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On June 5th, Tectonic Recordings will release Beatrice M.’s debut LP, Sinking, on a vinyl triple pack and digital download. The vinyl edition will be split across 3 separate 12” vinyl releases, packed in matching printed disco bags. This is part 2 of 3.
Beatrice M. pushes the needle forward for a sound and scene that nestles among a niche that blends UK dubstep, techno, and the golden era of tech house. The Paris-born artist is in their mid-20s and has been building up a grassroots following and plenty of momentum over the last few years, through their Bait label and its output of sonically resonant artists, alongside numerous remixes and collaborative and solo releases for labels such as Tectonic, Tempa, and Rinse. There are plenty of accolades coming in for Beatrice's work too, with notable DJ mixes for respected heavyweights such as Mixmag as well as featuring in Resident Advisor’s best mixes of 2025.
Beatrice is known for making deep explorations into the history of the scenes that have interested them, tracking and highlighting connections between dubstep, tech house, jungle and beyond across various self-produced, one-off radio shows, often taking a journalistic approach to subjects of true passion. They travel across Europe on a packed-out DJing schedule, avoiding air travel, and doing it mainly by train. Many of the LP's tracks started life as sketches put together on these long journeys, as the sights of different countries rolled past the window.
Having taken inspiration from Tectonic artists such as 2562, the label – a home to music that was originally placed in the dubstep-techno crossover spectrum—feels like the perfect place to host Beatrice M.'s debut album Sinking, beginning a new chapter for this kind of sound.
Given Beatrice M.’s reputation as a prolific collaborator, the LP naturally features a few heavy-hitting joint efforts. Bristol-based Sir Hiss features on the subby, 140bpm techno thumper ‘Juice’, while the LP title track, ‘Sinking’, brings forward Beatrice M.’s fresh take on influences from Tectonic’s past in a bass-driven 4/4 number that demands physical movement. ‘Dear Dubstep’ allows a moment to reflect, placing us in a spacious aqua-cave where atmospheric sounds are punctuated by wumping sub-bass, before we surface with ‘Help’ to catch our breath in the melancholy of the moment.

On June 5th, Tectonic Recordings will release Beatrice M.’s debut LP, Sinking, on a vinyl triple pack and digital download. The vinyl edition will be split across 3 separate 12” vinyl releases, packed in matching printed disco bags. This is part 2 of 3.
Beatrice M. pushes the needle forward for a sound and scene that nestles among a niche that blends UK dubstep, techno, and the golden era of tech house. The Paris-born artist is in their mid-20s and has been building up a grassroots following and plenty of momentum over the last few years, through their Bait label and its output of sonically resonant artists, alongside numerous remixes and collaborative and solo releases for labels such as Tectonic, Tempa, and Rinse. There are plenty of accolades coming in for Beatrice's work too, with notable DJ mixes for respected heavyweights such as Mixmag as well as featuring in Resident Advisor’s best mixes of 2025.
Beatrice is known for making deep explorations into the history of the scenes that have interested them, tracking and highlighting connections between dubstep, tech house, jungle and beyond across various self-produced, one-off radio shows, often taking a journalistic approach to subjects of true passion. They travel across Europe on a packed-out DJing schedule, avoiding air travel, and doing it mainly by train. Many of the LP's tracks started life as sketches put together on these long journeys, as the sights of different countries rolled past the window.
Having taken inspiration from Tectonic artists such as 2562, the label – a home to music that was originally placed in the dubstep-techno crossover spectrum—feels like the perfect place to host Beatrice M.'s debut album Sinking, beginning a new chapter for this kind of sound.
The album's lead single and sole vocal track, ‘In Touch’, showcases Beatrice M.’s split UK-France upbringing. The track unites French MC Kaba and UK MC Jinnal for a bass-driven anthem that seamlessly trades French and English lyrics. Next up is a vinyl exclusive track: the ‘Remedy Mix’ VIP of ‘Poison’, a rolling, bass-driven tech house/techno crossover version of a track originally released on the Tectonic Sound collection from last year.
‘Here’ sees Beatrice M. collaborating with Jay Carder to create a soulful broken-beat flavoured track as ‘Years’ rounds off the journey with contemplative melancholy, providing a deep and dubby closer.

Mary Mundy born in 1944 is an underground soul and disco singer best known for her rare 1980 album Mother Nature.

Often referred to as "Dr. Mary Mundy," she is a cult figure among record collectors and DJs due to the scarcity and high quality of her work which blends heavy disco-soul grooves with powerful, soulful vocals.

Llewellyn "Lew" Hanson (1925–1984)

was a Jamaican-born writer, producer, and performer primarily active in Hartford, Connecticut. After serving in the Royal Air Force during the 1940s, he moved to the USA and established himself as a versatile figure in the Caribbean and soul music scenes.

Musical Career and Production

Hanson transitioned from performing traditional calypso with local bands to writing and producing more mainstream sounds in the 1960s.

​

The Islanders: In 1974, he released the LP Just For You... From Home And Abroad with his group, Lew Hanson and The Islanders. The album featured a mix of styles, including the flute-funk track "Soul Safari".

Record Labels: He founded Insurance City Records and Big Street Records to release his productions.

Key Collaborations:

Mary Mundy: Hanson worked closely with Mundy throughout the 1970s and 80s, producing her singles and her LP Mother Nature.

Incl. Pryda, Dexter Connection, Superfunk feat. Ron Carroll, Dave Swayze, Chris Bangs feat. Rita Campbell, Hyper Pearl, Daniel Bovie & Roy Rox, The Disco Freaks, The Mackenzie feat. Jessy



Since 2020, 12 Inch Lovers have been releasing new samplers every year, eagerly anticipated by collectors. These samplers have now become a staple and are easily added to vinyl collections across Europe. They offer timeless classics and rare tracks that are often hard to find elsewhere.

With Samplers 9 & 10, they surprise again with a mix of modern classics and tracks that have never been released on vinyl or are difficult to find. By adding unique and exclusive tracks, the 12 Inch Lovers samplers remain innovative and high-quality. They are a must-have for DJs, collectors, and fans of contemporary classics!

SAMPLER 9

A1) Pryda - Allein (Original Release 2012)

Pryda, the legendary alter ego of Eric Prydz, has earned iconic status in the electronic music scene with his refined productions and epic tracks. Under this name, he has released several hits that have stood the test of time, including Allein. This track is a progressive house masterpiece built around a sample from Polarkreis 18's Allein Allein and is infused with the characteristic Pryda sound: grand, hypnotic, and emotionally powerful.

With its timeless and universal appeal, Pryda - Allein has captivated fans worldwide. The track is an absolute floor-filler that forms a highlight in any DJ set. Notably, this iconic track has never had a vinyl release, making this edition extra special for both collectors and lovers of true electronic music history.

