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'I heard about Seif Abu Bakr and The Scorpions maybe 3-4 years ago. Their album 'Jazz, Jazz Jazz' ended up on my radar because of an eBay auction with the bids eventually rising daily up to a staggering 1000$. The music is a unique combination of incredible horn arrangements powerfully performed, a vigorous drummer contributing a funky backbone and Seif's vocals uniting those elements. The results range from instrumental tracks awaking memories of 1970s crime thriller soundtracks to more Sudanese-rooted tracks, a lot of them modernized versions traditional rhythms of the diverse regions of Sudan and even an excursion into Colgolese Soukouss.
I went for my second trip to Sudan in December 2018 and after doing some research on the first trip my local colleagues Larissa and Yassir had managed to reach Amir, The Scorpions band leader and he was happy to meet. We got together with him in a Cafe right at the Nile in Omdurman. It was a happy occasion for everyone. He told us stories about him meeting Jimmy Cliff and Lewis Armstrong when they visited Sudan and how he and his band mates from The Scorpions played extensively in Kuwait, both in club residencies as well as for television. Amir brought tons of incredible photos illustrating not only the bands history but the vivid cultural live in the many music clubs in Khartoum of the 1970s. During this decade up until 1983 the capital was home to a huge number of clubs, bards and concert halls. This scene started to perish after president Nimeiry's turn away from his socialist policies, that he was widely associated with in the first decade of his rule, towards the implementation of Sharia law in 1983. During the first decade of his rule he had actively supported various artists of the Jazz scene, taking some of them on trips throughout Africa. The 1989 coup of Bashir and his generals then caused the final blow to a once thriving scene. Both of these political events within 6 years lead to significant drawbacks for the Sudanese jazz scene resulting into hardly no gig opportunities left and parties and concerts being critically observed. A number of musicians faced prosecution, most of the time for their political views; some left Sudan for good. Music never completely vanished from public life and even the regime kept selected artists close, but for a majority of those bands affiliated to the jazz scene life and making ends became a lot harder. The Scorpions dissolved as a group around the same time.
The re-release was produced with a clean copy of the vinyl version as a source. The original reel tape of the album stayed with Saif Abu Bakr along with another reel with other recordings that were never released. Unfortunately it was lost when Saif Abu Bakr had to flee to Kuwait temporarily during the second gulf war when Iraq raided Kuwait. Vinyl version comes with extensive booklets with photos, interviews, liner notes. The vinyl version also has a DLL code.

Repress!

Four Units is a kind of Japanese jazz “all star”. Recorded in Tokyo on April 1969, it was released the same year on Union records.
On the first two long songs that open this album, “Four Units” and “Dull Slumber”, we can feel the influence of the “avant-garde” scene of US jazz (and in particular ESP Disk), without however the music sounding too “free”. A whole new vibe on the astonishing cover of “Scarborough Fair”, in a modal style, where the shadow of McCoy Tyner seems to hang over the piano.
The next two tracks, “Rainbow Trout” and “Black Bass”, are still pretty much along the same line, sometimes oscillating towards “hard bop”, the album ending in a blaze of glory with a solo by Masahiko Togashi. While this album had a second pressing in Japan in the 70s, this is the first time it has been reissued with its gatefold cover. Musicians : Tenor Sax, Flute - Akira Miyazawa Piano - Masahiko Sato Drums - Masahiko Togashi Bass - Yasuo Arakawa Recorded in Tokyo, April 2 and 25th 1969

Short Attention has more than grabbed ours with its first two EPs and this third one keeps up that good early form. It's a heavy-hitting mix of pivotal house talents starting off with prolific Windy City player Boo Williams.

The big man's 'Transformation' is a smooth and chord-laced house roller that has a more reflective vibe than his usual party-starting offerings.

Atlanta don Kai Alce's 'Love Exists' is a heartfelt house romance then the long-time partnership of Owen Jay & Melchior Sultana douse us in star-gazing chords on 'Soul Expression' that leave you feeling refreshed. Hector Ram's 'Morning Sun Vibes' then uplifts with beautifully gentle piano chords.

