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There’s something quietly defiant about Melody Boy. Written and recorded in a tiny beach hut studio on the English coast, and notably know for his previous work with Paul Weller and The Moons, Andy Crofts’ debut solo album arrives without compromise or concession to trend. It’s a record built on melody above all else, songs that feel unearthed rather than manufactured, guided by instinct, memory, and a lifelong obsession with the craft of songwriting.

Crofts, long established as a songwriter and musician, steps forward here with a voice that feels both seasoned and strangely elusive. There’s no rush to explain, no attempt to overstate. Instead, Melody Boy unfolds with a natural confidence, hook laden, harmonically rich, and emotionally direct without ever losing its sense of mystery.
Drawing from a lineage of classic songwriting while remaining firmly his own, the album leans into warmth, analogue textures, and a sense of timelessness that resists the churn of the modern music cycle. It’s not chasing a moment, it’s creating its own space.
Lead single “Blue” introduced that world: melodic, reflective, quietly anthemic. Across the album, that same thread runs deep, songs that reveal themselves slowly, rewarding repeat listens rather than demanding immediate attention.
There’s a deliberate sense of distance in Melody Boy. Not coldness, but clarity. A refusal to overexplain. The result is a body of work that feels personal without being confessional, detailed without being crowded.

In a landscape built on constant output and fleeting attention, Andy Crofts offers something else entirely: a record that trusts the listener to meet it halfway.
"Blue is another song that I can't get enough of at the moment" - Gary Crowley (BBC London)

There’s something quietly defiant about Melody Boy. Written and recorded in a tiny beach hut studio on the English coast, and notably know for his previous work with Paul Weller and The Moons, Andy Crofts’ debut solo album arrives without compromise or concession to trend. It’s a record built on melody above all else, songs that feel unearthed rather than manufactured, guided by instinct, memory, and a lifelong obsession with the craft of songwriting.

Crofts, long established as a songwriter and musician, steps forward here with a voice that feels both seasoned and strangely elusive. There’s no rush to explain, no attempt to overstate. Instead, Melody Boy unfolds with a natural confidence, hook laden, harmonically rich, and emotionally direct without ever losing its sense of mystery.
Drawing from a lineage of classic songwriting while remaining firmly his own, the album leans into warmth, analogue textures, and a sense of timelessness that resists the churn of the modern music cycle. It’s not chasing a moment, it’s creating its own space.
Lead single “Blue” introduced that world: melodic, reflective, quietly anthemic. Across the album, that same thread runs deep, songs that reveal themselves slowly, rewarding repeat listens rather than demanding immediate attention.
There’s a deliberate sense of distance in Melody Boy. Not coldness, but clarity. A refusal to overexplain. The result is a body of work that feels personal without being confessional, detailed without being crowded.

In a landscape built on constant output and fleeting attention, Andy Crofts offers something else entirely: a record that trusts the listener to meet it halfway.
"Blue is another song that I can't get enough of at the moment" - Gary Crowley (BBC London)

Within the broad church of metal and its many offshoots – rock, doom, stoner and all the rest – it remains a minor thrill to stumble across a group who seem to exist at a slight tangent to everything else. Crumbling Ghost is one such anomaly. Crumbling Ghost are not newcomers. They've been operating for some time, releasing records sporadically, Four' is in fact their fourth release. Along the way they've accumulated a fervent coterie of followers, not to mention the occasional nod of approval from tastemakers such as Stuart Maconie, Stewart Lee and Tom Ravenscroft. And though they've appeared at Roadburn, shared stages with Hawkwind and even Damo Suzuki, they remain (possibly by design) curiously under the radar.
The group's core idea is deceptively simple: traditional folk material refracted through the haze and heft of heavy, fuzzy stoner rock with a chunk of psyche and a smattering of doom. But crucially, this is done without the costumery and theatrical tics that often accompany such collisions. No mock pagan pageantry, no graveyard cosplay, no cartoon Satanism.
What Crumbling Ghost latch onto is not folk as a museum piece, but as a lived experience, the dramas rooted in the culture, stories, and daily lives of ordinary people, the folklore, the tales of love and death, murder and adultery, freedom and oppression. Singer Katie Harnett says. "Doting mothers, possessive, violent partners, vulnerable women, seasonal workers and Royal scandals this album is our representation of the trials and tribulations of human existence and universal experiences that still feel relevant today.

Guitarist John adds. "Themes of murder, betrayal, loss, jealousy, and love are found across the record. In particular, the songs of Martin Carthy have been a particular source of inspiration".
The result is a set of murder ballads, supernatural reckonings and cautionary tales, all wrapped in slabs of heavy, thumping fuzz and atmospheric sonics. Harnett's voice sits at the centre: unmistakably folk rooted, but shorn of prettification, melodic yet capable of real bite.

The album opener 'Bows Of London' is a murder ballad of sisterly hatred and grim sibling rivalry, centred on a haunted fiddle fashioned from a dead sister's bones. The loping relentless, hypnotic backing chillingly and perfectly accompanies the narrative. Of course, the story doesn't end well. 'Bill Norrie' follows, a hooky melody propelled by an insistent bassline and a haunting psych tinged haze punctured with sheets of noise.. The story of young Bill Norrie who sends a token to a married woman, whose jealous husband beheads him, without knowing he was his wife's son from an earlier affair. An instrumental palate cleanser arrives in the shape of 'Valtz Efter Tor Lohne' a Norwegian traditional the band jokingly describe as a "banger".
Then we have 'Lovely Joan' which offers a rare note of sly triumph: a quick witted woman outmanoeuvres a predatory nobleman, escaping with his ring and his horse. Muscular riffs give this tale of empowerment a welcome sense of teeth. 'Gower Wassail' is a traditional Welsh folk tune that captures the raucous spirit of communal ritual, noise making and drink fuelled hope for a good harvest. Captured perfectly here by CG complete with wah wah guitar and a drunken groove catching the song's celebratory chaos. Then we have a little gem in 'Last Of All Sleep' , an original band composition and a genuine highlight: a heavy lidded, shoegaze tinged folk reverie, equal parts distortion and delicacy. It's a drop-dead gorgeous shoegaze-tastic psychedelic grunge mini epic. The album closer 'The Unquiet Grave' is a very apt place to finish. It's about a young man whose constant grief at the death of his true love disturbs her eternal sleep so she cannot rest. Even though the playout on this track, complete with a demonic repeated riff and feedback feels suitably bleak, even this song allows a glimmer of release ... we think.
And there we have it, 7 songs, 7 worlds, all honed to perfection by producer Wayne Adams (Green Lung/Big Lad) that will reward every repeated listen.

Folk and metal/heavy rock do have a connection of course, just look at Green Lung and their 'folk horror' infused musical universe, but Crumbling Ghost are a very different beast.
'Four' amply and beautifully demonstrates that when it comes to 'folk horror' there's nothing quite as horrible as folk ... Here, the horror such as it is, and it must be said, the moments of light, comes not from theatrics, but from the songs themselves – which, after all, is where it's always lived.
Crumbling Ghost are John Mosley – Guitar / Donny Hopkins – Guitar / Ruth O’Loughlin – Bass / Katie Harnett – Vocals / Matthew Atkins- Drums.

