Reissue! Ein exklusives Album zur damaligen (2019) Feier des 15-jährigen Bestehens des CMR-Labels, das von Chinese Man, Baja Frequencia und der Scratch Bandits Crew zusammengestellt wurde! Mit einer Mischung aus Scratch-Musik, Trip-Hop, Dub und tropischen Rhythmen zeigt The Groove Sessions Vol.5 die künstlerische Spontaneität und die stets sprudelnde Kreativität der Künstler des Labels. Im Februar 2019 verbrachten die drei Bands eine gemeinsame Woche in den Bergen. Die Idee war es, Stile und Inspirationen zu mischen, die Spontaneität der Produktionen stand im Fokus. In sechs Tagen entstanden 18 Demos. Sechs Monate später wurden schließlich 15 Songs für das Album fertiggestellt und veröffentlicht. Der Downbeat von Chinese Man vermischt sich mit den dub-tropischen Klängen des Baja Frequencia-Duos, welche von dem unglaublichen Hip Hop-Know-How der Scratch Bandits Crew ergänzt werden. A true banger! Klassisch schwarzes Doppel-Vinyl mit Downloadcode!
Sasu Ripatti presents the fifth and last volume in his "Dancefloor Classics" series. Music for imaginary dancefloors, released on Ripatti's own label "Rajaton".
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”Look up, into the light” she said, while the camera shutter clicked. ”Like this? Does it look holy?” His neck felt stiff. Her reply: ”Yes, just like that. What do you mean holy? Like religious? ”No, more like trying to look very far, somewhere beyond what we can see.” ”Okay, stand still, I’m going to come close to you now. The light hits your face great.” click, click, click.
He noticed her fingernails. They were not polished. Natural. Even somewhat rugged, as if something wore out the fingers slightly. What had these hands held besides the camera? What made the edges of her fingernails drift off?
He thought it’s weird to look straight into the camera. The photographer had closed her left eye, the one not looking into the lens. Then it opened, she looked up, perusing the surroundings, then she closed her eye again, then looked up, closed, looking up, very quickly. It all seemed very professional. Maybe she calculated the light, making sure it’s close to perfect. ”What will these photos look like?” – the thought popped into his head briefly. It was liberating to think it wouldn’t matter.
”What’s that song playing?” he asked. ”Wait a sec, Ol’ Dirty Bastard?” she replied. ”Oh yeah, right. But the sample?” ”Hey, could you look up again, like that. No, lower.”
New directions: ”Look out from the window, turn left.” ”My left or yours?” ”Yours, I always try to think from the direction of my model.” How professional! This is a good shoot, so natural. Should I worry about how the photos look like? No, I don’t want to. His thoughts bounced around. What would the story be like? It’s a big newspaper, everyone will read it. Maybe someone drinks coffee and eats a stroopwafel while they do it. Will they place the waffle on top of the mug for a brief while, so that it gets hot and the syrup melts a little? Then it feels wet, and you can bend the cookie.
She broke his train of thought off midway through: ”Now turn right, but look left, and slightly up, but don’t turn your face right.” ”Umm, like this? Sounds like a set of pilates instructions.” she laughed ”You do pilates?” ”Yeah, it’s hard sometimes. Have you tried?” ”No”, she said. ”I’m not good for sports that are done in groups.” ”Yeah, but in pilates you can just be inside your mind, drowning in your private thoughts.”
”What are you thinking in pilates?” she asked, taking more photos. ”Well, mostly just which way is right. And which left.” click, click.
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Dame Area's highly anticipated fourth studio album, "Toda la verdad sobre Dame Area" ("The Whole Truth about Dame Area"), a collaboration with the renowned labels Mannequin Records and Humo Records.
Formed in 2017 within the vibrant underground scene of Barcelona's Màgia Roja club, Dame Area comprises the Italian-Catalan duo Silvia Konstance and Viktor Lux Crux. They fuse industrial-tribal polyrhythms with minimalist synth basslines, drawing profound inspiration from avant-garde masters such as Esplendor Geometrico, Throbbing Gristle, Suicide, Einstürzende Neubauten, Can, Coil, Swans, Big Black, and Wolf Eyes.
This record represents a new phase in Dame Area's discography. It's a big step up in terms of sound, composition and ideas. This record it's the perfect representation of what they have been playing live the last three years and what most people know them for. Also it serves as a companion piece to 2022’s Toda la mentira sobre Dame Area ("All The Lies About Dame Area"), which had a stronger focus on melody, while this latest record is more aggressive and industrial-influenced, with a greater emphasis on percussion.
Tracks like the Suicide-influenced "Si no es hoy cuando es" and "Sempre Cambiare" are an onslaught of industrialism and experimentalism—formidable, volatile, and unpredictable avant-garde subversion. Silvia explains, "One of our biggest influences is doing what our influences wouldn't do. We're more into dynamics and structures atypical of electronic music, with changes in time signatures, starts and stops, and dynamics more typical of rock music. We use any musical idea from any genre. Some songs on the album are based on flamenco rhythms, others influenced by '60s experimental pop, heavy metal, or contemporary electronic music."
The confrontational "Vengo dall'aldilà" accelerates with heavy percussion, while "Tu me hiciste creer" builds into a rhythmic, transcendent noise of yelled vocals and hypnotic beats. Viktor adds, "This song took us more time to complete than any other we have recorded. It was a very organic process, evolving slowly from some instrumental percussive stuff we were doing live. Then we started using feedback as a rhythmic element (through a metallic sheet), and this was the first song where we incorporated this element, typical of noise-rock and experimental rock."
Elsewhere, "Esto Es Nuestro Ruido" represents a manic, eclectic form of contemporary industrial music, post-punk, and EBM. Silvia notes, "It's the first album we recorded outside a studio. Although we've been playing live with metallic percussion and floor tom from the very start, in the studio, with some exceptions, it was mostly sample-based until now. On Toda la verdad sobre Dame Area, all drums and almost all metallic percussion have been recorded live."
With a growing reputation as one of the best live bands around since their inception, Dame Area has toured extensively across Europe, performing at renowned festivals like Atonal, CTM, Nuits Sonores, Dour, and Fusion, as well as legendary clubs such as Berghain, Tresor, Apolo, and Spook Factory.
Recorded at Sol de Sants Studios and Estudio Hermetic between August and November 2023
Silvia Konstance: vocals, synths, percussions, electronics, production
Viktor L. Crux: synths, drums, percussions, electronics, production
Mixing and additional production by Guillermo Sánchez Rojo
Mastering by Paul Mac at Hardgroove Mastering
Designed by Leo Sousa
Photography by Fabio Calabretta
Photo concept by Dame Area
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Italy's tastiest jazz-funk band is back to what they do best, sharing dreamy summer vibes with this new 2-tracker.
Cannelé is a smooth, sun-drenched tribute to this sweet product of the Bordeaux terroir, that doublebass player and former Saint-Émilion employee Fabio Bordignon knows so well. Beautiful string arrangements come to sublimate the track with a highly cinematic feel.
On the other side is the final studio version of QMQS (Quando mai, quando sempre), which is an old italian expression to qualify people that only appear rarely, and always at the same specific occasions. This uplifting disco tune first appeared in its demo and live versions on previous releases Gusto di Luce and Live at Bolle Nardini, and has finally been re-recorded in a clean and groovy dress to be pressed on this 7inch record.
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Puddu (Al Dente/Schema Records) with a solo release discography of 16 albums, among which stand out the three original volumes of the red-light soundtracks of Danish films ” The Golden Age Of Danish pornography", and also known for his collaborations with Edda Dell'Orso (Maestro Ennio Morricone's legendary vocalist,) Joe Bataan, Lonnie Jordan of L.A funk band War, and Gene Robinson Jr of Breakwater.