Man With A Gun is the debut long player from Singaporean prog and funk group Funkgus. It has a famously enigmatic toxic blue jacket that lurks you in and musically it is no less intriguing. As well as a passionate cover of King Curtis's 'Memphis Soul Stew' there are plenty of supremely psychedelic sounds. The opener is steeped in funky bass riffs with rock-tinged drum breaks and plenty of raw vocals and from there the grooves come thick and fast, often with plenty of texture and charismatic vocals such as on 'Spill The Wine' and the leggy, expressive sounds of 'Everyday People' with its twisted wah wah guitars.

The first release from Microtonal Records, Residents of Aotearoa: Microtonal Showcase (ROAMS) EP, presents producers currently living in New Zealand and their interpretation of a warm, atmospheric and dark sound with a groove that provokes movement and thought.

Track A1: Astral Aura by Seb Selknam
A pure analog production from Seb Selknam - Astral Aura provides an instant groove from a warm bassline that sits in pure harmony with the kick to give structure to the melodic and atmospheric landscape you are led into. Minimal crisp percussion and echoing vocals add a familiar and human element to the journey as you slowly float through vista's unknown and aura's unseen. This is 08:22 of pure bliss.

Track A2: Bosun by HRZNTL
The last beat drops, the party ends, the taxi awaits. Bosun by HRZNTL is a reflective piece, the transition from pure adrenaline and the buzz of the rave into a lasting memory of a night spent with family and friends dancing at a castle in the hills of Barcelona. The track itself is built around a detuned dubby key which represents the emotions of ending an epic night, it is surrounded by dark and haunting stabs to add to the atmosphere and a bubbling synth which brings an optimistic reality that it's only day one at Sonar.

Track B1: Admiral Frick by Harvo x Patella
The first ever demo sent to Microtonal HQ, Admiral Frick by Harvo and Patella is pure energy. Taking elements of tribal percussion and combining it with acidic stabs, it is balanced perfectly with a wandering atmospheric pad. There are subtle shifts between four four and breakbeat, as it builds with syncopated snares and a beautiful unrecognisable monotonous vocal calling you deeper into mysteries of the jungle at night. Calmness descends to create space for a powerful sweeping drone like bass that drops you back into a hypnotic state of being. Your relationship with this track will be like an addiction, constantly seeking a hit.

Track B2: Introspection by Felipe Martinez
The epitome of a Microtonal Records track; warm, atmospheric, dark and with a groove. Introspection by Felipe Martinez is a microbreaks track that draws you in with a wide pulsating low end and irregular percussive stabs that float from left to right at the high end. A soft acid synth builds and explodes like a solar flare creating an outer planetary experience. The beautifully crafted breakdown gives you time to pause, observe and contemplate, creating space to process your mental state and explore your emotions from the past, present and future. Introspection; 10 minutes of self healing.

Tommy Largo is a big deal in the world of jacking house and here he lands on Greenhouse Recordings with plenty of evidence to support that. His sound comes steeped with Southern influences on opener 'BBQ Ribs' with its noodling jazz chords and spoken word mutterings making for a lively atmosphere over funky beats. The Jam Funk Remix has a Chicago bump to it with the jazzy keys left in place over well-swung drums. 'On No Not Again' hints at new jack swing with its steamy sax lines and effortlessly catchy groove before 'BBQ Ribs' (Oddphonic remix) closes out with the deepest sound of the lot, perfect for when the sun has gone down and the party heads indoors.

This October Melbourne/Naarm synth-punk five-piece screensaver return with ‘Decent Shapes’, their second album. ‘Decent Shapes’ is loaded with bubbling tension, a low grade but growing fever, a rising rage. The frustration is so tangible you can taste it. Detachment and dissociation become survivalist coping mechanisms.


Thematically, screensaver's latest offering finds them exploring existence on an ever-growing trash heap where we’re desperate for the new, the nice and the shiny. A world where materialism reigns supreme and corporate niceties litter the public dialogue but behind closed doors the sentiment is warlike, total domination is the only answer to the bottom line. All of which is underpinned by the band's sonic sense of urgency and a commitment to creating a sound that taps into the mood and spirit of post-punk whilst also allowing space for new wave elements and electronic experiments to shine through.
‘Decent Shapes’ was recorded and mixed by Julian Cue, who was also the recording engineer for Expressions of Interest. Defined by a kinetic energy, dynamic range and brooding atmosphere, the 10-track release comprises some tracks that were mainstays within the band's live shows - featuring in their US tour set-list - alongside others which were written later in the recording process. During the creation of ‘Decent Shapes’, the band also experimented with swapping instruments, allowing for different playing styles and song-writing approaches.


screensaver was formed in 2016 as a trans-Pacific project between Krystal Maynard (Bad Vision/ex Polo) and Christopher Stephenson (Spray Paint/Exek). Their debut album Expressions of Interest received support from the likes of Brooklyn Vegan, Beats Per Minute, DIY and Post-Trash and last September the band played a 12-date tour across the US.

