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Berlin-based French-Irish multimedia artist Zoe Mc Pherson levels up on their third full-length "Pitch Blender", mangling years of experience DJing and performing live into a tight set of cybernetic soundsystem experiments that flicker between the rave and the art space.

Cast your mind back to February 2020 for a moment, when Mc Pherson released their last album "States of Fugue". The world seemed less tangled somehow, and yet Mc Pherson's precision-engineered fusion of exploratory sound design and visceral club pressure seemed to hint at a cataclysmic event none of us were really expecting. Only a few weeks after its release the world changed forever, and the majority of us were grounded - forced to consider our lives and the movement (or lack thereof) surrounding us. The philosophy of this extended time period is welded into the bones of "Pitch Blender", Mc Pherson's supple third album. They have learned plenty in the last two years, and infuse all of that anxiety and spiky emotionality into a spread of tracks that sound as powerful in headphones as they do over a well-tweaked soundsystem, soldering vocals, environmental recordings and instrumental flourishes to unpredictably pneumatic, cybernetic beats.

Anyone that's caught one of Mc Pherson's energetic live performances over the last few months will have an idea of what "Pitch Blender" is made of. They're an artist who's somehow able to match the raw energy of post-punk and no-wave music with the brain-altering potential of the best experimental club tracks, vocalizing an incongruous post-lockdown reality over beats that sound as if they're in a permanent state of flux. 'On Fire' splutters to life in a frenetic patter of drums that blur into oddly soothing hoover sounds, snaking lysergically towards a drop that's teased constantly, and never comes. We're forced to wait until 'The Spark' for that, fighting through choppy, pitch-mangled guitar and rolling beats until a gruesome kick drum forces its way through the psilocybin mists and heaving Bristol-inspired bass clonks. Backed up with just the inverted traces of recognizable breaks, this vigorous pulse lies at the heart of "Pitch Blender", the driving force that powers Mc Pherson's sound even when it's only hinted at.

'Blender' is the moment where Mc Pherson show their full hand, using crackling sound effects, ghost vocals and uneven rhythms to build a textural landscape that's so evocative you can almost taste it. Squealing modular synth effects sound like gameshow buzzers being triggered in another dimension and propel the track forward - it's club music, just about, but Mc Pherson's motivation is world-building, and their world is colorful, abstract, and dizzyingly surreal. "Obsolete user," their voice echoes over driving airlock kicks. But they take a swift left turn with 'Lamella', reducing the kinetic club rhythms to a longing simmer and letting loose with powerful vocals, intoning with robotic, gender-fluxed intensity. On 'Wait', New York City's clacking crosswalk signal - already an effective club track on its own - is transformed into a reminder to slow down, juxtaposed with booming sub-heavy kicks, acidic synths and effervescent percussion that rattles in time with the vibrations. It's foley rave, built for pure psychedelic intensity to blur the line between real life and sonic fiction.

One of the album's most galvanic tracks, 'Power Dynamics' curves a double-time rhythm around breathless HQ sound design squiggles until it hits a polyrhythmic crescendo, striking a queasy balance between rave hedonism and ritualistic hand drum energy. It all builds towards eerie closing track 'Outside' that acts as an important wind down, spotlighting Mc Pherson's ability to operate outside of the rhythmic spectrum, using cinematic scrapes and flickering neon synths to create music that's tense but never terrifying. The track feels like the end credits of a particularly bewildering movie - something between the cyberpunk dystopia of "Ghost in the Shell" and the vivid, sky-scraping beauty of "Koyaanisqatsi". Mc Pherson has managed something special with "Pitch Blender": mashing together genres with rare focus, and sharpening their engineering skills to a fine point, they've concocted an antidote to contemporary malaise - a wakeup call that's begging us to loosen our limbs and move.

