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Red Marbled Vinyl. Play Dirty is the fourth studio album by British heavy metal band Girlschool released in 1983 and produced by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea from the hard rock band Slade. It has very polished sound, filled with keyboards, choruses andmelodies, containing covers of the Slade songs ,High & Dry" and ,Burning in the Heat" and of T.Rex's ,20th Century Boy". Drummer Denise Dufort rated the album as her favourite of all the band`s career saying it had a more mature sound to it and comparing it to Def Leppard. Girlschool are thelongest-running all-female rock band, still active after more than 40 years. During their career they travelled the world, playing in many rock and metal festivals and co-headlining or supporting important heavy metal bands. They maintain a worldwide cult following, and are an inspiration for many female rock musicians.

Red Vinyl. Play Dirty is the fourth studio album by British heavy metal band Girlschool released in 1983 and produced by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea from the hard rock band Slade. It has very polished sound, filled with keyboards, choruses andmelodies, containing covers of the Slade songs ,High & Dry" and ,Burning in the Heat" and of T.Rex's ,20th Century Boy". Drummer Denise Dufort rated the album as her favourite of all the band`s career saying it had a more mature sound to it and comparing it to Def Leppard. Girlschool are thelongest-running all-female rock band, still active after more than 40 years. During their career they travelled the world, playing in many rock and metal festivals and co-headlining or supporting important heavy metal bands. They maintain a worldwide cult following, and are an inspiration for many female rock musicians.

Two records came out in 1988 that forever changed the perception of "experimental" or "serious" music produced in Portugal. These were "Plux Quba" by Nuno Canavarro and "Música de Baixa Fidelidade" by Tózé (António) Ferreira. Both were released by the same label - Ama Romanta -, an influential independent imprint closely linked to avantgarde pop band Pop Dell'Arte. Because those records appeared in what could be perceived as an "alternative pop" framework, they rescued this difficult music from Academia. It helps that Canavarro played in a successful new wave pop band (Street Kids) during the period 1980-83. By association, being a friend since 1976, António was in close contact with many of the musicians and bands that were part of the equally celebrated and detested Portuguese Rock Boom (roughly 79-82).

He was not a musician then but through his friendship with Canavarro, who had the means to acquire electronic equipment, António became involved with that equipment and shared Canavarro's passion for experimentation and curiosity for knowledge. They tried to get hold of as many technical magazines as possible and learn while testing ideas. In 1983, Street Kids were about to break up, young lives drafted into the Army and maybe, in Canavarro's case, a whole new passion for challenging music similar to his bandmate Nuno Rebelo, by then in the process of discovering a wide range of "other" music mainly through Jorge Lima Barreto. Barreto, who had started Telectu with Vítor Rua, possessed a huge book and record collection and, like Rua before them, Canavarro, Rebelo and Ferreira became fascinated by the pool of knowledge they now had access to by frequenting Barreto's house in Lisbon. He was roughly a decade older, had published several books and other writings throughout the 1970s, cultivated an anarchic stance and a penchant for cultural indoctrination. Rebelo was the first to be introduced via his contact with Rua (who had invited him to play in his other band GNR).

Overwhelmed, he felt the need to share his enthusiasm with friends and eventually took a few to the house in true pilgrimage fashion. To see the Light. Among the few he led there was even João Peste, founder of Ama Romanta. Canavarro and Ferreira preceded him.

Ferreira recalls an exciting learning process added to his experiments with Canavarro's array of synths such as the Korg Ms 20, Korg polysix, ARP Axxe, Roland SH-01, the Ensoniq Mirage sampler... He read in a magazine article about someone who had studied at the Institute of Sonology (then in Utrecht, Netherlands) and went there during a vacation trip in the Summer of 1983. He became excited by the prospect of studying at the Institute but money was a problem. Canavarro, on the other hand, was admitted there in the following year. Back in Portugal, Ferreira eventually abandoned his Chemical Engineering studies in Lisbon's Technical Institute in favour of a more focused music practice. He collaborated with Telectu during 1984 and 85 as a sort of technical engineer, implementing some recording solutions and background tapes and went to work at a thermoelectric power plant in Sines, hoping to make enough money to fund his musical studies. He did and proceeded with the paperwork for admission at the Institute of Sonology, now based in The Hague. António studied there in 1986-87 and the present album includes two compositions developed at the Institute: "More Adult Music" and "This Is Music, As It Was Expected", both featuring the voice of Rodney Waschka II. Among other activities and talents, Rodney is an expert in computer music and to António his voice sounded similar to Robert Ashley's, whose work he admired.

What happened at the Institute was a systematization of António's self-taught practice. Computer software, Musique Concrète, noise and silence, organisation of abstract ideas and sounds. The original notes on the back sleeve of the LP give some indication of process and thinking, but a more detailed account was given by António in the liner notes of the CD reissue in 2002, which are also included in this 2025 LP reissue.

The music sounds deep and detailed, despite the fact of António calling it low-fi ("Baixa Fidelidade"). It flows like an improvised performance where several musicians might be responding to each other, respectful of their mutual space. Drama occurs, as a natural emotional connection is sought by the listener. Piano, bells, drone, processed voices, even the clear narrative of Rodney Waschka II, contribute to create a sort of alternative perceptual reality. The sounds are almost tangible, more a part of the physical world than ethereal manifestations and thus it would not be correct to invoke "ambient music" as a selling point. But although "physical" and distinct, this music is still alien, more so in Portugal's 1988 environment. In March, helped by Canavarro, António set up a home studio and there he recorded the remaining material for this album: "Algumas Pessoas Olharam O Sul E Viram Deserto", "Um Som, Seguido De Uma Cena Negra E Malva" and "O Verão Nasceu Da Paixão De 1921".

"Música de Baixa Fidelidade" stands not only as a proof of great resilience but as one of those magnificent works of art coming from someone who balanced technical inclination and emotional sensibility. Because of that, Tózé Ferreira is able to decode the phantom world of sound for anyone who cares to experience the sensation of inhabiting a version of the Future. First ever vinyl reissue, reproduction of the original artwork with an additional insert. Made in collaboration with the artist and the support of Paulo Menezes (Plancton Music), who provided valuable assistance. Remastered by Taylor Deupree.

Reaching yet another creative high watermark, piano virtuoso, multiplatinum songwriter, and social media sensation Tony Ann announces the pre-order of his anxiously awaited full-length sophomore album, 360°, on February 21, 2025.

Once again, Tony advances creatively on 360°. Each song functions as a meditation on a different horoscope, encompassing 12 keys at different meters and tempos. It plunges listeners into a living and breathing musical ecosystem punctuated by bliss and catharsis. He employs the full range of the piano to evoke the singularity of these respective astrological signs. The entire suite revolves around his virtuosic chops, melodic empathy, and electrifying energy. Once again, he redefines the neoclassical space.

"This album is a superb collection of Frank and friends from a part of Frank’s career that’s long been underrated. Here, Sinatra scales the jazz summit with Louis Armstrong on “Birth Of The Blues” and does three electrifying collaborations with one of his favorites, Ella Fitzgerald. Ella’s voice is at her best in each. Rival Elvis Presley gets the Chairman’s respect on a wonderfully playful meeting-of-the-icons medley of “Witchcraft”/”Love Me Tender.” The tunes are bright and lively and many benefit from Nelson Riddle’s arranging genius. Frank and Dean are great, improvising and playing off one another as always. But wait until you hear “Together” in which Bing joins Dino and Frank for a happy, hilarious threesome.

Break Out is the tenth studio album by American female vocal group the Pointer Sisters, released on November 1, 1983, on Planet Records. It is the Pointer Sisters’ most successful album to date,

peaking at number eight on the Billboard 200 and earning a triple-platinum certification from the RIAA, with U.S. sales alone totaling 4.5 million copies.

This edition features the hit remix of “I’m So Excited,” contributing to a total of six successful singles from the album, including “Jump (for My Love),” “Automatic,” “Neutron Dance,” “I Need You,” “Baby

Come and Get It,” and “I’m So Excited.” Break Out earned the group two Grammy Awards and two American Music Awards, solidifying its place as a highlight of the Pointer Sisters’ career.

This MOV release comes as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on purple coloured vinyl.

"‘man oh man !’ is the sophomore 11 track album from indie singer-songwriter Martin Luke Brown.

Marking a significant new era in both his personal and musical life, Martin tackles a myriad of themes; self-awareness and personal growth, treasured friendships, swept-off-your-feet romance and gut wrenching heartbreak - all with a laidback, indie singer-songwriter sound that naturally shapes the album into three linear phases: the end of a relationship, new beginnings and the consequential feeling of accepting change.

Described by Martin as a ‘time capsule’, each track on the album was written and recorded in one day, making for a raw and honest snapshot of Martin’s life experiences at the time. Instrumentation is simple and recorded with producer and friend Matt Zara using almost exclusively analog technology – tape machines and vintage mics, a messiness that the duo embraced from the get go.

Martin has released over 100 songs as either a co-writer or a producer, with BTS, Dylan, Jacob Banks, Gavin James, Sam Tompkins,James Smith, Sody andJack Kane. He has also seen a wealth of success as part of pop supergroup FIZZ alongside Orla Gartland, dodie, and Greta Isaac, earning widespread praise from the likes of Rolling Stone UK, Dork, DIY, Clash & more."

Wrekmeister Harmonies, the duo of JR Robinson and Esther Shaw, are sonic shape shifters with expansive ideas. From special performances to collaborations the band have worked with David Yow (Jesus Lizard) Ryley Walker, Ken Vandermark, Bruce Lamont, Mark Solotroff, Sanford Parker, Jamie Fennely (Mind Over Mirrors), The Body, Mary Lattimore, Olivia Block, Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu), Chris Brokaw, Fred Lonberg-Holm and Thor Harris (Swans). Inspired by artists such as Glenn Branca, Rhys Chatham, and Lou Reed, the duo approach each album as a new sonic adventure. Flowers in the Spring was born of deep, careful listening as much as composing. It explores music as a meditative practice with a focus on microtonal shifts and intersectional overtones. Robinson explains: "It"s the subtle movements within and without, the fine threads of sound, loud or quiet, interior or exterior that become valuable." Limiting himself to just four mixer channels on each piece; precisely layering guitar and electronics, intently listening and manipulating either the intensity or the duration of each loop to yield unexpected interactions, moments of beauty as well as dissonance. "Flowers in Spring" emerges from fizzing distortion, hewing monolithic slabs of drone from the rock face while electronics push through fissures. "Fuck the Pigs" uses layers of noise as it metaphorically shifts into the depths of winter, arctic winds howling while the guitar scars like frost across a windowpane. In contrast "A Shepherd Stares Into the Sun" is pure light and heat, overwhelming in its sheer celestial enormity. "Flowers Variation" was born of nature"s microscopic subterranean movements in its primordial gloom and buzzing synth pads. Each track holds multitudes of micro sonic details coming together to form the album"s expansive ecosystem.

Italian composer and saxophonist Laura Agnusdei returns with “Flowers Are Blooming In Antarctica” a career defining record that sees the artist diving into uncharted waters, a profound timeless meditation on our relationship with planet Earth, the eco-conflicts arising and the fascination with non human forms of life, backdropped to a vivid soundtrack of coral exotica, spiritual Jazz, fourth-world minimalism, tropical electronics, tribal futurism and contemporary elegance.

Every step of Laura Agnusdei’s path, from electroacoustic experimentation to her constant research based upon the acoustic dimension of wind instruments and their interaction with polymorphic electronic sounds, seems to have pivoted into a new sense of awareness, as if the mind and intellectual practice has finally caught up with the body, the heart and the soul, resulting in her most organic and transcendent work yet. “Flowers Are Blooming In Antarctica” is loosely inspired around a trifecta of pioneering ideas that explore unconventional reality: James Bridle’s ‘Ways Of Being’ with his radical story that mixes ecology, tech and intelligence; Luigi Serafini’s late-70s fantastical ‘Codex Seraphinianus’, an unparalleled collection of flora, fauna, anatomies metamorphosed into new fragile beings; J.G. Ballard’s climate-fiction foreshadowing sci-fi ruminations. These influences shift Agnusdei’s musical trajectory injecting doses of terrestrial malaise, the earthy sub-saharan ‘Ittiolalia’ with its wah-wah filtered sax and trance inducing groove; the rubbery playfulness of ‘Oasi Bar’; the gentle eco-system of ‘P.P.R.N’ reminiscent of Herbie Hancock’s innovative synthesis of funk, space and synthesizers; the kaleidoscopic northern lights of ‘Emperor Penguin Lullaby’, where south-east Asian echoes reach icy shores; the Jon Hassell hyper-ambience of ‘Cuttlefish REM Phase’; the post-apocalyptic march of ‘The Drowned World, a jazz standard for an artificial civilization on the brink of self-destruction. Nothing feels out of place and it’s no coincidence that one of the most powerful messages on the record is delivered on centerpiece ‘Are We Dinos?’ via an interview conducted with two preschoolers. Radical optimism or sonic liberation?

Laura Agnusdei’s tenor sax cuts deep all across “Flowers Are Blooming In Antarctica”, a laser baton raised up to the clouds, a conductor orchestrating devotional soundscapes for a three-eyed dolphin, guiding us through prismatic pastures and acidic oceans. Her tropicalized realm is pin-pointed with Miles-like sheer clarity, a bristling nakedness on the verge of exploding at any time, creating an album where ascension becomes the unifying code.

Wrekmeister Harmonies, the duo of JR Robinson and Esther Shaw, are sonic shape shifters with expansive ideas. From special performances to collaborations the band have worked with David Yow (Jesus Lizard) Ryley Walker, Ken Vandermark, Bruce Lamont, Mark Solotroff, Sanford Parker, Jamie Fennely (Mind Over Mirrors), The Body, Mary Lattimore, Olivia Block, Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu), Chris Brokaw, Fred Lonberg-Holm and Thor Harris (Swans). Inspired by artists such as Glenn Branca, Rhys Chatham, and Lou Reed, the duo approach each album as a new sonic adventure. Flowers in the Spring was born of deep, careful listening as much as composing. It explores music as a meditative practice with a focus on microtonal shifts and intersectional overtones. Robinson explains: "It"s the subtle movements within and without, the fine threads of sound, loud or quiet, interior or exterior that become valuable." Limiting himself to just four mixer channels on each piece; precisely layering guitar and electronics, intently listening and manipulating either the intensity or the duration of each loop to yield unexpected interactions, moments of beauty as well as dissonance. "Flowers in Spring" emerges from fizzing distortion, hewing monolithic slabs of drone from the rock face while electronics push through fissures. "Fuck the Pigs" uses layers of noise as it metaphorically shifts into the depths of winter, arctic winds howling while the guitar scars like frost across a windowpane. In contrast "A Shepherd Stares Into the Sun" is pure light and heat, overwhelming in its sheer celestial enormity. "Flowers Variation" was born of nature"s microscopic subterranean movements in its primordial gloom and buzzing synth pads. Each track holds multitudes of micro sonic details coming together to form the album"s expansive ecosystem.

The second release on Between Stations (proceeding the «rst BETWEENTAPES release by DOOM TV), sees label head Cowper kicking off the «rst in the BETWEENEDITS series. Possessing atom-splitting heft at a tectonic pace, A1 writhes around on a French Kiss theme, tantalising FX swirls and thundering bass before sensual pads slowly begin to caress the central nervous system, taking us off into hypnotic revelry.

B1 grasps onto a swirling and mesmerising, opiated version of Larry Heard. A spine-tingling concoction of elements and drifting echoes transporting us to a blissful ocean, ebbing with the sonic currents in a suspended state of glee. B2 pulls on the space cord, bringing us back from our temporary drift with a slow and steady hand. This one lets the machines do the talking whilst we concentrate on keeping stable as the «nal remnants of euphoria are squeezed from our serotonin glands.

‘4th DIMENSION’ is the last and probably greatest album ever recorded by Italian piano Maestro Mario Rusca. This monumental music produc"on features tracks in Nonet, Quintet and Trio. Along with the faithful rhythm sec"on composed by Riccardo Fioravan" on bass and Maxx Furian on drums, on this slamming cinema"c jazz album Mario Rusca teamed up with two extraordinary wind players: legendary Flavio Boltro (of Michel Petrucciani Quintet fame) on trumpet and Gabriele Comeglio on sax alto.

As far as the choruses are concerned, Nicole4a Tiberini, Mar"na Rossi and Alice Macchi, from Maestro Rusca’s ensemble music courses at the Civica di Jazz School, provide inspired and swinging backing vocals. The cherry on the cake, the element that gives to ‘4th DIMENSION’ a pulsa"ng and swinging’ drive, is the par"cipa"on on the album of Marco Fadda, one of Italy’s leading percussion players.

This heterogeneous ensemble has shaped, during 5 days of intense studio recordings, an absolute masterpiece full of swinging rhythms along with a few magical in"mate moments. In his 65 years career, Italian piano legend Mario Rusca has shared the stage and recording studios with luminaries such as Chet Baker, Cur"s Fuller, Gerry Mulligan, Lou Donaldson, Art Farmer, Lee Konitz, Dusko Gojkovic, Enrico Rava, Tullio De Piscopo, Kenny Clarke, Stan Getz, Toots Thielemans, Gianni Basso, Pepper Adams, Steve Lacy and Tony Sco4 (with whom he formed an indissoluble partnership).

