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Orchestra Mambo International ist ein britisches Orchester für Mambo, Salsa und Afro-Cuban Jazz, 2022 von DJ Lubi und Jonny Enright (Grupo X) gegründet. Inspiriert von Größen wie Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri und den Fania All-Stars, verbindet es klassische Traditionen aus New York und Kuba mit frischer Energie aus dem UK. Die generationsübergreifende, internationale Besetzung vereint Musiker aus Venezuela, Kolumbien, Kuba, Brasilien, Spanien und Großbritannien sowie Altersgruppen von Zwanzigern bis Siebzigern. Das Debütalbum "¡Apúntalo!" enthält Kompositionen von Jonny Enright sowie Beiträge von Carlos 'Pachanga' Peña und Timbales-Spieler Jimmy Le Messurier. Ein besonderes Highlight ist der Gastauftritt des renommierten Musikers Chip Wickham (Gondwana Records). Musikalisch bewegt sich "¡Apúntalo!" zwischen Mambo, Salsa Dura, Pachanga, kubanischem Son Montuno, puerto-ricanischer Bomba und Latin Jazz und verbindet den klassischen afro-karibischen Dancefloor-Spirit mit originellem Songwriting, facettenreichen Arrangements und der Energie einer Big Band.

The second EP from the Permanent Vacation XX series for the label's 20th anniversary is a star studded affair full of heavy hitters featuring tracks from the extended PV family by Zombies In Miami, Alinka, Rhode & Brown x COEO, Clint and Baldo. Five Dancefloor essentials.

One of the biggest underground rave anthems of the early 90's produced by Gordon Matthewman (Dj Edge) and Doug Osbourne (Sourmash).

The track perfectly bridged the gap between early 90s UK rave, European hard trance, and sinister warehouse techno. It is instantly recognizable by its slow-building, intense tension, heavy pounding kick, and the stark, ominous, distorted synth stabs that cut through the eerie acid lines.

With its massive dancefloor appeal, it was quickly snapped up for major compilations, notably appearing on the highly influential Reactivate 8 compilation put out by React Records. Original vinyl pressings on the iconic XVX label remain highly sought after by old-school electronic music collectors worldwide. This is your chance to own this Rave Classic on an official Repress from the XVX Label.

Zehn Jahre nachdem Lord Of The Lost die Menschheit erstmals auf die Suche nach einem Paradies jenseits ihrer eigenen Trümmer schickten, erscheint “EMPYREAN” nun endlich auf Vinyl.

Als Lord Of The Lost “EMPYREAN” 2016 veröffentlichten, schufen sie ein dystopisches Future-Metal-Konzeptalbum von epischem Ausmaß: eine Science-Fiction-Odyssee über eine Spezies, die sich seit Jahrhunderten selbst zerstört und dabei unaufhörlich der Verheißung von “EMPYREAN” nachjagt, einer vermeintlich perfekten Welt, die sich am Ende auch als letzte Illusion entpuppen könnte. Gothic und Metal verschmelzen mit Glam, Electro, Prog und Industrial zu einem übermächtigen Gesamtsound, getragen von einem dominanten elektronischen Fundament und durchzogen von Glam-Refrains, die ungebremst auf knallharte Industrial-Attacken treffen, mit Hooks, scharf genug, um selbst die größte Zerstörung zu überstehen.

Zum 10-jährigen Jubiläum des Albums bringt diese limitierte weiße 2LP “EMPYREAN” erstmals auf Vinyl und gibt damit einem der ambitioniertesten Werke der Band endlich das physische Format, auf das Sammler gewartet haben.

"Holding Absence" präsentieren ihr bisher ambitioniertestes und atmosphärisch dichtestes Album. Über mehr als ein Jahrzehnt hat sich die Band weltweit eine äußerst loyale Fangemeinde aufgebaut. Das neue Album baut auf diesem Fundament auf und bietet den Fans nicht nur Musik, sondern eine eigene Welt, in die sie vollständig eintauchen können. Die Band verbindet ihre bekannte emotionale Intensität mit einem umfassenden visuellen und musikalischen Konzept. Dabei bewegen "Holding Absence" sich weiterhin zwischen emotionalem Hardcore und Alternative Rock. Mit großer Verletzlichkeit, eindrucksvollen Songtexten und starken visuellen Konzepten ziehen sie ihre Hörer tief in die von ihnen geschaffene Welt hinein.

Wow! Chapter 16 of this successful and influential series. This time compiled by Michael Rütten (Soulpatrol) and Michael Reinboth. After 30 years of sharing the love for music and a friendship it‘s about time for these two to get together for a musical trip around the world. Voted one of the best electronic music compilations by music magazines such as Groove, Mixmag, FAZE and DJ mag. With the launch of the series in 1995, it’s fair to say that Michael Reinboth or Compost essentially pioneered and established the future jazz genre. Further info about the artists upon request.

The follow up to her UK number 1 album This Is How Tomorrow Moves, the stark and striking fourth album by beabadoobee is named for the electricity towers that dot every major artery in the world—the strong, spindly structures that reminded Beatrice Laus of her connection to friends and family at home while she was staring down extreme disconnection and isolation on tour over the past few years.

The title can also be read as an allusion to Laus’ spiky, forceful new sound—the waves of distortion that crash and shatter across this record’s 14 songs mirroring the intense crackle you hear when walking under power lines. The pylon is also a fitting symbol for an album that reckons with the repetitive anxieties of your mid-twenties: What if I’m always going to be this way? What if life is just pylon after pylon on the road?

The album’s first single is available to stream and buy from today: “Sun Has Set” introduces Pylon as, in essence, a set of songs that began as diary entries, words that Laus thought she’d never be able to say out loud. “A lot of the songs on this record are things I wish I could have said to someone,” she says. “This song has this petty tunnel vision—it’s like, I hate you. You’re gonna stay here and listen to how much I hate you. Because I never got to say that.” The single comes accompanied by a striking first person video directed by Bea’s partner and longtime visual collaborator Jake Erland.


Ever a devotee of pure rock music—both as something to be cherished and something to be played with—Laus casts these feelings in songs that touch on classic grunge, midwest emo and ‘90s radio rock, zeroing in on a sound that is both harsher and more direct than any of her previous records. She says the music she’s loved has “always been an influence” on her music, and so for B4 she went straight to the source. A fair few of Beabadoobee’s composite influences contributed to Pylon, a fact that speaks to the goodwill and respect Laus has amassed over the course of her relatively brief career.

Hayley Williams sings on “Nothing to Prove,” a deeply anthemic indie-rock song about getting your power back from fairweather friends who just want a bit of your success. The moody “Powerlines” features a verse from Turnstile singer Brendan Yates, a master of matching vocal force with emotional nuance. Elsewhere, you’ll find contributions from Pinegrove’s Evan Stephens Hall, Deftones’ Chino Moreno, and Title Fight’s Shane Moran, as well as, on “Write Me A Letter”, production work from Laus’ longtime friends and collaborators Matty Healy and George Daniel of The 1975.