The Freedom Affair hat von Anfang an tiefe Wurzeln in der Soulmusik geschlagen, aber nach fast einem Jahrzehnt gemeinsamer Arbeit konzentriert sich der Sound der Gruppe auf ihrem selbstbetitelten zweiten Album genau dort, wo Muscle Shoals und Memphis Soul aufeinandertreffen. Es ist eine Meisterleistung an leidenschaftlicher Message-Musik, die zeitlose Themen wie Ungerechtigkeit, Liebe und Zusammengehörigkeit erforscht. Eine schicksalhafte Begegnung mit dem Grammy-prämierten Toningenieur Boo Mitchell (Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, Al Green) in den Royal Studios im Februar 2023 löste einen Funken aus, der die Band mit neuer musikalischer Überzeugung zurück nach Kansas City schickte. Im November kehrte die Band zurück, um in dem legendären Studio in Memphis völlig neue, vom Southern Soul inspirierte Songs aufzunehmen. Das stets starke weibliche Trio an der Spitze der Band - Paula Saunders, Seyko Groves und Shon Ruffin - ist das Markenzeichen des Sounds und der Identität von The Freedom Affair, und ihr kollektives stimmliches Können ist in vollem Umfang zu hören - von hart bis zart, von Herzschmerz und Hoffnung. Die Erfahrung in den Royal Studios hat die Band davon überzeugt, dass es keinen besseren Raum gibt, um Bläser aufzunehmen. Die ,One-Take"-Bläser von Pete Carroll an der Trompete und Brett Jackson am Saxophon beweisen, dass sich ihre jahrelange Zusammenarbeit mit ihrer Präzision und den perfekt auf die Stimmung abgestimmten Linien ausgezahlt hat. Das Personal der Rhythmusgruppe ist das gleiche wie auf dem Debütalbum "Freedom is Love", aber Chris Hazelton wechselt vom Bass zu seinem Hauptinstrument, der Hammond B3-Orgel, sowie zu verschiedenen Keyboards. Branden Moser tauscht den Bass, der auch sein Hauptinstrument ist, mit seiner früheren Rhythmusgitarre aus. Cole Bales greift an der Leadgitarre weiterhin zu zeitlosen Riffs, und Dave Brick sorgt am Schlagzeug für das Rückgrat mit dem schweren Boom-Bap. Dieses Album hat den Sound von The Freedom Affair zementiert: beständige Melodien mit reichhaltigen Arrangements, unterstützt von einem düsteren Puls. Royal war der perfekte Ort für dieses Album, und die Band nutzte die Geschichte des Studios in vollem Umfang, indem sie Studiogeräte und Relikte während des gesamten Prozesses einbezog. Da die Band nur vier Tage Zeit hatte, um das zehn Songs umfassende Album aufzunehmen, bestand sie darauf, das gleiche Ampex 1"-Bandgerät zu verwenden, mit dem alle Hi-Record-Hits von 1974 und davor aufgenommen wurden, um die Authentizität zu wahren. Es war das erste Mal seit 1974, dass dieses Gerät für ein Album verwendet wurde. Die Einschränkungen und Macken, die sich aus der Verwendung alter, analoger Geräte ergeben, machten Platz für magische Momente, die den Charme des Albums ausmachen. Die Platte erweckt den klassischen Southern Soul zu neuem Leben, mit all der Gemütlichkeit und Wärme, die man erwarten würde, wenn man Al Green oder Ann Peebles Aufnahmen aus dem selben Raum hört. Abgemischt von Vince Chiarito (Hive Mind, Jalen Ngonda, Charles Bradley) und gemastert von JJ Golden (Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, The James Hunter Six, Antibalas), ist dieses Album eine wahre Lektion in Sachen Soulmusik.

