quête:ac

New York techno luminary Adam X debuts on Pinkman with 4 tabs of extra-strength acid specially designed for peak-time club sets. Opening in typically thunderous fashion, the overdriven kick of A1's aptly-named Laying It On Thick sets a tone that doesn't relent for the duration of the record. No-nonsense and straight to the action, Adam X's distinct approach to crafting dancefloor hits shines throughout as multiple 303 refrains weave through stripped back drum patterns for unforgettably hypnotic results. While A2's Trailing Effect drops the tempo a couple of notches, its head-scrambling acid psychedelia would take any bustling dancefloor on a trip long into the early hours. The three remaining tracks give no let-up, fostering a frenetic energy that just can't be contained. In the game since the very beginning, the Sonic Groove label-head has dedicated years to his craft and they're all on display here with slick, classy productions that punch through the speakers to move bodies and minds.

Originally released in 1988 and out-of-print for decades, Martha Splatterhead's Maddest Stories Ever Told is the third full-length album from Seattle's sultans of splatter rock! Many bands influenced by their ferocious style of music have waxed and waned throughout history but The Accused's music has stood the test of time and proves them to be one of the most ripping bands to ever shred the earth!

ACIDEZ returns with 13 ripping new songs about beer, war and apocalypse that mix classic UK82 style in the vein of GBH, Discharge, with the heavy style of modern bands like Inepsy and Toxic Holocaust Beer Drinkers Survivors thrashes with a shredding metal edge in comparison to their first punk record. Recorded at Noise Devil Studio in Guadalajara, Mexico and mastered in Portland, USA by Brad Boatright (From Ashes Rise) & Joel Grind (Toxic Holocaust) at Audiosiege Studios

ACIDEZ plays killer UK82 style punk from Guadalajara, Mexico that is a heavy take on classic Partisans or GBH In your face street punk that shreds the whole way through!! This is a CD re-issue of the sold out first full- length album originally released in 2011 on Bambam Records in Mexico.

There are few instruments more uniquely suited to capturing the beauty and ennui of the rural American midwest than the acoustic steel-string guitar. In the hands of a master, the range of evocable emotion and experience is truly limitless. Daniel Hecht is one such master. His 1973 self-released debut album, simply titled Guitar, is an indispensable piece of the endless puzzle that is instrumental Guitar Soli music.

Guitar was written and recorded while Hecht was living and working on a commune in Madison, Wisconsin. In between harvesting his own food and studying the music of Andrés Segovia and Mississippi John Hurt, Hecht found himself playing host to legendary itinerant street performer, Moondog.

On Moondog’s insistent urging, Daniel decided to record some of his recent guitar compositions. Released on his own Dragon’s Egg imprint, Guitar fused Hecht’s complex classical preoccupations with his country folk influences. The album eventually found a fan with guitar godhead, John Fahey, who eventually helped land Hecht on the eminent new age/ instrumental label, Windham Hill.

As Hecht’s playing and composition grew in complexity, he found peership with labelmates like Michael Hedges, William Ackerman, and Alex DeGrassi. But it is his debut album that remains the greatest document of Hecht’s talent and ambition in first bloom. A rolling, blissful trip through rural America, guided by the ambitious hand of a guitar master. Morning Trip is elated to release this gorgeous and seminal document of acoustic exploration on vinyl for the first time since its initial 1973 offering.

Repress

Following their 2021 debut on Mindri, Ernestas Sadau, Rapha & PRZ return to the Pinkman fold as Pluto Junkies with a 7 track mini-LP recorded at the furthest reaches of the solar system. After the swirling synths and cryptic messages on opener Launch, the record quickly descends into a frenzied supernova of metallic synths and propulsive drums. From the twitching Italo-informed techno of Astronaut Dolphine Detective to the frenetic speedball electro in Black Eye Galaxy Battle, this collection of hardware jams is straight up sonic fuel for sweat-drenched hours at wide eyed raves right around the galaxy. With the snarling acid riffs on Captain Blade and the punishing pulse in Cosmo Scooter Race, Pluto Junkies continue to ride the wave of manic energy from their first release, providing further soundtracks for only the most serious space travellers. You have been warned!

First time on vinyl!
Newly remastered. LP housed in a gatefold jacket.
Featuring Herbie Hancock, Martha Reeves, Alphonse Mouzon, Chuck Rainey, Patryce “Choc’let” Banks, Carlos Morales, and members of The Pointer Sisters.

In the 1970s, Betty Davis defied genre and gender by pushing her voice to extremes and embracing the erotic. She articulated a kind of pre-punk, funk-blues fusion that had yet to be normalized in mainstream music – a style that few musicians have come close to replicating. As one of the first Black women to write, arrange, and produce her own albums, Betty was a visionary who disregarded industry boundaries and constraints. Raw, unapologetic and in full control, Betty paved the way for generations of future artists who said “funk you” to the music industry and social norms.

In 1979, when Davis entered an L.A. studio to record her fifth and final album, she was reeling from a series of setbacks. Three years earlier, after recording her fourth album, Is It Love Or Desire, Davis was dropped from her label and the LP was subsequently shelved. In 1978, her beloved band Funk House went their separate ways. Looking for a fresh start, Davis relocated to Hollywood to focus on songwriting. Before long, British manager Simon Lait (Toni Basil), offered to fund her next project.

With renewed vigor, Davis reunited with former Funk House guitarist Carlos Morales and brought together industry veterans like fusion drummer Alphonse Mouzon and session bassist Chuck Rainey. Old friends Anita and Bonnie Pointer (The Pointer Sisters) and Patryce “Choc’let” Banks joined Davis on vocals, as did Motown legend Martha Reeves. The resulting album, Crashin’ From Passion, was her most musically diverse, blending elements of reggae and calypso (“I’ve Danced Before”), jazz (“Hangin’ Out in Hollywood,” “Tell Me a Few Things”), dark synth-pop (“She’s a Woman”), and even disco (“All I Do Is Think of You”). Equally exploratory are Davis’ vocals, as she trades in her signature sass and snarls for more nuanced stylings.

Among the album’s few funk tracks is “Quintessence of Hip,” in which Davis hails musicians like Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder, and John Coltrane, while deftly integrating elements of their work. The song also offers a moment of stark vulnerability, as she sings, “Isn’t rich? Isn’t it queer? Losing my timing so late in my career.” It would prove to be a prophetic line in the months to follow.

The mixing process was mired by artistic differences and then cut short, amid the death of Davis’ beloved father. Bereft and exasperated, Davis returned home for the funeral, setting into motion her retirement from the music industry. Crashin’ From Passion, meanwhile, would be shelved for 15 years and licensed for a CD-only release, without Davis’ consent, in the ‘90s. This 2023 edition of the album, made with Davis’ full approval and cooperation, marks its first official release and first time ever on vinyl. The package was designed by GRAMMY®-winning artist, Masaki Koike, while the album cover features an incredible shot of Betty captured in London in the mid-1970s by renowned photographer Kate Simon.

Crashin’ From Passion was remastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters and pressed on vinyl at Record Technology, Inc. (RTI). The accompanying booklet includes a treasure trove of rare photos from the era, plus lyrics, and new liner notes by writer, ethnomusicologist, and Betty’s close friend, Danielle Maggio, who integrates interviews that she conducted with Davis, marking her last ever interviews.

PRESSED ON FRUIT PUNCH COLORED VINYL WITH HAND NUMBERED OBILIMITED TO 2000 COPIES

The contemporary realm of hip hop music can be seen as polarized between two sides; mainstream versus underground, industry versus independent, at a base level boiled down to catchy sounds & infective hooks over higher quality lyrical content. These elements don’t need to be mutually exclusive, but these days it’s rare to find an act that can please all sides of the discussion. Clipse are one of the few groups that successfully and consistently caters to both sides of rap’s splintered psyche, simultaneously serving the scene with upbeat bangers that get the club poppin’ & subwoofers rattlin’ while crafting clever quotable compositions deserving of repeated headphone submersions. Though their preceding official albums Lord Willin’ (2002) & Hell Hath No Fury (2006) made bigger splashes commercially, 2009’s Til The Casket Drops is surely no slouch, a gem which deserves to be revisited with fresh ears – good thing Get On Down has given it the proper treatment it deserves with its first-ever vinyl pressing!
Til The Casket Drops was a departure from the duo of Malice & Pusha T’s previous works in that it was their first LP not completely produced by The Neptunes. However, the celebrated team who brought us ‘Grinding’ & ‘Mr. Me Too’ still helmed 8 of the album’s 13 tracks, thus dominating the soundscapes and aesthetic of the album anyway. With the remaining beats handled by Hitmen Sean C & LV (Jay-Z, Big Pun, Ghostface) and Aftermath’s DJ Khalil (Kendrick Lamar, Aloe Blacc, Eminem) clearly Clipse stock hadn’t lowered in the game. While boasting notable vocal features from Kanye West, Pharrell, Cam’ron, Keri Hilson, Yo Gotti & their Re-Up Gang affiliate Ab-Liva, Casket Drops leaves ample space for the core emcee duo of Pusha & Malice to shine in the spotlight, with verses revolving around each other succinctly in-synch and bonded by an exceptional creative rhythm only biological brothers could share.
Clipse have always delighted in dualities, juxtapositions and contradictions, unabashedly celebrating the capitalistic lifestyle and the grind as the kings of ‘coke-rap’, while taking hard looks at society’s mores and those of their own individual journeys. We hear Malice’s eventual transition to No Malice taking form on this album as he found religion, warning others who might follow in his path on ‘Footsteps’: “don’t let my wrongs give you the right of way/ to emulate my past escaping the law’s grasp” while refusing to be pinned down in one lane: “it weights on my conscience and I hate conscious rap”. Meanwhile Pusha T continues his lyrical ascent into the King Push persona with bars like “pompous motherfucker, look what them jewels made me/ I’m only finding comfort in knowing you can’t replace me/ What a thing to say, but what am I to do/ I’m role-playing a conscious nigga and true is true/ Cocaine aside, all of the bloggers behooved/ My critics finally have a verse of mine to jerk off to” decisively on album opener “Freedom”.
Since it dropped, the Clipse have stated that Casket… is their final album together while subsequently alluding to the possibility of an eventual reunion. Only time will tell, but until then it’s time to re-celebrate one of hip hop’s most dynamic duos by hearing Til The Casket Drops in a whole new light with its long-overdue, first time on vinyl pressing via Get On Down featuring all 13 original tracks on wax and cover art by the legendary KAWS! It’s kinda like a big deal…

Lipphead is a production duo consisting of veteran producers Blockhead (Ninjatune, Future Archive Recordings) and Eliot Lipp (Alpha Pup) creating eclectic instrumental hip hop that dances effortlessly between Blockhead's sample-based hip hop beats and Lipp's evolving synth-laden swing. Illustrated by artist Maddison Chaffer, the titular character serves as the group's mascot and as a tongue-in-cheek personification of the artist’s fused styles. In 2022, the pair released their debut LP ‘In the Nude’ via Michigan label Young Heavy Souls to critical acclaim.
Building on that success, Lipphead is back with 10 new tracks and a fresh selection of singles to introduce the forthcoming record entitled ‘From the Back’. Kicking off with the irresistible disco soul of ‘Midnight Brain to Georgia,’ the duo hits the ground running. The second single effortlessly guides the listener through a showcase of fluttering flute samples, jittery synthesizer flourishes, and a bassline that is sure to please even the most selective funk enthusiasts. Throughout ‘From The Back’, fans can expect an even groovier spin on their genre-blending mix of downtempo, hip-hop, and electro-funk, along with a healthy dose of the duo’s trademark sense of humor.
Reflecting on the album, Lipp states that “Lipphead really starts to perfect their stylistic fusion on this record. Plenty of oddball beats and goofy samples, but this time there’s an upbeat funk vibe throughout. ‘From The Back’ is basically a window to what goes on in Lipphead’s wild-ass brain.”

Filled with aural magic and enchanting musical spells, Sorcerer is true to its name. The third of five albums devised by Miles Davis' legendary second quintet – and the second record in a still-unprecedented string of eight consecutive releases within a four-year period that forever changed the face of jazz – the 1967 magnum opus mesmerizes with instrumental colours, subdued musings, and subtle details.

This is a reference-standard reissue. You'll hear poetic lyricism pouring out of Wayne Shorter's horn, the breadth and definition of the notes spreading across an enormous soundstage. Never before have drummer Tony Williams' rim shots ricocheted with such purpose or his light percussive work mirrored that of a feather touching skin. Similarly, Herbie Hancock's piano runs now occupy their own space, where their relationship to the central rhythms and front line becomes clearer.

Prizing inflection and nuance more so than heady solos or uptempo flights, Sorcerer mesmerizes with cerebral properties and cascades of emotional interplay. Such beauty emerges in the mellow ballad "Pee Wee," an indelible statement of restrained authority and sophisticated expression. The swirling title track unfolds as jazz shadowplay, Hancock, Shorter, and Williams mirroring one another's moves with guile and purpose. The opening "Prince of Darkness" showcases the ensemble's reach and communication, every musician going in seemingly different directions yet ending up on the same page

A lasting example of Davis' visionary insight, Sorcerer is comprised entirely of pieces written by his band mates. Indeed, save for the closing "Nothing Like You" – a brief tribute to Davis' eventual wife, who also graces the cover, recorded in 1962 and adorned with vocals from Bob Dorough, the album represents a further maturation and refinement of a quintet that stands as one of the finest in jazz history.

Half-speed vinyl release of the Dire Straits number 1 album Brothers In Arms, mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios. Originally released in 1985, the album features the singles ‘Money For Nothing’, ‘Walk Of Life’, ‘So Far Away’, ‘Brothers In Arms’ and ‘Your Latest Trick’. The winner of multiple Grammy awards, the album was the first ever to be certified 10-times platinum in the UK and is one of the world’s best-selling albums. Part of the UMC half-speed range, the package includes a branded obi-strip and a certificate of authenticity from Abbey Road.

Hot off of the success of their multi-platinum self-titled debut, The Youngbloods shuffled their line-up (with the departure of co-founder Jerry Corbitt) and used their heightened caché to go big on their follow up, the Charlie Daniels-produced Elephant Mountain. Over multi-layered acoustic-folk and electric-rock instruments, Jesse Colin Young, Banana Levinger, and Joe Bauer create a free-feeling set of tunes that playfully careen between front-porch folk and stadium rock (best exemplified in the classic single "Darkness, Darkness"). That this diverse set of musical influences remained cohesive and artistically daring makes it an underground classic whose admiration continues to grow today. Impex is proud to bring it to you in pristine all-analogue glory!

Bill Bruford is the original drummer in YES and was a long term member of King Crimson. The band Bruford recorded this album in 1979 and it went on to achieve critical acclaim and commercial success. The line-up on this album is: Bill Bruford – drums, percussion Allan Holdsworth – electric guitar Dave Stewart – keyboards Jeff Berlin – bass This 12" vinyl re-issue has been mastered from the original 1979 mix, taken from the original 1979 analogue tapes, and comes housed in a replica sleeve. The remixing was done by Jakko Jakszyk (the lead singer of the current line-up of King Crimson) and has been approved by Bill Bruford. This definitive vinyl re-release is re-issued on Bruford’s own Winterfold Records and was overseen personally by Bill Bruford.

NEW VINYL EDITION OF THE CLASSIC 1970 ALBUM BY
THE MOVE.
• CUT AT ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS.
• WITH FULLY RESTORED ARTWORK.
• REVIEWS IN NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS, UNCUT, MOJO,
RECORD COLLECTOR, CLASSIC ROCK AND PROG
MAGAZINES PLUS COVERAGE ON RELEVANT WEBSITES
AND FANZINES.
Of all of the groups to emerge in Britain in the latter half
of the 1960s, The Move was arguably one of the finest. A
powerful act on stage, the group were blessed with one
of the most imaginative songwriters of his generation in
Roy Wood. ‘Shazam’ is regarded by many as the finest
Move album, despite being recorded in a time of flux for
the band. It is rightly regarded as a true classic of the
era.
This new vinyl LP edition of ‘Shazam’ has been cut at
Abbey Road Studios and fully restores the original LP
artwork.

