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The early Reggae sound that came out of Jamaica between the years 1968 and 1971 became the soundtrack to the skinhead movement in the UK. Not only was the music embraced but also the dress style of the Jamaican Rude Boys.

The skinhead style started around 1968 and by the following year 1969, had become the style and fashion of the British teenagers. The uniform of the skinheads consisted of boots, braces, button down shirts and jeans and the upbeat reggae sounds seemed to match the style perfectly. The tempo of the music in Jamaica had previously slowed down from the more up tempo beat of Ska to the calmer pace of beat called Rock Steady. Some say this was to match the extreme heat wave that was hitting the island between 1966 and 1968. But that period had now passed and the evolution of the Reggae beat had again found a new pulse to hang its songs by. A more up tempo beat that all Jamaicans, British youths and various pockets of people around the world could groove to.

We have selected a cross section of tunes from those heady times, so sit back and enjoy some of the tunes the youths were listening to when the Skinhead Shuffle was all the rage. Hope you enjoy the set….

Coloured vinyl repress of Penguin Cafe album Rain Before Seven… A sense of optimism infuses Penguin Cafe’s fifth studio album, not the braggadocious, overconfident kind, but more a blithe, self-effacing optimism in keeping with the national character. Even when all signs point to the contrary, it operates within the certainty that things are going to be alright. Probably.

The title comes from an old weather proverb with the rhyming prognostication — fine before eleven — hinting at a happy ending, irrespective of the science: “I found it in a book and I'd never heard it before,” says Arthur Jeffes, leader of Penguin Cafe. “It has faintly optimistic overtones and I quite like it. It's fallen out of usage recently but it does describe English weather patterns coming in off the Atlantic.”

From the widescreen reverie of opener ‘Welcome to London’ with its cheeky nod to Morricone to ‘Goldfinch Yodel’, the self-described “Maypole banger” at the denouement, there’s a welcome sense of sanguinity, always with an undercurrent of exotic rhythmic exuberance. Playfulness pervades, with a titular nod to A Matter of Life... from 2011, the last album title that concluded with an ellipsis. That Penguin Cafe debut is the bridge between the legendary Penguin Cafe Orchestra, led by Arthur’s father Simon Jeffes, and the much- loved descendent, led by Arthur.

“Stylistically it's really satisfying to get back to playful rhythms and instruments,” says the younger Jeffes, who kept the group’s debut from 12 years ago in mind when writing the new album. “Certainly when starting out, I became aware that we’d stopped using quite a few of the textures that had been there at the beginning—and it was certainly there in my dad's earlier stuff. So there's a lot of balafon and textures from completely different parts of the world, musically and geographically: ukuleles, cuatros and melodicas that you can hear.”

Encouraged by co-producer Robert Raths, the rhythmic elements of Rain Before Seven... have never been more to the fore and, at times, even hint at the electronic. ‘Find Your Feet’, for instance, is underpinned with more than just a pulse. Mixed by Tom Chichester-Clark, it brings to the musical melange what Arthur describes as a “near electronic feel”. He adds, excitedly: “There are elements of fun here which we haven't really done with the last three records.” Another ebullient highlight is ‘In Re Budd’, dedicated to the late ambient godfather Harold Budd, who Arthur discovered had died on the day he’d been writing the celebratory ear worm with a deceptively tricky syncopation. Played on an upright piano with some “prepared” felt to accentuate the bounce, Jeffes feels a track with an Afro Cuban Cafe vibe would appeal to Budd’s contrariness.

Psalms Of Yellow House“ folgt auf das 2020 erschienene Projekt, „Mania/ Post Mania“, das von BIRP.fm, Indie Shuffle, Maison Kitsuné und Stereofox gelobt wurde. Wie bereits erwähnt, arbeitete Yellow House mit ODESZA an der im letzten Jahr erschienenen EP, „Flaws In Our Design“, einer verträumten, transformativen Verschmelzung von Yellow House' psychedelischem Alterna-Folk und ODESZAs epischen, symphonischen Kompositionen, die von Dancing Astronaut sowie American Songwriter - die die EP als „atemberaubende, kopfnickende neue Traummusik“ beschrieben - gelobt wurde. Die EP brachte Yellow House auch den Einstieg in die Billboard Hot Dance/ Electronic Songs Charts mit der Leadsingle, „Heavier“.

Ben Reed has worked with Frank Ocean, David Byrne, Sampha and many others, but his own music is unpredictable, passionate and tinged with melancholy and has drawn comparisons to the so-called Canterbury sound of Progressive rock.


‘Bandaged’ is much more in the singer/songwriter vein than Ben's previous releases, albeit tinged with an undeniable British proggy-ness. The richness of melody and harmonic vocabulary remains, and the influence of jazz is still detectable, this time via more concise song forms.


Past review comparisons to the Canterbury sound aren't too far wide of the mark here, especially as Jimmy Hastings (Caravan, Hatfield & the North) is present on two of the songs.


Throughout the album there is a detectable combination of sentimentality and melancholy combined with playfulness and a dark sense of humour making ‘Bandaged’ one of the most interesting and innovative new albums of its genre in 2023.

The Brazilian composer, pianist and producer, Mário Castro Neves and his group, Samba S. A.'s self-titled album from 1967 is oozing with class. It possesses that archetypal 60's bossa nova, jazz, samba sound. We’d place it up there with Sergio Mendes at his finest, Tambo Trio or Milton Banana. It’s a breezy ride that touches on easy listening at times, but it holds it together with a cool swagger. Biba and Thaís Do Amaral's vocals are on point, with a relaxed delivery that compliments the tracks with the sublime beauty à la vocal groups such as Quarteto Em Cy, who Biba also sang with, as well as with Antonio Adolfo's e A Brazuca. Also appearing on the record is bassist extraordinaire, Novelli who worked with Milton Nascimento, Nelson Angelo E Joyce, Airto, and many of the greats of Brazilian music of the time.

The album has long been a favourite with DJs and collectors over the years, with songs selected for compilations by Gilles Peterson and Nicola Conte. One of the centrepieces of the album, 'Candomblé’, has been sampled by Cut Chemist on his track 'Povo De Santo'. The song 'Naña' is punchy and light with dancefloor-jazz appeal. The gloriously catchy 'Vem Balançar' is a brilliant bossa shuffler. A superb listen throughout, the album sticks to a framework but delivers in spades.

Though released on the major-label RCA Victor, original copies are elusive, sought-after items with a price tag to match. For this reissue, we have opted for the Mono master, mirroring the original 1967 Brazilian pressing. Instantly familiar, the album has a welcoming feeling of nostalgia and is something that stays with you from the first listen.

Acid Jazz's announcement of the 30th anniversary 2LP remastered edition of Mother Earth's The People Tree is a momentous occasion for fans of acid jazz and soul music alike. Originally released in 1994, this album holds a significant place in the genre's history, blending elements of soul, funk, and folk-tinged rock from the 70s with a modern twist. The special edition reissue boasts the original album, along with three previously unreleased tracks and six making their vinyl debut. Remastered from the original analogue recordings, this release promises to breathe new life into the beloved classic. Featuring guest appearances from iconic artists like Paul Weller, Dee C Lee and Simon Bartholomew of Brand New Heavies, The People Tree is a testament to the collaborative spirit of the acid jazz scene. Notable bonus tracks include the previously unreleased alternative version of 'Apple Green,' an alternate take on 'Illusions,' and the title track itself. First-time vinyl cuts offer fresh perspectives on tracks like 'Jesse' and 'Slide Sweet Baby,' adding depth to the listening experience. The album's presentation is equally impressive, with a beautiful 'wide-spine' layout, printed inner sleeves, and insightful notes from label-founder Eddie Piller, accompanied by unseen photos from the original cover shoot. Overall, this anniversary edition of The People Tree is a album worth your time as it often selected for one of the best examples in the genre.

