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Mit „Everything’s Falling“ zeigen The Warning eindrucksvoll, warum sie zu den spannendsten Stimmen im
modernen Rock zählen. Das Latin-Grammy-nominierte Schwestertrio aus Monterrey, Mexiko, verbindet
Alternative Rock, Hard Rock und Metal zu einem kraftvollen Sound, der von starken Riffs und eingängigen
Melodien geprägt ist. Bekannt geworden durch ihr virales „Enter Sandman“-Cover, haben sich Daniela,
Paulina und Alejandra längst als eigenständige Künstlerinnen, mit einer internationalen Fanbase, in der
Rockszene etabliert.
Auf ihrem fünften Studioalbum „Everything’s Falling“ setzen sich The Warning mit inneren Konflikten,
Ängsten und Selbstzweifeln auseinander und verwandeln diese Themen in energiegeladene Songs mit ungefilterter Ehrlichkeit.

Die Transparent Blue Vinyl-Edition der auf Act Music erschienenen "Endless" LP von Adam Bałdych European Quartet ist erschienen.

Das Album dokumentiert ein kammermusikalisch geprägtes Quartett, das Adam Bałdych mit drei ausgewiesenen Persönlichkeiten der europäischen Improvisationsszene versammelt: Daniele di Bonaventura am Bandoneon, Jacob Karlzon am Klavier und Michel Benita am Kontrabass. Diese Besetzung öffnet einen weiten Klangraum, in dem Streichergesten auf die dunkleren, erzählerischen Farben des Bandoneons und das harmonische Feingefühl des Klaviers treffen. Konzertankündigungen und Pressetexte nennen die beteiligten Musiker und stellen die gemeinsame Arbeit als zentrales Element des Projekts heraus.

Musikalisch führt "Endless" die Ausdrucksformen zusammen, die Baldych über Jahre geprägt haben: die Verschmelzung von jazzimprovisatorischer Freiheit mit Elementen der europäischen klassischen Tradition und Anklängen an Renaissance-Polyphonie. Die Arrangements setzen auf dichte, dialogische Interaktion und erlauben solistischen Entfaltungsraum bei gleichzeitigem Fokus auf feine dynamische Nuancen. Typisch für Baldych ist die Kombination aus virtuoser Artikulation und lyrischem Tonfluss, wodurch der Violinklang zur treibenden Stimme einer kammermusikalischen Erzählung wird.

Am 15. Februar 2026 feierte Posaunist und Sänger Nils Landgren seinen 70. Geburtstag – wie es sich für einen der erfolgreichsten europäischen Musiker seines Fachs gehört mit einem oppulenten Orchesteralbum »Love of My Life« und einer Tour durch die großen Konzerthäuser.

ACT-Gründer, Förderer und Freund Siggi Loch machte Nils Landgren ein besonderes Geschenk: Einen Abend in der von ihm kuratierten Reihe »Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic« im großen Saal der Berliner Philharmonie. Im ersten Teil des Konzertes spielten Mitglieder der ACT Family für »Mr. Red Horn«.

Nach der Pause betrat Nils Landgren unter großem Jubel selbst die Bühne – mit einem exklusiven Programm, dass seinem großen Idol und Weggefährten Joe Sample gewidmet war. Mit dabei: Michael Wollny, Lars Danielsson, Wolfgang Haffner, China Moses und Mitglieder der Berliner Philharmoniker mit Arrangements von Magnus Lindgren.

Es wurde eine Soul-Jazz-Party im Klassiktempel, bei der am Ende der ganze Saal tanzte – jetzt nachzuhören auf »Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic – Nils Landgren 70«

En Direct presents “No More Spectacles”, the fourth release from one of the finest electro EBM projects worldwide. With this new work, En Direct leans further into a sharper and more emotionally charged EBM sound while making clear they do not renounce their roots as the driving force behind the influential electro imprint Clear Memory. The record is infused with strong post- punk overtones, somewhere between the cold intensity of classic body music and the melancholic tension of post-punk reimagined through EBM structures. No More Spectacles delivers a sound that feels both immediate and deeply atmospheric. Drill-like kicks hammer through the mix while distorted basslines split the tracks wide open, locking into martial and commanding vocal lines that push the energy forward with relentless precision. Mechanical yet deeply human, the record balances darkness, groove, and emotional weight with remarkable control. Built for strobe-lit floors and restless bodies, “No More Spectacles” confirms En Direct as masters of a sound where post- punk sensibility and EBM functionality collide at full force. 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).

5 x LP
60-page hardback book
Black vinyl
Printed labels
Printed inners
Slipcase
A2 poster
Slipmat

Originally released in 1990 by Happy Mondays, Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches captured the chaotic, euphoric spirit of the Madchester movement, blending indie rock, acid house rhythms and funk grooves into a sound that helped reshape British alternative music. Featuring era-defining tracks such as “Step On” and “Kinky Afro,” the record became both a commercial breakthrough and a cultural snapshot of a generation fuelled by dance culture and Northern nightlife.

More than three decades later, its grooves, attitude and genre-blurring production still resonate strongly with contemporary audiences, influencing modern indie and electronic artists alike.

5LP Edition. All original audio remastered from Factory Records master tapes. Includes original album, Hallelujah + Madchester Rave On, Baby Big Head Bootleg Album (Live at Elland Road, 1991), classic and new remixes, 60-page hardback book with brand new essays from James Brown and Central Station designers, fold-out A2 tour poster and Madchester slipmat.

The fourth chapter of The Third Room's curator-led series is shaped by Freddy K, one of techno's most enduring and uncompromising voices. Through decades behind the decks, an unwavering commitment to vinyl culture and his work with Key Vinyl, he has helped shape a generation of artists rooted in functionality, precision and a direct connection to the dancefloor. For his curation, the focus lies on alignment. The selection brings together artists who reflect that same discipline: a reduced but expressive approach, stripped to essentials yet rich in detail. With contributions from Toobris and Sons of Hidden, both previously featured on Key Vinyl, the release also reflects the long-standing artistic relationships behind his vision. Bat by Toobris opens the record with a powerful, straightforward statement. Driven by a steady pulse and minimal elements, the track feels alive through its control - direct, efficient and highly expressive without excess. Before Mirrors by Sons of Hidden continues this direction while expanding into a more spheric space. Tension is held consistently, with subtle accents carefully placed to shift the energy and draw the listener deeper into the track. On the B-side, Clouds Cream by Quelza stands out as a more intricate and exploratory piece. Deep and immersive, it unfolds through detailed sound design and evolving structures. Rather than relying on repetition alone, the track develops its own internal logic - balancing complexity with clarity, and allowing each element the space to contribute to a larger whole. Closing the record, Swing of Time by Jin Synth shifts into a rougher, more moody territory. Subtle pitch modulation and shifting textures create a sense of instability, giving the track a distinctive edge while maintaining its functionality. Across all four tracks, the release remains focused and cohesive - built on reduction, tension and control, but carried by small, defining moments that shape its movement. A1 Written and Produced by Lennard Miessner | A2 Written and Produced by Sons Of Hidden | B1 Written and Produced by Leo Na?t A?ssa | B2 Written and Produced by Jin Synth Mastered by Ahmet Sisman (The Third Room Studios) Artwork by Charlotte Ernst Design by Daniel Bornmann (STUEDIO.XYZ) Distribution by Clone Pressing by Matter Of Fact