Laolu makes his Crosstown Rebels debut with ‘Now I See’, combining with Off The Meds frontman Kamohelo Khoaripe across the two-track release. Having emerged via his versatile and dynamic DJ sets for the likes of Circoloco, with releases via labels such as Keinemusik, Innervisions and Anjunadeep, Swiss DJ/producer Laolu has stamped his mark while racking up support from Dixon and Black Coffee. Arriving in fine form, he closes out November with a classy label debut on Damian Lazarus’ renowned Crosstown Rebels as he serves up his latest two-track release ‘Now I See’ - a vibrant and personal release shaped and finalised after a decade following the birth of his daughter.

Spirited and resonant, combining soulful female vocals with organic percussion and sweeping melodies throughout, ‘Now I See’ is a warm and sonorous production set for heartfelt dancefloor moments, while ‘Monday To Sunday’ featuring the impactful vocals of Kamohelo takes a darker path as swirling bass patterns, menacing synths and warped tones merge around the commanding flute for a powerful late night cut.

Meteora - a chain of Greek-Byzantine monasteries was built around the 14th century on top of sandstone rock formations in the fading range of the Pindus Mountains, in the Thessalian lowlands of Greece At an over 600 meters high, some of them were only accessible by rope ladders or winches for hundreds of years. Makiko Hirabayashi learned of this place during a concert tour to Athens and was immediately captivated by its symbolic power: the isolated units which nevertheless exist in a larger context; fragile and floating, but at the same time firmly grounded. The opening title of the new, fifth album of her trio seems to have been perfectly chosen; "Warp", relating to the space above the early monasteries on the rock formations, as well as connecting the album to her previous release Weavers, in which much was woven with warp threads. A high-pitched bass, the subtle use of electronics, like everything else that follows, seem to emerge somehow from outer space. These are seemingly simple structures that only reveal themselves as complex architecture upon repeated listening - meditative and fleeting, but at the same time permanently carved into the rock. Minimalistic piano figures from which melodic fragments emerge, in their very clarity offer ample material for improvisation. With onomatopoeic percussion, an impressionistic and scenic painting is sketched in "Birds Ascending", whereas enthralling rhythms lead the way in "Chestnut Alley" or the sky-racing "Meteor". In between those, you find the improvised miniatures like "The Door" or "Slip", aspherical connections between worlds: imaginary doors, rope ladders or hinges. After the lockdown album Weavers, Makiko Hirabayashi is back in the piano trio setting with Klavs Hovman on bass and the legendary percussionist/ drummer Marilyn Mazur, reclaiming her space and time. Some of the material produced here has been part of their live repertoire for some years and gone through a maturing process, becoming an integral part of the whole album put together in the spirit of Meteora.

Baiana (pronounced By-Anna) is the alias of powerhouse Liverpool-born Brazilian jazz artist, Laura Doyle Following on from performances at Love Supreme, the Manchester Jazz festival, world famous jazz clubs The 606 and Pizza Express as well as an unprecedented 12 weeks on the A- list of the Jazz FM playlist, with her breakthrough single "Saudade Samba" Baiana's highly anticipated self- titled debut album is finally here. Produced by the legendary UK Latin percussionist, Snowboy, 'Baiana' features 11 finely crafted songs covering a huge range of Brazilian styles from fiery Sambas to Bossa Nova, Jazz Fusion to Baiao and everything in-between. Singing in both Portuguese and English, Laura evokes a vocal style reminiscent of the great romantic torch singers of the 40's and 50's such as Julie London and Peggy Lee and yet one can clearly also feel the passionate expression of Portuguese Fado and the Brazilian greats such as Elza Soares, Gal Costa and Elis Regina as she sings of love-lost and broken hearts. An unexpected candidate for Brazilian jazz with her Scouse accent and fiery red hair denoting her Irish roots, Laura became enraptured by Brazilian music after living in Rio de Janeiro where she was seconded as "first lady" with the Italian diplomatic service.

The Syphons are the house band at Suit Yourself Music, a collective of exceptional musicians. This is their first release and features Darrell Smith. In 2024 there will be a series of releases with The Syphons featuring other artists and vocalists in the genres of Soul, Northern Soul, Acid Jazz, Mod Jazz, Rhythm & Blues.

All these releases will be new compositions taking inspiration from the original artists in these genres, but ‘Respecting The Architect’ by taking influence to pen new music rather than cover versions.

Three tracks that were included as bonus tracks on the Gherkin Jerks compilation CD from a few years ago are now up for their release on vinyl. All originate from the same Gherkin sessions as Mr. Heard's two outstanding late 80's EP's but were never released as such. The moniker showed a different side to his sonic pallet, and would innovate the acid sound to great FX, influencing a great many of artists in the decades that followed. Psychotic Fantasy eventually made its way to the Dance 2000 Pt. 2 album, while the original full take of Ecstasy and Reznaytor never saw the light of the day. Now for the first time on wax and still sounding as futuristic as ever!

Emerging from the cold echoes of Reykjavík's underground music scene, ex.girls, previously known as Russian Girls, chart an inspiring journey from inception to international recognition. Founded in 2017 as a personal venture by Guðlaugur Einarsson, the act soon evolved into a vibrant, collaborative platform for kindred spirits bonded by an unyielding passion for music.

The project consists of three: frontman Tatjana Dís on vocals, alongside Guðlaugur Einarsson and Gylfi Sigurðsson. Their kinship took root at their erstwhile studio on Skúlagata in Reykjavík, where this creative sanctum became a melting pot of musical exploration, learning, and leisurely hangouts. Guðlaugur and Tantjana also ride the waves as members of the rock band Skrattar, whose album 'Hellraiser IV' saw Bjarki's experimental bbbbbb recors imprint venture outside strictly electronic music for the first time in 2021.

Despite their penchant for maintaining an enigmatic aura, ex.girls won the ‘Best Icelandic Electronic Music Song’ in 2022 with their anthem, 'Halda Áfram', released during the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic on bbbbbb recors, which translates to “keep on going”, became a beacon of hope during tough times in the Icelandic music scene. Their distinctive sound palette paints with broad strokes of lush arrangements cemented with a lo-fi disposition. It's a soundscape where the rumble of a crunchy bass meets a quirky sprinkle of Nordic humour, a signature style they fondly dub as 'SauerLounge'.

While the group has traditionally embraced a leisurely cadence in unveiling new music, anticipation bubbles as they gear up to their debut album, ‘Verk’. A twelve-track exploration of experimental, conceptual and unorthodox textures and sonics, with sounds and influences spanning rock and nu-wave through to electro, drone and ambient. The result? An absorbing and hypnotic trip, with twists and turns across every track, presenting a debut album that keeps you guessing minute by minute.

To be released in both vinyl and digital formats, the album will also welcome engaging remixes from artists native to Iceland and the broader global stage. In a world of ever-evolving music, ex.girls stand out as a testament to authentic collaboration, raw talent, and the art of electronic storytelling.

ex.girls ‘Verk’ LP drops via bbbbbb recors on 24th November 2023, with remixes to follow in the months ahead.

After seventeen years, four albums and thirty-something 7" singles, some bands would be taking it easy but there continues to be little break in the determination and activity of UK's The Hip Priests Roden House Blues is the highly awaited fifth album from The Hip Priests, the legendary masters of anthemic, visceral, Garage/Punk Rock N Roll. 11 Glorious tracks of High Energy RnR, filled to the brim with huge choruses, colossal dual guitar rifferama, more hooks than a fishing shop, and one hell of an attitude.

After seventeen years, four albums and thirty-something 7" singles, some bands would be taking it easy but there continues to be little break in the determination and activity of UK's The Hip Priests Roden House Blues is the highly awaited fifth album from The Hip Priests, the legendary masters of anthemic, visceral, Garage/Punk Rock N Roll. 11 Glorious tracks of High Energy RnR, filled to the brim with huge choruses, colossal dual guitar rifferama, more hooks than a fishing shop, and one hell of an attitude.

After seventeen years, four albums and thirty-something 7" singles, some bands would be taking it easy but there continues to be little break in the determination and activity of UK's The Hip Priests Roden House Blues is the highly awaited fifth album from The Hip Priests, the legendary masters of anthemic, visceral, Garage/Punk Rock N Roll. 11 Glorious tracks of High Energy RnR, filled to the brim with huge choruses, colossal dual guitar rifferama, more hooks than a fishing shop, and one hell of an attitude.

This is quite a unique release , as expected with genre-defying label Subsound Records. From a mystical frontier where the East meets the West comes a psychedelic wonder called The Cyclist Conspiracy This musical collective consisting of ten men and women creates unique sonic escapism for the soul that embark any listener onto a long-haul voyage without further ado. New album "Mashallah Plan" is a psychedelic tapestry that blends infuences from various parts of the world into a seamless unique "desert" rock experience - a monumental psychedelic piece set in the landscapes of Northern Africa and the Middle East bolstered by some magnifcent choral work and powerful riffs. The Cyclist Conspiracy, The (Anti) World Orchestra is the musical output of The Little Brothers dedicated to The Mysteries of The Last Age. Started as an informal project within the Society For The Development Of Alchemical Studies "Vasko Popa" in 2014, it is now a musical troupe consisting of ten male and female souls. The orchestra draws infuences from various parts of the world while trying to avoid superfcial, "new age" eclecticism and direct its creative efforts towards the synthesis of the given elements. Whether it's the Byzantine Empire or secret nomadic paths of the desert, the smokey cafe crowded with manges and frivolous women, or the steppe with the sky for shaman only, psychedelic or turkce rock, Middle or Far East, the journeys the cyclists taking are never the quest for the heart of this world. Sometimes they appeared as a symbolic quest for Constantinople, the heart of The Cycling of Byzantium, but they are always the quest for the heart of the only true light Agape. The Cyclist Conspiracy have played numerous concerts in Serbia and neighboring countries, whether as headliners, support for other bands (Acid Mothers Temple, King Dude, Hayvanlar Alemi), or a part of festival lineups (Haywire Festival (RO), INdirekt (CRO), Zelenkovac Jazz Festival (BH), The Music of the Secret Society that Owns Belgrade (SR)). Their new album "Mashallah Plan" is a psychedelic tapestry that blends infuences from various parts of the world into a seamless unique "desert" rock experience - a monumental psychedelic piece set in the landscapes of Northern Africa and the Middle East bolstered by some magnifcent choral work and powerful riffs.The band comments: "Mashallah Plan" is a story about a spiritual journey on a bicycle. This simple device reveals its profound symbolism only through the path of most resistance and thus represents a perfect esoteric vehicle for The Dark Age we are living through".

-Limited to only 150 copies on black vinyl.
-The last recordings of former Roots member Malik B before he passed away.
-Clever 1 of the popular hardcore rap duo 'Da Buze Bruvaz' is a full member of the group.
-Maylay Sparks FKA Rahsheed founded this group.
-Produced by K Sluggah who has done production for Conway, Westside Gunn, Tha God Fahim etc.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF MALIK B (NOVEMBER 14TH, 1972 – JULY 29TH, 2020)
Frozen Mugs started out back in 2020 as a soon-to-be classic hip-hop collaboration between "Maylay Sparks", Swedish producer “K Sluggah” and “Clever 1” (one half of “Da Buze Bruvaz”). You will experience an uncanny chemistry between these 2 high caliber emcees who are providing you with the traditional sharp, tenacious, aggressive & grimey wordplay over K Sluggah's cinematic, soulful, and psychedelic beats giving the listeners a vivid picture of what goes on in these dangerous times. The hard delivery and complex word patterns are descriptive gestures of loose women, action in the streets, cocktails & cold beer guzzling. Sonically this album is honed to be a masterpiece, with owner of the newly formed label “Blacbird Recs”, and revered studio engineer Joe “The Butcher” Nicolo (Ruffhouse Recs. CEO) behind the mixing board. This is hip-hop with an attitude, authentic, and with no compromises!
In the midst of recording this project, we experienced a severe tragedy as we lost the incomparable Malik B formerly from the Roots. The last days before his passing he recorded the verses for the album and he was supposed to record a few more as there were talks of him becoming a full fledged "Frozen Mugs" member. Sadly the talks of doing an album with Malik B on HHE never came to fruition. This project is dedicated to one of the most legendary emcees Philly ever bred and he will always be remembered as a lyrical giant. R.I.P.
All versions come with hype stickers and an insert that will include a bio on Frozen Mugs and a dedication to Malik B on the reverse side.

-Side Project of Jordan Chini aka the artist "Boy Dude".
-Recorded and Mixed in a traditional analog 4-track tape dub style.
-Available on black vinyl and on limited edition glacial clear blue vinyl.
Under the name Count Dubula, LA based multi-instrumentalist, music producer and composer Jordan Chini performs, records, and mixes old-school style dub/reggae in the various traditional styles of his inspirations (like Scientist, King Tubby, and Lee Scratch Perry). With a love for recording live instruments and analog synths, Count Dubula’s rhythms and melodies are recorded to tape, then married to an analog mixer and improvisation-ally mixed, accompanied by a space echo, spring reverb, and hi-pass filter.

-Side Project of Jordan Chini aka the artist "Boy Dude".
-Recorded and Mixed in a traditional analog 4-track tape dub style.
-Available on black vinyl and on limited edition glacial clear blue vinyl.
Under the name Count Dubula, LA based multi-instrumentalist, music producer and composer Jordan Chini performs, records, and mixes old-school style dub/reggae in the various traditional styles of his inspirations (like Scientist, King Tubby, and Lee Scratch Perry). With a love for recording live instruments and analog synths, Count Dubula’s rhythms and melodies are recorded to tape, then married to an analog mixer and improvisation-ally mixed, accompanied by a space echo, spring reverb, and hi-pass filter.

Legendary bass player, songwriter and vocalist of The Moody Blues and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, John Lodge, is releasing his version of the iconic album ‘Days of Future Passed’, entitled ‘Days of Future Passed – My Sojourn’, to accompany his tour of the same name. The album was recorded over the last year, and has grown from John’s current live show as he, and his 10,000 Light Years Band, lovingly recreate this classic album. The album also features a special recording by the late Graeme Edge and performances by Jon Davison of YES. It is being released as part of John’s celebration of the album ‘that changed his life’, and with the hope that it will continue to introduce fans to the original iconic recording. The album’s orchestration is by John’s long-term collaborator, and great friend, Alan Hewitt. Now as a vinyl LP record.

Mr. Joe Jackson Presents: MAX CHAMPION in ‘WHAT A RACKET’! The genre started in the pubs and streets of London in the mid-19th century and grew into the first form of mass entertainment to be created by the working classes. By 1900 it regularly drew huge audiencesfrom acrossthe whole spectrum ofsociety, from prostitutes to princes, allsinging along with superstar performers in gorgeoustheatres (some of which still survive). Like its American cousin Vaudeville, Music Hall featured magicians, acrobats, and ventriloquists – elements that we still see today in musical theater and cabaret shows. One of the most fascinating of the Music Hall performers was Max Champion. We know little about him, except that he was born in London in 1882. Champion was almost completely forgotten until the sheet music of his songs was found in Valletta, Malta, in 2014. How it got there is a complete mystery. “What A Racket!” presents eleven of Max Champion’ssongsforthe first time in more than a century. According to producer Joe Jackson, ‘These were wonderful songs in their time, but they’re surprisingly modern, too. Sometimes it’s almost as if Max is speaking, from his London of the early 20th century, directly to us in the early 21st’. What may sound different to the Joe Jackson you know at first listen, in fact corresponds to his consistent artistic development. This record is 100% Joe Jackson. And perhaps you already guessed it: Joe Jackson and Max Champion have more in common than it appears at first glance. Formats; CD, LP.