Sometimes the only way to feel better is to spend some time feeling bad. Countless albums have provided the soundtrack for picking yourself back up, but Public Opinion are there for when you’re getting kicked while you’re down. Their sophomore album, the cheekily titled The Curse of Public Opinion, is a ten-song, 23-minute ode to frustration and disappointment–all set to some of the catchiest punk songs you’ll hear this year. Who knew swallowing a bitter pill could be this fun? Recorded with Brett Romnes (Anxious, I Am The Avalanche, Hot Mulligan), the album plumbs the depths of disappointment over a tight set of fuck-you anthems that perfectly bottle 2000s garage rock swagger, classic punk hooks, and hardcore ferocity into Public Opinion’s own sneering cocktail. "Public Opinion are making straight up, relentless, rock and roll. And thank God." -Anna Zanes, Alternative Press

Catch them on tour across the US this year with Drug Church, White Reaper and Spy.

Absurdity and punk rock go together like celery and tonic water. That is to say, they are two acquired tastes that are even better together, because they push out the squares and cater to the real freaks. That spirit has driven Chicago’s Cel Ray from the very beginning. Springing to life with their debut EP Cellular Raymond in 2023, the Chicago four-piece of vocalist Maddie Daviss, guitarist Josh Rodin, bassist Kevin Goggin, and drummer Alex Watson charted a path through twitchy, absurdist post-punk that fell somewhere between The Minneapolis Uranium Club and The B-52s. Piss Park followed later that year, and aside from the “Raw God” single in 2025, the band spent their time ripping club shows across the Midwest, playing in DIY spots, dive bars, and, one time, being hand-selected to open for Jack White.

Now, after years of waiting for a proper full-length, Cel Ray has joined the illustrious noisenicks at Exploding In Sound to release Cel Rayzer, a record that, as its name subtly implies, is sharper and more acerbic than anything Cel Ray’s done before. What makes Cel Rayzer so impactful is the inability to pin it down. Yes, it’s garage punk; yes it’s egg-punk; yes it’s post-punk, but it’s beholden to none of those things. This is what makes Cel Rayzer such a thrill; Just when you think you have the band figured out, they transform into something else so effortlessly, you’re left wondering how they even pulled it off.

Inspired by classic post-punk bands like The Cure, Sad Lovers & Giants, The Chameleons, and The Danse Society, but includes other musical influences like new wave, dream pop, deathrock, and even 90’s emo/screamo. DECEITS has shared the stage with acts such as She Past Away, She Wants Revenge, New Order, and Xmal Deutschland. The group is also set to perform at Darker Waves Festival in November alongside Morrissey, The Smashing Pumpkins, and more.

Exxûl emerges as a massive, brooding monument to the tradition of high-stakes Epic Doom. Founded by Phil Tougas (Zeicrydeus, Chthe’ilist, Atramentus), the project serves as a vital expansion of his established conceptual multiverse, carrying forward the intricate lore of his previous works into a new realm of tragedy and weight. However, Exxûl is a formidable collective in its own right, featuring a lineup of elite musicians from across the extreme metal spectrum. Their debut album, 'Sealed Into None', eschews the frantic pace of the modern world for a deliberate, regal march toward oblivion. Their debut album is a regal march, drawing inspiration from the technical majesty of early Fates Warning, the thundering conviction of Manowar, and the frost-bitten heroics of Scald and Solitude Aeturnus. It is an uncompromising work of architectural doom, serving as the definitive companion to the Zeicrydeus mythos and a new pillar in a vast, dark narrative.

For fans of: Solitude Aeturnus, Fates Warning (Early), Scald, Manowar, and Zeicrydeus.

Giacomo was digging through Discogs when he came across a mysterious Len Lewis release — three untitled tracks, no trace of it anywhere nor audio clips, only the cat# LJL003. He ordered the only copy and got in touch with Len shortly after, who to quote said "it's like listening to someone else's music."

The distribution company folded before they could see the light, and it turned out the records had only ever reached the test pressing stage in 2002. 

Now, for the first time, these tracks are being officially released!

Emotional Rescue returns after a much-needed year hiatus, refreshed and ready, as it moves into its 15th year, to further explore the environs of oft-forgotten musical secrets and present them to new heads and minds.

To celebrate, the label looks back to one of its favourite collaborations, the music of French ‘Ethno-Industrialists’ Vox Populi! in presenting a truly unique EP of “In Dub”, inspired remixes by 4 fellow Paris based artists of today in Full Circle, Froid Dub, Krikor and Shelter.

“In Dub” takes a selection of songs from the series of albums reissued or compiled on Emotional Rescue and sister label, Platform 23, and gives the Master tapes to this talented ensemble to offer their own, unique dub reworks. The project explores the on-going advances in technology offered, mixed with pure talent and a respectful homage.

Formed by Axel Kyrou and including wife Mitra, as well as long-term music and art partners Pierre Jolivet aka Pacific 231 and Francis Lafont aka FR6 Man, they forged a path from obscure, drum and drum-based cassette releases on to fully realized albums and compilations on their now cult Vox Man Records.

Alexis Le Tan and Joakim’s Full Circle project starts, with their electronic dub remake of Soleyman Dub from the ‘Alternatif Réalisme’ compilation (ERC079). With releases on Good Morning Tapes, Offen and their own “Released” label, their plaudits as master diggers and producers of dubby tripped-out inspired electronics – releasing slowed Trance some 10 years before anyone else – is inspired. Tuning in and turning on the original dub into a mantra style slow-breaks (Digi)dub is the perfect experimental flavour.

Jube Man is next, a twisted, psychedelic dub out by rising stars Froid Dub. The stand-out from the ‘Magiques Creations’ release (ERC052), an album that explored Vox Populi’s furtive post-industrial period of 1984 to 1988, Jube Man was the perfect selection by the duo of François Marché and Stéphane Bodin.

Froid Dub have steadily developed their “cold” Digidub style to acclaim –

releasing a steady flow of dub inspired electronics on their own label Delodio, as well as recently appearing on sister label Emotional Response’s 10th year anniversary collection, ‘All Trades’. Their haunting, shuffling and murky acid / piano dub, with the drifting “Space Echoing” of Mitra’s vocals from the live desk mix, creates a ghostly version to effect.

Next, master mixer, producer and engineer Krikor serves a steppers remake with his “OverDub” of Zen-Dub. With a career that spans releases on Tigersushi, LIES and Soul Jazz, his sound has developed from Electro, House and Techno, to Acid, Bleep, Dancehall, Dub and touches of Gabba.

Taken from Vox Populi!’s master-opus Aither (ERC030), the first of our reissues dating back to 2016, Zen-Dub’s pacey, lo-fi dub experience is transformed and overdubbed into an incessant sound system throb, a true bass quaking “steppa”.

To close, Micro Climax is put through Shelter’s increasing avant dub exposition. Appearing on the likes of Growing Bin, Emotional Response and his own Protopost, as well for – and being in-house designer – on the much-missed Séance Centre, Alan Briand aka Shelter productions have developed from Balearic, Edits and House to explore Avant, Raga and live Dub productions.

Appearing on the recent ‘Ethniques Pyschedeliques’ compilation on Platform 23 (PLA032), in original form Micro Climax is a sprawling 10-minute ethno-dub of whispered vocals, drone and sub bass. Shelter strips it back, keeping background effects, adding live bass and percussion to create a wonky, slow, shuffling ska-lite excursion to complete a true “In Dub”.

