Cerca:alex l

On their third full-length album, 'The Signal', the Compact Disk Dummies keep a few interesting balls in the air. They play with the opinions and expectations of the outside world, while also confronting their own desires and doubts. This is aptly depicted on the cover with a table, a bell, two brothers and an impatient crowd: who is waiting for whom? The album is as diverse as its cover is surprising. In a mix of styles and influences ranging from retro house to funk, Lennert and Janus Coorevits demonstrate their versatility. Following their scintillating performances at Rock Werchter and Pukkelpop, and the success of the radio hits 'There's No Sex Without You' and 'fomo', 'The Signal' marks the start of a new era for the Dummies.

Lennert notes, "Pfff, I would think about everything indefinitely. And I'm not the only one, I notice. Stuck in a kind of limbo, a state of uncertainty, surrounded by signals, but still feeling a certain fear of following the signal."

On 'The Signal', 'fomo' dissects human desire, reaching for the unattainable. 'Where We Go (Calypso)' is like the shipwreck no one wants. And in the title track, the female lead character finds herself in a toxic relationship, the signs of which are obvious, at least to the outside world. While the content of 'The Signal' revolves around doubt, contemplation and acting or not acting, the musical interpretation is in direct opposition to that. The Compact Disk Dummies do not doubt; they hold their heads up and their chests out. With certainty, they mix everything that excites them musically into the blender, without grinding the identity of the Dummies themselves; actually enriching it instead. The retro house of 'Solàr' (a song about Louis the Fourteenth? Why not) flows into the rampant funk of 'Ballet Dancer' before expanding into 'Underwater'. In every track, you sense the long road the Coorevits brothers have travelled since their breakthrough - and their then angular electro-punk. This third album is Lennert and Janus' most sophisticated work in the expanding universe of the Compact Disk Dummies.

In addition to being a mix of styles, 'The Signal' is also a mix of collaborations. There is the French touch of mixer Michael Declerck and mastering engineer Alex Gopher. There is the Dutch input of Wieger Hoogendorp (Goldband) and Jens Van Der Meij (Froukje). Beautiful string sections are provided by Wietse Meys and Reinhard Vanbergen, bass licks by Boris Van Overschee and backing vocals by Isolde Lasoen and Judith Okon, among others. Producer Jasper Maekelberg always kept an eye on things. And again, for the third album in a row, after 'Mess With Us' (2013) and 'Neon Fever Dream' (2020), artist Athos Burez also provided the artwork for 'The Signal'.

But however international the music sounds, however great the contributions from other top artists, 'The Signal' remains largely the work of the Dummies, with Lennert as vocalist, lyricist and multi-instrumentalist, and Janus as engineer, producer and all-around tech wizard. The album was not made in New York, Tokyo or Berlin, but in Desselgem. Studio 87, the Coorevits family's garage converted into a studio, remains Ali Baba's cave for the Compact Disk Dummies. In their studio crammed with synths, percussion and guitars, Lennert and Janus could not ignore the signal: time to smash it!

First Word Records are very proud to present a brand new album from Kaidi Tatham!

'An Insight To All Minds' is Kaidi's 3rd solo album under his own name, following several EPs and two albums for First Word; 2018's acclaimed 'It's A World Before You' and the re-press of his seminal 2008 sophomore album 'In Search Of Hope' last year.

For those that don't know, Kaidi Tatham is a legendary multi-instrumentalist. Once dubbed "the UK's Herbie Hancock" by Benji B, he's a virtuoso on the keys and a true innovator in sound production as one of the original creators of the Broken Beat sound. Over the years his musical prowess has blessed numerous projects, initially with the likes of Bugz In The Attic and The Herbaliser, and more recently with DJ Jazzy Jeff (through the PLAYlist projects), Andrew Ashong (on the acclaimed 'Sankofa Season' EP last year) and with longtime accomplice, Dego. This in addition to session work for artists such as Mulatu Astatke, Slum Village, Amy Winehouse, Soul II Soul and Leroy Burgess, along with First Word label mates such as Eric Lau, Children of Zeus and Darkhouse Family. Kaidi is also a revered DJ known for rocking parties globally, whilst his solo catalogue spans tons of EPs and releases for labels such as 2000 Black, Eglo and Theo Parrish's Sound Signature.

On 'An Insight To All Minds', Kaidi says it's "not about a destination, but a process. It's about how you drive, not where you're going. Nothing in this world can torment you as much as your own thoughts… We are all going through it. We can all feel what the next person is feeling, believe it or not. It's learning how to tap into it".

The album is comprised of an assortment of Kaidi's unique flavours - uptempo jazz-funk bruk, laced with rhodes, flutes, live bass and delicious percussion. Using that blueprint he moves effortlessly through latin and samba, half-step, deep afro house and a sprinkle of curveballs, all presented in Kaidi's inimitable way.