Scottish experimental/electronic musician Drew McDowall's lifelong interest in an elegiac solo bagpipe style called pibroch (ceòl mòr in Gaelic) has been an inspiration for much of his previous work (including Coil's legendary Time Machines). This form, often traditionally used for laments and for tributes to the dead, fuses modal drones with flickering dissonance and plaintive melody evoking an ancient, solemn mood. His latest work, A Thread, Silvered and Trembling, both incorporates and transforms these elements via exploratory electronic processing, weaving an electro-acoustic tapestry of strings, shudders, voids, and voices, alternately disembodied and displaced. Co-produced with engineer Randall Dunn at Circular Ruin Studios in Brooklyn, the collection's four pieces capture McDowall at his most elevated and elusive, in thrall to "the ineffable - that which refuses to be spoken." McDowall's palette here is unusually eclectic, sourced from a dynamic orchestral ensemble arranged by Brent Arnold and comprised of cello, viola, violin, harp (Marilu Donovan of LEYA), and french horn. Ebbing between shrouded electronics and enigmatic, sometimes spectralist orchestration, the album moves with a seething, simmering energy, surging into elegant, uneasy crescendos. The first two pieces are inspired by a liberatory hijacking and inversion of a grim biblical story (and by a cryptic and strange UK simple syrup branding). Opener "Out of Strength Comes Sweetness" shivers with short echo and resonant pads, before shifting into the album's centerpiece: the 14-minute saga "And Lions Will Sing with Joy." A murmuring electrical storm of keening strings and disorienting drones gradually grows darker and denser, until suddenly there's a crack in the clouds, revealing mutated choral voices and sparkling harp. McDowall describes the track as "an incantation to help usher in a break, and a new beginning." The record's latter half evokes a deep untamed animism shot through with spiraling radiance. "In Wound and Water" sways with harp, plucked strings and eerie cello undertows while lush layers of disorientated electronics hang in the dusk. There is no resolution, only a faint gradient of fragile dissipation, leading into the album's harrowing and climactic closer, "A Dream of a Cartographic Membrane Dissolves." Processed voices (credited on the liner notes to "The Ghosts Who Refuse to Rest") contort, whisper, and gather as the rest of the ensemble sharpens, poising to strike. Then it does - grand, tragic stabs of strings and horns lashing the sky, storming heaven by force. The fallout is poetic and inevitable, raining embers into a dark sea. But the journey and catharsis of A Thread linger long after it goes silent. Like so much of McDowall's multifaceted catalog, this is music of immanence and alchemy, attuned equally to the sacred and the profane, to the tile and the mosaic.

Weniger als ein Jahr nach ihrem Album „Through and Through“ kehrt Baby Rose mit „Slow Burn“ zurück, einer Sammlung von Songs, die ihre Klangpalette von progressivem R&B zu einer raueren, reichhaltigeren und weitläufigeren Linse amerikanischer Musik erweitern. Hier behauptet sich Rose nicht nur als einmalige Sängerin, sondern auch als formidable Songwriterin, die die Punkte verbindet, an denen Muscle Shoals auf Psych trifft, Psych auf Jazz, Jazz auf Americana, und die richtigen Musiker bringen alles zusammen. Produziert von BADBADNOTGOOD, fanden Rose und die Band eine sofortige und scheinbar endlose Quelle der Inspiration; was als Einleitung begann, wurde zu einem Tag, zu einem Song, zu einer Nacht, zu „Slow Burn“. Baby Rose war bereits eine kraftvolle Performerin - sie kann die Bühne mit Robert Glasper teilen, ohne in Schweiß auszubrechen, oder einen epischen Film wie Creed III, für den sie den Abschlusssong sang, mit stählerner Zuversicht beenden. Als Rose sich das erste Mal mit BADBADNOTGOOD traf, war sofort eine Verbindung da, und gemeinsam nahmen sie die Leadsingle "One Last Dance" gleich bei diesem ersten Treffen auf. Es war Roses erster Freestyle-Song, und er brachte entscheidende Teile ihrer Vision auf den Punkt. "Ich wusste schon immer, dass es neue Räume und Sounds gibt, in die ich vordringen kann", erklärt Rose. "Ich war schon immer an verschiedenen Sounds interessiert, die diese raueren Texturen einbringen." Während die Geschwindigkeit ihrer Zusammenarbeit Rose begeisterte und überraschte, waren das Potenzial und die Endergebnisse es nicht. "Wir haben uns schnell bewegt", sagt sie, "und es war wirklich wie ein Wasserhahn. Sobald wir “One Last Dance“ hatten, wurde klar, dass alles fließen würde." Die Songs auf „Slow Burn“ wurden zum Teil von Roses Erfahrungen inspiriert, die sie auf den Fahrten zwischen den Wohnorten ihrer Familie machte: dem Lärm und Chaos von DC und der ruhigen Landschaft von Carolina. Rose drehte die Musik auf und ließ ihre Gedanken schweifen, um Raum für innere Monologe und imaginäre Dialoge zu schaffen, die man sonst vielleicht nicht zu hören wagt. Diese Momente haben etwas Verträumtes, und sie schwelen auf Slow Burn: Erinnerungen verlieren ihre Realität, Gefühle ersetzen Geschehnisse. Der Titeltrack zum Beispiel setzt sanfte, schlendernde Drums gegen Roses lyrische Wiederholungen, während sie diesen Erinnerungen - manche leben, manche fühlen - mit geduldigem, beharrlichem Verlangen nachspürt. Das herausragende "One Last Dance" kommt als Liebeslied getarnt daher, ist aber eigentlich eine Ode an eine verlorene Freundschaft und ein imaginärer Traum von einem weiteren Tag wie in alten Zeiten. Die Realität verschwimmt wieder mit dem Gefühl, der Gesang geht in ein Wiegenlied über, und BADBADNOTGOODs Bassist Chester Hansen bringt diese traumhafte Qualität in einen schleichenden, vorsichtigen, aber liebevollen Unterton. Tatsächlich haben die meisten Songs auf „Slow Burn“ dieses schleichende, schattenhafte Gefühl, als würden sie auf Zehenspitzen daherkommen: intim, aber ein wenig gefährlich, zärtlich, aber ein wenig geheimnisvoll. So vollständig und überzeugend dieses Werk auch ist, Slow Burn weist auf einen größeren, höheren Aufstieg in Baby Roses Zukunft hin.

Les Disques Bongo Joe are proud to be home of the new volume of DJ soFa's well known curation work Elsewhere series with Elsewhere CC! This ninth exploration of our beloved Bruxelles based cratedigger and producer (Mameen 3, Nyati Mayi & The astral Synth Transmitters, ...) is an ode to summer and groove!

The ninth edition in the Elsewhere series is a real digger’s paradise of tropical gems, from Trinidad to Brazil, Poland, Dominica, and beyond. The compilation is an eclecticmix of outernational, tropical-wave, Calypso, multi-rhythmic percussive beats, lo-fi disco jams, and other such styles that lie somewhere in that magical in-between zone. Compiled by Brussels-based DJ, tastemaker and producer soFa, Elsewhere Vol.9 CC is a perfect collection of Balearic, good-vibe, sunshine rarities, to soundtrack a cocktail session on a reclusive, tropical beach, featuring rare tunes and some of the artist’s own unique productions and collaborations.

Modern day selector, 7” detective, international cratedigger, and self-styled musical activist DJ soFa, aka. soFa Elsewhere, is renowned for his borderless approach to curation. Adapting his unconventional and radical approach to DJing to his acclaimed compilation series, soFa’s goal has always been to expand horizons, highlight scenes, and tell stories. And herein lies the beauty behind the latest edition in the Elsewhere series. Behind every great record, is an even bigger story, and Elsewhere CC, has plenty of them...

