Sweep returns with its second release, bringing together Jigit co-head O.Bee and Unreleased boss Cem G. ‘Makes Me Feel’ is the first music to see the light from a long-standing friendship and collaboration shaped between their two homes, New York and Istanbul, and comes backed with a stirring remix from Giegling’s Edward.
O.Bee and Cem G bring forward a sound rooted in Istanbul’s music culture, developed through ReSolute’s warehouse parties on the outskirts of Brooklyn and refined at Berlin’s Club der Visionaere. It’s music that feels equally at home in all three settings. Dyed Soundorom’s Sweep is built around underground sounds with depth and groove — much like his own DJ sets — and this second release sits naturally within that world.
On side A, the original mix of ‘Makes Me Feel’ rolls out with a sturdy groove from the start. O.Bee and Cem G build the energy carefully, peppering the ethereal atmosphere with a repeated vocal clip as the tension grows. A variety of percussive layers and pads add depth, keeping you locked in. Halfway through, the vocal goes into full flow — scattered words bounce around like a jumbled poem, evolving into a call and response of dissipating voices on top of the rolling bass, fully hypnotizing. Underground music par excellence.
The flip features a rework from one of Giegling’s central figures, Edward, who adds a tougher edge to the original. Still operating in the deeper end of the spectrum, the remix plucks out the ‘Make me feel’ part of the vocal and uses it throughout. Dark, brooding and enchanting, Edward’s reinterpretation progressively adds more layers, increasing the dynamism while bringing further nuance to the atmosphere. A real treat for Edward fans…
If you caught Dyed Soundorom playing anywhere, you surely would have heard these cuts in the mix. Perfect dancefloor groovers… Now they’ve finally arrived on Sweep — c'est l'heure de la fête!
The debut release by Confusion on Incompetence Records documents an exercise in disciplined spontaneity, a jam session where organic interaction is rigorously shaped into form. Recorded live in Belgrade by Dmitrii Steinberg, Aleksei Siubaev, Viktor Volkovich, Evgenii Piankov, and Leonid Lipelis, the material was subsequently dissected and reassembled with a scalpel like precision reminiscent of Teo Macero’s landmark edits for Miles Davis. What emerges is not a loose improvisational document but a suite of cohesive constructed pieces: weightless structures suspended over a hypnotic pulse, steeped in cosmic vibes and soft psychedelia. There is a slo mo insistence to the grooves, a kosmiche drift that folds jazz funk rituals into something both intimate and expansive. For musicians previously orbiting rare groove, house, indie rock, and modern composition, Confusion expands their explorations into a terrain where genre dissolves into texture and intention. The record’s mesmerizing beauty lies in its restraint, motifs surface, dissolve, and return as if refracted through magnetic tape memory, each fragment locked into place yet breathing with human elasticity. Rather than presenting virtuosity, the quintet channels it into atmosphere, into a patient, glowing continuum that feels less like a jam and more like a carefully mapped inner cosmos, calibrated for deep listening and slow revelation.
For our next release, we welcome Eduardo de la Calle. An artist whose music has long moved beneath the surface of electronic music, shaping minds and dancefloors through depth, restraint and timeless vision. This EP drifts through hypnotic rhythms, deep pulses and evolving textures, inviting the listener into a space where time softens and movement becomes instinct. A meeting of two currents, flowing in the same direction, guided by depth, energy and a shared love for the spaces between sound. Eduardo de la Calle Synthetic Collapse CRRT02 A1 Eduardo de la Calle - Subverse A2 Eduardo de la Calle - Black Input B1 Eduardo de la Calle - Protocol Remain B2 Eduardo de la Calle - Systemic Error All tracks written and produced by Eduardo de la Calle except Black Input and Subverse written and produced by Eduardo de la Calle and Andres Fusaro under the project RSCA. Brighter Days Vocals from Karen Gordon - Djaè - extract from - CAJ201 1992 Mastered by Javier KTC Mastering
Transcendental dreamstates and techno synthscapes projecting from 1992 into the future.
Written and recorded shortly before his departure from Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia, Dream Night Dance Music is the visionary first album from Robbert Heijnen under his celebrated alias, Exquisite Corpse. Exploring ritualistic rhythms and organic synth sculpting with a delicacy far beyond most techno released in 1992, the seductive atmospheres and rolling sequences of Dream Night Dance Music reach well beyond pure dancefloor functionality to become an immersive experience for introspection and extroversion alike.
Belgian label KK Records originally released Dream Night Dance Music as a single LP and CD, long-since out of print and highly sought after by the notoriously enthusiastic PWOG / Heijnen fanbase. This expanded reissue on Forever Records spreads the release across two 12"s, adding the track 'What A Life' originally released on the Reassembling Reality single, recorded during the same sessions as Dream Night Dance Music. In addition, the limited vinyl edition comes with a bonus 10" featuring previously unreleased tracks 'Calling' and 'Sure'.
Praise for Dream Night Dance Music:
"The Dream Night Dance Music CD is… electronic opium… The soft, analogue synth sounds and arrangements strongly recall minimal music (Glass/Reich). Music that never ends, constantly winding new loops and coils around the listener's vulnerable inner self." Fritz, Trust Zine, 1992.
"The sound is very trance-like and hypnotic, yet remains highly danceable and never gets boring… It is sure to appeal to night owls, cyberpunx, and neon-light junkies alike." Spex, 1992.
"Heynen strikes a compelling balance between a multitude of rhythms, melodies, and timbres. Permeated by an almost swaying groove, the music reflects influences ranging from the early "minimal music" of composer Steve Reich and the electronic architecture of pioneers Kraftwerk to various non-Western, mystical traditions without ever resorting to mere imitation." Corné Evers, Oor, 1992.
At the height of grunge, Morphine sounded like nobody else. The Boston trio built their own strange, seductive musical language (coined "low rock" by frontman Mark Sandman), built around Sandman's two-string slide bass and unmistakable voice, Dana Colley’s baritone & tenor saxophone, and stripped-back drums (Jerome Deupree, Billy Conway). Morphine became one of the defining cult bands of the ’90s, but their story came to an abrupt end in 1999, when Sandman suffered a fatal heart attack on stage during a concert in Italy.
More than 25 years later, Cocoon offers an extraordinary final chapter. Its eight songs were recorded during Morphine’s late-’90s sessions before Sandman ultimately shelved the material on the path toward what would become their final album. Rediscovered in the band’s archives decades later, Sandman’s life partner and Morphine estate manager Sabine Hrechdakian and producer Paul Q. Kolderie (Radiohead, Pixies) transferred the original tapes and carefully assembled this unified collection of Morphine songs. Dana Colley returned to add new saxophone parts, and Kolderie then brought new mixes to the table. Rather than a collection of demos or outtakes, Cocoon is a fully realized Morphine album revealing a band still pushing forward that somehow waited nearly three decades to find its way into the world
Album Background
The background on the album is that the majority of the songs existed in demo form on a CD release called "Sandbox" a semi-legit release of Mark Sandman music on 2004. These versions are the completed tracks that include contributions from Morphine saxphonist
Dana Colley and produced and mastered by Morphine's long time producer Paul Kolderie.
At the height of grunge, Morphine sounded like nobody else. The Boston trio built their own strange, seductive musical language (coined "low rock" by frontman Mark Sandman), built around Sandman's two-string slide bass and unmistakable voice, Dana Colley’s baritone & tenor saxophone, and stripped-back drums (Jerome Deupree, Billy Conway). Morphine became one of the defining cult bands of the ’90s, but their story came to an abrupt end in 1999, when Sandman suffered a fatal heart attack on stage during a concert in Italy.
More than 25 years later, Cocoon offers an extraordinary final chapter. Its eight songs were recorded during Morphine’s late-’90s sessions before Sandman ultimately shelved the material on the path toward what would become their final album. Rediscovered in the band’s archives decades later, Sandman’s life partner and Morphine estate manager Sabine Hrechdakian and producer Paul Q. Kolderie (Radiohead, Pixies) transferred the original tapes and carefully assembled this unified collection of Morphine songs. Dana Colley returned to add new saxophone parts, and Kolderie then brought new mixes to the table. Rather than a collection of demos or outtakes, Cocoon is a fully realized Morphine album revealing a band still pushing forward that somehow waited nearly three decades to find its way into the world
Album Background
The background on the album is that the majority of the songs existed in demo form on a CD release called "Sandbox" a semi-legit release of Mark Sandman music on 2004. These versions are the completed tracks that include contributions from Morphine saxphonist
Dana Colley and produced and mastered by Morphine's long time producer Paul Kolderie.
Special remarks : coloured vinyl, Orange
On his first vinyl LP release for Stasis Recordings, SubDan delivers an album that feels like an Acid Smiley Face. His sound is so rooted in the TB303 that it is the backbone to every track, and yet, he doesn’t use it as a baseline (which was the instrument’s original intention, according to Roland), but as melody, a mood, a feeling. This LP is full of retro feels combined with futuristic beats, languid atmospheres and urgent callings. SubDan uses the TB303 like no other musician I know and on this LP his creativity is on full display.
Transcendental dreamstates and techno synthscapes projecting from 1992 into the future.
Written and recorded shortly before his departure from Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia, Dream Night Dance Music is the visionary first album from Robbert Heijnen under his celebrated alias, Exquisite Corpse. Exploring ritualistic rhythms and organic synth sculpting with a delicacy far beyond most techno released in 1992, the seductive atmospheres and rolling sequences of Dream Night Dance Music reach well beyond pure dancefloor functionality to become an immersive experience for introspection and extroversion alike.
Belgian label KK Records originally released Dream Night Dance Music as a single LP and CD, long-since out of print and highly sought after by the notoriously enthusiastic PWOG / Heijnen fanbase. This expanded reissue on Forever Records spreads the release across two 12"s, adding the track 'What A Life' originally released on the Reassembling Reality single, recorded during the same sessions as Dream Night Dance Music. In addition, the limited vinyl edition comes with a bonus 10" featuring previously unreleased tracks 'Calling' and 'Sure'.
Praise for Dream Night Dance Music:
"The Dream Night Dance Music CD is… electronic opium… The soft, analogue synth sounds and arrangements strongly recall minimal music (Glass/Reich). Music that never ends, constantly winding new loops and coils around the listener's vulnerable inner self." Fritz, Trust Zine, 1992.
"The sound is very trance-like and hypnotic, yet remains highly danceable and never gets boring… It is sure to appeal to night owls, cyberpunx, and neon-light junkies alike." Spex, 1992.
"Heynen strikes a compelling balance between a multitude of rhythms, melodies, and timbres. Permeated by an almost swaying groove, the music reflects influences ranging from the early "minimal music" of composer Steve Reich and the electronic architecture of pioneers Kraftwerk to various non-Western, mystical traditions without ever resorting to mere imitation." Corné Evers, Oor, 1992.
Anna Kost on Calder City Development Corp, catalogue CCDC011. Six cuts, techno chassis, electro swing, experimental dust on top. View and Shallows ease you in, Keep Turning is the one that holds a room. Jeanette and Mode 19 go harder, more machine, less song. Trace pulls back at the end, leaves some air. No filler, no obvious single, built to be played as a set. Solid.
The Spanish Hace Calor Crew are back once again with two more classics, freshly tweaked with intros and outros for seamless mixing in your DJ sets. This time, they bring the heat with timeless cuts from Special Ed and Ms. Dynamite, guaranteed to spice
Celebrate a decade of a modern masterpiece. Originally released to critical acclaim, DJ Shadow’s The Mountain Will Fall gets a definitive reissue for its 10th Anniversary. Featuring the explosive, Gold-certified hit "Nobody Speak" featuring Run The Jewels, this album remains a towering achievement in instrumental hip-hop and experimental electronic production. This special anniversary edition is pressed on 2 x 140g classic black vinyl, delivering the rich, warm analog sound the album deserves. The release is housed in a stunning gatefold jacket showcasing brand-new artwork by the renowned artist Paul Insect, complete with premium spot gloss hits that make the visual design pop.
Al Wahem (“The Illusion”) is the new full-length release by PRAED, the Swiss–Lebanese duo of Raed Yassin and Paed Conca. Recorded between Beirut and Berlin, the album returns to the group’s central aesthetic: a rhythm-driven weave of Egyptian shaabi, electronics, improvisation and the gritty pulse of street-level sound. Nearly twenty years into the project, PRAED have distilled their approach into four pieces that subtly shift the listener’s bearings, reordering grooves and fragments until familiar elements take on new identities.
The twenty-minute title track sets the tone. A tightly interlocking two-drum foundation from Pascal Semerdjian and Ayman Zebdawi shapes a structure that expands steadily: synth figures branch outward, clarinet and bass lines act as internal guideposts, and brief vocal calls from Yassin and guest singer Mayssa Jallad sit inside the texture rather than leading it. PRAED’s shaabi keyboard language is present, but the duo stretch it outward, building tension and movement through patient accumulation.