Being accompanied in this album by extraordinary musicians, Rusca chooses to flow in a repertoire that, like in his most recent records for Mono Jazz, bridges between original pieces and revisited standards from the American Jazz Songbook, approached with unprecedented sensi"vity and depth.

The journey of ‘4th DIMENSION’ is an extraordinary cinema"c musical voyage across various styles ranging from Bop, Hard Bop, Cool, Funk and La"n Jazz. ‘4th DIMENSION’ is a perfect follow up to the interna"onally acclaimed Easy Tempo legacy! In these 13 tracks, “il Maestro” embraces and enhances a ‘cinema"c’ component in his music - an a4ribute he has long cul"vated through original soundtracks and library albums recorded for diverse cult Italian labels.

This, as we were saying, is achieved through the addi"on of percussionist Marco Fadda, who introduces a series of rhythmic nuances across several tracks, and of the extraordinary female vocal trio reminiscent of I Cantori Moderni of Alessandro Alessandroni & Edda Dell'Orso, used in the tradi"on of Italian composers of ‘60s and ‘70s film music.

This natural progression reflects Italy's history, where jazz musicians have long been involved in soundtracks and film scoring since the late ‘50s. Italian jazz has integrated this approach into its composi"on and arranging styles, as demonstrated in the first 10 volumes of the Easy Tempo series. A spirit and tradi"on that Rusca's ‘4th DIMENSION’ record con"nues. Listening to some of the tracks on the record evokes the legendary works created for cinema by Piero Umiliani, Piero Piccioni, Lelio Lu4azzi, Armando Trovajoli, Gianni Ferrio and others.

parabrutality was composed over the course of three days, featuring vocals from Æthereal Arthropod and production from bod 包家巷.
parabrutality is defined exactly as the word's construction delineates.

the work should be considered a mantic instrument for knowledgeable and careful usage.
the artwork is derived from a photo of a tattoo given by Æthereal Arthropod to bod [包家巷] and a stone carving made in prehistory.

all track titles are encoded to a key that will only be disclosed (in addition to the source of the stone carving) in exchange for a private transfer of one thousand euros or more to paypal.me/baojiaxiang

Amongst the hundreds of recordings issued by Sun Ra and his Arkestra, under their various guises, the majority were recorded in concert or in makeshift studios such as their early 1960s set-up at NYC's Choreographer's Workshop. Beyond those, roughly 22 albums were recorded at Variety Recording Studio in New York's Times Square. However, on August 25, 1986, Sun Ra and cohorts entered Mission Control, a state-of-the-art 24-track studio north of Boston, which was teeming with electronic keyboards and otherworldly sound generators. Nestled within that arsenal was a brand-new digital ultra keyboard — the Prophet VS ("Vector Synthesizer").
Of all the keyboards Ra played throughout his half-century career, the Prophet was one of the most sophisticated. There's no evidence that he had played either of the instrument's earlier incarnations, the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 and Prophet-10. Created using microprocessors, a then-new technological advance, under the auspices of engineer Dave Smith in 1978, the Prophet-5 revolutionized electronic music as the first polyphonic and, most importantly, programmable synthesizer.
Ra was intrigued by the Prophet (surely by the instrument as well as by the name). Recorded during a single day, it's about time that these once lost performances have now been found.
It was a joy and a thrill to be sitting at the console hearing this music for the first time, especially with my fingers on the faders and knobs of the mixing desk. We watched the oxide fly off the 2" tapes during playback, making this our one chance to digitize before they metamorphosed into dust. Welcome to the new Sun Ra album....35+ years after it was recorded. The Omniverse has expanded once again.

Loyle Carner will release his highly anticipated sophomore record, 'Not Waving, But Drowning' on 19 April via AMF Records.

'Not Waving, But Drowning' follows Loyle's BRIT (Best Male, Best Newcomer) and Mercury Prize nominated, top 20 debut 'Yesterday's Gone'. The bedrock of honest and raw sentimentality that you heard on 'Yesterday's Gone' left an inextinguishable mark on music in general and UK Hip Hop in particular, standing out as an ageless, bulletproof debut.

'Not Waving, But Drowning', Loyle's new album, gives yet more evidence - as if it were needed - of his razor-sharp flow and his unique storytelling ability. Yes, he can rap, but he allies that with the sensitivity of a poet, the observational skills of a novelist, and warmth of your best friend. The album opens with 'Dear Jean', a letter to his mother in which he's telling her that he has found the love of his life, 'a woman from the skies', and he's moving out.

It goes without saying that Loyle's music is hard to categorise, but what is even more impressive is that for someone who grew up listening to Mos Def, Biggie Smalls, Roots Manuva, and Wu Tang Clan, he doesn't sound like any of them. Although he might from time to time give lyrical nods to them, he's no imitator.

Loyle loves cooking. There are two tracks on this album named after chefs. The British-Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi, and the now deceased Italian chef Antonio Carluccio. 'Ottolenghi' the first single from the album was featured on the BBC Radio 1 B-list, BBC 6 Music A-list and has already been streamed over 5 million times.

Loyle refers to real life for everything, the title of 'Yesterday's Gone' came from a song of his step father, the title of his new album 'Not Waving, But Drowning' comes from a poem by his grandfather, which in turn came from a Stevie Smith poem. What you hear on the track 'Krispy' is real. He is pouring his heart out to his best friend Rebel Kleff after their relationship went downhill, he invites him on the track to say his piece but he doesn't turn up, so we get a flugel solo instead.

Loyle also has his own personal black consciousness movement. When he refers to his 'fathers' in the track 'Looking Back' he really is referring to two fathers. His biological father, a black man who he knows, but knows very little of, and his step father, a poet and musician who happens to be a white man but died a sudden unexpected death from epilepsy (SUDEP). With no real emotional ties to his biological father, but a deep connection with a deceased step-father, where does a young child turn He succinctly captures many of the great, unspoken, cultural and historical paradoxes of multicultural Britain on 'Looking Back'.

An album like this is hard to find. It is for those who like their Hip Hop to have soul, and their soul to have spirit. This is because it works on so many levels, but it is reflecting the personality of its creator. There are a host of collaborators here, Jorja Smith, Rebel Kleff, Kiko Bun, Kwes, Jordan Rakei, Sampha, Tom Misch and more, but none are overpowering. They blend righteously into place.
Loyle is not bitter with people who have let him down, or a society that lets so many down, but the combination of anger and love he has gives his voice the perfect blend of strength and vulnerability. This might be a coming of age album, but it's also a coming of ageless album. Loyle's 2019 Spring tour - which includes London's Roundhouse - sold out within 20 minutes of being on sale.

Not Waving, But Drowning



A rapper that raps about family is hard to find. The boys in the 'hood' tend not to be that interested in how much a 'brother' loves his mother, or how much he misses his dad, or even how much he misses his best friend. The boys in the 'hood' tend to be obsessed with the size of their cars, girls, bank accounts, and other personal 'possessions'. Loyle Carner's Mercury and BRIT Prize nominated debut 'Yesterday's Gone' (Released 2017), made it clear that he wasn't that kind of rapper. In fact, every time I talk to him about his work we talk about the world, and we tended to confuse ourselves by calling his work rap, poems, or songs, sometimes in the same sentence. They are in truth all of these things.



Here's some poetry.



Honestly I need them.

I hate them but I grieve them

I think I've finally found the reason

Trust

Like the fire needs the air.

I won't burn unless you're there.





'Not Waving, But Drowning', Loyle's forthcoming new album, gives us yet more evidence, (if it were needed), that he still has what rappers call, flow, but he hasn't lost any of his story telling qualities. Yes, the boy can rap, but a rapper with the sensitivity of a true poet, the observational skills of a novelist, and warmth of your best friend. The album opens with 'Dear Jean', a letter to his mother in which he's telling her that he has found the love of his life, (a woman from the skies), and he's moving out. He really loves the woman from the skies, but he still loves his mum, and so he reassures her that there is no competition, and tells her that 'She's not behind me or behind you, but beside we and beside two', his words. Or to put it another way, moving out without moving out. My words.



It goes without saying that Loyle's music is hard to categorise, but what is even more impressive is that for someone who grew up listening to Mos Def, Biggie Smalls, Roots Manuva, and Wu Tang Clan, he doesn't sound like any of them. Although he might from time to time give lyrical nods to them, he's no imitator. He says finding his own voice was something he always found easy. Although young, (in terms of a musical career), he has confidence in his own words and his own voice, and has never been tempted to sound like he's been hanging out in the USA, or rolling in 'Grime' on the mean streets of East London. And so when it comes to the creative process he doesn't simply find a beat to jump on and ride. Beats are important, but they are tenderly layered with samples, keyboards, or live drums, all imaginatively assembled for the laying on of words. Some tracks start with the idea, some with poetry, and some with a verse from a singer or some other melodic inspiration, but there is no formula.



Here's some poetry.



Don't hold any memories of us

Rather hold you everyday until the memories are dust

Yo we only caught the train

Cos you know I hate the bus





A prolific reader, who has dyslexia is hard to find. Add ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) to that and life should become even more difficult. To deal with your difficulties you devise coping strategies, which can differ from person to person. Loyle loves cooking. There are two tracks on this album named after chefs. The British-Israeli chef Ottolenghi, and the now deceased Italian chef Antonio Carluccio. Loyle describes himself as 'weird' because he is happy to read a cookbook as if he was reading a novel or a book of poetry. He has opened a cookery school for young adults not just because he loves food and wants to make more of it, but because it is one of the few things that can focus the ADHD mind. And when it comes to his other love, football, his approach is the same. Focus. He wanted to be a striker he says, up front scoring goals, but found his best position was in midfield because he was able to focus, check options, and see passes ahead of time, providing passes for other players just when they needed them. He says, 'You don't grow out of ADHD, you grow into it.' Loyle is also working with Levi's® on their music project where he is mentoring young musicians over a six month period, culminating at Liverpool Sound City festival.



More poetry.



When the going is tough

I wait till it falls on deaf ears

Hearsay

Without the boundaries of love



He also said, 'Ask most people and they will say that they love their mothers, but most are not going to rap about her'. On his first album Loyle's mum Jean wrote about the 'scribble of a boy' that growing up would take things apart to see how they worked. On this album she speaks with pride about a man who has found his place in the world.



Yes, poetry.



I'm still looking for the answers

Trying to find the right questions

Still waiting for my fathers

But can't break them in to sections



This poetry is serious. Loyle has his own personal black consciousness movement. He told me that he always felt safe at home, and being the darkest one in the family never meant a thing, but then when he had to face the outside world he felt hostility. It shook him up. Now he had to start asking questions, but what were the questions. This is serious. When he refers to his 'fathers' in the verse above taken from the track 'Looking Back' he really is referring to two fathers. His biological father, a black man who he knows, but knows very little of, and his step father, a poet and musician who happens to be a white man but died a sudden unexpected death from epilepsy (SUDEP). So to whom would a young black (or mixed race) kid turn He succinctly captures many of the great, unspoken, cultural and historical paradoxes of multicultural Britain when he says, 'My great grandfather could of owned my other one.' We are a people descended from enslaved people on one hand, and enslavers on the other, something we are still struggling to come to terms with, and this can be apparent in one family. A big book could have told you that, but here we get it in one line on the track, Looking Back.





Loyle refers to real life for everything. The album is peppered with captured moments that he records on his phone. These moments can range from conversations with taxi drivers, to capturing the moment when England scores a goal in the world cup. The title of 'Yesterday's Gone' came from a song of his step father, the title of his new album 'Not Waving but Drowning' comes from a poem by his grandfather, which in turn came from a Stevie Smith poem. What you hear on the track 'Krispy' is real. He is pouring his heart out to his best friend after their relationship went downhill, he invites him on the track to say his piece but he doesn't turn up, so we get a flugel solo instead. Yes people, this is real.



An album like this is hard to find. It is for those who like their Hip Hop to have soul, and their soul to have spirit, this is an album for those who have, (I'm sorry, I'm going to say it), emotional intelligence. This is because it works on so many levels, but it is reflecting the personality of its creator. There are a host of collaborators here, Jorja Smith, Rebel Kleff, Kiko Bun, Jordan Rakei, Sampha, Tom Misch and more, but none are overpowering. They blend righteously into place. Loyle is not bitter with people who have let him down, or the society that has let him down, but the combination of anger and love he has gives his voice the perfect blend of strength and vulnerability. This might be a coming of age album, but it's also a coming of ageless album. His first album worked, and this second album is a continuation of that work. Not creating a form, but being formless, as someone like Bruce Lee once said.

And here's some poetry from mum.



We talked long in to the darkest hours

Until we saw the burnished sky

And our eyes stung

As our words blurred and became thoughts

As we were silenced by the dawn

We clung to each other like sailors in a storm

A nugget of rare South African groove originally issued alongside Bra Sello on the Soweto label in Johannesburg in 1976. A self-titled offering and the group's only album, Themba delivers the quintessential blend of sophisticated jazz improvisation over hip-swinging township pop that gives South African jazz from the 1970s its timeless appeal.

Themba features a skilled ensemble led by Baba "Themba" Mokoena, who appeared on Dick Khoza's landmark Chapita album in 1975 and has gone on to earn a reputation (over the course of a career that spans into the 2020s) as one of the legendary guitarists of his generation. Reissued for the very first time on the cusp of its 50th anniversary, this edition of Themba is sourced from the original master tape under license from from As-Shams Archive.

Recorded at Satbel Recording Studios

Produced by Greg Siphi Ngcobo

Engineered by Paul Dobbe

Originally issued on the Soweto label

Under license from As-Shams Archive

The next release from 29 Speedway is Break, the new EP from NY’s Relaxer, the long running alias of Daniel Martin-McCormick (Black Eyes, Ital and co-founder of Dripping), and it signals a decisive shift in his music. The tape features two remixes by the singular DJ Marcelle.

What happens when dubby drum & bass meets Dischord’s post-punk colossus Black Eyes? “Break” is the new EP from NY’s Relaxer, the long running alias of Daniel Martin-McCormick (Black Eyes, Ital and co-founder of Dripping), and it signals a decisive shift in his music.

Prompted by friends to write a drum & bass live set just as Black Eyes was reuniting, the results didn’t quite fit the d&b genre. But it felt right. Quick, nimble, with room for the ferocity of his favorite post punk and some of the spaciousness of dub. Evergreen vibes, really, but seen from a fresh perspective.

Honed over a period of two years, the five tracks on “Break” fuse Relaxer’s careening, technoid sounds with free jazz-tinted drum programming, snarling sound design and spacious echo trails. It’s a perfect fit for 29 Speedway’s future-facing, exploratory anti-genre approach to electronics. The tape features two remixes by the singular DJ Marcelle and mastering by Dubplates & Mastering.

ŽUR (‘Zhure’, party) is absolute cult and one of the most rare Yugoslavian disco funk albums, originally recorded in 1981, reissued on Everland Music for the first time since the original vinyl came out more than 40 years ago. The album was carefully and brilliantly remastered by grammy nominated sound engineer Jessica Thomson.

Boban Petrović is a legend of Belgrade's sophisticated disco funk scene from the late 70s and early 80s.
Back in the second half of the 70s Boban started one of the first disco clubs in Belgrade and he was one of the biggest organizers of private house parties.

The finest balance between Boban Petrović's big-hearted party-maker-turned-philanthropist personality and his hustler one was achieved on Žur.
On Žur, he is at home, in his safe place, since the parties, the music and the people are the first out of many things he had completely figured out in his life. He is at the top of his game, occasionally bothered by a casual heartbreak, but always feeling himself, coming out playful and fundamentally peaceful, satisfied and ready to transcend himself in order to put the rest of the world in the limelight. In fact, Žur isn’t about the party, music, lyrics or its, hands down, beautifully balanced sonics. It’s about Boban and the funk he lived thoroughly. The funk before, but the funk he lived after this album even more so. All the ups and downs that he faced since the moment the first needle dropped on a Žur record to this very day are on this album as the unwritten destiny of that lighthearted character he played.

In short, ŽUR represents the essence of underground club life in Belgrade from the late 70s, when the album was recorded.
The quality of this trust is confirmed by the fact that Boban Petrovic's music is still actively listened to today, not just anywhere, but at the finest club events.
High end production and extremely authentic arrangements outside the mold of classic disco music, and lyrics that literally convey the vibe of his already jet-set lifestyle in Belgrade at the time.

Shortly after his musical career, Boban Petrovic became a businessman of the conscious class. He was living in Spain on his own luxury yacht for years, he had a private airplane, a car park. But all this time living on highest class level he never lost his identity. In all his offices, yacht, airplane and everywhere was playing loud funk music and he was dressed like a musician who just finished or need to start a gig.
Along the way Boban also wrote two books: Rokanje 1 & 2 describing the time when the album ŽUR was created.

