quête:back on track

AGT Records are back for number 008 and the smoke machine is on full blast.

Christian Llopis put out a handful of releases in the early 2000’s, each capturing the progressive machine-groove of the time, but with his own signature twist and turn that made his sound stand apart from his contemporaries. The Lobster Tan EP, first released in 2005 on Play. Out. Right. Now. Recordings, shows offhis unique style perfectly.

Each track has its own distinct personality while maintaining a relentless momentum that throws each kick drum into the next. The title track ‘Lobster Tan’ has an almost elastic groove in the low end, balanced deftly with swirling samples and melody lines. ‘Simulation’ is a more heady offering, perfect for those late night/ early morning moments where the heads are down and the lights are low. The
mood is sinister, and its growling bassline and vocal samples barrel the tune forwards. Pick of the bunch is ‘Back in the Day’, a tribal roller that combines organic melody lines and pads with an ever-evolving bassline that will refresh any discerning dance floor back into life.

Llopis is an expert at keeping things subtle while moving the gears, and this release is a prime example of prog done right. We are happy to have this one back on the shelves, all in good time.

CYRK Relaunches Time Zero with a High-Voltage Return to Electro Berlin-based duo CYRK proudly announce the relaunch of their Time Zero imprint, marking the occasion with a striking new release that dives head-first back into their electro roots. The EP showcases three tracks of pure electronic funk, delivered with the razor-sharp production and futuristic flair that has come to define the project. Adding a further layer of intrigue, the record includes a remix from the enigmatic producer Client_03, whose identity remains one of electronic music's most compelling mysteries. Their reinterpretation pushes the release into even deeper machine-funk territory, rounding out a package that reaffirms CYRK's command of the genre. With the rebirth of Time Zero, CYRK signal a new chapter--one that celebrates their unmistakable sound while looking boldly toward the future.

Haven Trax welcomes a standout 12" from Dutch mainstay Michel de Hey. On the A-side, he delivers a warm and rolling house cut with a catchy piano melody, featuring the soulful vocals of Michael Sebastian -- a track that blends depth and emotion with undeniable floor appeal. The B-side sees Michel join forces with Orlando Voorn for a rawer, more stripped-back club workout. Two generations of Dutch electronic music finding common ground in groove, texture, and timeless dancefloor energy.

After nearly five decades of relentless innovation, Truus de Groot's Plus Instruments project shows no signs of slowing down. The ninth album, Unnoticed, finds the `dutch Pioneer diving deeper into the experimental synthesiser palette than ever before, delivering 12 tracks of minimalist, analogue noise and her signature vocals.

Recorded at The Ranch in Escondido, Unnoticed showcases her continued evolution as an artist. Often referred to as the "Queen of the Dutch Underground," de Groot has is a stalwart of the experimental underground music scene since establishing Plus Instruments in 1978 in Eindhoven. Her journey has taken her from the punk rock explosion of the late '70s Netherlands to the No Wave scene of early '80s New York.

The Plus Instruments project has always been characterised by its ever changing nature and collaborative spirit. She has worked with an impressive roster of artists over the years , spanning continents and genres, including James Sclavunos (Nick Cave), Jim Duckworth (Gun Club), most recently, Miguel Barella and Cosmo Vitelli, who co-writes, produces and adds programming to standout track "Sexy Machine." This creative partnership has opened new avenues for de Groot's explorations, as she continues to plough yet another field of creativity.

Now based back in the Netherlands, she continues her work while maintaining the core elements that have made Plus Instruments a touchstone for electronic music innovators. Her influence can be heard in everything from Electroclash to Cold Wave, with younger artists regularly seeking collaboration with the veteran experimentalist. Unnoticed arrives as de Groot enters her sixth decade of music-making, proving that true artistic vision only grows stronger with time.

