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Heavyweight psychedelic improvisers EarthBall are back with their third and most monstrous record to date: ‘Outside Over There’, released on Upset The Rhythm (Nov 7th). Born from the haunted basements of Nanaimo, Canada, the quintet thrives on spontaneity, shaping improvisation into jagged hallucinations and ecstatic eruptions.
Recorded live-off-the-floor in 2024 in Jeremy, Izzy, and Kellen’s basement, and mixed by drummer John Brennan, ‘Outside Over There’ is an album that feels both summoned and inevitable. Each track lands with uncanny purpose, as if uncovered rather than written.
The opener, 100%, features a cameo from comedian and English icon Stewart Lee, who lent his blessing for the band to use a fragment of his stand-up. The album was mastered by John Dieterich (Deerhoof), with liner text contributed by longtime comrade John Olson (Wolf Eyes). Olson describes the album in his unmistakable style:
“This eight-track odyssey unfolds like a dreamscape, where whispered incantations brush against the shadowy fringes of the cosmos, and wild, Cézanne-inspired rock anthems erupt like geysers of color in the midst of a western warm and wet rain storm… culminating in the sprawling eleven minute masterpiece, ‘And The Music Shall Untune The Sky,’ aptly dubbed the Earth Crusher. A creation so utterly deconstructed and intertwined with the pulse of nature itself that if AI was called upon to conceive ‘Outside Over There’ anew, it would just spit back, “F.U. in Tree Font”. An enchanting invitation for even the flat-earthers to join the circle, if only just a little.”
EarthBall’s trajectory has been relentless. Their 2024 album ‘It’s Yours’ was praised by The Quietus as “fully aggressive and fully life-affirming,” and by The Wire as "a boisterous mind-melting album”. The band’s live double set LP ‘Actual Earth Music Vol. 1 & 2’ (2025) captured blistering performances: a performance opening for Wolf Eyes at the Fox Cabaret, and a Café OTO improvised throw-down featuring Chris Corsano and Steve Beresford. These releases on their own confirm them as one of Canada’s most vital experimental exports, not to mention the impressive self-released discography on their Bandcamp. The band’s reach has stretched far beyond their west coast roots with a UK tour May 2024, plus this past June, EarthBall closed Montreal’s Suoni Per Il Popolo Festival alongside Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Raven Chacon. This November they will perform at Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, with a European tour to follow (tour dates below). Outside of EarthBall, each member carries their own torch. Jeremy Van Wyck, founding member of the legendary Shearing Pinx, has toured extensively, released over 100 records, and has been a vital force in the Vancouver and West Coast underground for the past 25 years. He and Isabel Ford (Izzy) play together not only in EarthBall, but also in Psychedelic Dirt, Shearing Pinx, Behaviours, and Crotch.
John Brennan collaborates widely, including recently with Endlings (Raven Chacon and John Dieterich), Evichen (Victoria Shen), Francesco Fonassi, Plan Your Future (with Greg Saunier of Deerhoof), Brennan/Corsano duo and Physics with John Dieterich. Kellen Maclaughlin performs with KVMP and Ora Corgan, while saxophonist Liam Murphy is a west coast staple, playing with the best across Vancouver Island and the mainland. On three of the tracks of ‘Outside Over There’, the band is joined by their comrade Justin Patterson, who also plays with Brennan in the duo Modale. This cross-pollination fuels EarthBall’s sound - a collective improvisation, psychically overdriven, and grinding into bloom.
Outside Over There’ is more than an album though, it is a ritual, a gathering of sound at the forest’s edge; where feedback, saxophone screams, and ecstatic vocals dissolve the boundary between chaos and clarity. EarthBall invite you into their circle, to share in the joyful terror of spontaneous creation. ‘Outside Over There’ will be released on November 7th through Upset The Rhythm digitally and as a limited blue-in-black vinyl LP.

Eine komplett neue Vinyl-Version des Debütalbums von Genesis, die mit Zustimmung von Tony Banks, Peter Gabriel, Anthony Phillips und Mike Rutherford zusammengestellt wurde.

Neuer Stereo-Mix von Stephen W Tayler.

Inklusiv einer 12-inch Bonus EP mit neuen Mixen der Songs ‚A Winter’s Tale‘, ‚One Eyed Hound‘ und ‚Image Blown Out‘, plus einem bisher unveröffentlichtem Song ‚Visions Of Angels‘.


„From Genesis To Revelation“ erschien ursprünglich im März 1969 und war das Debütalbum von Genesis – der erste Schritt auf einem Weg, der der Band in den 1970er Jahren und darüber hinaus zu beachtlichem Erfolg und großer Anerkennung verhalf.

Diese Vinyl-Ausgabe ist die erste Neuauflage des Albums, die mit Zustimmung von Tony Banks, Peter Gabriel, Anthony Phillips und Mike Rutherford erstellt wurde. Sie enthält einen wunderbaren neuen Stereo-Mix von Stephen W. Tayler, der das Album in einer neuen Form präsentiert, wobei der Schwerpunkt stärker auf den Beiträgen der Band liegt und die Orchestrierungen der Originalmixe weniger im Vordergrund stehen. Diese neuen Mixe sind durchaus bemerkenswert und bieten den Genesis Fans einen völlig neuen Hörgenuss.

Eine komplett neue Vinyl-Version des Debütalbums von Genesis, die mit Zustimmung von Tony Banks, Peter Gabriel, Anthony Phillips und Mike Rutherford zusammengestellt wurde.

Neuer Stereo-Mix von Stephen W Tayler.

Inklusiv einer 12-inch Bonus EP mit neuen Mixen der Songs ‚A Winter’s Tale‘, ‚One Eyed Hound‘ und ‚Image Blown Out‘, plus einem bisher unveröffentlichtem Song ‚Visions Of Angels‘.


„From Genesis To Revelation“ erschien ursprünglich im März 1969 und war das Debütalbum von Genesis – der erste Schritt auf einem Weg, der der Band in den 1970er Jahren und darüber hinaus zu beachtlichem Erfolg und großer Anerkennung verhalf.

Diese Vinyl-Ausgabe ist die erste Neuauflage des Albums, die mit Zustimmung von Tony Banks, Peter Gabriel, Anthony Phillips und Mike Rutherford erstellt wurde. Sie enthält einen wunderbaren neuen Stereo-Mix von Stephen W. Tayler, der das Album in einer neuen Form präsentiert, wobei der Schwerpunkt stärker auf den Beiträgen der Band liegt und die Orchestrierungen der Originalmixe weniger im Vordergrund stehen. Diese neuen Mixe sind durchaus bemerkenswert und bieten den Genesis Fans einen völlig neuen Hörgenuss.

Dina Summer is the Berlin-based collaborative project of Greek-German dark-disco couple Local Suicide and Bavarian electronic producer Kalipo. The supergroup began working together in 2019 and have since been refining their combined sound. It is a unique blend of their influences, drawing from 80s italo disco, new wave, EBM and early 00s electroclash for a dark retro-futuristic synth/wave pop sound that stands out with club-ready basslines, epic melodic hooks, and lyrics ranging from dadaist abstractions to empowering, thought-provoking themes.

The trio will return with their new mini album, “Children Of The Night”, bringing together all the elements that have defined their sound so far. From the disco infused synth pop of “Burning Heart” and “Bats In Paris,” recalling their debut album Rimini (2022), to the dark club driven tracks “Fuel”, “Komodo 3000”. and the title track “Children Of The Night,” which echo the atmosphere of Hide & Seek (2024), and the dark wave influenced indie songs “Rat Race” and “On The Road”, which would have felt right at home on “Girls Gang” (2025), the release showcases the full spectrum of the band's musical identity. The nine track record takes its title from and pays homage to Bela Lugosi's iconic line in Dracula (1931): “Listen to them. Children of the night… what music they make”.

Format: Ltd transparent clear vinyl

Dina Summer ist das in Berlin ansässige Gemeinschaftsprojekt des griechisch deutschen Dark Disco Duos Local Suicide und des bayerischen Elektronikproduzenten Kalipo. Die Supergroup begann 2019 gemeinsam zu arbeiten und hat seitdem ihren gemeinsamen Sound kontinuierlich weiterentwickelt. Dieser verbindet auf einzigartige Weise ihre Einflüsse und schöpft aus Italo Disco der 1980er Jahre, New Wave, EBM und Electroclash der frühen 2000er. Das Ergebnis ist ein dunkler, retro futuristischer Synth Wave Pop Sound, der sich durch clubtaugliche Basslines, epische melodische Hooks und Texte auszeichnet, die von dadaistischen Abstraktionen bis hin zu empowernden und zum Nachdenken anregenden Themen reichen.
Das Trio kehrt nun mit seinem neuen Mini Album „Children Of The Night“ zurück, das alle Elemente vereint, die ihren Sound bisher geprägt haben. Von dem Disco geprägten Synth Pop von „Burning Heart“ und „Bats In Paris“, der an ihr Debütalbum „Rimini“ (2022) erinnert, über die düsteren, cluborientierten Tracks „Fuel“, „Komodo 3000“ und den Titelsong „Children Of The Night“, die die Atmosphäre von „Hide & Seek“ (2024) aufgreifen, bis hin zu den von Dark Wave beeinflussten Indie Songs „Rat Race“ und „On The Road“, die ebenso gut auf „Girls Gang“ (2025) hätten erscheinen können, zeigt die Veröffentlichung die gesamte Bandbreite der musikalischen Identität der Band.
Das Album mit seinen neun Tracks trägt seinen Titel in Hommage an Bela Lugosis ikonische Zeile aus dem Film Dracula (1931): „Listen to them. Children of the night… what music they make.“

THE EPIC NEW STUDIO ALBUM FROM THE LONG-STANDING JAPANESE METAL PIONEERS, INCLUDING GUEST APPEARANCE FROM OPETH'S MIKAEL AKERFELDT - PRESENTED ON DIGIPACK CD & VINYL LPJapanese metal pioneers Sigh formed in 1989/1990 Their genre- classic Black Metal debut 'Scorn Defeat' arrived in 1993, & with a subsequent journey through the strange & the psychedelic, incorporating a whole eclectic mix of genre styles & ideas throughout their career, Sigh has remained a vital creative force in the avantgarde field whilst maintaining their old school roots, as witnessed on the 2022 album (& first for Peaceville Records), 'Shiki'. This was followed by the remaking of their 'Hangman's Hymn' album as part of the band's 35th anniversary celebrations, in the shape of 'I Saw The World's End: Hangman's Hymn MMXXV' (2025).