Chloe Lula Announces Syntax: A Singular Vision Connecting Ambient Meditations and Hypnotic Techno San Francisco-born, Berlin-based artist Chloe Lula announces the launch of Syntax, a record label that codifies her unique position within the electronic music landscape. Arriving as the definitive home for her work as a DJ, producer and cellist, Syntax follows her established residency at Tresor and acclaimed releases on foundational labels including Mord, Blueprint and the highly esteemed experimental imprint Subtext. Her label is the culmination of a decade spent as both a participant in and a defining voice in the scene—a space where Lula’s deep and cohesive vision of electronic music finally converge. The label’s name refers to the arrangement of elements to forge new meaning, a philosophy Lula applies to her singular musical grammar. Whether through her slow-burning, exacting techno or her instrumental compositions, Lula’s work is characterized by a patience that understands nuance and counterpoint. This vision is reflected in the label's structure: releases will arrive in thematic series that bypass traditional genre markers to focus on atmosphere, immersion and hypnotica. The imprint’s debut, SYN-PLS01, marks the beginning of the Pulse series, a collection specifically engineered for the floor. For this inaugural release, Lula took recordings from Swiss electroacoustic composer Alexandra Bellon as a jumping-off point, molding Bellon's architectural sense of space into six tracks of driving techno. Future series will expand the catalog into ambient and instrumental territories, reconciling formal acoustic tradition with the raw functionality of the electronic landscape. With a career spanning editorial leadership at Resident Advisor and her work shaping the dialogue of the culture through her writing and interviews, Lula brings a deep, analytical knowledge to her craft. Syntax is the connective tissue between her work in the booth and her critical contributions to the field—a project that formalizes her distinct perspective as both a curator and a creator. SYN-PLS01 arrives on May 8. Follow @syntax.records for updates.

Next up on Berlin’s Pure Hate Trax PH009 PH EP by NX1 Incl. UVB Remix. For over a decade, the Barcelona-based duo NX1 have forged and continuously refined a unique sonic identity. Their music radiates an awe- inspiring physicality: powerful low-end pressure, meticulously crafted breaks, and tension-driven crescendos that elevate each track without ever resorting to clichés. The duo has consolidated its position with releases on some of the most respected labels in the scene, including Planète Rouge, MORD, Modularz, Semantica, BITE, Earwiggle and their own imprints NX1 and Nexe Records. Their discography reached a pivotal moment with the release of their acclaimed album “What You Should Know About Yourself”, a defining chapter in the evolution of their artistry. On remix this time we are proud to welcome UVB to the label. The French Berlin based artist needs no introduction due to his constant presence on the Techno scene for well over a decade now releasing on such labels as Mord, 47, Monnom Black, Analogue, STOOR and his own imprints SHIV and Body Theory. Mastered by Paul Mac Graphic design by Slave To Society Distributed by Triple Vision Distribution 2026 Pure Hate Trax

The legends of the golden era of Italian soundtracks and library music go by many names, but the backbone of that era’s definitive sonic identity is most often identified as I Marc 4 (also known as Marc 4 or I Marc Quattro). While the moniker might be less familiar to the uninitiated, it is a simple acronym derived from its founding members: Maurizio Majorana (bass), Antonello Vannucchi (organ), Roberto Podio (drums and percussion), and Carlo Pes (guitar). The number "4" serves to highlight the core synergy of these four master musicians. Their journey began in Rome’s vibrant jazz scene of the 1950s and early 1960s, where they honed their craft as members of the RAI national orchestra and collaborated with the most prominent jazz and pop icons of the day. However, it was their pivotal role in defining the Italian cinematic sound of the 1960s and 1970s that secured their legacy. Their unmistakable style was an eclectic fusion of beat, jazz, classical, and Latin influences—textured with early synthesizers, experimental sound effects, and a blend of electronic and baroque instrumentation. Consequently, their initials are etched into the credits of countless landmark recordings by legendary composers such as Nino Rota, Armando Trovajoli, Gianni Ferrio, Alessandro Alessandroni, Piero Umiliani, and Ennio Morricone.

Beyond their work as session luminaries, they produced a vast body of library music under their own name at the legendary Telecinesound Studios in Rome. These recordings were released through prestigious library labels like Sermi, Ricordi, and Fonit Cetra, as well as through their own imprints: Nelson Records, Silver Men, and Silver Music, spanning a definitive series of sixteen albums. Ten of these volumes were issued on Nelson Records during the 1970s, featuring the now-iconic military stencil design. Each release was color-coded: red (G.L.P. 1001), dark blue (G.L.P. 1002), gold (G.L.P. 1003), light green (G.L.P. 1004), brown (G.L.P. 1005), black (G.L.P.1006), light blue (G.L.P. 1007), yellow (G.L.P. 1008), orange (G.L.P.1009), and cool green (G.L.P. 1010). The series was completed by two elusive companion releases: S.M. 2001 on Silver Music and S.M. 2002 on Silver Men, both presented in the same distinctive brown sleeve. Rediscovered in the 1990s and 2000s, these Nelson releases have since achieved cult status among collectors, producers, and DJs worldwide. The final two installments, S.M. 2001 and S.M. 2002, remain the rarest and most enigmatic of the set.

Often overlooked, they contain some of the most profound "hidden gems" in the group’s catalog. The tracklist traverses a wide stylistic spectrum: from the rare groove and proto-hip hop energy of "Trama Nella Metropoli", "Beat Morbido", and "Candy", to the lush cinematic atmospheres featuring the ethereal vocals of Edda Dell'Orso on "Summer In Love", "On The Rain", and "Arcobaleno". The collection is rounded out by sophisticated jazz pieces like "Flauti Ensemble", "Passeggiata", and "Atmosfere Dolci”. Sonor Music Editions has meticulously curated the finest moments from these two rare albums for this first-ever dedicated reissue. Bringing together the best of Silver Music (S.M. 2001) and Silver Men (S.M. 2002), this release retains the iconic stencil artwork but introduces a striking silver finish. This design choice honors the original ten-album sequence while shedding new light on these outstanding recordings—works that remain, in every sense, golden.

Tomoyoshi Date and Stijn Hüwels met for the first time in 2015 in Tokyo, being introduced to each other by Chihei Hatakeyama. That same evening, they recorded what would later become Hochu-Ekki-Tou, their first album, released on Home Normal in 2019, followed by 遠き火、遠き雲 (A Distant Fire, A Distant Cloud) in 2021 on LAAPS.

Tomoyoshi Date creates acoustic and organic sounds with a little touch of digital processing. He began to create electronic music in 1998. In 2003, he forms the group Opitope with Chihei Hatakeyama (released by SPEKK), in 2012 the group ILLUHA with Corey Fuller (released by 12k), and the group Melodia with Federico Durand (Home Normal). His solo albums were released from Flyrec (2009, Japan) and Own Records (2011, Luxembourg). Also he worked as emergency doctor until 2014, and started his ambient oriental medical clinic "Tsuyukusa Clinic" in Tokyo since 2014. Tomoyoshi currently resides in Narita, close to Tokyo.

Stijn Hüwels has a profound fascination for minimalism. He's using mainly layers of processed guitar and field recordings. He released on Dauw, mAtter, Eilean Rec., Home Normal, White Paddy Mountain and Slowcraft/Lifelines. He released albums in collaboration with Chihei Hatakeyama, Norihito Suda, An Moku and Ian Hawgood. Together with James Murray he forms Silent Vigils. Stijn lives and works in Leuven and Brussels, Belgium. He's also curating Slaapwel Records since 2014, a label dedicated to music to fall asleep with.

Lonely Man's Dream marks a milestone for Forager Records: our tenth release, and perhaps our most personal. More than a compilation, it is a self-portrait. A reflection of the musical obsessions, late-night discoveries, and restless digging that have defined this label from our first record to this latest one.