Growing up is painful, brutal, and sometimes beautiful _ something Brooklyn-based indie-rock band Bedridden knows all too well. The band's name is even a nod to that ineffable period between childhood and the jagged edges of the real world. "When I was 21, I kind of lost my home," says frontman/guitarist Jack Riley. "I was couch-surfing. I was having a hard time.The next iteration in the band's maturation, then, is their debut, LP Moths Strapped To Eachother's Backs, 10 fuzzed-out (and sometimes gnarly) ruminations on dating, drugs, and survival out April 11 on Julia's War. The title came from a mysterious missive Riley received on astrology app Co-Star. "Last year I was way too reliant on other people _ my partner at the time, my friends," he says. "I was strapped to them in a weird way _ and flying in circles. This album is about that time."The current incarnation of Bedridden encompasses a patchwork of styles, influences, and friends Riley accumulated over the years. A Chicago native who first started making music at age five on a thrift-store guitar emblazoned with Kurt Cobain's name, Riley moved to New Orleans for college where he dabbled in punk before falling in love with shoegaze. There, he launched the first version of Bedridden. Sebastian Duzian (bass) _ a jazz musician and Pasadena native _ linked up with Riley in NOLA along with his bandmate, drummer Nick Pedroza. Pedroza, from Claremont, grew up on rock, metal, and jazz, honing his style after joining the band. Wesley Wolffe _ a guitarist fed on a steady diet of New Wave and `90s alt _ rounded out the crew just a few months back. Bedridden's previous lineup released their first EP, Amateur Heartthrob, in 2023 _ a noise-washed blend of shoegaze, DIY, and indie that Riley says is a "coming-of-age EP _ these formative stories about not having a bed, dating, being kind of a jackass. I was making fun of myself a lot." That release caught the attention of Douglas Dulgarian from Philly Label Julia's War (and TAGABOW), who signed them for Moths."Some of these songs have been around for years," says Riley, adding that they were recorded last February at Studio G Brooklyn; the album was produced by Aron Kobayashi Ritch (Momma). "As opposed to Amateur Heartthrob, we attempted to blend more clean guitars into a driving sound to capture more clarity _ one that also sounds live_ and raw," Riley says. That rawness thrums through the record, which kicks off with the thrashed "Gummy," about an incident when Riley had to gently fend off a co-worker's unwanted advances while both drunk and high on an MDMA gummy. And then there's mournful rager "Etch," which sees Riley daydreaming about beating up a meddler in his personal life _ in the minor key.The annihilating "Chainsaw" revs in next, a lightning-fast Lemonheads-inspired track that recalls Riley moving in with new roommates who were unnaturally obsessed with purchasing a lamp. "For some reason that pissed me off," he laughs; that rage is evident in the album cover, which shows said power tool demolishing a lampshade. Heavy-shredding "Heaven's Leg" showcases the band's affinity for `90s mainstays like Smashing Pumpkins while telling the tale of a gig at a local church. "The lyrics are about a pastor I had met that had lost his leg," Riley says. "The church had signs about not cussing and I had a feeling that neither of us had anything to talk about without potentially offending the other."The band's not afraid to get confrontational, though, on the anger-fueled, drum-heavy "Philadelphia, Get Me Through," which deals with a dead-end relationship and the mistaken assumption that getting drunk in the titular city would be a balm against the pain. And the nasty, brutist, and short hardcore-adjacent "MainStage"? "It's about being disrespected at a show on New Year's and how I lashed out," Riley says. "I then began to take it out on other people, which was a quality that I despise."Things get contemplative and mournful from here on out _ the emo-edged "Snare" is about bringing flowers to a hospital room where you're not welcome, while the Smiths-inspired "Uno" wrestles with self-loathing. "I guess the big finale of that song was my response to dealing with this recurring experience of feeling like I wasn't good enough by getting really into whippets," Riley says. Nu-metal bop "Bonehead," then, recalls an embarrassing dinner that turned into an argument _ the name applies both to that incident and the delicious simplicity of the guitar parts.After all that turmoil and pain, the band caps everything off with their eyes to the future on the jangle-pop "Ring Size." "All my friends are getting married _ do I follow in their footsteps? Or is it all a waste of time?" Riley says of the song. "At the end, through it all, I guess that's what I've been trying to figure out _ how to grow up, how to move on. I'm trying to navigate things as an adult and I'm not very good at it. But this is just the first record. This is just the beginning."And, hey, at least now he has a bed.

Tee Pee Records is proud to announce a limited edition pressing of this classic on marbled Tiger's Eye vinyl. Annihilation Time are an incendiary mix of '70s rock and '80s hardcore, with riffs personified by their legendary bar brawls and bloody-faced performances. Then again, constant touring with Municipal Waste and Caustic Christ - during their murky beginnings - can have that effect.