Beabadoobee will debut songs from the record on the Powerlines Tour, her first ever arena shows and biggest tour to date, taking in shows across North America, the UK and Europe this autumn-winter. The Powerlines Tour kicks off 1 October and includes stops at Madison Square Garden, The Kia Forum, The O2 and more (full routing below). Support comes from Wisp in the US, Canada and UK and Violet Grohl in France, The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.





Born in the Philippines and raised in London, Beatrice Laus emerged as a British alternative music icon across three acclaimed albums and five EPs. She has garnered multiple BRIT Award and BBC Sound Of nominations, and won NME’s Radar award, whilst amassing over 10 billion streams worldwide and more than 12 million followers across her social channels.

This Is How Tomorrow Moves became her first record to reach number 1 on the UK Official Album Chart in 2024, following her Top 10 albums Fake It Flowers (which reached number 8) in 2020 and 2022’s Beatopia (#4). Earlier this year, beabadoobee released the one-off single ‘‘All I Did Was Dream Of You,” teaming up with Grammy-nominated best New Artist The Marías, the result of a longtime mutual creative admiration between María Zardoya and Bea.

For any collaborative project to succeed, the artists involved need a creative unifier – a meeting point, if you will, of their disparate interests and experiences. In the case of Mondo Love & Betrayal, the joint project of Nottingham musical mainstays Neil ‘Nail’ Tolliday and Henry Claude Scott, there were two creative unifiers: a mutual love of classic 1980s synth-pop, as well as shared admiration for each other’s work.

Even so, such shared interests and respect for prior mutual endeavours is no guarantee of success. Yet as their eponymous debut album emphatically proves, the duo’s disparate experiences, characteristics and musical strengths have not only dovetailed beautifully, but also resulted in serious sonic gold. Put simply, Mondo Love & Betrayal is a stunning debut album rich in emotive songs, colourful melodies, atmospheric chord progressions and infectious grooves. Throw in the sun-splashed warmth and saucer-eyed, loved-up tactility of late 80s dance beats, and you have a breakthrough album whose timelessness is evident from start to finish.

The project’s roots lie in Tolliday’s desire to work with Scott, a virtuoso guitarist, talented producer and secret songwriter best-known for his work alongside Huw Costin as Torn Sail, and John ‘Ming’ Thompson as Brown Fang – both projects known for prioritising organic instrumentation and sunset-ready soundscapes over dancefloor-rooted beats.

Tolliday, of course, is one of British electronic music’s true polymaths – a long-serving house producer best-known for his long-running Bent project alongside fellow Nottingham resident Simon Mills. He initially approached Scott with the idea of providing vocals on a house track he was working on, but quickly suggested something else: an exploration of a classic synth-pop sound inspired by his love of Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Depeche Mode and the producers who worked with them – the likes of Martin Hannett, Arthur Baker, Stephen Hague and John Robie.

Scott accepted the invitation, seeing it as an opportunity to explore a different side of his musical personality. Their first recording session resulted in the ear-catching and memorable brilliance of ‘Correspondence’ – a tongue-in-cheek breakup song inspired by the death of landlines and the rise of mobile communications – and soon they were working on their debut album.

The resultant 10-track set is simply sublime, with Scott’s expressive delivery of his own lyrics on life, love, heartache and rejection working in perfect union with Tolliday’s kaleidoscopic and pleasingly authentic backing tracks – gorgeous and beautifully rendered instrumentals rich in memorable melodies, bittersweet chords, and subtle nods to ‘80s and early ‘90s dance-pop culture, from Shep Pettibone style remixes and Bernard Sumner guitar licks, to Beloved-esque piano parts and Chris Lowe chord progressions. Some listeners may also draw favourable comparisons with 21st century synth-pop practitioners, particularly Parcels, Private Agenda and the deeply emotive songs showcased by Junior Boys.

For proof, wrap your ears around such album highlights as opener ‘Boo Boo’, where Scott warns that “love and betrayal will haunt you” atop sparkling synths and Vince Clarke style grooves, the Behaviour-era PSB melancholy of recent single ‘Your Latest’, the mid-tempo dreaminess of ‘Beyond The Rainy City’, the early Depeche Mode chug of ‘Whatever Happened To Me’ and the tactile warmth of ‘Across The Plane’.

We could go on. In truth, the whole album is – in Scott’s words – “magical musical alchemy”. Wherever they choose to go next, Mondo Love & Betrayal is a seriously good sonic statement of intent.

A very classic, auditorily both honest and skillful, techno mini-album by US producers D-Knox and Tim Xavier of Black Nation, 773 Tekno, Limited 400serie, and Sonic Mind fame. The duo's six-tracker nods to old-school US 'multitrack' underground techno EPs, but is bombastically engineered for club systems. Stunningly starting with "Soul Kraft Intro", a hymn for the Detroit techno legacy, only to slip into the tracky club rider "Stream Of Consciousness" with short stabs and alarming strings. Ripping acidic riffs and multifaceted hi-hat programming are signatures throughout, particularly highlighted by the teeth-grinding Chicago-styled (almost 'French Touch' compressed) "Dead Star Grinder", and not the least by the ultimately classic "Tomorrow Is A Rainy Day" with its broken beat and deep-standing forward-driving chordal beauty.

Archimboldos have clawed their way out of the starcaves of their primordial past and into the tranquil light of a coral garden on their third full length album, Crusta Arcana, a gumbo stewpot of transcendent electronica suffused with tribal rhythms and liquid ambience. Across a stereo field smeared with tolling bells, post-industrial folk percussion, and tinkling keys, Archimboldos soundtrack a science fictional journey, not into the depths of space, but deep beneath the waves.

In the past the Chilean duo of Nicolás Carcavilla and Felipe Crocco have described their music as “liminal shrimp folk.” Here they continue this strange exploration when they visit the court of the prawns, producing stately electronic chamber orchestrations. Perhaps these are the frequencies used for ritual dream initiation into the mystery schools of drowned Atlantis. Weaving an ancient sacred science, Archimboldos take listeners on a mystic vovage into their singular crustacean mythology, the crusta of their hidden arcana.

Archimbolodos are masters of conjoining cyclonic and centrifugal lines of electricity into spellbinding incantations. These deep-sea transmissions envelope the listener into aquamarine forcefields that are as hallucinatory as they are hypnotic. Navigating these strange fantasias could lead one to getting lost at sea, but the work is buoyed by the somnolent melodies of lonely harpsichords and swelling synth pads whose sustained tones reach towards distant shores. Sailing across a vast expanse of oceanic harmonies and percolating percussion, these pieces are as precise as the hand of a sailor on the rudder, moving with the tide.

