quête:devo

When Chuck D proclaimed "Bass, how low can you go?" on Public Enemy's anthemic 'Bring the Noise,' maybe he was pre-empting or inciting the 10,000 fathoms-deep, spine-bending basslines and sub-quake tremors of 'Implosion.'

Implosion is a crushing split album, appropriately released on The Bug's own PRESSURE label. Mapping out a new form of spectral dub, the sound is deliberately immersive, introverted, and yes, definitely implosive. In pursuit of heavy lids, blurred vision, and merciless bass bin punishment, it’s one part meditation, two parts low-end theory, and essentially a confession of devoted sound system addiction.

As expected from a tag team featuring British soundlab explorer and 'London Zoo' composer Kevin Martin, aka The Bug, and Michael Fiedler, aka Jah Schulz—a long-time graduate of Germany's new school of sound system reggae culture—the duo approaches their target differently yet share the goal of keeping their sound "raw" (Fiedler) and "brutally minimal" (Martin). This proves that opposites can attract, even if their tools are different and their methods sometimes diverge.

From such a disparate combo, hailing from different geographical and aesthetic backgrounds, contrasts are certainly on display, even within each artist's own contributions. From the melancholia and transcendence of 'Alien Virus (West Indian Centre, Leeds),' to the duality of ascension and descension on 'Hope,' or the Sunn 0))) in dub, visceral drone of 'Dread (The End, London),' to the tripped-out repetitions of 'Midnight,' which reinvents Chain Reaction for post-millennials, the result is both sacred and narcotic. Each track illuminates the emotional impact and atmospheric pressure being explored across this deceptively sparse album—a mastery of tone and texture.

This collection might be as reduced, minimal, and deep as The Bug has ever gone, perhaps echoing the solemnity of his recent Kevin Richard Martin Black release and invoking the futurist steppas self-pioneered on his previous Pressure album. Alternatively, Fiedler‘s Ghost Dubs project ventures into his most heavyweight direction yet, which is no mean feat considering his previous, the critically acclaimed album Damaged, was a monstrously massive triumph of analogue weight and enviable sound design.

Implosion is ice-cool, a stark contrast to the warmth and sociability of traditional Jamaican roots and the current trends in digi-dub. Instead, the mood is soaked in tension and intense dread, finding an unexpected melting point where classic dub's stark rhythm attack, isolationist ambience's eerie drift, dub techno's floatation strategies, and even the relentless riffs of doom metal collide. As the bass-obsessed pair drop what is arguably the heaviest ambient dub album to emerge from any electronic sector—a moody counterpoint to The Orb's fluffy clouds, etc, Martin has cited The Roots Radics, Black Jade, and On U Sound's Pounding System as heavily influencing his approach to the album, while Fiedler has expressed his admiration for Adrian Sherwood's productions and Rhythm & Sound's enchanting soundscape. Yet, the super heavyweight pulsations, emotive resonances, and bone-rattling vibrations detonated here effortlessly go far beyond these influences.

Shadowy and elusive, there’s a mysteriousness at this record's core. A haunting moodiness oscillating between nostalgia and future shock. Despite the deadly fixation with SLOW and HEAVY, the album maintains a totally hypnotic swing throughout. Implosion and its lead single 'Imploded Versions' are testaments to being enveloped in bass, seduced by bass, submerged in bass, and utterly crushed by bass, as The Bug and Ghost Dubs seek to craft a new form of dub for zonal headz and Babylon seekers.

Mastered by Stefan Betke (a.k.a. POLE) at Scape Mastering studio, this record is heavy as f-ck without resorting to continuous distortion. It’s low-end worship taken to an absolute extreme, yet remains highly listenable and definitely danceable, albeit at the slowest of paces. Sacred and narcotic, this is low-end worship amplified to the max. Dive in if you dare.

Born from a profound devotion to the piano and a reverence for the organic flow of life, byt’ surprises listeners by presenting "paths of sand", a remarkable creation by Amsterdam-based composer xico, offering sound and soul to those willing to listen beyond the surface.

Through the magic of experimentation, xico captured the fleeting beauty of the muse of improvisation, as described by Nachmakovich, transforming the ephemeral into something lasting. Performances recorded on the same old piano during the 2023 Kaalstaart Festival in the Netherlands have since evolved into a fully realized work. A journey of nearly three years of dedicated silence that began with Telva’s intuitive recognition of xico’s voice, starting with an invitation to her radio show and blossoming into a captivating fascination with what unfolded. This process led to the art of shaping the selected live recordings into a collector’s item, now materialized as a limited edition of 200 pressed vinyl copies, forever remaining as an artistic memento.

Perfectly attuned to the energy of the autumn equinox, paths of sand unfolds as an intimate reflection of music’s ability to hold what cannot be held, to speak what cannot besaid, and to embody what can never be described.

xico is a sound artist and improviser from Ibiza whose work explores the merging point between disruptive and post-natural soundscapes, crafting immersive sonic environments through compositions that unfold like ecosystems.

Encouraged by an understanding of chance as nature’s and awareness' most accessible voice, he focuses on creating generative live-sets with varying degrees of unpredictability. For him, subordinating human intention to nature’s order is a conscious choice, and making art through this lens becomes a statement and a spiritual practice. With his distinctive touch, his compositions resonate with the world in unexpected and profound ways, offering experiences you may never have heard before.

NOW Music proudly presents the next release in our “NOW That’s What I Call An Era” series – NOW That's What I Call An Era - Disco: 1973-1980 – a dazzling celebration of the golden age of disco.



This stunning 3LP set, pressed on blue, violet and pink vinyl, showcases 48 essential tracks that lit up the dancefloors, charts, and airwaves at the height of disco fever — an era when glittering anthems, euphoric grooves, and iconic vocal performances defined nightlife around the world.



LP1 opens in iconic style with Chic’s monumental ‘Le Freak’ followed by Sister Sledge’s equally legendary ‘We Are Family’, and Gloria Gaynor’s empowering #1 ‘I Will Survive’. Anthems follow from Sylvester with ‘You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)’ and Chaka Khan with ‘I’m Every Woman’, ahead of the timeless ‘Young Hearts Run Free’ by Candi Staton and the first side finishes with production by Chic’s Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards on massive hits for Diana Ross with ‘Upside Down’, and Sheila & B. Devotion with ‘Spacer’. Flip the LP over for Amii Stewart’s version of ‘Knock On Wood’ followed by The Three Degrees, Eruption and the first smash from Boney M., ‘Daddy Cool’. The Village People topped the chart with ‘YMCA’ which has become an enduring party favourite, which leads to the infectious ‘Let’s All Chant’ from the Michael Zager Band, Lipps Inc. with ‘Funkytown’ and to close the first LP, sci-fi disco from Dee D. Jackson with ‘Automatic Lover’.



LP2 begins with Donna Summer’s epic version of ‘MacArthur Park’, before Earth, Wind & Fire with The Emotions bring pure euphoria on ‘Boogie Wonderland’, and McFadden & Whitehead with the floor-filling ‘Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now’. Great vocals from Marvin Gaye and Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes come ahead of George McCrae’s ‘Rock Your Baby’, one of the collections’ earliest and inspirational moments. UK artist Tina Charles hit the top with ‘I Love To Love’, and Andrea True Connection complete the side with the ear-worm ‘More More More’ whilst over on the other side legends Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons hit dancefloor gold and the #1 spot with ‘December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)’, ahead of The Trammps with their era-defining ‘Disco Inferno’. A Taste Of Honey, Grace Jones and a second appearance from Diana Ross are up next – before the LP closes with an enduring classic, ‘Follow Me’ from Amanda Lear, Patrick Juvet’s ‘I Love America’, and Frantique with ‘Strut Your Funky Stuff’.



LP3 bursts to life with the international smash and UK #1, ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ from Baccara, before a huge hit cover from Belle Epoque with ‘Black Is Black’. Next; Alicia Bridges, Rose Royce and UK chart toppers The Real Thing, ahead of funk-infused disco brilliance from Kool & The Gang and Barry White – whilst the side closer is Yvonne Elliman’s ‘If I Can’t Have You’, from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and over on the final side there’s a stellar run of Disco nuggets: kicking off with Elton John’s irresistible ‘Are You Ready For Love’, originally released in 1979 and a #1 in 2003 along with ‘Boogie Nights’ from Heatwave, The Emotions with ‘Best Of My Love’, and LaBelle’s influential ‘Lady Marmalade’. The anthemic ‘Got To Be Real’ from Cheryl Lynn is next ahead of the trio of closing tracks: Odyssey with the sublime ‘Native New Yorker’, Thelma Houston’s Grammy-winning ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’, and fittingly, Donna Summer’s iconic ‘Last Dance’, ending the collection in perfect style.



An unforgettable journey through the songs that defined the dancefloor: NOW That’s What I Call An Era – Disco: 1973-1980 — the definitive celebration of disco’s golden age.

"The machine looms—it watches you from within. The finger points, but the face is missing."

The Bristol/Amman connection just got even deeper… following DBL's impressive string of Avon-infused heaters (check the recent scorchers from Nzumbe, Content Provider and 2023's 'Weld'). And we're well informed there's even more of this cross-continental greatness to come…

But first...

Kinlaw & Franco Franco. ATC's original prodigal sons. A two-headed nephilim with an ever-growing tally of near-biblical performances – leaving shook audiences coughing dust for months after. Resurrected for 2025.

Those familiar know their hallowed-dogma – brimming with cyberpunk prophetics, surveillance state paranoia and rusted gothic futurism. Each chilling sermon accompanied by a bespoke blend of crusted sonics, taut future-concrète prangers and only the finest industrial-trappist beats.

Back with renewed precision. 11 hot-kneelers for your mental.

