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The debut album of soul singer, Maiiah is also the third full-length by Hamburg collective, Angels of Libra, following on from the success of their collaboration with Irish singer, Nathan Johnston.

Maiiah is a singer with roots in the Balkans but residing in Düsseldorf, the city of the legendary Unique Club and the label of the same name. Soul left its mark on her early on, and when she met Hamburg producer, musician and composer Dennis Rux (Hamburg Spinners/Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Studios) during the pandemic, the two realized they shared a similar musical vision. Their common love of soul music and old rhythm & blues brought them together, and they started recording music together in Hamburg with the Angels of Libra. Lo and behold, their first single together "Obey" got into rotation at tastemaker station Radioeins and confirmed them as a winning team.



Following in the footsteps of many a classic soul tune, second single, "No No No (I'm So Broke)" is a social critique and commentary. In it Maiiah literally wears her heart on her sleeve, as she sings about the back- breaking job she was working at the time and the poor earnings as a hotel service employee.



But naturally life has more to offer than just work and so a large part of the songs on this record revolve around love. Maiiah gives her own spin to the classic "I'm A Good Woman", which the spirited singer has performed live many times. The story goes that the late DJ and Unique Records label owner Henry Storch sent Maiiah the original song by Barbara Lynn to comfort her after a heavy heartbreak. The song thus holds a very important place in Maiiah's heart, and it was released as the third advance single, recorded during her tour with Nathan Johnston at Bekegg Studios in Rastede, Lower Saxony.



With Dennis Rux at her side and the powerful arrangements of the Angels of Libra, Maiiah has found the right partners for her personal debut. On "Kava" & "Plenty of Life", Hamburg's jack-of-all-trades Carsten Meyer aka Erobique is featured as a guest on the keyboards, so here the rhythm section of the Hamburg Spinners comes together again. The love for old soul, rhythm & blues and the analog sound of the sixties is also fully expressed on this album. The longings and deep feelings in Maiiah's lyrics are carefully picked up musically, whether as a classic R&B song as in "Please Come Home" or in boogaloo party mode as in the Croatian-sung "Kava", the fourth single. "Plenty of Life" is a song for self-cheering and a call to open up to the beautiful sides of life despite all adversity. In "I wanna go", on the other hand, Maiiah longs for her Croatian homeland. The crowning finale of the album is the intense "Infinity" about life's phases and the recurring ups and downs as the essence of human existence.



The ingredients of Maiiah and the Angels of Libra's recipe are authentic lyrics, to the point arrangements, tight horns, rousing background vocals and the spirit of the golden age of soul music, as it was shaped by labels like Motown and Stax. Recorded in part with original equipment from the 50s. Producer Dennis Rux says, "We wanted to create a record that people would go dance to at the Komet" (a neighborhood club on St. Pauli in Hamburg, the band's second home). The joint album combines the Hamburg soul of the Angels of Libra with the passion of Maiiah, who can fully live out her temperament on the mic.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra came to life in basements and bedrooms, the musical vision of Portlander-via-New Zealand Ruban Nielson that fused guitar-god riffs, choppy percussion, soul and funk. II, the sophomore album from UMO, emerged in an era rampant hedonism and isolationism and became the blueprint for everything Nielson has become renowned for. It was, and is, the solidification of Unknown Mortal Orchestra as an endlessly intriguing, brave and addictive band. Ten years on, it's back with an expanded edition. Written during a punishing, debauched touring schedule during which Nielson feared for both his sanity and health, II illustrates the emotional turmoil of life on the road, painting surrealist, cartoonish portraits of loneliness, love and despair. These conflicting themes are evident immediately; on the album's sleeve is an unnerving image of Janet Farrar, the famous British witch, Wiccan, author and teacher of witchcraft. The chilling refrain of opener "Into The Sun" sees Nielson deliver the line "Isolation can put a gun in your hand," softly, his words starkly intelligible above a warm, slow-burning melody that quickly brands itself onto your brain. His playful imagery ("I'm so lonely I've gotta eat my popcorn all alone") mirrors the melody, before a solo that borders on psychotropic ends II`s introduction. UMO is unafraid to dig deeper than the rest, their intoxicating, opiate groove bringing rock'n'roll's exaggerated myths to life. And as it unfolds, II does find Nielson reenergized. "One At A Time" and "Faded In The Morning" boast dizzying choruses and instrumentals; these crusty hunks could have been excavated from a lost 1960s treasure trove. "Monki" unravels over seven minutes like the yarn from a stoner's cardigan with an eye-frying pattern. "Dawn" is a minute of disconcerting noise that stands out between the nooks and crannies of the choruses, guitar solos, groove-heavy bass and drums that were recorded live by newly-recruited drummer Greg Rogove and Kody Nielson in a move away from the electronic percussion employed on album one. II closes with "Secret Xtians," a tender observational puzzle that fizzes to a satisfied end. In celebration of the album's 10th anniversary Nielson's complete collection from the II era is finally available in one compilation, and features the five acoustic tracks from the Blue EP as well as two additional B-sides. Unknown Mortal Orchestra was once Nielson's closeted concern. With an album that uses his singular musical imagination and extraordinary talent to parade his emotions with unyielding honesty, it is now a fully realized band operating at the peak of its powers ten years on.

“The revelation that you didn’t need formal training to start a band in 1977 and the realization that you don’t need to be Merce Cunningham to dance are one and the same.” - Ryan Schreiber, Pitchfork,2003  47 minutes. Two sides. A single spine jacket. Confident and deliberate. Lightning in a bottle.  The Rapture’s ‘Echoes’ was, and is, a clear-eyed kick in the teeth, a band at the peak of their powers and producers with an ambitious vision making. a. point.  The whole ‘indie crowd finally learns to dance’ narrative is overwrought and irrelevant in 2023 - perhaps context is no longer king - but what remains clear is that this album, made by a San Diego punk band who had moved to New York via Seattle, and produced by the DFA in their own studio, where time and gear and ideas both good and bad were aplenty, maintains an energy and search for catharsis that could bulldoze even the most uptight.  For whatever reason, it’s remained out of print on vinyl since its initial run. (Don’t worry, though, there were a lot of CDR promos lying around.)  And now, with minimal pageantry, it’s back. Recut by Bob Weston, loud and cl

Grief reminds us of the past, of childhood memories. But it can also give us a vision on how to manage and feel the passing of time in our lives. Years go by so at such a speed, yet nothing really changes. There are moments when a mantra is needed to feel grounded and alive, to feel that we are something in the vastness of the universe. " Bring Back the Light " is the mantra Delia Meshlir created to add brightness and stability to her life.

