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La Pambelé Unveils Nací Mestizo, A Bold New Album Reviving Salsa with a Contemporary Twist Bogotá’s heavy guaguancó orchestra, La Pambelé, proudly presents their highlyanticipated second studio album, Nací Mestizo, now available on all major digital platforms as of November 27th. This album pays tribute to the golden era of salsa, particularly the 1970s, while breathing new life into the genre with modern lyrics and stories that resonate deeply with Latin communities.

All while maintaining a distinct Bogotan essence that highlights the city’s unique cultural flavor. Nací Mestizo seamlessly blends the timeless salsa brava sound with contemporary themes, reflecting the everyday lives of people across Latin neighborhoods. The album’s songs capture the struggles, passions, and joys of ordinary people, presented through the vibrant rhythms of salsa, creating a musical experience that connects the past with the present. Building on Their Rising Popularity Prior to the album’s release, La Pambelé debuted the singles “Amargura” and “Perdí mi Corazón”, which quickly captivated audiences and set the stage for the full album's success. The band’s electric performance of these tracks at the MedPlus Coliseum in Bogotá, before an audience of 22,000 attendees awaiting Marc Anthony, was met with enthusiasm as fans danced and applauded.

This moment marked a significant milestone for the orchestra, cementing their place as a rising force in the global salsa scene. Additionally, La Pambelé’s growing visibility has been marked by their appearances at major festivals such as Salsa al Parque and features on prominent radio stations, including Radio Nacional de Colombia and Latina Stereo. These platforms have helped introduce La Pambelé’s signature sound to a wider audience, building anticipation for the release of Nací Mestizo and reaffirming their influence in Colombia’s tropical and alternative music scenes. A Contemporary Salsa Sound with Classic Roots La Pambelé’s unique blend of traditional salsa brava and contemporary Latin storytelling is showcased through their distinctive nine-piece orchestra, which includes piano, conga, flute, trumpet, trombone, timbales, bongos, and baby bass. The dynamic vocals of Miguel RoRebolledo and Lorena Contento elevate the album’s themes, creating a sound that invites listeners to their feet and onto the dance floor. Under the direction of Camilo Toro Morato, the orchestra has honed its signature style, pushing the boundaries of salsa while staying true to its roots. As a proud defiance of stereotypes about Bogotá’s musical abilities, La Pambelé’s name pays homage to legendary Colombian boxer Kid Pambelé, symbolizing resilience and strength.

The name also draws from the Bantú language, meaning "defender of one's own," reinforcing the band’s connection to their Colombian heritage and pride in their distinctive sound. Global Recognition and Continuing Influence Since the release of their self-titled debut album in 2022, La Pambelé has gained international recognition, especially within the vinyl collector community. Theirdebut album was released in both 45” and LP vinyl editions, further solidifying their unique position in the contemporary salsa movement. Influenced by salsa greats such as Markolino Dimond, Eddie Palmieri, Edy Martínez, and Ismael Miranda, La Pambelé has carried forward the torch of salsa brava with passion and innovation. Nací Mestizo marks a significant evolution in the orchestra’s journey, melding the old and the new, and cementing La Pambelé as a driving force in the future of salsa music. A Collector’s Dream With their 2022 debut album garnering international recognition, La Pambelé’s vinyl releases—including 45” and LP editions—have become coveted items for salsa collectors worldwide. Their music is a bridge between classic salsa traditions and a modern vision, appealing to seasoned fans and new listeners alike. About La Pambelé La Pambelé is a heavy guaguancó orchestra from Bogotá, Colombia, known for their vibrant, rhythm-driven sound that blends 1970s salsa brava with modern Latin influences. With a unique nine-piece lineup and powerful vocals, the band continues to break boundaries, defying expectations and inspiring audiences around the world

'Mayhem & Revelry' was recorded over the course of Dirty Honey's 60-date 2023-24 USA/UK/European Sold Out ‘Can't Find The Brakes’ Headline Tour. There's something beautiful about a band's unbridled live energy mixed with an audience's excitement that breathes new life into songs. The guys in the band and I have long been told "Your records are awesome, but you're even better live" and I think that sentiment comes across loud and clear on "Mayhem & Revelry."