A2) Dexter Connection - Baby Be Mine (Original Release 2003)

Released in 2003, this delightful groover samples Michael Jackson's Baby Be Mine and Brothers Johnson's Stomp. The track combines funky basslines with a tight, rhythmic groove that immediately invites dancing. The nostalgic vibes from the classic samples provide a familiar sound, while the modern production gives it a fresh, contemporary twist. Ideal for DJ sets where you want to get the crowd in the right mood.

A3) Superfunk feat. Ron Carroll - Lucky Star (Original Release 2000)

This track needs little introduction. Released in 2000, with soulful vocals from Ron Carroll, it quickly became an iconic hit within the house scene. Lucky Star was the breakthrough single of Superfunk, a French house group,and sold over 500,000 copies worldwide. The track reached number 42 on the UK Singles Chart and has since become a staple in house and dance sets.

With its funky basslines, catchy melody, and infectious groove, it's a perfect mix of disco, house, and soul. The track includes a sample from Chris Rea's Josephine, adding to the recognizable and nostalgic vibe. Lucky Star became not only a floor-filler but also an anthem of the French house movement, alongside acts like Daft Punk and Cassius who dominated the world in the same period.

B1) Dave Swayze - Goldwave (24K) (Original Release 1996)

This 1996 trance classic needs little introduction. Goldwave is a timeless track that continues to resonate with trance lovers, thanks to the unique combination of dreamy synths, hypnotic rhythms, and epic build-up. The track is a true ear-candy and touches anyone who hears it. Originally released in 1996 on Belgium's DiKi Records, it quickly became a classic in clubs like La Bush, Illusion, La Rocca, and many more.

To this day, Goldwave is still played in the sets of many DJs, and remains a favorite at retro trance events. The track has stood the test of time and remains a key track for fans of old-school trance. It's a piece of electronic music history that makes people dream on the dancefloor with its dreamy Goldwave.

B2) Chris Bangs feat. Rita Campbell - Warm Weather (Ibiza BeachBall Vocal Mix) (Original Release 2000)

Warm Weather by Chris Bangs feat. Rita Campbell is a summery, uplifting track that perfectly evokes the atmosphere of Ibiza. The song blends house and trance with the infectious vocals of Rita Campbell, creating a warm, relaxed vibe. The Ibiza BeachBall Vocal Mix adds a touch of Balearic energy, with a calm rhythm and melodies that immediately remind you of sunny beaches and carefree days. Originally released in 2000 on the UK label INCredible, it remains a hidden gem for many trance lovers.

C1) Hyper Pearl - Can You Feel The Pain (Up & Vox Version) (Original Release 1995)

This 1995 trance classic made a lot of noise in clubs like Illusion, La Bush, Lagoa, and At the Villa. Pure old-school trance with emotion and drive like only that era could produce. A fantastic track, produced by Carl Drake, Matt Spinner, and Zzino, originally released on Belgium's Aquatic label.

C2) Daniel Bovie & Roy Rox - Stop Playing With My Mind (Dub) (Original Release 2008)

Daniel Bovie (aka Danny Van Wouwe) is a versatile producer with dozens of tracks to his name, many of which are considered classics. This track is no exception. Originally released on the legendary Strictly Rhythm label, co-produced with Dutch producer Roy "Van Luffelen" Rox, this track quickly became a floor-filler and charted in Belgium and the Netherlands. The vocals wereprovided by the talented Nelson.

D1) The Disco Freaks - Make My Dreams Reality (Chord Memory Mix) (Original Release 1997)

Originally released on an EP by The Disco Freaks, the alter ego of producers Bart Grinaert and Lajos Meszaros. This mix, which is much stronger than the original, quickly became a club classic and was played extensively in clubs like Illusion, Carat, and Extreme. A delightful, groovy, and uplifting track that combines disco elements with house. The Chord Memory Mix adds a nostalgic touch by using warm chords, funky basslines, and uplifting percussion.

D2) The Mackenzie feat. Jessy - I Am Free (Marino Stephano Club Mix) (Original Release 1997)

I Am Free by The Mackenzie needs little introduction and is a must in every DJ and vinyl lover's collection. This mix, often played at our parties, is something special. The man behind many legendary trance classics, Marino Stephano (RIP), hasreworked this version in his unmistakable way. The remix has an energetic and captivating vibe, with deep, hypnotic beats and floating synths. A beautiful track in its original version, it continues to fascinate.

Since 2020, 12 Inch Lovers have been releasing new samplers every year, eagerly anticipated by collectors. These samplers have now become a staple and are easily added to vinyl collections across Europe. They offer timeless classics and rare tracks that are often hard to find elsewhere.

With Samplers 9 & 10, they surprise again with a mix of modern classics and tracks that have never been released on vinyl or are difficult to find. By adding unique and exclusive tracks, the 12 Inch Lovers samplers remain innovative and high-quality. They are a must-have for DJs, collectors, and fans of contemporary classics!

SAMPLER 10

A1) GusGus - Crossfade (Maceo Plex Remix) (Original Release 2014)

Released in 2014 on the German label KOMPAKT, this remix by Maceo Plex features Ten Walls-like horns, vocals, and pumping drums, making it a true Ibiza floorkiller. The vocals are by Konstantin Sibold. This remix was only released as a white label (Kompakt Exclusive) and has yet to have an official vinyl release. Despite this, it remains a favorite among DJs and clubbers worldwide, regularly played at festivals and clubs.

A2) Plaything - Into Space (Original Release 2001)

This groovy track, released in 2001, contains a sample from Sheila & B. Devotion's Spacer, with Nile Rodgers as one of the producers. The original trackSpacer is an iconic disco hit from the 1970s, and Plaything put a contemporary spin on this classic. The track was a hit in Belgian clubs in the early 2000s, often played by prominent DJs. It has since been released on various labels and remains a timeless favorite in the electronic music scene.

B1) Ion - W.B. (Original Release 2002)

This trance classic by DJ Ion was first released in 2002 on the Belgian label B². The track quickly became a beloved classic within the trance community. Danny Casseau, the producer behind this track, is also known for other legendary works, including the trance classic Ion 98 - Tructure, which had a significant impact on the trance scene. W.B. is a pure, old-school trance track, crafted in the way only tracks from that era were!

This vinyl is extremely rare and hard to find, making it a sought-after item for collectors and trance lovers. It is still played in the sets of DJs who cherish the older trance sound, and it fits perfectly in contemporary sets as well!

B2) Subaltern - Forever (Ledge Forever Remix) (Original Release 2007)

This club banger was released in 2007 on the French label Voices Records and was a popular track in well-known Belgian clubs like Illusion and La Rocca. The Ledge Remix added an energetic, infectious vibe that made it a true hit on the dancefloor. It received an official vinyl release in 2007, but it is now difficult to obtain. Subaltern's Forever remains an unforgettable club classic still appreciated by electronic music lovers.

