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Die Power Metal-Szene braucht einen Einlauf - und dieses Album ist einer!
Das neue Album "Out Of The Dark" von FROZEN LAND ist Power Metal der alten Schule - Punkt.
Es ist ein feuchter Traum für alle, die in den 90er Jahren angefangen haben, Power Metal zu hören. Es gibt keine Füllstücke. Es gibt keine nicht-eingängigen Refrains. Es gibt keine langweiligen Gitarrensolos.
Nach der letzten Veröffentlichung machte die Band eine 4-jährige Pause.
Und warum? Weil sie in dieser Zeit ihre Depressionen überwanden - laut augenzwinkernder, eigener Aussage, half LSD dabei - daher auch der Name des Albums, "Out Of The Dark".
Das Album ist im Grunde ein 7 Songs umfassendes Gesamtkunstwerk im traditionellen Power Metal-Sinne.
Aber bei den letzten 2 Tracks wird spannend! Tuomas hat eine perverse Vorliebe für Eurodance der 90er Jahre, was bereits durch das Cover von E-Types "Angels Crying" auf dem Debütalbum der Band durchschimmerte.
Auf diesem Album dachten FROZEN LAND nun, sie nehmen das Hedt selbst in die Hand und mischen Eurodance mit Metal. Nehmt es nicht zu ernst... FROZEN LAND tun das auch nicht!

Die Power Metal-Szene braucht einen Einlauf - und dieses Album ist einer!
Das neue Album "Out Of The Dark" von FROZEN LAND ist Power Metal der alten Schule - Punkt.
Es ist ein feuchter Traum für alle, die in den 90er Jahren angefangen haben, Power Metal zu hören. Es gibt keine Füllstücke. Es gibt keine nicht-eingängigen Refrains. Es gibt keine langweiligen Gitarrensolos.
Nach der letzten Veröffentlichung machte die Band eine 4-jährige Pause.
Und warum? Weil sie in dieser Zeit ihre Depressionen überwanden - laut augenzwinkernder, eigener Aussage, half LSD dabei - daher auch der Name des Albums, "Out Of The Dark".
Das Album ist im Grunde ein 7 Songs umfassendes Gesamtkunstwerk im traditionellen Power Metal-Sinne.
Aber bei den letzten 2 Tracks wird spannend! Tuomas hat eine perverse Vorliebe für Eurodance der 90er Jahre, was bereits durch das Cover von E-Types "Angels Crying" auf dem Debütalbum der Band durchschimmerte.
Auf diesem Album dachten FROZEN LAND nun, sie nehmen das Hedt selbst in die Hand und mischen Eurodance mit Metal. Nehmt es nicht zu ernst... FROZEN LAND tun das auch nicht!

Zach Phillips und Olia Eichenbaum lernten sich 2018 online kennen und begannen schnell mit der Remote-Zusammenarbeit in Frankreich und Brooklyn. Zunächst arbeiteten sie unter dem Namen Pearly Gates zusammen und tourten 2019 durch Westeuropa. Nach einem Jahr Pause entstand das gesamte 'Perfect Angels' Album innerhalb eines knappen Monats während der Pandemie, wobei die Remote-Overdubs von Olia und ihren Gästen etwas mehr Zeit in Anspruch nahmen. Es wurde vollständig auf Tascam 388 1/4" 8-Spur-Band aufgenommen, wobei Computer nur während der Overdubs, des Mixings und des Masterings eingriffen.

Die beliebte Band Bright Eyes mit der dritten Welle von Veröffentlichungen im Rahmen ihres laufenden Companions-Reihe. Das Projekt sieht vor, dass die Band ihren gesamten Katalog neu auflegt, wobei jedes Originalalbum von Neueinspielungen begleitet wird. Diese Companion EP enthält dazu Gastauftritte von Johanna and Klara Söderberg (aka First Aid Kit) und Alynda Segarra (Hurray For The Riff Raff) sowie eine Coverversionen "When You Were Mine" von Prince. Eines der Dinge, die Conor Oberst auffielen, als er und seine Band durch mehr als zwanzig Jahre Musik gingen, war, dass er vielleicht tatsächlich die ganze Zeit über denselben Song geschrieben hat. Natürlich nicht klanglich, aber konzeptionell. Diese letzte Welle enthält mit Noise Floor frühe Bright Eyes-Songs, die so roh sind, dass Oberst sie damals nicht direkt veröffentlicht hat, sowie mit Cassadaga und The People's Key die ausgefeiltesten und anspruchsvollsten Alben der Band. Als Bright Eyes mit Cassadega auf Tournee gingen, spielten sie 7 ausverkaufte Abende in der Town Hall in New York. Was gibt es Erwachseneres als einen Rockstar? Und doch ... "Thematisch unterscheiden sich diese frühen Songs gar nicht so sehr von denen, die ich jetzt mache", sagt Oberst und schüttelt den Kopf. "Es hat etwas Bestätigendes und Entmutigendes an sich. Man fragt sich: Habe ich mich wirklich verändert oder bin ich gewachsen? Aber vielleicht liegt es auch nur daran, dass ich von Anfang an wusste, worüber ich schreiben wollte. Es war eine interessante Reise, all diese alten Songs wieder aufzugreifen und neu zu interpretieren."

Hannah Aldridge wuchs an den schlammigen Ufern Alabamas auf, ihre Songs halten ein empfindliches Gleichgewicht zwischen Rebellion und Selbstfindung. Wer den Bible Belt kennt, hört die vertraute Stimme eines alten Freundes, alle anderen lernen die dunkle Seite des Südens kennen, den Kampf, der Vergangenheit zu entkommen und eine Zukunft zu schmieden. 'Dream Of America' bewegt sich auf einem schmalen Grat zwischen freundlichem Americana-Charme und dem rohen, hypnotischen und gelegentlich elektronischen Stil dessen, was man Noir-Indie-Pop nennt. Es ist Musik für diejenigen, die sich ihren Dämonen stellen, ohne an sie gebunden zu bleiben.

