quête:cha wa

Marius Müller-Westernhagen: Fünf Kult-Alben neu aufgelegt
Fünf Alben, die eine entscheidende Kreativ-Epoche von Marius Müller-Westernhagen prägten, erfahren eine würdige Neuauflage! Am 15. August kehren folgende Werke als 2025 Remaster zurück:

Die Kollektion vereint fünf Ikonen: Das wegweisende "Sekt oder Selters", das unvergessene "Stinker", das intime "Nahaufnahme", das erfolgreiche "Ganz allein krieg ich's nicht hin" und das energiegeladene "Das Herz eines Boxers". Fünf zentrale Alben in remasterter Qualität.

Jede dieser originalgetreuen Editionen wurde aufwendig remastert, um eine brillante und frische Klangqualität zu garantieren, die den ureigenen Charakter der Aufnahmen respektiert. Die Alben sind erhältlich auf hochwertigem 180-Gramm-Vinyl sowie als CD Edition. Beide Formate präsentieren das originale Layout, was Fans ein authentisches Hörerlebnis bietet.

Sichern Sie sich jetzt diese unverzichtbaren Werke in absoluter Bestform – ein Muss für jede Sammlung!

Marius Müller-Westernhagen: Fünf Kult-Alben neu aufgelegt
Fünf Alben, die eine entscheidende Kreativ-Epoche von Marius Müller-Westernhagen prägten, erfahren eine würdige Neuauflage! Am 15. August kehren folgende Werke als 2025 Remaster zurück:

Die Kollektion vereint fünf Ikonen: Das wegweisende "Sekt oder Selters", das unvergessene "Stinker", das intime "Nahaufnahme", das erfolgreiche "Ganz allein krieg ich's nicht hin" und das energiegeladene "Das Herz eines Boxers". Fünf zentrale Alben in remasterter Qualität.

Jede dieser originalgetreuen Editionen wurde aufwendig remastert, um eine brillante und frische Klangqualität zu garantieren, die den ureigenen Charakter der Aufnahmen respektiert. Die Alben sind erhältlich auf hochwertigem 180-Gramm-Vinyl sowie als CD Edition. Beide Formate präsentieren das originale Layout, was Fans ein authentisches Hörerlebnis bietet.

Sichern Sie sich jetzt diese unverzichtbaren Werke in absoluter Bestform – ein Muss für jede Sammlung!

Erleben Sie den zeitlosen Charme und die samtweiche Stimme einer Musiklegende: Perry Como. Diese exklusive LP vereint seine schönsten und bekanntesten Lieder – sorgfältig remastert für höchsten Hörgenuss. Perfekt für Fans klassischer Unterhaltungsmusik und für alle, die die goldene
Ära des Easy Listening neu entdecken möchten.

Darunter sind Klassiker wie:
Papa Loves Mambo
Magic Moments
Catch A Falling Star
Moon River
u.v.m.

The long-awaited analog release of “ODDTAXI” by Skirt and PUNPEE, the opening theme of the TV anime "ODDTAXI" is finally here!

■Skirt
Skirt is a self-described “unhealthy pop” band known for its refreshingly light yet slightly shadowed songwriting and band ensemble, earning widespread
acclaim across professions, genders, and age groups.
The project began in 2006 as the solo multi-track recording endeavor of Wataru Sawabe. In 2010, he launched his own label, Kaczka Sound, and released
his first album ""S-O-S,"" marking the true beginning of Skirt’s full-fledged musical journey.
In April 2021, Skirt collaborated with PUNPEE on the opening theme "ODDTAXI" for the anime "ODDTAXI". Drawing from his extensive knowledge of
comedy, Sawabe served as a judge for the finals of the UNDER 25 OWARAI CHAMPIONSHIP—a comedy competition for performers under 25—in
September 2023, and also wrote the event’s official theme song, "Kitai to Yokan"
In addition, he has contributed music to numerous animated works, films, and TV dramas. His exceptional songwriting skills have led him to write songs
for a range of artists including Takashi Fujii, Kaede (Negicco), Toko Miura, and adieu (Moka Kamishiraishi).
As a versatile multi-instrumentalist, Sawabe has also participated in live performances and recordings with artists he deeply admires, such as Spitz,
Makoto Kawamoto, and Moonriders. Skirt continues to attract attention as both a band and the project of a wonderfully talented, genre-defying
singer-songwriter.

