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Mit Lotus Bridge präsentieren The Monochrome Set ein weiteres Kapitel ihres unverwechselbaren Post-Punk-Kosmos - elegant, lakonisch und voller literarischer Tiefe. Seit über fünf Jahrzehnten kultivieren Bid und seine Mitstreiter einen Sound, der gleichermaßen klassisch wie idiosynkratisch wirkt: scharf gezeichnete Melodien, schwarzhumorige Texte und eine Songkunst, die sich cineastisch und zugleich unmittelbar anfühlt. Die Band, einst bei Rough Trade, Dindisc und Cherry Red zuhause, hat mit ihrem Stil Generationen von Musiker*innen inspiriert und bleibt dennoch ein eigenes Universum. Lotus Bridge öffnet nun ein neues, psychedelisch schimmerndes Kapitel. Das Album basiert auf einem wiederkehrenden Traum, den Bid in eine atmosphärische Reise voller Figuren, Orte und innerer Landschaften verwandelt. E-Piano, Akustikgitarre und weit gefächerte E-Gitarren verleihen dem Werk einen eleganten, beinahe orchestralen Charakter, während Ambient-Sounds die Stücke zu einem geschlossenen Ganzen verweben. Tiefgründig, erzählerisch und voller verborgenem Witz - ein Album, das wächst und fesselt.

Mit Lotus Bridge präsentieren The Monochrome Set ein weiteres Kapitel ihres unverwechselbaren Post-Punk-Kosmos - elegant, lakonisch und voller literarischer Tiefe. Seit über fünf Jahrzehnten kultivieren Bid und seine Mitstreiter einen Sound, der gleichermaßen klassisch wie idiosynkratisch wirkt: scharf gezeichnete Melodien, schwarzhumorige Texte und eine Songkunst, die sich cineastisch und zugleich unmittelbar anfühlt. Die Band, einst bei Rough Trade, Dindisc und Cherry Red zuhause, hat mit ihrem Stil Generationen von Musiker*innen inspiriert und bleibt dennoch ein eigenes Universum. Lotus Bridge öffnet nun ein neues, psychedelisch schimmerndes Kapitel. Das Album basiert auf einem wiederkehrenden Traum, den Bid in eine atmosphärische Reise voller Figuren, Orte und innerer Landschaften verwandelt. E-Piano, Akustikgitarre und weit gefächerte E-Gitarren verleihen dem Werk einen eleganten, beinahe orchestralen Charakter, während Ambient-Sounds die Stücke zu einem geschlossenen Ganzen verweben. Tiefgründig, erzählerisch und voller verborgenem Witz - ein Album, das wächst und fesselt.

With »News from Planet Zombie«, The Notwist return to view after years of exploration and experiment with an album rich in both melancholy and positivity, sketched across a suite of thrilling, fiercely committed pop songs. It’s an album reflecting a chaotic world, but responding with warmth and generosity, to achieve creative and spiritual consolidation. Recorded in their home base of Munich, it reconnects with the security of the local to explore the troubles of the global: a guiding impulse writ large across this album’s eleven songs. It’s also the first studio album since 1995’s »12« that the entire band recorded together in the studio in its expanded live formation.

A new album by The Notwist is always a curious endeavour; their musical language is as consistent and resilient as the contexts for creativity are unpredictable and ever shifting. For »News from Planet Zombie«, the core trio of Markus and Micha Acher and Cico Beck embraced the plural possibilities of writing together, bringing songs to the collective and then arranging, rehearsing and recording that material live, in the studio.

The result is an album that’s energised, fully in ›the now‹, with spectacular moments where you can hear the magic bubbling up in the dynamic between the Achers, Beck, and fellow members Theresa Loibl, Max Punktezahl, Karl Ivar Refseth, and Andi Haberl. If »Teeth« begins »News from Planet Zombie« quietly and reflectively, by »X-Ray« everyone’s supercharged, blasting out future anthems with the collective energy cranked up high. The chiming keys of »Propeller« skim the instrumental’s surface like stones across burbling water; »The Turning« clangs its way into one of the album’s most heartwarming melodies.

