Originally released in 1997, this 4 track EP is generally regarded as one of TYREE's best on DANCE MANIA. Reissued here for the first time, featuring iconic tracks like "GIRLZ WITH BIG BOOTYZ," and "KAN I GIT HIGH." After years of crazy prices on the secondhand market, here's your chance.
With their profound take on electronic music, Animistic Beliefs have steadily solidified their spot in the global underground. Influenced by cultural concepts such as ancestry, animism and mythology, as well as the languages of political techno, punk, bubbling and IDM, Linh Luu and Marvin Lalihatu consistently translate their visions into sensitive productions as well as high-octane live performances. On MERDEKA, the artists explore and embrace their cultural heritage in all of its pride, pain and complexity. It symbolizes Animistic Beliefs' breaking free, coming to terms with their changing selves and letting go of external expectations. The record rethinks childhood memories, confronts the generational trauma left by (post-)colonialism, and re-connects Linh and Marvin â?? respectively of Vietnamese-Chinese and Dutch-Moluccan descent â?? with their formative cultures. MERDEKA marks their first step in an overall departure from western club music. For its layered sound, Animistic Beliefs once again draw from the past, present and future of global club music, creating a sonic space where fast techno, warped breakbeats and ambient soundscapes make way for the augmented influence of (Southeast Asian) tribal music. The record incorporates Indonesian scales and recordings of the Tahuri (a wind instrument made out of a conch shell), Totobuang (Gamelan-like gongs) and Tifa drums, known as â??the Moluccan heartbeatâ??. In true Animistic Beliefs fashion, MERDEKA will set fire to sweltering clubs and (sleepless) dreams. Yet, for the artists, it is essential to amplify the stories that spark that flame and keep it burning. The release of MERDEKA follows CACHE/SPIRIT, their ongoing collaboration with visual artist Jeisson Drenth, which extensively explores the artistsâ?? intersectional identities. As such, the latest album is the next step within a bigger, introspective investigation. More unapologetic than ever, MERDEKA embodies a turning point on Animistic Beliefsâ?? ongoing journey towards self-acceptance â?? fuelled by the sound of urgency.
Story Of Collapsed Dimention unfold in 4 tracks multi-genres musical accompaniment and 12 frame comics, as artwork. The EP symbolizes a journey of personal transformation, the courage to confront the unknown and fight against circumstances and suffering. In order to become something new, we need to give up what we are now.
The tracks span across various styles, including funky house with a live-band feel, featuring infectious rhythms and vibrant instrumentation. There is a breakbeat track infused with a groovy bassline seized from NBA Live 95 on Sega Genesis, accompanied by turntablism hard drops and scratchy sounds that add an edgy and gritty vibe.
B-side explores psychedelic frequency modulations of polyharmonic intertwined with jungle-oriented breaks, creating a mesmerizing fusion of intricate melodies and rhythmic complexity. Finally, the EP concludes with an electro banger that has been accidentally reinvented with its captivating energy and a profound message.
Overall, the EP showcases a diverse and dynamic musical journey through these genres, offering a rich and immersive listening experience or valuable universal DJ-tool.
The artwork features hand-drawn comics by the talented artist Larisa Shalyapina, script and production by CDA.
The unique texture, blurriness, and overall quality of the illustration are meticulously preserved through a process of manual assembly and duplication, resulting in a visually captivating and tactile experience.
Used gear: Roland MC-808, Roland MC-505, Moog Subphatty, Waldorf Wave XT, MAM33, Volca FM, Volca Bass, Tascam Midistudio 644, Jomox t-resonator II, Boss Digital Delay, Teletron SAQ-206B Amp, KME Sound GBA 80 Bassbox, Culture vulture distortion, Distress compressors. DAW Ableton.
conceptualization:
Tracks are written during frequent relocations, capturing experienced moments and raw emotions. As the physical changes in our living environment are comparable to the collisions and evolving paths within the domain of knowledge reflected in the trials of spiritual awakening.
In Berlin, a city of expats, it has a special relevance to people who came here to find themselves. It also resonates with those who have been brought here by circumstances.
Record id released with all Ukrainian brothers and sisters in heart.
While we find comfort in our safe spaces, it is inevitable that some stress will eventually provoke us to take action. We may long for that period of comfort and feel a sense of anger or sadness for what once was. Once the truth is revealed, much like the unveiling of light, there is no turning back — a path to enlightenment shall be accepted.
Within the EP, each track serves as a chapter for this path.
A1
First track encapsulates escapism by chasing a feel-good sense in the run from responsibilities into fantasy-land. In the moment of careless life in careless time, where the future is sacrificed in the name of immediate pleasure.
A2
Robotboy incorporates a superficial state of mind with a reactive personality rooted in a narcissistic ego, dishonestly denying the righteous path. Subconscious struggle from hedonistic lifestyle with no relief.
B1
A deeply intimate and personal, embodied introspective sentiment kept hidden from the world, revealing when we’re alone and usually stifled with distraction and entertainment. Nostalgic feeling of loss follows us during the abandonment of a beloved place. Overwhelming weight of regret in presents.
B2
Taking action of the first step makes us unstoppable and disclosure of knowledge leads to destruction of the illusory world. Finding out the truth, same as seeing the light, excludes the retreat into darkness. As comprehension is the way to enlightenment.
On Natura Morta, Sven Wunder is exploring art as a bridge between nature and the human ability to judge and observe in eleven musical compositions with brightly colored textures and an emphasis on vibrant melodies.
Throughout human history, we have depicted the world we live in through art. By reworking what we see in the world, the simplest things have helped us understand the beauty of nature and to evaluate the material world that we have created around us, as a window to a constantly changing reality, through our own perception. It is that absolute reality that appears in the seam of human and nature and that can be revealed through art.
Still life painting, also referred to as Natura Morta (”dead nature”) in Italian, stretches back to ancient times. Some of the earliest works, found in Pompeii, depict commonplace objects such as fresh autumn fruits alongside man-made objects such as a small amphora and a small terracotta heap with dried fruits. These two-thousand-year-old paintings give a snapshot of Roman life, and also creates a link to time and space. A slice of life has been created by binding the earth’s pigments with extracts of oil, made from nuts and seeds, painted with brushes, made from a variety of fibers, such as trees and hair from animals. While life wanes with each brushstroke, by shifting reality into the past, art exists to make us come alive, being a living image of a dead thing, a surface and a symbol with symbolic powers of its own. Still life works celebrate material and ephemeral pleasures by returning to nature as the ultimate source for our standards in art as well as in life itself.
Natura Morta collects pieces from a continuous variety of melodies — supported by a decisive rhythm section — creating a musical kaleidoscope of ever-changing colors. Sven Wunder brings life into this rich assortment of musical implications by fusing and combining melodic instruments with each other in a setting that spans from a classical to a modern idiom. The author evokes this panoramic portrait by articulating an instrumental dialog between a chamber orchestra and a jazz ensemble. The result is a musical celebration of material pleasures that also serves as a reminder of the brevity of human life. This album was produced with financial support from the Swedish Arts Council.
Impulse’ was a band of Milwaukee, Wisconsin musicians whose members included Michael Reese (Rhodes Piano and background vocals), Cedrick Rupert (Lead and Rhythm guitar), Jeffrey Williamson (Drums and background vocals) and Robin Gregory (Bass and background vocals). They would become a group in their own right with the eventual addition of another local artist John Gee, who joined them as their lead singer. The Impulse musicians formed the backing/touring band for another Milwaukee outfit, a vocal quartet, The Quadraphonics who recorded the solitary 45 single “Betcha If You Check It Out/Prove My Love To You” for the Carl Davis/E. Rodney Jones owned ‘Innovation II’ Record label during 1974. This release would later be nationally distributed by the major Warner Brothers label. With import copies of “Innovation II” single finding their way into the UK the record became popular with the devotees of Blackpool Mecca’s Highland Room.
During 1976 the members of Impulse migrated to Oakland California, they had hoped that, The ‘Quadraphonics’ would join them but instead The Quadraphonics chose to remain in Milwaukee and eventually broke up. It was fellow Brewtown producer/recording artist Harvey Scales who was responsible for inviting ‘Impulse’ to the west coast. Under the auspice of Scales, Impulse recorded their self-titled debut album project at Wally Heider’s Studio in San Francisco. The album was initially offered to Casablanca Records but no firm interest was to materialise, a subsequent approach to Jerry “The Ice Man” Butlers newly formed Chicago label, Fountain Records again failed to secure a release of the album, sadly leaving the project unreleased in the can. In the ensuing years, the former group members have continued with their respective careers, the late John Gee embarked on a solo career, recording the 1980 release “Not Enough Love Makin’/ you Are That Man (Why Don’t You Be That Man)” for Leroy Smith’s Oakland C.A, Pashlo label followed by his 1985 modern favourite “So Good To Me/Just Get On” recorded under the artist name of Jon Pierre Gee on his own newly formed Kandi Inc, Record label. Later Kandi projects included the 1995 Jon Pierre Gee & Touch album and the 2005 Ah’VantSoul cd album project, which featured Jon’s business and real-life partner, Kathryn Hannemann (a.k.a the performing artist Kat Webb).Throughout all the aforementioned projects Jon continued to use and enjoy performing with his former fellow ‘Impulse’ musicians of which the two surviving members Robin Gregory and Michael Reese can still be found jamming to this day in the renowned Milwaukee Restaurant/Coffee House by the name of ‘Coffee Makes You Black’. Sadly, drummer Jeffrey Williamson passed away during 2015 with Coley Jackson coming in to pick up the sticks! Lead and Rhythm guitarist Cedrick Rupert left the group in the 1970’s moving to Lake Charles, LA, sadly, he too passed away in 2020.
The Impulse album project having lain dormant since the 1970’s was resurrected during 2018 when Jon Pierre Gee in conjunction with Stephen Chin of Nice Choice Records (USA) and Soul Junction Records (UK) breathed new life into the project. Beginning with the release of the first of two ‘Impulse’ 45 singles on Jon’s Kandi imprint. Firstly “What’s that Sound/You Changed Me” followed in 2020 by a second 45 “I Really Love You/Get The Funk Off my Back” with all four soul and funk tracks receiving worldwide acclaim. Initial plans for the release of the whole album project had been set in place but we’re unfortunately brought to an unexpected halt with the passing of Jon Pierre in November 2020.
Undetered Soul Junction have finally been able to bring this amazing ‘Impulse’ project to life as a limited vinyl press I’m sure once heard, the old adage of “Good Things Come To Those Who Wait” will certainly ring true, enjoy.
Croatian Amor returns with “A Part of You in Everything” a companion piece to last year’s “Remember Rainbow Bridge”.
“My younger brother died at birth and I never had a chance to meet him. Growing up he was my ghost friend, someone told me he lived in the stars which I accepted. I had not paid attention to him for many years but when I was making "Remember Rainbow Bridge” and waiting for my son to come into the world he suddenly appeared again. I partly dedicated Remember Rainbow Bridge to him, but I knew that it wasn’t his record, so I thought I should make one just for him and here it is; “A Part of You in Everything”, 8 songs about being human on Earth. I think it’s music which is best listened to at night out under the stars. Thank you to all my friends who helped making it!”
Upon what instrument are we two spanned?
And what musician holds us in his hand?
- Rilke
Mindgames is a new Samurai Music affiliated label aiming to capture the essence of the sound that magnetised label head Presha into Jungle/Drum and Bass in the mid 90’s. Experiencing this musical development as it happened lit a flame of passion and drive that forged a focused musical path that continues unabated today.
94/95 were pivotal years for Jungle with new approaches to production and musical shades that shaped how the music progressed. Light and Dark musical hues were working side by side more frequently in these years as the music found its way, and Mindgames will reflect this.
With the resurgence of artists absorbing this sound and creating updated versions with added production finesse, Mindgames mission is to enlist current-day producers who have successfully captured and reimagined the vibe and feel of these years into new forms that underline the foundation of our sound.
The third album of the amazing dub duo NORMAL BIAS, consisting of YAC (Piotr Krupiński) and 77 (Tomasz Karczewski). "LP3" is a kind of closure to the trilogy started in 2016. By inviting Dariusz Dudziński (drummer of the legendary Polish indie band Ewa Braun, currently Titanic Sea Moon) to participate in the recordings, the Normal Bias musicians create a symbolic loop centered on the hometown of all three artists - Słupsk - the place where it all began, where Tomek and Darek years ago they shared their bands' rehearsal space in the famous "independent garage" - a city whose spirit naturally became the leitmotif of the entire "LP3".
The album was mixed again by the duo themselves under the reliable supervision of Kwazar, and the mastering (including cutting the lacquer!) was entrusted to Stefan Betke - co-founder of the famouse ~scape label from Berlin, which can also be treated as a symbol. The graphics based on Martiszu's design were completed by a Znajomy Grafik.
Originally released on the seminal self-titled Nucleus Roots album at the turn of the millennium, Under De Kitchen is finally getting a well-deserved vinyl pressing with new dubs and remixes!
Vocals come courtesy of Manchester's Des Nia Lashimba, accompanied by Moses, Dub Dadda and Maria
Bristol's Sasha Steppa steps up on remix duties with her debut production, elevating the track even further with her trademark high-energy peak-time stepper style
Normandy via Glasgow dubber Stalawa strips everything back for his futuristic interpretation, channeling plenty of Rhythm & Sound inspiration
As usual, Dub Junction isn't doing things by halves, with three separate records being pressed to house all six mixes, all with their own unique two-colour marbled effect.
"This is an album to treasure - it'll surprise you at every turn" Joel McIver (Record
Collector) One of the most influential bands to emerge from the UK's festival
scene, the Ozrics layer ambient & ethereal landscapes with freeform dub trips,
incredible rave grooves & psychedelic progressive rock. It's an open exploration
of music & the soul. For over 30 years, the Ozrics have experienced the
vicissitudes of the rock & roll life. The band has flourished through a number of
line- up changes, spawned several side projects, created their own record label,
scored a hit record & sold over a million albums world-wide. And yet, the basic
motivation behind the band's existence has never wavered.Their signature blend
of hippy aesthetics & raver electronics with spiraling guitars, textured waves of
keyboard & midi samplers & super- groovy bass & drum rhythms continue to
delight fans across the world to this day.Originally released in September 1999,
'Waterfall Cities' was a giant leap forward for the band, taking a more obvious
step into electronica, whilst still managing to retain their unique sound. An
explosion of keyboards, acid squelches & blistering guitar passages, the musical
& technical brilliance of the Ozrics comes to the fore in strange & unexpected
ways on this album.'Waterfall Cities' - Remastered by Ed Wynne & available on
Double LP via Kscope.
WHITE COLOURED VINYL[31,89 €]
Bullet Train is the 2022 American action-comedy film by the Deadpool 2-director David Leitch and is based on the 2010 novel Maria Beetle, written by Kōtarō Isaka. In Bullet Train, Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug's latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe - all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives - on the world's fastest train...and he's got to figure out how to get off.
The film features a number of original tracks. Most notably, the film contains Japanese language covers of "Stayin' Alive" by Bee Gees and "Holding Out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler. Composer Dominic Lewis noted that the film's soundtrack represents "all vibe and no technique".
For the first time, the soundtrack for Bullet Train is available on vinyl and comes in different editions, all based on the characters in the movie. All editions include a 4-page booklet, but each edition contains an exclusive Bullet Train boarding pass with corresponding picture of the character. This is the limited edition on Lemon coloured vinyl.
a A1. アヴちゃん (AVU-CHAN QUEEN BEE) - STAYIN' ALIVE
[a] A1. アヴちゃん (AVU-CHAN [QUEEN BEE]) - STAYIN' ALIVE
Change Everything is an apposite title for this album, the first since Waking
Hours, their breakthrough record which had appeared in 1989. Starting off as a
janglesome Scottish indie group, Del Amitri had developed into a west- coast
influenced leftfield pop act, and now with the wind of success in their hair (after
the protracted build of Waking Hours), the group – Justin Currie, Iain Harvie,
David Cummings, Andy Alston and Brian McDermott – paired up with producer Gil
Norton and crafted a handsome rock album to capitalise on their success.
It's a varied, expansive selection. Ballads are represented by the delightful First
Rule Of Love and Be My Downfall, but it is the uptempo numbers that shine,
typified by Change Everything's lead single, Always The Last To Know, a No 11 hit
in the UK and a No 30 stateside. All 12 tracks emphasise just how important Del
Amitri were to 'the other 90s': straightforward, intelligent music, away from the
headline fads
Shed Seven will return with their first album in more than six years. For "A Matter of Time", Shed Seven"s core members - vocalist Rick Witter, guitarist Paul Banks and bassist Tom Gladwin - reconnected with the classic albums that first inspired them to form a band. The resulting record sparkles with the liberated exuberance and full-throttle rock "n" roll attitude of a group who are making music for the sheer joy of expressing themselves and performing together. While the album broadens the Shed Seven sonic palette a touch, it"s full of the towering, arms-in-the-air anthems and yearning melancholia that fans have come to love them for. The trio enlisted a new line-up for the album, calling upon drummer Rob "Maxi" Maxfield (Audioweb) and keyboardist Tim Willis (Ian Brown). The album was produced by the Grammy Award-winning Youth (The Verve, Pink Floyd) at El Mirador Studios in Andalucia, Spain, before being completed by leading mixer Cenzo Townshend (Florence + The Machine, Inhaler). "A Matter of Time" flows from adrenalised punky power-pop right through to epic slow-burners, complete with some special guests: Happy Mondays" legend Rowetta contributing fervent gospel vocals to "In Ecstasy", Laura McClure of Reverend & The Makers on the folky-pop of "Tripping With You" and Peter Doherty, who duets with Witter on the dramatic closer "Throwaways". Shed Seven emerged as one of the big hitters during the heyday of Britpop, their catalogue of classic singles leading to seven Top 20 hits including "Going For Gold", "Chasing Rainbows", "Disco Down" and "On Standby" as well as four Top 10 albums. Their popularity has continued since reforming in 2007, with 2017"s "Instant Pleasures" album debuting at #8 - their highest-charting record in eighteen years. 2024 will mark 30 years since Shed Seven"s debut, Change Giver, and A Matter Of Time demonstrates that the band are at the very top of their game and the journey is far from nearing its end.
The eyes cannot see without varying the perception.
Thought dwells over rapid, constant change.
There is no moment in which any power of the soul remains the same; senses and faculties in their nature instinctively stimulate the alteration of the state.
No simplicity at any given time, nor identity at different times.
Distinct scenes make their appearance, pass and repass, slip and mix with an infinite variety of attitudes and situations: the mind opens the curtain, becoming theatre.
The debut release from MINING, a collective of sound designers, programmers, improvisational musicians, graphic designers and photographers. Graphic designer Oli Bentley and generative artist Sock Baeus Redding took the storm data used in the composition of the music to produce an edition of limited double vinyl LPs and CDs. Chimetis a record to lose yourself in. Like the sea itself, it doesn"t give up its secrets easily. The listening experience seems to change dependingon yourstate of mind, and resonates on a primal level which belies its data led compositional approach. For generations, artists and musicians have been drawn to the sea for their inspiration. That emotional response to the vastness of the ocean is a powerful force. While the origins of Chimetlie in the numbers, theresultant record sits proudly in that artistic tradition. Music to watch the horizon to.
When Leo Pesci submitted his outstanding nujazz LP, ‘Impolite’ to Jo at Ramrock Records, there was absolutely no hesitation in saying ‘yes please’ to his refreshing, contemporary collection of tracks which aim to transcend the limitations of genre and speak out on matters that are unpalatable and difficult to swallow. Leo addresses current global issues such as politics and corruption, climate change and overpopulation, capitalism and the misery it brings to society, but also toxic masculinity and relationships.
This is Leo’s first new release since his highly acclaimed EP ‘Community’ in 2021, which featured well-known artists of the London jazz scene like Jas Kayser, Ella Knight, Nicola Guida, Johnny Woodham, Simon JNR and Dani Diodato amongst others. ‘Impolite’ continues
to steer the listener through Jazz, HipHop, Soul, Alternative R&B and Rap with some exceptional collaborations featuring 15 different jazz/hip hop artists including Jackson Mathod, Moeazy, John Swana, Dylan Jones, Jay Phelps and Tendayi to name but a few.
On January 23, 2020, North Carolina-based Watchhouse —Emily Frantz (fiddle/vocals) and Andrew Marlin (mandolin/vocals)— known at the time as Mandolin Orange, took the stage at one of Austin’s most prominent venues, Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater, in support of their sixth album, Tides of a Teardrop.
Formed in Chapel Hill, NC, in 2009, Watchhouse has released six albums of original American roots music. Signing with Yep Roc Records in 2013, they released four critically acclaimed albums—This Side of Jordan, Such Jubliee, Blindfaller, and Tides of a Teardrop. In the last several years, they have toured the United States and Europe, performing at Austin City Limits, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Newport Folk Festival, Pickathon, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and Merlefest, among others.
In 2021, the duo changed their name from Mandolin Orange to Watchhouse, of which Marlin noted, “Mandolin Orange was born out of my 21-year-old mind. The name isn’t what I strive for when I write” and that Watchhouse is a name that reflects their true intentions as a band.
Austin City Limits Live At The Moody Theater by Watchhouse, released 12 January 2024.
This version of Austin City Limits Live At The Moody Theater comes as a 2xLP in a(n) Gatefold Sleeve packaging.
The vinyl is pressed as a transparent, smoke disc. Another vinyl is pressed as a transparent, smoke disc.
In the 1970s, Robert Cahen turned to the burgeoning field of video art, where he became a pioneering artist. He was originally trained in musique concrète, his creative background, and joined the Groupe de Recherches Musicales in 1972. The pieces on this record were composed in the GRM studios between 1971 and 1974. They testify to a lively inspiration and imagination combined with a precocious formal mastery that already carries the seeds of later developments, which the artist cleverly and inventively deployed in the field of visual arts. (François Bonnet, Paris, 2022)
--
«La nef des fous» (1974), 12’00
There are pieces of music whose title is obviously a mere label given afterwards to a finished product. And others, on the contrary, which develop in spiral around a bundle of images and impressions condensed into a few words. This is the case indeed with La nef des fous. However, this work by Robert Cahen oddly wraps itself around its title, with bends, breaks, and an impetus driven further every time to close a new circle, for such is the very essence of the spiral. This, at least, is the way I perceive the form of the work, with its theme-chorus which, in part one, both ponctuates and disrupts the emerging musical curve in various ways and at irregular intervals, as well as its broader and more open second part, which closes with a recollection of the beginning of the work. The challenge of a musical form justified by the topic it illustrates, right down to its gaps, its wanderings and its twists, and which would confer upon it the necessity of a profound logic, that of insanity, is the challenge attempted by Robert Cahen. In such a genre as tape music, so careful with respect to form, one can appreciate its audacity. La nef des fous, or Unity through heterogeneity, or Each to their own madness, but all in the same boat. This means that if we can listen to each of these sound characters, “broken chants”, which create the work for themselves, through the singularity of their delirium, we can also, from one to the other, trace the continuous chanting of a music that is inherently and spontaneously poetic, a music that carries “the unconscious under its skin” (Christiane Sacco). (Michel Chion, January 1976)
«Masques 2» (1973), 08’34
Concert version (for tape only) of an audiovisual work entitled Masques, in which the faces of old dolls and «masks», filmed during the Basel Carnival, were projected in 16mm. Masques 2 is a metaphorical version of Masques in which music is featured in its arcane musicality.
Through its concrete and suggestive music Masques 2 aims to bring to light hidden memories, buried within us, thus enabling an awakening, the resurgence of events from our own history. (R. C.)
«Plurielles» (1971), 08’35
Premiered at the Paris Biennale, 24 September 1971. Suite based on the score of a TV film directed by Sophie Talmon.
«Persona» (1971), 08’34
Premiered at the Paris Biennale, 24 September 1971.
«Passé composé» (1971), 05’29
The third album of the amazing dub duo NORMAL BIAS, consisting of YAC (Piotr Krupiński) and 77 (Tomasz Karczewski). "LP3" is a kind of closure to the trilogy started in 2016. By inviting Dariusz Dudziński (drummer of the legendary Polish indie band Ewa Braun, currently Titanic Sea Moon) to participate in the recordings, the Normal Bias musicians create a symbolic loop centered on the hometown of all three artists - Słupsk - the place where it all began, where Tomek and Darek years ago they shared their bands' rehearsal space in the famous "independent garage" - a city whose spirit naturally became the leitmotif of the entire "LP3".