“Al Hathayan,” at 4:46, tightens the focus. Conca’s clarinet moves between melodic arcs and clipped rhythmic gestures, threading through electronic loops that surface and disappear. Zebdawi’s percussion adds a raw, tactile quality, placing acoustic patterns and electronics in direct conversation. The piece acts as a bridge between the album’s two long-form compositions.
Side B begins with “Al Maraya,” a thirteen-minute piece that relies on electronic, bass and clarinet interplay. The atmosphere nods to the breadth of PRAED Orchestra!, but remains anchored in the duo’s rhythmic foundations. Rather than building mass, the layering creates a sense of depth, as if new spaces were opening inside the groove.
The album closes with “Assarab,” featuring keyboardist Amr Said. Semerdjian and Zebdawi again form a dual percussive axis, while synths hover between melody and pulse, and themes recur in widening circles rather than building vertically. The porous boundary between electronic and acoustic sources — processed clarinet mistaken for a sequencer, rhythmic figures springing from live drums — is where the album’s theme of “illusion” shows itself most clearly.
Al Wahem follows a long arc: early releases on Annihaya, a key appearance on Ruptured Sessions Vol. 5 – Live at Radio Lebanon (2013), later albums on Akuphone, and the large-scale PRAED Orchestra! documented on Morphine Records. This new Ruptured/Annihaya co-release brings the duo back to a concentrated format, reorganizing their familiar materials with renewed clarity and intent.
Epicentre was an R&B/funk group formed in Seattle, Washington by keyboardist Ric Ulsky. The band developed a loyal following, playing the extensive NW club, concert and dance venues throughout the mid-to-late 1970s. Their sound was a blend of melodic R&B and powerhouse funk that dependably filled music venues throughout the Western US. Bernadette Bascom was the lead vocalist, who captivated audiences with her powerful yet velvet-smooth voice and commanding, magnetic stage presence.
In 1978, Epicentre worked with Seattle producer Don McKinney to record their music in Seattle's now legendary Kaye-Smith studios. The result was seven strong, fully -produced R&B songs, with occasional horn and string orchestrations tastefully added to the final versions.
Their music quite literally sat on a shelf for decades until McKinney decided that all the hard work and talent should no longer remain undiscovered and it needed to find its audience. He restored and digitized his copies of the master tapes and looked for an opportunity. A chance call to the former leader of the group, Kell Houston, led to a serendipitous introduction to UK boutique/funk/R&B label founder Russell Paine. The result was an agreement to release their music, starting with two songs, "When You Were In Love With Me", and "Magic Carpet."
And now the follow up single of "Searchin/Tongue Tied"
Footnotes: Lead singer Bernadette Bascom became a protegé of Stevie Wonder, and was the first artist to be signed to his label Black Bull , starting a period of collaboration between the two. Bermadette is the daughter of Reverend Dr. Marion C. Bascomb (1925-2012), one of Baltimore's major civil rights voices and pastor emeritus of Baltimore's Douglas Memorial Community Church. Ric Ulsky eventually left the group to play keyboards and tour extensively with The Association. You can also find Epicentre's music on the compilation album "Seattle Funk, Modern Soul & Boogie: Volume II 1972-1987." In addition to Bernadette, the musicians on the 1978 sessions are Kell Houston, keyboards, Michael Cox, bass, John Carmondy, guitar, and Ricky Lynn Johnson, drums and vocals. While their recorded material is primarily original, Stacy Christensen from Seattle's Gabriel contributed two of his compositions.
DJ Support: Chris Coco, DJ Morpheus, Alexis Le-Tan, DVS1, Afterlife, Ally Tropical, Alex Ruder (KEXP), Andy Wilson, Bill Brewster, Makossa
Dawn Again continues his masterful run on Hell Yeah with a third new album in consecutive years. The Aussie "pubwave" architect this time serves up Pints Of Ambient Nectar, an eight-track collection of new ambient works and remixes of album tracks from 2024's Every Dog's Hotel and 2025's Lost In The Front Bar.
Melbourne producer Nick Verwey has spent the last decade quietly refining a sound that's loose, lived-in, and made for real moments rather than peak-time theatrics. With releases on Houseworx, Enjoyment Division and Hell Yeah, his sun-faded, lo-fi grooves drift between breaks, downtempo and hazy house. His “pubwave” sound is music born from lockdown nostalgia, communal pints and the romance of places where time slows, conversations linger, but the jukebox keeps things moving.
The scene is set with bird calls and saw synth awakenings on 'Backyard Paradiso', 'A Day in the Life of Pond Algae' is a quiet ode to hope and revival, while 'Slow Motion Goal Celebration' smudges chords like rays of sun cooled by a breeze. 'Kneverending Knockoffs' teases acid murmurs amongst floating melodic clouds, and new cut ' A Pub With No Beer' has sugary lines piercing sustained ambient drones. 'Hard Earned Thirst' is mellow magic for horizontal afternoons, 'Hair Of The Dawg' shimmers like heat waves on the horizon and 'Vanilla Sky' is a cathartic drift bathed in soft light, unfolding in slow, weightless waves.
This sun-dazed ambient sidestep from Dawn Again stretches pubwave nostalgia into hazy, unhurried pieces made for slow afternoons where your woes dissolve and your soul warms.
This album marks a significant evolution for Dream Division, evolving from a solo project into a full band experience. Blending the rich sounds of Italian soundtracks with psychedelic rock, Tom McDowell, the band's core member and founder of Library of the Occult Records, has assembled an all-star lineup for this collaborative record. Featuring members of The Hologram People, Garden Gate, The Psychic Circle, Miles Brown and Men From S.P.E.C.T.R.E., the album navigates through genres while maintaining a cinematic essence. From the sinister melancholy tones of 'Black Rose' to the Giorgio Moroder-esque Giallo disco of 'Technicolor Terror,' ‘A Rose in the Garden of Winter’ unfolds like a lost soundtrack to a classic '70s Giallo film.
983 Cleveland Ohio funk bomb from Dennis “Cash” Roberson’s trio CASH. Co-Written with Mike Calhoun (C-Brand, Dazz Band) and Kevin Kendrick (Cameo, Flash) two midwest talents unmatched. PPU-121 also includes “I Know You Care” the unreleased follow-up single (re-discovered by boogie-times records, france)
"Potency continues apace with 'Jackin Shit', a gleefully self-explanatory EP from label founder Cromby. Following widely-played recent releases from Malik Kassim aka Retromigration, Trax Unit and Rhythms of Prescott, the prolific DJ and producer reaffirms his imprint's fundamentals with four upfront, high-energy tracks, each reflecting a different facet of the Belfast-via-Berlin producer's decades-deep understanding of house and techno history. Title track 'Jackin' Shit' gets things moving with a rich blend of rolling basslines, liquid keys and diva'ed up vocal snippets. Lucid and groovy in the style of seminal East Coast vocal pleasures, Cromby's vision of house is nonetheless driven by a dusty kick drum that references Head High/WK7, or Paul Woolford in a warehouse somewhere... In contrast, 'Sense Control' places percussion front and centre, locking in a tight rhythm in order to ride out a liquid collage of acid lines, ecstatic piano and other blissfully wavy elements. 'Con Gas' establishes a tougher direction on the flip, finding Cromby's busier instincts reduced the simplest of ingredients - sub, bass and stabs - taking dancers deep into the bowels of house, replete with classic vocal call-outs, and yes, even a well-earned inbuilt spinback. Having exhibited such restraint, we're unceremoniously booted out of the cubicle and back toward the strobes for 'Cheeky Bump', a rubbery, driving dancefloor tool guaranteed to delay any impending cab home. Colourful, charismatic and exclusively engineered for true party people, 'Jackin' Shit' finds Cromby returning to home turf on definitive form."
Die erfolgreiche „ZYX Italo Disco: Best Of“-Reihe geht in die nächste Runde und präsentiert mit Vol. 8 erneut eine erstklassige Auswahl an Italo-Disco-Klassikern der 1980er Jahre. Auf dieser Doppel-LP erwarten den Hörer 14 sorgfältig ausgewählte Tracks, die den unverwechselbaren Sound der legendären Italo-Disco-Ära widerspiegeln.
Mit dabei sind beliebte Genre-Highlights wie J.D. Jaber‘s „Don‘t Wake Me Up“, Alan Ross‘ „Valentino Mon Amour“, Brian Ice‘s „Night Girl“ oder Cyber People‘s „Doctor Faustu‘s“. Ergänzt wird die Compilation durch weitere seltene Maxi- und Extended-Versionen, die bis heute auf Tanzflächen und in DJ-Sets weltweit geschätzt werden.
„ZYX Italo Disco: Best Of Vol. 8“ verbindet eingängige Melodien, atmosphärische Synthesizer und den typischen Charme der goldenen Italo-Disco-Zeit zu einem authentischen Hörerlebnis – ein Muss für Fans, Sammler und Liebhaber klassischer Dance-Music.
Highscore is one of the newest-and quite sensational-discoveries in funk of the 1980s out of Germany. Two tracks Breakin' Out and Girls So Fine, both recorded about 40 years ago and shelved ever since, are finally receiving a long-overdue 12" release.
Label founder DJ Scientist tells the story of how the tracks were uncovered:
"Several years ago, while researching the Crea label-after we had already licensed 'You're Not The One For Me' by Peter Patzer-I also wanted to find out more about another band on the label: Nuages, who had released the stunning jazz-funk/fusion album Cumulus.
Interestingly, a Discogs user had uploaded a hand written promo letter from one of the band members along with the LP. In it, drummer Mike Bach mentioned plans for a second album, as well as a single featuring a 'coloured singer'-which caught my attention. (A note on language: the original letter from 1985 uses the term 'coloured.' We've chosen to quote it directly as a historical document, but want to be clear that this reflects the terminology of the era and not language we would use today.)
Digging deeper, more information was found on Bach's own website, where a project called 'High Score' was mentioned. I immediately got in touch and asked if the recordings from that project still existed. Unfortunately, Bach couldn't locate any of the material at the time.
Years passed before we reconnected, when we featured 'Strange Weekend' by Nuages on our recent yacht rock compilation. I still had the Highscore project in mind and asked again. Once more, Mike had to deny-but he made another effort and reached out to former collaborators. A few weeks later, guitarist and composer Hermann Behrens discovered cassette tapes containing tracks from the Highscore project. I couldn't wait to hear them…"
To go back a bit: Nuages were a jazz-rock band from Bremerhaven, originally formed by guitarist Joachim "Fussy" Fuß in 1982. The lineup included Mike Bach (drums and percussion), Klaus Hinners (bass), and Frank Fischer (keyboards). In 1984, John Dillard, a U.S. GI stationed in Germany, joined Nuages for several live performances as a soul singer.
Around 1985/1986, Dillard and Bach then teamed up with Hermann Behrens with a new focus on electro funk and disco: Highscore was born.
When the three demo recordings were finally sent to us, they immediately blew us away. Breakin' Out stood out as an incredible electro-funk boogie gem-exactly what we had been looking for. What's more, it didn't sound like a rough demo at all, Breakin Out was a well-arranged and almost perfectly recorded track, driven by fresh, vibrant synths, drum machines and guitar. The cassette mix wasn't entirely final, but the remaining details could be refined during mastering.
The B-side, Girl So Fine, impressed just as much-equally strong and just as captivating as the A-side. Our reaction was immediate: this had to be released without delay!
Most importantly, there are a few more recordings from Highscore. However, these only exist as multi-track studio reels, which currently cannot be transferred. In the best case, more material from the band may surface soon-hopefully without another long wait.
The 12" release Breakin' Out / Girl So Fine" comes with a newly designed picture sleeve, featuring an original photo of the band members, including background singer Ruben Hopkins who does not appear on these two recordings.
2026 Repress
The first Noisia release since the 'Imperial' EP release in May 2012. For this 12" Noisia locked horns with Calyx & TeeBee on the haunting, punchy roller 'Hyenas', and Evol Intent on 'The Liquid', an epic, breakbeat rave-up.
