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Katatonia released their seismic opus, ‘The Fall Of Hearts’, in 2016 to chart & media success; reaching #1 in the USA Heatseekers & #5 in the USA Hard Rock charts, #2 in Sweden's Hard Rock chart, #3 in Canada's Hard Rock chart, #4 in the UK's Rock & Metal chart, #6 in Finland, #11 in Germany & saw success in Australia with their first ever chart entry.

Katatonia had worked tirelessly touring the world since 2012's ‘Dead End Kings’, as well as expanding their fanbase through two albums on Kscope, Peaceville's sister label. 2013 saw the release of ‘Dethroned & Uncrowned’, which exploded the core of the songs on ‘Dead End Kings’ creating new moods & textures. Both releases illustrated the band’s journey toward ‘The Fall Of Hearts’, which featured a more progressive sound, a sound which provoked The Guardian to refer to the band as "bridging of the gap between metal & modern prog."

‘The Fall Of Hearts’ was the first record to feature new drummer Daniel ’Mojjo’ Moilanen with the addition of their then recently recruited guitarist Roger Öjersson (Blindead 23, ex-Tiamat), who sprinkled some blistering solos on the album. With this release, Katatonia continued to push their musical boundaries beyond the metal scene whilst drawing in new fans from across the musical spectrum, putting them on par with peers such as Opeth & Anathema, cementing their place as one of the most revered & cherished bands in modern heavy music.

This special & limited tenth anniversary pressing of 'The Fall Of Hearts' is presented on double pearl dawn vinyl, & includes gatefold sleeve.

Absurdity and punk rock go together like celery and tonic water. That is to say, they are two acquired tastes that are even better together, because they push out the squares and cater to the real freaks. That spirit has driven Chicago’s Cel Ray from the very beginning. Springing to life with their debut EP Cellular Raymond in 2023, the Chicago four-piece of vocalist Maddie Daviss, guitarist Josh Rodin, bassist Kevin Goggin, and drummer Alex Watson charted a path through twitchy, absurdist post-punk that fell somewhere between The Minneapolis Uranium Club and The B-52s. Piss Park followed later that year, and aside from the “Raw God” single in 2025, the band spent their time ripping club shows across the Midwest, playing in DIY spots, dive bars, and, one time, being hand-selected to open for Jack White.

Now, after years of waiting for a proper full-length, Cel Ray has joined the illustrious noisenicks at Exploding In Sound to release Cel Rayzer, a record that, as its name subtly implies, is sharper and more acerbic than anything Cel Ray’s done before. What makes Cel Rayzer so impactful is the inability to pin it down. Yes, it’s garage punk; yes it’s egg-punk; yes it’s post-punk, but it’s beholden to none of those things. This is what makes Cel Rayzer such a thrill; Just when you think you have the band figured out, they transform into something else so effortlessly, you’re left wondering how they even pulled it off.

In an era of excess and endless distraction, Margaret Glaspy rejects the noise in favor of something far more essential. Before setting to work on her fourth full-length album I Am Both, she stepped away from social media and soon discovered a clarity of mind she hadn't experienced in years, followed by a sustained burst of creative momentum. As she penned her lyrics in longhand and then polished them up on a typewriter, Glaspy assembled a selection of songs that span from fictional vignettes to unguarded self-revelation to empathetic observation of the troubled world around her. Produced by Joe Henry (the three-time Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/producer known for his work with luminaries like Aimee Mann and Joan Baez), I Am Both ultimately stands as a striking new statement from one of the modern music canon's most formidable songwriters.

The world is ending, and rent is due. The empire is crumbling, and you’re late refilling your meds. War is ceaseless, pandemics go unchecked, billionaires poison the well water and cops abduct neighbors while wildfires burn… but here at the hot dog stand, relief and joy are yours for five buck ninety-nine.

This is PEASANTS REVOLT, the latest album from trans folksinger Creekbed Carter Hogan. Playing the part of court jester in the halls of a dying empire, Hogan croons, hollers, and grins in the face of despair as we feast together on one last humble supper before everything falls apart.

A rollicking medieval-Americana manuscript, Hogan’s new work anchors itself in transitions. PEASANTS REVOLT was written living and moving between the North and the South; sung by a body both pre- and post-trans affirming healthcare; and recorded during a time of genocide, federal occupation, and workers’ uprisings. Decorating its margins are influences spanning time and medium. Here, 14th century king-killer ballads sit next to Appalachian strike songs. Labor and union songs find kinship with Ethiopian jazz records. Hogan’s work echoes with historical struggle, too, from the Haitian Revolution to the struggle for trans rights to the surreal futurism of Rio Grande Valley writer Fernando A. Flores. This album takes the entwinement of the personal and the political seriously, a path often walked by everyone from Hazel Dickens and John Prine to ANOHNI. The 10 tracks of PEASANTS REVOLT are themselves endlessly transitioning, hinging on mid-song shifts and building into wildfires that crackle and sputter with the courage of momentum and catchy hooks. By centering this work so deeply in the tumult of change, Hogan illuminates all of capitalism’s attempts to isolate us — and the power that we regain when we refuse to face our lives and our selves alone.

Writing and recording the majority of Nocturnes at their home studio in Los Angeles, Leisha and Camila drew inspiration from '70s vinyl — and each other’s company. After finishing the demos, their friend Wendy Melvoin (of Prince and the Revolution) invited Uh Huh Her to continue the production at her treehouse studio in Henson Recording Studios (now Chaplin Studios). "We would just drink wine and record for hours and hours," Camila says of this time. "It was amazing. It was total freedom."

When it came time to mix Nocturnes, Melvoin suggested her friend and super producer Tchad Blake (The Bangles, Arctic Monkeys, Sheryl Crow, Cibo Matto), who put the finishing touches on the record from his studio in the English countryside. “It meant the world that our fans directly supported the mixing of the album through online eBay auctions of memorabilia, vinyl, art, and even a couple private dinners, because that enabled us to enlist the powers of the incredible Tchad Blake,” Cam says. The entirety of those original mixes have never seen the light of day until now, on this 2026.

As they contemplated rereleasing Nocturnes with Kill Rock Stars, Cam started digging around to find the album’s original mixes. “I chose Tchad’s first and second mix attempts because I wanted to preserve his first instincts before we gave him a million notes,” she says. This is truly how he heard it on one or two tries. The songs are longer, they're more rocked out, they're a little more raucous.”

Cam also surfaced a hypnotic song she’d written in 2020 called “Shook” to include on the rerelease, and they also put their own, electrified spin on Sonic Youth’s timeless and gritty “Kool Thing.”

Phosphor returns with its fifth release and a new chapter for the label’s founders, Blue Vision. As their second EP on the imprint, Machines Will Transform Us (PHP005) confirms the project’s direction: a precise balance between club-driven tech house and more immersive, hypnotic electro textures.