Oikoumene" bedeutet "Ökumene" und bezieht sich auf einen altgriechischen Begriff, der die bewohnten oder "zivilisierten" Teile unseres Planeten bezeichnet, mit anderen Worten diejenigen, in denen die Menschheit ihre Spuren hinterlassen hat. In diesem Rahmen hat THEODOR BASTARD Musiker russischer, Zulu-, indischer, britischer und französisch-afrikanischer Traditionen und eine beeindruckende Reihe von Naturinstrumenten (daf, doira, dumbek, udo, kalimba, reko-reko, caxixi, ashiko, talking drum) aus der ganzen Welt zusammengebracht, um dieses Album zu schaffen. Ursprünglich im Jahr 2012 veröffentlicht, wird es nun endlich wiederveröffentlicht! Wie Aki Nawaz von der britischen Kultband Fun-Da-Mental sagt, "spiegeln Theodor Bastard die wahre Kunst des musikalischen Ausdrucks in all ihren Parametern wider".

Oikoumene" bedeutet "Ökumene" und bezieht sich auf einen altgriechischen Begriff, der die bewohnten oder "zivilisierten" Teile unseres Planeten bezeichnet, mit anderen Worten diejenigen, in denen die Menschheit ihre Spuren hinterlassen hat. In diesem Rahmen hat THEODOR BASTARD Musiker russischer, Zulu-, indischer, britischer und französisch-afrikanischer Traditionen und eine beeindruckende Reihe von Naturinstrumenten (daf, doira, dumbek, udo, kalimba, reko-reko, caxixi, ashiko, talking drum) aus der ganzen Welt zusammengebracht, um dieses Album zu schaffen. Ursprünglich im Jahr 2012 veröffentlicht, wird es nun endlich wiederveröffentlicht! Wie Aki Nawaz von der britischen Kultband Fun-Da-Mental sagt, "spiegeln Theodor Bastard die wahre Kunst des musikalischen Ausdrucks in all ihren Parametern wider".

Die beliebte Band Bright Eyes mit der dritten Welle von Veröffentlichungen im Rahmen ihres laufenden Companions-Reihe. Das Projekt sieht vor, dass die Band ihren gesamten Katalog neu auflegt, wobei jedes Originalalbum von Neueinspielungen begleitet wird. Diese Companion EPs enthalten dazu Gastauftritte von Johanna and Klara Söderberg (aka First Aid Kit), Gillian Welch und Alynda Segarra (Hurray For The Riff Raff) sowie eine Coverversionen von "Wrecking Ball" von Gillian Welch. Eines der Dinge, die Conor Oberst auffielen, als er und seine Band durch mehr als zwanzig Jahre Musik gingen, war, dass er vielleicht tatsächlich die ganze Zeit über denselben Song geschrieben hat. Natürlich nicht klanglich, aber konzeptionell. Diese letzte Welle enthält mit Noise Floor frühe Bright Eyes-Songs, die so roh sind, dass Oberst sie damals nicht direkt veröffentlicht hat, sowie mit Cassadaga und The People's Key die ausgefeiltesten und anspruchsvollsten Alben der Band. Als Bright Eyes mit Cassadega auf Tournee gingen, spielten sie 7 ausverkaufte Abende in der Town Hall in New York. Was gibt es Erwachseneres als einen Rockstar? Und doch ... "Thematisch unterscheiden sich diese frühen Songs gar nicht so sehr von denen, die ich jetzt mache", sagt Oberst und schüttelt den Kopf. "Es hat etwas Bestätigendes und Entmutigendes an sich. Man fragt sich: Habe ich mich wirklich verändert oder bin ich gewachsen? Aber vielleicht liegt es auch nur daran, dass ich von Anfang an wusste, worüber ich schreiben wollte. Es war eine interessante Reise, all diese alten Songs wieder aufzugreifen und neu zu interpretieren."

Die beliebte Band Bright Eyes mit der dritten Welle von Veröffentlichungen im Rahmen ihres laufenden Companions-Reihe. Das Projekt sieht vor, dass die Band ihren gesamten Katalog neu auflegt, wobei jedes Originalalbum von Neueinspielungen begleitet wird. Eines der Dinge, die Conor Oberst auffielen, als er und seine Band durch mehr als zwanzig Jahre Musik gingen, war, dass er vielleicht tatsächlich die ganze Zeit über denselben Song geschrieben hat. Natürlich nicht klanglich, aber konzeptionell. Diese letzte Welle enthält mit Noise Floor frühe Bright Eyes-Songs, die so roh sind, dass Oberst sie damals nicht direkt veröffentlicht hat, sowie mit Cassadaga und The People's Key die ausgefeiltesten und anspruchsvollsten Alben der Band. Als Bright Eyes mit Cassadega auf Tournee gingen, spielten sie 7 ausverkaufte Abende in der Town Hall in New York. Was gibt es Erwachseneres als einen Rockstar? Und doch ... "Thematisch unterscheiden sich diese frühen Songs gar nicht so sehr von denen, die ich jetzt mache", sagt Oberst und schüttelt den Kopf. "Es hat etwas Bestätigendes und Entmutigendes an sich. Man fragt sich: Habe ich mich wirklich verändert oder bin ich gewachsen? Aber vielleicht liegt es auch nur daran, dass ich von Anfang an wusste, worüber ich schreiben wollte. Es war eine interessante Reise, all diese alten Songs wieder aufzugreifen und neu zu interpretieren."

Umse is back und größer! "Wachstum"

"Warum wie Tausende Deppen ganz plötzlich aufhören zu rappen // die Leute hängen doch an den Scheiben so wie Autovignetten."
"Wachstum"

Umse macht das Rap-Ding nicht erst seit gestern. Shows zwischen Flensburg und Luzern, youtube-Videos mit 300.000+ Clicks, 2 Alben und 2 EPs Alles dagewesen. Trotzdem ist für ihn die Zeit nicht stehen geblieben. Der Titel seines Debütalbums auf Jakarta Records ist Programm: "Wachstum".

Drei Jahre hat Umse an seinem neuen Album zusammen mit Hausproduzent Deckah geschraubt, aber "es brauch halt seine Zeit bis die Soundästehtik reift", denn etwas "zu verfassen was bleibt heißt eben ackern und schaffen". Das heißt nicht, dass Umse alles anders macht als in den vergangenen Jahren. Es gibt weiterhin "kein Strassendrama mit Handschusswaffen", kein Hipsterrap, keine Dubstepremixe, "keine Sandys und Mandys für den Chorus". Stattdessen besinnt sich Umse auf insgesamt 14 Tracks auf das was ihm "einfach so liegt: Nice Rhymes auf en Beat": zeitlose Musik ohne Redundanz, dafür gewohnt frisches, intelligentes Wortspiel - zugleich aber auch kein "90ties Revival sondern ein Style Überbleibsel".

