quête:b flow

Classic black 2LP in gatefold! "Her darkest, heaviest and most personal album yet . . . a haunting, doomy exercise in loud-quiet dynamics." Rolling Stone Sleep paralysis plagues singer/songwriter Chelsea Wolfe, and that strange intersection of the conscious and the unconscious has inadvertently manifested itself within her work. Across the span of her first four albums, there is an underlying tension, a distorted and nebulous territory where dark shadows hover along the edges of the sublime and the graceful. But until now, Wolfe's trials and tribulations with the boundaries between dreams and reality have only been a subconscious influence on her work. With her fifth album, Abyss, she deliberately confronts those boundaries and crafts a score to that realm she describes as the "hazy afterlife. an inverted thunderstorm. the dark backward. the abyss of time." Chelsea Wolfe's material has always felt intensely private, from the almost voyeuristic bedroom-production aesthetic of her debut album The Grime and the Glow to the stark themes and atmospheres of 2013's Pain Is Beauty. "Abyss is meant to have the feeling of when you're dreaming, and you briefly wake up, but then fall back asleep into the same dream, diving quickly into your own subconscious," says Wolfe. To conjure this in-between world, Wolfe continued her ongoing collaboration with multi-instrumentalist and co-writer Ben Chisholm and drummer Dylan Fujioka, with Ezra Buchla brought on board to play viola and Mike Sullivan (Russian Circles) enlisted to contribute guitar. The ensemble traveled to Dallas, TX to record with producer John Congleton (Swans, St. Vincent). In the back of her mind burned the words of designer Yohji Yamamoto: "Perfection is ugly. Somewhere in the things humans make, I want to see scars, failure, disorder, distortion." The resulting eleven songs reflect that philosophy as they smoulder with human frailty, intimacy, quiet passion, anxiety, and deep longing. "Sleep and dream issues have followed me my whole life," remarks Wolfe as she revisits notes from the writing and recording sessions. In a way, these issues have become a part of Chelsea Wolfe's identity, for whom the notion of sleep as an escape has been subverted. Abyss captures this dichotomy, this battle between the soothing and the upsetting, and demonstrates why Chelsea Wolfe has become one of the most intriguing songwriters of the decade.

Die Singer/Songwriterin CHELSEA WOLFE leidet unter Schlafparalyse und es ist die seltsame Verbindung zwischen dem Bewussten und dem Unbewussten, die sich ganz unfreiwillig in ihrer Arbeit manifestiert. Über ihre ersten vier Alben hinweg herrscht eine untergründige Spannung, ein verzerrtes und nebulöses Territorium, in dem dunkle Schatten über die das Himmlische und Grazile huschen. Bisher waren die persönliche Kämpfe WOLFEs mit den Grenzen zwischen Traum und Realität nur ein unterbewusster Einfluss auf ihre Arbeit. Mit ihrem fünften Album, "Abyss", konfrontiert sie die Grenzen zum ersten Mal offen und erschafft eine Filmmusik zu dem, was sie "Das verschwurbelte Nachleben. Ein umgekehrtes Gewitter. Die düstere Rückwärtsbewegung. Den Abgrund der Zeit." nennt. Das Material von CHELSEA WOLFE hat sich schon immer extrem privat angefühlt; von der fast schon voyeuristisch anmutenden Schlafzimmerproduktion ihres Debüts "The Grime And The Glow" bis zur schroffen Atmosphäre von "Pain Is Beauty" von 2013. "Abyss fängt diese Zweischneidigkeit ein, diesen Kampf zwischen dem Beruhigenden und der Erschütterung, und demonstriert damit, warum CHELSEA WOLFE eine der faszinierendsten Songwriterinnen dieses Jahrzehnts ist. Ltd 2LP im Klappcover "Her darkest, heaviest and most personal album yet . . . a haunting, doomy exercise in loud-quiet dynamics." Rolling Stone 2015

She Hangs Brightly ist das Debütalbum des Gitarristen Dave Roback und der Sängerin Hope Sandoval.
Es wurde 1990 veröffentlicht und ist eine unglaubliche Mischung aus Dream-Pop und vielschichtigen
psychedelischem Rock. Auf dem Album finden sich Songs wie „Halah“, „Ride It On“ und „Be My Angel“
und es erscheint auf schwarzer Vinyl.

