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1000 miles away from the beating musical hearts of Rio and São Paulo in the late ‘70s, the Brazilian city of Belém gave rise to a little-known record label called Erla - Estudio Rauland. Though not prolific in its output, the label made up for it in quality and experimental offerings, with several records on the label now becoming sought-after pieces among collectors. One such release is the sublime four-track psych, MPB, rock EP by singer-songwriter Jarbas Mariz.

They say never judge a book by its cover, though on this occasion you pretty much can. The wonderful tripped-out ‘70s artwork by Baby is a sure-fire indication of the music lying within. Though the EP was recorded in ‘77, it clearly gained inspiration from the psychedelic hippy idols of the previous decade and could easily have been a soundtrack to an acid trip scene in an obscure Brazilian movie.

Low-fi and quirky, there are moments of beauty and splendour but also hints of darkness; with a sublime balance of music and styles throughout. At points Jarbas will have you drifting through a folk flute daydream, the next moment a growling, psych-distorted guitar breaks and parts the calm. An ability to make those elements blend cohesively is where Jarbas’ true brilliance shines through.

Jarbas played, and still plays, with some of the key figures in Brazil's musical underground. Guilherme Coutinho (whose Guilherme Coutinho - E O Grupo Stalo album from ‘78 was also re-issued on Mr Bongo) features on electric piano for this release, with fans of his work being able to pick out his tones and playing style. Elsewhere, Jarbas also collaborated with the late great Lula Côrtes on the 'Bom Shankar Bolenath' album from 1988 and 'Rosa De Sange' from 1980. He was a member of the wonderful Cátia de França band and is a regular in the legendary Tom Zé group.

'Transas Do Futuro' is a special record and one we are honoured to be reissuing.

On this EP Dutch Thai label Animist Records puts a new genre on the map: Asian Tropical Bass. With elements of molam (Lao folkmusic), Thai music, dub, reggae, jungle, reggaeton, funk, acid, rave, hiphop and electro, the label presents its most diverse release so far.

FOLLOWING THEIR RECENT REUNION, THE DELGADOS REISSUE THEIR FOURTH STUDIO ALBUM HATE ON COLOURED VINYL AND CD TO MARK ITS 21st ANNIVERSARY

Ushering in a new era of emotionally vulnerable and cinematic songwriting for celebrated Glasgow group The Delgados, 2002’s Hate is the group’s most ambitious recorded statement to date. Recorded amidst a backdrop of personal change and international crisis, Hate’s internal alchemy transmogrifies darkness into light. It’s an enclosed universe full of tragedy and magic, a swirling galaxy of lush orchestration, misanthropy dealt with kindness and black humour. Above all it showed a band coming to terms with their fragility with a new power and grace.

In Hate, the band’s ambition saw them striving to reflect the breadth of human experience, both the joy and tragedy of living in tumultuous times. Initially commissioned by The Barbican in London to compose music for a film about artist Joe Coleman, the instrumental music that instigated Hate was laden with darkness from the outset. The Delgados’ worldview has always been informed by nuance, an oblique but incisive lyrical perspective but on Hate a new rawness is woven throughout the songs. Coleman’s original subject matter - portraits of troubled historical figures like Ed Gein, Mary Bell and Jayne Mansfield - influenced the tonality of the music but the songs were written against a backdrop of international tumult and personal life changes for the band members. Beginning writing sessions following a family bereavement in drummer Paul Savage’s family, Hate was then recorded while both Alun Woodward and co-singer/guitarist Emma Pollock were expecting new additions to their young families, the latter with drummer Paul Savage. In the background to the recording process were the attacks on the World Trade Center of September 2001 and their aftermath. In this context, it’s remarkable that an album was made at all, let alone one so grand and compassionate. It’s a masterclass in restraint and imagination.

Hate sounds like the world in all its ugly glory. Recorded in Glasgow and New York with Tony Doogan, Dave Fridmann and the band as producers and using over 20 additional musicians, Hate grabs the baton from the group’s breakthrough critical and commercial success The Great Eastern. Bolder, broader and more all-encompassing than anything the band had previously attempted, the album’s palette is furnished by a string section, brass and reed instrumentation, a choir and electronic elements augmenting the core group of Emma Pollock, Alun Woodward, Paul Savage and Stewart Henderson. Far from being over the top, the group’s skill is in attention to detail, in honing and refining each arrangement, allowing each element its space.

It’s a fine balancing act that pays massive dividends. Woodward’s new lyrical vulnerability is spotlighted on tracks like The Drowning Years, which throws elegiac string arrangements against the narrative of characters living in darkness, punctuated by couplets that bring a real-life documentary feel to the narrative. All Rise brings a black comedy to the idea of a confessional before a transcendent, choir-led refrain brings ecstatic resolution to Woodward’s vocal in its highest register. On the single All You Need Is Hate, Woodward’s trick of subverting the Beatles standard showcases the dark humour at the centre of Hate. Here The Delgados’ perversity is in full flow, nurturing a glowing light from darkness, the resolving melody and Fridmann production recalling contemporaries The Flaming Lips (whose Michael Ivins assisted in mixing) or Mercury Rev. The perversity is the surging serotonin induced by the group while singing the lines “Hate is everywhere, inside your mother’s heart and you will find it there. You ask me what you need? Hate is all you need.”

It’s a dark magic that pervades Hate, indeed it’s almost the driving force throughout the album. Flipping minor to major and back again, Favours is fuelled by fear and violence before blasting into the heavens with the gauche line “and you’re feeling fine,” operating in stark contrast to the verses’ tone. Album opener The Light Before We Land finds Emma Pollock in the aftermath of recent family trauma. Her vocal is effortless; a study in steady restraint against the massive, Fridmann-patented drum sound powering Savage’s playing and Henderson’s instantly recognisable melodic basslines. Coming In from the Cold is Pollock in full flight, lifted to the heavens by wide-screen, instrumental texture. Her presence on Hate highlights her knack for lyrical impressionism, the timbre of her voice lending itself to drama while always retaining a mystique. Never Look At The Sun, inspired by the Coleman painting The Big Bang Theory (itself an explosives-themed study), revels in paranoia, her performance ringing out in the eye of the storm conjured by the swirling arrangements. It reaches the peak of a redemptive arc while seemingly parodying the very idea of redemption.

Hate was the sound of The Delgados completely fulfilling their potential, a fully realised vision buoyed by the weight of coming through a darkness into light. For its 21st anniversary, the album is being reissued on the band’s own Chemikal Underground on coloured vinyl and CD. Hate is all you need

Justin Drake and Clive Henry, recognised as the legendary Peace Division, stood out as one of the UK's most successful tribal/tech house production duos from the late 90s to the mid-00s. Their contributions extended to renowned British labels such as NRK and Junior London, as well as releases with Hooj, Crosstown Rebels, and major label remixes.

Lesser-known but equally intriguing was their venture into a different musical realm under the alias Soul Purpose. Shifting towards a deeper shade of house, Soul Purpose featured tracks characterised by lush chords and rolling basslines, placing a strong emphasis on the soulful elements.

Originally released on Low Pressing Limited, an offshoot label of Clive Henry and Rocky (X-Press 2) iconic Low Pressing, the four Soul Purpose titles emerged between 1997 and 1998. Despite being somewhat under the radar, these tracks gained recognition among DJs in the know. Now, the Selected Works release, compiled from the original DAT tapes and fully remastered, reunites the entire Soul Purpose catalogue for the first time in 27 years since their initial release.

As the BBE Music J Jazz Masterclass Series hits its 19th title, the milestone is suitably matched by a collaboration between two giants of jazz brought together to deliver an exceptional album, working with a band of the very best Japanese jazz musicians. ‘Reminicent Suite’ by American pianist Mal Waldron and Japanese trumpeter Terumasa Hino was originally released in 1973 on the famed Victor label and was one of several Japan-only albums recorded and released by Waldron over a thirty-year period, most of which have never been available outside Japan. ‘Reminicent Suite’ comprises two extended tracks, both taking up a side each. The title track on Side A is composed by Waldron, and is a dark, brooding heavy groove typical of his early 70s sound. ‘Black Forest’ on side B is written by Hino and is a vivid and energetic piece, layered and textured with dense percussion and Hino’s signature trumpet tone. Mal Waldron started out in the early 1950s working extensively on the Prestige label with notable figures such as Gene Ammons, Jackie McLean and Charles Mingus. Most famously, he worked with Billie Holiday before leaving the States in the mid-60s and relocating to Europe where he established himself as a major figure working across many countries including France, Italy, and Germany, where he made his home in Munich. In 1969, Waldron recorded the first releases for two major European jazz labels, ECM and Enja, before visiting Japan on tour for the first time in 1970. Waldron instantly fell in love with Japan and, over the next three decades, extensively toured and recorded there for numerous labels. Terumasa Hino is one of the towering figures of post-war modern jazz in Japan. Coming to prominence via the Hideto Shiraki and Sadao Watanabe bands in the mid-60s, Hino soon emerged as one of the prime movers in new jazz generation that changed the direction of jazz in Japan. He explored a more open, freer, and improvised sound, mixing psychedelic and rock elements with freeform and post-bop jazz. Hino recorded for many of the leading jazz labels of the era including Columbia, Three Blind Mice, and East Wind and would go on to relocate to the US in the mid-70s, immersing himself with the leading fusion players of the New York scene including Larry Corryell, Mtume, Al Foster, Dave Liebman and many more. In the early 80s, Hino’s jazz funk tracks were dancefloor smashes on the UK jazz dance scene. Joining Waldron and Hino on ‘Reminicient Suite’ is a band made up of the very best Japanese jazzman of their day: Takeo Uematsu on sax, Terumasa’s brother, Motohiko Hino, on drums, and the legendary bass master, Isao Suzuki. Together, they deliver one of the very best albums of the era, a richly articulated and dynamic session that exemplifies the very best that the Japanese jazz scene was doing in the early 1970s. ‘Reminicent Suite’ is pressed on 200g vinyl presented in a gatefold sleeve plus obi strip, with new photos by Tadayuki Naito; translated original sleeve notes; and a 7500-word essay including interview with Terumasa Hino from Tony Higgins, co-curator of the J Jazz Masterclass Series. This is the first time this album has been available outside of Japan

After her stunning collaborations with Vincent Royer (for Mode Records), Jim O"Rourke and Christoph Heemann (both for Oren Ambarchi"s Black Truffle Records) Brunhild Ferrari returns to the scene with this new solo album. Extérieur-jour is comprised of two previously unreleased compositions, one being the title track the album is named after and the other "Le Piano Englouti (version original)." Extérieur-jour translates to "Outside Day," and indicates an instruction for a film scene, a piece of cinéma pour l"oreille, a movie for the ears. It was recorded at Luc Ferrari"s Atelier Post Billig in January and February 2014. "Le Piano Englouti" ("The Sunken Piano"), another electroacoustic composition which was realized over a period of fourteen years between 1996 and 2010, also brings forth cinematic elements with sound sources recorded in places as diverse as a Greek island by the noisy Agean Sea, a Pachinko place and a quiet island in Japan. It comes across as a meditation on the loss and reappearance of memory and silence. The graphics for the album sleeve were created by the late Wolfgang Meyer Tormin, artist and composer and also father of Brunhild Ferrari. The album was mastered for vinyl from the original source by Jim O"Rourke.

In the ever-evolving landscape of hip-hop, Divine ScienZe emerges with their third album, Divine ScienZe 3, a testament to their unwavering dedication to pushing boundaries and crafting music that is as refreshing as it is organic. As a dynamic duo, Divine ScienZe has consistently strived to redefine their sound, and this album stands as a brilliant showcase of their musical evolution. With this release, Divine ScienZe boldly ventures beyond the traditional boom bap approach, seamlessly merging the contemporary essence of hip-hop with their signature classic sound. The result is an auditory journey that transcends time, capturing the essence of both past and present in a harmonious union. Each track on the album is a testament to the duo's growth and innovation, offering listeners a transformative experience with every press of the play button. At its core, this album is a fusion of diverse elements, meticulously crafted to deliver a multifaceted sonic experience. Divine ScienZe masterfully weaves storytelling, hard-hitting bangers, and lush, soulful vibes into every track. The storytelling invites listeners to delve deep into the narratives, while the bangers ignite an irresistible energy, compelling even the most reserved to move to the rhythm. The lush vibes provide a tranquil oasis within the album, offering moments of reflection and introspection. Divine ScienZe 3 is more than just a collection of songs; it's a testament to the duo's artistic evolution and their unyielding commitment to creating timeless music. With every note, rhyme, and rhythm, Divine ScienZe proves that growth is not just inevitable but essential in the world of hip-hop. This release is destined to become an instant classic, a testament to Divine ScienZe's enduring legacy in the genre, and a must-listen for anyone seeking a musical journey that is both refreshing and profoundly authentic

repress !

A lovely selection of mixes from Paolo Baldini’s Dubfiles, all mixed
at his Alambic studio in San Foca Italy. The vocal is supplied by Al Brown and music is from his band from the 80s the Inner Force.

There are 3 rumbling dubs as well as the opening vocal cut from
Al Brown. We have added some keyboard action from Toike Mitsuhiro.

The best of the traditional elements of Jamaican music, with modern mixing, and all done with a strong sense of respect towards
the original recording and playing. Comes in a custom Pressure Sounds sleeve.

