Suche:beyond the black

Rising, enigmatic Brighton songwriter Milo Korbenski delivers his debut album proper When You Gonna Tell ‘Em the Truth, Aaron?, a stunning collection of haunted, heavy, unique art-dream-indie-pop earworms.

Milo Korbenski is a shadowy, anonymous Brighton solo musician only publicly seen in a featureless white mask, Stetson and denim jacket. However, his deeply expressive take on lo-fi slacker indie invokes a heartfelt intimacy, singing straight from the soul. This new album - an official debut following a period of self-releasing - displays endless catchy-as-hell hooks, clever lyrical wordplay, and deceptively lean instrumentation that belies its own simplicity.

The music of WYGTETTA? (Milo’s own stylisation) crosses references points as broadly spread as Kurt Vile, Helado Negro, Black Sabbath, The xx, The Cocteau Twins, Siouxsie Sioux, Jagwar Ma and Calvin Johnson while retaining a vitally singular energy. Milo’s underlying unreality is more haunted than the indie-leaning acts mentioned here, and the readymade homespun cassette sonics lend a charm beyond the prettified sheen of his pop influences.

Firnis DC lands on Perko’s FELT imprint with Firnis der Civilisation, an eponymous collection of 9 tracks that transmit the enigmatic meditations of its author; discordant trudges of twilight romanticism from pastures far beyond.

The uncommon threads that bind FELT intersect neatly at Firnis DC. Their previous outings as тпсб, for Blackest Ever Black, Climate of Fear and AD93, and a pair of The News Cycle releases, were cult hits of uncanny ambient techno and jungle volleys interpreted through lenses of outsider electronics. A snug fit, in other words, for Perko’s unpredictable stable.

On Firnis der Civilisation, we find things paired back further than before. Its 9 tracks play out like beatless symphonies of wayward folk music who’s basement transmissions have been intercepted from the ether; a stirring limbo of grotty emotions that inspire and conflict in equal measure. Tracks offer brief portals into zones of sampladelic oddities, haunted vocals and scatty euphoria that is collectively driven by an (un)willingness to straddle familiar pastures. By the time you reach its finale gut-punch of Dreifach Fiktierung’s twitching breakcore and Innozenz Jahr funk rollage, you are offered a light at the end of a rather odd tunnel that you never quite understood how you got there in the first place.

2024 REPRESSED !!

Crash Course in Science are a post punk band that formed in 1979 in Philadelphia.The band members, Dale Feliciello, Mallory Yago and Michael Zodorozny, met while attending art school. They began to experiment with crude electronics and off-beat writing. CCIS avoids conventional instrumentation by using toy instruments and kitchen appliances to augment the distorted guitar, drums and synthesized beats.Their first single, 'Cakes in the Home' was released in 1979 and their 4-song 12'' EP ''Signals From Pier Thirteen'' in 1981. Pier 13 was an abandoned coal-loading pier along the Delaware River near where CCIS rehearsed. The band went there often and was inspired by the huge silent machinery, shapes, shadows, ghosts and debris. The songs 'Cardboard Lamb' and 'Flying Turns' quickly became club favorites during the early 80's. This EP's raw, percussive sound influenced both techno and industrial music in later years. CCIS feel a strong connection to Throbbing Gristle, although they consider themselves as working in a parallel universe rather than being influenced by them. All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl is housed in the original jacket featuring stark black and white photos of Pier 13. Each LP includes a double sided 11x11 insert with lyrics, photos of the band and the atmospheric pier. Crash Course in Science go above and beyond what is considered 'New Wave' in attitude and sound.

Mit der Veröffentlichung ihres fünften Albums betreten Imminence verschiedenste musikalische Bereiche und zeigen auf ihrer Reise als Band eine große Vielfalt.

Das bahnbrechende Alternative-Metalcore-Ensemble Imminence stammt von der Südküste Schwedens und hat sich in den letzten Jahren mutig eine Nische im Musikbereich geschaffen. Allen Erwartungen zum Trotz hat das Quintett akribisch einen Klangteppich geschaffen, der die Grenzen des Genres überschreitet. Ihre mutige Verschmelzung klassischer Streicharrangements, verwoben mit der rohen Kraft wilden skandinavischen Metals, erschafft ein fesselndes Hörerlebnis. Sowohl klanglich als auch visuell erweisen sich Imminence als ein Leuchtfeuer der Innovation und Spannung und etablieren sich nicht nur als Band, sondern auch als Pioniere, die neue Gebiete in der sich ständig weiterentwickelnden Musiklandschaft erschließen.

Angeführt vom Sänger und Geiger Eddie Berg, den Gitarristen Harald Barrett und Alex Arnoldsson, dem Schlagzeuger Peter Hanström und dem Bassisten Christian Höijer; Imminence entfesseln ihr musikalisches Können auf dem kommenden Album „The Black“. Machen Sie sich bereit und atmen Sie tief durch, während Imminence uns auf den großen Sprung in die Tiefen von „The Black“ vorbereiten, einem kühnen Versprechen einer beispiellosen musikalischen Odyssee, die sich allen Konventionen widersetzt und Sie einlädt, sich auf den Aufstieg eines neuen Genre-Klassikers einzulassen.
Die Band wagt sich in eine düsterere und stärker auf Orchester ausgerichtete Welt vor und definiert die Grenzen der modernen Alternative-Szene immer wieder neu. Imminence Erforschung ist mehr als nur Musik; Es ist ein mutiger Abstieg in unbekannte Gebiete, der ihre Position als Pioniere in der Landschaft einzigartiger und hochinnovativer musikalischer Ausdrucksformen festigt.

- „Dies ist die größte Annäherung an eine selbstbetitelte Veröffentlichung, denn diese Platte spricht Bände darüber, was Imminence als Band ausmacht.“ Durch die Einflüsse aus unserer gesamten Diskographie, gemischt mit unseren skandinavischen Wurzeln, kann man Elemente aus unserer gesamten Geschichte hören, die jedoch von einem unstillbaren Hunger angetrieben werden. Das Album ist wahrscheinlich das konzeptionellste, das wir je geschaffen haben, und ich war noch nie so stolz auf ein Werk. Die lyrischen Konzepte setzen den Weg früherer Veröffentlichungen fort und drehen sich um psychische Gesundheit und Depression. Aber dieses Mal gibt es kein Zurückhalten. Es ist wütend, verzweifelter und aus den Fugen geraten, durchdrungen von Angst und Dunkelheit. Wir haben es uns auch erlaubt, das Album in unerwartete Räume schweben zu lassen und so eine musikalische Reise mit starken Kontrasten zwischen Licht und Dunkelheit zu schaffen. Es ist ein „Eat Your Heart Out“, ein kompromissloser Beweis dafür, was „Imminence“ geworden ist. Das ist das Schwarze.“ – Eddie Berg

Mit der Veröffentlichung ihres fünften Albums betreten Imminence verschiedenste musikalische Bereiche und zeigen auf ihrer Reise als Band eine große Vielfalt.

Das bahnbrechende Alternative-Metalcore-Ensemble Imminence stammt von der Südküste Schwedens und hat sich in den letzten Jahren mutig eine Nische im Musikbereich geschaffen. Allen Erwartungen zum Trotz hat das Quintett akribisch einen Klangteppich geschaffen, der die Grenzen des Genres überschreitet. Ihre mutige Verschmelzung klassischer Streicharrangements, verwoben mit der rohen Kraft wilden skandinavischen Metals, erschafft ein fesselndes Hörerlebnis. Sowohl klanglich als auch visuell erweisen sich Imminence als ein Leuchtfeuer der Innovation und Spannung und etablieren sich nicht nur als Band, sondern auch als Pioniere, die neue Gebiete in der sich ständig weiterentwickelnden Musiklandschaft erschließen.

Angeführt vom Sänger und Geiger Eddie Berg, den Gitarristen Harald Barrett und Alex Arnoldsson, dem Schlagzeuger Peter Hanström und dem Bassisten Christian Höijer; Imminence entfesseln ihr musikalisches Können auf dem kommenden Album „The Black“. Machen Sie sich bereit und atmen Sie tief durch, während Imminence uns auf den großen Sprung in die Tiefen von „The Black“ vorbereiten, einem kühnen Versprechen einer beispiellosen musikalischen Odyssee, die sich allen Konventionen widersetzt und Sie einlädt, sich auf den Aufstieg eines neuen Genre-Klassikers einzulassen.
Die Band wagt sich in eine düsterere und stärker auf Orchester ausgerichtete Welt vor und definiert die Grenzen der modernen Alternative-Szene immer wieder neu. Imminence Erforschung ist mehr als nur Musik; Es ist ein mutiger Abstieg in unbekannte Gebiete, der ihre Position als Pioniere in der Landschaft einzigartiger und hochinnovativer musikalischer Ausdrucksformen festigt.

- „Dies ist die größte Annäherung an eine selbstbetitelte Veröffentlichung, denn diese Platte spricht Bände darüber, was Imminence als Band ausmacht.“ Durch die Einflüsse aus unserer gesamten Diskographie, gemischt mit unseren skandinavischen Wurzeln, kann man Elemente aus unserer gesamten Geschichte hören, die jedoch von einem unstillbaren Hunger angetrieben werden. Das Album ist wahrscheinlich das konzeptionellste, das wir je geschaffen haben, und ich war noch nie so stolz auf ein Werk. Die lyrischen Konzepte setzen den Weg früherer Veröffentlichungen fort und drehen sich um psychische Gesundheit und Depression. Aber dieses Mal gibt es kein Zurückhalten. Es ist wütend, verzweifelter und aus den Fugen geraten, durchdrungen von Angst und Dunkelheit. Wir haben es uns auch erlaubt, das Album in unerwartete Räume schweben zu lassen und so eine musikalische Reise mit starken Kontrasten zwischen Licht und Dunkelheit zu schaffen. Es ist ein „Eat Your Heart Out“, ein kompromissloser Beweis dafür, was „Imminence“ geworden ist. Das ist das Schwarze.“ – Eddie Berg

Necrot continue their ascent to the forefront of American aural extremity, pushing the boundaries of style and continuing to recast metal in their image. Founded by bassist, vocalist and principal songwriter Luca Indrio and drummer Chad Gailey in 2011 – guitarist Sonny Reinhardt joined the next year – the Oakland, California, trio offer Lifeless Birth (in continued collaboration with Tankcrimes) as a culmination of their to-date efforts to encapsulate and push forward the deathly stylings of 2020’s Mortal and their 2017 debut, Blood Offerings. It’s not about giving up a ferocity that’s helped make them a household name among the converted. Instead, Necrot use that same, by-now-characteristic intensity as the backdrop for an expanded songwriting palette. They’ve always been a band who stood out. The maturity they show on Lifeless Birth confirms that’s been the plan all along. It is a vision of what metal can be and do in 2024, tearing down old barriers and keeping those traditional elements that make it stronger. Recorded with Grammy-winning producer Greg Wilkinson (who has helmed all three Necrot albums) and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, Lifeless Birth pivots fluidly between technical intricacy, progressive poise and all-out brutality. Scouring lead work will have thrash heads nodding knowingly, and an overarching groove reaches out across the metal microgenres with a righteous call to worship. Its songs are memorable and varied, unpretentious but able to rear up with statelier violence. At the same time, “Drill the Skull,” “Cut the Cord,” “The Curse” and others prove that just because a song is beating you into the ground doesn’t mean it can’t also be forward-thinking. Or catchy. After having their Mortal tour plans scuttled owing to the covid pandemic, family health issues that led Luca, who became a US citizen in 2016 and currently lives in Mexico, to return to Italy for a time canceled what would have been their first tour post-plague. Still, despite this and Chad suffering a broken back, requiring multiple surgeries and intense physical therapy to be able to drum again, period, Luca being struck with Bell’s Palsy the night before he was originally due to fly to the studio to record, and Sonny requiring multiple surgeries on his hands in the months since they finished, Necrot charge forward with material distinguished in its real-world point of view and willingness to look beyond extreme metal tropes in lyrics, the melodies of its guitar solos, and unbridled audience engagement. For a collection of songs that feel so much written for the stage, it should be no surprise tours early in 2024 and summer festivals are to be announced. Mortal (2020, Tankcrimes) was #2 on Billboard's Top New Artist chart, #30 on the Top Current Albums chart, #4 on the Current Hard Music, and #10 on the Heatseeker Albums chart for week of release. Necrot have toured in North America, Europe, Australia and Japan, and shared the stage with Cannibal Corpse, Immolation, The Black Dahlia Murder, Suffocation, Morbid Angel, and hundreds of others. Expect no letup as Lifeless Birth brings Necrot all the more to their own place among metal’s superlatively aggressive proliferators. – JJ Koczan

Blue/Black Marble Vinyl, limitiert auf 200 Exemplare. ARROW MINDS sind eine melodische Metalcore / Hardcore Band aus Rostock, Deutschland. Sie wurden in einer kalten Winternacht im Jahr 2016 gegründet. Wenn du Bands wie Strike Anywhere, Avail oder Architects magst, wird diese Band deine Welt auf den Kopf stellen. Ihr neues Album ist ein großer Schritt nach vorne im Vergleich zu ihrem letzten. Man merkt, dass diese Band ihren musikalischen Weg gefunden hat. Ihre kraftvollen und aussagekräftigen Songs repräsentieren alles, wofür eine moderne Metalcore-Band stehen sollte - schnelle, aggressive Melodien, die zu eingängigen Hooks führen; mit Texten, die nicht versuchen, nur leere Parolen raus zu hauen, sondern vielmehr notwendige Fragen stellen und Statements setzen.

"Jerskin Fendrix should have tea with Jarvis Cocker" - Iggy Pop on BBC 6 Music "Winterreise has proved his brilliance, but it has also only affirmed his status as an enigma" - The Quietus. Originally billed as the "quasi-godfather of the south London Scene" by The Quietus for his influence on bands like Black Country, New Road, Black Midi and Famous, Jerskin Fendrix has recently made the leap onto the global stage for his Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe-nominated film score for Yorgos Lanthimos' latest film 'Poor Things'. Since this stratospheric rise to red carpet fame, the Shropshire-born musician's debut 'Winterreise' has been put into a fresh perspective; at the time of its release it was lauded as something of an enigma, a collection of errant pop songs that gave little away about the artist behind them. Now, the record that was awarded album of the year in 2020 by Loud & Quiet, can be seen as a prototype for Jerskin's strange blend of baroque, pop, electro, punk - an amalgam that takes the record beyond the referential. Having been out of print for a number of years, untitled (recs) has re-pressed it with its original artwork on a limited run of 1000 copies

Repress!

Presenting a collection of deep spatial gems mined from the ever impressive TK Disco vaults for your playback listening pleasure!

The TK Disco music empire has blessed our ears and minds with an endless stream of music since it's late 1960's inception. Countless soul and funk sides were produced, cut and released by label founder Henry Stone and his associates, in turn changing the face of contemporary black music in the USA and across the world forever. It is true that the TK story originated on America's 'Space Coast', the modern frontier of lunar exploration and galactic travel, the home of NASA and countless missions beyond the stars nestled on the East Coast of the United States.

'Moon Ride' - The compilation you hold in your hands, is merely one strand of the incredible music that was beamed out of Hialeah, FL over the decades. The focus on this collection is the idea of the 'cosmic' from the Disco era. These are records that emit a spacey vibe, either from their lyrical content or equally from their sonic qualities, imbibing synths and electronics to create otherworldly grooves. These records were big hits on underground music scenes such as Daniele Baldelli's cosmic movement in the 70's and 80's in Lake Garda, they were vehicles of escapism and hedonism on the discerning dancefloors of NYC in the hands of progressive DJs like David Mancuso and Nicky Siano and they were also essential building blocks in the creation of House and Techno music in the Midwestern cities of Chicago and Detroit, inspiring legendary artists such as Mr Fingers and Jeff Mills and countless others. An essential collection of music for listening, dancing, loving and travelling!

TK Disco's influence is still felt today and this carefully curated selection of tracks showcases some absolute classics, overlooked nuggets and rarities from the label's huge output. Mastered with love by Optimum Mastering, Bristol UK. Brought to you by TK Disco / Henry Stone Music & Above Board Distribution 2021.