Die Essenz des modernen Gothic Rock auf einer LP! „Gothic Spirits – Best Of Vol. 1“ vereint eine handverlesene Auswahl der besten Songs des Genres und bietet atmosphärische Klangwelten, kraftvolle Gitarren, epische Melodien und unverwechselbare Stimmen.

Freuen Sie sich auf musikalische Highlights von Szenegrößen wie Beyond The Black, Xandria, Therion, Sirenia und Exit Eden sowie weiteren namhaften Künstlern der Gothic- und Symphonic-Metal-Szene. Diese Compilation ist der perfekte Begleiter für langjährige Fans und alle, die die faszinierende Welt des Gothic Rock und Metal neu entdecken möchten.

Black Screen Records once again teams up with composer Chris Christodoulou and Hopoo Games for a vinyl repress of the classic original soundtrack to Risk of Rain 2. At the request of Christodoulou, the new edition of the triple vinyl comes on heavy 180g black wax, the way he enjoys the format the most. The set is housed in a beautiful trifold sleeve with the original artwork illustrated by Italian artist Daniele Giardini. All 20 songs have been carefully remastered by Christian Bethge (Risk of Rain, Deadbolt, Divinity: Original Sin II, A Plague Tale) for the vinyl format. With Risk of Rain 2 the classic multiplayer rogue-like returns with an extra dimension and more challenging action. No run will ever be the same with randomized stages, enemies, bosses, and items. Play solo, or team up with up to four friends to fight your way through hordes of monsters, unlock new loot, and find a way to escape the planet. In his third collaboration with Hopoo Games, Chris Christodoulou returns to the Risk of Rain franchise adding another dimension to the game's music-verse. This two-hour-long genre-bending release spans from foreboding electronica to pounding progressive metal and features all music from the game and then some.

ROSE KEELER-SCHAFFELER

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE

Magic Hollow (MH002)

Before we learn language, we learn the voice.

Universal Language is the second release on Magic Hollow and an exploration of the voice before song and before speech. Written and recorded during pregnancy and early motherhood, Rose Keeler-Schaffeler's album draws inspiration from the earliest forms of human communication: coos, cries, sighs and instinctive vocalisations that precede language yet already contain the seeds of music.

Best known as Keel Her, the cult DIY songwriter, producer and NTS Radio DJ whose fiercely independent body of work helped define a generation of bedroom pop, Rose reveals a strikingly different side of her musical practice here. Produced by Daniel O'Sullivan, Universal Language places the human voice at its centre, treating it not as a vehicle for lyrics but as the raw material from which music, language and relationships emerge.

With the exception of a handful of bass vocal parts performed by O'Sullivan, every voice heard on the album is Rose's own.

Across twelve meticulously composed pieces, layered vocal arrangements intertwine with subtle electronics, tape manipulation, synthesizers and understated drum machines. At times the music evokes the luminous purity of medieval sacred music; elsewhere voices dissolve into hazy ambient textures or unfold through hypnotic loops that blur the distinction between singer, choir and atmosphere.

The album was recorded during the first year of her son’s life. Many of its melodic contours and vocal gestures were inspired directly by his earliest sounds. His pre-linguistic attempts at communication became compositional material, guiding Rose towards a deeper exploration of the voice at its point of origin.

Deeply personal yet reaching towards something universal, Universal Language is a meditation on the human voice: our first instrument, our first language and our first experience of belonging.

Fourteen years after its original release, Dux Content returns with a newly remastered version of Lifestyle, the cult album by A. G. Cook and Danny L Harle.
Around its initial release, very little information existed about Dux Content beyond the description “audience entertainment specialists”. Lifestyle was initially self-released in 2012, before a limited reissue from PC Music in 2013 as a digital download, continuous mix, and video by Daniel Swan.
Lifestyle remains a remarkably singular and forward-thinking record, capturing a slice of Cook and Harle’s formative years. The album contains unmistakable traces of the musical sensibilities and maximalist production that would later define the pair as highly influential figures in contemporary and experimental pop.

A. G. Cook is an artist, producer and songwriter best known as the founder of influential record label PC Music and for his work as executive producer for Charli xcx on the albums BRAT, Charli, Pop 2, Number 1 Angel and the forthcoming Music, Fashion, Film. Other credits include work with Beyoncé, Hikaru Utada, Oklou and Turnstile.
Danny L Harle is a music producer and composer, and founding member of PC Music. His work includes executive producer credits for Caroline Polachek’s albums Pang and Desire, I Want to Turn Into You, as well as collaborations with Dua Lipa, Clairo, Carly Rae Jepsen and PinkPantheress. This year, he released his album Cerulean via XL.

Katatonia released their seismic opus, ‘The Fall Of Hearts’, in 2016 to chart & media success; reaching #1 in the USA Heatseekers & #5 in the USA Hard Rock charts, #2 in Sweden's Hard Rock chart, #3 in Canada's Hard Rock chart, #4 in the UK's Rock & Metal chart, #6 in Finland, #11 in Germany & saw success in Australia with their first ever chart entry.

Katatonia had worked tirelessly touring the world since 2012's ‘Dead End Kings’, as well as expanding their fanbase through two albums on Kscope, Peaceville's sister label. 2013 saw the release of ‘Dethroned & Uncrowned’, which exploded the core of the songs on ‘Dead End Kings’ creating new moods & textures. Both releases illustrated the band’s journey toward ‘The Fall Of Hearts’, which featured a more progressive sound, a sound which provoked The Guardian to refer to the band as "bridging of the gap between metal & modern prog."

‘The Fall Of Hearts’ was the first record to feature new drummer Daniel ’Mojjo’ Moilanen with the addition of their then recently recruited guitarist Roger Öjersson (Blindead 23, ex-Tiamat), who sprinkled some blistering solos on the album. With this release, Katatonia continued to push their musical boundaries beyond the metal scene whilst drawing in new fans from across the musical spectrum, putting them on par with peers such as Opeth & Anathema, cementing their place as one of the most revered & cherished bands in modern heavy music.