Sign Libra's third album Hidden Beauty is an intimate voyage through feminine nature, guided by the arts of subtext, musical collage, and mysterious allusions. Elegantly arranged, enigmatic, and mischievous, Hidden Beauty seeks to "release the invisible and bring fragility to the surface." From the rainforests of Closer to the Equator (Sounds of the Dawn, 2016 / Antinote, 2018) to the surreal lunar landscape of Sea to Sea (RVNG Intl., 2020), Agata Melnikova, the Latvian musician behind the Sign Libra symbol, has developed a signature blend of evocative composition with lyricless, ethereal vocalizing. Hidden Beauty attends to a closer space than her first two albums, a playfully layered pastiche of refined references, drawing musical inspiration from the assortment of Erik Satie, the early work of Mylène Farmer and Laurent Boutonnat, and 90s R&B. The first inklings of Hidden Beauty arrived in 2019, with the basic contours of the album sculpted in 2020 and early 2021. Like Sea to Sea, Hidden Beauty was invented as a solitary creative effort, but this time under uniquely hermetic impositions. Tethered to the world only by screen, the artist sought inspiration from an unlikely array of activities: new, unorthodox approaches at composing, learning French, a virtual pedagogical practice, and plenty of jubilant dancing in her flat, sunglasses on, to 90s dance music. Hidden Beauty moves inward from the distant spaciousness of Sea to Sea in favor of a "chamber-like" sound, reflecting the intimate environs of its creation. Balancing the New Age balletic resonance of Closer to the Equator and the cosmic-dancerly tracks of Sea to Sea, Hidden Beauty combines deft, postmodern arrangements with popular, contemporary suggestions. The reverb drenching her previous recordings is sponged up in the songs of Hidden Beauty, giving the exercises contained within a feeling of presence, and closeness. And always Agata's crystalline vocal furnishings, less a lead vocal than a first instrument, the ever-returning counterpoint in a beatific swirl. The other hidden elements of this work are plenty, and perhaps best left concealed for the listener's enjoyment. Or perhaps they are hidden in plain sight and sound, depending on what the puzzle pieces reveal to your imagination. Sign Libra's Hidden Beauty will be released in vinyl, Japanese import CD, and digital editions on November 3, 2023. A portion of the proceeds from this release will benefit Coral Guardian, a non-governmental organization working internationally and with local communities to protect coral ecosystems.

This is a welcome return to the label for Amazingblaze who released his Can't Stop EP in January this year and his Venture EP in 2022. Since then he has continued to innovate with his heavy-hitting trance, techno and hardstyle influenced sounds. His ever evolving studio skills see him mix up old school influences with new school sound design that is perfect for engaging dance floors. His signature imprint is all over these four new cuts with their mix of big synths, bigger drums and all consuming grooves.

“Believe EP says it itself. All I wanted to say is that you have to believe in yourself”, Amazingblaze says. “This brand new EP contains 4 full-power tracks that definitely goes through your heart. Massive trance synths combined with vocals make it sound really mysterious and groovy. Hope you enjoy it, and believe in yourself.”

Charlotte de Witte adds: “It’s no secret that to me, Amazingblaze is one of the purest talents out there. This guy really understands what music is about and manages to create dancefloor bombs time after time. I’m super proud to have him on board for another EP on KNTXT and to watch him grow and become one of the top level artists out there.”

'Believe' kicks off with intense drum patterns and smart vocal samples that are lit up with bright and electric synths full of euphoric energy. 'Strange Candy' is a bulky and physical mix of clipped techno funk and throwback rave sounds with strobe-like lasers shooting across the face of the track. There is more peak time brilliance in the hard drums and hands-in-the air synth magic of 'It Happened Again' while 'Boyz Makin Noiz' shuts down with twitchy stabs and twisted acid lines and dark vocals appear from the shadows.

Amazingblaze delivers yet another exceptional EP, seamlessly blending forward-thinking techno and trance elements.

LA-based composer/arranger E. Lundquist (aka Eric Borders) returns with ‘Art Between Minds’. Having cut his teeth in the LA hip-hop and beats scene and explored realms of cosmic-funk under previous monikers, E. Lundquist’s music displays a rich tapestry of influences including the cinematic & experimental jazz-infused library music that influenced his previous LP ‘Multiple Images’. Now he is back with another ample helping of his hallucinogenic sonics, utilizing a bevy of vintage gear to replicate that warm glow of ’70s jazz-funk. From the Fender Rhodes MKI to the ARP Odyssey, to the Mellotron, the keys and synths he employs on these tracks display a genuine appreciation for the groove-driven music of The ‘Me” Decade.

The album plays like the score to a cult classic B-movie. The sun-drenched haze of “Soliloquy” could easily be what you hear during the calm before the storm in a Blaxploitation flick and the laidback crawl of “Euphoria” seems ripped right out of a fuzzy ‘70s blue movie. But there is a certain sophistication here, like the way the horn section, slinky guitar, and trippy synths combine on “Escape” to sound like liquid one moment and like a summer breeze the next.

While E. Lundquist’s artistry will eventually take him to new plateaus of sound, where he is right now is undoubtedly a high watermark in his career. He has become a torchbearer for jazz-funk in a new jazz revolution, updating the sub-genre with his delicate balance of digital and analog elements that will easily appeal to fans of Kamaal Williams, Surprise Chef, BADBADNOTGOOD, Khurangbin, Robohands and similar.

Into the void hits from second one. Strong beats lead the way into this dreamlike soundscape, where metallic drum elements and effortless reverb tails take us on a journey. We get lost in a slow build and an unassuming bass-line drives us home, until the track collapses just to hit twice as hard coming back in. Dreamy vocals float over dirty synth lines, melodies that feel familiar guide the way to continuous build ups, where we can’t help but move our bodies to the gritty, thumping bass-line pushing us forward relentlessly.

Tempest is all about the beat. Simple, yet endearing, it reels us in and guides us on an endless rise where fragile synth swells and powerful percussion elements tease our ears. High-pitched glimmers dance across the soundscape with ease. A track that rises again and again, yet never quite implodes in-between. Instead it builds, in the most natural way, skilfully and exquisitely, whilst sirens add a well-rounded urgency, that’s hard to resist.

Sad Lovers and Giants second album, a brilliant atmospheric post punk record with several elements akin to Joy Division and The Chameleons. We can definitely apply the term’ ethereal’ to these composition, certainly the sound is very oceanic and otherwordly melancholic, typical trademarks of the new wave renaissance. Recorded in 1983 – and released on their own label Midnight Music - Feeding the Flame showcases the original line up at its very best.

Jakarta Records is proud to present “Les Grandes Vacances” courtesy of Beirut’s Cosmic Analog Ensemble, aka multi-instrumental phenom Charif Megarbane. The LP is an expansive musical odyssey, one that paints a melodic tapestry woven from an eclectic panorama of sonic tools. Funky beats, dreamy melodies + cinematic flair combine to create an experience that transcends time. From vibrant funky energy to introspective moods and library-inspired tunes, “Les Grandes Vacances” captures the essence of past and present, inviting you to indulge in the perfect balance of “groove-stalgia.” Out January 19, 2024.


Cosmic Analog Ensemble (1.6k Spotify Monthly Listeners – SML), the prolific one-man band helmed by Charif Megarbane (61.5k SML), the staggeringly prolific producer, instrumentalist, and all-around musical mastermind, returns to his “Ensemble” with LP “Les Grandes Vacances.” Megarbane's artistry has garnered widespread recognition, with notable placements in Spotify Editorial Playlists like "Global Groove" (679k) and "Folk Fabrique" (162k), along with coverage from esteemed platforms / publications such as BBC Radio, Bandcamp, The Vinyl Factory, Time Magazine, and Esquire, among others. Building on the success of his debut solo release “Marzipan” in 2023 via Habibi Funk, “Les Grandes Vacances” is a sonic journey that captures the full scope of Megarbane’s sonic habitus. As a composer and producer, Megarbane touts hugely versatile, sometimes volatile musicianship — his 100+ catalogue of projects (including legendary groups like the Cosmic Analog Ensemble, Free Association Syndicate, Monumental Detail, etc.) features a huge domain of sonic direction. Now, Jakarta Records presents a new expansion in the Megarbane sonic universe.

In the enchanting sonic world of “Les Grandes Vacances,” Cosmic Analog Ensemble expertly combines diverse musical elements to craft an immersive experience. From vibrant funky energy to introspective moments and library-inspired compositions, the album's sonic palette is rich and varied. The meticulously designed artwork by Simone Cihlar (known for collabs with Anderson Paak., Tom Misch, Ivan Ave, Tapioca and others) complements the album's thematic depth, enhancing the visual and auditory journey for listeners.

First single is the thrilling sonic escapade, “La Ligne Claire,” set to release on November 10th in conjunction with LP pre-order. The track immerses listeners in vintage spy movie ambiance, featuring groovy drums, warm keys, thematic guitars, and strings that create an unforgettable car chase scene. As part of the rollout schedule, this single offers a glimpse into the album's captivating fusion of nostalgia and innovation, promising a musical adventure that lingers and resonates in your ears. Second single, the lush and groovy “Le Dictionnaire des Sentiments,” follows in the sonic footsteps of Serge Gainsbourg (complete with beautifully poignant French lyricism), out December 8th to round out the year. The track jerks the listener towards a more meditative state and expanding, cinematic sound.

Kicking of 2024 will be the absolute funkified single 3 “Maritime Jazz,” out January 5th. The track transports you to a groovy marina where the movement of the sea and boats sways you along a Madlib / Yesterdays New Quintet-esque groove.

Reflecting on his creative process, Megarbane cites a stream of consciousness approach to the Cosmic Analog Ensemble: “It’s a very spontaneous, playful, and diary-like approach and workflow…I trust my instinct because instinct is based on experience.”

Vladislav Delay's complete "Hide Behind The Silence" series. Intuitive and raw music, momentary and reflective, released on Ripatti's own label Rajaton.

Stillness is a myth. Consider concepts such as ”still water”, or ”still air” for that matter. Go to a restaurant, ask them for a glass of still water, hold it against the light and see where we’re at. Even though the water itself has been captured and imprisoned in the glass, it never stops breathing. It’s filled with tiny particles, dancing. Everything can be explained on a molecular level, but since we’re not scientists – and even if you happen to be – it’s the natural world of perception that moves me.
Still air is very similar. A hot summer’s day with zero wind feels completely still. It’s the closest I have felt to complete stillness. Or for a more urban adaptation, imagine the same vibe inside a normal apartment. In those moments, revelations and mind- blowing experiences can be had with experiments in stillness.
Try this: Just sit down for a minute on a sunny day, making sure there’s enough natural light. Do absolutely nothing. Try not to breathe for a bit. (If you need a mental anchor, you can play Cage’s 4’33” in your head but nothing else.) Watch the tiny dots of dust dancing :..’ ̈.:; ́ ́*°.,’:,. ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈:,.’
The movement is crazy, but the feeling of stillness comes from witnessing how subtle it is. In (perceived) complete stillness, every act of microscopic mobility seems to speak volumes. Yet, it feels both reassuring and oddly threatening that the stillness is never complete. What if we would need absolute stillness? Or is it just enough that we can perceive something as such? Extremes attract, so for both water and air, extraordinary movement is equally fascinating. That is also a luxury item of sorts. For us to enjoy a very ”loud” body of water or air, we need to be safe, in enough control of the situation. So when you are, it’s worthwhile to pay attention and take it all in.
A rapid flowing free with extreme strength and just barely in control. Look at that water go! No still water on this one, only ”sparkling”. A windy day when birds seem surprised how hard it is to fly, but in the end they make it. Trees bend but don’t break. The wind shows you its movement but doesn’t hurt you. It feels friendly, like a big clumsy dog that doesn’t quite understand its size.
It’s beautiful to be a guest of the elements, but not at the mercy of them. A new kind of dialogue forms.

Q&A with Sasu Ripatti:

1) Tell us something about the EP series ”Hide Behind the Silence”, what’s the idea and what can we expect?

Exploration of inaction. Of many kinds. In arts and in personal life, or at bigger and more serious levels. Questioning myself as a human being as well as an artist. Acknowledging the growing activism all around, and the very clear need for it, and how it reflects my own inaction.
Musically speaking, after Rakka, Isoviha and Speed Demon, I finally found some relief, but more importantly lost the need to go musically ever more outward and intensive. I felt quite strongly certain periods/moods from the past and they made me revisit some musical ideas or states of mind I was exploring early on.
It’s about live moments being captured, not much premeditation or editing. More intuitive and raw, even though the end result (to me) feels and sounds quite introspective and calm. It’s not very ambitious. Momentary and reflective.

2) Your music doesn’t sound very silent. Does it come from somewhere behind the silence?

Oh, this time to me it sounds quite quiet and playing with space if not silence. I don’t know what’s actually behind silence, but I think silence is the source of everything. We just don’t understand it yet.

3) What kind of thoughts or experiences gave inspiration to this series?

Writing this in Nov ’22, it’s not a stretch to say the world has been really unwell. Sometimes, like Mika Vainio put it, the world eats you up. I feel a bit like that. And I try to hide in my studio and stay away from it all, but it’s getting harder by the day. I’ve been questioning myself and thinking if what us artists are doing is worth anything, and whether it’s just a selfish thing I’ve been doing for the past 25 years, running away from everything. I haven’t come to a conclusion yet.

4) Is it easy for you to be in silence, or around silence?

Absolutely. I not only hide behind silence but I also love silence. It’s only since I started going back to nature as a grown-up person that I sensed and was enveloped by silence, true silence. I have begun to appreciate it a lot. I think all the people should spend more time in silence.

All tracks composed and produced by Sasu Ripatti.
Artwork by Marc Hohmann, photography by Shinnosuke Yoshimori.
Mastering by Stephan Mathieu for Schwebung Mastering.
Vinyl cut by SST Brueggemann.
Publishing by WARP Music Ltd.

After a decade-long hiatus, Bristol-based shoegaze ensemble, The Fauns, have reemerged from their secret bunker with eagerly anticipated third album, 'How Lost' set for release Jan 19th, 2024 via Invada.

The Fauns’ journey began in 2007, self-releasing their eponymous debut album in 2009, followed by the 2013 release of "Lights." These two works garnered warm acclaim from both critics and fervent shoegaze-loving fanbase alike - arriving into an atmosphere rekindled by the return of My Bloody Valentine.

This latest album bridges The Fauns' transformation from their earlier incarnation to their current evolution. The tracks traverse a spectrum of styles, ranging from intricate, guitar-driven sci-fi fantasies to industrial-tinged new wave compositions. The hallmark shoegaze elements are now stretched over gritty pulsating electro beats.

Moreover, the album marks a shift in lyrical themes and attitude. Poignant tracks coexist with narratives of vodka-infused nights in dimly lit clubs, reflecting a departure from introspection. "This album is less about the melancholy associated with the genre and more about getting our audience dancing.”

The old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great
variety of morbid symptoms appear"
-Antonio Gramsci, Prison Notebooks.