■PUNPEE
Active as both a rapper and producer, PUNPEE has released acclaimed albums such as "MODERN TIMES" and "The Sofakingdom"" His diverse body
of work includes contributions to a Red Bull TV commercial, the opening theme for the TBS show "Wednesday's Downtown" a remix of Hikaru Utada’s
"Hikari -Ray of Hope MIX-" and the track "Time Machine ni Notte / Kazoku no Fukei" for the Sotetsu–Tokyu through line commemorative short film.
But of course, what truly matters—is what comes next. P

Jetzt, wo der Spätsommer/Herbst langsam ausfadet, denkt man, Herr Jemine, jetzt kommen sie wieder, die kalten dunklen Tage, eigentlich wollte ich doch nie mehr frieren. Also, aber genau jetzt, zur rechten Zeit, kommt Paul mit einer neuen Platte um die Ecke, die sich um dich legt wie eine wärmende Decke, tröstet und dich sanft mit in den in den Herbst nimmt. 9 klassische Pop Songs, die sich Zeit lassen und Ruhe ausstrahlen, mit grossen Melodiebögen und aufgeräumten, eleganten Arrangements. Sie handeln von Abschieden, neuen Freunden, sind Melancholie und Zuversicht. Das Ende des Sommers musikalisch umgesetzt. Brian Wilsons Surfs Up und die grossen europäischen Chansonballaden eines John Cale oder Gilbert O'Sullivans und der One Man Beatles Pop von Emitt Rhodes kommt einem in den Sinn und doch schreibt nur Paul Abbrecht diese ganz besonderen Sloe Paul Songs, die es eben nur hier gibt.

"From the very first seconds of the opening track "Graffiti Palace", this album establishes itself as one of the clearest and strongest in the band's discography. Eric Deleporte assumes his new ambitions and deploys his song-writing across 10 panoramic, dreamy songs. Seven years after "Black Condensed" and 31 years after a debut album "Icy Morning in Paris" released on the legendary French label Lithium (1994), "The Sharp Bones of my Sleep" marks a major turning point in the band's history. Rémy Poncet (Chevalrex) accompanied the construction of this sound architecture and Angy Laperdrix (Tahiti 80, Aquaserge, Chassol, Zombie Zombie, Halo Maud...) produced the mix. The light-dark atmospheres and heartbreaking melodies are more sensitive than ever in Perio's work, and summon the best of US indie (Deerhunter, Devendra Banhart...), the ghosts of punk and new-wave, and the urban poetry so dear to Eric Deleporte. ""Perio is a rare band. Because it sounds like no other, resolutely French-American, in a folk vein that bridges the gap between tradition as recorded in Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music and resolutely contemporary sounds."" -La Blogothèque

Based in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, Dark Circles Recordings has

rediscovered and is reissuing an album originally recorded and released in 2008 by

Dog Soup, a then London-based quartet that played a handful of gigs and recorded

just one exemplary album before, seemingly, disappearing. Fragments, that album, is

a crucial chapter in the British jazz story that can now be told again.

The brainchild of trumpeter and composer Robbie Robson, Dog Soup was briefly part

of the Loop Collective, a group of musicians founded in London in 2005. Dog Soup

cut one mesmerising album of rhythmic shapes and melodic colours that still

sounds fresh, exciting and dynamic 17 years later. An intoxicating mix of composed

and freely improvised playing, Fragments keeps the listener guessing just where the

music is coming from.

Released in 2008, Fragments just preceded the revitalised British jazz scene and slipped

under the radar of even the most ardent aficionados, becoming a lost classic—until Dark

Circles Recordings recognised its brilliance 17 years later and persuaded Robson to reissue

it.


