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Chris Menist pares his sound right back for A book of imaginary beings, his fourth Awkward Corners outing with a project of electronic and abstracted global grooves. Experimenting with simple melodies and uncluttered arrangements, as well as taking inspiration from the Borges' short stories alluded to in the title, the project took shape in the early part of 2025, in the shorter days and dark evenings of January.

The initial challenge was to knock a basic track into shape each evening after work, then refine it later. There's a melancholy in the air in late winter, compounded by the creeping threat of national and geopolitical instability. Ulla, Natural Information Society, Jabu, Torso and Dawuna formed some of the background soundtrack as each tune took shape.

The track titles came after sitting with the sounds for a while, giving shape to images of people, creatures and their stories for a book that is yet to be written.

Two former friends sets the tone for the album perfectly as a minimal electronic piece with a slowly simmering synth bassline underpinning the groove whilst the trademark Awkward sound of the Shahi Baaja enters drenched in effects. It's the first demonstration of Chris' unique ability to create a world from apparently very little.

Dance of the silver beetles is completely unique in that we can hear chopped up Illimba samples seemingly playing backwards and forewords sometimes alone, sometimes together in duet with Chris' conga rhythms. Add to that a more conventional Illimba melody and added shaker percussion and you have one of A book of imaginary beings most curious chapters.

Anxious shadow puppets is closer to the Awkward Corners sound from previous albums as electronic pulses move around the arrangement with the urgency that the track title suggests. Chris' percussive roots move to the fore with the congas that tie down the Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band's sound. Here, the bassline is more playful and works together with one of Chris' many African Illimbas.

Fans of Chris' adventures on his Roland 808 will dig A leopard with no spots, although the minimal mood continues to flow through on this track. The lolloping, but hard-hitting rhythm track provides the grounding for strange and twisting feedback-sounding tones to work the soundscape.

Abandoned boy (left in charge of the family business) is Awkward Corners at his atmospheric best. Drift off to the sublime sounds of Chris exploring the Shahi Baaja, whilst a soft, repetitive synth line and abstracted pads give the listener that feeling of meditation and peace.

Flamingo with bandaged neck is A book of imaginary beings' perfect coda and is exclusively Shahi Baaja draped in reverbs and delays. It feels like the resolution and the closing of a book that – as of yet – remains unwritten.

Awkward Corners is Chris Menist, a musician, DJ and writer. It started life as a small project in Islamabad, where Chris was living at the time. Initial recordings were made with local musicians in Pakistan and then subsequently in Thailand. This culminated in the Sweet Decay LP that came out on Finders Keepers' Disposable Music in 2014, and in turn led to a limited tape release on Boomkat/Reel Torque of original compositions and re-edits of Thai 45s the same year. Chris released – Dislocation Songs – his second LP proper with Shapes of Rhythm in May 2020, collaborating on many of the tracks with award-winning performer Sarathy Korwar. The LP was picked up by many radio stations including NTS, Resonance FM, BBC 6 Music, Balamii and many more. It made Tom Ravenscroft's LPs of 2020. Amateur Dramatics, Chris' second LP arrived just a year later in 2021 and was a more ambitious project featuring more jazz-focussed compositions and featuring Tamar Osborn and Kitty Whitelaw. Shortly after that came another pivot with the heavier, dancefloor-friendly EP Somebody Somewhere. Somebody Somewhere is Dancing in a Field brought the House (yes House!) vibes, whilst Hector Plimmer turned in a remix of No Words in the same club mood.

As one of NTS Radio's longest-standing presenters, Chris continues to hold down the Paradise Bangkok show. Playing drums and percussion since he was a kid, Chris is the percussionist for The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band as well as co-founding the record label of the same name. Chris has curated compilations for labels such as Finders Keepers, Soundway and Dust-To-Digital. He has been featured on the Boiler Room, Vinyl Factory Collections, played at the Four Tet curated Nuits Sonores festival, and has put together an edition of Volumes which featured unreleased Awkward Corners compositions.






[d] 04: All the Goodbyes (You Tried to Defer) [Original]





[j] 10: Abandoned Boy (Left in Charge of the Family Business) [Original]

Belgian pop superstar Max Colombie, aka Oscar and the Wolf, announces new
album ‘The Shimmr’, on PIAS Recordings.
Enter Colombie’s world and you’ll discover a uniquely dazzling and shimmering
fusion of contemporary R&B and a more European electro-pop sensibility, uniting
shivery melody, shifting beats and vocals steeped in drama, sensuality and yearning.
Colombie hears, “a twilight zone where it doesn’t sound dark nor happy. It’s like the
name Oscar and the Wolf; it’s a balance between light and dark, this perfect
combination between the sun and the moon. It’s beautiful and scary at the same
time.”
Oscar and the Wolf’s official debut, the 2012 EP ‘Summer Skin’, showed his gifts
arrived virtually fully formed, but he truly came of age in 2014 with his debut album
‘Entity’. Balanced between dancefloor anthems and slow jams, ‘Entity’ went 4 times
Platinum in his native Belgium and quickly jettisoned Colombie to superstar status.
He sold out arenas in Belgium and the Netherlands, taking the penultimate
headlining slot (behind Muse) at 2016’s Lowlands festival before headlining
Belgium’s Pukkelpop festival, sharing the bill with Rihanna and LCD Soundsystem.
Released in 2017, the second Oscar and the Wolf album, ‘Infinity’, went Platinum at
home, whilst amassing a huge Middle Eastern fanbase across Turkey (where his
2018 tour sold out in minutes), Egypt, Israel and Iran. On stage, Colombie cut a
commanding and lithe performer, often garbed in shimmering outfits that interacted
with the dynamic lighting.
The new Oscar and the Wolf album, ‘The Shimmer’, distils the essence of Colombie’s
sound and vision in its title and the image of Colombie on the album cover, bathed in
starry light. The album is a benchmark of his transformation on record; whereas
‘Entity’ was recorded in a barn, “very lo-fi with no access to gear,” he recalls.
‘The Shimmer’’s bold, rich and layered dynamics were captured at ICP Studios in
Brussels, home to, “one of the best live rooms in Europe, with all this vintage gear.”
More intimate moments were added at Colombie’s house outside the city, “those
magic takes we made just after we’d written something, which are so hard to capture
again.”
By ‘we’, Colombie includes producer Jeroen De Pessemier and multi-instrumentalist
Ozan Bozdag, who had both worked on ‘Infinity’ (and Bozdag on ‘Entity’ too). “It’s a
magical trio,” Colombie says. “Everyone is allowed to be themselves, and to explore
themselves. I’m really happy with ‘The Shimmer’ because I hear a more mature
version of myself. I always want things to grow, and I’m proud that I allowed myself to
not follow people’s expectations and reproduce what had been successful before.
There are no four-to-the-floor clubby pop songs this time.”
Instead, ‘The Shimmer’ more accurately reflects Colombie’s personality. “My
emotions run from super-happy to super-melancholic in a split second,” he says. “To
me, ‘The Shimmer’ feels like the soundtrack to a blockbuster, with many types of
tracks and themes. It’s always changing."

Los Angeles-based duo LUCKYANDLOVE are back with their third album, evoking a new sense of art school originality, following their critically acclaimed “Transitions” album. The duo defines 'Humaura' as the atmosphere that emanates from the feelings of the human spirit void of technological control.

Blending raw analog synth sounds with driving punctuated percussion and punchy analogue bass, LUCKYANDLOVE’s music is shaped by the embers of Siouxsie and The Banshees and Bauhaus, resonant spectres carry over from synth-laden galaxies, where the needle hits the vinyl groove and Doc Martens marched to basement dance floors.

LUCKYANDLOVE is the raw sonic experiment of Loren Luck and April Love, whose music transcends genres. Their live analogue synth beats, Moog instrumentation and beautiful, harmonic vocals trigger an immediate download of fuzzy sunset synthgaze, blue-black neon darkwave, and tigerprint electro punk.

“‘Humaura’ is an action-packed, cinematic, entertaining and soulful electro-dance record full of fresh air and wide-open roads where there is more freedom to party, to be in nature, and to be our wild selves,” says April Love.

Fusing together pulsating molten kicks, abrasive fuzz-laden analog synths and sensual vocals, the anti-tech angst anthem ‘I Am Human’ is a call to take back our lives, underlining the need to reconnect with being Human before it’s too late. ‘Lonely at Night’ is a "last call" bar track about the desperate, frantic desire for human connection, building from a haunting sense of isolation to a fast-paced, climactic reunion with a crush. Elsewhere, this album features enchanting lyrics rooted in emotions from melancholy and sorrowful glom to a state of blissful trance.

This album was recorded, mixed and mastered for digital release by Grammy award-winning engineer Be Hussey (Modern English, Twin Tribes, Boy Harsher) at Balboa Studio and Catwater for the digital music, and mastered for vinyl and lathe-cut by Grammy-nominated engineer Nicholas Townsend (Weezer, Grimes) at Townsend Mastering.

Their 'Lucky + Love' and 'Transitions' albums having earning them a global fan following, US and UK tours, multiple tracks featured in the indie hit film 'Tiger Within' (Ed Asner's final performance), and wide acclaim, noting their “soulful, synthesized sound" (LA Weekly), “spectral synths and dazed-dreamy feeling” (Big Takeover Magazine), not to mention their "uncompromising and inventive sonic experiment” (The Spill Magazine) and sound that “oscillates between the asphalt synth streets & interstellar outer realms” (Impose Magazine).

LUCKYANDLOVE’s visceral, dark electro-pop appeal continues to stretch through time and space. Praise for the album’s lead track ‘I am Human’ have poured in from over a dozen countries. ‘Humaura’ promises to cement the duo’s reputation as one of America’s most vivacious electronic / synthwave acts, positioning them firmly within the lineage of artists like Phantogram, Ladytron, The Soft Moon, Twin Tribes and ACTORS.


‘Humaura’ Press:

“...In contrast to its synth-laden darkwave and electropunk sound, the song presents lyrical themes of championing the human spirit and emotions over the technological void" ~ Regen Magazine

“Moog textures and distorted synth tones weaving together like electric currents. An industrial edge that carries a dreamy undercurrent, nodding to darkwave, punk rock and post-punk influences without sounding dated" ~ Myth of Rock

"Every second and note is a meld of lava-esque incitement and beguiling melodic fixation and a breath to unpredictability and stirring fuzz hued uniqueness… a thrilling encounter" ~ The Ringmaster Review

"Layers fall into place and give rise to soaring vocals. The beautiful timbre of her voice sits over the landscapes of sound and reveal poignant lines that hit home." ~ Sound Read Six

The Coney Island Rhythm Band join the Sosilly gypsy family with their first track 'Dancing Down The Path' feat. Jerk. Together they deliver a party hands in the air throwback any good disco & house fan should know!

''E.R.M.B'—Contemporary disco that oozes funk thanks to its plump bassline and jaunty, clipped pianos, it's augmented by slivers of classic breakbeat goodness, vibrant strings and an earworm vocal hook and ravey piano chords combine in melancholy fashion to provide a dramatic juxtaposition. BIG!

Clarence Carter, blind from birth, was a blues singer with lascivious wit, a talented guitarist, a songwriter with a twinkle in his eye, and a champion of down-to-earth soul grooves who taught himself to play the guitar.