Jnbo ist der Künstlername von Henry Jenkins, einem Komponisten, Produzenten/Toningenieur und Bassisten aus Melbourne/Naarm. Jenkins ist den meisten als Produzent/Toningenieur hinter Surprise Chef, Karate Boogaloo und der für den Grammy nominierten Frollen Music Library bekannt. Als hauseigener Toningenieur für Aufnahmen und Abmischungen bei College In-House-Aufnahme- und Mix-Ingenieur bei Knowledge Records hat Jenkins die klangliche Grundlage für die instrumentale Cinematic-Soul-Bewegung von Melbourne/Naarm geschaffen. Auf ,& Friends" setzt Jenkins seine Fähigkeiten für seine eigenen brillanten Kompositionen ein. Das Album umfasst 12 introspektive Instrumentalstücke - tiefe, cineastische Odysseen, die von Romantik und Aufrichtigkeit durchdrungen sind und jenen unverkennbaren ,Freak Funk Bump" haben. Jenkins erklärt die Konzeption von ,& Friends": ,Ich wollte ein Album schreiben, auf dessen Aufnahme ich mich mit meinen Freunden freuen würde. Die Musik, die ich schrieb, hatte eine Funk-Sensibilität in Bass und Schlagzeug, kontrastiert durch einen eher cineastischen Ansatz in Bezug auf Harmonie und Melodie, mit Gitarren, die sich dazwischen schlängeln und gleiten. Ich habe versucht, diesen Kontrast zum Charakter des Albums zu machen. Ich fand, dass jeder Song die gleiche Instrumentierung und die gleichen Musiker haben sollte. Das wurde zu einer angenehmen kreativen Herausforderung: Wie viel Variation konnte ich im Laufe des Albums aus denselben acht Instrumenten herausholen? Ich wollte innerhalb dieser engen Grenzen so viel Vielfalt wie möglich finden." Jenkins hat diese Prinzipien bei den Aufnahmen zu ,& Friends" angewendet und langjährige Musikpartner wie Hudson Whitlock, Darvid Thor und Callum Riley (Karate Boogaloo), Lachlan Stuckey und Jethro Curtin (Surprise Chef), Lewis Coleman und Lena Douglas (The Cactus Channel) zusammen, um unkonventionelle Arrangements für drei Gitarren, Klavier, Streichersynthesizer, Hammondorgel, Schlagzeug und Bass zu verwirklichen, wobei Jenkins selbst den Bass und die Produktion übernahm. Das Ergebnis ist ein auffallend einzigartiges Album: Mal gibt's malerische Stimmungen, mal funkige Rhythmen, die zum Mitwippen einladen, wobei die drei Gitarren und drei Keyboards genau im Stereofeld angeordnet sind. Das Album zeigt die Einflüsse des Filmkomponisten Bernard Herrmann, des Lounge-Pioniers Les Baxter und Lamont Dozier von Motown, zusammen mit den exzentrischen Eigenheiten von JNBO. Für Fans von Surprise Chef, El Michels Affair, Menahan Street Band, Les Baxter, Bernard Herrmann.
Named after the tendency to impose familiar likenesses, such as faces, on random - usually inanimate - objects, Pareidolia is Jake Muir's way of interpreting the consonances between so-called “ambient” music and extreme heavy metal. Extracting the headiest, most atmospheric sections from hundreds of death metal and black metal tracks, Muir plays the role of both DJ and electroacoustic composer, concocting a lysergic elixir of fractal distortions and prolonged, decelerated riffs that slowly evaporates into iridescent vapor. If there's any trace of the original sources left, Muir makes sure that residue is subtly bewildering, like clouds in the sky that form imposing, larger than life images, or trampled bracken that falls into the shape of “trve kvlt” insignia.
The idea for the album materialized when Muir was working on 2022's Talisman, his collaborative album with multi-instrumentalist Evan Caminiti. Processing guitar for the first time, Muir began to unpack his long relationship with rock music and its Escher-like maze of sub-genres, from the tech metal he obsessed over as a teenager to Loop and Main's drone-y, textured variants. Scraping the internet for unconventional contemporary metal albums, he stumbled across music that seemed to hover between different realms, merging its frenetic, noisy sections with psychedelic interludes that harmonize with classic industrial and avant-garde music, material like :zoviet*france:, Nocturnal Emissions and Z'EV.
‘veneration for the sacred action’ is the first compilation release by london-based independent record label ‘lifeis beautiful records’ released in celebration of the three-year anniversary of the label (& the gesamtkunstwerk that it exists within), the compilation brings together members of the life is beautiful septet collective, as well as various collaborators and special guests from previous life is beautiful events of the past three years. it highlights a range of the various solo, group projects, and alias’ of the septet, as well as various artists from the wider orbit of the life is beautiful constellations. the project was executively produced and curated as an album by label founder aloisius, as a selected works of the life is beautiful constellations. it stands as a comprehensive yet intentionally incomplete representation of the past three years of life is beautiful
The undisputed Godfather of Boogie, Leroy Burgess’s Logg project is his grand masterpiece.
The self-titled LP, originally released on Salsoul in August 1981, is one of the greatest albums of the post-disco era. It’s one of Be With’s favourite ever LPs and so it’s a complete honour to be giving it our reissue treatment. With all the touchstones of Burgess’s finest work - breezy grooves, undulating synths, funk-drenched bass and life-affirming lyrics - delivered with gospel-derived vocals and harmonies - it’s a record to uplift both body and spirit.
Already a cult soul figure as lead singer of seminal vocal group Black Ivory, Leroy Burgess cut his teeth as arranger, vocalist and songwriter with legendary producer Patrick Adams on essential late-70s projects like Phreek and Dazzle. He went on to define the essence of “boogie”: the vibrant underground dance sound that stood in contrast to commercial disco. With its reduced speed - mid-90 to under 110 BPM - the cool boogie of Burgess has the disco bounce, just more laidback.
All six tracks here could have been stand alone 12" hits. Indeed, some of them were. But together they are also an incredibly cohesive album, where all the compositions are deeply relevant to each other. In short, it’s essential; a thrilling showcase for Burgess’s finest arranging and production work - with his vocals at their euphoric peak alongside the inventive rhythm section of Aaron (Sonny) T. Davenport on drums and James Calloway on bass.
Opener “(You’ve Got) That Something” is a balmy sunshine groover with an insistent chorus whilst the timeless vocal of “Dancing Into The Stars” - married to percolating synth and airtight drums - showcases the chemistry between Burgess and the rhythm section.
The fusion of funk and gospel-influenced harmonies which propels “Something Else” is remarkable - deep, joyous and bouncy. Infamously mixed by Larry Levan, “I Know You Will” is an easy glide, all rollicking electric piano underpinned by a precise and relentlessly upbeat groove. “Lay It On The Line” radiates smooth, understated brilliance, elevated by interstellar keys and finally album-closer “Sweet To Me” is a chilled-out gem of profound soulful elegance.
Logg has long been a hit with the likes of Kenny Dope and Dam-Funk whilst, in the last decade, MCDE and Harvey Sutherland have routinely cited it as a huge influence. Accordingly, finding original copies on vinyl at affordable prices has been a thankless task. This fresh Be With reissue ensures this legendary record now sounds, looks and feels as sensational as it deserves to.
Mastered brilliantly by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman and with lovingly reproduced artwork, we think this is a reissue that does justice to this classic LP.
House is the Religion. The DJ is my Deacon. The Music is my God and James Bangura is cool af.
Genuine, passionate, clear, authentic and real…. He isn’t trying, he just is. And his music is the same. It’s fucking cool. It’s real and authentic and it just is James Bangura. So it’s a real honour to add him to the Shall Not Fade roster; from Techno to Jungle to House and everything between the DC native can extract the true essence of a genre and simultaneously make it his own & pay homage to its roots.
So on Jack Sermon there’s no surprise when he flexes a seemingly generationally inherited knack for all things House (and Techno) and delivers four tracks of raw, real, genuine House music. OG shit.
‘House is the Religion, and the DJ is my Deacon, but the music is my God” says the Evangelical vocal on title track ‘Jack Sermon’. Never has there been a more aptly named track…This is a jack sermon… an OG inspired Chi town cut channeling early house music’s soulful beginnings delivered with straight up jacking house beat offset with laidback dusty dub chords….. We don;t say this lightly but we’re calling anthem on this one.
‘Scat Pack’ takes a more percussive and drum forward House motif. Thunderous kicks tease techno but this is still house, NY at heart complete with voguing diva vocals . Blown out and choppy we could say ‘this could have been ripped from a late 90’s club recording on a lost tape’ but that would do disservice to the precise but invisible fusion that's been laid down here..
‘Funk To Berlin’ opens the flip side and in Bangura’s journey to explore classic forms of house and techno, this track may well have taken root from Dub techno pioneers from the past. Deep dub chords and deeper subs lead the track but that jacking percussion makes this more than homage. Machine Funk, Machine soul. AA side business.
‘The Green Line’ closes out the EP in style.. rolling it out with skittering synths that work like percussion, ethereal pads and a faint vocal ‘Chicago’ spiralling into itself making this track one you can get lost in. Some might argue that this one is techno but who cares. It’s the journey not the destination. Two tickets please.
If you don’t know James Bangura’s music already (or even if you do) do some digging.. Look for releases on Mister Saturday Night, K7! and Floorspeed and check his output as part of “Black Rave Culture” with Amal and Nativesun and as a member of Groovedeep with Toronto’s Ciel and fellow DC native Jackson Ryland.
To close, we’ll leave you with this note from James……. told he is cool af.
House music, to me, exists on a wide spectrum. I’m inspired by its many forms: stripped-back minimalism, percussive drive, hypnotic textures, and soulful undertones. Rather than confining myself to one approach, I treat each track as an exploration—testing structure, pushing rhythm, and allowing subtle details to carry emotional weight. The studio becomes a space where groove and atmosphere meet intention. This body of work highlights that process. It reflects how I balance technical precision with feel, tension with release, and tradition with forward motion. Every decision—from drum programming to spatial design—is part of shaping a sound that feels honest and instinctive. - James Bangura
“One foot out the door, another in the otherworld…”
So begins Hannah Lew’s debut, self-titled solo record, soaked in imperious, wide-eyed pop songwriting and a girl-group/post punk aesthetic that belies the artist’s history in the U.S. underground. A towering, hook-laden album, it’s infused with an optimism and surrealism that conversely deals with the times we find ourselves in.
Recorded at home in Richmond, CA and in The Best House studio with Maryam Qudus in Oakland CA, with the assistance of a crack team of West Coast musicians, this album sees Hannah Lew stepping out from behind the legacy of her two groups Grass Widow and Cold Beat. While musically bearing similarities with her previous work, “Hannah Lew” is a bold leap into direct pop territory, making ample use of a vocal style that teases out the inherent melancholy in her melodies. Mastered by Sarah Register, each song is a perfectly honed nugget that frequently pulls the heart in two directions at once.
Themes of change, breaking up, shattering old ways of being are shot through the record. For the front cover, a photograph of the artist’s face was printed, ripped up and re-assembled, resembling the creative process embarked upon by Lew for her first “solo” material. The album feels instinctual, almost dream-like in its assemblage of sweeping synths and pulsating, propulsive drum machine beat patterns with Lew’s vocal performances sensitive and caressing over the top. Increasingly relying on the subconscious and dreams to guide her creative process, Hannah Lew frequently abandons literal interpretations or linear narratives, the songs seeming to exist in a swooning, effortless flow-state while remaining emotionally hard hitting.
On an album where every song could be a single, there are kaleidoscopic shades and varying emotional tones in abundance. First single Another Twilight is carried along a pumping, Italo-disco-style 4/4 beat and mono-synth bass line, the low end pulling at the heart and body. Lew’s vocal melody teases the track before swan-diving into a gorgeous chorus as she sings “it’s all over baby and I don’t mind… in decline, I take my time…” The album is suffused with moments like this. On slow builder Damaged Melody, an arpeggiated synth elongates the verse before a cascading synth showers down melodic glitter. The stunning Replica uses dual swirling synth patterns before a driving, synthpop chorus for the ages carries Hannah Lew’s vocal into the stereo field, sailing in on a high register singed with the embers of a break up.
In a departure from previous groups, her solo songs are guided by dreams and free association inspired by Dada and the Surrealist movement and sculpted afterwards. As such, the songs reveal themselves on repeated listens, revealing traces of heartbreak inspired by both personal and global elements - Hannah Lew regards the album “a wartime album.” On Move In Silence, Lew intones “there’s a war outside, just out of view,” revealing the dichotomy at play throughout. With the songs evolving naturally and in a flow state, the pressures and sadnesses of the modern age bleed through, mixed in with Lew’s inherent love, sensitivity and fractured-but-intact optimism. On the swooning, sublime Sunday layers of Numanoid synths open up for the commanding vocal performance pontificating on grief, love, pain as she “feels the ache on Sunday…” As the chorus builds and Lew’s call-and-response vocal adds to the emotional tension, it almost feels like too much to take.
Elsewhere, there are echoes of Hannah Lew’s previous work. On Time Wasted a bass guitar comes in with a heavy, punk attack before the synths and vocal harmonies reminiscent of later Cold Beat elevate everything. The glassy, sweetly resigned closer The Clock sounds like so classic it could be cover, a sweetened Jesus & Mary Chain tune perhaps, before it erupts into volcanic chorus that could only come from Hannah Lew in 2026.
Kid Katana Records collaborated with the incredible teams at KOEI TECMO GAMES, Team NINJA, PlatinumGames and Xbox Games Studios to bring you the NINJA GAIDEN 4 OST on physical format for the first time.
This release is composed of three premium editions:
4LP Vinyl Slipcase - Limited Edition (No Repress) - no consignment, 25 units minimum order
Limited “blood splatter” vinyls with a unique “splatter” effect: handmade vinyl effect with transparent red base and white splatter. Each vinyl has a unique pattern that evokes Yakumo & Ryu combat style. This edition will not be repressed.