'...prefigures the post-rock into jazz trajectory which Chicago's International Anthem label would later inscribe so joyfully'
* * * * Mojo

'...original, free and dramatic...'

The Guardian

The Band Rotosphere has become a cornerstone of the Blues Festival Baden (Switzerland). Since 2005, led by guitarist and bandleader Nic Niedermann, they"ve been lighting up the festival"s legendary Late Night Jam Sessions. Over the years, they"ve shared the stage with blues icons such as Magic Slim, Susan Tedeschi, Coco Montoya, Justina Lee Brown and Chicago"s own blues harpist, Matthew Skoller. A truly magical moment unfolded in 2022 when Mark Slate took to the stage. The charismatic blues and soul singer captivated the audience from the first note with his powerful voice. Having spent years on the road with the "Joe Cocker Tribute Show", Slate embodies the raw and gritty essence of the blues. Now, performing alongside Rotosphere, they deliver original tracks brimming with energy, passion, and musical fire - an unforgettable experience for every listener!

Kai Winding (1922 -1983) was a Danish-born American trombonist and jazz
composer, particularly remembered for his collaborations and solo
exchanges with fellow trombonist JJ Johnson
Fans of their classic album 'The Great Kai & JJ' (Impulse!) will welcome 'Duo Bones'
with Kai trading solos with renowned Italian valve trombonist Dino Piana (1930 -
2023). The programme includes three original compositions by Kai, 'Duo Bones', 'Lady
H', and 'Stop Following Me', and one by Piana aptly titled, Kai & Dino. The rest of the
programme includes Cole Porter's 'Get Out Of Town', Bronislawl Kaper's 'On Green
Dolphin Street', Gorden Jenkin's 'This Is All I Ask', and an original composition by
producer Enrico Pieranunzi titled 'Soul Dance'.
"A series of pieces played very well, characterised by a marked swing and with solos
that transmit to the ear the joy felt by the musicians in performing them. An album of
pure fun, impeccable in execution, full of dizzying and spectacular phrasing,
impressive in the speed with which Winding and Piana intertwine their sounds in
elaborate counterpoints." - Marco Giorgi, from the liner notes
Kai Winding: trombone
Dino Piana: valve trombone
Enrico Pieranunzi: piano
Giovanni Tommaso: bass
Tullio De Piscopo: drums
Recorded by Francesco Melloni, Giovanni Fornari, Emmequattro Studio, Rome, Nov. 17
& 18, 1979.

[v] 9Have No Fear Bond Is Here (Single Version) [feat. Mike Redway]
[w] 10The Look of Love (Film Version) [feat. Dusty Springfield]

Sie sind zurück. Lauter, klarer, größer – und »immer unter Feuer«. Frei.Wild schlagen 2025 das nächste, vielleicht sogar das stärkste Kapitel ihrer Bandgeschichte auf. Geschmiedet vom Leben, mit scharfer Zunge. Das neue Studioalbum ist ein Manifest – für alle, die mit ganzem Herzen brennen.

Voller Kraft, Schmerz, Hoffnung – ein wuchtiger Mix aus hartem Deutschrock und Gänsehaut-Balladen. Texte, die Mut machen, Grenzen sprengen, Brücken bauen. Echte Geschichten, keine leeren Phrasen. Mit Haltung, mit Tiefe – mit der Freiheit, auch unbequem zu sein. 2x 12 brandneue Songs bündelt das Doppel-Album im dreifach ausklappbaren Digipack plus 32 Seiten Booklet mit allen Songtexten, Band-Fotos und heißen Insider-Infos. Das Box-Set befeuert Frei.Wild noch dazu mit 6 weiteren, exklusiven Songs, die sich ausschließlich auf dieser Fan Edition eingebrannt haben. Wer aufs Streaming hofft, muss leider sehr, sehr lange warten … falls diese 6 Tracks überhaupt jemals den Weg auf die digitalen Plattformen finden.