The Black Keys - 13. Studioalbum mit der Hitsingle „The Night Before“ sowie „No Rain, No Flowers“ und „Babygirl“. In Zusammenarbeit mit ikonischen Songwritern wie Rick Nowels, Daniel Tashian und dem legendären Keyboarder Scott Storch hat die GRAMMY-gekrönte Band aus Ohio ihr bisher ehrgeizigstes und abenteuerlichstes Album geschaffen, das die weitreichenden, eklektischen musikalischen Einflüsse des Duos miteinander verflechtet.

Simmer Pine, a five-member indie pop band known for its nostalgic, somewhat sad melodies and floating sound, has released their long-awaited first record with "Bubble" featuring a light ska-like rhythm and dreamy guitar.


"Bubble," included on Side A, is a song that draws you into Simmer Pine's unique lyrical worldview, with a light ska-like rhythm and a hazy, dreamy guitar sound that blendstogether comfortably. It evokes the feeling that past seasons and nostalgic scenery suddenly come back to life in the midst of the gently flowing time.

On the other hand, "milkshake" on Side B is a complete contrast, with a refreshing guitar riff in the intro that runs through it, making it a perfect song for the summer atmosphere.

The pop and light finish makes you want to listen to it with the windows open on a sunny afternoon. Simmer Pine's freshness and openness can be felt throughout the song.

This is a must-have album for both those who are experiencing their music for the first time and long-time fans alike, as it will gently accompany you through the seasons.

The warm sound quality that only analog can provide will bring out the delicate expressions of the songs even more

Hamburg-born composer, pianist and producer Niklas Paschburg announces his latest project, 'Mexican Alps' EP due for release on July 11th. 'La Hormiga' is a rhythmic exploration of life in motion. Pulsing beats and textured synths create forward momentum, echoing the journey through the winding paths of Oaxaca's mountainous surroundings, where tradition and nature intertwine. 'Mexican Alps' combines inspirations gathered from the picturesque mountains of southern Mexico and the majestic peaks of the Swiss Alps. The EP is a mesmerizing journey through those landscapes; drawing inspiration from nature's grandeur and the vibrancy of Día de los Muertos, Niklas blends electronic textures, atmospheric samples, and innovative instrumentation to create a soundscape that is both grounding and transcendent. Without relying on his signature piano, this EP explores new creative territories, evoking deep emotional resonance and moments of introspection. -- If his first album, 'Oceanic '(2018), was conceived as an ode to the Baltic Sea, for his next release, 'Svalbard' (2020), produced with Andy Barlow of Lamb, the Hamburg-born musician, now a Berliner by adoption, sought refuge on an island in the Arctic Ocean, surrounded by snow, ice, darkness and breathtaking landscapes. This time, however, the setting is completely different. "It all started with an invitation to play at a festival in Oaxaca," Niklas says. "Since I had never been to Latin America, I began considering how to take advantage of the opportunity to stay for a while and write something there. I started looking for houses, but I quickly realized it was almost impossible to find one with a piano—it's not a common instrument in Mexican culture. I thought, why not try immersing myself in a writing process that doesn't involve one? I was so excited about the idea that I jumped in." 'Mexican Alps' is the result of a challenge in which Paschburg harnessed his collection of synths and effects to create an ambient-electronic record. On the one hand, an evolution of the work primarily carried out in 'Svalbard' and 'Panta Rhei'; on the other hand, an episode in its own right, distinct from its predecessors due to the absence of the piano and the greater role played by improvisation, by coincidence, it became his first work created without his signature instrument. "Not having the opportunity to write chords, harmonies, and everything else on the piano, I improvised more, focusing on the sound. This was the approach I used to record demos in Mexico, which I then brought with me to Switzerland, where I carried on working on the EP. In addition to my usual setup (the OB-6 by Dave Smith and Tom Oberheim and the OP-1 by Teenage Engineering, plus my ever-beloved Hohner accordion, inherited from my grandfather), I was also guided by the purchase of a new Moog Matriarch with a unique delay. All this helped me build the sound I had in mind: a spacious, abstract, 3D sound that is definitely immersive." He expands. It is an emotional landscape that translates into music. In some of the tracks, Paschburg has also included field recordings collected during the Día de los Muertos, a deeply felt Mexican holiday: "A great celebration, a colorful parade of skeletons, skulls, flowers, and decorated altars, so engaging and intoxicating that I felt compelled to use its sounds in my music." It was precisely from this blend of influences that the fourth track, "Oaxaca de Juárez", emerged—a single characterized by a catchy funk procession and enhanced by the guitar work of Tal Arditi, a rising European jazz artist and singer-songwriter based between Basel and Berlin. 'Mexican Alps' is his new calling card, featuring an enveloping sound crafted by Paschburg in collaboration with Gijs van Klooster, who mixed the EP in a studio specifically designed for Atmos music. Mastering was handled by Bo Kondren at Calyx Studio in Berlin.