'Atmospheric death metal'. Three simple words to describe one's music, chosen by JADE mainman J. himself, although they don't seem to quite pay justice to the gigantic scope of their music. Because ever since the release of their debut demo back in 2018 they've proven again and again to be more. Much more. Historically speaking, the word 'jade' referred to a rare but valuable mineral in ancient times all over the world. From Mesoamerican cultures to Chinese and Southern Asian ones, the greenstone was conferred with deep spiritual symbolism and used to connect the earthly level to the unknown. The history of countless traditions, legends and cults remain as an endless source of topics in terms of lyrics for the band, with a rich historical narrative also poetized. JADE's music is described by J. as "a tribute to the timeless obscure metal language, from early death/doom manifestations to later atmospheric black acts, in a really heavy, intense and epic form which transcends ages, as the greenstone cult has endured." The sophomore album, and second full-length after last year split LP with SANCTUARIUM, Mysteries Of A Flowery Dream carries an ominous wave of darkness, redefining heaviness with new levels of musical production and arrangements, compared by J. to "a journey into the dialogue between conscious and subconscious dreaming states and the mysteries around." The album's lyrics are in direct line of those themes, echoing the celestial world and how it can help us overcoming ominous times ("The Stars' Shelter"), how dreams can be interpreted as omens ("Light's Blood") and how they allow us to travel the Mayan cosmovision and its various worlds for guidance, healing and messages ("Shores Of Otherness"), among others. You can even find on the cover artwork elements of the ancient Mesoamerican cosmovision, mainly the powerful moon goddess Ixchel, a creative yet destructive entity, portrayed here as the Spider and threading human fate like an umbilical cord, determined to give life but also to destroy it if needed. A frightening, fragile yet utterly fascinating balance perfectly illustrated by Mysteries Of A Flowery Dream.

Steve Bicknell returns to KR3, once again unleashing his mastery of power electronics!
Following his two reinterpretations of last year's "JK Flesh Remixes" and four years after his solo EP "A Day In The Life" in 2021, Bicknell takes us deep into the realms of his sonic mysticism, marking a significant milestone in the fifth anniversary of the label.
Several Streams of Thought LP - is an unrelenting and immersive odyssey, presented through nine tracks, seven of which will be available on a double 12-inch vinyl, with two exclusive cuts in a limited 7-inch format.
The album hits hard, straight to the brain, with no warning, across sides A, B, and C. Each side is a raw, untamed techno experience, with Bicknell's unmistakable signature dominating throughout, delivering unwavering intensity and relentless impact.
However, on side D, a transformation takes place: a 15-minute soundscape that turns the embedded waves into breath - a blinding light emerging from the darkness. It's a moment of tribalism and evocative magic, offering a refreshing pause, a return to balance after the intensity of the shadows.
The 7-inch, available in a limited edition under the title "the eye of the invisible world", contains two tracks - one on side E and the other on side F.
The mystical sounds complete this dual experience: one part filled with dark, untamed energy, while the other brings a sense of mental lightness, emphasizing breathwork and emotional self-
healing.
S | B is back, stronger than ever!

Mit „Stärker“ setzt der erfolgreiche Sänger und Musiker einen weiteren Höhepunkt in seiner Karriere und zeigt sich in musikalischer wie auch persönlicher Hinsicht von seiner stärksten Seite. Der Titel des Albums, "Stärker," spiegelt die persönliche Entwicklung und die tiefe Resilienz wider, die der Künstler in den letzten Jahren erfahren hat. Fans können sich auf eine Mischung aus eingängigen Popmelodien, tiefgründigen Texten und kraftvollen Botschaften, aber auch auf emotionale Balladen freuen, die sowohl zum Tanzen als auch zum Nachdenken anregen. Ein Großteil des Albums wurde auch diesmal von Christian Geller produziert, aber zum ersten Mal hat Eloy auch andere Produzenten ins Boot geholt. Die Kölner Erfolgsproduzenten Weiß und Straßer, die auch u.a. bereits mit Andrea Berg zusammengearbeitet haben, haben auch vier Songs auf „Stärker“ produziert.