Casting their net wide across eight pieces, Archimboldos have made a big catch. From the emotive electronic counterpoint found on “Bursting Armor” to the blocks of seaweed tangled sonic sculpture trawled up from the ocean floor on “Aphelion IX.” Other songs are like samples of biological ambience collected from luminous tide pools: resplendent tones placed into a Petri dish of sound, swirled, cultured and fermented until it undulates with the rhythmic movement of microscopic lifeforms. Alternating between rippling minimalist sonority and pounding, progressive, synth-heavy entrancement, Crusta Arcana charts its own idiosyncratic itinerary of instrumental invention.

All the while light is down streaming from the heavens to pierce the waters, here calm, there choppy. The intrepid musical captains commanding Archimboldos have laid a course for new archipelagos of the imagination, guided by heavenly constellations.

-Justin Patrick Moore, author of The Radio Phonics Laboratory, Telecommunications, Speech Synthesis and the Birth of Electronic Music

Moving between lo-fi experimental songwriting, sparse post-punk textures and intimate recordings; Ukrainian artist Regina Collage’s new album ‘Horizont’ is a personal and honest document of rebuilding a life and creative voice in Bristol. The record holds space for themes of burnout, quiet shame, tenderness and the courage of staying emotionally open when the world feels unstable. Sung entirely in Ukrainian, ‘Horizont’ does not ask the listener to understand every word. Feeling carries the songs forward. Across bedroom recordings and borrowed studios, Regina moves between cloudy dissonance and stark minimal arrangements built around bass, fragments of guitar, and an exposed voice. The recordings hold onto their rough edges. Mistakes remain and imperfection becomes part of the story. “Music for me is about not being scared to be vulnerable,” Regina says. “Almost every song I have is about what it means to be open and emotional. I really do not think it is a weakness. I hope people can listen and feel welcome to take a break and just let their emotions exist.” The album takes its name from the Ukrainian word for “horizon,” that unreachable line where sky meets earth. For Regina, the horizon became a quiet metaphor for living with distance and uncertainty. Inspired by one of her collage artworks showing a figure lying in grass and staring toward that far line, the title track reflects a feeling of moving toward something that never quite comes closer. Even without understanding the lyrics, the song carries a slow sense of longing and suspended arrival. m‘Vpiznavaty’, by contrast, initially feels almost light. Beneath that surface is a candid portrait of burnout and depressive exhaustion. The song looks at those moments when even greeting friends feels overwhelming. It captures the quiet embarrassment of withdrawing from people you care about, and the slow recognition that sometimes stepping away is simply how you survive. Other songs reveal different sides of the same emotional landscape. ‘Weak’ strips everything back to bass, a hint of guitar, and a bare vocal. Written and recorded in a single instinctive session, the track circles around the idea that softness might be its own kind of strength. Repetitive and intentionally unpolished, it quietly sets the tone for the whole record. Running through ‘Horizont’ is the reality of Regina’s life between Ukraine and the UK. Her hometown Kharkiv continues to face attacks, and many of her friends remain on the front line.

2026 Repress

After a five-year hiatus, JKS makes a triumphant return to the iconic French label Molekul with a highly anticipated solo EP. Leading the release is the standout track, The Cult, a testament to JKSs evolution while staying true to the essence of his sound.

Built for the club, The Cult channels an undeniable sense of power through its driving rhythms and immersive energy. The tracks tribal undertones create an
almost ritualistic atmosphere, pulling dancers into its pulsating core. With expertly layered textures and a commanding structure, The Cult keeps the momentum
unrelenting from start to finish.

True to his roots, The Cult brings a distinct old-school vibe, laced with a plurality of influences that have defined his sound since the beginning. Its a journey through raw rhythm and immersive layers, a bridge between past and present, aimed squarely at making people move.

Love Glow Vinyl, auf 700 Stück limitiert. Wendecover. Inkl. Poster, Insert, Downloadcode und CD (Album + Film "Im Zeichen des Zwillings". Wer nach dem von der Presse hochgelobten Vorgänger ,Remove The Ties" dachte, das kreative Maximum sei erreicht, wird eines Besseren belehrt. Vibravoid unterwerfen sich nicht dem zerstörerischen Zwang, das Vorgängeralbum übertreffen zu müssen - sie tun es einfach. Auf ,A Reason For Now" zeigt die Band, wie tief die DNA der Jahre 1966 bis 1968 in ihrem Sound verwurzelt ist. Vibravoid kopieren nichts - noch nicht einmal sich selbst. Sie distanzieren sich von den inflationär verwendeten Begriffen, die sie einst selbst popularisiert haben, und erklären die Popmusik zur neuen Droge. ,A Reason For Now" ist ein mitreißender Rausch, der sofort infiziert - ein fieberhafter LSD-Rausch aus Verzerrung und surrealen Traumfrequenzen.

After meeting and working with Janko Nilovic - the extraordinary French library maestro - on a new album, while traveling and performing together around the world for almost 10 years, Igor Zhukovsky & Romeo Miussky - the multi-instrumentalist production duo, and rhythm core of The Soul Surfers - were inspired to make a record of free, spiritual, esoteric sounds which blended together on tape and made Sound Excitement happen.Drawing on their experience as soundtrack composers and using heavyweight Soviet analog equipment, including a few vintage personal instruments belonging to some legends of the Soviet leftfield music scene, Igor & Romeo started experimenting with genre-blending music. The outcome of their recordings are a mixed bag of different moods and genres."It's something similar to a library record or more like a compilation of many different library records on one LP for a good decade if you know what I mean? It's the work which we're really excited about and excited to share with you! ...oh that's hell of a wordplay!"

Sunburst Orange w/ Turquoise Vinyl, limitiert auf 500 Exemplare. Emma Ruth Rundles "These Killing Times" ist mitreißend, emotional und voller anti-patriarchaler feministischer Wut. Das sechste Studioalbum der Multi-Instrumentalistin, Songwriterin und multidisziplinären Künstlerin ist eine reaktive Anthologie, voller Energie, Lebensfreude und Widerstand; es stellt uns Fragen nach unseren Absichten und den Rollen, die wir in den Gemeinschaften spielen, in denen wir leben, und danach, wie wir dem Würgegriff des Kapitalismus begegnen wollen. Schlaflose Nächte, Momente des Grauens und Zeiten der Qual könnten über eine Zeitleiste der jüngsten gesellschaftspolitischen Ereignisse gelegt werden, um die Entstehung von "These Killing Times" nachzuzeichnen: die zunehmende Macht des christlichen Nationalismus, der groteske Zirkus des politischen Diskurses und das damit verbundene ontologische Unbehagen. Aber es gibt auch Liebe - als Balsam und Stärkungsmittel, als Mittel zur Flucht. Das Verlangen nach Gemeinschaft und Verbundenheit, während man mit den gewalttätigsten Seiten der Menschheit konfrontiert ist, bleibt eine ungelöste Spannung. Während sie Anfang 2025 aus der Ferne die verheerenden Auswirkungen einer weiteren Klimakatastrophe beobachtete, reflektierte Emma über die Wurzeln der systemischen Probleme, die sich direkt in so viele katastrophale globale Ereignisse niederschlagen, und traf die bewusste Entscheidung, ein hoffnungsvolles Album zu schaffen. Wo äußere Kräfte sie dazu verleiten wollten, sich nach innen zu wenden, in Richtung Isolation und Hoffnungslosigkeit, streckte sie sich stattdessen nach außen, um ein Album zu schaffen, das den Schmerz anerkennt, aber als Antwort darauf sowohl Gemeinschaft als auch Widerstandskraft bietet.

