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Side A begins with CEM3340 & 2030’s “I Don’t Know”, a Detroit-inspired electro cut merging crunchy basslines, warm strings and raw energy, showcasing the nostalgic yet forward-thinking music crafted by two key figures of the Italian electro underground. Lake Haze keeps the electro narrative moving with “Modular Processed Data”, a melancholic broken-beat piece that balances softness and strength with timeless poise. Closing the side, 3KZ unveils “Step Into Light”, pushing the emotional range further through radiant melodic layers and harmonic clarity: high-impact, luminous, and built for those rare moments on a big system when everything clicks.

The journey ends with three shape-shifting cuts on the B Side that refuse to play it safe. Passarani 2099 (an alias of Marco Passarani) warps the frame with “Golden Valley”, channeling dubstep tempo, neuro-basslines, and haunting sequences into mutant rhythmic territory. Peryl’s “Res Affair” follows as a modular techno bomb—wobbling bass, broken patterns, alien textures, riding the edge between chaos and control with surgical intent. Finally, Nothus closes the compilation with “Tango”, an uncompromising finale of gritty rhythm work and experimental propulsion: the perfect full-stop to a decade mapped in sound.

Soul, jazz-rock, candombe and funk blend in the cocktail of La Banda's first and sole album. Often regarded as Argentina's first supergroup, the ensemble built a reputation on their explosive live performances during a time of political repression. Short-lived but unforgettable, the six-piece brought together top-tier jazz musicians—five Argentinians alongside Uruguayan icon Rubén Rada—to deliver a deep, hard-hitting sound that resonates far beyond its era.

Rada arrived in Buenos Aires bruised — a romantic disaster and a string of empty concert halls back in Montevideo had pushed him to start over at 35. Behind him lay a remarkable journey: from inventing candombe beat with El Kinto, to leading the Latin rock powerhouse Tótem, to recording cosmic jazz with Opa alongside the Fattoruso brothers. Trumpeter Benny Izaguirre, the band's architect, gathered around him a cast of heavyweights: pianist Jorge Navarro, an essential figure in the Buenos Aires jazz scene since the 1950s; saxophonist Bernardo Baraj, forged in Alma y Vida, Argentina's jazz-rock champions; and the irresistible rhythm section of bassist Ricardo Sanz and drummer Luis Ceravolo, both veterans of Astor Piazzolla's quintet. All three — Baraj, Sanz and Ceravolo — were simultaneously part of Banda Spinetta, the jazz-oriented project of Argentine legend Luis Alberto Spinetta.

The sessions also drew in two guests who needed no introduction: guitarist David Lebón — veteran of Pappo's Blues, Pescado Rabioso, Color Humano and Serú Girán, one of Argentine rock's true giants — and guitarist and producer Daniel Homer, a quietly indispensable figure across Buenos Aires' jazz and rock scenes.

Recorded in 1979 and gone almost as soon as it arrived — La Banda's brief existence and this sole album are what Buenos Aires sounded like when it was allowed to breathe. Between raids, between disappearances, in the stolen hours when music was louder than fear.

The masterpiece dance anthem that set 1990s Japan ablaze is finally available on vinyl!

Still shining as a J-POP dance classic, the dance & vocal group ZOO's signature song “Choo Choo TRAIN” is finally released on 7-inch vinyl. A track that swept Japan's club scene with its lighthearted beat, uplifting synth phrases, and an ear-catching chorus. Long-beloved classics from across Japan, now on vinyl!

Vacation. A backpack trip through Australia, a campfire in the Schrebergarten. Cruising in the car with friends through the Lüneburger Heide or just a short holiday in the mind, during a rainy lunch break or with a glass of Sprizz on the balcony. And this all includes music, music, music! Grooves which roll like an intercity train into the horizon, Rhodes chords as soft as sand on the beach and synthesizers that sparkle like the reflections on the ocean. Music as colourful as a Hawaiian shirt and as warm as the morning sun.


Welcome to Erobique’s second album “Erobique No. 2”. Here even the song titles are in a holiday mood: “Ahoj!” greets the young “Springinsfeld”. The “Mantas” glide elegantly around the “Acquamarina”. “Salut Les Copines!” we shout to the yacht next to us. “Come on the ‘Ravedave!’” they echo cheerfully. “Riding Low” is the motto while the “Arpeggiator” beautifully condenses the “Synaesthesia” of our dazed senses. The “Italotape” in the cassette deck plays the “Hitsong Von uns Beiden”. It’s all so beautiful “Verkackt”, it sounds like “Zukunftsmusik”!