C1) Lykke Li - No Rest For The Wicked (Joris Voorn Remix) (Original Release 2014)

Swedish singer-songwriter Lykke Li scored a worldwide hit with I Follow Rivers, but also had great success with the powerful track No Rest For The Wicked. The Dutch producer Joris Voorn gave his own tech-house spin to the track in his known style!

Voorn's remix keeps the atmospheric mood of the original but adds a new, dancefloor-friendly dynamic that makes it suitable for the electronic music world.

This is the first time this remix is being released on vinyl since the original release in 2014, making it a rare and desirable item for both collectors and DJs. Thanks to the powerful mix of melody and rhythm, this remix of No Rest For The Wicked remains a timeless favorite that has found its place both in clubs and in vinyl collections of music enthusiasts and DJs.

C2) The Roc Project feat. Tina Arena - Never (Filterheadz Luv Tina Remix) (Original Release 2002)

This Spanish dance track hit Europe in 2003, thanks in part to the legendary remix by the Belgian techno duo Filterheadz. Brothers Bert and Maarten Wilmaers, known for their distinctive techno sound, gave the track their own twist with strong beats and an uplifting bassline, creating a timeless club hit that was heard everywhere in the early 2000s.

The vocals by Tina Arena add an emotional layer, while the Filterheadz Luv Tina Remix has stood the test of time and still gets everyone moving. At 12 Inch Lovers parties, this track never goes unnoticed and often brings the night to a high point. This track is a must-have for both collectors and DJs who love a mix of emotion, energy, and a solid techno sound.

D1) Soul Syndicate - Inside Of Me (Steel Union Remix) (Original Release 1995)

Speaking of a trance classic, this one is a true gem! Inside Of Me was released in 1995 during the golden years of Belgian trance music on the legendary Belgian label Aquatic Records. The Steel Union Remix by Zzino is an absolute favorite among trance lovers.

With its iconic sound and unmatched energy, this track is a true ode to the Belgian trance scene. It remains an unadulterated classic that still makes an irresistible impact, not only at retro trance events but also in the sets of contemporary DJs. Since its release, this remix has been hard to find, making it an even rarer piece of trance history. A track that has stood the test of time and is a must-have for collectors and fans of old-school trance.

D2) Ken Laszlo vs. Disco Dice - Hey Hey Guy (House Dub) (Original Release 2003)

Ken Laszlo, the Italian singer who became globally famous in the 1980s with the iconic Italo-disco hit Hey Hey Guy, received a re-release in 2003 on the house label Dubmental. This version was reimagined by Disco Dice, who gave the track a fresh house vibe with a more modern sound. Belgian DJ Jean, known for his influence on the Belgian nightlife scene, introduced this track into the clubs and transformed it into a club classic.

This release, although released in 2003, is now very rare and hard to find on vinyl. It's a hidden gem that continues to withstand the test of time, making it a valuable collector's item for lovers of both Italo-disco and house.

D3) Icehouse - Hey Little Girl (Infusion Remix) (Original Release 2002)

The Australian band Icehouse released the iconic track Hey Little Girl in 1982 on the British label Chrysalis. This synth-pop track was a big hit and still remains one of the classics from the 1980s. The original track was later included in the remix album Meltdown in 2003, where the Australian duo Infusion created a contemporary electronic remix that gave the track a new dimension.

The Infusion Remix adds a modern, danceable twist to the original synth-pop sound. This version surprised both fans of the original hit and lovers of electronic music, remaining a sought-after track in DJ sets.

This track has been unavailable on vinyl since its original release in 2003, making it a rare collector's item.

2026 Repress

Wewantsounds continues its reissue program of Bob Shad"s cult jazz label, Mainstream Records, with Hadley Caliman"s superb 1972 album, Iapetus. Recorded in LA and featuring a heavyweight lineup of West Coast players including Todd Cochran, Woody "Sonship" Theus, Luis Gasca, and Victor Pantoja, the majority of the album was composed by Todd Cochran (aka Bayeté) soon after he had composed Bobby Hutcherson"s Blue Note classic, Head On. A true hidden treasure, it is reissued here on vinyl for the first time since 1971, featuring its original gatefold artwork with rare first-generation photos. This edition comes with newly remastered audio and a two-page insert with exclusive liner notes by Todd Cochran, reflecting on Hadley Caliman and the making of the album.

Following the release of the digital single, Berlin-based groove collective The Ruffcats and Chicago soul singer Doug Shorts return with a strictly limited 7-inch vinyl edition of “I Ain’t Worried” , pairing the original retro-soul cut with an exclusive remix by none other than Erobique. The original version is a timeless slice of analog soul: laid-back yet confident, driven by a deep pocket rhythm section, warm horn arrangements, and Doug Shorts’ unmistakably smooth, Chicago-rooted vocal delivery. Written by The Ruffcats and Doug Shorts, the song carries a quiet message of resilience and inner calm, echoing the spirit of classic late-’60s and early-’70s soul without ever slipping into pastiche. On the flip side, Erobique brings his unmistakable touch to the track: playful, groove-heavy, and full of character. Known for his ability to bridge deep musicality with infectious dancefloor energy, the Hamburg-based producer reimagines “I Ain’t Worried” as a loose, funk-infused roller, retaining the song’s soulful heart while nudging it firmly toward late-night dancefloors and sweaty club rooms.

Originally created in the wider context of the charitable Soul Rabbi – Shine On project, “I Ain’t Worried” has since taken on a life of its own. This 7-inch release celebrates that journey, honoring the song’s roots in community and friendship while expanding its reach through a fresh, club-ready reinterpretation. Pressed on classic 7-inch vinyl, this release is aimed squarely at soul lovers, DJs, and collectors alike: a record that feels just as at home in a crate next to vintage originals as it does in a contemporary DJ set.

Peerless man-machine outfit goat(jp) return with a brittle contemporary dance soundtrack that locks into the pointillist rhythmic micro-precision of the now classic "Joy In Fear". Directing an IRL physical performance, the band totter between rhythmelodic, ritualistic minimalism and intricate, pneumatic beat music - if you need a link between Daniel Schmidt, Autechre, "On The Corner"-era Miles and Midori Takada, this is it.

Emanuel Satie returns to Crosstown Rebels with his expansive new three-track EP, ‘A Love Fantasy’. Releasing on 19th June 2026, the Lisbon-based artist delivers his first full EP in three years, exploring the deeper, more emotive corners of his sound, alongside a collaboration with Bruno Roth.