Deafheaven’s monolithic second LP Sunbather, was not only a massive success in 2013, it created a radical shift in heavy music culture, an acceptance of the genre by previous outsiders, and a trailblazing sound that heretofore hadn’t been heard outside of learned circles. It was a reville introducing the changing of the guard in metal, featuring phenomenal reviews across the board, and breaking the mold used by buttoned-up indie types and false-flag musical dilettantes intent on keeping the status quo. A maverick release in every facet, the cornerstone for the triumph that is Sunbather truly lies in its world class songwriting. From the opening anthem “Dream House,'' it's clear to see that Deafheaven was soaring triumphantly into the unknown, through the emotional highs and lows, the fire and rain, and onto the unseen road ahead. Lyrically, Sunbather examines themes of existentialism, diving headfirst into the abyss, and the pursuit of self-discovery. The album's title itself is similar in scope, representing the embrace of the light and movement out of the dark unknown. Sunbather takes influence from the majesty of early Emperor and underground US heroes Weakling, the dark beauty of France’s Alcest, the introspective nature of post-rock and shoegaze gods like Mogwai and Slowdive, as well as the DIY spirit of punk ranging from Fugazi to Man is the Bastard to create a new realm for their emotional and expansive epics.

The career defining fourth full length album from US Brutal Death legends CONDEMNED. 5 years in the making, 'Daemonium' is the album everyone was hoping for - with razor sharp production and an elevated sense of heaviness throughout, it proves a perfect follow up to 2017's critically acclaimed 'His Divine Shadow'. Essential listening for all fans of classic Californian Brutal Death Metal.

Scandinavian jawbreakers Harmagedon offer up a nightmare future on their debut album Dystopian Dreams, with a refreshingly modern concoction of melodic death metal and crust punk. Three piece riff machine from Stockholm Sweden, Harmagedon is a raw festering carcass of dynamic grind and roll. Featuring members of Martyrdöd and Freedom raising hell once again, Harmagedon’s debut record Dystopian Dreams is a fusion of heaviness that is difficult to pin down but makes all the damn sense in the world! With focus on primal minimalism but maximum animalism, Dystopian Dreams is the ground zero of an explosive power trio summoning raw energy into being. With no frills and no gimmicks, just relentless heaviness, Harmagedon is a matured brew of “crust punk” or “d-beat” (“kängpunk” for the diehards) infused with ravishing death-metal. Dystopian Dreams is made by adepts of distortion and grime to be imbibed by connoisseurs of rage and chord-fury. Recorded live at their own studio, Dystopian Dreams was conjured with the help of Fred Forsberg of Mass Worship at the controls, capturing Harmagedon’s wildfire and blending this dense stew together. With the addition of Magnus Lindberg of Cult of Luna mastering it, Dystopian Dreams has that exceptional flavour of a future classic, where all the cogs and wheels of this merciless weapon fire on all cylinders. Black Sabbath, Entombed, Neurosis & High on Fire spring to mind, as the calibre of Harmadgedon’s riff whirlwind is of the finest quality, the antithesis of royalty but epic and majestic in delivery. Dystopian Dreams’ hulking magnetism leads you expertly to headbang and worship at the altar of timeless metal, without the slightest remnant of doubt. Songs like Reptilian and Controlled Chaos groove and churn, but pack a hell of a concrete punch, with nihilistic, gravelled guitars and spewing vocals of molten brimstone. Guitarist and vocalist Tim Rosenquist says: “Controlled Chaos is about propaganda actions and distractions but Reptilian is about how hard work makes you into this emotionless beast of a being. That song is best served blasting on the factory floor or in the car on your way to the office! Reptilian’s themes are at the core of what Harmagedon is about”. Look to the masters to deliver true heavyweight metal when the current scene lacks enough muscle and teeth. From a band made up of underground titans, Harmagedon is drawn from the well of eternal heaviness, living in death forever, what nightmares are made of. Harmagedon is: Tim Rosenquist - Guitars & Vocals Magnus Berglund - Bass Jens Bäckelin - Drums

Scandinavian jawbreakers Harmagedon offer up a nightmare future on their debut album Dystopian Dreams, with a refreshingly modern concoction of melodic death metal and crust punk. Three piece riff machine from Stockholm Sweden, Harmagedon is a raw festering carcass of dynamic grind and roll. Featuring members of Martyrdöd and Freedom raising hell once again, Harmagedon’s debut record Dystopian Dreams is a fusion of heaviness that is difficult to pin down but makes all the damn sense in the world! With focus on primal minimalism but maximum animalism, Dystopian Dreams is the ground zero of an explosive power trio summoning raw energy into being. With no frills and no gimmicks, just relentless heaviness, Harmagedon is a matured brew of “crust punk” or “d-beat” (“kängpunk” for the diehards) infused with ravishing death-metal. Dystopian Dreams is made by adepts of distortion and grime to be imbibed by connoisseurs of rage and chord-fury. Recorded live at their own studio, Dystopian Dreams was conjured with the help of Fred Forsberg of Mass Worship at the controls, capturing Harmagedon’s wildfire and blending this dense stew together. With the addition of Magnus Lindberg of Cult of Luna mastering it, Dystopian Dreams has that exceptional flavour of a future classic, where all the cogs and wheels of this merciless weapon fire on all cylinders. Black Sabbath, Entombed, Neurosis & High on Fire spring to mind, as the calibre of Harmadgedon’s riff whirlwind is of the finest quality, the antithesis of royalty but epic and majestic in delivery. Dystopian Dreams’ hulking magnetism leads you expertly to headbang and worship at the altar of timeless metal, without the slightest remnant of doubt. Songs like Reptilian and Controlled Chaos groove and churn, but pack a hell of a concrete punch, with nihilistic, gravelled guitars and spewing vocals of molten brimstone. Guitarist and vocalist Tim Rosenquist says: “Controlled Chaos is about propaganda actions and distractions but Reptilian is about how hard work makes you into this emotionless beast of a being. That song is best served blasting on the factory floor or in the car on your way to the office! Reptilian’s themes are at the core of what Harmagedon is about”. Look to the masters to deliver true heavyweight metal when the current scene lacks enough muscle and teeth. From a band made up of underground titans, Harmagedon is drawn from the well of eternal heaviness, living in death forever, what nightmares are made of. Harmagedon is: Tim Rosenquist - Guitars & Vocals Magnus Berglund - Bass Jens Bäckelin - Drums

25th anniversary limited edition yellow 2LP, download card included. Praise for What Burns Never Returns after its original 1998 release: As the purveyor of brainy, muscular instrumental rock, Don Caballero spent most of its early years labelled the “Geeks from Pittsburgh who don’t sing.” Now that the rest of the indie-rock world has warmed up to instrumental rock (see the popularity of Tortoise, et al.), Don Caballero reemerges from hiatus with its third full-length, What Burns Never Re-turns. Staying ahead of the learning curve, the band employs little of the muscle that marked its earlier efforts, instead adopting a more high-brow, abstract approach to its music making. The band is not improvising per se, but creating meticulously arranged, post-Kind Crimson-like songs that attack odd time signatures. Stunning in its acrobatic musicianship, intriguing in its relentless experimentalism, What Burns… is indeed a welcome return. — Tad Hendrickson, CMJ New Music Report // The follow up to 1995’s monolithic “Don Caballero 2”, “What Burns Never Returns” is a study in industrial-strength grace, like some archaic machine heaving in exorable arabesques. The metallic guitars and grinding rhythm section interlock with mechanistic precision, yet a very human friction shoots sparks of real beauty. — AJ Sutton, Billboard // What superior minds conceived these eight amazing instrumentals, at once impossibly complex and yet powerfully direct, and what mere men have the strength and discipline to perform them? … There are no druggy lyrics or samples or ironic reappropriations of outré instruments here - just thrilling purity and exhilarating single-mindedness.

Copenhagen punk rock/power pop band BIG MESS is a pile of hooks and energy. Taking their cues from the timeless masters of melody, loud guitars and high BPMs, their music packs an infectious punch. CLEANING UP WITH is the band's fourth full length and its first collaboration with UK-based label Specialist Subject. The album shows Big Mess at their most accomplished yet, and shows total dedication to reaching the ultimate in hit making. Imagine a singles compilation by your favourite band and you get the idea. Songwriting is key for Big Mess - as much Brill Building sparkle as hardcore punk economy, with no room for duds. Lyrically, the songs are heartfelt and occasionally stupid, with the dangers and difficulties of existence and the joys of rocking holding equal importance. Having been a band for nearly a decade, Big Mess’ playing is instinctive, effortless and relentless topped with vocals that combine a hooky sense of melody and rhythm with the right amount of desperation. This time the band adds a refreshingly shameless amount of backing vocals and harmonies that only add to the effective singalong quality Pink vinyl limited to 500 copies “BIG MESS is actually one big, relentless, overwhelming wall of hooks…non-stop, uptempo power pop/pop-punk with contagious riffs and choruses with their own choruses. This group is due a place on the shelf next to pop-punk’s catchiest tunesmiths, like JAY REATARD, the SPITS, MARKED MEN, SCREECHING WEASEL, etc. etc. Great!” - Maximum Rocknroll

For Fans Of... Magic Sam, Otis Rush, GA-20, Albert King, Elmore James. Never before heard blues from 1969! The 2023 RSD release is now also available on black vinyl and CD! Pressed right in Cleveland, Ohio at Gotta Groove Records. On Remined Records, Colemine's re-issue imprint. Produced by Eli 'Paperboy' Reed. Recorded by Eli's father in 1969. Tapes have been hidden for over 50 years, now being released for the first time ever. "Fred Davis was a legend, but only in my living room. As a teenager, I started digging deeper and deeper into the blues records in my Dad’s collection. That was when I started to get the Fred Davis story in fits and starts. Fred could play like T-Bone Walker and had a keen voice like J.B. Lenoir, he said. He used to front a jump band in Kansas City, before something went down that sent him to prison at Leavenworth. In the summer of 1967, he ended up working alongside my Dad at Harco, the Cleveland factory where my grandfather was an executive. They became friends, bonding over the B.B. King and Bobby Bland records blaring from the AM radio on the factory floor. Fred taught my Dad the rudiments of blues guitar, but his style. Instead of barring with his first finger, he wrapped his thumb around the back of the neck. That left his other fingers free to create big, ringing voicings that imitated the Kansas City horn sections he heard in his youth. Fred could play up and down the neck and, even when he played and sang just by himself, he sounded like a full band. Or, at least, so the legend went. These were only foggy memories from thirty years previous, passed down from a father to a son. But then we found the tape. A quarter inch reel in a plain white cardboard box, hiding on a shelf in the attic. My Dad explained how it came to exist: He found some friends (acquaintances really) who had a band and some equipment. They setup in my grandparents living room where the upright piano was, and he invited Fred over to record some of his songs with the band backing him up. We found a place nearby that could dub the tape and put it on a CD for us. When we finally got the transfer back, the legend became real. With this music now professionally transferred and remastered, I can only hope that Fred Davis can finally receive the acclaim that he deserves; that he never received in his lifetime. The legend can finally go behind the confines of my living room and, with any luck, to the whole world." Eli 'Paperboy'

For Fans Of... Jerry Butler, Wee, Adrian Younge, Roy Ayers, Unlimited Touch. New York's Ben Pirani & The Means Of Production team up with Ohio's Wesley Bright to deliver a midtempo rider suitable for a breezy summer's night. Upon the Means pulsing mellow groove "The Honeyman" begins to make it sweet indeed. The tune opens with a bright Rhodes melody that sets the stage for Wesley's gentle tenor. The song archs upward - with professing of love and devotion - toward an irresistible hook punctuated with sweet soft harmonies. Six Minute Mile is backed with a spaced out part two. Swirling delayed synth melodies and acoustic guitar fill out the groove. Ben Pirani has begun to establish himself as a writer and producer in recent years. With the Means Of Production as house band you can expect much more from the Palmetto Street gang

For Fans Of... El Michels Affair, Adrian Younge, Roy Ayers, Karriem Riggins, The Roots, Khruangbin. Producer "Grimez" has been making music for 20 years deep Grimez has ghost produced tracks for 50 cent, Hi-Tek, Kool Keith, Stick man (DEAD PREZ), Killah Priest, Sadat X, MOOD & Talib Kweli, and Mighty Diamonds to name a few. Gritty & raw analog instrumentals. Jason Grimes is all about making timeless music. The Cincinnati-based DJ and producer has a long history of record collecting, sampling, and creating new sounds with analog gear. Grimes works with some of Cincinnati’s finest studio musicians to create raw, soulful, instrumental hip-hop under the moniker Doctor Bionic. As a teenager in the 90s, Grimes fell in love with hip-hop at an early age. He became comfortable scratching on a pair of 1200s and sampling records with an NPC in high school. After years of collecting records and working on his sound behind the scenes, he had compiled a huge discography of original songs – but he wasn’t sure how to share them. “I got pretty burnt out and I had to take a hiatus for a few years,” he explained. “There wasn’t much going on in the Cincinnati music scene, and it always felt like an uphill battle.” Then, on a casual bike ride with his wife through Loveland in 2015, Grimes came across a new record shop. “I heard some music playing and I saw a sign that read ‘funk/soul’ – I had to go in and see what these guys were all about.” He spoke with Terry Cole, co-owner of Colemine & Plaid Room Records. “It was a breath of fresh air to meet Terry. The interaction inspired me to start making records again.” A short time later, Grimes started his independent label Chiefdom Records. His studio persona Doctor Bionic was one of the first to see a release on the new imprint. “Doctor Bionic is a studio band of session musicians,” he shared. “The personnel changes on every record. It depends on the sound I’m going for.” For every record, the goal is to make timeless music. Grimes is responsible for writing, recording, producing, mixing, and releasing the records. Spiritual Conquest features several heavy hitters from the Cincinnati music scene. Brad Myers and Brandon Scott played guitar on a few tracks each. Marvin Hawkins laid down some live drums. The album offers a dynamic mix of instrumental hip-hop sounds. From punchy, head-bobbing beats to ethereal, floating piano lines, the mix offers a little something for everyone

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Jason Williamson – “Discourse chapters that dark silence in the vaults of the unskilled worker. The acceptance of all that is horrible and endured. Moments of connection between living vessels are rare but sometimes they they do pass through the wire and lives are understood for a flicker of a second.”
“Eton Alive chronicles the scenes outside, mostly sleeping bags. Dulled reds, greens and cardboard head boards. Paper cups, bitten around the edges, full of copper."

Anything Can’t Happen is the long-awaited debut album from Dorothea Paas, one of Canada’s most beloved singer-songwriters. For over a decade, Paas has played her unique, prismatic style of folk songcraft for audiences across North America, and lent her talents as a guitarist and vocalist to artists like Jennifer Castle, U.S. Girls and Badge Epoque Ensemble. The songs on this album have been through a near-infinite number of forms – Paas has played them solo and with a full band, electric and acoustic, at house shows and in sold-out venues. they manage to fit inside each context, like water taking the shape of its container.

All of this makes Anything Can’t Happen feel far more mature and complex than a debut album. It’s a statement of purpose, a next step in a decade-long process of artistic growth and evolution, and a bridge between the DIY style of Paas’s previous cassette releases and a more refined studio sensibility. Recorded in studios in Hamilton and Toronto, and mixed by Max Turnbull of Badge Epoque and U.S. Girls and Steve Chahley, these songs bring a diverse range of musical influences into conversation: inflected with the layered reverberations of Grouper, shot through with the piercing harmonies of the Roches, electrified with the searing energy of Sonic Youth. You can hear Neil Young in the grittiness of the title track’s guitar; Joni Mitchell’s Hejira in the album’s lyrics, Fairport Convention in Paas’s voice. The influence of Stevie Wonder - one of Paas’s greatest musical role models - is present too, in the album’s conceptual foundations.

The trend for spaced-out electronic house sounds knows no bounds at the moment. Nolga is the latest to start into a starship and head for the cosmos on this new EP for Aesthetic. 'Voltage' is a real fist pumper with great swing and glide and smeared pads with pipettes of acid.

'Delusion' then gets all bouncy and playful with bubbling synth phrases and energetic keys. There's a hint of darkness to the bass in 'Resurgence' while '435D' has a more metallic tech edge. All in all, a high-class EP of forward-thinking grooves.