Handpicked curation of the game music, mastered for this specific vinyl edition. Includes “Infinite Gale“ DLC track as bonus.
Matte 4LP slipcase with a glossy effect on the game’s logo.
4 printed sleeves with “Bloodbath” design, alternating between Yakumo and Ryu execution animations.
4LP Vinyl Slipcase - Standard Edition
4 classic black vinyls.
Handpicked curation of the game music, mastered for this specific vinyl edition. Includes “Infinite Gale“ DLC track as bonus.
Matte 4LP slipcase with a glossy effect on the game’s logo.
4 printed sleeves with “Bloodbath” design, alternating between Yakumo and Ryu execution animations.
3CD Boxset
3 printed CDs with “Bloodbath” design, alternating between Yakumo and Ryu execution animations.
Handpicked curation of the game music, mastered for this specific CD edition. Includes 4 DLC tracks and 4 instrumental versions.
Crystal Jewelbox 3CD Boxset vintage packaging.
4-pages booklet featuring tracklist, credits and concept art from PlatinumGames Sound Team.
Kid Katana Record produced this album with supervision from NINJA GAIDEN4 Sound Team, who composed the original game music.
Kid Katana Records collaborated with the incredible teams at KOEI TECMO GAMES, Team NINJA, PlatinumGames and Xbox Games Studios to bring you the NINJA GAIDEN 4 OST on physical format for the first time.
This release is composed of three premium editions:
4LP Vinyl Slipcase - Limited Edition (No Repress) - no consignment, 25 units minimum order
Limited “blood splatter” vinyls with a unique “splatter” effect: handmade vinyl effect with transparent red base and white splatter. Each vinyl has a unique pattern that evokes Yakumo & Ryu combat style. This edition will not be repressed.
Handpicked curation of the game music, mastered for this specific vinyl edition. Includes “Infinite Gale“ DLC track as bonus.
Matte 4LP slipcase with a glossy effect on the game’s logo.
4 printed sleeves with “Bloodbath” design, alternating between Yakumo and Ryu execution animations.
4LP Vinyl Slipcase - Standard Edition
4 classic black vinyls.
Handpicked curation of the game music, mastered for this specific vinyl edition. Includes “Infinite Gale“ DLC track as bonus.
Matte 4LP slipcase with a glossy effect on the game’s logo.
4 printed sleeves with “Bloodbath” design, alternating between Yakumo and Ryu execution animations.
3CD Boxset
3 printed CDs with “Bloodbath” design, alternating between Yakumo and Ryu execution animations.
Handpicked curation of the game music, mastered for this specific CD edition. Includes 4 DLC tracks and 4 instrumental versions.
Crystal Jewelbox 3CD Boxset vintage packaging.
4-pages booklet featuring tracklist, credits and concept art from PlatinumGames Sound Team.
Kid Katana Record produced this album with supervision from NINJA GAIDEN4 Sound Team, who composed the original game music.
The latest game in the stylish Katamari Damacy series in which you roll your katamari and collect items to become large enough to form a star for the cosmos, Once Upon A KATAMARI, is getting its own vinyl record release called Katamari Once Again! A total of 23 wondrous songs have been personally selected by the game"s sound composer, Yuu Miyake. The album features BGM stage music in addition to songs performed by an all-star lineup of various artists such as Saya Asakura, Amane Uyama, KAF, Clémentine, Kocchi no Kento, Masashi Sada, San Francisco Boys Chorus, Katamari Damacy feat. suis from Yorushika, Daoko, chelmico, Kenji Niinuma, Saki Hanami, Shigeru Matsuzaki, and Yakushimaru Etsuko. Once Upon A KATAMARI immerses you in the colorful worlds and eras of time and history. Product shown is a luxurious gatefold sleeve housing two records inside. The cover was designed by Kazuki Takakura with supervision from Yuu Miyake, the game"s sound composer. When you think of Katamari Damacy, you think of the colorfully chaotic artwork that comes hand in hand alongside it, and this packaging offers a high-quality, must-have item for a fan"s collection.
Luca “DJ Rocca” Roccatagliati isn’t just a producer, he’s a shapeshifter of sound. Emerging from the late ’90s under the Maffia Soundsystem alias, he’s spent decades bending genres, dissolving boundaries, and reconfiguring the DNA of club music.
From cosmic disco to leftfield house, Rocca’s catalogue reads like a map of underground excellence. He’s collaborated with a roll call of innovators—Howie B, Dimitri From Paris, Daniele Baldelli, François K, Jazzanova, Zed Bias and many more. Crafting releases for some of the most respected imprints in the game: like Rekids, Toy Tonics, International Feel, Defected, Rush Hour, Hell Yeah, Rotters Golf Club among others.
His output is prolific, restless, constantly evolving.
Partnership is central to Rocca’s universe. With Dimitri From Paris, he co-created Erodiscotique, a sleek electro-disco project that fuses vintage sensuality with future-facing production. Alongside Daniele Baldelli, he’s explored deeper, more psychedelic terrain, delivering albums like Podalirius and Quagga—records that blur the line between Balearic mysticism and dancefloor propulsion.
His aliases Ajello, Supersonic Lovers, Crimea X are parallel auditory dimensions. Each one pushes a different facet of his sound, from Italo-tinged grooves to raw, analog-driven club cuts. As a remixer, Rocca has reworked everyone from Andrew Weatherall to Soul Clap, always imprinting his unmistakable signature.
To say we are excited about this new EP is kind of a massive understatement……
Having been huge fans for over two decades, when he reached out to us it was a bit of an eye rubbing and arm pinching moment.
We have been graced with a 3 track EP titled “Tonight is the Night”
A1. Sun Deck – A link-up with Athens mainstay Lex, drifting somewhere between yacht funk and late-night boogie. Sun-washed grooves, crisp synth leads, and just enough 80s energy to keep it moving without trying too hard.
B1. Italo Boogie Stomp – Does exactly what it says. Rolling Linn drums, sharp synth lines, and a nostalgic flute motif that nods to NYC’s street soul era without getting stuck in it.
B2. Ferroso – Picks up the pace slightly. Deep house drums meet a driving electro bassline, with arpeggiated synths and warm pads rounding it out—focused, functional, and built for the floor.
Adam Freeland relaunches Marine Parade with the ‘Transhuman’ EP, a collaboration with Spooky’s Duncan Forbes and the first of three releases set to arrive throughout the year. Available to stream now, the title track previews a deeper, more atmospheric direction ahead of Freeland's first solo material in sixteen years and the first new music on Marine Parade since 2009.
Across Adam Freeland and Duncan Forbes’ ‘Transhuman’ EP, broken rhythms sit subtly beneath spacious arrangements, while flickering synths, sci-fi -infused vocals and static-charged textures create an immersive, cinematic feel. It's a sound that reflects both Freeland's longstanding love of dub and Techno and the distance gained from stepping away from the dance music landscape in the 2010s.
Best known for his seminal ‘Coastal Breaks’ mix album and a run of acclaimed releases, remixes, and mix compilations spanning Fabric Live, Global Underground and Back To Mine, Adam Freeland spent a decade living off -grid in California’s Mojave Desert, while also working with Ry X to form The Acid, a band that has since released the ‘Liminal’ LP on Mute/Infectious, penned a film score and toured to great acclaim from well outside the electronic world.
Joining Adam Freeland is Duncan Forbes, one half of pioneering UK duo Spooky, whose landmark releases on Guerilla Records and influential debut album ‘Gargantuan’ helped define the early ambient Techno and progressive House movements. In the decades since, Forbes has continued to evolve through projects including collaborations with Mr. G and Sasha, as well as recent solo releases via Enzo Siragusa’s Fuse London and his own 49North imprint.
The ‘Transhuman’ EP marks the beginning of a new chapter for Marine Parade, with two further EPs from Freeland scheduled throughout 2026. The label will also expand with forthcoming material from longtime friends and previous label artists Evil Nine, alongside a new generation of talent joining the roster.
Wilba rolls into Haŵs with 'Kombucha in the Club' - four chunky club cuts dipped in acid, prog and sleazy late-night pressure. Built with proper low-end heft and a wicked grin, this one doesn’t hang about.
A1 opener 'Wrong Turn' sets things in motion with pulsating proggy goodness, restless energy and the repeating call of “Destination” guiding the trip into the unknown. 'Polly’s Acid Kiss' follows with squelching 303 lines and a sci-fi-esque vocal, pushing deeper into tripped-out territory without losing its punch. On the flip, 'Sin City' leans fully into the sleaze - rolling tech house, smoky vocals, wailing sirens and enough attitude to carry the small hours. The EP rounds off with 'Rejigging the Jig', which wastes no time laying down the damage: fat drums, elastic basslines and enough swing to pull the room sideways.
Heavy grooves, crooked hooks and just the right amount of mischief. Kombucha never sounded so wrong.
INGERABLE, which means “inedible” or “unpalatable” in French, was the adjective a record label used to describe Cathy Claret when she showed them the song inspired by a Caló poem that is now part of our upcoming release, “Por el Chiben.” The piece was born in 1987 when the artist was living in Can Tunis (Barcelona), inspired by a poem she heard from Uncle Bastián. Years later, when recording her first album, she included this composition, but the artist was censored for not fitting commercial standards. Now, Alhaja Records revives it in an album with two versions: a flamenco one, featuring Emilio Caracafé on guitar, and an electronic one, produced by Wará.
This has been a very personal project and a mammoth undertaking for us folks here PACE HQ: 12 tracks unearthed from the cult Scottish figure’s completely overlooked back catalogue. Collected archive material from the past 25 years, originally composed as an OST for the feature length film The Flesher (1992) which was also written, shot and directed by Rae. No copies remain. Deep cuts that span G-funk, hip-hop, house, synth-pop, electro, dub, downtempo, funk/soul, R’n’B with appearances from Rae’s heavyweight list of frequent collaborators… Bernie Worrell, Adrian Sherwood and Jimmy Douglass.
"In 1991, the Scottish Rugby Union & the Royal Bank of Scotland, commissioned me tae make the world's first Scotland World Cup music video... they didn’t pay me so I fought back. It took 18 years tae win, and I nearly lost everything. I turned to audio visual art: under the pseudonym Jock Pleasure - I wrote and directed a feature length film called The Flesher as well as creating 100s of full length DVDs and tracks” (Jesse Rae).
One man took on the banks and won, but it took its toll and in this totemic corpus of work Jesse Rae counts the cost. The Flesher is art as pure defiance: “this stuff is very dark and deep, it is such a vast body o’ work, but when I won my battle against the bank, I secretly returned tae Hodge Close (in the Scottish borders) and dropped the entire work sealed in stone intae the deep deep murky depths of that water, where it has remained since 2009. There are no mair copies."
What we have here then is the salvaged remains. A hopeful dunt of Scottish erotica that gets you right in the pits.
Splice DJ Screw with Dean Blunt, Moodymann, Prince, Cocteau Twins, MF DOOM, Luther Van fuckin’ Dross, Barry fuckin’ White; run that through the B-movie videotape static meets Harmony Korine, Les Blank & early Grand Theft Auto. Empty boulevards. Small-town strip joints. Late-night dial-up. Sacrifice and solace. Outside of the OST, there’s a cast of forgotten characters: primary school kids making house jams, teenage popstars from the Scottish Borders, and the rhapsodic Ayrshire soprano NIKA laying down haunting vocals in Miami.
Celebrated as a cult figure in the USA, Jesse’s work has never fully had the appreciation it deserves at home. Not really. Aye, we know Inside Out and The Thistle. But he’s too easily fobbed off as an eccentric outsider: a helmet-wearing, claymore-wielding gimmick. But do we really know the extent of what this man has done - and gone through - for the sake of art?
The return of Jonne Lydén aka 53X is an exhilarating welcome for Emotional Especial with 4 more seismic analogue psychedelic jams that are becoming recognisably a unique and hypnotic statement.
Lydén’s studio time is distillation for personal contemplation and perfection just 3 releases in 5 years that are worth the wait. The heady demand for his debut ‘Synapse’ and the following ‘Zen ‘23’ on Especial (limited repress incoming!) show constant development a sound of widescreen technoscope where dub beats trance pyrotechnics and 303 mind-melt swirling in a cosmic matter.
His return takes this further his music heritage in Finland’s hardcore punk scene to finding the techno of Detroit and Berlin before submerging in synths and drum programming jamming recording and mixing these trip-out electronic journeys live.
This heavy 4/4 jack is apparent on opening Sanctuary. Like his recent outings ‘Radar’ found on the Especial 50th “sampler” release ‘Gracias Especial’ (EES050) and also ‘Simulaato’ hidden away on blink and you miss it cult label Avidya (AVI003) this is a pure undiluted bang. Straight forward heavy bass kicking charged with acid 303 and monotonic vocal insights the track is a flourishing temple a call of embrace.
