Endlich: der klassische Steely Dan-Katalog ist wieder auf Vinyl erhältlich. Unter der Leitung von Walter Becker und Donald Fagen veröffentlichten Steely Dan zwischen 1972 und 1980 sieben Alben. Die VinylReihe wird nun mit „Countdown to Ecstasy“ fortgesetzt, dem umfangreichen zweiten Album der Band aus dem Jahr 1973, welches Welthits wie ”Bodhisattva”, ”Show Biz Kids” und ”My Old School” enthält. .
Das Album erhielt von Musikkritikern in zahlreichen rückblickenden Bewertungen Höchstnoten.
Das Album ist nun ab dem 26. Mai als 1LP Vinyl erhältlich.
”The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte” ist Sparks’ erste Veröffentlichung seit fast fünf Jahrzehnten, nach Klassikern wie dem 1974 erschienenen Erfolgsalbum ”Kimono My House”, mit der Hit-Single ”This Town Ain’t
Big Enough For Both Of Us”. Das neue Album wird von Ron und Russell Mael als eine Platte beschrieben, die ”so kühn und kompromisslos ist wie alles, was wir damals gemacht haben, oder auch zu jeder anderen Zeit unserer Karriere”.
Das Album enthält fesselnde neue musikalische Elemente wie „Mona Lisa’s Packing, Leaving Late Tonight“ und „Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is“, Songs, die Sparks’ unermüdliche Fähigkeit unter Beweis stellen, in perfekten dreieinhalbminütigen Pop-Meisterwerken vollständige und detaillierte Geschichten zu erzählen.
„The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte“ ist sowohl charakterlich zeitlos als auch modern und bekräftigt einmal mehr, dass Sparks nach mehr als einem halben Jahrhundert, in dem sie solche Meisterwerke geschaffen haben, originell, genial und wie immer absolut einzigartig blieben.
Lola Young’s neues Album „Sometimes My Mind Wanders And Leaves Completley‘‘ erscheint auf Vinyl und CD!
Die 21-jährige Sängerin aus dem Süden Londons ist eine außergewöhnlich talentierte Künstlerin mit einem unbestreitbar kreativen Fokus. Als Absolventin der renommierten BRIT School, die auch schon Superstars wie Adele, Amy Winehouse & Jessie J hervorgebracht hat, zählt sie mit ihrer gefühlvollen, bewegenden
Stimme und packenden Texten zu einem der aufregendsten neuen Talente Großbritanniens.
Ihre Musik spiegelt ihre Individualität wider und ihre Lyrics treffen direkt ins Herz, wofür sie ihre Fans lieben und sie sich einen Platz auf der BRIT Rising Stars 2022 Shortlist sichern konnte.
Zu ihren Supportern gehören auch bekannte Namen wie Kylie Jenner, Bella Hadid, Madonna und SZA, die Lola Young kürzlich als ihren „new favorite artist“ betitelte.
Fans dürfen sich freuen: Am 26.05.2023 erscheint „Sometimes My Mind Wanders And Leaves Completely‘‘ auf CD und Vinyl !
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Das Leben ist im Moment furchtbar düster und dennoch ist es nicht ganz unlustig. Das ist genau das Gefühl, das Water From Your Eyes auf ihrem ersten Album für Matador beseelt. Auf dem Nachfolger ihres Debüts "Structure" tanzen Albernheit und Fatalismus im Gleichschritt. Rachel Brown und Nate Amos verwenden herzklopfende Rhythmen und zum Teil absurde Texte, um ihre Geschichten von persönlichem und gesellschaftlichem Unbehagen zu erzählen. Das Duo begann 2016 in Chicago gemeinsam Musik zu machen und beschloss, eine "Sad Dance Band" zu gründen. Schnell veröffentlichten sie eine EP. In den folgenden Jahren entwickelte sich die Musik von Water From Your Eyes in Richtung schräger und weniger konventioneller Klänge, die ruhige industrielle Polyrhythmen, Ambient-Drone-Musik und zeitgenössische Kompositionen verschmelzen ließen. Amos und Brown trennten sich, zogen aber beide nach New York und begannen mit der Arbeit an "Structure". Dieses Album brachte die Pop-Momente und die experimentellen Impulse des Duos in Einklang, bestand aus hauchdünnen Popsongs, die sowohl von ihrem Gespür für klassische Hooks als auch von ihrem Sinn für Humor zeugten. Obwohl beide Trost in der Band fanden, beschreiben sie das Jahr 2021 als eines der schlimmsten Jahre ihres Lebens - Brown musste sich mit dem Unbehagen auseinandersetzte, den beide empfanden, als sie sahen, wie Kapitalismus und Establishment-Politik wieder auf Hochtouren liefen, als die Pandemie in ihre letzten Monate eintrat, und Amos mit Browns Unterstützung seine Drogenprobleme bewältigte. Das Ergebnis ist, dass "Everyone"s Crushed" von ungelösten Spannungen durchzogen ist. Die neun Tracks weigern sich beharrlich, ein eindeutiges Ende zu finden oder sich an traditionelle Strukturen zu halten. Viele Songs wurden unter Verwendung von Serialismus und Mikrotonalismus geschrieben und erinnern zuweilen an die futuristisch-poppigen Bewegungen des japanischen Komponisten Haruomi Hosono und den Brutalismus von Glenn Branca.
Since the release of Surprise Chef's 2022 album, Education & Recreation, they have been touring across the US, Europe, and Australia selling out shows and cementing themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Releasing three albums and a string of successful 7" singles since 2019, their output is nothing short of prolific and they show no signs of slowing down with the announcement of their new Friendship EP. Friendship is a six song 12" EP recorded during the Education & Recreation sessions that stands as "a humble monument to the most crucial principle of our band: that the love we share for one another is, at all times, the most important thing". Surprise Chef holed up for a marathon of a recording session and laid down more tracks than would fit on an album. Here now, we dig in the vault from those sessions and share some absolute gems. The EP opens with "Rosemary Hemphill", a nod to David Axelrod that takes the listener through a myriad of musical changes and moods in proper cinematic soul fashion. "Friendship Theme" is a bouncy and energetic number with an infectious and driving clavinet topline that is sure to move dancefloors around the globe. "Over The Moon" is pure mood music that puts Surprise Chef's restraint and tasteful use of space front and center while "Spiky Boi" is a frantic upbeat number drenched in percussion and keyboards. SC have a heavy touring schedule for the rest of 2023 and will be finishing up the recording of their next album which is due out in 2024 in between runs. UK shows: May 29 Pink Room - Manchester, May 30 Village Underground – London. Also Available From Surprise Chef: Money Music 7", Education & Recreation LP / CD, Velodrome7”
Reissue! In 2010, Madlib launched an ambitious series of releases known as the Madlib Medicine Show, which allowed the prolific producer to release new material on a monthly basis. The series touched on all the genres Madlib digs, and that’s just about any genre you can consider - from Jazz to Rock, Soul to Disco, myriad African musics, Brazilian and Reggae. On the 11th installment in series Madlib returned to his hip hop roots with Low Budget High-Fi Music. Featuring a run-down of regular Madlib collaborators who provide the Beat Konducta’s foil, it also included a hint of what was meant to come on the never-realized second Jaylib album, with a previously unreleased J Dilla collaboration.
The album showcased Cornfield's knack for crafting deeply personal songs with an observational tone and witty lyric delivery. She took these heartbreakingly relatable songs on the road, playing numerous shows & festivals across North America and Europe, including opening for Pedro The Lion, Stars, Sarah Harmer and others.
