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Die 2003 in Bergen, Norwegen gegründete Band wurde 2006 von der renommierten Produzentin Sylvia Massy (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tool, Johnny Cash u.a.) entdeckt, zu ihrer Lieblingsband erklärt und direkt in ihr Tonstudio in L.A. eingeladen, um dort das Debütalbum aufzunehmen. Seitdem haben Major Parkinson zwei weitere Alben und diverse Singles zumeist in Eigenregie produziert, und mit ihrem genialen Mix aus etwa Primus, Faith No More, Frank Zappa oder auch Queens Of The Stone Age zahlreiche Fans überzeugt.
Mit Norwegens führendem Prog-Label Apollon Records wurde nun eine längerfristige Zusammenarbeit vereinbart

If you are looking for nostalgia and rocksteady at its finest, all in one package, then this vinyl by Keith & Tex offers a good blend of both.



Born in the rocksteady era, Keith & Tex made their mark with a slew of hits and classics that have lasted over 50 years. From their haunting rendition of "Hypnotic Eyes" to the iconic guitar intro and solo of Lynn Taitt on "Stop That Train", you are treated to a unique style that still lives on after five decades. Since 1967 many of their songs have enjoyed great success and continue to be played and sung by a new generation of rocksteady lovers. This duo has a style that still seems surprisingly engaging and refreshingly innocent.





So lean back, turn up the stereo or plug in the earphones, and enjoy!

Fragments repräsentiert eine Einladung an elektronische Künstler, traditionelle und moderne Musik zu kombinieren. Regelmäßig wird Fragments von einem neuen Komponisten inspiriert werden. Hieraus entsteht eine Serie von Alben, welche eine Bandbreite elektronischer Künstler dazu einlädt, einen ganz neuen Blickwinkel auf die Werke eines renommierten Komponisten zu werfen.

Fragments ist ein Projekt, das zwischen Welten schwingt. Zwischen klassischer und elektronischer Musik - zwischen alt und neu.
Beginnen wird die Serie mit Erik Satie: dem französischen Pionier der ‚Minimal Music‘, ein spitzfindiger Künstler, beliebt im Pariser Nachtleben seiner Zeit, ein Ambient Komponist avant la lettre, wiederentdeckt von einer Generation 100 Jahre nach seiner Lebzeit.
Beim Suchen und Finden der kollaborierenden Künstler, wurde das Projekt Fragments mit einstimmigem

Enthusiasmus empfangen. Das Resultat ist eine Kollektion großartiger Remixe & Reworks, welche monatlich zwischen August 2021 und Mai 2022 erscheinen.

Es gibt musikalische Projekte, da muss man die Headline zwei Mal lesen, um die tatsächliche Bedeutung zuverstehen. Zum ersten Mal in der mittlerweile fünf Dekaden umfassenden Erfolgsgeschichte der Rocklegendeaus dem südwestfälischen Hagen, erscheint ein rein akustisches Studioalbum mit Songklassikern der Band.

Das einfach nur „GROBSCHNITT ACOUSTIC ALBUM“ betitelte Werk enthält 13 Stücke und ist ab dem 13. Mai erhältlich. Das Album ist auch eine Reminiszenz an das 50jährige Bandjubiläum, das im
Herbst 2021 im Rahmen einer imposanten Grobschnitt-Ausstellung im renommierten Osthaus Museum ihrer Heimatstadt Hagen gefeiert wurde. Es ist aber auch eine Hommage an die die treue Fangemeinde, die mittlerweile drei Generation umfasst und deren Motto „Kein Tag ohne Grobschnitt“ immer schon Kult war und ist. Das ”Grobschnitt Acoustic Album” erscheint pünktlich zum Tourstart der Band am Freitag, den 13.

Mai 2022 auf Doppel-Vinyl, als CD sowie auch in digitaler Form und ist bereits jetzt schon vorbestellbar. Für die Grobschnitt-Enthusiasten und alle Progressive Rock-Neugierigen heißt es wieder einmal: HEUT´
IST EIN SCHÖNER TAG‘.

"Good To Be is a sort of homecoming for the five-time GRAMMY Award winning artist, most recently for 2019’s Oklahoma. Having recently renovated his childhood home in Compton, CA the album is heavily inspired by his connection to both Compton and where he finds himself now at the intersection of Country and Americana in Nashville, TN.

While it sonically contains the blues influence we come to expect, there’s a stronger country tinge thanks to production from country legend Vince Gil and help from Keb’s good friend Darius Rucker, who features on the first single “Good Strong Woman”. Outside the music, Keb’ collaborated with the Compton Cowboys, a local non-profit deeply rooted in the community who are re-introducing cowboy culture to South LA. A striking image of Keb’ driving a vintage Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 through the streets of Compton, flanked by the Cowboys on horseback, will be a part of both the album artwork and a music video. "

Graham Nash: Live is the unique project arriving on May 6, on which Nash revisits his first two classic solo albums, Songs For Beginners and Wild Tales, recorded live in concert The live albums were recorded in 2019, each in their entirety with their songs in familiar sequence. Nash was joined on stage by a seven- piece band led by his
longtime collaborators, Shane Fontayne (guitar and vocals) and Todd Caldwell (keyboards and vocals), The album was mixed by Grammy Award® winner Kevin Killen and mastered by Grammy Award® winner Bob Ludwig.

An extraordinary Grammy Award® winning renaissance artist – and selfdescribed "simple man" - Nash was inducted twice into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, for his work with CSN and his work as a solo artist, beginning with these two landmark albums, Songs For Beginners and Wild Tales.

Nash's lifelong commitment to his work is unwavering. His inspiration is simple: "All the things we stood for, that love is better than hatred, that peace is better than war, that we have to take care of our fellow human beings, because that's all we have on this planet - those things are still true today. I need to know that I've brought something into the world that was positive and not negative."

Following Pre-Choreographed released in April 2020 where he mixed his classical pieces with electronic sounds and started developing the relationship between dance and music, Japanese pianist Koki Nakano is back with Oceanic Feeling. The music deals with his inability to fully live in this so-called oceanic feeling, capturing thus the composer's longing, frustration and ultimately search for harmony within his own limitations. He composed much of Oceanic Feeling while watching dancers move to what he played and the album's singles come accompanied by mesmerizing videos featuring renowned choreographers and performers such as Tess Voelker and Marion Motin. Musically speaking, Nakano is constantly moving through the grey area between intellect and instinct on Oceanic Feeling. Tracks oftentimes feel simple, and in that simplicity, genuinely touching. Yet behind every piano key is a complex, layered recording system developed by the artist himself that gives sounds a unique depth. Oceanic Feeling is an impressive avantgarde journey that moves and stirs without ever losing balance.