veins syncopating under your skin
not knowing how or from where
it washes over us, just that it stretches
light bulbs crashing in a storm slender
waxy petals of a wild plant splitting

gazing at a nocturnal ocean, ill-met by moonlight
this is where you spend your time
the taste of tangy citrus on your tongue
the pounding of familiar tools
sculpting deeper
the echoing of distant futures
in your ears

—
Ramble is the debut LP on vinyl from experimental electronic musician Sebastiano Carghini. An ambient-no-ambient journey, his sound art unfolds like a fractured memory loop—where degraded tape hiss, layered textures, drifting echoes, and minimalist pulses dissolve into a liminal, ever-shifting landscape of sonic perception. It is released by adventurous electronic music label topo2 on July 11, 2025. The record is pressed on 180 grams of ICCS-certified minty-ice colored bio-vinyl, housed in a heavy full-colour sleeve, and comes with a download-code to the full release. Mastering is done by Ike Zwanikken, artwork by courtesy of Tjobo Kho, and poetry written by Eelco Couvreur.

ROMEs viertes Studioalbum „Flowers from Exile“, ursprünglich 2009 veröffentlicht, nimmt zweifellos einen ganz besonderen Ehrenplatz in ROMEs umfangreichen Gesamtwerk ein und ist bis dato eines der wichtigsten wie auch beliebtesten Alben der Band. Als der damalige Co-Produzent und Tontechniker Patrick Damiani - der zudem als Musiker und Arrangeur an dem Album beteiligt war - Frontmann Jerome Reuter darauf ansprach, die Originalspuren auszugraben und die Aufnahmen in neuem Gewand aufzuarbeiten, war die Versuchung verständlicherweise sehr groß, das Meisterwerk mit frischen Ohren und aktualisierter Technik neu zu entdecken.

Viele Jahre nach den ursprünglichen Sessions waren Reuter und Damiani über die räumliche Tiefe der Aufnahmen und der klanglichen Breite des einst aufgenommenen Materials erstaunt. Sie erkannten, dass diese wegweisenden Aufnahmen aus den Anfangsjahren von ROME mit einem neuen Ansatz und aktualisierten Mischtechniken zu etwas wahrhaft Einzigartigem ausgebaut werden könnte. Mit großer Ehrfurcht und allem gebotenen Respekt vor dem Album und dessen ursprünglichen Sound, näherten sich beide Schritt für Schritt an den Klassiker heran und hoben in minuziöser Kleinstarbeit die einzelnen Originalspuren aus dem Sand der Zeit. So entstand nach monatelanger, detailversessener Arbeit „Flowers from Exile – Revisited“, welches den magischen Moment in der Frühgeschichte der Band zu neuer Größe (wieder-)erblühen lässt, ohne dabei die Essenz des fulminanten Originalwerks aus den Augen zu verlieren.

Die zwölf Songs des Albums entführen den Hörer auf eine atemberaubende Reise über ideologische Gräben hinweg, in die Zeit des Spanischen Bürgerkriegs und dessen Folgen - auch für einen Teil von Reuters Familie.

