Search:andre fr

Das Talent von The Script, Songs voller berauschender Emotionen und immer monumentalerer Melodien
zu schreiben, hat Fans auf der ganzen Welt in seinen Bann gezogen – ein Erfolg, der zu einem Katalog
weltweiter Hits wie „Hall of Fame“, „The Man Who Can’t Be Moved“ und „Breakeven“ führte. Auf
ihrem nunmehr achten Studioalbum arbeitet Danny O’Donoghue wieder mit seinen Songwriting-Partnern
Andrew Frampton und Steve Kipner zusammen – jenen Hit-Garanten, mit denen er und Mark Sheehan
eine ganze Reihe der bekanntesten Songs von The Script schufen, darunter „Breakeven“ und „The Man
Who Can’t Be Moved“. Ebenfalls mit von der Partie ist Produzent und Songwriter Jimbo Barry („Hall
of Fame“, „Superheroes“, „The Last Time“). Die Lead-Single „Man In The Arena“ ist eine mitreißende,
trotzige Hymne – untermalt von packenden, martialischen Trommelrhythmen –, die all die Erfahrungen und
weltweiten Erfolge der Band aus den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten aufgreift und ihren Status als unumstrittene
Pop-Rock-Giganten festigt. Wie ihre leidenschaftliche und treue Fangemeinde nur zu gut weiß, besitzen
The Script zudem jene entscheidende Qualität: eine echte, emotionale und tief in der Seele verankerte
Verbindung. Genau diese belebende und verbindende Idee bildet das Herzstück von *The User’s Guide to
Being Human* – jenes Element, das in der Musik, im Leben und bei The Script über allem anderen steht.
Denn schließlich gilt: „Sag mir, was zur Hölle wir eigentlich tun, wenn wir als Menschen nicht einfach nur
menschlich sind.“

Stanley Brinks is renowned for his unique anti-folk style: both playful and suggestive, insightful and entertaining. Brinks was born in Paris, France, in 1973. He studied a bit of biology and worked as a nurse for a while. Half Swedish, half Moroccan, strongly inclined to travel the world, he soon began spending most of his life on the road and developed a strong relationship with New York.
By the late 90s he’d become a full time singer-songwriter – André Herman Düne – as part of three piece indie-rock band, Herman Düne alongside his brother, David-Ivar. Several albums and Peel sessions later and after a decade of touring Europe, mostly with American songwriters such as Jeffrey Lewis, Calvin Johnson and early Arcade Fire he settled in Berlin. The early carnival music of Trinidad became a passion, and in the early 21st century he became the unquestioned master of European calypso, changing his name to Stanley Brinks.
Under this moniker he has recorded well in excess of 100 albums, collaborated with the New York Antifolk scene on numerous occasions, recorded and toured with traditional Norwegian musicians, and played a lot with The Wave Pictures.
Freschard grew up in a farm in French Burgundy. Aged 18 she moved to Paris, where she baked pies and cakes in a cafe. There, a local musician and regular customer called Stanley Brinks wrote a few songs for her to sing. Homeless in Paris, she saved up just enough money to get herself a ticket to New York. There she found an old electric guitar and started writing her own songs. In 2004 she moved to Berlin, where she recorded her first LP, "Alien Duck". Her second album, "Click Click", recorded in 2006, features electric guitar by Stanley Brinks. On her third album, she plays the drums herself. On her fourth “Shh...” she also plays the flute, and she breaks out the washboard on her fifth “Boom Biddy Boom”. Press for Stanley Brinks and Freschard.
“an absolute joy.” Q.
“...a set that’s as wistful and charming as it is playful and self-concious.” Uncut.
“quietly charming” Pitchfork.

Stanley Brinks is renowned for his unique anti-folk style: both playful and suggestive, insightful and entertaining. Brinks was born in Paris, France, in 1973. He studied a bit of biology and worked as a nurse for a while. Half Swedish, half Moroccan, strongly inclined to travel the world, he soon began spending most of his life on the road and developed a strong relationship with New York.
By the late 90s he’d become a full time singer-songwriter – André Herman Düne – as part of three piece indie-rock band, Herman Düne alongside his brother, David-Ivar. Several albums and Peel sessions later and after a decade of touring Europe, mostly with American songwriters such as Jeffrey Lewis, Calvin Johnson and early Arcade Fire he settled in Berlin. The early carnival music of Trinidad became a passion, and in the early 21st century he became the unquestioned master of European calypso, changing his name to Stanley Brinks.
Under this moniker he has recorded well in excess of 100 albums, collaborated with the New York Antifolk scene on numerous occasions, recorded and toured with traditional Norwegian musicians, and played a lot with The Wave Pictures.
Freschard grew up in a farm in French Burgundy. Aged 18 she moved to Paris, where she baked pies and cakes in a cafe. There, a local musician and regular customer called Stanley Brinks wrote a few songs for her to sing. Homeless in Paris, she saved up just enough money to get herself a ticket to New York. There she found an old electric guitar and started writing her own songs. In 2004 she moved to Berlin, where she recorded her first LP, "Alien Duck". Her second album, "Click Click", recorded in 2006, features electric guitar by Stanley Brinks. On her third album, she plays the drums herself. On her fourth “Shh...” she also plays the flute, and she breaks out the washboard on her fifth “Boom Biddy Boom”. Press for Stanley Brinks and Freschard.
“an absolute joy.” Q.
“...a set that’s as wistful and charming as it is playful and self-concious.” Uncut.
“quietly charming” Pitchfork.

Skyjack — the borderless five piece band spread across South Africa and Switzerland — announce their fourth studio album, Let The Sky Open Under Your Feet, out 3rd July.

Recorded in December 2025 at a secluded studio outside Stellenbosch, South Africa, the album captures the vibrant live energy of the band at its most expansive — drawing together free improvisation, South African jazz traditions, chamber music, kinetic groove, and ecstatic collective interplay into a singular body of work.

“This record is a very articulate representation of our sound, having grown deep roots into the earth with high branches reaching upward and outward”, says bassist Shane Cooper. “My desire is always to create sonic universes that can envelope the listener.”

The album’s title comes from a line in a poem by the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi, reflecting the music’s balance between groundedness and transcendence. Here, Skyjack move fluidly between meditative improvisation and lush orchestration across twelve tracks of free-spirited, cosmic journeying. Inspired both by the cultural traditions and natural environments of South Africa, Let The Sky Open Under Your Feet is a testament to the band’s intuitive connection and innate musical curiosity.

It arrives just over a year after Light Cycle (2024), a short gap that reflects the momentum built on tour. After exchanging sketches remotely across two continents, the band reunited in Johannesburg in late 2025, workshopped the new material onstage across South Africa, and then headed directly into the studio, where much of the album was recorded live in first takes — preserving the looseness and unpredictability central to Skyjack’s sound.

Comprised of Kyle Shepherd (piano), Shane Cooper (bass), Jonno Sweetman (drums), Andreas Tschopp (trombone), and Marc Stucki (saxophones), Skyjack first formed in Cape Town in 2013 during a fertile moment in South African jazz, as a new generation of musicians pushed against rigid genre definitions and opened the music outward toward broader sonic possibilities. Over the past decade, the band has built a singular sound drawing equally on South African groove traditions and European improvisation.

Individually, the members move between jazz, electronic music, film scoring, rock, hip-hop and experimental composition, with collaborations spanning artists including William Parker, Lionel Loueke, Zim Ngqawana, Ben LaMar Gay, Jorge Rossy, Shabaka Hutchings, William Kentridge, Makaya McCraven and Sylvie Courvoisier.

Since their self-titled debut in 2015, followed by The Hunter (2019) and Light Cycle (2024), the group has developed a reputation for immersive live performances and music that continuously reshapes itself in motion — rooted in what they describe as “warm menacing African grooves,” while refusing fixed stylistic borders.

Ursprünglich im Jahr 2000 auf Fuzzbox veröffentlicht und 2003 vom Beggars-Imprint Too Pure erneut herausgebracht, stellte My Pain and Sadness Is More Sad and Painful Than Yours die Band mclusky aus Cardiff als eine drängende neue Stimme im britischen Rock vor. Das Album zeigt die Band in ihrer unmittelbarsten und rohesten Form und prägte mcluskys Mischung aus scharfkantigen Gitarren, schwarzem Humor und Andrew Falkous" pointierter, oft absurdistischer Lyrik. Noch bevor spätere Anerkennung für Alben wie Mclusky Do Dallas und The Difference Between Me and You Is That I"m Not on Firefolgte, fängt dieses Debüt die Band in einem ungefilterteren Zustand ein - volatil und direkt. Songs wie "Joy" und "Rice Is Nice" deuten bereits die Präzision und Bissigkeit an, die später voll zur Geltung kommen sollten, während ein Großteil des Albums auf Wiederholung, Spannung und Auflösung setzt - mit einem beinahe bedrohlichen Minimalismus. Nun, 26 Jahre später, wurde das Album von Sean Magee in den Abbey Road Studios neu gemastert und erscheint auf 180g schwerem schwarzem Vinyl, wobei das originale Artwork beibehalten wurde. My Pain and Sadness Is More Sad and Painful Than Yours bleibt ein zentrales Dokument der Anfänge von mclusky. Sein Einfluss lässt sich in späteren Wellen von Noise Rock und Post-Hardcore nachverfolgen, doch seine einzigartige Mischung aus Witz, Aggressivität und Ökonomie bleibt unerreicht.

In Arc, Yorkshire-born artist Kirk Barley explores alternative tunings and off-grid sequencing to shape fluid rhythmic and melodic systems that unfold into rich harmonic forms. Kirk’s fourth album under his own name and debut for Marionette continues his exploration of just intonation through a sparse but finely detailed palette of organic atmospheres, metallic shimmer and off-kilter rhythms. Across the record, glassy pads, gamelan metallophones, clarinet and guitar dissolve into fluid, dreamlike forms, suggesting vast coastal landscapes, charged air and the stillness that follows turbulence.

Drawing on the feel of sample-based hip-hop, the minimalism of Terry Riley and Jon Hassell, as well as dub techno and post-rock, Kirk brings together a range of influences in a sound that feels both intimate and expansive. After first hearing Terry Riley’s Shri Camel as a teenager, he became captivated by just intonation and microtuning, inspirations that have shaped his work ever since, from his earliest Bambooman releases to the present solo works and as on half of Church Andrews & Matt Davies. Arc is his first record to be fully rooted in alternative tunings from start to finish. Longtime friend and collaborator Matt Davies appears on Ion, Sundry, Ecstatic and Fret (Haar), where his finely detailed, ASMR-like muted percussion deepens the dialogue between tactile acoustic sound and Kirk’s luminous electronic palette.