Hey, hard rock and metal fans—ready for another classic, early ‘90s album that never before made it to vinyl here in the States? Did we hear you say “Yeah!?” Then may we present Tyketto: Don’t Come Easy! This is another great, rockin’ record that got lost in the grunge craze that swept the music industry, and, just like our recent reissue of Wildside’s Under the Influence, it’s the debut release from a band that should have blown up much bigger than they did. You no doubt remember their single “Forever Young;” but the rest of the album offers melodic hard rock of the highest order, especially on tracks like “Burning Down Inside” and the power ballad “Standing Alone.” Excellent vocal work from former Waysted frontman Danny Vaughn, too. Remastered for vinyl by Mike Milchner at Sonic Vision…teal with white swirl vinyl, complete with printed inner sleeve!

After more than two decades of captivating fans with their signature harmonies and timeless love songs, 98 Degrees returns with Full Circle, an album that marks a new chapter in the group's storied career. This highly anticipated release features five brand new tracks that showcase the evolution of the band’s sound, while still staying true to the essence that made them icons of the '90s and 2000s. Collaborations with powerful vocalists Katrina Velarde and Janine Teñoso bring fresh, dynamic layers to the album, with each artist adding their unique touch to these modern pop-soul anthems. In addition to the new material, Full Circle includes five of 98 Degrees' classic hits, re-recorded and remastered for a new era. These beloved tracks have been given a polished, contemporary update, with richer instrumentation and renewed vocal energy, offering both longtime fans and new listeners a fresh experience of the band’s greatest hits.

From the soulful ballads to the infectious up-tempos, Full Circle perfectly blends the familiar smooth melodies that fans know and love with a more contemporary edge. The title Full Circle reflects the journey the group has taken—from their meteoric rise in the late '90s to their ongoing passion for making music together. With their signature harmonies stronger than ever, Full Circle is a testament to 98 Degrees' enduring legacy and their commitment to creating music that resonates across generations.

Full throttle from Vancouver, BC to wherever the open road takes them The Vicious Cycles are BACK with their new LP Get Wrecked on Pirates Press Records! Before you even get the shrink wrap off the gatefold jacket, you can guess what kind of party you're in for. "Our pal Shakey Deal is the cover model," says Cycles head honcho Billy Bones. "A tuff looking scrub on a minibike says a lot about who we are." And who is that exactly? "We play garage/punk rock and roll songs about motorcycles. We like to have a good time." The promise of debauchery carries over into song titles like "Naked On a Beach," and "On Fire in the Hot Tub." As rip-roaring, danceable party music goes, it's second to none, and rest assured there's plenty of bike enthusiast inside baseball, but the lyrics often go deeper than a superficial glance might indicate. For example, the lead single, "Hold On Tight," is about, as Billy puts it, "the physical feeling of riding with your favorite person on the back of your motorcycle - easily one of the best feelings a human can have." So, a classic biker anthem? "But also," he's quick to add, "a metaphor for life and relationships. We're gonna make it." Waxing philosophical with motorcycles as allegory over chrome-plated punk rock 'n roll? That's The Vicious Cycles' songwriting in a nutshell. Another album highlight, "Daddy Was a Gambler" references Billy's father - an ex-preacher who regularly hauled his kids to Circus Circus in his '57 Chevy - and his mother, a nurse and, as Billy puts it, "as close to an actual saint as anyone in the world. The song is an appreciation for the two of them, and how their differences made me who I am." "Naked On A Beach" sounds like a party, but Billy explains it's "a critique of capitalism and the tiny lives we're expected - and sometimes content - to live." Even the title track, "Get Wrecked," is more than just a statement of defiance; it's a message to Billy's son about dealing with the conformist naysayers of the world. Longtime fans & newcomers alike will be stoked for the straightaways, but stick around for the twists and turns, just like any good ride. The band brings in pals on strings & saxophone for a 60s Wall of Sound-inspired production on "Black Boots, Black Leather Jacket," and try their hands at their first murder ballad on "Pretty Hands." There's an instrumental tune ("Blowing Smoke") and hell, there's even a deep cut cover of "Trouble Again" - originally performed by Stewart Copeland of The Police - which only the biggest nerds of a certain age will recall as the theme song to the 80s Star Wars animated series Droids! In the end, no matter the detours, the band - along with Jesse Gander (Territories, Comeback Kid), & Mariessa McLeod at Rain City Recorders - kept their eyes on the prize: sing-along choruses, handclaps, and short songs that get the job done and don't overstay their welcome. "I didn't want us to write a record that you could dance to." quips Billy. "I wanted us to write a record that you couldn't not dance to."

