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Dazzle rolled deep. Very deep. In the 1980s, it wasn't unusual for the Milwaukee-based group to show up at various Midwest night clubs in a caravan of 30-40 cars and vans. Their live following was hard won over a career that spanned 20+ years, many line up changes, and a handful of project names. Friends, family, and fans made the journey with them weekend after weekend, a testimony to both the musical prowess of the group and the tight-knit community that they emerged from.

Donald Smith, band leader, was there the whole time - joined by many of his siblings and friends - first as founder of the Ghetto Players, a early 70's nine-piece which also included siblings Michael, Ronald, and Charles. They played hard funk in the style of early Kool and the Gang, and although they sadly left no recordings, the strength of their live act managed to catch the eye of local Milwaukee R&B music entrepreneur Cobie Joe Payne. Cobie had made a couple of records locally in the early/mid 70s as a singer, including the impossibly weird and amazing rare afro-blues-funk 45 "Sweet Thing", but had never enjoyed national success. When the Ghetto Players disbanded in the early-mid 70s, Donald soon put together a new group, C on the Funk (the 'C' referring to lead vocalist and sibling Charles), under Payne's tutelage. Sister Lorrie Smith came in as the drummer, the line-up being fleshed out by brothers David and Melvin Johnson, and friend Robert Mitchell. After a few years as a strictly live attraction, they drove to Chicago and produced a single, "In the Disco" / "A Place" for Payne's small record label Sweet Thang Records in 1980. Lacking the financial backing needed to supply the local R&B disk jockey's "promotional fees" , this single sadly languished in obscurity, gathering dust inside the local tavern jukeboxes and manilla promo envelopes that comprised Payne's DIY distribution network.

C on the Funk were traveling the Mid West extensively at this point, and making some important friends on the road. Ike Wiley Jr. of the Dazz Band/Kinsman Dazz took particular interest and the band was re-christened Dazzle, partially as a tie-in with Dazz, partially to embrace the new sounds that would distinguish the 70s disco scene from what record collectors and DJs would now refer to as the "Boogie" era. There no doubt was a stigma attached to the word "Disco" as the eighties began, and as we see in this collection C On the Funk's "In the Disco" is remixed and transformed into the psychedelic synth instrumental of Dazzle's "Disco's Out", a title which embodies both the next-step approach Smith and company were pushing for, and humorously comments on the state of black dance music in the early 1980s. The Dazzle recording, done in Chicago in 1982, updated the sound and featured an expanded line up, most notably a second synth player (Charles Washington), and a percussionist/second lead vocalist (Greg McDonald). The added synth textures and deep percussive grooves give the Dazzle recordings an elegant late night vibe that resonate just as well in a good pair of headphones as they do on the dance floor. The trance inducing cough syrup-warble of "Explain" may best exemplify this here. Sadly, a pressing flaw in the 12" halted production and promotion, and the EP and the songs within were lost to the ages. The group, having done a much better line in the live music business, followed that path instead all the way to the early 90s. --bio provided by andy noble

Roberto Agosta, or just Agosta as he likes to be called, is a Sicilian DJ and producer from Catania active all along the eastern coast of Sicily, a place that proved to be a soulful place and a training ground for a long career, making him an excellent music selector and a reference point in the spread of alternative music.

A soundtrack music enthusiast since he was a child, now a vinyl "serial gathere", Agosta has always put his vast knowledge at the service of a very personal sound that sums many different music styles and contaminations, simple and profound but straightforward and direct at the same time.

Agosta’s eponymous album, released on LP, CD and digital formats, was conceived during the Covid-19 lockdown, thanks to the precious collaboration of friend DJ and producer Massimo Napoli aka Galathea, with whom Roberto has already started another project called AN-AN that will produce a new record for Space Echo at the end of 2022.

This record highlights a typical chill-out aesthetic, thanks to its trip-hop and ambient rhythms and atmospheres, while a deeper exploration reveals the psychedelic essence of the entire work, a daring and exciting journey in the most primitive Sicily, and the energy that sustains all of its ten tracks.