2026 Repress

Underground house from Olivier Portal (Playin' 4 The City). Track A2 & B1 were originally released on the Backshop EP on Tropism Records 2002, an EP thats very hard to find around on vinyl and the EP comes with a fresh new cut called, Minor Track which incorporates those classic P4TC vibes & deep rhythms.

Echonomist drops debut Rekids EP with ‘My Religion’. He follows his recent remix for Frankey & Sandrino on the label with collaborations with OVEOUS and Ede.

Greece’s Echonomist, aka Petros Manganaris, returns to Rekids with the ‘My Religion’ EP, arriving 30th January 2026 and featuring collaborations with OVEOUS and Ede. It follows his 2025 remix for Frankey & Sandrino, which won plays from HAAi, John Digweed, Auntie Flo, and more, alongside recent music on labels like Habitat, Innervisions, and its sublabel, Exit Strategy.

Echonomist’s ‘My Religion’ EP opens with the title track, where he teams up with Hyper Soul founder OVEOUS for a loopy, hypnotic cut driven by an alarm-like sequence and tripped-out spoken word vocal. OVEOUS returns on ‘We Surrender’, adding psychedelic, warped phrases over deep bass and an infectious clap-led groove. On the fl ip, Echonomist joins fellow Innervisions artist Ede for ‘The Heat’, a heavy-hitting, party-starter packed with larger-than-life
sirens, big snare rolls, and funky sample work. Petros closes the EP solo with ‘Master Groove’, pairing the drums back while echoing spoken lines ride above an irresistible bassline, rounding off a versatile release built to land with adventurous listeners and on peak-time fl oors alike.
Greek DJ, producer, and live performer Petros Manganaris became Echonomist in 2008 and has since become known for his prolifi c output on labels Innervisions, Afterlife, Kompakt, TAU, and more, alongside collaborations with the likes of WhoMadeWho and numerous top-tier remix projects for Âme, Ry X, and Stephan Bodzin.

Força Maior combines the vital saxophone explorations of Pedro Alves Sousa with the infinitely subtle electronic processing of Pedro Tavares. Sousa (aka Má Estrela) is known for manipulating his woodwind through guitar pedalboards & amplifiers, creating far-from-ordinary sonics rooted in unceasing curiosity. For his part, Tavares (aka funcionário) conjoins video & sound work to create space for the pensive wanderings where memory and imagination interlace.

The album Morte Lilás was recorded over a week in June 2023 in Pedro Alves Sousa's family farm, located in the village of Ferreirim, near Lamego, in Portugal. The partly abandoned farm served as the residency, studio, and inspiration for the album: it is a 400-year-old granite farm that belonged to a member of the "40 conspirators"—a group that led the revolution for Portugal's independence from Spain in the 17th century.

Morte Lilás is a remarkable album of committed meditation. Each day on the farm was a recording day for the two Pedros: Sousa on sax & electronics, Tavares on sampler & processing. Apart from slight sonic incursions from the surrounds—the birds on 'Quinta à tarde'—and the sporadic use of sine tones, the source sounds all start from the saxophone. It is then processed both by Sousa & Tavares. The album unfolds as a saxophonic tapestry that breathes with quiet intensity. Each piece invites close listening, revealing fine gestures and tonal shifts that shape a contemplative, ambient space. Força Maior move with calm precision.

The album opens with the unhurried overture 'Quinta à Tarde' a Portuguese pun on Eno's Thursday Afternoon that announces the textures at play. Sousa's breathy entrance is paired with a soft, delicately shifting, backdrop. As the track progresses, time seems to stretch. The arrangement resists urgency, favouring subtle evolution over dramatic turns. Pensive layers shift & drift, creating a sense of suspended motion that brings the listener into the environs of Morte Lilás. 'Quinta à Tarde' is a long-form fade, shifting emphasis from Sousa to Tavares.

'Cubos' continues the gauzy feel, but with a more up-tempo tilt. Rhythmic clicks & pings setup a swung time for the sax to interpose melodic lines that are fed back & bent with cascading delays. Força Maior in distilled form.

