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*REMASTERED ROUGH TRADE DEBUT LP LIMITED TO JUST 500 COPIES WITH EMBOSSED OUTER SLEEVE AND ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE ON BLACK VINYL*

Dream POP, they called it. Given AR Kane’s Alex Ayuli once worked for advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, it’s no surprise that he and collaborator Rudy Tambala invented their own genre before critics could stick their oar in. It was a canny move, but more importantly, it was accurate: the music of AR Kane was made for dreamers, by dreamers, and its languor and longing made it particularly bewitching listening; their music is often smeared and blurry, happily lost in its own indefinable pleasures. “We wanted dream pop,” Tambala says, “that feeling of a dream where the rules are different. Dream logic.”
-UNCUT REISSUE OF THE MONTH

"A.R. Kane carved out a unique musical path, welding elements of pop, psych, dub, electronica, funk, noise, jazz, ambient and more in a way that had never been done before. Or since. Their debut in particular is a work of unbridled brilliance."
*Electronic Sound*

‘Sixty Nine’ the group’s debut LP that emerged in 1988 had critics and listeners struggling to fit language around A.R. Kane’s sound. As a title it was telling - the year of ‘Bitches Brew’, the year of ‘In A Silent Way’, the erotic möbius between two lovers - and as originally coined by the band themselves,
‘dream pop’ (before it became a free-floating signifier of vague import) was entirely apposite for the music A.R. Kane were making. Crafted in a dark small basement studio in which Tambala recalls the duo had “complete freedom - We wanted to go as far out as we could, and in doing so we discovered the point where it stops being music”. There was an irresistibly dreamy, somnambulant, sensual and almost surreal flow to ‘sixty nine’s sound, but also real darkness/dankness, the ruptures of the primordial and the reverberations of the subconscious, within the grooves of remarkable songs like ‘Dizzy’ and ‘Crazy Blue’. Alex’s plangent vocals floated and surged amidst exquisite peals of refracted feedback but crucially there was BASS here, lugubrious and funky and full of dread, sonic pleasure and sonic disturbance crushed together to make music with a center so deep it felt subcutaneous, music constructed from both the accidental and the deliberate, generous enough to dance with both serendipity and chaos. ‘sixty nine’ remains - especially in this remastered iteration - ravishing, revolutionary – Neil Kulkarni


"A.R. Kane made some of the most exciting, forward-thinking, and science fictional music of their era".
*Reissue Of The Week In The Quietus*

B-side features “Torii Gates” on vinyl for the first time ever due to fan demand.

Acclaimed by outlets like Aquarium Drunkard and NPR, who praised his, “Cosmic country with a gentle sweetness, reminiscent of Beachwood Sparks and Silver Jews at their twangiest.”

His rhythm section is drummer Dana Buoy (Akron/Family) and bassist Alex Chapman and enlists pedal steel player Connor Gallaher (Anna St. Louis, Lana Del Rey) to flesh out the songs.

2024 festival plays at Treefort, Kilkenny Roots, Otis Mountain Get Down, and west coast summer tour.

Publicity campaign by Riot Act Media

Recent touring with William Tyler, Fruit Bats, and more.

RIYL: JJ Cale, Mapache, William Tyler, Steve Gunn, Rose City Band, Amen Dunes, Jake Xerxes Fussell, SUSS, North Americans, Chuck Johnson

Gambian kora virtuoso Dawda Jobarteh and Danish master drummer Stefan Pasborg join forces to release their exhilarating live album, "Live In Turku"Turku". A captivating fusion of traditional West African sounds and contemporary improvisation. Jobarteh was born and raised in Brikama, Gambia into a musical legacy - his uncle and grandfather before him are recognized as great masters of the kora. Initially learning calabash and all other kinds of percussion at the feet of his uncle, it wasn t until Dawda s travels to Denmark that he picked up the 2121-stringed kora. He s since gone on to tour worldwide with the famous Pierre Dorge & New Jungle Orchestra and release five albums under his own name to rave reviews from leading magazines such as Songlines. Stefan Pasborg, godson and protege of famous Danish drummer Alex Riel, is a world class drummer with a deep understanding of African music few western musicians possess, evidenced by his many collaborations with the likes of Morocco s Majid Bekkas and their joint project Magic Spirit Quartet, as well as Danish trio Ibrahim Electric. Drawing on their rich musical backgrounds and extensive experience, Jobarteh and Pasborg deliver an electrifying performance that transcends borders and genres. Recorded during a mesmerizing live set at a festival in Turku, Finland in April of 2023, the album captures the essence of their collaborative spirit and explorative energy. A followup to their landmark 2016 release "DUO"", at the heart of "Live In lies a deep connection between two extraordinary musicians. Jobarteh brings his soul soul-stirring melodies and innovative approach to the traditional instrument - going electric and drawing from the explosive energy of Jimi Hendrix in jangling improvisations soaked in psychedelic futurism. Meanwhile, Pasborg, renowned for his dynamic drumming style and eclectic musical palette sits somewhere between Art Blakey, Mitch Mitchell and John Bonham, providing a rhythmic foundation that propels the music to new heights. The album"s repertoire spans a diverse range of influences, from traditional West African rhythms to contemporary jazz and beyond. Tracks such as " first recorded in 1979 by a band of Ornette Coleman alumni, pay homage to the Jazz s origins in African music, while originals like "Communication of a Kind" showcase the duo"s improvisational prowess and boundless creativity.

Norwegian Grammy-Winning rock band Seigmen are back with a new album called "Resonans". Ask yourself the question: How many bands have maintained the same lineup throughout a career spanning over three decades? Just count and see how far you get. Seigmen is and remains Alex, Sverre, Noralf, Kim, and Marius. Seigmen's new album Resonans echoes the essence of a longstanding friendship. A strong bond among five guys who found each other through music, learned to play instruments, and express themselves together. They solidified their friendship through muddy and sour tones from the rehearsal room on the old submarine quay, down into a basement in the city center, out to a barn outside the city, up on the heights near the old library, down into the mountain beneath the same hill, and back to a rehearsal container at the old shipyard. Always tied to their home town, Tonsberg in Norway. Resonans is the reverberation of endless evening rehearsals, weekends with "lefse" and freshly ground coffee in thermoses, and syncopations. Smiles, conversations, and gossip. The hard, precise, and long-term work. Love and art. Resonans is guts and integrity, demonstrating the uncompromising nature that Seigmen has always represented.

Limited purple vinyl. Norwegian Grammy-Winning rock band Seigmen are back with a new album called "Resonans". Ask yourself the question: How many bands have maintained the same lineup throughout a career spanning over three decades? Just count and see how far you get. Seigmen is and remains Alex, Sverre, Noralf, Kim, and Marius. Seigmen's new album Resonans echoes the essence of a longstanding friendship. A strong bond among five guys who found each other through music, learned to play instruments, and express themselves together. They solidified their friendship through muddy and sour tones from the rehearsal room on the old submarine quay, down into a basement in the city center, out to a barn outside the city, up on the heights near the old library, down into the mountain beneath the same hill, and back to a rehearsal container at the old shipyard. Always tied to their home town, Tonsberg in Norway. Resonans is the reverberation of endless evening rehearsals, weekends with "lefse" and freshly ground coffee in thermoses, and syncopations. Smiles, conversations, and gossip. The hard, precise, and long-term work. Love and art. Resonans is guts and integrity, demonstrating the uncompromising nature that Seigmen has always represented.

Norwegian Grammy-Winning rock band Seigmen are back with a new album called "Resonans". Ask yourself the question: How many bands have maintained the same lineup throughout a career spanning over three decades? Just count and see how far you get. Seigmen is and remains Alex, Sverre, Noralf, Kim, and Marius. Seigmen's new album Resonans echoes the essence of a longstanding friendship. A strong bond among five guys who found each other through music, learned to play instruments, and express themselves together. They solidified their friendship through muddy and sour tones from the rehearsal room on the old submarine quay, down into a basement in the city center, out to a barn outside the city, up on the heights near the old library, down into the mountain beneath the same hill, and back to a rehearsal container at the old shipyard. Always tied to their home town, Tonsberg in Norway. Resonans is the reverberation of endless evening rehearsals, weekends with "lefse" and freshly ground coffee in thermoses, and syncopations. Smiles, conversations, and gossip. The hard, precise, and long-term work. Love and art. Resonans is guts and integrity, demonstrating the uncompromising nature that Seigmen has always represented.

Limited purple vinyl. Norwegian Grammy-Winning rock band Seigmen are back with a new album called "Resonans". Ask yourself the question: How many bands have maintained the same lineup throughout a career spanning over three decades? Just count and see how far you get. Seigmen is and remains Alex, Sverre, Noralf, Kim, and Marius. Seigmen's new album Resonans echoes the essence of a longstanding friendship. A strong bond among five guys who found each other through music, learned to play instruments, and express themselves together. They solidified their friendship through muddy and sour tones from the rehearsal room on the old submarine quay, down into a basement in the city center, out to a barn outside the city, up on the heights near the old library, down into the mountain beneath the same hill, and back to a rehearsal container at the old shipyard. Always tied to their home town, Tonsberg in Norway. Resonans is the reverberation of endless evening rehearsals, weekends with "lefse" and freshly ground coffee in thermoses, and syncopations. Smiles, conversations, and gossip. The hard, precise, and long-term work. Love and art. Resonans is guts and integrity, demonstrating the uncompromising nature that Seigmen has always represented.

