Buscar:abs

Tracks include unearthed fragments of BLADDER FLASK, circa ’80s by Richard Rupenus, a founding member of THE NEW BLOCKADERS.

STEVEN STAPLETON, ANDREW LILES, RICHARD RUPENUS.





New studio album “Backside” on vinyl by Nurse With Wound, includes unearthed fragments of Bladder Flask by Richard Rupenus, circa ’80s, also released on Cd in 2024 (there is also a DIY “lathe cut”).
Cover art by Babs Santini.


The paths of Nurse With Wound and Bladder Flask first crossed in 1980 and the following year Bladder Flask’s debut album One Day I Was So Sad That The Corners Of My Mouth Met & Everybody Thought I Was Whistling (Orgel Fesper Music) was distributed by United Dairies.


Following the aborted project for a second Bladder Flask album, scheduled for 1981, some forty years later, Richard Rupenus approached Steven Stapleton to use fragments of old recordings he’d unearthed from “Bladder Flask”, an invitation that Stapleton accepted, and rather than simply remixing or reworking existing Bladder Flask tracks, Steven Stapleton and Andrew Liles have succeeded in reinforcing Nurse With Wound and Bladder Flask’s sense of the absurd in this new opus “Backside”.



“As the closest release style-wise to classic old NWW in decades, the album’s opening track ‘Backside’ could almost be a relic of the early 1980s, full of squeaky and crunchy noises, big plate reverbs, lots of plunderphonics meets musique concrete type cut-up work, bizarre vocals and all sorts of unfathomable sonic elements. It’s quite an intense listen, but totally enjoyable. ‘Chernobyl Picnic’ feels more like ‘Cooloorta’-era NWW, as it involves more use of extended tones, with lots of liberally chopped-up and totally messed about sounds, much of it fried and modulated in the most fascinating ways, a kind of harsher and more multi-faceted ‘Soliloquy For Lilith.’ An excellent release, especially for jaded old NWW fans who want more in the style of ‘the good old days’ (Alan Freeman)”.

With two solo CDs and another three with Cahalen Morrison behind him, today he's become the master folk troubadour he was destined to be, and we're all the richer for it. The Pacific Northwest singer- songwriter met his wife, his beloved father has passed away, and his two children now shape his world around him. With age comes wisdom and, for master musicians, clairvoyance. His third album, The Shape of a Sway, reflects just that: A master telling tales of life lived honestly, amid paradox and reason, injected with change and growth, bruises and enlightenment: Life not just worth living, but worth lifting up in song. Gifted as a writer, singer, and instrumentalist (guitar, mandolin, banjo, pedal steel), West gets support from his equally stellar regulars, fiddler Patrick M'Gonigle and bassist Forest Marowitz. All three share intertwining harmony vocals. The Shape of a Sway, he says, "is an honest inventory of my life, possibly all of our lives, presented possibly with enough abstraction that listeners will see something of themselves, of their lives."

The Funeral Pudding originally came out as a CD-only release on the Dutch label Brinkman to promote Thinking Fellers Union Local 282’s 1994 European tour. For the domestic release, the band chose Chicago’s Ajax Records—which had already released two TFUL282 singles in 1990—to press a 12-inch mini-LP. Comprising a selection of songs masterfully recorded and produced by Greg Freeman right after the sessions that yielded 1993’s Admonishing The Bishops EP, The Funeral Pudding could be thought of as a sister release to that EP; indeed, the band originally considered combining tracks from both sessions into a single album. Had it been released, that record would’ve followed the pattern of the previous album in which the band’s pop and avant-garde leanings are yoked together cheek by jowl. Instead, Admonishing showcases the band at its most accessible while The Funeral Pudding flaunts their more expansive, abrasive and absurdist side without forfeiting the earlier EP’s miraculously high standards for songwriting and sonic clarity. What makes The Funeral Pudding a unique feather in the Fellers’ cap is that most of the tracks are sung by bassist Anne Eickelberg and guitarist Hugh Swarts—a notable departure from the Davies / Hageman vocal dominance on most of the other albums. With Eickelberg’s soaring vocals leading the proceedings, tracks like “Waited Too Long” and “Heavy Head” are some of the most beloved in the band’s discography. And “23 Kings Crossing” is a whiplashinducing psych / prog stunner that adds another metric ton to the burden of proof demonstrating that TFUL282 was creating some of the most thrilling, enduring and sonically autonomous music of its era.

