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Western Skies Motel, das Instrumental-Musik Projekt des Dänen René Gonzalez Schelbeck veröffentlicht sein viertes Album 'Trails'. Seine Musik wird oft als „Ambient Americana“ beschrieben, widersetzt sich jedoch einem so simplen Etikett. Sie ist eindrucksvoll und atmosphärisch und hat zweifellos musikalische Gemeinsamkeiten mit Künstlern wie Arvo Pärt, Daniel Lanois, den Soundtracks von Nick Cave und Warren Ellis, Grouper, William Basinski und sogar mit dem düsteren Americana-Drone-Rock von Earth, wie René es prägnant ausdrückt: „Ich mag Einfachheit. Weniger Noten und längere Noten.“

The very first Grammy winning artist in Reggae history, MYKAL ROSE is the voice of the greatest days of Black Uhuru. He’s responsible for hit songs such as ’Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner’, ‘Sinsemilla’ or ‘Sponji Reggae’. Thanks to Sly & Robbie, Mykal Rose and Black Uhuru have been a turning point into Reggae history, giving to the four corners of world the raw and brutal sound of Jamaica early 80’s violent political crisis, far from Bob Marley refined and sophisticated music.

40 years after he left the group, Mykal Rose returns with ‘Rain And Blood’, a new single that could have been taken from another Sly & Robbie-produced Black Uhuru album. In a 1986 proto- digital reggae style, Swiss reggae powerhouse THE 18TH PARALLEL recorded an early dancehall-roots-reggae riddim with none other than the legendary Robbie Shakespeare himself on bass. Mixed by today’s finest sound engineer from Jamaica, Gregory Morris (Protoje, Lila Ike, Mortimer,...), ‘Rain And Blood’ combines the best of modern reggae sound with an impeccable groovy riddim inspired from back in the days. On top of this, the finest horns section of the new Jamaican music scene, TOPP BRASS, graces us with a timeless instrumental cut called ‘Red Sky’. This is heavyweight reggae at its best!

Adrian Younge Presents Something About April is quintessential sweet-soul from The Delfonics lead vocalist William Hart produced by Adrian Younge. From the very beginning, it was Younge’s intention to create an old-school Delfonics vibe but offer a very hip-hop-informed perspective. There are distinguishing musical elements that Delfonics fans will recognize, like the electric sitar guitar, the French horn, string arrangements, and the tympani. Recorded and mixed by Adrian Younge at Linear Labs, the preeminent analog studio of Los Angeles, CA

Cindy Lee, Arthur Russell, Viagra Boys, On-U Sound. In the discourse around new albums from singular, world-building artists, the phrase “a big step forward” can often be a blinking red warning sign. You know you’re about to be pulled somewhere new against your will. Inertia is a hell of a thing. It’s nice here. Surely, the party’s not over yet? JJULIUS’ Vol. 3 album is a big step forward, or a step up, out of the murky basement of the preceding two volumes. There’s no time to acclimate. A spindly violin grabs you by the hand and pulls you into the pastoral bounce of “Brinna ut,” which, in spite of its meaning (“Burn out”), creates the kind of blind positivity and warm stomach feeling less cynical people might find in self-help seminars. For us, we have records like this. And, inertia be damned, Vol. 3 has charm like a balm. JJULIUS records have always arrived like meteors from another planet, an impression hammered home by the fact that they’re titled like compendiums of artifacts. And while Vols. 1 and 2 carried that notable tinge of darkness, Vol. 3 has (almost!) cast that shadow, adding elements of disco (“Dödsdisco”) and dream-pop (“Etopisk hallucination”) to his forever favorites Arthur Russell, African Head Charge, and The Fall. Some of that new car smell could be attributed to a change in process. Each song was written over beats played by Tor Sjödén of the wild-eyed Stockholm group Viagra Boys, beats that were themselves inspired by tracks from the likes of Patrick Cowley, CAN, Count Ossie, Black Devil Disco Club and others that Julius would send to him as inspiration. Unless you’re Mark E. Smith, fervor fades. Eventually we all crave a lie down in some nice grass, a few minutes to gaze at the sky and wonder if everything is actually all that bad. Vol. 3 gives you 35 of those respiting minutes. “No looking back, no misery, no talking trash, no enemies.”