Tomorrowland Music kündigt ’TOMORROWLAND 2024 - LIFE - OFFICIAL COMPILATION’ an. Erlebe die Euphorie des diesjährigen Tomorrowland-Mottos „LIFE“ bequem von zu Hause aus, mit exklusiven Tracks und erweiterten Versionen, die für DJs und Musikliebhaber gleichermaßen geeignet sind. Mit einer handverlesenen Auswahl aktueller Singles von einigen der größten Namen der elektronischen Musik, darunter Lost Frequencies, David Guetta, Alok, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Martin Garrix, Alesso und einige der größten Club-Hits des Augenblicks, wie Zerb (Mwaki), Alex Wann (Milkshake 20). Von erhebenden Melodien bis hin zu herzzerreißenden Beats ist jeder Track ein Zeugnis für die Einheit, Freude und Vielfalt, die auf dem Tomorrowland gefeiert wird. Jedes Vinyl ist ein Sammlerstück, reich an ästhetischen Details und angereichert mit luxuriösen Verpackungselementen, die durch ein atemberaubendes Artwork aufgewertet werden.

Bob Dylan released “Triplicate”, his third collection of pop standards. Like Dylan’s earlier albums, “Shadows in the Night” (2015) and “Fallen Angels”(2016), most of the songs have an association with the great Frank Sinatra. This double LP presents Frank Sinatra’s versions of many of the songs Dylan sang in these three forays into The Great American Songbook. Orchestras accompanying the iconic singer are led by Nelson Riddle, Gordon Jenkins, Billy May, Alex Stordahl, and Tommy Dorsey, among others. Dylan once related this about an encounter he had with Ol’ Blue Eyes: “He was funny, we were standing out on his patio at night and he said to me, ‘You and me, pal, we got blue eyes, we’re from up there,’ and he pointed to the stars. ‘These other bums are from down here.’ I remember thinking that he might be right.”

Unavailable for over three decades, we are happy to reissue this garage rock's essential gem, originally released in the early days of Greg Shaw's Bomp! label. Bomp! Records of Burbank, California was likely the most significant American independent record label of the 1970s. It was the first in this country to recognize and actively support the punk rock and new wave revolution with its releases, at a time when both America's vast regional disparity and an extremely conservative record business had deemed this new, strange idiom anathema. In its first five years Bomp! the label wore its heart on its sleeve with a series of fascinating, unpredictable, and memorable 45 RPM releases. And the whole was brainstormed by Greg Shaw, likely the only maverick alive at that time who could have created and populated such a scenario. The winter 1976 issue of Who Put The Bomp (Greg Shaw's fanzine) had featured a detailed report on the Boston scene, with favorable mentions of two future Bomp! acts. Willie 'Loco' Alexander was a local legend, the storied former lead singer of the Lost, and his 1975 single 'Kerouac' (reissued on Bomp!) was a suitably eccentric, Dylan-ish ode to the beat maven. DMZ was a more predictable proposition, sporting obvious glam roots and an eccentric but dedicated rock & roll fan in lead singer, Jeff 'Mono Mann' Conolly. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, Conolly and crew went for a chaotic and intense hybrid of Dolls, Stooges and most of the Nuggets bands, so Bomp! the label was a natural choice. With killer cuts like 'Busy Man' and 'When I Get Off,' their Craig Leon-produced 1977 EP captured the DMZ zeitgeist considerably better than the album they would later record for Sire.

witching seaside ambience for a sound shaped by inner-city living, Atelier’s second full-length studio album, Lights Towards The Exit, channels the mood of a sleepless cityscape.
Lights Towards The Exit is Atelier’s second full-length studio album. After the release of Varsam Court at the end of 2019 on Lossless, run by mentors and friends Mathias Schober and Thomas Herb, the duo experimented with different ideas in the studio, and at the start of 2020 a common thread began to appear between a few of the tracks which laid the foundation for the sound of their second album.
Both Alexander and Jas moved to Berlin in the period before the release of Varsam Court from their hometown of Cape Town, South Africa, where their first album was written and recorded. Moving provided some challenges, particularly with what was the most essential equipment to bring from their previous studio set-up, but those limitations proved to be useful in incorporating new instruments and techniques to the recording process.
Lights Towards The Exit was written and recorded in different spaces in Berlin – from bedrooms in apartment blocks to three different studios across the city. The different locations all had a specific ambience – such as 4th- and 5th-floor bedrooms with busy street views; a studio with no windows in a typical old Berlin backyard complex forever under threat of being sold and gentrified; and a bigger studio with windows on the opposite side of the corridor overlooking the backyard of a mechanic workshop. The final details and edits were completed in Atelier’s current studio, in a contrasting area surrounded by office blocks, plazas, 9-5ers and, most importantly, their friends and colleagues.
Swapping the mountains, sea and seclusion for tall buildings, backyards and a new community, Lights Towards The Exit channels the sensation of being surrounded by people, but still feeling like you're on your own. The album was written through three years of cold winters, sweaty summers and a period where the world stood still during the pandemic. Frustrated with the cease of momentum, but still optimistic, Atelier disappeared from public view, abandoning social media to focus on recording, songwriting and experimentation.
It was a difficult time: the duo longed to perform and continue producing music, and the imposed limitations sometimes felt like an impossible obstacle. Ultimately, though, this would provide inexpected inspiration and influence the sound and direction of the new album.
The sound of Lights Towards The Exit is not a departure from their first album, but a progression: influenced by the new surroundings in the duo’s adoptive city, Atelier’s second album is an ode to first-time experiences, new languages, challenges, club culture and the shift from youth to maturity, as well as a balm to those stuck somewhere in between.
The overall sound is a lift not in tempo, but in energy, matching the openness needed to make a new start in a new place.

Black/White Swirl Vinyl, limited to 200 copies. Hannover based band RESOLUTIONS is back with their sophomore album "Monster Mirror" out May 24th, 2024 via End Hits Records, marking their 10th year as a band and the newest addition to the End Hits Records roster. Starting in 2013 and after releasing their demo, several 7"s and 2016's "Weightless" album while playing hundreds of shows across Europe, RESOLUTIONS return with 10 catchy songs combining elements of alternative and melodic punk rock bands from the 90s and 2000s. Growing through discomfort while aiming on keeping their sound true to songs and records they love, the five piece band created 10 highly energetic songs that formed a uniquely sounding album with lyrics focussing on the aspect of self-reflection and the lacking urge of constant 24/7 self-optimization in the world's current living pace. This very same discomfort pushed RESOLUTIONS to step out of their to date comfort zone of the genre's almost stereotypical trusty three chords and gruffy vocals to perform on a clean but powerful recording which was done by Alex Sickel at Tiny Pond Studios, who worked with the band already on their first LP - "Weightless".? "Monster Mirror" calls for fans of bands with somewhat dark and (over-) thoughtful lyrics, yet accessible and driving melodies like HOT WATER MUSIC, ALKALINE TRIO and JIMMY EAT WORLD.

2024 Repress

The legacy continues - the return of the Paling Trax imprint! Labelhead TAFKAMP delivers the highly anticipated "Darkness Calling" and "Shake & Bounce", and introduces the young promising producer "Alex Ranzino" on the flipside!!

December 2012 I showed up totally exhausted in Vancouver BC after touring stupidly and relentlessly for however many straight months and got a job at a call centre raising money for the Red Cross. It was a scent free office but one time this woman cooked a piece of fish in the microwave for 10 minutes on low and hot boxed the whole office - we got sent home early no pay. There was the other woman I named the Call Centre Coltrane because her pitch and routine usually involved improvised flights of fancy that went off in both directions at once somehow landing back down with a credit card number and a donation. I used to sleep under the desk. I was there a few months and at the time I reconnected with John Brennan who I had played with briefly in Montreal at the Mutek Festival. In Montreal John was running an experimental music night at a burrito shop downtown called Garbage Night. While in Vancouver I began connecting with the music scene there and would go hang out with the Shearing Pinx lads who I think lived with Sydney the bass player at the time. I knew Nic and Jer from an AIDS Wolf Tour and was so stoked to get to know them both better. I really fell in love with that era of Vancouver's music scene.
Fast Forward to today. 2024
Actually it was the dying days of 2023 but you get it and John asks if I'll sit in with Earth Ball and I keep thinking about Earth Balance, the vegan butter everyone eats here. I brought my aching bones and my ipads on the beautiful ferry named the Queen of Oak Bay and out to Nanaimo BC, home of the nanaimo bar (a dessert treat - special to this region - that seems to be more popularly found under the weird glass sneeze guards in office building deli's out east in Ontario.... anyhoops ). No one in Nanaimo wants to talk to me about the famous treat. I asked a couple of people. Silence. Nanaimo is like London, Ontario but more fried and by the sea. The town is filled with blown out old sea dawgs with tin coffee pots and loose leaf tobacco, then there's the usual streetfolk you find in this part of the Canadian Pacific Northwest and a bunch of bohemians who I guess have left Vancouver behind - that fine city having become uninhabitable for those not making over 100k a year. And then up the way are all the retirees.
Yup Nanaimo is a strange one. They mined the shit out of this region and Nanaimo is surely haunted by those buried in mining shafts or maimed by the heavy machinery or blown up by accident in the explosives store house. And when Earth Ball fire up the amps in Izzy and Jer's basement you can hear the voices of the ghosts hum through electrical lines and out the speakers, Kellen's hued feedback, Izy's sturdy basslines, Jer's paperbag guitar tone and rumble pack zaps, Liam's (aka the Kid) sheets of sound and Brennen's multidirectional drums.
You wouldn't guess Earth Ball was auto-composing and from what my rat brain can tell - the lyrics are improvised too...Improvising lyrics and singing them is the hardest thing to do in all of music.. Izzy and Jer are pros. And their attitudes are pro too.
The live show is scorched and without naming names they've been known to make headliners nervous. Lucky ones will get to see them live as they tour this beast of a record entitled ‘It’s Yours’ (out May 17th on Upset The Rhythm) and I hope I'm one of them.
But now you, fan of fun but totally fucked up music, have the opportunity to Ball with them thanks to Upset The Rhythm. Enjoy
-Alex Moskos, Montreal QC, Feb 2024