Seit über 20 Jahren beweisen die Südtiroler, dass man mit klarer Haltung und Meinung Großes bewegen kann. Vom Proberaum im Kinderdorf bis an die Chartspitze, durch Gegenwind und im Feuer der Kritik – wo andere verbrannt sind, geht Frei.Wild aufrecht weiter. »Immer unter Feuer« ist ihr Dank an alle, die füreinander brennen. Und ein Antrieb für die, die noch kommen. Frei.Wild-Songs beugen sich nicht, nennen beim Namen, was unausgesprochen ist. Geliebt und gemieden. Es gibt gefühlt niemanden, der keine Meinung zu diesen Rock-Revoluzzern aus dem Grenzland hat. Südtirol ist nicht Berlin – doch im Kern lodert in Großstädten wie auf dem Land dieselbe Kraft. Frei.Wild zieht seine ungezähmte Energie aus der Heimat, den Familien, der Freundschaft. Gewachsen im Schmelztiegel von Kulturen und uralten Bräuchen und Geschichten haben sie ihre ganz eigene Prägung erfahren. »Immer unter Feuer« trägt das Album das Geweih so stark wie nie!

»Immer unter Feuer« erscheint als Doppelvinyl-Version im Gatefold Cover mit UV-Spotlack Parts und zwei weißen 180g Vinylplatten mit bedruckten Innenhüllen.

,Sad Sappy Sucker" (oder mit dem ganzen Titel auf dem Cover ,Sad Sappy Sucker Chokin on a Mouthful of Lost Thoughts") ist ein Compilation-Album von Modest Mouse aus dem Jahr 2001. Ursprünglich sollte ,Sad Sappy Sucker" 1994 das Debütalbum von Modest Mouse werden, wurde dann aber für ein paar Jahre auf Eis gelegt, bis es schließlich 2001 nach dem Erfolg von ,The Moon & Antarctica", dem dritten Album der Band, rausgebracht wurde. Einige Songs wurden in den Dub Narcotic Studios in Olympia, Washington, von Beat Happening-Frontmann Calvin Johnson aufgenommen. Das Album wurde offiziell von Johnsons Label K Records veröffentlicht und enthält neun zusätzliche Titel, die zur ursprünglichen Trackliste hinzugefügt wurden. Die ersten 15 Titel bilden das ursprüngliche Album "Sad Sappy Sucker". Die Titel 16 bis 24 stammen aus dem Anrufbeantworter von Isaac Brock, der einen ,Call to Dial a Song"-Dienst eingerichtet hatte. (Quelle: Wikipedia)

Wahnsinnig authentischer 90er-Jahre-Vaporware-Jazz, kreiert für den Weather Channel von Paul Coleman, einem Chicagoer Bandleader der 60er und 70er Jahre der Bands Fabulous Epics, Rasputin's Stash und Crystal Winds. Es existieren nur 500 Exemplare auf Cloud Coloured Vinyl weltweit.

""Ein Manager des Weather Channel war mit Corky Browns Tochter unterwegs und versprach mir eine Menge Geld, wenn ich Originalmaterial schreiben und dem Weather Channel vorlegen würde. Ich schaltete sofort in Superman-Modus und begann, jeden Tag einen Song zu schreiben und zu programmieren. Ich arbeitete Tag und Nacht daran, diese Songs so schnell wie möglich zu kreieren. Sie wurden ein paar Mal gespielt, bevor der Weather Channel aufgekauft wurde. Aber wir wurden nie bezahlt."" – Paul Coleman 2025