The album was mixed again by the duo themselves under the reliable supervision of Kwazar, and the mastering (including cutting the lacquer!) was entrusted to Stefan Betke - co-founder of the famouse ~scape label from Berlin, which can also be treated as a symbol. The graphics based on Martiszu's design were completed by a Znajomy Grafik.
Alpha Omega is the third album by New York hardcore legends Cro-Mags, originally released in 1992. The album gave us "The Other Side of Madness," arguably one of the band's most well-known songs beyond its dedicated following. Alpha Omega is a piece of hardcore history that every fan must own!
Das wegweisende Album "Calculating Infinity" etablierte DEP als eine der bahnbrechendsten und einflussreichsten Bands der letzten 25 Jahre.
Limitierte Vinylauflage in Orange, Silver, Black with Splatter!
Die Zeit ist gekommen für ein neues Scanner Album nach fast einem Jahrzehnt. Wie es die bisherige Diksographie fast zwingend verlangt, ist "The Cosmic Race" ein Konzeptalbum geworden: Das Überleben auf der Erde ist immer schwieriger geworden, Naturkatastrophen häufen sich und militärische Konflikte haben ihren Höhepunkt erreicht, große Teile der Kontinente sind nuklear verseucht. Das Leben konzentriert sich auf wenige Großstädte, und die Enge und die Hitze in ihnen ist unerträglich geworden. Der Scanner (eine Mischung aus Mensch und Androide), holt einen Teil der Menschen, um sie zu einem bewohnbaren Planeten namens Terrion in einer anderen Galaxie zu bringen. Die lange Reise endet erfolgreich. Aber auch in der neuen Welt müssen sich die Menschen gegen Aliens und Invasoren von anderen zivilisierten Planeten wehren und fangen wieder von vorne an. Sie wollen ihre zweite Chance nutzen und es besser machen als auf der Erde. Da es aber auch Zweifler und Abtrünnige unter ihnen gibt, die sich der neuen Gemeinschaft widersetzen, hat der Scanner ein System entwickelt, das diese Abtrünnigen in ihren nächtlichen Traumphasen identifizieren kann. Sie finden sich in einer Twilight Zone wieder. Sie werden schließlich in Trance an riesigen Totempfählen festgezurrt, in der Traum und Wirklichkeit gegeneinander kämpfen, bis sie gereinigt werden.
Die Zeit ist gekommen für ein neues Scanner Album nach fast einem Jahrzehnt. Wie es die bisherige Diksographie fast zwingend verlangt, ist "The Cosmic Race" ein Konzeptalbum geworden: Das Überleben auf der Erde ist immer schwieriger geworden, Naturkatastrophen häufen sich und militärische Konflikte haben ihren Höhepunkt erreicht, große Teile der Kontinente sind nuklear verseucht. Das Leben konzentriert sich auf wenige Großstädte, und die Enge und die Hitze in ihnen ist unerträglich geworden. Der Scanner (eine Mischung aus Mensch und Androide), holt einen Teil der Menschen, um sie zu einem bewohnbaren Planeten namens Terrion in einer anderen Galaxie zu bringen. Die lange Reise endet erfolgreich. Aber auch in der neuen Welt müssen sich die Menschen gegen Aliens und Invasoren von anderen zivilisierten Planeten wehren und fangen wieder von vorne an. Sie wollen ihre zweite Chance nutzen und es besser machen als auf der Erde. Da es aber auch Zweifler und Abtrünnige unter ihnen gibt, die sich der neuen Gemeinschaft widersetzen, hat der Scanner ein System entwickelt, das diese Abtrünnigen in ihren nächtlichen Traumphasen identifizieren kann. Sie finden sich in einer Twilight Zone wieder. Sie werden schließlich in Trance an riesigen Totempfählen festgezurrt, in der Traum und Wirklichkeit gegeneinander kämpfen, bis sie gereinigt werden.
Die Zeit ist gekommen für ein neues Scanner Album nach fast einem Jahrzehnt. Wie es die bisherige Diksographie fast zwingend verlangt, ist "The Cosmic Race" ein Konzeptalbum geworden: Das Überleben auf der Erde ist immer schwieriger geworden, Naturkatastrophen häufen sich und militärische Konflikte haben ihren Höhepunkt erreicht, große Teile der Kontinente sind nuklear verseucht. Das Leben konzentriert sich auf wenige Großstädte, und die Enge und die Hitze in ihnen ist unerträglich geworden. Der Scanner (eine Mischung aus Mensch und Androide), holt einen Teil der Menschen, um sie zu einem bewohnbaren Planeten namens Terrion in einer anderen Galaxie zu bringen. Die lange Reise endet erfolgreich. Aber auch in der neuen Welt müssen sich die Menschen gegen Aliens und Invasoren von anderen zivilisierten Planeten wehren und fangen wieder von vorne an. Sie wollen ihre zweite Chance nutzen und es besser machen als auf der Erde. Da es aber auch Zweifler und Abtrünnige unter ihnen gibt, die sich der neuen Gemeinschaft widersetzen, hat der Scanner ein System entwickelt, das diese Abtrünnigen in ihren nächtlichen Traumphasen identifizieren kann. Sie finden sich in einer Twilight Zone wieder. Sie werden schließlich in Trance an riesigen Totempfählen festgezurrt, in der Traum und Wirklichkeit gegeneinander kämpfen, bis sie gereinigt werden.
EP compilation of essential UK house cuts recorded between 1987 - 1990. TIP!
Before British house and techno found its’ distinctive groove at the turn of the 1990s, one act led the way: Bang The Party, a trio who emerged from London’s vibrant underground party scene in the mid 1980s and proved, beyond any doubt, that UK producers could make music every bit as magical as the pioneering productions put forward by their counterparts in Chicago, Detroit and New York.
By the time long-running DJs and party promoters Kid Batchelor and Leslie Lawrence joined forces with trained engineer Keith Franklin at legendary North-West London reggae studio Addis Ababa in 1987, they’d spent years as DIY dance music activists in Britain’s capital city. They channelled these experiences and their love of imported house and techno sounds into a new project, Bang The Party, in the process becoming the first British act to appear on Transmat, a reflection of the quality and authenticity of their music.
The latest Rush Hour Reissue Series release offers a snapshot of some of the numerous gems nestled in the Bang The Party catalogue, delivering a much-deserved celebration of one of Britain’s most significant early acid house collectives. It features four fully remastered cuts recorded and released between 1987 and 1990 – on-point and far-sighted club workouts that sound as fresh and timeless now as they did when Britain was sweltering under its infamous ‘second summer of love’.
Fittingly, the EP begins with ‘I Feel Good All Over’, the group’s ground-breaking debut single. Dedicated to their home city and one of the earliest UK interpretations of house music, the track exists in the grey area between Chicago house and New York ‘garage house’ – all jaunty organ stabs, jacking Windy City beats, restless bass and soulful vocalizations. ‘Jacques Theme’, which follows, originally nestled on the B-side of that single release. An early, acid-flecked expression of hip-house with a British twist, breakdance-friendly bongo patterns and a dose of Larry Heard-inspired deep house dreaminess, the track remains an under-appreciated classic whose rap verses reflect the popularity of hip-hop in London at the time.
1988’s ‘Release Your Body’, Bang The Party’s most celebrated early release, was reissued in the United States by Transmat, reflecting the strong working relationship between Derrick May and Kool Kat Records’ Neil Rushton. A hypnotising affair propelled forwards by sweat-soaked drum machine beats, jacking fills and an addictive bassline, the track offers another near perfect distillation of the band’s Black American musical influences while delivering something genuinely new and fresh.
Rounding off the EP is a choice cut from Bang The Party’s sought after 1990 album Back To Prison. Doused in the star-lit synth sounds of the Motor City with jaunty organ stabs inspired by the kind of New Jersey jams championed at East Orange institution Club Zanzibar, ‘Let It Rip’ is a superb slice of deep house soul featuring a lead vocal every bit as emotive as anything laid down by Robert Owens. Like the rest of Bang The Party’s output, it has stood the time better than anything laid down by their London contemporaries.
Detroit producer Apollo Brown has made a name for himself as one of Hip-Hop’s most legendary new producers while maintaining a golden era sound. His production credits are a who’s who of Hip-hop greats from Danny Brown to Ghostface Killah, Ras Kass to Westside Gunn. Even Chance the Rapper used a pair of Apollo beats on his debut mixtapes. Known for bringing the best out of musicians, Apollo has a knack for making timeless classics. Brooklyn’s Joell Ortiz started on none other than Dr. Dre’s Aftermath label and built a huge buzz in the industry. He’s worked with legends like Just Blaze among others. He then signed to Shady Records as ¼ of the supergroup Slaughterhouse. He’s worked with Hip-Hop titans Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss, Akon, and Big Daddy Kane. Now the pair of Hip-hop luminaries are celebrating the 5 year anniversary of their first collaborative album on Mello Music Group with a deluxe edition including 2 new songs. It’s nothing short of a masterpiece: Mona Lisa.
Seasoned UK producer, Darren Nye, is set to captivate listeners with his exciting new album, "Thoughts And Emotions," released on Deeptrax December 1st, 2023. The long-player delves deep into the realms of techno, harking back to the golden era of the 90s and channeling influences not just from Detroit, but also the electronic waves that emanated from the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
'Thoughts And Emotions' is a labor of love, where Nye masterfully explores and curates a rich collection of sounds, all bearing his distinct signature. Across twelve tracks, the listener is treated to an exceptional journey that encompasses bubbling electronica, down-tempo jazzy flourishes, and cosmic string-laden soundscapes. Darren’s socially conscious titles also add an extra layer of meaning to the listener's experience, creating a soothing and moving soundtrack that speaks to the soul.
Samosa Records quickly follows up the first volume of Afrikano treats with Volume 2; a veritable melting pot of Afro beats and rhythms packed in to an exceptional four tracker.
Kicking the EP off on the A-side is Vincent Galgo and J’ngolo. This hypnotic Afro sizzler takes full advantage of the effortless bass, congo beats, African horns and (subtle) funky guitar. Add the mesmerising chanting and you have a perfect ‘Bunny Chow’ of a tune that will tantalise the tastebuds for a long time after the music has stopped. Second helpings? Why not?
A2 unleashes ‘Zaire’ by the supremely talented Matalo! Dark and broody beats take centre stage with this one, as you’re slowly enveloped in a ritual you never knew you were part of but now you can’t help sway with the rest of the worshippers. ‘Zaire’ is one of those rare tracks that you feel could create fire if you let it. With sweeping synths, tribal chanting and a detached sense of being, this monster lives under your bed and waits for lights out. Beware!
On the B-side Leslie Lello ups the tempo with ‘Alcyone’. Solid, punchy bass, driving guitar and gorgeous piano riff and vocal combine with a synth lead you absolutely need in your life. The track morphs and transforms into a full-on (almost housey) stomper; nailing its tribal colours to the mast with intent. A real beast of a tune.
Closing this superbly diverse EP is label boss De Gama and ‘E.T.A’. You know De Gama doesn’t mess about. You know De Gama wants to hit you with all he has and with ‘E.T.A’ he unleashes his ‘inner Chief. Indigenous beats pound, roll and build up to a Ramkie guitar infused chorus that’s as joyful, uplifting and inspiring as the dawn itself. A genuine, incredible slice of Afrikano from a master of the genre.
Afrikano Vol. 2 proves once again that Samosa Records know this genre like no other label out there. If this isn’t in your record box on release day, then we simply can’t be friends.
#40 ON ROLLING STONE'S 500 GREATEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME: ANTICIPATES LATE 1960S TURBULENCE VIA PROPHETIC SONGS AND DARK THEMES
1/4" / 15 IPS analogue master to DSD 256 to analogue console to lathe
Any discussion about the finest psychedelic rock record ever recorded is incomplete if it doesn't grant consideration to Love's Forever Changes. Ranked by Rolling Stone as the 40th greatest album ever made, and named by Mojo the second-greatest psychedelic set in history, the effort is an internationally recognized seminal work of art. Transcending language and convention, its magnitude and magnificence need to be heard again and again. For here is an effort whose mind-boggling acoustic complexities and kaleidoscopic nuances are tailored for high-fidelity playback.
Nearly unlimited headroom, vast instrumental separation, transparent clarity, artifact-free atmospherics, and faithful balances appear out of jet-black backgrounds. Turn it up as loud as you want; the sole limitation will be your system's potential.
Commercially ignored upon release in November 1967, Forever Changes confronts the alienation, paranoia, violence, and strife that would soon plague the countercultural movement and send the Summer of Love into a tailspin. Apart from its lyrical themes and prescient malaise, the record's enduring nature equally owes to intertwined arrangements sewn together with Latin guitar-picked lines, finessed folk harmonies, mariachi-inspired horn charts, and subdued strings.
The seemingly opposing combination – ominous, dark reflections situated amidst lush, light melodic beds – affords Forever Changes a distinguished tension of claustrophobia and openness, dourness and ecstasy, ugliness and elegance enjoyed by no other record in the rock canon. Much of the contrast owes to leader Arthur Lee's mental state and pertinent observations. Lee, whose suppressed romanticism often surfaces even amidst the blackest shadows and most cynical moments, believed he would soon die, and hence channeled everything from lasting hopes to acid-addled decay to the chilling testimony of a Vietnam veteran in his narratives.
Alternatively sad and beautiful, the album-opening and flamenco-inspired "Alone Again Or" establishes the mood for what follows. Vocals overlap and soar; tempos rise and fall; surrealism trades places with reality.Forever Changes thrives both because of and in spite of a surfeit of labyrinthine chords and difficult notes that never repeat. Its ambitious construction almost forced the already fractured band to cede responsibilities to session musicians, which appear on two tracks. The quintet's resolve to not only complete the album, but to do so with such poignancy and curiosity, further enhances Forever Changes' standing.
No wonder that, in the twilight of his troubled career, Lee performed the record in its entirely during concerts met with overwhelming critical acclaim. It was, and will always be, a personal manifesto of timeless relevance and appeal.
The official new edition from this rare and great Afrobeat & Soukous masterpiece from Nigeria !
"Vibro Success Intercontinental Orchestra was an extraordinary group from the Central African Republic, founded by the sax player Rodolphe 'Beckers' Bekpa, also known as Master Békers, in the late 60's. The band achieved surprising domestic success after Beckers introduced the first drums to the Congolese Rumba rhythm. His innovation proved to be wildly popular so they were hired as the resident band of “ciel d’Afrique au Km5”, a night club in Bangui. The club was renowned as the temple of the Olympic Réal football team's fans and that visibility propelled them into becoming the official national orchestra.
1970 marked beginning of the band's international fame . Their fame spread beyond national borders until they became so popular that invitations began to arrive from nearby countries like Cameroon and Chad, the former of which the band would then tour that same year. The success of their performances prompted a further tour in 1972. According to Rodolphe Bépka, the audience enthusiasm Vibro encountered was bewildering. "We filled the old military stadium in Yaoundé in 1970, in 1972 the new Amadou Haïdjo stadium ... We are running with great success in the cities.” Their popularity was also growing in Chad, where they would tour several times through the early and mid 70's.
Towards the end of 1976, Vibro Success decided to take their music global and introduce Central African music to listeners worldwide. It worked. The turning point came in Nigeria. There the group achieved extraordinary success, with live performances followed by contracts with local labels like Scottie and Ben/Clover resulting in hit releases. Most of their LP's were originally released on this later label, Ben Limited, owned by Ben Okonkwo.
Ben, also known as Clover Sounds, brought a great number of the biggest bands from the country to market, bands like The Apostles, Akwassa,The Doves, Aktion, The Visitors, Mansion, Folk 77 and many others. Nearly all those groups started their recording careers in the label's studios based in the commercial heart of Aba, Abia State, one of Southeastern Nigeria’s largest cities. Aba at that time was a flourishing city, an important crossroads of people and culture with an intensive and active and cutting edge live music and nightlife.
But after that golden era the group began to lose its popularity. In the 1980's they returned to Bangui and resumed their old-time gigs in dance halls there - only to realize that their music didn't have the appeal it used to. Making matters worse, the domestic economic downturn accelerated, forcing the orchestra to slowly end its activities . Vibro Succès Intercontinental Orchestra disappeared at the end of the 80s and most of its members died in the 90s.
We discovered this LP during our first trip to Nigeria in 2016. While traveling in the east to meet up with a musician, we stopped for a night in a village. As often happens in Nigeria, information has a way of traveling fast. The news that a couple of white guys looking for records had arrived in the village the day before spread like light. When we awoke, we found a couple of elderly music lovers in the hall of our hotel with a little pile of records for sale. The nice cover of the “Drunkard” album was right on top!
At first we thought it was just another really good soukous album made by Vibro Success but after we heard “Drunkard” - we knew we had stumbled onto something very special. That was the “easy” part. Soon after, we had the idea of reissuing this LP and that was a bit harder. There were no credits on the cover and not much information about Vibro Succès. We started to ask to our friends to ask around, see if somebody knew them or the producer. That's when sadly we discovered that Ben Okonkwo had passed. So with no leads to follow and seemingly without any possibility of making progress on the matter, we "gave up" and returned to Italy.
A couple years later, in the summer of 2019, we found ourselves again in Aba. This time we had the chance to meet Nnamdi Okonkwo, the eldest son of the late Ben Okonkwo. After Nnamdi's mother and family agreed, he was glad to cooperate with us for the re-release of this special album."
In the 1950s Chicago was the blues capital of the world. But by 1966 musical tastes had changed. R & B had morphed into hard soul and newer soft soul musical stylings had coalesced from earlier doo wop motifs, with bigger and more sophisticated productions. This was the era of the small independent owners / producers, all vying for airplay and sales in a hugely competitive marketplace. This landmark LP showcases many of the best of this output – the sounds that hit music listeners and buyers straight from the street. The mix here is a perfect blend of the tough hard soul style and the softer soul sounds. Just right for the feet and the heart. Enjoy!
Orange LP[21,43 €]
Blue LP[17,23 €]
Black Vinyl[16,60 €]
Transparent Red Vinyl[20,80 €]
Transparent Red Vinyl[44,33 €]
Ornette Coleman's hugely influential 'The Shape Of Jazz To Come'
pressed on limited edition 180g premium orange vinyl.
'The Shape of Jazz to Come' was a watershed event in the genesis of avant-guard jazz. The record shattered traditional concepts of jazz harmony, disposing of both the piano player and the whole idea of concretely outlined chord changes. The album includes Coleman's classic tune 'Lonely Woman.'
"The element that pours out of this disc is creativity in strong, concentrated waves. Four of the half dozen Coleman originals in this collection grow out of bop roots, but Coleman hears other things, too. This is not easy music for the listener, but even at its most difficult it remains compelling." - John S. Wilson, DownBeat
Orange LP[21,43 €]
Blue LP[17,23 €]
Crystal Clear/Black Marble Vinyl[25,00 €]
Transparent Red Vinyl[20,80 €]
Transparent Red Vinyl[44,33 €]
Ornette Coleman's hugely influential 'The Shape Of Jazz To Come'
pressed on limited edition 180g premium orange vinyl.
'The Shape of Jazz to Come' was a watershed event in the genesis of avant-guard jazz. The record shattered traditional concepts of jazz harmony, disposing of both the piano player and the whole idea of concretely outlined chord changes. The album includes Coleman's classic tune 'Lonely Woman.'
"The element that pours out of this disc is creativity in strong, concentrated waves. Four of the half dozen Coleman originals in this collection grow out of bop roots, but Coleman hears other things, too. This is not easy music for the listener, but even at its most difficult it remains compelling." - John S. Wilson, DownBeat
Orange LP[21,43 €]
Blue LP[17,23 €]
Crystal Clear/Black Marble Vinyl[25,00 €]
Black Vinyl[16,60 €]
Transparent Red Vinyl[44,33 €]
Ornette Coleman's hugely influential 'The Shape Of Jazz To Come'
pressed on limited edition 180g premium orange vinyl.
'The Shape of Jazz to Come' was a watershed event in the genesis of avant-guard jazz. The record shattered traditional concepts of jazz harmony, disposing of both the piano player and the whole idea of concretely outlined chord changes. The album includes Coleman's classic tune 'Lonely Woman.'
"The element that pours out of this disc is creativity in strong, concentrated waves. Four of the half dozen Coleman originals in this collection grow out of bop roots, but Coleman hears other things, too. This is not easy music for the listener, but even at its most difficult it remains compelling." - John S. Wilson, DownBeat
1995's 100% Fun is the third leg of Matthew Sweet's Holy Trinity of Power Pop! Produced by Brendan O'Brien, it's a densely-layered production full of grinding guitars, heavy bass lines and BIG drum sounds.
Intervention's 19-track Expanded Edition 2x LP set is the defining presentation of this great album! While the original repertoire's 12 tracks are bigger and better than ever, the 7 Bonus Tracks are on their own 12" 45 RPM 180-gram LP!
100% Fun's album art was lovingly restored by Intervention's Art Director Tom Vadakan, and printed as a gorgeous "Old Style" gatefold by Stoughton printing in LA. It's printed on heavy stock and film-laminated for superior coluor depth, beauty and durability. The center labels are printed by Dorado.
Mastering Notes
100% Fun is 100% Analog Mastered from the Original Master Tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound. The Master Tapes are 30ips 1/2" analogue reels, and the seven bonus tracks are on their own reel. Intervention's cut is big, punchy and dynamic with plenty of producer Brendan O'Brien signature crunch completely intact. Matthew's amazing vocals really shine here amid the layered densities of O'Brien's mix. A big, bold improvement over the 1990s original LP, and so much better than the CD as to make that comparison a total farce.
Reissue of this 1982 release, recorded and mixed at Channel One and King Tubby's Studios. Includes killer songs such as "Reggae Dance," "Unwilling Baby Mother," "Sweet Reggae Music," and "This Kind Of Way". A dancehall classic!
Trailblazing instrumental synth pop experiments created to soundtrack Japan’s booming 1980s cartoon and comic industries. The brightly futuristic instrumentals on this collection reflect the mindset of composers and musicians who believed in a technological future where everything was possible.
In the late 1980s Japan experienced a brief but heady period where societal changes combined with new-found wealth to open up a world of possibilities. A huge influx of cash - artificially created by slashed interest rates after an agreement with the US to weaken the dollar relative to the yen - resulted in the inflation of real estate and stock market at a rapid pace. While the economic bubble it created was unprecedented and impossible to sustain, for a while money was in plentiful supply.
The musical genre City Pop reflected the aspirations of the country’s booming leisure class. Video games flourished with Nintendo's 1983 launch of their Family Computer (or FamiCom). Studio Ghibli was founded 1985 to later became one of the most famous and respected animation studios in the world, and Anime and Manga were established as major forms of entertainment for all generations of the Japanese public.
Music was no mere footnote to the anime and manga boom: the two forms of media often went hand in hand, and not simply through the presence of background melodies. With generous budgets available, even two-dimensional static manga comics could be released with an accompanying soundtrack of original music known as an ‘Image Album’.
Composer and arranger Kazuhiko Izu was one such beneficiary of this open budget approach. Written to accompany artist Katsuhiro Otomo’s manga comic Domu, the composer and arranger took advantage of the world-leading (and wallet-busting) Japanese synthesiser technology available at King Records’ fully equipped studio. Featured on this compilation, A3: Act 2 Scene 26 reflected the story’s sci fi themes with a blazingly futuristic yet warmly funky slice of synth pop that presents a joyful celebration of synthesisers and their seemingly endless possibilities.
Kan Ogasawara was another composer who made early mastery of the litany of synthesisers, drum machines and sequencers that had become available. Two tracks written to accompany the 1985 period manga Yume No Ishibumi are featured here; Honowo’s experimental electronic textures add spice to a jaunty electro pop melody that recalls the Rah band’s 1983 hit Messages From Stars; the jazz-tinged Utage rounds out Ogasawara’s shimmering synth textures with beautifully crafted backing from legendary musicians Yuji Toriyama (guitar), Pecker (percussion) and Jun Fukamachi (piano).