'Intergalactic Relations' brings with it some 110bpm synthed-out spacey electro-breaks, 'Could It Be' sets off sounding like a Morricone film score, whilst 'Rodney' is some serious heads-down business; stark and punchy off-kilter broken beat and vocal stabs. There are a few guests too - 'Chungo' sees the return of Uhmeer (who previously appeared on 'Cupid' on the album 'It's A World Before You'); here the young Philly MC deftly rides a 9/4 time signature beat. Meanwhile 'Stro Kyat' invites in another supreme talent, Stro Elliot (The Roots), who provides a suitably crisp & crunchy riddim to accompany Kaidi's key play over a mind-bending 5/4 time signature.

With this new album, Kaidi Tatham adds further to his already impressive catalogue, a body of work that falls within the cracks of jazz and dance music, exemplifying modern British black brilliance once again; uncompromising, innovative, groundbreaking, intricately sophisticated and deeply funky. His fanbase expands on every release and it's no surprise that that fanbase includes peers such as Madlib ("ahead of his time"), Gilles Peterson ("a key part of an entire movement"), K15 ("a limitless source of inspiration"), Alexander Nut ("a true virtuoso") and Kyle Hall.

Suedes epochales, zweites Album von 1994 feiert dieses Jahr seinen 30. Geburtstag mit dieser brandneuen 3CD-Deluxe-Edition in 7"x7"-Sleeve sowie einer Gatefold-Halfspeed-Master-Doppel-LP. 'Dog Man Star' wird von vielen als das musikalisch abenteuerlichste Album der Band angesehen - mitreißende Streicher stehen neben Orchesterballaden, epischen Breitbildstücken, Indie-Hymnen und trashigem Glamrock. Es war das für eine lange Zeit letzte Album, auf dem Gitarrist und Co-Songwriter Bernard Butler mitwirkte. Es enthält die klassischen Hit-Singles 'We Are The Pigs', das wunderschöne 'The Wild Ones' sowie 'New Generation'. CD1 enthält das Originalalbum, CD2 kommt inkl. B-Seiten sowie einer Vollversion der Non-Album-Single 'Stay Together', und CD3 enthält Bonustracks und Raritäten aus dieser Zeit. Die künstlerische Gestaltung dieses neuen Formats wurde vom offiziellen Designer und Fotografen Paul Khera für Suede übernommen und enthält neue Linernotes von Simon Price, dem Biographen von u.a. The Cure und Manic Street Preachers.
"Suedes zweites Album ist immer noch wirklich außergewöhnlich - wer würde es heute wagen, es zu machen?" Alexis Petridis (The Guardian

‘What makes Sex Swing so powerful is that they transcend the limitations of rock music. Their sound is so full of possibilities, violence, sexuality, sacrifice, even religion. If there was a future to look forward to for heavy guitar music, this is it’ The Quietus The locals call it Sop Ruak – eighty thousand square miles of mountains and mystery and unholy medicine. “It really is an endless seam of activity,” Sex Swing frontman Dan Chandler explains of Golden Triangle – both the title of their new album and the region between Myanmar, Thailand and Laos that inspired it. To know this contradictory corner of the world is to understand fully why the cult-beloved noise-rock artisans turned to it when writing their hotly-anticipated third full-length. The real-life Golden Triangle is a groundswell of both natural wonder and drug production, and who combines beauty and narcotic brutality better than Sex Swing? For a decade now, this
collective of revered UK underground musicians, comprising members of Earth, Mugstar, The Keep and Jaaw, have been pulling audiences into drug- like slipstreams with their alchemy of pummelling rhythms, towering guitars, and unrelenting saxophone through which glimmers of light occasionally pierce through. No wonder their Golden Triangle is an album telling distortion-shrouded tales from one of the most storied, enigmatic places on the planet, with enough invention within to fill eighty thousand miles and more.
Where does this violent, hypnotic aural travelogue take you within the Sop Ruak? The seven tracks that make up The Golden Triangle see the band – completed by bassist Jason Stoll, drummer Stuart Bell, guitarist Jodie Cox, synthesist/guitarist Oli Knowles and saxophonist Colin Webster – adventure first to ‘The Confluence of the Ruak and Mekong Rivers,’ full of shimmering orchestration and feather-light ambience. Then come stops in ‘Myawaddy’, named after a small town embroiled in bloodshed on the border of Myanmar
and Thailand, and ‘Boten, Route 13’ – sparked by stories of a seemingly endless stretch of road from Laos into China. Before long, listeners are plunged into ‘Hpakant’, one of the album’s most invigorating and singular moments, lyrically inspired by a jade mine in Myanmar, where the spoils of forced labour are exchanged for prostitution and methanphetamine. The result is a mesmerising slow-burn of sax, snaking rhythms and sinister spoken word courtesy of the Scottish-born Bruce McClure, who “took the theme and turned it into a sci-fi story of exploitation and vice,” explains the frontman. It’s a track that, like the rest of Golden Triangle, underlines the evolution Sex Swing have undertaken since forming in 2014. From the raw and primitive sounds of the self-titled debut full-length, followed up by the coruscatingType II in 2020. Sex Swing’s third effort retains those early primitive elements and adds layers of structure and complexity. Golden Triangle initial formation was that of programmed beats and bedroom recordings shared electronically in the height of the pandemic. Those ideas were then completed during intensive writing sessions at a secluded farm in Oxfordshire.
Album credits consist of recording by Stanley Gravett at Holy Mountain Studios in Hackney, mixing by Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse, mastering from James Plotkin, and the continued aesthetic collaboration with artist Alex Bunn. Golden Triangle bristles with a rawness familiar to fans of the British sonic punishers, but adds new elements indicative of a group never resting on their laurels or sitting in one place. Why would they, after all? There’s an entire world of mountains and mystery and unholy medicine out there to be explored. The Golden Triangle, it seems, is just the beginning.