Across the EP, Blue Vision asks a simple question: after spending our days connected to algorithms and modern machines, can repetitive rhythms and mechanical grooves on the dancefloor turn us into machines once again, or instead help us reconnect with ourselves?

Machines Will Transform Us (A1) opens the EP with a driving Italo bassline and tight, tech-driven drums. Melodic 80s synths contrast with sharper electro elements, gradually building tension before a final drop designed for peak-time impact. The track sets the tone for the release: machines transform us as much as we transform them.

Then comes Just a Game (A2), blending spacious 90s progressive and synthwave influences over a rock-solid club bassline and crisp drums. Playing with atmosphere and emotion, the track explores the feeling that we are never too far from a simulation, that maybe everything is just a game. Perfectly suited for introspective yet intense moments, it acts as an ideal bridge between harder tracks in a set.

On the flip side, I Love Acid (B1) is direct, hypnotic, and designed to lock the dancefloor into a steady flow. Stripped back to punchy drums and a raw acid line, it takes a minimal approach that works equally well in early hours or late-night sets. Behind the title lies the idea of acid as both machine energy and mental escape, where repetitive sequences blur the boundary between human emotion and mechanical movement.

As a final touch, Scan Your Brain (B2) shifts into deeper, more immersive territory. Analog pad textures create a drifting atmosphere over a hypnotic bassline and electro drums. With this closing track, Blue Vision answers their initial question by imagining the dancefloor as a space to disconnect from rigid thinking. The vocal serves as a reminder that the brain is constantly overloaded, and that dancing becomes a way to let go, reset, and reconnect.

Giacomo was digging through Discogs when he came across a mysterious Len Lewis release — three untitled tracks, no trace of it anywhere nor audio clips, only the cat# LJL003. He ordered the only copy and got in touch with Len shortly after, who to quote said "it's like listening to someone else's music."

The distribution company folded before they could see the light, and it turned out the records had only ever reached the test pressing stage in 2002. 

Now, for the first time, these tracks are being officially released!

Big strides from COZi, the dancer-turned-producer caught in perpetual motion. Movement’s been in the blood from minute one and the influence is undeniable.

Sydney-raised and Austria-based, the Energy In Motion boss steps to X-Kalay with some of the sultriest gear we’ve released. Sexy, groove-first stuff channelling tech and prog house of the '90s and early 2000s: equal parts Danny Howells inkiness, 'Heaven Scent'-era Bedrock and Saeed & Palash at their most potent.

Constructions plunge fathoms-deep into the nether-realm before darting synths and widescreen pads open the floodgates for a full-blown prog ascension. Old school sensibilities at the forefront but zero nostalgia trip.

Caught in a flow state front to back and the dancing years shine through on every groove.

Fresh from dropping a fine collection of reworks by Scruscru, Blur Records welcome back regular contributor Hotmood. He brings with him a belated sequel to his 2023 EP Disco Power. The Mexican begins in fine form via the tease-and-release, disco-funk powered disco-house slammer 'Give It To Me', before opting for a more elastic and rubbery groove on the similarly-minded peak-time bounce of 'Let Me Dance'. Hotmood decides to breathe new life into a string-laden, cowbell-sporting 1970s disco workout on 'That's What You Had', once more exploring effects-laden disco-house dynamics, while closing cut 'Summer Nights' sees him making merry with loops and samples from an old Earth, Wind and Fire favourite and some suitably powerful beats.

The Goblin Walk is an invitation to trace the footsteps of the eponymous creature through five swampy, dubby, liquid techno interpretations from four different artists. Label head Caldera opens with the gently underlapping space chug of 'Today', followed by Traevor's 'Reef' which turns marimba into a dubbed-out bass meditation. Caldera then features again under his Loop LF alias with 'Tiz', which pairs spectral sonic sketches with whimsical melodies that drift and float as if in a gravity-free zone. Streetfaxx then unearths a long-lost 2013 Cologne track, its patient rhythmic progression untouched by the passing years, before ambient textures take centre stage in Nightwaif's 'Xmas1 (vocal dub)' as tape experiments float over deep sub-bass, caught somewhere between 1980s new age and modern ambient minimalism. A compelling, exploratory world of sound.

Coyote are back with another typically carefully curated collection of Baleraic re-edits and revisions via the reliable (and hush-hush) Magic Wand imprint. The Nottingham twosome kick things off themselves with 'Carpenter', a dubby and bass-heavy extension of a dreamy, folksy number (all jangling acoustic guitar, stoned male lead vocals and gentle hand percussion), before we're treated to the 'Pointless edit' of 'Six Blade Scalpel' - a languid, bass-heavy revision of a late 70s blues/soft-rock number crafted by Bedmo Disco's Sell By Dave. There's an Americana/neo-folk feel to Andy Kidd's sublime extension of Dan England's 'I Don't Feel That Way', while YZ's edit of 'Sapelo' is a horizontal, Rhodes-laden, spoken word-sporting ambient delight.

180g White Vinyl

* Following on from the hugely popular ‘Klavirni’ (Emika’s first solo piano album in 2015) her second installment of piano solos are a magical cluster of melodies, dreamy effects, obscure production mistakes with tape echo’s and other old analog gear.

* The pieces were recorded during the time she was pregnant with her first child Silvy, to whom she has dedicated this record ‘To Silvy who heard it first from the inside’.

* The collection of ‘Dilo’s’ which means moment in Czech, were recorded ‘in a state of ultra hyped up creativity combined with a massive fear about losing my identity or creativity as an artist once I would become a mother’ - says Emika about the album process.

* A truly personal affair and in keeping with the original style of the first Klavirni, all the Dilo’s were recorded improvisations by the composer on her home piano, this time in Berlin.

* Dilo 7 from the first album has been streamed more than 15 million times on Spotify and there will also be a ‘Red Edition’ repress of the album on vinyl.

* This release marks the 5 year anniversary of Emika Records, celebrating 5 years of independence since her days with Ninja Tune.

* Dilo Variations EP (not released previously before on vinyl) will come with the anniversary releases on a cute little 10’’ with updated artwork.

* This is also the final release in her Emika Records catalog before starting a new venture in 2020 with more details to follow later in the year.

* ‘Klavirni Temna’ which means dark piano in Czech, explores the relationship between dark and light, good and evil, death and rebirth.

* ‘Music is a powerful and sometimes unexplainable force.’ - Emika

Lonely Man's Dream marks a milestone for Forager Records: our tenth release, and perhaps our most personal. More than a compilation, it is a self-portrait. A reflection of the musical obsessions, late-night discoveries, and restless digging that have defined this label from our first record to this latest one.