Before becoming one of the pioneers of Japanese Kankyo Ongaku (Ambient Music), Takashi Kokubo worked on the proto techno track Kiki (Jungle At Night). It was put together for the 1984 anime film Shonen Keniya (Kenya Boy) using some of the most expensive music technologies available at the time. This Africa-Inspired dance track offers a contemporary parallel to the early techno music that young Detroit based producers were then creating using cheap Japanese Roland drum machines and synthesisers.
This is the first compilation of Japanese anime and manga soundtracks curated by Kay Suzuki and Rintaro Sekizuka from Vinyl Delivery Service (a Tokyo based online record shop which also operates in East London's renowned wine and hifi shop Idle Moments). With a cover by artist Kazuki Takakura and two pages of liner notes, this vinyl only compilation of music never before released outside of Japan, captures a vital aural snapshot of an era whose forward-thinking sounds went hand in hand with cutting edge technology.
Lyra Valenza set the tone for their first full-length album ‘Low Gear No Pressure’ with an idyllic ambience, which then tumbles into feisty, heartfelt dance workouts. Across eight tracks, the Danish duo explore the pixellated euphoria of their previous ‘Scan, Deliver’ and ‘Nightshade Edition’ EPs with a more focused sensitivity. At the start of 2020, Lyra Valenza had been freshly nominated by music platform SHAPE. With the pandemic in hand, however, plans changed: instead of playing a slew of festivals, the duo spent weeks in a summer house in rural Sjælland, right at Denmark’s North Eastern coast, making early versions of the tracks in this album. ‘Low Gear No Pressure’ refers to the unusual calmness of that time, away from music industry stress and burnout; inspired by friendship. More than previous EPs, the album is shaped by the duo’s live set, which they’ve been performing in Denmark and Europe for many years now. The album breezes through different modes with confidence and ease, tracks morphing fluidly into one another to create a cohesive listening experience. A cool, expansive breakbeat on track two, ‘True Computer’, hints at the psychoactive journey to follow. ‘Truthwork’ plays with arps over a half time groove: subtle synths which reach their final form in ‘Joy Divided’. These agile swells and drops recall peers-in-precision Minor Science and 96 Back. On the flip, ‘Gameshow’ looks back over one shoulder to eurodance, while ‘Life on the Line’ goes out to the soulful junglists, but with a touches of trance in the samplework. On ‘Who Might Win’, the album’s ecstatic hyperactiveness melts into a slo-mo heartbeat, reminding us there’s a chillout room somewhere in the building. And just when we think it’s time to go home, the album gifts us with “one more tune”, and the soaring pop vocals of featured artist Saltmother on ‘Stretch Your Arms’.
Colbie Caillat is a master storyteller whose breezy SoCal folk-pop songs laced with a country shimmer speak truth to both the pain of endings and hopefulness of what’s to come when you’re brave enough to follow your wild, wild heart. Along The Way, Caillat’s solo country debut, embodies the positivity in heartbreak’s wake. Though her move to Nashville was done as one-half of a romantic partnership - a personal and professional adventure to the southern city for this west coast girl - she thrived in all of life’s changes. In her musical journey and experimentation with new sounds, Caillat vividly captured a moment in her life through song. The California-raised, Nashville-based girl delivered songs with gratitude for having known this love, learned so many lessons and the joys shared along the way. “The love that you shared shouldn’t be wasted: you help each other grow and become a wiser and more evolved person. We needed to be together to become who we are today, even if we didn’t end up together.” If Joni Mitchell’s quintessential Blue is the deep dive into the caverns of grief following a break-up, Along The Way is a bright, shiny compass Caillat offers to guide people through the tough times and raw feelings that accompany any dissolution. Lover, leaver, left, the woman who’s sung at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert wants to sow compassion for all parties involved.
Colbie Marie Caillat (born May 28, 1985 in Malibu, California) is an American acoustic-folk singer and songwriter from Malibu, California. She has won 2 Grammys, namely for "Lucky", her duet with Jason Mraz, and for her collaboration on Taylor Swift's album Fearless in the song "Breathe".
Hot Apple Band’s long-awaited debut album, So Long, Noodle House is a collection of 11 tracks recorded between 2019-2022, mostly at Jack Kinder’s home studio in Strathfield, Sydney. Once the pandemic hit, Jack and Lewis Mosley had ample time to give birth to the songs, allowing for this body of work so it could become all that it deserved to be. The resulting album will no doubt please long-time fans, with a number of songs being staples from the band’s live repertoire. So Long, Noodle House is symbolic sign-off on the band’s past and an exciting peek into what’s to come. The record covers broad ground, from 70s imbued alt-country and catchy Beatles-era pop, through to emotive folk and soft rock. Coming-of-age themes run deep in the album, as Jack Kinder's lyrics touch on life changes, friendship, shitty jobs and of course, love. With Kinder's smooth vocals, clever arrangements and gorgeous vintage production, and Lewis Mosley’s unforgettable lead guitar, slide and keyboard performance, Hot Apple Band’s debut has the same charm of some of the best records from the early 1970s, radiating George Harrison, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Harry Nilsson and Fanny in a similar style to modern counterparts such as Drugdealer, Weyes Blood, Daniel Romano and The Lemon Twigs.
When Billy Eckstine’s band dissolved in the mid-1940s, adventurous drummer Art Blakey spent two years in Africa, where he briefly converted to Islam; back in New York, he gigged with Miles and Monk, before fronting his own Jazz Messengers. 1957’s Orgy In Rhythm drew on the sounds of North Africa and the Middle East, Blakey’s unfettered drumming accompanied by Latin percussionists such as Potato Valdez and Evilio Quintero, with Herbie Mann on flute. The musical arrangement is stunning, at times melodic or primordially rhythmic, but never short of pure brilliance. Overall, an excellent and astounding release!
Dynamic dancehall singer Anthony Johnson began his career in the mid-1970s, cutting a few sides for Channel One before he joined the group Mystic I who cut some great work for Lee Perry and Linval Thompson before disbanding, leading to the hit material Johnson cut for Jah Thomas as a solo singer. Togetherness dates from 1993, when Johnson was long based in London, but his singing kills remained on par as in his heyday, the album a mix of ballads, pop adaptations and songs of dancehall appeal, the soave production values and one-off vocal style making it popular in Brazil and other territories. A lost gem, ripe for rediscovery!
Ever wondered what a Brian Wilson solo album
from 1969 would sound like?
Look no further. (No A.I. needed...)
Exquisitely arranged by ex-Animal Vic Briggs and
featuring several Wrecking Crew musicians who
also played on Pet Sounds, MARK ERIC’s A
Midsummer’s Day Dream is a unique blend of
Beach Boys/Four Freshmen sensibilities coupled
with wistful, lush surf psychedelia.
Defiantly soft, the 1969 LP captured the tail end
of L.A.’s pop innocence perfectly, just as it
slipped into infinity. First time on vinyl since its
original release.
Coming this summer! Our 2002 & 2009 CD reissues
of A Midsummer’s Day Dream caught the soft pop
collector’s world entirely off guard: Very few
were aware of the LP’s existence, and the
reaction was united: A masterpiece was
unleashed and a new generation of daydreamers
was born! The result was glowing reviews in MOJO
and UNCUT, a Japanese edition, as well as soaring
prices for the original long out-of-print vinyl
pressing. The full-colour gatefold jacket includes
EXCLUSIVE, rare photos, and UPDATED and
EXPANDED liner notes that feature the
participation of Mark Eric himself. Reissue
produced, annotated, and designed by STEVE
STANLEY.
This is a very special one-off new special edition of one of the most popular of all the Soul Jazz Records" collections that has been out of print for many years! Featuring great new sleeve design as well as a special coloured vinyl pressing, Studio One Kings is a "who"s who" of the world"s greatest reggae artists. Studio One"s list of singers launched at the famous label reads like a roll call of Jamaican music. Horace Andy, Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, Freddie McGregor, Johnny Osbourne and more. This album features classic and rare tracks that span the breadth of the legendary Studio One catalogue: Ska, Roots, Rocksteady, Lovers and more from the 1960s and 70s. The album also comes with sleeve-notes by the great writer Chris Salewicz, author of books on Reggae Explosion, Rude Boy as well as books on Bob Marley, The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Page, Joe Strummer and more.
Double vinyl with the best of the famous pop disco group of the 80s. Contains two bonus tracks.
Claude Sicre ist einer der Pioniere der Verteidigung und Anerkennung der okzitanischen Kultur, französicher Chansonier, auch bekannt als Mitglied der Fabulous Trobadors, und positiver Mensch. Es ist ein Projekt, das Francis Cabrel sehr am Herzen lag. Er wollte ein Lied als Hymne an seine Stadt, seine Region komponieren. Neben dem musikalischen Aspekt hat Francis auch das Cover gemalt, das Video gezeichnet und produziert. Mit der gleichen Logik wird dieses Sammlerstück natürlich auch in einer unabhängigen Struktur (u.a. Label/Vertriebe) veröffentlicht. Hier ein paar Worte von Francis Cabrel: "Das Wortspiel ist so klein, wie die Figur groß ist. Ein Stück von Sicre (Claude), oder "sucre" (Zucker), also Positivität, Wohlwollen, Humor, Gelehrsamkeit all das in deinem schwarzen Kaffee.....ein Tag in Toulouse beginnt." Es ist eine Hommage an diese Stadt, die mir sehr am Herzen liegt. Zwischen der Rue Caraman und der Rue Matabiau habe ich dort meine ersten Lieder gesungen und aufgenommen. Da der Platz nicht ausreicht, möchte ich ihnen hier danken, insbesondere Richard und Daniel Seff, Jean-Pierre Mader, Michel Art Mengo, Émile, Images und Gold, all denen, die das Chanson aus der Region Toulouse so groß gemacht haben, nach dem großen Claude, dem alle folgen. Einseitig bespielte 7'-Vinyl-Single mit dem Titel Une Morceau De Sicre, die Farbe der Platte hier ist Ozean-Blau.
Claude Sicre ist einer der Pioniere der Verteidigung und Anerkennung der okzitanischen Kultur, französicher Chansonier, auch bekannt als Mitglied der Fabulous Trobadors, und positiver Mensch. Es ist ein Projekt, das Francis Cabrel sehr am Herzen lag. Er wollte ein Lied als Hymne an seine Stadt, seine Region komponieren. Neben dem musikalischen Aspekt hat Francis auch das Cover gemalt, das Video gezeichnet und produziert. Mit der gleichen Logik wird dieses Sammlerstück natürlich auch in einer unabhängigen Struktur (u.a. Label/Vertriebe) veröffentlicht. Hier ein paar Worte von Francis Cabrel: "Das Wortspiel ist so klein, wie die Figur groß ist. Ein Stück von Sicre (Claude), oder "sucre" (Zucker), also Positivität, Wohlwollen, Humor, Gelehrsamkeit all das in deinem schwarzen Kaffee.....ein Tag in Toulouse beginnt." Es ist eine Hommage an diese Stadt, die mir sehr am Herzen liegt. Zwischen der Rue Caraman und der Rue Matabiau habe ich dort meine ersten Lieder gesungen und aufgenommen. Da der Platz nicht ausreicht, möchte ich ihnen hier danken, insbesondere Richard und Daniel Seff, Jean-Pierre Mader, Michel Art Mengo, Émile, Images und Gold, all denen, die das Chanson aus der Region Toulouse so groß gemacht haben, nach dem großen Claude, dem alle folgen. Einseitig bespielte 7'-Vinyl-Single mit dem Titel Une Morceau De Sicre, die Farbe der Platte hier ist Ozean-Blau.
Das Überraschungs-Mixtape "Trip Tape" des deutschen Alternative-Superstar-Duos Milky Chance aus dem Jahr 2021 ist jetzt auf Vinyl als limitierte Blue Splatter LP erhältlich. Auf dem Mixtape performt die Band in ihrem eigenen, unverwechselbaren Stil Hits von The Weekend, Dua Lipa, Soft Cell und Rosalia sowie einen umwerfenden Gast-Remix des Produzenten Icarus aus Bristol. Als ob das noch nicht genug wäre, enthält das Trip Tape" auch noch ein paar Originale, einige davon als Demoversionen, die sicherstellen, dass alle Arten von Fans ihrer Musik mehr als zufrieden sind. „Trip Tape" erlaubt es Milky Chance, ihren unverwechselbaren Stil mit einer eklektischen Songauswahl frei zu erkunden.
Changing Mindset is an EP developed around Tuber's title track,
This work is presented as a work of sonic craftsmanship, with a distinctive character that will make you delve towards the limits of electronic music. This sound fuses atmospheric, hypnotic and mental elements, creating a listening experience that goes beyond listening to become a total immersion into the cosmos.
-On the first remix, it denotes a special flavor thanks to the presence of Orbe, a true master in the creation of textures and enveloping sounds. Known for his skill in weaving complex sonic layers, he dives into the core of Tuber's main track, displaying an ability to transform and enrich every musical element.
-The second remix, created by HD Substance, promises to be an experience that will take listeners on a vibrant musical journey, inviting them to surrender to the beat with an infectious energy. The presence of HD Substance, backed by an extensive and outstanding trajectory in the music world, augurs a remix that goes beyond simply being listened to, it is a direct invitation to immerse oneself in the intensity of the sound and let oneself be carried away by the melody.
-The last remix, by Dinamite, adds a touch of elegance and forcefulness, completing the "Changing Mindset" EP. Dinamite, renowned for his ability to fuse musical sophistication with pulsating beats, brings with him an experience-laden perspective.
Metroplex continues its run of reissues with more seminal releases from the label's essential back catalog. The long-awaited reissue of M024: Model 500's eternal techno meditation "Starlight", a mid-90s collaboration with dub techno maestro Moritz von Oswald of Basic Channel, Maurizio, and Rhythm & Sound fame. Remastered from original tapes and sounding super fresh. Essential techno masterpiece!
KID FRANCESCOLI, leader of the French Riviera Touch is back with the stellar album SUNSET BLUE out Sept 22nd 2023.
After a first sold-out world tour (over 200 concerts in Europe, USA, Asia...), and successful hits such as Nopalitos, Blow Up or Moon (now certified diamond, with more than 200 millions streams), the Marseille-based producer, crooner and multi-instrumentalist, Mathieu Hocine, is eager to share his most accomplished LP ever. This fine collection of soulful songs honor his Mediterranean roots, with elegant and pop melodies. His most recent success and the creation of his first original soundtrack with AZURO, installed him as one of the best French songwriters of his generation, with a unique signature sound.
"I live in Marseille, I spent my childhood in Corsica, I have Algerian origins, my first vacations with friends were in Barcelona, vacations with my first girlfriend in Roma,... Then, I had the chance to perform in Morocco, Greece, Turkey and Egypt: each time I spent time in the Mediterranean region, the people I met there made me feel like I was part of the same country. This shared multiculturalism is really comforting, it has its own poetry and strength, bringing uniqueness and empathy to the people. It is essential for me. I love my city: it’s the perfect place to feel good with sun, sea, family, friendships, love... It gets me emotional, bringing tears with a smile".
With his new musical gem, Mathieu Hocine unveils 11 elegant tunes of his finest craft: sunbathed French Touch (Run Run, 1986), romantic chillwave (Corsica), uplifting synthpop (You Are Everywhere, Like Magic), electronic-soul (Casino Soul), cinematic disco (Solaris), cosmic R&B (Sweet and Sour, Take Time), … Everything is in this record.
For the first time ever, Kid Francescoli paid tribute to his mixed origins with his collaboration with world-renowned lute and mandolin player Hakim Hamadouche (Rachid Taha, Patti Smith, Brian Eno, Tricky...), whom added Algerian patterns to the introspectives songs Drift in Blue and The Morning After.
"My ambition is to create pictures in people's heads with music, to transport them instantly into a movie"
SUNSET BLUE is an instant-crush album: crystal-clear, strong, personal but universal at the same time.
It's an ecstatic soundtrack for this moment when time is suspended, the golden hour when everything seems possible. It feels like Love is in the air, you're living your best life and you're at the right place at the right time. This album embodies this magic moment where we would like to last forever… Like an epiphany, Kid Francescoli's new album is a moment of pure pleasure, a soothing way to escape reality.
"I see myself as a melodist.I would like my music to feel like velvet. There's something cinematic, classy about it, and yet comforting. It's very simple, popular and synonym of love and passion"
His friend French 79 co-produced the album, while the american rapper Bamby H2O brought his NYC swag (on Sweet & Sour), Stan Neff (Polo & Pan, Kungs, Christine and the Queens...) took care of the mix and Alex Gopher (Daft Punk, The Blaze, Bon Entendeur...) added a final touch of magic when mastering. Nicolas Despis (known for his work with Etienne Daho, Hoshi, Juliette Armanet... and many famous French rappers) later joined this dream-team to craft custom-made artworks. SUNSET BLUE is a deeply personal quest, a human adventure for Mathieu Hocine (whom explores his maghrebian origins, his feminine side, his subconscious space, ...). It's a male's work, but don't get it wrong, this LP would be nothing without women’s touch : Julietta (on Run Run and Take Time), Sarah Gaugler from Turbo Goth (on You Are Everywhere and Like Magic), and iOni (on Drift in Blue).
“Music has this magical power to broaden your vision of the world. It's fascinating because, like dreams, it's the kind of irrational things science can't explain and that makes life exciting."
Planets aligned perfectly on this project and thanks to this five-star cast of collaborators, Kid Francescoli achieved his personal holy grail : he orchestrated a great 21st century pop-music album.SUNSET BLUE is a new turning point between organic and electronic, both a mediterranean travel and a Californian dream, a bridge between Ennio Morriconne and modern electronic music.
Also, while it might be called SUNSET BLUE in honor of the sea and the Portuguese / Brazilian concept called “saudade”, but it is a really optimistic album, whose true colors would rather be "yellow-orange-red" in nod to the sun.
Created in the midst of the world tour, SUNSET BLUE is a direct result of the lives’ energy and fans’ joyful vibes: going back in the studio after smiling, singing and dancing with people all around the world inevitably gave Kid Francescoli the desire to retranscribe this ecstatic feeling in music. This album is a sensitive experience, from sunrise to sunset, from first track to last one. It’s an exploration of an everlasting summer, reaching its climax in the very final seconds of the track Corsica, making us want to press play and dive into this jewel all over again.
A beautiful cosmic trip, whether you like to stay in bed cocooning, to travel far, far away or to dance ‘till dawn, to catch the first rays of light.
Make sure to catch Kid Francescoli on his next world tour to have a good time.
NO_COVER[24,33 €]
Phét is a Tibetan syllable that means to cut through. Through concepts & obscurations. Through anything in the mind that stands as an obstacle to our direct engagement of the present. Such tempting distractions! Phét says: RIGHT NOW. As Phét does: RIGHT NOW.
That Jarrett Gilgore named his project after this mantra—Phét Phét Phét—underscores his interest in music as a form of awakening. Music as presence, manifestation, & channeling, more than as ornamentation or description of experience. This is no vessel for preconceived notions, but a record of musicians opening themselves to discovery & encounter through play. Through each other’s company. Phét Phét Phét says: Say farewell to what you’ve known. Say hello to everything you feel now, & to all the things that feel through you.
El sello DIALECTO PERIFERICO nace en Marzo de 2023 con la edición en vinilo de 12" DIODES 10 YEARS.
El album de 6 temas, cargado de rasgos industriales y sintéticos, el sonido de la TR-808 y distorsiones desgarradas, elementos que identifican a estos productores y el lugar
donde se criaron, El Baix Llobregat. Desde 2013 han estado “codo con codo”con el productor The Bandit, desde la creación de “Util Records y Gente Seria Viste Chandal” hasta las fiestas de Barcelona “Llobregat Bass Warriors”. Era obligatoria su presencia en este momento tan especial.
A1 | Reclaim The Future.
En este primer track Vema a querido reclamar
el futuro aullando a la luna. El vocoder
alienado y la melodía afilada, representa la
critica a la continua revolución tecnológica
que nos distancia entre humanos.
A2 | Hammer Head.
En este track alejado de lo clásico y convencional
Roid nos muestra el lado Rave del
electro oscuro que corre por sus venas,
haciendo que el sonido acido nos de la
mano y acompañe.
A3 | War Computer.
Esta bomba de canción mezcla elementos
del ayer y los breaks mas frescos de hoy. La
conversación entre los pads y los bajos
harán que despegues del suelo.
B1 | Husmias.
Este track da pie a la cara B del vinilo, los
fondos distantes, la melodía arpegiada y el
vocoder dimensional abren un portal a lo
mas oscuro e industrial.
B2 | Commando.
Introspección y critica social es la mejor definición
para esta canción, las pinceladas rasgadas
del ritmo y la melancolía melodica definen
una historia creada desde el corazón.
B3 | 2013.
Temazo marca The Bandit, estilo inconfundible
del productor de L’Hospitalet para cerrar esta
bomba en vinilo que desgastara las suelas de
tus zapatillas y quemara pistas de baile.
"Dance My Hurt Away" is the first single from the debut album by The Faithful Brothers from Tel Aviv/Israel.
Is there a Northern Soul scene in Tel Aviv? The surprising answer is – yes, there is. If you're a soulie and in town, look for the Tel Aviv Soul Club, and you might find yourself swaying across a talcum-powder covered floor to Tel Aviv's own unique blend of classic Northern Soul 45s and early 1960s R&B sounds.
Chances are that those 45s will come out of the record boxes of one of the brothers Neeman, Johnnie and Bin. Tel Aviv Soul Club, aka TASC, is the brainchild of Yashiv Cohen, a DJ who, in 2006, lured the brothers Neeman, whose massive soul collections been hitherto confined to their respective living rooms, into playing their records to the Tel Aviv public. Yashiv is also the lead singer of Men of North Country (MONC), a Tel Aviv band with a distinct sound, blending rock, British pop and soul. Since Neeman means Faithful in Hebrew, Yashiv woke up one morning with the crystallization that MONC must create a spin-off, a more puristic soul band, called the Faithful Brothers. It took a few more years, but gradually the brothers succumbed to their fate, to continue their musical progression, from collectors to DJs to musicians. Johnnie took his guitar, Bin took to the piano, and the brothers began pouring out some of their influences, creating new songs. It is finally all coming together now.
Element, co-founder of Riddim Chango imprint, introduces his latest creation, a 4 track EP, under the freshly forged subsidiary label, Parallel Line.
The EP opens with the abstract dancehall mic-man in Kingston I Jahbar, reprising his collaboration with Element from their 2021” Andromeda EP on Bokeh Versions, narrating rhythmic tales of style and ambitious hustle. The records transitions to the intense dubwise cut to the A1,“Chicken Gravy Dub”, and the B-side unfolds“Nine Mall”and“Martian Gravity,”instrumentals resonating with obscure yet atmospheric dancehall/dembow echoes.
The EP embodies a fusion of eclectic influences, resonating with reflecting the innovative and unique soundscapes of Element and his Parallel Line imprint.
TAPE + TEA TOWEL[18,91 €]
Producer, DJ, Facilitator & Publisher (Balraj) Samrai (of Swing Ting/SEEN Magazine) steps out for their first full length release "Work & Roti" along with a host of talented collaborators on new label Sangha Industries.
The album title came from a phone conversation with Samrai's mum who features on the opener reflecting on first generation Punjabis heading to the UK only going to work and eating roti, not getting a chance to travel until their senior years. In addition the project explores the complexity of migrant experiences - healing, self-love/care, reciprocity and connections to the earth. A theme throughout is the inclusion of South Asian percussion and rhythms such as Tabla, Dholak, Kanjira, Dhol and Mridangam overtly at times as well as covertly which grounds the record.
Samrai is joined by host of talented collaborators across the 8 tracks - SCAPA, Vindya, Vikaash Sankadecha, Pops Roberts, Shanique Marie, LINTD, Gavsborg, Joey B, Fox, Raheel Khan, Thai Chi Rosè, Chesqua and Deepikaa Sreenivasan who all enrich the project with vocals, additional production and instrumentation. Although at times dealing with difficult subjects (Help Me, Oil Money, Dirty Dirty) there's a sense of joy, playfulness (Fresh) and release across the set (Yellow Crocus, Create Your Own Bless) culminating in closer (Breathe) when you feel the sunlight pushing through despite the clouds above…
TAPE[15,76 €]
Producer, DJ, Facilitator & Publisher (Balraj) Samrai (of Swing Ting/SEEN Magazine) steps out for their first full length release "Work & Roti" along with a host of talented collaborators on new label Sangha Industries.
