the right moment to share his debut album, a waltzing ode to hip-hop’s golden era. The Berlin- Spandau original merges the legacies of both Pete Rock and Dr. Dre, while funky breakbeats meet laid back SoCal “Chronic” vibes. 12 instrumental tracks and 2 skits strong, his album tells the story of a young man, who lives up to his wildest teenage dreams. Most of the track ideas came up while being on tour with FJAAK. Between international transit areas, making inspirational new friends and bizarre encounters all over the world, beat making became DJ Piper’s safe space to process all the positive madness around him. As a result, “A Dream In A Dream” breathes that raw, untamable creative energy around Felix’ extraordinary day-to-day life, while being heavily influenced by the sound of his childhood, 90s and 2000s rap.

To visualize “A Dream In A Dream” DJ Piper and Kommerz Records joined forces with Raman Djafari, a childhood friend of the artist, who illustrated music videos for Dua Lipa and Elton John (no joke!) and worked for New Release Information Adult Swim. Raman’s supernaturalistic aesthetics bring life to DJ Piper’s somewhat psychedelic, somewhat nostalgic fantasy, locating the album in an otherworldly version of Spandau, hometown to both of the artists.
As one half of FJAAK Felix became an icon of Berlin techno conquering major festival stages and mainstream audiences while heavily representing underground D.I.Y. mentality up to this very day. As an initiator of Spandau20 label and collective, Felix pushes his creative family and day 1’s regardless of commercial potentials.
The same ethos and love for culture fuels the DJ Piper project. No matter if it’s FJAAK or DJ Piper, techno or hiphop… Integrity is key!

Limited edition white vinyl w/pink haze + download card.

n5MD and Gimmik team up yet again! This time, to bring you an updated and remastered version of Gimmik's digitally reclaimed and once previously unreleased cuts compilation News From The Past for the first time on vinyl.

The original compilation was released digitally by Gimmik's Toytronic imprint in 2005, originally comprised of six tracks recorded between 1994 and 2000. The reimagined vinyl collection combines ten tracks–plus an additional five included on the download card–spanning 1994 to 2021.
News From The Past is an excellent snapshot of Gimmik's musical output thus far and a testament to Martin Haidinger's winding path as one of experimental electronica's most unparalleled producers.

Pink Vinyl

Molly Lewis's compositions seem to float into our ears from distant shores. They're otherworldly, drawn more from landscapes of dream than from anywhere you could find on a map. Lewis is a unique presence in music today. Her trademark whistle, which brings to mind the great Peruvian soprano Yma Sumac, has graced recordings of everything from Schumann lieder and Brazilian jazz to Spaghetti Western ballads and noir lounge. Lewis's collaborations are diverse: La Femme, Sébastien Tellier and Dr. Dre. She's performed around the globe, at Shanghai's Yuz Museum, the Cannes Film Festival, Mexico City's Salón Los Angeles, and across the whole of New Zealand. Lewis's 2021 debut EP, The Forgotten Edge, was produced by Tom Brenneck (Charles Bradley, Amy Winehouse). It was a critical success, drawing praise from The New York Times and NPR, and landing Lewis a spot on CBS Sunday Morning. Now, Lewis and Brenneck have teamed up again for her second EP, Mirage, bringing aboard Brazilian guitarist Rogê, as well as percussionist Gibi Dos Santos and keyboardist Roger Manning. Capacious and atmospheric, Mirage is Lewis's most hypnotic effort yet. Like Eden's Island (1970) by eden ahbez_whose "Nature Boy" is covered in one of Mirage's standout moments_the album is based on Lewis's visions of an imaginary island. The lush, oceanic textures of Mirage transport us to the sands of an unknown beach_all alone or in the company we've always dreamt of keeping.

"Hey, there's this new guy around that plays like Herbie Hancock!!". When Chilean pianist Matías Pizarro arrived in Argentina fleeing Pinochet's dictatorship, word spread like wildfire in the local jazz scene.

In the two short years that Pizarro spent in Buenos Aires, he became one third of the Viejas Raíces project alongside local jazz heroes Jorge López Ruiz and Pocho Lapouble, recorded with famed Italian trumpeter Enrico Rava and released his own solo album, Pelo de Rata ("Rat's hair").

Pizarro was no beginner though. Whilst in Chile he had already participated in several music projects and worked as a producer and arranger for the IRT label, and was connected to influential bands such as Los Jaivas and Blops. He had also studied in the Berklee School of Music where he not only met and lived with the cream of an emerging new wave of musicians, but he also had the chance to attend live performances of giants such as Miles Davis or Thelonious Monk.

In the recording of Pelo de Rata Pizarro is joined by fellow Chilean Alejandro Rivera (Sacros, Grupo Sol) on quena and charango, Swedish bassist Bo Gathu on bass, Uruguayan saxophonist Finito Bingert and an impressive percussion team featuring Pocho Lapouble, "El Zurdo" Roizner and the mighty Domingo Cura. The album draws from the US jazz fusion currents of the time (think Chick Corea and Miles Davies), adding an undeniable Latin American character, all projected through Pizarro's own musical prism which displays his acute sense of harmony and a musical intimacy that reminds of those sincere, dreamy moments in Viejas Raíces.

The 8-page booklet that accompanies the vinyl edition will give you a deeper insight into the story of Matías Pizarro, with previously unseen pictures and liner notes by Argentinean journalist Humphrey Hinzillo (La Nación , Rolling Stone Argentina).

Pioneers, that’s what we call them. Not properly a giant team, but a bunch of forward thinking producers. In the heyday of the italo disco there was some forward thinking, a new way to address the club scene. 1985 is the golden year and if you want to get to the core of the synth-pop experience look no further ! This previously unreleased compilation collects a series of unbelievable tracks. An outstanding vision featuring la crème de la crème of the early 80s scene. All the way from electro wizard Alexander Robotnick to the astonishing performance of vocalist Mya Fracassini, through the French connection of Bigazzi brothers of Mon Bijou.

RIGHTFUL RULER returns the legendary Jamaican vocalist Earl 16 to the center stage of international roots reggae music. This four song showcase style ep demonstrates that matching an A-class veteran singer/ songwriter with the sounds of the Zion I Kings (ZIK) production team serves to revitalize the musical forces long associated with the classic reggae tradition- roots, reality, and culture!

Earl 16's career now spans five decades and is marked by hits and highlights throughout. HIs Jamaican recordings from the cornerstone studios (Studio One, Black Ark, Channel One) are still sought after gems from the golden age. But, unlike many of his peers, Earl 16 successfully adopted the changing sounds and styles of reggae in the U.K.(where he resides) and collaborated with top producers like Mad Professor and Nick Mannaseh. He has remained current into the new millennium with "Release The Pressure", a notable vocal to LeftField's breakthrough drum & bass hit.