Carsten Meyer released his debut album “Erosound” in 1998 under the name “Erobique”. Exactly 25 years later, the now 50-year-old releases his second Erobique album on his own label A-sexy. Thirteen diverse tracks ranging from holiday disco to rhythm box rave, recorded and produced with many of his friends and companions. Twenty-five years, that's pretty much the time it took disco to evolve from the legendary loft parties of pioneer David Mancuso to the impressive mass spectacles of Daft Punk's performances, or from Meyer's birth to his first full-length record. So why only now a second album as “Erobique”?

Robert Johnson , the legendary blues guitarist, sold his soul at the crossroads in Clarksdale, Mississippi, for musical greatness. Ryan Coogler's latest film, Sinners , resonates with that story, exploring ambition and sacrifice. His 'King of the Delta Blues Singers' LP epitomises that story

[a] Cross Road Blues [aka Crossroads]

Born in the Washington, DC area and raised in West Virginia, Miller has built a reputation as a thoughtful, boundary- pushing voice in alt- country and Americana, drawing from punk, traditional Appalachian music, and less conventional rock influences. For this record, he left his comfort zone behind and traveled to Tulsa to record at the legendary Church Studio, drawn by the city's deep musical legacy and its ties to artists like J.J. Cale. Co- produced with longtime collaborator Adam Meisterhans , the album was tracked live with a band of Tulsa- based musicians, including Grammy- nominated John Fullbright, under the steady hand of veteran engineers Gary Laney and Mike Prado. The result is John R. Miller 's most ambitious work to date - a spacious, textured collection that expands on the critically praised Depreciated and Heat Comes Down, blending road- worn storytelling, fuzzy atmospheres, and reflections on movement, memory, and change. Rooted in his West Virginia past yet shaped by constant travel and new collaborations, The Great Unknowing captures an artist trusting the process, embracing risk, and letting the groove lead the way.

Fenomenon are a trio hailing from Stavanger, on the west coast of Norway. Throughout their career they have released four full-length records, effortlessly moving between future jazz, downtempo, soul, and broken beat.

Their lush debut 12" Pacific Memories on Nuphonic made considerate waves and made the ears of many DJs perk up. As a result, the tracks "Pacific Memories" and "Solara" were featured on many big-name compilations and mix CDs such as Tom Middleton's The Sound Of The Cosmos, Hed Kandi, and MTV Summer Lounge. The latter was also featured in Michael Bay's sci-fi thriller The Island, featuring Scarlett Johansson. The follow-up single visjon.nord was only released as a white label promo due to the unfortunate demise of Nuphonic in 2002.

Pacific Memories: The Early Tapes collects tunes from both these EPs complemented by songs recorded around the same time. Originally released on CD only in 2006 by the Norwegian label Beatservice, it's now available on vinyl for the first time for its 20th anniversary. If you're a fan of Jazzanova, The Cinematic Orchestra, Kinobe, and Blue States, you can't miss this.

Pacific Memories: The Early Tapes is available as a 20th anniversary edition on black vinyl.

Compared to their debut, the band pushes even further the fusion between black metal and industrial electronics, resulting in a colder, more mechanical and chaotic sound. Extreme guitars and traditional black metal vocals are intertwined with drum machines, abrasive synths, and digital noise, creating the impression of a kind of "dehumanized" music, as the title suggests. The atmosphere is dystopian and aggressive, far removed from traditional metal: it does not aim for melody, but rather for a dense and oppressive sonic impact, where everything feels filtered through a technological lens. In short, it is a record that pushes the idea of black metal to its limits by placing it within an industrial, cyberpunk universe, becoming one of the band's most representative works.

Compared to their debut, the band pushes even further the fusion between black metal and industrial electronics, resulting in a colder, more mechanical and chaotic sound. Extreme guitars and traditional black metal vocals are intertwined with drum machines, abrasive synths, and digital noise, creating the impression of a kind of "dehumanized" music, as the title suggests. The atmosphere is dystopian and aggressive, far removed from traditional metal: it does not aim for melody, but rather for a dense and oppressive sonic impact, where everything feels filtered through a technological lens. In short, it is a record that pushes the idea of black metal to its limits by placing it within an industrial, cyberpunk universe, becoming one of the band's most representative works.