Recently unveiled Norwegian Heavy Metal act Avrak was founded in 2023 by guitarists Anders Hegna & Ted Skjellum; himself notable for being half of legendary duo, Darkthrone. The pair had known each other for many years, & with a mutual passion for old, classic rock & metal they finally embarked upon this new journey together under the banner of Avrak.

Ted had declared from the beginning that he would in fact not carry out main vocal duties in the band, & so Anders - with his own voice befitting of the style - took on this task.

Still quite early on within the formative stages, Terje Kråbøl was brought in on the drums &, from there-on, with his percussive presence backing up some thunderous riffing, the creative work accelerated until enough material was produced (and relentlessly refined), culminating in the self-titled, hook-laden & doom-laced rock debut, ‘Avrak’.

Suitably & epically defined as a monumental “Heavy Metal voyage from the peak of the mountains to the depths of the seas”, & delivering themes relating to empowerment in the face of increasingly corrupt times, ‘Avrak’ is a combination of a vast multitude of influences, as the eclectic, deceptively nuanced nine track offering features a classic heavy metal & doom rock backbone, with further experimentation including synth passages, & even some traces of black metal riffing in its DNA.

Avrak subsequently held its debut show in their local town of Porsgrunn in late April 2026, backed by the brand new bassist & final piece of the puzzle, Steinar Gundersen, with more live shows intended in future to support the release.

This edition of ‘Avrak’ is presented on limited silver vinyl, including printed inner sleeve with full lyrics.

Recently unveiled Norwegian Heavy Metal act Avrak was founded in 2023 by guitarists Anders Hegna & Ted Skjellum; himself notable for being half of legendary duo, Darkthrone. The pair had known each other for many years, & with a mutual passion for old, classic rock & metal they finally embarked upon this new journey together under the banner of Avrak.

Ted had declared from the beginning that he would in fact not carry out main vocal duties in the band, & so Anders - with his own voice befitting of the style - took on this task.

Still quite early on within the formative stages, Terje Kråbøl was brought in on the drums &, from there-on, with his percussive presence backing up some thunderous riffing, the creative work accelerated until enough material was produced (and relentlessly refined), culminating in the self-titled, hook-laden & doom-laced rock debut, ‘Avrak’.

Suitably & epically defined as a monumental “Heavy Metal voyage from the peak of the mountains to the depths of the seas”, & delivering themes relating to empowerment in the face of increasingly corrupt times, ‘Avrak’ is a combination of a vast multitude of influences, as the eclectic, deceptively nuanced nine track offering features a classic heavy metal & doom rock backbone, with further experimentation including synth passages, & even some traces of black metal riffing in its DNA.

Avrak subsequently held its debut show in their local town of Porsgrunn in late April 2026, backed by the brand new bassist & final piece of the puzzle, Steinar Gundersen, with more live shows intended in future to support the release.

This edition of ‘Avrak’ is presented on limited silver vinyl, including printed inner sleeve with full lyrics.

Since starting Bytes in 2019 we’ve fielded a lot of messages along the lines of, “Is this ever going to be released on vinyl?” The bulk of these requests have concerned remixes of artists on Bytes done by Andy Bell (RIDE/Oasis) under his electronic alter-ego GLOK. And on realising that he has done four for us now (Franz Kirmann, Steve Queralt & Michael Smith, Herrmann Kristoffersen and Seagoth), it seemed silly not to compile them all together on a four-track 12” EP. The super limited edition 12” is on black wax and comes in the original Bytes house bag with a vinyl sticker containing all the release info signed by Andy. Edition of 250. No repress.

A1. SOLITARY (GLOK REMIX) - FRANZ KIRMANN

The first remix Andy ever did for Bytes was a radical reworking of ‘Solitary’, the towering ambient closer to Franz Kirmann’s ‘Madrapour’ album, which was released on Bytes in 2019. Andy’s remix is a heartbreaking, melancholic 3am banger. This is one for fans of Four Tet and Jon Hopkins, a slowburner with billowing plumes of distortion that builds towards an ecstatic rush of a finale.

A2. CHALDEAN ORACLE (GLOK REMIX) - STEVE QUERALT & MICHAEL SMITH

In 2023 Andy took ‘Chaldean Oracle’, a track from the collaboration between his RIDE bandmate Steve Queralt and the writer Michael Smith, down the K-Hole, eschewing Michael’s vocal almost entirely and turning in a Detroit dub-techno monster with echoes of Bandulu and Carl Craig in its shimmering melodies, eerie distortion and pounding drums.



B1. GONE GOLD (GLOK REMIX) - HERRMANN KRISTOFFERSEN

‘Gone Gold’ was the title track of the excellent second album by ambient-techno group Herrmann Kristoffersen (2021). Andy taps deep into the dub at the heart of the original, with echoes of John Carpenter's soundtracks and his own extended electronic excursions under the GLOK moniker.



B2. ETERNITY (GLOK REMIX) - SEAGOTH

It was Andy who brought Seagoth to the attention of Bytes when he played ‘Eternity’ on his Soho Radio show in 2020. It all came full circle when Bytes released ‘Eternity’ as a single in 2021, with a stunning remix by Andy in his GLOK guise on the flip. Andy strips the track back to showcase the resonant vocal in all its glory before the blissed-out outro that makes full use of the track’s dancefloor-friendly drum break.

Mysticisms’ explores the previously unknown Dub House, Digidub and electronic Street Soul of Manchester émigré Andrew Fitzgerald aka Atone on a 6 track EP, shape shifting from dark basements to summer fields, the music is wide-screen dreams, mixing psychedelic temperaments with ecstatic memories.

Dub Dats is a compendium of a life around or making music, beats, dubs; menageries of sound that encompass a love of reggae mixed with the influences of youth. Growing up in Thatcher’s then declining Manchester housing estates, Fitzgerald found escape first as a young roadie, just aged 15, sorting ‘cigarettes and alcohol’ for visiting bands. Rubbing shoulders with the likes of The Buzzcocks, Ian Dury and The Slits, was a great way to learn the ropes, while avoiding becoming another juvenile delinquent.

A love of Bowie, Kraftwerk, Motown, film scores and the emerging electronic and industrial bands like Throbbing Gristle led to a first studio, featuring the unique and faithful DR-55 Dr. Rhythm, soon followed by Sequential Circuits Pro One, Juno 60, Roland 303 (x 2), Roland 808 and Space Echo.

Working on music solidly, a release finally appearing on Robs Records, before losing all the equipment in a robbery. Manchester was shifting, gangs and “Gunchester” meant it was time to move on and when ‘an out’ appeared, Fitzgerald was landing in Sydney and settling into a new life.

Hooking up with Ali Omar, who he’d met while doing a stint in Brixton, London; the two worked solidly on music, gigging continuously, hanging with the likes Severed Heads and living a good life of that post acid-house party era. The loss of Ali to cancer, still young, hit hard and period “quite liked the madness” ensued. Rehab and starting again, Atone has been gaining some interest.

With 2 EPs of early works recently released on Tonal Oceans, Dub Dats looks deeper, with the dubbed house grooves of title cut, Dats and, the intriguingly named, Somewhere In France With Eric Random. Complimented by the electronic dub of Keep On, the soulful, slow breaks torch song, I Be There, the sample heavy Sound Of Soul and closing, trippy Unlike You, this is a multi-genre producer of considerable capability and talents.

Finally getting his due, Dub Dats perfectly fits the Dubplate Series, broadening its soundscape, while also standing out as its own, sonic release.

Atone the mystery.

After a couple of Echo Labs 45s and an ECR release - the ECHO EDITS sub-label is back once again, with the BREAK CRACKER in 2026

After the last latin flavoured joint on the label, we head to an all out Funk and Jazz party with a couple of cover versions of dancefloor favourites, never on a vinyl 7” before - given an added makeover for a double sided 45 bomb.

“I Want You Forward” takes a big band version of the Jackson 5 monster hit originally released on an LP. After being chopped,looped and layered with sound FX plus JA hype vocals to take it to the next level - this has been a favourite dubplate to start DJ sets with a bang !

“Psychedelic Drummer” is the Horace Silver penned soul-jazz cut that spawned various other vocal and instrumental versions that have been dancefloor favourites in mod clubs and funky jazz sessions over decades. Originally a very short track on a private press LP - it was the massive drums that made this ripe for more exposure with nothing more added - just cut-up, rearranged and extended for club play.

maya ongaku has always been searching for what exists just beyond the edge of perception. Since forming in the seaside towns surrounding Enoshima, the trio has followed a path guided less by intention than intuition, allowing songs, ideas, and experiences to emerge through a process they describe as 自然発生 (shizen hassei), spontaneous occurrence. Nothing Space Music is the deepest expression of that philosophy to date.

Written in the aftermath of several years of international touring, the album emerged from a growing desire to reconnect with silence. As stages became larger and the world around them moved faster, the band found themselves drawn toward the quieter spaces beneath it all. What began as a reflection on stillness & silence eventually expanded into the idea of "Nothing Space". To realise the album, maya ongaku created an entirely new environment for themselves. Near a seaside shrine in their hometown, the trio transformed a large soundproof building into Nothing Space Studio, a space built specifically around the needs of this record.

Nothing Space Music: a meditation on presence, perception, and the possibility of rediscovering the world through attentive listening.

SIGNUM REGIS was founded in 2007 and stands for finest melodic Power Metal with both progressive and symphonic elements. Their upcoming new and eighth studio album „Beyond Spacetime“ will be released on October 9th through Fireflash Records and will feature different vocalists. Among them their current singer Mayo Petranen, who just returned to the band, his successor Jota Fortinho as well as top class names, such as Ripper Owens (ex-JUDAS PRIEST), Matt Smith (THEOCRACY), Ralf Scheepers (PRIMAL FEAR), Johnny Gioeli (HARDLINE, AXEL RUDI PELL), Tasos Lazaris (STEEL ARCTUS, WHITE WIZZARD), David Åkesson (SYMPHONITY; QUANTICE), but also Victor Smolski (ALMANAC, ex-RAGE), with a guitar solo on the first single-release „Throne Of Gold“.
„We are so satisfied and proud of it! Even though the last 3 years were not easy for the band, this is definitely not just a ""next"" Signum Regis"" album, we are a band, we are always aiming to create something special - for us and for fans“, comments guitarist Filip Koluš, who also mixed and produced the album.
„Beyond Spacetime“ is rounded up by an excellent artwork from Uwe Jarling, known for his work for acts like HEAVEN’S GATE, GRAVE DIGGER or recently FRONT ROW WARRIORS. „The result is awesome! We are definitely a band that considers the artwork a very important part of our artistic vision. Over the years this approach has only grown stronger, so having a real cover artist has become an absolute must for us“, comments Tommy.
SIGNUM REGIS will celebrate their 20th anniversary next year. „Beyond Spacetime“ already feels like kind of a best-of journey through their past, present and future. „We grew up on the values of traditional melodic metal - this focus will most probably never change“, says Filip Koluš and explains: „At the same time, we are also a group of great friends, who have a common goal - to make the best quality metal music together.“

Legendary Gabber/Hardcore dj & producer Rob GEE is famous in New York as “the hardest DJ to ever play the Limelight.” In the early 90’s, GEE kept delirious audiences going – spinning at Limelight’s “Future Shock” dance/techno nights and performing with his live band and spinning at the club’s “Rock And Roll Church” metal/rock/industrial nights.