ZOMBEAST erheben sich von den Toten und präsentieren "Heart Of Darkness", ihr bisher härtestes, düsterstes und wildestes Album!
Beeinflusst von Danzig, AFI, Mercyful Fate und 80er Jahre Punk, Death Rock und Thrash Metal, haben ZOMBEAST eine perfekte Crossover-Mischung aus Dark Punk und Thrash erschaffen. Die von Mario Montechello geschriebenen Texte handeln von den echten Schrecken des Lebens, vom Okkulten und von Lykanthropie.
Mit Alex Young (Leadgitarre) und Kyle Smith (Schlagzeug) betritt die Band auch in technischer Hinsicht Neuland, das sie bisher noch nie betreten hat.
Donnernde Drums und sich duellierende Gitarren treffen auf diesem lang erwarteten neuen Album auf Gesang mit Kultcharakter - lasst euch das nicht entgehen!

ZOMBEAST erheben sich von den Toten und präsentieren "Heart Of Darkness", ihr bisher härtestes, düsterstes und wildestes Album!
Beeinflusst von Danzig, AFI, Mercyful Fate und 80er Jahre Punk, Death Rock und Thrash Metal, haben ZOMBEAST eine perfekte Crossover-Mischung aus Dark Punk und Thrash erschaffen. Die von Mario Montechello geschriebenen Texte handeln von den echten Schrecken des Lebens, vom Okkulten und von Lykanthropie.
Mit Alex Young (Leadgitarre) und Kyle Smith (Schlagzeug) betritt die Band auch in technischer Hinsicht Neuland, das sie bisher noch nie betreten hat.
Donnernde Drums und sich duellierende Gitarren treffen auf diesem lang erwarteten neuen Album auf Gesang mit Kultcharakter - lasst euch das nicht entgehen!

ZOMBEAST erheben sich von den Toten und präsentieren "Heart Of Darkness", ihr bisher härtestes, düsterstes und wildestes Album!
Beeinflusst von Danzig, AFI, Mercyful Fate und 80er Jahre Punk, Death Rock und Thrash Metal, haben ZOMBEAST eine perfekte Crossover-Mischung aus Dark Punk und Thrash erschaffen. Die von Mario Montechello geschriebenen Texte handeln von den echten Schrecken des Lebens, vom Okkulten und von Lykanthropie.
Mit Alex Young (Leadgitarre) und Kyle Smith (Schlagzeug) betritt die Band auch in technischer Hinsicht Neuland, das sie bisher noch nie betreten hat.
Donnernde Drums und sich duellierende Gitarren treffen auf diesem lang erwarteten neuen Album auf Gesang mit Kultcharakter - lasst euch das nicht entgehen!

DJ Support from 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, Nice7, Dario D’Attis, Mousse T, S-Man, Huxley, KC Lights, Friend Within, Dombresky, Gorgon City, Chris Lake, Format:B, Pirupa, TCTS, Alan Fitzpatrick, Low Steppa, Mat.Joe, Raumakustik, Eskuche

Next up and with a label debut is one of the leading Female artists on the circuit, Tini Gessler! Tini dropped some straight-up club fire on our sister label Toolroom Trax earlier in the year alongside Juliet Sikora and digs deep into her clubby roots once again with 'Do What You Want'. After releases on the mighty Drumcode, Sola and Kittball in recent years, her 10 year career is going from strength to strength which is seeing her DJ all over the Globe on a weekly basis and her music production is making huge waves within the industry, and rightly so. Next up Italian born DJ and producer, CASSIMM is back on Toolroom with a straight up club weapon! After laying down the delicious disco number last year called 'Get On The Funk' with Kid Enigma, this follows suit perfectly and fuses chunky beats, disco licks and has Bruno Blanc sharing some sentimental lyrics about how important house music is to all of us. Last but not least, French artist Tony Romera is back on Toolroom with another slice of Tech House fire. Tony Romera first stepped onto the scene 10 years ago as a fresh-faced 20 year old looking to make waves and disrupt the electronic music world with his unique style and French-house inspired beats. Since then he's been busy releasing music and experimenting with different sounds and styles, putting out music on a range of powerhouse labels and gaining support from the likes of Diplo, Fisher, Chris Lake, Fatboy Slim, Deadmau5, Vintage Culture, Adam Beyer and more. House Y'all's distinct character is built upon a warped, creeping bassline and tough, relentless beats providing an irresistible pulsing backdrop as the familiar chanted vocal emerges. A sonic trip that transports you deep into the heart of the underground.

Countless radio plays on Radio 1 from Danny Howard, Sarah Storie, Pete Tong Other notable radio plays – Kiss FM, Toolroom Radio, Sirius XM, Data Transmission Radio, Radio 1 Dance Anthems, Radio 1 Party Anthems, Rinse FM, Select Radio, Tomorrowland Radio

Cherry Red Vinyl, limitiert auf 1000 Exemplare. Die Punk-Veteranen von Hot Water Music freuen sich, die Veröffentlichung ihren brandneuen Albums Vows anzukündigen, welches am 10.05.2024 via End Hits Records erscheint. Unter der Leitung des erfahrenen Produzenten Brian McTernan gibt es auf Vows hochkarätige Gastauftritte von Thrice, Dallas Green (City and Colour // Alexisonfire), The Interrupters, Daniel Fang und Brendan Yates (Turnstile) und Popeye Vogelsang (Calling Hours // ex-Farside). Drei Jahrzehnte, 10 Alben und immer noch ein fester Pfeiler des amerikanischen Punks - Hot Water Music sind nach wie vor eine Quelle des Einflusses und der Inspiration für Bands auf der ganzen Welt. Auf dem kommenden Album Vows bleibt das Ziel der Band dasselbe wie immer: kontinuierliche Weiterentwicklung mit einem scharfen Blick in die Zukunft. "Das Thema, das während der Arbeit an diesem Album immer wieder auftauchte, war das Wachstum - wie das Schreiben eines Songs, die Aufnahme eines Albums oder das Dasein in einer Band so ist, als würde man einen Samen pflanzen und ihm beim Wachsen helfen", so die Band. "Wir denken, dass das viel damit zu tun hat, dass wir zurückblicken und erkennen, dass wir es in 30 Jahren geschafft haben, etwas Besonderes zu schaffen, das wir alle wirklich lieben" Darüber hinaus markiert "Vows" ein weiteres brillantes Kapitel in der fortgesetzten Zusammenarbeit mit dem gefeierten Produzenten und Hardcore-Legende Brian McTernan, der mit der Band an "A Flight And A Crash" (2001), "Caution" (2002) und "The New What Next" (2004) gearbeitet hat, die oft als Hot Water Music-Klassiker bezeichnet werden. Ohne zu wissen, wie es weitergeht, begann die Band mit dem Schreiben der neuen Songs mit der einfachen Absicht, Musik zu veröffentlichen, um diesen hart erarbeiteten Meilenstein zu feiern, sei es eine Single, eine EP oder ein ganzes Album. Sie waren sich jedoch absolut sicher, dass sie keine neue Platte nur um der Sache willen machen wollten; diese Platte musste aufregend, unerbittlich und vor allem notwendig sein. "Jeder hat viel Zeit damit verbracht, über die Reise nachzudenken, die uns hierher gebracht hat, und darüber nachzudenken, was wir von nun an tun wollen, während wir dieses Album machen", fasst die Band zusammen. "Wir hoffen, dass sich dieses Album für jeden, der es hört, wie eine Feier unserer Geschichte und Zukunft anfühlt. Das ist es definitiv und so fühlt es sich für uns an."