When Black Pumas made their self-titled debut in 2019, the Austin-bred duo set off a reaction almost as combustible and rapturous as their music itself. Along with earning a career total of seven Grammy Award nominations (including Album Of The Year) and winning praise from leading outlets like Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, singer/songwriter Eric Burton and guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada achieved massive success as a live act, touring large theatres all over Europe and North and South America and delivering a transcendent show Burton aptly refers to as “electric church.” As they set to work on their highly awaited sophomore album, the band broadened their palette to include a dazzling expanse of musical forms: heavenly hybrids of soul and symphonic pop, mind-bending excursions into jazz-funk and psychedelia, starry-eyed love songs that feel dropped down from the cosmos. Wilder and weirder and more extravagantly composed than its predecessor, Chronicles of a Diamond arrives as the fullest expression yet of Black Pumas’ frenetic creativity and limitless vision.

Classic Hip-hop meets minimalism and dusty vinyl on Anchovies Cali Agents alum Planet Asia is as sharp as ever with his lyrical smithing. Apollo Brown's style is evident behind the dust and grime of these smoky samples. The Detroit producer approached this album like a director would a movie. Apollo painstakingly laid out every detail of the project and knew what he wanted from the finished product. He knew that only one rapper could execute his vision. Enter Planet Asia. The West Coast legend was able to fit directly into the plan and bring his talents to the album, creating a perfect match.
Planet Asia. The West Coast legend was able to fit directly into the plan and bring
his talents to the album, creating a perfect match.

Both sides contain a mix of the following tracks:

A1 Off– Electrica Salsa
A2 J.J. Bronson– Jack Your Body
A3 Cruisin' Gang– America
A4 Solid Strangers– Vision
A5 Les Lee San Francisco– Love Can't Turn Around
A6 MC Miker G. & DJ Sven– Celebration
A7 Albert One– For Your Love
A8 Charly Danone– You Can Do It
A9 Fancy– Lady Of Ice
A10 Max-Him– Melanie
A11 Daydream (2)– In The Night
B1 Off– Electrica Salsa
B2 J.J. Bronson– Jack Your Body
B3 Cruisin' Gang– America
B4 Solid Strangers– Vision
B5 Les Lee San Francisco– Love Can't Turn Around
B6 MC Miker G. & DJ Sven– Celebration
B7 Albert One– For Your Love
B8 Charly Danone– You Can Do It
B9 Fancy– Lady Of Ice
B10 Max-Him– Melanie
B11 Daydream (2)– In The Night

Originally released as a hand-numbered CD on New Year's Eve of 2004, Last Light captures Tor Lundvall 's hushed songcraft at its most ghostly and grayscale, stripped bare like branches bracing for winter. Initially conceived of as "a piano album with sparse electronics" (with the working title November), Lundvall's palette steadily expanded, incorporating synthesizer, samples, bass, metronomes, and his signature spectral vocals. A journal entry from the spring of 2002 proved formative to his evolving vision: "I remember watching the blueish-grey light shimmering outside and hearing distant sounds echoing far away, eventually sinking into silence and stillness." The album's 12 tracks are steeped in this sense of autumnal transience, of bearing witness to what fades. The music moves in whispered swells, between dirge, drift, and devotional. Synths chime like slow-tolling bells; percussion shuffles and shivers, icy and isolated; bass traces a low-lidded plod - it's a mode both austere and seductive, lulling the listener into its landscapes of deepening dusk. Lyrically, Lundvall's language skews observational and depressive ("through lace curtains / grey light falls / dark clouds gather / in my soul" ), with each song like a gauzy glimpse into a different tableau framing winter's descent: rust - colored leaves, frozen ponds, cold crescent moons. Lundvall has long considered Last Light a "personal favorite" in his discography, and it's easy to hear why. In texture, finesse, and pacing, it vividly evokes the rare mood of fragile, frosty pastoral noir depicted in his iconic oil paintings. His is an art of the half-seen and half-remembered, of fleeting figures, shapes and shadows, and gathering darkness. Of all that disappears, and the ghosts that never leave: "So I wait / as the years / slowly drain the magic and the light / and the girl / I never loved / haunts me through the dark roads of my life."

Confident and deliberate. Lightning in a bottle. The Rapture’s Echoes was and is a clear-eyed kick in the teeth, a band at the peak of their powers and producers with an ambitious vision making. a. point. The whole “indie crowd finally learns to dance” narrative is overwrought and irrelevant in 2023 - perhaps context is no longer king - but what remains clear is that this album, made by a San Diego punk band who had moved to New York via Seattle, and produced by the DFA in their own studio, where time and gear and ideas both good and bad were aplenty, maintains an energy and search for catharsis that could bulldoze even the most uptight. For whatever reason, it’s remained out of print on vinyl since its initial run.

• Following on from the highly successful first two editions of
Dance Masters featuring the classics mixes from maestros
Shep Pettibone and Arthur Baker, the spotlight turns to
another remix legend, John Luongo.

• Boston born, John is one of the truly legendary DJ's and
remixers of the Disco era. John got his break at Epic by
overdubbing percussion from salt shakers and spoons onto a
promo and then passing them back the tape. This resulted in
him being flown to New York, and put in a studio (of his
choice) to mix and produce Melba Moore`s “You Stepped
Into My Life”. From this point everything he touched was a
hit. He went onto remix Disco classics by Jackie Moore –
“This Time Baby”, Dan Hartman “Vertigo / Relight My Fire”
and Patti Labelle “Music Is My Way Of Life”.

• However, John was not afraid of remixing artists that didn’t
fit into the disco genre and this attitude is borne out by the
tracklisting of this compilation, on which Gladys Knight and
The Pips rub shoulders with Fine Young Cannibals and
Billy Idol, and Baltimora appears alongside Banararama
and Serge Ponsar.

• “…if you played this whole thing, just put it on and didn’t
tell anyone it was me, they’d say ‘boy, what a great group of
songs this is!’” - John Luongo

• This cut down 16 track essential edition in pressed on 140g
black vinyl and features foreword by Arthur Baker and an indepth essay written by Alexis Petridis (Rock and Pop
reviewer for The Guardian).

• All tracks remastered by Nick Robbins at Sound
Mastering

His new EP, "Nostalgic For The Future", was inspired by an experience he had during a lucid dream that evoked a paradoxical and enigmatic feeling. Also influenced by the artists of his childhood such as Daft Punk, Alan Braxe or Jestofunk, this new project is imbued with house sounds.

By using artificial intelligence in the conception of "Nostalgic for The Future", Fhin proposes an innovative vision to tackle eternal and inexhaustible themes of music: love, the meaning of our existence or the intensity of our emotions.

In the midst of the UK house rave-olution of the early-’90s, London’s V4 Visions imprint documented the confluence of street soul, deep house, swingbeat, and jungle sounds emanating from the clubs and pirate radio signals. Over the course of half a decade, V4’s unparalleled 12” output referenced every significant Black British music scene; from lovers rock to jazz-funk, sound system reggae to hip hop, new jack swing to garage, from artists Ashaye, Julie Stapleton, Maureen Mason, Rohan Delano, The Wades, and Endangered Species. This 18-track double LP is the first critical overview of the label, with extensive notes by Simon Reynolds, era-defining photographs, and fresh remasters, all housed in a glorious foil-stamped gatefold tip-on sleeve. Is this a dream?