Spanning the dreamy psychedelic folk of the 1970s to the cool shimmer of 1980s synth pop, Lonely Man's Dream traces a decade of curatorial wandering. Eleven artists. Eleven songs. Each one rare, obscure, or otherwise lost to the margins of music history. Among them, two tracks surface here for the very first time: “Never Say Goodbye” by Cocktails and Dreams, a synth pop transmission from Norway, luminous and weightless as the skies on the cover. “True Love” by Keith Jones, a drum machine backed demo that pulses with a late night intimacy.

What unites these songs across genre and era is the same quality we have always chased; a transporting ache, the sound of someone searching, or the feeling of a memory you can't quite place. Like every record before it, this one asks nothing of you but your full attention and an open ear.

Ten releases in, we are still looking for the same thing we started with. We hope you feel it too.

* Featuring a selection of songs sourced from rare records of the 70s & 80s reissued for the first time.
* Includes 2 unreleased songs from the 80s
* Original artwork by Eric Thompson
* Very limited initial first pressing

Inspired by Kenneth Grahame's 'Wind in the Willows', the sonic endeavours of Mole have so far given us two cassettes (Before I Glare Up At The Sun Through The Top Soil and Mole's Uninvited Guests) and a top class library CD of covers. With ‘For Red Riverbank’, The Sprigs return to bison for their first full length LP, this time joined by Ratty and Badger to form a full three piece band, and to help Mole take on the developers working above ground…

Armed with guitars, pipes, samples and bric-a-brac, it’d be easy for the Sprigs to succumb to a totally romanticised nostalgia for an imagined British folkloric tradition. There’s enough of it going around. Instead, the gang create a ramshackle, ruddy faced blend of introspective hibernation, real-world anxiety and some absolutely knee slapping, joy inducing tunes. It’s a masterwork of folk collage - where beautiful straight-to-tape guitar sketches are cut up amongst British labour history with the help of Leon Rosselson and Ash Reid, giving way to waves of depression and relief in equal measure. Such is life!

In a world currently defined by unrest, uncertainty, and cultural fracture, acclaimed saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Isaiah Collier returns with Joy, a 5-track EP that reframes one of humanity’s most nuanced emotions both as a devotional grounding and political act.

Collier’s deeply personal compositions present joy as an act that isn’t rooted in escapism or abstraction, but rather, as something hard-won rooted in lived experience, shaped by transformation, and sustained through connection. Throughout the album’s five compositions, Collier positions joy as a guiding light during challenging times, an expression of challenging yourself to utilize your gifts, an affirmation of love and discovery, and as an affirmative source of reassurance.

“We are in a paradoxical time, where so much is being revealed to us,” Collier shares. “Everything feels political from every scope… our collective hearts feel the heaviness in the air. Yet I say to you all—don’t despair. For right now, the most political thing we can do is share joy.”

That ethos is made clear in the opening title track and lead single “Joy.” A pulsing rhythmic motif anchors the melody with a sense of both searching and certainty. Collier conceived the piece around 3 years ago reflecting on a time where many people in his life were experiencing loss of family and friends and experiencing profound life transitions. “Everything just felt like it was falling apart with no aim in sight,” he reflects. “Yet, there is a light at the end of it all.”

As he played the chords with a sense of urgency, he could feel the vibration of yellow in the piece. That initial triplet motif serves as the guiding light on the piano and the only word Collier could hear was Joy. In addition to Collier at the helm singing and playing piano and tenor sax on the track, it features an expansive 11-piece ensemble with a full horn and string section allowing Collier’s propensity for composition and arrangement to shine with an eclectic sonic palette.

“Landscape of Dreams” finds Collier serendipitously leaning into utilizing his gifts as a multi-instrumentalist. While he had a sketch of the piece going into the studio, a traffic delay caused musicians to be late arriving at the studio. Never one to waste time in the studio environment, Collier stepped into new creative territory and took up the challenge of executing playing all instruments himself as an act of trust and experimentation. “I’ve never done this before, and so it was a leap of faith for me,” he asserts. “I always dream of doing stuff like this, and being part of the small percentage of people who can do it like Prince, Steve Lacy, Frank Zappa, and Stevie Wonder. The end result finds Collier immersed in a hypnotic soundscape playing layered flutes, drums, Metatron, Wurlitzer, and auxiliary percussion.

Another layer of joy is revealed in “Where I’m Loved” that serves as a love letter and leaning into the process of stepping into the willingness to explore life and love with a partner. On the intimate meditation of vulnerability and connection, Collier's vocal prowess is on full display, exerting effortless falsetto reminiscent of D’Angelo over soulful Wurlitzer and guitar as he crosses over into more R&B-inspired realms. “I believe everyone deserves this feeling or to honor the memories of it. Furthermore, I believe you should also go where you’re celebrated and not tolerated.”

“When the Dust Settles” captures the electricity of live collaboration and Collier further steps out of being confined to any specific genre. He had just gotten a microKORG keyboard from co-producer Sonny Daze and was exploring the vast array of sounds on the instrument. Collier plays synth bass on the microKORG joined by the electrifying improvisation of Cole Runge on guitar and the combustible rhythm of his brother Jeremiah Collier on drums with additional post-production work from Sonny Daze.

The album’s final track “God’s By Your Side” reflects on perseverance and artistic legacy, directly inspired from the passing of D’Angelo, whose life’s work was a huge part of Collier’s childhood growing up in the late 90s and early 00s. With gospel flavor and direct influence both from D’Angelo’s vocal and instrumental arrangements, the track speaks to resilience and persistence in the face of obstacles—an affirmation of source and reassurance. “And what’s better than having God by your side, right?” asserts Collier.

Joy is a through-and-through expression of the arc of joy in its truest form. Joy transcends fleeting happiness and is conscious gratitude shaped by taking chances, leaning into your gifts, fostering community, and lived experiences.

“Joy is partially happiness,” Collier explains. “But to me it means happily being grateful for family, friends, lovers, teachers, and good times. These are the things that anchor us.”

The release of Joy comes off the heels of significant momentum for Collier, whose work continues to garner accolades and resonate across cultural spheres. He was featured on the cover of DownBeat’s April 2025 issue, where he was named “The Next Sax Giant,” and profiled on NPR’s Jazz Night in America for his ambitious 13-movement interdisciplinary suite The Story of 400 Years, that traces 400 years of Black American History. He released two full-length albums in 2024 with The World Is on Fire highlighted in The New York Times’ Fall Arts Preview and The Almighty named among the publication’s Best Jazz Albums of the year.

Beyond performance and recoding, Collier’s influence is recognized in broader cultural and intellectual spaces as he was the recipient of the Jazz Journalists Association’s 2025 Up and Coming Artist of the Year Award, the 2024 Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz, and was named a Steve Jobs Archive Fellow joining an elite cohort of the next generation of artistic visionaries through a yearlong program.

In addition to the release of Joy, Collier is touring his “Collier Plays Coltrane” program throughout 2026 in honor of John Coltrane’s centennial. Rather than presenting Coltrane’s expansive catalog as repertory, Collier approaches this music as something living, reshaping it in real-time with a sense of space and improvisational dialog reflecting both reverence to the past and present times.