He sang in a gospel choir, completed a degree in music, and grounded the duo Clarence & Calvin but was not however very successful.

After a car crash involving Calvin Scott, Carter started on a solo career and signed a contract with Rick Hall and the Fame label as a soloist.

Among the earliest singles recorded at the Muscle Shoals studio were a few hits. After leaving Fame for Atlantic, he managed to enter the Top 20 of the R & B charts with "Looking For A Fox". His breakthrough came with "Slip Away", which sold a million copies and was awarded a Gold Record.

The legendary Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals remained the home basis, as it were, for Carter during his career with Atlantic. "This Is…" begins with a contemplative, soft sound. "Do What You Gotta Do", written by Jim Webb, is a lovely, melancholic mid-tempo ballad, saturated with Barry Beckett’s keyboard and smothered by lush, plaintive winds.

But the man is primarily funky here … as three danceable, finger-snapping tracks prove; "Wind It Up", with further witty improvisations and a fervid organ solo, the highly syncopated, playful "Thread The Needle", and the smoky, irresistible "Funky Fever" – all written by Carter himself.

Dan Penn’s and Spooner Oldham’s "Slippin’ Around" has an unorthodox bossa nova-like beat that is reminiscent of Ray Charles’s "What’d I Say", while Carter’s unmistakable chuckle is to be heard for the first time on the riotous funk-rock number "I’m Qualified", which has the very same unique, infectious groove as was to be heard on Wilson Pickett’s "In The Midnight Hour". "She Ain’t Gonna Do Right", composed by the same man, brings more Alabama Country to the mix, whereby Beckett contributes a catchy, persistent organ riff in the refrain.

DJ Support: CamelPhat, Blond:ish, Eli & Fur, David Penn, Arielle Free, Bibi Seck Sam Divine

Armada Music and King Street Sounds team up again to celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Most Precious Love” by Blaze presents UDAUFL feat. Barbara Tucker. This release is a timeless classic captivating anyone who encounters it.

This 20th anniversary special includes the Bonafide classic remix by Dennis Ferrer, Michael Gray’s take and two brand new remixes for 2025 all presented in a beautifully designed record sleeve featuring the star herself on the cover.

Kicking things off on the A side is the “DF’s Future 3000 Mix” that has been championed time and time again by DJ’s from across the world. Next up is Michael Gray, a DJ and producer who needs little to no introduction his version breathes new life into the original by taking it down a couple notches and giving it more of a mellow feel. The first of the two brand new remixes is Nico de Andrea, an Afro-house maestro who sports his signature sound once again by bringing his rhythms and melancholic pop melodies presenting the classic in a whole new way. Rounding off is Sam Divine the first lady of Defected who has held residencies at clubs such as Pacha, Amnesia, Sankeys, Ushuaïa, Eden, among others. She sinks her teeth into this remix by building up the vocal into a drop which is sure to keep the dancefloor going for the late nights that need that boost of energy.

Whether this is the first time you’re hearing this anthem or the one hundredth, here’s your chance to own a slice of house music history.

Uncertainty about and confidence in the future, melancholia and euphoria, tears and hope: The 5th Mollono.Bass album resonates with a zeitgeist that is a complex, highly divergent, sometimes even opposing state of thoughts and emotions. Deep and heady groove structures create compelling drive, emotive human voices add introspective fragility, free flowing harmonies unfurl as intense collective ecstasy. Vocals reflect pensively on issues like falling apart, yet the tracks themselves are magnificent examples of what happens when creative minds come together. MAZ’N contributed to several titles on Tear & Hope, in one of them we also hear the voice of Margret. The song-oriented approach of these tunes is another very contemporary aspect – one that will find expression in a special live show this year. Andy’s Echo adds to the signature vibe of friendship and co-creation on this Mollono.Bass album with a mutual production, as well. With many different expressions of its main theme, Tears & Hope has everything it takes to make a powerful, electrifying impact - on major dancefloors and in intimate listening settings alike.

A decade after its release, A Fragile Geography returns transformed. This limited edition cassette accompanies the AFG10 anniversary reissue, offering an inspired re-envisioning of Rafael Anton Irisarri’s landmark compositions. Reworks presents distinctive readings of these pieces, with each artist leaving their personal mark on the material. The titles remain unchanged, with the sole exception of “Hiatus,” reborn here as “Ausencia.” Together, these reimaginings extend the emotional cartography of the album into new terrains.

KMRU reframes “Displacement” with expansive, glimmering layers that open into meditative ambient landscapes. Nairobi born and Berlin based, he is known for morphing field recordings into vivid aural experiences, often capturing the texture of footsteps, foliage, and distant city life and weaving them into contemplative soundscapes. In this version he introduces subtle new sounds, including stringlike synths that trace and heighten the piece’s emotional arc. The result invites close listening, offering enveloping tones where the organic and the synthetic gently collide and flow.

Penelope Trappes renders “Reprisal” as a voice-led invocation of the delicate and the intimate. Her wistful vocals bloom with fragile sorrow, rising over shimmering strands of strings to create a sound world at once sacred and shadowed. She is adept at channeling inherited grief into music that is transcendent and otherworldly. The interplay of her voice, the strings, and her use of space and depth draws those qualities into Irisarri’s orbit, imbuing “Reprisal” with the same spiritual weight and clarity that define her most powerful work.

Kevin Richard Martin (a.k.a. The Bug) transforms “Empire Systems” into a cavernous “Iced Mix,” driven by polyrhythmic double bass motifs and sculpted from subterranean pressure and negative space. Known for pushing sound to its physical limits, Martin brings the stark intensity of his dub and noise infused practice into Irisarri’s architecture. The track seethes with harmonic distortion and erupts in white noise rhythms, its brooding low end depth and icy reverberant textures amplifying the tension. Vulnerability and force are set in stark relief, as silences feel as heavy as the bursts of sound themselves. The result is a stark study in atmosphere, restraint and impact, reframed through Martin’s singular lens of sonic mass and low end intensity.

On Side B, Mabe Fratti opens with a cinematic, dreamlike, Lynchian reimagining of “Hiatus” in her native Spanish (“Ausencia”). She threads cello and voice so wondrously that her rendering feels at once hauntingly beautiful and disquieting. Emotionally charged melodies shift in unexpected directions, while her soft, intimate vocals hover above Irisarri’s brooding synth textures. Fratti’s gift for blending experimental and avant pop sensibilities with visceral, emotionally powerful expression shines resplendently here. She gives voice to Irisarri’s reflections on the passage of time and his growing desire to reconnect with his familial roots.

Abul Mogard stretches “Persistence” into a vast drone elegy. A master of patient sound sculpting, Mogard layers evolving waves of analog synths into a dense shroud that radiates its own internal light. Gradual surges of tone and subtle harmonic shifts emphasize the piece’s endurance and inevitability. Irisarri’s original composition, in Mogard's hands, becomes a rumination on time’s unrelenting flow. Melancholy and transcendence coexist in equal measure in this engulfing, cathartic rework.

William Basinski and Gary Thomas Wright close the cycle with a spectral version of “Secretly Wishing for Rain.” Basinski’s field recordings of Reseda rainfall and birdsong, which open and close the rework, add a personal touch and evoke the imagined sound of a grainy film reel flickering to life. The piece suspends Irisarri’s yearning for the Pacific Northwest, lodging it hazily between memory, place and an unreachable dream. It feels like a fading recollection, half forgotten and half felt. A final gesture that dissolves the album into vapor, leaving the listener adrift in its lingering afterglow.

Mastered with great care by Stephan Mathieu and featuring a remixed version of the original artwork by Daniel Castrejón, this edition refracts the language of the original through new prisms. Less a return than a passage, across time, across interpretation, into uncharted emotional realms.

STANDFIRST Titanic, the project spearheaded by Mabe Fratti and Hector Tosta (aka I. la Católica), return with a sumptuous and life-affirming new album.



In her sensational 1929 biography Tiger Woman, dancer and socialite Betty May claimed her ‘coster’s eye’ meant she liked to wear as many colours as possible. “Colours to me are like children to a loving mother. Each is my favourite, yet I can never bring myself to deny the others by preferring one.” May’s bold and inclusive strategy is one that manages to transfer itself, almost a century later, to Hagen, the new record by Titanic.


Many will know Titanic as the Mexico City-based brainchild of cellist and singer Mabe Fratti and multiinstrumentalist Hector Tosta who is now operating under the pseudonym, I. la Católica, (taken, rather unusually, from the name of the street the pair live on). With Hagen, and their previous release, Vidrio, (2023), the pair are creating a distinctive signature sound in modern alternative pop music. Nobody else sounds quite like them. Both records have an open hearted nature and simple, winning melodies that play off against a taste for drama, spectacular orchestration and a feeling of otherworldly mystery. Hagen is the more ambitious, sometimes more mystical effort. From the opening handclaps of ‘Lágrima del Sol’, (a wonderfully uptempo playground chant translating as a tear from the sun but, surely, not referencing the brand of pineapple wine?), the record dances its way through various mid-to-late-eighties inspirations, lush and widescreen passages of melancholy and vertiginous contrasts.


Mystery is often found in the simple but slightly odd song titles. English translations of various track titles give, ‘you swallowed the gum’, ‘leak’, ‘a tear from the sun’, ‘raising the trophy’ ‘digging dimensions’, ‘the owner’, ‘the decapitated hen’ and ‘the trap is exposed’. All denote striking images, metaphysical hints and emotional cues or simple, even childlike actions. Though Fratti and Tosta don’t reveal its provenance, the album’s title could even be a crafty play on words: the listener would be forgiven in thinking the moments of brash contrast and eyebrow raising theatricalism in the music constitute a musical nod to German punk chanteuse, Nina Hagen.


On Hagen, singer and cellist Mabe Fratti once again displays her brilliant knack of speaking to us directly. There is never the suspicion of her playing to the gallery, and the directness of many of the lyrics don’t allow it. Parallel to this, Fratti has an almost magical ability to give Hector Tosta’s melodies, and her and Tosta’s lyrics ones imbued with an insight and meaning that feels otherworldly. Tosta admitted it was “pretty wild to hear Mabe take the interpretations to a different place” and the listener can pick up on the delight Fratti takes in (literally) adding a voice to the many narratives.


Two examples can be shown here: ‘Gotera’ (Leak) uses harsh slashes of cello and tough, gunfire-like guitars and drums and multiple vocal lines that could be acting as a Greek chorus. They play off brilliantly against Fratti’s soft, slightly baleful vocal take that delivers lyrics such as: ‘nobody knows where the leak is / but I know where it is / they fight in front of the door and / nobody can go in’. With ‘La Gallina Degollada’ the somewhat blithe melody melody line, sung with what could be sarcastic brio by Fratti, plays against an itchting rhythm and rasping guitar part. The punch comes when you see that the song is about a chicken that has been decapitated and read lyrics such as: ‘I already saw it, it moved, the decapitated chicken’ / ‘could it be that I'm broken’ and ‘Two people hurt each other by thinking that they no longer agree’/ ‘Hours pass and the chicken represents what scares me’.