The new 12” series on Ballyhoo Records is dedicated to what label owner ‘Thee J Johanz’ describes as ‘Triptech Journeys’. The series takes the listener on a journey traversing old school house to mystical acid and everything in-between.

On volume 1, titled ‘There Is Power In Love’, side a gives us ‘Afrobot and Steven Pieters’ who deliver the perfect message of love. The artist ‘Strange’ then provides us with his stunning Indian style Charanjit Singh rag reworks. We then have raving madness from Goa’s finest ‘Deka’ whose track ‘Dance with me’ was a secret weapon played at a number of major festivals over the summer.

Flip it over to side b, we have ‘Thee J Johanz’ providing us with the perfect intro/outro tool for DJs (lets face it, there is simply not enough good ones on vinyl!) We then have ‘Sintaro Fujita,’ Ballyhoo’s best Japanese friend, delivering sharp and mystical vibes with his track ‘Are We Still Friends.’ Last but by no means least, snake charmer ‘Sid Ua’ slows it all down leaving us in a trance like state with his stunning track ‘Feels Familiar.’ Weird and wonderful music from a fabulous bunch of weird and wonderful talented outsiders, this cannot be missed!

Preston’s unholiest sons Evil Blizzard return with their most furious, compelling and diverse album to date, released on their own Crackedankles label, (which has recently branched out into releasing the likes of Hotwax, Thank, Bad Guys and TV Face.) Following the critical and commercial success of their last album ‘The Worst Show On Earth’ the band took a year off after that tour to recoup. And then got back together in March 2020, just in time for… another enforced year off. They did, however, release ‘The Very Best Of Evil Blizzard’ on vinyl, which was completely blank. And sold out in less than a day. The new album, their fifth, was written during and post lockdown and ‘reflects the claustrophobia, fear and paranoia of those days’ according to guitarist (not bassist!) Filthydirty. ‘The band has changed. One of our 4 bassists Kav left and we were joined by Fleshcrawl (aka Mr. Dibs, Hawkwind’s vocalist and bassist for over 12 years). Kav was inimitable as a musician, so it never crossed our minds to try and ‘replace’ him, so when Fleshcrawl scurried in he brought a whole new range of sounds and toys to the sandpit. Also, we’d run out of sonic space to play with, having just the basses, and everything had got a bit stale - so I switched to lead guitar which brought a whole new range of possibilities. 'The new album is much more representational of the band’s record collections: it retains the ‘Sabbath-meets PiL-meets Killing Joke’ sound found on the band’s earlier albums, but now encompasses dub, goth and electronica in its 8 tracks, with clear nods in the general direction of Sonic Youth, Jane’s Addiction, Leftfield and The Mission. As opposed to all previous albums which were recorded live in one or two takes, this album took over three months with the band meticulously de-structuring songs ‘that sounded too much like pop songs’ resulting in an album that is uncomfortable yet still accessible. Featuring cover art by the legendary Nick Blinko or Rudimentary Peni, the album is released in gatefold sleeve on black vinyl, compact disc and DL.

CUT THE ENGINES is the third album by All Structures Align, following the critically acclaimed Details And Drawings and Distance And Departure (both released on Wrong Speed Records in 2022). All Structures Align began as a studio project reuniting brothers Tim and Adam Ineson of 90s underground rock heroes Nub. Their debut album Details And Drawings took everyone by surprise.

Rather than sounding like a tentative bedroom project, it arrived fully formed and with its own identity. It was an album of unhurried patience, of mounting tension (and eventual release) and it possessed a depth that rewarded repeated listens as irresistible hooks revealed themselves almost casually to the listener.

It also felt slightly out of time: no rush to the chorus, no gimmicks, no desire to pack out every second of space with sound. Lots of people agreed and the limited vinyl pressing sold out almost instantly. The follow-up came within the same year with the brothers recruiting drummer extraordinaire Neil Turpin (Objections, Bilge Pump, Polaris) to bring swing and pulse to their songs.

Distance And Departure was the result and widened their audience and acclaim further. So much so that the brothers decided to venture out and play live. To do so they brought in Oli Heffernan (Ivan The Tolerable, King Champion Sounds) on bass and Andrew Pollard (Polaris) on guitar and additional vocals.

If you’ve been lucky enough to see All Structures Align live over the last year, you’ll know this expanded band bring the songs to life beyond simple recitation. Those dynamic shifts in the music are now larger than life and fully multi-dimensional. Cut The Engines is the first All Structures Align release to capture the five-piece live band in the studio. Eight songs as spacious and measured as their previous work but with an increased directness and drama that seems to come from the interplay between people in a room.

Whilst never getting down to Ramones levels of brevity, the songs are compact and sharper than before, as though the addition of extra personnel has allowed their musical language to become more concise and effective. The songs still feel like rich novels condensed into short stories, but the band format has brought a confidence and ease to the telling that increases their impact. The resulting record is their most accessible yet, a slow-core indie-rock masterpiece that will intrigue and delight existing fans and newcomers alike for decades to come.

140 Gram White Vinyl Limited Edition Of 1500 worldwide. Includes full album download + 2 bonus download tracks from the out of print 1999 Suz EQ /to whom it may consume 7-inch. Originally released in 2000 as Enon burst on the scene to wide acclaim +++ Pitchfork called Enon lyricist / guitarist John Schmersal “one of indie rock’s most consistently compelling songwriters.” Long, long ago, at the beginning of the new millennium, the world begot Enon. It was before Willliamsburg was, like, totally over, before beards made you cool, and just at the cusp of all this modern computer recording tomfoolery. What a time, before innocence lost. From all this came a much beloved and oft-overlooked record – one Touch and go is damn proud to re-issue on vinyl today – Believo! This record makes a bridge between the 20th and 21st centuries – full of effects, samples, pop sensibilities, and a complete respect for and disregard of The Rules. In 2000, Enon was all Brooklyn style, comprised of John Schmersal of Brainiac and Rick Lee and Steve Calhoon of Skeleton Key. John and Rick bonded over a penchant for suitcases full of electronics and battery powered trickery – portable musical distractions capable of making tracks on the fly. That’s what this era was all about for Enon – the suitcases, and being in the moment wherever they were. Though the band would later evolve to 2007’s lineup of Schmersal, Toko Yasuda and Matt Schulz, you’ve got to know where you’re coming from to see how you got to where you are today. So, come along with us, please, to the re-birth of Believo!

Leatherette’s 2022 debut album Fiesta offered an intense, inspired and individualist take on post-punk, their caustic riffs, fevered saxophone blasts and impassioned vocals revealing the five-piece skilled purveyors of the form.

The group's second album Small Talk, however, is clearly the work of a group ready to take flight in a new direction all their own. As they toured Fiesta across Italy and Europe, Leatherette grew tired of the genre's constrictions and yearned to spread their wings. Small Talk transcends all the group have done before and coins a voice uniquely their own, driven by the same furies that propelled Fiesta, but finding fresh new forms for expression.

The album boasts some of Leatherette's most unabashed pop-songs to date – albeit pop that's deftly twisted, pointedly perverse and ready to explode when you least expect it.

It also contains some of the group's most challenging and uncompromising noise yet, the violent swinging back-and-forth between ugly din and nagging tunefulness a (molotov) cocktail that grows only more addictive with each listen. Where Fiesta saw the group enter the studio with a batch of anthems they'd honed on the road, their approach for Small Talk was very different, leaving the sessions open to moments of on-the-fly invention and sparks of mad genius. The interplay between the five musicians is so much stronger this time around, the group say, a result of the months of touring the band put in following the release of Fiesta.

Living out of rucksacks and spending hours on the motorway in a tour van might not be everyone's idea of a good time, but that's what Leatherette credit with sharpening their intra-group bond, their almost telepathic feel for the sounds that will complement what their bandmates are playing. “We were more free to play and to rearrange, because we knew each other better now,” says guitarist Andrea Gerardi, “and the interplay is more focused on this album as a result.” The sessions for Fiesta were frustrating, Andrea says, because “we were playing the same songs over and over”.

Their approach was radically different for Small Talk, however, which saw the group file into Bronson, a local club where they've often played before, and record the album on the premises. After the sessions, the album was mixed in Bristol by Chris Fullard (Idles) and mastered in Portland at the legendary Telegraph Audio Mastering by Adam Gonsalves. "We recorded live, all playing together at the same time, rather than overdubbing the instruments," says Michele. The process, he says, "made us more coherent, and the songs more spontaneous." "Our strength is live performance," adds Andrea, "so we tried to capture that interplay. Sometimes we made errors, but we didn't care, because it sounded great. This music is our lives - it doesn't need correction. We were free for the two weeks we recorded the album, and the ideas soared in the most amazing way." Indeed they did. The album's see-saw between angular noise and pop coherence is very much its strength, and very much the sonic identity of this singular group

'Of No Fixed Abode' gathers fragmented recordings by the Madrid duo of Pablo Mirón and Juan Vacas, the multi-disciplinary artists behind the collective Real No Real (realnoreal.org) and Ediciones Fontenebro label. Working with field recordings, found materials, instruments such as Violin and Harmonica and by manipulating old radios, turntables and reel to reels the pair have been performing across the world of late taking their collage style process with them. 'Of No Fixed Abode' uses cross-continental sound diaries from the 2019-2022 period and has been central to shows at venues and festivals around Europe and South America.

Contributing to the wider field of post-fluxus 'broken music', the duality of natural sound and decaying, processed tape loops along with gentle instrumentation across the record follows in the footsteps of the Dieter Roth school, Anne Gillis, Leyland Kirby or Henry Krutzen yet is anchored in a charming restraint in which each element seems to fall into place perfectly. Miradasvacas have a long history with presenting experimental music through shows on Madrid's Radio Relativa, concerts and gatherings across the city and self-published mixtapes and sound art, though debut here on 12th Isle with their first proper album. Far-flung gallery sonics at their finest.

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Two huge Bobby Womack classics, the heart-on-a-sleeve 'How Could You Break My Heart' and the sweet soul love song, 'Give It Up' get a much deserved, official remastered reissue.

Produced and composed alongside Patrick Moten, who worked with the likes of Loleatta Holloway, Anita Baker and Rosie Gaines, 'How Could You Break My Heart' was a massive record on the modern soul scene and still a favourite across the board with the biggest selectors and DJs on the circuit.

The blend of warm woozy keys and magical piano touches, over energetic strings, powerful horns and tight percussion, are near impossible not to get swept up by and provide the perfect backing for Womack to bare all. Arguably one of the greatest soul singers to have ever done it, endless amounts of passion and raw emotion emanate from his rugged tones as he swallows the bitter pill of heartache and rejection.

On the B side the bittersweet 'Give It Up' where soaring strings and sumptuous chord progressions, marry with the full range of Womack's vocals and those expert backing harmonies. A luscious sax solo and funk bass give a sultry feel that mixes with the tenderness on show, providing a powerful metaphor for the swirling emotions that come part and parcel with this ever-relatable tale of reaching out for love.

Satoshi Suzuki (鈴木慧) described his musical practice perfectly on the OBI strip of his 1987 privately pressed LP - Tokyo Contemporary! consisting of 40% Jazz, 30% Soul, 20% Brazil, and 10% Kayokyoku - a musical mixture not too far off from what is now referred to as City Pop.

However, this archival compilation of Satoshi Suzuki's works presents a perspective of the City Pop sound not from affluent 1980s Japanese bubble economy-era studios and highly paid studio musicians, but from a one-person band making the most of the instruments in their home studio, inspired by musical traditions from around the world.

With notes of city pop, AOR, jazz, soul, bossa, and kayōkyoku - Satoshi Suzuki's intimately recorded pop songs are charming and full of wit, with a seasonal and poetic approach to these musical forms using only a drum machine and an array of digital synthesizers. Sounding a little like Pacific Breeze played on a Casio keyboard and drum machine, Uku Kuut soundtracking a SEGA video game, or the wonderful lo-fi works of Suzuki’s lo-fi homemade pop & jazz contemporaries Ronald Langestraat, Lewis, and Joe Tossini — though most of all, SUZUKI's works show a new and singular perspective of the bubble-era city pop of the Showa period.

Distant Travel Companion (​遠​い​旅​の​同​行​者​) introduces Suzuki's musical works to a wide audience for the first time, featuring remastered songs originally released over three privately pressed LPs from the 1980s, as well as a previously unheard CD from 1993. The original works were released in an impossibly limited edition of 100 copies each - printed and assembled on printing equipment at Suzuki’s company office and scarcely distributed, recording these songs at his home studio in his free time. The compilation's design and accompanying OBI and liner notes are a direct homage to the original releases.

Satoshi SUZUKI is a Japanese keyboardist, singer, songwriter, and music arranger. He is also an author of literature and winner of the "Shin-nihon-bungaku" (New Japanese Literature) Award. He was born in 1958 in Tokyo, Japan.

Next up on Toolroom’s 4-track vinyl sampler series, we welcome LA based DJ and producer Noizu to the label, debuting with his remix of Mark Knight, Green Velvet and Rene Amesz – ‘Live Stream’. Diving deep and pulling up a Toolroom classic from the 2016 archives, Noizu delivers a powerful rendition of ‘Live Stream’, ramping up the energy of the original to a whole new level, cutting it fresh for dance floors in 2023.

Next up and landing back on the firm during our 20th birthday celebrations is none other than Danny Howard, who returns to the label with a beefed up edit of a Toolroom classic – ‘Hear What They Hear’ by Adrian Hour. A secret weapon for DJs worldwide, released back in 2016 on Adrian Hour’s ‘Like This’ Ep, this B side became an unlikely hero that still gets hammered today by the likes of John Summit and Eats Everything. After doing the rounds at Glastonbury festival this year and beyond, Danny's update has turned one record with a solid dance floor reputation into a certified slammer!

Next up, we’ve got an absolute belter of a record from two renowned producers in the scene: Watermät And Raumakustik, with their debut collaboration ‘Out Of My Head’. Merging each artist’s signature sounds together, from Raumakustik’s solid production skills to Watermät’s penchant for locking in quirky and catchy vocal hooks, ‘Out Of My Head’ is a certified dancefloor weapon in the making.

Last but not least, is another label debut from London based DJ and producer, deeper purpose, who’s landing with a huge tech house roller, ‘The Stutter’. An artist creating shockwaves across the dance music spectrum, deeper purpose is fast becoming a familiar name in the dance sphere having earned a solid reputation as a producer with killer releases on highly regarded imprints such as off the grid, catch & release and repopulate mars. A staple record in all his performances, ‘The Stutter’ has shaken dancefloors all over the world, from EDC Vegas to Club Space Miami, to Ministry Of Sound London and beyond!

Countless Radio Plays on Radio 1 from Danny Howard, Sarah Story, Pete Tong

DJ Support:
Danny Howard, Annie Mac, Mistajam, Pete Tong, Charlie Hedges, Kraak & Smaak, Maxinne, Todd Terry, Alex Preston, Full Intention, Gw Harrison, DJ Rae, Rudimental, Alaia & Gallo, Illyus & Barrientos, Johan S, David Penn, Sam Divine, Riva Starr, Claptone

Trans-Millenia Consort is the near mythical debut album by the late West Coast composer, healer, and medium Pauline Anna Strom. First released in 1982, the album is a bold and beautiful evocation

of a life that exists between and beyond time. Evoking ancient rituals and primordial futures, the music of Trans-Millenia Consort glows with a strange iridescence; its pulsing embryonic waveforms flutter and drift, tones fall like raindrops of the long- ago, and melodies shimmer and dance across the ages like fireflies of a lost world. Restored and mixed from the original reels by Marta Salogni, and newly remastered, this is the album’s first ever official reissue, and the definitive edition of a visionary statement.

On Side A, smile your way through two songs by The Teacher Haters — in fact, we challenge you to get through these tracks without smiling. Even the name of the band invokes a chuckle as it suggests what these guys are about — and that’s the P-A-R-T-Y. Straight out of the 60s comes a group that could have been played with Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs back in the day. These whimsical works are deceptively deep as they take us to a time when garage punk fused with R&B.