‘What makes Sex Swing so powerful is that they transcend the limitations of rock music. Their sound is so full of possibilities, violence, sexuality, sacrifice, even religion. If there was a future to look forward to for heavy guitar music, this is it’ The Quietus The locals call it Sop Ruak – eighty thousand square miles of mountains and mystery and unholy medicine. “It really is an endless seam of activity,” Sex Swing frontman Dan Chandler explains of Golden Triangle – both the title of their new album and the region between Myanmar, Thailand and Laos that inspired it. To know this contradictory corner of the world is to understand fully why the cult-beloved noise-rock artisans turned to it when writing their hotly-anticipated third full-length. The real-life Golden Triangle is a groundswell of both natural wonder and drug production, and who combines beauty and narcotic brutality better than Sex Swing? For a decade now, this
collective of revered UK underground musicians, comprising members of Earth, Mugstar, The Keep and Jaaw, have been pulling audiences into drug- like slipstreams with their alchemy of pummelling rhythms, towering guitars, and unrelenting saxophone through which glimmers of light occasionally pierce through. No wonder their Golden Triangle is an album telling distortion-shrouded tales from one of the most storied, enigmatic places on the planet, with enough invention within to fill eighty thousand miles and more.
Where does this violent, hypnotic aural travelogue take you within the Sop Ruak? The seven tracks that make up The Golden Triangle see the band – completed by bassist Jason Stoll, drummer Stuart Bell, guitarist Jodie Cox, synthesist/guitarist Oli Knowles and saxophonist Colin Webster – adventure first to ‘The Confluence of the Ruak and Mekong Rivers,’ full of shimmering orchestration and feather-light ambience. Then come stops in ‘Myawaddy’, named after a small town embroiled in bloodshed on the border of Myanmar
and Thailand, and ‘Boten, Route 13’ – sparked by stories of a seemingly endless stretch of road from Laos into China. Before long, listeners are plunged into ‘Hpakant’, one of the album’s most invigorating and singular moments, lyrically inspired by a jade mine in Myanmar, where the spoils of forced labour are exchanged for prostitution and methanphetamine. The result is a mesmerising slow-burn of sax, snaking rhythms and sinister spoken word courtesy of the Scottish-born Bruce McClure, who “took the theme and turned it into a sci-fi story of exploitation and vice,” explains the frontman. It’s a track that, like the rest of Golden Triangle, underlines the evolution Sex Swing have undertaken since forming in 2014. From the raw and primitive sounds of the self-titled debut full-length, followed up by the coruscatingType II in 2020. Sex Swing’s third effort retains those early primitive elements and adds layers of structure and complexity. Golden Triangle initial formation was that of programmed beats and bedroom recordings shared electronically in the height of the pandemic. Those ideas were then completed during intensive writing sessions at a secluded farm in Oxfordshire.
Album credits consist of recording by Stanley Gravett at Holy Mountain Studios in Hackney, mixing by Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse, mastering from James Plotkin, and the continued aesthetic collaboration with artist Alex Bunn. Golden Triangle bristles with a rawness familiar to fans of the British sonic punishers, but adds new elements indicative of a group never resting on their laurels or sitting in one place. Why would they, after all? There’s an entire world of mountains and mystery and unholy medicine out there to be explored. The Golden Triangle, it seems, is just the beginning.

