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Balladur is not limited to a label or two since they draw their inspiration (among others) from East African and South Asian music without forgetting their Italian electro-pop side and of course, their references to Debussy's opera. . Many ingredients which, with the talent to combine them, give very pleasant compositions.

2026 Repress

2026 Repress

The first installment of Vault Records is finally here.

Stef Mendesidis takes the baton with a ravaging, no-nonsense, 4 tracker EP.

With this label we aim to focus on the art itself, we'll let the music to the talking!

With his last three records all landing within a calendar year (2024-25), enigmatic Swedish producer Civilistjävel! (aka Tomas Bodén) is on a hot streak of releases, his singular vision increasingly ambitious and expansive. There are few artists working at this level so consistently right now, reinventing, revising and continually developing their language. Following on from 2025’s radically re-worked ‘Versions’ (of Mayssa Jallad’s ‘Marjaa…’), Bodén returns to break further fresh ground with his new album, ‘Älvgång’. Featuring contributions from Soccer Committee, Carrier and guest (aka Jabu’s Jasmine Butt), ‘Älvgång’ foregrounds a more brittle and insistent rhythm-based sound, whilst comprising his most broad-ranging collection of material to date.


‘Älvgång’ grew out of a series of sketches made from late ‘24 and throughout the whole of ‘25 at Stockholm’s renowned EMS Studios, which gave Boden free rein to its extensive collection of vintage analogue equipment and rare modular synthesizers such as the Serge and Buchla systems. As a loose framework of tracks began to take shape, so did a reflection of sorts, on family and foundations, underpinned or influenced by sounds that drifted into Tomas consciousness around this time - ancient Swedish pastoral music, Georgian lithurgical chants, gongs, chimes. An idea settled into place, a dedication to his Grandfather, as the earlier release Fyra Platser (tr. ‘Four Places’) was to his Grandmother. Älvgång is grounded with the sense of time and place of an old family photograph, with the tracks over each side bearing one of two names that are more or less the same location - Strinne was the old name for a this loose collection of villages. These days it is more commonly known as Bjärtrå. Metaphorically speaking, the river runs through both.


Civilistjävel! conjures so many adjectives and descriptors, ‘glacial’ and ‘ambient’ frequently among them - but while not altogether untrue, such terms belie the tension and drama so often present in Tomas’ music. Listening to ‘Älvgång’ is not a passive experience. The eight tracks here feel like a patchwork of memories that bathe in the same ethereal, otherworldly glow of Tarkovsky’s polaroids’.


The machine pulses that dominate this landscape are reigned in and tempered by a human hand; lithe, untethered coils, breathing in and out. ‘Strinne Ett’ sets out with purpose, sensing awe and wonder through the murk, but as the final tone unfurls like a question mark, another chapter begins, unfolding/building like a Tarjei Vesaas novel. These lyrical, abstract miniatures combine to reveal a wider context, fragile humanity standing alone against nature.


Guest appearances on Civilistjävel! records have become a regular occurrence (including recent collaborations with Mayssa Jallad, Laila Sakini, Cucina Povera, Thomas Bush, Eldon + Withdrawn), but are used sparingly and with increasing precision. On ‘Strinne Tre’ Mariska Baars’ (Soccer Committee) voice feels like a balm, a clearing. But as her simple, three-word incantation drifts further into fog, the meaning changes, and her words seem to curdle. Carrier’s beats widen the parameters on ‘Strinne Fyra’, a skittering promise that builds tension then refuses to release it; all false starts, Photek gongs, and trinkling modulars. Jabu’s Jasmine Butt pulls all the threads together for the final track, Thomas Tallis’ ghost walking over offset machine impulses, that work against their own symmetry.


Side two begins inquisitively, scanning bleached, alien surroundings, its sparse pads recalling Aphex Twin’s ‘Selected Ambient works Vol 2’. 'Bjärtrå Två’ picks up the baton from ' Strinne Fyra’ with a ruptured Simmons SDS200 analogue drum synth set free from its shackles, the rhythm eventually slotting into the spaces that were hiding in plain sight. What follows seems like an epiphany; ‘Bjärtrå Tre’ is achingly beautiful, a euphoric, winding ascent that leads to devotional plainsong. ‘Bjärtrå Fyra‘s final unheralded shift feels both tragic and haunting.

Few have dared to record all twenty of Philip Glass’s piano Etudes in their entirety. Even fewer have attempted to remix them. Vanessa Wagner’s 2025 album, Philip Glass: The Complete Piano Etudes, crowns a longstanding passion for Glass’s compositions. While it focuses less on the dialogue between composer and producer that she cultivated with Murcof on Study Of The Invisible, Inland, and Statea, Glass’s music resonates deeply within the world of contemporary electronic music. This EP, part of InFiné’s “Versions” series, passes the baton to a new generation of composer/producers who radically reinterpret these unique piano pieces: Aho Ssan, Carmen Villain, Cucina Povera & Tauceti.


Vanessa Wagner’s album of Philip Glass’s Piano Etudes received unanimous critical and public acclaim, both in France and internationally. This success earned the pianist a nomination for the 2026 Victoires de la Musique Classique. Following numerous sold-out concerts across France, Vanessa Wagner is currently continuing her tour around the world. She will also serve as curator of the Folle Journée de Nantes in 2027 and 2028.

Coming from deep within the city that brought us Master P’s legendary No Limit Dynasty and Lil Boosie comes an artist who uniquely encapsulates the crossing point between lowslung Hip Hop and forward thinking, emotive electronic music. 22-year-old New Orlean’s based Suicideyear AKA James Prudhomme brings his own Southern Gothic perspective to the table with new album ‘Color The Weather,’ set for release on July 6th via LuckyMe. Although not his debut album per se - 2015’s ‘Japan’ on OneOhTrix Point Never's Software label was a collection of previously released beats – ‘Color The Weather’ represents the first time Suicideyear has specifically sought to create a complete body of work, further developing different textures and sounds that were hinted on last year’s critically acclaimed ‘Hate Songs’ EP. Within these tracks lie the ghosts of Prudhomme’s past - a difficult childhood truncated in his teens by his family home burning down. When he left Baton Rouge for his new home in New Orleans he found himself further entrenched in the Southern Rap scene whilst he soaked up the avant-garde electronic music he found online. Balancing his tender instrumentation alongside some of the tightest drum programming in the game - these tracks twist and turn - new elements are built and destroyed constantly encompassing a huge emotional range. On the records’ two vocal features he expounds on this innovative and ambitious duality – Domino Records own Georgia filling the track with longing and hope whilst Prudhomme deconstructs the track around her. The Casey MQ featured ‘Said and Done’ goes further - the last third of the track slowing to a codeine induced haze paying a nod to the Chopped and Screwed sound of James youth. “​Color The Weather is about the ability to build or form security after trauma/betrayal & building personal coping mechanisms to get through said traumas. Doing what it takes to control your life when powers are working against it. The total resilience of the human spirit.​” James Prudhomme

Slip My Soul Where A Sweet Sunday brings together four versions by Fundación Tony Manero in charge of three projects from the Catalan jazz scene: The Gramophone All Stars Big Band, The Changes and ·I·. At the hands of these interpreters, the songs by Manero (all taken from “Sweet Movimiento”, their second studio LP) wander through different spectrums of jazz. From the Jamaican-tinged ska of the Gramophone to the dragging, hip-hop groove of ·I· through the swing -more classical or more avant-garde depending on the subject- of The Changes, these four pieces prove that jazz and disco music are family. Or what is the same: that jazz has always been dance music. Slip My Soul Where A Sweet Sunday celebrates the legacy on the one hand, the Fundación Tony Manero, which is retiring from the stage after more than 25 years paving the way for new generations and new projects. Among others, those who now take the baton in this EP.

The former International DeeJay Gigolo records artist Adriano Canzian & Vitell1 assault the “PLEASURE COPS” precinct with bouncing synth-line, dark 80’ies bass and clanging beats in this extravagant 6 tracker Italo-Ebm release for SB sublabel -Belligeranza currently dedicated to brutalize Italo-Disco. Call 911 for further details!

M.A.D RECORDS team up with Esa Williams’s Aweh Records to bring you a truly international collaboration. Caravan laid down the beats in Australia then passed the baton to Kwaito legend Kamazu over in Cape Town who with the help of Esa Williams recorded the vocals you hear on this bumping Kwaito record.


b A2: Ungiphatha Kahle (You Treat Me Right) Instrumental Mix


b A2 | Ungiphatha Kahle (You Treat Me Right) [Instrumental Mix]

The iconic DJ Sotofett comes with a real treat--a 12-track album on Clone West Coast Series that showcases a playful take on electronic music. Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of DJ Sotofett & The Colours of Computer Generated Instruments. With 12 electrifying electro tracks that blend a wide spectrum of rhythms with 80's Nintendo console vibes and holy grail analog vs digital synthesis, this album is a jubilant celebration of that sound. Prepare for an exhilarating journey filled with surprises, seamlessly transitioning from acid infected vibes and catchy electronic pop to groundbreaking avant-garde electro cuts. Each track intricately weaves together influences from over 40 years of electronic dance music, inviting listeners to explore the rich tapestry of genres that have shaped the landscape. As you delve deeper, you'll uncover the intricate layers and innovative production techniques that define Sotofett's distinctive style, transforming this album into more than just a collection of tracks -- it's a true sonic adventure that beckons you to listen, dance and dream.

“Valsadeira” is a pulsing uptempo excursion from the African island nation of Cabo Verde, with driving percussion, impassioned vocals, and tasty synth work. Sung in Portuguese, the track begins on a romantic note which builds toward a dramatic flip halfway through that gives way to a hypnotic tropical vamp. The drum tool extends the rhythmic breaks of the song into a useful standalone percussion jam. Odo Kakra Sika Kakra is a bouncy and joyous slice of Ghanaian highlife. With crisp 90s-era production and sweet vocal melodies, JKriv edited this one with love for maximum booty shaking and smiles. "Batonga" is a mid tempo slice of Afrofunk with a mid 1980s downtown NYC feel, led by angular and funky guitars, layered synths, and a female vocal with African chants. The drum break features a textured beat including big electronic drums, percussions and an interlocking kalimba line.

Following up last year’s Acrobatic Thoughts album, Panoram delves even deeper into his own musical universe with Keep Looking Where The Light Comes From. We find the producer in confident form, exploring the fuzzy fringes of beauty and chaos. The result is an album that sounds even more like himself and yet surprising at each turn.


Opening track Feathers sounds like only Panoram can, buzzy arpeggiated distortion takes flight somewhere in the direction of a distant multiverse where Animal Collective and Boards of Canada soundtracked Koyaanisqatsi. But the psychedelic drift is all Panoram’s own, conjuring a stark sense of the uncanny with the repeated phrases. The digital guitar and vocal loops of I Can Only Repeat Your Love are practically on the brink of collapsing in on themselves, to the point where the structure begins to shift like a collapsing monument. Flat Stones nods towards ASMR, as flute and woodwind tones caress the ears and a whispered voice teases out an altered state.


It’s this dreamlike mood that pervades the whole album, a maximal effect that’s wrung from minimalist compositions. The Wide House picks up the baton from Laurie Anderson to trip gently through different states of awareness, while the piano patterns of Blank Sheep float through the synth ambience like ideas entering an empty dream. There Is A Hole Here is another mutant loop that unravels as it proceeds - the rhythms turn into a pulse, and despite what the lyrics say, it does indeed mess around with your brain.


Panoram balances dance tropes, classical composition, ambient drones and a washed out, fuzzy twist on avant garde pop, and manages to transform it all into a uniform whole that fits all those puzzle pieces together. Yet such is the assuredness of Panoram’s production that it sounds effortless. At this point, the music is more like a midwife, manifesting your future self‘s enlightened consciousness with surreal effect.

