Melcure presents its eleventh release. Designed and produced by the head behind many aliases. We refer to Felipe Valenzuela and the thousand sonorous paths that the label's creator has taken lately.
"A year of fury" is the title he has decided for this EP. A special moment in his life, where time was relative, and hours were instances to discover the most neuralgic part of his sound design. During this period, and in a surrealistic context, Felipe recorded countless audios. This compilation is a small sample of what happened during this enigmatic stage of his life, and the final selection, a summary of what he considers most representative for him and Melcure.
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Maurice Fulton's outrageous remix of "The Fall" by Rhye has been cherished as a stone-cold masterpiece for the past decade. Out of print almost immediately, its legend has only grown and for too long it's been impossible to find a copy without parting with considerable cash. We've wanted to remedy this situation for years so we're delighted to announce that we've finally given it the Be With treatment.
The word ‘genius’ is bandied about liberally but it's fair to anoint Maurice Fulton with such lofty praise. Sheffield’s king of oddball disco, Fulton is one of our favourite artists, an outerspace-minded producer with roots in Baltimore club music who has no problem injecting dank interplanetary funk into the smoothest of acts. And so it goes with his remix of "The Fall". Rich and typically off-kilter, this is spellbinding disco par excellance. Fulton arms the track with a juddering electro-funk synth-bassline before shifting to a twanging disco reverb and conga-led, crash-cymbal-elevated groove.
Essential doesn't even cover it; it's just astonishingly good.
The gorgeous original, situated here on the flip, is a sublime serenade, all twinkling strings and sweet, sumptuous vocals over smooth, jazzy piano styles. It earned comparisons to Sade, Air and the xx upon initial release and it's still easy to understand why; it's warm and buoyant yet deeply melancholy. Elegantly downlifting, you could say.
Simon Francis remastered the original audio for both tracks and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this 12" well and truly slaps. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure this incredibly sought-after masterpiece finds a home in many more DJ boxes this and every year.
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Die Grammy®-Preisträger High on Fire liefern mit ihrem dynamischen Sound, der Sludge, Doom und Thrash Metal miteinander verbindet, ein
elektrisierendes Erlebnis. Tauche ein in eine klangliche Reise, während Musik Grenzen überschreitet und eine schwere und intensive Atmosphäre erzeugt. Ihre neueste Single Burning Down" unterstreicht die rohe Kraft ihres unverkennbaren Stils mit unerbittlichen Riffs und donnernden Beats.
Mit High on Fire begeben sich die Fans auf eine abenteuerliche Reise durch die Tiefen des Metals, bei der jede Note eine feurige eidenschaft für das Genre entfacht. Schalte ein und lass die lodernde Energie von "Burning Down" einen unauslöschlichen Eindruck in deiner Metal-Playlist hinterlassen.
FOLTERKAMMER bietet ein Klangerlebnis, wie man es noch nie zuvor gehört hat. Das New Yorker-schweizerisch-französische Ensemble verschmilzt gekonnt Elemente von Barockmusik, Black Metal, Oper, Jazz und Klassik zu einer fesselnden und zugleich verstörenden Mischung. Ihr Century Media-Debüt "Weibermacht", ein Begriff, der von Sängerin Andromeda Anarchia mit oktavierendem Geschick als "Bitch Power" übersetzt wurde, taucht sofort ins Provokative ein und sprengt schon beim ersten Stück "Anno Domina" die Grenzen. Der komplett auf Deutsch gesungene Song leitet einen 45-minütigen thematischen Abstecher in die Tiefen des BDSM ein, wo Schmerz und Lust miteinander verschmelzen. Dieser Ausflug ins Tabu ist keine Überraschung, denn zur Band gehört auch der IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT-Gitarrist Zachary Ezrin, und das Album bietet ein wirklich verstörendes Covermotiv des bekannten Künstlers Eliran Kantor (Immolation, Heaven Shall Burn). Unbehagliches Zuhören hat sich noch nie so gut angefühlt.
Ein bahnbrechendes Amalgam aus aufzugfreundlichem R&B und Synthesizer-lastigem Smooth Jazz. Tony Palkovics Debüt aus dem Jahr 1986 geht so leicht runter wie ein Hauch von zahnärztlichem Lachgas. Die seidigen Grooves und Ausbrüche der Drum Machine 1.0 auf "Born With A Desire" bleiben als 80er-Jahre-Vision einer zukünftigen Erde bestehen, mit 8-Bit-Grafiken und pastellfarbene Paletten in einem Synthesizer-Shangri-La.
Ein bahnbrechendes Amalgam aus aufzugfreundlichem R&B und Synthesizer-lastigem Smooth Jazz. Tony Palkovics Debüt aus dem Jahr 1986 geht so leicht runter wie ein Hauch von zahnärztlichem Lachgas. Die seidigen Grooves und Ausbrüche der Drum Machine 1.0 auf "Born With A Desire" bleiben als 80er-Jahre-Vision einer zukünftigen Erde bestehen, mit 8-Bit-Grafiken und pastellfarbene Paletten in einem Synthesizer-Shangri-La.
LAKE's neues Album "Let's Build A Roof" KLP213 wurde von Nordwest Legende KARL BLAU produziert und ist süß, funky und nostalgisch - ein Inbegriff psychedelischen Pops. Das Vorgänger Album "Oh, The Places We'll Go" bestand aus leichteren, fröhlicheren Songs. Themen wie Wunder und Idealismus zeichneten aber bereits vor, in welche Richtung es beim nächsten Album gehen würde. "Let's Build A Roof" ist wie ein Reisebericht über die Plätze an denen die Band war, die Geschichten die sich da ergaben und die schönen und unschönen Erinnerungen, die aus ihnen hervorgingen. Eli Moore und Ashley Eriksson's strahlende Songwriting Chemie bildet die Grundlage für "Let's Build A Roof". Ihre Retro-Klimper Pop Ästhetik wird durch eine breite Instrumentierung (Synthesizer, Keyboards, Gitarren, Flöten und ausgewählte Percussion Instrumente) und wechselnde Tempi, die eine fragmentierende, kaleidoskopische Wirkung haben, ausgearbeitet. Jeder Track ist ein einzigartiges Juwel. Und ohne die wundersame und kindhafte Schönheit zu opfern, die LAKE in den letzten 4 Jahren ausgamacht hat, beweisen sie mit "Let's Build A Roof", dass Wundersames und Schönes nicht nur Kinderkram sind. Es ist LAKE's anspruchvollstes Werk bis jetzt.