First Word Records proudly bring you the sophomore EP from Ruby Wood - ‘No Rain, No Flowers’.

Ruby is a singer / songwriter hailing from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire in the UK. Her soulful yet distinctive voice has enabled her to front numerous projects over the years; perhaps best known as lead vocalist of the critically acclaimed Submotion Orchestra, since 2009.

Her first solo EP ‘Sincerely’ dropped back in 2023, and received love from the likes of Jamie Cullum, Craig Charles, Jyoty, Huey Morgan, Wordplay & saw Ruby named Mi-Soul Radio's 'One to Watch'.

The follow-up EP ‘No Rain, No Flowers’ is a personal tale of growth through adversity. Reflecting on long-term love, fleeting intimacy, grief, and the relationships that shape us. Rather than offering answers, the 8-track EP sits with life as it is. Imperfect, cyclical and shared. The title speaks to the belief that difficult experiences are not separate from growth, but essential to it.

Musically, the project encompasses contemporary flavours within the realms of r&b, soul and hip hop. It features an impressive collective of vocal collaboraters; Illa J, Devin Tracy, Abnormal Sleepz & PRIDO. Each bring their own distinct perspective, whilst complimenting the EP’s introspective tone; favouring warmth, restraint & lyrical authenticity. All are backed by a smooth sonic backdrop of beautifully rich instrumentation, produced primarily by Rob Mitchell of Abstract Orchestra.

Ruby has performed live shows with Nightmares on Wax & Abstract Orchestra as well as with r&b legend Bryson Tiller at his sell-out UK gigs, including Wembley Arena & Manchester Apollo. This is additionally to touring with Bonobo & Nubiyan Twist, and collaborating with the likes of Krept & Konan, Alfa Mist, GLXY and Roska, to name a few.

The diversity of her career, ranging from the intimate to the large-scale performances, gives Ruby a unique balance of vulnerability and musical depth, prioritising authenticity over spectacle. As a solo artist, her work is rooted in honest lived experiences, leading to a focus on songs that resonate long after first listen.

This EP offers a reflection of where Ruby is at now, informed by where she’s been before. It’s a project that embraces imperfection, recognising that those experiences that challenge us the most, shape us the deepest.

The Body"s landmark record Master, We Perish, originally released in 2013, found the acclaimed duo at a crossroads in their career. Recorded just before the duo of drummer Lee Buford and guitarist/vocalist Chip King were leaving their longtime home of Providence for Portland and released in between their breakthrough albums All the Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood and Christs, Redeemers, Master expanded on the duo"s love of layered worldbuilding with more precision and a stronger emphasis on percussive samples than ever before. The seeds of the duo"s celebrated collaborative inclination are evident as the album features Assembly of Light Choir leader Chrissy Wolpert, choir member Reba Mitchell, Otesanek vocalist Leslie Weitz, and guitarist David Lifrieri. With the expanded edition, the album"s striking cover painting by Providence mainstay Manifester aka Matt Brinkman (Mindflayer, Forcefield) is finally rendered in its original form. Master, We Perish is expanded with rare bonus tracks from The Body"s early days, taken from a pair of rare 7" singles Cop Killer/Dead Cops as well as a split with Get Killed. These storied singles mark the first time the band truly pushed the boundaries of sound in the studio and on record. It also marks the beginning of The Body"s practice of wielding the studio as a veritable weapon to translate their gargantuan sound with deeper impact on LP. The results are not only pushing the capacity of the album format but are sonically riveting. The bonus material was recorded at Machines with Magnets. The band described them economically: "NASTY."

The Body"s landmark record Master, We Perish, originally released in 2013, found the acclaimed duo at a crossroads in their career. Recorded just before the duo of drummer Lee Buford and guitarist/vocalist Chip King were leaving their longtime home of Providence for Portland and released in between their breakthrough albums All the Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood and Christs, Redeemers, Master expanded on the duo"s love of layered worldbuilding with more precision and a stronger emphasis on percussive samples than ever before. The seeds of the duo"s celebrated collaborative inclination are evident as the album features Assembly of Light Choir leader Chrissy Wolpert, choir member Reba Mitchell, Otesanek vocalist Leslie Weitz, and guitarist David Lifrieri. With the expanded edition, the album"s striking cover painting by Providence mainstay Manifester aka Matt Brinkman (Mindflayer, Forcefield) is finally rendered in its original form. Master, We Perish is expanded with rare bonus tracks from The Body"s early days, taken from a pair of rare 7" singles Cop Killer/Dead Cops as well as a split with Get Killed. These storied singles mark the first time the band truly pushed the boundaries of sound in the studio and on record. It also marks the beginning of The Body"s practice of wielding the studio as a veritable weapon to translate their gargantuan sound with deeper impact on LP. The results are not only pushing the capacity of the album format but are sonically riveting. The bonus material was recorded at Machines with Magnets. The band described them economically: "NASTY."

The recordings on Volume II were captured in Copenhagen, Denmark on January 18, 2020. Guided as much by human instinct as by musical intention, the ensemble moved through the evening with a shared sensitivity…listening, responding, and trusting the moment as it unfolded. Though Morten McCoy admits to having felt quite ill that evening, nothing in the music suggests restraint. Instead, what remains is a vivid, playful exchange, where McCoy and Johannes Wamberg carry both Part I and Part II as a flowing conversation, speaking through sound rather than words.

Part I begins abruptly, almost throwing the listener back in time to the exact moment the improvisation was born. Jonathan Bremer steps to the forefront, providing a solid, melodic bassline as Kristoffer and Eliel, perfectly in sync, lay down a steady foundation for whichever voice chooses to rise above the rhythm.

This is also one of the few I Am An Instrument recordings to feature two guitarists. Johannes Wamberg leads the way, shaping the harmonic direction, while Steven Jess Borth II adds subtle rhythmic textures through muted palm work, deepening the groove without ever stepping into the foreground.

Part II unfolds with Morten McCoy on his Moog One, delivering a beautiful, expansive solo. Using a carefully chosen patch, the sound pulses through the rhythm, moving with the groove rather than above it, riding the beat like a wave through the ocean.
Shaped by trust, presence, and collective improvisation, Volume II captures a group deeply attuned to one another, allowing intuition and momentum to guide the unfolding form.
——
Volume III was recorded in Copenhagen on March 5, 2020. Little did anyone know that only days later, the world would be placed on pause for years. Captured just before that moment of global stillness, this session carries a heightened sense of presence, a final gathering before silence reshaped everything. Recorded in a space more commonly associated with a club atmosphere, the music draws on a different kind of energy and immediacy. With Eliel Lazo unable to attend, the group invited Victor Dybbroe of Girls In Airports to join on percussion, subtly reshaping the ensemble while preserving its core spirit. Part I opens with Steven Jess Borth II calling out on tenor saxophone, answered by Morten McCoy on Wurlitzer electric piano. The piece gradually unfolds into a meditative groove, patient and expansive, carrying the listener through an eight-minute journey of layered rhythm and restraint.

