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'Die For Us' is the fifth full-length release in five years from WEREWOLVES, the world's most prolific metal band. WEREWOLVES is the final word in blunt-force death-metal fury. Created in 2019 as an experiment to see how quickly an album could be written and recorded by seasoned professionals Matt Wilcock (AKERCOCKE, THE BERZERKER), Sam Bean (THE BERZERKER), and Dave Haley (PSYCROPTIC), the experiment has gone fully out of control and blundered out into the music world garnering hate, fear, and wonder_and in 2024 the band has a rabid cult fanbase and 5 Albums & 1 EP to their name - half way to the goal of 10 Death Metal albums in 10 years. 'Die For Us' features guest vocals from fearsome Australian legend Rok from SADISTIK EXEKUTION in a performance that will leave you wiping spittle from your face.

LINGUA IGNOTA, the solo project of multidisciplinary artist Kristin Hayter, takes a radical, unflinching approach to themes of violence and vengeance in ways that are moving, brutal, and harrowing. Her music is intentionally situated at specific and strange intersections, incorporating elements of power electronics, death industrial, and black metal alongside baroque classical, spiritual minimalism and folk. Relentless intensity and soaring dramatic arcs are informed by Hayter's background in classical music, and the major sonic locus of the project is her voice, a dynamic entity that rushes from unhinged screaming to lilting soprano to angular belting with an artistry and ferocity that has drawn comparisons to Diamanda Galas. She is notorious for confrontational live performances that can leave an audience breathless or in tears. Hayter began classical training at the age of ten with intent to pursue an operatic conservatory track. Instead she developed an interdisciplinary fine arts practice at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She continued with graduate work at Brown University, producing a controversial thesis titled BURN EVERYTHING TRUST NO ONE KILL YOURSELF. LINGUA IGNOTA was born out of this thesis which re-contextualized misogynist content as biblically vitriolic anthems for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. A survivor herself, Hayter seeks to give a singularly aggressive voice to the unheard, silenced, and dismissed.

The 2019 released "Caligula" took the vision of Kristin Hayter's vessel to the next level of grandeur, her purging and vengeful audial vision went beyond anything preceding it and reached an unparalleled sonic plane within her oeuvre. Succeeding her self-released 2017 "All Bitches Die" opus, "CALIGULA" saw Hayter design an ambitious work, displaying the full force of her talent as a vocalist, composer, and storyteller. Vast in scope and multivalent in its influences, with delivery nothing short of demonic, "CALIGULA" is an outsider's opera; magnificent, hideous, and raw. Eschewing and disavowing genre altogether, Hayter built her own world. Here she fully embodied the moniker Lingua Ignota, from the German mystic Hildegard of Bingen, meaning "unknown language" _ this music has no home, any precedent or comparison could only be uneasily given, and there is nothing else like it in our contemporary realm. Whilst "CALIGULA" is unapologetically personal and critically self-aware, there are broader themes explored; the decadence, corruption, depravity and senseless violence of emperor Caligula is well documented and yet still permeates today. Brimming with references and sly jabs, Hayter's sardonic commentary on abuse of power and invalidation is deftly woven. Working closely with Seth Manchester at Machines With Magnets studio in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Hayter stripped away much of the industrial and electronic elements of her previous work, approaching instead the corporeal intensity and intimate menace of her notorious live performances, achieved with unconventional recording techniques and sound sources, as well as a full arsenal of live instrumentation and collaborators including harsh noise master Sam McKinlay (THE RITA), visceral drummer Lee Buford (The Body) and frenetic percussionist Ted Byrnes (Cackle Car, Wood & Metal), with guest vocals from Dylan Walker (Full of Hell), Mike Berdan (Uniform), and Noraa Kaplan (Visibilities). "CALIGULA" is a massive work, a multi-layered epic that gives voice and space to that which has been silenced and cut out.

Incredibly rare Latin grooves reissued for the very first time on vinyl. Vision Divina is produced by New York City Latin music legend, Larry Harlow. Full of blazing

horns and wondrous drum rhythyms this title is sure to keep any dancefloor shaking. Originally issued on the legendary Coco Records imprint and long overdue for reissue with O.G. copies selling for $200+ when available.

INSIDE is the third album (and second in a row on Brixton Records) by the respected ten-piece group from Barcelona that fuses Jamaican music and jazz. DROP COLLECTIVE bravely faces the so-called third album syndrome and makes a sincere declaration of principles, a public manifestation of their musical identity. The two sides of the album are clearly identified. Side A is Inside-Out, displaying five own-penned compositions, including three songs sung in Catalan and two in English, in which DROP COLLECTIVE make it clear what they like to do and what they are capable of offering. The album opens with "Com Estimo Jo" (The Way I Love), a reggae ballad composed by Andreu Domènech (baritone sax) that is dedicated to the growth and learning we do when we love. It is followed by "Let Us Dance", a fluid ska with Latin airs and an invitation to dance, which recaptures the sound of some of the most celebrated passages from their previous album. "Estel" (Star) is a melancholic reggae song, sung in Catalan, in homage to someone who is no longer here - "now you are the star that watches over us from up there, bright, bright". Prior to the release of this LP, four advance tracks have been published on digital platforms, but "Life's Too Short" is, perhaps, the album's single. This resounding reggae with a powerful brass section could have easily taken more elaborate instrumental and studio developments, however, the band has preferred to produce a compact track brimming with strength and lasting less than three minutes. “Ombra" (Shade) closes this side of the album with solemn roots sonorities. The B-side is Outside-In, four reinterpretations of jazz classics that DROP COLLECTIVE internalize, make their own and, therefore, also form part of their identity. The choice of pieces is hair-raising, because of the risks they take. "Yearnin'" is a cover of the song originally included in one of the most epic albums in the history of jazz, "The Blues and the Abstract Truth", by saxophonist Oliver Nelson. DROP COLLECTIVE take the song to their own territory with the skill and freshness of expert ska-jazzers and with the special collaboration of trumpeter Joan Mar Sauqué, they make one of the most famous riffs in jazz sound unashamedly contemporary and... Caribbean. "Day by Day" is an adaptation of the standard from the late forties of the last century that was part of the regular repertoire of, among others, Frank Sinatra. The result is a swinging ska love themed, sugary and romantic, with an exquisite interpretation. And to close the album, two extraordinary trials by fire for Maria del Rio, the band's vocalist, which she solves with total ease and mastery of the situation. "What a Little Moonlight Can Do", a composition by Harry Woods that the legendary Billie Holiday recorded in 1935 and which, after 90 years, still sounds fresh in up tempo ska mode, and "Sinnerman", a traditional spiritual from the early 20th century made popular worldwide by Nina Simone, becomes a lively ska-jazz with soulful touches and an infectious organ solo by Daniel Ferruz. INSIDE is an album with a compact, solid, and synchronous sound, but full of details, which gives a total sense of permanence and singularity to their skareggae- jazz mastery, in which many universes fit.

Jaden Thompson returns to Crosstown Rebels with ‘Downtown’, with remixes from HoneyLuv and Ghoulish. Marking his first solo outing on the label following ‘Talking Walls’ alongside Seth Troxler, the fabric resident impresses once more following recent material on Classic Music Company, PIV and his own Midnight Parade imprint.

A new school talent whose sound takes cues from Chicago while pointing to the future with forward-thinking allure and energy, Jaden Thompson’s ascent is well-documented, having been tipped by an endless list of industry heavyweights and global media outlets from an early age. Releasing on labels such as Cuttin’ Headz and Classic Music Company, amongst others, plus his own Midnight Parade imprint, Thompson’s sound and dynamic sets have seen the UK talent become a favourite for many while also hosting his ongoing Rinse FM show and curating mixes for the likes of Circoloco and Keinemusik through to Nike for it’s annual Air Max Day. Having made his label debut on Crosstown Rebels in 2022 with his standout collaboration ‘Talking Walls’ with Seth Troxler, Thompson now returns to Damian Lazarus’ legendary imprint as he serves up his first solo record on the label ‘Downtown’ - backed by remixes from surging US DJ/producer HoneyLuv and emerging UK talent Ghoulish, who makes his debut on the imprint.