Das Album wird auf allen Formaten erscheinen, die ersten 150 Kopien der Vinylausgabe auf farbigem Vinyl.

Repress!

Wie gerne spielen Fettes Brot mit Bedeutungen? Ihr Album-Titel "Am Wasser gebaut" birgt bspw. zwei offensichtliche Ebenen. Entweder er meint: dir kommen schnell die Tränen. Oder: du kommst aus einer Hafenstadt. Ausgangspunkt 1 ging mit dem Plan konform, eine Art neuer Hip Hop Soul Music zu erschaffen. Wer sich starke Feelings leistet, macht sich natürlich auch verletzlich. Ausgangspunkt Numero 2 bedingte konsequenterweise den auf dem Artwork in den vielen s/w-Bildern gezeigten Hafenarbeiterlook - u.a. im großen Hamburger Blohm & Voss-Dock fotografiert. FB hoben damit auf den legendären Marlon Brando-Spielfilm "On The Waterfront" ab und auf Dexys Midnight Runners in deren früher "Soul Rebels"-Phase.

"Am Wasser gebaut" war das erste Fettes Brot-Album auf dem bandeigenen Label FBS. Mit "Emanuela" und "An Tagen wie diesen" protzt die Platte gleich mit 2 Smash Hits. Auf der vorliegenden Trockendock-Edition sind zudem 11(!) Bonussongs (B-Seiten, Outtakes, Single-only Songs) verewigt. Dazu gibts Presseclippings und Linernotes der Band und ihrer Gäste wie Bela B, etc., sowie ein umfangreiches Artwork-Update.

Das 5. Studioalbum von Django Django trägt den Titel ”Off Planet” und besteht aus 21 Titeln, die in vier Teile aufgeteilt sind. Ursprünglich sollten es vier experimentelle EPs werden, die aber schnell in ein richtiges Album verwandelt wurden, als die Band das Potenzial der Aufnahmesession erkannte. ”Off Planet” enthält einige der aufregendsten und dynamischsten Stücke, die Django Django je produziert haben. Das Album ist eine Rückbesinnung auf ihre experimentellen und elektronischen Wurzeln und enthält außerdem spannende Gastauftritte von Self Esteem, Jack Penate und vielen anderen.

Jeder Teil des Albums wird digital veröffentlicht und am Tag der Veröffentlichung des vierten Teils wird das gesamte Album auf Doppel-Vinyl und Doppel-CD erscheinen.

Eindringliche Melodien durchziehen Pendant World, das mit Spannung erwartete zweite Deutsche GrammophonAlbum der texanischen Band Balmorhea. Die 13 Tracks offenbaren ein breites Spektrum an Stilen, Texturen, Rhythmen und Farben und lösen Genregrenzen auf. Gefundene Sounds, Samples, Vinylaufnahmen, Synthesizer, Blechbläser und Flöten ergänzen Balmorheas reguläre „Stimmen“ aus Klavier, Akustikgitarren und Streichern. Zusätzlich gesellen sich zu Rob Lowe und Michael A. Muller auf Pendant World auch die Geigerin/Sängerin Aisha Burns, die Cellistin Clarice Jensen sowie eine ebenso herausragende Besetzung anderer Gastkünstler: der experimentelle Jazzsaxophonist Sam Gendel, Joseph Shabason an Tenorsaxophon und Flöte, Klarinettist Jonathan Sielaff, Schlagzeuger Jason Treuting, die Sängerinnen Steph Jenkins und
Lisa Morgenstern. Produziert wird das Album vom Grammy-Gewinner und Produzenten Jonathan Low, der auch noch Synthesizer und Schlaginstrumente einarbeitet. Pendant World erscheint digital, auf CD und auf Vinyl.

The next chapter of the Natural Information Society is here. Since Time Is Gravity, credited to Natural Information Society Community Ensemble with Ari Brown, presents a newly expanded manifestation of acclaimed composer & multi-instrumentalist Joshua Abrams nearly 15 year, 7 albums &-counting flagship ensemble. Joining the core NIS of Abrams (guimbri & bass), Lisa Alvarado (harmonium) Mikel Patrick Avery (drums) & Jason Stein (bass clarinet) are Hamid Drake (percussion), Josh Berman & Ben Lamar Gay (cornets), Nick Mazzarella & Mai Sugimoto (alto saxophones & flute), Kara Bershad (harp) & Chicago living legend of the tenor saxophone Ari Brown. Recorded live to tape at Electrical Audio & The Graham Foundation, cover painting Vibratory Cartography: Nepantla, by Lisa Alvarado. 2xLP on Eremite USA, 2xLP & CD on Aguirre/Eremite Europe. Out 14-04.

Since first developing Natural Information Society in 2010, Joshua Abrams has been gradually expanding the group’s conceptual underpinnings, its musical references & the sheer number of the group’s members. Its music is, in a sense, an expansive form of minimalism, based in repeated & overlaid rhythmic patterns, ostinatos & modality. Its roots, its scale & its meaning become clearer in time. If time is gravity, it also allows us to carry more. Having begun as fundamentally a rhythm section with Abrams’ guimbri at its core, the version here can stretch to a tentet, including six horns.

Abrams has been expanding his minimalism gradually, but he has long understood a key to minimalism’s potential: the breadth of its roots in the late 1950s & early 1960s, ranging from the dissatisfaction of young European-stream composers with the limitations of serialism to the simultaneous dissatisfaction of jazz musicians with the dense harmonic vocabulary of bop & hard bop. The former began exploring rhythmic complexity & narrow tonal palates in place of harmonic abstraction (Steve Reich’s Drumming, Philip Glass’ Music with Changing Parts; perhaps above all Terry Riley’s In C & his late ‘60s all-night organ & loop concerts); the later reduced dense chord changes to scales (signally with Miles Davis' Kind of Blue, but rapidly expanding with John Coltrane’s vast project). In the 1950s the LP record opened the world with documentation of Asian & African musics, key influences on both minimalists & jazz musicians. If John Coltrane’s soprano saxophone suggested the keening shehnai of Bismillah Khan, the instrument was rapidly taken up by two key minimalists, LaMonte Young & Riley, similarly appreciative of its flexible intonation, the same thing that kept it out of big bands.