The all star lineup of musicians on RIGHTFUL RULER is anchored by drums provided by ace producer and multi-instrumentalist Roberto Sanchez (A-Lone Productions). Keyboards by Pau "Nattykeyz" Dangla Valls and trumpet by Patrick "Aba Ariginal" Tenyue complement the rhythmic foundations set by ZIK core players David "JAH David" Goldfine (bass) and Laurent "Tippy I" Alfred (rhythm guitar, piano, organ). Sheldon Bernard's flute and Errol "Blacksteel" Nicholson's background vocals are heard on the title track and lead guitars by David Prout and Andrew "Moon" Bain appear on "Find A Way", a feature with the dynamic toasting of Mr. Williamz. All dub mixes are done by JAH David with cover art by Ato K.D. Roberts .

Vinyl is limited to 200 copies per colour. 'Rad Wings of Destiny' is the long-awaited, brand-new album from Californian band Ugly Kid Joe. It will be their first new album since 2015's 'Uglier Than They Used Ta Be'. 'Rad Wings of Destiny' will see the band teaming up with Producer Mark Dodson – who was behind the desk for Ugly Kid Joe's multiplatinum debut album release 'Americas Least Wanted' in 1992. An album which celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year. The 10-track album includes the singles “That Ain't Livin'”, “Kill The Pain” and “Long Road”. It features Whitfield Crane on Vocals, Klaus Eichstadt and Dave Fortman on Guitar, Cordell Crockett on bass and drumming duties shared between Zac Morris and Shannon Larkin. Ugly Kid Joe return to the UK for a headline appearance at Hard Rock Hell along with a co-headline tour alongside Massive Wagons. Tracklisting: That Ain’t Livin’; Not Like The Other; Everything’s Changing; Kill The Pain; Lola; Dead Friends Play; Up In The City; Drinkin’ And Drivin’; Failure; Long Road

Vinyl is limited to 200 copies per colour. 'Rad Wings of Destiny' is the long-awaited, brand-new album from Californian band Ugly Kid Joe. It will be their first new album since 2015's 'Uglier Than They Used Ta Be'. 'Rad Wings of Destiny' will see the band teaming up with Producer Mark Dodson – who was behind the desk for Ugly Kid Joe's multiplatinum debut album release 'Americas Least Wanted' in 1992. An album which celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year. The 10-track album includes the singles “That Ain't Livin'”, “Kill The Pain” and “Long Road”. It features Whitfield Crane on Vocals, Klaus Eichstadt and Dave Fortman on Guitar, Cordell Crockett on bass and drumming duties shared between Zac Morris and Shannon Larkin. Ugly Kid Joe return to the UK for a headline appearance at Hard Rock Hell along with a co-headline tour alongside Massive Wagons. Tracklisting: That Ain’t Livin’; Not Like The Other; Everything’s Changing; Kill The Pain; Lola; Dead Friends Play; Up In The City; Drinkin’ And Drivin’; Failure; Long Road

Vinyl is limited to 200 copies per colour. 'Rad Wings of Destiny' is the long-awaited, brand-new album from Californian band Ugly Kid Joe. It will be their first new album since 2015's 'Uglier Than They Used Ta Be'. 'Rad Wings of Destiny' will see the band teaming up with Producer Mark Dodson – who was behind the desk for Ugly Kid Joe's multiplatinum debut album release 'Americas Least Wanted' in 1992. An album which celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year. The 10-track album includes the singles “That Ain't Livin'”, “Kill The Pain” and “Long Road”. It features Whitfield Crane on Vocals, Klaus Eichstadt and Dave Fortman on Guitar, Cordell Crockett on bass and drumming duties shared between Zac Morris and Shannon Larkin. Ugly Kid Joe return to the UK for a headline appearance at Hard Rock Hell along with a co-headline tour alongside Massive Wagons. Tracklisting: That Ain’t Livin’; Not Like The Other; Everything’s Changing; Kill The Pain; Lola; Dead Friends Play; Up In The City; Drinkin’ And Drivin’; Failure; Long Road

Thomas Haines (TH) is a composer and sound editor who primarily works in film, TV and animation. TH has recently completed score and sound on cinema projects with artist film makers including Shezad Dawood, Georgina Starr, Noor Afshan Mirza, Brad Butler and Patrick Goddard. As well as writing music for picture, TH is a core member of the London Snorkelling Team, who recently performed the world Premier of Gavin Bryars' On Lassus for the Collège de Pataphysique in Paris. In 2022, TH wrote a large scale live percussion ensemble score for artist Georgina Starr's Gelato Balleto.

The two pieces on this LP were generated from musical material found within a 14-minute recording of Sainsbury's supermarket, Chingford, UK. The source recording contains music-like material, scanner bleeps and conveyor belt drones. This material, once isolated, cross-processed and re-recorded, reveals vivid extended electroacoustic versions of itself. The compositions use film sound restoration processing, mixed with compositional techniques popular in classic early electronic music and musique concrète including pointalist collage, and ring modulation.

This performance by Waylon Jennings was no April Fool's joke - This was the "new" Waylon, both personally and professionally - He had kicked a 20-year drug habit, split with RCA and signed a new deal with MCA Records - He discovered a passion for songwriting, teamed with
legendary producer Jimmy Bowen, and produced some of the best work of his 30-year-plus career

He credited his wife and soul mate, Jessie Colter, for much of his inspiration. This was Waylon's second trip to the ACL stage, but the one that best captures the raw edge and driving urgency that pushed country music way past its
Nashville boundaries starting in the mid-1970's. He was described as the leader
of the country "Outlaw" movement, which he often dismissed as just another
marketing scam, but there's no denying that he turned the music on its head and
took it way beyond its rural southern roots. This West Texas boy who worked as a
DJ and started his own band at 14, then later played with Buddy Holly, left an
indelible mark on the music he loved. He was a class act, this man called Hoss --
Terry Lickona (Producer Austin City Limits).

Come Play With Me continue their journey to support emerging artists
with the 21st edition in their singles club which has previously featured
artists including Harkin, Team Picture, Fizzy Blood, Cinerama (The
Wedding Present) and more
After supporting both Fuzz Lightyear and Josephine Sillars with standalone
digital singles, they were selected to feature on the split 7 € release.

This EP sees three legends of the UK hardcore scene team up to make some authentic early 90s style breakbeat hardcore.

CLEAR PINK VINYL

Barely disco and hardly jazz, Rupa Biswas' music the halfway point between Bollywood and Balearic. Tracked in 1982 at Calgary's Living Room Studios with a crack team of Indian and Canadian studio rats alike, both "Moja Bhari Moja" and "East West Shuffle" are the perfect fusion sarod and synthesizer. Remastered from original analogue source material and with permission and blessing of the producers and performers.