Much of their author and his lifestyle - mainly based on meditation, the search for spiritual elevation, the relationship with nature and the regaining of contact with those particular places and with the people who live there - is revealed by those tracks that constitute a soundtrack for this spiritual but also extremely physical journey.

The song titles are, in fact, intrinsically linked to Roberto’s real life: the Gorna and Ilice mountains at the foot of Etna, the Carricante vineyard and its excellent wine, Unna, Three Chestnuts, Varanni, Don Alfio, Lady G. Each of them represents a pleasant and dreamlike narration and the escape from the complex dynamics of a city like Catania, among echoes of the most dreamy Pink Floyd, the softer side of ’70s krautrock, but also the Massive Attack and Tricky’s Bristol scene.
There’s also an excellent choice of synthesizers and overdubbed guitars, thanks to the talent of the multifaceted musician and producer Salvo Bruno Dub, and of Manuela Amalfitano, Loredana Poidomani and Deran Obika’s voices.

Agosta is an introspective, deep work with a cinematic vocation, perfectly rooted in the territory where it took shape, among sunny landscapes, lush with vegetation but also deserted and arid lands. From Sicily to the cosmos... enjoy!

From the Dolls-meets-the-devil opening title track to the desperate Sister Lovers-adjacent finale "The Findings," The Interrogator is thirteen vibrant, crackling, scary and hilarious songs which taken together represent nothing less than a thorough and thrilling moral inventory of our decadent and depraved times. Following up and doubling down on the themes of last year's lionized cult favorite For Executive Meeting, Elizabeth Nelson has authored an album as politically potent and pointedly hilarious as antecedents like The Mekons' Rock `n' Roll and Neil Young's On the Beach and wed it to the sound of ZZ Top's Eliminator. As writers like Rob Sheffield and Robert Christgau have known for years, Elizabeth Nelson has been one of our very best songwriters for going on a decade. On the charged anthem "Bad Day for the Group Chat" she reassesses the current state of affairs: "I have bested all my peers.

toechter is an all-female trio operating from Berlin. toechter’s 2nd full-length album »Epic Wonder« sees its classically trained members blend elaborate string arrangements with ethereal indie pop and delicate rhythms. Katrine Grarup Elbo, Lisa Marie Vogel and Marie-Claire Schlameus exclusively use analogue sound sources (such as violin, viola, cello, and their voices), which were then electronically processed.

Named after the Greek god of the wind, toechters 2022 album »Zephyr« exhaled deeply with concurrently invigorating and confusing sounds. »Epic Wonder«, their second album, was created in the spring and summer of 2023. Playing with forms and contours, the music sounds like the awakening of something new. One seems to be listening to an ongoing conversation, an exchange about what music could be, where it wants to go and how it contributes to our view of life. It all rests on a simple premise:

»Every sound you hear in our universe comes from us. The string trio is the core of toechter, the starting point of all our work.«

Those looking for new worlds of sound can find them in the work of this classically- trained musicians. Whether they add voices or percussive instruments, sample the sounds, or manipulate them electronically; ultimately they are exploring the string trio's place in a world shaped by the digital.

»Prelude« opens the album, seemingly a conversation, yet not only between humans. We catch the word ›love‹ which soon morphs into pure sound images, while a violin theme tentatively takes over. Is it the dawning of a new day? The chorus of sound transforms into a fascinating rhythmic figure, creating a club-like experience that fades out in delicate structures. A perpetual transformation.

According to toechter, »Epic Wonder« is all about making connections. Connections between people, animals, plants, fungi, rocks, soils, oceans, ice caps, stars, and planets. One imagines oneself in a folk-pop song of the 60s, or even blown around by Morricone's desert wind:

»The world as we see it is in desperate need for a deeper understanding; for compassion, for empathy. We have to understand that we are all part of the same organism. Epic Wonder is a dream, a wish, a longing for kinship between all species that share the world - all that is alive.«

The acoustic throbbing and knocking in »Sea Of Serenity« makes you think of encounters with mythical creatures or planetary oceanography; and out of the mechanically clacking groove of »Shift Souls« a gentle, but steady movement awakens with voices that seem to sound from the depths of the sea. Everything is in flux, floating in and out of dimensions and elements.