Debut full length vinyl from the UK/Italian duo of Ecka Mordecai and Valerio Tricoli, working together as Mordecoli. Individually these two travellers have carved out a path of ghostly musique concrete (Tricoli) and textural cello wandering (Mordecai). Alter is proud to present the album Château Mordécoly a result of two musicians (and friends) coming together to explore the middle ground of their individual investigations.

The results of a red wine induced residency at London’s Cafe Oto, Château Mordécoly is a panoramic audio field exploring both the physicality of sound, informed by the voice, cello and pictish harp of Mordecai, and the artificial manipulations of Tricoli’s revox tape machine. The delicate tension between the physical ‘real’ and the distortive ‘new’ leverages this release far beyond a tipsy residency and shifts it into a top tier electroacoustic take on the zeitgeist. Solo cello and voice appear rooted in the timbre of time. The magnetic tape is both a friend and covert manipulator.

The physical elements open themselves to disfigurement as a means of propagating the fantastical audio that unfolds from the initial enquiry. There’s no witchery or wizardry on part of either player but rather a symbiotic passing of the baton as the line between the real and the non-real flow in and out of themselves. The results are at once sedate, shocking and subversive.

Château Mordécoly is a disembodied sonic landscape; a phantasmagorical world of fantasy unfolds as the delicate beauty of Mordecai’s playing and singing is transformed into a playful and unusual landscape. Epoch’s are evoked as the visual stimuli resulting from these alchemical transformations conjure everything from a haunted house to the Middle Ages.

Repress

The multi-faceted producer and DJ, and one of electronic music's most respected, Calibre releases his brand new record 'Planet Hearth' on November 29th. An album featuring exclusively new material, and dedicated to a very close friend who passed away last year, this is by far the most personal and poignant record he has ever made.

First coined in 2015, the album has taken four years to complete and in his own words 'part of a slow metamorphosis that I have wanted to do for a long time'. Escaping to Valentia on the West Coast of Ireland, he sought solace away from the grind of modern living to write music and draw inspiration from his surroundings. It was during this time that he experienced great personal loss, which can be felt throughout the record, forming an emotional narrative that will make even the hardest of hearts shed a tear upon listening.

The title track 'Planet Hearth' was made in Belfast a few weeks before losing his close friend, and in his own words: "I remember this one feeling very automatic and emotionally engaging, the timing for me has great meaning". Whilst the track 'Five Minute Flame' was written in five minutes one morning in Valentia with the sun streaming in and the coffee being made, showing just how he can draw inspirations at any moment of the day, "I love the immediacy of writing music very much" he states. Largely ambient, there is a nod to his drum and bass roots with 'Walking in Circles', a track that can, and has been played in one of his dnb set. Whilst the album has been playing throughout the year in different club settings, opening the night with the sound that he so loves, the record wasn't made for the club as such, 'originally the idea was to put music together that didn't need to be played in a club, that it could be whatever I wanted.'

This is an honest and pure record that steps away from Calibre's drum and bass persona that he's so synonymous with. A somewhat melancholic and atmospheric piece of work, it still has that signature Calibre sound, attesting to incredible diversity of the man. A true master of his craft, his ability to constantly create and consistently deliver with such honest expression is staggering. A chameleonic creator in the purest form - as a painter, fine artist, multi-instrumentalist, writer and producer - he has a career stretching over two decades with over fifteen albums of varying genres.

To coincide with the release of the album on November 29th, it's perhaps fitting that he makes his return to XOYO - the London venue he resided in for 10 weeks from July through to September - as he plays on the Dekmantel Soundsystem residency, who he passed the baton onto for the Autumn Winter season.

This is Calibre in his rawest, purest and exposed form, delivering a body of work that he cares about the most.

Two years after his breakthrough debut Drifter established him as one of the most authentic new voices in modern blues, Jovin Webb returns with Son of a Sinner, a raw and powerful follow-up on Blind Pig Records. Produced once again by multi-Grammy winner Tom Hambridge and recorded in Nashville, the 11-track collection finds the Baton Rouge native digging deeper into his Southern roots, where swampy blues, gospel fire, and gritty Southern rock collide. Across songs of temptation, consequence, and hard-won redemption, Webb confronts his past, owns his vices, and reaches for salvation even when he knows he might fall short—capturing the tension between Saturday night and Sunday morning. Son of a Sinner is Jovin Webb at his most revealing: blues music that doesn’t just tell the stories, but lives them.

This timeless masterpiece is brought to life in a legendary recording featuring the brilliant violinist Zino Francescatti , under the baton of renowned conductor Bruno Walter, accompanied by the Columbia Symphony Orchestra.

"On a dozen restlessly expressive instrumentals recorded between Marin and Reykjavík, the American guitarist finds turbulent beauty at the edges of the fingerstyle tradition." - PITCHFORK 7.9/10

"The greatest living guitar player" - Hayden Pedigo

Today, guitarist Mason Lindahl — whose “unabashedly beautiful" (Aquarium Drunkard) sound "balances the romantic dynamics of flamenco and the meticulousness of Windham Hill with the unguarded qualities of improvised music" (Pitchfork) — announces a pair of new albums: Joshua / Same Day Walking via Mt. Brings Death.

Though packaged together, Joshua and Same Day Walking chart distinct worlds. Recorded in northern California and produced by Robby Moncrieff (Dirty Projectors, Zach Hill), Joshua is woolier and warmer, evoking haze, humidity, and overgrown Spanish moss. Meanwhile, Same Day Walking — recorded in Iceland and produced by Moncrieff alongside two-time GRAMMY-winning composer / sound designer Sam Slater (Joker, Chernobyl) — is, appropriate for its icier climes, windswept and beholden to the vast emptiness of harsh landscapes. As a pair, they provide a thorough portrait of Lindahl's singular and versatile playing.

Amid Lindahl's purely evident virtuosity, close listeners can savor wonderful imperfections freckled throughout Joshua / Same Day Walking: buzzing strings, minimal electronic ambience, soft undulations of tempo. Lindahl isn’t here to pageant his craft; he's adventuring within, uncovering fresh avenues of sound and emotive gesture.

Described by friend and contemporary Hayden Pedigo as “the greatest living guitar player,” Mason Lindahl’s “austere, gothic flamenco...dares you to submit to this odd and immersive sonic universe" (Uncut). The Northern California native's solo instrumental debut Kissing Rosy in the Rain, released in 2021 via Tompkins Square, was praised as "gorgeous" (Petal Motel) and "a minimalist gem" (Everything Is Noise). Prior to that, his only other solo release is 2009's Serrated Man Sound.

The Light Below's "Georgia" d eröffnet eine Serie von Veröffentlichungen, die die Grenzen zwischen Rock, Tradition und globaler Musikkultur neu ausloten. Eein außergewöhnliches Post- Rock-Album, das instrumentale Klanglandschaften mit jahrhundertealter georgischer Gesangstradition verbindet. Für "Georgia" kooperiert die Band mit dem georgischen Frauenchor Akhla, dessen überlieferte Volkslieder aus unterschiedlichen Regionen Georgiens stammen. Diese traditionellen Songs wurden in Zusammenarbeit mit THE LIGHT BELOW neu interpretiert und so arrangiert, dass sie auf besondere Weise mit den instrumentalen Post-Rock-Elementen verschmelzen. Ein herausragender Moment des Albums ist "Tsinskharo" - ein ursprünglich von Männern gesungenes Lied, das durch Werner Herzogs Nosferatu (1979) weltweite Bekanntheit erlangte. Die neue Version wird als erste Single ausgekoppelt und von einem zweiteiligen Musikvideo begleitet. Der instrumentale Teil des Albums wurde noch von dem 2024 verstorbenen Steve Albini aufgenommen. Seine unverkennbare, rohe Produktionsästhetik verleiht ,Georgia" eine unmittelbare Klarheit und Intensität. Die Gesangsaufnahmen des Chors Akhla entstanden 2022/23 in Berlin. "Georgia" entfaltet ein unverwechselbares Klangbild aus monumentalen Gitarrenwänden, introspektiven Passagen und epischen Crescendi. Es verbindet die Emotionen und Geschichten georgischer Volkslieder mit der Dramatik des Post-Rock - ein Album, das Brücken zwischen Kulturen schlägt.

The Light Below's "Georgia" d eröffnet eine Serie von Veröffentlichungen, die die Grenzen zwischen Rock, Tradition und globaler Musikkultur neu ausloten. Eein außergewöhnliches Post- Rock-Album, das instrumentale Klanglandschaften mit jahrhundertealter georgischer Gesangstradition verbindet. Für "Georgia" kooperiert die Band mit dem georgischen Frauenchor Akhla, dessen überlieferte Volkslieder aus unterschiedlichen Regionen Georgiens stammen. Diese traditionellen Songs wurden in Zusammenarbeit mit THE LIGHT BELOW neu interpretiert und so arrangiert, dass sie auf besondere Weise mit den instrumentalen Post-Rock-Elementen verschmelzen. Ein herausragender Moment des Albums ist "Tsinskharo" - ein ursprünglich von Männern gesungenes Lied, das durch Werner Herzogs Nosferatu (1979) weltweite Bekanntheit erlangte. Die neue Version wird als erste Single ausgekoppelt und von einem zweiteiligen Musikvideo begleitet. Der instrumentale Teil des Albums wurde noch von dem 2024 verstorbenen Steve Albini aufgenommen. Seine unverkennbare, rohe Produktionsästhetik verleiht ,Georgia" eine unmittelbare Klarheit und Intensität. Die Gesangsaufnahmen des Chors Akhla entstanden 2022/23 in Berlin. "Georgia" entfaltet ein unverwechselbares Klangbild aus monumentalen Gitarrenwänden, introspektiven Passagen und epischen Crescendi. Es verbindet die Emotionen und Geschichten georgischer Volkslieder mit der Dramatik des Post-Rock - ein Album, das Brücken zwischen Kulturen schlägt.

A meeting of worlds. A new kind of resonance. GODTET's upcoming release captures the alchemy of their landmark performance with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House.

At once bold and nuanced, this album explores the friction between improvisation and orchestration. Where the orchestra is anchored in fully composed material, GODTET remains free – navigating the work's harmonic architecture with instinct and spontaneity. Structures are fixed, but expression is fluid.

Orchestrated and brought vividly to life by Novak Manojlovic, GODTET's long-time collaborator and musical polymath, the work bridges the worlds of bedroom production and classical tradition. His arrangements offer not just translation but transformation. Amplifying the ensemble's rhythmic language through the rich sonic canvas of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

The result is a deeply textural suite that amplifies the best of both disciplines: GODTET's idiosyncratic groove and live sampling artistry converging with the symphonic weight and colour of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Under the baton of Nicolas Buc,GODTET + The Sydney Symphony Orchestradoesn't just blend genres, it dissolves hierarchies. It's a declaration that music born in warehouses and bedrooms can belong in concert halls, and that authenticity transcends format. This is GODTET in full bloom, expansive, fearless, and profoundly moving.



a 01: New Sun (Live) feat. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra & Novak Manojlovic
b 02: Stepper (Live) feat. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra & Novak Manojlovic
[c] 03: The Fall Line (Live) [feat. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra & Novak Manojlovic]
[d] 04: Dub Angels (Live) [feat. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra & Novak Manojlovic]
[e] 05: Cantus (Live) [feat. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra & Novak Manojlovic]
[f] 06: Bliss Angels (Live) [feat. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra & Novak Manojlovic]
[feat. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra & Novak Manojlovic]

Rufus Wainwright's I'm a Stranger Here Myself - Wainwright Does Weill is a compelling tribute album that delves into the rich and complex songbook of German-American composer Kurt Weill. Known for his theatrical flair and vocal prowess, Wainwright brings a unique interpretation to Weill's compositions, which are celebrated for their fusion of classical, cabaret, and jazz elements. Premiering in May 2023 at New York City's Café Carlyle, "Wainwright Does Weill" marked Wainwright's first extensive exploration of Weill's repertoire. Rufus Wainwright’s fascination with Kurt Weill’s music goes back for decades — in his early twenties he wore out the vinyl grooves of Teresa Stratas’ famous Weill album. While Weill‘s musical influence can be heard in Wainwright‘s own songs, he had never dedicated an entire evening to singing the German musician’s songs, until now. With the Pacific Jazz Orchestra under the baton of Chris Walden, he has expanded the orchestral palette for his approach to Kurt Weill.