Swedish synth-pop phenomenon Kite's second 7 inch since signing with Dais in 2023 finds the duo of Nicklas Stenemo and Christian Hutchinson Berg swinging for new heights of romantic desolation and baroque grandeur. They describe the A Side, "Losing," as a "six-minute empty call for emotional response." Stately piano and anguished voice reverberate in a vaulted hall, before gradually building into a widescreen anthem of synths, drums, and soaring vocals decrying the steady deadening of life and love: "It's deadly quiet in your old heart / Are you there? / I see dark skies on the rise / And daylight shows no remorse / And I realize it is my life / But It's losing all meaning." Swedish dark music icons Anna von Hausswolff and Henric de la Cour join the chorus as the song cascades towards an ominous horizon. The B Side, "Glassy Eyes," showcases Kite's mastery of somber, sweeping balladry. Hushed church organ elevates and anchors Stenemo's devastated confessional, swaying between resilience and defeat. The band describes the song as a reckoning with "the privileged and existential anxiety of drifting through life dispassionately," contrasted with "the yearning to connect profoundly with others and a desire for experiences that stir the soul before facing one's final moments." Like a hymn, the emotion thickens as it deepens, approaching both darkness and divinity: "Deep as I go, nothing to find / Oh catatonia, I won't cry / Nothing can grow, everything dies / Behind my glassy eyes."
Swedish synth-pop phenomenon Kite's second 7 inch since signing with Dais in 2023 finds the duo of Nicklas Stenemo and Christian Hutchinson Berg swinging for new heights of romantic desolation and baroque grandeur. They describe the A Side, "Losing," as a "six-minute empty call for emotional response." Stately piano and anguished voice reverberate in a vaulted hall, before gradually building into a widescreen anthem of synths, drums, and soaring vocals decrying the steady deadening of life and love: "It's deadly quiet in your old heart / Are you there? / I see dark skies on the rise / And daylight shows no remorse / And I realize it is my life / But It's losing all meaning." Swedish dark music icons Anna von Hausswolff and Henric de la Cour join the chorus as the song cascades towards an ominous horizon. The B Side, "Glassy Eyes," showcases Kite's mastery of somber, sweeping balladry. Hushed church organ elevates and anchors Stenemo's devastated confessional, swaying between resilience and defeat. The band describes the song as a reckoning with "the privileged and existential anxiety of drifting through life dispassionately," contrasted with "the yearning to connect profoundly with others and a desire for experiences that stir the soul before facing one's final moments." Like a hymn, the emotion thickens as it deepens, approaching both darkness and divinity: "Deep as I go, nothing to find / Oh catatonia, I won't cry / Nothing can grow, everything dies / Behind my glassy eyes."
New signing of the French label Happiness Therapy, rising Parisian producer Strandtuch unveils his debut vinyl EP "Want 2 Feel"
Drawing from an eclectic array of influences, the Parisian producer has meticulously crafted his signature style, which he aptly describes as Power House. Seamlessly fusing elements of House, Acid, Ghetto House, and Trance, his music transcends conventional genres.
His world is wide and rich, just as his live : full of energy and surprises.
"Want 2 Feel" is set to be released on March 22nd. This groundbreaking collection of tracks showcases the producer's unparalleled talent for blending nostalgic 90s sounds with innovative modern treatments. With an emphasis on dynamic tonalities, infectious melodies, and sophisticated rhythms, his new release on Happiness Therapy promises to be a must-have addition to any electronic music aficionado's collection.
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Hailing straight from the Canary Islands directly to your speakers, fresh talent Aniano is in charge of release number 11 on Tresydos. "I Can't Make Music Without You" is a four-track collection of modern house tunes, cross-sectioning the worlds of electro, house and breaks with confidence and character.
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Experience the rebirth of Jim Spencer's musical vision through Piya Malik's captivating rendition in Say She She's limited 45 rpm edition of `Wrap Myself Up'. Malik's artistry infuses fierce elegance into the original tune, honoring Spencer's legacy, with Spencer himself featured on the B-side.
Bruno Berle, the young songwriter and poet originally hailing from Maceió, the capital of Brazil’s Alagoas state, crafts songs that are simple, direct, and full of tender nuance. With his first album No Reino Dos Afetos (which translates to "In the Realm of Affections” and was released in 2022), Berle firmly established himself as a unique and important voice in the burgeoning scene of new Brazilian artists making a global impact, including peers like Ana Frango Elétrico, Tim Bernardes, Bala Desejo, Sessa and more. Now back with his second album, No Reino Dos Afetos 2, he stretches that further.
Bruno Berle’s music lives between two worlds – a traditional Brazilian folk talent steeped in history, and a contemporary, dreamy electronic pop; the result is songwriting that’s genre-bending, intentional, iconoclastic and consuming, spacious and sinewy and singular, a striking reflection of its composer while leaving space for the listener to settle in. The album follows Bruno’s relocation to São Paulo, and the songs are a reflection of his past and present. A rebuke of former categorizations of his work in Brazilian music scenes, and an idea of where his music can move, unfettered.
Berle’s music is purposeful in being a true portrait of himself, and a reflection of the music, art, and fashion scenes he personally moves through. Berle aims to provide an entrypoint for Black queer joy in his music, in his storytelling, in his presence and vision as a creative. For him, it feels subversive to be playing MPB laced with dubstep and lo-fi, a sort of intentional sacrilege, capturing a dialogue of modernity in traditional music.
Berle wrote most of the arrangements and co-produced his new album, Reino Dos Afetos 2 with longtime friend and musical partner Batata Boy, who is also from Maceió; the album was recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Maceió, and São Paulo, his new home, and picks up the conversation begun in 2022 on Berle’s debut album No Reino dos Afetos. Both records are the result of a nonlinear but coherent seven-year music creation process culminating in these albums, holding hands across space and time.
“Tirolirole,” the first single from the record, was released at the end of 2023; sun-soaked rhythms and soft voice coat the song, the lilting refrain of “Tirolirole” throughout – hushed, gentle, but somehow almost tactile, a golden-hour moment unlocked in the mind. “Tirolirole” is a triumphant future classic about the temporality of a blossoming love, with Bruno’s stunning vocal soaring over melodies which ebb and flow like the waters on the Atlantic shore. Of the track, Berle explains: “Despite ‘Tirolirole’ being an expression that evokes my childhood, just like the light words about nature, the harmony, and the poetry are epic, carrying a great hope for love.”
In fact, the guiding theme of No Reino dos Afetos 2 is a relationship, unfolding in the arc of a weekend. It traverses the innocence of an early young love, how that can be formative, can stretch on to take new shapes, or shape you. The album happens at the genesis of meeting someone and falling for them, before the relationship is thrown into overdrive – set in a big city, against a backdrop of major life changes, rising energy, the sound of São Paulo.
Something transcendental emerges in “Dizer Adeus,” with an arrangement that echoes a gospel atmosphere (evangelical and Catholic environments were pivotal to Berle’s upbringing). On “É Só Você Chegar,” piano and flute gracefully intertwine, a dance, while “Quando Penso” skews sparser, the voice-and-guitar minimalism somehow cultivating an entirely different shape – somehow both cozy and melancholy, with the background sound of a rainy day. Coupled with the lo-fi aspects that shape much of the album’s personality in the vocals and the production, No Reino Dos Afetos 2 is meticulously elaborated by Berle’s sonic alchemy, like on the mid-album instrumental “Sonho,” which feels like floating. “It’s the apex. It’s when lovers are sleeping together,” Berle explains of the feeling he wanted to encapsulate in the song.
