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First-time reissue of Aroma Di Amore's 2nd album, originally released in 1986.

Aroma Di Amore is/was Belgian’s premier cult band. Since the early eighties ADA innovatively combined electronics with rock. With a mix of razor-sharp Flemish lyrics and unconventional song structures the group earned a cult status in Belgium and abroad. 40 years later they conclude their career with a few last concerts and a vinyl box set spanning the years 1983-1987.

At the notorious Rock Rally of 1982 Aroma Di Amore stands out with their wonderful handling of the Flemish language, a deep bass, typical cold new wave drums, biting guitar riffs with the occasional flavor of absolute madness. Frontman Jos Verlooy adopts the stage name Elvis Peeters. The explanation for this remarkable pseudonym choice: in 1977 – the period of the singer's musical awakening – one of the two famous rocking Elvises (not Costello, but Presley) succumbs to his pill addiction. So, dixit Verlooy, there is an Elvis vacant. A banal surname belongs next to that exotic first name. A combination that breathes rock 'n' roll, according to the singer.

His companion Gerry Vergult – who very much determines the sound with his metallic riffs, somewhat indebted to Jean-Marie Aerts – adopts the stage name Fred Angst. Completely in line with the depressing zeitgeist of the 1980s. Gerry eats and breathes music. Besides composing most of ADA’s songs, he records & self-produces a few fantastic dark en loner solo minimal wave tracks as Fred Angst. He is still musically active, more towards the electronic leftfield nowadays under the moniker Zool.

It is clear from an early age that companion Elvis Peeters possesses the gift of the word. As an adolescent he published the punkzine “Dus”. The punk spirit stimulates Peeters. He begins to transform the poetry that he has been entrusting to paper for some time into song lyrics. It is on a whim and without any stage experience that punk friends Peeters and Angst register for the Rock Rally as Aroma di Amore. On a bed of post-punk and cold wave (Joy Division, Wire and Sisters of Mercy are the main influences), they initially let out playful, minimalist and nonsensical slogans such as "Doe De Mafia" (1982) and "Gorilla Dans De Samba" (1983). Later on, the tone becomes more serious, although Peeters' choice of words continues to show a penchant for absurdism and sarcasm. No one in Dutch songwriting imitates this verbal elasticity, certainly at that time.

The numerous songs about war are downright horrifying. In the 1980s, an arms race is underway. When the Belgian government decides to install nuclear missiles in 1981, Aroma di Amore asks for one minute of silence in the hall during performances. In "Lauwe Oorlog" (1983), Peeters exposes the core of his unrest: “paraat voor de parade / de vrede wordt begraven / met militaire eer”. To this day, the frontman of AdA still proudly wears his at least 30 year old 'atomic energy, no thanks!' button.

In 1984 Aroma releases Koude Oorlog on the new and independent Brussels label Play It Again Sam. The traditional press and radio ignore the record, but in the alternative circuits the mini-album does not go unnoticed, and the group starts to build a solid fan base, resulting in more and more offers for gigs. There's also interest in the Netherlands, and due to the international contacts of PIAS, the record also ends up in France, Switzerland, Spain and Canada.

Encouraged by this modest success, the group returns to the studio for a 12" single. With new group member Frits De Cauter on sax, they record "Voor De Dood". To this day, Voor De Dood remains the most popular AdA song, as evidenced by the countless compilations on which the song has appeared.

AdA goes to the Netherlands to record their next album “De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen”. The people from Nasmak have built a new studio in Eindhoven and one of the members, Theo Van Eenbergen (later Henry Rollins), will be the producer. “De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen” is the group's most adventurous album, and the reviews are again unanimously favorable. However, sales are disappointing and PIAS proposes to recruit Chris Reed of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and record a new single with him. "Zonder Omzien" is recorded at the prestigious Pyramid Studio. However, PIAS is waiting to release the album and in the meantime AdA is recording a number of extra tracks with producer Ludo Camberlin, including "Koekoek In De Stad". Towards the end of the year, Lo and Elvis travel to Africa for a few months and as a result the group comes to a standstill. In this period, Zonder Omzien is released.

At the beginning of 1986, Peeters and Meulen return, and Andrea Smits leaves the group. Luc Pillards is hired as a replacement, and when Ludo Camberlin presents himself as a new label boss and producer (Anything But Records), they start recording their first full album for the label. “Harde Feiten" kicks in immediately, and the group is back up to cruising speed. In the first week of release, the record even appears in the bestseller list of the record stores.

At the beginning of 1987 the recordings for the second album start, this time in a production by Peeters and Angst themselves. Shortly after the shooting, AdA goes to Switzerland for a short but successful tour, with Men 2nd and Cas & Organized Crime as support act. "Koudvuur" is published in the autumn and considered to be their strongest record so far by the group, the reactions are rather low. Both the reviews in the press and the sales are disappointing and put a damper on the joy. Nevertheless, the group is invited to perform in Valencia, Spain, where they have an unexpected success.

MUTANT SOUNDS BLOG

Aroma Di Amore have always been outsiders, even within the confinement of the alternative rock circuit. Their peculiar blend of raw guitars, electronics, Dutch lyrics and unconventional song structures was too hybrid for many. Those howewer who, without prejudice, would lend an ear to the band's music, discovered an energetic, authentic and uncompromising collective that stood above all trends. While so many Belgian "connaisseurs" had their doubts about the possibilities of international recognition for a band singing in Dutch, Aroma Di Amore toured France, Switzerland and Spain; their records figured in alternative charts from Poland to Canada.

From beginning to end the nucleus of Aroma Di Amore consisted of Elvis PEETERS, who in a inimitable, possessed way delivered his highly original lyrics, and Fred ANGST, guitarist mastering the heaviest riffs as well as refined tapestries of sound. Furthermore, the line-up varied throughout the band's carreer with:- H.K. (Guitarist from 1982 until 1983)- Andrea SMITS (Organ from 1982 until 1985)- Luc PILLARDS (Synthsizer in 1986)- Jan WANDELAAR (Guitar and synthesizer in 1986)- Pulcherie (Saxophone in 1983)- Wout DOCKX (Bass from 1987 until 1988)and especially- Lo MEULEN (Bass from 1983 until 1987)and the late Frits DE CAUTER (Saxophone from 1984 until 1986)contributing to the music.

First-time reissue of Aroma Di Amore's 3rd album, originally released in 1987.

Aroma Di Amore is/was Belgian’s premier cult band. Since the early eighties ADA innovatively combined electronics with rock. With a mix of razor-sharp Flemish lyrics and unconventional song structures the group earned a cult status in Belgium and abroad. 40 years later they conclude their career with a few last concerts and a vinyl box set spanning the years 1983-1987.

At the notorious Rock Rally of 1982 Aroma Di Amore stands out with their wonderful handling of the Flemish language, a deep bass, typical cold new wave drums, biting guitar riffs with the occasional flavor of absolute madness. Frontman Jos Verlooy adopts the stage name Elvis Peeters. The explanation for this remarkable pseudonym choice: in 1977 – the period of the singer's musical awakening – one of the two famous rocking Elvises (not Costello, but Presley) succumbs to his pill addiction. So, dixit Verlooy, there is an Elvis vacant. A banal surname belongs next to that exotic first name. A combination that breathes rock 'n' roll, according to the singer.

His companion Gerry Vergult – who very much determines the sound with his metallic riffs, somewhat indebted to Jean-Marie Aerts – adopts the stage name Fred Angst. Completely in line with the depressing zeitgeist of the 1980s. Gerry eats and breathes music. Besides composing most of ADA’s songs, he records & self-produces a few fantastic dark en loner solo minimal wave tracks as Fred Angst. He is still musically active, more towards the electronic leftfield nowadays under the moniker Zool.

It is clear from an early age that companion Elvis Peeters possesses the gift of the word. As an adolescent he published the punkzine “Dus”. The punk spirit stimulates Peeters. He begins to transform the poetry that he has been entrusting to paper for some time into song lyrics. It is on a whim and without any stage experience that punk friends Peeters and Angst register for the Rock Rally as Aroma di Amore. On a bed of post-punk and cold wave (Joy Division, Wire and Sisters of Mercy are the main influences), they initially let out playful, minimalist and nonsensical slogans such as "Doe De Mafia" (1982) and "Gorilla Dans De Samba" (1983). Later on, the tone becomes more serious, although Peeters' choice of words continues to show a penchant for absurdism and sarcasm. No one in Dutch songwriting imitates this verbal elasticity, certainly at that time.

The numerous songs about war are downright horrifying. In the 1980s, an arms race is underway. When the Belgian government decides to install nuclear missiles in 1981, Aroma di Amore asks for one minute of silence in the hall during performances. In "Lauwe Oorlog" (1983), Peeters exposes the core of his unrest: “paraat voor de parade / de vrede wordt begraven / met militaire eer”. To this day, the frontman of AdA still proudly wears his at least 30 year old 'atomic energy, no thanks!' button.

In 1984 Aroma releases Koude Oorlog on the new and independent Brussels label Play It Again Sam. The traditional press and radio ignore the record, but in the alternative circuits the mini-album does not go unnoticed, and the group starts to build a solid fan base, resulting in more and more offers for gigs. There's also interest in the Netherlands, and due to the international contacts of PIAS, the record also ends up in France, Switzerland, Spain and Canada.

Encouraged by this modest success, the group returns to the studio for a 12" single. With new group member Frits De Cauter on sax, they record "Voor De Dood". To this day, Voor De Dood remains the most popular AdA song, as evidenced by the countless compilations on which the song has appeared.