Iskandr's latest offering "Spiritus Sylvestris" appears to be a radical
statement in both content and form Signifying a departure from the black metal roots of the project, the psychedelic folk doom of the new album builds upon the directions of where both "Vergezicht" and "Glas" were already moving towards.

"Spiritus Sylvestris" is cinematic in scope: majestic and threatening in its aura of sublime grandeur. The Latin title translates to "spirit of the wild" and also refers to the early modern alchemical name for carbon dioxide - when the spirit of the wilderness is released into the
aether through the burning of wood and charcoal. The songs tell impressionistic stories of natural elements personified; when powerful spirits that linger in the earth are stirred, those elemental forces will be forced to haunt our world.

In an era of irreversible damage to our planet and anthropogenic climate change, Iskandr aims to offer funeral dirges for the world that we have already lost.

"Spiritus Sylvestris" embraces a limitless approach to translate this vision into musical form. Employing musical elements from a broad array of genres; easily moving between the martial stomp of early Laibach and the ethereal melodics of Dead Can Dance.

Recorded and mixed by the legendary Pieter Kloos (The Devil's
Blood, Motorpsycho) at The Void Studio in Eindhoven, the new Iskandr record has broadened the scope and sound of the project beyond any confines, resulting in the most open soundscapes from Iskandr to date. The heavy baritone guitar riffs that form the backbone of the record provide a pitch-black canvas in which huge percussive rhythms and psychedelic layers of Hammond organ, Mellotron as well
as subtle acoustics move in and out of focus. If this world is at an end it deserves a requiem for that what is lost.

La Rama is back on wax with two original compositions from local producer/DJ Rig Thrall. We first linked up with the Rakya crew member at the shop and soon after released his music on a limited run 10” named ‘Exit 19’ via our La Rama Dubs sub label. We kept in touch, and when an assortment of unreleased material caught our ears, we quickly jumped on the opportunity to get working on this 4th record on our label.

‘Broken Guru’ drones and grooves you through the cavernous depths, out in to the open, where the clouds part and a voice reaffirms that you are on the right path. From here we dive back into the depths, with the full confidence that this is the right path.

Thanks to two Roman legends, we have variations on the theme of ‘Broken Guru’. Marco Passarani delivers the masterful hyper dance floor club dub with his many years of experience clearly on display… play it out and you will see that this is some kind of sorcery. In speaking of magic, we are honoured to have the one and only Lory D serve us up a bass heavy re-interpretation, recorded in one pass through his live rig and edited to perfection.

‘Acidly Dose’ is the second original from Rig Thrall, an acid infused beat of the highest order with all the necessary elements to give the room a communal high.

Out on the 6th of January 2024, mastered by Nik Kozub, manufactured and distributed by La Rama Records. Much love to all the distros, shops, DJs, radio players, jam organizers, rave goers… may these tunes add to the life of your party :-)

Swiss Label Black Pattern Records with their 1st year anniversary vinyl release featuring 4 deep houses gems.

Paradise:
Dexter's latest piano house track blends subtle vibes, a house rhythm, and festive charm for a dancefloor bomb that marries lively beats with modern elegance.

Sunday Night:
The boss of Black Pattern Records delivers ‘Sunday Night’ a fast, bewitching groove combining jazz and minimal elements, designed specifically for the club scene.

Showcase:
‘Showcase’ is a genre-blurring odyssey, seamlessly weaving minimal house rhythms and soulful UK garage vibes. Melodic breaks add an emotive layer, creating a hypnotic house anthem.

Shakin’:
Stelvio returns on BPR with ‘Shakin' a floor-to-the-floor house beat featuring a minimal groove, evolving synth, damaging bassline, and a quality vocalist from the funky scene.

Gudu Records label continues a 2023 for the books with Dream Universe, a new four-track EP by Italian duo Hiver.

Based in Milan, Giuseppe Albrizio and Sergio Caio have spent the last decade honing a very special take on electro and machine funk, driven by the duo’s trademark basslines, glossy strings that drip with emotion and an overall utopian nature.

On Dream Universe, a “tribute to early ‘90s house and trance”, built around trance elements, acid bass and Detroit-inspired rhythms made on iconic synthesizers like the Alpha Juno, Juno 106 and the Roland 303, 909 and D-550, they pack more energy and emotion into their music than ever before, from the high-emotional vocal that defines the EP’s title track, to the raw bass hits that drive ‘Lodash’.

At this point, Hiver’s sound is so distinctive that you know one of their tracks the minute you hear it, but Dream Universe feels like the high water mark of their work to date; a duo in complete control of their craft.

Timmy Regisford’s enduring career is a testament to his talent and ability to always stay ahead of the House Music curve. For his new 2X12” album “Some For This and That” on Nervous Records he has combined afro house vibes with classic R&B vocals and signature Shelter chords and synths to create a musical mosaic unlike anything else currently on the market.

“If You Ever Need to Cry” and “Go Outside In The Rain” are the stand-out songs on the album that feature stellar vocal performances, while “Heaven 10 Zillion” and “I Love” will transport the listener straight back to NYC in the 90’s to the best Shelter party they could imagine. “Africa” and “Khannyisa” exhibit the next level of percussion and authentic Afro House vocal elements that will set the direction for this very popular sub genre for years to come.

Aroop Roy’s star is deservedly in the ascendancy! As one of London’s most exciting selectors, he’s managed to position himself in the sweet spot of being the DJ’s DJ and causing wild scenes wherever he plays, with headline grabbing sets at Defected Croatia, We Out Here, Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide and many more.

As a producer, musician and label owner, he continues to excel, armed with a vast knowledge of outernational sounds, from rare African disco, jazz, funk, to house, UKG and seemingly everything in-between. His open-minded approach has led to brilliant releases and remixes for labels as diverse as Soundway, Heavenly Sweetness, Permanent Vacation, Club Bad, Delusions of Grandeur, Atjazz Recordings and his own Vive La Musique imprint.

Having played a few gigs together, it was only a matter of time before Jimpster convinced Aroop to get an EP together for Freerange and the resulting Re Bulele EP couldn’t be any more satisfying!

Leading the charge, 'Mama Mwana' captivates with entrancing thumb piano loops and a traditional African vocal all propped up by a subtle yet chunky house beat to lock the dancers in.

'Re Bulele' features the hypnotic vocals of Botswana native Fox Meropa. Aroop masterfully combines a deep, techy Afro House groove with glassy synth pads to form a stripped back instrumental with the vocals front and centre. Seemingly disparate elements shine on this wonderful alternative to the deluge of maximal Afro House tracks being released these days.

Moroccan producer FNX Omar delivers the goods with a sublime remix of Re Bulele. Creating tension with layers of looping vocals along with a rolling, percussive groove. Like the original, this remix transcends genres and will create special moments on the dancefloor, whether it be in a dark, sweaty basement or daytime festival in the sunshine.

Big Sigh brings together the best of Marika's previous works as an indie musician and adds a new layer of epic sounds and full-bodied production. Big Sigh is the "hardest record" Marika has ever made. As the title suggests, it is a relief of sorts - of sadness, of stress and lust, but mostly relief. Co-produced with Sam Petts Davies (Frank Ocean, Radiohead, Red Hot Chilli Peppers) & Charlie Andrew (Alt J, Wolf Alice, London Grammar). Lyrically there's always romance a longside grief, with elements of vulnerability and feeling trapped. "This album took a long time I got to the end of it I was quiet. I wanted to be away from it and let it sit in its own space. Now the dust has settled and I've got to re-enter the world of big sigh, and I'm excited." Stepping into a new world, moving forward, chipping away. Breath in, breath out. Big sigh."

Suburban Architecture continue their series of now highly collectible 4 track EP releases with their 6th offering, 'Inside / Outside'. This new collection of tracks once again draws heavily on influences from the jazzier, atmospheric strains of mid to late 90s Drum & Bass. Putting a contemporary spin on sounds rooted in this golden era of dance music, the latest 4 tracker is split into two parts: Inside / Outside. Each track appears in two parts, delivering similar themes at different tempos.

Opening track 'Inside Part 1' will please followers of Suburban Architecture's previous work - lush pads, deep atmospherics, Jazz fusion flute licks and smashing Amens are all present in the mix. Inside Part 2 lowers the tempo without compromising the energy: Slo-mo Amens interspersed with complimentary breaks sit on top of huge pads, Reece style bass and rousing vocals. Outside also appears in two similarly styled parts. This time Part 1 comes in at the lower tempo, a light vocal-led slow motion rolling number with classic Apache elements, while Part 2 applies the same sonic template to a tough, jazzy roller.

There are two versions of the vinyl - classic black and triple-color limited Indie Shop edition.

Both have special insert inside with the bands bio and photos.

Generacja JAZZ is a project showing a fragment of the new wave of Polish jazz, treading its own path, creating, touring and jamming across Europe. Borders don't exist - especially musical - the new generation is engaging with nightclubs, festivals and playlists. The time has now come to show its broader perspective. We created a project which involves a handful of groups that have already racked up debut albums and festival wins, as they set out on their musical odyssey. The groups also have other things in common, like their passion, originality and, for the needs of the project, age - all the artists during the recording of this album were under 30 years old. This is the new generation - the Jazz Generation.

For the Jazz Generation record we invited five bands who had already released debut albums: Immortal Onion, Klawo, Rejoin, Twoosty Mayonez and USO 9001. We also reserved two spots on the compilation for the winners of our open call competition, whereby on the basis of the jury's choice (jury: Monika Borzym, Paulina Przybysz, Envee, Wojtek Mazolewski i Marcin Groh Grośkiewicz) we met the winning bands: Kosmos and quietet.

The sleeve artist is Kornelia Nowak, who won our open call for young designers and graphic artists. Here once again we could rely on the opinion of a prestigious jury comprised of: Beata Śliwińska Barrakuz, Bovska, Maciej Animisiewasz Grochot, Grzegorz Forin Piwnicki i Marcin Groh Grośkiewicz.

Generacja JAZZ LP is also a start of the new imprint - U JAZZ ME, which will be focused on jazz from Poland.

And here are the bands from the album:

1. Immortal Onion - A band from the Tri-City playing a broad spectrum of instrumental music.

Band members: Wojtek Warmijak (percussion), Tomir Śpiołek (piano, synths), Ziemowit Klimek (Upright Bass, synths).

The band Immortal Onion has already established itself as one of the most interesting projects of the new wave of Polish jazz, and is consistently being labelled as such abroad. After two well received albums ("Ocelot of Salvation" (2017) and"XD Experience Design" (2020) U Know Me Records) they released their third album "Screens" in 2022, which was recorded with the well known Tri-City composer and saxophonist - Michał Jan Ciesielski.

The inspiration behind the band's formation were such artists as: Esbjörn Svensson, Hiromi Uehara, Tigran Hamasyan and Tosin Abasi.

The group's guiding principle from the very beginning was the fusion of often disparate musical styles, which bore "post instrumental aggressive gay pop". Despite the stylistic discrepancies, between which they swim, the group has forged its own identifiable language, characterised by complicated rhythmical structures, energetic riffs and trance beats with lyrical melodies.

The trio has performed its original material at many venues and festivals around Europe and Asia.

2. Klawo - seven adventurous adventurers from Gdańsk, who were brought together by their love for music, halvah and throwing Frisbee. Their self-named début album, released in 2022 on the local label Coastline Northern Cuts, is an amalgam of the inspirations of each of the team members and played backwards contains tips on how to reach the Kashubian pyramids. After a win at the international competition Jazz in the Park, held in Cluj-Napoca in Romania, the band began work on their second album. Meanwhile, they were also travelling the length and breadth of Poland on a mission to infect people with the idea of Baltic Funk.

3. Kosmos is a Łódż based jazz quintet. It was formed in 2020 by Pianist Stanisław Szmigero, Saxophonist Iwo Tylman and Trumpeter Jan Ostalski. However, it wasn't until 2022 that Kosmos found its true form when Kamil Gużniczak (Upright bass) and Kacper Kuta (Percussion) joined the line-up.

Their compositions are influenced by Polish yass bands, electronic music and hip-hop. Kosmos music is a mix of lyricism, space, intensity and elements of experiment.

The band members are all eccentric characters possessing different means of musical expression - looking at them, one could even argue they are a group of oddballs. Despite this, for reasons unbeknownst to themselves, the members of Kosmos complement each other on stage and form a unified artistic vision of the world around them.

Kosmos officially released their début single "Ja" in June 2023. They regularly play concerts across Poland and recently were selected as distinguished artists at JAZZiNSPIRACJE (JAZZiNSPIRATION) - a competition held during the 13th Lublin Jazz Festival.

4. Quietet (formed at the beginning of 2023) is the result of meetings between five talented musicians with a deep passion for musical creation. Its sound is a unique blend of Jazz and classical music with a hint of hard rock. The band is inspired by the Scandinavian approach to making music, which brings a characteristic atmosphere and melodies to their work. Their music captivates listeners with its originality, refined improvisations and flawless technique. Both classical and modern musical trends feed their inspiration when creating passionate and emotional compositions.

Their works are full of sound experimentation, which equally surprise and expose new musical horizons. Through their compositions, "Quietet" aims to share their emotions evoked during performances, creating a musical journey that affects and inspires.

5. Connecting jazz with electronic music in fresh interpretations, six young musicians make up the group Rejoin. The group re-formed in 2020 after a four-year break, playing their debut concert at Lotos Jazz Festival Bielska Zadymka Jazzowa. The musicians in Rejoin have performed alongside such artists as: Urszula Dudziak, Krystyna Prońko, Marcin Masecki, Szczyl, Kuba Więcek and Paulina Przybysz.

Most of the members of Rejoin are students from the Katowice Music Academy, where they also develop their own projects. Rejoin was a recipient of the Fabryki Norblin Music Masterclass Foundation scholarship.

6. Twoosty Mayonez is something your grandad would listen to with his younger sister. The non-standard approach to jazz alongside a pursuit of strange sounds, culminated in the conceptual album entitled "Carmin". The material was created by Bartosz Wolerta (percussion) and Dominik Kaniewski (bass guitar/synths). "Triceradiplodocus" tells the story of a mechanical dinosaur that lives on the yet undiscovered planet Carmin.