Mit der Veröffentlichung der „CONDITION“-Trilogie probierten sie sich wiederum an was gänzlich anderem und näherten sich der zerhackten Elektronik und den Samples im Garage-Stil. Ihre letzten Singles, „Joy“ und „Sternhimmel“, waren pure Euphorie und wurden von Mixmag, DJ Mag, Notion, BBC Radio 1 und anderen sehr gelobt. Jüngst hatten sie einige beeindruckende Live-Sets abgeliefert, darunter Boiler Room Melbourne, Lost Village, Secret Garden Party, Warehouse Project, Parklife, fabric und Field Day, sowie ihre erste Tour durch die USA und Australien absolviert. Weiterhin wurden Sie vom Mixmag UK als eine der DJs bezeichnet, die das Jahr 2022 definiert haben.

After collaborating together for more than a decade, Jenny Hval and Håvard Volden released their first album under the Lost Girls moniker in 2021: Menneskekollektivet. The record received rave reviews, including a Best New Music mark at Pitchfork. On October 20th, 2023, the duo will release their second album Selvutsletter.


Like its predecessor, the album title is a made up Norwegian word, a word that almost exists. The band’s own translation of Selvutsletter is «self-effacer»: Someone who tries to erase themselves. Someone who is cleaning out themselves. Performing exorcism. Or perhaps just getting older, less interested in their own present self.


In 2022, Lost Girls were booked to perform a concert at Les Subsistances in Lyon, together with a few Norwegian performing arts groups performing their pieces. The band decided to use the opportunity to create all new material, and think of it as a coherent piece. Working in tandem, with Volden creating beats and wild sets of guitar chords and Hval restructuring the parts, creating melodies, words and adding more sounds, they started spiraling into unchartered territory of shorter, more concise and melodic songs than their debut LP Menneskekollektivet.


As the material developed, words already embedded in the chords, guitar sounds and rhythms began to dance around. Lyrics about cities after dark, music rituals and band practices of the 90s, and the early days of the internet began to take shape. These were Hval's own memories of her hometown and her obsession with creating music as a way of leaving it behind or even setting it on fire. Selvutsletter is, in that sense, about retracing Hval and Volden's steps back to how it felt to discover music, the intensely physical and communal experience of creating something. Certain tracks even go back further, to discover possible happenings in Norwegian towns and cities before any of us were born, using elements of faux folk singing.


Where Menneskekollektivet was about exploring club beats, and expanding and trying out structures, Selvutsletter is about disappearing in experiences. It combines the intuitive, late night feel of Lost Girls’ previous work with experimental rock music as its object. The result is more adventurous than nostalgic: A fiery, bilingual whirl of colors, words, vegetation and electricity.

Mo" Horizons enter their seventh album chapter andremarkably, celebrate 25 years of their exultant andglobally enriched, forward-thinking, electronic sound. Featuring a cast of guest singers, including Ghanaianlegend Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, Mango, is a fiery andsample-heavy blend of future-funk, balearic, highlife,Brazilian drum "n bass and lo-fi hip hop, set to bereleased on their long-standing label Agogo Records.

Spanning over three decades, German DJ andproduction duo Mo" Horizons, led by Ralf Droesemeyer,& Mark Wetzler have been a relentless force on theglobal groove scene. For 25 years, the pair havecontinued to grow their international audiences,testament to remaining on-point, ignoring the fashionand tribalism of scenes like big beat and broken beat,that thrived but then morphed and went off radar.