The album title came from a phone conversation with Samrai's mum who features on the opener reflecting on first generation Punjabis heading to the UK only going to work and eating roti, not getting a chance to travel until their senior years. In addition the project explores the complexity of migrant experiences - healing, self-love/care, reciprocity and connections to the earth. A theme throughout is the inclusion of South Asian percussion and rhythms such as Tabla, Dholak, Kanjira, Dhol and Mridangam overtly at times as well as covertly which grounds the record.
Samrai is joined by host of talented collaborators across the 8 tracks - SCAPA, Vindya, Vikaash Sankadecha, Pops Roberts, Shanique Marie, LINTD, Gavsborg, Joey B, Fox, Raheel Khan, Thai Chi Rosè, Chesqua and Deepikaa Sreenivasan who all enrich the project with vocals, additional production and instrumentation. Although at times dealing with difficult subjects (Help Me, Oil Money, Dirty Dirty) there's a sense of joy, playfulness (Fresh) and release across the set (Yellow Crocus, Create Your Own Bless) culminating in closer (Breathe) when you feel the sunlight pushing through despite the clouds above…
For fans of post-Chicago post-"Second Summer of Love" acid; Chris & Cosey, Terekke, Cabaret Voltaire, Anthony Naples, JTC, D.K., Luke Vibert, Khotin. The latest by Texan-turned-Angeleno progressive vaporwave producer Carlos Ramirez aka AURAGRAPH finds him shifting focus to the dance floor across eight chrome clockworks of cosmic acid house and liquid rave glide: New Standard. Inspired by lessons learned during a 5K mile American road trip tour in the summer 2022, he set to work in his Simi Valley Tuff Shed of synths and hardware, pursuing an explicitly DJfriendly muse: "I realized I wanted to make a record where every track could go off in a live setting." These cuts do just that, revved and rhythmic, peppered with slap bass, Madchester whistles, filtered acid, gated snares, baggy cowbell, and sample pack classics - record scratches, orchestral stabs, the "Yeah! Woo!" from Lynn Collins "Think (About It)." Ramirez describes the process as immediate and instinctual: "I'd turn on the MPC, pick a tempo, and just improv - it was incredibly fun." From sleek freeway techno ("110 Cruising") to arcade lurker acid ("Coast 2 Coast") to big room bangers ("666 Ambience"), the tracks time-travel across the canon of club music, sifting tricks and styles to fashion fresh anthems of hypnagogic jack. It's an album channeled as much as crafted, tapping into the decks of mythic warehouse infinities past and present, where the system rips all night and acid never dies.
Gaucho — Steely Dan's Grammy-winning seventh studio album now on UHQR!
Definitive reissue Ultra High Quality Record, the pinnacle of high-quality vinyl!
45 RPM LP release limited to 20,000 numbered copies
Mastered by Bernie Grundman from a 1980 analogue tape copy originally EQ'd by Bob Ludwig
Pressed at Quality Record Pressings using 200-gram Clarity Vinyl®
Purest possible pressing and most visually stunning presentation and packaging!
Tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing
Gaucho — the iconic seventh studio album by Steely Dan, released in November 1980 — and Grammy-winner for Best Engineered Non-Classical Recording, was also Grammy-nominated for Album of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The album represents the band's musical evolution towards a more polished and sleek sound, featuring a collection of meticulously crafted songs that blend jazz, rock, and pop music, while exploring themes of decadence, longing, and disillusionment.
Gaucho opens with the title track, a jazzy instrumental piece that sets the tone for the rest of the album. The standout tracks on the album include "Hey Nineteen," a catchy and upbeat tune that features a memorable saxophone riff and lyrics about an older man's attraction to a young woman, and "Babylon Sisters," a funky and groovy track that showcases the band's impeccable sense of rhythm and melody.
The sessions for Gaucho represented the band's typical penchant for studio perfectionism and obsessive recording technique. To record the album, the band used at least 42 different musicians, spent more than a year in the studio, and far exceeded the original monetary advance given by the record label. Still, the album features multiple layers of instrumentation, carefully crafted arrangements, and the use of top-notch session musicians to create a lush and sophisticated sound that is uniquely Steely Dan.
Despite its critical and commercial success, Gaucho was a challenging album to make. During the two-year span in which the album was recorded, the band was plagued by a number of creative, personal and professional problems. MCA, Warner Bros. and Steely Dan had a three-way legal battle over the rights to release the album. After it was released, jazz musician Keith Jarrett was given a co-writing credit on the title track after threatening legal action over plagiarism of Jarrett's song "'Long As You Know You're Living Yours."
Gaucho marked a significant stylistic change for the band, introducing a more minimal, groove- and atmosphere-based format. The harmonically complex chord changes that were a distinctive mark of earlier Steely Dan songs are less prominent on Gaucho, with the record's songs tending to revolve around a single rhythm or mood, although complex chord progressions were still present particularly in "Babylon Sisters" and "Glamour Profession." Gaucho proved to be Steely Dan's final studio album that Donald Fagen and Walter Becker would make together until the year 2000.
Gaucho reached No. 9 on the U.S. album chart and was certified platinum-selling. "Hey Nineteen" reached No. 10 on the U.S. Singles Chart and went to No. 1 in Canada. Pitchfork, in its review, describes the almost "pathologically overdetermined production" as elegant, arid and a little forbidding. "Every last tinkling chime sounds like it took 12 days to mix, because chances are, it did." The New York Times deemed Gaucho the best album of 1980, beating out Talking Heads' Remain in Light and Joy Division's Closer.
Founded by core members Walter Becker (bass) and Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards), Steely Dan's popularity rose throughout the late 1970s on, and their seven albums throughout that period of time blended elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Steely Dan created a sophisticated, distinctive sound with accessible melodic hooks, complex harmonies and time signatures, and a devotion to the recording studio. Becker and Fagen, with producer Gary Katz, gradually changed Steely Dan from a performing band to a studio project, hiring session musicians to record their compositions. The duo didn't perform live between 1974 and 1993. But their popularity nevertheless grew throughout the '70s as their albums became critical favorites and their singles became staples of Adult Oriented Radio and pop radio stations.
After a brief battle with esophageal cancer, Walter Becker died on September 3, 2017 at the age of 67. Steely Dan has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2001. VH1 ranked Steely Dan at No. 82 on their list of the 100 Greatest Musical Artists of All Time. Rolling Stone ranked them No. 15 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.
This stereo UHQR reissue will be limited to 20,000 copies, with gold foil individually numbered jackets, housed in a premium slipcase with a wooden dowel spine.
Gaucho remains a testament to Steely Dan's enduring musical legacy and their ability to create timeless music that transcends genre and style.
Straight out of the action-packed “Sabotage” music video comes Super7’s Beastie Boys ReAction Figure set! The tough-as-nails crime-fighting trio of Nathan Wind (Cochise), Alasandro Alegre (The Chief), and Vic Colfari (Bobby, “The Rookie”) are reuniting for one last mission to save you from the crime of having a lame collection! This 3-pack of 3.75” scale, articulated ReAction Figures come packaged in a dramatic-big-explosion-walkaway diorama box and includes a 18”x24” movie-style “Sabotage” poster. Don't’ miss your chance to add this iconic trio of figures to your collection of hip-hop legends!
2x12"[23,11 €]
On July 20, 1993, Los Angeles hip-hop legends Cypress Hill unleashed their sophomore opus Black Sunday on the unsuspecting masses. The record changed rap music with its dark undercurrent, Latin inflection, no-holds-barred storytelling, and the inimitable interplay between B-Real and Sen Dog cast over psychedelically spun rap soundscapes courtesy of DJ Muggs.
Now to mark the 30th anniversary, two new remixes are available for fans on 12” black vinyl; “Insane in the Brain” from the esteemed DJ/Producer Statik Selektah, and “Hits From The Bong” crafted by the album’s original producer himself, DJ Muggs.
Repress!
On 22nd October, the Nottingham-raised and highly-praised musician/DJ/producer Matt Cutler, AKA Lone, presents his 8th album – and first in 5 years – ‘Always Inside Your Head’. It marks two major changes, with both a new label and new approach – featuring vocalists for the first time.
This deeply textural and ethereal artwork is situated high above the clouds, amidst the heavens, occupying a stratospheric state where swathes of synthesized vapour and azure rays sound like a literal breath of fresh air.
A varied selection of music influenced the record, but two main influences were Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine. “I wanted to approach a range of different styles, but attack them from their angle in a way, so for example on 'Inlove2' I tried to imagine what a Balearic / acid house tune might sound like if it were produced by Kevin Shields”, comments Lone.
Another key example of Cutler’s strange but successful combination of elements is the halcyon bliss of ‘Echo Paths’, where his trademark fat drums and love for hip hop meet double-time pan pipes, dub effects and dream pop, mixed into a wonderfully lysergic concoction.
This rarefied auditory stratus was previously evident in tracks like ‘Alpha Wheel 4 (Ambient Mix)’ from ‘DJ Kicks’, ‘Under Cherry Blossoms (Minds Eye Reprise)’ from ‘Ambivert Tools, Vol. 2’, ‘Pulsar’ (from ‘Ambivert 4’), and ‘How Can You Tell’ (from ‘Abraxas’), but is now more fully-fledged, broader in scope and even more celestial.
In addition to the above, the LP exists somewhere between trip hop on Mo' Wax, 90s Warp, intelligent drum & bass and ambient house. There are heavier forays too, like ‘Mouth Of God’, where darker clouds emerge, but are pierced like acid lightning with fierce, tearing tech-step bass.
Although still firmly rooted in club culture – here Lone shows a definite leaning towards a song-based sound, with several tracks edging towards the same crossover space as the nineties hits which also inspired him – particularly William Orbit’s production on Madonna's 'Frozen', and Olive's 'You're Not Alone'. This is especially evident on the bright, spacious brilliance of 'Hidden By Horizons', where vocals and synths swirl around one another, with crisp breakbeats and reggae rolls pushing purposefully through the ether.
Despite initially seeming almost entirely sunny of disposition, upon deeper immersion there’s lot more beneath the album’s surface, both in its deep pools of immiscible layered elements, and also thematically. When recording Cutler kept in mind a loose narrative based on birth, death, and our existence in-between.
He then extended this idea to reach what may happen after death, which is reflected in the sequencing: By penultimate track ‘Undaunted’ the life reflected in this longplayer has come to an end, which is then followed by 'Coming In To Being And Passing Away' – an afterlife epilogue, which evokes a transition from this world to the next.
The fragility and balancing act of creativity is an immeasurable factor in the life of any artist, serving as a commanding force in the choices they make over their careers. If the connection and meaning in creativity becomes devoid, there's a transformation process that either channels an ascension or departure. An internal and external battle that can chase and haunt individuals in every part of their life if one falls into the latter position. In the case of Los Angeles based electronic producer Huxley Anne, ascension was achieved during one of these tests of creative endurance and preservation, entering a phase of her life where the process of feeling art on meaningful levels had subsided for a lengthy period and the eventual reprisal of these natural gifts returned. This led to the creation of her debut album and an expansion in creativity that marks an important beginning for her path as an artist. This work is known as Ilium, representing a moment in Huxley Anne's life that's been one of her most testing yet rewarding mountains to climb. Ilium is Huxley Anne's debut album with Los Angeles indie imprint and Alpha Pup Records affiliate, Dome of Doom. Sonically, Ilium is an orchestrated field of unique beauty, drawing together eight tracks of exotic electronic music that calls upon the darkest and most light-driven of emotions. Exploratory textures take on vortexes of shape through cinematic sound designs, fluidly traversing between amorphous undertones, intricate composition mapping and pulsing rhythms. From the submersion of euphoria to the illumination of power, Ilium draws upon as many influences in the realm of mystical antiquity as it does the landscape of experimental music leading us into the future. A sonic portrait of her ascension through creative turmoil, the struggle of sustained determination and a rebirth into timeless artistry. Huxley Anne has created a boldness in sound that was made with the most vulnerable and giving of sides and simply put, Ilium is the continuation of meaningful life
Die Original Vinyl-LP von 1984 wurde in einer kleinen Auflage neu aufgelegt. Die Songs wurden von Barrington Levy im Channel One Studio eingesungen, mit den Roots Radics als Backing Band, um dann von Soldgie Hamiltion, Scientist und Sylvan Morris im Harry J und Channel One Studio abgemischt zu werden, als Produzent zeichnete Henry "Junjo" Lawes verantwortlich. Das Titelstück "Prison Oval Rock" war als Single bereits 1982 erfolgreich in Jamaika erschienen und ist hier neben dem Original auch in der Dubversion zu hören, und wurde später von Collie Buddz in "Hustle" (2001) und von Mr. Vegas' "Mus Come A Road" (2008) gesampled. Als weitere klassische Reggae Riddims wurden identifiziert "Skylarking" ( Song"Good Loving"), Pressure And Slide (Song "Please Jah Jah") und "Boops" (Song "Rip & Run Off").
Eclectic graffiti artist, DJ and producer Dj Marrrtin unveils his new album opus "Cyclothymix".
Following the success of his album "La Pie Bavarde", a duet with Tino, mc from Dayton, U.S.A., Marrrtin delivers a moody, intense, indeed psycho-musicographic psychomusicographic. He promises us a finely mixed set, at the heart of his inspirations: Hip Hop, Funk, Sound Illustration, Jazz...
Opening with "Awakening", straight out of a Dilla beat tape, followed by the Brazilian with the very Brazilian "Estrellas", an up-tempo theme sublimated by the gentle voice of Carla Vallet, who also infuses her suave voice on the track "Darjeeling", a bewitching call to let go. In his global wanderings, he takes us to New York with the track "L.O.V.E."an ode to love, featuring the Temple's guardian, A.G. of the mythical collective DITC and his protégée Hii Siddity, from the duo The Girll Codee. "Taraxacum" plunges us into a languorous atmosphere, sublimated by sublimated by the flute of Antoine Laloux from The Selenites Band. Then comes "Ben", a boom bap - melancholy jazz production, where the grain of vinyl mingles with the roughness of the Akai S950 sampler. Marrrtin's musical drifting and whirling is a tribute to breakdance culture to breakdance and hiphop culture with "Inspiration Medley", a nod to anthems such as SWAT, backed by the keyboards of his Funky Bijou teammate, Deheb. A duo whose famous classics are played for the biggest world Breakdance Battles. Sample culture, drum breaks, Abstract Hip Hop, for the tracks "True" and "Time for Love", in which a guru preaches pan-love in the time of the Apocalypse. "Indian Groove", an Indian echo of Marrrtin's many travels, which leaves us and saturates us with dopamine. "Cosmic Consciousness Without Transition", in the spirit of a mood-changing we plunge into the strange, scandalized prescription, guardian of the garden of love.
To close this essential album, "Headhunter", a dark Jazz Funk track with dusty soundtrack tinges, brings us to a close.
of dusty seventies soundtrack, with saturated clavinet responding to obsessive
melodies of Medline's flute.
Ultimately, "Cyclothymix" is conceived by Marrrtin as a mirror to our changing moodsand seasons.
2023 Reissue
Berlin based HipHop producer S. Fidelity presents his sophomore and full packaged concept album “Fidelity Radio Club” via Jakarta Records.
Four years after his Jakarta Records debut “A Safe Place to Be Naked” S. Fidelity has matured as a producer and as an artist: working and recording in London, Los Angeles, Paris and Johannesburg while building up his Manolo Purple Studios in Berlin with longtime collaborator, labelmate and soul brother Bluestaeb.
In 2021 S. Fidelity finally returns to the main program with his brand new solo album “Fidelity Radio Club” shaped in form of a genre crossing radio show exploring HipHop, R&B, Jazz, House and Funk in all their depths, creating the multi-layered album he always dreamt to do as he orchestrates a stoking line-up of equally talented friends and fellows like Bluestaeb, Melodiesinfonie, Suff Daddy, K, Le Maestro, Àbáse and many more while still delivering that very personal note every classic producer album needs and comes with. Or as the artist himself would put it: “17 different artists, producers and instrumentalists from all over the world helped me to bring this vision to life.”
According to that the albums 1st single features Singer NDO from Florida, giving life to the hard hitting R&B gem “Mixed Signals” where warm neo soul harmonies meet with classic R&B vibes of early 2000. The song made it to Spotify’s Butter Playlist right away and was picked for Deezer’s “Date Night” Playlist and Apple Music’s New Music Daily as well and received shout outs and further Playlist-placements by music blogs like Stereofox or MOW Mag.
The 2nd single comes as a double single featuring pianist, producer and main protagonist of Berlin’s prog-jazz scene Àbáse on “Me At The Zoo” (reminding its listeners of London’s new wave of jazz around Kamaal Williams or Yussef Dayes) on one side and the energetic, funk influenced disco tune “Something Good” on the other side.
The 3rd and final single “Love International Inc.” then comes with a bumpy up tempo drum beat, which develops into an energetic and jazzy lo-fi house/deep house loop, featuring none other than Zürich’s finest Melodiesinfonie as well as Paris-based Bluestaeb, marking this supergroup’s 2nd appearance and giving a glimpse of what’s yet to come.
Each of the album’s single cuts comes with a visual treatment by HipHop’s favorite photographer Robert Winter and his team (The Ottos), matching sound and artwork accordingly while the record’s amazing and unique artwork comes from the Swiss based creative studio HOMI. The record itself contains a sticker sheet with customized S. Fidelity and “Fidelity Radio Club” stickers as well.
The whole album campaign is further accompanied by the Fidelity Radio Show hosted by S. Fidelity himself, sitting down with his featured guests talking about the music they love and they draw inspiration from – broadcasted via S. Fidelity’s own youtube channel releasing its episodes in between the album’s single drops.
Ova Doce self-released a highly sought after EP in 1992 called ‘Feel The Rush’ which he used the money that his parents gave him for his 18th birthday to fund. His Dad hated rave music, so to annoy him, Nathan AKA Ova Doce sampled Bob Dylan in one of the tracks. Surprisingly his Dad quite liked it and was intrigued by his sons work. Fast forward 28 years and that track, along with others from the EP and some unreleased tracks written in 1992 were put out on Vinyl Fanatiks.
Amen Brother is the young brother of Vinyl Fanatiks and its ethos is to put our brand new hardcore, rave and jungle tunes by original artists from that era (though this USP is changing in 2022). Ova Doce has arrived on label brining his authentic Walsall rave sound with him, creating 4 brand new tracks, though a few are actually sketches created back in the 90’s that he recently finished off.
Think Acen, think pitched up chipmonk vocals, think being off ya ‘ead in a field raving ya tits off! Now check this EP and feel the rush!
Yellow Tape 2 is the follow-up to Key Glock's 2020 debut album, Yellow Tape, and like it's predecessor, remains distinctly featureless. The album showcases Glock, at times alongside his alter ego, Glizock, floating over trap-heavy production with the authentic tone his fans have come to know. Featuring the singles, "Toolie," "Ambition for Cash," & "Da Truth," the album sees production from Tay Keith, Juicy J, Sosa 808, Budda Bless and more.
Limited Edition Vinyl (Hand stamped. Comes in a transparent PVC sleeve with Riso printed paper strip. contains download code)
Making a threateningly potent debut on Osàre! Editions as The Spy, Wessel Janssen combines classic boot-stomping techno with cybernetic groove, jittery IDM and sinister electro. Crackling, liquid synth, as slick on oil on water, channels the potency of club dancefloors through a gripping conceptual underpinning. Capturing fugitives on the run from a mysterious axis power, the mini LP is an action-packed adrenaline buzz.
Launching off with 'Cobra,' the momentous opening track sets the steely tone of the record. ‘Time to Strike’ stabs with polymorphic, stuttering beats, while 'Never Again' wields the high-drama of an urgent getaway. Screeching like a security system gone haywire, 'Cigarette' is set ablaze by J.C.'s monstrous vocals.
Think The Matrix, Mission Impossible and 007, but for dark, pounding basements devoid of time.
Señor Sapo is a character created based on the Mesoamerican deity Quetzalcoatl:
while capturing Sr. Sapo atop The Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan
in The Valley of Mexico; dawn…
Augie Robles (the photographer) spotted an elementary school class of around 25 children with two teachers suddenly appear scaling the momentous stair case behind our subject!
They shouted;
“Sr. Sapo! Sr. Sapo!”
the name has stuck! they wanted to have their pictures taken with Sr. Sapo? however; they did not want to touch him as they thought his skin might be “viscoso” or “slimy”?
“Q’uq’umatz” (as it is known amongst the K’iche’ Maya) goes back to the Olmec culture and represents the duality of flight to reach the skies; whereas the reptilian (in most cases a snake) represents the ability to mingle amongst other creatures of the Earth;
Among the Aztecs he was related to the gods of wind; of the dawn; of merchants and arts; crafts; knowledge and the planet Venus: as well as their patron god of the priesthood…
THE FUTURE S0UND 0f YESTERDAY is as well a construct of the imagination; a fictitious “orchestra” with many imaginary characters; KENT CHESTERFiElD; LEE NAilZ; PHATTITUDE; EPiPHANY TALEUR; ThE ClARKETTES (they actually exist in the “real” world)…
The titles:
“0de to A Tree”;
is the culmination of a night out in Berlin; “…met a young man in a bar close to the “atelier”; he said he wanted to play something on a piano; we go to the place and he plays this melody over a rhythm though not in rhythm?
…basically edited none of it; then used a series of tone generators and filters to change the sound into all the soundscapes you hear in the final piece; the title was simply a tribute to the trees…” Eric D. Clark
“is it good for Ya’?”;
is a slow pumping House song with a message in the form of a question; “is it good for you?” as in “I could do it; however; should I? you know; look in a mirror and ask the question”…
the Music came about as an experiment at NADEL EiNS Studio in Berlin; Heavy bass at around 116bpm plus Erix’s cheeky vocal stylings weaving in & out of frame (as well key) deliver a unique aural experience!
the final track:
“Elsewhere playback”
is literally the playback of a track Eric did under the guise of KENT CHESTERFIELD for a party series he did in Sacramento CA with AJ Sachs…
it’s really just a tool; the good thing is you can drop -8 (or -16 assuming your tables are tuned) to bring it to a tempo one could easily rap over OR push it up to +8 and have a dry Tech number? Either way it BANGS! Dub Plates & Mastering did a swell job!!
overall a must for any Dance Music aficionado’s collection out on October 10th on SHADDOCK RECORDS !
"Der aus Belém do Para im Norden des Landes stammende Ary Lobo war bereit, seinen Wahlkampf im Süden des Landes zu beginnen und machte sich im Oktober 1955 auf den Weg nach Rio de Janeiro. Dort stieß er auf die üblichen Vorurteile des Südens gegenüber Sängern aus dem Norden, und erst nachdem er Gadé, einen angesehenen Pianisten, kennen gelernt hatte, konnte er sich ein Vorsingen bei Rádio Mauá sichern. Doch diese Chance hätte sich beinahe in eine Katastrophe verwandelt, da er in einem so schwachen Zustand zu dieser Sitzung erschien, dass er nicht auftreten konnte. Die unzureichende und unregelmäßige Ernährung hatte seine Atmung beeinträchtigt, so dass es unmöglich war, seiner Stimme die nötige Kraft zu verleihen. Glücklicherweise wurde das Vorsingen verschoben, und bei seinem zweiten Versuch konnte er sich einen Fünfmonatsvertrag mit dem Sender sichern, wo er als Samba-Sänger bekannt wurde. Als sein Ruf wuchs, wurde er bei RCA unter Vertrag genommen im Juni 1956." Die Musikszene in Rio wurde auf den Newcomer aufmerksam, der die Persönlichkeit eines nordöstlichen Sängers mit tiefen Wurzeln im afro-brasilianischen Erbe pflegte. Er begann das neue Jahrzehnt mit dem Album "Aqui mora o ritmo" (Hier lebt der Rhythmus), das 1960 veröffentlicht wurde und von vielen als sein bestes Werk bezeichnet wird. Wie so viele Genres erlebte auch der Forró seine Blütezeit, aber Ende der 1960er Jahre begann seine Popularität zu schwinden, und Ary Lobo war gezwungen, auf der Suche nach Arbeitsmöglichkeiten von einer Stadt in die andere zu ziehen. Schließlich kam er nach Fortaleza, wo er bis zu seinem Tod im Jahr 1980 lebte. Unter den Sängern und Songschreibern, die in den 1950er Jahren aus Pará hervorgingen, erlangte Ary Lobo einen für seine Zeit einzigartigen nationalen Ruhm.