On Cornfield's new album, Could Have Done Anything, she teamed up with producer and Bonny Light Horseman member, Josh Kaufman in Upstate New York, first at the stained- glass- tinted Dreamland Recording Studios, then at the nearby Isokon Studio, run by engineer D. James Goodwin (Kevin Morby, Whitney) and his assistant, Gillian Pelkonen. Kaufman and Cornfield played every instrument themselves, channeling the energy of her favorite classic records,
from Elliott Smith's Figure 8 and Jeff Buckley's Grace to Neil Young's Harvest -- albums where the listener is simply carried by the songs, and their musicians' beautiful playing. Standouts like "You And Me" highlight intimacy and absence, while "Gentle Like The Drugs" captures memories from Cornfield's spring 2022 tour with Pedro the Lion - her first time seeing sunsets in Arizona.
Fellow violinist Stuff Smith marveled, "He plays violin like Coltrane plays saxophone." Born in 1942, the French violinist Jean- Luc Ponty transported jazz violin playing into the world of modern jazz. On Frank Zappa's urging, Ponty moved to the States in 1970. Over the next years he toured with Zappa, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Chick Corea's "Return to Forever".If Ponty's 1983 album Individual Choice was the sketchbook of his decision to take his music in a new direction, Open Mind (1984), released the following year, was a deeper
exploration of the emerging world of synthesizers and sequencers and their impact on live and studio performance. Here, complex rhythmic patterns shift in the background while new sounds appear and disappear on the surface in colorful bursts, and outstanding jazz improvisors create familiar music in new settings. It's almost an audio version of a kinetic wind sculpture.
Ponty chose to use a Roland rhythm machine instead of faking real drum and percussion sounds and played all the keyboard parts himself in order to further explore the concept he had introduced in Individual Choice. He additionally asked two longtime friends to solo on various tracks: George Benson, whom JLP had met and played with when they were both 21 years old, and Chick Corea, who
excels on two tracks with his Moog synthesizer. Open Mind has been re-mastered by 2023 Grammy Nominee Christoph Stickeland includes new liner notes.
"As I write these notes sitting on my balcony in July 2022, it has been more than 9 years since the release of my debut album and more than 11years since it was recorded, the time since has been a personally tumultuous period of twists and turns - retreat, reflection, realization, reassessment, therapy, triumph, trial and error - entangled in a decade-long creative block that had me questioning whether
I would ever be able to compose again and though I felt there was so much I wanted and needed to say, I felt I had lost my voice, or perhaps never had one in the first place. A constant knot had grown tighter and tighter within me over time, but I did not understand what had created it or how it might be undone. In 2018, shaken awake by the collision of two transients, I suddenly saw in a new light old
patterns whose familiar presences I realized I had felt for much of my life, but had until then never seen for what they were. Following a third, I finally found the humility to surrender, and as I began re- examining and confronting myself, I slowly started to discover new answers - and new questions to ask.
Then the Covid-19 pandemic happened, and the world stopped. Like so many of us caught in the new eerie calm, I retreated into inner spaces. I began revisiting sketches of ideas I had accumulated over the years, and finally, very, very slowly, new music started to come. " - Jussi Reijonen.
"Electrifying and deeply resonant, monumental and profoundly personal, Reijonen's five- movement suite is a beautifully crafted, remarkable journey of sound and emotion performed by a knockout nine-piece ensemble." - Monarch
"He's written one hell of a piece." - The Arts Fuse
"On this remarkable and ambitious new recording, Reijonen delivers an epic transcultural suite that feels as deeply personal as it is expansive and farreaching." - All About Jazz "a remarkable sophomore album" -The Boston Globe
"This is an album meticulously pulled together into a dense fabric of diverse musical threads. It merits repeated listening; with each fresh listen, the richness of Reijonen's intercultural vocabulary becomes more apparent." London Jazz News
"Even in our present jazz moment, when the art form is worldwide and vital, albums that come as complete surprises are relatively rare. Three seconds Kolme Toista is a stunner." Jazz Times
"Three seconds Kolme Toista is spellbinding from beginning to end, and full of virtuoso performances." All About Jazz
It's a cohesive song cycle purpose-built for pit stops at points beyond along the California country corridor. Sonically, Stay In It feels equally at home in 2022 as it might in 1972, evidenced by nods to "After The Gold Rush"- era Neil Young, Jonathan Wilson,and The War on Drugs.
The singer-songwriter trucked Jerry Garcia's old console to the desert to embrace the analog. The kind where if you want to rip a guitar solo at 3am with the windows open, you go for it, cowboy. A flurry of calls reverberated back and forth until Eric and his producer Damien Lewis (Kevin Parker, JamesBay), crash-landed in the tiny high desert outpost of Landers, California...in August.
"Stay In It" is a way of saying be present, it's "Be Here Now" says Silverman, an accomplished veteran of the Bay Area live music scene (with appearances at festivals such as Outside Lands and Noise Pop under his belt). "So the record is really about just finding that moment where it all locks in and flows. Get there and stay there."
This is music that picks up influences and imagery and shapes and colors as it encounters them on Interstate 62, before dropping them off as they turn into specks of dust on the horizon. There's the two-step lilt of "Better Days", where we start awash in melancholy synths but end up hopeful for possibility. There's the synthesizer summoning courtesy of first- call session keyboardist Adam MacDougall (Black Crowes, Circles Around The Sun) on "All In My Head" where
things get fully cosmic.
But no matter the track, there's something bigger happening here.
After the success of their first full length album Midnight Ensemble, it's now time for a massive remixpack divided in 2 EP's; Part 1 followed by Part 2 (which will be follow soon after this).
The Dynamic duo asked some of their close friends, label residents and inspirators to rework all of the tracks taken from the original album.
On Part 1 you will find remixes from DJ Nobu, Rrose, Jeroen Search on the 12" added by 2 Digital Bonus tracks bij Pyramidal Decode and Hitam.
Expect a diverse range of techno cuts and ambient drones as you are used to
from Dynamic Reflection.
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This work takes its origin from the collaboration of C. Rocchetti with the Parma-based Fondazione Lenz, a contemporary theatre research collective/organization. Inspired by the writings of Hölderlin and Calderon de la Barca, and orbiting around the concepts of ›memory‹, ›sedimentation‹, ›presence/absence‹, Rocchetti produced several hours of music, a selection of which is collected in this album, that marks the 5th entry Die Schachtel’s series »Decay Music«, perfectly fitting its mission, which is to explore the ›intangible‹, ›decomposing‹ borders between experimental sound and ›proper‹ music with a special focus on the more interesting experiences of the contemporary Italian scene.
"The Fact of Being are happy to inform about the second step in a series of reissues of early works by Peter Davison. The long-awaited re-edition of a highly acclaimed and innovative album "Glide" 1981 to celebrate its 40th anniversary. "Glide" was the second artist's album. Released in 1981 on vinyl and urgently repressed in 1982 due to high demand it was sold-out fast again and has not been reissued since that. To date, this is one of the rarest and wanted ambient recordings that finally available again with original artwork and short liner notes from Peter Davison himself. A fascinating ambient album less new-age more minimal ambient. An absolute classic in the spirit of Iasos, Brian Eno, Jon Hassell, Michael Stearns... Peter Davison has composed music scores for Indie Features, the History Channel, A+E, Biography, PBS, Warner Bros., Disney, Universal, Discovery, Gaiam (Yoga/Relaxation music), and others. Over 25 CDs of his music are available on EMI/Higher Octave, Gaiam, Davisounds, and TSR/Baja. His instrumental "Sip of Wine" (from his CD "Future, Present, Past") received the Best Song of the Year Award, Hollywood Music in Media Awards, (New Age/Ambient), 2010. Both "Fern Valley" and "Mount Tahquitz" from his CD "Forest Home" and "Possibility" (from his CD "Possibility") have also received nominations. Peter's score for the PBS Series "The Endless Voyage" was nominated for the "Best Score of the Year, TV Show." Peter Davison has composed the memorable music for over 45 of GAIAM's award-winning DVDs featuring master instructors yoga and meditations Rodney Yee, Patricia Walden, Suzanne Deason, David-Dorian Ross, and others."