»News from Planet Zombie« was recorded over one week at Import Export, a non-profit space for arts and music. You can tell, too; there are some pleasingly rough edges here, as though The Notwist’s striving for hazy perfection means they’re also confident enough to let the songs breathe and mutate between our ears. That openness to chance also takes in guest turns from friends both local and international, reflective of a cosmopolitan Munich: Enid Valu joins in on vocals, while Haruka Yoshizawa guests on taishōgoto and harmonium, Tianping Christoph Xiao on clarinet, and Mathias Götz on trombone.

The Notwist aren’t best known for cover versions, but »News from Planet Zombie« features two: a gorgeous version of Neil Young’s »Red Sun« (from 2000’s »Silver & Gold«), which the group originally developed for a theatre play directed by Jette Steckel, and a take on Athens, Georgia folk-pop gang Lovers’ »How the Story Ends«. They slot into the album’s narrative perfectly, nestling in like old friends, revealing The Notwist as poetic interpreters. Played well, the cover version is both acknowledgement of fellow travellers and act of generosity, and The Notwist nail both aspects here.

And that narrative, the way the album plays out? »News from Planet Zombie« acknowledges the distress of our current geopolitical impasse, while reminding us there are collective ways forward. Fed through the figure of the zombie, Markus Acher explores our anxieties: »In the title and some lyrics I reference B- and horror-movies, which is a reference to the crazy world at the moment, which seems to be like a really bad and unrealistic B-movie.« But there’s a reminder here not to lose the thread entirely, that these things, too, will pass.

»The river here in Munich I often go to has been there forever and will be there long after us,« Acher reflects, pinpointing an important source of succour for him, »always the same but always changing. Very calming, but also always reminding me that like this river time only flows into one direction and you can’t go back. Every moment is very precious.«

Artwork by Marie Vermont

The Notwist:
Markus Acher: vocals, guitar
Micha Acher: bass, sousaphone, euphonium, trumpet
Cico Beck: electronics, keyboards, guitar, recorder, percussion
Theresa Loibl: bassclarinet, clarinet, piano, harmonium, organ
Max Punktezahl: guitar
Karl Ivar Refseth: marimbaphone, vibraphone, glockenspiel, congas, percussion
Andi Haberl: drums, dulcimer
+
Enid Valu: vocals on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
Haruka Yoshizawa: taishōgoto on 6, harmonium on 9, 10, 11
Tianping Christoph Xiao: clarinet on 4, 10, 11
Mathias Götz: trombone on 4, 10, 11

Following the album "Mori", which focused mainly on slow-tempo pieces, this album "Yama" centers on up-tempo tracks. Moriyama’s sharp yet deeply embracing drumming is powerfully dynamic, like climbing a steep mountain at full speed. On both "Mori" and "Yama", the addition of saxophonist George Garzone allows listeners to be immersed in a refreshing flood of sound.

"""Sam Salmon & the Grand Manan Bandits is a bare-bones country band made up of beloved Canadian alt-rock band Motherhood and “delta doom” guitarist Keith Hallett (Echodelick Records)

DOWN FOR LIFE features foot-stompin’ tracks like “No One Likes Losing,"""""""" a self-deprecating look at being competitive yet never managing to get ahead, “Waste Your Time,” about the confusion of suddenly losing someone you love, as well as a reflection on familial personality traits, and “If I Needed You Now,” showcasing country music at its finest - three chords and the truth. Or, in this case, two chords.

Sam Salmon & the Grand Manan Bandits features Penelope Stevens (bass/vocals), Brydon Crain (vocals/guitar), Keith Hallet (lead guitar, console steel), and Adam Sipkema (drums).

DOWN FOR LIFE also marks a trifecta of releases this year from Motherhood Music Inc., following the band’s “wildly entertaining!” (Bandcamp) fifth album Thunder Perfect Mind and side-project Penny & the Pits’ “delicate and
demanding” (LOUD Women) debut Liquid Compactor."""

Recorded spontaneously in a single afternoon, the album captures an unguarded musical conversation between two of the most compelling voices of their generation. Born in Brixton and now based in Harlem, Ruben Fox has emerged as a major presence on the international jazz scene, renowned for the depth of his sound, the emotional clarity of his ballad playing, and a voice rooted in tradition while speaking firmly in the present. His work follows collaborations with artists including Wynton Marsalis, Barry Harris, Roy Hargrove, Jon Batiste, and George Coleman, and builds on the critical acclaim of his 2021 debut Introducing Ruben Fox.

