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Over two years in the making, and many more in the two musician’s shared dream, ‘Real Thing’ unites longtime collaborators Michael Collins (Drugdealer) and Natalie Mering (Weyes Blood). Recorded across continents, ‘Real Thing’ is a return, a refinement and a reminder of the deep connection that has bound these two titans of song over multiple collaborations. The journey of ‘Real Thing’ began when Collins, while on a European sojourn, crossed paths with Parisian producer Max Baby. As one does while in Paris, they found themselves in a studio owned by a member of the 1970s French prog rock band Magma. There, a chord progression long-gestating in Collins’ brain blossomed into a bonafide demo.

Collins recalls, “I realized immediately that it was the perfect thing to show Nat, who I had been wanting to collaborate with again for years.” The connection and musical camaraderie between Collins and Mering dates back to 2014 in Oakland, where a chance meeting and studio session marked the genesis of their enduring partnership. Collins reflects, “Since then, I’ve felt like she’s my musical family. I can’t really ask for more in terms of someone who inspired me to even get to this place in my songwriting.” On the B-side is ‘The News’, Drugdealer’s first collaboration with Robbie Chemical. What began as a simple harmony grew into a panoramic partnership, the musician’s voices effortlessly entwined, and a pop paragon envisioned. Inspired by generational conversations on chaos, change and connection, the track opens a new chapter - topical, personal and unmistakably Drugdealer. As Drugdealer, Michael Collins has crafted a career that blends introspective songwriting with a reverence for classic pop and R&B. A native of the East Coast, Collins’ musical adventure began with the experimental pop collages of Run DMT and Salvia Plath before evolving into the more melodic, refined songwriting heard in Drugdealer’s acclaimed albums ‘Raw Honey’ and ‘Hiding In Plain Sight’.  Natalie Mering, better known as Weyes Blood, has similarly forged a path of emotive, transcendental folk-pop that delves into themes of myth, love and existential longing.

Known for her ethereal voice and evocative lyrics, Mering’s latest works, ‘Titanic Rising’ and ‘And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow’, are nothing short of modern classics, though also feel like just the start of this artist’s undeniable ascent.  “For both artists, this is their first song since their respective 2022 albums, and what a way to come back. ‘Real Thing’ feels like uncovering a forgotten ’70s disco duet” - PASTE  “A lush and insistent folk-pop jam” - Stereogum  For fans of Mac Demarco, Kate Bollinger, Men I Trust, Toro y Moi, TOPS, Alice Phoebe Lou, Tame Impala, Thee Sacred Souls, Vacations, Allah-Las, Kurt Vile, Beach Fossils, Slow Pulp, Foxygen, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Hand Habits, Father John Misty, Oracle Sisters, Whitney, The Lemon Twigs, Mild High Club, Khruangbin, Angel Olsen.

2025 Repress

DJ Support: Kerri Chandler, Chris Stussy, Archie Hamilton, Fabe, Groovesh, Vlad Caia, Andrey P Ush Krav, Thor, Masimillano Pagliara, Dubtil, Reboot, East End Dubs, IULY.B, Josh Wink

Chris Stussy ‘A Glimmer Of Hope’ EP in now being re-issued due to demand on LTD edition transparent red vinyl.

Amsterdam based producer and DJ Chris Stussy has become one of the most eminent figures in the contemporary house scene of the Netherlands and across the globe over the past 10 years, racking up releases on the likes of Eastenderz, Moscow, PIV, Contstant Sound and most recently his own Up The Stuss imprint.

Leading the release is ‘Central Frenzy’, laid out across six and a half minutes with skippy percussion, a snaking bass groove, intricate synth sequences and sweeping vocal chants. ‘Riva De Biasio’ follows and tips the focus over to airy atmospherics a jazz-tinged bass groove and squelchy acid licks atop swinging drums.

‘Deviant Shadow’ opens the flip-side and merges an amalgamation of expansive dub chords and bouncy sub bass tones with a robust 4/4 rhythm. Lastly to round things out is title-cut ‘A Glimmer Of Hope’, wrapping up the release on a deeper tip courtesy of ethereal pad swells, metallic synth licks and shuffled drums.