Merging various shades and sounds from across the electronic sphere, ‘Downtown’ brings vibrant vocals, energy-charged synths, and sharp metallic percussion, all balanced perfectly, to the fore. HoneyLuv’s remix brings jacking drums while warping the original’s vocals todeliver a peak-time interpretation before Ghoulish flips the script, utilising off-kilter drums and spiralling lasers amongst heavy low-ends.

Habibi Funk is thrilled to share a second collection of deep grooves and unreleased songs from Algeria's Ahmed Malek, often compared to Italian heavyweight Ennio Morricone. Malek’s music effortlessly switches between thematic jazz, funk, reggae and Algerian folk – creating indelible soundscapes that intersect the musical innovations made in African jazz by Mulatu Astatke, Bembeya Jazz National along with some of Europe’s finest experimental composers like Piero Piccioni and Janko Nilovic. “Musique Originale de Films, Volume Deux” is out June 28th, 2024 via Habibi Funk.

Whenever an interview asks about a “memorable moment” in Habibi Funk label history, one we always reference is how we got in touch Ahmed Malek’s (22K Spotify Followers, 285K Spotify Monthly Listeners) music and subsequently his family. It all started with us coming across Ahmed Malek’s music on YouTube in 2012. We were mesmerized by how effortlessly the music would switch between jazz, funk and Algerian folk while counterweighting it with an undertone of melancholia. Musical perception is different for every person, but there is a chance that his music will touch you in one way or another. At the time, we had just started the Habibi Funk label and we felt Ahmed’s music might be a good fit for the sound we were trying to highlight. Fast forward three years: we had become captivated with the idea of reissuing some of Ahmed Malek’s music. We knew some people had tried to locate his family but, but with no success. In the end it was an incredible amount of luck that made it possible for you to read these words and listen to Ahmed’s music. We were on a DJ gig in Beirut playing old Arabic records and we mentioned our passion for Ahmed Malek’s music to a friend. She said she knew one person in Algier, and as much as it would be a shot in the dark, she could ask her if she had an idea of how to find Malek’s family. Two weeks went by before we heard back, and what we got was incredibly good news - her Algerian friend was the neighbor of Ahmed Malek’s daughter! We’re not spiritual people, but it felt like the universe wanted to see the release happen. We started to speak with Henya, Ahmed Malek’s daughter and she was more than happy with our idea. She assured us that her father would have loved the plan as well. She provided us with tons of awesome material, from great photos, to unseen video footage and unreleased tracks. Eventually we visited Henya in Algeria and we licensed some of her father’s music, first for one (Habibi 003), then for another (Habibi 005), then we eventually organized an exhibition in June/July 2019 – Planète Malek – Une Rétrospective – at the Musée Public National D’Art Moderne & Contemporain in Algiers, focusing on Ahmed Malek’s artistic life. We also produced a small movie about him that our friend Paloma Colombe shot and directed. “Musique Originale de Films, Volume Deux” is a deep collection of unreleased songs and stemmed grooves from the Algerian master, from jazz, funk, psych to reggae rhythms and Latin flavors, all under the sonic umbrella of “Planète Malek;” and to quote the maestro, “I didn’t choose music, music chose me.” Lead single is the subtlety funky “Thème Rythme Léger,” out May 3rd along with LP Pre-Order (coincided with Bandcamp Friday for a larger impact) a delicate sonic dance between flute, piano and Spanish guitar with a Bossainfluenced groove. The steady, swingin’ drum groove is cloudlike - definitely toe-tapping friendly so just grab a partner to feel the Rhythme Léger. Second single out May 17th is the reggae-infused “L’Empire Des Rêves” – a sultry sax melody weaves through a prismatic rocksteady thematic groove. 3rd and final single “Thème Djalti feat. Aïda Guéchoud” – is a true Western-inspired ode to his Italian counterpart Ennio Morricone. “Thème Djalti” features the haunting vocals of Aïda Guéchoud, and combines elements of baroque and Bossa-jazz in a timelessly thematic way that seems grandiose yet remains uniquely personal to your ears. Swelling strings, trumpet, fem vox, flute, and plucked guitar expertly arranged, feels like you’re riding a horse into the sunset. Focus track “La La La” is fiery afro-arab-funk of the highest order! Put on your dancing shoes as Ahmed cuts the rug and gets us grooving along. Sonically the cut sounds like if Ahmed ran into The JB’s and Fela Kuti at a Cymande concert. Driving guitar and organ solos vie over pulsating bass riffs and afro-funk drumming that’ll have you out on the dance floor in no time. As always, both vinyl and CD come with an extensive booklet featuring background and interviews with Ahmed compiled through found newspaper clippings and newsreels, also including unseen photos, scans and more. “Ahmed Malek: Musique Originale de Films, Volume Deux” will be out everywhere June 28th.

This 2020 film has already become an indie classic, and it’s taken on a timeliness that its creators could not have foreseen. Teenage Autumn has to flee her rural Pennsylvania town in seach of an abortion, leaving behind her abusive partner, her indifferent parents (singer Sharon Van Etten plays her mother), and her callous community as she embarks on a journey to New York City accompanied by her cousin Skylar. No matter your stance on the subject, Autumn’s harrowing odyssey provokes compassion and contemplation, two states of mind in short supply these days. And accompanying Autumn every step of the way on her journey is the mesmerizing and, at times, achingly sad score by cult favorite composer Julia Holter. So much of the film is made up of shots of Autumn’s face as she attempts to process what is happening to her and around her; seldom has a film score captured a character’s interior monologue with such insight and grace. Never before released in any physical format, we at Real Gone Music are proud to present the soundtrack to Never Rarely Sometimes Always on vinyl, with the full consent and cooperation of Julia Holter.

Enjoy The Ride Records is happy to share an exclusive variant of the Milan Records release of Euphoria (Original Score from the HBO Series), Music by Labrinth.

Written and recorded in close collaboration with the Euphoria writer and director Sam Levinson, Labrinth‘s original compositions feature prominently throughout the hit HBO series as a sonic companion to the show’s angst-driven narrative and intoxicating visuals. The resulting 26-track collection is a genre-blending mix of gospel, soul, and electronic influences, indicative both of Labrinth’s imitable style as well as the show’s deeply moving storyline.

Of the album, Labrinth says, “My experience with Euphoria has made me a better musician. It was a dream come true to give wings and add magic to the different storylines. It was a collaborative effort among Sam Levinson, the crew, and the cast – I only added texture to an already phenomenal show. I hope that anyone who listens to the music embraces feeling something.”

Euphoria follows a group of high school students as they navigate love and friendships in a world of drugs, sex, trauma, and social media. The ensemble cast of Euphoria includes actor and singer Zendaya, Maude Apatow (Girls), Angus Cloud, Eric Dane, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Barbie Ferreira, Nika King, Storm Reid, Hunter Schafer, Algee Smith and Sydney Sweeney (Sharp Objects).

Euphoria is an American adaptation of an Israeli show of the same name, and all episodes are written by Sam Levinson (Assassination Nation), who also serves as executive producer.

The Enjoy The Ride Records Exclusive variant, ""Night Sky Blue,"" is limited to 1,000 copies. Euphoria is housed in a silver foil stamped & numbered soft-touch gatefold jacket with spot gloss and also contains a full-color insert.