Erhältlich als:
- Digipak
- Schwarzes, 180 Gramm schweres 12“ Vinyl, Extra audiophiler Tonträger von hoher Qualität - deutsche Pressung, Stabile Kastentasche, Innenhülle mit allen Songtexten, Limitiert auf 500 Exemplare

The ‘Split EP’ is a collaborative release with James Hayford and BiggaBush, as well as labels Filtered Deluxe and Tru Thoughts Recordings.

The collaboration commenced several years back, when Glyn ‘Bigga’ Bush reached out to James (known for his Shoes Edits series), one conversation led to the next, and a remix exchange was initiated.

In 2022, James contributed a remix to BiggaBush’s ‘A Different Style’ remix collection, released on Tru Thoughts Recordings - followed by Bigga’s version of James Hayford’s ‘Flower Of Thy Womb’, released via Filtered Deluxe Recordings in the spring of 2025.

The ‘Split EP’ is presented as a vinyl-only release, including the previously unreleased ‘Come To Crunch’ by
BiggaBush.

-

James Hayford is a sample-based producer best known for his unparalleled series of Shoes edits (feat. Al Green, Miles Davis, Roy Ayer, and more), plus remixes released under his own Shoes and Plimsoll labels - as well as for the Numero Group.
James continues to release original downtempo and leftfield dance music on labels Filtered Deluxe Recordings, and Growroom Productions.

Glyn ‘Bigga’ Bush launched his career as half of Rockers Hi-Fi, and co-founded the Magic Drum Orchestra. He’s
released as BiggaBush and Lightning Head through the ever-evolving Tru Thoughts Recordings, and many more.
His influences range from afrobeat, dub and funk, to library music and soundtracks - as well as electronic, Latin, and jazz music.

The incredible story that began with The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet (TMMS) now enters an exciting new chapter: Skyscraper, the debut album by FEX.

Skyscraper features ten original tracks recorded in the early to mid-1980s-carefully re-transferred, remastered, and brought back to life. The album cover, designed by Darius S., brings the story full circle. Darius is the very person who preserved the now-iconic track Subways of Your Mind by recording it from NDR radio in the mid-80s. Without him, FEX may never have been discovered.

FEX's debut opens with its namesake, Skyscraper-a brooding, previously unreleased track the band once described as part of their "psychedelic phase." With haunting synth-helicopter textures and deep guitar riffs, it immediately sets the tone and raises tension.

The release flows naturally into the energetic and fully remastered studio version of Subways of Your Mind. This version of the TMMS - re-discovered on the "yellow label tape" by Reddit user Marijn-was long believed to be from a smaller home studio, but was actually recorded in November 1984 at Hawkeye Studios in Ganderkesee, near Hamburg.

Goldrush, first teased in raw form on FEX's YouTube channel, bends toward mechanical rhythm and shimmering synths, a snapshot of the band's experiments with programmed drum machine sound. Rückwardt's lyrics point to greed and criticizes materialism, and while the music leans toward pop sensibilities, it carries a raw, fractured edge.

Heart in Danger and I've Got My Eyes On You offer contrasting experiences-one rooted in classic post-punk tension, the other floating in melodic synth layers. The latter in particular feels like a fragment from a parallel radio history: a precise and one of a kind synth pop love song with a progressive touch.

From a rehearsal tape comes Dirty Slapstick, its urgency intact. Missing keyboard parts were later reconstructed by Michael Hädrich using his original DX7 synthesizer-recovering lost elements without rewriting the past. The lyrics take a wry look at forced optimism. Also included are the songs Talking Hands, Jenny and Strange Feeling, the latter being a slower blues-tinged cut, revealing yet another facet of the band's reach and Rückwardt's songwriting diversity.

The album closes where the legend began-with the original radio recording of Subways of Your Mind from Darius' cassette. This version of The Most Mysterious Song features alternate vocal effects, contributing to the track's enigmatic aura. Digitally transferred using a high-end Revox machine and carefully remastered, it now has its long-deserved official release.

The cover features a photo of the Eichenberg Bunker in Kiel-one of FEX's original rehearsal spaces and a symbolic monument to their sonic legacy.