On new EP twotwentytwo, indie riser THALA continues to embrace vulnerability, summoning long-buried emotions to colour her ardent love for lyricism amid psych-tinged `90s indie soundscapes. Filled with potent songwriting and coming-of-age anthems straight from the heart, these everyday love stories surrender to life's insecurities. Evoking the soundscapes of Slowdive and Deerhunter, whilst recalling the widescreen pop of boygenius and Snail Mail. Recorded in London and Berlin earlier this year, twotwentytwo follows the release of `In Theory Depression', THALA's first EP on Fire Records. Spanning six tracks, it builds on its predecessor's fearless lyricism, excavating deep-set feelings of loss, pain, desire and conflict against luminous production and addictive melodies. Following rammed appearances at SXSW and The Great Escape, and having picked up the attention BBC Radio 1's Jack Saunders, THALA shows no signs of slowing down_ Blissful guitars and evocative crescendos permeate THALA's unique vision of dreampop, reveling in soaring choruses and intimate storylines. On its surface, twotwentytwo boasts a kind of glorious emotive draw - you'd be forgiven for mistaking any one of these tracks as a backdrop to any teen-angst drama. However, while THALA wants her songs to feel nostalgic, it's the complexity of her songwriting that sees her modern compositions really resonate and she is keen to stress her lyrics can be interpreted in numerous ways. And therein lies the heart of this release - a cathartic, wildly empowering, self-explorative from a future indie heartbreaker at her gutsy best. Ltd Clear Vinyl, A5 insert, dlc

Following the release of the shoegaze masterpiece Delaware in 1992, and the intricate experimentations on National Coma in 1993, Drop Nineteens disbanded. They had a great run. Shared stages with Radiohead, Hole, Blur, PJ Harvey. Went from being teenaged kids in Boston to mid twenty somethings with an MTV video under their belt. So when Drop Nineteens ceased to be, Greg Ackell felt content, music was a closed chapter. That was until 2021. For the first time in nearly 30 years, Ackell felt compelled to pick up a guitar. He immediately called up Steve Zimmeran, the band's bassist and fellow guitarist, and the two got writing. It felt effortless for Ackell, like he never stopped writing music. "We were off to the races," he says. "But also the question came up: what does a Drop Nineteens song sound like today? Enter Hard Light, the band's stunning third record. It's the band's proverbial follow up to Delaware, a modern Drop Nineteens record that is completely singular in its sound and vision. The first task making Hard Light, was of course, getting the rest of the band back together. Drop Nineteens is an inherently collaborative project. Ackell's primarily the lyrics writer, and he collaborates with Zimmerman, Paula Kelley, Motohiro Yasue, and Peter Koeplin to create the sonic world. The record came together over the course of a year, recording at a patchwork of studios all around the country. Making music together felt natural, fluid, exciting. The guitar reverb is expansive as ever. Ackell and Kelley's vocals are crystalline. "Scapa Flow," is triumphant. An excellent example of what a modern day Drop Nineteens song sounds like. The guitars glide like clouds on a blue sky day, drums shuffle in the background, searching. Ackell and Kelley's vocals are cool toned and dreamy, bound up in a haze of reverb. It's unquestionably lovely. You could say the same for the whole of the record. Hard Light is so lovely. A portrait of a band 30 years later, as talented and as dedicated to their craft as ever.

New York-based label Kindergarten Records is thrilled to unveil Ayesha’s debut album, ‘Rhythm is Memory’ – 10 boundary-pushing tracks, a shape-shifting percussive journey with electric moments.
While intended for maximum dancefloor impact, Ayesha’s first LP is also conceptually thought-provoking and playful, exploring how bodies store and channel creative knowledge.

A self-taught producer, Ayesha relies on her instincts to make music: sensing what her body wants to feel and hear. To her, essential to building a groove is channeling what is already inside us –
memories – whether they are based on lived experience or coded in the body: culturally, ancestrally, or intergenerationally. The result is this Indian-American producer’s distinct rhythmic voice, with its
many configurations boldly expressed across her debut album.

Kindergarten first released Ayesha’s material in 2020 with her ‘Natural Phenomena’ EP, a four-track journey which she described as “an undulating love letter to nature and the dancefloor, a space
where her biophilia collides with her yearning for the dancefloor.” Subsequently, she continued to build upon her luminous, scintillating sound with a contribution to ‘Fluo II’ titled “Aspara Dub”, followed
by “Varanasi” and “Downpour” on ‘Ether’, a split release with Sha Ru in 2021. With each release, Ayesha's sound evolved, adding shades, layers, and perpetual rhythmic nuance to a mind palace of
dancefloor possibilities.

That is why her and Kindergarten are a perfect match -- driven by their mutual fascination with exploratory sonics and a shared commitment to the community that inspires them. Kindergarten
Records has shaped itself into a trailblazing label, uniting a diverse and innovative collective of local and international producers, while embodying a strong familial atmosphere.This debut LP represents
a significant step-up for both the artist and the imprint, as they strive harmoniously towards a shared goal: delivering a sonic experience full of colorful, otherworldly bass-fueled expansion.

‘Rhythm is Memory’ captures Ayesha’s signature love for driving techno and organic percussion, while at moments veering into newer electro territory while keeping it psychedelic, spacious, dubby, and
always playful. This feels intuitively right for a producer at a crossroads in her career. All tracks intricately weave together pulsing drum grooves, slinky synths, nuanced melodies, and delightfully
unexpected twists. No single genre can do justice to describing this project as Ayesha delicately nods to many, reveling in the spaces between.

Undoubtedly, across A and B sides, 'Rhythm is Memory' imparts the joy of sonic experimentation to listeners and dancers. Ayesha invites us into her creative process and its steady evolution – rooted in
many days and nights of exploration, reflection, and repetition. "The ritual practice of cultivating and tending a garden is what comes to mind if I were to visualize this record. Beautiful things can emerge
from care and consistent attention," says Ayesha. While she refers to her specific experience making 'Rhythm is Memory,' this powerful album culminates a decade of working in nightlife for Ayesha – a
project slated to leave an indelible mark on the underground. To mark this impressive milestone in their catalog, Kindergarten Records is proud to return to pressing vinyl after a hiatus since 2020,
recognizing the significance of putting out a physical release to behold such a moment in both the label's and the artist's trajectory.