On “Love Comes Back” Berle interprets Arthur Russell, the late Iowa musician who only reached greater visibility after he died in 1992. “His way of making music is similar to mine,” Berle explains. “He sings in a more fragile way, has more of an experimental way of recording, letting ‘chance’ appear in the final work.”
Even so, Berle doesn’t want his music to be buried in sentimentality – and the purposefulness of his craft serves as a sort of north star. The production, the arrangements, his restraint and intentionality in crafting his songs feel just as vital as their emotional cores. His songwriting is amorphous, fluid, an encompassing genre-bending movement in-and-of-itself, quietly daring. The songs are often in conversation with other works – drinking in fountains as diverse as the filmmaking of Ingmar Bergman, the poetry of Walt Whitman, the rhythm of Djavan, and the painting of Maxwell Alexandre. Musically he weaves together a rich tapestry of Brazilian folk, UK 2-step garage/dub, trip hop and sun soaked west coast songwriters; something akin to the worlds of Milton Nascimento, Arthur Russell, James Blake, Feist, and Sade colliding into one. But even then No Reino Dos Afetos 2 floats separately, a romanticism driven by a simplicity and intimacy, an open-ended possibility, Berle’s singularity as an artist at the helm of the ship.
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Demenz ist ein Dieb. Die bösartige Krankheit raubt ihren Opfern erst Stück für Stück ihr Gedächtnis, dann ihre Identität, schließlich Familie und Freunde - und oft genug sogar ihre Menschenwürde. Die in Los Angeles ansässigen Electro-Forscher THIEF nehmen auf ihrem vierten Album "Bleed, Memory" das Thema "Erinnerung" sowohl lyrisch als auch musikalisch unter die Lupe, was sich wie ein roter Faden durch das gesamte Album zieht. Der Kopf des Soloprojekts, Dylan Neal, wurde zu diesem Album durch das Schicksal seines Vaters inspiriert, der nach der Diagnose einer Demenz von leichter Vergesslichkeit und Verwirrung unaufhaltsam zu akuten Episoden von falschen Erinnerungen, Wahnvorstellungen, Visionen und seltsamem Verhalten überging. Das macht "Bleed, Memory" zu einer sehr persönlichen Schöpfung. Durch die harte Erfahrung begann Neal damit, erst seine eigenen Erinnerungen zu hinterfragen und dann mit der Erforschung, wie sie seine Identität und Realität formen. Erinnerung besteht nicht nur aus den Geschichten, die wir uns selbst und anderen erzählen. Neal vergleicht sie mit Geistern, die keine physische Existenz haben und dennoch unter denen Schrecken verbreiten, die an sie glauben. Das Rückgrat von THIEF bilden wieder einmal gesampelte sakrale Gesänge. Einige wurden beim Wühlen in digitalen Kisten gefunden und gesampelt, andere in verschiedenen orthodoxen Kirchen aufgenommen. Diese Samples wurden gedehnt, geschnitten, verstümmelt, umgeformt und gepitcht, um letztlich so wie jedes andere Instrument zu funktionieren. Neal hat "Bleed, Memory" bewusst so gestaltet, dass es gespenstisch klingt. Eine der Techniken, die er zur Erzielung dieses Effekts einsetzte, ist "Granular Synthesis". Der verstärkte Einsatz der Methode auf diesem Album bedeutet, dass Samples in kleine Audioschnipsel zerlegt wurden, die kaum mehr als 100 Millisekunden andauern. Dieser einzigartige Ansatz, der musikalische Elemente aus Ambient, Industrial, Chormusik, Black Metal und Trip-Hop sowie andere Einflüsse zu einem neuen Klangerlebnis verschmelzen lässt, hat THIEF unter Eingeweihten längst Kultstatus verschafft. Den Großteil des Albums hat Neal wieder einmal in seiner Wohnung aufgenommen und abgemischt. Für das Mastering konnte er erneut John Greenham gewinnen, der mit Künstlern von THE LOCUSTS über KATY PERRY bis hin zu DEATH GRIPS zusammengearbeitet hat und für sein Mastering für BILLIE EILISH im Jahr 2019 mit drei Grammy Awards ausgezeichnet wurde. Mit "Bleed, Memory" liefern THIEF eine verstörende und doch wunderschöne künstlerische Betrachtung eines grausamen Leidens, die gleichzeitig Emotionen wie Wut, Melancholie, Trauer und Verlust als lyrisches, musikalisches und visuelles Gesamtkunstwerk verarbeitet. Aber Vorsicht! Dieser Geist aus Klängen wird lange in der Erinnerung seiner Hörer spuken!
Medieval Steel wurden ursprünglich im Frühling 1982 in Memphis, Tennessee gegründet. Die Band trat in lokalen Clubs auf, bevor sie ihr eigenes Material zu schreiben begann (welches später mit Queensryche und Crimson Glory verglichen wurde).
"Sobald wir unsere Besetzung gefestigt hatten, intesivierten wir unsere Live-Aktivitäten", erklärt Sänger Bobby Franklin heute."Außerdem war uns klar, dass wir als nächsten Schritt unser eigenes Material komponieren mussten, um in diesem Geschäft Fuß fassen zu können."
Zwei weitere Jahre dauerte es, bis mit "Medieval Steel", "Warlods", "Battle Beyond The Stars" und "Echoes" die vier Songs für ihre heute legendäre Debüt-EP gefunden waren. "Als ich das Material geschrieben und aufgenommen hatte, konnte ich noch nicht ahnen, dass es einmal ein Eigenleben annehmen würde", meint Bobby Franklin. Und weiter: "Ich glaube, wir konnten unter zehn oder elf Stücken auswählen. Aus finanzielen Gründen nahmen wir kein vollständiges Album auf. Die Recordings an sich gingen schnell und problemlos über die Bühne. Wir haben zwei Wochen lang drei oder vier Stunden am Tag geübt, um bestmöglich vorbereitet zu sein. Zu jener Zeit waren wir alle noch junge Burschen und hatten reguläre Jobs. Wir waren uns sicher, dass unsere Musik das gewisse Etwas besaß."
Die besagte EP erschien 1984 über das in Memphis ansässige Label SUR Records, das auch ein eigenes Studio betrieb: "Sie hatten keine Metal-Bands unter Vertrag und haben überwiegend Country und Blues gemacht. Es war ein wirklicher Schock für sie, als wir angekommen sind. Aber es waren nette Leute, die uns gut behandelt haben. Jack Holder war der Tontechniker und Co-Produzent. Er spielte in einer Band namens Cobra und hat danach entschieden, Tontechniker zu werden, worin er sehr gut war. Ich glaube mich zu erinnern, dass 3.000 Vinyl-Exemplare sowie 1.000 Kassetten gefertigt wurden. Sofort nachdem man in Europa von der EP Wind bekommen hatte, war sie im Nu ausverkauft."
Medieval Steel arbeiten zurzeit an einem brandneuen Studioalbum!
Medieval Steel wurden ursprünglich im Frühling 1982 in Memphis, Tennessee gegründet. Die Band trat in lokalen Clubs auf, bevor sie ihr eigenes Material zu schreiben begann (welches später mit Queensryche und Crimson Glory verglichen wurde).