In 2005, an 18-year-old Raphael Gimenes left the sunny shores of Brazil behind, embarking on a journey to a distant and wintry land. "Dinamarca," the Portuguese name for Denmark, became his new home, where he has lived for almost two decades. Today, he presents his third album, a deep exploration of his life in Scandinavia. Rather than being a nationalistic tribute, "DINAMARCA" tells chapters from Gimenes" life story as a Brazilian living in the northern corners of the world. It guides us through the enchanting nordic woods, the vast fields stretching to the horizon, and the timeless sea resting beneath an endless sky. The melodies of blackbirds, the dances of red deer, and the whispers of ancient oaks form the backdrop for his musical stories. Within his songs, we experience moments of deep solitude and boundless inspiration, moments where reflection and creative passion intertwine. Gimenes skillfully turns the power of love into harmonies, dedicating songs to both his companion and his closest friends. Beyond these experiences, he leads us on journeys to Denmark"s neighboring lands, Norway and Sweden, where revelations and encounters with the mystical found their way into the lyrical fabric of his songs. The album"s orchestration includes Gimenes" vocals and the resonant chords of his classical guitar. Accompanying him throughout the album are Jan Kadereit"s multilayered percussion, and Lucas Delacroix"s bass synth, who also plays the electric guitar at times. The music further unfolds with the nuances of a string quartet, and a brass quintet, both recorded in the tropical highlands of Minas Gerais. Other guest musicians feature on individual songs, such as pianist Sebastian Macchi, flautist Flavia Huarachi, cellist Lucas Almeida, and singers Gaby Echevarria, Cecilia Pahl, and Cris Ferro. Gimenes has garnered acclaim and accolades across continents. His debut release, "Raphael Gimenes & As Montanhas de Som," delved deep into the rhythms and traditions of Brazil. It rose to prominence as the top Brazilian release in 2016 in Holland and was hailed as a "conceptual masterpiece" in Japan. His second album, "A Tongue Full of Suns," co-produced with Faroese multi-artist Teitur, ventured into the English language, blending Gimenes" inspirations from the world of prog-rock. Danish rock legend TimChristensen praised it as "top-shelf neo-folk," while Brazilian website80minutos described it as "hypnotizing." The music within "DINAMARCA" delves deep into the soul of a man who embraced a new land with open arms, while staying true to his roots. It unites elements from both of Gimenes" prior works, embarking on a journey across new musical horizons. The result is music that transcends borders, weaving itself into an intricately beautiful tapestry - a soul that has learned to harmonize with two worlds.

Celebrated new wave compilation from Japan reissued for the first time on Glossy Mistakes.

A much-cherished gem from the 1980s underground Japanese music scene returns as Soft Selection 84 is reissued by Glossy Mistakes for its 40th anniversary. Originally released on DIY label Soft, the compilation sees 13 tracks from nine acts spanning minimal, ambient, zolo and more for a beguiling listen.

The result is a charming time capsule of eclectic creativity in which nothing sounds dated. Take La Sellrose Can Can, whose two party jams predate Kero Kero Bonito's hyperpop by decades. In addition, an impeccable remastering from the original master tapes adds to the "could have been recorded yesterday" feel of the collection.

Soft Selection 84 also includes the eccentric Picky Picnic. One of the few featured artists with recordings beyond the anthology, the trio is an essential act for those curious about Japanese art pop of the era. There is also new wave introspection from Name, whose "Do We All Need Love" plays out as a sensual nod to John Lennon. In a similar vein is Clä-Sick, the recording name of Goro Some, the compilation's original producer and founder of Soft.

The record's rerelease comes with Some's blessing, along with his original artwork and photography. Ultimately, the listener is left tantalised by his selection and its bold excursions into no wave, synth pop, radioplay and bizzaro house. Most of the artists on this release would fade into obscurity, but the transient nature of the potential showcased has helped cement the compilation's reputation over the years.

Soft Selection will be released on vinyl LP by Glossy Mistakes on March 2024, with a remastering from the original master tapes.

High Roller Records, reissue 2024, 180g black vinyl, ltd 500, lyric sheet, mastered for vinyl by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony

F8 . Liam Melly - Energy
F9 . Armin Van Buuren - Space Case
F10 . The Obsessed - Free Yourself
F11 . Ie Shuuk & B Stylezz - Konje
F12 . Armin Van Buuren - Lose This Feeling (Maddix remix)
F13 . Armin Van Buuren - Lose This Feeling (Dimension remix)
F14 . Armin Van Buuren - AI Vs Humanity (A State Of Trance Year mix 2023 outro)

First ever vinyl release of the album recorded in 1969/70 by UK prog-psych band Misty. Including their terrific mod-psych “Hot Cinnamon” 45.

A dazzling fusion of classically-inspired progressive rock and song-based psychedelic pop with an organ-based sound, in the vein of Procol Harum and The Nice.

“In October 1969, King Crimson released their debut, In The Court Of The Crimson King, Pink Floyd unleashed Ummagumma and Led Zeppelin put out their second LP. At the same time, Misty were in London’s Regent Sound Studios recording what turned out to be the only album of their career with producer, Adrian Ibbetson, who had cut his teeth as an engineer working with everyone from the Beatles to the Equals.

After only a handful of gigs, Misty signed a deal with Parlophone and began to gather momentum with the release of Hot Cinnamon. Although they received a lot of airplay, the single failed to chart and the band’s hopes of releasing their debut album were dashed. Reluctantly, Misty went their separate ways and the Here Again master tapes sat gathering dust on a shelf until Gelardi came across the original acetate and decided it was time for the album to finally see the light of day.

Bridging late psych and early prog, songs like Life Has Just Begun, Witness For The Resurrection and the title track were played with a perfect mix of high-flying experimentation and virtuosic musicianship. Blurring the fine lines between rock, jazz, classical and chamber pop, Here Again is a transcendent kaleidoscope of colour that is beyond definition.

Maybe you can tell an album is truly timeless when it takes half a century for it to be properly appreciated. Misty were a rare bird, a brilliant, truly original band who should have left an indelible mark instead of joining what now seems like the never-ending line of half-remembered and long-forgotten flotsam and jetsam of the psychedelic era.

Both the first and the final statement from a group who never really got their chance to be heard, Here Again is a slice of pristine psychedelic pop that so embodies the dizzying energy and the progressive spirit of the time, it’s astonishing that it stays afloat under the weight of its own intentions. But float it does, like mist in the air - a half-forgotten diaphanous dream slowly coming back to you after 50 years of silence.” – Jonathan Wingate

EVERGREY - seit 30 Jahren bereichert das schwedische Schwergewicht die Musikwelt mit ausgezeichnetem Progressive Metal. Zeit, um eine kleine Handvoll ihrer Alben erneut auf Vinyl zu pressen, die es so noch nicht gab! Mit den Klassikern "The Dark Discovery", "Solitude, Dominance, Tragedy" & "The Atlantic" gehen gleich drei Kandidaten an die Startlinie und bieten dem Musikliebhaber hochwertige dreifarbige Vinyl im qualitativen Gatefold. Jetzt zuschlagen! Nur solange der Vorrat reicht!

- The Black Angels' classic sophomore album - Special color edition pressed on Metallic Silver Wax. - Triple LP housed in a Stoughton tri-fold gatefold jacket // "The Black Angels bring the aura of mid-1966 the drilling guitars of early Velvet Underground shows, the raga inflections of late-show Fillmore jams, the acid-prayer stomp of Austin avatars the 13th Floor Elevators everywhere they go, including the levitations on their second album, Directions to See a Ghost. Mid-Eighties echoes of Spacemen 3 and the Jesus and Mary Chain also roll through the scoured-guitar sustain and Alex Maas' rocker-monk incantations. But he knows what time it is. 'You say the Beatles stopped the war," Maas sings in `Never/Ever.' `They might've helped to find a cure/But it's still not over.' Even so, this medicine works wonders." - David Fricke, Rolling Stone Last time we met The Black Angels, they were staring into the desert sun somewhere outside of Austin, Texas. Two years later, night has fallen and the spirits have come out. It's time for The Black Angels to provide Directions On How To See A Ghost. If you're familiar with Passover, the band's 2006 debut, you'll know that The Black Angels's music alone is enough to invoke spirits. There's a name for the band's sound; they call it `hypno-drone 'n roll'. It's the sound of long nights on peyote, of dreams of a new world order, and of half-invented memories of the seamy side of '60s psychedelia. While the Iraq war is still a major influence on the band's lyrics, there are new forces at work here, including Eugene Zamyatin's dystopian novel We and in Christian Bland's words "psychic information from the past and future." See, The Black Angels really are in contact with ghosts. "Civil War battlefields are prime spots for seeing ghosts," says Bland. "One time at Kennesaw mountain in Georgia, I was climbing the mountain in the middle of June and it must have been close to 100 degrees, but in this one particular spot it was very cold. The hairs on my neck stood up and I knew something strange was happening. Then the wind whispered something like `retreat,' and I did. I later learned that the spot where I was on the battlefield was known as `the dead angle', the place where the fiercest fighting took place. The confederates ended up retreating from the mountain towards Peachtree Creek." The Black Angels formed in Austin, Texas, in 2004, comprising from six people (now five) from very different backgrounds. Singer/vocalist Christian Bland is the son of a Presbyterian Pastor and was raised in a devoutly religious household. Bassist / guitarist Nate Ryan was born on a cult compound and drummer Stephanie Bailey claims she's a descendent of Davy Crocket. She and Alex Maas (vocals/guitar) believe a little girl in a red linen dress haunts the group's home. The band released Passover in 2006 to critical acclaim for both the album and the song "The First Vietnamese War". Most of all, Passover established The Black Angels as a band with brains, balls and a strong message. And this time around, the message is there to read in a 16-page booklet that comes with the album. "Our central theme is that people need to open up their minds and let everything come through, and to learn from past mistakes," says Christian. "Only then will we understand the reality of this world and progress beyond where we are now as humans. We've built upon that theme with Directions to See a Ghost. We want people to study the booklet we are providing with the album in hopes that they will be able to relate each song to something in their life." _"War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. Keep Music Evil."_

Though often lumped in with New Orleans sludge bands like Eyehategod and Crowbar, Thou shares a more spiritual kinship with '90s proto-grunge bands like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden (all of whom they've covered extensively, both in the studio and onstage). The band's aesthetic and political impulses reflect the obscure '90s DIY hardcore punk found on labels like Ebullition, Vermiform, and Crimethinc. From 2004 through 2016, the band has released four full-length albums, six EPs (some bordering on full lengths), two collaboration records with The Body, and enough material spread out over splits to make up another four or five LPs.

Sacred Bones Records is proud to present the new album, Magus, Thou's first full-length since 2014's Heathen. In the months leading into the new album, Thou will be releasing three drastically different EPs: The House Primordial on Raw Sugar, Inconsolable on Community Records, and Rhea Sylvia on Deathwish, Inc. Each record will focus on a particular sound—noisy drone, quiet acoustic, and melodic grunge—all of which is incorporated into the new LP, subsumed in the band's more standard doom metal.

While sonically, Magus may be a continuation of Heathen, thematically it stands as a stark rebuttal, a journey beyond the principles of pleasure and pain. It is more the culmination of these distinct EPs, which all orbit some internal black hole. FFO alienation, absurdity, boredom, futility, decay, the tyranny of history, the vulgarities of change, awareness as agony, reason as disease.

Black vinyl, DL card. Bardo Pond's extensive archive recordings series opens up once again with 'Volume 9', an incisive journey into their hypnotic sound. Recorded in the early 2000's it's a heady mix of acoustic ambience and menacing distortion. Infamous purveyors of longform stoner rock, Bardo Pond embrace their sludgestorms with graceful nods to Hawkwind, Earth and my bloody valentine. For anyone uninitiated with the band's tranquilizing sound, Volume 9 leans into their mesmeric practise with reckless abandon. Featuring two tracks recorded with ace percussionist Michael Zanghi (Kurt Vile/The War On Drugs) and the seminal two parter 'War Is Over', a lilting Floydian strum that's invaded - quite literally - by unreconstructed noise. The Zanghi collaboration is an Eastern-facing mantra with percussive flurries and distorted modal shifts - like listening on the other side of feedback. "Effortlessly combining psychedelic inspirations from Pink Floyd's original explorations to the more modern reachings into the beyond" AllMusic

LP black vinyl repress, standard single sleeve printed inner but note no download card. The Time Has Come’ is an absolute master class on words and guitar twisting into one another - the poetry goes beyond simple observation into deeply personal and profound lore. A timeless document of sweet and haunting melodies. My favourite record of all time.’ Ryley Walker. // "I've never written songs, regularly, because I never considered myself a songwriter. I've only ever really considered myself a ballad singer, which is what is most important to me. The stories... the ancient nature of the situations and the human condition. And obviously, it's changed so much over the centuries that those songs have been sung, but it always retains that essence of something that's universal... to humanity, and I've always wanted to touch that. I think I wanted to understand people; I think I wanted to understand myself. It's a way of finding the truth. I felt I belonged to that music.” Anne Briggs // Offering some of her first original compositions, ‘The Time Has Come’ was a break from tradition in more ways than one for Anne Briggs. Where previous recordings displayed the unaccompanied melodies of her voice, this album - originally released by CBS in 1971 - brings additional instrumentation in the form of guitar and bouzouki. The result is that her vocals are not submerged but heightened - the plucked strings providing the perfect foil for her crystalline inflection. ‘The Time Has Come’ is a mix of Anne’s own songs alongside some notable covers (Lal Waterson, Steve Ashley, Stan Ellison, Henry McCulloch). All are graced with the quietly self-assured elegance of Anne’s playing, with sounds ranging from the breezy ‘Clea Caught A Rabbit’ to the terrible beauty of ‘Wishing Well’ - each song typifying the bouzouki or guitar style. To say that Anne was an accomplished picker is to do her something of an disservice - the intricacy of her finger-work rivals - and more often than not eclipses - any number of her contemporaries.

German melodic extreme metal act FAR BEYOND mark their return with their third studio album, The End of My Road, on February 16 via their new label home Prosthetic Records. FAR BEYONDüs latest full-length is an ambitious and fastidiously curated amalgam of melodeath, symphonic and power metal, covering themes of courage and heart in the face of depression and hardship. Formed in the early 2000s, FAR BEYOND is the solo project of Eugen Dodenhoeft. Based in the Franconian Switzerland region of Germany, FAR BEYONDüs history to this point has been one of slow and steady artistic progression with 2005's An Angel's Requiem and 2016's A Frozen Flame Of Ice albums showcasing Dodenhoeftüs penchant for seamlessly alternating dynamics of gothic and death metal symphonia. Lusciously complex by design, FAR BEYOND's latest album shines in its songwriting structure. Across the eight tracks, Eugen compiled up to 30 layers of vocals, synthesisers and orchestral textures. Whilst a solo endeavour at its core, The End of My Road sees collaborative guitar solos from Nathram's Lukas Grasslin as well as additional synthesiser embellishments from Ari Ahrendt on Tempus Fugit and the title track. The End of My Road was then placed in the hands of Patrick Staudle of Glaswald Studios in The Black Forest, Germany. Furthering their quest to understand the complexities of the unknown and transcend beyond the unknown, The End of My Roadüs contemplative atmospherics and concentrated sonic extremities merge seamlessly with a deft poetic touch. With Eugen adding: üThe End of My Road is my invitation to get lost in the sonic realms of FAR BEYOND and find a moment of peace and inspiration. I look forward to sharing this album with the world and hope that it touches the hearts of listeners, providing them with an unforgettable soundtrack for their own journey.

“I like to work with a variety of instruments and set ups,” says Mark Van Hoen, sometimes known as Locust or Autocreation but here working under his own name on the excellent Plan For A Miracle, his first physical release of solo music since 2018’s Invisible Threads. ”Sometimes it’s literally in my studio, with all the hardware electronics available. Sometimes the laptop, using software instruments. Some of the tracks on this record were recorded in the desert (Joshua Tree) using a 4-track tape machine and small modular synthesiser set up. Each track was recorded in different location using different instruments, which accounts for the distinction between each piece. It’s also about my own reaction to my environment, and what’s going on in my life at the time.”

The Croydon-born Van Hoen started musical life in the early 1990s, signing for R&S records in 1993 but developing his own, myriad and distinctive style across a range of releases on Touch, Editions Mego and other labels, using a battery of instruments, including analogue synthesizers and taking a number of different approaches to recording, rather than ploughing a single sonic furrow. He has worked on a number of collaborations, including with Nick Holton and Neil Halstead of Slowdive, under the moniker of Black Hearted Brother - their Stars Are Our Home was released in 2013. “I have known Neil Halstead since 1992,” says Van Hoen. “He shared a house with me for a couple of years, and the music I was making and listening to along with clubs I was attending had an influence particularly on Pygmalion, the final Slowdive album on Creation.”

Each track on Plan For A Miracle does indeed sound like a world unto itself, a mini-environment, a weather condition, an ecosystem created for the moment. It’s a collection of tracks recorded over the past few years, released on Bandcamp - despite his apparent absence, Van Hoen works constantly. Opener “Climates”, in its exquisite limpidity, feels like a homage to Brian Eno, one of his most formative influences in his teen years, commencing with Music For Films, which he bought in 1979. “This Is For Them”, feels like a ghostlike throwback to early drum & bass or electronica, reminiscent of his own, earliest outings. “There have been a number of requests from labels to make some more music like my very early releases on R&S,” says Van Hoen. “This is part of ‘letting go’ and realising that there’s nothing less creative about going back to those styles again.”

“Pencil Of Spheres” is something else again, a magnificent, imaginary glass structure, shimmering, refracting, without visible means of suspension, a thing of impossible beauty. “Electric Lights” evokes an abandoned fairground, its lights still pulsating, its music lingering. “The Underpass”, meanwhile, insofar as it reminds of anything at all, is faintly reminiscent of Cluster or Neu’s! West German ambience, the urban mundane rendered magical, the sodium lights, the whitewashed walls. The reverberant, faintly oriental chimes of “Insight” transport us yet again, burgeoning and intensifying.

The landscapes, the skyscapes rendered on Plan For A Miracle feel unpopulated as a rule - but when he does introduce vocal elements, Van Hoen has a history of doing so to spectacular effect - think of “Real Love” from 1998’s Playing With Time, the seductive intonation of its title recurring throughout like a series of massive holograms, echoing, stuttering, breaking up, surging. Here, there are just the faintest of vocals, barely distinct, disquieting. “There’s been a bit of a game changer in recent times,” explains Van Hoen. “AI software that enables you to extract vocals and instrument parts from virtually any recording. That means sampling individual parts from existing sources is no longer limited to the original mix exposing certain parts soloed. The vocal parts I use are from multiple sources and often pitch shifted altered rhythmically and melodically.“ There’s further vocal chatter on “I Really Do”, proceeding at a faster pace as if giving chase, or being pursued - distant, enigmatic. “The Music”, meanwhile, its beat tolling, lost in its own fog of static, features a curious intonation, like the ghost of a lost Walker Brother.