Mansur Brown präsentiert seine bisher authentischste und ehrlichste Arbeit. "Rihla" ist das arabische Wort für Reise, kann sich aber auch auf Texte über die Reise beziehen. Auf dieser erlebt man einen Künstler in vollem Flow, der sich Trends widersetzt und Musik macht, die sich keinem Genre verpflichtet fühlt. Im neuen Kapitel liefert Mansur erstmals eigene Vocals, begleitet von einer härteren Rock-Unterströmung, ohne dabei seine typisch melodische Essenz zu verlieren. Anklänge an Elektronik und R&B mit Sci-Fi-artigen Synths strahlen lebendige Bilder aus. Die Gitarre bleibt das Herzstück seiner Musik, aber bei weitem nicht die einzige Komponente. In seinen Rollen als Songwriter, Produzent und Multiinstrumentalist prägt der Geist der Eigenständigkeit alles, was Mansur tut. Zuvor arbeitete er mit Yussef Dayes, Joy Orbison und Little Simz zusammen.

Salamanda is the collaborative alias of South Korean producer/DJ duo, and close friends, Uman Therma (Sala) and Yetsuby (Manda). Together they create avant-garde electronic music inspired by minimalist concepts, harmonious rhythms and the work of American composer Steve Reich.

Across the eight tracks of Sphere, their debut for Small Méasures, the pair conjure spherical worlds inspired by bubbles, refracting light and planet earth. Soundscapes laden with percussive elements ebb and flow as arpeggiated stanzas cede to misty synths and shimmering plates, conjuring images of solitary temples sat in vast open plateaus.

“For Sphere, we came up with an abstract concept and image to explore more diversity and encourage imagination. Each track is related to different kinds of sphere we found or imagined. From the big round planet embracing every creature to dancing little bubbles underwater, fragments of ideas floating around, exploding tomatoes, and movement of lights flashing and tickling the eyes…

Or the tracks can be about completely different types of spheres in other people's perspective. We hope Sphere can unleash the imagination and take you on a delightful journey of music.’’

On his brand new studio effort Styles P proves his key to success has always been consistency. The born in Corona, raised in Yonkers, NY native has really worked harder than most to earn the name GOAT, and by naming his album “S.P. The GOAT: Ghost Of All Time” you know he’s not bragging about it, in fact he’s getting his flowers while he’s alive from Hip Hop connoisseurs who know fire bars when they hear them. With productions by Vinny Idol, Termanology, Dayzel the Machine, and Noah Idol among others and guest appearances by Sheek Louch, Jadakiss, Nino Man, Fame of M.O.P, Whispers and Cris Streetz, the legendary LOX and D-Block member proves once again he’s aging like fine wine.

This new "Experimental Chapter" by DJ Narciso comes as no surprise, really. Autonomous in the motorization of his music, pushing for progress within the framework of an undeniable (inescapable?) heritage. Twisting and bending sound every step of the way, Narciso definitely keeps in touch with the dancefloor, offering the always much needed transcendence through distinctive, non-linear melodies and patterns. The artist pursues a direct link with bodies in motion but seldom in the expected, institutionalized way club culture is being largely promoted.

This is challenging dance music, proud statements of difference. Narciso's previous record was named "Diferenciado". Now we get "Dificuldades", a track that simultaneously carries the weight of being somewhat odd and the difficulties of life. Check how the piano is venting, freestyle, communicating a feeling, and then lets itself get stuck in a loop, but that's exactly when the groove really starts flowing. And then another layer. It's like direct speech.

A common assertion of pride is found in the origin of the artists. The ghetto as a place where any transformation projects more power precisely because of... inherent difficulties. As others (including himself) did in more or less obvious ways, Narciso clearly states "I come from the ghetto" ( "Não Sabes" ). Twice the value. At least. Almost every segment of music in this album ends up sounding heavily emotional, reaffirming what may be - perversely - a well-known characteristic of Portuguese music: melancholy.