This isn't just a seminal album. It is an estuary. All the black rivers that would form Brazilian funk/hip-hop flow through it. Led by Paulista pianist Salvador Silva Filho - Dom Salvador - 'Som, Sangue, e Raça' from 1971, one year after the explosion of Tim Maia on the scene, catalyzed the bossa nova and jazz background of its leader with the rhythm and blues of its members like saxophonist Oberdã Magalhães, nephew of samba-enredo master Silas de Oliveira and future leader of Banda Black Rio, who since the group Impacto 8 (which had, among others, Robertinho Silva on drums and Raul de Souza on trombone) had already been trying to reconcile MPB with Stevie Wonder and James Brown. Add to all this a mixture of samba, Nordestino accent, and even the black side of the Jovem Guarda represented by the authorial presence of Getúlio Cortes (older brother of Gerson King Combo, our James Brown 'cover') in 'Hei! Você'. Alongside these elements and the presence of Rubão Sabino (bass), who still called himself 'Rubens', drummer Luis Carlos (another member of Black Rio), the record enlists the trumpet and flugelhorn of symphonic musician Darcy in place of the original Barrosinho (yet one more founder of Black Rio), who was traveling during the recording but would end up being a leading force of the band.

The album 'Som, Sangue e raça' paves the way for future generations of musicians and producers of the Carioca scene at the beginning of the 1970s. The lyrics that dealt with the question of race and the explosive fusion of samba, soul, jazz, and funk, elaborated by Dom Salvador and his troupe, Abolição, established the bases for the development of new sounds and tendencies in Brazilian music.

Limitiert auf 300 Exemplare. "Das weiße Album der Beatles: Wenn Bands an einem aussichtslosen Wendepunkt ihrer Karriere eine unfertige, sperrige Platte abliefern, dann sprechen sie von IHREM "Weißen Album" - gemeint ist mit dieser Formulierung in jedem Fall: ihr "Meisterwerk". Die EASTIE RO!S, um die es hier geht, bedürfen keiner Erinnerungsauffrischung:Wer einmal mit ihnen zu tun hatte, vergißt sie nicht, so wie auch Verkehrsunfälle, brennende Schulbusse und Wetterkatastrophen lange in Erinnerung bleiben. Eine Band wie die Eastie Rois, die mit streberhaftem Fleiß das Punkprogramm Saufen und Chaosstiften ausgelebt hat, ist vom coronabedingten Ende des Konzertbetriebs - inklusive dem Ende der Spuckorgien mit dem Publikum - natürlich besonders hart betroffen. Aber sie haben diese reizarmen Jahre für die Aufnahme des "Braunen Albums" genutzt - und diese Scheibe klingt genau so, wie eine Eastie Rois-Veröffentlichung klingen sollte: So, als sei sie an einem besoffenen Nachmittag in fünf Stunden zusammen-gerotzt worden! Und es trifft zu, was weiter oben steht, wenn jemand das "Weiße Album" erwähnt: Es ist das Opus magnum! Die Götterdämmerung! Die Apotheose! Anspieltip: "Abhäng im Wedding", das klingt wie eine bösartige Kreuzung aus "Revolution Number 9" und "Obladi Oblada" Charles Manson hat nach dem Hörgenuss des "Weißen Albums" seine Anhänger nach Hollywood geschickt, um ein Blutbad zu veranstalten. Ich bin schon sehr gespannt zu erfahren, wie das "Braunen Albums" auf ähnlich verrückte Art wirken wird.." Brezel Göring

Sonor Music Editions presents this restored issue of Maestro Sandro Brugnolini's Overground. This elusive masterpiece in library music captures the most impressive work, alongside Underground (1970), of the Italian composer and alto sax player.

Sandro Brugnolini was a prominent member of the Modern Jazz Gang, a famous Italian jazz group, during the 1950s and 60s, which also included Amedeo Tommasi, Cicci Santucci, and Enzo Scoppa. The group was active from 1956 to 1965 and produced some remarkable albums such as Miles Before And After (1960) and the original soundtrack from Gli Arcangeli (1962), which featured the renowned American jazz singer, Helen Merrill. Subsequently, he recorded many of the genre's most iconic releases, including Feelings (1974), albeit uncredited, and ventured into Psychedelic Lounge Funk and Progressive Jazz Beat tunes.

Overground was released on Sincro Edizioni Musicali in 1970 as the soundtrack to Enrico Moscatelli and Mario Rigoni's documentary Persuasione, commissioned by Ente Provinciale Per Il Turismo Di Trento, a local tourism board in Italy, with music composed by Sandro Brugnolini and Luigi Malatesta featuring some of the best musicians in Italy at the time like Angelo Baroncini and Silvano Chimento on guitars, Giorgio Carnini on piano and organ, Enzo Restuccia on drums, and Giovanni Tommaso on bass and effects. The music spans from underground Psychedelic Prog. Rock with swirling organs, trippy effects, and distorted fuzz guitars to sophisticated Lounge grooves with Avant-garde orchestrations.

The music has been transferred and remastered from the original master tapes. It has been lacquer cut in stereo by Jukka Sarapää at Timmion Cutting and packed in a thick cardboard sleeve featuring a fully restored painting by Umberto Mastroianni licensed by Centro Studi dell’Opera di Umberto Mastroianni

2024 Restock

A Brazilian rock classic! The band had a very sophisticated sound that mixes nice vocal production with spare arrangements supported by guitar, piano, and bass. The sound is difficult to describe  but the record has some extremely compelling songwriting, and great vocal work that carries the strength of the tracks, whether or not you understand Portuguese. Titles include "Sangue Latino", "O Vira", "Primavera Nos Dentes", "Amor", "Assim Assado", and "As Andorinhas". Nice cover, too  with the band's heads on a table!

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(180 gram pressing) A great 70s album by Os Novos Baianos - a wonderfully youthful group that was one of the bright spots in Brazilian music after the Tropicalia years. Titles include "Sorrir E Cantar Como Bahia", "Dagmar", "Vagabundo Nao E Facil", "Cosmos E Damiao", "Com Qualquer Dois Mil Reis", and "Os Pingo Da Chuva".

A great 70s album by Os Novos Baianos - a wonderfully youthful group that was one of the bright spots in Brazilian music after the Tropicalia years. The band had a style that mixed folksy percussion with honest personal songwriting, plus occasional touches of elements gleaned from the larger influences in Brazilian rock at the time. The album has a sound that's a lot more intimate than later work, with some especially great work on guitar and bandolim, and great production on the band's vocals. Titles include "Sorrir E Cantar Como Bahia", "Dagmar", "Vagabundo Nao E Facil", "Cosmos E Damiao", "Com Qualquer Dois Mil Reis", and "Os Pingo Da Chuva".

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LP gatefold. The vinyl LP has been discontinued and second-hand
copies of the original pressing are changing hands on Discogs for upwards of €700!

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Lovely work from Marisa Monte – perhaps a bit sweeter than some of her earlier stuff, but pretty darn catchy, and with some excellent production by Arto Lindsay! The tracks have a mellow breezy feel, with a compressed production style that includes a lot of flanged-out guitar, subtle electronics, and warm acoustic touches. As with most of Marisa's albums, the record's filled with work by famous guest stars – like Joao Donato, Arnaldo Antunes, Marc Ribot, Carlinhos Brown, and others. Titles include "O Que Me Importa", "Nao E Facil", "Perdao Voce", "Abololo", "Gotas De Luar", and "Agua Tambem E Mar".

2024 Restock

Ein Must-Have in der Geschichte des amerikanischen Death Metal, remastered!