New 2026 edtion in beer coloured vinyl! It's hard to believe fresh-faced pogo punks Teenage Bottlerocket (or TBR as the kids call them) celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2025. Since their inception way back in 2000, there has been one word best suited to describe them: Rad. Teenage Bottlerocket is the epitome of rad. Stay Rad! shows a slightly different side of Teenage Bottlerocket, putting their songwriting progression and personal growth on full display, while remaining a quintessential TBR album -complete with enthralling melodies, perfect harmonies, and their trademark breakneck down strumming. As with every Teenage Bottlerocket record, Stay Rad! has a good mix of silly and serious, but the overriding sentiment is one that echoes its title. From the incredibly catchy and clever "I Wanna Be a Dog" to the heartfelt hit "Everything to Me," Stay Rad! checks all the boxes of classic TBR. At the same time the band manages to stretch their boundaries on the riffy ode to Norwegian black metal "Creature from The Black Metal Lagoon" and the hardcore influenced "The First Time That I Did Acid Was the Last Time That I Did Acid." Top to bottom Stay Rad! meets expectations and shatters them with plenty of new twists for the legions of TBR faithful. Beer color vinyl & gatefold with Silver foiled sleeve art Produced by Andrew Berlin at the Blasting Room (Rise Against, Descendents) Features hit singles "I Wanna Be A Dog" and "Everything To Me" For fans of Ramones, Screeching Weasel, Descendents, The Queers, The Lillingtons

In den letzten paar Jahren haben wir alle den Sinn für die Zeit verloren, aber es muss so um 2023 herum gewesen sein, dass Robert Rotifer, Journalist, Singer-Songwriter und zeitweiser Gitarrist/Bassist bei allen möglichen Bands, von Louis Philippe & The Night Mail über Swansea Sound, Penrose Web, Papernut Cambridge, André Heller, Keiron Phelan bis hin zu Fay Hallam's Band, seinen Freund Kenji, Ex-Sänger der deutschen Sunshine-Pop-Sensation Friedrich Sunglight, fragte, warum er eigentlich in keinen Bands mehr singt. Das war der Auslöser einer Zusammenarbeit, aus der zuerst langsam, dann immer schneller, eine üppige LP gewachsen ist, auf der neben Robert & Kenji noch der elegante post-Glam Veteran John Howard, das große junge Wiener Talent Leo Schlager alias The Zew, die lebende She-Punk-Legende Helen McCookerybook und der beliebteste singende Drummer der britischen Indie-Szene Ian Button zu hören sind. Die ursprüngliche Idee war, dass Robert Songs für Kenjis glockenklare, wendige Stimme schreiben sollte, was stilistisch automatisch eine melodiöse Baroque Pop-Richtung suggerierte. Als nächstes entwickelte sich ein textliches Thema, vom Opener "Considering", einem Lied an einen Freund, der seinen Weg verloren hat, über Songs der Ermutigung ("Things to do in Winter", "Stay With Us", "The More That I Think About What We Should Do") zu Songs über den feindseligen Zustand der Welt ("The Words", "Listen to the News", "Sense of Time"). Was für Rotifer als eine Reihe von Heim-Demos an Gitarre und Tasten in ungewohnten Tonarten (für Kenjis Stimme) begann, wuchs bald zu größeren Arrangements heran, angereichert durch Ian Buttons Drums, seine Stimme, weitere Instrumente und sein Ohr für einen guten Mix. Kenji und Rotifer hörten noch mehr am Horizont und beschlossen, dass dieses Material noch mehr verschiedene stimmliche Schattierungen gebrauchen konnte. Während Robert seine über den Kontinent verstreuten Freund:innen John (Südspanien), Helen (London) und Leo (Wien) für Vocal-Takes gewinnen konnte, die Ian in den Mix einfließen ließ, schrieb Roberts Tochter Emma gerade eine Seminararbeit an der Uni darüber, wie in der Independent-Musik-Szene Arbeit organisiert ist. Sie kam zu dem Ergebnis, dass das Musiker:innen-Netzwerk, in dem ihr Vater sich herumtreibt, einer Theorie der gegenseitigen Unterstützung gleicht, die man "Radical Friendship" nennt. Also widmete Rotifer dieser Idee noch einen Song, den er diesmal selber sang (nebst dem Schluss-Song "Is This Real Enough?"). Am Ende ergab es sich, dass alle Beteiligten auf jeweils einem Track die Haupt- oder Nebenstimme und auf allen anderen Songs unterstützende Harmonien singen. Auf diese Weise wurde das Album per se zu einer Verkörperung von Radical Friendship, nicht in der Theorie, sondern in der Praxis. Radical Friendship Theory is keine Band. Es ist ein liebevoll arrangierter Reigen von Songs in vielen verschiedenen Stilen, von Baroque Pop zu Psychedelia, Power Pop, Country Rock bis zu Bücherwurm-Indie, interpretiert von einem Kreis von Freund:innen, der sich immer erweitern und wandeln kann. Rotifer, der während der Fertigstellung des Albums von Canterbury nach Berlin gezogen ist, wird diese Songs in verschiedenen Städten mit verschiedenen Musiker:innen spielen, von Wien über London bis Glasgow, Hamburg, wahrscheinlich Berlin und Paris, wo immer seine radical friends zuhause sind. Indessen bringt das britische Label Spinout Nuggets die Studio-Version des Stoff in seiner Original-Besetzung heraus - eine Zelebrierung menschlicher, kreativer Freundschaft als lebensrettende Alternative zu einer Welt der digitalen Pseudokommunikation und künstlich geschürter Konflikte.

After a critically acclaimed trilogy of albums and a 10-year hiatus, Romain Turzi, the underground pope of uncompromising French music, returns to the helm to compose and produce his new opus “Drop!”. He is joined on vocals by his longtime friend Oliver Gage, whose autobiographical and melancholic writing brings to life an intimate and redemptive musical epic, woven with oblique pop songs and club tracks that reconcile punks and dancers.



An album of diverse influences, it draws on the masters of film music (Goblin, Angelo Badalamenti), the titans of electronic and techno music (808 State, Dopplereffekt), the hedonistic spirit of ’80s Brit rock (Happy Mondays, The Stone Roses), the finely crafted melodies of timeless folk singers (Woody Guthrie, Neil Young), and the sonic power of My Bloody Valentine or the productions of Andrew Weatherall.



A record born of friendship and fearless creative freedom, “Drop!” is an invitation to escape the heaviness of the present and brush against a form of utterly necessary ecstasy.

Here is the latest record from Konformer, Konformer II, the follow up to Konformer 1!

3 years in the making Konformer II is a further & deeper probe of the world of electronic influenced instrumental, psychedelic Krautrock from the Nuremberg based trio, recorded at Frank Mollena's Lonestar Studios.
Rainer Ruder (bass), Andreas Berg (drums) and & Kristian Krauss (keyboards) continue their exploration with a bass loop anchored odyssey, a trip into the future with a firm nod to the past.

Released on Before I Die 03/07/26 on limited Black Vinyl LP with a full colour art book featuring artworks from independent artists from the city.

The band will commence a short UK Tour of Southern & Northern Grassroots venues from the end of August 2026 culminating in a performance at Manchester Psych Fest on Saturday 5th September.

For the 27th instalment of Big Trouble Records, Cryme steps in with a hypnotic overload of house holiness. Thumping, breakbeat-influenced drum patterns attach to Detroit synths, stabs, and pads.

Ziegelstr. is home to the studio and former headquarters of Berlin-based label Seven, run by Cryme and ultimately the meeting point between Cryme and Big Trouble’s head honcho Andre Zimmer, culminating in Cryme’s release on the label. Throughout its length, The EP nods to Detroit and early UK house whilst planting itself firmly in the core of what Berlin stands for today.

The perennial Broadway musical My Fair Lady was based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. This release presents the complete recording by the original Broadway cast, taped in 1956. The recording showcases Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews in the lead roles - Harrison would also star in the 1964 film, in which Audrey Hepburn replaced Julie Andrews. This Original Cast Recording went on to become the bestselling album in the United States in 1957 where it spent 15 weeks in the Billboard chart.

In spring 2025, Abul Mogard and Rafael Anton Irisarri created the source material for their second album, Where Light Pauses in the Silence of the Sun, during a three-day residency at Morphine Raum in Berlin. Functioning as both recording studio and performance venue, the space has no stage, with the audience gathered around the performers. Working within an open framework, the duo reshaped the music each evening while recording the performances live to multitrack. Rotary speakers, modular synthesizers and bowed guitar formed the core of their sonic language, captured through a 1970s mixing console and microphones placed around the room.

Back in Mogard’s studio in Rome, the material was further crafted as motifs were stretched, fragments isolated, and tempos dissolved. Irisarri recorded additional guitar textures and treatments in New York, while passages recorded by Martina Bertoni and Andrea Burelli in Berlin reinforced the harmonic centres and brought breath, refinement and a new sensibility to their compositions. The process continued as Mogard’s layering and subtraction reassembled everyone’s parts into the final arrangement.

The album opens with “In the Eastern Wild,” building from a sparse outline into a monumental formation of low-frequency weight, its internal motion shaped by the rotating Leslie speaker. “Over the Domes” widens into a broader acoustic field, where sustained modular tones meet waves of softly plucked guitar. The music then turns inward with “A Blue Descent,” centred on Bertoni’s cello, whose growling timbre introduces a melancholic depth.

At the album’s centre, “In a Quiet Radiance” unfolds around a slow guitar ostinato, its luminous stillness opening into a more expansive and reflective state. Across its ten-minute span, Burelli’s violin lines and Bertoni’s lower cello phrases gradually surface, weaving through the harmonic field. Mogard brings Burelli’s processed voice to the fore, its emotive, operatic presence becoming one of the record’s pivotal moments. “Of Blessed Ages” suspends the sonic flow, shifting between parallel major and minor chords as lingering, slowly decaying melodies shape the music’s internal drift. The closing “Among Shadows” settles into a darker resonance as layered textures recede.

Mogard and Irisarri’s shared language balances restraint and maximalism. UK magazine Crack describes the music as “a tidal wave held in suspension,” while Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant writes, “What a colossal sound, and how this music strikes at the emotions.” Reflecting on the residency sessions, Irisarri recalls: “At moments I genuinely couldn’t tell if a sound was coming from me or from Abul. It stopped feeling like two people making decisions and began to feel like we were inside a system moving on its own."