Noumen returns to Central Processing Unit after a six-year absence with Altum. This bumper record, the Ukrainian artist's fourth release for the Sheffield label and first since 2019 double-LPObscurium, serves to remind us all why Noumen's music has been lauded by the likes of Mixmag and Resident Advisor in the past.Altumis a consummate piece of contemporary electronic production, a technoid exploration of outer-edges electronica that nods to genre greats like Autechre while still maintaining its own unconventional charm.

Across well over an hour of music here we find Noumen repeatedly playing punchy mid-tempo beat work off of some more cerebral tuned synths.Altumkicks off with the epic 'Oion' - beginning in that Autechre/AFX mid-tempo zone, full of deep-sea bangs and whirrs, the track slowly builds to a final stretch of delay-drenched keys which set us free amidst the outer cosmos, almost Sun Ra-style. It's a perfect liminal-space roller and an apt scene-setter forAltum.

'Oion' provides a blueprint for several of the album's other highlights - plenty of the joints here adopt that same approach of hitting hard with the drums and soft with the synths. Second track 'Splitter' takes on the baton from 'Oion' while souping up the kick to warehouse levels; the beats in 'Far Wind' splutter like a needle skipping on a mid-90s Tresor drop; 'Fate Carette', all eerie looped synth leads, is a highlight as the album enters the home straight.

The rhythm production (which, it should be noted, is exemplary throughoutAltum) is ratched up in intensity on a handful of numbers. 'Telemask' displays a delightful breakbeat - if you'd told me this was sampled from golden age A Tribe Called Quest, I'd have believed you. Mid-section anchors 'Awe' and 'Axis' are glitchers in the Mike Paradinas mould, with the latter showing off some pleasing steel pan-esque synth leads for good measure. And whileAltumgenerally maintains a processional pace throughout, there are points where Noumen toughens up the drums for club deployment - 'Unveilness' shows off a real chunkiness in the low end, closer 'Spurling Sign' plays a satisfying rolling groove off of ever-layering synths, and the title-track is an alien machine-funker in keeping with fellow CPU electronauts like Silicon Scally and Cygnus.

Noumen's third album for Central Processing Unit is a pleasingly hefty double-LP which builds on the zany invention of acts like Modeselektor and Autechre to delightful effect.

FFO: Autechre, Aphex Twin, Modeselektor, Bochum Welt, LFO

If there is one person, who has been causing a stir on the international club circuit recently, it is Barcelona's John Talabot. Already his debut “My Old School“ (which is meant literally by the way) on Permanent Vacation in 2009 and shortly after that the single “ Sunshine”, which he put out on his own Hivern Disc imprint, made him one of the most promising musicians of the Spanish electronic scene. And those two releases also already set the mark for John Talabot’s unparalleled music: raw, loopy, heavy on the kick drum, sample based, moderate on the tempo, distorted on the drums and light years away from the clean and ever revolving house sound of today. This unique style which also blends influences from afro beat, Detroit techno, Chicago house and cosmic disco, but also northern soul or the energy of Flamenco, immediately turned some heads around. James Murphy, Âme and Aeroplane started including Talabot music in their sets like it was the most natural thing. However - and this is quite rare - he not only gained legions of fans in the house and disco community, but also amongst the leftfield pop and indie rock followers. NME and Resident Advisor both had “Breakthrough“ features on John Talabot and he can be proud of a “Best New Music“ dubbing on
Pitchfork. (Being rather elusive on showing his face in magazines or the web it also came to some funny rumors that John Talabot was the alter ego of a well-known techno producer from Detroit).
At the same time he drew the attention of like-minded artists like James Holden and Luke Abott from Border Community, Blondes or Delorean, which lead to a bunch of fertile collaborations: Luke Abbott and Blondes remixed Talabot’s “Sunshine“ single , John Talabot remixed a track by Delorean and vice versa Delorean’s Ekhi contributed vocals to the track “Journeys “ on John’s album). Another example is the Young Turks Label (home of Jamie XX, Holy Fuck, El Guincho or SBTRKT ) on which he released the “Families“ EP in 2010. It was praised beyond limits. Pitchfork for
instance hailed: “… where pop and house influences sweetly buffer up against one another to provide an unyielding sense of elation“ and even brought Talabot a comparison with artists like Four Tet or Caribou.
While staying true to his sound, John Talabot has nevertheless shown a constant evolution as a producer since his first release. He has traced a solid musical path that has turned him into one of the big references of European House and has made him also a highly in demand Remixer (for the likes of The XX, Francesco Tristano’s “Aufgang” project, Shit Robot on DFA, Thaiti 80, Joakim or Teengirl Fantasy to name just a few ).
A progression that now crystallizes in “ƒin”, his first full-length album for Permanent Vacation. A record, in which the Barcelona mastermind sets aside the danceable immediacy to expand his stylistic palette more than ever. For that purpose, Talabot melts all the elements that have constructed his distinctive sound until now and makes them emerge from a new perspective, in which the construction of complex song structures, intricate rhythms and superpositions of ever-evolving melodies and atmospheres pick up the baton of the “a kick-drum and a sampler” philosophy of his initial productions. The result brings us 11 tracks (we should call them songs really!) dominated by dark ambiances, gaseous textures and bittersweet moods that, above all, reveal a kind of vivacity that’s really hard to find in contemporary electronics. “Fin” is far from being a track collection. From the majestic opener “Depak Ine“ to it’s solemn ending with
“So Will Be Now“ , one of the two tracks that features Talabot’s soul and label mate Pional, each song traces an overall dialogue with the rest, culminating a highly emotional journey through Talabot’s always compelling and unique musical vision.

We’re excited to present this special edition vinyl celebrating Lofi Girl’s collaboration! For the second year running, we’re proud to sponsor the Champions Chess Tour 2024—the largest online chess tournament in history with a $1.7 million prize fund and the world’s top players competing for glory.



This vinyl features our curated compilation, synthwave beats to play chess to, blending the focus and creativity of synthwave music with the strategy and brilliance of chess.



Thank you for joining us on this journey—let the games (and the beats) begin!

In recent years, Blackploid has come to be one of Central Processing Unit's signature artists. The German producer has averaged more than a record a year for the Sheffield imprint since he first landed on CPU in 2021. This prolific run continues withCosmic Drama, Blackploid's second LP for the label. The album takes the baton from its predecessorEnter Universein style, delivering twelve tracks of top-quality machine-funk that draw down from electro's classic artists while also imbuing proceedings with a playfulness that very much gives things a signature Blackploid-ish flavour.

Cosmic Dramasets its stall out from the off. The opening run of 'Alien', 'World Construction' and 'Virtual State' all deliver piston-snapping beats which anchor pleasing melanges of B-movie synth lines. Alongside this, Blackploid adds little flourishes which add buoyancy to each joint - a syncopated bassline reminiscent of I-f's late-90s classic 'Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass', crackling robo-voiced commands, skittering synth chords which wash across the mix and so on. It's the work of someone completely at ease with their craft, comfortable enough to take risks without upsetting the apple cart of their sound's core appeal.

Blackploid's idiosyncratic approach to synth work is something which distinguishesCosmic Dramafrom the pack. Electro has long been a genre which prides itself on innovation on the keys, but few producers are willing to push their sonics as far as Blackploid does - take the seasick churn of pads and processors on 'Multiverse', for instance, or the way John Carpenter-esque single-note lines dovetail with gurgling synthetic pulses and eerie, spacious chords on 'The Lab', a highlight ofCosmic Drama's midsection.

Cosmic Dramaskips along at club tempo throughout - every one of these joints will get bodies moving in dark rooms across the galaxy. However, even when tracks maintain their single-minded pursuit of machine-funk perfection, they never forget to deliver on the hooks. Blackploid has lead lines (and counter-melodies) to burn here, and each track knots them together in ever-more intriguing ways as they plough onwards. Drexciyan heads will be thrilled by the sci-fi delights of 'Species', for instance, while Blackploid brings melodies as cold as they are catchy on the aptly-named 'Polar Dunes'. By the timeCosmic Dramahits upon the vroom-vrooming bassline line of closer 'Contact', you're fully enthralled to the album's combination of broken-beat heft and synthetic melodiousness.

Central Processing Unit mainstay Blackploid comes through with another delightful dozen of electro heaters for the Sheffield label.

RIYL:Drexciya, I-f, Cygnus, AFX

CHARLY RECORDS present the first ever reissue of the sought-after Gospel treasure Crying In The Street by Robert Sims and his Seven Brothers.
Originally released circa 1969 by Lelan Rogers on his Nashville based House Of The Fox imprint. The title track ‘Crying In The Streets’ is a Gospel anthem penned by Sam Matter, Kerry Porter and Ted Harris as a response to the assassination of Martin Luther King. It was recorded contemporaneously by Baton Rouge deep soul vocalist George Perkins who scored a regional hit when it was picked up by Lelan Rogers for his Silver Fox subsidiary. The song was covered to great effect by Buckwheat Zydeco, featuring Ry Cooder, and appears on the 2005 benefit album for Hurricane Katrina.
This is a forgotten gem, atmospheric and beautifully produced. It is a passionate, life-affirming record that resonates today just as much as it did over 50 years ago.
A Gospel Experience.

Peach Discs’ first EP of 2025 comes from DJ, producer, curator and all-round doer of great things James Priestley aka Secretsundaze.

The Mordisco EP accumulates inspiration from James' past and present, whether it be echoes of his time as a drum & bass DJ in the late 90s on "Closer," the UK Bass-referencing percussive drive of "Treat That Doll" or the title track's vocal contributions from partner Paula Juana, the result is a personal and true record that always retains the laser-focused dancefloor energy that James is so good at dishing up.

Lead single "Mordisco" serves to highlight both the UK x Colombia connection found in James' relationship to Paula, as well as his love for Latin American music in general. Paula's sultry vocals wrap themselves around tumbling drum fills, arcing synths and an insistent rhodes riff, creating something unclassifiably groovy, riding the line between house and techno while never settling into either. Sansibar takes the baton and runs further into propulsive, progged-out, dubbed-out territory on his remix – the first officially released remix on Peach Discs.

James founded Secretsundaze as a party series in 2002, and since then it's established itself as one of the most reliable names in electronic music, encompassing a record label, festival (Multi Multi), live band (Spirit of Sundaze Ensemble) and production outfit. The four tracks that make up this EP fit neatly into the lineage that James has cultivated over the past 23 years – paying tribute to history while not being beholden to it. Mordisco continues the deep, rhythmically ambiguous approach to house music that Secretsundaze championed since the first EP for Phonica Records in 2018, and continued with stand-out releases for Mule Muziq, Live At Robert Johnson and more recently Warning.

As long-time fans and affiliates of Secretsundaze (Shanti released her Alma EP on the label back in 2015), we're thrilled to be working together again and releasing this record into the world.

