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With Robyn, South London's cktrl shares his most ambitious work yet, collaborating with the likes of Duval Timothy, Coby Sey (Micachu, Tirzah, Dean Blunt) and Purple Ferdinand to create a vital exploration of contemporary-classical from the black perspective; out via Errol and Alex Rita's Touching Bass. Spurred on by the overpowering feelings of heartbreak, Robyn impressively creates emotive and heartfelt clarinet and saxophone-led soundscapes about the all-consuming power of love. On the project, cktrl says: "'Robyn' at its core is heartbreak and is just really sentimental. It's a journey of losing a love but it ends with optimism as you find strength to love again." Born and bred in Lewisham, cktrl aka Bradley Miller is an integral part of London's pioneering musical underground. One of the only remaining original DJs on NTS, cktrl has previously worked with and played alongside the likes of Sampha, Sango, Kelela and Dean Blunt. Throughout his career to date, cktrl has also been recognised and heralded by fashion and film VIPs including Virgil Abloh, Bianca Saunders, Tremaine Emory, Nicholas Daley and Jenn Nkiru who recently secured him a cameo in Beyonce's heralded 'Black Is King'. With a shared ethos of elevating and amplifying leftfield black music, he partners with London based label, Touching Bass, themselves a key cog within the city's bubbling musical underbelly.

Das kanadische Trio, bestehend aus Al Sow, Chester Hansen und Leland Whitty sind im Februar wieder ins Studio gegangen, um etwas Neues zu erschaffen. Man lud einige der engsten Freunde und Mitarbeiter ein, wie Live-Band-Mitglied Felix Fox-Pappas (Keys) sowie verschiedene Kreative aus Torontos pulsierender Jazzszene, darunter Kaelin Murphy (Trompete), Juan Carlos Medrano Magallenes (Percussions) und den LA-Musiker Tyler Lott (Gitarre). Bei einer intensiven einwöchigen Aufnahme-Session in den Valentine Studios in Los Angeles im Februar 2024 entstand “Mid Spiral“.

“Mid Spiral“ nutzt instrumentalen Jazz als Zentrum und ermöglicht es BADBADNOTGOOD, die Grenzen der Integration einer unbegrenzten Bandbreite von Genres und Musikern in ihre Kompositionen weiter zu verschieben. So sorgten die Gäste der Valentine-Sessions dafür, dass weitere Stimmen der Instrumentierung zur eh immensen Sound-Palette des Trios hinzukamen, was zu einem äußerst kollaborativen und expansiven neuen Sound führte.

She's In Parties ist ein englisches Quartett aus Colchester (benannt nach dem kultigen Bauhaus-Track), dessen eigenwillige Mischung aus Shoegaze und Dream-Pop ihr relativ junges Alter verrät. Die neue EP "Puppet Show" ist ihr bisher politischstes und lyrisch reifstes Statement. Es behandelt die Sorgen nach dem Erwachsenwerden und die existentielle Erkenntnis über die Probleme dieser Welt, von den sozialen Medien bis zu Kriegen und der persönlichen Angst, all dem hilflos ausgeliefert zu sein.

- "Colchester’s new answer to hazy shoegaze heroes Cocteau Twins." – NME

- "Melding shoegaze-y pop and dazzling indie licks, their wall of sound is simply irresistible." - DORK

- "All dreamy, reverbed atmospherics and interlocking textures... A real find." - Sunday Times Culture

Reissue of Future Sound of Melbourne's iconic "Melodia" EP. Originally released in 1992 as a maxi two song record, and now added two extra bonus tracks, this timeless collection of tracks, meticulously remastered by Damian Schwartz, promises to ignite dancefloors festivities with its infectious blend of techno, rave house, and breakbeat piano anthems. Bursting with retro-futuristic energy, each track transports listeners to the golden era of electronic music while retaining an undeniable contemporary allure.

Formed in 1990 by bass and drum producer Davide Carbone, bass guitarist and vocalist Josh Abrahams, and acid house DJ Steve Robbins, Future Sound of Melbourne crafted a sonic legacy that continues to resonate with audiences worldwide.

The EP kicks off with "Alien," a high-octane journey through techno's upbeat 90s soundscapes, setting the stage for an exhilarating sonic adventure. "Heaven" follows suit, delivering a euphoric rave house anthem guaranteed to lift spirits with its infectious energy. Next up is "Melodia," a breakbeat piano banger that harkens back to the glory days of underground raves, its infectious rhythms and haunting melodies captivating listeners from start to finish. Rounding out the EP is "Melodia 95," a reimagined version that offers a fresh perspective on the timeless classic, showcasing FSOM's versatility and innovative spirit.

Die Musikzeitschriften "Audio" und "Stereo Play" betitelten Lenny Mac Dowell als "Rockflötist Nummer eins in Deutschland".
Lenny Mac Dowell hatte unzählige Tourneen mit Musikern wie Manni von Bohr, Horst Stachelhaus (Birth Control), Peter Oehler, Mike Herting, Bodo Schopf (Michael Schenker Group) oder Zeus B. Held (Guru Guru), Clemens Winterhalter, Alex Grünwald und immer wieder Großproduktionen mit Musikern wie Pete York (Spencer Davis Group) und Wolfgang Schmid (Passport).
Eine Ära des musikalischen Experimentierens setzte sich unter eigener Produktion fort. Nach "Flying Torso" folgt "Balance Of Power", das mehr in die esoterischen Gefilde geht - feinste Meditationsmusik mit Ambient-Elementen. Auch das Album "The Farthest Shore" spiegelt die meditativen und esoterischen Klänge wider. 1987 veröffentlichte Lenny Mac Dowell in einem Gemeinschaftsprojekt mit Christoph Spendel "Autumn Breath" oder "Landscapes" (2015) und in den 90er Jahren bis heute "The Lost Paradise", "Echnatons Return", "Launch Control", "Get Ready", "Retrospective", "Lenny Goes India", "Look Of Love" und "Raja Yoga" Produktionen unter eigener Flagge.
"Vinyl Experience" eignet sich auch hervorragend als Referenz oder zum Testen Ihres Soundsystems, von der Plattenspieleranlage bis zu den Lautsprechern.

Big Dada verkündigt mit Stolz eine Vinyl-Neupressung des legendären Album Klassikers ‘Brand New Second Hand’ von Rodney Hilton Smith aka Roots Manuva zu seinem 25. Jubiläum auf halbdurchsichtigem Doppelvinyl inklusive Roots Manuva Photo-Druck und Downloadcode welcher neben dem Album auch die beiden Bonus Track “Skiver's Guide”(1999) & “Feel Da Panic” (1998) beinhaltet.

Metal position returned after 7 years with a reunion ep from Lucretio, Steve Murphy and DJ Octopus with the signature focus on kick drum and bass line

Katie Gavin's debut What A Relief taps into the unguarded self-possession and homespun pop sensibility of singers like Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple and Ani DiFranco, and uses their tenacity as a north star for Gavin's own trek towards self-discovery. "This record spans a lot of my life - it's about having a really deep desire for connection, but also encountering all the obstacles that stood in my way to be able to achieve that, patterns of isolation or even boredom with the real work of love" they say. Written over the course of seven years, What A Relief comprises a set of songs that Gavin always loved but which "had something in them" that she and her bandmates felt didn't quite fit within the universe they were trying to cultivate with MUNA. Many of them were written on acoustic guitar, and are rooted in "a style of music that's very much in my blood, and natural for me," as typified by the Women & Songs CDs that Gavin loves, which compiled music by artists like Tracy Chapman, Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan. That openness of spirit is the overwhelming character of What A Relief, an album that's refreshing in its willingness to accept people as they come, even as it remains in dogged pursuit of a life that's kinder, wiser and more loving. Gavin's explorations of desire and intimacy feel time-worn and necessary - songs that might teach a generation if not how to live, exactly, then at least how to look within oneself for guidance about how to move forward.

Katie Gavin's debut What A Relief taps into the unguarded self-possession and homespun pop sensibility of singers like Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple and Ani DiFranco, and uses their tenacity as a north star for Gavin's own trek towards self-discovery. "This record spans a lot of my life - it's about having a really deep desire for connection, but also encountering all the obstacles that stood in my way to be able to achieve that, patterns of isolation or even boredom with the real work of love" they say. Written over the course of seven years, What A Relief comprises a set of songs that Gavin always loved but which "had something in them" that she and her bandmates felt didn't quite fit within the universe they were trying to cultivate with MUNA. Many of them were written on acoustic guitar, and are rooted in "a style of music that's very much in my blood, and natural for me," as typified by the Women & Songs CDs that Gavin loves, which compiled music by artists like Tracy Chapman, Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan. That openness of spirit is the overwhelming character of What A Relief, an album that's refreshing in its willingness to accept people as they come, even as it remains in dogged pursuit of a life that's kinder, wiser and more loving. Gavin's explorations of desire and intimacy feel time-worn and necessary - songs that might teach a generation if not how to live, exactly, then at least how to look within oneself for guidance about how to move forward.

Bonus 7”
A. Rincón de Luna (2.55)*
B. Voices (2.34)*

Singer/Songwriter Juliet Lawson’s album, ‘Boo’, was released on the Sovereign label in the UK in 1972. The album was the confident debut of a young British artist and featured twelve of Lawson’s own compositions.

In the same wave of early 1970s English singer-songwriters such as Nick Drake, Vashti Bunyan, Christine McVie and despite being described at the time as ‘Britain’s answer to Joni Mitchell’ ‘Boo’ was to prove her only major label release with limited commercial success.
Over the next 50 years the album’s reputation has slowly grown and is today an expensive and collectible item. ‘Boo’ is presented here in its entirety.

The first pressing of the vinyl edition of the album also come with a bonus 7-inch single featuring two early demo tracks produced by ex-Yardbirds founder Paul Samwell-Smith, who also produced Carly Simon and Cat Stevens. Special Limited-Edition Album with bonus 7” Single + Download Code.

Includes interview with Juliet Lawson and exclusive photography.

Die legendäre Chicagoer Band The Effigies kehrt mit ihrem neuen Album 'Burned' zurück!
„Sortie“ ist der erste Track aus dem brandneuen Studioalbum der Effigies. Der legendäre Punk-Act ist zurück mit der neuen Albumveröffentlichung
„Burned“, einem neuen Mix zum 40-jährigen Jubiläum des klassischen 1984er Albums „For Ever Grounded“ und einem speziellen Tribut- und
Gedenk-Event zu Ehren ihres gefallenen Frontmanns John Kezdy, der tragischerweise im Jahr 2023 verstarb.

The LP was released during a fertile period in her early career, when she was also playing with the group The Marine Girls and just about to embark on a life-long musical and personal partnership with Ben Watt in Everything But The Girl.

Its stark minimalism made it stand out from the crowd, and the album remained on the Independent chart for many months. To this day, ‘A Distant Shore’ remains one of our proudest achievements here at Cherry Red Records. Fully supported by the artist, 'A Distant Shore' is now being represented with the addition of five hitherto unheard demo recordings, hand-picked by Tracey from her archive of cassettes. ‘Lucky Day’ was recorded during the same session as the album but somehow never made the grade; the other four tracks here were recorded during a later session but then set aside, to be re-recorded a while later with EBTG for their first album, Eden.

Freshly mastered at Abbey Road Studios with new sleeve-notes written by Tracey, this 2024 edition is available on both vinyl and CD, a beautifully presented reminder of the album’s elemental beauty.

Was haben Motörhead, Refused, Rage against the Machine, AC/DC und Green Day gemeinsam? Es mag vielleicht verwundern, aber sie haben allesamt Songs mit Texten, die ziemlich gut im Kontext eines Widerstands gegen eine Epoche funktionieren, die immer mehr durch herzlosen Nationalismus, Rassismus, Faschismus und Egoismus gekennzeichnet ist. Das Leben im Europa des Jahres 2024 kann einem schon den Rest geben: In immer mehr Ländern wühlen Politiker*innen den Dreck auf, der schon längst hätte abgeschafft werden sollen - oder der zumindest kollektiv verachtet gehört. Doch eines muss man sich unbedingt ins Gedächtnis rufen: just because you got the power, heißt nicht, dass man recht hat. Tagtäglich wird einem heute eine neue dumme Idee um die Ohren gehauen. Meistens geht es darum, diejenigen nach unten zu treten, die eh schon am Boden liegen. Für Otto Normalverbraucher, der sich von der Gesellschaft betrogen fühlt, ist das reines TNT. Das Gefühl ist bisweilen nachvollziehbar, doch bitte wann sind die Verbreitung von Angst, das Bauen von Mauern und die Zerstörung von Bildungssystemen zur Lösung für Alles geworden? Seit wann ist ein menschliches Wesen aufgrund seiner Ethnie, seines Geschlechts, seiner sexuellen Orientierung oder seines Glaubens weniger wert? Unsere Antwort ist kurz und knapp: Wann immer irgendwer versucht, uns hier auf Linie zu bringen, entgegnen wir: fuck you, we won"t do what you tell us. Was also tun? Sind wir die einzigen, die sich in einer Welt, die sich spiralförmig in den Abgrund dreht, wie basket cases, also absolut verloren fühlen? Hoffentlich nicht. Und wenn wir eines gelernt haben, dann, dass im Produzieren, Spielen und Hören von Musik ein mächtiger Zauber liegen kann. Es gibt weniges, was so wirksam für sozialen Kit sorgt. Deshalb sind wir unglaublich stolz und freuen uns extrem, wieder ein neues Hellsongs-Album zu präsentieren. Für uns ist es ein Lichtstrahl in äußerst dunklen Zeiten. Zusätzlich zu den Cover-Versionen gibt es auch vier eigene neue Songs, die mehr oder weniger dasselbe Themenfeld abdecken. Mehr Vocals, mehr Drums, allgemein mehr Instrumente, gespielt von einer noch größeren Gang mit noch mehr Wut im Bauch als je zuvor. Hoffentlich gefällt"s euch. Wir lieben es! Lassen wir diese abgründigen Zeiten hinter uns und gehen wir gemeinsam in eine gleichberechtigte Zukunft! Eins wissen wir jedenfalls genau: We would rather be dead, als es gar nicht erst versucht zu haben. See you on the road!