Black Vinyl, DL card. CD Capacity wallet. A reawakening for the Swedish visionaries, Sincere solidifies their impressive trajectory in a fuzzed out haze of dark and arresting shoegaze pop. An expansive trip through noisier, bittersweet pop realms that recalls My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and Deerhunter. Underpinning everything there’s a continuing sense of drama throughout; richly textured crescendos, chiming guitars and delicate melodies are guided by Caroline Landahl’s tender yet sharpened vocals. Sincere is joyously effervescent, but with a dark underbelly where fury manifests in a swirl of entrancing and propulsive percussion. A gorgeous and dazzling piece of aching romanticism, destined to feature on a thousand mixtapes. Recorded last year in Malmö, Hater welcomed two new band members and those early day sparks saw them quickly turning demos into fully-formed new songs that appear on the record. Sincere was produced by long-time collaborator Joakim Lindberg and was mixed and mastered by John Cornfield, whose credits include Ride, The Stone Roses and Robert Plant. // “One of the best bands in the world” Gorilla vs Bear // “Your next Scandinavian indie pop obsession.” Flood // “Stunning” Stereogum

The remastered, repackaged set Music From Grizzly Man contains all of the out of print material Thompson recorded for the acclaimed documentary. Richard Thompson's score for “Grizzly Man” Werner Herzog's 2005 documentary film of real life and death in the Alaskan wilderness is one of the best-kept secrets in the British guitarist's epic canon: an instrumental masterpiece disguised as a movie soundtrack. Recorded over two days as Thompson played live in the studio to Herzog's footage – mostly alone, at times in chamber settings with cello, piano and percussion – these tenderly detailed melodies and quietly visceral improvisations are cinema in their own right, rendered with pictorial instinct and the dazzling technique forged in Thompson's lifelong passage through traditional folk, psychedelia, North African modes and intensely personal songwriting. Here is Thompson at his natural best – finger-picking dance; snake-curl twang and singing-wire harmonics – in a solo clarity that runs from jig-like joy to deep-note meditation, the "Main Title" blues march with its echoes of Fairport Convention's "Sloth" to the long night of "Treadwell No More," a harrowing darkness in slicing treble and tremolo shiver. Produced by guitarist Henry Kaiser, Grizzly Man is a record of powerful solitude as bold and majestic as the land in Herzog's film; as intimate as prayer and essential Richard Thompson.

This first-ever vinyl reissue, remastered from the original analog tapes, includes a gatefold jacket and inner sleeve with restored, new, and alternate art and photos by Terry and Jo Harvey Allen; an insert with lyrics, original notes, and Terry’s letter to H.C. Westermann about the songs; and a high-res download code. Deluxe CD edition features a trifold jacket and inner sleeve. Recorded exactly two years after acclaimed visual artist and songwriter Terry Allen’s masterpiece Lubbock (on everything), the feral follow-up Smokin the Dummy is less conceptually focused but more sonically and stylistically unified than its predecessor it’s also rougher and rowdier, wilder and more wired, and altogether more menacingly rock and roll. Following the 1973 Whitney Biennial, in which songwriter and visual artist Terry Allen and fellow iconic artist Horace Clifford “Cliff” Westermann both exhibited, Allen maintained a lively long-distance correspondence and exchange of artworks and music with Westermann, whose singular and highly influential art he admired enormously. In a February 1981 letter to his friend and mentor, written shortly after the late 1980 release of his third album Smokin the Dummy, while he and his family were living in Fresno, California, Terry explains the genesis of the album title: Westermann died shortly after receiving this letter, enclosed with a Smokin the Dummy LP, the minimalist black jacket of which Allen suggested that Cliff fold into a jaunty cardboard hat if he didn’t like the music. That response was unlikely, since Westermann loved Terry’s music, calling his debut record Juarez (1975) “the finest, most honest and heartfelt piece of music I ever heard.” The Panhandle Mystery Band had only recently coalesced during those 1978 Lubbock sessions, Lloyd Maines’s first foray into production. Through 1979, they honed their sound and tightened their arrangements with a series of periodic performances beyond Allen’s regular art-world circuit, including memorable record release concerts in Lubbock, Chicago, L.A., and Kansas City. Terry sought to harness the high-octane power of this now well-oiled collective engine to overdrive his songs into rawer and rockier off-road territory. His first album to share top billing with the Panhandle Mystery Band, Dummy documents a ferocious new band in fully telepathic, tornado-fueled flight, refining its caliber, increasing its range, and never looking down. Alongside the stalwart Maines brothers co-producer, guitarist, and all-rounder Lloyd, bassist Kenny, and drummer Donnie and mainstay Richard Bowden (who here contributes not only fiddle but also mandolin, cello, and “truck noise theory,” the big-rig doppler effect of Lloyd’s steel on “Roll Truck Roll”), new addition Jesse Taylor supplies blistering lead guitar, on loan from Joe Ely (who plays harmonica here). Jesse’s kinetic blues lines and penchant for extreme volume were instrumental in pushing these recordings into brisker tempos and tougher attitudes. Terry was feverish for several studio days, suffering from a bad flu and sweating through his clothes, which partially explains the literally febrile edge to his performances, rendered largely in a perma-growl. (By this point, he was regularly breaking piano pedals with his heavy-booted stomp.) Like the album title itself, the songs on Smokin the Dummy ring various demented bells. The tracks rifle through Terry’s assorted Obsessions especially the potential energy and escape of the open road, elevated here to an ecstatic, prayerful pitch and are populated by a cast of crooked characters: truckers, truck-stop waitresses, convicts, cokeheads, speed freaks, greasers, holy rollers, rodeo riders, dancehall cheaters, and sacrificial prairie dogs, sinners seeking some small reprieve, any fugitive moment of grace. A reigning deity of a certain kind of country music since the mid-70s. – The New York Times // The kind of singular American artist who expresses the fundamental weirdness of his country. – The Wire

Towards The SeaVery Limited new pressing on Orange/White Galaxy vinyl. This is for Indies only. Chelsea Wolfe's sound is best described with broad strokes: elemental, intense, radiant, ancient yet modern, intimate yet expansive, dark and sparkling. Hues of black metal and deep blues inform her ever-evolving electric folk—a warm force that wraps itself around the listener, encouraging uplift, seeking triumph. Her voice similarly haunts and soothes, with words that illuminate life's darker corners in order to reveal the unlikely truth and beauty hidden within. Originally hailing from Northern California, Wolfe's formative years were spent tinkering in her country musician father's home studio, however, she long lacked the confidence to share her work. Then, in 2009, an overseas excursion as part of a nomadic performance troupe ignited her passion for performing and initiated a renewed interest in writing and recording. After performing in cathedrals, basements and old nuclear plants to whoever would listen, she returned home with a new drive. She began toting around an 8-track and recording as the mood hit, eventually editing her findings into a breathtaking debut album, 2010's The Grime & the Glow. Marrying the gentle intimacy of folk, the atmospheric voodoo of death rock, and the bleak, sullen nihilism of black metal, Wolfe's sound effectively cast a genre all her own: a cavernous rumble, marked by stuttering drums, ethereal synths, and a wash of guitar, all very much in the service of one of the most hypnotic, celestial voices in modern music. Described as both healing and harrowing, enchanting and narcotic, the album established Wolfe as a force on the rise. Inspired, Wolfe then relocated to Los Angeles and recorded her second album, 2011's Apokalypsis, which found her in an actual studio with her live band. The songs captured therein maintained the strikingly visceral elements of her debut, further showcase Wolfe’s unique songwriting ability, while adding a serious heaviness of sound that balanced eloquently with her transcendent voice. Its release was subsequently met with critical adoration, and rightly landed on numerous best of 2011 lists.