First ever release of pioneering radiophonic / experimental / electronic / soundtrack composer you may never have heard of but really should have by now. 26 tracks in all.
As we began the mammoth task of whittling down material for this album Elizabeth recalled the time she met Delia Derbyshire. It was during a party for existing and former Radiophonic Workshop composers at BBC Maida Vale in the early 1980s. Delia introduced herself with typical energy and exuberance proclaiming "It's up to you now - I'm passing the baton. Show these men how we get things done". That must have been quite an honour and responsibility for a young, female composer establishing herself within the male-dominated environs at Delaware Road.
Looking back over a musical career spanning almost five decades, it's clear Elizabeth rose to the challenge and made her mark. She was consistently in demand with television and radio producers, composing for an array of ground-breaking, critically acclaimed and popular BBC projects. Whilst Delia's legacy has achieved mythical status with her position as an innovator and feminist icon secured, the majority of Elizabeth's recorded work remains unavailable so her contribution to the output of the Workshop and evolution of British electronic music is somewhat under-appreciated.
Perhaps this record will help start to remedy the situation. Included are early tape experiments, home demos and non-BBC commissions from the early 1970's to the late 2000s. Having listened to 260+ digital audio tapes from Elizabeth's personal archive we have barely scratched the surface but hope to provide an indication of the breadth of her compositional and sound design skills.
Classically trained in cello and piano, Elizabeth graduated from the University of East Anglia with a degree in Music in 1973. She was mentored by Tristram Cary who helped her to become UEA's first recipient of a Masters in Electronic Music and later awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Staffordshire University. Joining the BBC as a studio manager in 1975, Elizabeth transferred to the Radiophonic Workshop in 1978. One of her first tasks was to create special sound effects for Blake's 7 using tape loops, the EMS 100 and trusted VCS3.
Her celebrated score for The Living Planet in 1982 featured early use of the PPG synthesizer and earned an Emmy nomination. Over the following years studio technology evolved rapidly, but Elizabeth transitioned from analogue recording techniques to newer digital platforms with relative ease, using samplers, midi sequencing and computer controlled workstations.
With an incredible 1,400 commissions to her name, she created special sound for The Day Of The Triffids, Lord Of The Rings, countless radio dramas including Iris Murdoch's The Sea, The Sea, Harold Pinter's Moonlight, all of Howard Barker's plays, productions of King Lear, Wordsworth's Prelude and The Pallisers. The success of The Living Planet led to further work for the BBC Natural History Unit followed by numerous commissions for The Natural World. At one point in the late 1980's at least five of her signature tunes were being broadcast every week including Points Of View, Horizon, Doctors To Be and Everyman.
After the closure of the Workshop in 1996 Elizabeth became freelance, arranging Faure's Pavane for the BBC World Cup '98 coverage (reaching no. 9 in the UK singles chart). She wrote additional music for Monty Python's Holy Grail DVD, scored Michael Palin's Full Circle and Sahara TV series, The Lost Gardens Of Heligan and The Human Body with Robert Winston.
Retiring from the music industry in the late 2000's, Elizabeth recently returned to her East Anglian roots and now lives near the coast. She walks daily, listening to all kinds of music, new and old, on her beloved air-pods.

Nach ihrem von der Kritik gefeierten Debütalbum 'Dogsbody' (Pitchfork Best New Music, Rolling Stone Future 25, NME The Cover) präsentiert sich das Model/Actriz-Quartett aus Brooklyn auf seinem zweiten Album 'Pirouette' sexy und divenhaft. 'Pirouette' ist inspiriert von Lady Gaga und Grace Jones bis hin zu klassischem Ballett und dissonanter Dance-Musik. Wie eine gut geölte Maschine gibt sich die Punk-Aggression von Model/Actriz dem Queer-Pop hin und findet dabei verblüffende neue Wege, frei zu sein.

Salsa Verde is the latest release from artist, Tom Caruana and, the newest instalment of Def Pressé’s series of projects made in partnership with KPM (and associated music libraries).



In 2021 Def Pressé entered into a deal with KPM whereby the deeper KPM and associated libraries can be used, exclusively, by Def Pressé. Sampled, replayed and reimagined, this vast catalogue has provided music for TV and Cinema for decades. Sampled, often illegally, by practically every Hip Hop producer ever, the library is available to select Def Pressé artists to utilise in order to create new pieces of music. This music is then fed back into the KPM/Sony AVI library for use in TV and Cinema, and the Def Pressé artist in question is then a KPM Artist in their own right. Completing the circle and hopefully providing music to inspire the new generation of beat makers/sample-based producers.



With several titles in the series, notable names like Blockhead, Damu the Fudgemunk and Stro Elliot since its inception in 2021, the Def Pressé Editions x KPM series, Crate Diggers continues into the seventh episode.



Producer & multi-instrumentalist Tom Caruana has been producing Hip Hop for over 25 years. Incorporating both samples and instruments in his production has helped him create a signature sound which covers a wide range of moods. He has produced quirkier and more humorous material for the likes of Dr Syntax & Professor Elemental, live production for his band Son Of Sam,

sample heavy material in a range of projects with MCs as well as notoriously remixing Wu-Tang Clan with The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.

Abaeté, a vocal trio from Bahia, made a remarkable debut with masterfully crafted jazz-funk sambas, at a time when Bahian musicians were true masters of the genre. There"s virtually no information about the band, apart from the music itself, which seems to be limitedto two releases: a single and that much-loved 1977 self- titled album, now a cult classic. A collection of killer tunes, funky samba, synthesizer sounds and free rhythms with a North Brazilian flavour. The band also wrote songs for Clara Nunes and Elza Soares in the 70s. Mixed by Waldir Lombardo Pinheiro (Tom Ze, Zeca Do Trombone...).

Conflict formed in 1981 in Eltham, Southeast London, when frontman Colin Jerwood, inspired by early encounters with the Pistols 'Spunk' bootleg and following The Clash on tour, struck up a friendship with Crass and set about crafting a whole new kind of punk that totally upped the ante in terms anger and confrontation. Crass, the renowned anarchist punk collective, having got Conflict started by releasing their debut single 'The House That Man Bult' in 1982 on Crass Records, ended in 1984 as they had always intended. Now it was up to Conflict to pick up the baton and run with it. And they did, charging into the battle lines of authority.

The years that followed saw Conflict go from strength to strength, peaking on the 18th of April in 1987 at the London Brixton Academy for the 'Gathering of the 5,000' concert. A climax and explosion of rage and rebellion that inevitably ended up in a police provoked full-scale riot with police injuries, arrests, and with the band hopelessly in debt and banned from the majority of major London and UK venues.

Undeterred, Conflict continued into the 90s with their acclaimed 'Conclusion' album and remained a mainstay of the live punk circuit throughout. However, after more than two decades since the release of their (2003) 'There's No Power Without Control' album, the band are back with 'This Much Remains'. Featuring sixteen brand new Conflict creations, the album sees the band keeping one eye on their eventful past, and the other firmly on moving forward, both musically and politically. Animal Rights are still at the forefront of Conflict’s collective minds, giving a voice to the voiceless on songs such as 'A Mother's Milk' and 'Shut The Fuck Up', whilst their anger at world governments will never dissipate.

Also featuring an appearance by the late Benjamin Zephaniah on the track 'Cut The Crap', 'This Much Remains' is the sound of a band that continues to surprise and progress, decades after it first began. Conflict are Colin Jerwood - vocals; Fiona Friel - vocals; Gav King - guitars, melodica & Hammond; Fran Fearon - bass; Stoo Meadows - drums. With Benjamin Zephaniah - vocals on 'Cut The Crap'; Mitsuko Sonoda - voice on 'The Impossible Soul'.

Nach ihrem von der Kritik gefeierten Debütalbum 'Dogsbody' (Pitchfork Best New Music, Rolling Stone Future 25, NME The Cover) präsentiert sich das Model/Actriz-Quartett aus Brooklyn auf seinem zweiten Album 'Pirouette' sexy und divenhaft. 'Pirouette' ist inspiriert von Lady Gaga und Grace Jones bis hin zu klassischem Ballett und dissonanter Dance-Musik. Wie eine gut geölte Maschine gibt sich die Punk-Aggression von Model/Actriz dem Queer-Pop hin und findet dabei verblüffende neue Wege, frei zu sein.

If the jazz of François Tusques is “free”, his spirit is even more so: having recorded Free Jazz with other like-minded Frenchmen (Michel Portal, François Jeanneau, Bernard Vitet, Beb Guérin and Charles Saudrais), the pianist had covered a lot of ground, with Barney Wilen (Le Nouveau Jazz) or even solo (Piano Dazibao and Dazibao N°2), so as not to repeat himself…

In 1971 he founded the Inter Communal Free Dance Music Orchestra which, as the notes the this album stated, “is an interpretation of a music which synthesizes the different communities living and working in France.” In 1976, on the first album (L’Inter Communal) we can already hear Tusques playing without borders in the company of Carlos Andreu (vocals), Michel Marre (trumpet and saxophone), Jo Maka (saxophone) and Ramadolf (trombone). It is a meeting between jazz and music from Catalonia, Occitanie and Africa. So far so good, but what about Brittany, that, Tusques knows “by heart”? Having lived for a long time in Nantes, he would expand his ‘brittanitude’ on the canal linking the city to Brest by playing with, for example the Diaouled-Ar-Menez. With these “devils from the mountain” who, under the baton of Yann Goasdoué, worked throughout the 1970s on the renewal of music from Brittany, Tusques met, notably, Tanguy Ledoré and invited him one day, with trois bombards and some bagpipes (Jean-Louis Le Vallegant, Gaby Kerdoncuff and Philippe Lestrat), to join the ranks of the Intercommunal. And so they set of towards a new music from Brittany, as the title states; Vers une Musique bretonne nouvelle!

With percussion from Samuel Ateba and Kilikus, the association launches the ‘bombardier’: the repetitions and dissonance of the different members all serve a common cause however: the dance, which is always the reason for the party. This sets a whole universe spinning, which can bring to mind Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath (“La rencontre”) when not taking on board waltz, swing, blues and gavotta or even revealing mysteries like those of Gurdjieff (“Les racines de la montagne” or “Le cheval” sung by Andreu). Only one thing to say to this Brotherhood Of Breizh: Mersi!

Der Sänger Freddie Love stammte aus Baton Rouge und machte zwei fantastische 45er für Eddie Shulers Label ANLA. Sein Debüt ist der floorfiller 'Crazy Girl', stark von James Brown beeinflusst, und eine weitere Platte ist, die zum ersten Mal auf Vinyl neu aufgelegt wird.

*Repress*

180gr) 10 YEARS ON, ARTHUR VEROCAI'S ENCORE GETS A VINYL RELEASE. The highly anticipated follow up to Arthur's eponymous debut album from 1972, Encore saw Arthur joining the dots over 35 years to createa modern classic of Brazilian music that, like his debut, combined Brazilian influences with his take on American soul and cinematic experimentation, and shows Arthur's sound is as poignant now as it ever was.
To celebrate the album's 10th anniversary, Far Out Recordings announces the first ever vinyl edition of Arthur Verocai's 2007 masterpiece Encore. Remastered from the original tapes, Encore features 11 original compositions from Arthur with guest musicians including Azymuth, Ivan Lins and a nine-piece string section. The highly anticipated follow up to Arthur's eponymous debut album from 1972, Encore saw Arthur joining the dots over 35 years to create a modern classic of Brazilian music that, like his debut, combined Brazilian influences with his take on American soul and cinematic experimentation, and shows Arthur's sound is as poignant now as it ever was.