"Portuguesa" enthält 14 Songs und wurde von Carminho
produziert. Der Fado-Star aus Portugal steuerte neben
weiteren Songwriter:innen auch einen Teil der Texte und
traditionellen Fado-Kompositionen bei. Über die Arbeit an
dem Album sagt sie: " Portuguesa ist das Resultat zehn
konzentrierter Tage in den Namouche Studios im März
2022, genauso flossen jedoch die beiden vorherigen
Jahre darin ein. Ich bin immer auf der Suche nach
diesem ganz speziellen Schwindelgefühl, bei dem ich mit
neuen Kombinationen derselben Grundzutaten meine
Identität finden kann. Das hier ist meine Geschichte,
meine Ursprünge, meine Einflüsse und die Musik, in der
ich mich wiederfinde."
Der Fado ist Carminhos Leben, und kaum eine andere
Sängerin verleiht dieser portugiesischen Form des Liedes
so viel Kraft, Leidenschaft und Tiefe wie sie. Indem sie
sich ganz diesem tiefsinnigen Traditionsgenre widmet,
erschafft sie neue traditionelle Fados, denen sie ihren
eigenen Stempel einprägt. In ihren tiefen Reflexionen über
das Wesen des Fado erkundet Carminho unterschiedliche
Kombinationen innerhalb des Kanons, überdenkt die Form
und bewegt sich in dem vertrauten Element so sicher wie
ein Fisch im Wasser.

Almost Starlight is the extraordinary new album by Jem Finer (hurdy-gurdy) and John Matthias (violin). Produced by Jay Auborn and recorded in a Medieval Church, deep in the Devon countryside, in the Summer of 2025, the music is suffused with light, heat and the natural acoustics of the space.

The album defies categorisation; forced to pigeon hole it the nearest approximation would be ‘modern-classical’ but this ignores its myriad influences and explorations which encompass inspiration from Arvo Pärt through Terry Riley to Can via Delius, Alice Coltrane and a subtle reimagining of electronic music played purely with acoustic instruments, bending and shaping their possibilities in surprising and unexpected directions.

Jay Auborn plays cello on a number of the compositions and his production opens up and expands the music through a skilled and imaginative use of space, paying homage to the atmosphere of the church; ‘the sound evolved… chasing the imagined acoustics of that church in my mind; a place for worshipping light with sound.’

Almost Starlight will be released on the 4th September by Touch, available as CD, vinyl, cassette and on streaming platforms.

BIOS OF THE ARTISTS

Jem Finer

Since studying computer science in the 1970s, Jem Finer has worked in various fields, including photography, film, experimental and popular music, sound recording, sculpture and installation.

Much of his work relates to systems, extended processes and extremes of scale and includes Longplayer, a musical composition repeating once every 1000 years, and the Gurdy and Hurdy stones, ancient rocks set upright in fields in East Sussex and Gloucestershire with Jimmy Cauty. Their work together includes a band, The Standing Stones, whose most recent release is Twa Sisters, featuring Iona Zajac and Daragh Lynch.

He was a founder member of The Pogues, with whom he has played, written and recorded since 1981.

Recent music revolves around a fascination with the hurdy-gurdy and includes hrdy-grdy, a cassette released by Benedict Drew’s Thanet Tape Centre. His latest collaboration, with John Matthias, Almost Starlight, will be released by Touch in September 2026.

John Matthias

Since studying Theoretical Physics in the late 1980s and 1990s, John has created music and sound in many forms, including for installation, popular music, music for film, for dance and orchestra.

Much of John’s work plays with the physics of complex systems but he is also greatly influenced by stories and song. John has collaborated with Matthew Herbert, Stanley Donwood, Jay Auborn, Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Nick Ryan and many others to create music with a variety of textures and sonorities. He is particularly interested in simplicity and form and how context informs the way music sounds.

His latest collaboration, with Jem Finer, Almost Starlight, will be released by Touch in September 2026.

Mack Loenz delivers his debut album From The Heart on Maceo Plex’s Lone Romantic imprint, expanding his razor-sharp, cinematic sound through analog synthesis and retro-futurist design.

Across its ten tracks, the album moves through a palette that is both nostalgic and forward-facing, with glistening arps, soaring pads and growling basslines shifting between physical club function and emotional extremes of melancholic yearning, romantic tenderness and futuristic intensity. ‘Follow Me’ opens with shimmering arpeggios and driving bass building to a euphoric crescendo, while ‘Switching My Flow’ pushes into heavier territory with gritty hoover synths, skittering vocals and chest-rattling subs. Elsewhere, ‘It’s Complicated’ brings a more tender, melancholic edge with rolling drums and expansive, symphonic synth work, and ‘Trust Issues’ leans into a nocturnal, romantic yet dystopian mood carried by sweeping leads and pitched vocal splicing. ‘Waiting Game’ moves into darker, industrial-leaning tension, before ‘Back To The Stars’ closes on a reflective, emotional resolve.

Shaped by a vision to push electro into a more expressive space, From The Heart carries a clear emotional core throughout. As Mack Loenz puts it, “In a time where there is a lot of darkness, this album is about bringing light, spreading positive energy, and creating moments that people can feel both on the dancefloor and within themselves.” That sentiment runs through the record, shaping a cohesive statement that balances club functionality with atmosphere, emotion and forward-facing electronic production.

The Toxic Funk series keeps pushing the boundaries of funk and hip-hop on wax, and Volume 23 welcomes DJP with two heavyweight remix cuts tailor-made for party-rocking DJs and golden-era hip-hop lovers alike. Packed with dusty breaks, sharp cuts and undeniable boom-bap energy, this 7” delivers pure underground flavor from start to finish.

On the A-side, The Nod Factor (DJP Remix) flips a true hip-hop classic into a groove-heavy breakbeat weapon loaded with crisp drums, funky rhythms and that unmistakable head-nodding swing. DJP injects fresh energy into the timeless vocal flows while keeping the raw essence fully intact.

The B-side, How Many Emcees (Must Get Dissed) (DJP Remix) dives even deeper into rugged East Coast vibes with rolling breaks, punchy basslines and expertly chopped funk elements that hit hard on any sound system. DJP balances classic hip-hop attitude with dancefloor-ready funk pressure, making this another essential weapon for selectors who like their beats raw and funky.

