quête:ca

When five-time Grammy award winner Taj Mahal intersects with The Phantom Blues Band, it’s one of those rare joints that hits you before you even know you’ve been hit. They walk in, plug in, and the whole room shifts. Studio assassins, road lifers, groove keepers and somehow still hungry. They are an internationally renowned Two-Time Grammy Award winning group. Taj Mahal’s fearless, open-hearted spirit still shadows the whole thing with that genre-hopping joy. He leads you down the road with a history lesson and the Phantoms carry it with honor to the Griot.

Mahal sings and plays harp as he fronts an all-star lineup of legendary musicians with the three ringleaders for the Phantoms--Johnny Lee Schell, the soulful gunslinger with tone for days, Tony Braunagel keeps the whole ship steered straight and on time, every time, and Larry Fulcher, the anchor, the heartbeat, the quiet storm on bass. Additionally, Jon Cleary, with that unmistakable New Orleans piano swagger, Mick Weaver, a session master who’s playing slides in with an undeniable velvet magic, and in the horn section, Joe Sublett on sax and Les Lovitt on trumpet bring the orchestration into the full view of this genre. This band doesn’t ‘back” anybody. They lift you up, carry you, and dare you to rise higher. On this record they slide through blues, soul, R&B, and island color with the ease of men who’ve lived every bit of it. This is deep-groove, grown-folks music from a band that still plays like the night is young. ‘Time’ is their new release on Resonatin’ Records / Thirty Tigers and celebrates over thirty years of making this uplifting inspiring and aspiring music together.

Zum ersten Mal auf Kassette! Mit nur sechs Singleveröffentlichungen zwischen 1965 und 1966 und von einem musikalisch abgelegenen Ort wie Lima erschufen LOS SAICOS einen rohe, wilden Sound, der Einiges mit dem gemeinsam hatte, was zur gleichen Zeit auf der Nordhalbkugel ,Garage Rock" getauft wurde. LOS SAICOS teilten sich Gene mit THE SONICS, ROCKET FROM THE TOMBRS, THE CRAMPS und BLACK LIPS. Diese Veröffentlichung versammelt sämtliche ihrer Aufnahmen und erzählt die grandiose Geschichte von LOS SAICOS. Die Archäologie des Rock'n'Roll hat viel gemeinsam mit anderen Formen des Grabens. Wichtige Fundstücke erfordern eine Neueinschätzung der alten Gewissheiten. Ich hatte niemals zuvor von LOS SAICOS gehört, hatte jedoch die WAU Y LOS ARRGHS!!! Version von ,Demolicion" genossen. Während mir die Wildheit des Tracks gefiel, dachte ich nicht eine Sekunde daran, dass das Original noch verstörter sein könnte. Was noch viel wichtiger is: dieser fauchende Strudel Nihilismus wurde in Lima aufgenommen, während der Rest der Welt die BEATLES abfeierte. Chemie ist ein Faktor, der wichtiger als theoretische Kenntnisse oder Können. Es gibt einen Punkt, an dem die Natur die Führung übernimmt - das Individuum muss gehorchen. Wer hätte gedacht, dass es da draußen in Peru eine Combo geben würde, die THE SONICS nach den verdammten SIMON & GARFUNKEL klingen lässt? Best ever Saicotherapie!

Oliver Koletzki Releases Twelfth Studio Album 12

The beautifully crafted twelve-track opus is out now via Stil vor Talent.
Berlin-based artist, DJ, producer and Stil vor Talent co-founder Oliver Koletzki today releases his twelfth studio album, “12” — a deeply considered, emotionally rich long-player that marks the next chapter in a career spanning more than two decades at the forefront of electronic music. The album is out now on Stil vor Talent in digital formats and as a 2x12” gatefold vinyl.

Serving as both a milestone and a manifesto, “12” distils Koletzki’s evolving sound into its most refined form yet. Across twelve tracks, the album explores atmosphere, restraint and emotional clarity, balancing slow-burning club energy with introspective storytelling. It’s a record shaped by experience, patience and an unwavering attention to detail; qualities that have long defined Koletzki’s output as both an artist and a label curator.