The ŽUR album is one of the the holy grails of disco funk music releases on a global level.

Pop music history is littered with albums whose provocative covers promised something steamy and sensual inside but delivered a musical cold shower instead. This is not one of those albums. Fresh from arranging/conducting such Broadway shows as The Wiz and also forging a successful career penning jingles for such clients as McDonald’s, Pan Am Airlines, Boone’s Farm Wines, Kool Aid, and Coca Cola, composer/keyboardist Wheeler released this 1975 cult classic, a soulful, slinky masterpiece of bedroom jazz-funk. It’s Wheeler’s only album, but it may have been singly responsible for an increase in the mid-‘70s birth rate…light some candles and break out the lotion for this one. First reissue in any format, available in orange with black swirl vinyl limited to 750 copies!

ŽUR (‘Zhure’, party) is absolute cult and one of the most rare Yugoslavian disco funk albums, originally recorded in 1981, reissued on Everland Music for the first time since the original vinyl came out more than 40 years ago. The album was carefully and brilliantly remastered by grammy nominated sound engineer Jessica Thomson.

Boban Petrović is a legend of Belgrade's sophisticated disco funk scene from the late 70s and early 80s.
Back in the second half of the 70s Boban started one of the first disco clubs in Belgrade and he was one of the biggest organizers of private house parties.

The finest balance between Boban Petrović's big-hearted party-maker-turned-philanthropist personality and his hustler one was achieved on Žur.
On Žur, he is at home, in his safe place, since the parties, the music and the people are the first out of many things he had completely figured out in his life. He is at the top of his game, occasionally bothered by a casual heartbreak, but always feeling himself, coming out playful and fundamentally peaceful, satisfied and ready to transcend himself in order to put the rest of the world in the limelight. In fact, Žur isn’t about the party, music, lyrics or its, hands down, beautifully balanced sonics. It’s about Boban and the funk he lived thoroughly. The funk before, but the funk he lived after this album even more so. All the ups and downs that he faced since the moment the first needle dropped on a Žur record to this very day are on this album as the unwritten destiny of that lighthearted character he played.

In short, ŽUR represents the essence of underground club life in Belgrade from the late 70s, when the album was recorded.
The quality of this trust is confirmed by the fact that Boban Petrovic's music is still actively listened to today, not just anywhere, but at the finest club events.
High end production and extremely authentic arrangements outside the mold of classic disco music, and lyrics that literally convey the vibe of his already jet-set lifestyle in Belgrade at the time.

Shortly after his musical career, Boban Petrovic became a businessman of the conscious class. He was living in Spain on his own luxury yacht for years, he had a private airplane, a car park. But all this time living on highest class level he never lost his identity. In all his offices, yacht, airplane and everywhere was playing loud funk music and he was dressed like a musician who just finished or need to start a gig.
Along the way Boban also wrote two books: Rokanje 1 & 2 describing the time when the album ŽUR was created.

The ŽUR album is one of the the holy grails of disco funk music releases on a global level.

This is the eponymous debut studio album by the American Rock band the Modern Lovers, originally released in 1976. Six tracks (“Roadrunner”, “Astral Plane”, “Old World”, “Pablo Picasso”, “She Cracked” and “Someone I Care About”) were produced by John Cale.

The Modern Lovers were formed in 1970 by teenage singer, songwriter, guitarist Jonathan Richman, augmented with Jerry Harrison (keyboards) -later of Talking Heads-, Ernie Brooks (bass) and David Robinson (drums) -later of The Cars-, with Richman’s friend and original band member John Felice joining them occasionally.

The Modern Lovers influenced numerous aspiring punk rock musicians on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Sex Pistols, whose early cover of “Roadrunner” was placed on The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle. The album was included in Robert Dimery’s 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. In 2003, the album was listed on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The Modern Lovers is available as a Limited numbered edition of 4000 copies on “Cool Blue” coloured vinyl

Do Your Own Dance! VARIOUS ARTISTS
Chic’s Nile Rogers is lauded as an international star and the recently departed Patrick Adams is acknowledged as one of the most important pioneers of disco music, but behind them were an army of lesser-known musicians, producers, and arrangers including one of the founding-fathers of New York Dance, the enigma Lonnie Johnson.
Scorpgemi Records and Lonnie Johnson, the man behind the label, will be unknown to most, but he was an important figure at the birth of dance music. His label featured work by several leading voices of the New York scene and provided one of New York’s most instantly recognisable dance music records— “Keep In Touch (Body To Body)”—one of the greatest club cuts ever.. But Johnson himself leaves hardly a trace, a behind-the-scenes person, and a friend of Patrick Adams who is only known to those who study the small print on record labels.
So, Lonnie Joel Johnson proves to be both highly influential, and almost completely elusive. A backroom person, who created an anthem across the Atlantic from his home base in New York. A man who was instrumental in the development of Patrick Adams’ career from producer of vocal groups to the go-to producer for dancefloor gold. Yet, for all this there are no biographical details, no interviews and almost nothing left behind except for a small but fantastic catalogue of music.
The first ever curated works of the Broadway based Scorpgemi label Produced by Lonnie Johnson, one of the founding-fathers of New York Dance Dancefloor Gold from the enigma that is Lonnie Joel Johnson, the man behind the career of the legendary Patrick Adams.

REPRESSED !!

Vibraphone and keyboard player, master arranger and bandleader, Mulatu Astatke is one of the all-time greats of Ethiopian music and the creator of his own original music form, Ethio jazz. Through the acclaimed Ethiopiques album series and through featuring on the soundtrack to the Jim Jarmusch film Broken Flowers, his music has belatedly reached a global audience and a new, younger generation of fans. In November of last year, he recorded an inspired new album with London psych jazz band The Heliocentrics for Strut's 'Inspiration Information' studio collaboration series. Now, Strut are proud to present, for the first time anywhere, the definitive Mulatu career retrospective covering his landmark 60's and 70's recordings.
Mulatu is a true pioneer of African music. He was the first Ethiopian musician of his generation to travel extensively and to record abroad - he studied in the UK in Wales and at Trinity College Of Music in London, cutting his teeth on the buoyant London jazz scene of the early 60's. He became the first African student to attend Harvard and he lived and recorded in New York, developing a unique sound that fused Western jazz with traditional Ethiopian melodies.
Tracing the progression of his Ethio jazz experiments with full access to all of the labels for whom he recorded, Mulatu Astatke: New York-AddisLondon is the essential Mulatu. Covering his first recordings in the UK during 1965, his groundbreaking fusions for the small Worthy label in New York and his key '70s recordings back in Addis on Amha, Phillips and Axum, the album features comprehensive sleeve notes by Miles Cleret, boss of the excellent Soundway Records imprint, and rare, previously unseen photos from Mulatu's personal archive.

Mantar erreichten mit ihrem letzten Album Pain Is Forever... (2022) Platz 2 in den Offiziellen Deutschen Charts!- Year End "Best" Listen: Metal Hammer Deutschland, LAWeekly (US), Exclaim (CA), Terrorizer (UK)- Vorgestellt auf: All New Metal/Black & Dark Metal/The Pit/Metal Planet (SPOTIFY), Breaking Metal/New Music Daily/Optimus Metallum/Breaking Hard Rock (APPLE MUSIC)- Mantar hat 8,5 Millionen Streams auf Spotify erreicht- Massive Underground-Fangemeinde in Europa und Nordamerika, die auf einem jahrzehntelangen DIY-Ansatz und ausgedehnten Tourneen beruht- Vergangene Festivalauftritte: Hellfest, Download, Full Force, Oya Festival, Getaway Rock, Roadburn, The Fest (US), Wacken, Maryland DeathfestCharts (Pain is Forever...):Germany:#2 Official German Album ChartsAustria:#69 Official Album ChartsSwitzerland: #45 Official Album ChartsUS Billboard:#60 Current Hard Music Album#84 Top New ArtistsQuotes for Pain Is Forever and This Is The End (old):- Album of the Month - Metal Hammer (GER)"So präsentiert sich das räudige Doom-Duo auf PAIN IS FOREVER AND THIS IS THE END in Bestform. 'Art Is Hard', das wussten bereits die Indie-Rocker Cursive. Aber Mantar sind härter." - 6/7pts - Metal Hammer (GER)- Album of the Month - Metal.de (GER)- "Pain Is Forever.. skillfully keeps the balance between brute destructive fury and dense atmosphere in widescreen format with real underground hit potential." - 8.5/10 pts Rock Hard (GER)"So hält "Pain Is Forever..." gekonnt die Waage zwischen brachialer Zerstörungswut und dichter Atmosphäre im Breitwandformat und hat oftmals echtes Underground-Hitpotenzial zu bieten." - 8.5/10pts Rock Hard (GER)- "The blackened doom punk duo's biggest rock moment to date is not a betrayal, but an accomplishment" - Visions (GER)"Der bislang größte Rock-Moment des Blackened-Doom-Punk-Duos ist also kein Verrat, sondern eine Vollendung" - Visions (GER)- "A tremendous hit rate, as if we were not dealing with a regular longplayer, but with a "Best-of MANTAR". Very Strong!" - 8.5/10 pts Deaf Forever (GER)"Und so kann man "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End" eine enorme Trefferquote attestieren, so als ob man es nicht mit einem regulären Longplayer, sondern mit einer "Best-of MANTAR" zu tun hätte. Stark!" - 8.5/10 pts Deaf Forever (GER)"- "Compact and to the point interpretation of Black'n'Roll, which can not only split your skull, but also animate you to headbang and even sing along." - 9/10 pts Powermetal.de (GER)"Ein weiterer Volltreffer aus dem Hause MANTAR!" - 9/10 pts - Powermetal.de (GER) - "Auf dem neuen Album haben MANTAR nichts an Angriffslust und brachialer Wirkung verloren, ihr Repertoire jedoch eindrucksvoll erweitert, sind gewachsen und zu etwas in seiner grundlegenden Ehrlichkeit und massiven Härte unfassbar Schönem geworden, ohne auf ihren urgewaltigen Sound zu verzichten. " - 10/10 pts - Slam (AT/GER)- "Thicker grooves, anthemic refrains, head nodding rhythms and a greater exploitation of the fist-in-the-air-ology school of song writing." - 8/10 pts - Metal Injection (USA)- "...their latest studio album may be their best yet... a burning Molotov cocktail of black metal, sludgy hardcore and classic metal hooks..." - Decibel (USA)- "...they've made the album of their career so far; so buckle up and get ready for forty minutes of blackened punk that'll give you the kick up the ass you've been waiting for." - Distorted Sound (USA)- "I love how far my mind roams while listening to the same album on the repeat; the more I spin "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End", the more things I discover, driving me deeper into MANTAR's moving sand." - 10/10pts - Metal Kaoz (USA)- "Pain Is Forever... clearly takes some inspiration from their recent album of Grunge, Punk, and Riot Grrl covers by elevating this aspect of their sound a little more too, without dulling the unapologetically in-your-face edge of the music." - No Clean Singing (USA)

Mantar erreichten mit ihrem letzten Album Pain Is Forever... (2022) Platz 2 in den Offiziellen Deutschen Charts!- Year End "Best" Listen: Metal Hammer Deutschland, LAWeekly (US), Exclaim (CA), Terrorizer (UK)- Vorgestellt auf: All New Metal/Black & Dark Metal/The Pit/Metal Planet (SPOTIFY), Breaking Metal/New Music Daily/Optimus Metallum/Breaking Hard Rock (APPLE MUSIC)- Mantar hat 8,5 Millionen Streams auf Spotify erreicht- Massive Underground-Fangemeinde in Europa und Nordamerika, die auf einem jahrzehntelangen DIY-Ansatz und ausgedehnten Tourneen beruht- Vergangene Festivalauftritte: Hellfest, Download, Full Force, Oya Festival, Getaway Rock, Roadburn, The Fest (US), Wacken, Maryland DeathfestCharts (Pain is Forever...):Germany:#2 Official German Album ChartsAustria:#69 Official Album ChartsSwitzerland: #45 Official Album ChartsUS Billboard:#60 Current Hard Music Album#84 Top New ArtistsQuotes for Pain Is Forever and This Is The End (old):- Album of the Month - Metal Hammer (GER)"So präsentiert sich das räudige Doom-Duo auf PAIN IS FOREVER AND THIS IS THE END in Bestform. 'Art Is Hard', das wussten bereits die Indie-Rocker Cursive. Aber Mantar sind härter." - 6/7pts - Metal Hammer (GER)- Album of the Month - Metal.de (GER)- "Pain Is Forever.. skillfully keeps the balance between brute destructive fury and dense atmosphere in widescreen format with real underground hit potential." - 8.5/10 pts Rock Hard (GER)"So hält "Pain Is Forever..." gekonnt die Waage zwischen brachialer Zerstörungswut und dichter Atmosphäre im Breitwandformat und hat oftmals echtes Underground-Hitpotenzial zu bieten." - 8.5/10pts Rock Hard (GER)- "The blackened doom punk duo's biggest rock moment to date is not a betrayal, but an accomplishment" - Visions (GER)"Der bislang größte Rock-Moment des Blackened-Doom-Punk-Duos ist also kein Verrat, sondern eine Vollendung" - Visions (GER)- "A tremendous hit rate, as if we were not dealing with a regular longplayer, but with a "Best-of MANTAR". Very Strong!" - 8.5/10 pts Deaf Forever (GER)"Und so kann man "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End" eine enorme Trefferquote attestieren, so als ob man es nicht mit einem regulären Longplayer, sondern mit einer "Best-of MANTAR" zu tun hätte. Stark!" - 8.5/10 pts Deaf Forever (GER)"- "Compact and to the point interpretation of Black'n'Roll, which can not only split your skull, but also animate you to headbang and even sing along." - 9/10 pts Powermetal.de (GER)"Ein weiterer Volltreffer aus dem Hause MANTAR!" - 9/10 pts - Powermetal.de (GER) - "Auf dem neuen Album haben MANTAR nichts an Angriffslust und brachialer Wirkung verloren, ihr Repertoire jedoch eindrucksvoll erweitert, sind gewachsen und zu etwas in seiner grundlegenden Ehrlichkeit und massiven Härte unfassbar Schönem geworden, ohne auf ihren urgewaltigen Sound zu verzichten. " - 10/10 pts - Slam (AT/GER)- "Thicker grooves, anthemic refrains, head nodding rhythms and a greater exploitation of the fist-in-the-air-ology school of song writing." - 8/10 pts - Metal Injection (USA)- "...their latest studio album may be their best yet... a burning Molotov cocktail of black metal, sludgy hardcore and classic metal hooks..." - Decibel (USA)- "...they've made the album of their career so far; so buckle up and get ready for forty minutes of blackened punk that'll give you the kick up the ass you've been waiting for." - Distorted Sound (USA)- "I love how far my mind roams while listening to the same album on the repeat; the more I spin "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End", the more things I discover, driving me deeper into MANTAR's moving sand." - 10/10pts - Metal Kaoz (USA)- "Pain Is Forever... clearly takes some inspiration from their recent album of Grunge, Punk, and Riot Grrl covers by elevating this aspect of their sound a little more too, without dulling the unapologetically in-your-face edge of the music." - No Clean Singing (USA)

Transparent Red Vinyl

Produced by Dynazty themselves and mixed by Swedish pioneer Jens Bogren, Game of Faces takes you on a journey exploring the essence of the human mind and existence with lyrical themes such as self-discovery, spiritual death, rebirth and re-invention.
Formed in 2008, Dynazty has over the years evolved from its humble beginnings rooted in the Scandinavian Hard Rock scene into now being a powerhouse and formidable force to be reckoned with on the top shelf of the modern melodic metal scene.
Career milestones include the 2020 chart breaking album The Dark Delight, certified for gold status in the bands home country Sweden and neighbours Finland. With single tracks Heartless Madness reaching platinum status and Presence of Mind featured in DC comics and HBO’s Peacemaker series.
Tours in recent years together with bands like Sabaton, Powerwolf, Battle Beast, Pain and Kissin Dynamite has showcased and established the band on the European continent as one of the most prominent live acts of its generation. Fast forward to August 2024 where Dynazty concluded an extensive run of European summer festivals with releasing a new song, Devilry of Ecstasy as a precursor and first taste of a yet unannounced new album

Denison Witmer returns with a new collection of ten vibrant and pensive folk-pop songs recorded and produced by Sufjan Stevens, his long-time friend and collaborator. Anything At All finds Denison in a suitably reflective mood, mining sublime revelation from an ordinary, domesticated life. Topics like bird watching, carpentry, houseplants, and hiking offer insights into bigger, existential questions about life, death, meaning, and purpose. What are we doing with the precious time we have left on this earth? Whether it's spent making clocks, gathering berries, planting trees, or putting the kids to bed at night, these songs suggest that a life lived with thoughtfulness and care can lead to deeper joy and fulfillment. Recorded sporadically over a period of two years, Anything At All was primarily created at Sufjan's Catskills studio during the pandemic, with additional sessions recorded by Andy Park, in Seattle, WA. Contributors include Stevens and Park as well as Sam Evian, Hannah Cohen, Sean Lane, and Keenan O'Meara, amongst others. The album's musical aesthetic marries Denison's folksy, Mennonite vibe with Sufjan's signature bells and whistles: lush strings and woodwinds, women's choir, and an occasional jazzy saxophone weave their way around Denison's matter-of-fact vocals and acoustic guitar. These are simple folk songs with bursts of awe and wonder.