Alex Puddu will follow the previews singles Texas Blonde and Pullover Grigio releasing after the summer, for the first time a brand new album in Italian language, called ”Deliria” proposing a new sound that drags us into the Italian funk music of the late seventies and early 80s, and the new music from the italian indie pop and new disco scene, within names like, Nu Genea, Pellegrino. Viscardi & Il Duo Magnetico, Frah Quintale, Marco Castello and up to the electronic sounds, between adult oriented soul and disco that are part of the unmistakable style of Alex Puddu's writing and production.
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Cover designed and silkscreen printed by Arsi Keva in Kalasataman Seripaja, Helsinki (Finland).
Recycled innersleeves linocut printed by Gilles Lostale in Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, France.
''The bass-clarinetist Ville Lahteenmäki's raucous, ruggedly braying style makes him a notable addition to the Dolphy-Murray-Mahall lineage that produces maximum excitement with every outpouring of notes. His accompanists, drummer Nicolas Leirtre and bassist Trym Saugstad Karlsen, are like himself, students at the renowned Trondheim Conservatory, an institution whose impact on European jazz has been significant in modern times.''
- Kevin Le Gendre / Jazzwise
''Lähteenmäki is indeed very distinctive and original in his music. Although in some of the quietest parts the thought of John Coltrane, for example, creeps into the back of my head, the voice is that of a young and skilled musician who knows the history of the genre well.''
-Arto Murtovaara / Kulttuuritoimitus
''Straight to the point, no fuss – and greedy tough!'' Jan Granlie / Salt Peanuts
The Blues’ was B.B. King’s second Crown LP drawn from his RPM singles recorded between 1951-1958.
This album traces his early development into a world class artist. ‘The Blues’ used a single hit tune (in this case “When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer,” a Top Ten R&B chart entry in 1954)
to help sell a package of lesser-known material, but thankfully the label also picked some great tunes that hardly sound like filler, even if they didn’t make the charts.
King’s songwriting was already stellar, with “I Want to Get Married,” “Don’t You Want a Man Like Me,” and
“Ruby Lee” demonstrating his way with a melody and a lyrical conceit. ‘ The Blues’ demonstrates he was already near the top of his class.
Two seminal 12" mixes of a pair of enormous tracks from Surface. Housed in the super-rare and - until now - French-only picture sleeve of the eternal "Falling In Love", we've backed that classic with Be With's favourite deconstructed mix of the swirling electronic soul / synth-driven slow jam "Happy". These sought-after versions have never been paired on the same record before. This fresh Be With edition ensures these legendary tracks now sound, looks and feel as sensational as they deserve to. You know what to do...
American post-disco/R&B trio Surface were a New Jersey vocal group made up of Bernard Jackson, David Townsend and David Conley. The majesty of boogie ballad "Falling In Love" was their first single, released in 1983 on Salsoul Records. The mellow magic of this track is loved the world over; it's a feel-good smooth boogie jam that's forever coveted. The slick, crystal clear beat, the legendary minimoog bassline, the melody, Karen Copeland's superb vocal, the great flute solo (referenced on the cover) all of it is literally perfect and beautifully encapsulates that mid 80s international club vibe. This here is the original Shep Pettibone mix in its entirety - it's the only one you really need.
Flip for the legendary "Love Mix" of 1987 hit single “Happy". You all know the original. At least, you *should* all know it. But the "Love Mix" is a deconstructed, boldly produced mix which is the one the heads have turned to for so long. Yet, in our opinion, its hypnotic groove has flown under the radar for too many years. This killer remix begins with Jackson's spine-tingling isolated vocal, cleverly subverting expectations by actually delivering the first words of the original's second verse "You must be Heaven sent...Sent into my life...And I compliment you baby...Baby" before a heavy 808 drum kicks hard with echoey handclaps. It's super sparse and a dubbed out slow-mo boogie banger like no other. The synth bass, atmospheric synth pads and synthesized flute glide in and out with effortless style and the whole thing is a wonder to behold.
It's a slow jam, for sure, but crafted in the straight up funk tradition, using the digital tools of the day and this sparser than sparse version almost sounds like a precursor to UK Street Soul. A unique combination of undeniable funk, electro beats and an earnest, youthful tenor; it should be slamming out of every jeep forevermore.
Simon Francis remastered the original audio for both tracks and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this 12" well and truly slaps. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure this incredibly sought-after treasure finds a home in many more collections, this and every year. Simply flawless.
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World Gym the cult band from Stockhom, Sweden is finally presenting their first full length Album.
World Gym is beer & sweat soaked jersey, screaming groupies, original Rock’n’Roll vibes. It’s music with a soft touch & a hard edge. City slicker people storytelling. Nothing bought, everything learned.
Original applause. If you know life you know it always ends in tears. Then it starts again. Have faith in Musik
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For Dutch artist Stefan Vincent, the feeling of melancholy also offers the opportunity for beauty to be found. “Decay and loneliness can serve a purpose. Depression can teach you things. To feel deep sadness also means the ability to feel profound
emotions.” he says. With this in mind, his debut album on MUSAR Recordings, “Post- Melancholy”, unpacks the twists and turns of grappling with this emotion, drawing from breaks, electro and IDM to make his most intricate work to date, after previous releases on Token, Dynamic Reflection, Symbolism, and Non-Series. Throughout “Post-Melancholy” Vincent traces the wave of melancholy and how it moves through the body, which allows for lighter moments alongside darker moods. Perhaps the lightest track on the album is its acidic-breaks opener, “Eyes Unclouded”, with its soaring acid lines and dazzling synths, which acts as a false pretense for the rest of the album. Tracks like “Poise”, “Arpeggino” and the meditative “Yonghegong Lama Temple Exit F” also break up the intensity. However, nestled between the more pacey, bass-weighted tracks on the album, these lighter openings still feel like tear-jerkers.
The more common associations of melancholy show up on tracks like “Another Skin To Wear” and “You Know This Isn’t Going To End Well”, which all create a more ominous feel via IDM and the polyrhythmic structures of drum’n’bass. Particularly on “Another Skin To Wear”, which borrows its name from a Radiohead lyric, the track's swooping motion feels realistic to melancholy’s chaotic and often unpredictable path. But, like all great storytellers, Vincent leaves the most poignant moment of the album for last with the rolling “8AM on the Train… (For Maarten)” devoted to his dear friend, Maarten, who sadly passed away at the young age of 36. This LP is dedicated to Maarten de Vries (1986-2022)
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Confirmed feature article in Electronic Sound Magazine and other media. “There’s A Rhinoceros In The Mega Church” is their debut LP released on Sound Records. U.S.E. (also often expressed as Unicorn Ship Explosion, but feel free to interpret this yourself), are unfortunately two boys known to their mums as Rob & Sash. Since we last saw Rob he has been working really hard as a multi-instrumentalist. He’s almost mastered the drums (he’s even been to jazz school), and he’s near to the final chapter of piano lessons. He’s really talented. He has his own music studio where he produces & writes music for the likes of, The Staves, Holysseus Fly & other fantastic acts that are well worth a listen if you have the time. Sash (or Sasha) is a great guy. Everyone loves working with him. He’s an average musician with big ideas, which is why he uses modular synths. He has written much music for many artists you’ve probably not heard of and has collaborated with some musicians you’ve definitely heard of. He sometimes works as a sound designer for some fashion brands you can’t afford, but you wouldn’t want to wear them anyway (so don’t feel bad for not being successful enough to spend £400 on a t-shirt). Sometimes a really cool woman called, Agnieszka Szczotka, collaborates with these two loveable boys. She is a performance artist of great skill. She studied art at the Royal Academy and chose to abandon her supreme painting and sculpture skills to dedicate her life to confrontational live performance art. Big respect. Together they are Unicorn Ship Explosion (not yet known as U.S.E. as it hasn’t caught on yet). It’s a creative attempt to be in the present and not overwork music as is often the norm these days.As a result an exciting new genre is emerging from this album. The genre hasn’t a name yet, but what is certain is that A.I. can’t recreate it, and wouldn’t want to either. Let’s be human together and accept and appreciate we can’t always be great. Enjoy the good moments with the bad. And together, yes together, you the reader and us(e) your new best friends, shall show A.I. that humanity is beautiful.