Was haben Motörhead, Refused, Rage against the Machine, AC/DC und Green Day gemeinsam? Es mag vielleicht verwundern, aber sie haben allesamt Songs mit Texten, die ziemlich gut im Kontext eines Widerstands gegen eine Epoche funktionieren, die immer mehr durch herzlosen Nationalismus, Rassismus, Faschismus und Egoismus gekennzeichnet ist. Das Leben im Europa des Jahres 2024 kann einem schon den Rest geben: In immer mehr Ländern wühlen Politiker*innen den Dreck auf, der schon längst hätte abgeschafft werden sollen - oder der zumindest kollektiv verachtet gehört. Doch eines muss man sich unbedingt ins Gedächtnis rufen: just because you got the power, heißt nicht, dass man recht hat. Tagtäglich wird einem heute eine neue dumme Idee um die Ohren gehauen. Meistens geht es darum, diejenigen nach unten zu treten, die eh schon am Boden liegen. Für Otto Normalverbraucher, der sich von der Gesellschaft betrogen fühlt, ist das reines TNT. Das Gefühl ist bisweilen nachvollziehbar, doch bitte wann sind die Verbreitung von Angst, das Bauen von Mauern und die Zerstörung von Bildungssystemen zur Lösung für Alles geworden? Seit wann ist ein menschliches Wesen aufgrund seiner Ethnie, seines Geschlechts, seiner sexuellen Orientierung oder seines Glaubens weniger wert? Unsere Antwort ist kurz und knapp: Wann immer irgendwer versucht, uns hier auf Linie zu bringen, entgegnen wir: fuck you, we won"t do what you tell us. Was also tun? Sind wir die einzigen, die sich in einer Welt, die sich spiralförmig in den Abgrund dreht, wie basket cases, also absolut verloren fühlen? Hoffentlich nicht. Und wenn wir eines gelernt haben, dann, dass im Produzieren, Spielen und Hören von Musik ein mächtiger Zauber liegen kann. Es gibt weniges, was so wirksam für sozialen Kit sorgt. Deshalb sind wir unglaublich stolz und freuen uns extrem, wieder ein neues Hellsongs-Album zu präsentieren. Für uns ist es ein Lichtstrahl in äußerst dunklen Zeiten. Zusätzlich zu den Cover-Versionen gibt es auch vier eigene neue Songs, die mehr oder weniger dasselbe Themenfeld abdecken. Mehr Vocals, mehr Drums, allgemein mehr Instrumente, gespielt von einer noch größeren Gang mit noch mehr Wut im Bauch als je zuvor. Hoffentlich gefällt"s euch. Wir lieben es! Lassen wir diese abgründigen Zeiten hinter uns und gehen wir gemeinsam in eine gleichberechtigte Zukunft! Eins wissen wir jedenfalls genau: We would rather be dead, als es gar nicht erst versucht zu haben. See you on the road!

Nach drei Alben auf Fearless Records erscheint das neue Werk der US-Emo-Rocker Real Friends via Many Hats. Bekannt für ihre aufrichtigen, ehrlichen und emotionalen Texte sowie treibende Pop-Punk-Riffs und mosh-fördernde Übergänge, stellt "Blue Hour" den Beginn eines neuen Kapitels der Band dar, in dem sie ihren Sound und ihr Image auf den neuesten Stand bringt. "Blue Hour" enthält die persönlichsten, intensivsten, eingängigsten und wichtigsten Songs, die Real Friends bisher gemacht haben. Canary Yellow Vinyl.

High Roller Records, Splatter Vinyl, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, insert

High Roller Records, Splatter Vinyl, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, insert

Green Day’s seventh studio album American Idiot was released in September 2004 and has since sold over 23 million copies worldwide. The album is a punk rock opera masterpiece that won the Best Rock Album at the 2005 Grammy Awards©. Five hit singles were released from the album: “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”, “Holiday”, “Wake Me Up When September Ends”, “Jesus of Suburbia”, and the title track, “American Idiot”.

Limited Edition Super Deluxe Box Sets (vinyl and CD) will be released on October 25th, 2024, to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of this legendary album.

The CD Super Deluxe contains 4 CDs which feature the original album and also includes 15 unreleased demos, a 15-song 2004 concert from Irving Plaza, NYC (9 songs previously unreleased), and 14 tracks that were released as B-Sides and bonus tracks. The box set is completed with two Blu-rays that feature the film “Heart Like A Hand Grenade”, 35 minutes of Green Day live at the BBC, and a new, unreleased documentary: “20 Years of American Idiot” plus a 48-page book, an enamel pin set, sticker sheet, and cloth patch.

Wick Records is proud to present the debut single from SoCal's newest hit-makers, The Emkays. Comprised of songwriter/ producer/ multi-instrumentalist extraordinaires Alec Kersenboom and Anthony Masino (Lee Fields, Thee Sacred Souls, Jensine Benitez, Junior Scaife et al), the group delivers a pair of pop nuggets that draw from the deeper end of the British Invasion spectrum. Similar to some the American teen combos that were blaring out of suburban garages throughout the mid-sixties, The Emkays deliver their brand of anglophilic rock with a soulful earnestness that was absent from many of their British counterparts. The irony of which notwithstanding, The Emkays shine like the North Star, ready to guide a whole new generation of kids to their side of the pond.

Ruthven - alias Sean Nelson - hatte schon immer einen gewissen Eifer und einen inneren Antrieb in sich. Der Musiker aus dem Süden Londons tauchte 2017 zum ersten Mal auf der Bildfläche auf, als er bei Paul Institute, dem von A.K und Jai Paul gegründeten Label, unter Vertrag genommen wurde. Zu dieser Zeit war er Mitglied der Londoner Feuerwehr und nahm seine Songs in der Feuerwache zwischen den Einsätzen auf. Nachdem er seine einzigartige Mischung aus R&B-beeinflusstem Future-Funk behutsam und mit Bedacht entwickelt hatte, erregte Ruthven die Aufmerksamkeit der Kritiker ("kreiert Prince-ähnliche Jams mit den Konturen und der Geschmeidigkeit von Sportwagen" - The FADER) und ging erst kürzlich mit Sampha auf Tour. Dieses Jahr wartete Ruthvan schon mit Koops mit Sampha und Little Simz auf "Satellite Business 2.0" sowie der Zusammenarbeit mit Overmono auf ihrem Club-Banger "Gem Lingo (ovr now)" auf. Auf seinem am 25. Oktober erscheinendem Debütalbum "Rough & Ready" führt Ruthven die Hörer*innen in seine intime Welt ein. In den 12 Tracks lehnt er sich an klassisches Songwriting an, während er die üppige Instrumentierung beibehält, um ein Portal zu schaffen, das Jahrzehnte überspannt. "Es ist vom Jazz beeinflusst, aber auch von so vielen anderen Genres", sagt er, "sogar Yacht-Rock-Künstler wie Michael McDonald und Steely Dan haben mich tief beeinflusst." Das Ergebnis ist ein Album, das all die scharfen Kanten der frühen Prince-B-Seiten wie "17 Days" mit der Rauchigkeit von D"Angelos "Africa" aus der Voodoo-Ära verbindet. Die Entstehung von "Rough & Ready" brachte einige Herausforderungen mit sich, darunter auch technische Pannen - aber Ruthven blieb dem Ziel treu, sehr persönliche und nachvollziehbare Musik zu machen. Das Ergebnis ist ein Album, das man gehört haben muss.

Die legendäre Chicagoer Band The Effigies kehrt mit ihrem neuen Album 'Burned' zurück!
„Sortie“ ist der erste Track aus dem brandneuen Studioalbum der Effigies. Der legendäre Punk-Act ist zurück mit der neuen Albumveröffentlichung
„Burned“, einem neuen Mix zum 40-jährigen Jubiläum des klassischen 1984er Albums „For Ever Grounded“ und einem speziellen Tribut- und
Gedenk-Event zu Ehren ihres gefallenen Frontmanns John Kezdy, der tragischerweise im Jahr 2023 verstarb.

Steve Leach's Balearic beach-funk beast Ocean Potion, recorded with the Crystal Grass Orchestra is an absolutely ace, Ned Doheny-adjacent funky AOR / blue-eyed soul BBQ classic from 1976.

Who is Steve Leach, you ask? None other than Seasick Steve in a previous life! A French-only release on Philips, it's a hugely immediate, pop-funk firecracker. It features a wonderfully lush, full orchestral sound throughout, underpinning Steve's gorgeous voice and an army of brilliant backing vocalists.

The supporting cast is phenomenal and is arguably the salient reason this is such a fantastic record. We're talking legendary players from the French scene (think Arpadys, Voyage, Kongas, CCPP, Giant, Swing Family) such as Don Ray with his arranger-conductor hat on as well as synths, Marc Chantereau on percussion, Slim Pezin on guitar, André Ceccarelli on drums, Christian Padovan on bass and Pierre Halation on flute.

With these snakes behind the scenes, it remains a mystery how Ocean Potion is so relatively unknown. Hopefully, this long overdue reissue rectifies this and puts a stop to people dropping $200 on it.

Triumphant, horn-forward opener "The Light Of The Mind" has that uniquely Ned Doheny fidgety funk feel with a fantastically irresistible chorus and great harmonies. Just magic. The insouciant, swaggering "Hey! Hey! What You Doin To Me" is straight up white-hot feel-good funk with by turns sweeping and stabbing strings and a neck-snapping break. Crucial. Coming off like something off The Beach Boy's Surf's Up or Holland (including a sneaky "reason to live" reference that surely nods to "The Trader") is the brilliantly ominous, driving wall of sound of "Take Strength". Cavernous drums, urgent strings and a staggeringly good vocal performance make this a real highlight amongst an album of highlights. The blissful folk-funk of "The Lady Of The Sea" is a real naked heartbreaker, melancholic vibes and a beautiful flute line complementing each other perfectly. Side A closes out with "All My Life", a groovy island-funk white-reggae-tinged lilter which just about lands the right side of acceptable.

Side B opens with the gorgeous "You're The Only One Girl" before the propulsive Philly soul of "At Least We Got Love" elegantly glides into focus. Pulsing beats and piano working with that irresistible orchestra of grass. Glacial ballad "All Love's Children" has a deep New Orleans soul feel that truly soars whilst the breezy "Get Out In The Sun" owes a debt to "Crocodile Rock". It's pure pop for now people and wouldn't have been out of place on a late 70s Nick Lowe effort. Deep late-period Beach Boys gem "Golden Hues" is another heavy melancholic down lifter that really beguiles before the real reason you're all here. Pastoral closer "I Meditate Each Day" is just beautiful, and likely the reason this reissue is giving you that special feeling. Another gorgeous flute-led, folk-funk groover, it featured in a memorable mix from the Creme2laCreme crew (Raphael Top-Secret, Jerome Qpchan and Antoine Kogut) live on Red Light Radio over a decade ago and has been top of many heads' wants list never since. Just mellow out.

As ever, the audio for Ocean Potion has been carefully remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring it sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve featuring a topless Steve reclining next to his piano on a flatbed truck on the beach (of course?!) has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

Elias Rønnenfelt is a musician and poet best known as the lead singer and lyricist of Iceage. Heavy Glory is his debut solo album. Out October 25th via Escho. Heavy Glory was recorded in Copenhagen in chapters and moments over the course of a year. Collaborators include Iceage's Dan Kjær Nielsen, Danish punk godfather Peter Peter, and singers Joanne Robertson (Elias and Joanne have collaborated before, on a number of recent Dean Blunt releases) and Fauzia. "I've done this so many times," Rønnenfelt explains, speaking of the process of crafting a long player, "but capturing and crystallising an album remains a singular ritual, just with different circumstances. We are capturing something that is hard to hold down." Heavy Glory is a record that examines all the things that lovers do, from the most desperate to the most pure. The lover haunts the record, reappearing and provoking Rønnenfelt, pulling him in and pushing him away. Songs like "Close" describe the line between jealousy and protectiveness. "Unarmed" is a song of surrender. "River of Madeleine" harnesses toughness in the name of preservation, staying up all night to protect his lover's dreams. "Stalker" is an epic third-person story song in the tradition of the murder ballad. The record closes with two covers. The first, Spacemen 3's "Sound of Confusion," is a mission statement of the life Rønnenfelt has found and inherited in music. "Here it comes," the song famously promises, and flares out into noise. It is a joyful noise, because this life, in all its grit, is the life he chose. The second, Townes Van Zandt's "No Place to Fall," is a sweet plea, Rønnenfelt's final invitation to join him on his journey. This journey - this story, this record - will repeat and continue. It never stops. Rønnenfelt's life as an artist results in a sound that wobbles and rocks but never loses its centre, both fragile and tough, and always moving forward. It is dreamy yet bombastic, held together by the passion of certainty. Co-produced by Rønnenfelt and Nis Bysted.