Sourced from the Original Master Tapes and Presented in Audiophile Sound for the First Time: Mobile Fidelity’s Numbered-Edition 180g SuperVinyl LP Plays with Riveting Detail
Three decades before he released The Philosophy of Modern Song — an insightful book devoted to 66 tunes that both impacted his career and the music world at large — Bob Dylan issued Good As I Been to You. The under-heralded 1992 album, Dylan’s first solo acoustic album in nearly 30 years and first all-covers effort in nearly 20 years, can be seen as a prophetic prelude to what has become the Nobel Laureate’s celebrated late-career arc. It’s also an absorbing continuation of the custom Dylan has embraced since he first picked up a guitar.
Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at RTI, and housed in a Stoughton jacket, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g SuperVinyl LP of Good As I Been to You reveals the immediacy, detail, and stripped-down nature of recording sessions that took place in Dylan’s garage studio in California. Simple, raw, and unplugged, the record presents Dylan in peak form — and showcases a diversity of vocal phrasing, soulful chording, harmonica accents, and close-up ambience that on this reissue emerge like never before. As the first-ever audiophile edition of this almost-lost classic, this LP also benefits from SuperVinyl’s extraordinary properties: a nearly inaudible noise floor, superb groove definition, and dead-quiet surfaces among them.
Recorded and mixed by Micajah Ryan, and supervised by Debbie Gold, Good As I Been to You took shape at Dylan’s home shortly after the singer-songwriter completed sessions in Chicago with a full band. Unaccompanied, he again gravitated to existing works — in this case, traditional folk music — and, with Gold serving as a trusted advisor, performed the songs in multiple keys and tempos until he arrived at what he desired. That careful, determined albeit loose, organic approach emanates from this reissue, on which each note, movement, and space come across more directly, fully, and immediately than on the original formats. It helps draw a through-line to Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964) as well as the similarly themed follow-up, World Gone Wrong (1993) and immersive old-world storytelling of Tempest (2012) and Rough and Rowdy Ways (2020).
Well before Dylan made those renowned 21st century LPs, however, he needed to find a way out of a funk that — save for his 1989 collaboration with Daniel Lanois, Oh Mercy — followed him for years. As author Clinton Heylin reported Dylan admitting in 1997: “My influences have not changed — and any time they have done, the music goes off to a wrong place. That’s why I recorded two LPs of old songs, so I could personally get back to the music that’s true for me.”
Truth: Few, if any, concepts better encapsulate Good As I Been to You. It resonates with the same originality, honesty, resolve, and age- and time-defying relevance as the seminal Anthology of American Folk Music that fired Dylan’s imagination as a kid in small-town Minnesota and, later, per Greil Marcus’ That Old Weird America book, informed Dylan and the Band’s Basement Tapes sessions. This record also contains the type of music Dylan was playing during his acoustic sets at his period Never Ending Tour shows; within a year of the record’s release, Dylan would play half the album’s songs live.
As for those songs: Rife with strange mystery, common circumstance, and epic adventure, the stories appeal to our base instincts. Their themes — jealousy, temptation, sacrifice, love, revenge, identity, opportunity — operate on a fundamentally human level immune to trends, generations, or eras. They’re ancient and modern, serious and comical, open and disguised, simple and multi-layered. They talk of vengeance and justice (“Frankie & Albert”; “Jim Jones”), romance and tenderness (“Tomorrow Night,” “Froggie Went a Courtin’”), the troubled and trouble-free (“Hard Times,” “Sittin’ on Top of the World”). They lend voice to lovers scorned and freed (“Blackjack Davey”), the used and users (“Diamond Joe”), the powerful and powerless (“Arthur McBride,” “Canadee-I-O”), the followed and followers (“Little Maggie”). And akin to much of Dylan’s finest output, things are not always what they appear to be.
Spanning country, folk, sea shanty, bluegrass, and blues motifs, Good As I Been to You re-confirms Dylan’s position as an elite interpreter and sculptor — not of just structure but emotion. Dylan delivers the tunes as if he’s known them forever. He plays with a subtle sense of mischievousness and retains a largely upbeat demeanour; his eyes seemingly twinkle as he sings and picks. His guitar serves as the guidepost for shuffles, boogies, ballads, and mess-arounds while his innate feel for each specific arrangement and melody helps inform pacing, tone, attack.
Like a great author, he understands the importance of adhering to concision, luring an audience, holding their attention, and maximizing the impact of details, actions, and unexpected turns. Though already coarse and ragged, his voice feels ideal for the subject matter and his phrasing — from the clever ways he stretches syllables to underline meanings on the surprise twists of “Canadee-I-O” to the sheer delight he gets from singing “rowdy-dow-dow” on the protest song “Arthur McBride” — outstanding.
Provocative percussion from the jazz trio Zen Widow!
Recorded live to 2-track analogue tape at Capitol Studios (CAP A)
Produced by Tone Poet's Joe Harley, recorded by Mike Ross
100% analogue mastering* by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
Pressed on 180-gram ultra-quiet vinyl at RTI
Deluxe Old Style Tip-On single pocket gatefold jacket by Stoughton Printing
*Track 8 finished from high-resolution digital for vocal track
Intervention Records presents a special collaborative distribution effort with Italian objet-a records, Zen Widow IV – (from one dark age to another). This AAA 180G vinyl release is the fourth recording of Zen Widow, and it places an emphasis on highly melodic, spacious, and engaging treatments of medieval compositions ranging from Gesualdo Da Venosa, the Burana and Chantilly Codex, Welsh Gower folk melodies and texts, as well as the Bach Cello suites. These rich compositions are then reimagined through the lens of a highly accomplished and adventuresome jazz-improvised music trio.
Zen Widow is an international improvisational music-jazz super group. They have recorded and performed in clubs and festivals throughout the United States and Europe for that last 20 years. The trio consists of Gianni Gebbia (Bb soprano saxophone – cornettophone ) from Sicily, Italy, Matthew Goodheart (grand piano – transducer-actuated gong) from New York, Garth Powell (drums, percussion, and gongs) from Los Angeles, and is joined by special guest Dwight Trible (vocals) for this recording. Their previous release featured trumpet and jazz master Wadada Leo Smith, and like this recording was produced by Joe Harley (Blue Note – Tone Poet Series, Charles Lloyd, and Music Matters Jazz).
Garth Powell is also an audio industry legend, and AudioQuest’s Sr. Director of Engineering. Garth is the driving force behind the company’s multi award-winning line of Niagara series power conditioners and its Mythical Creatures ultra high-performance cables.
As powerful as these performances are, the sonic results created by this production/engineering team is equally stunning – a truly reference quality analogue experience.
This recording is captured live-to-two-track analogue, 30ips tape at Capitol Studios (studio “A”) by Mike Ross and Steve Genewick. 7 of the 8 tracks are AAA, while the last track alone is finished high-res digital to accommodate the vocal track. Mastering and lacquers cut by Kevin Gray at CoHEARent Audio, with 180-gram pressings by RTI (Camarillo, California).
The single-gatefold jacket is a deluxe Old Style “tip-on” from Stoughton, designed by Intervention’s longtime Art Director Tom Vadakan.
Indie darlings Peaness are aiming high once again with charming, harmony-driven pop perfection in the form of two original Christmas classics this festive season. Both songs “Kiss Me Sweet Pea” and “Sad Season” will be released on their own label Totally Snick Records.
Lead single “Kiss Me Sweet Pea” is an unapologetic pop-produced single embracing many of the Christmas cliches - including sleigh bells, a key change, and a nod to the classic Noddy Holder scream. B side and second single “Sad Season” follows a more sombre style with its stripped-back jazz standard approach to production and songwriting, which gives a more intimate piece of work from what we’ve come to expect from Peaness, with front person Jess Branney featuring alongside a piano and a string arrangement.
Renauds schönste Lieder in bisher unveröffentlichten Versionen von den Streichern eines doppelten weiblichen Streichquartetts. Ein Album, das uns die melodische Kraft seiner seiner größten Hits neu entdecken lässt.
In kraftvollen, zeitgenössischen Arrangements, die eine intensive und bewegende Interpretation der schönsten Lieder des ikonischen Künstlers darstellen, entfaltet sich die volle Pracht seiner Kunst.
Giovanni Di Domenico has now achieved a personal and unmistakable style within contemporary minimalism. His music always expresses a state of concentration, of recollection and contemplation toward a focal node. Repetition is experienced as alchemical state, as truth contained in the small nuances of change, in a crescendo that never reaches a climax. The atmosphere is intuition and is made up of a few compositional touches. To compose is to make synthesis, to unearth purity, simplicity and exactness. This new work for solo piano is almost an imaginary novel…the notes seem to tell of deserted streets, lonely walks in the night or runs down stairs. In this sense the musician is the writer of silence and the fleeting moment. And so, amid slow chords like Chopin or Satie, moods oscillate between brio and allegro, evoking the lightness of love, greater sadness and melancholy, as well as more restless and agitated ostinatos, the product of a more cathartic worldview.
For the better part of the last 15 years, the duo of Max Dameron (guit/vox) and Sam Ford (drums/vox) have been too weird and too wild for this lame-ass planet. After enjoying vagabond stints living in Portland, Los Angeles, and Brooklyn, they now call Detroit home. Here they rebuild, out of the scraps and wreckage of the 21st century, something which casts aside any rules or adherence to banal tropes. Specializing in the unexpected, Max and Sam have wrought an individual sound that’s as much post-Melvins sludge punk as it is futurist prog metal. Their forthcoming self-titled debut, recorded in 2022 at High-Bias in Detroit, puts on display the fruits of their metamorphosis. From the soaring triumphal fuzz of “Uncanny Valley” or the sweep and thrust of “House of Butterflies” their craft is precise, they’re just making up their own shapes to sculpt. Times change and artists mature: now under the name PSYCHIC TRASH, Ford and Dameron come to Riding Easy Records as veterans turning a fresh page, reinvigorated at the prospect of forging a new path and the beneficiaries of about a decade and a half’s slog through the underground. Psychic Trash’s self-titled debut is unmistakably uncompromising, a little theatrical, intermittently manic, and deceptively broad in style for just how much punk rests beneath.
"As his Double Platinum-certified album True Believers celebrates the 10-year anniversary of its release, Darius Rucker will now make the record available on vinyl for the first time.
In addition to singles including the title track and Top 10 hit “Radio,” the album most notable features Rucker’s Diamond-certified (11x Platinum) chart-topper “Wagon Wheel,” one of the top five best-selling Country songs of all time. “This album changed so much for me musically and for our live show,” says the three-time GRAMMY winner. “As a kid who worked as a clerk in a record store, there’s a part of me that has always wanted this album to live on vinyl, so this is a great way to commemorate 10 years of Believers.”"
Recorded August, 1965, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Original LP issue: OKTAV – OKLP 111
Sahib Shihab (Edmund Gregory) played with many of jazz’s finest musicians. Shortly after he became one of the first jazz players to change their names due to an Islamic conversion, he joined Thelonious Monk for his Blue Note sessions. He also played with Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Pettiforn and Quincy Jones. A unique musician, he was at home in every musical style, from the experimentalism of Thelonious Monk to the more direct hard bop of Art Blakey. Sahib Shihab’s distinctive sound was rooted in his modernist compositions and arrangements, complemented by an intense, soulful playing style.
In 1959 he toured Europe with Quincy Jones after getting fed up with racial politics in USA and ultimately settled in Scandinavia. He worked for Copenhagen Polytechnic and wrote scores for television, cinema and theatre. He remained there until 1973. During this period, he recorded several albums as leader for European labels such as Vogue, Storyville and Futura.
In 1961 he joined The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band and remained a key figure in the band for the 12 years it ran. He married a Danish lady and raised a family in Europe, although he remained a conscious African-American still sensitive to racial issues.
This record, on the Danish Oktav label, his second as a leader and also his rarest is a true masterpiece !!!
From Serge Gainsbourg to Barbara, From Edith Piaf to George Brassens, all the classics of French singers are included in this very nice 3LP boxset.
Re-release Soul entwickelte sich gegen Ende der 1950er Jahre aus Rhythm"n"Blues, Gospel, Blues und Jazz. Im folgenden Jahrzehnt war Soul ein Synonym für schwarze Popmusik. Kennzeichnend dafür waren vor allem die Produktionen von Motown Records, zum Beispiel Diana Ross & The Supremes oder Sam Cooke. Seither sind herzergreifender Gesang und groovige Vibes die größten Stilmerkmale des Soul. Zu den weiteren Ikonen des Soul gehören Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Barry White, Sam Cooke, Al Green und viele mehr. Deren Erfolg ist eng mit dem Kampf der US-amerikanischen Bürgerrechtsbewegung gegen Rassentrennung und für Gleichberechtigung verbunden. 1969 benannte man die Rhythm"n"Blues- in Soul-Charts um. Der Soul-Orkan, der während der Sechziger in den Charts tobte, ebbte jedoch wieder ab, kam aber runderneuert in den 70ern als Phillysound wieder zu erneuten Hitparadenehren. 1982 änderte man die Chart-Bezeichnung von Soul in Black Music. Die vorliegende Kompilation vereint die legendären Stimmen des Soul mit ihren unvergesslichen Hits.
NOW Music is proud to announce NOW Presents…Disco, a stunning 5LP boxset featuring 80 of the greatest Disco classics ever!
Kicking off with the genre defining #1 from Donna Summer ‘I Feel Love’ followed by Earth, Wind & Fire with The Emotions and their timeless hit ‘Boogie Wonderland’, this boxset features the most enduring tracks from dance-floor legends, including Chic, Sister Sledge, Gloria Gaynor, Village People, and Grace Jones - together with Saturday Night Fever gems - ‘Disco Inferno’, ‘More Than A Woman’, and ‘If I Can't Have You’.
LP 2 opens with Amii Stewart’s stunning version of ‘Knock On Wood’, followed by Candi Staton’s ‘Young Hearts Run Free’ and Chaka Khan’s hugely successful debut solo single ‘I'm Every Woman’. Other massive debuts include ‘Boogie Oogie Oogie’ from A Taste Of Honey, Alicia Bridges’ ‘I Love The Nightlife (Disco 'Round)’, and Cheryl Lynn’s ‘Got To Be Real’. Up next is the often-covered ‘Lady Marmalade’ together with Diana Ross’ ‘Love Hangover’ which lead into #1s from Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, (‘December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)’), Tina Charles (‘I Love To Love’), Odyssey (‘Use It Up And Wear It Out’) and Irene Cara (‘Fame’).
LP 3 Side A is packed with groovy and romantic chart-toppers from Elton John (‘Are You Ready For Love’), George McCrae (‘Rock Your Baby’), Barry White (‘You're The First, The Last, My Everything’), and The Spinners with their ‘Working My Way Back To You / Forgive Me, Girl’ medley. Flipping over to the other side, we have the timeless smash from Baccara ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’, Boney M. with ‘Daddy Cool’, and Village People’s ‘In The Navy’. Viola Wills’ Hi-NRG cover of ‘Gonna Get Along Without You Now’ and Gloria Gaynor’s ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ bring LP 3 to a close.
Lipps Inc., Kool & The Gang, Frantique, and KC & The Sunshine Band keep the dance-floor energy levels high on LP 4 with ‘Funkytown’, ‘Ladies Night’, ‘Strut Your Funky Stuff’, and ‘That's The Way (I Like It)’. The disco-mania of the late-70s also saluted the late-70s craze for Space themed movies & tv with early Electro-pop-dance, and included here from Space and Dee D. Jackson, before Sarah Brightman’s debut with Hot Gossip, ‘I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper’, and Meco’s remake of the ‘Star Wars Theme / Cantina Band’ as a dance-floor classic… Giorgio Moroder productions for Sparks with ‘Beat The Clock’ and The Three Degrees with ‘Givin’ Up Givin’ In’ lead the side to a close with ‘Souvenirs’ from Voyage.
LP 5 is filled with truly monster sized dancefloor-fillers, beginning with a run of Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards productions: ‘Le Freak’, ‘We Are Family’, ‘Spacer’ and ‘Upside Down’ from Diana Ross. It wouldn’t be a Disco album without Earth, Wind & Fire’s ‘September’, the Bee Gees-written ‘Nights On Broadway’ covered by Candi Staton, and the Grammy award-winning ‘Best Of My Love’ from The Emotions, before another hit cover from Amii Stewart, ‘Light My Fire’. Side B features some fabulous European Disco, including Belle Epoque and Amanda Lear, and signature hits from Patsy Gallant and Vicki Sue Robinson before drawing to a close with Rose Royce’s celebrated ‘Car Wash’, and Cher’s biggest disco hit ‘Take Me Home’ – and the last dance is left to Thelma Houston with her defining anthem ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’.
NOW Presents…Disco – the perfect collection and collector’s item for every 70s Disco lover.
Boris Divider presents a new original release with this 3 tracker ep. New refreshing stu for the Drivecom’s catalogue after the more experimental electro works from the “Generative Operations” series, and after the limited 20th anniversary reissues of “Ultralink” and “Take My Beat”.
Now it’s time to hear and feel “Your Light”. A special work that brings back the puristic electro vibe from the early works on Drivecom but with a new sonic spectrum and powerful sound production. Repetitive and syncopated synthlines as Divider’s ID signature, powerful rhythm patterns and an exclusive and unique vocoder treatment that build-up the original track to open the A side. Meanwhile A2 track “Your Light” (The Variant Version) is a slowed and darker deep version that will remind us some kind of an aseptic and much more minimalistic sound design with some similar soundscapes and echoes of the earlier Arpanet’s stu. In the other side, “Your Light” (The Infrared Version) is a ready-for-the-‑oor soundtrack with more aggressive FM synth modulations and characteristic pitch-shifted voice, a track that keep the essence of the original title but balances the release into a more solid club-oriented tool.
About the message behind this track. The lyrics represent a desire from an entity who wants to know the deal about the deepest wishes and ever growing curiosity of mankind and their dierent proles, and with such statement the entity wants to feel what are we made of and shows to the audience if they really understand what scientic evolution means for their own, the human race, with all the pros and cons, an always double-sided sword taking the light as a pure and indomable source of energy. This message is also re‑ected in a special Video clip you’ll nd soon on Drivecom’s YouTube channel as a bonus promotional material.
A great balanced 12” Ep which serves as an introduction for what we’ll have in the near future: “Memories from the Dust”.
A long awaited new B. Divider’s album on Drivecom records.
Flying Wig is an album of recurrent dualities; a can of paradoxes, a box of worms. The redwood and pine-surrounded cabin studio where Banhart was “constantly listening to The Grateful Dead” somehow birthed something slick, modernist, city pop-adjacent and Eno-esque. Banhart's eleventh record, it's the actualisation of a “precious friendship” with the acclaimed solo artist, multi-instrumentalist, producer and Mexican Summer stable-mate Cate Le Bon — a coming together prophesied by the mirror-image titles of their early solo albums (Banhart’s 2002 Oh Me Oh My to Le Bon’s 2009 Me Oh My) and a tenderness built on crude haircuts (“we finally met, soon after she was cutting my hair with a fork and that was that”) and home-made tattoos — but never previously translated into the recording studio. “It’s about transmuting despair into gratitude, wounds into forgiveness, and grief into praise,” - the product of a ritualistic creative practice that melts down and re-casts as it mulls, the stuff of sadness beautified as it changes shape — culminating in a record that “sounds like getting a very melancholic massage, or weeping, but in a really nice outfit… if I’m going to cry, I wanna do it in my best dress.”
repressed !
Brothers Hom Yu and Jiun Chi returned to Taipei in 2017 after finishing their studies. Since then they began to explore their mutual obsession for Taiwanese occult-inspired art and vintage superstitious imagery, channelling it through music. Mong Tong means many things in Chinese, but the translation they choose to fit their music is “the east-side of dreams”.
Growing up in Taiwan in the 90’s, the brothers listen to 電子琴音樂 which they describe as “relaxing Chinese synth pop” along with video game soundtracks, psychedelic music, doom metal and sound collage/library music. On “Mystery秘神” these inspirations combine with the dark humour of Taiwanese folklore and a love of conspiracy theories to form what they describe as “a psychedelic journey to the east.”
Album Description
Recorded in their home studio in Taipei, “Mystery 秘神” is a psychedelic journey into Taiwanese folklore combined with the 80’s media obsession with the supernatural. It’s a record that manages to combine nostalgia and tradition with humour and an underlying intrinsic earthiness to create something unlike anything else out there.
A blistering advancement of the knife-sharp hooks and urgently efficient post-punk structures that they’ve spent over a decade refining since their formation in 2011, the band’s fourth album – and second on Specialist Subject - emerges from a period of flux for the band’s chief songwriting partnership of Emma Wigham (drums/vocals) and Mark Jasper (guitar/vocals). First came a move north to Yorkshire from their native London. “We had decorated a tiny, rented house in Mytholmroyd” Jasper explains. “We setup a practice room in the top of a mill nearby and tried to write music, which we did amid stress about money, and a fear of having made the wrong decision. We had left our jobs, friends and a nice but absolutely tiny flat in London behind, and moved to a small village in West Yorkshire.” Although they found the location to be beautiful, the transition from city life to rural turned out to be an odd fit – too much so, it turned out. From this relatively short stay in West Yorkshire, however, came a more permanent change as the couple welcomed their first child Ivy into the family. Although, they’re hesitant to put too much of Streams and Waterways influence on the shoulders of their young daughter – she arrived a year and a half into the album’s conception – there’s no denying that its themes of loss, birth, and being part of this eternal, momentary life were brought into sharp focus following their new arrival. “Streams and Waterways is about the struggle of looking at the clock, realising it’s actually going pretty damn fast and knowing that really you have no control over anything” Jasper confirms. Perhaps that explains the way that opener The Valley doesn’t even introduce itself before careering into a full-throttled, three-minute scuzzy rager that would approach the descriptor anthemic had it not been kicked and scuffed along the way; it’s maybe why the wiry, ferocious Choice You Make feels like a charge into a storm despite the uncertainty of what you might find. It’s perhaps why even when Witching Waves allow themselves respite on the pared down Open A Hole, there’s a churning anxiety that lies below the acoustic guitar and harmonising vocals: in many ways musically and thematically Witching Waves are relinquishing the control that’s always been a fixture of their music – with all the thrilling and nervous fallout that comes from that. Although the pair have since returned south (having relocated to Exeter), Streams and Waterways also serves as a document of their foray northwards. The surviving artefact from Jasper’s never-to-be-finished studio that he’d began to build in Yorkshire – following the ending of his London-based Sound Savers studio – the record is also the first to feature current bassist Will Fitzpatrick, who joined initially live on their support tour with Australian punks Camp Cope. Fitzpatrick – a key component of Liverpool’s DIY scene for two decades – quickly became a key part of the writing process. Recording sessions were done during periods of lockdown that allowed congregation, Jasper recalling a still unborn Ivy kicking hard during an early mix playback of It’s A Shame’s layered noise rock assault. “The song was about my past, a much harder time. But my future was egging me on” he says. It’s a neat summation of Streams and Waterways and its representation of the discomfort of life amidst the compulsion to ride on its journey regardless. It’s a record that finds Witching Waves looking into the future more than ever before, but still bristles with the rush of being in the moment – because ultimately, despite what may have happened or may yet come, the band’s strongest trait remains being able to keep you feeling in the present.