On the latest instalment of his VALA series, Finnish techno explorer Kaspiann tunnels into heads-down, mind-warping rhythm tracks of the highest order. Alongside his appearance on respected platforms such as Delsin Mantis and Optic Portal (alongside Spekki Webu), VALA affords Kaspiann the space to explore the depth and breadth of his sound with steely focus. The four tracks on VALA 4 are teeming with tactile textures and intricate detail that feel familiar and abstract all at once, perhaps best described by the titles that indulge in a little Finnish word play. ‘Sammalkämmen’, literally translated as ‘moss palm’, feels like a fitting reflection of the spongy mid-range matter on the opening track, while the humid, dense atmosphere of B1 cut ‘Suohunaja’ could indeed conjure a sense of ‘swamp honey’. From ‘Sienikieli’s tunnelling rhythmic intrigue to the intricately arranged, expressive percussion of ‘Niin Vain’, Kaspiann continues to broaden his vocabulary within the language of deep techno, triggering ineffable sensations from carefully sculpted sonic forms and strapping them to incisive rhythms.

Peaceful electronic ambient and tribal echo environments. Music that explores feelings of calm, spirituality, and ceremony. Long-form voyages to temple meditations, “trips in search of something,” looking in as looking out.

The artist himself says: “This is an attempt to look into the heads and souls of "unnecessary" people, inconspicuous people, but striving to make the world a better place. People who have lost the horizon and the outlines of reality are desperate and stuck in the middle of nothing... people who cannot accept the rules of this world and unpleasant aspects of daily life, boring and unfair into unreality, other existence... it's all about escapism, rethinking their inner world, and discovering new facets of the soul.”

FFO Jon Hassell, O Yuki Conjugate, Bitchin Bajas, Laraaji, The Chi Factory…

"soft brushes of undefinable sounds and tropical field recordings that almost create ASMR-inducing vibrations in the minds of the listener" - Simon Eliasson

Composed, performed and produced by Cosey Fanni Tutti, the 9-track album moves between propulsive beat constructions and expansive electronic explorations, continuing themes from 2019’s acclaimed album TUTTI. It is a personal reflection; a sonic realisation of her life, drawing on her powerful inner resolve and expressing it through music. The album finds Cosey making sense of some very tough years, dealing with personal bereavements alongside swingeing world events that have impacted us all. Centring on her own strength and self will, the album’s two distinct sides – one rhythmic, one more meditative – are connected by an overwhelmingly positive mood.

She explains, “My overtone chanting on the track ‘Stound’ was part of that, tapping into the inner self, to the core of your being, emotionally, physically, allowing the sounds to permeate and soothe as well as create a sense of power, resistance and resilience to what we face.” Even in the more melancholic moments, there’s a lightness that she explains is an “acknowledgement that it’s alright to be sad, that’s part of life, but there is so much joy too in our memories of people we lose and in the moments we share with each other. Joy is our resistance.”

There are also threads from her most recent projects running through 2t2. Her latest book RE-SISTERS and the score she wrote for Caroline Catz’s film Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and Legendary Tapes are acknowledged, most directly on ‘Threnody’ which is dedicated to Delia Derbyshire and Andy Christian, an artist friend of Delia’s. He sent Cosey an abstract drawing of the same name, created one night from an improvised evening where he drew while Derbyshire intoned and sang softly as she looked at the drawings, as if reading a score expressing how they made her feel. Cosey’s process and the different strands that make up her work form a totality of vision.