In the mid-2000's, following on from Marcos Valle, Joyce and of course Azymuth, Arthur Verocai joined the long-line of Brazilian musicians whose music was to be introduced to a whole new legion of fans by Far Out. The story of 'Encore' of course begins with Joe Davis, Far Out's head honcho who stumbled upon Arthur's debut in a dusty record store in downtown Rio in the late 80s. At the time of its release in 1972 critics panned Arthur's debut and both the album and artist subsequently vanished into obscurity. Fast forward to winter 2004 and Joe's at the studio of Far Out Recording artists Harmonic 313 - aka production duo Mark 'Troubleman' Pritchard and Dave Brinkworth - playing them some of his favourite Brazilian albums. Dave recalls the moment Joe put on Arthur's debut, 'As soon as the needle hit the record and we heard the fantastic arrangements, songs and sounds, Arthur completely blew our minds'.

Three months later and Dave was in Brazil with Arthur Verocai, and the plans for what was to become 'Encore' were being laid down. Produced by Dave, 'Encore' sees Arthur on incredible form, the 35 plus years between the recording of his debut and this the follow-up just melting away as Arthur picked up the (conductor's) baton once again to create 11 epic tracks of stirring samba-soul and experimental cinematic movements that sees him creating a record to rival his debut.


Born in Rio de Janeiro on 17 June 1945, Arthur Verocai began his professional music career in 1969 and over the next few years he was responsible for the orchestration of albums by Ivan Lins, Jorge Benjor, Elizeth Cardoso, Gal Costa, Quarteto em Cy, MPB 4 and Marcos Valle, among others. In the 1970s he was hired by Brazil's biggest TV station, TV Globo, as musical director and wrote the arrangements for many of the stations biggest shows. In 1972, following the success Arthur had with the production of Ivan Lins 1971 album "Agora", Arthur recorded his self-titled debut album on Continental Records. 'Arthur Verocai' challenged the musical conventions of the day, combining Brazilian influences with folksy soul and lo-fi electronic experimentations of American artists like Shuggie Otis or the orchestration of producer Charles Stepney.

Few sounds transcend time and space quite like the driving pulse of Afrobeat, and few artists, for that matter, have defined their own domains quite as profoundly as Tony Allen—the very beat of Afrobeat itself. In 2011, Allen recorded one of his inimitable rhythmic dialogues as part of the Afrobeat Makers Series for the Parisian imprint Comet Records. Charged with the same fervour for uninhibited expression that defined his trailblazing career, Tony Allen’s drumming, free from convention and charting its own course, emanates a cadenced stream of consciousness that speaks its own truth.

If Allen’s language was his beat, then on this record, La BOA—La Bogotá Orquesta Afrobeat—becomes his latest and most fitting interlocutor. What began as a tribute—a song named after Allen—now feels like the prelude to a deeper dialogue in a meeting that seems more like fate than mere happenstance.

Led by producer Daniel Michel, the ever-evolving band has spent over ten years embodying the fluid, transformative spirit of Afrobeat, imprinting it with their distinctly Colombian sensibilities. From Casa Mambo in Bogotá, Michel’s Mambo Negro Records has become a cornerstone of Colombia’s underground scene championing Afro-Colombian and independent music throughout that time.

Across this LP, Allen’s recordings lay down the canvas upon which La BOA paints its own vision of Afrobeat—raw and expansive, locking step with his drum tracks while building around the unmistakable blueprint of their Colombian rhythms: exuding Caribbean beat, rolling with Pacific groove, and, above all, shaped by the rarefied air of the Andean melting pot that is Bogotá. What ensues is an enduring conversation that crosses eras, borders, even life and death—a celebration of the passing of the baton and the boundless nature of Afrobeat as a genre that refuses to settle. Where the beat of Lagos meets the brass of Bogotá, so too La BOA meets Tony Allen.

Italian composer and saxophonist Laura Agnusdei returns with “Flowers Are Blooming In Antarctica” a career defining record that sees the artist diving into uncharted waters, a profound timeless meditation on our relationship with planet Earth, the eco-conflicts arising and the fascination with non human forms of life, backdropped to a vivid soundtrack of coral exotica, spiritual Jazz, fourth-world minimalism, tropical electronics, tribal futurism and contemporary elegance.

Every step of Laura Agnusdei’s path, from electroacoustic experimentation to her constant research based upon the acoustic dimension of wind instruments and their interaction with polymorphic electronic sounds, seems to have pivoted into a new sense of awareness, as if the mind and intellectual practice has finally caught up with the body, the heart and the soul, resulting in her most organic and transcendent work yet. “Flowers Are Blooming In Antarctica” is loosely inspired around a trifecta of pioneering ideas that explore unconventional reality: James Bridle’s ‘Ways Of Being’ with his radical story that mixes ecology, tech and intelligence; Luigi Serafini’s late-70s fantastical ‘Codex Seraphinianus’, an unparalleled collection of flora, fauna, anatomies metamorphosed into new fragile beings; J.G. Ballard’s climate-fiction foreshadowing sci-fi ruminations. These influences shift Agnusdei’s musical trajectory injecting doses of terrestrial malaise, the earthy sub-saharan ‘Ittiolalia’ with its wah-wah filtered sax and trance inducing groove; the rubbery playfulness of ‘Oasi Bar’; the gentle eco-system of ‘P.P.R.N’ reminiscent of Herbie Hancock’s innovative synthesis of funk, space and synthesizers; the kaleidoscopic northern lights of ‘Emperor Penguin Lullaby’, where south-east Asian echoes reach icy shores; the Jon Hassell hyper-ambience of ‘Cuttlefish REM Phase’; the post-apocalyptic march of ‘The Drowned World, a jazz standard for an artificial civilization on the brink of self-destruction. Nothing feels out of place and it’s no coincidence that one of the most powerful messages on the record is delivered on centerpiece ‘Are We Dinos?’ via an interview conducted with two preschoolers. Radical optimism or sonic liberation?

Laura Agnusdei’s tenor sax cuts deep all across “Flowers Are Blooming In Antarctica”, a laser baton raised up to the clouds, a conductor orchestrating devotional soundscapes for a three-eyed dolphin, guiding us through prismatic pastures and acidic oceans. Her tropicalized realm is pin-pointed with Miles-like sheer clarity, a bristling nakedness on the verge of exploding at any time, creating an album where ascension becomes the unifying code.

Die mehrfach mit Platin und Grammys ausgezeichnete Künstlerin Lainey Wilson liefert mit Whirlwind einen
gewagt ehrlichen Einblick in das Leben und die Reise der Sängerin durch Nashville.

Das von Jay Joyce produzierte Album mit 14 Titeln folgt auf Wilsons sieben Auszeichnungen der Country Music Association
(CMA), darunter „Entertainer des Jahres“, sechs Auszeichnungen der Academy of Country Music (ACM)
und einen Grammy für das „Beste Country-Album“.

No stranger to the Spatial family following the release of his excellent Age of Awareness EP back in 2023, Eusebeia brings his eclectic breakbeat driven vibes to sister label
Curvature for an EP spanning a variety of energies with a free-spirited approach to drum patterns and atmosphere you wont want to miss.

A1 Set In Motion
Shimmering melodic keys and light hi hats quietly introduce Set In Motion, as Eusebeia takes a laid back opening approach to his Curvature debut. Clean, wandering breaks enter the mix and develop continually, as a subtly used, luscious female vocal greets the listener with a curiously soothing vibe. Following the breakdown, a deep, pounding bassline punctuates skillful synthwork riddled with intrigue and atmosphere to round off
a unique, eclectic track.

A2 In Perpetuum
Stepping things up with a doggedly breakbeat focus, In Perpetuum is an energetic piece with an opening backdrop akin to an aging printer being coaxed back to life,
before an echoed vocal welcomes hyperactive, rasping breaks, edited and chopped with the scintillating talent we have come to expect from Eusebeia. The latter half of the
track changes up the vibe slightly with inquisitive padwork gliding above the omnipresent edits.

B1 Flow State
Subtle cowbell style cymbals and gentle melodies introduce Flow State, before an inimitable duality of old school atmospheric breaks pass the baton repeatedly through the track in typically impactful style from Eusebeia. The melodies and an understated bassline wrapped around kickdrums continues through the various phrases before the beats depart, leaving the listener to reflect on a truly captivating track just as the title
suggests.

B2 The Cure For What Ails You Reverberating percussion and classic whale sounds instantly grasp your attention
before ominous 808 bass ushers in a thunderous helping of pure amen pleasure sent straight from the old school - edited and programmed to perfection by Eusebeia with a
finesse seldom seen in modern production. Dense kickdrums vibe perfectly with the highs and mids of a track destined to headline many an atmospheric junglists set.

Katie Gavin's debut What A Relief taps into the unguarded self-possession and homespun pop sensibility of singers like Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple and Ani DiFranco, and uses their tenacity as a north star for Gavin's own trek towards self-discovery. "This record spans a lot of my life - it's about having a really deep desire for connection, but also encountering all the obstacles that stood in my way to be able to achieve that, patterns of isolation or even boredom with the real work of love" they say. Written over the course of seven years, What A Relief comprises a set of songs that Gavin always loved but which "had something in them" that she and her bandmates felt didn't quite fit within the universe they were trying to cultivate with MUNA. Many of them were written on acoustic guitar, and are rooted in "a style of music that's very much in my blood, and natural for me," as typified by the Women & Songs CDs that Gavin loves, which compiled music by artists like Tracy Chapman, Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan. That openness of spirit is the overwhelming character of What A Relief, an album that's refreshing in its willingness to accept people as they come, even as it remains in dogged pursuit of a life that's kinder, wiser and more loving. Gavin's explorations of desire and intimacy feel time-worn and necessary - songs that might teach a generation if not how to live, exactly, then at least how to look within oneself for guidance about how to move forward.

Katie Gavin's debut What A Relief taps into the unguarded self-possession and homespun pop sensibility of singers like Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple and Ani DiFranco, and uses their tenacity as a north star for Gavin's own trek towards self-discovery. "This record spans a lot of my life - it's about having a really deep desire for connection, but also encountering all the obstacles that stood in my way to be able to achieve that, patterns of isolation or even boredom with the real work of love" they say. Written over the course of seven years, What A Relief comprises a set of songs that Gavin always loved but which "had something in them" that she and her bandmates felt didn't quite fit within the universe they were trying to cultivate with MUNA. Many of them were written on acoustic guitar, and are rooted in "a style of music that's very much in my blood, and natural for me," as typified by the Women & Songs CDs that Gavin loves, which compiled music by artists like Tracy Chapman, Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan. That openness of spirit is the overwhelming character of What A Relief, an album that's refreshing in its willingness to accept people as they come, even as it remains in dogged pursuit of a life that's kinder, wiser and more loving. Gavin's explorations of desire and intimacy feel time-worn and necessary - songs that might teach a generation if not how to live, exactly, then at least how to look within oneself for guidance about how to move forward.

Grande Coisa! (Big Deal!). You could hear it. It is the eternal irony of life. For a composer who has been making music since he was a teenager and only at the age of 38 does he make his work public, it can indeed be a big deal. Grande Coisa, is Dorea's first authorial album, and tells his stories, the ones he lived, others he heard about, but mainly the ones he created. With all the songs composed during the most isolated period in the pandemic, the work can be dense in many moments, difficult to digest, but there are sighs. And there are stories that intersect, like those of the boys who are one and also millions, and show the artist's vision of Brazil. The disappeared, forgotten, the sad and aimless still appear. And there is the warmth of the song for a loved one or even a family partnership, between mother and son. Grande Coisa has ten songs, all written by the artist himself, one of them with lyrics adapted from an excerpt from a book written by his mother. Its musical roots are rooted in rock, but with a blatantly Brazilian gaze and interpretation. It has musical production and minimalist paths chosen by Sebastian Notini, collaborative arrangements forged in the encounter of Dorea's guitar with Seba's percussive and melodic vein and Carla Suzart's bass, and a wood weave that ends the album with the timbres of Joana Queiroz (bass clarinet and clarinet) and Leandro Tigrão (flute) under the baton of maestro Per Ekdahl.