On 'Faith Elsewhere', they lead the congregation into uncharted waters with pop-confessional, 'Pitstop 2024'. There's a fresh revamp of the beloved feudal anthem, 'Crocs on the Plough'. Next, a long-fermented, yet still refreshing, kind of chamber-wave on the album's self-titled track. And there's even a touch of the devotional in the final ethereal reprise… Plus, there are plenty more teachings to be found elsewhere…

The writing's on the wall. Accept no false idols. Now pull up your cushion and kneel at their altar. It might just be their best yet….

"In the holiness of their temples, unsuspecting worshippers were being observed by indiscreet eyes."

Daniele Baldelli
Considered one of the first DJs in Italy, Daniele Baldelli began his career in 1969 mixing vinyl at the Tana Club in Cattolica (his hometown),
predating the birth of the modern DJ by several years. In the following years, he solidified his talent and technique at histor such as the Tabù Club, Baia degli Angeli, and Cosmic. From 1979 to 1984, Baldelli created his unique and eclectic style, blendi ic clubs ng seemingly distant sounds and musical styles, complementing them with tempo adjustments (bpm) and deliberately extreme equalization,
creating a truly distinctive sound, known as "Afro Disco." Soundscapes and tribal percussion blend with early electronic music experiments, and Baldelli's sets become truly mystical experiences, where, for the first time, the temples are replaced by the dance floor.
The documentary film "A Cosmic Life" has just been released, starring Daniele Baldelli alongside other illustrious guests from the nightclub scene, recounting the history and formation of this movement from the 1970s to the present.
Gaudi
A producer/musician among the most highly regarded on the international dub/electronic scene, over the past 30 years Gaudi, from his
London studio, has contributed significantly to expanding the boundaries of musical genres with high-profile releases and innovative
music production techniques. Recently nominated for a Grammy Award with 'Mass Manipulation', the album he produced for the reggae
band Steel Pulse, and also nominated for a World Music Award with his album 'Dub Qawwali' with Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali
Khan, Gaudi has collected a series of number 1s on the international charts: Billboard - with the album 'Heavy Rain' by Lee "Scratch"
Perry, 'Vessel of Love' by singer Hollie Cook and with 'Mass Manipulation' by Steel Pulse -, UK Chart n.1 with the album 'Prism' by the
band The Orb (with whom he has collaborated as a producer and keyboardist since 2008), with 'Blue Monday' - by Gaudi himself with
the band Dub Pistols -, UK Dance Chart n.1 with 'Jus Come rmx' produced with DJ Angelino for Cool Jack. He also reached no. 41 the UK charts with the album ‘Midnight Rocker’ by reggae singer Horace Andy (known to the general public for his hits with Massive in
Attack), no. 13 with the album ‘Dubwise 2’ by the band Dreadzone and no. 5 in the Italian charts with the song ‘Lasciala Andare’, written
by him for Irene Grandi. With 19 solo albums and 350 remixes and productions under his belt, Gaudi, with his artistic versatility, has
worked with Groove Armada, UB40, Simple Minds, Brian Ferry, Devo, Big Audio Dynamite, Damian Marley, Seun Kuti, Mad Professor,
Trentemøller, Grandmaster Flash ft KRS-One, Lamb, Don Letts, The Beat, Deep Forest, African Head Charge (in which Gaudi is a keyboardist and dubmaster), Elisa, Scientist, Dub FX, Roedelius, Caparezza, Caravan Palace, EMF, Sizzla, Jovanotti, Sly & Robbie, Piero Pelù, Youth of Killing Joke, and Maxi Priest, to name just a few. Capleton,
Daniele Baldelli & Gaudi
DJ Daniele Baldelli and producer Gaudi first met three years ago at the Jazz Cafe in London. Mutual respect and an innate need to
create new stylistic fusions were the catalysts for Baldelli and Gaudi, leading to a series of subsequent meetings that inevitably culminated in the need to create music together. The project began at Gaudi's Metatron Studio in London using analog equipment and later
moved to Baldelli's studio in Cattolica, where the two organically defined their sound, also inspired by Baldelli's precious record collection. The duo consolidated a powerful compositional symbiosis, and the project, born from a simple initial groove, later transformed
into an entire EP consisting of four original tracks and a highly innovative sound, featuring fusions of psychedelic-funk, tribal-dub,
electronic-disco, and, of course, "Afro-Cosmic"! Daniele Baldelli and Gaudi began their sonic collaboration without setting any stylistic
direction and with the intention of not creating pre-established goals to achieve; it is a project of pure artistic freedom guided by their
compositional instinct and their experience. Constantly active with their evenings and live concerts, Baldelli and Gaudi have performed
individually in many of the best international clubs and festivals.

- Limited edition solid 2x12” vinyl LP.
- Housed in PMS printed inner sleeve, featuring custom fonts by No Format and spot gloss abstraction of the original album artwork.
- Accompanied with a double sided 2-panel insert and double sided 4 panel poster.
- All sleeved in a custom PMS reverse board outer sleeve with die cut square centre panel and belly band.


Grinning Cat confounded devotees of Sakura with a far more complex set of tracks. A landscape of ambiguous emotional resonance within an album of measured extremes. Sentimental without being schmaltzy, joyful without being saccharine, Grinning Cat sees Yokota at his most playful and experimental, channelling moments of transitory wonder and jubilation, and opening up a sonic environment in which we can romp and play.

2025 Repress!

Recorded in a remote cabin on the Devon coast, STILL OUT is an album-length collaboration between musician-filmmakers – and childhood friends – Will Cookson and Tom Haverly. A reflection on friendship, landscape and the passing of time, it inspired a road trip from North Yorkshire to North Devon they took together in the summer of 2024, and forms the soundtrack to a film of the same name which had its premiere screening as part of Stroud Film Festival in March 2025.

Like the film, STILL OUT is also an oblique homage to The KLF’s iconic 1990 album Chill Out, which the Gloucestershire-based pair revisited after it turned up unexpectedly a few years back in Tom’s dad’s record collection. Inspired to create their own recording using a similarly free-spirited process, Will and Tom relocated to the Devon coast in late summer 2023, splicing together a 40-minute mix from their personal archive of recordings and found sounds in a remote cabin with no electricity or mobile reception.

"It came together using cut-and-paste techniques, with ongoing shifts and tweaks,” says Will. “The final result was an audio collage that felt like something legendary hip hop producers The Bomb Squad might make - if ambient music was the only material in their sample library."

Using ‘ambient’ as a starting-point rather than an end in itself, they took inspiration from across the musical spectrum – classic-period Brian Eno, Philip Glass, Bill Evans, plus outliers such as 80s singer-songwriter Virginia Astley and the late DJ-producer Andrew Weatherall. The connections, though, are anything but obvious as the audio shifts seamlessly from field recordings and spoken-word interludes to mood pieces and snatches of vintage pop.

Edited and assembled using freely available open source programs, the source material was often radically altered using tools such as “PaulStretch”, a digital sound-morphing algorithm that allows users to stretch audio files to extreme lengths.

"When we found ourselves in a creative slump or unsure how to navigate a tricky part, we'd say, ‘Let's put some syrup on it and slow it down,’” says Tom. “That always helped us get back on track during late-night recording sessions at the cabin."

Part-soundtrack, part-meditative experiment, STILL OUT is intended as a reflection on the mental and emotional shift that occurs when stepping away from the routine of daily life – an album that forms a celebration of our ever-changing relationship to the world around us and the mystery of what it means to pass through time and space.

“The true follow up, 35 years later, to The KLF’s ‘Chill Out’”.
JD Twitch (Optimo).

An ambient journey reflecting on friendship, the British landscape - and The KLF’s landmark album Chill Out

"This record and film are just lovely. You need this in your life. Moo-Moo!” Balearic Mike (Down To The Sea & Back)

"The album is a perfect companion to the KLF classic, utilising the British countryside as the setting, occasionally reminding you that Mother Nature is not to be messed with.” Strictly Kev (DJ Food)

"A beautiful ambient journey into the landscape, taking the listener from reality to dream state and back again. A mystical realm full of mysterious chanting, rattling trains and sounds from the very depths of the earth."
Lally MacBeth & Matthew Shaw (Stone Club)

Unchained is the long-standing guitar-based project of Nate Davis, originally from Providence, RI, and based in France for over a decade. In his two most recent LPs—Gabbeh (2024, A Colourful Storm) and Frontalier (2025, Stern Records)—Davis strives to describe a new path for outsider jazz instrumentalism that remains committed to harmonic and rhythmic form while placing greater emphasis on sonic texture through experimental production techniques.

Release Description:

Unchained—a name which at the project's inception or on earlier recordings spoke perhaps to the ecstatic saturation of high gain guitar—has over the past three albums (N.D. Visitor, Pic, and Gabbeh) come to represent more and more an acknowledgement of and sensitive remove from a crashing world. An excuse of oneself from trend towards a siloed artistic development.

On Frontalier, Nate Davis crosses further into this patient personal lexicon of guitar composition, presenting a new set of richly developed songs and leaps in arrangement which may very well shock Unchained fans the world over. The sympathetic geometric guitar themes of the earlier second-period Unchained style are almost entirely absent, making way for a fully realized presentation of the jazz, MPB, and fusion influence present to varying degrees on the previous three albums. Davis's keen sense of melody and songcraft have never been stronger, here landing on music which is at moments evocative of Wes Montgomery, Allan Holdsworth, Jobim, or the jazzier impulses of Lô Borges. Distinct in Davis's music, however, is what these references might belie: an innate tending towards repetition as an affective tool—one which has less to do with the aesthetics of the scene from which the project emerged than it does with devotional prayer. In this way it feels as if Unchained has always been music for living. What was once a maximalist expression of youth has matured into the sound of living with and in the world and an empathic transmuting of all the joy, disappointment, and ambivalence that comes with it. Songs that feel like the sort of thinking one does looking out the window on a long train ride, or the routinism of internal and external life and the breaking out of it. As much as it will be recognized by the fandom as a significant step forward, Frontalier serves also as a perfect gateway for new listeners to the singular music of Unchained.