Cherry Red Vinyl, limitiert auf 1000 Exemplare. Die Punk-Veteranen von Hot Water Music freuen sich, die Veröffentlichung ihren brandneuen Albums Vows anzukündigen, welches am 10.05.2024 via End Hits Records erscheint. Unter der Leitung des erfahrenen Produzenten Brian McTernan gibt es auf Vows hochkarätige Gastauftritte von Thrice, Dallas Green (City and Colour // Alexisonfire), The Interrupters, Daniel Fang und Brendan Yates (Turnstile) und Popeye Vogelsang (Calling Hours // ex-Farside). Drei Jahrzehnte, 10 Alben und immer noch ein fester Pfeiler des amerikanischen Punks - Hot Water Music sind nach wie vor eine Quelle des Einflusses und der Inspiration für Bands auf der ganzen Welt. Auf dem kommenden Album Vows bleibt das Ziel der Band dasselbe wie immer: kontinuierliche Weiterentwicklung mit einem scharfen Blick in die Zukunft. "Das Thema, das während der Arbeit an diesem Album immer wieder auftauchte, war das Wachstum - wie das Schreiben eines Songs, die Aufnahme eines Albums oder das Dasein in einer Band so ist, als würde man einen Samen pflanzen und ihm beim Wachsen helfen", so die Band. "Wir denken, dass das viel damit zu tun hat, dass wir zurückblicken und erkennen, dass wir es in 30 Jahren geschafft haben, etwas Besonderes zu schaffen, das wir alle wirklich lieben" Darüber hinaus markiert "Vows" ein weiteres brillantes Kapitel in der fortgesetzten Zusammenarbeit mit dem gefeierten Produzenten und Hardcore-Legende Brian McTernan, der mit der Band an "A Flight And A Crash" (2001), "Caution" (2002) und "The New What Next" (2004) gearbeitet hat, die oft als Hot Water Music-Klassiker bezeichnet werden. Ohne zu wissen, wie es weitergeht, begann die Band mit dem Schreiben der neuen Songs mit der einfachen Absicht, Musik zu veröffentlichen, um diesen hart erarbeiteten Meilenstein zu feiern, sei es eine Single, eine EP oder ein ganzes Album. Sie waren sich jedoch absolut sicher, dass sie keine neue Platte nur um der Sache willen machen wollten; diese Platte musste aufregend, unerbittlich und vor allem notwendig sein. "Jeder hat viel Zeit damit verbracht, über die Reise nachzudenken, die uns hierher gebracht hat, und darüber nachzudenken, was wir von nun an tun wollen, während wir dieses Album machen", fasst die Band zusammen. "Wir hoffen, dass sich dieses Album für jeden, der es hört, wie eine Feier unserer Geschichte und Zukunft anfühlt. Das ist es definitiv und so fühlt es sich für uns an."

Sam Cooke’s SAR Records Story 1959-1965 gathers significant recordings of SAR Records – the label Sam Cooke co-founded, produced the majority of records for and was instrumental in operating. Groundbreaking artists such as The Soul Stirrers, Johnnie Taylor, Billy Preston, and Bobby Womack’s group The Valentinos are all featured, in addition to Sam himself. “The whole SAR Records Story is infused with Sam Cooke’s rapturous sense of how sacred gospel and sexual soul flow together, unbroken,” stated Milo Miles on NPR’s Fresh Air upon the set’s initial release almost three decades ago. In an era where black-owned labels were a rarity, Los Angeles based SAR Records was founded at almost exactly the same time as Motown, its Detroit counterpart. SAR was established in 1959 by Sam Cooke, music publisher J.W. Alexander, and S. Roy Crain, Cooke’s road manager and founder of gospel group The Soul Stirrers. The acronymous name standing for Sam Alex Roy, SAR sought to keep gospel music alive while simultaneously crossing over to pop audiences in the secular world. LPs 1 and 2 of the set focus on the former, while LPs 3 and 4 encompass the latter. From choosing talent, to writing a great number of songs, to producing, SAR was entirely the fulfillment of Cooke’s vision on a musical/creative level. The superstar singer, who had already crossed over from the gospel world himself, tirelessly coached the vocalists during SAR recording sessions, emphasizing diction. His methods are heard throughout the collection, as he is heard speaking to artists between takes. “And by Sam being there with you and just giving you that special attention, you wanted to give it to him like it was supposed to be. I think that’s what made SAR, SAR. Because he was selling himself through different artists.” – Bobby Womack. VERY LIMITED 1-2 COPIES ONLY PER SHOP

Cathartic avant-rock, literate DIY folk & experimental composition exploring displacement, love, climate change, belonging & the places we call home - RIYL Jim O’Rourke, Richard Youngs, This Heat, Richard Dawson, Flying Nun. ‘Real Home’ is the new album by the Manchester-born, London-based artist Kiran Leonard. His sixth album proper (not including innumerable tour-only CD-Rs and short-run cassettes), since his precocious debut in 2013, ‘Real Home’ finds Leonard invigorated by inspiration and experience, making passionate, literate, and mercurial music that explores displacement, love, memory, climate change, connections to home and more. Encompassing songs recorded after moving to South London, ‘Real Home’ reflects on ideas of belonging and domesticity through folkloric, stream-of-consciousness songwriting. Across nine tracks, Leonard traces lived impressions of the household and the city, expressing sentiments of dislocation, alienation and stasis, but contentment too. Infusing the avant-rock effervescence, terraced dynamics and visionary lyricism of his music with what he defines as a greater sense of openness, Leonard is as versatile, fervent and imaginative as ever on ‘Real Home’, yet his music is somehow more intimate, affecting, and acutely expressive. Shaped by dual considerations of simplicity and formalism, ‘Real Home’ is by turns beautiful, allusive, and ruminative, an album on which Leonard considers what his songs have resembled in the past and what they mean now. In recent years, Leonard has crafted eloquent chamber music inspired by the likes of James Joyce and Clarice Lispector (‘Derevaun Seraun’), responded to contemporary politics and communication breakdown in the digital age (‘Western Culture’), and compiled solo works and ensemble recordings for a longform ode to Jonas Mekas and to one of Leonard’s enduring themes; home (‘Trespass On Foot’). On ‘Real Home’, Leonard reiterates this abiding thematic focus yet ascends to new, different heights, in music of cathartic delicacy and dissonance where all the myriad dimensions of his work to date seem to crystallize. There are sinuous songs about struggle and defying the pace of city life through drift and diversion (‘Pass Between Houses’), stirring songs of intense feeling and crescendo, described as a form of speculative detective fiction (‘Theatre for Change’). There are touching solo piano ballads (the title track), symbolic contentions with carbon capture and climate change (‘Utopia of Bog’), modes of experimental minimalism (‘Void Attentive’), and other profuse feats of compositional range, embroidered with wild tendrils of narrative and lyrical depth. A record to pore over, and get lost in. Exemplifying the vast aesthetic scope of Leonard’s music, lead single ‘My Love, Let’s Take The Stage Tonight’ is inspired by country lodestar Hank Williams, Russian poetry and a late period love poem by William Carlos Williams. Yet for Leonard, the song signals a sense of accessible materiality, and is the product of a more linear approach to writing songs: “My imitation of the great Hank Williams, in spirit if not in substance…This is one of the best efforts on Real Home at a song-as-object. Looking at it now I realise I was trying to write a song that made itself known as a song to the listener, and I wonder whether that’s crucial if you want a song to transcend its context. And that this is either accomplished through a total openness – by being inviting, by laying the tricks of the song out plain to see, as Williams and his many ghostwriters did so well – or by adopting a knowing aloofness, positioning oneself against the listener but letting it be known that that’s what it’s doing. In this song I try both, but mostly the former: as in, I wanted to write a song where every line follows on from the next.” Imbuing the endlessly elaborate and inventive qualities of his music with a newfound streak of candid, clear-cut melodicism, Leonard has reached a special place in his artistry, on a record that feels familial, and expresses closeness. Assembled with affiliates including Lauren Auder, Otto Willberg, Jasper Llewellyn (caroline), Tom Hardwick-Allan (Shovel Dance Collective), Magda McLean (caroline, The Umlauts), Alex Mckenzie (caroline, Shovel Dance Collective), Isabelle Thorn (Dear Laika) & more, the recording process had a significant influence on the subject matter of ‘Real Home’, in sessions defined by close-knit camaraderie and artistic eccentricity: “The theme of the home obviously recurs throughout the record; the album was mostly recorded in domestic spaces with friends, and the name of the album is Real Home. I like the qualifier ‘real’, like you’re getting past the cloak of the word and towards the thing-itself…also nearly all the percussion in this record was recorded on items from my dad’s shed (jam jars, sandpaper, blocks of wood, etc). Real home record!” ‘Real Home’, like anything by Kiran Leonard, is a record of dazzling multiplicity. Yet it’s a companionable prospect with a central premise; a collection of songs where listeners old and new can find a home. An album led by a scene; of Leonard standing at the threshold, ready to welcome you inside. “Exceptional songs that linger” - The Guardian // “An autodidact of amazing talent & energy” – Pitchfork // “A ridiculous amount of talent…confrontational, celebratory, provocative or perverse – he manages all of these emotions & more” - The Quietus /

Polistrumentalist, composer and producer Alex Puddu (Al Dente/Schema Records), also known for his collaborations with Edda Dell'Orso (Maestro Morricone's legendary vocalist,) Joe Bataan, Lonnie Jordan from L.A funk band War, and Gene Robinson Jr of Breakwater, and who boasts a solo discography of 17 albums, including the three original volumes of the red light soundtracks of Danish films" The Golden Age Of Danish xxxography. He debuts for the first time with a new double single sang in Italian language, with two tracks "Pullover Grigio" and Texas Blonde", proposing a new sound that draws us into the Italian funk pop music of the late 70s and early 80s and into the pop/indie melodies of the new Italian scene, up to electronic sounds (as Calcutta, Fulminacci, Fra Quintale, Marco Castello and Nu Genea have done), between soul and disco, which are part of Alex Puddu's unmistakable production style. Don’t Miss It!