In early 2025 the Skids complete BBC Sessions are compiled onto CD by Scottish label Last Night From Glasgow - The double album features the five sessions the Skids recorded for John Peel with the BBC between 1978 and 1980 - The release includes the BBC session recordings of fan favourites The Saints Are Coming, Masquerade and Circus Games - The legendary Scottish punk band remain as influential as ever, even 45 years on. Legendary punk and new wave band Skids formed in Dunfermline in 1977. They rose to fame with 1979 single Into The Valley and 1980 album The Absolute Game. With almost 50 years under their belt the group, led by Richard Jobson, remain as thrilling as ever, as evident with their latest album Destination Dusseldorf in 2023. The Skids continue to boast over 80,000 monthly Spotify listeners and have been featured extensively across media and press throughout their career. In recent years they have partnered with label Last Night From Glasgow to reissue on vinyl albums Scared To Dance and Days In Europa, and release new album Destination Dusseldorf.

On October 15th & 16th 2020, drummed Daniel Villarreal was joined by guitarist Jeff Parker and bassist Anna Butterss for two afternoons of recording in the backyard of Chicali Outpost in Los Angeles. For all three musicians, it was the first ensemble recording session they"d done in-person since the pandemic locked the world down just seven months prior. Some choice moments from the sessions made it onto Villarreal"s critically-acclaimed 2022 album Panamá 77, bust most of the music remained unreleased. Lados B is a deep dive into the high-level spontaneous music made by Villarreal, Parker and Butterss across those two days in 2020. Villarreal is heard leading the group through various rhythmic modes and structures for improvisation - flow as informed by the Latin soul of Fania Records as it is by the otherworldly trance of Brain Records - while Parker and Butterss draw on their extensive experience playing free together (as heard on Parker"s recently-released Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy, and the LA side of Makaya McCraven"s 2018 LP Universal Beings) to build harmonic buoys for their spontaneous melodicism. The result is a beautifully vivid illustration of context, creativity, and collective composition from a particularly rich moment in history.

ARCHITECTS are back and charging forward in the heavy rock world with their latest sonic masterpiece, The Sky, The Earth & All Between. After two relentless years on the road-featuring massive European summer tours with Metallica and top billing at festival stages across Europe, (Rock Am Ring, Rock Im Park, Hellfest, Download, Graspop, Full Force to name a few and headlining Bloodstock) - the band has returned to the studio to deliver their most powerful collection of songs yet. With the creative force of Jordan Fish (Bring Me The Horizon) behind the boards, Architects have captured the explosive energy of their live performances while elevating their signature melodic edge. This album reflects the perfect blend of raw intensity, emotional depth, and innovative production. Already making waves, singles like "Curse" and "Seeing Red" have drawn rave reviews from all major metal press worldwide. "Seeing Red" the "anthem powerhouse" landed because of global success in the top 10 of charts worldwide-amassing over 45 million streams along the way. The Sky, The Earth & All Between builds on the momentum of their 2022 album, the classic symptoms of a broken spirit, which stormed to the top of the UK Rock and Metal Charts. With this new release, Architects are once again set to push the boundaries of modern heavy music, cementing their status as one of the most exciting and essential bands of our time.

Refracted's "In Veil" materialises as the third emission in the Titrate series. A gradual unfolding across six passages, each step a study in the dissolution of boundaries.

Here, time becomes elastic - synthetic textures breathe alongside captured moments of reality, neither demanding prominence nor seeking refuge in the background. Percussion appears as memory rather than rhythm, while drones hover like fog over unknown lands.

Cut to 180g vinyl and embraced by 350gsm reverse board, "In Veil" doesn't announce its presence but rather seeps into awareness.

For Peggy Gou, recording an instalment of !K7’s DJ-Kicks series was one of the items on her list of career goals. “It’s the premier class of DJ mixes,” she says. “Some of my favourite selectors have contributed to it.” In 2019, Peggy Gou was able to tick that off her list as she proudly presented the 69th edition of the mix series.

To kickstart 2025, which is !K7's 40th anniversary year, the release is re-issued on a tigerfur-coloured 2LP. Peggy started working on the mix in 2018. It was a busy time for the then 28-year-old: she’d just scored her first Mixmag cover and her single ‘It Makes You Forget (Itgehane)’ was receiving awards and critical acclaim. Each month she would DJ in 20 nightclubs all over the world. And yet, the goal for her mix was ambitious: instead of trying to capture the energy of her DJ sets, she aimed to create a portrayal of her own musical journey.

