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The stunning new soundtrack to the highly anticipated game, ‘The Last of Us Part II’. ‘The Last of Us’ is one of the most successful video games of all time. It sold over 20 million copies worldwide since it was released in 2013. It’s sequel, ‘The Last of Us Part II’ is one of the most anticipated games of 2020 and has already won awards including a Golden Joystick Award, The Game Award and The Game Critics Award. ‘The Last of Us (Original Soundtrack)’, also scored by Gustavo Santaolalla sold more than 25K copies in the UK. Marketing.

- Schwarze heavyweight LP inklusive 16-seitigem 12" x 12" Booklet und MP3 Downloadkarte

Since first emerging in the latter half of the noughties, Guillaume Metenier’s Soul Sugar project has evolved considerably. Initially a trio built around the virtuoso organist’s love of ‘60s and ‘70s soul-jazz and Hammond funk – Metenier studied under jazz organ legend Dr Lonnie Smith – Soul Sugar is now a collaborative collective that draws just as much influence from classic Jamaican dub and reggae as the works of Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff.

The outfit’s musical evolution comes into sharp focus on Excursions in Soul, Reggae, Funk & Dub, a collection of hard-to-find tracks that have been released at different points, and on different vinyl formats, over the last three years. Taken as a whole, the set offers a stunning snapshot of Soul Sugar’s rapidly expanding catalogue of classics. Metenier is once again at the controls but this time round Soul Sugar’s cast list of contributing musicians includes Sly & Robbie, Blundetto, Lone Ark, Slikk Tim, Thomas Naim and honey-voiced soul singer Leo Carmichael. Metenier also stars as a musician, providing lively and ear-catching organ solos under his now familiar Booker Gee alias.

What’s most noticeable from the off is the richness of the reggae riddims, the warmness of the instrumentation and the effortlessly soulful nature of the music. This is particularly evident on the collective’s stunning covers of Luther Vandross’s "Never Too Much" and Marvin Gaye’s "I Want You": effortlessly sunny and life-affirming interpretations that re-imagine the tracks as sumptuous slabs of reggae-soul and provide a platform for Leo Carmichael’s inspiring and comforting voice. Metenier and friends’ take on dub reggae – toasty, authentically bass-heavy and seeped in analogue effects – can also be admired on "Matumbee" and "Cool Down", the latter a digi-dub influenced affair rich in colourful synths sounds, echoing delay trails and sub-bass so deep it will rattle your teeth. Both also contain lusciously jazzy guitar licks and some incredible keys-work from Metenier.The guiding hand of Spanish multi-instrumentalist and producer Lone Ark can be heard on album opener "Aximites" – think Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry producing Jimmy Smith – and "Faith", an expertly breezy concoction that sports Jackie Mittoo-esque Hammond B3 solos from Metenier over a luscious backing track that sounds like something that may have emerged from Studio One in the mid 1970s. The collective’s love of Studio One is explored further on a sweaty, reggae-funk cover of "Greedy" that features fabulous drums, bass and guitar from Slikk Tim, while "Out In The Rain" is an authentically sparse, spaced-out dub number laden with fluid instrument solos and devilishly heavy riddim.
Part compilation, part artist album, part collaborative celebration of dub-soul fusion, Excursions in Soul, Reggae, Funk & Dub is the strongest statement yet of who Soul Sugar are, and where they’re going.

African, funky, sarcastic, bewitching, green, ecstatic: these words collide to describe Vaudou Game and all of them are true.

Noussin is the fourth album of the french Afro Funk band. Forced into lockdown, like much of the planet, Peter Solo and his Vaudou Game had no choice but to retreat into the studio. A reunion to once again invoke the spiritual forces of the Voodoo Deities. A reunion that was Initially imagined for an EP…yet these spiritual forces behind that imagination yearned for something more, and as we all know, these forces are impossible to push away once they have decided to stay.

Under the strain enforced by the current socioeconomic climate, as much as by the environmental peril that faces us all today - they diverted the course of the groove towards daring new vibrations. Without extinguishing or diminishing its highly communicative power, they released Vaudou Game from its origins of pure Afro-Funk to gradually engage into compositions which crystallized themselves into tones resembling more rock than funk.

On this fourth album, with an entirely revisited line-up, Peter Solo separates for the first time in his career from his brassy guard, leaving saxophone, trumpet and trombone outside to invite an arsenal of keyboards to define, with him, this new voodoo sound. A sound, as usual, built on vintage and precise analogical material - grime even on the white side of the tape, a blunt instrument used to blanket anything that strived to shine too much in the mix.

Graced with tapered guitars stringing out rhythmic bumps or withdrawing a few beats to indulge in infectious solos, this album is boisterously alive with vintage 70's Funk, infused with a few digressions into other ethers of the funk timeline, nicking different sounds and frequencies to render the black and white keys of an inspired keyboard to reach new euphoric levels of melodic acidity.