Rob GEE is the only artist of his kind to collaborate and create with members of respected rock, metal, hardcore and hip-hop acts such as Slipknot, Hatebreed, Biohazard, Wu-Tang Clan, Cypress Hill, & System Of A Down, creating a unification of electronic, metal, hardcore, hip-hop, and any other style for that matter known as gabber music. GEE is writing history launching gabber onto the world scene.

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Rob GEE's legendary 1996 hardcore masterpiece Punk, Funk & Live is now officially available on vinyl again. For several years, this EP has become a highly sought-after holy grail, for both old-school gabbers and new harddance, hardtechno and hardstyle collectors.

Punk, Funk & Live features the classic anthems "Ecstasy, You Got What I Need", "Gabberslam", "Son Of Rob GEE" and exclusive bonustrack "Rob GEE Megamix", mixed by Bass-D & King Matthew.

This limited 30th anniversary edition of Punk, Funk & Live is available on purple vinyl.

2026 Repress

The sixth studio album by the British rock group, originally released in 1971. Produced between touring commitments and widely regarded as a notable progression from their previous work, the band devised a series of novel recording and writing experiments, which also inspired the album's signature track “Echoes”.

Jan Garbareks kraftvolles Doppelalbum Rites, auf dem der Meistersaxofonist von seinen langjährigen
Weggefährten Rainer Brüninghaus und Eberhard Weber sowie der Perkussionistin Marilyn Mazur und
dem Elektronikkünstler Bugge Wesseltoft begleitet wird, galt bei seiner ursprünglichen Veröffentlichung
1998 gleichermaßen als Magnum Opus und als eindrucksvolle Retrospektive der künstlerischen Bandbreite Garbareks. Auch heute noch überzeugt es als gelungenes Kompendium und als völlig eigenständiges,
modernes musikalisches Statement. Über die weit gespannte stilistische Landschaft des Albums verteilen
sich Bezüge zu den unterschiedlichsten Musikkulturen der Welt – von Norwegen bis Indien. Hinzu kommen
eine Vertonung eines Gedichts der indigenen Bevölkerung Nordamerikas für Stimmen und Saxofon sowie die
überraschende Fassung von Jansug Kakhidzes „The Moon Over Mtatsminda“, gesungen vom Komponisten
selbst gemeinsam mit dem Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra.
Als Teil der ECM-Reihe Luminessence veröffentlicht, e rscheint R ites n un e rstmals a uf V inyl – i n einem
hochwertigen Tip-on Gatefold plus umfangreichem Booklet mit Texten, Fotografien s owie sämtlichem
Originalmaterial der ersten CD-Veröffentlichung.

*COMES IN GATEFOLD 2LP WITH LINER NOTES*

The premise of this compilation is simple: music we’d like to hear at the airport.

The idea came after learning that Honolulu’s international airport has been playing AI-generated music over its speakers since November 2025. First reported by Civil Beat, the news has caused frustration and disappointment among residents and visitors, as well as within the local music community.

Everyone knows Hawaii is one of the most musically rich regions in the world — why then is the airport using AI music? 'Music For The Airport' is our response.

Located in the middle of the Pacific at the outskirts of one the most remote cities on the planet, Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) is for most people the first place they encounter when they arrive in Hawaii. Warm sun, tropical tradewinds, playful palm trees and majestic mountains welcome every traveler, as do the sounds of birds, familiar music from Hawaiian artists like Aunty Genoa Keawe and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, and—at least for now—seventeen “island-themed” AI-generated songs.

In late 1977, while sitting in Germany’s Cologne Bonn Airport on a Sunday morning, Brian Eno noticed how terribly uncomfortable he felt hearing the airport’s “muzak” overhead. For a harried, hurried place like the airport where travelers scramble to their gates, stand in long border control lines, and wait impatiently for their luggage at the carousels, music can create more anxiety than calm. Asking himself, "What should we be hearing here?", Eno soon created ‘Ambient 1: Music For Airports’, a sonic remedy aimed at reducing nervousness in public spaces.

When we heard the news that HNL airport is playing AI-generated “muzak”, we were immediately reminded of Eno’s genre-defying 1978 album. And we were similarly inspired to react. But how? Recreating an ambient masterpiece wasn’t in our wheelhouse. We started digging through our catalog of licensed music which we haven’t yet re-released. We quickly realized this was our chance to highlight some of favorite songs from the so-called CD era: the 1990s and 2000s (with a few exceptions). In less than 20 minutes, we pulled 17 original songs recorded by local artists between 1984 and 2017.

The speed at which this project came together surprised us; reactionary gut instinct often produces swift and lasting results. Ironically, our new compilation likely took less time than it did for the state Department of Transportation to commission its AI songs in question. But even though ‘Music for the Airport’ came together in less than one week, the truth is that this collection of 17 songs is the result of years of hard work, trust, sacrifice, patience, and understanding. Building relationships with and licensing music from artists doesn’t happen overnight, but more importantly: these songs are the result of people pouring their hearts and souls into something they believe in. This music wouldn’t exist today without the artists and their loved ones who supported them along the way.

As of this writing, the DOT states its intention in creating AI-generated songs is to “highlight different aspects of the islands, aviation and the airport” and that “no state funds were used to produce them”. Okay, but at what cost? Technology disrupting the music industry isn’t news to anyone. AI music in public spaces are cost-saving measures, since its users (airports, for example) don’t have to pay the licensing fees typically required, which can be a worthwhile source of revenue for artists. But what happens when a place like HNL airport, which hosts more than 21 million passengers annually, uses music created by machines instead of people to represent Hawaii? The identity of a place beings to erode, diluted by a language learning model’s conceptual summary of what a people and its culture sounds like. To echo Brian Eno: what should we be hearing here? In other words: what should the music of Hawaii sound like?

We believe in the power of music, especially when it comes from the soul. We believe in supporting artists, especially as AI disrupts our lives. We believe that Hawaii must be represented authentically, especially when it comes to song. And of course we believe in vinyl, especially since it was a record from 1978 (Mackey Feary Band’s debut LP) that inspired Aloha Got Soul’s origins in 2010.

We hope you find as much joy in this compilation as we have. Perhaps it’ll soundtrack your next journey to Hawaii. At the very least, we hope some people take a moment to hear these sounds: in your headphones for now‚ maybe someday overhead at the airport in Honolulu.

Welcome Tori Kudo back to A Colourful Storm with a new edition of Maher Shalal Hash Baz's Faux Départ, a document of a stateside tour that culminated in a recording session at the legendary Dub Narcotic Studio with a one-time ensemble of Greg Saunier and Chris Cohen (Deerhoof), Andrew Maxwell, McCloud Zicmuse, Arrington de Dionyso, Takashi Ueno, Saya Ueno, Naoki Otani, Akiko Hotaka, Masaaki Endo and Naoki Otani. Always spontaneous, never rehearsed. Music in and of this world, seemingly teetering on the verge of collapse.

"We flew to the US for a show with Red Crayola in Los Angeles and initially stayed at Rick Potts' house. There, I met up with The Curtains and hit the road in their car. We headed north, writing down every melody that came to mind. I slept in the gap between the wall and the sofa and got interrupted by a herd of cows along the way, but I finally arrived in Olympia and recorded all the melodies I'd written down, which became Faux Depart. There, I found McCloud, a noble beggar who was sleeping in the studio and playing the bassoon on the street." - Tori Kudo, 2026

"Chris Cohen, who played in Deerhoof from 2001-2006 or so, was an obsessive Maher fan. When our other band, The Curtains, was given a chance to support Maher on a West Coast tour, we got to see up close how Tori leads - often by not leading. He is an unpredictable, wild musical genius and card-carrying eccentric." - Greg Saunier, 2026

Die Welt war nie bereit für The Monsters, und The Monsters waren nie bereit für diese Welt. Nach vierzig Jahren, in denen sie zu einem echten Monster aus Fleisch und Blut herangereift sind, präsentieren sie ihr neuntes Album: gut ein Dutzend kompromissloser, wilder, lärmiger und fuzz-geladener Tracks. Ein Mix aus Ein-Riff-Beat, Trash, Garage, "Bern Metal", Boogie, Punk und Grunge - Songs, die einen von innen nach außen stülpen, aufgenommen mit "Miracle" Robert "Worker" Butler und abgemischt von Jim "Dirtbomb" Diamond - ein echtes Garage-Punk-Dreamteam. Vor vierzig Jahren, 1986, war die Jugendkultur-Revolution in Bern (Schweiz) in vollem Gange, Jugendliche und junge Erwachsene wollten sich aus den konservativen Fesseln befreien. Die Straßen brannten, Clubs entstanden und eine neue Schweizer Musikkultur wurde geboren. Dies markierte auch den Beginn von The Monsters. Vierzig Jahre später hat sich der Zustand der Musikkultur - oder vielmehr der Welt im Allgemeinen - wohl eher verschlechtert. Individuelles Denken und Schaffen sind nach wie vor nicht sonderlich anerkannt oder gar erwünscht (Hey KI!). Im März 2026 blieb der Band also nichts anderes übrig, als ihre Instrumente, das Aufnahme-Equipment und ihre Ideen in den Proberaum zu verfrachten. Sie verbrachten einen Monat mit Robert Butler (u. a. The Miracle Workers) und seinem mobilen "Two Cent Recording Studio". Sie schrieben Texte (insgesamt etwa 100 Wörter - mal sinnvoll, mal unsinnig, über das ganze Album verstreut), tüftelten am Sound und nahmen Gitarren in allen erdenklichen Variationen auf. Das Ganze wurde gewürzt mit Percussion, Schlagzeug, Bass sowie obskuren Orgeln und Synthesizern, die sie auf Flohmärkten oder in den Kellern von Freunden aufgetrieben hatten. Nach diesem vierwöchigen Trip schickten sie das gesamte Chaos an Jim Diamond (Ghetto Recorders Studios in Detroit, Dirtbombs, White Stripes, Gories, André Williams... klar, worum es geht, ne?!), um es einem umwerfenden Mix-Abenteuer zu unterziehen. Das Ergebnis ist ein Dutzend Songs ohne Kompromisse, Schwächen oder Stärken. Einfach nur roher, ungeschliffener Lo-Fi-Garage-Punk'n'Roll voller Energie - und das mit vierzig Jahren "Nicht-Erfahrung". Erhältlich sind schwarzes Vinyl und eine pinke Picture-Disc (beide mit Insert & DLC), eine höchst audiophile CD sowie Kassette, die bei doppelter Geschwindigkeit leiert! Für Fans von Reverend Beat-Man, VRR, The Mummies, Oblivians, Billy Childish, Damaged Goods, Monks, very early Hives, Garagepunk, Lo-Fi-Roll, Alternative Beat

