Buscar:back in time

Rising Japanese duo SUDO debut on Drumcode with the inspired ‘Real World’ EP.
The brothers Isao and Takashi – the former based in Berlin, while the other holds forte in their hometown of Kansai, Japan – have been grafting away at their craft for many years, never compromising on quality, while eschewing trends. Instead, patiently creating and waiting for their opportunity.

The duo remembers their first vinyl purchase from back in the ‘90s – a white label they’d later find out to be Underworld’s legendary ‘Rez’. It’s from these incendiary roots that ‘Real World’ takes inspiration. A trio of tracks imbued with depth, subtly and impact.

The title track is a deep barrelling trancey composition and is trippy in nature, conjuring visions of the Underworld classic, while never losing a future-minded ethos. ‘Construction’ starts as a chunky slice of percussive techno, before a mesmerizing ambient interlude takes the track to another realm. ‘Mercury’ is a transcendental slice of tech-trance that’s timeless in every sense. Bliss.

A slick techy dance-floor banger featuring the sultry tones of US Vocalist ‘Brutha Basil’.

Hand Made has been a go-to number from Abel’s well-received ‘Cosmic Law’ album. Taking a deeper and much more techy approach to sound design, Abel and Atjazz enlisted the brilliant ‘Brutha Basil’ to lay down some truth about ‘doing this music thing for the right reasons’. With some incredible remixes from Peacey who swipes things up to a new energy level, Rocco Rodamaal whose punchy re-work takes us way back to NYC’s early days of house music, and South Beach Recycling’s Chicago and Detroit-inspired late-night groover. This is one of those releases that will stay on target for a long time, no doubt!

Los Angeles-based ASHRR are back on 2020 Vision ahead of a new album and this time serve up their own superb version of The Romantics's 1983 hit 'Talking in Your Sleep.' In their hands, it becomes a club-ready sound with a vocal you may recognise as it featured in the Mad Max episode of Stranger Things. Add in some DFA-inspired punk funk vibes and with all the instruments reapplied while new layers of bass and synth are added and you have one fantastic new version. Balearic don Fernando steps up for two remixes, first stripping things back to a deep house sound and then bringing some dub disco vibes to the fore.

Having gathered up praise from Mary Anne Hobbs, Cerys Matthews, Jamie Cullum, Gilles Peterson, Huey Morgan, The Guardian, Jazzwise and more, for his lauded ‘Crisis & Opportunity’, drummer and composer Myele Manzanza returns with the fourth instalment of his series, titled ‘Meditations’.

On ‘Meditations’, we see Myele revert to a purely acoustic line-up, channeling a focused and razor-sharp return to his Jazz roots. Showcasing an incredible level of musicianship between three musicians at the top of their game - including Matthew Sheens (Ross McHenry, John Patitucci) on piano and Matt Penman (Joshua Redman, Sfjazz Collective) on double bass - the trio exchange motifs over the length of 7 tracks.

Opening proceedings with frenetic rhythmic improvisation, complimented by melancholic and cinematic layers of sound, ‘Crayford’s Room’ is a tribute to Myele’s musical mentor back in New Zealand. Remembering his time as a student in Wellington, Myele shows his deep connection to his origins, manifesting itself as lament on ‘Winter’ and ‘Homesick’. Introducing hypnotic, contemplative melodies take centre stage on ‘Something Old Something New’ (the first single to be released from the project)’ It maintains a sense of tension and intrigue throughout, and intensity rises to a crescendo sending sonic particles sprawling into space.

Intuitive, darker and deeply contemplative, Myele shares his innermost thoughts on ‘Crisis and Opportunities Vol.4 - Meditations’. He divulges:

‘The personal angst and existential frustration I was going through across 2020 - 2022 I believe is well reflected here. The album is deeply informed by the musicianship and sound of my trio, Matthew Sheens on piano and Matt Penman on double bass. Knowing that musicians of their calibre were going to be involved gave me licence to go further in my writing, deploying odd time signatures, sharing the melody roles across the piano and the bass, and delving deeper into the nuances of what the acoustic piano / bass / drums trio can do. The compositions present a challenge even to the best musicians, and I knew that it was essential to have a team on this level to really move the music beyond an academic exercise and draw out the emotion and colour from the material.’