An 18-track listening session that takes you straight into Peggy Gou’s living room where she plays you the formative tunes from her collection. No genre boundaries – she moves across disco, house, techno and electro. No tempo limits – the mix ranges from 90 to 150 BPM. And no age restriction – the earliest tunes on the mix are from 1983.

The same level of attention was brought to the arresting cover artwork, in which the well-documented animal lover references both Korean iconography and the endangered status of the creature of the country's foundational mythology, the tiger. The album artwork shows Gou posing alongside a tiger. "As the first Korean woman to contribute to the DJ-Kicks series I wanted to do something from my heritage," she said in a statement. "I chose the tiger, which is very important in Korean traditions and a metaphor for my personality. As it is inhumane to shoot with a real tiger, I and the photographer Jonas Lindstroem used a library image to make a composite. The tiger disappears when you turn to the inside-cover photo, to highlight that these beautiful animals are already extinct in my home country and in danger of disappearing from our world entirely.”

The voice of Ella Thompson has been a fundamental part of Naarm’s soul and funk history. She has toured and recorded with funk pioneers The Bamboos, lit up dancefloors with electronic duo GL and won hearts and minds across Australia with indie cult favourites Dorsal Fins. Ella now returns to her soul roots and releasing music under her own name with a brand new single ‘Cool Down My Heart’, self-produced in collaboration with multi instrumentalist Liam McGorry and featuring cameos by local heavyweights Hudson Whitlock (drums) and Will Morrisey (saxophone). Cool Down My Heart is a rich, imaginative, pop/soul track which foregrounds Ella’s beautiful voice and considerable songwriting skills.

The legendary Kenny Dope with collaboration with BBE Records gets down to work on this Afro Disco classic from Ghanian Disco queen Nana Love. Over 35 years since its initial vinyl release, ‘I’m In Love’ has stood the test of time and is packed to the brim with groove, soul and energy. On these special Kenny Dope mixes, part 1 and 2, we’re treated to a beefed up version which will absolutely slam on any sound system and dancefloor across the globe. The NYC icon has injected warmth, rhythm and weight to this classic: primed and ready for you to enjoy on 7 inch vinyl.

Few sounds transcend time and space quite like the driving pulse of Afrobeat, and few artists, for that matter, have defined their own domains quite as profoundly as Tony Allen—the very beat of Afrobeat itself. In 2011, Allen recorded one of his inimitable rhythmic dialogues as part of the Afrobeat Makers Series for the Parisian imprint Comet Records. Charged with the same fervour for uninhibited expression that defined his trailblazing career, Tony Allen’s drumming, free from convention and charting its own course, emanates a cadenced stream of consciousness that speaks its own truth.

If Allen’s language was his beat, then on this record, La BOA—La Bogotá Orquesta Afrobeat—becomes his latest and most fitting interlocutor. What began as a tribute—a song named after Allen—now feels like the prelude to a deeper dialogue in a meeting that seems more like fate than mere happenstance.

Led by producer Daniel Michel, the ever-evolving band has spent over ten years embodying the fluid, transformative spirit of Afrobeat, imprinting it with their distinctly Colombian sensibilities. From Casa Mambo in Bogotá, Michel’s Mambo Negro Records has become a cornerstone of Colombia’s underground scene championing Afro-Colombian and independent music throughout that time.

Across this LP, Allen’s recordings lay down the canvas upon which La BOA paints its own vision of Afrobeat—raw and expansive, locking step with his drum tracks while building around the unmistakable blueprint of their Colombian rhythms: exuding Caribbean beat, rolling with Pacific groove, and, above all, shaped by the rarefied air of the Andean melting pot that is Bogotá. What ensues is an enduring conversation that crosses eras, borders, even life and death—a celebration of the passing of the baton and the boundless nature of Afrobeat as a genre that refuses to settle. Where the beat of Lagos meets the brass of Bogotá, so too La BOA meets Tony Allen.