If there is one thing we at Real Gone have learned during our rollicking ride of reissuing The Donnas’ catalog, it’s that they never did anything halfway. And we’ve tried to do the same in bringing their music back to their devout fanbase. Now, by popular demand, and after years of pursuing the rights, we are thrilled to announce that we are releasing their last studio album, Bitchin’, in an expanded, newly annotated, and newly remastered edition! This 2007 release was put out by The Donnas’ own Purple Feather label, and marks a return to the girls’ glam metal and punk roots after the classic rock leanings of Gold Medal…they’ve escaped the major label machine, and are ready to have a good time! Singalong songs like “What Do I Have to Do” and “Don’t Wait Up for Me” have definitely entered The Donnas’ canon, and tunes like “Save Me” confirm that this band’s ability to set a hook in a chorus remains unabated. For this first-ever reissue, we’ve rounded up an entire side of bonus tracks, including the two songs (“Randi” and a cover of “Safety Dance”) that were only available on the vinyl release, a track (“New Kid in School”) that was previously available only as a download, two outtakes (“We Own the Night” and “She’s Out of Control”) that showed up on the Greatest Hits Vol. 16 comp, and a track that only came out in Japan (“Can’t Keep It a Secret”). The whole thing’s been remastered for vinyl by Mike Milchner at Sonic Vision, and our gatefold-plus-insert once again includes fresh commentary by Brett Anderson aka Donna A. Bitchin’ comes in a double scoop of strawberry with black swirl vinyl…we’re here for the party!

Hikmah is an astonishing solo piano work from virtuosic and far-ranging
sound scientist; deep and compassionate thinker and musical treasure: Pat
Thomas
Pat Thomas was Born in Oxford, UK to Antiguan parents on July 27, 1960.
Interestingly, just over 4 months separate his birth to that of fellow modern piano
master Matthew Shipp (Dec 7, 1960) - whose The Piano Equation was TAO Forms
inaugural release. Thomas is most certainly among the Black Mystery School Pianists
of which Shipp elucidates in the title essay of his recently published first book.
Eight thoroughly focused improvised and otherwise compositions recorded at Fish
Factory studio in London. The album's title, Hikmah, means "wisdom" in Arabic. The
title is also presented in two different forms of Arabic calligraphic script on the cover
artwork. This album brings the information. The vibrantly living jazz tradition and new
modes of expression in abundance are brought forth from a lifetime of work and a
decades long devotion to Sufism, understanding that the practice and performance of
this music is an elemental form of spiritual practice. As William Parker writes in the
liner notes, "the music becomes the prophet and the prayer all in one gesture." And,
"If you haven't yet heard the music of Pat Thomas, get hip to it quickly."
Attuned American audiences are most likely to have become familiar with Pat
Thomas through his work with the quartet [Ahmed] , whom over recent years have
amazed with their mesmeric, long-form explorations on the compositions of Ahmed
Abdul-Malik, and more recently, Thelonious Monk. Their debut US performance took
place in March 2025, and TAO Forms were lucky members of the rapt audience at
Roulette in Brooklyn that night; the group flew to Knoxville the next day to perform to
an equally rapt audience at Big Ears.
Available on 6- panel digipak CD printed on heavyweight board, with liner notes by
William Parker and LP with insert featuring liner notes by William Parker & Pat
Thomas Discography + download card. Ltd edition of 500.

Das in Australien gegründete und in LA ansässige Duo VOWWS meldet sich mit I'll Fill Your House With an Army zurück, ihrem bisher ehrgeizigsten und am besten umgesetzten Album.

I'll Fill Your House With an Army ist der Höhepunkt der kühnsten Ideen der Band und zeigt, wie VOWWS, bestehend aus Rizz und Matt James, ihre charakteristische „Death-Pop“-Ästhetik vertiefen: eine genreübergreifende Mischung aus industrieller Elektronik, alternativem Rock, cineastischer Nostalgie und melancholischer Pop-Sensibilität. Co-produziert von Billy Howerdel (A Perfect Circle) und mit Gastauftritten von Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, NIN, Devo) und James „Munky“ Shaffer (KORN), ist das Album eine Reise durch Sehnsucht, Entfremdung und die surreale Schönheit des Chaos.

Dieses Album zeigt perfekt die dynamische Bandbreite des Duos: von verzerrter Intimität bis hin zu gewaltigen Klangattacken reflektieren VOWWS ein zerbrochenes Spiegelbild des modernen Zustands - romantisch, aber desillusioniert, viszeral und doch seltsam erhebend.

Nachdem sie sich durch Touren mit den Deftones, Twin Temple und Poppy bereits eine kultige Fangemeinde erspielt haben und gerade einen bahnbrechenden Live-Auftritt im Golden Gate Park neben System of a Down und The Mars Volta absolviert haben, sind VOWWS bereit, ihr Vermächtnis mit dieser Veröffentlichung zu zementieren. Ihr künstlerisches Ethos, unbeugsam in einer Ära der Wegwerfbarkeit, hat sie auch in die Welt der High Fashion geführt, wo sie mit Comme des Garçons, Givenchy und Byredo zusammenarbeiten.

The word "amateur" originates from the Latin word "amator," meaning "lover" or "admirer". This Latin term is derived from "amare," which means "to love". The French adopted "amateur" from Latin, and the English then borrowed it from French, initially retaining the sense of someone who loves or is devoted to something. Over time, the English usage of "amateur" also developed a meaning related to a lack of professional skill or experience. How did a word derived from love become a slur? Is love really so defenseless? They say love conquers all, but in reality isn’t love quite ridiculous? It has no intention, no motive, no agenda. How could it possibly prevail? It can’t be bought or sold, or so they say.Its mere existence can't be proven or even measured. What an impossible thing. Trying and failing, time and time again, no wonder cynicism always seems to win. I see “amateurism” as a delighted, even foolish, protest. Protest against everything. Of what’s expected of someone, or expected of someone to desire or strive for. To be elite, to be expert, to be professional, to be a master, to excel and succeed. Where’s the joy in that? I just want to have fun. I want to want. I want to love. And keep doing it, forever. I want to have fun, even when it’s tiring and sometimes even heaven is boring as hell. I want to be bad. I want to do my own thing. “I vant to be alone”. I want to be someone so dedicated to their passion that it starts to seem like there’s something wrong with them. All the way. We can take it all the way, and never get it back. ” - Molly Nilsson Amateur is the 12th studio album by Molly Nilsson. Deep in the teeth of a career that threatens to tip into something resembling a “legacy,” Molly Nilsson celebrates with an album recorded instinctively, quickly and bursting with so many moments of emotional brilliance and clarity it may be her greatest yet. Hers has been a career spent reaching out, perennially powerful in her earnestness, a warrior ridiculously defenceless and armed with a glittering sincerity. Shearing herself of the machinations of the music industry, recording at home, writing direct to the heart. Amateur is a jubilee for losers. A treatise in 13 songs, Amateur states clearly that we should live our life with eternal curiosity, offers us an open hand of comradeship out of the rat race. The songs on the album are both some of the most personal of Nilsson’s career and the most anthemic. First single How Much Is The World asks us to re-evaluate value in the face of a Neo-liberal system squeezing the life out of our loves. Pulsing opener Die Cry Lie satirises the commercialisation of emotion in the form of a shout-along diss-track. With a pounding rhythm track held down by gorgeous chord changes, heartbreaker Valhalla carries the torch for the main themes of the album: never growing up, making mistakes with kindness, moving on. When the drums crash in on the line “It’s going to get better now, you’ll see, going to be much better off without me” there is a world of feeling swirling about in the vocal delivery. One reading of the track might be that it’s a break up song but the subtext is classic Molly Nilsson: by living truthfully, making mistakes, we’re active agents against the myriad oppressions of the world. All The Way takes the theme for a run into the eternal sunset. It’s a manifesto for living fully. “Take it all the way, and never get it back” - it’s the process that’s the important point. The journey not the destination. Big Life, follows on like a part 2: An ode not only to Molly Nilsson’s career of endless gigs, endless connections with people, it’s a massive ode for following your dreams, doing it yourself. Closer The Bitter End is a powerful anthem for friendship, another definition of love infused in Nilsson’s work, A beautifully poignant ode to comradeship til the end, it seems to be the songwriter approaching aging, approaching life’s inevitability with the same vigour and earnestness, the same love of life she enjoyed at the onset of her career. There are moments on Amateur shrouded in reverb, slightly out of focus, forcing the listener to step deeper into the Mollyverse.. Nilsson’s open-armed beseeching to the world permeates every beat, every chord. These are songs exploding with life: the chunky, aggressive bassline on the punker Get A Life can’t hide its massive, catchy chorus. The sweeping Swedish Nightmare might be a tongue-in-cheek self-reference, but at its heart it’s a song about the duality of living life large, what is a dream, what is a nightmare? Molly Nilsson says you can’t have one without the other, and why would you want to? Here’s to making mistakes.

In between the folds of ceremony and commonality lies a perennial spring of musical expression.

A statement along the time continuum, or a testament to the resilient resourcefulness embedded in that truth, forms the philosophical approach of this album – the first outing of Dídac.
Studying an extensive archive of instruments, artifacts, and field recordings at the Musée d’ethnographie de Genève—a space steeped in folkloric gesture – Dídac encountered a cosmos of liturgical music and folk song. Anchored in reverance for tradition and transformation alike, this album navigates the old-world Mediterranean lore through a post-modern ambient lens, threading drone, gentle rhythm, electroacoustic textures and the crude tactility of archival material into one woven tapestry.

Under the guidance of Dr. Madeleine Leclair, Dídac was invited to work within one of the world’s most extensive ethno- musicological archives—L’AIMP. In the saturated basements and tape-lined backrooms of the museum, he submerged himself in the sounds of ritual and rural life: wax cylinders from the Eastern Mediterranean, tapes of liturgical hymn, the worn edges of communal song.
In a makeshift studio on the fourth floor of the museum, he sifted through the hours of material he collected, gradually discovering that the archive was no static source – It did not dictate; rather, it served as a companion—offering not answers, but questions. Not a beaten track, but a cluster of sonic clues and riddles. Samples do appear occasionally, tenderly interwoven into the dialogue of the songs. In Dídac’s self-titled debut, the past is not worn as ornament or kitsch; it is listened to and responded to. The museum, its archives, and the visit to Geneva became a foundational culisse of sorts, igniting a myriad of rough cuts and improvisational outtakes.
Dídac, or Diego Ocejo Muñoz, was born in Madrid in 1994 to a family of both Catalan and Castilian origin.