This special & limited tenth anniversary pressing of 'The Fall Of Hearts' is presented on double pearl dawn vinyl, & includes gatefold sleeve.

“Wavebreaker” is a magnificent post-punk and minimal wave album originally self-released in 2024 by Orus Boris — a brilliant work that unquestionably deserved a proper vinyl edition for both its musical depth and outstanding technical quality. Built around a truly exceptional production, “Wavebreaker” moves in line with the finest contemporary wave sounds while constantly expanding its own universe. The album never feels nostalgic or predictable. Instead, it reshapes its influences into something fluid, sharp, and deeply personal, refusing to remain confined to a single language. Alongside its minimal wave foundations, the record introduces subtle incursions into darker electronic territories such as dark electro aesthetics, making each track feel unexpected and constantly evolving. Melancholy collides with tension, elegance with aggression, precision with emotional weight. The result is an immersive and surprising listening experience from beginning to end—a remarkable work that confirms Orus Boris as one of the most exciting and essential voices to follow within the new wave underground. 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).

Leading Danish contemporary jazz label April Records is proud to present Well, actually..., the third album from Polish acoustic jazz quartet O.N.E. Grounded in the spirit of democracy andcollective improvisation, the album offers a tightly woven set of original compositions that blur the lines between modal jazz lyricism and the raw energy of free improvisation.The band name O.N.E. is a clever double entendre: in Polish, "one" (pronounced oh-neh) means "they" in the feminine plural - an apt nod to the all-female lineup. In English, of course, it signifies unity. Both meanings reflect the band"s egalitarian, leaderless approach and cohesive group sound.Almost three years after the recording of their previous release Entoloma(Audio Cave), the group reunited in December 2024 at Studio S4 in Warsaw to record a fresh set of ten compositions. Spread over two sides, the album captures the continued evolution of a band that thrives on interaction, trust, and shared purpose - even in a society fractured by post-pandemic socio-economic uncertainty and political ambiguity. Featuring contributions from all four members - pianist Kateryna Ziabliuk, saxophonist Monia Muc, bassist Kamila Drabek, and drummer Patrycja Wybranczyk - the recordreflects their commitment to artistic democracy. Each voice is given space, yet the music always feels greater than the sum of its parts. Even on the miniature solo track solo form, the other three players remain present, supportive, and responsive. From Ziabliuk"s percussive piano textures and dreamlike voicings on tracks like Osloand Berio, to Muc"s expressive, woody tone on alto and baritone sax, each piece explores dynamic interplay and shifting emotional landscapes. Drabek"s resonant, grounded bass - by turns lyrical and propulsive - provides a central thread, while Wybranczyk"s drumming fizzes with precision and imagination, as heard on Cipherand the angular closer Sneaking Around.Together, these four distinctive creative forces have developed a shared language built on mutual respect, long-term collaboration, and deep listening. Their concerts across Europe (including Jazzahead, B-Jazz, Umea, and the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival) haveaffirmed their standing as a boundary-pushing group with something new to say.








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Terence Fixmer Reimagines Chris Liebing & Luke Slater's 'Double Split' for CLR. Fixmer's remixes of Liebing/Slater's collaboration from the former's 'Evolver' LP release on 31st July.

Terence Fixmer has delivered two remixes of Chris Liebing and Luke Slater's 'Double Split' track, one of a handful of collaborations on Liebing's first-ever solo LP, 'Evolver', which was released in March this year. Having contributed to the LP as a member of The Alte Stuben Modular Ensemble, a super-group featuring Liebing, Daniel Miller, and Pascal Gabriel, Fixmer is a fitting choice to remix 'Double Split'.

Fixmer has been evolving his sound for more than 25 years. From deep and mind-bending to experimental and soulful, he is a visionary who has been hugely prolific, with many standout LPs and EPs on labels such as Mute Records, Novamute, Ostgut Ton, and Planete Rouge Records.

Fixmer's first 'Double Split' remix is inspired by the energy of the original, but focused on dubbier, hypnotic vibes. Strident drums and clattering percussion are stark by design, but smoky vocals and eerie synths hang in the air, bringing a bleak human futurism over all-consuming bass. Then comes the Melting Mind rework, which is boiled down to a handful of key elements, not least the original's penetrating acid line. It's an immersive, late-night dive that locks you in a state of constant motion and unrelenting pressure. The original from Chris Liebing and Luke Slater, a dark and futuristic roller with automated drums and layers of rusty synths encircled by acidic gurgles, completes the package.

Das akustische Instrumental-Album "Daniel" erweitert die Welt jenseits der Betonschluchten und Überführungen von LA hin zum pulsierenden, brodelnden Meer des Lebens, das Mexiko-Stadt ist, bis hin zur kargen, hügeligen Landschaft von Red Cloud, Nebraska. An jedem dieser Orte war der ständige Begleiter eine Nylonsaiten-Akustikgitarre - mit einer eigenen, weitgereisten Geschichte. "Es war die Gitarre meines Vaters", erinnert sich Danny Garcia, der Mann hinter dem Reverend. "Vor ein paar Jahren habe ich herausgefunden, dass sie auch meinem Großvater gehörte." Seit seiner Kindheit allgegenwärtig, hat die mexikanische Akustikgitarre für Garcia mit jedem Jahr an Bedeutung gewonnen. Stunden um Stunden des Spielens, Reisens und des Einhauchens von Leben in ihr Griffbrett haben sie sowohl zu einem Werkzeug als auch zu einem Talisman gemacht. "Da ist diese offensichtliche Abstammungslinie, die Familie und die Verbindung_ diese Verbindung durch die Geschichte", vertraut Garcia an. "Es ist sozusagen das einzige Familienerbstück, das ich habe." In der letzten Zeit hat all dieses Spielen (oder Herumklimpern, wie Danny es nennt) Reverend Baron dazu gebracht, einem Klang nachzujagen - einem, der die Ursprünge der Gitarre Lügen straft. Es ist ein Klang, den er von Zeit zu Zeit hörte, und als es darum ging, "Daniel" aufzunehmen, war dieser Klang sein wahrer magnetischer Nordpol (oder Südpol, sozusagen). Wenn du dich durch "Daniel" hörst, wirst du Anklänge an die Gitarrentöne von Antonio Bribiesca und Luiz Bonfa hören. Wenn du tiefer gräbst, wirst du auch die Grundzüge der Gitarrentexturen von Townes Van Zandt und Nick Drake erkennen. Ohne deren Virtuosität in seinem Spiel für sich zu beanspruchen, ergänzen die Seele und die Verletzlichkeit, die zu Markenzeichen der ersten beiden Reverend-Baron-Alben geworden sind, diese Einflüsse. Es liegt eine Wärme in "Daniel", die in diesen akustischen Meditationen im Mittelpunkt steht. Von kurzen, fließenden Momenten wie "El Monte" und "How Glad" bis hin zum hoch-einsamen "Muchacho" schweben die Songs wie Cumuluswolken über einem tiefblauen Himmel.