A new piece by minimalist / experimental composer PHILL NIBLOCK (1933 - 2024), co-composed and performed by ANNA CLEMENTI & THOMAS STERN. Intense, menacing layers of thick drones and alien sounds.
In summer 2022, within just a few weeks and by pure coincidence, 2 proposals regarding PHILL NIBLOCK albums arrived: one suggesting an overdue vinyl reissue of a CD release (more on that when the time has come for it), the other email was from ANNA CLEMENTI saying she and THOMAS STERN were working on new pieces that PHILL NIBLOCK has written for her … when "Zound Delta 2" was complete, PHILL sent photographs for the two artworks, we met twice to discuss details, but unfortunately he died unexpectedly early january this year so the album now is, sad as it is, a posthumous release … an intense goodbye from one of 20thcentury most iconic composers.
Phill Niblock
Phill Niblock (1933-2024, USA) was an artist whose fifty-year career spans minimalist and experimental music, film and photography. Since 1985, he has served as director of Experimental Intermedia, a foundation for avant-garde music based in New York with a branch in Ghent, and curator of the foundation's record label XI. Known for his thick, loud drones of music, Niblock's signature sound is filled with microtones of instrumental timbres that generate many other tones in the performance space. In 2013, his diverse artistic career was the subject of a retrospective realised in partnership between Circuit (Contemporary Art Centre Lausanne) and Musée de l'Elysée. The following year Niblock was honoured with the prestigious Foundation for Contemporary Arts John Cage Award.
Anna Clementi
Italian-Swedish singer Anna Clementi grew up in Rome, where she first studied the flute and completed acting training before moving to Berlin and studying experimental vocal music and experimental music theater with the composer Dieter Schnebel at Hochschule der Künste (now UdK Berlin). Anna Clementi sees herself as an "actress of the voice" rather than exclusively as a singer. In this way she also articulates the diversity of her artistic expression, with which she is always searching for new connections between voice, gesture, language, dance and theater.
During her decades spanning career, Anna Clementi has performed at the most important festivals, has premiered numerous works, many of which have been composed especially for her, and worked with Fast Forward, Michael Hirsch, Rupert Huber, Christian Kesten, Alexander Kolkowski, Olga Neuwirth, Josef Anton Riedl, Iris ter Schiphorst, Dieter Schnebel, Laurie Schwartz, Elliott Sharp, and many others.
A special focus of hers is the work of John Cage, whose pieces she has performed worldwide.
Thomas Stern
Born in Bremen, Thomas Stern moved to Berlin in 1984 where he joined Mona Mur with Alex Hacke and F. M. Einheit (both from Einstürzende Neubauten, with which Stern also worked as live sound engineer for many years). Around 1987 he co-founded the Berlin set up of Crime And The City Solution (Mick Harvey, Alex Hacke a.o.). Over the years, he has has collaborated with artists like Ulrike Haage, Phew, Nick Cave, Ton Steine Scherben, Meret Becker, Nina Hagen, Jaki Liebezeit, Ben Becker, N.U. Unruh, Gry, Iris ter Schiphorst, Automat, Swans, Hans Joacxhim Irmler and many more, on the road or in his own Sternstaubstudio.
credits:
Anna Clementi: voice
Thomas Stern: slide guitar, bass and soundprocessing
Composition by Phill Niblock, Anna Clementi and Thomas Stern
Recorded and mixed by Thomas Stern at Sternstaubstudio, Berlin
Mastering and lacquer cut: Kassian Troyer at D&M, Berlin
Cover photography by Phill Niblock
Layout and design by kaidoh
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Hiroshi Watanabe, a musician, photographer, and DJ from the Japanese electronic scene, based in Saitama near Tokyo, has been a prolific figure for twenty-five years. He has explored most major genres of electronic music through more than twenty albums. He proudly becomes the very first Japanese artist of InFiné.
After Ryuichi Sakamoto, he is one of the very few Japanese artists who have gained the favor of Western audiences, alongside notable names such as Cornelius, Towa Tei, DJ Krush, Ken Ishii, Susumu Yokota, and more recently Hiroshi Yoshimura. In Europe, he is best known for his project Kaito, which began in 2001 under the prestigious Kompakt label. The name Kaito, in addition to being the name of his son born the same year, carries a double meaning in Japanese, signifying both "universe" and "secret." These references hint at a spirituality visible in his photographic work and contribute to the elements that make Japanese artists masters of the ambient genre.
The collaboration between Kaito and the InFiné label began with his participation in the compilation "Music Activists 2020 (From Home)," which supported artists affected by the Covid crisis, followed by a remix for the single "Motion" by Rone and Vanessa Wagner in 2023. These initial contributions led to a new album featuring nine tracks of ambient music.
Kaito's new album ‘Collection’ comprises nine ambient and melodic tracks composed during the Covid-19 pandemic. These compositions present a majestic minimal and harmonious therapy in response to the world’s adversities, showcasing the producer’s return to the peak of his art. ‘Collection’ was remastered by another genre legend, the German Rashad Becker, and released on vinyl and CD by InFiné in 2024.
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In the early 1990s, before the era of social media dominance, skateboarding culture found its voice through magazines and VHS video releases, notably from brands like Santa Cruz and Powell Peralta. These videos not only shaped the skateboarding world but also influenced creativity across various industries worldwide.
In 1988 and 1989, two groundbreaking videos, "Shackle Me Not" and "Hokus Pokus," emerged from the fledgling skateboard company: H-Street, unleashed a seismic shift in street skateboarding. These videos are revered as iconic masterpieces, celebrated for their innovative skateboarding sequences and unforgettable soundtracks.
“What’s particularly interesting about Hokus Pokus was its soundtrack, largely comprised of demo cassettes, unsigned artists, and bands with loose ties to the brand. Some of the songs were goofy, others almost anthemic, and few sounded of their time. Perhaps it was the repetition or the fact that Matt Hensley could have skated to the sounds of a broken oven and it would have been iconic, but the songs in Hokus Pokus became a secret handshake for the hardcore—people who really gave a shit about skateboarding’s culture not just the act”.
Artless / Anthony Pappalardo
“When we were filming for Shackle Me Not we were still a brand new company and hardly anybody knew who we were and it was so brand new. I was so busy skating and I noticed there was like a movement in skateboarding, you could feel there was a change in the way, in the tide, not just white H-Street but with every company. I think that video, the H-Street video was saw raw, with the crazy music, and you know, just the wackiness of all of it, I think that feeling went out into the world, and kids everywhere understood you don’t need to live 20mn away from Del Mar to actually be part of what’s happening. I think that just opened up the world of skateboarding to more people”
Matt Hensley – Pro skater and Floggin Molly band member.
Fast forward 35 years, and H-Street, in collaboration with Paris (France) based label Stereo Ronin Records, embarks on a momentous project to release special edition vinyl soundtracks from these seminal videos. This exclusive release features meticulously remastered tracks, including new versions and previously unreleased gems on vinyl, making it a treasure trove for any skateboarding enthusiast.
Curated from bands like Kirk & The Jerks, Sub Society, Wonderful Broken Thing, Voluntários da Pátria and The Cry, representing the golden era of skateboarding music, this album promises an unparalleled experience for fans of Punk Rock, Indy Rock, and of course, skateboarding.