Having torn up raves for well over a decade, the Detroit duo Rickers and Ted Krisko AKA Ataxia present their debut longplayer ‘Out Of Step’. Featuring guest spots from close peers DJ Minx, Andrés and Mr Joshooa, they twist house, techno, electro, breakbeat and rave into revitalized new shapes; embellished with a touch of soul, funk and hip hop. With backgrounds in hardcore and punk, Ataxia’s debut is suffused with that energy, attitude, and approach; this is raw, lean and unashamedly no-nonsense dance floor tackle that goes straight for the jugular. Heavily analogue, the album experiments with tape saturation, which harks back to the duo’s formative years in bands, recording demos to cassettes. These straight-up, in-the-red tracks give preference to overdriven drum machines, rather than generic polished sheen, but conversely, it’s all deceptively well-crafted too; ‘Out Of Step’ is a standout record that’s big in character, bringing to mind the renegade spirit of Underground Resistance, and the bombastic brilliance of The Prodigy and Chemical Brothers.

Defiantly optimistic despite the state of the world, a “life is good” vocal sample meets minor chords sliding over 808 hats on the exemplary house/techno pumper ‘Detroit Gospel’, before a lighter moment on the album, but no less impactful with its hefty low-end thump, is ‘Pine Island’ featuring Motor City hero Andrés. Together they cook up a Motown-inspired house cut awash with horn swells and backup singers, bouncing to wide swung funk bass, in classic 313 style. ‘Language’ turns the club on its head – busting out one of the most distinct basslines in recent times, and bristling with buzzy, undulating chords, whilst ‘Maxia’ features influential Detroit royalty DJ Minx. Inspired by her classic ‘A Walk In The Park’, with a fat distorted kick and stealthy bass groove, this is low-slung, stripped-back, heads-down coolness. The high-tech funk of ‘Spit In Your Percolator’, is laser-guided in its efficiency, with a strobe-like, increasingly intensifying energy, peppered with clever, tripped up vocal chops. With the next cut, conveyor belt noises and fast churning low-end gives way to a dubbed-out breakdown, on the deep breakbeat roller ‘98 Degrees’. Charged with a blistering, rave intensity, ‘Number Streets’, is a futuristic distorted techno workout that booms through the subs, whilst ‘The Formulator’ mixes filtered snippets, abstract synth noises and melodic bleeps with a bassline echoing Paperclip People’s ‘The Floor’. Closer to the UK definition of hardcore, combining 4/4 and breakbeat, ‘The Pusher’ evokes the spirit of late 80s orbital raves, adding a natty keys solo, and deadly bass used sparingly, for even deadlier effect. ‘Feels Like’ sees Rickers and Ted team up their studiomate and fellow TV Lounge resident and club booker, Mister Joshooa. Inspired by Photek but also almost UKG in style, this breakbeat session is stamped with MJ’s signature chopped vocals and intricate rhythmic interplay. The bubbling, wobbly loose swing of ‘WM’ is constructed around a classic chopped-up MTV cribs sample, with a filtered vocal creating a far out psychedelic effect – all of which is propelled apace by a huge bruising LFO. The LP concludes in fine style with ‘Dance The Bridge’, where bouncy beats and wigged-out keys meet bright, gently uplifting synth chords that bring a clear-skied mood; ending the record as it began, on an optimistic note.

‘Out Of Step’ marks another chapter in the ongoing relationship between Life and Death co-founder DJ Tennis and Ataxia. Their connection goes back to the earliest days of the label, where they played gigs together on some of Tennis’ initial visits to Detroit. It’s a friendship that’s blossomed organically over the last decade through their shared love of punk and hardcore, and led to the fruition of one of Ataxia’s most compelling projects to date. Labels to release Ataxia’s output include legendary Detroit techno imprints Planet E and KMS, plus the seminal American house label Nervous Records. Their catalogue also includes music for Visionquest, Leftroom, 20/20 Vision and Seth Troxler’s Play It Say It.

Since starting Babehoven in Portland, Oregon in 2017, Maya Bon has
shown herself to be a gifted heart-on-sleeve songwriter, using music to
peel back the layers of her own experience "sometimes sad, sometimes
surreal, always vividly rendered " to reveal universal emotional truths
hidden in the most intimately personal of details
After a handful of self- released EPs and their label debut on Double Double
Whammy with 2022's "Sunk" EP, Babehoven's first full-length album "Light Moving
Time" is due October 28 2022.
"Light Moving Time" is emblematic of Babehoven's wide range of dynamics, and
each of those sounds are taken further. You can hear the pared-down languor of
"Yellow Has a Pretty Good Reputation", the smoldering guitars of "Demonstrating
Visible Difference of Height", the peculiar charm of "Nastavi, Calliope", and the
soft tenderness of "Sunk". Alternating seamlessly acrossstyles, Circles and
Philadelphia have the wispy ambient calm of a Liz Harris track, I'm On Your Team
falls somewhere between a flowy country song and an 80s power ballad, Marion
contains the plucky indie- folk warmth of Hovvdy, and Stand It and Pockets are
coated with My Bloody Valentine's wobbly shoegaze. But in contrast with those
EPs, these tracks utilize Bon's voice with greater emotional impact than ever
before. Pressed on Bone Color vinyl

On April 29, MCC Magna Carta Cartel broke the 5 years silence with the
new speaker-breaking single "Silence", the first from their long awaited
second album "The Dying Option" - An album best described as rock
music from the world of dreams
Led by Martin Persner, one of the Nameless Ghouls of Ghost. MCC create
cinematic sounding themes with captivating melodies and poetic lyrics. Their
upcoming album "The Dying Option" offers a ticket into a state of mind seldom
seen or heard in modern music. Here they manage to use classic rock to create
an ambience beyond the regular riffs of today's rock and deliver ten fantastic
songs far beyond what anyone could have expected. "The Dying Option" is
produced by Niels Nielsen (In Flames, Ghost, Dead Soul) together with MCC. The
album artwork is created by the renowned film director Claudio Marino
(Behemoth, Watain, King Dude) and David M. Brinley (Ghost). MCC teamed up
with acclaimed Swedish film director Sebastian Jern for the Silence-video.