Comes with 12 pages booklet.

Chicago's FIG DISH didn't name themselves after a soft, sweet, fleshy fruit; rather, the name is a phonetic approximation of the German expletive, fick dich, (make of that what you will) FIG DISH were four high school friends: guitarists/ vocalists Rick Ness and Blake Smith, bassist/vocalist Mike Willison, and drummer Andy Hamilton. In their day (a day that began in the late Winter of 1991 and ended in the early summer of 1998), they were known for catchy songs, memorable (often booze-fueled) live shows, and selfsabotage.

Following vibraphonist and long-standing member Lewis Wright"s move to the USA, the award-winning UK jazz ensemble, featuring Nathaniel Facey on alto saxophone, Tom Farmer on double bass and Shaney Forbes on drums, have embraced a more flexible lineup. The trio enlist high-caliber guest artists to expand their sound, with long-time collaborators Ivo Neame on piano and David Preston on guitar lending their distinctive musical voices to the album. The album traverses the musical terrain between contemporary classical music, soundscape, post-bop and free jazz. The jazz of the 1960s has long been a guiding light for Empirical, not least in the way it represented Black musicians" struggle for respect, freedom and civil rights, often drawing on their faith as a moral foundation.

Sketches of Spain, inspired by Joaquin Rodrigo's 'Concierto de Aranjuez' was the third conceptual collaboration between Miles Davis and Gil Evans, the previous two being Miles Ahead (1957) and Porgy and Bess (1958). All three are essential recordings in their respective discographies and continue to be among their best selling and revisited albums to this day - over six decades since their original release.

The complete album + 2 bonus tracks - limited edition pressing 180g red coloured vinyl Contains new specially prepared liner notes by Penguin Guide to Jazz's writer Brian Morton and by Paris' prestigious Jazz Magazine . Unique cover photograph by renowned American jazz photographer Bob Willoughby (1927-2009). The complementing talents of Chet Baker (1929-1988) both as a trumpet player and as a singer are now well known. His trumpet and voice are extensions of the same musical personality, and once you have become familiar with both facets of Baker, you expect to hear them both. However, Chet Baker Sings was a revelation at the time and won Baker new fame and a new audience, which was less familiar with jazz than with pop music. Includes the bonus tracks "Let's Get Lost" and "Just Friends"

A collaborative classic from the Italian Avant-Jazz pioneers Zu and Chicago's Jazz mavericks Spaceways Inc Originally released in 2004, RADIALE is back, bringing together explosive energy, avant-jazz improvisation, and experimental rock in a landmark collaboration. Radiale (2004) by Zu is the band's second studio album and stands as one of the most defining releases in the European avant-garde scene of the early 2000s. With this record, Zu moved decisively away from the slightly more exploratory feel of their debut Bromio and developed a tighter, more aggressive sonic identity. The trio-- built around baritone sax, electric bass, and drums-- strips away almost all conventional melody, focusing instead on repetition, tension, and raw physical impact. Listening to Radiale feels less like following a sequence of songs and more like being drawn into a continuous sonic current. The music is driven by hypnotic, circular rhythms and abrupt dynamic shifts, moving from sparse, almost suspended moments to sudden, explosive bursts. The baritone sax often functions more as a percussive force than a melodic instrument, while the bass locks into distorted, looping figures and the drums maintain a relentless, tightly controlled intensity.

A collaborative classic from the Italian Avant-Jazz pioneers Zu and Chicago's Jazz mavericks Spaceways Inc Originally released in 2004, RADIALE is back, bringing together explosive energy, avant-jazz improvisation, and experimental rock in a landmark collaboration. Radiale (2004) by Zu is the band's second studio album and stands as one of the most defining releases in the European avant-garde scene of the early 2000s. With this record, Zu moved decisively away from the slightly more exploratory feel of their debut Bromio and developed a tighter, more aggressive sonic identity. The trio-- built around baritone sax, electric bass, and drums-- strips away almost all conventional melody, focusing instead on repetition, tension, and raw physical impact. Listening to Radiale feels less like following a sequence of songs and more like being drawn into a continuous sonic current. The music is driven by hypnotic, circular rhythms and abrupt dynamic shifts, moving from sparse, almost suspended moments to sudden, explosive bursts. The baritone sax often functions more as a percussive force than a melodic instrument, while the bass locks into distorted, looping figures and the drums maintain a relentless, tightly controlled intensity.

