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Nach mittlerweile zwölf Jahren Bandgeschichte ist es Zeit, die neue Power Metal Hoffnung WINTERSTORM auf ein neues Level zu heben. Ihr fünftes Album "Everfrost" ist ihr Debut auf AFM Records und zeigt zurecht, dass die deutsche Band mit Gruppen wie Blind Guardian und Rhapsody Of Fire verglichen wird.
Dies liegt vor allem an der Melodie, welche bei WINTERSTORM ganz klar im Vordergrund steht und sich in ohrwurmlastigen Refrains und vielen mehrstimmigen Gesängen widerspiegelt. Dabei verschmelzen markante Elemente verschiedener Metalstile miteinander und erhalten so eine ganz neue Anmutung. "Winter" steht für nordischen Viking und Folk-Metal, "Storm" für schnellen Powermetal, welche zusammen mit epischem und orchestralem Metal in einem neuen Glanz erstrahlen. "Everfrost" ist ein vielseitiges und kraftvolles Album, welches sich hinter gestandenen Genrekollegen nicht verstecken muss.
Alles in allem eine explosive Mischung, welche auf WINTERSTORMS neuestem Werk ein weiteres Highlight findet.

Teenage Fanclubs elftes Studioalbum 'Nothing Lasts Forever' ist wunderbar reichhaltig und melodisch - der Klang des Endes einer Jahreszeit, der letzten warmen Tage des Jahres, während die Nächte hereinbrechen und die Gedanken nachdenklich und melancholisch werden. Diese herbstliche Reflexion ist auf dem Album allgegenwärtig. Eines der wiederkehrenden Themen in den neuen Songs ist das Licht, als Metapher für Hoffnung und als ultimatives Ziel des Weges. Aufgenommen Ende August während einer intensiven zehntägigen Phase in der walisischen Landschaft, kann man die Wirkung dieser Umgebung auf der Platte hören - sie ist voller sanfter Brisen, weitem Himmel, Schönheit und Raum. Einer der eindrucksvollsten Texte des Albums findet sich im finalen Track 'I Will Love You'. Das wunderschöne siebenminütige, fast kosmisch-akustische Tagtraumstück blickt jenseits der Wut und Polarisierung unseres modernen Diskurses auf eine Zeit, in der 'the bigots are gone/after they apologise/for all the harm that they've done'. Die Suche nach dem Positiven angesichts der düsteren Realitäten des 21. Jahrhunderts fühlt sich sehr nach Teenage Fanclub an - einer Band, die seit über drei Jahrzehnten eine Kraft des Guten ist und Melancholie mühelos in glorreich klingende Harmonien verwandeln kann.

Teenage Fanclubs elftes Studioalbum 'Nothing Lasts Forever' ist wunderbar reichhaltig und melodisch - der Klang des Endes einer Jahreszeit, der letzten warmen Tage des Jahres, während die Nächte hereinbrechen und die Gedanken nachdenklich und melancholisch werden. Diese herbstliche Reflexion ist auf dem Album allgegenwärtig. Eines der wiederkehrenden Themen in den neuen Songs ist das Licht, als Metapher für Hoffnung und als ultimatives Ziel des Weges. Aufgenommen Ende August während einer intensiven zehntägigen Phase in der walisischen Landschaft, kann man die Wirkung dieser Umgebung auf der Platte hören - sie ist voller sanfter Brisen, weitem Himmel, Schönheit und Raum. Einer der eindrucksvollsten Texte des Albums findet sich im finalen Track 'I Will Love You'. Das wunderschöne siebenminütige, fast kosmisch-akustische Tagtraumstück blickt jenseits der Wut und Polarisierung unseres modernen Diskurses auf eine Zeit, in der 'the bigots are gone/after they apologise/for all the harm that they've done'. Die Suche nach dem Positiven angesichts der düsteren Realitäten des 21. Jahrhunderts fühlt sich sehr nach Teenage Fanclub an - einer Band, die seit über drei Jahrzehnten eine Kraft des Guten ist und Melancholie mühelos in glorreich klingende Harmonien verwandeln kann.