AdA goes to the Netherlands to record their next album “De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen”. The people from Nasmak have built a new studio in Eindhoven and one of the members, Theo Van Eenbergen (later Henry Rollins), will be the producer. “De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen” is the group's most adventurous album, and the reviews are again unanimously favorable. However, sales are disappointing and PIAS proposes to recruit Chris Reed of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and record a new single with him. "Zonder Omzien" is recorded at the prestigious Pyramid Studio. However, PIAS is waiting to release the album and in the meantime AdA is recording a number of extra tracks with producer Ludo Camberlin, including "Koekoek In De Stad". Towards the end of the year, Lo and Elvis travel to Africa for a few months and as a result the group comes to a standstill. In this period, Zonder Omzien is released.

At the beginning of 1986, Peeters and Meulen return, and Andrea Smits leaves the group. Luc Pillards is hired as a replacement, and when Ludo Camberlin presents himself as a new label boss and producer (Anything But Records), they start recording their first full album for the label. “Harde Feiten" kicks in immediately, and the group is back up to cruising speed. In the first week of release, the record even appears in the bestseller list of the record stores.

At the beginning of 1987 the recordings for the second album start, this time in a production by Peeters and Angst themselves. Shortly after the shooting, AdA goes to Switzerland for a short but successful tour, with Men 2nd and Cas & Organized Crime as support act. "Koudvuur" is published in the autumn and considered to be their strongest record so far by the group, the reactions are rather low. Both the reviews in the press and the sales are disappointing and put a damper on the joy. Nevertheless, the group is invited to perform in Valencia, Spain, where they have an unexpected success.

MUTANT SOUNDS BLOG

Aroma Di Amore have always been outsiders, even within the confinement of the alternative rock circuit. Their peculiar blend of raw guitars, electronics, Dutch lyrics and unconventional song structures was too hybrid for many. Those howewer who, without prejudice, would lend an ear to the band's music, discovered an energetic, authentic and uncompromising collective that stood above all trends. While so many Belgian "connaisseurs" had their doubts about the possibilities of international recognition for a band singing in Dutch, Aroma Di Amore toured France, Switzerland and Spain; their records figured in alternative charts from Poland to Canada.

From beginning to end the nucleus of Aroma Di Amore consisted of Elvis PEETERS, who in a inimitable, possessed way delivered his highly original lyrics, and Fred ANGST, guitarist mastering the heaviest riffs as well as refined tapestries of sound. Furthermore, the line-up varied throughout the band's carreer with:- H.K. (Guitarist from 1982 until 1983)- Andrea SMITS (Organ from 1982 until 1985)- Luc PILLARDS (Synthsizer in 1986)- Jan WANDELAAR (Guitar and synthesizer in 1986)- Pulcherie (Saxophone in 1983)- Wout DOCKX (Bass from 1987 until 1988)and especially- Lo MEULEN (Bass from 1983 until 1987)and the late Frits DE CAUTER (Saxophone from 1984 until 1986)contributing to the music.

First-time reissue of Aroma Di Amore's 3rd EP, originally released in 1985.

Aroma Di Amore is/was Belgian’s premier cult band. Since the early eighties ADA innovatively combined electronics with rock. With a mix of razor-sharp Flemish lyrics and unconventional song structures the group earned a cult status in Belgium and abroad. 40 years later they conclude their career with a few last concerts and a vinyl box set spanning the years 1983-1987.

At the notorious Rock Rally of 1982 Aroma Di Amore stands out with their wonderful handling of the Flemish language, a deep bass, typical cold new wave drums, biting guitar riffs with the occasional flavor of absolute madness. Frontman Jos Verlooy adopts the stage name Elvis Peeters. The explanation for this remarkable pseudonym choice: in 1977 – the period of the singer's musical awakening – one of the two famous rocking Elvises (not Costello, but Presley) succumbs to his pill addiction. So, dixit Verlooy, there is an Elvis vacant. A banal surname belongs next to that exotic first name. A combination that breathes rock 'n' roll, according to the singer.

His companion Gerry Vergult – who very much determines the sound with his metallic riffs, somewhat indebted to Jean-Marie Aerts – adopts the stage name Fred Angst. Completely in line with the depressing zeitgeist of the 1980s. Gerry eats and breathes music. Besides composing most of ADA’s songs, he records & self-produces a few fantastic dark en loner solo minimal wave tracks as Fred Angst. He is still musically active, more towards the electronic leftfield nowadays under the moniker Zool.

It is clear from an early age that companion Elvis Peeters possesses the gift of the word. As an adolescent he published the punkzine “Dus”. The punk spirit stimulates Peeters. He begins to transform the poetry that he has been entrusting to paper for some time into song lyrics. It is on a whim and without any stage experience that punk friends Peeters and Angst register for the Rock Rally as Aroma di Amore. On a bed of post-punk and cold wave (Joy Division, Wire and Sisters of Mercy are the main influences), they initially let out playful, minimalist and nonsensical slogans such as "Doe De Mafia" (1982) and "Gorilla Dans De Samba" (1983). Later on, the tone becomes more serious, although Peeters' choice of words continues to show a penchant for absurdism and sarcasm. No one in Dutch songwriting imitates this verbal elasticity, certainly at that time.

The numerous songs about war are downright horrifying. In the 1980s, an arms race is underway. When the Belgian government decides to install nuclear missiles in 1981, Aroma di Amore asks for one minute of silence in the hall during performances. In "Lauwe Oorlog" (1983), Peeters exposes the core of his unrest: “paraat voor de parade / de vrede wordt begraven / met militaire eer”. To this day, the frontman of AdA still proudly wears his at least 30 year old 'atomic energy, no thanks!' button.

In 1984 Aroma releases Koude Oorlog on the new and independent Brussels label Play It Again Sam. The traditional press and radio ignore the record, but in the alternative circuits the mini-album does not go unnoticed, and the group starts to build a solid fan base, resulting in more and more offers for gigs. There's also interest in the Netherlands, and due to the international contacts of PIAS, the record also ends up in France, Switzerland, Spain and Canada.

Encouraged by this modest success, the group returns to the studio for a 12" single. With new group member Frits De Cauter on sax, they record "Voor De Dood". To this day, Voor De Dood remains the most popular AdA song, as evidenced by the countless compilations on which the song has appeared.

AdA goes to the Netherlands to record their next album “De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen”. The people from Nasmak have built a new studio in Eindhoven and one of the members, Theo Van Eenbergen (later Henry Rollins), will be the producer. “De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen” is the group's most adventurous album, and the reviews are again unanimously favorable. However, sales are disappointing and PIAS proposes to recruit Chris Reed of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and record a new single with him. "Zonder Omzien" is recorded at the prestigious Pyramid Studio. However, PIAS is waiting to release the album and in the meantime AdA is recording a number of extra tracks with producer Ludo Camberlin, including "Koekoek In De Stad". Towards the end of the year, Lo and Elvis travel to Africa for a few months and as a result the group comes to a standstill. In this period, Zonder Omzien is released.

At the beginning of 1986, Peeters and Meulen return, and Andrea Smits leaves the group. Luc Pillards is hired as a replacement, and when Ludo Camberlin presents himself as a new label boss and producer (Anything But Records), they start recording their first full album for the label. “Harde Feiten" kicks in immediately, and the group is back up to cruising speed. In the first week of release, the record even appears in the bestseller list of the record stores.

At the beginning of 1987 the recordings for the second album start, this time in a production by Peeters and Angst themselves. Shortly after the shooting, AdA goes to Switzerland for a short but successful tour, with Men 2nd and Cas & Organized Crime as support act. "Koudvuur" is published in the autumn and considered to be their strongest record so far by the group, the reactions are rather low. Both the reviews in the press and the sales are disappointing and put a damper on the joy. Nevertheless, the group is invited to perform in Valencia, Spain, where they have an unexpected success.

MUTANT SOUNDS BLOG

Aroma Di Amore have always been outsiders, even within the confinement of the alternative rock circuit. Their peculiar blend of raw guitars, electronics, Dutch lyrics and unconventional song structures was too hybrid for many. Those howewer who, without prejudice, would lend an ear to the band's music, discovered an energetic, authentic and uncompromising collective that stood above all trends. While so many Belgian "connaisseurs" had their doubts about the possibilities of international recognition for a band singing in Dutch, Aroma Di Amore toured France, Switzerland and Spain; their records figured in alternative charts from Poland to Canada.

From beginning to end the nucleus of Aroma Di Amore consisted of Elvis PEETERS, who in a inimitable, possessed way delivered his highly original lyrics, and Fred ANGST, guitarist mastering the heaviest riffs as well as refined tapestries of sound. Furthermore, the line-up varied throughout the band's carreer with:- H.K. (Guitarist from 1982 until 1983)- Andrea SMITS (Organ from 1982 until 1985)- Luc PILLARDS (Synthsizer in 1986)- Jan WANDELAAR (Guitar and synthesizer in 1986)- Pulcherie (Saxophone in 1983)- Wout DOCKX (Bass from 1987 until 1988)and especially- Lo MEULEN (Bass from 1983 until 1987)and the late Frits DE CAUTER (Saxophone from 1984 until 1986)contributing to the music

First-time reissue of Aroma Di Amore's 4th EP, originally released in 1986.

Aroma Di Amore is/was Belgian’s premier cult band. Since the early eighties ADA innovatively combined electronics with rock. With a mix of razor-sharp Flemish lyrics and unconventional song structures the group earned a cult status in Belgium and abroad. 40 years later they conclude their career with a few last concerts and a vinyl box set spanning the years 1983-1987.