"Sobald wir unsere Besetzung gefestigt hatten, intesivierten wir unsere Live-Aktivitäten", erklärt Sänger Bobby Franklin heute."Außerdem war uns klar, dass wir als nächsten Schritt unser eigenes Material komponieren mussten, um in diesem Geschäft Fuß fassen zu können."
Zwei weitere Jahre dauerte es, bis mit "Medieval Steel", "Warlods", "Battle Beyond The Stars" und "Echoes" die vier Songs für ihre heute legendäre Debüt-EP gefunden waren. "Als ich das Material geschrieben und aufgenommen hatte, konnte ich noch nicht ahnen, dass es einmal ein Eigenleben annehmen würde", meint Bobby Franklin. Und weiter: "Ich glaube, wir konnten unter zehn oder elf Stücken auswählen. Aus finanzielen Gründen nahmen wir kein vollständiges Album auf. Die Recordings an sich gingen schnell und problemlos über die Bühne. Wir haben zwei Wochen lang drei oder vier Stunden am Tag geübt, um bestmöglich vorbereitet zu sein. Zu jener Zeit waren wir alle noch junge Burschen und hatten reguläre Jobs. Wir waren uns sicher, dass unsere Musik das gewisse Etwas besaß."
Die besagte EP erschien 1984 über das in Memphis ansässige Label SUR Records, das auch ein eigenes Studio betrieb: "Sie hatten keine Metal-Bands unter Vertrag und haben überwiegend Country und Blues gemacht. Es war ein wirklicher Schock für sie, als wir angekommen sind. Aber es waren nette Leute, die uns gut behandelt haben. Jack Holder war der Tontechniker und Co-Produzent. Er spielte in einer Band namens Cobra und hat danach entschieden, Tontechniker zu werden, worin er sehr gut war. Ich glaube mich zu erinnern, dass 3.000 Vinyl-Exemplare sowie 1.000 Kassetten gefertigt wurden. Sofort nachdem man in Europa von der EP Wind bekommen hatte, war sie im Nu ausverkauft."
Medieval Steel arbeiten zurzeit an einem brandneuen Studioalbum!
Medieval Steel wurden ursprünglich im Frühling 1982 in Memphis, Tennessee gegründet. Die Band trat in lokalen Clubs auf, bevor sie ihr eigenes Material zu schreiben begann (welches später mit Queensryche und Crimson Glory verglichen wurde).
"Sobald wir unsere Besetzung gefestigt hatten, intesivierten wir unsere Live-Aktivitäten", erklärt Sänger Bobby Franklin heute."Außerdem war uns klar, dass wir als nächsten Schritt unser eigenes Material komponieren mussten, um in diesem Geschäft Fuß fassen zu können."
Zwei weitere Jahre dauerte es, bis mit "Medieval Steel", "Warlods", "Battle Beyond The Stars" und "Echoes" die vier Songs für ihre heute legendäre Debüt-EP gefunden waren. "Als ich das Material geschrieben und aufgenommen hatte, konnte ich noch nicht ahnen, dass es einmal ein Eigenleben annehmen würde", meint Bobby Franklin. Und weiter: "Ich glaube, wir konnten unter zehn oder elf Stücken auswählen. Aus finanzielen Gründen nahmen wir kein vollständiges Album auf. Die Recordings an sich gingen schnell und problemlos über die Bühne. Wir haben zwei Wochen lang drei oder vier Stunden am Tag geübt, um bestmöglich vorbereitet zu sein. Zu jener Zeit waren wir alle noch junge Burschen und hatten reguläre Jobs. Wir waren uns sicher, dass unsere Musik das gewisse Etwas besaß."
Die besagte EP erschien 1984 über das in Memphis ansässige Label SUR Records, das auch ein eigenes Studio betrieb: "Sie hatten keine Metal-Bands unter Vertrag und haben überwiegend Country und Blues gemacht. Es war ein wirklicher Schock für sie, als wir angekommen sind. Aber es waren nette Leute, die uns gut behandelt haben. Jack Holder war der Tontechniker und Co-Produzent. Er spielte in einer Band namens Cobra und hat danach entschieden, Tontechniker zu werden, worin er sehr gut war. Ich glaube mich zu erinnern, dass 3.000 Vinyl-Exemplare sowie 1.000 Kassetten gefertigt wurden. Sofort nachdem man in Europa von der EP Wind bekommen hatte, war sie im Nu ausverkauft."
Medieval Steel arbeiten zurzeit an einem brandneuen Studioalbum!
In the ever-evolving landscape of the underground music scene, few bands have made an impact quite like Selofan, an immensely talented duo of Joanna Pavlidou and Dimitris Pavlidis, has carved a niche for themselves within the international pantheon of darkwave, post-punk, and '80s synthpop, blending these influences to create a sound uniquely their own. Their journey, marked by a commitment to artistic integrity and evolution, has taken them from the cozy confines of local venues to the grand stages of international festivals, earning them a dedicated following and critical acclaim along the way. Their sixth album, Partners in Hell, released in October 2020, navigated the band through unprecedented times, testing their adaptability and resilience. Despite the hurdles to performing live and the global pandemic's challenges, Selofan emerged stronger, embarking on international tours with a newfound appreciation and connection with their global audience, during this period of introspection and isolation, Joanna Pavlidou embarked on a new venture, GIOVANNA, released under Selofan’s house label, Fabrika Records. GIOVANNA, which places Pavlidou at the helm of vocal and lyrical composition, represents a full on foray into synth-pop. showcasing a different facet of her artistic identity, with lyrics entirely in Greek. In 2023, Selofan hit the circuit hard, lighting up revered festivals with their presence. They stood shoulder to shoulder with heavy hitters like Molchat Doma and Lebanon Hanover at Grey Scale and performed with with the likes of The Sisters of Mercy, VNV Nation, and She Past Away at the Death Disco fest in their hometown of Athens. With each album they have released Selofan made significant strides in their evolution, deepening their engagement with their art. And their forthcoming seventh full length studio release, Animal Mentality, is poised to be their most compelling work yet. Animal Mentality unfolds as a labyrinthine journey through the elemental aspects of human emotion and experience, set against the backdrop of Selofan's signature darkwave sound. Each track on the album delves into different facets of the human condition, from the depths of desire to the pangs of isolation, encapsulating the duo's profound understanding of the intricate spectrum of human emotion and subjective experiences. The album kicks off with "Sticky Fingers," a track that melds cinematic scope with a haunting storyline, reminiscent of Jean-Michel Jarre's icy synths and a lyrical nod to Joy Division. This opening salvo revisits the tragic allure of classic car accident songs, weaving a tale of joy turned to sorrow amidst the snowy Alps. "Love's Secret Game" delves into the depths of forbidden desire, with vocals that echo the melancholy timbre of Xmal Deutschland, Lebanon Hanover, and Nico. It's a tale of passion and ephemeral connection, promising an enduring presence despite the inevitable fracture of time and distance. In "Lucille," sung by Dimitris Pavlidis, the plot is ensnared in the machinations of a tempestuous affair, with gothic undertones evoking the dramatic soundscapes of Ultravox and Clan of Xymox. The lyrics are steeped in danger and desire - a dance with the shadows. "Sacrifice Me" plunges into the abyss of despair, driven by a Bauhaus-esque bassline. It's a plea for release from the chains of alienation, a yearning for a final gesture of solace in the face of overwhelming darkness. "Bluebirds" offers a poignant reflection on solitude, with the fleeting imagery of bluebirds symbolizing the elusive quest for happiness. The song serves as a meditation on the internal struggle to maintain hope in a world shaded by sorrow. The narrative shifts with "Glassplitter," where German lyrics paint a portrait of deceptive allure and toxic entanglement. We are confronted with irresistible danger, masked by a veneer of beauty. "Ignoranz" continues the exploration in German, pondering the universality of misunderstanding. It's a reflection on the subjective nature of truth and the shared human experience of ignorance. "Behind My Eyelids" closes the odyssey, a contemplation on melancholy and metamorphosis. The phoenix rises from the ashes of betrayal to the brighter realm of renewal - a beautiful homage to the resilience of the human spirit amidst the often harrowing cycles of life. More than just an album, Animal Mentality is a milestone in Selofan's career, marking a decade of musical innovation and growth. It's a testament to their enduring spirit and a bold step into new realms of artistic expression. As Selofan continues to evolve, they remain at the forefront of their genre, pushing boundaries and exploring the depths of the human psyche through their haunting melodies and poignant lyrics.