"Não Quero" begins side B as a march maybe more significant than a thousand words, such is the ominous tone of its texture. Next track is another lunar tarraxo, pulling down the shades. Then, "Dor de Barriga" lets things loose again, steering clearly off road, shouting this way and that until a peaceful resolution comes. In "Livra-me Desta", vocal snippets blend into synth snippets, disembodied voices abandon all traces of humanity and finally mutate into different entities that, towards the end, again sound vaguely human but now we find ourselves doubting. Closer "Bob" is a rather classic percussion track with plenty of echo, reverb and an unconscious nod to dodecaphonic music. Unlikely? No, the structural ADN of this music is made up of elements western and eastern, southern and northern. To say all-over-the-place is usually not flattering but in this case the expression translates as wonder, surprise, The Unexpected, and reveals Narciso perfectly at ease inside the nucleus of creation.

Anile returns with his first release since the 2019 No Code. Ceremonial represents a welcome return for the UK based producer. The 4 track EP reflects the varied style of the producer who has previously released albums on Hospital Records imprint ‘Med School’ as well as releases on The North Quarter and this represents the return to footnotes.

An understated return avoiding the over exposed nature of modern music promotion the EP has already received DJ support from DJ’s such as Marky, Workforce, Jubei, LSB and Pola & Bryson

2025 repress. Expo 70, held in Osaka, was a pivotal event for the Japanese people and their relationship with the rest of the world, demonstrating both the nation's ongoing economic recovery from World War Two and the creative spirit of Japanese society and its artists. The event gained international acclaim for its adventurous architectural design, visual art and electronic music. Some of Japan's most renowned composers were involved, but also present were the now-legendary rockers, the Flower Travellin' Band. A series of performances, billed as "Night Events" were held at the Expo; the most radical of these was "Beam Penetration and Mad Computer, plus the Minimal Sound of Motorcycles", but its anti-establishment feel and general madness took the Expo organizers by surprise and it was cancelled after only one night, despite being scheduled for a longer run. An air of myth developed around the event, but a recording of the event has been discovered and this release is the result. And what an event it was: a night-time sound-bomb with a fabled band, electronic sound and 50 motorcycles with horns blaring,spotlights, electronic billboards and a robot ― all flashing, roaring andhowling at the night sky. This release comprises a CD, a 10-inch record with fold-out sleeve and large obi, plus fascinating notes in Japanese and English by Kenichi Yasuda, an expert on Japanese rock music, and Koji Kawasaki, a renowned researcher of Japanese electronic music, as well as rare photos.

Biga Ranx is a major artist of the international Dub Scene, he has been acclaimed by the biggest Jamaican MC's over the years for his unique flow and style. From the age of 14, Biga has been working on his lyrics and his compositions. After 5 albums and 1000 gigs over the world, Biga Ranx his still evolving his style by mixing Dub with Electronic, Lo-Fi and Hip Hop sounds.

1988 is his 4th album and the most successful one, it sold 80 000 units around the world and tens millions of streams.

After impressions of Unguja and Borneo islands, Discrepant's chieftain Gonçalo F. Cardoso continues his sonic travelogue on insularity with 'Impressões de Várias Ilhas’.

Literally translated as "impressions from various islands", this third tome dwells on recordings and inspirations from three archipelagos of Macaronésia. Soaking in the sounds and recollections from Azores, Cape Verde and Canary Islands these diaristic endeavours spread throughout a number of real environments, from water caves and black stone beaches and lagoons to small harbours and everyday life scenarios, to project them into this not quite imaginary but not quite real memory haze that goes from a deeply personal impression to a resonating one.