Warehouse Find!

Red D is back for a follow up to his brilliant Chez EP which dropped last year and this time he's going for the jugular! The man responsible for
some of the finest house music of the last decade as FCL (with San Soda) and FCL vs VFB (with Motor City Drum Ensemble) knows a thing or two about
what makes the dancefloor lose its s**t, with tracks such as Let's Go Seven, It's You and Can We Try all testament to this.
When he's not DJing at the likes of Panorama Bar or hosting his own stage at Tomorrowland, Red D can be found running his own mighty fine We Play House label from his Ghent HQ.
Moan The Mania opens this release in suitably back to the raw fashion! A minimal drum machine groove and clipped bassline lay the foundations of this tribute to all things jacking with a sprinkling of porno groans to help you on your way. This is sleazy machine funk at it's very best. Next up we have a remix from Eli Escobar, the native New Yorker who has recently been making major waves following the release of his LP Happiness on Classic.
As someone who has remixed the likes of Lana Del Rey, Kim Ann Foxman, Honey Dijon and Holy Ghost we knew he'd be the man to take Red D's baton and run with it.
Keeping the overall vibe of the original intact
Eli cranks the energy further with additional in your face percussion parts and a couple of perfectly placed build ups. Flipping over we have Chase The Cat which takes a similarly stripped-back and minimal approach as Moan The Mania but goes heavier on the 707 beats. Finally we have Dusk Or Dawn closing the release with a deeper mood.
Simple FM synth stabs and glassy chimes provide a tender and naive-sounding counterpoint to the basic beats.
Red D proving once again that limiting your tools and not over-complicating things can often have so much more impact when it comes to house music.

BRUME (ausgesprochen wie das englische Wort "Broom") sind der lebende Beweis dafür, dass es auch in Kalifornien nicht nur Sonnenschein und Easy-Living gibt. Das aus San Francisco stammende Quartett verschmilzt Doom Metal, Gothic und Indie Rock zu einer oft monolithischen, aber ebenso auch zerbrechlich wirkenden Mischung aus harter Schwere, die von der dunklen Seite der Musik kommt. Nach einem Jahrzehnt verlockender Sounds und Gänsehaut-Crescendi treiben BRUME die Klangexperimente und spannenden Genre-Umdeutungen auf ihrem dritten Album "Marten" einen großen Schritt weiter voran. Die Erweiterung zum Vierer mit Jackie Perez Gratz an Cello und Gesang eröffnet den Kaliforniern einen Kosmos neuer Möglichkeiten, den sie zielstrebig erkunden. Durch das Verweben von aufsteigenden Melodien mit melancholischem Doom Pop entstehen Songs, die gleichermaßen intim und eindringlich, wie auch massiv und kraftvoll sind. BRUME gründeten sich im Jahr 2014 ursprünglich als Trio. Gitarrist Jamie McCathie aus Bristol, England kam musikalisch mit der Bassistin und Sängerin Susie McMullan aus Baton Rouge, Louisiana zusammen, nachdem die Beiden ihre gemeinsame Leidenschaft für Trip-Hop und Sludge entdeckt hatten. Die Besetzung wurde bald darauf von Jordan Perkins-Lewis am Schlagzeug vervollständigt, der mit seinem reichhaltigen und experimentellen Schlagzeugstil den Grundstein für die Studioaufnahmen der frisch gegründeten Band legte. Mit ihren Doom Metal Alben "Rooster" (2017) und "Rabbits" (2019) nahm das Trio schnell Fahrt auf, wobei ersteres von The Ripple Effect zum "Album des Jahres" gekürt wurde und letzteres den ersten Platz auf der "Best of 2019"-Liste von Wonderbox Metal einnahm. BRUME hinterließen auch auf der Bühne ihre Spuren und traten unter anderem sowohl beim Desertfest 2017 in London als auch im Jahr 2019 beim Desertfest New York und SXSW auf. Mit "Marten" machen BRUME einen mutigen Schritt in Richtung ihrer musikalischen Zukunft, indem sie zuerst sich selbst und nun auch ihre Zuhörer herausfordern, sich von vertrauten Sounds zu anspruchsvolleren, weniger vertrauten Klangräumen zu bewegen.

BRUME (ausgesprochen wie das englische Wort "Broom") sind der lebende Beweis dafür, dass es auch in Kalifornien nicht nur Sonnenschein und Easy-Living gibt. Das aus San Francisco stammende Quartett verschmilzt Doom Metal, Gothic und Indie Rock zu einer oft monolithischen, aber ebenso auch zerbrechlich wirkenden Mischung aus harter Schwere, die von der dunklen Seite der Musik kommt. Nach einem Jahrzehnt verlockender Sounds und Gänsehaut-Crescendi treiben BRUME die Klangexperimente und spannenden Genre-Umdeutungen auf ihrem dritten Album "Marten" einen großen Schritt weiter voran. Die Erweiterung zum Vierer mit Jackie Perez Gratz an Cello und Gesang eröffnet den Kaliforniern einen Kosmos neuer Möglichkeiten, den sie zielstrebig erkunden. Durch das Verweben von aufsteigenden Melodien mit melancholischem Doom Pop entstehen Songs, die gleichermaßen intim und eindringlich, wie auch massiv und kraftvoll sind. BRUME gründeten sich im Jahr 2014 ursprünglich als Trio. Gitarrist Jamie McCathie aus Bristol, England kam musikalisch mit der Bassistin und Sängerin Susie McMullan aus Baton Rouge, Louisiana zusammen, nachdem die Beiden ihre gemeinsame Leidenschaft für Trip-Hop und Sludge entdeckt hatten. Die Besetzung wurde bald darauf von Jordan Perkins-Lewis am Schlagzeug vervollständigt, der mit seinem reichhaltigen und experimentellen Schlagzeugstil den Grundstein für die Studioaufnahmen der frisch gegründeten Band legte. Mit ihren Doom Metal Alben "Rooster" (2017) und "Rabbits" (2019) nahm das Trio schnell Fahrt auf, wobei ersteres von The Ripple Effect zum "Album des Jahres" gekürt wurde und letzteres den ersten Platz auf der "Best of 2019"-Liste von Wonderbox Metal einnahm. BRUME hinterließen auch auf der Bühne ihre Spuren und traten unter anderem sowohl beim Desertfest 2017 in London als auch im Jahr 2019 beim Desertfest New York und SXSW auf. Mit "Marten" machen BRUME einen mutigen Schritt in Richtung ihrer musikalischen Zukunft, indem sie zuerst sich selbst und nun auch ihre Zuhörer herausfordern, sich von vertrauten Sounds zu anspruchsvolleren, weniger vertrauten Klangräumen zu bewegen.

Drummer Kendrick Scott and bassist Alexander Claffy join rising-star Danish pianist RasmusSorensen for the release of a special trio project - BalancingAct- recorded in true jazz spirit in the heart of New York City. Timeless repertoire and intricate originals combine in a piano trio session which captures thetradition of years gone by: three players meeting in a studio to produce music which somehow sounds as if they spent a lifetime together. Sorensenrelocated to New York City in 2018 to pursue his studies at the Manhattan School ofMusic on a full-tuition scholarship and within five years had proved himself as a compellingcreative force, playing alongside some of the scene"s most reputable musicians and performing his original compositions in some of the world"s mostrevered jazz clubs. In line with New York"s fast paced spirit, the session with Claffy and Scott was set up, planned and recorded within a matter of days, with the musicians meeting on the day and spending just three hours together in the studio. It"s something of a rite of passage for pianists to showcase their treatment of classic jazz repertoire;Sorensen choses a selection of Great American Songbook classics and a lesser-knownColtrane number for this, his sophomore album. Alongside a handful of originals, the recording with two veteransof New York"s prestigious scene is a masterclass in energetic, spontaneous, playful and exciting piano trio playing. Effortless groove, rich contemporaryharmony, virtuosic improvisations, dextrous rhythmiccomplexity and intricate arrangements make for an adventurous and thrilling listen; the first meeting of three fearless and experienced masters of their craft. Jazz is no stranger to the concept of passing the baton from one generation to the next, not through loud exclamations and accolades, but by who the greats choose to work with. With Balancing Act, Sorensenhas not only produced a beautiful trio album, but staked his claim - with the help of Scott and Claffy - as one of the ones-to-watch from the new generation of pianists.

FOLLOWING THEIR RECENT REUNION, THE DELGADOS REISSUE THEIR FOURTH STUDIO ALBUM HATE ON COLOURED VINYL AND CD TO MARK ITS 21st ANNIVERSARY

Ushering in a new era of emotionally vulnerable and cinematic songwriting for celebrated Glasgow group The Delgados, 2002’s Hate is the group’s most ambitious recorded statement to date. Recorded amidst a backdrop of personal change and international crisis, Hate’s internal alchemy transmogrifies darkness into light. It’s an enclosed universe full of tragedy and magic, a swirling galaxy of lush orchestration, misanthropy dealt with kindness and black humour. Above all it showed a band coming to terms with their fragility with a new power and grace.

In Hate, the band’s ambition saw them striving to reflect the breadth of human experience, both the joy and tragedy of living in tumultuous times. Initially commissioned by The Barbican in London to compose music for a film about artist Joe Coleman, the instrumental music that instigated Hate was laden with darkness from the outset. The Delgados’ worldview has always been informed by nuance, an oblique but incisive lyrical perspective but on Hate a new rawness is woven throughout the songs. Coleman’s original subject matter - portraits of troubled historical figures like Ed Gein, Mary Bell and Jayne Mansfield - influenced the tonality of the music but the songs were written against a backdrop of international tumult and personal life changes for the band members. Beginning writing sessions following a family bereavement in drummer Paul Savage’s family, Hate was then recorded while both Alun Woodward and co-singer/guitarist Emma Pollock were expecting new additions to their young families, the latter with drummer Paul Savage. In the background to the recording process were the attacks on the World Trade Center of September 2001 and their aftermath. In this context, it’s remarkable that an album was made at all, let alone one so grand and compassionate. It’s a masterclass in restraint and imagination.

Hate sounds like the world in all its ugly glory. Recorded in Glasgow and New York with Tony Doogan, Dave Fridmann and the band as producers and using over 20 additional musicians, Hate grabs the baton from the group’s breakthrough critical and commercial success The Great Eastern. Bolder, broader and more all-encompassing than anything the band had previously attempted, the album’s palette is furnished by a string section, brass and reed instrumentation, a choir and electronic elements augmenting the core group of Emma Pollock, Alun Woodward, Paul Savage and Stewart Henderson. Far from being over the top, the group’s skill is in attention to detail, in honing and refining each arrangement, allowing each element its space.

It’s a fine balancing act that pays massive dividends. Woodward’s new lyrical vulnerability is spotlighted on tracks like The Drowning Years, which throws elegiac string arrangements against the narrative of characters living in darkness, punctuated by couplets that bring a real-life documentary feel to the narrative. All Rise brings a black comedy to the idea of a confessional before a transcendent, choir-led refrain brings ecstatic resolution to Woodward’s vocal in its highest register. On the single All You Need Is Hate, Woodward’s trick of subverting the Beatles standard showcases the dark humour at the centre of Hate. Here The Delgados’ perversity is in full flow, nurturing a glowing light from darkness, the resolving melody and Fridmann production recalling contemporaries The Flaming Lips (whose Michael Ivins assisted in mixing) or Mercury Rev. The perversity is the surging serotonin induced by the group while singing the lines “Hate is everywhere, inside your mother’s heart and you will find it there. You ask me what you need? Hate is all you need.”