Repress on rosewood coloured vinyl. HOST is the name of a devil worshipping ministry, that in order to spread their unholy gospels and, furthermore, trick mankind into believing that the end is ultimately a good thing, have decided to use the ever so popular rock music medium as a way to achieve their ends. Standing motionless and anonymous beneath the painted faces, hoods and robes which their sect demand, the six nameless ghouls of Ghost deliver litanies of sexually pulsating heavy rock music and romantic lyrics, that glorify and glamorise the disgusting and sacrilegious, with the simple intention to communicate a message of pure evil via the most effective device they can find - entertainment. In May 2010 Ghost were contracted to a UK based gramophone company called Rise Above Ltd, who swore an oath stating that they will assist the group in the task of spreading their musical blasphemies through formats such as Compact Discs, Long Playing Vinyl Records and Digital Downloading. The first full length Ghost album Opus Eponymous will be released in October 2010 and it is understood and agreed that Rise Above Ltd will invest money in areas such as magazine advertising and retail marketing and will employ the services of music publicity specialists in order to expose the music of Ghost to the wider public. Specific attention will be paid to targeting people (research suggests these are most likely to be adolescents) who have a void in their life, perhaps caused by some form of emotional trauma or upset, that can be filled by the music and philosophies of Ghost.

Featuring the rare 1975 album Truth & Rights – rated “the best deejay LP in a long time” by Carl Gayle in the magazine Black Music, April 1976 – Straight To The Heart includes many of I-Roy’s hits from that year plus 4 bonus dub tracks. This set includes some heavy I-Roy songs, filled with improvised humour, infectious rhythms and thoughtprovoking themes. This 15-tracker features the hit ‘Dread In The West’, a stunning combination of Lee Perry’s terrific rhythm track on ‘Three Blind Mice’ and Roy’s razor sharp social commentary. A companion release to Sunshine For I (CPC 1027)

The Mighty Monarch of Exploitation Cinema! These audacious adults-only radio adverts and trailers showcase all original counter-culture compositions from Friedman’s freaky frontal lobe! Includes a DVD!

Always a carny at heart, Friedman gravitated towards the sleazy independent film world, where he started a new company and ushered in a decade of his greatest films. Always brimming with bodaciously bare beauties and copious carnality – which became his tawdry trademark. From 1964-1975, he wrote and produced roughies, historical costume dramas (based on literary classics), counter culture time capsules, wild wanton westerns, various soft-X sizzlers, an elaborate jungle epic and perhaps the worst sci-fi movie ever committed to celluloid.

But what ties all of these films together is the ballyhoo. Friedman sure knew how to craft an auditory advertising campaign to got ‘em in the theatres. He was the king of alliteration and catchy taglines and his coming attractions were among the best and most entertaining of their time. Many of the trailers and radio spots utilized all-original compositions and scores from Billy Allen – a composer/conductor Friedman enlisted to set his films apart from all the other smut peddlers.

As “adults only” films were getting more explicit in the ‘70s, Friedman longed for the good old days of sin and skin. He only dabbled in the XXX world for a short time before retiring. So, listen up and get ready to have your ears spanked hard!

I have no neat and tidy way to summarize Joan of Arc. The group's obdurate dedication to shape-shifting reinvention charmed and frustrated in equal measure, and often simultaneously. Any conversation of who or what Joan of Arc is must also consider what the band is not—beyond a unit that avoided convention. Only one person, bandleader Tim Kinsella, remained in Joan of Arc from its 1996 debut to its final days in 2020. For nearly a quarter century, Joan of Arc maintained a fluid lineup that drew from a multitude of subversive Chicago music communities. Every musician and behind-the-scenes collaborator that played a role in Joan of Arc (a number that exceeds 100) influenced the band's direction and character. All the while, Tim helped maintain Joan of Arc's singular identity throughout all the shifts. No two Joan of Arc albums sound identical, but if you listen close enough, you trace ideas that took root on one LP and blossomed in the next. This book expands and deepens the story of Joan of Arc's first five albums (its Jade Tree period) with archival photos and pages ripped from Tim's journals, presented alongside Tim's recollections and a compact early history. This book comes with a live recording of the one and only show by Red Blue Yellow the band Tim started just before Joan of Arc presented here on a 7", along with download code for a couple hundred bonus tracks from the group's archives.

Repress!

Formed in 1968, Jazz Sabbath was considered by many to be at the forefront of the new jazz movement coming out of England at the time. The eagerly awaited debut album, scheduled for release on Friday 13th February 1970, was cancelled when news broke that founding member and pianist Milton Keanes was hospitalised with a massive heart attack which left him fighting for his life.


The record company shelved the album and cancelled the scheduled release out of financial uncertainty of releasing a debut album from a band without its musical leader. When Milton was released from hospital in September 1970, he found out that a band from Birmingham, conveniently called ‘Black Sabbath’, had since released two albums containing metal versions of what he claims were his songs.


All recalled Jazz Sabbath albums had been destroyed when the warehouse burned down in June 1970; which turned out to be a case of insurance fraud by the label owner, leaving only a few bootleg tapes of Jazz Sabbath’s live performances as proof of existence.


The album masters were said to be lost in the fire, but were actually misplaced and gathered dust in the basement vaults of the recording studio. These tapes have now been remixed and, half a decade later, will finally be heard; proving that the heavy metal band worshipped by millions around the world are in fact nothing more than musical charlatans, thieving the music from a bedridden, hospitalised genius.

2024 repress

Music From Memory is excited to announce a special compilation that they’ve been working on for some time now; MFM053 – VA – Heisei No Oto – Japanese Left-field Pop From The CD Age (1989-1996). Compiled by long-time friends of the label, Eiji Taniguchi and Norio Sato, Heisei No Oto delves into a world of music released almost exclusively on CD and brings together a fascinating selection of discoveries from a little known and overlooked part of Japan’s musical history.

The last ten or so years have seen a global wave of interest in Japanese music encompassing ambient, jazz, new wave and pop records from the 1980s, some of which is increasingly considered the most innovative and visionary music of that time. Although some music from this period, in the form of ‘City Pop’ or ‘rare groove’ records, had been coveted by collectors and DJs for a number of years, most Japanese music from the time was little known outside and often even within Japan.

Sometime around the mid 2000s, two Osaka record store owners, Eiji Taniguchi of Revelation Time and Norio Sato of Rare Groove, along with a handful of deep Japanese diggers such as Chee Shimizu of Organic Music records in Tokyo, began to explore beyond the typical ‘grooves’ or ‘breaks’. Much like their counterparts in Europe and the US, they began delving into home-grown ambient, jazz, new wave and pop records, discovering visionary music, often driven by synthesizers or drum computers, that broke beyond the typical confines of their genres.

Spending tireless hours in local record stores and embarking on digging trips across the country, Eiji Taniguchi and Norio Sato, much like Chee Shimizu, have been at the forefront of unearthing and introducing many of the very Japanese records now loved and sought after around the world. Yet as YouTube algorithms and vinyl reissues would transport such music into the global consciousness and demand and therefore scarcity intensified for such records, so Eiji and Norio have recently begun to turn their attention to CDs.

The title of the compilation Heisei No Oto refers to the sound of the Heisei era, which began in 1989 and corresponds to the reign of Emperor Akihito until his abdication in 2019. Marking the culmination of one of the most rapid economic growths in Japanese history, 1989 also coincided with the music industry’s final shift away from vinyl in favour of CDs. And, although compact discs were first introduced seven years earlier it wasn’t until late into the ‘80s that, beyond dance music labels, CDs became the exclusive format for major and independent labels in Japan and throughout the world.

This however didn’t signal the end of the innovation in Japan. Many of those same musicians who have become known for their work in the ‘80s would continue to produce outstanding music well into the mid ‘90s, as greater innovation and advances in musical equipment allowed Japanese musicians and producers to refine and explore new sounds. While musicians such as the seminal Haruomi Hosono, whose productions feature on a number of tracks, would continue to push the boundaries of these new technologies, these technological advances also meant less established musicians were able to make use of increasingly affordable but state-of-the-art equipment.