South African Modern Soul/Jazz-Funk - Originally released in 1979, Cape Town – Re-mastered by Simbad

First time re-issued on vinyl, “Expressions” is the 3rd album from one of the greatest South African bands ever, I named Pacific Express. Now think Stevie Wonder and Weather Report, then take a serious established local band, and you have here a “Cape Town version” with their own talents. Between Modern soul and Jazz-Funk, no doubts, this record is a gem!!! Fred Spider*

“This name evokes awe and admiration in equal measure among musicians across the country. They became a crucible where budding local musicians built their reputations before going on to become recording artists, band leaders, and musical legends (like Jonathan Butler did on Expressions*).
The greatest Pacific Express legacy, apart from the memorable music they made and recorded, was their role in helping establish the distinctive sounds of South African music generally and Cape Town jazz in particular. When Producer Tully McCully wanted straight, solid drumming for the Expressions album, Momple delivered the groove, swing, and drive for a funky album.” Michael Britton

Artwork by Fred Spider – Graphist designer by Graeme Arendse
Vocals, Guitar: Jonathan Butler, Bass: Paul Abrahams
Drums, Percussion: Jack Momple, Vocals, Percussion: Zayn Adams, Keyboards, Trumpet, Arranged By String: Tony Cedras, Guest, Saxophone: Barney Rachabaney, Guest, Trumpet: Stompie Manana,
Executive-Producer: Paddy Lee Thorp, Producer: Tully McCully

Mannequin Records is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of Chromium Industries, a double LP (MNQ 162) capturing the innovative spirit of two pioneers of electronic music: Andrew Lagowski and Paul (Howie D) Howard. This long-anticipated album marks a return to the seminal sounds of the Chromium Industries label, which emerged as a crucial platform for boundary-pushing techno and electronic music in the early 1990s.


Andrew Lagowski, a name synonymous with exploration in electronic music, has been at the forefront of sound innovation since the early 1980s. Known for his work under various aliases, including Lagowski, Legion, and S.E.T.I., his early output in experimental and industrial sounds paved the way for his later techno-focused ventures. Albums like Knowledge (S.E.T.I.) and Nadir (Lagowski) highlighted his pioneering approach to unconventional sound sources and production techniques. In the 1990s, his work with Chromium Industries brought him into the techno spotlight, with a series of influential 12” singles that helped shape the electronic music landscape. With over 60 albums and 10+ singles to his name, Lagowski’s versatility and dedication have garnered him a loyal following and lasting influence across genres.


Paul Howard, aka Howie D, brought his DIY ethos from the punk scene of the 1970s into electronic music. As a founding member of The Frames and co-founder of the Brain Boosters and Spacematic labels, Howard has consistently pushed boundaries. His early forays into hip-hop saw him release the genre-pioneering jazz-rap track Miller Light as Fission. The transition from punk and hip-hop to electronic music was a natural one, culminating in his creation of Chromium Industries after a fateful night hearing Lagowski’s Vermilion at a London party. The label brought some of the most unique techno releases to the scene, with tracks like Blue Anomaly causing near-riots on the dancefloor. Since then, Howard’s work has evolved to include multiple aliases, including The Legend That Is, Phase Collective, and Skulpture.


Chromium Industries 2xLP will be available for purchase from January 2025 through Mannequin Records and select distributors.


This is an essential release for collectors, DJs, and anyone who reveres the legacy of 1990s techno and early rave.

First release of 2025 is The Coin EP Vol.3. Marcello Cassanelli is back on Ten Lovers Music with two stunning tracks and a beautiful outro solo on his Rhodes. Starlight kicks off side A with some superb Italian Disco for 2025, following that a trip to Cuba for Tropical Breeze on which Marcello employs long time collaborators and super talented Giulia Barozzi on vocals and Antonio Rapa on drums.

Across both tracks Marcello plays the keys, bass, flute, guitar and drum programming. Rounding off side A is Dream Horizon an improvised one minute beatless outro jam on the Rhodes. On the AA side we have a new project from Caruso and Helen McCormack. First up is Have and Hold which harks back to the Manchester Street Soul scene of the late 80’s. Very simply constructed with electronic drums, bass, piano and a lead synth on top of which Helen’s vocal sits perfectly. Second on side AA is Love You More, a very atmostpheric track written by Helen with the strings arranged by Cormac Fulton. The percussion is from fellow TLM artist Takashi Nakazato (Kyoto Jazz Massive/Jazztronik).

