Buscar:b man

Presenting the long sought after, groundbreaking and classic 1990 UK long-player finally remastered and reissued for 2018. London's Warriors Dance label was a unique operation and a pioneering London label during the late 80's acid house phenomena. Home to an assortment of DJs, MCs and soundmen, they went on to make their own original and indelible mark on the rave scene from the infamous 'Addis Ababa' studio on Harrow Road on the North-West side of the city.

A former reggae and soul studio that was instrumental to the output of influential artists like Soul II Soul and more, a steady diet of reggae, bass, hip-hop, house and techno kept their edgy, and die hard UK sound and style right at the cutting edge of the dance music underground across the globe with the top DJs and producers of the day celebrating the label.

The studio, helmed by label owner Tony 'Addis', acted as an incubator for artists whose names would go down in the history books - No Smoke, Bang The Party, The Addis Posse, Melancholy Man, Hollywood Beyond, The Housemaids and more all featured heavily on the label and contributed to its legendary output. The attitude and approach to the music was utterly and unapologetically a London thing, with heavy African and Caribbean influences also drawing on the sounds emanating from Chicago, Detroit and further afield.

Years later, and with the advent of the internet, Discogs, Youtube and any other digital platform you'd care to mention, Warriors Dance continues to be discovered and rediscovered again by curious diggers and music heads with a thirst for heavyweight tracks to play in their DJ sets. This saw the WD mythology rise again, making their records much sought after by fans from all over the world.

When 'International Smoke Signal' landed in 1990 there was nothing else quite like it in the musical landscape, the perfect sonic example of the Warriors Dance ethos and style incorporating all of the influences and grooves that made the label's output so unique, a sound heavily inspired by the preceding period in London and the UK where hip-hop, soul, reggae, rare groove and acid house were played side by side in the warehouses and empty spaces of former industrial areas. Throughout the late 1980's these often drab and dangerous places were transformed by local DJ crews like Soul II Soul and Shake 'N' Fingerpop with more to offer those looking for an open-minded party scene new places to explore, in turn switching people on to broader styles of music.

It's all in here, the heavy breakbeat driven B-boy house flavour of the album version of the classic 'Koro Koro', the Manu Dibango featuring tribal acid groove of 'International Smoke Signal' to the percussive and ultra-deep stylings of 'Oh Yes (Freedom)' the LP encapsulate a time and place yet continue to capture the imagination today.

Timeless music. There's no doubt the No Smoke project is a direct influence on the deeper, tribal house sounds around today and pioneered the afro house sound alongside 'Yeke Yeke', 'Motherland' etc as the acid house phenomenon swept the world. 'Koro Koro' is the omnipresent anthem which was broken at London clubs like Confusion by Bang The Party's Kid Batchelor and RIP which went on to blow up in New York, and was then signed by Profile Records. Hugely sampled and still played to this day.


'International Smoke Signal' fuses the otherworldly science of dub and reggae with Bronx breakbeats, synth laden ambient house excursions and the heartbeat of mother Africa with the technoid thrum of the motor city effortlessly, all while maintaining its London roots and swagger. A true dance music masterpiece. This is the first time the LP has been remastered and reissued, spread across 2 heavy slabs of high quality vinyl for maximum sonic impact. Made in conjunction with the Warriors Dance family and Tony Addis.

Special thanks to Nicky Trax & Tony Addis. - Remastered by Optimum Mastering, Bristol UK. Proudly distributed by Above Board distribution. 2018.

Ethno-alternative lo-fi absurdism from the mind of London based multi-instrumentalist & Primordial Soup member, Samuel Huxley. Expect everything from Hindu ceremonial music to dark lounge, post-punk & avant-garde, to Kabuki theatre score & world electronica, any number of which can be found within a single track.

The Romance of Baba Loco is the union of wisdom & madness, eastern mysticism & western folly, absurdism to catch you with yer pantaloons down… Bang bang smash to perennial illumination. Cling clang for funk monkeys. The bejewelled vistas beyond, nihilism be gone… The donkey was not ill-tempered after many blows, on the ass, from the stick. He smiled like a gentleman, and kept on clip cloppin’ towards the promised land…

The Romance of Baba Loco is the latest iteration of a recording project by Samuel Huxley that originally made ambient soundscapes for psychotropics (Paradise Dose). In 2017 Samuel was curating infamous venue and scene of a multitude of glories & horrors, The Five Bells in New Cross, SE London. One of his first acts to play was Primordial Soup, at that time a 3 piece absurdist art rock band. They quickly became friends & began performing semi-improv shows as a 5 piece, and later went on to form Primordial Soup Collective who’s main focus was esoteric experimental theatre & film, and rare multidisciplinary exhibitions.

This changing focus of Soup away from sound provoked Samuel to channel his musical compulsions in to his solo project which had by then ventured far away from ambient soundscapes to shrieking Indian and Moroccan oboes over African & Indian tribal rhythms, with the desire to create the raw lo-fi atmospheres of street music. Gradually guitar styles of South East Asia & Latin America were introduced, leading to backing track solo performances & outrageous live improv freakouts with Craig Deporto (ex-Flamingods) & Luke Bell (Ex-Wild Birds of Britain).

Finally two days before the glorious pandemic lock down, Samuel signed to Faith & Industry, which birthed new moniker “The Romance of Baba Loco” and 3 months worth of ceaseless creation. From the Hindu Ceremonial music of the Shehnai & Nadaswaram to post-punk, absurdism & experimental art, The Romance of Baba Loco finally united two seemingly dissonant sides of his personality in a manner he had not previously achieved. The old material was cast off, and these peculiar fruits of imprisonment, can be found on his first release, “Cling Clang For Funk Monkeys”.

When Claud Mintz's mother finally heard the 13 songs on her kid's magnetic first album, Super Monster, she asked a concerned question: Just how many people had her 21-year-old dated? From beginning to end, these sparkling pop tunes capture the assorted stages of a relationship's delight and dejection_the giddy sensation of a first kiss during the beaming "Overnight," the heartsick longing of a pending rejection during the yearning "Jordan," the reluctant call for a requisite breakup during the smoldering "Ana." Claud, though, replied that these songs detailed the phases of only two or three relationships, simply written during them or at various points after they were over. The debut release on Phoebe Bridgers' Saddest Factory Records, Super Monster is a vertiginous but joyous coming-of-age reckoning with such young love. Claud sees relationships as games of endless wonder, intrigue, and second-guesses, a roller-coaster thrilling you even when it's terrifying. If "Gold" turns the tension and indecision of a bad match into an undeniable bit of lithe disco, "That's Mr. Bitch To You" uses a spurt of righteous indignation to fuse a little soul and emo into one breathless hook. Super Monster is like a compulsive compilation that Claud culled from a lifetime of musical enthusiasms_the arcing alt-rock of '90s airwaves, the rapturous pop of '00s chart-toppers, the diligent genre-hopping of modern online life. Claud emerges as the chameleonic mastermind of this mélange, channeling all of love's emotions into songs so sharp they make even the hardest times feel fun. Perhaps you are in the throes of one of these romantic moments yourself right now, resentful of a frustrating paramour like Claud during "Pepsi" or indulging in lust like "In or In Between." Or maybe these songs recall those wild days and tough situations. Incisive, instant, and addictive Super Monster works on either level_to remind us of love's wild ups and downs or to help us deal with them in real time. In that way, Mom, these songs are about dating, well, everyone.

The band that became Nightshift formed in 2019 in the ecosystem of Glasgow's current indie scene. The city's fertile & creative group of musicians have been committed to pushing the boundaries of and blurring the lines between DIY, punk, experimentalism and indie pop for decades now; a home to bands like Shopping, Vital Idles, Current Affairs, Still House Plants, and Happy Meals as well as forebears like Orange Juice, Teenage Fanclub and Yummy Fur. Nightshift slot right in with all mentioned, featuring members from current indie stalwarts Spinning Coin, 2 Ply and Robert Sotelo. Initially formed by guitarist David Campbell and bassist Andrew Doig as a "No Wave/No New York/ early Sonic Youth/This Heat-esque" group, the addition of Eothen Stern (keyboards/vocals) and Chris White (drums) instantaneously transformed their approach (guitarist/vocalist/clarinetist Georgia Harris joined as the band was writing "Zöe"). The band self-released a full-length tape on CUSP Recordings in early 2020, laying the foundation of their sound; hypnotic, melodic, understated indie post-punk with hooks that stick around long after you've heard them. "Zöe" is the band's newest effort, and first for Trouble In Mind. Unlike the band's previous album, the songs on "Zöe" weren't conceived live in the band's practice space, but rather pieced together and recorded remotely during quarantine lockdown, with each member composing or improvising their parts in homes/home studios, layering ideas over loops someone made and passing it on. The isolation actually allowed for an openness and creativity to flow and many of the songs took on radically different forms from when they were originally envisioned. Vocalist & primary lyricist Eothen Stern says "The process of writing these songs separately during lockdown was a kind of exquisite corpse - I liked this gesticulation of reaching out to one another and responding. Building up the next layer and passing it on." Stern says "poetic restraints" to writing & Eno's Oblique Strategies concepts were on their mind when composing the words to the songs on "Zöe" and lists the influence of author Rosi Bradiotti's book "The Posthuman". "Zöe" means "live drive", derived from the word conatus. Bradiotti defines conatus as "an effort or striving, endeavour, impulse, inclination, tendency, undertaking, serving is an innate inclination of a thing to continue to exist and enhance itself." and Stern views it as "...a kind of feminist re-claiming of communal public, anti- privatisation, looking to strive for social and environmental justice. Zöe kind of became a character of striving for me when writing.". "Zöe" kicks off with "Piece Together", a hypnotic song anchored by the band's chanted vocals and serpentine guitar licks. "Spraypaint the Bridge" showcases Harris' clarinet in an unexpected & delightful melodic shift during the song's anti-chorus. Elsewhere tunes like the swooning "Infinity Winner" and "Outta Space"s minimalist, slinky rhythm swirl in a late-night vibe, while "Make Kin" ruminates on "Looking to kinship as a way of engaging with entangled environmental and reproductive issues... how a band is a bond" and lurches forward with kinetic guitar strangling and staccato rhythmic percussion from White and Doig. "Power Cut" is the album's centerpiece, kicking off side two and lures the listener into its world over it's 7-minute runtime. Lulling them into involuntary movement with its waves of melodic harmonies, synth drones and metronomic pulse, until they all come crashing down in the song's dissonant midsection. The band acknowledges the whiffs of nostalgia prevalent in "Zöe"s songs (the title track in particular), and the nature of writing and recording the album is soaked in the self-work, reflection and reevaluations involved not only personally but creatively in each member's lives. Consequently, the album becomes a collection of sketches of hope, growth, awareness of the power of the world and the power of self, kith, kinship, friendship, resistance, and possibility.

The band that became Nightshift formed in 2019 in the ecosystem of Glasgow's current indie scene. The city's fertile & creative group of musicians have been committed to pushing the boundaries of and blurring the lines between DIY, punk, experimentalism and indie pop for decades now; a home to bands like Shopping, Vital Idles, Current Affairs, Still House Plants, and Happy Meals as well as forebears like Orange Juice, Teenage Fanclub and Yummy Fur. Nightshift slot right in with all mentioned, featuring members from current indie stalwarts Spinning Coin, 2 Ply and Robert Sotelo. Initially formed by guitarist David Campbell and bassist Andrew Doig as a "No Wave/No New York/ early Sonic Youth/This Heat-esque" group, the addition of Eothen Stern (keyboards/vocals) and Chris White (drums) instantaneously transformed their approach (guitarist/vocalist/clarinetist Georgia Harris joined as the band was writing "Zöe"). The band self-released a full-length tape on CUSP Recordings in early 2020, laying the foundation of their sound; hypnotic, melodic, understated indie post-punk with hooks that stick around long after you've heard them. "Zöe" is the band's newest effort, and first for Trouble In Mind. Unlike the band's previous album, the songs on "Zöe" weren't conceived live in the band's practice space, but rather pieced together and recorded remotely during quarantine lockdown, with each member composing or improvising their parts in homes/home studios, layering ideas over loops someone made and passing it on. The isolation actually allowed for an openness and creativity to flow and many of the songs took on radically different forms from when they were originally envisioned. Vocalist & primary lyricist Eothen Stern says "The process of writing these songs separately during lockdown was a kind of exquisite corpse - I liked this gesticulation of reaching out to one another and responding. Building up the next layer and passing it on." Stern says "poetic restraints" to writing & Eno's Oblique Strategies concepts were on their mind when composing the words to the songs on "Zöe" and lists the influence of author Rosi Bradiotti's book "The Posthuman". "Zöe" means "live drive", derived from the word conatus. Bradiotti defines conatus as "an effort or striving, endeavour, impulse, inclination, tendency, undertaking, serving is an innate inclination of a thing to continue to exist and enhance itself." and Stern views it as "...a kind of feminist re-claiming of communal public, anti- privatisation, looking to strive for social and environmental justice. Zöe kind of became a character of striving for me when writing.". "Zöe" kicks off with "Piece Together", a hypnotic song anchored by the band's chanted vocals and serpentine guitar licks. "Spraypaint the Bridge" showcases Harris' clarinet in an unexpected & delightful melodic shift during the song's anti-chorus. Elsewhere tunes like the swooning "Infinity Winner" and "Outta Space"s minimalist, slinky rhythm swirl in a late-night vibe, while "Make Kin" ruminates on "Looking to kinship as a way of engaging with entangled environmental and reproductive issues... how a band is a bond" and lurches forward with kinetic guitar strangling and staccato rhythmic percussion from White and Doig. "Power Cut" is the album's centerpiece, kicking off side two and lures the listener into its world over it's 7-minute runtime. Lulling them into involuntary movement with its waves of melodic harmonies, synth drones and metronomic pulse, until they all come crashing down in the song's dissonant midsection. The band acknowledges the whiffs of nostalgia prevalent in "Zöe"s songs (the title track in particular), and the nature of writing and recording the album is soaked in the self-work, reflection and reevaluations involved not only personally but creatively in each member's lives. Consequently, the album becomes a collection of sketches of hope, growth, awareness of the power of the world and the power of self, kith, kinship, friendship, resistance, and possibility.