German DJ/producer Emanuel Satie returns to Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels with ‘A Love Fantasy’, a three-track EP that captures an artist equally at home in peak-time spaces as in more introspective territory. Bending emotional depth with groove-led energy, Emanuel continues to refine a sound that balances timeless house sensibilities with a sharp modern edge, following acclaimed releases on Innervisions, Diynamic, Cocoon, and more. Having already released on the label with ‘Personal Liberation’ back in 2021, his return brings three tracks of late-night house bliss.

Title cut ‘A Love Fantasy’ brings soulful vocals, vibrant chords, and crisp rhythms, shaping the deep-rooted energy felt across the EP. On ‘Touch’, he links with Ibiza’s Bruno Roth for a deeper excursion guided by sweeping melodies and fluid movement – born from collaborations between the pair that began in the years following the pandemic. To close, second solo track ‘Some Love’ leans further into melody and emotion, rounding out the release with an uplifting finish.

Over the past few years, Emanuel has continued to solidify his place as one of the most consistent artists around. From Beatport chart-toppers and DJ Awards recognition to standout records and his role within internationally renowned collective SCENARIOS, his output continues to bridge underground credibility with global dancefloor appeal.

Atkinson first saw Les yeux sans visage when she was a teenager, around the turn of the century. The film made an impact for its iconic imagery and the way Franju draws on the aesthetics of early filmmaking, from its score that relies on stylistic markers typical of the 1940s or 50s to the decision to shoot in black and white. Even four decades after its first release, it was clear that this was a work that stood outside of the cultural moment that birthed it, speaking through time in ways that were uncanny, but profound.

A quarter-century later, Atkinson was approached by the Belgian cultural center VIERNULVIER to create a new score for Les yeux sans visage for its celebrated Videodroom series, which has seen artists like claire rousay, Mabe Fratti, Lee Renaldo, and many more create new original scores for cult classics and genre cinema. Atkinson's music, with its sublime meditations on space and proximity, its elusive sense of narrative development, mirrors the pacing and mystery at the heart of horror filmmaking. There is a shadow at the heart of her soundtrack to Les yeux sans visage, an ever-shifting wisp and an insinuation of encroaching transfiguration. Echoing a climactic moment in the film, the music obliquely points to "the Beyond," an impossible place of discovery and revelation.

Atkinson envisioned her music as something akin to the air moving throughout and beyond the many cages that appear in the film, unconstrained by the bars and with undefined borders. Those cages hold the victims of a madman surgeon, determined to graft a new face onto his daughter, the protagonist Christiane Génessier, who lost hers in a car accident while he was behind the wheel. Atkinson was reminded of her predecessors at the pioneering French studio the GRM, who approached sound in a less sinister, but similarly surgical manner, and took inspiration from their playful approach to cerebral soundmaking for the electroacoustic topography into which the piano is embedded. As such, Atkinson’s reactions to the larger themes and the minute-by-minute happenings onscreen are both audible simultaneously.

A film about a man who destroys the lives of young women marked by their beauty and similarity to his daughter in a shame-fueled rage has clear, continuous cultural resonance. "Through the music, I decided to bring back their empowerment despite what they endure," says Atkinson. "This is why the record is also dedicated to Gisèle Pelicot, whose trial happened while I was in the process of composing the music and kept thinking of her strength and her decision to share her trial in order to reverse the shame."

This recorded version of the soundtrack is a 34-minute synthesis of the full 90-minute score, presented on LP along with an essay by writer-musician Claire Cronin and drawings by Momo Gordon, together forming a complex reflection on the film's themes. If these sounds move as if the bars of cages are no barrier, they also intimate the freedom and power of those held behind them. Rather than simply mirroring the fear and confinement shown onscreen, Atkinson offers an elusive escape, a beacon for the characters, and the listener, to follow as they reckon with the narrative and move through it.

A second cut was done and new viuals, that was needed for sound conveniance :)

Livesets from 1998.
Amiga set-up in parties.

A side at Concarneau "fête de la musique". June 1998. (12 minutes)
B Side at the Teknival from St-Goazec, Mai 1998. (15.30 Minutes)

This should have been released as Keltik 02, a label from Bretagne. But it never came out finally...

All sources are DAT, extracted at DK mastering in Paris.
Mastered by Fred in Rennes and cut at... DK Mastering in Paris again.

ALERT: BIG 90s ITALIAN RAVE COMP - a lot of very in demand tunes on here.

Navigators

Franco Falsini and the Interactive Test Universe

There are musicians who follow their time.

And then there are those who seem to move along a different trajectory—like navigators crossing sonic eras without ever truly belonging to any one of them. The story of Franco Falsini belongs to the latter. It is a story that begins long before raves, before techno, before the word “electronic” had even become a recognizable musical genre. A story that moves across continents, technologies, and sonic visions, eventually arriving at a small creative laboratory born in Italy in the early 1990s: Interactive Test. This compilation is a fragment of that universe. But as often happens with the hidden histories of music, understanding it requires going back. Far back.

The Beginning: Machines, Tape and Space

In the late 1960s Franco Falsini leaves Italy and moves to the United States. It is not merely a geographical journey—it is also a journey into a new idea of music. At the time, synthesizers are only just emerging from research laboratories. Multitrack tape recorders allow musicians to build entire sonic worlds on their own. Technology is still far from standardized: every studio is almost an experimental workshop. In Virginia, Falsini builds one of his own. Among cables, oscillators, electric guitars and reels of magnetic tape, a kind of music begins to take shape that resembles nothing else being made at the time. It is not simply rock, and it is not yet truly electronic. It moves somewhere in the space between the two. Out of these explorations emerges Sensations' Fix, the project through which Falsini releases a series of albums during the 1970s. Records that seem to come from a parallel dimension: cosmic landscapes, electronically treated guitars, synthesizers drifting like satellites. Many years later those albums would be rediscovered as visionary works. But at the time they were simply the result of relentless curiosity. A curiosity that would never fade.

The City That Never Sleeps

In the 1980s Falsini’s trajectory leads him to New York. The city is a sonic organism in constant transformation. In its clubs and recording studios something entirely new is beginning to take shape: music built from drum machines, sequencers, and samplers, created for the body before the living room. It is the dawn of modern dance culture. Falsini works as a sound engineer, producer and experimenter. From close range he observes electronic music transforming into a global language. Machines become more accessible, computers begin entering studios, and rhythm takes on an increasingly central role. Yet even in this phase Falsini does not simply follow what is happening. He absorbs. Observes. Reimagines. When he eventually returns to Italy, he brings back not only technical experience but also a clear vision: the conviction that electronic music is an open space, a territory still waiting to be explored.

Tuscany, Early 1990s

At the beginning of the 1990s something is happening in Italy as well. In clubs, abandoned industrial warehouses and clandestine parties, a new scene is beginning to form. It is rave culture: a spontaneous movement bringing together DJs, producers and listeners in a collective experience driven by rhythm, technology, and creative freedom. It is within this context that Franco Falsini, together with his brother Riccardo, creates Interactive Test.