Força Maior is in top form on the title track 'Morte Lilás', a sprawling centrepiece that showcases their command of atmosphere & emotional pacing. By turning up the reverberation & leaning into a continuous format, they dissolve the gap between hypnotic trance & articulate reverie. Then, a moment of stillness. The track pauses, not abruptly but like a tide pulling back, revealing the contours beneath. What follows is a return to the album's more relaxed architecture: understated rhythms, softened textures, and a sense of spaciousness that opens space for reflection. It is a transition that feels organic, as if the song itself needed to exhale before settling back into its contemplative groove.

'Menta' is another short-form miniature of the band's signature contours: beautiful loops of air pressure gradients that carry an emotive weight & light.

The album closes with 'Cascata do Inferno'. The title suggests violence, but the music whispers instead—an atmospheric cascade of breath & tone that emerges in slow, deliberate waves. Short melodic cycles are matched by shimmering electronic chords. It's a piece that rewards patience, draws the listener in to drift downstream, eyes closed, into the serene turbulence of its current.

London-via-Accra artist BLACK FONDU shares his seven-track debut EP ‘BLACKFONDUISM’, following the underground momentum of singles ‘im not sleeping’ and the Steve Lamacq BBC 6 Music-premiered ‘holla back girl’. Available on vinyl, and with a self-directed video for ‘#music’, the project marks the first full expression of a voice emerging as one of the UK’s most uncompromising new forces.

‘BLACKFONDUISM’ captures that evolution in its rawest form. The EP came together quickly through instinct and freestyling, recorded between his room in London and a short period in Paris. Each track reflects a world he understood only after living through it. ‘IN D4 CLUB’ channels the exhilaration of acceleration, ‘BOYS’ explores the foundation provided by maternal love, ‘im not sleeping’ confronts denial after more than twenty revisions, ‘C00N V2’ marks a moment of creative rebirth, and ‘BLACK1E’ navigates the tension between self-perception and the world’s gaze. Closing track ‘#music’ distills the entire project into one statement.

Working alone has brought challenges, but he has learned to trust the emotional volatility that fuels the work. “I care so much and would die for this, but I cannot let it kill me. I have to trust myself the same way I trust myself when I make music.”

At 21, BLACK FONDU has carved out a sound that collides hyperpop, noise, rap, punk energy and abstract grime into something instinctive and volatile. Influenced by everything from Rachmaninoff to MF DOOM to Xiu Xiu, he writes, produces and performs every element, including the fractured visuals that accompany his tracks. Praise from BBC 6 Music, Pitchfork, NME, The Quietus, Pigeons & Planes, METAL and Line of Best Fit has positioned him as one of the most intriguing new voices in the UK underground, with explosive live shows across London, the UK and Europe.

With BLACKFONDUISM, he introduces a universe that refuses to sit still. “I wanted this EP to act as an introduction to my worlds. It felt important to put this out so I can do anything after.” He hopes listeners feel alive when they hear it, and jokes that he wants the record to “evolve music, even just a little.”

BLACK FONDU’s sound remains a paradox, abrasive and fragile, chaotic and meticulous, always guided by instinct. Or, as he puts it, “A bit fucked. But alive.”

Following her compelling debut EP Mending, Frida Touray returns with Homebody, a work of raw emotional clarity, crafted duringa time when her voice was literally fighting back. Diagnosed mid-process with a rare condition that forced her into silence andstillness, Touray chose not retreat, but rebuild. From the quiet corners of domestic life, she’s shaped a collection of songs thatradiate warmth, vulnerability and quiet endurance.Musically, Homebody expands on Touray’s jazz-soul foundations with sparse, atmospheric production that amplifies her voiceand message. There’s a newfound looseness in her phrasing, a deeper sense of presence in every word she sings. You can hearthe letting go, of perfection, of control, and the deepening of purpose in its place. Each track lands with unfiltered intimacy andemotional architecture, a subtle act of defiance wrapped in softness.This is music built on stillness and shaped by resilience. A reflection on self-worth, illness, femininity, community and healing.Songs that speak to the unseen parts of recovery and the small rooms we build ourselves back up in. Homebody is a record foranyone rebuilding from the inside.