The eponymous Cyan Haze showcases 53X’s cinematic finest panoramic audio and sound design creating expansive phonics. BPMs drop samples flourish around break drops and rolling bass – breathing looping shouting lifting.
Owls enlightens. Hardware rumbles cerebral a temporal universe awakening. The collage of found sound successive sequential all encased by hypnotic broken chords rolling bass and melancholic piano refrain. Meta worming braindance ecstatic tribal industrial gliding by Shiva into the night.
Dust closes apt its basement collage pounds Lydén to techno genesis. Proto-zeitgeist steppa dark room incantation pulling and expanding the fantasy to strange dreamscapes. Reincarnation and hope in 2026.
Devianza, leading artist and owner of the label, returns to production by launching a new series of single-sided vinyl releases, each featuring only two tracks. The first instalment is a sonic catharsis rising from the very depths of a generous land, abundant with new seeds ready to sprout.
‘Le Piante di Elena’ is a dreamlike homage to a primordial world — untouched, pure, and still fertile. A tribute to a newborn bearer of the most radical values of a necessary humanism: a call to return to nature in its most spiritual and purest form. Devianza appears to be evolving into a higher, more spiritual dimension, where spirituality itself becomes the guiding force behind his musical production.
The single side opens with ‘Betullae’, a hypnotic ride between deep and leftfield, characteristic of Devianza’s sound, but this time enriched with an Indian tonal and modal flavour. Forest landscapes are traced by piano motifs that evoke interstellar journeys among endless birch trees.
‘Sunflower Sunset’ continues the hypnotic drift with a melodic crescendo that conjures the image of a sunflower field bathed in the warm glow of a summer sunset without wind. Here, where everything stands still yet everything is, this eight-minute piece becomes proof of the rarefaction of time — an instant that, though fleeting, feels infinite.
For fans of: Donato Dozzy, Voices From The Lake, Luigi Tozzi, Claudio PRC.
Related labels: Spazio Disponibile, Hypnus, Semantica, Silent Season.
In the rapidly shifting tectonic plates of the global Afrobeats scene, few arrivals have been as seismic as that of Ahmed Ololade—better known to the world as Asake. With his breakout project Mr. Money With The Vibe, the artist didn’t merely debut; he effectively recalibrated the tempo of the Nigerian pop soundscape. The EP functions as a masterclass in synthesis, pulling from the ornate, percussive history of Fuji music and grafting it onto the driving, bass-heavy architectures of contemporary Amapiano. It is a calculated, deeply rhythmic hybridization that manages to feel both nostalgic and jarringly modern.
From a critical vantage point, Mr. Money With The Vibe is defined by its brevity and density. Asake treats each track as a focused vignette, utilizing a vocal delivery that oscillates between a melodic, almost liturgical chant and the staccato urgency of a Lagos street orator. The production—characterized by sharp, frenetic percussion and deceptively simple melodic loops—creates a high-intensity atmosphere that mirrors the relentless pace of urban life. He avoids the pitfall of bloated experimentation; instead, he doubles down on a "street-pop" ethos, prioritizing accessibility without sacrificing the complex rhythmic interplay that gives the genre its distinctive texture.
Ultimately, Mr. Money With The Vibe stands as a pivotal document of the current era, capturing the transition of Afrobeats from a regional powerhouse to a dominant global force. By blending the aspirational "hustle culture" narrative with an increasingly sophisticated sonic palette, Asake established a blueprint that has since influenced a new wave of artists. The project is a testament to the idea that authenticity, when paired with relentless precision, remains the most effective currency in contemporary music.
The album from an association of Ukrainian artists called Noneside brought musicians and painters together under the famous words of the writer Lina Kostenko "Sometimes I'm Blinded By Beauty..".
The painting by contemporary figurative artist Danik Manzhos “Decadence/Zaruba” frames the prog, trance housy music of such performers as Saturated Color (Neptune Discs, Nerang Recordings), with a real acid test for you, JJ Fortune’s (Late Night Superglue, BOOOoo! Rizzwax) LSD trip remix on Lostlojic’s tune, Brooht (Mr.Banger, Silias Records) with summer electro fairy-tale, and Slava Los backs with his timeless work “M-14”.
Mastered by Taras Bril, also awesome typefaces of Ivan Tsanko-Khlibovich used in design as always.
First of all, this is the music of love and unity, wherever you are - at home dancing in the kitchen or on the big festival floor - common feelings will unite and spin you in a crazy rhythm, will make you understand that we are not strangers to each other. Together we dance for a better future!
Curió Curió came to flight by chance. Two artists, Rio-born, Austria-based singer and actress Luiza Monteiro and German producer Dustin Braun, had separately reached a fork in their journeys. An opportune encounter soon blossomed into an uplifting, heartfelt Brazilian MPB-groove project shaped by psychedelic disco and studio experimentation. In their own words Curió Curió’s sonic vision “is not straight disco, not straight samba, not strictly old-school but inspired by all of them, creating something contemporary but still nostalgic”.
A modern fusion influenced as much by Gal Costa and Jorge Ben Jor as Say She She and Bala Desejo, their sound deftly plots a course all of its own. A celebration of freedom, movement, love and life, intertwined with introspective moments of reflection. Treating tradition as something alive, migratory and unresolved, the album is not simply bound by a shared love of Brazilian music, but by a deeper question that runs through every track; where does one belong when home becomes plural? As a Brazilian living in Europe, Luiza's lyrics explore themes of identity, culture, and existence. The tracks move between cities and emotional registers without settling, tracing a sense of identity that shifts rather than resolves. Songs like ‘Amor Doente’ and ‘Mar sem Dar Pé’ circle around relationships that resist clarity, while ‘Menina Passarinho’ captures the fear and necessity of committing to music as a path. For Luiza, deepening her commitment to music alongside years in theatre was both inevitable and difficult. Braun’s production follows a similar logic. Initial ideas were often built without obvious reference points, only later incorporating rhythmic and vocal elements that hint at Brazil without reproducing it. Analogue techniques, tape, ribbon microphones and live ensemble recording bring a tactile quality that reflects the duo’s interest in process as much as outcome. Highlights include ‘Bem Querer’, built on an authentic samba street vibe with a super-catchy sing-along chorus, and ‘Vem pra Casa’ with its cosmic-tinged Brazilian boogie flavour. The album closes with ‘A Cor do Meu Sonho’, a quiet act of insistence. A refusal to shrink in unfamiliar environments, and a belief in the strength of difference. It is less a conclusion than a continuation, leaving the central question open. “I started to understand that I can belong to many places at once”, Luiza reflects. “And that can be something to embrace”. Lyrics from the song ‘Raiz’ translate in English to “I value a burning sun and the cold in the air. Constant change is my companion”. With Curió Curió, that idea is lived through sound, story and collaboration. A debut that feels both searching and assured, grounded in heritage yet shaped by distance.
VRNT presents VRLTD008, bringing together French producer Praymond with remixes by Guy From Downstairs and Cabanne. The label, vinyl-only, rooted in minimal techno and deep house, originally founded in Calgary and based in the Canada/USA-region, has built a reputation for high-quality, rhythm-centered releases. With L’odeur des rêves, Praymond delivers two originals and two reinterpretations that move in the micro-house and deep-house spectrum with subtlety and refinement. The A-side track presents a detailed groove with space and elegance; the Guy From Downstairs remix expands that vision with his signature swing. On the flip, “73 Infuse” anchors the release, and Cabanne’s remix reshapes the piece with clarity and finesse.
This 12″ (transparent vinyl, 140 g, four cuts) speaks to selectors and listeners who value texture, groove and mood ahead of showmanship. VRNT’s catalogue emphasises these traits, and this release slots in perfectly, warm, composed, and deeply musical.
alisco hotboy Iñigo Vontier is back to warm up the summer season with TECH MEX.
Desperado is a sleek, sexy slice of Mexi-tech-house, a seductive make-up song on top of a bed of boppy, bleepy groove. Seriously dope. Calvin Klein takes just enough jack, adds a touch of squelch, mixes in a vocal about passing around dr*gs, and voila.
Playable, club-ready, straight forward house music.
Not That Please is a shuffley, more tech-centric banger. Flashy Riot goes lower slung and hypnotic, while final track Lado B is a funky midtempo vibe-bringer that sounds like Moodyman with a side of guac.
Around 1970, musician, music producer, and entrepreneur Fernando Arias founded the record label Discos Fernando Arias (Difa) in Lima, the capital of Peru. This label was crucial for the musical production, promotion, dissemination, and development of Peruvian tropical music; more specifically, the so-called “carretero style”, so named because it was rooted in the famous Central Highway (Carretera Central) of Peru, which crosses the country from west to east, from the coast to the jungle, through the Andes mountain range. This style is defined by sudden changes from ballad to fast and aggressive tropical music, with electric guitar lines drenched in fuzztone, reverb, and wah-wah. To this must be added the plaintive, melancholic vocal style characteristic of Andean Peruvian music.
‘Signs Of The Time’ is a powerful, driving roots reggae anthem by Azizzi Romeo calling for global unity. The track features the legendary Max Romeo in what would be his final recording before his passing.
The track is fuelled by the lush, authentic arrangements of Denmark's premier 11- piece roots collective, Guiding Star Orchestra.
Blending heavy traditional rhythms with a modern conscious edge, the track boasts dynamic brass lines and an irresistible groove. Essential for modern roots, cultural reggae, and global conscious playlists celebrating the enduring legacy of a reggae icon.
The release comes with a dub version by Tippy I-Grade who weaves heavy, foundational basslines through echoed horn stabs and beautifully fragmented vocal chops that ripple seamlessly across the stereo field.
It’s an essential addition for listeners who crave the meditative depth of classic 70s dub reimagined through a modern, high-fidelity lens.
Dave Hamilton revived ‘My Sweet Baby’ his 1967 release by J T Rhythm on a harmony group from Flint, Michigan called the Mark-Keys. The backing tracks are similar, but the harmonies are softer and it is this version that appeals to the Lowrider scene devotees. The beautiful ballad flip ‘Heavenly Thing’ adds further interest for the collectors and DJs who are so influential nowadays; the high demand has brought about this Repro pressing.
A mix of post-Tropicalia Brazilian rock and some of the more soulful elements filtering through the country's music in the early 70s and one of the most enigmatic albums by this unique singer! Sergio's got a sound that's incredibly hard to describe at once sweet and melodic, but also kind of twisted, in an intimate singer/songwriter mode. The production of the album is compressed with a number of post-Beatles touches that make it sparkle like work by Caetano Veloso in the mid 70s, or some of the Peruvian rock by groups like We All Together and hearing the record gives us the same sort of excitement of new discovery as when we heard their best work. Titles include "Rulzito Seixas", Viajei De Trem, "Pobre Meu Pai", "Labirintos Negros", "Filme De Terror", and Lero E Leros E Boleros
'Sometimes life can kick you in the nads,' says Dominick Martin (aka Calibre). 'When life does do that, I need to make music like this. With its tones of hope and gospel-level layers of self-recorded vocals. Raw, uplifting, soulfull... Even to the most ardent of Calibre follower, ' Grow' sounds like nothing else he's done before. Yet it's not actually on the album it gave a name to. Partly because its ultimately positive veneer (even though it was written in the midst of two toxic relationships - one personal, one with the bottle) doesn't quite complement the deeper, more contemplative aesthetic of the album. But also because this is the start of a whole new story for Calibre...
'A part of Dominick is a poet and a part of him is a man who's lived through Northern Ireland at its worst,' observes Craig Richards . 'There's a gentleness and a tension to him and his past and his experiences. Somewhere in that middle ground is his music.'
Taken from a interview by Dave Jenkins for DJ Magazine.
If ever an album could transport you to the hazy sunshine and imagined halcyon paradise of Southern California in the mid-1980s, could capture the early evening warmth of hanging at an inclusive boogie jam as it approaches “magic hour” in Santa Ana or Anaheim, then it’s Vaughan Mason and Butch Dayo’s Feel My Love. A brilliantly produced deep slung, low rider funk classic originally released on Salsoul in 1983. It’s a masterpiece of “funk love music”.
Yes, this is indeed a perfectly formed five track “mini LP” of unparalleled heat, but there’s one song here that, above the rest, represents Orange County boogie-funk. A straight killer beloved by all that have had the pleasure of moving to it. A track that can fill up a dance floor within seconds of its starting. That song is the eternal title track, “Feel My Love”.
This is a work of art that made people fall in love with the funk. It transcends the limitations of genre. “Feel My Love”’s deceptive simplicity makes it perfect to drop during a house set, a classic funk party or at a west coast rap jam. It’s sexy, deeply emotional, melancholic, hopeful, passionate and just radiates so, so much raw energy. This is music.
The rest of the record is hardly filler though. Opener “Oh, Love” is a dizzying, emotional slow jam. With heaven-sent vocals riding gorgeous, sweeping keys that alternate between sweet twinkling lines and funk-fuelled stabbing. It’s sensational. A rollerskating jam named “Rollalong Songs” is an ultra-swish piece of dance floor dynamite. Its slick drums, staccato piano and neck snapping claps underscore Dayo’s buoyant vocals. It’s essentially “Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll Part II”.