Teenage Fanclubs elftes Studioalbum 'Nothing Lasts Forever' ist wunderbar reichhaltig und melodisch - der Klang des Endes einer Jahreszeit, der letzten warmen Tage des Jahres, während die Nächte hereinbrechen und die Gedanken nachdenklich und melancholisch werden. Diese herbstliche Reflexion ist auf dem Album allgegenwärtig. Eines der wiederkehrenden Themen in den neuen Songs ist das Licht, als Metapher für Hoffnung und als ultimatives Ziel des Weges. Aufgenommen Ende August während einer intensiven zehntägigen Phase in der walisischen Landschaft, kann man die Wirkung dieser Umgebung auf der Platte hören - sie ist voller sanfter Brisen, weitem Himmel, Schönheit und Raum. Einer der eindrucksvollsten Texte des Albums findet sich im finalen Track 'I Will Love You'. Das wunderschöne siebenminütige, fast kosmisch-akustische Tagtraumstück blickt jenseits der Wut und Polarisierung unseres modernen Diskurses auf eine Zeit, in der 'the bigots are gone/after they apologise/for all the harm that they've done'. Die Suche nach dem Positiven angesichts der düsteren Realitäten des 21. Jahrhunderts fühlt sich sehr nach Teenage Fanclub an - einer Band, die seit über drei Jahrzehnten eine Kraft des Guten ist und Melancholie mühelos in glorreich klingende Harmonien verwandeln kann.

Quand mon travail de compositeur fut terminé et qu'il ne me restait plus qu'à mixer et mastériser mon nouvel album, une pensée m'est apparue : Je l'aime trop et ne souhaite le partager avec personne. » - Ryuichi Sakamoto Membre fondateur du Yellow Magic Orchestra, lauréat de l'Oscar de la meilleure musique de film pour Le Dernier Empereur, l'innovateur synth pop Ryuichi Sakamoto est l'un des artistes les plus révolutionnaires depuis la fin des années 70. Acclamé et respecté par la critique comme par le public et par les musiciens, Ryuichi Sakamoto a créé de fascinantes unions musicales avec des artistes tels que David Sylvian, Iggy Pop, Tony Williams, Bootsy Collins, Jacques Morelenbaum et bien d'autres. async est le premier album de Ryuichi Sakamoto en huit ans. C'est son travail le plus personnel car il succède à un long combat contre le cancer, duquel Ryuichi Sakamoto émergeait avec une énergie créative renouvelée et passionnée. « Quel genre de « sons/musique » ai-je envie d'entendre ? » async est la réponse à cette question que Ryuichi Sakamoto s'est posé ces dernières années. C'est l'album dont il est le plus fier, et qui synthétise le mieux ses intérêts sonores et musicaux. C'est un voyage à travers le synthétiseur analogique, les sons des choses et des endroits, la bande originale imaginaire d'un film d'Andrei Tarkovsky, et bien d'autres surprises musicales...

Après le succès de Birdman (quatre Oscars dont ceux du meilleur film et du meilleur réalisateur), le réalisateur Alejandro G. Inarritu repousse les limites de l'art cinématographique avec ce western épique : The Revenant. Avec Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, Le Loup de Wall Street) et Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dark Knight Rises), tourné dans un Canada sauvage et glacé, à la lumière naturelle, The Revenant est une histoire de vengeance, de survie et de ténacité face à la fureur de l'homme et de la nature. Le film est en passe de devenir un grand favori de la critique, à l'aube de la saison des récompenses... Inarritu a choisi de sacrifier presque tout dialogue à un paysage sonore splendide et à une musique majestueuse. Un film de cette ampleur méritait un compositeur compréhensif de la création artistique pure et des passions déchaînées. Le Maître japonais Ryuichi Sakamoto (Furyo, Le Dernier Empereur - Oscar de la meilleure musique de film) a rempli le contrat haut la main. Avec son collaborateur Alva Noto (notamment au sein du Yellow Magic Orchestra), Sakamoto a créé une bande originale captivante qui sera assurément la bonne surprise de l'hiver. L'album contient également la musique additionnelle de Bryce Dessner (compositeur pour le Kronos Quartet et le LA Phil).

Das von Kritikern hochgelobte zweite Album von Beach House aus dem Jahr 2007 ist jetzt endlich wieder auf Vinyl erhältlich.