Marja de Sanctis’ cover artwork revisits the vessel sculpture from the duo’s first album, Impossibly Distant, Impossibly Close. There it appeared as raw, unfired clay. Here it has been fired in the kiln and finished with a glaze. Light gathers on its polished surface and spills into the surrounding space. As she explains, “I wanted to convey the idea of continuity within the duo, and the vessel became a kind of container for that idea. However, their music felt different this time, and with the collaboration of Martina and Andrea, I felt it should have a sleeker, softer, more glamorous look, very distant from the first raw appearance.” The transformation of the vessel from raw clay to fired form suggests a passage from immediacy toward permanence, mirroring the music’s gradual expansion.

In spring 2025, Abul Mogard and Rafael Anton Irisarri created the source material for their second album, Where Light Pauses in the Silence of the Sun, during a three-day residency at Morphine Raum in Berlin. Functioning as both recording studio and performance venue, the space has no stage, with the audience gathered around the performers. Working within an open framework, the duo reshaped the music each evening while recording the performances live to multitrack. Rotary speakers, modular synthesizers and bowed guitar formed the core of their sonic language, captured through a 1970s mixing console and microphones placed around the room.

Back in Mogard’s studio in Rome, the material was further crafted as motifs were stretched, fragments isolated, and tempos dissolved. Irisarri recorded additional guitar textures and treatments in New York, while passages recorded by Martina Bertoni and Andrea Burelli in Berlin reinforced the harmonic centres and brought breath, refinement and a new sensibility to their compositions. The process continued as Mogard’s layering and subtraction reassembled everyone’s parts into the final arrangement.

The album opens with “In the Eastern Wild,” building from a sparse outline into a monumental formation of low-frequency weight, its internal motion shaped by the rotating Leslie speaker. “Over the Domes” widens into a broader acoustic field, where sustained modular tones meet waves of softly plucked guitar. The music then turns inward with “A Blue Descent,” centred on Bertoni’s cello, whose growling timbre introduces a melancholic depth.

At the album’s centre, “In a Quiet Radiance” unfolds around a slow guitar ostinato, its luminous stillness opening into a more expansive and reflective state. Across its ten-minute span, Burelli’s violin lines and Bertoni’s lower cello phrases gradually surface, weaving through the harmonic field. Mogard brings Burelli’s processed voice to the fore, its emotive, operatic presence becoming one of the record’s pivotal moments. “Of Blessed Ages” suspends the sonic flow, shifting between parallel major and minor chords as lingering, slowly decaying melodies shape the music’s internal drift. The closing “Among Shadows” settles into a darker resonance as layered textures recede.

Mogard and Irisarri’s shared language balances restraint and maximalism. UK magazine Crack describes the music as “a tidal wave held in suspension,” while Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant writes, “What a colossal sound, and how this music strikes at the emotions.” Reflecting on the residency sessions, Irisarri recalls: “At moments I genuinely couldn’t tell if a sound was coming from me or from Abul. It stopped feeling like two people making decisions and began to feel like we were inside a system moving on its own."

Marja de Sanctis’ cover artwork revisits the vessel sculpture from the duo’s first album, Impossibly Distant, Impossibly Close. There it appeared as raw, unfired clay. Here it has been fired in the kiln and finished with a glaze. Light gathers on its polished surface and spills into the surrounding space. As she explains, “I wanted to convey the idea of continuity within the duo, and the vessel became a kind of container for that idea. However, their music felt different this time, and with the collaboration of Martina and Andrea, I felt it should have a sleeker, softer, more glamorous look, very distant from the first raw appearance.” The transformation of the vessel from raw clay to fired form suggests a passage from immediacy toward permanence, mirroring the music’s gradual expansion.

In spring 2025, Abul Mogard and Rafael Anton Irisarri created the source material for their second album, Where Light Pauses in the Silence of the Sun, during a three-day residency at Morphine Raum in Berlin. Functioning as both recording studio and performance venue, the space has no stage, with the audience gathered around the performers. Working within an open framework, the duo reshaped the music each evening while recording the performances live to multitrack. Rotary speakers, modular synthesizers and bowed guitar formed the core of their sonic language, captured through a 1970s mixing console and microphones placed around the room.

Back in Mogard’s studio in Rome, the material was further crafted as motifs were stretched, fragments isolated, and tempos dissolved. Irisarri recorded additional guitar textures and treatments in New York, while passages recorded by Martina Bertoni and Andrea Burelli in Berlin reinforced the harmonic centres and brought breath, refinement and a new sensibility to their compositions. The process continued as Mogard’s layering and subtraction reassembled everyone’s parts into the final arrangement.

The album opens with “In the Eastern Wild,” building from a sparse outline into a monumental formation of low-frequency weight, its internal motion shaped by the rotating Leslie speaker. “Over the Domes” widens into a broader acoustic field, where sustained modular tones meet waves of softly plucked guitar. The music then turns inward with “A Blue Descent,” centred on Bertoni’s cello, whose growling timbre introduces a melancholic depth.

At the album’s centre, “In a Quiet Radiance” unfolds around a slow guitar ostinato, its luminous stillness opening into a more expansive and reflective state. Across its ten-minute span, Burelli’s violin lines and Bertoni’s lower cello phrases gradually surface, weaving through the harmonic field. Mogard brings Burelli’s processed voice to the fore, its emotive, operatic presence becoming one of the record’s pivotal moments. “Of Blessed Ages” suspends the sonic flow, shifting between parallel major and minor chords as lingering, slowly decaying melodies shape the music’s internal drift. The closing “Among Shadows” settles into a darker resonance as layered textures recede.

Mogard and Irisarri’s shared language balances restraint and maximalism. UK magazine Crack describes the music as “a tidal wave held in suspension,” while Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant writes, “What a colossal sound, and how this music strikes at the emotions.” Reflecting on the residency sessions, Irisarri recalls: “At moments I genuinely couldn’t tell if a sound was coming from me or from Abul. It stopped feeling like two people making decisions and began to feel like we were inside a system moving on its own."

Marja de Sanctis’ cover artwork revisits the vessel sculpture from the duo’s first album, Impossibly Distant, Impossibly Close. There it appeared as raw, unfired clay. Here it has been fired in the kiln and finished with a glaze. Light gathers on its polished surface and spills into the surrounding space. As she explains, “I wanted to convey the idea of continuity within the duo, and the vessel became a kind of container for that idea. However, their music felt different this time, and with the collaboration of Martina and Andrea, I felt it should have a sleeker, softer, more glamorous look, very distant from the first raw appearance.” The transformation of the vessel from raw clay to fired form suggests a passage from immediacy toward permanence, mirroring the music’s gradual expansion.

Foreign Tongues, the new album from The Rolling Stones, is an incredibly vibrant 14-track collection arriving less than three years after the band’s universally acclaimed, GRAMMY-winning album Hackney Diamonds, which topped charts worldwide and achieved multi-platinum status. The new album is introduced by the upbeat and infectious lead single In The Stars.

Leading up to the announcement, the band subtly built anticipation around the project, including the limited white label release of the track Rough and Twisted, issued exclusively on vinyl under the name The Cockroaches. Circulating among fans and collectors, the release has already sparked excitement and speculation about the sound and direction of Foreign Tongues, offering an early glimpse into the album’s raw and experimental energy. Recorded during an exceptionally creative period, Foreign Tongues was brought to life in under a month at Metropolis Studios in West London, with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood reuniting with GRAMMY-winning producer Andrew Watt, who also helmed Hackney Diamonds. The result is a dynamic and forward-looking record that captures the band’s unmistakable sound while venturing into new sonic and lyrical territory—further cementing their unmatched legacy.

The album showcases standout performances from Jagger, Richards and Wood, alongside their long-time collaborators, including Darryl Jones, Matt Clifford and Steve Jordan. It also features a special guest appearance from Charlie Watts, recorded during one of his final studio sessions before his passing in 2021. Additional contributions come from an impressive lineup of guest artists, including Steve Winwood, Paul McCartney, Robert Smith of The Cure, and Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Speaking about the recording process, Mick Jagger said: “I love doing these recording sessions in London at Metropolis. It was a very intense few weeks recording Foreign Tongues. We had 14 great tracks, and we worked as quickly as we could. I like the room there because it’s not too big, so you can really feel the passion in the room from everyone.”

Keith Richards added: “The album Foreign Tongues has a connection to Hackney Diamonds, and it was great to be working in London again and to have that London vibe around us. It was a month of concentrated punch. For me, it’s all about the joy of it. I’m blessed to be able to do this—may it continue for a long time.”

Ronnie Wood commented: “The atmosphere in the room was so creative, and the whole band was in top form throughout the process. Very often, we nailed it on the first take. I hope everyone will love it.”

The album’s striking cover artwork is a painting created by the acclaimed American artist Nathaniel Mary Quinn

Andrés Landero embodies like no other the spirit that made it possible to bring cumbia to the world. The two cumbias included on this 45 have been taken from his rare and never-reissued 1979 LP on Discos Fuentes. They became popular rebajadas (slowed down cumbias) in the Mexican sonidero scene and have not been previously available on 45. First-ever reissue. Andrés Landero legacy represents a creative pinnacle of tropical music and has influenced countless artists. In 1965, he joined the line-up of artists on Discos Fuentes' payroll. After some years releasing music on different labels, Landero returned to Discos Fuentes in 1979 with the album "Bailando cumbia". The two cumbias included on this 45 have been taken from this rare and never-reissued LP. They became popular rebajadas (slowed down cumbias) in the Mexican sonidero scene and have not been previously available on 45.

Ever since the late 1950s bossa-nova revolution, Brazil’s influence on French music has been undeniable. Pierre Barouh, Georges Moustaki and a vast array of lesser known artists, all made the Musica Popular Brasileira (MPB) an axis of promotion at the service of a cool and metaphysical, modern and mixed Brazilian lifestyle. Some were seduced by the poetic languors of the bossa, some were looking for fun, and others just loved the American hybridization of jazz-bossa, jazz-samba.



What is bossa nova? One of its creators, Joao Gilberto said: "Its style, cadence, everything is samba. At the very start, we didn't call it bossa nova, we sang a little samba made up of a single note - Samba de uma nota so .... The discussion around the origins of bossa nova is therefore useless”. It is nevertheless useful to remember that these magnificent Brazilian songs, which the guitarist describes as samba, were shifted and balanced around improbable chords. "I like things that lean, the in-betweens that limp with grace," said Pierre Barrouh, quoting Jean Cocteau.