If the guimbri, the North African hide-covered lute that Abrams plays with NIS, involves a rich tradition of hypnotic healing music associated with the Gnawa people, Abrams’ music also touches on other musics as well — other depths, memories & healings, different drones, rhythms & modes. As the group expands on Since Time Is Gravity, he has made certain jazz traditions in the same stream more explicit as well. If there is a mystical & elastic quality involved in the experience of time, both in direction & duration, you will catch it here. The parts for the choir of winds expand on the roles of Abrams’ guimbri, Mikel Patrick Avery & Hamid Drake’s percussion & Lisa Alvarado’s harmonium: at times, the winds are almost looping in the tentet version, each hitting a repeating note in turn, at once drone & distinct inflection on temporal sequence. The brilliance of the work resides in Abrams’ compositions, the NIS’ intuitive execution & in Ari Brown’s singular embodiment of the great tenor saxophone tradition, including the oracular genius of Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, & Yusef Lateef. The three pieces by the expanded NIS featuring Brown —the opening “Moontide Chorus” & “Is” & the ultimate “Gravity”— have an immediate impact, & togther might be considered a kind of concerto for tenor saxophone. Here Brown presses almost indistinguishably from composed melody to improvised speech, getting so close to language that he might have a text. Everything here is a sign. Note the tap of the Rhythm Ace that links “Moontide Chorus” to “Is”, the attentive heart always present, even when signed by a machine. There’s a link here to the methodologies & meanings of dub music & the linear & vertical collage of beats, textures & tongues: treated with reverence, a sample of a beat-box can be as soulful, as hypnotic, as a mbira or a tamboura. If those pieces with Brown are heard as a suspended concerto, the three embrace & enfold the other works, like the sepals of a flower. That placement will also touch on the mysteries of our perception of time.

Particularly in “Is”, but elsewhere as well, a phenomenon of transcendence arises in which time appears to be tripartite, at once moving backwards & forwards & standing still. This is an act of technical brilliance certainly, but also an illumination of music’s ability to represent temporal consciousness through polymetrics. This particular listener has only heard it before in a few places, including the horn shouts & bowed basses of Coltrane’s Africa, in moments of Charles Mingus’ The Black Saint & the Sinner Lady, in certain pieces where tapes were literally running backwards, & earlier still in Dizzy Gillespie’s Cubana Be, Cubana Bop, in which the composer George Russell & conguero Chano Pozo found a music that spoke at once in the voices of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring & the vestigial rites, rhythms & songs of the Yoruba language & Santeria religion of inland Cuba.

In Joshua Abrams’ compositions & the realization of them by the NIS, in the time of one’s close listening & memory thereof, distinctions between the “natural” & the “social”, the “quotidian” & the “transcendent” are erased, suspended or perhaps irrelevant. Consider two of the ensemble pieces, one named for nature, the other social science. In “Murmuration” the repeated wind figures of flute & alto saxophone combine with the interlocking patterns of harp, guimbri & frame drum (tar) to create a perfect moving stillness, not an imitation but a witness to the miracle of the starlings’ astonishing collective art, a surfeit of beauty that might be the ultimate defense tactic.

“Stigmergy” takes its name & concept from the Occupy movement’s Heather Marsh, who proposes a social system based on a cooperative rather than competitive models, one in which ideas are freely contributed & developed as ideas rather than an individual’s property. In its form, Abrams’ “Stigmergy” is the closes thing to traditional jazz, a series of accompanied solos by each of the wind players. However, the composed accompaniment is a radically collectivist notion: a repeated rhythmic figure, call it ostinato or riff, in which the different winds each play only a note or two of the figure, a concept both more collectivist & individualistic in its conception than any typical unison figure. It suggests another of the underlying recognitions that propel the Natural Information Society, the group as social organism, the teleology of hypnotic anarchy, all parts in place, functioning systematically, evolving & expressing itself, its nature & society, as a transformative organism.

George Lewis has described music as “a space for reflection on the human condition”. This suggests that, rather than a “distraction”, at least some music might serve as a distraction from distraction. It’s a focus, a clarity, a awareness, an external invitation to interiority, as if music itself is a model for form & contemplation, an organism contemplating for us or as us. If that is a possibility, & I am sure I have heard such musics, than this music is among them. How many of our rhythms, melodies & harmonies (cultural, historical, biological, psychic) might such music carry, translate & transform in the particulate ecstasy of our own murmuration? (Stuart Broomer, April 2022)

(Emotional) Especial and Giraffi Dog join forces once more to offer up the second installment of their concept EP series. It is focussed on live and studio collaborations and this one comes in two halves: the first half kicks off with '6th Chakra' (feat DJ Deflektorschild) - a fully live deep house and hi-tek soul exploration with mind-expanding synths and Detroit drum sounds. 'King OTN' is a jack dup acid cut ripped with cosmic synth details and 'DX Metero' has sheet metal synths lashing about next to ethereal synths and busted drum breaks. 'Starfather' is a star-facing closer with elegant piano notes dancing over serene grooves. A vital showcase of this essential live artist.

The Valley and the Mountain aka TVTM aka Josh Dahlberg makes a bold return with 'A Number of Northwests', an EP which tells the tale of an artist in transition. Quite literally, that is, as he moved from Detroit's westside to the very far edges of the Pacific Northwest. Musical this is a stylistically diverse offering with four cuts starting with the mid-tempo smooth grooves of 'Bretton Drive' and glistening synths and pads of the cosmically minded 'Grand River Slide'. The chugging 'Ramps to Nowhere' is a dubbed out afters classic and then the one and only dusty deep house don DJ Aakmael remixes it into another cuddly classic.

Double LP compilation featuring Italian dancefloor music from the end of the Afro/Cosmic scene to the beginning of the Italian Rave era, between 1987 and 1994.

Stunning bit of research by Andrea Dallera (Dualismo Sound) and Gabriele Casiraghi who've been meticulously digging Italian bins. After endless sifting through this crucial time in Italian dance floor music, we are presented with their final distillation of this transitory period between 80's afro cosmic and Italo's peak into early 90's rave and Italo house era. In their words: “The whole concept was born as we started to find records that were into a kind of hybrid zone that was clearly pre-announcing some of the huge musical changes brought by the 90’s. The sound at play can be understood as looking closely to Belgian New Beat, Uk's Acid House and German early Techno but still connected with some dynamics of the ‘80s sounds: lashing snares and catchy melodic phrases joined by filthy acid bass lines, highly compressed kicks and 'World music' samples are just some of the most recurring elements.”