Brought up in a religious household, the influence of the Catholic Church innately shaped the social fabric, schooling and daily life. This lingering dominance led the adolescent Diego into a path of rejection of everything sacramental, promptly resorting to subversion in the shape of grafitti, skateboarding and underground music. Only later in life, after a rigorous venture as an acid and electro producer, the Church re-emerged before him in new light, invoking a deep fascination for its mysticism, iconography and choral tradition.

Spain in general and Catalonia in particular, has long served as a crossroads of the eastern–western Mediterranean continuum, with many of its cultures sharing aspects of way of life and ceremony. At the MEG, Diego found himself puzzled with this realization, resulting in a sonic amalgamation that reaches farther away from the rugged mountains of Catalonia than you might perceive at first encounter.

The deeply embedded memory of rite and public ceremony, religious hymn and landscape—sieved through the undercurrent of personal re-emergence, forms the emotional topography of this album. The record does not trace this landscape; it inhabits it. Its repetitive mysticism and ambient, wide-eyed gaze could possibly evoke (perhaps redundant) comparisons to artists such as Dimitris Petsetakis, or Popol Vuh’s late 70’s cinema scores.
The delicate lines between the sacred and the secular – between memory and re-invention – serve as a cipher to understanding this album in its entirety. Titles like Malpàs Mines or Pantocrator’s Portal Outro nudge toward a folkloric and devotional bedrock—places where labor and spirituality coexist, where names preserve both dust and veneration.

Nevertheless, this is far from mere nostalgia. It is a reclamation — singing alongside the spirits of the past, nurturing what still hums beneath the soil. It is an intimate reflection on tradition, rebellion, adolescence, ceremony and fantasy – a pastoral contemplation on what once was and what is to be.

Die in Chicago geborene Musikerin keiyaA ist bekannt für ihren eigenen Sound-Mix zwischen R&B, Jazz, Elektronik und Soul. Schon ihr Debüt "Forever, Ya Girl" (2020) wurde international gefeiert, von Pitchfork als "Best New Music" ausgezeichnet und in Bestenlisten von The New York Times, Rolling Stone, NPR und The Guardian geführt. Künstler:innen wie Solange, Jay-Z oder Moses Sumney lobten ihre Arbeit. Ihr neues Album "hooke"s law" entstand über fünf Jahre hinweg - in einer Zeit, in der keiyaA zwischen künstlerischem Aufbruch und persönlicher Krise oszillierte. Es ist ein Werk radikaler Selbstbefragung, das Intimität, politische Wut und künstlerische Experimentierfreude verbindet. Klanglich finden sich schillernde Synths mit Videospiel-Anklängen, kaleidoskopische Jazz-Arrangements und fragile R&B-Momente. Emotional pendelt das Album zwischen Zartheit und Widerstand, zwischen der Suche nach innerem Frieden und der Konfrontation mit einer Welt, die queere Schwarze Frauen unsichtbar macht und zugleich überwacht. Songs wie "stupid prizes" oder "get close 2 me" erzählen vom Spannungsfeld zwischen Überleben und Selbstbehauptung, während "think about it what u think" unvermittelt von Sinnlichkeit in politische Anklage kippt. Wie auch in ihrem experimentellen Theaterstück milk thot entwirft keiyaA auf "hooke"s law" Räume, in denen Identität nicht fixiert, sondern ständig neu zusammengesetzt wird. James Baldwin schrieb, die Aufgabe von Künstler:innen sei es, die verborgenen Wahrheiten einer Gesellschaft ans Licht zu bringen. Genau das gelingt keiyaA hier: Sie verwandelt Schmerz in Klang und schenkt uns das Mutigste, was Kunst geben kann - die Freiheit, Widersprüche auszuhalten.

For its second anniversary, Samba Jean-Baptiste’s 2023 LP, ‘Cardinal' arrives on vinyl and CD. Two years on from its original release on Samba’s own AM Radio imprint, this physical release via Scenic Route Records celebrates an album that’s quietly built a devoted following for its intimate songwriting, cinematic arrangements, and deeply human detail.

This edition features alternative artwork by Rafi Goudy and, for CD buyers, a 32-page lyric booklet featuring images captured by Samba himself.

An intimate, richly textured record that’s grown into a modern cult classic, ‘Cardinal’ stands as a deeply personal snapshot of a singular artist - now a tactile home experience.

Following Volume 1, this second instalment of Classic’s 30th Anniversary series dives even deeper into the label’s visionary, genre-bending catalogue—balancing pioneering remixes, cult favourites, and future classics.

Once again, this 2x12” release is beautifully presented in a raw reverse board sleeve, a tactile nod to Classic’s earliest releases. Inside, are deep teal and green GMUND card stock inner sleeves with embossed detailing elevate the package into a collector’s item worthy of the music it holds.

Record One opens with one of the most revered remixes in house history. Isolee’s ‘Beau Mot Plage’ (Freeform Reform Parts 1 & 2), originally licensed from Germany’s Playhouse and lovingly reworked by Freeform Five’s Anu Pillai with a live ensemble. It’s a sprawling, euphoric journey that helped define Classic’s international reach and is still widely regarded as one of the greatest house records ever pressed.

Up next is Greenskeepers’ off-kilter banger ‘Bang in Your Face?’, showcasing the quirky, ‘G-swing’ sound for which James Curd and his crew became known for during their long-standing relationship with the label.

On the flip, Pépé Bradock’s jaw-dropping rework of Iz & Diz’s ‘Mouth’ takes center stage—a remix composed entirely from human sounds, equal parts sensual and surreal. Universally praised, it’s a masterclass in sonic innovation and remains one of the most acclaimed house remixes of all time.

The side closes with Markus Nikolai’s beloved ‘Bushes’, The First Re-Creation (Version 1.2) by Classic co founder Derrick Carter—a distinctive and maximalist edit that draws out the Latin horns, strings, and quirky vocals, turning a cult hit into a distinctly ‘Classic’ anthem.

Record Two captures Classic’s renewed energy in the 2010s.

Folamour’s ‘Devoted To U’ from his Umami LP is a 10-minute odyssey in groove—warm, progressive, and cinematic, with soaring piano lines and narrative richness.

Then comes Crazy P’s ‘One True Light’, shimmering with spacey textures, cosmic energy, and the deep, effortless groove the band has perfected over decades.

On Side D, we have Girls of the Internet’s lush and emotionally rich ‘When U Go’, blending soulful vocals with clean, spacious production that balances melancholy with movement.

Closing out Volume 2 is Sophie Lloyd’s now iconic ‘Calling Out’, featuring the unstoppable vocal force of Dames Brown. A modern gospel-disco-house anthem, the track glows with raw energy, live instrumentation, and spiritual fire—cementing its place as one of Classic’s defining moments of the last decade.




d B2. Markus Nikolai - Bushes (Derrick Carter's First Re-Creation) Version 1.2




d B2. Markus Nikolai - Bushes (Derrick Carter's First Re-Creation) Version 1.2




d B2. Markus Nikolai - Bushes (Derrick Carter's First Re-Creation) Version 1.2




d B2. Markus Nikolai - Bushes (Derrick Carter's First Re-Creation) Version 1.2




d B2. Markus Nikolai - Bushes (Derrick Carter's First Re-Creation) Version 1.2

Repress of ‘Glow On’, the 2021 Grammy nominated third studio album from Baltimore hardcore punk quintet Turnstile. Co-produced by the band themselves along with hip-hop producer Mike Elizondo, and featuring the guest vocals of Blood Orange.



Recorded with producer Mike Elizondo and co-produced by the band’s Brendan Yates, GLOW ON follows TURNSTILE’s 2018 breakthrough album TIME & SPACE, which saw the Baltimore band charting new ground for hardcore, expanding stylistic boundaries and celebrating new possibilities.



With GLOW ON that utopic vision is fully realized; 15 tracks devoid of borders, boundaries, or entry obstacles, only abundant imagination, heart, and grooves plucked from all corners of the musical spectrum. GLOW ON includes the singles “HOLIDAY,” “MYSTERY,” “NO SURPRISE,” and “T.L.C. (TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION) from TURNSTILE’s recent TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION EP. GLOW ON also includes guest features from Blood Orange on “ALIEN LOVE CALL,” “LONELY DEZIRES,” with additional vocal contributions on “ENDLESS.”



“TURNSTILE has the ability to lure even the most poptimistic listener with spectacular hooks,” affirmed NPR remarking on the band’s single “HOLIDAY,” while The FADER named the track one of the 20 Best Rock Songs Right Now. Stereogum declared, “If you’re gonna go big, you might as well go gigantic, and with ‘MYSTERY’ TURNSTILE sound like they’re about to be huge.”



Bringing superhuman energy to the stage, TURNSTILE are scheduled to perform a string of sold-out headline shows this summer in the US, followed by appearances at next year at Spain’s Primavera Sound on 6/5, France’s Hellfest on 6/23, and the UK’s Outbreak Festival on 6/24.



Always more appeal than demand, more liberation than limitation, TURNSTILE extended their hand in 2018 with TIME & SPACE. Recorded with producer Will Yip, TIME & SPACE marked Turnstile’s Roadrunner Records debut and saw the band exploding the most outsized tropes of hardcore with tremendous heart. The album earned “Best of 2018” honors from Kerrang!, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, NPR, Billboard and more, with GQ naming TIME & SPACE one of “The Best Albums That Shaped the 2010s.”