No one has lived a life quite like Marcos Valle. He became an overnight international sensation, fled a military dictatorship, dodged the Vietnam war draft, had his music sung by Homer Simpson, made enemies with Marlon Brando, and became an unsuspecting fitness guru for multiple generations. But to truly understand the great Brazilian composer, arranger, singer and multi instrumentalist, one must listen to his music.

Lead Single (Life Is What It Is) : Between the release of his first album in 1962 and today, Marcos Valle has released twenty-two studio albums traversing definitive bossa nova, classic samba, iconic disco pop, psychedelic rock, nineties dance and orchestral music. He has also had his songs recorded by some of the all time greats, including Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughn, Sergio Mendes, Elis Regina, and (last but not least), Emma Button of the Spice Girls. He has also had his music sampled by Jay-Z, Kanye West, Pusha T and many more.


With his twenty-third studio album Túnel Acustico, Valle set out to bring it all together.

“I believe my music is many things. It goes in different directions. I have many different ways of writing music, sometimes it’s melodies and harmony, sometimes the groove is the focus. But all the music I have made over my sixty year career is unified. It is all natural and it is all sincere. And this is what I wanted to bring to my new album.”

A prominent feature of Valle’s career has been his dual residence between Brazil and the USA. Originally moving over in the mid-sixties on the back of bossa nova’s international proliferation, Valle toured with Sergio Mendes and became hugely in demand as a composer and arranger. But the Vietnam War loomed and the threat of being drafted saw him return to Brazil. He spent the following years in Rio writing music for TV and film, as well as four cult favourite albums in collaboration with some of Brazil’s most groundbreaking musicians including Milton Nascimento, Azymuth, Som Imaginario and O Terco.

By 1975, Brazil's military dictatorship was at its most oppressive, making living and working increasingly difficult. Valle moved back to the US where he would reside in LA, writing songs for, and collaborating with the likes of Eumir Deodato, Airto Moreira, Chicago, Sarah Vaughn and Leon Ware, amongst others.

Túnel Acústico features two songs originally conceived during Valle’s time on the West Coast: “Feels So Good”, a stirring two-step soul triumph written in 1979 with soul icon Leon Ware, and the sublime AOR disco track “Life Is What It Is”, composed around the same time, with percussionist Laudir De Oliveira from the group Chicago.

Built around an unfinished demo Marcos found on a shelf in his house 44 years after it was made, the “Feels So Good” demo was restored with the help of producer Daniel Maunick, who also utilised AI stem-separation to remove the placeholder vocal ad-libs. Valle added Portuguese lyrics to sit alongside Ware’s vocal hook, as well as extra keyboards and percussion.

Also written in late seventies LA, “Life Is What Is It” was co-penned by Laudir De Oliveira from the band Chicago and first released on the bands’ Chicago 13 album with lyrics by Robert Lamb. Another nod to his good times in LA, Valle recorded his own version for Túnel Acústico, upping the tempo and deepening the groove for a blast of irresistible summer soul.

On Túnel Acústico, Valle's core band features two members of the renowned Brazilian jazz-funk group Azymuth: Alex Malheiros on bass and Renato Massa on drums. The rhythm section is completed by percussionist Ian Moreira, with additional contributions from guitarist Paulinho Guitarra and trumpeter Jesse Sadoc.

The contemporarily composed music on Túnel Acústico features an impressive lineup of guest lyricists, including renowned Brazilian artists: Joyce Moreno (Bora Meu Vem), Céu (Nao Sei), and Moreno Veloso (Palavras Tão Gentis) as well as Valle's brother Paulo Sergio Valle (Tem Que Ser Feliz).

The album closes with "Thank You Burt (For Bacharach)", a tribute to the legendary composer who passed away in 2023.

Túnel Acústico will be released on 20th September 2024 via Far Out Recordings. Valle is set to tour Europe and America in support of the album.

A more Pumpin opus for a change !! Enjoy !!