Belgian saxophonist, composer, and producer Mattias De Craene (Nordmann, MDCIII) announces a new solo album, ‘A House Where I Dream,’ on VIERNULVIER Records. On his second album, he delivers a highly personal and healing journey, presented as an alternative soundtrack to the 1973 cult film ‘The Holy Mountain.’

The record will be released on October 11 on vinyl LP and through all digital platforms.

"The Holy Mountain" is a surreal Mexican film from 1973 directed, written, and produced by Alejandro Jodorowsky, who also stars in the film. The film holds a prominent place in avant-garde cinema and explores themes such as spirituality, mysticism, and the quest for enlightenment. It is in this vein that ‘A House Where I Dream’ is crafted.

“My mind and soul - and thus my music - come home to this motion picture” - Mattias De Craene

The album will be presented live with the film on October 16 at Videodroom during Film Fest Gent.

ABOUT THE ALBUM
With hypnotic tape loops, grainy textures, and mesmerizing saxophone, Mattias De Craene creates possible worlds that herald a spiritual transformation. From the Scottish Highlands and desolate mountains to the deepest recesses of the soul, this music has the power to create cinematic landscapes that transcend time and space. The sound of these 8 tracks is closely related to the minimalist compositions of Terry Riley, but the work of contemporary artists like KMRU or William Basinski is also drawn from the same material.

Above all, this album is a deeply personal journey and unintentionally serves as a metaphor for De Craene's ascent of his own mountain. For the Videodroom festival by Arts Center VIERNULVIER, the saxophonist began working on a new soundtrack for the film ‘The Holy Mountain’ in 2023, but his body and mind abruptly called him to a halt, forcing him to take a professional break. However, this project never left him, leading to an honest and raw quest to find himself as both a person and an artist, with Jodorowsky as a companion de route and music as an anchor. It initiated a long process of dismantling, searching, healing and back again. The album not only provides a sanctuary for dreaming to all who listen, but for its creator it also serves as both an outcry of despair and a source of comfort during challenging times.

All the tracks on 'A House Where I Dream' share an unfiltered grain of life, as one can almost feel the damp breath of the saxophone blowing.

The album opens with the three-part strong 'Transcention,' where the hypnotic interplay between soprano sax and lo-fi tape loops leads to higher realms of the mind and soul.
Alternating between deep frequencies and farout folk modalities, this mantra-like triptych acquires an alchemical character and ultimately transcends time and space.

In the ethereal 'Away,' one can peer into an abyss of resonance while a saturated tenor sax lends guidance in the spirit of Terry Riley's productions. 'You and Me' also bathes in a similar atmosphere, albeit in the vein of healing 90s ambient as granular sax tones converge with celestial chants. 'Gazing Upwards Towards The Sky,' offers different shades of blue as a slumbering tenor sax is juxtaposed to swift sax patterns. On 'A Stranger That Moved Me,' beauty lands in a soft and subtle manner, while the closing track 'Shepherd's Glow' drifts like a mountain wind flaring up at the darkest hour of the night.

The artwork is created by Gent-based artist Sam Timmerman, who portrays the world of 'A House Where I Dream' with playful repetition and mystique.

Der hebräische Surf-Grunger kehrt zurück! End of Teenage Charlie fängt Megiras Berliner Jahre mit den BetShe'an Valley Hillbillies ein, kurz vor seinem Tod. Eine Zeitreise, ein fünf Lieder langes Gitarren-Krimi-Album, das Dick Dale ebenso viel wie David Lynch verdankt. Diese erweiterte Ausgabe zum 10-jährigen Jubiläum enthält auch das 11-Song-Demo, auf dem Megiras vertraute Themen wie Drive-Inn Melancholie, Stranddecken-Bongos und dem Treiben in der Wüste in seinem Schlafzimmer erforscht werden. Lass ihn in dein Ohr flüstern.

Der hebräische Surf-Grunger kehrt zurück! End of Teenage Charlie fängt Megiras Berliner Jahre mit den BetShe'an Valley Hillbillies ein, kurz vor seinem Tod. Eine Zeitreise, ein fünf Lieder langes Gitarren-Krimi-Album, das Dick Dale ebenso viel wie David Lynch verdankt. Diese erweiterte Ausgabe zum 10-jährigen Jubiläum enthält auch das 11-Song-Demo, auf dem Megiras vertraute Themen wie Drive-Inn Melancholie, Stranddecken-Bongos und dem Treiben in der Wüste in seinem Schlafzimmer erforscht werden. Lass ihn in dein Ohr flüstern.

Retriever (Originally released in 2004) was produced by Martin Terefe and features a wealth of finely honed Sexsmith gems including "Hard Bargain" (covered by Emmylou Harris on her 2011 album of the same name), "Imaginary Friends" ("a cautionary children"s song" says Ron), and Ron"s tribute to Bill Withers "Whatever It Takes" (covered as a duet with Ron by Michael Buble on his 2009 multi-platinum album "Crazy Love").

6 years after their last album, fav favourite Kites, Submotion Orchestra make their long-awaited return with the remarkable Five Points EP. Recorded over a period of two months at band member Taz Modi's new studio in the Sussex countryside, it sees the band plough a path through electronica, jazz, soul and ambient in their own singular way. After a period of time spent looking back at their oeuvre, with the release of two Unplugged collections as well as classic debut album Finest Hour on vinyl for the first time, the refreshed, slightly older and wiser band set their sights firmly ahead, and the result is music that sounds like nothing they've done before.

Whilst featuring the uniquely fragile voice of Ruby Wood and the live instrumentation that has been their calling card in the electronic world for so long, the EP also delves into rhythms, soundscapes and effects that push their recognisable sound as far as it can go, and acts as the perfect taster for the forthcoming album that the band are currently recording.

Created as a seamless listening experience, the EP opens with the evocative and atmospheric 'Start Point', as dreamlike synths and brass mix with wordless harmonies straight from the heavens. 'Hope' continues the mood, warm analogue synth patterns combining with fragmented vocals on a persistent build-up to an emotional climax. Lead single 'Side One' cheekily nods to Submotion classic 'All Yours', before moving into newer territory, where Ruby Wood's vocals slowly become distorted and twisted, the perfect backdrop for this story about the loss of hope. Flowing joinlessly into its mirror image 'Side Two', we see the instrumental prowess of Submotion Orchestra which has so long been their defining characteristic in full flow. Finally, 'End Point' brings the EP to a moving and wistful climax, telling a tale of the wisdom that can only come after bitter experience.

Latin funk at its finest. A kingpin player of Miami’s Cuban music scene, Ray Fernandez, brought together his ‘court’ for this sensational Afro-Cuban funk triumph. Largely a family affair, the album features his wife, two sons and a range of other talented musicians including Rickey Washington on saxophone, father of the contemporary jazz maestro Kamasi Washington. Originally released in 1973 on Manuel J. Mato’s iconic and collectible Sound Triangle Records, Ray & His Court is a dose of Miami heat fuelled by a Cuban fire, taking in salsa, soul, funk, calypso and Afro-Cuban rhythms.

A kaleidoscopic album that draws influence from a range of different genres and scenes blended together in true Ray Fernandez style. Side A, showcases an array of traditional Latin workouts including the addictive enticing opener 'La Señorita Lola' and the pulsating 'Lo Sabia' with its punchy horns and Ray’s wonderful, quirky bubbling organ groove. The tantalising ‘Venimos Acabando’ and bouncing organ stabs of ‘El Alacran’ are two further tickets to get a dancefloor vibing.

The B-side then steps things up, slipping a hit of heavy-weight Miami funk into the mix. Take the DJ favourite ‘Cookie Crumbs’ with its fiery bassline, tripped-out voiceovers and breakbeat drums. Or the amazing, memorable and truly unique funk instrumental ‘Soul Freedom’ with some mighty fine bass clarinet work courtesy of Gary Gottfried. Also featured is a seductive organ-led Cuban funk rework of Bobby Hebb's 'Sunny' (are there any bad versions of this song?), with a sumptuous female vocal that combine to serve up a seductive take us this much-loved classic.

'Ray And His Court' is a brilliant blend of Afro-Cuban gems and Miami funk heat from an influential group on Miami’s Latin music scene. A majestic and magnetic classic where every track is a surefire winner.

Occasionally an album comes along that seems to capture the mood of the time. "The K&D Sessions" was one. In the late 1990s no afterparty, smoking session or languid Sunday afternoon was complete without Kruder & Dorfmeister blasting from the Bang & Olufsen. Now approaching it"s 25th anniversary the lore around this iconic release, steeped in a silvery cloud of smoke, retains a star quality which only shines brighter as time hurtles on. With the original having sold well over a million copies by this point in time, it"s hard to imagine a mix or remix compilation being able to inform a movement like "The K&D Sessions" has. To celebrate this monumental milestone, we"ve created a limited boxset in 6LP and 3CD of "The K&D Sessions", mastered and cut by LA luminary Bernie Grundman for a luxurious listening experience, with newly designed inner sleeves using unseen photos from the original photo shoot. Inserted in the box is a forty-page booklet containing multitudes more never before seen photos from the same shoot and notes which recount humorous tales surrounding the duo and the people who spent time with them in this epoch. Included on the 6th LP is their legendary 11 minute shimmering remix of Madonna"s "Nothing Really Matters". The 6th LP also contains Peter Kruder"s Powercut Mix of Roni Size"s "Heroes" and K&D"s remix of U.F.O, "L.O.V.E.". In addition there are two cerebral alternate remixes of Lewis Taylor, one being completely dubbed and the other the using the vocal line for this beautiful gem, "Lucky" and a special remix of "Speechless" by Count Basic. These have been staples in K&D"s sets and now take their rightful place collected in the canon of "The Sessions".

Inspiriert von Flying Lotus und Jake One, aber auch von weiteren Acts aus den Bereichen Hip-Hop, R&B und Electronic (Kaytranada, Mount Kimbie, James Blake, Timbaland, J Dilla, The Neptunes, Madlib), veröffentlicht Sango sein zweites Album: "North Vol.2" knüpft an das gleichnamige 2013er Debüt des Seattler Produzenten an und kommt mit zahlreichen hochkarätigen Features, darunter von Masego, IAMNOBODI, Xavier Omär, Smino, Channel Tres, GoldLink, Jayla Darden, Rochelle Jordan und Ojerime.

Rediscovered and compiled for release shortly before her death in November 2023, Further Selections from the Electric Harpsichord presents a never-before-heard recording of composer and artist Catherine Christer Hennix's early magnum opus. Originally debuted in 1976 at the festival Brouwer's Lattice at Stockholm's Moderna Museet, The Electric Harpsichord has steadily mystified fans and students of Western minimalist music for its implacable, transformative qualities, and the long-held, relative obscurity of its creator. Like the work of Hennix's close friend La Monte Young, the piece is set in just intonation and focuses on the transcendental potentials of precise tuning, inspired by their studies with Pandit Pran Nath. Composed of bursts of oscillating, synthetic tones using a carefully retuned synthesizer and a tape-based system for feedback delay, the sounds swirl, twinkle, and appear to bend time, space, and perception. Additional, sustained chords on the sheng, most likely played by her Deontic Miracle bandmate Hans Isgren, are present at the opening of the piece and reemerge towards the end of the recording. The release of Further Selections constitutes the most comprehensive original recording of this foundational work to date. Originally billed as The Well-Tuned Organ during its debut in Sweden, The Electric Harpsichord has developed a legendary reputation, predicated on a twenty-six minute fragment salvaged and circulated by Hennix's friend Henry Flynt. Promoting its importance on multiple occasions, Flynt aired the work on WBAI radio, organized a pair of tape concerts at New York alternative arts spaces in 1970s, and later penned a 1998 essay which served as the liner notes to its eventual CD release in 2010. For him, this work not only represented a sterling milestone in minimal sonic aesthetics, but also spawned a new genre that he dubbed "hallucinogenic/ecstatic sound environments (HESE)," which in turn inspired his own drone-like compositions. Gradually, interest in the recording led to a spate of archival projects, public performances, and new compositions by Hennix in the 2010s, in turn drawing into focus her multifarious practice, which includes serious contributions towards mathematics, poetry, sculpture, Noh drama, philosophy, and light art. Since 2018, Blank Forms has spearheaded a comprehensive publication effort in support of her work, including the writing collection Poësy Matters and Other Matters (2018); archival recordings like Selected Early Keyboard Works (2018) and The Deontic Miracle's Selections from 100 Models of Hegikan Roku (2019); and recent compositions such as Blues Alif Lam Mim (2021) and Solo for Tamburium (2023).

