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2023 will see Billy Bragg and Cooking Vinyl celebrating forty years of music from the singer, songwriter, activist and author, with a selection of releases to appeal to casual admirers and die hard fans alike. Each format has been compiled by Billy beginning with a 1LP 13-song "primer" on LTD Edition orange coloured vinyl, a 40-song LTD Edition Deluxe 3 LP collection on three shades of green vinyl, and a 40-song 2CD in card digisleeve with 16 page booklet. The vinyl formats contain a download card.

2023 will see Billy Bragg and Cooking Vinyl celebrating forty years of music from the singer, songwriter, activist and author, with a selection of releases to appeal to casual admirers and die hard fans alike. Each format has been compiled by Billy beginning with a 1LP 13-song "primer" on LTD Edition orange coloured vinyl, a 40-song LTD Edition Deluxe 3 LP collection on three shades of green vinyl, and a 40-song 2CD in card digisleeve with 16 page booklet. The vinyl formats contain a download card.

Sofia Kourtesis veröffentlicht ihr lang-erwartetes Debütalbum ‘Madres’ ,welches ihrer Mutter gewidmet ist, auf Ninja Tune! Als sie mit der Arbeit an ihrem Debüt begann, war Kourtesis scheinbar unaufhaltsam. Eine Reihe von begeistert aufgenommenen EPs und Singles machten sie zu einem der am schnellsten aufsteigenden Stars in der elektronischen Welt und darüber hinaus. Sie zierte bereits das Cover von Mixmag, veröffentlichte eine brillante, energiegeladene und bewegende RA Session für Resident Advisor, erschien auf den Jahresendlisten der New York Times, Pitchfork, DJMag und Spotify (#6 bester elektronischer Song) und spielte sofort ausverkaufte erste Shows sowie herausragende Auftritte beim Pitchfork Music Festival, Glastonbury und Primavera neben Tourneen als Support von Caribou und Bicep. „Madres“ enthält alles, was Kourtesis bereits so beliebt gemacht hat: der doppelte Klang ihrer peruanischen Heimat und ihrer Wahlheimat Berlin ist präsent („mein Herz ist sehr lateinamerikanisch, aber mein Motor ist deutsch“), ebenso wie der Aktivismus für die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter, den Schutz queerer Menschen und den Zugang zu sicheren Abtreibungen in Peru, der ihr so sehr am Herzen liegt.

Composer, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Laufey continues her story by writing
and recording Bewitched, her second album. Inspired by jazz greats and classical masters
while possessing a point of view that could only be conveyed by a 21st-century
twentysomething, Bewitched represents an expansion of Laufey’s sonic palette. Tracks like
the breezy bossa nova cut “From The Start” and the smoldering string-assisted ballad
“Promise” have classic songcraft and intricate arrangements that make them feel instantly
timeless, while Laufey’s conversational lyrics give her music a relatability to the next
generation of jazz, pop, and classical aficionados.

Nach über einem Jahrzehnt ist das erste und einzige PEEPING TOM-Album - eines der gefragtesten Alben von Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle) überhaupt - nun endlich wieder erhältlich. Unter den mitwirkenden Gästen so namhafte Musiker wie u.a. Norah Jones, Massive Attack, Kool Keith und viele mehr.

In Anlehnung an den psychologischen Horrorfilm aus dem Jahr 1960, der Patton zu dem Namen inspirierte, entstand PEEPING TOM in einem Modus Operandi ohne physische Nähe. Patton schrieb Songs mit einer Wunschliste von theoretischen Kollaborateuren im Kopf und hoffte dann auf eine Antwort in Form eines fertigen Tracks.

Das Album enthält auch Beiträge von Amon Tobin, Bebel Gilberto, DubTrio, Kid Koala, Dale Crover, Rahzel und einigen von Pattons Freunden aus der Bay Area, wie Dan 'the Automator' Nakamura und Jel, Odd Nosdam und Dose One vom Hip-Hop-Kollektiv anticon. Das Endergebnis ist ganz und gar einzigartig und weicht doch deutlich von Pattons jüngstem lauten Output ab. Eine Pop-Platte vielleicht. Jedoch eine die aus Mike Pattons Feder stammt.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) return with their 14th studio album Bauhaus Staircase, over six years after the triumph of their Top 4-charting record The Punishment of Luxury. The album was born from the impetus to kickstart new explorations during lockdown when as Andy McCluskey admits: “I rediscovered the creative power of total boredom.”

The album’s first offering as a single is the title track which serves as a nod both to Andy McCluskey’s love of the Bauhaus era & the power of protest art. “I am a huge lover of visual arts especially mid 20th century movements” Andy comments. “The song is a metaphor for strength and artist passion in the face of criticism and adversity. When times are hard there is a tendency for Governments to look at cutting funding for creativity just at the moment when the arts are most needed to nourish our souls. It seems appropriate that the song and its eponymous album were created during Covid Lockdown.”

Ranging further from the beautiful film noir ballad of ‘Veruschka’ and the dance stylings of ‘Anthropocene’ - a term for the current epoch in Earth’s evolution to the sinister ‘Evolution Of Species’ and the hectic ‘Kleptocracy’ - OMD’s greatest straight-up protest song - the new album is a broad electronic sonic masterpiece that lyrically tackles the topics of the future. The record closes on ‘Healing’ - a moment of reflective calm.

By rights OMD should be in semi-retirement performing classics like Enola Gay and Maid Of Orleans on the nostalgia festival circuit like so many peers. Instead they’ve created a landmark album worthy of their finest work. Bauhaus Staircase remains unmistakably the work of a duo who are still perfectly in sync 45 years after their first gig at legendary Liverpool club Eric’s.


“I’m very happy with what we’ve done on this record" McCluskey summarises. “I’m comfortable if this is OMD’s last statement.”

In March of 2020, after learning that a dear friend’s life was coming to an end, Johansing sat down and in one sitting wrote the song “Daffodils”. An elegiac tribute to someone facing death with grace and curiosity, the lyrics confront Johansing’s own mortality by observing the brief lifespan of a Hlower. Only a week later when the world came to an abrupt standstill, she soon found herself processing this recent loss while trying to make sense of a new global reality. Across the ensuing months, Johansing found herself increasingly untethered by a world of isolation and political upheaval.