Both tracks were produced by Steve Conry who also assisted Jose Rico on the mixes. Finally to finish on side AA is Central, a beautiful Deep House instrumental using only real analogue synths like the Solina String Ensemble, ARP Odyssey and Oberheim Xpander, mixed by Steve Conry and Matt Cox

Maud the moth, the solo project of Spanish-born and Scotland-based pianist, singer and songwriter Amaya Lopez-Carromero announces her new album, The Distaff, to be released via The Larvarium (digital +CD) and La Rubia Producciones (vinyl) Amaya has long used the mantle of Maud the moth as an alter-ego, a séance-like conduit to explore themes of rootlessness, identity and trauma. The Distaff in particular refers to the stick or spindle onto which wool or flax is wound for spinning, and an object which has historically been used across multiple cultures as a symbol wielded by the “virtuous woman”, an authoritarian ideal around which much of the trauma surrounding the feminine coalesces. The album takes the form of a sort of self reflective and surreal autobiography. It was in part inspired by the poem of the same name written by the Greek poet Erinna, as she mourns her friend's loss of individuality and agency in exchange for marriage - and therefore safety and acceptance in the eyes of society. The album exists in an ethereal but violent world of aesthetic overlaps where time stands still and fictional and reimagined folk sits at the table with Maud the moth’s usual sonic menagerie. It is the result of a lifetime of obsession with sound and music, where glimpses of musical genre offer insight into Amaya’s artistic interests and her participation in the underground European scene for many years, in bands such as healthyliving. Heavier, darker, and more exposed than any of her previous works it features some highly accomplished artists, such as Seb Rochford (Patti Smith, Polar Bear, Sons of Kemet, Pulled by magnets, etc.) on drums, Alison Chesley (Helen Money) on cello, Fay Guiffo on violin and Scott McLean (Ashenspire, healthyliving, Falloch) on guitar, saxophone and synthesiser. Maud the moth shares the video for "Siphonophores". About the track, Maud the moth says; I wrote "Siphonophores" on guitar, during the first lockdown, a period where I was kind of trapped between an almost empty flat in Edinburgh and Dresden. It was an incredibly harrowing time, but also one of hope and where important new things were being birthed. I felt incredibly sensitive to everything, almost like life was happening in slow motion. I´m not a confident guitarist since I am completely self-taught, but, probably because of this, I feel that this instrument allows me to focus on aspects of the songwriting that I normally overlook when writing on piano, and I think it was a necessary step for this song to exist. Something else which I've been really exploiting lately and features strongly in the album is the percussive capabilities of the piano, and in particular, of the sustain pedal when mic'd up. This can be heard very clearly at the beginning of "Siphonophores". Written and arranged by Amaya, with some contributions in the later role from the aforementioned collaborators, the album presents nine tracks originally written entirely on acoustic piano as accompanied voice pieces, in pure singer-songwriter fashion. The album was co-produced and recorded by Scott and Amaya in different studios across the UK between January and July of 2024, in a process that started shortly after the 2020 pandemic and finished alongside the album recordings in a detailed, organic and at times obsessive process aimed primarily at capturing the natural dynamics and expression of free performance. The Distaff was mixed in its entirety by Scott and mastered at Abbey Road by Alex Wharton (Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine, Aurora, Kathryn Joseph etc.) Despite being born of a very personal point of view, the album lacks a specific narrator and was conceived almost as a sonic trousseau, where the needle point, silks and other family heirlooms have been swapped for out-of-the-corner-of-the-eye memories of rural Spain by the vineyards, family disputes, old tales of wartime pains, generational breaches and finally the conflict of migration and estrangement. The songs paint dystopian pastoral scenes which evolve throughout the span of one fictional day outside of time and coherent locations and where imagination (often the only account surviving from traumatic events and gaslighting) has become indistinguishable from fact. The Distaff attempts to acknowledge past trauma, comprehend and process some of the more difficult aspects which have contributed to our darker self and offer closure and solace through creative catharsis.