Spanning the dreamy psychedelic folk of the 1970s to the cool shimmer of 1980s synth pop, Lonely Man's Dream traces a decade of curatorial wandering. Eleven artists. Eleven songs. Each one rare, obscure, or otherwise lost to the margins of music history. Among them, two tracks surface here for the very first time: “Never Say Goodbye” by Cocktails and Dreams, a synth pop transmission from Norway, luminous and weightless as the skies on the cover. “True Love” by Keith Jones, a drum machine backed demo that pulses with a late night intimacy.

What unites these songs across genre and era is the same quality we have always chased; a transporting ache, the sound of someone searching, or the feeling of a memory you can't quite place. Like every record before it, this one asks nothing of you but your full attention and an open ear.

Ten releases in, we are still looking for the same thing we started with. We hope you feel it too.

* Featuring a selection of songs sourced from rare records of the 70s & 80s reissued for the first time.
* Includes 2 unreleased songs from the 80s
* Original artwork by Eric Thompson
* Very limited initial first pressing

Leading Danish contemporary jazz label April Records is proud to present Well, actually..., the third album from Polish acoustic jazz quartet O.N.E. Grounded in the spirit of democracy andcollective improvisation, the album offers a tightly woven set of original compositions that blur the lines between modal jazz lyricism and the raw energy of free improvisation.The band name O.N.E. is a clever double entendre: in Polish, "one" (pronounced oh-neh) means "they" in the feminine plural - an apt nod to the all-female lineup. In English, of course, it signifies unity. Both meanings reflect the band"s egalitarian, leaderless approach and cohesive group sound.Almost three years after the recording of their previous release Entoloma(Audio Cave), the group reunited in December 2024 at Studio S4 in Warsaw to record a fresh set of ten compositions. Spread over two sides, the album captures the continued evolution of a band that thrives on interaction, trust, and shared purpose - even in a society fractured by post-pandemic socio-economic uncertainty and political ambiguity. Featuring contributions from all four members - pianist Kateryna Ziabliuk, saxophonist Monia Muc, bassist Kamila Drabek, and drummer Patrycja Wybranczyk - the recordreflects their commitment to artistic democracy. Each voice is given space, yet the music always feels greater than the sum of its parts. Even on the miniature solo track solo form, the other three players remain present, supportive, and responsive. From Ziabliuk"s percussive piano textures and dreamlike voicings on tracks like Osloand Berio, to Muc"s expressive, woody tone on alto and baritone sax, each piece explores dynamic interplay and shifting emotional landscapes. Drabek"s resonant, grounded bass - by turns lyrical and propulsive - provides a central thread, while Wybranczyk"s drumming fizzes with precision and imagination, as heard on Cipherand the angular closer Sneaking Around.Together, these four distinctive creative forces have developed a shared language built on mutual respect, long-term collaboration, and deep listening. Their concerts across Europe (including Jazzahead, B-Jazz, Umea, and the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival) haveaffirmed their standing as a boundary-pushing group with something new to say.








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For the very first time, the energy of So W'Happy Festival is captured on vinyl with the So W'Happy – Vinyl Sampler 2025.

Produced in collaboration with Babaorum Records, this release brings together a selection of the festival's most iconic anthems, including the official So W'Happy Festival anthems from 2022 to 2025.

Featuring tracks by Frontliner, Rayzen, DRS, Sandy Warez, Unsyn, D-Charged, JNXD and Carola, the sampler reflects the evolution of the festival through the artists and productions that have helped shape its identity. From euphoric hardstyle melodies to uncompromising hardcore and uptempo energy, every track captures the passion, intensity and atmosphere that define the So W'Happy experience.

More than just a compilation, this first vinyl edition celebrates the music that has become the soundtrack of one of Belgium's leading harder styles festivals.

French

Pour la toute première fois, l'univers du So W'Happy Festival est immortalisé sur vinyle avec le So W'Happy – Vinyl Sampler 2025.

Réalisée en partenariat avec Babaorum Records, cette sortie réunit une sélection des hymnes les plus emblématiques du festival, dont les anthems officiels des éditions 2022 à 2025.

Avec des titres de Frontliner, Rayzen, DRS, Sandy Warez, Unsyn, D-Charged, JNXD et Carola, cette compilation retrace l'évolution du festival à travers les artistes et les productions qui ont forgé son

identité. Des mélodies hardstyle aux sonorités hardcore et uptempo les plus explosives, chaque morceau retranscrit l'énergie, la passion et l'ambiance qui font aujourd'hui du So W'Happy un rendez-vous incontournable de la scène hard music.

Bien plus qu'une simple compilation, ce premier vinyle célèbre la musique qui accompagne l'histoire d'un festival devenu une référence de la scène harder styles en Belgique

Following the success of its debut vinyl release, So W'Happy Festival returns with the So W'Happy – Vinyl Sampler 2026, once again in collaboration with Babaorum Records.

Bringing together an explosive selection of artists from across the harder styles spectrum, this new edition perfectly captures the intensity and diversity that define the festival. Featuring tracks by The Dark Horror, Chicago Zone, Binum, K-Style, Jumpkiller, DJ HS, DJ Adolphe, DJ Furax, Pat B, G Sayz and many more, the sampler delivers everything from hardstyle and jump to hardcore and uptempo.

The release also includes The Dark Horror's Official So W'Happy Festival Anthem 2025, alongside exclusive reinterpretations and festival favourites, including Hysta's explosive remix of the timeless classic The Age Of Love.

Powerful kicks, unforgettable melodies and uncompromising energy make this vinyl a true reflection of the So W'Happy experience. Whether you're reliving unforgettable moments from the festival or discovering its unique atmosphere for the first time, the So W'Happy – Vinyl Sampler 2026 brings the spirit of the harder styles straight to your turntable.

French

Après le succès de son premier vinyle, le So W'Happy Festival poursuit l'aventure avec le So W'Happy – Vinyl Sampler 2026, une nouvelle fois réalisé en partenariat avec Babaorum Records.

Cette nouvelle édition rassemble une sélection explosive d'artistes emblématiques des harder styles et reflète toute la richesse musicale du festival. Avec des titres de The Dark Horror, Chicago Zone, Binum, K-Style, Jumpkiller, DJ HS, DJ Adolphe, DJ Furax, Pat B, G Sayz et bien d'autres, cette compilation navigue entre hardstyle, jump, hardcore et uptempo avec la même énergie qui anime les scènes du So W'Happy.

Le vinyle comprend notamment l'Official So W'Happy Festival Anthem signé The Dark Horror, ainsi que plusieurs morceaux incontournables et des relectures marquantes, dont le puissant remix de The Age Of Love par Hysta, véritable rencontre entre un classique intemporel et la nouvelle génération des harder styles.

Entre kicks ravageurs, mélodies fédératrices et énergie sans compromis, ce nouveau sampler retranscrit toute la puissance et l'atmosphère du So W'Happy Festival. Une sortie incontournable pour prolonger l'expérience du festival et retrouver chez soi l'esprit unique du So W'Happy.

Terence Fixmer Reimagines Chris Liebing & Luke Slater's 'Double Split' for CLR. Fixmer's remixes of Liebing/Slater's collaboration from the former's 'Evolver' LP release on 31st July.

Terence Fixmer has delivered two remixes of Chris Liebing and Luke Slater's 'Double Split' track, one of a handful of collaborations on Liebing's first-ever solo LP, 'Evolver', which was released in March this year. Having contributed to the LP as a member of The Alte Stuben Modular Ensemble, a super-group featuring Liebing, Daniel Miller, and Pascal Gabriel, Fixmer is a fitting choice to remix 'Double Split'.