Comprised of Brendan Yates (Vocals), Franz Lyons (Bass/Vocals), Brady Ebert (Guitars), Pat McCrory (Guitars), and Daniel Fang (Drums), TURNSTILE’s brand of youth-minded, youth-driven hardcore punk is intent on breaking down barriers, sonically and ideologically.

When Soft Cell played a spectacular, sold-out show before 20,000 fans at The O2 in September 2018, the London concert was seen by all and sundry as a grand finale. It had been billed as One Night: One Final Time, leaving devotees in no doubt that a duo who had done so much to define the sound of British electronic pop in the 1980s were saying hello to wave one last, emotional goodbye. At least that had been the idea. Singer Marc Almond and instrumentalist Dave Ball had originally gone their separate ways in 1984 before reuniting for two years in the early 2000s to make a new album, Cruelty Without Beauty. The intention at The O2 had been to draw a line under a rollercoaster ride that had seen Soft Cell secure three Top Ten albums and six Top Ten singles, including 1981’s all-conquering Tainted Love, while setting a template for synth acts from the Pet Shop Boys to Years & Years.



But such was the reaction – and the sense of purpose the pair rediscovered onstage – that the big adieu ultimately turned out to be a brilliant new dawn. The reality is that Marc and Dave bring the best out of one another as performers, both onstage and in the studio, and the sense that there was still plenty of mileage left in their partnership was inescapable. The latest fruits of a bond that was first forged in the art department of Leeds Polytechnic in 1977 were in the shape of a new studio album, *Happiness Not Included, and a series of live dates in the UK and the US that saw the band treat fans to a mixture of new material, classic hits and their 1981 debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which was played in its entirety for the first time to mark its 40th anniversary.

Earl Sweatshirt, acclaimed rapper, producer and one of hip-hop’s most uncompromising voices, has been a defining creative force for over a decade. His lyricism and singular vision have earned him critical acclaim, a devoted global following and a Grammy nomination for his contribution to Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange. Known for pushing boundaries and reshaping underground rap, Earl continues to evolve with each release.

He now returns with Live Laugh Love, his most expansive and conceptually ambitious project to date. Rooted in themes of wellness, growth and the philosophy behind its title, the album reflects Earl’s current way of life, choosing joy while staying grounded in truth. Across 11 tracks, he folds in irony, nostalgia and sharp observation, creating a body of work that embraces life’s contradictions: joy alongside darkness, levity alongside gravity.

Part 2 of 3 welcomes some new faces to the M.A.D fold, as well as collaboration track between label boss Josh Ludlow and D.A.S of Devon Analogue fame along side tracks from underground legend Lipelis, Italian stallion Issam Dahmani, Bristolian new comer Meggy Mac and whiz kid Bogdan Ra.

Berlin-based Swedish singer-songwriter Nadya Albertsson returns with her most personal work to date, Swaying, released via Rebecca"s Records. Blending diaristic storytelling with lush, layered instrumentation, the track captures a fleeting, transformative moment of queerself discovery. Serving as the first glimpse of her forthcoming debut album Half Silk Half Blade set for release in October 2025, Swaying offers an emotive introduction to the world Nadyahas crafted.

First time on vinyl reissue of this indiepop classic, 15 years after its original release.

Living & Growing was the debut album from The Felt Tips, a Glasgow-based indiepop band that gloriously combined gritty lyrics with sublime jangly guitars. Set For October 17th Vinyl-Only Reissue On Unspun Heroes.

• A band synonymous with the 2010’s indiepop renaissance
• Ten melodious, infectious and utterly unforgettable songs
• Reissued for the first time on EcoVin™ Bio Vinyl

October might not appear to be the ideal time to release a bright and sunny set of songs, but autumnal days bring a mix of dark and light that perfectly matches the overall vibe of the debut album by the jangly indiepop band, The Felt Tips.
 
The Felt Tips debut album was originally released by Peruvian label Plastilina Records in 2010 to much acclaim in the international indiepop scene. The ten songs are crammed full of catchy melodies and chiming guitar riffs, with memorable lyrics covering everything from religious hypocrisy (Boyfriend Devoted) to what teenagers get up to in the park after dark (Lifeskills).
 
It’s clear that these four lads grew up listening to The Smiths – not only name-checking the 80’s indie darling’s frontman and his ever-expanding girth but also deftly leaning into similar unconventional lyrical themes. And while there’s an obvious Belle and Sebastian comparison being Scottish, musically the enigmatic and skillful guitar playing from Miguel Navarro owes more to Bernard Butler and Johnny Marr – and his talents learning flamenco guitar in his native Spain. The weaving of the guitar’s melodic musical backdrop, alongside the pulse of Kevin Carroll’s inventive drumming and Neil Masson’s intricate bass playing, is what truly elevates The Felt Tips.

 And it’s this juxtaposition of bright melodic tunes from the band and the exploration of the darker side of human nature conjured by Andrew Paterson’s lyrics makes The Felt Tips such a noteworthy addition to the indiepop scene.

Originally recorded at CaVa Sound in Glasgow, the album has been remastered and cut for vinyl by Guy Davie at Electric Mastering, and pressed on INEOS EcoVin™ Bio Vinyl at Press On Vinyl in Middlesbrough. New liner notes have been written by Roque Ruiz, the owner of legendary US-based indiepop label, Cloudberry Records. An extremely limited selection of the reissued albums will ship alongside a make-your-own cardboard rose sculpture created by London-based indie illustrator and maker, Hey Kids Rock ‘n Roll.

Many Amerindian cultures share the belief that the future lies behind us, while the past is what we face ahead. This challenge to Western chronology is, however, rooted in common sense: the open possibilities of what is to come are, in theory, what we cannot see—the uncertain—whereas the events that have already happened unfold before our eyes and are available for us to learn from.



This second album by Chilean producer, live performer, and DJ Valesuchi could be described as an experiment with time through music. Some years after relocating to Rio de Janeiro, she released Tragicomic LP (2019) on MAMBA rec—a label founded by the boundary-pushing Brazilian party Mamba Negra—and the self-released EP Cascada (2024). In both works, we can already appreciate her musical imprint: rhythmic and emotional timbral lines—wet, filtered, mathematical,

devotional, multilingual, fantastic, and unreal. However, in Futuro Cercano (Discos Nutabe, 2025), we can hear a leap: the sedimentation of her lived experiences in electronic communities across Latin America, her search for a universal yet personal language to convey emotion and new spiritual meaning, finds in this release a consistency and spontaneity that is rarely heard these days.



In a time when all cultural expression is not only expected to be taggable, but is also increasingly produced from templates that precondition our perception—favoring categorization and connections to works or scenes of the past—the tracks on this album are generically unclassifiable. They represent an openness to experiment without prejudice with electronic instruments and rhythms that are asancestral as they are futuristic. They publicly reveal an intimacy born from the compositional process, a bond formed through the encounter—sometimes tense, sometimes harmonious—between human will and that of the machines themselves. Or, as Valesuchi put it, "cyborging my friendship with the machine and becoming a tempest." Tempest as an eruption of the unknown into the present, the result of opening oneself to a nearly meditative state to uncover the deepest feelings through improvisation on cybernetic feedback and loops. And in that improvisation, to develop “técnicas para estirar o medir el tiempo”

“techniques to stretch or measure time” as she sings in 22, the album’s first track. “Connecting knowledges” as a portal to access that future so near it lies behind us, and to anticipate it as intuition and prospection.



That’s why Futuro Cercano is more than just electronic music: it is a technological ritual, an immersion into the secrets that machines hold as artifacts of human and non-human knowledge, as mysterious objects that allow us to connect with our own otherness—the personal alien hiding beneath the skin that opens us up to uncertainty as possibility rather than catastrophe.

We are honoured to work with Neil, who’s been an intrinsic part of the UK techno scene, especially with his devotion to experimentation within the genre! Sorry for the typo on the centre label mate. This release came out of the thirst for something very much outside the box.. literally! Fun fact: Fang Man was inspired by a breakdown driver who Neil met the day before signing this EP with us. Maximum respect to all DJs who picked this one up for the club circuit or radio spins! Thanks to everyone who’s been supporting the label and bought the wax, we’ve got plenty more in the works.

Returning to Die Schachtel with his fourth full-length with the label, the Genoa born, Bologna based, guitarist and electroacoustic composer, Stefano Pilia, delivers “Lacinia”, a new, immersive cycle of compositions, delving deeper into the realm of metaphysical, spiritual, and divine meaning, weaving astounding arrangements of sonority from a palette of synths, strings, brass, organ, various electroacoustic instruments, and percussion. Resting at a refined intersection of the acoustic and electroacoustic, drone, and chamber music - overwhelmingly beautiful, delicate, and bold, - “Lacinia” stands as a high-water mark in Pilia’s already remarkable and forward-looking career.

Since its founding in Milan during the early years of the new millennium, Die Schachtel has occupied a singular place in the landscape of experimental music, issuing a carefully curated body of reissues and archival releases by historically significant figures and projects like Christina Kubisch, Luciano Cilio, Marino Zuccheri, Prima Materia, Claudio Rocchi, Lino Capra Vaccina, Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza, Roland Kayn, and numerous others, balanced against bristling contemporary counterparts by the likes of Jim O'Rourke, Giovanni Di Domenico, Nicola Ratti, Luigi ArchettI, Valerio Tricoli, etc. Running like a spine through the label’s output is a deep dedication to the work of the Italian guitarist and electroacoustic composer Stefano Pilia. Now Die Schachtel returns with “Lacinia”, Pilia’s forth full-length with the label and their first release of 2024. Building on the ground of deeply personal engagement with metaphysical, spiritual, and divine meaning, explored within his previous LP with Die Schachtel, 2022’s “Spiralis Aurea”, “Lacinia” encounters the composer working in close calibration with various ensembles, including the Bologna based Ensemble Concordanze and Comunale di Bologna String Orchestra, weaving synths, strings, brass, organ, various electroacoustic instruments, and percussion into an astounding reconfiguration of immersive, contemporary minimalism that stands among Pilia’s most noteworthy releases to date. Issued by Die Schachtel in two special double vinyl editions and a CD edition, “Lacinia” features artwork by Bruno Stucchi/Dinamomilano, and is an absolute marvel that draws you in and doesn’t let go.