Maud the moth, the solo project of Spanish-born and Scotland-based pianist, singer and songwriter Amaya Lopez-Carromero announces her new album, The Distaff, to be released via The Larvarium (digital +CD) and La Rubia Producciones (vinyl) Amaya has long used the mantle of Maud the moth as an alter-ego, a séance-like conduit to explore themes of rootlessness, identity and trauma. The Distaff in particular refers to the stick or spindle onto which wool or flax is wound for spinning, and an object which has historically been used across multiple cultures as a symbol wielded by the “virtuous woman”, an authoritarian ideal around which much of the trauma surrounding the feminine coalesces. The album takes the form of a sort of self reflective and surreal autobiography. It was in part inspired by the poem of the same name written by the Greek poet Erinna, as she mourns her friend's loss of individuality and agency in exchange for marriage - and therefore safety and acceptance in the eyes of society. The album exists in an ethereal but violent world of aesthetic overlaps where time stands still and fictional and reimagined folk sits at the table with Maud the moth’s usual sonic menagerie. It is the result of a lifetime of obsession with sound and music, where glimpses of musical genre offer insight into Amaya’s artistic interests and her participation in the underground European scene for many years, in bands such as healthyliving. Heavier, darker, and more exposed than any of her previous works it features some highly accomplished artists, such as Seb Rochford (Patti Smith, Polar Bear, Sons of Kemet, Pulled by magnets, etc.) on drums, Alison Chesley (Helen Money) on cello, Fay Guiffo on violin and Scott McLean (Ashenspire, healthyliving, Falloch) on guitar, saxophone and synthesiser. Maud the moth shares the video for "Siphonophores". About the track, Maud the moth says; I wrote "Siphonophores" on guitar, during the first lockdown, a period where I was kind of trapped between an almost empty flat in Edinburgh and Dresden. It was an incredibly harrowing time, but also one of hope and where important new things were being birthed. I felt incredibly sensitive to everything, almost like life was happening in slow motion. I´m not a confident guitarist since I am completely self-taught, but, probably because of this, I feel that this instrument allows me to focus on aspects of the songwriting that I normally overlook when writing on piano, and I think it was a necessary step for this song to exist. Something else which I've been really exploiting lately and features strongly in the album is the percussive capabilities of the piano, and in particular, of the sustain pedal when mic'd up. This can be heard very clearly at the beginning of "Siphonophores". Written and arranged by Amaya, with some contributions in the later role from the aforementioned collaborators, the album presents nine tracks originally written entirely on acoustic piano as accompanied voice pieces, in pure singer-songwriter fashion. The album was co-produced and recorded by Scott and Amaya in different studios across the UK between January and July of 2024, in a process that started shortly after the 2020 pandemic and finished alongside the album recordings in a detailed, organic and at times obsessive process aimed primarily at capturing the natural dynamics and expression of free performance. The Distaff was mixed in its entirety by Scott and mastered at Abbey Road by Alex Wharton (Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine, Aurora, Kathryn Joseph etc.) Despite being born of a very personal point of view, the album lacks a specific narrator and was conceived almost as a sonic trousseau, where the needle point, silks and other family heirlooms have been swapped for out-of-the-corner-of-the-eye memories of rural Spain by the vineyards, family disputes, old tales of wartime pains, generational breaches and finally the conflict of migration and estrangement. The songs paint dystopian pastoral scenes which evolve throughout the span of one fictional day outside of time and coherent locations and where imagination (often the only account surviving from traumatic events and gaslighting) has become indistinguishable from fact. The Distaff attempts to acknowledge past trauma, comprehend and process some of the more difficult aspects which have contributed to our darker self and offer closure and solace through creative catharsis.

Music is storytelling, and some of the best stories have been told through centuries-old traditional folk songs. On their new album ‘Northern Sky’, The Wellermen have given this rich traditional musical history a new sound, hoping to continue to captivate millions of fans around the world. It helps that The Wellermen’s four members all bring their respective experience and perspectives to the table. The fact that they’re from different corners of the world really adds something to the music - there’s something romantic about the way the members have to go on a voyage to see each other.

The Wellermen’s history is well-known: having been the originators of the sea shanty trend on Tiktok, they’ve since gone from strength to strength, gaining a huge following across social media with new trends linked to their music. Their versions of ‘Misty Mountains’ and Ed Sheeran’s ‘Nancy Mulligan’, along with their spine-tingling rendition of ‘Hoist The Colours’ have racked up billions of views across Tiktok and youtube and over 110m streams of their debut album, and led them to appearances on shows like Ant and Dec, LAst Week Tonight with Jon Oliver, The Colbert Show and more.

