Search:c music fa

Unchained is the long-standing guitar-based project of Nate Davis, originally from Providence, RI, and based in France for over a decade. In his two most recent LPs—Gabbeh (2024, A Colourful Storm) and Frontalier (2025, Stern Records)—Davis strives to describe a new path for outsider jazz instrumentalism that remains committed to harmonic and rhythmic form while placing greater emphasis on sonic texture through experimental production techniques.

Release Description:

Unchained—a name which at the project's inception or on earlier recordings spoke perhaps to the ecstatic saturation of high gain guitar—has over the past three albums (N.D. Visitor, Pic, and Gabbeh) come to represent more and more an acknowledgement of and sensitive remove from a crashing world. An excuse of oneself from trend towards a siloed artistic development.

On Frontalier, Nate Davis crosses further into this patient personal lexicon of guitar composition, presenting a new set of richly developed songs and leaps in arrangement which may very well shock Unchained fans the world over. The sympathetic geometric guitar themes of the earlier second-period Unchained style are almost entirely absent, making way for a fully realized presentation of the jazz, MPB, and fusion influence present to varying degrees on the previous three albums. Davis's keen sense of melody and songcraft have never been stronger, here landing on music which is at moments evocative of Wes Montgomery, Allan Holdsworth, Jobim, or the jazzier impulses of Lô Borges. Distinct in Davis's music, however, is what these references might belie: an innate tending towards repetition as an affective tool—one which has less to do with the aesthetics of the scene from which the project emerged than it does with devotional prayer. In this way it feels as if Unchained has always been music for living. What was once a maximalist expression of youth has matured into the sound of living with and in the world and an empathic transmuting of all the joy, disappointment, and ambivalence that comes with it. Songs that feel like the sort of thinking one does looking out the window on a long train ride, or the routinism of internal and external life and the breaking out of it. As much as it will be recognized by the fandom as a significant step forward, Frontalier serves also as a perfect gateway for new listeners to the singular music of Unchained.

Finding Ways is a new project from Sebastian Rochford (Polar Bear).

Sebastian Rochford is a singular force in British music, an extraordinary drummer, composer, and producer. His work with theiconic group Polar Bear helped redefine the boundaries of jazz and earned multiple Mercury Prize nominations. With a careerspanning collaborations with Patti Smith, Damon Albarn, Brian Eno, Adele and Grace Jones, and his 2023 ECM duo album A ShortDiary with Kit Downes, an album written for his father described as a “ quiet masterpiece” , Rochford has carved out a uniquespace in contemporary music.Finding Ways, his new major project, marks a bold new chapter for Seb Rochford. The first album focuses on the guitar, featuringamong others, the dynamic lineup of Tara Cunningham, David Preston, Adrian Utley (Portishead), and Simon Tong(The Verve,Gorillaz), exploring various combinations and layering up to three guitars at once. The result is a striking blend of jaggedexperimental grooves and raw emotional depth, with an unaffected, pedal-less sound that evokes a timeless, exploratory edge.Rochford’s music, as ever, defies categorisation—a sound that feels alive, fractured, and profoundly human, and all mixed by thesingular talent and master of sound, Tchad Blake.The title Finding Ways refers to a frame of mind he chose to adopt after multiple significant life events happening in a smallamount of time. "It’s about finding ways to keep ourselves moving forward and buoyant, transforming life’s challenges intosomething meaningful, also in a practical, everyday type of way.In Finding Ways, it’s direct, energetic music that refuses to be boxed in, a reflection of Seb Rochford's trailblazing spirit. For fansof his previous work and newcomers alike, this album is a testament to his ongoing quest to find emotional truth in sound.

The Sludge Of The Land is the new album by digital folklore and post-exoticism Italian duo Babau. Their first full length since 2023’s Flatland Explorations Vol. 2, with The Sludge Of The Land Babau lands on Impatience with their signature audio-prestidigitation at it’s most disorientingly pungent and zonked, a uniquely contemporary approach described as the sound of a continent moving; animals, plants and minerals included.

As part of a residency at Casa degli Artisti, Milan, in 2022, Babau turned their atelier into a recording studio and performing venue thanks to Francesco Piro, who produced the entirety of the album. There, the duo improvised with different acoustic and digital instruments for several hours a day. Returning after ten years to a sound more akin to a band or small orchestra, Babau re-explores tropes and themes of exotica and jazz from their unique and off-kilter perspective of terminally-online diggers-dwellers of the internet flatland.

An homage to digital content consumption and dopamine-infused sensory overloads, The Sludge Of The Land imagines itself as an abstract sonic wunderkammer of online detritus. By diving into the world of ‘sludge content’: audiovisual chaos produced by mixing different content using split screens or dizzying patchworks of videos, Babau celebrates the formless, viscous goo, spam, chum and slop of out-of-context moving image, fast paced digital videos and lo-fi mp4 artifacts. By endlessly spiraling into the non-spaces of The Net, Babau explore the uncharted parageographies of lavacasts, mysterious Chinese anthropozoomorphic legendary beings, vampiric doomscrolling glides and doppelganger, ctrl+c & ctrl+v spiritualism. These ghosts of pointless microevents and traveling-without-moving bedroom boredom are stuffed by Babau with the epic tone and compositional approach of exotica and world music 2.0 reveries, resulting in an absurd, playful narrative of the dangers and allures of the web.

Bringing together the sound of Richard Hayman and Black Dice, Korla Pandit and Sun Araw, Tony Scott and Carl Stone, once again the duo crafts a compelling audio-textual hallucination of transglobal chimera. A multi-fi, extremely layered treasure of fifth world music.

RIYL - Sun Araw, the strangest corners of the internet, Senyawa, digital wind instruments, Nuke Watch, Black Dice, exotica, hallucinating.

Babau is the pantropical project of Artetetra founders Matteo Pennesi and Luigi Monteanni, where their fascination with exotica, world music 2.0, and field recordings merges with the compositional and improvisational techniques of computer music.

Their latest work, All the Gurls were at the Women’s Archo Ashinto, was recently released by Bamboo Shows, while the previous Stock Fantasy Zone and Flatland Explorations Vol.2, were released by Discrepant. They were selected as SHAPE+ artists in 2023, and the duo has performed at various festivals in Italy and beyond, including Fusion, Club to Club, Terraforma, Nextones, Outernational Days, Camp Cosmic, and Saturnalia. For years, they have been striving to synthesize what has been described as the sound of a continent in motion—people, animals, plants, and minerals included.

The Sludge Of The Land was produced and mixed by Francesco Piro at Casa degli Artisti, Milan, and co-produced by Babau
Drums by Giovanni Todisco, bass by Francesco Piro and piano on A4 by Vittorio Cosmo.
Master by Nick Foglia.
Art by Luca Schenardi.

Emile Sornin has a robot in his life. It's not love, but it's not friendship either, and Forever Pavot is releasing an album documenting the affair on Born Bad. After a bunch of bold pop studio albums and a small stack of soundtracks, Emile needed a break. To put an end to it, he embarked with handyman extraordinaire Jonas Euvremer on the manufacture of an automaton destined to make his musician’s life easier. Melchior, who gave his name to the record, has the face of a ventriloquist's dummy, two plastic left hands, preppy clothes and a primitive logic circuit. This goodie two-shoes cousin of Bender’s is supposed to be doing the interviews and deal with socials for Emile. The plan worked admirably : Melchior is a perfect cover-boy, and his very existence has put our man back to work.



They set a path for phat electronic ventures (and by the way, mostly english-speaking). Sub- continental bass & massive drums, heavy-footed and unabashed : as much appreciated as unexpected. The half-android shares songwriting credits and vocal parts vocoded to perfection. Not a jealous lad, Melchior makes way for a guest of choice on “UFO” and “Waiting for the sign” : Lispector. Julie Margat sings and collaborated on the lyrics for these two bangers that provide a lot of context (robot angst is real). Kumisolo, our favorite Japanese « it » girl in Paris, also sent her “Postcard”, more vapour than song, unreal musical cotton candy of arrangements.


Domotic, who mixes and co-produces, gives a nice spin to “Count to 10”, a hip-hop/kraut crossover with a BEAK> flavour. The Forever Pavot, once a big-band, will be touring as a bass/ drums/keys & vocals trio, with Melchior as guest.