Having been a frequent touring member of bands like Hand Habits and Fruit Bats, and often being called into the studio to lend her harmonies and multi-instrumental talents to records, Johansing’s phone no longer rang. Living in Los Angeles she feared her musical community was vanishing, as friends and collaborators continually announced they were leaving the city. It was in returning to her piano nightly that she found the greatest solace, feverishly writing the songs that would be collected on her next album. Resulting from this new sense of time and focus was a deepening of her songwriting. As Johansing recalls, “I felt like a metamorphosis happened during that time. There was a lot of personal growth and healing.”

Throughout Year Away Johansing traverses uncharted emotional landscapes brought upon by the changes occurring all around her. The forced self-reflection of the moment is aptly captured by “Old Friend”, featuring an aching melody and swooning production that recalls the best of Harry Nilsson. The epic piano and saxophone-driven “Smile with My Eyes” addresses the loss of community as friends became distant and political divides between family grew. On “Smile” Johansing pushes her vocals further than ever, expanding her range and using her peerless voice as the singular instrument it is. Facing the loss of a family home due to environmental destruction, “Shifting Sands” is marked by soaring Hlutes, Hield recordings and glassy synthesizers that nod to Japanese New Age.

“Daffodils”, the stunning album centerpiece, is built from a pastiche of looping samples, swirling Mellotron and dazzling vibraphone. “Keep your heart open wide, you never know your time / Keep your heart wild, true Hlower child”, Johansing sings as she says goodbye to an elder, while the band reaches a grief-stricken crescendo of woodwinds and chiming bells. On the title track, Johansing takes listeners on an eerily meditative journey of collective experiences. “I wanted to keep the progression simple and repetitive so that musically we could add new elements little by little, while the emotional tone of the lyrics becomes increasingly more strained and expressive”. The song grows to a fever pitch as Johansing sings higher than she thought possible; the tension of the repeating chords Hinally resolving into a hopeful coda as multiple soloists weave around each other.

Amidst heavier themes, Johansing still leaves room for her love of irresistible pop melodies and lush production. The driving “Last Drop” and mid-tempo “Valley Green” are two of her catchiest songs to date. On the former Johansing sings the anthemic chorus, “As if it were the last drop, and nothing ever lasts forever / As if it were the last stop, too far out to come back ever”, longing for a love that she’ll never take for granted, while also admitting that she doesn’t always know how good she has it. “Valley Green” features shimmering layers of 12- string guitars, stacked horns and an impeccable solo by co-producer and multi- instrumentalist Tim Ramsey (Vetiver, Fruit Bats), hinting at a love for bands like NRBQ.

Having been eager to capture the initial spark of songwriting, Johansing booked time at Highland Park’s 64 Sound Studio the week that it reopened. Over the course of three days, she and her band gathered basic tracks for 10 songs, before returning home to Hinish the record with Ramsey. Setting forth to make an album that paid homage to the music that kept them company during the months spent alone together, the duo pulled inspiration from a wide net including Burt Bacharach, John Carroll Kirby & Haruomi Hosono. Ramsey’s newfound love of early digital synthesizers dovetailed effortlessly with Johansing’s fondness for classic 70’s horn and string arrangements, creating a sound that is distinctly modern yet warm and familiar.

Once again Johansing called upon some of the Hinest players of Northeast Los Angeles’ vibrant music community to lend a hand with the record. The 70s R&B-folk of “Watch It Like a Show” features an electric guitar solo from Hand Habits’ Meg Duffy, while album closer “Endless Sound” boasts backing vocals from electronic musician Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and swooping Indian-inspired violins from Amir Yaghmai (HAIM, The Voidz). The record shines brightly thanks to an ace mix from veteran producer Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith, Cat Power), woodwinds from Logan Hone (John Carroll Kirby, Eddie Chacon), and a featured rhythm section of drummer Josh Adams (Jenny Lewis, Bedouine) and bassist Todd Dahlhoff (Feist, Devendra Banhart). Recorded across multiple studios including LA’s famed Sunset Sound, the album remains steadfastly buoyed by the adept engineering of Tyler Karmen (MGMT, Alvvays).

Though born of turbulent times, Year Away is ultimately interested in moving forward. The album ends with “Endless Sound,” where Johansing laments seismic global changes, (“The water is hotter, the mighty thaw / The current’s reversing, the last are lost”) but vows to keep going (“No storm can take me down / Endless light, endless sound”). It’s Year Away’s resilience that shines through despite the darkness. It’s a sound all her own and Johansing’s most cohesive set of songs yet.

Wir stellen vor: "American Gothic" von Wayfarer.Begib Dich mit Wayfarer auf eine transzendentale Reise, wenn sie ihr neuestes Werk "American Gothic" vorstellen. Die atmosphärische Black-Metal-Band aus Colorado taucht tief in den reichen Teppich der Americana-Themen ein. Dieses Album markiert einen bedeutenden Meilenstein auf ihrem musikalischen Erkundungszug.Dieses außergewöhnliche Album überschreitet die traditionellen musikalischen Grenzen und fasst die Essenz der verschiedenen Landschaften Amerikas zusammen. Wayfarers musikalisches Können malt eine lebendige und eindrucksvolle Klanglandschaft. Sie vereinen atmosphärischen Black Metal mit Elementen des Post-Rock und Folk und verbinden mühelos fesselnde Melodien mit wilder Intensität. Erhältlich als Ltd. 180g worn-steel silver LP mit Newspaper-look Booklet, sowie als CD Digipak.

The first Latin soul collection featuring a mix of chart-topping hits and deeper cuts from the crown jewel of the mambo era Tico Records, celebrating the iconic imprint’s 75th Anniversary. The 2-LP set includes 26 tracks from trailblazers Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Joe Cuba, Celia Cruz, Eddie Palmieri, La Lupe, Willie Bobo and more. New liner notes by DJ Dean Rudland that tell the story of the New York City label that launched the careers of some of the most revered names in Latin music.

Two visionary maestros, Pierre Bastien and Michel Banabila, unite in their first collaborative album, Baba Soirée. The veterans of electronic music bring their unique expertise to the table, resulting in a captivating fusion of experimental styles. Bastien’s mechanical loops and experimental instrumental setups merge seamlessly with Banabila's sound design and impeccable skills of sampling collages. It's not a dance party, nor is it an avant-garde intervention. It's a soirée: a cultivated evening of sonic alchemy hosted by these two charismatic gentlemen.

Pierre Bastien is a composer and multi-instrumentalist with a background in French literature. He has spent decades crafting an idiosyncratic world of experimental sound with his self-built mechanical orchestra Mecanium. It was most notably showcased in audiovisual releases on Aphex Twin's Rephlex label. Bastien's creations are a mesmerizing combination of traditional instruments (he has a vast collection) and mechanical automatons. The violin in the track Rotomotor, for example, is physically played by one of his machines. In Baba Soirée, Bastien also plays a prepared cornet (Slow Dance, Banbas Aura), infusing the recordings with a breathy, dreamy dimension.