The eagerly awaited debut album from the London-based four-piece * At the forefront of the new generation of Black British guitar music with Big Joanie and Bob Vylan * Supporting Slowdive on their UK tour in February * Singles playlisted by BBC Radio 6 Music, Spotify and others Whitelands are Etienne, Jagun, Vanessa and Michael and they are ostensibly a shoegaze band ever since Etienne stumbled across Slowdive's KEXP session in his recommended videos on YouTube a few years ago. However, they come at the resurgent, Gen Z-soundtracking genre from a refreshingly different angle thanks to their mishmash of musical backgrounds. There's also the fact that their line-up is fully PoC in what is traditionally seen as a predominantly white genre. "There's an underlying narrative that it's OK for white men to be romantic, sensitive, emotional and make dreamy music and, by contrast, young Black men should be making angry music," says Vanessa. "We've all grown up with these stereotypes and therefore I think people are mystified when they see Whitelands." "I consume a lot of media," says Etienne of his wide range of influences. "Videogames, music, news, paintings, manga, animations and film are my go-to, especially anime. There is this drive to want to understand and feel the whole weight of an expression. So, the songs are based on other songs, pictures, aesthetics, 'vibes', an emotion someone else felt. Fundamentally, you are what you eat." As a result of this diet, the lyrics are stunning, dealing with everything from unbalanced relationships and vulnerability to depression, being diagnosed with ADHD and, on the new single 'Tell Me About It' (featuring vocals by Dottie from the band's Sonic Cathedral labelmates deary), trying to navigate love following that diagnosis. The album is bookended by two poetically political songs - 'Setting Sun' and 'Now Here's The Weather' - that deal with imperialism, racism and performative ignorance. "We've experienced tokenism, micro-behaviours, envy and resentment," concludes Vanessa. "So we feel we have to continually prove ourselves. We know we're making a positive impact, but I want Whitelands to really break some barriers."
Label mainstays Fouk just dropped the perfect dancefloor Bomb with ‘Mirage’ paired with a high-octane Elisa Bee remix
We all know Dutch duo Fouk from their soulful, bouncy take on house music. They’re also responsible for some of Heist’s biggest tracks like Kill Frenzy or their Lil Louis inspired 2021 release ‘Blue Steel’. On their new EP, the talented duo shows us a fresh side of their sound: the main-room hands-in-the-air-going-wild side. To top things off, Italian producer Elisa Bee made time in her busy schedule of DJ’ing and releasing for artists like Ben Sims on his Hardgroove imprint and Unknown to the Unknown to deliver a killer remix of the title track.
Fouk’s return to Heist after 3 years is a welcome one and with ‘Mirage’, they might just have given us their biggest house track in their decade spanning career. The track is built around a stuttering synth loop and a seductive female vocal chanting ‘What made you wanna…” The real star here is the bassline, which propels the track into a seriously infectious groove. Add some lush strings and moody changeovers and you’ve got yourself a full-blown dancefloor weapon. Mirage has been a staple in Dam Swindle’s sets for the past months and has been one of their set highlights ever since.
“Coffee” is one for the classic Fouk fans. It’s got lovely Rhodes, a joyous combination of whoo’s, snare-rolls and synth hits grooving on top of an infectious orchestral background loop. “Tapioca” is a hybrid latin-electronic groove that builds on punchy synths, live percussion and drunk keys to balance the energy of the track.
Elisa Bee’s remix of ‘Mirage’ is an intense percussive workout that builds on a breakbeat loop and a rave-bassline. The tempo is turned up a notch or 2 and that stutter synth and vocal of the original make this remix a wild warehouse affair.
Closing track of the EP is ‘Abalone’; A lovely bleep-house affair that still has a bit of that warehouse vibe. It’s got the perfect amount of distortion the drums while keeping things dreamy with some face-melting pads throughout the track.
As always, enjoy the music and play it loud!
Lars & Maarten
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LEACH. With three full length releases and one EP already under their belts, the Swedish Death’N’Rollers have certainly established LEACH in the Scandi music scene. They’ve redefined the internationally cherished Swedish sound by merging elements of the iconic Gothenburg scene with that special aggressiveness of northern hardcore, while mixing in a good measure of old-school Stockholm death. Defining attributes of their work are electrifying and exciting smash songs with groovy twists – picture a blood-thirsty, melody-hungry bastard child of Entombed and Exodus, two of the band’s biggest, long-lasting influences.
After releasing "The Return of The Rocking Dead" during the pandemic, Romano Nervoso, the godfather of Spaghetti-Rock, is back with a 5th album called "From Villarosa To Rotherham". This new opus is divided into two parts ... first Villarosa (the hometown of his sicilian origins) with 8 tracks sung in italian and then Rotherham (the english hometown of his wife's origins) with 6 tracks in english. Different from the previous record, Romano Nervoso decided to return to the origin of punk and what he loves most : short, direct, spontaneous and agressive songs. The latter was written and recorded in less than 4 weeks The official release of "From Villarosa To Rotherham" is scheduled for March 8 via the belgian label Mottowsoundz.