The band that became Nightshift formed in 2019 in the ecosystem of Glasgow's current indie scene. The city's fertile & creative group of musicians have been committed to pushing the boundaries of and blurring the lines between DIY, punk, experimentalism and indie pop for decades now; a home to bands like Shopping, Vital Idles, Current Affairs, Still House Plants, and Happy Meals as well as forebears like Orange Juice, Teenage Fanclub and Yummy Fur. Nightshift slot right in with all mentioned, featuring members from current indie stalwarts Spinning Coin, 2 Ply and Robert Sotelo. Initially formed by guitarist David Campbell and bassist Andrew Doig as a "No Wave/No New York/ early Sonic Youth/This Heat-esque" group, the addition of Eothen Stern (keyboards/vocals) and Chris White (drums) instantaneously transformed their approach (guitarist/vocalist/clarinetist Georgia Harris joined as the band was writing "Zöe"). The band self-released a full-length tape on CUSP Recordings in early 2020, laying the foundation of their sound; hypnotic, melodic, understated indie post-punk with hooks that stick around long after you've heard them. "Zöe" is the band's newest effort, and first for Trouble In Mind. Unlike the band's previous album, the songs on "Zöe" weren't conceived live in the band's practice space, but rather pieced together and recorded remotely during quarantine lockdown, with each member composing or improvising their parts in homes/home studios, layering ideas over loops someone made and passing it on. The isolation actually allowed for an openness and creativity to flow and many of the songs took on radically different forms from when they were originally envisioned. Vocalist & primary lyricist Eothen Stern says "The process of writing these songs separately during lockdown was a kind of exquisite corpse - I liked this gesticulation of reaching out to one another and responding. Building up the next layer and passing it on." Stern says "poetic restraints" to writing & Eno's Oblique Strategies concepts were on their mind when composing the words to the songs on "Zöe" and lists the influence of author Rosi Bradiotti's book "The Posthuman". "Zöe" means "live drive", derived from the word conatus. Bradiotti defines conatus as "an effort or striving, endeavour, impulse, inclination, tendency, undertaking, serving is an innate inclination of a thing to continue to exist and enhance itself." and Stern views it as "...a kind of feminist re-claiming of communal public, anti- privatisation, looking to strive for social and environmental justice. Zöe kind of became a character of striving for me when writing.". "Zöe" kicks off with "Piece Together", a hypnotic song anchored by the band's chanted vocals and serpentine guitar licks. "Spraypaint the Bridge" showcases Harris' clarinet in an unexpected & delightful melodic shift during the song's anti-chorus. Elsewhere tunes like the swooning "Infinity Winner" and "Outta Space"s minimalist, slinky rhythm swirl in a late-night vibe, while "Make Kin" ruminates on "Looking to kinship as a way of engaging with entangled environmental and reproductive issues... how a band is a bond" and lurches forward with kinetic guitar strangling and staccato rhythmic percussion from White and Doig. "Power Cut" is the album's centerpiece, kicking off side two and lures the listener into its world over it's 7-minute runtime. Lulling them into involuntary movement with its waves of melodic harmonies, synth drones and metronomic pulse, until they all come crashing down in the song's dissonant midsection. The band acknowledges the whiffs of nostalgia prevalent in "Zöe"s songs (the title track in particular), and the nature of writing and recording the album is soaked in the self-work, reflection and reevaluations involved not only personally but creatively in each member's lives. Consequently, the album becomes a collection of sketches of hope, growth, awareness of the power of the world and the power of self, kith, kinship, friendship, resistance, and possibility.

Gatefold Double LP Pressing of Leave a Whisper on Clear Blue Colored Vinyl.

Multi-platinum, record-breaking band Shinedown - Brent Smith vocals, Zach Myers [guitar], Eric Bass [bass, production], and Barry Kerch [drums] - have sold more than 10 million albums and 10 million singles worldwide, earned 14 platinum and gold singles, five platinum and gold albums, and amassed more than 2.7 billion total streams. Recent hits "Atlas Falls," "ATTENTION ATTENTION," "GET UP," "MONSTERS" and "DEVIL" bring their total to 17 No. 1s on the Mediabase Active Rock Chart and 16 No. 1s on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs Chart, breaking the record for the most No. 1s ever in the history of the Billboard chart. Additionally, all of Shinedown's 27 consecutive career singles have reached the Top 5 of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs Chart, another unparalleled achievement.

As part of their “Atlas Falls” COVID-19 relief effort, Shinedown has raised more than $300,000 for Direct Relief, one of the largest providers of humanitarian medical resources in the world whose mission is to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergency situations by mobilizing and providing essential medical resources needed for their care.

Hailed for their high-octane live shows, Shinedown continues to engender diehard love from millions of global fans and has racked up countless sold-out tours and headlining festival sets.

Half of Manie Sans Délire, June, turns up on Artificial Dance with his anticipated new mini-album, ‘Horizons’ - following on from his studio companion Trenton Chase’s ‘Planar Array’ released earlier in 2020. True to the signature synth-splattered sound of his and his duo, June’s newest wave-imbued manifesto has us swimming amidst an organized chaos of roughly extruded keyboard wizardry, punk-minded drum programming and a retro-futuristic headspace.

Scanning out the gap between Italo, new wave, EBM and new beat, ‘Horizons’ shifts seamlessly from forward-moving, arpeggio-laden circuitry (‘JW’, ‘Infinity Room') to hi-intensity body music (’New Horizons’), through ambientoid spaced-out sonic explorations (‘Uncharted Territories’) and quirky downtempo chuggers (‘Reverie’, ‘Psychic Process’). A kaleidoscope of rhythmic tricks and shape-shifting mirages, June’s scope-expanding six-track voyage vows to play mind games with its listener till all lights have gone off.

As has often been noted, psychedelic music can involve causal links between getting out of it and getting into it. Conversely, expansion of consciousness can be found by heading deep into the roots that a band explores, and journeying to the centre of their inspiration. Thus, a curious paradox is attained, whereby the traditional elements of an outfit’s sound are superseded by them blasting their core vibrations into unchartered territory. Such is the case with the new opus from third-eye visionaries Hills, a dizzying journey that traverses through the band’s origins and beyond to new dimensions.The Gothenburg-based Hills are entering their ninth year of existence, in which they’ve released two full-length albums, the second of which, ‘Master Sleeps’ saw a vinyl outing on Rocket last year. Part of a rich scene in their homestead also including friends and Rocket Recordings label mates Goat, they form the new chapter in a tradition of Swedish psychedelia that found its origins in late-’60s and early ‘70s freakouts and mind-melts by the likes of Baby Grandmothers and Älgarnas Trädgård - not to mention the unholy trinity of Pärson Sound, International Harvester and Träd Gräs och Stenar - before being developed by the likes of The Spacious Mind and Dungen in the last two decades. These inspirations make their mark on ‘Frid’ by journeying inward, via mantric repetition and hip-shaking pulsations as on the ten-minute monolith, ‘ Och Solen Sänkte Sig Röd’, yet they can also lurch into the unknown via the fuzz/wah odysseys of the aptly monikered ‘National Drone’ and the ceremonial exhortations of the closing ‘Death Will Find A Way.’As they also showed recently at a rare and spellbinding appearance at Liverpool International Festival Of Psychedelia, Hills have landed on a rich and intoxicating sound that sidesteps the cliches and humdrum stylistic foibles that often plague modern-day psych, in the process breathing new life into an approach that can sometimes seem in danger of appearing redundant through lack of imagination. ‘Frid’, their most out-of-mind and out-of-sight effort to date, crystallises everything that makes these Scandinavian satyrs stand out from the global herd; adventurous experimentation and fearless hallucinatory intensity, rendered with brass-knuckle fortitude. The end result is 38 minutes that translate into a feast for seasoned crate-diggers and fresh-faced converts alike. There is, indeed, gold in these here Hills.

‘Pacific Kiss’ is the fourth album from Australian musician David West’s underground pop band, Rat Columns. It was engineered by Griffin Harrison and DW in New York City and Perth, and mixed by Mikey Young in Victoria. ‘Pacific Kiss’ sees Rat Columns plunging headfirst into an azure sea of power pop, rock’n’roll and indie. The tones are bright and optimistic, though fans of confusion and gloom will still find solace in the album’s darker moments, of which there are a few. Rat Columns emerged from San Francisco via Perth, Western Australia in the late 2000’s with the mope ’n’ jangle of their first self-titled cassette release, from which several tracks were drawn for their first vinyl release, a four-song 7” on the San Francisco based indie label, Smartguy Records. From that moment, DW and a constantly evolving troupe of friends and co-conspirators have forged a persistent trail of albums and EP’s on a number of interesting small labels such as RIP Society, Upset The Rhythm, Blackest Ever Black, Syncro-System, Adagio 830 and now the London-based Tough Love Records, who have also released many of David’s eponymous pop records. DW has also found time to play in a number of other interesting outfits, such as Rank/Xerox, Lace Curtain, Liberation, Scythe, Total Control and Burning Sensation over the years. ‘Pacific Kiss’ was primarily recorded in a dingy but comfortable practice space in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The core of the record is DW, bassist Max Schneider-Schumacher, drummer Dylan Stjepovic and keyboard wiz Joey Fishman. Additional fairy dust was sprinkled by Amber Gempton and Raven Mahon (vocals), Jef Brown (saxophone) and Mikey Young, who found time to contribute some off the wall guitar solos during the mixing process. ‘Pacific Kiss’ is a record for those astral voyages into the spheres conducted from bedrooms, kitchens, grassy fields and open car windows.

‘Pacific Kiss’ is the fourth album from Australian musician David West’s underground pop band, Rat Columns. It was engineered by Griffin Harrison and DW in New York City and Perth, and mixed by Mikey Young in Victoria. ‘Pacific Kiss’ sees Rat Columns plunging headfirst into an azure sea of power pop, rock’n’roll and indie. The tones are bright and optimistic, though fans of confusion and gloom will still find solace in the album’s darker moments, of which there are a few. Rat Columns emerged from San Francisco via Perth, Western Australia in the late 2000’s with the mope ’n’ jangle of their first self-titled cassette release, from which several tracks were drawn for their first vinyl release, a four-song 7” on the San Francisco based indie label, Smartguy Records. From that moment, DW and a constantly evolving troupe of friends and co-conspirators have forged a persistent trail of albums and EP’s on a number of interesting small labels such as RIP Society, Upset The Rhythm, Blackest Ever Black, Syncro-System, Adagio 830 and now the London-based Tough Love Records, who have also released many of David’s eponymous pop records. DW has also found time to play in a number of other interesting outfits, such as Rank/Xerox, Lace Curtain, Liberation, Scythe, Total Control and Burning Sensation over the years. ‘Pacific Kiss’ was primarily recorded in a dingy but comfortable practice space in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The core of the record is DW, bassist Max Schneider-Schumacher, drummer Dylan Stjepovic and keyboard wiz Joey Fishman. Additional fairy dust was sprinkled by Amber Gempton and Raven Mahon (vocals), Jef Brown (saxophone) and Mikey Young, who found time to contribute some off the wall guitar solos during the mixing process. ‘Pacific Kiss’ is a record for those astral voyages into the spheres conducted from bedrooms, kitchens, grassy fields and open car windows.

Originally Released in 2014 on Valentines day as part of the love dub remixes was the Ray Keith remix and for obvious reasons (Ray being a legend) it was a fav of the release & was very well supported by many, so we thought it was time or maybe even overdue (7 years Later) that us at Asbo released the connoisseurs 9 min extended mix from Ray we had stashed away in the Asbo vault all this time.

This is 100% one for our vinyl & audiophile crew, supported on the AA side with Rassterlins 'People' and Muwookies 'You' both bringing unique different flavors from the jungle/dnb spectrum, mastered on 180 gram, strawberry milkshake colored vinyl with full color 'Lock-down' sleeve.

Demon Records is proud to present a new series of vinyl reissues from American singer-songwriter Black Francis / Frank Black
“Salutations from the Twilight Zone, and if you think I mean the 1960s sci fi television program you are correct;
I am quite literally inside of a 1960s sci fi television program. And in that context Demon have allowed
me to correct certain anachronisms in my published works and are releasing some for the first time on vinyl
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinyl_chloride).” - Black Francis
• First released in 2000, Oddballs is a compilation of remixed rarities and B-sides recorded between 1994 and 1997.
• Black Francis explains the album was given the title as “they're ODDBALLS. There was once a time when even I was asked to
provide additional content for auxiliary releases of main published works. It was great. They didn't care what the new content was
they just needed it. Yesterday. So awesome. I get to go back into the studio and obsess a little more with no one to bother me,
except by then the bank was mostly blown so we did not have a lot of TIME. Well, sometimes, fuck time.”
• Long out of print, this new vinyl reissue is pressed on 140g silver vinyl, housed in a printed inner sleeve.