Over the top and pummelling return from QUARANTINE. No change in intensity or drive offering another tastefully brief and intense blast that bores holes into the earth's crust with steel drillbits sharpened on the FUs, YDI, OUTO, GBH, and a healthy dose of the jester's grin. Absolute powerhouse of musical talent featuring an unequivocally ferocious rhythm section driving seriously gnarly guitars and twisted vocals at speeds that would make most people pass out. This is pure hc
LP reissue of Collective Calls, the first duo LP from Evan Parker and percussionist Paul Lytton. Mythically alluded to as ‘An Improvised Urban Psychodrama In Eight Parts”, Collective Calls utilises electronics, pre-records and homemade instruments to wryly in/act self investigation. Having just recorded the cliff jumping Music Improvisation Company with Derek Bailey, Christine Jeffrey, Hugh Davies and Jamie Muir, Parker was at the point where he was thinking, ‘what’s the next thing?’ On Collective Calls, only the 5th release to appear on the newly minted Incus label, percussionist Paul Lytton arrives with an arsenal of sound making sources to push Parker into ever new territory. Recorded in the loft of The Standard Essenco Co on Southwark Street by Bob Woolford (Topography of the Lungs, AMM The Crypt), Collective Calls has more in common with noise or music concrete than with jazz; sitting comfortably alongside Italian messrs Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza or the husband-wife duo of Anima Sound. According to Martin Davidson, it was a Folkways record that Lytton was obsessed with around the time of this release - Sounds of the Junkyard - its track titles like “Steel Saw Cutting Channel Iron in Two Places” working to give you a good idea of the atmosphere of Collective Calls. Paul Lytton had encountered the use of electronics in music in 1968 when he was invited to play drums on the recording of An Electric Storm by White Noise (along with David Vorhaus, Delia Derbyshire and Brian Hodgson). He had seen Hugh Davies using contact mics in the Music Improvisation Company, and soon set about assembling a Dexion frame akin to drummer John Stevens’, except that his own was armed with several single-coil electric guitar pickups, long wires and strings with connected foot-pedals to modulate pitch. Influenced as much by Stockhausen, Cage and David Tudor as he was by Max Roach and Milford Graves, Lytton’s percussion is abstract, expressionist and at times totally mutant. Sometimes rolling extremely fast, then screeching almost backwards over feedback, Lytton gives Parker room to play some of his weirdest work. Parker is listed as performing both saxophones, but also his own home made assemblages, including one dubbed the ‘Dopplerphone’ - a length of soft rubber tubing (activated by a saxophone mouthpiece and manipulated to alter the rate of airflow) attached to a longer length of clear plastic tubing (whirled around the head whilst being played) ending in a plastic funnel. Thickening the brew even more, Parker would also add a cassette recorder, on which he would play back collected sounds and previous recordings of the duo. Imagining the set up in a 70s loft, it’s an assemblage more akin to what today's free ears might see at a Sholto Dobie show, spread out on the floor of the Hundred Years Gallery, the shadow of Penultimate Press lurking in the corner. It’s a testament to Parker’s shape shifting sound - the ever present link to birdsong being at its most warped here - terrifically free and unfussy, wild and loose from any of the dogma that might come in later Brit-prov years
The birth point of ecstasy in British music is usually credited to acid house and the second summer of love: a cemented vision of kids sweating and vibrating in clubs, fields and warehouses in 1988, united by universal empathy and mind-popping sounds. However, in 1981, a couple of young men from Leeds went to New York, discovered the drug in its infancy, fused its’ gritty synth pop to acid house’s squelchy 303 groove and recorded an album: Soft Cell’s Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. The rest, as they say, is history.
Shortly before that Soft Cell’s debut single Memorabilia was born. Originally recorded a decade before the explosion of acid house and rooted in predominantly black NYC, Chicago and Detroit gay clubs, Memorabilia is a seminal early prelude to rave culture. Merging a
strutting disco bass line with a futuristic proto acid-techno beat, Marc Almond has past described Memorabilia as “the first acid house techno record ever”.
Dave Ball remembers: “Memorabilia got to about number 99 in the charts, but the clubs picked up on it. In NME or Sounds they had a chart for the Danceteria in New York, and we were in it. Our label Phonogram saw this and thought: ‘why is this weird little duo from Leeds that no one’s heard of suddenly getting played in one of the hippest clubs in New York?’ So I think they thought: ‘we’ll give them another chance’.”
Berlin’s very own upcomers Wally Funk round off the remix package, upping the original tempo slightly, while combining elements the of original production with the later Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing version to create a new hybrid, best played extremely loud!
Orphax & PONI (person of no importance) is a collaboration between the two Dutch brothers, Sietse (Orphax) and Tjeerd (PONI) van Erve. Since their early years they share a broad interest in music, fed mostly from their fathers’ record collection, ranging from early blues to Pink Floyd or Beethoven. But also listening to Belgian radio channel Studio Brussels (which during the late 80s and early 90s was a common listening close to the borders between The Netherlands and Belgium), and the late night Dutch radio inspired them in exploring the rough edges of underground music.
An exploration that gave them a common interest in indie and noise rock, but soon enough both followed their own path in music. Tjeerd moving more into underground guitar music, whilst Sietse developed a wider interest in (experimental) electronic and contemporary music. Both as listeners, but also exploring their own interests as musicians.
Now many years later these musical paths cross again in this album Inheritance (with a slight imagination, a translation of their last name van Erve). An album where Tjeerd brings in his dark and noisy lo-fi guitar songs and Sietse brings in his drones and electro-acoustic composition styles.
The album opens with its longest track, “As Received”. This combination results in a slow developing drone, with the intensity and tension of a well build-up post-rock track, that slowly unfolds Tjeerd his guitar layers and vocals. The title of the song refers to one of the PONI projects, where Tjeerd would send rough recordings to befriended musicians who than would rework those recordings without any restrictions which then would be released side by side with the original rough recordings. A project which actually sparked the idea of this collaboration (and that can still be listened to on PONI’s bandcamp-page).
On the flip side of the record, three shorter works give more room for regular song structures. In “Sunburns” this results in slowcore with subdued vocals, melancholic guitars and nasty synth and organ drones. When Tjeerd wrote the basis for the song, he actually had been listening to a lot of Codeine and Bedhead. One does not need much fantasy to recognize the influences of these bands.
“The Tears Are Necessary” is build up around various broken up piano tracks accompanied by moody drones to develop a fragile song.
The album closes with “Lockdown”, opening with silence as a moment of contemplation after the previous work but then quickly develops in a playful song where improvised play on piano, guitar and modular synthesizer create a lo-fi gem that clearly shows that both brothers still haven’t lost their love for Sentridoh or Guided By Voices.
All together resulting in an album that is an ode to the love of music, experiment, and creativity and a celebration of brotherhood.
Milky Chance erzielten mit ihrem Debütalbum "Sadnecessary" einen bemerkenswerten Erfolg, der sie zu internationaler Anerkennung katapultierte. Der 2013 veröffentlichte Hit "Stolen Dance" wurde zu einem globalen Phänomen und zeigte ihre einzigartige Mischung aus Folk, Elektronik und Reggae-Einflüssen. Das Album war bei Kritikern und den frisch gebackenen Fans ein Erfolg, erreichte in mehreren Ländern Platinstatus und festigte den Status von Milky Chance als bahnbrechenden Act. Auch 10 Jahre später wirkt die Fähigkeit des Albums, eingängige Melodien, poetische Texte und innovative Produktionstechniken nahtlos miteinander zu verbinden, so frisch wie eh und je und macht deutlich, warum Milky Chance seither ein fester Bestandteil der Charts geblieben ist.
Die schwedische Metal-Band CORRODED veröffentlicht mit PLAGUE ihr sechstes Studioalbum, aus dem bereits 3 Singles ausgekoppelt wurden: 'Monster', 'The More Things Change' und 'Rain'. Auf den 2019er Vorgänger BITTER folgte eine ausgedehnte Europatour. Wie die meisten Bands traf sie die Pandemie hart, aber CORRODED stürzten sich in ein schwarzes Loch und nahmen PLAGUE auf. Sie kommentieren: 'Wir haben 5 'Kinder' ... jedes einzelne ist genauso wichtig wie die anderen ... aber dieses hier ist unser Liebeskind, unser ganz besonderer 'Spätzünder' oder 'Nachläufer', geboren aus der Angst und Langeweile der Pest ... bis auf das Mastering alles von uns selbst erledigt ... willkommen in der dunklen Seele von CORRODED ... genießen Sie die Fahrt.'
Drum To Death is a collection of 11 experiments by Peter Kernel and their favourite drummers. Throughout 2020-2023 Peter Kernel invited eleven of their most esteemed drummers to send them rhythms with which they composed these eleven tracks. Each song was written and dedicated to the inherent drummer as an ode of appreciation to the beat creator. These eleven songs come together as a unique collection of an odd collaboration based on appreciation for different styles and people, a microworld made of different feelings, patterns, colours, intentions and attitudes. The album features collaborations with Bernard Trontin (The Young Gods), Cosmic Neman (Zombie Zombie), Beatrice Graf, Domi Chansorn, Ema Matis, Tam Bor, Hugo Panzer, Julian Sartorius, Kevin Shea (Storm & Stress, Lydia Lunch), Simon Berz, Simone Aubert (Hyperculte, Massicot).
Boldy James returns with a new vinyl release, and this time around Boldy teams up with producer ChanHays on Prisoner Of Circumstance. This is Boldy at his best and continues his run of single-producer collaboration albums - Killing Nothing, Fair Exchange No Robbery, Mr. Ten08, Be That As It May and Indiana Jones - which began in May 2022. On Prisoner Of Circumstance, you can listen to the Detroit legend spit tales from the streets in his patented gritty bars on wax. Don’t miss out, this is a must cop for all the real hip hop heads out there!
Some of the earliest works by American composer Phill Niblock, including three never before released pieces: "Index" (1969), "Tenor," and "Boston III" (both from 1972). Until now, it's been impossible to encounter Niblock's compositions from earlier than the 1960s, a reality thankfully rectified by the long overdue publication of this Boston/Tenor/Index LP on Alga Marghen.
"Tenor" (1972) represents the first evolution of Niblock's musical thought towards the aesthetics of microtones, overtones, and drones which the composer would develop in following decades. The piece was recorded by the photographer Martin Bough on tenor saxophone and gradually dubbed back and forth by the composer in his New York studio. "Boston III" (1972) was recorded at the Intermedia Sound studio in Boston with Rhys Chatham (flute, voice), Martin Bough (tenor saxophone), and Gregory Reeve (viola, voice); the composer himself also contributed with his voice. The LP also includes "Index" (1969), an improvised sound performance by the composer himself. Guitar (both its body and strings), fingers and fingering fuse in a vehement action around which barely listenable sounds and resonances vibrate. Considering the extended pulsation as an organic blend of impulse, rhythm, drive, strength, vitality and passion, the end of this sole solo in Niblock's complete oeuvre is not defined by the fixed duration of the piece but as the consequence of the tiredness of the performer. The music changes according to the loudness of playback. The interaction of the upper harmonics changes especially, with much richer overtone patterns being produced at louder levels.
Toots Hibbert, Henry “Raleigh” Gordon and Nathaniel “Jerry” Mathias founded The Maytals in 1962. The Jamaican musicians became one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups and helped popularizing reggae music during the Sixties. Their 1968 single “Do The Reggay” was the first song to use the word “Reggae”, resulting in the Oxford English Dictionary crediting Toots and The Maytals in the etymology of the word “Reggae”.
Following their signing to Island Records in 1973 they recorded and released their fourth album From the Roots. The album was recorded with Leslie Kong and features some of The Maytals’ most explosive tunes, while their predilection for gospel is still audible.
From The Roots is available on black vinyl.
Dass PALE noch mal auf die Bühne zurückkehren, war nicht vorgesehen. Doch nach dem finalen Album "The Night, The Dawn And What Remains", mit dem sich die Aachener Band Ende 2022 selbst ein Denkmal setzte, ging es nicht anders... Am 02.03.2023 spielten PALE ihr letztes und größtes Konzert, in einem ausverkauften Gloria Theater in Köln. Über 900 Fans erlebten eine Nacht, die immer noch nachhallt. Ein Konzert, das man nicht vergessen kann. Dieser Abend, bei dem PALE von zahlreichen Künstler*innen auf der Bühne unterstützt wurden, musste für die Ewigkeit festgehalten werden. Am 08.12.2023 erscheint deshalb der (fast!) komplette Mitschnitt des Konzerts als 3fach-LP - "Bigger Than Live" ist das große Finale und der Schlussstrich unter PALE. Für Nächte wie diese wurde Musik erfunden.
"Smart Ass Black Boy: Redux" ist die zum 10-jährigen Jubiläum neu abgemischte und neu gemasterte Ausgabe des zweiten Studioalbums des Houstoner Rappers Fat Tony und des ersten Albums für Young One Records (einem frühen Partisan-Imprint).
"Smart Ass Black Boy" war eine der am meisten gefeierten Hip-Hop-Platten des Jahres 2013 und wurde schließlich zu einer der beliebtesten Houstoner Rap-Platten der 2010er Jahre. Das Album landete auf den Jahresendlisten von Complex und VICE, während Noisey und Pitchfork die Videos zu "BKNY" bzw. "Hood Party" uraufführten. Es wurde in der First Listen-Serie von NPR vorgestellt, wo es als "refreshing" und "promising" beschrieben wurde, während Pitchfork sagte das Album "absolutely knocks". Robert Christgau gab der Platte eine A-Bewertung ("homespun and imaginative"), und Rolling Stone nannte sie einen "thoroughly enjoyable batch of smart-ass raps". Fat Tony hat seitdem Platten mit Don Giovanni und Carpark veröffentlicht, zuletzt in diesem Jahr "I Will Make a Baby in this Damn Economy".
Das Album enthält einen noch nie zuvor veröffentlichten "BKNY (Remix)" mit neuen Versen von Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Melo-X und GLDNEYE.
[l] B6. BKNY [Remix] (feat. Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Melo-X, and GLDNEYE) (Redux)
Spencer Zahn's latest collection is a return to the hushed palette of solo piano lyricism. This focused sparseness comes after the sprawling, lushness of his critically acclaimed 2022 album, Pigments with Dawn Richard. Living life centered around composition. Zahn sets aside a window each day to commune with the piano, to and beauty in details. Statues I is the first chapter of an ambitious double-album The second installment, Statues II, will follow this fall and be accompanied by a gatefold vinyl, designed by longtime collaborator Hana Tajima.
Official soundtrack to the video game Grendizer, Feast of the Wolves, composed by Marcin Przybylowicz and Magda Urbańska.
Get ready for an unforgettable adventure with Grendizer, the famous giant robot. This action-adventure game, adapted from the cult anime series, will plunge you into the world of its creator, Go Nagai, and give you the chance to pilot the most powerful of robots and fight the forces of evil.
Grendizer is a cult manga created by Go Nagai in 1975. This sci-fi masterpiece revolutionised the mecha genre by introducing giant robots in epic battles. The captivating story plunges us into a futuristic universe where the hero, Actarus, pilots the powerful robot Grendizer to protect the Earth from alien invaders.
As soon as it was published, "Grendizer" was a phenomenal success. The visual impact of the detailed drawings and spectacular battle scenes contributed to the general craze. The manga quickly became a veritable social phenomenon, generating spin-off products, animated adaptations and a devoted fan base.
The career of composer Marcin Przybylowicz is marked by his exceptional talent and memorable contribution to the video game industry. Przybylowicz has brought his musical creativity to many projects, but it is his collaboration with CD Projeckt on The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 that has earned him worldwide recognition!
Me Neither is a 29 track double album of instrumental guitar music. While juggling a number of other projects James Elkington began writing "music for which there was no purpose." It became a new way of working for him - waking up each morning and improvising and recording the first thing that came into his head. "The only rules I gave myself were that I should make most of the sounds with a guitar, changing the speed or processing the recordings afterwards to get the effect I was looking for." Before long he had an albums worth of material. About mid-way through the second album Elkington had a liberating thought: he was making his own version of library music "if you're writing library music, you don't have to know what it's for - that can be someone else's job."
Many years have passed since the last album by Munich-based indie rock band dASbAND. The country has changed, the city changes and so does the band. Hard but productive years lie behind her. Lockdown paranoia, a serious illness of one of its members, dark nights. But there was always hope, light and the healing power of a creaky guitar lick, a subsonic bass line, a driving beat. Emma Luna joined last year, a new member as adept on the microphone as she is on the keys. Bassist Gurin "Gringo" Goh had joined in 2019.
On their third album, dASbAND counter the feints of existence with casual - sometimes ironic, sometimes charming - rock & roll stoicism. They skewer the hollow Zuspäthipstertum as well as the lazy facade of the new Biedermeier ("Kein Ding"), which makes itself comfortable in core- rehabilitated old buildings. They sing of the confusion of medicinal flights of fancy ("High Heals") and of „Melancholie Modul" loosely based on Martin Kippenberger. They poach in Northern Soul realms ("Darkness") and cover The Velvet Underground. "Geh weg" is an acutely danceable melange of dub- reggae and post-punk articulation. dASbAND are buccaneers in the Mehr der Möglichkeiten. They write German songs with edge, but never forget to gallantly hold the door open for you. They worship the Sleaford Mods as much as the Byrds or the wahwah pedal. They break a lance for the rogue in us, for the holy power of a bulky punk riff, for the shalala of a chorus you can't get rid of. They've learned their lessons in the "Spiel of Life." And they have fun with it.
„Spiel of Life" was recorded at Tobias Siegert's "Minga Studio" in Untergiesing and at Michael Heilrath's "Bereich 03".
Fust’s first record "Evil Joy" was a bitter domestic drama obsessed with the kitchen-sink passage of time measured by moments of leaving and returning. With "Genevieve", we find a different kind of leaving: leaving behind, leaving one’s old ways, starting anew, a small life together, in “Family Country.” Thus, Genevieve: an historical name for both the saintly and the ordinary, the peasantry and the family, the community and the wife, extreme devotion and absolute forbearance. While sonically and instrumentally louder than Evil Joy, Genevieve is thematically more quiet about its pains—more settled in its ways. It is a collection of pathetic love stories written in dedication to “small life,” moving from gentle exceptions (“I can take the late hours if you’re with me”) to pitiful admissions (“I’m never going to change when I leave…”). What comes with a quiet life? The highest forms of beauty, but we also find here songs of unspeaking companions, the sublime dread of having children, the balance of humility and humiliation, playing the fool for the greater good, and… budget birthday parties. With these stories of possible growth, "Genevieve" can’t help but also feature tried and true examples of crisis and repression: seeking a bygone lifestyle in an old friend who hasn’t changed much over the years, pissing contests, search parties as the form of community for melancholics with no clue what they’ve lost, old flames you won't let go and dying flames you won’t admit. "Genevieve" was recorded throughout 2021-2022 (mostly) at Drop of Sun studio in Asheville NC by Alex Farrar. The painting by Sasha Popovici is exactly right: a domestic scene yet unfinished. Many friends helped to make it much better than it was without them—Xandy Chelmis, Michael Cormier-O’Leary, Indigo De Souza, MJ Lenderman, Courtney Werner.
Rochester emo band CARPOOL released their debut album Erotic Nightmare Summer to widespread critical acclaim in 2020, and have now reissued the LP along with their signing announcement to SideOneDummy Records! Pressed on Blood Red and Black Splatter Vinyl! “Erotic Nightmare Summer is a pretty undeniable collection of mathy, anthemic emo/punk – somewhere in the middle of Joyce Manor, Algernon Cadwallader, Cap’n Jazz, Dogleg, etc. If you like any or all of those bands and haven’t heard this yet, that’s worth changing.” —Brooklyn Vegan
Josh Ritter’s “Metallic Silver” vinyl edition of 2010’s So Runs the World Away. Limited to 1000 copies worldwide and newly remastered and optimized for vinyl. The last vinyl LP, coke bottle clear with blue swirl, sold out quickly, and there hasn’t been vinyl available for nearly two years. Includes album download card, and full color marketing sticker with: “Metallic Silver 1000 LP limited edition, Remastered + Optimized for Vinyl.
The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series Entry #6: Gabriel Rowland (Los Yesterdays) brings out Eastside LA’s Chicano Soul and Funk Grooves. Orale, vato! This is the next up in a series of music library releases, with future volumes produced by DJ Muggs, Karriem Riggins and more. The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series was created by Madlib and Egon to give their creative friends a chance to stretch out and indulge in whatever type of music they wanted. This music was created for easy, one-stop clearance in film and television synchronization usage and for sampling. You can also enjoy these albums in the way that many do with the best of the best vintage library catalogs – listen, ponder, repeat.
Black[14,08 €]
5TH ANNIVERSARY
Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus formed boygenius after booking a tour together but the trio had subconsciously been in the works for longer than that. Through a series of tours and performances together and chance encounters that led to friendships - including Bridgers' and Dacus' first in-person meeting backstage at a Philadelphia festival, greenroom hangouts that felt instantly comfortable and compatible, a couple of long email chains and even a secret handshake between Baker and Dacus - the lyrically and musically arresting singer-songwriters and kindred spirits got to know each other on their own terms.
Channelling the rhythm of the poetry of Desnos and also the dinstinctive paintings of Francis Bacon, the band Venera 4 is an original presence in France.
Venera 4 impacted with their first Ep, 'Deaf Hearts', which laid the foundations of their expansive yet intimate sound that evokes the DIY spirit of the post-punk scene.
The intricate vocals are delicately layered over the uncompromising guitars. Eidôlon is a powerful yet introspective album with the icy elegance of Broadcast, melodies worthy of the best of Ride, and a white wall of noise like that of The Jesus & Mary Chain.
Abrasive, violent, delicate and sexual, Eidôlon is a reflection of it's own time: a protean art form.
Los Angeles-based visual artist and musician Lionel Williams was born and raised in a family of musicians - he is the grandson of soundtrack composer John Williams. Since 2010, he has been releasing music as Vinyl Williams. After three albums released on No Pain In Pop (Lemniscate, 2012) and Chaz Bundick's Company (Into, 2015 and Brunei, 2016), Vinyl Williams joined French label Requiem Pour Un Twister for his fourth album Opal released in 2018. Throughout his art, both musical and visual, Lionel Williams explores the syncretistic territory between reality and dreams, between earth and space. "Music is a chance to transmute qualitative opposites into the center, to dissolve all illusions of duality", he says. Since chaos and disorder are an illusion, Vinyl Williams is trying to reach a new state of celestial harmony on Opal. The result is an album fueled with mysticism and space age utopia, ten kaleidoscopic lush pop songs that takes you into a transcendental journey on an opal marbled vinyl limited to 500 copies.
Channeling the spirit of the beach from radio waves echoing throughout space, Triptides began in the bohemian basements of Bloomington, Indiana in 2010, where Glenn Brigman and Josh Menashe shared ideas and influences before evolving to craft a complex yet cohesive range of lush, "psychedelic beach-pop" sounds. Originally released in 2013 (Stroll On records), Predictions is Triptides' third album. Taking production quality to a whole other level, it's their first professional studio recorded album evolving from home-made lo-fi production on Tascam 8-track cassette recorders. The snappy surf pop of the band's previous album has been replaced by tales of heartache alloyed with upbeat, exhilarating guitar pop a la The Byrds and their venerated lineage (Teenage Fanclub, Allah-Las, Temples). Predictions is another step closer to the West Coast where they'll relocate later, then becoming one of the most important Los Angeles Psychedelic pop bands. As part of Triptides' back catalog reissue series, Predictions has been carefully remixed, remastered, and repackaged and is now available in a limited deluxe edition colored LP.
Rose Spearman will release her long-awaited album King of Air. Followed by a tour that starts with four shows in the Netherlands. The title refers to her father, the Afro-American jazz saxophonist Glenn Spearman, to whom the album is dedicated.
As the daughter of Afro-American jazz saxophonist Glenn Spearman and a Dutch mother, the singer has felt trapped between two continents since her early childhood. Half European, half American, and always looking for a home.
Rose Spearman’s professional credits include the prestigious European Border Breakers Award, international solo albums on United and Sony Music, performances at Lowlands, North Sea Jazz, Montreux Jazz, Glastonbury, Exit, Sziget, Joshua Tree Festival, and the Love Box Festival. For several years, Rose was the lead singer of Kraak & Smaak. She collaborated with producers and DJs like King Britt, Kerri Chandler, Boris Dlugosch, and Roger Sanchez and was invited on stage with Solomon Burke, Jools Holland, and KT Tunstall. Rose was also one of the few Dutch guest artists to appear on the American syndicated television show, Jimmy Kimmel.