In this accompanying remix set, "Earth 2.23: Special Lower Frequency Mix", the Bug has taken a bit of "Seven Angels" and laced it with feedback and big bass, allowing grime luminary Flowdan to climb atop it with his dark, staccato visions. Responsible for many transformational records himself, Justin K. Broadrick of Jesu and Godflesh crawls inside "Teeth" to lash at it with punishing drum machines and sordid layers of new distortion, building it into some brokedown palace of industrial mayhem. Loop's Robert Hampson makes good on the premise of ambient metal with his 30-minute hypnotic beauty, while longtime Earth cohort and longtime Built to Spill multi-instrumentalist Brett Netson seems to float the sound through a benighted graveyard on his clever "Teeth" revamp. These are not obvious directions for Earth's impact. Again, Earth 2 was never an obvious record. 30 years on, have we yet to grasp the enormity of Earth 2, an album that has continued its slow cycle of influence, uninterrupted? Probably not. Hell, most of us don't even know there are horses on the cover. VERY limited indies only LOSER copies pressed on lovely CURACAO BLUE vinyl!

NTsKi, Japan-based vocalist/songwriter/producer; pronounced n-t-s-k-i. Calla is her 2nd album, a unified statement of her musical vision at this point in her development, with all-new songs melding her breathy and intimate voice, singing in Japanese and English, with organic acoustic sounds and distinctive electronic colours. NTsKi possesses a charming melodic gift as well as a distinctive production style, giving Calla a cohesion and subtle momentum, with relaxed tempos, interesting arrangements and intriguing melodies fusing into a focused musical statement that is refreshing, charming and forward-looking, underpinned by a sense of wistfulness, nostalgia and melancholy.

As with her 2021 Orca release, co-released on EM Records and Orange Milk, NTsKi is joined by engineer Illicit Tsuboi and British musician/producer Dan Shutt. The songs here are lovely, concise gems, warmly glowing, gently sparkling, evocative and moving. LP comes with a Japanese and English lyric sheet. Vinyl edition disc is made of environmentally friendly new material BioVinylTM. and includes an insert & download card, shrink-wrapped and stickered.

Repress! We at Now-Again unearthed so much information about the bands that recorded the definitive disco and modern soul contained in our recently launched Soul Cal anthology that we decided we had no choice but to release an album and a book at the same time. Well, following that line, the music contained on Loving On The Flip Side music is too damn good to be anonymously relaunched, decades after musical visionaries blended the best of heavy funk and sweet soul into a unified whole. And simply telling the stories of these vocalists and bands without allowing their lovelorn pleas to be heard again wasn’t an option. Thus, Loving On The Flip Side again offers the enthused a chance to listen to, read about and reflect on another great burst of black American creativity: the creation of the sublime
genre we like to call “sweet funk.”
It seems laughable to skip past Thomas East’s “Slipping Around” 7” for the cheesy funk of ‘Just A Trip,” or to listen obsessively to Lou Ragland’s instrumental funk on the Hot Chocolate LP and ignore his indolent-yet-stirring “We Had True Love.” Yet we did just that, until we first heard the Darling Dears and Funky Heavy’s beautiful
two-sider nearly ten years back. This was the record that set Loving On The Flip Side in motion, as the Darling Dears and Funky Heavy’s two songs precipitated the sweet funk genre: the dichotomy of Funky Heavy’s skull snapping rhythm section and the teenage Dears’ angelic harmonies didn’t sound like anything we’d heard before. That discovery set off a decade long search for the band and culminated in their discovery, the documenting of their stories, the emergence of their master tapes and the inclusion of their songs on Loving On The Flip Side.
The excitement we felt while listening to the Darling Dears and Funky Heavy’s masterworks forced us back into the field, in search of other sweet funk swooners and beat-heavy ballads to round out this anthology. The opportunity to present anew such wondrous soul music made the exhaustive process that produced Loving On The
Flip Side worthwhile, and allowed us to collect one-offs that escaped prior investigations into the deep funk and sweet soul genres.

AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME ON VINYL! 25-plus years and thousands of fan requests later, Over the Rhine’s Christmas classic, The Darkest Night of the Year, finally gets the vinyl treatment it
has long deserved. The Darkest Night of the Year is Over the Rhine’s first holiday release and quietly helped re-define the genre for many listeners. It should be filed squarely in the “Now-for-something-a-little-different” file. It includes dark ambient arrangements of classic carols as well as strange and wonderful originals. We are told that in-store holiday airplay always generates keen interest for this after-midnight, deeply-layered record. The very first national review the album
received contained the opening salvo: Take a deep breath. Relax. Over the Rhine’s The Darkest Night of the Year is the Christmas disc of the year and destined to become a classic. Curl up with someone
you love, or enjoy some quiet time alone, The Darkest Night of the Year is the perfect soundtrack…”

Reviews for Over the Rhine’s visionary Christmas Music have continued to pour in over the years with coverage in the New York Times, NPR’s Morning Edition, USA Today, Paste, No Depression and many others. TOURING: Over the Rhine will be supporting the vinyl release of The Darkest Night of the Year with 2023 Christmas concerts currently booked in Chicago, Boston, DC, Philadelphia, Cincinnati (three shows), Ann Arbor, Pittsburgh, Grand Rapids and Kent, Ohio

His new EP, "Nostalgic For The Future", was inspired by an experience he had during a lucid dream that evoked a paradoxical and enigmatic feeling. Also influenced by the artists of his childhood such as Daft Punk, Alan Braxe or Jestofunk, this new project is imbued with house sounds.

By using artificial intelligence in the conception of "Nostalgic for The Future", Fhin proposes an innovative vision to tackle eternal and inexhaustible themes of music: love, the meaning of our existence or the intensity of our emotions.

When punk arrived in late 1976, the scene acted as a catalyst for an explosion of independent labels which swiftly sprung up around the UK. Named after a classic track by Manchester’s The Drones, ‘Just Want To Be Myself’ boasts classic sevens on imprints such as Small Wonder, The Label, Rough Trade, Dining Out, Deptford Fun City and Cherry Red (all London), Zoom (Glasgow), Attrix (Brighton), Heartbeat (Bristol), Good Vibrations (Belfast) and Bent (Manchester).

Many of the individuals and bands featured would later enjoy success in various incarnations – for example, The Pack mutated into Theature Of Hate, The Outsiders’ Adrian Borland attracted acclaim with his band The Sound, ‘O’ Level’s Edward Ball made an impact with various acts including The Times and Leyton Buzzards evolved into pop combo Modern Romance!

Pure Hell and The Electric Chairs’ Wayne County were American but eligible here because the tracks were recorded in the UK

Transparent yellow vinyl. Als Casey 2019 ihre Auflösung bekannt gaben, fühlte es sich wie ein verfrühtes Ende an. Mit ihren beiden Alben "Love Is Not Enough" (2016) und "Where I Go When I Am Sleeping" (2018) hatte sich der walisische Fünfer in nur wenigen Jahren als eine der aufregendsten Bands der britischen Alternative-Szene etabliert. Etwa vier Jahre später kehrt die Band nun zurück; nicht nur vor ausverkauftem Haus bei ihrem ersten Auftritt, sondern auch mit neuer Musik in der Hand. Hört man sich die neuen Songs an, wird klar, dass sich die Band weder um die Integrität ihrer neuen kreativen Vision noch um ihre emotionale Beteiligung daran sorgen muss. Die neue Musik ist der Inbegriff von Casey, offene Herzen, die von derselben Art von Schmerz und Trauma triefen, die die Band von Anfang an auszeichneten. Denn Casey-Songs geben nicht nur die Gefühle wieder, die sie inspirieren - sie verkörpern sie. Daran hat sich nichts geändert. Jetzt - frisch von ihrer äußerst erfolgreichen ersten US-Headline-Tour zurück und ihrer neuesten Single 'Puncture Wounds to Heaven' im Gepäck - hat die Band Tourdaten in Großbritannien, den USA und Europa für Anfang '24 angekündigt, zusammen mit der lang erwarteten Nachricht über ihr mit Spannung erwartetes viertes Album. How To Disappear" erscheint am 12. Januar 2024 via Hassle Records.