Part II begins with Jonathan Bremer on stand up bass, slowly joined by the rest of the ensemble as each voice enters with intention. Midway through, an unexpected vocal melody from Borth emerges, drenched in reverb and delay, later reappearing as a melodic line on the tenor saxophone.

Part III is led by Morten McCoy on Wurlitzer electric piano. His signature melodic language sets the direction, guiding the ensemble while leaving ample space for the music to breathe and evolve through collective improvisation. Reprise returns to the closing moments of Part II, its title reflecting its origin. The familiar groove reappears, transformed into a distinctly Jamaican-influenced rhythm, over which Borth delivers a final tenor saxophone solo, bringing the conversation to rest.

Any questions about any of these products feel free to get in touch and we'll help you out!

a a1. Part I [Vol.2]
[b] a2. Part II [Vol.2]
[c] a3. Part I [Vol.3]
[d] b1. Part II [Vol.3]
[e] b2. Part III [Vol.3]
[f] b3. Reprise [Vol.3]

Soul Music legend Candi Staton returns to her down-home Alabama roots on her 32nd album, Back to My Roots. The twelve-track Americana set features an array of Staton-penned originals and some well-chosen covers.

"These songs represent my roots," Staton adds as she reflects on her many trials and triumphs. "Even the new songs on some level represent something I've experienced and that's what real soul music is about." Back to My Roots was produced by Staton with her second eldest son, Marcus Williams, a professional drummer who has toured with the likes of Peabo Bryson, Isaac Hayes, and Tyler Perry. They brought in Mark Nevers of Lambchop fame, who produced three of Staton’s prior Americana albums for Honest Jon’s and Thirty Tigers, to sweeten certain tracks. “Some of the first songs I ever heard were songs like `Peace in the Valley’ and `It’s Gonna Rain,’” says Staton. “The new songs or cover songs are tracks that remind me of that era when I was growing up as a child and evolving as a young woman. That’s why I named the album Back to My Roots because I’m going back to the roots that made me who I am.”

Staton received the Americana Music Association UK’s highest honour, the International Lifetime Achievement Award, at the UK Americana Music Awards ceremony at Hackney Church in London last year for her southern soul work that stretches from her 1969 Muscle Shoals hits to her more recent collaborations with the likes of Americana kings Jason Isbell and John Paul White.
The album opens with a mid-tempo Bonnie Raitt-styled contemporary blues “I Missed the Target Again” that finds Harry Connick Jr.’s longtime guitarist Jonathan DuBose Jr. (aka the Prophesying Guitarist) showing off his skills that set the tone for the song and the album.

Staton’s older sister, Maggie Staton Peebles (who alongside Staton was a member of the Jewel Gospel Trio in the 1950s), joins her for two duets. The first, “It’s Gonna Rain,” features just a drum, steel guitar and vocals. “My mother used to sing that song to us all the time when I was a child,” Staton recalls. “It’s a really soulful kind of song I wanted to revisit.” They then take turns leading Thomas Dorsey 1939 gem “There Will Be Peace in the Valley” that Elvis Presley popularized in the 1950s.

“Hang on in There” is a new, mid-tempo song that has an old school gospel flavour and features vocals from veteran bluesman, Larry McCray.
While in Europe in 2023 for her farewell concert tour that took her to the Glastonbury Festival and Love Supreme, Staton and her British band, PUSH, went into a London studio to record a new version of The Rolling Stones’ 1972 gem, “Shine A Light.” “I love the way that came out,” Staton says. “We put a big choir on it and put our own twist on it.”
From there, Staton revives another Thomas Dorsey classic, “The Lord Will Make a Way Somehow,” with a bluesy vibe. When Al Green started recording gospel in the early 1980s, he re-introduced this song into the culture.

“God’s Gonna Use Me Anyway” is a new mid-tempo blues with subtle Caribbean influences.

The mood takes a turn on “1963.” It’s a poignant, spoken-word reflection on September 15, 1963, when four black girls were killed in the Birmingham Church bombing. “I was in the city that day and I remember the chaos and horror after the bombing,” Staton recalls. “Just thinking of how racism and hatred caused those men to kill those girls was so emotional for me that I could only do it in one take.”

It's a perfect segue into "Reach Down and Touch Heaven," a haunting, plea for divine intervention into the affairs of mankind. "That's straight Baptist," she says. "I used to be a church pianist back in the 1960s. I've never played piano on one of my records before so that's a unique song for me because I’m finally playing on one of my records. The message of that song is about the homeless. It came to me when a homeless person on the street asked me for $5. When God touches your heart to help somebody else that’s heaven to God’s hears. So, when we reach into our purse or wallet to help someone, we’re touching heaven."

Staton offers love as an antidote to hate on the bouncy, Motown-styled, “Love Breakthrough.”

Her publicist brought Aaron Frazer & the Flying Stars of Brooklyn NY’s 2017 cut “My God Has a Telephone” to Staton’s attention. She shifts the track from a retro 1960s groove to more of a 1980s Malaco Records arrangement, a subtle but distinct variation. Staton brought in her longtime friend and STAX Records legend, William Bell (“I Forgot to Be Your Lover” and “Trying to Love Two”), to add raspy seasoning to the track.

The album closes with the wistful, “In God’s Hands We Rest Untroubled,” that was originally written and recorded by the late country star, Lari White, who died in 2017 at the age of 52. “Lari sent me that song to consider at least ten years ago and I always loved it,” Staton says. “The record label didn’t want it on the album or something, so I just held it.”
Staton says, “I grew up hearing a lot of these old songs when they were new songs. I toured with the Jewel Gospel Trio in the 1950s and we got to know people like Mahalia Jackson, Sam Cooke and others who sang these types of songs. So, I’m sort of paying tribute to them and the influence they had on me by refreshing these songs and making new songs in the old style.”’

Mr Bongo presents a reissue of the 1619 Bad Ass Band’s self-titled album, originally released in 1976 on the ultra-rare tax-scam imprint TSG Records. Formed by Khalid Abdul Shalid, the record was the only album released by the group, and has since become a mythical, highly sought-after prize for collectors and DJs, ranking among the most coveted albums on the 1970s rare soul scene.

This New Jersey soul-funk gem captures the raw energy of mid-‘70s underground funk and soul. Its journey began in relative obscurity having been released on TSG, one of several US “tax-scam” labels operating at the time. These labels exploited loopholes in the tax system by inflating production costs to create write-offs against their tax bills, meaning commercial success was never the objective. Records were often pressed in extremely limited quantities, with little to no promotion or distribution and in many cases, artists were unaware their music had even been released. While this led to the 1619 Bad Ass Band’s album slipping into obscurity upon release, it later cemented its status as a holy grail for diggers and DJs. Unfortunately, like many releases of its kind, it also meant the band never received the recognition they deserved at the time.