There may be death and fights to deal with, but there is also a quality of chirpy self-reliance about Hagen that is a key part of its nature. Like Betty May and her colourful outfits, Hagen’s sound often revels in its own sense of richness. Throughout, the record delivers vaulting string sections or glutinous guitar squeals that could, like the powerful, driving ‘Escarbo Dimensiones’ (Digging Dimensions) have come directly from a glossy 1980s TV series. Fratti sees this “glam sound” developed by Tosta on the aforementioned track and ‘Te Tragaste el Chicle’ (You Swallowed The Gum), as moments that were truly “revealing” for the album as a whole during its making.


What else? The thud and thump of ‘La Trampa Sale’ (The Trap is Exposed), and its sudden change of tempo and mood betrays a monstrously ambitious piece of music, the players almost greedily creating the sounds. Other moments are heart wrenching: ‘Libra’ ends on a poppy chord switch that cleverly ramps up the emotion inherent in the music’s notation. You could almost imagine a teenager in a bedroom forty years ago, rewinding the track over and over on a small, cheap cassette player, unable to get enough of that sugarsweet switch. Elsewhere, Oneohtrix Point Never adds stardust and an unearthly sense of space on the changeable, slightly moody meditation, ‘Pájaro de Fuego’ (Firebird). The record ends with ‘Alzando el Trofeo’ (Lifting the Trophy), a track that could soundtrack a state wedding, what with its beautiful cascading piano parts, a sugary vocal and short triumphal guitar riffs that add a rich patina to the overall sound. Fratti: “When I doubled those vocals on ‘Alzando el Trofeo’ I felt there was an epiphany happening, right at that moment.”


Making a good record is a team game. Tosta and Fratti recall seeing Randall from Circular Ruin Studios in NYC “tweak the drums in ‘Libra’ to make that amazing effect of the gated reverb”, or the shaping of ‘Gotera’, “when (recording engineer) Nate Salon added some synths to the track.” Drummer Eli Keszler, “an amazing and versatile player” had the songs down pat in a couple of days” and, according to Tosta, Oneohtrix Point Never “just came to one of the sessions and we hung out, and after all the recordings he and Nate were together in some studio and out of nowhere they sent us some beautiful tracks for ‘Pájaro de Fuego’! Fratti concurs. “He decided that he wanted to record because he was listening to the record (Nate works closely with him) and he really liked it! It was a total honour, indeed!”


Bedazzled by the playing, the skyscraping ambition in the arrangements and the giddy moments of contrast thrown up by Hagen, we could allow ourselves a brief moment of flippancy and state that Titanic’s new record is Yacht Rock meets Aeschylus, full-on. It’s also worth speculating that, in this hyper-sensitive, intemperate age, Titanic’s music has the power, however fleetingly, to heal hurts. Hagen is a brilliant showcase for a fresh and enriching form of pop music: displaying a magpie eye for what glints and plundering what has gone before.


Like Vidrio, Hagen was partially and additionally recorded at Fratti and Tosta’s house, aka Tinho Studios in Mexico City, as well as Golden Girl Studios & Circular Ruin Studios in New York City. Mixing was done by Santiago Parra in Pedro y el Lobo Studios, Mexico City and mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri at Black Knoll Studios, New York City. The recording engineer was Nate Salon.


Hagen featured Mabe Fratti on cello, vocals & backing vocals, I. la Católica on guitar, keyboards, prepared piano, bass & backing vocals, drums by Eli Keszler and synths in ‘Pájaro de Fuego’ from Daniel Lopatin and Nate Salon.


All compositions on Hagen are written by I. la Católica, except ‘Escarbo Dimensiones’ & ‘Pájaro de Fuego’, which were composed by I. la Católica and Mabe Fratti. The record was produced by I. la Católica and co-produced by Nate Salon & Mabe Fratti. And all lyrics are by I. la Católica except ‘Escarbo Dimensiones’, ‘Gotera’, ‘Gallina degollada’ & ‘Pájaro de Fuego’, which were written by I. la Católica & Mabe Fratti.

STANDFIRST Titanic, the project spearheaded by Mabe Fratti and Hector Tosta (aka I. la Católica), return with a sumptuous and life-affirming new album.



In her sensational 1929 biography Tiger Woman, dancer and socialite Betty May claimed her ‘coster’s eye’ meant she liked to wear as many colours as possible. “Colours to me are like children to a loving mother. Each is my favourite, yet I can never bring myself to deny the others by preferring one.” May’s bold and inclusive strategy is one that manages to transfer itself, almost a century later, to Hagen, the new record by Titanic.


Many will know Titanic as the Mexico City-based brainchild of cellist and singer Mabe Fratti and multiinstrumentalist Hector Tosta who is now operating under the pseudonym, I. la Católica, (taken, rather unusually, from the name of the street the pair live on). With Hagen, and their previous release, Vidrio, (2023), the pair are creating a distinctive signature sound in modern alternative pop music. Nobody else sounds quite like them. Both records have an open hearted nature and simple, winning melodies that play off against a taste for drama, spectacular orchestration and a feeling of otherworldly mystery. Hagen is the more ambitious, sometimes more mystical effort. From the opening handclaps of ‘Lágrima del Sol’, (a wonderfully uptempo playground chant translating as a tear from the sun but, surely, not referencing the brand of pineapple wine?), the record dances its way through various mid-to-late-eighties inspirations, lush and widescreen passages of melancholy and vertiginous contrasts.


Mystery is often found in the simple but slightly odd song titles. English translations of various track titles give, ‘you swallowed the gum’, ‘leak’, ‘a tear from the sun’, ‘raising the trophy’ ‘digging dimensions’, ‘the owner’, ‘the decapitated hen’ and ‘the trap is exposed’. All denote striking images, metaphysical hints and emotional cues or simple, even childlike actions. Though Fratti and Tosta don’t reveal its provenance, the album’s title could even be a crafty play on words: the listener would be forgiven in thinking the moments of brash contrast and eyebrow raising theatricalism in the music constitute a musical nod to German punk chanteuse, Nina Hagen.


On Hagen, singer and cellist Mabe Fratti once again displays her brilliant knack of speaking to us directly. There is never the suspicion of her playing to the gallery, and the directness of many of the lyrics don’t allow it. Parallel to this, Fratti has an almost magical ability to give Hector Tosta’s melodies, and her and Tosta’s lyrics ones imbued with an insight and meaning that feels otherworldly. Tosta admitted it was “pretty wild to hear Mabe take the interpretations to a different place” and the listener can pick up on the delight Fratti takes in (literally) adding a voice to the many narratives.


Two examples can be shown here: ‘Gotera’ (Leak) uses harsh slashes of cello and tough, gunfire-like guitars and drums and multiple vocal lines that could be acting as a Greek chorus. They play off brilliantly against Fratti’s soft, slightly baleful vocal take that delivers lyrics such as: ‘nobody knows where the leak is / but I know where it is / they fight in front of the door and / nobody can go in’. With ‘La Gallina Degollada’ the somewhat blithe melody melody line, sung with what could be sarcastic brio by Fratti, plays against an itchting rhythm and rasping guitar part. The punch comes when you see that the song is about a chicken that has been decapitated and read lyrics such as: ‘I already saw it, it moved, the decapitated chicken’ / ‘could it be that I'm broken’ and ‘Two people hurt each other by thinking that they no longer agree’/ ‘Hours pass and the chicken represents what scares me’.


There may be death and fights to deal with, but there is also a quality of chirpy self-reliance about Hagen that is a key part of its nature. Like Betty May and her colourful outfits, Hagen’s sound often revels in its own sense of richness. Throughout, the record delivers vaulting string sections or glutinous guitar squeals that could, like the powerful, driving ‘Escarbo Dimensiones’ (Digging Dimensions) have come directly from a glossy 1980s TV series. Fratti sees this “glam sound” developed by Tosta on the aforementioned track and ‘Te Tragaste el Chicle’ (You Swallowed The Gum), as moments that were truly “revealing” for the album as a whole during its making.


What else? The thud and thump of ‘La Trampa Sale’ (The Trap is Exposed), and its sudden change of tempo and mood betrays a monstrously ambitious piece of music, the players almost greedily creating the sounds. Other moments are heart wrenching: ‘Libra’ ends on a poppy chord switch that cleverly ramps up the emotion inherent in the music’s notation. You could almost imagine a teenager in a bedroom forty years ago, rewinding the track over and over on a small, cheap cassette player, unable to get enough of that sugarsweet switch. Elsewhere, Oneohtrix Point Never adds stardust and an unearthly sense of space on the changeable, slightly moody meditation, ‘Pájaro de Fuego’ (Firebird). The record ends with ‘Alzando el Trofeo’ (Lifting the Trophy), a track that could soundtrack a state wedding, what with its beautiful cascading piano parts, a sugary vocal and short triumphal guitar riffs that add a rich patina to the overall sound. Fratti: “When I doubled those vocals on ‘Alzando el Trofeo’ I felt there was an epiphany happening, right at that moment.”


Making a good record is a team game. Tosta and Fratti recall seeing Randall from Circular Ruin Studios in NYC “tweak the drums in ‘Libra’ to make that amazing effect of the gated reverb”, or the shaping of ‘Gotera’, “when (recording engineer) Nate Salon added some synths to the track.” Drummer Eli Keszler, “an amazing and versatile player” had the songs down pat in a couple of days” and, according to Tosta, Oneohtrix Point Never “just came to one of the sessions and we hung out, and after all the recordings he and Nate were together in some studio and out of nowhere they sent us some beautiful tracks for ‘Pájaro de Fuego’! Fratti concurs. “He decided that he wanted to record because he was listening to the record (Nate works closely with him) and he really liked it! It was a total honour, indeed!”


Bedazzled by the playing, the skyscraping ambition in the arrangements and the giddy moments of contrast thrown up by Hagen, we could allow ourselves a brief moment of flippancy and state that Titanic’s new record is Yacht Rock meets Aeschylus, full-on. It’s also worth speculating that, in this hyper-sensitive, intemperate age, Titanic’s music has the power, however fleetingly, to heal hurts. Hagen is a brilliant showcase for a fresh and enriching form of pop music: displaying a magpie eye for what glints and plundering what has gone before.


Like Vidrio, Hagen was partially and additionally recorded at Fratti and Tosta’s house, aka Tinho Studios in Mexico City, as well as Golden Girl Studios & Circular Ruin Studios in New York City. Mixing was done by Santiago Parra in Pedro y el Lobo Studios, Mexico City and mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri at Black Knoll Studios, New York City. The recording engineer was Nate Salon.


Hagen featured Mabe Fratti on cello, vocals & backing vocals, I. la Católica on guitar, keyboards, prepared piano, bass & backing vocals, drums by Eli Keszler and synths in ‘Pájaro de Fuego’ from Daniel Lopatin and Nate Salon.


All compositions on Hagen are written by I. la Católica, except ‘Escarbo Dimensiones’ & ‘Pájaro de Fuego’, which were composed by I. la Católica and Mabe Fratti. The record was produced by I. la Católica and co-produced by Nate Salon & Mabe Fratti. And all lyrics are by I. la Católica except ‘Escarbo Dimensiones’, ‘Gotera’, ‘Gallina degollada’ & ‘Pájaro de Fuego’, which were written by I. la Católica & Mabe Fratti.

Harmony marches eastward with its 21st EP, reconnecting with its roots through a collaboration with Kohra and Monophonik. While firmly grounded in the label’s deep-techno foundations, this release leans into a sharper focus on functional, dance oriented grooves and basslines.