Repressed LP on Neon Orange Vinyl. “ESG's fusion of sweet soul and punk attitude with an intuitive understanding of dance music remains.” The Guardian “This is still funk with an alien otherworldliness the likes of which George Clinton never envisioned, stripped to its barest essentials for maximum impact.” All Music “ESG are as cool as ever.” The Guardian Pumping their way out of the South Bronx of New York in the early 80s, this rhythm and dance-punk outfit made unforgettable funk that was also unusually rooted in post-punk. This powerhouse of raw and cutting edge music ultimately made them ahead of their time. ESG enjoyed success sharing stages with PiL and Gang Of Four and have been heavily sampled as many musicians including TLC, Wu-Tang Clan, Beastie Boys and Liars.

For Nottingham quartet Divorce, home is a feeling. Initially meeting as teenagers through the city’s close-knit DIY scene, the band – completed by members Tiger Cohen-Towell (vocals / bass), Felix Mackenzie-Barrow (vocals / guitar), Adam Peter Smith (guitar / synth) and Kasper Sandstrøm (drums) - came together as Divorce in mid-2021, releasing a slew of genre-defiant singles that quickly caught the attention of tastemakers the world over. Sonically rich and lyrically open-hearted, 'Drive to Goldenhammer' sees Divorce assemble a shelter for themselves amid the chaos and leave the front door open to everyone. This album pays homage to seeking place and home; one of the great human levellers. Much of life feels at odds with this particular need. And to Goldenhammer; you are a reason to keep driving. We will find you again and again! Gatefold vinyl includes 12” lyric booklet including photos, thank yous and lyrics

2025 marks the return of Cologne-based electronic outfit Urban Homes with their first new music in over eight years, following an unintentional hiatus driven by side projects, relocations, the pandemic, and the unpredictability of »life.« After over eight years, the duo is back with their first new material: a fresh batch of purely instrumental downtempo and dub-influenced tracks, marked by a somber and atmospheric vibe that distinctly separates this new material from their previous work. Inspired by themes of extraterrestrial life and the paranormal, the four new tracks compiled on the »U.F.O.« EP release were crafted during recording sessions split between Cologne and Berlin before languishing for years on neglected hard drives, finally »ripening« into their current form.

Formed in 2008, Urban Homes initially emerged as a post-punk group, debuting live in 2009. Their first release—a four-track demo tape recorded in late 2010—already hinted at an evolving sound that would soon embrace a more experimental and electronic direction. By 2011, the band swapped their live drums for a drum machine, a shift that would profoundly shape their sound in the years to follow. Over the years, Urban Homes has explored a broad sonic landscape, merging electronic production, rhythm-driven compositions, and experimental song structures. Drawing influences from early house, balearic, disco, dub, avant-garde electronica, and pop, their music continues to defy easy categorization.

In March 2013, the duo released their debut album »Centres«, earning the Pop NRW Prize for Best Newcomers that same year. Their 2016 follow-up, »Jams«, was met with critical acclaim. A love letter to dance music's roots, Jams fused pop sensibilities with open-ended experimentation, built from years of MIDI-driven jam sessions that were painstakingly edited and reconstructed. Both released by Altin Village & Mine, »Jams« was also licensed by the Japanese label Fennely / Moorworks for an exclusive CD edition in 2017. Over the years, Urban Homes supported their releases with numerous tours and festival appearances across Germany and a memorable tour of Japan in 2017.