Including music by Haruomi Hosono as well as Yasuaki Shimizu, Toshifumi Hinata and Ichiko Hashimoto who have become known and loved around the world in recent years, Hesei No Oto also features Japanese pop star Yosui Inoue, producers Jun Sato and Keisuke Kikuchi in aaddition to less established artists from the contemporary, jazz, new wave, pop and dance music scenes. Bringing together a selection of tracks that seem to define these specific genres and in fact move fluidly between a number of them, the music on the compilation is again underscored by experimentations with synthesizers and drum computers though with something of a gentle Pop sensibility. Reimagined here then under the encompassing term ‘Left-field Pop’, this is an exciting chapter in Japanese musical history that has only just begun to be fully explored.

VA - Heisei No Oto - Japanese Left-field Pop From The CD Age (1989-1996) is a 2xLP/2xCD that includes liner notes by Chee Shimizu and artwork by Hagihara Takuya and is released on February 28th.

Repress!

Formed in 1968, Jazz Sabbath was considered by many to be at the forefront of the new jazz movement coming out of England at the time. The eagerly awaited debut album, scheduled for release on Friday 13th February 1970, was cancelled when news broke that founding member and pianist Milton Keanes was hospitalised with a massive heart attack which left him fighting for his life.


The record company shelved the album and cancelled the scheduled release out of financial uncertainty of releasing a debut album from a band without its musical leader. When Milton was released from hospital in September 1970, he found out that a band from Birmingham, conveniently called ‘Black Sabbath’, had since released two albums containing metal versions of what he claims were his songs.


All recalled Jazz Sabbath albums had been destroyed when the warehouse burned down in June 1970; which turned out to be a case of insurance fraud by the label owner, leaving only a few bootleg tapes of Jazz Sabbath’s live performances as proof of existence.


The album masters were said to be lost in the fire, but were actually misplaced and gathered dust in the basement vaults of the recording studio. These tapes have now been remixed and, half a decade later, will finally be heard; proving that the heavy metal band worshipped by millions around the world are in fact nothing more than musical charlatans, thieving the music from a bedridden, hospitalised genius.

repressed !

Classic Music Company are proud to present Black Girl Magic, the highly anticipated sophomore album from the inimitable Honey Dijon. An artist in every sense of the word, across 15 tracks of attitude, energy, heart and community, Honey demonstrates a broad range of disciplines and influences, enlisting A-List collaborators such as Channel Tres, Eve, Pablo Vittar, Josh Caffe, Mike Dunn and more for an unmissable, boundary-pushing LP.

Redefining what it is to be a DJ in 2022, this year Honey’s production capabilities have been enlisted by the upper echelon of musicians. Producing two records for Beyonce’s chart-topping album Renaissance and remixing lead single ‘Break My Soul’, as well as working in the studio with Madonna on new material. Now unapologetically expressing her own sound on Black Girl Magic, she unveils the next chapter of her development as a producer and songwriter.

Since the first teaser of the album, the BBC Radio 1 playlisted collaboration with Atlanta singer-songwriter Hadiya George ‘Not About You’, to the most recent single ‘Show Me Some Love’ featuring Compton royalty Channel Tres, the Black Girl Magic project has consistently illustrated Honey’s dedication to profiling diverse vocal talent. Shining a spotlight on a new generation of queer people and people of colour, Honey’s intentions to “keep this culture in the conversation,” are demonstrated with the featured artists on the LP.

Behind the scenes Honey has worked closely with Classic Music Company founder and close friend Luke Solomon, as well as regular collaborator Chris Penny on the production of the album. Her most adventurous and explorative output yet with a diverse range of influences, Honey’s Chicago musical upbringing is a driving force behind the LP, with her sights set on demonstrating how she first experienced the music of her hometown felt deeply across the record.

Working with British sculptor Jam Sutton, an artist who explores the relationship between technology and antiquity, 3D sculptural digital renderings of Honey have formed the artwork for all preceding singles leading into Black Girl Magic. Exploring identity, form, technology and classical portraiture, the artwork for the album comes as the final piece in the series of bespoke displays of Honey.

From her stratospheric DJ career, to her fashion line with COMME des GARÇONS: Honey Fucking Dijon, to soundtracking some of the most iconic fashion shows of the 21st century, Honey’s influence is felt far and wide across the worlds of music, fashion and art, with Black Girl Magic a powerful physical statement of her interdisciplinary artistic impact.

Over the past decade, Kasra V has blossomed as a prominent figure in the music industry, particularly through his renowned residency on NTS Radio which has expanded his profound knowledge and expertise in music. Since landing his radio residency in January 2014 he has successfully broadcast over 200 radio shows, making use of the format to explore a wide array of sonic attitudes, styles and systems. To celebrate his achievement Kasra V launches his own imprint V-Sion which he will not only use for his own release output but also to propel his vision of contemporary dance music. To kick things off he presents a stunning 9-track compilation '10:10 Kasra V presents 10 years on NTS Radio' featuring unreleased tracks from some of his most revered guests who have graced his show throughout the years. Each contribution is wholly in line with Kasra V's genre-spanning approach. Over the years some periods have seen him playing straightforward club music, others featuring an extended notion of listening music. One hears a whole breadth of influences in his releases on acclaimed labels such as Radiant Records and Shaytoon Records: collected strands of rave, acid house, San Francisco breakbeat, new beat, ambient, oddball pop from 90s and 80s, UK bleep and so on. The regularity of a broadcasting residency pushed him to carry out a constant study of the history of dance music, and he envisions V-Sion as an output to curate musical output, contributing to the ongoing dialogue between past, future and the ever-changing fulcrum of the sonic present. The tracks presented on 10:10 are also emblematic of this historically-informed approach to dance music. They are all tuned for the floor, but present a range of possible floors to conjure: Fantastic Man's progressive opener, "Neural Filter", is airy and laced with delicate breakbeats, while "Archangel Waltz" by Sepehr presents a shadowy drama of string samples and throbbing bass swells."Qadak" by 500SEC lays an anthemic Arabic melody over bubbling electro; 2 tracks prior, Angel D'Lite circulates a whisper and moan through the mix of a euphoric, rave-stabbed anthem. The latter encouraged Kasra to put out this very compilation, which is just a testament to the value of the company we keep.

Prince will forever be remembered as a commanding live performer, chart-topping recording artist, and music business revolutionary. Yet for all the time he spent in the spotlight over his four-decade-long career, Prince also worked tirelessly behind the scenes to nurture talent and pen songs for the rising artists he respected.

Sourced directly from Prince’s vast archive of Vault recordings, ORIGINALS is a brand new 15-track album featuring 14 previously unreleased recordings that illuminates the vital, behind-the-scenes role Prince played in other artists’ careers. These are more than just demos, the production quality has been kept high and the recordings resemble a pristine quality similar to that of Nothing Compares 2 U released last year.

By the mid-1980s, Prince was dominating the charts even as a writer/producer with songs he’d composed and recorded for others. In addition to releasing nine of his most commercially successful full-length albums, he also wrote and recorded endless reels of material for proteges The Time, Vanity 6, Sheila E., Apollonia 6, Jill Jones, the Family, and Mazarati. Several of the iconic songs found on ORIGINALS were considerable hits for the artists who recorded them.