Toxic Funk Vol. 23 continues the series’ tradition of bringing heavyweight grooves to 7” vinyl, serving up another limited edition double-sider for crate diggers, breakbeat heads and party DJs worldwide.


b B1: How Many Emcees (Must Get Dissed) [DJP Remix]


[b] B1 | How Many Emcees (Must Get Dissed) [DJP Remix]

Mr Bongo proudly presents a first-time worldwide vinyl and CD issue of Rubel’s debut album Pearl. Self-released on YouTube in 2013, the album quietly became a huge hit in Brazil with the lead single and accompanying video for ‘Quando Bate Aquela Saudade’ amassing over 85 million views to date. Pearl laid the foundations for Rubel’s path to greatness - a first glimpse into the brilliance of a modern-day troubadour and ever-evolving Brazilian artist who deftly mixes classic and contemporary influences. Fusing MPB, folk, pop, and indie, it charts Rubel at his purest and most personal.

The journey of Pearl begins with Rubel in his early 20’s studying film in Austin, Texas. Immersing himself in the city’s vibrant DIY music scene and surrounded by countless musicians who he shared a large house with, he set up a home studio with an assortment of rented gear and recorded the album without any expectations. It was inspired by an environment of youth, music and experimentation Rubel found himself within. The seven songs are an attempt to record and take with him a little of what he lived and learned whilst there. He uploaded the album to YouTube, didn’t think much of it and continued to pursue a career in film in LA. Over the next few years however it became a viral hit in Brazil, with a subsequent Brazil only vinyl and CD issue, drawing him both back to Rio and a trajectory to musical stardom.

The Comfort enters the double digits of its catalogue with the label’s most ambitious release to date by Saudi Arabian artist Noboot, titled “Call and Pulsate”.

Fluid in genre yet wholeheartedly electro in spirit, Noboot’s creative output shapeshifts across the record: from four-to-the-floor acid-tinged propulsion to time-freezing illuminations, with neon-coloured synths, body-twisting low ends and piercing drum hits mutating throughout the album, and often within the tracks themselves.

Noboot’s capacity for sonic manipulation is on full display here with the pieces moving with a captivating direction and command. Sometimes gentle, sometimes dramatic, but always carried with a particular elegance and poise. To listen to the record from start to finish is to step into Noboot’s own conceptual world, one in which the artist has the confidence to take floor-oriented dance music and elevate it both in spirit and form.

There is composure and ambition in this approach. Tracks move the listener from one emotional state to another in the span of six minutes: not merely teasing transformation, but by fully taking the listener there. To deliver on that ambition requires control and idiosyncratic intuition. If “Desolated Delay” and “Timer Set” are striking examples of Noboot’s capacity for propulsion, “Meter Tired” shows the other side of their talent: the ability to make time feel briefly suspended in a weightless flux of cybernetic psychedelia.

To achieve this once or twice would already be impressive. To sustain it across an album of this scale is rare in electronic dance music, and makes The Comfort’s tenth release a defining moment in the label’s catalogue.

HVS is truly pleased to welcome Cash Kru and Tweeleaf to the label. Two of the hardest working kids in Jungle/Hardcore IMO. With a ton of quality releases under their belts, they just had to get pressed up, because these tunes are absolutely phat!

Cash Kru runs the Asionyta label out of Belgium along with Expo, F.T.C Project & Tweeleaf. Super wicked label putting out digital releases as well as lathe cuts, disks and cassettes. She has loads of top tunes on there, and not strictly Jungle either! She also runs the Devil Dubs label putting out very very quality Jungle. I highly recommend checking both out if you want some gritty, ruthless Drum & Bass.

Tweeleaf out of Pennsylvania (funny enough the same small town the rest of my family is from) also has releases out on both labels as well as his own, Interim Records, focusing on digi singles from him, all currently being sold at “Name Your Own Price” which is insane considering every release is excellent.

These tracks were made with a combo of DAW and emulated Amiga (more info on the center label) and all four are just Heavy as hell. I've been playing them out live a ton and every track crushes the dance floor. Someone always demands the rewind on “Militant Jazz” which is funny because the buildup is so long, but by the time it drops everyone loses it!

A1. starts off the EP on a more mellow tip with a vibey Soul Pride, Think & Amen mashup from CK. The switch up into the 2nd half phased out Amen is so seamless, it's a great way to get the EP going.

A2. goes straight into the ruffness with a relentless amen tune mixed up with some mysterious/jazzy chords/vox all summed together in PT2.

B1. is a remix of a tune of mine that never came out, but CK asked for the stems and did an amazing job with it. I love her choppage on this! Super tight and snappy and hits all the right notes for a destructive tune.

B2. ends the EP with one of the nastiest tunes to come out anywhere this year if I may say so. That Lemon D amen is just crazy, and that S950 time stretch stutter is chef's kiss. But you be the judge!!

Frazer Ray lands on Time Is Now with Masha EP. Four tracks of killer, stripped back FWD facing proto/future garage effortlessly pushing the sound into a new direction.

FACTS:

1. Frazer Ray knows how to make a dance. IYKYK…. Recently he’s been shelling Live UKG cooked right in front of you on a custom modular rig. Mad energy. 100% party business.

2. Frazer Ray knows a thing or two about making UK soundsystem music. The artist FKA Soundbwoy Killah is now a decade deep in his discography. And first as ‘Soundbwoy Killah’ and now as ‘Frazer Ray’ he is 2 for 2 with aliases that never miss.

3. New Frazer Ray is always something to get excited about. For 10+ years he’s kept it super tight. Quality over quantity. Always holding dubplates. When releases have landed they drop on only the best labels; including both Rinse and Rinse’s new INGRAM imprint, Ninja Tune’s Technicolour imprint, Sneaker Social Club, Interplanetary Criminal’s Locked On and IPC & Main Phase’s ATW Records. (side note - his Soundbowy Killah - ‘Halcyon Daze’ LP on Sneaker is IMO an all time classic - do not sleep on that one). Aaaannd… if the dubplates got too heavy he’s also occasionally dropped weight on his own U-Phorix label.

Also…..what has always struck me about Frazer’s music is that it’s simultaneously integral in the hardcode continuum while also pushing it forward. It’s always complete. Fully formed. You never bristle. There’s no failed experiments. Just a firm nod to the future for anyone looking.

OK… Run the tracks.

Masha’s vocal licks tell it straight, this one is “Fire”. Proper club business to test the stacks. The drums roll steady in front of a wall of sub bass. A killer mix of post dubstep era goodness, techno sound design and the shuffle & swing of proto dubstep.

Settle Down There’s something 90’s tek step about this one. Dark and moody with a wall of bass. It bristles with texture and atmosphere before – a moment of reprieve in this absolute weapon – Frazer opens up into a dubwise oasis before skittering back into the darkness.