Emerging from the heart of Brussels, the captivating five-piece Azmari is set to release "Maëlström" on October 20. For Maelström, the follow up to their acclaimed debut album Sam?'? (with raving reviews in Uncut, Songlines, Uk Vibe and Electronic Sound), the group has delved into uncharted musical territories creating a mesmerizing "azmarian" identity and melding intricate jazz textures with intoxicating oriental influences, otherworldly ethio grooves, enigmatic dark funk, and the pulsating beats of dub music,

For the creation of "Maëlström," Azmari embarked on an intensive one-week recording journey. During this time, they meticulously honed the sound of their instruments, blending the nostalgic notes of old-school clavinet keyboards with cutting-edge synth sounds, resulting in a distinct and alluring atmosphere. Enriching their traditional instruments with balanced pedal effects and special amplification, the band added new flavours to their sound.

Founded in the vibrant musical haven of Brussels in 2015, Azmari have been crafting a truly unique tapestry of musical exploration. Azmari defies conventional labels to weave a narrative of sonic innovation and artistic liberation. Influences range from an eclectic array of artists, including Okay Temiz, Heliocentrics, Whitefield Brothers, Surprise Chef, Antibalas and Sons of Kemet.

From the band: "For the third part of our musical journey, we dug into a deeper creative process. We literally immersed ourselves in deep waters during a unique two-week aquatic residency. The tracks on this album are thus directly imbued with distinctive underwater frequencies, the sounds of abyssal creatures, and the beauty of the seabed. Convinced by this creative experience, and guided by captain (and producer) Frederik Segers, we brought this album back to the surface and reveal a resolutely scaly, sandy, and deep soundscape."

Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express was the phoenix that rose from the ashes of sixties combo The Trinity. Fusing R&B, jazz, soul and funk, keyboard maestro Brian Auger created a new breed of music that took the US and the UK by storm. Auger’s unique experimentation culminated in rhythm-infused jazz funk that united Black and white ’70s audiences. The 6 studio albums that make up Complete Oblivion illustrate the group’s diverse musical influences and progression, from the 1970 self titled debut’s heavy jazz-rock to the jazz fusion, latin and disco tinged Reinforcements from 1975 - this process no doubt powered by the groups’ evolving line up, which included guitarists Jim Mullen and Jack Mills, drummers Robbie McIntosh & Steve Ferrone, bassists Barry Dean and Clive Chaman and vocalist Alex Ligertwood. The musical highlights within Complete Oblivion are many, but particular highlights to mention have to be Total Eclipse (Oblivion Express), Fill Your Head With Laugher (A Better Land), the blistering cover of Eddie Harris’ Freedom Jazz Dance (Second Wind), the Barry Dean composition Whenever You're Ready, the version of Marvin Gaye’s Inner City Blues (Closer To It), Beginning Again (Straight Ahead) and the mind bending keyboard tour de force Brain Damage (Reinforcements). Given the groups legendary status among fellow musicians such as Zucchero and Herbie Hancock, DJ’s like Kenny Dope and Gilles Peterson and Auger’s legion of fans worldwide - that mission was fully accomplished - or to put it another way, in the words of super fans The Beastie Boys: “Those who remain oblivious to the obvious delights of Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express do so at their own risk!”