“Talk West is the project of Dylan Aycock. Aycock has forged a small series of intriguing and beautiful missives through the cassette underground with his explorations on guitar and pedal steel. On Black Coral Sprig, Aycock negotiates the terrain between stately and homely by stretching a ringing country tone into an all-encompassing atmosphere, much like the ambient realms of Stars Of The Lid. His unhurried, gentle playing style comes to reveal understated textures that weave into a whole alternately spirited, warming and often haunting.” —Preservation
The 2022 American drama miniseries George And Tammy was created by Abe Sylvia and directed by John Hillcoat. It stars Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon as country music legends Tammy Wynette and George Jones, chronicling their tumultuous relationship and intertwined careers.
The 26-track soundtrack features iterations performed by Chastain and Shannon of songs made famous by Tammy Wynette and George Jones, including Wynette's “Stand By Your Man” and “D-I-V-O-R-C-E”, as well as Jones' “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and “The Race Is On”. Chastain and Shannon recorded their own vocals for the show and performed them live on set. The songs were produced by T Bone Burnett, who won several Grammy Awards and rose to fame as guitarist of Bob Dylan's band during the Seventies.
George And Tammy is available as a limited edition of 500 individually numbered copies on gold coloured vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.
The Last Kingdom is a British historical fiction TV series based on novels called The Saxon Stories by author Bernard Cornwell (originally aired on BBC 2 & BBC America). John Lunn's music possesses a unique voice that spans a wide spectrum of musical styles. Classically trained, yet contemporary in attitude, he combines a highly intelligent and sensitive approach with a sound that always hits at the emotional heart of a piece. He is probably best known for scoring the hugely successfuldrama Downton Abbey, for which he has received two Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as a BAFTA nomination.
Eivør often envisions the dramatic landscape of her Nordic homeland, a remote archipelago known as the Faroe Islands. “It can be very harsh and very gentle at the same time, and when I sing, I see that wildness and softness blended together”. Now based in Copenhagen, Eivør brings that stark contrast to a darkly textured, yet brightly melodic sound centred on her captivating vocals. While her origins lie in Faroese folk singing, Eivør's most recent output reveals her fascination with the infinite possibilities of electronic music. Along with earning comparisons to Kate Bush in the pages of MOJO, Eivør's otherworldly ingenuity has led to her role in co-composing the soundtrack to the BBC/Netflix flagship series The Last Kingdom.
”The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte” ist Sparks’ erste Veröffentlichung seit fast fünf Jahrzehnten, nach Klassikern wie dem 1974 erschienenen Erfolgsalbum ”Kimono My House”, mit der Hit-Single ”This Town Ain’t
Big Enough For Both Of Us”. Das neue Album wird von Ron und Russell Mael als eine Platte beschrieben, die ”so kühn und kompromisslos ist wie alles, was wir damals gemacht haben, oder auch zu jeder anderen Zeit unserer Karriere”.
Das Album enthält fesselnde neue musikalische Elemente wie „Mona Lisa’s Packing, Leaving Late Tonight“ und „Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is“, Songs, die Sparks’ unermüdliche Fähigkeit unter Beweis stellen, in perfekten dreieinhalbminütigen Pop-Meisterwerken vollständige und detaillierte Geschichten zu erzählen.
„The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte“ ist sowohl charakterlich zeitlos als auch modern und bekräftigt einmal mehr, dass Sparks nach mehr als einem halben Jahrhundert, in dem sie solche Meisterwerke geschaffen haben, originell, genial und wie immer absolut einzigartig blieben.
Fresh vinyl slice of UK Dub Roots Reggae sees veteran producer Vibronics hook up once again with rising star Ashanti Selah for a 4 track outing featuring 3 vocals and one deep dub mix.
Vocals are provided by Nia Songbird, Echo Ranks & Ashanti Selah. Nia is the the young singer from Leicester creating waves right now in the sound system scene, Echo provides the listener with a rare opportunity to hear his legendary tones after a long break from releases and finally Ashanti Selah shows his versatility by dropping a vibrant 70’s style DJ cut - crucial combinations on this 10” vinyl that signed of with a furious Vibronics all-analogue dub mix from the Dub Cupboard Studio.
This release is beautifully presented in a specially printed SCOOPS Records purple label sleeve
Vibronics is one of the most established names in UK Dub/Reggae music. From their base, in the Dub Cupboard Studio in Leicester, their music has achieved millions of views on YouTube, millions of Spotify streams and many tens of thousands of vinyl record sales. Vibronics have collaborated with reggae legends Michael prophet, Macka B, Iration Steppas, Soom T, Aba-Shanti and so many more.
Ashanti Selah is a musician / Dub Producer hailing from the UK, is the eldest son of the world-renowned soundman, Aba Shanti-I. As well as working on his own productions Ashanti makes use of his musical abilities as a performer in various bands as keyboardist and has had the pleasure of working and collaborating with a number of great singers, musicians & producers in the scene- such as; Vivian Jones, Mad Professor & Alpha Steppa, to name but a few.
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Tangerine Dream haben die elektronische Musik grundlegend beeinflusst, seit Edgar Froese die Band 1967 in West-Berlin gründete. Sie legten den Grundstein für mehrere elektronische Musikgenres wie Ambient und Electronica, inspirierten Musiker und andere Kunstformen und wurden für sieben Grammys nominiert. In den letzten Jahren wurde ihre Musik in beliebten Fernsehserien wie "Stranger Things" und Videospielen wie "Grand Theft Auto" verwendet.
Nach dem Tod von Froese im Jahr 2015 halfen die verbleibenden Bandmitglieder Thorsten Quaeschning, Ulrich Schnauss und Hoshiko Yamane bei der Umsetzung von Edgars Vision eines Konzeptalbums, das versucht, Quantenphysik und -philosophie in Musik zu übersetzen: "Quantum Gate" wurde 2017 unter großem Beifall der Kritiker veröffentlicht.
In neuer Besetzung haben sich Thorsten & Hoshiko mit dem in Berlin lebenden Keyboard-Virtuosen Paul Frick verstärkt. Das Trio hat das Jahr 2021 in seinem Berliner Studio mit der Arbeit an "Probe 6 - 8" verbracht, einem ersten Vorgeschmack auf das kommende komplette Tangerine Dream-Studioalbum, das Anfang 2022 erscheinen soll.
Probe 6 - 8" sieht die klassischen Studioproduktionen und nächtlichen Echtzeit-Kompositionen der Gruppe als Blaupause für sich langsam entwickelnde Ambient-Strukturen, wobei der Sequenzer-getriebene Sound der Band an die frühen 1970er Jahre erinnert und sich mit einer üppigen, kristallinen Glückseligkeit der 1980er Jahre verbindet. Das Trio komponierte und produzierte 'Probe 6 - 8' mit vollem Zugriff auf Edgar Froeses Cubase Arrangements und Otari Tape Archive mit Aufnahmen aus den Jahren 1977 - 2013.
Der erste Track 'Raum' ist eine Anspielung auf die frühen Live-Studio-Performances 'Zeit' und 'Phaedra' der Band, wobei ein markanter schwerer Moog-Bass den Anfang und das Ende dieses 15-minütigen Einführungsstücks markiert. Diese neuen Aufnahmen enthalten auch zwei Remixe - die in Berlin lebende Komponistin und Produzentin Grand River (Aimée Portioli) hat "Raum" ihren unverwechselbaren Sound verliehen und "Continuum" wurde von Berghain Resident und Leisure System Mitbegründer Sam Barker neu abgemischt.