Munich-based duo Glaskin, brothers Jonathan and Ferdinand Bockelmann, have become pivotal voices in modern techno, known for their residency at the legendary Blitz Club and standout releases on labels like Mutual Rytm and Figure. Their live sets channel dynamic, forward-thinking energy, and now they bring that momentum to FJAAK's ever-expanding CROWD family. With the Blue Light EP, Glaskin deliver four impeccably groovy tracks that balance stripped-down flair and shimmering texture. "Blue Light" opens the EP with mellow synth tones, a lean, hypnotic beat and a vocal loop murmuring 'here we go' that signals the underground journey ahead. Next up is "Captcha", releasing as the single, where a spoken female voice is layered atop rhythmic percussion, marrying atmosphere with groove-driven momentum. On the B-side, "Tape", digs deep into rolling uncompromising techno territory, strict in structure yet irresistibly danceable. The EP rounds out with "Prophat Tool Board", stepping slightly into house-leaning warmth, its broader rhythm and melodic warmth offering a fitting counterpoint to the brooding energy before it. The Blue Light EP is Glaskin's debut on CROWD and a shrewd expansion of the label's sound palette: richly textured techno made for both peak-time impact and immersive listening. To celebrate the release on the label, Glaskin will join label-founders FJAAK for a CROWD night at Nitsa Club in Barcelona on October 10, an event primed to showcase the raw energy and precision behind their studio work. Don't miss this one!

TRON: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
24 neue Tracks von Nine Inch Nails: das Duo aus Trent Reznor und Atticus Ross veröffentlicht am 19.
September 2025 sein Album zum Disney-Kultfilm „TRON: Ares“, inklusive der neuen Single „As Alive As
You Need Me To Be”. Damit setzt die Band eine erfolgreiche Soundtrack-Geschichte fort: ihre vorherigen
Untermalungen zu Filmen wie „The Social Network“ (2010), „Soul“ (2020) oder „Challengers“ (2024)
wurden unter anderem mit zwei Oscars, drei Golden Globes, einem Emmy und einem Grammy ausgezeichnet. Die düstere Industrial-Handschrift Trent Reznors fängt die Stimmung der Sci-Fi-Reihe „TRON“, für
deren letzten Film Daft Punk komponierten, perfekt ein. Reznors Einfluss auf die alternative Musikwelt ist
seit den späten 80ern ungebrochen: mit Hits wie „Closer“ und „Hurt“ sowie Alben wie „The Downward
Spiral“ kombinierte das Mastermind elektronische Sounds mit Rockmusik wie nie zuvor. „TRON: Ares“ ist
die erste NIN Veröffentlichung seit fünf Jahren und liefert gleich 70 Minuten neue Musik – erhältlich ab
dem 19.09. auf CD und Vinyl.

Acclaimed electronic musicians, producers and sound architects Max Cooper and Rob Clouth team up for a new collaborative EP; a dark, playful four-track dive into ambient, breakbeat and techno’s subconscious flow, featuring a standout vocal performance from South London rapper FLOHIO.

Recorded over a series of spontaneous London sessions, “8 Billion Realities” channels years of creative exchange between two of the genre’s most quietly innovative artists and is a result of a decision between the longtime friends to refrain from conceptual overthinking in favour of instinct and joy.

As long-time admirers of each other’s audio/visual work, Cooper and Clouth collaborated in London together after both emerging from intense, idea-heavy album cycles. What followed was a series of exploratory sessions, half-improvised, half-built around half-formed thoughts.

The result is a club-ready EP that feels alive and human: imperfect and hypnotically rich.

“Rob Clouth has been one of my favourite electronic music producers since I first heard his work in 2011,” says Cooper. “His work is more full of ideas and structure than anyone else.” “We were both coming from extensive conceptual studio albums and both in the mood for simplifying things and having some fun with the music, so that’s what we did”.

For Clouth, no stranger to Max Coopers Mesh label having previously released an array of EP’s plus his 2020 debut album “Zero Point” this record marks a new chapter, both creatively and personally.“Something pretty new for me is collaborating,” he says. “You kind of have to when to stop, because if you develop an idea all the way to its endpoint, the other person has nowhere to jump in.”

The first “A Moment Set Aside” began as a break from another idea, a live, unplanned improvisation based around arps and ambience. “The track was written in about as long as it took to play it,” says Cooper. “It was pulled from a 1 hour recording session, more or less as you hear it… the energy and excitement grew as the unplanned moment bore some magic.”