GER Angefangen hat das alles Mitte der Achtziger in der nordhessischen Provinz, im Zonenrandgebiet (so hieß das damals offiziell) in Eschwege. Vier Jungs, die Spaß an Punkrock hatten, dazu ein gehöriges Maß an Talent und Fleiß und in Zimbl einen sehr charismatischen Frontmann und Songschreiber, in Personalunion Sänger und Bassist. Und es hat nicht nur den Bates selber Spaß gemacht, was sie da anstellten. Über die klassische Ochsentour durch Jugendzentren, kleine Clubs und Spelunken, regionale Festivals erspielten sie sich den Ruf, das Geilste zwischen Werra, Fulda und Weser zu sein, was man live erleben konnte. Es dauerte dann auch nicht lange und sie erspielten sich den gleichen Ruf im Rest der Republik. "Unfucked - Live" ist im Original in 1993 bei Snoop erschienen, ihr letztes vor dem Wechsel zur Virgin und das einzige, welches bislang nie wiederveröffentlicht wurde. Keine Ahnung warum, denn es ist ein eindrucksvolles Zeugnis, welche Kraft diese Band gerade live entwickelt hat. Die Aufnahmen selber stammen von 1992, aus dem Outpost in Göttingen und der Weinberghalle in Eschwege. Sie wurden bei Pauler Acoustics gemastert, was schon ein Qualitätssiegel ist und jetzt bei Master & Servant speziell nochmal fürs Vinyl bearbeitet.

DIO – EVIL OR DIVINE: LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY
Limited Edition Lenticular 3LP / Standard 3LP / 2CD Deluxe Mediabook
• Reissue of DIO’s long out of print 2005 live release. First time in vinyl!
• Newly remastered & newly created cover art
• LIMITED EDTION VINYL VERSION INCLUDES LENTICULAR 3D ALBUM SIZED ART PIECE ALONG WITH 3LP 180g BLACK VINYL / TRIPLE GATEFOLD
• Also Available in 2CD Deluxe Mediabook and 3LP 180g Black Vinyl / Triple Gatefold Standard Edition
• Features the complete live show experience as if you were there, including never before released version of “Lord Of The Last Day” and an amazing Simon Wright drum solo not on the original release!
• Both 3LP Vinyl Versions feature special mini 4 track bonus from the 1996-2004 studio albums featuring “This Is Your Life” (from Angry Machines), “Fever Dreams” (from Magica), “Push” (from Killing The Dragon), & “The Eyes” (from Master Of The Moon)

DIO – HOLY DIVER: LIVE
Limited Edition Lenticular 3LP / Standard 3LP / 2CD Deluxe Mediabook
• Deluxe Reissue of DIO’s long out of print 2008 live release. First time in vinyl!
• Newly remastered & newly created cover art
• LIMITED EDTION VINYL VERSION INCLUDES LENTICULAR 3D ALBUM SIZED ART PIECE ALONG WITH 3LP 180g BLACK VINYL / TRIPLE GATEFOLD
• Also Available in 2CD Deluxe Mediabook and 3LP 180g Black Vinyl / Triple Gatefold Standard Edition
• Features the legendary DIO album HOLY DIVER performed live in its entirety plus DIO classics from across his career including Black Sabbath and Rainbow!
• Recorded Live at the London Astoria

Tala Vala combine experimental recording methods bridging marginalised genres, synths, brass and strings, jagged guitars and primal percussion.

John Roffe-Ridgard is a producer and former touring musician and Ben Locket is a composer for TV and Film.

The pair began making music in 2017 and self-released their first EP on a limited vinyl run. Mixed by Jake Jackson at Masterchord studios, the records were sold exclusively through Sounds of the Universe and Bandcamp.
Enthused by the interest in the record and selling out the run, the pair set about recording a full-length album expanding on the ideas of the fist ep. The album was again performed and produced by Ben and John using mainly analogue processes, where possible utilising 24 track tape and mixed by Jake. The self-titled record was self-released on vinyl and made it into the Stranger Than Paradise top 10 albums of the year.
Album number two began as a soundtrack project in early 2019, it was abandoned as they became disillusioned with the boundaries the film was imposing. The only remaining music from the soundtrack session is the opening cue which can be heard as the last track of what became Modern Hysteric, album two.
The new album was worked on throughout 2019 and mixed in early 2020 again sticking to mainly analogue processes, avoiding any audio plugins and computer editing. Jim White (Dirty Three, Xylouris White) guest drums on two of the tracks ( Reoccurring Weather & Haxen ) bringing his instantly recognisable style to the Tala Vala sound. In addition to the string quartet and brass sections, a kora player and the manipulated voice of soprano singer, Grace Davidson can also be heard throughout the album.

Modern Hysteric will be released in early 2021 on the bands’ newly set up Number Witch Records distributed via Forte music.

Thom Morecroft’s new live single 'The Beast' is unafraid to show the scars. Liverpool, UK — Thom Morecroft’s new 7 inch single ‘The Beast’ has
already been described by writer Paul Du Noyer (NME, Q, Mojo, Word) as “that killer finale”. Recorded live at Studio2, Parr Street, it captures the Shrewsbury-born singer-songwriter closing the launch of his latest album in his hometown of Liverpool.
Following the release of the rich and layered ‘Feng Shui and the Sushi’ album, ‘The Beast’ brings everything back home to an acoustic guitar, the raw voice and a captive audience. A personal story of family alcoholism and mistaken identity, it captures a
young artist at his most direct and vulnerable; giving just a little too much away.
After a UK album tour cut short (and the thrill of a huddled audience for many a distant memory) Thom wanted to reach out with a song that could only really be heard live.
Available on 7” Vinyl and across all digital platforms. For more information, promo requests, or to arrange an interview, get in touch via details at the top.

Leeds-based art-rock trio Mush release their feverish second
album, ‘Lines Redacted’, via Memphis Industries. The new
release, which finds the group recruiting Lee Smith (The Cribs,
Pulled Apart By Horses) on mixing duties, arrives just under a
year after their debut, ‘3D Routine’, capping off what has been
an obviously tumultuous but remarkably prolific year for the
band. With any prospect of live shows decimated, the group,
led by songwriter Dan Hyndman, have found the time to
release two EPs (‘Great Artisanal Formats’ and ‘Yellow Sticker
Hour’) and now a duo of full-length albums.
Tipped previously by the likes of 6 Music, Loud & Quiet, Uncut,
Q, Stereogum, DIY, The Line of Best Fit, Dork and more, Mush,
comprised of Hyndman (guitar/vox), Nick Grant (bass/vox) and
Phil Porter (drums), present their own sonic idiosyncrasy. It’s a
sound that blurs the lines of abstract surrealism, existentialism
and social commentary; utilising guitars as tools in 2020 to
stave off malaise whilst simultaneously commenting on the
nation’s ability to fall into such dire straits. It’s a sensory
overload of wiry tones that zig-zag between punk, prog and
sardonic-funk with a relentless ability to reflect society’s faults
and apathy in a unique and acerbic manner.
Whereas the band’s debut was very much a product of its time,
something part-inspired by the political atmosphere of mid-
2019 and a genuine moment of optimism when the prospect of
a socialist government in the UK was on the cards, this new
record uses tongue-in-cheek cynicism as a coping mechanism
for the environment that we now find ourselves in. From one
song to the next, ‘Lines Redacted’ introduces a string of
different narrators with each providing a different reflection on
the Armageddon scenario that we are slowly entering, whether
that’s bemoaning it or gleefully willing it along. ‘3D Routine’
presented a bed of scathing political jibes latching onto themes
and decisions of the time. ‘Lines Redacted’ mutates these ideas
into something slightly more sinister whilst maintaining all of
Hyndman’s razor-sharp wit that permeates the album.

There is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it anecdote tucked into one of
the many fine documentaries about seminal 20th Century artist
Jean-Michel Basquiat regarding the habits of his studio practice.
As we watch inspiring footage of Basquiat darting from one
piece to the next with rapid-fire brush strokes, a friend or
gallerist in a voice over says that it was not unusual for
Basquiat to be working on several paintings in the same
moment as several radio stations and televisions played in the
background. Not much more time is spent on the anecdote but
it feels like a skeleton key into Basquiat’s endlessly alluring,
neoexpressionist work.
And while Bryan Devendorf’s solo curio ‘Royal Green’ doesn’t
possess the only-in-New York vibe of Basquiat’s work, there is
something shared in its many-channels-open style of creation.
Satellite signals, strange voices from lost television
documentaries and radio operas are all woven into its fabric -
like it’s using these endless tides of media and information to
unlock the subconscious. Even its covers - Bob Dylan,
Fleetwood Mac, The National (with a nice big wink), The
Beatles - are like stunning, albeit satanic takes on hymns, or
like American standards almost dragged into the underworld.
Like the best of Spacemen 3, Sparklehorse or massively
underrated San Fran band Skygreen Leopards - the music
makes you queasy in one movement and lulls you into
blissmode in the next. It’s the very edge of outsider pop
songwriting.
For all the amphitheaters and festival fields Devendorf has
played to over his career, ‘Royal Green’ almost feels like an unlearning and a newfound love of homemade/found/fractured
sounds - and how, if collaged just so, detritus can become
stunningly gorgeous and surreal. And not without hooks. Look
no further than ‘Frosty’, which could be Little Billy Corgan’s
decayed demo tape from just before the Smashing Pumpkins
appeared on the scene. And the unspooling, slightly unglued
dream-pop of ‘Breaking the River’ is as rapturous as it is
sinister. And that’s probably where Devendorf wants it.

0.9999...//READ THAT SEQUENCE LIKE A MANTRA After their successful collaboration on “<3”, AtomTM and X1N are back, this time presenting the 4 track EP “0.9”. It contains both the opening and closing tracks of “<3” as well as their corresponding mutations. While “0.9 (Almost a Unit)” was remixed by Esplendor Geométrico, “Almost a Unit (0.9)” got reworked by Peter van Hoesen. “Both renditions contribute amplified iterations of inherent attributes of <3” as X1N eloquently states. On a side note it may be mentioned that in mathematics, the expression “0.999..” is considered being identical to 1. Meditating over that very fact may tell you a lot about our current reality. #HardCodePop //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// PROXIMITY IS DESTINY DREAMS AS SEARCH ENGINES X

What is a shlundee is probably the first thing you’ll ask yourself when you hear this.
In short, it’s a mixture of every music genre that you could imagine, brought to you by Indy Erens. The one-man project Shlundee finds the balance between house, hip-hop & electro. "Himawari" explains that Asia always had a big influence on Shlundee, it's a classic samurai anime. Influenced by club music and the Baltimore / Jersey culture, Shlundee made this EP during lockdown. He had this idea of making something really vibey and different than what people usually expect of him. 'Wait, What?' perfectly represents how Shlundee can expand his boundaries and trying out other stuff. Shlundee is massively influenced by Anz, Lefto, Young Marco, Park Hye Jin, Jamz Supernova & Acemo...

Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters is the second solo album by Paul Rodgers, best known as the vocalist of Free and Bad Company. This album features collaborations with many artists, including Brian May, Buddy Guy, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, Richie Sambora, Slash, and Steve Miller. He took these classic blues tunes and arranged them a little more towards rock. The album was recorded at various studios due to the many guests on the album, but producer Billy Sherwood managed to keep the sound pretty similar throughout. Muddy Water Blues was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Now available as a limited edition of 2000 individually numbered copies on translucent yellow coloured vinyl.

Mason Bee is the solo project of Benet Walsh, multi-instrumentalist producer based in the Welsh Marches, best known as long-term co-writer and touring partner with U.K. electronic duo Plaid (Warp Records). His debut album ‘Play Flights’ is a brilliant patchwork of diverse influences, from choral folk mantras to modern glitch guitar sounds and beyond. If you hear live instrumentation on a Plaid track, it’s often Benet. His writing relationship with the iconic Warp duo dates back to the early days and has spawned some of the most evocative and heartfelt electronic music of our times.

Now as Mason Bee, Benet invites us into his own sonic universe, drawing on psychedelic, electronic and folk sounds to produce something quite different. There’s a narrative feel to the songs which unfolds to reveal morphing organic forms and technicolour landscapes, realised through a rich blend of acoustic instruments, phone recordings and DIY studio techniques. Although masonry

bees are solitary by nature, this album was recorded with the help of an international cast of musicians, from Australia and Portugal to the Welsh Marches of the U.K. adding considerably to the album’s richness. The title itself refers to the first outings (or Orientation Flights) of bees, making ‘Play Flights’ a fitting name for this unique debut.

Limited marble coloured vinyl

There’s a lonesome vibe to his brand of heartland rock, evoking late nights on a deserted road, or neon-lit streets just after a rainstorm.” (Brooklyn Vegan)
“His music has a distinct cinematic quality to it, as it explores the weird, grotesque, and strangely beautiful corners of the human psyche.” (Noisey)


'Highway Dancer' was the latest addition to Calvin Love's catalog of cerebrally-crafted, atmospheric indie pop, before his b-side and rarities album 'Night Song' came out via Taxi Gauche Records a year ago. The album stems from the same period of songwriting as his 2017 EP, Ecdysis, and encapsulates the observations and inspiration from Love's life on the road. 'Highway Dancer' is now re-issued on vinyl.
"The songs you hear on this album were compiled from a larger collection over the past three years. Many of the songs are the subconscious soundtrack to my life and travels before my mind had a chance to conceive them. Inspiration came from everything that attracted my inner soul to the external forces and beauty this world has to offer."
For fans of: Weyes Blood, Father John Misty, Cut Worms, Sam Cohen

Wisconsin musician Jon Mueller is inquisitive. Open to pushing his
experience and his limits, he’s demonstrated the many sides of himself both as a solo performer and as a key member in mind-bending projects like Mind Over Mirrors, Volcano Choir, and Death Blues, or by running his shop of curiosities Within Things.
On his new four-piece collection Family Secret, the experimental musician maintains a meticulous, sustained tension, re-engaging with a technique he developed as an adolescent - reframing the environs of creation, and naturally altering his perception, through changes in light and space - while also considering the role of family and divorce.
Gentle, metallic bellows fade in and shifting timbres immerse the listener, each wave of sound folding atop the previous. Mueller has created a room, or at least an enclosure.