Musically, the album is a unique listen with a varied palette that will appeal to fans of a broad range of tastes. From the luscious, dreamy ballad ‘Rain’, which will melt even the stoniest of hearts, to the raw, drum-heavy funk of ‘Love To Love’, it showcases the group’s depth and versatility. Highlights include the string-laden, floaty stepper ‘Just From You’, and ‘Nothing Can Stop My Loving You’, with its spacey synth lines, which will be a joy for modern soul fans. Elsewhere, ‘Step Out’ opens with a heavy drum break (later sampled on Latyrx’s ‘Interlude’ from their 1997 debut) before unfolding into a brilliant male-female vocal exchange.

Every track on here is a winner and it’s criminal that the band never received the publicity or credit they deserved when it was first released. Alongside the TSG Records release in 1976, the album was later released again in 1978 with alternate cover art on another tax-scam label, Graham International. Both versions have since become highly collectable and over time, the album has steadily gained the recognition it always deserved. This reissue by Mr Bongo offers a wider audience the chance to experience a truly special record, one that stands as a testament to the overlooked brilliance of the era’s underground soul and funk scene.

Time stands stunningly still on The Final Painting, the dreamy, elegiac final album from legendary underground singer-songwriter/poet/painter Ed Askew. The Final Painting not only defies the curse of sequels and the ten-year gap between the two DeCicca/Askew productions, it"s also a wonderous variation on the intimacy of the self-portrait, an expression from the twilight of one of the most unique artists to emerge in last half of the 20th century. The Final Painting reinvites For the World contributors Sharon Van Etten, Eve Searls, and Canaan Faulkner and new guests Bill Callahan, William Tyler, Ryan Jewell, Dustin Laurenzi, and Fulvio Sigurta. In their last conversation, just days before Ed passed in January 2025, he and Jerry agreed to: a) use the painting left on the easel of Ed"s now-empty apartment and b) call the album The Final Painting.

For over a decade, Drug Church have been building a very strong case that they’re the best loud guitar band in the game; their fifth full-length PRUDE–a 28-minute blast of aggression, melody, irreverence, and genuine heart–feels like the undeniable proof. The album is so downright satisfying it tricks you into thinking there’s nothing all that surprising about a difficult-to-pigeonhole punk band from Albany, NY, with a name like Drug Church somehow having a career at all, much less one that would last over 10 years and qualify them as the best band going. But before you start trying to think of who might have them beat (good luck), consider what just might be the key to Drug Church’s unexpected staying power: Don’t take it too seriously.

In the wake of the release of Swedish post-rock luminaries OH HIROSHIMA's 6th studio album And The Dead Tree Gives no Shelter, Pelagic is reissueing OH's Oscillation (2019) and Myriad (2022) on vinyl. Myriad captures OH HIROSHIMA at their most focused and ambitious. The album moves between crushing despair and fleeting moments of catharsis weaving heart-wrenching melodies into towering walls of noise and explosive crescendos. The incorporation of trumpet, cello and trombone adds new dimensions to the band's sound, resulting in a record that resonates far beyond the post-rock scene and highlights the band's continued artistic evolution. Following the departure of bassist Simon Forsberg in early 2021, OH HIROSHIMA were reduced to a duo _ a shift that challenged the band to rethink and expand their creative approach. While Myriad remains firmly rooted in post-rock, brothers Jakob Hemström and Oskar Nilsson use the album as an opportunity to push beyond the genre's familiar boundaries, drawing from a far broader musical palette than ever before. To get a sense of what the album has to offer, watch the music video for "Humane". Guitarist & vocalist Jakob Hemström comments: "Humane might be the most direct and intense song we've created as a band. For us it marks a somewhat new direction that we wanted to explore and we're very proud of how it turned out. We felt right away that this was the first song of the new album we wanted our listeners to hear. The lyrics revolve around themes of human hubris and the video was filmed, directed and edited by our drummer, Oskar." Recorded by Kristian Karlsson (pg.lost, Cult of Luna) and once again mixed and mastered by Magnus Lindberg of Cult of Luna, Myriad blends soaring melodies with immense emotional weight and dynamic intensity and stands as a compelling testament to the band's continued evolution. Classic black or rosé (Dead Flamingo) vinyl available. FOR FANS OF Alcest Mogwai God Is an Astronaut Karnivool pg.lost

In the wake of the release of Swedish post-rock luminaries OH HIROSHIMA's 6th studio album And The Dead Tree Gives no Shelter, Pelagic is reissueing OH's Oscillation (2019) and Myriad (2022) on vinyl. Myriad captures OH HIROSHIMA at their most focused and ambitious. The album moves between crushing despair and fleeting moments of catharsis weaving heart-wrenching melodies into towering walls of noise and explosive crescendos. The incorporation of trumpet, cello and trombone adds new dimensions to the band's sound, resulting in a record that resonates far beyond the post-rock scene and highlights the band's continued artistic evolution. Following the departure of bassist Simon Forsberg in early 2021, OH HIROSHIMA were reduced to a duo _ a shift that challenged the band to rethink and expand their creative approach. While Myriad remains firmly rooted in post-rock, brothers Jakob Hemström and Oskar Nilsson use the album as an opportunity to push beyond the genre's familiar boundaries, drawing from a far broader musical palette than ever before. To get a sense of what the album has to offer, watch the music video for "Humane". Guitarist & vocalist Jakob Hemström comments: "Humane might be the most direct and intense song we've created as a band. For us it marks a somewhat new direction that we wanted to explore and we're very proud of how it turned out. We felt right away that this was the first song of the new album we wanted our listeners to hear. The lyrics revolve around themes of human hubris and the video was filmed, directed and edited by our drummer, Oskar." Recorded by Kristian Karlsson (pg.lost, Cult of Luna) and once again mixed and mastered by Magnus Lindberg of Cult of Luna, Myriad blends soaring melodies with immense emotional weight and dynamic intensity and stands as a compelling testament to the band's continued evolution. Classic black or rosé (Dead Flamingo) vinyl available. FOR FANS OF Alcest Mogwai God Is an Astronaut Karnivool pg.lost