With Love Is Simple, Jeremy Pelt returns to the art of balladry, distilling eight deeply felt performances into his first vinyl-only anthology and shining a light on one of the most quietly persuasive sides of his artistry Drawn from his HighNote recordings, the set favors emotional honesty over grandstanding, pairing a few familiar titles with lesser-known gems that reward close listening.

The Penguin Guide to Jazz called 'Mingus Ah Um', "an extended tribute to ancestors" and awarded it with one of their rare Crown review ratings. It is, in fact, one of Charles Mingus' most personal albums, and produced a series of songs that have become standards. "Better Git It in Your Soul" is inspired by gospel singing and preaching of the sort that Mingus would have heard as a child growing up in Watts, Los Angeles, California, while "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" is a reference (by way of his favoured headgear) to saxophonist Lester Young who died shortly before the album was recorded. "First let's put your minds at ease about that weird title: it's a corruption of an imaginary Latin declension (mingusminga- mingum). Don't ask why. It seems to me that Mingus has now completely found himself, found a personal and vital direction. This is a consistently exciting and stimulating set." - ***** Leonard Feather, DownBeat

The only existing audio recording of the legendary 1962 concerts featuring Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Joao Gilberto, and Os Cariocas together. In August 1962, Brazilian producer Aloysio de Oliveira created a landmark moment in music history by uniting the founding trio of the Bossa Nova genre on stage for the very first time. Over the course of six weeks, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, and Joao Gilberto - joined by the vocal group Os Cariocas , with Milton Banana on drums and Otavio Bailly on double bass - captivated audiences at the Au Bon Gourmet nightclub in Copacabana, one of Rio de Janeiro's most iconic music neighbourhoods.

The recordings were made in a single day in New York City with a team of extraordinary musicians. He'd already established a firm creative partnership with bass legend Cameron Brown and award-winning pianist Russ Lossing over the past year during their time as recording artists in NYC, and he renewed his fruitful association with outstanding drummer Billy Mintz (Lee Konitz, Charles Lloyd, Alan Broadbent) to complete the quartet. These three have been vital to Kazuki's compositions that tell the story of his enforced absence from the scene during the pandemic and how he sought to centre himself in the midst of the disruption through contemplation and the development of an inward strength. Each track complements the next, alternately celebrating the deep jazz tradition and pushing hard at its boundaries, allowing each member of the quartet to display their extraordinary musicianship while creating a harmonious whole.

One of the challenges facing the contemporary artist is how to negotiate a balance between an outward facing engagement with the wider world and an inward looking focus on a private inner realm, it's exactly this tension that gives such energy and depth to in the shade, the stunning second album from Finnish singer/composer Selma Savolainen Selma's powerful voice and her adventurous musicality are the driving forces behind a mesmerising set of songs that are rooted in contemporary jazz but use a sound-world that ranges far beyond, bringing in influences from the adventurous edges of postrock and beyond.

While both draw their influences from jazz, contemporary classical music, and extended improvisations, they use preparations and extended techniques to bring a sonic vocabulary to their respective instruments that sounds otherworldly. As vocalists, they blend these elements with singer- songwriter and pop influences to create long, flowing sonic arcs encompassing abstract soundscapes, simple songs, angular rhythmic bursts, and more. The result is touching, captivating, and never predictable for the listener. Voices and sounds merge into a unique musical world that is greater than the sum of its parts

Streetlight’s third album (following the Keasbey Nights re-recording) refined and expanded on the sound of their debut, delivering a tighter, more polished collection of songs. The record opens with "We Will Fall Together," one of the band’s most beloved tracks, and maintains a relentless energy throughout its ten songs. Lyrically, Kalnoky continued exploring themes of cynicism, faith, and perseverance, wrapped in the band’s signature wall of horns and propulsive rhythms. It cemented Streetlight’s reputation and remains many fans’ pick for the band’s best work.

After years of delays and a very public, bitter dispute with Victory Records, Streetlight finally delivered their follow-up to Somewhere in the Between in 2013. The album is the band’s most ambitious in terms of song length and arrangement complexity, with several tracks stretching well past the five-minute mark. It carries a slightly more mature, weathered tone than earlier records, reflecting the turbulent period the band had endured to get it released. Despite the troubled road to release, it was warmly received and stands as a worthy closer to what many consider the band’s classic era.