The first-ever vinyl reissue of the classic 1986 debut album from perennial pop icon and pin-up Samantha Fox. The only British female solo artist to score three Top Ten hits on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1980s, Samantha made her name as the nation’s favourite Page Three girl before launching an enviable music career.

Touch Me features four hit singles: the international smash ‘Touch Me (I Want Your Body)’ (#3 UK and #4 US), ‘Do Ya Do Ya (Wanna Please Me)’ (#10 UK), ‘Hold On Tight’ and ‘I’m All You Need’. Immediately establishing Samantha’s signature pop-rock sound, on its original release the album hit #17 in the UK, going silver, before reaching #24 in the US with a gold certification. Pressed on striking black vinyl with white and pink splatters to complement the original aesthetic, this edition boasts painstakingly rebuilt artwork and a newly designed inner bag featuring full lyrics. A strictly limited-edition picture disc is also available. Touch Me is reissued alongside Samantha’s self-titled second album and 1989’s I Wanna Have Some Fun.

The first-ever vinyl reissue of perennial pop icon and pin-up Samantha Fox’s self-titled 1987 sophomore album. The only British female solo artist to score three Top Ten hits on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1980s, Samantha made her name as the nation’s favourite Page Three girl before launching an enviable music career.

Samantha Fox boasts five hit singles: the Stock/Aitken/Waterman favourite ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now’ (#8 UK), the memorable Full Force collaboration ‘Naughty Girls’ (#3 US), ‘I Surrender (To The Spirit of the Night’, ‘I Promise You’ and ‘True Devotion’. Developing Samantha’s sound with a compelling mix of pop, rock and hip-hop stylings, the album made #22 in the UK and #51 in the US, gaining her second straight gold certification. Pressed on striking transparent caramel vinyl with gold and silver splatters to complement the original aesthetic, this edition boasts painstakingly rebuilt artwork and a newly designed inner bag featuring full lyrics.

A strictly limitededition picture disc is also available. Samantha Fox is reissued alongside the 1986 debut album, Touch Me, and 1989’s I Wanna Have Some Fun

The first-ever vinyl reissue of perennial pop icon and pin-up Samantha Fox’s self-titled 1987 sophomore album. The only British female solo artist to score three Top Ten hits on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1980s, Samantha made her name as the nation’s favourite Page Three girl before launching an enviable music career.

Samantha Fox boasts five hit singles: the Stock/Aitken/Waterman favourite ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now’ (#8 UK), the memorable Full Force collaboration ‘Naughty Girls’ (#3 US), ‘I Surrender (To The Spirit of the Night’, ‘I Promise You’ and ‘True Devotion’. Developing Samantha’s sound with a compelling mix of pop, rock and hip-hop stylings, the album made #22 in the UK and #51 in the US, gaining her second straight gold certification. Pressed on striking transparent caramel vinyl with gold and silver splatters to complement the original aesthetic, this edition boasts painstakingly rebuilt artwork and a newly designed inner bag featuring full lyrics.

A strictly limitededition picture disc is also available. Samantha Fox is reissued alongside the 1986 debut album, Touch Me, and 1989’s I Wanna Have Some Fun

Dogman is the fifth studio album by American rock band King’s X, released in 1994. The album was produced by Brendan O’Brien (who had recently worked with Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots and The Black Crowes). Dogman was considerably heavier than previous albums and marked a transition in the band’s sound. In 1999, Doug Pinnick reflected, “For me personally, the Dogman record is what King’s X really sounds like. The self-titled record was a step and an eye-opener and after that we could just make our music.”

Originally released through Peacock Records in 1958 after her stint with Lionel Hampton’s band, Out There is a snapshot and early gem in Betty Carter’s broad career. Supported by a quality cast including Benny Golson (tenor saxophone), Wynton Kelly (piano) and Kenny Dorham (trumpet) among others, Carter glides through standards such as “Something Wonderful” as well as her first-penned track “I Can’t Help It” which would go on to become a performance staple. This Verve By Request title is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Third Man in Detroit.

It’s written in the Agreement Terms. There’s no getting out alive in Life. And yet, mankind keeps striving for eternal life; through art, through power, through cryogenics, through singularity. In that misguided quest against the inevitable, we all fall into the category of lost travellers. No one is exempt. In that understanding, Confucius MC and producer Bastien Keb offer no misgivings about the destination on the somber “Time Will Come”: Time will come for all of us / try to take your time.

Songs For Lost Travellers is a collaborative album by Con and Bastien Keb that merges unexplored pathways between rap, folk, and jazz into a spiritual triumvirate. Each genre is a balancing force within the record. The result is an album unlike either artist have made previously, possibly unlike any record in existence. Songs For Lost Travellers opens with bedtime stories and fairytales. Both “Tell Me Lies” and “Fairytale” present the creature comforts that trick us into forgetting the truth. Con’s first words spoken are “tell me lies ‘til I swear I can’t remember” over Keb’s lo-fi plucking that feels like it was lifted from a handheld recorder capturing a nursery mobile above a crib. Third track “Time Will Come” resets the album after acknowledging on “Fairytale” there’s “no nourishment in half-truths / no sustenance in eating lies.”

Honest and direct, Con and Keb imbue Songs For Lost Travellers with knowledge and truth from their lived experiences. There is grief hidden in the notes, an inherent sadness that is balanced with an awareness that grief is a protest against the social machinery of remaining numb. The record lingers in a meditative state, unafraid of restlessness and embracing solitude, with the expectation that peace is just as imminent as death.

The production contains a complimentary authenticity. Neither Con nor Keb bothered much with the professional studio in making Songs For Lost Travellers. Instead they opted for the raw state of their home recordings and first takes, matching the intimacy of being alone and reflective in their creative energies. Room static on “Tell Me Lies” makes it feel like you’ve entered their apartments. The immediacy continues on “Gutters,” as Keb plays guitar while watching the tele and Con hums along to the vocal melody in search of the proper pocket for his verse. Someone snaps their finger to mark a cue, but the snap never returns to the mix to keep time.

More drawn to Keb’s recent folk recordings on the Songs For Lilla EP than his funk roots circa Dinking In The Shadows of Zizou or the cinematic soul of The Killing of Eugene Peeps, Con leaned into the spacial freedom he heard in Keb’s lo-fi production cobbled from field recordings and voice notes. Both artists placed their families into the tableau. Con wrote “Little Man” for his son, hoping to add a positive contribution to the canon of parental rap songs. Later, his son appears at the end of “Paramount” to deliver a passage from Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet. Keb secretly recorded his mum playing saxophone and sampled his cousin playing sax as well. The result is a near-drumless album (save for “Toulouse” and light tapping on “It Would Speak”) in which Keb’s raw production (plus a few sessions with Kofi Flexxx) gave Con a liminal zone, unencumbered by beats per minute, to craft melodies that turn his philosophical rhymes into mantras.

Perhaps there’s a message in the presence of family? It would be one of many. Con and Keb’s reflective, somber approach to Songs For Lost Travellers does not wallow in the mire. Music is action and it’s taking them through a portal to the other side of grief. We are welcome to join (which is also in the fine print of the Agreement Terms), but first there’s a password in the final song, a single request to answer: Tell me what you care about.

Biography by Blake Gillespie
credits

John Patitucci stands as a towering figure in the global jazz scene, renowned for his groundbreaking contributions to modern jazzfusion and beyond. His bold new album, Spirit Fall, marks an exciting new phase in his career as a leader, featuring his trio withthe extraordinary Brian Blade and Chris Potter, and stands as one of the most significant new signings to Edition Records.Patitucci’s exceptional versatility across acoustic and electric bass has set a new standard in contemporary music, influencinggenerations of bassists worldwide. Collaborating with icons like Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock, his work hasdefined the sound of jazz for decades, particularly his role in Corea’s Elektric Band, which helped shape jazz fusion’s evolution. Amultiple Grammy Award-winner, his virtuosity and ability to span genres have made him a vital force in jazz.His past solo works, including Line by Line and Songs, Stories and Spirituals, have already showcased his profound ability toblend jazz, classical, funk, and world music. Spirit Fall continues this tradition, bringing a fresh perspective to his ever-evolvingartistry while reaffirming his position as one of the most creative forces in contemporary jazz.

Celebrating over ten years in the game, Seth Troxler and The Martinez Brothers' carefully cultivated Tuskegee Music imprint returns with a deeply rooted collaboration between West Coast-based talents Late Delivery and BL SUEDE. Reinterpreting a club classic from Sheila E. and Prince, blending soul, deep tech house and freestyle influences at 130 bpm, ‘Glam Life’ lives up to the prosperous vibe of its title.

Originally from Washington D.C. and New Orleans respectively, Late Delivery have been refining their shared love of house culture since meeting in 2008. Collaborating with Inglewood, CA raised producer and vocalist BL SUEDE, this ode to a iconic time in Black music culture is imbued with the same sense of musicality, with BL’s fluid vocals in a heavenly posture amid joyous horns and irresistible percussion.”

Kenny Glasgow’s smooth, restrained take presents a champagne room mirror perspective on this particular ‘Glamorous Life’, with the former Art Department man and US rave scene lifer tapping directly into sensual, minimal pleasure. Afriqua meanwhile takes BL SUEDE's versatile vocals in a bright, diverse direction, conjuring fresh elements from an archive of breaks and bubbling basslines, landing between modern Amapiano and vintage EBM.

American heavy stoner rock / doom metal music titans Bongripper are set to unleash their latest release, a monumental live album recorded at the iconic Soulcrusher Festival in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, in 2022. The album captures the raw, immersive power of Bongripper’s unforgettable performance, a night that left festival-visitors in awe of the band’s crushing intensity and atmospheric depth. Known for their colossal soundscapes and uncompromising approach to instrumental heavy music, Bongripper delivered a career-defining set at Soulcrusher 2022. This live recording captures the band at their peak, delivering an authentic, visceral listening experience. This album also includes a special treat for fans: the ambient track “Glaciers” as an exclusive bonus-song; a stark contrast to the bone-crushing live set, “Glaciers” is a meditative exploration of texture and space, offering a contemplative comedown from the intensity of the first three tracks. Recorded and mixed separately from the live performance, the track showcases the band’s experimental side, blending haunting synths and atmospheric soundscapes into a mesmerizing sonic journey; an experience like no other!

The Official “Forever” Versions of Less Than Jake’s first full lenght album, Pezcore and Losing Streak are here! There have not been many pressings of "Pezcore" over the career of Less Than Jake. Now, with a fresh look to the classic "Pezcore" art, this special 30th anniversary version will celebrate the history of this seminal album for years to come.

Clystre's debut album 'Arpichelago' is reminiscent of Kraut, early synth pop, psychedelic and electronica. Carefully crafted synth voices, rhythms and textures form this joyous yet compelling sonic menu. With his album Carsten Rochow invites us to the eastern German countryside where we witness how a multitude of electronic music gear and natural surroundings can lead to detailed compositions whose repetitive but multifaceted structures provide a sense of timelesness and immersiveness. 'Arpichelago' is a ticket to a sonic vacation including the four seasons:

After days with '15 Inches of Snow', vernal gardening sessions do follow in 'Gartentraum'. While the title track of the album reminds of hot, summery moments, 'Cutting Wind' reminds of a long autumn walk out in the Fields of the Altmark. Includes our 'Eggplant Kraut Salad' recipe - a ¬avorful starter/side dish for your next asian-in¬uenced tapas night.

As soon as Martin Circus was born in 1969, the band laid foundations for the French "Pop Musique" genre, deliberately turning its back on both French yéyés and rock'n'roll to better embrace psychedelia and the French language. In 1971, they were a pioneering, innovative group moving as fast as a speeding train, building upon everything they found on the way. However, faced with band members changing often, management issues and music evolution, Martin Circus ended up trying to fit in every style: soul, R&B, glam rock, disco, new wave, 80s mainstream music. To follow their journey is to listen to the world shifting along music charts. Behind the scenes, since the very first days of the band, one man had been pulling all the strings. Manager and artistic director Gérard Hugé used to work for both the band and the label - this has never been good news. What he cared about the most was getting records out, no matter who played on them. In the mid-70s, he registered the Martin Circus name, granting himself full power over the band. Deciding that it no longer had either a lyricist or a composer, he made the remaining musicians embark on a series of American 60s hits adaptations. As a result, they made tons of money : "Marylène" was a huge hit and gave them a new impulse. The Martins adopted a new look by wearing shiny Courrèges-style suits and platform boots, and on stage they performed dance moves choreographed by the eccentric Amadeo. They completely fit into the disco craze which was about to take over. Still, their music blended doo-wop and rockabilly with glam rock and funk music. They eventually hit disco with a soundtrack in the mannerof French disco groups such as Space and Voyage. Effortlessly, they released the epic 14- minute "Disco Circus", a track which was to become a real underground gem. DJ and remixer François Kevorkian then released it on the American Prelude label in a self-edited version, shortened to 7 minutes while retaining all the dazzling passages of the original track. It came to be a hit in the clubs of New York and Chicago, making a lasting impression on everyone who heard it. It got sampled on at least 40 tracks over the following decades and featured in dozens of bootlegs and prestigious compilations - by Laurent Garnier, Carl Craig, Juan Atkins, Joey Negro, The Beatnuts, The Rapture, and by Danny Krivit in the DJ culture film Maestro. As the 80s arrived, Martin Circus once again changed the way they looked and their style. Inspired by Devo and their cold dance music, by Buggles' synthpop and Plastic Bertand's postpunk. Throughout their career full of ups and downs, Martin Circus nonetheless managed to keep up with one stable element: contrary to what they seemed, the musicians never took the easy way out. Their playing and arrangements were consistently flawless and polished, they relentlessly dedicated themselves to playing quality music and this can only compel admiration. As Coco Chanel once said, "Fashion goes out of fashion, style never does."

Back in the day, when he was the drummer for Poni Hoax, Vincent Taeger would sing in French whatever came to his mind backstage after concerts, just for fun, to amuse his friend the late Nicolas Ker. Since then, time has flown by, undoubtedly bringing its share of ups and downs. Nonetheless, today, this artist with a long career is finally releasing his debut album as a singer, OK Crooner. It's indeed an album for a singer, but also one for a musician. For this part, Taeger doesn't come alone; he brings along the Jazz Kamasutra, a sexy sextet that knows how to play everything and will later accompany him on stage. To get to this point, Vincent Taeger had to stop playing around with big names like Air, Damon Albarn, Justice, Lenny Kravitz, Skepta, Tony Allen, Oumou Sangaré, Jeff Mills, Archie Shepp, Sampa the Great, Andrea Laszlo de Simone... More than half of the major artists with whom he once collaborated, contributing to their albums or simply laying down a drum, bass, or any other heavy instrument line. Before OK Crooner, he also transformed into Tiger Tigre. This roaring alias was used for a first solo album, instrumental and so deep that one might have thought the ghost of François de Roubaix had taken shape. But that was before, before this exceptional musician decided to dive into the vast ocean of French variety to give a sequel, a culmination to this project. During COVID, Vincent Taeger started frantically listening to Souchon, Chamfort, Gotainer, and Christophe. Inspired by his elders, while not renouncing his attachment to the meticulous arrangements reminiscent of Alain Goraguer's soundtracks, he picked up a pen to jot down snippets of songs to accompany his increasingly sophisticated compositions. And the worst part is that he enjoyed it! Coming from rap, he has a knack for punchlines. Throughout the album, he delivers just as many harsh or soft words as good ones, alternating between risqué humor, Gaulish wit, and poetry. Partially recorded at Studio Ferber, but mainly at home with his partner, known by the alias La Plongée, who co-produced the album for the occasion, OK Crooner is a key album in Vincent Taeger's discography. Besides being the one where he finally unveils his voice to the public, without pretense as it is prominently featured and minimally, if at all, retouched, Taeger also offers music that suits him perfectly. Sharp yet accessible, jazz, pop, baroque, classical, modern, and resolutely marked by Tony Allen's legacy, which he daringly mixes with Beethoven in the Fifth Symphony. His alter ego, Vincent Taurelle, with whom he has produced many albums, took care of mixing this one.

Prehistoricisms by Intronaut is a landmark album in progressive metal, merging complex rhythms with deep, atmospheric textures. Originally released in 2008, this album showcases the band’s unique approach to combining elements of jazz, sludge, and progressive metal, setting a new standard in genre-blending. Intronaut, formed by accomplished musicians Sacha Dunable, Joe Lester, Dave Timnick, and Danny Walker, stands out for their technical mastery and innovative soundscapes, drawing listeners into a journey through ancient themes and explorations of human existence. Prehistoricisms is revered for its intricate compositions, with tracks that seamlessly shift between aggression and introspection, highlighting the band's bold musical vision and mastery of dynamics. This exclusive vinyl reissue is carefully crafted to preserve the album's original depth and clarity, making it the definitive version for discerning listeners. Perfect for both long-time fans and new listeners, "Prehistoricisms" remains a testament to Intronaut’s legacy in modern metal and is an essential addition to any vinyl collection. Experience the immersive power of this high-quality pressing and rediscover the timeless impact of Prehistoricisms.