Hands down mandatory for any dance floor oriented record collection.

Tapestry is a work born from collaboration, homage and the best sound.

“La Collaboración” is created when Arturo Bambini, a producer, jazz bassist and full-time musician, meets a young Lynx 196.9 on the other side of the world, a poet and rapper from Philadelphia who captivates him with his rhymes. And its deep and melancholic tone.

From this understanding arises this work, “El Homenaje” by Lynx to Carole King's Tapestry album, whose sound accompanied him throughout his childhood.

“Tapestry” lives up to its name and like a good “Tapiz” it was built with scraps in the form of collaborations such as Dirty Winters, Simón Taibi or the masterful Kool Keith (AKA Dr. Octagon / Dr. Dooom!)

All this sewn with the mastery of Arturo Bambini, the Italian musician based in Barcelona, ​​who with his red tracksuit and rat head wraps us through hip hop and jazz with an urban cadence taken from the very heart of the "best sound".

Repress!

LSDF sound system and l'Hallucidité offers you the repress of some good oldschool tribe. Before the Cds and the hitek:) Something roots and dusty... like freedom !

The long-awaited debut LP from Romanian duo Khidja is finally coming via Malka Tuti Records.

The album ‘Transmission’ will be divided into two separate releases - Part 1 & Part 2. Part 1, presented here, will be released on June 16th, while Part 2 will be released in the 2nd half of September 2023. The album, which contains 10 new tracks from the duo (5 on each part) was written and produced by Khidja over the last several years.It was mastered by Enrico Mercaldi and distributed world wide by One Eye Witness, with a fresh fresh artwork by Angus Plunkett & Morey Talmor @ &talmor Part 1 consisted of 5 gems showcasing the diversity in the Romanian duo’s production - from shuffle to slow-mow, through chugging disco-not-disco to 4th world and beyond.

Taiwanese label JIN records enters autumn 2022, with a new promising release by South Korea’s Yetsuby. As always searching for gems in the pan-Asian domain, JIN is delighted to have Yetsuby for its latest/6th release.

On this EP, one-half of the ambient duo Salamanda, Yetsuby showcases her expertise in mood setting soundscapes, taking listeners on a sound journey across a wide array of musical spectra.

Opening on A1, Yetsuby reinterprets a traditional Korean folk story of a bear devouring garlic and green onions, transforming the animal into a human being. Aptly named ” Bear Becomes The Human,” she transforms the transformed, turning the bear into a buzzing modern drum & bass-fused energetic tune. It turns out garlic is a powerful source after all.

B1’s “Jelly” showcases Yetsuby’s talent for stripped-back glitch music: With a minimal bass and drum pattern, the track gently muddles along and presents itself as well suited warm-up track for the earlier hours of any party.


For the remix sides, Cleveland delivers a vinyl only remix of “Bear Becomes The Human” with a futuristic house tune filled with jungle like drum pattern and techy yet smooth atmosphere on A2.


On B2, New Zealand’s Eden Burns takes an entirely different path on his reinterpretation of Jelly. Embarking from the original pattern, he turns the original into a slow brewing psychedelic trance cracker that seems most suited for the early morning after hours that need an energy boost.

On June 16th, 2023, Steven Julien and Kyle Hall return with their first EP together in ten years, CROWN. The record follows earlier EPs the duo created under their former alias Funkinevil, 2013's Ignorant and 2012's Night/Dusk. The record once again brings together two artists from opposite sides of the pond—Julien hailing from London and Hall representing Detroit—with a shared love for soul in its purest essence.

Opening "Page 1", a pitched-down vocal by James Massiah pronounces, "My plan—won't let you take it from hand." That alone could be considered the nut graph of a record about taking ownership, created by two vanguards in the electronic music scene that, a decade ago, insisted on infusing their music with soul in a commercial club circuit lacking in it.

Assembled from a few years-worth of studio jams in Julien's studio, Crown dials up the staticky warmth present on earlier Funkinevil tracks like "Dusk" and "In The Grid." Across seven songs, Funkinevil shaves off some of their tougher elements, instead shooting for pastoral melodies and funky basslines, like on "Page 2", where Vicky Flint's flute flutters sleepily over breaks and a groovy Korg synthesizer. But the atmosphere on the EP is also grander than ever—on "Page 5," Cloud's wistful melisma soars over Flint's bleating saxophone and wandering sci-fi synths.

With all this attention to funky musicality, it's only fitting that two legends specializing in the craft would land on the B-side—Däm Funk revs up "Page 3" with a slamming kick and his unmistakable coolness, and Reggie B turns "Page 5" into a sludgy, jazzy dance party.

In the words of Julien, "I think a lot of people have forgotten about what this whole thing is about. Musically, artistry and everything. So I'm happy this is what we represent on this project."

"To think, this all started with Posture, a record done with some minor misunderstandings in play. Primaruly due to the language barrier between Arturo Banbini and I. To now a fully conceived project, unbelievable and simply God's work. To be honest, I wanted to pay homage to one of the greatest album I've ever heard (Tapestry, Carole King). A Rose to you, you've been nothing short of an inspiration to my music."

Ibiza legend and all round well respected industry man Chris Coco is back with more of his seaside sounds. This time his Mediterranean magic is cast over 'La Guitarra' which as the title hints has Flamenco style acoustics with tropical house drums and heartfelt synths. There is a pair backed and delicious dub also, and then modern disco don Rune Lindbaek comes through with a mesmeric take that is laidback and lush in its design. Last of all is Daniel Braca with a Deep In Brooklyn remix thing brings some fine Latin house styles.

French electronic post-punk/krautrock trio Veik recruit Sonic Boom and Vanishing Twin to reimagine tracks from their 2021 debut album, 'Surrounding Structures'. Both remixes have been pressed to wax by Fuzz Club, due out June 9 2023 on a heavy clear-blue 7" limited to 250 copies. On the A-side Sonic Boom (aka Pete Kember of Spacemen 3 and Spectrum) takes album-opener 'Difficult Machinery' and deconstructs it into a spaced-out, oscillating drone. Shifting gear on the B-side, 'Honesty (I Don't Wanna Know)' was already a piece of throbbing and discordant proto-punk and on this remix London psych-pop experimentalists Vanishing Twin turn it into an even more abrasive and unpredictable beast. Now being revisited via these remixes, Veik's 'Surrounding Structures' album was rooted in avant-garde krautrock and 70s no wave and inspired by brutalist and modernist architecture. It came highly praised by the likes of Loud & Quiet, Line of Best Fit, Louder Than War, BBC 6 Music, KEXP, France24, France Inter and more.