Micah Thomas is one of the most celebrated pianists of his generation, praised for a style that is both restlessly inventive and deeply grounded in the history of the music. A Jerome L. Greene Fellow and Juilliard alumnus, Thomas has worked extensively with Immanuel Wilkins, Joshua Redman, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Billy Drummond, and has been recognised by DownBeat, Jazz Magazine, and The New York City Jazz Record as a defining contemporary voice. Fox and Thomas first developed their musical relationship while studying at Juilliard, where they regularly played duo sets. In Two Minds was recorded on a whim at Chris Pattishall's apartment in Washington Heights, with no rehearsal, no edits, and no agenda beyond mutual respect, listening, and shared musical values. Over three hours, the pair simply showed up and played.

The result is an intimate, conversational record that foregrounds generosity, empathy, and deep musical listening. Sparse, direct, and emotionally rich, In Two Minds offers a rare document of two artists meeting in real time, balancing history, intellect, warmth, and spontaneity.

2026 Repress

Turbotito and Ragz's electrifying Naya Beat label has curated a cultured list of remixers to add their spin to the work of legendary Indian vocalist Asha Puthli. This essential remix album features Yuksek, Maurice Fulton, Psychemagik, Kraak & Smaak, Jitwam, and Turbotito & Ragz.

Naya Beat, which translates from Hindi as 'new beat', is focused on uncovering foundational electronic sounds from the subcontinent and South Asian diaspora through reissues, remixes and compilations. It found quick success with its first release, 'Naya Beat Volume 1: South Asian Dance and Electronic Music 1983 - 1992', followed by a rare 1985 Hindi New Wave album by Pinky Ann Rihal and more recently a ground-breaking compilation ‘Awaaz’ uncovering Bollywood electro and leftfield 80s original soundtrack recordings.

Hot off their highly sought after EP of Dimitri From Paris’ seminal remixes of Asha Puthli’s iconic track ‘Space Talk’, the label now offers up the first of two full-length releases based around her music. Cosmic disco pioneer, Studio 54 icon and jazz improviser Asha Puthli has recorded, sung or shared the stage with the likes of Roy Ayers, Alice Coltrane, Grace Jones, Barry White, Andy Warhol and many more. From David Mancuso's The Loft, to Giorgio Moroder's early work with Donna Summer, to hip-hop where she has been sampled extensively, Asha's musical influence and impact is profound. She was the first artist of South Asian descent to successfully crossover and make a mark on dance, jazz and pop culture in the West.

For this LP, Naya Beat tracked down the long mythologised original stems and recordings of Puthli's most seminal albums, including ‘The Devil is Loose’, and working closely with Asha, they have tasked a series of producers inspired by her work to remix her music.
Yuksek opens up with a pumping disco remix of 'I Am Song (Sing Me)' awash with uplifting synths and big claps next to the original vocals, which soar to the heavens. The seminal 'Space Talk' is remixed by Maurice Fulton into super steamy and late-night territory. The live drums and jumbled percussion are lit up with soulful chords as Puthli's carefully delivered vocals seduce up top. 'Lies' (Kraak & Smaak Remix) rides on fat-bottomed drums and bass that unfold with a dub swagger beneath a nebulous eco-system of cosmic synths and dramatic vocals. Label heads Turbotito & Ragz flip 'One Night Affair' into a leggy disco celebration with sweeping synths and bright effects, and Psychemagik's 'Right Down Here' is a pulsating mix of dark, snaking bass and drums with deep space ambience and raw hits making for a turbulent and tense atmosphere. Lastly, Jitwam closes out with a smooth disco sound laced with dynamic drums and cruising chords next to another sensuous top line from Asha Puthli.

With »News from Planet Zombie«, The Notwist return to view after years of exploration and experiment with an album rich in both melancholy and positivity, sketched across a suite of thrilling, fiercely committed pop songs. It’s an album reflecting a chaotic world, but responding with warmth and generosity, to achieve creative and spiritual consolidation. Recorded in their home base of Munich, it reconnects with the security of the local to explore the troubles of the global: a guiding impulse writ large across this album’s eleven songs. It’s also the first studio album since 1995’s »12« that the entire band recorded together in the studio in its expanded live formation.