'The creation of the band African Fiesta, founded in 1963 by three well-known musicians, Nicolas Kasanda, Tabu Ley Rochereau and Roger Izeidi, and the contributions of the VITA label, established by Roger Izeidi, occupy an exciting chapter in the history of Congolese popular music. During the mid-1960s, African Fiesta consistently reached the top of the hit parade. The band, which back in the day positioned itself as a competitor to a current called ‘Fiesta Cubana’, breathed new life into Congolese Rumba, continuing the tradition of the African Jazz school started by Joseph Kabasele.
'The VITA label, with African Fiesta as their sole provider, besides four songs of Eduardo De Veracruz Vinagre et Son Orchestre, ran between May 1963 and early 1966. It created a spectacular legacy and back catalog full of tasteful sentiments and sensual melodies, deeply rooted in the Afro-Latin sound.
'This new compilation offers a few of the classic African Fiesta songs and complements them with an eclectic and original selection, divided into four thematic sides: Showcase, Rumba Lingala, Cha Cha Cha & Bolero. This double LP album comes with a 16-page booklet featuring the history of VITA and African Fiesta, song commentary by Congolese journalist Herman Bangi Bayo, and a written catalog of the VITA label. The heirs of Roger Izeidi kindly gave permission in Kinshasa to release this album of African Fiesta on Planet Ilunga.'

Barcelona-based label Raru Cultural Movement continues its mission of curating forward-thinking underground sounds with its fourth vinyl release, Mad Riz, by Ukrainian producer Silat Beksi. Known for his refined minimalism and deep rhythmic sense, Beksi delivers an EP that moves between precision and warmth, layered grooves, subtle textures, and hypnotic energy that unfold naturally across each track.
Rooted in Raru’s philosophy of craftsmanship and cultural connection, Mad Riz reflects both the label’s dedication to high-quality vinyl culture and Beksi’s unique approach to sound design. A pure expression of the contemporary underground — timeless, detailed, and built for lasting resonance.

Ston Elaióna is John Also Bennett’s first album for Shelter Press since his 2019 solo debut Erg Herbe. The American born, Athens, Greece, based flautist, synthesist, and composer weaves a strikingly singular electroacoustic excursion for bass flute and Yamaha DX7ii, largely recorded in the golden haze of the early morning hours - bending time at the otherworldly juncture of consciousness and place. Translating from Greek as “in the olive grove”, Ston Elaióna is permeated with the ambiences of the ancient and present world, guided into form by a playfully rigorous approach to sound.
Initially emerging during the mid 2000s as part of Columbus, Ohio’s noise scene, before relocating to NYC around 2010, Bennett’s diverse activities picked up an increasing sense of pace over the following decade - performing and recording as a solo artist (JAB), with the trio Forma and with CV &JAB, his prolific duo with his partner Christina Vantzou, as well as playing in Jon Gibson’s ensemble among many other multifaceted collaborations. However, since 2020 the flautist and electroacoustic composer has existed in a semi nomadic state: drifting between Brooklyn, Brussels, extensive tours, and Greece, where he finally came to rest in Athens last year.

Drawing upon a carefully honed attentiveness to the environments and experiences of everyday life, Ston Elaióna is a suite of nine pieces (with an additional track exclusive to physical formats), many of them composed and played live as the early morning sun touched the Parthenon, in full view from Bennett’s studio window in Athens. Bennett’s refinement and restraint, honed over his years adrift, led him to adopt a limited palette focused on his primary instrument, the bass flute, and a Yamaha DX7ii synthesizer tuned to just intonation scales. Alongside a handful of other keyboards, digital oscillators triggered by his flute, and occasional field recordings, this simple palette is reflected by the deeply emotive sense of minimalism that permeates the album’s two sides. Following two solo albums defined by outward facing temperaments - 2022’s Out there in the middle of nowhere (Poole Music), which used a lap steel guitar and generative oscillators to evoke the surreal landscapes of the South Dakota badlands, and the largely synthetic atmospheres of the 2024 anthology Music For Save Rooms 1 & 2 (Editions Basilic) - the shift in Bennett’s worldly circumstances offered an intuitive return to the calm, inward states of creative exploration that have historically defined JAB’s sound. In parallel, context provided clear sources of inspiration for many of the album’s themes, as well as sources for some of its sounds. The aura of Greece, from the ancient to the present, from its stones and olive groves to its traffic, figures heavily across Ston Elaióna’s two sides. John Also Bennett’s Ston Elaióna forms an elegantly rigorous world of electroacoustic sonority, bridging the expanse of time with the immediacies of environment and happening in the here and now: a profound sonic mediation on the countless dimensions unlocked by life in Greece.