Michel Banabila, a sound artist, composer and producer, possesses an eclectic musical repertoire that defies genres. His seamless blend of minimal electronica, tribal ambient, and neo- classical influences has earned him a prominent place in the world of experimental music, and an impressive discography (Knekelhuis, Bureau B, Séance Center, a.o.). Banabila serves as the creative sampling editor for Baba Soirée, expertly weaving together the recordings to craft an evocative sonic tapestry.

The two share a curiosity for traditional instruments from various cultures. The instruments used in the recordings are shown in the cover artwork. A mutual admiration for each other's work paved the way for this fruitful artistic partnership of the Rotterdam-based artists: Collaborating on a single as a fundraiser for Yemen in 2022 set the stage for the creation of Baba Soirée.

For Pierre Bastien, Dada, Fluxus and International Situationism have played a significant role in shaping his artistic vision. The title Baba Soirée is an homage to Kurt Schwitters and Theo van Doesburg's "Kleine Dada Soirée" collaboration which took place exactly a century ago. There's an unmistakable stoicism and an anarchic not-giving-a-f*** attitude in these recordings by Bastien & Banabila, which resonates in the light of this Dada reference.

EVERGREENS feiert Streisands 60-jähriges Jubiläum als Künstlerin bei Columbia Records. Das Album enthält 22 Songs - 1 Song von jedem Studioalbum, das sie veröffentlicht hat. Die Songs wurden von Barbra als einige ihrer Lieblingssongs während ihrer Karriere ausgewählt. Keiner dieser Titel ist auf früheren Streisand-Compilation-Alben erschienen. Die für EVERGREENS ausgewählten Lieder haben nichts mit Verkaufszahlen oder Auszeichnungen zu tun. Sie wurden von Barbra ausgewählt, um ihre emotionale Verbindung zu diesen Melodien und Texten zu veranschaulichen, da jeder von ihnen einen besonderen Platz in ihrem Herzen und in ihrer Erinnerung einnimmt.

I Talk To Water, the fifth album for Kompakt by Danish producer Kölsch, is the artist’s most personal statement yet. While all the trademarks that make his music so popular and powerful are still present – lush, melodic techno; swooping, trance-like figures; sensuous, shivery texturology – I Talk To Water is also a deep and intimate rapprochement with family and history, a beautiful, finely detailed document of loss and memory, and a tracing of the long, unbroken thread of grief that runs through our lives once we’ve lost those we loved.

The emotional core of I Talk To Water, then, is a cache of recordings by Kölsch’s father, Patrick Reilly, who passed away in 2003 from brain cancer. With time rendered elastic by the pandemic and its associated lockdowns, its sudden, alienating shifts in everyday living, Kölsch found himself reflecting on his father’s passing and ongoing spiritual presence, thinking about how best to memorialise such a significant figure in his own life. Those recordings opened a gateway, of sorts, for Kölsch to move through – a way to bring past and present together and entwine them in a sensitive, poetic manner.

Kölsch’s father was a musician – “touring in the sixties and seventies, in the Middle East especially, he was doing the whole hippy trail, playing guitar, and wrote some songs over the years,” he recalls. “But all in all, he decided to focus on family rather than pursue a musical career.” Reilly kept playing and writing music over the years, though Kölsch hadn’t listened to the material for some time: “I’d never had the guts to listen to it, because I just felt too fragile listening to his voice. It’s such a tough thing to go through.”

During the pandemic, though, Kölsch listened through the fragmented body of work that his father had produced over the years. “I decided I’m gonna finally release my dad’s music twenty years after his passing,” he reflects. “This whole album is about the process of loss, and for me it’s been one of my main driving forces in my musical life, the whole emotional aspect of whatever I’ve done has been based in that feeling that he’s not there anymore.”

Recordings of Reilly appear on three songs across I Talk To Water. His guitars drift pensively across “Grape”, offering a lush thread of melody that Kölsch wraps with clicking, driftwood rhythms and droning, melancholy bass. “Tell Me” is a lovely three-minute art song, a sadly beautiful reflection, minimally adorned with gentle keys and a muted pulse. And on the closing “It Ends Where It Began”, Kölsch lets his father’s acoustic guitar take centre stage for a lament that’s unexpectedly folksy, a guitar soli dream, which Reilly originally recorded in 1996. “He actually recorded it for my first album that never came out,” Kölsch reveals, “and I had it sitting around forever. That is purely him.”

These three imagined collaborations between father and son are poised and delicate. But their relationship also marks the gorgeous music Kölsch has made across the rest of I Talk To Water, from the itchy yet lush “Pet Sound” (titled in tribute to one of Reilly’s favourite albums), the flickering synths and yearning vocal samples that slide through “Khenpo”, the ecstatic shuddering that marks “Only Get Better”, or “Implant”’s slow-motion pans and subtle reveals.

There’s also the title song, where Kölsch is joined by guest Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction, Porno For Pyros), singing a mantra for internal reflection: “I talk to water / Searching for myself / Looking for answers / Oceans of you.” Farrell’s appearance brings another timbre, another spirit to the album, aligning neatly with his recent interest in electronic music. “He was completely taken by this idea of talking to water,” Kölsch says, thinking about the ways we collectively lean towards the natural world as a comfort and a listener, a guide through mourning, a way to map out the terrain of the heart. This mapping is something that Kölsch has proven remarkably adept at through the years; dance music for both body and mind, but also both for the here-and-now, and for the hereafter.

“I Talk To Water”, das fünfte Album des dänischen Produzenten Kölsch für Kompakt, ist zweifellos das persönlichste Statement des Künstlers bislang. Während alle Markenzeichen, die seine Musik so beliebt und kraftvoll machen, immer noch präsent sind – üppige, melodische Techno-Tracks; schwebende, tranceartige Elemente; sinnliche, fiebrige Texturen – ist “I Talk To Water” auch eine tiefe und intime Annäherung an Familie und Geschichte. Es ist ein wunderschönes, fein ausgearbeitetes Dokument des Verlusts und der Erinnerung, und es verfolgt den langen, ungebrochenen Faden der Trauer, der durch unser Leben läuft, sobald wir diejenigen verloren haben, die wir liebten.