A-side is opening with weight and intent, shedding the EP’s melancholic hues for something darker and more forceful. The gently broken spirit of “Uyire” follows, gliding between drones and gated vocals, stitched together by tactile percussion and an underlying volatility.

“Wavefolding Dreams” lives up to its name—wickedly modulated waveforms rise from a slapping bassline that pour like upside-down rain, finally dissolving into soothing, dreamy pads.

“Eastern Timbers” starts B-side with a deep, driving momentum. Trancey basslines and swinging arpeggios ebb and flow with tidal pads, wrapping the EP in a hypnotic finish that pulses with forward energy.

Decompress with “Neuroresonance” situated on the inner ring of the B-side. Suspenseful sliding drones in a wide stereo field and a sustained chord that breathes nostalgia, covered by a playful filter in motion.

ORBIT CULTURE läuten eine neue Ära ein. Das Century Media-Debüt des schwedischen Quartetts, "Death Above Life", ist nicht nur ein Statement, wie weit sie es gebracht haben, sondern es ist der Sound von Metal in seiner modernsten Form. "Das Album steht für einen Neuanfang", sagt ORBIT CULTURE-Gitarrist, Sänger und Songwriter Niklas Karlsson. "Es ruft positive und negati-ve Emotionen hervor, aber insgesamt bedeutet es eine Veränderung zum Besseren. Es fühlt sich an wie eine Wiedergeburt." Vom Opener "Inferna" über den stampfenden Titeltrack bis zum melancholischen Schlussstück "The Path I Walk" ist klar: ORBIT CUL-TURE sind in Bestform.
Neben ihrem DIY-Ethos und ihren kompromisslosen Dark-on-Dark-Visuals prägt laut Karlsson seine Vorliebe für Soundtracks und cineastische Soundscapes ihren Sound und Vision. Komponisten wie Hans Zimmer (Dune, Interstellar) und Howard Shore (Der Herr der Ringe) hätten einen großen Einfluss auf die Band. "Wahrscheinlich deutlich mehr als aktueller Metal", sagt Niklas. "Jeder von uns würde sich lieber den Soundtrack von 'Inception' anhören, weil er zeitlos ist. Wenn ich beim Schreiben nicht wei-terkomme, bieten mir z.B. Cello oder Klavier neue Möglichkeiten. Wir schreiben einfache Riffs und Strukturen, und wenn wir uns dabei von einem Künstler wie Hans Zimmer inspirieren lassen, kommt ein Song wie 'Inferna' heraus, weil wir den Chorus größer und cineastischer machen."
Produziert von der Band und gemixt von Buster Odeholm (Vildhjarta, Humanity's Last Breath, Thrown), ist "Death Above Life" ein Statement für den Metal, seine Gegenwart und Zukunft. Es ist ein entscheidender nächster Schritt für ORBIT CULTURE, da sie sich selbst und Metal als Ganzes frischer definieren. "Wir spielen Metal", sagt Karlsson. "Wir haben Einflüsse von Djent, von Me-talcore und melodischem Death Metal. Wir bleiben uns selbst treu, und ich denke, die Leute sind genau danach hungrig."
"Death Above Life" ist erhältlich als: Ltd. CD Digipak, Gatefold 2LP, Digital Album.

Ostinato as resistance: Rafael Anton Irisarri’s landmark work reimagined. Marking the tenth anniversary of the American composer’s critically acclaimed album 'A Fragile Geography', this new edition arrives renewed, both sonically and visually.

First released in 2015 (Room40) during a period of personal upheaval and creative reinvention, it endures as a testament to resilience, transformation, and the connection we hold with the places that shape us.

Written in the aftermath of a devastating theft, A Fragile Geography was born out of loss. Just days before a cross-country move to New York, Irisarri’s entire Seattle-based studio was wiped out. Instruments. Recordings. Archives. Gone without a trace. He arrived on the East Coast to an empty room and the daunting task of starting over.

“This album wasn’t just a record; it was a lifeline,” Irisarri reflects. “It became a way to process the emotional chaos that followed: uprooting, instability, and ultimately, the slow, intuitive rebuilding of a life.”

Composed and recorded in the rural woods of the Hudson Valley, the album took shape in seclusion, surrounded by nature, and through a process guided by improvisation. Embracing limitations, Irisarri wove textural layers of field recordings with half-remembered melodies from his Seattle years, piecing them together like fragments of memory. Tracks like “Displacement,” “Hiatus,” and “Persistence” juxtaposed haunting stillness with restless momentum, mapping an inner terrain of grief, catharsis, and rebirth.

Among its defining sounds is “Empire Systems,” a monumental centerpiece built around a simple four-chord progression, organ textures, and guitar drones. Gradually, the track expands into layers of immersive loops and thick, enveloping distortion that wash over the listener like a rolling wave. Often cited as the album’s most majestic passage, it captures Irisarri at his most sonically ambitious. With a harmonically saturated structure crafted from restraint and repetition, it remains one of his most recognizable compositions: an exercise in the art of maximal minimalism.

From the outset, “Reprisal” received praise from BBC’s Mary Anne Hobbs, who championed the track on her radio show. Her support played a key role in introducing Irisarri’s work to wider audiences and solidifying his place within the lineage of electronic, drone, and experimental sound artists. A slow-burning elegy, the piece emerges from a haze of distortion and sub-bass, with dense, unrelenting drones carrying a sense of mounting tension. Just as it seems to collapse under its own weight, flickers of guitar emerge like distant light through fog. It’s a meditation on dissonance, resolve, and the elusive possibility of release.

The closing track, “Secretly Wishing for Rain,” is steeped in saudade: a longing for Seattle’s dour grey skies, lush green landscapes, and desaturated sunsets. Through it, Irisarri mourns a vanished chapter of life bound to the city, a time documented in scattered mementos and cherished collections, now permanently gone. A reflection on what could never be recovered: an era lost to time. Julia Kent’s looped cello motifs added a melancholic warmth to the track, marking the first collaboration between the two artists and sparking a musical dialogue that would keep growing in the years that followed.

More than a career highlight, A Fragile Geography has laid the foundation for Black Knoll studio, which Irisarri rebuilt from the ground up. The studio has since grown into a creative hub for countless projects, with Irisarri engineering records for iconic music figures like Terry Riley, Ryuichi Sakamoto, William Basinski, MONO, Devendra Banhart, Grouper, Emeralds, Steve Hauschildt, Julianna Barwick, and many others. Carried by its lasting influence, the album has quietly captured the ear of a younger generation, its sound and emotional arc finding new listeners in unexpected corners.

The album’s new visual language was reimagined in collaboration with Mexico City–based designer Daniel Castrejón. Irisarri captured ghostly images at Gaztelugatxeko Doniene, a historic coastal site in Bermeo, Euskal Herria. Castrejón then treated the photographs with distressed textures and spectral overlays. The final artwork channels the rugged, elemental forces that shaped both the music and Irisarri’s aesthetic, renewing his ties to ancestral ground inspired by the Basque homeland of his bloodline.

Mastered by Stephan Mathieu with exceptional attention to detail, this anniversary edition uncovers every nuance in the sound design, enhancing clarity and presence. With each listen, new elements emerge, inviting discovery and reconnection.

“I don’t experience this album as a document of grief anymore,” says Irisarri. “I hear adaptation and I'm reminded that when everything falls apart, something meaningful, maybe even beautiful, can emerge.”

Ostinato as resistance: Rafael Anton Irisarri’s landmark work reimagined. Marking the tenth anniversary of the American composer’s critically acclaimed album 'A Fragile Geography', this new edition arrives renewed, both sonically and visually.

First released in 2015 (Room40) during a period of personal upheaval and creative reinvention, it endures as a testament to resilience, transformation, and the connection we hold with the places that shape us.

Written in the aftermath of a devastating theft, A Fragile Geography was born out of loss. Just days before a cross-country move to New York, Irisarri’s entire Seattle-based studio was wiped out. Instruments. Recordings. Archives. Gone without a trace. He arrived on the East Coast to an empty room and the daunting task of starting over.

“This album wasn’t just a record; it was a lifeline,” Irisarri reflects. “It became a way to process the emotional chaos that followed: uprooting, instability, and ultimately, the slow, intuitive rebuilding of a life.”

Composed and recorded in the rural woods of the Hudson Valley, the album took shape in seclusion, surrounded by nature, and through a process guided by improvisation. Embracing limitations, Irisarri wove textural layers of field recordings with half-remembered melodies from his Seattle years, piecing them together like fragments of memory. Tracks like “Displacement,” “Hiatus,” and “Persistence” juxtaposed haunting stillness with restless momentum, mapping an inner terrain of grief, catharsis, and rebirth.

Among its defining sounds is “Empire Systems,” a monumental centerpiece built around a simple four-chord progression, organ textures, and guitar drones. Gradually, the track expands into layers of immersive loops and thick, enveloping distortion that wash over the listener like a rolling wave. Often cited as the album’s most majestic passage, it captures Irisarri at his most sonically ambitious. With a harmonically saturated structure crafted from restraint and repetition, it remains one of his most recognizable compositions: an exercise in the art of maximal minimalism.

From the outset, “Reprisal” received praise from BBC’s Mary Anne Hobbs, who championed the track on her radio show. Her support played a key role in introducing Irisarri’s work to wider audiences and solidifying his place within the lineage of electronic, drone, and experimental sound artists. A slow-burning elegy, the piece emerges from a haze of distortion and sub-bass, with dense, unrelenting drones carrying a sense of mounting tension. Just as it seems to collapse under its own weight, flickers of guitar emerge like distant light through fog. It’s a meditation on dissonance, resolve, and the elusive possibility of release.

The closing track, “Secretly Wishing for Rain,” is steeped in saudade: a longing for Seattle’s dour grey skies, lush green landscapes, and desaturated sunsets. Through it, Irisarri mourns a vanished chapter of life bound to the city, a time documented in scattered mementos and cherished collections, now permanently gone. A reflection on what could never be recovered: an era lost to time. Julia Kent’s looped cello motifs added a melancholic warmth to the track, marking the first collaboration between the two artists and sparking a musical dialogue that would keep growing in the years that followed.

More than a career highlight, A Fragile Geography has laid the foundation for Black Knoll studio, which Irisarri rebuilt from the ground up. The studio has since grown into a creative hub for countless projects, with Irisarri engineering records for iconic music figures like Terry Riley, Ryuichi Sakamoto, William Basinski, MONO, Devendra Banhart, Grouper, Emeralds, Steve Hauschildt, Julianna Barwick, and many others. Carried by its lasting influence, the album has quietly captured the ear of a younger generation, its sound and emotional arc finding new listeners in unexpected corners.

The album’s new visual language was reimagined in collaboration with Mexico City–based designer Daniel Castrejón. Irisarri captured ghostly images at Gaztelugatxeko Doniene, a historic coastal site in Bermeo, Euskal Herria. Castrejón then treated the photographs with distressed textures and spectral overlays. The final artwork channels the rugged, elemental forces that shaped both the music and Irisarri’s aesthetic, renewing his ties to ancestral ground inspired by the Basque homeland of his bloodline.

Mastered by Stephan Mathieu with exceptional attention to detail, this anniversary edition uncovers every nuance in the sound design, enhancing clarity and presence. With each listen, new elements emerge, inviting discovery and reconnection.