When the ghost in the machine meets the breath in the reed, expect sparks. Electronic sound artist Robin Rimbaud – Scanner joins forces with acclaimed British bass clarinetist Gareth Davis to create an album where circuitry hums, wood vibrates, and the air between notes crackles with possibility.

This is no polite meeting of minds — it’s an elegant collision. Scanner’s intricate electronic textures weave around Davis’s deep, resonant tones, blurring the boundary between acoustic breath and digital pulse. The result is a sound world that’s at once intimate and expansive, familiar yet thrillingly unpredictable.

Think late-night conversations in abandoned buildings. Think fog rolling over neon. Think sound that slips through your fingers even as it takes hold of you.

The songlines in question , memories and distorted images of travels across various continents, form an imagined biography of places that might or might not have been but somehow seem to exist . Landscapes of blurred statements , lost words and echoes of meandering structures.

"If Miles Davis had been raised on shortwave radio static and midnight phone calls, it might have sounded like this."

Joel Shearer’s Listening Immerses Itself in Ambient Guitar, Restraint, and the Beauty of Repetition

With guitarist and ambient composer Joel Shearer’s new album, Listening, he took the path of repetition, subtle movement, and pure sound rather than conventional songwriting. What began as a disciplined experiment — limiting himself to just electric guitar — soon expanded. At various points, he introduced piano, cello, and trumpet, allowing the record to evolve organically. "I didn’t know I was making another record,” Shearer says. “I was experimenting, wanting to do something beyond just the electric guitar. So, I started these other tracks, and that’s how Listening came about.”

Unlike albums built around hooks or dramatic shifts, Listening unfolds gradually, moving with patience and restraint. There are no choruses, no obvious climaxes — just sound evolving over time. “Instead of a traditional song structure with a verse, chorus, or B section, it’s one continuous movement that grows and dissolves,” Shearer explains. “It’s not about anticipating the next moment—it’s about sitting inside the sound, getting comfortable with patience.” A Topanga-based session musician, composer, and producer, Shearer’s previous solo albums, Morning Loops and Hours, explored the manipulation of only the electric guitar, using texture and repetition to push beyond conventions. Listening continues that journey, offering music that resists distraction and rewards deep attention.

Shearer recorded Listening without a click track, working in long, freeform takes. His shimmering, clean guitar tones—often unrecognizable, processed through looping pedals and effects—became a foundation, with layers of sound building around it. “I love making the guitar sound like anything but a guitar,” he says. “I might play for just a minute, but once the sound enters the effects chain, it takes on a life of its own. The music keeps evolving, stretching time in ways I couldn’t predict.”

The opening piece, “Big Sur,” is an 11-minute meditation that drifts in slow, hypnotic waves, its layered guitar textures sparkling like light over water. The piece moves without urgency, subtly transforming as it pulls the listener deeper into its atmosphere. “Threshold” features a delicate piano melody that gradually unfurls, allowing its essence to fully settle before the next emerges. Subtle layers of ambient guitar weave around the piano, stretching and dissolving into the background, creating a sense of stillness and slow expansion.

At nearly 15-minutes, “The Clear Light of the Void” is a slow-burning study in sustain and resonance. Layers of guitar stretch and dissolve into an open, drifting soundscape, each note lingering and shifting like a breath held in suspension. Subtle tonal variations emerge over time, creating a sense of vastness—an expanse where sound is less about movement and more about presence.

“The world is noisy—so much information, so much distraction,” Shearer says. “I wanted to create something that allows people to just be present with the sound, without expectation.” It’s an album that demands nothing from the listener but offers space — to focus, to drift, to listen without waiting for what comes next.