Following their contribution to the 2022 International Women’s Day compilation, and a co-production credit on “Dreaming is Essential” by Byron Yeates, Eoin DJ drops their first release on Radiant Records, Total Body. The 4-track EP is replete with mind-bending, lustrous tracks waiting to be spun out to sweatbox dancefloors.

“Total Body” invites movement from its first seconds. Layers and layers of snares, shakers and rhythmic synth stabs build tension before the pulse of a rolling bassline cements the elements into a cohesive hard house groove. Fragments and chops of sensx’s vocals wrap in and around the sonic field, leaving wisps of reverb and echo in their wake before repeating the track’s Total Body mantra in the breakdown. The result is a lushly-scored density of sound, with a relentless stomp that never feels overcrowded or too heavy.

Angel D’lite’s remix takes a more skeletal approach to “Total Body”: a snare and clap march beneath chiming vocal stabs, rumbling low end and rolling breakbeats, flipping the original into a modern bass-heavy hybrid number. The rhythmic synth from the original, reversed and efex’d, ushers us in, and then out of the track, around extra bass stabs and pitch shifted “Total Body” chops.

On the B side, “Ultra Soft” lifts off with a firm kick and a rolling 3-note bassline. Despite the title, the track hits harder than “Total Body” and sings with Eoin DJ signatures: swirling funnels of processed vocals, rich, ear-itching textures, stripped back percussion and rave-ready samples are sprinkled with 303s, to create a track that sits comfortably with both classic trance and techno and contemporary “Progressive” dance music.

The EP’s closer, a remix of “Ultra Soft” by Byron Yeates, compresses the astrally-inclined scale of the original track into shining slices of sound. A playful, chiming melody starts off the track alongside the kick, working through precise grooves, knife-sharp snares, a throbbing bass and chopped-up, smokey vocals. The result: 6 minutes of total embodiment from the Radiant Records boss.

The Key Of The Future” takes you on a thrilling sonic journey that seamlessly blends electro, breaks, and acid elements with influences of synthwave and wave music. With tracks ranging from the pulsating intensity of “Acid Train” to the mysterious darkness of “Hasta La Mañana”, the album immerses you in a spacey and energetic atmosphere that leaves you craving more. Each song offers a unique experience, from the euphoria of “Fiesta Pesada” to the introspection of “We Are Lovers”, all tied together by a sense of discovery and evolution.

This musical masterpiece opens the door to a new chapter and reflects the artist’s expertly crafted mix of influences. Get lost in the sound and let “Key To The Future” be your guide.

Ghetts proudly presents new album, On Purpose, With Purpose. The record - which follows 2021’s epic Conflict Of Interest - continues the ongoing artistic evolution and unstoppable rise of one of the UK’s greatest rappers.

Ghetts returns sounding sharper, more unflinchingly honest and boldly confident than ever before, and is joined by several guests, including; Kano, Wretch 32, Sampha, Unknown T, Dexta Daps and Moonchild Sanelly.

As well as achieving dizzying new heights as a songwriter and rapper, On Purpose, With Purpose finds Ghetts expanding his sonic palette by reaching out beyond rap and incorporating elements of wider musical influences such as soul (Double Standards), R&B (Mine), gospel (Hallelujah), Afrobeat and amapiano (Gbedu, Blessings, Tumbi).

Epic, grooving, dazzlingly creative, perfectly attuned blends of complex mbalax drumming, field recordings, thumping kick-drum, and cosmic, bubbling, jamming synths and electronics.

The opening is suitably liminal, haunted by a diachronic sense of times past, present, and to come: ancestral ghosts, scratched playback, scraps of old recordings, voices strangulated or just out of range; puttering drums; futuristic, kosmische keys. Part II picks up the pace; III gives the drummers some, and heightens the atmosphere of enchantment. Jon Hassell’s Fourth World music courses through a kind of Dream Theory In Dakar.

Toco SOS, the second side, is a thumping, throbbing, mesmeric future-classic; perfect for fahr’n fahr’n fahr’n on the Autobahn… in a spacecraft. Expert hand percussion, call-and-response singing, bin-trembling foot-drum, spaceways keys. Sleekly funky as prime Popol Vuh.

Both sides range expansively by way of Berlin, where Lamin resided for a few years: you can hear something of T++’s brilliant, landmark HJ record on the A, and elements of Mark Ernestus’ crucial Ndagga project, on the B.

Half an hour of stunning music; in a beautiful sleeve, with mirror lettering, and an intricate spot-gloss rendition of salt crystals, laid over a photograph of the salt mines at Lac Rose, outside Dakar.

Repress!

Following his debut on the label with last year’s ‘The Pob Routine’, Jerome Hill returns to AccidentalJnr with another absolute stonker of a release which we’ll let him describe in his own words...

“After my last EP for Jnr I spoke with label boss Matthew Herbert and he challenged me to write a track for the next EP, containing only sounds I'd recorded 'in the wild'. I was about to spend a little time on an organic Vegetable farming co-op just outside Munich, 'Kartoffel Kombinat' which I'd previously nicknamed Potato Land, so I brought my recorder and during my stay made lots of recordings, carrots being bitten and snapped, various gardening tools clattering around, voices and even the big tombola-like machine that cleans the freshly picked vegetables. The resulting track was Potatoland and the only non-organic noise in it is the kick. Various 'Potatoland’ elements also make guest appearances in the other tracks, although they are less easy to spot.

'Quibble’, was also written specifically for the label and was influenced by Herbert who I've been a huge fan of for decades... I wanted to make something suitably wobbly and humorous that shuffles along but then really slams when the kick comes in. Add in the Dance Mania influenced ‘Chicken’ and the final track ‘Bleeper’ and that's the EP... Very happy to be back!!”

After a short break Samosa Records explodes back on the scene with ‘Earth Wind & Funk’, a deadly four-tracker EP that is sure to get the juices flowing and body moving.

A1 sees New Zealander producer ‘Strange’ make a most welcome return, spinning the funk loom with the ‘Hard Working’ (De Gama Re-Drums). A truly addictive and distinctive bassline sets the pace, tone and feel for this gorgeously constructed track. It has it all; sumptuous vocal, high-end brass and an acid squelch to die for. Dig it, you will.

A2 lands with Frank Virgilio’s ‘Love Is Positivity’ – a melting pot of twisted disco, feel-good scatty rhythm and lifting vocals. The melody is literally dripping with positivity, but also has an almost transcendental vibe secretly going on. The last drops of summer are right here. Enjoy them.

On the B-side, Mosaik Kollektive raise the temperature with the De Gama Re-Drums applied ‘Keep’. A tough, perfectly cooked groove that gets right in your face and makes no apologies for screaming at you. The bass on this unstoppable monster is all-consuming. Rhythm guitar licks blend with soaring strings and that’s the full basket. Sublime meaty goodness.

Closing matters for this incredible EP at B2 is the effervescent Monsieur Van Pratt and Funk De Ibiza. MVP stretches his funky legs to the full here, laying down a solid beat, arpeggio and a bass so tough you could train it to box. Expertly blended with J-pop-esque vocal and shrill church organ. Drop this at midnight and watch the carnage unfold and hands in the air.

Earth, Wind and Funk is the exposure to the elements you absolutely want. A more perfect slice of wax you couldn’t find and one that’s sure to find its way into the record boxes of those who know.

Telephone Explosion proudly presents the self-titled debut LP from Toronto’s UH HUH, out physically and digitally on April 14, 2023. The album features eight tracks of dub-damaged art rock which conjure a potent vision of spaced-out 1980s post-punks feeding their angular rhythms and bass-heavy grooves through layer upon layer of grime-spattered spring reverb.

There is a palpable sense of discovery and exploration throughout UH HUH’s 37 heady minutes. Elastic basslines and serpentine guitar phrases throb and glide, cutting through dubwise reverberations like hands moving through an opaque cloud of reefer smoke.

Formerly known as Teenanger, the reconfigured (and reinvigorated) group’s newfound sense of sonic identity is put on display the moment the door kicks open. The percolating spaciousness of opener “Somewhere Beyond” is followed by the cyclical grooves of “Redemption Pause.” Vocalists Christopher Swimmings and Melissa Ball each take respective turns at lead vocal duties, showcasing their contrasting yet complimentary styles.

“Babylon”, a slab of overcast, loping funk features both singers on the same track, alternating between Swimmings’ stoned syncopation and Ball’s saccharine melancholy. This juxtaposition leans against a backdrop of reverb-soaked drums, watery guitar chords and rippling trumpet.

The slinking, fractured grooves of “Rain (In The Afternoon)” and “Citrus Song” call to mind the deranged minimal dub-wave of Naffi or Vivien Goldman. Both songs feature lyrical content heavily inspired by the Florida swamplands, although the aural landscape on these tracks is decidedly more brutalist than Boca Raton. Two of the songs included here are reworkings of previously released Teenanger numbers. “Blinds Drawn” is reduced to its core elements of bottom-heavy rhythm, spliced guitar shanks and Swimmings’ murmured ruminations. “Good, You”, on the other hand, is completely re-imagined as a blissed-out melt of opiated bossa nova.

After countless hours of experimentation during the album’s recording sessions at Toronto’s Studio Z, the band decided to send their drum machines, snare drums and percussion through an obscure 1960’s Japanese Guyatone guitar amp with a notoriously ecstatic spring reverb sound. The result was immediately inspiring.

The dank, busted and clanking tones produced by the Guyatone evoke a muggy, humid atmosphere that mimics the photo on UH HUH’s cover. The process of re-amping is literally the means through which UH HUH found the sound of this record. UH HUH is a record that asks more questions than it does provide answers. This is searching music that requires that the listener lean into it, the more time you spend in between the beats, bars, notes contained within, the more vivid the picture becomes.

EASYGOING PORTRAIT OF DOWN-HOME SOUL SINGER COMING INTO HIS OWN AND ESTABLISHING AN INDELIBLE BOND BETWEEN PERFORMER AND AUDIENCE
1/4" / 15 IPS / Dolby A analogue master to DSD 64 to analogue console to lathe


On par with the most treasured concert albums of the 60s and 70s, Bill Withers' transformative Live at Carnegie Hall is a forgotten classic – an easygoing portrait of a down-home soul artist coming into his own in front of an audience eager to share every moment of his brilliance. Soothing with subtlety, charming with calmness, and healing with a vocal timbre as relaxing as his grooves, Withers uses the stage to expand the range of favorites and engage in dialog with the crowd. Distinguished with sonics that restore the performances' balance and improve the sound-staging, this reissue takes you inside the venue.

Moreover, aspects that really make this concert document unique – the energetic crowd, Withers and his band's willingness to extend arrangements, and the undeniable communicative bond between the performer and his fans – are brought into fuller relief. While most live albums give you the sense of what transpired, our reissue allows it to seem that what you're hearing and sensing is happening right now, in the moment. You are as much a participant as listener. For this reason and more, Live at Carnegie Hall ranks with James Brown's Live at the Apollo and B.B. King's Live at the Regal. No small claims, but the proof is in the grooves.

The antithesis of the sweaty R&B shouter that prowls the edge of stages, Withers deals in mellowness and vulnerability, qualities that come to fore. The songs here span soul, blues, and folk and often times, contain elements of all three styles. Live at Carnegie Hall also deals with serious subject matter with unflinching honesty and simple directness. Companionship, poverty, war, maturity, family, and love all crop up within Withers' tunes, yet the messages are never overly cumbersome or preachy. Credit goes to his easygoing style and relatable lyrics, not to mention a tight-as-a-vice band that on this night is simply "on."


"One more time?" Withers asks in response to a request for another stanza during "Use Me," and like the snap of fingers, his musicians are right back on cue, the crowd clapping along on every beat. This classic, as well as the instantly familiar "Ain't No Sunshine," poignant "Grandma's Hands," and all-time favorite "Lean On Me" are delivered with utmost soulfulness, passion, and electricity. Few, if any, live albums demonstrate such a bond between the crowd and artist as Live at Carnegie Hall. You'll definitely want to be there.

Analogue Productions (Atlantic 75 Series)
Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Atlantic Records!
Hello, I Must Be Going! — Phil Collins' second solo studio album
Featuring "You Can't Hurry Love" and "I Cannot Believe It's True"
180-gram 45 RPM double LP release
Mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering and cut to lacquer from a 1/4" EQ'd Dolby tape copy of the original master tape
Pressed at Quality Record Pressings and RTI
Tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing



On his first solo album, 1981's Face Value, Genesis drummer-singer Phil Collins showed that he wasn't about to be left behind in the mire of classical-rock sludge. That LP boasted shorter songs and demonstrated that Collins had a true pop sensibility. Hello, I Must Be Going! continues that trend, with some familiar patterns emerging, wrote Rolling Stone's John Milward.

"First, there are the dramatic rock dirges that use drums as a lead instrument; 'I Don't Care Anymore,' with Collins' one-man band playing alongside Daryl Stuermer's atmospheric guitars, wins in this category. Then there are the buttery ballads, of which "Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away" is the best by virtue of a Beatles-like melody that buoys Collins' anonymously sweet voice. Both of these styles were already Genesis staples; it was Collins' uptempo soul tunes on Face Value and Genesis' Abacab that surprised old fans and found new ones. 'I Cannot Believe It's True,' with Earth, Wind and Fire's Phoenix Horns casting out clean lines, clobbers the other soul contenders on Hello, I Must Be Going!, especially his remake of the Supremes' 'You Can't Hurry Love.' Collins took the golden-oldie route on that song and the result isn't soulful, it's superfluous. Despite its trend-bucking boast of an 8-track recording, the album's rich luster is of the old classical-rock school. In fact, the LP sounds like stripped-down Genesis, ornamental but not too ostentatious. — John Milward, Rolling Stone (3 Stars)."

This Analogue Productions (Atlantic Series) reissue of Hello, I Must Be Going! has the essential elements that make it a standout for your collection. First, we turned to Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering to cut lacquers from a 1/4" EQ'd Dolby tape copy of the original master. Pressing on 180-gram vinyl is by Quality Record Pressings and RTI, and the album is housed in tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing.