Long overdue pressing of cult band’s most sought after release. Engineered and remastered by Jack Shirly (Deafheaven, Bosse-de-Nage, Oathbreaker). For fans of Have a Nice Life, Xasthur, and Planning For Burial. Entirely remastered and includes a never before heard bonus track!! Mamaleek’s Kurdaitcha is finally back in print! The San Francisco-based duo released their third album of weirdo black metal, Kurdaitcha, on the legendary cult label Enemies List Home Recordings (Have a Nice Life, Giles Corey), and it quickly sold out. For years the LP has been a hard to find collector’s item. Kurdaitcha finds the project in its initial period of creating music influenced by black metal, hip hop, jazz, and spirituals. Founded in 2008 in the Bay Area by two anonymous brothers, Mamaleek has explored a vast sonic territory on the edge of a genre renown for its aversion to change. Their expert utilization of left-field samples and unconventional instrumentation, and their insistent drive to experiment continues to set the band apart from their peers. This pressing of Kurdaitcha has been remastered and features a previously unreleased bonus track with a gold foil stamped jacket. “Mamaleek are the great destroyers.” — Invisible Oranges // “An incredibly rich and rewarding experience.” —Heavy Blog Is Heavy // “Is it good, though? It’s fucking mental. It’s amazing. It’s absolutely horrible. It’s barely listenable at times and yet you can’t turn it off. The music is perfect. Like broken glass is perfect.” —Echoes And Dust // “The group cloaks its music in the kind of warm, hypnotic distortion that defines shoegaze, and underneath that haze is a style that’s conceptually abrasive yet altogether beautiful.” — FORBES

LNDFK (aka Linda Feki) presents her ground-breaking debut album, "Kuni" on Brooklyn-based Bastard Jazz Recordings. Undeniably on the rise after her 2019 breakout performance at Primavera Sound, LNDFK has already caught the attention of Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Clash Magazine, Noisey, and Brooklyn Vegan (among many others) while being championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson, Tom Ravenscroft, and Jamz Supernova & landing spots on tastemaker playlists like Spotify's "Pollen" and "Fresh Finds."

"Kuni" is a spellbinding exploration of dichotomies: Love & Death (Eros & Thanatos), Flower & Fire, Delicacy & Violence, Poetry & Realism, Purification & Destruction. These opposites are reified in the 10-track LPs multifarious and multifaceted sounds, elegantly meandering through a variety of styles and genres, spearheaded by Linda and features the production wizardry of Darrio Bassolino who co-wrote the album.

"Kuni" opens with "Hana-bi," an ambient instrumental piece that sets the tone for the album. Inspired by the Takeshi Kitano 1997 film of the same name – particularly Joe Hisaishi's stunning soundtrack, as well as Kitano's paintings which appear in the film. "Hana-bi" expresses the dialoguing opposites of flowers and fire, the first of many dichotomous representations throughout the album. "Takeshi" acts as an extension and to "Hana-bi," albeit one of opposing sound, with its driving, highly syncopated drums (which reappear throughout "Kuni") – à la Karriem Riggins, Questlove, or Yussef Dayes – frenetic bass line, and jazz chords. Linda's sultry voice is interspersed, initially jumping around in scat fashion, being triggered as if a sample, before her lyrics come in; her vocals are used like an additional instrument, adding to the song's rich texture. "Kuni" truly hits its stride with the next song, "Smoke – a moon or a button" (its title lifted from the 1959 book by Ruth Krauss and Remy Charlip), which is structured like a jazz standard yet flows into neo-soul territory sonically with those prodigious drums a highlight once again.

LNDFK touches on experimental hip hop in two songs on the record (both of which were released as singles in 2021): "Don't Know I'm Dead or Not (feat. Chester Watson)" – track #4 – and "How Do We Know We're Alive (feat. Pink Siifu)" – track #9. Although they embrace a more hip hop-leaning sound, these songs by no means shy away from the exploratory theme, and feature two of the alt-rap scenes rising stars with Chester Watson and Pink Siifu who offer provocatively impressing verses, combining dense word play with unconventional flows. While these tracks may first appear to be outliers on the album, they are undeniably in tune with "Kuni's" message and sonic palette, acting as testaments to LNDFK's willingness to explore and experiment.

Meanwhile, "Ku" – the third and last single before the album release – furthers the pre-established future soul sound while meandering through nu jazz and left-field electronic. Inspired by the graphic novel and film, "Sin City," and its female assassin protagonist Miho, "Ku" is a musical interpretation of Miho's story, incorporating both her beauty – the first half of the song – and murderous tendencies – the second half – to create a stunning juxtaposition, culminating in an ambient finale that suggests the character's vulnerability and inner peace. The song gracefully bridges the gap between Hiatus Kaiyote-esque songwriting, Dilla's rhythmic syncopation, and Thundercat's instrumental prowess (LNDFK has shared a stage Brainfeeder labelmate Kamasi Washington).

Mixed in throughout "Kuni" are a series of instrumental pieces that function as something akin to an interlude. The aforementioned intro, "Hana-bi," and the album closer "se mi stacco da te, mi strappo tutto:" act as bookends, while "Om" indicates the half-way mark, and "Ktm" sees Jason Lindner add his sound the album. These tracks are the ambient foundation of "Kuni," representing the thematic duality of the work. Clocking in at only 24 minutes, "Kuni" packs an astonishingly diverse array of sounds, styles, and themes, all while showcasing virtuosic musicianship and instrumental prowess.

Appearing on "Hana-bi" and "Ktm," renowned international artists Asa-Chang and Jason Lindner add an additional perspective to "Kuni": Asa-Chang on "Hana-bi," and Jason Lindner on "Ktm." Asa-Chang - famously of the Japanese avant-garde group Asa-Chang & Junray - provides vocals and percussion to an alternate version of the instrumental opener, while the acclaimed keyboardist Jason Lindner offers his synth expertise on "Ktm." These features highlight the spirit of collaboration found in LNDFK's music, always willing to try out new ways of working.

LNDFK is a singer and songwriter, born of two cultures – an Italian mother and Arab father. She grew up in Naples, away from her father, the Sahara, her homeland and traditions, which has helped nourish the desire to rediscover – through art – an engagement to her roots. Her music melts with jazz, neo-soul and hip-hop influences, filtered through her experiences and sensibility.