Tearing off the enigmatic mask to reveal his true face: on a few titles, Peter Solo ventures outside of his sacred voodoo range to reconnect with his London years, these titles feature small nods to the time he spent in “The Smoke” where the incantations of British music culture were written within him.

Noussin which means “Stay strong” in Mina, a dialect spoken in the south-west of Togo. Noussin, a message of hope as much as a call to come together to weather the turmoil and to come out better on the other side. Don’t let them grind you down…Noussin!

Tehran - Iran's cultural melting pot with a population of 15 million. There is a broad and lively music scene here, about which little is known in the West. Here, traditional music from Baluchistan in the south or Kurdistan in the west meets the hip trends of the metropolis.
"This Is Tehran?" invites you to discover this music scene and marvel at its diversity. From Contemporary Classical Sounds with Saba Alizadeh on the Iranian spiked fiddle Kamanche or Siavash Molaeian together with Kasra Faridi on the piano to the well-known experimental electronic musician Ata "Sote" Ebtekar.

The electronic beats of a cooperation of Ehsan Abdipour and Andreas Spechtl stand naturally next to almost jazzy sounds of a Parastoo Ahmadi or Mina Momeni. The Otagh Band invites you to the dark, trip-hop laden Rotenburg, which they wrote about the cannibal of Rotenburg.

"This Is Tehran?": a showcase of Iranian music that makes one curious and invites you on a musical journey, as we have certainly not imagined!

French House legend​ - Boston Bun (Ed Banger / Circa ‘99)​ is set to release his debut album - ​‘There’s A Nightclub Inside My Head’ ​this coming April. Containing ​8 unreleased tracks​, ​‘Whenever You’re Ready’​ and the Annie Mac favourite ‘Nobody But You’, the album conceptualised during last year's lockdown & provides an introspective space for the producer and his listeners to enjoy.

‘Sometimes it’s great to take a break, sometimes it’s not. If you were on planet Earth during the year of 2020, you know what I’m talking about. I took that time to visit the nightclub inside my head. The last one open, actually. The booth, the sound system, the stairs, the bar, the smell, the noise of my left shoe on the sticky floor, everything was exactly how I left it. It got me a bit emotional to be honest, so I started thinking about the right soundtrack that could fit in that space. And here it is. I hope you’ll enjoy the night.’ - Boston Bun

‘There’s A Nightclub Inside My Head’ ​is for everyone, anyone who needs a moment to reflect, dance or simply be present with themselves. A chance to be transported to your own secure space, to interpret and visualise the music however you wish.

50th anniversary of the legendary Philadelphia International Records label founded in 1971 by innovative and prolific songwriters/producers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff. This superb compilation showcases the sophisticated sound associated with the label also known as 'The Sound of Philadelphia'. Featuring the legendary roster of music stars who helped bring these chart topping disco, R&B, soul and funk sounds to life including The O’Jays Patti LaBelle, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Billy Paul, Teddy Pendergrass, Lou Rawls, McFadden Whitehead, The Three Degrees, Phyllis Hyman, The Intruders and the ultimate 'house band' MFSB. A 12 song album pressed on a standrad single black vinyl. Marketing.

The latest RJD2 release "The Fun Ones" was set up to place RJD2 in the studio by himself to explore all different styles and sounds. The song selection for an album really dictates the story that gets told. What is most different about this album is that he disregarded any concern for showing versatility; The songs were chosen strictly by which were the funnest to listen to, hence the title The Fun Ones. By and large, it is a funk record. Once the songs were completed and ordered, the idea was to sequence the album like a mixtape or treat the raw songs as selections in a mixtape. The concept of the album became the stories of purpose that everyone told. Because of this, the digital version of the album plays like a mixtape of sorts, while the vinyl version plays as the raw audio tracks. So a listener could choose which way they prefer to hear the songs themselves.

DJ Woody teams up with the incredible champion beatboxer Ball-Zee to create the ‘Box Cutter Mini’ 7”. Made up of 100% original new sounds, this record contains skip-proof vocal phrases, noises, sound effects and beatbox drums perfect for scratching or beat-juggling.
Side A is programmed at 133.33 bpm and contains 7 skip-proof loops, 4 phrases containing vocals and effects and 3 drumming phrases.
Side B is programmed at 100 bpm and follows the same format but with 7 different phrases.

Each side ends with a lock groove. 2 copies are a must for the 7” jugglers!

• 100% original sounds and phrases

• Perfect for portablist scratch jams, drumming, beat juggling and production

• 14 skip-proof loops

• 2 lock grooves

• Super loud and deep pressing on black vinyl

Bertrand Burgalat's new album, RÊVE CAPITAL, will be released on Friday June 11, 2021 by Tricatel.