Syren Song is exactly what it says on the tin, alluring Dancehall vocals chatter and roll. Who knew auto-tune and Garage paired so well… Frazer did that’s who.

No Reasons Left is an ethereal closer for the end of the night / start of the morning after. Gliding warm & introspective dubwise breaks with a Reese bassline that hangs in the space between garage and hardcore.

Frazer says…

“This EP feels like I've finally nailed integrating my modular setup (and VCV rack for all you nerds out there) into my productions. I wanted to create deeper production while still ensuring the tracks translate well in the club.”

If this is only the beginning then strap in.

Samosa Records brings the heat just in time for the summer months with Volume 3 of the electrifying ‘Earth, Wind & Funk’ series – landing a slick four tracker that will relieve you of your socks and undergarments…

Kicking Vol.3 off is Roberto Telll with ‘It’s Magic’ – an unstoppable, bass driven leviathan of a track with perfectly balanced vocals and groovy, punchy beats. ‘It’s Magic’ straddles that sweet spot of disco flavour expertly infused with a peppery funk spice. Mesmerising.

Track 2 sees the welcome return of label favourites and fellow Italian groove machine Dirtyelements with ‘Get On Down’ (De Gama Re-Groove). The mid-tempo calypso rhythm on this slice of leg-wobbling perfection is outrageously infectious. Dirtyelements has yet another solid, stomping disco builder bursting out of the lab with a mission to cause mayhem.

On Side B, Marco Corona swoops in with his 126bpm sonic torpedo ‘Eat Me!’ From the start, ‘Eat Me!’ drums its way into your subconscious with a powerful bass drum and tribal tinted percussion. Before you know it, you’re over the border into house territory – expertly picked vocal loops and builds make this one insanely irresistible.

Closing out the EP with ‘Hey Jee’ is Italian producer extraordinaire Frank Virgilio. Step into Mr Virgilio’s taxi whilst he whisks you through downtown Manhattan en route to the best night out in town. Soaring strings, slick bass work and nimble beats are the dress code – but, don’t worry, Frank always gets you in.

Raising the Samosa bar yet again, ‘Earth, Wind & Funk Vol. 3’ is a cool antidote for those hot summer nights under the stars – best served with your favourite cocktail.

* South London’s Judith covers Lord Creator’s (he of `Kingston Town’ fame) `Such is Life’, originally recorded for the Randy’s label in 1968, then again at Lee Perry’s Black Ark studio in 1977.
* `Such is Life’ was the first release on Universal Roots back in 1998.
* Mixed and produced by Nick Manasseh.

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

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

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

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

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

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

-David Stubbs.

Swedish speed/thrash metal newcomers XION are set to release their second album, *When Stars Collide*, on 11 September via Fireflash Records. XION’s fresh blend of speed and thrash metal sounds unique, and you can clearly sense the power, dedication, boundless energy and ambition of this young band.

The quintet was formed in 2022, when some of the members were still under 18, yet they were already playing with the same precision and energy as more established metal bands. Since then, the band from Falun – the hometown of acts such as SABATON, BROTHERS OF METAL, TWILIGHT FORCE and others – has taken the world by storm. The combination of the members’ young age and their extremely precise and virtuosic musical skills has made XION one of the most interesting and promising newcomers on the Swedish metal scene in many years.

In den vergangenen Jahren hat Nate Amos einen bemerkenswerten Aufstieg erlebt. Ob als Solokünstler unter dem Namen This Is Lorelei oder mit seiner Band Water From Your Eyes - aus gefeierten Veröffentlichungen wurden ausverkaufte Tourneen rund um den Globus, während seine Songs von einigen der einflussreichsten Künstler der Gegenwart neu interpretiert wurden. Mit The Singer in My Band, seinem ersten Album für das renommierte Label Matador Records, legt Amos nun ein Werk vor, das seinen Status als eine der spannendsten Stimmen der modernen Indie-Musik untermauert. Das Album greift die Tradition des Great American Songbook auf und übersetzt deren grundlegende Stärken (starke Melodien, prägnante Texte und zeitlose Songstrukturen) in eine moderne, eigenwillige Klangsprache. Entstanden während ausgedehnter Tourneen, ist The Singer in My Band zugleich das erste echte "Road Album" in Amos" Diskografie. Viele Ideen entwickelten sich unterwegs, fernab von Instrumenten und Studios, geprägt von den Eindrücken des ständigen Reisens. Die Vorabsingle "Billy Came Back" verkörpert diesen kreativen Ansatz beispielhaft. Der Song begleitete Amos über Monate hinweg, verschwand immer wieder aus seinem Bewusstsein und kehrte dennoch ständig zurück, bis er schließlich vollendet wurde. Wie viele Stücke des Albums verbindet er eingängige Melodien mit einer erzählerischen Offenheit, die Raum für eigene Interpretationen lässt. Bevölkert wird das Album von Figuren wie Billy, Joey, Genevieve, Sarah und Buddy, die durch ein Panorama amerikanischer Schauplätze wandern. Ihre Geschichten bewegen sich zwischen Realität und Fiktion und spiegeln die flüchtigen, oft widersprüchlichen Erfahrungen des Unterwegsseins wider. Musikalisch setzt Amos auf Reduktion und die Stärke klassischer Songkunst. Der Einfluss seiner lebenslangen Verbundenheit zur Bluegrass-Musik zeigt sich weniger im Klang als in den kompositorischen Prinzipien: Ein Song muss durch Melodie, Text und Harmonie überzeugen. Mit The Singer in My Band gelingt Amos ein Album, das Tradition und Gegenwart verbindet und seinen wachsenden Einfluss innerhalb der internationalen Indie- und Songwriter-Szene eindrucksvoll bestätigt.

In den vergangenen Jahren hat Nate Amos einen bemerkenswerten Aufstieg erlebt. Ob als Solokünstler unter dem Namen This Is Lorelei oder mit seiner Band Water From Your Eyes - aus gefeierten Veröffentlichungen wurden ausverkaufte Tourneen rund um den Globus, während seine Songs von einigen der einflussreichsten Künstler der Gegenwart neu interpretiert wurden. Mit The Singer in My Band, seinem ersten Album für das renommierte Label Matador Records, legt Amos nun ein Werk vor, das seinen Status als eine der spannendsten Stimmen der modernen Indie-Musik untermauert. Das Album greift die Tradition des Great American Songbook auf und übersetzt deren grundlegende Stärken (starke Melodien, prägnante Texte und zeitlose Songstrukturen) in eine moderne, eigenwillige Klangsprache. Entstanden während ausgedehnter Tourneen, ist The Singer in My Band zugleich das erste echte "Road Album" in Amos" Diskografie. Viele Ideen entwickelten sich unterwegs, fernab von Instrumenten und Studios, geprägt von den Eindrücken des ständigen Reisens. Die Vorabsingle "Billy Came Back" verkörpert diesen kreativen Ansatz beispielhaft. Der Song begleitete Amos über Monate hinweg, verschwand immer wieder aus seinem Bewusstsein und kehrte dennoch ständig zurück, bis er schließlich vollendet wurde. Wie viele Stücke des Albums verbindet er eingängige Melodien mit einer erzählerischen Offenheit, die Raum für eigene Interpretationen lässt. Bevölkert wird das Album von Figuren wie Billy, Joey, Genevieve, Sarah und Buddy, die durch ein Panorama amerikanischer Schauplätze wandern. Ihre Geschichten bewegen sich zwischen Realität und Fiktion und spiegeln die flüchtigen, oft widersprüchlichen Erfahrungen des Unterwegsseins wider. Musikalisch setzt Amos auf Reduktion und die Stärke klassischer Songkunst. Der Einfluss seiner lebenslangen Verbundenheit zur Bluegrass-Musik zeigt sich weniger im Klang als in den kompositorischen Prinzipien: Ein Song muss durch Melodie, Text und Harmonie überzeugen. Mit The Singer in My Band gelingt Amos ein Album, das Tradition und Gegenwart verbindet und seinen wachsenden Einfluss innerhalb der internationalen Indie- und Songwriter-Szene eindrucksvoll bestätigt.