LIMITED INITIAL COPIES - NO REPRESS CONFIRMED**

Daniel Avery returns to the dancefloor with a razor-sharp two-track EP aimed squarely at the late-night hours, for the first release on Delta Park.

'Lemon' leads the charge — a bruising, unrelenting cut that channels the industrial techno pulse at the core of Avery's sound. On the flip, 'Satisfied' offers a counterpoint: still unmistakably club-focused, but more fluid and hypnotic and for spins as you delve into the wee hours of the morning.

Puerta Negra presents “Metafísica”, the third chapter in the project’s subversive and revolutionary sonic vision. Moving again through the outer edges of EBM, industrial funk, and mutant electronics, the new EP channels the raw physicality of contemporary American body music, aligned with acts such as High-Functioning Flesh or Spike Hellis, alongside the fractured futurism of late-’80s Cabaret Voltaire and its mutant new beat mutations. The result is tense, hypnotic, and deeply confrontational. At the center of the record are the stripped-down, unfiltered vocals of María Aguirre, moving through broken, hallucinogenic rhythms that continuously destabilize and reconstruct the groove. Mechanical yet visceral, cold yet intensely human, the tracks unfold like transmissions from a collapsing future. With “Metafísica”, Puerta Negra continues to push its singular language forward: radical avant-garde body music for the most restless corners of the underground — perfectly suited to ignite a revolution. 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).

For Love of Grace & the Hereafter is the sixth studio album from beloved Danish quintet Iceage. Across the sprawling, twelve song arc of the album, love variously retaliates and retreats in an eternal tango, Elias Rønnenfelt's lyrics burn with apocalyptic intimacy while the band manically maneuvers around their shape-shifting brand of feral post-punk. Produced by Iceage and longtime collaborator Nis Bysted, the album threatens to bite back if bitten, thriving in the haunted shadows with streetwise, saintly splendor.

Following the solid showing of global love and support for the collective Point Winona Sound Library Vol 1, LA’s Elbow Grease label runs it back with a sultry summer scene LP entry from one of the compilation’s most promising new talents.
Nashville-born/LA-bred Michael Griffin aka Gryph’s aptly-titled debut album Nash Angeles is a rare and refreshing example of true musical worlds colliding, that never loses focus of keeping the big fun in funky. The Tennessee-raised rock and blues guitarist/singer-songwriter’s newfound passion for dance music roots and devotion to the sonic feels of his current Cali home base are on full display here. Along with the studio-ace touches of co-producer Dave Aju and a cast of brilliant feature vocalists and live session musicians, the LP offers up only the most adventurous twists on contemporary genre fusion - from disco to dub, modern soul to post-punk, italo to r&b, and jazz-funk to classic house music, all while firing loved-up arrows straight through the hearts of any dance floors or fellow party animals, just in time for open-air bbq season
Already in heavy support rotation by legends such as: Glenn Underground, Francois K, Bill Brewster, Daniele Baldelli, Pete Herbert, Louise Chen, Graeme Park, Felix Joy, DJ Rocca, Massimiliano Pagliara, and many more..

Der Erfinder der "Infinite Guitar", der kanadische Musiker Michael Brook, schuf mit seinem 1992 bei 4AD erschienenen Album Cobalt Blue eine zeitlose und leise überwältigende Sammlung instrumentaler Stücke und schimmernder Klanglandschaften. Mit Beiträgen des Ambient-Pioniers Brian Eno, des Komponisten und Multiinstrumentalisten Roger Eno sowie des Grammy-prämierten Produzenten Daniel Lanois. Live at the Aquarium, später im selben Jahr aufgenommen, dokumentiert einen seltenen Soloauftritt Brooks in London und hebt das hypnotische Sustain und die atmosphärische Tiefe hervor, die sein Werk prägen. Über seine Alben hinaus komponierte Brook Filmmusiken für gefeierte Filme wie Into the Wild, Brooklyn und An Inconvenient Truth. Neu remastert von Rashad Becker und präsentiert als kristallklares 2LP-Set mit Artwork von Alison Fielding auf Basis der originalen v23-Designs, markiert diese Veröffentlichung die erste Vinyl-Wiederauflage von Cobalt Blue sowie das Vinyl-Debüt von Live at the Aquarium - eine längst überfällige Würdigung eines unterschätzten Juwels im 4AD-Katalog.

Der Name Packaging mag eine zynische Einstellung zur Musikindustrie vermuten lassen, aber die Musik, die das Duo Daniel Lyon (Spirit Award) und Daniel ,Connor" Birch (Flaural) macht, ist alles andere als zynisch. Stattdessen ist es eine leidenschaftliche Verschmelzung von Elementen aus ihren ganz eigenen Stilen: krautrockige Rhythmen, psychedelische Klänge, elektronische Pracht und eingängige Melodien, gewürzt mit einer Prise spritziger Selbstwahrnehmung. Ihr Debütalbum, Packaging, ist eine Sammlung emotional berührender Songs über Entfremdung, Langeweile und rastlose Bewegung. Mit dabei sind mehrere musikalische Mitwirkende, darunter Luke Temple (Here We Go Magic), Ash Reiter (Sugar Candy Mountain), James Barone (Beach House) und Andy Rauworth (Gauntlet Hair). Das Album ist, genau wie eine echte Verpackung, ein haptisches Erlebnis. Vom herzklopfenden Rausch von ,Running Through the Airport" und ,In My Pocket" bis hin zur benommenen Melancholie von ,Didn't Wanna Stay" und dem leise erschütternden ,On Holiday" verbinden Lyon und Birch ihre Talente auf eine Weise, die sie gegenseitig zu neuen emotionalen Höhen treibt. Unheimlich für alle Beteiligten schien sich ein glücklicher Zufall über das Projekt zu legen: keine Herausforderungen, keine Probleme, nur unheimliche Zufälle und intuitives Schaffen.

Erweiterte Vinyl-Edition mit Gatefold-Hülle und 20-seitigem Booklet mit seltenen Fotos, Songtexten und neuen Liner Notes von Danielle Maggio, die Betty interviewt hat. LP gepresst auf Pearl Flip / Horizon Color Vinyl. Das 1974 erschienene zweite Album ,They Say I'm Different" der Punk-Funk-Provokateurin Betty Davis besticht durch ein futuristisches Cover, das es wert ist, eingerahmt zu werden, und das David Bowies Science-Fiction-Funk mit echtem rockigem Soul-Feuer herausfordert. Den Auftakt bilden die wild-sexuellen ,Shoo-B-Doop" und ,Cop Him" (später von Ice Cube gesampelt), dazu gesellen sich Klassiker wie ,Don't Call Her No Tramp" und der urkomische, harte, tiefe Funk von ,He Was A Big Freak".