Industrial techno fine art sound... With a Cyber-Punk freaky attitude.

The new world disorder !

Billy Nomates, the fierce, funny, outspoken force of nature who hails from Melton Mowbray and now flits between Bournemouth and Bristol, has arrived to rattle cages.

The songs on her debut album all come from a place of defiance. Rebellion against Brexit. Against soul-sapping, dead-end jobs and zero-hours contracts. Against gender inequality, sexual harassment and festivals with obligatory female acts hidden in the small print. Billy’s songs lampoon the same bleak reality satirised by her beloved Scarfolk website and explored so abrasively in the fringe theatre
she finds solace in.

Musically, there are snatches of Nick Cave’s rumbling sprechgesang; the “off-the-wall-ness of musicians like Captain Beefheart”; Sleaford Mods’ febrile post-punk; the groovesome lofi art-rock of Sonic Youth and the brassy Americana of Emmylou Harris. What dominates, though, is a feeling of release. Of letting it all out.

The track ‘Supermarket Sweep’ features guest vocals by Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods.

LP is pressed on yellow vinyl, housed in a heavyweight spined sleeve with gold foil text print. Includes printed insert with handwritten lyrics and digital download card.

There is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it anecdote tucked into one of the many fine documentaries about seminal 20th Century artist Jean-Michel Basquiat regarding the habits of his studio practice. As we watch inspiring footage of Basquiat darting from one piece to the next with rapid-fire brush strokes, a friend or gallerist in a voice over says that it was not unusual for Basquiat to be working on several paintings in the same moment as several radio stations and televisions played in the background. Not much more time is spent on the anecdote, but it feels like a skeleton key into Basquiat's endlessly alluring, neoexpressionist work. And while Bryan Devendorf's solo curio `Royal Green' doesn't possess the only-in-New York vibe of Basquiat's work, there is something shared in its many-channels-open style of creation. Satellite signals, strange voices from lost television documentaries and radio operas are all woven into its fabric _ like it's using these endless tides of media and information to unlock the subconscious. Even its covers _ Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, The National (with a nice big wink), The Beatles _ are like stunning, albeit satanic takes on hymns, or like American standards almost dragged into the underworld. Like the best of Spacemen 3, Sparklehorse or massively underrated San Fran band Skygreen Leopards _ the music makes you queasy in one movement and lulls you into blissmode in the next. It's the very edge of outsider pop songwriting. For all the amphitheaters and festival fields Devendorf has played to over his career, `Royal Green' almost feels like an un-learning and a newfound love of homemade/found/fractured sounds _ and how, if collaged just so, detritus can become stunningly gorgeous and surreal. And not without hooks. Look no further than "Frosty" which could be Little Billy Corgan's decayed demo tape from just before the Smashing Pumpkins appeared on the scene. And the unspooling, slightly unglued dream-pop of "Breaking the River" is as rapturous as it is sinister. And that's probably where Devendorf wants it.

This is the first ever archival collection of material from the Italian Minimalist Tiziano Popoli, featuring fourteen previously unreleased recordings for installations, theater, and radio broadcasts spanning from 1983 to 1989. Featuring extensive use of the Yamaha DX7 synthesizer, TR909 drum machine, and early sampling techniques, these recordings trace the organic, hybridized elements of Italian experimental music as it convened in the hands of Tiziano Popoli and his friends, uniting elements of pop music, minimalism, and manipulations of found sound. Popoli's first album, Scorie, recorded with Marco Dalpane, is a highly sought after LP, and was finally repressed in 2018 by Italian label Soave. "Burn the Night / Bruciare la Notte: Original Recordings, 1983-1989" is a joint release between RVNG Intl. and Freedom To Spend, and was compiled from hours of material unearthed by Tiziano Popoli from his archives, and then meticulously remastered from original sources by Rashad Becker. The 2xLP and CD include printed inner sleeves and booklets with extensive liner notes written by Bradford Bailey, archival photographs, and ephemeral enrichment. RIYL: Philip Glass, Franco Battiato, Lino Capra Vaccina, Oren Ambarchi, RAMZi, Roberto Musci, Faust, CAN, Art of Noise, Durutti Column, Roberto Cacciapaglia.

Hardcore experimental venue on MOKUM ! Rare DJ Balli style exercise on da gabba sound...
A cool big up to a real hardcore artist exploring all kind of noises electro since ages...

A good surprise to see him on MOKUM :)

After a decade gap, northern soul legend Dean Parrish has once more hooked up with Acid Jazz Records to release a new single. ‘It’s Time - Purple Mountain Majesty’ is a towering slice of psychedelic soul, that references the work of Norman Whitfield and like those records, comes with a powerful message.

Known predominately in the UK as ‘the Northern Soul star that sold over one million records’, Dean is an esoteric musician who has worked with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Herbie Mann and Bob Marley. All whilst following a career as an actor too, appearing in hit US TV series The Sopranos

The iconic status of his hit records such as I’m On My Way, Tell Her & Bricks, Broken Bottles and Sticks has meant that Dean has always been welcome in the UK. In the noughties, he released records with Acid Jazz and was the subject of a Radio 2 documentary by the late and much missed Pete Mitchell. Now 79, Dean has not stopped writing & recording. This latest single presents us with a stunning return to form.

The first volume in a two-part collection of pirate radio adverts & idents, taken from recordings of London stations between 1984 & 1993.

Many thanks to Wayne Anthony, Simon Reynolds, Stephen Hebditch & The Pirate Radio Archive.

Brilliant ISotonic Ci=urves are back with a new EP !

Superb killaz from Outtaspace...

ENJOY !

Archives from Stepart ... Old collabe from the dark age of the newskool dub !


Big selecta and great tubnes with a pinch of early dubstep :)

massive !

L’istruttoria E’Chiusa Dimentichi (internationally released as The Case Is Closed, Forget It) is a 1971 Italian crime drama film directed by Damiano Damiani. It is based on the novel Tante Sbarre (Many Bars), written by Leros Pitton and was awarded at the Tehran Film Festival. The film centres around the architect Vanzi, whom ends up in prison and ends up involved in a plot against an inconvenient witness to organised crime, passed off as a suicide, with the complicity of the security guards. Renowned composer Ennio Morricone created an obscure, yet globally beloved, score to the thriller. Tracks B2 and B3 (“Disordini (Titoli Versione Film)” and “Ordini (Versione Alternativa)” were part of the original recordings but not used for the movie final cut. Available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on orange marbled vinyl.

Discodelic presents the second release in this series of exclusive 45 RPM records. From the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, province of Limón, the town of Cahuita, we present you with the incredible BOCARACÁ!

Bocaracá is without a doubt a gem from Caribbean Central America, bridging a spectacular concoction of Psychedelia with Afro Latin rhythms. Created by Isidor Asch and Luis Jákamo, two restless "limonenses", who were on the path of discovering their Latin musical roots since childhood, while also experimenting with soul and Rock in their own compositions. Together and on their own, they have written a big chunk of the history of Soul in Costa Rica with their subsequent outstanding groups: Marfil, Grupo Stop, and Manantial.

This limited edition is part of a project that has been in the making for several years. This is a labor of love and respect for the music of this singular band. Four “maes” who were known as “the only hippies in Limón” in their hometown.

This reissue includes historic material that was originally recorded between 1973 and 1974 in Audio Centro, a recording facility in San José. It’s a priceless and important document, a window to what was happening with music in the largely abandoned and forgotten province of Limón, where a musical revolution was cooking in the early ’70s, and where Bocaracá was the cornerstone.

Get to know the full story of Bocaracá in the special liner notes included in the release, prepared with love for all of you, featuring band anecdotes and photos.

At Cloud’s Length is a collaborative compilation of musical works from artists on Melbourne/Naarm based collective WAT artists, using the vehicle of music as the driving force of connection.

While the opportunities to gather have been put on hold, this compilation is a collaborative release rising from a challenge set to the WAT artists roster to connect and create using isolation as a creative parameter from which to generate new music, resulting in surprising and powerful musical cross-pollination.

At Cloud’s Length - an ode to the use of cloud storage as the last front of musical collaboration during lockdown - reaches through the veil of isolation, passing overland, gathering energy and offering a release saturated with creativity and collaboration from afar.
This compilation is both a confluence of unique and diverse creative minds and a narrative of humanity's desire for deeper meaning and connection.

Music contributors:

30/70, Adam Halliwell (Mildlife), Alex Albrecht, Barney McCall, Bell Towers, Big Yawn,
Edd Fisher, Fantastic Man, IN2STELLAR, Kris Baha, Loure, Mike Callander, Morgan Wright, Michael Ozone, Rings Around Saturn, Sleep D, Sui Zhen, Toni Yotzi, ZFEX

Sometimes a record comes along that is a wonderful anomaly that really is all about the music. Silver Leaf recently appeared on the radar via obscuro diggers on both sides of the Atlantic and landed with a Hey!
What is known about Silver Leaf, beyond that it was a short-lived mid-80s project out of Cincinnati, Ohio, is that it features ex-Zephyr keyboardist John Faris, working alongside the mysterious vocalist Silvia Leaf.
The difference between the blues and occasional psychedelic rock of early 70s Boulder, Colorado's Zephyr and the lo-fi recordings of Silver Leaf are striking, but in Hey! and Can We Rebuild Our City?, the power of the ballad and strong playing of John, is wrapped in mid-80s, mid-States lo fi heaven.
Whether a non-de-plume, Ms Leaf's searing, innocent vocals fly above John's keys and programming. Hey!'s repetitive exhalations act like a mantra to a party, while tom's chime in accompaniment. Here it comes!
Can We Rebuild Our City? starts with Faris' forlorn intro before crashing percussion heads to some kind of wonderful, as Leaf questions a calls to hearts.
Releasing just 3 singles, Silver Leaf's music is unique and essential, an experience and a delight to present.

It is our distinct pleasure to present Penrose, a new imprint poised to usher in a whole new era of soulful sounds.

Founded by Daptone Records' own Bosco Mann after building a new recording studio in his hometown of Riverside, California, Penrose will showcase the most exciting acts emerging on the blossoming SoCal souldies scene today.

For its inaugural release, the label offers up five singles by five exciting new artists: Thee Sacred Souls from San Diego; Jason Joshua from Miami; East L.A. mainstays Thee Sinseers, and The Altons; and Altadena veterans, Los Yesterdays.

Main Source’s paean to the simple pleasures of relaxing with friends is built over two tried-and-tested samples. The dreamy, swoony sounds of Vanessa Kendrick’s timeless ‘90% of Me is You’ is ever-present during this stone-cold classic, while Sister Nancy’s unmistakeable ‘Bam Bam’ lends several elements to the mix. Throw in some Skull Snaps and Sweet Charles and you’ve got the perfect soundtrack for a roll call of Large Professor’s nearest and dearest.

There are plenty of reasons why so many regard ‘Breaking Atoms’ as an all-time classic album, and the sheer variety of singles lifted from it is chief among them. Large Professor was happy to roam over varied topics at a time when many rappers had a manic focus on one thing.

And where better to hang out with friends than at a barbecue? ‘Live at the Barbecue’ is rightly regarded as one of the best posse cuts of all time, and famous for showcasing the debut of one Nasty Nas. While he delivers a dope verse full of quotables over drums from Bob James’ oft-plundered ‘Nautilus’, credit is also due to the other guests. Fatal and Akinyele aren’t disgraced in this company, and Large Professor tops it off with a rare verse of pure brag-rap.

An undisputed entry in the pantheon of head-nod hip-hop, this is its first official UK release, and another debut on 7”.

• Samples Sister Nancy’s unmistakeable ‘Bam Bam’

• Taken from the all-time classic album ‘Breaking Atoms’

• Features the debut of Nas

• Limited Edition Purple vinyl

Nonesuch releases a remastered, special edition of the 2005 record Our New Orleans for the first time on vinyl. The two-LP set, also available digitally, includes five previously unreleased tracks: ‘Do You Know What It Means’, by Davell Crawford; ‘Let's Work Together’, by Buckwheat Zydeco and Ry Cooder; ‘Crescent City Serenade’, by Dr. Michael White; ‘Walking By the River’, by Dr. John; and ‘Do You Know What It Means’, by The Wardell Quezergue Orchestra featuring Donald Harrison.

The $1.5 million raised from the 2005 release went toward providing housing in partnership with low-income musicians and others through the New Orleans Habitat Musicians’ Village, a concept that was developed by New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, working with Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick, Jr. Habitat–built homes in the village now provide musicians and others of modest means the opportunity to buy decent, affordable housing. The centerpiece of the village is the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, dedicated to celebrating the music and musicians of New Orleans and to the education and development of homeowners and others who live nearby.

For Our New Orleans, many of the Crescent City’s best-known musicians recorded songs that are integral to their lives and that express their feelings about the city and the trauma of Katrina. The album was made swiftly and simply, over the course of a month, in one-day sessions across the country. Nick Spitzer, host of public radio’s New Orleans–based American Routes, contributed liner notes to the record, as did Pulitzer Prize–winning author Richard Ford, also a Crescent City resident. Other producers who made enormous contributions include Mark Bingham, Ry Cooder, Joel and Adam Dorn, Steve Epstein, Joe Henry, Doug Petty, Matt Sakakeeny, and Hal Willner.

Nonesuch’s parent company – Warner Records, part of the Warner Music Group – donated all production costs for Our New Orleans as part of the Group’s larger efforts on behalf of hurricane victims on the Gulf Coast. Many others involved in creating the album also generously donated their time and services.