With emotion, arrangements for violin and supple guitar licks, bossa nova rapidly changed. A transformation that can be heard in the Tchic, tchic, French Bossa Nova 1963-1974 compilation, the result of a cultural reappropriation, which traveled through the United States and supplemented itself in France.

A musical revolution that has remained significant, bossa nova was born in Rio. From 1956 to 1961, Brazil lived through its golden years. In five years, the country had invented its modernist style. Elected president in 1956, Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira, an elegant man with a broad forehead, brandished a promising slogan: "Fifty years of progress in five years". He quickly got to work. Not worried about increasing debt, he launched the project for a new federal capital, Brasilia, designed by the communist architect Oscar Niemeyer. Volkswagen opened state-of-the-art factories and created the “fusquinha”, the Beetle. In Rio, the Vespa made its first appearance. The Arpoador Surf Club crew run into the “girl” from Ipanema, Helô Pinheiro - the tanned garota ("chick"), between a flower and mermaid, who at 17 walked by the Veloso bar, where the fiery author and composer, Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, were getting drunk on whiskey. From then on, bossa symbolized cool.

In 1958, Joao Gilberto recorded Chega de Saudade, which the directors of Philips denied, calling it "music for fagots". The marketing director, who believed in it, secretly pressed 3000 78-inch vinyls and distributed them at schools around Rio, creating a tidal wave.

American jazzmen then took over. In particular, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and guitarist Charlie Byrd. In November 1962, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs funded a "Bossa-Nova" concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, inviting the genre’s pioneers. Unprepared, the show soon turned to disaster. But the troupe was invited to the White House by Jackie Kennedy. The first lady loved "the new beat" and in particular Maria Ninguem, a song by Carlos Lyra, later covered by Brigitte Bardot.

In Brazil, the 1964 military coup quickly ended this euphoria. The destructive atmosphere that ensued pushed many Brazilian musicians to leave, if not to exile. Thus, Tom Jobim, Sergio Mendes and Joao Gilberto arrived to the United States. In New York, Joao Gilberto met saxophonist Stan Getz. At the time, he was married to the Bahianese Astrud Weinert Gilberto, who had a German father. She had never sung before, but she knew how to speak English. Getz therefore asked her to replace her husband on The Girl From Ipanema. The Getz/Gilberto record with Tom Jobim on piano, was released in March 1964. Phil Ramone, the "pope of pop" was in charge of sound.

Bossa nova arrived in Paris through the classic “guitar-voice” channel (Pierre Barouh, Baden Powell, Moustaki…) But France loved jazz and Paris had already welcomed its American contributors. All these good people were to pass through Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The cabaret l'Escale became the Mecca of Latin American sound where one could find Pierre Barrouh and his friends, such as the Camara Trio, samba-jazz aces, whose only record was published by the Saravah label. With a band strangely called Les Masques (a band that included Nicole Croisille and Pierre Vassiliu, among others), the Camara Trio recorded an interesting Brazilian Sound, including the track Il faut tenir which is present on this tasty compilation of rarities.

Other enlightened musicians can also be found on the compilation, such as Jean-Pierre Sabar (songwriter for Hardy, Auffray, Leforestier ...) and the French pop rock organist Balthazar. In 1975, Sabar recorded Aurinkoinen Musiikkimatka on a Finnish label, which featured the crazy Vai, Vai, included on this record. We are now following the footsteps of Brazilian electronic musicians such as Sergio Mendes, Eumir Deodato or Marcos Valle who created funk and disco sounds on their keyboards and synthesizers. A style that influenced Véronique Sanson when she wrote Jusqu’à la Tombée de la nuit in 1969 for Isabelle de Funès, the niece of Louis and a great friend of Michel Berger - Sanson did end up singing this track on her 1992 Sans Regret record.


The pinnacle of exoticism and travel, Sylvia Fels’ Corto Maltese includes bongos, sea mist and ocean sounds. The title was taken from Jacky Chalard’s concept album written in 1974, Je suis vivant, mais j’ai peur (I am alive, but I am scared), based on Gilbert Deflez’s science fiction novel.


However, bossa nova extended the scope of popularity. "In the 1970s, I was a fan of Sergio Mendes, Getz / Gilberto. I fell in love with this music that I knew because I had been an orchestral singer, " explained Isabelle Aubret, who in 1971 delivered a composite record of covers by the very funky Jorge Ben, Orfeu Negro, Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Morais and Jean Ferrat. "I recorded this album for Meys Records in Paris, far from Brazil, with wonderful musicians, François Raubert, Roland Vincent, Alain Goraguer...". The latter wrote the arrangements for Casa Forte, a very percussive title borrowed from Edu Lobo, one of the initiators of the bossa who spent time in California. "Jazz and bossa came together and produced very rhythmic music. I love singing, it allows me to dream, to have fun, to feel a high on stage, and these songs brought me joy, made me swing, my singing felt like a dance.”


The world tours of French singers and their desire for the tropics, often brought them to Rio with its hills, forests, caipirinhas and tanned bodies. There are surprises though, like this Iemenja (Iemenja is the goddess of the sea in the Afro-Brazilian candomblé religion). Not unlike the composer and musician Jean-Pierre Lang, based in Sao Paulo, Claire Chevalier taught Brazil to Brazil. In 1970, the singer and painter published a 45-inch vinyl, Mon mari et mes amants (My husband and my lovers), under the improbable pseudonym of Clarinha (little Claire). She was then living in Rio, with her husband, Joël Leibovitz, who founded a band called Azimuth, and who owned a record label specialized in "sambas enredos" songs for samba school parades.


For its B side, she asked Pierre Perret to come up with lyrics for a song composed by Carlos Imperial: "Oh goddess of the sea, o goddess Iemenja, I bring a white rose to adorn your long hair ..." . "Perret came to see us, and we had fun, remembers Joël Leibovitz. We wrote Lemenja for fun, we recorded it at the Havaí studio, behind the Central do Brasil the central station. Erlon Chaves, the arranger who worked with Elis Regina, joined us" adding his share of Afro-Brazilian percussions and funky brass to the mix.

There is a common misunderstanding in Franco-Brazilian history: that bossa, admittedly hedonistic, is perceived as funny, even though the poets who wrote the texts are often philosophizing on the human condition. Its French interpreters pull it towards a carnival inspired universe, far removed from its fundamental essence. Thus, Jean Constantin covered the famous Samba da minha terra, an ode to the art of samba written by the classic Bahian composer Dorival Caymmi, renaming it with the enticing title of Pas tant de tchi tchi pompon: "On your pier there is no tchi tchi / when you arch your back, you know everything is alright ”(lyrics by Gérard Calvi). This expedited bossa aims for the absurd, but retains a certain elegance.

Indeed, Jean Constantin was not an idiot, the rather large man had a huge mustache and liked fantasy, (Les pantoufles à papa, Le pacha, inspired by cha-cha-cha-cha, salsa and jazz) but he was also the lyricist of Mon manège à moi interpreted by Edith Piaf, the composer of Mon Truc en plume by Zizi Jeanmaire and the soundtrack of François Truffaut’s 400 Blows. Le Poulpe, published in 1970, from which this bossa is extract, was arranged by Jean-Claude Vannier, an accomplice of Serge Gainsbourg’s Melody Nelson. In short: "There is enough of samba / By looking at the parasol / Because my poor cabeza / Is going to die in the sun".

Even the American actress Marpessa Down, who was at the heart of the bossa nova revolution with her role as Euridyce in Marcel Camus’ film Orfeu Negro, winner of the 1959 Cannes Palme d'or, fed the clichée with Je voudrais parler au petit cuica - "Tell me how you manage to always make people want to dance / It's true, I must admit that I cannot resist your magic" - in consequence, once can hear the cuica, a little drum inherited from the Bantu.


But bossa nova had many angles. Societal, of course, pushing actresses who were symbols of women's liberation like Brigitte Bardot, Jeanne Moreau, or Sophia Loren to engage in the exercise of accelerated bossa. In February of 1963, Sophia Loren made a record in French in Rome, Je ne t'aime plus, featuring the song De jour en jour, a bossa written by two Italians, Armando Trovajoli and Tino Fornai, which was released a little later by Barclay. Bossa accompanied the 1960s, a decade of moral liberation. Ann Sorel, who interpreted La Poupée des favellas, caused a sensation with L’amour à plusieurs, a provocative song written by Frédéric Bottom and Jean-Claude Vannier. As for the actress Andrea Parisy, she displayed her bourgeois cheekiness in Marcel Carné's Les Tricheurs before interpreting Les mains qui font du bien. And Magalie Noël, the friend of Boris Vian, who sung Johnny fais-moi mal, was hired to sing Une énorme Samba, composed by Alain Goraguer (arranger to Gainsbourg, Bobby Lapointe and Jean Ferrat) with lyrics by Frédéric Botton.

But in the end, of what wood is bossa nova made of? The answer is given by Christianne Legrand, daughter of Raymond the conductor, and sister to Michel the composer: "With me, with jà" - jà means "immediately" in Portuguese. In 1972, the singer, an expert in vocal jazz and a member of the Double Six, published Le Brésil de Christianne Legrand. Two songs included on the Tchic Tchic compilation that demonstrate how bossa, jazz, funk, rock, etc. work like a swiss army knife: the music is used to denounce broken systems, or miracles, HLM et ciné roman, Cent mille poissons dans ton filet, two songs from the O Cafona soundtrack, a successful telenovela broadcast, at the time in black and white, on TV Globo. The first was adapted in French by the fighter and friend of the Legrand tribe, Agnès Varda. The second is content with a play on words, jostling them into a summer fun.