Der Singer-Songwriter Max Subar aus Chicago legte den Grundstein für ,Anything Could Be", sein Debütalbum, in einem Haus am Ufer eines zugefrorenen Sees in Wisconsin. Subar kehrte zu der klanglichen und geistigen Landschaft zurück, die er während der ersten zehntägigen Session geschaffen hatte, und blieb ganz im Moment, indem er nur dann arbeitete, wenn er sich wirklich voll und ganz darauf einlassen konnte. Die meisten der zusätzlichen Sessions, die dem Album Textur und Farbe verleihen, wurden in Subars Heimstudio aufgenommen, in demselben Haus, in dem Case Oats, die von Casey Gomez-Walker geleitete Band, in der Subar Gitarre spielt, ihr 2025er Debüt ,Last Missouri Exit" aufnahmen. Sein Bruder, Sam Subar, spielte Schlagzeug. Weitere Instrumentierung kommt von den Case Oats Bandkollegen Spencer Tweedy (Schlagzeug bei ,I Never" und ,Way Up"), Jason Ashworth (Kontrabass) und Scott Daniel (Violine) sowie den häufigen Mitarbeitern Chet Zenor (E-Gitarre), Kelly Hannemann (Klavier) und Sarah Weddle (Vibraphon, Orgel und E-Piano). Die Arrangements, die dabei entstanden, sind großzügig und erhellend und verleihen den Grundzügen der Live-Gitarren- und Gesangsaufnahmen von ,Anything Could Be" Substanz, ohne dabei ihre Spontaneität zu opfern. Im Ergebnis ein fesselndes, offenherziges Debüt, das mit dem Hörer wächst und Zeit und aufmerksames Zuhören belohnt. Seine 11 Songs sind durchdrungen von dem, was die Dichterin Adrienne Rich ,eine wilde Geduld" nannte, einer radikalen Stille, die selbst eine Reise hin zu Bewusstsein, Frieden und Selbstwahrnehmung ist. Es macht keine Versprechungen darüber, was als Nächstes kommt. Dennoch lässt es die Hörer in atemloser Vorfreude darauf zurück, was das sein mag.

Berlin, späte 1960er Jahre: Eine geteilte Stadt wird zum Epizentrum einer musikalischen Revolution. Inmitten der Spannungen des Kalten Krieges trat eine Gruppe junger Klangforscher auf den Plan, um die Grenzen der Rockmusik neu zu definieren. Agitation Free, 1967 gegründet, war nie nur eine Band, sondern ein Labor für "Bewegung, Unruhe und Veränderung" - so die Definition des Wortes "Agitation", die ihr Mentor Folke Hanfeld in einem Lexikon gefunden hatte. Von Anfang an fungierte Agitation Free als Knotenpunkt der aufkeimenden "Berliner Schule" der elektronischen Musik. Ihre frühen Proben im Electronic Beat Studio unter der Leitung von Thomas Kessler wurden zum Anziehungspunkt für andere Legenden wie Tangerine Dream und Ash Ra Tempel. Gleichzeitig dienten sie als Sprungbrett für Ausnahmetalente wie Christopher "Chris" Franke (Tangerine Dream) oder den Gitarristen Axel "Ax" Genrich (Guru Guru). Während die Studioalben "Malesch" (1972) und "2nd" (1973) von Agitation Free Meilensteine des Genres sind, war die Bühne der Ort, an dem das "Free" in ihrem Namen wirklich zum Leben erwachte. Ihre Konzerte waren avantgardistische Erlebnisse, die Flüssiglicht-Shows und Experimentalfilme mit hypnotischen, langgezogenen instrumentalen Improvisationen verbanden. Ein Beispiel hierfür ist ihr neues Live-Dokument "Live in Berlin" vom 1. Dezember 2025 aus dem Berliner Kesselhaus, auf dem das aktuelle Line-up zu hören ist: die Gründungsmitglieder Lutz "Lüül" Graf-Ulbrich und Burghard Rausch sowie Michael Hoenig, der sich zwar vom Live-Betrieb zurückgezogen hat, aber "Spiritus Rector" der Band bleibt, zusammen mit Daniel Cordes, Axel Heilhecker und Tim Sund. Wie Michael Hoenig einmal feststellte, ist die Musik von Agitation Free eine "Zeitmaschine, die Vergangenheit und Zukunft verbindet". Die Magie lebt weiter.

Byard Lancaster released no less than 4 albums on the Palm Records, label in the 1970s: Us, Mother Africa, Exactement and Funny Funky Rib Crib. On Exactement, Lancaster performs alone for the most part– swapping instruments and occasionally joined by percussionist Keno Speller.

At the beginning of the 1960s, at the Berklee College of Music, Byard Lancaster met some feisty friends: Sonny Sharrock, Dave Burrell and Ted Daniel. It is easy to see why he rapidly became involved in free jazz. Once he was settled in New York, he appeared on Sunny Murray Quintet, recorded under the leadership of the drum crazy colleague of Albert Ayler.

In 1968, the saxophonist and flutist recorded his first album under his own name: It’s Not Up To Us. The following year he came to Paris in the wake of… Sunny Murray. He would come back to France in 1971 (again with Murray) and in 1973 (without Murray for a change). This is when he met Jef Gilson, the pianist and producer who encouraged him to record under his own name again.

On Palm Records (Gilson’s label), he would release no less than four albums: Us, Mother Africa, Exactement and Funny Funky Rib Crib. The recording of Exactement required two sessions in the studio: on the 1st February and the 18th May 1974 – in between the two dates, Lancaster recorded, alongside Clint Jackson, the excellent Mother Africa.

On the cover of Exactement, there are two names: Lancaster (Byard) and Speller (Keno). OK. But for what reason ‘Exactement’? Perhaps because Byard Lancaster wanted to be precise, moving regularly from one instrument to another: piano, to begin, which was the first instrument he learned. Sur "“Sweet Evil Miss Kisianga”", his inspiration is first and foremost Coltrane (even if leaning more towards Alice than John) but this announces the storm to follow.

It is Lancaster’s horn-playing which really stands out: on alto (the sound of which is transformed by an octavoice on one track, "Dr. Oliver W. Lancaster") or soprano saxophones, as well as on flute or bass clarinet, the musician walks a tightrope making the most of all the risks he takes. Using the full register of his instruments, he has fun with the possibilities.