"At the end of the day, a new one begins. Sometimes dust covers the wounded human spirits, nebulizing their ambitious world with melancholy from some far place. Today we met and melded our emotions. Improvisation is the art of becoming sound. Loose lyrics on Hollywood dreams, galaxy economy, and algorithm poetry, banned and warped in drama industrial, synth-journey-music, ghost pop, anger electronics, and analogue deserts. Improvised recording sessions for epochs where head liquefies the concrete. It’s all about fashion, now, that we have recession. Dressed to kill with murder fabrics. The anger of the machines. The happiness in their language. Inkasso & ML asked themselves"

The industrial treasure chest of Laurent Petitgand & Thierry Mérigout Geins’t Naït unit gets a third and final archival jag, playing to a spectrum of styles from misfit tape cut-ups to sludgy grooves and trampling sidewinds of the filthiest, sickest calibre.

The three volumes mining the Geins’t Naït Archive have parsed some 40 years of work for the most potent industrial blatz, culminating in some of the gnarliest and richest tackle on this final volume. As also highlighted on releases via Vladimir Ivkovic’s Offen Music label, it’s hard to fully surmise Geins’t Naït’s oeuvre, but you kinda know it when it hits. It’s industrial, or more specifically post-industrial, in the classic sense of everything after Throbbing Gristle and their famous label; buzzing with atonality and often heavily rhythm-driven, but not necessarily built for the club. In some senses, it's adjacent to freakier ‘floors in a way shared by the likes of Bourbonese Qualk or Din A Testbild, likeminded miscreants who emerged in TG’s shadow during the ‘80s.

‘Archives 3/3’ opens with a particularly Gallic slant on the paradigm in ‘Michel’, and shells a slew of thee crankiest gear that shares a certain tone and thrust toward trippy abstraction with Anne Gillis. ‘Abstrac 2’ finds them speaking in ogreish tongues on an uncanny waltz, before dialling up the pomp with near-EBM levels of muscularity and fanfare on ‘Poiro’, and unleashing reverse-looped heck like a La Peste joint in ‘GN is Good For You’. The keening pulse and nose attack of ‘Rappel’ reminds us of CHBB, and the evil slug of ‘Hate’ feels summoned from Parisian catacombs, whilst ‘Wladimir’ stands out for its phosphorous synth burn and prototypical Él-G poetry, leaving ‘Base Cour’ to souse the senses in distortion and barnyard squabble.

Stockholm, Sweden quintet Sudakistan return with a brand new double A-sided 7" featuring "Automaton" and "Quiero Ser Tu Perro", a Spanish language translation of The Stooges' classic "I Wanna Be Your Dog". The 7" single is released on May 24 with "Quiero Ser Tu Perro" arriving digitally on March 8 ahead of the band's US debut at SXSW 2019. Featuring the band's trademark blend of punk, garage rock, psychedelia and latino rhythms "Quiero Ser Tu Perro" finds bassist Maikel Gonzalez taking on lead vocals.

Find all the titles that influenced one of the greatest rock band of all times, on a double vinyl. With: B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Muddy Waters, Sonny By Williamson I... The tracklist was made up by the journalist Lionel Eskenazi, who is a true specialist of the what many consider as the best rock band ever

In late 2023, Tokyo-based musician, Daigo Sakuragi, temporarily relocated to London, where he revisited material recorded with fellow Japanese musicians in Tokyo, drawing inspiration from the city’s energy, music, and atmosphere. This new perspective culminated in Togenkyo, a 28-minute work blending early 2000s folktronica and contemporary ambient styles. Sakuragi crafts immersive sonic textures with synthesisers and spatial production, while the organic groove of drums and bass anchors the piece, subtly inviting physical movement. Floating above this foundation, the saxophone weaves through the soundscape, leading the music with an elegant yet exploratory presence.

The session took place at aLive recording studio in Tokyo, with the following personnel:

Daigo Sakuragi: synthesiser, guitar, post-production
Jinya Ichikawa: bass
Shoei Ikeda: saxophone
Kazuya Ooi: drums

The lineup reflects a network of notable Japanese artists: Ichikawa, Sakuragi’s longtime collaborator in D.A.N.; Ikeda, known for his work with Maya Ongaku; and Ooi, a drummer for yahyel.