A new album by The Notwist is always a curious endeavour; their musical language is as consistent and resilient as the contexts for creativity are unpredictable and ever shifting. For »News from Planet Zombie«, the core trio of Markus and Micha Acher and Cico Beck embraced the plural possibilities of writing together, bringing songs to the collective and then arranging, rehearsing and recording that material live, in the studio.

The result is an album that’s energised, fully in ›the now‹, with spectacular moments where you can hear the magic bubbling up in the dynamic between the Achers, Beck, and fellow members Theresa Loibl, Max Punktezahl, Karl Ivar Refseth, and Andi Haberl. If »Teeth« begins »News from Planet Zombie« quietly and reflectively, by »X-Ray« everyone’s supercharged, blasting out future anthems with the collective energy cranked up high. The chiming keys of »Propeller« skim the instrumental’s surface like stones across burbling water; »The Turning« clangs its way into one of the album’s most heartwarming melodies.

»News from Planet Zombie« was recorded over one week at Import Export, a non-profit space for arts and music. You can tell, too; there are some pleasingly rough edges here, as though The Notwist’s striving for hazy perfection means they’re also confident enough to let the songs breathe and mutate between our ears. That openness to chance also takes in guest turns from friends both local and international, reflective of a cosmopolitan Munich: Enid Valu joins in on vocals, while Haruka Yoshizawa guests on taishōgoto and harmonium, Tianping Christoph Xiao on clarinet, and Mathias Götz on trombone.

The Notwist aren’t best known for cover versions, but »News from Planet Zombie« features two: a gorgeous version of Neil Young’s »Red Sun« (from 2000’s »Silver & Gold«), which the group originally developed for a theatre play directed by Jette Steckel, and a take on Athens, Georgia folk-pop gang Lovers’ »How the Story Ends«. They slot into the album’s narrative perfectly, nestling in like old friends, revealing The Notwist as poetic interpreters. Played well, the cover version is both acknowledgement of fellow travellers and act of generosity, and The Notwist nail both aspects here.

And that narrative, the way the album plays out? »News from Planet Zombie« acknowledges the distress of our current geopolitical impasse, while reminding us there are collective ways forward. Fed through the figure of the zombie, Markus Acher explores our anxieties: »In the title and some lyrics I reference B- and horror-movies, which is a reference to the crazy world at the moment, which seems to be like a really bad and unrealistic B-movie.« But there’s a reminder here not to lose the thread entirely, that these things, too, will pass.

»The river here in Munich I often go to has been there forever and will be there long after us,« Acher reflects, pinpointing an important source of succour for him, »always the same but always changing. Very calming, but also always reminding me that like this river time only flows into one direction and you can’t go back. Every moment is very precious.«

Artwork by Marie Vermont

The Notwist:
Markus Acher: vocals, guitar
Micha Acher: bass, sousaphone, euphonium, trumpet
Cico Beck: electronics, keyboards, guitar, recorder, percussion
Theresa Loibl: bassclarinet, clarinet, piano, harmonium, organ
Max Punktezahl: guitar
Karl Ivar Refseth: marimbaphone, vibraphone, glockenspiel, congas, percussion
Andi Haberl: drums, dulcimer
+
Enid Valu: vocals on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
Haruka Yoshizawa: taishōgoto on 6, harmonium on 9, 10, 11
Tianping Christoph Xiao: clarinet on 4, 10, 11
Mathias Götz: trombone on 4, 10, 11

KSmooth da Programma delivers the “KSmooth Groove” Deep House (EP) Recorded & Mixed at StressFree Studio, Chicago IL.

FUTVRST & DANKE are blasting off with the flashy stepper "KEEP ON" flexing an elegant rapport reminiscent of LUTHER VANDROSS & CHANGE or DONALD BYRD & 125th St NYC. On the flip, De LEON steps into the mix for an all-out disco throwdown, bringing soaring vocals & nighttime intensity.