Big Pig Alley is uncomplicated, and that’s what makes it great — it sounds like a bunch of college guys having a good time, writing lyrics on the spot: “If you’re lookin’ for romance, take a train, take a plane...or a raft to France.” The guys have something other than romance on their minds as they chug along on acoustic guitar and trash can drums (and possibly other things). What really makes the track, though, is the witchy background voice — the performance is loose enough, while the witch is doing his own thing entirely.

The witch returns on the second track on Side 1 in the up-tempo, dance-ready Cut Loose. No obscure artistry here — these guys tell you exactly what the song is for in the title. In fact, just in case you missed it, they state their thesis in the opening lines: “I wanna shake all night, I wanna do it right, I wanna dance, dance, dance with you…” All of their collegiate effort is put toward getting you to move your hips in this groovy, rockabilly-flavored mix.

Let's talk about Side B...

We Got A Thing is up first — a crossover soul dancer that invites you to sing along with an infectious, call-and-response chorus. It pairs nicely with The Teacher Haters as fun, simple party music from the 60s — though this time from a female perspective.

Things go deeper with Guys Today. As the name suggests, the content is about the enduring tension between the sexes and the heartbreak it can lead to. It’s a deep soul beat ballad in the vein of Betty Wright or Helene Smith. A grand opening is followed by a clear, crisp female vocal that brings the singer’s lament into focus. The band is tight, and it all comes together to portray a woman who has made up her mind and is offering a warning about guys today: I know you love your man, but I know they will hurt you in every way they can.

At first glance, these artists seem to share only a few things in common — party-themed music conceived in the 60s with an R&B flavor. But between sides A and B, it feels like these groups are talking to each other — perhaps different perspectives of the same party. Perhaps the party itself and then the fallout. The result is a balanced EP release that feels whole and satisfying. We hope you feel the same as we proudly present these found recordings as an exclusive 12” on 180 gram vinyl. Please enjoy.

Welcome to Masters Series - for people who understand that some things just can't be tamed. (Read: these are scratchy, poppy, and rough recordings from busted acetates. Click the listen tab to preview quality. These are cleaned up as best we can get them - if that's not going to work for you, don't order!)

For the third installment of our Master Series we present This Is Me by Mark Bluford. A heavy slice of early 70s Psychedelic Deep Funk from the Bay Area. Hard to miss the massive wah-wah guitar leads, but the arrangement is pretty complex with piano, bass, and strings backing the earnest vocals.

There are breaks on both sides, parts one and two. The first break is a string break, very unique to a Funk record. But, somehow this fits for a Bay Area Funk record. The break in part two is one of the heaviest drum breaks no one has heard in 50 years.

A very limited special upgrade option for this release: choose to get MS-003 in a one of a kind, hand-painted sleeve by the legendary McBoing Boing. Only 12 completely unique sleeves were hand painted by the man himself, and one of those 12 is staying right here in our HQ. So there are now only 11 out there! (Yes, the vinyl comes with the sleeve.)

Big thanks to Dr. Scott Bulleit for digging this acetate out of a flea market and contributing it to the Preservation Project! This is a sure shot, don't miss out on this limited run!

The story behind The Masters Series

In our hunt for unreleased soul, we occasionally find some incredible gems that are just a bit too beaten to restore to the ears of the general public. Rather than return them to the moldy basements from whence they came, we press them in small batches to share with those who love to share.

"From the first fuzzed out note of guitar on this record you'll know you're dealing with two heavy instrumental Psychedelic Funk sides. For our 14th regular release, we reached back into our acetate archive to bring you the never heard before Chordata. This recording seems to be related tangentially to Mancefield & Brother Man Band. And though we believe the group is likely from NJ/NY, we haven't been able to pin it down.

""Super Dynamite"" on the a-side features heavy guitar work, punchy horn stabs and arrangements, and heavy percussion. And what great Funk song doesn't have a drum break? Two thirds of the way through the side, Chordata delivers a pure drum and percussion break that extends while the guitar player and horns add a discordant layer to the mix.

The b-side, ""What It Is"" takes us on a jazzy trip that is like a group of teenagers dropping acid and trying to recreate a mix of Miles Davis' ""Bitches Brew"" and a lost Funkadelic session. It’s heavy, sonic, drenched in sweat, and amazing. The guitar player goes off on this side and is the focus. And while this is a less accessible recording, it might end up being your favorite side after repeated listens. "

"From the first fuzzed out note of guitar on this record you'll know you're dealing with two heavy instrumental Psychedelic Funk sides. For our 14th regular release, we reached back into our acetate archive to bring you the never heard before Chordata. This recording seems to be related tangentially to Mancefield & Brother Man Band. And though we believe the group is likely from NJ/NY, we haven't been able to pin it down.

""Super Dynamite"" on the a-side features heavy guitar work, punchy horn stabs and arrangements, and heavy percussion. And what great Funk song doesn't have a drum break? Two thirds of the way through the side, Chordata delivers a pure drum and percussion break that extends while the guitar player and horns add a discordant layer to the mix.

The b-side, ""What It Is"" takes us on a jazzy trip that is like a group of teenagers dropping acid and trying to recreate a mix of Miles Davis' ""Bitches Brew"" and a lost Funkadelic session. It’s heavy, sonic, drenched in sweat, and amazing. The guitar player goes off on this side and is the focus. And while this is a less accessible recording, it might end up being your favorite side after repeated listens. "

Welcome to Masters Series - for people who understand that some things just can't be tamed. (Read: these are scratchy, poppy, and rough recordings from busted acetates. Click the listen tab to preview quality. These are cleaned up as best we can get them - if that's not going to work for you, don't order!)

For this limited edition Masters Series release, we enlisted the help of two of the world's heaviest collectors and djs, and champions of the Preservation Project from day one, Supreme la Rock on Side-A, and Skeme Richards on the B-Side.

Both gentlemen tackled reworking and re-editing funky previously unreleased psych songs. Both songs, "Sad Country Boy" on Side A and "Your Mind" on Side B, are by unknown groups and both feature drum breaks intros - perfect for you to cut up, so you're gonna need two copies. We won't be mad at you if you feed the breaks and chop them up either. This one is for the heads.

The story behind The Masters Series

In our hunt for unreleased soul, we occasionally find some incredible gems that are just a bit too beaten to restore to the ears of the general public. Rather than return them to the moldy basements from whence they came, we press them up to share with those who love to share.

Million Seller is the new electro-acoustic album and project led by Matt Calvert, one of the founding members of the underground alt-rock sensation Three Trapped Tigers The inspiration for the project originated as Matt revisited his collection of early 70s releases by Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi group - some of the pianist's most overlooked and least understood albums. "The concept of Million Seller was to create a contemporary sound with similar elements to the Mwandishi band, putting the electronics and percussion at the forefront, merging organic and synthetic." Mwandishi (originally a sextet, later a septet with added electronics) had three horn players: Million Seller has none, instead using three synth players: Calvert himself is joined by Stale Storlokken of free- form experimental legends Supersilent, and by the unclassifiable improvisor Matthew Bourne. The line-up is completed by drummer Dave Smith, who brings his comprehensive knowledge of the Gambian tradition of Sabar drumming alongside his extensive jazz background, and a trio of guest musicians: Mamadou Saar on sabar and djembe drums, Kadialy Koudate on kora, and Sam Wilson on contemporary percussion. The results are a striking fusion of ancient and modern sounds, of heavy yet playful synth interactions topped by driving acoustic percussion, of wild improvisation mixed with moments of ambient beauty, all creating a sonic identity that's every bit as unique, wide-ranging and unforgettable as its inspiration.

Milanese techno shaman MAIKE DEPAS travels from the dark to the dreamy side of the dance floor on his EP "Euphoria" (out 24 November on The Innovation Studio)

"Techno emissary Maike Depas storms back onto the scene with 'State of Techno', a bold fusion of past and present influences set to reshape dance floors in 2023." (Magnetic Mag)

"State of Techno is the Milanese producer's visionary work fusing 80's and 90's sounds through a modern lens creating an exhilarating release weaving through 30 years of underground club music." (The Brvtalist)

On the back of the breaky Grand Prix 2049 anthem "Midnight Ride", Milanese techno shaman MAIKE DEPAS (Michelangelo De Pasquale) travels from the dark ("We Move", "Inner Voices" and "Techno Appeal") to the dreamy side ("Midnight Ride" and "Green Hornet") of the dance floor on his EP "Euphoria", coming out on 24 November via The Innovation Studio. One foot in stoic Schranz techno of Chris Liebling"s CLR, the other one in eschatological goa trance of Dragonfly Records, never going under 134 BPM, Depas strikes the perfect balance between dystopia and utopia. "This is my idea of what the ravers want to listen inside the club's Depas reckons.

"Euphoria has two sonorities: the dark vibe, and the dreamy one. This is my idea of what the ravers want to listen inside the club's Maike Depas

With the complex arrangements of the past Depas-releases left out and the trusted workhorse a custom-made pitch black Roland TR-909 from 1983 responsible for doing the heavy lifting in the drum sections, "Euphoria" is a beat-heavy affair that draws its relentless drive and rhythmic richness from merging polyrhythmic patterns merged with streamlined melodies and nifty vocal samples such as the double entendre "quiero jugar una horas mas" (Engl. "I want to play one hour more") on the no-holds-barred hard trance number "Techno Appeal", and the riveting juxtaposition of mesmerizing female vocals and handclaps of roaring crowds in hypnotic "Inner Voices".

"These demoniac figures resemble human transformation and the idea of achieving euphoria through esotericism's Maike Depas

However, when it comes to Depas, there is always more to his music than merely being dead set on setting the dance floors on fire. The antler-wearing figures and witches" circles depicted in the artwork hint at Depas" invitation for the clubbers to let his music move them far beyond the physical world. "These demoniac figures resemble human transformation and the idea of achieving euphoria through esotericism's

Repress!

The Skints have grown hugely in the past 3 years, climbing from small venues to sold out Academy and Empire shows and winning over many new fans and press along the way

Following his first LP "Hafa" released by Soundway Records and a 12inch where he remixed Guts & Les Frères Smith (Pura Vida / Heavenly Sweetness), the nomadic producer iZem continues to blaze his own trail, offering a hybrid of Afro-Brazilian influences and electronic funk. After the release in 2022 of the EP "Yemamaya" composed with the Brazilian LuizGa, which was unanimously acclaimed by the public, he is releasing his second album "in Ze early morning", surrounded by artists and friends who have marked out his journey between South America, Portugal and France.

"in The early morning" is a fusion of musical aesthetics, the fruit of the artist's passionate quest to reveal links between cultures. iZem is constantly on the move, creating songs from loops and ideas initiated on the road, with his laptop as his companion. These first seeds are then developed with musicians from all over the world, to create innovative tracks that blend tropical trip-hop, Afro-Latin music and avant-garde electro beats.

Disco is back! From Paris to Melbourne, Berlin or Athens, a new blend of 70s inspired disco sound is currently taking the dancefloors by storm with artists like Monika, L'Impératrice or LeonxLeon, creating a stir on the international scene. Paying their dues to the pure form of Disco, these new artists, far from mimicking the clichés, are adding an unmistakable millennium twist to the genre. This is Disco 2.0

TERMS is responsible for signing Just Waxx's first release, 3 tracks ranging from electro techno, acid house and deep techno accompanied by a remix of the Berlin-based duo Omega Men.

On side A we find ‘Collateral Damage’, a direct cut with sweeping bass and 909 rhythms: pure energy for demanding clubs. ‘Always with Cream’ is slower and calmer, transporting us to a warm passage with chords and melodies typical of the Balearic sound.

Opening side B, Omega Men remixes 'Always With cream’ giving it a more gelid touch. In it, toms and snares merge with acid sequences, creating a sense of speed and claustrophobia. On ‘Cosmic Energy’, the track that closes the album we find basses and syntheses combined with vocals and a main pad, bringing colours and textures close to the classic Detroit sound.

Minimal don Kepler strikes a balance between dancefloor utility and introspection on his latest record, and debut for X-Kalay. Big house and techno incursions straight out of Yorkshire – Leeds, to be precise. It’s a strong testament to the region’s long standing reputation as a hotbed for late-night minimalism.

Subtle flourishes and details stand out across all four tracks. Uncovering relics from ancient futures, ‘Lowlife’ stimulates the pineal gland with a mescaline-strength take on classic ‘90s tech house. While it dials the trippier elements down just a tad, ‘Control’, like its predecessor, recalls golden era Wiggle or Asad Rizvi under his Silverlining moniker.

No half measures on the next one. Bringing heft in spades, ‘Stranded’ comes hurtling in with swinging, jacking 4 AM NRG. It’s some serious gear, which makes the EP closer such an unexpected left-turn. ‘Need’ offers proper heads-down introspection, complete with widescreen, nebulous chords that ripple out into the vastness of space.

Much has been written about Young Marble Giants' small, perfect catalogue, which contained roughly two-dozen songs, nearly each one a perfect gem. Less is known about his long wilderness years after the break-up of his first professional band. His next project, The Gist, chopped YMG's minimalism into a new sound. This Is Love, Public Girls and Fool For A Valentine showed his songs to be razor-sharp, but the album's fragmented pieces were a step too far for some, though even the strangest, Carnival Headache, when cast in sunlight by Alison Statton's combo Weekend, was as fine a song as any he'd written - and Love At First Sight became a million-seller when covered by Etienne Daho. Then Stuart disappeared. A rmid-90s resurgence led to fine albums done on low budgets, before more silence followed. The Gist's 2018's release Holding Pattern - unexpected and then quickly followed by YMG singer Alison Statton's first new album with her accompanist Spike in two decades, adding fuel to public interest. The Devil Laughs, recorded a few years back, is a compelling addition to the canon of the 21st century songwriting. Stuart's generally unadorned musical presentation does not hinder his appreciation for the skills of Louis Philippe, whose iconic arrangements across an array of Él label albums inspire the fierce devotion of aficionados around the world. Nor does the unvarnished solidity of Stuart's arrangements deter Louis from hearing possibilities for their presentation in styles which take inspiration from the perfection of 1960's studio technology that led to the rise of Brian Wilson, Burt Bacharach, along with less-recognised names such as Bones Howe and Roy Halee. Tidy Away is Young Marble Giants redux, though the backing vocals hint at maturity which band didn't live to see. Fighting To Lose, written with producer Ken Brake, would pass as a worthy b-side to Bridge Over Troubled Water, and although the songs are otherwise Stuart's, Louis fans will delight at several, like Love Hangover and Sky Over Water, which display his style and production genius as succinctly as anything on his own albums. The Devil Laughs is as out of its time as Colossal Youth was - its subtle but immediate beauty, devoid of "rock", is a recording best understood in the light of those obscure groundbreakers who inspired it - the faux barbershop vocals of Smile-era Beach Boys, the studio lustre of Tom Wilson's work with Simon & Garfunkel, a dash of The Swingle Sisters and French chanson - along with enough hints of Young Marble Giant's modernist folk abstraction to satisfy longtime fans. The Devil Laughs is a small masterpiece of pure expression.

Limited edition 30th anniversary splatter vinyl edition. Dinosaur Jr’s most successful and critically acclaimed album. A Classic from grunge icon J Mascis. Formed in 1984, Dinosaur Jr carved a singular path through the latter half of the 1980s and early 1990s, issuing a number of highly influential albums in the process before finding a home with Sire Records.

‘Where You Been’, their fifth record, emerged in 1993, at the height of enthusiasm for grunge and the alternative American rock scene the band had long been part of. Produced by a new line-up of the group (longtime drummer Murph and new bassist Mike Johnson completing the three-piece), the album became the band’s most successful up to that point, reaching #50 in the US (where it sold over a quarter of a million copies) and #10 in the UK album charts, and spawning the hit single ‘Start Choppin’. Released to unanimously positive reviews, and containing many tracks that would become staples and fan favourites.

The second serving of Grub is here from Swiss beatmaker - Andy Kas. His animated sound spread heavily across four thick cuts, an all you can eat buffet that packs a punch. Nostalgic gaming energy which the rising producer has built a reputation for, combining that with a fresh
and modern take for the dance floor. Sweet tasting sounds straight out of ”Decay Island GP”, built upon tight elastic grooves full of charming character.