Universally hailed as the King of the Blues, the legendary B.B. King was without a doubt the single most important electric guitarist of the second half of the 20th century. His bent notes and staccato picking style influenced legions of contemporary bluesmen, while his gritty and confident voice -capable of wringing every nuance from any lyric- provided a worthy match for his passionate playing. In The Many Faces of B.B. King we will review many of his most celebrated collaborations including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Etta James, Chaka Khan and Pat Metheny, enjoy plenty of his hits that spanned a six-decade career and finally, enjoy a list of who’s who in The Blues Hall of Fame with names such as Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, Slim Harpo y Muddy Waters. The Many Faces Of B.B. King is a fantastic album that showcases the work of one of the most celebrated musicians from our time.
Also, remember that it is not available on any streaming platforms.

South-London, British-Bengali musician Tara Lily shares her debut album 'Speak In The Dark'. The LP is about "speaking your truth" and combines alternative R&B, jazz, electronica and traditional Indian sounds into a unique fusion. The record, produced by Dom Valentino, features American jazz trumpeter Theo Croker, UK rapper Surya Sen, and Archy Marshall (aka King Krule) on guitar.

Growing up in Peckham as part of a British Bengali family has given Tara Lily a unique perspective on music and global culture. She has spent her life absorbing a multitude of sounds and genres from her surroundings, ranging from electronica to jazz and RnB to traditional Bengali folk music. From training at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music (where she studied jazz piano and voice) to learning Indian classical music and being the first act signed to Motown Records UK. Tara is a musical anomaly.

Debut album from South-London, British-Bengali musician and rising star Tara Lily, featuring American trumpeter Theo Croker & UK rapper Surya Sen
LP produced by Dom Valentino with additional contributions from Bad Sounds, Jaz Lee, Archy Marshall, Chiranjeeb Chakraborty, Akash Parekar, Mei Kerby, Ian Stratford
European Tour supporting JP Cooper (1st week of October, 2024)
UK Tour w/ Juabi - Manchester, Barbican (London) - Sept 2024
Artwork by Jay Vaz (Dreaming Vinyl)
"No Way Out" video shot in association with The North Face in the Himalayas, Nepal. Directed by Siddanth Ghosh
Press support - The Guardian, Evening Standard - "One to watch", Wonderland, ID, Notion, Clash
Radio support - 'Double Time' was track of the week on BBC Radio 1, other spots plays - BBC 6Music, Jazz FM (playlisting), BBC Asian Network, NTS
Recipient of the FAC x Amazon Music - Step Up Fund
Tours - UK, India (Echos Of Earth / Vh1 Supersonic festival / Jazz
Weekender), Nepal, Bangkok, Hong Kong, EU
Festivals - Glastonbury (3 sets - BBC introducing - Televised / Leftfield B2B Billy Bragg / PRS), We Out Here, Shambala, Daytimer Dialled In, Wilderness, Cross The Tracks
Career highlights - SHAKTI JAZZ NTS show, joined King Krule on stage at Apollo Theatre and supported RAYE at the Royal Albert Hall, Jazz Cafe w/ Mahalia, playing live on TV on BBC2 (The Kia Oval)

Of all the nicknames given to Elvis, only one of them really seems to reflect his importance in the history of rock: they called him The King.

Together with Chuck Berry, Elvis represented the young generation that vibrated to the music with new rhythms that appeared in the Fifties: Rock’n’Roll. Presley’s personality, not to mention his voice, charm, and a whole series of chart hits, guaranteed Elvis a special place in the hearts of his fans; and not only in his own lifetime, because the same is true some fifty years later.

The thirty titles included in this album are a brilliant demonstration of Elvis’ talents, and the music alone is enough to explain the cult following of his fans, who will worship him forever.

Cold Blow proudly presents Bonus Beats: Rare & Unreleased Finnish Electro 1990–2002, a landmark compilation capturing Finland's underground electro scene from the late 1990s and early 2000s. This double-LP features 9 rare and 3 previously unreleased tracks from pioneering Finnish artists, showcasing a distinctly Nordic approach to the genre. With contributions from notable names such as Jori Hulkkonen, Mr. Velcro Fastener, Mono Junk, and the late Mika Vainio, this release highlights the experimental and DIY ethos that defined Finland's electronic music scene during this period.

Carefully curated by Erkko Lehtinen, a key figure in Finland's electro scene as a DJ and promoter, the compilation explores a broad sonic palette, spanning early techno influences, robotic allure, and dark, bass-heavy tracks. Standout contributions include Decepticons and Dr. Robotnik's unreleased dark electro cuts, with the latter veering into minimal wave territory. Feng Shui feat. Monsieur delivers a striking collaboration that fuses a trance-like lead with raw, industrial beats, uniting members of Huoratron, Nu Science, Polytron, and Op:l Bastards. Keeping alive the legacy of Perttu Häkkinen (aka Randy Barracuda), this release wouldn't be complete without Imatran Voima's bass-driven anthem from their debut EP. Also featured are Spektor's retro synth experiments, Tero's Commodore 64-based creations, Brothomstates' (later a Warp signee) futuristic soundscapes, and a rare cover of Kraftwerk's The Model by the anonymous duo Markus & Kristian. Erkko's extensive liner notes provide additional insight into this culturally and musically significant era. Available in double-LP, this collection is a must-have for electronic music aficionados and vinyl collectors.










j 10: Feng Shui - Hao Hao (I`m Back) feat. Monsieur

This compilation is more than a selection of songs from Willy Nfor’s solo career in Nigeria—it’s the story of a man’s determination to live his dreams. Known as Willy Ngeh Nfor, he was a founding member of the Mighty Flames. One morning, Willy and his bandmates packed their instruments, grabbed a few clothes, and headed from Cameroon to Nigeria. Crossing the border on foot, they made their way to Onitsha.

“We left Cameroon with no contacts in Nigeria—it was an adventure. We’d heard about the FESTAC Arts Festival and felt we had to be part of it. Our first band in Nigeria was Pentagon Funk Band, sponsored by the 5th Brigade in Port Harcourt. Later, we moved to Onitsha and signed with Right Time Stores, recording Sweet Love (RTLPS 011) as The Mighty Flames. The sessions were at Decca Studios in Lagos, with a 16-track analog system. It was intense—no room for mistakes. We rehearsed endlessly before recording each take.” (Vincent Ekedi, Drummer, Mighty Flames)

Willy’s journey was shaped by his resilience and talent. Losing his mother early and facing family struggles, music became his escape. Inspired by funk and jazz-rock greats like Bootsy Collins, Jaco Pastorius, and Stanley Clarke, he honed his skills on bass and composition, playing with local bands alongside musicians like Vincent Ekedi. Together, they refined their grooves, dreaming of brighter futures.

After his time in Nigeria, Willy moved to Paris, becoming a session bassist for legends such as Manu Dibango, Mory Kanté, Tony Allen, Akendengue, Ray Lema, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Kanté Manfila. Touring extensively, he lived the “Star Life” (Star Life, Cornerstone Records, Feel So Fine, 1981), playing funk grooves with giants in grand venues, fulfilling his dream of the spotlight.

Causa Sui returns with a new live album, recorded at their home turf – the legendary Copenhagen venue Loppen, located at the famous, and notorious, freetown Christiania – a venue the band has played more often than any other throughout their 20 year career.
This set is the perfect companion to last year's career highlight ‘From The Source”, which saw the band condense the multiple stylistic aspects of their sound into an awe-inspiring 47 minutes. Represented here are key cuts from that album – including the sidelong 7-part epic ‘Visions of a New Horizon” - as well as a few fan favorites such as ‘Red Sun in June” from the band's Summer Sessions series, which has never previously been released in a live version. In this rendition the band let themselves get carried away, riding on the energy of the room, soaring into jammy Grateful Dead territory. Elsewhere the band explores jazzy, improvisatory group interplay (The Spot) and get as heavy as they can (Soledad, Boozehound). Getting carried away is what Causa Sui are all about when playing live, and that mentality is captured in entirety on this set. Mixed and mastered by Jonas Munk from a multitrack soundboard recording

Young Kingz II marks Krept & Konan’s first album since top-5 charting Revenge Is Sweet, a project which cemented their place in music history as UK rap royalty and saw them become the first British rap act to headline the O2 London. It also follows the duo’s equally ground-breaking 2017 release of 7 DAYS and 7 NIGHTS, which saw them become the first act ever to have two mixtapes simultaneously enter the Top 10 of the Official UK Albums chart, and their 2015 debut album The Long Way Home which debuted at no. 2 on The Official UK Albums Chart, becoming the highest charting British Rap album in UK chart history.

With Young Kingz II, Krept & Konan are set to continue their legacy and undisputed relevance in the British music scene. Returning to their independent roots, they come full circle with the follow up to their 2013 released Young Kingz mixtape which catapulted the duo into the Top 20 of The Official UK Albums Chart, earning them a Guinness World Record for the highest charting UK album by an unsigned act.

Young Kingz was pivotal in establishing Krept & Konan as trailblazers in the UK rap scene, kickstarting their reputation for repeatedly breaking records and consistently breaking ground. With a broad-ranging rollcall of featured artists, it heralded their signature approach to collaborations of enlisting fledgling artists (such as s then little-known MC, Stormzy), alongside more established ones (George The Poet, Chip, Tine Tempah and Giggs). It also saw Krept & Konan gain traction across the Atlantic with US rappers French Montana, Chinx Drugz, Lil Durk stepping up on the remix of the mixtape’s second single release, "Don’t Waste My Time", and garnered them a BET Award (Best International Act) and MOBO Award (Best Hip-Hop Act).

‘Young Kingz II’ is poised to be yet another milestone in Krept & Konan's unstoppable career. As unapologetic pioneers in UK hip-hop, they continue to push boundaries and set new benchmarks in British music.

Berlin’s Moses Yoofee Trio have confirmed details of their first new material since their 2023 mini-album, Ocean. ‘WHIP.wav’ will be released digitally on October 18, 2024, and represents the first taster for their debut full-length, MYT, set to be released by Nils Frahm’s LEITER on February 7, 2025. The German group recorded much of the album over ten days in April 2024 at Glaswald Studios, in the countryside outside Stuttgart, before returning to Berlin to polish the results and record two further tracks at LEITER’s Funkhaus studio. Available on vinyl and via all digital platforms, the album was produced by the trio with long-time collaborator and mixing engineer oh.no.ty. ‘WHIP.wav’, the original version of which was previously shared to social media to great response, is a perfect showcase for the band’s unique brand of sophisticated jazz, its laidback summer grooves lit up by Moses’ fluid piano lines, while drummer Noah Fürbringer’s deft rhythms lock in with Roman Klobe-Barangă‘s understated bassline. At just 100 seconds long, it’s also as succinct and straightforward as MYT’s title – and indeed many of its tracks – which reveals a lot about the Moses Yoofee Trio. The new album’s tracks display a remarkable determination to distil their work to its essence, allowing their prodigious talents and graceful versatility to flourish in uncluttered surroundings. Their goals, they state concisely, are “emotions, moments and bangers”, and careful attention was paid to arrangements to ensure nothing superfluous made the cut. Before coming together as a band, all three members were already deeply involved in the music scene, touring, recording, and producing for a wide range of artists and bands. They connected in 2020 when Moses met Roman at Berlin’s Jazz Institute, and it was the latter who suggested they jam with his friend Noah, who was living in southern Germany at the time but frequently visited Berlin. Amid the extended lockdowns of the Covid-19 pandemic, the trio embraced the chance to fully immerse themselves in the creative process. Since then, Moses Yoofee Trio have cultivated an extraordinary reputation for their shows, and this year they won the German Jazz Prize’s prestigious Live Act of The Year award. Recent highlights include a 2,500-capacity Elbjazz Festival booking beside Hamburg’s harbour, a riotous appearance at London’s Jazz Festival, and an intimate gig before 200 people at the German capital’s now redundant Tempelhof Airport on the rooftop of an air traffic control tower. Despite their own work as a trio, all three musicians remain busy elsewhere, with Moses, like Roman, often working with chart-topping Berlin-based Peter Fox, a frontman for reggae/dancehall/hip hop crossover act SEEED, and accompanying him on his extensive solo tours. Noah, meanwhile, plays with another renowned artist, German-American rapper Casper, as well as Sweden’s acclaimed Petter Eldh and German comedian / actor / musician Teddy Teclebrhan.

Squids neues Album "Cowards" handelt vom Bösen. Neun Geschichten, deren Protagonisten mit Kulten, Charisma und Apathie rechnen. Echte und imaginäre Charaktere, die in den dunklen Ozean zwischen Richtig und Falsch waten.

"Cowards" ist Squids mutigstes Album: Es wächst gleichzeitig an Umfang und kehrt zu den Grundlagen zurück. Die Band nahm "Cowards" in den Church Studios in Crouch End mit den mit dem Mercury Prize ausgezeichneten Produzentinnen Marta Salogni und Grace Banks auf. Für die Produktion war ausserdem ihr langjähriger Shifu und Kollaborateur Dan Carey zuständig, der die ersten beiden Alben der Band aufnahm. Die Platte wurde in Seattle von John McEntire (Tortoise) gemischt, bevor sie von der reichhaltigen analogen Kette von Heba Kadrys Mastering in Brooklyn, New York, komprimiert wurde.

Squid haben seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 2016 als instrumentale Jazzband für eine monatliche Nacht in Brighton einen langen Weg zurückgelegt. Ihr Debütalbum "Bright Green Field" (2021) erschien, als sich die Welt nach der Pandemie wieder zu öffnen begann, und sie schafften es in die Top 5 der UK Charts. Im Jahr 2023 veröffentlichten sie ihr zweites Album, das grüblerische "O Monolith", das die Band um die ganze Welt führte und Neuland betrat, das Jahre zuvor kaum möglich schien. Beide Alben konnten sich hierzulande in den Top 100 platzieren.

Squids neues Album "Cowards" handelt vom Bösen. Neun Geschichten, deren Protagonisten mit Kulten, Charisma und Apathie rechnen. Echte und imaginäre Charaktere, die in den dunklen Ozean zwischen Richtig und Falsch waten.

"Cowards" ist Squids mutigstes Album: Es wächst gleichzeitig an Umfang und kehrt zu den Grundlagen zurück. Die Band nahm "Cowards" in den Church Studios in Crouch End mit den mit dem Mercury Prize ausgezeichneten Produzentinnen Marta Salogni und Grace Banks auf. Für die Produktion war ausserdem ihr langjähriger Shifu und Kollaborateur Dan Carey zuständig, der die ersten beiden Alben der Band aufnahm. Die Platte wurde in Seattle von John McEntire (Tortoise) gemischt, bevor sie von der reichhaltigen analogen Kette von Heba Kadrys Mastering in Brooklyn, New York, komprimiert wurde.

Squid haben seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 2016 als instrumentale Jazzband für eine monatliche Nacht in Brighton einen langen Weg zurückgelegt. Ihr Debütalbum "Bright Green Field" (2021) erschien, als sich die Welt nach der Pandemie wieder zu öffnen begann, und sie schafften es in die Top 5 der UK Charts. Im Jahr 2023 veröffentlichten sie ihr zweites Album, das grüblerische "O Monolith", das die Band um die ganze Welt führte und Neuland betrat, das Jahre zuvor kaum möglich schien. Beide Alben konnten sich hierzulande in den Top 100 platzieren.

Der UK-Postpunk-Geheimtipp des noch jungen Jahres!

Produziert von UK-Indie-Produzenten-Legende Dan Carey, der schon lange mit Heartworms zusammenarbeitet, verbindet 'Glutton For Punishment' die treibenden, motorischen Tendenzen der Gothic-Urgesteine Depeche Mode mit der lyrischen Gewandtheit von PJ Harvey und den schrägen Rhythmen von LCD Soundsystem zu einem kraftvollen Klanggewitter.

Whales are the largest animals the Earth has ever borne. They feed on krill. They sing. Listen to them. Listen to the whale is Kriill's second studio album. Four years of their lives. One twentieth of human life. This album is a tribute to the magical carefree spirit we humans are capable of in our daily lives, despite the perspective of imminent collapse. An elegant, creative alternative-rock album, with a singular, audacious sound, harmonized vocals and sassy guitars. A generous musical expression of vertigo in the face of the work of the Universe.

Kriill is a music group on Earth, made up of Klaar Frankenberg, Richard Pons and Eliott Sigg.
Krill are the trillions of tiny crustaceans that inhabit the world's oceans and represent the planet's largest animal biomass.