She goes on to say, “Once you get creating and listening, weaving, collaging sound it’s a wonderfully fulfilling feeling that takes you both out of yourself at the same time as essentially deep within.” The artwork reflects this idea that the album is a “sound cameo”, reflecting the light within the music, and the buzz of life that exists within all of Cosey’s work. Musician, artist and author Cosey Fanni Tutti has continually challenged boundaries and conventions through her work. As a founding member of the hugely influential avant-garde band Throbbing Gristle, one half of electronic pioneers Chris and Cosey, and as an artist channelling her experience in pornographic modelling and striptease, her work on the margins has reshaped the mainstream. Her first solo album, Time To Tell (1983) was followed by 2019’s Tutti and 2022’s Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and the Legendary Tapes. Her debut book, the Penderyn Music Book Prize shortlisted Art Sex Music, was published in 2017, followed by RE-SISTERS in 2022 (both Faber), which will soon get a Spanish edition.

Gilles Peterson presents International Anthem is a compilation chronicling the legendary London-based radio host, DJ, label head, curator and cultural impresario"s long-standing affinity for and interaction with artists and music from the Chicago-born record label International Anthem. The tracks on this compilation were chosen by Peterson via an extensive review of track lists from his broadcasts on BBC Radio 6 Music, Worldwide FM, and various syndicated radio programs. The compilation also includes a previously unreleased track recorded live on the Peterson-founded online radio station Worldwide FM. This album is released via International Anthem as part of their "IA11" series of releases and events - where the label celebrates their eleventh year of existence by looking back on their first ten years while establishing new standards for the next ten years.

STAR CREATURE's TIM ZAWADA taps BRIAN ELLIS for another supreme collab giving us an incredible version of an all time spaced out Chicago boogie grail. He recreates the original with extreme accuracy in both the gear used & the feeling too. Another absolute boogie bomb!

Debut album from French producer Sweetzak, half of the duo Rue des Garderies (whose album was acclaimed by some of the specialist media in 2024: Album of the Year by Inverted Audio ; Juno ; World of Echo ; Soundohm ...). An ambient epic of complex textures, sculpted with emotion and intuition.



Zach writes his dreams, his grand inner music emanating directly from his soul and offering it to the world, guided by his intuition.

Nine abstract, ambient, and celestial tracks, evolving with his sensitivity, conducted like an intimate orchestra, revealing his landscapes and skies.

Sweetzak takes us on a journey within himself and questions our emotions in this first album with complex textures, like a glimpse into what moves him.

Metal Hall of Fame inductee, Blaze Bayley, releases a brand new studio album Entitled `Circle of Stone'. The album features guest vocalist Niklas Stalvind of Swedish metalheads Wolf, alongside a variety of additional vocal & instrumental contributors. Having started his career as a professional singer with Wolfsbane in 1984, Blaze went on to front Iron Maiden, touring worldwide and releasing two studio albums - `The X Factor' and `Virtual XI', both of which achieved top twenty status in many countries. During his time with Iron Maiden, Blaze co-wrote the single `Man on the Edge' (from `The X Factor' album), a top ten hit in the UK, as well as charting successfully across Europe. Following his exit from Iron Maiden he has pursued a solo career, beginning with his now legendary solo debut album `Silicon Messiah' in 2000, followed by a further eleven studio albums, including especially his sci-fi based `Infinite Entanglement' trilogy (released in consecutive years 2016-2018) and the critically-acclaimed `War Within Me' released in 2021. Starting in 2013 and exclusively since 2016, Blaze records and plays live with Manchester (UK) melodic metal band Absolva, featuring lead guitarist Christopher Appleton and his brother LukeAppleton who is formerly of American metalheads Iced Earth. This consistent line-up is completed by drummer Martin Mcnee and bassist Karl Schramm.

How could H.C. be any worse? " - It could be a hell of a lot worse than this ! Side 1 contains a dozen thrashers by Asocial that absolutely rip. Then side 2 kicks in with the Bedrovlers who if anything, are even more intense. Killer Swedish hardcore ! review by Tim Yohannon, from Max R&R 15, July 1984.