The Cornish improv noise / post-rock / shoegaze band’s cult classic debut, remastered and re-edited by Slowdive’s Simon Scott and available on vinyl for the first time since its release back in 2017, with original copies (released via The Weird Beard) now changing hands for triple figures. The three tracks that make up the album were recorded live, in one take. They are presented as captured snippets of the one song the band used to play, the continually existing and evolving ‘CPA’ (Cosmic Pink Alignment). It formed the blueprint for their unique mix of Sonic Youth squall and Slowdive-style beauty, which was later heard on 2021’s acclaimed debut for Sonic Cathedral, Sleepover. “People have told us they aren’t able to get a copy of the album, so a reissue was a good opportunity for us to re-look at it having learnt a bit more about the mastering process when we did Sleepover,” says guitarist Matt Ashdown. “Simon also mastered that, so we really trusted him and didn’t give him a brief – he knows we like to squeeze out as much low end as possible, which is why there is also a new cut; more low end means less space on the vinyl.” Simon’s magic touch has really elevated this stunning record, making it sound bigger, bolder and better than ever

Martha and Jessica Kilpatrick (aka Waterbaby) had a creative upbringing in South London – spending their days singing in Southwark Cathedral Choir or experimenting with recording ideas onto cassette tapes, such as trying to make their out-of-tune family piano and a flute sound like an electric guitar. Eventually settling together in an attic flat in Peckham, the sisters became quiet, mystical forces in the underground London scene, emerging in and out of the sanctuary of their studio to perform their hypnotic live show with artists as varied as Kedr Livansky, James K, TAAHLIAH, and Dorian Electra. The sisters’ insular and feminine sonic world showcases inventive song structures backed by dizzying layers of production – all crafted on their stash of lost & found analogue gear in their South East London studio, squashed between Hyperdub’s headquarters and a mechanic’s garage. In a world where the analogue and the digital seem to be in constant headlock, Waterbaby effortlessly solve the equation – operating in a space where Cocteau Twins-esque anachronism meets the sharper edge of contemporary experimental electronica. Press: “The 10-track album is a window into the duo’s alternate reality, where folklore and mysticism blend together to create a kaleidoscopic dreamworld of experimental electronica." – Dazed “The sisters often go to magical places with their celestial compositions … Across the album’s 10 tracks, there’s a great deal of artistic ambition within the arrangements.” - Loud & Quiet "Like a distorted transmission from somewhere out of time, Waterbaby serve as our conduits, lightning rods for pop music and art of a more mystical variety." - Fact Mag "Their long-awaited debut 22° Halo' locates their sound somewhere between the nebulous chamber pop of Cocteau Twins, the meticulous synths of Air, and the speculative electronics of Arca or Oneohtrix Point Never

Michael Chapman (1941-2021) released his debut album Rainmaker in 1969 on Harvest. He went on to release over fifty albums and influence many with his evocative songwriting and guitar prowess. From heady jams to expressive ballads to experimental noise, Chapman’s work continues to inspire. Tompkins Square recruited Henry Parker to curate a collection of covers by working musicians from Chapman’s home turf in Northern England. With stunning artwork by local artist Bunty Marshall mapping the important places in Michael’s life, this 12th volume of Tompkins Square’s Imaginational Anthem series is the ultimate tribute to a very dearly missed artist. Notes from Henry Parker: Tompkins Square approached me in Autumn 2022 about putting together a tribute album to Michael Chapman who had passed away one year ago, on my birthday, in 2021. I remember it well; Michael Chapman had always been a huge inspiration to me since starting out on the acoustic guitar and was the first artist I had heard who played the instrument with that heavy thumb, drop tuned sound. I first got the chance to see him live at the Bradford experimental music festival Threadfest in 2015 and then went on to watch him play many more times, in the northern towns of Halifax, Hebden Bridge and Preston, also getting the chance to support him on a couple of his Yorkshire dates in 2018, in Saltaire and his hometown of Leeds. With both Michael Chapman and myself proudly coming from the county of Yorkshire in northern England, Tomkins Square and I decided to make this compilation decidedly Yorkshire focused, bringing together seven other artists from the county who have drawn influence from the profound music of this man.For those who don’t know, Yorkshire is an area that spans much of northern England, with its people taking great pride in the county, never too seriously, and poking fun at the “soft south” or it’s near neighbour Lancashire. Michael’s sound always spanned from introspective folk songwriting to more experimental forms and naturally so does this album, created for Tompkins Square. When it came to choosing musicians to contribute to the record, I was grateful for the Yorkshire limitation on who I could draw from, as the resulting album is comprised of eight artists, who have all shared stages with each other across the folk and experimental scenes in the area. The lack of “bigger” names on the record feels natural, there’s no ego about this project as there never was with Michael, who always seemed content touring the smaller clubs and making records for anyone who was interested. The artwork for the project came together organically, and firmly within the Yorkshire cottage industry. Two months before I was asked to put this album together, I had played a show in Leeds for the launch of a new zine, centred on folklore and mythology. The artist and founder of the zine Bunty has an exceptional eye for detail and a profound love of Yorkshire landscape and culture. Her intricate maps and illustrations created for ‘Hwaet’ zine were the perfect starting point the for this record, and the cover art and inner sleeve is an ocean of detail for Michael Chapman’s incredible life, music and his connection to Yorkshire

4LP is four black vinyl discs in two gatefold jackets + two 18 x 24 folded posters in a side-load slipcase + a printed insert for full album download. This is strictly for Indies only. 2CD is two discs in a six panel wallet + a 28 page booklet + printed insert. Misfits & Mistakes: Singles, B-sides & Strays 2007–2023 is Superchunk’s fourth singles compilation, a massive, 4-LP (or 2-CD) collection covering their triumphant return from hiatus. The amount of ground covered within its gorgeous packaging is staggering: 50 songs, 16 of which are on physical media for the first time, sourced from out-of-print releases, digital singles, compilations, and more, a vital piece of the Superchunk canon. Featuring extensive liner notes by Mac McCaughan (with additional notes from Laura Ballance), Misfits & Mistakes tells the story of each release, from why they chose to cover songs by The Misfits, The Cure, Destiny’s Child, and Bananarama, to working with collaborators like Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee), Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go’s), Eleanor Friedberger, Damian Abraham (Fucked Up), Norman Blake and Raymond McGinley (Teenage Fanclub), and more! Mac writes: Who knew it would take a cartoon hamburger to kick off a new period of activity for Superchunk? When we recorded “Misfits and Mistakes” for the Aqua Teen Hunger Force soundtrack at Overdub Lane in Durham, we also recorded the first version of “Learned to Surf” which gave us an on-ramp for making new music after 8 years of playing sporadic gigs. It also reminded us what we liked about playing Superchunk songs, whether they’re our own or written by our musical heroes. This collection covers a lot of ground, from heavy touring years to a pandemic where we made singles and an album at home. One difference between this comp and our first three is that this time span completely falls in the digital age; the distance from a final mix to everyone hearing it is shorter than ever. I’ve always liked artists that were prolific—throwing out singles in between albums when you least expect it. A surprise release from your favorite band is one of the few things that can still bring a little excitement to what can seem like an endless deluge of “content” (puke). Hopefully the wild swings between lo & hi fi and originals and covers on this comp still allow for some coherence and, more
importantly, convey what’s FUN about this punk rock thing.

Powerful rave friendly and acidic breakbeats. Limited coloured vinyl version

Following on from recent works for 12k, The Trilogy Tapes, and Important, Far More Decentralized is a new collection of subtle, enchanting pieces from Tokyo-based sound and visual artist Akhira Sano. Working with electronic, instrumental, and concrete sounds, he crafts immersive assemblages of long overlapping tones and blurred resonance, cut through with textural crunch and hiss. The resonant bell-like tones of opener ‘Kouai’ invite the listener in, calling up the warm sound palette of ambient classics like Hiroshi Yoshimura’s Music for Nine Postcards, but leaving any sense of compositional anchor behind for a free-floating harmonic drift. Woven through this seductive tonal cloud is a wavering stream of white noise and tactile pops, its textural grit threatening to derail the calmly reflective pool of pitched sounds, but never quite doing so. Each of these seven pieces occupies a similarly ruminative harmonic space while possessing its own identity. On ‘Neow’, lush tonal swells form around fragmented samples, touching on the techniques of early 2000s glitch artists like Ekkehard Ehlers. ‘Orbv’ is particularly subtle in its combination of rippling back-masked tonal wash, almost subliminal suggestions of field recordings, and distant traces of raw electronic interference, as if a Toshimaru Nakamura recording is playing through an open window across the road. ‘Margin’ weaves together a skein of wistful slow-motion melodies while untraceable, resonant clinks and ambiguous static washes rise gradually to the surface. In comparison to his recent Phase Contrast for Recollection on 12k, recognisable instrumental sounds are a rarity here, yet a hand-played feeling is present throughout. On ‘Teens’, filtered electric guitar tones reminiscent of the melancholic miniatures of Andrew Chalk float over aqueous burbles, bringing the album to a magisterial close. In the crowded field of contemporary electronic music tending toward ambience, Sano is a distinctive voice. Like his elegant abstract paintings, here seemingly static surfaces of unhurried calm reveal rich interior worlds of subtle activity and gentle chaos. Where much contemporary ambient music aims for an almost stifling cleanliness of tone, Sano breathes life into Far More Decentralized through the acceptance of imperfection, accident, and rough edges. As the artist himself says, ‘In a world where everything can be made perfectly, I think it’s a beautiful and primal act to touch the fragile and imperfect’

‘Demos/sketches/interludes from the hinterland between records. Drum machines and single take vocal sketches tied together with downtime synth experiments and recordings of local disappearing areas.’ True as it is, Jabu’s strap-line is a somewhat understated take on what also proved to be a transformative experience for them. The follow-up record to their 2020 sophomore LP ‘Sweet Company’ (and the ensuing ‘Versions’), ‘Boiling Wells’ weaves a smudged, group -mind spell. Originally released earlier this year without fanfare as a digital-only release, it now receives the proper release attention it deserves, issued in a neatly packaged vinyl edition of 300 copies. Dreamlike, woozy, raw and in dub, the album documents a blossoming process, and encapsulates a fragment in time - holed up in the country, soaking up the atmosphere in collective isolation, creatively embracing the limitations of a small recording set-up, and finding a new way to work as a band. “My mum had gone away so we’d decided to take the mixing desk and a couple of drum machines out to her house and set it up in the front room. We did it a couple of times to get the bulk of the tunes on 'Boiling Wells' done, one in summer and one boozy one around Christmas. I think we all immediately enjoyed working that way, sat around all together, more of an immediate thing. Jas started to play a lot more guitar, her and Al would write lyrics on the fly or be programming a drum beat in or something. We were all switching around and getting ideas down really quickly, not worrying too much if they were good or not. The music was limited by the stuff we had there, I didn’t bring a big desk so we only had six channels or so, and everything was basically just recorded in as a stereo take so we were more or less stuck with it after we’d laid it down - which was nice too. I don’t think we would’ve changed them anyway; it was the sound of the room and of us doing it together in the moment that was really important.” There has always been a collaborative heart to Jabu, though its nature has shifted and morphed over time. In their earliest incarnation, in after-school jams, Alex Rendall would rap over Amos Childs’ beats, but by the time they began releasing music in 2012, Al had found his singing voice – a sweet, soulful counterpoint to Amos’ increasingly dub-wise, experimental backing. Both are founder members of Bristol’s Young Echo, a collective of friends and musicians first operating loosely together on radio shows, artistic collaborations and events, and later on, running a record label. As expansive as their original remit was, Young Echo has steadily evolved since featuring in The Wire’s 2013 cover feature on Bristol’s new school of post-dubstep bass music. Of late, Seb (aka Vessel) has been working with violinist Rakhi Singh on string arrangements for Jabu, and the upcoming residency at Bermondsey’s MOT will showcase relative newcomers Birthmark and Intel Mercenary alongside the regular crew. Jabu’s debut album proper, ‘Sleep Heavy’, arrived in 2017 courtesy of Blackest Ever Black. A sublime, focused meditation on grief and loss written largely by Amos and Al, it marked the debut of Jasmine Butt (aka Guest), adding a further layer of vocal texture to their palette. ‘Sweet Company’, their first album written as a trio (released via their own do you have peace? label), drifted into lighter, more ethereal introspection. Featuring guest appearances by Sunun and Daniela Dyson, remixes by Equiknoxx’s Time Cow and Young Echo ‘s Ossia teased out the inherent pop and dub sensibilities respectively. Recent times have also seen remixes by kindred spirits Seekers International and Jay Glass Dubs, and a collaboration with the renowned T.S. Eliot Prize-winning dub Poet and musician Roger Robinson on a pair of plaintive, aching 7” singles. Jabu’s broad raft of inspirations can be experienced first -hand on their monthly NTS Radio show ‘Music 4 Lovers’, co -hosted by long-time friend and soul afficionado Andy Payback. A celebration of the endless tapestry of interrelated musical connections, it runs parallel to Jabu’s own reinterpretation of their influences. For ‘Boiling Wells’, Amos remembers a diet of “A.R. Kane, Cocteau Twins, DJ Screw, Southern/Memphis rap mixtapes, early 90’s jungle, Karen Dalton, Sybille Baier, Vashti Bunyan, Svitlana Nianio, a lot of soul, Armand Hammer & Alchemist, Grouper, Bobby Caldwell. Jazz was a constant, Japanese, Polish, Latin, American…”. And from those diverse strands, something new and singular has formed, to line up alongside them. ‘Boiling Wells (Demos ‘19-’22)’ is released by UK newcomer Six of Swords in a limited vinyl edition of 300 copies, pressed on black vinyl housed in full colour 270 gsm matt varnish sleeve and black paper inner, with full download coupon

André Roligheten is known for his strong presence in a number of collaborations with everything from Gard Nilssen's Acoustic Unity, Team Hegdal, Friends & Neighbors, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Susanne Sundfør, to his own release "Roligheten - Homegrown" from 2017.With his new adventurous ensemble, he is now releasing brand new music on the album "Marbles" (Odin, 03.11.23). The album contains a collection of compositions that facilitate bold interaction. The compositions are conceived as parallel universes with their own, improvised musical forms. Imagine that Sonny Rollins and Egberto Gismonti met on the beach at a yoga retreat in Hawaii and decided to make an album together! Roligheten brings out a highly personal expression in his warm tenor saxophone together with a star team of Scandinavian musicians. Each and every one of them adds a unique depth and substance to the musical universe; Strøm's rigorous double bass, Ståhl's bold vibraphone, Nilssen's elastic drums and Lindström's gripping pedal steel. This merges into a unique sound that carries Roligheten's compositions on a golden stool. The gallery of people in this ensemble has prestigious names, and they have worked with artists and bands such as Tonbruket, Bushman's Revenge, Ane Brun, Paal Nilssen-Love, Bobo Stenson, Supersonic Orchestra and Georg Riedel.