Working alongside RTM Studio in Paris, Stereo Ronin Records has undertaken a remastering journey, ensuring that this vinyl edition delivers a truly unique sonic experience, capturing the essence of a bygone era while resonating with contemporary audiences.
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Speckled Dragon Egg Color Vinyl. Being Dead knows how to make an entrance - within the first several seconds of EELS, the duo's new record, the bright, hard-strummed guitar line on "Godzilla Rises" conjures cinematic immediacy, a creature emerging from the depths of the ocean in campy, freaky stop motion, fittingly so. Being Dead's records are mosaics, technicolor incantations, each song its own self-contained little universe. And while the dreamlike EELS probes further into the depths of the duo Being Dead's psyche, it is, most importantly, in the year of our lord 2024, a 16-track record that is genuinely unpredictable from one track to the next: a joyous and unexpected trip helmed by two true-blue freak bitch besties holed up in a lil' house in the heart of Austin, Texas. They decamped to Los Angeles for two weeks to record with GRAMMY-winning producer John Congleton, writing songs for the record until days before they left. The radical shift in process was welcome - a good balance and a challenge, Congleton helping them find new ways to work and helping peel back the layers on the core of their songwriting. Being Dead has grown from a duo to a trio live, including bassist Ricky Motto (who is immortalized finally on record here, particularly in the giggles on "Rock n' Roll Hurts") The resulting EELS is a darker record, tapped more into the devilishness within, but it's also a more raucous, rougher ride sonically. There's heartbreak, excitement, enchantment, dancing - we move through it all at a high-octane pace. Falcon Bitch and Smoofy never want to do the same thing twice on any song, and they don't. From the pummeling garage rock distortion of "Firefighters" to "Dragons II," which appears in its demo form taped on a hand recorder, it's unexpected but intuitive, and, most importantly, singularly Being Dead. Like its animal namesake suggests, the songs on EELS are malleable, the record like slithering through murky waters or strange half dreams, mysterious and beautiful in how it moves, reflective in a wavering sheen. Dipping into each song feels like uncovering a new cavern, plunging into depths unknown but fully open to what will be revealed. On the album artwork, an illustration by the artist Julia Soboleva, there are some weird disparate spectral creatures, a stark glimmer against a cloudy darkness. It's a fitting encapsulation of Being Dead, exuding a welcoming, playful energy even if something foreboding lurks just beyond the pale - more out of frame that's left to uncover, no path unexplored, strange and beautiful in the light.
EP on 12" vinyl with insert. Pianist Orson Claeys is a refreshing new presence on the Belgian jazz scene.The music takes cues from the rich sounds of the Middle East, influenced by artists like Dhafer Youssef and Anouar Brahem, and also from the fresh, creative styles of contemporary jazz musicians.
Pianist Orson Claeys is a refreshing new presence on the Belgian jazz scene. After being featured on the third instalment of the 'Lefto presents Jazz Cats' compilations with his track 'Conversations', Orson Claeys is set to release his 5-track debut EP 'Odyssey to Self' on Sdban Ultra.
Spellbound by the allure of the piano at a young age, Claeys joined art school, where his more profound exploration really began. However, it wasn't until a later age, when he discovered the melodies of Herbie Hancock, that he was drawn to jazz and changed his musical course. Under the guidance of renowned artists, Claeys had the opportunity to immerse himself in this new sound atthe Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels. He developed his own style, learning to weave different cultural influences and musical genres. These days, Claeys is constantly searching for his own unique sound in today's modern jazz, fusing different musical traditions into one harmonious expression.
"Odyssey to Self" isn't just an EP; it's a story about life-the ups, downs, and the personal journey we all experience. "From the start, I wanted this project to go beyond my own artistry and connect with more people. That's why I decided to create a visual counterpart to the music, a way to see the journey that you hear in the record."
This is Orson Claeys' first EP, released under Ghent's well-known Sdban Records. It's a deep dive into Claeys' own life, honestly sharing his path through major changes. "Odyssey to Self" captures his personal journey, giving listeners a look at the universal human experience of dealing with life's challenges and embracing change.
The music takes cues from the rich sounds of the Middle East, influenced by artists like Dhafer Youssef and Anouar Brahem, and also from the fresh, creative styles of contemporary jazz musicians such as Aaron Parks, Brad Mehldau, and Ambrose Akinmusire. Claeys aimed to blend these diverse musical influences into one cohesive sound. "Odyssey to Self" invites listeners to experience Claeys' emotions, experiences, and artistic vision, weaving stories that touch on themes we all understand.
Skinshape (aka Will Dorey) releases his ninth studio album titled Another Side Of Skinshape on 27th September via Lewis Recordings. As the album title suggests, Dorey’s latest body of work is somewhat unlike anything in his prior discography. However, there is always a consistent Skinshape thread which pulsates throughout all of his music - a kind of sonic dreamscape which echoes a mystical nostalgia for a sun dappled afternoon.
Taking inspiration from childhood memories, Ethiopian rhythms, and even calls to prayer, Another Side Of Skinshape gained access to the most esoteric corners of Dorey’s mind. Whilst ‘It’s About Time’ and ‘Ananda’ display a slightly more synthesised palette than we typically hear of a Skinshape tune, singles ‘Stornoway’ and ‘Lady Sun’ (which features the hazy soul vocals of West London’s Hollie Cook) replicate the same lifeblood heard on albums Nostalgia, or Craterellus Tubaeformis.
Speaking on the album, Dorey says “Some songs pay homage to the 90s whilst others the 60s and 70s. Yet you may not perceive all of these in the form that they are presented. In any case I hope that the album is enjoyable and will fit casually into the flow of your day.”
Whilst making this album, Dorey experimented with various keyboards and drum machines, which are at times layered over the excellent drumming of Thomas Blunt, who played live onto tape. Blunt is well versed in the Skinshape vernacular, also being part of Dorey’s live band. Indeed, Another Side Of Skinshape is due for release just before a run of UK and US live dates, which will be the first time the band has ever hit the open road.
Dorey is a former member of the band Palace, has played Glastonbury, BBC Maida Vale and Shepherd’s Bush Empire to name a few. Skinshape’s ‘I Didn’t Know’ has streamed over 50 million times. He is proudly from Swanage, Dorest.
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Welcome to the delirious world of Marcoca with 'Homage to Delusion'. Known for their album 'Silent Struggles', whose success has crossed cultures and continents and now accumulates millions of streams on platforms, the band takes their next step with a new album so well thought-out that it could be summed up as a brilliant reunion of everything that was best done in the 70s. ‘All This time’ crystallizes Marcoca's identity : funk, rock and soul cuddle up under a sheet of surf rock.
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The late composer, arranger, musician and record producer Nonato Buzar is a lesser known great (outside of Brazil). His legacy leaves behind a rich body of recordings, working with some of the cream of the Brazilian 60s and 70s music scene, such as Evinha, Elis Regina, Wilson Das Neves to name a few as well as Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff. The awesome organ driven dancer of ‘Cafuá’ is taken from Nonato & Seu Conjunto’s 'O Som E O Balanço De Nonato’ album from 1975 on Som records.
Mr Bongo re-issued José Roberto’s (aka Ze Roberto) ultra rare 'Lotus 72 D' 7” earlier in 2019. 'Crioula Multicolorida’ though not as scarce as ‘Lotus' is still a hard record to find and is equally as great. This anthemic ‘samba rock’ gem, with its amazing breakdown, originally appeared as the B-side of a 7” in 1974 on RCA Victor. It has since been a favourite amongst Brazilian DJs and collectors, featuring on the influential ‘Via Brazil’ compilation series and 'Brazilian Beats Brooklyn' collection on Mr Bongo.