Véronique Mortaigne

Seit etwas mehr als einem Jahrzehnt hat sich EXEK ganz leise zu einer der faszinierendsten Bands der Welt entwickelt, die sich von Album zu Album verändert und weiterentwickelt und sich nach und nach geöffnet hat, ohne jemals diese seltsame, unergründliche und insgesamt essentielle Eigenschaft zu verlieren, die sie so großartig gemacht hat - so EXEK-mäßig. Nun bringt die Post-Punk-Band aus Melbourne - Sänger und Chefarchitekt Albert Wolski, Gitarrist Jai Morris-Smith, Schlagzeuger Chris Stephenson, Synthesizer-Spezialist Andrew Brocchi, Trompeterin und Sängerin Valya YL Hooi und Bassist Ben Hepworth - ihr siebtes Album und erstes für DFA raus: ,Prove The Mountains Move". Es ist, wie Wolski sagt, ,ein bisschen epischer" als alles, was er bisher aufgenommen hat, ein üppiges und unverhohlen melodisches Set surrealistischer Popmusik, das sich in Widersprüchen suhlt. ,Dieses Album ist in seiner Machart experimentell", sagt Wolski, ,aber es klingt nicht unbedingt experimentell." Dafür gibt es einen guten Grund. Die Arbeit begann an einem kalten Nachmittag im Juni 2023, als Wolski und Stephenson sich in den Pelican Refill Studios in Melbourne trafen, um die Drums aufzunehmen - das erste, was sie immer machen. Danach ging Wolski alleine nach Hause und fing an, die aufgenommenen Beats und Breaks durchzugehen, wobei er sich von den Drum-Sounds zu Melodien und Basslines leiten ließ, Loops und Layers erstellte und so die Grundlage für ,Prove The Mountains Move" schuf. ,Ich fühle mich wohl dabei, alleine wie ein verrückter Wissenschaftler herumzutüfteln", sagt er. ,Ich habe es auch genossen, ohne klare Absicht auf Aufnahme zu drücken. Meistens führte mich das in eine interessante Richtung, die mein Bewusstsein wahrscheinlich nicht gesucht hätte." Und doch gelangte Wolski irgendwie zu seinem direktesten Werk seit Beginn des Projekts, neu inspiriert von der Klarheit und Prägnanz des Mainstream-Pop, der starken und unbestreitbaren Anziehungskraft einer einfachen Gesangsmelodie. Nachdem die berühmt-berüchtigten strengen COVID-Lockdowns in Melbourne beendet waren, wollte er einfach draußen bleiben. ,Die Arbeit an neuer Musik trat gegenüber dem Feiern mit Freunden in den Hintergrund", sagt er. ,Und diese Partys waren voller großer Hits als Soundtrack - Sachen, die ich selbst nicht wirklich hörte, Sachen, denen ich seit meiner Jugend nicht mehr begegnet war. Aber in den frühen Morgenstunden des Sonntags klingt ,Alive" von Pearl Jam, als würde man mit Gott sprechen. Genauso wie ,All I Wanna Do" von Sheryl Crow und ,Feel" von Robbie Williams. Krautrock und Dub waren immer noch in meiner DNA, aber die Musik, die ich zu machen begann, war vielleicht etwas unbeschwerter und vielleicht auch etwas emotionaler." Das heißt nicht, dass man hier Spuren von Eddie Vedder in Wolskis Gesang erwarten sollte, aber die Einsätze fühlen sich auf ihre eigene Weise ähnlich an - so klingt es, wenn EXEK wirklich alles geben. Nimm zum Beispiel die schwebenden Synthesizer des Openers ,Sidestepping" oder die gewaltigen Gitarren von ,Arriverderci Back Pain", die pyrotechnischen Klavierklänge von ,Don't Answer (When They Call)" oder die Bowie-artige Melancholie von ,You Have Been Blessed". Die Arrangements wirken offener, der Sound fokussierter. Es fällt nicht schwer, Wolski zu glauben, wenn er sagt, dass er viel Zeit damit verbracht hat, seine Mixe von ,Prove The Mountains Move" mit einigen der wichtigsten Alben, die je aufgenommen wurden, darunter ,Abbey Road", zu vergleichen. Aber alles ist relativ. Und textlich bleibt Wolski weiterhin verschlüsselt. ,Jeder Song ist eine Vignette in einem abstrakten Milieu, sei es ein experimentelles Chiropraktik-Geschäft am Flughafen oder spärlich bekleidete Kreaturen aus Staub in einem Food Court. Egal wie verrückt das auch sein mag, es gibt Themen und Motive auf dem gesamten Album, sowohl textlich als auch musikalisch, die sich in verschiedenen Songs widerspiegeln und aufeinander Bezug nehmen." Diese Dissonanz zwischen direkt und indirekt, glatt und strukturiert, schattig und glühend, verrückt und ausdruckslos ist die treibende Kraft im Herzen dieser Songs, seiner bisher besten.

Bosconi Records returns with Tangled Waves Vol. 2, the second chapter of the series—this time expanding the concept into a four-artist VA, diving deep into progressive house and neo-trance territories while keeping that unmistakable timeless, old-school spirit alive.
Like shifting currents moving in parallel, Tangled Waves Vol. 2 brings together different voices, each following their own path while converging in the same flow—crafted for longevity, built for the dancefloor.

The EP opens with Fly High by DJ Glc, founder of Digging Deeper records and already known to the label through his contribution to the Home Cooked Beats compilation. Here he delivers an epic italo-infused progressive cut, driven by a classic rolling bassline and lifted by a futuristic arpeggio that bridges past and present. Hypnotic, warm, and undeniably effective—pure late-night material.
Next up is Strange Gift by rising artist Little Sea, founder of Sea Horse Records. A high-energy progressive groover with a clear nod to ‘90s classics, the track blends a punchy forward-moving bassline with bright melodic flashes and a sensual female vocal in the breakdown—making it a proper peaktime weapon with emotional depth.
On the flip side, Matteo Guarnieri (aka Rare Happiness) makes his Bosconi debut following a standout release on Kulture Galerie. His track Roller Disco Truck merges old and new with ease—leaning into a tech house framework with a distinct groove, textured stabs, and a subtle arpeggio that adds a psychedelic edge. A playful yet driving cut with strong character.
Closing the EP is Stargazing by Andrea Mera, also debuting on the label. A soft, mesmerizing progressive journey, the track unfolds with lush pads, a fluid atmosphere, and a gently evolving energy. With its warm 303 touches and emotional depth, it feels like a timeless closing moment—introspective, romantic, and built for those final hours on the floor.
With Tangled Waves Vol. 2, Bosconi introduces a new wave of artists while staying true to its roots—delivering four carefully crafted cuts that balance nostalgia and forward motion. Another essential addition for the bag, made to last.

A document of singular rarity. Issued by United Dairies in 2026 in a hand-made, heavy-gauge black vinyl edition limited to 300 copies, 1984 - A Happening recovers the second ever public performance of Nurse With Wound, captured on tape in 1984 and held in Steven Stapleton's archive across the four decades since.The history is nearly mythological. Across the years 1984 to 1986, NWW operated briefly and reluctantly as a live band, performing on stage exactly eight times, of which five were public. Stapleton has called these events "shambolic, chaotic and uneven affairs, sometimes as boring for the performers as the non-plussed audiences but at other times reaching an amazing intensity". The first of them, an Amsterdam show on the 8th of December 1984 at the NL Centrum, has surfaced over the decades in fragmentary form; the second has remained, until now, almost entirely unheard. It belongs to a moment when Stapleton, working alongside collaborators including David Tibet, Andrew McKenzie of The Hafler Trio, and a rotating cast of percussionists and string players, was carrying NWW briefly out of the studio and into a series of confrontations with audiences who often had no idea what they were watching.The recording itself is described, accurately, as raw but beautifully captured. The performance moves through the territory NWW had been mapping across Homotopy to Marie and Nature Unveiled: long passages of pre-recorded tape collage assembled by Stapleton and McKenzie, ridden over by live electronics, voice, percussion, and the surreal theatrical instinct that has run through every gesture the project has ever made. There is a sense of a collective groping its way through unstable material in real time, an ear turned simultaneously to dada and to musique concrète, to the British post-punk underground and to the krautrock heritage that has always shadowed Stapleton's work. The chaotic edges are intact. So is the intensity Stapleton has spoken of.

Despite building their careers out of strikingly different musical places, both dBridge and Radioactive Man have taken influence from the field in which each other operate. dBridge (Darren White) was part of the iconic drum & bass outfit Bad Company and he helms one of the scene's most solid and quality imprints in Exit Records and Radioactive Man (Keith Tenniswood) was born from the acid house scene and the off kilter electronics of his Two Lone Swordsman projects (alongside Andrew Weatherall) which led him to create his decidedly UK take on Drexciyan electro. It's by no means a stretch to learn that both producers have crates that contain their favourites from each genre but they've also found a mutual respect and connection in the studio over the last few years, leading to the dBRm moniker for Craig Richards' The Nothing Special label.

Andre Zimmer returns to his home label Big Trouble Records for the 26th instalment. The Weight EP unfolds across four movements of smooth, driving house, tracing a line between tension and groove. Toronto carries direct influence from both Detroit and UK house at its core. With that, Zimmer delivers an EP that reflects his home city, while balancing the sounds of his new home, Berlin. The record emphasizes balance between cities, feeling, function and weight. “Music that continues to move me forward, staying true to what I love, without excess.”

" 'Stay' by Shakespears Sister stands as one of the most creatively and commercially powerful singles of the early '90s, dominating the UK Singles Chart for eight consecutive weeks, one of the longest-running number-one hits of its era.

" 'Stay' was a defining cultural and artistic statement, the track's dramatic structure and accompanying video shifting from a delicate ballad into a theatrical, gothic climax.

" Decades later, 'Stay' continues to win new fans through chart re-entries and renewed popularity, most recently cited by Charli XCX as a key influence on her soundtrack for Emerald Fennell's 'Wuthering Heights'.

[a] A1. Stay [Radio Mix]
[b] A2. Stay [Andre Betts 12" Remix]
[c] A3. Stay [Acoustic Version]
[d] B1. The Trouble with Andre [Luke Mornay Sweeter Mix]
[e] B2. The Trouble with Andre [Luke Mornay Deeper Mix]
[f] B3. The Trouble with Andre [Chris Thomas Remix]

LUCKY is the self-titled debut album by the San Francisco band, born of a collaboration between songwriters Andrew St James (French Cassettes, Juan Wayne) and Peter Kegler (Half Stack). Now a full band featuring, the group combines anthemic indie-rock with y’allternative twang, the perfect soundtrack for long drives and late night revelries.
The story begins when St James booked Kegler’s band Half Stack for a show with Juan Wayne at the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco. The two immediately recognized each other as kindred spirits and before long they were spending late nights at The Lucky Horseshoe in Bernal Heights, where they pledged to make an album together. Much like Lennon-McCartney or Jagger-Richards, St James and Kegler showed up with their own songs and helped each other dial them in, the songs becoming something totally unique in the process. Pretty soon they recruited Elsasser and headed into the studio with producer Joe Santarpia (Mac DeMarco), where they blazed through more than half a dozen songs in a few days, capturing first takes of raw energy.
Album opener “Falling Through”, written by Kegler on a long drive over HWY 17 to Santa Cruz, pairs talkin’ country vocals on the verse with a hard hitting chorus, eventually ramping up to a phased out guitar solo and a truly epic bridge with gang vocals and an ad lib from St James. Meanwhile, lead single “Traveler” was the first song written for the album, originally a folky shuffle, St James thought it was a goner but Kegler helped recast it as a mid-tempo rocker with a twangy alt-country edge. “Friends” is a true-to-life account of St James’ lifestyle as he shuttled between San Francisco and Los Angeles, paying homage to the City’s legendary House of Prime Rib with a propulsive beat that recalls Girls, Kings of Leon, and the grandiose energy of the E Street Band.
Highly anticipated debutalbum from LUCKY. Press coverage includes reviews and features in Various Small Flames, Glide Magazine, Broken Dreams Club, and more.
“...equal parts laidback swagger and earnest emotion…” - Various Small Flames
“LUCKY is becoming one of the most exciting figures to emerge in alt-country in some time.” - Glide Magazine.