Four song Extended Play 7” by Thee Headcoats Sect! “Absolutely fantastic, cracking rhythm 'n' blues, best thing I've heard for years!” - Rob Symmons (The Fallen Leaves) After 23 years off Thee Headcoats (Billy, Bruce and Tub) have again teamed up with Keith Evans of Downliners Sect, to record a top notch Extended Play as Thee Headcoat Sect. 'The Backer Street Irregulars' features Keith on lead vocals, still equipped with all the power, fun and attitude that put him at the top of the tree of British R'n'B vocalists back in the heyday of rhythm and beat. The EP was recorded in honour of their dear friend Don Craine (the leader of the Sect), who passed over in February 2022. TRACKLISTING A1 – The Baker Street Irregulars A2 – Oh Leader, We Do Dig Thee B1 – One Ugly Child B2 – The Ballad of Malcolm Laphroaig (Alt Version)

Desumanos' fresh mixture of guitar driven melodies is as evocative as it is playful. This instrumental project is made up of a dream-team of Brazilian producers and musicians. Kassin, on bass, was member of The +2's band and co-produced Gilles Peterson's Brazilian project Sonzeira, featuring legendary artists such as Elza Soares, Naná Vasconcelos, Wilson Das Neves_ While Liminha, on guitar, is a former member of Os Mutantes. His signature sound is heavily influenced by classic instrumental surf music, but tropical rhythms are also dropped in the mix. The band is completed with Felipe and Manoel Cordeiro (on guitar), one of the lambada originators, and Stephane San Juan (drums), currently playing with David Byrne. Across the tracklist of this Desumanos debut album we can find a unique combination of musical styles that are all filtered through the sieve of instrumental surf music without losing their roots anchored in tropical sounds such as cumbia, African rhythms and, of course, popular genres from Brazil such as forró or lambada. Ten original songs in which the guitar is the undisputed protagonist and the tropical atmosphere emanates through each note.

Heavy-duty Colombian salsa group The Latin Brothers were formed in 1974 by the Discos Fuentes A&R team as a sibling band of Fruko Y Sus Tesos in order to provide the local market with a trombone-heavy ensemble in the mode of the popular Nuyorican Willie Colón orchestra. The band was led by Julio "Fruko" Estrada on bass, featuring basically the same musicians as Los Tesos, minus the trumpets and highlighting the cutthroat trombone work of Gustavo "La Pantera" García. At the time Fruko's Tesos were going through a transition and his talented former lead vocalist, Píper Pimienta, left to sing lead in The Latin Brothers while Joe Arroyo and Wilson "Saoko" Manyoma took over vocal duties in Los Tesos. "El Picotero" was The Latin Brothers' debut album and remains to this day a favorite of salsa dura fans the world over. The album established The Latin Brothers as a bona fide contender in the crowded field of trombone-centric salsa bands taking over the airwaves and dance floors around Latin America. With this bold and brassy record The Latin Brothers would inspire future Colombian salsa orchestras as well as helping establish Medellín as a center of salsa almost as famous as Cali.

Mondays at The Enfield Tennis Academy, x2 LPs of long-form, lyrical, groove-based free improv by acclaimed guitarist & composer Jeff Parker's ETA IVtet. Recorded live at ETA (referencing David Foster Wallace), a bar in LA’s Highland Park neighborhood with just enough space in the back for Parker, drummer Jay Bellerose, bassist Anna Butterss, & alto saxophonist Josh Johnson to convene in extraordinarily depth-full & exploratory music making. Gleaned for the stoniest side-length cuts from 10+ hours of vivid two-track recordings made between 2019 & 2021 by Bryce Gonzales, Mondays at The Enfield Tennis Academy is a darkly glowing séance of an album, brimming over with the hypnotic, the melodic, & patience & grace in its own beautiful strangeness. Room-tone, electric fields, environment, ceiling echo, live recording, Mondays, Los Angeles. Jeff Parker's first double album & first live album, Mondays at The Enfield Tennis Academy belongs in the lineage of such canonical live double albums recorded on the West Coast as Lee Morgan’s Live at the Lighthouse, Miles Davis' In Person Friday & Saturday Night at the Blackhawk, San Francisco & Black Beauty, & John Coltrane's Live in Seattle.

While the IVtet sometimes plays standards &, including on this recording, original compositions, it is as previously stated largely a free improv group —just not in the genre meaning of the term. The music is more free composition than free improvisation, more blending than discordant. It’s tensile, yet spacious & relaxed. Clearly all four musicians have spent significant time in the planetary system known as jazz, but relationships to other musics, across many scenes & eras —dub & Dilla, primary source psychedelia, ambient & drone— suffuse the proceedings. Listening to playbacks Parker remarked, humorously & not, “we sound like the Byrds” (to certain ears, the Clarence White-era Byrds, who really stretched it).

A fundamental of all great ensembles, whether basketball teams or bands, is the ability of each member to move fluidly & fluently in & out of lead & supportive roles. Building on the communicative pathways they’ve established in Parker’s -The New Breed- project, Parker & Johnson maintain a constant dialogue of lead & support. Their sampled & looped phrases move continuously thru the music, layered & alive, adding depth & texture & pattern, evoking birds in formation, sea creatures drifting below the photic zone. Or, the two musicians simulate those processes by entwining their terse, clear-lined playing in real-time. The stop/start flow of Bellerose, too, simulates the sampler, recalling drum parts in Parker’s beat-driven projects. Mostly Bellerose's animated phraseologies deliver the inimitable instantaneous feel of live creative drumming. The range of tonal colors he conjures from his extremely vintage battery of drums & shakers —as distinctive a sonic signature as we have in contemporary acoustic drumming— bring almost folkloric qualities to the aesthetic currency of the IVtet's language. A wonderful revelation in this band is the playing of Anna Butterss. The strength, judiciousness & humility with which she navigates the bass position both ground & lift upward the egalitarian group sound. As the IVtet's grooves flow & clip, loop & repeat, the ensemble elements reconfigure, a terrarium of musical cultivation growing under controlled variables, a tight experiment of harmony & intuition, deep focus & freedom.

For all its varied sonic personality, Mondays at The Enfield Tennis Academy scans immediately & unmistakably as music coming from Jeff Parker‘s unique sound world. Generous in spirit, trenchant & disciplined in execution, Parker’s music has an earned respect for itself & for its place in history that transmutes through the musical event into the listener. Many moods & shapes of heart & mind will find utility & hope in a music that combines the autonomy & the community we collectively long to see take hold in our world, in substance & in staying power.

On the personal tip, this was always my favorite gig to hit, a lifeline of the eremite records Santa Barbara years. Mondays southbound on the 101, driving away from tasks & screens & illness, an hour later ordering a double tequila neat at the bar with the band three feet away, knowing i was in good hands, knowing it would be back around on another Monday. To encounter life at scales beyond the human body is the collective dance of music & the beholding of its beauty, together. – Michael Ehlers & Zac Brenner

No Way Out is the classic rap album helmed by Puff Daddy and featuring his Family of labelmates and trusted collaborators from across the Bad Boy universe and the music industry at large. Debuting in the Summer of 1997, the Grammy Award winning album sold well over half a million copies in its first week of release—securing the Number One spot on the Billboard 200 chart. It also spawned several Billboard Hot 100 singles, including the international chart-topping Biggie tribute “I’ll Be Missing You” which sat in the top spot for 11 consecutive weeks and has the distinction of being the first ever rap song to debut at Number One on the Hot 100 chart.