Transparent yellow vinyl. Als Casey 2019 ihre Auflösung bekannt gaben, fühlte es sich wie ein verfrühtes Ende an. Mit ihren beiden Alben "Love Is Not Enough" (2016) und "Where I Go When I Am Sleeping" (2018) hatte sich der walisische Fünfer in nur wenigen Jahren als eine der aufregendsten Bands der britischen Alternative-Szene etabliert. Etwa vier Jahre später kehrt die Band nun zurück; nicht nur vor ausverkauftem Haus bei ihrem ersten Auftritt, sondern auch mit neuer Musik in der Hand. Hört man sich die neuen Songs an, wird klar, dass sich die Band weder um die Integrität ihrer neuen kreativen Vision noch um ihre emotionale Beteiligung daran sorgen muss. Die neue Musik ist der Inbegriff von Casey, offene Herzen, die von derselben Art von Schmerz und Trauma triefen, die die Band von Anfang an auszeichneten. Denn Casey-Songs geben nicht nur die Gefühle wieder, die sie inspirieren - sie verkörpern sie. Daran hat sich nichts geändert. Jetzt - frisch von ihrer äußerst erfolgreichen ersten US-Headline-Tour zurück und ihrer neuesten Single 'Puncture Wounds to Heaven' im Gepäck - hat die Band Tourdaten in Großbritannien, den USA und Europa für Anfang '24 angekündigt, zusammen mit der lang erwarteten Nachricht über ihr mit Spannung erwartetes viertes Album. How To Disappear" erscheint am 12. Januar 2024 via Hassle Records.

Dead Fader is the alter ego of John Cohen - former Brighton resident, now based in Berlin - who has worked relentlessly since 2007 to realise his vision of electronic music. His tracks are characterised by pioneering sound explorations, which on one hand oscillate between sonic extremities and on the other hand carefully craft cinemascope sound worlds. The album became a very personal exploration for Cohen, as the themes are inquiring emotional states, and the writing process was predominantly influenced by falling in love whilst making the album. Furthermore, the film Interstellar visually influenced the album, mapped as an image for Cohen's tracks to exist in. I have watched his talent, his confidence in his ability and his output just grow and grow beyond what most humans are capable of imagining, never mind making. I think that comes from a place of wonder and exploration, a place where emotion, energy and experience are important, the long and narrow, the deaf arena, the blood forest and the glass cathedrals. Dead Fader rips you backwards through the portal as existence explodes around you, but you don't perish in the fire. It's just a ride.' - Barry Pendergast, former partner in Dead Fader T

Classic black vinyl plus bonus 7"-single with two exclusive tracks! Babydoll is the fifth Rat Columns album and, following 2021's Pacific Kiss, the second to be released on Tough Love. The recordings took place in Perth, Western Australia, partially by engineer Jason Hayles in a 1960's office building that formerly housed the secretarial pool of a successful mattress company, and partially by DW in an industrial unit, and feature the ensemble cast of Taylah McLean, Chris Grunwaldt, Scott Payne, Richard Ingham, Cohen Bourgault and, of course, DW himself. It was then mixed and mastered in Melbourne by Mikey Young and Joseph Carra, respectively. Babydoll seems to mark a return to a murkier, dirgier Rat Columns format. Distortion is fetishized again and many small amplifiers were tortured in the album's production. Tempos have drifted down and the lyrical concerns move ever inward, in an inverse bloom. The mood is dour, introspective, circular, the songs long, and short attention spans are neglected. 'Cerulean Blue' churns through a crystalline memoryscape, homaging low-brow grunge auto-fiction and a partial history of mid-period rave. 'Life In The Jungle' is a fever dream of imperialist wartime fantasy projection. 'Heavenly Assault' attempts a crushing density amid visions of transcendent devotion. 'Virtual Sweden' takes us ever northwards into the frosted tip of Scandinavian détente. 'Babydoll', like 'Cerulean Blue', homages a primarily imagined low-cosmopolitan world of alt-lit digi-poets, bedroom fantasists, underwater prisons for gorgeous, gorgeous girls. 'Bees Make Honey' lets more sophisticated music machines into the conversation, and marks the first use of vocal tuning software on a Rat Columns album, albeit in an avant-amateurist fashion. 'Jane, I Live For You' enters the space-ballad race, dreaming of synthetic folk-rockers, leaning on sampler keybeds in the half-light. 'December' is yet another tribute to fallen Stars, mansions on the hill, winter skin in cashmere sweaters, truth in education, love, faith, (im)purity. In all these respects, it is a classic Rat Columns record. Because all Rat Columns records are classic records.

Provocative post-punk from Israel's undercover goth prince. Megira's lone album with the Modern Dance Club showcased a grimier, more driving vision of his brand of trashy no wave. Spread across 31 tracks and two LPs, Love Police schizophrenically mixes industrial soundscapes, surf ditties, hardcore, swamp pop, bubble grunge, screaming, ecstasy, and enough fuzz to warrant a needle check.

Provocative post-punk from Israel's undercover goth prince. Megira's lone album with the Modern Dance Club showcased a grimier, more driving vision of his brand of trashy no wave. Spread across 31 tracks and two LPs, Love Police schizophrenically mixes industrial soundscapes, surf ditties, hardcore, swamp pop, bubble grunge, screaming, ecstasy, and enough fuzz to warrant a needle check.

Second Second Coming', Mary Vision’s sophomore LP, is a pastiche of many of Alex Fippinger’s influences, from Lou Reed to Spacemen 3. It is an effort to maximalize the minimal, and to create sound that is at once layered and clear. With that, the lyrics also touch on many subjects with an overarching general thesis: the exploration of self and culture under duress. The album allows you to tune into these explorations via different sonic sounds. You’ll find the pop sound in the first single, 'Fantasy (Ba Ba Ba)', for instance, right before you find yourself indulged in the psychedelic swirl of 'Love Drone'.
The writing experience was one initially based in home recordings. Alex Fippinger would manifest these recordings in his Brooklyn apartment and show them to the 7-piece band who always added a flavor not imagined by Alex himself. Yukary Morishima, who played bass on the record, is very prominent throughout. Aaron Peart found himself to be an integral piece to the writing as well, providing a specific flavor to the songs via lead guitar. Jack Dawson played keys for the first time on a Mary Vision record, adding a playful vibe that Mary Vision fans haven’t heard before. Guido Colzani added drums that are full, yet simple, giving the simple song structures a meaningful foundation. Max Braun held it down on the rhythm guitar, the crux of the songs. Mark Perro was a utility man, adding major guitar licks throughout as well as playing harmonium and providing next level backup vocals. Paul Blackwell engineered and produced this record to where it is now. From the opening chords of 'Window Pane' all the way to the come down of 'Riding Into the Sun', the album is a novel, an unforgettable night out on the town that you won’t forget. If a record could have a character-arc, 'Second Second Coming' would be the textbook example.