DJ Maestro, geboren als Martijn Barkhuis in Nederland, is een gerenommeerde Nederlandse DJ, producer en componist, vooral bekend om zijn werk aan de fameuze Blue Note Trip-compilatieserie. Met een diepgewortelde passie voor jazz en een scherp oor voor eigentijdse grooves, verwierf Maestro naam door klassieke jazzopnames te combineren met moderne beats, wat resulteerde in een verfijnde fusie die zowel traditionele jazzliefhebbers als een nieuwe generatie luisteraars aanspreekt. Zijn vermogen om naadloze, atmosferische en muzikale verhalen te creëren leverde hem erkenning op van het prestigieuze Blue Note Records-label, dat hem het vertrouwen gaf om hun klassieke catalogus te gebruiken voor moderne, genre-overstijgende mixes. Met de lancering van de Blue Note Trip-serie in de vroege jaren 2000 hielp DJ Maestro de interesse in klassieke jazz nieuw leven in te blazen door tijdloze tracks te koppelen aan subtiele elektronische elementen en soulvolle interpretaties. De serie werd een vaste waarde in lounges en hi-fi luisterruimtes over de hele wereld. Elke release weerspiegelt Maestro’s respect voor muzikaal erfgoed en zijn talent om verhalen te vertellen via geluid, waarbij hij luisteraars meeneemt op een muzikale reis die zowel nostalgisch als vooruitstrevend is. In 2015 begon DJ Maestro aan een opmerkelijk project: Little Girl Blue Remixed, een eigentijdse herinterpretatie van Nina Simone's iconische debuutalbum uit 1958. Het album werd geprezen om zijn respectvolle, maar inventieve remixes. Dit project onderstreepte Maestro's vermogen om de brug te slaan tussen klassieke jazz en hedendaagse muziek, en verstevigt zijn status als visionair binnen de jazz fusion scene. Naast deze albums heeft DJ Maestro samengewerkt met een breed scala aan artiesten, bigbands en jazzmuzikanten. Hij heeft zijn repertoire ook uitgebreid naar filmmuziek, liveoptredens en remixes – allemaal met behoud van zijn kenmerkende stijl geworteld in jazz, soul en downtempo. DJ Maestro blijft een culturele brug slaan tussen tijdperken, waarbij hij de rijkdom van jazz viert en tegelijkertijd innovatie, dansmuziek en moderniteit in zijn mixen verwelkomt. Na zijn geprezen reeks genre-overstijgende compilaties keert Maestro nu terug met Deep Trip – een gloednieuwe mixcompilatie die zal verschijnen op Black Hole Recordings. Deze keer kiest hij voor een meer house-georiënteerde richting, met warmere grooves, diepere ritmes en een weelderige sfeer, maar altijd met Maestro’s onmiskenbare signatuur. Deep Trip verschijnt zowel als een mixed CD als in een triple vinyl set met alle tracks in ongemixte versie. Het is een reis door hedendaagse deep house-texturen, met soulvolle percussie en een hypnotische opbouw. De compilatie laat Maestro’s muzikale evolutie horen: trouw aan zijn jazzwortels, maar volledig omarmend wat de moderne house te bieden heeft.










h 4. I Hadn't Known I Only Heard








h 4. I Hadn't Known I Only Heard








[h] 4. I Hadn't Known [I Only Heard]