The album ends with »Mercury«, spherically elegant and almost science fiction-like. Here, a pizzicato melody leads us back to the baroque, simultaneously representing a detail of intertwined sonic worlds, while the steady, housy baseline develops its driving theme.

»Creating the music for the album, we allowed ourselves to waft away with the aspiration that connections are possible. Sometimes dwelling on subtle, yet marveling phenomena like the evening fog covering a valley on Midsummer, sometimes on grandiose splendors like the genesis of mountains or the birth of a child - letting interactions and encounters with other beings float through the musical universe as drips of emotional perceptivity.«

For the visual manifestation of »Epic Wonder«, toechter has engaged with Finish up-and-coming lens-based artist Aino Kontinen. Her work will grace both the cover art of the album and accompany the first single and video as an ephemeral tale in motion.

Mit ihrer puren und ehrlichen Hardcore/Punk-Attitüde, verschmolzen mit Einflüssen aus Funk und Hip-Hop, haben SLOPE einen einzigartigen Stil entwickelt, der das Publikum fesselt und sie von der Masse abhebt. Ihr neues Studioalbum "Freak Dreams" wird sie zu noch größeren Höhen katapultieren! Das Album ist erhältlich als limitierte LP in 180g lila Vinyl, als CD Jewelcase (mit Posterbooklet) und als Digital Album. Für Fans von Beastie Boys, Rage Against The Machine, Turnstile und frühen Red Hot Chili Peppers.

This was the second studio outing by supergroup Cactus. Existing of ’Vanilla Fudge’ rhythm section Carmine Appice (drums) and Tim Bogert (bass), as well as former Amboy Dukes lead vocalist Rusty Day (vocals/mouth harp), and Jim McCarty (guitar) from Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels and the Buddy Miles Express. The album offers eight tracks of which are six originals and two covers: Little Richard’s ’Long Tall Sally’ and Chuck Willis’ ‘Feel So Bad’.

In a union of drum and bass talent at its most authentic, MAKO and SEBA have joined forces to deliver a long-awaited and highly anticipated collaborative single titled "Brotherhood" and "Stockholm Syndrome." These tracks were initially started when SEBA visited MAKO in 2019 and showcase the synergy and creative prowess of both artists.

"Brotherhood" sets the tone for this momentous release as MAKO and SEBA combine their unique styles and sonic signatures to create a track that embodies the essence of Drum & Bass in its purest form. Crushing amen breaks over dystopian themes and chilling Rhodes hooks, this track is constantly moving with its fusion of commanding rhythms, complex arrangement quirks, and grudge-bearing bass work, resulting in a captivating sonic journey that is sure to shatter any jungle sound-system. Topped off with the inspiring mantra of “What is love? One name for it is knowledge."

On the flip side, "Stockholm Syndrome" pays homage to SEBA's cherished hometown. The track captures a minimal yet visceral spirit, a catchy hook that's rare for a track with such a haunting theme is backed with stepping beats and macabre break edits, topped with intricate percussion. This track clearly identifies both MAKO and SEBA's signatures and instantly lets the listener know they're hearing both in fusion, and the heart and soul of both producers' heritage.

MAKO and SEBA's collaborative single is a testament to their individual artistry and the magic that unfolds when they unite. Their ability to seamlessly blend their distinct styles and push the boundaries of the drum and bass genre, while remaining true to its core values, is evident in every note and beat.

This is a brotherhood we're delighted to witness taking shape.

Six years after the group's suicide on stage at the Olympia, Masto and Fanfan (sax and vocals) reunite to compile 25 tracks taken from cassette recordings of their concerts between 1984 and 1989.

Performing in squats, neighbourhood houses and major concert halls across Europe, in sometimes chaotic conditions but always with a crazy atmosphere, "Carnaval des agités" bears witness to the joyous mayhem and raging energy that was the Bérurier Noir odyssey.