At the notorious Rock Rally of 1982 Aroma Di Amore stands out with their wonderful handling of the Flemish language, a deep bass, typical cold new wave drums, biting guitar riffs with the occasional flavor of absolute madness. Frontman Jos Verlooy adopts the stage name Elvis Peeters. The explanation for this remarkable pseudonym choice: in 1977 – the period of the singer's musical awakening – one of the two famous rocking Elvises (not Costello, but Presley) succumbs to his pill addiction. So, dixit Verlooy, there is an Elvis vacant. A banal surname belongs next to that exotic first name. A combination that breathes rock 'n' roll, according to the singer.

His companion Gerry Vergult – who very much determines the sound with his metallic riffs, somewhat indebted to Jean-Marie Aerts – adopts the stage name Fred Angst. Completely in line with the depressing zeitgeist of the 1980s. Gerry eats and breathes music. Besides composing most of ADA’s songs, he records & self-produces a few fantastic dark en loner solo minimal wave tracks as Fred Angst. He is still musically active, more towards the electronic leftfield nowadays under the moniker Zool.

It is clear from an early age that companion Elvis Peeters possesses the gift of the word. As an adolescent he published the punkzine “Dus”. The punk spirit stimulates Peeters. He begins to transform the poetry that he has been entrusting to paper for some time into song lyrics. It is on a whim and without any stage experience that punk friends Peeters and Angst register for the Rock Rally as Aroma di Amore. On a bed of post-punk and cold wave (Joy Division, Wire and Sisters of Mercy are the main influences), they initially let out playful, minimalist and nonsensical slogans such as "Doe De Mafia" (1982) and "Gorilla Dans De Samba" (1983). Later on, the tone becomes more serious, although Peeters' choice of words continues to show a penchant for absurdism and sarcasm. No one in Dutch songwriting imitates this verbal elasticity, certainly at that time.

The numerous songs about war are downright horrifying. In the 1980s, an arms race is underway. When the Belgian government decides to install nuclear missiles in 1981, Aroma di Amore asks for one minute of silence in the hall during performances. In "Lauwe Oorlog" (1983), Peeters exposes the core of his unrest: “paraat voor de parade / de vrede wordt begraven / met militaire eer”. To this day, the frontman of AdA still proudly wears his at least 30 year old 'atomic energy, no thanks!' button.

In 1984 Aroma releases Koude Oorlog on the new and independent Brussels label Play It Again Sam. The traditional press and radio ignore the record, but in the alternative circuits the mini-album does not go unnoticed, and the group starts to build a solid fan base, resulting in more and more offers for gigs. There's also interest in the Netherlands, and due to the international contacts of PIAS, the record also ends up in France, Switzerland, Spain and Canada.

Encouraged by this modest success, the group returns to the studio for a 12" single. With new group member Frits De Cauter on sax, they record "Voor De Dood". To this day, Voor De Dood remains the most popular AdA song, as evidenced by the countless compilations on which the song has appeared.

AdA goes to the Netherlands to record their next album “De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen”. The people from Nasmak have built a new studio in Eindhoven and one of the members, Theo Van Eenbergen (later Henry Rollins), will be the producer. “De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen” is the group's most adventurous album, and the reviews are again unanimously favorable. However, sales are disappointing and PIAS proposes to recruit Chris Reed of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and record a new single with him. "Zonder Omzien" is recorded at the prestigious Pyramid Studio. However, PIAS is waiting to release the album and in the meantime AdA is recording a number of extra tracks with producer Ludo Camberlin, including "Koekoek In De Stad". Towards the end of the year, Lo and Elvis travel to Africa for a few months and as a result the group comes to a standstill. In this period, Zonder Omzien is released.

At the beginning of 1986, Peeters and Meulen return, and Andrea Smits leaves the group. Luc Pillards is hired as a replacement, and when Ludo Camberlin presents himself as a new label boss and producer (Anything But Records), they start recording their first full album for the label. “Harde Feiten" kicks in immediately, and the group is back up to cruising speed. In the first week of release, the record even appears in the bestseller list of the record stores.

At the beginning of 1987 the recordings for the second album start, this time in a production by Peeters and Angst themselves. Shortly after the shooting, AdA goes to Switzerland for a short but successful tour, with Men 2nd and Cas & Organized Crime as support act. "Koudvuur" is published in the autumn and considered to be their strongest record so far by the group, the reactions are rather low. Both the reviews in the press and the sales are disappointing and put a damper on the joy. Nevertheless, the group is invited to perform in Valencia, Spain, where they have an unexpected success.

MUTANT SOUNDS BLOG

Aroma Di Amore have always been outsiders, even within the confinement of the alternative rock circuit. Their peculiar blend of raw guitars, electronics, Dutch lyrics and unconventional song structures was too hybrid for many. Those howewer who, without prejudice, would lend an ear to the band's music, discovered an energetic, authentic and uncompromising collective that stood above all trends. While so many Belgian "connaisseurs" had their doubts about the possibilities of international recognition for a band singing in Dutch, Aroma Di Amore toured France, Switzerland and Spain; their records figured in alternative charts from Poland to Canada.

From beginning to end the nucleus of Aroma Di Amore consisted of Elvis PEETERS, who in a inimitable, possessed way delivered his highly original lyrics, and Fred ANGST, guitarist mastering the heaviest riffs as well as refined tapestries of sound. Furthermore, the line-up varied throughout the band's carreer with:- H.K. (Guitarist from 1982 until 1983)- Andrea SMITS (Organ from 1982 until 1985)- Luc PILLARDS (Synthsizer in 1986)- Jan WANDELAAR (Guitar and synthesizer in 1986)- Pulcherie (Saxophone in 1983)- Wout DOCKX (Bass from 1987 until 1988)and especially- Lo MEULEN (Bass from 1983 until 1987)and the late Frits DE CAUTER (Saxophone from 1984 until 1986)contributing to the music.

The Anne, EP is the afterword to Joseph Shabason's acclaimed 2018 harmonic suite Anne, through which he examined and processed his mother's struggle with Parkinson's disease. Employing a small supporting cast that includes vocalist Dan Bejar (Destroyer) and guitarist Thomas Gill (Owen Pallett), Anne, EP spotlights the Toronto saxophonist as he builds empathic tropospheres of woodwinds and synthesizers, deepening the sentiment established by the EP's companion album. In doing so, Shabason further cements jazz, ambient sound design, and new age revivalism into a timely new genre all his own. Also Available From Joseph Shabason: The Fellowship LP/CD, Anne LP/CD, Aytche CD. “gorgeous and empathetic ambient music.” – Pitchfork // “I love it…very original...so exciting." – Bob Boilen, NPR Music // “…densely textured ambient jazz that is wonderful to immerse yourself in…” - The Guardian // “...seriously engaging…” – Aquarium Drunkard // “…magical transportive healing vibes.” – Gorilla vs. Bear // “…rich, healing ambient jazz.” – The A. V. Club // “…at once intimate and universal, honest and hopeful.” - Resident Advisor // Tracks: 01 West Of Heaven 5:12, 02 1517 5:57, 03 I Don't Want To Be Your Love 4:30, 04 Broken Hearted Kota 5:12, 05 Face Chord 7:13, 06 Gymnopédie No. 1 7:26.

The Anne, EP is the afterword to Joseph Shabason's acclaimed 2018 harmonic suite Anne, through which he examined and processed his mother's struggle with Parkinson's disease. Employing a small supporting cast that includes vocalist Dan Bejar (Destroyer) and guitarist Thomas Gill (Owen Pallett), Anne, EP spotlights the Toronto saxophonist as he builds empathic tropospheres of woodwinds and synthesizers, deepening the sentiment established by the EP's companion album. In doing so, Shabason further cements jazz, ambient sound design, and new age revivalism into a timely new genre all his own. Also Available From Joseph Shabason: The Fellowship LP/CD, Anne LP/CD, Aytche CD. “gorgeous and empathetic ambient music.” – Pitchfork // “I love it…very original...so exciting." – Bob Boilen, NPR Music // “…densely textured ambient jazz that is wonderful to immerse yourself in…” - The Guardian // “...seriously engaging…” – Aquarium Drunkard // “…magical transportive healing vibes.” – Gorilla vs. Bear // “…rich, healing ambient jazz.” – The A. V. Club // “…at once intimate and universal, honest and hopeful.” - Resident Advisor // Tracks: 01 West Of Heaven 5:12, 02 1517 5:57, 03 I Don't Want To Be Your Love 4:30, 04 Broken Hearted Kota 5:12, 05 Face Chord 7:13, 06 Gymnopédie No. 1 7:26.

The second album from Brisbane-Meanjin indie-folk five-piece Full Power
Happy Hour builds on the immense promise of their 2020 self-titled
debut, adding a gorgeous tinge of alt-country elegance to their inherent
feel-good jangle-pop foundations
This musical bed - assembled collaboratively allowing the band's true spirit to
shine through - proves the perfect foil for frontperson Alex Campbell's
compellingly personal lyrics documenting a tumultuous period in their life, an at
times fraught journey recast into beautiful, eloquent art. The 10 songs veer from
bright, upbeat toe- tappers to plaintive, introspective ballads, but flow together
superbly due to the group's underlying camaraderie and fast- blossoming
chemistry. At times reminiscent of forebears like The Go- Betweens and The
Clean, with flourishes of Lucinda Williams and contemporaries like Big Thief and
The Weather Station, Bit Of Brightness is 100% Full Power Happy Hour and one
utterly beguiling aural experience.