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Unrilis drops the latest release in its reinvigorated Rilis release series with a four-track EP by Ritzi Lee who is known for his hypnotic grooves and analogue sounds.
Rino Cerrone launched the Rilis series in the '90s as an outlet for his own experimental tracks and in 2022 the Unrilis team decided to relaunch the project.
Ritzi Lee is a Dutch artist based in Amsterdam who is well-known for his releases on underground imprints ranging from Bas Mooy's Mord to Ben Klock's Klockworks and his dark and dystopian style with raw percussion is a perfect fit for the Rilis style.
Talking about his new Rilis series release, Ritzi Lee said: 'I'm a big fan of the early Rilis releases. That sound was always integrated to my DJ sets and a big inspiration for most of my productions. The early Naples techno sound was always about pushing the limits, but at the same time keeping it groovy and funky. So, I was able to use those rules and apply them into this release while still combining my own signature sound. I think it's best described as ruff edged with a minimalistic approach, but making sure to keep it warm sounding. I'm really happy with the result, as feels like there is a strong Amsterdam/Naples connection in this sound and I would say it is a perfect match.'
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* 300 COPIES FOR UK/EU* With a friendship stretching back nearly 20 years, it strangely ended up being a couple of childhood photographs that finally brought Ben Chasny and Rick Tomlinson together as collaborators. Both have rich musical backgrounds: Chasny being a member of the psych-rock outfit Comets on Fire but probably best known for his solo project, Six Organs of Admittance, while Tomlinson has released numerous records as Voice of the Seven Woods/Thunders and under his own name. “A mutual acquaintance, Jamie Tugwell, took me to go see Rick play live around 2005,” remembers Chasny. “Jamie kept saying how Rick was sort of an ornery fellow and that I would like him a lot. He was right. I loved his guitar playing right away, which seemed so far from what a lot of players were doing. We had drinks and hit it off. We remained friends over the years.” Chasny became a regular visitor to Tomlinson when on tour in the UK and one particular stay unearthed something serendipitous that would kickstart the making of a joint album. “I was staying at Rick’s house after a show and I looked over and saw a photo of him in a Halloween costume as a box of matches,” Chasny recalls. “It cracked me up because I have a similar photo of me as a robot and I tried to explain to him how it matched his photo.” About 6 months later Chasny found it and sent it to Tomlinson to show him the uncanny likeness of their childhood outfits. “Pretty soon after that we realized we needed to do a duo record and have those photos be on the cover,” says Chasny. “The entire record comes from the photos on the cover.” Tomlinson adds: “It was a pretty odd coincidence. Even down to us both standing on flags with a conifer behind us. We obviously had no option but to use these for the sleeve.” Recorded at Tomlinson’s house in Todmorden over three days one June, initially the pair didn’t quite know where they wanted to go with their musical direction. Tomlinson kept pulling out super rare records from his vast collection for inspiration and they sat and listened to the solo piano recordings of Popol Vuh’s Florian Fricke but they knew they needed to land on something that was intrinsically them. “We knew we wanted to do a record together but we weren’t sure what direction to take,” says Chasny. “When we first sat down to work out some ideas it was pretty much just us getting down to finally having a guitar showdown where each of us tried to outdo each other with flashy moves and ridiculous riffs and playing. After we got that out of our system, we were able to settle down and concentrate on a mood for the record to focus on.” The result is 6 instrumental tracks that capture beautifully fluid and interlocking guitars played with deft grace and skill but also a subtle looseness. On the 9 minute-plus ‘Wait For Low Tide’, the sparse and spacious back and forth playing becomes utterly hypnotic, neatly capturing the kind of natural and intuitive playing that can only come from music made between friends who understand the crucialness of leaving space for one another. While acoustic guitars are the primary means of expression on the record - from the soothing and gentle ‘i’ to the intricate playing of ‘Waking of Insects’ - the pair delve into ambient drone tape loop territory on the humming 16 minute ‘Paths of Ocean Currents and Wind Belts’, which further adds to the deeply textural, spacious and immersive feel of the album. All the tracks were recorded in one take, with the titles all stemming from translations from the Chinese book, The Dream Pool Essays, and then mixed in London at Jimmy Robertson's SNAFU studio, with additional mixing and mastering from Andrew Liles. The laid back, breezy and spontaneous approach to making this record is one that was reflective of the pair’s friendship and camaraderie, with their relationship ultimately driving the tone and feel of the finished album. “We hiked around the countryside, climbed into church bell towers, drank delicious beer in the middle of sunny afternoons, and had fantastic dinners,” says Chasny of the three-day recording period. “I think all of that wound up in the music. I really had the best time in the world.
10 Jahre Tacheles – das MiA. Erfolgsalbum erscheint als Vinyl Neuauflage “Unser fünftes Album fühlt sich an wie unser erstes“, beschrieb Frontfrau Mieze das Gefühl zum Album, welches mit Tacheles einen Titel trägt, das einen Zustand beschreibt, den sie mit den Worten „Geradeaus, direkt, unmittelbar“ definiert. Es herrsche ein „absolutes Jetzt-Gefühl, ich fühle mich Tacheles“.
Genau 10 Jahre später lässt sich festhalten, das hat wunderbar funktioniert. Tacheles ging in den deutschen Charts hoch bis auf Platz 3 und die Single Fallschirm wurde zum Hit. Eingängiger, aber doch außergewöhnlicher, farbenfroher Pop, getragen durch Miezes einprägsame Stimme. Eine Rezeptur, welche Nostalgie mit Moderne vereint, und eben jenen Jetzt-Zustand zeitlos erscheinen lässt.
Zur Feier dieses runden Geburtstages und pünktlich zur kommenden MiA. LIVE Tour, erscheint das Album nun erstmalig als (Doppel-)Vinyl. Neben dem Studio Album veröffentlicht die Band erstmals einen KonzertMitschnitt aus der ausverkauften Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin aus der Tacheles Tour 2012, einem für MiA. absolut einzigartigen Konzerterlebnis.
Fans erhalten ab dem Start der Vorbestellungen am 14. Oktober 2022 die Chance, sich das limitierte Stück für ihre Sammlung zu sichern, offizieller Release der Re-Issue ist am 11. November.
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Anfisa Letyago and Partenope new EP is ready to land. Marking this her fifth release on her own record label, N:S:DA.
The EP, Babylonia, includes a total of 4 tracks with Partenope having a total of 2 tracks and getting the chance to collaborate with Anfisa to produce the first track of the EP - Perzechella. Babylonia allows people to interpret the music in their own way and to be able to leave their own mark on it.
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Die beliebte Band Bright Eyes mit der dritten Welle von Veröffentlichungen im Rahmen ihres laufenden Companions-Reihe. Das Projekt sieht vor, dass die Band ihren gesamten Katalog neu auflegt, wobei jedes Originalalbum von Neueinspielungen begleitet wird. Diese Companion EP enthält dazu Gastauftritte von Johanna and Klara Söderberg (aka First Aid Kit) und Alynda Segarra (Hurray For The Riff Raff) sowie eine Coverversionen "When You Were Mine" von Prince. Eines der Dinge, die Conor Oberst auffielen, als er und seine Band durch mehr als zwanzig Jahre Musik gingen, war, dass er vielleicht tatsächlich die ganze Zeit über denselben Song geschrieben hat. Natürlich nicht klanglich, aber konzeptionell. Diese letzte Welle enthält mit Noise Floor frühe Bright Eyes-Songs, die so roh sind, dass Oberst sie damals nicht direkt veröffentlicht hat, sowie mit Cassadaga und The People's Key die ausgefeiltesten und anspruchsvollsten Alben der Band. Als Bright Eyes mit Cassadega auf Tournee gingen, spielten sie 7 ausverkaufte Abende in der Town Hall in New York. Was gibt es Erwachseneres als einen Rockstar? Und doch ... "Thematisch unterscheiden sich diese frühen Songs gar nicht so sehr von denen, die ich jetzt mache", sagt Oberst und schüttelt den Kopf. "Es hat etwas Bestätigendes und Entmutigendes an sich. Man fragt sich: Habe ich mich wirklich verändert oder bin ich gewachsen? Aber vielleicht liegt es auch nur daran, dass ich von Anfang an wusste, worüber ich schreiben wollte. Es war eine interessante Reise, all diese alten Songs wieder aufzugreifen und neu zu interpretieren."