“The lesson being that sometimes it’s helpful to set aside a moment without forcing results, and let the subconscious have something to say.” What followed was darker, heavier. “Asymptote” is detuned techno. Subversive and euphoric in its descent. “We found a sort of brain mangling, half consonant, half wandering detuned techno pulse, which we started chatting about being a sort of pit of spiralling body parts we were falling into,” says Cooper. “It was a lot of fun to work on and let loose with bigger kicks than I usually ever get to unleash.”

Then came “8 Billion Realities”, featuring a standout rap performance from FLOHIO; an emerging figure in the UK grime and rap scene. The track was inspired by conversations about algorithmic echo chambers and hyper-personalised online worlds. Frantic, direct, and South London to the core, FLOHIO brings this tension to life. Her sharp, intense flow cuts through distortion and rhythm, landing the track somewhere between chaos and control instantly making it one of the most striking moments in either artist’s catalogue. “A different reality for all 8 billion of us,” says Cooper. “We weren’t sure if it would work… but there was something about the energy of the percussive idea and the story which felt like it might fit.” “Then FLOHIO had a play with it and straight off the bat absolutely killed it, not just with the lyrics and energy, but the harmonising too, it was a beautiful process.”

The final piece on the EP “Candeleda” originated from Clouth’s solo experiments with a live rig made entirely of vocals and keys, using his self-developed “cheatbox” system. “He put forward a beautiful stumbling melodic sequence which we bounced back and forth adding harmonies and synth layers,” says Cooper. “It rounds off a collection covering some of the breadth of music that we both love.”

Das in Australien gegründete und in LA ansässige Duo VOWWS meldet sich mit I'll Fill Your House With an Army zurück, ihrem bisher ehrgeizigsten und am besten umgesetzten Album.

I'll Fill Your House With an Army ist der Höhepunkt der kühnsten Ideen der Band und zeigt, wie VOWWS, bestehend aus Rizz und Matt James, ihre charakteristische „Death-Pop“-Ästhetik vertiefen: eine genreübergreifende Mischung aus industrieller Elektronik, alternativem Rock, cineastischer Nostalgie und melancholischer Pop-Sensibilität. Co-produziert von Billy Howerdel (A Perfect Circle) und mit Gastauftritten von Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, NIN, Devo) und James „Munky“ Shaffer (KORN), ist das Album eine Reise durch Sehnsucht, Entfremdung und die surreale Schönheit des Chaos.

Dieses Album zeigt perfekt die dynamische Bandbreite des Duos: von verzerrter Intimität bis hin zu gewaltigen Klangattacken reflektieren VOWWS ein zerbrochenes Spiegelbild des modernen Zustands - romantisch, aber desillusioniert, viszeral und doch seltsam erhebend.

Nachdem sie sich durch Touren mit den Deftones, Twin Temple und Poppy bereits eine kultige Fangemeinde erspielt haben und gerade einen bahnbrechenden Live-Auftritt im Golden Gate Park neben System of a Down und The Mars Volta absolviert haben, sind VOWWS bereit, ihr Vermächtnis mit dieser Veröffentlichung zu zementieren. Ihr künstlerisches Ethos, unbeugsam in einer Ära der Wegwerfbarkeit, hat sie auch in die Welt der High Fashion geführt, wo sie mit Comme des Garçons, Givenchy und Byredo zusammenarbeiten.

“sitting in the terminal at Barcelona airport, health safety warnings echo through empty architecture. feeling slow, and fast, out of sync with rituals and routines. structure and rhythm disintegrate into micro gestures appearing in random order, a daily psychedelia... amid all of the chaos and distraction in the last few years, it’s only through letting go that I've found solid ground to stand on.”