Her first EP, "Lust Blue," was composed with the artistic production of Dario Bass and released by Feelin' Music; after that she released several singles that saw international radio support (BBC, NTS, Wordwide FM) and gained a massive audience on digital platforms. Together with her band, she toured around Europe, performing alongside such notable artists as Kamasi Washington and Mndsgn, among others. Most recently she toured Italy, and performed at Primavera Sound Festival 2019 in Barcelona.

"Kuni," is due out on NYC label Bastard Jazz Recordings in February, 2022, while the vinyl LP will follow shortly after.

Stars Are the Light, the luminous seventh album by the American psych explorers Moon Duo, marks a progression into significantly new territory. From a preoccupation with the transcendental and occult that informed Ripley Johnson and Sanae Yamada’s guitar-driven psych rock, and reached its apotheosis in the acclaimed Occult Architecture diptych, Stars Are the Light sees the band synthesize the abstract and metaphysical with the embodied and terrestrial.

Branching out from Occult Architecture Vol. 2, the album has a sonic physicality that is at once propulsive and undulating; it puts dance at the heart of an expansive nexus that connects the body to the stars. These are songs about embodied human experience — love, change, misunderstanding, internal struggle, joy, misery, alienation, discord, harmony, celebration — rendered as a kind of dance of the self, both in relation to other selves and to the eternal dance of the cosmos.

Until recently, it was thought that we had heard all there was to hear from Saâda Bonaire. The German studio project's 1980s recordings had been compiled on the now cult-classic double LP Saâda Bonaire, released by Captured Tracks in 2013. Though the group had continued working until 1994, founder Ralph "von" Richtoven had firmly stated that all of their post-1986 work was lost. Released now for the first time ever, 1992 compiles the band's long-lost early nineties material. Produced between Bremen and New York City, the 12 songs presented here capture the group's attempts at steering their trademark fusion sound (reggae, afro-funk, Eastern music, and sultry German female vocals) into uncharted nu jazz, trip-hop, and house territories. It's no surprise, given both the time lapse and the fluid nature of the project, that these recordings differ sonically from the 1980s material. 1992 finds Saâda Bonaire folding new influences from the time (house, hip-hop, rap) into their eclectic sonic universe. Vocalist Andrea Ebert's soulful voice -the result of a church choir background and an early love of American soul and jazz music- offset Stephanie Lange's laid-back, more German-sounding vocals. This unique interplay bolstered the band's new direction - evident in their inspired takes on James Brown's "Woman" and Syreeta Wright and Stevie Wonder's "To Know You Is To Love You". The American influence was also made literal via contributions by renowned DJ Matthias Heillbronn and rapper Jimmy Lee Patterson, both of whom lent some stardust to the tracks at François Kevorkian's Axis Studios in NYC. Unfortunately, the demo recordings were considered too bizarre for 1990s record label standards, and as a result were never published. As with all things Saâda Bonaire, the discovery of these discarded recordings feels like a sort of magical impossibility. It's been nearly ten years since the release of the last compilation, and thirty since the recordings were originally captured. That they still manage to sound fresh and avant garde is a testament to Saâda Bonaire's flair for creating pop music for past, present, and future outsiders.

Before Madvillain, before Yesterday’s New Quintet and before Quasimoto or any other of his several alter egos, Madlib perfected his craft as an MC/producer in the Lootpack. Along with DJ Romes, and fellow rhymer Wildchild, they released the dusty full-length, Soundpieces: Da Antidote back in 1999, that laid down the foundation for the unique and dusty sound now associated with Madlib. The loose, freeform recordings on this collection are circa 1996 when the group was managed by Madlib’s father, and they show the now-renowned maverick producer in comparatively restrained form. Madlib’s scope and imagination was clearly fixated on East coast jazzy hip-hop production from the early ’90s, laying down soundscapes for his hungry crew including the likes of Kazi, Declaime and Medaphoar, who have all become well known underground rap vets. Madlib’s own strong mic presence is noticeable given his now only-on-rare-occasion rhyming, but it’s his production that is the most fascinating element here. While a resolutely hip-hop project, the burgeoning jazzy flourishes and Madlib’s heavily accomplished ear for sound makes the record an important starting point for adherents of his more recent exploratory work.

A survey of the modern jazz & hard-bop scenes that emerged in the new cultural melting pot of post war London, with recordings from the end of the 1940s through to the early 1960s.

Featuring representations from players whose roots lay in the East-End's jewish community, such as Ronnie Scott, Vic Ash & Harry Klein, alongside a wealth of talent of Caribbean and African descent playing and recording in post war London during this period, incl. Dizzy Reece, Wilton Gaynair, Joe Harriott, Shake Keane & Ginger Johnson.

Made in partnership with the Barbican to coincide with the exhibition Postwar Modern: New Art in Britain 1945-1965.

Internationally-renowned British singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé with her forthcoming album Let’s Say For Instance, and her first release on an independent label, and it marks a new era of Emeli’s expansive artistry after a decade on stage and on the airwaves. Exploring new sonic territory through shades of classical, disco, nostalgic R&B and more, it sees Emeli freeing herself from the expectations of others, flexing her holistic skills as a songwriter, producer and vocalist in new, versatile ways. In her words: “‘an ode to resilience, rebirth, and renewal”.

Fresh off the back of a debut album with sidekick Charlotte Adigéry Belgium-Chinese musician Bolis Pupul explores themes of heritage and identity on his new solo two-track 12-inch ‘Neon Buddha’ - out 6th May via Soulwax’s DEEWEE.

Mixing widescreen electronica – think early Mr Fingers-like techno and Yellow Magic Orchestra’s exuberant man-machine minimalism – with the warm-hearted and wonky naivete of Belgian New Beat Bolis’ singular sonics are at once playful emotive unrelenting and tender.

The title track is inspired by a dream Bolis had of a pagoda in Hong Kong featuring a contemplative Buddha made of neon lights. The music is similarly bright and exciting – an insistent acid squiggle giving the track the requisite Weatherall-friendly A Love from Outer Space chug.

Housed in a UV Gloss sleeve with a printed inner.

Ferocious JP / US free jazz bomb. A rare meeting between the NYC free jazz scene and the Japanese free music scene. Old-style Gatefold LP, with rare photographs & liner notes by Alan Cummings.

Following hot on the heels of the first, mid-sixties generation of Japanese free jazz players like Kaoru Abe, Masayuki Takayanagi, Yōsuke Yamashita, Motoharu Yoshizawa, etc., an exciting second wave of younger players began to emerge in the seventies. Two of its leading members were the saxophonist Kazutoki Umezu and multi-instrumentalist Yoriyuki Harada. Both were post-war babies and immigrants to the city, Umezu from Sendai in the north and Harada from Shimane in the west. They first met as students in the clarinet department at the Kunitachi College of Music, a well-known conservatory in western Tokyo. Harada was already securing sideman gigs on bass with professional jazz groups and was active in student politics, making good use of his connections to set up jazz concerts on campus. It was around this time that the two began to play together in an improvised duo, with Umezu on clarinet and bass clarinet and Harada on piano. They also experimented with graphic scores and prepared piano.