Che spent her formative years living the troubadour life playing local clubs in
Vancouver, becoming embroiled in the Toronto indie music scene and touring
worldwide as a solo artist and with her critically acclaimed band 'Casualties of
Cool', a joint venture with prog behemoth Devin Townsend.
The Crowned shows a side to Che seldom seen on record before. A more
confident and determined thread runs through these songs, signalling the birth of
a new era for Che.
Inspired by her love of Trip Hop, Folktronica and Soul, The Crowned has Che's
signature all over it whilst reaching out into new sonic environments. Half of The
Crowned's tracks produced by Bob Rock pre-pandemic and half of the tracks selfproduced post pandemic, this album tells a story of an artist's evolution and
growth.
You are looking at a woman who still has a sense of individualism combined with
a drive and vision that is growing increasingly rare in this day and age. An artist in
the truest sense of the word, a product of passion and not curation.
She has previously worked with LA with hitmakers Greg Wells, David Foster and
Kara Dioguardi; performing with Michael Buble, Kim Churchill and Dan Mangan
and releasing music with industry heavyweights Andrew Loog Oldham (Rolling
Stones) and Tom Sarig (Lou Reed). Most recent work includes a collaboration
with Juno nominated EDM duo Young Bombs, a darkly lit duet with the late Gord
Downey (The Tragically Hip) and a featured performance on Devin Townsend's
'Lightwork'. She also collaborated with Townsend on 2014's Casualties Of Cool.

Directed by Isao Takahata, "Grave of the Fireflies" is now available in the analog edition

series of the popular "Studio Ghibli" works! !

The image album collection and soundtrack collection of the movie "Grave of the Fireflies

released in 1988 have been remastered with the latest remastering.

A precious analog board with a complete reprint of the gorgeous liner included.



Grave of Fireflies Image Album Collection (original LP release date 1987.11.25)

All 10 songs

Music: Michio Mamiya, Masahiko Sato, Kazuo Kikkawa

An album inspired by the thoughts of three musicians,

Yoshio Mamiya, Masahiko Sato, and Kazuo Yoshikawa,

about "war", and the story of the main characters' young siblings, Seita and Setsuko.

*Saddle-stitched 12-page liner notes

(music/round-table talks by directorTakahata and three composers) included.

Tape



Originally released in 2019, Craig Tattersall unspooled a gorgeous tape of disintegrated piano meditations and dusty lower case ephemera.

On the A-side it’s a dreamily searching, silty flux of piano notes peeling in slow motion. Strings drift over, connoting cold breezes and infrasonic, spectral presences, but the effect is far from menacing, it’s more a tranquil shade of sublime, like those hours after midnight when the meridian sounds of road traffic and human life have ebbed off into the distance and you’re left with the sighing creaks of a room.

The sound is remarkably different on the B-side. Here the air gradually thickens with murkier sub-harmonic distortion, bordering on a seething sense of aggression relative to most of Tattersall’s other output, pushing the grim murk to a logical entropy that precipitates elegiac pauses for reflection and warbling closure.

Over the last two years, the Innate and We’re Going Deep labels – run by friends Owain K and Placid respectively – have become must-check imprints for those seeking brand-new, timeless-sounding electro, deep house, acid and techno. Now the pair are joining forces on a new collaborative venture that looks to the past for inspiration: InnDeep.

Focused on unearthing and showcasing slept-on gems from across the deep spectrum, the reissue-focused label will have an emphasis on UK producers and imprints whose work in the ‘90s and 2000s has arguably been criminally overlooked.

To kick things off, they’re taking a deep dive into the back catalogue of Headspace Recordings and Emoticon co-founder Tom Churchill, a Welsh producer whose trademark take on deep house achieved cult status in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The Personal Interpretation EP was first released on Headspace way back in 1997, and dates back to a time when Tom was the very definition of a bedroom producer. He created the EP’s three tracks while still a teenager and mixed them down using the same pair of headphones he used for DJing.

Now painstakingly remastered, the EP sounds every bit as immersive and intergalactic as it did at the tail end of the last millennium. On the EP-opening title track, Churchill builds a sturdy, chunky groove out of clicking, hissing and metallic percussive elements and a wonderfully deep, tactile bassline, over which gorgeous chords, melodic motifs and eyes-closed vocal snippets stretch out as if reclining in the afternoon sun.

Churchill opts for a deeper, Detroit-influenced sound on ‘First Principles’, with undulating electronics and a raw analogue bassline working in unison with ghostly chords and deep space melodies, while ‘Crossed Wires’ is a tispy, off-kilter epic – all breathless drum machine rhythms, pots-and-pans percussion, woozy chords and weighty sub-bass. It provides a fittingly energetic, out-there end to a long-overlooked EP that remains as fresh now as it did back in 1997.

"Soutien Gorge" make a much welcome return to release their latest album "Tarskapcsolatodban" on "Touched Music". I'm not as familiar with their backcatalogue as I would like to be but intend to remedy that ASAP! The double CD compilation "Meseerdö" on Touched Music is a great place to do that... Soutien Gorge are two guys from Hungary who make interesting experimental electro-acoustic music. Their first release was around 2002, making this release their 20th anniversary release ! This latest release Tarskapcsolatodban by Soutien Gorge makes me think fondly of a lot artists on labels like City Centre Offices, Morr Music, and some outlyers on Warp Records. Musically coming in somewhere between, ISAN, B. Fleischmann, and Plone. The melodies have simple, often nursery rhyme like appeal. Arrangement wise there are acoustic and electronic instruments, with some field recording elements, and and sampling of speech in to me what is just a foreign language and difficult to understand. Good use of guitars to create additional layers at times remind ne of Duo-505, the B. Fleischmann side project. The field recordings and reserved electronics reminds me of the 2018 "Wanderwelle" album "Gathering Of The Ancient Spirits" on "Silent Season (Canada)".

2022 repress

This limited edition vinyl includes numerous songs by Italian composer Stelvio Cipriani, the man behind the superb soundtrack of Poliziottesco movie La Polizia Sta A Guardare (1973) whose main theme was reborn in 2007 on Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof, multiple scores for Spaghetti Western movies starring Tony Anthony, as well as a Nastro d’Argento award for best score for The Anonymous Venetian (1970).

Also found on Pieces are compositions by Carla Maria Cordo who scored Joe D’Amato’s gorefest Absurd (1981) that some might know as Anthropophagus 2, Monster Hunter, Horrible or The Grim Reaper 2 - a movie so shockingly violent it became one of the Video Nasties of the UK and was successfully prosecuted under the Obscene Publications Acts in 1984.

Lucio Fulci’s frequent collaborator Fabio Frizzi (responsible for the music of classic horror movies Zombie aka Zombi 2, L’Aldilà aka The Beyond, City of the Living Dead aka The Gates of Hell and the list goes on) also makes a special appearance with the sexy « Cocktail Molotov ».

solid white vinyl

After 11 long years Pohjola reignites it's furnace to bring a new release by a (let's pretend he's) young Serbian producer Lag. Finding a common language in pursuing the unsaid parts of techno, labelboss Rivet aka Grovskopa and Lag turned their long, meme-and-trolling-fueled friendship into a gorgeous-looking record (art by Trudy Creen, additional design work by Dejan Ilic). The music it bears is as offset as it is functional: offering a palette of both straight and broken beats driven by vocal snippets, genre-defying arrangements and, most importantly, scream-inducing club moments. Trust us, we tried them in the wild.

Hell Yeah is proud to present the return of Jazz N Palms with a superb new project following the success of his Ses Rodes album. 'Milano' as a 7" with radio and instrumental versions alongside an original video and expressive artwork by Parisian studio Nokko.

Jazz N Palms is a jazz-inspired project from Italian DJ and producer Riccio. He started this project after moving to Ibiza and falling under the spell of its ancestral side, its sweet and slow pace of life and the natural rhythms of the beauty in the north of the island. In summer, he served up his fantastic Ses Rodes double album which was dedicated to the original way of life that had remained almost unchanged till the early 80s party explosion.

This new track came about after Riccio heard Piera Martell's 1978 soul-jazz track 'Exotica' in a mix by Phil Mison. The idea was reimagine the song with new lyrics and set in Milan, in the early days when the town was invaded by unusual and exotic palm trees in Piazza Duomo. The song tells the story of a country teenager who is unsure about heading to a big new city after receiving an invitation. The story will retrieve familiar emotions for many of us who have faced similarly important decisions in our life, but this time married to an escapist groove.

For this release, the original 'Exotica' has been fully replayed by contemporary musicians from the multi-genre Italian ensemble 291out, with whom Riccio has worked in the past. It has new lyrics sung in Italian by fellow 291out collaborator Giovanna Lubjan after permission was given by original composer Salvo Ingrassia.

'Milano' is a luxurious soul-jazz fusion. It has exotic guitar lines and gently persuasive rhythms topped by the soaring vocal from Lubjan. A steamy sax helps the temperature rise as the track unfolds and traps you under its gorgeous spell.

This is a timeless package of blissed-out brilliance from Jazz N Palms.

AN INCREDIBLE LOOKING PICTURE DISC WHICH SOUNDS AS GOOD AS IT LOOKS!

Following up on the runaway success of his recent vinyl album ‘Return of The Hitman’, Marvellous Cain is back again with an eye-catching slice of vinyl adorned with perhaps the most iconic
illustration of Marv that’s ever been created!

The ‘Jungle Funk EP’ comes hot off the press, kickin off with maybe the funkiest drum and bass track of the year? ‘Love Train’ has had so much support since its promo this summer, perfect vibes
on a huge outdoor sound system. Razor sharp drumbeats underpin the soulful melodies which in turn compliment the funky bass guitar riff that are guaranteed to get you in the mood to party!

On hearing ‘Love Train’ for the first time, the insanely talented Brazilian turntable wizard DJ Marky was instantly smitten and offered to add to the release on remix duties!! So of course, we let him!!

DJ Marky seasons the track with favela flavours and adds a speaker shaking bass which will get you bumping, grinding & calling for the reload until the very last bars.