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Blonde Redhead melden sich mit 'Sit Down for Dinner' zurück, ihrem ersten Album seit sieben Jahren und Debüt bei section1. Der Titel ist eine Anspielung auf das oft zelebrierte kollektive Ritual, eine Mahlzeit mit den Menschen zu teilen, die man liebt. Dieses fesselnde, minutiös ausgearbeitete Album ist Ausdruck eines beständigen Miteinanders und ein Zeugnis der einzigartigen inneren Logik, die Blonde Redhead in den letzten drei Jahrzehnten verfeinert haben. Zurückhaltende, aber dennoch eindringliche Melodien tragen jeden Song und schaffen eine Kulisse für Texte über die unausweichlichen Kämpfe des Erwachsenseins: Kommunikationsprobleme in andauernden Beziehungen, die Frage, wohin man sich wenden soll, das Festhalten an Träumen. Letztendlich ist 'Sit Down for Dinner' das vielleicht stärkste Album in einem ebenso illustren wie abwechslungsreichen Katalog.
"Justin Townes Earle released Kids In The Street, his first record on New West Records, in May of 2017. The album received critical acclaim and further cemented Justin’s legacy as one of the best active songwriters in music. Songs like, “Champagne Corolla” showcased his wry sense of humor as well as his deft ability to build upon the music that came before him while at the same time creating something unique and new. Familiar, inventive, creative, and clever.
Justin would release his second album with New West Records in May of 2019. The Saint of Lost Causes was hailed as one of the best albums of 2019 by Rolling Stone Magazine with “half a dozen or so career classics.” “I was trying to look through the eyes of America,” Earle says. “Because I believe in the idea of America - that everybody’s welcome here and has a right to be here.” Earle tells these American stories in detail and without judgement. While some songs cite historic events like “Flint City Shake It,” and “Don’t Drink The Water,"" other tracks present fictionalized narratives that are no less harrowing, or true-to-life , as heard in ""Appalachian Nightmare,” “The Saint Of Lost Causes,” and “Over Alameda.""
Justin Townes Earle was always a champion of the underdog and All In features in depth looks at the hopeful, and the hopeless. Fueled by empathy, baked in the blues, Justin was never without something poignant or humorous to say. Sadly, Justin passed away in 2020 at the age of 38. ALL IN: Unreleased & Rarities (The New West Years) is a fitting tribute to Justin’s legacy. The collection features many never heard before songs, demos, and cover tunes, spanning his time as a New West Records recording artist."
"Mountain Music is Nina Nesbitt as fans have never heard her before. Having risen to fame at a young age with her disarming, candid pop – the Scottish musician is now found in an entirely new realm. It is inspired in part by the two years she spent touring the States in support of her second studio album: the critically acclaimed Top 40, The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change, which has now accrued over a billion streams. These songs are permeated with gorgeous nods to US folk and Americana. It’s made all the more extraordinary by the face that, not long ago, Nesbitt was considering quitting music altogether. Produced by Peter Miles and Nesbitt, mixed and mastered by Miles at his stunning studio MiddleFarm in south Devon, and released via her own label, Apple Tree Records. A playful nod to her 2012 debut EP, TheApple Tree, this marks the start of an exciting new era for Nina Nesbitt. While it might sound strange that Nesbitt was drawn to the music of Appalachia, heard echoing through the vast, verdant mountain ranges of the eastern United States, it makes more sense when you consider how traditional Scottish ballads and hymns are threads in that rich tapestry.
Empathy is one of Nesbitt’s greatest strengths. We hear it on “Painkiller”, a Joni Mitchell-indebted ballad on which her heart breaks for the men who believe they have to suppress their own feelings. One of the album’s standout qualities is, perhaps, the dynamic that Nesbitt creates from one song to the next. Where many folk artists might lean into quiet introspection, she craves the full spectrum of emotion – so ensconced around “Painkiller” you have the tender “On the Run’, with its distant shivers of percussion and crystalline piano, but also “Anger”. She’s in a nostalgic mood on the rousing “Coming Home”, a Springsteen-inspired, driving-with-the-top-down journey back to the places and people she loves. We all lose ourselves sometimes. The trick is learning how to find our way back, pushing those clouds away to see the blue skies beyond. For artist Nina Nesbitt, hard-hitting truths and revelations take precedent on her remarkable, career-best album, Mountain Music. Nesbitt knows exactly who she is, and now, she’s ready to tell the world."
As the 21st century was born, so Kreator underwent what was nothing less than a seismic creative rebirth. By this time, the iconic German band had released nine studio albums in the 1980s and '90s, which had established them as one of the most important metal names of these decades.In the first period, they had helped to shape and pioneer the thrash scene through such releases as 'Pleasure To Kill' (1986), 'Terrible Certainty' ('87) and 'Extreme Aggression' ('89). During the following decade, the band had opened up exciting horizons of experimentation on albums like 'Coma Of Souls' (1990), 'Renewal' ('92) and 'Endorama' ('99).
Now, though, it was time to move into a fresh era, as vocalist/guitarist Mille Petrozza explains.
“During the 1990s, we were definitely experimenting with what the band were doing. But (drummer) Ventor and I decided that for this album – our first of the new millennium – we wanted to go back to the sort of sound that we had at the start of Kreator. In other words, to get back to the reason why we began the band in the first place.”
There was also new guitarist introduced, as Sami Yli-Sirniö (who had made his reputation with Finnish band Waltari) took over from Tommy Vetterli. The latter (also known as Tommy T. Baron) had joined in 1996 and played on the 'Oucast' (1997) and 'Endorama' albums.
The producer for this album was Andy Sneap, who was now making a name for himself as one of the pre-eminent masters of this art in the modern metal world.“I had known and liked Andy since the days he had been the guitarist in Sabbat, as they were signed to Noise Records as Kreator were on that label. He was our first choice to work on this new project. I liked what he'd done for Testament on their album 'The Gathering' (released in 1999). He had given them a sound they'd never had before, and that really was what we were after. It was natural and organic, and also very modern. I remember phoning him at his Backstage Studios in England (Ripley in Derbyshire). And Warrel Dane, the vocalist in Nevermore, answered. Andy was producing their new album at the time ('Dead Heart In A Dead World', 2000). And when I heard this, again I was very impressed. So, I was delighted when he agreed to produce the new Kreator album.”
The album title came from something Petrozza had read. “In a book I came across a comment that John F. Kennedy said (in 1962). This was: "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable”. I thought 'Violent Revolution' would make a good title for an album. So, I kept it in my mind for this record. I think 'Violent Revolution' is a title that makes a real impact.”
One interesting aspect of the track listing was that the 52 second instrumental 'The Patriarch' actually came after the opening song 'Reconquering The Throne'. Fans might have been expected that it would have opened the album. But for Petrozza, there was a logical reason for this not to happen. “We really wanted to lead off with a thrashing track, to show everyone what we were now doing musically. After 'Endorama', it was important that everyone should recognise this was a new era for Kreator.”
'Violent Revolution' is without question an excellent album. While in some ways it does hark back to the glories of the band's earlier days, nonetheless it does not sound at all nostalgic. The performances and production values are very much part of the contemporary era, and the strength of the compositions themselves are of the highest values. Rising to the challenge offered by a new generation of ambitious metal bands, Kreator proved they were far from being a spent force. Unlike so many of their peers, here was a band who still had so much creativity to offer, and were also clearly excited themselves by what they were doing. And when you hear the band themselves enjoying the entire process, then you know this is a bona fide revitalisation.