Javier Jiménez Rolo surprises with Saint Malo, a project that explores the intersections of neoclassicism, folk, ambient and electronic textures.
That Saint-Malo is a town in Brittany is the least of it. Even the fact that it exists is unimportant. Javier has never been there. Similarly, his album takes us to remote or not so remote places without moving from where we are. Javier composed these twelve songs between 2019 and 2021 from his room: "One of the problems with recording at home rather than in a studio is that when you move, your recording space changes too. In the case of this album, I was involved in three moves during its whole process. Trying to see the positive side of this situation, I realised that, as well as a collection of songs, it was a testimonial to the different places where I had lived during those years and their respective views: 'Promenade' is an imagined walk from an interior flat; 'Picture In A Frame' is a sunny afternoon in a park in Ciudad Lineal, Madrid, and 'Bells Of Nowhere' is a stroll through the neighbourhood that was once my grandparents' and is now mine."
It's an eminently evocative album but also powerfully narrative, which moves through different emotional states. Along the way, references as heterogeneous as Javier's own tastes come up. From the inevitable Arvo Pärt, Max Richter and Steve Reich to the more unsuspected Thom Yorke, Burial, Caribou, Vulfpeck or even Dua Lipa. Stéphane Grappelli, Andrew Bird, Nils Frahm, Olafur Arnalds or Rene Aubry are other names Javier mentions when he talks about something similar to influences.
The journey, during which the songs miraculously fit with magical precision to the landscapes we are travelling through, begins with the promising 'Beware Of The Dogs' and 'Maltravieso'. It is followed by the obsessive arpeggios of 'Le Havre' that give way to the luminous 'Fields Of Gold', the emotion of 'Cais do Sodré' and the passionate 'Le pont roulant', reminiscent of a restrained Alexandre Desplat. Along the way, dogs will bark, rain will fall on the 'Promenade' and the sun will come out with the perfectly playful 'Dolce Far Niente' ("a mix between elevator music and a song announcing the arrival of summer" according to Javier) in which echoes of Isao Tomita and Raymond Scott resound.
The result of this captivating, unexpected and suggestive mixture is Saint Malo, Javier Jiménez's first album and the empirical demonstration that he does not have, despite his classical training, any red lines. "I've always flirted with jazz, with swing... Then I moved on to messing around with loops, to doing more ambient and experimental things. I also had my folkie phase with the klezmer group Barrunto Bellota Band..."
In Saint Malo the melodies grow, become small, return and intertwine with loops and improbable aromas, to form an album that describes a journey through emotions. From melancholy to joy and the surprise of first discoveries.
Already in the early stages of the label, Stijn Hüwels joined Dauw after a string of self-released albums. It was very much at the beginning of his artistic career but his Dauw debut – centered around melancholic narratives - was exactly what we wanted to bring with the label. During the years, Hüwels gradually found his place into the field of ambient with numerous releases and collaborations (Chihei Hatakeyama, Michel Banabila, Ian Hawgood...). While his sound definitely changed over the years - coming from a direct or transparent sound to his current more abstract sound design - his work still evokes the same familiar sentiments. For a label, this is one of the most interesting movements you can see in the artistic practice of the people you’re working with and ‘Décalages’ perfectly illustrates this. To coincidence this release, we made a second edition of his Dauw-debut 'If you remember me then I don't care if everyone else forgets', released 9 years ago.
Tommy Boy Music veröffentlicht ein Compilation-Projekt mit dem Titel "... And You Don't Stop", um das 50-jährige Jubiläum des Hip Hop mit einem 6 LP Box-Set zu feiern. Es wird einige der größten Hits aus dem Katalog enthalten, von den kultigen Naughty By Nature, De La Soul, Digital Underground und Queen Latifah bis hin zu digital unveröffentlichten Hits von G.L.O.B.E & Whiz Kid, Sweet Trio und mehr.
Javier Jiménez Rolo surprises with Saint Malo, a project that explores the intersections of neoclassicism, folk, ambient and electronic textures.
That Saint-Malo is a town in Brittany is the least of it. Even the fact that it exists is unimportant. Javier has never been there. Similarly, his album takes us to remote or not so remote places without moving from where we are. Javier composed these twelve songs between 2019 and 2021 from his room: "One of the problems with recording at home rather than in a studio is that when you move, your recording space changes too. In the case of this album, I was involved in three moves during its whole process. Trying to see the positive side of this situation, I realised that, as well as a collection of songs, it was a testimonial to the different places where I had lived during those years and their respective views: 'Promenade' is an imagined walk from an interior flat; 'Picture In A Frame' is a sunny afternoon in a park in Ciudad Lineal, Madrid, and 'Bells Of Nowhere' is a stroll through the neighbourhood that was once my grandparents' and is now mine."
It's an eminently evocative album but also powerfully narrative, which moves through different emotional states. Along the way, references as heterogeneous as Javier's own tastes come up. From the inevitable Arvo Pärt, Max Richter and Steve Reich to the more unsuspected Thom Yorke, Burial, Caribou, Vulfpeck or even Dua Lipa. Stéphane Grappelli, Andrew Bird, Nils Frahm, Olafur Arnalds or Rene Aubry are other names Javier mentions when he talks about something similar to influences.
The journey, during which the songs miraculously fit with magical precision to the landscapes we are travelling through, begins with the promising 'Beware Of The Dogs' and 'Maltravieso'. It is followed by the obsessive arpeggios of 'Le Havre' that give way to the luminous 'Fields Of Gold', the emotion of 'Cais do Sodré' and the passionate 'Le pont roulant', reminiscent of a restrained Alexandre Desplat. Along the way, dogs will bark, rain will fall on the 'Promenade' and the sun will come out with the perfectly playful 'Dolce Far Niente' ("a mix between elevator music and a song announcing the arrival of summer" according to Javier) in which echoes of Isao Tomita and Raymond Scott resound.
The result of this captivating, unexpected and suggestive mixture is Saint Malo, Javier Jiménez's first album and the empirical demonstration that he does not have, despite his classical training, any red lines. "I've always flirted with jazz, with swing... Then I moved on to messing around with loops, to doing more ambient and experimental things. I also had my folkie phase with the klezmer group Barrunto Bellota Band..."
In Saint Malo the melodies grow, become small, return and intertwine with loops and improbable aromas, to form an album that describes a journey through emotions. From melancholy to joy and the surprise of first discoveries.
180g audiophile vinyl reissue of American blues guitarist Melvin Taylor's 1995 album 'Melvin Taylor & The Slack Band', which is appearing on vinyl for the first time with remastering by Cicely Baston at Alchemy/Air Mastering, London "The U.S. release of Melvin Taylor's two early-'80s LPs by Evidence a decade later was a shock introduction to a blues guitarist who seemingly blazed out of nowhere - outside of Rosa's Lounge in Chicago, that is. "Blazed" is the right word, too, because Taylor is a total maximalist who unleashes torrents of notes to fill up every space. But he's so convincing a player that the concept of "blues guitar hero" might get a good name again, even with fans dead- tired of excess who never thought they'd think things like, "Man, can Melvin Taylor play the ever-loving (add the expletive superlative of your choice) out of the guitar" again. Taylor's first real-time release, Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band, is a pretty straightforward affair - basic trio with minimal overdubs, serviceable vocals in an Albert King mode, and a mix of originals and very classic covers. The opening "Texas Flood" lets him rip on a slow blues, constantly changing up his playing with wah-wah blitzes as the real ace in his sonic hole. The originals "Depression Blues" and "Groovin' in New Orleans" add some funk flair, while "Talking to Anna Mae" is a straight- up Chicago boogie instrumental that Taylor shines on. But he's even more in his element on the unadorned slow blues "Tin Pan Alley" and King's "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong." It's partly the speed but even more the phrasing - the unexpected stops and starts, the spiky and blazing runs and flurries, the unusual note selections he tosses in - that sets his playing apart. The other covers have their sporadic moments - "TBone Shuffle" is inconsequential, but Otis Rush's "All Your Love" and "Voodoo Chile" are worth listening to, even if the latter doesn't add anything to the famous Hendrix wah-wah workout. Taylor actually doesn't sound that radical here, like he was playing to establish blues circuit credentials by putting his stamp on familiar songs more than indulging offbeat personal touches like the mellow lounge jazz take on the Champs' "Tequila." But his playing can be truly electrifying and Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band is recommended for anyone, especially Stevie Ray Vaughan fans, looking for a distinctive new blues guitar voice." - Don Snowden, AllMusic Personnel: Melvin Taylor, guitar, vocals / Willie Smith, bass guitar / Steve Potts, drums Recorded and mixed on March 27-30, 1995 at Dockside Studios, Maurice, LA
Trym Søvdsnes is a relative newcomer to the scene, but he’s been putting in work in and around Bergen for years, scoring a residency at the infamous Café Opera, where he snagged the attention of local house legend Bjørn Torske. Soon, the duo were DJing, producing and performing together, eventually running the monthly radio show Pigs in Space where they would go head-to-head for six hours at a time, plumbing the depths of their immense record collections.
It’s this lust for bottom-of-the-crate oddities that guides Søvdsnes’ self-titled debut album, a concoction of dub techno, hard-swung house and percussive club music that positions itself a few paces away from any conventional modes. Basically, a perfect fit for Le Jazz Non.
‘Gølles Dans’ opens with a filtered acid bassline and bone dry kick that’s like some psychedelic, slower variant of Basic Channel’s ‘Enforcement’, slicing into the groove with gristly acoustic percussion that drags it up from the basement. The producer leans into asymmetry on ‘Døgnrytmen’, wrangling 303 squelches with booming Berghain kicks and tight snares, enhancing the psychedelic potential by layering ticking percussion into loopy spirals. If you’ve ever caught an extended Dozzy set, this is the kind of ruff-edged gear he would likely play an hour before sunrise. ‘Ordnings Mix’ is weirder still, slopping chirpy bleep/rave stabs into a jazzy hybrid that sounds like a bossa meltdown.
Søvdsnes saves his most cosmic mettle for last, on ‘Cowboy Acid (Solstikk Dub)’ he strips the kickdrum to a faint knock, before building up into a sort of screwed Metro Area mirrorball that sounds brilliantly out of time.
Black Vinyl[25,63 €]
Compiling the follow-up to a very successful first album is always a tricky task, but just 12 months since the release of volume one in the 'With Love' series, miche has excelled himself once again with another glorious, deep dive into the world of rare soul. 15 tracks of independently released music, created by magnificent artists with stories to tell and primed for rediscovery.
The ambition to celebrate under-the-radar artists has remained, but instead of a facsimile of volume one, what we have here is a selection shaped by life changes. Volume two is for the dancers; still soulful, still ultra-rare and slept-on records from the USA, Chile, Brazil and beyond, but the dynamics of the collection have shifted slightly. It represents a move from being immersed in a week in week out environment of beautiful, soulful music in a cosy, dimly lit hi-fi bar to playing livelier, more energetic, dancefloor-focused music in nightclubs. This volume will get you on your feet, make you move and unleash whatever it is that makes you get down.
One of the jewels in the crown of this compilation is a joyous, anthemic gospel version of Stevie Wonder's 'As' by The Family Tree (a project produced by the fantastic Julius Brockington). We are also treated to a rare and sought-after Pennsylvanian funk / AOR bomb by Maxwell, a stunning modern soul tune 'High On You' by Freedom, and self-released Brazilian 45s by Banda 22 and Zé Da Lata. P.J. City's 'Straight Forward (Non-Stop)' is gospel-disco perfection, and we also have 'Dame Solamente Amor’, a sublime, soul beauty from Chile by Rogers Mitchell. Many of these artists featured in this compilation aren't household names, but they deserve their moment to shine, to be heard, loved and appreciated for their artistry.
As Miche says it, “I hope this compilation helps in some way to keep this glorious music alive and play a part in connecting generations of music lovers from the worldwide soul family. As always, it has been made ‘With Love’.”
Danny Daze presents a brand new alias for Slacker 85 first solo artist EP - D33 is a long-gestating alter-ego through which the Miami DJ & producer plans to explore a more house-leaning output.
The Operator EP sees the Omnidisc label owner channeling his multi-genre, Miami bass-infused sound into a quartet of stripped-down machine jams tailored for house DJ sets, with the fidgety title track issued in two flavors, the D33 ‘Wet Mix’ and Danny Daze ‘Dry Mix’, while on the B-side the heavy kick and evil bassline of ‘Azuca’ is offset by the hypnotic Jonny From Space collab ‘C’mon’.
“D33 is an alias I’ve had floating around in my head for years. It leans more towards my house music side and allows my head to dig into simpler production of dance music. My D33 production and DJ sets purposely feel a bit more laid back. Now I have the time to give out a crazy amount of hugs in between tracks while DJing… :) ” - Danny Daze aka D33
If there's one specific component that grounds 'Sky Flesh', it's focus. Italian musician and sound designer Marta De Pascalis flexed her technical muscle on 2020's 'Sonus Ruinae', layering various sounds and processes in an attempt to touch the sublime. In contrast, 'Sky Flesh' is a single thought, composed using just one instrument: the Yamaha CS-60. A slimmed-down sibling to the gargantuan CS-80 - the analog synthesizer used by Vangelis to create his iconic 'Blade Runner' score - the CS-60 was released in 1977, a few years before the MIDI protocol was introduced to help standardize production methods. MIDI would change the electronic music landscape completely, offering a level of control that De Pascalis consciously relinquishes, preferring to highlight expressiveness and timbre, elements more readily associated with acoustic instruments. The album arrives as much of the wider experimental scene busies itself with algorithmic composition and AI-assisted modeling; De Pascalis chooses to work instead like an organologist, harnessing the CS-60's mercurial magic to suggest deeper truths about our evolving relationship with machines.
Currently based in Berlin, De Pascalis grew up in Rome, where she was surrounded by atrophied ruins that piqued her interest in decay and memory. Over her last three albums, she used tape loops and advanced synthesizer techniques to create a unique sound world that's guided by her musical philosophy, rather than a specific aesthetic. As she's developed her technique and confidence, her music has become even more idiosyncratic, and at this stage in her career she's stripped her sound down to its core elements, focusing on emotion, narrative and mystery. Using timbres that recall a time when electronic music still waved towards the future
Little Girl Blue Remixed is the 2015 remix album of the iconic 1958 debut album by Nina Simone, Little Girl Blue. The original debut album was released by Bethlehem Records, the label that earned its place in jazz history by releasing acclaimed debut albums by Carmen McRae, Chris Connor, Herbie Mann, and Johnny Hartman amongst others.
When DJ Maestro got the chance to remix this album, he was thrilled. Soon he got the idea to ask some of his favourite producers to collaborate, like Mop Mop, Renegades of Jazz, Gramophonedzie, Fab Samperi, The Reflex, and Mees Dierdorp. They all had one thing in common: excitement to work with the original recordings from this iconic album. The result is 14 remixes, each with a unique approach to the original song, and all with a contemporary feel.
Little Girl Blue Remixed is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on translucent green coloured vinyl.
Purple Color Vinyl
We are really proud to introduce a new release on Mawimbi Records: "Mawimbi, Vol. 2”. Its title is a nod to “Mawimbi, Vol. 1”, which was the inaugural release of our record label back in 2015. A new compilation, at last, after a decade of music activism and a handful of EPs and albums which have helped unearth some of today’s talents from the new global music scene (Onipa, Loya, Afriquoi, Raz & Afla). It stays true to the driving principles of our artistic direction: support upcoming artists, e ncourage the breaking down of musical frontiers, help make happen new encounters between electronic music and so-called “afro” music. While these encounters can now be witnessed anywhere in pop music’s current zeitgeist, from Beyoncé to South African’s vibrant amapiano scene, we think there’s still plenty to explore.
“Mawimbi, Vol. 2” truly feels like the culmination of a long path for our record label. Because it includes artists who have been actively contributing to the Mawimbi adventure over the years, and also because it’s another convincing testimony of the fruitfulness of this musical intuition we have so heartily been defending for the last decade. Indeed, the 8 tracks of “Mawimbi, Vol. 2” resist all the usual labels. They sound like they stem more from human encounters and artistic dialogues launched in the moment than attempts to be associated with any music scene in particular. Each of the 8 pieces of this compilation presents in a unique way the search for this cross-pollinating sound.
The compilation opens with a really engaging rework of James Stewart’s classic track “Cotonou” by Lyon-based tropical music enthusiasts Voilaaa, who took Peter Solo’s voodoo soul lines on a trip across the Black Atlantic beginning with a horn-heavy cuban cha-cha-cha before falling into a savory triple time dance. As tireless sonic adventurers, Amsterdam-based duo Umoja have brought back a handful of hits from their numerous trips to Kenya meeting with local benga musicians. “Avana Va” is one of their compelling tunes, featuring Kenyan musician and producer Sidney Simila. This urge to collaborate with musicians from across the African continent is also to be found in Village Cuts’ ever expanding discography. On “Sentima”, they showcase their trademark London funky sound, introducing us to the talents of Congolese guitarist and singer Kissangwa.
Afriquoi’s 2020 hit “Ndeko Solo” is presented in a brand new shape, sprinkled with some French Touch flavours. “Djansa”, by Toulouse-based producers Mr. Boom, rides a distinct South African-inspired groove, while inviting us to a nighttime dance by the Balearic sea. On “Silent Runner”, French producer and musician Ozferti moulds his own musical galaxy where East African scales meet cutting edge global club beats. With “Nabi Kumi”, Anglo-Ghanaian duo Raz & Afla delivers their deepest piece, once again inducing a state of trance with a triple-time beat and an hypnotic kora loop. Closing the compilation, “It's Holy” is a unique collaboration between Tom Excell (Onipa, Nubiyan Twist, David Walters) and Dizraeli, one of the most interesting voices in British rap, which by making connections between broken beat, jazz and african music, illustrates the precious mixture of musical aesthetics that make up the current UK musical landscape.
The new recordings from The Dengie Hundred unfurl on Tain Records after a busy year releasing a solo tape on Sagome and a collaborative LP and tape with Japan Blues on Demdike Stare's DDS imprint.
Lammas Land is an album which meditates on the Walthamstow Marshes, an ever-changing watery landscape, rich with history and wildlife. The Dengie Hundred writes:
"I am sitting at my table overlooking the marshes listening to Lammas Land in November 2023, watching crows fight a never-ending aerial battle with the gulls. In summer, you can see bats from here every evening, fluttering around the windows as the light begins to fade, but today it is colder so there is smoke rising from the boats on the River Lea and the dog walkers are wrapped up tight against the wind.
Most of Lammas Land was made sitting right here, playing guitar and recording the sounds passing by. I would hang a microphone out of the window to capture the ‘putput’ boat which delivers provisions, or the trains that rattle along the tracks that cut across the marshes and up to Stanstead, carrying passengers to the airport and away.
I wonder what tourists make of the marshes as they cross them, the landscape opening up for a moment between the urban sprawl of the East End and the rampant development of Tottenham. They offer a jarring pause of green and sky. I feel very lucky to be living in that pause, a resident, for now…
The album contains a whole year of found sounds recorded from the window and while out walking. It is full of bird song and radio sounds, singing, life.
Many others have been inspired by this space, this pause. The author Esther Kinsky who wrote River, published by Fitzcarraldo Editions, captures this area so perfectly. I borrowed the two track names for this album from her book. I hope she doesn’t mind.
Also, the photographer Paul Fuller whose work reflects the atmosphere I feel here precisely. On hearing the music he wanted to collaborate on the Lammas Land project, He spent a year filming the marsh through the seasons. Some of his images are included with the vinyl release, and there is an accompanying film close to completion. I am so pleased this project is continuing in new forms.
The vinyl also contains a piece of writing, ‘Sound Fishing’, by Gemma Blackshaw, an author, art historian and curator who in a twist of fate also found herself spending time on the marshes, but that is her story, for another day."
The Dengie Hundred
Lammas Land
LP, with essay insert + five photographic prints
Cat No: TAIN02
Price: £14.49
Due next week
A: A hand full of ever thickening twilight
(Sample clips 1 / 2 / 3)
B: A string of pearls pulling
the night away
(Sample clips 1 / 2 / 3)
Two years after his debut album under the moniker Aboukir, Ralph Maruani returns with a new record titled “Change”. Fitting title for a record that was written and recorded during a period of great turmoil in his life. The intimacy of these songs are reflected in the music itself.
Whereas “Digital Introversion” was floating in a sea of psychedelic infused echoes and reverb, “Change” is much more stripped down, sporting a singer-songwriter ethos. The album was recorded between December 2022 and March 2023 in Paris, France almost entirely by Maruani except for the drums which were recorded by Louis McGuire in Berlin, Germany and pedal steel by Reggie Duncan in Mississippi, USA.
The album opener “Alright” is an upbeat number with guitars reminiscent of John Fogerty’s Creedence Clearwater Revival, Strawberry Fields inspired Mellotron and Stereolab aesthetic on the outro, assuring that whatever may come next, everything will be alright. Then followed by “Release” the track that makes a direct link with “Digital introversion”, an 8 minutes Floydesque hazy jam. “Rolling on” shows a different side to Aboukir’s music as it opens up to folk/country accents in a 1970s singer-songwriter vibe. “Croz” is Maruani’s immediate reaction to David Crosby’s passing. A tribute to one of his lifelong influence and inspiration.
The album then unveils itself going back and forth between more stripped down tunes and psychedelic ones, eventually reaching its climax with “Changes”.
Circular patterns morphing through time, loop and ritual form the fabric of Proserpine, the latest work by Leeds-based musician, Teresa Winter. Recorded from a summer to a winter through 2021 and 2022, Proserpine is Winter's most cohesive, focused music to date: confidently revelling in space, fixating on isolated sounds and giving way to satisfying, swirling waves of vocal and electronic buzz. Proserpine is Teresa Winter's debut recording for Glasgow-based label, Night School.
On Proserpine, musical patterns revolve and intersect with each other, transmogrifying the music's narrative. Over-arching themes emerge: continual change, elusiveness. Insubstantiality emerges into concrete reality in the form of recognisable field recordings: the purring of a pet cat, the hum of a live cable. The loops and patterns are sometimes just out of sight, the click and whirl on Child Of Nature is the backdrop to hymnal vocalisations by Winter, who intones spell-like text in conversation with herself. On opener Circles, Winter's vocal is pre-linguistic, detached syllables falling into flowing streams, before Plume's field recordings seem to juxtapose nocturnal and diurnal wildlife. "You said I was a Flower Of The Mountain" sings Winter, as James Joyce's Molly Bloom does but the carpe diem desire in Ulysses is dissipated here, spread out by gauzy, droning organs. Here desire is blown up and out, changed into something undefinable but no less powerful.
Change is at the heart of the album. The Roman goddess Proserpine, herself a reimagined version of the earlier Greek goddess Persephone, is always between: between summer and winter, the land of the living and the underworld, constantly emerging into new states of being. It's a fitting metaphor for Winter's work. Like an Apple feels like it soundtracks this in-between state, long, trailing reverb smudging synth keys and Winter's achingly beautiful vocal performance. The effect is stirring but flitting in and out of perception, sometimes Winter's presence feels of this world, of musical instruments and practises and at others it feels like the music is about to phase into a different plane, a different universe.
While Proserpine references the myths and cults of the classical, pre-Christian era, Winter's restless preoccupation with the mechanics of religion informs the album in other ways. Ritual is present through out, either in the mantra-like vocalisations or even the private rituals we are invited to witness: on Fireworks the listener eave drops into the protagonist's private bonfire. On the stunning Lamento, layers of Choral vocal interlock in celestial patterns that recall catholic mass: it's an overt effect that simulates the ecstasy of religious fervour and also reminds the listener of the use of vocal that runs through Proserpine. Winter's vocals often echo with the euphoria of obliteration, of disintegrating in an awful bliss. It's an effect achieved with finality by the closer New Water as the piece begins with voice before burning up in the atmosphere of elegiac violins and enveloping undertows of whirring synth patterns and ghostly pads. Proserpine is forever turning, changing, always elusive and quietly revelatory.