Alan Abrahams aka Portable returns to the label in fine form with his latest full-length LP, Augmented Dreams. The title refers to the use of everyday technological advancements to achieve what were once
only dreams or visions of past generations, making this an explorative concept album that is equal parts not-too-distant science fiction, and about as topical as it gets.
From the gorgeous opening string layers of “The Pull of Time” to the classy 4/4 grooves of “Begin Again” or lead single “Guiding Me”, into the apropos and angular sci-fi broken beat feels of “Parallax” and “The Color of Static”, fitting Detroit-influenced love taps like “Beacon” and “The Mycorrhizal Network”, the politically-inspired “Are We Not Above It?” referencing the lingering effects of colonization featuring NiQ E from South Africa on vocals and L_cio from Brazil on flute, through to the futurist pop elegance of the dreamy duet recorded with Alexey Kochetkov “I Need You” and the conclusive titular track, it is clear that both the in-depth concept and immaculately-crafted musical content in Portable’s inimitable style are balanced in significance and expressive effect. This also functions as a timely statement in itself, as today’s iceberg-tip evolution of AI technology is currently impending over the arts and many of our existing realities.
This ten-song album serves as an imaginative yet hyperrealist narrative on how humanity’s fascination with and reliance on ever-advancing technology defines the times we find ourselves in, while the skillful sonic displays and present-era production techniques along with Abraham’s knack for timeless emotive songwriting offer up this solid soundtrack for the ages.

Die Musik von Arabrot ist zeitlos. Gerade wenn man glaubt, einen Einfluss oder Bezugspunkt ausgemacht zu haben, entzieht sie sich dem Zugriff, dreht und wendet sich in unerwartete Richtungen und formt einen Sound, der wirklich einzigartig ist. In den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten hat sich Arabrot durch mehrere Iterationen gewandelt; sie haben verschiedene Formen und Größen ausprobiert, verschiedene Stimmungen aufgenommen und die Außengrenzen verschiedener Genres erkundet und klangen dabei nie weniger als ganz sie selbst. 2023 erscheint ihr zehntes Album, Of Darkness and Light - ein Grund zum Feiern. Kjetil Nernes war der Kern und die Konstante von Arabrot, und seit einiger Zeit schlägt neben ihm ein weiteres Herz im perfekten Gleichklang. Karin Park, eine Partnerin im Leben, in der Liebe und in der Musik, trägt seit zehn Jahren in unterschiedlichem Maße zu Arabrot bei, und auf Of Darkness and Light ist ihre Präsenz sowohl gefestigt als auch verstärkt. Die beiden leben zusammen in einer Kirche in dem schwedischen Dorf, in dem Karin aufgewachsen ist, und haben sich ihr eigenes Reich geschaffen, in dem sie ihre Kinder, ihr Handwerk und ihre kreativen Visionen pflegen. Of Darkness and Light brauchte einige Zeit, um Gestalt anzunehmen. Der Lebenslauf von Produzent Alain Johannes liest sich wie ein Who's Who der Rockmusik. Er ist selbst ein versierter Musiker (er spielte mit PJ Harvey, Queens of the Stone Age und Them Crooked Vultures und hatte auch seine eigene Band Eleven) und verfügt über langjährige Erfahrung als Produzent. Es war seine Arbeit an Mark Lanegans Album Straight Songs of Sorrow aus dem Jahr 2020, die Kjetil auf ihn aufmerksam machte, bevor Kismet eingriff und die beiden zusammenbrachte. Alain erklärte, dass "mein Bauchgefühl immer richtig ist" und zog im August 2022 ins Djura Missionshus, auch bekannt als die Kirche von A°rabrot, um mit der Arbeit zu beginnen. Das Trio verbrachte mehrere Wochen damit, die Arbeit mit dem Familienleben zu verbinden und die Puzzleteile zusammenzusetzen, aus denen sich Of Darkness and Light zusammensetzt - ihr erstes Album, das komplett in der Kirche aufgenommen wurde. Das Ergebnis ist ein echtes Rockalbum - unter der elektrisierenden Fassade aus flirrenden Synthesizern und raffiniertem Glitzern schlägt ein schweres Rockherz. Die Worte werden dem unbändigen, konkupiszenten Verlangen kaum gerecht, das sich hinter ihrem Schlachtruf We Want Blood verbirgt - einem hymnischen, mit den Füßen stampfenden Vorstoß, der in der Mitte des Albums liegt. An anderer Stelle stehen düstere Mörderballaden neben feierlichen "Fuck Yeah"-Momenten der Freude; ihre reduzierte Herangehensweise an die Instrumentierung schmälert nicht den Reichtum ihres Sounds. Für Freunde von SWANS, KILLING JOKE, WOVENHAND, CHELSEA WOLFE, THE MELVINS, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART, NINE INCH NAILS Ltd Pink Single Colour LP (We Want Blood Edition), Gatefold Cover

After releasing their debut album Red Forest in 2022, a stint at the Trans Musicales in Rennes and on legendary American radio station

KEXP confirmed the delicious identity of a corrosive sound that has hypnotised many. Sarakiniko is his name. It's both the name of a lunar-like beach in Greece and, without realising it, the translation of buckwheat, the emblematic plant of Brittany, where he comes from. Sarakiniko is a man, Yann Canevet (Venera 4, Future, Maria False), who writes, composes and records the music that comes from his dreams and his aesthetic vision of a magnificent world in disuse. Having first transported us into the deep forests of her heart-rending, sentimental music, Sarakiniko now unfurls her roots in an even more personal soundscape. Sophisticated, demanding music carved out of a tree trunk with chisels and chisels. A slightly grimy, slightly disturbing pop that he himself describes as "mud-pop", but which ultimately comes across as fearsomely massive shoegaze, with delightful echoes of Andrew Weatherall's productions. His second album, Dehors, takes us back to an inner child overwhelmed by his own élan vital. A naïve child who justly cries out upon his arrival on Earth. Tender, luminous and terribly fatalistic, this new stage in Sarakiniko's journey leaves us hanging in poetic and abrupt lyrics inherchildhoodlanguage,toresonateevenmoreprimal.Powerfulwords,headyrefrainstobesunguntiltheendoftime.