Der emotionale Kern von “I Talk To Water” besteht aus Aufnahmen von Kölschs Vater, Patrick Reilly, der 2003 an Hirnkrebs verstarb. Durch die Pandemie und ihre damit verbundenen Lockdowns, die plötzlichen, entfremdenden Veränderungen im Alltag, fand Kölsch sich in Gedanken an den Tod seines Vaters und seine fortwährende spirituelle Präsenz wieder. Er überlegte, wie er eine so bedeutende Figur in seinem eigenen Leben am besten verewigen könnte. Diese Aufnahmen öffneten ihm sozusagen ein Portal, um Vergangenheit und Gegenwart miteinander zu verbinden und sie auf sensible und poetische Weise zu verweben.

Kölschs Vater war Musiker – “er tourte in den sechziger und siebziger Jahren, vor allem im Nahen Osten, auf dem Hippie Trail, spielte Gitarre und schrieb im Laufe der Jahre einige Songs”, erinnert sich Kölsch. “Aber alles in allem entschied er sich, sich auf die Familie zu konzentrieren, anstatt eine musikalische Karriere zu verfolgen.” Reilly spielte und schrieb jedoch im Laufe der Jahre weiterhin Musik, obwohl Kölsch das Material lange Zeit nicht angehört hatte: “Ich hatte nie den Mut, es anzuhören, weil ich mich einfach zu zerbrechlich fühlte, seine Stimme anzuhören. Es ist so schwer, das durchzustehen.”

Während der Pandemie hörte sich Kölsch jedoch durch das fragmentierte Werk, das sein Vater im Laufe der Jahre produziert hatte. “Ich beschloss, die Musik meines Vaters zwanzig Jahre nach seinem Tod endlich zu veröffentlichen”, reflektiert er. “Dieses ganze Album handelt von dem Verlustprozess, welcher für mich generell eine der Hauptantriebskräfte in meinem musikalischen Leben ist. Der ganze emotionale Aspekt von dem, was ich getan habe, basierte auf dem Gefühl, dass er nicht mehr da ist.”

Auf “I Talk To Water” sind Aufnahmen von Reilly in drei Songs zu hören. Seine Gitarren ziehen nachdenklich durch “Grape”, bieten einen üppigen Melodiefaden, den Kölsch mit klickenden, treibenden Rhythmen und dröhnendem, melancholischem Bass umwickelt. “Tell Me” ist ein schönes dreiminütiges Kunstlied, eine traurig-schöne Reflexion, minimal geschmückt mit sanften Tasten und einem gedämpften Puls. Und auf dem Abschlusstrack “It Ends Where It Began” lässt Kölsch die akustische Gitarre seines Vaters im Mittelpunkt stehen, ein überraschend folkiger Klagegesang, den Reilly ursprünglich 1996 aufgenommen hatte. “Er hat es tatsächlich für mein erstes Album aufgenommen, das nie veröffentlicht wurde”, enthüllt Kölsch, “und ich hatte es ewig liegen.”

Diese drei erdachten Kollaborationen zwischen Vater und Sohn sind ausgewogen und zart. Aber ihre Beziehung prägt auch die wunderschöne Musik, die Kölsch im Rest von “I Talk To Water” geschaffen hat, angefangen bei dem nervösen, aber üppigen “Pet Sound” (benannt als Hommage an eines von Reillys Lieblingsalben), den flimmernden Synthesizern und sehnsüchtigen Vocal-Samples in “Khenpo”, den ekstatischen Erschütterungen in “Only Get Better” oder den langsamen Schwenks und subtilen Enthüllungen in “Implant”.

Es gibt auch den Titelsong, in dem Kölsch von Gast Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction, Porno For Pyros) begleitet wird, der ein Mantra für die innere Reflexion singt: “I talk to water / Searching for myself / Looking for answers / Oceans of you.” Farrells Auftritt bringt eine weitere Klangfarbe, einen weiteren Geist in das Album, der gut zu seinem jüngsten Interesse an elektronischer Musik passt. “Er war völlig fasziniert von der Idee, mit Wasser zu sprechen”, sagt Kölsch und denkt darüber nach, wie wir kollektiv zur Natur als Trost, Zuhörer, Führer durch die Trauer neigen, um die Gelände des Herzens zu kartieren. Diese Kartierung ist etwas, in dem Kölsch im Laufe der Jahre erstaunlich geschickt war; Tanzmusik für Körper und Geist, sowohl für das Hier und Jetzt, als auch für das Leben danach.

Founded and curated by DJ and producer Samantha Togni, Boudica is a platform that aims to give visibility to women, trans* and non-binary artists. Since the platform was first launched in 2019, Boudica has evolved into a series of club events in London at venues like The Pickle Factory, Fold and E1, a radio show, a music conference and a record label.

Boudica's mission is to promote greater gender equality within the music industry. By showcasing diverse role models from marginalised communities across the music industry, they aim to engage and inspire young and upcoming artists to pursue music careers irrespective of their background and experience within the field.

In 2020, they launched the inaugural Boudica Music Conference at Freemasons' Hall. The full day included educational panels, workshops and live music designed to encourage more artists from marginalised genders to pursue careers in the music industry. In 2022, Boudica not only held London's edition of the conference at the same venue, but they also expanded to Europe. In partnership with Pioneer DJ, they held their first edition of the conference abroad in Bologna at the Museum of Modern Art. Boudica Music Conference is touring in Europe in 2023, featuring talks, workshops alongside Pioneer DJ and club nights.

Last year, they launched the Boudica label, to support and celebrate female, trans+ and non-binary producers. Supported by Arts Council England, the label features artists such as Feminyst, Nur Jaber, Wanton Witch, OCD, Infinity Dreams, Peachlyfe, Yazzus and founder Samantha Togni. Their previous releases have garnered support from major music publications such as RA and Mixmag, resulting in a third VA release.

The third vinyl, 'Dark As It Gets', is a reflection of Boudica's continual musical evolution. The release marks a first for the platform, as they issued a callout for trans+ producers across the world to send in a track to be included on the vinyl. 'Dark As It Gets' by MIIIA was selected, and the title not only encapsulates the EP's energy but also Boudica's drive to support upcoming artists in the electronic music space.

The third vinyl commences with Rotterdam-based duo Animistic Beliefs' 'Vu Sua La Gi?'. The atmospheric track begins with menacing synths that are soon after enmeshed with vogue, gqom and percussive vocal chops that build towards a rewarding, melodic breakbeat cadence at its close.