Nonesuch President David Bither recalls, “What was most remarkable to me was the immediate response of the musicians. Many were in New Orleans when Katrina struck. Many lost everything they owned including even the musical instruments that are their livelihood. Yet they responded within days to the question of whether they might participate in this project. The emotion and the power of Our New Orleans come both from their anguish and from their incredible generosity.”

And the label’s Chairman Emeritus Bob Hurwitz said, “When we pick up a CD booklet, we usually skip over the page that says, ‘Special thanks to…’, but in the case of Our New Orleans, it is, after the listing of the musician’s names, the most important part of this package. Everyone wanted to help – studios that insisted on contributing free time, caterers, photographers and videographers, instrument rentals, producers, engineers – every step down the line, people gave, not only their profits, but absorbed all of their costs. It was an incredible outpouring of generosity.”

“Our New Orleans is a testament to the power of music to heal and provide a sense of community,” said Marguerite Oestreicher, Executive Director of New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity. “Musicians helped the city heal after Hurricane Katrina, and Musicians’ Village helped them come home. We’re grateful to Nonesuch and everyone who worked on this album. This year has brought new challenges to everyone, but especially to our culture-bearers. This re-release could not be more timely.”

Quattrovalvole is the future/past/disco/drive project designed by Joone and Miss Zagato. Four on the floor Italo-disco, glossy 80s new wave pick us up in this afterdark lifestyle EP. The title track ‘Into the Night’ is a curb crawler’s seduction. Dedicated to the leather hand-notated black book, our dial up lover calls with arpeggiators demanding, then teasing like feathers over the phone. Big chords push us to drive fast, ready for what we long for.

B-side ‘Too Many Lights’ squeezes us, just what we need when broken glass is swept up from the disco floor. Tame drums and retro claps dictate, as the chords are stargazing with Miss Zagato’s vocals. They preside over the party, with potions of bliss and intoxication, we are invited intimately into this dream life.

Joone’s ‘Into The Night’ remix takes us into the future, driving at the wheel of an alcantara suede upgraded Ferrari 308 Vetroresina. The layers of well-informed 80s synth wave sends us into another dimension.

These are three high class disco tunes with real song craft at their heart.

Somewhere Between: Mutant Pop, Electronic Minimalism & Shadow Sounds of Japan 1980–1988 hovers vibe–wise between two distinct poles within Light In The Attic’s acclaimed Japan Archival Series—Kankyō Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980–1990 and Pacific Breeze: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1976–1986. All three albums showcase recordings produced during Japan’s soaring bubble economy of the 1980s, an era in which aesthetic visions and consumerism merged. Music echoed the nation’s prosperity and with financial abundance came the luxury to dream.

Sonically, Somewhere Between mines the midpoint between Kankyō Ongaku’s sparkling atmospherics and Pacific Breeze’s metropolitan boogie. The compilation encompasses ambient pop, underground electronics, liminal minimalism and shadow sounds—all descriptors emphasizing the hazy nature of the nebula. Out–of–focus rhythms wear ethereal accoutrements, ballads are shrouded in static, and angular drums snake skyward on transcendent tones. From the Avant–minimalism of Mkwaju Ensemble and Yoshio Ojima, to the leftfield techno-pop of Mishio Ogawa and Noriko Miyamoto (featuring members of YMO), and highlights from the groundbreaking Osaka underground label Vanity Records, these are blurry constellations defying collective categorization.

These tracks also exist in a space of transition when the major label grip on the Japanese recording market began to give way to the escalation of independents. Thanks to the idyllic economic climate and innovations in domestically–manufactured music gear, creators on the edges were empowered to focus on satisfying their artistic visions in the open headspace of home studios. While labels like Warner Music and Nippon Columbia explored new sounds through traditional channels, it was possible for Vanity, Balcony and other indie labels, not to mention self–released artists like Ojima and Naoki Asai, to publish their work via affordable media such as cassettes, 7" vinyl, and flexi–discs.

Expertly curated by Yosuke Kitazawa and Mark “Frosty” McNeill (dublab), Somewhere Between is a collection of music, much of it released for the first time outside Japan, that is bound more by energetic vibration than shared history, genre or scene. They are the sounds of transition and searching—a celebration of the freedom found in floating.

Note: The track “Days Man” by Yoshio Ojima is only available on the LP and Cassette versions.

Ubuntu Music is excited to announce the signing of Skeltr for the worldwide release of their album, ‘Dorje’. Skeltr began as a late night, post-gig session between Sam Healey (keys) and Craig Hanson (drums) in the dusty old cotton mills of Manchester. Forging a shared connection inspired by Post-bop and Modern groove, the pair developed a tightly knit, highly musical duo. Their first UK gig in 2017 at the Manchester Jazz Festival saw the duo sell all of their physical records of their debut release in one day. Within a few months of this auspicious start, the lads found themselves supporting L.A sensation KNOWER on UK tour, appearing on JazzFM, Worldwide FM, listed as ‘ones to watch’ in Jazzwise Magazine as well as performing across European jazz festivals, including Reykjavik Jazz Festival, InJazz, Rotterdam and the famous Osloscene Club in Norway. A tragic accident saw hard times fall upon the Duo as Sam suffered a serious hand injury. However, after operations and months of rehabilitation, Sam was able to return to his saxophone and continue playing music again. Having had chance to compose during rehab, the Duo immediately hit the studio and recorded their second album, named after Sam’s new-born son, Dorje. A nucleus of Saxophone and Drums set to scapes of synths, vocals and guest features, Skeltr's second album, 'Dorje', combines heartfelt statements of sensitive, illuminating, incensed improvisation which stem from ardent and fluent melodies. Craig ondrums is as much an expressive protagonist of the music as he is a foundation with deep roots, leading to intricate interplay between the Duo. Themes include understanding the nature of happiness, self-examination and acceptance in aquest to achieve a positive mental state. Ultimately, ‘Dorje’ seeks to provide the listener with a space in which to explore their own relativities with guidance, inspiration and accompaniment. Sam describes the project, saying, “What a wonderful experience it has been to create this album. We look forward to spreading the music far and wide with positive intentions. The sounds are crafted with a passionate energy in our hearts and I hope otherswill be able to feel and hear that.” Concerning Skeltr’s new relationship with Ubuntu Music, Healey continues, “It has been a three-year journey to bring this album to fruition and we’re so happy to have met Martin (Hummel) and Ubuntu Music as the album was coming to completion. This auspicious timing makes the new relationship all the more rewarding. The Ubuntu Music team’s knowledge, experience and phenomenal work ethic are vastly inspiring and will help Skeltr to reach a much wider audience across the world. We look forward to a close relationship with theLabel as we strive to bring great musical offerings to many people.” Martin Hummel, Director of Ubuntu Music, said, “These guys have breath-taking talent. I first came in touch with Sam on New Year’s Day (probably not the best day to do so) and told him what I thought of their music. It’s deep. It’s spiritual. And it shakes your senses, inside out and to your very core. Sam is meticulous in everything he does, and you can hear this in the recording. If you want to feed your soul with the best musical vibes, check this out.”

Bright Lights & Back Alleys is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Smokie, released in 1977. Recorded primarily at Whitney Recording Studios in Glendale, California, from March to April 1977, it was produced by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, as were the band’s all previous albums. Three singles were spawned; “Needles and Pins”, “It’s Your Life”, & “Baby It’s You”.

This expanded edition contains 4 bonus tracks: “Here Lies a Man”, “Now You Think You Know”, “Alone in a Cell” and “Lay Back in the Arms of Someone”. The package contains 2 printed innersleeves and extensive liner notes. The D-side has a cool etch of the Smokie band logo. Available as a limited edition of 1000 numbered copies on translucent red coloured vinyl.

Every now and then an artist comes along who makes you remember why you started listening to albums in the first place: Aaron Lee Tasjan is that artist. With his wrecked cool, off-centre charm and restless creative dazzle, he makes music with conviction that has its roots in rock’s murky past, armed with an arsenal of songs that spill over with humour, intelligence, irony and, at times, prophecy.
An obsessive creative, Aaron Lee Tasjan writes pop songs with a twist, a little overdriven and far too honest at times. He updates the idea of androgyny but dispels the emotional and social ambiguity with lyrics that reflect his own geographic and artistic wanderings.
Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan!’ is 11 songs. The man who began the album is not the same man who completed it, transformed both by the experiences that inspired the songs and by crafting them. This is not anxious music for anxious times but rather music as an antidote for anxious times. It is the sound of the future arriving.
Gatefold vinyl

'IDMEMO' would not pretend to be a representative compendium of 90’s-00’s Intelligent Dance Music. It was not Vladimir Ivkovic & Ivan Smagghe’s point when they decided on the project. It is a very personal snapshot of a moment in time, when both of them were working in record shops, when they were listening to indie and electronic music. One can not stress enough the importance of this crossing of roads, pop kids getting through to the dancefloor via Aphex Twin and nerdy house heads dissolving their four to the floor into the futuristic world of Warp compilations.

The compilation unfolds in the loosest, the best way to make some kind of sense. There are some classics (Black Dog’s lysergic 'Psyl-Cosin'), there are some rarities (that Zugzwang track), some tested late night floor melters (Reload remixing Slowdive) and some personal outlandish choices that strangely take their place (Spiritualized’s 'Anyway That You want Me-remix 3').

All in all, This is an anti-archive, a choice of tracks primarily lead by emotion, more pads than glitches,”intelligent” music depraved by that last half-pill at 6am rather than high-brow destructurations, Ivkovic & Smagghe hitting, as ever, at their own margins.

'IDMEMO' is a collaborative project between Above Board Projects, Offen Music and Les Disques De La Mort. Selected and sequenced by Vladimir Ivkovic and Ivan Smagghe. Art and design by Atelier Superplus. Mastering courtesy of Keith Tenniswood @ Curved. Manufacture and worldwide distribution by Above Board, 2020.

Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold shares, "SHORE feels like a relief, like you'd feel when your feet finally hit sand after getting caught in a riptide. It's a celebration of life in the face of death, honoring our lost musical heroes, from David Berman to John Prine to Judee Sill to Bill Withers, embracing the joy and solace they brought to our lives and honoring their memory. SHORE is an object levitating between the magnetic fields of the past and the future." SHORE was released digitally in its entirety on the fall equinox (22/9) alongside an album length Super-16mm landscape film captured and edited in Washington State by the filmmaker Kersti Jan Werdal. The album was recorded in upstate New York at Aaron Dessner's Long Pond Studio, in Paris at Studios St. Germain, in Los Angeles at the legendary Vox, in Long Island City at Diamond Mine, and New York City's Electric Lady. Fleet Foxes' self-titled debut made a profound impact on the international musical landscape, earning them Uncut's first ever Music Award Prize and a spot in Rolling Stone's 100 Best Albums of the 2000's. The follow-up album Helplessness Blues was met with the same critical praise as its predecessor (MOJO âÿ_ âÿ_ âÿ_ âÿ_ âÿ_, Pitchfork's Best New Music) and earned them a GRAMMY nomination. Both Fleet Foxes and Helplessness Blues are certified Gold in the US. The band's third studio album Crack-Up, released in 2017, had the highest European chart entry at #5. Fleet Foxes has sold over 1 million records in Europe

Much has changed in the musical life of renowned composer and director John Carpenter since 2016's Lost Themes II. Following the release of that album, he went on his first-ever concert tour, performing material from the Lost Themes albums, as well as music from his classic film scores. He re-recorded many of those classic movie themes for 2017's Anthology album, working alongside son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies. The following year, he was asked to executive produce and compose the music for the new Halloween movie directed by David Gordon Green, which promptly became the highest-grossing installment in the series. Now, he returns with his first album of non-soundtrack music in nearly five years, Lost Themes III: Alive After Death. Underpinning Carpenter's renaissance as a musician has been his collaboration with Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies. They've composed and performed as a trio throughout this entire run, on studio albums, on soundtracks, and onstage. Here, the trio reaches a new level of creative mind meld. Richly rendered worlds are built in the interplay between Davies's guitar and the dueling synthesizers played by the Carpenters. "We begin with a theme, a bass line, a pad, something that sounds good and will lead us to the next layer," John says of the trio's process. "We then just keep adding on from there. We understand each other's strengths and weaknesses, how to communicate without words, and the process is easier now than it was in the beginning. We've matured." Whereas the original Lost Themes album came as a pleasant surprise after years of relative silence from Carpenter, the third installment sees him in the midst of a resurgent moment as a cultural force. The 2018 Halloween score gave his music its biggest audience in decades, and the world he releases his new album into is one that has, at long last, given him the credit he deserves as a founding father of modern electronic music.

Much has changed in the musical life of renowned composer and director John Carpenter since 2016's Lost Themes II. Following the release of that album, he went on his first-ever concert tour, performing material from the Lost Themes albums, as well as music from his classic film scores. He re-recorded many of those classic movie themes for 2017's Anthology album, working alongside son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies. The following year, he was asked to executive produce and compose the music for the new Halloween movie directed by David Gordon Green, which promptly became the highest-grossing installment in the series. Now, he returns with his first album of non-soundtrack music in nearly five years, Lost Themes III: Alive After Death. Underpinning Carpenter's renaissance as a musician has been his collaboration with Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies. They've composed and performed as a trio throughout this entire run, on studio albums, on soundtracks, and onstage. Here, the trio reaches a new level of creative mind meld. Richly rendered worlds are built in the interplay between Davies's guitar and the dueling synthesizers played by the Carpenters. "We begin with a theme, a bass line, a pad, something that sounds good and will lead us to the next layer," John says of the trio's process. "We then just keep adding on from there. We understand each other's strengths and weaknesses, how to communicate without words, and the process is easier now than it was in the beginning. We've matured." Whereas the original Lost Themes album came as a pleasant surprise after years of relative silence from Carpenter, the third installment sees him in the midst of a resurgent moment as a cultural force. The 2018 Halloween score gave his music its biggest audience in decades, and the world he releases his new album into is one that has, at long last, given him the credit he deserves as a founding father of modern electronic music.