Das selbstbetitelte Debüt von ENVY OF NONE, der bunten Zusammenrottung von Gitarrist/Keyboarder Alf Annibalini, Rush-Gitarrist Alex Lifeson, Bassist Andy Curran (Coney Hatch) und Singer/Songwriterin Maiah Wynne war eine der spannendsten Grenzgänger-Platten des Jahres 2022 und hat sich bis heute nicht abgenutzt. Die Band schreibt schlicht verdammt gute, emotional greifbare und musikalisch fesselnde Lieder in einem Spannungsfeld aus State-of-the-Art-Elektronik und Rock/Pop-Tradition.

Die nun nachgeschobene EP "That Was Then, This Is Now" dient ihrem Titel entsprechend als Standortbestimmung und enthält zwei Tracks aus den Debüt-Sessions, zwei Remixe und das erste nach "Envy of None" komponierte ´That Was Then´. Stilistisch war das Quartett von Beginn an so vielseitig, dass man nun nicht von einer zusätzlichen Erweiterung ihres Repertoires sprechen kann - doch das famose Songwriting bleibt erhalten, und für Rush-Fans noch besser: Lifesons Spiel schimmert noch einen Tick präsenter durch.

´Lethe River´ ist dem Album-Opener ´Never Said I Love You´ relativ ähnlich, aber insgesamt doch ruhiger. Darauf folgt mit ´You´ll Be Sorry´ sachte brodelnder und zischender Industrial light, der ebenfalls auf "Envy of None" hätte stehen können - was ja auch plausibel erscheint, weil beide Stücke im gleichen Rutsch entstanden sind.

Stimela were a popular and successful South African Afro-fusion outfit led by guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, producer and arranger Ray Phiri. The band was formed under the name ‘The Cannibals’ during the 1970s when Phiri got together with drummer Isaac Mtshali, keyboard player Thabo Lloyd Lelosa and bass player Jabu Sibumbe. They initially started out as instrumentalists, but later evolved to Afro-fusion when they joined forces with vocalist Jacob “Mparanyana” Radebe in 1975. The story of ‘The Cannibals’ ends when Radebe died in 1978 but the ‘Stimela’ story was only just beginning.

In 1979, after a life-changing experience in Mozambique (where they were stranded for three months) the band members had to sell all their belongings to take a train home. This trip was a watershed moment as it was here where they conceived the new name for the band: The Zulu word for “locomotive-train” STIMELA.



Stimela would soon become little short of an institution in their home country of South Africa. With soulful tunes and gripping lyrics, the band has recorded platinum-winning albums such as Fire, Passion and Ecstasy, Shadows, Fear and Pain & Look Listen and Decide. In addition to recording their own material, the group supplied instrumental accompaniment on albums by a lengthy list of legendary artists. Stimela would go on to gain global fame after being featured on Paul Simon’s iconic 1986 ‘Graceland’ album and the mega tour that followed.



Ray Phiri would enter into many successful collaborations with major acts and artists such as Harari, Joan Baez, Willie Nelson and Manu Dibango. In 2017 he was diagnosed with lung cancer and died at the age of 70. Phiri has received many awards in recognition for his contribution in the music industry, one of these is the Order of Ikhamanga awarded to him by the South African president. This was to honor his sterling contribution to the South African music industry and the successful use of arts as an instrument of social transformation.



Stimela is the tale of a South African band who have battled their way through dark days to take their rightful place in the forefront of the South African apartheid-era music invasion. One of their most memorable tracks “Whispers in the Deep” was even restricted from being broadcasted by the old South African Broadcasting Corporation.



On the album we are presenting you today (Fire, Passion and Ecstasy from 1984) the unique sounds of Ray Phiri’s Stimela are fully showcased. Expect infectious hypnotic build-up grooves, cinematic lowdown jazz-funk, Afro-soul, delightful reggae, gospel influences and funky synth-boogie sounds…all with a touch of early eighties new wave and hints of Island disco mixed with sensual bubblegum pop. It comes as no surprise that the album has now become a sought-after item due to its addictive and original-sounding nature, a must-have for any self-respecting record digger!



These recordings completely encapsulate Stimela’s fusion style. They managed to craft a modern South African sound that continues to influence SA musicians to this day. Never in a rush, yet always with a sense of purpose and direction – like the steam train after which they took their name.

Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the first reissue of this fantastic Afro-fusion classic since 1990 (originally released in 1984 on Gallo Records) & this is also the first time the album is getting a release outside of the African continent. This rare record (original copies tend to go for large amounts on the secondary market) is now finally back available as a limited 180g vinyl edition (limited to 500 copies) complete with the original artwork. Also included is a double-sided insert containing rare pictures of the band.