6OOA"s 2020 opus is reunmanaged by sound composer Twig Harper, whose unlimited brief takes this REMIX places no other remix record could dare to go. In the process, it affords the wizard of Six Organs, Ben Chasny, the chance to re-present the record in a form as insane as the world into which the record was - and is - headed. A soundtrack to California chaos, done two ways, sometimes at the same time! RIYL: Electronic, New Age, Modern Classical
Guitarist Steve Howe releases his new solo album Guitarscape on 27th September on his own HoweSound label. The album will be available on CD, vinyl and digital downloads, including Dolby Atmos, Guitarscape marks a new chapter for the YES and ASIA legend as he presents, what amounts to, a guitar masterclass. "What I'm doing," said Steve, "is focusing on what I do well and what I love to do." Guitarscape features 14 new instrumental tracks in a host of musical styles, from rock through to acoustic and classical, each bearing that unmistakable Steve Howe sound. Steve plays acoustic, electric, steel and bass guitars along with keyboards and is joined by his son Dylan on drums. Steve has written all of the tracks and produced the album "This album has given me the opportunity to do something different," says Steve. "I bought a Novation Summit keyboard and found that it had a wealth of inspiring sounds. It gave me a golden opportunity to create my own keyboard structures - chordal movements and structures that I thought were a bit different. I think differently on a keyboard, I don't see the chords looking the same but then I had fun playing around with the guitar to see where that goes. "I've utilised most of the colours, as I like to I think of my styles, and I'm always pleased when I hear them running through and it moves from a steel, maybe, to a Spanish guitar. Because it's a different sort of album, I'm not using terribly conventional chord sequences but things that give me a fresh feeling and opportunities to improvise and stretch out as well as be melodic and make this a nice tuneful experience. "I began feeding the tracks to Dylan. We get on great and he seems to know what to play around my guitar, it's almost instinctive. Dylan and I fit together really beautifully. We've had the chance to do this together, so it's wonderful. "The bass parts and the keyboards are pretty interesting, everything had to be interesting but also work together. I like doing things that are super fresh and this album says what I am today.
September 23rd ist die erste Veröffentlichung in William Basinskis neuer Arcadia Archive-Serie. September 23rd wurde im September 1982 in seinem ersten Loft im vormodernen DUMBO-Viertel in Brooklyn, New York, aufgenommen und ist ein erst kürzlich wiederentdeckter früher Eintrag in seinem inzwischen äußerst inspirierenden und einflussreichen Katalog. Ausgehend von einem Klavierstück, das Basinski Mitte der 1970er Jahre in der High School komponierte, entwickelte sich September 23rd schnell zu einem ganz anderen Werk. Wie Basinski erklärt: ,The original piano recordings were made on on a piano belonging to my downstairs neighbor, John Epperson - later known more famously as world-renowned drag artist, Lypsinka - at 351 Jay Street aka Casa Degli Artisti, our first loft in New York. It was recoded with a little portable (probably Radio Shack) cassette deck sitting on the piano as I improvised a piece I had been working on since high school. It was pretty terrible, but when I did the John Giorno/William Burroughs cut-up technique, suddenly I had something to put through the Frippertronics loop and feedback loop tape delay system - and boy did I get results. A very prolific time for a young, wacked-out queen in NYC."
September 23rd ist die erste Veröffentlichung in William Basinskis neuer Arcadia Archive-Serie. September 23rd wurde im September 1982 in seinem ersten Loft im vormodernen DUMBO-Viertel in Brooklyn, New York, aufgenommen und ist ein erst kürzlich wiederentdeckter früher Eintrag in seinem inzwischen äußerst inspirierenden und einflussreichen Katalog. Ausgehend von einem Klavierstück, das Basinski Mitte der 1970er Jahre in der High School komponierte, entwickelte sich September 23rd schnell zu einem ganz anderen Werk. Wie Basinski erklärt: ,The original piano recordings were made on on a piano belonging to my downstairs neighbor, John Epperson - later known more famously as world-renowned drag artist, Lypsinka - at 351 Jay Street aka Casa Degli Artisti, our first loft in New York. It was recoded with a little portable (probably Radio Shack) cassette deck sitting on the piano as I improvised a piece I had been working on since high school. It was pretty terrible, but when I did the John Giorno/William Burroughs cut-up technique, suddenly I had something to put through the Frippertronics loop and feedback loop tape delay system - and boy did I get results. A very prolific time for a young, wacked-out queen in NYC."
Planet Asia and 38 Spesh is that team-up fans didn’t know they needed until they got it. When Trust The Chain dropped in 2020, heads were afforded a dose of the antidote. While Asia is always nice on the mic, he was in rare form over Spesh’s soulful production. So, it should come as no surprise that the sequel, Trust The Chain II, is a level jump once again. In fact, the project is so packed with heat, almost every song was released as a single. Joints like “Checking Traps,” “Crumble Cake,” and “Inertia” have had listeners eagerly anticipating this LP since last year. Guests include Klass Murda, Tristate, The Musalini, and A Plus Tha Kid
Die wohl kalifornischste aller deutschen Streetpunkbands kommt aus Stuttgart. Obwohl die Schwaben nicht mit Anleihen bei den Dead Kennedys geizen haben sie ihren eigenen, schnörkellosen Stil entwickelt. Nach nur 3 Tagen hatten die 4 Jungs das Album "Waterfront" im Kasten, so erfrischend rough und dreckig wie der Fluss der durch ihre Heimatstadt fließt. Das düstere Cover ist Programm: ein kloakiger Fluss vor nächtlicher Stadt voller Qualm und Rotz. "Fuck The World" ist ein bissig-ironischer Text über den Raubbau an unserer Mutter Erde, die sich verzweifelt wehrt. Wenn der texanische Sänger "Mother gets angry" raushaut erinnert er an die bitterbösen Zeilen etlicher Jello Biafra Songs. Bei "American Devolution" gehts weiter mit einem 100% DK-Intro. Desillusioniert stellt sich die Frage wieso Werte wie Toleranz und Freiheitsliebe verschwunden sind. Die Hommage an Cock Sparrer "Where Are They Now" haut in dieselbe Kerbe. Wo sind die geblieben, die mal von Anarchie, Kampf und Zusammenhalt geredet haben? Mit "Here We Go" wird bei hämmernden Drumsticks und toughen Gitarren der hauseigene Stil der Band blankgelegt. Das biestige "Crazy Axe Wife" erzählt von einem Typen der seinen Kopf verliert weil seine liebende Ex-Frau ihn davon per Beil befreit. Viel schaffen für nix ist Thema von "Ghost Lights", nochmal mit Anklängen an die toten Kennedys. Kurz und knüppelig darf der Leckt-mich-am-Arsch Saufsong nicht fehlen bevor am Ende nochmal abgehottet werden darf. Also Daumen raus und ab auf den Roadtrip nach Necka(r)lifornien.
Originally released to a fan base and music press that were unprepared for the band to move on from the punk fury of "Crossing The Red Sea", The Adverts "Cast Of Thousands" has since been recognized as a lost classic of the time. TV Smith's cutting observational lyrics and sharp musical instincts saw his song writing grow and move in unexpected directions. The primal thumping was replaced by dynamic and driving drumming, acoustic guitars and probing solos emerged, and Tim Cross joined to add keyboards and fill out the overall sound. The one constant was the pounding throb of Gaye Advert's bass. Encouraged to experiment by surprise producer Tom Newman (Mike Oldfield "Tubular Bells") the band found themselves stretching creatively, both in song writing and recording techniques. They might agonize over the sound of recording a match being lit in the middle of one song, while doing a single take of a vocal via a microphone hung in the bathroom for another. Giant choirs were built meticulously over multiple tracks, while the sound of a rat running through the reverb room would be captured forever. The results wrapped some of TV's best songs in strange and inventive sounds to compliment his anti-pop smarts and rock and roll heart. They did not know it at the time, but the band was falling apart. Tensions would soon rise to the level that replacement players were called in to finish their final tour. Punk fans left them in droves. Critics skewered the singles from the album. Their record label had moved on to the next big thing. Feeling that they had reached a creative peak made the tumble even harder to swallow. Time has been very kind though, and fans discovering punk after the first wave have been able to hear "Cast" for what it is - a brilliant and biting collection of rock and roll. Still full of stomp and swagger even when stripped down on "My Place" or via the anthemic surge of "Television's Over", with TV's hook factory on full display on the anti-love song "Love Songs", and the band closing the album with the creeping ballad "I Will Walk You Home"; The Adverts had grown from a great punk rock band to a great rock band. Black vinyl.