It's tempting to think that you have all the answers, screaming your gospel every day with certainty and anger. Life isn't quite like that though, and the debut album from London four-piece TV Priest instead embraces the beautiful and terrifying unknowns that exist personally, politically, and culturally. Posing as many questions as it answers, Uppers is a thunderous opening statement that continues the UK's recent resurgence of grubby, furious post-punk music. It says something very different though - something completely its own. Four childhood friends who made music together as teenagers before drifting apart and then, somewhat inevitably, back together late in 2019, TV Priest was borne out of a need to create together once again, and brings with it a wealth of experience and exhaustion picked up in the band's years of pursuing 'real life' and 'real jobs', something those teenagers never had. Last November, the band - vocalist Charlie Drinkwater, guitarist Alex Sprogis, bass and keys player Nic Smith and drummer Ed Kelland - played their first show, to a smattering of friends in what they describe as an "industrial freezer" in the warehouse district of Hackney Wick. "It was like the pub in Peep Show with a washing machine just in the middle_" Charlie laughs, remembering how they dodged Star Wars memorabilia and deep fat fryers while making their first statement as a band. Unsurprisingly, there isn't a precedent for launching a band during a global pandemic, but among the general sense of anxiety and unease pervading everything at the moment, TV Priest's entrance in April with the release of debut single "House Of York" - a searing examination of the Monarchy set over wiry post-punk and fronted by a Mark E. Smith-like mouthpiece - served as a breath of fresh air among the chaos, its anger and confusion making some kind of twisted sense to the nation's fried brains. It's the same continued global sense of anxiety that will greet the release of Uppers, and it's an album that has a lot to say right now. Taking musical cues from post-punk stalwarts The Fall and Protomartyr as well as the mechanical, pulsating grooves of krautrock, it's a record that moves with an untamed energy. Over the top of this rumbling musical machine is vocalist Charlie, a cuttingly funny, angry, confused, real frontman. Uppers sees TV Priest explicitly and outwardly trying to avoid narrowmindedness. Uppers sees TV Priest taking musical and personal risks, reaching outside of themselves and trying to make sense of this increasingly messy world. It's a band and a record that couldn't arrive at a more perfect time.

-LTD. LOSER EDITION-

This LIMITED LOSER INDIES edition is on GREY MARBLED Vinyl! It's tempting to think that you have all the answers, screaming your gospel every day with certainty and anger. Life isn't quite like that though, and the debut album from London four-piece TV Priest instead embraces the beautiful and terrifying unknowns that exist personally, politically, and culturally. Posing as many questions as it answers, Uppers is a thunderous opening statement that continues the UK's recent resurgence of grubby, furious post-punk music. It says something very different though - something completely its own. Four childhood friends who made music together as teenagers before drifting apart and then, somewhat inevitably, back together late in 2019, TV Priest was borne out of a need to create together once again, and brings with it a wealth of experience and exhaustion picked up in the band's years of pursuing 'real life' and 'real jobs', something those teenagers never had. Last November, the band - vocalist Charlie Drinkwater, guitarist Alex Sprogis, bass and keys player Nic Smith and drummer Ed Kelland - played their first show, to a smattering of friends in what they describe as an "industrial freezer" in the warehouse district of Hackney Wick. "It was like the pub in Peep Show with a washing machine just in the middle_" Charlie laughs, remembering how they dodged Star Wars memorabilia and deep fat fryers while making their first statement as a band. Unsurprisingly, there isn't a precedent for launching a band during a global pandemic, but among the general sense of anxiety and unease pervading everything at the moment, TV Priest's entrance in April with the release of debut single "House Of York" - a searing examination of the Monarchy set over wiry post-punk and fronted by a Mark E. Smith-like mouthpiece - served as a breath of fresh air among the chaos, its anger and confusion making some kind of twisted sense to the nation's fried brains. It's the same continued global sense of anxiety that will greet the release of Uppers, and it's an album that has a lot to say right now. Taking musical cues from post-punk stalwarts The Fall and Protomartyr as well as the mechanical, pulsating grooves of krautrock, it's a record that moves with an untamed energy. Over the top of this rumbling musical machine is vocalist Charlie, a cuttingly funny, angry, confused, real frontman. Uppers sees TV Priest explicitly and outwardly trying to avoid narrowmindedness. Uppers sees TV Priest taking musical and personal risks, reaching outside of themselves and trying to make sense of this increasingly messy world. It's a band and a record that couldn't arrive at a more perfect time.

Melbourne-based violist/violinist and orchestral composer, Tamil Rogeon, returns to his jazz roots on his soaring and celestial new album, Son Of Nyx coming soon on Greg Boramans' new imprint Soul Bank Music (part of the !K7 Music Group). From conducting the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the 2500-seated Hamer Hall to writing and co-producing his first full-length album in three years and one of the very few viola-led jazz LPs of our time, Rogeon joins forces with several stars of Melbourne's thriving and acclaimed jazz scene (Allysha Joy, Sam Anning et al.), channeling the cosmic energy of Yussef Lateef, Herbie Hancock and the like. Whilst often not an instrument typically associated with jazz, violin greats from Jean-Luc Ponty, Stéphane Grappelli to Billy Bang, have gone on to become iconic figures in the jazz canon, yet little can be said for the viola. Often considered the older sibling to the violin, the viola is larger in size and the tone is a lot deeper, something Rogeon was keen to make use of on Son Of Nyx. "I didn't want to make a bebop record. I wanted to make a modal jazz record and there just aren't that many on viola. I wanted to speak with a heavier voice, more akin to a tenor saxophone. The viola is darker and thicker. It speaks slower".

You could think of the collection of tracks here as a library record of sorts, and each track inhabits its own universe. Tropical fits various moods and situations, and it could soundtrack any number of activities at home or on a dancefloor - whether real, imaginary, or hallucinated. Strangely enough, it sounds like it could have been constructed from obscure Italian library breaks, when instead every instrument has been played and panned, several times over, across magnetic tape.

The genesis of many of these tracks began when CV Vision moved to Berlin in 2014. His flat had a small chamber where he could fit a drum set, so he treated the walls with foam, and in true DIY style, dived headfirst into recording these tracks. It was the natural next step on an audio adventure that first began when CV Vision picked up the guitar in his teens, and a couple years later started recording with friends in his home town of Bayreuth. Fast forward ten years and here is his debut - a culmination of practising chops and learning instruments, mastering recording techniques and fine-tuning the CV Vision sound.

It’s a sound that condenses elements of acid rock, psych soul, library funk and new wave oddities into a movie soundtrack for your mind. It’s a journey from ‘60s west coast LSD-drenched excursions to ‘80s synth and post-punk mutations. Tropical is a plunge into another time, another music you can simply swim around in and explore.

Side A opens up with Tropical Tune In, which rides in on a clave and a warm wind, blowing a distinctly herbal aroma and recalling exotica dons like Les Baxter and Martin Denny. Following on with the aural equivalent of a sea breeze through your mind, Spaziergang am Meer blows away the cobwebs and conjures some nice library moments like Stringtronics or F eelings . Next, Ba_c_k(Lava) bounces out of a cold wave post-punk melting pot and crashes through the speakers like a blazed Zebedee, with some sweet eastern synths for added flavour, before the rolling bass licks of Der Böse Schamane take us into another dimension, landing somewhere between a psych rock freak out and a Black Ark dub session. Mr Maze channels the arpeggiators of synth outsiders like Mort Garson and Bruce Haack, creating a glorious interlock of robotic electronics and freakbeat vocals. The side comes to a close with the guitars of Der Strand (außer Rand und Band) letting loose like syrupy springs, and setting a languid mood like the bedroom scene in Bedazzled (1967 version). Side B kicks off with Parallel Universum, which comes through like a woozy krautrock workout, all ducking synths with big chord shifts to create an epic deranged beehive of a soundtrack. Im Land der Ameisen evokes the spirit if not the sound of White Rabbit, when logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead, before waking up and wandering through the side alleys of Marrakech with the West Coast Pop Art Ensemble and the Electric Prunes, as Ritual (No. 4) blares out the speakers of passing tuk tuks. Ein Wasserfall plumbs the deep synth depths, like Raymond Scott in scuba gear, modular rack strapped to his back delivering oxygen as he swims between connector cables and seaweed forests through a watery underworld. Banana King sounds like a lost soundtrack to Donkey Kong or Mario Cart, if the cart radio was tuned into a synth

documentary hosted by James Pants, while Das Kloster am Berg takes the baton from Brenda Ray and her Naffi cohorts, all dubbed-out niceness and post punk swagger. The LP closes out with Tropical Drop Out, a dreamscape rather than a wake up call, coaxing you deeper into the trek across the desert of your mind.

And that’s Tropical in its essence: capsules from another time, snapshots of another sound, messages from another mind - all in the service of inducing the visions in your head.

written by Max Cole

Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi score the music to the highly anticipated actionadventure game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Ilan Eshkeri is a critically acclaimed film, television and video game composer. Eshkeri has been nominated for a BAFTA, an Ivor Novello Award and a International Film Music Critics Association Award. Shigeru Umebayashi is an internationally acclaimed composer who has won numerous awards. He has scored the music for many notable films including ‘True Legend’, ‘Rise of the Legend’ and ‘The Wasted Times’. Triple black vinyl set with tri-gatefold sleeve and printed inner sleeves. Specialist marketing activity.

Harry Bertoia's Glowing Sounds LP contains three versions of the same composition, each transferred at different tape speeds in accordance with the artist's instructions. This is the third LP to be released from Bertoia's extensive tape archive and it's the first, of many, to be released using instructions left behind by the artist himself.

Bertoia wrote the concept for this Glowing Sounds LP on a note in 1975 and slipped it into the master tape case where it sat unread for 45 years. The idea was simple, transfer the original recording at its original speed and two slower speeds. Bertoia noticed that the results, however, were profound.

Recorded on January 20, 1975 using two large gongs, Glowing Sounds is one of the most powerfully minimal recordings yet discovered in Bertoia's collection. The artist's note left with the tape indicated that it was recorded at a speed of 15 IPS (inches per second) but slowing it down to speeds of 7.5 IPS and 3.25 IPS were quite effective for enhanced playback. Side A features the original 15 IPS recording and the 50% slower 7.5 IPS recording. Side B features a 20 minute, ultra-slow version at 3.25 IPS.

Long, deep drones and powerful overtones define the sound of this recording. Comparison of the three speeds provides a revealing magnification of Bertoia's gongs, overtones and the artist's inventive approach to performance, composition and recording.

Bio:
Harry Bertoia first gained some artistic visibility in the early 1940s, then came into prominence with his sculptural, ergonomic chairs, produced by Knoll Furniture beginning in 1952, which quickly became classics of modernist furniture. Inspired by the resonant sounds emanating from metals as he worked them and encouraged by his brother Oreste, whose passion was music, Harry restored a fieldstone "Pennsylvania Dutch" barn as the home for this experiment in sounding sculptures which he had begun in the late 1950s. Bertoia was an obsessive composer and relentless experimenter, often working late into the night and accumulating hundreds of tapes of his best performances; Oreste, too, would explore and record the sculptures' sounds during his annual visits to his brother's home in rural Pennsylvania.

Harry Bertoia's recently dismantled Sonambient barn collection was an attentive listener's paradise full of warm, expressive instruments that were gorgeous visually and audibly. Nothing could prepare you, even on return visits, for the overwhelming experience of entering the spacious wood and plaster interior where gongs, some of them giant, hung among the ranks of standing sculptures of various metals. Over nearly twenty years of adding, culling and rearranging, Bertoia carefully selected nearly 100 harmonious pieces ranging in height from under a foot to more than fifteen feet. He considered this barn a full experience, sights and sounds comprising not a collection of works, but one piece unto itself. It was here, deep in the woods, that his Sonambient recording work took place.

Learning by experimentation was common for Bertoia and he mastered the art of tape recording, turning the Sonambient barn into a sound studio with four overhead microphones hanging from the rafters in a square formation. He would experiment with overdubbing by performing along to previous recordings, sometimes backwards, constantly improving his methods while also honing his performance skills. Bertoia was a careful editor of his own work and only chosen recordings remained, each with a date and carefully considered observations written on a note included with each tape. Through these pieces of paper a the artist's logic can be uncovered, a careful approach to composition, ideas, feelings and forms. The story of Sonambient barn collection will slowly be told through the release of recordings from the archive as well as installations and performances built from Bertoia's own recordings, lectures and a book.

Over the course of two decades The Body - Lee Buford and Chip
King - have consistently challenged assumptions and defied
categorization, redefining what it means to be a heavy band.
On ‘I’ve Seen All I Need To See’, they test the boundaries of the
studio to explore the extremes and microtonality of distortion to
find its maximal impact.
Their most incisively bleak album to date, a towering monolith of
noise, Buford’s booming, resolute drums paired with King’s
obliterated guitar and howl.
Course, bristling distortion contorts every instrument, with
samples of spoken word, cymbals, toms and King’s already
noxious tone emerging from layers of feedback.
Features guests Ben Eberle (Sandworm) and Chrissy Wolpert
(Assembly of Light Choir).
Recorded with long time engineer Seth Manchester at Machines
with Magnets (Lightning Bolt, Battles, Daughters) and mastered by
Matt Colton (Sumac, Brian Eno, Uniform, Sunn O)))).
Available on CD, metallic silver vinyl and black vinyl. LP formats
include digital download code.
The Body have collaborated with many, including Full Of Hell,
Thou, Uniform and Bummer.
“The distortion has this ability to envelope you, and not push you
away. It has this strange kind of beautiful timbre... once you give
into the sheer power of it, and let it take you on a ride then it
becomes this whole other kind of sonic experience.” - Matt Colton
The Body have continued to mould their sound into something
even more devastating, gorgeous and terrifying... As a whole, The
Body’s discography is, and will continue to be, without peer.” -
Metal Injection “Some of the most captivating heavy music around right now.” - Rolling Stone

Alkisah is the new album by Indonesian duo Senyawa. Alkisah is co-released by a multitude of independent record labels from all over the globe each with different packaging and design, with multiple version of remixes by various artists.