“I don’t experience this album as a document of grief anymore,” says Irisarri. “I hear adaptation and I'm reminded that when everything falls apart, something meaningful, maybe even beautiful, can emerge.”

Trailblazing outlet for forward-thinking Danish Jazz, April Records proudly presents the debut from trumpeter/composer Rolf Thofte; a vivid and personal record that blends lyrical melodies, inventive rhythms, and subtle harmonic exploration. Written while Thofte adjusted to fatherhood - the album captures moments of joy, reflection, and experimentation, brought to life by a handpicked quintet of Denmark"s most exciting young jazz talents. Martha"s Dance is set for release on September 19th, 2025 via April Records. The title track is a tribute to Thofte"s three-year-old daughter - a playful, clapping, goat-hoof-stomping tune in quirky 5/4 that channels the spirit of childhood joy and spontaneity. "It"s just a fun tune to play, and I feel like it really captures Martha"s spirit," says Thofte. "This band came together at a time when I was trying to get a foothold in a new life situation as a father, so it felt perfect to make this the title track." The album moves between moods and textures with elegance: from the rich harmonic language of "Vice Versa" - inspired by Wayne Shorter"s ability to cast simple melodies in shifting harmonic light - to the understated power of "Changing Tides," a piece about imperceptible gradual changes in our lives, nature, and politics. "Bendico," written in 15 minutes as a conservatory assignment, showcases Thofte"s gift for strong melodic statements, while "Dunkelflaute" evokes melancholic Nordic greyness through sparse, emotive phrasing. From the swaggering second-line feel of "The Big 5" to the hypnotic pulse of "All...", the album explores rhythm as both a driving force and a canvas for creative interplay. Throughout, Thofte"s trumpet and flugelhorn lead the ensemble with warmth and clarity. The quintet features some of Copenhagen"s top next-generation players: Andreas Toftemark (tenor saxophone), a powerhouse improviser and composer who brings NYC-honed energy and detail to the group dynamic. Rasmus Sorensen (piano), a rising star of the European scene, known for his sensitive, exploratory playing and fearless interaction. Jakob Roland (bass) and Henrik Holst (drums) - two of Thofte"s oldest musical collaborators - round out the rhythm section with deep swing, taste, and musical empathy.

Am 26.09.2025 erscheint beim feinen Wiener Indie-Label Voller Sound endlich das heiß erwartete Debüt-Album der New-New-Wave-Band Parc de Triomphe - als Vinyl mit grell-pinken Farbtupfern. Eine Reminiszenz an die 1980er- und 1990er-Jahre. Auf dem selbstbetitelten Album setzen sich Jörn Brien und Florian Knabenschuh in gewohnt düsterer Elektro-Pop-Manier mit der eigenen Vergangenheit auseinander. Themen wie Einsamkeit, Verletzlichkeit und die Angst vor Umbrüchen werden aufgehellt von Farb- und Hoffnungsschimmern. Druckvoll, treibend, wütend Musikalisch geht es bass- und beat-lastig zur Sache. In den oft tanzbaren Stücken werden der druckvolle Basslauf und die treibenden Beats von der markanten Stimme und einem ebenso einprägsamen Gitarrensound begleitet. Manchmal schrille, oft wütende, dann wieder ruhige, kühle Synthie-Klänge unterstreichen die Anleihen beim New Wave der 1980er. Passend zu den Texten, die sich nicht zuletzt mit DDR, Wende und den nachfolgenden Baseballschlägerjahren in Ostdeutschland auseinandersetzen. Aber keine Sorge vor zu viel Vergangenheit und Nostalgie. Im Gegenteil: Frei nach dem Bandmotto "Krawall! Elektro! Pop!" schlagen die Musiker mit ihrer melancholisch-düsteren Musik und den aufwühlenden, lyrischen Texten eine Brücke ins Hier und Jetzt. Die erzeugten Emotionen bewegen Jung und Alt. Radio-Airplay, Charts und TV Mit der EP "Harte Zeiten" haben Parc de Triomphe Ende 2023 ein erstes Ausrufezeichen gesetzt. Mit Airplay auf FM4, zahlreichen Konzerten und einem TV-Auftritt sowie Platzierungen in den Austrian Indie-Charts konnte sich die Band in der Wiener Indie-Szene schon einen Namen machen. Der Song "Westradio" lief beim beliebten Berliner Sender radioeins. Auf Spotify kommen die bisher vorab veröffentlichten Singles jeweils auf Tausende Streams. Auf dem Album "Parc de Triomphe" finden sich insgesamt 12 fein produzierte (Alf Peherstorfer) Songs, die eingängig, aber nie langweilig sind, straight, aber auf ihre Art trotzdem schräg. "Geschmackvoll, eingängig und wundervoll" FM4-Moderator Andreas Gstettner-Brugger schrieb zur Single "Harte Zeiten": "Die beiden deutschen Musiker, die sich in einem Wiener Park kennengelernt haben, produzieren hier einen geschmackvollen, eingängigen und wundervollen Song, der mich an Tocotronic, frühe Blumfeld und diverse Krautrockbands erinnert." Fazit: Fans deutschsprachiger Musik, die den New-Wave-Sound der 1980er-Jahre im modernen Gewand feiern und dem Indie-Sound der frühen 1990er-Jahre nicht abgeneigt sind, sollten "Parc de Triomphe" auf ihre Plattenteller legen.

kito jempere, a producer hailing from saint petersburg and now based in dubai, makes his debut on mule musiq with a high-quality four-track ep.
opening with an aptly titled, anthemic dancefloor track—bouncy breakbeat house layered with spoken word and an uplifting, lyrical piano riff—the record moves into “infinite az-ure,” a jazzy deep house cut reminiscent of late-’90s releases on guidance. “mid 0000s” follows with an abstract deep house vibe that recalls the work of isolée, before closing with “teaser,” a beautifully melancholic blend of piano and vocals, perfect for the end of the night.

François and Sylvain Rabbath have turned six years of touring into a joint album that patiently and intensely distills a variety of musical flavors gathered from around the world.

Since the early 1960s, François Rabbath's double bass has resonated through enough landmark recordings to fill several shelves in a record collection. As an arranger, composer, and musician, his imprint on music goes far beyond his collaborations with Barbara, Paco Ibáñez, Charles Aznavour, or Édith Piaf. Aspiring double bassists owe him a groundbreaking method for learning the instrument. Born into a lush musical universe that quickly became his own, his son Sylvain first accompanied him on his travels before settling at the piano and sharing stages around the world at his side.

Those years of accumulating visas in their passports were put to good use by father and son. The continents, countries, and cities they passed through became a rich source of inspiration for composing Amall, the album by the Rabbath Electric Orchestra.

Long hours spent in the air or on the road, watching passing landscapes that never stayed the same, were transformed into compositions imbued with the atmospheres of the places they crossed or visited. Inspiration sometimes struck with force, like a green oasis appearing in a desert of stone—unexpectedly, as glowing red rocks suddenly dominated an otherwise open landscape with an endless horizon, while the mind wandered into a state between meditation and introspection.
Born from these travels, the pieces took on their final colors once brought into the studio, refined, and finally arranged to welcome the guitars of Keziah Jones and Matthieu Chedid, the piano of Laurent de Wilde, the bass of Victor Wooten, the saxophone of Raphaël Imbert, and the percussion of Minino Garay. Enhanced by the scale of the jazz-soul orchestrations, by the richness of arrangements bursting from strings, brass, rhythms, or keyboards, the epic breath of vast plains became ingrained. The urban tension of funk, echoing their movements, found its place—alongside more electric expressions or the ambience of a darkened room.
Melancholic and melodious, expressive and edgy, the bowed double bass—played in the high register where few dare to go—emerged as the musical guide. One that draws a path between Seville and Minneapolis, connects François Rabbath's native Syria to France, and bridges South America to Europe. It sets the tone to follow—the emotion that will carry the piece, and if not filled with light, will carry it there nonetheless.
Musical visions packed in luggage, transported in cargo holds, or imprinted in their minds just long enough to cover the distances to the next stop—father and son deepened their bond, beyond family and art. And their hands have never held each other more tightly.

François et Sylvain Rabbath ont fait fructifier six ans de tournées pour un album commun distillant patiemment et intensément la variété de parfums musicaux récoltés autour du monde.
Depuis le début des 60’s, la contrebasse de François Rabbath résonne dans assez de références pour combler plusieurs étagères d’une collection de disques. Arrangeur, compositeur, musicien, l'empreinte laissée dans la musique va bien au-delà de ses collaborations avec Barbara, Paco Ibanez, Charles Aznavour, ou Edith Piaf. C’est à lui que les
apprentis contrebassistes doivent une méthode novatrice pour apprendre l’instrument.

Né dans un univers musical luxuriant qui est vite devenu aussi le sien, c’est d’abord dans ses voyages que son fils Sylvain l’a accompagné, avant de s’installer au piano, et parcourir les scènes du monde à ses côtés. Ces années où les visas se sont entassés sur leurs passeports, père et fils les ont mises à profit. Continents, pays, et villes qui se sont succédés sont devenues un gisement pour composer Amall, l’album du Rabbath Electric Orchestra.

Les longs moments passés dans les airs ou sur la route à contempler un paysage qui défile sans pour autant rester le même, se sont convertis en compositions habitées par les ambiances de ces endroits traversés ou visités. Là où l’inspiration s’est imposée parfois brutalement, sous
la forme d’un oasis de verdure surgissant au milieu d’un désert de pierres. Au hasard d’imposantes roches rougeoyantes s’invitant dans un paysage jusqu’alors dégagé sur un horizon sans fin, quand l’esprit se laisse aller à un mélange de méditation et d'introspection.

Nés de ces pérégrinations, les titres ont pris leurs couleurs définitives une fois ramenés en studio, peaufinés puis, enfin, pensés pour y inviter les guitares de Keziah Jones et de Matthieu Chedid, le piano de Laurent de Wilde, la basse de Victor Wooten, le saxophone de Raphaël Imbert, les percussions de Minino Garay. Sublimé par la dimension des orchestrations jazz-soul, par la richesse des arrangements jaillissant des cordes, des cuivres, des rythmiques ou des claviers, le souffle épique des plaines immenses s’est imprimé.
La nervosité citadine du funk rythmant les déplacements a trouvé sa place, non loin d’une expression plus électrique ou d’une atmosphère de salle obscure.

Mélancolique et mélodieuse, expressive et nerveuse, la contrebasse jouée à l’archet, dans les notes hautes du manche où peu s’aventurent, s’est érigée en guide musical. Celui qui trace le chemin entre Séville et Minneapolis, relie la Syrie natale de François Rabbath à la France,
réduit la distance entre l’Amérique du Sud et l’Europe. Donne la note à suivre, l’émotion qui traversera le morceau qui, s’il n’est pas habité par la lumière, le portera néanmoins jusque là.