Following on from last year's acclaimed ‘R.O.I.’ album, Manchester’s favourite sons Aerial Salad are set to return to the fray with a brand new 5-track EP titled ‘Roi de l’herb’ to be released June 27th via Venn Records.
Having released their ‘Dirt Mall’ album during lockdown, which was a pretty grim time to put an album out, the release still eventually opened up some exciting doors for the band and captured Aerial Salad at their most Aerial Salad; loud, brash, silly and emotive.
This led swiftly to 2024’s ‘R.O.I.’ album that marked a real evolution in the band’s sound and songwriting.

“R.O.I. is a concept album but rather than being about a band, it’s from the perspective of an individual pushed to the brink of insanity by the ever-present quest from commercial success,” explains singer and guitarist Jamie Munro. “The idea came from my job; I’ve been working in the tech industry in ‘sales’. ‘Return on investment’ was probably my most uttered phrase for a few years, I was sick of it, sick of having no positive impact on the world and sick of the tech bro, double espresso, thirsty thursdays, work hard - play hard bollocks culture that comes with it. ‘R.O.I.’ is me saying ‘know what, you can actually earn a lot of money in life, even without the fallacy of educational infrastructure and financial privilege, however, it comes at the cost of your soul, time and energy. ‘R.O.I.’ is called such because it’s in the opposite pursuit, it’s not about a return on a financial investment, it’s about doing something with your life that’s enjoyable.”
This brings us crashing into 2025, no longer in the same line of spirit destroying work, with some seriously exciting gigs on the horizon, Aerial Salad wanted to kick off the next era of the band with a short, fast and hard EP and have served up 5 absolute bangers that sit somewhere between ‘Dirt Mall’ and ‘R.O.I.’ The EP is called ‘Roi de l’herb’ because of the track ‘King Of The Grass’: “We tour and play a lot in France, we’ve played most of our “best” gigs in France, so out of curiosity I wanted to see if the title would translate well, naturally, when the translation contained both “ROI” and l’herbe” - I though, fuck it, that’s about as spot on a title for this EP as we can possibly muster.”
‘King of The Grass’ is about the band’s bassist Mike Wimbo who works for Rochdale council on the greens team, which means he spends his life in the pouring rain chopping down overgrown hedges and mowing lawns. Elsewhere on the EP, ‘Inject Your Blood’ is another romantic love song inspired by the TV series ‘True Blood’ (“I’d inject your blood, into mine just to feel you close”), ‘Wires’ rages against the world of AI and GPT, whilst the EP’s opening track ‘My Girl’ is a chaotic, high energy catchy punk song, nothing profound, nothing complicated. It’s a punk song as god intended, a few chords and a load of shouting.
“The EP is like the teaser for what’s next,” summarises Jamie. “The overall hook for this EP is one of hope, that by sticking to what you believe in you can do anything.”

Originally released on Shoebox in 1993, this wonderfully pink piece of vibrant vinyl comes with two hardcore/proto-jungle bangers made by SDR & Subsonic who also own Shoebox. They are also the artists behind the Digital Pressure release on A Guy Called Gerald’s label Juicebox (keep it locked to Vinyl Fanatiks in 2024 for this one).

This release has been sought after for a good number of years with the usual high-ticket price on Discogs. But now the opportunity is here to grab a copy at a fraction of the price with some saying it is also a better sounding release compared to the original pressing.

The fourth and final bubblegum pink vinyl release. Grab yours before they sell out.
Lock N Loaded…

Expressive Rock-Juwelen für Jüngere und jünger Gebliebene - hübsch abseits vom breiten Strom des Durchschnitts. Zur Beruhigung: Auch Celli schmeicheln den Hörern. Hits: "Debaser", "Wave Of Mutilation", "Here Comes Your Man", "Monkey Gone To Heaven".

1975 marked the year the American progressive rock band Kansas released two absolute classic albums, Song for America and Masque. Their third album Masque is a forty minutes piece consisting of 8 songs. It’s a concept album based on a mythological theme and well performed by the different band members. Highlights are the fan favourite “Icarus” and the almost 10 minute counting stunning prog epic “The Pinnacle”. The album is an excellent addition to any prog music collection.