The Mexican band The Survival created a blend of blues and acid rock influenced by the U.S. West Coast movement and British blues, captured on this 1971 album-the only one they recorded. They are often described as a combination of Country Joe and the Fish, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Moby Grape, and Ten Years After. One of the rarest records ever released in Mexico, it stands as a significant testament to the "onda chicana," a historical moment when Mexican youth took up instruments to express their reality. The group formed in August 1970 and recorded a single album, "La onda de The Survival" (1971), which combined laid-back blues with distortion. One distinctive feature was that lead vocals were handled by drummer Andrés Lusher-an unusual choice that gave the band a unique sonic identity. The album captured the spirit of the time, portraying generational shifts, repression of youth, fraternity, pacifism, and the influence of drugs. Despite their brief existence, The Survival and their sole album remain a significant testament to the "onda chicana", a lasting mark on the history of Mexican rock. Includes an insert with liner notes.

Arriving just over a year after their last release, Fragile World marks a striking shift in tone and energy for the band. Recorded live to tape in New Zealand by Paddy Hill, with production by Tom Healy (Tiny Ruins, The Chills, Folk Bitch Trio), Fragile World captures The Veils in an urgent and instinctive mode. The album's title is both a reflection of the present moment - a time in which many institutions appear to be crumbling before our eyes - and a metaphor for the act of creation itself. The process of making music, Andrews notes, is a delicate and fragile undertaking where thousands of small decisions gradually coalesce into a finished whole.

The mighty Channel One Studios,Kingston, Jamaica, has its place set in Reggae's Musical History.Its distinctive sound the studio created on opening its doors in 1972 to its closure in the early 1980's made it the Producers, Singers and Musicians studio of choice during this furtive period. Achieving that vibe and clarity, separated it from the other Kingston establishments.

Run by the Hookim Family's four sons, Jo Jo the eldest followed by Paulie, Ernest and Kenneth. Their father originally came from China and married a Chinese Jamaican lady and settled in the St Andrews district before moving to Kingston Town itself. The family business was built on jukeboxes and one armed bandit machines in and around Kingston. A lucrative venture until the gaming laws changed in 1970, outlawing the gaming machines. So the music side of the business would have to be expanded. So it was decided to open a studio to make the music to supply their already established Jukebox enterprise. The four brothers opened Channel One Recording Studios in 1972 at 29 Maxfield Avenue, Kingston 13. Initially as we stated the purpose of the studio was for the brothers use only, but this would soon change when the various Producers all looking for that Channel One sound came asking for studio time.

The brothers had used the services of Bill Garnet a renowned and well respected technical engineer on setting up the studio. They spent a lot of time laying out the space to get the right acoustics and picking the right quipment. They went with a four track API desk and the best quality microphones such as Neuman, Sony and AKG, vital in obtaining the quality sound and track separation that would prove so worthwhile after the music was recorded to give the best flexibility on the final mix downs. Jo Jo would take over the production duties after the initial hiring of Syd Bucknor a producer who had worked closely with Coxonne Dodds Studio 1 stable. The first release on the Channel One label would be 'Don't Give Up The Fight' by Stranger Cole and Gladstone 'Gladdy' Anderson.The initial two thousand run being swallowed up by their Jukebox interests and so the steady flow of hits would run up to the brake through hit of 1975 'Right Time' by  the Mighty Diamonds.

1977 saw Jo Jo extending his stays in New York to a semipermanent status, returning mainly to oversee recording sessions and then taking the results back to America for worldwide distribution. His brother Paulies senseless killing in that year also added to Jo Jo's decision to spend more time with his Hit Bound Manufacturing set up in New York. The Channel One studio would be upgraded in 1979 to sixteen tracks and although Jo Jo and Ernest still covered the mixing and engineering duties Kenneth would now supervise sessions. An often untold part of Channel Ones history is the involvement of Producer Niney The Observer. The mid to late 1970's were heavy times both musically and politically and Maxfield Avenue was in the heart of this crossfire. Some artists and musicians were weary of using the establishment especially when sessions ended late at night and exiting the studio at these times could be somewhat dangerous. But Niney’s fearlessness seen him over running and in many cases running the all night sessions with his trusted set of musicians loosely called The Soul Syndicate. Having the run of the mighty Channel One studio's allowed Niney to build up and work on a stockpile of rhythms that he still has yet to unleash on the world. We have been lucky to select a bunch of material from Niney's vaults for this release. Some great unreleased rhythms and some different cuts to some tracks you might already know. Niney's work with Dennis Brown and his own distinctive heavy roots style productions have been documented and indeed his work on Channel Ones Yellowman releases stand tall also. We hope this fine set of Niney Productions set inside the hollowed walls of Channel One will sit beside them as they so richly deserve.

Die Rock-Virtuosen Dance Gavin Dance aus Sacramento präsentieren die dritte Veröffentlichung ihrer „Tree
City Sessions“-Reihe. Wie schon bei den vorherigen Alben hat die Band auch für „Tree City Sessions 3“
neue Versionen ihrer früheren Dance-Gavin-Dance-Songs aufgenommen, alle mit dem aktuellen Sänger
Andrew Michael Wells.
Die CD enthält 12 Tracks. Die 2LP erscheint auf 140g schwerem „Velaris“-Farbvinyl und bietet auf
der zweiten LP 12 zusätzliche Instrumentalstücke.

At the dawn of European techno, before the genre had fully taken shape, a small number of records hinted at what was to come—stripped-down, machine-driven and forward-looking. One of those records was “Die Zukunft” by Scope, a project formed by André Fischer (Recall IV) and Holger Wick (Konzept).

Originally released in 1989 on the now cult Suck Me Plasma label—founded by Talla 2XLC—"Die Zukunft” holds a special place in history as the label’s first release, marking a key moment in the transition from EBM and New Beat into early techno.

Scope’s sound captures this transitional phase with remarkable clarity. Built on minimal drum machine patterns, cold synthetic basslines and sparse melodic fragments, their music sits somewhere between late-80s electronic body music and the emerging techno aesthetic. Driven more by repetition and tension than by traditional song structures, the tracks create a hypnotic, forward-moving energy that reflects the experimental spirit of the time.

This reissue of “Die Zukunft”, limited to 500 copies on black vinyl and 200 copies on purple vinyl, brings together all original tracks from the first pressing alongside the iconic Cybotron Mix, offering a complete snapshot of Scope’s output at a pivotal moment in electronic music history.

At the dawn of European techno, before the genre had fully taken shape, a small number of records hinted at what was to come—stripped-down, machine-driven and forward-looking. One of those records was “Die Zukunft” by Scope, a project formed by André Fischer (Recall IV) and Holger Wick (Konzept).

Originally released in 1989 on the now cult Suck Me Plasma label—founded by Talla 2XLC—"Die Zukunft” holds a special place in history as the label’s first release, marking a key moment in the transition from EBM and New Beat into early techno.

Scope’s sound captures this transitional phase with remarkable clarity. Built on minimal drum machine patterns, cold synthetic basslines and sparse melodic fragments, their music sits somewhere between late-80s electronic body music and the emerging techno aesthetic. Driven more by repetition and tension than by traditional song structures, the tracks create a hypnotic, forward-moving energy that reflects the experimental spirit of the time.

This reissue of “Die Zukunft”, limited to 500 copies on black vinyl and 200 copies on purple vinyl, brings together all original tracks from the first pressing alongside the iconic Cybotron Mix, offering a complete snapshot of Scope’s output at a pivotal moment in electronic music history.

This new album compiles several songs made in the years following Black To Comm's classic "Alphabet 1968" album. Originally released on the seminal Type label in 2009 (and to be reissued on Cellule 75 this year) "Alphabet 1968" combined the sound of vintage shellac and vinyl loops with broken electronics and field recordings, the press release mentioning disparate influences "ranging from Moondog to Basic Channel by way of Bernard Herrmann". In a beautiful one-page review in The Wire magazine (later reprinted in his book Ghosts Of My Life) Mark Fisher compared Richter's music to JF Sebastian’s miniature automata in Blade Runner ("with their bizarre mixture of the clockwork and the computerised, the antique and the ultramodern, the playful and the sinister"), ETA Hoffmann's inventor-magicians and Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam's 1886 tale of Thomas Edison's (fictitious) construction of an artificial human.

Now titled "Coh Bâle" (inspired by a strange dream) these recordings were supposed to become a follow-up to said album but for reasons unknown it never materialized and the album seemed forever lost. At the time Richter started to dive deeper into several strains of (so-called) world music aka the folk music of Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe as well as liturgical and medieval music, the Kraut-Electronica of Harmonia and several certain Mediterranean experimentalists from the 1980's who started to merge their mostly electronic and field recording based compositions with traditional musics from all over the world by way of new sampling technology.

Many of the songs for the album were recorded while travelling and at various residencies around Europe: a detuned piano in a Thessaloniki basement (Richter played at a children's birthday party there), vintage synthesizers in the GRM studios in Paris, decaying acoustic instruments found in an old Black Forest mansion, childrens' voices at a workshop in Karlsruhe's ZKM Institute; then mixed on headphones in the ICE trains running between these places and his hometown Hamburg.

"Coh Bâle" is taking inspirations from old Nonesuch Explorer and Ocora LP's, Crammed Records, 80s Mediterranean Ambient (Nuno Canavarro, Roberto Musci) combined with the DIY spirit of Deux Filles and Flaming Tunes and the playfulness of Asa Chang & Junray. The songs are both mysterious and transparent, intricate and frugal, vibrant and patient. One of the album's unexpected climaxes is a gorgeous (artificial) berimbau version of the Welsh traditional "Iechyd o Gylch".