‘’The duo’s music has traces of 1980s dream pop and 1990s slowcore, particularly Low, another married-couple band. There’s more to the comparison than ink on a certificate. Marriage’s suffering and devotion breed a particular kind of intimacy. Windy & Carl often resemble an ambient version of Yo La Tengo, another group that centers on a long-wed duo and conveys a secret, profound sense of life beyond the music.’’ PITCHFORK 7.2
For the first time in almost twenty years, Windy & Carl’s second album for kranky, Consciousness, will be available on the vinyl format once again. The fourth album from Michigan’s premier space duo, again delivers their shimmering trademark wall of sound, beautiful vocalization, and delicate songcraft. Six sweet and easy new tracks recorded in their home studio in Dearborn, that drift and dream with layered guitars, keyboards, bass and a love-arsenal of delicious effects and distortion.
“There is an airy shaft of light that extends straight through these six extended pieces, offsetting the density of sound with a breezy loveliness that’s almost impossible to articulate, towering on a floating sea of mesmerising, sub-level sounds.” —Boomkat
“Genre descriptions such as ‘ambient guitar soundscape’, ‘wall of sound’ and ‘drone’ fail miserably to capture the astonishing, magical emotional beauty of their pieces.” —Cyclic Defrost

In a joint venture with Weird Vacation, fmd is pleased to announced the long overdue reissue of the classic Plush debut album, More You Becomes You. Originally released in 1998, More You Becomes You was revered upon release and has been remastered from the original tapes by Jason Hillier with new Digital and DL masters created by Bob Weston who also recut new lacquers for the vinyl reissue. Described by Uncut magazine as “One of the most charismatic and eccentric pop craftsmen of the past twenty years”, Liam Hayes has been making critically acclaimed records since the 90’s. His first single “Three-Quarters Blind Eyes b/w Found a Little Baby” released under the moniker Plush, was cited by the NME as being “..one of those rare records - and incredibly rare debuts - that instantly seems a classic..” Although he emerged from the Chicago indie-rock scene, Hayes is often compared with artists such as Jimmy Webb, Brian Wilson, Laura Nyro and Harry Nilsson. Like some of the best folk-pop or soft soul from the 1960’s and 1970’s there is a timeless quality to his music. Re-release of debut album More You Becomes You is remastered from the original analogue tapes by Jason Hillier and recut for vinyl by Bob Weston, who also remastered the CD and Streaming formats. A deluxe 12 page full size booklet comes with the LP version (which also comes packaged as close to the original as possible, with a printed outer envelope/bag) and a 20 page booklet comes with the CD version put together by Liam and Jason Harvey, with Sleeve Notes by John Mulvey.

Mario Rusca is most probably the biggest living Italian jazzman. His major influences are Duke Ellingtons composing abilities and Hampton Hawes' brilliant sound. He immersed himself in the harmonic inventions of the incredible pianists of the 60s and 70s: from Bud Powell to Bobby Timmons, Wynton Kelly and Bill Evans. Mario Rusca has been the house pianist of Capolinea, the most important Italian jazz club of the 70s and 80s. He went on to perform in important national and international settings-representing Italy in the "Piano Solo'' category of the "International Festival of Varsavia" and participating with his quintet at the "International Festival of Montreal". He has collaborated with a multitude of prestigious names: Chet Baker, Tony Scott, Curtis Fuller, Gerry Mulligan, Lou Donaldson, Art Farmer, Bob Berg, Lee Konitz, Dusko Gojkovic, Al Gray, Kay Winding, as well as Stefano Bagnoli, Enrico Rava, Tullio De Piscopo, Kenny Clarke, Stan Getz, Jimmy Owens, Toots Thielemans, Gianni Basso, Pepper Adams, Steve Lacy, Steve Grossman, Franco Ambrosetti, Woody Shaw, and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. With Gerry Mulligan, in particular, he toured in 1976 and with Lee Konitz, he recorded Wheres The Blues? at the end of the 90s. In this regard, Suspension in 1975 with Tullio De Piscopo and Recreations in 1976 with the phenomenal Larry Nocella playing saxophone are still very beautiful and modern recordings. As Mario says, "In jazz, you choose the companions that you can dialogue the most with.there needs to be an interplay, there needs a...a way of feeling, which is why you choose musicians because they feel like you, or, if nothing else, they follow you". The chemistry between the three of them is perfectly aligned, synergistic. Tonys drums and Riccardos bass create a soft and essential rhythmic tapestry that never hinder the creative prowess of the band leader. Here Mario Rusca is interpreting the most dynamic jazz standards. Blues for Gwen by McCoy Tyner, Blues Walk by Lou Donaldson, Blue Minor by Sonny Clark, Turnaround by Ornette Coleman, Bass Blues by John Coltrane or even Super Jet by Tadd Dameron. You cant help but imagine yourself on top of a convertible, smiling and carefree, while they travel through the soloist progressions of Turnaround and Super Jet. We need to underline the four originals included in this recording: Blue Dream (for Allerim), Tempo Blues, Double Horn e Monochrome Blues, extremely suggestive compositions, rich of intuitions and which well exhibit Mario Rusca composition skills and his ability to play the blues. MONOCHROME BLUES is a winning trio album which will deeply please the most demanding jazz hears. The musicians Mario Rusca (piano) Riccardo Fioravanti (bass) Tony Arco (drums)

Vinyl release for this popular bands 20th Anniversary album released on CD earlier this year.

“With their debut record, the merry order of musically miscreants from Los Angeles bring you their eccentric, eclectic, electric Polywave experience” The core members are: Neight Trion (The Black Angels, The Shine Brothers), Rocky (Death Valley Girls), Jay Eraser (Grooms, Roya), Oh-Ra (?) and Malware (Dead Meadow). Recorded and mixed by Jason Simon at Tekeli-li Sound. Mastered by Howie Weinberg "World Destroyers’ Pleasure Club is a musickal order formed during the great plague of the 20’s in Los Angeles in thanks to a constellation of fortuitous alignments. In the midst of the isolation that connected all people across the globe, in that unsettling quiet, a vision was obtained of community, ecstasy and revelry. The vision took on a life of its own as the band found each other and continues to propel the unit forward in their journey toward its realization. When asked to describe their strange, mutant music some fans and even members have found it difficult to do so. For this reason they have chosen the term Polywave as their designated genre which they envision as including other forms of expression besides music, a tendency to be hyper-eclectic and bearing the distinguishing mark of a commitment to continual, intentional self-transformation. WDPC has performed at venues such as Permanent Records Roadhouse, Zebulon, Lodge Room and more, both headlining and supporting artists such as The Intelligence, The Black Lips and The Nude Party. Nicknamed The Mysterious Party Band, they’ve been told they sound like a “Gospel Devo” by DJ Al Lover (Fuzz Club Records), and drawn comparisons to Talking Heads, The Fall, Butthole Surfers and Peter Gabriel. As influences they cite artists as varied as Hailu Mergia, Psychic TV, Scott Walker, Fela Kuti and Red Crayola but these influences don’t necessarily reveal themselves sonically as much as resembling the spirit in which they were conceived. Artist Neight Trion, the principal songwriter, spends as much time on the lyrics as composing the music, aiming for both to be strong enough to stand on their own. Membership includes a revolving and evolving collection of instrumentalists and collaborative mimetic entities but the core members are Neight Trion, singer/keyboards (The Black Angels, The Shine Brothers), Rocky, bass guitar (Death Valley Girls), Jay Eraser, guitar (Grooms, Roya), Oh-Ra, drums (?) and Malware, synth (Dead Meadow). Hailing from all across the US and Europe their operations are based in the Los Angeles area. Armed with their eponymous debut released by Blow Your Mind Records based in Santiago, Chile, they’ll be coming to a town near you and preparing the way for the coming Polywave. This is only the beginning, the first stages of metamorphosis. They invite you to join them in their pursuit of the communal ecstatic experience

DJ Support: Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 6 Music), Tom Ravenscroft/Deb Grant – New Music Fix (BBC Radio 6 Music), Huey Morgan (BBC Radio 6 Music)

Cut from material recorded in April 2021 at Fish Factory studios in London, the album’s title Abbreviations nods to the editing and post-production processes that trimmed the original recordings into seven succinct and intricate tracks. Making space for collaborators Ernesto Marichales (percussion), Miryam Solomon (vocals) and Valeria Pozzo (Violin, viola), it builds on the critically-acclaimed success of Sound & Reason (supported by Gilles Peterson and Mary Anne Hobbs) to bring out different shades of the group’s shape-shifting sound.