Now available for the first time on vinyl (gatefold sleeve, two discs, split red and black finish), with 4 bonus tracks from the 1995 promo maxi-single.

Die chilenischen Death-Rocker Hellman präsentieren ihr erdrückendes Debütalbum 'Born, Suffering, Death'! Absolute Empfehlung für Fans von Motörhead, Entombed, Pantera, Anthrax, Wratchild America, Nailbomb oder Sepultura!

and the novelty goes on: mule musiq welcomes another fresh producer to its vast catalogue of music from all around. this time andro gogibedashvili aka saphileaum. he is coming from tbilisi, georgia and already released an impressive body of work, considering he just publishes music since 2016. countless eps and albums, digital, on tape, documenting his feverish creative urge on labels like not not fun records, good morning tapes, diffuse reality, or vodkast. they cover a comprehensive stylistic range from ambient and downtempo to tribal, house, and techno nuances. a deeper shade of soul, precisely fashioned, growing from different playgrounds of inspiration. he was born into a musical family. as a kid he studied georgian folk. in his school rock band, he sang, and the guitar was his love. then electronic music called the tune, and techno hit his heart. in the midst of it all the 26-year-old never lost contact with his spiritual home. “i find deep inspiration in georgian myths and legends, occultism and esoteric teachings, lost civilizations, earth, unity, truth, information, and the secrets of the universe. these things, to name a few, inspire me daily and help me create the music I make.” saphileaum reveals. “exploring together”, his debut album for mule, navigates all these elements through a merry-go-round of gentle driven rhythm zones. fourth-world spheres, balearic tropes, field recording zones, tropical downbeat, tribal percussions, trancing sounds, balafon hums, mallet airs, hooky house – it’s all there, circling the eavesdropper into a dreamland of melodic undercurrents. “my loops come from tribal and cosmic inspirations. tribal, as below, and cosmic as above. the combination of these two, is very interesting to me”, he clarifies, while joking “but, to put it super simply, loops are super handy for djing”. which brings us to the final promotion of “exploring together” - it’s playability. its vast. multifunctional. spiritual. made for gatherings, were all dance time away. lost in music actions, only touched by the hand of rhythm and sound. his ten tracks are created for such flashes, wide spreading a musical narration of illuminating durability. “cosmic, relaxing, fun, tribal, and mystic.”, as saphileaum declares.

“Challenge” was released in 1981 on Bootleg, a record label born inside a record store in Pavia with the same name. “Challenge” keeps the original and uncompromising punk attitude alive. 3 groups: No Suicide (from the Udine province), Mercenary God (from Gemona), No Submission (from Treviso), all sick children of the industrious, rich and Christian Democratic north-eastern part of Italy. I read about them in “New Fahrenheit” (a controversial article about local rivalries, common backgrounds and eventually separate roads.) but I don’t know their music. Something tells me that “Challenge” is the record I was looking for, perhaps because of its very powerful cover with no slogans, and a circled “A”. I send the money in a sealed envelope and wait. When the package arrives, I open it, I put the record on the turntable and let the needle go. The first listen is enough to realize that this is a crucial release, a real “challenge”.

The challenge is against an indifferent market. The instrument is a sound that is already changing skin. No Suicide, Mercenary God and No Submission have nothing to do with Great Complotto, they are the other face of the northeastern underground. Punk is their background, (read “hardcore” for No Suicide) but for all of them there is a progressive detachment from the original material, including a common attitude towards the caustic sound coming from the harshest side of British wave. A classic example of “work in progress” able to generate great songs like “The Degraded Men” by No Submission (the band that later evolved into Wax Heroes), one of the peaks of Italian post-punk. Mercenary God will give birth to The Sex, while No Suicide with their tight hypnotic hardcore will disbanded soon. It’s 1981 when the rain clouds on the “Challenge” front cover seem to remind us that the wind is going to change soon.