Fixmer has been evolving his sound for more than 25 years. From deep and mind-bending to experimental and soulful, he is a visionary who has been hugely prolific, with many standout LPs and EPs on labels such as Mute Records, Novamute, Ostgut Ton, and Planete Rouge Records.

Fixmer's first 'Double Split' remix is inspired by the energy of the original, but focused on dubbier, hypnotic vibes. Strident drums and clattering percussion are stark by design, but smoky vocals and eerie synths hang in the air, bringing a bleak human futurism over all-consuming bass. Then comes the Melting Mind rework, which is boiled down to a handful of key elements, not least the original's penetrating acid line. It's an immersive, late-night dive that locks you in a state of constant motion and unrelenting pressure. The original from Chris Liebing and Luke Slater, a dark and futuristic roller with automated drums and layers of rusty synths encircled by acidic gurgles, completes the package.

The second album from Chicago based Brigette Calls Me Baby firmly establishes them as a band to watch. It's fair to say that they are a band that takes a lot of influence from 1980s UK indie in general and The Smiths in particular. Opening track 'There's Always' finds vocalist Wes Leavins channelling Morrissey's finer moments; and in particular those moments when Morrissey was in thrall to the crooners of the 1950s. This is particularly poignant in relation to the themes that run through the album, most notably the idea that certain moments in your history shape your very being for the rest of your life. Clearly hearing certain records has shaped Brigette Calls Me Baby as much as those all important life-change moments. That's not to say this a band that isn't ploughing its own furrow, songs like "Slumber Party" with its relentless bassline and dance influenced drums show a band that can mix its influences are create something unique. "I Can Take The Sun Out Of The Sky' might have those darkened crooning tones from Leavins, but they can't keep a lid on the sheer positivity that his band is generating, it has the feel of a real summer anthem.

First Word Records proudly bring you the sophomore EP from Ruby Wood - ‘No Rain, No Flowers’.

Ruby is a singer / songwriter hailing from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire in the UK. Her soulful yet distinctive voice has enabled her to front numerous projects over the years; perhaps best known as lead vocalist of the critically acclaimed Submotion Orchestra, since 2009.

Her first solo EP ‘Sincerely’ dropped back in 2023, and received love from the likes of Jamie Cullum, Craig Charles, Jyoty, Huey Morgan, Wordplay & saw Ruby named Mi-Soul Radio's 'One to Watch'.

The follow-up EP ‘No Rain, No Flowers’ is a personal tale of growth through adversity. Reflecting on long-term love, fleeting intimacy, grief, and the relationships that shape us. Rather than offering answers, the 8-track EP sits with life as it is. Imperfect, cyclical and shared. The title speaks to the belief that difficult experiences are not separate from growth, but essential to it.

Musically, the project encompasses contemporary flavours within the realms of r&b, soul and hip hop. It features an impressive collective of vocal collaboraters; Illa J, Devin Tracy, Abnormal Sleepz & PRIDO. Each bring their own distinct perspective, whilst complimenting the EP’s introspective tone; favouring warmth, restraint & lyrical authenticity. All are backed by a smooth sonic backdrop of beautifully rich instrumentation, produced primarily by Rob Mitchell of Abstract Orchestra.

Ruby has performed live shows with Nightmares on Wax & Abstract Orchestra as well as with r&b legend Bryson Tiller at his sell-out UK gigs, including Wembley Arena & Manchester Apollo. This is additionally to touring with Bonobo & Nubiyan Twist, and collaborating with the likes of Krept & Konan, Alfa Mist, GLXY and Roska, to name a few.

The diversity of her career, ranging from the intimate to the large-scale performances, gives Ruby a unique balance of vulnerability and musical depth, prioritising authenticity over spectacle. As a solo artist, her work is rooted in honest lived experiences, leading to a focus on songs that resonate long after first listen.

This EP offers a reflection of where Ruby is at now, informed by where she’s been before. It’s a project that embraces imperfection, recognising that those experiences that challenge us the most, shape us the deepest.

Soul Music legend Candi Staton returns to her down-home Alabama roots on her 32nd album, Back to My Roots. The twelve-track Americana set features an array of Staton-penned originals and some well-chosen covers.

"These songs represent my roots," Staton adds as she reflects on her many trials and triumphs. "Even the new songs on some level represent something I've experienced and that's what real soul music is about." Back to My Roots was produced by Staton with her second eldest son, Marcus Williams, a professional drummer who has toured with the likes of Peabo Bryson, Isaac Hayes, and Tyler Perry. They brought in Mark Nevers of Lambchop fame, who produced three of Staton’s prior Americana albums for Honest Jon’s and Thirty Tigers, to sweeten certain tracks. “Some of the first songs I ever heard were songs like `Peace in the Valley’ and `It’s Gonna Rain,’” says Staton. “The new songs or cover songs are tracks that remind me of that era when I was growing up as a child and evolving as a young woman. That’s why I named the album Back to My Roots because I’m going back to the roots that made me who I am.”

Staton received the Americana Music Association UK’s highest honour, the International Lifetime Achievement Award, at the UK Americana Music Awards ceremony at Hackney Church in London last year for her southern soul work that stretches from her 1969 Muscle Shoals hits to her more recent collaborations with the likes of Americana kings Jason Isbell and John Paul White.
The album opens with a mid-tempo Bonnie Raitt-styled contemporary blues “I Missed the Target Again” that finds Harry Connick Jr.’s longtime guitarist Jonathan DuBose Jr. (aka the Prophesying Guitarist) showing off his skills that set the tone for the song and the album.

Staton’s older sister, Maggie Staton Peebles (who alongside Staton was a member of the Jewel Gospel Trio in the 1950s), joins her for two duets. The first, “It’s Gonna Rain,” features just a drum, steel guitar and vocals. “My mother used to sing that song to us all the time when I was a child,” Staton recalls. “It’s a really soulful kind of song I wanted to revisit.” They then take turns leading Thomas Dorsey 1939 gem “There Will Be Peace in the Valley” that Elvis Presley popularized in the 1950s.

“Hang on in There” is a new, mid-tempo song that has an old school gospel flavour and features vocals from veteran bluesman, Larry McCray.
While in Europe in 2023 for her farewell concert tour that took her to the Glastonbury Festival and Love Supreme, Staton and her British band, PUSH, went into a London studio to record a new version of The Rolling Stones’ 1972 gem, “Shine A Light.” “I love the way that came out,” Staton says. “We put a big choir on it and put our own twist on it.”
From there, Staton revives another Thomas Dorsey classic, “The Lord Will Make a Way Somehow,” with a bluesy vibe. When Al Green started recording gospel in the early 1980s, he re-introduced this song into the culture.

“God’s Gonna Use Me Anyway” is a new mid-tempo blues with subtle Caribbean influences.

The mood takes a turn on “1963.” It’s a poignant, spoken-word reflection on September 15, 1963, when four black girls were killed in the Birmingham Church bombing. “I was in the city that day and I remember the chaos and horror after the bombing,” Staton recalls. “Just thinking of how racism and hatred caused those men to kill those girls was so emotional for me that I could only do it in one take.”

It's a perfect segue into "Reach Down and Touch Heaven," a haunting, plea for divine intervention into the affairs of mankind. "That's straight Baptist," she says. "I used to be a church pianist back in the 1960s. I've never played piano on one of my records before so that's a unique song for me because I’m finally playing on one of my records. The message of that song is about the homeless. It came to me when a homeless person on the street asked me for $5. When God touches your heart to help somebody else that’s heaven to God’s hears. So, when we reach into our purse or wallet to help someone, we’re touching heaven."