Grammy-nominated artist, producer and label-head TOKiMONSTA and prolific composer, producer and songwriter, Suzi Analogue have officially released their collaborative mini-album, Analogue Monsta: BOOM via Young Art Records. Originally released in limited quantities exclusively on vinyl in 2012, the 11-track project has now been remastered. Analogue Monsta: BOOM serves as a time capsule to the eclectic sound of the early 2010’s beat scene, which both TOKi and Suzi’s futuristic production styles helped champion out to a broader audience outside of the world of “bedroom producers.” Suzi Analogue's smooth R&B vocals pair perfectly with TOKiMONSTA's glitchy beats and pulsating bass, demonstrating their versatility and flair for pushing sonic boundaries. The album lays one of the early foundations to the fusion of future bass, alternative R&B and electronica, highlighting the pioneering spirit of two acclaimed female artists.

Analogue Monsta: BOOM marks an important milestone for the two as they reflect on the prescient nature of their early collaboration. “This special project with Suzi Analogue is one of my favorites. It never had a formal release so it feels right to share it with the world a decade later with fresh ears,” states TOKiMONSTA. Both Suzi and TOKi’s journeys converged early in their careers as the two paved the way for a groundbreaking era of femme-identifying producers and songwriters within the music industry. Speaking on the project’s significance Suzi Analogue adds, “​​The Analogue Monsta project was truly ahead of its time. We felt a strong calling to propel it into the future, recognizing the trailblazing potential it held. It provided a vital space for femme-identifying producers and songwriters to fearlessly explore beats, lyrics and tempos with us. This experimental journey not only influenced the current musical landscape but is poised to leave a lasting mark on the soundscape of the future."

The result is a record that very much is its own world. Where chaos is carefully organized, where being able to ever actually chill out is totally illusory, a trick mirror.

Beaten To Death’s brutal and innovative sound is somewhat melodic, in a strange way, and that’s why their sound is often called ‘melodic grindcore’; an oxymoronic definition, some might even say a moronic definition, but still the definition that best applies to this Norwegian quintet’s music. Beaten To Death consists of members from Insense, Tsjuder, The Cumshots, Gothminister and She Said Destroy and have won fans over globally for their energetic, strangely melodic and innovative approach to grindcore. With their combination of hysterical blast beats, meaty grooves, double guitar twang attack, asshole-of-god-earthquake bass and tongue in cheek lyrical approach to the shittiness of life, Beaten To Death have dug out their very own little niche in the music world. Their new sixth album “Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis” was recorded and mixed by Tommy Hjelm, and the amazing artwork is once again by William Hay. Since their last album from 2021, all the band members have aged horribly, and this is also the theme of the album. The positive thing about getting closer to the grave, is that profound grindcore poetry comes much easier than when the member were still carefree youngster, frolicking in the Norwegian forests…

Four years after "The Watchful Eye Of The Stars", Adrian Crowley returns with a new John Parish-produced album "Measure of Joy" to be released on the brand new label Valley of Eyes Records. This is album 10 for Crowley: an achievement number and maybe even a career high, but the music doesn"t bother with that. They are just great songs. Crowley is a songwriter and a poet. Here, also, he is in the company of John Parish, who is always more than a producer. "Measure of Joy" is a nocturnal album. Not in the usual commonplace sense of dark and moody though it can be. The night is present in the sounds that can only be noticed when most things rest. In the lost transmission and the ghost lips that talk on the phone over sleepy jazz.

The Durutti Column, Linda Perhacs, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Judee Sill. Hello and welcome to Decide Which Way The Eyes Are Looking, the new record by Lina Tullgren. It is a deeply gorgeous intervention, a carefully ornamented dilemma, the most inviting crisis. Made with a host of Los Angeles musicians, Decide exposes Tullgren's daring and trust. Each song is a ring of curious sound: the skip of harp strings, the flutter of woodwinds, the ratchet of percussion, the euphonium's sigh. And at the center of each wreath, Tullgren sings, finding this space between Judee Sill and Sam Jayne. It's a tone that signals weariness, but a weariness hand-in-hand with tenacity. There's a clarity, a kind of immovability. Lina Tullgren's first record came in 2016, a homemade, under-the-skin set of laments. Subsequent LPs and constant touring cemented Tullgren's reputation as a composer of "wide-eyed wonder paired with a resonant despair." 2019's Free Cell showed Tullgren lingering in the margins of their songs, finding places both aloof and spare. Floodgates opened; Tullgren spent the subsequent years exploring deep listening, improvised music, and extended technique. They developed a patience and faith in cooperation that ranged at the far edge of song. Collaborations with Mayo Thompson and Claire Rousay furthered this development. This was not a break with the past for Tullgren, rather it was an opportunity to see how far a song could go. And from that distance, deep in a landscape of drone and tension, Tullgren returned to the bright vulnerability of a lyric and a hook. Weaving together the affective and the radical, Tullgren took the quiet isolation of a shoreline cabin to write the songs that would become Decide Which Way The Eyes Are Looking. For Tullgren, Decide is a culmination of all the work they've done throughout their life: the melodic, the dense, the confessional, the unknowable. It's also a tribute to collaboration. Describing the sessions as having "a lot of space and a lot of ease,"" Tullgren invited musicians from a vast field of songmaking to play on the recording: Leng Bian, Zach Burba, Luke Csehak, Corey Fogel, Jenny Hirons, Tara Milch, Tim Ramsey, Michael Sachs, Jude Tedaldi, Marta Tiesenga and Ben Varian. Jonny Kosmo's backhouse was offered as a cozy, easygoing space for the players to create their parts together, and the record was completed by Tullgren and Luke Csehak together at their Los Angeles home. In Tullgren's words: "I feel really strongly that this album is a portrait of the community I found in Los Angeles." Decide Which Way The Eyes Are Looking is a quiet masterpiece: a generous, memorable journey. It is the result of five years of labor, the product of abandoning the pop song entirely and starting over. Whatever wanderings or doubt fueled it, Decide is also entirely at ease: a record on which Tullgren sings "and I know/what to do now" and "I know exactly what to do" in subsequent songs, clear in the revelations this path has given the

Soul Rebels / BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS

The classic album now returns with new analogue mastering and stunning smoky blue vinyl pressing Originally released in 1970, Soul Rebels marked the first full-length album credited to Bob Marley and The Wailers, establishing it as a cornerstone of the roots reggae movement and a musical monument in the early stages of their career.

This album is a powerful blend of love songs and defiant rebel anthems that captures the essence of the era's burgeoning reggae scene. With its catchy rhythms, revolutionary spirit, and thought-provoking lyrics, this recording stands as a testament to the band's ability to seamlessly merge the themes of love, liberation, and self-awareness.

The title track, ‘Soul Rebels’, has become an anthem for those seeking freedom from societal norms and restrictions, encapsulating the themes of resistance and self-determination that Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer wove into their music. The album also highlights their collaboration with visionary producer Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, recorded at the renowned Randy’s Studio in Kingston, which became the birthplace of some of the most influential sounds in reggae history.

First concept album by Bob Marley and The Wailers
New analogue mastering restores the 1970 album to its original brilliance
Pressed on smoky blue vinyl Released on the Upsetter label, celebrating the groundbreaking collaboration between Bob Marley and The Wailers and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry.

Adventurous big band jazz featuring such renowned composers and arrangers as Masao Yagi, Kiyoshi Yamaya, Norio Maeda, and Masahiko Sato. This is Sharps & Flats' greatest masterpiece.

Sharps & Flats, led by Nobuo Hara, has led the Japanese big band jazz scene with its diverse activities and outstanding musicality. They have produced many works throughout their long career, but this album, Little Giant, is considered one of their most representative works. The original was released in 1970 as part of Victor's Japanese Jazz series. Of note is the participation of such renowned composers and arrangers as Masao Yagi, Kiyoshi Yamaya, Norio Maeda, and Masahiko Sato.

In addition to the original songs by each member, the album also features a unique arrangement of Oliver Nelson, who has a close relationship with Sharps & Flats. The arrangements are as detailed as they are adventurous, and the performance quality is high enough to make them a reality. The hipness of "Little Giant," the strength of "Dark Horse," the edgyness of "Orbit 8:11," the elegance of "Flexibility"... The dynamic performance with the right amount of tension is captivating. This is a masterpiece that brings out the best of Sharps and Flats' ability and charm.

Surely one of the end of year 2012 hits and now available on CD, this debut album from Jessica Pratt got some rave blogosphere reviewage, Highly recommended!! "I never wanted to ever start a record label. Ever. But there is something about her voice I couldn't let go of. It's an actual voice. An actual beautiful voice. This ones a classic sounding voice. Not to mention her song writing, recording and guitar playing. JESSICA PRATT's music feels like I have found a lost LP of an old forgotten mystical folk singer, that feeling of discovering a record all by myself: Without the help of friends or the Internet. Like Stevie Nicks singing over David Crosby demos, with the intimacy of a Sibylle Baier. I am in love with it. So much, that I saved up and threw all my money to get it into this world. I actually care about it, no matter which way the winds blow."-Tim Presley, White Fence: FOR FANS OF Marissa Nadler / Linda Perhacs / first vinyl pressing of 500 now sold out? Second pressing now in Stock!! 8/10 in the latest Uncut. dont miss this ..

Cello player and electronic artist Martina Bertoni returns with her 2nd album for Karl: Hypnagogia delivers six new, masterfully crafted tracks between experimental ambient, drone and modern composition.

Cellist and composer Martina Bertoni started playing the cello at a very young age. Classically trained, her career further developed around experimental and film music, for which her cello has been featured in numerous records, works and soundtracks for films and series. After two EPs and her debut full length All The Ghosts Are Gone (2020), Bertoni joined the Karl roster where she released Music For Empty Flats in January 2021 to critical acclaim (a.o. one of the Top Ten drone albums of 2021).

On her new album Hypnagogia she continues to explore the sonic possibilities of her cello which she uses as primary source for composition and sound processing through reverbs, feedbacks and sub-bass frequencies, thus crafting sonic sculptures, rich of atmospheres and frictions, fed by ambient as much as drone and modern composition.

In the words of Martina Bertoni:
"The six tracks that constitute Hypnagogia have been written during 2021 and partially inspired by the reading of Stanislaw Lem's book Solaris. The title refers to a transitional state of consciousness from wakefulness to sleep, during which one might experience sensorial hallucinations and lucid dreaming, and can tap into the pristine structures of the subconscious. Hypnagogia portraits an imaginary cosmic journey of the Self that crash ends into a blinding sun."

Singer, songwriter and composer Melike Şahin is set to releases her new album AKKOR via Gülbaba Records in partnership with Day Dreamer

An empowering assertion of survival that propels traditional Anatolian pop and folk influences into the future, AKKOR rises like a phoenix from the flames to reintroduce the Turkish superstar diva to an international audience. An expression of Şahin’s personal growth, the album is an affirmation of her growing status as the voice of a generation, and hose lyrics have been adopted as a callto rights for the women’s movement in Turkey.

Recorded live in London with producer Martin Terefe (London Brew, Buika, Jamie Cullum), AKKOR features a selection of the most talented and forward-thinking musicians on the scene, including guitarists Dave Okumu and violinist Raven Bush, as well as terling Campell (David Bowie) on drums, Glen Scott (Eric Bibb) and Nikolaj mTorp Larsen on keyboards. Bringing an international feel to her mheart-rending performances, the record represents the most focussed and complete expression of Şahin’s sound to date. Melike Şahin has made a career of facing down criticism and censorship to make sumptuous and provocative music that captures the defiant tone of progressive creativity in contemporary Turkey. Having performed around the world with Turkish psych legends BaBa ZuLa, Şahin released her debut album Merhem in 2021, gathering billions of streams and building a reputation for unforgettable live performances in the process. Influenced by the style of Sade, cutting an elegant and beguiling figure on the stage. Where Şahin describes Merhem as about healing, she says AKKOR is about survival, both on an emotional level, coming to terms with difficult relationships, childhood trauma and the pressures of newfound fame, and on a social level, in continuing the champion the rights of the oppressed in the face of state and media violence. Powerful and vulnerable in equal measure, AKKOR demonstrates an orchestral grandeur and a dramatic flair drawn from Şahin’s love for traditional Anatolian pop and folk music, injected with the urgency of contemporary production. Bound together by Şahin’s inimitable voice AKKOR skips between Middle Eastern melancholy and classic disco hedonism, for an album that is as stylistically open, pluralistic and affirmative as the messages the music carries.

Although she does not describe herself as an activist, Şahin’s poignant lyrics have come to define the women’s movement in Turkey, with the words, “I deserve each and every inch of this smile,”adorning protest banners on International Women’s Day and celebratory posters at Pride.

“This is the moment that I told myself, Yes, I am an artist,” Şahin says. “I am bearing all of the other things because of this, because I am affecting people's lives, and I am giving some power.” AKKOR – which translates as candescent – finds Melike rising again and burning brighter than ever before.

Overall though, Şahin says AKKOR is her rebirth album – a statement of self-empowerment, through which she hopes tocontinue to raise up the voices of those around her. “You are seeinga woman who falls down, but who rises again and flies,” sheexplains. “Maybe she doesn't win, maybe she doesn't lose, but she's a survivor,” Şahin concludes. “She is a phoenix.”

Frank Sinatra was one of the greatest performers and first musical superstar of the last century. His voice, timing and performance created the standards for vocalists ever since. Even today’s performers like Michael Bubble, Jamie Cullum and Robbie Williams are highly inspired by “Ol’ Blue Eyes.”

On Frank Sinatra Collected, his career and musical legacy is celebrated on 2 LPs, spanning over 5 decades. In association with Frank Sinatra Enterprises, the 31 recordings on Collected include not just his most famous songs, but also delves into some of his best album tracks and collaborations with Count Basie, Quincy Jones and his daughter Nancy, all showcasing the versatile artist he was.

Frank Sinatra Collected is available as a 2LP, housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with liner notes inside. 10.000 numbered copies are pressed on “Sinatra Ol’ Blue Eyes” translucent blue coloured vinyl.

2024 Repress alert

Space Ghost is excited to announce the release of Dream Tool, a four track 12” EP produced by Space Ghost himself. Dream Tool offers up four spacious house tunes exploring Space Ghost’s signature style of dance music. Each track is equipped with groovin’ drums, atmospheric pads, catchy piano melodies, and bouncy basslines. Dream Tool is the debut release of Space Ghost’s new label, Peace World Records.

With the launch of Peace World Records, Space Ghost aims to harness his passion for music to create a unique platform for like-minded artists in the Bay Area and beyond. Since moving to Oakland in 2009, Space Ghost has been a consistent fixture in the Bay Area music scene, DJing regularly and refining his production skills. For Space Ghost, honing his craft and creating enduring, high-quality art is essential, making the establishment of his new label a natural progression in his artistic journey.

Space Ghost has garnered an international following over the years by steadily dropping a diverse array of LPs and EPs. He has collaborated with Danish label Tartelet Records for multiple projects and has also put out music with acclaimed labels such as Apron Records, Pacific Rhythm, and PPU. Across his releases, Space Ghost’s production style weaves between ambient and dance music, drawing inspiration from the underground scenes of the '80s and '90s while adding a contemporary touch.

The launch of Peace World Records and its debut release, Dream Tool, marks Space Ghost’s inaugural step towards his goal at a full-time music career. Embodying his journey, this debut release truly is his Dream Tool.

Limited Edition White Vinyl

At the forefront of a rising wave of Brazilian artists captivating international audiences, Nyron Higor brings a quiet yet potent sense of wonder to his new self-titled album. Born in Maceió, Higor’s latest work is rooted in the traditions of Northeastern Brazilian music and golden-era MPB. Within the peaceful surroundings of his home, Higor weaves these roots together with global influences and contemporary production techniques, for a uniquely dreamlike vision of hope.

Following the success of his self-released debut Fio de Lâmina—an instrumental record of delicately balanced rhythmic and harmonic patterns, which earned support from tastemakers like Mr. Scruff, Gilles Peterson, and John Gomez—Higor’s new album is a move towards a more expansive, lyrical exploration of transcendence and triumph. As Higor explains, “This album is a test of resistance and a big event in my life as a young Black man from the Northeast and coming from a humble background, financially speaking, its context is political.”

Taking his demos and unfinished tracks to São Paulo, Higor worked alongside friends and collaborators from Brazil’s vibrant contemporary music scene—including fellow Maceioense artists Bruno Berle, Batata Boy, and New York-based Brazilian vocalist Alici Sol—assembling a rich musical landscape and a cutting edge development on the musical world from which he emerges.

For Higor, the process of recording and producing in close collaboration with Berle and Batata Boy allowed him to fully cultivate the emotive power of his compositions. Album opener "Ciranda" sets the tone with a slow frevo rhythm, as wistful trombone melodies and melancholic acoustic guitar harmonies create an atmosphere both intimate and grand. Lead single "São Só Palavras," featuring Alici Sol and Bruno Berle, captures both the lightness and depth of young love in an all too fleeting minute-and-a-half moment of soaring brilliance.

Building upon the instrumental sound of his debut, “Louro Cantador” with its playful organ, birdlike whistles and elegant acoustic guitar, emanates a kind of rare natural beauty, as each sound dances amidst the gentle pulse of Higor's bass—his main instrument.