On the flip side of this gorgeous picture disc, Marvellous Cain offers up two more Drum & Bass / Jungle cuts. ‘Buss Ah Blank’ fuses modern dancefloor bass sounds with 70’s soul, a track that has been a favourite with the likes of Nicky Blackmarket, Charlotte Devaney & did serious damage when Marvellous Cain played it at Notting Hill Carnival on the mighty Rampage Soundsystem.

Finally ‘Funky To Night’ comes with a load more bass guitar licks… There’s a reason this is called the ‘Jungle Funk EP’!

All the tracks on this picture disc have receive support in clubs, and on the airwaves from the likes of Rampage & Heartless Crew. Also if you’ve seen Marvellous Cain’s social media pages then you will understand the lengths this man goes to in order to get his music heard… This will be one of the most entertaining promotional campaigns you’ve ever witnessed!!

Another side of Serge Gainsbourg permeates this 1963 film soundtrack about ‘a stripper lost in the nocturnal world’ of Paris, according to director Jacques Poitrenaud, who cast Nico in the lead role (after her appearance in La Dolce Vita and just prior to the single she cut with Jimmy Page for Andrew Loog Oldham). Created by Gainsbourg with arranger and longstanding collaborator Alain Goraguer, the music is fittingly the cool jazz of dingy nightclubs and seedy bordellos, with Gainsbourg on piano, and there’s the sultry title track, delivered breathlessly by Juliette Greco. Another lost gem for all serious Gainsbourg and Goraguer fans.

It's been 5 years since Nicolas Cubillos started his musical odyssey with his band Lachinos. In 2020 they released their first EP America Lachina with the label Goutte d'Or Records. Through these four songs full of lysergic magic, they offer an ode to Latin American music that was danced at home.
In the fall of 2022, Lachinos will release his second EP entitled Costa Brava, still on Goutte d'Or Records. This record, which mixes surf rock, merengue, cha cha cha and cumbia with Japanese tints, is a sincere exploration through their colorful and festive universe.
With the added bonus of two brilliant remixes by Voilaaa and Matias Aguayo Currently, the group is composed of important actors of the avant-garde music scene in Peru and Colombia: Ernesto Velarde
(Moldes, Juan Wauters) on drums, Santiago Jimenez (Mamíferos, Las Migrañas) on keyboards and vocals, John Socha (Romperayo, Nkumba System, the Caribbean Makina) on bass.

The period of 1967 – 1968 when Rocksteady was in full flow, would also be a turning point for Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee, when he became a producer in his own right. Many of the great tunes during this eventful year came out of his stable and initially saw the light of day on his own imprint label ‘Lee’s’. This album has been assembled from some of those fine tunes and tells the story of reggae in what was a stellar time for both reggae and Mr Bunny Lee.

Edward ‘Bunny’ Lee later to become known as ‘Striker’ (b.23rd August 1941) got his introduction to the music business around 1962 when his future brother in law singer Derrick Morgan introduced Bunny to producer Duke Reid, who gave him a job as record plugger for his Treasure Isle label. 1966 saw Bunny Lee move on to working for producer Ken Lack who ran his own label Caltone. Bunny’s first credit as a producer was released on the label when he produced ‘Lloyd Jackson and the Groovers’ with a tune called ‘Listen To The Music’.

As we stated earlier by 1967 Bunny Lee was leading the way and his vast stable of singers, were producing hit after hit for him. Many of those artists are featured on this compilation. The Sensations ‘Long Time Me No See You Girl’, the Uniques that featured the great Slim Smith are here on some of their greatest cuts ‘Love and Devotion’ and ‘The Beatitude’, ‘Girls Like Dirt’. ‘My Conversation’ a song that would be a big hit for the Uniques would also go on to be of the most covered songs and redone over rhythms, in the history of reggae music. The great singer Pat Kelly features on ‘Somebody’s Baby’ and ‘Little Boy Blue’ all massive hits, when originally released. Bunny’s love of Jazz and the brass sections would also shine through with some of Jamaica’s finest musicians featured here with the excellent tenor sax work of Val Bennett which gave us our album title track ‘Jumping With Mr Lee’ and ‘Jumping With Val’. The Alto sax work of Lester Sterling are featured on the timeless cut ‘Bangerang’ and ‘Tribute To Scratch’. The big sound of Trombonist ‘Vin Gordon’ features on ‘Sounds and Soul’. Not forgetting the previously mentioned King of Ska Derrick Morgan on ‘Hold Your Jack’. A song that in a few years’ time would provide the backbone for Mr Max Romeo’s cross over and controversial hit ‘Wet Dream’. So yes, a fine collection of tracks from the great producer Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee. Sit back and enjoy the reggae music of 1967-1968 with of the best sounds in town.Sit back and enjoy…..

“A Dream In A Dream” is the debut LP by DJ Piper, also known as Felix Wagner of techno superstar duo FJAAK.
One might be surprised about this all hip-hop instrumental album looking at Felix’ all dance music focussed musical resumé. Nevertheless, he has been crafting rap beats ever since he started producing as a teen, but had his childhood friends freestyle over the tracks solely. It took until 2020 when he teamed up with Lukas and
Jonathan Nixdorff of Kommerz Records to release his first solo track “Iluminay”, which was part of “Kommerz Season 1: Anti-Virus” compilation and shared by B-Real of Cypress Hill right away.

Now, 2022, marks the right moment to share his debut album, a waltzing ode to hip-hop’s golden era. The Berlin- Spandau original merges the legacies of both Pete Rock and Dr. Dre, while funky breakbeats meet laid back SoCal “Chronic” vibes. 12 instrumental tracks and 2 skits strong, his album tells the story of a young man, who lives up to his wildest teenage dreams. Most of the track ideas came up while being on tour with FJAAK. Between international transit areas, making inspirational new friends and bizarre encounters all over the world, beat making became DJ Piper’s safe space to process all the positive madness around him. As a result, “A Dream In A Dream” breathes that raw, untamable creative energy around Felix’ extraordinary day-to-day life, while being heavily influenced by the sound of his childhood, 90s and 2000s rap.

To visualize “A Dream In A Dream” DJ Piper and Kommerz Records joined forces with Raman Djafari, a childhood friend of the artist, who illustrated music videos for Dua Lipa and Elton John (no joke!) and worked for New Release Information Adult Swim. Raman’s supernaturalistic aesthetics bring life to DJ Piper’s somewhat psychedelic, somewhat nostalgic fantasy, locating the album in an otherworldly version of Spandau, hometown to both of the artists.
As one half of FJAAK Felix became an icon of Berlin techno conquering major festival stages and mainstream audiences while heavily representing underground D.I.Y. mentality up to this very day. As an initiator of Spandau20 label and collective, Felix pushes his creative family and day 1’s regardless of commercial potentials.
The same ethos and love for culture fuels the DJ Piper project. No matter if it’s FJAAK or DJ Piper, techno or hiphop… Integrity is key!

The seventh and penultimate season of the HBO fantasy drama series Game Of Thrones premiered in 2017. The series received 22 nominations for the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards and won Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Peter Dinklage (who plays the role of Tyrion Lannister).

The music for this seventh season was composed by Ramin Djawadi, just like the previous six seasons. The albums opens with a new version of the well-known main title. Djawadi is best known for his scores for Iron Man, Pacific Rim, Prison Break and Westworld amongst many others. For his work for Game Of Thrones, he has won two consecutive Emmy Awards and a nomination for a Grammy Award.

Game Of Thrones Season 7 is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on smoke coloured vinyl, is housed in a gatefold sleeve and includes an insert.

• 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
• GATEFOLD SLEEVE
• INCLUDES INSERT
• PVC PROTECTIVE SLEEVE
• MUSIC BY RAMIN DJAWADI (WESTWORLD, PACIFIC RIM, IRONMAN)
• GOT SEASON 7 RECEIVED 22 NOMINATIONS FOR THE PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS AND WON 2 (OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES AND OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES FOR PETER DINKLAGE)
• GOT SEASON 7 RECEIVED A GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATION FOR BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA
• LIMITED EDITION OF 1000 INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED COPIES ON SMOKE COLOURED VINYL

Die neue VERVE BY REQUEST-LP-Serie präsentiert rare Kultalben, die von den Fans immer wieder gefordert wurden, gepresst in audiophilem 180-Gramm-Vinyl bei Third Man Pressing/Detroit.

„Ptah The El Daoud“, Alice Coltranes viertes Album, wurde 1970 im Kellerstudio des Hauses der ColtraneFamilie in Dix Hills aufgenommen und ist ein transzendentes Meisterwerk des spirituellen Jazz. Der Titeltrack ist eine Ode an den ägyptischen Gott Ptah (El Daoud bedeutet „der Geliebte“). Gatefold-Hülle, gepolsterte Innenhülle.

„Beat“ wurde für Berry Gordys kurzlebiges Workshop-Jazz-Label im Hitsville-USA-Studio aufgenommen. Schlagzeuger Roy Brooks, zusammen mit seinen Detroit-Landsleuten George Bohanon und Hugh Lawson, sowie seinen Bandkollegen Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook und Eugene Taylor vom Horace Silver Quintet, mischt eine ordentliche Dosis Souljazz in die Hard-Bop-Wurzeln dieses mitreißenden Albums von 1964. Gemastertvon den analogen Originalbändern, gepolsterte
Innenhülle.