Record after record, Emile Sornin has become an increasingly literate musical illiterate. When needed, his music can still become a thicket of ancient and modern finds. « Le robot gentilhomme », a skillful pastiche of baroque composer Jean-Baptiste Lully, would stand a few rounds against Wendy Carlos. His love for oldies also shines through “Skyway”, a nod to the late Pierre Arvay, France’s Colonel Sanders of library music nuggets.



Forever Pavot may have gone wild, but remains indebted vis-à-vis the golden age of film music. Forebears deluxe Ennio Morricone & François de Roubaix make Hitchcock-style cameos: discreet appearances that you’ll watch out for (those syncopated cascades of syllables at the end of « UFO », and I guess we can indulge with some clavichord/ondioline Victoria sponge). His new flirt is all but a toxic relationship. « Melchior, Vol. 1 »: the robo-bromance is not over yet.

Asa Moto hail from Ghent, Belgium — a city where concrete collides with cathedrals. Their music obeys the same law: rhythm wired into noise, melody bent out of shape. No genres. No safe zones.

They’ve taken this across Europe and beyond: festivals like Dour, Best Kept Secret, and Boiler Room Bangkok; clubs that shape the underground including Panorama Bar, Opium, Lux, XOYO. Sacred halls turned into dancefloors, basements stretched to capacity. Wherever they land, Asa Moto rewire the room.

Resident Advisor and the BBC were listening from the start. Altın Gün brought Asa Moto in to produce the critically acclaimed Yol (2021) — the band’s first collaboration with outsiders. Remixes for Polo & Pan, Chloé Thévenin and others spread the same edge further out — each a glimpse of their method, a vision in motion.

All signals run through Studio Martino in Ghent — their own control room for recordings, remixes, transmissions. The records surface on DEEWEE, the label founded by Stephen and David Dewaele of Soulwax/2manydjs — the only one reckless enough to carry them. The next, DEEWEE082 — Music For Disk Jockeys Pt. 1, continues the line — four tracks as proof that Asa Moto refuse limits, because the world refused them first.

Léo Dupleix return to Black Truffle with Round Sky, following the enchanting Resonant Trees (BT119). The composer here performs on analogue synthesizer, harpsichord and spinet as one member of Asterales, a group that brings together four important figures in the international community of musicians working with just intonation: Dupleix, Jon Heilbron (double bass), Rebecca Lane (quarter-tone flute) and Frederik Rasten (guitars). The quartet perform three recent pieces by Dupleix, each of which is like a different view on the same landscape of unruffled calm, where the unique harmonic events made possible by just intonation flicker across melodies and harmonies like light on the surface of water.

The first side is dedicated to ‘Poème d’air’, composed while Dupleix was immersed in the music of 14thcentury ars nova composer-poet Guillaume de Machaut. A sustained study of the ‘sonic possibilities of low-pitched sounds in just intonation’, it begins with a long, rumbling pitch from Heilbron’s bass, soon joined by the organ-like tones of the composer on synthesizer. The piece is made up of cycling sequences of chords, each of which is repeated for several minutes before the music either freezes on a single harmony or silently pauses before the next episode begins. These structures are initially dominated by the bass and synthesizer, with Lane’s pure vibrato-less flute tone and Rasten picked harmonics adding flashes of colour. As the piece develops, flute and guitar become more prominent and the bass climbs to higher registers. The development culminates in a stunning episode around fifteen minutes in where the texture thins out, casting a spotlight on a melodic figure exploiting the uncanny sound of Lane’s quarter-tone flute.

On the second side we are treated to two briefer pieces, closer to the sound of Resonant Trees as they return harpsichord and spinet to the foreground. ‘Ghosts’ centres on a harpsichord melody that slowly expands as it repeats, growing from a haunting six-note cell to a flowing succession of notes whose shape become increasingly difficult to perceive. Alongside this melodic development, an increasingly lush accompaniment grows, with long tones from bass, flute, e-bowed guitar and synthesizer holding notes picked out the harpsichord melody in a swaying harmonic cloud. Dupleix notes that the concluding ‘Round Sky’ was written in the countryside in spring, a circumstance that seems far from irrelevant to the impression the piece makes when its euphonous spinet arpeggios emerge from a gentle synthesizer drone like a flower from a bud. Performed as a duo with Rasten, with both instrumentalists also singing, this title piece exemplifies what makes Dupleix’s music so unique: grounded in a rigorous application of just intonation principles yet as open as Harold Budd or Andrew Chalk to an uncomplicated, intuitive experience of beauty.

Heavyweight psychedelic improvisers EarthBall are back with their third and most monstrous record to date: ‘Outside Over There’, released on Upset The Rhythm (Nov 7th). Born from the haunted basements of Nanaimo, Canada, the quintet thrives on spontaneity, shaping improvisation into jagged hallucinations and ecstatic eruptions.
Recorded live-off-the-floor in 2024 in Jeremy, Izzy, and Kellen’s basement, and mixed by drummer John Brennan, ‘Outside Over There’ is an album that feels both summoned and inevitable. Each track lands with uncanny purpose, as if uncovered rather than written.
The opener, 100%, features a cameo from comedian and English icon Stewart Lee, who lent his blessing for the band to use a fragment of his stand-up. The album was mastered by John Dieterich (Deerhoof), with liner text contributed by longtime comrade John Olson (Wolf Eyes). Olson describes the album in his unmistakable style:
“This eight-track odyssey unfolds like a dreamscape, where whispered incantations brush against the shadowy fringes of the cosmos, and wild, Cézanne-inspired rock anthems erupt like geysers of color in the midst of a western warm and wet rain storm… culminating in the sprawling eleven minute masterpiece, ‘And The Music Shall Untune The Sky,’ aptly dubbed the Earth Crusher. A creation so utterly deconstructed and intertwined with the pulse of nature itself that if AI was called upon to conceive ‘Outside Over There’ anew, it would just spit back, “F.U. in Tree Font”. An enchanting invitation for even the flat-earthers to join the circle, if only just a little.”
EarthBall’s trajectory has been relentless. Their 2024 album ‘It’s Yours’ was praised by The Quietus as “fully aggressive and fully life-affirming,” and by The Wire as "a boisterous mind-melting album”. The band’s live double set LP ‘Actual Earth Music Vol. 1 & 2’ (2025) captured blistering performances: a performance opening for Wolf Eyes at the Fox Cabaret, and a Café OTO improvised throw-down featuring Chris Corsano and Steve Beresford. These releases on their own confirm them as one of Canada’s most vital experimental exports, not to mention the impressive self-released discography on their Bandcamp. The band’s reach has stretched far beyond their west coast roots with a UK tour May 2024, plus this past June, EarthBall closed Montreal’s Suoni Per Il Popolo Festival alongside Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Raven Chacon. This November they will perform at Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, with a European tour to follow (tour dates below). Outside of EarthBall, each member carries their own torch. Jeremy Van Wyck, founding member of the legendary Shearing Pinx, has toured extensively, released over 100 records, and has been a vital force in the Vancouver and West Coast underground for the past 25 years. He and Isabel Ford (Izzy) play together not only in EarthBall, but also in Psychedelic Dirt, Shearing Pinx, Behaviours, and Crotch.
John Brennan collaborates widely, including recently with Endlings (Raven Chacon and John Dieterich), Evichen (Victoria Shen), Francesco Fonassi, Plan Your Future (with Greg Saunier of Deerhoof), Brennan/Corsano duo and Physics with John Dieterich. Kellen Maclaughlin performs with KVMP and Ora Corgan, while saxophonist Liam Murphy is a west coast staple, playing with the best across Vancouver Island and the mainland. On three of the tracks of ‘Outside Over There’, the band is joined by their comrade Justin Patterson, who also plays with Brennan in the duo Modale. This cross-pollination fuels EarthBall’s sound - a collective improvisation, psychically overdriven, and grinding into bloom.
Outside Over There’ is more than an album though, it is a ritual, a gathering of sound at the forest’s edge; where feedback, saxophone screams, and ecstatic vocals dissolve the boundary between chaos and clarity. EarthBall invite you into their circle, to share in the joyful terror of spontaneous creation. ‘Outside Over There’ will be released on November 7th through Upset The Rhythm digitally and as a limited blue-in-black vinyl LP.