**AVAILABLE ON BLACK VINYL AND INDIE EXCLUSIVE OPAQUE PINK** Elvin Jones, one of the true great drummers in jazz, recorded this album in 1971 after having led his own band for several years following his immortal work with the John Coltrane Quartet. This unique recording has a spacious feel with plenty of room for the players to work out the melodic compositions created by the members of the group. At times the recording creates an almost cinematic space, yet always propelling forward into unexpected territory. No pandering to contemporary tastes at this date or following the trends of the time, this is simply a great example of mature musicians given the freedom to create their own vision and place in time. Saxophonists Frank Foster and Dave Liebman instruments intertwine in a spellbinding way with opportunities to showcase Jones’ incredible virtuosity as a drummer. An album that reveals itself to the listener slowly with new delights every time it’s removed from the jacket.

Nearly fifteen years of touring with peripheral regional projects (Mixtapes, Ogikubo Station, The Homeless Gospel Choir, Direct Hit!, The Mimes, Boys) has kept her tethered to both the road and to sounds that were not always her own.The solo endeavor marks the beginning of an autonomous output for her vision, harkening to sounds that are distinct to Ohio's brand of humble experimentation, roots aesthetics and pop-centric reliability.

Standard LP on 180g clear vinyl, printed inner-sleeve, download card included. 'Interiors' is the fifth studio album by Brooklyn-based minimalist post-punk/synth-pop duo The Vacant Lots. The 8 songs on 'Interiors' synthesise all of the band's past work while pushing forward into the future. It's Jared Artaud and Brian MacFadyen's darkest and most visionary work yet. Ethereal metallic synths and blistering electronics are driven by disco-on-downers dance beats lashed with gutter-rock guitar riffs and icy detached vocals with evocatively concise and lacerating lyrics. Recorded over many sleepless nights and amphetamine-fueled mornings in the project's isolated Brooklyn bunker home studios, the album follows the band's minimal is maximal aesthetic coalescing into dark bedroom anthems for loners and lovers with nods to 70s/80s punk and nightclub music ala Joy Division, Iggy Pop's The Idiot, Depeche Mode, and New Order. On the lead single "Amnesia," Jared Artaud says "It's about dealing with duality and integrating the conflicting feelings within a relationship. It's about feeling dissociative and getting burned by the fire. Then coping with how this inevitably leads to the dissolution of the relationship. This is a mantra for all the songs on the album.

Presenting the third volume of forward-thinking electronics and peerless Jungle / D&B expressionism from iconoclastic Bristol producer and DJ, Krust. An artist who has always been pushing the sonic envelope while keeping dancefloors fully locked.

Introducing 'Irrational Numbers,' a meticulously curated collection of five parts, available on both vinyl and digital formats. This compilation is a treasure trove of hand-picked records and archival gems from Krust's extensive discography, thoughtfully remastered and presented anew for both devoted fans and newcomers.

'Irrational Numbers' features a dizzying array of self-released 12" cuts, exclusive unreleased VIPs and dub-plates, alongside epic major label widescreen classics. It's an unmissable journey through the sonic output of one of the UK's most distinctive and forward-looking producers.

Volume 3 serves us a plethora of unmissable highlights from Krust's enviable back catalogue. From the raw jump-up chaos of 'Rukus', the early rolling business of 'The Resister' to the epic genre defying voyage that is 'Soul In Motion', no stone is left unturned on what is - once again - an essential purchase for any serious lover of electronic music.

For longtime Krust enthusiasts, this project serves as a fond reminder of the boundless creativity and originality that flourished during the early 1990s and beyond. For those new to his work, it presents an enthralling introduction to innovative electronic music that has comfortably set the tone for generations to come. Get ready to experience the evolution of sound and immerse yourself in the visionary artistry of Krust.

"Bob Shad's Master Sound" Okayplayer

"A Legendary Producer" Mojo UK

"Visionary" Liberation FR


WEWANTSOUNDS are back with a superb selection of Spiritual Jazz and Funk grooves from legendary Producer BOB SHAD's Mainstream Records catalogue.

In a realm where the threads of fate intertwined with the tapestry of existence, there existed a timeless construct we call “MENG”. This transcendental domain pushed a sanctuary where an unholy wisdom was safeguarded. Within its twenty-two walls, the experiences of countless sages and seekers resided, forming a reservoir of enlightenment, of vision and of identity.

Among the enigmatic texts that adorned the shelves of The Memory Palace, one stood out—the "Tubular Heaven," a chapter that held the essence of the universe's patterns and transformations. The book we speak of is the Book of Change - I Ching. Legend has it that the Memory Palace embodied the vibrations of those who sought its wisdom, guiding them to the Slow-Chain’s pages where hexagrams unveiled the secrets of existence.

Amidst this cosmic dance of knowledge, there lived a young wanderer whose name we do not say out loud. Driven by a deep yearning for understanding, this Warrior ventured into the city of Tanoy. With every step, he felt the resonance of centuries long gone, as if the walls whispered to him the essence of reality itself - “you may fall as long as you stand up again. Repeat this 1000 times and you will understand me. Only then can we control the sound.” As he reached for the illuminated Book of Change, a light was cast onto a newly fabricated realm of questions.

One hexagram, in particular, was essential. The cryptic symbolism was perplexing. Upon meditation, we slowly begin to realize that life is indeed a tapestry of imperfections, yet from these glitches we arise with profound growth and transformation.

As our curiosity spikes, we delve into the pages that follow, discovering an unexpected connection between I Ching and the world of Jeans, no denim. In ancient times, the craft of weaving denim mirrored the wisdom of these hexagrams. Just as threads interwove to create a durable fabric, I Ching reveals how life's experiences intertwine to form a meaningful existence. Denim, like life, is sturdy yet adaptable - a true testament to the harmonious balance between falling and standing.

As this journey comes to a gentle end, we must stress that hexagrams prove that other divination systems exist. It has become clear that the patterns hitherto observed are not confined to one culture, tradition, mind or body. Instead, they echo throughout history, manifesting in various divination systems across our globe. Hexagrams are a universal language, transcending boundaries and demonstrating the interconnectedness of humanity's pursuit of higher understanding.

We can now truly emerge from the Memory Palace, carrying the wisdom of everything above us. It’s time to Drag A Friend into this Made Up Reality. Or is it? We now understand that life's glitches are the catalysts for growth and that just as threads wove together to create denim, experiences wove together to create a meaningful existence.
As we walk beneath the open sky, we whisper into the wind, "Hexagrams are the echoes of universal truths, proving that the search for wisdom knows no bounds."

The chimes tingle in the deep subset of your imagination. As the pages of the Book of Change unfurl one last time, the shimmering tapestry of our shallow minds unravels.

We have revealed the kaleidoscopic corridors where perceptions dance in hallucinogenic symphony to the hymns of our rich minds.

KID FRANCESCOLI, leader of the French Riviera Touch is back with the stellar album SUNSET BLUE out Sept 22nd 2023.