Fleeting configurations of piano, wind, strings, synthetics, and field recordings, inspired by the Greek isles.
Previous albums adored by the likes of The Quietus, Exclaim, Drowned In Sound, etc.
For fans of Angelo Badalamenti & David Lynch soundtracks, Bohren & Der Club Of Gore, and Global Communication.
While on the island of Syros in the Aegean Sea for a film festival performance, Christina Vantzou experienced what she characterized as “a moment of focus”—a specific vision for the sprawl of raw recordings she’d been amassing for her fifth album. Upon relocating to the Cycladic island of Ano Koufonisi, she situated herself outside at a patio table with a laptop and headphones, taking brief breaks to swim, and began the “reductive process” of shaving and shaping the source material into uneasy but lyrical movements, alternately austere and adorned with strange inflections: glottal groaning, cavernous water, glittering eddies of modular synth, languorous silences. Mixing the pieces herself without outsourcing to an engineer compounded the intimacy and autobiographical dimension of the music; she refers to No5 as “almost like a first album.”
Drawing on sessions staged in February 2020, Vantzou’s editing instincts emphasize process and isolation, spotlighting resonance and restraint, liquidity and long tails. Fleeting configurations of piano, wind, strings, synthetics, and field recordings, these are spaces as much as compositions, surreal grottos of shifting light, suffused with a sense of invisible divinity. Although seventeen musicians appear on the record, the proceedings feel minimalist and malleable, sculpted from interstitial moments and oblique synchronicities. The definition of a composer as “one who joins things” is here both plumbed and proven; Vantzou describes No5 as “a letting go,” a place of “soft borders,” unfixed and undefinable.

This summit meeting of the two giants of post-war American jazz
attracted enormous attention and accolade from the world jazz fans
when released in 1974
Jackie McLean (1931 - 2006) and Dexter Gordon (1923 - 1990) who were at their
pinnacle of creative aptitude joined forces to thrill the packed fans at
Copenhagen's Jazzhus Montmartre in the summer of 1973.After 49 years this
180g audiophile version may bring back the heat wave of jazz in Europe of the
'70s.
Jackie McLean: alto saxophone
Dexter Gordon: tenor saxophone
Kenny Drew: piano
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen: bass
Alex Riel: drums

In 2016 lutenist Sofie Vanden Eynde put her instrument aside for nine
months in order to recover from a severe burnout
Five years later, she felt the need to look back. Would it be possible, she
wondered, to use the intense, shared concentration between musician and
listener to convey sensations of over- stimulation, contrast, excess, stagnation,
emptiness, beauty and movement? Would it be possible to articulate the inner
reality of a burnout musically: to make a burnout audible, tangible,
understandable and, who knows, avoidable? The result is Vanishing Point /
Verdwijntijd, an autobiographical recital, a musical narrative, a journey:
somewhere between fragile comfort and cautious happiness. Writer Annemarie
Peeters drew on her interviews with Sofie to write a text that reflects the three
phases of a burnout. The run- up, the phase of total stagnation during, and the
cautious way out. Three colours, three seasons, three ways of being. Lurking
beneath Sofie's personal story are experiences that many will recognize: the
craving for efficiency, the sudden faltering, the unfamiliar and at the same time
disconcerting sense of emptiness, and the tentative search for a new balance.
But also the questions Sofie asked herself – about the connection between her
own little story and the big world that surrounds her – evoke wide recognition. Is
burnout a personal failure or a social symptom?
Sofie went in search of pieces from the solo lute repertoire that she intuitively
associated with the various phases of the text. This resulted in a recital with a
surprising palette of colours, styles and atmospheres. At times she chose the
rich, powerful sound of the theorbo. At others she chose the fragile, hushed
sound of the Renaissance lute. The Prelude by the French baroque composer
Robert de Visee combines phrases full of grandeur with breathing pauses filled
with intimate doubt. The music of John Dowland draws on the typically English
penchant for melancholy. In the fantasias and ricercars of Francesco da Milano, it
is not only the bright colours of the Italian Renaissance that resound, but also the
constant search for a new beginning. Luis de Narvaez's Cancion del emperador is
an arrangement for lute of the famous chanson Mille Regretz by Josquin Desprez,
a song that emanates serene regret for everything that is not. And in Robert de
Visee's Chaconne the same chord sequence revolves around its own axis. Hope,
tenderness, revolt and acceptance each step to the fore in turn.
At Sofie's request, Vladimir Gorlinsky created a new composition, one which
reflects the state of mind in the middle of a burnout. Vanishing Point balances on
the edge of total emptiness, a stagnation that at times is hard to bear. Vanishing
Point starts out from this stagnation to explore the different facets of burnout:
resistance and acceptance, fear and hope, stagnation and movement, absolute
solitude and the desire to interact again with the surrounding world. Vanishing
Point / Verdwijntijd can be listened to in different ways: not only as a lute recital,
but also as a radio play with voice, lute and soundscapes. Annemarie Peeters'
text was recorded by actress Katelijne Damen (NL) and voice artist Caroline
Daish (EN). Vladimir Gorlinsky created soundscapes based on the sounds of the
lute, which were magnified as if under a microscope. The soundscapes weave
themselves between the text and the lute music. Jo Thielemans created the
sound design and provided the live electronics.

”Niemand hat Soltis DECCA-Ring in Schwung, Anspruch, Größe, dramatischer Unmittelbarkeit und schierem
Adrenalin übertroffen” - Stereophile
Als erste Veröffentlichung des legendären Solti-Ring erscheint das RHEINGOLD als limitierte Deluxe 3-
LP-Edition. Die weiteren Musikdramen des Ring-Zyklus‘ erscheinen in den kommenden Monaten. Kunden,
die alle vier Werke über diesen Shop erwerben, bekommen mit der GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG die Möglichkeit
einen exklusiven Holz-Schuber für alle vier Produkte sowie ein Hardcover-Buch zu erwerben.
Deluxe Vinyl-Edition: Vinylschnitt im half-speed Verfahren durch Miles Showell von den Abbey Road
Studios, gepresst in 180gr Vinyl bei Optimal; poly-lined-Innenhüllen, ein reich illustriertes Booklet in einem
Slipcase mit Goldveredelung.
Das Booklet enthält: Einen Text über das neue HD-Remastering von Decca Classics Label Director &
Executive Producer Dominic Fyfe. Einführung zur Oper von John Culshaw. Synopsen auf Englisch &
Deutsch. Libretti (Deutsch + Englisch). Fotos von den originalen Aufnahmesitzungen, Faksimiles von
Soltis und Culshaws Partituren, und bisher unveröffentlichte Kuriosa von den Aufnahmen.
Beim Decca-Ring ging es immer um den Klang. Mit dieser neuen Übertragung der originalen analogen
Masterbänder hat sich Decca bemüht, das Beste für Solti, für Culshaw und seinen Chefingenieur Gordon
Parry und letztlich für Wagner herauszuholen.

Over the last ten years, The Lone Bellow have cast an indelible spell with their finespun songs of hard truth and redemptive beauty, faithfully delivered in hypnotic three-part harmony In a departure from their past work with elite producers like Aaron Dessner of The
National and eight- time Grammy- winner Dave Cobb, the Nashville- based trio
struck out on their own for their new album 'Love Songs for Losers', dreaming up
a singular sound encompassing everything from arena-ready rock anthems to the
gorgeously sprawling Americana tunes the band refers to as “little redneck
symphonies.” Recorded at the possibly haunted former home of the legendary
Roy Orbison, the result is an intimate meditation on the pain and joy and ineffable
wonder of being human, at turns profoundly heartbreaking and sublimely
transcendent.

The second album from Brisbane-Meanjin indie-folk five-piece Full Power
Happy Hour builds on the immense promise of their 2020 self-titled
debut, adding a gorgeous tinge of alt-country elegance to their inherent
feel-good jangle-pop foundations
This musical bed - assembled collaboratively allowing the band's true spirit to
shine through - proves the perfect foil for frontperson Alex Campbell's
compellingly personal lyrics documenting a tumultuous period in their life, an at
times fraught journey recast into beautiful, eloquent art. The 10 songs veer from
bright, upbeat toe- tappers to plaintive, introspective ballads, but flow together
superbly due to the group's underlying camaraderie and fast- blossoming
chemistry. At times reminiscent of forebears like The Go- Betweens and The
Clean, with flourishes of Lucinda Williams and contemporaries like Big Thief and
The Weather Station, Bit Of Brightness is 100% Full Power Happy Hour and one
utterly beguiling aural experience.

RIYL Harold Budd, Max Richter, Nihls Frahm. Limited Transparent Orange Vinyl LP. Final album from Roberth Haigh of SEMA, Nurse With Wound, Omni Trio. Smut shines a spotlight on the sounds of the 90s across genres – a record scratch, a spacey synth line, a breakcore beat – all while maintaining freshness and originality. The collaborative project of vocalist Tay Roebuck, guitarist Andrew Min, bassist and synth-player Bell Cenower, guitarist and synth-player Sam Ruschman, and drummer Aidan O'Connor, Smut have conquered national tours with Bully, Swirlies, Nothing, and WAVVES. Based in Chicago, IL, the band hits their stride in 'How the Light Felt'. It is an exercise in coping, an electrifying statement of hope in the thick of resounding loss, and a love letter to the people that keep us going. With their powers combined, Smut meld the songwriting sensibilities of Oasis with the vocal delivery of the Cocteau Twins – the percussive grooves of Gorillaz with the sensuality of Massive Attack. An electric current of hope led by Tay Roebuck's powerful, femme vocals, Smut puts on a live show that is not to be missed. Also Available From Smut: Power Fantasy 7”. Track listing: 1 Beginner's Mind 2 Twilight Flowers 3 Waltz on Treated Wire 4 Contour Lines 5 Rainy Season 6 Lost Albion 7 Like a Shadow 8 Still Life with Moving Parts 9 The Fourth Man 10 Signs of Life 11 The Nocturnals 12 Baroque Atom 13 On Terminus Hill