The name almost sounds like a scientific experiment. In many ways, it is. Interactive Test does not emerge as a traditional record label. It begins as a laboratory—a place where ideas, sounds and musical identities can be tested and explored. Around the Falsini studio in Tuscany a small constellation of artists and DJs begins to gather, helping to shape the sound of Italy’s emerging electronic scene. Among them are Andrea Giuditta, Francesco Farfa, Gabry Fasano, Roby Mastelloni, Roby J and many others. Each brings a different musical sensibility. But they all share the same intuition: electronic music is not a genre. It is a language.

The Laboratory of Identities

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Interactive Test universe is its constant play with identity. Franco Falsini releases music under several different names: Open Space, Youth Wave, Agent Fylfoyt, Man Myth Magic. These are not simply pseudonyms.

They are different sonic perspectives, as if each project were a window opening onto a parallel musical universe. Open Space, for example, explores more atmospheric and visionary territories. Youth Wave moves between electronic groove and club-oriented rhythms. Other projects experiment with digital psychedelia or hypnotic techno textures. Interactive Test becomes something more than a label. it becomes an ecosystem.

Domestic Machines, Infinite Worlds

Looking back today at the technology used in those productions, one might almost smile. Many tracks were created on Amiga computers, MIDI sequencers and analog synthesizers wired together in home studios—tools that appear modest when compared to today’s digital possibilities.

Yet precisely these limitations became a creative force. Every sound had to be built, shaped and reinvented. Sequences developed slowly, almost like living organisms. The tracks did not always follow traditional dance music structures; often they felt like genuine sonic journeys. Music built from space.

A Hidden Constellation

Many of the records released by Interactive Test in the 1990s remained for years almost invisible objects, circulating quietly among DJs, collectors, and devoted listeners. Yet it is precisely this underground existence that helped preserve them. Listening again today, one perceives something rare: the feeling of music that does not fully belong to its own time. Music suspended between different eras. Perhaps because it comes from a vision that both precedes and transcends trends.

Continuing the Journey

Looking at Franco Falsini’s entire path—from the electronic psychedelia of Sensations’ Fix to the rave culture of the 1990s—a surprisingly coherent line emerges.

A line defined by exploration.

Each project, each pseudonym, each record appears as a new route within the same great sonic voyage.

Interactive Test was one of its stations.

A laboratory.
A community.
A creative platform.

This compilation gathers some of its traces.

Not as a simple archive of the past, but as a map of a musical territory that continues to expand even today.

Like all true sonic explorations.

Alextrem vs Numéro Bleu !
A team !!

'Like the sharpshooting carnival contestant who knows that the winning practice isn’t to aim for the red star itself, but rather to shoot out a perimeter around the star and thus remove it, Old Saw have historically dealt with forms by tracing their boundaries rather than going for the target outright. If the first three records hinted at but never touched song-shaped forms, The Wringing Cloth makes at least glancing contact while retaining the layered haze and drawl that threads their sound together.
'Contrary to the often-used ambient tag, Old Saw shows up here in a markedly active and sculpted form — manipulating, unwinding, and pivoting with a strange and warped precision. What has always been uncanny about this music is that it arrives in a state at once familiar and obscured, like a memory weighed down with sensory information but no identifying details to place it.
'The Wringing Cloth walks off further into that geographical dream without time or language until it’s just a speck of light.'

AFTER DARK is the latest project from French producer Onra, conceived as the soundtrack to an imagined late-night film. Entirely self-produced, the album continues the sophisticated R&B and Modern Soul direction explored since his 2010 classic Long Distance and 2018's accomplished Nobody Has To Know, focusing on late 80's / early 90's inspirations.

Structured like a film unfolding between dusk and dawn, After Dark moves through themes of intimacy, urban solitude, distance, and quiet indulgence. Analog synthesizers, tight drum programming, understated basslines, and selective live saxophone textures shape a cohesive body of work that favors mood and narrative over excess. The sequencing reinforces its cinematic intent, opening and closing with intro and outro pieces that frame the record as a cohesive night-time narrative album.

Over 20 years since emerging in the mid-2000s from the beat scene, Onra has steadily evolved from sample-based Hip-Hop production toward polished, song-oriented projects rooted in contemporary R&B and Funk. With After Dark, he delivers one of his most focused and refined statements to date: a mature, immersive album built for late hours, and attentive listening.

No filler, no big gestures, just focused underground club music with soul, depth and proper drive. A strong and confident opening statement from Galaxy Dreams. A well-rounded 4 tracker with character, soul, and enough punch for both intimate clubs and bigger systems.

Music For Stalagmites is a slow-form, immersive album, marking the accumulation of over 20 years of experimentation from the Middlesbrough based artist.

The album explores the duality of both primal and futuristic worlds, drawing inspiration from nature, technology and evolution to create a body of work that transcends beyond any timeline that has come before us. Forging vivid and otherworldly subterranean environments that transport the listener to an alternate haven. Music for Stalagmites embodies the sound of animism, a concept where all forms of nature hold a spiritual essence.

FIMIANI is an Italian music digger, passionate DJ and producer with an unmistakable House, Soul and American influences from black music, funk, soul and disco.

FIMIANI is one of the best DJs in the TOY TONICS camp.

His track “Disco Music” is a hit. Played by DJs like Palms Trax, Folamour, Louie Vega of Masters at Work, Horse Meat Disco, Seth Troxler, Mousse T. and many others.

Combining the original NYC house sound from the 1990ies with the best of Italian Disco history. Turning it all into a very contemporary flow of afro-american and Italian music based on funk, soul, melodies and rhythm. Just listen to his 2 EPs he did on Toy Tonics and you understand. All played live with musicans (no samples) this sounds like the best organic house tracks you can get at the moment.

Fimiani lands a major milestone with his remix of John Julius Knight’s Find a Friend (Sulfuric Trax), hitting number 1 on the Overall & House chart via Traxsource.

Check also FIMIANI’s edits of extremely rare Italian disco on his own imprint Caffè Corretto edits. Under the name BPLAN.

Marking twenty years since South African producer and DJ Esa Williams left Cape Town, Dala What We Must is a deeply personal and expansive debut LP, an exploration of movement, memory, and sound shaped by two decades of creative evolution. Co-created with collaborator and multi-instrumentalist Robin G. Breeze, the album deftly combines field recordings, layered instrumentation, and emotionally resonant compositions into a nuanced, globally influenced body of work. It also stands as Esa’s most collaborative release to date, featuring contributions from musicians across London, Oaxaca, Nairobi, and Cape Town, each adding their own creative energy to a project built on openness, trust, and shared experience. The album draws inspiration from Esa’s recent ventures into documentary scoring and soundtracking, with projects like Cursed (Audible) and The Invisible Hand teaching him to listen differently, to honour space, to serve the story. That sensibility permeates the album, resulting in music that breathes, lingers, and listens as much as it speaks.