[h] D2 | Herbert - I Hadn't Known [I Only Heard] (7 15)

includes unearthed fragments of Bladder Flask by Richard Rupenus, circa ’80s, The paths of Nurse With Wound and Bladder Flask first crossed in 1980 and the following year Bladder Flask’s debut album One Day I Was So Sad That The Corners Of My Mouth Met & Everybody Thought I Was Whistling (Orgel Fesper Music) was distributed by United Dairies. Following the aborted project for a second Bladder Flask album, scheduled for 1981, some forty years later, Richard Rupenus approached Steven Stapleton to use fragments of old recordings he’d unearthed from “Bladder Flask”, an invitation that Stapleton accepted, and rather than simply remixing or reworking existing Bladder Flask tracks, Steve Stapleton and Andrew Liles have succeeded in reinforcing Nurse With Wound and Bladder Flask’s sense of the absurd in this new opus “Backside”.

Rob Smith, RSD is not only a successful dubstep producer and pioneer of the Bristol sound, but also a very popular deejay travelling the world sharing his music. Coming from a reggae background and well-versed in sound system culture, Rob kept some of his best productions for his exclusive use when deejaying, the only way you would hear these gems was being played in one of Rob's sets. Fortunately, we've managed to persuade Rob to let Reggae Archive Records share these dubplate specials with a wider audience on a limited-edition vinyl LP. Compiled and sequenced in conjunction with Rob, the LP features nine tracks newly edited and mastered by Rob to enhance the bass playback on vinyl - it's cut heavy!
The tracks were recorded between 2006 and 2011, a time when one strand of dubstep heavilyembraced reggae and dub. Rob calls these tracks reggae infused dubstep and that's what they are, but Reggae Archive Records is a reggae label and this selection of dubstep tracks will most certainly appeal just as much to reggae and dub fans. Fusing dubstep beats, reggae samples, and seriously heavy basslines, this is a joyous celebration of musical cross fertilisation that has been tried and tested in clubs worldwide. In keeping with the dubplate origins of the tracks, we have designed the labels to replicate an old school acetate, while the sleeve pays tribute to seventies pre-releases albums with a replica stamp giving just the artist and title on a plain white sleeve with aged effect.

Girl group greatness, courtesy of the Chicago-based Hutchinson Sisters (with Theresa Davis on this record) and co-producers Isaac Hayes, David Porter and Ronnie Williams! Recording at Muscle Shoals and Stax studios seems to have added a little grit to The Emotions' sound, too; this 1971 classic on the Volt label offers the perfect blend of sweet and sassy. ''Show Me How'' was the hit, but it's ''Blind Alley'' that made Untouched one of the most collectible albums of its kind: that track's one of the most sampled in all of pop and hip hop, most notably by Big Daddy Kane (''Ain't No Half-Steppin''') and Mariah Carey (''Dreamlover''). Pressed in black and clearwater blue vinyl editions, and cut ALL-ANALOG from the original two-track master!
A1. Take Me Back A2. Nothing Seems Impossible A3. Boss Love Maker A4. It's Been Fun A5. Love Ain't Easy Onesided B1. Blind Alley B2. Show Me How B3. If You Think It (You May as Well Do It) B4. Love Is the Hardest Thing to Find B5. Tricks Are Made for Kids B6. Boy. I Need You

Guitars On Life solves a nagging mystery about the fate of a musician who stood out as a singularly spectacular bloom even in the verdant creative fields of the San Francisco Bay Area at the turn of the century. After more than two decades of recording silence and about a dozen years away from the bandstand, Jack West is back, still immediately recognizable as a guitarist and composer but miles from the last stop on his ongoing musical journey. There’s poetic symmetry in discovering that his detour from life as a performing musician involved fruitful work devising innovative solar technologies, as he had similarly distinguished himself as an inveterately inventive musician. When we last heard from West he’d carved out a vibrant niche as a guitarist with a percussive attack and lustrous group sound. Wielding a custom-built eight-string acoustic guitar with uncommon rhythmic dexterity, he released six albums featuring his original tunes, mostly recording with his band Curvature (though he also played mesmerizing solo recitals). West’s knack for crafting glistening, minutely detailed soundscapes full of surprising twists and oddly inviting textures prompted NPR to describe his work as “a whole new sub- genre of jazz.” Drawn back to performing in recent years, West saw guitarist Walter Strauss at Berkeley’s Freight & Salvage in 2022 and suspected he’d found a kindred spirit. Intrigued by Strauss’s unusual approach to guitar, West “wondered what a musical conversation might sound like between two guitarists who had developed such uniquely different ways of playing the instrument.” An invitation to play together led to them writing the tune ‘More Guitar,’ the bravura opening track that launches Guitars On Life. Several months later they spent a week in Florida together writing intensively, resulting in most of the material for this consistently thrilling project.