RIYL Harold Budd, Max Richter, Nihls Frahm. Limited Transparent Orange Vinyl LP. Final album from Roberth Haigh of SEMA, Nurse With Wound, Omni Trio. Smut shines a spotlight on the sounds of the 90s across genres – a record scratch, a spacey synth line, a breakcore beat – all while maintaining freshness and originality. The collaborative project of vocalist Tay Roebuck, guitarist Andrew Min, bassist and synth-player Bell Cenower, guitarist and synth-player Sam Ruschman, and drummer Aidan O'Connor, Smut have conquered national tours with Bully, Swirlies, Nothing, and WAVVES. Based in Chicago, IL, the band hits their stride in 'How the Light Felt'. It is an exercise in coping, an electrifying statement of hope in the thick of resounding loss, and a love letter to the people that keep us going. With their powers combined, Smut meld the songwriting sensibilities of Oasis with the vocal delivery of the Cocteau Twins – the percussive grooves of Gorillaz with the sensuality of Massive Attack. An electric current of hope led by Tay Roebuck's powerful, femme vocals, Smut puts on a live show that is not to be missed. Also Available From Smut: Power Fantasy 7”. Track listing: 1 Beginner's Mind 2 Twilight Flowers 3 Waltz on Treated Wire 4 Contour Lines 5 Rainy Season 6 Lost Albion 7 Like a Shadow 8 Still Life with Moving Parts 9 The Fourth Man 10 Signs of Life 11 The Nocturnals 12 Baroque Atom 13 On Terminus Hill

Rare Italo disco pop project Galvanica gets a beautiful re-issue! This is what the label writes about the release; "Galvanica, a voice with unusual qualities, refined, balanced, also high-pitched, sensual, embellished by an orgasmic inspiration with fluid and spaced solo's in hypnotic rhythms that often change scenery. 'Nightlights in Japan': an extraordinary piece of pure and profound creativity where each version seems to have been built apart and where the West meets the East. A splendid interpreter for a truly stunning piece, as fresh and far-sighted as the day it was recorded in Calenzano at Studio Emme by Marzio Benelli with the Yamaha DX7 synth and Linn 9000 drum sequencer that are at the base of the piece, made and re-interpreted in the four original versions, all sung in the Eastern Asian pentatonic scale. 'Nightlights in Japan' was also written by Massimiliano Orfei, at the time collaborator in the advertising projects from label Smash One Music of Pino Toma, the producer who drew new inspiration to venture into the record market which in 1987 became every day more difficult and this song was considered out of fashion, even if each version of this song was expertly arranged by the talented Giorgio Costantini. We've clarified as to whom Galvanica's velopendulus belongs, in order to be able to rightly consider this artist as a contributive voice of disco music, despite being part of the "second wave" of the Italo-Disco scene, has strongly contributed to it as Otero, Belen Thomas, Angelby and previously with the disco-project Plustwo creating 'Melody' (which after 40 years gets a new extraordinary success with over 134 million plays on TikTok and around 18 million streaming). However, it's clear as day that the gorgeous artist behind Galvanica was Antonella Bianchi and that Giorgio Costantini was not only her producer and composer - as in 1985 for 'I Know', a sweet synth-pop ballad sung with her stage name 'Angel', but above all her ... 'guardian angel'. For many artists using a stage name is a custom. The absolute record of pseudonyms as a true equalizer of identity is held by Stendhal having used 350 throughout his career. This multifaceted artist who, until now has never used so many 'a.k.a.', in a wonderful game of musical mirrors, has represented an opportunity to challenge the market, a trait of non-acceptance of the role that the discography attributes to certain artists. So also Galvanica was an invitation to reflect, with a pinch of provocation, a behavior that Antonella Bianchi has in the DNA of her family. Ultimately, Best Record is not at all worried about the modernization that surrounds it, sure that 'Nightlights in Japan' will be one of the most coveted vinyl reissues in the second half of 2022.

White Vinyl LP. RIYL: Aldous Harding, Jenny Hval, Marlon Williams, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen. Revered Sydney songwriter Laura Jean returns with new album Amateurs, her first record since the much-celebrated Devotion in 2018. Amateurs is a stunning, string-laden album, set at a mystical midway point between the deep synth-pop of Devotion and the folkier sounds of Laura’s earlier work. The album features backing vocals from Aldous Harding and Marlon Williams on three songs (Teenager Again, Amateurs and Folk Festival). Laura worked with producer Tim Bruniges around Sydney’s long 2020-2021 lockdowns. Erkki Veltheim (Gurrumul, Cat Power) arranged gorgeous strings for the album, which were recorded in Melbourne by Devotion producer John Lee. Amateurs is an album about anti-art and anti-intellectual culture in Australia (but applies equally to other parts of the world). It sees Laura questioning her role as a songwriter and examining the reality of her choices to prioritise art over other parts of her life. It is also a warm hearted, humorous and sonically breathtaking album. “Amateurs means to do something for love, not money, and somehow it’s become a dirty word, shorthand for a failure,” says Laura. “These songs arise from my acceptance that I will always be an ‘amateur’.” 2018 album Devotion had superlative reviews from Pitchfork, Gorilla Vs Bear and elsewhere, and made it into end of year lists for Spin, Idolator, Apple Music and more. Laura also acquired some high-profile fans such as Lorde and actor Brie Larson. She did two UK/Europe tours in 2018-19 with Courtney Barnett and Aldous Harding. Laura has twice been shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize and has recorded with Jenny Hval as well as Aussie icons Paul Kelly, The Drones, and Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. “Maybe the sharpest communication of the spooky, all-consuming nature of feminine love” – Lorde. Selling Points: Backing vocals on three tracks from Aldous Harding and Marlon Williams. Sumptuous string arrangements from Errki Veltheim, who has played with everyone from Cat Power to Mike Patton. Laura featured on Jenny Hval's 2019 album The Practice Of Love, and Jenny sang on Laura's self-titled album from 2014.

Ever since he remixed Abimaro & The Free’s ‘Mark’ back in 2014, NuNorthern Soul boss Phil Cooper has kept in touch with Daniel Stenger, the producer and self-taught multi-instrumentalist behind the Flashbaxx project. Cooper was always convinced that Sanger would be capable of crafting a very special release for the label but was willing to give him time to come up with something special.

With Take Care My Friend, a mini-album inspired by the German producer’s deeply rooted love of jazz-funk, Stenger has repaid the faith shown in him. He’s deliv-ered a collection of quality cuts marked out by audible warmth, effortless musicality and memorable, sun-soaked songs.

As he makes clear in the liner notes included with the vinyl version of the mini album, the project began with the recording of luscious, Rhodes-laden opener ‘Al-right’. After staying up all night recording the track, Stenger not only decided to continue recording with the same relatively limited set of instruments (think bass and electric guitars, drums, piano, electric piano, organ, hand percussion and a handful of synthesizers), but also stick to a hybrid sound that added a subtle Lat-in shuffle to his Balearic-minded take on jazz, funk and soul fusion.

We’re biased of course, but there’s no denying that Stenger’s creative choices have resulted in a superb set of tracks. While the restricted kit list provided focus during the music-making process, there’s still plenty of musical variety across the six tracks that make up the set.

For proof, compare and contrast the jazzy, loose-limbed headiness of ‘It Just Happens’, where simmer-ing synth-strings, twinkling melodic motifs and glis-tening guitar licks rise above smooth jazz-funk bass and a gentle broken beat rhythm, and the slow-motion soul brilliance of ‘Strangers’, where Kathryn Kempf’s evocative and poignant lead vocals rise above a sump-tuous downtempo groove and heart-aching piano lines.

This subtly varied but musically coherent vibe contin-ues across the mini album. Stenger indulges in a bit of New York daydreaming on ‘Brooklyn Love Boat’, a wonderfully musically detailed chunk of 1970s style jazz-funk heat that offers knowing nods to Roy Ayers, Herbie Hancock and the jazz-fusion stylings of Azymuth, before opting for a deeper, slower and even more seductive sound on the Hammond-sporting bliss of ‘Take Care My Friend’.

Closing cut ‘City Lights’, a gorgeous, soft-focus affair smothered in echoing Rhodes riffs and immersive chords, has the feel of an underground classic in wait-ing: a stirring, string-drenched future sing-along whose emotion-packed lyrics are delivered brilliantly by Glasgow-born singer/songwriter Chris Pookah.

Despite the song’s subject matter – the painful final breakdown of a relationship – there’s something strangely uplifting about the combination of Pookah’s pitch-perfect vocal delivery and the absorbing warmth of Stenger’s comforting and sonically detailed music. It provides a fittingly impressive finish to a mightily immersive mini album.

6 face-melting gurners for the 21st Century’s, wilted and jilted generation.

Glasgow’s Lady Neptune follows her New Gorbals Gabber cassette E.P. with her debut vinyl release NOZ. Over the course of 23 bloody fisted minutes, Lady Neptune’s – aka Moema Meade - hyper destructed take on Gabber and Happy Hardcore breaks down the genre tropes before rebuilding them as a new pop music. If 2020’s New Gorbals Gabber showed an artist building their own language from fragments of different genres, 2022’s NOZ goes harder into the cyberpunk-ass future and takes no prisoners. Recorded and mixed at Glasgow’s legendary Green Door Studios and mastered by Rashad Becker, here Lady Neptune evolves into a monster.