Die legendäre Chicagoer Death Metal Band Oppressor wurde 1991 von Bassist/Sänger Tim King und Gitarrist Adam Zadel gegründet, bald kamen Gitarrist Jim Stopper und Drummer Tom Schofield hinzu. Oppressor hat sich neu formiert und spielt wieder live!Oppressor nahmen zwei Demos auf...

und ihr zweites Demo, "As Blood Flows" von 1993, brachte sie 1993 unter Vertrag. Dieses Demo wurde als eine sehr starke Veröffentlichung angesehen, die über 30 Minuten dauerte und eine anständige Produktion aufwies. Im darauffolgenden Jahr wurde das Debütalbum "Solstice of Oppression" veröffentlicht, das von ausgiebigen Tourneen begleitet wurde, aber das Label von Oppressor ging kurz darauf in Konkurs. Um ihren Namen in der Öffentlichkeit zu halten, veröffentlichten Oppressor eine halb Live- und halb Studio-Compilation namens "European Oppression Live/As Blood Flows", die Live-Material von ihrer europäischen Support-Tour für ihr Debüt und Studiomaterial enthielt, das aus dem kompletten "As Blood
Flows"-Demo der Band von 1993 bestand.

Das ist schon ein historischer Moment: Exile On Mainstream bringt erstmalig eine Wiederveröffentlichung einer Platte, die seit Jahren restlos ausverkauft ist und am 25. April 2008 nur auf CD erschien. Erstmalig auf Vinyl, remastered: Heavy Zooo von BEEHOOVER. Die Band schreibt dazu: "Endlich! Oft gewünscht, drüber nachgedacht und wieder verworfen. Aber jetzt, endlich, kann mit Hilfe unseres Lieblingslabels Heavy Zooo so kommen, wie wir uns das die letzten 15 Jahre gewünscht haben: auf Vinyl!" Ist es Metal? Ist es Stoner Rock? Ist es Jazz oder gar Avantgarde? Weißt du was? Vergiss doch einfach mal die ganzen Schubladen in deinem Kopf und beantworte folgende Frage: Wann hat das letzte Mal jemand versucht, die Melvins zu klassifizieren? Oder Primus? Siehst du! Ladies & Gentlemen - der Heavy Zooo öffnet seine Tore! Treten sie ein und bestaunen sie eine Sammlung der unglaublichsten Geschöpfe dieses Planeten. Schimären aus Groove und Intelligenz. Sounds, so vertraut und doch so neu. Nichts hier ist eindimensional. Nur mit Bass und Drums schaffen Beehoover die Quadratur des Kreises - verrückte Arrangements mit Arsch, die dir das Tanzbein zucken lassen, dich aber trotzdem große Augen machen lassen. Damit sind die Eckpfeiler gemauert, zwischen denen sich die Sounds einer der wohl außergewöhnlichsten deutschen Bands dieser Tage spannen. Eine Kategorisierung erscheint unmöglich, wenn auch Beehoover Einflüsse aus traditionellen Stilen miteinander verweben. Im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes - das Ergebnis ist ein Teppich aus Bass und Drums, aus emotionalen Ausbrüchen und psychotischer Melancholie. Claus-Peter Hamisch (Drums) und Ingmar Peterson (Bass) versuchen dabei konsequent herkömmliche Strukturen zu vermeiden und neue Wege zu gehen, ohne jedoch den Song aus dem Auge zu verlieren. Ihre Herangehensweise ist avantgardistisch, das Ergebnis aber trotzdem melodisch. Ihre Auseinandersetzung mit Sounds ist intelligent und Kopf-betont. Das Resultat hingegen geht direkt in den Bauch - eine Wirkung, die heute nicht viele Bands erzielen können. Die Presse schrieb im April 2008: Dieses Duo ist ein echter Geheimtipp! ... ein echtes Original! ... Einfach nur großartig! (Eclipsed) Ein erneut bärenstarkes Album! (Rock Hard) Amtlicher Irrendoom, nur mit Ballerbass und Drums fabriziert. Ein herrlicher, fachmännisch fröhlicher Krach. Funktioniert eins a, absolut nicht zu klassifizieren.(Intro) ... die schwäbische Antwort auf die Melvins ... brachial-tighte Riffmaschine unter Dampf ... fette Prog-Schwarte, nie affektiert oder klugscheißend, sondern immer mitreißend komplex. (VISIONS) _ eine Mischung aus der Verrücktheit und technischen Brillianz von Primus, dem feinsinnigen Humor und der Vielseitigkeit der Melvins, der Heaviness und Brachialität von Neurosis und der Rhythmik von Kyuss (METAL HAMMER) Beehoover sind sie der lebende Beweis dafür, dass ein Bass, ein Schlagzeug und ein gepflegter Testosteronüberhang ausreichen, um die Musikgeschichte auf Lightning Bolt, Led Zeppelin, Melvins und Unsane einzudampfen und dein Trommelfell inklusive allem was dahinter liegt in die ewigen Jagdgründe zu schicken. (VICE) _ Es grenzt an ein Wunder ... Heavy Zooo steht als untrüglicher Beweis dafür, dass musikalischer Minimalismus tatsächlich maximale Brachialität und Wirkung erzielen kann (Legacy)

KEYS has just completed their second album, “The Grand Seduction”. This all-keyboard band is the brainchild of singer Jake E (Cyhra, Amaranthe and others) and keyboardist Mark Mangold (Touch, Drive, She Said, Michael Bolton, Cher, Paul Rogers and others) with Emanuel Bagge (Sweden’s Got Talent Finalist) on additional vocals and keys, Irwan Fabrien (noted keyboard guitar sound designer) with help of drum gurus Alex Landenburg (Kamelot, Cyhra and others).

Featuring live performances with three keyboardists and a huge battery of keyboards, this ambitious band brings keyboard and instrumental prowess to new heights while playing songs that run the gamut from scathing progressive melodic forays to catchy and melodic rock anthems …and Jake’s award-winning voice (Burrn Vocalist of the year 2020). Previous KEYS album also featured guest keyboard additions by Charlie Calv of Angel and others.

Though songs are first and foremost, this band shows the versatility of keyboards in this day and age. These artfully crafted songs are ripe with scathing synth, organ and “guitar” pyrotechnics, dazzling time signatures and drumming, bombastic choruses and “guitar” riffs (played on keyboards with the now available plug in’s that perfectly emulate guitars). As Mark and Jake are first and foremost award winning songwriters, they never lose sight of the composition and melodies, though couched in the very signature and hard to pigeon hole sound (isn’t that the whole point?) of this band and Jake's 4 octave vocal range.

For The Elektric Band’s sophomore outing, Chick Corea - the venerated 27-time Grammy winner and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master - entered the studio with Dave Weckl on drums, John Patitucci on bass, and two new players who would solidify the band’s classic line up, guitarist Frank Gambale and saxophonist Eric Marienthal.

More heavily produced than its predecessor, Light Years contains several sequence-driven tracks, Corea’s attempt at reaching out to a wider audience with a brand of music that was tighter, funkier and eminently more communicative than he had recorded on 1986’s The Chick Corea Elektric Band.

The crisp, irrepressibly catchy title track is a prime example of Corea’s more commercial aspirations for the album, with Patitucci laying down a fat, funky groove with some hearty slap bass lines (a distinct flavor of the time), and Marienthal’s pungent alto sax strutting over the top. Not only did this groove-oriented track catch on with listeners, it also won a Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental Performance at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards.

Originally released on GRP Records in 1987, the album also contains the dreamy contemporary jazz offerings of “Second Sight” and “The Dragon,” the sequence-driven “Time Track”, “Flamingo,” featuring Carlos Rios on guitar and, the electrifying, techno tour de force, highly complex closer, “Kaleidoscope.