First emerging during the early 2000s, over the past two decades – via solo releases and numerous collations with artists like Oren Ambarchi, Valerio Tricoli, Alessandra Novaga, Z'EV, Andrea Belfi, David Grubbs, and numerous others - the Genoa born, Bologna based, guitarist and electroacoustic composer, Stefano Pilia has presented a singular voice within Italian experimental music, harnessing visceral energy and hands-on immediacy within delicately woven tapestries of sonority, each investigating the sculptural properties of sound and illuminating its relationship to space, memory, and the suspension of time. “Lacinia”, Pilia’s forth solo venture with Die Schachtel, encounters the composer reentering his longstanding practice of collaboration with various ensemble forms, including the Bologna based Ensemble Concordanze, for the albums central piece, “Lacinia Off Axis”, spinning stunning string confirmations by Pietro David Carami and Elena Maury on violin, Alessandro Savio on viola, and Mattia Cipolli on cello.

A new, important cycle of compositions by Pilia, “Lacinia” (meaning "lace" in Latin) builds upon the exploration of the metaphysical, spiritual, and divine dimensions through numbers, geometry, and the creation of tonal forms explored by 2022’s “Spiralis Aurea”, mirroring archetypal, immutable forms at the juncture of the abstract realm of mathematics and architectural structures in the physical world, expands the poetics and compositional ideas featured in its predecessor. Regraded by Pilia as both a series of individual compositions and a single work, “Lacinia” was conceived to “define a circular path (a sort of "rhizomatic lace") where the beginning and end touch, suggesting the concept of time not only as linear but also cyclical and ritualistic—an eternal return, a process of transformation where matter changes, its state changes, but without altering the invisible internal principle of mutation”, embarking upon a a series of “steps, degrees, and energetic quanta in a progression of archetypal whole numbers and transcendent creation.”

The resulting 16 tracks unfold as a series of complex sonic meditations. While deeply resonant with the minimalism of composers like Arvo Pärt, LaMonte Young, Pauline Oliveros, and Eliane Radigue, Pilia digs deep and moves far beyond the predictable tonal relationships and structures of that idiom, echoing the ancient liturgical and devotional music of composers like Gesualdo da Venosa, Monteverdi, and John Dowland, at a refined intersection of the acoustic and electroacoustic, drone, and chamber music.

Fascinatingly structured as a whole to include a number of motif returns, across which we encounter works like “Lacinia Off Axis” appearing in slightly different rendering, states, or evolutions three times, and compositions like “Eve” appearing twice in subtly different forms and arrangements - first for four oscillators, guitar and voice and then for string orchestra - as well “Maris Stella”, which similarly makes two appearances, first for horn trio, organ and percussion, and then for string orchestra, with “Lacinia” Pilia delves further into the world of chamber music than ever before, creating a deeply inward, mediative body of work the totality of which, guided by its rich string arrangements of arching, sorrowful tone, feels almost like a mass for some unproclaimed loss; simultaneously locked in the nuances of a moment, while managing to suspend time.

Perhaps most remarkable is Pilia's ability to create a remarkable sense of sonic cohesion while using such a varied number of ensembles and instrumentation. From the sprawling string arrangements delivered by Comunale di Bologna String Orchestra, under the direction of Paolo Mancini, and Ensemble Concordanze, and a flute trio (Cadux / Plectere) brilliantly played by Manuel Zurria, to pieces for sax, organ and percussion, violin duo and percussion, organ and percussion, Pilia manages to create a sense of singular, encompassing world that flows forward like a shifting stream.

Overwhelmingly beautiful, delicate, and bold, “Lacinia” is unquestionably a high-water mark in Stefano Pilia’s already remarkable, forward-looking career. Nothing short of a marvel of contemporary Minimalism that, through its shifting arrangements of harmonics, tonality, and texture draws flickering images of ancient forms of music into the present day, “Lacinia” is Issued by Die Schachtel in two special editions on double vinyl and a CD edition, featuring artwork by Bruno Stucchi/Dinamomilano. This is an immersive all-consuming listen that can’t be missed.

Among the true Keiji Haino devotees, Nijiumu’s Era of Sad Wings (released on P.S.F. in 1993) has always held a special place in the pantheon. Operating for only a few years in the early 90s and apparently only performing a handful of shows, Nijiumu operated at the opposite end of the dynamic spectrum to Haino’s famed power trio Fushitsusha, dwelling in a hushed, meditative realm of mysterious droning sonorities and free-floating melodies that occasionally erupts into violence. Black Truffle is pleased to announce a new double-LP edition of a lesser-known 1994 Nijiumu recording, When I sing, I slip into the microphone. Into that void, I bring comrade “prayers”, then, turning to face the outside, together we explode. Here, Nijiumu is the trio of Haino, Tetuzi Akiyama and the obscure Takashi Matsuoka, the three performing on a wide variety of string, wind and percussion instruments, as well as electric guitar and bass, and Haino’s unmistakeable voice.

Like on the early solo Haino album that shares the group’s name (released on P.S.F. in 1993), the instrumentation swims in reverb (the use of which Akiyama recalls as ‘a kind of point of the band’), often obscuring the instrumental sources. On the short opening piece, a distant reed instrument arcs long buzzing melodies over a bed of cymbals and gongs, like a psychedelic take on Tibetan music. The epic second part, occupying almost 50 minutes, begins as a splayed, near-formless cloud of electric guitar and bass, shadowed by bowed and plucked strings, the three elements working through twisting atonal shapes. At various points in the recording, we hear what seems to be the sounds of musicians moving between instruments, their shuffling and bumps fitting seamlessly into this radically open music. Eventually, what sounds like electric guitar moves closer to the foreground, fixing on a repeated melodic cell around which hover mysterious clouds of long tones and a sporadic shaker. At the half-hour mark, the music begins to build to a violently emotive climax, Haino’s impassioned vocal cries punctuating a lumbering, bass-heavy murk, contrasted at points by what sounds like a tin whistle. Suddenly, the volume drops to a near-whisper, opening the way for the stunning final moments, which touch on the slow-motion balladry of Haino’s classic Affection, here given an eccentric twist by an occasional woodblock hit. The third piece opens with a hazy trio of rumbling bass, bowed strings and abstracted slide guitar, the latter calling to mind some of Akiyama’s later solo work. Eventually joined by Haino’s voice, its fragile, haunted tone might remind the listener of the man in black’s documented love of the madrigals of the murderous Count Gesualdo, before the recording abruptly breaks off mid-note. In this new edition, the Nijiumu trio recording is supplemented by a piece recorded solo by Haino in 1973, a bracing electronic blowout stretching almost half an hour. Using a homemade electronics setup to unleash a barrage of crunching distortion and shuddering harmonic fuzz, it takes its place in the canon of extreme live electronics next to Robert Ashley’s Wolfman and Walter Marchetti’s Osmanthus fragrans, looking forward to extreme noise years before Merzbow. Taken as a whole, these four sides of music are a stunning document of some of the lesser-known waystations of Haino’s singular creative path.

Benjamin Hudson returns to Acroplane, following his last projects with us as Ebola (Wrong Music) and one half of Baconhead, with 'Slime'… and he's brought a load of his talented mates to collaborate with him.

Artwork by Everything Alllways

Mastering by James Forde Stewart @ Sorting Room Studios.

Brain Rays is part of queer collective, DOOMSCROLL, and Devon art & party crew, Bizarre Rituals. He is also a co-founder of Wrong Music alongside DJ Scotch Egg and Matt Lambert (Roger Species).

Known for his hectic, high pressure output with Quiet, and film soundtrack work (as part of Unknown Horrors) collaborating with director Dean Puckett (The Severed Sun, The Sermon, Satan's Bite) and Rhys Chapman (Wonderkid). As a DJ he has performed all over the world, including Transmediale Festival (Berlin), Today's Art (Den Haag) and Boomtown Fair, as well as two live sessions at Radio 1's legendary Maida Vale Studios. As a producer he has garnered support from the likes of Mary Anne Hobbs, ETCH, Huw Stephens, Drumskull, Annie Mac, and Nikki Nair.

Acclaimed British artist Leon Vynehall presents is highly anticipated third album, In Daytona Yellow, via Ooze INC. Marking the next stage in the Ivor Novello-nominated producer and DJ’s evolving sound, In Daytona Yellow showcases Vynehall’s experimentations with fringe electronics, pop, and R&B, and his growing confidence through collaboration and live vocals. Across 10 hypnotically off-kilter tracks, we hear Vynehall at his most deft and diaristic.

Over the past 13 years, Vynehall has built a formidable reputation through his genre-defying artistry. From his early days as a leftfield house producer releasing on labels like Aus Music, Running Back, 3024, and Rush Hour, to his critically acclaimed debut album Nothing Is Still (2018) and the boundary-pushing Rare, Forever (2021), he has continually redefined his creative limits. While Rare, Forever was a bold step away from dance music—melding post-punk textures with experimental electronics—In Daytona Yellow pushes these experiments into a more traditional songwriting framework, inspired by both contemporary and 80s avant-pop.

In Daytona Yellow is set to be a career-defining release, cementing Leon Vynehall as one of electronic music’s most innovative and thought-provoking artists, part of a vanguard expanding the ambition of electronic music.