Music for dancefloors when the night turns uncanny.

Vyvyan is Bonar Bradberry’s solo project stripping club music to its core while expressing a deep love for dance music culture. His 2022 debut album, Y, balanced rough-edged percussion with warped melodies. "Waterslide EP" pushes this sound further with Gallegos stepping in to remix the monumental title track.

Bradberry is also known for his work as one half of the Leeds-based duo PBR Streetgang.

Ricardo Baez, a Milan-based DJ and producer, returns with his second single on Mule Musiq. Known for his regular party “Tropical Animal,” Baez launched a label of the same name and has released music on Toy Tonics and Live at Robert Johnson—the label of the renowned German club Robert Johnson. He continues to establish himself as one of the most promising artists in the scene. His latest release opens with a jazzy deep house track reminiscent of Larry Heard, followed by “Dark Room NRG,” a slowed-down take on '90s rave house. “Whisper Wood” reinterprets '90s Italian Balearic house with a modern touch, while “Animarara,” a highlight from his previous digital-only release, makes a return. The record closes with “The Life of Larry,” a cinematic breakbeat track. The variety showcased across the release speaks to the depth and range of Baez's musical vision.

The latest release in a new series from alt. folk trailblazers The Owl Service, 'Black Chapel Music part 3' sees the Essex-based collective once again drag traditional folk music into pastures new. On these two recordings The Owl Service venture into a kind of eighties goth/dream pop sound, heavy on airy synths, vintage drum machines, and modulated guitar tones.

The A side is a new take on a traditional folk ballad collected in their native Essex, while the AA side fuses original lyrics by late, great Brit-folk legend Peter Bellamy, set to music by the late and equally great German performance artist Klaus Nomi.

Guest vocalist Liz Overs (East Sussex-based folk singer formerly of Chalk Horse Music & Pocket Size) has just released her debut solo album 'Nightjar', recorded with guitarist Neill MacColl, which has received glowing reviews in Mojo, The Guardian and Americana UK among others, plus radio support from Mark Radcliffe (BBC Radio 2 Folk Show).

Standard weight black vinyl 7” in die-cut sleeve with postcard insert. 300 copies for the World.

Die Jazzwelt darf sich freuen, dass Blue Note Records das außergewöhnliche Talent von Trompeter Brandon Woody erkannt hat. Der junge, in Baltimore geborene und ansässige Künstler hat in den letzten Jahren in der US-Jazzwelt aufhorchen lassen. „Brandon ist einer der seltenen Künstler, der sowohl eine lebendige Vision als auch die Fähigkeit und das Wissen besitzt, diese umzusetzen“, sagt Blue-NotePräsident Don Was.

Der vielseitige Musiker hat trotz seiner jungen Jahre bereits einen ganz individuellen Sound zwischen Modern Jazz und souligen Elementen entwickelt, der an seinen großen Kollegen Freddie Hubbard erinnert. Um sich herum hat er eine herausragende Band versammelt und für sein Debütalbum sechs mitreißende Eigenkompositionen aufgenommen. „For The Love Of It All“ bezeichnet er als Hommage an die Kraft der Liebe. Die Besetzung besteht aus Troy Long (Klavier, Orgel, Rhodes, Keyboards), Quincy Phillips (Schlagzeug) und Michael Saunders (Bass), sowie den Special Guests Imani Grace (Gesang) und Vittorio Stropoli (Aux-Synthesizer).