In Season 5, the long-awaited fifth full-length by beach-pop project The Tyde, frontman Darren Rademaker unveils his vision of an ’80s-inspired Suave Nouveau, with a clutch of sweet, melancholic love songs evoking lush mustaches, mellow macho, the ghost of Jimmy Buffett, white sand beaches, flamingos swooping across a cerulean sky, speedboats cutting through the bay and pastel linen suits billowing in the breeze as the sun dips beneath the horizon. “Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León ‘discovered’ Florida in 1513, naming the peninsula La Florida, the flowering land. In Season 5, Rademaker reflects on his own return to the flowering land, and the artistic diaspora that caused him to quit California in 2020 in search of a New World of his own. ‘I lived in Florida from the ages of ten to twenty-five, but never really got to explore it,’ he says. ‘When I came back, I decided to really embrace the whole Florida aesthetic. I moved into an art deco home in Sarasota with pink seashell lamps. I visited Key West, like seven times. I also quit smoking weed and cigarettes, and stopped saying shit like LOL and amazeballs. It felt different. It felt good.’ “The record features the talents of many good friends, including Dan Horne, Colby Buddelmeyer, Matt Correia (Allah-Las), Clay Finch (Mapache), Albert Hickman, Derek James (The Entrance Band), Alex Knost (Tomorrow’s Tulips) and Adam MacDougall (Circles Around The Sun / Black Crowes), with artist / musician Matt Fishbeck (Holy Shit) designing the deco-inspired album artwork. “And as much as they are inspired by the past, these songs are keenly aware of an uncertain future—because there is no such thing as a time machine, and there is no going back. Ultimately, Season 5 asks the question—where do we go after the sun sets on our dreams? Where the fuck is the New New World? In Rademaker’s eyes, it no longer exists in any specific American geography—rather, all hope remains in the timeless, unending power of music, and its power to take us to the places we wish we could be. Even if they don’t exist anymore.” — Caroline Ryder

With time, we come to understand the way the joy of connection is mirrored by the void of loss, how the constancy of love is matched only by the impermanence of life, the simple idea that we could not create light if we did not risk the dark - we'd never need to. So it is with METZ, a band once known for blowing out eardrums with songs of joyous rage who have, over their past few records, begun exploring ways to turn abrasiveness into atmospherics, the evolution of their sound not only a reflection of the maturing of the band themselves but also of a changed world that demands nuance and compassion to comprehend and to survive. It was a journey already underway on 2020's Atlas Vending, but one that reaches new heights on Up On Gravity Hill, where the Canadian trio creates a kaleidoscopic sonic world as tender as it is dark, aided once again by engineer Seth Manchester (Mdou Moctar, Lingua Ignota, Battles, The Body). Deep, detailed, and unyieldingly personal, it is not only METZ's most powerful record to date but also their most beautiful. Still three punks from Ontario at heart, guitarist and vocalist Alex Edkins, drummer Hayden Menzies, and bassist Chris Slorach waste no time as opener "No Reservation/Love Comes Crashing" sweeps in like a wave, sonically and thematically setting the scene for the record to come. A dynamic song about feeling suspended in stasis, layers of dissonance melt into a restlessly heady outro marked by escalating crescendos of shimmering noise that reach for the stars - and is that a violin quivering brightly beneath those elegant swells of guitar, those charging drum fills, those intricate bass lines? It is indeed, courtesy of composer Owen Pallett; his presence an immediate indicator that METZ are thinking more cinematically than ever before. The change is partially inspired by Edkins' work as a scorer for film and television and his pop-leaning solo project, Weird Nightmare, where, he says, he learned to write more intuitively, letting his emotions lead the way. But make no mistake: Up On Gravity Hill is a total band effort, the work of three musicians who have been playing together for over a decade, with all the trust that entails. For those who believe in the power of the rock band to exemplify the highest resonance of human connection, there is much on Up On Gravity Hill to lift the spirit, a puzzle worth repeated listening to unlock or just to get lost in again and again. Rather than the music being flattened into a single plane, the band explores "the space above the cymbals," resulting in some of the most spacious, sympathetic, and accessible songs - could we call them pop? - of their career. If this seems contradictory, well, METZ has always been something of a contradiction. "We've never been heavy enough for metal or hardcore purists, but we're way too heavy for indie rock. We just don't have a lane - and that's okay. We exist outside the lines of delineation. I think this record is even more like that," says Edkins.

Mit der Veröffentlichung ihres fünften Albums betreten Imminence verschiedenste musikalische Bereiche und zeigen auf ihrer Reise als Band eine große Vielfalt.

Das bahnbrechende Alternative-Metalcore-Ensemble Imminence stammt von der Südküste Schwedens und hat sich in den letzten Jahren mutig eine Nische im Musikbereich geschaffen. Allen Erwartungen zum Trotz hat das Quintett akribisch einen Klangteppich geschaffen, der die Grenzen des Genres überschreitet. Ihre mutige Verschmelzung klassischer Streicharrangements, verwoben mit der rohen Kraft wilden skandinavischen Metals, erschafft ein fesselndes Hörerlebnis. Sowohl klanglich als auch visuell erweisen sich Imminence als ein Leuchtfeuer der Innovation und Spannung und etablieren sich nicht nur als Band, sondern auch als Pioniere, die neue Gebiete in der sich ständig weiterentwickelnden Musiklandschaft erschließen.

Angeführt vom Sänger und Geiger Eddie Berg, den Gitarristen Harald Barrett und Alex Arnoldsson, dem Schlagzeuger Peter Hanström und dem Bassisten Christian Höijer; Imminence entfesseln ihr musikalisches Können auf dem kommenden Album „The Black“. Machen Sie sich bereit und atmen Sie tief durch, während Imminence uns auf den großen Sprung in die Tiefen von „The Black“ vorbereiten, einem kühnen Versprechen einer beispiellosen musikalischen Odyssee, die sich allen Konventionen widersetzt und Sie einlädt, sich auf den Aufstieg eines neuen Genre-Klassikers einzulassen.
Die Band wagt sich in eine düsterere und stärker auf Orchester ausgerichtete Welt vor und definiert die Grenzen der modernen Alternative-Szene immer wieder neu. Imminence Erforschung ist mehr als nur Musik; Es ist ein mutiger Abstieg in unbekannte Gebiete, der ihre Position als Pioniere in der Landschaft einzigartiger und hochinnovativer musikalischer Ausdrucksformen festigt.

- „Dies ist die größte Annäherung an eine selbstbetitelte Veröffentlichung, denn diese Platte spricht Bände darüber, was Imminence als Band ausmacht.“ Durch die Einflüsse aus unserer gesamten Diskographie, gemischt mit unseren skandinavischen Wurzeln, kann man Elemente aus unserer gesamten Geschichte hören, die jedoch von einem unstillbaren Hunger angetrieben werden. Das Album ist wahrscheinlich das konzeptionellste, das wir je geschaffen haben, und ich war noch nie so stolz auf ein Werk. Die lyrischen Konzepte setzen den Weg früherer Veröffentlichungen fort und drehen sich um psychische Gesundheit und Depression. Aber dieses Mal gibt es kein Zurückhalten. Es ist wütend, verzweifelter und aus den Fugen geraten, durchdrungen von Angst und Dunkelheit. Wir haben es uns auch erlaubt, das Album in unerwartete Räume schweben zu lassen und so eine musikalische Reise mit starken Kontrasten zwischen Licht und Dunkelheit zu schaffen. Es ist ein „Eat Your Heart Out“, ein kompromissloser Beweis dafür, was „Imminence“ geworden ist. Das ist das Schwarze.“ – Eddie Berg

Mit der Veröffentlichung ihres fünften Albums betreten Imminence verschiedenste musikalische Bereiche und zeigen auf ihrer Reise als Band eine große Vielfalt.

Das bahnbrechende Alternative-Metalcore-Ensemble Imminence stammt von der Südküste Schwedens und hat sich in den letzten Jahren mutig eine Nische im Musikbereich geschaffen. Allen Erwartungen zum Trotz hat das Quintett akribisch einen Klangteppich geschaffen, der die Grenzen des Genres überschreitet. Ihre mutige Verschmelzung klassischer Streicharrangements, verwoben mit der rohen Kraft wilden skandinavischen Metals, erschafft ein fesselndes Hörerlebnis. Sowohl klanglich als auch visuell erweisen sich Imminence als ein Leuchtfeuer der Innovation und Spannung und etablieren sich nicht nur als Band, sondern auch als Pioniere, die neue Gebiete in der sich ständig weiterentwickelnden Musiklandschaft erschließen.