The flip begins with “Party On The Corner”. Smoother than silk vocals, day-glo synths, a bubbling bassline and guitar licks that surely received the Prince seal of approval. It’s another example of how Vaughan Mason and Butch Dayo flirt with perfection so routinely. The most majestic closer, the kaleidoscopic, cow-bell-assisted synth-funk heater “You Can Do It” is a proto-rap groover that truly smokes.
This prized LP is a stone cold jam and finding original copies on vinyl at affordable prices has been tough for years. Mastered brilliantly by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman and with lovingly reproduced artwork, this fresh Be With reissue ensures this legendary LP now sounds, looks and feels as sensational as it should.
UK born, Fremantle-based producer Jon E. makes his return to Natural Element, after his sell-out debut release ‘Smoke’ in 2025 captured the attention of DJs and dancefloors around the world.
Here sees the first of a two-part series of EPs that displays the fruits of a deeply creative phase following an injury that had him bed bound for months. The sonic progression from his debut is tangible across all four tracks, with an enhanced palette and clear versatility. The EP is a deeper expression of his production skills and unique, authentic sound. Natural sounds of the city make for an organic touch throughout, giving tracks an atmosphere that makes them feel alive. ‘One More Time’ sets the pace with an irresistible groove that is both bold and refined, steeped in jazzy tones and calling to mind summer day parties. ‘We Can Make It’ is a blissful and uplifting jam that goes on a journey of its own, leaving a lasting impression with the delicate, distinct vocals of Roxanne forming a perfect match. On the flip, ‘Raise Them Up’ takes things a little deeper with a moody roller inspired by Moodymann, and ‘Day n Night’ rounds off the record in style with a more lo-fi groover exhibiting loose drums, intricate percussion and floating brassy licks.
"BIG PINK- A pink house seated in the sun of Overlook Mountain in West Saugerties, New York. Big Pink bore this music and these songs along its way. It's the first witness of this album that's been thought and composed right there in its walls."
Ein echter Meilenstein der elektronischen Musik kehrt zurück:
Der Laserdance-Klassiker von 1994 ist endlich wieder als CD und Vinyl erhältlich. Fans von Spacesynth und klassischem Electronic Dance dürfen sich auf die Wiederveröffentlichung eines Albums freuen, das bis heute Kultstatus genießt. Laserdance gelten weltweit als die Pioniere des Spacesynth-Genres und prägten mit ihren futuristischen Soundlandschaften, treibenden Sequenzen und unverwechselbaren Synthesizer-Melodien eine ganze Generation elektronischer Musik. Mit ihrem einzigartigen Mix aus Italo Disco, Space-Electro und atmosphärischen Sci-FiKlängen setzten sie bereits in den 80er- und 90er-Jahren neue Maßstäbe.
Das ursprünglich 1994 veröffentlichte Album begeistert noch heute mit energiegeladenen Tracks, epischen Arrangements und dem typischen galaktischen Laserdance-Sound, der Fans rund um den Globus fasziniert. Die Neuauflage erscheint sowohl auf CD als auch auf hochwertigem Vinyl und bringt diesen elektronischen Klassiker zurück in jede gut sortierte Sammlung.
RAWAX proudly welcomes Satoshi Tomiie to the artist family!
We are delighted to announce a trilogy by the legendary producer on DUBWAX
called "Subtract Infinity Part 1 - 3! Highly recommeded!
The ultimate soundtrack of the summer is here: Mixatissimo, a 10-track vinyl-only mixed dance compilation bridging nostalgic ’80s sunshine vibes with modern Italo and indie-dance energy.
In Italy, during the 1980s, there was an absolute ritual that marked the beginning of summer: the release of those mixed dance compilations with glittering, futuristic covers. They weren’t just records; they were the very definition of sun, sea and tan lines. It was precisely holding one of those vinyls in his hands – the first one he ever bought – that sparked the musical passion of Italian DJ and producer Hey Cabrera!
Today, that perfect circle closes with Mixatissimo, a project that takes that nostalgic inspiration and transports it straight into the modern era.
Released as an exclusive vinyl-only edition by Universo Segundo and powered by Bordello A Parigi, the compilation packs 10 bangers oscillating between modern Italo, indie-dance and electronics, featuring some of the hottest names on the contemporary scene.
Exclusive special edits have been crafted for every single track, locking the groove into a fixed BPM for each side: 122 BPM on Side A and 125 BPM on Side B. Thanks to smooth transitions featuring drums-only sections, the record flows as a continuous stream for the listener, while simultaneously serving as the perfect tool for DJs who want to mix the individual tracks.
A meticulously calibrated selection, designed as much to make the dancefloor explode late at night as to keep the rhythm high in the most sophisticated listening bars.
The soundtrack to your summer is ready.
What are you waiting for?
How time flies when we’re talking truly classic House Music.
Incredibly it is 35 years since the epic BREAK OF DAWN was released. Track creator Geoff Hibbert had released the much loved A PLACE CALLED BLISS by CYCLONE on Network before coming up with the stunning BOD.
It was decided that a change of artist I/D away from Techno/Bleep influenced Cyclone was required and RHYTHM ON THE LOOSE was born.
Network came up with an initial limited edition 12” press on their One After D label to tie in with the Rave zeitgeist of 1991, to help kickstart a buzz on the track. Once this was ignited the “ suitcase at the door “ gem was properly released on the main Network label.
Acclaimed as an instant classic both in the UK and USA - where Network label mate Kevin Saunderson was an enthusiastic early advocate - BREAK OF DAWN is one of the tracks that truly shaped and defined the House Music explosion. Since then it has matured like fine wine.
To celebrate the 35th anniversary Network invited M.A.S.C (Mark Archer and Shadow Child) to come up with a remix that befits the as good as it gets status of the mighty BOD. They duly obliged..it’s a gem.
First copies of the remix are on a unique ADVANCE DJ COPY label with the track on both a and b sides.
An instant do you know the score collectors item …1991 to 2026 35th Anniversary Remix 12.
Die internationale Rocksensation The Hives, die beste Liveband der Welt und immer noch eure neue Lieblingsband, hat wieder einmal, schneller als erwartet, ein neues Werk geschaffen, wie man es noch nie gehört hat und wahrscheinlich auch nie wieder hören wird. Ihr siebtes Album 'The Hives Forever Forever The Hives' erscheint am 29. August auf dem ehrwürdigen Label Play It Again Sam. Ein neues Album voller Energie, Freude, Wut und Leben! Jeder einzelne Song eine Single, jede einzelne Single ein Hit, jeder Hit ein Volltreffer mitten ins Gesicht. Diese neue Meisterwerk entstand unter der Leitung des langjährigen Kollaborateurs Pelle Gunnerfeldt in Stockholm. Mike D von den legendären Beastie Boys ist als Gast vertreten und auch Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age) stand mit Rat und Tat zur Seite.
The Hives, bestehend aus Howlin’ Pelle, Chris Dangerous, The Johan And Only, Nicholaus Arson und Vigilante Carlstroem, haben sich in über dreißig Jahren in die Annalen der Rockgeschichte eingeschrieben. Dank ihrer Erfolge füllten sie große Stadien und teilten die Bühne mit so monumentalen Acts wie AC/DC und den Rolling Stones. Die BBC bezeichnete sie als „Naturgewalt“, und der Rolling Stone kürte ihr Album 'Veni Vidi Vicious' zu einem der 100 besten Alben des Jahrzehnts. Mit Millionen verkaufter Alben, Platin-Auszeichnungen und zahlreichen Preisen - Grammys, MTV Awards, NME Awards - gelten sie als Titanen der Musikwelt. Oder wie Joe Strummer es gesagt hat: The Hives haben den Rock ’n’ Roll gerettet!
The moment the instantly recognizable intertwined guitar passage on the title track to the Eagles' Hotel California begins, the record's genius becomes obvious all over again. Ranked the 118th Greatest Album of All Time by Rolling Stone, certified by RIAA as the third best-selling LP in history, and considered the foundation on which the Golden State's mid-‘70s music scene was built, the 1976 landmark is a music staple immune to shifts in trends, eras, and styles. Fearlessly addressing the chaos and consequences of American life, its songs remain strikingly prescient and gain creedence with each passing day.
Mastered from the original analogue master tapes, pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl, and limited to 17,500 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP vinyl box set ensures you will want to permanently check into and never leave this particular Hotel California. Up to the herculean task of standing head and shoulders above all prior reissues, this collectible edition plays with extreme clarity, organic richness, tube-like warmth, massive dynamics, and microscopic levels of detail. You'll be able to practically smell the colitas and feel the breeze in your hair. Songs come across with an epic sweep and feature immersive, front-to-back soundstages that allow the music unprecedented air, roominess, and separation. As for the noise floor? It's basically as invisible as the spirits that waft in the corridors of the unforgettable title song.
Aesthetically, the premium packaging and presentation of the UD1S Hotel California pressing befit its esteemed status. Housed in a deluxe box, it features gorgeous foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendour of the recording. From every angle, this UD1S reissue exists as a curatorial artefact meant to be preserved, touched, and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art – and everything involved with the album, from the renowned cover art to the meticulous finishes.
Indeed, the opportunity to zero in on all the particulars of the 26-million-selling Eagles record dubbed "a legitimate rock masterpiece" by vaunted Los Angeles Times scribe Robert Hilburn has never been better. A global phenomenon that marked the band debut of guitarist-singer Joe Walsh, Hotel California continues to resonate and connect with listeners of all generations taken by its narrative depth, stark directness, picturesque melodies, daring majesty, and ardent emotionalism. Adorned with a breathtaking exterior photograph of the Beverly Hills Hotel that serves as the simultaneously haunting and alluring cover art, and rounded out by a rear-cover shot of the Lido Hotel lobby that reinforces a notion that teeters between permanence and transience, Hotel California is brilliantly tied to a specific place that functions as a universally understood metaphor for the American Dream.
Confronting the darker undercurrents and oft-ignored constructs attached to that romantic notion, the record's songs revolve around a host of shared themes: excess, mobility, stability, illusion, fame, destruction, and idealism included. Notably, Hotel California appeared at a crucial junction in American history: During the country's bicentennial and amid escalating controversies related to the Vietnam War, energy crisis, and governmental corruption. That the Eagles manage to channel such cultural, social, and economical matters into a cohesive, stately, big-picture statement is alone a stupendous feat. That the album's reach, boldness, vitality, accessibility, and understated intensity have never waned make it a marvel.
Reflecting on Hotel California 40 years after its original release, and indirectly explaining its enduring appeal and increasing relevance, singer-songwriter Don Henley confirmed the record pertains to the "loss of innocence, the cost of naiveté...the difficulties of balancing loving relationships and work, trying to square the conflicting relationship between business and art; the corruption in politics, the fading away of the Sixties dream of ‘peace, love and understanding.'"
It can be argued that Henley and company squarely hit on and drove home those ideas in the surreal title track, chart-topping "Life in the Fast Lane," and grand "The Last Resort" alone. But that would miss the forest for the trees. Experienced as an unbroken whole, complete with the pristinely shot imagery and physical grooves, Hotel California unfolds like a geography-conscious saga by James Michener and plays like colour-saturated movie shot on 70mm film by Martin Scorsese. It's about our collective and individual decisions – and the shape of our past, present, and future. And, just like that conjured by our imaginations, Hotel California continues to take on a life of its own.
More About Mobile Fidelity UltraDisc One-Step and Why It Is Superior
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's UltraDisc One-Step (UD1S) technique bypasses generational losses inherent to the traditional three-step plating process by removing two steps: the production of father and mother plates, which are created to yield numerous stampers from each lacquer that is cut. For UD1S plating, stampers (also called "converts") are made directly from the lacquers. Since each lacquer yields only one stamper, multiple lacquers need to be cut. Mobile Fidelity's UD1S process produces a final LP with the lowest-possible noise floor. The removal of two steps of the plating process also reveals musical details and dynamics that would otherwise be lost due to the standard multi-step process. With UD1S, every aspect of vinyl production is optimized to produce the best-sounding vinyl album available today.
MoFi SuperVinyl
Developed by NEOTECH and RTI, MoFi SuperVinyl is the most exacting-to-specification vinyl compound ever devised. Analogue lovers have never seen (or heard) anything like it. Extraordinarily expensive and extremely painstaking to produce, the special proprietary compound addresses two specific areas of improvement: noise floor reduction and enhanced groove definition. The vinyl composition features a new carbonless dye (hold the disc up to the light and see) and produces the world's quietest surfaces. This high-definition formula also allows for the creation of cleaner grooves that are indistinguishable from the original lacquer. MoFi SuperVinyl provides the closest approximation of what the label's engineers hear in the mastering lab.