It’s a dark magic that pervades Hate, indeed it’s almost the driving force throughout the album. Flipping minor to major and back again, Favours is fuelled by fear and violence before blasting into the heavens with the gauche line “and you’re feeling fine,” operating in stark contrast to the verses’ tone. Album opener The Light Before We Land finds Emma Pollock in the aftermath of recent family trauma. Her vocal is effortless; a study in steady restraint against the massive, Fridmann-patented drum sound powering Savage’s playing and Henderson’s instantly recognisable melodic basslines. Coming In from the Cold is Pollock in full flight, lifted to the heavens by wide-screen, instrumental texture. Her presence on Hate highlights her knack for lyrical impressionism, the timbre of her voice lending itself to drama while always retaining a mystique. Never Look At The Sun, inspired by the Coleman painting The Big Bang Theory (itself an explosives-themed study), revels in paranoia, her performance ringing out in the eye of the storm conjured by the swirling arrangements. It reaches the peak of a redemptive arc while seemingly parodying the very idea of redemption.

Hate was the sound of The Delgados completely fulfilling their potential, a fully realised vision buoyed by the weight of coming through a darkness into light. For its 21st anniversary, the album is being reissued on the band’s own Chemikal Underground on coloured vinyl and CD. Hate is all you need

From small beginnings in 1974 as a local cinema and university event, Film Fest Gent has grown yearly in stature and is now recognised as one of the major destinations for the film industry. A vital component is the celebration of film music in the shape of the World Soundtrack Awards which honours the very best composers at work in the world of cinema. In 2016 the award went to one of the most brilliant composers of his generation, Ryuichi Sakamoto. This is the first overview of his remarkable catalogue of film scores, fully approved by the composer and performed by the masterful Brussels Philharmonic under the baton of Dirk Brossé. Sakamoto was already a celebrated pioneer in electronic music and composer/pianist/singer in Japan when director Nagisa Oshima asked him to write the score for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence in 1983 and also to star alongside David Bowie. In a 30 year plus career since then he has worked with the cream of film directors including Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor), Brian De Palma (Snake Eyes), Pedro Almodovar (High Heels) and most recently Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (The Revenant). This compilation is a fitting tribute to his status as one of the greatest living musicians and film composers.

Finland's DJ Lifegoals, Forehard and Larry Neverheard debut on Cold Blow with a braindance-flavoured split four-tracker, aptly titled Braindancing. Arguably one of the most interesting, yet humblest, labels out there, Cold Blow is at it again with a candidate for a release of the year!

The two tracks from Helsinki's clubland stalwart, DJ Lifegoals, take the baton from Braindance's golden era and make it his own while paying homage to the tradition. Distorted, yet emotional, catchy yet challenging. On the flipside Inceptum founder Forehard (aka Ruusuvuori) partners up with the enigmatic Larry Neverheard for a mystifying, intricate, but (brain)dancefloor-ready double bill. Use your brain, don't sleep!

First ever commercial releases of New Orleans’ legend Alvin Batiste’s Spiritual Jazz albums created with the college band he instructed and led in Baton Rouge - Goes To Africa With Love and Live at The 1971 American College Jazz Festival Originally given away as souvenirs at Southern University, these albums contains deep Batiste originals and, on Live, are paired with excellent John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard covers. They are some of the most sought after albums of Americas 70s jazz underground. Each album contains extensive booklet detailing Batiste’s life and his time spent honing and recording this remarkable band of young students. That one of the great Spiritual Jazz albums of the era could be found in duplicate New Orleans thrift store in the 1980s goes a long way in illustrating the lack of acclaim this special and overlooked album maintained, even in a city where the Batiste name is musical royalty. The Southern University albums Alvin Batiste offered the world were novelies, not worthy of serious consideration, a moment captured, but not necessarily worthy of being collected or preserved by anyone not immediately involved in its creation. That changes now. With the release of the two Southern University albums, Now-Again continues a conversation begun with the late Kashmere Stage Band director Conrad O. Johnson and the issue of his high school students’ music as Texas Thunder Soul, and the continued belief that beautiful music created by youth - even under the most adverse circumstances - can always inspire us.

First ever commercial releases of New Orleans’ legend Alvin Batiste’s Spiritual Jazz albums created with the college band he instructed and led in Baton Rouge - Goes To Africa With Love and Live at The 1971 American College Jazz Festival Originally given away as souvenirs at Southern University, these albums contains deep Batiste originals and are some of the most sought after albums of Americas 70s jazz underground.

Each album contains extensive booklet detailing Batiste’s life and his time spent honing and recording this remarkable band of young students. Goes To Africa With Love was mixed from the original multi-track tapes and is now presented as a 2xLP with never-before-released instrumentals.

That one of the great Spiritual Jazz albums of the era could be found in duplicate New Orleans thrift store in the 1980s goes a long way in illustrating the lack of acclaim this special and overlooked album maintained, even in a city where the Batiste name is musical royalty. The Southern University albums Alvin Batiste offered the world were novelies, not worthy of serious consideration, a moment captured, but not necessarily worthy of being collected or preserved by anyone not immediately involved in its creation. That changes now.

With the release of the two Southern University albums, Now-Again continues a conversation begun with the late Kashmere Stage Band director Conrad O. Johnson and the issue of his high school students’ music as Texas Thunder Soul, and the continued belief that beautiful music created by youth - even under the most adverse circumstances - can always inspire us.

From small beginnings in 1974 as a local cinema and university event, Film Fest Gent has grown yearly in stature and is now recognised as one of the major destinations for the film industry. A vital component is the celebration of film music in the shape of the World Soundtrack Awards which honours the very best composers at work in the world of cinema. In 2016 the award went to one of the most brilliant composers of his generation, Ryuichi Sakamoto. This is the first overview of his remarkable catalogue of film scores, fully approved by the composer and performed by the masterful Brussels Philharmonic under the baton of Dirk Brossé. Sakamoto was already a celebrated pioneer in electronic music and composer/pianist/singer in Japan when director Nagisa Oshima asked him to write the score for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence in 1983 and also to star alongside David Bowie. In a 30 year plus career since then he has worked with the cream of film directors including Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor), Brian De Palma (Snake Eyes), Pedro Almodovar (High Heels) and most recently Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (The Revenant). This compilation is a fitting tribute to his status as one of the greatest living musicians and film composers.

"prog stalwarts deliver the goods" KKKK Kerrang!
"an album of Muse-like, slow burning guitar anthems" Rock Sound
"TPT take the baton of Pink Floyd & run with it, with the same dream- like atmosphere on the cusp of a nightmare." TERRORIZER
"the sound of a band reaching the height of their powers" Classic Rock "a high- class, mature, up to date & consistently melancholic album in between Porcupine Tree & Muse...warm, popular, contrived" Metal Hammer (DE).

The Pineapple Thief are one of the leading lights of Europe's experimental rock domain, led by post-progressive mastermind Bruce Soord, the band have built an incredibly loyal fanbase over the past 23- years through extensive touring & consistently lauded recordings. Founder Bruce Soord started The Pineapple Thief as an outlet for his music back in 1999 & has since released over 15 studio albums.

'All The Wars' saw frontman Bruce Soord mature as a songwriter & grow in confidence, allowing him the use of a 22- piece string section & a choir. Soord explains, "no expense has been spared regarding the production of this record but at its heart it's still a rock record. It's very heavy in parts & very delicate & beautiful in others." Following Storm Thorgerson's cover for 'Someone Here Is Missing', the
artwork for this album features images created by the award- winning
photographer Mark Mawson as part of his 'Aqueous' series, which was projected onto Buckingham Palace as the background to Paul McCartney's performance of 'Magical Mystery Tour' during the diamond jubilee celebrations.

Kscope are now proud to present a newly remastered LP edition of 'All The Wars'

An impossibly rare double sider from the JB's Records vaults gets a much called for official reissue. Cynthia Sheeler - I'll Cry Over is one of the rarest and greatest Southern Soul classics out there, always held back due to the scarcity of its original 1975 release. The last copy sold on Discogs five years ago for £400 and it’s easy to tell why. A luscious slice of Baton Rouge crossover soul that will sweep you up and whisk you away in it’s blissful grasp. An absolutely essential 7 inch for any collection. Black label version original black sleeve.

During the summer youth program of 1970 and '71 at St Paul's Catholic church a young Tunnie Smith was singled out by Father George Artist for his outstanding singing abilities. He was soon introduced to Joe Delpit and Reginal Brown to sing along with their show and dance band "The 13Th Amendments. It didn't take long before Tunnie was a full member of the band and became a featured singer performing throughout Louisiana. After a year and a half of performing at nightclubs, military bases and universities Tunnie landed a record deal with Rick Hall's Fame/UA record label. His first single from 1973 was a wonderful mid-tempo number entitled "Finders Aren't Always Keepers" flipped with "Do That To Me"It gained National distribution and had some good success. Tunnie left Fame records and was introduced to Stax record executives Al Bell and John Smith. After signing with Stax, Tunnie met legendary writer and performer David Porter where they recorded an album which was scheduled for release around 73/74.Unfortunately Staxs association with CBS came to a halt and the project got shelved. From those session arose the wonderful "U And Me Together", leading on from the well produced "Finders Keepers" cut the song builds up with an epic 1:30 string and drum arrangement that really sets the picture for Tunnie to arrive with vocals way above his young age would suggest. A story of a boy and girl determined to make it and be the great combination that their love affair deserves. We can’t believe a gem like this has been waiting to come out and should have catapulted Tunnie to the next level or artist rosters. Alas, Tunnie went home and carried on performing around the Louisiana area with his new band Sweet Music Orchestra Fast forward to 1983 Tunnie whilst recording some vocals at River City Recording met Chicago producer and arranger George "Paco" Patterson. George was musical director and had worked with The Isley Brothers Wilson Pickett and many other well known artists. During this period Tunnie along with George formed a great partnership and along with some top session musicians record some incredibly lush, well produced and atmospheric songs The A Side "Join Together " is from the same session as "Dancing On Da Clouds" and could have easily be picked for his first single on Pass The Baton records. It oozes the same heavy production with opening piano cords and layered scatting then bosh, in comes the drums and Vox taking you on a mesmerising space like 2 step extravaganza. So, there you have it, once again two amazing slices of soul on one single from Tunnie Smith. Let’s hope this artist finally reaches his potential from that young man who started recording in 1973.

From small beginnings in 1974 as a local cinema and university event, Film Fest Gent has grown yearly in stature and is now recognised as one of the major destinations for the film industry. A vital component is the celebration of film music in the shape of the World Soundtrack Awards which honours the very best composers at work in the world of cinema. In 2016 the award went to one of the most brilliant composers of his generation, Ryuichi Sakamoto. This is the first overview of his remarkable catalogue of film scores, fully approved by the composer and performed by the masterful Brussels Philharmonic under the baton of Dirk Brossé. Sakamoto was already a celebrated pioneer in electronic music and composer/pianist/singer in Japan when director Nagisa Oshima asked him to write the score for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence in 1983 and also to star alongside David Bowie. In a 30 year plus career since then he has worked with the cream of film directors including Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor), Brian De Palma (Snake Eyes), Pedro Almodovar (High Heels) and most recently Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (The Revenant). This compilation is a fitting tribute to his status as one of the greatest living musicians and film composers.

marbled vinyl in 3 different colours

Four years on from the release of Astral Projection, ASC's last LP for Horo, a re-listen reveals a body of work that still sounds prescient and current, mapping out a simmering landscape that stood proudly on it's own in the crowded world of electronica.