Die Welt war nie bereit für The Monsters, und The Monsters waren nie bereit für diese Welt. Nach vierzig Jahren, in denen sie zu einem echten Monster aus Fleisch und Blut herangereift sind, präsentieren sie ihr neuntes Album: gut ein Dutzend kompromissloser, wilder, lärmiger und fuzz-geladener Tracks. Ein Mix aus Ein-Riff-Beat, Trash, Garage, "Bern Metal", Boogie, Punk und Grunge - Songs, die einen von innen nach außen stülpen, aufgenommen mit "Miracle" Robert "Worker" Butler und abgemischt von Jim "Dirtbomb" Diamond - ein echtes Garage-Punk-Dreamteam. Vor vierzig Jahren, 1986, war die Jugendkultur-Revolution in Bern (Schweiz) in vollem Gange, Jugendliche und junge Erwachsene wollten sich aus den konservativen Fesseln befreien. Die Straßen brannten, Clubs entstanden und eine neue Schweizer Musikkultur wurde geboren. Dies markierte auch den Beginn von The Monsters. Vierzig Jahre später hat sich der Zustand der Musikkultur - oder vielmehr der Welt im Allgemeinen - wohl eher verschlechtert. Individuelles Denken und Schaffen sind nach wie vor nicht sonderlich anerkannt oder gar erwünscht (Hey KI!). Im März 2026 blieb der Band also nichts anderes übrig, als ihre Instrumente, das Aufnahme-Equipment und ihre Ideen in den Proberaum zu verfrachten. Sie verbrachten einen Monat mit Robert Butler (u. a. The Miracle Workers) und seinem mobilen "Two Cent Recording Studio". Sie schrieben Texte (insgesamt etwa 100 Wörter - mal sinnvoll, mal unsinnig, über das ganze Album verstreut), tüftelten am Sound und nahmen Gitarren in allen erdenklichen Variationen auf. Das Ganze wurde gewürzt mit Percussion, Schlagzeug, Bass sowie obskuren Orgeln und Synthesizern, die sie auf Flohmärkten oder in den Kellern von Freunden aufgetrieben hatten. Nach diesem vierwöchigen Trip schickten sie das gesamte Chaos an Jim Diamond (Ghetto Recorders Studios in Detroit, Dirtbombs, White Stripes, Gories, André Williams... klar, worum es geht, ne?!), um es einem umwerfenden Mix-Abenteuer zu unterziehen. Das Ergebnis ist ein Dutzend Songs ohne Kompromisse, Schwächen oder Stärken. Einfach nur roher, ungeschliffener Lo-Fi-Garage-Punk'n'Roll voller Energie - und das mit vierzig Jahren "Nicht-Erfahrung". Erhältlich sind schwarzes Vinyl und eine pinke Picture-Disc (beide mit Insert & DLC), eine höchst audiophile CD sowie Kassette, die bei doppelter Geschwindigkeit leiert! Für Fans von Reverend Beat-Man, VRR, The Mummies, Oblivians, Billy Childish, Damaged Goods, Monks, very early Hives, Garagepunk, Lo-Fi-Roll, Alternative Beat

Die Welt war nie bereit für The Monsters, und The Monsters waren nie bereit für diese Welt. Nach vierzig Jahren, in denen sie zu einem echten Monster aus Fleisch und Blut herangereift sind, präsentieren sie ihr neuntes Album: gut ein Dutzend kompromissloser, wilder, lärmiger und fuzz-geladener Tracks. Ein Mix aus Ein-Riff-Beat, Trash, Garage, "Bern Metal", Boogie, Punk und Grunge - Songs, die einen von innen nach außen stülpen, aufgenommen mit "Miracle" Robert "Worker" Butler und abgemischt von Jim "Dirtbomb" Diamond - ein echtes Garage-Punk-Dreamteam. Vor vierzig Jahren, 1986, war die Jugendkultur-Revolution in Bern (Schweiz) in vollem Gange, Jugendliche und junge Erwachsene wollten sich aus den konservativen Fesseln befreien. Die Straßen brannten, Clubs entstanden und eine neue Schweizer Musikkultur wurde geboren. Dies markierte auch den Beginn von The Monsters. Vierzig Jahre später hat sich der Zustand der Musikkultur - oder vielmehr der Welt im Allgemeinen - wohl eher verschlechtert. Individuelles Denken und Schaffen sind nach wie vor nicht sonderlich anerkannt oder gar erwünscht (Hey KI!). Im März 2026 blieb der Band also nichts anderes übrig, als ihre Instrumente, das Aufnahme-Equipment und ihre Ideen in den Proberaum zu verfrachten. Sie verbrachten einen Monat mit Robert Butler (u. a. The Miracle Workers) und seinem mobilen "Two Cent Recording Studio". Sie schrieben Texte (insgesamt etwa 100 Wörter - mal sinnvoll, mal unsinnig, über das ganze Album verstreut), tüftelten am Sound und nahmen Gitarren in allen erdenklichen Variationen auf. Das Ganze wurde gewürzt mit Percussion, Schlagzeug, Bass sowie obskuren Orgeln und Synthesizern, die sie auf Flohmärkten oder in den Kellern von Freunden aufgetrieben hatten. Nach diesem vierwöchigen Trip schickten sie das gesamte Chaos an Jim Diamond (Ghetto Recorders Studios in Detroit, Dirtbombs, White Stripes, Gories, André Williams... klar, worum es geht, ne?!), um es einem umwerfenden Mix-Abenteuer zu unterziehen. Das Ergebnis ist ein Dutzend Songs ohne Kompromisse, Schwächen oder Stärken. Einfach nur roher, ungeschliffener Lo-Fi-Garage-Punk'n'Roll voller Energie - und das mit vierzig Jahren "Nicht-Erfahrung". Erhältlich sind schwarzes Vinyl und eine pinke Picture-Disc (beide mit Insert & DLC), eine höchst audiophile CD sowie Kassette, die bei doppelter Geschwindigkeit leiert! Für Fans von Reverend Beat-Man, VRR, The Mummies, Oblivians, Billy Childish, Damaged Goods, Monks, very early Hives, Garagepunk, Lo-Fi-Roll, Alternative Beat

2026 Repress

What an unbelievable record. From the wild cover to the iconic breakbeats, Roots from Ian Carr’s Nucleus is one of the dopest albums we know. This is seriously thick, funky-prog jazz-rock heaven. Originally released on Vertigo in 1973, other than a couple of versions at the time for other territories, Roots was never re-pressed since so it’s gone on to become another one of those impossible to find records.

Maybe it was a little too out there for the time, but it’s aged very, very well indeed and this Be With re-issue, re-mastered from the original analogue tapes, shows off just why this deserves to be back in press.

Genius trumpeter and visionary composer Ian Carr was one of the most respected British musicians of his era. He was a true pioneer and saw the potential in fusing the worlds of jazz with rock, just as Miles Davis and The Tony Williams Lifetime did in the US. In late 1969, following the demise of the Rendell-Carr quintet, and tiring of British jazz, Carr assembled the legendary Nucleus. Regarding music as a continuous process, Nucleus refused to “recognise rigid boundaries” and worked on delivering what they saw as a “total musical experience”. We can get behind that.

Under bandleader Carr, Nucleus existed as a fluid line-up of inventive, skilled musicians. This constant evolution and revolution was all part of the continuous musical exploration and discovery that took jazz to new levels.

Working together with producer Fritz Fryer and engineer Roger Wake, the seven compositions by Carr, Brian Smith and Dave MacRae that make up Roots flirt with perfection, and Nucleus at that time made up of the cream of 1970s UK jazz with Brian Smith on tenor saxophones and flutes, Dave MacRae on piano and electric piano, Jocelyn Pitchen on guitar, Roger Sutton on bass, both Clive Thacker and Aureo De Souza on drums and percussion, Joy Yates delivering the vocals and of course Carr on trumpet.

The spellbinding title track immediately renders the album indispensable. Riding the illest of loping breakbeats, “Roots” is low-slung, doped-out heist-funk. An absolute monster. If it sounds familiar then that’s likely down to it being sampled by Madlib for Lootpack and Quasimoto’s “Loop Digga”, as well as by a whole host of beat manipulators. “Roots” conjures prime instrumental hip-hop / beat music, only 20 years ahead of its time. Truly, these are the roots. Through sinuous bass, twinkling keys and a hypnotic guitar riff, a smoky brass motif weaves its way into a gloriously deep haze around Carr’s solos. “Roots” is over 9 minutes long, but there’s not a single wasted second, not surprising given that this is a condensed version of an originally 40 minute long commissioned composition.

The soothing vocal fusion delight of “Images” follows. Meticulously constructed, with gorgeous flute work from Brian Smith, with Joy Yates’ silky vocals and Dave MacRae’s Rhodes never sounding better. The cool, driving “Caliban” closes out the first side. Originally the third movement in a four part commission to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday it stands up on its own, all robust rhythms and blended brass. Keyboard colour and Carr’s trumpet are splashed across the funk drums and basslines (and there’s even some bamboo flute). This really is fusion: the elements of jazz and rock coming together in beautifully synthesis.

Side two opens in riotous fashion with the short, thrilling samba of “Wapatiti”. Next up, “Capricorn” forms a smoothed-out, jazzy constellation. Mellow and dreamy, its twinkling percussion and languid horns slowly build the vibe before head-nod drums and a killer bassline enter the fray. With a distinct heaviness that Black Sabbath would’ve envied, “Odokamona” is a venomous slice of riff-soaked jazz metal (yes, you read that right), elevated by Carr’s wah-wah horns.

The album closes with MacRae’s exceptionally cosmic “Southern Roots and Celebration”. Very much in conversation with Weather Report, it opens as a languorous, spiritual jazz of chiming keys and serene guitar that turns slowly, gorgeously into a mid-paced, brass-laced banger. It’s another sure-fire party starter and the sound of the band having a righteous blast, building an ecstatic chaos that ends with Yates screaming.