UNSURPASSED SPACIOUSNESS, IMAGING, AND TRANSPARENCY: MASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL TAPES, MUSIC EMERGES WITH NEW DETAILS AND TONES
1/2" / 30 IPS analogue master - Plangent Processed - to DXD to analogue console to lathe

Love Over Gold is all about contrast, tension, and crafty composition. Dire Straits' fourth album finds the band continuing to evolve by welcoming increasingly bold arrangements and exploring moody variations. Parts edgy and sharp, and part seductive and relaxed, the five lengthy songs on Love Over Gold sprawl out like a long, winding road cutting through a pastoral landscape. The addition of a new rhythm guitarist, Hal Lindes, encourages deeper atmospheric interplay while the presence of engineer Neil Dorfsman – his first appearance in what would be a long string of collaborations with Mark Knopfler – ensures stunning sonic properties that now come to life like never before.

Mastered from the original master tapes and pressed at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's 180g 45RPM 2LP version of Love Over Gold teems with superb balances, front-to-back soundstages, and crystalline purity. The dead-quiet surfaces and extra-wide grooves bring forward previously obscured details, extra information, and mastering-studio-quality transients. The distinctive textures of a host of instruments – marimbas, acoustic and electric guitars, vibes, synthesizers – further enhance the ambitiousness of the 1982 album.

On this audiophile pressing, everything Knopfler does seemingly turn to gold. Gearheads will hear the unique characteristics afforded by his use of a Mesa Boogie Mark II guitar amplifier (soon again employed on Brothers in Arms) and carefully chosen selection of Schecter Stratocasters, 1937 National steel guitar, and Ovation six- and twelve-string models. Reference-level separation and lifelike imaging place Knopfler and company in your room, while tube-like warmth, spaciousness, and airiness causes the music to breathe anew. This LP will be in your rotation for months.

It doesn't take long to realize Love Over Gold is like no other Dire Straits album – and a staunch proclamation of independence from a band that continued to take longer creative strides with each successive project. Fearlessly extending over metaphoric hills, valleys, and plains for nearly 14-and-a-half minutes, the opening "Telegraph Road" is a guitar hero's dream and exhilarating showcase for Lindes' give-and-take capabilities. In tandem with keyboardist Alan Clark, Lindes provides the ideal foil for not only Knopfler but the long-time rhythm section of bassist John Illsley and drummer Pick Withers.

Taking its time to arrive at destinations, the quintet paints evocative musical and lyrical portraits steeped in patience, drama, and, often times, sadness. Desolate emotions colour the sweeping "Telegraph Road" and barren "Private Investigations," which finds Knopfler in the role of a tired private eye contemplating the emptiness and scars of his profession. Vocally, the Dire Straits leader remains in top form throughout, his whiskey-coated rasp conveying romantic ache, ongoing frustration, and what Rolling Stone beautifully deemed "wracking schizophrenia between the heart and the heartless, the loving and the pain."

Called Dire Straits' prog-rock statement, Love Over Gold is a classic that defies labelling and avoids ageing.

Two years after the stunning AFRICA OSCURA, Four Flies Records is back with another gem from Giuliano Sorgini's secret archives, this time one which unearths some of his darkest, eeriest music – that is, pieces he composed in the mid-70s for some of the most infamous, low-budget horror movies ever made in Italy.

This collection brings together a selection of original recordings from those movies, which were directed by "Italian Kings of the B's" Angelo Pannacciò, Salvatore Bugnatelli, Luigi Batzella, and Guido Zurli, with whom the Roman composer worked intensively throughout the 70s. Due to the very low-budget nature of the films, Sorgini recorded the soundtracks entirely on his own, in his Cat & Fox Studio in Rome. He played drums and percussions and added overlapping layers of analogue synths to create a superbly sinister soundscape, thus turning a constraint into an opportunity.

The result is a journey into the mysterious atmospheres of the Italian occult-sounding music of the time, something very close to the dark electronic masterpieces that made Sorgini famous, such as ZOO FOLLE or THE LIVING DEAD AT MANCHESTER MORGUE.

OCCULTO features ten previously unreleased tracks characterized by enigmatic moods, obscure beats and esoteric themes. All tracks are taken from original master tapes that remained buried in the composer's archives for decades.

The LP comes in a deluxe jacket and inner sleeve designed by Luca Barcellona. Also available in digital format with three previously unreleased bonus tracks.