On November 7, 2025, the Belgian label Sdban Records will release a reissue of the mythical Open Sky Unit (1974) by the eponymous jazz fusion group featuring Micheline and Jacques Pelzer, Steve Houben, Ron Wilson, Janot Buchem and Michel Graillier. The album returns on vinyl, highlighting a pivotal moment in Belgian jazz history, where soul, funk, and free improvisation came together in a vibrant and family-driven project.

Formed in the early 1970s as a homage to Dave Liebman's group Open Sky, Open Sky Unit grew out of informal jam sessions in Liège, Belgium, into a unique collective. One of the central figures was Jacques Pelzer, father of drummer and vocalist Micheline Pelzer, alongside his second cousin, saxophonist/flutist Steve Houben, bass player Janot Buchem, percussionist Michel Graillier and American pianist/composer Ron Wilson.

Their 1974 debut album was released on the Duchesne classical music label, run by Pelzer's brother-in-law. The group's sound carefully balanced jazz and soul and was largely directed by Wilson, a Californian pianist and singer who settled in Liège and nearby Maastricht after his army service. Wilson composed the entire repertoire. Open Sky Unit was recorded live at Jazzland club in Liège, and the band made several short tours in Belgium and abroad (including Tunisia) until around 1975-1976, when Houben left for Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music.

Although the original live recording from 1974 was not technically perfect, the group succeeded in capturing their heartfelt live energy. Tracks such as Open Sky, Sunshine Star, and Passion and Compassion are striking examples of this. Years later, the album version of Sunshine Star found its way onto Funky Chicken (2014), the compilation that not only brought the track back into the spotlight but also marked the beginning of Sdban Records.

In addition to the standard reissue, a limited edition of 200 copies will be released for collectors, featuring a 7" single of Ron Wilson's Sunshine Star as a special bonus. This single was originally released in 1973 with the acoustic version of Sunshine Star (piano and vocals) on the B-side, recorded a few months before the longer jazz-funk version later featured on the LP Open Sky Unit. The A-side, Peace Is The Answer, was only released on that single at the time and is now being reissued for the very first time. The 7" is thus a faithful and long-awaited reissue of a rare piece of Belgian jazz history, it's intimate, soulful, and an ideal complement to theexisting and well-known LP.

Although the band never achieved a major international breakthrough, they were highly valued in progressive European jazz circles and later secured a place in anthologies such as Utopic Cities: Progressive Jazz in Belgium 1968-1979. The reissue of Open Sky Unit brings their music back into the spotlight and reaffirms their role as key figures in the Belgian jazz scene of the seventies.

First Word Records are proud to present the sophomore solo EP from Victoria Port.

'Barefoot In The Garden' is a 5-track selection merging classic soul with contemporary sounds.

Put together from sessions recorded at the world famous Abbey Road Studios in London, and Victoria's home studio Candle Shop, this project exemplifies her talents as a singer-songwriter, developing upon the building blocks of her debut EP 'Did it Again' and Victoria's work as one half of electronic-soul duo, Anushka (BBE / Tru Thoughts / Brownswood).

On this EP, Victoria is accompanied by a wealth of talented artists in their own right, including frequent collaborators Hemai and JNR Williams, the highly-acclaimed drummer Moses Boyd, and vocalists such as Lea Lea, to name just a few.

The sonic tapestry stitched together on this EP epitomises the quality of British soul music of modern times; a vintage symphonic feel approach with modern-day production techniques, encompassing the Ronson-era of the late great Amy Winehouse, to the pack leaders of nowadays such as SAULT and Jungle. It's a logical progression considering Victoria's lifelong influences of US luminaries like Minnie Riperton, Gladys Knight, Nina Simone and Dionne Warwick.

Her fanbase includes Gilles Peterson (BBC 6 Music / Worldwide FM) who has tipped her as "an exciting emerging new artist whose sound fits alongside current successful acts like Cleo Sol, Lynda Dawn and Yazmin Lacey."


Victoria's previous EP had support from a wide range of tastemakers, including Cerys Matthews, Huey Morgan, Somewhere Soul, Mo Ayoub (Selector Radio), Ronnie Herel (Mi-Soul Radio's "One to Watch"), Tony Minvielle (Jazz FM) and across platforms like Rinse FM, NTS, Soho Radio and Global Soul, whilst her work with Anushka also received airplay from Annie Mac, Jamz Supernova, Huw Stephens and BBC Radio 1.

Victoria says "this EP comes from a place of nostalgia. It's kind of reflective of parts of life up to this moment, culminating in 'Barefoot in the Garden'. I guess it's me starting to understand the things that are truly important to me. How I want to love and be loved, the way I want to spend my time, and just me starting to filter out a lot of the noise. Sonically it's been such a dream to explore elements of old soul and jazz with so many incredible musicians, and to put our own unique spin on the genre."

Already a seasoned live perfomer, additionally to various live appearances solo past & forthcoming including We Out Here, Jazz Cafe, Koko and the London Jazz Festival, Victoria Port is set to be one of the leading lights in the world of British soul music. This EP provides some solid examples as to why.

'Barefoot In The Garden' is due to be released on vinyl and digital, November 7th 2025.

Hikmah is an astonishing solo piano work from virtuosic and far-ranging
sound scientist; deep and compassionate thinker and musical treasure: Pat
Thomas
Pat Thomas was Born in Oxford, UK to Antiguan parents on July 27, 1960.
Interestingly, just over 4 months separate his birth to that of fellow modern piano
master Matthew Shipp (Dec 7, 1960) - whose The Piano Equation was TAO Forms
inaugural release. Thomas is most certainly among the Black Mystery School Pianists
of which Shipp elucidates in the title essay of his recently published first book.
Eight thoroughly focused improvised and otherwise compositions recorded at Fish
Factory studio in London. The album's title, Hikmah, means "wisdom" in Arabic. The
title is also presented in two different forms of Arabic calligraphic script on the cover
artwork. This album brings the information. The vibrantly living jazz tradition and new
modes of expression in abundance are brought forth from a lifetime of work and a
decades long devotion to Sufism, understanding that the practice and performance of
this music is an elemental form of spiritual practice. As William Parker writes in the
liner notes, "the music becomes the prophet and the prayer all in one gesture." And,
"If you haven't yet heard the music of Pat Thomas, get hip to it quickly."
Attuned American audiences are most likely to have become familiar with Pat
Thomas through his work with the quartet [Ahmed] , whom over recent years have
amazed with their mesmeric, long-form explorations on the compositions of Ahmed
Abdul-Malik, and more recently, Thelonious Monk. Their debut US performance took
place in March 2025, and TAO Forms were lucky members of the rapt audience at
Roulette in Brooklyn that night; the group flew to Knoxville the next day to perform to
an equally rapt audience at Big Ears.
Available on 6- panel digipak CD printed on heavyweight board, with liner notes by
William Parker and LP with insert featuring liner notes by William Parker & Pat
Thomas Discography + download card. Ltd edition of 500.

Beloved for their cinematic songwriting and atmospheric blend of folk, rock, and psychedelia, MIDLAKE returns with their sixth studio album, A Bridge To Far—a sweeping, soul-stirring meditation on resilience and hope. Lead singer Eric Pulido describes the record as a reminder that, regardless of circumstance, there is a place—“not made of stone”—where one can find solace and strength. It’s a call to persevere, to “go bravely arm in arm and climb upon,” inviting listeners to transcend the darkness through connection and belief. This is MIDLAKE at their most inspired and intentional, weaving together mythic storytelling and emotional clarity with the signature textures that have made them a touchstone in modern independent music. Recorded in the band’s hometown of Denton, TX at The Echo Lab with acclaimed producer and mixer Sam Evian, A Bridge To Far captures the warmth and wildness of the band's earliest recordings while pushing into luminous new territory. The first single, “The Ghouls,” arrives as a haunting and propulsive introduction to the record’s themes—equal parts spectral and cathartic.