"From Villarosa to Rotherham" by Romano Nervoso includes the following tracks: "Non Ti Scordare Del Passato", "Invisibile/Invicibile", "Per Scaramanzia", "It's Halloween" and more.
toe is a Japanese music group long revered in post-rock circles, while their song structures and dynamics have taken on elements from all styles of music, ranging from math-rock, jazz, pop, and R&B. toe is composed of Kashikura Takashi on drums, Mino Takaaki on guitar, Yamane Satoshi on bass guitar, and Yamazaki Hirokazu on guitar. The band has formally played with this lineup since their inception in 1998. The vast majority of the music is instrumental and features the swift, agile drumming of Takashi. The band is also known for melodic, clean guitar, often employing the juxtaposition of electric and acoustic. While the compositions feature the repetition of typical rock motifs, the subtle changes in beat and rhythm form a unique rhythmic dialect. The band has consistently expanded their sound throughout their musical tenure by incorporating singing, rhodes piano, mallet percussion, and electronic production elements.
This release comes with a Poster & Insert & Sticker & Download Code.
The vinyl is pressed as a colour in colour, green & yellow disc.
toe is a Japanese music group long revered in post-rock circles, while their song structures and dynamics have taken on elements from all styles of music, ranging from math-rock, jazz, pop, and R&B. toe is composed of Kashikura Takashi on drums, Mino Takaaki on guitar, Yamane Satoshi on bass guitar, and Yamazaki Hirokazu on guitar. The band has formally played with this lineup since their inception in 1998. The vast majority of the music is instrumental and features the swift, agile drumming of Takashi. The band is also known for melodic, clean guitar, often employing the juxtaposition of electric and acoustic. While the compositions feature the repetition of typical rock motifs, the subtle changes in beat and rhythm form a unique rhythmic dialect. The band has consistently expanded their sound throughout their musical tenure by incorporating singing, rhodes piano, mallet percussion, and electronic production elements.
Old Pride is the debut full-length from Baltimore MD’s Pianos Become the Teeth. Atmospheric, relentless, and enrapturing, Old Pride represents a crucial moment in the history of punk and hardcore with its climactic and raw screamo passages strung together with unpredictable structure and elements of post-rock. Songs barrel through seemingly endless reconfigurations of intense composition: flurries of breakdowns, melodic build-ups, and angular blasts might leave you unsure of what’s to come, but there’s a coherence in the sustained ferocity and clever musicianship. Although originally released in 2009, Old Pride remains a beacon of the screamo revival and the renaissance heralded by its release.
"Old Pride" by Pianos Become The Teeth includes the following tracks: "Sleepshaker", "Pensive", "Jess and Charlie" and more.
The vinyl is pressed as a forest green disc.
FIRST 100 ORDERS COME WITH A DOUGLAS DARE OMNI CONDOM, ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS**First Pressing on Limited Translucent Red Vinyl**British artist Douglas Dare announces the release of his fourth album Omni. Seen by Douglas himself as a bold rebirth and embrace of the electronic, Omni is all at once a throbbing, avant-garde, queer, dark and cinematic record imbued with a love of rave culture and sense of fearless storytelling that’s deeply evocative. Omni will be released on May 10 via Erased Tapes. To mark the announcement, Douglas today shares the first taster of the record with ‘Mouth To Mouth’, a pulsing, synth-laden track that begs to be played loud. ‘Mouth To Mouth’ sees a collaboration with label mate Daniel Brandt who appears on production duties, with beats supplied by Rival Consoles. Speaking on the track, Douglas says, “life, death, fate and orgies; this is the heartfelt club track I always wanted to write.” Since 2013, Douglas has blurred classical, chamber-pop, folk and avant-garde to dazzling effect, with a startling voice that can stop you in your tracks. It’s why he’s played with luminaries like Nils Frahm, Perfume Genius and Ólafur Arnalds, and was selected by David Lynch and The Cure’s Robert Smith for their respective cultural festivals in Manchester (MIF) and London (Meltdown). But Douglas’s fourth album, Omni, is a fresh awakening. Encouraged by Erased Tapes founder Robert Raths, he decided to step away from acoustic instruments, especially the piano he grew up playing, and swapped them for synths and drum machines. His new music has much in common with Arca and the late SOPHIE, two artists for whom self-expression meant liberation. “I got to hang out in the studio with her,” says Douglas of the latter musician, “the way she made music made a big impression on me.” And yet Omni is steeped in the kind of deft storytelling, sweeping strings, elegant contrasts and fairytale atmosphere that marks Douglas out as a crucial and singular voice. It’s not often you hear a strutting electro banger that could have been straight out of 90s Soho, with vocal loops inspired by US experimentalist Meredith Monk. For Douglas, Omni is about reconciling all those different sides of himself – the songwriter, the raver, the lover, the observer. It’s a hugely queer record: seductive, sexy, lusty, untethered from the genre binary. “It’s even got sailors on it!” laughs Douglas. “You don’t get more queer than that.
Growing up on the outskirts of Manchester, Daniella Lubasu feels that the city's strong indie rock legacy has had an "inevitable" impact on her Equally significant was the music of her Congolese heritage - with its upbeat rhythms, driving bass and intricate electric guitar riffs a constant presence in her childhood. It's in this intersection between the genres where Daniella grounds her sonic identity as DellaXOZ - one which has already garnered extensive love from Clara Amfo at Radio 1, early nods from The Guardian, The Line Of Best Fit, Clash and many more, and support slots with the likes of Beabadoobee, Spill Tab, Wallice, Two Door Cinema Club and Connie Constance. At age 13, armed with a cheap mic and free software from the internet, Daniella wrote and produced her first song, using music as an emotional outlet throughout her teenage years. The potential for music to shape mood is a recurring trait of Daniella's idols too. The clever wordplay and bravado of Nicki Minaj have emboldened her to channel her own "irreverent villain energy", the untethered chaos of La Tigre and Bikini Kill directly influenced her single 'AHH!!', and she is in awe of pop stars like Lana Del Rey and Lorde's ability to seamlessly shift emotions en masse. DellaXOZ is Daniella's real-time chronicle of expression and introspection, manifested via her own brand of glitchy, alt-pop-fecked indie rock. With her formative teenage years navigated during a global pandemic, it's little wonder that Daniella sets classic coming-of-age concerns to the backdrop of wider social issues and commentary. Her current ethos as DellaXOZ is to capture "the fleeting emotions and multi-dimensionality of the teenage experience", and she rejects the narrative of apathy and distraction misassigned to her generation, explaining "I think it's necessary to know what's going on in the world to not become distanced or ignorant. Current world issues like hate crimes, bans on safe abortion and poor gun control are things that I feel personally provoked to shed light on, and have already written some rage- y unreleased songs about." Currently studying for her A-levels, her lessons too expand the narratives within her songwriting. Drama classes led her to include references to Greek mythology in her tracks, where sociology galvanised her to pen her own "riot girl feminist song". It's exactly this kind of boldness and conviction to play with sounds and ideas that mark DellaXOZ as a key young creator in the next chapter of Manchester's musical tradition.
Das neue Flamingods-Album 'Head Of Pomegranate' wurde vom Grammy-gekrönten Produzenten Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Deerhunter, M.I.A.) aufgenommen. Die Londoner Band kreiert seit über einem Jahrzehnt unverwechselbare, genreübergreifende Musik. Das Durchdringen von Genres wie Psychedelia, New Wave, Electronica und Punk – oft innerhalb desselben Songs – ist ihre Spezialität, ebenso wie das Talent, Einflüsse aus dem einzigartigen kulturellen Erbe und die Liebe zum UK Rock'n Roll der 70er Jahre zu vermischen. Opener und erste Single 'Dreams (On The Strip)' geben mit stimmungsvollen Synths, düsteren Drum-Machines und dem euphorischen Refrain den Ton vor. Es ist eine neue Ära für die Band und sie möchte, dass wir dies von Anfang an wissen.