Originally conceived as an ode to Harlem and a nod to the mob narratives of Scorsese and Puzzo, Puff changed course (and album titles!) following the death of his friend and fellow Bad Boy artist The Notorious BIG. Assembling a powerhouse production team of rotating talent known collectively as “The Hitmen” and stowing away to Trinidad, they spent weeks expanding on the project. What came of those sessions were not only major hit records for No Way Out, but also tracks that appear on Life After Death and various other Bad Boy releases throughout the late 90’s.

Since his debut 25 years ago as a bona fide solo artist, Diddy has gone on to develop countless other talented performers and produce a myriad of projects that reach beyond music into fashion, film and television. Yet and still, No Way Out—which has been RIAA certified 7x Platinum—remains one of Puffy’s most successful, highest grossing albums to date.

"Switch Records was started by myself alongside Bill Campbell in the early eighties", says Aaron Harry - a library music producer who began using Lansdowne Studios in Holland Park for his productions on the renowned Bruton Music label. The studios had been operating there since the late 1950s, becoming the breeding ground for some key & early UK jazz and pop records (owner Adrian Kerridge teamed up with Joe Meek to lay down the first recordings there in 1958). It was here that Harry and engineer Chris Dibble started to work together as a regular team. After spending some time at the studio observing them in acton, Kerridge and (Burton MD) Robin Phillps "recognised what a good team Chris and I had become. So, it was inevitable that I would also make pop music alongside Production Library Music."

The output of the relatively obscure Switch label is the result of this work, and Freestyle has licensed 3 of the most hard to come by 12"s as part of their series of rare & foundation UK funk & soul records. This one, Steppin' Out on the Groove was written by the late Tony Jackson, "a renowned session singer/musician that I had worked with on numerous occasions" says Harry, and also a key brit-funk figure who formed part of a string of UK groups throughout the 70s and early 80s (Sweet Dreams, Midnight, Ritz & Indigo) and later went on to be successful as lead singer in Rage. He died in 2001. Backed up with a killer instrumental that really lets the solid production shine, this one is an essential in any DJ or collector's bag.

Das Debütalbum der siebenköpfigen Amsterdamer Band Personal Trainer folgt auf die exzellente Debüt-EP 'Gazebo', die dieses Jahr auf dem Tastemaker-Label Holm Front (Walt Disco, Krush Puppies, Sports Team) erschien. Die 10 Tracks auf 'Big Love Blanket' zeigen eine spielerische Vielfalt an Klängen und Einflüssen, die zu einem ganz eigenen Sound zusammenfließen, der als 'rapturously fun' (Ones To Watch), 'incredibly catchy indie-led pop' (Record Of The Day), 'curious and endearing' (Steve Lamacq), 'remarkable' (CLASH) und von Marc Riley (BBC 6 Music) sogar mit LCD Soundsystem verglichen wird. Die erste Singleauskopplung 'Key Of Ego" wurde zum NME 'New Banger', und das zu Recht.

Don't let the prestigious acting career fool you, Caleb Landry Jones is a bonafide musical maverick. And on hisforthcoming release Gadzooks Vol. 2 he places himself in a lineage of outsider artists, many with only a thin thread tethering them to this reality, who are capable of reaching into the cosmic realms of imagination and bringing back a musical masterpiece. And while most artists don't save some of the best music of their career for an album with Vol. 2 in the title, Jones is an artist for whom chronology is a slippery substance.

The album was recorded with Nic Jodoin in the famed Valentine Recording Studios simultaneous with the mixing of his debut album The Mother Stone. The team invited a slew of heavy hitting musicians to the studio to contribute to the magic. The resulting album sounds a bit like pink elephants in cowboy hats making asmr... at least for the first 20 seconds before it seamlessly changes entirely.

Don't let the prestigious acting career fool you, Caleb Landry Jones is a bonafide musical maverick. And on hisforthcoming release Gadzooks Vol. 2 he places himself in a lineage of outsider artists, many with only a thin thread tethering them to this reality, who are capable of reaching into the cosmic realms of imagination and bringing back a musical masterpiece. And while most artists don't save some of the best music of their career for an album with Vol. 2 in the title, Jones is an artist for whom chronology is a slippery substance.

The album was recorded with Nic Jodoin in the famed Valentine Recording Studios simultaneous with the mixing of his debut album The Mother Stone. The team invited a slew of heavy hitting musicians to the studio to contribute to the magic. The resulting album sounds a bit like pink elephants in cowboy hats making asmr... at least for the first 20 seconds before it seamlessly changes entirely.

Debbie Gibson is thrilled to announce the release of her first ever holiday
album, 'Winterlicious
' Ranging from a mix of sparkling originals and beautiful reimagined covers,
Gibson has enlisted her dream team of Sean Thomas ('The Body Remembers'/
Hallmark), Fred Coury (Cinderella/ Emmy award winning composer/ producer),
Sylvia MacCalla (Selena Gomez), Joey Melotti (Barry Manilow), Joey Finger
(Donny & Marie) and musicians Lydia Ansel (electric violin) and indie artist
BONZIE (accordion), to create an album that is sure to become a holiday classic.
This spirited and soulful album, Gibson's first in this genre in 36 years, features a
magical collaboration with her pop soulmate Joey McIntyre, who co- wrote the
new holiday anthem "Heartbreak Holiday" for those missing that special someone
during the holidays. Gibson's Daddy Joe joins her on a stunning new rendition of
"White Christmas" and her infectious, up- tempo, original song "Christmas Star,"
which came out in 2021, is also included.

MADFISH PRESENTS STEVE HILLAGE'S PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
LEGENDARY GLASTONBURY 1979 PERFORMANCE. On Friday 21st June
1979, the Steve Hillage Band performed a headline set of soaring
psychedelic guitar riffs of cosmic aspirations
The summer solstice night was a pivotal point in Steve Hillage's musical journey
& this recording, provided from Steve's personal archives, will cement the
performance as historic.Prior to the festival, Steve & the band spent two weeks
rehearsing in a barn at Worthy Farm, site of the Glastonbury Festival. They crafted
a set fitting & psychedelically uplifting enough to truly celebrate the longest day
of Summer at such an auspicious location. Steve was an integral member of the
Glasto team alongside Michael Eavis, Pyramid' Bill Harkin & Turbosound/Funktion
One's Tony Andrews. Their work focalised the 1979 Fayre, helping the rebirth of
the first of the modern Glastonbury Festivals. After spending the 80's in music
production, Steve & his partner Miquette Giraudy returned to recording & live
performance in the 90's with the dance-oriented System 7 & was fundamental in
the introduction of the Dance Stage to Glastonbury in 1995.
Presented on CD in deluxe media book with 24-page booklet and LP w/ Gatefold
sleeve.