Streetlight Manifesto’s debut full-length arrived in 2003 and immediately established the New Jersey band as a force in third-wave ska-punk. Fronted by Tomas Kalnoky, who had previously led Catch 22, the album blends furious horn arrangements with surprisingly dark, introspective lyrics about mortality and wasted youth. Tracks like "A Better Place, A Better Time" and "Point / Counterpoint" became instant fan favorites and remain setlist staples to this day. It developed a massive cult following and is widely considered one of the defining records of the genre.

Acid Jazz presents the second volume of their Jazz Sessions series with the first album from the Matt Berry Trio, with Matt Berry joined by band members Phill Scragg and Graham Mann on ‘Everything’s Peachy’.
When not creating numerous indelible characters on the screen, Matt Berry has forged a remarkable, diverse and acclaimed career as a recording artist. Following the widely lauded ‘Heard Noises’ (2025) and a collaboration album with KPM ‘Simplicity’ (2023), he returns in yet another musical guise as leader of a studio-based mid-century jazz adjacent trio.
‘Everything Peachy’ is a 12-part instrumental suite, inspired by ‘the Sky King’ (American folk hero Richard “Beebo” Russell), who stole a large aircraft with no flight training, performing stunts and manoeuvres, before crashing to his own demise, and takes its name from his response to air traffic control.
Conveying variously the chaos, nostalgia, regret and acceptance of Russell’s maiden flight, it is an open, freeform and flowing composition, drawing influence from the electronic experiments of Miles Davis and the melancholy of Satie, to create another moment of musical beauty from Matt’s curious and ever-moving musical mind.
The Jazz Sessions series was conceived by Acid Jazz founder Ed Piller as a return to the jazz roots of the label. The first release came from former Style Council drummer Steve White, with his first album as leader ’Soul Drums’, further releases will follow over the next year.

“Morning Light (Silence of a Winter’s Dawn)” is the debut album by tenor saxophonist and composer Rik van der Made, a dazzling blend of contemporary jazz and atmospheric folk. Van der Made tells stories full of spiritual ecstasy, inspired by the sea and the seasons. In recent years, The Dutchman refined his style and technique at the Royal Academy of Music and explored the creative hotbed of London. There he gathered a super group to record this album.
Rik van der Made – tenor saxophone; Immy Churchill – vocals; Benji Bown – piano; Niklas Lukassen – double bass; Johan Evans – drums. Special guest: Alex Hitchcock (alto sax)

Mesdames et Messieurs! FLEUR is back for one last time with a new release An EP with 4 sparkling popsongs written by the- king- of- garage- pop Mark ten Hoor (THE KRYNG) who also wrote her last album "Fille Sauvage" (2024). Title track "Jour D'ete" is an uptempo breezy pop-gem about summer and being young and in love. "Je Ne Veux Pas De Toi" romps and stomps with FLEUR telling her admirer how things stand in the bongo driven chorus. "Le Temps Nous Le Dira" could have easily been the title track. A super catchy melancholy song with driving 12-string guitar. The delicate, moody and dreamlike "Qu'est-ce Que Je Fais de Mal" is a perfect closer.

Imagine taking Black Flag, The Beastie Boys and Mclusky, shoving them into a cement mixer and using the resultant sludge as some form of musical cement Okay? Excellent! On an entirely unrelated matter, I Will Take You Hunting release their brand new (4th) and best (1st) album yet in June 2026. The album is released on Geranium Red Vinyl ...and no, we don't know who Patterson is! I Will Take You Hunting are Steve, Dave & DJ Butterscotch, a thrillingly abrasive three piece from Scotland. Their sound is a unique blend of electro-punk with hues of hip hop and groove. They are known for their electrifying live sets and raucous, vivid storytelling.

Crimson Buffalo is a narrative-driven album built as a fragmented story following Asagaya through a shifting parallel world shaped by conflict and transformation. Blending cinematic composition, diverse musical influences and collaborations with vocalists including Hannah Williams, Gaye Su Akyol, Moonlight Benjamin, Odile de Mainville, Mary May, Days and Alanna Matty, the record unfolds as a continuous arc where each piece contributes to a broader story. More than a collection of songs, it forms a constructedworld shaped by sound, contrast and progression.

artist bio
Asagaya is the project of French multi-instrumentalist David Kern. Through cinematic and narrative-driven songwriting, his albums unfold as cohesive stories centered on fictional characters.
Drawing from late 60s/70s aesthetics, 90s genre-crossing influences and a wide range of global musical traditions, his work blends live instrumentation, layered production and diverse sonic textures, shaped through collaborations with vocalists and musicians.