Das neue Flamingods-Album 'Head Of Pomegranate' wurde vom Grammy-gekrönten Produzenten Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Deerhunter, M.I.A.) aufgenommen. Die Londoner Band kreiert seit über einem Jahrzehnt unverwechselbare, genreübergreifende Musik. Das Durchdringen von Genres wie Psychedelia, New Wave, Electronica und Punk – oft innerhalb desselben Songs – ist ihre Spezialität, ebenso wie das Talent, Einflüsse aus dem einzigartigen kulturellen Erbe und die Liebe zum UK Rock'n Roll der 70er Jahre zu vermischen. Opener und erste Single 'Dreams (On The Strip)' geben mit stimmungsvollen Synths, düsteren Drum-Machines und dem euphorischen Refrain den Ton vor. Es ist eine neue Ära für die Band und sie möchte, dass wir dies von Anfang an wissen.
Falcos legendäres zweites Album" Junge Roemer" aus dem Jahr 1984 feiert eine Wiedergeburt mit der Veröffentlichung einer Deluxe Edition, die den Fans einen noch tieferen Einblick in das kühle und elegante Flair des Albums bietet, das den Zeitgeist der 80er Jahre perfekt einfängt. Remastered wurde das Album von Robert Ponger, der es 1984 auch produziert hatte. Die Deluxe Edition von Junge Roemer bietet nicht nur das ikonische Album selbst, sondern auch eine Fülle von Bonusmaterial, das Fans begeistern wird.
,somewhere in the nowhere, between cows and sheep, there's a little studio:"klingt als ob man den schrank aufmacht und einem fällt alles entgegen" (fortuna ehrenfeld) "sounds shit" (new york times) "nope" (bbc6) "i fucking love it!" (brian eno) "honestly?!" (meg white) "mind opening" (hans zimmer) "well done" (idles) bonny und clyde sind in ein, ja sie hören richtig, walisisch/oberösterreichisches indie-duo reinkarniert und plötzlich riecht hier alles wie reifenabrieb nach einem vollgas-start auf der straße richtung sonnenuntergang.an den drums wird hier schnell eine new sensation offenbar.tank girl, punkbraut, madonna, blumenmädchen.mit roher gewalt und einem einzigartigen stil ballert veva mit stampfenden beats den weg zum tresor frei, während tom lässig mit dem ellenbogen durchs regal geht und die erbeuteten juwelen in form von schmutzig geschliffenen britesquen songzeilen für die ewigkeit auf den pokertisch wirft.im haldern studio hat martin, sänger und mastermind von fortuna ehrenfeld, den beiden einen derart geschmackvollen noise appeal auf die leiber genagelt wie man in hierzulande nur (viel zu) selten hört." FALSE LEFTY stellt die punkwelt auf den kopf. sie brechen nicht nur optisch, sondern auch musikalisch jedes klischee. drei saiten, drei trommeln- mehr braucht das duo FALSE LEFTY nicht. die band bricht mit perfektionismus, reduziert sich von überflüssigem, lässt das unwichtige weg und setzt auf einen minimalismus, der die hoffnung weckt, dass es doch so wenig braucht, um gute musik zu machen- eine vision, zwei menschen, drei saiten, drei trommeln. FALSE LEFTY sind eine newcomer band, bestehend aus einer schlagzeugerin, die im stehen drei trommeln spielt und einem sänger, der seine gitarre nur mit drei saiten bespannt: die frage ist nicht, was gute musik braucht, sondern was sie nicht braucht. seit der gründung der Band vor einem jahr spielten FALSE LEFTY über 40 konzerte, sowohl als headliner wie auch als support für Public Image Ltd., Fortuna Ehrenfeld, The Lathums, SONS, Kapelle Petra, Cash Savage and the last Drinks und viele andere.
Superb 45 featuring two Hammond-led instrumentals! We caught up with Mr Guy Hamper for an insightful Q&A_ Q: What a cracking single this is! 'Instrument of Evil' in particular has a very eerie vibe. What was the inspiration for it? A: The track is the sequel to '7% Solution', which featured on the last Guy Hamper Trio LP with Thee Headcoats standing in as rhythm section. A 7% Solution being the amount of morphine Dr Watson administered to Sherlock Holmes. For 'Instrument of Evil' I took Sherlock Holmes' later designation of his syringe as "an Instrument of Evil". This is originally a quote from the bible: "Wicked men do at times reject God's purpose for the state, transforming the good of civil government into an instrument of evil." Point of interest: Morphine addiction happens to tie in with another aspect of the song. In the section that nods to Elmer Bernstein's main title theme to the film of the book The Man With the Golden Arm, in which the main character is also a morphine addict. Another ingredient - we added six-string bass to that section in tribute to Jet Harris - he formerly of top group The Shadows, who recorded a great version of Bernstein's classic. To top it all off the record sleeve references the fine graphics of the great Saul Bass. Phew! Q: The track features contributions from Tom Morley (trumpet) and Anna Jordanous (sax). What's it like working with them? A: They are great and easy to work with. I basically make a playground and let them loose in it with very little direction, apart from pointing out the swings and location of the roundabout. I told Tom "You're a Spanish trumpeter stood on a hill in Spain." For Anna, I think we said "go low and nasty." Q: On the flip side you have 'Incense Rising From a Censer'. A very evocative title for an evocative track. Do you have lyrics in mind for this for a possible later release? A: No lyrics have sprung to mind as yet - but it's always possible. The title is from The Elders observation in Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, a book I really recommend. Prayer rises to God on the smoke of the incense burning in the censer. I imagine this track being some kind of antidote to 'Instrument of Evil'. Q: This single marks your first time in the new premises of Jim Riley's Ranscombe Studio. What's the new place like? A: The studio is great - the sound - using my old Mighty Caesars drum kit, and Jim engineering, is pure, easy with a better sound than the old premises. Q: Any more Guy Hamper Trio releases in the pipeline? A third album perhaps? A: Again, anything is possible. Me and Jamie (James Taylor, Hammond organ) have talked of writing together in the future. Jamie is a truly great musician - the cherry on the cake if you will. We're just busted old eggs, sour milk, and some gunk. Q: A live Guy Hamper Trio show would be amazing. Any chance of that happening or will it remain a studio-based project? A: It could happen if someone came up with a very cunning plan.