Sakuragi is best known for his band project D.A.N., where he contributes vocals, guitar, and production alongside bassist Jinya Ichikawa and drummer Teru Kawakami. Since its formation in 2014, D.A.N. has gained recognition for their unique fusion of indie rock/pop, dub, and electronic music. Under his solo moniker Daigos, Sakuragi explores electronic dance music through DJing and production, experimenting with Eurorack modules and samples in a refined, microscopic aesthetic. Recently, his creative output has expanded into diverse fields, including advertisements, artist collaborations, and films.

The term Togenkyo resonates with the concept of utopia, yet it diverges—it does not symbolise a flawless paradise but rather an attainable state of peace within oneself. Sakuragi reflects on finding his own Togenkyo in London, far from his hometown of Tokyo. The EP brings a sense of comfort and calm, reminding listeners that such a space exists not far from reach.

In 2016, Cliche Morph offered the aquatic textures of "Liquid Materia". "Hidden Madness" is the return and a new beginning. Four tracks of intense introspection mark a collaboration and a founding, Deep Sound Channel and Postdynamic. Atmospheric and immersive, from the needle drop the listener is immediately drawn into the subterranean chambers of this cerebral piece. A stark beat is the guide rope, a snare that echoes and ricochets into the cavernous expanse of cold currents and all too real phantoms. Feeding off that palpable paranoia, Psyk pours a thick resonating syrup over the original before pulling the switch. Darkness descends, distortion and reverb dominate with a steady kick delivering some form of solid ground. Respite? No hope. Pound and thud tell the arrival of "Exorcist". Industrial groans and a clanking larynx are cut through by haunting strings, a meagre echo of humanity in this absorbing and unsettling track. Blazej Malinowski closes. Drum patterns are amplified and concentrated in the producer's purge of "Exorcist", hi-hats hissing as the spectral refrains of the original shift in shape and form. A 12" that plumbs the physical and the psychological depths of sound.

"The title track here ebbs and flows in and out of Amen break cascades, as the drones hovering beneath give a sense of flying through an electrical storm. Dooky' is better still, its sparser rhythm recalling Reinforced stalwart Paradox in its ability to be simultaneously woody and ultra-digital, human and alien." THE WIRE

Those who are aware of dgoHn will by now be familiar with his sound and those who aren't should be. Back with his third single on Love Love, the drum maestro makes skin prickle once again with two shining original tracks laced with impeccable moments. Only dgoHn can create the kind of drum and bass that sounds like the tightest of ensembles playing meticulously rehearsed arrangements, painting intricate shapes with the percussion.

The title track takes a fresh look at the amen break, finding ways to breathe new life into it. Soaring above the clouds on thick warm pads, the drums thunder with a blissful rage propelled forwards by a rumbling bassline.

On the B-side 'Dooky' serves up a dgoHn masterclass in spatial control that could well be a future-classic of his. A formidable groove with serious punch, hi-hats skip along as the delicate balance of frequencies gives the listener just enough headspace not to get lost in the deep, dark world it creates. A subtle demonstration of tension and release, this single floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee whilst dripping with funk.

Lastly, Rognvald switches up the title track with a jam that triples the edits and doubles the bass, tipping the scales from the side of restraint to that of chaos without losing the feel of the original. Artwork once again provided by Colin 'Snublic' McCallister.

Formed in the anonymous town of Watford, northwest of London, in 1980, atmospheric quintet Sad Lovers and Giants was part of the bourgeoning post-punk scene. With a barely perceptible undercurrent of paisley psychedelia, the group’s jangling guitars, eerie keyboards, subdued beats, and brooding vocals put them somewhere between the Chameleons, Echo and the Bunnymen and early Cure. Epic Garden Music was the debut release on Nick Ralph’s Midnight Music label and this expanded edition comes with five bonus tracks taken from their first three singles – a must for all SLG fans and post-punk devotees.

Music to Watch Seeds Grow By continues its series of plant-inspired soundscapes with new work from Pittsburgh-based sound artist Davis Galvin. This composition focuses on the Delphinium Elatum, capturing the quiet drama of this striking perennial through carefully constructed ambient textures.