Absolute Überforderung, die einfach nur nervt. Am liebsten alles hinschmeißen und verkriechen. Doch SURALIN haben es geschafft, dem allgemeinen Fatigue-Syndrom zu entkommen. Sie haben mit "Nothing is the News" ein Album geschaffen, dass tief berührt, fesselt und gleichzeitig befreit. Der fünfte Longplayer des Chemnitzer Quartetts baut zunächst auf dem Sound seiner Vorgänger auf: ein feingesponnenes Netz aus diversen Indie- und Post-Whatever-Einflüssen, das trotz aller Komplexität ganz einfach und organisch wirkt. Die "Reduktion auf das Wesentliche", wie Bassist Matthias sagt, ist diesmal noch konsequenter ausgefallen. Live im Studio eingespielt und ohne instrumentale Overdubs oder zusätzliche Effekte beim Mix. "Das ist der pure Klang der Instrumente, unserer Pedals und des Aufnahmeraums." Im Ergebnis klingen SURALIN noch dringlicher als sonst, mit bewegender Tiefe. Auf dem treibenden Teppich von Schlagzeug und Bass können die beiden Gitarren ihr Mit- und Gegenspiel zwischen Melodie und Dissonanz entfalten. Die neun Songs beinhalten dabei erstaunlich viele arabeske Figuren sowie motorische Wiederholungen, die erhebliche Sogwirkung entfalten. Darin eingebettet ist der oft fragile Gesang von Alex, der den Zustand seiner Umwelt kommentiert. Laut Sänger Alex vereint der Albumtitel "Nothing is the News" die Gedanken, dass sich die Welt zwar ständig verändert, die Technologie weiterentwickelt und der Mensch sich drastisch vermehrt. Aber der Mensch als solches gleich bleibt. Macht, Unterwerfung, Ausgrenzung, Neid, Missgunst und Egoismus sind die vorherrschenden Themen." Trotz dieser Schwere wird in den Texten immer wieder deutlich, dass durch das eigene Verhalten Veränderungen möglich sind und der Wille zum Besseren überwiegt. Positive Verzweiflung. Außerdem sei der Titel auch eine Anspielung auf SURALIN selbst, die konsequent an der Leidenschaft zum Musik machen festhalten, so Alex.

Long time in the vaults, soon out in pop heaven: Andrea & Alexander, a handsomely nostalgic pop project by Andrea Noce aka Eva Geist and Alexander Arpeggio. Originally launched in 2014, revitalized in 2023, the project originated as a live set-up consisting of synthesizers, ePects pedals, and analogue drum machines. From there it slowly metamorphosed into a crew of songs with raw minimal-wave grooves and romantically haunting English and German pop lyrics, loosely evoking the aura of Siouxsie Sioux, Gudrun Gut or Nadine Bal. After becoming a live mainstay in the Berlin based underground club Sameheads, they went on a tour through Lithuania and soon after several unfortunate troubles led to the break-up of the band, prompting both Andrea and Alexander to focus on their solo careers. Andrea became Eva Geist and released for various international labels, played live and formed the female duo As Longitude. Alexander founded his own label Eine Welt, took over the management of the renowned underground festival Camp Cosmic and created two musical projects with Cid Hohne, Otto and Aufgang B. Now, years later, almost becoming a Soundcloud corpse some Andrea & Alexander recordings caught the attention of the R.i.O. folks and just seconds later they offer six freshly recorded cuts of Andrea & Alexander tunes that stood the test of time as authentic, soulful pop music. “What are we going to wear for tonight’s party?” Andrea Noce asks in their song “Tiney Party”. The answer is “Loved Up” a musical celebration outfit of six sincere recorded, emotionally accorded songs, who make the dance, give verve a chance, to be there, in that moment of all moments. An album for the listener that likes to dance. In his head, on the local carpet. “Loved Up” humming Andrea & Alexander tunes.

Four of the freshest Blaze remixes come together on wax for the first time on Slip ‘N’ Slide, ‘Blaze Remixed’. The West London label is home to some of the best house music that crossed the Atlantic from the 90s onwards, and today the imprint continues to refresh Blaze’s legendary catalogue with remixes from leading industry figures. Up first, British producer Atjazz takes the cool feel of ‘So In Love’ from the minds of Kevin Hedge & Josh Milan as Black Rascals, adding his signature genre-crossing style. Jimpster’s take on ‘Wonderland’, featuring Josh Milan on vocals as Alexander Hope, stabilises the track while allowing the free-flowing feel of the OG to shine through. Brooklyn native DJ Spinna’s remix of ‘How Deep Is Your Love’ capitalises on Hope’s powerful vocals, supported by impeccable synth-laden production, before vinyl aficiando Natasha Diggs closes out this Blaze collection with her remix of ‘Breathe’; Diggs stays faithful to the original’s iconic saxophone and trumpet-led sound, sprinkling in her tasteful flair for smooth grooves and delicious synthwork at every turn.

A new piece by minimalist / experimental composer PHILL NIBLOCK (1933 - 2024), co-composed and performed by ANNA CLEMENTI & THOMAS STERN. Intense, menacing layers of thick drones and alien sounds.

In summer 2022, within just a few weeks and by pure coincidence, 2 proposals regarding PHILL NIBLOCK albums arrived: one suggesting an overdue vinyl reissue of a CD release (more on that when the time has come for it), the other email was from ANNA CLEMENTI saying she and THOMAS STERN were working on new pieces that PHILL NIBLOCK has written for her … when "Zound Delta 2" was complete, PHILL sent photographs for the two artworks, we met twice to discuss details, but unfortunately he died unexpectedly early january this year so the album now is, sad as it is, a posthumous release … an intense goodbye from one of 20thcentury most iconic composers.