Sony Music feiert das 25-jährige Jubiläum des legendären Soundtracks "Bodyguard" mit der Veröffentlichung von Whitney Houston - I Wish You Love: More From The Bodyguard am 17. November 2017. Die brandneue Whitney Houston Sammlung enthält eine großartige Auswahl von Live- und Studioaufnahmen - viele davon bisher unveröffentlicht oder bisher nicht erhältlich, welche die größten Erfolge der Künstlerin dokumentieren. Auf dem neuen Album I Wish You Love: More From The Bodyguard finden sich noch nie veröffentlichte Live-Aufnahmen von Whitneys berühmter "Bodyguard"-Tour (1993-1995), dazu noch nie gehörte Versionen der Musikstücke aus " Bodyguard", ein Remix von "I'm Every Woman", zusätzliche Grafiken und vieles mehr. Das Album wird als CD und digital veröffentlicht.Einige der Höhepunkte des Albums sind ein Alternative Mix von "I Will Always Love You" mit einem gesprochenen Intro von Whitney alias Rachel Marron, eine noch nie veröffentlichte Acapella-Version von "Jesus Loves Me" und eine Live-Aufnahme des nur selten gespielten "Run To You". Außerdem enthalten sind Film- und Live-Versionen von "I Will Always Love You", "I Have Nothing", "Queen of The Night".

Am 31. Dezember 1973 spielten AC/DC ihre erste Show im Chequers Nightclub in Sydney. Heute, 50 Jahre nach diesem Gig, sind sie veritable Rocklegenden, die Millionen von Tonträgern verkauft haben, aber nicht im Entferntesten daran denken, sich aufs Altenteil zurückzuziehen. Erst vor kurzem hat die Band ihre unzähligen Fans mit der Ankündigung der ‘POWER UP’-Tour, die sie im Sommer 2024 durch Europa führen wird, wieder in einen Freudentaumel versetzt.

Um das 50-jährige Thronjubiläum der Rock’n’Roll-Könige angemessen zu feiern, veröffentlicht Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings den Backkatalog der Band in wahrlich royaler Ausstattung: als goldene, limitierte Vinyl-Edition. Jeder LP dieser Sonderedition liegt ein Druck (30cm*30 cm) mit brandneuem AC/DC-Jubiläums-Artwork bei.



LIVE – Die Doppel-LP aus dem Jahr 1991 wurde in Donnington Park und Birmingham (UK), Edmonton (Kanada) und Moskau mitgeschnitten.

LIMITED INDIES LOSER EDITION PRESSED ON BLUE TRANSPARENT VINYL! Stella makes her Sub Pop debut with the mesmerizing Up and Away, an old-school pop paean to the pangs and raptures of love. From the Greek folk-inflected get-go, we're swept up in Stella's world - and it's quite the captivating place to be. The singer-songwriter joined forces with artist and producer Tom Calvert (aka Redinho), and it was a match made in Athens; the results are heavenly. Tom caught one of Stella's gigs on a visit to the city. He reached out, they started hanging out, and the pair soon clicked creatively. Both mention chemistry when asked about their collaboration and it's clear, from what we hear, they had it in spades. The meld is seamless. Stella's songs have always riffed on American and Greek mid-century pop but Up and Away doubles down on the vintage aesthetic. Tom says he styled the record "as if it was a rare gem from the '60s found in a box of records in Athens," and Stella notes she was ready for a more "deeply Greek touch - it felt comfortable and right, smoothly fusing with the pop." The bouzouki appears on a full five tracks played by Christos Skondras who, she says, "was brilliant at improvising," while Sofia Labropoulou on the kanun "brought an insane amount of dreaminess to the last two songs. Having these amazing musicians play for Up and Away - I couldn't be more grateful." While not exclusively a confessional artist, Stella is always intimate - when she sings, it's personal. She writes "about things I feel passion for. Stories about me, about others, about all that's there in love and war." Stella was "in a very emotional state at the time, which came through in the lyrics and vocals." And it's true, her honeyed voice - layered in those unmistakable harmonies of hers - thrillingly runs the gamut from tender to terse, by turns bracing and smitten, aching and forlorn. But it's the lyrics that feel key. Across her output, Stella has proven herself a strong storyteller, and Up and Away is no exception (the guise of the medieval bard she assumes on the cover is telling). Past releases have been studded with gem-like vignettes - a diverse array of stories set tightly together to form non-linear narratives unified by emotion. Her latest feels singular in that it seems to trace a longer-form tale across songs, with each track escalating the record's erotic arc. By the end of the album, Up and Away's core concerns are clear: the conflicting and conflicted emotions inherent in love, that live on in ways we can't always understand or control. Love is like this record: when it's over, you still feel it for time to come.

Get a taste of everybody's favourite terrestrial with something extra, Jimi Tenor and his fresh brand of galactic balladry with two single versions from his upcoming album on Timmion Records, "Is There Love In Outer Space?". On the A-side, the title track effortlessly merges cosmic synth flourishes with a soulful backbeat, Jimi's smooth vocal and flute stylings, delivering a splendid questioning continuum to Sun Ra's similarly named statement. Flipping to the B-side, the mostly instrumental "Orbiting Telesto" launches us to the outer rings of Saturn with a healthy helping of vintage sci-fi movie soundtrack and library music themes. Accompanied by the down and dirty energy of Cold Diamond & Mink, Jimi's seasoned artistry shines through, showcasing his ability to blend celestial sounds with gritty moondust funk. With these two tracks, Tenor teases our appetite for the two cosmically themed albums in the pipeline for 2024. These songs crafted together with the Timmion crew serve as a testament to Jimi's unique ability to create captivating moods that transcend the usual.

LRK are excited to announce their next full album release LRKLP-08

'ALL I EVER WONDER' By Johnny Burgos

Available on LP/CD/DIGITAL

Singer, songwriter, and producer Johnny Burgos converges with veteran soul producer, Jeremy Page, (Kendra Morris, Czarface, MF Doom) to offer their first joint album together titled, 'All I Ever Wonder.' The album is a vividly vulnerable and honest effort by Burgos, lyrically and vocally, supported effortlessly by Page's masterful production. The pairing of the two seems meant to be, with a sound steeped in retro soul techniques, the album is equal parts novelty and nostalgia, equalling a timelessness that speaks to the humanity in all of us. All I Ever Wonder will be released on Vinyl, CD and all digital platforms on Friday, JUNE 28th, 2024 via UK-based Soul label LRK Records.

Johnny - "Jeremy and I have been ships passing in the night for years now. However, our first official collaboration was a 2021 remix of my song The Grey, which featured his long-time co-collaborator Kendra Morris. From the get-go, the musical chemistry was strong, so we took a shot at writing some original tunes. Since then, we've locked in on a creative groove and churned out a bunch of material. As we learned how to complement each other's musical strengths, the project took on more form and purpose, exploring heavier subject matter and expanding its range of genres. I'm pretty sure that's what makes this project so fun for us, and possibly what the early gatekeepers and listeners resonated with most. Neither of us expected such a reception to the music, which only made us more excited to hone in with more intention towards a goal. This also allowed me to bring more raw ideas to the table and have the confidence in Jeremy to hear the potential, then work his magic to extrapolate on my foundation. The teamwork in this effort was inspiring as we listened and referred to each other in every step of the process, and had a crew of killer musicians on deck for when we needed the extra feels on some joints.

We worked really hard on this record and hope it reconnects our listeners to being human in a visceral way. It's accessible, honest, and soulful because I wanted it to speak to anyone who still wants music to relate to. Music to help you through the valleys, to celebrate the peaks, and handle everything in between. It's a journey of the soul that explores ego, insecurity, love, loss, survival, enlightenment and trusting the process. It's truly 'All I Ever Wonder.' "

"All I Ever Wonder" will have its digital release through LRK Records on all platforms on Friday, JUNE 28th, 2024.

Johnny Burgos is a Brooklyn - born singer, songwriter, producer & engineer. His brand of future-soul embodies a raw uncompromising sound revealing beauty from pain, hope from despair, and the will to keep fighting. Especially influenced by his uncle and world-class percussionist, Andre Martinez, Johnny grew a fascination with the percussive rhythms of salsa and soul music, eventually manifesting into a devoted passion for Hip Hop production using an Akai MPC. With influences from Michael Jackson, OutKast, J Dilla, Lauryn Hill and D'Angelo, Johnny's music draws upon the core principles of R&B, while encompassing elements of Hip Hop, Funk, Pop, Salsa and Reggae.