Strange Power!, the fifth record from Durham, NC-based songwriter and poet Anne Malin Ringwalt, emerges from the darkest waters of the self into a world remade. Releasing in conjunction with her second book of poetry, What Floods (Inside the Castle, Oct. 2024), Strange Power! overflows with Ringwalt's teeming and sensuous personal symbolry: glowing lilacs and gentle queens, dolphins wild and girls who grew up brave _ T.S. Eliot sung by Cat Power, backed by Mount Eerie. She sings: "I rose up from water." Ringwalt writes and performs with the authority of a lifetime spent harnessing the alchemy of storytelling; her belief in the power of words to heal and transform is palpable in each achingly- delivered lyric. Made amidst profound inner and outer change, Strange Power! also sees Ringwalt taking up the role of self-producer for the first time, mirroring and supporting the record's Orphic quest by gathering contributions from a coterie of friends wielding an electric range of American instruments. Violins, vibraphones, drum machines, electric guitars dappled with spring reverb, wind-blown shells, and a host of other numinous sounds form an unfurling and shadowy world which was then carefully honed during the mixing process (shepherded by Michael Cormier-O'Leary and Lucas Knapp) _ settling the final record in an eerie meridian between spareness and verdancy. The result is a beguiling and darkly blooming realm: the sound of a personal cosmos being remade, piece by piece. Ringwalt is at the height of her spirit as both songwriter-poet and singer, her willowy voice by turns conjuring and keening as she reckons with her deep past and the stories told since. Opening track "The Pines" sets the stage for a record of truly life-long scope: "I was a child, now I hold her / I was asleep for many years." Some songs, like the gorgeous "North Carolina" and "The Saint," were written as early as 2013 but, Ringwalt says, "insisted upon being remembered" as the record took shape; in its final form, they serve as inciting moments of self-discovery before the journey to come. "The Visionary" recalls one of Ringwalt's earliest musical breakthroughs _ her re-rendering of an Emily Brontë poem into a song at age 15 _ and, she says, "`cites' the melody of that song in the context of this new one _ a holding of the past and present and every layer in between/beyond, in utter solitude _ a solitude that reflects certain aspects of abandon as a child and an adult..." This unusually lengthy time-scale lends Strange Power! a deeply moving sense of narrative fullness. Stretches of the record _ particularly the "Judgment Day" ? "River" ? "Lilac Bloom" trifecta that form the black heart of Side 1 _ may recall familiar wanderings of personal underworlds such as Mount Eerie's Lost Wisdom Pt. 2 or Neil Young's Ditch Trilogy. Yet this hollowed landscape is in turn exorcized by the a capella "I Know," in which Ringwalt sings "I won't be gutted by you / For giving and trying to heal / I won't be gutted, I am not a fool / I deserve a love that is new" before the song concludes with a piano passage that recalls hymnal music _ suggesting a faith in life itself to offer new beginnings. Side 2 features some of Ringwalt's most powerfully introspective writing to date, as the songwriter casts off myth after myth in her search for personal transformation. By the final song, "Stories," the energy that has been gathering all throughout the record breaks loose as Ringwalt reflects: "I wrote so many stories, not knowing what the end was." But at this stage in the journey, we know there is no such thing as an ending; if the healing process is never complete, the storyteller's strange power is what finally offers liberation.

Jazz Is Dead geht in die dritte Phase von Veröffentlichungen mit erstklassigen Aufnahmen, die den Hörer auf eine Reise durch die funkigen Klänge Ghanas bis hin zum psychedelischen Soul und Samba Brasiliens mitnehmen. Von den Labelgründern Adrian Younge und Ali Shaheed Muhammad produziert, enthält Jazz Is Dead 021 neue analoge Aufnahmen der lebenden Legenden Ebo Taylor, Hyldon, Dom Salvador, Antonio Carlos e Jocafi, Carlos Dafé, und Joyce e Tutty Moreno.

Lonnie Smith (1942 – 2021), was an American jazz organist. He was part of several vocal ensembles in the 1950s, includ- ing the Teen Kings which included Grover Washington Jr. Art Kubera, the owner of a local music store, gave Smith his first organ, a Hammond B3. Smith’s affinity for R&B mixed with his own personal style as he became active in the local music scene. In 1965 he met guitarist George Benson. The two con- nected on a personal level and formed the George Benson Quartet, featuring Lonnie Smith, in 1966. After two albums under Benson’s leadership, Smith recorded his first solo al- bum ‘Finger Lickin’ Good (Soul Organ)’ with George Benson and Melvin Sparks on guitar, Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax, and Marion Booker on drums. This combination remained stable for the next five years. After recording several albums with Benson, Smith became a solo recording artist and sub- sequently recorded over 30 albums under his own name.
Numerous prominent jazz artists joined Smith on his albums
and in his live performances, including Lee Morgan, David “Fathead” Newman, King Curtis, Blue Mitchell, and Joe Lova- no. The album ‘Finger Lickin’ Good (Soul Organ)’ showcases Lonnie Smith’s virtuosity and his innovative approach on the organ, with tracks that feature intricate solos and groovy rhythms so typical of the soul jazz and jazz funk genres. Lon- nie Smith was named 9 times “the best organist of the year” by the Jazz Journalists Association.

This release comes as a limited edition of 750 copies on smoke coloured vinyl.

In 2007 an Italian film festival invites Mouse on Mars to score a film of their choice. The organizers claim to be able to clear the rights for any movie the band chooses. Werner Herzog’s fictional documentary Fata Morgana, which merges footage of several desert explorations by Herzog and his team into one continuous association, has long been a band’s favorite. The film comes with a soundtrack by Mozart, Leonard Cohen, Third Ear Band and field recordings. Andi Toma and Jan St. Werner are sent a DVD to Düsseldorf and start working. The idea is to score the film in real time so instrumentation has to be readily at hand: guitar, percussion, electronics, mouth harp, pedals, software, tapes, samplers. Once the arrangement for the three-part film is sorted Mouse on Mars bring their score to stage. Herzog Sessions is performed twice: first when the band still thought the rights had been cleared, and a second time at London’s Southbank Center knowing that Herzog would have never approved a new score.

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Mouse On Mars – London Queen Elizabeth Hall soundtracking Werner Herzog.
By Mike Diver, 24.04.2009

Filmed in 1971, Fata Morgana is perhaps not one of Herzog’s best-known works (think Grizzly Man, Rescue Dawn, et cetera…), but then Mouse on Mars have never been ones to embrace the mainstream, quietly letting their modern, experimental take on krautrock do the talking over the years, thus producing some quietly brilliant electronica that far outweighs their modest profile.

The film itself is not altogether dissimilar to the wonderful, Phillip Glass-scored Koyaanisqatsi, with sweeping landscape shots and no obvious plot or narrative, though Fata is concentrated purely in one place – in and around the Sahara Desert, switching from images of barren wasteland to desert tribes and dead, skeletal cattle.

The obvious thing to do when soundtracking such powerful imagery is to vie for dreamy electronic soundscapes which can be sustained for a long period, and whilst this ambient shoegaze approach was present and correct (also carefully constructed and highly effective), Mouse on Mars added a human element to the performance, incorporating a live dimension by using and looping guitars, harmonicas, processed vocals and even a live horn player (quite possibly a flugelhorn. Look it up if you don’t believe me) for the final section of the film.

Some of the most interesting points arose when the duo suddenly switched from solemn, ambient tones to glitchy, bouncing electro (reminiscent of their more upbeat work) whilst on the same film shot – causing the audience mood to flick from tripped-out bliss to attentive semi-wired, utterly subverting any idea of a narrative the film may have possessed. Clever stuff.

Ranging from sinister to surreal to humorous, all the moods portrayed in Fata Morgana were successfully matched by Mouse on Mars’ live rescore – no mean feat. The duo also went above and beyond the call of duty with their own soundtrack, adding a fascinating personal signature to an already unique film.

Fat Freddy’s Drop hit the ground running with new studio album SLO MO, a bass-heavy blast of redemption and resolution. Described by Fitchie as 'afro rhythmic soul music, an exploration of Black music from Polynesia’, this heady mix creates the undefinable Freddy’s sound. Renowned worldwide for euphoric live shows, the Aotearoa band stepped inside their BAYS studio in Wellington, sunup to sundown, to craft a sixth studio album. SLO MO is the strongest studio representation yet of a Freddy’s live show’, says Chopper Reeds. 'Usually we take the stage to the studio and this time, we're excited about taking our studio creation on to the stage.'
Emerging with nine tunes, SLO MO will drop first on double vinyl, opening the door for the full length album to be experienced as a body of work curated as Freddys intended.
Chopper Reeds continues, 'Towards the latter part of the record, Joe Dukie’s vocal presence becomes quite spectral allowing listeners to inject themselves into the music.
The evocative cover art is by Dan Tippett, Aotearoa New Zealand Artist, who describes the image as ‘an ancient ngahere forest in a Jurassic Aotearoa dreamtime.’

Fat Freddy’s Drop hit the ground running with new studio album SLO MO, a bass-heavy blast of redemption and resolution. Described by Fitchie as 'afro rhythmic soul music, an exploration of Black music from Polynesia’, this heady mix creates the undefinable Freddy’s sound. Renowned worldwide for euphoric live shows, the Aotearoa band stepped inside their BAYS studio in Wellington, sunup to sundown, to craft a sixth studio album. SLO MO is the strongest studio representation yet of a Freddy’s live show’, says Chopper Reeds. 'Usually we take the stage to the studio and this time, we're excited about taking our studio creation on to the stage.'
Emerging with nine tunes, SLO MO will drop first on double vinyl, opening the door for the full length album to be experienced as a body of work curated as Freddys intended.
Chopper Reeds continues, 'Towards the latter part of the record, Joe Dukie’s vocal presence becomes quite spectral allowing listeners to inject themselves into the music.
The evocative cover art is by Dan Tippett, Aotearoa New Zealand Artist, who describes the image as ‘an ancient ngahere forest in a Jurassic Aotearoa dreamtime.’

Red Vinyl. Remastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Studio from the original analog master tapes. "Slint formed in 1986 as an outlet and pastime for four friends from Louisville, Kentucky. Their music was strange, wholly their own, sparse and tight. What immediately set them apart was their economy and precision. Slint were that rare band willing to play just one or two notes at a time and sometimes nothing at all. 1989's "Tweez" LP hints at their genius." - Steve Albini (Melody Maker, 1991). From the original bio: It's almost always muddy in the lousy little shanty town by the river. All the children's toys are old and rusty, even the plastic ones. Jimmy and Mel fashioned their own toy out of a live chicken that they stole. A knot was tied around the bird's feet with a shoe lace. The two boys painted their plaything yellow and silver and swung it around like a lasso, screaming gibberish and laughing the whole time. Mel got so excited that he wet himself. So, Jimmy slugged him square in the eye. About five or eight miles south east of the shanty town all the fellows in SLINT were suffering from headaches, except the drummer, who only got them when the others didn't. SLINT is a band from Louisville, Kentucky. tweez was its first recording.

"Die Puhdys liebten die (West-)Berliner Waldbühne und die Fans liebten es, uns auf der Waldbühne zu erleben" erinnert sich Puhdys Gitarrist und Sänger Dieter "Maschine" Birr an die Auftritte der Band in der Berliner Open-Air Arena. Allein Anfang der 1980-er Jahre waren sie dreimal in der Waldbühne zu Gast. Dann gönnten sie sich eine kleine Waldbühnen-Auszeit von 13 Jahren und als sie1996 in das Rund im Berliner Westend zurückkehrten, hatte sich das Rad der Geschichte zwischenzeitlich gehörig gedreht. Sieben Jahre nach dem Mauerfall lud der WDR-Rockpalast zu einem Open-Air mit insgesamt acht Bands aus beiden Teilen Deutschlands ein. Neben den Puhdys standen noch Stern Combo Meissen, Karat, Die Zöllner, City, Die Prinzen, Extrabreit sowie Selig auf der Bühne. Alan Bangs vom "Rockpalast" und Ingo Dubinski von "Elf 99" moderierten. Die Stimmung war von Anfang an grandios, die Puhdys kamen als vorletzter Act auf die Bühne. Die Band lieferte eine großartige Show, mit den großen Hits wie z. B. "Wenn ein Mensch lebt", "Alt wie ein Baum" oder als Abschluss die "Rockerrente" wurden die Fans voll bedient. Da in der Waldbühne immer um 23 Uhr Feierabend sein musste, konnten die Puhdys leider keine Zugabe mehr spielen damit die Prinzen auch noch ihr Set abliefern konnten. Vor genau 50 Jahren veröffentlichten die Puhdys bei Amiga ihr erstes Album auf Vinyl, dieser Mitschnitt aus dem Jahr 1996 wird das letzte Puhdys Album. Der Kreis hat sich jetzt geschlossen, ein würdiger Abschluss.