Visions musicales mises dans le coffre, transportées en soute ou imprimées dans l’esprit le temps de couvrir les distances qui les mèneront aux prochaines, c’est côte à côte que père et fils ont prolongé leur lien par delà des seules limites familiales et artistiques. Et leurs mains ne se sont jamais serrées aussi fort.
credits

Indie-Store-Version Gold Coloured 2x12" Vinyl in Gatefold

Nach über drei Jahrzehnten Karriere und über zwei Millionen verkauften Alben bleiben PARADISE LOST die unangefochtenen Könige der dunklen Seite des Metal.
Die 1988 in Halifax gegründete Band wurde mit ihren frühen, bahnbrechenden Alben wie dem treffend betitelten „Gothic“ von 1991, einer Mischung aus Härte, düsterer Melodie und Atmosphäre, schnell als Pioniere des Gothic Metal bekannt. Sie waren nie eine Gruppe, die kreativ statisch blieb, und haben im Laufe ihrer Karriere unzählige Wege dunkler Musik erkundet, von schlammigen Doom-Death-Wurzeln über die Eroberung des Metal-Mainstreams mit den gewaltigen, satten Klängen von „Draconian Times“ von 1995 bis hin zu experimentelleren, elektronischeren Einflüssen. Sie haben so unterschiedliche Künstler wie CRADLE OF FILTH, HIM, GATECREEPER und CHELSEA WOLFE beeinflusst.

Jetzt, im Jahr 2025, kehrt das Quintett aus Yorkshire mit seinem atemberaubenden 17. Album „Ascension“ zurück, einem Album, das ihre Krone weiterhin strahlen lässt und unterstreicht, wie sie ihre Position erreicht haben. Produziert von Gitarrist Gregor Mackintosh in den Black Planet Studios in East Yorkshire, mit Schlagzeug und Gesang aus den NBS und Wasteland Studios in Schweden, durchqueren die zehn Tracks die gesamte Klangvielfalt der Band – von knallhartem Heavy Metal bis hin zu himmelhohen Melodien – und bewahren dabei eine unwiderstehliche Moll-Melancholie.

„Die Leute sollten erwarten, dass wir noch trüber werden“, scherzt Frontmann Nick Holmes auf die Frage, was Fans 2025 von PARADISE LOST erwarten können. Die Erklärung des Albumtitels und der Texte macht jedoch deutlich, dass sie ihr Handwerk weiterhin beherrschen, wenn es darum geht, solche Erwartungen zu erfüllen. „Der Albumtitel entspringt dem Glauben an den Aufstieg zu einem besseren Ort, in der Fiktion von der Erde in den Himmel, und all den damit verbundenen Anforderungen“, führt er aus. „Im wirklichen Leben streben Menschen oft von Geburt an danach, an einen besseren Ort zu gelangen und ein besserer Mensch zu sein, ungeachtet der Tatsache, dass der einzige Lohn der Tod ist.“ „Die Texte handeln von allem, was das Leben uns entgegenwirft“, fährt er fort. „Es ist nie vorhersehbar und kann gleichzeitig auch erschreckend sein. Wie Menschen mit dem Tod umgehen, welche Krücken sie benutzen und wie der mentale Zustand von lebensverändernden Situationen beeinflusst wird, ist immer wieder faszinierend.“

Genau wie die Musik selbst. Der Album-Opener „Serpent on The Cross“ beginnt mit einem herrlich düsteren Riff, bevor er nach der Hälfte in donnernden klassischen Metal übergeht, angetrieben von Doublebass-Drumming und einem fast METALLICA-artigen Riff. In „Silence Like The Grave“ singt Nick „über die Sinnlosigkeit des Krieges, das Sammeln von Punkten für die Menschheit“, untermalt von perfekter Gothic-Metal-Kulisse. „Tyrant’s Serenade“ zeigt derweil die tief verwurzelte Fähigkeit der Band, Einfachheit gewaltig klingen zu lassen, gekrönt von Gregors charakteristischen, eindringlichen Gitarrenleads. „Lay A Wreath Upon The World“ beginnt als ruhige Elegie, bevor es zu einem traurigen Höhepunkt gelangt, und das Schlussstück „The Precipice“ führt mit Klaviermelodien, bevor es zu einem würdevollen Abschluss führt.
All dies zeigt meisterhaft die Bandbreite dessen, was PARADISE LOST geleistet haben und leisten können, auf eine Weise, die bis heute keiner anderen Band vergleichbar ist.


„Nach 35 Jahren ist alles bewusst“, sagt Nick. „Bei einem so umfangreichen und abwechslungsreichen Backkatalog ist es schwierig, nicht hundertprozentig sicher zu sein, woher alles kommt. Aber letztendlich kommt es einfach darauf an, ob uns die Musik gefällt, die wir machen. Wenn ja, bleibt sie! Das hat sich seit unserer Jugend nicht geändert.“ Ascension ist ein stolzer Bestandteil von PARADISE LOST. Das Elend hört nie auf, aber, sagt Nick, so mögen sie es eben. „Ironischerweise“, lacht er, „ist es immer am angenehmsten, miserable Musik zu hören – und zu schreiben, schätze ich.“

Na Nich returns to his roots after a series of successful releases on respected labels such as Delsin, Semantica, On Board, and Fur:ther Sessions. The Ukrainian producer's latest EP pays tribute to his foundation in broken beats and bass music - the core of his craft before adopting the Na Nich moniker.

Co-founder of Rhythm Buro and formerly known as Sunchase, Oleksandr Pavlenko shifted from his decades-long bass music career towards house and techno about ten years ago. Yet those early influences never truly disappeared. On Your Curves, Oleksandr skillfully blends his bass-heavy legacy with the sonic palettes characteristic of his later work, merging two worlds into a cohesive sound.


The A-side opens with 'Unfulfilled Expectations', a deep roller rich with bass textures and mellow synths. It's followed by 'Everything', a slow burner infused with '90s vibes, featuring oldschool vocal samples and a drum pattern reminiscent of UK garage. On the flip side, 'Rain Inside' delivers the EP's grooviest moment, with broken beats crafted for the dancefloor and an intimate, close-your-eyes 4 a.m. mood. The title track, 'Your Curves', closes the EP with a deep and melancholic atmosphere.


This release stands out amid contemporary offerings, reminding listeners that essence always triumphs over form.

With its 10th edition, Dalmata Daniel's split series brings together two artists who have both left their mark on the label's compilations, now presenting their first full releases on the imprint. Anatolian Weapons and The Spy approach electronic music from different angles, one rooted in hypnotic techno rituals, the other in raw electro and post-punk energy. Both craft sounds that thrive in the shadows of the dancefloor.

On the A-side, Anatolian Weapons delivers three cold, hypnotic cuts. "Trapped" opens with heavy EBM percussion and a buzzkill bassline, setting a tense, mechanical tone. "Further Spiralling Down" sinks deeper into darkness with a grinding low end, tight drums, and electro-tinged claps, forming the side's relentless highlight. "Apathy Through Shock" closes with pounding, catatonic rhythms and a mournful, otherworldly melody, pushing the listener into disorienting depths.

Flipping over, The Spy's raw, electro-driven energy takes hold. "Same Blur" channels sharp electro beats with a punkish sneer and cosmic synth lines. "Falling", featuring The Spy's own vocals, leans into melancholic new wave, pairing bouncy rhythms with bittersweet melodies. The closing "Pretending" drifts into the darkest corners, offering low-slung, haunted electro layered with distant, spectral harmonies.

Wortgewaltig, rockig, wütend, melancholisch. Eigentlich, wie man ihn kennt – und doch ist einiges anders. Oder besser: direkter.

Heinz Rudolf Kunzes 47. Album ist ein gereiftes, meisterliches Spätwerk über die großen Themen des Lebens: Liebe, Alter, Herkunft, Vergänglichkeit, Krieg, Identität. Aber auch der Zustand unserer Gesellschaft, der politische Diskurs, das Auseinanderdriften – Kunze bleibt nicht an der Oberfläche, sondern taucht tief. Dabei gelingt ihm der seltene Spagat: Nachdenklichkeit ohne Pathos, Kritik ohne Bitterkeit, Emotionalität ohne Kitsch.
Musikalisch trägt ihn ein homogener, gewachsener Bandsound – mal kraftvoll, mal filigran, stets songdienlich. Produziert wurde das Album erneut von Udo Rinklin, mit dem Kunze in den letzten Jahren eine kreative Hochphase erreicht hat.
Angebot und Nachfrage“ ist Reise, Rückschau, Kommentar und ein mutiges Bekenntnis zu Sprache, Haltung und Musik. Ein Werk mit Persönlichkeit und Relevanz – nicht nur für Fans, sondern für alle, die in Musik mehr suchen als nur Unterhaltung.

Limitiert auf 1000 Stück – ein echtes Sammlerstück!

Die exklusive Fanbox zu Heinz Rudolf Kunzes 47. Studioalbum „Angebot und Nachfrage“ ist so besonders wie das Werk selbst: Wortgewaltig, rockig, wütend, melancholisch – Kunze zieht alle Register seines Könnens.

Diese einmalige Edition enthält:
• das neue Album auf Doppelvinyl und CD,
• ein handsigniertes Hardcoverbuch mit 40 Seiten Fotos & bisher unveröffentlichten Texten,
• eine exklusive Single-Vinyl zum 40-jährigen Jubiläum von „Dein ist mein ganzes Herz“.


Heinz Rudolf Kunzes 47. Album ist ein gereiftes, meisterliches Spätwerk über die großen Themen des Lebens: Liebe, Alter, Herkunft, Vergänglichkeit, Krieg, Identität. Aber auch der Zustand unserer Gesellschaft, der politische Diskurs, das Auseinanderdriften – Kunze bleibt nicht an der Oberfläche, sondern taucht tief. Dabei gelingt ihm der seltene Spagat: Nachdenklichkeit ohne Pathos, Kritik ohne Bitterkeit, Emotionalität ohne Kitsch.

Musikalisch trägt ihn ein homogener, gewachsener Bandsound – mal kraftvoll, mal filigran, stets songdienlich. Produziert wurde das Album erneut von Udo Rinklin, mit dem Kunze in den letzten Jahren eine kreative Hochphase erreicht hat.

Angebot und Nachfrage“ ist Reise, Rückschau, Kommentar und ein mutiges Bekenntnis zu Sprache, Haltung und Musik. Ein Werk mit Persönlichkeit und Relevanz – nicht nur für Fans, sondern für alle, die in Musik mehr suchen als nur Unterhaltung.

Drawing power from dark hypnotics, BEC lands on Intrepid Skin with the dizzying Dawn of a New Dimension EP.

As a beloved DJ and owner of the EMBARGO imprint, BEC's aesthetic has been honed over years spent immersed in sound. A meticulous producer who has worked with industry giants such as Roland and Novation, her tracks carry a delicate equilibrium of sonic qualities built on high pressure drums and weighty basslines.

Title track opener sets the tone without hesitation, diving straight into bouncy hard techno drums that never let go whilst frantic alarms and trippy vocal cuts swirl above. 'In Motion' leans further into the harmonic aspects of BEC's sound, driven by an immersive melody over sparse percussion. Fragments of electro linger within 'No Longer My Amore', a melancholic spin through emotive vocals and vast sonic layering. Closing track 'Who Said Rich Means Money' takes us back to the warehouse with a storm of heavy drums and ricocheting glitches.

Brandishing expertly layered sonic tapestries, BEC explores a range of emotional resonances, each geared towards tapping into the most intense dancefloor moments.

DARK BALADA is a nocturnal journey through hypnotic synths, blending melancholic darkwave with shimmering italo disco influences. An emotional tale suspended between desire, memory, and mystery.