The journey begins with album opener “Petrichor”, a quietly powerful introduction built around wistful organ chords that gradually unfold into a warm, hypnotic groove. Acting as the album’s emotional threshold, the track sets the tone for what follows: music that rewards immersion, thrives on nuance and unfolds with deliberate pace. From there, 12 moves seamlessly between introspective moments and more direct dance floor statements, always guided by Koletzki’s unmistakable melodic sensibility.

Singles released in the lead-up to the album offered carefully sequenced glimpses into its breadth. December’s “Trip With Me”, a collaboration with Frida Darko, brought playful energy and sharp modern club dynamics, while January’s “I Don’t Need Your Love” delivered a confident, emotionally charged statement rooted in Koletzki’s introspective yet club-ready DNA. February’s “Petrichor” revealed the album’s cinematic depth, followed by “Schnapsidee” in March — a track that leans into groove, character and subtle eccentricity.

Elsewhere on the album, tracks like “Logic”, “It’s All Gone” and “Tick Tick” showcase Koletzki’s ability to create tension and release through finely balanced arrangements, while “La Hora de Mosquitos” and “Calle Sur” hint at the global influences that continue to shape his sound. The closing stretch — from “About the Fox and a Tiger” through “What Remains” to “Voice or Noise” (with Frida Darko) — brings the album to a reflective, yet characteristically playful conclusion.

As a whole, “12” feels purposeful and cohesive, guided by a clear narrative arc rather than fleeting trends. It reflects the maturity of an artist with nothing left to prove, yet still driven by curiosity and a desire to evolve. Much like Koletzki’s previous albums, “12” stands as a self-contained world, inviting listeners to step inside and stay.

Released on Stil vor Talent, the album also reinforces the label’s ethos of artistic freedom, quality and long-term vision. Now over 20 years strong, the imprint continues to shape contemporary electronic music while remaining deeply rooted in underground culture: a balance Koletzki himself has embodied throughout his career.

CrackedanklesRecords are proud to present Polypores “Wrigglers” - the latest emergence from Stephen James Buckley’s strange and overgrown brainforest, an artist who has seen recent albums crack the national top 40 charts.From the opening bars of lead single ‘Memespawn’, it is clear that this incendiary release is going to defy all precedent Polypores releases. Kicking off with a heady mix of woozy, slewed melody lines and a relentless Motorik beat, it soon breaks down into a gritty instrumental redux and a frenetic syncopated woodwind jazzathon before bursting out again into spine-tingling melody that resembles some deformed cousin of synth-pop. It’s beautifully melodic, whilst still maintaining Buckley’s trademark sense of the chaotic and the downright wonky. Endlessly listenable electronic music that breathes and moves like a physical organism, and always refuses to stand still. A restless misfit of an artist who inhabits the fringes of whatever scenes he inhabits, Buckley maintains a certain crackling unease throughout the whole thing, but it results in jubilant outbursts and freewheeling joy, tethered only by the mechanical constraints of the machines it’s wrought from, like some broken robots have cobbled together an orchestra and they’re writing a soundtrack for a film they haven’t seen.

The brand- new album from Hiss Golden Messenger and the first release with Chrysalis Records. I'm People is a vivid, deeply human album born from a period of rupture, renewal, and vast American wandering. Written across Bolinas, the North Carolina Piedmont, and a Santa Fe motel room, the record traces the artist's search for clarity through landscapes both external and internal. These songs move through heartbreak, aging, fatherhood, desire, disillusionment, and the hard- won hope that remains after the spirit has been scraped bare.

Produced with Josh Kaufman at Dreamland, a decommissioned church outside Woodstock, the album carries the warmth of musicians playing live in a circle, stained- glass light filtering across guitars, drums, and upright bass. Contributions from Bruce Hornsby, Sam Beam, Marcus King, Sara Watkins, Amy Helm, Eric D. Johnson, and members of Dawes enrich a sound world that feels immediate, vulnerable, and fully alive. "I'm People is an intensely human record, and so one that needed to feel immediate, vulnerable, and fully dancing; something you could touch, sing along to, know about, recognize, relate with. I know what the record is to me and I bet it's not so dissimilar from what it's about to you, at least in the broad strokes: The heartbreak and exhilaration, the absolute black comedy of being a person on this razor's edge that is America circa 2025. What other choice do we have than to be hopeful?" - MC Taylor on I'm People. Hiss Golden Messenger is a Grammy nominated artist based in North Carolina, with multiple Album Of The Year and Best Americana Album awards, reaching #2 in the Americana Charts and performances and tours across the world, including the UK and Europe + performances on US TV; Late Night With Seth Myers.