Golden-era of kinked, acid-hued, analogue, harmonic song writing sits at the heart of The Eggmen Whoooooo!’s first, mind-bending, full-length album. Two-decades of meandering musicality fans the embers of cult Welsh legends, El Goodo, glowing beneath Benedict Frye’s latest bakeries of sound.

Whisking effervescence and colour into the flat glass of soda of mundane middle age, the
former El Goodo pace-setter has gathered a band of five other, talented souls and asks the jittery cut of sparking psych to lead the charge as the band’s debut album, ‘Fuzzy Eggs, Please’ is announced for release on Fri 25 October 2024.

Almost a full two decades since El Goodo rose to an elevated position amongst discerning
music-lovers as consorts to, support act beneath and studio collaborators with Super Furry
Animals, and a full four years since the final act of the departed band (their last, acclaimed
studio album, Zombie) a tapestry of distinctly and brilliantly odd songs scrambles from the
heart of the Welsh hills. Transplanted into the chest cavity of a new, stage-ready six-headed creature, what awakes is a new beast of valve amp and feedback-fuelled splendour.

All ten songs, recorded in mountainous seclusion in Carmarthenshire with producer,
Thighpaulsandra (Spiritualized, Tim Burgess), have clustered in strange harmony on The
Eggmen Whoooooo!’s very first, perfectly imperfect album.

Formed in a lightning strike of inspiration by prolific, remote South Wales-based keeper of
various musical flames, Benedict E Frye, The Eggmen Whoooooo! finds members of
kindred, Welsh musical spirits, El Goodo, Los Blancos and Trecco Beis, joining hands and
overloading studio plug sockets in a display of unchallenged creative hubris. With nobody to please but themselves, the six-piece’s indulgence in sounds straddles sun-licked Californian harmonies and the torn-sneakered snottiness of New York punk making for thrilling sonic schizophrenia with only their own record collections occasionally poached.

Queen’s self-titled debut album will be remixed and released this October. This is the first time that a Queen album has been remixed. Retitled Queen I for this release, the front cover’s Queen logo, originally designed by Freddie Mercury, will be updated with the addition of the Roman numeral “I”. The original album was recorded in 1972 and was released in July 1973 on EMI Records in the UK and Elektra in the USA.

Featuring the singles “Keep Yourself Alive” and “Liar”, the album achieved Gold sales in the UK and USA, and has been a fan favourite ever since.

This Collector’s Edition sees the album presented in a whole new light, having been newly mixed from the original multi-track masters, and with the song “Mad The Swine” now reinstated into the album running order in its originally intended place.

The bonus discs that complete the 6CD+1LP set include: De Lane Lea Demos (also newly mixed from the original multi-track masters for the very first time); a CD comprised entirely of previously unreleased Queen I session out-take music and dialogue; a CD of instrumental and backing track versions of the album; a live CD featuring some of the best and most interesting live performances of songs from this album (some of which are previously unreleased); and finally, a disc comprised of Queen I tracks that were recorded for BBC Radio One (including DJ announcements).

Queen I – including “Mad The Swine” – is also presented on 180g black vinyl.

The Collector’s Edition is complemented by the addition of a 108-page 12” hardback book, which features a treasure trove of rare and previously unseen photography, hand-written lyrics, Freddie Mercury’s sketches, and more.

Presented in a rigid two-piece box with fold-out poster and four photo prints

Anna McClellan's childhood summers were spent in front of the TV, cementing a love of narrative that would later reveal itself through songwriting. By seventeen, Anna was performing original songs in her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. Her debut album, Fire Flames, garnered attention and earned her an opening slot on a Frankie Cosmos tour, setting the stage for her subsequently adored albums, 2018's Yes and No and / saw first light, released in late 2020. Now, with her forthcoming fourth album Electric Bouquet, out October 25, 2024 via Father/Daughter Records, McClellan crafts a musical journey that unfolds like one of her cherished television series. Each track is an episode, chronicling the past four years of her life - navigating a career change, a cross-country move, and relationships gone sour. Electric Bouquet is a narrative tour de force showcasing McClellan's remarkable ability to transform life's myriad of messy experiences into captivating musical stories. While writing the album, Anna attended trade school, apprenticing to become an electrician to escape the service industry grind and secure a foundational career alongside music. Eager to break free from Omaha, she decided to take her newfound electrical skills to pursue a career in the film industry in Los Angeles, CA where she's now based. Recorded in multiple sessions in Baltimore, MD and Omaha and co-produced with long-time collaborator Ryan McKeever and Another Recording Company Studios engineer Adam Roberts, Electric Bouquet shifts seamlessly between piano-driven melodies and guitar-anchored anthems, each song a miniature universe slowly opening unto itself.

Geplant war es von Omega damals logischer Weise nicht, die eigene Karriere in Genre-Phasen einzuteilen. So etwas machen später Musikjournalisten und Fans - und unter ihnen besonders die Statistiker. Nach deren Lesart gilt die zweite Hälfte der Siebziger als Space-Rock-Ära der ungarischen Band. Abgebildet wird sie durch die Trilogie "Time Robber" (1976), "Skyrover" (1978) und schließlich "Gammapolis" (1979). Zwar waren sphärische Klänge bereits davor und auch danach noch im Schaffen des Budapester Quintetts zu vernehmen, derart konzeptionell fokussiert zeigten sich Omega jedoch tatsächlich nur auf diesem Triple. Nimmt man die Erfolgs-LP "Time Robber" weiterhin als Qualitätsmaßstab, hielt auch "Gammapolis" mühelos mit. Die Kompositionen der Gruppe um Sänger Jànos Kòbor waren melancholischer geworden, die bittersüßen Melodien schmeichelten. Das galt besonders für den siebenminütigen Opener "Dawn In The City" ("Hajnal a város felett"), dem Titelsong "Gammapolis" und "Silver Rain" ("Ezüst esö"). Zwischen der westeuropäischen, englischsprachigen Version und dem ungarischen "Original" gibt es neben dem Gesang und der Sprache in der Titelreihenfolge und bei der Songlänge einige kleine Unterschiede. Minimal ließen Omega die instrumentalen Passagen einiger Stücke auf der Muttersprachenvariante länger fließen. Für die westeuropäischen Omega-Platten-Käufer jedoch hatten diese feinen Unterschiede keine Relevanz, kannten sie meist die ungarischen Songs gar nicht. Ebenso wenig dürften sie registriert haben, dass GAMMAPOLIS in Omegas Heimat mit fast einer dreiviertel Million Einheiten die am besten verkaufte LP der Band-Karriere wurde. Das deutsche Cover-Artwork wich jedoch von der ungarischen Version erheblich ab: Zeigte die Bacillus/Bellaphon-Variante die Silhouetten der Musiker vor einem von Flak-Scheinwerfern durchschnittenen Nachthimmel, war auf dem Pepita-Album offenbar die zwar futuristische, allerdings auch karge Welt auf einem fremden Planeten zu sehen.

Luther Dickinson, 10-time Grammy nominated North Mississippi All Star, joins up with noted Bay Area mensch David Katznelson to chase the spirits and get weird. World Boogie is Coming! This is the debut project from Luther Dickinson and David Katznelson, who famously signed The Flaming Lips. It also features the last known audio of Jim Dickinson and is limited to 400 foil stamped numbered vinyl copies.

IPPON is a rich music, with varied influences, which evokes the electro rock of Soulwax or LCD Soundsystem as well as dark disco.

Effective bass lines, cosmic synthesizers, saturated drums and reverberated vocals: the duo navigates between electro, languorous and sensual dark disco or even progressive pop rock

Dark forests, moonlit landscapes, winding roads - this is the realm of =ZH=, a new electro side project by Christian Gleinser. Embark on a nocturnal journey driven by analog drum beats and raw bass lines, supplemented with playful, occasionally funky melodies, each telling their own little story, and find out where it might take you.

"?Released in the spring of 1989, Gang Starr’s debut album, No More Mr. Nice Guy, arrived right at the crucial intersection of the old school and golden age of New York rap. You cannot begin to discuss New York rap lineage without drawing a line through the first decade of Gang Starr. Should history be corrected to appropriately acknowledge Gang Starr’s influence and brilliance, it will need an origin story. No More Mr. Nice Guy is that saga. It’s a hard ridge in a changing landscape, the sound of everything shifting, the kernel of greatness germinating. It is Guru and Preemo. Preemo and Guru. An essential title not just for what it would lead to, but because of what it is."

Weval (consisting of Harm Coolen and Merijn Scholte Albers) are an Amsterdam-based duo who have established a solid reputation across the globe for crafting highly textured and sophisticated electronic music. They announce a new EP called ‘Night Versions’ which contains brand new, club-focused alternatives to key tracks from their recent critically acclaimed album, ‘Remember’. ‘Night Versions’ is set to release on Ninja Tune imprint Technicolour on 4th October. With the announcement Weval share a Night Version reimagining for title track “Remember".

Speaking about these new versions, Weval say, "It was so much fun to return to the material and make some bold moves. Just to see how far we could push the tracks with the dance floor in mind. We've been road-testing a few of these in our DJ sets lately, and it's so rewarding to watch people dance and hear the tracks blasting on the dance floor. It's addictively fun to experience and see the second life of the songs from the LP."

‘Remember’ embarked on a high energy journey of nostalgic memories and euphoric emotions, with elements of pop, dance and every genre in between being thrown in and whittled down to make an intense, spontaneous and substantial work. PopMatters noted the album as "a kaleidoscopic, gut-turning, jaw-dropping wondrous journey" while it received additional support from the likes of Cool Hunting, Clash Magazine and Stereogum among others.

Love Is A Flame In The Dark is the debut album by experimental songwriter Karl D’Silva. A raw labour of love, a towering spire of twisted steel, tenderness and becoming, it’s a body of songs that belies the virtuoso talents of an artist whose reputation has been built on collaborating with various avant garde underground luminaries. Self-recorded at home in Rotherham and pulsing with the conviction of a true believer, these songs burst out of their self-consciousness to meet life head on, bristling with energy, 10 glimpses of the human spirit in the darkness.
Recorded throughout 2021 - 2023 and mixed in Leeds with engineer Ross Halden, D’Silva has constructed a Pop language for himself. Mutated songs that owe a small debt to the post-Industrial music of Cabaret Voltaire, Nine Inch Nails and Coil, they’re nonetheless powered by a vigorous tenderness, earnestness and D’Silva’s knack for melody. Each song is meticulously sound-designed, using synthesised sounds created from scratch married with D’Silva’s virtuoso playing on saxophone and guitar. The songs on Love Is A Flame In The Dark are unabashed, earnest love letters to living, requiems for a world fading away and small gestures of solidarity in the face of entropy.
Until now, D’Silva’s fingerprints could be found on live dates with Thurston Moore, Oren Ambarchi, Hardcore pioneers Siege and Rian Treanor as well as recordings by previous groups Trumpets Of Death and Drunk In Hell. Primarily associated with the alto saxophone in his improvisation work, Love Is A Flame In The Dark features a dizzying array of instrumentation, all played by D’Silva. D’Silva’s current membership of the group Vanishing may be a good touchstone for the dense, sonically thrilling world-building on the album but the most
striking instrument, perhaps, is D’Silva’s voice. With a soulful, rasping timbre resulting from prolonged intubation as a new-born, his vocal is both fearless and tender. On the soaring, electronic body mover Wild Kiss, thundering percussion is in service to Karl’s voice full of desire, arching up into a flayed falsetto. It’s a trick repeated on Flowers Start To Cry, where it’s deployed against the backdrop of layers of ripping alto and thudding drum programming that recall Nine Inch Nails’ visceral production, if they were covering a Prince hit. These songs capture the essence of 2024’s Karl D’Silva music; pure physicality
breaking down to reveal a shining, compassionate vulnerability.
The full breadth of Karl D’Silva’s instrumental prowess is in evidence from the off. On The Outside imagines blooming out of personal apocalypse with a soundscape of synth, saxophone worthy of any late 60s Free Jazz blower and crushing sound design. Entropy is planet-sized synth pop, Nowhere Left To Run uses midi-string orchestration to tell a story of light emerging from the dark. It’s a theme picked up
throughout the album: The Butcher is a political parable, the narrator holding power to account with grotesque, brutal imagery. It’s on a track
like Real Life that the true message emerges, however. D’Silva is peering through the layers of artifice, struggle and the fog of daily
living to find a life full of energy, connection and light. Each song here is a route into this light, out of the darkness.