Sadly, the album’s title is in reference to a personal tragedy on Van Hoen’s part - the loss of his wife. Titles such as “I Won’t Give Up”, which faintly reminds of another Eno masterpiece, Another Green World, in its nautical hurly-bury, or the pastoral strains of “Mrs Who”, heavily clouded with sadness, seem to allude to this. “In fact the record was recorded entirely before she passed away,” says Van Hoen, “most of it before she even became very ill. The title was given to the album when it started to look like she wasn’t going to make it beyond a few months. It was something Osho said - “plan for a miracle” - so it was a statement of hope. Unfortunately it was not to be.” Although the album is non-thematic, non-specific in its atmospheres, sound paintings, elegant structures it most certainly stands as a magnificent monument to Osho’s memory.

-David Stubbs.

Zum ersten Mal überhaupt wird die Debauchery-Version von "Enemy Of Mankind" auf Vinyl erhältlich sein!
Aufgenommen von Dennis Ward und mit einem exklusiven LP-Cover-Artwork versehen, das von Thomas Gurrath gestaltet wurde.
Die Texte der 11 Songs sind wie gewohnt in Gurraths dunklem Fantasy-Universum, der World of Blood Gods, angesiedelt.

First album in seven years from Maple Death Records founder James Jonathan Clancy (Italy/Canada), and the first under his birth name following previous ensembles His Clancyness (Fat Cat, Maple Death) and Brutal Birthday (Total Punk, Improved Sequence). In the interim between those projects and this latest, ‘Sprecato’, Clancy has refined and honed his vision —steadily and carefully drawing from a host of disparate influences to create a new kind of singer-songwriter album that bridges the divide between cosmic loner-folk, proto-ambient music, and the epic, intricately arranged world of vintage Italian soundtrack music. For ‘Sprecato’, Clancy has assembled a transnational cast of renowned guest collaborators; including Stefano Pilia (co-producer/guitar/modular/synths/bass), Andrea Belfi (drums), Enrico Gabrielli (flutes, PJ Harvey/Calibro 35), Francesca Bono (piano, Bono/Burattini) —while the core of the band features Dominique Vaccaro (guitars, J.H. Guraj), Andrea De Franco (synths, Fera) and Kyle Knapp (sax, Cindy Lee/Deliluh).

Written and recorded between London & Bologna, the initial spark for the album was to be found in the book length work ‘Gli Sprecati’ (Canicola Edizioni), by visionary Italian comic’s artist Michelangelo Setola, who ultimately provided Clancy with the graphics

that grace the album’s cover and overall visual sensibility. Something of Setola’s near apocalyptic pastoralism runs through the record, even as Clancy’s themes grow beyond the seed they’d originally planted. Drum machines that sound as if they’ve been excavated from the earth meet detuned pianos and guitars; bucolic traces of synths stretched beyond all reckoning. While the band is both loping and epic —with shades of Pentangle’s Terry Cox in the live drumming in particular —there’s a new emotional depth and

This is the new 20th anniversary edition of one of Soul Jazz Records’ classic Studio One releases, now available as a one-off special blue vinyl very limited-edition pressing (2000 copies worldwide). 


Studio One Roots set the standard for Soul Jazz Records’ long-standing series of Studio One collections and features many of the classic artists from Clement 'Sir Coxsone’ Dodd’s mighty roster of reggae. This album includes Freddie McGregor, Willie Williams, Cornell Campbell, Alton Ellis, Devon Russell alongside some of the defining crack-session men groups of Jamaican reggae history – The Sound Dimension, Brentford All-Stars, The Skatalites, New Establishment and more. As ever the album is filled with a mixture of
seminal cuts and super-rarities from the vast vaults of 13 Brentford Road. 
Stand-out tracks include Alton Ellis’s Blackish White, a surreal and powerful Afro-centric dream, Count Ossie Nyabinghi and Rastafarian drummers genre-defying interpretation of Booker
T and The MGs ‘Meditation’, Willie Williams awe-inspiring versioning of the Skatalites seminal Rastafari anthem Addis Ababa and many, many more.
 This album has been fully digitally remastered, analog cut and packaged complete with the following: Original sleevenotes by Lloyd Bradley (author of When Reggae Was King),
compiled by Mark Ainley (Hones Jons), high-quality Soul Jazz mastering, wicked images of Count Ossie and the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari on the cover, and a rare image of Clement Dodd and musicians inside the studio at Studio One on the full colour inner
sleeves.
 “The music of this compilation is of a rare, rare beauty and is essential to anyone's reggae collection” All Music

Very limited vinyl pressing, 500 copies, housed in a full colour sleeve & printed inner sleeve & download. CD in a 4 panel digipack with a 4 page lyric booklet. New Heavy Sounds are always on the lookout for new bands that are looking to push the boundaries of what is considered as inhabiting the ‘heavy’ or ‘metal’ spectrum’. Stuff that pricks up the ears, a bold new voice within a maelstrom of genres and sub-genres. We believe we have found such a band. New York-based GUHTS (pronounced ‘guts’) declare themselves to be an ‘avant-garde post-metal project, delivering larger than life sounds through, deeply emotional music’. We are thrilled to be able to deliver that statement in the form of their debut album ‘Regeneration’. By their own admission, GUHTS' musical style is influenced not only by iconic metal bands like Gojira, Cult of Luna, YOB and Deftones, but more unconventional acts like Bjork, Subrosa, Isis, Julie Christmas, and even PJ Harvey. It’s undoubtedly heavy, with a strong feminist streak, it’s cathartic and weighty, a formidable debut for such a new band. Founded in 2020 as a passion project by Scott Prater (Witchkiss), and Amber Burns (Witchkiss) and then Dan Shaneyfelt (Black Mountain Hunger), GUHTS became its members’ main focus following the release of their first EP 'Blood Feather' which itself received rave reviews from the likes of Decibel Magazine, Invisible Oranges, The Obelisk, Cvlt Nation, and more. Brian Clemens Sleaping Dreaming) & Daniel Martinez (Nefariant) joined GUHTS in 2022 and the band swiftly started booking tours and making plans to record 'Regeneration'. Since then GUHTS have been steadily making a name for themselves with their powerful live performances., sharing stages with the likes of Yob, Cave in, Marissa Nadler, plus appearances at the Maryland Doom Fest, Crucial Fest and Ohio Doomed and Stoned Fest. ‘Regeneration’ is set to cement their status as one of the coolest and most interesting bands on the scene. Of the album, vocalist Amber says. "Regeneration" symbolizes the power of self-renewal, often overlooked. Embracing it means shedding old layers and welcoming new beginnings. Without this, life stagnates and is “sustaining”. Through regeneration, change becomes empowering, allowing new facets to emerge. It's a courageous, transformative process, inspiring others to overcome fear and embrace change. The album embodies the human spirit's resilience and capacity for growth. Musically ‘Regeneration’ is a powerful and intense series of songs, topped off by some seriously powerhouse and expressive vocal performances. It’s slow-moving chords, moving like sheets through sludge. High guitar lines above, ranging from piercing and shimmering to nasty. Drums pound but not without groove. There are strings, pianos and synths widening the palette. Atmospheric sludge, Metalgaze, maybe, but there’s also that link to the New York Noise lineage from The Velvets and Sonic Youth, becoming a type of post-hardcore in the process, while gaining a connection to metal partly due to the sheer heaviness. A raft of creative experimentation that pushes beyond the realm of post-metal. And then of course, the very first thing that hits you is Amber Gardner's unbelievable, hypnotising vocals - as scary as a banshee while also intimate and persuasive. Amber means it for sure and almost dominates the proceedings. Her lyrics are eclectic, thoughtful. Immersed in women's narratives frombooks like "Women Who Run With the Wolves" or works like "On Our Best Behavior" by Elise Loehnen. Amber advocates stepping beyond comfort zones, believing it's transformative for individuals and vital for Earth's future. Hokey occult rock it is not. In short ‘Regeneration’ is a bold and startling debut, that will reward and enthral listeners the deeper they delve into its many layers.

Contradictory accounts of Miles Davis’ creation of the soundtrack to Louis Malle’s film noir Ascenseur pour l'Échafaud have all become part of its legend. Rarely has a soundtrack been so decisive. Nearly seventy years on, beyond the myth, this taut, feverish recording, imbued with extreme dramatic tension, remains one of the Miles’ finest records. The basic outline remains: Jean-Paul Rappeneau suggested to Malle asking Miles Davis to create the film's soundtrack who agreed to record the music after attending a private screening. Davis was performing at the Club Saint-Germain in Paris in November 1957 and on December 4, he brought his four sidemen to the recording studio without having had them prepare anything. Davis only gave the musicians a few rudimentary harmonic sequences he had assembled in his hotel room, and, once the plot was explained, the band improvised without any precomposed theme, while edited loops of the musically relevant film sequences were projected in the background. Bassist Pierre Michelot recalled in 1988 that “Miles just asked us to play two chords, D minor and C7, 4 bars of each, ad lib.” Typically, Miles planned very little but know exactly what he wanted. François Leterrier, the film’s Second Assistant Director picks up the story: “The session started at around ten o’clock and went on until dawn. The screen in the auditorium was showing the scenes for which Miles had devised some harmonies, and they were edited into a loop. And that’s what makes this music unique: it was entirely improvised in conditions that went back to the days of silent films, while watching frames shot in black and white by cinematographer Henri Decaë: tracking shots of Jeanne Moreau wandering down the Champs-Elysées at night, passing in front of lit window displays or going into bars, while looking for her lover/murderer alias Maurice Ronet … All of us there in the dark auditorium were aware that something extraordinary was taking place, something that had definitely never happened before. … In the small hours we all met up again at the Pied de Cochon in Les Halles, and Louis was looking at Miles with the disbelieving eyes of a child … as if he couldn’t believe the gift he’d just received. Even in his wildest dreams he had probably never imagined what his film would be like once it had been as if illuminated by the trumpet of Miles, incisive or wrapped softly in cotton.” The music was released on 10” by Fontana and received the Grand Prix from France’s Académie Charles Cros. It was released in the USA on Columbia as the A-side of the 12” LP Jazz Track, which received a 1960 Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Performance, Solo or Small Group. This beautiful re-issue of the original recording is pressed on 180g vinyl at GZ, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket with Boris Vian’s original liner notes and Jean-Pierre Leloir’s iconic studio photo of Miles and Jeanne Moreau, and an essay on the circumstances that led to this out-of-the ordinary music by Franck Bergerot.

VEMOD sind alles andere als eine Durchschnittsband. Die Norweger existieren vielmehr in musikalischen und lyrischen Grenzbereichen. Das zweite Album des Trios, "The Deepening", ist aus demselben tonalen Granit gemeißelt, aus dem schon der Vorgänger "Venter på stormene" vor über einem Jahrzehnt geschlagen wurde. Das klangliche Grundgestein lagert im Ort Namsos, wo VEMOD um die Jahrhundertwende vom damals 12-jährigen Jan Even Åsli als lebenslanges Projekt aus musikalischer Leidenschaft ins Leben gerufen wurden. Die nächstgelegene Großstadt ist Trondheim, wo die eigenwillige lokale Nidrosian Black Metal Szene, die sich auf den ursprünglichen Namen der Stadt bezieht, die ersten musikalischen Bezugspunkte für VEMOD lieferte - wie das erste Demo "Kringom fjell og skog" (2004) eindeutig belegt.
Als die Norweger sieben Jahre später mit dem Track "Moestæ Qverelæ" auf einer Split-Single sowie dem Demo "Vinterilden" im Jahr 2011 erneut auftauchten, hatten sie sich signifikant verändert. Das Trio hatte Elemente verstärkt, die schon zuvor vorhanden waren: Eine Prise Erhabenheit, die an frühe IN THE WOODS... erinnert, ein Schuss Melancholie und eine Messerspitze introvertierter Kontemplation inmitten einer breiten Palette emotionaler und dunkelfarbiger Klangbilder. VEMODs musikalischer Wandel findet Parallelen in der Entwicklung der französischen Brüder im Geiste, ALCEST, obwohl es in beide Richtungen keinen direkten Einfluss gab. Im Nachhinein können die Norweger als Vorreiter für aktuell so populäre Stile wie Blackgaze und Post-Black Metal gelten, obwohl sie sich beides nie auf ihre Fahne geschrieben haben. Mit ihrem Debütalbum "Venter på stormene" öffneten VEMOD im Jahr 2012 ihre Musik für neue Orte: Auf einen denkwürdigen Auftritt beim renommierten Beyond the Gates Festival in Bergen im Jahr 2013 folgte die legendäre Show im Vigeland Mausoleum beim Osloer Inferno Festival, die ein Jahr später VEMODs exzellenten Ruf sogar jenseits des Atlantiks zementierte.
"The Deepening" kommt nun mit einer veränderten Produktion daher, die ein neues Klangbild erzeugt, ohne sich von den Wurzeln der Band zu lösen. Auch stilistisch beschreiten die Norweger neue Wege, indem sie ihrem Sound weitere Elemente hinzufügen. Die lyrischen Themen, die sich durch "The Deepening" ziehen, erzählen von Veränderung, Vergänglichkeit, Transformation und Wachstum. "The Deepening" will die Möglichkeit bieten, lang gehegte Überzeugungen und tröstliche Illusionen zu überwinden. Wahrheit kann schmerzen. Und eine Wahrheit ist, dass an der Wegkreuzung, die VEMODs zweites Album erreicht hat, ein vertieftes Verständnis ihrer musikalischen Welt wartet.

VEMOD sind alles andere als eine Durchschnittsband. Die Norweger existieren vielmehr in musikalischen und lyrischen Grenzbereichen. Das zweite Album des Trios, "The Deepening", ist aus demselben tonalen Granit gemeißelt, aus dem schon der Vorgänger "Venter på stormene" vor über einem Jahrzehnt geschlagen wurde. Das klangliche Grundgestein lagert im Ort Namsos, wo VEMOD um die Jahrhundertwende vom damals 12-jährigen Jan Even Åsli als lebenslanges Projekt aus musikalischer Leidenschaft ins Leben gerufen wurden. Die nächstgelegene Großstadt ist Trondheim, wo die eigenwillige lokale Nidrosian Black Metal Szene, die sich auf den ursprünglichen Namen der Stadt bezieht, die ersten musikalischen Bezugspunkte für VEMOD lieferte - wie das erste Demo "Kringom fjell og skog" (2004) eindeutig belegt.
Als die Norweger sieben Jahre später mit dem Track "Moestæ Qverelæ" auf einer Split-Single sowie dem Demo "Vinterilden" im Jahr 2011 erneut auftauchten, hatten sie sich signifikant verändert. Das Trio hatte Elemente verstärkt, die schon zuvor vorhanden waren: Eine Prise Erhabenheit, die an frühe IN THE WOODS... erinnert, ein Schuss Melancholie und eine Messerspitze introvertierter Kontemplation inmitten einer breiten Palette emotionaler und dunkelfarbiger Klangbilder. VEMODs musikalischer Wandel findet Parallelen in der Entwicklung der französischen Brüder im Geiste, ALCEST, obwohl es in beide Richtungen keinen direkten Einfluss gab. Im Nachhinein können die Norweger als Vorreiter für aktuell so populäre Stile wie Blackgaze und Post-Black Metal gelten, obwohl sie sich beides nie auf ihre Fahne geschrieben haben. Mit ihrem Debütalbum "Venter på stormene" öffneten VEMOD im Jahr 2012 ihre Musik für neue Orte: Auf einen denkwürdigen Auftritt beim renommierten Beyond the Gates Festival in Bergen im Jahr 2013 folgte die legendäre Show im Vigeland Mausoleum beim Osloer Inferno Festival, die ein Jahr später VEMODs exzellenten Ruf sogar jenseits des Atlantiks zementierte.
"The Deepening" kommt nun mit einer veränderten Produktion daher, die ein neues Klangbild erzeugt, ohne sich von den Wurzeln der Band zu lösen. Auch stilistisch beschreiten die Norweger neue Wege, indem sie ihrem Sound weitere Elemente hinzufügen. Die lyrischen Themen, die sich durch "The Deepening" ziehen, erzählen von Veränderung, Vergänglichkeit, Transformation und Wachstum. "The Deepening" will die Möglichkeit bieten, lang gehegte Überzeugungen und tröstliche Illusionen zu überwinden. Wahrheit kann schmerzen. Und eine Wahrheit ist, dass an der Wegkreuzung, die VEMODs zweites Album erreicht hat, ein vertieftes Verständnis ihrer musikalischen Welt wartet.

The old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great
variety of morbid symptoms appear"
-Antonio Gramsci, Prison Notebooks.

Iskandr's latest offering "Spiritus Sylvestris" appears to be a radical
statement in both content and form Signifying a departure from the black metal roots of the project, the psychedelic folk doom of the new album builds upon the directions of where both "Vergezicht" and "Glas" were already moving towards.