These are some of the experiences and reflections that gave shape to Slipstream, a hallucinatory mini-album by the artist PVAS and the fourth release on Objekt's label, Kapsela. Slipstream is an aural document of PVAS's interior life, conceived not as a grab-bag of DJ-friendly tracks (although it’s clearly inspired by the club) but as a single, delicately crafted artistic statement. The entire record is shrouded in a flickering haze, worn through by smudged breakbeats and wiry drum machines. “Wetland”, with its swampy percussion and crystalline arps, echoes T++ and Kraftwerk. The radiant incandescence of “Gathering Drift” recalls GAS or Monolake's “Hong Kong.” Sampled breakbeats dip and swerve asymmetrically through “Boba” and “Terminal”. Across the record, textures and voices are reshaped by PVAS's homemade algo-software, UMT, which, in PVAS’ own words, “reconstructs one audio file by sampling another, resulting in output that merges their aesthetic qualities, creating rhythm with non-rhythmic sound files and abusing the stereo field.” But the most striking union of technology and poetic self-exploration comes at the end of the record, in the title track, from words murmured through a classic vocoder:



“when i stop framing myself as a boundaried stone

immovable, and powerful, and heavy

when i stop figuring my deepest space as my own

something which i am solely responsible

i surrender, i surrender”



PVAS is Jordan Juras, a Berlin-based artist who grew up outside of Windsor, Ontario. He has released solo EPs on Isla and xpq?, and is half the duo NUG (3XL, West Mineral Ltd.). In addition to developing music software professionally, he has used his UMT software on records by Lyra Pramuk and Dylan Kerr. Slipstream was recorded from 2022 to 2025.

Written and produced by PVAS

Mixed by TJ Hertz

Mastered by Anne Taegert at D&M

Artwork and design by Brodie Kaman

Repress!

200 COPIES ONLY

Nils Frahm has unexpectedly confirmed details of a new collection of solo piano music, his first album since 2022’s three-hour Music For Animals. Day will be released by LEITER on March 1st, 2024, and it will be available on limited edition vinyl as well as via all digital platforms. Recorded in the summer of 2022 in complete solitude and away from his studio at Berlin’s famed Funkhaus complex, it is preceded by a single, ‘Butter Notes’, out on January 19. Day may come as a surprise to those who, over the last decade, have watched Frahm shift slowly away from the piano compositions with which he first made his name in favour of a nonetheless still-distinctive approach that’s considerably more instrumentally complex and intricately arranged. In addition, in 2021, having spent the early part of the pandemic arranging his archives, he released the 80 minute, 23-track Old Friends New Friends, a compilation of previously unreleased piano music intended to enable him to ”start over” with a clean slate. Judging from the extended, ambient nature of Music For Animals, it proved a successful gambit, but Frahm has never been able to resist returning to his first love, and those who enjoyed earlier acclaimed albums like The Bells, Felt and Screws will once again revel in Day’s familiar, personal style. Day, which contains six tracks, three over the six-minute mark, is the first in a pair of albums Frahm has lined up for 2024. In keeping with their nature, however, he won’t be making a song and dance about the release. Instead, he’ll resume his ongoing world tour, which has already included fifteen sold-out dates at Berlin’s Funkhaus as well as a show at Athen’s Acropolis. It will continue with shows all over the world, among them several sold-out dates at London’s Barbican in July 2024, where he previously curated a weekend of music, film and art, Possibly Colliding, in 2016. The album is best enjoyed in the manner in which it was recorded, in the intimacy of a peaceful, cosy room. There are muffled pedal creaks on the cyclical, quietly jazzy ‘You Name It’ and, during the palliative ripples of ‘Butter Notes’’ arpeggios, the sound of dogs barking in the streets outside. The compassionate, hesitant ‘Tuesdays’ and emotionally ambiguous ‘Towards Zero’ linger with the poignant persistence of Harold Budd’s earliest work, while ‘Hands On’ is a sometimes brighter, airier tune that sets its own, deliberate pace, and, as he has on occasions before, ‘Changes’ sees Frahm employing elements of his instrument’s construction in a ‘prepared piano’ fashion. Characterised by its confidential mood, Day confirms that, while Frahm is arguably now best known for elaborate, celebratory concerts calling upon an arsenal of pianos, organs, keyboards, synths, even a glass harmonica, he’s still a prolific master of affecting simplicity, tenderness and romance.