After a first sold-out world tour (over 200 concerts in Europe, USA, Asia...), and successful hits such as Nopalitos, Blow Up or Moon (now certified diamond, with more than 200 millions streams), the Marseille-based producer, crooner and multi-instrumentalist, Mathieu Hocine, is eager to share his most accomplished LP ever. This fine collection of soulful songs honor his Mediterranean roots, with elegant and pop melodies. His most recent success and the creation of his first original soundtrack with AZURO, installed him as one of the best French songwriters of his generation, with a unique signature sound.

"I live in Marseille, I spent my childhood in Corsica, I have Algerian origins, my first vacations with friends were in Barcelona, vacations with my first girlfriend in Roma,... Then, I had the chance to perform in Morocco, Greece, Turkey and Egypt: each time I spent time in the Mediterranean region, the people I met there made me feel like I was part of the same country. This shared multiculturalism is really comforting, it has its own poetry and strength, bringing uniqueness and empathy to the people. It is essential for me. I love my city: it’s the perfect place to feel good with sun, sea, family, friendships, love... It gets me emotional, bringing tears with a smile".

With his new musical gem, Mathieu Hocine unveils 11 elegant tunes of his finest craft: sunbathed French Touch (Run Run, 1986), romantic chillwave (Corsica), uplifting synthpop (You Are Everywhere, Like Magic), electronic-soul (Casino Soul), cinematic disco (Solaris), cosmic R&B (Sweet and Sour, Take Time), … Everything is in this record.

For the first time ever, Kid Francescoli paid tribute to his mixed origins with his collaboration with world-renowned lute and mandolin player Hakim Hamadouche (Rachid Taha, Patti Smith, Brian Eno, Tricky...), whom added Algerian patterns to the introspectives songs Drift in Blue and The Morning After.

"My ambition is to create pictures in people's heads with music, to transport them instantly into a movie"

SUNSET BLUE is an instant-crush album: crystal-clear, strong, personal but universal at the same time.

It's an ecstatic soundtrack for this moment when time is suspended, the golden hour when everything seems possible. It feels like Love is in the air, you're living your best life and you're at the right place at the right time. This album embodies this magic moment where we would like to last forever… Like an epiphany, Kid Francescoli's new album is a moment of pure pleasure, a soothing way to escape reality.

"I see myself as a melodist.I would like my music to feel like velvet. There's something cinematic, classy about it, and yet comforting. It's very simple, popular and synonym of love and passion"

His friend French 79 co-produced the album, while the american rapper Bamby H2O brought his NYC swag (on Sweet & Sour), Stan Neff (Polo & Pan, Kungs, Christine and the Queens...) took care of the mix and Alex Gopher (Daft Punk, The Blaze, Bon Entendeur...) added a final touch of magic when mastering. Nicolas Despis (known for his work with Etienne Daho, Hoshi, Juliette Armanet... and many famous French rappers) later joined this dream-team to craft custom-made artworks. SUNSET BLUE is a deeply personal quest, a human adventure for Mathieu Hocine (whom explores his maghrebian origins, his feminine side, his subconscious space, ...). It's a male's work, but don't get it wrong, this LP would be nothing without women’s touch : Julietta (on Run Run and Take Time), Sarah Gaugler from Turbo Goth (on You Are Everywhere and Like Magic), and iOni (on Drift in Blue).

“Music has this magical power to broaden your vision of the world. It's fascinating because, like dreams, it's the kind of irrational things science can't explain and that makes life exciting."

Planets aligned perfectly on this project and thanks to this five-star cast of collaborators, Kid Francescoli achieved his personal holy grail : he orchestrated a great 21st century pop-music album.SUNSET BLUE is a new turning point between organic and electronic, both a mediterranean travel and a Californian dream, a bridge between Ennio Morriconne and modern electronic music.

Also, while it might be called SUNSET BLUE in honor of the sea and the Portuguese / Brazilian concept called “saudade”, but it is a really optimistic album, whose true colors would rather be "yellow-orange-red" in nod to the sun.

Created in the midst of the world tour, SUNSET BLUE is a direct result of the lives’ energy and fans’ joyful vibes: going back in the studio after smiling, singing and dancing with people all around the world inevitably gave Kid Francescoli the desire to retranscribe this ecstatic feeling in music. This album is a sensitive experience, from sunrise to sunset, from first track to last one. It’s an exploration of an everlasting summer, reaching its climax in the very final seconds of the track Corsica, making us want to press play and dive into this jewel all over again.

A beautiful cosmic trip, whether you like to stay in bed cocooning, to travel far, far away or to dance ‘till dawn, to catch the first rays of light.

Make sure to catch Kid Francescoli on his next world tour to have a good time.

German musician Mary Yalex debuts on A Strangely Isolated Place depicting a storied transition from our recognizable surroundings, into a vision of the future.

With releases and music styles across a variety of labels over the years, it has been Yalex’s more experimental ambient work that has stood out amongst her catalog, and in Fantasy Zone, we find Mary fine-tuning this sound to reflect the work of a true architect of storytelling, mood and atmosphere.

Drawing influences from her day-to-day surroundings, Fantasy Zone begins with more vivid pieces; softer melodies and clearer instrumentation, represented as much in song titles such as Air, After Rain Comes Sun, and Half Light of Dawn. The second half of the album transitions into a future state, as Yalex draws on darker manifestations - perhaps intrinsically influenced by the state of the world, and in particular her love of nature, we play witness to more storied, haunting atmospheres, distant voices and slowly shifting gravitational chord movements. Dystopian-bound or pure fantasy, Yalex depicts a future that mirrors some of the more poignant, thought-provoking work of great synthesizer soundtracks of the past.

Mr Bongo is thrilled to announce a special RSD Black Friday edition of 'Speak Your Peace,’ a stunningly beautiful album by the legendary Terry Callier. This remarkable record not only showcases Terry Callier's immense talent, but also features production by Bluey (Incognito) and Marc Mac (4 Hero). It includes the single, ‘Brother to Brother’, a song co-written and performed with British musical icon, Paul Weller. This stellar cast of producers and collaborators infuses the album with modern sensibilities while maintaining the integrity of Terry Callier's unique sound.

'Speak Your Peace' is a testament to Terry Callier's enduring legacy as a singer-songwriter and guitarist. Known for his ability to blend genres seamlessly, here he takes listeners on a transcendent journey through soul, jazz, folk, and blues. His captivating voice and exceptional guitar playing create a musical landscape that is both timeless and profound. This collection of songs tackles a range of themes, from love and introspection to social justice and the human experience. Terry Callier's poignant lyrics and soul-stirring melodies intertwine, creating a multi-dimensional work of art. It rates with his incredible Cadet work in its vision, articulation, and execution.

Mr Bongo Records is honoured to present 'Speak Your Peace’ and to celebrate the legacy of Terry Callier and his impact on the musical landscape.