Melding raw field recordings with processed ones and synthesized landscapes, Cardoso never falters into sonic tourism, conjuring small-ish takes both vivid and dreamy, infused with a sense of wonder that feels both bewildering, comforting and escapist. The breaking waves of 'Bufadeiros de São Vicente' soothing in their irregular pattern, mingling with the lone echoing tones not completely removed from Black Dice's 'Beaches & Canyon's most pensive passages, flow into the underwater ambience and suspended pads of 'La Cueva Scuba Livre', as reflections of the same sea crashing in on different lands, nature’s psychogeography. Further on, the queasy warm chord and scraping murmurs of 'Noite em Rabo de Peixe' mirror their nighttime framing while 'Rãs em Xoxo' veers closer to pure musique concréte, crossed by a subdued feeling of unease that lingers in the nostalgia of 'Cozido da Caldeira Velha', brimming within the haze of a Boards of Canada vignette. Summoning the past lives and future hauntings of its scenery, 'Salinas de Pedra Lume' is like the quiet epic of the album, meandering into the unknown among crackling field recordings, decaying synths and flute-like howls - or is it howl-like flutes? - recurring as glimpses from foregone existences, not necessarily Gonçalo’s own. Maybe ours?

Music & Photography by Gonçalo F. Cardoso
Artwork layout by Jeroen Wille
Master by Rashad Becker

Discrepant 2025
Pressed in Spain

Release 18 on Atom Trance Force, this time from label favourite Micropulse. Here they deliver three rip roaring hard trance tracks in the form of 'Ecco', 'Evil Twin' and title track 'Heaven's Gate' that take no prisoners, with an ode to yesteryear, just how we like it!

Heaven's Gate & Ecco channel classic hard trance energy with high pace and melodic. Evil Twin slows it down to 140 for a more serene yet driving take.

Support from:

Adam (Last Of The Mohicans) Apple FM, Ben Corner Love Summer Radio, DJ Panda, DJ Strahl Discover Trance Radio, DJs Present, Devastate Gabberhead / Uprising, Dimitri Kechagias, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Hellraiser, J.O.E Tomorrows World, J.O.E Tomorrows World, Jake Nicholls [Uprising], James Brolly, Loki [Terminal Trax], Louk / Hidden Identity, Matt Handy [Contact], Mind Control [Noise Pollution], Paul Nineham [Brisk], Paul-O [Uprising], Remnis, Renegade System, Rennz [Distorted Dreams], Rocco Jonsson [Collide / The Carnival Sweden], Spaceman [Tuned Flow], Tjerk Coers, TripleXL.

When you’re immersed into something you never actually realize if the essence will project as bright as the efforts, as deep as the process and as loud as the intentions. WOW, the Roma Est duo of China and Leo Non, have never had to create magic or delve into mystique along their meandering path, it’s just been a long solemn wait for what life throws at them and actually sticks. Cause and reaction, because the essence is quietly there when the clamour fades away. Their new album ‘Rosa di Luce’ is as pure as they come, a crystalline documentation of a new family, new meanings and new languages where the only rule is to gently adapt and just let things flow.

Welcoming Mina Wow, a tiny creature, into the fold was never going to be easy for a life lead on the road and for a band as radical as WOW where nothing is sugar-coated or constructed behind the scene, a different approach was desperately wanted, needed and searched. Almost total disarm, doing the small things, undress, get rid of the unnecessary feedback. That’s why ‘Rosa di Luce’ more than ever showcases WOW’s other-worldy spectral capability of creating songs that contain immense and minimal emotions, raw but welcoming, sincere but cutting and could play out to be a career defining album. Loosely recorded between their house in Rome and a campsite in Southern Puglia (where WOW organizes their yearly Shawala Festival) these songs are masqued my a minimalist entendre that leaves space for China’s stellar vocal delivery, a haunted range with frequencies to tickle a soul and pierce hearts, with Leo’s resolute guitar playing leading a timeless revolution.

The center-piece ‘Le Montagne E Noi’ is a perfect example of their stripped-back nakedness hiding complex arrangements (the beautiful sax played by Ryan Spring Dooley and celestial flutes by Alessandra Lazzarini) that sound effortless and imperative. Spiritual orchestrations that match our times and most importantly their new family and definition of space. Peaks that can always be reached, forests that need crossing (La Radura) in order to find a sound. There is no pretension or conceit to WOW’s style, it is entrancingly vibrant yet melancholy, taking notes from the most visceral strand of Italian traditional music, yet, still, walking down a trail that is very much their own. A planet where Branko Mataja and Alice Coltrane are backed by Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru and Mina on a perennial quest for the ethereal. Music to remember the essence, this is what we are, like the ocean. “