New York-based Jasmine Infiniti's 'Top Shop' is the second track on the release. Skittish breaks and warped vocals skip across brooding, muted chords that eventually dissipate to reveal a hypnotic synth melody.

The vinyl's B-side begins with Metaraph's 'Emotional Intelligence'. The track marries pummelling kick drums, heady chords and transcendent melodies, all of which serve to guide the listener from triplet hard bass to trance bliss.

Finally, the title track, 'Dark As It Gets', produced by competition winner MIIIA, delivers a powerful sonic ending to the vinyl. In her own words, the track's relentless momentum and intricate incorporation of sampling leads listeners on a 'hypnotic, sassy and intense' techno journey from beginning to end. The uncompromising track's fierce groove emblematizes Boudica's third vinyl commitment to forward-thinking, idiosyncratic production.

The third vinyl concludes the initial Boudica trilogy, depicting members of the Boudica community as contemporary royalty, drawing inspiration from the queen herself.

The debut album from Netherlands based producer The Night Service Commute.

He has crafted a wonderful blend of cinematic jazz with crushed beats, funk, soul and hip hop for this project.

"Bring us the Head" ist unsere Liebeserklärung an das Kino der Achtziger und Neunziger, mit dem wir aufgewachsen sind", weiß Sänger Jens zu berichten.

"Während der Corona-Pandemie haben wir viele dieser Streifen "wiederentdeckt". Viele werden das nachvollziehen können - man saß zu Hause, hatte ungewohnt viel Freizeit, und dank der Streaming-Dienste kam trotzdem selten Langeweile auf.

Irgendwann sprachen wir im Scherz darüber, dass es doch cool wäre, eine Platte über unsere alten Lieblingsfilme zu machen... gesagt, getan."

Fans von Streifen wie "Terminator", "Conan", "Army of Darkness" oder "Escape from New York" werden somit ihre helle Freude an dem Album haben, für dessen detailverliebtes Cover-Artwork einmal mehr Besil Wrathbone verantwortlich zeichnet. Auch eine Cover-Version des Ramones-Klassikers "Pet Sematary" nahm die Band für "Bring us the Head" auf. Jens erklärt:
"Da wir den Song seit Jahren im Live-Programm haben, und er außerdem so wunderbar ins Konzept des Albums passt, lag die Idee förmlich auf der Hand."

Der neue Langspieler wird am 27. Oktober 2023 über Reaper Entertainment in den Plattenläden aufschlagen.

October Road is the fifteenth album by singer-songwriter James Taylor and is one of the few albums by Taylor to feature only original material. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Performance, debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the RIAA. The
12-track set is one of his most popular efforts, but also one of the most personal of his career.

The album spawned five singles: the title track, “On The 4th Of July”, “Whenever You’re Ready”, “Belfast To Boston” and “Raised Up Family”.

October Road is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on gold & black marbled vinyl and includes a
4-page booklet.

Therapy? are an alternative metal band from Northern Ireland. The band was formed in 1989 by original members guitarist-vocalist Andy Cairns and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing and Michael McKeegan. For their fourth album Semi-Detached, which was released in 1998, the line-up included Graham Hopkins and Martin McCarrick as full-time band members while Fyfe Ewing left the band before recording. The album entered several European album charts and features the singles "Church Of Noise" and "Lonely, Cryin' Only" and the final single "Stay Happy".

Semi-Detached is available for the first time as full-length vinyl LP, celebrating its 25th anniversary. The album is pressed on yellow and black marbled vinyl and includes an insert with lyrics.

Death metal is the great undead of subgenres: rising, again and again, to take revenge on the living with maximum violence. Servants of the zombie code and masters of old school brutality, Germany’s ENDSEEKER have made their intent to kill again more than apparent over the last nine years. Formed in Hamburg in 2014, the quintet have swiftly built a reputation as one of European death metal’s most dynamic wrecking crews. From the aspirational evisceration of first full-length Flesh Hammer Prophecy, to Metal Blade debut The Harvest in 2019, and the widely acclaimed Mount Carcass two years later, Endseeker have cooked up such a formidable formula that their rise to glory seems almost inevitable. But like everyone else, they were stopped in their tracks by the Covid pandemic and its aftermath. As that global horrorshow fades in the rear-view, Endseeker are poised to return with their most crushing and charismatic album to date: Global Worming Death metal is a serious business and Global Worming is Endseeker’s most focused and sophisticated offering to date. Nonetheless, there is always room in the underground sewers for a brain-eating monster or two, and fans of zombie-centric death metal will be more than satisfied with the new album’s brilliant, bloody contents. Consumed in its belligerent entirety, Global Worming soon emits the acrid stench of a future classic. Endseeker have stayed true to their deathly roots, while also writing some of the most imaginative songs in their history. Supremely catchy but as brutal and ugly as the arcane gods demand, Global Worming promises to burrow under the world’s skin with maximum force.

Flyte' is the third album from London duo of the same name, and their first efforts as an independent artist. The record is centred around poetry, love and was greatly inspired by vocalist Will Taylor's
elationship with fellow musician, Billie Marten. Capturing vignettes of their life together and considering the wider themes of relationships and love. Featuring a whole host of friends and collaborators, performance credits include Laura Marling on 'Tough Love', Billie Marten, Suren De Saram (Bombay Bicycle Club), M Field and William Rees (Mystery Jets). Flyte will be appearing at summer festivals in the UK, with US and UK touring coming post the release of the album in autumn 2023

Flyte' is the third album from London duo of the same name, and their first efforts as an independent artist. The record is centred around poetry, love and was greatly inspired by vocalist Will Taylor's
elationship with fellow musician, Billie Marten. Capturing vignettes of their life together and considering the wider themes of relationships and love. Featuring a whole host of friends and collaborators, performance credits include Laura Marling on 'Tough Love', Billie Marten, Suren De Saram (Bombay Bicycle Club), M Field and William Rees (Mystery Jets). Flyte will be appearing at summer festivals in the UK, with US and UK touring coming post the release of the album in autumn 2023

Seit 18 Jahren führen sie Echtzeitgespräche, ohne sich dabei aufzuführen. 2-9 Berliner Ladies, die sich live durch Stile und Geschichten spielen und dabei schon an die 200 B a n d s f o r m i e r t e n . G e n r e : K o n z e p t - P e p . Jedes Konzert und damit jede Band sind textlich und namentlich unauflösbar mit allen Beteiligten, Spielort und Setup verknüpft, Wiederholungen waren nur in Ausnahmen erlaubt. Doch nun gibt es sie doch: Festplatte. Eine Compilation.