Tristen stammt aus der lebhaften Roots-Rock-Szene von Nashville, Tennessee, und hat sich in den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten als produktive und vielseitige Musikerin etabliert. Ihr Talent für das Komponieren fesselnder Melodien und scharfsinniger Texte hat ihr hochkarätige Kooperationen eingebracht. Sie war Co-Autorin von ,Love is an Art", dem neuesten Album von Vanessa Carlton, und tourte mit Jenny Lewis als Teil ihrer Band Voyager. Ihr folkiges Debütalbum ,Charlatans at the Garden Gate" aus dem Jahr 2011 brachte ihr das Lob als ,Nashvilles bestgehütetes Geheimnis" (The Boston Globe) ein, während sie sich mit ,CAVES" aus dem Jahr 2013, das von Stephen Hague co-produziert wurde, als hypnotische ,Synth-Pop-Sirene" (SPIN) neu erfand. Sneaker Waves erschien 2017 und markierte ihren Übergang zur vollständigen Produktion ihrer Musik und Musikvideos in ihrem Heimstudio zusammen mit ihrem langjährigen Kollaborateur und Ehemann Buddy Hughen. Rolling Stone beschrieb es als ,Nilsson-würdige Powerballade", während Ann Powers von NPR es als ,voller großartiger Melodien und eingängiger Arrangements, die das Ohr kitzeln und nicht mehr aus dem Kopf gehen" bezeichnete. 2021 erschien Aquatic Flowers, woraufhin Talkhouse verkündete: ,Sie ist eine dieser Songwriterinnen und Performerin, die von anderen Musikern absolut geliebt werden, und das aus gutem Grund. Sie ist eine Risikofreudige im Studio, wagt sich in unbekanntes Terrain vor und findet fast immer etwas, das zumindest interessant und oft unglaublich ist." Ihr fünftes Studioalbum ,Unpopular Music" erscheint im Oktober und enthält Beiträge von Pat Sansone von Wilco, Vanessa Carlton, Becca Mancari, Erin Rae und Natalie Prass. Damit kehrt sie auch endlich wieder auf die Bühne zurück und setzt ihre Karriere fort, in der sie bereits mit Robyn Hitchcock, Television, Ezra Furman und den Mountain Goats aufgetreten ist.

Dub Spencer & Trance Hill once again realize their musical vision with their new release SYNCHRONOS: The perfect hybrid of dub and trance - analog, danceable and at the forefront of sound technology. With SYNCHRONOS, Dub Spencer & Trance Hill present an album that defies conventional categories. The new tracks surprise and guide the listener into a colorful world of sound - an acoustic kaleidoscope in which diversity becomes a principle. Musical components - dub, trance, dance, techno, rock, jazz - are put together by the musicians in new and unexpected ways. Experimental, multi-layered and always good for surprises, yet inevitably club-ready: That"s Dub Spencer & Trance Hill.

Calling a Deicide album “more accessible” is kind of like calling a velociraptor less lethal than a T-Rex…you’re gonna die either way. But on 1997’s Serpents of the Light, the fourth album from the Tampa death metal quartet, Glen Benton’s rage-filled imprecations are a little more intelligible and songs like “Slave to the Cross” and “Blame It on God” do sport choruses that verge upon being hooky (if you have a meathook in mind). The anti-religion invective remains unabated, however… this remains music in extremis despite the stripped-down production. For its first-ever standalone U.S. LP release, we’ve remastered Serpents of the Light for vinyl and given it an Orange Smoke pressing complete with an inner sleeve featuring lyrics and a 12” x 24” poster of the cover image. Not for even the faintly faint of heart

Calling a Deicide album “more accessible” is kind of like calling a velociraptor less lethal than a T-Rex…you’re gonna die either way. But on 1997’s Serpents of the Light, the fourth album from the Tampa death metal quartet, Glen Benton’s rage-filled imprecations are a little more intelligible and songs like “Slave to the Cross” and “Blame It on God” do sport choruses that verge upon being hooky (if you have a meathook in mind). The anti-religion invective remains unabated, however… this remains music in extremis despite the stripped-down production. For its first-ever standalone U.S. LP release, we’ve remastered Serpents of the Light for vinyl and given it an Orange Smoke pressing complete with an inner sleeve featuring lyrics and a 12” x 24” poster of the cover image. Not for even the faintly faint of heart

“A good song can survive and shine in different ways in the hands of different musicians,” says Emmylou Harris. “It can have different meanings at different times in your life. A good song can travel with you anywhere.” That philosophy has guided her fifty-year career in country music, during which she has covered countless songs across countless genres and put her own indelible stamp on each one. More specifically, it’s the philosophy that animates both Spyboy, her touring band in the late 1990s, and Spyboy, the 1998 live album that demonstrates how these musicians made her songs shine. Sequencing old songs alongside new ones, the album tests the tensile strength of each one, pushing them into wilder and more psychedelic territory while remaining grounded in earthy country music. It’s completely unique in her catalog, a crucial document of an important chapter in her career, and it’s finally getting reissued after years of being unavailable. “It’s such a special record,” she says. “Well, they all are, but this one is really, really special. That was such a fantastic band and such an amazing time.”

Spyboy grew out of Wrecking Ball, Harris’ groundbreaking 1995 collaboration with producer Daniel Lanois. In 1996 and 1997 together with Buddy Miller, Brady Blade and Daryl Johnson, The band, also named Spyboy, toured America and Europe together, never playing a song the same way twice. Buddy Miller brought along his recording gear and recorded nearly every show on the tour. When their time on the road ended, Miller and Harris sat down together and they culled through hundreds of tracks to choose the ones that best represented the Spyboy ethos of endless possibility. They whittled the original release down to 14 tracks and in 1998 Eminent Records released Spyboy on CD.

"Return of the Giant Slits" is the second studio album by the English punk band The Slits, released in October 1981 by CBS Records. This album marked a departure from their earlier punk sound, embracing a more experimental approach influenced by afro-pop, dub, and world music. The album was produced by Dennis Bovell, Dick O'Dell and The Slits. Upon its release, "Return of the Giant Slits" received mixed reviews, with some listeners finding its experimental nature challenging. However, over time, it has been re-evaluated and appreciated for its innovative fusion of genres. -Pitchfork described it as "a slippery, glorious mess that will infuriate anyone expecting the Slits to revisit their debut." this MOV re-release comes as a Limited edition of 1000 copies on blue, black and white marbled vinyl.

If there is one thing we at Real Gone have learned during our rollicking ride of reissuing The Donnas’ catalog, it’s that they never did anything halfway. And we’ve tried to do the same in bringing their music back to their devout fanbase. Now, by popular demand, and after years of pursuing the rights, we are thrilled to announce that we are releasing their last studio album, Bitchin’, in an expanded, newly annotated, and newly remastered edition! This 2007 release was put out by The Donnas’ own Purple Feather label, and marks a return to the girls’ glam metal and punk roots after the classic rock leanings of Gold Medal…they’ve escaped the major label machine, and are ready to have a good time! Singalong songs like “What Do I Have to Do” and “Don’t Wait Up for Me” have definitely entered The Donnas’ canon, and tunes like “Save Me” confirm that this band’s ability to set a hook in a chorus remains unabated. For this first-ever reissue, we’ve rounded up an entire side of bonus tracks, including the two songs (“Randi” and a cover of “Safety Dance”) that were only available on the vinyl release, a track (“New Kid in School”) that was previously available only as a download, two outtakes (“We Own the Night” and “She’s Out of Control”) that showed up on the Greatest Hits Vol. 16 comp, and a track that only came out in Japan (“Can’t Keep It a Secret”). The whole thing’s been remastered for vinyl by Mike Milchner at Sonic Vision, and our gatefold-plus-insert once again includes fresh commentary by Brett Anderson aka Donna A. Bitchin’ comes in a double scoop of strawberry with black swirl vinyl…we’re here for the party!

To mark the occasion, Léonard Lasry offers a deeply personal rendition of "Aimer", one of the iconic songs from Sylvie Vartan's repertoire. This intimate cover serves as a tribute to the legendary singer who inspired five songs on his 2021 album "Merci pour le regard", and whose body of work he considers to be one of the richest and most fascinating in French pop music. The artwork was created by renowned illustrator Jeanne Detallante.

Akhira Sano is a Tokyo-based artist working across sound, drawing, installation, and video. His practice finds generative potential for music in life's fleeting incidents, etching meaning from unassuming spaces and resonances. With releases on 12k, LAAPS, IIKKI, and The Trilogy Tapes, Sano has steadily carved out a distinctive voice within minimal and experimental music - one that privileges attentiveness and patience over spectacle.

"To Material Past", Sano's debut for SWIMS, carries this thread with a single 30-minute work built solely using glockenspiel tones and field recordings from his local neighbourhood. This is a night walk with no map or end point; Sano follows irregular, coiling fragments that extend to form a tessellating luminous whole - like a subliminal mass of tree roots quietly shifting the concrete slabs beneath our feet.