Kansas became popular during the 1970s with hits like “Carry On Wayward Son” and “Dust in the Wind”. Besides their well-known ballads they also recorded some impressive progressive pieces.
The diversity of their music and immense energy of the band is one of the reasons why they’re still performing and recording.

Masque is available as a 50th anniversary edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on yellow coloured vinyl and includes an insert

House music doesn’t get much funkier than Demuir’s ‘New spirit’ EP. Whether it’s the classic sampling on the title track – an homage to his mother-, or the rolling funk bass and vocal chops on ‘Ain’t no stoppin’ ‘, Demuir brings an unstoppable groove with his 2nd release on Heist.

The man behind so many great house records has kept himself rather busy with building his own fanbase, openly debating the role that big platforms play and the firm grip they have on talent. Rather than conforming to the standard route, Demuir chooses to navigate the winding road of building his own following through his production classes, engineering and music releases through artist-first channels like Patreon.

His recent move from Toronto to Chicago feels perfectly in line with the sound Demuir is bringing forward on his first record on Heist since his 2019 classic ‘Werq, feel, gruv, vogue’. Those 6 years were well worth the wait: The ‘New spirit’ EP is a perfectly-balanced mix of creativity, confidence and character. The Demuir sound is instantly audible throughout the release and he’s not afraid to make bold choices. Each track has its own identity, its own place on the record and it’s one of the things that make this record stand out in the best way possible. The forward-leaning grooves, the tight mixing and the classic use of soulful samples are a treat to listen and dance to. There’s hints of the 90s New York sound (New Spirit), soulful disco-tinged grooves his new home-town is known for (Ain’t no stoppin’), lean-back and summery melodic grooves (No minions allowed) and deep, bassheavy dubby grooves (Whatchu want is all I got) to remind everyone that Demuir is an absolute master of modern day house music.

We’ve been playing all these songs for a while and we’re happy to finally share these with you.

As always, enjoy the music and play it loud!

Lars & Maarten

"Lern ma Deutsch!" - Die seit fast zwei Jahrzenten ausverkaufte und hochgehandelte Kultscheibe der Emscherkurve77 als Sammler-Edition mit fetter Bonus-LP ("und anderen Lektionen") endlich wieder - streng limitiert - erhältlich! Für das "Lern ma Deutsch!" Album haben die Jungs seinerzeit (2002) ihre Oi! & Punk- & Hardcore-Lieblingssongs zusammen mit den Original-Sängern der Bands neu aufgenommen, mit augenzwinkernden Humor interpretiert und "perfekt" eingedeutscht! Von The Cracks "This is my world/ Meine Welt" bis hin zu The Toasters, Murphy's Law, (Secret Agent Skin..ääh Spiller), Cockney Rejects, Agnostic Front, The Business, Dropkick Muphys, Antiseen...ach, schaut einfach die Tracklist selbst an. So eine Scheibe mit dieser prominenten Beteiligung wird wohl nie wieder kommen! Zeitlos, vom Kulturminister garantiert nicht empfohlen und auch heute noch etwas ganz Besonderes! Aber damit nicht genug, denn auf der Bonus-LP finden sich "andere Lektionen" in Form von Demo-Raritäten und gesuchten Sampler-Beiträgen, z.B. vom Johnny Cash-Tribute Sampler ("San Quentin") mit Gunter Gabriel), einen Coversong von Gunter selbst (Intercity Linie Nr.4) oder alle Songs von der ebenfalls vergriffenen Split-Scheibe mit Hudson Falcons "One Size Slits All" von 2003. Insgesamt 27 Songs (oder sind es sogar 28?) auf erstmals Doppel-Vinyl! Eine Nachhilfestunde der punkigeren Art!. Woanders hieß das wohl Deluxe Edition mit Röstaroma, hier "Lern ma Deutsch! und andere Lektionen" Doppel-Vinyl als 2LP schwarz, 2LP zwei Farben oder 2LP zwei Splatter! In Klappcover, mit Insert und verstecktem Bonustrack auf der D-Seite.