How many hardcore, let alone metal, bands exceed all previous efforts on their third LP? Some might argue that ‘Feel The Darkness’ was Poison Idea’s prime. You could present ‘Master Of Puppets’ and ‘Reign In Blood’, if you’re so inclined. Let’s face it, these are a dying breed of exceptions to the rule. And yet, like an icepick in the eye socket of logic, here stands Foreseen with ‘Untamed Force’. In the landmine ridden field that is crossover, where bands can all too easily get it so wrong, Foreseen not only survive the death sentence of their sophomore record “Grave Danger” (2017), but head out on a blunt force killing spree. ‘Untamed Force’ indeed. Rarely has a record title been more fitting. Vocalist Mirko Nummelin sounds more pissed off than ever, 12 years on. Drummer Mårten Gustafsson’s arms and feet generate enough power to make Finland energy self-sufficient. And finally, pushing the band over the edge, separating Foreseen from us feeble bastards, we have new member Ville Valavuo joining Jaakko Hietakangas to form what is arguably the scene’s deadliest six string tag-team. Foreseen’s power is untamed but at the same time borne from hard work, a love for the craft and their musical community, and absolutely no excuses. Dig in, endure, stomp out, shoot to kill. Foreseen are for headbangers who haven’t been brainwashed by click tracks and digital recordings. Foreseen are for punks who can deal with a synth intro and harmonised solos. In 2022, ‘Untamed Force’ is the guiding principle that can inspire, but not be replicated, by the Kings of Hardcore Thrash.

1. Soldier's Grave 2. Birthright 3. Tolerance of Abuse 4. Suffocating Routine 5. Oppression Fetish 6. Cold Comfort 7. Serve Your Purpose 8. Desensitized 9. Untamed Force

After a 2 year hiatus, Madam X's KAIZEN imprint comes back full force, with an upgraded aesthetic and brand new wave of leftfield, off-kilter club music. KZN009 sees one of Manchester's most exciting up & coming producers, Cartridge, mark his debut with a fierce 2 tracker, loaded with soundsystem pressure and gully 130 artillery in the Banada EP. Melodic Grime, moody Dubstep, and sub-heavy textures sprinkle this wobby release, designed for dark rooms, splintered basements and heavy soundsystems. With an impressive back catalogue on Deep Dark & Dangerous, Albion Collective & one half of Regents alongside Manchester kingpin Strategy (Broke'n'£nglish), Cartridge is no stranger to the UK's burgeoning bass music scene.

On the A side, we have Banada, a melodic eastern-flavoured instrumental, with elements of Grime and Dubstep carrying the tune to its arpeggiated crescendo.

A singing voice and raspy melody build the tension before a heavily distorted switch up catches you off guard, leading you further down a Dubstep rabbit hole, and into a world of shady and sinister drops, sitting perfectly alongside the label's strictly hoods-up, heads-down tip.

Teaming up with KAIZEN heavyweight and local scene hero Biome on the B-Side, Ricky Rosé has proved a firm favourite for those peak-time, no-holds-barred, bass-in-your-face, power hour moments. Relentless in its metallic bassline and thumping 808 drums, this explosive club tool comes with a solid side-serving of gunfingers and screwfaces.

Bootlickers of the Patriarchy was written about Senator Susan Collins
and her infamous press conference after the Kavanaugh/Blasey Ford
hearings
It's about women who succeed from undermining the success of other women or
choose to gain success from exploiting the oppression of other women. This is a
character who has taken many forms throughout history, the kind of woman who
seems perfectly content playing Gamma to the Alpha male. "Bootlicker" is my
direct challenge to the notion of 'women supporting other women,' and the
falsehoods and unrealistic expectations that comes with a statement like that." "I
wrote the song to be played in two different arrangement styles, the first half
being slow and haunting and the second going balls- to- the- wall rage. I was re
exploring a lot industrial/proto industrial music I had listened to as a teenager in
the 90s and used some elements of synth/drum machine sounds to convey all
that anger, panic and darkness." // "Well, why not do a cover of your influences as
a B- side? I was obsessed w/ the Ministry album 'With Sympathy' when writing
tracks for my upcoming album. It is the record Al Jourgenson has stated multiple
times that he's ashamed of most, which is saying a lot considering this man's
autobiography. I teamed up with my friend Heather Elle of Flossing, formerly of
post punk bands Bodega and The Wants for this collaboration. It's my first official
recorded track where I'm playing guitar, so as the saying goes, it's never too late
to pick up a new instrument and get totally lost in it."

The purest reflection of DRS as a musician to date, his self-titled 'Del-Rok-Ski' album sees one of the most heavyweight lyricists in the game delve deep into the intricacies of himself to deliver an honest, inward, and characteristically beautiful work of art. His fifth album in the space of three transformative years, the Manchester-based artist has found a home for his latest album on Shogun Audio, traversing an eclectic and beguiling selection of sonic soundscapes across twelve of the purest tracks that you'll hear this year.

Whilst incorporating the powerful messaging and undeniable lyrical expertise that DRS has demonstrated for over a decade, 'Del-Rok-Ski' offers something that none of the previous albums has been able to. Marking two years sober, this latest offering investigates previously unexplored territories for DRS. "I feel like music has never been me", says the vocalist, who truly feels that this album, which evolves from moods of darkness and loss to those of lightness and hope, is an unadulterated reflection of himself to its core.

Teaming up with a selection of hugely talented collaborators, including the likes of Calibre, LSB, Dub Phizix, Duskee, Disrupta, Monrroe, and many more, 'Del-Rok-Ski' sees DRS serve up a heartfelt, intimate, and personal lyrical journey that is arguably his best work to date.

Through the heartwrenching, high-energy feels of 'Can't Explain (Faded) ft. Document One', summer anthems such as 'Waiting To Go ft. Disrupta & Duskee' and 'Heavens Not Cheap ft. Drumantle', certified dancefloor destroyers like 'Comme Ci' and 'They Ain't Listening', which are both produced by T95, and many other gems embedded in this album, DRS further cements his reputation as one of the most unique, talented, and iconic lyricists to ever grace the drum and bass scene.

"I feel like I've never been so cleared-headed during my whole career of making music. 'Del-Rok-Ski' is me.
DRS

To celebrate the forthcoming release of 'Del-Rok-Ski', DRS is now embarking on 'The Man Who Fell To Earth Tour', which sees him tour the U.K and work with 8 Gold Rings, Dom Lawson, and Dogger to curate a deeply personal Live Show that'll see appearances from numerous special guests up and down the country.