3 bands, 11 songs, an unearthed piece of history 43 years after its first release. Thanks to this reissue, “Challenge” is now back on track. A different disc, today as then. (Luca Frazzi)

Brötzmann arbeitete im Laufe seiner Karriere mit vielen Künstlern zusammen und nahm regelmäßig neue Landsleute hinzu. Der norwegische Schlagzeuger Paal Nilssen-Love wurde zu einem seiner engsten Verbündeten, nachdem der Perkussionist dem Chicago Tentet beigetreten war. Sie arbeiteten in verschiedenen Kontexten zusammen, unter anderem in diesem unerschöpflichen, schlagkräftigen Duo. Die meisten Alben, die sie veröffentlicht haben, waren Live-Auftritte, aber 2015 haben sie diese beeindruckende Studioaufnahme gemacht. Peter hatte sich eine Kontra-Alt-Klarinette zugelegt und war vom Klang dieses Instruments sehr begeistert", so Nilssen-Love in den Liner Notes. Ich hatte auch mehrere koreanische Gongs gekauft, die ich noch nicht benutzt hatte." Im August dieses Jahres trafen sie sich zu einer zweitägigen Session in Antwerpen, und von Anfang an unterscheidet sich das Stück von vielen ihrer Arbeiten. Die Musik ist weniger hektisch und aggressiv als wir es gewohnt sind, da die Musiker ihre Erkundung neuer Instrumente mit einem kontemplativeren Ansatz teilten. Natürlich bringen sowohl Brötzmann als auch Nilssen-Love hier und da die übliche Energie auf, aber es ist eine echte Offenbarung, sie in Echtzeit neue Klänge ertasten zu hören, sei es, dass ersterer die rheumatische Nasalität der Kontra-Alt-Klarinette liebkost oder letzterer in der anhaltenden Resonanz seiner neuen Gongs schwelgt. Doch auch wenn sie neue Instrumente ausprobierten, waren ihre Beziehung und ihr Engagement so stark und tief wie immer. Terminüberschneidungen verhinderten, dass sie die Produktion des Albums jemals abschließen konnten, aber sie begannen bereits während der Pandemie mit den Planungen dafür. Leider blieb es Nilssen-Love überlassen, das Projekt zu Hause zu betreuen, aber das Warten hat sich gelohnt. Dieses Duo-Album ist ein wichtiges Statement der beiden Musiker. Aber es gibt noch mehr gute Nachrichten: Ein zweiter Teil mit Musik aus derselben Studiosession wird 2024 auf Vinyl erscheinen, zusammen mit einer CD mit Live-Aufnahmen.

Pianist und Komponist Vijay Iyer legt nach Uneasy aus dem Jahr 2021 – dem ersten Album seines Trios mit Bassistin Linda May Han Oh und Schlagzeuger Tyshawn Sorey – mit Compassion ein weiteres Album mit diesen beiden begnadeten Musikern vor. Die New York Times hob die besonderen Qualitäten dieser Gruppe hervor und verwies auf die Fähigkeit des Trios, ”mit besonderer Elastizität und einer strahlenden Klarheit zu spielen... und gleichzeitig eine Art von sich windender innerer Spannung zu schüren. Entscheidend für dieses Gleichgewicht ist ihre fast telepathische Kommunikation untereinander”. Compassion, Iyers achte Veröffentlichung bei ECM, setzt sein Bestreben fort, neues Terrain zu erkunden und dabei gleichzeitig auf seine Vorbilder zu verweisen, von denen zwei schon lange mit dem Label verbunden sind. Das Album enthält eine lyrische Hommage an Chick Corea, dessen Interpretation von Stevie Wonders „Overjoyed” Vijay sich als Ausgangspunkt vorknöpft. Eine weitere Hommage ist ”Nonaah”, ein wirbelndes Stück des Avantgarde-Vorreiters Roscoe Mitchell, der ein wichtiger Mentor des Pianisten ist. Dann wären da natürlich noch Iyers eigene melodisch verführerische, rhythmisch belebende Kompositionen, die vom nachdenklichen Titelstück bis zu den mit markanten Passagen gespickten ”Tempest” und ”Ghostrumental” reichen. Das Album wurde von Manfred Eicher und Vijay Iyer produziert.