1STEP Process 180g 45rpm 2-LP, Pressed on VR900-Supreme Vinyl!
The ultimate edition of Frank Sinatra’s famed 1950 concept album
Cut Using Original Analogue Mix-down Masters by Chris Bellman and Andreas Meyer! Strictly Limited To 5,000 Numbered Pressings!
Two 45-rpm 1STEP LPs pressed by RTI on VR900 Supreme Vinyl
New lacquers cut after each run of 500 pressings
Distinctive Impex 1STEP packaging featuring a gorgeous tip-in 36-page booklet with exclusive photography and period graphics, an expanded historical essay by Charles L. Granata

A heavy-stock two-sleeve Monster Pack jacket by Stoughton Printing and a luxe colour-matched slip case


We are beyond thrilled to announce the release of a very special limited edition of Frank Sinatra’s historic Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra on Impex 1STEP! Our all-analogue 2-LP set adds further narrative substance and sonic greatness to The Voice’s first big-band jazz long-play vinyl “concept” album! Our 33.3 release was a landmark reissue, but this is a whole other level!

Like all Impex 1STEPs, this audiophile recording is pressed at 45-RPM on high-definition, VR-900 Supreme vinyl for incredible clarity, immediacy and a tonal depth that virtually mirrors the original monophonic master tape. Additionally, the tapes and discs we mastered from have rarely been used by other labels, delivering the original recording sessions closer than releases whose tapes have gone through mastering chains over and over. Silent, flat surfaces provide for near-perfect audio playback without distracting non-fill issues.

Exclusive to the Impex 1STEP edition are two previously unreleased bonus recordings and an extended version of the “It All Depends On You” Session + Take, where Sinatra capably arranges the musicians in real time!

The luxurious 1STEP packaging includes a gorgeous 36-page full-colour booklet with expanded historical liner notes, unique photos and graphics, and a deluxe slipcase. It provides an excellent listening experience and a “coffee table book” for your living room or den!

Lemonheads’ seminal album ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’, lovingly reissued for it’s 30th Anniversary. The long overdue reissue includes a slew of extra material, including an unreleased ‘My Drug Buddy’ KCRW session track from 1992 featuring Juliana Hatfield, B-sides from singles ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’ and ‘Confetti’, a track from the ‘Mrs. Robinson/Being Round’ EP, alongside demos that will be released for the first time on vinyl. This reissue celebrates their prestigious fifth album, these deluxe bookback editions feature new liner notes and unseen photos.

Described by music journalist and author Everett True as “A 30-minute insight into what it’s like to live hard and fast and loose and happy with like-minded buddies, fuelled by a shared love for similar bands and drugs and booze and freedom.”. ‘It's A Shame About Ray’ had a considerable impact back in those heady, carefree days of '92, the record perfectly captures Dando’s ability to effortlessly encapsulate teenage longing and lust over the course of a two-minute pop song.

Singles such as 'My Drug Buddy' and the breezy perfect pop of the title track might stand out (plus the add-on of 'Mrs. Robinson' which later copies included), but the album's real strength lies in the tracks in-between; the truly fantastic 'Confetti' (written about Evan's parents' divorce), and the eye-wateringly casual acoustic cover of 'Frank Mills' (from the "hippie" musical Hair), a version that seems to resonate with every ounce of pathos and emotion felt for the lost 1960s generation. To hear Evan Dando sing lines like 'I love him/but it embarrasses me/To walk down the street with him/He lives in Brooklyn somewhere/And he wears his white crash helmet' is to truly appreciate how wonderful and tantalising pop music can be. Then, there's the rush of insurgency and brattishness on the wonderfully truncated 'Bit Part'; the topsy-turvy 'Ceiling Fan In My Spoon'... this was male teenage skinny-tie pop music on a level of brilliance with The Kinks, early Undertones, Wipers.

Having established himself as one of the most energetic and exciting Jazz musicians within the already thriving worldwide scene, New Zealand born, London based Drummer & Producer Myele Manzanza has made a major impact upon the global music landscape.