These experiments eventually led to the creation of a trio, with a high-school student called Tetsuya Morimura on drums, that they decided to name Seikatsu Kōjyō Iinkai (Lifestyle Improvement Committee) in joking reference to the Marxist discourse of the student radicals of the time. Around 1973, Umezu and Harada decided to call it a day and go their separate ways. Umezu began playing with the Toshinori Kondo Unit and Harada with the Tadashi Yoshida Quintet. In 1974 Harada formed his own trio and began to play at jazz coffeehouses across Japan.

Then, in September 1974 Umezu travelled alone to New York, where he set about building connections with the loft jazz scene in the city. It was a fortuitous moment to arrive in New York. Rents were cheap in the Lower East Side, possibilities for squatting existed, so many musicians and artists had moved to the area. Umezu soon became known on the scene as Kappo and he started to make connections with some of the young musicians like David Murray, Arthur Blythe, and Oliver Lake. He recalls making the rounds of the lofts every evening, checking out the performances, and getting the chance to sit in with many groups including Juma Sultan’s Aboriginal Music Society and trumpeter Ted Daniel’s orchestra.

Things were going so well that Umezu wrote to Harada and invited him to come to New York. He accepted and arrived in the city in July 1975. Harada and Umezu took the opportunity to resume their artistic collaboration. Their first concert together in over two years took place on July 20th at another loft, Sunrise Studios at 122 2nd Avenue. Umezu remembers Sunrise as an unusually sunny loft with the rarest of things, a grand piano. He invited along Ahmed Abdullah, a trumpeter he had got to know while playing with Ted Daniel. Abdullah led his own group and was a long-term Sun Ra sideman. William Parker, one of the key figures in the loft jazz scene of the period, was on bass. Abdullah also brought along Rashid Sinan on drums. Sinan drummed in Abdullah’s units throughout the seventies, but he had also played on Frank Lowe’s immortal Black Beings album and collaborated with Arthur Doyle, playing on Doyle’s Alabama Feeling album. By all accounts the evening was a huge success, with speed and dynamism of Harada’s piano playing gaining him lots of support.

Since they had managed to save some money from their day jobs, Umezu and Harada decided to set up a recording session with the same line-up on August 11 at Studio We, where there was a well-equipped studio on the third floor. Umezu recalls the session as follows, Of course, we recorded our performances in one take, with zero retakes as far as I remember. On all the tracks we recorded, we moved as one unit, sharp and fast. That was the nature of Lifestyle Improvement Committee, New York Branch.

Umezu and Harada would later become known for the elements of parody and entertainment that they brought to their music, a freewheeling blend of pastiche, humour and on-stage performativity that paralleled the approaches of the Art Ensemble, Sun Ra, and Holland’s ICP. But here, on their first recordings, the humour element is not yet present. Instead, there is a febrile sense of joy in creation and connection. On the Umezu-penned “Kim”, for example, Harada opens the piece with a speedy exploration of the full-range of the keyboard, hitting hard on the bass keys to create a rhythmic bed out of which patterns begin to emerge. Umezu enters at a much slower pace, longer held notes that at first float weightlessly over the urgency of the piano before they begin in splinter and accelerate. When Parker and Sinan kick in, it’s a rollicking tempo with Parker plucking deep and hard and the left-handed Sinan skittering hard across the topside of his kit. Abdullah kicks in a glorious solo twelve minutes in, bright and breathy at once. The piece slows and grows more spacious towards the end, giving Parker a chance to showcase some arco work that shades beautifully into the air against Abdullah’s trumpet.

Tibor Szemző's new LP features two composition, »The Other Shore« & »CUBA«. As the album title implies, »Snap #2« can be considered a sequel to his cult album »Snapshot from the Island« (released in 1987). Back then the island was a metaphor for isolation, while »Snap #2« offers Szemző’s reflections of his visits to real islands, Cuba (1988-1990) and Japan (1992-1994). As usual, Tibor Szemző processed the themes both visually and musically and has presented them many times live as cinematographic performances.

A previous version of »The Other Shore« was released in 1999 on CD. On this album, the original recording from 1997 is used; it has been recomposed, remixed and remastered and some additional recordings have been included. The core of Szemző’s Gordian Knot ensemble of the mid-nineties (Tibor Szemző on bass flute, Péter Magyar on drums and Tamás Tóth on bass guitar) has been enlarged by a string section and additional percussionists. The Other Shore composition has a multilayered texture; it starts with strings and is followed by prerecorded voices reciting the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law (Myôhô-Renge-Kyô in Japanese), the most important sutra of Mahayana Buddhism. Then percussion introduces the basic beat of the piece and the voice of the 102 year-old Buddhist priest Ônishi Ryôkei giving a lecture on Kannon sutra is heard. The following uneven entries of drums and bass guitar are like paint brush strokes in Zen calligraphy. The long tones of Szemző’s bass flute enters the piece as the last element suggesting itself as a connecting thread through all previous layers.

When Tibor Szemző first visited Cuba in 1988, he had just started shooting film on 8mm, something of a personal diary. When he met Jonas Mekas in Budapest a few years later, he realized that this footage could be screened publicly and also be an integral part of live performances. »CUBA« is the recording from 2000 of one such performance and was remixed by the author in 2021. It is as similar to and yet different from »The Other Shore«. The Gordian Knot band seemingly structures the piece in the same way, but the resulting sound is much heavier especially thanks to drummer Péter Magyar. Nevertheless, the contributions of Szemző on bass flute, Mihály Huszár on electric bass and T. Bali on prepared electric guitar also inject the proper rock sting. Incorporated Havanna street sounds and local radio broadcasts recorded by the author provide even more steamy roughness to the sound of Szemző’s »CUBA«.

The cover design of the »Snap #2« with photo reproductions from Szemző’s films reflects the aesthetics of the Snapshot from the Island album. This vinyl LP runs at 45 RPM for better sound quality.

The first ever recordings of FRED MCDOWELL. Recorded by ALAN LOMAX in 1959. The first vinyl release dedicated entirely to this phenomenal recording session. Twelve songs that highlight the depth of his repetoire - from droning & hypnotic versions of songs that later became blues standards such as "Shake Em On Down" and "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" to his deeply felt renditions of spirituals like "Keep Your Lamp Trimmed & Burning." Accompanied at times by some amazing hair comb playing & beautiful backup vocals. Comes in old-school "tip on" sleeves with liner notes by NATHAN SALSBURG. A co-release with our friends Domino Sound. The stuff of dreams. Received an 8.5 rating from Pitchfork.

Anfisa Letyago has established herself as one of techno's key players. An intrepid selector with a positive attitude, and an infectious smile, the Napoli based starlet has been making seismic waves within the industry for several years. Her own imprint - N:S:DA has been a home for her own dark-brooding style of techno, but it welcomes a brand new project to kick off 2022, with the first of 3 remix packs featuring a host of very special artists and artwork designed exclusively by Sergio Fermariello.