The title, Dala What We Must, is a South African call to action: a reminder to do what’s necessary, even in uncertainty. Finalised in the months leading up to Esa’s transition into fatherhood, the record carries a sense of grounding, care, and quiet transformation. Dala What We Must is a sonic reflection of journey and community, a deeply collaborative project rooted in connection and guided by intention.

Dx2ov arrives on Blank Mind with Tonegues, his second vinyl LP following on from Interzona on Gost Zvuk in 2024. The LP title is a wordplay on the idea of speaking in tongues and sonic tonalities, echoing the process and dialogue that went into creating the record. Taken from a vast archive of material from 2019-2025, these ideas were arranged with the collaboration of label owner Sam Purcell and then completed with the long-distance assistance of Toupaz.

Tonegues is best seen through the lens of a beat-tape, with the playful flow and variety that the format provides, bursting with oddball ideas and punctuated with intangible vocal samples. Much like the LP’s beguiling, hand-drawn artwork by Wolfgang Matuschek, it is a glimpse into an inner world, a portal to somewhere uncanny and strange borne through imagination.

Light dub flourishes mix with footwork/IDM hybrids and understated, melancholic synthesis on ‘2018’, whilst the loose, rhythmic march of ‘Fon32’ evokes the dusty beatdown styles of early 2000s Detroit downtempo records. Whilst on one of the LP highlights ‘Trout’ he lays down a gleefully strange bed for the surrealist storytelling of Jacob Dwyer about interactions with dogs, dripping old houses and a perennial wish for the phone to ring with a heavy dub poetry slant. Dx2ov swiftly moves through more footwork adjacent, almost bedroom hyper-pop territories with a penchant for gabber kicks on ‘No Strings (feat DJ Paprika)’ and the maximalism of album closer 'Demetch' which continues in the tradition of wonky, mid-2010s UK bass music flips. The outcome is a confounding, unorthodox piece of work, zigzagging between forms, textures and moods.

Edition of 200

Never Sleep charity tape series focuses on the North East's Valenican musical obsession with the man who started it all.

Trendsetter DJ Scott commands respect with a blend of Makina, Hardcore and Bounce. A trance laced session filled with the resonating compere styles from MC Stompin, MC Jet and MC Natz.

Bringing the energy, heart on the sleeve lyricism and maximal Mackem love for the late night surreptitiously crew. Lacing the backdrop with rapid fire crossfade technique, jump up tonal flair and high pace anthemic signals. Scott brings authenticity alongside the finest MC's in the land.

MC Stompin shows the naysayers who owns the night, MC Jet streamlines quality on the mic and MC Natz brings his own signature tones to the prestigious event.

Literally bringing the first ever Makina records back from Spain (8 of them) and starting Hangar13, this mix showcases an incredible time for the localised sonica and the rise of a cultural defining era in the North East.

DJ Scott is known for his huge cultural contribution, youth work and working class pioneership. A true UK legend and local hero.

All proceeds go to The Macmillan Cancer Support who help people across the UK and and provides specialist health care.

Novocastrian Industrial LP from the Newcastle hellscape from Collector (Jason Campbell) released as a split between Natural Sciences + C.H.A.O.S.

MELODI is the debut full-length album from Norwegian artist Sommerfeldt; a collection that takes listeners through the artist's mind, inspirations, experiences, and travels.
With a 20 year track record and releases on labels such as Full Pupp, Paper Recordings, and his other home Badabing Diskos, this album showcases a playful approach to genre, where a tight drum machine groove forms the foundation of a colourful record that touches on ambient, '80s, new wave, deep house, balearic, and downpitched progressive trance from the early millennium (which Sommerfeldt himself highlights as his formative years).

The album has been four years in the making. Several of the tracks were recorded around the world on hardware samplers and synths; bird sounds and ocean waves were captured, processed, and later finalised in his studio in Oslo.
Joining him is a stellar team of contributors; Embla Maria, Sigmund Floyd, Toshybot, Guro Kverndokk, Kristian Solhaug and Magnus JJ, adding outstanding vocal performances, gritty guitars, and oval percussion, the original cover artwork signed by Sommerfeldt's own favourite artist, Quentin Desveaux.

All of this is woven together into a cohesive whole that will make you want to listen again and again.
The six track musical masterpiece is set for physical release May 29th 2026 on a bold orange 12"

This first release inaugurates Sistema Infinito, a new platform by Sabla created as a space for a more continuous release flow and for exploring different angles within his sound. SI 00 sets the tone for a shifting direction while remaining connected to previous work.

The first track, Zerozero, shares its name with the release itself and reflects it sonically. An exercise in bass minimalism, defined by quasi-weightless low-end pressure and reduced, suspended form.

Punti leans closer to Sabla’s previous outputs, where skeletal drums and percussion wander throughout the 7 minutes.

Punto Uno and Punto Due sit on side B, creating 15 mins of atmospheric texture. They extend the conceptual axis of Sistema Infinito, where the same material resolves into different structural states.

All of these sounds operate as a starting point for forthcoming SI releases, creating a flux of recurring and evolving sounds and ideas.

Originally released on Umor Rex on cassette a year ago, “El Sol de los Muertos” deeply shaped the evolution and vision of Mexican producer Concepción Huerta’s sonic work, becoming a reference point for a kind of experimental sound deeply connected to Latin American critical thought. This is the second album in a series of four special, limited reissues to be released in 2026 to mark the 20th anniversary of Umor Rex.

Crafted entirely through subharmonic structures and tape manipulation, “El Sol de los Muertos” stands as Concepción Huerta’s most abrasive and emotionally charged work to date, rooted in drone, musique concrète, and visceral textures. The album reflects on dispossession, extraction, and colonialism, while connecting deeply with Latin American critical thought and Indigenous resistance across the region. Inspired in part by Eduardo Galeano’s work, it is not a manifesto, but an invitation to reflection, memory, and vigilance against the enduring forms of fascism and colonialism.



Recorded by Concepción Huerta in 2024 between Berlin, The Hague, and Mexico City. Original master and remastered for vinyl by Rafael Anton Irisarri at Black Knoll Studio, New York. Volcano photography by Magaly Ugarte. Design by Daniel Castrejón in Mexico City.