Activity FM returns with AFM002, a high-impact VA exploring the outer edges of electro and breaks. On the A-side, two US heavyweights lead the charge: Detroit’s AMX kicks off with Out My Mind, a sleek and soulful cut with razor-sharp bass and icy vocals, followed by Florida’s Exzakt, a true legend, who drops Fvck That Sh1t - a no-holds-barred club weapon full of pressure and punch.

On the flip, Venezuelan pioneers step in: ARA-U (London-based), head of No Static / Automatic, delivers Feels Like Dancing, a gritty analog heater dripping with machine funk, while Barcelona’s Phran, co-founder of ACA and Vimana, closes with Archivo Criminal, a playful yet driving track built for deep, late-night moments.

Izil Recordings returns with its second statement of intent, bridging continents and sounds with Moroccan visionary Mr. ID at the controls. The IDK EP unfolds as a ritual of rhythm, hypnotic, tribal, and deeply human - where North African heritage meets the pulse of the modern club. The original track, “IDK,” is a driving blend of raw percussion, ancient chants, and forward-thinking groove design. It’s music that feels both ancestral and futuristic, a sonic journey through heat, dust, and night. Remix duties come from Floyd Lavine, who injects his signature Afro-tech elegance, expanding the horizon with rolling basslines and fluid tension. Amine K and Dilby then reimagine IDK for late-night dancefloors, weaving melody and groove into a transcendent neo-trance narrative.
A powerful record that connects roots and movement - Morocco to the world.

With Laser Cut, Berlin duo BAUGRUPPE90 opens a new chapter - not just musically, but structurally. It's the debut release on their self-built imprint, MONTAGE, and it sounds exactly like that: raw materials, tightly assembled, no unnecessary ornamentation.

Across four tracks, the duo approaches rhythm with the mindset of architects working with form - intentional, pressurised, and precise. The opener, Laser Cut, slices through the mix with minimalist aggression. Torque Motion grinds forward with mechanical force, while Ground Lift burrows deep into sub-frequency foundations. The closer, Boss (Hard Mix), drops like a slab of reinforced concrete-dense, heavy, and unyielding.

This is club music stripped to its essentials: functional, grounded, and precise. With Laser Cut, BAUGRUPPE90 constructs sonic architecture.

One more year and a new edition of our ANAØH INVITES vinyl series.

As is tradition, in this third volume, Dig-It and Fixon, hosts of the label, invite two artists to join them and release four original tracks on a special edition 12′ vinyl.

For this new edition, we have two artists whom we truly love and respect.

On one hand, until a few months ago, the mysterious BLK_BETTY an artist with few appearances but undoubtedly a powerful and forward-thinking producer, a true representative of that jacking and energetic sound.

On the other hand, we are honored to welcome the legendary The Advent, a living icon of pure Techno, who has delivered a track that gives us goosebumps and brings back the essence of his early 2000s sound, the most aggressive and powerful The Advent.

We are honored to celebrate 9 years of work with this 12′ vinyl edition alongside artists we deeply admire, and we hope you love it as much as we do.

From México with Love. Fixon & Dig-It

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Un año más y una nueva edición de nuestra serie en vinilo ANAØH INVITES.

Como es tradición, en este tercer volumen, Dig-It y Fixon, anfitriones del sello, invitan a dos artistas a unirse a ellos para presentar cuatro tracks originales en un vinilo especial de 12″.

Para esta edición contamos con dos artistas a quienes realmente queremos y respetamos. Por un lado, hasta hace unos meses, el misterioso BLK_BETTY, un artista de pocas apariciones pero sin duda un productor potente y visionario, un verdadero representante de ese sonido jacking lleno de energía.

Por el otro, nos honra dar la bienvenida a la leyenda The Advent, un ícono vivo del Techno en su forma más pura, quien nos entrega un track que pone la piel de gallina y revive la esencia de su sonido de inicios de los 2000s: el Advent más agresivo y poderoso.

Nos llena de orgullo celebrar 9 años de trabajo con esta edición en vinilo, acompañados de artistas a quienes admiramos profundamente. Esperamos que lo disfruten tanto como nosotros.