‘Elevator Company’ condenses twenty-minutes of jamming around Tal Janes’ hypnotic guitar line into a low-lit lounge groove that subverts the tropes of elevator music associated with some forms of easy listening jazz. Featuring Solomon’s wordless vocals, the piece blurs the lines between ambient and improvised music, creating a warm and intimate atmosphere reminiscent of classic RnB recordings.

On a different tip, ‘The Spin’ is a trance-like freak-out drawing on the final reserves of energy at the tail end of two days of solid recording. Reflecting guitarist Janes’ idea that "music really starts happening after a while, once you feel like you have nothing left to offer," the hypnotic rhythm section sets the tone for an fraught and frazzled guitar solo that seems to dissolve the very edges of time and space in the process.

An album that speaks to Qwalia’s endless capacity for self-renewal and uninhibited expression, Abbreviations takes its cue from the group’s name to communicate something ineffable about the nature of music, rhythm and sound that must be experienced to be truly understood.

Efficient Space welcomes Th Blisks to the fold with their mutant strain of melodica dub, torched hip hop breaks, post-punk and procession song.

Th Blisks' members have many notches on their collective belt. Amelia Besseny and Altered States Tapes’ founder Cooper Bowman are prolific in their ritualistic ambient-pop duo Troth, while Yuta Matsumura holds a formidable Sydney punk band pedigree on top of his Low Company-backed solo work. A reward for those who took the time to dig it out, Th Blisks’ 2022 debut How So? was a DIY creation that fully embraced its outsider roots, revelling in opportunities for connection through pop flourishes. Feeling like it might have been a one-off, we proclaim their return with Elixa.

With an unseen clarity of vision, Elixa conjures its meticulously fleshed out world. Those familiar pieces are all there - the mystery, the patience, a cheeky pop hook - however this time there's an intentionality to it all. A blurred dialogue stretching across Australia, it was largely recorded remotely with tracks bouncing between Bowman and Besseny in Muloobinba (Newcastle) and Nipaluna (Hobart), and Matsumura stationed in Warumpi (Papunya). Every element is carefully considered, stemming from their individual time spent as lifers in the local DIY scenes. Through these tracks you can feel that history; echoes of Castings and Vincent Over The Sink in ‘Do You Bless It?’, Bowman's distinctive submerged tape loops gurgling away under boom bap and *that* Sydney guitar tone in ‘Esk’.

Elixa attempts to bottle some pinged-eye wonder at the magic surrounding, whether in the city or the bush. Informed by the old but drug into The New, it is a begrudgingly current Australien record that respectively nods at the UK’s sound history.

"Trauma and the shock effect of it - the leftover residue of harsh reality so impactful that it shapes the way you imagine, envision and calculate your position in regard to everything and everyone around you.
A new type of psychological radius evolves. Boundaries are reinforced. Relationships are recessed. A damaged brief system float aimlessly. Vulnerable to and for anything reminiscent of a worthy cause. The truth about facts became satirical monologue, dead end expressions that have no critical arrangement. We all know someone that either has been or will be"

- Jeff Mills


The Eyewitness reveals a habitual pattern in the way it symbolizes a mirror reflection of mankind in our most vulnerable moments. It is the forthcoming album of Jeff Mills and it is composed from the perspective of an unknowingly complicit bystander and it is at the very least, psychologically pathological in nature. What this release is essentially proposing is an admission to the diagnosis that no one is immune to shock and trauma. Not the accuser or the accused. And this abnormality s culturally and generally transmittable - handed down and passed over to one another disguised as righteous theatre.

As an artist, what Mills is notoriously known for is the perspectives and paths he chooses to approach hefty, complex, and sometimes, awkward subjects. The best way to recognize the narratives of his mostrecent album works such as "The Clairvoyant", an eerie transcending album that plays through like a Seance for creating a bridge to reach another dimension or "Mind Power Mind Control", a cautionary warning about the consequences of supporting deceit, mind control and mass mental persuasion is to start by first taking a moment to look at yourself in a mirror. He's suggesting sound as a reflection and what we might be able to see in ourselves. Proposing that we might be the problem and a solution. In the same vicinity of his recent solo albums, the direction, scope or target of The Eyewitness is first about us, then about it.

More than the few previous albums he's released lately, this one has a unique relationship in terms of imagery and visual treatments that represent the concept. The front cover shows Mills, neatly dressed in a black suit that appears to be caught in the act of doing something methodically as he cohorts to supportwith a bright white type of surgical light towards the viewer. Stark and in the act of.......something offensive - it could be some type of hypnotic machine at work. Other photos show him in darkened spaces. Remote and deep in thought.

Other clues are the titles of the tracks such as "Sacred Iridescent Mirror (The Pledge)": this refers to the act of installing value and credit to something ambiguous and "Menticide" which means the systematic effort to undermine and destroy a person's values and beliefs. In the opening track, "in A Traumatized World" we hear the narration spoken by Mills. In a language he specifically created for this album. It's a dialect that is designed to be undistinguishable, but spoken with a compassion that it could be sympathized with. In the latter part of the track, it reaches a climatic point. Meaning, "it" has happened. And the album is the evidence.

On extra note:

In this day and age,it's comforting to see a musician like Jeff Mills administer music conceptually without any conditions attached. The artistry and craft of using sound and rhythm to bring forth a concern, a warning or the result of a diagnosis to the listener.

Gallegos, first name Oliver - deals in feelings rather than genres. The productions on his debut effort for RS INTL channel a 90’s rave euphoria. Luscious pads swirl amidst pitched down jungle drums, celestial strings and philosophical vocal snippets that evoke ecstatic joy.

It’s no mean feat to induce a feeling of elation without the means of a synthetic intervention - but Ollie seems to have cracked the code - taking us there with harmony, texture and rhythm alone - nothing synthetic here: this is alchemy at play... The EP - which in all honesty feels more like a mini album - is a real journey across 5 songs and 29 minutes. It’s about equally split between driving rhythmic compositions created with movement in mind, and pensive ambient detours that are more sonic meditations than anything else. The album reaches its most dizzying heights when these two elements come together in unison for the title track, “Memories You’ve Memorised'' - a widely road-tested future classic which blends scattered Juno chords, arpeggiated church organ and 80s vocal samples to a tear-jerking crescendo.

Memories You’ve Memorised elevates Oliver Gallegos to the top tier of modern electronic composition. There’s comparisons to be made to Primal Scream, Underworld and even Aphex Twin - but after all is said and done, we’re witnessing the coming of age of a future pioneer.

Born Samantha Owens in Liverpool, Jones began her recording career in The Vernon Girls, a female singing group affiliated with the Vernon Football Pools company; they created a popular Beatles tribute album in 1964 with producer Charles Blackwell, who launched Jones’ solo career that same year. Blackwell producer a debut solo LP for Ascot in 1968; two years later, Larry Page released sophomore set A Girl Named Sam, with Austrian wunderkind Mark Wirtz casting her in the broad realm of pop, though most of the songs describe romantic failures. The album thus has a tongue-in-cheek cover of Burt Bacharach’s “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” and credible renditions of Aretha’s “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman” and Jackie DeShannon’s “Put A Little Love In Your Heart.”

Limited green vinyl 180gr press with one bonus track for RSD 2020.