The group have now returned with their new album ‘Northern Sky’, where they have gone above and beyond to show they are indeed masters of their craft. Recorded in a cottage in the picturesque hills of Surrey, they poured their considerable knowledge and prowess into the album’s 12 tracks, all of which fit their love of storytelling. On the Scottish folk song ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’, for example, the group’s harmonies and rich vocals capture the nostalgic, wistful nature of the song, which speaks of love and nature’s beauty. The group’s tribute to Johnny Cash on the song ‘Hurt’ is set to be a fan favourite - melding the raw and uninhibited torment of the original with the dignified but heart-rending grief of Cash’s version.

Elsewhere on the record the original song and title track ‘Northern Sky’ is a perfect demonstration of the Wellermen’s gift for creating a real dynamic, steering it gently from the darker, more ominous numbers into something truly uplifting. ‘Tall Tales’, another original, is a wonderful portrayal of humorous one-upmanship - a call-and-response that is likely to get crowds’ feet stomping and hands clapping. Say the Wellermen: “It’s all about connection and storytelling, and we hope the listeners are able to find something meaningful.” One thing is absolutely certain: these talented young men are in it for the long haul.

‘4th DIMENSION’ is the last and probably greatest album ever recorded by Italian piano Maestro Mario Rusca. This monumental music produc"on features tracks in Nonet, Quintet and Trio. Along with the faithful rhythm sec"on composed by Riccardo Fioravan" on bass and Maxx Furian on drums, on this slamming cinema"c jazz album Mario Rusca teamed up with two extraordinary wind players: legendary Flavio Boltro (of Michel Petrucciani Quintet fame) on trumpet and Gabriele Comeglio on sax alto.

As far as the choruses are concerned, Nicole4a Tiberini, Mar"na Rossi and Alice Macchi, from Maestro Rusca’s ensemble music courses at the Civica di Jazz School, provide inspired and swinging backing vocals. The cherry on the cake, the element that gives to ‘4th DIMENSION’ a pulsa"ng and swinging’ drive, is the par"cipa"on on the album of Marco Fadda, one of Italy’s leading percussion players.

This heterogeneous ensemble has shaped, during 5 days of intense studio recordings, an absolute masterpiece full of swinging rhythms along with a few magical in"mate moments. In his 65 years career, Italian piano legend Mario Rusca has shared the stage and recording studios with luminaries such as Chet Baker, Cur"s Fuller, Gerry Mulligan, Lou Donaldson, Art Farmer, Lee Konitz, Dusko Gojkovic, Enrico Rava, Tullio De Piscopo, Kenny Clarke, Stan Getz, Toots Thielemans, Gianni Basso, Pepper Adams, Steve Lacy and Tony Sco4 (with whom he formed an indissoluble partnership).

Being accompanied in this album by extraordinary musicians, Rusca chooses to flow in a repertoire that, like in his most recent records for Mono Jazz, bridges between original pieces and revisited standards from the American Jazz Songbook, approached with unprecedented sensi"vity and depth.

The journey of ‘4th DIMENSION’ is an extraordinary cinema"c musical voyage across various styles ranging from Bop, Hard Bop, Cool, Funk and La"n Jazz. ‘4th DIMENSION’ is a perfect follow up to the interna"onally acclaimed Easy Tempo legacy! In these 13 tracks, “il Maestro” embraces and enhances a ‘cinema"c’ component in his music - an a4ribute he has long cul"vated through original soundtracks and library albums recorded for diverse cult Italian labels.

This, as we were saying, is achieved through the addi"on of percussionist Marco Fadda, who introduces a series of rhythmic nuances across several tracks, and of the extraordinary female vocal trio reminiscent of I Cantori Moderni of Alessandro Alessandroni & Edda Dell'Orso, used in the tradi"on of Italian composers of ‘60s and ‘70s film music.

This natural progression reflects Italy's history, where jazz musicians have long been involved in soundtracks and film scoring since the late ‘50s. Italian jazz has integrated this approach into its composi"on and arranging styles, as demonstrated in the first 10 volumes of the Easy Tempo series. A spirit and tradi"on that Rusca's ‘4th DIMENSION’ record con"nues. Listening to some of the tracks on the record evokes the legendary works created for cinema by Piero Umiliani, Piero Piccioni, Lelio Lu4azzi, Armando Trovajoli, Gianni Ferrio and others.