Nobody knew. Not the crowd packed into Circolo Kessel that Sunday evening, not even the six musicians on stage. When Giardini di Mirò played on March 19, 2023, it was supposed to be just another homecoming show in Cavriago, the kind of night where you play for the people who’ve known you longest. Some were missing from the audience, though: “Our closest friends stayed home to watch the football match tonight,” Jukka quipped from the stage. “But that’s fine, we’ll deal with them tomorrow.” In hindsight, even Juventus fans who celebrated their 1–0 victory over Inter made the wrong choice.

Seventy minutes in, all the instruments converged into a one-chord riff, driven by the drums and punctuated by screaming guitars. A repetitive rhythm that paired brutal volume with hypnotic precision. Even those at the back of the room felt it: that trance-like state where sound becomes physical. Then the wall of sound collapsed. Guitar feedback lingered in the air for a few seconds before fading into nothing.

This was the last sound Giardini di Mirò made. They haven’t played since, and there are no plans to do so again. But in that moment, nobody knew.

The closing song that night was also the opener of their debut full-length, recorded more than two decades earlier. Its title, A New Start, carries an unintended irony the band would likely appreciate. It is also oddly fitting that their final show took place in the same building where they began. Circolo Kessel, previously known as Calamita, served as the band’s rehearsal space for many years. Yet since their rise to becoming one of Europe’s defining post-rock acts, they had never performed a concert there.

In a fortunate coincidence, Markus Mathis – a longtime fan who had recorded several of their shows before – also captured this final concert using two room microphones and a feed from the mixing desk.

Quasi Casa is the complete, unfiltered document of that night: an “official bootleg” spanning over 70 minutes of purely instrumental music, drawing on material from across their entire career, from the earliest releases to Del Tutto Illusorio. It captures, with striking clarity, the intensity that defined the band’s live performances.

Rather than simply uploading the recording and calling it a day, the band chose to assemble a physical release as a parting gift to their fans. The double LP includes a 16-page booklet with extensive liner notes and visual material.

Wenn Leidenschaft, Freundschaft, Identität und Kunst aufeinandertreffen, kann es sich anfühlen, als würden dir kämpferische Worte aus den Adern spritzen. Und während die postmoderne Gesellschaft bröckelt, springen Die Spitz ausgelassen zwischen einem Dutzend verschiedener Möglichkeiten hin und her, um sich zu wehren. Wenn die Welt der Rockmusik eine Eisdiele wäre, hätte das Quartett aus Austin jede Sorte probiert, den Gefrierschrank umgeworfen und angefangen, mit den Angestellten zu tanzen, denen sie geholfen haben, sich zu organisieren. Auf ihrem Debütalbum ,Something to Consume" kämpfen Ava Schrobilgen, Chloe De St. Aubin, Ellie Livingston und Kate Halter gegen den unausweichlichen Konsum, der das Leben umgibt. ,Das hat eine politische Seite, aber auch Sucht und Liebe können alles verzehrend sein", sagt Livingston. Und während die vier ihre Instrumente tauschen, sich beim Songwriting und Gesang abwechseln und kraftvolle Songs in mitreißenden Ausbrüchen schreiben, haben Die Spitz ihre eigene kleine Welt geschaffen, in der wir alle gemeinsam am Abgrund stehen können.

A conjuration between our favourite dreamweaver Spencer Clark and Italian psychic traveller Mondo Riviera, Lorenzo's Oil present an oracle of aural travelogues between seen and unseen worlds on 'Paperopolis'.
Two likeminded individuals on their distinct but complementary quest for the netherworld, Clark and Riviera's meeting of the minds projects sonic artefacts assembled from lucid dreaming keyboard pads, narcotic late night TV rhythms, spiralling sequences and mangled voices.
The 10+ minutes 'Neo-Paperopolis Jump Suite' makes these intentions quite clear right from the start, veering from no frills keyboard runs to a mid tempo bounce and on towards the house of mirrors synth stabs and driving rarefied percussion that close the suite and open the pathway to such "places" as 'Central Jungle, Paperopolis' and "visions" as 'The Neverending Skylines of Taipei'. Ride on.  

Der Soundtrack zur irischen Komödie ""The Spin"" (2024) in der Regie von Michael Head, der zahlreiche Auszeichnungen bei diversen unabhängigen Filmfestivals von Belfast über Chicago bis Toronto gewann und auch auf dem Filmfest Bremen lief. Die Originalmusik wurde von Mark McCausland (McKowski) komponiert und produziert und enthält Gastbeiträge von: Howe Gelb, Jolie Holland, John Parish, Nick Power, Dave Murphy, Pieta Brown, Dead Goat, Steve Wickham, Gemma Doherty, Laura McFadden, Brenock O’Connor und Drew McConnell. Die LP erscheint auf farbigem Ecomix-Vinyl, bei der jedes Format ein Unikat ist.

Black vinyl with Starlight Sparkle effect. Barry "Epoch" Topping returns with the long-awaited soundtrack to BIRDCAGE. The widely celebrated game is the debut release of POLYGON BIRD Games. BIRDCAGE is a fast-paced, vertical scrolling shoot 'em up that blends the explosive action of 90s arcade classics, with modern gameplay and storytelling. What is the value of a bullet, when you wield a sword? While players have been praising BIRDCAGE for transferring retro aesthetics into modern times, the incomparable soundtrack is always pointed out for the same reasons. Entering Barry Topping, who gained recognition for the famous Paradise Killer game soundtrack and lately continued to spread those funky city pop vibes with his very own project The Needs. But for BIRDCAGE it was time to stray from his "trademark sound" and explore a different sonic space he had always been passionate for as well.





[e] 5RAPTOR [FLEDGLING]



[i] 9RAPTOR [MOTHER]

- The very first Live album by The Liminanas
- 1 Hour concert performed & recorded on October 24th , 2025 in Paris at Centre Pompidou during the Because Beaubourg Event .
- Album artwork by Smith who did the visuals of the live performance.

Originally released in 2008 on Ezekiel Honig’s own Anticipate Recordings, Surfaces of a Broken Marching Band finds the artist refining a compositional language rooted in the methodologies of musique concrete, ambient, and beat research. Working from a palette of environmental recordings, instrumental fragments, and soft electronic treatments, Honig pushes the source material into an array of sympathetic forms ranging from pillow-soft, lowercase ambient to diffuse downtempo and minimal house. For its reissue on Keplar, the album has been remastered by Kassian Troyer (D&M), bringing a new clarity to its intricate, low-lit architectures.

Throughout the record, serving almost as audiographic guideposts, are faint but insistent gestures toward propulsion, an abiding and recurrent 4/4 pulse that guides the music laterally and instantiates a slow negotiation between its various elements. This music invites close listening precisely by not revealing itself all at once, allowing small collisions of timbre and subtle shifts in emphasis to carry the weight. The traces of lived environments that remain embedded in the mix - distant crowds, sounds of transit, the indistinct acoustics of interiors in flux - expand the frame without breaking its intimacy, creating a potent dislocation between the nearness of the sound and the scale of its sources.