From México with Love. Fixon & Dig-It

During the 35 years of making music, Dave Lee has constantly been searching for new singers and writers to work with. A search that’s ended up with many fantastic collaborations and releases with the likes of Thelma Houston, Taka Boom, Dianne Charlemagne and Seal. More recently this quest led him to Maurissa Rose and the creation of their album ‘London / Detroit’. After hearing Maurissa's voice on a Theo Parrish record Dave reached out to her and after a few long phone conversations and mp3 swaps they both agreed a visit to London would be much more fun than trying to work together remotely. Maurissa made the journey from her home in Detroit to write and record an album with Dave at his studio in March 2022 - as they both feel that creating music together in the same room is always better. The fruits of their labour yielded 11 brand new songs (and 1 cover) tapping into their collective love of Soul, Disco and R&B, with a sprinkle of Soulful House. This album is a special one for Dave Lee as it’s the first time in his career he’s recorded an entire album with same singer on every track.

In the album’s liner notes Dave talks of how Maurissa is a naturally creative person, full of ideas, warm & unpretentious which is reflected in her vocal performances throughout ‘London / Detroit’. Dave’s expertly crafted music is backed up with a deeply passionate yet effortless delivery from the Detroiter, a marker of someone who has honed and perfected their art. When it comes to the music side of this LP, Dave Lee is once again proving he’s still at the top of his game and shows no sign of relenting. Drawing from his encyclopaedic knowledge of all things Soul/Funk/Disco, we are treated to a range of styles, BPMs and influences from 95bpm street soul to more uptempo disco and boogie flavours. Be it the rippling synth voyage opener of ‘You Decide’, taking the Johnnie Taylor classic ‘What About My Love’ into a modern Boogie realm, upping the tempo on the soulful houser ‘I Feel the Sun” or bringing the tempo back down to the bassy acidic chug of ‘You’re Giving Me Life’. Mr Lee is truly adept at creating a modern disco soul sound without the usage of samples.

London and Detroit might be two very different cities on opposite sides of the Atlantic but this album is proof that creative synergy knows no distance.

Out everywhere on Feb 28th on Gatefold Vinyl, CD and Digital/Streaming.

We Are The Robots Vol. 01 – Hypnotica Colectiva 25

Hypnotica Colectiva drops a fresh wax cut: We Are The Robots Vol. 01 — a heavyweight double vinyl release that channels the raw energy of the crew’s legendary club nights and distills 15 years of sonic exploration across electro, broken beats, and IDM textures.

Marking catalogue number HCR025, the Valencia-based imprint doubles down on its underground ethos, curating a ten-track lineup from artists deeply connected to the collective’s orbit. Each contributor brings a distinct flavor of robotic sound design.

Every track has been handpicked for its club impact, conceptual depth, and ability to resonate with the aesthetic of We Are The Robots — a party series that’s been pushing uncompromising electro since 2010. Expect a full-spectrum journey: from cerebral synth workouts to gritty analog pressure, industrial atmospheres, shadowy breaks, and raw minimalism.

Artwork come courtesy of Dani Requeni, keeping the HC Records design language sharp and functional. Steve Voidloss handles mastering duties, ensuring each groove hits with precision.

Mastered by Voidloss at Black Monolith Studio, London.
Artwork, Label art & Designs by Dani Requeni.
All rights reserved.
HC RECORDS
València, 2025.

Pat Orburn serves up a wicked nine-track offering for Cassette Blair — a project built from pure resourcefulness and raw imagination. His vocals glide over synth-driven textures crafted from all around, including a battered Yamaha psr 175 keyboard that his flatmate rescued off the street. Pat leans into the beauty of imperfection, shaping found sounds through analog tools, tape warmth, and gritty modulation.

“good” marks the second release on Cassette Blair — a label founded by Gavsborg, dedicated to uplifting his extended global family of artists. True to its mission, the record feels communal, handmade, and deeply personal: a celebration of creativity that thrives outside of traditional studios, born instead from curiosity, friendship, and the joy of sound exploration.

“Good news. Good it’s out, good of Gav to help, all round completely good!"