This medieval summoning, “Sieging Through Fire And Flames” can be interpreted as an ancient and obscure moment in history where merciless wars and conquests are keywords. Battles are launched towards a powerful and impenetrable city, stronghold of prosperity and wealth. Whoever controls it will be glorified, attracting many conflicts, jealousy, and conspiracy. He is its story. About Artist: The Fifth Stigma is a French-American artist based in Paris, France. He has developed a musical approach based on an interpretation and narrration of fictional stories and wonders about a far and forgotten era. Influenced by broad horizons such as power electronics atmospheres, ritual/world, nostalgia, body music infused bass lines, The Fifth Stigma aims to craft a rather slow, heavy, and intimate industrial techno in times where everything seems to go faster, rejecting contemporary codes.
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As NuNorthern Soul eases into its second decade, the label welcomes back a familiar face: Benjamin J Smith, a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and pro-ducer whose emotive, colourful and atmospheric compositions are the very definition of ‘Balearic’.
Famously, it was Smith’s The Movedrill Projects album that kicked off the NuNorthern Soul story way back in 2012, and he’s periodically returned to the imprint on numerous occasions since. It’s fitting, then, that Smith is stepping up once more, with NuNorthern Soul found-er Phil Cooper selecting to showcase two overlooked gems from his bulging back catalogue.
Both tracks are taken from Smith’s digital-only album Mojave (Vintage Californian Dreams), a set of thor-oughly gorgeous, West Coast-inspired library music compositions smothered in sumptuous strings and in-formed by the artist’s love of jazz-funk, languid jazz-rock and the kind of luscious, sunset-ready soundscapes that defy neat categorization.
Opening proceedings, and sitting on side A of the vinyl release, is the breath-taking ‘Marina Del Rey’, where layered, reverb-laden harmonic vocalisations, twin-kling electric piano improvisations, lazy guitar licks, spacey synth flourishes and sultry strings slowly rise above a toasty bassline and gentle, Latin-tinged beats. Smith cannily adds layers of sound throughout while moving the musical story forwards, leading to a mem-orable, awe-inspiring conclusion.
In contrast, ‘Big Sur’ sees Smith take an imaginary road trip through the driest, dustiest parts of the Cali-fornian countryside. Psychedelic rock style organ mo-tifs, sustained Hammond B-3 chords and glistening West Coast rock guitar solos dance atop a rubbery bassline and intoxicated, loose-limbed drums, with Smith’s eyes-closed vocalisations – drenched in reverb and delay – adding extra layers of aural loveliness. Like ‘Marina Del Rey’, ‘Big Sur’ is a vivid, widescreen con-coction tailor-made for soundtracking films that have yet to be made.
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Marvin Gaye at his very best! Two classics from Gaye’s esteemed catalogue, ‘I Wanna Be Where You Are’ and ‘I Want You’ with alternative mixes that have never been on 12 inch before. Plucked from the Deluxe Edition of the spellbinding ‘I Want You’ album that was mixed Kevin Reeves & remastered by Ellen Fitton, these two cuts have always called out for loud and proud pressing on either side of a 12.
Up first, ‘I Wanna Be Where You Are’ written by the magical pairing of Leon Ware and Arthur 'T-Boy' Ross with Ware also behind the production controls. An abbreviated cover of Michael Jackson’s hit, it sees Gaye take a brief respite from his usual steamy and sensual swooning to express his love for his family. Jackson would then return the favour, taking influence from Marvin’s 1977 hit ‘Got to Give it Up’ to make ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’.
Originally a 1:17 minute segue on the album, the Unedited version clocks in at over 6 minutes, turning it from a transitionary passage to a standalone gem. Extending those delectable grooves, building and breaking with a sun-kissed, funk channelling feeling that washes over like a warm wave. With the 7 inch release trading hands for over £75 on Discogs this ain’t one to miss.
On the flip, ‘I Want You’ written by the same duo as the A, with Leon Ware once again on the production and released as part of the same ’76 album. It was an LP that introduced a change in musical styles for Gaye, songs such as this giving him a disco audience thanks to Leon Ware. The Jam-Alternate version leaves Gaye’s vocals till the final section, letting that sweet soaring soundtrack sing to its absolute emotive peak. Sunrise or sunset, this one is not to be used lightly - tears of joy on the dancefloor guaranteed.
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Defamator is the long-time-coming debut project of 24-year-old Chloe Gallardo. It tells a story of betrayal in love and friendship and the painful reality of overcoming love lost and former heartbreak.
Drawing influences from artists such as Broadcast, Grouper & My Bloody Valentine Gallardo adds her own haunting, folk-style vocals and hyper-specific lyrics to create a sonic unique to her. A style that she describes in her words as “dark shoegaze bedroom indie pop”.
Album opener “Bloodline” epitomises this bittersweet modus operandi. 15 seconds into its dainty acoustic strum , Gallardo adamantly sulks “I’m fucked up” - the salvo of a lyric about feeling like a family disappointment. As the track lifts up into a cascading gaze-pop rush, recalling the likes of Bachelor and Snail Mail, we’re blessed with a pristine elegance that belies the song’s raging core.
“I have always written music this way.”, she says of this fundamental contradiction. “It’s funny because I try so hard to write darker sounding songs and they always come out way too pretty. So, I’ve resorted to writing the most gut-wrenching and intense lyrics to compensate.”
Written mostly during peak-pandemic times in Gallardo’s bedroom - (“you can hear how scared and alone I was.”) - the songs that made their way onto Defamator arose from a concerted period of healing. Drawing from the teachings of therapy, the songwriting process gave her the means to channel some deeply entrenched emotional scars.
This venting of anger is implicit throughout the record. The album’s title - Gallardo’s own neologism - uses the concepts of “defamation” and “defamatory speech” to innovate a kind of pejorative accusation. As a result, it is like we are actively listening to Gallardo forcefully take command of her past. Of the title track she explains: “The song Defamator is about someone who spoke untruthful things about me in order to manipulate me and the way people perceived me and I felt that was an underlying theme in most of the album.”
Recorded at Jazzcat Studios in Long Beach California with Jonny Bell (Hanni El Khatib, Adult Books, etc.) Defamator marks Gallardo’s first time in a “legitimate recording studio”. And it shows. Bell’s production is vital moving part here. There’s more stripped back affairs - ‘There Will Be Blood”; ”The Way’ - songs which gently seethe and purr like Grouper’s spectral dream-pop; Gallardo’s fluttering folk-ish voice gloriously pushed to forefront.