Eco Coloured Edition
Elena Tonra ist zwar keine passionierte Schwimmerin, aber der Sound auf dem neuen Daughter Album "Stereo Mind Game" klingt wie ein Ozean, in den man eintauchen möchte. Das dritte Album der britischen Band, gleichzeitig das erste Studioalbum seit sieben Jahren, setzt sich damit auseinander, was es bedeutet, von geliebten Menschen und auch von sich selbst getrennt zu sein - ein komplexes Thema. Daughter, das Trio bestehend aus Elena Tonra, Igor Haefeli und Remi Aguilella - wurde 2010 gegründet. Nach der Veröffentlichung von zwei Studioalben, "If You Leave" (2013) und "Not to Disappear" (2016), und dem Videospiel-Soundtrack Music "From Before the Storm" (2017), beschlossen sie, eine Auszeit voneinander zu nehmen. Kurz zuvor jammten sie allerdings noch gemeinsam in Los Angeles, zwischen einer Support-Tour für The National und ihren ersten Headline-Shows in Südamerika. Hier begann die Arbeit am neuen Album. Danach herrschte erst einmal Stille - als Band und untereinander. In den nächsten Jahren, in denen die Mitglieder an ihren eigenen Projekten arbeiteten, darunter auch Tonras Soloplatte als Ex:Re, trafen sich Daughter gelegentlich zum gemeinsamen Schreiben in Studios in London, Portland und San Diego, wo Haefeli 2019 für sechs Monate lebte. Die zentrale romantische Figur der Platte ist jemand, den Tonra dort kennengelernt hat, als sie aus London zu Besuch kam. Sie teilten eine bedeutende Verbindung, aber sie wusste, dass der Atlantik zwischen ihnen liegt. Daughter begann 2021 konkret mit den Aufnahmen für die zwölf Songs des Albums. Haefeli, der in Bristol lebt, traf sich mit Tonra in den Middle Farm Studios in Devon. Aguilella, der in Portland, Oregon, lebt, nahm seine Schlagzeugparts im Bocce Studio in Vancouver, Washington, auf. Haefeli produzierte eine Reihe der Songs, während Tonra "Junkmail" produzierte. Den Rest haben sie gemeinsam produziert. Die Sehnsucht, physische Entfernungen zu überwinden, ein Gefühl, das sich während der Pandemie noch verstärkt hat, ist in viele dieser Stücke eingeflossen. Auf "Wish I Could Cross the Sea" hören wir Sprachnotizen von Tonras junger Nichte und ihrem Neffen, die in Italien leben. "(Missed Calls)" enthält eine weitere Sprachnotiz, in der ein Freund einen Traum beschreibt. Gefüttert mit einigen modularen Effekten, klingt er geisterhaft eindringlich. Diese Nachrichten, Versuche einer Verbindung von geliebten Menschen, die man nicht sehen kann, "können einen aus dem Brunnen ziehen", sagt Tonra - aber nur, wenn man den Hörer abnimmt. Wenn man andere hereinlässt, kann Schönheit entstehen. Tiefes Gefühl kommt von den Bögen des 12 Ensemble, dem in London ansässigen Streichorchester, das bei vielen Stücken des Albums zu hören ist. Die von Haefeli und Tonra arrangierten und von Josephine Stephenson orchestrierten Stücke wurden, passenderweise, im The Pool aufgenommen, einem Raum in Bermondsey im Süden Londons, der eine ehemalige Badeanstalt war. Ein Blechbläserquartett verleiht auch "Neptune" und "To Rage" eine wohlig klangliche Wärme. Während Daughters frühere Arbeiten ihre Kraft in ihrer entwaffneten und emotionalen Ehrlichkeit fanden, handelt "Stereo Mind Game" von gegensätzlichen Gefühlen. "Es geht darum, nicht in absoluten Kategorien zu arbeiten", sagt Haefeli. Nach mehr als einem Jahrzehnt, in dem sie die dunkelsten Emotionen darstellten, haben Daughter ihr bisher optimistischstes und ein fast schon strahlendes Album aufgenommen.

Orange Crush Vinyl. GoldFord writes soul music rooted in truth. His raw, unvarnished songs — equal parts introspection and catharsis — grapple with heartbreak, healing, and the quiet revelations that come with growth and maturity. Raised in St. Louis and now based in L.A., he spent a decade mired in corporate America before a devastating loss cracked something open. Since then, GoldFord has built a devoted following with his emotionally charged vocals and timeless style. His breakout single “Upside Down” offered a first taste of virality, while “Orange Blossoms” — inspired by an illuminating moment of presence under a fruit tree — has surpassed 50 million streams on Spotify alone and earned co-signs from Sam Smith and SZA. Tracks like “Ride the Storm” (33M+ Spotify streams) and “Walk With Me” have found homes in major ad campaigns, film, and TV . But for GoldFord, it’s not about placement: it’s about connection. “This is how I sort through my shit,” he says. “The music reflects back who I am.” With a new record on the way and a festival debut at Austin City Limits looming, he’s stepping into the spotlight, one soul-baring song at a time.

Can a self-portrait be a collage? Can empathy be autobiographical? What's the point of living if we're not trying to understand all the horror and humor that surrounds everything? These are a few of the questions lurking under the bleachers of Wednesday's new album Bleeds, an intoxicating collection of narrative-heavy Southern rock that_like many of the most arresting passages from the North Carolina band's highlight reel so far_thoughtfully explores the vivid link between curiosity and confession. Bleeds is not only the best Wednesday record_it's also the most Wednesday record, a patchwork-style triumph of literary allusions and outlaw grit, of place-based poetry and hair-raising noise. Karly Hartzman_founder, frontwoman, and primary lyricist_credits Wednesday's tightened grasp on their own identity to time spent collaborating on previous albums, plus a tour schedule that's been both rewarding and relentless. "Bleeds is the spiritual successor to Rat Saw God, and I think the quintessential `Wednesday Creek Rock' album," Hartzman said, articulating satisfaction with the ways her band has sharpened its trademark sound, how they've refined the formula that makes them one of the most interesting rock bands of their generation. "This is what Wednesday songs are supposed to sound like," she said. "We've devoted a lot of our lives to figuring this out_and I feel like we did." Just like Rat Saw God, one of the defining rock & roll records of the 2020s so far, Bleeds came together at Drop of Sun in Asheville and was produced by Alex Farrar, who's been recording the band since Twin Plagues. Hartzman again brought demos to the studio, where she and her bandmates _X andy Chelmis (lap steel, pedal steel), Alan Miller (drums), Ethan Baechtold (bass, piano), and Jake "M.J." Lenderman (guitar) _ worked as a team to bulk-up the compositions with the exact right amounts of country truth-telling, indie-pop hooks, and noisy sludge. More than ever, the precise proportions were steered by the lyricism_not only its tone or subject matter, but also the actual sound of the words, as well as Hartzman's masterfully subjective approach to detail selection. Every image or scene is filtered through Hartzman's agile, writerly brain. The particulars deemed essential all contain revelations about Hartzman's specific obsessions and vulnerabilities, about the fragmented way she processes the world. Maybe sometimes the best way to locate truth or pain or dignity within your own life story, Bleeds suggests, is by crawling into someone else's.

Can a self-portrait be a collage? Can empathy be autobiographical? What's the point of living if we're not trying to understand all the horror and humor that surrounds everything? These are a few of the questions lurking under the bleachers of Wednesday's new album Bleeds, an intoxicating collection of narrative-heavy Southern rock that_like many of the most arresting passages from the North Carolina band's highlight reel so far_thoughtfully explores the vivid link between curiosity and confession. Bleeds is not only the best Wednesday record_it's also the most Wednesday record, a patchwork-style triumph of literary allusions and outlaw grit, of place-based poetry and hair-raising noise. Karly Hartzman_founder, frontwoman, and primary lyricist_credits Wednesday's tightened grasp on their own identity to time spent collaborating on previous albums, plus a tour schedule that's been both rewarding and relentless. "Bleeds is the spiritual successor to Rat Saw God, and I think the quintessential `Wednesday Creek Rock' album," Hartzman said, articulating satisfaction with the ways her band has sharpened its trademark sound, how they've refined the formula that makes them one of the most interesting rock bands of their generation. "This is what Wednesday songs are supposed to sound like," she said. "We've devoted a lot of our lives to figuring this out_and I feel like we did." Just like Rat Saw God, one of the defining rock & roll records of the 2020s so far, Bleeds came together at Drop of Sun in Asheville and was produced by Alex Farrar, who's been recording the band since Twin Plagues. Hartzman again brought demos to the studio, where she and her bandmates _X andy Chelmis (lap steel, pedal steel), Alan Miller (drums), Ethan Baechtold (bass, piano), and Jake "M.J." Lenderman (guitar) _ worked as a team to bulk-up the compositions with the exact right amounts of country truth-telling, indie-pop hooks, and noisy sludge. More than ever, the precise proportions were steered by the lyricism_not only its tone or subject matter, but also the actual sound of the words, as well as Hartzman's masterfully subjective approach to detail selection. Every image or scene is filtered through Hartzman's agile, writerly brain. The particulars deemed essential all contain revelations about Hartzman's specific obsessions and vulnerabilities, about the fragmented way she processes the world. Maybe sometimes the best way to locate truth or pain or dignity within your own life story, Bleeds suggests, is by crawling into someone else's.

The hotly anticipated follow-up to 2007"s Horizons, Deep Blue raised the bar in every conceivable way. While maintaining the band"s uncompromising metallic-hardcore style at its core, it pushed into exciting new realms, drawing from a wider scope of influence, incorporating everything from anthemic pop-punk to bloodcurdling death metal. With improved musical abilities and a thoroughly inspired approach to songwriting, Parkway Drive has tied the music and lyrics together into one all-encompassing concept. "It"s basically about the search for truth in a world that seems to be devoid of that," says vocalist and lyricist Winston McCall, explaining the narrative running through Deep Blue. "The story is told through the eyes of a man who wakes up and realizes that his life is a lie and nothing he believes in is real. So he tries to find the truth within himself and his journey takes him to the bottom of the ocean and back again."