Angeführt vom Sänger und Geiger Eddie Berg, den Gitarristen Harald Barrett und Alex Arnoldsson, dem Schlagzeuger Peter Hanström und dem Bassisten Christian Höijer; Imminence entfesseln ihr musikalisches Können auf dem kommenden Album „The Black“. Machen Sie sich bereit und atmen Sie tief durch, während Imminence uns auf den großen Sprung in die Tiefen von „The Black“ vorbereiten, einem kühnen Versprechen einer beispiellosen musikalischen Odyssee, die sich allen Konventionen widersetzt und Sie einlädt, sich auf den Aufstieg eines neuen Genre-Klassikers einzulassen.
Die Band wagt sich in eine düsterere und stärker auf Orchester ausgerichtete Welt vor und definiert die Grenzen der modernen Alternative-Szene immer wieder neu. Imminence Erforschung ist mehr als nur Musik; Es ist ein mutiger Abstieg in unbekannte Gebiete, der ihre Position als Pioniere in der Landschaft einzigartiger und hochinnovativer musikalischer Ausdrucksformen festigt.

- „Dies ist die größte Annäherung an eine selbstbetitelte Veröffentlichung, denn diese Platte spricht Bände darüber, was Imminence als Band ausmacht.“ Durch die Einflüsse aus unserer gesamten Diskographie, gemischt mit unseren skandinavischen Wurzeln, kann man Elemente aus unserer gesamten Geschichte hören, die jedoch von einem unstillbaren Hunger angetrieben werden. Das Album ist wahrscheinlich das konzeptionellste, das wir je geschaffen haben, und ich war noch nie so stolz auf ein Werk. Die lyrischen Konzepte setzen den Weg früherer Veröffentlichungen fort und drehen sich um psychische Gesundheit und Depression. Aber dieses Mal gibt es kein Zurückhalten. Es ist wütend, verzweifelter und aus den Fugen geraten, durchdrungen von Angst und Dunkelheit. Wir haben es uns auch erlaubt, das Album in unerwartete Räume schweben zu lassen und so eine musikalische Reise mit starken Kontrasten zwischen Licht und Dunkelheit zu schaffen. Es ist ein „Eat Your Heart Out“, ein kompromissloser Beweis dafür, was „Imminence“ geworden ist. Das ist das Schwarze.“ – Eddie Berg

REISSUED ON GLACIAL BLUE VINYL! Papercuts' You Can Have What You Want is the third phase in Jason Quever's ongoing pop investigations. The relatively earthbound happy/sad pop of Mockingbird and Can't Go Back has been launched into the vault of the skies. Here, Quever delves further into epic dream-pop using mostly vintage organs, pulsing bass, and Kraut-via-Ringo-inspired drum rhythms. Intact from those earlier efforts is Quever's sense of arrangement and drama, as well as his soaring vocals, draped in reverb gauze. The words reveal a fascination with mortality and things cosmic, while sonically the voice acts as another instrument. This obsessively all-analog effort (no computer processing here whatsoever!) cuts across several eras of dreamy sound: '80s/'90s Creation and 4AD Records, The Zombies, '60s French pop, even Can's Future Days--and then there's the inevitable connection to former tourmates Beach House and Grizzly Bear. Indeed, Beach House's Alex Scally helped with some of the arrangements, though You Can Have What You Want is its own strain of addictive pop. For many, it will be the blissful/melancholy jam of the spring and summer. Quever was raised on a commune in Humboldt County, orphaned, and moved up and down the West Coast before calling San Francisco home and starting Papercuts, initially as a four-track recording project. When not performing with his own band, he can often be found recording others in his studio and filling in when needed as a multi-instrumentalist in friends' groups. "It takes a few seconds of Papercuts' second album, Can't Go Back, to think that maybe you've stumbled upon something special, a delicate mood piece made to slice through the din and chaos of modern life." --Pitckfork (8.3 rating

For Thee Sacred Souls, the first time is often the charm. The band’s first club dates led to a record deal with the revered Daptone label; their first singles racked up more than ten million streams in a year and garnered attention from Billboard, Rolling Stone, and KCRW; and their first fans included the likes of Gary Clark Jr., The Black Pumas, Princess Nokia, and Timbaland. Now, the breakout San Diego trio is ready to deliver yet another landmark first with the release of their self-titled debut on Daptone Records.

“Every step of the way has just been so organic,” says drummer Alex Garcia. “Things just seem to happen naturally when the three of us get together.”

Indeed, there’s something inevitable about the sound of Thee Sacred Souls, as if Garcia and his bandmates—bassist Sal Samano and singer Josh Lane—have been playing together for a lifetime already. Produced by Bosco Mann (aka Daptone co-founder Gabriel Roth), Thee Sacred Souls is a warm and textured record, mixing the easygoing grace of sweet ’60s soul with the grit and groove of early ’70s R&B, and the performances are utterly intoxicating, with Lane’s weightless vocals anchored by the rhythm section’s deep pocket and infectious chemistry.

Hints of Chicano, Philly, Chicago, Memphis, and even Panama soul turn up here, and while it’s tempting to toss around labels like “retro” with a deliberately analog collection like this, there’s also something distinctly modern about the band that defies easy categorization, a rawness and a sincerity that transcends time and place.

If 2022’s The Children Of Scorpio was the debut album that turned people onto the world of Project Gemini aka Paul Osborne, Colours & Light is the body of work that will be buried deep into their hearts. It is a majestic album, bringing together the worlds of folk rock, psych soundtracks and hazy cinematic funk.

A growing confidence and ease emanate from the writing and production of this sophomore LP, bolstered by the reception to his standout debut. “It’s a more layered and diverse record” Paul mentions, “with a more outward-looking, global sound, born out of the records I was listening to and the musicians I was lucky enough to collaborate with”. It feels relaxed yet self-assured, with a kaleidoscope of sounds that twist together in a mesmerising fashion.

The theme of the album developed naturally through the lyrics Paul began writing. A creative process both plagued and fed by insomnia, nourished by relationships, entwined in emotions, nights out, nights in and the after-effects on the human condition. Relatable themes yet seen through the prism of a soundscape that takes in many a different culture and scene. From acid folk to psych-funk, Francophile elements to Anatolian and Eastern inspirations, all interlocking and rotating as one.

Drawing inspiration from those he admires, Colours & Light radiates with collaborations. The title track, which tips its hat to a live 1973 TV version of Pentangle’s ‘Wedding Dress’, features the folk rock, guitar brilliance of Jack Sharp from Wolf People/Large Plants.

Elsewhere, two tracks are blessed by the sultry, smokey French vocals of Gloria’s Wendy Martinez, ‘Extra Nuit’ and ‘Entre chien et loup’. The former echoes Paul's love of classic French psych-pop from the late ’60s and early ’70s and artists such as Laurance Vanay, Calcium, Leonie, and Serge Gainsbourg. Martinez's sublime vocal work nestles perfectly within Paul's psych-folk-funk productions, as her Gloria partner, Alexis Morel (aka Kid Victrola) sprinkles a dose of entrancing guitar line magic on proceedings.

The list of collaborations extends further with Raz and Markey Funk, drummer Tony Coote and percussionist Paul Elliott all featuring. Regular collaborator and underground icon Barrie Cadogan (Little Barrie) returns along with Bert Page from The Cromagnon Band, who between them provide a hit of whacked-out, fuzzed-up country guitar and Moog madness respectively on ‘Lost In The Woods (Bacchanal)’.

Rounding off the record Paul’s daughter, Olivia Osborne, supplies the keyboard intro on the penultimate track ‘Twilight’. Dorian Conway from The Soundcarriers (whose bandmate Paul Isherwood returns on mixing duties) then layers echoing heavy flute parts to magically capture the psychedelic sunrise images brought to mind.

Balancing light and shade on this record, there is beauty and tension all wrapped up in Paul’s vivid and visceral, storytelling gift.

If 2022’s The Children Of Scorpio was the debut album that turned people onto the world of Project Gemini aka Paul Osborne, Colours & Light is the body of work that will be buried deep into their hearts. It is a majestic album, bringing together the worlds of folk rock, psych soundtracks and hazy cinematic funk.

A growing confidence and ease emanate from the writing and production of this sophomore LP, bolstered by the reception to his standout debut. “It’s a more layered and diverse record” Paul mentions, “with a more outward-looking, global sound, born out of the records I was listening to and the musicians I was lucky enough to collaborate with”. It feels relaxed yet self-assured, with a kaleidoscope of sounds that twist together in a mesmerising fashion.

The theme of the album developed naturally through the lyrics Paul began writing. A creative process both plagued and fed by insomnia, nourished by relationships, entwined in emotions, nights out, nights in and the after-effects on the human condition. Relatable themes yet seen through the prism of a soundscape that takes in many a different culture and scene. From acid folk to psych-funk, Francophile elements to Anatolian and Eastern inspirations, all interlocking and rotating as one.