Gloam is the highly anticipated sophomore album from alternative folk band MAYBEL. Similar characteristics from their debut, Gathering, are carried forward: elegant harmonies, soft instrumentals and a shared optimism coupled with a wide open vulnerability. The songs still echo the intimacy, warmth and closeness of their relationships, yet the band has matured. MAYBEL's evolution shines through with ambitious compositions, thoughtful songwriting, and a deeper understanding of themselves as the album’s themes pierce with growing pains, anxieties and hopes for change. It’s a record about movement and stopping; the ongoing act of coming apart and coming together. Gloam is for listening in your bedroom or in transit, missing friends, on your way to see them. It holds an optimism that rings clear yet nestles and dwells in a brooding, muddy darkness - placing it firmly in the illustrious Canadian folk canon. This is the first album for which all four members (Fez Gielen, Ali Hendra, Loris Kecaj and Lauren Spear) wrote songs. For the most part, they were written during the pandemic separately and then shared in the upstairs living room where Lauren, Ali and Loris used to live together. The result is a shared diary on love, grief and moving on. The band's ability to effortlessly blend traditional folk elements with modern production techniques is reminiscent of the collaborations between Emmylou Harris and Daniel Lanois. Just as Harris and Lanois brought a fresh perspective to country music, MAYBEL embraces experimentation in their sound without compromising the warmth and intimacy inherent to folk music. As with their debut Gathering, MAYBEL recorded Gloam with producer/engineer Jonas Bonnetta at Port William Sound in Mountain Grove, Ontario. Resonating with a sound borne of the studio’s deeply intimate rural environs it is no wonder the band chose to return. Here they were joined by Eliza Niemi on bass/cello, Caylie Runciman on bass/drums with Jonas adding synths and percussion. Gloam is an old Scottish word for twilight. It appears like a fantasy between the day and night, a time seemingly frozen, drifting, or ignored all together. Gloam is the mood and time within which the album takes place. MAYBEL describes it as being: “In transition, between sleeping and waking—a quiet underworld where one is alone with their thoughts, in true presence with the in-between.” The final track on the album, “For Nothing”, captures something of the album’s twilight hope. It begins with lilting solos and gracefully builds in energy and color. MAYBEL sings to its listeners, “All that work for nothing” with a buoyancy and radiance that chimes against the lyrics. They repeat: “All that work for nothing”. For all of the band, the last few years have resulted in significant change and stress. Yet they continue to try, through their music, to will themselves towards optimism. They ask for you to marvel with them at the charming and terrifying possibility of life. They harmonize again, not despairingly, but almost ecstatically “All that work for nothing!”

Die-cut sleeve. In the fall of 2013 Bry Webb was putting the finishing touches on his second album Free Will. Released on May 20th 2014, Bry, with his newly assembled band The Providers, spent the following few years traversing North America playing clubs, festivals and storied stages such as Toronto’s Massey Hall. Nothing new for an artist who had spent the aughts in a constant state of motion with Constantines, a band who on average had performed one of every three nights on a stage somewhere in the world. In fact, running in parallel to Bry’s solo touring schedule was a reunion with his former Constantines’ bandmates to once again present their incendiary live show and celebrate the 11th anniversary reissue of the band’s Shine A Light. It is what happened as the decade wound down that seemed out of character for an artist who had spent close to 20 years immersed in the studio and on the stage: the music stopped altogether. Bry explains his feelings at that time, “I lost the musical plot about 5 years ago and stopped playing music entirely, sold instruments and recording equipment, and committed myself to the idea that I was absolutely done”. Webb dedicated himself to his ongoing work in community radio, months turned to years and musical life seemed to be all but gone from view. Now in an unexpected turnaround 10 years on from the recording of his last studio album, there is not only a return to the stage for Bry but also a new record. Primarily composed in a season of upheaval, Run With Me contains some of Bry’s rawest sentiments. Fresh and painfully present there is an immediacy one can hear as emotional walls collapse in real time. Bry explains the context of the album’s creation: “In early 2023 my personal life exploded. In the process of dealing with that, I started writing music again and started recording at home. Advised that I needed to figure out how to ask for, and accept, help from other people, I sent early recordings of songs to friends from twenty-five years of music making - many folks I hadn’t connected with in years - and asked if they’d contribute anything to the songs. People came through in ways that overwhelmed me to the point that I cried when I wrote out the list of players for the liner notes. I felt incredibly cared for. From Andy Magoffin, who recorded the first Constantines album in 1999, to members of the Cons, to my nieces Addy and Ella playing drums, and a doppler recording of my daughter’s heartbeat, the record is a document of my creative life, and the people who made it possible to make music again.” If the cover of Run With Me looks familiar, it is with full intent. The album’s technicolor marbling and die cut text serve to signal the inclusion of the album in a trilogy started with Bry’s first record Provider. Just as that album starts with the track Asa, this new one introduces itself with the instrumental Webb. The trilogy is now completed with his daughter's first, middle and last names represented as the first tracks on each of the three albums. While the LP’s package signals its place in the collection, and tracks such as Older Than The Dirt and What I Do revisit their predecessor’s familiar sonic starkness, Run With Me is the outlier of the trio. A number of new tracks forego the quietude of Provider and Free Will, clearly recalling the rallying rhythms of Constantines’ anthems. Thunder Bay (instrumental backing courtesy of The Harbourcoats circa 2009), with its insistent kick drum and wall of electrics, support one of Webb’s most indelible melodies, and the not so subtly psychedelic Modern Mind reveal an expansion of Webb’s palette. Perhaps the furthest afield is the contextual centerpiece of the album, Goodbye, where we not only hear a joyful voice that lay dormant for years, but hear it reclaim its power. Backed by Constantines’ Will Kidman, Doug MacGregor and Dallas Wehrle, Bry belts out “I’m through with all the rage, now watch the light pour out of me.” As with all of Bry’s work, Run With Me’s lyrics take their time to settle in. Songs of self-examination, reconfigured love ballads, and songs for those who work to help others. Songs of singing abound. It’s there in Older Than The Dirt’s second verse: "Logic to the last intention, logic in the way we kept holding on forever, singing as the floor- was swept”, ten thousand birds sing a warning song in Thunder Bay and again in Goodbye’s telling of a cathartic return to one’s true self with its celebration of those “Who sing - sing all joy - all joy of language, in a single word”. Joining Bry in singing Run With Me’s songs of “death, transition and hope,” are kindred spirits Jennifer Castle, Julie Doiron, Daniel Romano and Steph Yates. All of these singers elevate the album’s healing sentiments and help express the album’s central plea; a prayer of sorts wrapped in the traditional Scottish Gaelic melody of She Is Here’s second verse: “Let the sun rise in the morning and any witness bring. Let all the blooming cosmos teach us to sing”.

As well as having many literal and metaphoric messages running throughout the record - a theme that Jonny wanted to emphasise is learning to realise what you have rather than do not. On this note, the music was written and recorded with many close friends of his and is a celebration of what can be achieved through collaboration. Some of the wonderful names on the record include Jamie Lawson, Tom Bright, Eve Lesedi, Bailey Tzuke, Holly Carter (AMA UK Instrumentalist of the year), Joe Coombs, Roisin Mcneil, Liam Bauman & Taylor Raynor. Available as a vinyl LP and digital formats

The Land of the Snow is a project and a state of mind of Joel Gilardini (baritone guitars, electronics, and drums programming), backed up on drums by Jacopo Pierazzuoli (Obake, Morkobot, and Deneb) TLOTS is devoted to massive, metal-oriented soundscapes: a constantly evolving sludgy mix of doom and post metal (often seasoned with noise and dub elements), which often takes its inspiration from alpine landscapes and Tibetan traditions The new album "As Within, So Without" (2023, Subsound Records) is about what's inside us, how we interact with the outside, and vice versa. Everything we do and experience through our thoughts, our skin, and our actions, constantly infuence our inner selves and our surroundings. It's a constant exchange and confrontation that drives our lives and pushes us to widen our horizons with each step we take. "As Within, So Without" was conceived together with Jacopo Pierazzuoli (drums), Eraldo Bernocchi (mix and additional guitars), and Petulia Mattioli (artwork). Joel is an experimental guitarist and sound designer, based in Zurich (Switzerland). Beside TLOTS, he is also known for his ambient- drone works (released on labels like ZeroK, Unexplained Sounds Group and Endtitles) and is a member of the noise-industrial combos Mulo Muto (with Attila Folklor, CH) and Psychic Drones (with Kazuyuki Kishino, JP)

The Land of the Snow is a project and a state of mind of Joel Gilardini (baritone guitars, electronics, and drums programming), backed up on drums by Jacopo Pierazzuoli (Obake, Morkobot, and Deneb) TLOTS is devoted to massive, metal-oriented soundscapes: a constantly evolving sludgy mix of doom and post metal (often seasoned with noise and dub elements), which often takes its inspiration from alpine landscapes and Tibetan traditions The new album "As Within, So Without" (2023, Subsound Records) is about what's inside us, how we interact with the outside, and vice versa. Everything we do and experience through our thoughts, our skin, and our actions, constantly infuence our inner selves and our surroundings. It's a constant exchange and confrontation that drives our lives and pushes us to widen our horizons with each step we take. "As Within, So Without" was conceived together with Jacopo Pierazzuoli (drums), Eraldo Bernocchi (mix and additional guitars), and Petulia Mattioli (artwork). Joel is an experimental guitarist and sound designer, based in Zurich (Switzerland). Beside TLOTS, he is also known for his ambient- drone works (released on labels like ZeroK, Unexplained Sounds Group and Endtitles) and is a member of the noise-industrial combos Mulo Muto (with Attila Folklor, CH) and Psychic Drones (with Kazuyuki Kishino, JP)

Discover Apocalyptica's "Live in Helsinki St John's Church" album, a
captivating live recording from the tour that lead them through the
churches of Finland
The album is available in two limited edition formats: a stunning 2LP gatefold
vinyl in transparent orange and a deluxe 2CD digisleeve. Immerse yourself in the
unique fusion of classical and metal music, all recorded in the acoustically
magnificent St. John's Church in Helsinki. Whether you're a devoted Apocalyptica
fan or new to their music, this live album is a must-have for any collection.
These CD and vinyl editions won't be reprinted so better get your copy now!

"Incident at Cima" is the debut album from SCENIC, the group formed by SAVAGE REPUBLIC and IPR founder Bruce Licher Conceived of as an allinstrumental soundtrack for the East Mojave Desert, Licher is joined by former SHIVA BURLESQUE bassist James Brenner and drummer Brock Wirtz, with guest musicians Jeffrey Clark (SHIVA BURLESQUE vocalist), Robert Loveless (former SAVAGE REPUBLIC and 17 PYGMIES member), Chris Manecke (from the ABECEDARIANS) and John Ganem Together, they have created an aural masterpiece which has received serious critical acclaim. David Fricke in ROLLING STONE magazine writes that SCENIC's music "suggests Ennio Morricone dune- surfing in Death Valley." SCENIC's music is like nothing else on the landscape, and while there is definitely a relation to some of the sounds explored by SAVAGE REPUBLIC during their eight- year existence, SCENIC have created a mature and focused album which is a great leap forward. "Incident at Cima" is an evocative aural journey, a quite listenable and incredibly honest piece of music, and as such it has the potential to be appreciated by a wide range of listeners. Four of the songs from "Incident At Cima" were used to great effect in Stuart Swezey's feature documentary film "Desolation Center," including the track "Carrying On To Cadiz" which underscores the opening title sequence of the film. This expanded release comes with a bonus CD featuring 11 previously unreleased early demo recordings by Scenic and band leader Bruce Licher. Packaging for this expanded release of "Incident at Cima" features letterpress printed packaging created at Independent Project Press, a newly- designed oversized CD pocket folder with 24-page booklet for the CD edition, featuring a series of photographs Licher has taken in the East Mojave which relate to the various pieces of music on the album, creating a complete audio/ visual experience.

Picking up right where they left off over ten years ago, 'Welcome To The Rest Of Your Life' sees Little Man Tate deftly tap into the band's original unremitting magic with a fresh, fully-grown twist Available on vinyl, cassette, CD and digital, the record captures the four- piece's original indie charm with a nod to the lives, loves and losses they've experienced during their time on hiatus. As frontman Jon Windleexplains: "We became known for writing observational songs with interesting characters in them, often based on people we knew or had met. When we sat down and started writing again we didn't want to move away from that, but we are 15 years down the line now so reference points change. We've been through marriages, loss, having kids, some of us getting divorced, and I think that comes across in the music. It's still Little Man Tate... it's just Little Man Tate a bit more grown up!"

The Red Shoes is Kate's seventh studio album and was released in November 1993.

The album was accompanied by Kate's short film, "The Line, The Cross and The Curve".

The album reached no. 2 in the UK album chart and has been certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry for over 300,000 copies sold.

The album also reached no. 28 in the US album chart.

EIVIND LØNNING, ESPEN REINERTSEN, ROMKE KLEEFSTRA & JAN KLEEFSTRA

For IT DEEL II the Kleefstra Bros have collaborated with the Norwegian duo Espen Reinersen and Einvind Lønning (who also collaborate as duo Streifenjunko). Ten years ago the Kleefstra Bros saw Streifenjunko perform at WORM, Rotterdam (NL), and this always stuck in memory. This is why now for IT DEEL II they got together.
The music by Reinersen and Lønning, with the use of wind instruments and electronics, is experimental, but open. It finds a way between improv, jazz and soundart. And like Jacaszek (IT DEEL I) they work with field-recordings in their electro-acoustic music. Like the Kleefstra Bros, Reinersen and Lønning are intrigued by forests, and for IT DEEL II they brought field-recordings made in the forests surrounding Oslo (NO). During the recording sessions as a quartet, they created a dialogue between the forest sounds from Oslo and the Frysian forests, and their instrumental improvisations.
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The result you find on this new LP IT DEEL II is one of contemplation about how we treat our environment, our nature, and more specific our (local) forests.

You've always been able to hear the West Coast in Monocoastal, but it's particularly present when you shut your eyes after 12 months of lockdown stopping you from visiting the region. Less active L.A., and more observing in Oregon, Fischer's career didn't end with this in 2011 and the multi-disciplinary artist has produced great things since, but the album is certainly one of turning points in terms of reputation and note.

The idea of slowly watching time unfold in un-rushed places is also highly appropriate. Among the washes of tape and the waves of refrain that make up this beautiful, meditative outing, you'll hear takes and half-harmonies from found instruments including a piano and xylophone. Overall, it feels like a place removed from linearity. A liminal masterpiece, if you are that way inclined.

For fans of post-Chicago post-"Second Summer of Love" acid; Chris & Cosey, Terekke, Cabaret Voltaire, Anthony Naples, JTC, D.K., Luke Vibert, Khotin. The latest by Texan-turned-Angeleno progressive vaporwave producer Carlos Ramirez aka AURAGRAPH finds him shifting focus to the dance floor across eight chrome clockworks of cosmic acid house and liquid rave glide: New Standard. Inspired by lessons learned during a 5K mile American road trip tour in the summer 2022, he set to work in his Simi Valley Tuff Shed of synths and hardware, pursuing an explicitly DJfriendly muse: "I realized I wanted to make a record where every track could go off in a live setting." These cuts do just that, revved and rhythmic, peppered with slap bass, Madchester whistles, filtered acid, gated snares, baggy cowbell, and sample pack classics - record scratches, orchestral stabs, the "Yeah! Woo!" from Lynn Collins "Think (About It)." Ramirez describes the process as immediate and instinctual: "I'd turn on the MPC, pick a tempo, and just improv - it was incredibly fun." From sleek freeway techno ("110 Cruising") to arcade lurker acid ("Coast 2 Coast") to big room bangers ("666 Ambience"), the tracks time-travel across the canon of club music, sifting tricks and styles to fashion fresh anthems of hypnagogic jack. It's an album channeled as much as crafted, tapping into the decks of mythic warehouse infinities past and present, where the system rips all night and acid never dies.