 A founding member of Electric Wire Hustle, Myele has released five solo albums, and racked up tours and collaborations with Jordan Rakei, Theo Parrish, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Recloose and Amp Fiddler amongst others . Myele has developed a strong live presence in his new London base; his quartet has shared stages with the likes of Hiatus Kaiyote, The Bad Plus, Alfa Mist, and drawing packed houses to top venues such as The Jazz Café and Ronnie Scott’s. Last year, the first two instalments of his 'Crisis & Opportunity’ record series saw him garner praise from Mary Anne Hobbs, Cerys Matthews, Jamie Cullum, Huey Morgan, The Guardian, Complex, Jazz FM, Lefto, Worldwide FM, Jazzwise and more.

Following the release of his last offering, a chance conversation between Myele and a young Barista at a local coffee shop occurred - their topic (centred around the trials and tribulations of following your musical passions) sent Myele down a spiralling path of internal reflection, spawning a new lease of creative energy and examination of new ways to approach his craft. The third addition to the heralded series, ‘Crisis & Opportunity Vol.3 - Unfold’ sees Myele change his approach from drummer / improviser, altering his sonic output to a more electronic dance music output, opting for a more producer / beatmaker focussed role. Sharing production duties with Lewis Moody (Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange) and taking a more producer / beatmaker focussed role. His initial instinct was to create music that could be played in a club, but also incorporate elements music of the Jazz and technical musicianship he’s renown for.

Articulating his thoughts on the record’s genesis, Myele explains: ‘‘As the process developed, I was also drawing a lot of inspiration from vocal driven soul, RnB and songwriter-driven music to a point where I had lit a new creative fire. Reconsidering the direction of the album, I was left with the creative question “What broader ranges of emotion might my music be able to access, and what kinds of art could be made possible if I were to open up my music to hold space for singers and for stories?”

First single ‘Silencing The Sun’ features the vocal talents of fast-rising fellow Kiwi artist Wallace, whose spectral tones glide gracefully over the pulsating rhythm section and twinkling keys. On second single ’Therapy’ UK Soul royalty Omar weaves his trademark magic over a solid 4/4 beat, soulful key stabs and lush synths, bottling lightning into dancefloor alchemy. Final single ‘Unfold’ sees Rachel Fraser deliver a delicate and introspective vocal performance over stripped back instrumentation as cold, angular electronics juxtapose the warmth of piano keys and sweeping strings. With a wealth of additional incredible talent (such as China Moses and Rosie Frater Taylor) enlisted to further compliment the record’s grainy synth textures, emotive chord changes, driving low end sonics and expressive percussion, the scene is set for a beautiful, shifting and engaging listening experience.

Directed in 1972 by Romano Scavolini, "Un Bianco Vestito Per Mariale'" features a cast with some familiar faces from the Italian thriller genre like Evelyn Stewart and Ivan Rassimov. The film was scored by a great name of the Italian film music scene, Fiorenzo Carpi, whose music was superbly arranged and conducted with his own and unique great style by Bruno Nicolai. Originally released on vinyl by Gemelli in 1975, three years after the release of the movie, this score is dominated by the Mariale' theme both with Piano and orchestra and Edda Dell'Orso's voice and orchestra versions, and also features several lounge and tensive themes. Long out of print, we are proud to bring this beautiful soundtrack back on vinyl as a limited edition of 500 copies, including the instrumental version of "Mariale'" and an alternative arrangement of "Garden Party", available on vinyl for the first time.

Milky Clear Vinyl. Aprender a Ser: Extended is an EP by Mexico City band Mint Field. It was recorded in the same sessions as Mint Field's latest album, Aprender A Ser. Mint Field decided to split the work into an album and an EP as they felt it was too dense for a double album and wanted these songs to co-exist in another space and have its own time to shine. As with Aprender A Ser, the EP incorporates influences from shoegaze, trip-hop, dream pop and electronic music. The final track includes longtime friend and cello player Mabe Fratti to play Cello. Time. It's something we tend to cherish. As a band, you're typically thrown into more than usual stressful scenarios when recording albums and rushing decisions becomes the norm. Mexico City's Mint Field knows this all too well. Rewind to the spring of 2020 (yes, Covid). The band started fleshing out their new album Aprender a Ser (meaning Learn To Be in English), the follow up to 2020's minimalist psych/ shoegaze album, Sentimiento Mundial. For the first time, the band was not under any time constraints in the recording process. They wrote, recorded, produced and mixed the album in isolation. They had time to slow things down and think more obsessively about the sound, environment and vibe they wanted to create. Aprender a Ser became really intimate, every single detail was meticulously worked on. Mint Field recorded take after take, but at the same time tried to keep the soul of the demos intact. Some of the guitar and drums are first takes in the final versions. The band would let a recording sit, leave it and come back to it. The songs evolved a lot doing so, but at the same time didn't lose the essence of its original intention. Thematically, Aprender a Ser talks about opening our perspective of the reality that we live every day, acknowledging each moment that we witness in life. Learning to recognize what we are, what we live, what we see, what we feel. Whether it's seeing ourselves in the past and observing how we have evolved in the present. Or the lifetime of a butterfly from its formation within a cocoon to how it lives its short life in five days. Or seeing how an orchid slowly opens every day, never forgetting the essence of what we are and will be. Nothing in life should be taken for granted. Living in the present is a gift. Learning to be (Aprender a ser) is learning to recognize our emotions, not repress them, not turn them off and feel them.