Spanish roots singer Marcus I is well known among the reggae community for his masterpieces ‘2000 Years Showcase’ and ‘Jesus Was Black’ or more recent works with producer aDUBta on F-Spot Records and Hornin’s Sounds. Backed by the heavyweight sound of The 18th Parallel, Marcus I delivers a heartfelt anthem for every selector and music devotee who treasures the magic of black wax. A tune dedicated to all vinyl lovers and record collectors worldwide, ‘Wax Box’ is a celebration of the sound system culture. Reggae has been shaped by sound operators and selectors collecting the best and most obscure 45rpm records and revealing the full potential of a tune with heavy bass and crisp trebbles to their audience.

Finally, I was able to devote some time to actually getting some collaborations completed for a new release of the Meeting Of The Minds series, with some brand new names arriving to Future Retro London!

Nebula is one of my favourite artists making new jungle atm, his versatility in music on the darker & lighter sides of the spectrum, the richness of his atmospherics and melodies & the way his drum edits flow throughout his tracks, I consider him a big inspiration in what I make. It was an absolute pleasure to be able to work with him on "Without Fear".

I've been enjoying some of what Stekker's been doing in his music, representing the ruffer lo-fi side of production and he's been putting out some great stuff on his own label Ruff 'n' Tuff as well as on a release he did for Coco Bryce's label Myor. I reached out to him about a collaboration and he had started something, which I was really into and that led to "The Quest".

I owe a lot to DJ Trace, as he was one of the first big names in jungle/d&b to really show me support for what I was doing. He gave me my debut vinyl release when he asked me to remix an old classic of his called "Final Chapta", which he released in 2011 on his label DSCI4. I also had music released on a label he started a few years after that called 117 (which I also helped design artwork for), so we go way back. He's been making more music than ever before recently and I was lucky enough to be able to get a collaboration in with him and "Patterns Of Thought" is the end result of that.

I've known Ark X & Duburban for a number of years, I would see them at a lot of events up north, as well as at events in London that they'd travel down for. They also were good friends with Kid Lib and would drive down with him whenever he was visiting/DJing in London & I was becoming familiar with their music through him, through Ark X's labels Supercharger & Hypercharger (where some of Ark X's music was being released under his previous alias of Black Orchid) & through Duburban's collaborations with Jahganaut. Big up to both of them for collaborating with me on "Come A Dance"

BARRO #12 – Nebula Circuit (with remixes by Orlok 101 & Abraxas)

Limited to 200 units. Exclusive distribution: Melting Pot Records

The label BARRO returns with its twelfth release, reaffirming its commitment to vinyl culture and uncompromising club music.

This time, the spotlight is on Nebula Circuit, delivering a series of tracks that navigate between EBM, techno, and electroclash, all sharply designed for the dancefloor.

BARRO #12 vinyl release features four tracks:

• Three original productions by Nebula Circuit, where electronic darkness merges with tense rhythms and incisive basslines.

• A remix by Orlok 101, pushing the material into an even more abrasive, machine-driven territory that strengthens the label’s underground identity.

A Statement of Intent:
With this release, BARRO consolidates its place within the darker, more combative spectrum of electronic music. BARRO #12 is crafted for DJs, collectors, and all underground devotees — a punk-spirited record with a clear mission: the dancefloor.

BARRO #12 – available soon on vinyl and digital.

The above references have already been supported by artists such as Dave Clarke, Phase Fatale, The Hacker, Lokier, NX1, Unhuman, Alienata, Reka, and many more.

Limitierte Loser Edition: "Coke-Bottle Clear & Orange Vinyl" 2LP // 30-jähriges Jubiläum der Neuauflage des Noise-Rock-Klassikers ,Severe Exposure" von Six Finger Satellite aus dem Jahr 1995 auf farbigem Vinyl, Doppel-LP, komplett remastered, inklusive der EP ,Machine Cuisine" von 1994 und einem Download mit 17 Bonustracks // Für Fans von The Jesus Lizard, Gang of Four, Devo, Shellac, LCD Soundsystem, Les Savy Fav. // Sub Pop feiert das 30-jährige Jubiläum von Six Finger Satellites zweitem Album ,Severe Exposure" mit einer erweiterten Doppel-LP-Edition des Albums. Zusätzlich zum Originalalbum enthält ,Severe Exposure: Deluxe Edition" eine Bonus-12"-EP mit der ,Machine Cuisine EP" von 1994 und einen Download mit 17 zusätzlichen Songs, darunter seltene Singles, Compilation-Tracks und unveröffentlichtes Material. Das gesamte Material wurde von JJ Golden neu gemastert und die Vinyl-Platten sind in einem schönen Slipcase mit individuellen Covern für jede LP verpackt. Six Finger Satellite wurde 1990 in Providence, Rhode Island, von J. Ryan (Gesang/Keyboards), John MacLean (Gitarre), Peter Phillips (Gitarre), Chris Dixon (Bass) und Rick Pelletier (Schlagzeug) gegründet und unterschrieb kurz darauf einen Vertrag bei Sub Pop für die EP ,Weapon". 1993 veröffentlichten sie ihr bahnbrechendes Debütalbum ,The Pigeon Is the Most Popular Bird" und 1995 ,Severe Exposure". ,Severe Exposure" war ein Vorbote des Post-Punk- und Synth-orientierten Rock-Revivals der frühen 2000er Jahre, indem es den bissigen, angespannten Post-Punk-Sound der Band um Synthesizer ergänzte. Damals schrieb Trouser Press: ,,Rabies (Baby's Got The)` und ,Simian Fever` sind animalisch aggressiv und chaotisch, während sie gleichzeitig die synthetische Digitone-Lust der New Wave teilen." Und die SF Weekly lobte es als ,ein Party-Album, das man genau dann auflegt, wenn man möchte, dass ,bestimmte Leute` nach Hause gehen." Und es ist das Lieblingsalbum von Seth Jabour von Les Savy Fav! In seinen Worten: ,Ich bin immer wieder überrascht, wie sehr ich es liebe und wie wichtig es für uns während unserer Entwicklung als Band war." Severe Exposure ist das meistverkaufte Album der Band und wurde von der Band in ihrem eigenen Studio, The Parlour, in Providence, Rhode Island, aufgenommen.

Black Truffle is thrilled to present the first ever solo Donso n’goni recording from octogenarian Swedish multi-instrumentalist Christer Bothén. Active in the Swedish jazz and improvisation scene since the 1970s, often heard on bass clarinet, Bothén travelled to Mali in 1971, eventually making his way to the Wassoulou region in the country’s south where he encountered the Donso n’goni, the sacred harp of the hunter caste of Wassoulou society. Though playing the instrument has traditionally been restricted to those who belong to the hunters’ brotherhood, Bothén found an enthusiastic teacher in Brouema Dobia, who, after many months of intensive one-on-one lessons, gave Bothén his blessing to play the instrument both traditionally and in his own style. Returning to Sweden, he would go on to pass on what he had learned to Don Cherry and play the Donso n’goni in a wide variety of inventive settings, including the driving Afro-jazz-fusion of his Trancedance (reissued as BT118).

The seven pieces of Christer Bothén Donso n’goni offer up a stunning showcase of Bothén’s work on this remarkable instrument, heard entirely unaccompanied, except for the final piece where he is joined on a second Donso n’goni by his student and collaborator, the virtuoso bassist Kansan/Torbjorn Zetterberg, and Marianne N’Lemvo Linden on the metal Karanjang scraper. Recorded in three sessions in Stockholm between 2019 and 2023 in richly detailed high fidelity, the instrument’s buzzing, sonorous bass strings make an immediate, overwhelming sonic impression. Hyper-focused on hypnotically repeating pentatonic patterns, the seven pieces are at once relentlessly single-minded and endlessly rich in subtle variations. The concentrated listening environment turns small details, such as the deployment of the instrument’s segesege rattle on two of the pieces, into major events. Six of the seven pieces are traditional, with Bothén contributing the remaining ‘La Baraka’, but the line between tradition and the individual talent is imaginary here: as Bothén explained in a recent interview with The Wire’s Clive Bell, ‘I play traditional and untraditional, and I play the music forward and backward’. While the traditional Wassoulou pieces provide the rhythmic and harmonic elements, Bothén’s individuality as a performer is alive in every moment, felt acutely in boundless variations of attack, improvisational flourishes, and unexpected accelerations and decelerations. Captured entirely live and bristling with spontaneity, this music is undeniably the product of almost half a decade of Bothén’s devotion to the Donso n’goni and its traditional music.

Accompanied by detailed new liner notes by Bothén and stunning colour photos from his time in Mali, Christer Bothén Donso n’goni is a stunning document of a remarkable instrument, played with an almost spiritual intensity by one of contemporary music’s great explorers.

Ten City is universally known as one of the foundational House Music artists who helped to preach the gospel of House from Chicago out to the world during the genre’s formative years in the late 80’s. Remarkably Ten City is still recording and performing, with the voice and face of Ten City Byron Stingily delivering classic songs like “That’s The Way Love Is,” “Devotion” and “Right Back To You” to adoring fans from multiple generations around the world.

Throughout his career, Byron has always had a keen sense of where House Music is going both on a musical and cultural level, and the role Ten City could play to stay at the forefront. He saw that now in the year 2025 the time was right to collaborate with a new generation producer who could “walk the walk” in terms of knowing how to utilize to the fullest the multiple emerging production techniques making House Music dancefloors jump. At the same time, whomever he worked with to create a new Ten City album had to be so well versed and respectful of the group’s legacy that they would not stray too far from what the original songs and albums were all about.

He found his man in another Chicago native DJ Emmaculate, who is well known among house music fans as one of the most talented writer / producer / DJs in the genre.

For the new album on Nervous Records, appropriately entitled “The Next Generation,” Byron and Emmaculate have expanded the Ten City sound both musically and in terms of vocal contributors. While “Voice Of House Music” Byron Stingily still delivers slam-dunk hits with his inimitable style, the album also includes supreme vocal contributions from Mon’Aerie, Uneq’ka, DRAMA D. Lylez, and a rap delivery from OVEOUS.

This Double Pack vinyl consisting of 8 songs with a custom jacket is a priceless and must-have addition to anyone and everyone who is a fan of the house music genre.