Under this faded gauze of gestures and interactions, Sano's glockenspiel interjects like a grandfather clock, softly marking the partitions that make up a day's collected experience; clicking and chiming like the sleeping brain, as it sifts and catalogues a lifetime's ephemera of thoughts, faces and puzzles.

In 1964, Martin Denny looked beyond the Hawaiian and Asian influences of his previous records to find another place to plant his umbrella in the sand, as well as in your drink: the sounds of Latin America. With this new sound to hang his exciting arrangements on, Latin Village has long been considered one of Denny's high-water marks, and Jackpot is thrilled to have this long-cherished LP back in print. This is an album that rips through what was considered "The Now Sound From Overseas," a sophisticated mash-up of sambas, bossa novas, and Latin jazz. From the first track, "Angelito" (the hit song written by Réne y Réne, later to also be covered by Trini Lopez & Herb Albert), all the way through to its closer, "Flying Down To Rio" (a song which Roxy Music later referenced in their 1972 song "Virginia Plain”), the album is a hypnotic listen. Latin Village also drops in some serious jazz numbers, with respected compositions such as "On Green Dolphin Street" by Kaper & Washington (which has been covered by Miles Davis, Bill Evans & Sarah Vaughn), "Malagueña" the sixth movement in Ernesto Lecona's Suite Andalucía & "Corcovado" by Antônio Carlos Jobim (who merged samba with jazz to create bossa nova). Latin Village is comforting in its familiarity within Denny's sonic world, but steps refreshingly out of the smoke-filled Tiki bars of his previous records and straight into the sunlight where this music still strolls around in a listener's heart, soul, and mind. “Latin Village is a triumph of Martin Denny’s search for a new style, post-exotica.” – ALLMUSIC, 4 stars.

Unfolding ist Jessica Moss' meditativstes und klagendstes Soloalbum und vielleicht das erste in der jahrzehntelangen Diskografie der Violinistin und Komponistin aus Montreal, das man zu Recht als Ambient bezeichnen kann. Die ehemalige Mitglied von Silver Mt Zion und Black Ox Orkestar schöpft aus Postklassik, Drone, Minimalismus, Industrial/Metal, Power Electronics, Klezmer und anderen Folk-Traditionen. Es handelt sich hierbei nicht um abstrakte Ambient-Musik; vielschichtige Violinenmelodien, elektroakustische Bearbeitungen, intermittierende Stimmen und Percussion von Tony Buck, dem Schlagzeuger von The Necks, bringen zutiefst emotionale, genreübergreifende Kompositionen hervor, die von einem Geist der Suche und Beschwörung geleitet sind und sich in einer vorherrschenden Atmosphäre von Beschwörung und trauernder Zurückhaltung entfalten. Die Untrennbarkeit von Persönlichem und Politischem hat sich für Moss in den letzten zwei Jahren immer stärker herauskristallisiert. Als Kernmitglied der Montrealer Sektion von Musicians For Palestine hat sie mehrere Benefizkonzerte mitorganisiert und gespielt und im Frühjahr 2024 das Soloalbum For UNRWA veröffentlicht (das über 800 Unterstützer fand und Tausende von Dollar einbrachte). Später im selben Jahr zerbrach ihre langjährige Fernbeziehung aufgrund politischer Differenzen. In enger Zusammenarbeit mit dem Produzenten Radwan Ghazi Moumneh (Jerusalem In My Heart) entstanden ,Unfolding" in den letzten zwölf Monaten, dem zweiten Jahr des Völkermords in Palästina, als direkte Reaktion auf unser kollektives Miterleben, unsere kollektive Trauer, als Portal zur kollektiven Trauer, als Suchscheinwerfer durch unsere inneren Wettersysteme, auf der Suche nach einander in der Dunkelheit. Moss bewegte sich bereits in Richtung einer erhöhten Fragilität und einem tiefen Zuhören, ihre Musik wurde zunehmend langatmig und zeremoniell. Trotz der stark gesunkenen finanziellen Rentabilität von Tourneen wurde ihre Hingabe, Raum zu schaffen, Verflechtungen herzustellen und eine Verbindung zu einem intimen Live-Publikum aufzubauen, zu ihrem kreativen Leitstern, ihre Solo-Praxis wurde durch ihr Engagement und die Kommunikation in diesen Räumen geprägt. Die jüngsten politischen und persönlichen Umwälzungen haben diese ritualisierten, reparativen musikalischen Prozesse nur noch verstärkt. Die beiden langen Stücke auf der ersten Seite von Unfolding verkörpern diese Sensibilität. ,Washing Machine" verwebt Schichten von Streicherdrones und Filigranarbeit, sanft verzerrt durch Verzerrerpedale und Verstärkung, wobei unentzifferbare, ausgeblasene Sprechstimmen den Mix zeitweise als fragmentarische Palimpseste verhüllter Rezitationen und unbeschreiblicher Gefühle umhüllen. Der Ursprung des Stücks liegt in einer Telefonaufnahme einer europäischen Waschmaschine, die Moss aufnahm, als sie neben ihr saß, mit gebrochenem Herzen auf dem Badezimmerboden, und Trost fand, indem sie eine Melodie zu den mechanischen Obertönen der Waschmaschine summte, die ihren Zyklus durchlief. Das Herzstück des Albums, ,One, Now", beginnt als zarte Anrufung mit Basspuls, Glockenspiel und Glocken, gezupften Saiten und traurigen Lead-Violinenlinien, die von jüdischen und arabischen Modi beeinflusst sind. Umgebungsgeräusche, Feldaufnahmen und wortlose Gesänge werden hinzugefügt, während sich Violinenmelodien überlagern und zu einer hypnotisierenden Drone-Landschaft verschmelzen: eine halb improvisierte, lebendige Komposition, die durch Tony Bucks pinselstrichartiges Schlagzeugspiel und Moumnehs ,Schrei in die Leere" am Ende noch weiter belebt wird. Die zweite Seite ist ein vierteiliges Werk mit dem Titel ,no one / no where / no one is free / until all are free", das sich durch Umgebungsgeräusche, elegische postklassische Streicher und verzerrte harmonische Drones zu einem Höhepunkt aus liturgischer Orgel, rituellen Glocken und schimmernden elektronischen Spuren entwickelt, der die Bühne bereitet für den letzten Song des Albums: die erschütternde Chor-Komposition ,until all are free", eine weltliche Hymne, die aus Jessicas mehrspurigen Gesangsaufnahmen besteht (die sie aber gerne mit anderen im Konzert singen würde). Unfolding ist ,einem freien Palästina in unserer Lebenszeit" gewidmet. Danke fürs Zuhören.

Due to demand (and that we zero copies of their vinyl studio album left, and only a few of their live vinyl album), we've compiled all the tracks from both (and more - see below), we're reissuing them both on a 2xCD with a 24-page booklet. Before Suicide had really made it to the West Coast, Grey Factor were working in a similar realm - early post-punk, a little before punk (as such) and proto-industrial music. Here's what the band has to say: The future is tricky - and while we may have been left behind, this is our attempt to catch up with it. We offer a double CD capturing everything we've ever recorded. The Future Arrives Without You includes the previously released vinyl LPs - 1979-1980 A.D. Complete Studio Recordings and A Peak In The Signal: Live 1979-1980_plus a few surprises, including our first new studio tracks in 45 years. Both songs are covers, Wire's 12XU and Campag Velocet's Sauntry Sly Chic, and nine more lost studio tracks. 12XU was a jolt of pure adrenaline_two minutes of perfection from one of the era's best bands, a huge influence on us. Sauntry Sly Chic, from a group few remember but we never forgot, had one of the most infectious grooves we had ever heard. We also loved their lead singer's live getup: a cycling helmet and fencing gear. Perfection. These tracks inspired us to head back into the studio after four decades away. On A Peak In The Signal, we've added nine unreleased pieces we call the In-Betweens. Created out of necessity in 1979-1980, pre-recorded and played between our live performances, these sonic interludes filled the dead space while we reprogrammed our temperamental analogue synths between songs. Absurd, experimental, audience favourites.

Comes with 4 page insert, English and Japanese liner notes and lyrics.

A contemporary folk wonder from Cornwall (Falmouth), England.