"""Population Four"" is the fourth studio album by the British alternative rock band Cranes, released in 1997. This album marks a major change in the lineup. With bassist Cope leaving the band, Jim Shaw took on the role of lead guitar, Francombe transitioned to bass, and new member Manu Ros joined as the drummer. The album showcases a more traditional sound, as Cranes move away from stark and mysterious vocals toward acoustic guitars and standard drums, while maintaining their distinctive ethereal blend of dream pop and gothic rock. Alison Shaw's haunting vocals continue to take center stage, as the band embraces a more mature and refined sound. Tracks such as ""Brazil"" and ""Angel Bell"" demonstrate their ability to blend lush melodies with introspective lyrics. The single “Can’t Get Free” is a haunting and atmospheric track that encapsulates the band's unique ethereal style, cementing their status as a cult favorite. This re-release comes as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on silver & black marbled vinyl."

The Leeds jazz scene is the gift that keeps on giving. From the dub-leaning ambience of Submotion Orchestra through to the afro-jazz fusion of Nubiyan Twist and TC & The Groove Family, a multi-generational lineage has emerged. Adding yet another page to the eclectic story of jazz from the city, emerging punk-jazz upstarts Plantfood announce the imminent arrival of their debut album ‘Carnivores’ on Friday 4th October via Bridge The Gap.

Consisting of JJ Petrie (percussion), Ruben Maric (keyboards), Joe van der Meulen (tenor saxophone), Woolley (baritone saxophone), Finn Hamilton (drums) and Woody Hayden (bass), Plantfood began in the throes of lockdown, during which all the members lived together. The group spent day after day sharing their eclectic music tastes, ranging from the electronic punk of The Prodigy and art-rock of Black Country New Road, through to the jazz dance of Steam Down and The Comet Is Coming. Taking these influences, they crafted their own sound, but without live shows, their only audience was the plants in their rehearsal room:

“We called the band Plantfood because we were writing and rehearsing in one of our bedrooms which was full of house plants. The plants kind of became our only audience, so it was like the music was food for the plants.”

The band’s debut album ‘Carnivores’, plays on this theme, referring to the plants as carnivores for consuming the bands music, whilst also reflecting the apocalyptic palette of sounds and chaos found within the record. However, mirroring the dynamism of a Plantfood live show, the album is anything but one-dimensional. The group expertly balance moments of serenity and vulnerability with cataclysmic urgency, all brought together under the guidance of producer David Haynes (TC & The Groove Family, Nubiyan Twist). The group share:

“The album’s moments of vulnerability and hope are intended as the depiction of a return-to- earth theme (circle of life, growth and decay), reflecting that the cycle of nature is not simply destructive.”

The project’s lead single ‘Y.U.S.’ drew praise from tastemakers including Jamz Supernova on BBC Radio 6, with the track featuring the talents of UK-Palestinian MC Yung Yusuf, a serial collaborator who also appears on album closer ‘Monstera’. Both tracks channel Plantfood’s explosive live energy into a blend of afro-latin rhythms and broken grooves, with the distinctive blend of tenor and baritone saxophone weaving in and out of grime-leaning, poetic exchanges with Yusuf.

Elsewhere, the second single from the project ‘Birdgang Pt. II’ is a fresh take on the band’s contemporary jazz sound, blending jazz, Balkan folk and Moroccan rhythms with a punk edge. The album’s title track resets the balance, soothing the soul through a swirling approach to spiritual jazz that wouldn’t be amiss amongst the Gondwana Records catalogue.

Emerging producer Très Mortimer dishes out eight huge heaters on the highly-anticipated ‘M1 City’ release, a dedication to the mighty Korg M1, coming to Seth Troxler’s Slacker 85 on 25th October.

Kicking off ‘M1 City’ is the simplistic, but refined and booth-rattling ‘Work That Body’. A crisp M1 stab is the main character in this, amplified by thunderous and high energy drums.

Then there’s ‘Secrets’, a house jam inspired by the likes of MK that utilises TR-909 drums, a subtle rolling bassline, intimately whispered and soulfully sung vocal shots, and, of course, classic Korg M1 synth stabs. Together with dramatic contemporary builds, a highly danceable house smasher is formed.

‘No More’ is pure gasoline for the dancefloor. Très pairs another barrage of clean M1 stabs with a rousing vocal sample that leads into, with the help of a rolling snare, another highly effective house drop. Following the extremely saucy ‘Big Daddy’ skit, we’re dropped straight into ‘One Of Those Nights’, a show-stopping track complete with cutting, sharp stabs, a bulging bassy synth and a West Coast-esque synth sound.

‘Bitch I’m From Chicago’ feat. Gleebz is, as the title suggests, a dedication to the city where house music found its name. Batting off all the poser cities like LA and Miami in the sassy lyrics, it embodies the spirit of Chicago with hefty kick drums and weighty chord stabs.

At the tail end of the release, ‘Let Me Go’ and ‘Love’ (featuring vocalist 7000 (7K)), bring things to a rousing emotive close. Both tracks see Très put clean vocals over piano riffs, giving off differing moods – the former is euphoric, the latter melancholic. Synths bubble beneath, and each track funnels their own respective house grooves, resulting in two tracks fit for both the dancefloor and headphones.

Très Mortiner explains: “The M1 sound is classic. It automatically transports you back to those timeless house songs that never get old. For me, house music is all about connection. People experiencing a little moment of euphoria together when they hear a riff that they all know on the dance floor. That’s what it’s all about. With this project I wanted to tap into that 90s rave sound and spirit. I wanted it to sound like the OG Chicago rave scene.”

“M1 City is my first project to be released on vinyl. I think vinyl is very much alive. It’s essentially for music connoisseurs now. I don’t expect people to have a vinyl collection when all music is always available to everyone on their phones. Nevertheless, I love the idea of some random DJ finding this record in a shop in 10 years. Who knows what I’ll be producing then?”

Très Mortimer is a key figure in Chicago's house scene, steadily building a strong following with his no-nonsense, dancefloor-driven sound. Drawing inspiration from his Polish roots, Trés has signed with major labels like Mad Decent, Insomniac’s IN/Rotation, and Ministry of Sound, while also launching his own imprint, Optics Records. He made his mark with a clever rework of Zombies' 1968 hit ‘Time Of The Season’ (1M+ streams). Standout releases include his downtempo collaboration with plumpy, "BAMBU," and his latest single, "At Night I Think Of You," which was recently given a remix makeover by Seth Troxler and Nick Morgan.

Slacker 85, launched in 2023, is the record label behind ‘M1 City’. Founded by Seth Troxler, it aims to give a platform to "oddball, esoteric and diverse sounds," positioning itself as a counter to the polished, refined dance artists dominating the scene. Troxler, upon the label’s launch, declared that he wanted to create something for "the anti-hero, the kids who could have done it but didn’t care to try”—essentially, "the slacker." So far, it’s delivered a range of releases from artists like Jackmaster, Danny Daze, Dan McKie, and Andre Salmon, offering tracks rooted in house music's past but evolving within its present boundaries.

‘M1 City’, this ode to a piece of gear that consistently finds itself at the heart of house music history, highlights Très Mortimer’s respect for and knowledge of the scene and its key gear. Trè combines this admiration and inspiration of house music’s greats with a modern sensibility, resulting in eight tracks worthy of today’s dancefloors and today’s ravers.

THE DYNAMICS • DRAG’N'FLY
by VINCENT HELLO.

Jamaica, 1960s. Ska artists, rock steady and reggae take back some soul songs of the United States, thus giving their versions that will in turn become future classics. The hits of the moment are also seasoned with Jamaican sauce, no matter where it comes from Original, pop, country, jazz... The rhythms of the island permanently transform the tracks of origin. In 2024, with their third album called Dragn'fly and decorated with a beautiful dragonfly (a "dragonfly" so in the language of King Tubby) the Dynamics honour Jamaican tradition and dynamite 10 versions of hits from yesterday and today. The Dragonfly spread his wings reggae, soul, funk to land in all headsets at the heart of good stereos and on spicy dancefloors. Because this dragonfly is a true superfly that speaks to the heart... and legs.

After two albums whose success led them to walk the globe of Glastonbury in Tokyo, honoured by the large elders (the first part of Lee Perry here, a regular dj support of Don Letts over there) the Dynamics are alive so their 'soul reggae vocal sound system” in front of audiences specializing in Jamaican or to those who are who were lucky enough to meet them by chance in Chemical Brothers... or Lady Gaga.

The Dynamics have forgotten the weight of ancestors to make their own recipe. They proclaim it, they are Sound System! The voices of Mounam, Steve Levi and Mr Day are in the front row, so making lovers, preachers, crooners and crooners to Turns of Duty, while Fab Master Flab all in one of the roots and futuristic echos. But if the mind is a sound system, the dynamics sounds also as a group through instruments live performances that plunge the tracks into a fervor unique. And then there are the hits, so, from all times and of all styles.
The low rider becomes toaster and leaves the road a American carried by these vocal harmonies Sky to take the exit Kingston. On the roadside, the joker delivers his lovers soft rock after a small detour to Muscle Shoal, The time to borrow a guitar from Duane Allman. In the south again, Mounam “Mrs Dynamics” meets the spirit of «Mr Dynamite» and tells him his radical, soul version. “ man’s world...” inna digital style! The spiritual anthem “you got to have freedom” by Master Pharoah Sanders becomes a universal skank, pop and dub who sends resounding high its universal message Dance! The dynamics are mutating the classic of ESG into a small, minimal pop bomb that is not without resemblance to the Neptunes of Mr Pharell Williams. On the edge of the track, Peter Gabriel sees his “Sledgehammer” groover as he does could imagine it and dissolve into sublime soul scrolls. Later, “After laughter...” soul classic celebrated and sampled Born into a rock steady air promised also to eternity. JJ Cale’s "cocaine," leaves its on the dancefloor for a reggae disco version, necessarily! And then, we must conclude. So it’s time to send an original title. It will be "Rubba Sub", to the aromas of sleng teng, which proves that far from the hits, the Dynamics deploys same layouts to deliver fresh and authentic sounds. And when the dub echoes evaporated, that the riddims have been silent, only remains an album majestic, in turn a future classic, full of unique Dynamics sound that mixes with instinct the echoes of yesterday to its own voices today.

Recorded in the southwest of France, O’o’s second album broadens the group's musical horizons, enriched by the contrasts and surprises of rural life. Revisiting the animal parables from their first album Touche, Victoria Suter's lyrics draw inspiration from literature where humor and eccentricity blend with the mystery and supernatural elements of rural life, making her voice resonate in all its uniqueness. Mathieu Daubigné's productions serve as an ideal expressionist backdrop, showcasing incredible musical versatility by combining his expertise in club atmospheres, dynamic synthpop melodies, and contemplative experiments. Songs of Wishes and Bones is an album of chiaroscuro tones and a new centerpiece of the French indie-dance scene.

The Doobie Brothers' sophomore album 'Toulose Street', originally released in 1972, pivoted the band's sonics toward their trademarked twin-brother drumming sound. This album features hits like "Listen to the Music", and "Rockin' Down the Highway", and is repressed on 1-LP clear coloured vinyl.

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of critically acclaimed album, The Dobbie Brothers' 'What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits'. Originally released in 1974, this album sonically stitched elements of rock, soul, folk and blues together with honeyed vocals, boisterous dual drumming and riffy guitars. Featuring tracks such as the band's first number one single, "Black Water", as well as other hits, "Another Park, Another Sunday", and "Eyes of Silver". This 1-LP is pressed on clear coloured vinyl.

Nuclear's seventh studio release brings something different to the table. Three new rabid songs and three covers songs are going to be way too much brutality for you to easily process. Beware; this new album will transport you to the early 90s and will not let you go until it ends. Thick sounding guitars, insanely fast drumming and non-stop deafening screams are the key ingredients for the perfect storm: VIOLENT DNA.
Not to be missed songs: "Violent DNA" and "Psychological Infanticide", are just a hint of this short but effective aggression from this south American quintet. Even without listening to it, you'll be caught by just looking at the graphic and gruesome cover art.
Without a doubt, VIOLENT DNA will become a MUST for all metalheads in 2024.
This is something we cannot change: This is our Violent DNA.
Sound Like: Early Sepultura, Vomitory, Sodom, Exodus, Obituary, Slayer and Napalm Death.

'Once Bitten' ist das dritte Studioalbum der amerikanischen Rockband Great White aus dem Jahr 1987. Bekannt für seine Hit-Singles wie 'Rock Me', zeigt das Album den Blues-beeinflussten Hardrock-Sound der Band und verhalf ihr in den späten 80er Jahren zum Mainstream-Erfolg.