Since we've known him, Robert Lloyd has made quite clear his enormous affection for the songs and sounds of Freakwater, the duo of Janet Beveridge-Bean and Catherine Irwin who've been wrongly denied their place as rightful and willful progenitors of alt-country's 'movement', which (frankly) is to their credit. Their genius in offering absolute authentic to the sound old-time Appalachian folk music with a modern façade that in no way negates tradition (one of their albums is titled Feels Like The Third Time) is unparalleled within the genre, and Freakwater remain under-appreciated. After the start of Covid, Robert dared approach Janet with the idea of recording together. Over the course of the long pandemic, songs were bandied about for months, and when recording was finally practical, a band was assembled with dates set up for a recording session in Valencia, Spain. Robert and Janet were joined by Robert's long-time ally, Pete Byrchmore, the musical foil for Robert's solo album on Virgin and a former Nightingale, Mark Bedford, the bassist for Madness and Terry Edwards' Near Jazz Experience, and Pablo Roda, Spanish mystery drummer, couldn't have worked out more perfectly. Tracks were selected without regard for collective presentation, just the goal of walking out of the studio with an album of perfect gems. Forget Lee & Nancy or George & Tammy, Rob and Janet have an immediate chemistry that only sounds long-lived - and too uniquely them to merit any comparison. The title track, Black Cat, Dark Horse is the sole Lloyd / Bean / Byrchmore composition and one of the record 's highlights. Jim Elkington, collaborator with Jeff Tweedy and Richard Thompson, contributes Heavy Reckonings and a song written with Janet, The True Lovers' Knot And The Lie, while Robert adds reworkings from past releases - Sweet Georgia Black and Black Country (with Pete) - not to mention the unreleased Eggs And Bacon. Janet brought One Shot and the unheard Freakwater song Arc Of A Smile. Covers of tunes from Dion and The Monkees and a magnificent Jon Langford song, "Tears Like Stars" round out the album. We daresay the album is among the finest you'll hear in 2023. That it doesn't fit perfectly into any preconceived genre is a testament to its quality. "Songcraft" is a word used infrequently today, yet Black Cat, Dark Horse will show that good songs endure. We're proud that Robert and Janet will find some new admirers through this album's release. The Michael Cumming / Stewart Lee film King Rocker made a case for Robert Lloyd-as-losthero; this album furthers that idea and shows a compelling side of Janet's talent and abilities which will be a surprise to her fans and serve as an entry point to exploring her many other compelling projects.

Emotive sweetness from the one they call Gratts, coming correct via those ever-reliable purveyors of all things house, WOLF Music. Two dream-state gems from the Belgian-born, Australia-based DJ and producer, complete with a signature, deep and delectable remix from one of Dublin’s finest exports Glenn Davis.

On the A, ‘Pretty Lights’ is a bittersweet saunter beachside, sun setting in the distance, bass striding beside as keys dance across the horizon. A melancholic narrative over a blissful groove, Brandon Markell Holmes’ heavenly vocals add an undeniable elegance to proceedings, combined with Leïto’s deft touch on the keys. Subtle house music with soul from a producer that’s been toiling away for nearly 25 years.

Flip it to find ‘Polaroids’, a late-night trip across the underground with Tee Amara leading the way. Her sublime vocals are laid over a bumping, piano-laden beat, bit-crushed synths and all. A track that keeps that distinct soulful thread, yet laces it with a club-ready dose of the good stuff.

Glenn Davis then rounds off the package laying down a remix of ‘Polaroids’ that hits in all the right spots. A deeper journey, that sees Davis reworking the drums, dousing it in ethereal pads and dreamy synthwork, elevating Amara’s vocals to stratospheric heights. One for the dancers and romancers.

Audio Soul Project is back with their latest vinyl-only EP, Simurgh. With a title inspired by the mythical Persian bird, these four tracks fuse elements of house, R&B, dub, and drum & bass to create an ecstatic and hypnotic experience.

The EP kicks off with "Deliver Me," a dreamy house track with warm filtered chords and bouncing synth bass. R&B female vocal ad libs pepper the groove and the refrain "Deliver Me" adds a sense of yearning. The percussion, including morphing 4x4 and breakbeat drums, piano and synth stabs, nod to the cerebral Detroit and Chicago house compositions of the mid 90s.

"Azizam Dub" takes a more stripped-down approach with a subsonic bass line bump and Juno 106 stabs. Frantic percussion and deftly cut vocal samples accent the ebbs and flows of the arrangement, making for a dynamic and engaging dance.

The B-side of the record starts with "Internal Vybrations," a bass-heavy drum & bass track that winds and jumps with multiple layers of deep, fluttering bass and ambient pads and strings. Percussion layers like hi-hats, shakers, and maracas lift and relax the rhythm in parallel to the rest of the composition, making for a hypnotic and trance-inducing vibe.

The B2 track on the EP, "Celebration Dub," is a bass-heavy swinging house track with ecstatic diva "Whooo" samples that punctuate the ups and downs of the groove's energy. Classic reggae and dub-influenced vocal samples and heavy tape delay on certain key instruments add to the joyful and uplifting vibe of the track. The keyboard

and string section can transport a dancer to other realms of consciousness if they let themselves go to the groove.

Simurgh is a masterful fusion of various genres that showcases Audio Soul Project's production prowess and ability to create an entrancing sonic journey.

TL;DR: Audio Soul Project's Simurgh EP features 4 tracks of dub-infused house music. Deliver Me has dreamy chords and female R&B adlibs, Azizam Dub is stripped down with subsonic bass and vocal samples, Internal Vybrations is a bass-heavy drum & bass track, and Celebration Dub is a swinging house track with reggae and dub vocal samples.

Death Is Not The End's 333 sub-label drops a much needed reissue of Rupie Dan's My Black Race 12" from 1982. A huge Shaka selection featuring one of the heaviest dubs available from this era of UK roots production. Originally written and produced by Rupie for his Flag Records label, with engineering from Tony Addis (later of Addis Posse and the Warriors Dance label).

"The lyrical idea for My Black Race came about during the 1980/81 social/racial revolution that took place in several cities all over England, including London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds etc. I was living in Bradford, West Yorkshire at the time and was a DJ/Sound System operator on Jah Scorcher International Sound. I also co-hosted a Reggae show on an independent radio station Called Pennine Radio 235. In my regular job I was a youth and community leader with the Bradford education council. I was fully connected and in touch the community.

Seeing how the media used the events of the social uprising as a weapon to further discriminate against the African & Caribbean community committed me to say and do something to elevate the minds of especially young people who were already demoralised by the rhetoric that brought about the so called "riots" of the time. It was during this time that the lyrical foundation of "My Black Race" was laid. The rhythm came later after hearing Barry Brown's "No Wicked Shall Enter the Kingdom of Zion". In the summer of 1982 I entered into the Addis Ababa recording studio on Harrow Road, Paddington and recorded the song having moved to London the previous year. Musicians featured included Victor Cross on bass and Mark Wright on drums (both from the Ariwa band), Rizzo on guitar, Tan Tan and Bami on Horns (all 3 from Aswad band), Bubblers on Piano/Organ (Undivided Roots/Ruff Cutt Band). Lead vocals were provided by myself, with backing vocals Jenifah Gad and Niomi who was working with David Bowie at the time. The engineers were Bubblers and Tony Addis (later of Addis Posse & the Warriors Dance label).