"We at EM Records love to transport our listeners to new worlds, other worlds; “Pantilde”, this magical new album from Cornish avant-folk performance artist The Worm, is indeed an ethereal new world: otherworldly, but somehow rooted; an imaginary oral and musical story of everyday village life in an alternative Celtic landscape. The music here is strange yet familiar, fantastical and enchanting while remaining simultaneously attached to the earth. Amy Lawrence, aka The Worm, plays cello, harp, recorders and percussion, accompanying and framing her rich voice, which is often overdubbed into lovely homespun vocal ensembles; they tell song-stories of mythical and mystical village life, of nature and the human relationship with the natural world. The Worm can be considered part of a lineage which includes The Incredible String Band, Shovel Dance Collective, Bridget St John, Dorothy Carter, Vashti Bunyan, Jessica Pratt, Cathrine Howe, Mary Lattimore, Tristwch Y Fenywod and of course many others. “Pantilde”, a time-trip to a dreamlike, pastoral world that nevertheless feels distinctly realized, is a remarkable avant-folk fantasia, co-released with Prah Recordings.

Grim days call for fierce love. And Mavis Staples, one of the most enduring figures in American music, is laying it down. Sad And Beautiful World is the latest solo album from a national treasure and multigenerational talent. Produced by Brad Cook, Sad And Beautiful World spans seven decades of the American songbook - a range nearly as vast as Mavis" career - and includes reinventions of timeless songs by Tom Waits, Sparklehorse, Gillian Welch, Frank Ocean and more. Cook imagined an album in the tradition of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band"s Will the Circle Be Unbroken, a group of artists coming together to celebrate community - in this case, one centered on Mavis. Collaborators include Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Tweedy, Derek Trucks, Katie Crutchfield, MJ Lenderman, and Justin Vernon. Inducted into several halls of fame (Blues, Rock, and Gospel), a Kennedy Center Honoree, a winner of multiple GRAMMYs (including a Lifetime Achievement Award), Mavis is musical history. She"s collaborated with nearly every major figure of her era(s), from Bob Dylan to Prince, Aretha Franklin, and Willie Nelson - not to mention countless stars from subsequent generations.

Grim days call for fierce love. And Mavis Staples, one of the most enduring figures in American music, is laying it down. Sad And Beautiful World is the latest solo album from a national treasure and multigenerational talent. Produced by Brad Cook, Sad And Beautiful World spans seven decades of the American songbook - a range nearly as vast as Mavis" career - and includes reinventions of timeless songs by Tom Waits, Sparklehorse, Gillian Welch, Frank Ocean and more. Cook imagined an album in the tradition of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band"s Will the Circle Be Unbroken, a group of artists coming together to celebrate community - in this case, one centered on Mavis. Collaborators include Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Tweedy, Derek Trucks, Katie Crutchfield, MJ Lenderman, and Justin Vernon. Inducted into several halls of fame (Blues, Rock, and Gospel), a Kennedy Center Honoree, a winner of multiple GRAMMYs (including a Lifetime Achievement Award), Mavis is musical history. She"s collaborated with nearly every major figure of her era(s), from Bob Dylan to Prince, Aretha Franklin, and Willie Nelson - not to mention countless stars from subsequent generations.

Debut solo album from guitar player of Calicos. The result is a record that balances melancholy and raw intensity, where vulnerability is never far from power.Aäron Koch's voice cuts straight through, while the band builds a sound that feels both timeless and urgent, echoing The Veils, My Morning Jacket and Strand of Oaks.



For years, Aäron Koch was the guitarist in other people's bands. Writing intricate riffs and odd time signatures came naturally, but the thought of writing a simple song, a verse, a chorus, a melody that could stand on its own, felt out of reach. He tried and failed, discarded demos, and pushed himself through the humbling exercise of writing "bad songs" just to learn the craft.

'For Once', his debut album (out via Unday Records), is the unexpected outcome of that long struggle. What began as an exercise became a set of songs that refused to stay in the drawer. Months after recording rough sketches, Koch listened back and realized they weren't throwaways after all. With a small heart, he shared them with friends, musicians from bands like Calicos, Uma Chine and Tin Fingers, who immediately heard their potential and joined the project.



The result is a record that balances melancholy and raw intensity, where vulnerability is never far from power. Koch's voice cuts straight through, while the band builds a sound that feels both timeless and urgent, echoing The Veils, My Morning Jacket and Strand of Oaks.

"This music is about weaknesses and vulnerability," Koch says. "Autobiographical really, something I only realized once the album took shape."



That honesty struck a chord. In 2024, after only a handful of shows, Aäron Koch reached the finals of Humo's Rock Rally and was invited to open for Belle & Sebastian at a sold-out Ancienne Belgique. Now 'For Once' shows why: it's the sound of someone learning to write songs the hard way, and discovering in the process that he has something entirely his own to say.

Cambridge’s acclaimed psych-folk quintet Fuzzy Lights return with their fifth album ‘Fen Creatures’. Following on from 2021’s critically lauded ‘Burials’ the band have created their most conceptually focussed work to date – a mediation on environmental crises that uses the folklore and history of East Anglia as a lens to examine humanity’s fractured relationship with the natural world.

The album operates across multiple historical timelines, from Iron Age hill forts to medieval plague houses, from Byron's Romantic-era environmental warnings to the immediate threat of rising sea levels, creating a temporal tapestry that weaves ancient stories with contemporary concerns.

Musically, the quintet, Rachel Watkins (vocals/violin), Xavier Watkins (guitar/electronics), Chris Rogers (guitar), Daniel Carney (bass), and Mark Blay (drums), have pushed deeper into experimental drone territories while maintaining the crystalline folk sensibilities that have become their signature.

Lead track ‘Greenteeth transforms the traditional cautionary tale of Jenny Greenteeth, the water spirit who lures children to their deaths. "When I read this story to my daughter, she was instantly drawn into it," Watkins notes. "There's something timeless about these tales and the way they speak to fundamental fears and connections that span generations."

Elsewhere, 'War Ditches' imagines the Iron Age dead of a Cambridge hill fort keeping watch over the land, their vigil ending as modern people lose connection with the earth. 'The Promise' creates an imaginary encounter with the ghosts of Landbeach village across multiple eras, connecting the 1665 plague with our recent pandemic experience through shared narratives of community resilience and loss.

Critics praised ‘Burials’ as "way beyond folk and folk in essence all at once" (Backseat Mafia) and "folk-rock looking back squarely at the early 1970s" (Financial Times), and 'Fen Creatures' promises to cement Fuzzy Lights' reputation as one of Britain's most vital contemporary folk acts. The album positions them firmly within the lineage of artists like Fairport Convention, Trees, and Comus who understood that engaging with tradition isn't nostalgic escapism, but a way of accessing older wisdoms about how to live in the world.

‘Burials’ press:

“...the musical battle between the fuzzy and the light makes Fuzzy Lights special.” MOJO ★★★★
“...a simmering, sinister undercurrent which often explodes with apocalyptic fervour.” SHINDIG ★★★★
“...subverting genre expectations and folk melodies.” FINANCIAL TIMES ★★★★
“Way beyond folk and folk in essence all at once, it's a record that’ll bring you much reward.” BACKSEATMAFIA - 8.3/10
“a genuine delight....a stirring and unsettling listen, goosebumps adding to the pleasure of timeless music played well, with perfect precision. Don’t leave it another eight years, eh?” FOLK RADIO
“...re-inventing the folk-rock playbook and dragging it screaming through an array of influences...Fuzzy Lights’ most unique, reflective and ambitious record to date” FOR THE RABBITS

Embrace The Abandon is the new project by THE MON, the solo vision of Urlo, vocalist, bassist, and founding member of the Italian heavy-psych veterans Ufomammut.

Structured in two complementary chapters — Songs of Abandon (November 7th, 2025) and Songs of Embrace (March 6th, 2026) — the project tells a journey of duality: loss and surrender on one side, acceptance and rebirth on the other.
The first chapter, Songs of Abandon, is perhaps the most intimate and vulnerable work Urlo has ever created.
Born in a moment of solitude and personal darkness, the album originated from a radical exercise: writing one song a day, for nine consecutive days, using only acoustic guitar and voice.
A collection of stripped-down, emotionally raw ballads. Rooted in acoustic textures and intimate songwriting, these songs explore loss, vulnerability, and the quiet spaces left behind — a personal exorcism of what could have been but never was.
Later, these sketches were shaped into fully realized tracks, with lyrics and subtle layers of sound — not to overwhelm, but to underline the fragile, raw atmosphere that pervades them. The result is a stripped-down, emotionally charged collection that embodies an inner search: the power of music as a tool to face abandonment, to dig into oneself, and ultimately to glimpse the possibility of an embrace.
With Embrace The Abandon, THE MON reaffirms itself as one of the most personal and uncompromising projects.
It is a body of work that fuses vulnerability and strength, speaking directly to the listener with sincerity, leading them through shadow towards light.
An intimate yet powerful sound experience, intertwining the minimalism of acoustic folk with the dark, visionary tension that has always defined Urlo’s artistic path.