Senyawa is an experimental music duo made up of Rully Shabara (extended vocal technique) and Wukir Suryadi (homemade instrument). The music that they create is a combination of extended vocal technique and a homemade instrument. The instrument was handcrafted by master instrument builder Wukir out of one long piece of bamboo, it is a string instrument with guitar pick-ups—it is amplified and processed through several effects pedals but at times is played as an acoustic instrument, percussion and string instrument.

They are located in the ancient city of Jogjakarta, Central Java, Indonesia and their music is a reflection of their traditional Javanese heritage filtered through a framework of contemporary experimental music practices. Senyawa try to push the boundaries of both traditions in an attempt to mix the musics’ of the east and the west to create a new sound.

As a duo they have been performing and playing together extensively for the last 3 years and we have toured Indonesia several times over. Last year they were invited to perform internationally for the first time at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival sharing the stage with many great musicians such as Faust, Yoshida Tatsuya, Tony Conrad and Charlemagne Palestine.

Legendary activist and Afrobeat originator Fela Kuti used his
music to lament social injustices and political corruption in his
native Nigeria. Fela’s legacy spans decades and genres,
touching on jazz, pop, funk, hip-hop, rock and beyond. While
this impact can be felt in Nigeria and the entire world, it also
greatly affected Fela’s son Femi and his son Made, both of
whom carry his legacy as torchbearers for change. Partisan
Records release two albums from Femi and Made, packaged
together and appropriately titled ‘Legacy +’.
Both albums that make up ‘Legacy +’ are steeped in the
tradition of Afrobeat invented by Fela but each also offers their
own unique vision.
Femi’s ‘Stop The Hate’ honours Fela in a traditionally fun,
sharply political and affirming way. Meanwhile Made’s
‘For(e)ward’ is a modern and progressive freedom manifesto,
pushing boundaries of the subgenre even further. Made also
performs every instrument on his album.
Both albums also feature portraits of Femi and Made, done by
Brooklyn-based artist Delphine Desane, whose work was
recently featured on the cover of Vogue Italia.

DeWolff return with their new album, Wolffpack, released on 5th February 2021 via Mascot Records.

DeWolff, the kaleidoscopic warriors were not long into their 2019 Tascam Tapes European Tour when the Covid19 pandemic broke and they, like so many others, had to turn back and head home. They started working on the new album Wolffpack.

The album kicks off with the first song they finished, the soulful psychedelic funk of "Yes You Do," featuring Ian Peres and longtime friend of the band, Judy Blank. "We wrote it in a Zoom meeting!" Pablo says. "Treasure City Moonchild," struts in with a funky swagger and Piso's trademark swirling Hammond, with Dawn Brothers' Levis Vis providing some Bass juice. "Do Me," includes Theo Lawrence on vocals and is through the eyes of an anti-hero who realizes he isn't worthy of the woman of his dreams, and dates back to 2019 and the Next of Kin live show. "I consider this the best song I ever wrote, so I couldn't stand the idea that it was only used for those Next of Kin shows and then never again! That's why I brought it to DeWolff, but it needed some rearranging," he says. Another song from the Next of Kin sessions was "Sweet Loretta" and features Dawn Brothers' Stefan Wolfs and Darilyn's Diwa Meijman. "Loretta is the protagonist's childhood sweetheart. She has a rich dad, but he's really conservative, and so she can only inherit his money if she marries a man. But she's lesbian. So, the protagonist, who's also out for this old guy's money, suggests they play pretend and marry so they can split the money."

They sweep through disco on "Half Your Love," swamp rock on "Bona Fide" and take on sci-fi and the Old Testament on "RU My Savior." Their tour buddies The Grand East show up on "Roll Up the Rise." Written in the first days of quarantine, it's about the end of the quarantine - told from a future perspective. "Lady J," came after Pablo watched the documentary "13th." "I was quite shaken up by it," he admits. "The lyrics are based on the idea that Lady Justice seems to have a scale that doesn't measure the "weight" of your crime but the tone of your skin. She is supposed to be blindfolded, but the people who act in "her" name aren't blind at all: they discriminate between white and black."

The album ends with the forlorn "Hope Train." Based on the Pulitzer prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead about two slaves in the US during the 19th century, who make a bid for freedom from their Georgia plantation. "I found it really hard to envision the world in which it takes place," he says. The band used a 1970s Fisher-Price Toy cassette recorder in the intro, "We wanted to see if we could somehow approach the sound of those very early country blues recordings, like the ones by Blind Willie Johnson.”

"Over the years, I have had the absolute pleasure of meeting countless wonderful people in every corner of this beautiful planet, and a lot of times these music enthusiasts have expressed a very similar-sounding story. That our presence – whether it be via a studio recording or our ferocious show – is capable of transporting them to a better place and washing away all earthly worries. Doesn't this sound amazing – especially during these challenging times?"
This gentle voice belongs to the vocalist-guitarist Jonne Järvelä, who happens to be the creative force behind the unique Finnish ensemble KORPIKLAANI. Having experienced multiple triumphant years within the inner circle of folk-influenced heavy metal, Jonne now acknowledges his position as one of the most recognisable artists ever coming from the land of a hundred thousand lakes.

KORPIKLAANI – preceded by Jonne's own project SHAMAANI DUO (1993-1997) and the band SHAMAN (1997-2003) – was founded somewhere deep in the primeval northern forests in 2003. Ten celebrated studio albums, numerous world tours and hundreds of millions of digital streams alongside multiple other releases, have established KORPIKLAANI’s status as one of the leaders of innovative heavy music. For their diehard legion of fans, they are known as Folk Metal Superstars.

"I have always been fascinated by ancient Lappish/Samish culture and the infectious melodies of aged folk songs. However, that's only one side of the coin as I have loved rip-roaring metal since I was a frantic kid looking for some rebellious sounds. My butt was kicked by the likes of MOTÖRHEAD, IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST", says Jonne.
"Since the early 2000s, KORPIKLAANI has combined these elements as we have tirelessly attempted to pump new life into the ancient tales of joy and heartbreak, and added the enormous energy of current heavy metal into that folk metal melting pot.We have always been on a mission to create something new and unprecedented."

Here and now, KORPIKLAANI’s fearless journey continues on – and this time, the journey is powered by rather serious subject matter. Their eleventh full-length studio record "Jylhä" (which has no direct translation but can be described as majestic, or wild and rugged in a beautiful way) brings all the well-known and essential ingredients to the table: heavy-duty guitar riffing, rhythmic folk melodies and more.

What about the tales of the wilderness then? The fascinating and miscellaneous tales have always been a crucial part of KORPIKLAANI’s journey within the realms of unspoiled Finnish nature, ancient Scandinavian myths, shamanistic voyages and beyond. "Did I already mention that "Jylhä" offers some new angles?", the singer/guitarist laughs. "Well, lyrically, there are definitely some previously unknown passages – such as fables connected to the infamous Lake Bodom murders in Southern Finland in early 1960s."

KORPIKLAANI’s long-time lyricist Tuomas Keskimäki – the renowned Finnish poet and author, comments: "When I am coming up with narratives, interesting wordplays and other ideas for KORPIKLAANI, I often feel like I am diving into some absorbing fantasy world. I would describe this state of mind as some kind of a deep trance", says Keskimäki.
"As a whole textual piece, "Jylhä" is rather widespread. For example, there are stories about the fragility of life, revealed by using nature metaphors. ‘Miero’ is one of these tales: after all, it's a fact that the lifetime of a human being is just one blink of an eye compared to the eternal aeons of the cosmos."
"On the darker side, there are several murder songs - I wasn't really planning these rather untraditional lyrics, they just happened... One of these is ‘Kiuru’, and that story is inspired by a famous Finnish double homicide case, which took place in the small village of Tulilahti in 1959. In these lyrics, the character called Kiuru – Skylark in English – acts as eyewitness and a prophet, but at the same time, this creature also functions as an allegory of many things... All in all, I am really happy with the lyrics and all these new themes!"

When asked about his current sentiment regarding the new KORPIKLAANI opus "Jylhä", the commander of the forest clan sighs and smiles. "Using "Jylhä" as our solid steppingstone, we are able to reach completely new heights. For me, it's crystal clear that KORPIKLANI has never been better."
It is a fitting album for our dark times, summed up well by the song ‘Huolettomat’ (The Careless). It talks about living in the present moment, alongside a story of joy and celebration. Today is today, tomorrow is uncertain.

Mica Paris is back with Gospel, returning to her roots with an album inspired by legends of the genre and the experiences of her life. Featuring classic Gospel hits such as “Oh Happy Day” and “Something Inside (So Strong)”, combined with more recent songs such as Rag ‘n’ Bone Man’s “Human”, interpreted with a soulful flair, the album portrays a message of hopefulness throughout. The album also features original tracks “Mama Said” and “The Struggle” which are an emotional insight into Paris’ experiences, re-enforcing the message of hope and power in self-belief present throughout the album.

Raised in the world of Gospel by her grandparents, Mica Paris has been a powerhouse of the genre from a young age. Having been brought up surrounded by music, and after regular appearances at her local church, Paris began to establish herself as an artist, appearing as a backing vocalist on Hollywood Beyond’s 1985 album, If. At the age of 19, Paris released her debut solo album in 1988, entitled So Good, which has since gone to achieve Platinum certification. Now released on vinyl 5th February 2021

After much anticipation, UK-talent Ben Westbeech returns under his Breach moniker next February. Serving up the long-awaited Sun Salutations on André Hommen’s These Eyes imprint, the EP marks his first release under the alias since 2018, and features Dekmantel mainstay Cinnaman on the second track. The ethereal sound of Sun Salutations sets the feel of the release, as progressive synths reside atop a distinctive kick-hat backbone. We’re soon graced with an enchanting mid-track breakdown, paving the way for a tribal-leaning bassline and dreamy, flute-like chords. New Horizons feat. Cinnaman brings things to a gentle close, as warm keys converge on reverberating vocals to form a soothing, slow-building cut that’s perfect for sunrise, sunset or anywhere in between. Ben Westbeech AKA Breach is no stranger to the scene. Cutting his teeth on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings, it was in 2013 that Claude Von Stroke picked up Breach’s Jack EP for a release on his iconic Dirtybird imprint, the likes of which charted at number nine in the Official UK Top 40 Chart. Since then, the UK-talent has refocused his attention on the underground, launching his Naked Naked label as well as producing standout productions for the likes of Crosstown Rebels, Ninja Tune, Aus music and many more besides. André Hommen's These Eyes has cemented its standing as one of Germany’s leading labels, with the likes of Tlak (Denis Horvat), Marc Romboy and Jonathan Kaspar finding a home on the imprint in recent times. Refusing to be pigeon-holed by genre or style, Breach’s debut highlights the eclectic sound through which the label has become best known, a testament to the vision of label-founder Andr é Hommen.

Marbled Red Vinyl

Marc Bolan’s passions included the blues, soul, rock ‘n’ roll, hard rock and disco-soul, and his intent to explore these genres are all visited on this collection of classic album tracks and singles. His influences – Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton/Cream and Bob Dylan are all apparent amongst the material on Shadowhead, but the music here is unique.
Bolan’s creative fire produced a phenomenal catalogue of work: the material on this album was recorded over five
years (1972 – 1976), in seven studios, in five countries.
This record provides insights into Bolan’s creative process whilst keeping the essence of the music in its classic
form. Shadowhead showcases the development of tracks such as Precious Star and Groove A Little, and a track that
made its public debut on the CD release, Blues Jam (Dreamy Lady Session). Other tracks reveal many of the
instruments and sounds from the master tapes to enable the working processes to be more clearly understood.
This release marks the first time that this collection has been issued on vinyl.

a 1. Midnight [master version]
[b] 2. Rapids [working version]
[c] 3. Hang-Ups [master version]
[d] 4. Do You Wanna Dance [master version]
[e] 5. Baby Boomerang [master version]
[f] 6. Truck On (Tyke) [master version]
[g] 7. Blues Jam [Dreamy Lady Session] [jam]
[h] 8. London Boys [master version]
[i] 1. Lady [master version]
[j] 2. Buick Mackane [master version]
[k] 3. Stand By Me [working version]
[l] 4. Precious Star [working version]
[m] 5. Fast Blues (Easy Action) [master version]
[n] 6. Dreamy Lady [master version]
[working version]

• After their huge success throughout the 90s, Suede called it a day (for the first time) in 2003. The Suede Information Service (SIS) compiled and issued this special collection of demos, acoustic versions and other curios in 2004. Only 2000 CDs were manufactured, and these were distributed free to the members of the SIS.
• Whilst some of the tracks have appeared on the Edsel reissues, several tracks, including “Elaine Paige”, the Mick Jones remix of the band’s last single “Attitude” and the live French version of “The Power” have not been reissued since 2004.
• This release also marks the first time this collection has been issued on vinyl.