Hello, I Must Be Going! was a triple-platinum-selling hit in the U.S. for Collins in the 1980s and it stayed on the U.K. album charts for more than a year, peaking at No. 2. For the fans it is a drummer's album, a record that expresses rage and desperation as well as loneliness and longing. Not an album for every day, but one that really speaks to you when you need it, wrote Martin Klinkhardt, in a review for genesis

Legendary recordings by Toiling Midgets, first time on vinyl. The Toiling Midgets spawned from congress between the Sleepers and Negative Trend, two of the Bay Area’s most avowedly confrontational hardcore bands. Congruous to Flipper (two of whose founders played in Negative Trend), the new quintet boiled its songs down to their most primary elements, reassembling them if the mood struck but often allowing guitar solos to writhe somewhere in the middle distance as a disconnected rhythm cut in and out.

Celebrating a year of Hagan’s critically acclaimed debut, Python Syndicate releases a limited double vinyl edition of Textures - Textures is an homage to global sounds and influences, an expression of his journey of self-discovery and reflection on his British-Ghanaian heritage, and showcases his keen love for collaboration. Recorded between London and Accra, the project draws out a range of Afro-influenced sounds while listing the collaboration of emerging talents across the vibrant landscape of contemporary African music, Aymos, Bryte, Meron T, Ayeisha Raquel, Griffit Vigo and more. Speaking on the album, Hagan says, “Making this album has taken me on a journey of mixed feelings. I’ve spotted areas of development in my production process but also fine-tuned my strengths to produce a well-rounded Hagan sound. The development of the album opened my mind to previously untapped styles and pushed me out of my comfort zones. At its core, the ‘Textures’ LP is about being proud of retaining heritage and culture through music but also exploring dual identities through fusing sounds. Embracing the power of rhythm and collaboration, ‘Textures’ is a fine benchmark for the next.” With support from DJ Mag, Crack, TRENCH, Trippin, Mixmag, GRM Daily, Pan African Music, Rinse FM, BBC 6Music and around previous singles ‘My Love’, ‘Pray For Me’ and ‘Sise Ntweni’, Textures demonstrates exactly why Hagan is widely celebrated and renowned as a fusionist - perfectly blending elements of Amapiano, Afro-house, UK Funky, Jazz, Neo-Soul, Broken beat and all that's in between with ease on the record.

“Now And Then” is the last Beatles song, written and demoed by John Lennon in the mid/late 1970s. With John’s voice now pristine in the mix, “Now And Then” features elements from the 1995 sessions including George Harrison’s guitar parts, and vocal and instrumental parts recorded by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in 2022, along with a new arrangement for strings. Produced by Paul and Giles Martin, “Now And Then” is the last song recorded by all four Beatles, a powerful and fitting finale for the band’s timeless recordings.

Emerging from the heart of Brussels, Azo is poised to set the electronic music world ablaze with her latest EP, "Astroculture," scheduled for release on SNC Recs. Featuring four vibrant original tracks and a stellar remix from Offenbach Frankfurt's very own Maruwa, this EP takes listeners on an ecstatic journey through the realms of acid, trance, and high-energy drums.

Azo has consistently captivated her audience with a rich tapestry of influences. Renowned for her rock-solid radio shows and dazzling productions, she skillfully blends a myriad of musical elements to create a sound that is uniquely her own.

Inspired by the enigmatic and pulsating vibes of Electro, Trance, and the expressive melodic flavors associated with Rave culture, Azo's "Astroculture" EP promises a sonic exploration like no other. Each track invites her audience to embark on an exhilarating adventure, guiding them through a musical landscape that defies boundaries and expectations—just as the scientific endeavor of astroculture explores new possibilities for cultivating plants beyond the boundaries of Earth.

The EP wouldn't be complete without the hypnotic remix by Maruwa, a vital contributor to the scene. Maruwa's reinterpretation adds a fresh twist to Azo's sonic canvas, enhancing the EP's already electrifying atmosphere.

Azo's "Astroculture" EP is set to ignite dancefloors and inject a surge of energy into the new club season. With its intoxicating beats and boundless creativity, it's a must-listen for electronic music enthusiasts worldwide.

Don't miss out on this sonic adventure. Join Azo on her "Astroculture" journey as she delivers an EP that's as unique and mesmerizing as the artist herself. Experience the magic of Azo's musical journey and get ready to dance like never before.

2023 Repress

Noisia & Foreign Beggars are extremely proud to present I Am Legion's much anticipated self-titled, 16 track, debut album.
"The album was made during countless sessions (no more than 40 full studio days max) over the last five years. Many passes of production and scrutiny reached every track, alongside a plethora of feedback spread sheets and whiteboard summaries. We never set a deadline for ourselves; the whole idea of a full album only took shape later in the process when we realized how much material we had generated and how cool it could be to put it out as one big thing." I Am Legion nods to rap's erstwhile forays into electronica, absorbing elements of its present whilst laying out a reassuringly disturbed vision of what's to come.

Clear Vinyl

On Rock Island, their second LP, Palm produces evidence of a distinct musical language, developed over time, in isolation, and out of necessity. On the island, melodies are struck on what might be shells or spines. Rhythms are scratched out, swept over, scratched again. Individual instruments, and sometimes entire sections, skip and stutter. There is the sense of a music box with wonky tension or a warped transmission in which all the noise is taken for signal.

Like other groups so acclaimed for their compulsive live show, Palm has been burdened by the constant comparison between their recorded material and their touring set. On Rock Island, they render this tired discussion moot, using the album form to present that which could never be completely live, reserving for performance that which could never be completely reproduced.

Despite appearing behind the instruments typical of rock music, Palm trades in sounds of their own making. On these songs, one of the guitars and the drum kit are used as MIDI triggers, producing an index that can be combed through later and replaced with new information. The percussion is sometimes augmented so as to suggest a multiplication of limbs. The strings are manipulated to choke, crack, and hum like other instruments, or other bodies, might.

Working again with engineer Matt Labozza, the band spent the better part of a month in a rented farmhouse in Upstate New York. With the benefits of time and space, Palm recorded the various elements piecemeal, only rarely playing together in groups larger than two or three. While some members tracked, others holed up in the next room, experimenting with quantization, beat replacement, and other methods borrowed from electronic music. Even accounting for the many labors that brought them to be, these materials seem produced by an organic logic. Their complex friction forms a habit of thought, scores a network of grooves on the floor of the mind.

This is music with dimensionality. Sonic objects are deployed, developed, and dissected in various states of mutation. The listener flits about between the field and the lab. The tone is warm in a way only the sun could make, the pace as forceful and as variable as a gale. Whether one locates Rock Island in a sea or in a refinished attic (as in Greg Burak's album cover), whether one escapes to there or is banished, its psychic environs are charted clearly enough. Only at this remove from the mainland can we sense the conditions necessary for such a strange species of sound.

The long-anticipated debut album "Infernal Fractality", set for a late 2023 release, unleashes a relentless onslaught of sonic brutality that has consumed over half a decade of tireless devotion from the band's enigmatic founder, Ødemark (known for his work with 3rd Attempt, Ovate, and Necrocave). Ødemark, an artist driven by both the fiery passion of psychedelics and a relentless pursuit of extreme metal's uncharted territories, has woven these elements into an epic, violent, and boundary-defying soundscape that delves deep into the realms of the Luciferian ideals, non-duality pointers, and the mystic principles found in his own psychedelic experiences.

THE LAST EON was formed to push the boundaries of the established but dormant industrial black metal sound pioneered by bands such Thorns and Mysticum and to its maximum exponential, with the vision of "creating the most intense music in history", objective that took 6 years of obsession, a couple burnouts, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers and outers, to map the depths of the psychedelic experience that would be distilled into "Infernal Fractality". With the help of drummer Jarle Byberg, Ødemark created this whole beast by himself.

After years of pushing every conceivable boundary, and breaking every possible rule and standard in composition, production and sound design, the masterpiece was ready for the crucible of Zardonic's mastering process, who consolidated the behemoth of a more than 300 track project into a time-space shattering soundscape of cosmic proportions.

Mainman Ødemark states: “I wanted to push the limits of what extreme metal can be, and materialize a vision for the future of electronic black metal that required me to rebel against every single rule in my mind of what black metal is, to create what black metal can be. This included also the theme and lyrics, spreading awareness of the mind expanding psychedelic experiences and self exploration within the black metal culture.”

The long-anticipated debut album "Infernal Fractality", set for a late 2023 release, unleashes a relentless onslaught of sonic brutality that has consumed over half a decade of tireless devotion from the band's enigmatic founder, Ødemark (known for his work with 3rd Attempt, Ovate, and Necrocave). Ødemark, an artist driven by both the fiery passion of psychedelics and a relentless pursuit of extreme metal's uncharted territories, has woven these elements into an epic, violent, and boundary-defying soundscape that delves deep into the realms of the Luciferian ideals, non-duality pointers, and the mystic principles found in his own psychedelic experiences.

THE LAST EON was formed to push the boundaries of the established but dormant industrial black metal sound pioneered by bands such Thorns and Mysticum and to its maximum exponential, with the vision of "creating the most intense music in history", objective that took 6 years of obsession, a couple burnouts, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers and outers, to map the depths of the psychedelic experience that would be distilled into "Infernal Fractality". With the help of drummer Jarle Byberg, Ødemark created this whole beast by himself.

After years of pushing every conceivable boundary, and breaking every possible rule and standard in composition, production and sound design, the masterpiece was ready for the crucible of Zardonic's mastering process, who consolidated the behemoth of a more than 300 track project into a time-space shattering soundscape of cosmic proportions.

Mainman Ødemark states: “I wanted to push the limits of what extreme metal can be, and materialize a vision for the future of electronic black metal that required me to rebel against every single rule in my mind of what black metal is, to create what black metal can be. This included also the theme and lyrics, spreading awareness of the mind expanding psychedelic experiences and self exploration within the black metal culture.”

Changing Mindset is an EP developed around Tuber's title track,

This work is presented as a work of sonic craftsmanship, with a distinctive character that will make you delve towards the limits of electronic music. This sound fuses atmospheric, hypnotic and mental elements, creating a listening experience that goes beyond listening to become a total immersion into the cosmos.

-On the first remix, it denotes a special flavor thanks to the presence of Orbe, a true master in the creation of textures and enveloping sounds. Known for his skill in weaving complex sonic layers, he dives into the core of Tuber's main track, displaying an ability to transform and enrich every musical element.

-The second remix, created by HD Substance, promises to be an experience that will take listeners on a vibrant musical journey, inviting them to surrender to the beat with an infectious energy. The presence of HD Substance, backed by an extensive and outstanding trajectory in the music world, augurs a remix that goes beyond simply being listened to, it is a direct invitation to immerse oneself in the intensity of the sound and let oneself be carried away by the melody.

-The last remix, by Dinamite, adds a touch of elegance and forcefulness, completing the "Changing Mindset" EP. Dinamite, renowned for his ability to fuse musical sophistication with pulsating beats, brings with him an experience-laden perspective.

The long out-of-print sophomore album by the pioneering, creatively restless troupe, Cerberus Shoal, highlights the earliest phase of their transition from experimental hardcore band to transcendent exploratory collective. Originally released in 1996, _And Farewell To Hightide combined the group's unique command of patient anticipation with a significantly expanded musical palette and a refined musicianship. Shedding virtually all obvious references to the frenetic post-hardcore of their eponymous debut album, Hightide saw Cerberus Shoal incorporating elements of Talk Talk, Tortoise, and the early Windham Hill catalog into a sound that was incomparable at the time. Now, more than 20 years later, it's proven astonishingly prescient and truly timeless. Beautifully remastered and finally made available digitally for the first time ever, this expanded deluxe edition includes the Lighthouse In Athens EP recorded during the same era as _And Farewell To Hightide. Finally available on vinyl for the first time ever, _And Farewell To Hightide - Deluxe Expanded Edition is packaged in restored artwork with newly uncovered photos and extensive new liner notes written by the band. The record has been newly mastered for vinyl by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service, and pressed onto audiophile-grade vinyl.

Gaucho — Steely Dan's Grammy-winning seventh studio album now on UHQR!
Definitive reissue Ultra High Quality Record, the pinnacle of high-quality vinyl!
45 RPM LP release limited to 20,000 numbered copies
Mastered by Bernie Grundman from a 1980 analogue tape copy originally EQ'd by Bob Ludwig
Pressed at Quality Record Pressings using 200-gram Clarity Vinyl®
Purest possible pressing and most visually stunning presentation and packaging!
Tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing


Gaucho — the iconic seventh studio album by Steely Dan, released in November 1980 — and Grammy-winner for Best Engineered Non-Classical Recording, was also Grammy-nominated for Album of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The album represents the band's musical evolution towards a more polished and sleek sound, featuring a collection of meticulously crafted songs that blend jazz, rock, and pop music, while exploring themes of decadence, longing, and disillusionment.

Gaucho opens with the title track, a jazzy instrumental piece that sets the tone for the rest of the album. The standout tracks on the album include "Hey Nineteen," a catchy and upbeat tune that features a memorable saxophone riff and lyrics about an older man's attraction to a young woman, and "Babylon Sisters," a funky and groovy track that showcases the band's impeccable sense of rhythm and melody.

The sessions for Gaucho represented the band's typical penchant for studio perfectionism and obsessive recording technique. To record the album, the band used at least 42 different musicians, spent more than a year in the studio, and far exceeded the original monetary advance given by the record label. Still, the album features multiple layers of instrumentation, carefully crafted arrangements, and the use of top-notch session musicians to create a lush and sophisticated sound that is uniquely Steely Dan.

Despite its critical and commercial success, Gaucho was a challenging album to make. During the two-year span in which the album was recorded, the band was plagued by a number of creative, personal and professional problems. MCA, Warner Bros. and Steely Dan had a three-way legal battle over the rights to release the album. After it was released, jazz musician Keith Jarrett was given a co-writing credit on the title track after threatening legal action over plagiarism of Jarrett's song "'Long As You Know You're Living Yours."

Gaucho marked a significant stylistic change for the band, introducing a more minimal, groove- and atmosphere-based format. The harmonically complex chord changes that were a distinctive mark of earlier Steely Dan songs are less prominent on Gaucho, with the record's songs tending to revolve around a single rhythm or mood, although complex chord progressions were still present particularly in "Babylon Sisters" and "Glamour Profession." Gaucho proved to be Steely Dan's final studio album that Donald Fagen and Walter Becker would make together until the year 2000.