"Warner Music Nashville MULTI-PLATINUM star Gabby Barrett massively anticipated sophomore album Chapter & Verse will release February 2, 2024, which you can pre-order from Friday 5th January 2024.
Her most autobiographical work to date, Chapter & Verse will follow the 23-year-old hitmaker’s PLATINUM debut Goldmine and deliver even more of the fullhearted songwriting that’s made her one of Country’s brightest young superstars

Along with fully leaning into her Country roots on Chapter & Verse, Barrett’s deepened the emotional scope of her songwriting and created an up close portrait of her experience as a wife and mother of two children, with her third baby due early this year. To that end, the album’s title refers to the chapters and verses within each book of the Bible, as well as the still-unfolding chapters in her marriage, family, career, and overall journey through life.

Gabby Barrett continues to prove herself to be an unstoppable force in Country music. Already surpassing 2.8 BILLION global career streams - listen to latest releases You’re my Texas, Glory Days, Cowboy Back & Growin’ Up Raising You’ taking off the forthcoming album Chapter & Verse."

2LP im Gatefold-Sleeve. 100% recyceltes & zufällig gefärbtes Re-Vinyl. Kommt mit neuem Artwork. "Black Screen Records, Videocult, Akapura Games und Komponist James Primate freuen sich darauf, euch erneut bei der akustischen Reise durch die seltsame "Rain World" zu begleiten. Nachdem der Soundtrack jahrelang ausverkauft war, wird er nun endlich neu aufgelegt. Dieses Mal auf 100% recyceltem & random-coloured "Re-Vinyl". Die Musik stammt von Videocult-Level-Designer und Komponist James Primate - mit Unterstützung von Lydia Esrig (die andere Hälfte des Chiptune-Duos BRIGHTMATE) und Rain World-Schöpfer Joar Jakobsson.Die Platte erscheint in einem Gatefold-Sleeve mit atemberaubenden Artwork von Allegra "Del" Northern. Zusätzlich enthalten ist ein 12" Kunstdruck mit weiteren Illustrationen von Del.

The Umbrellas are four renegade romantics crafting irresistible indie pop hymns. The band's self-titled 2021 debut album became a breakout moment, winning critical praise and sparking an international tour. Follow-up LP 'Fairweather Friend' goes a step further - absorbing the sonic attack of their live shows, it balances this with studio finesse, allowing the San Francisco four-piece to become the band they've always aspired to be. It's a record overflowing with highlights. The candyfloss melodies of introductory track 'Three Cheers!' are matched to an impactful percussive punch; 'Say What You Mean' finds The Umbrellas working with total confidence, letting the song ride out to its chiming conclusion, four voices working in precision. 'When You Find Out' offers rotating notes of guitar punctuated by a vocal that pushes past angst to accept a world full of hope. A lean 10 track affair, it grasps towards beatific pop while fuelled by a sense of risk, and the precision that comes from long months on the road. Allowing their live dynamic to bleed out on tape, The Umbrellas are at once more physical and yet also more controlled on their new album. It's also a record of ambition. Taking their time over each note, the four-piece have strengthened their songwriting, adding depth and assurance while unlocking their potential. Some bonds last a lifetime - The Umbrellas are ready to capture your heart. RIYL: Orange Juice, Sarah Records, early Creation, Mary Chain, C86, Lush

With his rawboned and ravaged instrumentals from the early ’60s, Link Wray single-handedly made the guitar the ultimately cool instrument of choice for a whole new generation. Wielding a Danelectro Longhorn, Link Wray—who created the blueprint for everyone from the Kingsmen to the Cramps with his flame-throwing sound—proceeded to outdo himself with this rare LP from 1963, now corralled on this Sundazed exact-repro, in crunchily perfect sound courtesy of the original Swan mono master tapes!

"Jack The Ripper" by Link Wray includes the following tracks: "Deacon Jones", "Cross Ties", "Fat Back", "Dinosaur" and more.

This version of the album comes as a 1xLP pressed on RED vinyl!