Johnny has collaborated with DJ Skizz, for Mobb Deep & M.O.P., Marco Polo, Frans Mernick, Liza Colby (The Gold Setting) and led his band Bridge City Hustle, with whom he toured nationally.

As a solo artist Johnny debuted with back-to-back brand endorsements from French's Mustard and Samsung US, using them as a platform to launch his 2018 EP 'Love Through it All.' His debut album 'Gone Into The Grey' was released to critical acclaim in March of 2021 and has since been added to multiple editorial playlists by Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal, creating exponential growth. In 2022, Burgos' song 'Wild About You' was heard as the soundtrack to Neiman Marcus' "It's Your Moment" global streaming campaign. Johnny's currently amid promoting his latest album, The Tangent Tape, performing with his band The Butter, recording new collaborations and preparing his upcoming LP with Jeremy Page & LRK Records.

credits

releases June 28, 2024

"Sun Racket" is the brand new album from legendary Boston trio Throwing Muses, consisting of Kristin Hersh, David Narcizo and Bernard Georges. The follow up to 2013's 'Purgatory/Paradise' is an outpouring of modal guitars, reverbed shapes, echoey drums and driving bass set behind Kristen Hersh's well-thumbed notebook of storylines. A ten-song opus of suitably wrought tales set against a wall of sound that's at once calm and ethereal before building into glorious cacophonous crescendos.

When Throwing Muses wrote their last album, they were shattered. Pieces were coming and going, elements repeating and charging the whole. "It sounded beautiful jumping around like that". Two-minute songs reappearing as twisted instrumentals or another song's bridge.

They mimicked the effect live which kept them on their toes. Whatever was happening was already over in other words. 'Sun Racket' is the opposite. It refused to do anything but sit still. It says, "sit here and deal". "All it asked of us was to comingle two completely disparate sonic vocabularies: one heavy noise, the other delicate music box.

Turns out we didn't have to do much. Sun Racket knew what it was doing and pushed us aside, which is always best. After thirty years of playing together, we trust each other implicitly but we trust the music more" - Kristin Hersh And so, they continue. Business unusual.

"A ground-breaking band who changed the face of alternative music rather than follow the rule book." MXDWN "Pioneers of the 80'/early 90's college rock sound" Pitchfork "One of America's finest guitar bands" - The Quietus.

Far Out Recordings re-release the seminal debut album from Azymuth. Having never seen a vinyl release outside of Brazil, Far Out have given 'Azimuth' the LP gatefold heavyweight vinyl treatment. The album contains some of the band's most incendiary tracks and is quite simply a milestone album in Brazilian music.

Azymuth - Jose Roberto Bertrami, Ivan Conti, and Alex Malheiros & Ariovaldo - formed in the late 60s just as Os Mutantes released their debut record. Whilst Mutantes were honing a psychedelic 'Amazonian' version of western pop music, Azymuth were creating a futuristic, electric interpretation of US Jazz - also driven by the same rootsy Brazilian 'swing' that Mutantes had harnessed.

The original line up of Azymuth consisted of José Roberto Bertrami on keyboards and synths, Alex Malheiros on bass, Ivan Conti (aka Mamão) on drums and timbalas, plus Ariovaldo Contesini on percussion. Bertrami was the drive behind Azymuth's sound - a control freak and musical genius obsessed with the latest technology who wanted to use it to push the boundaries of music in a way that no one else in Brazil had done. His use of keyboards has drawn comparisons between Azymuth's work and Herbie Hancock's early 70s output, yet with it's Brazilian swing Azymuth's electric jazz sound is unmistakeably their own. Conti is an impulsive and an incredibly energetic drummer, and the real hardcore Carioca of the trio. Alex Malheiros, who learned his trade playing with the master of Brazilian swing, Ed Lincoln. Alex is respected in Brazil as one of the original groove masters.

Bertrami rose to fame as an arranger in the mid-60s and by the late 60s he was arranging for the queen of Brazilian music, Elis Regina. This pushed him into the major league and by the early 1970s he was arranging for the burgeoning TV novella scene. When he was not working, Bertrami made trips to New York to buy the latest keyboards and synths, ensuring he had the most up to date range of keyboards in Brazil. His work in TV Novellas meant Bertrami knew most of the A&R people in the Brazilian music industry, yet when he shipped the demos that became the core of this album round to them in 1973, they didn't share his vision - one label even going as far as to say that the music was 'wrong'.

Released in summer 1975, the album was a minor commercial success selling 200,000 copies. Opening track 'Linha do Horizonte' - a sublime piece of melancholic electronic saudade where deep cinematic synths melt into gently strummed acoustic jazz guitar - was chosen for a TV Novella and went on to sell half a million, propelling Azymuth onto the Brazilian music scene.

The rest of the album doesn't disappoint - track 2, 'Melô dos dois bicudos', sees Azymuth plugging them into the Brazilian national grid for a slice of electrified psyched out samba funk with crashing military drums, shrieking sirens and psych synths. Track 3 'Brazil' is a lolloping bass led groover with Bertrami's melody giving the track a charming, innocent naivety, and track 5 'Caça A Raposa' is a boogie jazz funk groover with Bertrami adding a Flora Purim style vocal melody.

Azymuth went on to become one of the best-selling jazz artists of the 80s with their future albums for Milestones, unquestionably the biggest jazz label of that decade. 'Azimuth' is the album that kickstarted it all for them, the record that was the blue print and definition of their 'samba doido / crazy samba' sound.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the seminal debut album, 'Azimuth', and in homage to the late Jose Roberto Bertrami, the band will be touring the album in Europe. (Tour dates and venues on Page 1)

Braulio Lam's Close-Up is a captivating soundscape that blurs the lines between music and photography.
Hailing from the border region between San Diego and Tijuana, Lam's inspiration stems from the vibrant cultural exchange and diverse musical traditions of the area. His creativity as a music producer and photographer converges seamlessly into this album, where he manipulates images and sounds, using light as a catalyst for his sonic experiments.
The album's eight tracks showcase Lam's eclectic sonic palette, ranging from electronica and dub techno to ambient and trip hop. The opening track, "Prologue," sets the stage with a haunting guitar echo and a spacious, downtempo beat. Angelic vocals float ethereal over the sonic backdrop, creating a sense of scenic grandeur. "Cinestill" immerses listeners in a sub-aquatic realm with its slow-pulsing beat and cavernous ambiance. "Buena Vista Social Dub" captivates with its sensual vocals, echoing drums, and hypnotic melody.
"Monika" evokes a sense of beachy tranquility with its electric guitar and ambient soundscapes, while "Mirror" transports listeners into an atmospheric swirl of broken beats and ambient textures. "Eastman" delves into the depths of dub techno, its hypnotic chords and airy soundscapes creating an otherworldly atmosphere. "Winter Light," showcases Lam's mastery of minimalism. Field recordings of natural sounds, sparse guitar plucks, and evocative imagery paint a stark but beautiful soundscape that lingers long after the music has faded. "Tiffen" closes the album on a serene note, its gentle island rhythms and floaty textures inviting listeners to relax and unwind.
Overall, Close-Up is a testament to Braulio Lam's boundless creativity and artistry. Its unique fusion of musical styles, experimental sonic textures, and evocative imagery makes it an immersive and captivating listening experience that transports listeners to a realm where the senses intertwine.

Brandon Tani is a multidisciplinary artist based in San Diego, CA. He is drawn to the varied intersections of minimalist, concrète, and found sounds. Mixing narrative and abstraction. Since 2022, Brandon has released music under the moniker "Daily Rituals" and has recorded 5 releases to date. This new album represents the first release under his own name.

Here at Mr Bongo we have been inundated with people asking us to reissue this release. Ana Frango Elétrico's petit cult classic masterpiece 'Little Electric Chicken Heart' from 2019, which was only ever released on vinyl and CD in Brazil and Japan, has fast become a collector's item.