How many of Burgalat's songs have accompanied difficult afternoons, happy evenings and lonely mornings? The list is long. And it gets longer with this album, each track of which widens the rift between the plates of space and time.
Jean-Pierre Montal

Burgalat makes crackle what we like most in his universe: the reality of things and their discrepancy, the intimate and the universal.
Stéphane Lerouge

(Colour Vinyl LP) The Record Store Day 2021 vinyl edition of Super Nova Samba Funk – the comeback album from Banda Black Rio, featuring Brazilian heavyweights Seu Jorge, Marcio Local, Elza Soares, Cesar Camargo Mariano & more. Originally released in 2011, this new special edition for RSD features two tracks from the project that were never released on vinyl, ‘Irerê (feat. Gilberto Gil)’ and ‘Aos Pés Do Redentor (feat. Caetano Veloso)’.

Blue Vinyl

Culled from the three albums that made Placebo a much sought- after name in soul & jazz music history, Marc Moulin - The Placebo Years combines 7 tracks that belong in any vinyl collection.

Belgian composer Marc Moulin formed Placebo with his close friend, guitar player Philip Catherine, in 1971, and released 3 superb jazz funk albums: Ball Of Eyes MOVLP1091, 1973 MOVLP1092 and Placebo MOVLP1093. Sampled by Madlib, J. Dilla, Pete Rock and many more. Placebo Years is released as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on turquoise coloured vinyl.

VEYL is pleased to welcome Harlem to the label for a new seven track album titled ‘Bait’. The Stockholm-based duo of Martin Thomasson and Johan Skugge bring a vast history of production behind them, operating since the early aughts and known for their work in dub and minimal techno. ‚Bait’ ventures into new territory for the project, delivering infectious strains of body music, new beat, industrial and beyond coupled with soul-stirring vocals which quickly dig beneath the skin. The release is about everyday manipulation, soft power and persuasion. We exist in a world in which corporate management techniques are deployed in our everyday lives, nudging each other for short-term gain, slowly hallowing out any lasting trust while ultimately all being crushed by a hyper-capitalist system. From the opening synths of the title track to the ominous ending notes of ‘Night Vision’, we also uncover funky grooves and diabolical floor shakers which remind us of something from the past but exist perfectly in this corrupted new world. As is customary, the striking cover art was photographed by Tomaso Lisca, and it’s a fitting piece for the record, depicting a tantalizing well-oiled machine, all while something menacing lurks under the hood.

To reveal to the world all the musical riches of Mali, and more particularly the music of the Mandé region, cradle of the great griot families, is the highly laudable purpose of this LP The Lost Maestros Collection. To perpetuate and transmit this ancestral musical history, The Lost Maestros Collection brings together 8 wonders of Mali who have each in their own way managed to develop this tradition towards more modern and electrified countries and associates pioneers of Mandingo music and actors of the young post generation.

The Lost Maestros Collection is the result of the collaboration between Deviation Records, newly created by Phil Margueron and the independent Malian label Mieruba, which has been working since 2010 to ensure that this golden age of Mande music does not fall into oblivion. Aware that these nuggets are not eternal, Mieruba, based in Ségou on the banks of the Niger river and capital of the former Bambara kingdom, undertook for eight years the preservation of this musical heritage by putting these 16 pieces on tapes at the Kôré studio de Ségou as well as at the famous Bogolan studio in Bamako.

Spoken word version of Steve Von Till's first poetry book. Limited, one-sided + etched.
Intimate voice recordings with hallucinatory textures and treatments.
Harvestman: 23 Poems Poems & Collected lyrics received wide acclaim establishing Von Till as a poet in his own right.
Side B LP etching artwork by Matzatl
Features stunning linocut artwork by Matzatl on the cover.
In 2020 Steve Von Till published his first book of poetry, Harvestman: 23 Untitled Poems and Collected Lyrics. Published by the University of South Dakota’s Astrophil Press, the book established Von Till as a formidable and thoughtful author of verse—a fact that Neurosis fans knew all along, but the wider world was only just becoming aware of.
“There is a depth of hope, acceptance and loss that permeates these poems,” Joseph Haeger said in his review for The Inlander. “Like any great piece of art, Harvestman contains multitudes, and that’s exactly what I was hoping for when I cracked it open. Von Till has already established himself as a great musician, and he’s about to put his stake into the ground proving himself to be a damn good writer.”
For 2021, Von Till has reimagined Harvestman in a new format, delivering an intimate and captivating reading of the collection with sound enhancements. “Being a constant sound-seeker, I thought it would be more interesting to have some textures and treatments to break up the intimate voice recordings,” Von Till says of his decision to add some atmosphere to the spoken-word version of Harvestman. “The background sounds used on some of the tracks were pieces related to No Wilderness Deep Enough that were either not used or repurposed to interweave further connections between my artistic output at this time of my life.”