Originally released in 2005, this standout EP returns as part of the much-anticipated reissue campaign from cult New York imprint Drugsex — a label that quickly became a treasured name among heads who lived and breathed the underground. Born from the creative partnership between UK producers Rob Pearson and Simon Copleston, Drugsex carved out its own raw, hypnotic corner of the international tech house movement.

For the second instalment in the reissue series, label head Rob Pearson teams up with Daniel Poli under their Distant Strangers moniker — a project that, even back then, was whispered about among selectors for its deep, rolling grooves and stripped-back intensity. Both artists had already made their mark with releases on some of the most respected labels of the era — from Rekids and Swag Records to Evasive Records, Rescue Recordings, and beyond.

The pair’s first collaboration, the Lost Souls EP, became a highly limited, in-demand underground gem, pressed in small quantities and played by those in the know. This follow-up, crafted at Online Studios in Croydon, took their sound to the next level — two original tracks built for dancefloors that like things hypnotic, physical and uncompromising.

On the A-side, Virtual Morality is a slick and driving slice of tech house pressure. Crisp percussion, rolling low-end and a subtle but addictive hook make it a peak-time weapon that never goes out of style. Flip it over for Take Us In Deeper — a track that lives up to its name with a shadowy groove, atmospheric layers and a perfectly balanced push and pull that draws dancers further into the late-night haze.

Adding even more weight to the release, Adam Collins — known for his work with Omni AM and Euphoria Records — steps in with a remix of Virtual Morality on B2. His version injects an unmistakable acid edge, elevating the original into a tripped-out, floor-focused burner that fits as comfortably in a basement sweatbox as it does on a sunrise terrace.

Nearly two decades later, these tracks still carry the same raw power and effortless groove that made them cult favourites in the first place. This reissue isn’t just a nod to the past — it’s a reminder of why this sound endures.

St. David Unleashes 'Deep House Damage EP' on Definitive Recordings.

Definitive Recordings is proud to present a brand-new four-track outing from Italian house innovator St. David, titled 'Deep House Damage EP'. Following his acclaimed remixes earlier this year for label classics like 'Good Music' (John Acquaviva, Dan Diamond, Alex D'Elia, Nihil Young) and 'Do It' (Las Americas), St. David now steps forward with a full EP that delivers nothing less than pure oldschool house fire.

The release opens with 'Touch Me (Sexy Hard Dub)', a shuffling house cut with a vintage edge, driven by a rolling bassline and a sensual spoken-word female vocal that sets a playful, club-ready tone. 'I Like It Deep' heads into deep house territory, pairing organ stabs and a steady oldschool beat with both male and female spoken-word phrases, creating a hypnotic, afterhours mood. On 'Dub Swagin'', the energy kicks back up with stomping drums, chopped samples, and filtered percussion. All wrapped in unmistakable 90s house flavor. Closing things out, 'Gonna Work It' is a peak-time smasher stacked with classic vocal samples and grooving organ chords that lift the track into euphoric territory.