“The music on this record is a reflection of journeys and travel. The real world kind and the metaphorical ones as well. Having experienced the arrival of my children, the decline and departure of my parents, and the many years of venturing out and returning home in my own life, travel feels like the perfect tropology to consider the mysteries we inhabit. Travel and its impressions, rituals, superstitions—the possibilities and risk-all open up onto the landscape of our biggest questions, fear and wonder.

“Two songs established the spine of this music. Songs I’ve always loved, it seems even before I’d heard them. The first one, and the source of the title is ‘You Belong to Me’ by Jo Stafford. Colonial overtones unmissable to our modern ears aside, it’s also a beautiful mid century romance—and an ode to the threat of a shrinking world. The song represents the loneliness and the mystery of being alone and left behind. The singer is not asking their loved one to shut down horizons, merely reminding them to return when the traveling is done. To set aside The Silver Plane of transition, change and the in-between for the intimacy of solid earth.

“The second song is ‘Promised Land’ by Chuck Berry. Also about a journey and another one that moves easily between allegory and narrative. The singer is on the move across segregated America trying to get to the promised land of California. The song is both a tall tale that evokes Mark Twain, and an American epic that can keep good company with Herman Melville. When the hero finally makes it to California, his first instinct is to call home and reassure the Old World that he’s safely arrived in the new one.

“The songs on Fly the Ocean in a Silver Plane were recorded at home over the last couple years. I played electric guitar, rubber bridge acoustic guitar, Ableton Live and an Electron Digitone synth. My friend Mallory Linnehan aka Chelsea Bridge contributed beautiful violin and vocals to a couple of the songs. We recorded those performances on a summer afternoon in Chicago at the Not Not space with the windows open.

“The cover is a photo of my mom—one I never saw when she was alive. With the headscarf and that excited, nervous expression, she looks about to embark on a journey. Ready, finally, to cross the tarmac and board the Silver Plane. “Wishing safe travels to all.” — Mark N / Pan•American



b DEATH CLEANING listen


b DEATH CLEANING listen


[b] DEATH CLEANING [listen]


[b] DEATH CLEANING [listen]


[b] DEATH CLEANING [listen]

2025 Repress

Exploring new approaches of its Mediterranean sound, "Zodyaco" project, founded by Pellegrino, returns with a 7” single and two versions delineating the shape of its Neapolitan melodic disco from the slopes of Vesuvius.
Intimate and intense or exuberant and sensual, depends from which prospective you look at the sea.

Repress!

Deluxe Edition of PDM's massive Exotica LP features 2 x Purple Vinyl, 2 x Printed Inner Sleeves in Embossed Gatefold Sleeve with A2 Poster includes full Exotica album plus 3 bonus tracks: “In The Dark” with Sophie and the Giants “Rise” featuring Tasita D’Mour “Twisted Mind” featuring Agnes. Limited Edition.

Repress!

Belgian techno powerhouse Charlotte de Witte has unveiled brand-new EP ‘Apollo’, out 14th October on her own KNTXT label.

An uncompromising collection of club tracks, ‘Apollo’ opens with ‘Missing Channel’, a turbo-charged acid techno cut pairing pumping kick drums with squelching 303s. Next up, the title track shifts things into warehouse techno territories, juxtaposing bludgeoning kicks with haunting, ethereal vocals, while ‘Mercury’ cultivates a striking interstellar energy. Closing things out, ‘PPC’ is by far the record’s most experimental track, a shimmering, beatless creation laced with samples of space transmissions.

"The vastness and solitude of space always interested me. A compelling contrast between monumental power and the vacuum in between.” Charlotte explains. “This diversion can also be found in techno music, a pure simplicity divergent in power."