repress !

“Tubby did three original dub albums, ‘Dub From The Roots’. ‘The Roots of Dub’ and the third is ‘Brass Rockers’ with Tommy McCook ‘pon the flying cymbals. Where he mixed it with the horn going in and out in a dub way and one named ‘Shalom Dub’ you can call Tubby’s too because he mixed the versions as they were off forty fives’’
Bunny ‘Striker‘ Lee

King Tubby and Producer Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee are intertwined in the birth of Dub Music. After discovering a mistake that made a ‘serious joke’ ( more of which later...) they went on to release the first pressings of this new musical genre namely ‘Dub Music’. Tubby’s vast knowledge of electronics and Bunny’s vast catalogue of rhythms would lay the foundations of what today is taken as a standard... the Remix / Version cuts to an existing vocal tune.

Osbourne ‘King Tubby’ Ruddock was born in Kingston, Jamaica on 28th January 1941 and grew up in the High Holborn Street area of downtown Kingston. He studied electronics at Kingston’s National Technical College and also on two correspondence courses from the U.S.A... When he had qualified Tubby began repairing radios and other electrical appliances in a shack in the back yard of his mother’s home. His work in the early days included winding transformers and building amplifiers for Kingston’s Sound Systems. Tubby built his first Sound System in 1957 playing jazz and Rhythm & Blues at local weddings and birthday parties. His reputation as a man who knew and understood both electronics and music grew steadily and as the sixties drew to a close. Tubby purchased his own basic two track equipment. He installed this alongside his dub cutting machine, a home made mixing console and his impressive collection of Jazz albums in the back bedroom of his home at 18 Dromilly Avenue which he christened his music room.

Tubby and Striker were at Treasure Isle Studio’s one day while Ruddy from Spanish Town was working with the engineer Byron Smith....

“Tubby and myself was talking when Ruddy was cutting some dub but Smithy (engineer) made a mistake through we were talking and forgot to put in the voice. It was two track recording in those days. Ruddy said ‘No Man! Make it stay! and so they cut the rhythm. When I went over to Ruddy’s that Saturday night a dance was in progress and when they played the vocal to the tune... then he said we’re going to play ‘Part Two’. They never called it ‘Version’..and then he played the rhythm track. The song was a catchy song and everybody started to sing along and the deejay started to toast so everything went down well. On Monday morning I went up and I said ‘Tubbs the mistake we made was a serious joke.It mash up Spanish Town! The people went wild. So you have to start to do that now ‘cause when the man put on the ‘Part Two’ everyone start singing this song. It played about twenty times. I said you try Tubbs!’...Well the next Saturday night now when Tubby strung up down the farm U Roy said he’s going to play ‘Part Two’ but Tubby did it different now. He started with the voice then dropped it out and let the rhythm run and then he brought in the voice in the middle and from there Tubby started to get really popular.’’
Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee

Dynamic Sounds upgraded to sixteen track recording in 1972 and Tubby purchased, again with the help of a deal brokered by Bunny Lee. The old four track equipment and the MCI console from their Studio B. The four tracks now gave him far wider scope to work with and he began to create a new musical form where the bass and drum parts were brought up while the faders allowed Tubby to ease the vocal and rhythm in and out of the mix. It was only a matter of time before Tubby’s dub plate experiments began to make it on to vinyl and the first ever long playing King Tubby releases would feature a collection of his mixes to a selection of Strikers rhythms. So please sit back and enjoy this historic set of sounds. Lovingly restored and with a few extra gems added to the CD Editions. These releases were the first to carry the name of King Tubby and the first to credit the great musicians that contributed so much to the rhythms that made these albums possible.