In those early conversations, when I laid out the future I sought to create, and recall sharing the concept of a stripped, atmospheric interpretation, supported by the haunting resonance of strings-- cello or violin. At the time, the notion was met with skepticism, perhaps even dismissal. Yet it was an idea I knew would one day take form. It had to. UADA has always drawn from a wide spectrum of influences--many of which extend far beyond the traditional boundaries of black metal. With Interwoven, we sought to peel back the layers and reveal the vastness of these realms; to immerse the listener in both the foreign and the familiar, in textures that challenge and comfort in equal measure.

United by a shared love of 1960s music and Garage Punk, the band has carved out a distinctive sound rooted in infectious riffs, vintage swagger, and raw energy. Their catalog sits comfortably alongside unearthed '60s Garage Rock and Psychedelic gems, delivering songs that jump between English and Spanish, instrumental and vocal, reflecting both their creativity and diverse musical influences. Onstage, THE KILLING FLOORS are electrifying. Their shows are a whirlwind of highvoltage energy, tight harmonies, and explosive performances that pull audiences straight into their world. Each member is a vital piece of a well- oiled Rock 'n' Roll machine, creating a live experience that's impossible to ignore and even harder to forget. And it's precisely that wild live- energy that has been transported onto their debut album "Los Angeles Chicano R'n'R"!

Their deservedly successful release "Music From The Stars, Volume 1" sold out instantly, received heavy airplay, and was repressed shortly after. This huge success naturally called for a successor, so here it is: "Music From The Stars, Volume 2"! Once again, the boys broaden their musical horizons by adding stars like BLONDIE, PATRICK HERNANDEZ, MASSIVE ATTACK, and D.A.F. to their repertoire - without departing from their familiar Oetsound. You might ask yourself: 'Why did The Krontjong Devils record these songs?' The answer is simple: all these tracks possess beautiful melodies that truly deserve an instrumental guitar treatment.

The Holloway Echoes sing about very British subjects, with 50s-60s influences.

Chuck Berry (1926–2017) was one of rock ’n’ roll’s true architects, celebrated for his sharp songwriting, distinctive guitar riffs, and electrifying stage presence. With classics like “Johnny B. Goode,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” and “Maybellene,” he helped define the sound and attitude of 1950s rock. Blending rhythm & blues with country influences, he created a style that was energetic, rebellious, and unmistakably his own. His storytelling lyrics and groundbreaking guitar work laid the foundation for generations of rock artists, making this compilation a powerful tribute to one of music’s most influential pioneers.

FANK & No Valentina join forces to create ‘Wavecycle’, a unique EP that blends their strong identities into one singular sound. Despite being on opposite sides of the world, their styles and the way they think about music lined up in a way neither of us expected. They ended up writing a bunch of tracks together, and these four felt like they told the right story.

ROCK JUSTICE is a new hard rock/metal act featuring singer Maggy Luyten (Ayreon, Beautiful Sin, The Prize, ex-Nightmare) and guitarist Bas Maas (Doro, After Forever).

The upcoming debut album, You’ve Been Served, is the result of Bas Maas’s long-held dream. He teamed up with Maggy Luyten to shape the powerful, driving sound of ROCK JUSTICE. The album blends varied song styles, tied together by a nostalgic vibe and well-crafted production.

“The idea came to life when I was still playing in After Forever, where I didn’t get a serious chance to contribute to the songwriting. I had written a couple of songs that didn’t make the cut and realized that if I wanted to get my own music out there, I’d have to do it myself, or at least with other people,” says Bas. When he decided to form a band, he had two rules: he wouldn’t sing himself, and it wouldn’t be a female singer. Finding the right guy proved impossible and after several try-outs, one name kept coming up: Maggy Luyten. “Mag’s voice completely blew me away. I thought, ‘This chick sings like a dude and she delivers.’ Not long after that, we met at an Ayreon album presentation in Utrecht. She wanted to hear my songs to see if they inspired her. They did.” The rest is history. Maggy recalls with a smile: “When Bas came over to hear what I’d worked on, we both knew we had something. I still picture him driving back home: window down, our demo blasting, arm out, metal horns up, huge smile!”