Sampha kündigt mit "LAHAI" sein mit Spannung erwartetes zweites Album an, das am 20. Oktober auf Young erscheint. Nach dem Namen seines Großvaters väterlicherseits benannt, der gleichzeitig auch Samphas zweiter Vorname ist, fließt die Musik auf "LAHAI" zwischen der Ehrfurcht vor dem Leben und der Magie der weltlichen Existenz und beschreibt das Chaos, das man erlebt, wenn man sich dem Kreislauf des Lebens und dem Jenseits stellt. Auf den 14 Tracks hat Sampha enge Freunde und Kollegen zusammengerufen - darunter fantastische Künstler wie Yaeji, Léa Sen, Sheila Maurice Grey (Kokoroko), Ibeyi, Morgan Simpson (Black Midi), Yussef Dayes, Laura Groves und Kwake Bass. Im Gegensatz zum Vorgänger "Process" ist "LAHAI" ein eher kollaboratives Album. Die neueste Single "Only", die von einem Musikvideo von Dexter Navy in Zusammenarbeit mit Sampha begleitet wird und auf dem Vorab Track "Spirit 2.0" folgt, zeigt einen extrem lebendigen Sampha, der melodisch über einen fragmentierten Hip-Hop-Beat mit Co-Produktion von spanischen Musiker El Guincho singt. Im Juni kehrte Sampha zum ersten Mal seit fünf Jahren für seine Satellite Business Residencies in London und New York auf die Bühne zurück. Das einzigartige Setup, bei dem Sampha und seine Band in der Mitte des Raums auftraten, ermöglichte den Fans einen intimen Zugang zu der improvisierten Performance neuer, unveröffentlichter Musik und alternativer Arrangements von Samphas Katalog, die das Publikum "wie gebannt" (Pitchfork) zurückließ. In diesem Herbst wird Sampha eine größere Version der Satellite Business Live-Show auf Tournee mitnehmen. Den Anfang machen mehrere Abende in London in der St. Johns at Hackney Church im Oktober, bevor er nach Nordamerika zurückkehrt, um in großen Städten aufzutreten: Los Angeles, Toronto, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Philadelphia und Atlanta. Anfang Dezember kehrt er nach Europa zurück und spielt in Berlin, Amsterdam und Paris. Wie sein Schöpfer lässt sich auch "LAHAI" nicht in eine Schublade stecken. Das neue Album ist eine Mischung aus Jazz, Soul, Rap, Dance, Jungle und westafrikanischer Musik, mit der Sampha seine produktionstechnischen und stimmlichen Ambitionen auf ein neues Niveau hebt. Als begnadeter Sänger , Songwriter und Produzent ist es kein Wunder, dass Künstler wie Kendrick Lamar, Stormzy, Travis Scott und früher auch Drake, Solange, Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne und Alicia Keys ihn für seine unnachahmliche Stimme sowie seine Beiträge zum Songwriting und zur Produktion ihrer Musik um Unterstützung baten. Zu seinen früheren kreativen Partnerschaften gehören die Modedesignerin Grace Wales Bonner, das Shy Light Zine mit Durimel (der auch das LAHAI-Artwork gedreht hat), sein Process-Film mit dem Regisseur Kahlil Joseph und kürzlich die Zusammenarbeit mit Jonny Lu, mit dem Sampha das Artwork für sein LAHAI-Album und sein neues Logo entwickelt hat. Wenn "Process", Samphas 2017 mit dem Mercury-Preis ausgezeichnetes Debütalbum, einen Künstler zeigte, der seinen eigenen Platz in der Welt suchte und schließlich auch fand, ist "LAHAI" eine Übung in der radikalen Akzeptanz und Freude am Leben und der Schönheit der Reise bis hierhin. Willkommen zu Samphas nächstem musikalischen Kapitel: LAHAI.