Neon Finger once again pays tribute to the figure of the great Roger Troutman with the second part of the compilation entitled “We Love You Roger”. Some of the most respected names in the modern funk scene show his love for a key figure, who still remains a huge influence today.

A HANDPICKED COLLECTION OF HIS GREATEST MUSICAL WORKS FROM FILM & TELEVISION, FEATURING MUSIC FROM NOMADLAND, THE FATHER, INSIDIOUS, THIS IS ENGLAND & MANY MORE

"The most syncable modern composer" Synchtank

The new collection Cinema features 28 breath-taking pieces that take the listener through Ludovico's incredible musical journey working in film & television, and includes two previously unreleased tracks** (see tracklist below)
Includes music from films and series such as the Golden Globe & BAFTA Award-winning and Oscar favourite Nomadland, another BAFTA Award-winning and Oscar favourite The Father, This Is England, I'm Still Here, Insidious, Dr Foster, Sense8 & many more
"I felt like he Ludovico and the character of Fern were walking in parallel; their shared love of nature connects them, and I knew then his music would fit perfectly with our movie" Chloé Zhao on Nomadland
Award-winning scores such as Fuori Dal Mondo (Oscar nominated, Echo Klassik award) and Sotto falso nome (Avignon Film Festival) are also included
Einaudi has become the biggest streamed classical artist of all time. His beautifully evocative music lends itself so perfectly to use in films, tv & advertising and has the incredible ability to provoke and enhance emotion.
This is why for many years directors have been using it to complement their images and continue to do so.
Famous fans & collaborators include Shane Meadows (This Is England, Dead Man's Shoes), Russell Crowe (The Water Diviner, Gladiator, Les Miserables), Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), Ricky Gervais (Derek), Eric Toldedano (The Intouchables), Clint Eastwood (J Edgar), Casey Affleck (I'm Still Here) & Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan).

Standard version on black vinyl. 2LP in gatefold sleeve with liner notes. Utopic Cities is an eclectic selection of forward-thinking jazz from the Belgian underground, including the left-field fusion of Marc Moulin's Placebo, Koen De Bruyne, Solis Lacus and more.

Over 1.5m albums sold in the UK and 3 consecutive no 1 albums for Noel Gallagher’s High
Flying Birds – plus a record breaking 10 consecutive chart-topping studio albums in the UK
for Noel.
- Debut eponymous album released 17th Oct 2011, debuted at no 1 with 122.5k sales and
achieved double Platinum status less than 6 months post release
- International Magic DVD release of the 02 Arena gig Feb 2012 certified Gold on shipment
-2011-2012 live schedule saw NG HFB visit 32 countries across 6 continents, playing 150
shows over a 15 month period. 406k headline tickets and 1.2m festival tickets sold
- Chasing Yesterday, released 2nd March 2015, no 1 album on release with 89.1k sales and
certified Platinum
- 2015-2016 18 month world tour covering 122 shows in 28 countries. Almost 400k headline
tickets and 1.25m festival tickets
- Who Built The Moon?’ released on 24th Nov 2017 - no 1 with 77,853 sales (almost 35k sales
ahead of no 2), Silver album after only 4 days and certified Gold 2 weeks post release
- Tour covering 59 shows in 17 countries with 245k headline tickets and 550k festival tickets
- Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds released a series of 3 multi-genre EP’s over the course
of 2019 and 2020
- 2019 saw a host of headline festival dates covering 150k tickets sold across the summer
plus tours of the USA and Australia with Smashing Pumpkins and U2 respectively

Standard version on black vinyl. 2LP in gatefold sleeve with liner notes. Utopic Cities is an eclectic selection of forward-thinking jazz from the Belgian underground, including the left-field fusion of Marc Moulin's Placebo, Koen De Bruyne, Solis Lacus and more.

This album was recorded in 1977 and produced by Status Quo’s FRANCIS ROSSI. Shockingly, this album has never been released on vinyl until now. It originally came out on CD in 1992 and is now long out of print and even that goes for good coin.

Du Cann’s stellar career included freakbeat heroes THE ATTACK (“Magic In The Air”), psych/prog legends ANDROMEDA, and the group he’s best known for, ATOMIC ROOSTER. Du Cann wrote their their #4 hit single “Devil’s Answer”. A couple of years later he was in DAEMON, later renamed BULLET, then HARD STUFF. In 1974 he was even a temporary guitarist for a THIN LIZZY German tour.

In 1977, he was signed to the same management company as STATUS QUO, who paired him with Quo leader, Francis Rossi. The resulting album, “The World’s Not Big Enough” included Rossi on guitar, Andy Bown (The Herd, Judas Jump, Status Quo) on keyboards, Pete Kircher (Honeybus, Status Quo, Liverpool Express) on drums, and John McCoy (Ian Gillian, Tyla Gang, U.K. Subs) on bass. Basically, this is Du Cann backed by Status Quo at their Belt Buckle Boogie peak.