From Tromso to Oyafestivalen, to Roskilde Festival, moving to Oslo and now with new label Fysisk Format onboard, Heave Blood & Die is ready to follow up their 2018 effort "Vol. II", with "Post People". A mournful panoramic rock piece that brings to mind the inward explosions of The Cure, Smashing Pumpkins and Killing Joke. Given life through the mix by Graham Walsh (Holy Fuck, METZ, Viet Cong) and master by Paul Gold (Angel Olsen, Preoccupations, Beach House). Post People started as a concept we talked about together as a group, the more we discussed the topic, the more it turned out to it could possibly be so many different things: A fictional universe deprived of an established society, a post-apocalyptic universe of sorts, which the concept Post People very much is. It would be humankind as a whole transcending modern society, leaving capitalism behind, laying waste to non-justified authority, achieving the climate neutral goal, equality for all and ending the war on drugs. Post People is very much an activist piece of art, a critical view on how things are, and always has been, put into rhythm and sounds sequenced in an order that makes melodies that some find pleasant.

**400 ONLY REPRESS PHOTOLUMINESCENT COLOUR VINYL///!! 200 FOR EUROPE** “I was guzzling wine at my favorite bar in San Francisco, the Rite Spot, and the entertainment that night was some local opera singers singing along with a big video screen showing a collage of various operatic moments with subtitles. One particular subtitle, ‘Ah!-(etc)’ made me laugh, I thought it was a perfect description of life - the joy of existence against the etcetera of it all, the struggle. With a heavy head of rose’ it seemed like ecstatic poetry! I scribbled it on a napkin and thought it might make a good title for something” And so the mystery behind the title of Kelley Stoltz new record is solved. Less of a mystery is the quality contained therein… after 12 self-titled releases and a several more under pseudonyms, Stoltz is the word for “one-man-band-home-recording-pop-songs of idiosyncratic character.” A quick follow up to his more power pop and pub rock LP only “Hard Feelings” offering in the summer, “Ah-(etc)” finds Stoltz returning to his sweet spot, writing songs that never were, but should have been in the 60’s and 80’s.

As with other LPs Stoltz makes virtually every noise on the album which was written and recorded in 2019 at his Electric Duck Studio in. San Francisco. A few friends popped in to play along… Stoltz former bandmate, Echo & the Bunnymen’s Will Sergeant adds electric guitar to “The Quiet Ones” a sort of Scott Walker lyrical take on strangers and neighbors. Karina Denike formerly of Dance Hall Crashers adds gorgeous vocals on the bossanova groover “Moon Shy”, where Sergeant pops up again in a spoken word role on the outro. Allyson Baker of SF’s Dirty Ghosts sings on “She Like Noise”, a song Stoltz wrote for her in celebration of her love of seeing live bands.

The album was mastered by Mikey Young in Australia.

For the Perth group, creativity and production hasn’t stopped in 2020. Despite
much of this year’s tour plans being put on pause, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets have used their time off road to continue preparing themselves for the release of their fourth studio release, and an eventual blistering return to stages
around the world with a heavy-hitter of an album primed for the live space.
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets have already given fans an early taste of the forthcoming SHYGA! era, with ‘Mr. Prism’ in August. The creation of SHYGA! The
Sunlight Mound, especially off the back of 2019’s huge LP And Now For The
Whatchamacallit, came together in a different environment for McEwan and
the results speak to the band’s evolution and McEwan’s evolution as a songwriter.
“For the first time in a long time I was home without any tours booked, no
work, no deadlines and I felt free to create. My writing process became ritualistic; every morning starting with a small walk to the local bottle shop at 11am
and writing whatever flowed, allowing myself to design in all styles without
boundaries, and not trying to theme the album early on. I haven’t had the luxury of writing this way since the first record, which I spent almost a year working
on. It felt like I was myself again, creating without opinion or constraints. I was
gliding through weeks with a day seeming to pass.

Recorded in Chicago, Manhattan and Toronto, After Dark by Forest
Management is a collection of re-contextualized turntable audio sourced from an old vinyl copy of Claude Debussy’s La Mer.
The album shows composer John Daniel continuing to explore the territory he gestured at in 2018’s 21st Century Man, and is his biggest statement yet, clocking in at over an hour. Endlessly remixed in a software environment, the music of La Mer is transformed into new color. After Dark was inspired by events twenty years ago near the time Daniel first encountered Debussy

Talk about a talented family: Willie Nelson and his Sister Bobbie Nelson each achieved massive success in country music. Even in their late 80’s, the Nelsons continue to make music and their influence can be heard through many artists in the genre. December Day, Willie’s Stash Vol. 1 is a collaboration album between the two, and upon release in
2014 it was met with positive reviews from music critics. The album spawned three singles: “Who’ll Buy My Memories”, “Laws of Nature” and “Summer of Roses / December Day”. The liner notes were written by Willie’s frequent collaborator Mickey Raphael. This record comes as a limited edition on snowy white vinyl.

Paranoia is a 2013 American thriller film directed by Robert Luketic. Its score was created by Tom Holkenborg, better known as Junkie XL, a Grammy nominated multi-platinum producer, musician, composer and educator. His other scoring credits include Mad Max: Fury Road, Deadpool, Man of Steel and The Dark Knight Rises. This special edition of the Paranoia soundtrack includes 4 extra songs from the movie: “The Hurry and the Harm” by City and Colour, “Alive (Zedd Remix)” by Empire of the Sun, “1, 2” by Lissie and “Demon Dance” by Surfer Blood. This release comes out as a limited edition of 500 individually numbered copies on translucent blue vinyl and includes an insert with images from the film.

The legendary reggae artist Frederick “Toots” Hibbert, together with his band The Maytals, toured Europe in 1980. During those days they had one of reggae and ska’s finest live shows and Toots stepped out as the showman. This great performance at The Hammersmith Palais in London, with songs like “Funky Kingston”, “54-46, That’s My Number”, “Pressure Drop” really capture their live energy. The album is available in our “SELECTED REGGAE CLASSICS” series. Toots passed away in Jamaica in 2020, but his legacy lives on with this incredible Live album.

MSG is a legendary name. After two phenomenal records under the guise of Michael Schenker Fest, a true guitar hero is returning to his roots. By forming Michael Schenker Group (MSG) back in 1979, Michael Schenker laid the foundations for one of hard rock’s most glorious solo careers of all times. And while nobody expected anything less from a former guitarist for Scorpions and UFO, it’s close to impossible mentioning everything Michael has built over the past 50 years, or the countless people he influenced or played with. This, truly, is the stuff that hard rocking myths are made of.

“I never looked back,” is how Michael dryly sums up an extraordinary career. Due to this mindset, he only realised much later what a huge impact his playing had made on the world of metal and hard rock. Very few guitarists can be cited as a primary influence for the likes of James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Dave Mustaine, Dimebag Darrell, Slash or Kerry King. However, to understand Michael Schenker means to understand one primary thing: he’s not here to be worshipped or adored, he’s not here to get rich, he’s here to play. And at 65, he’s doing it with the same swagger, verve and dizzying artistry as always. “I’m still 16 in my head,” he laughs.

Right in time for his 40th anniversary as a solo artist and his 50th birthday as a musician, he resurrects the immortal Michael Schenker Group. “Immortal” is also the name of his new album, recorded by likely the strongest line-up in his long history. Its a lightning bolt of an album that sounds fresh, bloodthirsty and agile. “Immortal” showcases the gargantuan vocal talents of Chilean hard rock prodigy Ronnie Romero (Rainbow), backed by singers Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear), Joe Lynn Turner (ex-Deep Purple) as well as Schenker’s brother in arms, Michael Voss (Mad Max) who again produced the record alongside Michael Schenker – flawlessly, punchy and at full steam as if their very lives depended on it.
Next to Michael Schenker caressing his iconic black and white Dean Flying V, we hear bass player Barry Sparks (Dokken), keyboard player Steve Mann as well as the three drummers Bodo Schopf, Simon Phillips (ex-Toto) and Brian Tichy (ex-Whitesnake) pumping gallons of fresh blood through the tracks. And that’s not all, keyboard wizard extraordinaire Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, Black Country Communion) gives the listener a baptism of fire in the blistering, heavy hitting opener “Drilled to Kill”, powered by Ralf Scheepers’ unbelievable vocal tornado.

Michael Schenker doesn’t live to play, he plays to live, and there’s no better way of summing up his relationship to his music than this – now for half a century and counting. The most emblematic representation of this relationship is the monumental closing track “In Search Of The Peace Of Mind”, a new recording of the very first song he ever wrote. “I composed this track in my mother’s kitchen back when I was 15,” he looks back half a century and smiles broadly: “The solo is just so perfect, I wouldn’t change a single note even today. This is the most important song of the last 50 years for me. It’s what started it all.”
When it finally got released in 1972 on the Scorpions’ debut “Lonesome Crow” Schenker had already moved on to UFO. What followed were several decades of pure hard rock ecstasy on and off stage, featuring a rotating cast of stellar players, always pressing the pedal to the metal. Now, in 2020, he reaps what he sowed. Alongside many of his peers, friends and contemporaries, he is celebrating 50 years of hard rock – fittingly with an album that is something like a zeitgeisty reminiscence of everything he’s ever done. The massive midtempo smasher “Don’t Die On Me Now” sees Joe Lynn Turner going all in, Ronnie Romero works his magic in “Knight Of The Dead” while Michael Voss cuts a grand figure before the microphone as well as behind the mixing desk on the furious second single “After The Rain”.
Towering above them all, Michael Schenker and his guitar prove they’re truly and utterly invincible. The celebrated icon pulls out all the stops – including his legendary “howler”, the fabled magnet he’s used on his fingerboard for a while now. And here’s yet another thing that’s just so archetypically Schenker, when bringing up his fiery and dedicated performance on “Immortal” he nonchalantly shrugs it off: “I simply played from the heart, as always.” This, dear Michael, is the understatement of the year – all the more so for a record that is already one of the top contenders for hard rock/metal album of the year.

MSG is a legendary name. After two phenomenal records under the guise of Michael Schenker Fest, a true guitar hero is returning to his roots. By forming Michael Schenker Group (MSG) back in 1979, Michael Schenker laid the foundations for one of hard rock’s most glorious solo careers of all times. And while nobody expected anything less from a former guitarist for Scorpions and UFO, it’s close to impossible mentioning everything Michael has built over the past 50 years, or the countless people he influenced or played with. This, truly, is the stuff that hard rocking myths are made of.

“I never looked back,” is how Michael dryly sums up an extraordinary career. Due to this mindset, he only realised much later what a huge impact his playing had made on the world of metal and hard rock. Very few guitarists can be cited as a primary influence for the likes of James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Dave Mustaine, Dimebag Darrell, Slash or Kerry King. However, to understand Michael Schenker means to understand one primary thing: he’s not here to be worshipped or adored, he’s not here to get rich, he’s here to play. And at 65, he’s doing it with the same swagger, verve and dizzying artistry as always. “I’m still 16 in my head,” he laughs.

Right in time for his 40th anniversary as a solo artist and his 50th birthday as a musician, he resurrects the immortal Michael Schenker Group. “Immortal” is also the name of his new album, recorded by likely the strongest line-up in his long history. Its a lightning bolt of an album that sounds fresh, bloodthirsty and agile. “Immortal” showcases the gargantuan vocal talents of Chilean hard rock prodigy Ronnie Romero (Rainbow), backed by singers Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear), Joe Lynn Turner (ex-Deep Purple) as well as Schenker’s brother in arms, Michael Voss (Mad Max) who again produced the record alongside Michael Schenker – flawlessly, punchy and at full steam as if their very lives depended on it.
Next to Michael Schenker caressing his iconic black and white Dean Flying V, we hear bass player Barry Sparks (Dokken), keyboard player Steve Mann as well as the three drummers Bodo Schopf, Simon Phillips (ex-Toto) and Brian Tichy (ex-Whitesnake) pumping gallons of fresh blood through the tracks. And that’s not all, keyboard wizard extraordinaire Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, Black Country Communion) gives the listener a baptism of fire in the blistering, heavy hitting opener “Drilled to Kill”, powered by Ralf Scheepers’ unbelievable vocal tornado.

Michael Schenker doesn’t live to play, he plays to live, and there’s no better way of summing up his relationship to his music than this – now for half a century and counting. The most emblematic representation of this relationship is the monumental closing track “In Search Of The Peace Of Mind”, a new recording of the very first song he ever wrote. “I composed this track in my mother’s kitchen back when I was 15,” he looks back half a century and smiles broadly: “The solo is just so perfect, I wouldn’t change a single note even today. This is the most important song of the last 50 years for me. It’s what started it all.”
When it finally got released in 1972 on the Scorpions’ debut “Lonesome Crow” Schenker had already moved on to UFO. What followed were several decades of pure hard rock ecstasy on and off stage, featuring a rotating cast of stellar players, always pressing the pedal to the metal. Now, in 2020, he reaps what he sowed. Alongside many of his peers, friends and contemporaries, he is celebrating 50 years of hard rock – fittingly with an album that is something like a zeitgeisty reminiscence of everything he’s ever done. The massive midtempo smasher “Don’t Die On Me Now” sees Joe Lynn Turner going all in, Ronnie Romero works his magic in “Knight Of The Dead” while Michael Voss cuts a grand figure before the microphone as well as behind the mixing desk on the furious second single “After The Rain”.
Towering above them all, Michael Schenker and his guitar prove they’re truly and utterly invincible. The celebrated icon pulls out all the stops – including his legendary “howler”, the fabled magnet he’s used on his fingerboard for a while now. And here’s yet another thing that’s just so archetypically Schenker, when bringing up his fiery and dedicated performance on “Immortal” he nonchalantly shrugs it off: “I simply played from the heart, as always.” This, dear Michael, is the understatement of the year – all the more so for a record that is already one of the top contenders for hard rock/metal album of the year.