Pedro Bertho, following the positive reception of his debut
album Mêlé, which features notable tracks like "Tigueretá"
and "Jour 4"—both frequently highlighted in Boiler Rooms
and sets around—has launched his own label, Chez Pedro.
Dedicated to consistently releasing new music, the label
plans to unveil monthly tracks, showcasing Bertho's ongoing
creative drive and deep passion for music without
distinctions of genre. His latest offering, Starlit Craves,
compiles tracks curated over the past two years. Previously
unreleased, these tunes have been meticulously crafted for
the dance ­oor. Each track on this EP re­ects Pedro Bertho's
distinct style and artistic vision, guiding listeners through an
immersive and exhilarating musical journey. Let Me Tell You:
Infused with electro vibes and in­uenced by Detroit’s rich
musical legacy, this track blends intricate rhythms with
soulful melodies, delivering a captivating sonic experience.
Blue Hot Monday: A hypnotic techno odyssey where
pulsating beats merge with deep bass grooves, creating an
enveloping atmosphere that lingers long after the music
ends. Shaved: A dynamic fusion of house and techno,
pulsing with rhythmic intensity and layered textures, inviting
listeners on a groove-driven exploration. Rouya: Radiant
melodies and hypnotic rhythms transport listeners to a sunlit
realm, intertwining uplifting harmonies with intricate sonic
nuances seamlessly. Have You Ever Played in Abidjan:
Exploring percussive intricacies and dub-infused textures,
this track offers a captivating blend of rhythmic diversity andatmospheric depth, evoking vivid imagery and immersive
storytelling.

Population Four signaled the first major change in the lineup of Cranes with the departure of bassist Cope. Jim Shaw stepped from behind the drums to take over lead guitar duties in full, Francombe switched to bass, while new member Manu Ros settled behind the drum kit. The band is ultimately the most conventional it’s ever been on Population Four. In this album Cranes continue a change strongly evident in Loved from the stark and enigmatic vocals of Alison Shaw and their more synthesized sounds to acoustic guitars and standard drums.

Available on vinyl for the first time as a limited pressing of 1500 individually numbered copies on blue & white swirled vinyl. The package includes an insert.

Psych, space, kraut and drones from songwriter Julius Lind and his trio with members from Action & Tension & Space, The Megaphonic Thrift and Gold Celeste. Arising from the Norwegian alternative scene they experiment with a vibrant mix of genres and refer to many golden eras on the history of pop and rock music! The album was recorded in Studio Paradiso with Christian Engfelt (Cato Salsa Experience) as technician and co-producer in 2023.

REISSUE of Sun And Sail Club sophomore album. The name might be the Sun and Sail club, but you'll find no yacht rock here. Instead of Michael McDonald, we have Bad Brains. Kenny Loggins? Hall and Oats? More like Matt Pike and Lemmy Fucking Kilmister. "The Great White Dope" is featuring members of Kyuss, Fu Manchu, and the Adolescents, containing 10 riff-filled tracks of high energy, bullshit-free punk and sleaze. The song writing on 'The Great White Dope' steers away from the experimental direction of their previous release, and it's laser focused on one thing: unapologetically rocking your face off. The vocoder is gone and they've recruited singer Tony Adolescent, who delivers balls to the wall vocals with no added effects or frills. The production, like the music itself, is loud, heavy, and beautifully simple. "This record is a direct result of my wife telling me she was pregnant with our son. As a first time father, panic set in and I wrote the album in two hours. I wasn't sure if I'd have a lot of time once he was born so I crammed as many frantic riffs into one album as possible. Looking back it's funny to listen to now, but at the time I was on a mission. Everyone killed it on this record and we recruited Tony Adolescent on vocals which is unreal to me." - Bob Balch

After a nine year hiatus SUN AND SAIL CLUB are back and they've come back swinging! This album is more aggressive than the previous album, as if that was even possible. Same line-up as before featuring Scott Reeder (FU MANCHU/SMILE) on drums, Scott Reeder (KYUSS/THE OBSESSED/FIREBALL MINISTRY) on bass, Bob Balch (FU MANCHU/SLOWER/BIG SCENIC NOWHERE/YAWNING BALCH) on guitar and Tony Adolescent (THE ADOLESCENTS) on vocals. The album starts with a mellow jazz guitar piece and then proceeds to rip your face off until the end of the album, which closes with another solo jazz guitar piece. "Shipwrecked" is their strongest album yet. Fully realized and to the point. Fast and dissonant. "This album is a compilation of riffs collected over a nine year period. Most of the songs were written last year but some of them have been floating around for a while. There is a general sense of unease throughout. I wanted to make an album that went one step further than "The Great White Dope." The songs are faster and more intense at times. It's basically the soundtrack of me beating the shit out of my guitar. Then you factor in Scott Reeder on drums, Scott Reeder on bass and Tony Adolescent on vocals and you've got something more than I could have imagined by myself. This album is raw and pummeling. If you're a glutton for punishment this might be your desert Island record." - Bob Balch Recorded at Jim Monroe's The Racket Room, Casa De Balch, and Scott Reeder's The Sanctuary

REISSUE of Sun And Sail Club sophomore album. The name might be the Sun and Sail club, but you'll find no yacht rock here. Instead of Michael McDonald, we have Bad Brains. Kenny Loggins? Hall and Oats? More like Matt Pike and Lemmy Fucking Kilmister. "The Great White Dope" is featuring members of Kyuss, Fu Manchu, and the Adolescents, containing 10 riff-filled tracks of high energy, bullshit-free punk and sleaze. The song writing on 'The Great White Dope' steers away from the experimental direction of their previous release, and it's laser focused on one thing: unapologetically rocking your face off. The vocoder is gone and they've recruited singer Tony Adolescent, who delivers balls to the wall vocals with no added effects or frills. The production, like the music itself, is loud, heavy, and beautifully simple. "This record is a direct result of my wife telling me she was pregnant with our son. As a first time father, panic set in and I wrote the album in two hours. I wasn't sure if I'd have a lot of time once he was born so I crammed as many frantic riffs into one album as possible. Looking back it's funny to listen to now, but at the time I was on a mission. Everyone killed it on this record and we recruited Tony Adolescent on vocals which is unreal to me." - Bob Balch

Red vinyl, limited to 300 copies. After a nine year hiatus SUN AND SAIL CLUB are back and they've come back swinging! This album is more aggressive than the previous album, as if that was even possible. Same line-up as before featuring Scott Reeder (FU MANCHU/SMILE) on drums, Scott Reeder (KYUSS/THE OBSESSED/FIREBALL MINISTRY) on bass, Bob Balch (FU MANCHU/SLOWER/BIG SCENIC NOWHERE/YAWNING BALCH) on guitar and Tony Adolescent (THE ADOLESCENTS) on vocals. The album starts with a mellow jazz guitar piece and then proceeds to rip your face off until the end of the album, which closes with another solo jazz guitar piece. "Shipwrecked" is their strongest album yet. Fully realized and to the point. Fast and dissonant. "This album is a compilation of riffs collected over a nine year period. Most of the songs were written last year but some of them have been floating around for a while. There is a general sense of unease throughout. I wanted to make an album that went one step further than "The Great White Dope." The songs are faster and more intense at times. It's basically the soundtrack of me beating the shit out of my guitar. Then you factor in Scott Reeder on drums, Scott Reeder on bass and Tony Adolescent on vocals and you've got something more than I could have imagined by myself. This album is raw and pummeling. If you're a glutton for punishment this might be your desert Island record." - Bob Balch Recorded at Jim Monroe's The Racket Room, Casa De Balch, and Scott Reeder's The Sanctuary

Erleben Sie die emotionalen Höhen und Tiefen des finalen Films der "Rebuild of Evangelion"-Reihe neu mit Shiro SAGISU's Music from SHIN EVANGELION. Diese exklusive Vinyl-Edition lässt die epische Reise von Shinji, Asuka und Rei in EVANGELION: 3.0+1.0 auf musikalische Weise wieder aufleben und verbindet Sie erneut mit den unvergesslichen Momenten der letzten Schlacht.Das Set besteht aus drei 140g schweren Schallplatten, die in schwarzem Vinyl gepresst wurden. Das hochwertige Trifold-Cover ist nicht nur ein Hingucker, sondern enthält auch persönliche Anmerkungen des Komponisten Shiro SAGISU, die einen Einblick in die Entstehung und Bedeutung der Musik geben. Mit dieser Vinyl-Edition holen Sie sich ein Stück der außergewöhnlichen Welt von Evangelion nach Hause und können die musikalische Untermalung des Films in bester Klangqualität genießen.Ob als Sammlerstück oder um die Atmosphäre des Films erneut zu erleben - diese Vinyl-Ausgabe ist für jeden Evangelion-Fan eine besondere Bereicherung.

Die Karriere von Devin Townsend besteht aus vielen verschiedenen Epochen. Er war der Anführer von Strapping Young Lad, der Dreh- und Angelpunkt des Devin Townsend Project und der Mitarchitekt des Country-Duos Casualties of Cool, während er gleichzeitig sein produktives und gelobtes Soloprojekt weiterführte. Jetzt beginnt die neue Ära des Universalgelehrten mit PowerNerd: ein prägnantes, aber dennoch progressives Album, das von der Liebe seines Masterminds zu Vintage-Rock aus seiner Kindheit zeugt.Von dem Moment an, in dem der Titeltrack die Platte mit dem Gebrüll "PowerNerd!" einleitet, ist Devins 28. Studioprojekt ein Galopp aus Melodie, Lärm und Gefühl. Der Opener und "Knuckledragger" sind Hochgeschwindigkeits-Amokläufe, deren Wirkung durch den charakteristischen "Wall of Sound"-Produktionsstil der Hauptfigur noch verstärkt wird. Diese Aggression ist jedoch bei weitem nicht das Einzige, was die 11 episodischen Tracks von Powernerd zu bieten haben. "Dreams of Light" ist im Vergleich dazu eine beschwörende und dynamische vierminütige Ballade. "Younger Lover" beruhigt sich nach einem explosiven Anfang zu üppigen Strophen mit Synthesizern und Gesang, während "Falling Apart" und "Jainism" eine Textur nach der anderen zu den lieblichen, akustischen Einleitungen hinzufügen. Jeder Song hat einen unwiderstehlichen Hook als Herzstück, und Devin hat zweifellos einen gefühlvollen Instant-Klassiker eines Rock-Albums geschaffen."PowerNerd" ist erhältlich als Limited 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook (inkl. Bonustracks, Dolby Atmos & High-Resolution Stereo Mixes), Ltd 2CD Digipak in O-Card (inkl. Bonustracks), Standard CD Jewelcase & Gatefold 180g LP + LP-Booklet, sowie digital in Stereo & Dolby Atmos.

Die Karriere von Devin Townsend besteht aus vielen verschiedenen Epochen. Er war der Anführer von Strapping Young Lad, der Dreh- und Angelpunkt des Devin Townsend Project und der Mitarchitekt des Country-Duos Casualties of Cool, während er gleichzeitig sein produktives und gelobtes Soloprojekt weiterführte. Jetzt beginnt die neue Ära des Universalgelehrten mit PowerNerd: ein prägnantes, aber dennoch progressives Album, das von der Liebe seines Masterminds zu Vintage-Rock aus seiner Kindheit zeugt.Von dem Moment an, in dem der Titeltrack die Platte mit dem Gebrüll "PowerNerd!" einleitet, ist Devins 28. Studioprojekt ein Galopp aus Melodie, Lärm und Gefühl. Der Opener und "Knuckledragger" sind Hochgeschwindigkeits-Amokläufe, deren Wirkung durch den charakteristischen "Wall of Sound"-Produktionsstil der Hauptfigur noch verstärkt wird. Diese Aggression ist jedoch bei weitem nicht das Einzige, was die 11 episodischen Tracks von Powernerd zu bieten haben. "Dreams of Light" ist im Vergleich dazu eine beschwörende und dynamische vierminütige Ballade. "Younger Lover" beruhigt sich nach einem explosiven Anfang zu üppigen Strophen mit Synthesizern und Gesang, während "Falling Apart" und "Jainism" eine Textur nach der anderen zu den lieblichen, akustischen Einleitungen hinzufügen. Jeder Song hat einen unwiderstehlichen Hook als Herzstück, und Devin hat zweifellos einen gefühlvollen Instant-Klassiker eines Rock-Albums geschaffen."PowerNerd" ist erhältlich als Limited 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook (inkl. Bonustracks, Dolby Atmos & High-Resolution Stereo Mixes), Ltd 2CD Digipak in O-Card (inkl. Bonustracks), Standard CD Jewelcase & Gatefold 180g LP + LP-Booklet, sowie digital in Stereo & Dolby Atmos.

John Williams' Home Alone soundtrack is a heartwarming classic that perfectly complements the holiday season. Known for his work on Star Wars, E.T.and Harry Potter, Williams brings the same orchestral magic to this beloved Christmas film. The score includes memorable tracks like 'Somewhere in My Memory,' a recurring theme throughout the film, and 'Star of Bethlehem,' which captures the festive spirit with choral and orchestral elegance. The standout track, 'Setting the Trap,' diverges from Williams' usual orchestral sound, incorporating electronics and percussion to enhance Kevin's creative showdown with the burglars. Alongside traditional Christmas carols like 'O Holy Night' and 'Carol of the Bells,' the soundtrack blends nostalgia with whimsy. Though the album repeats familiar motifs, its charm makes it a refreshing alternative to typical holiday music. The Home Alone soundtrack is available in a limited edition red and gold vinyl 2xLP, making it an essential for any festive playlist. Whether it's playing while decorating the tree or enjoying Christmas cookies, this release brings the holiday spirit alive.