A few songs from this album appeared on killer late 70s Punxploitation singles “Throw Him Jail”, “Don’t Be A Dummy” (a UK Top 40 hit!), and “Where’s The Show”. This album has been described as “Quo mixed with the Sex Pistols”, and we can’t disagree with that assessment.

ith canceled shows, closed venues and lost incomes, the pandemic was bad news for many music artists. But it wasn't only bad news in 2020, as many artists used their struggle to do what they do best during difficult times: create great music. This is why N.E.W.S. Records, a record company based in Ghent releases 'Bad News. Good News.'. A limited edition vinyl record with great songs that couldn't be played live because of the pandemic. The record itself is made from the ashes of newspapers and magazines containing the bad news that hit the music industry in 2020 (and prevented artists from performing live). As proof that great music always survives bad news, no matter how desperate things can get. To create the records, N.E.W.S. Records worked with And Vinyly, a UK-based company specialized in pressing vinyl records with ashes.

Many artists collaborated on the project and shared their insight on how the bad news happening in the music world influenced their music, like Johannes Genard, lead singer of School is Cool: "The one good thing about bad times is that they open new perspectives on things you've grown accustomed to, and that is exactly our core business as artists: comforting during challenging times; challenging during comfortable times and finding new ways to look at old things."

The compilation contains some exclusives like the Brihang & Compact Disk Dummies 'Steentje / I Remember' mash up, recorded live for 'Week van de Belgische Muziek' and Sam De Nef's cover of the belpop classic 'Satelliet Suzy' recorded for StuBru.

American/Danish glam metal band White Lion released their third studio album Big Game in 1989 through Atlantic records. The album was recorded while the band were still thriving on the success of its predecessor Pride. The result is an eclectic album that addresses political and social issues, something that was rare among other bands in this genre. The album contains the single “Little Fighter”, which is about the famous Greenpeace boat The Rainbow Warrior. The album also contains a cover version of Golden Earring’s “Radar Love”, which was released as the second single. Other well-known songs from this album are “Cry for Freedom”, “Goin’ Home Tonight” and more. A critical and commercial success, the album went gold in the US and also charted well in Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Canada and the UK – ultimately performing even better than Pride did.

This imited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on white coloured vinyl includes an insert.

Bamboozle is the third album by Dutch blues rock group Livin’ Blues. Formed in The Hague in the late 1960’s, Livin’ Blues are widely considered to be one of the best blues acts from the Netherlands. Bamboozle was produced by Jaap Eggermont, who was the drummer for fellow The Hague band Golden Earring. The album contains the band’s biggest hit: “L.B. Boogie”.

Available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on white vinyl.

In 2018 one of metal’s most defining and revolutionary vocalists, WARREL DANE, celebrated his highly anticipated inaugural solo effort, “Praises To The War Machine”, which saw him further honing his craft to perfection. Dane, who first shattered the boundaries of conventionality with the legendary Sanctuary and Nevermore, proved that he is one of metal’s most diverse frontmen with this solo effort as he unleashes a barrage of introspective and personal lyrics that are heartfelt and extremely powerful. All of this emotion backed with his soaring angelic and dynamic vocals provides all of the necessary elements for a savagely captivating, melodic assault that quickly hooks you in. Before beginning this new venture Dane went out and surrounded himself with some of the best musicians that he could find. This search ultimately resulted in landing the renowned Peter Wichers (ex-Soilwork) on guitars and bass, Dirk Verbeuren (Soilwork) on drums and Matt Wicklund (ex-Himsa) on guitars. The effort was also recorded and mixed by Wichers (coproducer Soilwork) and features guest musicians Jeff Loomis (Nevermore) and James Murphy (Obituary, Testament, etc.). Additionally this 2021 extended version reissues contains four live tracks from the album on side C featuring singer/songwriter Jonny Smokes which also will be available on all digital platforms. “Praises To The War Machine” is an absolute must for all Nevermore fans. Prepare yourself for the sheer beauty and elegance that awaits.

The conclusive chapter of the two part EP series by DISTANT, which started with 'Dawn of Corruption' in October 2020, was follwed by 'Dusk of Anguish' in March 2020 and is now full embodied in its final form with AEONS OF OBLIVION. Taking the material from both EPs, arranged in the order of the lore accompanying the project - a hellish hour of punishing Downtempo Deathcore.

The conclusive chapter of the two part EP series by DISTANT, which started with 'Dawn of Corruption' in October 2020, was follwed by 'Dusk of Anguish' in March 2020 and is now full embodied in its final form with AEONS OF OBLIVION. Taking the material from both EPs, arranged in the order of the lore accompanying the project - a hellish hour of punishing Downtempo Deathcore.