The perfect accompaniment to that deep fall feeling, Frank Maston's beloved 2025 single finally gets its long overdue vinyl release! As our friends New Commute articulated beautifully, "Foreign Affairs" drifts through London fog and Paris shimmer, its avant-lounge glow wrapping each melody in a wistful ache. On B-side "Liaison," ghostly strings and a solitary piano paint a deserted twilight shoreline, Pacôme Henry's distinct 16mm cinematography hovering nearby." We've pressed just 500 of these gorgeous records so, be quick, Maston always flies.

Originally written for a film Maston was scoring in 2024, he decided to keep it aside for himself. And, well, us all. The song has a vibe Maston has previously flirted with; he wanted to dive in...all the way: "The arrangement is huge, definitely the biggest I've written, and it merited live musicians playing together. Also another experiment, to do it with all live musicians playing my arrangements. I wanted to make something that you'd want to put on when you bring a date back to your place. It's on the edge of sappy but that's sort of the point. I decided to give myself an unlimited budget - just spend whatever was necessary to get the right musicians and record it the best way possible."

It's this dedication to sonic perfection which Maston is rightly lauded for. We couldn't not put this on a cute wee 7" when we heard it.

The A side, "Foreign Affairs", is a brilliant, Bacharach-esque romp with a bit of that unapologetically romantic Morricone angle. Says Frank: "I was trying to synthesize that sort of jazzy/sexy/classy/romantic mature sound, where the edginess is in these surprising chord changes and subtle arrangement cues."

A wonderful complement, the flipside "Liaison", evokes Martin Denny, but Eden's Island was in Frank's head, too. He wanted to take a deep dive into that exotica sound - a genre he'd referenced a bit but never fully committed to - so the piece is lavished with those big sighing strings and a pretty lush arrangement. Happily, it all sounds super rich. Also, "Umiliani is always a reference for this sort of thing (Il Corpo etc.), That almost mechanical arrangement of things moving together and a simple melody over it (something I nicked from Ennio)".

The two songs were recorded in Paris and London in the summer of 2024. Aside from the rhythm section and piano, there's vibraphone, a full string section, trombones and alto and concert flutes. "Liaison" boasts strings, vibraphone, a female choir and tenor sax. Maston played piano and acoustic guitar but that's it (as opposed to playing basically everything on Tulips). His friend Oscar Sholto Robertson played drums and percussion whilst Maston mainstay Elie Ghersinu (formerly of L'Eclair) played bass.

The theme for a lot of Maston's titles is that they have two meanings. So "Foreign Affairs" is both a reference to him living abroad and the idea of constant cultural diplomacy and then there's this sexy/cheeky interpretation of foreign affairs in a literal way - "an affair abroad, ooh la la!". The artwork for this 7" single has Roman campaign flags, referencing the foreign affairs in sort of a sassy way. There's a violence implied. But then if you look from a bit of a distance it looks like a bouquet of flowers. So Frank thought it went with the spirit of the title. Also, he's used a lot of roman motifs now so he kept that theme going, even with the terracotta cover.

This is a vitally important project for our Frank. He explains why, here: "For whatever reason, these songs really resonated with me. I feel like they are either the end of a stylistic era for me or the beginning of a new one. They're sonically the culmination of what I'd been working towards and trying to get better at since I started. If I heard this when I was making Tulips I would have said "YES! *This* is what I want to be doing!". So that's the essence of it. It's a statement and the intended reaction is "This is really good, but why now?". Like the edge to it is the context of someone making this sort of thing in 2025, which I think is a huge strength. The real heads will get it. My music always has like a 2-3 year latency until people really catch onto it, and these ones will have a nice payoff I think."

We couldn't put it better ourselves. So we haven't.

he next instalment from Soulfuric Recordings is the first edition of “The Sound Of Soulfuric Volume 1” taken from the vaults are four unearthed gems spanning two classics, two exclusives, and long-awaited vinyl debuts from house music specialists such as Hardsoul feat Ron Carroll, Urban Blues Project, The Thompson Project & Crackazat and Art Of Tones.

Stepping up first is Hardsoul featuring the legendary Ron Carroll with “Back Together” (Main Classic Mix) a track that should be found in every soulful house DJ’s set, with Ron’s alluring vocals this one is definitely made to keep the dancers moving and in case of dancefloor emergencies reach for this record.

Up next is Urban Blues Project featuring Bobby Pruitt “We Are One” (Art of Tones Extended Remix) which is being brought out for the first time on vinyl, the original mix was first released in 2001 and the now the Art Of Tones Remix has breathed new life into it making it a must have for anyone who is a fan of the original.

Flipping over to the B side, Urban Blues Project return once again with Love Don’t Live (The U.B.P. Classic Club Mix) with Michael Procter. A Soulfuric classic that has been championed time and time again, first released in 1996 and now being revived almost 20 years later on fresh wax.

Rounding off Volume 1 The Thompson Project & Crackazat featuring Gary L with “Messin’ With My Mind” (Crackazat Extended Remix) this has also never been on vinyl before, released earlier this year this soulful house banger got the touch-up from Bristol’s finest Crackazat who adds his touch to the Florida duo’s offering.

House heads can come together once again and seize the opportunity to get their hands on this outstanding EP.

Recorded during that unique period in the late ‘60s when jazz, blues and rock musicians found common ground in London’s vibrant subterranean clubs, 1968s Definitely What! was the second of the run of the four ground-breaking Trinity albums. Showcasing Auger's open-minded approach and his masterful organ & piano skills, the album whips up a rich blend of jazz, R&B, psychedelic touches and soulful grooves, complemented by the tight, dynamic rhythm section of Dave Ambrose (bass) and Clive Thacker (drums).

After the previous year’s Open (1967) with its 'Summer of Love' feel and its melting pot of Mod R&B, cover versions of US soul hits led by Julie Driscoll’s inimitable vocals, Auger considered Definitely What! as his first solo album, and so he travelled deeper into jazz territory, balancing original pieces with audacious covers. Tracks include versions of Mose Allison's 'If You Live' and of Wes Montgomery’s ‘Bumpin’ On Sunset’. “I got a letter from Wes's wife,” recalls Auger, “saying that it was Wes' favourite version. Can you believe that, Wes's wife wrote to me!”

Elsewhere, we find a dramatic re-arrangement of The Beatles’ ‘A Day In The Life’ complete with orchestral strings and a punchy horn section, alongside a supercharged version of Booker T & The MGs’ ‘Red Beans & Rice’ . 'George Bruno Money' was dedicated to Auger's drinking pal of the era, Zoot Money, and 'John Browns Body' both combine prime Hammond jazz with the very British surrealist humour that was in vogue at the time. The title track goes further “out” in a sprawling instrumental piece rooted in experimentation. Brian himself specifically states in his sleeve notes that his concept “lies along a straight line drawn between pop and jazz and aims at the 'fusion' of both elements” - ‘fusion’ at that time was not even a recognised musical term, further reinforcing Auger’s credentials as an innovator.

That forward-thinking approach was developed in Open and Definitely What! would come to fruition a year later with the release of Streetnoise (1969) featuring the Trinity and Julie Driscoll. At the time, the move to bring together jazz, rhythm & blues, folk, gospel and pop into a progressive new sound may have annoyed the purists and confused the less open- minded, but these albums stand today as a testament to Auger’s unique position within British music, foreshadowing his future 1970s explorations with the Oblivion Express and beyond. Definitely What! remains a fascinating snapshot of 1960s musical experimentation - raw, eclectic, and unapologetically Auger!

This new Strut reissue is curated by Impressive Collective’s Greg Boraman in partnership with Brian and Karma Auger. The album is remastered by Cosmic Audio from the original tapes, and is packaged in Brian's favourite version of the 3 different sleeves the album was originally issued in.