Rather than foregrounding any single voice, this is music that distributes attention equally across its materials, allowing background details to assert their presence as much as melody or rhythm. Honig presents listeners with an astute practice that’s concerned less with building from the ground up than with uncovering what happens when disparate textures and structures are brought into close contact with one another. (Alex Cobb, 2026)

Near the end of fifth grade, Eli Edwards’ mom gave him $20 and told him to go find a friend. His team had won its soccer game that day, so they were out celebrating at a local pizza parlor with games. But, more importantly, there had been one other Black kid that day on the pitch in Spanaway, WA, a Tacoma suburb and military-base town at the rainy northwest corner of the United States. That kid just happened to be Xayvien Young. An instant deep connection was formed between Edwards and Young—Eli and Xay, as they prefer to be called were inseparable— and now twelve years later they are the electrifying, boundary-skipping duo Casi.

Along the way, Eli had relocated to Los Angeles with the indie rock band Enumclaw he had helped found, but he found himself flying home maybe a little too much. He was ostensibly visiting his girlfriend, but he spent most of his time with Xay. They cut tracks in every bit of free time they found until they had an epiphany: Maybe this music they’d made together for a dozen years was actually something special. Casi’s 10-track, self-titled debut out on Carpark Records is the electrifying proof they needed.

On the record, they enthusiastically explore every musical interest they have ever had—explosive hip-hop and unbridled hardcore, high-gloss nü metal and a little bit of emo—as a pair. These songs don’t ignore genre lines; they delight in destroying them, in finding ways to slam hip-hop and hardcore, emo and nü metal together until it seems illogical that they were ever apart. Take “Jumper,” where heavy metal guitars and face-kicking drums stir the moshpit for rabid verses about crushing ICE and the lessons you learn riding the poverty line. And take closer “Bridges,” where the melodic imprint of Deftones meets the relentless confessions of Death Grips. Here are the hard, funny, and loud stories of two 23-year-olds, screaming about the world over a breathless composite of all the music they’ve ever loved.

When Eli was in Los Angeles, Xay missed his friend. But in his absence, he also felt the spark of inspiration. Music was something that had just been their childhood hobby, but now Eli was in a rock band that had press accolades and tours. He got serious about the craft. Eli would write about the dislocation and isolation he felt in California, while Xay would document the hardships of being a young Black man with a complicated family while working menial jobs in Spanaway.

This isn’t a coming-of-age album for Casi; it is, instead, a raw and riveting snapshot of that process, painful as it can be. “Eleven87” is a breakup song, a soul beat springing beneath arching emo vocals. And “Intrusive Thoughts” treats that topic like a punching bag, Eli and Xav fighting against the mental habits that keep them down. These 10 songs instantly close that gap.

It’s Been Awful marks the moment Isaiah Rashad fully becomes his own genre.

The Top Dawg Entertainment visionary returns with his third studio album, expanding his sonic world beyond hip-hop into cosmic jazz, psychedelic guitar rock, Soulquarian neo-soul, and flashes of genre-blurring experimentation.

Featuring SZA, Dominic Fike, and Julian Sintonia, Rashad delivers his most vulnerable and fully-realized work yet after five transformative years, an unfiltered reflection on addiction, growth, self-confrontation, and redemption.

Strut Records presents a brand new reissue of the 1975 Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express original album Reinforcements. A gem from the later years of the Oblivion Express band, Reinforcements sees Auger evolve from his early ‘70s jazz-rock fusions towards smoother jazz funk sophistication, continuing his journey from the previous year’s Straight Ahead.
With two former Oblivion Express drummers joining Average White Band, there are obvious comparisons to draw as several tracks lean into groove-driven arrangements and polished mid-’70s production.Never one to follow a predictable path, Auger crafts a steadfast, stylish album that captures the evolving sound of the era, offering a rich snapshot of mid-’70s British soul and jazz-funk.

A fan favourite, the album also marks the return of vocalist Alex Ligertwood (later of Santana), whose soulful delivery is a highlight of many Oblivion Express recordings.
He is joined by Jack Mills (guitar), Lennox Langton (percussion), Dave Dowle (drums), and new addition Clive Chaman (bass, flute) – a family affair with their various kids joining for the cover shoot, the full cast adorned in an array of fine mid-‘70s tank tops.

Album highlights include the heavy funk instrumental jam ‘Brain Damage,’ a dynamic, keyboard-driven showcase of Auger’s virtuosity alongside the burning latin jazz workout ‘Something Out of Nothing’ and soaring closer ‘Future Pilot’ taking us from our present day troubles to “thread the skies to a new location.”
‘Big Yin’ is a heartfelt tribute to former drummer Robbie McIntosh following his untimely death. As with all Auger albums, the energy is nothing but positive and soulful – his back cover quote states “May the love you bring to this world be reflected upon you.”
This new Strut reissue of Reinforcements is curated by Greg Boraman of Impressive Collective in collaboration with Brian and Karma Auger. Fully remastered from the original tapes by United Archiving’s Bill Smith, it is presented as a high-quality single LP replica edition.

Strut presents the second studio album from Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express and a firm favourite with Auger aficionados, the “little known masterpiece” A Better Land from 1971. Marking a clear evolution from their more jazz-rock leaning debut, the band shifts into a mellower direction on these tracks, echoing the feel of Befour released in the Trinity's later years. A Better Land embraces warmer, more melodic and understated compositions, primarily written by guitarist Jim Mullen. With its languid and spacious approach, the album brings an grounded message to make the most of the simple pleasures in life with a hopeful, but wary, eye to the future. Musically, Auger brings acoustic guitars, country rock melodies and three-part vocal harmonies into his musical palette. Key tracks include the groove-driven title track ‘A Better Land’, the sparse ‘Dawn of Another Day,’ (sampled by Air and Black Milk among others) while ‘Fill Your Head With Laughter’ returns to Auger's trademark driving Hammond-led sound, akin to early Traffic.

The record features the Brian Auger’s unique sound on organ and electric piano, joined by Jim Mullen on guitar, Barry Dean on bass and Robbie McIntosh on drums and percussion, with Auger, Mullen and Dean all contributing vocals. Mullen co-wrote seven of the album’s nine tracks, with additional contributions from Alan Gorrie (later of Average White Band). These songwriters should take immense pride in their work as Auger’s favourite singer of all time, Sarah Vaughan, recognised the quality of these compositions by covering three of them; ‘Trouble’, ‘On “Thinking It Over’, and ‘Tomorrow City’ for her 1972 album A Time in My Life. This new official Strut reissue is curated by Greg Boraman of Impressive Collective in collaboration with Brian and Karma Auger. Fully remastered by Cosmic Audio, it is presented as a high-quality single LP replica edition.