Phill Niblock

Phill Niblock (1933-2024, USA) was an artist whose fifty-year career spans minimalist and experimental music, film and photography. Since 1985, he has served as director of Experimental Intermedia, a foundation for avant-garde music based in New York with a branch in Ghent, and curator of the foundation's record label XI. Known for his thick, loud drones of music, Niblock's signature sound is filled with microtones of instrumental timbres that generate many other tones in the performance space. In 2013, his diverse artistic career was the subject of a retrospective realised in partnership between Circuit (Contemporary Art Centre Lausanne) and Musée de l'Elysée. The following year Niblock was honoured with the prestigious Foundation for Contemporary Arts John Cage Award.

Anna Clementi

Italian-Swedish singer Anna Clementi grew up in Rome, where she first studied the flute and completed acting training before moving to Berlin and studying experimental vocal music and experimental music theater with the composer Dieter Schnebel at Hochschule der Künste (now UdK Berlin). Anna Clementi sees herself as an "actress of the voice" rather than exclusively as a singer. In this way she also articulates the diversity of her artistic expression, with which she is always searching for new connections between voice, gesture, language, dance and theater.

During her decades spanning career, Anna Clementi has performed at the most important festivals, has premiered numerous works, many of which have been composed especially for her, and worked with Fast Forward, Michael Hirsch, Rupert Huber, Christian Kesten, Alexander Kolkowski, Olga Neuwirth, Josef Anton Riedl, Iris ter Schiphorst, Dieter Schnebel, Laurie Schwartz, Elliott Sharp, and many others.

A special focus of hers is the work of John Cage, whose pieces she has performed worldwide.

Thomas Stern

Born in Bremen, Thomas Stern moved to Berlin in 1984 where he joined Mona Mur with Alex Hacke and F. M. Einheit (both from Einstürzende Neubauten, with which Stern also worked as live sound engineer for many years). Around 1987 he co-founded the Berlin set up of Crime And The City Solution (Mick Harvey, Alex Hacke a.o.). Over the years, he has has collaborated with artists like Ulrike Haage, Phew, Nick Cave, Ton Steine Scherben, Meret Becker, Nina Hagen, Jaki Liebezeit, Ben Becker, N.U. Unruh, Gry, Iris ter Schiphorst, Automat, Swans, Hans Joacxhim Irmler and many more, on the road or in his own Sternstaubstudio.
credits:

Anna Clementi: voice

Thomas Stern: slide guitar, bass and soundprocessing

Composition by Phill Niblock, Anna Clementi and Thomas Stern

Recorded and mixed by Thomas Stern at Sternstaubstudio, Berlin

Mastering and lacquer cut: Kassian Troyer at D&M, Berlin

Cover photography by Phill Niblock

Layout and design by kaidoh

From Cape Town to Cairo, and now to fans, stages and screens around the world, PJ Morton shares his newest album, fully made in the motherland. Cape Town to Cairo is a collection of songs that he created in 30 days throughout 4 countries in Africa — South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Egypt. Described as the best trip of his life, this transformative journey began as just the seed of an idea last fall, but instantly grew into his most sonically-sprawling and immediately-inspired record to date. With no music, lyrics or preconceptions, he stepped foot onto the continent with two thoughts: a wild dream to write and record his next LP in less than a month, and a mission to immerse himself in as many different cultures, stories and communities as he could.

Surrounded by featured collaborators like Fireboy DML, Mádé Kuti, Asa, Ndabo Zulu, and Soweto Spiritual Singers, as well as additional producers including P.Priime and The Cavemen., his own live band and local musicians, PJ Morton used music as his common language. Always his greatest way of communicating, he expressed his feelings and experiences of Africa through songs he and others were forming together on the spot, side-by-side in different studios, cities and towns for the very first time. None of the tracks were written before he arrived or after he left, and the arrangements showcase both the countries’ native genres as well as the innate, stylistic instincts that have made Morton a 5x GRAMMY-winner and 20x GRAMMY-nominee, whether it be his soul, R&B and gospel roots, or the pop prowess he has further honed as a member of Maroon 5.

“When you’ve been in music as long as I have, you’re constantly looking for inspiration,” says PJ Morton. “And you’re looking for the things that made you want to do it in the first place. I’ve made albums every type of way you can think, so I wanted to try something I hadn’t done before. As a Black American who had never been to South or West Africa, I knew there was something there waiting for me. So I put a little pressure on myself to make a full record in a month, but I also said, ‘If I’m gonna go to Africa, I want to see Africa.’ We made music, but we also formed connections. We made new friends, and this is just the start.”