Gaucho reached No. 9 on the U.S. album chart and was certified platinum-selling. "Hey Nineteen" reached No. 10 on the U.S. Singles Chart and went to No. 1 in Canada. Pitchfork, in its review, describes the almost "pathologically overdetermined production" as elegant, arid and a little forbidding. "Every last tinkling chime sounds like it took 12 days to mix, because chances are, it did." The New York Times deemed Gaucho the best album of 1980, beating out Talking Heads' Remain in Light and Joy Division's Closer.

Founded by core members Walter Becker (bass) and Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards), Steely Dan's popularity rose throughout the late 1970s on, and their seven albums throughout that period of time blended elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Steely Dan created a sophisticated, distinctive sound with accessible melodic hooks, complex harmonies and time signatures, and a devotion to the recording studio. Becker and Fagen, with producer Gary Katz, gradually changed Steely Dan from a performing band to a studio project, hiring session musicians to record their compositions. The duo didn't perform live between 1974 and 1993. But their popularity nevertheless grew throughout the '70s as their albums became critical favorites and their singles became staples of Adult Oriented Radio and pop radio stations.

After a brief battle with esophageal cancer, Walter Becker died on September 3, 2017 at the age of 67. Steely Dan has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2001. VH1 ranked Steely Dan at No. 82 on their list of the 100 Greatest Musical Artists of All Time. Rolling Stone ranked them No. 15 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.

This stereo UHQR reissue will be limited to 20,000 copies, with gold foil individually numbered jackets, housed in a premium slipcase with a wooden dowel spine.

Gaucho remains a testament to Steely Dan's enduring musical legacy and their ability to create timeless music that transcends genre and style.

Ayyuka was founded in the year 2001.They've started to make their own music which was mostly improvisation and influenced by a lot of different styles. Some time later the band had it's name naturally which Is AYYUKA that has two meanings: ''to the highest part of the sky' and 'an idiom to tell that a secret has been revealed'" . After university years they moved to Istanbul and started to perform their music at some live venues. Since their self-titled debut album release, the band have performed in various music festivals and venues in a number of cities including Istanbul, Berlin, Lyon, Sao Paulo. They also have opened up for some major artists like Jonathan Richman, R.E.M., Sonic Youth. With very direct live performance energy in their compositions, Ayyuka fuse characteristic elements from a variety of genres such as Anatolian Rock, arabesque, surf rock, punk, spaghetti western, psychedelic rock, and funk. They released their second studio album 'Kiraci Odalari' on October 2013. 'Sömestr' is Ayyuka's third studio album, the sound moves between psychedelic rock, afro rhythms and much else besides. The album was made by the improvising recording sessions that they recorded at their studio. TRACKLIST: 1. Sömestr, 2. Tek Teker, 3. Geceleri Zor Uyurum, 4. Gün 1B, 5. Gabor, 6. Guaruja, 7. Aryton Senna, 8. Bu Bi Rüya Olmali.

Repress!

On 22nd October, the Nottingham-raised and highly-praised musician/DJ/producer Matt Cutler, AKA Lone, presents his 8th album – and first in 5 years – ‘Always Inside Your Head’. It marks two major changes, with both a new label and new approach – featuring vocalists for the first time.

This deeply textural and ethereal artwork is situated high above the clouds, amidst the heavens, occupying a stratospheric state where swathes of synthesized vapour and azure rays sound like a literal breath of fresh air.

A varied selection of music influenced the record, but two main influences were Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine. “I wanted to approach a range of different styles, but attack them from their angle in a way, so for example on 'Inlove2' I tried to imagine what a Balearic / acid house tune might sound like if it were produced by Kevin Shields”, comments Lone.

Another key example of Cutler’s strange but successful combination of elements is the halcyon bliss of ‘Echo Paths’, where his trademark fat drums and love for hip hop meet double-time pan pipes, dub effects and dream pop, mixed into a wonderfully lysergic concoction.

This rarefied auditory stratus was previously evident in tracks like ‘Alpha Wheel 4 (Ambient Mix)’ from ‘DJ Kicks’, ‘Under Cherry Blossoms (Minds Eye Reprise)’ from ‘Ambivert Tools, Vol. 2’, ‘Pulsar’ (from ‘Ambivert 4’), and ‘How Can You Tell’ (from ‘Abraxas’), but is now more fully-fledged, broader in scope and even more celestial.

In addition to the above, the LP exists somewhere between trip hop on Mo' Wax, 90s Warp, intelligent drum & bass and ambient house. There are heavier forays too, like ‘Mouth Of God’, where darker clouds emerge, but are pierced like acid lightning with fierce, tearing tech-step bass.

Although still firmly rooted in club culture – here Lone shows a definite leaning towards a song-based sound, with several tracks edging towards the same crossover space as the nineties hits which also inspired him – particularly William Orbit’s production on Madonna's 'Frozen', and Olive's 'You're Not Alone'. This is especially evident on the bright, spacious brilliance of 'Hidden By Horizons', where vocals and synths swirl around one another, with crisp breakbeats and reggae rolls pushing purposefully through the ether.

Despite initially seeming almost entirely sunny of disposition, upon deeper immersion there’s lot more beneath the album’s surface, both in its deep pools of immiscible layered elements, and also thematically. When recording Cutler kept in mind a loose narrative based on birth, death, and our existence in-between.

He then extended this idea to reach what may happen after death, which is reflected in the sequencing: By penultimate track ‘Undaunted’ the life reflected in this longplayer has come to an end, which is then followed by 'Coming In To Being And Passing Away' – an afterlife epilogue, which evokes a transition from this world to the next.

Diamonds & Freaks is the second studio album from producer/artist/visionary, BLK ODYSSY. Following up the critically acclaimed debut album, BLK VINTAGE, Diamonds & Freaks is a concept album that tells the story of a man enslaved by his lustful addictions. The record is presented as an erotic novel by Keisha Plum with narration by Bootsy Collins, both of whom offer a stark contradiction to the vivid and edgy content of the songs. The record contains elements of soul, hip-hop, and pop—seamlessly blended to create a fresh and distinct sound true to BLK ODYSSY. Diamonds & Freaks showcases BLK ODYSSY’S talent for crafting colorful characters and vivid scenes to tell stories through music. The 15 track masterpiece features appearances by Cory Henry, Bootsy Collins, KIRBY, Rapsody, Eimaral Sol, Grace Sorensen, STOUT, & The Alchemist. Pressed on Amber vinyl, housed in a Diecut Gatefold Jacket and includes a 32pg Booklet, 2 Double-sided 12x12 Inserts, Postcard, Marketing Sticker & Black Polylined Sleeves.

Felipe Gordon is a Colombian producer based in Bogota. He’s one of the most famous faces of latin american underground house music. He built a track record of pure house productions from the mid-2010s up until now, being Laurent Garnier-supported and releasing records with the most notorious house labels around the globe (Royal Oak, Razor-N-Tape, Toy Tonics, Local Talk, Shall Not Fade, etc.) His unique sonic touch, intertwining elements of raw analogue sounds from his synth collection and a strong hip-hop sampling background are allowing him to explore and revisit his influences to craft a solid musical signature.

Making their debut on Rupture, we are pleased to welcome Pugilist & Tamen with the 'Looking Out EP'.

The duo from Melbourne come with a unique blend for the Rupture crew, across four tracks that journey through the elements.

The EP drifts between dubby tribal steppers and rolling percussion, taking its time to savour everything in between, experimenting with different tempos, textures and atmospherics.

Progressing and building at every turn, the EP develops organically and hits in all the right ways.

Limited to 300 copies worldwide.

Mr. Money With The Vibe is the debut studio album from Nigerian singer Asake. Following an impressive debut and meteoric rise in the music industry, Asake signed with YBNL Nation, the label founded by one of the godfathers of modern Afrobeats, Olamide. The 12-track album features elements of traditional Nigerian fuji music, Afropop, and South African Amapiano and sees appearances from fellow Nigerian star Burna Boy and American rapper Russ. The results are an ethereal sonic oasis that clearly sets Asake apart from his peers. Includes the single, “Sungba (Remix),” “Peace Be Unto You (PBUY),” & “Terminator.” 1xLP, pressed on Bone Vinyl with Red Splatter.

Decision Paralysis is the first collaboration by Eva Sajanova and Dominik Suchy.

Their music is very minimalist, repetitive, still, the compositions // songs surprisingly evolve over time. The cold synths are beautifully augmented with raw or effected layers of Sajanova's vocal. Of striking prominence is the decision to forgo the use of any beats or percussive elements. The whole album revolves just around vocals, synths, and layers, and the richness they possess enough in themselves.

This goes in line with Suchy's previous work, one of his trademarks being working mostly with melody and harmony, defying a lot of what is going on in contemporary experimental music. In a way, it is a strive to return to classical or pop ????? in her deepest sense; experimental more in the use of sounds, approaches and forms, rather than defying the musical.

The lyrics are exclusively in Slovak, open to interpretation and perhaps leaving the listener unburdened by meaning, enabling them to focus on Sajanova's voice, phrasing, and vocal techniques. They span from child-like repetitive dadaist poems, to heavy existentialist statements on life's inherent beauty yet meaninglessness.

All of it is further supported by the album cover by the Slovak illustrator Martu, blurring the lines between the naive, the beautiful, the natural, synthetic, dark, and glowing. All at the same time.

Tired Girls is the third full-length studio album by Bay Area singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Anna Hillburg. Co-produced and recorded with Jason Quever of the Papercuts, the pair created an album for lovers of finely crafted and supremely catchy chamber pop. As always, Hillburg’s voice takes center stage, but for Tired Girls she made a conscious choice to dig deeper into her trumpet skills and make more elaborate horn arrangements than her previous records. Lyrically, Hillburg dives into what it is to be a contemporary woman, and how one perseveres, finds inspiration, creates, loves, and lives. Recorded throughout 2022 at Quever’s studio, the two built dreamy soundscapes with long-time collaborators Logan Kroeber on drums (The Dodos), Josh Miller on bass (Chime School, Extra Classic), and Yea Ming Chen on keys. The entire record has a real “Ladies, trust your gut” feeling, unsurprisingly, as Hillburg says she tends to write songs about “the reality of womanhood and feminism but ya know, why not make that a little ‘dancey’?” As a collection, Tired Girls marks her arrival as an artist who has hit their stride. Each track shows her talent and progression as a songwriter and performer. As a multi-instrumentalist and classically trained trumpet player, Hillburg is a sought-after session and live musician in the vibrant Bay Area music scene, performing regularly with Shannon And The Clams, The Dodos, The Moore Brothers, The Once And Future Band, Will Sprott, Dream Date, Greg Ashley, Shannon Shaw and her All-Star Buddy Band, and more. After writing and recording with her first band, SF power-pop darlings Dream Date, Hillburg set off on her own to record and release her first album, the self-titled 2013 release, Anna Hillburg. Described as “a romantic mix of lounge-inspired rock and avant-folk melodies,” here were the foundations of Hillburg’s signature songwriting style, with elements of baroque pop, catchy hooks, trumpet lines, and whimsical humor that garnered the attention of critics and fans alike. Her second studio album, Really Real, came out in 2018, recorded with Greg Ashley (Gris Gris) and Alicia Vanden Heuvel (The Aislers Set), this pop gem gained even more praise, with writers saying “Hillburg’s writing brings heartfelt lyrics to elegant pop.”

“This one might’ve been in us from the start”, says John Hancock. He’s talking about ‘Echos’ - his, Becky Williams, Finn Bjarnson & Ryan Raddon seventh Late Night Alumni longform. Predominantly known for blending electronic and organic elements into their music, the album represents a departure from the band’s largely house-led sound. An all-acoustic affair, in many ways though ‘Echos’ is a natural extension of LNA’s DNA. “Most of our songs”, John continues, “are written in the organic/acoustic realm and then produced with electronic flavours to create our sound. In those intimate song beginnings though, there’s a magic all its own. We’ve long wanted to do an album that captured and augmented that initial intimacy.” Which is indeed what Becky, John, Finn & Ryan have now done. The quartet have dug back into their twenty-year, six-album history and selected eleven tracks that they felt could most benefit from this song-spotlighting treatment. With their original acoustic intros as cues, they’ve taken them to their natural conclusions. A Sliding Doors-type feast for LNA enthusiasts both new and established, or indeed all lovers of downtempo, downtime, live instrumentation-led music, ‘Echos’.

This music unites our common love for the essence of music, which contains harmonic structures and emotionality without borders." — Musique Infinie

Musique Infinie, the new duo consisting of Noémi Büchi and Feldermelder, is rooted in a shared desire to intertwine two composing veins, and to merge them into a new, massive core. While Büchi combined her background in classical and electro-acoustic music with a bold approach to composition on her highly acclaimed debut album 'Matter' (-OUS, 2022), multi-disciplinary musician and artist Feldermelder has been expanding his artistic practice into unexplored realms for over 20 years. Mutually, they've challenged themselves to fully engage on an artistic exploration aimed at making use of the elementary forces that unfold between them.

Their debut album, simply titled 'I', is a musical hybridization. The compositions make use of simple motives that are radically transformed by expanding them into intricate structures and fantastic layerings. The overcoming of genres with eclectic elements from classical music, jazz, film music and traditional music, combined with the vocabulary of experimental electronic music, complete the vertical plunge into this thickness. The emerging pieces lead into a paradoxical world, both disturbing and euphoric. Pieces that don't give in to calculations and expectations, but progress through ruptures and repetitions. The richness of the compositions and their analog, acoustic and orchestral character reflect the density of the world with its violence, its decadence, its fragility, but also its power, its ingenuity and its beauty.

Composer and sound artist Noémi Büchi creates electronic, symphonic maximalism. Her music is defined by a delicate synthesis of textural rhythms and electroacoustic-orchestral abstraction. She explores the potential of consonance and dissonance, contrasts rhythmic physicality with disruption and playfully emphasizes irregularities, creating an expansive listening experience marked by detail and elevation.