The vinyl is titled Final Call, in the A side there are two tracks: A1 Bogdan Andrei - Before and After genre Romanian house, as the second track A2 Bogdan Andrei and Mila Lexi - Final Call this track is the main vinyl from which it takes name, also this genre Romanian house.
In the B side of the vinyl there are 2 tracks: B1 Bogdan Andrei and Libe - Zero genre minimal techno, as the second track Bogadn Andrei and Alex Rusu -Secret also this minimal techno.
People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm with the first-ever action figures of Phife, Q-Tip, Ali, and Jarobi.
Their music, characterized by a light-hearted and positive tone, with incredible wordplay, paved the way for hip-hop artists of the time.
This 4-pack of figures is inspired by the band members as they appeared in the music video,
I Left My Wallet in El Segundo—and yes, a wallet accessory is included.
All 4 figures appear in collector-friendly window-box packaging with original Super7 artwork influenced by the People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm album cover.
This album is considered one of the most impactful influences at the time, mixing alternative hip-hop and jazz rap.
So, hop in the car for a road trip in time with this 4-pack ReAction Figure set of the members of A Tribe Called Quest.
Looking back on her career in the early 90s, Stevie Nicks described the first track of Rock a Little as “the most exciting song that I had ever heard.” This coming from a superstar who was already closely affiliated with several bajillion-selling Fleetwood Mac albums — to say nothing of her own benchmark solo debut. Her remarks attest to the enthusiasm and effort she invested in her third record, a 1985 work that quickly furthered Nicks’ profile and cemented itself as a piece of 80s pop lore.
Mastered at MoFi’s California studio, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, strictly limited to 4,000 numbered copies, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set presents Rock a Little in audiophile sound for its 40th anniversary. Helmed by a cadre of producers and engineers, and recorded for a reported one million dollars, the platinum-certified album teems with a head-spinning array of colors, tones, dreamscapes, and accents. This reference-grade reissue marks the first time they are all brought to light and conveyed with proper balance, dimensionality, and positioning.
Though Rock a Little doubtlessly has period characteristics of a mid-80s LP, Nicks and company spare no expense when it comes to distinguishing the music with expansive sonics distinguished with lush melodies, high-tech percussion, echoing vocals, sampled keyboards, and layers of sophisticated accents. The degrees of spaciousness, headroom, and dynamics are nothing less than inspiring, while the newly enhanced detail, texture, and clarity make the songs sing like never before. As for Nicks’ voice? Wait ’til you experience the transparency and depth.
Those advantages extend, of course, to the aforementioned “I Can’t Wait,” a statement-making opener shot through with modulating synthesizers, splashy drums, metallic guitars, and serious drama. Holed up in a massive studio, Nicks required just one take to nail her part, which she called “magic and simply not able to beat.” The singer-songwriter also distilled the reverberating emotional essence of the Top 20 tune, stating “when I hear it on the radio, this incredible feeling comes over me, like something really incredible is about to happen.”
The same can be said for nearly all of Rock a Little. Crafted by the likes of Songwriters Hall of Fame multi-instrumentalist/producer Rick Nowels, Heartbreakers organist Benmont Tench, bassist Bob Glaub, jack-of-all-trades Greg Phillinganes, and session-pro guitarists Waddy Watchel, Les Dudek, and Danny Kortchmar — along with another two dozen or so participants — the record spills with diverse ideas, shapes, and moods. Everything is in the right place, as evidenced by the swirling glide and sensual undertow of the slightly funky title track to the snapping rhythmic pace and big hooks of “Imperial Hotel,” one of Nicks’ standout moments.
“What was it she wanted?” Nicks queries on “No Spoken Word,” continuing a theme of contemplation that runs through the narratives. Nicks never lands on a definite answer, but hearing her explore loneliness, love, and the secrets we keep to ourselves proves continuously rewarding. Take her passionate performance on a cover of Chas Sanford’s “Talk to Me,” a Top 5 smash furthered by tasteful saxophone lines and understated folk elements. Immersive yourself in the grand sonic corridors of “If I Were You,” laden with Nicks’ signature mysticism.
Moreover, surrender to the gravitas of the closing “Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You,” a piano ballad composed about the death of Joe Walsh’s three-year-old daughter. As Nicks asserts earlier on the album, she sings for things money can’t buy.
So, rock a little, yes, but dare to feel even more.
Genie In A Bottle is back with strong EP from my Italian Hermano - Shkedul.
“Secret Society” is the last track of the record, but definitely far from least. One of the best examples of Shkedul’s dark and confident production. This time also with perfect marching kicks, acidic arpeggios, and kinda familiar story that is being narrated through the track. The name here goes straight from the story, by the way.
“Meditative State” at the B1 also tells us the story, this time with a bit calmer voice. The track is calmer too, the kicks are still marching, don’t assume. “Confidence” lays very hard on the acid part, easily the most acidic track here. Finally, the opener, “Change Is Coming”. With the story again (damn, I like those conversations over the track so much) and the most interesting bassline of all.
Powerfull Support from : Quest , Anthea , Gabbs , Jane Fitz…
The Universe evolution led to the emergence of life and we can only guess what forms of it can exist in the depths of Space. Maybe in the future a Moonrover will be launched to other planets and satellites. And this is only a small part of the huge research capacity of humankind. Using this capacity to the full we hope to find answers to the questions on the origin and existence of life.
Blending British techno and hyperpop with the Baile Funk and samba of singer Paula's native Brazil, PPJ are considered by British magazine NME to be one of the most innovative bands of the moment.
The double EP "Bloco Vol.1 & Vol.2" tells the story of the band's journey to Rio de Janeiro, far from the postcards we know of Brazil.
"One of the most innovative new names around" NME
"A fascinating and exhilarating blend of neoperreo, techno and electroclash from a group to watch" RESIDENT ADVISOR
"Kaleidoscopic techno-pop" DJ MAG
"A real anti-depression remedy"LINE OF BEST FIT
"Their main goal? To make everybody dance" METAL MAGAZINE
‘It’s hard to find an act as distinctive as PPJ » MIXMAG
Barranquilla born multi-instrumentalist Pernett is undoubtedly a true pioneer in fusing Colombian folklore with electronic elements. Back in 2003, when he released his first album “Música Para Pick Up”, Humberto was immediately seen as genius by some, crazy and outrageous by others. How dare he incorporate synthesizers into traditional music? What would be called this avant-garde genre where gaitas, traditional drums and keyboards come together? To this date, Pernett has released 6 albums, worked with an impressive number of prestigious artists such as Phil Manzanera, Calle 13, Novalima, or Quantic, and is still influencing whole generations of forward-thinking musicians.
Originally released from is latest album, “Vamos A Hacer” and El Pajarito have been edited for the occasion, by talented recording engineer Benjamin Calais AKA Ben Matik,
A-side “Vamos A Hacer - Ben Matik Instrumental Edit” is a joint collaboration between Pernett and renown British producer Will Holland aka Quantic. A heavy blend of funky breaks and cumbia. A 7-minutes version, exclusive to this 10″, has been especially taken out from the masters vault, and edited by Ben Matik: the original short version takes a unexpected turn to a completely freaked-out “Puya” rhythm, where gaitas and synths perfectly merge together.
B-side “El Pajarito - Ben Matik Instrumental Edit” is a deep downtempo anthem, a perfect fusion of powerful electronic beats, 808 bass, analog synths and gaitas. special attention should be paid to the enchanting voice of Diana Pereira on this one.
Dope Purple's new album 'Children In The Darkness’ was recorded when the band hosted a live midnight recording session at Revolver, Taipei City, Taiwan on Friday 3rd March 2023.
Amidst the tense silence of the middle of the night, the five members of Dope Purple, two guest musicians: saxophonist Yong Yandsen from Malaysia, British drummer Darren Moore from Singapore, and a familiar audience, came together to produce the album 'Children In The Darkness’.
The album is a ferocious space psychedelic rock, no starlight, no glamourous psychedelic paradise, just a meditative journey of infinite darkness and ear-splitting tinnitus. Unlike our last album, I didn't have a specific theme or idea for this album, however I named it 'Children In The Darkness’ because all the songs on this album share the same lonely, disorientating chaos that reminds me of children forgotten in the darkness, and Dope Purple has always been a messenger for those children, playing sedative music for their ghosts.
At the end of each performance, I can clearly feel my furious brain melting away and only the calming spirit remains in my body.
Originally dropped in 2016 on Aiwo Rec., Forum's self-titled EP became one of those secret weapons whispered about in after-hours corners. It's a hazy blend of dusty drum machines, rolling 303s and dreamy breaks that bottled the spirit of Germany's late-night underground at the height of the so-called "outsider house" wave. Now back via WARNING, this reissue keeps everything intact, from the tropical drift of 'Yucatan' to the sheer groove hypnosis of 'Space Train.' It's an EP that moves between house, breakbeat and sunrise euphoria with a knowing hand. A modern cult classic reborn.
Desertshore is Nico's third solo album, recorded and released in 1970. It was co-produced by John Cale and Joe Boyd. Like its predecessor The Marble Index, it is an avant-garde album with chamber music elements. The back and front covers feature stills from the film La cicatrice interieure by Philippe Garrel, which starred Nico, Garrel and her son Ari Boulogne. A few of the songs from the album were included on the soundtrack of the film.
Haute Tension 09 arrives
Les400Coups, a duo made up of Akouphen and Damage Circuits, are back on the grooves to delight us with their very own style! They'll be joined by 2 talented artists, La Tartine and La Gazel.
Tribe fans, this record is for you!
How enduring is the signature song from Harry Chapin’s Verities & Balderdash? So timeless that it became the subject of a 2025 documentary in which artists from multiple generations weigh in on its impact on their lives and craft. “Cat’s in the Cradle” doubtlessly remains the main event on the singer-songwriter’s 1974 album. The legendary opening track also serves as a guidepost for the bold personal and social material that follows — as well as the gorgeous folk-rock arrangements that underpin the New York native’s most commercially successful work.
Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, housed in a Stoughton jacket complete with a four-page insert, and strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 33RPM LP of Verities & Balderdash presents Chapin’s fourth full-length in audiophile quality for the first time on vinyl. Captured during a golden era for sonics and production, the Top 5 effort features remarkable tonal balance, instrumental separation, and organic naturalism. Those valued aspects come into supreme focus on this reissue, which plays with dead-quiet surfaces and a low noise floor.
The newfound clarity, openness, and imaging underscore the lasting appeal of Chapin’s tender deliveries, soulful timbre, and careful phrasing. Every word comes across with incredible realism, while his underrated guitar playing occupies its own distinctive space. Also notable: The extension of the tasteful string accents; airiness of the backing vocals; depth and shape of the spare bass lines; and width and depth of the soundstaging. When on “Six String Orchestra” Chapin calls out names of instruments, they appear like magic, the band performing feet from you. Chapin has never sounded so lifelike on record.
Certified double platinum, Verities & Balderdash resonated with the times and public. “Cat’s in the Cradle” reached No. 1 on the chart on its way to being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The romantic ballad “I Wanna Learn a Love Song” flirted with the Top 40 and wrapped listeners in the equivalent of a cozy blanket. The record’s other single, the mini-epic “What Made America Famous?,” helped establish Chapin as one of the country’s most incisive and insightful commentators.
Verities & Balderdash teems with situational devices and topical matters. Chapin observes everything from the polarization of the nation to changes in moral standards and cultural priorities. He investigates pressing themes without ever turning preachy or elevating himself above the matters at hand. On “Halfway to Heaven,” whose coda races to the finish and ranks as the most urgent moment on the record, Chapin inhabits the mind of his frustrated protagonist akin to an eagle-eyed novelist.
Conveying emotions that range from melancholic to carefree, Chapin is as much of a singer as a storyteller. He assumes the voice of multiple characters within a single narrative. During the quirky “30,000 Pounds of Bananas,” a tale based on a delivery-truck accident in 1965, Chapin alters his delivery, pronunciation, and diction to become an old man reflecting on the mishap and mess. The tempo, too, adjusts to match the speed of the vehicle Chapin describes.
Adorned with timely laugh tracks to reinforce the bittersweet humor, the stripped-down “Six String Orchestra” takes everything up another notch, with Chapin intentionally missing guitar notes or playing a broken passage to illustrate the failures of the hopeful protagonist who doesn’t have what’s required to make it as an artist.
Chapin, of course, did not have any such problem. The lynchpin of a career cut short by a tragic traffic incident, Verities & Balderdash is Exhibit A of the savvy craft, feeling, and perspective he lent to American music.
Carly Simon’s No. 1 smash “You’re So Vain” lingers as one of the most clever and famous songs ever recorded. The subject of mass speculation ever since its release, soon after which it occupied the top spot on multiple Billboard charts for weeks, the anthem kept a captive public guessing at the identity of its smug subject for decades. The question surrounding the protagonist’s identity remained perhaps the only mystery on the otherwise sexually open and autobiographically daring No Secrets, Simon’s commercial breakthrough and ‘70s singer-songwriter staple.
Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set affords the platinum-certified 1972 effort the finest sonic treatment it’s received on vinyl. Helmed by Richard Perry and recorded at London’s Trident Studios — where Beatles, David Bowie, and Elton John captured landmark LPs — No Secrets touts exceptional production qualities highlighted by this restorative reissue.
Audiophiles and record collectors, take note: This is the first time No Secrets has been available on 45RPM. The wider grooves and dead-quiet surfaces pay instant dividends. Simple, elegant, and disarming, songs seemingly float amid wide, deep soundstages. Simon’s voice takes on a confident, assertive tenor that emerges with accurate imaging, balanced tonality, and palpable presence. String arrangements and backing vocals come through with similar realism.
Enhanced by an all-star cast — Simon’s then-husband James Taylor, Paul and Linda McCartney, Mick Jagger, Lowell George, Klaus Voorman, Bobby Keys, Jim Keltner, Nicky Hopkins, and Bonnie Bramlett are among the renowned musicians who lend a hand — No Secrets advances Simon’s themes of personal introspectiveness, no-holds-barred reflectiveness, and feminist-inspired boldness. She makes every moment of No Secrets worth savoring. Simon invests her all in the songs, handling beautiful ballads, sassy folk-rock numbers, and bluesy fare with calm, composure, and candor.
While acknowledging her own regrets (“You’re So Vain”) and loss (“The Carter Family”), Simon champions the highs (“The Right Thing to Do”) and pains (“His Friends Are More Than Fond of Robin”) of love in a sincere manner indicative of her maturity as both an artist and singer. The New York native distinguishes “When You Close Your Eyes” with deep-rooted spirituality, recalls childhood joys via charming sentimentality on “It Was So Easy,” and and takes ownership of her persona on a cover of Taylor’s “Night Owl.”
“We have no secrets
/We tell each other everything,” Simon sings at the record’s midpoint, encapsulating both the themes and bravura of an effort that was nominated for four Grammy Awards and saw her write or co-write every song but one. Combined with Perry’s savvy instrumental arrangements, her self-assured performances and forthright lyrics grant No Secrets an edginess and relevance immune to the ravages of time.
For their debut EP on Tectonic, Beatrice M. drops four deep, dubby cuts bringing weighted bass energy together with techno sensibilities and advanced percussive manoeuvres. Elegant but powerful tracks built for sound systems and curious ears!
Midnight Swim is an ode to the “softer” club sounds, repetitive aquatic grooves that remind Beatrice of their go-to sport: swimming. No phones, just back and forth in the cold water, settling into a mechanical groove. The opening track, Oval, carries its title from the appreciation of soft edges, little distortion, minimal rhythmic pattern.
Upon hearing Pinch’s tune 136 Trek, (itself a nod to Zinc’s 138 Trek), Beatrice decided to name a tune 132 Trek, to continue the lineage of their musical heritage. The tune was already called Trek because it was made after moving from France and spending their first months in London, and realising “everything is a bloody trek”!!
The EP’s title track is about warm-up music and enjoying the earlier hours of the party - a quick immersion and then time for bed, rather than banging club tracks all night long. Beatrice likes to show up early at the club, watch it fill and then leave as it packs out. Midnight Swim is a dip into a roller.
The last tune of the EP features Sub Basics, the first artist to have a vinyl release on Beatrice’s own label, Bait, and one of their biggest musical inspirations. Sub Basics’ immersive progressive sounds fit simultaneously in the deep techno world and the dubstep world. A beautiful in-between.
Can’t go over it. Can’t go under it. Gotta go through it. And somewhere out there in the Pitch black beyond all darkness lies Peace & Purpose. The horizon you never quite crest until the inevitable end. Breathe deep — this fearful moment is the most alive you’re ever gonna feel. For the last decade, Crack Cloud’s vision has grown ever more expansive, more cinematic. Last go around, they dropped from The Heavens and then performed with their bare backs to an endless darkening desert. Now they’ve crammed all that life into some metallic and strange object called Peace & Purpose. All the terror of living. All the helplessness. All the raw human will. All glued and screwed and locked into this impossible tactile shape of dungeon dub; sour milk vox; Avant-protest music. Music arm wrestling itself to the ground. Far afield of beauty. The discordant symphony of factory farming and grim timber of the meat processing plant. The grinding din of the cogs. And yet, never giving up in spite of all good sense. Even in death, we are a coterie of survivors. Look now: There’s Terry Fox on his one-legged Marathon of Hope across The Great White North while cancer spreads through his lungs. A self-annihilating drive to feel alive. Rage against the dying of the light, they say. Well, how ‘bout it then!??! Peace & Purpose is not in any way some art project meditation on Punk Rock. It is Punk Rock. Terrifying, inspiring, vital, invigorating and most importantly, utterly unexpected. Every goddamn stupid day is a sublime slice of fresh hell. That’s the point. Gotta go through it. Wishing you Peace & Purpose — if only in that last big breath.
Originally from Sicily but living in Basel, electronic composer Marco Papiro confirms his eccentric and multifaceted personality. The sound articulation of his analog synthesizers flows into in an artificial hyperrealism of great thematic and expressive variation. The tracks unfold between ascending cosmic moments, more ecstatic meditative tones, symphonic planetary floods, exotic afrodelic and psycho-andean drifts. Papiro synthesises and converts echoes of acoustic wind instruments (oboe, recorders, bamboo flute), while the percussion lives on its own pulsating reality. The influence of certain folk traditions, as well as contemporary music, also suggests the more acoustic flavor of an ethereal minimalism (for voice and psaltery), making his music a continuous open sea of visions. Cover painting by Anton Bruhin printed on two different colored papers. Co-released with Les Giants.
Carly Simon’s quietly intense sophomore album comes across like an assertive notice nailed to a telephone pole for all to see. Bold, personal, and autobiographical, Anticipation announces the arrival of an artist who won’t back down. While Simon stands her ground on her eponymous debut, she elevates her passion and persona to heightened levels throughout this gold-certified record, dealing in private matters related to love, relationships, and desire. At times, Simon is nothing short of primal. She reflects on the difficulties of retaining your own identity while also giving yourself to a partner. Simon’s connection to her folk roots would never be stronger.
Sourced from the original master tapes, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set of Anticipation lays bare the rich tapestries afforded by the spare blend of soft guitars, mellow orchestration, and dreamy melodies. Audiophiles and record collectors, take note: This is the first time Anticipation has been available on 45RPM. The wider grooves and dead-quiet surfaces prove extremely rewarding.
The rhythmic framework anchored by session pro Andy Newmark’s drumming sounds dynamic and balanced, with songs benefiting from a focused midrange and taut low-end. Simon’s attachment to and investment in each lyric is made evident by way of the intimate, hushed atmospherics and expansive responsiveness. And just as Simon’s vocals feel more transparent and direct, so, too, do the supporting choral arrangements.
Released before the singer-songwriter movement reached full bloom, Anticipation remains remarkable for the high-quality songwriting and Simon’s gutsy stance. The album cover — depicting the vocalist holding the gates at Queen Mary’s Garden in Regent’s Park and seemingly defying anyone to take her on — serves as a metaphor for the content within.
Known for having relationships with high-profile partners, Simon was heavily involved with Cat Stevens leading up to the recording of Anticipation. She draws from her experiences to craft tunes that resonate because of their honesty, realism, and strength. Few of those moments are better known than the Top 20 title track, which Simon composed in just 15 minutes as she waited for Stevens to pick her up for a date. Imbued with the nervousness, tension, and excitement that accompany the moments when a romance could go either way, the Grammy-nominated song presages the feminist-minded vulnerability and burning longing that informs a majority of the record.
On the soulful “Legend in Your Own Time,” also inspired by Stevens, Simon harnesses yearning as a conduit to feel-good paradise. Deemed by Rolling Stone an “absolute clincher, an awesome description of the psychic ravages of gone-nuts, know-nothing love,” her cover of Kris Kristofferson’s “I’ve Got to Have You” moans with no-holds-barred desire and breathtaking sensuality.
For all the wanting Simon pursues on Anticipation, her way of staying in control — vocally and personally — make the record a courageous statement of contemporary femininity. For further evidence, look to the bossa nova of “Summer’s Coming Around Again,” somber “Share the End,” soothing “Three Days,” and sincere “Julie Through the Glass,” a tribute to her young niece.
Simon would achieve international fame with her next album, No Secrets. Yet as this definitive reissue shows, Anticipation suggests the rest of the world was just a little late catching up to her.
The Pleased As Punch crew have every right to be as they roll out another eccentric disco 12". It's Saison that kicks off with the expressive and true 'I Can Make Good Music', a freewheeling collage of excitable loops, florid strings and disco drums with loopy vocals building the heat. 'You Are The One' from Fresco Edits is a chunky, drum-first sound with bobbling bass notes and great swing. Mainline's 'Heat Up The House' calms the vibe and sinks into a deeper, more smooth house sound for when the mood switches once the sun sets and DiscoPlex's 'The Funk' then brings a big finish with monstrous kicks and chopped and smeared synths bring the colour to a Kerri Chandler style groove.
The Pleased As Punch crew have every right to be as they roll out another eccentric disco 12". It's Saison that kicks off with the expressive and true 'I Can Make Good Music', a freewheeling collage of excitable loops, florid strings and disco drums with loopy vocals building the heat. 'You Are The One' from Fresco Edits is a chunky, drum-first sound with bobbling bass notes and great swing. Mainline's 'Heat Up The House' calms the vibe and sinks into a deeper, more smooth house sound for when the mood switches once the sun sets and DiscoPlex's 'The Funk' then brings a big finish with monstrous kicks and chopped and smeared synths bring the colour to a Kerri Chandler style groove.
Curió Curió came to flight by chance. Two artists, Rio-born, Austria-based singer and actress Luiza Monteiro and German producer Dustin Braun, had separately reached a fork in their journeys. An opportune encounter soon blossomed into an uplifting, heartfelt Brazilian MPB-groove project shaped by psychedelic disco and studio experimentation. In their own words Curió Curió’s sonic vision “is not straight disco, not straight samba, not strictly old-school but inspired by all of them, creating something contemporary but still nostalgic”.
A modern fusion influenced as much by Gal Costa and Jorge Ben Jor as Say She She and Bala Desejo, their sound deftly plots a course all of its own. A celebration of freedom, movement, love and life, intertwined with introspective moments of reflection. Treating tradition as something alive, migratory and unresolved, the album is not simply bound by a shared love of Brazilian music, but by a deeper question that runs through every track; where does one belong when home becomes plural? As a Brazilian living in Europe, Luiza's lyrics explore themes of identity, culture, and existence. The tracks move between cities and emotional registers without settling, tracing a sense of identity that shifts rather than resolves. Songs like ‘Amor Doente’ and ‘Mar sem Dar Pé’ circle around relationships that resist clarity, while ‘Menina Passarinho’ captures the fear and necessity of committing to music as a path. For Luiza, deepening her commitment to music alongside years in theatre was both inevitable and difficult. Braun’s production follows a similar logic. Initial ideas were often built without obvious reference points, only later incorporating rhythmic and vocal elements that hint at Brazil without reproducing it. Analogue techniques, tape, ribbon microphones and live ensemble recording bring a tactile quality that reflects the duo’s interest in process as much as outcome. Highlights include ‘Bem Querer’, built on an authentic samba street vibe with a super-catchy sing-along chorus, and ‘Vem pra Casa’ with its cosmic-tinged Brazilian boogie flavour. The album closes with ‘A Cor do Meu Sonho’, a quiet act of insistence. A refusal to shrink in unfamiliar environments, and a belief in the strength of difference. It is less a conclusion than a continuation, leaving the central question open. “I started to understand that I can belong to many places at once”, Luiza reflects. “And that can be something to embrace”. Lyrics from the song ‘Raiz’ translate in English to “I value a burning sun and the cold in the air. Constant change is my companion”. With Curió Curió, that idea is lived through sound, story and collaboration. A debut that feels both searching and assured, grounded in heritage yet shaped by distance.
We are taught to hold a shape. To repeat, to conform, to control. Over time the repetition becomes us - rigid, fearful, grasping for power, emptied of feeling. We live without living. The mechanical overtakes the organic. We lose ourselves, and in losing ourselves we lose our connection to everything.
This is the psychosis we call normal.
Yet something remains underneath. A flicker. A recognition. The long effort of reopening begins with glimpsing what we have become.
Real soul heads won't need to be told that this is a reissue which stands tall over most: Lozano is a classic, much sought after and now hard to find record by young Puerto Ricans and Cubans in Spanish Harlem and the Bronx. It's the only album credited to the group and it's rich in funky arrangements and clean falsetto vocals. There are slower, more heart-aching laments like 'Loving You' next to sparkling confessionals about a moribund relationship ('Free Girl') and more empowering, upbeat grooves like 'Can't Get You Off Of My Mind' that capture the excitement of falling in love all over again. It's a wonderful rollercoaster of emotions that come with teenage romance and will have you nostalgic for those innocent times.