ESSENCE adds, "This trip is not just a physical move, it's a spiritual return…The soul of Africa pulses through every note he plays and every word he sings,” and VIBE adds that “the multi-faceted artist is fully embracing a new phase in his life.” Cape Town to Cairo marks PJ Morton’s first album since 2022’s Watch The Sun, which featured collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Nas, JoJo, Wale, Jill Scott, Alex Isley and more. Since then, Morton has become the first Black composer to write an original song for a Disney attraction, having just finished making the music for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, opening on June 28th, 2024 at Disney World and Fall 2024 at Disneyland. He also won his latest GRAMMY earlier this year, worked with Samara Joy on “Why I’m Here” for Regina King’s Netflix film Shirley, and landed a cover of his song “Don’t Let Go” as the soundtrack to Apple’s iPhone 15 commercial.

PJ Morton recently returned from headlining his debut shows in Asia, New Zealand and Australia, and announced an extensive Cape Town to Cairo Tour for North America summer and fall 2024. Following iconic performances at New Orleans Jazz Fest, The Kennedy Center, Roots Picnic and Newport Jazz Fest, Morton will embark on a run of more than 25 dates across the country, including New York City’s Beacon Theatre, Chicago’s Chicago Theatre, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Los Angeles’ The Wiltern, and dozens of others.

On the heels of his headline tour and Maroon 5’s Las Vegas residency, PJ Morton will publish a life-spanning new book titled Saturday Night, Sunday Morning. The memoir sees him recounting and reflecting upon a trailblazing path that continues to defy expectations and straddle the tensions of music and faith, race and culture, expression and identity. As the son of two pastors and gospel artists, Morton grew up grounded by the sound of the Church, but soon found himself drawn to R&B, pop and soul, writing songs that the industry, his family and community struggled to understand. In the face of mounting pressure, rejection and constant miscategorization, he committed himself to a steadfast path of independence: making music on his own terms, launching his own record label, joining one of the biggest bands in the world while staying true to his New Orleans roots. The risks he took paid off, and through his transformation from preacher's kid to the busiest man in showbiz – performing everywhere from his local congregation to the Super Bowl, collaborating with everyone from his father to Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Jon Batiste and Lil Wayne – he hopes to encourage readers and listeners to overcome obstacles as they seek their dreams.

The alternative rock of bôa was a natural procession for the kids of Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers. The band, which is fronted by sister/brother duo of Jasmine Rodgers and Steve Rodgers, came together in 1993 with Alex Caird (bass), Paul Turrell (keyboards) and Lee Sullivan (drums). Together their single “Duvet” was a hit for the Japanese animal sci-fi series LAIN. Since then they have on on to achieve critical acclaim in the UK and Japan, winning fans via the internet.

The seventh release in the Secondary Series, Primary Colours welcomes all around deep and dub master from Scotland - Stillhead. We first came to know of Alex in the early 2000s and have followed his music under several monikers ever since. Stillhead o ,ers us three orginal cuts for this six track EP with remix support from the one and only Mike Schommer and label heads Echo Inspectors plus a beatless rework of Recreation Beats. This release seamlessly blurs genre lines, merging dub-techno with elements of bass, downtempo, deep-house, and ambient influences. The result is a release that feels familiar yet enigmatic, while simultaneously forging a unique and attractive fusion of styles. Stillhead is a master of his craft, and we are very pleased to bring this release to life with a heavy-weight 12Inch press and availability on digital outlets.