"Spiritus Sylvestris" is cinematic in scope: majestic and threatening in its aura of sublime grandeur. The Latin title translates to "spirit of the wild" and also refers to the early modern alchemical name for carbon dioxide - when the spirit of the wilderness is released into the
aether through the burning of wood and charcoal. The songs tell impressionistic stories of natural elements personified; when powerful spirits that linger in the earth are stirred, those elemental forces will be forced to haunt our world.

In an era of irreversible damage to our planet and anthropogenic climate change, Iskandr aims to offer funeral dirges for the world that we have already lost.

"Spiritus Sylvestris" embraces a limitless approach to translate this vision into musical form. Employing musical elements from a broad array of genres; easily moving between the martial stomp of early Laibach and the ethereal melodics of Dead Can Dance.

Recorded and mixed by the legendary Pieter Kloos (The Devil's
Blood, Motorpsycho) at The Void Studio in Eindhoven, the new Iskandr record has broadened the scope and sound of the project beyond any confines, resulting in the most open soundscapes from Iskandr to date. The heavy baritone guitar riffs that form the backbone of the record provide a pitch-black canvas in which huge percussive rhythms and psychedelic layers of Hammond organ, Mellotron as well
as subtle acoustics move in and out of focus. If this world is at an end it deserves a requiem for that what is lost.

Alpha Omega is the third album by New York hardcore legends Cro-Mags, originally released in 1992. The album gave us "The Other Side of Madness," arguably one of the band's most well-known songs beyond its dedicated following. Alpha Omega is a piece of hardcore history that every fan must own!

Black LP in reverse board sleeve, polylined inner sleeve
US based Finnish pianist Anni Kiviniemi debuts her trio featuring bassist Eero Tikkanen and drummer Hans Hulbaekmo (from Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra and Moskus). The new album "Eir", out on We Jazz Records 12 Jan 2024, is an introspective, moody, yet swinging trio set comprising of 8 Kiviniemi originals. Modeled for a classic jazz piano trio, Kiviniemi's music reaches far beyond, bringing together influences from classical music, Norwegian musical tradition and North African music.

Of her compositional process, Kiviniemi says:

EP compilation of essential UK house cuts recorded between 1987 - 1990. TIP!


Before British house and techno found its’ distinctive groove at the turn of the 1990s, one act led the way: Bang The Party, a trio who emerged from London’s vibrant underground party scene in the mid 1980s and proved, beyond any doubt, that UK producers could make music every bit as magical as the pioneering productions put forward by their counterparts in Chicago, Detroit and New York.

By the time long-running DJs and party promoters Kid Batchelor and Leslie Lawrence joined forces with trained engineer Keith Franklin at legendary North-West London reggae studio Addis Ababa in 1987, they’d spent years as DIY dance music activists in Britain’s capital city. They channelled these experiences and their love of imported house and techno sounds into a new project, Bang The Party, in the process becoming the first British act to appear on Transmat, a reflection of the quality and authenticity of their music.

The latest Rush Hour Reissue Series release offers a snapshot of some of the numerous gems nestled in the Bang The Party catalogue, delivering a much-deserved celebration of one of Britain’s most significant early acid house collectives. It features four fully remastered cuts recorded and released between 1987 and 1990 – on-point and far-sighted club workouts that sound as fresh and timeless now as they did when Britain was sweltering under its infamous ‘second summer of love’.

Fittingly, the EP begins with ‘I Feel Good All Over’, the group’s ground-breaking debut single. Dedicated to their home city and one of the earliest UK interpretations of house music, the track exists in the grey area between Chicago house and New York ‘garage house’ – all jaunty organ stabs, jacking Windy City beats, restless bass and soulful vocalizations. ‘Jacques Theme’, which follows, originally nestled on the B-side of that single release. An early, acid-flecked expression of hip-house with a British twist, breakdance-friendly bongo patterns and a dose of Larry Heard-inspired deep house dreaminess, the track remains an under-appreciated classic whose rap verses reflect the popularity of hip-hop in London at the time.

1988’s ‘Release Your Body’, Bang The Party’s most celebrated early release, was reissued in the United States by Transmat, reflecting the strong working relationship between Derrick May and Kool Kat Records’ Neil Rushton. A hypnotising affair propelled forwards by sweat-soaked drum machine beats, jacking fills and an addictive bassline, the track offers another near perfect distillation of the band’s Black American musical influences while delivering something genuinely new and fresh.

Rounding off the EP is a choice cut from Bang The Party’s sought after 1990 album Back To Prison. Doused in the star-lit synth sounds of the Motor City with jaunty organ stabs inspired by the kind of New Jersey jams championed at East Orange institution Club Zanzibar, ‘Let It Rip’ is a superb slice of deep house soul featuring a lead vocal every bit as emotive as anything laid down by Robert Owens. Like the rest of Bang The Party’s output, it has stood the time better than anything laid down by their London contemporaries.

The history of Black, Brown & Beige began on June 23, 1943, when Duke Ellington premiered this extended work at Carnegie Hall. It wasn't Ellington's first attempt to create an extended work, which was longer than a typical jazz song and more related to the classical forms than to popular music.
While the soundtrack he made for the short 1929 movie Black & Tan Fantasy included works from a number of previously recorded songs, it was presented in a kind of suite form, with the themes from these songs coming and going and presenting a dialogue with the images on screen. His 1931 Creole Rhapsody' was a composition that went beyond the usual three-and -a-half-minute duration of a standard 78 r.p.m disc, and thus had to be divided onto two sides. A few years later, in 1935, his Reminiscing in Tempo' would occupy four sides and had to be divided onto two discs.
However, those were never his best selling records, and the reception of his 1943 suite Black, Brown & Beige was cold at best. This is due to the fact that apart from being an ambitious extended composition, it was thematically related to racial issues regarding the history of Afro-American people. Most critics could not accept the idea of Ellington composing long musical works
and preferred to confine him to simple jazz songs (even though Ellington's songs were never simple).

Limited edition 300 copies all pressed on mandarin orange coloured vinyl, and housed in a gloss finished full colour outer sleeve with insert, polylined inner bag and download code. Non-Returnable.

Recorded in Finland & the United Kingdom. Winter/Spring 2023

Finnish space travellers Nolla join forces with psychedelic guitar maestro Mike Vest (Bong, Blown Out, Modoki, Artifacts & Uranium, Drunk In Hell)

Inspired by classic space rock, driving hypnotic krautrock and bleak synth soundscapes, the Kaliyuga Express debut album is a story of ends and beginnings, light and darkness, dystopian worlds beyond and their warriors and masters.

Prepare to be blasted into endless black space!

‘Ultra Delays & Octave Hawkwind Guitar Compositions. At the Edge Of Time & The Universe.’

For fans of: Hawkwind, Can, Sun Dial, Bevis Frond, Space Rock, Kosmische Musik etc

BERTUS DISTRIBUTION INTRODUCES NORTH SEA JAZZ CONCERT SERIES

Bertus Distribution, in collaboration with NTR, AVROTROS and MOJO, presents a new vinyl series consisting of live recordings of legendary artists through the decades made at the renowned North Sea Jazz Festival.

The North Sea Jazz Concert Series will include officially licensed releases that will be released as standard on 180-gram white vinyl in a sleeve of heavy paper printed on reversed board. The records will be captured in mainly black-and-white artwork by Hans Pol in his signature style of the festival with inspiration from the covers of classic older jazz releases from the Blue Note label, for example. The liner notes are written by journalist and jazz expert Jeroen de Valk.

For the first release in this series, the honour is given to one of the most famous jazz singers ever, Ella Fitzgerald. On Friday 13 July 1979, she gave a raucous and peerless performance at the festival then still held in The Hague. The "First Lady Of Song" worked her way with verve through standards like 'There Will Never Be Another You', 'Satin Doll', ''Round Midnight' and 'Mr Paganini'. Her accompanists that night were Paul Smith on piano, Keter Betts on bass and Mickey Roker on drums; a trio line-up with the power of a big band.

Future releases will include NSJ recordings by such notables as Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich, Ray Charles, Dexter Gordon and Jan Akkerman. It will be a long-running series with the aim of releasing the most extraordinary NSJ performances on vinyl.

The first edition of the North Sea Jazz Festival took place in 1976 at The Hague’s Nederlands Congresgebouw with some 9,000 visitors. In the first year, jazz legends such as Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz performed alongside a host of artists from the Dutch avant-garde.

The festival, officially NN North Sea Jazz since 2018, has now developed into a major international event that is also known beyond the Dutch borders as an event where jazz from the past, present and future merges with other genres such as blues, soul, funk, hiphop, pop and more. Over the years, it has grown to fifteen venues, around thirteen hundred musicians and an annual audience of between eight-five and ninety thousand. Since 2006, the festival has been held in new wider venue, namely Rotterdam Ahoy.

Milanese techno shaman MAIKE DEPAS travels from the dark to the dreamy side of the dance floor on his EP "Euphoria" (out 24 November on The Innovation Studio)

"Techno emissary Maike Depas storms back onto the scene with 'State of Techno', a bold fusion of past and present influences set to reshape dance floors in 2023." (Magnetic Mag)

"State of Techno is the Milanese producer's visionary work fusing 80's and 90's sounds through a modern lens creating an exhilarating release weaving through 30 years of underground club music." (The Brvtalist)

On the back of the breaky Grand Prix 2049 anthem "Midnight Ride", Milanese techno shaman MAIKE DEPAS (Michelangelo De Pasquale) travels from the dark ("We Move", "Inner Voices" and "Techno Appeal") to the dreamy side ("Midnight Ride" and "Green Hornet") of the dance floor on his EP "Euphoria", coming out on 24 November via The Innovation Studio. One foot in stoic Schranz techno of Chris Liebling"s CLR, the other one in eschatological goa trance of Dragonfly Records, never going under 134 BPM, Depas strikes the perfect balance between dystopia and utopia. "This is my idea of what the ravers want to listen inside the club's Depas reckons.

"Euphoria has two sonorities: the dark vibe, and the dreamy one. This is my idea of what the ravers want to listen inside the club's Maike Depas

With the complex arrangements of the past Depas-releases left out and the trusted workhorse a custom-made pitch black Roland TR-909 from 1983 responsible for doing the heavy lifting in the drum sections, "Euphoria" is a beat-heavy affair that draws its relentless drive and rhythmic richness from merging polyrhythmic patterns merged with streamlined melodies and nifty vocal samples such as the double entendre "quiero jugar una horas mas" (Engl. "I want to play one hour more") on the no-holds-barred hard trance number "Techno Appeal", and the riveting juxtaposition of mesmerizing female vocals and handclaps of roaring crowds in hypnotic "Inner Voices".

"These demoniac figures resemble human transformation and the idea of achieving euphoria through esotericism's Maike Depas

However, when it comes to Depas, there is always more to his music than merely being dead set on setting the dance floors on fire. The antler-wearing figures and witches" circles depicted in the artwork hint at Depas" invitation for the clubbers to let his music move them far beyond the physical world. "These demoniac figures resemble human transformation and the idea of achieving euphoria through esotericism's

Following on from the psychoacoustic concrète of Outside Ludlow / Desert Disco LP (BT075), Sam Dunscombe returns to Black Truffle with Two Forests / Oceanic. Dunscombe has been active in recent years on multiple fronts, including as a key member of the Berlin community of Just Intonation researchers and practitioners; working with composers like Taku Sugimoto, Mary Jane Leach, and Anthony Pateras; and the release of Horatiu Radulescu - Plasmatic Music vol. 1 (the result of many years performance research into the thought and music of this seminal Romanian spectralist). In parallel with these activities, Dunscombe has been deeply involved in research on the role of music in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, prompting these two side long pieces, composed using field recordings and digital synthesis. As Dunscombe explains in the accompanying liner notes, music plays a key role in psychedelic-assisted therapy, yet it is often restricted to stock forms of New Age, ambient and electronica. Taking seriously the potential for spatio-environmental sonic experiences to add to the therapeutic process, these two pieces are intended to suggest how ‘a music-as-environment approach may help to add options to the therapist’s toolbox’. ‘Two Forests’ begins in a central Californian sequoia grove. Bird songs and buzzing insect life are treated with a variety of time-based processing methods (slicing and recombination, primitive granular synthesis, delay, and so on), which strip the field recordings of their linear, documentary character, reframing them in an enchanted web of traces and echoes. Analysing the pitches found in the original recordings, Dunscombe used them to generate a large Just Intonation pitch set. These tones are woven slowly into the field recordings, gradually building in density and complexity until the forest has been transformed into an unreal space of infinite proportions. Emerging from this cosmic expanse in the final minutes of the piece, we find ourselves in the Amazon rainforest outside Manaus, Brazil. As Dunscombe writes, the piece creates ‘a sense of place-gone-strange, of space and time simultaneously expanding and contracting across octaves, miles, and minutes’. On ‘Oceanic’, several recordings of different beaches fade in and out to create a texture both homogenous and constantly shifting in both the rhythm of the waves and each recording's sense of depth and distance. Tones relating in simple ratios to the average rhythm of each beach float over each other, colouring the white noise texture of the field recordings with shifting hues. In both pieces, Dunscombe forgoes the easy consonance that bogs down much contemporary ambient music for a richer harmonic array informed by extended tuning practices and spectralism. The end results suggest a hitherto undreamt-of meeting of Radulescu’s undulating sonic masses and the discreetly processed location recordings of Irv Teibel’s ‘psychologically ultimate’ Environments. Looking beyond the insularity that can afflict experimental music culture, Dunscombe’s work is a moving argument for the healing power of expanded approaches to sound and music. Even outside of a psychedelics-assisted therapy, frequent immersion in Two Forests / Oceanic is almost guaranteed to produce beneficial psychological results.

When Kronos plays a piece, they become fellow composers, true collaborators. Without them, we wouldn’t have the kind of string quartet playing that we find around us today. There are two kinds of string quartet playing: the ‘Before Kronos’ and the ‘After Kronos’.” – Philip Glass

‘Kronos Quartet has broken the boundaries of what string quartets can do.’ – New York Times

Nonesuch releases Kronos Quartet’s acclaimed album Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass on vinyl for the first time to coincide with Kronos Quartet: Five Decades, a year-long celebration marking the quartet’s 50th anniversary. Originally released in 1995, the album features David Harrington (violin), John Sherba, (violin), Hank Dutt (viola) and Joan Jeanrenaud (cello) performing Quartet No. 2 (Company) (1983), No. 3 (Mishima) (1985), No. 4 (Buczak) (1990), and No. 5 (1991), the first piece Glass wrote especially for Kronos. Recorded at Skywalker Sound in California, the album was produced by Judith Sherman, Kurt Munkacsi and Philip Glass. The cover art features Francesco Clemente’s painting The Four Corners (1985). At the time of the album’s release, the New York Times said, ‘It contains some of Glass's best music since Koyaanisqatsi. His ear for sumptuous string sonorities is undeniable,’ while the Washington Post called it ‘An ideal combination of composer and performers.’ It was a top 10 hit on Billboard’s Top Classical Albums, and spent 12 weeks on Billboard’s Classical chart.



In his original liner note, critic Mark Swed wrote, ‘Glass’ string quartets may contain his most intimate music. They are works through which a very public composer, perhaps the most important opera reformer of our age and a longstanding collaborator in large-scale music theater, holds up a mirror to himself and his way of composing. “In an odd way,” Glass explains, “string quartets have always functioned like that for composers. I don’t really know why, but it’s almost impossible to get away from it. It’s the way composers of the past have thought and that’s no less true for me. It’s almost as if we say we’re going to write a string quartet, we take a deep breath, and we wade in to try to write the most serious, significant piece that we can.” Glass says that as he sat down to write String Quartet No. 5, he had discovered that perhaps not taking a serious tone might be the most serious way to deal with it. “I was thinking that I had really gone beyond the need to write a serious string quartet and that I could write a quartet that is about musicality, which in a certain way is the most serious subject.”’



Glass’ first numbered quartet was written in 1966; however, he did not return to the string quartet medium until 1983, when he provided incidental music for a dramatization of Samuel Beckett’s prose poem, Company. During those 17 years, Glass had formed an ensemble and developed his style in a series of increasingly elaborate pieces for it. String Quartet No. 3 is also adapted to dramatic music, this time from his score to the 1985 Paul Schrader film, Mishima. It was with the music of Mishima that Kronos became associated with Glass, recording the string quartet sections of the soundtrack and subsequently working extensively with the composer on all five of his numbered quartets. Kronos also gave the first concert performances of Company and Mishima. String Quartet No. 4 was composed in remembrance of the artist Brian Buczak, who died of AIDS in 1988.



As Kronos’ anniversary season continues with further concerts around the world, Nonesuch will reissue Black Angels on vinyl on February 16. First released in 1990, the award-winning album includes George Crumb’s title piece, which inspired David Harrington to found the quartet. Called ‘an unusually elevated and searing Vietnam War protest’ by the New York Times, it sets a dark, powerful tone for this collection, which addresses the political/physical/spiritual consequences of war. Also featured are works by Charles Ives, István Márta, Thomas Tallis, and Dmitri Shostakovich. ‘Stylishly packaged, intelligently programmed, superbly recorded and brilliantly performed,’ proclaimed Gramophone. ‘In short, very much the sort of disc we’ve come to expect from the talented and imaginative Kronos Quartet.’ The Evening Standard included it among its ‘100 Definitive Classical Albums of the 20th Century’.