No two songs feature the same instrumentation and many acoustic sources (pianos, flutes, wood percussion, viola, tablas, autoharp) were disassembled and later coalesced into new configurations or used as virtual instruments; later combined with samples, field recordings, electronics and (on a few tracks) autotuned vocals reminding of recent works by the likes of Claire Rousay or More Eaze.

We had to wait for a worldwide pandemic for Richter to dig deep into the vaults and finally bring these recordings to light. This is the 2nd release from his archives after the "Diode, Triode" LP which presented Musique Concrète/Acousmatic recordings made at INA/GRM and ZKM. Another massive Double-CD (MM∞XX Vol. 1 & 2) was released last year featuring collaborations with 33 artists such as Andrew Pekler, Richard Youngs, Eric Chenaux, Maja Ratkje, Radwan Ghazi Moumneh of Jerusalem In my Heart, GRM boss François Bonnet (Kassel Jaeger), Felix Kubin, Timo van Luijk (In Camera, Af Ursin), Luke Fowler and many others, showing Richter's versatility and his willingness to reinvent himself for every new release.

Marc Richter is widely known under his Black To Comm moniker, having released (at least) 12 albums under this alias in the last 20 years. He is currently signed to the Thrill Jockey label. Richter composes soundtracks for film and has worked with visual artists such as Mike Kelley and Ho Tzu Nyen. He also records as Jemh Circs and Mouchoir Étanche for his own Cellule 75 label (named in tribute to the late Luc Ferrari).

Die Synthesistin und Komponistin Emily A. Sprague verbindet intuitive Klangstrukturen mit ausdrucksstarkem Songwriting und schafft so weitläufige Klangwelten, die unmittelbar und mitreißend sind. Nach ersten Experimenten mit Gitarre und Keyboard als Teenager gründete Sprague Anfang der 2010er Jahre die Indie-Band Florist, mit der sie ein treues Publikum gewann, bevor sie sich 2017 unter ihrem eigenen Namen auf Umwelt- und Ambient-Kompositionen verlegte. Zu ihren Veröffentlichungen zählen mehrere Alben aus beiden Projekten, zuletzt Florists ,Jellywish" und ,Cloud Time" aus dem Jahr 2025 sowie nun die EP ,Double Moon". ,Double Moon" zeichnet psychische und greifbare Landschaften als parallele Welten nach. Durch beschwörende Wiederholungen und durchscheinende Klangfluten ebnet Sprague einen initiatorischen Weg mit modularer Komplexität und lyrischer Weitsicht, untermalt von V Haddads transparenter Stimme. Mit instinktiver Präzision offenbart ,Double Moon" sensorische Weite durch viszerale, szenische Komposition. Geprägt von gepatchten Farbverläufen, frostigen Winkeln und warmen, melodischen Wellen dreht sich jeder Klang um den nächsten, taucht gleichzeitig auf und verschwindet wieder in einem fesselnden Klangbogen. Dieser Track bewegt sich in schillernder Subtilität - die Farbe der Nacht, die sich über den Himmel zieht und die Silhouetten beleuchtet, die sie erst möglich macht.Der mittlere Track, ,Dusk (How to Fly)", ist seinem Titel getreu ein subtiles und bewegendes Experiment, das den Ausklang des Tages heraufbeschwört, zusammen mit einem flüchtigen Anflug von Erhabenheit und der nahen Möglichkeit des Fliegens. Faszinierend in seiner nachdenklichen Drift und leuchtenden Bildsprache verschmilzt der Track sanft synthetisierte Fäden mit einem langsamen akustischen Rausch - eine Melodie, die in grenzenlose Richtungen treibt. Geleitet von Spragues unverwechselbarer Gesangskaskade und briefartigen Fäden webt sich eine beschwingte Sequenz mühelos von grundlegenden Erinnerungen zu einer weiten emotionalen Öffnung und fragt: Wie könnten wir auf andere Weise hier sein? Wie können wir überhaupt etwas fühlen?« ,Double Moon (Andras Dub)" verleiht Spragues Originalkomposition eine strahlende Note: Der australische Produzent Andrew Wilson, alias Andras und eine Hälfte von Wilson Tanner, verwandelt die Textur des Originaltracks durch tiefe, strahlende Rhythmen. Jeder Takt springt und zerstreut sich, um etwas völlig Neues zu erschaffen.

W.R.F. was formed in 2015 by Nina and late studio partner Andrew Weatherall to help wrangle the vast output recorded together beyond his solo releases.
Spotlighting nine tracks from the Apparently Solo series of EPs recorded between 2016- 2019 and released on Bandcamp in 2023, this lustrous time capsule marks the culmination of Walsh and Weatherall’s creative relationship born after they clicked at London’s earliest acid house clubs, becoming partners then managers of their Sabres Of Paradise/Sabrettes labels before taking different paths by the late '90s.
An accomplished musician, Nina had learned the art of studio technology by the time they reunited and started working together in 2012. Created at her Facility 4 Studio situated in the dangerous, gang-ridden no man’s land between Streatham and Mitcham, Anamchara captures the super-prolific creative stretch starting in 2015 that produced Weatherall’s Convenanza and Qualia solo sets, W.R.F.’s The Phoenix Suburb (And Other Stories) plus a whole lot more. According to Nina, Andrew envisioned the spectacular ‘Borderland’ as natural successor to ‘Smokebelch’, his most revered track. When it came to his remix, Nina enlisted renowned viola virtuoso Sarah Sarhandi and composed new harmonies with Pachelbel’s Canon in D Minor in mind.
The set also catches the breakthrough period when, through Nina’s careful coaxing, Andrew started using the computer system she’d set up to better express his musical visions by arranging the elements, grooves and melodies she sent him. Still considered the UK’s greatest DJ-producer, Andrew’s arrangements were inspired by his club-igniting sets. “This allowed me to mix the colours for his palette whilst he was painting the picture,” says Nina. Anamchara straddles the gamut of musical styles explored by W.R.F. at this time, from slower paced psychedelic “drug chug” outings ‘We Two’. ‘Heat To Meat Ratio’, ‘Hidden Watchers Part 1’ to banging acid house and techno sometimes inspired by the violence outside the studio door, including ‘SCHLAP’, ‘Crack-Ed’ and churning acid juggernaut ‘Yacidik’ (“After much dangling of the acid carrot, Andrew took a bite and, after one familiar raised eyebrow, never looked back,” says Nina).
Many tracks fly elements from the enormous sonic library Nina inherited from late partner Erick Legrand that she called The Akashic Library of Sound. Marking Andrew’s 2016 admission into the vault, ‘Rattly Old Puffin’ boasts Erick’s psychedelic guitar and tumbling drum loop Weatherall would run with, including on ‘Borderland’. “Erick was like our third member,” says Nina.
Bringing down the curtain, ‘Alma’’s exquisitely poignant melody that unfolds over thirteen time-stopping minutes was composed by Nina while navigating Erick’s birth and departure date anniversaries to accompany Andrew’s reading from Gordon Burn’s 1991 same-named novel at 2018’s Durham Literary Festival. Burn’s novel imagines early 60s popstrel Alma Cogan, who succumbed to cancer in 1966 surviving to reflect on fame. “Now it just makes me think of Erick. And every time I hear those well-placed cymbal crashes I can only think of the Captain himself.”
A beautiful grand finale for this astonishing selection of pure gold from the vaults.
Kris Needs / 2026

New chapter on the internationally famous labels "Ocean Trax" and "Confidential Records"

“Shake That Brake” an energetic track that blends classic House elements with a modern club sound.

“Late Night” by The Rituals is a vibrant soul/funk/disco track infused with retro flair and modern polish.

Driven by groovy basslines, tight rhythmic patterns, and shimmering disco elements, the song delivers a warm, feel-good energy.

Funky guitar licks and dynamic arrangements blend seamlessly with soulful influences, creating a lively and infectious atmosphere made for the dancefloor.

“Let Me Show Ya” by Memi P & Andrea Tomei is a groovy soul/funk track packed with rhythm and attitude.

Built around a tight bassline and punchy drum patterns, the song delivers an infectious groove that instantly grabs attention.

Funk-driven instrumental touches and smooth vocal elements blend seamlessly, creating a vibrant, feel-good atmosphere rooted in classic soul energy with a contemporary edge.

“You Know How To Love Me” for this track Gianni Bini and Memi P. joins forces to create a new soul-funk anthem perfect for dancefloors all across the world.

With the help from Fatimah Provillon’s rich and expressive vocals this track has a timeless yet modern sound, a perfect fit for nu-disco, funk and soulful dance playlists.

“Feel The Rhythm” by Memi P is a driving house track built around a solid groove and infectious energy.

Steady four-on-the-floor drums, pulsating basslines, and vibrant synth elements create a dynamic club atmosphere.

The track balances rhythmic intensity with catchy vocal touches, delivering a powerful and uplifting vibe designed to move the dancefloor.

the work of BIG|BRAVE is ever-expanding. The trio"s singular masterful sculpting of sonics into songcraft tucks layers of vulnerability into frenetic storms. in grief or in hope is an innovative vision of electro-acoustic sound and emotive storytelling, an endless bounty of overwhelming distortions and devastating beauty. The album marks a shift for BIG|BRAVE towards denser guitar-oriented compositions. With longtime touring bassist Liam Andrews (MY DISCO, Aicher) joining guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie and guitarist Mathieu Ball in the studio for the first time, the pieces are keenly layered with a rich tapestry of harmonics and tonal intricacies. The trio"s instinctual progressions made more vivid through live recording, harnessing the gargantuan and storied sound of their performances. Wattie writes: "All that I could reflect on was grief and hope; death and life; cause and effect; shared experiences of being a human person." The tenth album for the ensemble, in grief or in hope pays homage to their past while looking into their future. Together the trio shift deliver emotional momentum that vividly describes the complex and deep feelings of struggle, pain, and transcendence. in grief or in hope transmits that sense of humanity with every gesture.

the work of BIG|BRAVE is ever-expanding. The trio"s singular masterful sculpting of sonics into songcraft tucks layers of vulnerability into frenetic storms. in grief or in hope is an innovative vision of electro-acoustic sound and emotive storytelling, an endless bounty of overwhelming distortions and devastating beauty. The album marks a shift for BIG|BRAVE towards denser guitar-oriented compositions. With longtime touring bassist Liam Andrews (MY DISCO, Aicher) joining guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie and guitarist Mathieu Ball in the studio for the first time, the pieces are keenly layered with a rich tapestry of harmonics and tonal intricacies. The trio"s instinctual progressions made more vivid through live recording, harnessing the gargantuan and storied sound of their performances. Wattie writes: "All that I could reflect on was grief and hope; death and life; cause and effect; shared experiences of being a human person." The tenth album for the ensemble, in grief or in hope pays homage to their past while looking into their future. Together the trio shift deliver emotional momentum that vividly describes the complex and deep feelings of struggle, pain, and transcendence. in grief or in hope transmits that sense of humanity with every gesture.