Charlotte de Witte has become known for her dark, stripped-back brand of techno, acid and anything high energy. She’s often crossing borders but maintains a deep form of respect for the underground. Highlight performances across the continents - including being the first techno (and female) DJ to headline the mainstage at Tomorrowland - Mixmag and DJ Mag covers, high-ranking positions in the charts and lists confirm her status as nouveaux techno royalty.

Heavy, breakneck club fodder, ‘Apollo EP’ is Charlotte de Witte at her bold and brilliant best.

Repress.

Step into a journey through time with Lapa Dula's debut album "Agua", proudly presented by the Early Sounds team. “Agua” is a sonic and aesthetic collage, a tribute to the sounds and memories of Naples and its surroundings in the vibrant cultural and social scene of the mid 1980s, not just a reflection of producer’s Alessandro La Padula childhood memories, but also a nod to the myths and legends of Partenope. Written between Rome and Naples and co-produced by label head Pellegrino, "Agua" is the latest addition to the imprint’s distinctive "Mediterranean sound" blending funk, Latin, world music, and disco, with songs like the balearic title track "Agua" and the nostalgic ode to rural life "Sibilla", also inspired by the myth of the Sibyl of Cumae, this album takes you on a journey of emotions and experiences.

From vernacular "Scemanfu", a fun play on the French expression "je m'en fous" (I don't care), to the contemplative "Navigante", dedicated to those who have found solace in the sea or in the virtual world, and the final track "Baibai", inspired by the adventurous and licentious affairs of English nobleman Sir Nathaniel Thorold, who lived on the island of Capri, each song tells a story and adds a piece to this mosaic of sounds, images, and places.

The Great Escape is the debut collaborative album from San Francisco Legend, Larry June & prolific super producer, The Alchemist. Through a process that felt very organic, the two churned out an extra healthy amount of music that resulted in what may be their magnum opus. At 15 tracks, the album includes tasteful features from some of Hip-Hop's most celebrated figures; Action Bronson, Big Sean, Ty Dolla $ign, Slum Village, Boldy James, Evidence, Wiz Khalifa, Jay Worthy, Curren$y & Joey Bada$$. Like a fine wine, sit back, let it breathe, and enjoy the neat yet exquisitely rich complexities of two of Hip-Hop’s smoothest figures.

Istanbul-based producers Grup Ses and Gökalp K present their collaborative album on SOUK Records, showcasing a distinctive fusion of musical styles such as hip hop, grime, dubstep, and jungle. Two years in the making, their self-titled album features contributions from Cologne-based multi- instrumentalist Elektro Hafız, Marseille-based DJ Syr from Scratch Bandits Duo and Ethnique Punch, a Turkish MC & producer now based in Bremen.

Grup Ses project began in 2007, initially focusing on edits and breakcore mash-ups. By 2008, it evolved into a beatmaking project incorporating elements of humor and local materials such as records, tapes, and radio broadcasts, which have become the signature Grup Ses sound. Grup Ses has previously collaborated with sub-labels of Discrepant, releasing two albums on SOUK and three mixtapes on Sucata Tapes.

Gökalp K, the alias of composer and sound designer Gökalp Kanatsız, has been releasing music since 2011. Under this name, he has released two albums and performed as a DJ. Alongside his beat production, he also composes electro-acoustic music and collaborates with creative studios as a sound artist on various interdisciplinary projects.

Repress!

Kirk Degiorgio’s influence on electronic music cannot be overstated, having been responsible for producing some of the most emotive and soulful machine music dating right back to the early 90’s. As a leading figure in UK techno his As One, Elegy and Future/Past output on labels such as B12, R&S and his own Applied Rhythmic Technology (A.R.T.) have rightly become revered classics and helped shape ambient techno and what would come to be known as IDM/Future Electronica. His connection with Cyphon co-founder Jamie Odell also dates back to the turn of the millennium when Kirk invited Jamie to play keys on his 21st Century Soul LP released on Ubiquity and subsequently releasing an EP together under the name Super Aloof on Exceptional.