And of course we need to talk about Keith Davis’ cover for Roots. Perhaps the coolest record cover of all time? Certainly one of the most bonkers. Just your run-of-the-mill high-gloss, acid-tinged airbrush dystopian/utopian living-room party scene. Consider this your chemical flashback trigger warning.

Front-and-centre the hip-to-death green robot holds court with their giant ball of yellow barbwire wool, hooked up to… something(?) being teased out from under the stairs (probably best not to ask). A thoroughly zoned-out, long-legged Pop Art party-goer lounges half-plugged in to the painting behind her as a pair of legs flail into shot from the the top of the stairs opposite. We won’t even begin to guess what the chap’s up to in the middle, but the view out of the windows is rather nice, and someone’s already got the hoover out ready to tidy up. All of the Nucleus sleeves are something special, but this particular one? Crikey.

This Be With edition of Roots has been re-mastered from the original Vertigo master tapes, Simon Francis’ mastering working together with Pete Norman’s cut to weave their usual magic with these wonderful recordings. The crazy cover has been restored at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

Dark Entries is ecstatic to announce Terminal Fascination, a retrospective release of the music of Camille O’Grady, subversive artist, leather witch, punk poet, and gender saboteur. O’Grady cut her teeth in New York’s burgeoning punk scene at clubs like CBGB’s, where her band Leather Secrets would share the stage with acts like Television. She became one of the few women to be welcomed into the Mineshaft, Wally Wallace’s legendary Manhattan gay BDSM club. Towards the end of the 70s, she would trek west to San Francisco to be with her partner, performance artist and gallerist Robert Opel, who was tragically killed in 1979. O’Grady would pass away from COVID in 2020, with her voluminous works across various media - text, image, and sound - having been unpublished during her lifetime.

Working with O’Grady’s estate, Dark Entries has assembled thirteen of her finest recordings, including instant classics like “James Dean to the Rescue,” “Tourniquet,” and, of course, “Toilet Kiss.” Two songs, “Angel with a Key” and “Love Comes Like a Cutthroat,” were recorded at a studio in Los Angeles for a 7” release that never materialized, while the rest of the material was recorded live in 1979 at The Ambush, a San Francisco leather club. O’Grady’s songs, often written from the perspective of a gay man, explode like a genderfuck version of Patti Smith, like Buffy St. Marie in leather, like the hedonic utopianism of the 1960s dragged (blissfully) through the broken glass of the 1970s. The release of Terminal Fascination coincides with the publication of ‘A Cross-Worlds Angel,’ a 300-page book of O’Grady’s work by Phillip Zimmerman. The record includes an insert featuring liner notes, lyrics, and photographs. Celebrate Camille O’Grady, the artist Jack Fritscher described as an “earth mother, a leather lioness of the arts.”

Mit Music From The Films Of Francis Ford Coppola erscheint eine sorgfaltig kuratierte Doppel-LP, die die unverwechselbare Klangwelt eines der einflussreichsten Regisseure des modernen Kinos wurdigt. Von Der Pate uber Apocalypse Now bis hin zu The Conversation und The Outsiders vereint diese Sammlung Musik aus Filmen, die das amerikanische Kino seit den 1970er Jahren nachhaltig gepragt haben. Die Zusammenstellung zeigt eindrucksvoll, wie entscheidend Musik fur die emotionale Wirkung von Coppolas Filmen war. Neben den Kompositionen von Carmine Coppola finden sich Aufnahmen von Kunstlern wie Buddy Holly, The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley oder Richard Wagner. Die Doppel-LP beleuchtet das Zusammenspiel von Bild und Ton und richtet sich gleichermaßen an Filmfans, Soundtrack-Sammler und Liebhaber klassischer Filmmusik.

Indie shops only. Limited red vinyl rerelease. 500 for the World (just 80 copies for the UK) After falling out with Sir Coxsone, the legendary head of the Kingston label Studio One, Lee Perry first founded his own band and then, in 1973, set up his own studio in his backyard. What was born out of necessity developed into a unique success story. With both the Upsetters and the Black Ark, Perry made music history - most notably with the 1976 release of the album Super Ape, on which he made the genre of dub bubble and boil from the mixing desk in previously unheard ways. For Perry, the studio is like a living organism. Whether he truly experiences it that way or simply lets too much ganja go up in smoke, for Perry the equipment is organic, empathetic, and intelligent. The catch is that the results sound exactly like that as well. Long before sampling was invented, he layered tracks of deep basslines, echoes, and reverb with various self-recorded sound sequences – often played in reverse - on top of, into, and beneath each other. In other words, Perry was the first producer who made the music instead of the band. Among other things, this earned him the title ‘Salvador Dali of Dub.’

It’s as sure as night follows day, one of the last truly reliable things in these uncertain times, a rock in the storm of information overload, and still one of the best things you can make from PVC: The new TOTAL compilation is here!

The cheerful opener “Xtasy” comes from the up-and-coming Cologne-based DJ H0TLINE. If it says ‘Ecstasy’ on the label, that’s exactly what’s inside. The term ‘legend’ is all too often bandied about lightly. In the case of ORLANDO VOORN, it’s almost an understatement. His ‘So Deep Remix’ is a goosebumps-inducing masterpiece in its purest form. Simply wow. FRANKEY & SANDRINO haven’t visited us for a while, but their key still fits the lock. Watch out – “Disruption” might expand your consciousness! Ah, nobody grapples so beautifully with life’s big questions as TEE MANGO, but what would the world be without melancholy? A Disneyland of triviality! TEAM 85E, newly formed around JÖRG BURGER, takes on a classic from the German songbook by Ton, Steine, Scherben and opens hearts with the same ease as others open tins of beer. Speaking of hearts, MICHAEL MAYER pays tribute to the successful Artemis 2 lunar mission, as a small thank-you for reminding us that it should really always be about love. SOG, aka WOLFGANG VOIGT, agrees wholeheartedly. Sometimes all it takes is a bass drum, eight notes and a bit of love for total satisfaction. ROBAG WRUHME does what he does best: luring us down the proverbial rabbit hole like the White Rabbit, just not quite so frantically. JÜRGEN PAAPE, together with FENJA LUDWIG, doesn’t pull a rabbit out of the hat, but rather a modern dub-techno hit. We watch in amazement as a new genre takes shape. Finally, it’s time to sit back and relax with REINHARD VOIGT and just let things be. Cocktail or beer? The main thing is: it’s cold.

Following the success of the inaugural all-Jiri Jiri edition, Batov Records returns with the second instalment of its Give Me Disco series, once again curated by label co-founder and globe-trotting selector DJ Kobayashi. Rather than revisiting familiar disco classics, Give Me Disco Vol. 02 digs deeper, bringing together four dancefloor discoveries from across Europe and Asia, including two previously unreleased tracks available here for the first time.

Spanning Portuguese jazz-funk, Norwegian cosmic oddities, Japanese-inspired psychedelic disco and cinematic groove, the EP reflects the breadth of Kobayashi's record bag - a carefully assembled selection of tracks that have soundtracked his DJ sets for years alongside exclusive material rescued from the vaults.

Opening the record is The Bam Jam Band's brilliantly understated "Theme", a soaring slice of jazz-infused disco from Portuguese musicians Sérgio Alves and Pedro Tenreiro. Originally released only as a now long-sold-out 7 inch on Mad About Records, the track has become one of Kobayashi's trusted secret weapons, championed by discerning selectors including Darryn Jones and Red Greg. Built around Alves' dazzling synthesiser work, "Theme" finally gets the wider audience it deserves. The EP's first exclusive arrives courtesy of D. Apal, instrumentalist and member of Norway's Flammer Dance Band. His only solo release, issued on the band's Lysketrekk Records, has become a cult favourite among adventurous record collectors. Batov now unveils the previously unreleased "60 Meter'n (Rytme)", an extended instrumental dub that strips away the vocals to let the handclaps, cavernous bassline, dub effects and wonderfully eccentric synthesisers breathe, transforming an underground favourite into an irresistible dancefloor weapon.

Side B opens with YĪN YĪN's "Tokyo Disco", taken from the band's acclaimed third album Mount Matsu on Glitterbeat Records. Long-time admirers of the Dutch quartet, Kobayashi has championed them since first hearing the breakthrough pairing of "Dis ̄ kô Dis ̄ kô" and "Dion Ysiusk" on Bongo Joe. Since then, he has hosted the band twice on Soho Radio and supported them live in London. "Tokyo Disco" perfectly captures YĪN YĪN's distinctive blend of Japanese-inspired psychedelia, Southeast Asian influences, post-punk funk and shimmering disco grooves, making it a natural fit for the Give Me Disco series.

Closing the EP is another exclusive from Jiri Jiri, whose contribution helped launch the series on Vol. 01. Ahead of their forthcoming album later this year, the duo unveil the previously unreleased "Spaghetti Western", a wonderfully off-kilter fusion of Morricone-esque cinematic atmosphere, taut funk rhythms and the soulful modern groove of SAULT. Equal parts soundtrack and dancefloor curveball, it provides a fitting finale while offering another tantalising glimpse of what's still to come. With two exclusive cuts sitting alongside two carefully chosen modern classics, Give Me Disco Vol. 02 is another lovingly curated snapshot of DJ Kobayashi's musical universe: borderless, groove-driven and unapologetically built for adventurous DJs, discerning collectors and open minded dancefloors alike.

Tommy Lefroy has never been afraid of existential questions. From their critically acclaimed debut EP, Flight Risk, the band has captured audiences with their candor wrapped in wit. Both lyrically intimate and sonically vast, the band’s catalog is confessional and commentative, balancing irony with sincerity. They broach their biggest subjects yet on their first full length album, The Precariat. An economic term, the precariat refers to a growing class of people facing increasing instability. “Most people we know are experiencing an unprecedented level of precarity, permeating into the collective psyche. We feel like the best we could strive for in a body of work is an unflinching capture of the moment. The Precariat felt like the perfect title, and emblem of how it feels to be alive these days.” Recorded in Los Angeles at Blue Canyon Studios, The Precariat was produced by band members Wynter Bethel and Tessa Mouzourakis, with co-production from Stephen Sesso, and executive production by Mike Crossey (The 1975, Wolf Alice, MUNA). The album’s songs were written by Bethel and Mouzourakis, over the tenure of their friendship, across apartments and tour vans, phone calls and late night conversations. With themes of friendship, coming of age, personal and collective grief, environmental uncertainty and political decay, The Precariat offers a sonic landscape in which to contend with our rapidly changing world. The album’s title track (largely inspired by Springsteen’s critical narratives mistaken for bleeding heart patriotism) grapples with constant exposure to global suffering, and feeling entrenched within systems that fail us. “The Precariat” disintegrates into the ‘American cities’ outro, an idea started while the band lived in London, about missing home while watching it destabilize from afar. The Precariat faces this head on – all the sheen of the American empire has worn off, and there is much work to be done. “We hope to foster an antidote to precarity – community.”