Second part of second album! Originating from Normandy, France, psychedelic noise-pop quartet You Said Strange presents a unique blend of indie rock that incorporates elements of psych pop-rock, shoegaze, and proto-grunge. Thousand Shadows volume 2, a second chapter was needed to highlight the many shadows that still linger everywhere. The shadows that linger on the borders, hiding the violence of the fights for them. The shadows that time has on the relationships and their persistence, because the shadows move. Plato's cave, modern version, would be the one of toxic relationships, antidepressants and the acceptance of the regression of freedom and/or the vision of a dying world... Between shoegaze, noise pop and psychedelic rock, You Said Strange absorbs its time to incant a music in which melancholy, love and the search for plenitude meet. The band recorded their first album, Salvation Prayer, in 2018 in Portland (USA), with Peter G. Holmstrom from The Dandy Warhols, which saw release via Fuzz Club Recirds. In 2022, the band shared their LP Thousand Shadows Vol. 1. Mythomaniac kings, the Mediterranean, the colors of mourning _ these are the detailed subjects, described against a backdrop of psychedelic pop, proto grunge, and shoegaze. The first part of a powerful, reverberant, melodious second album, drawing its inspiration and production stem from encounters during their 2022 European and North American tours, between Normandy, New York, and Oregon. Most recently, You Said Strange shared the second part of their sophomore release, a follow-up to Vol. 1 entitled Thousand Shadows Vol. 2.

Dave Davis, a legendary name in Belgian electronic music, made his mark with classics on Bonzai Records, including the iconic "Transfiguration." Known worldwide for his DJ sets and as a vocalist under the alias JD Davis (Chab’s "Closer to Me," David Guetta’s "The World Is Mine"), he now teams up with ID10-T, a Swiss producer making waves with his raw, no-compromise techno style.

This release features two tracks crafted for peak-time dancefloors:

• "Insane": A dark, powerful underground techno bomb with deep basslines, sharp textures, and relentless energy. Built to shake the walls and ignite the crowd.
• "RDH": A groovy jackin’ techno weapon, combining bouncy bass, funky patterns, and infectious rhythms. A fresh yet respectful nod to classic techno foundations.

With this electrifying collaboration, Vibes Addikt continues to push boundaries, showcasing a cross-generational vision that fuses rave culture heritage with modern sound design.

Français

Vibes Addikt, le label de N.O.B.A reconnu pour sa ligne artistique mêlant techno et trance de manière percutante et novatrice, présente sa nouvelle sortie : un single explosif signé Dave Davis & ID10-T.

Dave Davis, figure incontournable de la scène électronique belge, connu pour ses classiques sur Bonzai Records — notamment l’intemporel "Transfiguration" — et pour ses prestations aux quatre coins du globe, s’associe ici au producteur suisse ID10-T, talent émergent dont le style se distingue par une techno brute, percutante et sans concession. Dave Davis est également connu sous son alias JD Davis, voix emblématique de titres cultes tels que "Closer to Me" de Chab ou "The World Is Mine" de David Guetta.

Ce single comprend deux titres taillés pour les dancefloors les plus exigeants :

• "Insane" : Un banger techno underground, sombre et puissant, construit pour retourner les clubs à coups de basses profondes, de textures métalliques et d'une tension hypnotique. Ce morceau capte l’essence même de la rave moderne : brut, direct, sans artifice.
• "RDH" : Une véritable arme jackin’ techno, groovy et irrésistible, mêlant rythmiques incisives, bassline bondissante et arrangements funky, qui captiveront autant les puristes que les amateurs de sonorités plus organiques. Un hommage contemporain aux racines du genre, avec une touche résolument actuelle.

Cette sortie marque une nouvelle étape dans l'évolution de Vibes Addikt, toujours en quête de projets audacieux et authentiques. Avec cette collaboration intergénérationnelle, le label affirme une fois de plus son engagement envers une techno de caractère, entre héritage rave et innovation sonore.

By the composer of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2, City Hunter: The Movie, Soul Eater, and Black Butler.



Yato dreams of becoming a famous and respected god, but his reality is far from that dream. One day, his fate takes a turn when he saves Hiyori, a high school girl, from a car accident. In return, he asks for her help to achieve his grand ambition. Together, with Yukine, a spirit who serves as his sacred weapon, they navigate the world of humans and deities, where Yato must prove his worth and divine heritage.



This vinyl record features several BGM tracks from the series. Taku Iwasaki, a renowned composer in the anime industry, has created a vast array of background music, blending numerous styles—from traditional music infused with electronic elements to rap, as well as dark and melancholic piano pieces. Through this musical variety, the composer perfectly captures the anime’s atmosphere: comedic and joyful moments, intense action sequences, and much darker themes that reflect the protagonist’s past.

James Yorkston vereint auf "Songs for Nina and Johanna" starke Stimmen und große Gefühle inklusive Gast-Features von Nina Persson (The Cardigans) und Johanna Söderberg (First Aid Kit)!

"Songs for Nina and Johanna" ist das neue, einfühlsame Album des schottischen Singer-Songwriters James Yorkston. Das in Stockholm mit Mitgliedern des Second Hand Orchestra aufgenommene Album bringt James Yorkston erneut mit der unverwechselbaren Stimme von Nina Persson (The Cardigans) zusammen, während er zum ersten Mal mit Johanna Söderberg (First Aid Kit) zusammenarbeitet. Beide singen jeweils mehrere Songs gemeinsam mit ihm. Das Album kreist um zutiefst persönliche Themen wie Familie, Liebe und Elternschaft - Motive, die für Yorkston nach über zwanzig Jahren musikalischer Laufbahn mehr denn je im Zentrum seines Schaffens stehen. Die warmen, oft melancholischen Songs leben von feinen Melodien, ehrlichen Texten und einer Intimität, die durch die Stimmen Perssons und Söderbergs noch verstärkt wird. Im Gegensatz zu früheren, eher improvisierten Produktionen folgte die Entstehung dieses Albums einer klaren Struktur. Die intensiven Sessions im Studio Rymden wurden von Produzent Daniel Bengtson begleitet, der ein offenes, kreatives Umfeld schuf.










i b4 I Spooked the Neighbours









[i] b4 | I Spooked the Neighbours

James Yorkston vereint auf "Songs for Nina and Johanna" starke Stimmen und große Gefühle inklusive Gast-Features von Nina Persson (The Cardigans) und Johanna Söderberg (First Aid Kit)!

"Songs for Nina and Johanna" ist das neue, einfühlsame Album des schottischen Singer-Songwriters James Yorkston. Das in Stockholm mit Mitgliedern des Second Hand Orchestra aufgenommene Album bringt James Yorkston erneut mit der unverwechselbaren Stimme von Nina Persson (The Cardigans) zusammen, während er zum ersten Mal mit Johanna Söderberg (First Aid Kit) zusammenarbeitet. Beide singen jeweils mehrere Songs gemeinsam mit ihm. Das Album kreist um zutiefst persönliche Themen wie Familie, Liebe und Elternschaft - Motive, die für Yorkston nach über zwanzig Jahren musikalischer Laufbahn mehr denn je im Zentrum seines Schaffens stehen. Die warmen, oft melancholischen Songs leben von feinen Melodien, ehrlichen Texten und einer Intimität, die durch die Stimmen Perssons und Söderbergs noch verstärkt wird. Im Gegensatz zu früheren, eher improvisierten Produktionen folgte die Entstehung dieses Albums einer klaren Struktur. Die intensiven Sessions im Studio Rymden wurden von Produzent Daniel Bengtson begleitet, der ein offenes, kreatives Umfeld schuf.

Buh Records presents Primera Secuencia, the debut album by Ballet Mecánico, the project of Fernando Pinzás. After his time in the synth-punk band Varsovia, Pinzás embarks on a new phase as a solo artist and producer, exploring electronic styles from the 1980s like synthpop, Hi-NRG, Italo disco, and techno pop. The album blends synthesizers, programmed sequences, and pulsating basslines to create a nostalgic yet danceable soundscape. Set against the backdrop of the pandemic and social movements in Peru, each track tells a story, featuring guest vocalists from the Peruvian independent scene, including Susana Fátima (Gomas), Noelia Cabrera (Blue Velvet, Silveria), Kat Kathia, Luxsie, Luminiscencia, Anabhell (Las Ratapunks), Laura Rosales (Solenoide), and Elva Cío (Specto Caligo). Singles No Cederé and Testamento define the project's dark and ethereal pop aesthetic. No Cederé, featuring Susana Fátima, critiques societal notions of success over an Italo disco and Hi-NRG beat. The track includes a remix by Italoconnection, the duo of Fred Ventura and Paolo Gozzetti, who take it into a hypnotic, spacey realm. Testamento, with Luminiscencia, reflects on the emotional weight of the pandemic, blending synthpop and ethereal pop. Other standout tracks include La ciudad de los incendios, a dystopian vision of Lima with dark disco rhythms, and Como la última vez, a synthpop-driven, melancholic song featuring Noelia Cabrera.

DJ Support: Support by Kenneth Bager, Colleen "Cosmo" Murphy, Phil Mison, Chris Coco, Erki Pruul, Steve Cobby, Max Essa, DJ Gripper, Phil Cooper, La Guardia De La Luz, Johan Blende, Bill Brewster, Mike Salta, Pete Herbert, DJ Dribbler / For Mankind and many more.



Greek duo Bonnie & Klein serve up an Aegean musical escape with their new Glam Pulse EP on Hell Yeah.

George Fountzoulas and Thanasis Skouzis are lifelong Balearic brothers who offer up their own soul-stirring take on the sound on labels like Music For Dreams and NuNorthern Soul. They are inspired by the sunsets and seas of their homeland and bring great imagination to their melodies as this new outing proves.

'Glam Pulse' sets a gorgeous tone from the off with wavy grooves and a peppering of percussion. As well as some singing guitar riffs, sundown synths and shimmering chords make this a steamy and seductive gem. 'Haleakala' is another perfect soundtrack to lazing on the beach and watching the sun sink into the sea while new age motifs wash over you and carry away your woes. Proggy guitars speak to the soul on 'Horizon Avenue' as woody xylophones and wispy leads ride on dubby bass and 'Sunion' closes with hints of melancholy - a lament for the final dance of a long hot summer with lingering trumpets lodging deep in your heart.

Bonnie & Klein tap into real Balearic magic on this EP and effortlessly transport you to a sandy paradise.

Emerging from the shadows with a sound both haunting and hypnotic, the mysterious one-man French act Closed Mouth (Yannick Rault) unveils You Don’t Need a God—an unrepeatable EP that stands as the spiritual heir to the legacy of compatriots Trisomie 21, Little Nemo, and Babel 17. With icy synths, ghostlike vocals, and melancholic guitar lines veiled in mist, this record conjures the same cinematic introspection that defined the golden era of European coldwave and post-punk. Each track plays like a transmission from a forgotten dream—enigmatic, emotional, and unmistakably timeless. This is not mere revivalism; this is the continuation of a mood, a vision, and a sound that still resonates with profound intensity. Presented in ONE-OFF truly limited edition of 300 copies lacquered pressed on 180 gr. high quality solid BLACK vinyl. All tracks have been specially remastered and mastered for vinyl by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios (Germany).