DISARSTAR meldet sich zurück. Sein neues, sechstes Album "ROLEX FÜR ALLE" erscheint am 14.Oktober und ist die logische Fortsetzung nach dem Erfolg seines Albums "Deutscher Oktober" (2021) und der gemeinsamen "Microdose"-EP mit dem Produzenten-Team Jugglerz (2022). Die Geschichten von Dreck und Gentrifizierung, Armut und dem Gefühl des Nicht-gewollt-Seins sind noch lange nicht auserzählt. Für DISARSTAR bedeutet das: dranbleiben, nicht weggucken, nicht müde werden für ein besseres, gerechteres Deutschland zu streiten. Etwas hat sich aber doch verändert auf "ROLEX FÜR ALLE": nämlich die Prämisse, dass intelligente politische Musik nicht anstrengend sein muss. "ROLEX FÜR ALLE" macht die ganz großen Fragen auf - und trotzdem irre Spaß. "Rolex für alle ist ja nicht Rolex für keinen!", sagt DISARSTAR.Das

On this third Hoot release, gols takes the first action on the A side as a former point guard with a nice off the dribble. His second on the same side 'tritony' fits perfectly in the space created after this dribble. On the B side it's a old teamplay by glazing (Gols & Tom Dazing).

Molly Lewis's compositions seem to float into our ears from distant shores. They're otherworldly, drawn more from landscapes of dream than from anywhere you could find on a map. Lewis is a unique presence in music today. Her trademark whistle, which brings to mind the great Peruvian soprano Yma Sumac, has graced recordings of everything from Schumann lieder and Brazilian jazz to Spaghetti Western ballads and noir lounge. Lewis's collaborations are diverse: La Femme, Sébastien Tellier and Dr. Dre. She's performed around the globe, at Shanghai's Yuz Museum, the Cannes Film Festival, Mexico City's Salón Los Angeles, and across the whole of New Zealand. Lewis's 2021 debut EP, The Forgotten Edge, was produced by Tom Brenneck (Charles Bradley, Amy Winehouse). It was a critical success, drawing praise from The New York Times and NPR, and landing Lewis a spot on CBS Sunday Morning. Now, Lewis and Brenneck have teamed up again for her second EP, Mirage, bringing aboard Brazilian guitarist Rogê, as well as percussionist Gibi Dos Santos and keyboardist Roger Manning. Capacious and atmospheric, Mirage is Lewis's most hypnotic effort yet. Like Eden's Island (1970) by eden ahbez_whose "Nature Boy" is covered in one of Mirage's standout moments_the album is based on Lewis's visions of an imaginary island. The lush, oceanic textures of Mirage transport us to the sands of an unknown beach_all alone or in the company we've always dreamt of keeping.

Pure Noise Records and Pabst Blue Ribbon have teamed up to present ‘Dead Formats Volume 1’, a 15-track compilation featuring the Pure Noise Records roster sharing their takes on the celebrated punk/emo/ska songs that helped shape the scene in the 90’s and 2000’s.

From their new millennium rise to MTV superstardom through pop-punk’s modern resurgence that has introduced their iconic, multi-platinum sound to new audiences around the world, SIMPLE PLAN have been an indelible part of pop culture for more than two decades because they’ve never lost sight of what got them there in the first place: their fans.It’s this same sense of mutual respect that’s fully on display on “The Antidote,” the first single from their sixth studio album, HARDER THAN IT LOOKS., their first new music since 2016’s Taking One For The Team, and the most authentically Simple Plan album since 2004’s Still Not Getting Any. Free agents for the first time in their storied career, the band kept their circle tight during the recording process, enlisting longtime songwriting partners like We The Kings’ Travis Clark and producers Brian Howes and Jason Van Poederooyen (who worked on the band’s 2011’s album Get Your Heart On!) and Zakk Cervini (blink-182, Good Charlotte). From the skyscraping choruses of “Congratulations” and “Ruin My Life” (ft. Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley) to the unflinching poignancy of the album-closing “Two,” which instantly ranks alongside “Perfect” and “Untitled (How Could This Happen To Me?)” as one of the band’s best closers ever, HARDER THAN IT LOOKS certainly respects Simple Plan’s storied career – and the same spirit that helped the band sell 10 million albums worldwide – without being overtly reverent. The album-opening “Wake Me Up (When This Nightmare’s Over)” is a cathartic rush of familiarity and freshness – not to mention a bit lyrically prescient, as the COVID-19 pandemic hit shortly after the band wrapped the album. (“We certainly didn’t set out to write a pandemic album,” Bouvier says with a laugh. “It’s funny how some of the songs might seem like that, though.”) There are even spiritual successors to early material, like the glass-half-full skate-punk-leaning “Best Day Of My Life,” quite a 180 for a band who put a song called “The Worst Day Ever” on their genre-defining, Platinum-selling 2002 debut No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls. But you won’t find an ounce of fat on the 10-song album, no obvious plays to recapture the radio waves they claimed in the early aughts with smash hits like “I’d Do Anything,” “I’m Just A Kid” and “Addicted.”

Dayton Grey teamed up with UK songwriter and producer Alex Lloyd to provide two killer songs that pay respect to the classic songs of the 70s. The response to both songs has been nothing short of phenomenal so far with little to split the popularity between the uptempo dancer of 'Love Is On The Line' and the smooth ballad 'He Won't Love You (Like I Do).Both Dayton and Alex are hugely talented and we predict will go onto big things in the future.

Ekkehard Ehlers' seminal plays series was originally released on three 12inches (Staubgold) and two 7inches (Bottrop-Boy) in very limited runs. The entire series was previously only available as a CD compilation or digitally. Keplar finally presents it on double vinyl for the first time, featuring a new cover artwork.

Domestic ethnology: Ekkehard Ehlers plays.

‘Play’ is a word in English with many meanings attached. Each one sends you down a different cognitive pathway. When I think of ‘playing’, in the sense of a game, I think of an activity involving more than one person. When Ekkehard Ehlers plays, he is very much on his own. Or, at least, alone but at the same time keeping intimate company with the artistic innovators named in his titles. Robert Johnson. John Cassavetes. Albert Ayler. Cornelius Cardew. Hubert Fichte. Is he playing with them, against them, about them, for them, to them? This can never be known.