Auf Seite A sehnen sich Spassbremse mit Engelsstimme nach Freiheit, während die Abstände im dunkel treibenden Offbeat über den Kontrollstaat schmunzeln. Pimmelbett rappen und schwelgen episch in the „Infinite Nature of Dreams“. Und nachdem die supersymmetrischen Teilchen elegisch über Einsamkeit sinnieren, feiern Leh Kokott ihren Sommerhit 2015 „un Bouton“.

Four-to-the-floor sagen Fräuleinschein auf Seite B und denken dabei an „Kartoffelpüree“, worauf eine unbekannte Band in finnischer Tradition ihrer Stammkneipe hinterher weint. Die Kraft der Selbstbefriedigung wird im Blues zelebriert und balkanesk besingt Puncikák ein dringendes Bedürfnis in allen ihr zur Verfügung stehenden Registern. Die Flöhe und die Drunken Sinkers vollenden im Punk.

An den Vocals lernt man alle Musikerinnen kennen, begleitet von einer klassischen Bandbesetzung, eingestreuten Spielereien und diesem unwiderstehlichen Cello. Festplatte - ein Fest von Platte. Im Herzen der Punk, im Ohr ein Wurm.

Stockholm based The Nomads have always stood out from other garage rock revivalists because of
the intensity of their performances and the wide range of their influences, which extend beyond the
usual ’60s bands. The mini-LP Where the Wolf Bane Blooms still sounds as vital and exciting as it did
in 1983. 40 years down the road we celebrate this underground classic with a remastered reissue full
of extra goodies from one of the toughest bands to walk the planet

Composer, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Laufey continues her story by writing and recording Bewitched, her second album. Inspired by jazz greats and classical masters while possessing a point of view that could only be conveyed by a 21st-century twentysomething, Bewitched represents an expansion of Laufey’s sonic palette.

Tracks like the breezy bossa nova cut “From The Start” and the smoldering string-assisted ballad “Promise” have classic songcraft and intricate arrangements that make them feel instantly timeless, while Laufey’s conversational lyrics give her music a relataility to the next generation of jazz, pop, and classical aficionados.

To make her new album, Light, Dark, Light Again, Angie McMahon had to walk through the fire. The Melbourne singer-songwriter’s second LP was written from the ashes of a tough but transformative few years of relationship changes, private breakdowns and core-shaking revelations about self. At times, McMahon felt like falling apart. But instead, she pushed through and found that hope, joy and relief lies on the other side of pain. Light, Dark, Light Again is a record about facing the fear and learning it can be a portal to something bigger and better. It finds that the only certainty in life is that everything ends, and everything begins again – that there is life and death and life again, that there is light and dark and light again.

History has shown that the greatest bands–bands with that certain, ever elusive quality called lasting power–neither conform to nor buck the trends of their time, but rather force the times to catch up to them. Sheer Mag has such lasting power in droves. After almost a decade spent carving out a career that has already become the stuff of modern underground legend, the band’s new stand-alone single, “All Lined Up,” comes alongside the announcement of their signing to Third Man Records–their first partnership with a larger independent label–who will also be physically and digitally re-releasing the entirety of Sheer Mag’s back-catalogue, including their cult-beloved early EPs I (2014), II (2015), and III (2016), as well as their first two breakthrough LPs, Need To Feel Your Love (2017) and A Distant Call (2019). Sheer Mag’s sensibility, as fervently beloved by baseball-tee clad garage rockers and tattoo-less indie kids as it is by leather-and-stud-loyal punks, finds its strength in an unconventional mixture of refined complexity and straight-forward pop prowess. Seamlessly trading between head-turning guitar heroics and a charmingly timeless blend of disco, hard rock, and garage inflected hooks, Sheer Mag’s oft-referenced, never-replicated sound has played an undeniably large role in stoking the current resurgence of interest power-pop forward rock music. While quickly adopted as a fan-favorite amongst the sweat-caked crowds of the early 2010’s underground, time has attested to Sheer Mag’s singular cultural mutability: though never straying too far from their home-town Philadelphian origins

Thomas Walsh is the founder and frontperson in critically endorsed Irish cult-pop band Pugwash. His
classic pop songwriting has garnered him an impressive collection of celebrity recognition from artists
like Brian Wilson, Jeff Lynne and Joe Elliot. Guest contributions on the album comes from Dave
Gregory (XTC, Dukes Of Stratosphere), Joe Elliott (Def Leppard), Michael Penn, Neil Hannon (The
Divine Comedy), Matt Berry (What We Do In The Shadows). ANDY PARTRIDGE - "Pugwash
(Thomas Walsh), at their best, are almost Beatle-like in their greatness. They are THAT good”

Thomas Walsh is the founder and frontperson in critically endorsed Irish cult-pop band Pugwash. His
classic pop songwriting has garnered him an impressive collection of celebrity recognition from artists
like Brian Wilson, Jeff Lynne and Joe Elliot. Guest contributions on the album comes from Dave
Gregory (XTC, Dukes Of Stratosphere), Joe Elliott (Def Leppard), Michael Penn, Neil Hannon (The
Divine Comedy), Matt Berry (What We Do In The Shadows). ANDY PARTRIDGE - "Pugwash
(Thomas Walsh), at their best, are almost Beatle-like in their greatness. They are THAT good”

For those who still believe prog is a four-letter word, Caravan remain a mystery - More fool them, for they are missing out on some of the sweetest and most tuneful melodies in 70s rock, whether it be the jazz- inflected vaudeville of the title track of If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You, the gentle celebration of Virgin On The Ridiculous from Caravan & The New Symphonia or the funky ambition of The Dabsong Conshirtoe on Cunning Stunts. Formed, like Soft Machine, from the group The Wilde Flowers, Caravan have much in common with UK 70s prog, punning titles, gatefold sleeves, many songs well over 10 minutes long, frequent line- up shifts, but they always had an innate accessibility – partly due to guitarist and lead vocalist Julian 'Pye' Hastings' easy- on-the-ear singing style. Recorded at Tollington Park Studios (Decca 4) in North London, Cunning Stunts was Caravan's final studio album for Decca; with a tweak in line-up, it produced some of the group's most mature, fluid music, especially in the 18- minute The Dabsong Conshirtoe. 'Have you heard our story, a mystery it seems, gather round come listen, see the spectacle within,' the group state on the album's opening track The Show Of Our Lives. Had the group not been called Caravan and the album Cunning Stunts, Lover could have been a Top 10 single. This re-issue faithfully replicates the original 1975 Decca Records UK release and is pressed onto high quality 180g vinyl

For those who still believe prog is a four-letter word, Caravan remain a mystery - More fool them, for they are missing out on some of the sweetest and most tuneful melodies in 70s rock, whether it be the
jazz-inflected vaudeville of the title track of If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You, the gentle celebration of Virgin On The Ridiculous from Caravan & The New Symphonia or the funky
ambition of The Dabsong Conshirtoe on Cunning Stunts.