With the classic weapons of Dutch Gabber – distorted 909 kick drums, bursts of noise and world-eating Rave-O- Matic hoovering synth riffs, Lady Neptune’s 6 tracks constantly threaten to careen off the speaker into the sweatiest, most gibbering, messy corners of the club. The two years since her debut has seen Meade destroying festival dancefloors, training for the full assault that is NOZ. Live performances have seen foam guns, tequila-pistols, neon stage dancers and a full, maxed-out orgy of fast-as-hell BPM, rave music burning up the cones. The experience reaps rewards from the outset on recorded form here. APOCOLYPS begins with monstrous vocals and the all-consuming kick, pulled back and taut for launch. The arsenal builds; warbling synths and high-pitched synth-strings before dropping into Bald Terror-sized hoovers and stuttering 4/4s. It quickly bleeds into MASTERER, with a looped, pitched up vocal intersecting with the synth riff. The aesthetics might be Happy Hardcore but the dynamic feels like a synthetic, evil Nu Metal-influenced Industrial music. Constantly evolving and twisting with its own natural drama, the drop at 2:15 is pure ecstatic release. fusing Meade’s inclination for pop hooks with the first out-and-out 180BPM (ish, who’s counting?) anthemic melter of the E.P., TELL ME has THE big catchy chorus, used sparingly and sung by Meade with angelic devilishness, coming at you in waves of XTC. It’s a repeater.

It’s then massive fists in the air for the ruthless Side B opener WIT. In the Welsh-Brazilian artist’s adopted home of Glasgow it translates directly as WHAT!? Itt makes sense. g. Sharp, weaponised, rhythmic punishment abounds before OH responds. Pitched up vocals and another mid-frequency synth hook wipes the slate clean. Like the best Gabber, the tension and release dynamic is used to full effect by Meade, with the thunderous low end kick -expertly tweaked in the mastering by Rashad Becker – slipping into the ghostly cavern. Industrialized 4/4 and noise-snares propel onwards to be utterly squashed by that bloody synth, stinging and horribly brilliant. Proving her genius for a ridiculous A-N-T-H-E-M, TIME 2 MAKE U FEEL GOOD closes the 23 minutes of ragged, drugged glory with a festival-slamming chorus built from the wreckage. It’s a song that does that thing we all know and love but can’t put our finger on. Sad, happy, tragedy, ecstasy, joy, horror...There’s big, minor chord changes (yes there’s some CHORDS on this slammer), the kick is submerged in layers of pads and Meade’s actual secret weapon: her vocal and knack for writing a chorus line. In the listener’s mind it’s over before it’s begun, a track destined for the big rewind.

NOZ is a breathless, E-number riddled eternal ecstasy.

2022 Repress

Trip Recordings follows the huge success of its first three releases with a third double-vinyl album, once more curated by label owner Nina Kraviz and featuring gatefold artwork by in-house artist Tombo. The release draws on contributions from established Trip members Kraviz, Population One and Nikita Zabelin, in addition to new artists added to its expending roster including K-Hand, Philipp Gorbachev, Vladimir Dubyshkin and Roma Zuckerman.As established with the label's first three releases, TRP004 will function as a soundtrack to a scenario and its accompanying artwork from Kraviz and Tombo. The title 'Ivan, Come On! Unlock The Box!' (, ! !) is inspired by the track contributed by Philipp Gorbachev (Comeme/PG Tunes), from which Kraviz has extrapolated a story of a rule-defying Russian maverick who is 'searching for the key to the future'.Set for release in mid-November, TRP004's two twelve-inches orbit around a nucleus of talent drawn from label boss Nina Kraviz's homeland of Russia. In addition to 'I Believe I Can Fly (KLM Delayed Flight Version) - one of her own 'road tracks' produced during the producer's hectic global touring schedule - Kraviz has enlisted a quartet of her countrymen for this latest collection. Philipp Gorbachev contributes his most uncompromisingly techno track yet, while Moscow's Nikita Zabelin follows his label debut on TRP003 ('De Niro Is Concerned') with the sinister minimalism of 'Bells'. In addition, TRP003 marks the label debuts of Vladimir Dubyshkin and Roma Zuckerman, both of whom were recommended to Kraviz by Zabelin. The former - a true outsider, just 17 years of age and based in the remote Russian town of Tambov - follows an early 2015 LP for SUB-AMP Records with the disorienting off-kilter techno of 'Lose Yourself', while the latter marks his first ever release despite years of producing with the unsettling 'Geburt Part 2'.

Completing TRP004 are two defiantly individual international artists: K-HAND makes her Trip debut following a two-decade career that's seen her become on of Detroit's true underground, and relatively unsung, heroes. Her contribution, 'The Box', finds her clipping effortlessly within Trip's aesthetic, with a heady textured acid potboiler. Two more Barcode Population tracks, excavated from a mine of undiscovered Nineties-made rarities, complete the release with furiously paced techno rollers which will remain strictly vinyl-only.

2x 140 g black LP printed inner sleeves,

Some of the greatest jazz musicians of all time have passed through Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers: Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Kenny Dorham, Wayne Shorter and Donald Byrd, among many others. However brief their stay, working with the demanding and full-throttle drummer not only increased their visibility, but also their chops and interpretive capacity. Blakey's ability to drum up the best players in the game may have even eclipsed his superhuman ability to play drums.

Altoist Jackie McLean, trumpeter Bill Hardman, bassist Spanky deBrest, and pianist Sam Dockery deliver whole-bop goodness on five propulsive, fiery tracks. True to its title, this LP bops hard, with a ferocious swing, boundless energy and telepathic communication between players - especially Blakey and Hardman. Considering the rhythmic demands of Blakey's locomotive playing style, this was an incredible achievement.

Impex Records has cut this gorgeous 180-gram LP with the original analogue mono master tapes and without computer processing of any kind. You hear all the vivacious interplay that occurred on that weekend in 1957 when Blakey and crew forged a bold new vision of muscular, funky jazz. This is music that still resonates over 50 years later. Not to be missed!

Rose For Bohdan return with their 5th full length album in full rock mode (w/ David Gorilla and Kerri Kerang on drums). Beyond high energy anthems filled with blistering electronics, thunderous bass/drum combo, and instantly catchy boy/girl vocal hooks. Inspired by living in Los Angeles, from the ADHD pace to the still unresolved undertones of racial tension to the youth that lights this town up with hope. No Rose For Bohdan album has ever been released on vinyl, so we're here to fix that problem, beginning with the high water mark for the band. Noise poppunk that takes wild twists and turns, bathed in ridiculous energy. This is fun insanity. TRACKLIST: 1. Friends Forever 2. Peter and the Rabbit and the Wolf 3. Thunderstorm Summerschool 4. The Fashion Show 5. I'm 6. The Amazing Bird the Shit in a Bag 7. The Fear 8. Covered In Monkeys

New Hampshire born, New Brunswick based, singer-songwriter Jason
Anderson has spent the last five years making Canada home, landing first
in Toronto before settling in Fredericton - The idea of home the places we
come from, the places we return to is a powerful theme throughout his
epic new record First Light
First Light is a compelling, cathartic listen, as Anderson's poetic lyrics and
anthemic melodies make for an inspired fit with producer Thomas Wincek.
Drawing on his All Tiny Creatues project as well as his work with Justin Vernon's
Volcano Choir, Wincek has created a huge sonic backdrop here. Anderson's
expansive narratives and sing-along hooks weave through explosive rockers like
Caps Ridge Line and Still Life, pastoral mood pieces like Looking Glass and
Streetlamps , and haunting ballads like the pensive "Tower in the Fog and
gorgeous closer Halloween. The whole thing feels a bit like indie- folk stadium
rock, as if The Weakerthans were fronted by fellow Canadian Bryan Adams. As
Anderson puts it, € What started as a text exchange between me and Tom about
Joni Mitchell in the 80s turned into something strange and awesome. What's
perhaps most awesome about the project is hearing a bedroom singer-songwriter
pushing themselves in such a fun and unexpected way. First Light is a really
special record.

Produced by Laurel Halo and released via Norway's respected Smalltown Supersound label, Anja Lauvdal's first solo release, From a Story Now Lost, is a gorgeous musical essay reflecting on time, its perception, and lost histories rediscovered. Finally exploring her own voice after more than a decade of collaborative improvisational playing - starting at her time in jazz conservatory in Trondheim - the album is a jewel of subtle beauty and innovative detail. A freeform musician on piano, synthesizers, and electronics, Lauvdal's discography stretches back to 2013 and includes her participation in a myriad of ensembles and collaborations exploring the limits of sound and music in many forms, including noise, jazz, and more. Following her move to Oslo after graduation, she became deeply embedded in the music community there, touring with Jenny Hval as well as playing on her records. When pandemic hit and isolation was the norm, Lauvdal began working on her own, recording her improvisations in an attempt to capture something new for herself. Connecting to Laurel Halo via Smalltown's founder Joakim Haugland, the acclaimed American artist agreed to work with Lauvdal in shaping her solo record, becoming integral to its creation through all of its stages. Lauvdal credits Halo as a deep listener and gentle "thought-provoker", who contributed ideas as well as helping to shape the finished versions (Halo also worked alongside Rashad Becker on the final mix of the album). Together, they found a method of recording Lauvdal's improvisations, making small loops from those, feeding them back into the synthesizers, and making synthesizers out of the improvisations, which Lauvdal would then re-improvise with. She describes the end result, "like seeing different pieces of time around in the universe." While the record is based on Lauvdal's improvisations, some tracks were inspired Agathe Backer Grondahl, a Norwegian classical pianist and composer from the latter half of the 19th century. Lauvdal notes that Grondahl is not widely known, although her best friend Edvard Grieg is still considered Norway's most famous composer. Yet now, partly through Lauvdal, her story resurfaces and persists. "From a Story Now Lost means the story is still there," Lauvdal explains. "It hasn't gone anywhere even though nobody heard it, or maybe you're hearing it for the first time. And actually it was told a long time ago - maybe you weren't ready to hear that story at the time." This hints at the limitless nature of her music, as well as its new emotional texture. Direct in its vulnerability, immediate in its tenderness, From a Story Now Lost is a sophisticated evocation over restrained artistry spilling over with meaning.