Die Musik auf Horse Lords' "Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!" wirkt zugleich unglaublich detailliert und zutiefst menschlich. Die zwölf versammelten Stücke sind vielschichtig, verflochten, tonal und rhythmisch komplex - moiré-artige Muster aus Interaktion und Verzahnung, die sich sowohl körperlich als auch geistig entfalten, voller klanglicher Gänge mit einem unausweichlichen Groove. Künstler sind nicht notwendigerweise Wissenschaftler, Logiker oder spirituelle Führer, doch durch ihr persönliches Verständnis von Ordnung und Erfahrung eröffnen sie einen unmittelbaren Zugang zu gesteigerten Zuständen von Materialität und Immaterialität. Horse Lords wurden 2010 in Baltimore gegründet; sie gingen aus einer anderen Gruppe namens Teeth Mountain hervor und starteten als Trio mit Gitarrist Owen Gardner, Bassist Max Eilbacher und Schlagzeuger Sam Haberman, bevor der Altsaxofonist Andrew Bernstein zum Kernensemble hinzustieß. Obwohl das Quartett aus einer fruchtbaren Noise- und Experimental-Rock-Szene hervorgegangen ist - einem legendären Umfeld für Künstler und Außenseiter, das viele einflussreiche Bands hervorgebracht hat (Lungfish, Matmos) - war ihr Ansatz über sechs Alben, zahlreiche Kollaborationen und als gefeierte Liveband weit vielseitiger, als es die punktierten Rhythmen instrumentaler elektrischer Rockmusik vermuten lassen. Für dieses Projekt wird die Band durch Bassklarinettistin Madison Greenstone, Posaunist Weston Olencki und - erstmals bei Horse Lords - durch Gesang von Nina Guo und Evelyn Saylor ergänzt. Der Entstehungsprozess von "D2BT2HA!" brachte geografische Hürden mit sich, da die vier Mitglieder seit 2021 in unterschiedlichen Städten leben. Nach sechzehn Jahren als funktionierende Band übersteigt ihre gemeinsame Sprache jedoch jeden Ort. Die aus Deutschland stammenden Gardner, Eilbacher und Bernstein trafen sich in Berlin für die Aufnahmen, während Haberman die Schlagzeugparts in Baltimore erarbeitete. Beim Hören würde man dies nicht unbedingt erkennen, und gemeinsames, räumlich getrenntes Arbeiten ist heutzutage ohnehin keine Seltenheit mehr. Die Band merkt an, dass "es wichtiger war, den Konzepten und Visionen der jeweils anderen zu vertrauen, als Abschnitte immer wieder zu spielen, um zu überprüfen, ob die Musik funktioniert - obwohl dieses Vertrauen nur durch sehr enges gemeinsames Arbeiten möglich wurde". Obwohl "D2BT2HA!" nicht im engeren Sinne eine Suite ist, beeinflusst und durchdringt sich die Musik in komplexen Verknüpfungen selbst. Horse Lords erklären: "Uns gefällt die Vorstellung von Kunst als Werkzeug zur Perspektivveränderung - dass man Ideen rotieren kann und sie aus einem anderen Blickpunkt sehen/hören/fühlen kann." Oder, wie es der Swami Satchidananda Saraswati zugeschriebene Satz ausdrückt: "Understanding is standing under where you are already standing." Das Eröffnungsstück ,Eureka 378-B" ist ein Arrangement von sakraler Harfenmusik aus dem 19. Jahrhundert, getragen vom Gesang von Guo und Saylor; seine Melodie entfaltet sich weit und setzt einen tonalen Startpunkt für vieles, was folgt. Dazu kommen die kurzen "Rotations", die Fragmente aus anderen Stücken isolieren. Offensichtlich tragen die Titel der Stücke einiges an Bedeutung, und "D2BT2HA!" bildet da keine Ausnahme - Transzendenz und Erhebung sind der Musik inhärent, und wenn jede Kunst politisch ist, so sind die Tendenzen von Horse Lords optimistisch und gemeinschaftsorientiert. Transformation und Neubetrachtung sind nicht nur kompositorische Strategien, sondern eine philosophische Haltung, was sich in Titeln wie ,A City Yet To Come", dem Titeltrack oder utopischen Bezügen zeigt. Wie sie selbst sagen: "Wir versuchen Musik zu machen, die den Status quo herausfordert und dem Hörer einen Weg zur Befreiung eröffnet. Das Studium und die Erforschung von Klang und Musik hat eine spirituelle und ekstatische Dimension, und wir haben große Ehrfurcht vor ihrer Wirkung auf den Einzelnen und die Welt." "D2BT2HA!" enthält unzählige klangliche und konzeptuelle Schichten, doch angesichts der unverkennbaren Kraft und Menschlichkeit der Musik ist der Prozess, sie zu entschlüsseln, begeisternd und zutiefst lohnend. Selten ist eine Platte, die einen so unmittelbar packt und zugleich bei jedem Hören vollkommen neu erscheint.

Die Musik auf Horse Lords' "Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!" wirkt zugleich unglaublich detailliert und zutiefst menschlich. Die zwölf versammelten Stücke sind vielschichtig, verflochten, tonal und rhythmisch komplex - moiré-artige Muster aus Interaktion und Verzahnung, die sich sowohl körperlich als auch geistig entfalten, voller klanglicher Gänge mit einem unausweichlichen Groove. Künstler sind nicht notwendigerweise Wissenschaftler, Logiker oder spirituelle Führer, doch durch ihr persönliches Verständnis von Ordnung und Erfahrung eröffnen sie einen unmittelbaren Zugang zu gesteigerten Zuständen von Materialität und Immaterialität. Horse Lords wurden 2010 in Baltimore gegründet; sie gingen aus einer anderen Gruppe namens Teeth Mountain hervor und starteten als Trio mit Gitarrist Owen Gardner, Bassist Max Eilbacher und Schlagzeuger Sam Haberman, bevor der Altsaxofonist Andrew Bernstein zum Kernensemble hinzustieß. Obwohl das Quartett aus einer fruchtbaren Noise- und Experimental-Rock-Szene hervorgegangen ist - einem legendären Umfeld für Künstler und Außenseiter, das viele einflussreiche Bands hervorgebracht hat (Lungfish, Matmos) - war ihr Ansatz über sechs Alben, zahlreiche Kollaborationen und als gefeierte Liveband weit vielseitiger, als es die punktierten Rhythmen instrumentaler elektrischer Rockmusik vermuten lassen. Für dieses Projekt wird die Band durch Bassklarinettistin Madison Greenstone, Posaunist Weston Olencki und - erstmals bei Horse Lords - durch Gesang von Nina Guo und Evelyn Saylor ergänzt. Der Entstehungsprozess von "D2BT2HA!" brachte geografische Hürden mit sich, da die vier Mitglieder seit 2021 in unterschiedlichen Städten leben. Nach sechzehn Jahren als funktionierende Band übersteigt ihre gemeinsame Sprache jedoch jeden Ort. Die aus Deutschland stammenden Gardner, Eilbacher und Bernstein trafen sich in Berlin für die Aufnahmen, während Haberman die Schlagzeugparts in Baltimore erarbeitete. Beim Hören würde man dies nicht unbedingt erkennen, und gemeinsames, räumlich getrenntes Arbeiten ist heutzutage ohnehin keine Seltenheit mehr. Die Band merkt an, dass "es wichtiger war, den Konzepten und Visionen der jeweils anderen zu vertrauen, als Abschnitte immer wieder zu spielen, um zu überprüfen, ob die Musik funktioniert - obwohl dieses Vertrauen nur durch sehr enges gemeinsames Arbeiten möglich wurde". Obwohl "D2BT2HA!" nicht im engeren Sinne eine Suite ist, beeinflusst und durchdringt sich die Musik in komplexen Verknüpfungen selbst. Horse Lords erklären: "Uns gefällt die Vorstellung von Kunst als Werkzeug zur Perspektivveränderung - dass man Ideen rotieren kann und sie aus einem anderen Blickpunkt sehen/hören/fühlen kann." Oder, wie es der Swami Satchidananda Saraswati zugeschriebene Satz ausdrückt: "Understanding is standing under where you are already standing." Das Eröffnungsstück ,Eureka 378-B" ist ein Arrangement von sakraler Harfenmusik aus dem 19. Jahrhundert, getragen vom Gesang von Guo und Saylor; seine Melodie entfaltet sich weit und setzt einen tonalen Startpunkt für vieles, was folgt. Dazu kommen die kurzen "Rotations", die Fragmente aus anderen Stücken isolieren. Offensichtlich tragen die Titel der Stücke einiges an Bedeutung, und "D2BT2HA!" bildet da keine Ausnahme - Transzendenz und Erhebung sind der Musik inhärent, und wenn jede Kunst politisch ist, so sind die Tendenzen von Horse Lords optimistisch und gemeinschaftsorientiert. Transformation und Neubetrachtung sind nicht nur kompositorische Strategien, sondern eine philosophische Haltung, was sich in Titeln wie ,A City Yet To Come", dem Titeltrack oder utopischen Bezügen zeigt. Wie sie selbst sagen: "Wir versuchen Musik zu machen, die den Status quo herausfordert und dem Hörer einen Weg zur Befreiung eröffnet. Das Studium und die Erforschung von Klang und Musik hat eine spirituelle und ekstatische Dimension, und wir haben große Ehrfurcht vor ihrer Wirkung auf den Einzelnen und die Welt." "D2BT2HA!" enthält unzählige klangliche und konzeptuelle Schichten, doch angesichts der unverkennbaren Kraft und Menschlichkeit der Musik ist der Prozess, sie zu entschlüsseln, begeisternd und zutiefst lohnend. Selten ist eine Platte, die einen so unmittelbar packt und zugleich bei jedem Hören vollkommen neu erscheint.