A companion piece to the album, Right Now!, this collection contains additional recordings from those sessions, as well as remixes and reimaginings of songs from Right Now! All songs, except for “Reap What You Sow,” have never been released. The psychedelic improv supergroup featuring Dave Alvin and Victor Krummenacher (Camper Van Beethoven, Cracker, Monks of Doom, Eyelids), David Immerglück (Counting Crows, John Hiatt, Monks of Doom, Camper Van Beethoven), drummer Michael Jerome (Richard Thompson, Better Than Ezra, John Cale), and singer/songwriter Jesse Sykes (Jesse Sykes & The Sweeter Hereafter) continues to defy expectations and genre on Spellbinder!

"Soul, Funk, Disco, Jazz, Blues, Pop-Rock and Folk out of print titles from the vaults of classic labels such
Elemental Music, together with Universal Music Group, present the best selection of 60’s & 70’s R&B,
as Polydor, Motown, Verve, Impulse, Chess, MGM, A&M, Mercury or Capitol Records, among others.
Soul, Funk, Disco, Jazz, Blues, Pop-Rock and Folk out of print titles from the vaults of classic labels such
as Polydor, Motown, Verve, Impulse, Chess, MGM, A&M, Mercury or Capitol Records, among others."

The Golden Age of southern soul lasted from about 1962 to 1975, when disco ripped the heart out of it. And although it may seem as though the blend of country, gospel and R & B that emerged from the great studios in Memphis and Muscle Shoals in that decade was entirely fresh and new, like any other genre classic, southern soul picked up musical cues and absorbed influences from a whole variety of sources: horn lines from Louisiana's swamp pop, lyrical themes from the blues, songs from country music, and of course so, so much from the black churches. Part of the 'History of Soul' series, this LP reveals the musical antecedents that gave southern soul its inspiration. The music here will tell you the real story - and it will knock your socks off too! Notes by John Ridley.

Collecting Orders For 2025 Repress

Ruff n’ ready torque collides with the nocturnal as Argentinian donny JUAAN enters the fray.

A properly intoxicating melange of boisterous, straight-for-the-jugular biz and late-night seduction. Four distinct, durable traxxx tailor-made for the witching hour. Icily moody with a bit of menace and dread about it. It’s also very slick, optimised and fine-tuned for maximum dancefloor impact.

Critics often highlight his ‘90s-indebted approach, and while those influences remain ever-present, this one has more in common with dancefloor styles prevalent a decade prior. Shades of darkwave, Detroit In Effect and the nascent years of Chi-Town house depending on the track, but never do we run the risk of falling into pastiche.

Pure forward momentum with a decidedly mean streak coursing throughout. Plenty of sci-fi flourish, funked-out where it counts. Flush with dystopian romance and a decent dose of weirdo flex.

Quintessentially Kalahari.

Ąnis is a Lithuanian producer and DJ working in the space between broken rhythms and atmospheric weight. His tracks blur the line between club tools and introspective pieces - raw, textured, and unpolished in the best way.

Ąnis’ debut album “I Swear I’m Not Delusional” builds from late-night sketches into fully formed pressure systems. Ambient passages fall into break-driven grooves, each track shifting like a mood swing. It's rooted in tension, repetition, and space - think the grit and movement of early Skee Mask filtered through a more personal, less polished lens. Tracks like “Mountain People” carry warmth without needing to explain themselves, while others feel like they were made at 3am with no lights on. It’s not chasing a scene - just locked into its own pulse. This isn’t background music. It asks you to sit with it - or move to it. Either way, it sticks.

Credits
Original tracks written, produced, arranged and recorded by Jonas Zubavičius in Vilnius. Mastering by Pranas Gudaitis aka audiomastering.lt. Artwork and design by Povilas Baranauskis.