- Pat Orburn

Digi- Cover art & Design by Pat Orburn (London, UK)

Cassette- Cover art & Design by Gavsborg, Sherice Bromfield & Pat Orburn (Kingston Jamaica & London, UK).

Mixed by Pat Orburn (London, UK).

Mastered by Mario “Syantis” Lawerence (Kingston, Jamaica).

When Leng Records founders Paul ‘Mudd’ Murphy and Simon Purnell marked the imprint’s 10th birthday, they did so via a celebratory compilation that mixed classic catalogue cuts, remixes and exclusives. Five years on, and with the label’s 15th birthday upon us, they’ve decided to look to the future via a compilation made up entirely of fresh productions from Leng’s roster of current and new artists. Presented on limited-edition gatefold double vinyl with a bonus 10” single, the collection offers an updated showcase of Leng’s much-loved trademark sound, a distinctive fusion of mid-tempo sleazy-disco, Balearica and chugging house interspersed with elements of electronic psychedelia and synth-powered space disco. Fittingly for a compilation that wholeheartedly looks to the future, you’ll find first contributions from a handful of label newcomers.

Fast-rising duo Flying Mojito Bros give their spin on ‘Smoke Signals’ by label debutants Joe HarveyWhyte and Bobby Lee, turning in a heady and inspired revision that sits somewhere between dusk-ready cosmic disco and flash-fried desert blues. There’s also an appearance from Swedish producer Bo Wosticz with the dreamy and ultra-deep nu-jazz of ‘Bs As’. Naturally, you’ll also find plenty of heat from those who have already proved their mettle through prior releases on Leng. Danish duo Liminal, who made their debut earlier this year with the much-played ‘Keep Coming Back To Me’, open proceedings with the tactile, slow-disco flex of ‘Tzatziki Bay’ where sweet synth melodies and a heady electric piano riff ride a warming groove.

Roberto Intrallazzi and Dario Piana from Italy’s original Afro-cosmic movement return with ‘Plutos’, a typically deep dubbed-out cosmic chugger. Then there’s Rose Robinson AKA Tigerbalm, whose ‘Mexicana’ featuring singer Joi N’Juno is presented across the package in two different forms. Pete Herbert, who contributed to some of the earliest Leng releases, drops a driving dub disco take on the main compilation, while Robinson’s original mix – a more organic, percussive and horn-heavy affair blessed with plenty of hallucinatory intent – opens the bonus 10”.

There’s a welcome return to Leng for the brilliant Payfone, whose ‘Dime Algo’ is a typically classy, analogue-rich affair in which attractive Rhodes riffs, atmospheric female vocals and pitched-down house pianos rise above shuffling drum machine beats and a slow-motion bassline. Long-serving label contributor Lex (Athens) delivers the loose-limbed nu-disco breeze of ‘Stolen Dance’, while the imprint’s San Francisco connection – the ever-brilliant 40 Thieves collective – drop the dubbed-out Bay Area brilliance of ‘Such A Great Trip’.

Then there are the contributions of the label’s most storied artist, Andrew Meecham AKA Emperor Machine with ‘Eumig’, a deliciously slow, synth-rich chugger full of colourful chords, bubbly electronic melodies and jaunty electronic bass. Then, to round off the bonus 10” single, Meecham joins forces with Paul Murphy (as Mudd) on ‘Road To Nikko’, an extended, Japanese musical culture-influenced slab of pitched-down alien-funk packed to the rafters with squelchy synth sounds, effects-laden percussion, chiming melodies and rubbery bass guitar.