Featuring exclusive performances by Donnie Emerson and Noah Jupe, score selections by Leopold Ross, plus vintage classics from Donnie & Joe Emerson -Includes the original version of the cult-classic hit, "Baby" -LP release housed in a gatefold jacket -Mastered by John Baldwin at Infrasonic Sound -Directed by Bill Pohlad, Dreamin' Wild, stars Casey Affleck, Zooey Deschanel, Beau Bridges, Noah Jupe, Walton Goggins, and Chris Messina // Acclaimed label Light in the Attic proudly partners with River Road, Zurich Avenue, and Roadside Attractions to release Dreamin' Wild Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The film follows the real-life story of brothers Donnie & Joe Emerson, whose teenage dreams of rock stardom suddenly came true 30 years later. The soundtrack blends vintage recordings by Donnie & Joe (including the cult favorite "Baby") with exclusive new performances by Donnie Emerson, Nancy Sophia Emerson, and actor Noah Jupe, plus original score selections by composer Leopold Ross (Black Mirror, A Million Little Pieces). Jupe, who portrays a young Donnie Emerson, re-recorded several of the duo's classic songs for the film, including their debut single, "Thoughts in My Mind." The wistful ballad, which was written and recorded while the brothers were still in high school, was originally released in 1977 on their own Enterprise & Co. label. The soundtrack also includes "When A Dream Is Beautiful," a new song by husband-and-wife duo Donnie Emerson and Nancy Sophia Emerson, and recorded in Nashville by the film's music producer and multi-GRAMMYr winner Dave Cobb. Also available are Donnie & Joe's 1979 album, Dreamin' Wild, as well as the acclaimed 2014 collection Still Dreamin' Wild: The Lost Recordings 1979-81, which culls highlights from the brothers' prolific collection of songs. Additionally, fans can find exclusive Donnie & Joe merch at DonnieAndJoe . Adapted from a profile by journalist Steven Kurutz and written, directed, and produced by Oscarr and Emmyr-nominee Bill Pohlad (whose extensive credits include Brokeback Mountain, 12 Years a Slave, and the Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy), Dreamin' Wild stars Academy Awardr winner Casey Affleck, Emmyr-nominee Zooey Deschanel, Emmyr-nominee Walton Goggins, Chris Messina, Noah Jupe, Jack Dylan Grazer, plus Emmyr and Grammy Awardr-winner Beau Bridges. A true story of love and redemption, Dreamin' Wild centers around Donnie Emerson (Affleck/Jupe), a middle-aged singer-songwriter who learns that a record label is interested in reissuing the album that he and his brother recorded as teens in rural Washington State. Suddenly, the Emerson brothers find themselves thrust into the spotlight, as their 30-year-old album is hailed as a lost masterpiece. While the album's rediscovery brings hopes of second chances, it also unearths long-buried emotions as Donnie, his wife Nancy (Deschanel), brother Joe (Goggins/Grazer), and father Don Sr. (Bridges) come to terms with the past and their newly found fame. Named for the brothers' 1979 debut album, Dreamin' Wild is a River Road - Innisfree Production, produced by Academy Awardr-winner Jim Burke, Academyr and Emmyr-nominee Pohlad, Kim Roth, Viviana Vezzani, and Karl Spoerri. Casey Affleck served as executive producer, alongside Emmyr-nominee Christa Workman, Dan Clifton, Steven Snyder, and Tobias Gutzwiller. More about Donnie & Joe Emerson: Brothers Donnie and Joe Emerson grew up on a 1600-acre farm in Fruitland, WA with dreams of musical stardom. Far removed from the punk and disco scenes of the late '70s, the boys' inspiration primarily came from a tractor radio, which they listened to for hours on end while working the fields. In between farm duties and high school, the brothers spent their remaining time on music, with Donnie serving as the primary songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist, and Joe holding down the beat on drums. Donnie & Joe's parents encouraged their sons' talents - so much so that they leveraged the family farm in order to build a state-of-the-art recording studio, where the brothers self-produced their debut album, Dreamin' Wild. Released in 1979 on their own Enterprise & Co. label, the album offered a lo-fi blend of FM rock, pop, soul, and funk - evoking such contemporaries as Marvin Gaye, Hall & Oates, and the Brothers Johnson in songs like "Good Time," "Dream Full of Dreams," and "Baby." Despite the Emersons' passions, however, Dreamin' Wild wasn't the bestseller that they envisioned. In fact, it tanked, nearly bankrupting the family in the process. Donnie and Joe's dreams did actually come true though. It just took three decades and a heavy dose of kismet. Around 2008, record collector, actor, and Out of the Bubbling Desk blogger Jack Fleischer discovered a copy of the LP at a Spokane antique shop. Initially intrigued by the jacket image (which features the boys in flashy, Elvis-style jumpsuits), Fleischer was blown away by what he heard. Before long, word began to spread about the Emerson brothers, while their soulful ballad "Baby" became a viral hit, eliciting multiple cover versions (most popularly by Ariel Pink & Dâm-Funk). Since its digital release, the track has been streamed over 30 million times on Spotify. In 2012, Light in the Attic brought Dreamin' Wild to the masses, giving the Emerson brothers a second chance at stardom and an outpouring of long-overdue accolades, including features in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian, a shout-out from Jimmy Fallon, and praise from the likes of Pitchfork, which called the 1979 album "A godlike symphony to teen-hood." The Emersons' inspiring story caught the ears of writer, director, and producer Bill Pohlad, who recently told PEOPLE, "Being able to go deep to explore this amazing family was the real reason that I was drawn to this material. Dreamin' Wild ultimately became a story about family, faith and forgiveness for me."

Agitation Free zählte in den frühen 70er Jahren zu den führenden Vertretern der deutschen experimentellen Rockmusik. Die Berliner Band entwickelte ab Ende 1967 lange, für diese Zeit ungewöhnlich freie instrumentale Improvisationen. Kult-Status erlangte sie bereits 1972 mit einer eigenständigen Mischung aus improvisiertem Rock gepaart mit Elektro-, Ethno-, Jazz- und Trance-Elementen. Umfangreiche Live-Aktivitäten verschafften der Band in ganz Europa einen stetig ansteigenden Bekanntheitsgrad. So trat die Gruppe im Sommer 1972 im kulturellen Programm der Olympischen Spiele in München auf, tourte Anfang 1973 zwei Monate durch Frankreich, trat im Mai beim "German Rock Super Concert" in Frankfurt auf, produzierte das zweite Album "2nd" und ging anschließend auf Tournee durch Frankreich und deutsche Großstädte. 1974 machten sich bei der Band Ermüdungserscheinungen breit, die Ende des Jahres nach einem Abschiedskonzert zur vorläufigen Auflösung führten. Obwohl eine Reihe von Alben (mit Aufnahmen von 1972 bis 1974) nach der Auflösung der Gruppe erschienen und das Studio-Album "River of Return" 1999 herauskam, dauerte es fast 35 Jahre, bis sich die ursprüngliche Band wieder für Konzerte zusammenfand. Im Februar 2007 gab Agitation Free in der Originalbesetzung von 1974 eine Serie von Konzerten in Tokio"s "Shibuya O"West". Im Rückblick zeigte sich, dass der Experimentier-Zirkel Agitation Free eine der wichtigen Bands der "Berliner Schule" und darüber hinaus Karriere-Sprungbrett für einige Deutsche Musiker war. So verhalf Christopher Franke der Band Tangerine Dream zu weltweiter Anerkennung. Michael Hoenig arbeitete mit Klaus Schulze und Tangerine Dream, ehe er nach einem Soloalbum in Hollywood als Filmkomponist bekannt wurde (unter anderem die Filmmusik für den Blockbuster "9 1/2 Wochen" mit Kim Basinger und Mickey Rourke). Axel Genrich wechselte zu Guru Guru, Burghard Rausch wurde Gründungs-Mitglied bei Bel Ami. Gustl Lütjens, tourte mit Shirley Bassey und Nena und fand später mit seiner New-Age-Band Living Mirrors vor allem in den USA ein großes Publikum. Lutz "Lüül" Ulbrich schloss sich Ashra an, arbeitete mit Ex-Velvet Underground-Sängerin Nico, produzierte neben Theatermusik Soloplatten und feiert seit Ende der 90er Jahre mit den 17 Hippies Erfolge. In der Besetzung Michael Hoenig (keyb, syn, el. perc), Burghard Rausch (dr, el. per), Lutz Graf-Ulbrich ((git, acc. git, bj), Gustl Lütjens (git acc. git, vocals) und Daniel Cordes (b, syn) wurde das vorliegende Studioalbum "Momentum" eingespielt.

Agitation Free zählte in den frühen 70er Jahren zu den führenden Vertretern der deutschen experimentellen Rockmusik. Die Berliner Band entwickelte ab Ende 1967 lange, für diese Zeit ungewöhnlich freie instrumentale Improvisationen. Kult-Status erlangte sie bereits 1972 mit einer eigenständigen Mischung aus improvisiertem Rock gepaart mit Elektro-, Ethno-, Jazz- und Trance-Elementen. Umfangreiche Live-Aktivitäten verschafften der Band in ganz Europa einen stetig ansteigenden Bekanntheitsgrad. So trat die Gruppe im Sommer 1972 im kulturellen Programm der Olympischen Spiele in München auf, tourte Anfang 1973 zwei Monate durch Frankreich, trat im Mai beim "German Rock Super Concert" in Frankfurt auf, produzierte das zweite Album "2nd" und ging anschließend auf Tournee durch Frankreich und deutsche Großstädte. 1974 machten sich bei der Band Ermüdungserscheinungen breit, die Ende des Jahres nach einem Abschiedskonzert zur vorläufigen Auflösung führten. Obwohl eine Reihe von Alben (mit Aufnahmen von 1972 bis 1974) nach der Auflösung der Gruppe erschienen und das Studio-Album "River of Return" 1999 herauskam, dauerte es fast 35 Jahre, bis sich die ursprüngliche Band wieder für Konzerte zusammenfand. Im Februar 2007 gab Agitation Free in der Originalbesetzung von 1974 eine Serie von Konzerten in Tokio"s "Shibuya O"West". Im Rückblick zeigte sich, dass der Experimentier-Zirkel Agitation Free eine der wichtigen Bands der "Berliner Schule" und darüber hinaus Karriere-Sprungbrett für einige Deutsche Musiker war. So verhalf Christopher Franke der Band Tangerine Dream zu weltweiter Anerkennung. Michael Hoenig arbeitete mit Klaus Schulze und Tangerine Dream, ehe er nach einem Soloalbum in Hollywood als Filmkomponist bekannt wurde (unter anderem die Filmmusik für den Blockbuster "9 1/2 Wochen" mit Kim Basinger und Mickey Rourke). Axel Genrich wechselte zu Guru Guru, Burghard Rausch wurde Gründungs-Mitglied bei Bel Ami. Gustl Lütjens, tourte mit Shirley Bassey und Nena und fand später mit seiner New-Age-Band Living Mirrors vor allem in den USA ein großes Publikum. Lutz "Lüül" Ulbrich schloss sich Ashra an, arbeitete mit Ex-Velvet Underground-Sängerin Nico, produzierte neben Theatermusik Soloplatten und feiert seit Ende der 90er Jahre mit den 17 Hippies Erfolge. In der Besetzung Michael Hoenig (keyb, syn, el. perc), Burghard Rausch (dr, el. per), Lutz Graf-Ulbrich ((git, acc. git, bj), Gustl Lütjens (git acc. git, vocals) und Daniel Cordes (b, syn) wurde das vorliegende Studioalbum "Momentum" eingespielt.

SUFR047 features brand new remixes of an old-school SUF classic SEE-SAW from Carbine (Chris Liberator & Geezer). All 4 remixes show off the thriving new-school Acid Techno producers at their best with a slamming Bad Boy Pete remix, a pumping acid Bubbless remix, a bouncy driving Benji303 remix, and an analogue 303 fest from OB1. Classic Stay Up Forever.

Mit einer Mischung aus klassischen Popmelodien, Dancefloor-Beats und einem einzigartigen Reggae-Touch, serviert mit einer Beilage nordischer Melancholie, wurden Schwedens Ace Of Base in den 1990er-Jahren zu einem globalen Phänomen. Und die Hits bewähren sich auch dreißig Jahre später noch immer. Das Debütalbum 'Happy Nation' enthält fünf Hitsingles, darunter 'All That She Wants' (UK Nr. 1, US Nr. 2), 'The Sign' (UK Nr. 2, US Nr. 1) und 'Don't Turn Around' (UK Nr. 5, US Nr. 4). Das Album stieg im Juni 1993 in die britischen Album-Charts ein, und erreichte schließlich ein Jahr später Platz 1. Eine Position, die es auch in den US-Album-Charts erreichte. Nun erscheint 'Happy Nation' erstmals als limitierte Picture-LP im Die-Cut-Sleeve.

Lijf Aan Lijf is an album by Doe Maar, released in 2023. Lijf Aan Lijf includes a.o. the following tracks: “Doe Maar Net Alsof”, “O.K.”, “Je Loopt Je Lul Achterna”, “Dansen Met Alice” and more. The album is a Coloured Vinyl, High Quality, Gatefold Sleeve pop 2-LP.

Der Sound von Acid Jazz auf einer Platte - schwere, orgelnde Instrumentals von Hammond-Maestro James Taylor und seinem Quartett. Eine großartige Mischung aus Grooves im Stile von Booker T und Soundtrack-Elementen, die an Lalo Schifrin erinnern. Teil der Acid Jazz 35th Anniversary Serie, die die wichtigsten Veröffentlichungen des Labels hervorhebt. Das Debütalbum von The James Taylor Quartet, vorgemastert und auf klarem Vinyl gepresst.

Experimental rock quintet from Los Angeles for fans of Unwound, Duster, Slint, and Lowercase. Mixed and engineered by Tim Green at Louder Studios (Unwound, Melvins, Jawbreaker). Live appearances with Flenser labelmates, Have a Nice Life, Chat Pile, Midwife, and tour dates planned throughout 2023. Since its formation in 2018 by like-minded Calarts students Alex Kent (guitar, vocals), April Gerloff (bass), and Sylvie Simmons (guitar), as well as the recent addition of Clint Dodson (percussionist), Los Angeles-based quartet Sprain has honed its signature flavor of experimentalism to a razor-fine point. Gradually moving from twisting conventions in its early works of minimalist slowcore to now transcending the confines of genre altogether, Sprain's evolution over the past several years has encouraged the band to embrace a sound true to its muse. With its latest record, The Lamb As Effigy or Three Hundred And Fifty XOXOXOS For A Spark Union With My Darling Divine, the band has translated this intent into an ambitious work that pairs its resplendent scale with uncompromising honesty towards the band's artistic and conceptual essences. The most extraordinary of art isn't created without its fair share of trials, of which Sprain faced numerous during the recording process of The Lamb As Effigy, with the sum and circumstances of them nearly sealing the album's fate in limbo. With obstacles including session reschedulings as a result of a line-up change and a major studio electrical failure at the last possible moment, a mixing process that demanded the organization of several years of material across four separate studios, and the recording of the actual songs pushing the members of Sprain to their own physical limits, there were several times where the band considered scrapping the whole thing altogether. But Sprain persevered, applying the knowledge and willpower derived from those struggles to get The Lamb As Effigy across the finish line. Clocking in at nearly two hours, The Lamb As Effigy resembles an aural parallel to the human experience itself, with all the glorious beauty, crushing brutality, and unexplainable chaos that comes with it intact. Explosions of earth-sundering guitars, angelic keys, swirling strings, and bursts of improvised electronic noise coalesce to weave a visceral yet unique sonic tapestry bearing hints of no-wave, sound collage, 20th-century avant-garde, and free jazz. Spanning bellowing howls, emphatic spoken word, and nuanced croons, Alex Kent's dynamic vocal delivery adds texture to these eight meditations on otherwise immaterial topics and the meaning or the lack thereof they embody.

Mount Maxwell returns with another full-length journey into memory, melody, and geography - this time roaming beyond the BC environs of his previous records into a stranger, less knowable country. While still woozily nostalgic in the vein of Only Children and The People’s Forest, this outing feels more exploratory and wide ranging in scope, with a denser mixture of influences at play. The somnambulistic drift of Sea of Milk sets the stage with a series of wavering synth pulses that push us languidly toward land, eventually setting us down on the sands of Maze Crete, where a shadowy latticework of hand drums, flutes and synths await. From there we ascend to the aptly named Sky Eye, a rolling mixture of acoustic beats and analog string machines that gives us our first bird’s eye view of the album’s landscape. A Long Road pushes the acoustic instrumentation further, with shimmering tambourine marking time for a collection of hand drums and shakers, while Ages summons up an occult-like dream of glacial arpeggios and whispering synths. Slow Moves and Tree Motion float effortlessly along on beds of lazy congas and woodblocks before finally giving way to the title track - a heady juggernaut of distorted synths and trundling rhythms that propels us through the album’s second half like a locomotive through darkening hills. Drawing the record to a close, the gently repeating keyboard phrase of Mist blooms unexpectedly into a rainbow of human voices before evaporating into the oceanic swells of Hi Traveller. And there Littlefolk leaves us as it found us; adrift in a rolling sea.