Jah Shaka was in the studio during the entire recording session. I was aquatinted with him as I was previously involved in a 3 way soundclash with Shaka, Quaker City and my sound at the time Jah Scorcher. Some years later I was in Terry's Dub studio in North Acton cutting some dubs when King Jammys and Bunny Lee walked in and heard the song. Bunny was responsible for the production of Barry Brown's "No Wicked Shall Enter the Kingdom of Zion". Thankfully they were both impressed by the track which delighted me as a young up-and-coming artist/producer. The rest is history as we know it. Jah Shaka was mystically constant hence his attachment and love for the song. Jah bless and guide him."

Damian Lazarus’ Secret Teachings imprint welcomes a unique project from Malian and French pairing Siraba, unveiling their debut single ‘Ngana Fôlly’ alongside remixes from Philou Louzolo and Peaking Lights. Meaning ‘The Great Path’ in Bambara, Siraba - the duo consisting of Malian hunter Boubacar Samake and Damien Vandesande, one half of French electronic band dOP - are on a path of bringing the traditional sound of the Wassoulou to the world. They met in 2003 when Damien visited Mali to work with local artists and met Boubacar’s father - the legendary Sibiri Samake. Working together on multiple occasions, the two promised to work with one another and Boubacar on a project one day, and 17 years later, the two connected to begin to develop their unique sound and showcase their shared universe.

Inspired by the music of the master hunters from across Mali, the ‘Dozo’, the project transmits values based on justice and righteousness, love and respect for others, moral and spiritual rectitude and protection for everyone. Debuting on Damian Lazarus’ Secret Teachings imprint, an outlet for the Crosstown Rebels boss to delve deeper into musical realms outside of the norm and away from the dance floor, the pair will release their debut album in September, with a series of live performances set to be announced. Their first single arrives in early June with ‘Ngana Fôlly’

A spiritual and hypnotic production rooted within Dozo musical tradition, featuring Boubacar playing the Ngoni while singing in Bambara, ‘Ngana Fôlly’ is a resonant and rich production combining organic textures with warping synths, rich bass and sweeping electronics, capturing the magical essence of Mali across a fascinating journey. Providing the first remix on the package, Dutch DJ/producer and DJ Mag ‘Artist To Watch for 2023’ Philou Louzolo harnesses Boubacar’s vocal and places it at the heart of his soaring remix as stripped-back percussion and a commanding low-ends guide sweeping synths, before handing over to San Francisco husband-and-wife pairing and Dekmantel signees Peaking Lights who tip things down a bright and blissful rabbit hole of soundscapes as vibrant guitar riffs and twisting leads work amongst off-kilter melodies and acid flecked tones for an eight-minute trip.

White Vinyl

Greyscale #10 is here for the masses! To make things even more exciting, the long awaited is a double vinyl edition! Submersion has been on many top deep and dub techno labels in the past 15 years such as Silent Season, Space of Variants, Milieu Music, Deep Electronics, diametric, Rohs! and more. A landing at Greyscale makes complete sense for the quality Submersion is known for. 'Entrainment' is for those deep dub techno fans that like extended atmospheric tracks surrounded by a heavy ambience. 3 of the 4 sides have 1 track to its entire side making the fidelity of these top notch! 'Transversal, Planetary, Capsule' fills up side A with an amazing and gentle intro that has ominous clouds on the horizon. The beat is distance, while the nuances of the airspace is fully dedicated to submerging you deep within. A truly magical and enveloping sound. The next track to uncover is 'Filter, Gradation, Centrifuge'. Imagine that the earth is a ever-evolving dub techno track and you were viewing or listening to it from the distance of the moon. This would be it! There is a tremendous distance that is created in this track where chords flow and move like clouds over large areas of distance. Sometimes, the best description is a visual one if it helps. Breathtaking! 'Stimulant, Perspective, Sensory' starts the next piece of vinyl with another epic one. It morphs like a planet is being formed before your eyes. Basslines move like mountains while chords strike like distance thunder. The last side has 2 tracks sharing the side. 'Reflectance, Reverberant, Cortisol' and 'Predawn'. The first is a grandious ambient number that sounds heavenly while the last featured song is equally stunning as almost a reprise of a previous. Entrainment will be available on white 180-gram double vinyl as well as CD digipak and digital. These are all supersonic soundscapes to immerse yourself in! Masterpieces!

When approached several years back by the highly revered Toy Tonics crew/ record label to participate in a remix for artists Karl Hector & Nicolas Tounga for their song titled Ngunga Yet Fofa; just on the strength of a sincere enthusiasm showed by the request alone, it wasn't long after that Joaquin Joe Claussell accepted the challenge to remix an already original dope composition. Originally released, and still available on their Mushroom House Concept 12" EP 4 Cat number TOYT 068; on it Joaquin produced a unique remixed and married Acoustic art with electronic ecstasy. Fast Forward to today Sacred Rhythm with the blessings of Toy Tonics brings forth a dope 12" the compliments that precious version, but with dope different, more experimental takes all in the rhythm of Afro Electronics.
Housed in Limited Red vinyl more dopeness is about to take its place in the airwaves. Let's take flight...

After some time of laying in the dark, the Warsaw-based Syntetyk label and club night series emits waves yet again with their very first cassette release by various friends from the local and global underground.

Tape starts with a pathos ambient track by Mchy i Porosty, followed by a desert night drive dub by Rapha. The A side continues with a wavy melodic thumper by Olivia, accompanied by a nostalgic club diver by Czech maestro Exhausted Modern and a punkish fast paced hymn done by the Colombian prodigy – Filmmaker.

The B side opens with Dogpatrol’s broken jungle track and carries on with Astma’s industrial dub-driven tune. Album slowly comes to a close with a nasty distorted wave by Dyktando, dystopian radiation emitter by Chino and ends with Mala Herba’s folk inspired epic ambient drone.

Seoul-based Beyond the Bridge announces the Euclidean Doorway EP by Spekki Webu - the first-ever full solo EP by the Dutch artist. Spekki Webu opens a new chapter with an inventive interpretation of contemporary tekno and psyche-heavy techno with the Euclidean Doorway EP. The A-side starts with broken beat rhythms in 'Celtron Lifeform' that gradually lead to a pounding bassline. '00.4FG (Temple Version)' follows with accelerating energy and ancient echoing vocals. On the B-side, 'Photic Shift' creates an introspective experience, while 'Dimension 5' offers reduced rhythms and urgent leading highs to complete the trip.