With "The Mirrored Mask", Dutch band Harlem Lake announces their highly anticipated second album, set to be released on September 27th under Jazzhaus Records Following their critically acclaimed debut album "A Fool's Paradise, Vol. 1" from 2021, the band from Haarlem, near Amsterdam, once again presents an eclectic mix of blues, rock, and Americana. However, Harlem Lake refuses to be pigeonholed, using these genres definitions merely as loose creative inspiration, resulting in a fresh and timeless sound. "The Mirrored Mask" is an energetic work, opening with two outstanding singles: "Carry On" and "Fooled Again." While "Carry On" impresses with powerful vocals by frontwoman Janne Timmer and sophisticated brass arrangements, "Fooled Again" showcases a funkier side of the band, with guitarist Sonny van den Berg displaying his distinct skills. The album features a wide range of styles and moods, from danceable tracks like "Beggars Can't Choose" to moving ballads like "The Thought Of You." The latter is characterized by its gentle instrumentation and melancholic lyrics, reminiscent of folk- Americana greats like Kacey Musgraves or Katie Pruitt. With tracks like "Crying In A Desert," Harlem Lake then also surprises listeners with a uniquely atmospheric road song a la J.J. Cale, complete with an impressive guitar solo. The highlight of the album is undoubtedly the title track "The Mirrored Mask," which showcases the full range of Harlem Lake's musical abilities. Concluding the album, the band presents two more highlights, "Temptation" and "Jack In The Box," skillfully rounding out the album with blues, jazz, and Americana flair. Harlem Lake, consisting of Janne Timmer (lead vocals), Dave Warmerdam (keyboard), Sonny van den Berg (guitar), Kjelt Ostendorf (bass), and Benjamin Torbijn (drums), created "The Mirrored Mask" as an album that impressively demonstrates their musical maturity and passion for songwriting. From powerful rock numbers to intimate ballads, the album offers a multifaceted listening experience that will captivate both fans and newcomers alike. Known for their dynamic live performances as winners of the European Blues Challenge 2022, the band will be presenting the songs from "The Mirrored Mask" on an extensive tour through Europe.
The Ruins' eponymous EP (also known as the “gray record”) was originally released in the late spring of 1984 and in fact represents a significant moment in the Italian independent music scene of the early 1980s. The then contemporary burgeoning wave of entertainment music contaminated by experimental accents and conveyed essentially by electronic instruments saw the Ruins at the forefront. The band, essentially a duo, formed in Mestre (Venice) in 1978, had already carved out a window of national attention within the Italian new wave in 1981 with their first single “Short wave” and their participation in one of the very first (if not the very first) Italian new wave compilations entitled “Samples Only.”
Following this, between 1982 and 1983, there had been an important interlude in the evolution of the RUINS sound with the foundation of the quintet project (of which SPITTLE/DepenDance recently published an essential anthology titled “BRAIN FLAKES”). At the end of 1983, having concluded the group experience with the consequent and inevitable return to the original duo dimension the musical style further evolved putting even more emphasis on the unique blend of electronic sounds and almost black /soul influences of the new compositions that would later be collected in 1984 in the original version of E.P.
The duo's sound at that particular time was characterized by the innovative use of synthesizers and drum machines for unconventional song structures, which at the same time also encapsulated Ciranna and Pizzin's experimental ethos, thus allowing them to follow a parallel trajectory capable of maintaining a certain distance - while remaining somewhat related to - from the contemporary mainstream pop and the so-called ITALO disco strand.
Ultimately, this 1984 EP by the Ruins - of which Spittle DepenDance now offers a valuable reissue enriched with additional material from the period that has remained completely unreleased until now - is a testament to the band's innovative spirit and its role in shaping the Italian new wave scene, landing moreover to international acclaim and acclaim even over the following decades. With its mix of electronic experimentation and dark pop sensibility, it remains essential listening for fans of avant-garde pop music.
Created by the dynamic duo of DAVE MAZE and Grammy-nominated SPIKE REBEL, this album is a one-of-a-kind fusion of funk, disco, afro, and soul, all wrapped in the mesmerizing art of spoken word. “WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE†is a spoken word tribute album to the talented JERWAYNE BALENTINE, also known as J-EPIC. JERWAYNE, who authored the book "WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE," was a remarkable poet, author, producer, and illustrator. Tragically, he passed away in 2020 at the age of 23 due to Muscular dystrophy. All proceeds from the sales of this album will be directed towards funding music programming for young adults with developmental impairments and supporting Muscular dystrophy research.
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Acid jazz pioneer Chris Bangs returns with a brand
new album for 2024, following his early-2023
release ‘Firebird’, and 2022’s collaboration with
Mick Talbot ‘Back To Business’. His latest longplayer ‘Dream World’ is set for release on the Acid
Jazz label on 20 September – a characteristic font
of latin jazz from the maestro producer.
Bangs is known for originally coining the term
‘acid jazz’ – a movement which subsequently
morphed into the label – as he and likeminded DJs
(including Gilles Peterson and Eddie Piller) began
to combine jazz, soul and rock-fusion with the
prominent sounds of acid house in the late ‘80s.
He has since worked extensively as a producer
and DJ – including credits with his own The Quiet
Boys and Yada Yada, along with Paul Weller,
Galliano and of course most recently Mick Talbot.
The new album see some new collaborators in the
Bangs ranks – including Argentine keyboardist
Luciano De La Rosa, Italian Massimo Morganti on
trombone, Chile’s Juan Pi Salvo on trumpet, and
Fabio Tiralongo on sax – making it a truly global
production. Described as ‘pure labour of love’ by
Bangs himself, the album is a further expansion of
his remarkable sound and vision, and his own
ever-expanding dream world of (acid) jazz that
moves far beyond genre-casting
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The fertility of the Cuban music scene in the 1970s was rich and blooming. FA-5’s self-titled album from 1976 is a perfect example of the energy and vitality emanating from the country’s musicians and marks the next release in Mr Bongo’s Cuban Classics series. A unique musical fusion that encompasses Latin rock, funk, soul, disco and Afro-Cuban rhythms to form a diverse and alluring album.
The exquisite, funk-fuelled opener, 'Muevete Con Las Fuerzas Del Corazon', is maybe the most-known song on the album. It is a super catchy cut powered by a dynamite bassline, joy-filled horn playing and splashes of drum breaks that will ignite any dancefloor.
The record surfs through genres as it progresses. 'Di Tu Que Haras Sin Mi’ and 'Paso Sin Mas' lean back with a West Latin rock / AOR flavour to their grooves. Elsewhere, the dreamy, cosmic, Balearic-tinged 'El Blue' and fuzzy funk-rock breaks of 'Pero Lo Cierto Es Que No Quise Mas' further show the breadth of styles at play on the LP. Another big highlight on the album is the Latin, disco-funk sounds of 'Casa De Ladrillo', which morphs into a cover version of the Commodores 'Brick House'. The result is a superb alternative take on a much-loved classic.