In den vergangenen Jahren hat Nate Amos einen bemerkenswerten Aufstieg erlebt. Ob als Solokünstler unter dem Namen This Is Lorelei oder mit seiner Band Water From Your Eyes - aus gefeierten Veröffentlichungen wurden ausverkaufte Tourneen rund um den Globus, während seine Songs von einigen der einflussreichsten Künstler der Gegenwart neu interpretiert wurden. Mit The Singer in My Band, seinem ersten Album für das renommierte Label Matador Records, legt Amos nun ein Werk vor, das seinen Status als eine der spannendsten Stimmen der modernen Indie-Musik untermauert. Das Album greift die Tradition des Great American Songbook auf und übersetzt deren grundlegende Stärken (starke Melodien, prägnante Texte und zeitlose Songstrukturen) in eine moderne, eigenwillige Klangsprache. Entstanden während ausgedehnter Tourneen, ist The Singer in My Band zugleich das erste echte "Road Album" in Amos" Diskografie. Viele Ideen entwickelten sich unterwegs, fernab von Instrumenten und Studios, geprägt von den Eindrücken des ständigen Reisens. Die Vorabsingle "Billy Came Back" verkörpert diesen kreativen Ansatz beispielhaft. Der Song begleitete Amos über Monate hinweg, verschwand immer wieder aus seinem Bewusstsein und kehrte dennoch ständig zurück, bis er schließlich vollendet wurde. Wie viele Stücke des Albums verbindet er eingängige Melodien mit einer erzählerischen Offenheit, die Raum für eigene Interpretationen lässt. Bevölkert wird das Album von Figuren wie Billy, Joey, Genevieve, Sarah und Buddy, die durch ein Panorama amerikanischer Schauplätze wandern. Ihre Geschichten bewegen sich zwischen Realität und Fiktion und spiegeln die flüchtigen, oft widersprüchlichen Erfahrungen des Unterwegsseins wider. Musikalisch setzt Amos auf Reduktion und die Stärke klassischer Songkunst. Der Einfluss seiner lebenslangen Verbundenheit zur Bluegrass-Musik zeigt sich weniger im Klang als in den kompositorischen Prinzipien: Ein Song muss durch Melodie, Text und Harmonie überzeugen. Mit The Singer in My Band gelingt Amos ein Album, das Tradition und Gegenwart verbindet und seinen wachsenden Einfluss innerhalb der internationalen Indie- und Songwriter-Szene eindrucksvoll bestätigt.

Geoff Farina’s Southern Records tenure was not just about Karate. His late-90s guitar-and-vocal solo output included
the bedroom-recorded Usonian Dream Sequence that echoed The Secret Stars’ intimate lo-fi sentiments, Reverse Eclipse that rode the more delicate fringes of Unsolved-era Karate, and the single Steely Dan, a paean to a contemporaneous guilty pleasure. FFF collects all three long-out- of-print releases here on vinyl for the first time, fastidiously packaged and punctu- ated with Farina’s written reflections on their making.

Geoff Farina’s Southern Records tenure was not just about Karate. His late-90s guitar-and-vocal solo output included
the bedroom-recorded Usonian Dream Sequence that echoed The Secret Stars’ intimate lo-fi sentiments, Reverse Eclipse that rode the more delicate fringes of Unsolved-era Karate, and the single Steely Dan, a paean to a contemporaneous guilty pleasure. FFF collects all three long-out- of-print releases here on vinyl for the first time, fastidiously packaged and punctu- ated with Farina’s written reflections on their making.

Entstanden aus nächtlichen Harmonien, geteilten Sprachmemos und einer langjährigen Freundschaft, die auf gegenseitiger Bewunderung basiert, haben Haley Blais und Sam Lynch die Supergroup True Mountain Laurel gegründet. Ihr Debütalbum ,Angel So Bad" ist eine zarte, staubige Erkundung all der Gefühle, die durch die Maschen fallen. Das Projekt, das zu gleichen Teilen aus folkiger Träumerei und countryhafter Sehnsucht besteht, schöpft aus ihren jeweiligen Solokarrieren. Sams poetische Selbstreflexion und Haleys messerscharfe, intime Texte verschmelzen zu etwas Sanfterem, Seltsamerem und ganz Eigenem. Beeinflusst von Künstlern wie Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams und kanadischen Singer-Songwritern der frühen 2000er geht es bei dem Projekt weniger um das Genre als vielmehr um das Gefühl. Akustikgitarren, mit Besen gespielte Drums, Pedal Steel und gelegentlich klirrendes Klavier untermalen Texte, die wie Tagebucheinträge wirken, ohne bekenntnishaft zu sein: Sie fangen den Schmerz des Älterwerdens ein, das seltsame Gefühl, immer noch mehr zu wollen, und die Freude, in der Stimme eines anderen ein Zuhause zu finden. Diese Songs haben eine Lässigkeit, die bewusst wirkt. Während Sams Solowerke eher filmisch und atmosphärisch sind und Haleys eher clever und orchestral, treffen sie sich hier in der Mitte: warm, minimalistisch und ein bisschen rau an den Kanten. Live nimmt das Projekt eine noch intimere Form an - ohne Setlists oder starre Arrangements. Einfach zwei Freunde, die die Wahrheit singen, so wie sie sie an diesem Abend empfinden.

180g 2LP im Gatefold mit 40 Seiten Booklet & 3 neuen Tracks

1976 und 1977 waren zwei sehr entscheidende Jahre im Leben von Manfred Mann's Earth Band. Die Band wechselte mehrere Bandmitglieder in der Mitte einer erfolgreichen Fünf-Alben-Abfolge, während sie mit ihrer einzigartigen Mischung aus Progressive Rock, Jazz und Bluesmusik eine unglaubliche Anhängerschaft in der ganzen Welt aufbaute. Obwohl Manfred selbst mit früheren Erfolgen in den Pop-Charts vertraut war, verschaffte The Roaring Silence Manfred Mann's Earth Band eine ganz neue Ebene des Ruhms, da dieses Album 1977 die Spitze der Charts erklomm.