Well received by fans, DJs, and reviewers on release, The Needle Drop expressed "Ana Frango Elétrico's authentically vintage fusion of chamber pop, rock, samba and jazz is a real blast!" listing it as one of its Top 50 Albums of 2019. The album's reputation has been slowly building ever since, gaining a Latin Grammy nomination in 2020, and now solidly cementing itself as a gem of contemporary Brazilian music.

Across the albums nine tracks, Ana blends elements and influences from MPB, Tropicália, indie rock, punk and pop, forging them together with a sumptuous dose of her signature style. The finesse of 'Saudade' kicks off the LP, one of Ana's most known tracks to a non-Brazilian audience. A sublime opener, beginning with a spellbinding piano solo before transcending into a beautiful dream-laden slice of warmth, complete with luscious jazzy horns and deft vocal delivery. ‘Promessa e previsões’ follows, the only track on the album not to be written by Ana, instead being penned by Chico França. It’s a swelling and sweeping twilight groover, building and breaking across absorbing peaks.

Other highlights on the album include the anthemic 'Chocolate', which was a firm favourite with a packed sing-along crowd when we heard Ana perform it live. Elsewhere, 'Se No Cinema' hits with its quirky allure, charm and catchy melodies before transforming into a carnival spirit.

Tapping into the richness of Brazil’s new wave of musical energy, the album also includes a heavyweight lineup of collaborations with artists such as Dora Morelenbaum (Bala Desejo), Tim Bernardes, Antonio Neves and Guilherme Lirio to name but a few.

A short, sweet and refreshing record, that leaves nothing to waste, marrying playful ideas with poignant themes. 'Little Electric Chicken Heart' is a future classic and will beguile fans of ‘70s Brazilian recordings, Gal Costa, Mac DeMarco, Stereolab, Superorganism, Caetano Veloso and more.

''Sulla Rotta Dei Venti'' (On the Route of the Winds) is the brand-new album of Italian ska-jazz maestros North East Ska*Jazz Orchestra (NESJO). A collection of eleven own-penned original tracks, written and composed between 2020 and 2023, that frames a new chapter in the ten-year career of the band. In this record, NESJO bravely explores other worlds through music, which, as we know, is always also an inner quest. It is at the same time an effort to place their own music at the centre of the time and space in which they live, even at the cost of going beyond the stylistic limits linked to the band's chosen musical genre. Although, these new 11 cuts are built around rhythms that are undeniably of Jamaican origin, melodies are tainted with music from other traditions and sometimes also feature pop elements. Somehow, in this new album, NESJO has chosen to let the jazz big-band out of the orchestra pit and to mix with the popular sound of the street. Through the tracks of the record, NESJO creates mixed ensembles with the use of instruments such as strings, accordion, flute, clarinet, horn, tuba… together with the band's regular branding of sax, trumpets and trombones. Another novelty of this work is that the non-instrumental tracks are sung in Italian by the three singers Freddy Frenzy, Michela Grena and Rosa Mussin. And the musical journey takes us to exotic but at the same time very close sounds in 21st century Europe: Balkan (“Piazza Della Liberta”, “CiganSka #1”), Arabic (“Petrolio”), African (“Nimi Muzima”), Italian (“Roma Tokyo Paris”), and ska (“Donna Di Chi”) and a sophisticated ska-jazz suite (“Sulla Rotta Dei Venti”). The opening words of the first track of the album give us a glimpse of the feeling of vindication, brotherhood and hope contained in this set of songs: "Where is the empathy for those in difficulty / in the streets of Trieste that shout with vitality / indifference hearts of stone / dense black Balkan agony".

Emerging from the shadows and plumes of smoke, Chicago, IL ensemble HUNTSMEN are set to make their return in 2024 with their third album, The Dry Land, set to be released via Prosthetic Records on June 7. On their first full-length in four years, HUNTSMEN’s The Dry Land traverses the liminal space between the living and the dead by lifting the veil of the abyss itself. Born of suffering and hardship, The Dry Land unifies the dark and light that resides in all of us through allegories of purgatorial strife and human spirit. Following the release of their sophomore full-length, Mandala of Fear, in 2020 and The Dying Pines EP in 2022 HUNTSMEN’s intervening years between studio albums were marked with devastatingly contrasting highs and lows. Whilst their body of studio work continued to garner acclaim from fans and critics alike, chronic illness would become a recurring uphill battle for the ensemble. As these jarring mixed fortunes reached their apex towards the end of 2022, the band reached towards each other outside of their craft as old friends. Taking stock of four years of tribulations led to a reevaluation of what it is to be creatives and, in turn, ushered in a collective rebirth. Writing sessions saw a number of artistic firsts for HUNTSMEN, most notably with the first full collaborative inclusion of vocalist Aimee Bueno-Knipe. The creative process soon saw HUNTSMEN adding more black metal influences into their Americana and folk tinged doom, evidenced most overtly on tracks such as This, Our Gospel and lead single In Time, All Things. Elsewhere, HUNTSMEN’s knack for finely crafted and richly layered melodies offer moments of resplendence on the slow burning Lean Times and closer The Herbsight. Mirroring the circumstances and environment that led to its creation, The Dry Land’s pacing is one rooted in the art of rise and fall dynamics both musically and lyrically. Tales of escaping religious violence, malevolent apparitions and death incarnate all play key roles throughout the album’s narrative thread. HUNTSMEN treat each tale as both exorcism and exaltation, adding a pervasively unsettling quality to The Dry Land that is sure to stick long after the runtime is over. The Dry Land was recorded and mixed by Pete Grossmann at Bricktop Studios before being placed in the hands of Brad Boatright for mastering, with the resulting sound adding a towering grandiosity to the album whilst simultaneously highlighting HUNTSMEN’s newfound corrosive qualities. The Dry Land’s striking cover art was created by Derek Setzer, depicting an immolating dancer in high contrast black and white amongst rusted gold. Through the fire, HUNTSMEN find themselves reborn on The Dry Land.

Som, Sangue e Raça is still one of the milestones in Brazilian music. The music of Dom Salvador e Abolição is a funky and smooth blend of samba, soul, rock, jazz, forro and baião. The band's sound was a major influence on the successful group Banda Black Rio. Som, Sangue e Raça still stands out for its catchy and groovy melodies and shows the wide range of the band. All this makes this samba/soul classic a must for all music collectors.
Som, Sangue e Raça is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on translucent red coloured vinyl.

Caracoles katapultiert den einzigartigen Mambo-Sound des (für den GRAMMY-Award nominierten) Orquesta Akokán ins 21. Jahrhundert und verleiht ihm den für die Gruppe typischen Sinn für Akokán - ein kubanisches Yoruba-Wort, das 'von Herzen' bedeutet.

Wieder mit von der Partie sind der Produzent und Multiinstrumentalist Jacob Plasse und der virtuose Pianist, Komponist und Arrangeur Michael Eckroth. Auf diesem, ihrem dritten Album, vereinen sie ihre Talente mit dem kubanischen Texter, Sänger und Komponisten Kiko Ruiz, der mit Pancho Amats berühmten Estrellas del Buena Vista Social Club auf Tournee war und Aufnahmen gemacht hat, aber auch als Sänger, Komponist und Arrangeur mit dem Orquesta Maria Alejandra y Cubanía eine langjährige Erfahrung hat. Und obwohl Caracoles aus der heutigen Zeit stammt, reichen die Klänge weit in die Vergangenheit zurück und stellen eine glorreiche Rückkehr zu den ikonischen Grooves einer Ära dar, die von Benny Moré, Perez Prado und Machito in New Yorker Bands und Kubas Orquestas Gigantes in der Mitte des zwanzigsten Jahrhunderts geprägt wurde. Mambo ist sowohl ein Lied als auch ein Gebet, in dem die guten Geister angefleht werden, die Reise weg von der Dunkelheit zu führen. Zwei der Lieder des Albums - darunter die Titelmelodie - sind in diesem kongolesischen Dialekt gehalten, der für Uneingeweihte undurchdringlich sein soll. Die wilden, sprudelnden Grooves von Caracoles, so Ruiz, können „...die Seele zum Schwingen bringen, und das ist genau das, was die Welt im Moment braucht“.