Through ten carefully crafted tracks, Higor’s acuity for sound and silence draws listeners into a place that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant. “Above all, I value making music that brings me genuine satisfaction. I’m always looking for depth in the things I create.”

This album is a testament to the timeless themes that define Higor’s artistry, as well as his creative drive to overcome the obstacles he faces. Conveying his feelings of jubilance for his work, Higor notes, “This work is liberating, contemplative and victorious!” Each track invites the listener to experience the raw intimacy, the joy and longing, and the otherworldly ingenuity of Brazilian music, which seems to endlessly keep us coming back for more.

CREDITS

Ciranda (Nyron Higor)
Tico Lima: Trombone, Nyron Higor: Drums, Bass, Synthesizers, Electric Piano, Guitar, Molho de Jatobá, Ganzá, Caxixi, and Indigenous Whistle

Louro Cantador (Nyron Higor)
Nyron Higor: Drums, Bass, Keyboards, Guitar, Percussion, and Direct Sound

Demo Love (Nyron Higor)
Nyron Higor: Drums, Bass Synth, Keyboards, and Synthesizers

São Só Palavras feat. Alici, Bruno Berle (Nyron Higor, Batata Boy, Alici Sol, and Bruno Berle)
Alici Sol: Vocals, Bruno Berle: Vocals and Bass, Nyron Higor: Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Synthesizers, and Whistles

Estou Pensando Em Você feat. Johanna (João Menezes, Rubens Adati)
Nyron Higor: Vocals, Johanna: Vocals. Bruno Berle: Vocals, Rubens Adati: Piano, Guitar, Programming, Stefan Costilhes: Bass, Batata Boy: Programming

Maravilhamento feat. Nathalia Grilo (Nyron Higor, Nathalia Grilo)
Nathalia Grilo: Vocals, Nyron Higor: Drums, Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, and Synthesizers

Som 24 (Nyron Higor)
Nyron Higor: Sampler, Keyboard, Bass Synth, Vocoder, and Steel Guitar

Pizzicato (Nyron Higor)
Nyron Higor: Double Bass and Keyboards

Eu Te Amo (João Menezes)
Nyron Higor: Vocals and Bass, João Menezes: Guitar, Batata Boy: Rhodes Piano, Bruno Berle: Xylophone

Me Vestir De Você feat. Johanna (Paulo Novaes and João Menezes)
Nyron Higor: Vocals, Johanna: Vocals, Bianca Godoi: Drums, Bruno Berle: Bass, Guitar, Percussion, and Rhodes Piano, Batata Boy: Rhodes Piano and Guitar

===================

Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 were recorded by Nyron Higor in Maceió

Track 4: Bass and Synthesizers recorded by Ico dos Anjos. Vocals recorded by Batata Boy at Estúdio Rural

Track 5: Guitars, Bass, Programming, and Pianos recorded at Inhame Estúdio. Coproduced by Rubens Adati

Tracks 9 and 10 Recorded and Co produced by Ico dos Anjos

Mixed by Batata Boy, Ico dos Anjos, Bruno Berle, and Nyron Higor

Mastered by Batata Boy

Produced by Batata Boy, Bruno Berle, and Nyron Higor

Lacquer Cut by Caspar Sutton Jones @ Gearbox Records

Cover photo by Claudio Virginio

Vinyl centre label artwork by Tadáskía

Sleeve design by Alessandro Renaldin

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, two-time Grammy® Award-winning Hip-Hop icon, Kennedy Center Honoree, actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder/CEO of Rock The Bells, LL COOL J continues his trailblazing career with upcoming album 'The FORCE'.

LL’s highly anticipated 14th studio album The FORCE (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) set for release September 6th follows over a decade long hiatus. The record was executive produced by Hip-Hop innovator and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Q-Tip, of A Tribe Called Quest. With this album, LL will help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the creation of Def Jam Recordings. As LL was the label’s first release, there is no better way to represent the legacy of Def Jam Recordings on its 40th year

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, two-time Grammy® Award-winning Hip-Hop icon, Kennedy Center Honoree, actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder and CEO of Rock The Bells, LL COOL J has created one of the most multifaceted careers and brands in entertainment and continues to display his wide range of talents with every project.

Four decades after he first burst onto the scene, LL COOL J continues his vibrant, trailblazing career. LL COOL J helped elevate the burgeoning rap and Hip-Hop scene of the 80’s, which developed into the musical and cultural phenomenon that is Hip-Hop as we know it today. Of LL’s many contributions to the culture, he also is credited with the creation of the acronym “G.O.A.T.” - short for “Greatest of All Time.”

First introduced to the world in 1984 as a Def Jam Recordings’ flagship artist, LL is the first rap artist to amass ten consecutive platinum-plus selling albums, including his critically-acclaimed debut album, RADIO, and the international, timeless anthem and album of the same name, MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT. LL’s hit singles include “Going Back to Cali,” “Doin’ It,” “Around the Way Girl,” “Loungin’”, “Headsprung,” and Hip-Hop’s first rap ballad “I Need Love.”

Up next, this fall LL is back to make his latest artistic contribution and continue to elevate Hip-Hop culture after over a decade long hiatus with the release of his highly anticipated new album, The FORCE (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy), executive produced by Hip-Hop innovator and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Q-Tip, of A Tribe Called Quest. With this album, LL will help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the creation of Def Jam Recordings.

In December 2017, LL became the first rapper to earn the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor, which is America’s highest achievement for any performer. In addition, he received his star on the world-renowned Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 21, 2016.
In March 2018, LL launched his own SiriusXM timeless Hip-Hop channel entitled “LL COOL J's Rock The Bells Radio,” garnering millions of daily listeners. The channel features a wide range of innovative and timeless Hip-Hop content, music, interviews, and in-depth retrospectives curated, programmed, and presented by the award-winning artist himself. Since founding the radio station, Rock The Bells has developed into a global platform that has become the preeminent voice for timeless Hip-Hop. Rock The Bells focuses on content, commerce and experiences that honor the CULTURE and the core elements of Hip-Hop – MCs, DJs, Breakers, Graffiti Artists – and more. Rock The Bells hosted its inaugural eponymous music festival in Queens, New York in August 2022, which sold out back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023, where LL headlined both festivals.

LL COOL J was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on October 30, 2021, in Cleveland, Ohio for the 36th annual induction ceremony. Considered by most as the crowning achievement for one’s musical career, the ceremony was a celebration of LL’s lasting impact on Hip-Hop and the music industry.

In Summer 2023, LL COOL J, Rock The Bells, and Live Nation Urban kicked off his first arena tour in 30 years across North America called The F.O.R.C.E. Tour, inspired by the name of LL’s forthcoming album. Living up to the acronym for Frequencies of Real Creative Energy, the lineup for this tour was personally curated by LL COOL J. Building off their amazing performance together on the GRAMMY® Awards earlier that year celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop, all dates featured collaborative live performances with preeminent Award-winning Hip-Hop band The Roots, the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff, and DJ Z-Trip.

LL hosted the GRAMMY® Awards for an unprecedented five years in a row from 2012-2016, for which he earned rave reviews. In addition, he hosted and produced the GRAMMY® Nominations Concert Live Special for seven years and has also been a presenter at the Emmy®, Golden Globe® and SAG Awards. Most recently, at the end of 2023, LL helped produce CBS’ live concert special A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.

LL has always been an avid philanthropist involved in numerous causes, including literacy for kids as well as music and arts programs in schools. Founded in 2005, LL’s charity “Jump & Ball” – which takes place every August in his hometown of Queens, New York – aims to give back to his local community by offering an athletic and team building program dedicated to bringing wholesome fun to young people.

Between being a musician, actor, philanthropist and entrepreneur, LL COOL J is the ultimate multi-hyphenate whose career continues to expand and where he remains one of the most beloved and innovative brands in entertainment. He currently resides in both New York and Los Angeles.

Bösartiger Tex-Mex-R&B und früher Rock'n'Roll aus San Antonios West Side-Szene. Von 1961 bis '67 hat der Königsmacher von Bexar County, Abe Epstein jede Teenie-Combo aufgenommen, die die Bühne des Patio Andaluz betrat, und begründete die Karrieren von Doug Sahm, The Royal Jesters, Sonny Ace, The Dreamliners und Hunderten mehr im Laufe des Jahrzehnts. Verteilt auf zwei luxuriöse Platten kompiliert The Cobra Label 28 neurotoxische Seiten von Epsteins Start ins Musikbiz.

Westside Sound Horns Opaque Gold Colored Vinyl. Bösartiger Tex-Mex-R&B und früher Rock'n'Roll aus San Antonios West Side-Szene. Von 1961 bis '67 hat der Königsmacher von Bexar County, Abe Epstein jede Teenie-Combo aufgenommen, die die Bühne des Patio Andaluz betrat, und begründete die Karrieren von Doug Sahm, The Royal Jesters, Sonny Ace, The Dreamliners und Hunderten mehr im Laufe des Jahrzehnts. Verteilt auf zwei luxuriöse Platten kompiliert The Cobra Label 28 neurotoxische Seiten von Epsteins Start ins Musikbiz.

The long-awaited new full-length from legendary electronic pioneers THE ORB with cover design from iconic graphic wizards THE DESIGNERS REPUBLIC • A fascinating sonic journey over four epic tracks, constantly switching between psychedelic flourishes and beat-driven focus

Veritable pioneers of electronic music, iconic act THE ORB returns to Kompakt with the new full-length MOONBUILDING 2703 AD - another major slice of psychedelic synth bliss, obscure loops and deep ambient textures tossed in swinging breakbeats and powerful basslines. Installing a forward momentum rather unusual for a genre-defying project like this, the latest effort from masterminds Alex Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann follows their 2005 album success on Kompakt, the cheekily named "Okie Dokie It's The Orb On Kompakt" (KOMPAKT CD 45), as well as several contributions to our Speicher and Pop Ambient series - but more importantly, it finds the legendary duo at the peak of its creativity, ringing in another essential phase in what can only be called a ground-breaking career.

True to form, the new offering MOONBUILDING 2703 AD features a small track list, but turns each one of its four cuts into a mini epic in its own right. Opener GOD'S MIRRORBALL hits the ground floating, employing a handful of cozy statics to great effect before finally discharging into an intricate mosaic of atmospheric melodic sketches and gripping rhythms. With a hypnotic runtime of more than 14 minutes, it immediately establishes a blueprint for the other album tracks to follow, perfectly illustrating the vast extent of the artists' vision and their impressive skills in luring in listeners - welcome to THE ORB's sonic labyrinth, where nothing is what it seems and the unexpected waits just around the corner.

Likewise, follow-up track MOONSCAPES 2703 BC presents itself as a uniquely versatile affair sitting comfortably between ambient flourishes and beat-driven focus, holding as many twists and turns as a caper movie, but carefully grounding every single one of its cliffhangers in its impeccable flow. With a runtime of approximately 9 minutes, LUNAR CAVES is the shortest jam of the bunch - and also the most ethereal, keeping its rhythmic content to a bare, pulse-like minimum and opting for enticing, freewheeling synth textures instead. Album closer and title cut MOONBUILDING 2703 AD introduces a surprisingly jazzy vibe mingling rather well with the wealth of electronic tricks up its sleeve - even indulging in abrasive bass sweeps and a breathtaking multitude of different rhythm sections constantly switching places. It's a fitting closing act for a full-length as multifaceted as this, as idiosyncratic as possible and as muscling as needed.


• Das langerwartete neue Album der legendären Elektronikpioniere THE ORB mit einem Coverdesign der gefeierten Graphikschmiede THE DESIGNERS REBUBLIC • Eine faszinierende Klangreise über vier epische Tracks hinweg, permanent zwischen psychedelischen Schlüsselreizen und beatgetriebenem Fokus changierend

Mit THE ORB kehren echte Pioniere der elektronischen Musik zu Kompakt zurück - der Langspieler MOONBUILDING 2703 AD präsentiert erneut einen grossen Wurf in Richtung psychedelischen Synthie-Segens, obskurer Loops und porentiefer Ambient-Texturen, geschwenkt in schwungvollen Breakbeats und wirkmächtigen Basslines. Mit einem für genresprengende Projekte wie diesem hier eher unüblichen Vorwärtsdrang beerbt das neue Album von den Großmeistern Alex Paterson und Thomas Fehlmann ihren 2005er Erfolg auf Kompakt, das augenzwinkernd benannte "Okie Dokie It's The Orb On Kompakt" (KOMPAKT CD 45), sowie einige Beiträge zu unseren Speicher- und Pop-Ambient-Serien - viel wichtiger allerdings, daß wir das legendäre Duo auf der Höhe ihrer Schaffenskraft antreffen, eine neue wesentliche Phase einläutend in einer Laufbahn, die nur als bahnbrechend bezeichnet werden kann.

In bekannter Manier hat das neue Werk MOONBUILDING 2703 AD eine eher kleine Tracklist vorzuweisen, baut dafür aber jeden seiner vier Tracks zu Mini-Epen von eigenem Recht um. Der Eröffnungsakt GOD'S MIRRORBALL schwebt einem da vor Ohren, zuerst nur mit einer Handvoll gemütlichen Rauschens bewaffnet, später dann in ein feingliedriges Mosaik von atmosphärischen Melodieskizzen und mitreissenden Rhythmen explodierend. Mit einer hypnotisierenden Lauflänge von über 14 Minuten etabliert das Stück die Blaupause für die folgenden Ereignisse, perfekt die enorme Reichweite der künstlerischen Vision und ihre Fähigkeit zur massenhaften Verführung nichtsahnender Tänzer illustrierend - willkommen in THE ORB's Klanglabyrinth, wo nichts ist wie es scheint und das Unerwartete um jede Ecke lauert.

Ähnlich präsentiert sich der Folgetrack MOONSCAPES 2703 BC als einzigartig vielseitige Angelegenheit, bequem zwischen ambienten Ornamenten und beatgetriebenem Fokus sitzend und mit sovielen Drehungen und Wendungen wie ein Gaunerfilm - doch stets seine Cliffhanger im makellosen Flow erdend. Ein wenig über 9 Minuten lang, ist LUNAR CAVES der kürzeste Entwurf in der Gruppe - und auch der ätherischste, hält er doch die Rhythmusanteile auf einem puls-ähnlichem Minimum und optiert stattdessen für freilaufende Synthie-Texturen. Das letzte Kapitel des Albums schließlich ist auch der Titeltrack: MOONBUILDING 2703 AD besitzt eine überraschend jazzige Note, die sich ziemlich gut in den Reichtum an elektronischen Tricks einfügt, welche hier aus dem Ärmel geschüttelt werden - sogar in rauem Bass schwelgend und eine atemberaubende Vielfalt an Rhythmussektionen aufrufend, die ständig die Plätze tauschen. Es ist ein passender Abschluss für ein derart facettenreiches Album, so idiosynkratisch wie möglich und so anschiebend wie nötig.

First Word Records is extremely proud to welcome aboard Takuya Kuroda.

A highly-respected trumpeter born in Kobe, Japan, Takuya is a forward-thinking musician that has developed a unique hybrid sound, blending soulful jazz, funk, post-bop, fusion and hip hop music.

After following the footsteps of his trombonist brother playing in big bands, he relocated to New York to study jazz & contemporary music at The New School in Union Square; a course he graduated from in the mid-noughties. It was here that Takuya met vocalist José James, with whom he worked on the 'Blackmagic' and 'No Beginning No End' projects.

Following graduation, Takuya established himself further in the NYC jazz scene, performing with the likes of Akoya Afrobeat and in recent years with DJ Premier's BADDER band (also including acclaimed bass player, Brady Watt). Premier said "The BADDER Band project was put together by my manager, and an agent I've known since the beginning of my Gang Starr career. He said, 'What if you put a band together that revolved around a trumpet player from Japan named Takuya Kuroda? He's got a hip-hop perspective and respect in the jazz field…"

Takuya Kuroda is already incredibly prolific, releasing five albums in the past decade and fortifying a solid reputation in the global jazz scene. 2011 saw the release of Takuya's independently-produced debut album, 'Edge', followed by 'Bitter and High' the following year and 'Six Aces' on P-Vine in 2013. Takuya was signed to the legendary Blue Note Records in 2014 for his album 'Rising Son', as well as appearing on their 2019 cover versions project, 'Blue Note Voyage'. He released his 5th album 'Zigzagger' on Concord in 2016, which also featured Antibalas on a reimagining of the Donald Byrd classic 'Think Twice'.

Late Summer 2020, Takuya Kuroda returns with his sixth album 'Fly Moon Die Soon'.

In his words, "this album is about the irony between the greatness of nature and the beautiful obsceneness of humanity. Melodies and grooves fly back and forth from being spiritual to being vulgar."