Rotating Irish/international collective United Bible Studies (UBS) releases its 28th album, Strange is the Coastline, this Autumn (CD on Talking Elephant Records / LP on Hobby- Horse).
The album is preceded by the single ‘In The Arms of Lewes’ which was available on all digital platforms from 14th August.
'Strange Is The Coastline' is a collection of original folk-rock songs written by current core members David Colohan (co-founder of UBS) and Alison O’Donnell (Mellow Candle) in the company of multi-instrumentalist Steven Collins (The Owl Service). Melding and meshing classic folk, contemporary pop, and passionate tune-smithery in an inspiringly complementary way; disparate, yet delightfully cohesive, with themes of Albion myth and legend to Victorian-era murder ballads via tales of chilling contemporary stalkerss, and climate chaos.
United Bible Studies was formed in 2001 and over the last couple of decades has been home to a head-spinning array of performers in an ever-evolving merry-go-round of studio and live personnel. Drawing on the broadest community of musicians, the band have created an impressive catalogue of 28 albums of studio and live recordings.
Standard weight black vinyl LP in picture sleeve with lyric booklet. 300 copies for the World.

“...teems with bushy-tailed folk-rock about Albion and Ireland, as well as brutal, bracing songs about singer Alison O’Donnell’s experiences with a former stalker, such as the startling You Often Hid”. (THE GUARDIAN)

MF Robots return with a euphoric blend of Afro-soul-funk, delivering a release brimming with optimism, tight vocals, and the inescapable grooves that have become their signature. This album is a celebration of life, love, and musical joy, radiating positivity from start to finish.


Co-founder Jan Kincaid describes the track Glide as “a celebration of the unfolding of a love story.” From its romantic, reflective instrumental introduction to the soulfully upbeat opening bars, the listener is immediately swept into a journey.

True to MF Robots’ style, the track is joyful and celebratory, yet it pushes further—exploring the path love takes over time, and how, when it works, we can glide through life’s challenges with the right person by our side.


The album’s vibe is exuberant and full of energy, paying homage to soulful greats while adding a modern twist. There’s a subtle nod to legends like Earth, Wind & Fire, but what truly shines through is the sense of fun—the feeling that MF Robots are having an absolute ball singing, playing, and creating music that moves both body and soul.

MF Robots return with a euphoric blend of Afro-soul-funk, delivering a release brimming with optimism, tight vocals, and the inescapable grooves that have become their signature. This album is a celebration of life, love, and musical joy, radiating positivity from start to finish.


Co-founder Jan Kincaid describes the track Glide as “a celebration of the unfolding of a love story.” From its romantic, reflective instrumental introduction to the soulfully upbeat opening bars, the listener is immediately swept into a journey.

True to MF Robots’ style, the track is joyful and celebratory, yet it pushes further—exploring the path love takes over time, and how, when it works, we can glide through life’s challenges with the right person by our side.


The album’s vibe is exuberant and full of energy, paying homage to soulful greats while adding a modern twist. There’s a subtle nod to legends like Earth, Wind & Fire, but what truly shines through is the sense of fun—the feeling that MF Robots are having an absolute ball singing, playing, and creating music that moves both body and soul.

By 1968, Soul music is fully in the ascendant, with some of the tracks getting funkier and funkier - no Blues or R & B any more. So this album of music from the Lone Star state continues the tradition of mixing up big star artists with lesser known singers - plenty of uptempo dancers and a few delicious ballads for a change of pace. Definitely the best of Texas ‘68!

If you could go back in time ten years, what would you want to tell yourself? This was a question Khruangbin posed to themselves when approaching the ten-year anniversary of their debut album, the once cult classic, now genre-defining work The Universe Smiles Upon You. “If we could go back and tell ourselves how much was going to happen to us after that record, what would we want to
celebrate?” asked Laura Lee, bassist, vocalist, and founding member of the band. Instead, they thought: “Let’s do it again.”
The Universe Smiles Upon You ii was recorded on January 4-6, 2025, in the same family barn of guitarist Mark Speer, across the
same dates where TUSUY was first conceived ten years earlier. Though the conditions were the same–dirt floor, brutally cold,
minimal sound isolation, all takes live–the songs aren’t. They’re re-approached, some changed more than others, harnessing the lightning-in-a-bottle energy of TUSUY while discovering what would be unique this time around, in this stage of the band’s life.
The result moves like ripples on the water across ten hypnotizing tracks, the barn creating a sense of spaciousness, serenity and creative freedom, nearby wildlife (listen out for the birds on “August Twelve ii”), rattles and creaks of the barn and all. It’s a tapestry of small movements in nuanced arrangements, slowly revealing the new life, stories and character of someone you’ve met again for the first time in ten years.