Like Roses aus Berkeley, Kalifornien, sind eine echte Macht. Offenherzige Texte über Liebeskummer, Verlust und Selbstreflexion treffen auf energiegeladene Hooks und rauen, melodischen Gesang, der geradezu dazu einlädt, lauthals mitzuschreien - eine Kombination, die der Band eine treue Fangemeinde sowie Nordamerika-Tourneen an der Seite von Acts wie Pierce the Veil, Neck Deep und Mayday Parade eingebracht hat. Seit 2018 ist die Band am Start, hat ein paar Singles und EPs veröffentlicht und präsentiert nun ihr erstes richtiges Album. "Gänzlich unprätentiös beschreiben Like Roses ihren Sound wie folgt: "Leute mit Instrumenten, die davon schreien, wie traurig sie sind - und zwar über den Lärm, den sie mit besagten Instrumenten machen." So weit, so emo. Aber eben mit Pop-Punk-Drive und einem Fünkchen Mathrock." - Visions 2023 "Emo is alive and well in the Bay Area band Like Roses, whose song "Wrist" captures the nostalgic sound of early-2000s melodic pop-punk through the lens of queer yearning" - "Wrist" (Like Roses), New York Times - Song of the Week Für Fans von Joyce Manor, Modern Baseball, Tiny Moving Parts

Muss sich alles ständig so schwer anfühlen? Claud Mintz ringt ständig mit dieser Frage. Und zwar nicht in Form von höflichen kleinen Wortgefechten, sondern in Form von großen, langwierigen, existenziellen Kämpfen - von der Art, die einen letztendlich dazu bringen könnte, den Kurs des gesamten Lebens zu ändern. Die 10 Songs auf seinem facettenreichen und glanzvollen dritten Album ,Me and the Music" zeigen den 27-jährigen Singer-Songwriter und Produzenten aus Brooklyn, wie er sich mit dieser Frage auseinandersetzt und schließlich triumphierend zu etwas gelangt, das einer Antwort nahekommt: Die Dinge können schwer sein, aber das bedeutet nicht, dass man keinen Spaß haben kann. Das Leben kann schwer sein, aber das Bier in Ihrer Hand ist es nicht - warum sollten Sie es nicht für einen Moment in die Höhe recken, mit den Freunden um Sie herum mitsingen und Ihre Sorgen für die Dauer eines perfekten Indie-Pop- Songs vergessen? ,Me and the Music" ist Clauds erstes Album seit drei Jahren, seit dem 2023 erschienenen, hochgelobten ,Supermodels". Sowohl ,Supermodels" als auch ,Super Monster" aus dem Jahr 2021 waren weitgehend inspiriert von ,dieser einen unklaren Beziehung", von der er irgendwann während des Schreibens von ,Me and the Music" erkannte, dass sie ,eigentlich nie wirklich etwas war". ,Supermodels" war ein so ernstes Album, und ,ich habe einfach so lange in meinen Gefühlen geschwelgt", sagt Claud. ,Es gibt einen Unterschied zwischen Aufrichtigkeit gegenüber dem Leben und dem Leben zu ernst zu nehmen." Diese Erkenntnis veränderte alles: Im Titelsong von ,Me and the Music" singen sie: ,Das ist der letzte Song, den ich von dir ruinieren lasse", und das meinten sie auch so. Nachdem Claud diesen Song geschrieben hatte - in den berühmten Electric Lady Studios zusammen mit ihren Freunden Hank Heaven und Annie DiRusso -, begannen sie, sich völlig befreit zu fühlen. ,Dadurch wurde viel Bedauern losgelassen, das ich mit mir herumgetragen hatte, und es ermöglichte mir, zu denken _ das macht so viel Spaß", sagen sie. ,Musik zu machen macht so viel Spaß." Das Markenzeichen von Me and the Music sind also Songs, die die Komplexität des Erwachsenwerdens und des Lebens in der Welt einfangen, ohne dabei den Sinn für Verspieltheit oder Spaß zu verlieren. Es ist ein typisches ,Slice-of-Life"-Album , das neue Romanzen, Insider-Witze, Gap-Werbespots, die Band ,America" und das Land Amerika thematisiert und all diese Dinge mit Sorgfalt und Rücksicht behandelt. Die Lead-Single ,She Doesn't Love Me" von ,Me and the Music" ist in vielerlei Hinsicht der Kern des Albums - ein leichtfühliges Lied darüber, wie es ist, in den 2020er Jahren in Amerika queer und trans zu sein. (Es ist eine kraftvolle, mitreißende Hymne, die vor Schmerz nicht zurückschreckt - und trotzdem Lust macht, wie Claud in dem Titel singt, die ,Biere in die Luft zu recken".) Als Claud den Song gemeinsam mit Heaven und DiRusso schrieb, waren sie fest davon überzeugt, dass es ein Yacht-Rock-Song werden sollte; das Demo klang letztendlich dennoch ,Lo-Fi und Indie". ,Me and the Music" wurde von Claud und John Congleton (Alvvays, St. Vincent) produziert und bedeutet für Claud, dass sich der Kreis schließt: Mit diesem Album hatte Claud endlich das Gefühl, als Produzent selbstbewusst genug zu sein, um die Rolle des Co-Produzenten zu übernehmen (und hat seitdem eine Reihe viraler Singles von Romy Mars produziert). Die Zusammenarbeit ist natürlich ein wesentlicher Bestandteil von Clauds Arbeit - wer wären wir ohne unsere Freunde? Neben Claud gehört er zu einem Viertel zu Shelly, einer Band, die er gemeinsam mit Clairo, Noa Getzug und Josh Mehling gegründet hat. Auf ,Me and the Music" arbeitet Claud bei dem Titel ,The Legend" erneut mit ihrem langjährigen Kollaborateur Dan Nigro (Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan) zusammen. Der Song thematisiert das Gefühl, tief in jemanden verliebt zu sein, der nicht mit einem gesehen werden möchte, sagt Claud: ,Es geht gewissermaßen um eine beschissene Beziehung und den Wunsch, die Liebe zur Schau zu stellen, ohne jedoch dazu in der Lage zu sein ", erklären sie. Doch wenn es auf ,Me and the Music" ein echtes Liebeslied gibt, dann ist es ,I Owe You", ein Dream-Pop-Road-Song, der hingebungsvoll und facettenreich ist. Er fängt den Geist von ,Me and the Music" als Ganzes ein: die Dinge Tag für Tag zu nehmen, Bilanz über das zu ziehen, was einen umgibt, und die schönen Dinge anzunehmen, wenn sie sich bieten. Das fühlt sich gar nicht so schwer an.

If you dig deep enough into the internet's lower depths, you'll find a shaky video shot on a camcorder. In 43 seconds, we see a makeshift drum kit built out of backyard Ostbahnhof trash, hear distorted vocals, and feel the anarchic energy of band and ravers dissolving into each other. It's now been twenty years since Bonaparte played their very first show at the legendary Bar25 on Berlin's Spree river. The ringmaster of this unhinged musical theater was Tobias Jundt then, and it's Jundt again now bringing the Bonaparte extravaganza back to the stage. New and nostalgic sit close together when the party's been going this long. Or, as they put it: "PARADISE IF YOU CAN STAND IT."

From late October through mid-November, Bonaparte will tour Germany, Austria, and Jundt's native Switzerland at full intensity, the full lineup - band to burlesque. Since their 2006 debut through their supposed farewell in 2019, Bonaparte played over 800 shows in 28 countries. Bottom line: "Too Much" isn't enough to properly celebrate a body of work like this. And the new songs from "PARADISE IF YOU CAN STAND IT" are far too significant not to bring to the stage. The lo-fi trash-punk of Bonaparte's earliest records has been built out with added layers, in production (largely alongside British avant-garde electronic artist HELiX) and in the songwriting itself.

The world certainly hasn't gotten any simpler since 2006. Tracks like "EVERYBODY PRESiDENT," loosely riffing on Zoe Leonard's poem "I Want A Dyke For President," and the corrosive "BRAiN ROT" mirror the social chaos we find ourselves in 2026. "OBEY (THERE iS STiLL A RiOT GOiNG ON)" is just as furious, though here the principle of hope still holds, as a multigenerational choir concludes "everything will be okay." Jundt speaks across generations again on "i LOVE YOU (MORE LATER)," dedicated in equal measure to his parents and his daughters: "Let the echo chamber bleed - from here into eternity."

The reconciliation and hope Bonaparte allows for and tends to, amid violence and all that noise, make "PARADISE IF YOU CAN STAND IT" a singular document of an artist grown wiser. Separation and grief don't cancel out love and vitality - they depend on each other. Ultimately, the album is a record of searching for and finding a home. To arrive, you have to let go.

And what better place to let go than in step with Bonaparte's wild, hedonistic party circus, finally back to gently terrorize our cities?

Willkommen zurück, The Charities eine süße, Soul-begeisterte 5-köpfige Band aus dem sonnigen Kalifornien. Sie sind mit ihrer zweiten 45er wieder bei Colemine vertreten, und es wird noch viel mehr folgen. Die A-Seite, Movin' on", ist ein Song, der von Anthony Masino, einem guten Freund der Band und Produzenten, geschrieben wurde. Der Song wurde bei Penrose Recorders in Riverside, Kalifornien, aufgenommen und abgemischt und ist ein echter Trennungs-Klassiker. Voller Soul ist er eine schonungslose Reflexion über die Entscheidungen im Leben. Ein kraftvoller Song, der direkt auf den Punkt kommt; klanglich sowohl traurig als auch triumphierend. Auf der B-Seite ist I'm Still Learning How". Stark inspiriert von vielen großartigen Songs der 60er Jahre mit zweistimmigen Harmonien, drückt der Song aus, dass Liebe ein Lernprozess ist. Nur weil es anfangs nicht klappt, heißt das nicht, dass man nicht wachsen und lernen kann.

Function has long since cemented his legacy in the underground world but it's always worth reminding yourself where an artist's story began. In David Summer's case, that's with this EP, which dropped on Damon Wild's Synewave, who now reissue it in full, 30 years on. It's an impressively fully-formed sound for a debut: 'F1' is a jacked-up techno rhythm with a fat bassline and frazzled synths that bring it to life. 'F2' is a more experimental and beatless piece with modular pulses, echoing frequencies and decaying sine waves then 'F3 rides a dreamy dub rhythm that undulates gently amid some gorgeous sustained pads that recall Thebes of Detroit. 'F4' comes with more Millsian-style minimal that fires up your brain.