Born in Bari, St. David (real name Davide Disanto) has carved a reputation as one of today's most authentic purveyors of oldschool house. Deeply inspired by the American house scene, his tracks blend groove, funk, and raw analog warmth, consistently topping vinyl charts and earning support from global heavyweights like The Martinez Brothers, Riva Starr, Jovonn, and Chris Stussy. He is the founder of Theory of Swing Records, a vinyl-only label dedicated to preserving the magic of 90s house. His music has been featured on Cinthie's DJ-Kicks and he has released on respected imprints including Snatch! Records, Body N' Deep, Heist Recordings, Skylax, and Let's Play House.

With 'Deep House Damage EP', St. David confirms his role as one of the most vital voices in contemporary house, channeling the spirit of the past into tracks made for the dancefloors of today.

Leonard Cohen's appearance on 20th March 1968 in a BBC television special had a huge impact and contrib-uted greatly to his success in this country. We are delighted to present eleven of the songs he played, rec-orded in excellent sound. Backed by a select group of UK musicians including Danny Thompson and Dave Cousins, Cohen performed seven tracks from his debut LP. The remaining tracks appearing on subsequent records, with the exception of There's No Reason You Should Remember Me. Comes with full recording de-tails and extensive sleeve notes.

Logical Absurd is very proud to present the 20th Anniversary of the album "She And Me Fall Together In Free Death" by Nurse With Wound. "She and Me Fall Together in Free Death" is probably the most approachable, largely "musical" album that NWW has released since Rock N' Roll Station. It's also one of his strangest concepts, a marriage of trance inducing Krautrock grooves with a traditional jazz standard and some jarringly atonal musique concrete. Side A is the 20- minute title track: a slow-motion jam reminiscent of of one of Can's sidelong tracks on Tago Mago or the more avant-garde grooves of Tony Conrad and Faust's Outside the Dream Syndicate.

The propulsive Jaki Liebezeit drumbeat is the foundation for a long jam session with what sounds like a dijderidoo and layers of guitar feedback. It's a massive, heavy sound, the kind that Julian Cope would devote a whole chapter to in his "Kratrocksampler". Side B is one long piece with three distinct movements. Beginning with those familiar, World Serpent-trademark windchimes, the listener is quickly ushered into Staple- ton's singing debut (!) in a rendition of the oft-covered traditional jazz ballad "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair" This was a favorite of the recently deceased Nina Simone, and also of the avant-jazz screamer Patty Waters. Nurse With Wound's version is backed by cello drones, repetitive guitar strums and tambourine, sounding very much like The Velvet Un- derground's "Venus in Furs".

It's such a treat to hear Steven Stapleton's multitracked vocals cover this classic song, and this eerie version rates as one of my favorites. This song and the title track prove to the naysayers that Nurse With Wound is equally adept at rock n' roll songcraft as he is at demented sound collages. The creepy jazz cover seques into "Chicken Con- cret (For Missy E)", a truly warped tape-edit job that juxtaposes chicken squawks and sythesized birdcalls with random bleeps, speaker hiccups and gongs.

We Jazz Records kicks off their new series of archival 7" releases with Esa Pethman "In Belgium 1967" released 23 September 2022. The two-tracker is licensed from the Belgian VRT radio archives and both of the pieces are previously unreleased. Finnish jazz legend Pethman, heard here on alto flute and tenor sax, joins forces with European jazz greats such as Heinz Bigler, Uffe Karskov and Jean Fanis. This is a small but valuable piece of unheard European jazz history from the early heyday of modern jazz. The physical release is a quality "inside-out"-styled EP with 3mm spine and small center hole on the 45rpm vinyl.

An excerpt from the liner notes by Mikko Mattlar:

"Esa Pethman (b. 1938) was one of the key figures of modern Finnish jazz in the 1960s. His album The Modern Sound Of Finland was the first Finnish modern jazz album and his composition "The Flame" a true modern Fenno-jazz evergreen.

Pethman was born in Kuusankoski, 135 kilometres from Helsinki in the Kymenlaakso area. The jazz scene was active even though it was an area of rural landscapes and paper mills. Pethman discovered jazz when he heard a Charlie Parker record being played at a local music shop in the late 1940s. Following Parker, bebop became his favourite style of jazz.