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After a meteoric rise in 2018 following the release of his debut album, 'Free Me', J.P. Bimeni's remarkable and soul stewed journey continues with the release of the classic Jackie Edwards track 'Keep on Running'. Recognised as a stone-cold soul music canon afer the UK's Spencer Davis Group's 1965 stewarded the song to top of the pops in 1965, Bimeni adds his sweet Burundian touch aided and abetted by the Black Belts and a terrific hammond organ. 'I Miss You ' is on the flip and features on the long player - a devilishly emotional lament that harks back to the motor city cerca late '60s. BBC 6Music and Craig Charles awarded Bimeni and his band 'Album of the Year' at the end of 2018 and critics and fans have been blown away since his album and remarkable story came to light. Bimeni is a royal refugee turned soul survivor with a remarkable story of resistance having fled Burundi's civil war after three attempts on his life, landing in Wales as a teenager. On his debut album Free Me, Burundian-born JP Bimeni astonishes with a voice that recalls Otis Redding in his prime whilst resonating with the soul of Africa. Living in London since the early 2000s, Bimeni songs of love and loss, hope and fear deliver with a conviction that comes from the extraordinary experiences life has thrown at him. With classic 60s-sounding Motown and Stax-inspired grooves the album was written by musical director Eduardo Martiìnez and songwriter Marc Ibarz and Bimeni imbues these tales of love and loss with his tragic experiences making 'Free Me' a deep soul soundtrack to his pained life: 'When I sing I feel like I'm cleansing myself: music is a way for me to forget'. For Bimeni, music is a way to survive: 'You can't entertain the pain of your problems all the time - you have to put them away and let something else fill the space where it's just been pain, worry and terror.' He's a spiritual soul singer yet also a soul-singer with spirit, and his infallible positivity can be an inspiration to us all: 'It's my dream to return to Burundi one day - but I always remember that getting shot enabled me to meet the world."
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Hania Rani announces "On Giacometti" a tender meditation on the life and art of Alberto Giacometti and family. "On Giacometti" is a collection of beautiful recordings inspired by the renowned artist and family and features some of Rani's most profoundly delicate compositions to date. Invited by film director Susanna Fanzun, to score her forthcoming documentary on the legendary artist Alberto Giacometti, Hania Rani took herself to the Swiss mountains to compose in blissful isolation. As Rani explains eloquently below the compositions are based on improvised melodies, simple harmonies and structures and inspired by the silence of the mountains as Rani returns to her main instrument, the piano. The results are beguilingly reminiscent of her beloved debut album Esja, but with subtle extra layers of synthesiser, and on two tracks cello from friend and long-running collaborator Dobrawa Czocher.
'On Giacometti' is presented as a limited edition LP with bespoke packaging featuring Les Naturals - Chocolat (Gmund) sustainable recycled paperboard made from 100 % recovered paper with Foil Artwork by Łukasz Pałczyński. Plus Double sided printed insert and download code inside.
Hania Rani "On Giacometti":
‘When I was asked to compose a soundtrack for a movie about the family of Giacometti I didn't think twice.
Alberto Giacometti, a Swiss artist, who worked mainly as painter and sculptor has been one of my favourite artists for a long time. His individual style, aesthetics and the character of his creative process is still fascinating to me on many levels, so being able to dive even deeper into his universe, getting to know not only him but also his family was an opportunity that I couldn't miss. Little did I know how far this "yes" will take me - not only mentally and on a creative level but also physically. Thanks to the director of the documentary - Susanna Fanzun and by a stroke of luck and a couple of extra questions I decided to move for a couple of months to the Swiss mountains, not far away from the place where Giacometti was born and where the place he called home was, although he didn't live there. Susanna showed me a place close to her hometown where I could rent a studio and work on the soundtrack but also for my other projects. It was the middle of a winter, the area was full of ice and snow, just like only it can happen still in the mountains. The residency house was located in a valley surrounded by high mountains and the sun in the winter season was not coming up for too long during the day. I remember she told me about it and added "that not everyone is feeling well there, but I hope you will". I did.
Being almost separated from reality, the city and its entertainments, people rushing and everything that usually takes my attention I could fully concentrate on the music and soundtrack, spending most of the day with my own thoughts and having enough space to experiment and be free in a creative process. This soundtrack would probably be a very different thing if composed in a place that I am usually living in. I took this a chance to explore something new about myself as a composer and human being, taking the opposite direction that I would usually choose for myself.
The album "On Giacometti" includes the excerpts from the soundtrack, the most representative tracks and those which became a strong voice itself. Based a lot on improvised melodies, simple harmonies, structures and silence it reminds me of my debut album "Esja" which was partly composed and recorded in another chilly place - Iceland. All these components, both mental and physical, guided me back to my main instrument - piano, which I tried to redefine again with a language of the space that I was working in. The space is usually the key element that gives me the answer about the arrangement or character of the project. Space seems to be the first to appear and music is the invisible power which is changing its angels.’ Living surrounded by mountains makes you change the perspective and understanding of scale as Alberto Giacometti once famously wrote in a letter: It gives an impression that things that are actually far away, like mountains, are close and the other ones that are not so far away, like people, seem small, watched from a distance. You feel like touching the mountain top with your finger could be as easy as touching the tip of your nose. The snow additionally protects the whole area from the noise, each sound lands softly on the ground accompanied by echoes of immeasurable space. Each scratch or whisper is becoming an autonomic entity, opening the gate to the world of ghosts and lost spirits. It's easy to think that time stands still there, while nothing is moving and changing at the first sight. But the ubiquitous ice and snow reveal the passage of time, transforming frozen paysage into the wild stream of water - each day, hour and second. Melting and vanishing, clearing the space from white powder and noise consuming surface. Invisible process for a one night traveller, becomes painfully real for longer time settlers. Time flows with each new wave of sound coming through the river, reminding us that we are part of the cycle, which endlessly repeats itself.
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Following my recent phone call with Prof. Benson, I left him to continue his 92nd birthday celebrations with his family. We'd talked about his life, his music, his achievements. Throughout our conversation it struck me what a kind, humble and pleasant man he was. I felt that I was in the presence of greatness – not the egotistical greatness that emanates so often from high achievers, but that of someone who had simply won at life.
"I was a music teacher. I wasn't trying to make a record to compete, I was trying to make a record so the students would have something to remember the experience that we had... I was doing it for the kids."
It was 1973 that Prof. James Benson had self-funded his private press LP for the benefit of the teenage musicians he tutored at Cal Poly, California. The album was a momentous achievement for him and his young protegees, something they were all proud of, and rightly so. Taking inspiration from their recent trip to Africa and blended with the radical jazz associated with the young minds of early '70s black America, the Gow-Dow Experience is a unique foray into the enthusiastic mindset of up-and-coming jazz musicians, as encouraged by their mentor Prof. Benson.
We present the album as it was released in 1973 with a heavyweight tip-on jacket and 180g vinyl or on CD. We also include an insert with liner notes and photos provided courtesy of Prof Benson. The LP and CD come with 4 additional tracks taken from the recording session. Until now these tracks have never been heard since the day they were recorded - believe me, they're worth the wait!
Made with love from Jazzman - because we love to dig deeper!
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The double vinyl containing the OST of music inspired by the docu-film "I RAGAZZI DEL COLUMBUS", these tracks just want to
tell the true story of an unrepeatable Era, of clubs, DJs and the generation that gave birth to the socio-cultural revolution which, starting in Italy between 1974 and 1985, it then spread throughout Europe, all with a passion for afro / disco /
funky music, which from the "Columbus" square in Riccione then spread everywhere. Thanks to djs and clubs
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First Reissue for this almost impossible to find record, this beautiful soul blending disco was recorded in one shot by Keith Paul in 1977. Fully remastered, it gives justice to one of the most hidden treasure of Guyana's music. Keith Paul recorded every instrument on this record. The liner notes interview by Saultone founder will give you the whole story and get deep in the secret of this incredible voice and talent.