Music is storytelling, and some of the best stories have been told through centuries-old traditional folk songs. On their new album ‘Northern Sky’, The Wellermen have given this rich traditional musical history a new sound, hoping to continue to captivate millions of fans around the world. It helps that The Wellermen’s four members all bring their respective experience and perspectives to the table. The fact that they’re from different corners of the world really adds something to the music - there’s something romantic about the way the members have to go on a voyage to see each other.

The Wellermen’s history is well-known: having been the originators of the sea shanty trend on Tiktok, they’ve since gone from strength to strength, gaining a huge following across social media with new trends linked to their music. Their versions of ‘Misty Mountains’ and Ed Sheeran’s ‘Nancy Mulligan’, along with their spine-tingling rendition of ‘Hoist The Colours’ have racked up billions of views across Tiktok and youtube and over 110m streams of their debut album, and led them to appearances on shows like Ant and Dec, LAst Week Tonight with Jon Oliver, The Colbert Show and more.

The group have now returned with their new album ‘Northern Sky’, where they have gone above and beyond to show they are indeed masters of their craft. Recorded in a cottage in the picturesque hills of Surrey, they poured their considerable knowledge and prowess into the album’s 12 tracks, all of which fit their love of storytelling. On the Scottish folk song ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’, for example, the group’s harmonies and rich vocals capture the nostalgic, wistful nature of the song, which speaks of love and nature’s beauty. The group’s tribute to Johnny Cash on the song ‘Hurt’ is set to be a fan favourite - melding the raw and uninhibited torment of the original with the dignified but heart-rending grief of Cash’s version.

Elsewhere on the record the original song and title track ‘Northern Sky’ is a perfect demonstration of the Wellermen’s gift for creating a real dynamic, steering it gently from the darker, more ominous numbers into something truly uplifting. ‘Tall Tales’, another original, is a wonderful portrayal of humorous one-upmanship - a call-and-response that is likely to get crowds’ feet stomping and hands clapping. Say the Wellermen: “It’s all about connection and storytelling, and we hope the listeners are able to find something meaningful.” One thing is absolutely certain: these talented young men are in it for the long haul.

Repress!

It's been four eventful years since Keinemusik's Adam Port, &ME and Rampa joined forces and laid down their collaborative debut album ‘You Are Safe.’ Taking time to explore new territories and sourcing material for their second offering, 'Send Return' is the product of this creative 'time-out:' a positive message requiring positive feedback, and hopefully making things a little better along the way. To get that message across, the boys invited a variety of voices from both past collaborative projects and new ties built over the last few years, to take part


Limited Edition, Silver Sleeve with silk-screen printing, flip image sticker on the front

Bandler Ching makes a bold return from within the vibrant, Brussels music scene with their sophomore album, Mercurial. In this latest offering, the band edges even closer to the ever-evolving world of electronics and dance music while retaining the improvisational spirit that has always defined their sound at its core.
On Mercurial, the band navigates the fringes of industrial trap, while expertly bending and pushing the possibilities of their instruments. Ambroos De Schepper's saxophone transcends its traditional role even more, becoming a dynamic, shapeshifting entity capable of evoking haunting melodies one moment and otherworldly harmonies the next. Federico Pecoraro's bass transforms into ethereal ambient pads that drift through the mix like vapor, adding depth. Meanwhile, Olivier Penu's drums form the rhythmic backbone, laying down eclectic grooves that defy the constraints of any single genre, merging seamlessly from trap to electronica, hip-hop, and beyond.
Known for their ability to blend disparate genres and experiment with textures, Bandler Ching forges a new instrumental language, one that feels untethered to convention and free from classification. It's not a genre-crossing experiment-but a daring move towards a new instrumental genre in the digital age.
Fans of experimental electronic icons like Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, and Ceephax Acid Crew will find much to admire in the upcoming Mercurial album- it's a next step in pushing to a new musical territory and boldly casting off the jazz genre in the process.
It's been two years since Bandler Ching first released their debut album Coaxial on Sdban Ultra. Kicking off the album campaign with an album release show in Volta, the Brussels hotbed for a new generation of Belgian artists. What followed was a series of concerts in key venues and festivals across Belgium and the Netherlands to honorable reviews in national and specialized press.