Departing from the Steve Miller Band after a two-album stint, Boz Scaggs set up shop in Muscle Shoals, recording his debut album with that legendary set of studio musicians known for their down-and-dirty backing work for Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett, among many other Southern soul legends. The Muscle Shoals rhythm section and guitarist Duane Allman give this music genuine grit. From the Jimmie Rodgers cover "Waiting for a Train" and the folky "Look What I Got!", to the extended 11-minute blues workout "Loan Me A Dime", this album is a thoroughly showcase for Boz Scaggs' musical vision and an enduring blue-eyed soul masterpiece.

Wie schreibt man einen Liebesbrief an die popmusikkrönende AnNa R.? Der Kopf will weismachen, dass ihr der Gedanke gerecht wird, nach Rosenstolz, Gleis 8 und Silly bereits alles von ihr zu kennen. Das Gefühl warnt jedoch davor, ihr damit nicht mal ansatzweise gerecht werden zu können. Dieses Empfinden geht noch tiefer, nachdem der letzte Ton ihres neuen Album "König:In" verklungen ist.Willkommen zurück, AnNa R.! Schön, dass sie endlich unter eigenem Namen prämiert, die gute Freundin des großartigen, sich lüstern-beständig neu erfindenden Luders Popmusik. AnNa R. ist die Frau, die stimmlich staunendes Mädchen, freche Göre, große Schwester und sinnliche Baroness gleichzeitig sein kann. Ebenjene vertraute Stimme, die eigentlich nie weg war, ist zurück! Sie hat sich zwangsläufig verändert. Ihr Verhältnis zu Liebe, Gesellschaft, Politik und Feminismus ist nuancenreicher geworden. Der Appell ans Verbindende, der ihren Gesang seit jeher prägt, ist geblieben - die Popausrichtung ihrer Musik erst recht.

Das Debütalbum von Sheffield's Heaviest aus dem Jahr 2013 ist nun endlich als 10th Anniversary Re-Issue wieder erhältlich. MALEVOLENCEs "Reign Of Suffering" ist eine erfrischend old school klingende Platte, die die Genres Thrash, Death Metal und Beatdown-Hardcore unbeschwert überspannt. Bösartig groovig, schwerer als Beton und für den Pit gebaut! Nach der Veröffentlichung ihres dritten Albums "Malicious Intent" im Jahr 2022, das in Deutschland auf Platz 32 der offiziellen Albumcharts einstieg, tourten MALEVOLENCE zuletzt mit Heaven Shall Burn & Trivium durch Europa, sind derzeit mit Beartooth & Trivium in ganz Nordamerika unterwegs und werden im November/Dezember mit Sylosis, Guilt Trip und Justice For The Damned erneut in Europa headlinen. "Reign Of Suffering (Re-issue 2023)" ist als Jewelcase CD oder als Ltd. Edition auf transparentem, grün gefärbtem 180g Vinyl über Century Media Records erhältlich.

Das fünfte Studioalbum der polnischen Rockmeister RIVERSIDE aus dem Jahr 2013 ist endlich wieder auf Vinyl erhältlich: 10th Anniversary Re-Issue als Ltd. Edition transp. hellblau 2LP auf 180g Vinyl, inkl. 4-seitigem LP-Booklet und den beiden "Night Session" Bonustracks. "Shrine of New Generation Slaves" wurde im Serakos Studio in Warschau, Polen (wo auch die "Reality Dream"-Trilogie entstand) mit Magda Srzednicka und Robert Srzednicki aufgenommen, gemixt und gemastert. Es bietet über 50 Minuten hochklassige RIVERSIDE-Musik, aufgeteilt in 8 Songs, die nicht nur eine weiterentwickelte, moderne Sichtweise auf die charismatischen Trademark-Elemente der Band deutlich widerspiegeln, sondern auch weitere Vibes aus dem Classic-Rock-Segment sowie jazzige Art-Rock-Anteile wirkungsvoll in den immer wieder herausfordernden Mix einbringen, für den RIVERSIDE seit jeher steht, vielleicht nur weniger standardmetallisch und auch weniger komplex, ohne weniger progressiv zu sein.

Candlebox is gearing up for an unforgettable finale as the legendary Seattle rock band prepares to retire at the end of the year. The group’s Long Goodbye Tour is currently underway, and its final album, The Long Goodbye, will be released later this month. Today, Rhino announces it will spotlight Candlebox’s early years with a 7-LP vinyl boxed set featuring all three studio albums the group released on Maverick, plus more than a dozen previously unreleased recordings that are only available in the collection.