Staton offers love as an antidote to hate on the bouncy, Motown-styled, “Love Breakthrough.”

Her publicist brought Aaron Frazer & the Flying Stars of Brooklyn NY’s 2017 cut “My God Has a Telephone” to Staton’s attention. She shifts the track from a retro 1960s groove to more of a 1980s Malaco Records arrangement, a subtle but distinct variation. Staton brought in her longtime friend and STAX Records legend, William Bell (“I Forgot to Be Your Lover” and “Trying to Love Two”), to add raspy seasoning to the track.

The album closes with the wistful, “In God’s Hands We Rest Untroubled,” that was originally written and recorded by the late country star, Lari White, who died in 2017 at the age of 52. “Lari sent me that song to consider at least ten years ago and I always loved it,” Staton says. “The record label didn’t want it on the album or something, so I just held it.”
Staton says, “I grew up hearing a lot of these old songs when they were new songs. I toured with the Jewel Gospel Trio in the 1950s and we got to know people like Mahalia Jackson, Sam Cooke and others who sang these types of songs. So, I’m sort of paying tribute to them and the influence they had on me by refreshing these songs and making new songs in the old style.”’

Die Firma GAMA aus Kirchheim/Teck galt in den Achtzigern nach Noise Records und Steamhammer als wichtiges Label für eine neue Szene in Deutschland: Heavy Metal! Zusammen mit Companieswie Earthshaker, Wishbone oder Mausoleum sorgte man für die etwas kleineren Brötchen in diesem Segment und konnte sich auch bei der Presse nie so durchsetzen wie die Großen. Trotzdem sind Namen wie Stormwitch, Darkness oder SDI auch heute noch ein Begriff – oder: Gerade heute wieder! Viel hat sich getan, seit GAMA und ihre Labels Scratch, SL-Records, Sri Lanca, Hot Blood, Wave, Camel, Scratchcore, Peak und Tales Of Thrash ca. 1990 von der
Bildfläche verschwanden und die folgenden Jahre von Budgetfirmen wie WZ und Laserlight Digital ausgeschlachtet wurden, was den Ruf einiger Bands zunächst geschadet hat. Doch eine neue Metalszene feiert den Oldschool-Sound der Achtziger und hat schon Anfang der 2000er das Repertoire der Kultfirma aus Kirchheim/Teck für sich entdeckt.

Platten, die man noch zuvor für zwei DM in der Wühlkiste fand, stiegen auf einmal im Preis und wurden zu Raritäten. Bands wie SDI, Stormwitch oder Necronomicon rocken wieder die Bühnen und treffen auf eine neue Generation Fans. In Südamerika und Osteuropa gibt es regelrechte GAMA-Fanclubs. Kein Wunder, dass in Brasilien ein Buch über die längst verblichene Firma veröffentlicht wurde („Cry Out For Metal“). Es gibt zahllose Beweise, dass der B-Klasse-Ruf von GAMA in den meisten Fällen falsch, aber auf alle Fälle überholt ist. Das beweist auch die 3er VINYLBOX „GAMA Records – The Vinyl Boxset“. Zwei Bands sind im GAMAUniversum keine Unbekannten: VETO und TOX. SCHLOSS hingegen sind ein heute rarer Geheimtipp des Labels. Sowohl eine GAMACompilation (2CD), als auch viele einzelne Titel als remasterte Editionen auf Golden Core/ZYX, konnten nicht nur gute Kritiken und erfreute Fans erzeugen, sondern auch ordentliche Verkäufe. Nun gibt es drei dieser Klassiker in einer Box!

Demon Records presents a thrilling original Circuit Breaker story read by Jo Martin, featuring the Fugitive Doctor.

Jo Martin - the Fugitive Doctor in the BBC TV series – reads this gripping adventure by Steve Lyons, with David Banks as the Cyber-Leader. This fourth instalment in the Circuit Breaker story arc comes on 1LP translucent “Purple Coat” vinyl with a stunningly designed inner and outer sleeve.

Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker launches on 25 June 2026, kicking off an epic, multi-platform adventure unfolding this summer across audio, publishing, gaming and digital, bringing fans together for one connected, must-follow Whoniverse event. The story event will see a single, escalating crisis play out across multiple formats, with each chapter unlocking new clues, new dangers… and a new side to the Time Lord.

Yup, he’s finally done it. Afters years of releasing some of your favorite DJ’s dance floor ammo, Sweater has started his own label. The inaugural release on Sauna Records is produced by the new label boss himself and features 4 tracks he’s held close to the chest for a bit of time now while testing dance floors, tweaking arrangements, and getting these baselines just right to ensure a hot & steamy dance floor experience.

The A1 “Chemical Reactions” races out of the starting line with a swampy bassline peak time heater full of classic rave sounds contrasted by Sweater’s signature lush pad and lead work creating a mad chemist’s auditory dream. A2’s “Yaoguai” bubbles with a thoughtful and playful bounce over an ear-worm bassline. B1’s “On & On & On” is the proggy tech piece of kit you didn’t know you needed to ensure “that” moment in a set. B2’s “One Chord” lands the EP in a calmer manner, acting as a production experiment to see if Sweater could keep you interested with one chord playing in the background the entire track. The result is an introspective, eyes closed, thoughtful bop.

We hope you enjoy Sauna Records first offering and use this record for the physical and mental detoxification through sweat therapy on a dance floor near you.

John Edwards’ early releases, mainly at Aware Records under the tutelage of Floyd Smith, thrilled soul lovers with his consummate vocals and impressed the multi-million selling Spinners enough to hire him to replace their revered vocalist Philippe Wynne.
Edwards’ first Aware hits, such as ‘Stop This Merry-Go-Round’ and ‘Careful Man’, led to his eponymous debut LP. As the label’s major male artist, the company followed up by recording a second album and were probably anticipating a further hit. But Aware collapsed thanks to the label owner’s criminal activities, putting paid to that proposed disc.
When the master tapes were uncovered in the ’90s, the tracks were issued on the 1996 Kent CD ‘Careful Man’ and handful of singles were issued to great acclaim.
At last, we have collected the tracks on vinyl and the beauty of ‘Tin Man’, ‘How Can I Go On Without You’ and ‘Cold Hearted Woman’ can be enjoyed as they were originally intended. Modern soul fans will be able to sleep easily again.

Those albums that never age, that never cease to surprise with their innovative freshness-listen after listen-defying the years that go by. Released in 2016, Heimat's debut album is one of those records you love knowing is there on the shelf or on the turntable, like a reassuring talisman. To mark it's 10th anniversary, and such an awaited repress, we decided to honor this landmark album as it deserves: with a powerful remaster by Tioma Tchoulanov (UVB76, NzeNze) featuring enhanced dynamics, and an ultra-limited edition on blue splatter vinyl.

What a beautiful object this is, celebrating-alongside Armelle and Olivier Demeaux-ten years spent exploring the outer limits of music, in France and abroad, from SMAC venues to squats and other joyful initiatives. Their deeply sincere music loses none of it's naive tension; the emphasis is there, yet it remains restrained, contained, almost nervous, without any show of. Here, then, is something to make this fantastic album, a subtle milestone in a teeming musical landscape. A fine achievement indeed!