The record is largely sung in Scots language, one of Scotland’s three official languages along with Gaelic and English. “Scots gives me a way of expressing myself which is connected directly with the landscapes I love. It brings the songs alive and it is a fascinating language. The name of the record is in Scots - Forefowk means the people who came before, or ancestors. When we say ‘mind me,’ we can mean a few things- remind, remember, watch over or care for me. The record explores how tradition needs to be constantly reconnected with, built upon, looked after, and shared.”
Quinie sings with a style inspired by Scottish Traveller singers. “I began singing unaccompanied Scots Song in 2015 after hearing Scots Traveller singer Sheila Stewart on the radio. Initially I felt like I shouldn't sing these songs because I'm not a Traveller, and I saw people around me doing that in a way that made me uncomfortable. But on the other hand this music made sense to me and I felt driven to learn. Over the years I have met Traveller friends who taught me that settled people sharing these songs could contribute to raising awareness. Scottish Travellers are marginalised and discriminated against in modern Scotland, despite being custodians of so many of our important traditions. So I started to perform them and tell this story. From there I built on my repertoire and started writing my own songs”.
To develop this record, Quinie travelled across Argyll with her horse. They went on a pilgrimage of sorts through the ancient landscapes of the West of Scotland to explore the interconnected relationships between people, ancestors, animals, and place. The album’s vinyl release is accompanied by a book and film, documenting this unusual research process.
Forefowk, Mind Me was recorded in August 2024 at The Big Shed in Highland Perthshire with support from Creative Scotland. Quinie is accompanied by an ensemble of musicians: Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh (viola), Oliver Pitt (duduk, bouzouki, percussion), Harry Górski-Brown (small pipes, violin), and Stevie Jones (double bass, recording, and mixing). Each of these artists brings their own distinctive voice, bridging contemporary experimental practice with worlds of traditional and early music.

Dub-Stuy continues its one-riddim series with Punchliner riddim, an original production crafted by DJ Madd, returning on beatmaking duty since his 2021 relick of the classic Answer Riddim. Driven by syncopated rhythms and a rolling bassline, this new addition to the series provides the perfect backdrop for three standout cuts from an international cast of vocalists.

The late Nazamba offers "Thief," a powerful social commentary in the tradition of dub poets like Linton Kwesi Johnson. UK-based Ras Demo showcases his versatility with "Lyrical Designer," while Spanish vocalist Lasai unleashes rub-a-dub energy on "The Punchliner." An instrumental version is also included.

Hip-hop royalty returns—Bun B and Statik Selektah team up once again for the fourth chapter of their blazing collabo-rative saga: TrillStatik 4. Recorded in real-time with that unmistakable underground urgency, this album is a master-class in modern rap chemistry, blending Bun B’s Southern grit with Statik’s boom-bap precision.

The guest lineup is nothing short of legendary. From DJ Premier setting the tone on “Live From Houston,” to Griselda heavyweights Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, and Boldy James blessing “Trillselda 2,” every track hits with purpose. Regional flair runs deep, too—Paul Wall, Maxo Kream, and Lil’ Keke represent H-Town with pride, while East Coast lyricists like Termanology and Tek bring bar-for-bar fire.

This is more than a record—it’s a cipher of cultures, connecting street narratives, soul-drenched beats, and coast-to-coast talent.

Violinist, composer, and arranger Hiroki Tamaki presents a majestic musical tapestry inspired by the teachings of Indian spiritual philosopher Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Layering his own vocals in rich harmony and weaving in the ethereal synthesizer work of Fumitaka Anzai (of TPO and Urusei Yatsura fame), Tamaki creates a soundscape of mysticism and spiritual balance.
The album features progressive rock-influenced tracks such as “The Songs of Mahamudra” and “Meditation,” alongside hidden gems of Japanese acid folk like “River” and “Beautiful Song,” both of which were selected for the acclaimed compilation "Nippon Acid Folk 1970–1980" (Time Capsule). A rare and visionary work that bridges cosmic philosophy and musical experimentation.