Onset returns with their second vinyl offering, the White Beast EP by Offish & Attempt. A weighty plunge into raw, dystopian halftime drum & bass, the EP features 4 tracks of intricately chopped breaks, growling midrange and distorted sonic textures born in darkness.

“Christmas is constant,” says Ben Folds. “Allowing you to take stock of what’s different, to understand who you are and all the ways you’ve grown and changed.” That notion lies at the heart of Folds’ brilliantly titled new holiday collection, Sleigher. Built on an eclectic mix of originals and reimagined classics, the album examines thepassage of time through the lens of Christmas, reflecting on memory, loss, and longing as it explores the variety of ways the yuletide season marks the chapters of our lives. The songs are playful here, full of humor and cheer, but they’re also laced with an inescapable sense of melancholy, a looming darkness that always seems to hover around the periphery of those late December nights. Folds’ performances, meanwhile, flirt with the standards while stretching the boundaries of tradition, at times offering up flashes of Vince Guaraldi and Burt Bacharach while still remaining true to Folds’ singularly virtuosic brand of off-kilter indie pop. The result is not so much a Ben Folds Christmas record as it is a Ben Folds record set at Christmas, a meditation on the inexorable turning of the calendar and our ever changing selves as observed at the most wonderful—and challenging—time of the year.

"“Tenalach - The relationship with the land, the sky, the water and the deep connection that allows you to hear the earth sing and be one with nature”

Following on from their many mutual remixes and first collaborative EP “Pleamar” (Wonderwheel Recordings 2020) Chancha Via Circuito y El Búho return with a new EP “Tenalach"" which sees the duo enter new territories and soundscapes. This mysterious, atmospheric and melancholic EP is like the soundtrack to a videogame that takes place in a strange and wonderful parallel universe.

Imagine Zelda set in the jungles and mountains of Latin America.

Croaking frogs sit next to driving snares on the genre-defying Sapo Cururú, birds float above strobing synths on Oropéndola while Sumay’s epic synth lines melt into Chancha’s trademark percussions on Sumay. Opener El Samurai is perhaps the closest to the pair’s well-known folktronic sound, marrying cowbells with bowing violins and its animal-esque synth line.

While the BPM may have risen, this is neither ‘downtempo’ nor ‘umtempo’ and an EP that cannot easily be pigeon-holed - it is fresh and original. It also reflects a darker side to the pair’s music, a sub-conscious reflection of a changing world, holding in each song a constant tension and the desire to escape to new realities where the connection between humans and nature is blurred and equal."

Icelandic indie-pop songwriter Kaktus Einarsson will release his second album ‘Lobster Coda’ via One Little Independent Records on October 25th. Amidst a collection of lush, electronic earworms, Kaktus has penned an honest account of his recovery from a sudden functional neurological disorder (FND) that required him to relearn how to use his motor functions, while also performing his duties as a new father.

‘Lobster Coda’ incorporates dreamy, glistening synth-pop and melancholic ambience, created through layers of atmospheric keys, percussion, and groove-laden funk bass. Kaktus details his journey following a stress-induced nonepileptic seizure that halted his brain’s ability to communicate with the rest of his body, resulting in losing control of his legs, arms and causing involuntary facial tics. Crucially, he spent months on a course of physical therapy while also trying to care for his children and his partner, that by his own admission he then needed to reconnect with. With an occasionally brutal candour, Kaktus’s new album is about taking the time to reflect and recognise changes that need to be made, to listen to your body, and to trust the process no matter how long it might take.

Icelandic indie-pop songwriter Kaktus Einarsson will release his second album ‘Lobster Coda’ via One Little Independent Records on October 25th. Amidst a collection of lush, electronic earworms, Kaktus has penned an honest account of his recovery from a sudden functional neurological disorder (FND) that required him to relearn how to use his motor functions, while also performing his duties as a new father.

‘Lobster Coda’ incorporates dreamy, glistening synth-pop and melancholic ambience, created through layers of atmospheric keys, percussion, and groove-laden funk bass. Kaktus details his journey following a stress-induced nonepileptic seizure that halted his brain’s ability to communicate with the rest of his body, resulting in losing control of his legs, arms and causing involuntary facial tics. Crucially, he spent months on a course of physical therapy while also trying to care for his children and his partner, that by his own admission he then needed to reconnect with. With an occasionally brutal candour, Kaktus’s new album is about taking the time to reflect and recognise changes that need to be made, to listen to your body, and to trust the process no matter how long it might take.

Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers are a powerhouse, celebrated for their raw emotion and incisive social observations. Their talent has earned them nominations for Best Independent Punk Album or EP at the AIR Awards, Emerging Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year at the APRA Awards, along with nods from the J Awards and Rolling Stone Awards. Recognised as Spotify's RADAR Artist, their rising global influence is undeniable. Following their award winning 2022 EP, Pretty Good For A Girl Band, their debut album I Love You charted at number 6 on the ARIA Albums Chart, marking a significant milestone.

The accompanying tour saw them sell out iconic venues like 170 Russell in Melbourne, the Metro Theatre in Sydney, and The Triffid in Brisbane. They capped off the year supporting the Foo Fighters at AAMI Park in Melbourne and launched into 2024 by supporting The Vaccines across the EU/UK. I Love You showcases the bands growth, with each member contributing to songwriting. It stands as a definitive statement of their sound—joy, rage, and euphoria, delivered with precision and heart. Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers continue to make waves, solidifying their place in the music industry.

Following the release of the acclaimed EPs Collblanc and SET during early 2024, Joe Webb releases his much-anticipated full-length album Hamstrings & Hurricanes, featuring the formidable talents of Will Sach on bass and Sam Jesson on drums. This album more than confirms the trio's early promise and elevates them to a unique location in the modern jazz landscape.

Unlike most of Grant Green's many trio albums, Green Street, which was his second LP as a leader following Grant's First Stand, didn't make use of the organ or the piano, consisting instead of guitar-bass-drums format. Backed by such subtle players as Ben Tucker and Dave Bailey, Green could showcase his talents with no inhibition, making this one of the most remarkable works of his whole career. 180-GRAM COLORED BLUE VINYL - THE COMPLETE LP + 1 BONUS TRACK - Contains new specially prepared liner notes by Penguin Guide to Jazz's writer BRIAN MORTON and by Paris' prestigious JAZZ MAGAZINE. LIMITED EDITION







[f] Alone Together [Alt. Take]

Back in print, on white & purple splatter vinyl!

Hailing from Buffalo, NY, Head North has used their indie-influenced pop-punk to break out of the local scene and demand the attention of a national audience. Packing in sentiments as big as their sound, the band hits home with walls of guitar lines, frenetic punk rock drums and an emotional complexity anchored behind their lyrics. Singer Brent Martone hits raspy notes of anger and sadness, knowing when to shriek and when to soften, adding a layer of versatile energy to back up his passion.

RIYL: The Dangerous Summer, Brand New, Have Mercy

Blending elements of post-hardcore, emo and Southern-tinged indie rock, Microwave balance frankness with a penchant for wit, allowing for seemingly standard personal confessions to make a significant and striking impact. While often tipping into the heavier side of resonant punk, the band shines brightest in soft reservation. Their self-released debut album Stovall feels like a snapshot in time, bringing to mind that same unforgettable feeling that albums like Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American, Manchester Orchestra’s I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child and Taking Back Sunday’s Tell All Your Friends did years ago.

RIYL: Manchester Orchestra, All Get Out, Taking Back Sunday"

Reissued on Bloodshot Records & pressed on Sunshine Yellow vinyl!

Fear of Death is a Serious Album about Serious Topics – a doomed future, abandoning life in the city, and the inevitability of death. It’s Heidecker’s biggest sounding and most fleshed out album yet featuring an all star band comprised of Weyes Blood’s Natalie Mering (vocals and piano), Drew Erickson (Jonathan Wilson, Dawes), The Lemon Twigs’ Brian and Michael D’Addario, Jonathan Rado, and string arrangements by Spacebomb’s Trey Pollard (Foxygen, Bedouine, The Waterboys, Natalie Prass).

“strikingly timeless and authentic rock music, helmed by an underground Renaissance man” - Exclaim!

"Back in print, on purple nebula vinyl!

While the exuberance and joy of Stovall dealt with vocalist/guitarist Nathan Hardy’s wide-eyed wonder at a world previously obscured by a strict religious upbringing and his time as a Mormon missionary – songs of innocence, if you will – Much Love details the aftermath once that awestruck amazement has been dampened by the harsh realities of life.

These, then, are songs of experience, the sound of growing pains (with the emphasis very much on the pain), on the trials and tribulations that come after the euphoria of freedom. That’s not to say that the first album was devoid of drama, because it was full of it, but the ten tracks that make up Much Love certainly traverse darker, more unstable territory by confronting the very existence and notion of life as Hardy once knew it.

Recorded and produced, like Stovall, by Travis Hill, Much Love is a more abrasive, rawer set of songs than its predecessor, more The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me than Deja Entendu. Yes, Microwave are very much still recognizable as the same band, but at the same time these songs are a conscious evolution of their sound."

"“There are times in life when you’re so present, so fully immersed in the moment that you can catch a glimpse of another universe, of a realm beyond our own,” says Louisa Stancioff. “It might last for a second or an hour, it might come in the midst of bliss or sadness, you might be alone or with a lover, but when it happens, there’s nothing quite like it.”

When We Were Looking, Stancioff’s stunning Yep Roc debut, is full of those moments. Written and recorded through a period of deep heartbreak and uncertainty, the collection is the raw and unflinching work of a nomadic soul who spent stints living in Alaska, California, New York, and North Carolina before returning home to her native Maine, one that holds nothing back in its bittersweet reckonings with pain, healing, acceptance, and growth. Stancioff writes with a cinematic eye here, conjuring up richly detailed stagings for her emotionally-charged character studies, and the guitar-and-synth-focused arrangements are immersive and nuanced to match, thanks in part to the evocative sonic landscaping of producer/keyboardist Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, Craig Finn), who proves to be an ideal creative foil on the record. Add it all up and you’ve got a dreamy, nostalgic Polaroid of an album that blurs the lines between indie stoicism and folk sincerity, a lush, cathartic work that hints at everything from Phoebe Bridgers and Arlo Parks to Big Thief and Waxahatchee as it learns to find the beauty in grief and rebirth."

Heated Garage is a sonic snapshot of what happened when boundless musical energy and middle American moxie combined to create a cultural phenomenon. The tracks are drawn from a vast archive of Kay Bank master tapes - some are ultra rarities you’d be hard pressed to snatch from the collectors’ market without mortgaging a kidney. Others are alternate versions and outtakes never before released in any form! “The joke was, some bands didn’t become garage bands because it was too damn cold...you can’t go outside when it’s 25 below zero. So, a lot of people are honing their craft in their basements.” High Spirits guitarist Owen Husney explains. Knowing more about them is not only unnecessary, it would mar their mystique. They exist forever in a moment of raw rock ‘n’ roll glory that transcends time, a space shared by their Heated Garage brethren. Looking back on The Pagans’ songs, for example, Kip Sullivan says, “They feel sacred to me.” Recollecting his High Spirits adventures, Owen Husney sighs, “I would go back to those heydays in a minute.” Now he can. And we can all come along.

"Cerulean Blue vinyl limited to 700 units! On her second full-length record as Waxahatchee, former P.S. Eliot singer Katie Crutchfield’s compelling hyper-personal poetry is continuously crushing. Cerulean Salt follows American Weekend -- a collection of minimal acoustic-guitar pop written and recorded in a week at her family’s Birmingham home. On this new record, Crutchfield’s songs continue to be marked by her sharp, hooky songwriting; her striking voice and lyrics that simultaneously seem hyper-personal yet relentlessly relatable, teetering between endearingly nostalgic and depressingly dark. But whereas before the thematic focus of her songcraft was on break ups and passive-aggressive crushing, this record reflects on her family and Alabama upbringing. Whereas American Weekend was mostly just Crutchfield and her guitar, Cerulean Salt is occasionally amped up, with a full band and higher-fi production.

At times, Cerulean Salt creeps closer to the sound of PS Eliot: moody, 90s-inspired rock backed by Keith Spencer and Swearin’ guitarist Kyle Gilbride on drums and bass. The full band means fleshed-out fuzzy lead guitars on “Coast to Coast”, its poppy hook almost masking its dark lyrics. Big distorted guitars and deep steady drums mark songs like “Misery over Dispute” and “Waiting”.

There’s plenty of American Weekend‘s introspection and minimalism to be found, though. “Blue Pt. II” is stripped down, Crutchfield and her sister Alison singing in harmony with deadpan vox. She’s still an open booking, musing on self-doubt versus self-reliance, transience versus permanence. “Peace and Quiet” ebbs and flows from moody, minimal verses to a sing-song chorus. “Swan Dive” tackles nostalgia, transience, indifference, regret — over the a minimal strum of an electric-guitar, the picking at a chirpy riff and the double-time tapping of a muted drum. The album closes with a haunting acoustic-guitar reflection on “You’re Damaged,” possibly the best Waxahatchee song to date."