La Revolución de Emiliano Zapata was the Mexican psychedelic rock band that achieved the most commercial success internationally in the early 70s. Their self-titled and much sought-after debut LP (1971) is considered one of the best acid rock albums in Mexico, recorded under the influence of groups like Credence Clearwater Revival or the Who but also adding their own style featuring an original and stunning guitar sound. Remastered from the original tapes. Includes poster. 180g vinyl. Despite not participating in the legendary Avándaro festival, La Revolución de Emiliano Zapata was the Mexican psychedelic rock band that achieved the most commercial success internationally in the early 70s. Their fantastic 'Nasty Sex', along with other songs like 'If You Want It' or 'Melynda' boosted their first album at the top of the sales charts worldwide. Although their sound changed over time, their debut LP (1971) is considered one of the best acid rock albums in Mexico, recorded under the influence of groups like Credence Clearwater Revival or the Who but also adding their own style featuring an original and stunning guitar sound. Sadly, Mexican record labels lost interest in local rock bands due to the repression of La Onda movement by the Mexican Government, resulting in rock bands being banned. This, in addition to internal disagreements between members of the group, eventually led to the end of their relationship with Polydor in 1973. La Revolución de Emiliano Zapata entered a new artistic phase in their career, focusing on ballads and adopting different new musical trends over the years.

The Oh Sees wasted no time in racing headlong into nightmarish battle with the mighty Orc, clawing even farther up the ghastly peak stormed so satisfyingly by their previous A Weird Exits. The band is in tour-greased, anvil-on-a-balance beam, gut-pleasingly heavy form, nimbly braining—with equal dashes of abandon and menace—on this fresh batch of bruisers and brooders, hypnotically stirred into to the cauldron of chaos you’ve come to expect. On Orc, fresh blood Paul Quattrone joins Dan Rincon to form a phalanx of interlocking double drums, alternately propelling and fleet-footing shifting ground to pinion John Dwyer’s cliff-face guitars to the boogie. Tim Hellman keeps it swinging like a battle-axe to the eyebrows. The tunes veer toward the violence of their live shows, with a few tasty swerves into other lanes: heavy to lush, groovy to stately. Throughout, it remains sinister in its swaggering skulk, manic in its fuzz-fried fugues. They hit all the sweet spots the heads foggily remember, and there’s plenty to sweat over if you just hopped into the sauna. More evil…more complex…more narcotic…more screech… more blare…more whisper…there’s even more Brigid. Less “Thee,” but more of everything else.

Das vierte Album der US-Amerikanischen Post-Hardcore-Supergroup aus Gitarrist Mark Engles (Dredg), Drummer Chris Robyn (Far) und Sänger & Gitarrist Ben Flanagan (The Trophy Fire).

Anfang 2024 zogen sich Black Map nach Südkalifornien zurück, um 'Hex' mit Saosin-Gitarrist Beau Burchell als Produzent aufzunehmen. Die Band verfolgte eine klare, kollektive Vision, die sich von der weitläufigen, ätherischen Natur von 'Melodoria' zu einem dringlicheren und direkteren Sound entwickelte.

Sänger/Bassist Ben Flanagan beschreibt 'Hex' als ein Werk mit einem starken „let's f*cking go“-Geist, während Gitarrist Mark Engles die Balance zwischen atmosphärischen Elementen und treibender Intensität hervorhebt. Das Album fängt den unverkennbaren Stil der Band ein, mit Marks markanter Gitarrenarbeit, die stets präsent ist, und einem erneuten Fokus auf Unmittelbarkeit und roher Energie.

Für Ben steht 'Hex' für die tiefgreifende Wirkung von Musik, die Trost und Verbindung bietet. Schlagzeuger Chris Robyn fügt hinzu, dass das Album einen unaufhaltsamen Schwung hat, der mit Kraft und Absicht nach vorne drängt. Verwurzelt in Themen wie persönlicher Kampf, Authentizität und Widerstandsfähigkeit, ist 'Hex' die bisher kraftvollste und eindringlichste Veröffentlichung von Black Map.