Non-standard prog act Gryphon made their mark by incorporating abandoned instruments and ancient classical elements in their work, giving their self-titled 1973 debut outstanding differences to standard rock fare. With co-founder Richard Harvey on recorders, mandolin, harpsichord, and glockenspiel and Brian Gulland, on bassoon, crumhorns, and vocals, backed by guitarist Graeme Taylor and drummer/percussionist Dave Oberlé, Gryphon expertly channelled contemporary English folk through forgotten medieval and Renaissance styles; unlike later rock-oriented work, Gryphon showcases the band’s unadorned beginnings.

"Learn To Die is a bold new step for a group of musicians, artists, and writers that has at least nominally been considered a punk band. A stylistic overhaul. For those who have been following along, it’ll carry some surprises. Slender began over a decade ago as a semi-improvisational cassette recording project, a casual collaboration between a few friends that was initially documented by two self-titled cassette-only releases released in 2014 and 2015 respectively, now both unavailable and out of print. Most fans, however, will know Slender for their two most recent releases, Walled Garden (2017) and Time On Earth (2019), both released on the tastemaking London art-punk label La Vida Es Un Mus. "Their prior work has earned them comparisons to anarcho-punks Crass and The Snipers, lo-fi flagbearers Swell Maps and Pink Reason, and artrockers Cromagnon and Amon Düül. Here, however, such comparisons feel largely unfounded and the band feels somewhat peerless. Moments of artpunk brutalism, lo-fi experimentalism, and kosmiche detours grace the fabric of Learn To Die, but the album reaches for more than pastiche. Teasing the rarified worlds of chamber music and musique concrete, Slender manages something intangible and strange. A vocoded voice intones multi-lingual poems alongside tinny guitars and sampled strings and flutes. Three chord janglepunk anthems arise suddenly out of a cosmic mist crafted by analogue synths reciting the poetry of machines. The album moves in ways reminiscent of works by artists as varied and singular as Nobukazu Takemura, Chuquimamani-Condori, Coil, and Robert Wyatt, but it doesn’t necessarily occupy the same realm as any of them.” – Leah B. Levinson

"I wish I could turn or turn back" "Sometimes it’s hard to resist the feeling that there was a crucial turn in life out of which everything else flowed. Maybe in our more reasonable frames of mind we can dismiss that thought and take our plans and intentions very seriously. But, there’s often a lurking conviction that, like the oak from the acorn or the movie from its opening scene, it is already all there. In the first moment of Relics of Our Life, anything could happen, anything could come next. But as the suspense is broken with the first notes, the world of the record springs up as both an internal experience and a landscape of which we will learn something, but definitely not everything. The songs induce a swimming sense of cycling repetition and variation where shifting details tilt the ground under us. The round and round doesn’t make us dizzy; like breathing the right way, it makes us both heavier and higher. "Pawliczek’s songs can be located in the company of the greats of Flying Nun Records – maybe the delicacy of The Great Unwashed with the heavy heart of The Verlaines and smartness of The Chills. But, ultimately, his interests are elsewhere – a heart-break song over an earthly lover feels like only the tipping point for longing and devotion that outstrips the personal. In this sense, Popul Vuh for their hymnal geometry and switched-on Palestrina, and Terry Riley for cosmic elation come to mind. The songs have sweeping and cinematic proportions and depths of field constrained by a pop economy love of leanness. "But who’s supplicating whom here? The songs’ devotional quality is not upward to the sacred or even outward to the profane. It’s more like a magnetism between its elements – sounds, voices and rhythms. The track No Talk intones “why don’t you talk to me?” over a driving guitar and one feels visited by some kind of archaic god on whom the tables have been turned, finding himself jealous of our thousand little thoughts. The record finishes with his distorted lilting dance, trying to seduce us with some red red wine that is no one’s blood, but everyone’s favorite drug." -- Karina Gill (Cindy, Flowertown) 2024

For the fourth time now Jaqee introduces herself to the World with her impressive voice and her unique attitude. Born in Kampala, the Capital of Uganda, she began her vagabond like life the moment she was born. During her childhood, she travelled the rural areas of her home country with her parents. This is where she collected her first impressions of the life as a nomad. From birth on, wandering the earth became a part of her destiny. In the early nineties she undertook a huge step and immigrated to Sweden. The City of Gothenburg would become her adopted home from where she was able to access all the different destinies and directions, which were on offer to her. Through all the borders Jaqee crossed, music has always been her steady companion whereas it never was a stereotype thing that let her get down with any special genre, than more like a special feeling. “To do what I want in a particular moment is my motivation. I like to express myself in all kind of sounds.” So above all, she became a true nomad in the world of music. After several successful co-operations with numerous artists, in 2005 Jaqee made an impact with her debut album “Blaqalixious”, which was mainly a Soul and R&B album. “That was my direct contact to the music that a rural community in the Diaspora plays” she explains. But it did not end up there because a nomad like Jaqee does not settle anywhere. After further creative and fruitful collaborations, Jaqee released her second long player “Nouvelle d´ amour” in 2007. This time, the sound was more of a rocking, bluesy vibe. It seemed to be the total opposite to her debut album but for Jaqee it was only the next step on her path in the circle of life. “Everything is possible as long as it is real. I never wonder about things like genre as long as the vibe fits.” One step further on, she encountered the songs of Billie Holiday, which lead to the album “A letter to Billie” recorded together with Bohuslänbigband, a lovely homage to the great American Jazz Singer. Both of her first two albums each received a Swedish Grammy nomination and several appearances in the Swedish national television increased her standing as a passionate and soulful Singer. So Teka, producer and creator of many successful riddims for his co-found German label, Rootdown Records considered her to be part of his new project “Koala Desperados“, which link Caribbean vibes like Cumbia to Reggae, and while working on it a totally new idea was born. Jaqee and Teka decided to combine both their talents into one album. The results of which you can now hear on “Kokoo Girl” a refreshing mix of Old School Reggae sounds from the seventies combined with up-to-date Beats, electronic twists and turns and of course the amazing voice of Jaqee. For her, this means that she has achieved some of her ambitions. “I grew up with African Gospel, in sad and turbulent environment, so for me, this means I grasp and totally understand the reggae and its non ending struggle for the common man.” No sooner said than done and “Kokoo Girl” will become Jaqee’s fourth and newest release. All the paths she followed, countries she crossed and influences she absorbed are a part of this album. She sings with the freedom of spirit of the travelling people. The word “Kokoo” is the only memory that remains everlasting. It is just a word but its impact is so huge that Jaqee does not really like to explain it. “It implies irony and seriousness as well as sarcasm and fun.” It is more than a gimmick. “Kokoo” is a very special feeling and a clear view of the world from an artist who has seen more of it than all the people that have settled down.

“Joe McPhee’s first international release, Black Magic Man, was issued on the newly formed Hat Hut imprint in 1975. It was a watershed moment for the 35-year-old musician. Based in Poughkeepsie, New York, he was too far away from Manhattan to have participated extensively in the Loft Jazz happenings of the decade. European exposure, however, would give McPhee an alternative circuit, something of an escape route from the trappings of American cultural myopia. “In support of the new record for this Swiss label, McPhee invited John Snyder on a European tour in October 1975. Snyder was a synthesizer player with whom McPhee had made the duet LP Pieces Of Light, released a year earlier on CjR. The two musicians developed an extensive repertoire, playing diverse spaces in the Hudson Valley. Geographically close gigs were a plus, since it took extra energy to hoist Snyder’s ARP 2600. “McPhee and Snyder were invited to play at the Willisau Jazz Festival in Switzerland. If you compare this live record with Pieces Of Light, a studio effort, it’s considerably more open. South African drummer Makaya Ntshoko is rolling thunder on the choral ‘Voices,’ shuffling under Snyder’s bubbly beat on ‘Bahamian Folksong.’ It is quite a special combination, enough so that Hat Hut chose to release it as their next LP, Hat Hut B in their alphabetical series. The Willisau Concert represents the sound of Joe McPhee opening up, opening out, expanding his field of operations to include new figures, fresh experiences, new continents of sound.” —John Corbett (excerpt from the liner notes)

The new album from Lebanese-American musician Solpara, Melancholy Sabotage, marks his full length debut and return to Nicolas Jaar's Other People label. While it was recorded over Covid lockdowns, Jaar had been talking about wanting to back a Solpara full-length since he put out Swing. The album came to life while Solpara was living alone in a Brooklyn loft, collecting unemployment checks and viewing ample free time as the artist residency he'd dreamed of; he'd previously been forced to make music in odd windows between numerous jobs and the unmerciful pace of city life. Free from obligations, he would wake up early to take Arabic lessons online, read Tracey Thorn's autobiography, and skateboard the deserted streets, then come home and design sounds until he had a track that felt like it needed to be released. While this easy going lifestyle was peaceful in many ways, Solpara found more complex inspiration in the emotion that stemmed from participation in Black Lives Matter protests and the 2020 Beirut Port explosion, which rocked all of his extended family members in Lebanon.