Doom laden Metal for fans of Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus and Crypt Sermon. Featuring legendary vocalist Robert Lowe!. Blurb Single #1

Another Land features the extraordinary playing of legend Dave Holland with a new trio featuring superstar guitarist Kevin Eubanks, and drumming prodigy Obed Calvaire on a funky, rocky, powerful album with writing credits spread between the three.

Very limited LP on Cream / Blue twist vinyl. Emma Houton is a timeless, celestial voice from New York City. We felt an urgency to share this incredibly calming product of Lockdown with the wider world, Trapped Animal Records. // "her ambient soundscapes brim with escapism _and enchantment" Highclouds Magazine // "a truly bewitching, gorgeous sonic tapestry." Beats Per Minute // Composed after ethnographic study into her Irish folk song roots, and recorded as part of her senior thesis in experimental electronic music, Emma originally wrote The Bath as a piece for eight voices to be performed live. Due to the COVID pandemic, she ended up recording all eight parts alone in her childhood bedroom, mixing and producing it herself. On recording the piece, Emma says: "When composing the album I had an interest in recreating the feelings I had hearing folk tales as a kid. We had a giant book of Irish folk tales my grandmother gave me, and I was both fascinated and scared shitless by them! I intended this to be a live performance initially and so the whole album is scored. I write most of my music by constructing layered loops of my voice using a loop pedal and then singing a melody line over them, and I was trying to translate that practice into a live performance in which each "loop" is sung and repeated, creating the effect of looping without actually recording loops. I was hoping to create something where voice is used as an instrument, rather than standing apart from instruments as it often does I took source material from hymns and traditional folk songs, with the lyrics centering on water-related themes like drowning, baptism, and purification, which I tried to reflect in the sonic environment of the piece through enveloping delays, cavernous reverb, and a general sense of being completely immersed in sound. The concept for the piece in its live form is much more of a production than the album itself, which became more of a "how do I record something written for an ensemble alone with an SM58?" project, and I've figured out how to perform these pieces solo with the loop pedal, in a very coming-full-circle turn." Emma found her way to Trapped Animal Records after a quirk in the Bandcamp algorithm led her to listen to - her now label mate - Maija Sofia's similarly named debut "Bath Time". Signed within a fortnight of making contact with the label at the end of 2020, during a bleak winter, the label quickly ploughed ahead to schedule release of "The Bath". Label partner Kerry Devine says "there was a feeling of urgency to share this incredibly calming product of Lockdown with the wider world, we felt compelled".

Mind Maintenance is the new duo consisting of Joshua Abrams (Natural Information Society) and Chad Taylor (Chicago Underground Duo, Chad Taylor Trio). This is where the music begins, but Mind Maintenance can't be described simply as a summation of its parts and players. When you put on the sound, you'll know what we're saying - you'll notice how immediate and meditative it is; how simple, how "in the room," and how the natural buzz of each instrument sits remarkably well against the other. The percussive qualities of the guimbri and the mbira, so raw and unadorned individually, form with their shared resonance a soothing, sonorous whole. It's not about world music, it's not about jazz. It's about mind maintenance. The songs of Mind Maintenance exist in a zone somewhere between composition and improv. Based in melodies that unspool over time, they benefit from Chad and Joshua's intimately enmeshed sensibility and the intensity with which they listen to each other. Chad and Joshua have been playing together forever - or, if you need to think of it more tangibly, since around 1994. Based on our research, the pairing of guimbri and mbira is more than unusual - it appears to be without precedent! This is incredible if it's true, but more important to the music of Mind Maintenance is the shared ground of inspiration that both instruments occupy. Mind Maintenance pursue their inspirations on these instruments down similarly transformative paths. If some part of the 21st century isn't focused on destruction, but instead, locating a place where our traditions can work together in new ways to entertain and even ensure well-being, then that's just one more incentive for all of us to consider Mind Maintenance.

Music on Hold deliver an LP with strictly "only the hits" in updated graphics and soundbite studio wizardry. It's the shinning neon-colour video game classic you never played in your youth in the arcades. You only dreamed about it after too many bong hits. You think you've heard these songs before? Ha! You've never heard them better brother. Gary Wilson called, and sung you a melody and the Human League stole the synth lines.. then The Spits put lead guitar in slow-motion. This is a record for all four seasons in all TV Colours and black and white nouvelle vague romance. This LP is the first baseball bat you take you A Ferrari parked outside a strip club. This is the flock of seagulls that exploded in the sky The project once a solo affair is now a power-trio featuring funky starship troopers Guillaume Mobstaire and beloved cult-hero Mathis (Police Control, Skategang) in the shuttle. And as they blast off into cyberspace, tThey toss this their first greatest hits out of the cockpit and into your hands.