Then, Lancaster invokes or evokes Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy and even Prokofiev, before even going into a danse alongside Keno Speller on percussion. But above all he makes us aware of a unique sound. We can go on to say that on "Exactement", that perhaps Byard Lancaster, on whatever instrument and by continually seeking, ends up always hitting the right note… ends up by playing exactement the note he had to play.

and the second chapter in an ongoing improvisational document recorded inside one of Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s abandoned oil tanks.

Gaf & The Love Supreme Arkestra work outside conventional studio frameworks. Their music emerges from extended improvisation sessions that unfold sporadically, sometimes over several days. Built around drums, guitar, bass, modular synthesis and samplers, and expanded with vibraphone and winds (flutes, saxophone, Herreño whistle), the group continues to move between jazz, psychedelic rock and free-form experimental composition.

While Ganzfeld drew from the misty northern coast of Isla Baja, Retiro Espiritual turns toward Taganana, one of Tenerife’s most remote regions. Its isolation, Atlantic exposure and volcanic terrain inform the record’s pace and focus. The title reflects this shift: a space for retreat, collective creation and suspended time.

Sonically, Retiro Espiritual leans warmer and more reflective. Flutes drift over slow grooves, extended jams unfold patiently, and traces of 70s spiritual jazz surface throughout. The experimental core remains, now shaped by repetition, space and a calmer, sunlit atmosphere.

Another autonomous transmission from a band committed to ritual, territory and long-form collective improvisation at the edge of the Atlantic.
—
Recorded live in 2020 in Tenerife Canary Islands
Produced by Mladen Kurajica
Mixed by Jorge Lozano
Master by Daniel García
Artwork Felipe González Cabezas

5 ausgewählte Maxi Singles in einer Box. Eine limitierte Sonderauflage für unsere vielen treuen Fans.

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Themes of birds and flying are woven throughout the album, which includes traditional songs such as "Peace Like a River" and "Little Bird, Little Bird," as well as favorites by Bob Marley, Lou Reed, Vashti Bunyan, and Woody Guthrie. Joined by her family, including her daughter Storey and husband and Ida bandmate Daniel Littleton, Mitchell crafts an inviting, homespun sound that draws young listeners in with its warmth and tenderness. To celebrate the landmark album's 20th anniversary in 2026, it has been reissued by Smithsonian Folkways on LP for the first time.

The band was founded by Miriana Santamaria (vocals and bass) and Daniel Sick (guitar), both formerly of VoodooPank. They were soon joined by Micol Ottina (drums), who was replaced in 2022 by Eugenio Bordacconi. After a period of live performances in the Macerata area and two EPs, the power trio signed with Overdub Recordings, on which their debut album "Manaus" (2024) will be released. Their influences range from the heavy rock of Pentagram to Blue Oyster Cult, from TAD to Spaceman 3. Dystopian, swirling guitars create a claustrophobic atmosphere, guided by an ethereal yet raw voice: an alternation of drawn- out, dreamlike moments and tight, relentless passages.

RAWAX welcomes Jay Tripwire & Maher Daniel to the artist Family!
happy to present you this with their fabulous release called "Low and Slow".
Subtile minimal techno at it's best.
Highly recommended!

Ondanaconda does not compose with the jaw harp, but through it. For their self-titled debut album, the quartet turns this lamellophone, often perceived as archaic, into the record"s sole sound source. Found for centuries across continents, from Asia to Europe, the jaw harp is played against the teeth, using the mouth as a resonating chamber, shaping sound through breath and bodily movement. Here, amplified, prepared and sometimes pushed to its limits, it becomes percussion, bass, drone and texture - a true mouth synthesizer with vast possibilities. Between performance and trance, Ondanaconda crafts an unidentified sonic object, somewhere between collective ritual and raw electroacoustic experiment. Each piece emerges from specific combinations of instruments, exploring timbral affinities and rhythmic or harmonic potentials, while leaving room for drift and improvisation. Repetition acts as an unstable engine, bending patterns until they morph into something else. Together, Laurent Bruttin, Antoine Läng, John Menoud and Daniel Zea weave a dense, shifting mass where individual voices dissolve into an organic, almost hallucinatory polyphony. Conceived as a continuum, the album unfolds as a hypnotic flow, a physical and immersive music that moves from mouths to bodies, saturating the surrounding space. A radical UFO, at the crossroads of concert, performance and sound installation.

Danish quintet David Miilmann Group return with You Belong, their third album and a vibrant, uplifting statement built around guitarist David Miilmann"s distinctive slide guitar voice. Rooted in soul and blues but shaped within a genre-defying jazz context, the band brings a life-affirming energy to music that moves between groove, melody, and open improvisation with ease. Set for release on April Records on June 12th, 2026, You Belong centres on Miilmann"s approach to the guitar, drawing on the phrasing of singers like Curtis Mayfield, Freddie King and Aretha Franklin. His slide playing - developed as a way of emulating the human voice - sits at the core of the group"s sound, cutting through a warm, rhythmically grounded backdrop that blends jazz, rock, and Brazilian influences. At its core, the album captures a working band in motion. The five musicians move fluidly between composed material and looser, more exploratory sections, guided by close listening and a shared sense of direction. That chemistry comes into focus on "It"s Happening Again," a groove-led track steeped in a warm, 1970s-inspired production style. Built on a relaxed but propulsive feel, it captures the simple joy of time spent with close friends - familiar, unforced, and full of possibility. "The Day After" offers a more spacious counterpoint. Written as a reflection on those rare, quiet mornings following a meaningful moment - a concert, a celebration - it unfolds with a sense of ease and openness, led by Miilmann"s melodic slide guitar and supported by a restrained, attentive rhythm section. The band"s take on "My Favorite Things" reshapes the well-known material through their own ensemble sound, acknowledging the influence of John Coltrane while carving out a more textural, guitar-led approach. The album"s title, You Belong, points to the group"s broader outlook: an inclusive, community-driven approach to making music. That idea runs through both the compositions and the band"s dynamic - less about spotlighting individuals, more about building a collective sound. Since their debut Waiting for Myself (2021), David Miilmann Group have carved out a space with their emotionally direct, genre-fluid approach - earning two DMA Blues nominations, reaching the finals of the Jazz Competition, and receiving regular airplay on P8 Jazz. With You Belong, they refine that approach into something more defined: a warm, groove-driven sound shaped by song, feel, and the unmistakable voice of Miilmann"s slide guitar.

Archival release from Lagoss, the collaborative project between Discrepant founder Gonçalo F. Cardoso (Gonzo, Visions Congo, Papillon, Prophetas) and Tenerife-based electronic producers Tupperwear (Mladen Kurajica and Dani Tupper).