DJ Rush, a master of hard techno and wicked percussive elements, he's committed himself to the art of rhythm and drums. A Chi-town hero whose music transcends continental boundaries now takes his hand to "Rising Sun". Staunch and unrelenting, the barrage of bass drums keeps momentum at a hauntingly steady pace through the entirety of the track. A true drum-machine wizard who said "It was a pleasure to put my stamp on Anfisa's release. I felt her vibe and wanted to keep the traditional feel to the song but give it that Rush bump".

Adiel has graced the stages of some of the industry's most accredited venues, Panorama Bar, Dekmantel, DC10 and Concrete. She continues to bring her unique take on techno and doesn't disappoint with her kaleidoscopic iteration of "Orizzonte". Renowned for her ability to manipulate crowds with her mind-bending DJ sets and mosaic-like track selection, Adiel twists the original mix into a living techno organism of sorts, evolving and shifting through a deep palette of atmospheric sounds and vocal cuts. "It was a lot of fun to remix 'Orizzonte', it's maybe one of my best remixes and I am really happy about it" - adds Adiel.

Boston 168 leads us deep into an acid laboratory for this reinterpretation of "Gravity", masters of sound design and reformation of classic drum machines like the Roland 909, 808 and 707, the psychedelic and twisting nature of this Italian duo's tracks is unmatched. Currently residing in one of techno's capital party cities - Tbilisi, the pair hold down a residency at the legendary Khidi. "Gravity is the track that inspired us the most with its deep vocal, so we merged this with our cosmic sound" add the duo.

Very few producers have rode the pinnacles of techno as it unfolds through the decades, Chris Liebing is one such figurehead. Revered for his energetic, seize-the-moment style of DJing and music production Liebing is forever finding new ways to innovate within the booth. "Remixing 'Not There' was a huge pleasure, and the production process was very organic. I tried to take it in a little less melodic direction by just hinting it in the break". Says Chris Liebing.

This Germanic trailblazer continues to ignite dancefloors internationally between running his label CLR and juggling family life. Liebing steps up to the plate with his own take on "Not There" to conclude the pack. Instantly drawing your attention with his trademark grit laden kick drums and sweeping dubbed-out vocal shots, along with a hypnotic and body-jolting start to a literal Pandora's box of remix material.

"Someone like Anfisa, with such a high spirit and a smile that lights up any room deserves to have that same representation to her music. Good music will always put a smile on your face" adds DJ Rush.

It is widely accepted that the recorded musical output of Indian-born British guitarist Amancio D'Silva came to a premature closure with the landmark 1972 albums,Cosmic Eyeand the unreleased masterpieceKonkan Dance.The Roundtable are here to prove otherwise, announcing the discovery of an extraordinary lost recording. Forty years after it was recorded we proudly presentSapana, the forgotten piece of a remarkable musical legacy, the final recording from one the most singular artists to emerge from the British Jazz scene of the 1960s/70s. Recorded in 1983 and released here for the first time,Sapanais thematically akin toCosmic Eye,a further musical impressions of the subconscious (Dream Sequences), vividly imagined with traditional Hindustani and western improvisation. A spellbinding fusion of Indian raga and New-Age jazz.

Celebrated as a pioneer of the 'Indo-Jazz' movement of the 1960s, D'Silva's adventurous synthesis of modal jazz and Indian classical music defined the seminal 1969 Lansdowne jazz recordingsHum DonoandIntegration. Here we find D'Silva fifteen years later, removed from the jazz scene and musically in place of deep introspection and meditative tranquility. The recording features Sitarist Clem Alford, a collaborator from theKonkan Dancesessions plus renowned Tabla player, Jahlib Millar and Saxophonist/Flautist Lyn Dobson, a musician who had previously worked with Soft Machine, Third Ear Band, and Henry Lowther. Together the quartet construct a deeply evocative set transcending the realm of both jazz and Indian music. Pressed on 180g vinyl and packaged in a custom flip-back sleeve.

1900 to 1930: The Dawn of Dementia; The Oldest Novelty Records of All
Time from Dr Demento.The world famous Dr
Demento's influence on pop culture is undeniable and to commemorate his 50th
anniversary, we celebrate the earliest days of novelty and comedy records.
He is a world- renowned record collector and music historian, whose lifelong
passion for music of all kinds (from Frank Zappa to punk rock and everything in
between) is reflected in his radio show and most importantly, in this unique
collection of rare songs from the early days of records.

Muddy Monk was revealed alongside Parisian artists Myth Syzer, Ichon and Bonnie Banane on 'Le Code'. From his native Switzerland, he imposes a fine, synthetic universe that plays a major role in the renewal of French-language song. The journey began in 2018 with 'Longue Ride', a cathartic first album that he describes as 'a kind of therapy' and that was unanimously acclaimed by the critics. In 2020, he returns with 'Ultra Tape', a mixtape which, with the benefit of hindsight, is the first step towards his second album. We discover a more raw universe. Darker too. A superb launching pad for his second album.

With Ultra Dramatic Kid, Muddy Monk delivers a radical new piece, a bubble of just over thirty minutes in which he manages to work his magic and make us dance on the edge of his emotions. As if everything could change in an instant towards happiness or chaos. An electric album and a sublime dive into his universe, which draws equally from Daft Punk, Rage Against The Machine and Travis Scott. A project that takes the form of a global experience, both auditory and visual, since almost all the tracks on the tracklisting have been put into images by Felix de Givry, the whole forming a short film to be discovered with the release of the project. In the end, Ultra Dramatic Kid is an uncompromising album in which it is a pleasure to get lost. An album that further establishes the Swiss artist as one of the artists capable of redefining the contours of French-speaking music for many years to come.

A new album by legendary Estonian pianist Tõnu Naissoo, accompanied by his new group Tõnu Naissoo Electric Trio !

Accompanied by his synthesizers and two of the best Estonian jazz musicians, bassist Mihkel Mälgand and drummer Ahto Abner, Tõnu Naissoo began recording his album “Different Directions” in the autumn of 2019 at the legendary Linnahall studio that he had booked for that purpose several years in advance. The new tracks he composed for the album flow from jazz-rock to smooth jazz, lingering briefly on the frequency of free jazz.
The popular Estonian jazz pianist Tõnu Naissoo was born in Tallinn, Estonia in 1951. His father Uno Naissoo was a renowned composer and an organizer of jazz festivals, who encouraged Tõnu to take an interest in jazz and improvisation. By the age of 15 he had already begun participating in local jazz orchestra. He performed first time with his trio and presented his jazz music compositions at the international Tallinn Jazz Festival of 1967 in Tallinn. The next year he was given an opportunity to record his own album. Since then he has dedicated himself to jazz music and recorded around 30 albums that have been released in Estonia, Japan and Russia. Most of his earliest recordings have been reissued in recent years.
“Different Directions” feels like Tõnu Naissoo’s ’missing piece’ album from the 1980s. It will be a worthy addition to Tõnu Naissoo’s and Frotee’s discography.