Feldermelder is a polymathic creative whose artistry spans composition, sound design, installation and code. He is co-founder of -OUS Records and an active member of Encor.studio, a collective specialising in creating immersive audio-visual installations. Through his work, he explores the idea of secrecy and its impact on our lives, using music and sound to create a thought-provoking and immersive experience for his audience.

Fall is here after all the summer maddness with festivals, mediterranean tours and Ibiza residencies, it full on vinyl releases for Vega Records. Introducing the 5 Pack Unreleased IV edition, Vega Records takes another step into the world of unreleased music from the Vega Family. Gems from Leroy Burgess, Two Soul fusion, Tony Touch, Professor Featuring Ndu Shezi & Thebe, Johnny Dangerous, and gospel royalty Bebe Winans to Elements Of Life Demos and songs in the making all come together on this special 5 piece vinyl set. With 12 tracks in the sequence there are a select number of talented producers on the project which include Two Soul Fusion AKA Louie Vega & Josh Milan, Pablo Fierro, Johnny Dangerous, Luis Radio, Pietro Nicosia and musicians Axel Tosca and Luisito Quintero. They all contribute to these unique pieces of music mastered by the one and only who we call “The Quincy Jones Of Mastering” Mr. Herb Powers of PM Mastering and the vinyl manufactured by Optimal, Germany. With a limited number of copies made make sure you get your hands on them, they will be rare and very fast!!! Vega Records “always bringing you top quality music” !! Distributed by Above Board, UK.

Repress!

This is Maurice Fulton at his best! The much sought-after remix of Alice Smith's "Love Endeavor" now lovingly reissued on 12", complete with the instrumental mix.

The A side sees Fulton elevate the original from summertime neo soul jam, into a chuggy dancefloor masterpiece. Reimagining the killer bassline, stripping back the elements and teasing the vocal until the full force of Alice's voice is let loose in one of the best breakdowns around.

The flip side houses the instrumental remix giving you the choice to let Fulton's craftsmanship shine without the vocal. Either way this record is guaranteed to whip any crowd into a frenzy!

»In Words« is the first solo album by the Danish musician, composer, and visual artist Alexander Tillegreen. The album represents a series of varied electronic music pieces while also carrying examples of ongoing work with psychoacoustic phenomena. Composed partly of material taken from his artistic practice as an installation artist and his ongoing interdisciplinary artistic research into psychoacoustic phenomena, Tillegreen investigates subjective sonic perception and the negotiation of language. Particularly, these investigations are done through the use of the phantom word illusion, originally discovered by music psychologist Diana Deutsch. Parts of the album were conceived when Tillegreen was the first artist ever in resident at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics. Triggering the brain’s tendency to interpret language-based auditory illusions as meaningful information and as words within the mind of the listener, Tillegreen’s unique sound works unfold like a kaleidoscope of phonetic mirrors which render possibilities to reflect upon the listener’s own psychological and culturally situated linguistic embeddedness. Gender-distorted voice perception, speech and language borders are all challenged and thematized throughout Tillegreen’s work. The listener’s head and bodily movement drastically affect the listening and the word interpretation. Their psychological subconsciousness, recent events, memories, and expectations as well as the listener’s motion in space all become co-creative and co- composing factors in a reactive and choreographic process of listening. The polyrhythmic seriality of spatialized syllabic structures is accompanied by elements of heavy bass drops, high-frequency tensions, undulating synth lines, and hypnotic effects. Some of the many compositional potentials of the phantom word illusions are exercised and unfolded in selected tracks throughout the album. The notion of language borders is approached from an entirely different and even more “anti-logocentric” perspective on the “eponymous” closing track »Assimilate (in Words)«, where the listener experiences the struggle and collapse of interpersonal communication through conversation. Other parts of the album represent more diverse approaches to abstract electronic music. »In Words« morphs soundscapes into glacial, spherical passages of ambient backdrops, while at other times emphasizes raw tectonic blocks of hyper-panning drones that erupt into high-velocity outlets of energetic, granular fields. Tillegreen is alternating between cyclical, minimalist, hypnotic approaches and complex, glitchy polyrhythmic melodic structures that shift and melt into evocative ambiences. The phantom words and the nature of Tillegreen’s musical visions progressively demand more of the listener’s attention and represent the artist’s ongoing artistic work and scientific research into psychoacoustics and language. While »In Words« is a highly conceptual album, the musical bandwidth is extensive.

The birth point of ecstasy in British music is usually credited to acid house and the second summer of love: a cemented vision of kids sweating and vibrating in clubs, fields and warehouses in 1988, united by universal empathy and mind-popping sounds. However, in 1981, a couple of young men from Leeds went to New York, discovered the drug in its infancy, fused its’ gritty synth pop to acid house’s squelchy 303 groove and recorded an album: Soft Cell’s Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. The rest, as they say, is history.

Shortly before that Soft Cell’s debut single Memorabilia was born. Originally recorded a decade before the explosion of acid house and rooted in predominantly black NYC, Chicago and Detroit gay clubs, Memorabilia is a seminal early prelude to rave culture. Merging a

strutting disco bass line with a futuristic proto acid-techno beat, Marc Almond has past described Memorabilia as “the first acid house techno record ever”.

Dave Ball remembers: “Memorabilia got to about number 99 in the charts, but the clubs picked up on it. In NME or Sounds they had a chart for the Danceteria in New York, and we were in it. Our label Phonogram saw this and thought: ‘why is this weird little duo from Leeds that no one’s heard of suddenly getting played in one of the hippest clubs in New York?’ So I think they thought: ‘we’ll give them another chance’.”



Berlin’s very own upcomers Wally Funk round off the remix package, upping the original tempo slightly, while combining elements the of original production with the later Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing version to create a new hybrid, best played extremely loud!

muslimgauze vs species of fishes

The story of this unexpected collaboration dates back to the summer and autumn of 1998 when Bryn Jones AKA Muslimgauze, the politically conscious music genius from Manchester, discovered Species Of Fishes' albums through the Dutch label Staalplaat. Jones embarked on a journey of reinventing the Muscovites' tracks, infusing them with hypnotizing noise pulsations that were both harsh and sharp, yet profoundly humane, while evoking ethereal Arab echoes.

The original remixes became the inaugural release on Species Of Fishes' self-titled label in 1999, with a limited circulation of 500 CDs. Another edition was later released in the United States in 2007 by Tourette Records, with a circulation of 1000 CDs. The first edition featured a selection edited from the original DAT cassette, accompanied by minor revisions, while the second one faithfully reproduced the entire studio session, providing insight into the creative process rather than focusing solely on the final result.

In this new reissue, Species Of Fishes have curated the tracks, discarding repetitions, unsuccessful takes, and technical pauses. The result is a more dynamic compilation that retains the core elements of the original work while reducing the total duration by almost half.

'Trip Trap', 'Some Songs of a Dumb World', and 'muslimgauze vs species of fishes' comprise three chapters of Species Of Fishes' album triptych, which unveils the originality of the Russian duo, pioneers of the unparalleled electronic scene who were ahead of their time.




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Led by the legendary pianist and composer Chick Corea - the venerated 27-time Grammy winner and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master - The Elektric Band stormed onto the jazz scene in the mid-1980s, making an immediate and lasting impact on the genre. With their electrifying performances and innovative blend of jazz fusion, the group produced a series of albums that set the bar for excellence in contemporary jazz. Featuring a core lineup of virtuosic musicians - John Patitucci on bass, Dave Weckl on drums, Eric Marienthal on saxophone and Frank Gambale on guitar - the group created a dynamic and electrifying sound that came to define the jazz fusion style. Their collective musicianship was on full display on each album, as they seamlessly blended complex compositions with captivating improvisations. With each outing, the band explored new sonic territories, incorporating elements of funk, Latin and Afro music, and pop sensibilities. Their 5-album studio discography is a masterful tapestry of multi-layered music, showcasing their creativity, innovation, and musicianship. A restlessly creative, eternally youthful and uncommonly generous spirit, Armando Anthony “Chick” Corea left behind an incredibly rich legacy of recorded music when he passed away on February 9, 2021. The music of the Elektric Band continues to inspire and influence musicians to this day, cementing their legacy as one of the most important and iconic jazz fusion bands of all time

Chicago rock ensemble Red Red Meat hit hard with 1995’s Bunny Gets Paid. Arguably the band’s most complete album, the record pairs Stones-indebted blues-rock roots with beautiful songs, sounding miles removed from the era’s grunge and radio-friendly alternative rock tropes. Recorded at Idful Studios in Chicago’s Wicker Park by producer Brad Wood (Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair, Tortoise), Bunny Gets Paid finds Red Red Meat’s core members, Tim Rutilli, Brian Deck, Ben Massarella, and Tim Hurley, straddling the line between their most accessible set of songs and a desire to explore a kind of “alternate fidelity,” employing layers of distortion, natural reverb, and room ambience. “At the time, I felt like we’d made a classic rock record,” Rutilli says. “I was like, ‘This is our Astral Weeks.’” But listening back 20 years later, Rutilli recognizes the band’s ambition, a desire to break songs down to their barest, most primitive elements to “see what survives.”

Indie pop quartet Melenas hail from Pamplona, Spain, a picturesque region nestled just south of the Pyrenees. Such beauty can't help but inform the band's songwriting, but Melenas aren't content to just sit placidly & take in the scenery. Since they burst onto the scene in 2016, the band has hit the ground running, playing incessantly both locally & on the stages at national festivals like Primavera Sound & Eurosonic as well as releasing a debut full length (2018's "s/t" album) and a 7-inch single both triple-released on local labels Elsa, Nebula & Snap! Clap! Club. Trouble In Mind is honored to be releasing their new album Dias Raros and is the first label outside of Spain to release Melenas music to the world.Dias Raros hums right from the get-go, peppering their garage-pop punch with elements of lysergic dream pop, melancholic indie rock and strident guitar jangle. The album title translates to "Strange Days" an acknowledgement - according to the band - of "...those days where you spend more time inside than outside. Inside your own self, inside your bedroom and your own universe thinking about your wishes, dreams, memories, obsessions or fears." The lyrics - sung entirely in their native Spanish - reference "those interior dialogues where sometimes you fight to escape from a situation, you wonder what another person will be thinking about or feeling, you gotta say goodbye, or you just enjoy the time by yourself. Days that, for different reasons, you're feeling different, they are strange". Opener "Primer tiempo" buzzes with an urgent organ drone, unfolding into a yearning ballad of modern guitar-pop bolstered by the group's lush harmonies & sets the tone for the rest of Dias Raros. Songs like "No puedo pensar" "3 Segundos" and "Despertar" follow suit, with the rhythm section galloping headlong into an insistent guitar strum, while ballads like the tender "El Tiempo ha Padsado" rely on the band's melodious voices bolstered by a lilting guitar riff and gentle organ swells. Elsewhere mid tempo rockers like the stomping "Los alemanes", the simmering "Ciencia Ficción" and "Ya no es Verano"s insistent jangle recall underground greats like The Pastels, R.E.M. and Shop Assistants. "Vals" ("Waltz") closes the album in 3/4 time, named for the ballroom dance as well as the last name of a close friend - a dedication to her. Its dreamy sway alluding to classic Brill Building songwriting; dusted with melancholy, but lifted by cascading voices, and organ and guitar waves and guitars that twinkle and shimmer over a cracking backbeat. Dias Raros is the perfect introduction to a band bursting with promise, confidently inhabiting their own space built upon the foundation of their influences both geographically and culturally, as well as musically.

FULL OF HELL return with their highly anticipated new album, Garden Of Burning Apparitions. The new album, a genre-bending blitzkrieg of hardcore, grind and death metal, sees the band expand upon the very elements that have propelled FULL OF HELL to the forefront of extreme music over the last decade. Produced by Seth Manchester at Machines With Magnets in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Garden of Burning Apparitions also sees FULL OF HELL adding new dimensions to their warp-speed hellscape. Guitarist Spencer Hazard and bassist Sam DiGristine's monstrous riffs now have an added noise-rock influence, while drummer Dave Bland commands the rhythm section at blazing speeds. Lyrically, Garden of Burning Apparitions sees vocalist Dylan Walker exploring (anti)religion, life's impermanence and the fear that comes with knowing death is inescapable. "Industrial Messiah Complex” grinds organized religion to a pulp in under 90 seconds, while Walker contemplates the commodification of spirituality seen in America’s vast network of garish mega-churches and how these practices are at odds with true spirituality. Meanwhile, “Reeking Tunnels” rides a strident noise rock riff down into the sewer. It’s a metaphor for the physical and mental space we become trapped in when we live in a perpetual state of fear and hate. Elsewhere, justifiable ochlophobia propels the guttural death metal blast of “Eroding Shell.” Lyrically, the song seeks to capture our fear of the violent, ignorant mob—a scene glimpsed far too often in this volatile era. In the end, FULL OF HELL’s boundary smashing has paid off again. “I think it’s good that we tried not to pigeonhole ourselves early on,” Walker reflects. “Because now, 10 years in, we have the opportunity to make whatever record we want, within reason, and people will follow along.”

ARTIST OVERVIEW Mixing warm acoustic tones and strong vocals with heavy emo elements, the band launched several DIY tours, quickly developing a national presence. Signing with Boston indie Topshelf Records, they released their debut album, “The Earth Pushed Back" and in 2014, Have Mercy signed with vaunted indie Hopeless Records, which released their second LP, “A Place of Our Own”, later that year. Working with producers Paul Leavitt (All Time Low) and Brian McTernan (Thrice), Swindle and a rotating crew recorded the band’s Hopeless follow-up, “Make the Best of It”, which was released in early 2017. Have Mercy returned with “The Love Life” in 2019, which charted Swindle’s tumultuous personal life over the previous three years. The band came back in August 2022 with a self-tiled EP, released via Zodhiac Records, which caught the attention of Brooklyn Vegan, FLOOD Magazine, The Noise, and more. In september 2022 they shared an unreleased B-Side from their 2012 EP, My Oldest Friend, titled "Seventeen" via Rude Records. BAND MEMBERS Andrew Johnson // Guitar, Backing Vocals Brian Swindle // Lead Vocals, Guitar, Keyboard Nick Woolford // Bass, Backing Vocals TOURING HISTORY Since 2012, Have Mercy has toured both nationally and internationally with such acts as Taking Back Sunday, Motion City Soundtrack, Senses Fail, Mayday Parade, The Maine, The Wonder Years, Turnover, Real Friends and Neck Deep

Formed in Melbourne Australia in 2014, the band consists of Dave Hill (guitars), Tony Forde (vocals), and David Haley (drums) and have recently added long time live bass player Tim Anderson to their permanent line- up. The quartet forge a sound that captures the essence of old whilst fanning the embers of more modern musical influences, seamlessly combining all elements to create their signature sound, cold but uplifting.