"Lern ma Deutsch!" - Die seit fast zwei Jahrzenten ausverkaufte und hochgehandelte Kultscheibe der Emscherkurve77 als Sammler-Edition mit fetter Bonus-LP ("und anderen Lektionen") endlich wieder - streng limitiert - erhältlich! Für das "Lern ma Deutsch!" Album haben die Jungs seinerzeit (2002) ihre Oi! & Punk- & Hardcore-Lieblingssongs zusammen mit den Original-Sängern der Bands neu aufgenommen, mit augenzwinkernden Humor interpretiert und "perfekt" eingedeutscht! Von The Cracks "This is my world/ Meine Welt" bis hin zu The Toasters, Murphy's Law, (Secret Agent Skin..ääh Spiller), Cockney Rejects, Agnostic Front, The Business, Dropkick Muphys, Antiseen...ach, schaut einfach die Tracklist selbst an. So eine Scheibe mit dieser prominenten Beteiligung wird wohl nie wieder kommen! Zeitlos, vom Kulturminister garantiert nicht empfohlen und auch heute noch etwas ganz Besonderes! Aber damit nicht genug, denn auf der Bonus-LP finden sich "andere Lektionen" in Form von Demo-Raritäten und gesuchten Sampler-Beiträgen, z.B. vom Johnny Cash-Tribute Sampler ("San Quentin") mit Gunter Gabriel), einen Coversong von Gunter selbst (Intercity Linie Nr.4) oder alle Songs von der ebenfalls vergriffenen Split-Scheibe mit Hudson Falcons "One Size Slits All" von 2003. Insgesamt 27 Songs (oder sind es sogar 28?) auf erstmals Doppel-Vinyl! Eine Nachhilfestunde der punkigeren Art!. Woanders hieß das wohl Deluxe Edition mit Röstaroma, hier "Lern ma Deutsch! und andere Lektionen" Doppel-Vinyl als 2LP schwarz, 2LP zwei Farben oder 2LP zwei Splatter! In Klappcover, mit Insert und verstecktem Bonustrack auf der D-Seite.

The Reds, Pinks & Purples is a San Francisco indie band led by Glenn Donaldson (The Ivy Tree, Skygreen Leopards, Art Museums and Painted Shrine). For fans of_ Guided By Voices, The Chills, Teenage Fanclub, The Shins, The Replacements, Leonard Cohen, The Go-Betweens, Robert Wyatt. Having penned over 200 songs in the last six years, The Reds, Pinks and Purples release a collection of tracks previously unreleased on physical format that continues to romanticise the wonders and woes of the world. With song titles that read like chapter sub-heads for a post-Douglas Coupland novella, 'The Past Is A Garden I Never Fed' takes The Reds, Pinks and Purples central orator Glenn Donaldson through the turmoil of small talk and everyday water cooler moments with a fine sense of pathos and irony. Set to a soundtrack that swerves between the dark days of Television Personalities and Byrdsian twang to the Jarvis Cocker-styled rhetoric and vocal tenderness of 'Richard In the Age Of The Corporation' with hints of everything from Husker Du's fuzzed splendour to the chiming majesty of The Chameleons it's an empowering listen. The pathos and irony of the glorious track 'The World Doesn't Need Another Band' sets out the band's store, it's a measured and quietly outspoken rant at lacklustre opposition peppered with a gorgeous guitar break. Meanwhile, 'I Only Ever Wanted To See You Fail' rumbles with an Eddie And The Hot Rods pre-punk riff before dissolving into a tale of self-doubt and remorse, bemoaning others' good luck. 'Toxic Friend' is from the book of the TVP's Daniel Treacey with an upbeat chorus that smacks of all that was good in old school indie in a hail of fuzzy logic and guitars. From humble beginnings as a home recording project, The Reds, Pinks and Purples has blossomed into a sporadic live unit with tours on both sides of the Atlantic and appearances at Pitchfork Fest London and Woodsist Fest as well as support slots for indie legends such as Destroyer, Guided By Voices, and The Feelies. "Donaldson's best work hides allure within a bigger picture, like a jangle-pop egg hunt" Pitchfork.