Double LP on recycled & random-coloured "Re-Vinyl" Return to the unwavering wild in Downpour, where you explore new, harsh lands and survive new predators. As time passed, the slugcat has evolved. With five variants of the species - take advantage of various skills that they possess and explore their own personal tales. Black Screen Records, Videocult and Akupara Games are excited to take you an aural journey into the strange land of "Rain World: Downpour". Two LPs pressed on recycled & random-coloured "Re-Vinyl". The soundtrack is housed in a beautiful gatefold sleeve comes with UV spot varnish. The artwork was created by Kelocitta who has also reimagined the vinyl art for "Rain World". The "Rain World: Downpour" soundtrack is a collaborative work that was made possible by James Primate, Lydia Esrig, Intikus, Ongomato, Connor "12LBS" Skidmore and Progfox. A unique piece of music and very interesting mesh of different styles that truly bring the environment of Rain World to life. It's fully enjoyable without the game itself. The songs of "Rain World: Downpour" are a treat to experience, with some themes referencing the original soundtrack, such as "Threat - Waterfront Complex" or "Reflection of the Moon", and some being whole new, entirely original tracks, such as "Breathing Hyometer", "Fragile" and "Sheer Ice Torrent". Once you've experienced the "Rain World" soundtrack and gotten a feel for the style of the artists who worked on the music, "Rain World: Downpour" is an amazing continuation to experience next.

The man of many bands seems perpetually on the lookout for theunbalancedorthesurprising.Likealoveroffirstdates,Nick Wheeldon never tires of adding new formations with an ease that borders on the supernatural. After a highly acclaimed debut solo album in 2021, Communication Problems, followed by Gift in 2022, Nick Wheeldon, the Parisian Englishman from Sheffield, returns with a third opus, Waiting For The Piano To Fall. Nick Wheeldon has recorded nearly 20 albums with countless bands, including Nick Wheeldon's Demon Hosts, Os Noctàmbulos, 39th & the Nortons and Sex Sux, each of them offering him a new opportunity to refine a sound inspired by Gene Clark and Alex Chilton, at once majestic and fragile, delicate and flayed. Waiting For The Piano To Fall is the third LP in a triptych for which Nick Wheeldon has tried to capture a moment, an acoustic photograph. The band, The Living Paintings, had never playedtogether before this album and had no rehearsals before arrivingat the studio. It lends an amazing color, shape, confidence andexperiencetoNick'shypersensitiveanti-folksongs.Moreelaborate arrangements take shape around subtle country soulgroovesinwhicheventhe softestballadsswing.

This is the new 20th anniversary edition of one of Soul Jazz Records’ classic Studio One releases, now available as a one-off special blue vinyl very limited-edition pressing (2000 copies worldwide). 


Studio One Roots set the standard for Soul Jazz Records’ long-standing series of Studio One collections and features many of the classic artists from Clement 'Sir Coxsone’ Dodd’s mighty roster of reggae. This album includes Freddie McGregor, Willie Williams, Cornell Campbell, Alton Ellis, Devon Russell alongside some of the defining crack-session men groups of Jamaican reggae history – The Sound Dimension, Brentford All-Stars, The Skatalites, New Establishment and more. As ever the album is filled with a mixture of
seminal cuts and super-rarities from the vast vaults of 13 Brentford Road. 
Stand-out tracks include Alton Ellis’s Blackish White, a surreal and powerful Afro-centric dream, Count Ossie Nyabinghi and Rastafarian drummers genre-defying interpretation of Booker
T and The MGs ‘Meditation’, Willie Williams awe-inspiring versioning of the Skatalites seminal Rastafari anthem Addis Ababa and many, many more.
 This album has been fully digitally remastered, analog cut and packaged complete with the following: Original sleevenotes by Lloyd Bradley (author of When Reggae Was King),
compiled by Mark Ainley (Hones Jons), high-quality Soul Jazz mastering, wicked images of Count Ossie and the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari on the cover, and a rare image of Clement Dodd and musicians inside the studio at Studio One on the full colour inner
sleeves.
 “The music of this compilation is of a rare, rare beauty and is essential to anyone's reggae collection” All Music