Released on the state-owned Areito Records, the album was directed by Nestor Caballero, who arranged the songs alongside Aneiro Taño and Osvaldo Caraballoso. The prolific Tony Taño produced the album with the recording courtesy of Tony Lopez who worked with Juan Pablo Torres, Los Reyes 73, Grupo Los Yoyi, Raúl Gómez and many other Cuban greats that we have featured in the Cuban Series.
A fabulous, under-the-radar classic, that will enrich any collection.
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After their internationally successful releases 'Mosaic' and 'Babel', Dutch band Lesoir launches their new full-length album 'Push Back the Horizon'. With this album, the band shows its most melodic side. 'Push Back The Horizon' is characterised by traditional song structures, catchy hooks and a groovy rhythm section, with the pinch of prog this five-piece is known for. The 10 songs are inspired by the collective challenges humanity faces and the glimmers of hope from which we draw positive energy to push boundaries. 'Push Back The Horizon' was produced by John Cornfield, known for his work with Muse, Kashmir, Razorlight, Supergrass, New Model Army and Ben Howard.
Jeffrey Lewis’s 2015 masterpiece ‘Manhattan’ in random-colour reground vinyl. “Lewis’s catchiest and finest album” - (Grade: A) Vice. Blang Records are thrilled to announce they’ll be bringing the wild streets of Manhattan to the UK and Europe this autumn with the vinyl re-release of Jeffrey Lewis’s 2015 masterpiece ‘Manhattan’. The LP sold out of its first pressing and has been impossible to buy anywhere for years…until now. Out on exclusive Random Mix Colour Reground EcoVinyl in record shops from 20th September. Blang Records and Jeffrey Lewis have history: before Blang was a label, it started life as a live night at the 12 Bar Club in Denmark Street, hosting many a set of the NY Antifolk artists over on UK shores, including Jeffrey Lewis. Now 20+ years since Jeffrey first played Blang, it feels fitting that tour support comes from UK antifolk linchpins, Blang Records mainstay, and arguably one of the UKs most criminally underrated bands, David Cronenberg’s Wife (“A mix of 80’s fall and the Velvet Underground” - NME). Native New Yorker Jeffrey Lewis is a comic book writer/artist and a musician. A cult hero birthed from the now infamous antifolk movement that sprung up on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in the 90s, Jeffrey has released dozens of albums showcasing his unique blend of bleakly witty observations, scratchy, lo-fi punk and croaky folk/anti-folk, all firmly rooted in a strong DIY sensibility. Jeffrey and his band have toured the world multiple times over, released albums on Rough Trade, Moshi Moshi and Don GIovanni Records, and have been featured by NPR, The History Channel, The NY Times and more. ‘Manhattan’ was mixed by John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Phosphorescent, War On Drugs) and recorded by Brian Speaker at SpeakerSonic Studios NY, produced by Brian Speaker and Jeffrey Lewis. “We’ve been fans of Jeffrey Lewis since seeing him at the Sidewalk Cafe in 2001, so we’re really really pleased to be really-re-releasing the excellent album ‘Manhattan’ just in time for his September UK Tour. This all started when Jeffrey asked for help looking after his merch after his UK tour finished last year and we said we’d help him press some records in Europe from a UK address as the postage costs from the US were way too much. This ultimately led to us re-releasing his classic album (and respectful nod to Lou Reed's New York) ‘Manhattan’. It's beyond a dream come true. Blang is the home of fantastic lyricists and that's exactly what Jeffrey is - this is a perfect fit.” - Blang Records. “Jeffrey Lewis is an amazing musician, and if you don’t know his songs you probably have a hole in your heart that can only be filled by his words… I did!” – Regina Spektor. “Jeffrey is the best pure songwriter I know of… ‘Sad Screaming Old Man’… is one of my favourite songs ever written.” – David Berman, Silver Jews. Tour Dates: Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage, w/ support from David Cronenberg’s Wife - Aug 29th Hertford – Corn Exchange, 30th Coventry – The Tin Music & Arts, Sept 1st Stockton-on-Tees – Georgian Theatre, 2nd York – The Crescent, 3rd Stirling, Scotland – The Tolbooth, 4th Birkenhead – Future Yard, 5th !SOLD OUT! – Halifax – The Grayston Unity, 6th Norwich – Norwich Arts Centre, 7th Northampton – The Black Prince, 8th Carmarthen – CWRW, 9th Nottingham – The Old Cold Store, 10th Southampton – The Joiners Arms, 11th Hastings – The Pig // Jeffrey Lewis solo: 12th London – West Hampstead Arts Center, 13th London – West Hampstead Arts Center
"Do you dream too?" Tomemitsu"s Martin Roark asks on his sophomore album with Friends of Friends Music. The question is also what stemmed from the album title, "Dream 2", a shorthand written in the lyrics. "Dream 2" is quite possibly Tomemitsu"s dreamiest LP, if not his most diverse. It is brimming with both new territory and nods to his past. This record reveals a more buoyant side to accompany his traditionally spaced out productions.
Gatefold LP on all LPs with a 4 page booklet. Clear vinyl LP comes with a slipmat (150 only), 250 on each of the other colours, 350 on black. At AMERICANAFEST in September veteran journalist Jewly Hight hosts discussion, ’Drag Queens in Limousines Forever: The Importance and Influence of Gauthier’s Songs”. Mark September 2024 on your calendars as Mary Gauthier’s sophomore release “Drag Queens In Limousines” will finally be out on vinyl. This 25th anniversary limited edition package is being put together by Cow Pie Recordings out of London and will feature four colourways, gatefold packaging, lyrics booklet with liner notes from the artist and an extra limited slip mat for those lucky enough to find the clear vinyl version. This is a truly seminal record from 1999 which provided insight to growing up queer but also a wider group with songs about true mavericks, rebels and outcasts. As Mary said in a recent interview for her book Saved By A Song, “I knew that “Drag Queens In Limousines” needed to be in there,” she said. “I needed to talk about being queer and being an outsider, but I also wanted to show how a song can even transcend the experience of the queer person in country music singing it. Suddenly, otherness becomes cool, and everyone who hears it wants to be one because the outsider experience is not unique to gay and lesbian people. I tapped into that without even knowing, and I was surprised with who related to the song.” This is the first of Gauthier’s releases that was available worldwide and put her on the map of the folk music community. Now it will be heard the way it should be for the first time!
Gatefold LP on all LPs with a 4 page booklet. Clear vinyl LP comes with a slipmat (150 only), 250 on each of the other colours, 350 on black. At AMERICANAFEST in September veteran journalist Jewly Hight hosts discussion, ’Drag Queens in Limousines Forever: The Importance and Influence of Gauthier’s Songs”. Mark September 2024 on your calendars as Mary Gauthier’s sophomore release “Drag Queens In Limousines” will finally be out on vinyl. This 25th anniversary limited edition package is being put together by Cow Pie Recordings out of London and will feature four colourways, gatefold packaging, lyrics booklet with liner notes from the artist and an extra limited slip mat for those lucky enough to find the clear vinyl version. This is a truly seminal record from 1999 which provided insight to growing up queer but also a wider group with songs about true mavericks, rebels and outcasts. As Mary said in a recent interview for her book Saved By A Song, “I knew that “Drag Queens In Limousines” needed to be in there,” she said. “I needed to talk about being queer and being an outsider, but I also wanted to show how a song can even transcend the experience of the queer person in country music singing it. Suddenly, otherness becomes cool, and everyone who hears it wants to be one because the outsider experience is not unique to gay and lesbian people. I tapped into that without even knowing, and I was surprised with who related to the song.” This is the first of Gauthier’s releases that was available worldwide and put her on the map of the folk music community. Now it will be heard the way it should be for the first time!