It took two years to make this album. In 2018, I decided I just couldn't make albums the same way I had been in the past anymore. As a birthday treat to myself, I booked a studio in Brooklyn for two days, with only myself and an engineer, Todd Carder. I brought along some tracks I'd been building at home to see if we could complete them within that time. We began replacing sounds and adding texture, sampling noises from all over the studio; me sipping coffee, hitting a 26" kick drum, speeding up snares. At the end of the two days we were like "wow, I didn't know we could make tracks this good in this way". This is how the process of the full album started. Everything was based on my beats I made at home, inviting musicians in one by one, adding or replacing parts. I was very careful when developing these tracks; just note by note, part by part. I wanted to make the music effectively from a blend of two different recording methods; one very slickly produced part and one very organic part played by live musicians. I remember mixtapes from when I was kid, and wanted to make an album that wasn't just a bunch of flashy singles, trying to catch people's attention in the first 30 seconds, or full of guest features. Instead, I'm essentially just trying to let the grooves breath."

The album consists of nine tracks of excellence. The uptempo jazz-funk of 'ABC' and 'Moody' sit alongside soulful jazz cuts like 'Fade' and 'CHANGE', also featuring Corey King on vocals. The title track is a downtempo groove lead by a heavy Moog bassline, whilst 'Do No Why' contains an infectious piano riff throughout. Aside from Takuya's original compositions, he revisits two classics from Ohio Players ('Sweet Sticky Thing' featuring Alina Engibaryan on vocals) and Herbie Hancock ('Tell Me A Bedtime Story') whilst the album closes with the epic 'TKBK'.

Takuya adds "this special cover was inspired by the Golden Moon I saw during a photoshoot in Death Valley with my homie Hiroyuki Seo".

Takuya Kuroda is a truly unique talent, and this album is a realisation of the evolution of his sound.

'Fly Moon Die Soon' is released on Worldwide Award-winning UK label First Word Records on vinyl & digital in September 2020.

Tommaso Cappellato, the visionary behind Domanda Music and a respected figure in global jazz, leads Explorare - an ever-evolving ensemble of LA's finest jazz virtuosos. Launched in early 2022, Explorare's mission is to delve into music's rich landscape through improvisational performances, where persistent grooves are shaped by the unique vibes of the individual members in the present moment.
Their self-titled debut album, "Explorare" drops on October 13, 2023, on the homonymous record label Explorare, featuring pianist Diego Gaeta (Andre3000, Carlos Niño) and bassist Tony Martin (Brainstory). Explorare is more than just a musical project - it embodies the spirit of musical community through a transformative journey that invites listeners to delve into the depths of sonic exploration, guided by carefully crafted energy and passion.

The 1978 debut album Articulation meant the start of a fine recording career for guitarist Rodney Jones. Jones’ started working in and around New York with jazz giants Dizzy Gillespie and Tommy Flanagan, while at the same time working with his own quartet. On this album Rodney is accompanied by Wallace Roney III (trumpet), Arthur Blythe (alto sax), Bob Mintzer (tenor sax), Bernadine Davis (flute), Kenny Kirkland (piano), Kenwood Denard (percussion drums) and Bemshi Jones (vocals). The track “Hard New York Swing” also features Benjamin Brown (drums) and Bruce Johnson (bass).

Phantom Planet's Holiday EP, Maybe You Still Call It Christmas. The album contains the band's 2023 holiday single "Maybe You Still Call It Christmas," a reimagined cover of Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You," a new original holiday song "Riding The Sleigh," as well as "Clockwork '24," which is a revisited version of the track, which originally appeared on Negatives 2. We are pressing it at 45 RPM.

LP in printed inner sleeve + CD. Ultimate Survival is an experiential album that takes you along on the undulations of a tale.With keyboard player Hendrik Lasure and drummer Casper Van De Velde (together: Schntzl), APQ pretty much has the core of 'The New Wave of Belgian Jazz' in its ranks.



What a person needs in 2024, according to singer-pianist An Pierlé? "Less regret. Less fake. Less fear. And the courage to live in the now." She sings about it all with the wisdom of a woman who no longer has to be a girl. Four years after Wiga Waga, the An Pierlé Quartet (APQ) is back with Ultimate Survival, its second album already on the prestigious W.E.R.F. records.

Compared to the APQ debut, the grooves are deeper and the lyrics more confronting. That has in part to do with the turn that Pierlé's life took. The illness with a capital C was warded off and the realisation that you can best enjoy your days while you have them has been all the more urgent since. Pierlé doesn't let something so dark dominate the new album though: the title doesn't refer to that period, but was given to her as a gift by artist Patrick Van Caeckenbergh, who designed the cover. Pierlé: "He drew his inspiration from an old book about animals that take care of other animal species. We all need some of that these days."

Ultimate Survival is an experiential album that takes you along on the undulations of a tale. First single The Sting immediately sets the tone. The song is about accepting the stupid things people do, even though they know better. The album celebrates the liberation of being able to start again with a clean slate, alternating husky warmth with the virtuoso outbursts of a seasoned voice. This is not classical jazz, but it is the work of a bona fide jazz band. With keyboard player Hendrik Lasure and drummer Casper Van De Velde (together: Schntzl), APQ pretty much has the core of 'The New Wave of Belgian Jazz' in its ranks.

The godfather of that jazz wave is producer/reed-blower Koen Gisen. "Casper and Hendrik are international class acts ", says Gisen. "The great thing is: they almost never play the same thing twice, not even in the studio. Live, this will be a wonderful derailment. In the knowledge that, thanks to these two, they will always land on their feet." Pierlé: "Our boys also have old souls. And that is exactly why they're our mentors, instead of the other way around. So we can opt for adventure. And to live in the now."

Mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab from a new 30 ips quarter-inch stereo master tape transferred from the original 3-track session tapes. Plated and pressed at Quality Record Pressings for flawless production and superior fidelity! Stoughton Printing Old Style tip-on gatefold heavyweight jacket with scuff-resistant matte finish.

Miles Davis's Kind of Blue was the number-one jazz album in history. It totaled five songs. There are four more songs from that same historic group, recorded in the same time period and at the same studio. And here they are. These songs deserve to stand on their own with artwork to highlight the quality of the music and that matches the time period of the recording. This is a rare opportunity to have a smash follow-up to what many consider the greatest jazz record ever!

Through the years, these four remarkable performances — all from a single recording session in 1958 and all exemplary of the sound of Miles Davis' legend-loaded sextet of that year — have not been served well. They have been largely treated as add-ons for other compilations. Now, for the first time, Analogue Productions, the audiophile in-house reissue label of Acoustic Sounds, Inc., together with Quality Record Prssings, has deservedly given these tracks a stellar stand-alone release for jazz fans to savor!

The once-in-a-generation lineup that recorded these tunes is the very same that would be immortalized for the enduring classic they would record almost a year later, Kind of Blue. Davis played trumpet sublime with his ensemble sextet featuring pianist Bill Evans, drummer Jimmy Cobb, bassist Paul Chambers, and saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley.

Undervalued since their recording, the tunes on this album reflect historial and musical significance. They offer early glimpses into the modal jazz that Kind of Blue would bring to the forefront. Using modes common in modern classical music, rather than the chords of popular songs, Miles had begun to experiment with the new approach on the Milestones recording sessions previously.

Analogue Productions is proud to present Birth of the Blue in an exclusive first-of-its-kind stand-alone release that reflects our reputation for meticulous production, capturing authentic sound with clarity, depth and fidelity that exceeds the audiophile standard.

For this release, we started with the original 3-track recording session tapes that were mixed down to a brand-new 30 ips quarter-inch stereo master tape by senior mastering engineer Vic Anesini at Battery Studios. From that stereo master tape, Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab cut the lacquers at 33 1/3 RPM utilizing the legendary Doug Sax's custom all-tube system and cutting lathe. The lacquers were plated and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings. Lastly, the Stoughton Printing tip-on gatefold jacket with a deluxe scuff-resistant matte finish is the highest quality available. The artwork has an incredible spot-on look to a 1959 Columbia records release!

Features:


• Pioneering Ensemble: Captured the same rare and short-lived alignment of jazz legends including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb, as heard on the historic Kind of Blue.


• Innovative Sound: The session represented a crucial transition in jazz, blending elements of hard bop with early modal jazz influences, showcasing the ensemble's experimentation and forward-thinking approach.


• Undervalued Legacy: Despite its historical and musical significance, the session's recordings have been historically overlooked, often relegated to being add-ons in compilations rather than recognized as standalone masterpieces.


• Modal Jazz Precursor: Offered early glimpses into the modal jazz that would later be fully realized in Davis's groundbreaking album "Kind of Blue," laying the groundwork for future jazz innovation.


• Impact on Artists: Served as a critical point of development and confidence for the musicians involved, particularly Bill Evans, who noted the significant impact of this experience on his own identity and style.


• Historical Context: Occurred at a peak moment in Miles Davis's career, following his signing with Columbia Records and his critical and commercial successes with albums such as ‘Round About Midnight and Miles Ahead.


• Revealed backstory: Extensive liner notes by the Grammy Award-winning author Ashley Kahn, who also penned the estential book, Kind Of Blue — The Making Of The Miles Davis Masterpiece

It’s safe to assume no one in the audience at Carnegie Hall on March 30, 1974 anticipated what Miles Davis would play at the concert documented on Dark Magus: Live at Carnegie Hall. Recorded near the tail end of his electric period, the double album remains the darkest, most ferocious statement of Davis’ career — a visionary effort that foresaw developments in jungle, noise-rock, funk, and drum ‘n’ bass.

Initially issued in Japan in 1977, Dark Magus waited two decades for U.S. release. Now, more than 50 years after Davis and his ensemble blew minds at the famous New York venue, it gets its first-ever domestic issue on vinyl — and on a definitive-sounding pressing at that.

Mastered at Mobile Fidelity's California studio, housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, this numbered-edition 180g 33RPM 2LP set of Dark Magus invites you to pull up a seat and wrap your head around an exhilarating performance that simultaneously functions as an audition, experiment, release, and magnificent explosion of jazz-rock fusion. We hope your turntable and speakers are up to the challenge.

This collectible reissue presents the improvisational magic that unfolded onstage — the skronking tonalities, wah-wah-pedal bluster, acid-washed effects, furious drumming, run-the-voodoo-down grooves, menacing riffs, crashing cymbals —with incredible detail, color, and pace. It also captures the band’s unbelievable energy, rendering both instruments and on-the-fly changes with revealing depth, definition, and dynamics. At its core, MoFi’s audiophile set takes you deep into the boundless mystery, promise, and uncertainty of Davis and company’s efforts like never before.

The story behind Dark Magus is nearly as unbelievable as the spur-of-the-moment compositions that resulted when Davis brought drummer Al Foster, bassist Michael Henderson, percussionist James Mtume, horn virtuoso Dave Liebman, and guitarists Pete Cosey and Reggie Lucas together, and, in a new twist for the concert’s second half, added guitarist Dominique Gaumont and tenor saxophonist Azar Lawrence to mix. That the latter two instrumentalists had never seen each other until that night adds to Davis’ legend — and penchant for bold, unorthodox moves.

Ditto Davis’ own actions that spring evening, which reportedly included showing up to the show an hour late and taking the stage with his back facing the crowd. The strategy worked. Davis inspired the group to play in a bold manner that few, if any, had heard before. Dark Magus is a rhythmic bonanza. Rooted in Afro-centrist techniques, avante-garde sensibilities, and exploratory moods, the songs eschew set arrangements and solos, and, for the most part, melodic devices.

For Davis, Dark Magus represented a personal triumph amid a period marked by health issues, addictions, and critical decline. The latter slight would be corrected, but not until decades later when Dark Magus saw Stateside release in 1997 via a CD reissue. Of course, the free-form patterns, unpredictable passages, dense structures, and distorted blues that course through the songs — titled after Swahili numerals — are not for everyone. And certainly not for the fainthearted. Though Dark Magus contains majestic moments marked by quiet restraint and something on the level of balladry, its rich and radical concoction of tormented thwacks, thumps, cracks, clatters, wails, bleeps, burbles, stomps, and enigmatic beats remains its adventurous heart and soul.

Primal and enigmatic, fierce and jagged, forceful and revolutionary, jolting and terrifying, Dark Magus seemingly attacks from any and all directions. Turn it up loud and let the prophetic brilliance of this inimitable and relentlessly funky album wash over you.

180-gram 45 RPM double LP. Pressed at Quality Record Pressings. Tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jacket with textured stock by Stoughton Printing

Boz Scaggs' self-titled album, released in 1969, is an iconic and pivotal record in his career, marking a shift in his musical direction to incorporate elements of soul, R&B, and showcasing his musical versatility.
Departing from the Steve Miller Band after a two-album stint, Boz Scaggs found himself on his own but not without support. Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner, his friend, helped him sign with Atlantic Records and the label had him set up shop in Muscle Shoals, recording his debut album with that legendary set of studio musicians, known for their down-and-dirty backing work for Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett, among many other Southern soul legends.

AllMusic writes: "The Muscle Shoals rhythm section, occasionally augmented by guitarist Duane Allman, gives this music genuine grit, but this isn't necessarily a straight-up blue-eyed soul record, even if the opening 'I'm Easy' and 'I'll Be Long Gone' are certainly as deeply soulful as anything cut at Muscle Shoals." Scaggs dabbled in country and blues along with the soul and R&B that grounds this record.

The extended 11-minute blues workout "Loan Me a Dime," functions as much as a showcase for a blazing Duane Allman as it does for Boz. But even with that show-stealing turn, and even with the Muscle Shoals musicians giving this album its muscle and part of its soul, this album is still thoroughly a showcase for Boz Scaggs' musical vision. "Loan Me a Dime" is blues-rock classic. It showcased Scaggs' soulful vocals and Allman's remarkable guitar skills.

Boz Scaggs' songs garnered significant radio airplay and helped introduce Boz Scaggs to a wider audience. The impact of Boz Scaggs extended beyond its initial release. It has continued to influence and inspire subsequent generations of musicians, particularly those interested in blending blues, rock, and soul.

This definitive deluxe 180-gram 45 RPM 2LP Analogue Productions (Atlantic 75 Series) reissue of Boz Scaggs, housed in a tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jacket with textured stock by Stoughton Printing, will be a highlight in your most-listened-to album rotation.

"Double Vinyl edition of their 2016 live album • 15 tracks – including two performances not on CD (one featuring Robert Buck) Their greatest hits and more – performed live!

For over 40 years, 10,000 Maniacs have been doing what they do best – Playing Favorites!

Originally released on CD and Digital in 2016, Playing Favorites documented their dynamic live shows. Recorded before an adoring crowd in Jamestown, NY, Playing Favorites included hits and fan favorites from the group’s storied and influential career. The 6 piece band (Jerome Augustyniak, Dennis Drew, Jeff Erickson, Steven Gustafson, John Lombardo, and Mary Ramsey) was augmented by strings, horns, and backing vocalists, making their lush sound even fuller and more engaging.

For Record Store Day, Playing Favorites returns on an Opaque Red double LP. 15 tracks, including two previously unissued performances not on the CD/Digital release: “Candadee-i-o” from the Playing Favorites era and “Angels Of Stone,” a recording from 2012, recorded at Lake Forest College, Illinois, featuring original guitarist and founding member Robert Buck. (Buck sadly passed away in 2000 He was also named one of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time by Guitar Player.)

As the Maniacs continue to perform, devotees in cities across the country are able to experience the band in concert. For those who can’t be there, they don’t have to miss the show. Every 10,000 Maniacs fan can be Playing Favorites—in the venue, at home, or both!"

Over the past half century, Tony Levin has been a prolific session player and one of the most active live performers on the planet. He’s contributed his talents to over five hundred albums amongst which include 15 with Peter Gabriel and 18 with King Crimson (counting live, studio, and compilations) alongside contributions to the work of John Lennon, Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, Herbie Mann, Paul Simon and many others. On tour, he’s traveled the World many times over with the aforementioned King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, and several of his own bands including Stick Men
.
This Fall, he’ll stage 65 performances in North America as a member of BEAT, celebrating King Crimson’s ‘80s repertoire alongside Adrian Belew, Steve Vai and Danny Carey interpreting “Discipline, Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair.”

Levin’s seventh solo album, and his first since 2007, is an autobiography of sorts, with the themes drawn from Levin’s musical life. It features a myriad of collaborators from his half-century-plus on the road and in the studio with Peter Gabriel, King Crimson and many, many others.

Features a Murderer’s Row of guest musicians including Robert Fripp, Vinnie Colaiuta, Earl Slick, Mike Portnoy, Steve Gadd, Jerry Marotta, Gary Husband, L. Shankar, Pete Levin, Jeremy Stacey, David Torn, Pat Mastelotto, Larry Fast, Steve Hunter, Manu Katche, Alex Foster, Dominic Miller, Markus Reuter, Collin Gatwood, Chris Pasin, Jay Collins, Josh Shpak, Don Mikkelsen.

After a rollercoaster ride through their debut album and COVID plagued campaigns, KAWALA are gearing up to release ‘KAWALA Collection’ a collection of tracks that the band recorded in early 2024.

The band saw themselves stripping away some of the grander studios in favour of their own small east London studio working with close friends Saint Raymond and Mathi Wang to create a collection of music that they would love to listen to in their own time. The release features singles, ‘American Adrenaline’ and ‘Time Slipping Away’ and now lead single ‘Make A Difference’. While the band didn’t set out for the KAWALA Collection to be their final release, it feels like a fitting end to an incredible 10-year career..