A limited edition of 300 copies of this 1985 masterpiece, remastered and presented in a renewed artwork. Berlin School synth sequences, American minimalism vibes, new age and oriental influences, guitar-synthesizers, genius arrangements... A masterpiece exploring the emerging MIDI technology of the time. A transportive selection of calming ambient soundscapes punctuated by glassy synth work and meditative drum patterns.
Acclaimed by many, Steve Roach himself said: »I heard Traces on vinyl back in the early 80s. It is still one of my top 10 albums. There is just an elegant, efficient, and emotional quality about it that just holds up like it was created today. A truly timeless piece of beauty.«
Recalling the »Traces« times, Wøllo explained: »I quit all the bands I played in. I wanted to work on my own using the modern electronic studio as an instrument, like a painter with his oil canvasses. I wanted to make a music that had expansive synthesizer textures and sequencer patterns, layered together with expressive melodic electric guitars. Working with depth, time and space. In those years in the early eighties the studio technology was new and revolutionary, and I wanted to explore all the new possibilities. To be able to control the infinite variations of electronic sound, using an endless palette for creative expression«.
Finally, a YouTube comment about the record that we enjoyed: »This sounds like vaporwave before vaporwave had anything to be nostalgic over«.
Ancient Infinity Orchestra is a 14-member jazz ensemble led by double-bassist and composer Ozzy Moysey, based in the bustling creative city of Leeds in the North of England – home to one of the most innovative and community-based jazz scenes in the UK. Saxophonist Matt Cliffe who also performs with Matthew Halsall is a key member and the rotating line-up which includes drums, two bassists, keyboards, harp, violin, cello, two tenors, alto, oboe, flute and percussion. "River of Light’ drinks deep from the well of spiritual jazz and is especially inspired by the soulful sounds of Pharoah Sanders, Alice and John Coltrane but also channels a certain Northern sensibility that can be heard in the music of Matthew Halsall or Alabaster de Plume. Melodic, warm and honest this is music that is happy to wear its heart on its sleeve.
"Frozen Aggressors" bringt die Hörer zurück in die goldene Ära des Thrash, wo jeder Song ein einzigartiges Erlebnis war!
"C.H.U.D. Invasion" und "Circus Of Deception" sind eine Reminiszenz an die "Forgotten Skeleton"-Zeiten, während "Song 666" mit seiner 'S.O.D. meets Pennywise'-Blasphemie ein echtes Crossover-Juwel ist.
"Holidays In Sodom" bietet einen Venom-esken Vibe, der an Sasquatchs Vorliebe für die frühen Venom-Platten erinnert.
"Crib Of Thorns" und "Queen Of The Damned" liefern hochqualitative Thrash-Momente, während das augenzwinkernde "Satanic Cult Gangbang" zeigt, dass die Band immer noch Spaß haben kann, ohne auf Kontroversen zu verzichten.
"Hyperspectral Winter Incursions" ist ein sentimentales Stück, da es der letzte Song ist, den AGGRESSION mit dem inzwischen verstorbenen ehemaligen Schlagzeuger Gaetan "Gate" Bourassa im Jahr 1987 geschrieben haben, und er wäre unheimlich stolz auf die finale Version gewesen.
Insgesamt wird dieses AGGRESSION Album die Band auf den ihnen gebührenden Platz unter den anderen kanadischen Thrash-Legenden katapultieren!
"This is a perfect crossover blend, delivered from our black hearts, influenced by ancient recordings of the past that changed our lives. Fast, furious, and straight through your face!" - Aggression
OPAQUE BLUE & WHITE Vinyl[35,92 €]
A sonic snapshot of America's steel capital, developed in the prosperous cavern between the departure of the Jackson 5 to Motown and the collapse of U.S. Steel, Skyway Soul is a love letter to Gary, Indiana. Featuring The New Day, El Anthony, Nate Evans, Sky's The Limit, Wilton Crump, Lost Weekend, General Lee, Krash Band, Billy Foster & Audio, I.N.D., and Junei, this double album collects 21 lost songs from the southern-most tip of Lake Michigan. Housed in a deluxe tip-on gatefold jacket, with a 16-page booklet crammed with photos, ephemera, and an indepth essay from Jake Austen, Skyway Soul connects the dots between The Spaniels, Michael Jackson, and Freddie Gibbs. Don't forget to pay the toll
Black Vinyl[33,19 €]
A sonic snapshot of America's steel capital, developed in the prosperous cavern between the departure of the Jackson 5 to Motown and the collapse of U.S. Steel, Skyway Soul is a love letter to Gary, Indiana. Featuring The New Day, El Anthony, Nate Evans, Sky's The Limit, Wilton Crump, Lost Weekend, General Lee, Krash Band, Billy Foster & Audio, I.N.D., and Junei, this double album collects 21 lost songs from the southern-most tip of Lake Michigan. Housed in a deluxe tip-on gatefold jacket, with a 16-page booklet crammed with photos, ephemera, and an indepth essay from Jake Austen, Skyway Soul connects the dots between The Spaniels, Michael Jackson, and Freddie Gibbs. Don't forget to pay the toll
Gebrüder Teichmann & Wura Samba combine the energy of Wura Sambas yoruba drumming and chants with jacking raw analogue live electronic, live sampling and processing by Gebrüder Teichmann. Together they create an energetic trip full of playfullness, improvisation and direct comunication in order to dance.
The Nigerian percussionist and singer Wura Samba and Berlins electronic multitalents Gebrüder Teichmann met in Lagos, Nigeria through the TEN CITIES Project, where they were producing music together with Pinch, Rob Smith and Perera Elsewhere. After their debut on Soundway Records (V.A. - Ten Cities) and the "2 Cities / Berlin - Lagos" EP on NOLAND they have started performing as a trio right before the pandemic. Their new EP GUDUGUDU features two keytracks of their live sets: Iba Eledua by Wura Samba and an interpetation of Eniyan Bi Aparo by Tunji Oyelano.
Erste komplett remasterte Neuauflage der Originalversion des Soundtracks von Francis Lai zum französischen Kultfilm 'Un Homme Et Une Femme/Ein Mann und eine Frau' (1966) von Regisseur Claude Lelouch, der von Oscar über Gloden Globe bis zur Goldenen Palme in Cannes die wichtigsten Auszeichnungen 1966-1967 abräumte. Das 'Chabada-bada' des Hauptthemas von Francis Lai und Pierre Barouh ist zum Synonym für französische Romantik und Charme geworden. Eine Hymne, die das universelle Gefühl der Liebe symbolisiert. Purer Kult!
Die neueste Ausgabe der hochgelobten Reggae-Anthologie-Serie von VP konzentriert sich auf den Produzenten Hugh 'Redman' James - A Reggae Revolution powered by Steely & Clevie und Roots Radics bei Channel One und Tuff Gong. Ein Killersong nach dem anderen von Gregory Isaacs, Conroy Smith, Carl Meeks, Sugar Minott, Frankie Paul, Admiral Tibet etc.
Inkl. Innenhülle mit ausführlichen Liner Notes und seltenen, noch nie gesehenen Fotos.
BERTUS DISTRIBUTION INTRODUCES NORTH SEA JAZZ CONCERT SERIES
Bertus Distribution, in collaboration with NTR, AVROTROS and MOJO, presents a new vinyl series consisting of live recordings of legendary artists through the decades made at the renowned North Sea Jazz Festival.
The North Sea Jazz Concert Series will include officially licensed releases that will be released as standard on 180-gram white vinyl in a sleeve of heavy paper printed on reversed board. The records will be captured in mainly black-and-white artwork by Hans Pol in his signature style of the festival with inspiration from the covers of classic older jazz releases from the Blue Note label, for example. The liner notes are written by journalist and jazz expert Jeroen de Valk.
For the first release in this series, the honour is given to one of the most famous jazz singers ever, Ella Fitzgerald. On Friday 13 July 1979, she gave a raucous and peerless performance at the festival then still held in The Hague. The "First Lady Of Song" worked her way with verve through standards like 'There Will Never Be Another You', 'Satin Doll', ''Round Midnight' and 'Mr Paganini'. Her accompanists that night were Paul Smith on piano, Keter Betts on bass and Mickey Roker on drums; a trio line-up with the power of a big band.
Future releases will include NSJ recordings by such notables as Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich, Ray Charles, Dexter Gordon and Jan Akkerman. It will be a long-running series with the aim of releasing the most extraordinary NSJ performances on vinyl.
The first edition of the North Sea Jazz Festival took place in 1976 at The Hague’s Nederlands Congresgebouw with some 9,000 visitors. In the first year, jazz legends such as Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz performed alongside a host of artists from the Dutch avant-garde.
The festival, officially NN North Sea Jazz since 2018, has now developed into a major international event that is also known beyond the Dutch borders as an event where jazz from the past, present and future merges with other genres such as blues, soul, funk, hiphop, pop and more. Over the years, it has grown to fifteen venues, around thirteen hundred musicians and an annual audience of between eight-five and ninety thousand. Since 2006, the festival has been held in new wider venue, namely Rotterdam Ahoy.
Emm Gryner is an award winning singer, songwriter, actor and best-selling author. Emm sang and played keyboards in David Bowie's band, and appears on numerous recordings, including his landmark 1999 SNL appearance, Bowie at The Beeb and Toy. Bowie's acclaimed Glastonbury 2000 documents her performance in front of more than 100,000 fans at Worthy Farm. With Trapper she shared arena stages with Def Leppard, and she also helped bring the first music video recorded in outer space to the world.
Detroit radio formed the soundtrack of Emm's life and career and her brand new record is a celebration of that music. From Motown,jazz and pop, to Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac and the Doobies, Business & Pleasure is infused with the sunshine soul and stellar playing of the late 70s and early 80s. These songs, produced by Fred Mollin, written with poet Michael Holmes, and recorded with drummer Shannon Forrest (Toto), keyboardist Pat Coil (Michael McDonald), bassist Larry Paxton (Alison Krauss), and guitarists Tom Bukovac (Taylor Swift) and Pat Buchanan (Hall & Oates, Dolly Parton), embody a take on yacht rock that sails deep into the 2020s and introduce the world to a bold new character: a powerful woman whose passion, presence, conviction, humor and grace serves to unite the world in
music, joy and love, once again.
In a recent interview, the California artist Jim Haynes was asked to name his top five noise albums. In quick fashion, he listed off Kill The King, Send, Desnos, Persona, and Carcinosi. Since then, he's equivocated on which albums to choose, but the artists behind such works remain as the adjacent signposts and landmarks to his own constructions of industrial noise. How those records connect to the output from Haynes is found in their unique combination of smoldering dynamism and psychological inquest. For over twenty five years, Haynes has been an autodidactic clinician into the processes of corrosion, decay, and rust, turning his attention away from visual practices and more to the metaphoric crucible of noise and sound. By now, it seems like a cliche that the pandemic changed everything; but since that viral encroachment, there is a noticeable shift in Haynes' work post 2020. It's more aggressive and yet more controlled: a rarification and telescoping of the research into decay for more potent noise and more potent metaphor.
The tools for Haynes' work remain limited: motors, electronics, shortwave radio, found objects, all applied with considerable pressure. Compositionally, Inauspicious is a very rough moire pattern from overlapping elliptical structures that can negate and obfuscate just as easily as they can compound and aggregate. The album surges and collapses upon the two twenty minute chunks of controlled noise that follow an internal logic that snakes from brooding power drones, spectral radio transmission, and an aktionist demolition cast upon metal, glass, and unfortunate wooden objects. Rupture and release. Purge and pulse.
"Frozen Aggressors" bringt die Hörer zurück in die goldene Ära des Thrash, wo jeder Song ein einzigartiges Erlebnis war!
"C.H.U.D. Invasion" und "Circus Of Deception" sind eine Reminiszenz an die "Forgotten Skeleton"-Zeiten, während "Song 666" mit seiner 'S.O.D. meets Pennywise'-Blasphemie ein echtes Crossover-Juwel ist.
"Holidays In Sodom" bietet einen Venom-esken Vibe, der an Sasquatchs Vorliebe für die frühen Venom-Platten erinnert.
"Crib Of Thorns" und "Queen Of The Damned" liefern hochqualitative Thrash-Momente, während das augenzwinkernde "Satanic Cult Gangbang" zeigt, dass die Band immer noch Spaß haben kann, ohne auf Kontroversen zu verzichten.
"Hyperspectral Winter Incursions" ist ein sentimentales Stück, da es der letzte Song ist, den AGGRESSION mit dem inzwischen verstorbenen ehemaligen Schlagzeuger Gaetan "Gate" Bourassa im Jahr 1987 geschrieben haben, und er wäre unheimlich stolz auf die finale Version gewesen.
Insgesamt wird dieses AGGRESSION Album die Band auf den ihnen gebührenden Platz unter den anderen kanadischen Thrash-Legenden katapultieren!
"This is a perfect crossover blend, delivered from our black hearts, influenced by ancient recordings of the past that changed our lives. Fast, furious, and straight through your face!" - Aggression
Repress!
James Brown. Who doesn't know about the godfather of soul Who doesn't know about the milestone anthem Cold Sweat' Maybe there is nobody, but we are sure that many of you don't know that hidden on that particular song, and in all of James Brown's productions, is one of the best kept secrets in soul music: Mrs. Martha High.
She is the one who sings that crazy soprano note at the very beginning of the song and she is the one who sang behind James Brown for about 35 years. She was with Brown and the Jb's in Boston on the infamous night after the Martin Luther King assassination, she flew with him in the dangerous Vietnam skies to entertain the US soldiers, and was also in Zaire celebrating the Rumble in the Jungle' between Ali and Foreman. Martha was truly a friend, confidant and supporter of the godfather of soul.
Maybe she was just too young and shy to jump over the other soul divas to ask for a solo record. Today is different.
singer of Maceo Parker's band but now she is on fire because finally, she has recorded the album she never made but always wanted to make.
11 killer original tunes produced and arranged by Luca Sapio, the Italian soul ambassador, in true analog super sound. The tunes evoke the best productions of the golden era of Southern soul as well as the sonic landscapes of the Italian soundtracks of the 60's. Here is the middle ground where these two unheralded musical traditions meet and Martha is the undisputed Queen.
Don't miss the chance to take a listen. This record is made of truth, soul, love, and pain - a full spectrum of emotions that only a Queen can deliver to your ears. She spent much time in the studio with Luca and his guys to make it happen. This is not a revival, this is not retro, this is NOW. She took it as a challenge and we are sure that she won.
ONE LEVEL is delighted to announce its latest release, the captivating 'Big Tal's Elements' EP by French DJ/Producer, ALEQS NOTAL.
Following the resounding success of One Level's debut release, the awe-inspiring Afro-futurism of Hagan's 'Forward Focus' EP - a production that ignited a dynamic and fruitful chapter for the London-based artist - the label has been meticulously crafting its return. One Level prides itself on championing quality over quantity, and this ethos is beautifully demonstrated in its second release...
Aleqs Notal, the former scratch champion and consistently evolving producer, joins the label family with a collection of four remarkable tracks. Despite his years of experience, Aleqs admits that he's still in the process of refining his own sound and with 'Big Tal's Elements’, a nickname affectionately bestowed by longtime friend and fellow artist Manaré, his four carefully curated house joints encapsulate a wealth of influences, all beautifully combining to create a modern and innovative soundtrack.
Following his early years of turntable virtuosity, and having embarked on a new creative chapter in the studio, it was 2014 and as a founding member of the innovative ClekClekBoom collective - a group of young French talents who spearheaded a groundbreaking movement that reshaped the Parisian electronic landscape - that saw Notal continue to cultivate his own sound, one rooted in the sounds of Detroit and Chicago. He became a respected DJ on the cities’ club circuit, and has gone on to to feature his music on esteemed labels including Phonogramme, Salon Recordings, Release Sustain and Patrice Scott's Sistrum Recordings.
The EP opens with 'Untwisted Delight', a homage to the timeless sound of the Motor City. A bass-driven DJ tool, pulsating with the resonance of the 808, evoking echoes of Pittman, and igniting a powerful dancefloor energy.
‘Save Ya’ is an ode to determination and self-preservation. A track with its roots deeply embedded in the dancefloor and featuring an archive sound-bank vocal alongside glorious hi-hats, it is a firm favourite of Notals. “I think its from my scratch background. I always work with the hi-hats. For me, when I hear the hats its as though I hear somebody singing." Fully road-tested at Fabric London, Save Ya is now set to rescue many a night.
'Come Get It' channels the spirit of early Chicago house. A fusion of spirited 606 and 808 drum patterns, coupled with the enchanting allure of resounding hi-hats, it offers a heartfelt homage to the revolutionary sounds that defined an era and continue to influence so much of today’s music.
Concluding the EP is 'Hymn Of Passion', a track inspired by Ron Trent's Future Vision imprint. Drawing on a diverse palette of Nigerian percussive elements and samples garnered from past projects, Aleqs weaves a sonic mosaic. Crafted in a single jam session, the track elegantly melds a rhythmic finesse with resonant congas, intertwining with the emotive Rhodes piano, to craft an unforgettable finale.
With a diverse array of influences seamlessly interwoven, Aleqs Notal’s ‘Big Tal's Elements’ EP is a journey through sound that fully captivates the listener.
PRESSED ON FRUIT PUNCH COLORED VINYL WITH HAND NUMBERED OBILIMITED TO 2000 COPIES
The contemporary realm of hip hop music can be seen as polarized between two sides; mainstream versus underground, industry versus independent, at a base level boiled down to catchy sounds & infective hooks over higher quality lyrical content. These elements don’t need to be mutually exclusive, but these days it’s rare to find an act that can please all sides of the discussion. Clipse are one of the few groups that successfully and consistently caters to both sides of rap’s splintered psyche, simultaneously serving the scene with upbeat bangers that get the club poppin’ & subwoofers rattlin’ while crafting clever quotable compositions deserving of repeated headphone submersions. Though their preceding official albums Lord Willin’ (2002) & Hell Hath No Fury (2006) made bigger splashes commercially, 2009’s Til The Casket Drops is surely no slouch, a gem which deserves to be revisited with fresh ears – good thing Get On Down has given it the proper treatment it deserves with its first-ever vinyl pressing!
Til The Casket Drops was a departure from the duo of Malice & Pusha T’s previous works in that it was their first LP not completely produced by The Neptunes. However, the celebrated team who brought us ‘Grinding’ & ‘Mr. Me Too’ still helmed 8 of the album’s 13 tracks, thus dominating the soundscapes and aesthetic of the album anyway. With the remaining beats handled by Hitmen Sean C & LV (Jay-Z, Big Pun, Ghostface) and Aftermath’s DJ Khalil (Kendrick Lamar, Aloe Blacc, Eminem) clearly Clipse stock hadn’t lowered in the game. While boasting notable vocal features from Kanye West, Pharrell, Cam’ron, Keri Hilson, Yo Gotti & their Re-Up Gang affiliate Ab-Liva, Casket Drops leaves ample space for the core emcee duo of Pusha & Malice to shine in the spotlight, with verses revolving around each other succinctly in-synch and bonded by an exceptional creative rhythm only biological brothers could share.
Clipse have always delighted in dualities, juxtapositions and contradictions, unabashedly celebrating the capitalistic lifestyle and the grind as the kings of ‘coke-rap’, while taking hard looks at society’s mores and those of their own individual journeys. We hear Malice’s eventual transition to No Malice taking form on this album as he found religion, warning others who might follow in his path on ‘Footsteps’: “don’t let my wrongs give you the right of way/ to emulate my past escaping the law’s grasp” while refusing to be pinned down in one lane: “it weights on my conscience and I hate conscious rap”. Meanwhile Pusha T continues his lyrical ascent into the King Push persona with bars like “pompous motherfucker, look what them jewels made me/ I’m only finding comfort in knowing you can’t replace me/ What a thing to say, but what am I to do/ I’m role-playing a conscious nigga and true is true/ Cocaine aside, all of the bloggers behooved/ My critics finally have a verse of mine to jerk off to” decisively on album opener “Freedom”.
Since it dropped, the Clipse have stated that Casket… is their final album together while subsequently alluding to the possibility of an eventual reunion. Only time will tell, but until then it’s time to re-celebrate one of hip hop’s most dynamic duos by hearing Til The Casket Drops in a whole new light with its long-overdue, first time on vinyl pressing via Get On Down featuring all 13 original tracks on wax and cover art by the legendary KAWS! It’s kinda like a big deal…
Filled with aural magic and enchanting musical spells, Sorcerer is true to its name. The third of five albums devised by Miles Davis' legendary second quintet – and the second record in a still-unprecedented string of eight consecutive releases within a four-year period that forever changed the face of jazz – the 1967 magnum opus mesmerizes with instrumental colours, subdued musings, and subtle details.
This is a reference-standard reissue. You'll hear poetic lyricism pouring out of Wayne Shorter's horn, the breadth and definition of the notes spreading across an enormous soundstage. Never before have drummer Tony Williams' rim shots ricocheted with such purpose or his light percussive work mirrored that of a feather touching skin. Similarly, Herbie Hancock's piano runs now occupy their own space, where their relationship to the central rhythms and front line becomes clearer.
Prizing inflection and nuance more so than heady solos or uptempo flights, Sorcerer mesmerizes with cerebral properties and cascades of emotional interplay. Such beauty emerges in the mellow ballad "Pee Wee," an indelible statement of restrained authority and sophisticated expression. The swirling title track unfolds as jazz shadowplay, Hancock, Shorter, and Williams mirroring one another's moves with guile and purpose. The opening "Prince of Darkness" showcases the ensemble's reach and communication, every musician going in seemingly different directions yet ending up on the same page
A lasting example of Davis' visionary insight, Sorcerer is comprised entirely of pieces written by his band mates. Indeed, save for the closing "Nothing Like You" – a brief tribute to Davis' eventual wife, who also graces the cover, recorded in 1962 and adorned with vocals from Bob Dorough, the album represents a further maturation and refinement of a quintet that stands as one of the finest in jazz history.
Sistro (Sistrum) is a kind of percussion instrument that has had several incarnations and names in various cultures since the time of the Sumerians and throughout history has always been associated with religious rituals. It’s from this relationship between music and the transcendent that Nuno Oliveira (Nuno O, Judas Triste, José Pinhal Post-Mortem Experience), Tito Silva (Vasco da Ganza, José Pinhal Post-Mortem Experience) and Rodolfo Oliveira (Oficinas TK) were gradually inspired to create a trio that pays homage to this instrument of ancient times.
The project was born casually and without intentionality throughout several incursions into megalithic monuments in the hills and mountains of northern Portugal, culminating in an unusual two-day session of musical experimentation in Esposende, in September 2019. In this two-day session, codenamed “Arménio Sessions”, the trio explored a sound based on sea soundscapes, electronic beats, electric noises and the strings of na altered guitar. Channeling the strength of the elements and the mystique of the place in the form of a musical experience.
In 2021, Sistro collaborated with Mario Klingemann (aka Quasimondo) who created a music video especially for the band, created using a vintage video mixing board. Then using feedback loops and a process that Klingemann calls “Neural Edit”, which uses an artificial intelligence algorithm to correlate the raw video material with the sound.
After a long period of incubation, the group's first full-length release sees the light of day on the 31th October, 2023, moment in which a sequence of rituals begins to present and celebrate the relationship between music and the transcendent. Sistro's debut album will be released by Favela Discos, having been mixed by Tito Silva and mastered by Pedro Augusto. The photography and graphics are by Oficinas TK.
The story of Elvis Presley’s ‘discovery’ has passed into showbiz legend and his recordings at Sun Studios have gone down in history. Between 1953 and 1954 That’s When Your Heartaches Begin, That’s All Right, Blue Moon Of Kentucky and Milkcow Blues Boogie were cut. By chance, two covers stood out; Arthur Crudup’s That’s All Right and Bill Monroe’s Blue Moon Of Kentucky which were adapted into high-energy mixes of Blues, Country and Rockabilly. Reaction in the Memphis area was enthusiastic and the Band continued to perform their weekly slot on the Louisiana Hayride Radio Show and bonus tracks from the Hayride Radio Show have been included on this LP. Elvis was the first and greatest star of the Rock ‘n’ Roll era and his early recordings will always retain their appeal.