Re-mastering by: Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

Charles Tolliver / Music Inc ‘Live In Tokyo 1973’ 180g Vinyl (Pure Pleasure) 5/5

It’s incredible to witness this resurgence of Strata-East’s recordings over the last few years – an appreciation for the label’s ground-breaking approach to music-making, backed by a phenomenal catalogue, continues to attract listeners both new as well as its devoted faithful once again giving rise to its revered and cult-like status. The label’s return to prominence and its subsequent reintroduction to new audiences has been aided, in no small part, by reissues like these – Pure Pleasure as a prime example of a label that lovingly curates these treasured releases, repackaging them for vinyl enthusiasts the world over.

There’s certainly a keen eye that goes into the joyous task of plunging through the Strata-East vaults and although Charles Tolliver and Music Inc’s ‘Live in Tokyo 1973’ isn’t as forgotten a treasure as previous Pure Pleasure reissues of projects like Stanley Cowell’s ‘Such Great Friends’ may be, it’s no less of an incredible project to revisit in this way.

Recorded 7th December 1973, the fifth album by trumpeter Charles Tolliver and his quartet of musicians comprising Music Inc performed a 50-minute set in Tokyo’s Yubinchokin Hall. The performance was initially released through Strata-East the following year and would even be revisited a further time by Mosaic Records in 2005 as part of a three-disc box set – all of this a true testament to the masters of the craft gracing the stage on this night.

Despite the slew of releases with Music Inc, Tolliver boasts an incredible resume that has seen him perform alongside luminaries including Horace Silver, Andrew Hill, Roy Ayers, Gary Bartz amongst others. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, and raised in New York from the age of 10 years old, Tolliver’s inspired contributions to jazz couldn’t be celebrated enough – from his innumerable successes as a musician in his own right to his achievements as co-founder of Strata along with Stanley Cowell. Despite neither having any formal or business training, Tolliver and Cowell’s pioneering efforts positioned them as beacons for being an independent, black-owned success story.

With the Music Inc quartet comprised of bassist Clint Houston, drummer Clifford Barbaro and Stanley Cowell on piano, Tolliver and company present a set of five compositions including tracks from the pen of the trumpeter himself (‘Drought’ and ‘Stretch’) as well as a heralded rendition of ‘Round Midnight’ initially composed by Thelonious Monk. Kicking the project off with the exquisite slow build of ‘Drought’ which starts with Tolliver’s trumpet holding court on centre stage while the glorious crescendo builds around him. ‘Stretch’ eschews in another high-energy number before making way to the sublime lament of ‘Truth’.

‘Live in Tokyo 1973’ is certainly a project that has been afforded its due reverence over the years but once again, an exceptional performance from Charles Tolliver and Music Inc benefits from an unrivalled presentation at the hands of Pure Pleasure. By Imran Mirza/ukvibe.org - est.1993

With Fierce Bliss, the legendary Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductee Ann Wilson -recognized as one of the greatest singers of all time and co-founder of multi-platinum stars Heart- has created a supremely lavish, warm and seductive slice of rock ‘n’ roll which provides an instant soundtrack whether on the freeway or in front of the fireplace. Recorded between Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL and Power Station, Waterford, CT, Wilson got together with famed Nashville session guitarist Tom Bukovac and invited several friends (including Warren Haynes, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Vince Gill) to help fashion an album which carries the glow of an ochre sunset and the pristine vocals of a rock legend who still has every single unique octave at her fingertips.

Fierce Bliss is truly an album which embraces all the finest qualities of classic American rock with the comforts and escapes that it can bring. Lead track “Greed” roars like a muscle car, Wilson’s rich voice hitting over drive, while “Love of My Life” is a beautiful rendition of the Queen classic featuring Gill on guest vocals which will strike empathy in all who hear who it. There’s the uniquely mysterious “Black Wing”, Wilson again the driver through a hazy, mystical journey, and a spectacular cover of “Bridge of Sighs”. The stomp ‘n’ roll thunders through “A Moment in Heaven” and Wilson takes charge of “Missionary Man” with a storming rendition that reframes the classic song.

With album art created by the famous fantasy artist Roger Dean (Yes, Asia) whose work has sold more than 150 million copies worldwide, Fierce Bliss is destined to be the American rock ‘n’ roll classic album that speaks to millions of people and provides them with quality, assurity and good ol’ goddamn comfort in these turbulent times.

DELUXE REMASTERED EDITION

Lil’ Beethoven is the 19th studio album by Sparks and was originally released in October 2002 in the UK and is now, for the first time ever, being released on vinyl!

The band themselves describe Lil’ Beethoven as a ‘career-defining opus’ with more classical-influences and was also critically applauded, leading to a renewed interest in the band. The album has been newly remastered and will be released on heavyweight vinyl.

This album will be launched alongside a comprehensive Marketing campaign, including brand new assets, as well as archival material from the time of the original launch. We have access to the Sparks socials, which we will utilise for boosted posts, ads and organic posts. The release will also be launched alongside a PR campaign, which should secure coverage across digital and print media.

Melbourne based record label Tanny Records is dropping its debut release in style showcasing a whopping lineup featuring Perlon's Wareika, FUSE label boss Archie Hamilton, vinyl don Charles Eddy and renowned Australian selector Lucca Tan.
The A-side showcases Wareika's tough but melodic minimal dance floor churner "Grapefruit all over me" (Original Mix) as well as his tripped-out experimental minimal groover "Jaguar" (Original Remix).
On the flip side Archie Hamilton delivers his take on "Jaguar" featuring his signature sound, and Label owner Lucca Tan and collaborator Charles Eddy give their twist on the already summer classic "Grapefruit All Over Me".

Mit Oop Boomp veröffentlicht Stag-O-Lee mit Vol. 13 eine neue Folge der fantastischen Exotic Blues & Rhythm Serie, die unter den Fans bereits Kultstatus genießt. Wie auch bei den Vorgängern bietet die Vinyl-only 10" je 12 Songs zwischen tanzbaren Popcorn-Grooves, ein paar Tittyshakern und 50s Rhythm & Blues Tunes - alle mit einem exotischen Flair!

10th Anniversary Pressing of Free on Sky Blue vinyl. 1st time available on LP.