Bomp Records of Burbank, California was likely the most significant American independent record label of the 1970s. In 1979 Voxx was founded as a subsidiary of Bomp as a specialty label for '60s-styled garage and psychedelic inspired music and was home to the debut album of the Pandoras. The Pandoras really got started back in 1982 when triple threat Paula Pierce (guitar, vocals AND songwriter) met singer and guitarist Debbie Mendoza at Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga, one of those dozens of small communities that make up the greater Los Angeles area. According to stories told around the campfire, Paula had posted an advertisement on the bulletin board inside the college's cafeteria. The ad was both simple and direct: Wanted: female musician to jam with. As legend has it, the ad also stressed a keen interest in 60's garage punk music. Debbie answered Paula's ad, and soon the two girls were bringing guitars to school and holding impromptu jam sessions between classes. A little later that year, Paula brought in Gwynne Kahn on keyboards and second guitar, and Debbie convinced drummer Casey Gomez to join. People who were around at the time pinpoint December 1982 as the official beginning of the Pandoras as a band. The Pandoras didn't waste any time getting down to business. They started gigging regularly, and their repertoire of tasty garage nuggets expanded substantially, fueled both by Paula's talented songwriting and also no doubt by her relationship with Unclaimed frontman Shelley Ganz and his extensive knowledge of obscure 60's gems. The Pandoras unleashed their first recordings on the world in 1983 with the "I'm Here, I'm Gone" EP on Moxie records. It was a meaty slab of girls in the garage punk rock, and while maybe not as polished as subsequent efforts, it clearly showed off the talent of the band. Greg Shaw had been alerted to the band a few months earlier, and always one to know a good thing when he heard it, he quickly signed them. "It's About Time" saw the light of the day in 1984 on Voxx Records and became one of the first and best efforts of authentic 1960's-styled garage punk to emerge from the revival scene. It was pure garage gold! Today, 40 years after its original release date, we are thrilled to reissue this essential '80s garage punk gem as part of a series of releases celebrating Bomp! 50th anniversary. Our issue includes 3 bonus tracks and liner notes by Gravedigger V's John Hanrattie. "Paula Pierce refused to play it cute. On The Pandoras' debut album she out-snarled, out-screamed, out-fuzzed and out araged the male-dominated competition-like a well-aimed go-go boot to the jugular." - Mike Stax, Ugly Things Magazine "As good a '60s punk record as any contemporary combo is likely to make." - Trouser Press

LP - 180 Gram Vinyl / Limited to 500 Units 12 festive songs recorded by The King in 1957 - a few even with the famous vocal quartet The Jordanaires. This LP full of Rock`n`Roll christmas hits takes you back into another time.

Red marble LP - 180 Gram Vinyl / Limited to 500 Units 12 festive songs recorded by The King in 1957 - a few even with the famous vocal quartet The Jordanaires. This LP full of Rock`n`Roll christmas hits takes you back into another time.

Necrodeath is one of the most important and outrageous names in extreme metal; formed back in 1984, it is one of the first extreme metal bands originating in Italy. They take inspiration from Slayer, Dark Angel, Possessed, Venom, Kreator, Bathory, Celtic Frost and Sodom. The band is also renowned for its live performances and notably for their "wall of sound". The band released a cult-demo tape titled 'The Shining Pentagram' and obtained an incredible success in the underground, which is still considered a real "piece of thrash/black history". Tons of tributes in major magazines, fanzines and other underground outlets highlighted the release of the first two legendary albums 'Into The Macabre' (1987) and 'Fragments Of Insanity' (1989). And today after dozens of full lengths, EPs and side projects the long voyage to hell is not over yet. New Necrodeath album, anticipated by the single on vinyl and video "Transformer Treatment", is the confirmation of a trade-mark consolidated in almost forty years, where the old school of extreme metal is present throughout the album. "Singin 'in the pain" is a concept based on the movie "A Clockwork Orange" by Stanley Kubrick, where the band takes us on a one-way black/thrash journey, represented by immorality and violence, and back to a vain attempt at redemption and normality.