Born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1937, Philip Glass is a graduate of the University of Chicago and the Juilliard School. By 1974, he had created a large collection of music for The Philip Glass Ensemble. The period culminated in the landmark opera, Einstein on the Beach. Since Einstein, Glass’s repertoire has grown to include music for opera, dance, theatre, orchestra, and film. His scores have received Academy Award nominations (including Kundun and The Hours, as well as Notes on a Scandal) and a Golden Globe (The Truman Show). Recent works include his memoir, Words Without Music, his first Piano Sonata, opera Circus Days and Nights, and Symphony No. 14. Glass received the Praemium Imperiale in 2012, the US National Medal of the Arts from President Barack Obama in 2016, and 41st Kennedy Center Honors in 2018.



Nonesuch’s relationship with Glass began in 1985, with the release of the score for Paul Schrader’s Mishima featuring Kronos Quartet. Over the years other Glass works on Nonesuch have included Einstein on the Beach (1993), Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass (1995), Music in Twelve Parts (1996), Glass Box (2008), as well as the soundtracks for Powaqqatsi (1988), Kundun (1997), Koyaanisqatsi (1998), and The Hours (2002), amongst others.



For 50 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet – David Harrington (violin), John Sherba (violin), Hank Dutt (viola), and Paul Wiancko (cello) – has challenged and reimagined what a string quartet can be. Founded at a time when the form was largely centred on long-established, Western European traditions, Kronos has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the string quartet into a living art form that responds to the people and issues of our time. In the process, Kronos has become one of the most celebrated and influential groups of our era, performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 70 recordings of extraordinary breadth and creativity, and collaborating with many of the world’s most accomplished composers and performers. Through its nonprofit organization, Kronos Performing Arts Association, Kronos has commissioned more than 1,000 works and arrangements for string quartet – including the Kronos Fifty for the Future library of free, educational repertoire. Kronos has received more than 40 awards, including three Grammy Awards and the Polar Music, Avery Fisher, and Edison Klassiek Oeuvre Prizes.



Kronos is prolific and wide-ranging on recordings. The ensemble’s expansive discography on Nonesuch includes three Grammy-winning albums: Terry Riley’s Sun Rings (2019), Landfall with Laurie Anderson (2018), and Alban Berg’s Lyric Suite featuring soprano Dawn Upshaw (2003); the 40th-anniversary boxed set Kronos Explorer Series; Nuevo (2002), a Grammy- and Latin Grammy–nominated celebration of Mexican culture; Pieces of Africa (1992), a showcase of African-born composers that simultaneously topped Billboard’s Classical and World Music charts; and Folk Songs (2017), Nonesuch’s 50th album with Kronos, which featured Sam Amidon, Olivia Chaney, Rhiannon Giddens, and Natalie Merchant singing traditional folk songs.

The Debut album from Finnish band Graven Sin is a modern classic of godly, Doom-laden Heavy Metal. Veil of The Gods is etched in granite via Svart Records on November 2023 Pristine new Finnish band Graven Sin stomp proudly on the shoulders of giants with their ravishing debut album, Veil of The Gods. Immaculate Heavy Metal, expertly delivered with stunning finesse and elegant Doom perfection, Veil of The Gods is a classic in the making. Rarely has a new band sounded so timeless, serving up a godly platter of first-class Heavy Metal, that Graven Sin seem chiselled in granite to sit side by side at a table with the greats from the very get go. From the galloping charge of opening barn-stormer Morrigan, with jaw dropping solo guitars courtesy of riff master Ville Pystynen, the epic and anthemic She Who Rules Niflheim with soaring vocals from Greek vocalist Nicholas Leptos to the formidable double bass canter of Ville Markkanen’s drums on songs like Beyond Mesopotamia, Graven Sin knows the true riddle of steel. Throughout Veil of The Gods’ eleven cast-iron tracks, we can trace veins of recent Finnish greats such as Sentenced, Amorphis, Reverend Bizarre or their nordic counterparts Grand Magus from Sweden, but there is much more at play here. Graven Sin offers up heavy, doom laden orthodox Heavy Metal in the true, chugging, monumental sense of the term. The knowledge and prowess of Heavy Metal craft on display in Veil of The Gods is second to none, from the Maidenesque command of melody to the swarthy Manowar rhythms, herculean Deep Purple keys and Messiah like Candlemass-rich voice of astonishing vocalist Leptos, these are songs to be inscribed into stone tablets. Where pitch dark mythical themes and occult leanings of the lyrics bring to mind the Heavy Metal running through Black Metal bands like Dissection, the song arrangements swing from gallop to thundering, head-banging mid-sections with such magnificence, you would think you were in the hands of a band with decades of heritage behind their backs. A “where have you been all my life moment” awaits Heavy Metal fans of all shades when Graven Sin hits the speakers, delivering a sound that cuts glass and steel. A refreshing tour–de-force through everything Heavy Metal is loved for, not shrinking from the dark but embracing it with gusto and fierce bravado. Veil of The Gods shows us that real metal lives forever, if crafted with true spirit and belief. Hear the cry of the seer of doom, by heeding Morrigan’s call now: Ville Pystynen - guitar, bass Nicholas Leptos - vocals Ville Markkanen - drums

The Debut album from Finnish band Graven Sin is a modern classic of godly, Doom-laden Heavy Metal. Veil of The Gods is etched in granite via Svart Records on November 2023 Pristine new Finnish band Graven Sin stomp proudly on the shoulders of giants with their ravishing debut album, Veil of The Gods. Immaculate Heavy Metal, expertly delivered with stunning finesse and elegant Doom perfection, Veil of The Gods is a classic in the making. Rarely has a new band sounded so timeless, serving up a godly platter of first-class Heavy Metal, that Graven Sin seem chiselled in granite to sit side by side at a table with the greats from the very get go. From the galloping charge of opening barn-stormer Morrigan, with jaw dropping solo guitars courtesy of riff master Ville Pystynen, the epic and anthemic She Who Rules Niflheim with soaring vocals from Greek vocalist Nicholas Leptos to the formidable double bass canter of Ville Markkanen’s drums on songs like Beyond Mesopotamia, Graven Sin knows the true riddle of steel. Throughout Veil of The Gods’ eleven cast-iron tracks, we can trace veins of recent Finnish greats such as Sentenced, Amorphis, Reverend Bizarre or their nordic counterparts Grand Magus from Sweden, but there is much more at play here. Graven Sin offers up heavy, doom laden orthodox Heavy Metal in the true, chugging, monumental sense of the term. The knowledge and prowess of Heavy Metal craft on display in Veil of The Gods is second to none, from the Maidenesque command of melody to the swarthy Manowar rhythms, herculean Deep Purple keys and Messiah like Candlemass-rich voice of astonishing vocalist Leptos, these are songs to be inscribed into stone tablets. Where pitch dark mythical themes and occult leanings of the lyrics bring to mind the Heavy Metal running through Black Metal bands like Dissection, the song arrangements swing from gallop to thundering, head-banging mid-sections with such magnificence, you would think you were in the hands of a band with decades of heritage behind their backs. A “where have you been all my life moment” awaits Heavy Metal fans of all shades when Graven Sin hits the speakers, delivering a sound that cuts glass and steel. A refreshing tour–de-force through everything Heavy Metal is loved for, not shrinking from the dark but embracing it with gusto and fierce bravado. Veil of The Gods shows us that real metal lives forever, if crafted with true spirit and belief. Hear the cry of the seer of doom, by heeding Morrigan’s call now: Ville Pystynen - guitar, bass Nicholas Leptos - vocals Ville Markkanen - drums

There will always be another peak to summit and boundary to break. END stretch their second full-length offering, The Sin of Human Frailty, beyond its very limits with a fierce commitment to unwavering unpredictability and uncompromising intensity. The New Jersey quintet counts producer and guitarist Will Putney, vocalist Brendan Murphy, guitarist Gregory Thomas, bassist Jay Pepito, and drummer Matt Guglielmo among its ranks. These musicians deliver a concentrated barrage like no other on, The Sin of Human Frailty Closed Casket Activities.

END initially materialized during 2017. The group’s From the Unforgiving Arms of God EP spawned the fan favorite “Necessary Death,” and lead to a signing with label Closed Casket Activities. Highlighted by “Covet Not” and “Absence,” the band bulldozed the senses with their 2020 full-length debut, Splinters From an Ever-Changing Face. Brooklyn Vegan hailed “Pariah” as “an absolutely filthy dose of modern metalcore,” and Kerrang went as far as to describe their Debut LP as, “catharsis fed through a distortion pedal and shaped into a dense, destructive wrecking ball” Perhaps, Invisible Oranges put it best, “These gentlemen have come together to summon a fury seldom heard on any album from the realms of hardcore, grind, and black metal…”

Sampha announces the full details of his highly-anticipated, sophomore album LAHAI, out October 20th on Young. Taken from his paternal grandfather’s name, which is also Sampha’s middle name, LAHAI revels in the awe and magic of our existence, synthesizing the exquisite chaos that one experiences confronting the cycle of life and the beyondness. Spanning 14-tracks, with contributions from some of Sampha’s closest friends, peers and collaborators including: Yaeji, Léa Sen, Sheila Maurice Grey (Kokoroko), Ibeyi, Morgan Simpson (Black Midi), Yussef Dayes, Laura Groves and Kwake Bass, LAHAI, in contrast to Process, is a communal affair seeing Sampha explore the many ways in which we as humans connect to each other, and to something bigger than ourselves. On the album’s latest single “Only,” premiering today via a new music video directed by Dexter Navy in collaboration with Sampha, which follows the recent “Spirit 2.0,” we meet a newly energized Sampha, as he spits melodically over a fragmented hip-hop hued beat with co-production from El Guincho.

Not unlike its maker, LAHAI defies clear categorization. Spanning jazz, soul, rap, dance, jungle and west African music, LAHAI sees Sampha elevating his production and vocal ambition to great new heights. A notable singer, songwriter and producer, it’s no wonder that artists like Kendrick Lamar, Stormzy, Travis Scott and previously, Drake, Solange, Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne and Alicia Keys have all tapped the artist for his inimitable voice plus songwriting and production contributions to their music. His work expands across multiple disciplines, with previous creative partnerships including the fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner, the Shy Light zine with Durimel (who also shot the LAHAI artwork) his Process film with director Kahlil Joseph, and most recently creative director Jonny Lu, with whom Sampha worked to create the LAHAI album artwork and logo.

If Process, Sampha’s 2017 Mercury-Prize-winning debut album, was an artist figuring out his own place in the world, engulfed in the shadows of grief and loss, LAHAI is an exercise in the radical acceptance and joy in the human condition, and the beauty in the journey itself. Welcome to Sampha’s next musical chapter: LAHAI.

Im zehnten Jahr des Bestehens von Diabolic Night veröffentlicht Heavy Steeler ein zweites Album, das sein Soloprojekt nicht nur endgültig definiert, sondern auch die Grenzen dessen verschiebt, was die Szene als reine Lehre des Blackened Speed Metal bestimmt hat.

Der zurückgezogen lebende Nordrhein-Westfale verfeinerte sein Handwerk im Laufe eines Demo, einer Single und einer Mini-LP, ehe er Ende 2019 sein Debütalbum "Beyond the Realm" veröffentlichte, das von der Kritik hochgelobt wurde, und legte damit die Grundstein für die Dinge fest, die da noch kommen sollten.

"Ein Wunsch, den ich schon in jungen Jahren hegte, war, eine zusammenhängende Geschichte zu schreiben, die in einer fiktiven Welt spielt, in der der Zuhörer von der ersten bis zur letzten Sekunde gefesselt ist", erklärt Heavy Steeler und betont, dass die gegenwärtige Realität vor der rein eskapistischen Erfahrung in den Hintergrund rückt. Daher ist "Beneath the Crimson Prophecy" noch themenbezogener als sein lose konzeptioneller Vorgänger.

Atmosphärisch weist das neue Material eine etwas düsterere Rüstung auf, ohne die Vorzüge zu vernachlässigen, für die der Multi.Instrumentalist, Komponist und Sänger bekannt geworden ist: NWoBHM-beeinflusste Leadgitarren wie im Ohrwurm "Pandemonium" oder in "Starlit Skies" mit seinen süchtig machenden, mitsingbaren Melodien, frostige Tremolos direkt aus dem Skandinavien der frühen 90er sowie unverkennbares halsbrecherisches Schlagzeugspiel wie aus dem Ruhrgebiet Mitte der 80er Jahre und gebellte Vocals.

Dennoch hat das Ganze einen epischen Touch, der die Erzählstruktur hervorhebt und von Heavy Steelers kompromissloser Vision zeugt. Die Songs wurden erneut mit dem bewährten Drummer Christhunter in drei verschiedenen Studios aufgenommen und mit einem weiteren eindrucksvollen Cover von Adam Burke (Angel Witch, Portrait) geschmückt. Sie schreien danach, auf der Bühne performt zu werden, was natürlich mit einer kompletten Live-Besetzung geschehen wird. Tatsächlich ist es jetzt an der Zeit, einen Blick auf das zu werfen, was "Beneath the Crimson Prophecy" liegt…

Im zehnten Jahr des Bestehens von Diabolic Night veröffentlicht Heavy Steeler ein zweites Album, das sein Soloprojekt nicht nur endgültig definiert, sondern auch die Grenzen dessen verschiebt, was die Szene als reine Lehre des Blackened Speed Metal bestimmt hat.

Der zurückgezogen lebende Nordrhein-Westfale verfeinerte sein Handwerk im Laufe eines Demo, einer Single und einer Mini-LP, ehe er Ende 2019 sein Debütalbum "Beyond the Realm" veröffentlichte, das von der Kritik hochgelobt wurde, und legte damit die Grundstein für die Dinge fest, die da noch kommen sollten.

"Ein Wunsch, den ich schon in jungen Jahren hegte, war, eine zusammenhängende Geschichte zu schreiben, die in einer fiktiven Welt spielt, in der der Zuhörer von der ersten bis zur letzten Sekunde gefesselt ist", erklärt Heavy Steeler und betont, dass die gegenwärtige Realität vor der rein eskapistischen Erfahrung in den Hintergrund rückt. Daher ist "Beneath the Crimson Prophecy" noch themenbezogener als sein lose konzeptioneller Vorgänger.

Atmosphärisch weist das neue Material eine etwas düsterere Rüstung auf, ohne die Vorzüge zu vernachlässigen, für die der Multi.Instrumentalist, Komponist und Sänger bekannt geworden ist: NWoBHM-beeinflusste Leadgitarren wie im Ohrwurm "Pandemonium" oder in "Starlit Skies" mit seinen süchtig machenden, mitsingbaren Melodien, frostige Tremolos direkt aus dem Skandinavien der frühen 90er sowie unverkennbares halsbrecherisches Schlagzeugspiel wie aus dem Ruhrgebiet Mitte der 80er Jahre und gebellte Vocals.

Dennoch hat das Ganze einen epischen Touch, der die Erzählstruktur hervorhebt und von Heavy Steelers kompromissloser Vision zeugt. Die Songs wurden erneut mit dem bewährten Drummer Christhunter in drei verschiedenen Studios aufgenommen und mit einem weiteren eindrucksvollen Cover von Adam Burke (Angel Witch, Portrait) geschmückt. Sie schreien danach, auf der Bühne performt zu werden, was natürlich mit einer kompletten Live-Besetzung geschehen wird. Tatsächlich ist es jetzt an der Zeit, einen Blick auf das zu werfen, was "Beneath the Crimson Prophecy" liegt…

Die italienische Singer-Songwriterin Marta Del Grandi meldet sich mit "Selva" zurück, ihrem bisher komplexesten und schillerndsten Werk, einer raffinierten, hingebungsvollen Suite aus scharfsinnigem Pop, die mühelos fließt und emotionale Komplexität, göttliche, organische Arrangements mit einem Sci-Fi-Finish vereint.Wenn ihr Debüt "Until We Fossilize" alle Qualitäten von Martas einzigartigem Ansatz zeigte, der sich zwischen Laurel Canyon Staub, Lynch'schem Ätherismus und dramatischer Morricone-Vertonung bewegte, taucht "Selva" tiefer in das Unterholz ein und zeigt den Ehrgeiz, ein ganz neues Universum zu schaffen, ihr eigenes Ökosystem, in dem die Stärke ihrer Stimme allein die Säule ist, auf der sie aufbauen kann.Strahlen aus chorischem Licht durchdringen jeden Track, mit überlagerten Gesangsdrones, die eine kathartische Kollision von scharfen und weichen Texturen erzeugen, als würden sie uns Hand in Hand durch Marta Del Grandis verzaubertes Universum führen. Der Ehrgeiz ist blendend, und das Ergebnis beweist es: 12 Songs mit ausuferndem, ätherischem Pop, der lebendig, gewaltig und voll erleuchtet ist. "Ultimately compels with its detached, lynchian ambience." ALLMUSIC "Bucolic yet often emotionally complex, her songwriting - patching electronic synths against ambient elements, with a touch of modern classical - taps into areas that go beyond words." CLASH Classic Black LP mit Poster & DLC

Sampha announces the full details of his highly-anticipated, sophomore album LAHAI, out October 20th on Young. Taken from his paternal grandfather’s name, which is also Sampha’s middle name, LAHAI revels in the awe and magic of our existence, synthesizing the exquisite chaos that one experiences confronting the cycle of life and the beyondness. Spanning 14-tracks, with contributions from some of Sampha’s closest friends, peers and collaborators including: Yaeji, Léa Sen, Sheila Maurice Grey (Kokoroko), Ibeyi, Morgan Simpson (Black Midi), Yussef Dayes, Laura Groves and Kwake Bass, LAHAI, in contrast to Process, is a communal affair seeing Sampha explore the many ways in which we as humans connect to each other, and to something bigger than ourselves. On the album’s latest single “Only,” premiering today via a new music video directed by Dexter Navy in collaboration with Sampha, which follows the recent “Spirit 2.0,” we meet a newly energized Sampha, as he spits melodically over a fragmented hip-hop hued beat with co-production from El Guincho.