REISSUE OF THEE HEADCOATS' FINAL ALBUM IN THEIR ORIGINAL INCARNATION! Originally released by Friends Of The Buff Medway Fanciers Association Records in 2000! The final studio release by Thee Headcoats (until last year's Irregularis: The Great Hiatus) gets a long-awaited vinyl reissue! Includes eleven Billy Childish originals plus a cover of Bo Diddley's 'Great Grandfather'! Recorded at May Road & Red Studios. Engineered by Graham Semark. "Thee Headcoats, who put out their first album in 1989, have recorded raw, primordial romps that seem inspired by American Delta blues musicians like Sonny Boy Williamson or the Southern swamp rock of Hasil Adkins, while maintaining a decidedly English sound. They've recorded under a slew of monikers, and issued an amazing discography of full-lengths, EPs, 7"s, and what-have-you for virtually every cool indie label since they formed (including US-based labels like Sub Pop, Get Hip, Sympathy for the Record Industry, and K, among others). Whether he's covering songs with a Bo Diddley beat, garage rock chug, or playing one of his angry young man/dysfunctional family rantings ('The Day I Beat My Father Up', for example), Billy Childish has built up a solid and somewhat rabid fanbase by releasing songs that you wouldn't normally think would attract a huge audience to begin with. However, I Am the Object of Your Desire has the distinction of being the last album by this band, as their prolific leader Billy Childish moved on to a new band; they're called the Buff Medways, which is apparently an ancient and now extinct breed of chicken which had feathered legs. It's also the name of the UK imprint this record was released on. This collection kicks right off with the album-titled track reveling in pure Headcoats fashion: that warm, fuzzy vibrato guitar with Childish's fuzzy, electronically distorted voice (an effect repeated throughout the album); Johnny Johnson's soft, flowing bassline; and Bruce Brand's primeval drums. The group keeps this sort of mid-tempo riffage going for the next couple of tracks. Johnson plays a mean harp on 'Hurt Me (Slight Return)', but things don't really take off until 'In a Dead Man's Suit' and the swaggering, Texas blues 'Chatham Town Welcomes Desperate Men'. The band's punk roots show up in songs like 'An Image of You' and 'Your Crying Means Nothing to Me' while 'Come into My Mind' has a definite Kinks influence. All in all, an excellent album from this soon to be sadly missed band." - Review from 2000 by Bryan Thomas (All Music Guide)
A Chaos Of Flowers is an album that builds on their ferocious 2023 album nature morte. BIG|BRAVE"s music has been described as massive minimalism. Their fusillades of textural distortion and feedback emphasize their music"s frayed edges as much as its all-encompassing weight. The potency of the trio"s work is their singular artistry combining elements of traditional folk techniques and a modern deconstruction of guitar music. Gain, feedback, and amplitude are essential. For A Chaos Of Flowers guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie drew heavily on the poems of artists whom Wattie found kinship in, their words resonant with experiences of those often sidelined by cultural norms. "I discovered that most poems from folk traditions or in the public domain seem to be by men - to which I could not quite relate. In my search, I rediscovered some of my favorite works and poets," says Wattie. Guitarist Mathieu Ball and drummer Tasy Hudson help Wattie shape poetry into pieces as dense and impenetrable as they are vulnerable. BIG|BRAVE achieve their colossal sound through minimalist approaches, a deft understanding of dynamics and an inventive employment of percussion and distortion. The trio reconceptualize what it is to be heavy or minimal, challenging perceptions with their illumination of painfully overlooked perspectives. Guest guitarist Marisa Anderson lends earthen, blues-inflected atmospheres to the album, where guitarist Tashi Dorji and saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi amplify the squall. Working closely with frequent collaborator and producer/engineer Seth Manchester, the internal tumult of Wattie"s voice rings out in warbles, haunting echoes, and unearthly harmonies across bold immense walls of distortion. BIG|BRAVE have collaborated with metal monsters The Body on a previous Thrill Jockey release, Leaving None But Small Birds, and have toured internationally with bands like SUMAC, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, SUNN O))), and Lingua Ignota. As they continue to ascend in their journey as pioneers in the contemporary metal scene, it"s safe to say that BIG|BRAVE are here to stay.
"What makes ""Flox in Dub"" so special are the captivating sounds. The album is a perfect fusion of reggae, dub and electronic music, creating an atmospheric and hypnotic trance.
Deep bass and subtle sound effects transport the listener on a captivating musical journey. The melodies are both catchy and soothing, offering a unique listening experience.
Each song is carefully produced, showcasing Flox's talents as a composer and producer."
Total Reality is the sound of a group in constant forward motion, finding new sounds and new ways to express their joy and catharsis in making music together. On album opener 'Slug' the band sing ‘I’m feeling like a slug so I gotta visit the doctor’, and though reliably tongue-in-cheek you get the feeling they mean it - the members using Dr Sure’s Unusual Practice as a vessel to lift each other up while unpacking the collective fatigue of life in late-capitalist society. “A mood like that, you're apt to stay in it, not dial your way out. Despair like that, about total reality, is self-perpetuating." - Philip K Dick On their third LP Total Reality - a title ripped from the classic sci-fi novel ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’ - Dr Sure's Unusual Practice tackle lofty issues through a hopeful lense, avoiding the often cynical pastiche of modern punk music. Total Reality touches on varied influences - proto-punk to post-punk, new wave to no wave, krautrock to trip-hop - to concieve something fresh and inspired. Beginning in 2018 as a solo project, here Dougal Shaw is joined by an ever-expanding collective. In addition to a core band (Jake Suriano, Miranda Holt, Tali Harding-Hone, Mathias Dowle) the new record features contributions from Jack McCullagh (Cracodile), Stu Patterson (The Empty Threats/Placement), Alannah Sawyer (Babyccino/Mouseatouille), as well as Shaw’s partner Alivia Lester, and baby Blue - who also adorns the album cover. An almost polar approach to the band’s acclaimed second LP ‘Remember The Future? Vol. 2 & 1’, which was tracked live in a recording studio, Shaw refers to Total Reality as a ‘collage album’. There are pieces of pandemic-era demo’s; drum machines coexisting with a live-tracked rhythm section; fresh collaborations; layers of guitars, synths, horns and percussion; collected field recordings and samples - all cut and glued in Shaw’s home studio to realise an expansive and colourful record.
To understand the significance of the word 'featuring' on Featuring Pharoah Sanders And Black Harold, consider how infrequently Sun Ra used it and the exact way it had been used. The October Revolution in Jazz, organized by Bill Dixon in the West Village in 1964, presented a vivid cross section of approaches to the new music, including a sextet led by Ra. For the October Revolution's continuation, titled Four Days in December, held at nearby Judson Hall on the last days of 1964, the Arkestra performance presented Pharoah Sanders as well as a flautist (who was and remained obscure thereafter) named Harold Murray, nicknamed Black Harold. It wasn't until long after Sanders had achieved worldwide acclaim with John Coltrane that Ra and manager Alton Abraham decided to issue the music they'd recorded at Judson Hall. After its first release in plain or handdecorated covers in 1976, Featuring Pharoah Sanders And Black Harold remained an exceptionally rare item in the El Saturn discography, known to a few lucky collectors. We're lucky to have this glimpse of what Sanders sounded like in such a different context, galvanizing the large group and in turn being inspired to make his first significant contribution on record.' —John Corbett (excerpt from the liner notes)