THE MAVERICK YEARS will be available exclusively on vinyl on September 22. The set introduces newly remastered versions of Candlebox (1993), Lucy (1995), and Happy Pills (1998) as double LPs, along with a single album of unreleased outtakes, demos, and more. Candlebox and Lucy will make their North American vinyl debut, while Happy Pills will be available on vinyl for the first time anywhere.

The Maverick Years chronicles the band’s dramatic ascent, starting with its eponymous debut, a quadruple-platinum smash celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The album spent more than 100 weeks on the charts, peaking at #7 with hits like “Far Behind,” “You,” and “Cover Me.” The original album has been expanded on the new vinyl version with two unreleased bonus tracks, “Sorry I Let You Down” and a demo for “10,000 Horses.”

Donald Harris, James Boone, Maurice Puckett, Robert Dycus, James Brantley, Maride Williams, Dennis McNeil, The Rhythm Machine formed in Indianapolis by former members of the Highlighters. In the early days they were primarily a live act, playing locally and touring frequently. They opened for Earth, Wind and Fire and The Emotions, among others.

They released three 45’s and a full length LP during their time. Two 45’s “The Kick” and “Brenda and Me/Put A Smile On Time” were on Lulu, while “Freakish Love/Whatcha Gonna Do” was on Rodan. Their LP, released in 1976 towards the end of their run, was on Lulu. With the Indianapolis soul scene marked almost exclusively by 45’s, this LP release was one of few released locally in the 1970’s, and it is quite scarce and in demand today.

Die norwegische Band Kvelertak hat sich in den letzten zehn Jahren zu einer echten Größe in der Metal-Szene entwickelt. Die Band, die von Rolling Stone und Stereogum mit wohlverdienten Auszeichnungen bedacht wurde, hat weltweit Hunderttausende von Fans und über 50 Millionen Streams auf DSP's angehäuft. All dieser Erfolg hat zu mehreren Nummer-eins-Alben und Spellemannprisen Awards (Norwegens Antwort auf die Grammys) in ihrem Heimatland geführt.

Bei früheren Alben arbeitete die Band unter anderem mit der Hardcore-Legende Kurt Ballou (Converge) zusammen und arbeitete mit Musikern wie Troy Sanders (Mastodon) zusammen. Die Band war auch schon mit legendären Bands wie Metallica und Slayer auf Tour.

Auf ihrem fünften Album "Endling" klingen Kvelertak größer und kreativer als je zuvor. Bewaffnet mit massiven Riffs, Black-Metal-Wildheit und ihrer bisher ambitioniertesten Instrumentierung beherrschen sie die Kunst, moderne Metal-Klassiker zu kreieren, die sowohl heftig sind als auch Spaß machen. Nach 15 Jahren in ihrer Karriere sind Kvelertak so unaufhaltsam wie eh und je.

Stelios Vassiloudis enters an inspiring new phase as he unveils his sophomore LP All Else Fails available March 25th via Balance Music.

Hailing from Athens, Greece, Stelios Vassiloudis poses a triple threat as a composer, producer and DJ. Having been active in the electronic music scene since the early 2000s he has cultivated his own brand of distinctive ambience reflective of his rich and diverse musical background; transcending the dance floor via an emotional narrative of complex soundscapes, intricate harmonies and hypnotic rhythms. Over the past decade Stelios has released music under various other monikers, yet this new endeavour is his most diligent to date - allowing him to rediscover his love for making music during the process, "I'm more hopeful, inspired and determined than ever before."

Ten years on from the release of his debut LP, Stelios' detail-oriented offerings remain incomprehensibly thought-provoking and thorough with this new album. Noticeably dissimilar to any previous efforts, Stelios consciously took a step back from the pressure of maintaining a steadily flowing supply of functional, club-oriented music and as the world stood still amidst the pandemic, he embraced the opportunity to reconnect and express himself with a broader musical vocabulary. He admits that: "with the world around us seemingly on the fast track to Armageddon, the music ended up being very much reflective of the sadness and helplessness I felt."

All Else Fails is a stimulating odyssey to anyone listening. Harmonically dense, arcadian glistens seep throughout the ten tracks, each complementary to the next. Bask in the wistful iridescence and you won't be disappointed.