"For a whole decade, spanning between the second half of the ‘50s and the second half of the ‘60s, jazz took over the Italian screens. The Californian be-bop rhythms, filtered and reinterpreted in a typical Mediterranean key, became the perfect soundtrack to the Italy of the economic boom; the quintessential music for a country that was sailing through a moment of profound and exciting industrial, social and cultural renovation. A nation that was rapidly shedding its skin, changing its style, look and identity, but also its landscape, letting itself go to the inebriation of the economic miracle. The compilation was conceived like a sonic stream, a journey of discovery carefully sequenced from hundreds of soundtracks from the golden age of Italian jazz contained in the CAM Sugar archive.
33 tracks that go beyond music, telling the story of Italian cinema, society and of its unmistakable style and charm. A genre that even when nodding to Californian be-bop, to crime jazz or bossa nova still sounds surprisingly original and Mediterranean, elegant, and seductive, either with joyous peaks (the scat of I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni or of I 4+4 di Nora Orlandi) or with enigmatic and nearly dramatic nuances (La strega in amore by Luis Bacalov, Il batticuore by Marcello Gigante). The compilation also offers a precious insight into the Italian jazz scene of the times, with its string of formidable soloists like Gianni Basso (sax) and Oscar Valdambrini (trumpet), two Piedmontese men on duty for the RAI television orchestra conducted by Armando Trovajoli; like Nunzio Rotondo (trumpet) a legendary and elusive figure who had a special bond with Piero Piccioni; or like Enrico Rava (trumpet), Franco D'Andrea (piano) and Gegé Munari (drums) who often recorded with Piero Umiliani. Not to forget international stars like Chet Baker and Gato Barbieri, who were often fortuitously dragged into the recording sessions also thanks to Umiliani’s never-ending curiosity."

Highly acclaimed guitarist Philipp van Endert played and produced on
"Moon Balloon" the largest and most complex music project that he has been able to record with in his music career so far

Combined with the renowned Filmorchester Babelsberg he recorded an outstanding and unique album featuring his original tunes that combine Jazz, Classic and Film music. Philipps compositions were arranged by Peter Hinderthür and the live performance at Filmstudios Babelsberg was conducted by Jörg Achim Keller (BBC Concert Orchestra, Metropole Orkest, HR BigBand, WDR BigBand a.o.)

First volume – though the 2nd never happened – of this ongoing collaboration between post-punk stalwarts Cherry Red and home of the western dub On U Sound. Adrian Sherwood obviously sitting behind the desk and a cast of marvelous artist leading the way for a reggae renaissance. Stolen and contaminated songs, we may take this as a reference point for 12 unreleased tracks showing the best of the UK underground rhythms. A further development of the Jamaican heritage, with handmade electronics and a forward thinking production. Mothmen ‘Afghani Dub’ is one of the leading track here, with future members of Durutti Column and Simply Red on board, this is a mystical post-industrial trip through upbeat rhythms. Along the way you’ll find the over the top vocal performance of Judy Nylon – more akin to certain no wave expressionism – futuristic vibes from Sun Of Arqa, contribution from New age Steppers supergroup and Creation Rebel teaming up with the so-called Jamaican ‘Voice of Thunder’ Prince Far I. All in all a (natural) mystic experience.

There is a tendency within modern electronica to pigeonhole and categorise, to package music into easily digestible formulae. In direct revolt comes Dutch artist Satori and his new album Dreamin’ Colours, released globally April 22nd, 2022, on renowned imprint Crosstown Rebels. Recorded at the esteemed Sonic Vista Studios in Ibiza, the nine-track LP has been greatly anticipated off the back of its proceeding’s singles: Yellow Blue Bus ft. Laska, Lalai ft. Ariana Vafadari and most recently Gin Song.

An ethereal, swirling body of work, Dreamin’ Colours is rich in texture, colour and imagination. Satori stretches himself out through languorous, mystical explorations of both the digital and the analogue elements of music, the result a beautifully conspired collection of world music, steeped in electronic and Balkan roots, and straddling a multitude of genres from blues and indie electronic to opera, folk and beyond.

Colourful Dream begins proceedings, taking the form of a gently-building opener. From the pluck of a guitar string to hypnotic flute-like elements, we soon arrive at the enchanting world of Lalai ft. Ariana Vafadari. Recorded in a four-hundred-year-old water well, it showcases the transcendent sound with which Satori has become best known, meandering through rustling hats and tribal-like drum patterns whilst the dulcet tones of Ariana shimmer softly throughout.

Tuti ft. Kalima takes on a harder edge, with gritty drum patterns opening into melancholic chords early on. Kalima’s vocals add an emotive touch to the piece, paving the way for Moj Dilbere: a euphoric cut that feels tribal and reflective in one.

We land at a similarly ethereal soundscape on The Gin Song ft. Mybaby, as star-like synths pulse alongside punchy percussion before Yellow Blue Bus ft. Laska takes its place. It begins with real-life ambience, made up of sounds recorded live in Ibiza as a bus passes and birds chirp merrily in the background. This swiftly gives way to a guitar-flecked bassline, opening neatly into the vocal offerings of both Satori and Laska.

Troublemaker ft. El Mundo retains an inherent melodic quality, progressing through poignant strings and whispering kick-hat combos. Powerful and poignant, the mesmeric sounds of Ora Dea and Moshe meander subtly into Lonely Boy (Redux) ft. Hugo Oak. The closing saga brings things to a wonderfully subdued finish, rounding off the album on a wholeheartedly calming note.

Although raised in the Netherlands, where commercial electronic music is of course king, on Dreamin’ Colours it is undeniably Satori’s Balkan heritage that layers his production with dreamy, ethereal, Eastern European influences. The album’s overriding voice lies in his exultant celebration of Eastern European music, weaving vibrant threads of its earthy, melodic, rhythmic sounds into his thick musical tapestry. Written during the pandemic and driven by the ache of separated love, the album is, Satori says, his most personal yet.

From holding down an eighteen-month residency at Heart, Ibiza to having nearly four-hundred-thousand listeners on Spotify each month, Satori is a truly worldwide artist in today’s electronic music scene. Having been championed by Damian Lazarus early on in his career, he has emerged as a must-see live act for fans from all corners of the globe. November 2021 marked the start of his USA tour, where his Maktub concept adorned some of the country’s most iconic clubbing institutions, whilst his discography speaks for itself, with a plethora of acclaimed releases on labels including Crosstown Rebels, Sol Selectas and DGTL Records to name a few. As Dreamin’ Colours introduces him to an ever-growing audience, Satori remains one of the most exhilarating, untamed and truly authentic forces in music.

Repressed for the first time in a while, note small price increase. Etta James historic live recording from 1963! On stellar Blue vinyl, with the original album artwork and including 3 bonus tracks. Best known for the lush 1961 rendition of the ballad “At Last” – a slow-dance staple at wedding celebrations everywhere, she is also celebrated for having recorded one of the best live albums of all time, “Rocks the House.” Recorded in 1963 at the New Era Club in Nashville, James is captured at her performance peak. The foundation for her reputation as a fiery no-holds-barred performer was firmly established in this recording. Blues, soul, jazz, R&B, and rock vocalist Etta James, needs no introduction. An icon from early rock’n’roll’s pantheon of divas, she has inspired 5 decades of listeners and fellow artists with her vocal stylings. From Janis Joplin to Beyonce, her expressive and guttural style has been imitated but never quite matched. Jackpot Records is honored to release this momentous record on stellar blue vinyl, with the original album artwork and including 3 bonus tracks which have only ever been released previously on CD. Her powerful version of “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” will shake you. Her impassioned version of “All I Could Do Is Cry,” will break you.