Night Lives is composer Kristine Tjogersen's second album on Aurora Records, and the follow up to the critically acclaimed debut album Between Trees from 2024, it's now being released on vinyl for the first time Kristine Tjogersen 's Night Lives (2023) is an excursion into the shrouded world of nocturnal creatures. Produced in a multidisciplinary collaboration with the Norwegian contemporary music ensemble Cikada , biologist and writer Hanna Bjorgaas, scenographer and performer Ellen Jerstad, visual artist and lighting designer Evelina Dembacke, and artist and designer Marie Payan, Night Lives offers a fantastical imagining of how bats, moths, owls, micro- organisms, and other nighttime dwellers communicate, immersing audiences in wonders that are beyond our human eyes and ears.

Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science ― Matthew Stevens, Aaron Parks, and Morgan Guerin ― delivers their sophomore project, Trip the Night Fantastic, on Candid Records. GRAMMY® nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for their 2019 release, Waiting Game, this acclaimed collective returns ― boasting an illustrious roll call of emcees, spoken word artists, and instrumentalists ― this time exploring systemic and contemporary themes that demand our attention, call us to action, and add stunning breadth to the time-honored tradition of amalgamating art and activism. Women’s empowerment, climate change, immigration, gender justice, body autonomy, community building, and animal rights are all elucidated with a freshness, depth, and creative brilliance that can only be birthed from someone whose creative core is rooted in empathy and humanity.

Featured throughout this new recording are vocalists Ledisi, Arooj Aftab, Michael Mayo, Miki Howard, Fatoumata Diawara, Debo Ray, Christie Dashiell, Lizz Wright, Vuyo Sotashe, Safa, Imani Rousselle, and Ian Michael; instrumentalists Brandee Younger, Marc Ribot, Larry Goldings, Rashaan Carter, Simon Moullier, Riley G, and Brenda Navarrete; emcees Nappy Nina, Kokayi, Kassa Overall, and Khemist; and spoken word artists J. Ivy, Aja Monet, Tarriona ‘Tank’ Ball, and Moor Mother.

Rigid box. The Complete Island Recordings includes 11 albums (12 LPs) packaged in a rigid card box with lift top lid, and wrapped in silver paper that simulates the brushed metal finish of a zippo lighter. The box includes all nine Bob Marley & The Wailers studio albums recorded for Island Records, featuring their most celebrated releases, including Catch A Fire, their 1973 label debut, and Rastaman Vibration, their 1976 breakthrough album in the United States, along with two live albums Live! and Babylon By Bus. Bob Marley was a Jamaican reggae singer, song writer, musician, and guitarist who achieved international fame and acclaim. His music in the 70s established his worldwide reputation and produced his status as one of the world's best-selling artists of all time, with sales of more than 75 million records.

Souldynamic celebrates the 10th year anniversary of their all time classic “Equatoriale” with two special re-edited and re-mastered versions, including an instrumental mix and released on vinyl format only on Excedo Records.

“Equatoriale” became Souldynamic's biggest track after the release of the legendary video showing Lil Louis playing it at Concrete in Paris with the acapella of Chuck Roberts - My House.

The 12 inch record also includes two more fresh new tracks which make this record perfect for the summer heat.

Originally released in 2012 the "Collider EP" by Romanian producer x sound artist YVAT caters a hefty set of six tracks for advanced, yet bass aware and low end loving late night dancefloors. Fractured IDM meets HyperPhonk, dense layers of slightly off-kilter synths, fragmented echoes of Bass Music and Post-Glitchstep, scattered remnants of Drum'n'Bass, cheeky vaporchrome melodies and highly detailed structures, all bound and glued together by gnarly, oftentimes overwhelming sawtooth synth basslines for the braindance crew. This sounds like a WARP Records release that never happened.

Press quote:
".... this one can be best described as a conjunctional work of Autechre and Aphex Twin, teaming up with the likes of Michael Forshaw on a dark'ish, but still melodic structure of Industrial patterns. Heavy, but still accessable and even spiced up with a slice of humour, a release to hunt down and watch out for - hard to find but important for the collection of an open minded spirit." [baze.djunkiii / nitestylez.de / 07/2012]

,AGON" ist das Regiedebüt von Giulio Bertelli und feierte auf den Filmfestspielen von Venedig 2025 Premiere. Der Film wurde mit dem Luciano-Sovena-Preis für die beste unabhängige Produktion sowie dem FIPRESCI-Preis (Internationaler Verband der Filmkritiker) ausgezeichnet. Er begleitet drei Sportlerinnen bei ihrer Vorbereitung und ihrem Wettkampf bei den LUDOJ 2024, fiktiven Olympischen Spielen, in ihren jeweiligen Disziplinen - Judo, Fechten und Sportschießen. Inspiriert von den historischen Figuren Kleopatra, Jeanne d'Arc und Nadezhda Durova werden diese Frauen vor dem politischen, sozialen, technologischen und physischen Hintergrund dargestellt, der den Spitzensport und die Höchstleistungen in diesen Disziplinen prägt. AGON untersucht eine zeitgenössische Darstellung der Widersprüche dieser Sportarten, die als Friedensübungen für den Krieg begannen, während ihre Disziplinen institutionell bereinigt, zu harmloser globaler Unterhaltung umgestaltet und schließlich in neuen digitalen Arenen gänzlich entmaterialisiert werden. Die Veranstaltungen bei LUDOJ finden nicht in Sportarenen statt, sondern in Tonstudios, ohne Live-Publikum. Diese spartanischen Räume werden nur von Athleten, Sportfunktionären und dem Filmteam bevölkert, die jede audiovisuelle Informationsebene einfangen. In dieser Umgebung wird jeder Mattenaufprall, jedes Schwertgeklirren und jeder Schuss bis ins kleinste Detail erlebt. Tom Wheatleys Filmmusik begann als konzeptioneller Spiegel dazu. Er nahm drei Musiker, von denen jeder einen einzigartigen Ansatz für sein Instrument verfolgte, wobei jedes Instrument eine Ausdruckssprache besitzt, die sich auf die jeweilige Sportart bezieht: Percussion für Judo, Cello für Fechten, Saxophon für Gewehrschießen. Hinzu kamen klaustrophobische analoge Elektronik und Dudelsäcke, um einen Zustand jenseits des Wettkampfs darzustellen: Krieg. Die reichhaltigen, detailreichen Signale dieser Musiker wurden live im Studio extrem bearbeitet, wodurch sich die Musik zeitweise in eine Grauzone zwischen Filmmusik, Sounddesign und Geräuschaufnahmen bewegte. ,Ich sah eine wesentliche Parallele zwischen dem Sportler und dem Musiker. Dass man diese Werkzeuge hat, die man durchs Leben trägt und die komplexe Nutzungsgeschichten in sich bergen. Diese Techniken und Traditionen werden erlernt und mit zeitgenössischen Technologien kombiniert, um neue Potenziale zu erschließen. So wie Alex Sokolov zu ihrer Waffe steht, so steht Jean-Luc Guionnet zu seinem Saxophon. Aus diesem Modell entstanden viele Ideen, die den Grundstein für die Filmmusik legten: die Anwendung der Gestik des Degenfechtens auf Utes Bogen; die ,gestimmte Luft` sowohl des Gewehrs als auch des Saxophons; die Übernahme des Judo-Konzepts des Schwerpunkts und dessen Anwendung auf eine Form rhythmischer Schwerkraft bei Seijiro. Es war eine reichhaltige Fundgrube" - Tom Wheatley ,So wie in der Welt von AGON Realismus und Fiktion verschwimmen, hat Tom dasselbe für die Filmmusik erreicht und die Grenze zwischen der akustischen Landschaft des Films und der Musik verwischt, wobei er den theoretischen Rahmen des Films selbst respektierte." - Giulio Bertelli











[k] 11REZ (GAME MUSIC) [BONUS TRACK]
[l] 12COURT (ROUGH SKETCH) [BONUS TRACK]
[m] 13PORK CHOP PLOT [BONUS TRACK]
[n] 14AGON TRAILER [BONUS TRACK]

"Motorway City" is a superb, driving-based collection of library music. The tracks on this album were all written between the mid-60s and the early 80s to hymn car travel, back when the petrol-operated motor car was seen as the transport mode of the future, when motorways were new and thrilling. It was car travel’s golden age.
The tracks are highly collectable rarities from the libraries of De Wolfe, Chappell and Hudson. It has been compiled by Bob Stanley of Saint Etienne who has also written the informative sleevenotes. It stretches from mod movers to proto-ambient, something for every car journey.