Natürlich hatte Bruce Springsteens »Blinded By The Light« alle Voraussetzungen für einen Hit, aber es muss sowohl die Band als auch Springsteen überrascht haben, denn es war für beide die erste Nummer-Eins-Platte. Dieser Titel wurde von einer ganz neuen Legion von Mann-Fanatikern beklatscht, da die erfrischende Kombination aus dem Leadgesang des neu hinzugekommenen Chris Thompson und Manns vertrauten Keyboard-Phrasierungen diesen Titel zu einem modernen Classic-Rock-Standard machten. Auch heute noch ist dies einer der meistgespielten Songs der klassischen Rockgeschichte.

Limitiertes 180g Doppelvinyl im Gatefold mit Hängetaschen plus 40 Seiten Booklet mit ausführlichen Infos und Interviews!

Im Jahr 2026 jährt sich die Veröffentlichung des legendären Albums »The Roaring Silence« von Manfred Mann's Earth Band zum 50. Mal. Das Album, auf dem auch der US Nummer-1-Hit »Blinded By The Light« zu finden ist, stürmte weltweit die Charts. Diese Jubiläumsausgabe enthält das Originalalbum sowie ein exklusives Bonusalbum mit drei brandneuen Tracks der Band und Live-Versionen von Albumtiteln, sowohl aus der Zeit der Veröffentlichung als auch von aktuellen Konzerten. n

Vor 16 Jahren erstveröffentlicht, seit über 10 Jahren ausverkauft und nun endlich wieder auf Vinyl erhältlich: das "aktuelle" Album der unverwechselbaren Hotknives mit einer Tüte voller zuckersüßer Ska und Reggae-Bonbons, die süchtig machen. Ja, es wäre auch mal wieder "About Time" für ein neues Album, aber die 1982 formierte Brightoner Ska-Legende hat in fast 45 Jahren nur vier Studioalben veröffentlicht. Manchmal ist weniger mehr und jedes ihrer Werke besitzt zurecht weltweit Kultstatus bei Ska-Fans. Der 'Melody Maker' wählte das Quartett nicht umsonst unter die 5 wichtigsten britischen Ska-Bands überhaupt! Für "About Time" hat sich die Band nach Jahrzehnten wieder Verstärkung geholt und den typischen, Hammond-Orgellastigen "Happy Hotknives"-Sound mit druckvollen Bläsern auf ein neues Level gebracht. Der Opener "Harsh Reality" ist seitdem auch live das Startsignal für schweisstreibende Parties, zusammen mit sechs anderen Songs des Albums fester Bestandteil der Setlist und unterstreicht die Bedeutung des Albums bei Band und Fans der "Holsten Boys". Die 13 Songs sind dabei perfekt aufeinander abgestimmt und bieten eine enorme Vielfalt mit vielen musikalischen Einflüssen. Temporeiche Tanzflächenkracher im "typical british vibe" mit ihren Roots aus der zweiten Ska-Welle ("Bloody Beautiful", "Doing Alright"), jamaikanischer Rocksteady oder poppige Reggae-Nummern wie "Communication" (feat Dr. Ring Ding). Allen gemein ist jedoch die hochmelodisch, bittersüße und manchmal auch melancholische Ohrwurmgarantie, aufwendig und fett produziert von King Glover (Bad Manners, The Wailers). "The Hotknves" . "About Time" erscheint als 180g Collector's Edition in klassisch schwarzem oder farbigem Swirl Vinyl.

London based duo Curbside Lambsear have announced their debut EP Put Rings On All My Fingers To Weigh Down My Hands out 11 September via Scenic Route. The duo comprised of Magdalena McLean and Annabelle Mödlinger have also shared new song ‘No Ordinary Word’.

Mödlinger and McLean met performing in The Umlauts and McLean is also a member of caroline. Curbside Lambsear is their outlet to explore rough textures and soft intentions, a space that combines the meticulous and the improvised. The announcement follows their debut single ‘Man The Door’ and was first revealed in their interview with The Quietus.

Curbside Lambsear say, “This EP came from experimentation and is composed of all the sounds we felt drawn towards while making music together, all the noise and melodies we came to be in agreement about, all that emerged while testing and probing what felt right. Some of it was found, some of it was built, some of it happened by accident while cycling down a narrow lane. Like the hands in the EP title, extremely adorned, weighing down on the keys of a keyboard, these songs are precious to us and needed to be spurred on by the mutual curiosity of what could be done if we started trying. We had a lot of fun making these songs and we hope you enjoy them.”

Vor 16 Jahren erstveröffentlicht, seit über 10 Jahren ausverkauft und nun endlich wieder auf Vinyl erhältlich: das "aktuelle" Album der unverwechselbaren Hotknives mit einer Tüte voller zuckersüßer Ska und Reggae-Bonbons, die süchtig machen. Ja, es wäre auch mal wieder "About Time" für ein neues Album, aber die 1982 formierte Brightoner Ska-Legende hat in fast 45 Jahren nur vier Studioalben veröffentlicht. Manchmal ist weniger mehr und jedes ihrer Werke besitzt zurecht weltweit Kultstatus bei Ska-Fans. Der 'Melody Maker' wählte das Quartett nicht umsonst unter die 5 wichtigsten britischen Ska-Bands überhaupt! Für "About Time" hat sich die Band nach Jahrzehnten wieder Verstärkung geholt und den typischen, Hammond-Orgellastigen "Happy Hotknives"-Sound mit druckvollen Bläsern auf ein neues Level gebracht. Der Opener "Harsh Reality" ist seitdem auch live das Startsignal für schweisstreibende Parties, zusammen mit sechs anderen Songs des Albums fester Bestandteil der Setlist und unterstreicht die Bedeutung des Albums bei Band und Fans der "Holsten Boys". Die 13 Songs sind dabei perfekt aufeinander abgestimmt und bieten eine enorme Vielfalt mit vielen musikalischen Einflüssen. Temporeiche Tanzflächenkracher im "typical british vibe" mit ihren Roots aus der zweiten Ska-Welle ("Bloody Beautiful", "Doing Alright"), jamaikanischer Rocksteady oder poppige Reggae-Nummern wie "Communication" (feat Dr. Ring Ding). Allen gemein ist jedoch die hochmelodisch, bittersüße und manchmal auch melancholische Ohrwurmgarantie, aufwendig und fett produziert von King Glover (Bad Manners, The Wailers). "The Hotknves" . "About Time" erscheint als 180g Collector's Edition in klassisch schwarzem oder farbigem Swirl Vinyl.