Prepare for the pilgrimage.

Formed in Melbourne Australia in 2014, the band consists of Dave Hill (guitars), Tony Forde (vocals), and David Haley (drums) and have recently added long time live bass player Tim Anderson to their permanent line- up. The quartet forge a sound that captures the essence of old whilst fanning the embers of more modern musical influences, seamlessly combining all elements to create their signature sound, cold but uplifting.

Prepare for the pilgrimage.

The band quickly garnered attention with their explosive live performances and a unique sound that effortlessly blends elements of hardcore punk and metal.

The band's lineup features members from the renowned group Cult Leader, bringing a wealth of experience and a collective passion for creating music that resonates with listeners on a visceral level. With their debut album, 'Pessimist', set to release on October 27th via Church Road Records, RILE is poised to make a resounding impact on the music world.

Pessimist is a cathartic journey through the depths of human emotion, delving into themes of inner turmoil, existential struggles, and the darker aspects of the human psyche. From start to finish, the album showcases RILE's exceptional musicianship and their ability to craft songs that are both haunting and sonically crushing.

Drawing influences from bands like Converge and Trap Them,
essimist delivers a relentless onslaught of churning riffs, blistering drums, and gut- wrenching vocals. The band's tight- knit chemistry and artistic cohesion shine through on tracks like lead single 'Climb Out', where they seamlessly weave together melody and aggression to create an unforgettable sonic experience.

With their heartfelt and thought- provoking lyrics, RILE lays bare their
vulnerabilities and fears, inviting listeners to confront their own inner demons. The album's dynamic production enhances the intensity of each track, immersing the audience in a maelstrom of sound that leaves a lasting impact

Spearheaded by brothers Sakis & Themis Tolis, Rotting Christ have remained one of the strongest & most respected forces in the black metal scene since their debut release 'Passage Of Arcturo'. Their legacy towards greatness was cemented even further by the genre classic follow- up 'Thy Mighty Contract', helping to firmly establish the Greek scene as being among the most essential black metal movements of the early 90's.

'Thy Mighty Contract' was originally released in 1993 & featured a brutal, yet also melodic & atmospheric approach, incorporating different elements of extreme metal mixed with haunting keys & dark/ occult themes. With a clear distinction between their sound & what was appearing in Scandinavia at the time, Rotting Christ were highly influential & revered for forging their own sound while retaining the rawness of the old-school masters such as Celtic Frost & Venom. The band also notably embarked upon the infamous 'Fuck Christ' tour in 1993 with then label-mates Blasphemy & Immortal.

This limited vinyl edition of 'Thy Mighty Contract' marks 30 years since release & is presented on limited double red/black vinyl with gatefold sleeve. The second LP contains tracks from the infamous 'Fuck Christ' tour of 1993, which Rotting Christ shared with two other legends of black metal; Blasphemy & Immortal

Denovali presents the second cooperation album of Italian composer, arranger, producer and guitarist ERALDO BERNOCCHI with Berlin-based Japanese violinist, composer, electronic producer and TANGERINE DREAM member HOSHIKO YAMANE.

Eraldo Bernocchi and Hoshiko Yamane have come together again to create their second album - inspired by the Japanese concept of "Sabi". The record is a unique blend of electronic and acoustic music - with Bernocchi’s pulsating textures and Yamane's haunting treated violin melodies weaving together to create a captivating and emotional sonic landscape.

"Sabi" is a Japanese aesthetic that celebrates the beauty of impermanence and decay. It is often associated with the simplicity, austerity, and solitude found in nature, and is said to evoke a sense of melancholy, nostalgia, and reverence for the passage of time. Bernocchi and Yamane's "Sabi" explores these themes through a collection of minimalist compositions that combine electronic and acoustic instruments immersing the listener in a deeply cinematic experience.

The album takes the listener on a journey through a series of atmospheric tracks, sometimes melancholic pieces that evokes the sense of solitude and simplicity often associated with the concept, other times more energetic and uplifting, optimistic ones that celebrates the beauty of transience.

Throughout the record, Bernocchi's electronics work provides a powerful, quite physical, backdrop for Yamane's violin melodies and harmonies , which are at once mournful and hopeful. Together, they again created a sound that is both beautiful and haunting, evoking the sense of nostalgia and reverence that is at the heart of the "Sabi" aesthetic. "Sabi" is a unique and powerful work of art that explores the beauty of impermanence and the passage of time. With its blend of electronic and acoustic elements, it is a record that is both modern and timeless, and is sure to appeal to a wide range of fans of electronic, ambient and experimental music. The artwork again was created by the renowned designer Petulia Mattioli.

Toronto native Demur is a master of groovy, funky deep house and has been since his fine debut TruSkool back in 2016. He has been busy of late with Visions back in March finding him collaborating with the likes of Fred P and Aaron Gray. Now comes another full length in Under The Waning Moon, another compelling mix of contemporary deep house sounds, well-sourced and deployed samples and elements of everything from jazz to funk to downtempo colouring the grooves. For steamy late-night stuff look no further than '21 Days A Hoe' while 'Wasted Wednesdays' is delightfully sunny and well swung for cosy back room vibes.

‘Permanent Rain’ is introspective listening. Lean back and let your ears catch a source that moves, breaths, resonates and rises, until a quiet truth swells upon us.
XII captures truth in all its honesty. Sometimes it feels so physical, it’s as if time and elements of nature are peeled of layer after layer.

This record combines songwriting with sonic hypnosis. A rhythmic, esoteric oasis, containing currents of mysticism, yet accompanied by contemporary electronics. Its elements translate to a brew of mutant raga, neofolk and tripped out celtic fantasies.

'Ultrasound', the fifth release under the Banger Factory umbrella, is a further stride forward toward founder and trumpeter Mark Kavuma's vision of bringing together seemingly disparate elements from within the bubbling London jazz scene, uniting sounds, and players from across generations and creating a unique, exciting, and fresh sound all its own Marking the start of a new partnership with alto sax player Theo Erskine strengthening the imprints artistic reach and sparkling ever more creative ideas, Ultrasound is the product of hours and days spent practicing together during the pandemic - hours and days that turned into time spent plotting and planning future musical collaborations and projects when getting together in person became impossible. The recording itself captures the zeitgeist (spirit) of a unique moment in time when musicians starved of creative, collaborative music- making during the pandemic, were able to meet again and record, each track suffused with palpable joy, yet tinged with reflection. 'The Day After Tomorrow' promises respite from a hangover, 'The Return of Johnny Bravo' characterises a re-emergence in a whirlwind of excitement . 'June' describes the glinting skyline of a world- reopened and 'The Loneliest' explores how peace is drawn from inward sources in the loneliest of times. Personnel: Theo Erskin- tenor saxophone, Mark Kavuma - trumpet, Noah Stoneman - piano, Michael Shrimpling - double bass, Shane Forbes - drums

If there's one specific component that grounds 'Sky Flesh', it's focus. Italian musician and sound designer Marta De Pascalis flexed her technical muscle on 2020's 'Sonus Ruinae', layering various sounds and processes in an attempt to touch the sublime. In contrast, 'Sky Flesh' is a single thought, composed using just one instrument: the Yamaha CS-60. A slimmed-down sibling to the gargantuan CS-80 - the analog synthesizer used by Vangelis to create his iconic 'Blade Runner' score - the CS-60 was released in 1977, a few years before the MIDI protocol was introduced to help standardize production methods. MIDI would change the electronic music landscape completely, offering a level of control that De Pascalis consciously relinquishes, preferring to highlight expressiveness and timbre, elements more readily associated with acoustic instruments. The album arrives as much of the wider experimental scene busies itself with algorithmic composition and AI-assisted modeling; De Pascalis chooses to work instead like an organologist, harnessing the CS-60's mercurial magic to suggest deeper truths about our evolving relationship with machines.

Currently based in Berlin, De Pascalis grew up in Rome, where she was surrounded by atrophied ruins that piqued her interest in decay and memory. Over her last three albums, she used tape loops and advanced synthesizer techniques to create a unique sound world that's guided by her musical philosophy, rather than a specific aesthetic. As she's developed her technique and confidence, her music has become even more idiosyncratic, and at this stage in her career she's stripped her sound down to its core elements, focusing on emotion, narrative and mystery. Using timbres that recall a time when electronic music still waved towards the future

Powerhouse R&B/Soul vocalist and Canadian Idol finalist. Gary Beals, is thrilled to be releasing his new album, The Melody Within. The Melody within is a musical journey that unfolds across two sides, much like a story that reveals new layers with each turn. The album is more than just a collection of songs; it's an emotional guide that beckons us to explore the depths of our own feelings and explores navigating emotions, self discovery, and nostalgia through soulful melodies. "This album serves as the aftermath to my previous album, "Bleed My Truth". It's a continuation of my musical journey, a fusion of soulful melodies and diverse influences that mirror both my personal and artistic evolution," said Gary Beals. "Each song is a chapter, a piece of my heart and soul, inviting listeners into my world of emotions, experiences and connection. It uncovers the melody that resides within. The anticipation is building as I look forward to sharing this collection of new music, and I hope it resonates deeply, offering a meaningful and memorable musical experience enriched with a multitude of emotions." With this new body of work, Gary had the opportunity to work with two talented primary producers,Beatchild (Drake, Justin Nozuka, Glen Lewis) and Myles "Losh'' Schwartz (Allan Rayman, Tobi, The Game, Pretty Lights). Additional production credits on the album include, Chris Guirguis, Frizzy Astro (Raz Fresco, Daniel Son), Jordan "Tempo" Farmer, Kobebeats (Rodwave, Kcamp, Sevyn),Sid Aakowa, Ty Danelley (Popcaan, Tory Lanez, Pressa) and Warren Williams, who all helped to shape the makings of the album while maintaining a consistent synergy. Side A of the album draws inspiration from the likes of Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, and James Brown, and pays homage to artists who have played an integral part in shaping Gary's musical roots. This side includes Gary's previously released singles, "Good People, Good Vibes" and "All of Me," and the album's title track "The Melody Within," that commends the process of self-discovery and introspection. Also included is the album's 5th single, "Self Revolution," which will be released on October 27th along with the official music video. On Side B, you'll encounter a fusion of R&B and pop elements while still staying true to the album's soulful essence. Included on this side, is Gary's third single "I Like That," featuring JRDN and KAYO ,and the new single "How Do I Say (I Love You)," released September 22nd. "How Do I Say (I Love You)" dives into the inner conflict of conveying affection, showing vulnerability, and the bravery needed to expose one's heart to someone else. About Gary Beals: Two decades ago, Gary embarked on his musical journey when he, a small-town kid from Nova Scotia (now calling Toronto home), made a remarkable entrance onto the national stage as a part of Canada's inaugural season of Canadian Idol. This month marks the 20th anniversary of the finale where Gary was crowned as the "runner up" on the show. The experience ignited a transformative period of self-reflection and discovery that propelled Gary toward personal growth, shaping his life and musical career in lasting ways.

Fast forward through three albums and twenty years, Gary's work and talent have made a remarkable impact and received widespread critical acclaim. Among his accomplishments are debuting in the top 10 of the Canadian sales chart, being nominated for a JUNO Award for "Best R&B/Soul Recording," winning an East Coast Music Award and seven African Nova Scotia Music Awards, as well as scoring nominations for an Urban Music Award and a Canadian Radio Music Award. These accomplishments led to his home province's Premier officially designating November 22nd as Gary Beals Day in acknowledgment of his achievements.

With his return, Gary is poised to make a positive impact on the ever-expanding global community as he prepares to release his new album The Melody Within. The album will stand as a tribute to the strength that resides within all of us and a reminder that true fulfillment comes not just from achieving goals, but from discovering the intricate beauty that lies within our own hearts and souls.

Craig Charles is a big supporter of Gary Beals and spun his single 'All Of Me' for three weeks in a row on his Funk and Soul Show on BBC Radio Six

In 2022 we journeyed to the center of the earth with Agartha, Lasha Chkhaidze's first album. This time we go the opposite direction, and fly towards the outer edge of the atmosphere.

Atmos, the latest offering of the young and talented Georgian artist, sees him explore the ether. Subtle and intricate layers are weaved together on the course of six tracks. This ambient album offers a completely different artistic direction compared to his previous work. Where melancholia and piano dominated Agartha, we are throughout Atmos taken into an otherworldly environment. The LP’s atmospheric undertone combined with its glitchier elements brings it into a lightly psychedelic dimension. With its really beautiful soundscapes and subdued intricate ideas, Atmos will undoubtedly please listeners of finely written ambient.

Lasha Chkhaidez is a gifted musician capable of crafting evocative music, The Intergalactic Institute for Sound is glad to present his deeply immersive experience to the public.

‘Life & Love’ is the third album from Skinshape (with ‘Filoxiny’ being his fourth). Written, Recorded and Produced by Will Dorey at the Arch Studio, London, and in his bedroom. Great melting pot of styles and tunes, D.I.Y. Funk Soul Jazz. Recommended if you're into Khruangbin. Skinshape is the project of British musician William Dorey. The sound has roots in many genres but in particular 1960s-0s Funk, Soul, Reggae, Psychedelic Rock, Afrobeat and Folk. Skinshape grew out of a love for old music and the way it sounded. Initially Dorey experimented with samples (especially drum breaks) to create instrumental Hip-Hop/Trip-Hop tracks but then later started to play around with tape machines as a means to create his own 'samples'. This process gave birth to Skinshape with all elements being recorded by Dorey since the first self-titled album released in 2014. Aside from the Skinshape project Dorey was bassist for the band Palace from 2014-2017 and runs a reggae label called Horus Records based in North London.