Where their previous work explored the complex electronic territories of the outer technoid reaches, here Galvin turns their attention to the subtle processes of plant growth. The piece unfolds gradually, much like the Delphinium's own journey from seed to flowering plant. Gentle drones and atmospheric elements mirror the plant's various growth stages, from its initial emergence to its ascent to heights of up to two metres. You heard it here first.

The music creates an environment for contemplation, designed specifically for the moments of sowing and tending to these magnificent plants. Galvin's approach, as with all things they turn their ear to, emphasises patience and attention to detail, qualities essential to both gardening and deep listening.

After his father and other close relatives died in a short period, singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Asa Horvitz wanted a musical language to evoke our metaphysical and tangible experiences with loss. Horvitz and a team of friends assembled a dataset of over 150 texts from throughout history that dealt with grief and fed them through a custom Natural Language Processing AI system. Based on the cryptic text that resulted, they created a music-theatre production which toured in Europe and is presented here as a series of standout recordings from the project’s long genesis. GHOST’s compositions started as vocal improvisations led by Horvitz and bassist/singer-songwriter Carmen Quill, accompanied by Ariadne Randall and Bryan West (processing, synths, viola da gamba, etc). Later, Horvitz’s uncle—esteemed pianist and composer Wayne Horvitz—interpolated additional passages. Recalling (at turns) Robert Ashley’s spoken-word operas, Arthur Russell’s vaporous pop song, medieval music, outre hip-hop, and the undulations of Einstein on the Beach, the music remains soulful despite its partially systematized means of production. GHOST derives its strength from its empathetic perspective, tracking the tidal patterns that underpin our grief without attempting to fabricate their logic.

– Winston Cook Wilson

First things first - you don’t need me to tell you about the significance of Australia in the history of punk. I mean, what am I, Jon Savage? Google it yourself, FFS. Instead, let’s just agree that the speedy, feral racket thrown together by the likes of The Saints, Radio Birdman and The Scientists in the mid-late ‘70s is AT LEAST as deliriously entertaining as anything concocted by their UK/US counterparts, sowing the seeds for seemingly endless garage-inflected noisemakers in the land down under. No one likes using words like ‘tradition’ or ‘heritage’ here - the punk rock clusterbomb is far too messy for any of that business - but also emerging from Australian rock’s primordial soup is the addictive sneer of Stiff Richards. Like their predecessors, the band are a gleefully wracked mess of full throttle energy and barrelling power chords, with songs like ‘Kids Out On The Grass’ and ‘Point of You’ proving at least the equal of ‘(I’m) Stranded’ or ‘Aloha Steve And Danno’. Nine tracks in less than 30 minutes, all winners and all determined to leave you flipping over couches and smashing your TV set. And let’s face it, you may as well; there’s nothing good on. It all builds towards frantic closer ‘Fill In The Blanks’, which rattles around your speakers like the UK Subs trying to play Ed Kuepper riffs at the centre of an earthquake, before grinding to a halt as a voice says, “That’s the one.” Does it sound self-satisfied? Hey, it’s got good reason to - this is the best no-frills garage rock party since Gino & The Goons’ ‘Do The Get Around’, and the only appropriate response is to declare yourself betrothed to Stiff Richards because you can’t imagine your life without ‘em. Don’t believe me? Sort out your ears and get ‘State Of Mind’ in ‘em. Rock’n’roll as it’s supposed to be played.

Sanam is a free-rock post-folk sextet consisting of Sandy Chamoun, Antonio Hajj Moussa, Farah Kaddour, Anthony Sahyoun, Pascal Semerdjian and Marwan Tohme. The group first formed as part of a performance with Hans Joachim Irmler from the legendary German experimental group Faust, at the Irtijal music festival. Their music and performances are akin to a ritual, a marriage and an exorcism of traditional Egyptian song/Arabic poetry and improvised rock, free jazz and noise. They recorded their first albumAykathani Malakonin a traditional house in the village of Saqi Reshmaya, which was then mixed by Radwan Ghazi Mounmeh (Jersualem In My Heart).