Stelios carved his way into electronic music by traversing around the globe as a DJ and performer - performing at intimate underground bars in Beirut, festivals in Miami, after-hours in Tokyo, beaches in Goa and mega clubs in Argentina. Having developed a formidable discography on esteemed labels such as Bedrock, Poker Flat, Ovum, Constant Sound and Darkroom Dubs, among others, Stelios' studio prowess and coveted productions cemented his reputation as a versatile and acclaimed artist. His intense passion and drive for innovation in music serves as the fuel to keep him inspired and relevant, qualities that no doubt ensure his reputation as an artist of the highest calibre, will endure.

Call Me By Your Name, the film by Luca Guadagnino, is a sensual and transcendent tale of first love, based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman.

Summer of 1983, Northern Italy. An American Italian is enamored by an American student who comes to study and live with his family. Together they share an unforgettable summer full of music, food, and romance that will forever change them.

The film received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for Chalamet, Hammer and Stuhlbarg's performances, Guadagnino's direction, and the screenplay. Call Me By Your Name won a variety of awards, including an Academy Award, BAFTA, GLAAD and the 23rd Critics' Choice Award amongst others. Sufjan Stevens' song "Mystery of Love" was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Luca Guadagnino wanted the film's music to be connected to Elio, a young pianist who likes to transcribe and adapt pieces to get close to Oliver. The music is used to reflect the time, the characters' family, level of education and "the kind of canon they would be a part of."

Guadagnino found himself resonating with Sufjan Stevens' lyricism through his work and initially asked Stevens to record an original song. Eventually, Stevens contributed three songs to the soundtrack: "Visions of Gideon", which was used at the end of the film, "Mystery of Love," which was featured in the film's first trailer, and a new rendition of "Futile Devices" with piano. Stevens penned the songs by using the script, the book, and the conversations with the director about the characters. It marks Sufjan Stevens' first soundtrack for a feature film.

Call Me By Your Name is available as a limited edition of 15.000 copies on "Velvet Purple" coloured vinyl. The 2LP is housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with rainbow laminate finish and includes printed innersleeves, an insert with movie stills, and a poster.

Call Me By Your Name, the film by Luca Guadagnino, is a sensual and transcendent tale of first love, based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman.

Summer of 1983, Northern Italy. An American Italian is enamored by an American student who comes to study and live with his family. Together they share an unforgettable summer full of music, food, and romance that will forever change them.

The film received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for Chalamet, Hammer and Stuhlbarg's performances, Guadagnino's direction, and the screenplay. Call Me By Your Name won a variety of awards, including an Academy Award, BAFTA, GLAAD and the 23rd Critics' Choice Award amongst others. Sufjan Stevens' song "Mystery of Love" was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Luca Guadagnino wanted the film's music to be connected to Elio, a young pianist who likes to transcribe and adapt pieces to get close to Oliver. The music is used to reflect the time, the characters' family, level of education and "the kind of canon they would be a part of."

Guadagnino found himself resonating with Sufjan Stevens' lyricism through his work and initially asked Stevens to record an original song. Eventually, Stevens contributed three songs to the soundtrack: "Visions of Gideon", which was used at the end of the film, "Mystery of Love," which was featured in the film's first trailer, and a new rendition of "Futile Devices" with piano. Stevens penned the songs by using the script, the book, and the conversations with the director about the characters. It marks Sufjan Stevens' first soundtrack for a feature film.

Call Me By Your Name is available as a limited edition of 15.000 copies on "Velvet Purple" coloured vinyl. The 2LP is housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with rainbow laminate finish and includes printed innersleeves, an insert with movie stills, and a poster.

Beyond Paradise returns with a sumptuous slice of tripped out business from the mind of Richard Hardcastle aka Solid State, complete with two stunning remixes from Richard Sen and The Veteran Delinquents.

Over 35 years in the game, as a club DJ, radio presenter and producer since the late ‘80s, Richard Hardcastle is a true veteran of the scene and certainly knows a thing or two about what works on the dancefloor. ‘Seven More Minutes Of Funk’ delves into the psychedelic side of his production with a club-ready cosmic stomper complete with twisted guitars, hypnotic synths and wall shaking bassline.

‘Rhodes To Nowhere’ is more beachside than basement, a funked up retro electro cut with dazzling keys, ‘80s snares and a serious shot of feel-good flare.