The Sha La Das sind Bill Schalda und seine talentierten Söhne Paul, Will und Carmine, die aus Staten Island, New York, stammen. "Your Picture", das zweite Album der Sha La Das und ihre erste Veröffentlichung auf dem Label Diamond West Records des Produzenten Tom Brenneck (Charles Bradley, Menahan Street Band, Lady Wray), ist ein weiteres einzigartiges Zeugnis der mitreißenden Kraft der Harmonie zwischen Blutsverwandten und eine Hommage an die dauerhafte Liebesgeschichte zwischen Bill und der Matriarchin der Familie, Linda. Spuren alter Erinnerungen flimmern durch "Your Picture". Bills klassisches Songwriting und üppige Gesangsarrangements werden in neues Territorium katapultiert und aktualisieren den Doo-Wop mit dem basslastigen Groove und dem wirbelnden Pop von Brennecks schlanker, räumlicher Produktion. "Wir haben einige psychedelische Klänge eingebracht und uns von Deep-Soul-Platten bis hin zu den Beatles und den Beach Boys inspirieren lassen", sagt Brenneck. Liebe strahlt aus "Your Picture" heraus und fließt aus den schimmernden Melodien, die Bill und seine Söhne produzieren, während sie ihren musikalischen Traum leben.

US Black Friday 2025 Release. There are very few albums in the psych/punk/hard rock/private presses strata that garner the sort of universal awe and accolades that Fraction’s almighty Moonblood LP does, and even fewer records in the world that could be dubbed ‘Christian Rock’ incur such fierce devotion. Indeed some records just meteorically lift themselves out any genre tag with brilliance and sheer defiance--and Moonblood is surely one of them. Based in LA, Fraction was a ragged collection of working-class musicians--the line-up was ringleader Jim Beach--vocals; Don Swanson--lead guitar, Curt Swanson--drums, Victor Hemme--bass, and Robert Meinel--rhythm guitar. Beach himself describes those early days: “The guys met through various acquaintances that we had in LA. All of us had been in bands before, but were seeking something with more teeth. We had a small studio in an industrial complex in North Hollywood and started practicing sometimes as early as 4:30 AM. We all had day jobs, so we did what we could.”

Amazingly the recording sessions for the album were recorded similarly on the fly, as Beach further states: “The Moonblood recording took place at Whitney’s Studio in Glendale, CA, early in 1971. On a strict budget, these songs were recorded in less than three hours—all of them “one takes.” We played, all 5 of us, simultaneously-- there were no studio effects, no overdubbing or any additional sound effects added. Basically what you hear is considered ‘old school’ recording.”

This workmanlike description in no way prepares one for the pure tortured genius the session wrought. Particularly noteworthy is Beach’s vocals—as commonly stated, the spirit of Jim Morrison is conjured in his deep baritone, which gives way to unparalleled pained howls, at times bathed in delay which trails into the abyss. Fascinatingly enough, Beach cites the much punker Love as his fave LA band over the Doors, and also gives influence-nods to proto-everything rockers The Yardbirds and to Dylan, whose dark word tapestries surely inspired Beach’s lyrics (though lines from The Doors’ “L’America” pop up on the LP) Whatever the case, the man clearly has a vision, as even the stark sleeve concept is Beach’s own. Equally as integral to the Fraction sound is lead guitarist Don Swanson—his blown-out fuzz riffs set a template for what is now commonly known as “stoner rock” or “acid punk,” and his solos consist of jagged, wah-wah-ed shards of notes, with his amplifier clearly pushed to the limit.

Beach says: “Don’s guitar was always my driving force and he did everything he could to keep it over the top. You’d never know that (his sound) was coming from an old, broken down Esquire. Don kept it alive!” The other members contributions shouldn’t be underappreciated though-- drummer Curt Swanson keeps things at a constant simmer, and then boils over when the whole band launches into snarling glory. The band and LP as a whole equals something indescribably intense from start to finish—comparisons to the Detroit late 60s high-energy bands like The Stooges and MC5 abound, as well as the sort of late 60s damaged spirit lurking in biker clubs and disgruntled Vietnam vets. The song cycle on side 1 of the LP in particular cuts to the emotional core, with severely charged dark lyrics like “Extend your thumbs and burn the darkness out of her.” Which brings us to the Christian aspect--it often can confuse listeners. The Fraction/Beach world of religion is complex and perhaps a bit pagan/sinister than most---fire and brimstone, temptation, and the truth-seeker being burned by this hell on earth—or perhaps as Beach himself best put it: “Speaking for myself, as a believer, it’s been a progressive experience since my childhood.