More a family than a band, BANDA MAJE formed in a home studio in the historic district of Salerno, in Southern Italy, on the initiative of Peppe Maiellano (composer and keyboards) and Tonico Settanta (producer, rapper and DJ). The collective has an ever-changing number of members, all of whom – a bit like the lively port city they are from – exist at the crossroads between Italian melodies and imported genres like funk, soul and disco.

Released by Four Flies Records, a label specializing in vintage Italian soundtracks and brand new productions with a strong cinematic feel, Banda Maje's debut album "Ufo Bar" transports you to an imagined version of Salerno that combines local tradition and 70s pop and film culture.

Listening to the album's eight funk- and soul- infused tracks also means seeing stories unfold in the streets of this re-imagined city: from the jubilant uprising organised by the women from the Rione Fornelle neighborhood in "Fornellesse", to the cigarette smuggling story in "P' ciel, p' mar, p' terr"; from the distinctly southern Italian pucundria (bittersweet melancholy) in "Sunday Embarcadero", to the saga of provincial nightlife in "Living Disco Club".

While the LP's Side A is sunny and cheerful, its Side B is more nostalgic, almost nocturnal, with bittersweet vibes in "2010" and new wave-influenced synths in "Ago". This variety of moods reflects the emotional depth behind the music of Banda Maje: "We want to leave a trace of what we experience: the narrow little streets brimming with life; our love for Neapolitan music, for Italian soundtracks from the 70s, for B-movies and the saga of cigarette smugglers; our passion for vinyls and cassette mixtapes, not to mention second-hand love affairs and dusty afternoons spent watching third-division football."

palms palms, also known as lampsey lamps, has been making music ever since he felt like it. He creates melodies for both terrestrial and extraterrestrial forms of life, including plants, earthworms, lydgae and amyopi.

First Word Records is extremely proud to welcome back Children of Zeus with their sophomore album, 'Balance'.

Following the release of their debut album 'Travel Light' in 2018 (which featured in numerous 'Album of the Year' lists), Tyler Daley and Konny Kon spent the next two years extensively touring the UK, Europe, Australia and South Africa.

With shows on ice over the last 12 months, Children of Zeus took the time to mature their sound; 'Balance' is 50 minutes of future-classic British soul music encompassing hip hop, neo-soul, gospel and r&b. Konny's laidback flow once again merges with Tyler's unmistakable buttery vocals across a set of bass-heavy backdrops and smoothed-out keys, taking the blueprint from their debut and evolving it into a deeper, more-refined sound.

As with previous material, the album is largely produced by the duo themselves, though we also see the return of Grammy-winner Beat Butcha, whose previous production credits include Jay Z, Beyonce, Nipsey Hussle, & Griselda (one of Butcha's productions graces first single 'No Love Song'). Title track 'Balance' comes from upcoming producer & Soulection regular, cay caleb and also features the only vocal feature on the album, from rising UK soul talents Akemi Fox and Georgie Sweet.

The Children of Zeus journey began with a mutual love of 90s Manchester pirate radio; consuming hip hop and beats, r&b and street soul, lovers rock and dancehall, garage and bass music. Then followed decades of performing, creating and collaborating in different guises. Over the past few years, the hip hop soul duo have garnered props far and wide; from Jazzie B to Jazzy Jeff. They've done performances for the likes of Soulection and BBC, in addition to hosting their monthly NTS Radio show and collaborating with artists like Black Milk and Goldie.

From travelling light, to travelling nowhere, it's been a time where we've all had to reflect on the lives we lead. This album is about equilibrium; walking the thin line of life and striving to keep your footing firm at all times, ever pushing forward. Balancing the rough with the smooth and the work with the play.

The Children of Zeus sound is now fully grown. It's time to bring 'Balance' into the universe. This is unashamedly big people music to be played out of big speakers. The definitive sound of UK street soul in 2021. The story continues..

Ian McDonnell is an Irish producer living in Wicklow near Dublin. Alongside his solo releases as Eomac he's also one half of the duos Lakker, noeverything and Lena Andersson. 'Cracks' represents a change of scenery and a change of practice from his previous two albums which were both conceptualised from the outset and recorded while living in Berlin. In contrast 'Cracks' was made in a beautiful rural part of Ireland without any outside pressure. These circumstances allowed Ian to wipe the slate clean and make an album guided by his mood on any particular day, connecting into the subtle power of his new environment and reflecting it, rather than working to please the suffocating demands of clublife. The title 'Cracks' comes from the idea that, to quote Leonard Cohen, a crack is "how the light gets in", but also of course it's a title that bears witness to the cracks fomenting in the world right now. The music comes across with depth and passion, sounding deep and mossy with Eomac's penchant for punchy, shuffling drums underpinning the emotive tracks. From the off, the furious 'Mandate For Murder' flips and repeats Akala's protest about systemic racism, rushing deep into the panicked sirens of 'Portuguese Man O' War'. The album settles into a sense of mystery, wildness and dark otherworldliness with the foggy drone and timber kick of 'Ancient Self' reflecting the awe and spiritual connections to his new environment, much like the gorgeous strings and aqueous bleeps of 'Seashells' or the pitch-shifted shoegaze of 'Prophetess'. At other points it responds to the human condition, for instance the cathartic 'Falling Through the Cracks' where a broken scream is pitted against clattering drums. At other moments it simply reaches out; 'Reasons to Live's' whispered mantra of "I know you are loved by somebody" is gently insistent. It ends with a reference to a place he's left behind, seen through the lens of nature. 'All the Rabbits in the Tiergarten' could be a missing track from Aphex's Ambient Works, albeit with cut-up scissoring drums. The album is a fruitful move, inwards and forwards.