It is certainly a mistake to try to hear the ‘work’ of these originals in the sounds played by Ekkehard. They’re not cover versions. They’re hardly tributes in the conventional sense. Cassavetes and Fichte are not even musicians, although music played an important part in both their careers. Sure, there are little nods and flashes of recognition – tiny guitar licks among the minimal beats of ‘Robert Johnson 2’; rich bowed instruments in ‘Albert Ayler’, recalling the violin, cello and double bass arrangements on Ayler’s 1967 Live in Greenwich Village LP; the elongated organ lines of ‘Cornelius Cardew 1’ gesturing towards passages in Paragraph 1 of the British composer’s 1971 Marxist monolith, The Great Learning. Ekkehard is not so much playing these figures as allowing himself to be played by them.

Playing as an activity also suggests freedom. Maybe the only thing all five named persons have in common is that they were all quiet radicals. In music, literature and cinema, they all stepped, without self-promotion or fanfare, into unmapped territories. Once there they found it necessary to invent new languages in order to survive. Necessity was the mother of their inventiveness. They were also uncomfortable avant gardists. Lonely types, fighting their corners out on the margins, with little reward, often misunderstood, ridiculed or ignored.

All died unfairly young. Fichte a victim of HIV/AIDS, Cassavetes of cirrhosis of the liver. (‘Cassavetes 2’ sounds like a tender farewell played across the 59 year old alcoholic director’s death bed.) The deaths of Johnson, Ayler and Cardew have never been satisfactorily explained, and remain shrouded in myths and conspiracy theories. The pioneering expeditions of all five began in that spirit of playful freedom, but inexorably drew them towards the heart of darkness.

So these ‘plays’ are micro-dramas, sonic soliloquies, monolog-ins to the private accounts of various geniuses in Ekkehard’s ‘follow’ list. Hacked sensibilities. Artistic manifestos boiled down and distilled, skinned and dried in the digital smokehouse. (Ekkehard Ehlers Flays.) Each of these plays was originally floated out into the world alone on its own disc. The collected works play well as a team – a tranquil, introspective experience where each artist has his own identifiably unique sound character. As an album, Plays is a ‘Plattenragout’ – a ‘record stew’ – which was the title of Hubert Fichte’s LP review column in the leftist culture magazine konkret in the 1960s. The novelist’s work investigating the cultures of South America and the Caribbean islands has been called ‘domestic ethnology’. The writer himself referred to his ‘ethnopoesie’. Ekkehard Ehlers’s intuitive electronic portraits are a form of domestic ethnology in themselves. Invoking another of Ekkehard’s musical aliases, they are portraits of cultural ‘autopoiesies’ – creators whose works were strong enough to have their own self-regenerating life force. (by Rob Young)

All tracks written and produced by Ekkehard Ehlers.
Featuring Stephan Mathieu, Joseph Suchy, Anka Hirsch.
Tracks A1 to C2 originally released on three 12inches via Staubgold.
Tracks D1 to D4 originally released on two 7inches via Bottrop-Boy.
Plays originally released as CD compilation in 2002 by Staubgold.
Mastered by Rashad Becker.
Cut to vinyl by Lupo, Berlin, 2022.
Redesigned by Sandra Kastl, 2022.
Photos by Ludger Blanke

Regular collaborator with label boss zake, City of Dawn teams up with From Overseas, an aptly named producer based on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. The result is classic Past Inside The Present - quivering, celestial ambient music that would fit into the drone category if it weren't for the fact it's constantly, subtly changing and evolving almost imperceptibly. Utterly horizontal in attitude, utterly heavenly in realisation, this is a corker even by PITP's very high standards, with this edition arriving in limited transparent sepia vinyl LP (+ download code) form.

Regular collaborator with label boss zake, City of Dawn teams up with From Overseas, an aptly named producer based on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. The result is classic Past Inside The Present - quivering, celestial ambient music that would fit into the drone category if it weren't for the fact it's constantly, subtly changing and evolving almost imperceptibly. Utterly horizontal in attitude, utterly heavenly in realisation, this is a corker even by PITP's very high standards, with this edition arriving in limited transparent sepia vinyl LP (+ download code) form.

Since making his mark in the ‘90s through the early aughts as a part of the legendary Boot Camp Clik and one half of “Da Incredible Rap Team” and duo Heltah Skeltah, Rock (also known as the Rockness Monsta) has been conservative with solo efforts. With one of the most distinct voices in hip-hop, the Brooklyn emcee released his full-length debut solo albumRockness AP in 2017, and now looks to step back into the spotlight with his sophomore album, Ether Rocks.

Produced entirely by Harlem, New York’s Ron Browz (Nas’s “Ether”, Jim Jones’s “Pop Champagne”, etc.), the project sees Rock’s ominous tone and sharp flow transposed from the traditional Boom-Bap beats of Da Beatminerz and others, into a sonic backdrop that retains grit yet bolsters an updated and more sophisticated style from the legendary emcee.

The 12 track LP boasts guest appearances from Method Man, Steele (Smif-N-Wessun), Ruste Juxx and more, and is available via DSPs, CD and vinyl through American B Boy Records in partnership with Fat Beats.

“Dope is dope. I'm trying to break out of the underground rap box and ease into ‘grown man rap’. This album is basically my way of showing y’all more sides to myself musically and conceptually. A lot of our culture wants you to do the same thing over and over. That’s understandable but not realistic as we are forever evolving as human beings. So, while I continue to serve jedi level barbarian bars, I’m adding some things to the menu.” – Rockness Monsta

‘Stumpwork’ is the follow-up to 2021’s ‘New Long Leg’. The
South London-based group’s first studio album, recorded in
just two weeks with producer John Parish at the iconic
Rockfield Studios, became a huge critical and commercial
success reaching #4 in the UK Album Charts and featuring in
Best Of 2021 polls across the board. Buoyed by its success,
Nick Buxton (drums), Tom Dowse (guitar), Lewis Maynard
(bass) and Florence Shaw (vocals) returned to rural Wales in
late 2021, partnering once more with Parish and engineer
Joe Jones. Working from a position of trust in the same
studio and with the same team, imposter syndrome and
anxiety was replaced by a fresh freedom and openness to
explore beyond an already rangy sonic palette, a newfound
confidence in their creative vision. A longer period in the
studio afforded the time to experiment, improvise, play,
sharpen their table tennis skills.
‘Stumpwork’ was inspired by a plethora of events, concepts,
and political debacles, be they represented in the icy mess of
ambient elements reflecting a certain existential despair, or
the surprising warmth in celebrating the lives of loved ones
lost through the previous year. Surrealist lyrics are as ever at
the forefront - but there is a sensitivity now to the themes of
family, money, politics, self-deprecation, and sensuality.
Furious alt-rock anthems combine across the record with
jangle pop and ambient noise, demonstrating the wealth of
influences the band feed off and their deep musicality. With
the pressure of their debut album behind them, Dry Cleaning
have crafted an ambitious and deeply rewarding new work
that marks them out as one of the most intelligent and
exciting acts to come out of the UK.
LP pressed on white vinyl.