Drawing inspiration from those he admires, Colours & Light radiates with collaborations. The title track, which tips its hat to a live 1973 TV version of Pentangle’s ‘Wedding Dress’, features the folk rock, guitar brilliance of Jack Sharp from Wolf People/Large Plants.

Elsewhere, two tracks are blessed by the sultry, smokey French vocals of Gloria’s Wendy Martinez, ‘Extra Nuit’ and ‘Entre chien et loup’. The former echoes Paul's love of classic French psych-pop from the late ’60s and early ’70s and artists such as Laurance Vanay, Calcium, Leonie, and Serge Gainsbourg. Martinez's sublime vocal work nestles perfectly within Paul's psych-folk-funk productions, as her Gloria partner, Alexis Morel (aka Kid Victrola) sprinkles a dose of entrancing guitar line magic on proceedings.

The list of collaborations extends further with Raz and Markey Funk, drummer Tony Coote and percussionist Paul Elliott all featuring. Regular collaborator and underground icon Barrie Cadogan (Little Barrie) returns along with Bert Page from The Cromagnon Band, who between them provide a hit of whacked-out, fuzzed-up country guitar and Moog madness respectively on ‘Lost In The Woods (Bacchanal)’.

Rounding off the record Paul’s daughter, Olivia Osborne, supplies the keyboard intro on the penultimate track ‘Twilight’. Dorian Conway from The Soundcarriers (whose bandmate Paul Isherwood returns on mixing duties) then layers echoing heavy flute parts to magically capture the psychedelic sunrise images brought to mind.

Balancing light and shade on this record, there is beauty and tension all wrapped up in Paul’s vivid and visceral, storytelling gift.

Karamel-farbiges Vinyl. Die Consolidated Productions von Mel Alexander, die von 1961 bis 1991 am äußersten Rand des hart umkämpften Musikgeschäfts von L.A. tätig war, gehörte zu den am längsten bestehenden unabhängigen Plattenfirmen in schwarzem Besitz im 20.Jahrhundert. Verstrickt in ein verwirrendes Netz von Labels - darunter Ajax, Angel Town, Car-AMel, Emanuel und Kris - versammelt diese erste Ausgabe 28 schwelende R&B-Songs von Lee Harvey, B.B. Carter, Marilyn Calloway, Del Reys, Deb Tones, De Velles, Gene Russell's Trio, Jimmy "Preacher" Ellis und Ty Karim. Consolidated Productions Vol. I wurde von den originalen 1/4-Zoll-Bändern neu gemastert und enthält sorgfältig recherchierte Anmerkungen, eine Diskografie und Fotos von einem wichtigen Produzenten.

Returning from a period of intense and concentrated seclusion in its purest form, WRISTMEETRAZOR make their return in 2024 with their upcoming third album, Degeneration. The US metalcore outfit’s latest full length will be released via Prosthetic Records on March 29. Following the release of their 2021 sophomore effort, Replica of a Strange Love, the WRISTMEETRAZOR’s line-up went through of metamorphosis with Justin Fornhof abdicating his role on bass in favour of lead vocals - bringing Elaine Dalton (bass) and Nate Billmyer (guitar) to the fold in the process. Extensive North American touring soon followed with stints on the road among the likes of Seeyouspacecowboy, Traitors, Eighteen Visions and festival appearances at Furnace Fest and Code Orange’s Code World, respectively. Having solidified and fine-tuned the strengths of their latest incarnation onstage, the newly upgraded quintet found themselves with a renewed focus leading into Degeneration’s gestation period. During this moment of rare quiet for the group, WRISTMEETRAZOR sought the production skills of Randy Lebeouf (The Acacia Strain, Dying Wish, Kublai Khan). Ushering themselves into near total isolation in the woods of New Jersey, the writing and recording process for Degeneration was one of acute solitude, only leaving the studio’s cabin three times during the 30 day lock-in between almost non-stop 12 hour recording sessions. Degeneration’s backdrop of self-imposed seclusion bore fruit as the album’s lyrical focus began to develop. Whilst there are still traces of WRISTMEETRAZOR’s established world of Nietzchian philosophy and twisted romanticism, Fornhof found himself gravitating towards themes of misanthropy, apoplexy, and moral, political and religious hypocrisy within society. With WRISTMEETRAZOR’s ire pointed outwards rather than inwards, societal degeneration is explored through allegorical tales of mechanical decline and system failure that pull together to reveal a larger picture of the band’s disdain for humankind’s more repulsive traits. Songs such as Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead, DogdayGod and The Greatest Love Offering in the History of the World reference intentional exits from society and sordid real life stories of assassination, against deftly woven industrial and EBM influences with groove based nu-metal flourishes at the fore. Degeneration’s post-apocalyptic production values lend a cold and methodically calculated quality to WRISTMEETRAZOR’s new skin, without losing the visceral core of their identity. Seeking to ensure a fully realised aesthetic to represent the absurdity of seeking justice in an unjust world, the cover was put together by Philadelphia, PA visual artist Alex Eckman-Lawn (END, Dim Mak, Woe).

Debut album from Italian trio of Gabriele Mitelli, Pasquale Mirra, and Cristiano Calcagnile, longstanding members of the Italian jazz community who over the past ten years have collaborated in various formations with the likes of Rob Mazurek, Jeff Parker, Alexander Hawkins, Damon Locks, Danilo Gallo, Chad Taylor and many others.

The Elephant was first formed in 2017 with one of their first performance at the Venice Biennale, within the French Pavilion as part of the opera set up by Xavier Veilhan. Since then the trio has continued to work together across different projects but never made enough time to record a full project.

This changed in 2023 and In The Room presents the trio's vision for jazz with an intimate collection of musical polaroids that reflect the expressiveness and potentiality of the music they love.

The album features vocals from Cristina Donà, Damon Locks, and Rob Mazurek.

NOW Music is proud to present the third in our ongoing series of vinyl compilations, NOW That’s What I Call 80s Dancefloor. Each edition features an essential collection of tracks representing key genres of 1980’s Dance music. This volume, featuring 30 tracks across 2 LPs pressed on flaming yellow and orange vinyl, presents the best from the era of Soul and Disco.

The first LP kicks off with Tina Turner's landmark remake of ‘Let's Stay Together,’ a testament to her timeless vocal prowess. Jocelyn Brown’s ‘Somebody Else’s Guy’, brings a fabulous fusion of Funk and Soul, followed by Gwen Guthrie’s anthem ‘Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On But The Rent. Womack & Womack's ‘Teardrops’ blend of captivating lyrics and rhythm, leads into Joyce Sims' ‘Come Into My Life’, before the Stock Aitken Waterman written & produced ‘Say I’m Your Number One’ from Princess. Loose Ends' ‘Hangin' On A String’ offers a smooth, jazz-infused sound, echoed by Will Downing's very first hit, ‘A Love Supreme’, which closes this side.

Side B takes you on a whirlwind trip around the dancefloor with Whitney Houston's ‘How Will I Know,’ showcasing her stellar vocal range. Alexander O'Neal’s ‘Criticize’ and Aretha Franklin's ‘Who's Zoomin' Who?’ bring a blend of irresistible beats. Lionel Richie's ‘Dancing On The Ceiling’ makes you want to move, and Laura Branigan’s ‘Self Control’, alongside Imagination's debut single, ‘Body Talk’, offers a cross of Hi-NRG Disco with a sensual groove. Hi-Gloss's ‘You’ll Never Know’ is a gem of smooth, elegant Soul to finish the first LP.

Side A of LP 2 begins with the iconic duo Ashford & Simpson's ‘Solid,’ a celebration of enduring love. Up next is the #1 Disco anthem ‘Fame’ from Irene Cara, and Diana Ross's ‘My Old Piano’ - showcasing her unique ability to blend Pop with Soul on this Chic-produced classic. Donna Summer's Grammy-nominated single ‘Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)’ fuses Disco with a Funk edge, while Odyssey's ‘Inside Out’ provides a smooth, and melody filled dance. Terri Wells's ‘I'll Be Around’ is a soulful delight, and Hall & Oates' ‘I Can't Go For That (No Can’t Do)’ mixes Rock with Soul, and became a hugely sampled and influencial track. The side ends on a romantic note with Fat Larry’s Band's ‘Zoom’.

The final side opens by showcasing Rufus and Chaka Khan’s ‘Ain’t Nobody,’ a masterpiece of Funk and Soul synergy. Womack & Womack make their second appearance with ‘Love Wars’, followed by Steve Arrington's ‘Feel So Real’ - a true example of the era's crossover with Disco and Soul. Miami Sound Machine's ‘Dr. Beat’ injects Latin-infused Pop rhythms, while Jermaine Stewart's biggest hit ‘We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off’ became a global dance-floor smash hit. Billy Ocean's Grammy award winner, ‘Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)’, blends Soul, Disco and Pop, and Sister Sledge's ‘Thinking Of You’ is the perfect closer, uplifting and full of joy.