I think we’re all basically driven to live more than religion.” The album was pressed in a run of but a few hundred to little attention in the day, but now inferior bootlegs flood the marketplace, and originals of Moonblood command thousands of dollars. So enjoy this all-inclusive reissue, which also features for the first time on vinyl, 3 lost tracks-- like the more acoustic-minded “prisms” and “dawning light,” as well as the proto-metal choogle of “Intercessor’s Blues.”

Cécille label head Nick Curly closes out an exceptionally successful 2025 for the label with his powerful two-tracker
'Joystick EP', featuring a collaboration with Joëlla Jackson.
With over two decades in the game and a global footprint that spans the world's finest clubs and festivals, Nick Curly
continues to prove why he's one of house music's most consistent and respected artists.
As the co-founder and creative force behind the iconic labels 8Bit, which he runs together with Gorge, and Cécille Records,
founded alongside Marc Scholl, Curly and his team have once again set new standards for quality and innovation in 2025.
The 'Joystick EP' perfectly captures that timeless Cécille groove - deep, driving, and built for the floor.
And this is just the beginning - with fresh surprises and new projects on the horizon, Nick Curly is set to make 2026 another
standout year.

Born out of the Northern California DIY scene, Moms With Bangs started as a ragtag group of high schoolers looking to build a musical community filled with loud, chaotic, unfiltered energy. Quickly becoming known for their loud experimental sound and unhinged live shows. Moms With Bangs become legendary for being high-volume, high-energy, and having zero barrier between them and their audience. It was these qualities that caught the attention of Jello Biafra
himself, who was so impressed he signed them to his label Alternative Tentacles Records, making Moms With Bangs the youngest signing in the history of the label. Recorded at Tiny Telephone in Oakland, CA over the course of two days in January of 2024, Leo Hirsch, Michael Cook, Austin Kennedy, Axel Sanchez, and Oliver John live-tracked these songs in one large recording room, recording at the same time facing each other, to make sure the recording captured the unfiltered energy of the live show as much as possible. As for the name of the 7”? “Do What’s Delicious” came from a suggestion from Jello Biafra himself, while the band was in the studio, as a name he once considered for a Dead Kennedys release. The two tracks on “Do What’s Delicious” capture the throttling high energy rhythms of bands like Thee Oh Sees. Showcasing an affinity for the off-kilter groove of bands like Deerhoof or Black Midi. Moms With Bangs aims to disgust and delight with no limits! We couldn’t be more excited.

It was December 2015 when Simon Weiss delivered his first EP for Voyage Direct, an impressively intergalactic affair full of supersonic synthesizer arpeggio lines, Motor City influences and robotic drum machine hits. Two years on, the experienced Dutch producer returns to action for the first time since, in the process delivering another quartet of starry-eyed productions.
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Through releases on Deepermotions, Rush Hour and Hometaping is Killing Music, Weiss has established a reputation for combining a deep understanding of dancefloor dynamics with a sci-fi inspired futurist aesthetic. Both of these complimentary traits are much in evidence on his second outing for Voyage Direct.

Weiss blasts off via Brain Fever', where raw, mind-altering arpeggio bass, fuzzy drum machine hits, spacey chords and alien electronics thrust our hero skywards. Think of it as techno for funk-fuelled, Italo-disco loving astronauts whose journey to the end of the universe is only just underway. This intergalactic funk blueprint is explored further on the deeper and more melodious You Want A Cigarette', where Weiss's vocoder vocals wrap themselves around mutant TB-303 lines, rush-inducing chords and clattering machine percussion.

On Space Ghetto (Booty)', our hero celebrates the discovery of previously unknown worlds in the only way he knows how. With kaleidoscopic, full-throttle electronic motifs and funk-fuelled synth-bass to the fore, Weiss offers his own unique take on electrofunk. Pleasingly fuzzy and tightly wrapped in the syncopated drum machine handclaps of ghetto-house, it's a typically far-sighted and attractive proposition.

With just two minutes to go until his spacecraft touches down on alien territory, Weiss rounds things off via the melancholic chord progressions and heartfelt vocoder vocals of Intro', a beat-free excursion just tailor made for dramatic set openings and spine-tingling mix endings. He may be stepping into unknown territory, but it won't be the last you'll hear from Simon Weiss.