Hiding in Plain Sight takes the musical baton left by Astral Projection and expands the environment. The two opening tracks (No Mask, A Whisper In Your Ghost) are sumptuous palette cleansers that paint the walls with bliss. As we continue on, mesmerising waves of melancholy wash over Grey Area themed constructions, sometimes jagged (No Mask, Dying Star, Centrifuge, Galaxies), other times propulsive (Dreadnought, Surface Encounters). Pensive, frozen constructions that come off as soundtracks to movies only James has seen pepper the LP (Overscan, Dying Star, Mirrored Sequence) while the centrepiece of the LP soars unbound over stuttered, sculpted breaks (Orbiting Neptune).

ASC's great gift is his ability to create worlds of music that are densely layered and complex and yet project a sense of perfect effortlessness while they assimilate into your psyche.

Hiding In Plain Sight is not so much a journey, as a destination. A rich, full bodied alien planet intricately designed to envelop your senses.

»Love As Projection« is the new album by Frankie Rose, her fifth studio LP and second for Night School following the reissue of her interpretation of The Cure’s »Seventeen Seconds«. Frankie Rose has forged an enviable musical legacy, from playing with bands like Crystal Stilts and The Vivian Girls but on »Love As Projection« she takes a bold step into electronic pop production. A sumptuous recorded statement, it dances in ecstasy and broods on the tumult of the western world’s decay in equal proportion. At the heart of the album is glowing, confident songwriting, resplendent in hooks and choruses but still touched with an optimism undimmed.

After spending nearly two decades establishing herself across New York and Los Angeles independent music circles, Rose re-emerges after six years with a fresh form, aesthetic, and ethos. Celebrated over the years for her expansive approach to songwriting, lush atmospherics, and transcendent vocal melodies and harmonies, »Love As Projection« is a reintroduction of her established style through the lens of contemporary electronic pop. Recorded with producer Brandt Gassman and mixed with long-term collaborator Jorge Elbrecht this is the album Frankie Rose has been building up to her entire career.

More than a rebirth, a refinement, a resurgence, »Love As Projection« boasts a widescreen scope: a long- form project heavily considered for half of a decade, culminating in the most personal and accessible collection of art-pop that Frankie has ever written. When Rose aims for the pop jugular as in first lead track »Anything«, the result is unstoppable. A majestic pop song built for radio, it erupts into an irresistible chorus that marries classic epic 80s American pop with the cult effervescence of Strawberry Switchblade »It’s like a prom scene in a John Hughes movie. It’s a hopeful song about abandoning fear even if the world is quite literally on fire.. In the end, at least we have each other,« says Rose. »Sixteen Ways« further boasts a propulsive, massive chorus, though tempered by a cynicism built in global post-truth, global malaise. »It’s about getting your hopes up, but simultaneously making lists in your head about how it will never work out in your favour.«

The big anthems don’t let up there. On »DOA« some massive, rolling drums lathered in big mid-80s gated reverb dovetail with a syncopated baseline for the ages as Rose’s vocal sails effortlessly above. The effect isn’t unlike ethereal vocalists Clannad circa Howard’s Way or Enya jamming with Simple Minds in their stadium-conquering heyday. Rose tempers the adrenalin with heart-tugging bittersweet tones and there are plenty of them. »Sleeping Night And Day« takes its time with an off-the-cuff chorus, swirling around in harmony and chorus-bass. »Saltwater Girl« picks up the balladeering baton with another nod to album track-mode Switchblade, deep space opening up in the mid-tempo drum track and soupy, digital atmospherics. Album closer »Song For A Horse«, reimagines modern Pop production a-la-PC Music but shorn of the meta-atmosphere. Pianos, swelling synths, minor keys cut through with major. These moments, also seen in Feel Light offer ballast to the soaring pop choruses. Moments like these are big oceans of emotion to fall into before being led out by Rose into a bright new day.

»Love As Projection« is released in the USA by Slumberland.

BBE Music announces the first-ever re-issue of this sun baked folk/jazz hybrid 45 by Louisiana brothers Will & James Ragar. First released in 1981, this private press 7" showcases Will & James' songwriting skills, refined performance and sophisticated compositions. Remastered by Frank Merritt the re-issue has an analogue warmth that the brothers say sounds even more pleasing than the original. Will & James Ragar began as the Will James Band performing on the popular 'Crawfish Circuit' of Southern Louisiana - this circuit included New Orleans, Thibodaux and Baton Rouge. They played blues, rock and jazz combos, covering everything from James Taylor to Jimi Hendrix. Eventually evolving into an acoustic folk-rock duo by the time they entered the studio in 1980. Both tracks on the 45 were recorded at River City studios in Baton Rouge in 1980. The engineer had the Allman Brothers on his list of recording credits, so they felt they were in excellent company. "Bayou Paradise" was an ode to the beauty of Southern Louisiana. The famous Sunshine bridge over wetlands as the sounds of migrating geese echo overhead on their journey down the Mississippi River flyway. The Atchafalaya river basin flows into the Gulf of Mexico near Lafayette creating a large wetland area and lush lakes connected by endless bayous. Miles and miles of lush swamps with many uninhabited areas just waiting to be explored. "Forever" captures the exhilaration of new love, focusing on its intoxication and ecstasy without looking ahead to the reality of a life on the road. The soulful chorus inspires motion and enthusiasm. The shadow of Woodstock had a defining role against tradition. Things were changing socially. Loving someone forever was always part of the dream but seemingly broken in an age of break-ups and divorce. The optimistic hope that "love will survive" was half dream and half pessimistic glance forward at the social trends of relationships that were to follow. The studio band included Will & James. John Smart on keyboards, he's solo on "Forever" was achieved with the Legendary Analog Prophet synth and saturated the studio with rich layers of its distinctive sound, driving the up-tempo chorus. Dave D'Aubin, a versatile bass player whose resonant tone is very present on both songs. Tommy Jefferson is on drums, an alumnus of the Southern University jazz program, the same place Randy Jackson and Billy Cobham studied. Tommy used a tight higher pitch snare drum on the recording, a sound that would soon become very popular, but at that time was a little ahead of the curve. The session was recorded on analogue tape using the 24-track MCI recorder and mixed down to analogue tape for the single. Will & James added vocal harmonies and soaked up the fidelity during mix-down. The release coincides with the long-awaited re-issue of the brothers' album 'Will & James Ragar One'. This much sort after private press long-player was originally released in 1980 and sold locally in a limited run has now been fully remastered by Frank Merritt. BBE Music presents the album in a glorious gatefold with extensive sleeve notes. This time the vinyl will be pressed over 2 discs to produce the best sound possible.

Ayahuasca: Music for Film, by Luis David Aguilar (1978-1983) compiles works by Luis David Aguilar, one of the most prolific composers of film scores in Peru. It shows the great versatility and avant-garde style that has distinguished his work. Luis David Aguilar (Arequipa, 1950) occupies a fundamental place in the history of film music in Peru, not only because of the prolific nature of his work (which also includes music for television and advertising), but because of the singular, experimental style found in many of his scores. Aguilar's music blends modern academic composition with the use of native instruments, synthesizers, sound collages and a diversity of resources, which identify him as a key figure to understand a period of Peruvian music marked by the imprint of the avant-garde and the use of native sounds, which developed during the late 70's and the early 80's. Aguilar belongs to the so called "Generation of the 70's", along with Peruvian composers such as Walter Casas, Seiji Asato and Aurelio Tello, who were then immersed in the languages of contemporary classical music. But he also shares the spirit of renewal of a generation of musicians who came from the world of jazz and electronic experimentation such as Manongo Mujica and Arturo Ruiz del Pozo. Ayahuasca is an album that collects pieces from 1978 to 1983 and offers an overview of the different musical paths that Aguilar followed during his career as a soundtrack composer. The album opens with music from the film El viento del ayahuasca The Wind of Ayahuasca (1983), by director Nora de Izcue, performed by the National Symphony Orchestra and Choir of Cuba under the baton of Luis David Aguilar, with Chucho Valdés on piano. Recorded at the ICAIC studios (Cuba), it is an ambitious orchestral and vocal composition, in which you can hear the beginning of the famous melody of "Mujer Hilandera" [Female Weaver], popularized by the Amazonian cumbia group Juaneco y su Combo, which serves as an introduction to the sound world of the jungle, a dense and hypnotic atmosphere that, without a doubt, places this work as one of the most important compositions of the author's repertoire. The next track is the music for the documentary Anónimo cotidiano [Anonymous Everyday] (1979), by director Jorge Rey, a unique experimental piece for synthesizers (played by Aguilar), drums and percussion (played by Manongo Mujica), with the addition of various Andean instruments (panpipes, charango, among others). It is a clear example of fusion of sound experimentation and timbres from the Andean world. And finally Los constructores [The Builders] (1978), by director José Carlos Huayhuaca, a salsa which incorporates unusual sounds of tubular bells and prepared pianos. Ayahuasca: Music for Film by Luis David Aguilar (1978-1983) is the second album by Aguilar released by Buh Records, following the celebrated Hombres de Viento/Venas de la Tierra (1978-1982), appeared in 2015. The album is published in vinyl format, in a limited edition of 300 copies, as part of the Essentials Sounds collection. It includes a booklet with notes by Luis David Aguilar. The audio has been remastered from the original reel tapes by Aldo Montalvo. The artwork and design is by About Studio.

If you've been in the club scene for many years like David Dorad, you will one day face the big, essential, serious questions that each of us will ask ourselves sooner or later:

Are marmots pack animals?
Can marmots sign language?
Do marmots plan their lives according to European or Chinese zodiac signs?
Do marmots need a special passport, after all they don't have a thumb to turn the pages?
What happens when a marmot eats Coke and Mentos at the same time?

And with all those questions whistling, hissing and muttering in his head, David grabbed piano, baton and BioBassline to crochet his new EP.
This is called "Marble" and offers 6 different approaches to solve these big questions.
As a source of ideas, he has competent partners at his side in Roman Flügel, Mira, Christopher Schwarzwälder, Canson and Sascha Cawa.


A1 -
Murmeli - original
The marmot tribe awakens. Get up to brush your teeth. Gets your toes tapping. Makes you snap your fingers. Dare to roll your hips. Later rhythmically to turn. To look elegant at the same time. Eyes closed - eyes open.
Murmeli, the regular leader, sits at the piano.
Everyone is dancing, toothpaste in the corners of their mouths and a smile that takes the toothpaste by the hand.
A normal morning in marmot houses.

B1 -
Murmeli - Mira & Christoph Schwarzwald RMX
Mira and Christoph Schwarzwalder take over from Murmeli. They vary, combine and subtract. The first marmots raise their thumbless fists in the air - showing their passports, ready to take off.

B2 -
Murmeli - Canson RMX
Canson also sits next to Murmeli. Caress the theme, tickle the groove.
Murmeli has the best ideas early on: "Boy, let's try Mentos with Cola, we'll definitely take off."
Canon is in!


C1 -
Murmelot - Original
The sun goes down in Murmelhausen too. Then Murmelot is ready. Gives his advanced Pilates class, which the whole tribe takes. The village wants to remain mobile.
Murmelot's motto is "Why not stretch while walking?"
And so shall it be. He sets the rhythm on his wooden Fairtrade 303 and our furry friends shave shaky and obscene messages down each other's backs while impatiently hopping for the drop.

D1 -
Murmelot - Roman Flügel Remix
Roman Flügel and Murmelot are old buddies. Struck while carving the 303.
Roman happily takes over the Pilates class, the dancing crowd. Enchanted until the razor's batteries are empty and only dancing remains, only dancing is important.

D2 -
Murmelot - Sascha Cawa RMX
Sascha Cawa takes his trunk by the hand, wants to motivate her again shortly before the second sunset of the day. Whispers little obscene Pilates positions in their ears. That motivates. Murmelot switched from piano to percussion.
The marmots' sweat feeds the golden orchids in the clearing for the next six months.