Caracoles katapultiert den einzigartigen Mambo-Sound des (für den GRAMMY-Award nominierten) Orquesta Akokán ins 21. Jahrhundert und verleiht ihm den für die Gruppe typischen Sinn für Akokán - ein kubanisches Yoruba-Wort, das 'von Herzen' bedeutet.

Wieder mit von der Partie sind der Produzent und Multiinstrumentalist Jacob Plasse und der virtuose Pianist, Komponist und Arrangeur Michael Eckroth. Auf diesem, ihrem dritten Album, vereinen sie ihre Talente mit dem kubanischen Texter, Sänger und Komponisten Kiko Ruiz, der mit Pancho Amats berühmten Estrellas del Buena Vista Social Club auf Tournee war und Aufnahmen gemacht hat, aber auch als Sänger, Komponist und Arrangeur mit dem Orquesta Maria Alejandra y Cubanía eine langjährige Erfahrung hat. Und obwohl Caracoles aus der heutigen Zeit stammt, reichen die Klänge weit in die Vergangenheit zurück und stellen eine glorreiche Rückkehr zu den ikonischen Grooves einer Ära dar, die von Benny Moré, Perez Prado und Machito in New Yorker Bands und Kubas Orquestas Gigantes in der Mitte des zwanzigsten Jahrhunderts geprägt wurde. Mambo ist sowohl ein Lied als auch ein Gebet, in dem die guten Geister angefleht werden, die Reise weg von der Dunkelheit zu führen. Zwei der Lieder des Albums - darunter die Titelmelodie - sind in diesem kongolesischen Dialekt gehalten, der für Uneingeweihte undurchdringlich sein soll. Die wilden, sprudelnden Grooves von Caracoles, so Ruiz, können „...die Seele zum Schwingen bringen, und das ist genau das, was die Welt im Moment braucht“.

Repress!

Vocal powerhouse Izo FitzRoy exploded on to the scene in 2017 with her debut LP 'Skyline', the album incorporating a stunning fusion of styles spanning gospel, funk and soul as Izo's raw bluesy tone and direct lyricism took centre stage.

Her new album 'How The Mighty Fall' builds further on the soul foundations of her debut. Recorded between Paris, London and Sheffield, it sees her collaborating with three stellar producers and a host of talented musicians.

Disco royalty – Dimitri From Paris (Glitterbox, BBE) directs fellow Parisians Cotonete on her smash single 'I Want Magic'. Studio wizard Shawn Lee (BBE, Ubiquity) brings the funky AOR vibes on 'Slim Pickings' and the Mercury Prize nominated - Colin Elliott (Richard Hawley, Jarvis Cocker, Paul Weller) who produced the bulk of the album, completes the trio. Guesting on the record are the UK's most in demand brass section – The Haggis Horns and Izo's long-time collaborators - Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir.

Conceived during the aftermath of the breakdown of her long-term relationship, Izo looked to this personal experience for inspiration for the album as well as casting further afield at the wider themes of mental, societal and communication breakdowns.

Despite the strong material, at one point it seemed the record might never materialise. Just as the world was getting on board with her debut LP and international touring was taking off, Izo lost the use of her voice and required surgery on her vocal chords in the second part of 2018. A long schedule of vocal rehabilitation was necessary to get back to a position where she could first talk, then sing regularly enough to get back to work.

Thankfully after this difficult personal period for her, the silver lining from the experience was that post-recovery she gained a whole new octave at the top of her vocal range! This in turn has influenced her song writing on the album & allowed her to enhance her compositions with more vocal light and shade from this unexpected gift.

Eric Claptons intimes Konzert, gefilmt in London vor einem kleinen Publikum im Dezember 2023. Erics Set umfasste "Tears In Heaven", "Layla", "River
Of Tears", "Got To Get Better In A Little While" und eine ganz besondere Version von George Harrisons "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" mit
einem besonderen Gastauftritt von Dhani Harrison. Außerdem gibt es einen speziellen Bonustrack mit dem Titel "Prayer of a Child" - eine brandneue
Studioaufnahme. Der Erlös wird zugunsten der Kinder in Gaza gespendet.

Come Play With Me and Breed Media are excited to present Come Play With Breed, Vol. 2. Featuring D5, Graft, Hannah Rowe and Mica Sefia, the 10” compilation spotlights the Northern Hip Hop and Soul scenes respectively. On the A-side, D5’s upbeat UK Rap opener, “What’s That”, is followed by Graft’s reflective Jazz-influenced Hip Hop track “Vows To The Art.” Hannah Rowe opens the B-side with an addictive fusion ballad for old souls. Finally, Mica Sefia closes the release with a powerful narration on her experiences as a black woman.

Artist Bios:

D5

Hailing from Leeds, West Yorkshire, D5 draws influence from the likes of Drake, Skepta and Brent Faiyaz and his sound flits between moody R&B and upbeat Rap that oozes a calm confidence. Elements of genres such as Garage, UK Rap and US Hip-Hop intertwine neatly to create his signature style. A style that crystalised on his 2020 EP Channel 5. Consisting of 8 songs, all helmed by producer and close friend CSHARP, the project is D5 at his most personal and led to the video for lead single ‘Silence’ premiering on Link Up TV and garnering him his highest streams to date. However, before ‘Channel 5’ D5 had created the EP If Only We Could Go Outside during the height of the pandemic. The track ‘Movies’ received airplay from the esteemed BBC Radio 1 Presenter Melvoin Odoom. With backing from the likes of GRM Daily and DJ Target spinning 2022 single ‘What’s Up’ on BBC Introducing, D5’s star is surely set to rise as he continues to develop his artistry. In addition to this, he has opened up for the likes of Novelist and fellow hometown hero Graft, proving with every successive performance and release that he is worthy of being a headline act.

Graft

Graft, winner of MOBO Unsung and BBC Three's The Rap Game UK, has propelled himself to national recognition for his unwavering sense of self and musical talent. Hailing from the vibrant city of Leeds, Graft’s topical and poetic approach to songwriting takes inspiration from genres such as Hip Hop, Neo-Soul, Jazz and Alternative Rap. This fusion of inspiration has seen him grace the stage at the acclaimed Reading and Leeds Festival, and has collaborated with esteemed brands such as Adidas, Virgin Media, Boohoo and Leeds United. Now with this national acclaim, Graft prepares for the release of his highly anticipated EP, Golden Child.

Hannah Rowe

Hannah Rowe’s emotional range transcends generations; the young singer writes about experiences and shifts in life, offering all listeners a sense of reflection within her rich, authentic, jazz-infused sound. Hannah is backed by a group of highly accomplished musicians who happen to be her adored closest friends. After finding one another at university, Sam Hughes on guitar, Luke Harrison on bass, Owen Moriarty on keys and Charlie Tanner on drums intertwined their varied influences to paint their own alluring and soulful sound - one difficult to define, but has been said to resemble the likes of Raye, Lianne La Havas, Moonchild and Yebba.

Mica Sefia

Liverpool born, Leeds-based future-soul Queen Mica Sefia endorses the interpretive nature of music as an art to be studied and related to by the public. Mica’s own exploration of self-expression solidified her passion in the production of a timeless and authentic style of music. Preferring to keep her lyricisms and narrative open to interpretation, Mica relates to a balanced approach to songwriting, in which her music remains subjective, but retains its emotive sensitivity. Mica’s music leans into the genres of Alt Soul, Rock and Jazz intertwining them to create atmospheric sounds and textured layers.