Tenerife Ghost Healing Mix ’78 draws on material originally recorded in 2020, these recordings capture an early phase of Lagoss’ sound: a humid, proto-cyber tropical zone where synthetic textures, degraded rhythms and softened melodic fragments drift into each other. Rather than foregrounding narrative or structure, the material leans into ambient saturation — layers accumulating slowly, colours bleeding, signals slightly overdriven and left unresolved.

Sonically, the mix occupies a proto-cyber tropical zone—humid, blurred, and gently unstable. Layers of noise, softened rhythms, and synthetic textures accumulate into a form of ambient saturation, where density replaces direction and repetition becomes restorative rather than functional. The approach remains rough, unhinged and no-frills: raw signal paths, little correction, and a willingness to let things run slightly out of control.

Assembled from outtakes, alternate versions and early sketches, the tape favours atmosphere over structure, presenting the material in a slower, more inward-facing state than earlier Lagoss releases. It functions less as a remix than as a refracted memory of the original sessions, viewed through time, heat, signal decay—and left deliberately unfinished.

The 18th Parallel strikes hard once again with its new riddim series called ‘BONANZA CHARGE’. Carefully produced in its Geneva studio, the collective of musicians presents two vocal cuts and one horns instrumental released as three 7” singles with dubs mixed by Roberto Sánchez. This is heavyweight roots reggae tailor-made for the heaviest sound systems!

Fruits Records is a label run by musicians, that’s why we love instrumentals so much. In 2022, The 18th Parallel did a first collaboration with some of our favorite reggae musicians, Danish band Guiding Star Orchestra. ‘Meeting In A Wonderland’ was such a killer tune that we wanted to push the collaboration further with our Danish friends. ‘Bonanza Charge’ is another instrumental gem created between Geneva and Copenhagen: a powerful riddim section enhanced by the finest three-piece horn section in the business. Wheel up and come again!

Dieses Album braucht keinen Anlauf und keine Vorrede. Von Sekunde eins an ist es da. Es türmt sich auf, überlebensgroß und mit einer nahezu existenziellen Dringlichkeit. "Einmal mehr mit Dir gegen die Furcht" ist das sechste Studiowerk der Berliner Band Klez.e. Es ist von der düsteren Ahnung getrieben, dass da draußen gerade etwas kippt, und es setzt dieser Bedrohungslage etwas entgegen. Klez.e, das sind fast 25 Jahre nach der Bandgründung: Tobias Siebert (Gesang, Gitarre), Daniel Moheit (Synthesizer, Bass) und Filip Pampuch (Schlagzeug, Percussion). Waren die Vorgänger "Erregung" (2023) und "Desintegration" (2017) von einer grimmigen Düsterheit geprägt, ist diese Trostlosigkeit einer bislang ungehörten musikalischen Luftigkeit gewichen. Und es ist, als habe sich die Band beim Schreiben der Songs auch erstmals bewusst gegen die Furcht vor dem Erzählen gestemmt. An die Stelle früherer Verklausulierung ist eine neue textliche Klarheit getreten. Musikalisch ist "Einmal mehr mit Dir gegen die Furcht" eine Kathedrale von einem Album: akustisch weit, mit glatten, kühlen Oberflächen, atmosphärisch dicht und verhallt. Das Licht, das durch die Fenster hereinfällt, verdrängt die Dunkelheit und malt hier und da tanzende Flecken auf den Boden und an die Wände. Klez.e den schmerzhaften persönlichen Erfahrungen in einer sich verdüsternden Welt ein drängendes und bestürzend schönes Album abgetrotzt. Eines, das die Antwort auf die bange Frage gibt: "Was tun, wenn alles zusammenbricht?" Sie lautet: näher zusammenrücken. Gemeinsam gegen die Furcht. CD, LP klassisch schwarz sowie LP farbig.

R&B outsider Zsela joins forces with inc. no world's Daniel Aged and film composer Taul Katz on '4 Dreams', a billowing ambient-neoclassical hallucination that'll tickle fans of Mary Lattimore, Malibu, Nala Sinephro, Gigi Masin. If you only know Zsela thanks to her dramatic 2024 debut album 'Big For You', the mostly beatless, fully reflective '4 Dreams' might come as a surprise. But look a little further back in her catalogue and things will fall into place; remember 'Angels Pharmacy' and Remembrance' from Actress's 'Karma & Desire'? That was Zsela on vocals, so she's got priors. '4 Dreams' started life as the soundtrack to 'Seven Heavenly Senses', an art exhibition from last year at Paris's Hôtel de la Marine, but has since taken on a life of its own. Zsela's breaths are stretched and sculpted into warm, washing biomechanical pads on the opening dream, left to weather tinny arpeggiated FM synths and muggy bass drones. So far, so predictable. But Zsela muddles proceedings with her confident delivery, layering her voice into jazzy, R&B inflected key changes that keep you guessing. Imagine an astral plane answer to Dawn Richard's ambient-inflected pop and you'll have some idea of where this is headed.

Then 'Dream 2' takes an unexpected diversion, the vocals replaced by swirling harp flourishes and the kind of floating synth stabs that draw a core logic from classic Ambient - Harold Budd, Laraaji et al - then adding extra colors just where necessary. And on 'Dream 3', faint, almost folk-y strings enter the frame, calling out from beyond the horizon, almost blotted out by a synth part that's in the thrall of Gigi Masin's legendary 'Clouds' - the track that ended up being repurposed by Björk on 'It's In Our Hands'. Zsela, Katz and Aged keep that momentum for the final track, too, letting cinematic strings echo around subtle synths and vanishing rhythms, hitting those hypnagogic, tranquil notes that so much contemporary ambient music seems to avoid. 'Cause at its heart, '4 Dreams' is deeper than that, a record that's entrenched in jazz, soul and classical minimalism rather than throwaway numbing music, of the contemporary variety.