Melancholy Sabotage explores the theme of sabotaging melancholy. Echoing sounds from the post-punk, trip-hop, and ambient genres, it is about sabotaging the cycle of melancholy and looking at this process without ignoring the sources that put it into motion. It may be compared to a rattling breaking free from retention, reaching states of dreamy euphoria while simultaneously acknowledging the sources of retention, viewed from above. The sources can be personal, political, or socio-economic. They are to be apprehended post-melancholy, after the sabotaging of the initial cycle of melancholy. In other words, it is about transcending melancholy and understanding where it came from with some distance. It may be beautiful and healthy to feel for a while, but how may one sabotage this cycle when it becomes paralyzing? Ultimately, this album is about feeling melancholy but also resisting it and naming the sources that initiated it.

"Time To Hold Better" points to neglect on both personal and group levels. "This Time Last Year" is a personal time capsule. "We Keep Us Safe" is about solidarity, autonomy, and care witnessed within protest groups. "Melancholy Sabotage" is a sonic exploration of the album concept illustrating anger and sadness, but finally, resistance and liberation from these feelings. "Measures" is a more fluid exploration of the latter after the initial storm has passed. "We Don't Owe" points to bigger bodies inflicting harm on populations that we owe nothing to. "Breaking Points" harkens the times that we may lose focus while pushing to transcend melancholy. "Eviction" is about being pushed out of a space unwillingly while simultaneously being forced to move forward.

Melancholy Sabotage pulls from a range of genres, uniting electronic sounds under the same post-punky glow. It pulls from complex, heavy themes including damage and injustice, presenting Solpara's most moving body of work to date. It highlights the poignance that has always been at the heart of his fluid sound, which caters to dancefloors and avant-garde spaces in equal measure. Working with a mix of dissonant guitars, distorted drum machines, and distant, reverb-washed vocals, Melancholy Sabotage is Solpara's uneasiest outing to date. The record pinpoints the duality at the heart of Solpara's sound, which is as plaintive as it is searing.

Joanna Gemma Auguri releases her new album "Hiraeth" on 28th June via Duchess Box Records Joanna Gemma Auguri is a Berlin musician, songwriter and actress. In the various stages ofher musical solo and band projects, she incorporates influences from folk, ambient andavant-garde music.Being five years old she escaped with her parents from Poland, which was under martial law,and had to learn at an early age what uprooting means. This experience is reflected in her music as an expression of personal sadness, compassion, but also despair about the state of the world.2021 she released her solo debut "11" on her own label Lavender Music. It was mainly characterized by accordion, zitherand her vocals. Her new album "Hiraeth" was recorded at Candy Bomber Studios in Berlin by Ingo Krauss, with a large number of musicians. Besides choir, double bass, lap steel guitar, drums, cello, horns , different organs and keyboards her original instruments accordion and zither still shine through from time to time. Joanna's voice sits unmistakable on top of the majestic,nearly monumental compositions which despite their richness always stay basic and delicate. "Hiraeth" is an untranslatable Welsh word that describes the longing for a home, a place or a feeling that no longer exists or never existed.The album will be released June 2024 on Duchess Box from Berlin.

Enjoy The Ride Records in conjunction with WaterTower Music, Warner Bros. Games, and NetherRealm Studios proudly presents the Mortal Kombat 1 (Original Video Game Soundtrack).

It's In Our Blood. Mortal Kombat 1 is the latest title in the acclaimed Mortal Kombat video game franchise developed by award-winning NetherRealm Studios. The game introduces a reborn Mortal Kombat Universe that has been created by the Fire God Liu Kang, featuring reimagined versions of iconic characters as they’ve never been seen before, along with a new fighting system, game modes, bone krushing finishing moves, and more.

Mortal Kombat 1 (Original Video Game Soundtrack) showcases the game's music by Wilbert Roget, II and features stage music composed by Dan Forden, Stephanie Economou, Nathan Grigg, Dan Negovan, Dean Grinsfelder, Casey Edwards, and Joel Corelitz.

Wilbert Roget, II is a veteran composer in the video game and film industries. He joined LucasArts as a staff composer in 2008, where he scored several games in the Star Wars universe, including Star Wars: The Old Republic and Star Wars: First Assault. He later became a freelance writer, scoring Mortal Kombat 1, Star Wars: Outlaws, Call of Duty: WWII, the Emmy Award-winning Star Wars: Vader Immortal, and many other high-profile game scores. He has also written for Japanese anime, scoring the upcoming Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance. His work has earned him several awards and nominations from ASCAP, the Game Audio Network Guild, the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (D.I.C.E. Awards), and others.

Roget also co-founded Impact Soundworks, a successful music software company, and is an accomplished lecturer on game music. He frequently gives online masterclasses and tutorials on music composition and production and has a passion for teaching the craft. He is an avid multi-instrumentalist, performing solo flute, keyboards, world instruments, and guitar on many of his scores.

Available on vinyl for the first time, Mortal Kombat 1 (Original Video Game Soundtrack) is a 3xLP, housed in a soft touch gatefold jacket with spot gloss accents. It includes a full-color double-sided 12" x 24" poster.

Underground lifer Nick Sakes returns on the debut LP from Upright Forms. The tight-knit Minneapolis trio feels like the culmination of Sakes' varied and prolific career to date, bringing together the unhinged prog-punk ferocity of Dazzling Killmen & Colossamite with the careening chaos of Xaddax and the shout-along hooks and dynamic songcraft of Sicbay. Blurred Wires is skewed yet tuneful, challenging yet compulsively listenable, concise yet brimming with invention. The experience of a lifetime distilled to 33 rotations across a gripping 33 minutes.

Consider “They Kept on Living,” a song that first appeared in an earlier version on the SKiN GRAFT comp Sounds to Make You Shudder!. It starts off with a grinding 7/4 groove, with cryptic lines over scratchy noise-punk chords. After a brief build, the band explodes into a massive chorus, with Sakes shouting the title line against a fist-pumping riff.

The trio sound equally convincing digging into the pummeling aggression of “My Lower Self,” where Sakes’ vocals start off as a feral snarl and then soar triumphantly during the chorus, or the soothing indie-pop hush of the Paster-penned “Drive at Night.”

Various “tug-at-your-heartstrings” touchstones informed “Long Shadow”. Sakes channeled Television Personalities, cult heroes of melodic British post-punk, on “Animositine,” which he accurately labels “our prettiest song.”

Nearly 35 years into his career, Sakes is finding new ways to challenge himself — and in Paster and Westphal, he’s found two musicians who are equally comfortable with both the thorniest and the loveliest manifestations of underground rock. When they reflect on their chemistry, they agree that their openness to collaboration is, as Sakes puts it, “one of our superpowers.”

On Blurred Wires, that superpower yields dynamic, challenging and profoundly memorable results.

Limited Edition MOD Compact Disc in Digipak Lite packaging."