Library music soundtracked the many short films that extolled the virtues of TopTray restaurant at Watford Gap or the comfortable leather seats in an Alpine Sunbeam. These tunes illuminated the joys of motor travel, and were given titles such as ‘Fast Lane’, ‘Super City’ and ‘Clearway’.
Many of these tracks seem time specific. The sun peeks over the horizon for Basil Kirchin’s ‘Through New Territory’; Reg Tilsley’s ‘Hold The Road’ is so bright at midday that you’ll need to wear shades to stop the sun getting in your eyes; John Fiddy’s ‘City Skyline’ has to be seen (and heard) at dusk.

Ex-Soft Machine Karl Jenkins provides the tense ‘Wheeling’, and Peter Reno’s thunderous ‘Convoy’ shifts the mood up a gear. Maybe you should risk nudging the speed up, 80-plus, to the soundtrack of Alan Hawkshaw’s ‘Fuel Injection’ or Simon Park’s mellow-but-dynamic ‘Big Road’.
Beautifully packaged in a gatefold sleeve, "Motorway City" could be the soundtrack to your summer holiday.

Originally released in 1987, this album featured the Cramps live on 30 August 1986 at the Galaxy Club, Auckland, New Zealand.
The album catches the lightning-in-a-bottle live magic of Lux Interior (vocals), Poison Ivy (guitar), Candy Del Mar (bass) and Nick Knox (drums).
Ace first reissued the 11-track album in 2013 on our Big Beat imprint on red vinyl. We now put that version back into the market.

When ELEH's debut "Floating Frequencies/Intuitive Synthesis I" was originally released it was praised as a powerful piece of new electronic minimalism. Twenty years later the artist's legacy has grown while ELEH continues to hypnotize new listeners with time stopping music. Critics, fans and neurologists have praised the music of ELEH as aiding attention and focus while seeming to slow time. Eleh's slow change drones are a state of flow hypnotizing listeners into meditative focus.

From the original packaging, "Pure Sound. Pure Volume. Pure Analog. Dedicated To La Monte Young"

ELEH began in 1999 as an exploration of analog synthesis, emphasizing low frequency difference tones and other resonant acoustic phenomena. ELEH highlights the physical presence of sound as it has been inspired by the physical world. There is also something ‘cathedral-like’ and cosmos-inducing in the sound constructed by ELEH.

This audiophile quality presentation of ELEH's debut album was mastered by Tom Eaton at Sounds And Substance and manufactured at Optimal in Germany for the lowest possible noise floor and the highest analog resolution. Packaged using a 5th color metallic shimmer ink on solid black board stock.

"Nuances of sound turn symphonic." New York Times

“ELEH’s sounds move by stealth and are sculpted from the world rather than from ego. Eleh is not a personality; Eleh is an idea about sound. ELEH forces you to contemplate the cosmos and your place in it. “ Gramophone

"ELEH demonstrates how a single amplified gesture delivered just so can reveal the inner workings of an entire cosmos." Tony Herrington/Wire

“Floating Frequencies/Intuitive Synthesis more than lives up to the mythic status that ELEH has ascended to. “ Brainwashed

"ELEH's music electrifies whatever space it engages. With the flip of a switch, it exposes the ways in which all space is, potentially, electric." ~ Frieze

Bist du verrückt genug um in die Welt von SPOOKYMAN einzutauchen, dem Klangforscher und Sound Tüftler Instrumenten Bauer aus Rom Italien, mit Weissem Operations Kittel und präzisions Brille, schickt er dich auf eine Zeitreise in Vergangenheit und Zukunft. Er benutzt Instrumente, die wie aus einem vergilbten Science-Fiction-Film entsprungen, zbsp ein Oszilloskop, das Schallwellen aufzeichnet, und einen Schallblaster, der mysteriöse Tonbänder abspielt. Seine Musik kann man unterordnen in einem Mix aus Library Music, Science-Fiction und Freak-Post-Blues und mann kommt sich vor wie in einem Spionagethrillers. SPOOKYMAN & SEIN AKUSMATISCHES ORCHESTER erwarten dich, um dich in eine Klangdimension zu entführen, in der die Zeit keine Rolle spielt und die Gegenwart in einer Mikro Dosis LSD aufgelöst ist. Summarized in VRR own words: "B-Picture Spy Explotation Movie sound researcher and tinkering instrument builder from Rome, Italy, he plays the oscilloscope that records sound waves and a sound blaster that plays mysterious tapes in a mix of library music, science fiction, and freak post-blues" Rabenschwarzes Vinyl und Kassette erhältlich!

Bist du verrückt genug um in die Welt von SPOOKYMAN einzutauchen, dem Klangforscher und Sound Tüftler Instrumenten Bauer aus Rom Italien, mit Weissem Operations Kittel und präzisions Brille, schickt er dich auf eine Zeitreise in Vergangenheit und Zukunft. Er benutzt Instrumente, die wie aus einem vergilbten Science-Fiction-Film entsprungen, zbsp ein Oszilloskop, das Schallwellen aufzeichnet, und einen Schallblaster, der mysteriöse Tonbänder abspielt. Seine Musik kann man unterordnen in einem Mix aus Library Music, Science-Fiction und Freak-Post-Blues und mann kommt sich vor wie in einem Spionagethrillers. SPOOKYMAN & SEIN AKUSMATISCHES ORCHESTER erwarten dich, um dich in eine Klangdimension zu entführen, in der die Zeit keine Rolle spielt und die Gegenwart in einer Mikro Dosis LSD aufgelöst ist. Summarized in VRR own words: "B-Picture Spy Explotation Movie sound researcher and tinkering instrument builder from Rome, Italy, he plays the oscilloscope that records sound waves and a sound blaster that plays mysterious tapes in a mix of library music, science fiction, and freak post-blues" Rabenschwarzes Vinyl und Kassette erhältlich!

The Way I See It puts Raphael Saadiq's love of 60s soul on full display, with Saadiq stating it was "the culmination of a lifetime of experiences informed by the music I grew up on." Recorded on vintage equipment, the set features Motown session musicians, guest appearances from neo-soul singer Joss Stone, R&B vocalist CJ Hilton, New Orleans collective The Rebirth Brass Band, a remixed bonus track from Jay-Z, and even a guest appearance by Stevie Wonder. Throughout the recording process Saadiq immersed himself in the aesthetics and styles of the decade, watching footage of Al Green, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight & The Pops, and others for further inspiration. The end result is an upbeat collection of songs, ranging from the romantic to the mournful, but frequently beaming with hope and positivity. The Way I See It racked up Grammy nominations for Best R&B Album, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. To this day it is considered one of the essential records of the classic soul revival, and one of Saadiq's finest career achievements.