Not unlike its maker, LAHAI defies clear categorization. Spanning jazz, soul, rap, dance, jungle and west African music, LAHAI sees Sampha elevating his production and vocal ambition to great new heights. A notable singer, songwriter and producer, it’s no wonder that artists like Kendrick Lamar, Stormzy, Travis Scott and previously, Drake, Solange, Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne and Alicia Keys have all tapped the artist for his inimitable voice plus songwriting and production contributions to their music. His work expands across multiple disciplines, with previous creative partnerships including the fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner, the Shy Light zine with Durimel (who also shot the LAHAI artwork) his Process film with director Kahlil Joseph, and most recently creative director Jonny Lu, with whom Sampha worked to create the LAHAI album artwork and logo.

If Process, Sampha’s 2017 Mercury-Prize-winning debut album, was an artist figuring out his own place in the world, engulfed in the shadows of grief and loss, LAHAI is an exercise in the radical acceptance and joy in the human condition, and the beauty in the journey itself. Welcome to Sampha’s next musical chapter: LAHAI.

My Brutal Life delves into the profound aspects of our artistic endeavours encompassing brutalism, the environment, and humanity. Throughout our ongoing creative journey, we consistently gravitate towards these themes, documenting and exploring the human experience within these environments. Our unwavering fixation on Symmetry, Synchronisation, and Repetition are the driving force in our artistic expression. Moreover, we strive to peel away superficial layers to expose the underlying emotional strata of the human aspect, unearthing the often overlooked beauty within the ordinary. Although frequently disregarded, the human aspect resonates with echoes from the past, enlightening and guiding our artistic process. Even the failures encountered serve as poignant reminders of the delicate structures we construct. My Brutal Life constitutes a pivotal component within an enduring exhibition, meticulously crafted to delve into the aesthetic and human facets of brutalism.

Presenting the third volume of forward-thinking electronics and peerless Jungle / D&B expressionism from iconoclastic Bristol producer and DJ, Krust. An artist who has always been pushing the sonic envelope while keeping dancefloors fully locked.

Introducing 'Irrational Numbers,' a meticulously curated collection of five parts, available on both vinyl and digital formats. This compilation is a treasure trove of hand-picked records and archival gems from Krust's extensive discography, thoughtfully remastered and presented anew for both devoted fans and newcomers.

'Irrational Numbers' features a dizzying array of self-released 12" cuts, exclusive unreleased VIPs and dub-plates, alongside epic major label widescreen classics. It's an unmissable journey through the sonic output of one of the UK's most distinctive and forward-looking producers.

Volume 3 serves us a plethora of unmissable highlights from Krust's enviable back catalogue. From the raw jump-up chaos of 'Rukus', the early rolling business of 'The Resister' to the epic genre defying voyage that is 'Soul In Motion', no stone is left unturned on what is - once again - an essential purchase for any serious lover of electronic music.

For longtime Krust enthusiasts, this project serves as a fond reminder of the boundless creativity and originality that flourished during the early 1990s and beyond. For those new to his work, it presents an enthralling introduction to innovative electronic music that has comfortably set the tone for generations to come. Get ready to experience the evolution of sound and immerse yourself in the visionary artistry of Krust.

Heavenly Recordings release the next two volumes in their series of remixed classics and unreleased versions. ‘Heavenly Remixes 7 & 8’ sees the label going back into the archive, as well as picking off some more recent remixes, and both albums primarily feature either previously unreleased versions or re-workings available for the first time on vinyl and CD.

Heavenly have always seen immense value in the remix, a value way beyond what it might bring commercially. Since their first release in 1990 (where Andrew Weatherall overhauled a one-off single by club kids Sly and Lovechild) Heavenly remixes have been carefully curated and treated as a key part of the A&R process. It’s an opportunity to view an artist through a different prism, to play out a musical ‘what if’ scenario. It’s the kind of exploration that’s happened consistently through the thirty plus years the label has released music.

The ‘Heavenly remixes’ series continues to showcase the very best remixes, versions, meditations, re-rubs and dubs from all around the world of artists right across the roster of the country’s most exciting record label. In most cases, the albums offer the first physical release for a remix, elevating them from streaming playlists to their rightful, spiritual home on super heavy vinyl (or shiny, super-packed compact disc).

Heavenly remixes 7’ heads to Belfast, where David Holmes - a producer who first appeared on Heavenly in 1994 amping up the acid on Saint Etienne’s ‘Like A Motorway’ - appears as solo artist and as one third of Unloved, who get a lift right to the heart of a Vauxhall sweatbox by Horse Meat Disco. It draws a line between Amsterdam and Frankfurt as Ludwig A.F. amps up the electronics on Pip Blom’s ‘Keep It Together’. It stops off in a south London studio where super producer Dan Carey plays the desk with Toy, then relocates LA psych rock band Fever The Ghost to an Ibizan shoreline as the sun sets on the horizon. It cements Sheffield’s reputation as the home of modern British techno with the return of true originators Forgemasters. And it pitches up in front of a renegade soundsystem late night at Glastonbury as Erol Alkan’s mighty rework of Con Man gets its third rewind of the night.



‘Heavenly remixes 8’ opens with Space Afrika’s lush, ambient reimagining of the Orielles’ ‘BEAM/S’ before Justin Robertson stretches Amber Arcades’ ‘Turning Light’ into eight minutes of electronic dub. Elsewhere, Baxter Dury’s peerless ‘Miami’ becomes a string-laden electro skank in the hands of French producer Pilooski; Edinburgh’s bedroom techno genius Eyes of Others’ ‘Safehouse’ turns into an East End bathhouse courtesy of disco deviants Decius; Ashley Beedle’s Black Science Orchestra turns Unloved’s heartworn torch song into seven minutes of glimmering dreamlike percussive house and Katy J. Pearson’s freak flag is flown high thanks to The Umlauts’ throbbing filtered electro mix. It ends similarly to how it began as TONE takes

Fran Lobo’s ‘All I Want’ on a gorgeous slow motion spacewalk.

Numen ist das dritte Album von ALKALOID, und es enthält einige der kompliziertesten, nachdenklichsten, aber auch komplett verrückten Ideen der Band. Das Album wird aus der gottähnlichen Perspektive eines uralten Außerirdischen erzählt, der mit seinem dämonischen Grunzen die gesamte Galaxie umgestalten kann.

ALKALOID sind immer noch durch ihre Liebe zum Death Metal verbunden. Schließlich handelt es sich um eine Supergroup, die aus Gründungsmitgliedern von OBSCURA, DARK FORTRESS und SPAWN OF POSESSION besteht. Das feurige, mit den Fingern getippte Solo, das sich nach der Hälfte von "Clusterfuck" herauskristallisiert, wird wie eine Ameise unter einem Drop-D-Hammersturm zerquetscht.

Aber auf "Numen" spielt die bayerische Band auch mit allen möglichen Genre-Experimenten. "The Cambrian Explosion" stellt den Tech-Death mit verführerischen Anflügen von Jazz und Flamenco auf den Kopf.
ALKALOID sind die verrückten Wissenschaftler des Metal. Mit "Numen" haben sie eine weitere explosive Mischung aus progressivem Death Metal geschaffen!

FFO: OBSCURA, BEYOND CREATION, FRACTAL UNIVERSE

Numen ist das dritte Album von ALKALOID, und es enthält einige der kompliziertesten, nachdenklichsten, aber auch komplett verrückten Ideen der Band. Das Album wird aus der gottähnlichen Perspektive eines uralten Außerirdischen erzählt, der mit seinem dämonischen Grunzen die gesamte Galaxie umgestalten kann.

ALKALOID sind immer noch durch ihre Liebe zum Death Metal verbunden. Schließlich handelt es sich um eine Supergroup, die aus Gründungsmitgliedern von OBSCURA, DARK FORTRESS und SPAWN OF POSESSION besteht. Das feurige, mit den Fingern getippte Solo, das sich nach der Hälfte von "Clusterfuck" herauskristallisiert, wird wie eine Ameise unter einem Drop-D-Hammersturm zerquetscht.

Aber auf "Numen" spielt die bayerische Band auch mit allen möglichen Genre-Experimenten. "The Cambrian Explosion" stellt den Tech-Death mit verführerischen Anflügen von Jazz und Flamenco auf den Kopf.
ALKALOID sind die verrückten Wissenschaftler des Metal. Mit "Numen" haben sie eine weitere explosive Mischung aus progressivem Death Metal geschaffen!

FFO: OBSCURA, BEYOND CREATION, FRACTAL UNIVERSE

Drawing inspiration from sixties psychedelia, specifically the Tropicalia movement, Melotone are a band more interested in texture and ambience than ego. The EP continues the band's exploration of Brazilian soundscapes - the native country of singer Alec Madeley - whilst reconciling their humble beginnings in the Black Country, where the band grew up and met each other. Lyrically and musically, the EP faces questions of identity and of being in the unknown, but creating purpose in this space. It represents Melotone's journey across the music of their homelands as they mould a sound entirely recognisable as their own.

Sometimes drifting into the realms of folk, jazz, and soul, Melotone channel instrumental pioneers Khurangbin and Kikagaku Moyu with vocals that resemble the arresting style of singers Jeff Buckley and Brittany Howard, and at times the spirit of Portuguese-English singing Caetano Veloso.

Der mit einem GRAMMY Award und mehrfach mit Platin ausgezeichnete Singer-Songwriter, Schauspieler und New-York-Times-Bestsellerautor Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour) verrät Details zu seinem neuen Solo-Studioalbum CMF2. CMF2 ist der Nachfolger von Taylors Solodebüt CMFT aus dem Jahr 2020, das die
Nummer-1-Billboard-Mainstream-Rocksingle "Black Eyes Blue" und die Streaming-Sensation "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (feat.Tech N9ne und Kid Bookie) enthielt.
Das Album erreichte Platz sechs der US-amerikanische Billboard Top Rock Album Charts und #9 der deutschen Albumcharts.

"Mein erstes Soloalbum spiegelte wider, wo ich herkam. Dieses Album zeigt eher, wo wir hinwollen", fügt Taylor hinzu.
CMF2 - auf dem Taylor singt und Lead- und Rhythmusgitarre, Klavier und Mandoline spielt - bündelt die Energie, Experimentierfreudigkeit und Direktheit, die eine Karriere ausmachen, in der Taylor mit seiner mit einem Grammy ausgezeichneten Band Slipknot mehr als zwölf Millionen Alben und mit den Chartstürmern Stone Sour weitere Millionen verkauft hat.

CMF2 ist Taylors erstes Album für BMG und das erste auf seinem eigenen Label, Decibel Cooper Recordings.

Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Steel Panther, Amon Amarth), der sowohl Stone Sours 2017er Album Hydrograd als auch CMFT produziert hat, kehrte für Taylors zweites Album zurück.

Der mit einem GRAMMY Award und mehrfach mit Platin ausgezeichnete Singer-Songwriter, Schauspieler und New-York-Times-Bestsellerautor Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour) verrät Details zu seinem neuen Solo-Studioalbum CMF2. CMF2 ist der Nachfolger von Taylors Solodebüt CMFT aus dem Jahr 2020, das die
Nummer-1-Billboard-Mainstream-Rocksingle "Black Eyes Blue" und die Streaming-Sensation "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (feat.Tech N9ne und Kid Bookie) enthielt.
Das Album erreichte Platz sechs der US-amerikanische Billboard Top Rock Album Charts und #9 der deutschen Albumcharts.

"Mein erstes Soloalbum spiegelte wider, wo ich herkam. Dieses Album zeigt eher, wo wir hinwollen", fügt Taylor hinzu.
CMF2 - auf dem Taylor singt und Lead- und Rhythmusgitarre, Klavier und Mandoline spielt - bündelt die Energie, Experimentierfreudigkeit und Direktheit, die eine Karriere ausmachen, in der Taylor mit seiner mit einem Grammy ausgezeichneten Band Slipknot mehr als zwölf Millionen Alben und mit den Chartstürmern Stone Sour weitere Millionen verkauft hat.

CMF2 ist Taylors erstes Album für BMG und das erste auf seinem eigenen Label, Decibel Cooper Recordings.

Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Steel Panther, Amon Amarth), der sowohl Stone Sours 2017er Album Hydrograd als auch CMFT produziert hat, kehrte für Taylors zweites Album zurück.

The Blackwhitecolorful sind eine Kölner Alternativ Rockband mit ihrem 2. Longplayer. Ihr Anspruch dabei ist es, ein lebendiges Oxymoron zu sein: Inhaltliche Tiefe schaffen, sich mit komplexen Themen auseinandersetzen, dabei aber zugänglich und einfach bleiben.
Sie sind die Leichten unter den Brachialen, die Leisen der Lauten, die sanftmütigen Stürmer - eine widersprüchliche Rezeptur, die dennoch -oder gerade deswegen - aufgeht. Das Konzept Album Brace For Impact ist das dritte Kapitel der Navigators-Saga. Die Geschichten handeln je von einer Gruppe von Menschen, die aus unterschiedlichen Nöten heraus ihre Heimat verlassen und sich in die Ferne aufmachen. Notgedrungen werden sie jedoch zu Pionieren, denen es gelingt, imaginäre Grenzen zu durchbrechen und Unerschlossenes zu erschließen. Während das erste Album sich noch damit befasst, unbekannte Ozeane zu ergründen, geht es nun darum, den Weltraum zu erobern. Musikalisch manövrieren The Blackwhitecolorful gekonnt zwischen Alternative Rock/Metal, Post-Rock und Post-Hardcore. Neben tiefen, voluminösen Gitarren und glasklaren, eingängigen Vocals finden auch lange Synthesizer-Passagen und Instrumental-Parts ihren Platz. Ein weites Spektrum von sanften Klängen bis hin zu harten Rhythmen. Die erste Single Echoes vereinbart exakt diese Reibungsfläche breiter Gitarren und moderner Synths, sanfte Vocals, ohne auch nur für einen Moment den treibenden Puls zu verlieren. Zahlreiche Kooperationen runden das Ganze ab: Sänger: innen Tobias Brandt (Cera Maven), Emelyn Blanco (Privacy Please) und Eric Stöcker (Illusions Fade), sowie 1LIVE-Moderator Kotaro Dürr für ein Gastspiel am Bass. 2021 spielte die Band auch beim ARD Film Taufalarm-Familie ist ein Fest mit & steuerte 4 Songs zum Soundtrack bei.

EACH COPY Personally SIGNED BY LEN FAKI

Len Faki has always been a defining character of the techno underground. His unique approach to DJing, the consistent work as a producer and the quality output of his label Figure has all shaped the current environment.
Starting out as a clubber in the 90's, his inspirations have always reached back to the first encounters with electronic music, when new worlds opened and everything seemed possible.

While these experiences have always influenced Faki's productions and used to be released under many different aliases back in the day, they have been waiting since to be made into a proper album under the Len Faki moniker.

After quickly climbing to the top of the international DJ circuit, busy touring schedules never quite allowed for it. Finally faced with the opportunity of a long overdue creative break, Faki decided tackle the life-time venture with the necessary dedication and focus.

Excited about the new project, he also took the time and energy needed to expand his production methods. Finding new techniques allowed him to truly bring all his different influences to the surface. The process was one of following his own heart, occasionally challenging and surprising himself. Naturally the result emerged as two parallel experiences, which are now presented across two discs. Both still carry all the signature features of Faki's style but with added layers of depth and detail. There's that special contrast of dark and heady grooves, paired with dreamy melodies that transport the listener to places beyond the mind. But we also see all strains of his previous work being incorporated, mixed and molded into something new altogether.

While the first disc focuses on the kind of techno, which Faki has been brought up by and given back to for so many years of his life, the second is more loose and experimental, with forays into house, ambient and broken beats - the sounds he has always kept very passionate about.

It creates two distinct experiences, showcasing the entire breadth of Faki's cosmos. Where some ideas stay straight and kick hard, like the neon bleep opener Tor 8 or joyfully booming Astra, others take the newfound freedom to inspire a wistful broken beat ballad such as Hymn (In the Name of Fantasy) or the soulfully subdued Drum & Bass closer Voices.
Many songs even exist as pairings, with their respective counterpart on the other disc. For example, the duo of Shri Yantra/Yantra, where similar soundscapes have been looked through different lenses, making for a more straight-laced or shuffled rhythm. Also noteworthy are Faki's appearance as a veritable house producer on Hymn (In the Name of Freedom) as well as the inclusion of two very personal pieces:
The Halide tracks were made in remembrance of Faki's late mother, who passed away during the final production stage of the EP. These delicate tracks capture the intense sadness Faki was feeling at the time and helped him to process his grief and eventually to finish off the album.

By doing so Faki has given us a complete artistic statement, one that proves him to be as curious and driven now as ever, taking his sound to all-new realms.