Young Pethman played flute and saxophone in local bands who accompanied schlager singers. They played tangos and waltzes for dancers, but usually started a typical dance event with an hour of jazz. In 1959 Pethman moved to Helsinki to study music at the Sibelius Academy. Back then it was a strictly classical music academy, but Pethman later described the studies as crucial for his development and career. He quickly made his way to studio sessions and into the best orchestras in Helsinki.

As a student of composition, Pethman also began writing his own music. "The Flame" was a melody he just got on his mind one night, and he decided to write it down. The catchy composition was released as a 7" single in 1964, a year before Pethman's debut album. Both records stand as benchmarks for modern Finnish jazz. The album consisted entirely of Pethman's compositions, not versions of jazz standards like a lot of the Finnish jazz released until then.

In the mid 1960s, Finnish jazz was also taking its first international steps. Pethman's quintet took part in the first Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in June 1967. At the Montreux jazz band competition, the quintet came in fourth of the twelve contestants. Despite not winning the competition, the band got an honourable mention, and Pethman was now recognized outside Finland.

In December 1967 Pethman travelled to Brussels. His visit was organised by the national Finnish broadcasting company Yleisradio and their jazz program producer Matti Konttinen. Konttinen was supposed to go to Brussels with Pethman, but the musician ended up traveling alone.

In the Decca recording studios Pethman played two songs. He recorded a version of his most famous composition "The Flame", where he played the alto flute and was accompanied by Belgian musicians. On Swiss saxophonist Heinz Bigler's composition "Like Steel", Pethman played the tenor saxophone. The band was now more international, consisting of Bigler, the Italian Francesco Santucci, the Dane Uffe Karskov, a Belgian rhythm section and Pethman. After 55 years, Pethman still remembers Bigler's remarkable skills as a saxophonist.

The two-day visit included the recording session, a dinner and a concert. Pethman and the other non-Belgian musicians came to Brussels mainly to play at a jazz concert organised by the European Broadcasting Union EBU. They played at the studio first, and the concert was held the following day. Pethman and all the other soloists played as members of an international big band. The studio and live session were produced by the Belgian Radio and Television jazz section leader Elias Gistelinck."

Formerly one third of the much-loved trio Black Box Recorder, alongside The Auteurs’ Luke Haines and Jesus and Mary Chain guitarist John Moore, the British singer-songwriter Sarah Nixey has steadily gained acclaim as a solo artist who makes savvy, sophisticated and poised pop.

Delivering vocals with a detached elegance over opulent tracks, any perceived nonchalance in Nixey’s luxe, cut glass voice belies her empathy, where social commentary serves as protest, both explicit and implied. Like Billy Bragg deepfaked as prime Julie Andrews, this strange but effective juxtaposition radiates soft power. ‘Lies of the Land’ depicts a corrupt post-Brexit and Covid-19 world where inequality and division flourish. ‘England's On Fire’ delves into the nuanced concepts of patriotism and nationalism, and ‘Pleasure Bay’ narrates the story of a love affair with a deprived yet beautiful English seaside town, written after Nixey left London, drawn back to the Dorset coast.
More than just a political record though, Nixey was drawn to the poetic elements of living too, telling stories of life and death, love and loss, conflicts and symmetry, in an intimate and close-up way, as if whispering secrets to her listeners.

“Sea Fever explores the bittersweet beauty of human life amid a volatile world of changing seasons and brutal elements,” says Nixey. “These are songs of deep sorrow, remembrance, birth, and change, set against a backdrop of the sensuous natural world.”
‘Rolling Waves’ explores profound grief following her beloved grandmother's death, while ‘Spring Equinox’ celebrates the joy and awe of life after welcoming her first grandchild. ‘At the Edge of the Forest’ is a poignant story of someone losing their memory, and ‘On This Wide Night’ recounts the early hours return home of a teenage runaway.