In the wake of the release of Swedish post-rock luminaries OH HIROSHIMA's 6th studio album And The Dead Tree Gives no Shelter, Pelagic is reissueing OH's Oscillation (2019) and Myriad (2022) on vinyl. Oscillation marks a significant step forward for OH HIROSHIMA. On their third studio album, the Swedish band further refines its distinctive blend of atmospheric post-rock, weaving together shimmering guitar lines, weightless vocals and understated electronic elements into seven richly textured soundscapes. Balancing intimacy with grandeur, Oscillation unfolds like a lucid dream_at once delicate, expansive and quietly captivating. OH HIROSHIMA began with Resistance Is Futile, a largely instrumental post-rock debut that already hinted at their atmospheric sensibilities, with only subtle early traces of vocals. On In Silence We Yearn, the band's identity became more defined, with vocals taking on a more central role and their sound expanding into emotionally driven, shoegaze-tinged post-rock. With Oscillation, they refined this approach into more complex, denser song structures, balancing clarity and abstraction while deepening their cinematic atmosphere. To get a sense of what the album has to offer, watch the music video for "Darkroom Aesthetics". Recorded by Kristian Karlsson (pg.lost, Cult of Luna) and mixed and mastered by Magnus Lindberg of Cult of Luna, Oscillation unfolds in vast, immersive soundscapes where fragile melodies drift through reverb-drenched space before building into powerful, cathartic waves of sound. FOR FANS OF Alcest Mogwai God Is an Astronaut Karnivool pg.lost Classic black or white 2LP available!

In the wake of the release of Swedish post-rock luminaries OH HIROSHIMA's 6th studio album And The Dead Tree Gives no Shelter, Pelagic is reissueing OH's Oscillation (2019) and Myriad (2022) on vinyl. Oscillation marks a significant step forward for OH HIROSHIMA. On their third studio album, the Swedish band further refines its distinctive blend of atmospheric post-rock, weaving together shimmering guitar lines, weightless vocals and understated electronic elements into seven richly textured soundscapes. Balancing intimacy with grandeur, Oscillation unfolds like a lucid dream_at once delicate, expansive and quietly captivating. OH HIROSHIMA began with Resistance Is Futile, a largely instrumental post-rock debut that already hinted at their atmospheric sensibilities, with only subtle early traces of vocals. On In Silence We Yearn, the band's identity became more defined, with vocals taking on a more central role and their sound expanding into emotionally driven, shoegaze-tinged post-rock. With Oscillation, they refined this approach into more complex, denser song structures, balancing clarity and abstraction while deepening their cinematic atmosphere. To get a sense of what the album has to offer, watch the music video for "Darkroom Aesthetics". Recorded by Kristian Karlsson (pg.lost, Cult of Luna) and mixed and mastered by Magnus Lindberg of Cult of Luna, Oscillation unfolds in vast, immersive soundscapes where fragile melodies drift through reverb-drenched space before building into powerful, cathartic waves of sound. FOR FANS OF Alcest Mogwai God Is an Astronaut Karnivool pg.lost Classic black or white 2LP available!

For the first time ever, Los Campesinos! are proud to offer new pressings of their first three studio albums on their very own record label; Heart Swells.
2026 marks the 20th anniversary of LC!’s formation, and coincides with the band being more popular and relevant than ever before. The 3 albums are available for the first time since 2020, on brand new colour ways, on 12” vinyl and CD, with updated artwork and packaging.

What the press said:

"This debut is unusually taut and polished, with hooks, crescendos, and clever turns of phrase nearly always in the right place. ” 8.4/10 - Pitchfork

“captures more believable, crackling punk energy than most hardcore bands.” 10/10 - AV Club

“Recommending this album seems too light a course of action; requiring it may be more apt. Consider Hold on Now, Youngster...highly required, then.” - 9/10 - All Music

“They write ridiculously knotted, satisfying hooks… they have great lyrics, great videos, their live show is phenomenal, and most importantly and intangibly (like all great bands) they somehow summon up a world through their music, until it feels as if everything in life is here.”
9/10 - Popmatters

For the first time ever, Los Campesinos! are proud to offer new pressings of their first three studio albums on their very own record label; Heart Swells.
2026 marks the 20th anniversary of LC!’s formation, and coincides with the band being more popular and relevant than ever before. The 3 albums are available for the first time since 2020, on brand new colour ways, on 12” vinyl and CD, with updated artwork and packaging.

What the press said:

“a messy, glorious, noisy document of internet café-era indie life that sounds best when sung by heart.” 8.3/10 - Pitchfork

“full of half-heartfelt, half-hilarious songs that capture the rush of being young in a noisy new century.” - 10/10 - Entertainment Weekly

“smart, immediate, and anthemic” - 10/10 - The AV Club

or the first time ever, Los Campesinos! are proud to offer new pressings of their first three studio albums on their very own record label; Heart Swells.
2026 marks the 20th anniversary of LC!’s formation, and coincides with the band being more popular and relevant than ever before. The 3 albums are available for the first time since 2020, on brand new colour ways, on 12” vinyl and CD, with updated artwork and packaging.

What the press said:

“an absolutely astounding album” 4.5/5 - DIY

“Romance Is Boring is a triumph.” - 8.3/10 - Pitchfork

“The fact that the seven-piece manage to make music that is as orchestrated and coherent as it is invigorating is only one of the few astonishing things about them.” - 9/10 Popmatters

“What primarily sets ‘Romance Is Boring’ up as a significant step forward is that it’s incredibly structurally cohesive, and yet blows anything they’ve previously released out of the water in terms of textural intricacy, technical prowess and general experimentation.” - 4/5 NME

For the first time ever, Los Campesinos! are proud to offer new pressings of their first three studio albums on their very own record label; Heart Swells.
2026 marks the 20th anniversary of LC!’s formation, and coincides with the band being more popular and relevant than ever before. The 3 albums are available for the first time since 2020, on brand new colour ways, on 12” vinyl and CD, with updated artwork and packaging.

What the press said:

"This debut is unusually taut and polished, with hooks, crescendos, and clever turns of phrase nearly always in the right place. ” 8.4/10 - Pitchfork

“captures more believable, crackling punk energy than most hardcore bands.” 10/10 - AV Club

“Recommending this album seems too light a course of action; requiring it may be more apt. Consider Hold on Now, Youngster...highly required, then.” - 9/10 - All Music

“They write ridiculously knotted, satisfying hooks… they have great lyrics, great videos, their live show is phenomenal, and most importantly and intangibly (like all great bands) they somehow summon up a world through their music, until it feels as if everything in life is here.”
9/10 - Popmatters

“Released on Joe Boyd’s Hannibal label here was a band rooted in Thompson/Swarbrick Fairport but also a snatch of the Velvet Underground and a sprig of The Byrds. The Eighteenth Day Of May evoked a legendary era, and now they are a justifiably legendary band too.” – KLOF Mag