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Drop a needle on Psyché's debut album and you'll see visions, or rather Mediterranean visions, be they of waves of heat shimmering above dunes of sand, or of women dancing around a bonfire on a rocky plain, or of bushy cliffs overlooking emerald-green and turquoise sea. The name Psyché is of course ancient Greek for 'soul' or 'mind', signifying the band's love of psychedelic funk, but also the wide range of Mediterranean influences – from Southern Europe to the Balkan Peninsula, and from Anatolia to the Maghreb – that provide an endless source of inspiration for their hypnotic sound and minimalist style.
Psyché members Marcello Giannini (Guru, Nu Genea, Slivovitz), Andrea De Fazio (Parbleu, Nu Genea, Funkin Machine) and Paolo Petrella (Nu Genea) have been active in the Naples music scene for almost two decades, most notably during the first wave of the new Neapolitan Power movement (Slivovitz, Revenaz Quartet). Over the years they have often crossed paths and collaborated on side projects in various genres (math-rock duo Arduo and, more recently, synth-pop duo Fratelli Malibu), before working together as the rhythm section of Nu Genea's live band. Following their first tour with Nu Genea in 2018, they started Psyché with the intent of exploring more minimalist styles and making music with just a few elements.
A unique combination of psychedelia, groove and improvisation, the music of Psyché goes back to the roots of our future; it evokes visions of a mythical past, blending centuries-old music traditions and mixing them with modern genres. Like a warm Mediterranean breeze, it travels across lands, seas and eras, distilling essential rhythms and cosmic pulsations.
The album's opener "Kuma" (titled after the first ancient Greek colony on the Italian mainland, now an archeological site near Naples) is like a vibrant, magical wave. With its deliberately simple harmony and sharp guitar riffs, it travels across the Mediterranean from Italy to North Africa, first lapping gently on Greek and Turkish shores – with some compositional elements reminiscent of Italian pop legend Lucio Battisti – and then speeding up and landing on the driving, syncopated rhythms of afrobeat. While listening to it your eyes fill with images of small white houses shining in the sun, of fig trees heavy with fruit, of spice bazaars and colourful medinas, and you can almost feel the desert wind blowing in your hair.
The journey continues with two examples of Psyché's bold and elegant approach to contemporary afrobeat and cumbia fusion: "Cumbia Mahàre" and "Amma". The former combines minimal synths and exhilarating rhythmic patterns of drums, percussion, guitar and bass, drawing us into the movements of an imaginary ritual dance (the term mahàre was used in Southern Italian dialects to indicate witches). Next is the cinematic and mysterious ambiance of "Angizia" (a snake goddess worshipped by the Marsi in ancient Italy), another fascinating mixture of different sonic traditions and cultures where hip-hop/funk drums are blended with Maghreb influences, Balkan echoes, and hypnotic, Theremin-like synths that have sort of a sci-fi movie quality to them.
The title track "Psyché", with its uptempo afro-rhythms, ethereal vocalizations and refined percussion, is almost a manifesto of the band's style and confirms the freshness of their minimalism, which is not afraid of taking in the sun of lands confined between the sea and the desert. The following "Manea" (named after the Roman-Etruscan goddess of the dead) is an afro-funk number with smooth and introspective dreamy jazz touches, and with an arrangement dominated by a guitar that, dripping notes like drops of water, creates a delicate, cinematic sound. Next, we come to "Hekate" (the Greek goddess of magic, witchcraft and crossroads), a track that fuses psychedelia, spacious Latin guitars and a fast, tight groove. The album comes to a close with the exquisite melodic ballad "Kelebek", which seamlessly combines hip-hop drums and dreamy guitars, and whose warm, flowing sonorities and evocative atmospheres conjure the image of a butterfly (which is what kelebek means, in Turkish) floating over the Mediterranean and, from there, the world.
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Birds chirp through a tape-hiss breeze atop a bed of airy pads, and a cleareyed, forlorn guitar springs forth: this is the beginning of the debut album from Sans Merit, a new rock project from Griffin James, otherwise known as Francis Inferno Orchestra.
For over a decade, the Melbourne-raised—and now L.A.-based—producer has been indulging his indie and alt interests, and this fuzzed-out bedroom janglepop and shoegaze LP, Early Grave, is his first extensive deliverance.
The album represents a gestalt of sorts: years of approaching different genres and songwriting styles, and producing not “in the box,” with soft synths and
samples, but with live instruments (and sometimes a band), has led to this focused and succinct thirteen-track musical journey.
In pursuit of a pure and low-key aesthetic, James recorded demos on phones and chose to rely heavily on budget instruments, clapped-out synths, and
crappy amps, and would often cut tapes live in bedrooms, lay down vocal takes in closets and put microphones to broken speakers, all in part of the quest of using limited resources to create a truthful body of work. The finishing touch is a thick coating of nostalgia ooze; soundbites from internet clips flitter throughout the record, and goofy sound effects flicker above like dying incandescent bulbs.
A dream-pop album for our times: its lyrics are off-kilter romantic musings, sarcastic self-loathing mumbles, reflections on the unrealness of real life.
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Bedouin aka Tamer Malki and Rami Abousabe are to release their long awaited and adventurous debut album Temple of Dreams on their own label Human By Default this Spring.
Over the course of the pandemic, Malki and Abousabe spent a great amount of time finalizing songs created in the past 7 years, composing, song writing, singing, and working on numerous projects including collaborations and new originals. Temple of Dreams was shaped from these sessions and captures the enigmatic sound of the versatile, forward-thinking group.
Malki explains that the album looks to “experiment and push the boundaries.” It differs from their previous work, as the album is intended to be a deep listening experience for the fans, rather than a slew of club cuts. The multi-talented artists sought to create a timeless sound in Temple of Dreams. Malki outlines that the album lies between “what we play on stages around the world and what we’re capable of writing and producing as musicians and producers. We wanted to exceed expectations and present something that you might think or feel you’ve heard before, yet it's something completely new and not what might be expected from us.”
It starts with the enchanting sounds and candle lit grooves of Rise And Fall then journeys far and wide through the Eastern string sounds of Coldman featuring Nathan Daisy, darkly alluring vocals and mystic rhythms of Voices In My Head and the hypnotic melodic leads of Crazy feat. Iveta Mukuchyan. Elsewhere the richness of Bedouin's sound makes for spellbinding listening on tracks like Hokema Feat. Delaram and Flore Chico feat. Chico Castillo with its alluring Spanish vocals. Love And Hate is a more dynamic and punchier house cut while Fill The Space is an intriguing mix of melodic magic, authentic instrumentation and smooth rolling grooves.
The musicians, singer-songwriters, and producers in Bedouin have spent the better part of a decade fine-tuning their sound, which draws as much from their Middle Eastern heritage as it does their world travels as DJs playing iconic venues across the globe. They have pioneered a distinctive and timeless sound on some of the world’s most notable labels such as Crosstown Rebels, Get Physical, All Day I Dream, and recently their own imprint—Human By Default.
Select major label releases include remixes for Black Coffee and Virgil Abloh on Ultra and Sony/Universal and as well as calling Burning Man home they have their own iconic Ibiza party, Saga, at Pacha each week of summer, and play major events such as Coachella, Tomorrowland, and Art Basel and venues like Ushuaïa, Wynn Las Vegas as well as a ground-breaking Cercle set filmed in Petra, Jordan.
This much anticipated debut album shows yet another side and the artistic development for this influential pair.
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‘At the turn of the 1990s, there were few more successful New York house producers than Victor Simonelli. Under a dizzying array of aliases – Solution, NY’s Finest, Groove Committee, Critical Rhythm and Cloud 9 being amongst the better-known – the Brooklyn-born DJ/producer delivered a string of underground club hits during the city’s early ’90s house boom.’