‘Maybe I’m Dreaming’ is the latest collection selected by Mikey Young (Total Control, EddyCurrent Suppression Ring) and Keith Abrahamsson (Founder and Head of A&R at AnthologyRecordings), the mangled minds behind the beloved ‘Follow the Sun’, ‘Sad About the Times’,and ‘…Still Sad’ compilations. The twenty tracks of ‘Maybe I’m Dreaming’ make a conscious(and unconscious) detour from its predecessors, sourced entirely from private press releases,spanning new decades and production modes within homespun folk, soft rock and otherwise70s and 80s FM radio adjacent music.  The magic of ‘Maybe I’m Dreaming’ is the untold story of the artists behind these songs; thosewho missed the big time, but whose song craft and unrequited care hit the right notes, bothhigh and low.
Where ‘Follow the Sun’ and ‘Sad About the Times’ introduced us to the fame chasing, ambitioncrashing crooners who missed their shot in the mainstream, ‘Maybe I’m Dreaming’ delvesdeeper into the isolated wilds - a private world where production quirks, late-night tape hiss andone-man studio dreams were not necessarily a choice but the hand that was dealt.
With the parameters set to ‘private press only’, Young and Abrahamsson follow a circuitous trailof invention and emotion, documenting a spirit that’s more homespun, sometimes lonelier andoften a little weirder. The guitars still strum, but the keyboards’ hum is more prevalent andprecious; wistful harmonies brush up against lo-fi drum machines; a bittersweet fog lingeringover even the brightest melodies.
As with their previous collaborations, Young and Abrahamsson weren’t interested inconstructing a museum or drafting a historical survey. ‘Maybe I’m Dreaming’ is a sentimentalmixtape, assembled late at night when the mind wanders and old memories blur with imaginedfutures, those within reach and those far too mysterious to ever encounter. Songs wereunearthed in personal collections, deep YouTube burrows, dilapidated web archives and thedim corners of Discogs, with many selections tied not only to intuition but to personalconnection.  Some tracks arrived via friends - Kelley Stoltz, a frequent guide for Young, tipped him off toboth Peter Kraemer’s lost gem ‘Let the Light Slip’ and Awakening’s revelatory closer - addingan unseen but deeply felt thread of camaraderie to the compilation.
The journey takes in a wide, strange sweep: The Watson Brothers Band’s ‘Just Whistle’ opensthe collection with a sigh and a shrug, a song that feels like it’s been waiting for decades to beheard again. Jim Huxley’s ‘Tessa on a Magazine’, rediscovered after a long and winding searchby Young, shimmers with a distinctly Australian melancholia. The heartbreak of Rick Penta’s‘My Story Changes’ and Twice As Nice’s delicate ‘Thoughts of You’ float easily alongside themore buoyant, radio-dream sheen of Barracuda’s ‘Baby I Love You’ and MAK’s sunshinedappled ‘That’s Life’.
Widening the aperture to the late 1970s and early 1980s allows for a deeper exploration intoevolving production techniques and musical technologies. The Squad’s ‘D.L.M.H.I.M.A.’ andChristoph Spendel Group’s ‘Forever’ crackle with the kind of bedroom synth warmth that couldonly come from the analogue age, while the soulful, yearning undercurrent of Awakening’s‘Gotta Do Somethin / Might As Well Cultivate’ caps the collection with a call for action - ormaybe just acceptance - in an accidental Brian Eno ‘Here Come the Warm Jets’ parroting.
While ‘Maybe I’m Dreaming’ moves away from the ‘sad man with guitar’ archetype that hoveredover its predecessors, it remains tethered to a familiar emotional gravity - a balance of longingand lightness that defines this corner of the musical universe. Each track shuffles gentlybetween resignation and hope, sadness and serenity, as if the artists themselves were chasinga dream just beyond reach, recording not for fame but for the simple act of getting it, thatprimal, creative itch, out into the world.
Available on CD and 2LP, featuring the third eye-opening artwork of Dang Wayne Olsen. Thedouble LP set arrives in an outrageous double-wide spine jacket with printed inners and adream journal entry by Pacific Northwest artifactual authority Josh Lewellen.

veins syncopating under your skin
not knowing how or from where
it washes over us, just that it stretches
light bulbs crashing in a storm slender
waxy petals of a wild plant splitting

gazing at a nocturnal ocean, ill-met by moonlight
this is where you spend your time
the taste of tangy citrus on your tongue
the pounding of familiar tools
sculpting deeper
the echoing of distant futures
in your ears

—
Ramble is the debut LP on vinyl from experimental electronic musician Sebastiano Carghini. An ambient-no-ambient journey, his sound art unfolds like a fractured memory loop—where degraded tape hiss, layered textures, drifting echoes, and minimalist pulses dissolve into a liminal, ever-shifting landscape of sonic perception. It is released by adventurous electronic music label topo2 on July 11, 2025. The record is pressed on 180 grams of ICCS-certified minty-ice colored bio-vinyl, housed in a heavy full-colour sleeve, and comes with a download-code to the full release. Mastering is done by Ike Zwanikken, artwork by courtesy of Tjobo Kho, and poetry written by Eelco Couvreur.

A disco-funk venture laced with balearic pop as nostalgic as it is buoyant, Dijon-based outfit FLAUR land their inaugural EP on Cosmocities Records. Comprised of three original songs shifting gears between electrifying grooves and washed-out downtempo, plus three remixes courtesy of Art of Tones, Gaettson and Faze Action, ‘Hold On’ speaks the language of lively waves and sun-streaked coasts. By turns explosive and contemplative, the duo’s vision covers a wide span of influences and styles, fusing Californian P-funk with a touch of Supertramp-esque disco and nuances of alternative pop lined with silky funk in the style of acclaimed Versailles band, Phoenix.

Full with suave Wurlitzer piano chords and ultra-syncopated slap bass, the lead-track ‘Hold On’ is an ode to 70s disco pop with its satiny textures, solar-powered melody and a swing bound to cause ravage on the dance floor. The perfect mix of luxuriant disco, vibrant boogie house and supra-sensual cosmic escapology. Even more elating, the layered funk of ’Now’ takes us into a choppy swirl of unshackled pizzicatos, iridescent envelopes and epic vocal flights. Recorded live at Mastoid Studio in Paris, ‘On My Mind’ trades the hi-velocity disco of the first two cuts for a poignant, introspective movement, revolving around the bewitching voice of Florian, a piano and riffs draped in melancholic reverbs. A sonic journey round the confines of soulful dream pop and further intimate songwriting.

In the hands of another rising Dijon-based artist, Gaettson, ‘On My Mind’ morphs into a dance floor-oriented missile, mixing a highly volatile strain of corrosive IDM, sharp breaks and nervy vocal samples. Remixing ‘Hold On’, South of France producer Art of Tones takes us on a proper cosmic trip, laying further emphasis on the original's funky impact through sun-drenched loops a la Alan Braxe and Fred Falke, and a buildup tailored for extended seaside afters; feet buried deep in the sand, head up in the clouds. UK groove legends Simon and Robin Lee, alias Faze Action, round off the package with a chiselled revamp of ’Now’. Slightly accelerated and built for the club, this remix treats us to a pure moment of dance-ready bliss, packed with sinuous rhythms, dynamic bass and fevered percussions.

Wer ROME seit der 20-jährigen Bandgeschichte verfolgt, wird nicht bestreiten können: Jerome Reuter ist immer für eine Überraschung gut. Sicher ist der Folk Noir, die düstere Liedermacherkunst mit Akustikgitarre und melancholischen Vocals, seine kreative Basis und Kontinuität. Doch immer wieder finden sich auf seinen Alben atmosphärische Ambienttracks – filmmusikartige Collage und Vertonungen der Konzeptthemen, die ROMEs Ursprung in der Post-Industrial-Culture belegen. Und immer wieder überschreitet er souverän die Grenze zu anderen Genres wie dem Post Punk und dem dunklen Elektropop. Statt luziden Akustikakkorden treten dann noisige, kalte Elemente ins Zentrum, martialische Samples, analoge Synthieklänge und programmierte Beats, die auch auf dem Szenedancefloor nicht stören würden.

„Terres de Sang“ ist nun anlässlich des 20-jährigen Bandjubiläums eine Kollektion von Songs und Instrumentals, die in diesen Versionen noch nicht erhältlich sind, sei es live oder in Remixen. Dazu kommen jene typischen ROME-Klangkollagen, die man von den Intros der Livekonzerte kennt. „Terres de Sang“ ist ein Füllhorn der unterschiedlichen Stile, Themen und Stimmungen, die ROME seit zwei Dekaden kennzeichnen. Daraus ergibt sich kein eigenständiges neues Album, aber ein ebenso spannendes wie unterhaltsames Kaleidoskop der unerschöpflichen Kreativität Jerome Reuters, das dem ROME-Sammler aus dem Herzen spricht. Darunter finden sich auch alternative Liveversionen von beliebten ROME-Hits wie „Das Feuerordal“, „Blighter“ und „Secret Germany“.

Erhältlich als:
- 2CD Digipak
- Schwarzes, 180 Gramm schweres 12“ Doppel-Vinyl, Extra audiophiler Tonträger von hoher Qualität - deutsche Pressung, Gatefold-Klappverpackung, Mehrfarbig bedruckte Innenhüllen, Limitiert auf 500 Exemplare

This new "Experimental Chapter" by DJ Narciso comes as no surprise, really. Autonomous in the motorization of his music, pushing for progress within the framework of an undeniable (inescapable?) heritage. Twisting and bending sound every step of the way, Narciso definitely keeps in touch with the dancefloor, offering the always much needed transcendence through distinctive, non-linear melodies and patterns. The artist pursues a direct link with bodies in motion but seldom in the expected, institutionalized way club culture is being largely promoted.

This is challenging dance music, proud statements of difference. Narciso's previous record was named "Diferenciado". Now we get "Dificuldades", a track that simultaneously carries the weight of being somewhat odd and the difficulties of life. Check how the piano is venting, freestyle, communicating a feeling, and then lets itself get stuck in a loop, but that's exactly when the groove really starts flowing. And then another layer. It's like direct speech.

A common assertion of pride is found in the origin of the artists. The ghetto as a place where any transformation projects more power precisely because of... inherent difficulties. As others (including himself) did in more or less obvious ways, Narciso clearly states "I come from the ghetto" ( "Não Sabes" ). Twice the value. At least. Almost every segment of music in this album ends up sounding heavily emotional, reaffirming what may be - perversely - a well-known characteristic of Portuguese music: melancholy.

"Não Quero" begins side B as a march maybe more significant than a thousand words, such is the ominous tone of its texture. Next track is another lunar tarraxo, pulling down the shades. Then, "Dor de Barriga" lets things loose again, steering clearly off road, shouting this way and that until a peaceful resolution comes. In "Livra-me Desta", vocal snippets blend into synth snippets, disembodied voices abandon all traces of humanity and finally mutate into different entities that, towards the end, again sound vaguely human but now we find ourselves doubting. Closer "Bob" is a rather classic percussion track with plenty of echo, reverb and an unconscious nod to dodecaphonic music. Unlikely? No, the structural ADN of this music is made up of elements western and eastern, southern and northern. To say all-over-the-place is usually not flattering but in this case the expression translates as wonder, surprise, The Unexpected, and reveals Narciso perfectly at ease inside the nucleus of creation.