Beginning life as a trio in London, 2003, the original line-up consisted of Allison Brice (vocals, flute), Richard Olson (acoustic guitar) and Ben Phillipson (guitar, mandolin) before expanding the following year to include the rhythm section of Mark Nicholas (bass) and Karl Sabino (drums, autoharp) and finally Alison Cotton (viola).
This being the mid zeros, the independent music scene in the UK was reluctant to embrace a sun-dazed folk band but this, their sole album, has gradually feathered a bed of affection amongst international folk fans. Twenty years on, the album is now rightfully seen as a trailblazer for the myriad alternative/psych folk bands that emerged in its wake.
Andy Childs who signed the band originally takes up the story. “I first heard their music on a cover mounted CD with the much missed Comes With A Smile magazine and as far as I could tell no-one was making music like this anymore, certainly not with such panache and confidence. To my jaded ears it all sounded so uninhibited - old weird folk songs, Americana, original psych-folk, minimalist drones. Great melodies and all six of them could sing! A joyous, unfettered sound that could in one moment conjure up flashes of The Byrds and then effortlessly the spirit of Velvet Underground would drift through. They even covered a Spacemen 3 song. I loved the fact that they had the aplomb to tackle traditional folk songs like Lady Margaret and Flowers In The Forest and not be afraid to stamp their own identity on them.
Signing them to the Hannibal label was straightforward. If anything the album somehow sounds fresh and undated, even better than it did in the day when perhaps eclecticism was out of synch with the times; its subtleties have become more apparent.”
“Their rendition of Lady Margaret builds to a headswirling crescendo that challenges anyone who claims Shirley Collins, Buffy Sainte-Marie or Trees have recorded the definitive version and the hallucinatory The Waterman’s Song To His Daughter raises an already brilliant album to an unholy level” - IT’S PSYCHEDELIC, BABY Magazine

Throughout the 1980s the inimitable Sun City Girls self-released over twenty full-length cassettes . Each of these cassettes were universes unto themselves, each a slice of the one of a kind SCG universe. Three Lobed is honored to help bring some these long out of print titles to vinyl for the first time ever through the continuation of a series of 2xLP releases. Remastered from original sources and packed within heavy gatefolds filled with never-before-seen vintage photos, these titles give fans - long time, long suffering, intrigued by the legend - the first real chance to hear these titles in over thirty years. Presented here are "Cloaven Theatre" (assembled from three titles which were originally released in 1987 and 1989 as Cloaven Cassettes #14, 15 and 18) and "That Old Western Sieve" which was originally released in 1989 as Cloaven Cassette #21. From a one-time edition of 1000 copies on heavy black vinyl housed within old-style heavy Stoughton gatefolds.

Throughout the 1980s the inimitable Sun City Girls self-released over twenty full-length cassettes . Each of these cassettes were universes unto themselves, each a slice of the one of a kind SCG universe. Three Lobed is honored to help bring some these long out of print titles to vinyl for the first time ever through the continuation of a series of 2xLP releases. Remastered from original sources and packed within heavy gatefolds filled with never-before-seen vintage photos, these titles give fans - long time, long suffering, intrigued by the legend - the first real chance to hear these titles in over thirty years. Presented here are "The Palm Leaves of Victory" (originally released in 1987 as Cloaven Cassettes #13) and "Audio Letter to Mitch Myers" (originally released in 1989 as Cloaven Cassette #19). From a one-time edition of 1000 copies on heavy black vinyl housed within old-style heavy Stoughton gatefolds.

Feel the poison in your veins… “The Venom In The Mouth Of God” is Combichrist at their most expansive and most honest, a record that tears open the gap between who we are and who we perform ourselves to be, and leaves it bleeding. Andy LaPlegua has been one of industrial metal's defining forces since the early 2000s, fusing EBM brutality with hard rock muscle in a way few acts have managed to replicate. This new album plays like a descent and a reckoning in one. The opening run from "ODR" through "Born Deströyer" lands like a controlled demolition: dense, mechanized, merciless. Mid-album the mood shifts and stretches, with "Each Scar A Vision" and "The Way We Want To Be Seen" pulling at something more psychological - the masks we wear, the versions of ourselves we construct for others. "Demons Wanna Be Summoned" features King 810, the Michigan-bred rap-metal outfit known for their confrontational intensity - a collaboration that fits the album's relentless atmosphere like a blade in a wound.

Feel the poison in your veins… “The Venom In The Mouth Of God” is Combichrist at their most expansive and most honest, a record that tears open the gap between who we are and who we perform ourselves to be, and leaves it bleeding. Andy LaPlegua has been one of industrial metal's defining forces since the early 2000s, fusing EBM brutality with hard rock muscle in a way few acts have managed to replicate. This new album plays like a descent and a reckoning in one. The opening run from "ODR" through "Born Deströyer" lands like a controlled demolition: dense, mechanized, merciless. Mid-album the mood shifts and stretches, with "Each Scar A Vision" and "The Way We Want To Be Seen" pulling at something more psychological - the masks we wear, the versions of ourselves we construct for others. "Demons Wanna Be Summoned" features King 810, the Michigan-bred rap-metal outfit known for their confrontational intensity - a collaboration that fits the album's relentless atmosphere like a blade in a wound.

Tokyo producer Calm supplies a steady shore's lapping of sound with his next album, Ambient Jazz, not far after his previous records Before and Quiet Music Under The Moon. After a period of sharp emotional whiplash, Calm sets in again to moll the nerves here, serving a full plate of smooth new age and sonic draperies, recalling the night time jazz chasms of John Hassell especially. Between prefectures Tokyo and Yamagata, trusted collaborators are once again folded in, Calm asking them to prioritise tone over improvisation; saxophonist Kato takes central improv stage again on the plainly titled 'Jazz Acid 2' and 'After Dark', while deeper sus-chord shades stark jazz on the likes of 'Space Ritual'.

Summer doesn't announce itself. It creeps in through cracked windows and lingers on skin long after the sun sets. It asks nothing of you but surrender. The South London DJ and producer, born Wilf Auty, raised in the fields of Devon before migrating to the city's sprawl, has crafted four tracks that move like heat haze off tarmac: shimmering, hypnotic, impossible to rush. This is house music stripped of its impatience. Rolling rhythms push forward with the inevitability of tide. Driving basslines push through the mix like warm air through an open car window. Something that feels like the longest day of the year. That moment when you realise the light's been golden for hours and nobody's checked the time. Wigs' sets at Meanwhile have become the stuff of whispered recommendation: progressive, modern, emotionally intelligent selections that build through patience rather than force. This EP is the studio distillation of that philosophy. Four tracks. No filler. Each one: unfurling. The reward comes for those who wait. The groove reveals itself in layers. The pulse becomes a feeling you can't quite name but recognise immediately, that elastic stretch of a summer evening when time loses its edges.

Finally for this time round we have Tieum back again on the UM label with one of his greatest EPs from the just before the dawn of the new millennium. Tcher No Beat #5 was one of the best records on the label with the classic track “French People Piss Me As” with the samples from Cartman from South Park! Such a memorable 12” from the 90’s that has been out of reach for most collectors. A split of coloured and black vinyl for this release. Big respect to Tieum for such amazing music from that with its awesome programming and production still stand up well today!