Sampha kündigt mit "LAHAI" sein mit Spannung erwartetes zweites Album an, das am 20. Oktober auf Young erscheint. Nach dem Namen seines Großvaters väterlicherseits benannt, der gleichzeitig auch Samphas zweiter Vorname ist, fließt die Musik auf "LAHAI" zwischen der Ehrfurcht vor dem Leben und der Magie der weltlichen Existenz und beschreibt das Chaos, das man erlebt, wenn man sich dem Kreislauf des Lebens und dem Jenseits stellt. Auf den 14 Tracks hat Sampha enge Freunde und Kollegen zusammengerufen - darunter fantastische Künstler wie Yaeji, Léa Sen, Sheila Maurice Grey (Kokoroko), Ibeyi, Morgan Simpson (Black Midi), Yussef Dayes, Laura Groves und Kwake Bass. Im Gegensatz zum Vorgänger "Process" ist "LAHAI" ein eher kollaboratives Album. Die neueste Single "Only", die von einem Musikvideo von Dexter Navy in Zusammenarbeit mit Sampha begleitet wird und auf dem Vorab Track "Spirit 2.0" folgt, zeigt einen extrem lebendigen Sampha, der melodisch über einen fragmentierten Hip-Hop-Beat mit Co-Produktion von spanischen Musiker El Guincho singt. Im Juni kehrte Sampha zum ersten Mal seit fünf Jahren für seine Satellite Business Residencies in London und New York auf die Bühne zurück. Das einzigartige Setup, bei dem Sampha und seine Band in der Mitte des Raums auftraten, ermöglichte den Fans einen intimen Zugang zu der improvisierten Performance neuer, unveröffentlichter Musik und alternativer Arrangements von Samphas Katalog, die das Publikum "wie gebannt" (Pitchfork) zurückließ. In diesem Herbst wird Sampha eine größere Version der Satellite Business Live-Show auf Tournee mitnehmen. Den Anfang machen mehrere Abende in London in der St. Johns at Hackney Church im Oktober, bevor er nach Nordamerika zurückkehrt, um in großen Städten aufzutreten: Los Angeles, Toronto, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Philadelphia und Atlanta. Anfang Dezember kehrt er nach Europa zurück und spielt in Berlin, Amsterdam und Paris. Wie sein Schöpfer lässt sich auch "LAHAI" nicht in eine Schublade stecken. Das neue Album ist eine Mischung aus Jazz, Soul, Rap, Dance, Jungle und westafrikanischer Musik, mit der Sampha seine produktionstechnischen und stimmlichen Ambitionen auf ein neues Niveau hebt. Als begnadeter Sänger , Songwriter und Produzent ist es kein Wunder, dass Künstler wie Kendrick Lamar, Stormzy, Travis Scott und früher auch Drake, Solange, Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne und Alicia Keys ihn für seine unnachahmliche Stimme sowie seine Beiträge zum Songwriting und zur Produktion ihrer Musik um Unterstützung baten. Zu seinen früheren kreativen Partnerschaften gehören die Modedesignerin Grace Wales Bonner, das Shy Light Zine mit Durimel (der auch das LAHAI-Artwork gedreht hat), sein Process-Film mit dem Regisseur Kahlil Joseph und kürzlich die Zusammenarbeit mit Jonny Lu, mit dem Sampha das Artwork für sein LAHAI-Album und sein neues Logo entwickelt hat. Wenn "Process", Samphas 2017 mit dem Mercury-Preis ausgezeichnetes Debütalbum, einen Künstler zeigte, der seinen eigenen Platz in der Welt suchte und schließlich auch fand, ist "LAHAI" eine Übung in der radikalen Akzeptanz und Freude am Leben und der Schönheit der Reise bis hierhin. Willkommen zu Samphas nächstem musikalischen Kapitel: LAHAI.

Brother Deges zweites Album "How to Kill a Horse" wurde nachts in einem leeren Lagerhaus aufgenommen (während er tagsüber in einem Obdachlosenheim für Männer arbeitete) und ist ein Meisterwerk, das von Scheunenbrennern über antike Delta-Meditationen bis hin zu babylonischen Schrottplatz-Jams reicht, die die Schattenseiten dessen erforschen, was es heißt, ein Mann in der modernen Welt zu sein. Zu den Einflüssen zählen: Ernest Hemingway, Joseph Conrad, Ry Cooder, Norman Mailer, Henry Miller, Sonic Youth, Black Sabbath, Blind Willie Johnson, Einstürzende Neubauten, Jackson Pollock und Don Quijote. Wie Hemingways stärkste Werke dringt "How to Kill a Horse" tief in das Gefängnis-Rodeo des menschlichen Herzens ein, konfrontiert die dunklere, fehlerhafte Seite des Selbst, während es mit voller Aggressivität in den existenziellen Hochofen der modernen Weltgerät steuert und mit den Rollen der Männer als Versorger, Beschützer, Partner, Liebhaber, Krieger, Friedenstruppen, was auch immer ringt. "How to Kill a Horse" ist ein gewaltiger Schuss vor den Bug aller Riff-Heads, Songwriter und Americana-Enthusiasten auf der ganzen Welt. Es ist ein Game-Changer, der das ganze Durcheinander der Roots-Musik aus den Vinyl-Mülltonnen ins 21. Jahrhundert befördert.