Neues, viertes, Solo-Album vom dänischen Psych-Rock-Zauberer Uffe Lorenzen aka Lorenzo Woodrose aka... Seit zehn Jahren interpretiert Uffe Lorenzen (bekannt von u.a Baby Woodrose und Spids Nogenhat) auf allen seinen Alben ein altes dänisches Lied. Das gilt für seine drei Soloalben und die beiden Alben seiner aktuellen Rockband Lydsyn. Auf seinem neuen Soloalbum Glemte Spor ("Vergessene Spuren") hat er ein komplettes Album mit 10 Interpretationen von Liedern aus den Jahren 1967 bis 1999 aufgenommen. Einige davon sind dänische Klassiker, andere sind eher unbekannte Lieder, die er sich zu eigen gemacht hat. Viele davon können als Protestsongs betrachtet werden oder haben einen anti-war Charakter. ,Ich habe festgestellt, dass ich die Herausforderung, Songs anderer Leute zu interpretieren und sie zu meinen eigenen zu machen, wirklich mag. Sie zu verändern, zu interpretieren und vielleicht sogar zu verbessern. Viele der Songs werden den meisten Menschen unbekannt sein, während andere dänische Klassiker sind. Was sie gemeinsam haben, ist, dass sie mich irgendwie zu dem gemacht haben, der ich bin", sagt Uffe Lorenzen. Das Album wurde zusammen mit Morten Hart Grabowski in einem kleinen Studio in Kopenhagen aufgenommen. In mehr als 20 Sessions haben sie zusammen eine Liste von 50 Songs auf die zehn reduziert, die schließlich auf dem Album gelandet sind. Laut Lorenzen fanden die Aufnahmen in einer sehr entspannten Atmosphäre statt: ,Wir haben etwas Gras geraucht und Rotwein getrunken, was den Prozess sehr entspannt gemacht hat, und ich glaube, das hört man dem Endergebnis auch an." Später übernahm Flemming Rasmussen den Mix und das Mastering in seinem berühmten Sweet Silence Studio. Glemte Spor erscheint am 24. April bei Bad Afro Records und die erste Auflage ist auf 1000 Exemplare auf schwarzem Vinyl limitiert.

Newly signed to indie heavyweights Heist or Hit (Westside Cowboy, Her’s) EP two: ‘Marionette’ has been produced by Daniel Fox (Sprints, Melts, Psychotic Monks, Naked Lungs, Nerves, Ronan Group) and it’s set to be seminal. A set text for future musicians with aspirations of innovation. “The theme of the marionette is present throughout each song, involving some aspect of a power struggle and a lack of control within oneself.” Opener ‘Chocolate’ bounces in on a synth line as slippery and hyperactive as anything Aphex Twin ever cooked up. Crispy offbeat electronic cymbals play counterpoint to atonal guitars and pugilistic drumming before the track dry-wretches its way into a nauseating cacophony of euphoria. It’s a tale of crippling social anxiety and a preference for an unflattering, lonely reality. The muted guitar pluck in the intro to ‘Crows’ is the sonic equivalent of biting one’s nails. An anxious, involuntary tic that speaks to the theme of guilt, especially surrounding digital culture: “children can watch what they please, just with viewer discretion.” The track lurches between textures, weaving themselves in and out of focus. Guitars blare like sirens, interrupting paranoid urban centres at 2am, while the bass sounds like the inside of an insomniac’s head on day four of a REM drought.

The metallic intent of ‘Discipline’ squats on the chest as though Steve Albini is your sleep paralysis demon. The pain of accountability spews from the industrial regularity of the beat, apt to the narrative of a soldier coming to terms with the lies that made him commit atrocious, violent acts. EP closer ‘Servant’ starts like a Spectrum loading screen. Dial-up modem-coded, it pauses for moments of white-noise-vomit and existential bloops. Fitting for a more abstract take on the idea of the power struggle filtered through religious imagery and self-awareness of one’s own actions, coupled with an inability to exert control over them. The band pile on the textures with sadistic glee until the evil is exorcized and the modem melts. Connection severed. Across the EP, vocalist Joseph has a tendency to hyper-fixate on themes of control and unhappiness. Creating rooms in which doom and isolation ricochet. Not that it’s all bad news “we like to think that by shedding light on the negative, it commands a sense of hope.” Influenced as much by the liminal-space horror and uncanny dread of Silent Hill as the existentialist theatre of The Twilight Zone or the absurdity of Twin Peaks, they occupy a space between unease and impulse. Makeshift Art Bar are not a band interested in being liked. They’re a band interested in being necessary. There’s so much eating and drinking in their work that multiple listens simply don’t satisfy; something new reveals itself on each return visit. Audacious. Idiosyncratic. Vital. A young band carrying identity, defiance and an uncompromising vision as if it isn’t a rare cargo.

Newly signed to indie heavyweights Heist or Hit (Westside Cowboy, Her’s) EP two: ‘Marionette’ has been produced by Daniel Fox (Sprints, Melts, Psychotic Monks, Naked Lungs, Nerves, Ronan Group) and it’s set to be seminal. A set text for future musicians with aspirations of innovation. “The theme of the marionette is present throughout each song, involving some aspect of a power struggle and a lack of control within oneself.” Opener ‘Chocolate’ bounces in on a synth line as slippery and hyperactive as anything Aphex Twin ever cooked up. Crispy offbeat electronic cymbals play counterpoint to atonal guitars and pugilistic drumming before the track dry-wretches its way into a nauseating cacophony of euphoria. It’s a tale of crippling social anxiety and a preference for an unflattering, lonely reality. The muted guitar pluck in the intro to ‘Crows’ is the sonic equivalent of biting one’s nails. An anxious, involuntary tic that speaks to the theme of guilt, especially surrounding digital culture: “children can watch what they please, just with viewer discretion.” The track lurches between textures, weaving themselves in and out of focus. Guitars blare like sirens, interrupting paranoid urban centres at 2am, while the bass sounds like the inside of an insomniac’s head on day four of a REM drought.

The metallic intent of ‘Discipline’ squats on the chest as though Steve Albini is your sleep paralysis demon. The pain of accountability spews from the industrial regularity of the beat, apt to the narrative of a soldier coming to terms with the lies that made him commit atrocious, violent acts. EP closer ‘Servant’ starts like a Spectrum loading screen. Dial-up modem-coded, it pauses for moments of white-noise-vomit and existential bloops. Fitting for a more abstract take on the idea of the power struggle filtered through religious imagery and self-awareness of one’s own actions, coupled with an inability to exert control over them. The band pile on the textures with sadistic glee until the evil is exorcized and the modem melts. Connection severed. Across the EP, vocalist Joseph has a tendency to hyper-fixate on themes of control and unhappiness. Creating rooms in which doom and isolation ricochet. Not that it’s all bad news “we like to think that by shedding light on the negative, it commands a sense of hope.” Influenced as much by the liminal-space horror and uncanny dread of Silent Hill as the existentialist theatre of The Twilight Zone or the absurdity of Twin Peaks, they occupy a space between unease and impulse. Makeshift Art Bar are not a band interested in being liked. They’re a band interested in being necessary. There’s so much eating and drinking in their work that multiple listens simply don’t satisfy; something new reveals itself on each return visit. Audacious. Idiosyncratic. Vital. A young band carrying identity, defiance and an uncompromising vision as if it isn’t a rare cargo.