Incredible Bongo Band was formed by MGM A&R Michael Viner in 1972 to record the soundtrack to a now virtually anonymous B-Movie entitled 'The Thing With Two Heads'. "The IBB" transformed from a loose studio collective to an instrumental pop covers consortium, interpreting classics of the day in their inimitable percussive fashion. Viner recorded them at MGM studios during downtime, assembling line-ups from whichever musicians were available at the time, leading to a unique blend of multi-talented musicians that included Jim Gordon, King Errisson, Jerry Scheff, and Perry Botkin Jr. The full bands' line-up is shrouded in mystery, but their legacy is undeniable. They spawned cult-classic records that would become a goldmine for hip hop breaks and attain sampling immortality.

'Apache', which was written and made famous by the British band The Shadows, is legendary in the worlds of dance music and hip hop. It was a staple for DJs such as Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash as they invented their world-shaking take on the art of DJing at the Bronx block parties of the ‘70s. Over the years it has become a hip hop and breakers anthem and is revered as 'the break' of all time (at least in the top three) with the rhythms of this LP even helping to coin the term 'breakbeat'.

“Bongo Rock” is significant, for being one of the musical cornerstones of rap ... it is certainly one of the most sampled LP’s in history, if not the most sampled. Almost every history-minded hip-hop DJ has a copy, and the first few bars of “Apache,” can send crowds into overdrive.” According to Kool Herc, the stylistic pioneer many people consider to be the father of hip-hop music, the Bongo’s “Apache” is “the national anthem of hip-hop.” NY Times.

Sampled over 600 times, including... Nas, Beastie Boys, Moby, Mick Jagger, Kanye West, Sugarhill Gang, Jay-Z, Aphex Twin, DJ Shadow, Massive Attack, Ultramagnetic MC’s, Unkle, LL Cool J, 2 Live Crew, 4 Hero, Fatboy Slim, to name a few…

The real story of “The IBB” is far greater than the recordings themselves and ultimately shows how a distinctly powerful musical performance can get the recognition it deserves, no matter how anonymous its origins.

The Future Sound of London celebrate 25 years of their biggest chart hit. "We Are Explosive" came from their 1996 Top 40 album "Dead Cities". Here it's been recreated, re-imagined, reinterpreted the original song into 11 new mixes on this exclusive Record Store Day vinyl release. There are only 1500 copies and each are individually numbered.

PURPLE COLOURED VINYL

Mdous Musik hat ihre Wurzeln zwar in traditionellen Tuareg-Melodien, gibt aber auch immer wieder Einflüsse von u.a. Eddie Van Halen preis. Neben Mdou besteht die Band aus Bassist und Producer Mikey Coltun, Drummer Souleymane Ibrahim und Gitarrist Ahmoudou Madassane. Zusammen haben sie längst auf ausgiebigen Touren bewiesen, dass sie nicht nur heimische Hochzeitsfeiern rocken können, sondern ebenso Festivalbühnen auf der anderen Seite der Erdkugel. Dabei beherrschen sie sowohl den hypnotischen Boogie von Black Sabbath der Masters of Reality-Ära, als auch den erhabenen elektrisierenden Groove von Black Uhuru. Mdou Moctar lebt in Agadez im Niger, einer eher ländlichen Gegend, die wie eine kleine Oase mitten in der Sahara wirkt. Hier entsteht auch ein Großteil seiner Musik, die ihn in West-Afrika zu einer echten Berühmtheit hat werden lassen. Verbreitet haben sich seine Sounds dort nicht durch das Internet und Social Media, sondern über die Speicherkarten aus Mobiltelefonen, die wie Tapes weitergegeben und getauscht werden und wie analog-digitales Lauffeuer durch das Land gehen. Den internationalen Durchbruch schaffte Mdou Moctar 2019 mit dem Album "Ilana: The Creator". Mit seiner vierköpfigen Band reiste Moctar anschließend durch die Welt und wurde schnell zum inoffiziellen Botschafter seines Landes. Nun liegt der langerwartete Nachfolger vor.