In Rumi's poem A Great Wagon he writes of a place of total acceptance. "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there," It is a boundless, liminal space where we can release the judgments we make and carry of ourselves, and the comparisons to others. When we think of this field, there is a sense of tranquility that only comes when we are undisturbed by the shadow self and see existence as neither bright nor dim, white nor black. But as lead singer Greg Bertens explains, arriving there is a whole different story. "This is a poem I've returned to over the years, and I love the idea of this place, but getting there is life's journey." Bertens adds "I think the longing for and elusiveness of this field is a recurring theme in our music." Field is enveloped by themes of regret, disconnection and frustration but with the space to understand that these feelings are a natural part of the struggle between reconciling the inner and outer self. The Los Angeles/San Francisco-based group have been indie shoegaze stalwarts since their formation in 2001. After two decades and a handful of line-up changes, their extensive discography presents a dynamically textural, lush psychedelic rock that has featured guest appearances by members of Pavement, My Bloody Valentine, and Snow Patrol, among others. 2021's LP We Weren't Here was hailed for its dense instrumental blanket, where unrelenting hi-hats and heavy kicks exist alongside dreamy drone guitar. This propulsive nature permeates Field, as members Bertens, Noël Brydebell (vocals), Nyles Lannon (guitar), Jason Ruck (synths), Justin LaBo (bass), and Adam Wade (drums) produce a kaleidoscopic sonic landscape. Patient, sprawling instrumentation builds a foundation in which Bertens' themes of endurance, perseverance and clarity can bloom with a considered poise. As a lyricist who writes in response to the instrumental arrangements, rather than a focus on a specific theme or person, Field is a testament to Film School's ability to create in the moment, and to showcase the magic that stems from when we are truly present. Album opener "Tape Rewind" is a swirling rush of color, as sustained guitars, darkened bass lines and urgent, percussive swells dance alongside each other. "This is the newest of all the songs on the record and feels like a new level of heaviness for the band," Bertens explains, noting that its lyrical context of struggling to move past trauma adds to its cathartic essence. Field is bookended by heavier themes, with closer "All I'll Ever Be" taking on the perspective of those we hurt when we embrace our own toxic behaviors. Originally written to be a simple acoustic guitar and vocals song soon turned into an ethereal, effects-laden composition, with Noël's hazy lead vocals ushering in a new-found acceptance. "It's all I want / To be released / And all I can be," she laments, cementing Field's message of accepting ourselves in whatever form we find ourselves in. "Defending Ruins" is a murky relentless underworld, inspired by the freewheeling tones of Texas-based band Holy Wave. "Defending the ruins, defending remains," Bertens spits, among a richly-layered outro. "Don't You Ever" confirms Film School's ability to merge both delicate and growling instrumentation throughout the album, with the song's softly spoken section hovering above sparkling guitar. "Is This A Hotel" bends towards the electronic aspects of the band, with wailing synths accompanying a story of bitter desire. With over two decades in the industry, Field cements Film School as a distinct, dominant force in the shoegaze scene. Soaked in an emotionally open, imaginative atmosphere, the album is both singular and expansive, and leaves the door open for a constantly evolving interpretation. Film School have never confined themselves to the rigidity of specifics, and it's on Field that they urge us to look beyond the binary of certainty, and to take a second look

PAURA explores the horror repertoire from the precious CAM Sugar archives taking us on a hypnotic journey into the labyrinths of fear, through the different variations that Italian horror took on from the esoteric and supernatural to the slasher films of the early 1970s; to reinterpretations of Romantic literature and gothic fiction to the splatter films of the ‘80s; and from witchcraft to metropolitan horror. This is not a real “best of” but an eclectic menu full of mysterious voices, childlike lullabies, sweet melodies, obsessive music boxes, obstinate harpsichords, crazy distortions and threatening synthesizers, conceived as a succession of sequences, as if a film edit. The new collection includes some of the most creative music ever written and strives to do justice not only to some of the best known composers in this genre, but also to many great unsung composers: From celebrated composers like Ennio Morricone, Riz Ortolani & Stelvio Cipriani to long-forgotten personalities who fed the industrial backbone of Italian cinema such as Daniele Patucchi, Marcelo Giombini & Berto Pisano. The collection includes 6 previously unreleased tracks plus 3 tracks released on vinyl for the first time and 5 tracks available commercially for the first time (originally released only as a limited promo item).

Julian Cannonball Adderley's only Blue Note album, Somethin' Else, would likely forever be famous in music lore if just for the presence of Miles Davis. The iconic composer/trumpeter steps into the role of sideman on the 1958 set, one of just a handful of times he'd make such a move after the calendar passed the mid-1950s. Yet evaluating Somethin' Else strictly on Davis' involvement misses the big picture. Plain and simple, Adderley's jubilant work remains a jazz landmark due to the chemistry of its Hall of Fame personnel, enthusiasm of its participants, and sophistication of its arrangements – not to mention the reference-grade production and inclusion of the definitive renditions of two all-time jazz standards.

Limited to 6,000 numbered copies, pressed on dead-quiet MoFi SuperVinyl at RTI, and mastered from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's ultra-hi-fi UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP collector's edition pays tribute to the record's merit and includes the bonus track "Allison's Uncle." Offering reference-calibre sonics, this spectacular collector's version provides a clear, transparent, ultra-dynamic, and up-close view of a cornerstone effort that witnesses Adderley and Davis sharing horn duty alone for the only time in their fabled careers – an arrangement that occurred as a result of Adderley having joined Davis' majestic sextet a year prior.

The premium packaging and beautiful presentation of the UD1S Somethin' Else pressing befit its extremely select status. Housed in a deluxe slipcase, it features special foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendour of the recording. No expense has been spared. Aurally and visually, this UD1S reissue exists as a curatorial artefact meant to be preserved, touched, and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art – and everything involved with the album, from the iconic photos to the gorgeous finishes.

The vibrant potency reveals itself openly on an analogue set that provides full-range reproduction of an ensemble that also includes pianist Hank Jones, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Art Blakey. Each and every snare hit, downbeat, and cymbal splash registered by the latter take on realistic proportions, blooming and decaying as they would right in front of you on a stage. Jones' foundational bass lines register with uncommon depth and palpability, the litheness of the strings and fullness of the instrument epitomizing the definition of rhythm. Stellar, too, are the surefooted 88s. Sublime in scale, tonality, and attack, with the delineation such you can practically separate the white and black keys in your mind. As for that liquid interplay between Adderley and Davis? Breathtakingly lifelike in timbre, naturalism, purity, and presence. This collector's version takes you there – there being Rudy Van Gelder's legendary New Jersey studio in March 1958 to witness it all unfold, again and again.

For reasons that extend far beyond the outstanding playing and flawless repertoire, Somethin' Else is without question a record you'll always want to watch and hear come together. As veteran critic Bob Blumenthal observed writing about the album four decades after its release, "The instant rapport achieved by the quintet is thus the product of much shared and common history, though the tensile strength that they create throughout created a totally unique feeling that can be attributed to the sensitive musicianship of all concerned, including the supposedly hard bopping leader and drummer." Such inimitable feeling, or emotion, courses throughout every passage, and no where more obviously than on "Autumn Leaves" and "Love for Sale."

Without question, the discreet interpretations of the Johnny Mercer and Cole Porter songs, respectively, found on Somethin' Else have long been considered part of jazz's alluring mystique. Adderley and Davis bring contrasting approaches to the table yet sound of a singular mind on "Autumn Leaves," with the latter's muted trumpet and the headliner's lush alto saxophone dovetailing into a performance that endures as a blueprint for expression, counterpoint, sophistication, fluidity, and linearity. Blues, melody, and romance pour from their horns. Their bandmates, picking up on the intimate vibe and calm mood here – as well as on the spry, head-over-heels spirit of "Love for Sale" – join in on the conversation with sharp economy and float-on-air roundedness.

Not to undersell the other three numbers, all deserving five-star status. Twelve measures in length, the title track offers a slow burn in swing. Written by Adderley's brother, Nat, the 12-bar "One for Daddy-O" transmits funk flavors. The closing "Dancing in the Dark" pops with lushness and temptation, its stream of bold colours and understated textures calling for a moonlight twirl, or at least fantasies suggestive of a memorable night. Somethin' else, indeed.

Today, powerhouse mande jazz ensemble Balimaya Project announce
their second album When The Dust Settles to be released by New Soil in partnership with Jazz re:freshed on July 21, 2023
A dynamic maturation of the group's thrilling big band sound, When The Dust Settles is a personal and cathartic expression of grief, rage, love and joy.

Fusing West African rhythmic tradition with the energy of London's jazz continuum, the album celebrates the restorative power of Black male brotherhood among diaspora communities in London.

Led by composer/arranger and UK-based Djembe player Yahael Camara Onono, Balimaya Project have established themselves as one of the most exciting and forward-thinking ensembles in Britain.
Enlisting guest vocalists Afronaut Zu, Obongjayar and Fassara Sacko across ten groove- laden and punchily percussive tracks, each song on When The Dust Settles engages intentionally with the significance of folkloric rhythms to illuminate themes that include the death of Camara Onono's older brother, losing a child, becoming a father, migration, survival and a search for truth.

As Camara
Onono describes: "One thing that's really linking us is that concept of family and the bonds are getting stronger every time ... It was important to me to go deeper and address not just tradition and culture, but also address emotion."

The year is 1989. Techno’s second generation has begun to permeate the globe leading a young Carl Craig to a tiny village in the countryside of Belgium. It is here, undistracted and determined to break out, that Craig encounters one of the country’s only drum machines, an Alesis controlled midi-808. In a single session he composes and mixes a handful of records that are still to this day regarded as some of his most raw and explosive contributions to the fabric of electronic music history.

Carl revisits this fateful chapter through the lens of a famed cut from his Psyche alias ‘From Beyond’, with a ‘C2 2023 Mix’ and remixes from Seth Troxler, Ataxia and Admn, out July 14 on Planet E Communications.

The Psyche alias, known for early Transmat releases like ‘Crackdown’ and ‘Elements’, embodied a stripped back, less sample based yin attitude to the yang of Carl’s more aggressive 69 and sample-forward BFC and Paperclip People identities. ‘From Beyond’, first released in 1990 via the ‘Crackdown’ 12” on Transmat, offers an eerie glimpse into the simplistic production that came through Carl’s mastery of the 808 and the sonic value of restricting himself to this movement defining tool.

This new ‘From Beyond’ package sees Carl lift and bend the original in his ‘C2 2023 Mix’ alongside a package of remixes from artists near to the hearts of Detroit and the Planet E fold. Seth Troxler brings a subdued acid tinge to the package, while label regular Ataxia pays homage to the source material with a renewed percussive energy, followed by a soulful rework by Admn.

Whether it be through the 30 year repertoire of his seminal Planet E, his Party / After-Party sound and light installation now on display at Los Angeles’ MOCA, or his continuous work as a champion of Black-led creativity, the Carl Craig mission remains the same: to always rep Detroit and be the realest mutha f***a alive.

Yasushi Ide, the Japanese Street Music Icon Unleashed "Cosmic Suite 2" in a Revolutionary Blend of Genres.

Yasushi Ide, the revered figure in Japanese street music, has recently unveiled his latest musical opus titled "Cosmic Suite 2," a rebel music masterpiece that pushes the boundaries of musical genres.

This groundbreaking album features collaborations with esteemed pioneers including Afrika Bambaataa, Don Letts, Josh Millan, Jeff Mills, DJ Krush, Tony Allen, and more. By transcending the limitations of time, genre, and even mortality, Ide has crafted a truly unique and eclectic street music experience unlike anything seen before.
Notably, Ide enlisted the expertise of Grammy-winning sound engineer Steven Stanley to embark on the reconstruction of "Cosmic Suite 2" using his renowned dub mix techniques. The outcome of this collaboration is the birth of "Dr. Steven Stanley Meets Yasushi Ide - Cosmic Disco Dub," a mesmerizing rendition that showcases the genius of both artists.

Hailing from Jamaica, Steven Stanley is a highly regarded sound engineer and producer whose illustrious career spans several decades, primarily in the realms of reggae, dub, and rock music. Having worked with acclaimed acts such as Talking Heads, Black Uhuru, and Tom Tom Club, Stanley has solidified his status as a living legend within the industry. His contributions to Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love" and his Grammy-winning work on Black Uhuru's "Anthem" further exemplify his unparalleled expertise. Additionally, Stanley has collaborated with notable artists including Grace Jones and B-52's.

In "Dr. Steven Stanley Meets Yasushi Ide - Cosmic Disco Dub," Stanley expertly integrates elements from the original "Cosmic Suite 2" tracks, employing his unique dubbing techniques to enhance the sonic experience. Through the addition of his signature dubby reverb and other distinctive sound manipulations, Stanley elevates the album to an entirely new dimension.
"The Battle" Transformed into an Enchanting Disco Dub Experience, Infused with Stanley's Horn Section Effects for a smoky ambience.

In the mesmerizing track "Galactic Beats," the legendary Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen's powerful drums take center stage. Skillfully applying his dub effects, Stanley adds vibrant layers and new dimensions to the composition, further enhancing its sonic palette.
Another standout is the dub version of "LAVA," featuring acclaimed Japanese singer UA. The track, which was already a fan favorite in its original form, undergoes a remarkable transformation in this dub rendition, further accentuating its appeal.

"Outer Space" Transcends Time and Genre with a Dream Collaboration Between the Late Legendary Reggae Drummer Style Scott and Japan's Turntablist Extraordinaire, DJ Krush. While the original track exudes a stoic and deep cosmic dub essence, Stanley ingeniously reimagines it as a nostalgic old-school dancehall masterpiece.

"Sumimasen" is a track that exemplifies Stanley's mastery, where the unique Japanese word "Sumimasen" (meaning "I'm sorry") is transformed into a psychedelic and deeply immersive dub journey. The track features captivating echoes on the vocals and twisted synth elements, transporting listeners to a cosmic realm of sonic exploration.
Furthermore, it is crucial to highlight "Hear, There, and Beyond," a collaboration between Yasushi Ide, Kan Takagi, the pioneering figure of Japanese hip-hop, and RECK, the bassist from the legendary punk rock band FRICTION. This reconstructed version takes the original track to unprecedented heights. With a remarkable shift to tribal drums in the midst of the song, the energy intensifies, resulting in a wild and exhilarating musical experience.
The reconstruction of this album evokes memories of Mad Professor's "No Protection," a renowned dub reconstruction of Massive Attack's work that remains an enduring masterpiece in the genre. With its exceptional craftsmanship and artistic vision, "Dr. Steven Stanley Meets Yasushi Ide - Cosmic Disco Dub" has the potential to be regarded as another timeless dub reconstruction masterpiece, solidifying its place in music history.

Nach 42 Jahren im Metal-Business kommt Grave Diggers Front-Ikone Chris Boltendahl mit seinem ersten Soloalbum - "Reborn In Flames". Unter dem Banner von Chris Boltendahls STEELHAMMER konnte Chris eine illustre Zunft erstklassiger Musiker für dieses Werk gewinnen. An der Gitarre ist kein Geringerer als der Ex-Orden Ogan-Gitarrenzauberer Tobias Kersting zu finden. Mit ihm hat Chris alle 10 Tracks auf "Reborn in Flames" geschrieben. Komplettiert wird das Line-Up durch Lars Schneider am Bass (ex Orden Ogan) und Patrick Klose am Schlagzeug (Iron Savior). "Reborn in Flames" strotzt nur so vor klassischen Power-Metal-Riffs- eine glühende Mischung aus "Grave Digger meets Metal Church. Von Heavy-Metal-Steamern à la "Reborn in Flames", "Fire Angel" oder "Beyond the Black Soul" bis hin zu den Groove-Monstern "Gods of Steel, Out of the Ruins oder The Hammer that kills" hört man auf dem Album alles, was das Metalherz begehrt. Das Album endet mit der Coverversion des Klassikers "Beds are burning" von Midnight Oil. Tobias Kersting veredelt das Album mit filigranen Power-Metal-Riffs und Weltklasse-Soli, während Lars Schneider und Patrick Klose dem Duo Kersting/Boltendahl die nötige Basis liefern. Die unverkennbare Stimme der Totengräber-Legende regiert... "Reborn in Flames" ist ein Feuerwerk an Metal für jeden Headbanger, der klassischen Metal liebt... Mit "Reborn in Flames" schaffen die vier Musiker ein eigenständiges, frisches und hochklassiges Power-Metal-Debütalbum. Wie Ozzy sagte: "Let the madness begin"

Nach 42 Jahren im Metal-Business kommt Grave Diggers Front-Ikone Chris Boltendahl mit seinem ersten Soloalbum - "Reborn In Flames". Unter dem Banner von Chris Boltendahls STEELHAMMER konnte Chris eine illustre Zunft erstklassiger Musiker für dieses Werk gewinnen. An der Gitarre ist kein Geringerer als der Ex-Orden Ogan-Gitarrenzauberer Tobias Kersting zu finden. Mit ihm hat Chris alle 10 Tracks auf "Reborn in Flames" geschrieben. Komplettiert wird das Line-Up durch Lars Schneider am Bass (ex Orden Ogan) und Patrick Klose am Schlagzeug (Iron Savior). "Reborn in Flames" strotzt nur so vor klassischen Power-Metal-Riffs- eine glühende Mischung aus "Grave Digger meets Metal Church. Von Heavy-Metal-Steamern à la "Reborn in Flames", "Fire Angel" oder "Beyond the Black Soul" bis hin zu den Groove-Monstern "Gods of Steel, Out of the Ruins oder The Hammer that kills" hört man auf dem Album alles, was das Metalherz begehrt. Das Album endet mit der Coverversion des Klassikers "Beds are burning" von Midnight Oil. Tobias Kersting veredelt das Album mit filigranen Power-Metal-Riffs und Weltklasse-Soli, während Lars Schneider und Patrick Klose dem Duo Kersting/Boltendahl die nötige Basis liefern. Die unverkennbare Stimme der Totengräber-Legende regiert... "Reborn in Flames" ist ein Feuerwerk an Metal für jeden Headbanger, der klassischen Metal liebt... Mit "Reborn in Flames" schaffen die vier Musiker ein eigenständiges, frisches und hochklassiges Power-Metal-Debütalbum. Wie Ozzy sagte: "Let the madness begin"