Formed, like Soft Machine, from the group The Wilde Flowers, Caravan have much in common with UK 70s prog, punning titles, gatefold sleeves, many songs well over 10 minutes long, frequent line-up shifts, but they always had an innate accessibility – partly due to guitarist and lead vocalist Julian 'Pye' Hastings' easy-on-the-ear singing style.

Recorded at Tollington Park Studios (Decca 4) in North London, Cunning Stunts was Caravan's final studio album for Decca; with a tweak in line-up, it produced some of the group's most mature, fluid
music, especially in the 18-minute The Dabsong Conshirtoe. 'Have you heard our story, a mystery it seems, gather round come listen, see the spectale within,' the group state on the album's opening
track The Show Of Our Lives. Had the group not been called Caravan and the album Cunning Stunts, Lover could have been a Top 10 single.

This re-issue faithfully replicates the original 1975 Decca Records UK release and is pressed onto
high quality 180g vinyl.

Out of print since 2015, this special EP now returns on 12″ vinyl!

Originally recorded for Big Star’s iconic Third, “Jesus Christ” has become a holiday staple. What better way to celebrate this time of year than to experience this classic track on vinyl—along with the gift of rare material!

This collectible 12″ EP features the Three Wise Men artwork from a 1973 Big Star promo poster. In addition to the original album version of its namesake, the audio program features a demo of “Jesus Christ” which first appeared on the Grammy® winning box set, Keep An Eye On The Sky, as well as 5 rare tracks.

Fans have been clamoring for an official release of “Another Time Another Place & You” for decades, and it made its first-ever appearance on this EP when Omnivore first issued it as a limited 2015 Black Friday/Record Store Day 10″ EP, long with a TV Mix of Third’s “Thank You Friends.” Two more unissued instrumentals joined them. All four of these tracks were mixed in 2012 for use in the acclaimed documentary Nothing Can Hurt Me. A demo version of “Big Black Car” (the studio version also appears on Third) completes the playlist.

The legacy of Big Star continues to shine, and the Jesus Christ EP will not only make a glowing addition to any fan’s collection, but will provide them with not only what they’ve been searching for, but make them rejoice in what they’ve found.

New Jersey, Brick City hip-hop legend Beneficence and UK based producer duo Jazz Spastiks unearth a timeless treasure with the release of their collaboration album "Summer Night Sessions". With a completely jazzy street feel and slick written, soothing, intellectual lyrics the Ill Adrenaline co-founder releases his 8th full length album. Over 25 years of successfully releasing independent music, Beneficence set the bar high by using lo-fi, jazzy boom-bap sounds masterfully. Following his most successful "Stellar Mind" (2021) release accompanied with a memoir ("Concrete Soul - The Memoir & Making of Ill Adrenaline Records") of his life and music journey, the close Artifacts affiliate delivers a personal collage of authentic hip-hop music with a brilliant Jazz Spastiks backdrop. Well selected guest appearances in these "Summer Night Sessions" include Skyzoo, Saukrates, Doodlebug (of Digable Planets), Awon, El Da Sensei (of The Artifacts), J-Live, Rakaa Iriscience (of Dilated Peoples), Kid Abstrakt, Shabaam Sahdeeq, and grammy nominated R&B singer Anthony David on a CD/digital only bonus track. On the first single "Do This, Do That" feat. Awon, Beneficence flows smoothly over simple but captivating horns reminiscing about his come up on the music scene. "At the time I was seated behind Diddy and Biggie, '95 Source Awards keys to the city". "Mic Epps" displays lyricism in its finest form when Beneficence playfully pans between a reference to comedian Mike Epps and microphone episodes. "Civilize 'em with a mic check, I get funny on 'em, Mike Epps, you coming ugly imma swipe left, what we giving you is priceless, the nicest!". The musical marriage between the beautiful sounds of Jazz Spastiks and the sharp pen of Beneficence is tactfully done with rich and hypnotic bangers for hip-hop lovers with an ear for certified dopeness

Wir stellen vor: "American Gothic" von Wayfarer.Begib Dich mit Wayfarer auf eine transzendentale Reise, wenn sie ihr neuestes Werk "American Gothic" vorstellen. Die atmosphärische Black-Metal-Band aus Colorado taucht tief in den reichen Teppich der Americana-Themen ein. Dieses Album markiert einen bedeutenden Meilenstein auf ihrem musikalischen Erkundungszug.Dieses außergewöhnliche Album überschreitet die traditionellen musikalischen Grenzen und fasst die Essenz der verschiedenen Landschaften Amerikas zusammen. Wayfarers musikalisches Können malt eine lebendige und eindrucksvolle Klanglandschaft. Sie vereinen atmosphärischen Black Metal mit Elementen des Post-Rock und Folk und verbinden mühelos fesselnde Melodien mit wilder Intensität. Erhältlich als Ltd. 180g worn-steel silver LP mit Newspaper-look Booklet, sowie als CD Digipak.

Die Musik der 2000 in Norwegen gegründeten Band fand nicht nur großen Anklang in der Dance-Punk-Community, ihre bahnbrechende Single 'Computer Camp Love' landete auch hoch im ROLLING STONE-Ranking der "100 besten Songs des Jahres 2007". Ihr Debüt landete schließlich auf Platz 36 des damals renommierten NME, und die Band wurde nicht nur einmal für den norwegischen Grammy nominiert. DATAROCKs neues Album 'Media Consumption Pyramid' vereint sieben Mitglieder des Kernkollektivs, die alle schon früher Teil der Band waren, aber nie gemeinsam. Das Album basiert auf Synth-Pop-Sounds der 80er Jahre, die an Depeche Mode, Bronski Beat und Soft Cell erinnern. Die bereits digital veröffentlichte Single 'DISCObedience' ist ein erster Appetizer auf das von Fans sehnlich erwartete Comeback-Album der sieben Männer in ihren Trainingsanzügen.
Für Fans von LCD Soundsystem, The Chemical Brothers, Hot Chip und Foals. Erhältlich auf CD, schwarzem Vinyl sowie in limitierter Auflage auf rotem Vinyl

Part Time Signals is the new project formed by Sock vocalist and guitarist Jacob Church. The band came together initially by taking demo ideas written by Jacob. When introduced to a live band setting they grew into the form they take on this record. Part Time Signals features the talents of Sam Barnes (bass), Gavin Jenkins (drums) and Michael Blanchfield (keys).
All songs on the album were tracked one hot day in August 2022 at Chapter Arts Centre Cardiff, followed by a few days recording additional overdubs. The album was mixed by Sam Barnes and mastered by Eddie Al-Shakarchi.