When Ryan DeRobertis announced the name change of his project from Saint Pepsi to Skylar Spence, there was no indication of any stylistic departure, though the change arrived with a musical shift toward faster tempos and more pristine production. Whereas Saint Pepsi had often used decades-old boogie, disco, and new wave as grist for the sampling mill, Skylar Spence is intent on trafficking more overtly in those genre aesthetics through his own production techniques and vocal contributions. With Prom King, DeRobertis reorients his music for his new full-band live act and winds up with an album full of tight and enveloping dance tunes.

Working with Carpark Records 'gave me the confidence to 'go big' with the new material: to write pop songs with universal messages in the sonic wrapping paper that I've grown accustomed to,' DeRobertis says. 'A few songs on Prom King are about specific events in my life—a party where I got too messed up, watching a friend's life spiral out of control and trying to help—but I tried hard not to be too autobiographical because I want my music to unite, above all else. I'm much more interested in connecting with the listener than mystifying my personality.'

While DeRobertis' previous long-players have been more amorphous collections in the style of beat tapes, Prom King is compact and cohesive, with the album's varied stylistic references (new wave, UK garage, boogie) united through strong guitar melodies and Todd Edwards-ian cobblings-together of tiny vocal samples. 'I slowed some music down and called myself an artist,' DeRobertis sings on lead single 'Can't You See,' acknowledging in his lyrics what is already apparent in the music's tone—he can maintain fidelity to his vision while working in more uptempo, disco-based song structures.

'Ridiculous!' and 'Bounce Is Back' are big groovers that capitalize on jacking hi-hats and hand drumming, respectively, and both have an air of Balearic warmth and smoothness. On the title track, DeRobertis entwines a chorus of unintelligible but expressive samples with his own vocals—what feels like a synthesis of two approaches—and the result is an affecting pattern of build and release. More contemplative sophisti-pop numbers like 'Fall Harder' and 'Affairs' add a realist's breadth of scope: thoughts of past foibles bleed into present-dwelling and dancing.

Prom King is DeRobertis making sense of missed opportunities. His high school did not have a prom king; he has filled the position with an imaginative album of personal and musical revisionism.

WRWTFWW Records is very excited to announce the first release from its new City Pop Series with Japanese singer, actress, entertainer, scholar and all-around legend Momoko Kikuchi’s sun-drenched classic Ocean Side album, available now as a limited-edition transparent vinyl LP in a heavyweight sleeve with obi.

A cult classic among Japanese music collectors, Ocean Side was originally released in 1984 by mythical label VAP and features lush compositions and arrangements by J-Pop icon Tetsuji Hayashi (Mariya Takeuchi, Miki Matsubara, Omega Tribe, Junichi Inagaki, Urusei Yatsura anime, soundtrack…). Momoko Kikuchi’s city pop gem is a flawless mix of heartwarming beachside funk, breezy grooves, and silky-smooth vocals - the feel-good music we all need in our life right now.

The 9-track summer-is-forever adventure notably includes the ultra-funky megahit “Blind Curve”, the fan-favorite title song, and the insanely romantic ballad “Futari No Night Drive”. A vibrant reflection of summer in 1980s Japan, Ocean Side masterfully balances nostalgia and elegance, and provides part of the origin story for revered modern music genres such as chillwave, and future funk, and vaporwave.

The official reissue licensed from VAP, Inc. is sourced from the original masters with an audiophile-cut by Sidney Meyer at Emil Berliner Studios.

WRWTFWW’s City Pop Series and its Lopetz/Büro Destruct-designed logo also includes jazz-fusion-AOR-mellow-funk treasure Safari (1984), a limited capsule collection of merch, and much more to come in the near future.

Spaceships on the Blade is the 2022 solo album from San Francisco legend, entrepreneur and rapper, Larry June. The 20-track album features the singles, “Private Valet,” & “In My Pockets,” and sees production from a wide range of producers such as, The Alchemist, Jake One, DJ Khalil, Cardo, DJ.Fresh, Chuck Inglish, Turbo & more. Enlisting the help from fellow rap luminaries such as 2 Chainz, Babyface Ray, Curren$y and more, Spaceships on the Blade shows that Uncle Larry always has an eye on expanding and diversifying income steams and will continue to do numbers for a long time. Good Job, Larry. 2xLP, Black Vinyl, Widespine Jacket, Printed Sleeves.