Reeling In The Weeks—which felt like Years — after my first Current 93 album, I had started on the difficult second C93 album, DOGS BLOOD RISING.

Having been asked to appear on both Top Of The Pops AND The Old Grey Whistle Test 93 times in the same week after the release of NATURE UNVEILED, I realised that God was telling me that I had hit on a winning formula of Christian eschatology and Apocalyptic Christian texts over a SoundScape As Cool As Flies, but that I was missing the vital ingredient of a Simon & Garfunkel song. DOGS BLOOD RISING — which I described to myself in a VISION as an album which hoped, wished, and made bad trips sound like good trips — was essentially the Mirror Night of NATURE UNVEILED, although only half of it was recorded at Roundhouse Studios. Squats were calling, and 8-track studios were all I was able to afford. DOGS BLOOD RISING didn’t chart, except in my NightSweats. Listening to it now, it makes me as restless as I was then, staring beyond the windows there, watching and praying for something, someone, anything, anyone.

Remastered by The Bricoleur at Bladud Flies!, and with the original artwork refreshed and reborn by Rob Hopeye, this 12” vinyl picture-disc comes in a full-colour die-cut sleeve, which is printed on both the outside and inside.

This is one of the first 4 reissues of the entire back catalogue of C93 on picture-disc and standard vinyl, in the lead-up to the publication of my autobiography at the end of 2025, whilst I also work on many other recording, publishing, and painting projects, and Watch And Pray! Each release in the picture-disc vinyl reissues series is limited to 1,000 copies, and the titles will not be repressed as picture-discs once they have sold out.

For those of you who"ve mislaid your history goggles, this archival release recalls an ancient time in the world of recorded music. Yes, back in the dinosaur days of the 1990s, a creature known as Aerial M walked the earth, before evolving into Papa M and PAJO and beyond and back. Even then, the music of M had a next-wave vibe, walking upright among the knuckle-draggers (and having drinks in the evening with others of its genetic detatchment). It was too much to last very long, of course - but some things end up lasting forever, don"t they? Fuck! So it is today that Drag City, an organization largely set up to bring you the best of all available M recordings, is proud to be there for the release of the only Aerial M session ever recorded for John Peel"s BBC Radio One show, as it was originally recorded on 3rd March 1998 and broadcast on 2nd April of the same year. The studio versions of these songs, which appear on Aerial M"s S/t album (DC114) and Papa M"s Hole of Burning Alms comp (DC231), were played by "M" himself (now revealed to be David Pajo!), which makes this album a rare alternative view of the canonical M, played by an actual Aerial M band who, all too briefly, embodied the sound for a year or so before Papa brought a brand new bag. This Session found them fortuitously roadburned from several weeks in the European Theatre. So much the better for our archival ears, as OG-M"s signature minimalist long-fuse sizzle is thrillingly intact here; in fact, even more so, as the tunes are jammed out past the studio versions" originally delineated borders, reaching rudely across the table in moments of liveness that the studio-bound project might have decided against when conferring only with the walls. For fans of their epic version of "Turn Turn Turn", this is more sweetmeats from that raucous old skull - but if you"ve not been down this road before, be prepared: the taste will set you slowly aflame. And then, before you know it, the band is dined and dashed - just like the band that Aerial M was, all too briefly amok on the earth that was too.

Qwälen became what it is in 2017. The band members share a passion for playing music in its various raw manifestations and their band backgrounds include Küroishi, Nistikko, Dumathoin and Akma among many others. Punk background bleeds into the music connecting Qwälen's interpretation of black metal into how the genre started decades ago. Simplicity, rawness, speed and honesty. These values were present in the beginning and the same values still hold true. Punk background especially shows live as the chaotic energy of hardcore punk clashes with the ritualistic nature of black metal. Lyrical themes in the first album focused on self-portrayal, dealing with loss, building anew along with finding alternatives in abandonment, misanthropy and Satan. The second album ponders the sheep-like nature of humanity, the inevitability of destruction, the acceptance of being faulted and surrendering to a greater force. Syvä hiljaisuus was recorded at Waiting room recording studio in Tampere with Mikael Neves who has worked with the likes of Death toll 80k and Tryer. Mikael also handled mixing duties. Mastering was done by Will Killingsworth at Dead air studios.