Released in 1983 at the height of the Satanic Panic, SHOUT AT THE DEVIL catapulted MÖTLEY CRÜE to superstardom. Delivering on the hype and promise of their PLATINUM debut, Too Fast For Love, MÖTLEY CRÜE second album hit the US Top 20 and was certified 4X PLATINUM. For many music fans, SHOUT AT THE DEVIL was the first time they witnessed an album with this imagery and lyrical content on mainstream retail shelves.

40 years later, THE CRÜE is still going strong, bigger than EVER and headlining STADIUMS around the World! So come now Children Of The Beast, be strong and SHOUT AT THE DEVIL...
Sold Over 1.3 Million Tickets in North America last year on THE STADIUM TOUR with Def Leppard
THE WORLD TOUR continues in 2022 having already rolled through Latin America, Brazil UK and Europe
Will perform for another 300,000 fans in the US in August before heading to Japan and Australia in October and November
3 tracks from Shout At The Devil remain in the band’s live set 40 years later, “Shout At The Devil,” “Too Young To Fall In Love” and “Looks That Kill”
Shout At The Devil has sold over 4 Million Copies in the US alone
Major ad campaign and Halloween week
Album newly remastered by Andy Pearce (Black Sabbath, Motorhead)
Shout At The Demos & Rarities LP contains 7 rare tracks and demos, including “Hotter Than Hell” which later become “Louder Than Hell” on 1985’s Theatre Of Pain

Contents:
• Original Album Remastered on Orange/Yellow Splatter LP
• Shout At The Demos & Rarities Red/White Splatter LP
• Shout At The Devil CD
• Shout At The Devil Red Cassette
• “Looks That Kill” White 7”
• “Too Young To Fall In Love” Orange 7”
• Devil Board w/Metal Planchette
• Metal Pentagram 7” Adapter
• Pentagram Felt Bag
• Devil Candle Holder (candle not included)
• Band Member Tarot Cards
• 12” x 12” Pentagram Séance Board
• Two 12” x 12” Shout At The Devil Blood Album Cover Litho Art Prints

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Jonny Cash"s demise, listen to this double vinyl gathering all the greatest songs by the man in black ! Including : "Folsom Prison Blues", "I walk the line", "Hey Porter"...

Im Englischen gibt es den Ausdruck "to pull at one"s heartstrings". In der deutschen Sprache gibt es für dieses Bild keine direkte Übersetzung. Jetzt aber zum Glück irgendwie schon, in Form dieses Albums. Denn beim Hören von EXILE IN SPACE zupft und zuppelt, zieht und dehnt etwas im Inneren, meist in etwa da, wo bei den meisten Menschen das Herz vermutet wird. Melancholie trifft es eben nicht, ist auch ein viel zu abgenudelter Begriff in der Musik und hat hier keinen Platz. Was ENIK und das PARANORMAL STRING QUARTET auf EXILE IN SPACE in diesen acht musikalischen Kleinoden entstehen lassen, geht tiefer. Großartige Sätze wie: "Don"t pick up the Phone, it could be your mother! She wont candycrush herself out of this mess.", lässt Enik in "Electric Sheep" von einer knazigen Roboterstimme in Gedichtform vortragen, während im Hintergrund ein Omnichord und ein Cello darüber diskutieren, wer von beiden eigentlich einsamer ist als der andere. "TRUE MF", das man von ENIK Solo bisher als richtigen Dancefloor-Banger kannte, kriegt mit entschleunigten, warmen aber trotzdem nie und nimmer kitschigen Streicherparts neue Dimensionen (ziemlich viele sogar). Diese paranormalen Ergänzungen halten ENIK wenn nötig auch mal auf dem Boden - oder besser gesagt in der gemütlichen, warmen Stube am Fenster, wenn er im Titeltrack mit Cervantes im Kopf von der eher weniger gemütlichen Weltlage singt und vom Exil im Weltall träumt (EXILE IN SPACE). In KANGAROO unterhält sich Enik mit einem toten Känguru, was ihn schlagartig seiner eigenen Vergänglichkeit ermahnt und somit das exzessive Leben des Protagonisten herzzerreißend in Frage stellt. Der Song endet in einer dreiminütigen, elegischen Streicherimprovisation, die für Enik persönlich, den absoluten Höhepunkt dieses Albums darstellt. Zurückgelassen wird man als Hörer*in am Ende mit dem knarzigen BETTY LEE. Ein Lied, das gut und gerne 70 Jahre alt sei könnte, gleichzeitig aber auch nach vorne in die Zukunft weist. Alles in allem acht funkelnde, schräge, organische und liebevolle Songs, die vom Herzen bis ins Weltall reichen. Womit wir wieder bei den "heartstrings" sind und dem, was eben hier noch nicht verraten wurde: Was der englische Ausdruck "to pull at one"s heartstrings" auf Deutsch bedeutet. Aber dafür sind ENIK und das PARANORMAL STRING QUARTET die Experten.

His much-anticipated second album, Steady Away, moves inward and takes on a more self- reflective quality, whilst retaining glimmers of soaring figures and pastoral imagery.

Brain's distinctive warm vocal and finger- picked guitar style are sustained alongside expansive strings and delicate piano arrangements, taking shape through evolving and introspective impressions on tenderness, loss, pain and awe in nature.

The album was recorded at The Nave, an old refurbished church which is now a studio. Glancing off The Nave's eaved ceilings with natural reverb, Steady Away's 11 tracks, recorded by Tom Orrell, capture the intimacy of Chris' songwriting.

Musicians appearing with Chris on the album are, on piano - Simeon Walker, violin - Mary-Jane Walker and on double bass - Alice Phelps.
Steady Away further embeds Chris Brain within the contemporary folk scene, whilst gesturing towards the folk tradition. His commitment to folk is only deepened by the two folk clubs and folk festival in Leeds that Chris founded and runs, attracting a wide range of audiences and musicians alike.