Nach 42 Jahren im Metal-Business kommt Grave Diggers Front-Ikone Chris Boltendahl mit seinem ersten Soloalbum - "Reborn In Flames". Unter dem Banner von Chris Boltendahls STEELHAMMER konnte Chris eine illustre Zunft erstklassiger Musiker für dieses Werk gewinnen. An der Gitarre ist kein Geringerer als der Ex-Orden Ogan-Gitarrenzauberer Tobias Kersting zu finden. Mit ihm hat Chris alle 10 Tracks auf "Reborn in Flames" geschrieben. Komplettiert wird das Line-Up durch Lars Schneider am Bass (ex Orden Ogan) und Patrick Klose am Schlagzeug (Iron Savior). "Reborn in Flames" strotzt nur so vor klassischen Power-Metal-Riffs- eine glühende Mischung aus "Grave Digger meets Metal Church. Von Heavy-Metal-Steamern à la "Reborn in Flames", "Fire Angel" oder "Beyond the Black Soul" bis hin zu den Groove-Monstern "Gods of Steel, Out of the Ruins oder The Hammer that kills" hört man auf dem Album alles, was das Metalherz begehrt. Das Album endet mit der Coverversion des Klassikers "Beds are burning" von Midnight Oil. Tobias Kersting veredelt das Album mit filigranen Power-Metal-Riffs und Weltklasse-Soli, während Lars Schneider und Patrick Klose dem Duo Kersting/Boltendahl die nötige Basis liefern. Die unverkennbare Stimme der Totengräber-Legende regiert... "Reborn in Flames" ist ein Feuerwerk an Metal für jeden Headbanger, der klassischen Metal liebt... Mit "Reborn in Flames" schaffen die vier Musiker ein eigenständiges, frisches und hochklassiges Power-Metal-Debütalbum. Wie Ozzy sagte: "Let the madness begin"

Nach 42 Jahren im Metal-Business kommt Grave Diggers Front-Ikone Chris Boltendahl mit seinem ersten Soloalbum - "Reborn In Flames". Unter dem Banner von Chris Boltendahls STEELHAMMER konnte Chris eine illustre Zunft erstklassiger Musiker für dieses Werk gewinnen. An der Gitarre ist kein Geringerer als der Ex-Orden Ogan-Gitarrenzauberer Tobias Kersting zu finden. Mit ihm hat Chris alle 10 Tracks auf "Reborn in Flames" geschrieben. Komplettiert wird das Line-Up durch Lars Schneider am Bass (ex Orden Ogan) und Patrick Klose am Schlagzeug (Iron Savior). "Reborn in Flames" strotzt nur so vor klassischen Power-Metal-Riffs- eine glühende Mischung aus "Grave Digger meets Metal Church. Von Heavy-Metal-Steamern à la "Reborn in Flames", "Fire Angel" oder "Beyond the Black Soul" bis hin zu den Groove-Monstern "Gods of Steel, Out of the Ruins oder The Hammer that kills" hört man auf dem Album alles, was das Metalherz begehrt. Das Album endet mit der Coverversion des Klassikers "Beds are burning" von Midnight Oil. Tobias Kersting veredelt das Album mit filigranen Power-Metal-Riffs und Weltklasse-Soli, während Lars Schneider und Patrick Klose dem Duo Kersting/Boltendahl die nötige Basis liefern. Die unverkennbare Stimme der Totengräber-Legende regiert... "Reborn in Flames" ist ein Feuerwerk an Metal für jeden Headbanger, der klassischen Metal liebt... Mit "Reborn in Flames" schaffen die vier Musiker ein eigenständiges, frisches und hochklassiges Power-Metal-Debütalbum. Wie Ozzy sagte: "Let the madness begin"

LP includes Poster.

When Sacred Bones first began their Mort Garson reissue project in 2019 with a proper reissue of Plantasia, the Garson-naissance began in earnest. Soon after, you could hear Mort Garson and his Moogs bubbling up on TV shows, documentaries, podcasts, hip-hop tracks, or anywhere else, the man a cultural phenomenon once more.

Like a perennial that returns with each new spring, the Mort Garson archives have brought to bear yet another awe-inspiring bloom.

Journey to the Moon and Beyond finds even more new facets to the man's sound. There's the soundtrack to the 1974 blaxploitation film Black Eye (starring Fred Williamson) alongside some newly unearthed music for advertising. Just as regal is "Zoos of the World," where Garson soundtracks the wild, preening, slumbering animals from a 1970 National Geographic special of the same name.

The mind reels at just what project would have yielded a scintillating title like "Western Dragon," but these three selections were found on tapes in the archive with no further information. The crown jewel of the set is no doubt Garson's soundtrack to the live broadcast of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, as first heard on CBS News. That's one small step for man, one giant leap for Moogkind. But for decades, this audio was presumed lost, the only trace of it appearing to be from an old YouTube clip. Thankfully, diligent audio archivist Andy Zax came across a copy of the master tape while going through the massive Rod McKuen archive.

So now we get to hear it in all its glory. Across six minutes, Garson conjures broad fantasias, whirring mooncraft sounds, zero-gravity squelches, and twinkling études. It showcases Mort's many moods: sweet, exploratory, whimsical, a little bit corny, weaving it all together in a glorious whole.

Maybe at the time it scanned as crass and opportunistic for Garson to apply his keyboards to subjects like astrological signs, the occult, hippiedom, houseplants, or the moon landing. But more than most other electronic music pioneers of his ilk, Garson foresaw the integration of such electronics into our daily lives, how they would allow us to engage with the world.

LP includes Poster.

When Sacred Bones first began their Mort Garson reissue project in 2019 with a proper reissue of Plantasia, the Garson-naissance began in earnest. Soon after, you could hear Mort Garson and his Moogs bubbling up on TV shows, documentaries, podcasts, hip-hop tracks, or anywhere else, the man a cultural phenomenon once more.

Like a perennial that returns with each new spring, the Mort Garson archives have brought to bear yet another awe-inspiring bloom.

Journey to the Moon and Beyond finds even more new facets to the man's sound. There's the soundtrack to the 1974 blaxploitation film Black Eye (starring Fred Williamson) alongside some newly unearthed music for advertising. Just as regal is "Zoos of the World," where Garson soundtracks the wild, preening, slumbering animals from a 1970 National Geographic special of the same name.

The mind reels at just what project would have yielded a scintillating title like "Western Dragon," but these three selections were found on tapes in the archive with no further information. The crown jewel of the set is no doubt Garson's soundtrack to the live broadcast of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, as first heard on CBS News. That's one small step for man, one giant leap for Moogkind. But for decades, this audio was presumed lost, the only trace of it appearing to be from an old YouTube clip. Thankfully, diligent audio archivist Andy Zax came across a copy of the master tape while going through the massive Rod McKuen archive.

So now we get to hear it in all its glory. Across six minutes, Garson conjures broad fantasias, whirring mooncraft sounds, zero-gravity squelches, and twinkling études. It showcases Mort's many moods: sweet, exploratory, whimsical, a little bit corny, weaving it all together in a glorious whole.

Maybe at the time it scanned as crass and opportunistic for Garson to apply his keyboards to subjects like astrological signs, the occult, hippiedom, houseplants, or the moon landing. But more than most other electronic music pioneers of his ilk, Garson foresaw the integration of such electronics into our daily lives, how they would allow us to engage with the world.

As the void stares back at me, I am consumed by the waves of this new sonic transmission. ESP's Goblin Synth reigns supreme, guiding me into the darkest corners of my mind, as the Galaxian remix shatters my being into a thousand pieces. This release is a frenzied piece of IDM, braindance, and DnB, fueled by a chemical fury that leaves my mind in a state of pure ecstasy. The relentless pace and shifting soundscapes of the A-side are the perfect conduit for the raw power of the Galaxian remix, taking me beyond the limits of what I thought was possible.

On the B-side, I am treated to a liquid dnb homage that is no less relentless in its pursuit of sonic intensity. Here, the rhythms are more organic, more fluid, but no less potent in their ability. This is music that demands a total surrender of the self.

The insidious rhythms of ESP's Goblin Synth seize my consciousness like a viral agent, rendering my being porous and open to the twitching, glitching transmissions emanating from the depths of the machine. With each stuttering break and howling, modulated synth line, I am hurled headlong into a world of ravenous, cybernetic abandon - a blackened, dystopian horizon of shattered glass and flickering neon.

As my mind is hijacked by the rushing currents of amphetamine psychosis, I realize that this is no mere exercise in genre or form, but an all-out assault on the very fabric of reality itself. The sonic textures here are hyper-real, beyond the grasp of normal human perception - this is the sound of the post-human, the sound of the inhuman, the sound of a future that is rapidly bearing down upon me, whether I am ready or not.

And yet, amidst the chaos and decay, there is a kind of perverse beauty at work - a beauty that can only be glimpsed through the shattered glass of my own shattered subjectivity. With each burst of static and each crunching bassline, I am hurled deeper into a vortex of metallic, crystalline wonder, a realm of pure, unadulterated sound that is as terrifying as it is sublime.

The legendary Ultramagnetic MC touches down in London for a one-away collab with We Are The Horsemen, featuring the one and only Kaidi Tatham.


What you sayin’, Kool Keith...? Enter your spaceship for a transatlantic meeting of minds as the legendary Kool Keith links up with We Are The Horsemen (Outernational Sounds head honcho Harvinder Singh Nagi and producer Sub One) and the great Kaidi Tatham for a future-jazz flavoured trip through the great MC’s London adventures.

Kool Keith needs no introduction to hip-hop heads worldwide. As one of the greatest MCs ever to touch the mic, Keith has never stopped innovating and progressing. From his days in the seminal 1980s Bronx unit Ultramagnetic MCs, through his pioneering development of new conceptual characters and styles in the 1990s (Big Willie Smith, Dr. Octagon, Dr. Dooom, Black Elvis), to his continuous run of radically independent recordings in the 2000s and beyond, Kool Keith defines rap longevity and artistic originality. No one else in hip hop has a comparable record of continuous reinvention, conceptual boldness, and stylistic panache.

And after four decades in rap, Keith is still one of the hardest working rappers in the game, perpetually seeking new sounds to spit on and new collaborators from across the musical spectrum. Fresh off the acclaim for his new Black Elvis 2 release, the protean MC has touched down on Outernational Sounds for a unique collab with We Are The Horsemen and Kaidi Tatham. ‘London Is The Place’ finds Keith riding the Horsemen’s atmospheric, break-toughened riddim and reaching back in time to drop kaleidoscopic, stream-of-consciousness impressions of the Ultramagnetic MCs infamous 1989 tour, before flashing forward to the present in order to namecheck Honest Jons Records, saxophone star Nubiya Garcia and master keyboardist and broken beat pioneer Kaidi Tatham, who contributes trademark jazz keys and bruk steez to the AA side remix. The 12” is closed out by a third version, the Horsemen’s own Kool Jazz Mix, bringing see- sawing organ stabs and a neck-snapping Ultra-sampling hook.

Kool Keith, Kaidi Tatham and We Are The Horsemen, taking it higher and overcoming the pressure with ‘music so progressive’, to quote Keith himself! Limited press – don’t sleep on this one!!

After performing at the same Boiler Room a cool decade ago and connecting through a love of the same genre-blurring sonics that have defined their respective careers to date, King Kashmere and Letherette were always destined to make music together.

It was only a matter of time.

And space.

As an artist who champions a dozen or so sounds, rooted in gripping pop culture aesthetics, genre-smashing production and impeccable versemanship, King Kashmere’s quest to perfect the unperfectable has seen him carve out a unique (and ever-shifting) point on the rap map.

Letherette are a duo; two school friends from Wolverhampton, with a rich release history spanning Ninja Tune and beyond, however, their current form fluxes and shifts with each creative endeavour (depending on where either they find themselves at any given fork in the road).

King Kashmere x Letherette’s collaborative EP represents something of a distillation process; avenues of thought and feeling presented as ‘TR3B’; a 7-track EP that feels more like a tapestry than a record, weighted in the experiments of the aforementioned decade, expertly presented for 2022 and beyond.

A kind of hush pervades throughout Standards Vol VI, the latest release by The National Jazz Trio of Scotland, the ironically named project helmed by Falkirk’s musical polymath, Bill Wells, that is neither a trio, nor a jazz band. If this collection of ten covers probably comes closest to the latter in its late night renditions of actual standards, the presence of long-term NJToS member and collaborator Aby Vulliamy as the record’s lone vocalist adds to its solitary air. This follows Standards Vol IV (2018), which featured fellow NJToS co-founder Kate Sugden as primary vocalist, while Gerard Black, a member of the group since 2016, took centre stage in similar fashion on Standards Vol V (2019). Wells has long been a fan of Vulliamy, both of her work as a viola player with numerous collaborators, and as a singer.

Vulliamy played viola on Everything’s Getting Older, Wells’ 2011 collaboration with Arab Strap vocalist Aidan Moffat. Wells went on to play melodica on Vulliamy’s solo record, Spin Cycle, released on Karaoke Kalk in 2018. With the intent of producing the saddest heartbreak record ever made, Wells sourced a back catalogue of miniature epics, reinterpreting each tale of everyday yearning to make a canon of melancholy loungecore designed for nights in alone, if not always lonely. Beyond the concept of isolation behind Standards Vol VI, practical concerns added to the affair, with Wells recording backing tracks at home in Glasgow, while Vulliamy added her voice from her home in Yorkshire. The result on Standards Vol VI is a thing of quiet beauty that sees Wells and Vulliamy reimagine a panoply of pop classics in their own aloof sounding image.

Shades of Margo Guryan and Claudine Longet abound in Vulliamy’s delivery over Wells’ woozy, low-slung guitar and piano, with samples culled from a session with Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake. Little electronic percussive clicks and hisses lend things an even more otherworldly air on a record bookended by opener, Donovan’s proto hippy classic, Catch the Wind, and Dixieland miniature, Careless Love. The eight points in between take in a first half led by The Beatles’ normally jaunty We Can Work it Out, flipping the loveable mop-tops’ perky optimism for something more soul searching. This is followed by I Wish You Love, Albert Beach’s English language version of French songwriter Charles Trenet’s evergreen, Que reste-t-il de nos amours. The Bee Gees lost classic, To Love Somebody, is up next, with more impossible to answer questions coming in Why Can’t I?

The latter is a Rodgers and Hart composition that first appeared in the duo’s 1930 Broadway musical, Spring is Here, in which the show’s two heroines commiserate each other over their shared loneliness. Wells stumbled on the song in a tatty Rodgers and Hart songbook, which, like its subjects, had been left on the shelf before he and Vulliamy brought it in from the cold. The second half of Standards Vol VI leads with Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick’s much covered evocation of a pre dating app era from their 1964 hit musical, Fiddler on the Roof. This is followed by Billy Rose and Dave Dreyer’s showbiz staple (with Al Jolson also taking a credit), Me and My Shadow. While made famous by showbiz double acts ranging from Frank and Sammy to Robbie and Jonathan, here it flies decidedly solo. Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael’s Skylark comes next, a song inspired by Mercer’s yearning for Judy Garland. We hear ya, bub. The most downbeat take on Bacharach and David’s The Look of Love you’re ever likely to hear comes next, ushering in the short farewell of Careless Love, before the lights are turned out forever. Yeah, well. Whatever gets you through the night…

Könnt ihr euch noch daran erinnern, wie es euch weggeblasen hat, als ihr das erste Mal Metal gehört habt?
"Fight Or Fall" ist eine konsequente Rückkehr zu schnellem und druckvollem Heavy Metal mit schrillen Vocals, knackigen Gitarren und Hooks, die dich daran erinnern lassen, wie gutes Songwriting klingen muss.
Dies Album ist kein fröhlicher Spaziergang durch einen Wald voller Elfen - es ist das Schlachtfeld, auf dem Metal lebendig ist, und die mitreißenden Vocals beschwören die Geister, die den Metal zu der Macht gemacht haben, die er heute ist!

Könnt ihr euch noch daran erinnern, wie es euch weggeblasen hat, als ihr das erste Mal Metal gehört habt?
"Fight Or Fall" ist eine konsequente Rückkehr zu schnellem und druckvollem Heavy Metal mit schrillen Vocals, knackigen Gitarren und Hooks, die dich daran erinnern lassen, wie gutes Songwriting klingen muss.
Dies Album ist kein fröhlicher Spaziergang durch einen Wald voller Elfen - es ist das Schlachtfeld, auf dem Metal lebendig ist, und die mitreißenden Vocals beschwören die Geister, die den Metal zu der Macht gemacht haben, die er heute ist!