Tokyo Riddim Band continue their journey striding across times and cultures, this time with their colourful keyboardist and frontwoman Mimi Kobayashi breathing new life into a song she originally penned in 1981. ‘Lazy Love’ first featured on Mimi’s highly sought after Coconuts High LP, which she recorded in LA recruiting top session players to play alongside her. It was also included in Time Capsule’s 2024 compilation of Japanese reggae - Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985.

This soulful pop tune turned deep dub cut retains the romantic charm of the original, whilst the tasteful performances of the Tokyo Riddim Band and Ras Tavaris combined with Prince Fatty’s studio magic give the song a newly found depth.

London based Tokyo Riddim Band is a unique fusion of cultures, bringing together the vibrant energy of three generations of Japanese female musicians with the eclectic sounds of London. Their dynamic performances blend reggae drums, funky bass lines, and the smooth City Pop guitar, all magically dubbed-out live on stage. This is not just music; it's a cultural phenomenon, offering a fresh and exciting take on the reggae scene.

Psyché is an eclectic project rooted in the Neapolitan music scene. Conceived in 2018, the project includes Marcello Giannini (Nu Genea Live Band, Guru, Bassolino, La Famiglia), Andrea De Fazio (Nu Genea Live Band, Parbleu, The Funkin Machine), and Paolo Petrella (Nu Genea Live Band, Fratelli Malibu). They were recently joined by Roberto Porzio (Parbleu, Fitness Forever, 24 Grana, The Funkin Machine).

"Hurriya (We Must Resist)" is a sonic bridge crossing the Mare Nostrum, connecting the shores of Naples and Tunisia.

At the heart of this fusion is the voice and soul of Tunisian musician Ziad Trabelsi, whose Arab roots intertwine with the psychedelic, Mediterranean sound of Psyché.

In this track, Afrobeat and Arabic sonorities meet to create a hypnotic journey, one where Ziad's oud weaves an evocative groove that gallops like horses in the desert.

The song carries the echo of the ancient dominations and cultural exchanges that have shaped Naples—a millennia-old crossroads of civilization—where traces of Arab and North African influences continue to resonate in its streets and, most notably, in its music.

"Hurriya"—the Arabic word for freedom—is an anthem of resistance and resilience, a dialogue between East and West that dissolves the rigid boundaries of geography and politics. It is a collective song for the freedom of all peoples, against oppression, abuse, and injustice everywhere in the world. As Psyché emphasize: "Even if life tests us severely, and we often feel like giving up in the face of injustice, we must resist. We must refuse to disappear."

The single is available digitally and physically, on January 23rd, as a 7" vinyl. The B-side of the physical release includes an exclusive, extended version of "Hurriya (We Must Resist)", available only in this format.

Info Deutsch:

Nach „EBM“ aus dem Jahr 2022, einer Zusammenarbeit mit dem Elektronik-Produzenten Benjamin John Power alias Blanck Mass, haben Editors auf „Surface, Echo & Sound“ völlig neue Wege eingeschlagen. Als sich die Band im Sommer 2025 wieder zusammenfand, um an einem Nachfolger zu arbeiten – nachdem die drei vorangegangenen Alben weitgehend als Studio-Projekte geschrieben und aufgenommen worden waren –, hatten die Editors das Bedürfnis, zu einem natürlicheren Ansatz zurückzukehren, der an ihre Anfänge erinnerte: als sie in einem Proberaum in Stafford saßen und sich gegenseitig gegenüberstanden, während sie gemeinsam an den Songs arbeiteten.



Ähnlich wie bei seinem letztjährigen Soloalbum „There is Nothing In The Dark That Isn’t There In The Light“ verfolgte Frontmann Tom Smith auch bei dem neuen Material der Editors einen ähnlich reduzierten, akustikbasierten Ansatz: Er brachte eine Auswahl an Songs zur Band, damit sie diese gemeinsam spielen konnten, probierte verschiedene Dinge aus und schaute, wohin die Reise ging. Was die Entstehung des Albums angeht, „war es ein sehr produktiver Sommer“, sagt Smith. „Die Sonne schien die meiste Zeit, wir waren im grünen Gloucestershire, nicht weit von meinem Wohnort entfernt, in diesem unscheinbaren kleinen Gewerbegebiet – es war so ziemlich das Gegenteil von Berghain!“

„Surface, Echo & Sound“ ist als LP, Ltd. Col.LP CD und digital über Play It Again Sam erhältlich.



Info Englisch:

Following on from 2022’s EBM, a collaboration with electronic producer Benjamin John Power, aka Blanck Mass, on Surface, Echo & Sound, Editors have found themselves somewhere new entirely. When the band regrouped in summer 2025 to work on a follow-up, after three albums written and recorded very much as in-the-studio projects, Editors felt they wanted to go back to a more natural approach, something that harked back to their earliest days, sat in a practice room in Stafford, facing each other as they worked through songs together.



Like on last year’s solo record There is Nothing In The Dark That Isn’t There In The Light, frontman Tom Smith took a similar stripped back, acoustic-based approach to the new Editors material, bringing a selection of songs to the band for them to play together, trying different things out, and seeing where they went. In terms of creating the record, “It was a very productive summer,” says Smith. “The sun was out for the most part, we were in greenest Gloucestershire, not far from where I live, on this innocuous little industrial estate – it was pretty much the opposite of being in Berghain!”



Surface, Echo & Sound is available on LP, Ltd. Col. LP and CD & Digital via Play It Again Sam.

Info Deutsch:

Nach „EBM“ aus dem Jahr 2022, einer Zusammenarbeit mit dem Elektronik-Produzenten Benjamin John Power alias Blanck Mass, haben Editors auf „Surface, Echo & Sound“ völlig neue Wege eingeschlagen. Als sich die Band im Sommer 2025 wieder zusammenfand, um an einem Nachfolger zu arbeiten – nachdem die drei vorangegangenen Alben weitgehend als Studio-Projekte geschrieben und aufgenommen worden waren –, hatten die Editors das Bedürfnis, zu einem natürlicheren Ansatz zurückzukehren, der an ihre Anfänge erinnerte: als sie in einem Proberaum in Stafford saßen und sich gegenseitig gegenüberstanden, während sie gemeinsam an den Songs arbeiteten.



Ähnlich wie bei seinem letztjährigen Soloalbum „There is Nothing In The Dark That Isn’t There In The Light“ verfolgte Frontmann Tom Smith auch bei dem neuen Material der Editors einen ähnlich reduzierten, akustikbasierten Ansatz: Er brachte eine Auswahl an Songs zur Band, damit sie diese gemeinsam spielen konnten, probierte verschiedene Dinge aus und schaute, wohin die Reise ging. Was die Entstehung des Albums angeht, „war es ein sehr produktiver Sommer“, sagt Smith. „Die Sonne schien die meiste Zeit, wir waren im grünen Gloucestershire, nicht weit von meinem Wohnort entfernt, in diesem unscheinbaren kleinen Gewerbegebiet – es war so ziemlich das Gegenteil von Berghain!“

„Surface, Echo & Sound“ ist als LP, Ltd. Col.LP CD und digital über Play It Again Sam erhältlich.



Info Englisch:

Following on from 2022’s EBM, a collaboration with electronic producer Benjamin John Power, aka Blanck Mass, on Surface, Echo & Sound, Editors have found themselves somewhere new entirely. When the band regrouped in summer 2025 to work on a follow-up, after three albums written and recorded very much as in-the-studio projects, Editors felt they wanted to go back to a more natural approach, something that harked back to their earliest days, sat in a practice room in Stafford, facing each other as they worked through songs together.



Like on last year’s solo record There is Nothing In The Dark That Isn’t There In The Light, frontman Tom Smith took a similar stripped back, acoustic-based approach to the new Editors material, bringing a selection of songs to the band for them to play together, trying different things out, and seeing where they went. In terms of creating the record, “It was a very productive summer,” says Smith. “The sun was out for the most part, we were in greenest Gloucestershire, not far from where I live, on this innocuous little industrial estate – it was pretty much the opposite of being in Berghain!”



Surface, Echo & Sound is available on LP, Ltd. Col. LP and CD & Digital via Play It Again Sam.

There's a tendency in metal to mistake aggression for honesty, volume for depth. To confuse the performance of darkness with its actual weight. Hidden Fires Burn Hottest, the new album from San Francisco-based post-black metal band Bosse-de-Nage, sidesteps this entirely. It’s the group’s most fully realized work yet, precisely because it refuses to be pinned down.

Bosse-de-Nage have been working with The Flenser for over fifteen years. They were one of the first bands the label ever partnered with and have the longest active relationship in the label's history. But unlike most bands who build momentum through constant touring and visibility, Bosse-de-Nage has largely existed apart from the music world's usual machinery. They've evolved on their own terms, in relative isolation, allowing the work to develop without outside pressure or influence. What began rooted in black metal anonymity has mutated into something that actively defies categorization. The aggression is still there, but it's no longer the point. Hidden Fires Burn Hottest finds the band treating emotions like physical objects, feelings with spatial properties. “No Such Place"" describes a space that can't exist but does anyway, somewhere between thought and location. ""Immortality Project"" examines infinite possibility not as promise but as problem, endless options collapsing under their own weight. These songs don't use metaphor to describe emotion. They make emotion into something you could theoretically touch.
Tracked by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Oathbreaker) at Atomic Garden East and mixed and mastered by Richard Chowenhill of Agriculture, Hidden Fires Burn Hottest was years in development, with some tracks beginning in 2018.

The long writing process offered time that most records don't get. Time to live with ideas, revise endlessly, to let structures settle. For the first time, lyricist Bryan Manning wrote everything in advance, creating a surplus to pull from rather than working under deadline pressure. The difference shows.
Coming off Further Still, an album built on constraint and economy, Bosse-de-Nage sought the opposite: sprawl, strangeness, fewer rules. Space for ideas to develop without rushing them. Dynamics that move through quiet as much as noise. Presence earned through atmosphere instead of volume. The record even includes ""Mementos,"" which might be considered the first love song the band has ever written.

Nothing here coheres into a theme. These are pieces pulled from low moments and private feelings made public through sound. The band has never been interested in positivity, in music that resolves cleanly or offers comfort. But bleakness doesn't mean humorlessness. There's something darkly funny running through much of it, even when it shouldn't be.
Hidden Fires Burn Hottest doesn't explain itself. It just insists: what you feel is as real as what you can see."