When Straight Ahead hit the shelves in 1974, it marked another bold chapter for Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express. The band—Steve Ferrone on drums, Barry Dean on bass, Jack Mills on guitar, and Lennox Langton on congas— was firing on all cylinders, pushing jazz fusion into fresh, uncharted territory.

Critics took notice, with Billboard praising the album as “excellent in development and inventiveness, ” and it found its way onto multiple charts at once.

The journey begins with “Beginning Again, ” a lively opener built on Langton’s congas and Ferrone’s muscular groove. Auger’s electric piano sparkles here, immediately setting the album’s adventurous tone. Then comes their take on Wes Montgomery’s “Bumpin’ On Sunset. ” Darker in mood and drenched in atmosphere, Auger stretches out into improvisation while still honoring Montgomery’s spirit. The interpretation struck such a chord that, years later, Wes’s widow wrote to Auger to tell him it was her husband’s favorite version of his much-loved tune.

The title track, “Straight Ahead, ” shifts gears into funk, showcasing the group’s ability to slide effortlessly between genres. “Change” pushes further, blending rock’s raw energy with jazz’s improvisational freedom, driven by Auger’s command of the Hammond organ. To close, “You’ll Stay in My Heart” brings the tempo down with a tender, soulful ballad—an intimate ending to an album full of bold explorations.

At the time, reviewers hailed the record as a gem. One called it “a minor masterpiece of incredibly engaging and melodic keyboard-centric jazz-rock fusion. ” Another singled out “Bumpin’ On Sunset” as “the best reason to own this recording.”

Half a century later, Straight Ahead still resonates. It captures that fertile moment in the 1970s when jazz, rock, and funk were colliding, and artists like Auger were busy redrawing the map. To this day, it stands as proof of Auger’s fearless curiosity and his knack for breaking boundaries—music that looked forward then, and still feels ahead of its time now.

Soft Centre is the new album by Iko Chérie, the solo project of French-born, London-based multiinstrumentalist Marie Merlet. She blends dub-inflected textures, pop tinged vocals, reverbdrenched guitars, Casio drones, and warm experimental noises - creating her own intimate, fragile sound. Self-produced and largely performed by Merlet, the album grew from an introspective process, with many sketches recorded in transit between tours. The result is a deeply personal work, balancing light and dark in a Lynchian dream-pop haze. Songs such as We Smoke That Peace Pipe and Bilbao shimmer between vulnerability and resilience, while the single Ghosted Ghosters of the Holy G captures the immediacy of a one-take dub bass. Some pieces retain the quality of improvised snapshots (Intelligent Women, Half a Metaphor) while others reveal her meticulous production process and songwriting craft (Tears in the Sea, Luciférine). Merlet defines Soft Centre as alive in radical tenderness, unguarded, open, and vivid. Influenced by Clarice Lispector"s prose, Diane di Prima"s poetry and Rachel Carson"s environmentalist writing, as well as Marie"s fascination with a vintage Roland Space Echo, the album is an invitation to connection that she describes as "... hopefully a meditation into healing." A versatile musician trained in classical piano, jazz, and electroacoustic composition, Merlet has long moved between different worlds of sound. She has worked with Laetitia Sadier in Monade, performs with Gina Birch (The Raincoats), Malphino, Yama Warashi, and several other groups. She recently appeared as guest singer on the latest Stereolab album. Her debut solo LP, Dreaming On (Elefant Records, 2015), revealed her singular melodic instincts; with Soft Centre she ventures further inward, shaping her own distinctive voice in experimental pop.

New Wave of Alternative Hardcore! 217's debut album ' In Your Gaze " is a combination of different Hardcore schools mixed with dreamy, dark and intense moments. This is a turning point. Drawing inspiration from American old-school hardcore (Negative Approach, Uniform Choice, Slapshot, Madball, Bad Brains, Chain of Strength, Growing Concern), mid-'90s new school (108, Have Heart, Snapcase, Abhinanda), as well as math rock, hardcore, and alternative dark rock (Melvins, Botch, Bauhaus, Fields of the Nephilim, Stone Temple Pilots, Killing Joke, The Doors), 217 now presents itself with a renewed and at times dreamlike musical and lyrical identity.

Volpe is the finely tuned trio led by Ghent-based pianist Heleen Andriessen. Drummer Stijn Demuynck and bassist Kobe Boon support Andriessen's lyrical melodies with an infectious groove. The carefully crafted compositions alternate between energetic and melancholic, allowing the listener to feel immersed in a warm bath while transporting them to an uncanny world.

'elders' (Dutch for "elsewhere"), doesn't refer to a physical place but to a refuge in Heleen's mind-a sanctuary where she searches for beauty on gray, rainy November days. A simple detail taken from everyday life can serve as a gateway to this hopeful, imaginative world. Musically, this translates to repetitive patterns that gradually evolve or suddenly burst open. Subtle dissonance is welcome here, with the band lovingly embracing the slight disruption it offers. Heleen's playful runs and Stijn Demuynck's grooves balance the melancholic undertones. Seemingly simple melodies tell stories and offer familiarity to listening ears.

keywords: piano trio, contemporary jazz, keith jarrett, modal jazz, minimalist

Sasha & Henry Saiz deliver evocative new single 'Love Is All You Need'

Henry Saiz and Sasha are two of electronic music’s most visionary figures, each renowned for blending emotional depth with cutting-edge production. Saiz is a DJ, producer, and live artist who crafts genre-defying soundscapes on his own Natura Sonoris as well as Sasha’s Last Night On Earth. His work resonates far beyond the dancefloor, much like that of Sasha, a pioneer with an enduring creative streak who continues to push boundaries, most recently through collaborations with forward-thinking producers like Artche, Jody Barr, and Joseph Ashworth. Together on this new single, the pair balance transportive grooves with meticulous synth work to perfection.

The wonderfully luminous 'Love Is All You Need' radiates breezy melodic charm while riding a light, uplifting rhythm that feels as airy and warm as the rush of a new romance. Shimmering, sun-kissed melodies evoke the glow of an outdoor Ibizan party with emotive female vocals drenched in reverb, adding a dreamy, blissful layer to round out this hazy and heartfelt electronic trip.

Acclaimed experimental hip-hop artists Pink Siifu and Turich Benjy are thrilled to announce the release of a limited edition vinyl of their groundbreaking 2023 collaborative album, IT’S TOO QUIET..’!!. This exclusive pressing includes six previously unreleased bonus tracks, offering fans an expanded auditory journey through the duo's innovative soundscape.

Originally released on October 31, 2023, IT’S TOO QUIET..’!! was lauded for its genre-defying fusion of underground hip-hop, alternative trap, and electronic influences. The album showcases Pink Siifu's visionary artistry and Turich Benjy's dynamic versatility, creating a sonic experience that is both immersive and boundary-pushing. The project fea-tures collaborations with notable artists such as Nick Hakim, WiFiGawd, Vayda, Lance Skiiiwalker, and Kamilah, among others.

Critics praised the album's eclectic production and cohesive vision. HipHopDX noted that "IT’S TOO QUIET..’!! is a grab bag of deliriously joyful rap songs that span all sorts of popular subgenres," highlighting the album's ability to blend diverse musical elements seamlessly. In Search of Media commended the album's high energy and eclectic sound, stating that it "combines both their skills as emcees poignantly."

In addition to the original 17 tracks, this special release includes six unreleased bonus tracks, providing listeners with new material that delves deeper into the duo's creative synergy. All packaged in a beautiful 2LP vinyl in gatefold sleeve — don't miss out!





[d] A4. lookin..’!![gorgeous] featuring WifiGawd, Vayda produced by Tony Seltzer, iiye

The engine idles low. The story is almost told. Jaguar On Palisade 3 marks the final descent in a trilogy carved from fog, memory, and cold chrome — a farewell wrapped in smoke and steel.

CRIMEAPPLE weaves through late-night laments and razor-edge reflections, cruising past ghosts and gilded silence, traveling over cinematic productions by trusted collaborators: DJ Muggs, DJ Brown 13, Michaelangelo, Buck Dudley, Loman, DJ Skizz, and Comma Uno. Each beat is a scene; each bar, a flicker of something lost. There’s heat, there’s hunger, and the creeping calm of finality.

It’s not about where we’re going — it’s about what we’ve already left behind. Pressed on limited edition vinyl for those who’ve been riding since the ignition turned. No reruns. No reissues. Just one last ride.