A Limited edition pressing, and an essential addition to any collection. Perfect for collectors, DJs, and anyone who loves to get down to the greatest dance-floor-fillers of the ‘80s. NOW That’s What I Call 80s Dancefloor: Soul & Disco is released on February 23rd 2024.

Acclaimed Christian Raphael Prize winner’s debut for Topic Records, produced by Eliza Carthy. The Sorrow Songs: Folk Songs of Black British Experience is the upcoming record by Cornwall-based folk singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Angeline Morrison, her debut for on the historic Topic Records label. Produced by Eliza Carthy and featuring some of her beautiful, soaring string arrangements, The Sorrow Songs was recorded in Cornwall at Cube Studios and is a work of what Angeline calls ‘re-storying.’

The stellar line-up of musicians on this album includes Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne (anglo concertina, melodeon, vocals), Clarke Camilleri (guitar, banjo, vocals), Hamilton Gross (violin, vocals), Rosie Crow (piano, vocals), Alex Neilson (drums, vocals), Eliza Carthy (violin, fiddlesticks, vocals), Angeline Morrison (vocals, autoharp, double bass) and features Martin Carthy on the album’s closing track.

Sorrow Songs by Angeline Morrison, released 8 March 2024, includes the following tracks: "Black John", "The Beautiful Spotted Black Boy", "Interlude - Nobody Round Here Likes It", "Cinnamon Water" and more.

This version of Sorrow Songs comes as a 1xLP.

The vinyl is pressed as a opaque, green disc.

F8 . Liam Melly - Energy
F9 . Armin Van Buuren - Space Case
F10 . The Obsessed - Free Yourself
F11 . Ie Shuuk & B Stylezz - Konje
F12 . Armin Van Buuren - Lose This Feeling (Maddix remix)
F13 . Armin Van Buuren - Lose This Feeling (Dimension remix)
F14 . Armin Van Buuren - AI Vs Humanity (A State Of Trance Year mix 2023 outro)

Alternative pop duo, YOVA release their brand new album ‘Dreamcatchers’ on 1st March 2024. Featuring nine tracks the album was written over a nine year period stretching from the duo’s inception in 2014 through to 2022. The album was recorded and mixed 2021-23 between home studios in Dorset and London. Discussing the themes behind the record YOVA explain: “The lyrics of the songs delve deeply into our lost and unrealised dreams and ideals, whether from a personal perspective or within a more global context. The tracks relate to how our dreams are caught then nurtured, realised, abandoned or destroyed. This can apply to our personal lives, but it equally informs our helplessness and on-going quest for self-identity at a time of deep geopolitical and ecological uncertainty.” Produced by YOVA in collaboration with Rob Ellis, Alex Thomas and Martin McDougall, the record features the duo’s earlier singles “Dreamcatchers”, “Hurt Like No Hurt” and “Feel Your Fear” alongside six brand-new tracks. YOVA assembled a collective of like-minded musicians to create the sonic tapestry of Dreamcatchers including Terry Edwards (NIck Cave, Gallon Drunk, The Jesus & Mary Chain), James Sedwards (The Thurston Moore Group/ And This Is Not This Heat), Rob Ellis ( PJ Harvey, Marianne Faithfull), Daniel O’Sullivan ( Grumbling Fur, Tim Burgess), and Alex Thomas (John Cale, Anna Calvi). YOVA are Jova Radevska and Mark Vernon. With Vernon a seasoned veteran of the alternative music scene who has managed and recorded with John Cale and co-produced tracks on PJ Harvey’s debut album ‘Dry’, a chance encounter with Macedonian vocalist and songwriter Jova paved the way for their bewitching collaborative project. Their debut album ‘Nine Lives’ was released in late 2021 to praise from the likes of Louder Than War, Electronic Sound and MOJO, with the latter hailing the album as “a beguiling debut from a duo of sonic adventurers” in their four star review

- The Black Angels' classic sophomore album - Special color edition pressed on Metallic Silver Wax. - Triple LP housed in a Stoughton tri-fold gatefold jacket // "The Black Angels bring the aura of mid-1966 the drilling guitars of early Velvet Underground shows, the raga inflections of late-show Fillmore jams, the acid-prayer stomp of Austin avatars the 13th Floor Elevators everywhere they go, including the levitations on their second album, Directions to See a Ghost. Mid-Eighties echoes of Spacemen 3 and the Jesus and Mary Chain also roll through the scoured-guitar sustain and Alex Maas' rocker-monk incantations. But he knows what time it is. 'You say the Beatles stopped the war," Maas sings in `Never/Ever.' `They might've helped to find a cure/But it's still not over.' Even so, this medicine works wonders." - David Fricke, Rolling Stone Last time we met The Black Angels, they were staring into the desert sun somewhere outside of Austin, Texas. Two years later, night has fallen and the spirits have come out. It's time for The Black Angels to provide Directions On How To See A Ghost. If you're familiar with Passover, the band's 2006 debut, you'll know that The Black Angels's music alone is enough to invoke spirits. There's a name for the band's sound; they call it `hypno-drone 'n roll'. It's the sound of long nights on peyote, of dreams of a new world order, and of half-invented memories of the seamy side of '60s psychedelia. While the Iraq war is still a major influence on the band's lyrics, there are new forces at work here, including Eugene Zamyatin's dystopian novel We and in Christian Bland's words "psychic information from the past and future." See, The Black Angels really are in contact with ghosts. "Civil War battlefields are prime spots for seeing ghosts," says Bland. "One time at Kennesaw mountain in Georgia, I was climbing the mountain in the middle of June and it must have been close to 100 degrees, but in this one particular spot it was very cold. The hairs on my neck stood up and I knew something strange was happening. Then the wind whispered something like `retreat,' and I did. I later learned that the spot where I was on the battlefield was known as `the dead angle', the place where the fiercest fighting took place. The confederates ended up retreating from the mountain towards Peachtree Creek." The Black Angels formed in Austin, Texas, in 2004, comprising from six people (now five) from very different backgrounds. Singer/vocalist Christian Bland is the son of a Presbyterian Pastor and was raised in a devoutly religious household. Bassist / guitarist Nate Ryan was born on a cult compound and drummer Stephanie Bailey claims she's a descendent of Davy Crocket. She and Alex Maas (vocals/guitar) believe a little girl in a red linen dress haunts the group's home. The band released Passover in 2006 to critical acclaim for both the album and the song "The First Vietnamese War". Most of all, Passover established The Black Angels as a band with brains, balls and a strong message. And this time around, the message is there to read in a 16-page booklet that comes with the album. "Our central theme is that people need to open up their minds and let everything come through, and to learn from past mistakes," says Christian. "Only then will we understand the reality of this world and progress beyond where we are now as humans. We've built upon that theme with Directions to See a Ghost. We want people to study the booklet we are providing with the album in hopes that they will be able to relate each song to something in their life." _"War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. Keep Music Evil."_

Musique Infinie is the collaborative project of Manuel Oberholzer a.k.a. Feldermelder and Noémi Büchi.Their album »Earth«, released through the Hallow Ground label, is based on a spontaneously composed live score for Alexander Dovzhenko’s groundbreaking 1930 silent movie »Zemlya« (»Earth«) created for the 24th edition of the VIDEOEX festival for experimental film.

Frequently cited as a masterpiece of early 20th century filmmaking, the movie deals with the collectivisation of Ukraine’s agriculture. The Swiss duo complemented it with atmospherically rich electronic soundscapes that are both deeply immersive and highly evocative. As a stand-alone music release, the two-piece »Earth« album captures the essence of Büchi and Oberholzer’s collaboration that is marked by mutual trust and musical versatility that puts them in a state of »togetherness trance,« as they call it.

Oberholzer has been highly productive as a composer, musician, sound designer, and installation artist in recent years, releasing a slew of solo albums as well as a variety of collaboration records with artists such as Sara Oswald and Julian Sartorius. Büchi has recently debuted as a solo composer and sound artist working with electroacoustic techniques to create a »symphonic maximalism for the end of the world,« as she dubs it.

Both are prolific and versatile artists with a penchant for working conceptually, however their collaboration as Musique Infinie is an improvisational and thus by design an intuitive one.

Their sessions start with an exchange on emotions and thoughts rather than theoretical questions or aesthetic debates. When they get to work—often for several hours—they rarely talk.

They approached »Earth« the same way, improvising freely together and using only a few select samples from the film’s original score in the process. Their open-ended approach is marked by an aesthetic ambivalence that perfectly corresponds with the movie’s own inherent contradictions.

Dovzhenko approached his socio-political subject with poetic imagery and philosophical rigour, juxtaposing notions of traditionality with the depiction of modernity.

Büchi and Oberholzer accordingly work with motives that at o ce seem anthemic and elegiac, working with sounds and musical motives that evoke a sense of familiarity in one moment before transforming into something futuristic and uncanny in the next. Their score for »Zemlya« is not to be understood as a mere interpretation of the movie, but rather a re-narration or even re-negotiation of its aesthetic and emotional qualities under their very own terms. »Earth« is an album that concisely depicts what is at the core of the duo’s musical partnership