Kalita presents the fourth and final instalment of their groundbreaking ‘Borga Revolution!’ series, uncovering another selection of essential recordings from the rich and far-reaching world of Ghanaian highlife. Spanning deep, hypnotic highlife through to the vibrant electronic productions of 1980s Burger Highlife, Volume 4 captures a period of extraordinary musical change, as Ghanaian artists absorbed influences from funk, disco, boogie, and new synthesizer technology. With previous volumes championed by tastemakers including Gilles Peterson, Antal, Tom Ravenscroft, and Hunee, this final chapter turns its attention once again to the music of the Ghanaian diaspora.

Volume 4 brings together rare recordings from artists such as Rex Omar, Nat Fredua, and CST Amankwah, alongside the elusive, deeply hypnotic and beautiful sounds of the Abibifo Dance Band of Ghana (led by the legendary bassist Ralph Karikari) and Baffour Kyei. Unearthing recordings that have languished in obscurity for over forty years, the compilation moves between deep highlife, rhythmic dancefloor cuts, and pioneering digital productions, revealing yet more musical ingenuity of Ghanaian artists both home and abroad. The final instalment in the ‘Borga Revolution!’ series, it offers another vital collection of forgotten favourites and hidden treasures for DJs, collectors, and anyone drawn to the endlessly inventive sounds of Ghanaian music.

The 1970s and 80s saw Ghanaian musicians begin to incorporate Western sounds like funk and disco into their music, reflecting the changing global musical landscape. However, the country's political instability and economic hardships, marked by military regimes and curfews, forced many artists to leave Ghana in search of better opportunities abroad. In Europe and the U.S., these musicians fused their traditional highlife roots with emerging digital sounds, using cutting-edge technology like the DX7 synthesizer and drum machines to create the genre now known as Burger Highlife.

With ‘Borga Revolution!’ Kalita offers a vivid exposition of this musical transformation, using rare interviews, archival photos, and detailed liner notes to bring to life the pioneering spirit of both well-known icons and unsung innovators of Ghanaian Highlife, one of West Africa’s most exciting musical movements.

· The final installment in Kalita's 'Borga Revolution!' series, examining the development of Ghanaian dance music in the 1970/80s, and focussing on the phenomenon of Burger highlife (a blend of Ghanaian highlife with disco, boogie and synths).

· 2xLP in gatefold sleeve, with printed inner sleeves examining the stories of the artists featured on the volume.

· Includes 10 highly sought-after and under-the-radar recordings, including those by the phenomenal Rex Omar, Nat Fredua, CST Amankwah, Baffour Kyei, Chief Kofi Sammy, and the Abibifo Dance Band of Ghana.

Aaron Dilloway kehrt mit ,No Skill Comedy Mind Reading" zu Dais Records zurück - seinem ersten echten Album in voller Länge seit 2017, einer Sammlung von typisch verstörendem, absurdem Material. Geprägt von seinen typischen Verzerrungen und Verformungen - von Feedback umhüllte Fundstücke, Feldaufnahmen und Gesangsimprovisationen - versammelt ,No Skill" fast ein Jahrzehnt ausgewählter Soloarbeiten und wirkt dennoch ganz und gar zeitgemäß: ein sprunghaftes Produkt der Unbeständigkeit, zugleich hart und humorvoll. Nur wenige zeitgenössische Experimental-Künstler des letzten Vierteljahrhunderts sind so produktiv und verehrt wie Dilloway, ein Pionier der amerikanischen Noise-Szene im Mittleren Westen, ehemaliges Mitglied von Wolf Eyes und Gründer des in Oberlin ansässigen Labels und Plattenladens Hanson Records. Doch trotz seines immensen Gesamtwerks hat er nur zwei richtige Solo-LPs veröffentlicht, neben einer regelmäßigeren Produktion von Kassettenveröffentlichungen und Kollaborationsprojekten. Mit ,No Skill" vollendet er nun eine vieldeutige Albumtrilogie, die mit seinem wegweisenden Werk ,Modern Jester" aus dem Jahr 2012 begann. ,Ich habe fast das Gefühl, dass sie irgendwie Teil eines Ganzen sind. Alle drei Alben versuchen, in den schlimmstmöglichen Situationen Humor zu finden. Je nachdem, wer zuhört und wie die jeweilige Einstellung ist, könnten sie als lustig oder einfach nur als grauenhafte, schreckliche Alben empfunden werden." Halb im Ernst fährt Dilloway fort: ,Für mich ist dieses hier das Ergebnis von, na ja, verkorksten Sachen: psychische Erkrankungen, Medikamente, Scheidung, komischer Scheiß. Das Eintauchen in seltsame Dinge fasziniert mich immer auf die eine oder andere Weise." Neben den bereits erwähnten Einflüssen aus der menschlichen Erfahrung greift ,No Skill" auf verschiedene technische und ästhetische Kuriositäten zurück: das methodische Sounddesign von Alvin Lucier, Andy Milligans Low-Budget-Kult-Horrorfilm ,The Weirdo" aus dem Jahr 1989 und die pop-exzentrische Art des Filmkomponisten Hugo Montenegro. Dilloway stieß bei einer Lagerraumversteigerung auf dessen skurrile Habseligkeiten, darunter Notizen zu den frühen elektronischen Experimenten des Komponisten. Einige der beunruhigendsten Momente des Albums, wie das Lachen, das ,Bring Me The Head Of The Unknown Comic" heimsucht - klanglich eine Anspielung auf die Avantgarde-Größen Nurse with Wound und thematisch auf den Komiker aus den 1970er Jahren mit der Papiertüte über dem Kopf -, lassen sich auf den Einfluss dieses wahrhaft ungewöhnlichen Fundes zurückführen. ,No Skill" knüpft zudem an Dilloways jüngste künstlerische Ausflüge an: seine Umsetzung von John Cages 88-Band-Loop ,Rozart Mix"; die Originalmusik für ,The Absence of Milk In The Mouths of the Lost"; Gemeinschaftsalben mit Lucrecia Dalt (Lucy & Aaron) sowie Kim Gordon & Bill Nace (Body/Dilloway/Head). Während er an diesen und anderen Projekten arbeitete, legte er in Gedanken einen Ordner für sein nächstes Dais-Album an und sammelte Aufnahmen, die zu einer ziemlich vagen Vision passten. ,Dieses Album hat mich irgendwie völlig in Beschlag genommen, seit ich ,The Gag File` 2017 fertiggestellt habe. Zuerst dachte ich, es würde eher ein Pop-Album werden, aber dann hat mir das Lucrecia-Projekt diese Idee irgendwie aus dem Kopf getrieben. Es begann, eher wie meine Live-Sets zu fließen." Er entschied sich für eine Abfolge, die den Hörer ein wenig im Ungewissen lässt - ob erschrocken, amüsiert oder verwirrt; der Effekt soll absichtlich den Eindruck erwecken, dass etwas kaputt ist. Das Album beginnt mit schrillen Kreischen, bevor es in Drone-Passagen eintaucht, die durch zwei aneinander geriebene nepalesische Sarangi-Bögen entstehen, begleitet vom ersten Auftauchen seiner ogerartigen stimmlichen Präsenz. Anschließend werden mehrere Minuten von weißem Rauschen verschluckt (,Forced Auctioneer"). Dilloway verweist auf The Weirdos seltsamen Einsatz ausgedehnter Übergänge mit schwarzem Raum und seine lebenslange Liebe zum Bandrauschen. Er bekam Kassetten von älteren Kindern und hörte diese Geräusche als Teil der Songs, nur um später zu erfahren, dass es sich um klangliche Artefakte handelte, die von Generationen des Kopierens auf Kassette übrig geblieben waren. ,Ich stehe total auf die Idee, all diese Schichten aufzubauen und sie in etwas anderes zu verwandeln. Wenn ich zum Beispiel live spiele, kann es rauer zugehen als bei meiner aufgenommenen Musik, und dafür wollte ich genau dieses Gefühl einfangen - dass diese Ausbrüche laut sind, aber ein bisschen gedämpfter. Dieser totale Rauschklang, fast so, als wärst du unter Wasser." Dilloway sammelt Tonpoesie-Platten, und obwohl er seine eigene Arbeit nicht gerne in dieses Genre einordnet, spricht die Absurdität dieses Handwerks - die Verwendung von phonetischen Lauten und nonverbalen Geräuschen als Ersatz für traditionelle semantische Bedeutung - durch sein Werk. Auf ,Possession Audition Tape" liest er verschiedene Passagen aus einem Buch vor, das von einer französischen religiösen Gruppe aus dem 18. Jahrhundert handelt, die zu öffentlichen Unruhen neigte, und schneidet diese digital auseinander, wodurch er im Mix seine eigenen, echoartigen Stotterausbrüche erzeugt. ,No Skill Comedy Mind Reading" endet mit einem Stück aus Synthesizer und Orgel-Rhythmusmaschine, das auf Musik basiert, die er für den Film ,Supporting Actor" von Pieter Schoolwerth und Phil Vanderhyden komponiert hat - in dem ein Avatar von Dilloway in ein Portal gezogen wird. Dort trifft er in einem fantastischen Club auf posthumane Wesen. Die Szene, die sich irgendwie auf Audio übertragen lässt, versetzt das Set in einen passend verwirrenden Traumzustand. Ein Star der Noise-Musik, ein moderner Hofnarr, der aus dem Unbekannten berichtet.

Als genreübergreifende Meister des Stoner Metal präsentiert sich die neueste Besetzung von Sleep mit Gründungsmitglied und Hauptsongwriter Al Cisneros, der nun gemeinsam mit dem Ausnahmetalent Dale Crover (Melvins, Redd Kross) am Schlagzeug und dem ikonoklastischen Bubba Dupree (Void) an der Gitarre. Während einfachere Geister vielleicht die Redundanz einer monotonen, sich wiederholenden Übung suchen, ist der Fahrplan des neuen Albums ,Hempispheres" eine explorative Vision, die Überladung durch Nuancen und Subtilität ersetzt und dennoch das Zusammenspiel bewahrt, das die Band von Anfang an so besonders gemacht hat. Während also in den Diskussionen auf Foren und in den Kommentarbereichen das einvernehmliche Ausscheiden des langjährigen Gitarristen Matt Pike beklagt wird, werden echte Fans, Visionäre und aufgeschlossene Wahrheitssuchende gleichermaßen belohnt - nicht mit dem Sleep-Album , das sie erwartet oder erhofft hatten, sondern mit ,Hempispheres" als dem Album, das gerade gebraucht wird.