BTG presents “Victor Simonelli: The Early Years Vol 1” a collectors edition double Vinyl release - 2 X 12’s in each Vol
Launching the first Behind The Groove collectors edition vinyl series is New York’s finest Victor Simonelli with ‘The Early Years Vol 1 & 2’ double Vinyl releases. Featuring seminal house tracks such as Cloud 9’s ‘Do You Want Me’, Solution’s ‘Feel So Right’, Instant Exposure’s ‘Wanna Be With You’ and rare mixes of Raiana Page and EZ-AL, this collection brings together classic and rare Victor Simonelli cuts that reflect the early raw energy and buzz of the New York House scene. With ‘Vol 2” scheduled to follow shortly after, this is the most comprehensive collection of rare Simonelli cuts that firmly establishes his esteemed role in 90s House Music as well as introducing new fans to his inimitable sound.
Victor Simonelli is one of the early kings of NYC sampling In house music. The real deal - Victor danced at the legendary David Mancuso’s Loft sessions and developed a serious appreciation for good music. He interned for Arthur Baker at his renown Shakedown Studios (where Arthur worked with the iconic Afrika Bambatta on the seminal dance floor ’Planet Rock’ track) and went on to release hugely influential releases on seminal NYC labels 4th Floor and Nu Groove. Victor’s music was championed by the hugely celebrated iconic House Music DJ pioneers, Larry Levan and Tony Humphries at Paradise Garage & Zanzibar/WBLS/Kiss FM respectively.
Revered as a New York house heavyweight and prolific producer since the turn of the 1990s, Victor Simonelli grew up in Brooklyn, NYC, nurtured by a music loving family, with an avid record collecting father who also worked as a local party DJ. He took music lessons in piano, drums, guitar and bass, before discovering his first love, tuning into NY’s Radio Mix Shows on WBLS, WKTU and WRKS,98.7 Kiss FM) where he discovered the art of mixing and in his own words, ’I just simply got lost in the music’.
Graduating from NYC’s Centre For Media Arts, Victor got an internship in the legendary producer, Arthur Baker’s Shakedown Studios. Soon graduating to editing, mixing and then producing he worked for artists David Bowie, Quincy Jones, Debbie Harry, Sinead O’Connor and Talking Heads. Teaming up with fellow NYC producer Lenny Dee to become the Brooklyn Funk Essentials, they released records ‘Critical Rhythm’ and ‘Subliminal Aurra’ on 4th Floor before Victor went solo as Groove Committee releasing the classic ‘I Want You To Know’ on the legendary Nu Groove Records. Paradise Garage legend, Larry Levan broke ‘I Want You To Know’ rocking 2 copies on his last tour of Japan whilst King of NY House Music,Tony Humphries broke Victor’s new ‘Feels So Right’ across New York on his WBLS/Kiss FM Mastermix show and at his legendary Zanzibar club sessions. It was only a matter of time before Victor’s name became synonymous with quality House music ensuring a worldwide platform for his productions.
In the early 90s alongside his own productions, Victor Simonelli worked on high profile projects, including James Brown’s album, “Love Overdue” BeBe and CeCe Winans single featuring Mavis Staples “I’ll Take You There” and Quincy Jones’ “I’ll Be Good To You” featuring Chaka Khan and the legendary Ray Charles. Never straying too far from his clubland roots, Victor worked with Danny Tenaglia on his classic “The Harmonica Track”.
DJ gigs across the world started flooding in and Victor found himself recording for a dizzying array of labels including Tribal America, Sub-Urban, Bassline, King Street Sounds and Vibe, under a wide range of aliases. He also produced, wrote and remixed for artists such Nile Rodgers (Chic), Afrika Baambata, Hall & Oates, Frankie Knuckles, Kerri Chandler, Madonna and Michael Jackson. Famed for his own productions “It’s So Good” by Creative Force, “I Know A Place” as Sound Of One - the first release on Roger Sanchez One Records -, “Dirty Games” as well as the “Street Players Vol 1 EP”, Victor went on to set up Suburban Records with Tommy Musto and Bassline Records with two other partners. Notable releases on this label include “Do You Feel Me”, Connie Harvey’s gospel inspired, “Thank You Lord”, Urban Blues Project’s “Deliver Me”, Colonel Abrams “Not Gonna Let”, and Mone’s “Better Way”. Never ceasing to produce, DJ, run his own label and host radio shows like Groove Lift, Victor has worked with virtually every NYC producer and has nurtured a next generation talents including Angel Moraes, Jazz ‘N’ Groove, Urban Blues Project, Harlem Hustlers, Jay Jay and Julius Papp. Victor’s releases have also been used on M&S’s “Salsoul Nuggett” hit and Eddie Amador’s underground smash ‘House Music’.
In the late 90’s Victor launched his new Westside Productions, notable for the “Latin Impressions 1 & 2” releases, opened up a studio in Italy as he found himself increasingly working in Europe and now divides his time between New York and Italy. Suffice to say his unique sound of uplifting and spiritual music has kept him at the forefront of House Music and he is credited as one of its leading exponents with his string of classic releases and remixes.
Behind the Groove, branches out from its digital platform to embark on a programme of releases from the iconic pioneer producers of House Music. Esteemed for their high quality features and mixes that continue to explore, celebrate and venerate the contributions of highly respected, scene-shaping Labels, Artists, DJs and Special Events, BTG seeks to bring these talents and tales to the attention of the wider community. Unlocking the stories surrounding the pivotal roles they played and continue to play today in shaping the underground music scene we have come to know and love.
BTG presents “Victor Simonelli: The Early Years Vol 1” a collectors edition double Vinyl release, released on May 12th 2023. ‘Vol 2” follows on May 26th 2023 . These releases are the most comprehensive collection of rare Victor Simonelli cuts that firmly establish his esteemed role in 90s House Music and introduces new fans to his carefree sound.
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New York, NY (May 09, 2023) - Techno powerhouse, Charlotte de Witte releases her highly anticipated EP, Overdrive as the anchor to her larger Overdrive Campaign within the KNTXT Label. Following de Witte’s breakthrough to the top of the electronic music scene in 2019 with her signature sonic approach that refuses to be boxed in, Overdrive is a reflection of this ethos. The EP aims to showcase street style that is both rough and energizing, while delivering high-energy tracks meant to pull listeners into the fast-paced thrill that unlocks one's turbocharged version of themselves. Listen HERE.
“While making Overdrive, I didn’t fully realize how applicable the lyrics are to my philosophy of life,” said de Witte. “The fast-paced tempo, which goes full force without looking back, is all about the feeling of being on the edge and living life to the fullest.”
Best known for her “dark and stripped-back” brand of techno and underground music, DJ, record producer, and label head de Witte pushes the boundaries of the electronic genre with music that has a distinct and unforgettable sound that is uniquely her own. De Witte’s innovative ability allows her to seamlessly blend genres and styles that have won her a dedicated fan base and critical acclaim.
“Overdrive is a love story between hip hop and techno, it’s inspired by both genres, but coated in a techno jacket,” said de Witte. “It’s meant to be played loud while driving at night and watching the city lights pass by, and where better to experience that than in New York City?”
Overdrive marks de Witte’s first release since her single “High Street,” and first EP on her KNTXT label since her last EP, “Apollo” which was released in October 2022 as well as her collaboration with fellow techno artist Enrico Sangiuliano on the “Reflection” EP in March 2023. De Witte had previously worked with Sangiuliano on their remix of “The Age Of Love”, which amassed over 40 million streams on Spotify and achieved certified gold status in Belgium. De Witte’s other recent releases include her “Universal Consciousness” EP in 2022 and her “Formula” EP in 2021, which featured the chart-topping lead track “Doppler”.
out of Stock
Last delivered 6 months ago available to reorder, subject to availability