Brother Deges zweites Album "How to Kill a Horse" wurde nachts in einem leeren Lagerhaus aufgenommen (während er tagsüber in einem Obdachlosenheim für Männer arbeitete) und ist ein Meisterwerk, das von Scheunenbrennern über antike Delta-Meditationen bis hin zu babylonischen Schrottplatz-Jams reicht, die die Schattenseiten dessen erforschen, was es heißt, ein Mann in der modernen Welt zu sein. Zu den Einflüssen zählen: Ernest Hemingway, Joseph Conrad, Ry Cooder, Norman Mailer, Henry Miller, Sonic Youth, Black Sabbath, Blind Willie Johnson, Einstürzende Neubauten, Jackson Pollock und Don Quijote. Wie Hemingways stärkste Werke dringt "How to Kill a Horse" tief in das Gefängnis-Rodeo des menschlichen Herzens ein, konfrontiert die dunklere, fehlerhafte Seite des Selbst, während es mit voller Aggressivität in den existenziellen Hochofen der modernen Weltgerät steuert und mit den Rollen der Männer als Versorger, Beschützer, Partner, Liebhaber, Krieger, Friedenstruppen, was auch immer ringt. "How to Kill a Horse" ist ein gewaltiger Schuss vor den Bug aller Riff-Heads, Songwriter und Americana-Enthusiasten auf der ganzen Welt. Es ist ein Game-Changer, der das ganze Durcheinander der Roots-Musik aus den Vinyl-Mülltonnen ins 21. Jahrhundert befördert.

‘Hey don’t touch that dial, good news Punk Rock Is Back!’ Mal-One

Mal-One’s new album starts with running through the radio dial, looking for some suitable music to listen to. These snippets are actually samples of songs from his previous album ‘It’s All Punk Rock’. Leading the listener nicely into a new set of songs to get their Punk Rock teeth into.

Songs that cover… the great New York punk scene of the 1970’s that grew out of a little bar in the Bowery District of New York City called CBGB’s ‘New York City Punk’. The Clash’s first album discussed in ‘When The Two 77’s Clashed’. The excitement of London’s Roxy Club revisited with its one line chant ‘Down The Roxy’. Those great ‘Punk Rock Fanzines‘, that kept us all so well informed. An early Sex Pistols gig at the Chelsea School of Art, ‘Machine Bubble Disco’. So named after what was to be the main event of that nights entertainment!!!.’45 Random Punk Memories’ sprang from Mal-One’s own reminisces. Talking of memories ‘Looking At The Decals On Steve Jones Guitar’, the recollection of Steve Jones, future guitarist of the Sex Pistols, stealing Mal-One’s bike when he was the tender age of seven years old. An incident that might have triggered this whole road of discovery in the first place.

A reflection on London’s harsh setting in those heady Punk times in ‘Corrugated London’ alongside a call and response to remember that ‘London’s Turning’ all the time for better or worse and that we can’t always pick and choose the bits we want to keep. The self-explanatory, ‘We Will All Lose Some Good Friends Along The Way’. ‘Shakespeare Meets Chuck Berry On Shepherds Bush Green’, a great story when Joe Strummer was asked by a reporter what he was up to and what he might call The Clash’s next album, which would turn out to be the timeless ‘London Calling’. Joe’s rather
tongue in cheek answer was “Shakespeare Meets Chuck Berry On Shepherds Bush Green’’.
A place close to Mal-One’s heart and a great title, that was crying out to be reused. Which Mal-One does via what he calls his Punk Art Poetry. Sometimes these lines are turned into lyrics and reworked into songs.

The album ends with such a call, ‘An Open Letter To…’ all those people who helped influence us all along the way. As the lyric states often without thought of financial gain, but done so, quiet simply because it had to be done.Maybe some young guns might in some small way, be inspired and find in Mal-One’s current efforts that ‘anything is possible’ and the true meaning of Punk was in fact, ‘Do It Yourself’.

The vinyl version of this release includes a poster that is part of Mal-Ones continuing Street Art project that involves putting up posters around London. This time declaring the news ‘Punk Rock Is Back!’. Included in the album packaging also is a signed and blind stamped limited print of one of Mal-One’s works ‘What Is It About Punk That’s So Different So Appealing’. A punk collage that just carries one word in among its multiple punk images and that word is PUNK. We hope you enjoy the indulgence.