Das 10. Studio-Album der beliebten Band - bestehend aus Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis und Nate Walcott - enthält Gastauftritte von langjährigen Freund*innen wie Cat Power, Matt Berninger von The National und Alex Orange Drink von The So So Glos. "Five Dice, All Threes" wurde in Eigenregie produziert und in Mikes und Conors Studio ARC in Omaha, Nebraska, aufgenommen. Es ist ein Album von ungewöhnlicher Intensität und Zärtlichkeit, von gemeinschaftlichem Exorzismus und persönlicher Ausgrabungen. Das sind natürlich Qualitäten, die die Fans von Bright Eyes auch nach fast drei Jahrzehnten ihrer Karriere erwarten. Aber selbst mit ihrer reichen Geschichte im Rücken verströmen diese neuen Songs eine emotionale Spannung wie nichts, was sie zuvor versucht haben. Conor hat schon immer mit einer Stimme gesungen, die ein Gefühl von Leben und Tod vermittelt. Auf "Five Dice, All Threes" macht man sich manchmal Sorgen um ihn, manchmal scheint er der Einzige zu sein, der den Durchblick hat, um uns aus dem Schlamassel zu helfen. Wie bei Bright Eyes üblich, ist die Musik voller Subtexte, die zum tieferen Hinhören einladen - das Markenzeichen einer Band, die das Album immer als ihr eigenes, erhabenes Kunstwerk betrachtet hat. Mit den neuen Songs umarmt das Trio die schwer fassbare Qualität, die sie über Generationen und Genres hinweg so beständig und einflussreich gemacht hat, und bringt ihren hausgemachten Sound aus einem Schlafzimmer in Omaha zu einem begeisterten Publikum in aller Welt. In Conors Songwriting liegt das Versprechen, dass unsere einsamsten Gedanken und Gefühle großartige Formen annehmen können, wenn sie zwischen Freund*innen ausgetauscht, aus Lautsprechern geschmettert oder von Menschenmengen geschrien werden. "Five Dice, All Threes" ist so bekenntnisreich und ungeschützt, wie Conor es seit Jahren nicht mehr war. Mit diesen zeitlos konstruierten und doch unverschämt modernen Songs verdient er sich seinen Platz in der seltenen Klasse von Songwritern, die mit dem Alter furchtloser und grenzenloser geworden sind. Im Spiel der Dreier würde der titelgebende Zug einen perfekten Wurf bedeuten. In der Welt von Bright Eyes bedeutet Perfektion jedoch etwas anderes, denn hier sind es unsere Fehler, die uns Autorität verleihen, und die Suche nach Bedeutung ist nur möglich, wenn wir den dunklen, kurvenreichen Weg dorthin mitmachen. Auf "Five Dice, All Threes" umarmen Bright Eyes diese Überzeugungen mit Musik, die sich aufregend lebendig anfühlt, als wären wir alle mit ihnen im Raum, schreien mit und gewinnen die Kraft, gemeinsam vorwärts zu gehen. Das klingt nicht nur nach den klassischen Bright Eyes. Es klingt auch wie ihre Zukunft.

Cultivated Electronics Ltd's ''For The Floor'' series features split EPs available on vinyl (only) with Electro tracks aimed strictly at the dance floor, bringing together CE regulars alongside new artists. Previous instalments have presented tracks by DeFeKT, Rico Casazza, Tripeo, Cycloplex, Steve Allman and Alex Jann. Volume 4 now delivers 2 new tracks apiece by Ben Pest and Maelstrom. Bristol's Ben Pest has established notoriety as an exponent of jacking live hardware-based techno and electro with numerous releases on labels including Asking For Trouble, I Love Acid, No Static / Automatic, Orson Records, Don't and more. Here he delivers heavy bass, vocal distortions and tough beats on ''Who Would Have Thought I'd Be'' and the accompanying ''26 Hybrid''. Maelstrom has a history of aliases and side projects, illegal raves thrown in warehouses, fields and basements, but he came into his own under his Maelstrom moniker, releasing music on the likes of RAAR (the label he co- founded with Louisahhh), Cultivated Electronics, Central Processing Unit, Mechatronica, Private Persons and Discos Atonicos.

Thugwidow is the Ambient jungle Project of Alex Lowther-Harris a former resident of Hereford, Bristol, London and Manchester now settled on the Isle Of Anglesey. Embracing the negative aspects of Happy Hardcore and the positive aspects of Darkside Jungle a new sound has formed, one that despite it's bleak appearance creates it's own unique vibe!

Stripped down techno groovers.New Made Of Concrete by Alexander Kowalski & Rebar.

Den Titel für sein Album "Classical Soul Volume One" hat Pianist und Komponist Alexis Ffrench an klassische Hip Hop-Mixtapes angelehnt. Kurze Melodie-Fragmente aus Soul-Hymnen wie "Ain't No Sunshine" und "A Change Is Gonna Come" verbindet er, wie "Samples" im Hip Hop, mit seinen eigenen Kompositionen. Diese sind von persönlichen Momenten und Erinnerungen inspiriert. Alexis Ffrench sagt: "Dieses Projekt hat etwas von einem Rundumblick und ist auch das Ergebnis eines '360°-Prozess', bei dem ich zurückgeschaut, aber auch nach vorne geblickt habe". Der Tod seines Vaters war ein fundamentaler Einschnitt, ein Verlust, der nachhallte und Alexis neu auf sein Leben blicken ließ. Eine Auszeit in der Natur, in den Highlands von Schottland, brachte ihm Ruhe und Zeit zur Reflexion. "Diese Erfahrungen veranlassen dich, darüber nachzudenken, was man hat und wirklich liebt", erklärt er. Insofern ist "Classical Soul Volume One" auch eine universelle Erzählung von Verlust und Liebe und dabei eine Feier des Lebens.