“Lift off! Full throttle!! Bounce off!!! Interstellar ballistic mode!!!!!

Earth has gone crazy again, so set course to imaginary -M-E-L-M-A-K- nebula and its planetary, two-suns system – the refuge for sanity…

Since their last release in 2004 the duo Prarhamansah remained somewhat active in local underground but haven’t released anything officially. This is their first official 12” single release for years and is featuring remixes from friends – fellow artists – who also gravitate around the provincial Bulgaria’s homemade electronica dealers from -M-E-L-M-A-K-.

Have your seat on a trip where small-community-artists demonstrate their own versions of various propulsion technologies imagined by mankind.

A Chaos Of Flowers is an album that builds on their ferocious 2023 album nature morte. BIG|BRAVE"s music has been described as massive minimalism. Their fusillades of textural distortion and feedback emphasize their music"s frayed edges as much as its all-encompassing weight. The potency of the trio"s work is their singular artistry combining elements of traditional folk techniques and a modern deconstruction of guitar music. Gain, feedback, and amplitude are essential. For A Chaos Of Flowers guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie drew heavily on the poems of artists whom Wattie found kinship in, their words resonant with experiences of those often sidelined by cultural norms. "I discovered that most poems from folk traditions or in the public domain seem to be by men - to which I could not quite relate. In my search, I rediscovered some of my favorite works and poets," says Wattie. Guitarist Mathieu Ball and drummer Tasy Hudson help Wattie shape poetry into pieces as dense and impenetrable as they are vulnerable. BIG|BRAVE achieve their colossal sound through minimalist approaches, a deft understanding of dynamics and an inventive employment of percussion and distortion. The trio reconceptualize what it is to be heavy or minimal, challenging perceptions with their illumination of painfully overlooked perspectives. Guest guitarist Marisa Anderson lends earthen, blues-inflected atmospheres to the album, where guitarist Tashi Dorji and saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi amplify the squall. Working closely with frequent collaborator and producer/engineer Seth Manchester, the internal tumult of Wattie"s voice rings out in warbles, haunting echoes, and unearthly harmonies across bold immense walls of distortion. BIG|BRAVE have collaborated with metal monsters The Body on a previous Thrill Jockey release, Leaving None But Small Birds, and have toured internationally with bands like SUMAC, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, SUNN O))), and Lingua Ignota. As they continue to ascend in their journey as pioneers in the contemporary metal scene, it"s safe to say that BIG|BRAVE are here to stay.

2025 Repress

As a trained dancer, movement has always guided GiGi FM’s work, whether through developing movement based instruments, or questing to make you move via sound-systems across the world. These ephemeral moments of altered sleep patterns and dance are now present in the music of ‘Sea~rène’, sounds for a trip in the mind held with a desire to dance.

A sense of brightness prevails in ‘Movimiento’, the feeling of white light rising from the dark of your mind as you lay with closed eyes.



Opener ‘Gabriella’ takes you by the hand to spin you across the ballroom floor, dancing in a dusky glow. Piano twinkles along with your step; a gradual ascension as a graceful dance can be. Lost in thoughtful yet thoughtless drift to the rumble of sound, we can confront parts of ourselves and our connection to others, the spirit of B side opener ’Awakening The World’s Heart’.



Place is important to movement also, as heard in the kinetic motion of ‘Tempelhof’, reminiscent of the feld in Berlin (GiGi’s home) itself. Blurred lines of people weaving their way through, either high speed on skates or on a leisurely stroll. It's summer in the city, where the nighttime shortens and daylight extends, yet the simulated night of the club never ends. Eventually reaching slumber, ‘Lucid Dreaming’ is the record's swan-song, a final lift of propulsion to remind that the dream of dance is a physical act, belonging to the imagined and the real. Digi bonus ‘Raspberry Pie’ is a sweet treat at the end of the dance, a familiar taste and a reminder of joy, ready for the next ‘Movimiento’.