Sampha announces the full details of his highly-anticipated, sophomore album LAHAI, out October 20th on Young. Taken from his paternal grandfather’s name, which is also Sampha’s middle name, LAHAI revels in the awe and magic of our existence, synthesizing the exquisite chaos that one experiences confronting the cycle of life and the beyondness. Spanning 14-tracks, with contributions from some of Sampha’s closest friends, peers and collaborators including: Yaeji, Léa Sen, Sheila Maurice Grey (Kokoroko), Ibeyi, Morgan Simpson (Black Midi), Yussef Dayes, Laura Groves and Kwake Bass, LAHAI, in contrast to Process, is a communal affair seeing Sampha explore the many ways in which we as humans connect to each other, and to something bigger than ourselves. On the album’s latest single “Only,” premiering today via a new music video directed by Dexter Navy in collaboration with Sampha, which follows the recent “Spirit 2.0,” we meet a newly energized Sampha, as he spits melodically over a fragmented hip-hop hued beat with co-production from El Guincho.

Not unlike its maker, LAHAI defies clear categorization. Spanning jazz, soul, rap, dance, jungle and west African music, LAHAI sees Sampha elevating his production and vocal ambition to great new heights. A notable singer, songwriter and producer, it’s no wonder that artists like Kendrick Lamar, Stormzy, Travis Scott and previously, Drake, Solange, Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne and Alicia Keys have all tapped the artist for his inimitable voice plus songwriting and production contributions to their music. His work expands across multiple disciplines, with previous creative partnerships including the fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner, the Shy Light zine with Durimel (who also shot the LAHAI artwork) his Process film with director Kahlil Joseph, and most recently creative director Jonny Lu, with whom Sampha worked to create the LAHAI album artwork and logo.

If Process, Sampha’s 2017 Mercury-Prize-winning debut album, was an artist figuring out his own place in the world, engulfed in the shadows of grief and loss, LAHAI is an exercise in the radical acceptance and joy in the human condition, and the beauty in the journey itself. Welcome to Sampha’s next musical chapter: LAHAI.

Across the arc of Tristan Allen’s epiphanic, four part journey, Tin Iso and the Dawn, the New York based composer and puppeteer brings sonic life to a fantastical realm of characters whose universal longings mirror our own. In the first release of this mythic trilogy, intricate sound design and spellbinding leitmotifs make sense of loss and what’s beyond.

Formative exposures by way of travel through Asia, studies in Gamelan, a paper mache Christmas angel, and their dad’s Bread and Puppet Theater artifacts formed a web of inspiration from which Tristan’s desire to combine puppetry and their fascination for the narrative power of instrumental music emerged. Years of synchronistic inspirational encounters with “guardian angels” in the form of music mentors and puppeteer masters incentivized Tristan to pursue a project where they could focus on sound and diverse instrumentation.

Through this impulse, Tristan ceremoniously constructed the imaginary world of Tin Iso and the Dawn, loosely based on Wagner’s three act opera Tristan und Isolde. Composed and recorded between 2015 and 2022 across apartments from Boston to Brooklyn, with field recordings from locations of vivid sentiment: Upstate New York—where Tristan grew up, Quebec—where most of their close family lives, and Japan—where they lived briefly as a child, each moment of Tin Iso glimmers with nostalgic immediacy and the prescience of new voyages unfolding.

A captivating work of impressionistic memories, observations and intimate confessions, Ebony wrote her debut self-titled solo album while coming into prominence as an in-demand portrait photographer within New Zealand’s contemporary literature and independent music scenes. The release comes five years after her alt-country band, Eb & Sparrow, amicably parted ways in 2018.

Recorded on vintage analog studio gear and mastered to tape, EBONY LAMB finds Runga and Nielson placing Ebony’s distinct, fragile-but-firm voice within a cinematic confluence of jazz, folk, psychedelia, alt-country and ambient pop. Written over the last five years while coming to terms with the realities of a changing world, themes of gratitude, loss, acceptance and aspiration run through the album like a river, especially in the nocturnal groove of ‘My Daughter My Sister My Son’ and ‘Brother Get Me Home’.

From the album’s opening notes, Ebony expresses herself in non-judgmental terms, singing with a raw tenderness that draws listeners into her reflections on friendship (‘Drive Me Around’), the complexity and contradictions of success (‘Successful Feelings’), and connections in seemingly hopeless moments (‘Come, Put A Record On’). Yet while her songs can feel like she’s sitting just across from you, Runga and Nielson’s production imbues them with an expansive sensibility. Spare, vivid and moving,

EBONY LAMB is an album that captures a defining artistic leap from a talented artist coming into her own. Singing to herself and the listener, she implores us to continue reaching forward without losing sight of what we have and the elements of our lives that truly matter.