On the flip, the title track gets the remix treatment from Richard Sen and The Veteran Delinquents, the former warping the original into an EBM powerhouse whilst the later turns into an end of the night, electro-infused chugger.

Still on and about after years of the most intense crate digging, gem mining, desperate head-scratching and avid schooling, thirsty as ever for the next musical thrill to wrap our ears and brains around, here comes the fruit of our life-long love story with Japanese electronics, Denshi Ongaku No Bigaku Vol. 1 and Vol.2. From the soul-fulfilling first crush felt upon hearing the iconic soundtrack of ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’ by Ryuichi Sakamoto onto our release of Inner Science ‘Cosmo Tracks’, through the life-affirming sets of Laurent Garnier at Dijon’s seminal club, l’An-fer, which have at all times nurtured and expanded our taste for Easternmost delicacies, the influence of Japanese music on our vision and endeavours was paramount to the development of our catalogue, whether directly or indirectly.

This first volume gets the ball rolling with a fine assortment of mostly ambient, electronica and deep house-focussed joints. Draped in organic membranes and ASMR-like synth tapestries, K. Inoue’s nu-agey opener ‘Em Paz’ takes us on a ride across the most serene dreamscapes. Jazzing up these lush and oneiric coastal vibes, Gabby & Lopez ‘Drive form the Miracle’ merges a sense of Californian psychedelia with a straight out hard-bop swing. No stranger to our catalogue, Inner Science returns to serve up a crystalline slice of laid-back house on a mystique-imbued tip he holds the secret to. Flip it over and here comes Aquarium with the splendidly immersive ‘Rainy Night in Shibuya’, which very much feels like wandering amidst its neon-upholstered streets and swarming hallways in a bubble of your own.

Naohito Uchiyama treats us to a synth-drenched nocturnal ballad with the ‘80s-inflected vibes of ’Shugetsu’, whereas Keta Ra cuts a path of ethereal sublimation via the mischievously fun and bouncy balearic lounge of ‘equals’. Masterly crafted by Yuu Udagawa, ‘Infinite Possibility’ eases us in a realm where weightless pop and low-slung abstract hip-hop combine to further exhilarating effect. All in harp-driven brittleness and velveteen sub-bass stealth, Noah ‘Gemini - Mysterious Lot’ has us drifting to a lavishly orchestrated headspace, laying down an impressive work on textures and arrangements. All in on the sedated drip-tease flex, Sauce81 ’Sign of Secret Love’ is a blast of freaky hedonism, just as ready to cast its hypnotic spell down the sweatbox as it was upon its original release ten years ago.

Languid jacking house tune ’Tai+Dai’ from Keita Sano blows the winds of discoid luvin’ across the room with its impeccable balance of sharp, glimmering synthwork and driving bass onslaughts from the depths. An odd slice of reshuffled folk music, Waltz ‘Folkesta’ makes for some eerie invitation of sorts, enchanting and spookily haunting in equal measure. Back to a fevered, hip-swaying mindset, Kuniyuki hi-NRG jazz number ‘Free’ is an absolute wonder of piano and drums-driven boogie, cut from the same cloth as some of Blue Note’s finest Cuban jazz classics. Rounding off the package, Japanese legend Ken Ishii’s version of Larry Heard’s house Hall-of-Famer ‘Can You Feel It’ is pure bliss in a can, tailored to turn any crowd into a shapeless cloud of balmy euphoria and universal love, whatever the place or time.

Still on and about after years of the most intense crate digging, gem mining, desperate head-scratching and avid schooling, thirsty as ever for the next musical thrill to wrap our ears and brains around, here comes the fruit of our life-long love story with Japanese electronics, Denshi Ongaku No Bigaku Vol. 1 and Vol.2. From the soul-fulfilling first crush felt upon hearing the iconic soundtrack of ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’ by Ryuichi Sakamoto onto our release of Inner Science ‘Cosmo Tracks’, through the life-affirming sets of Laurent Garnier at Dijon’s seminal club, l’An-fer, which have at all times nurtured and expanded our taste for Easternmost delicacies, the influence of Japanese music on our vision and endeavours was paramount to the development of our catalogue, whether directly or indirectly.

This first volume gets the ball rolling with a fine assortment of mostly ambient, electronica and deep house-focussed joints. Draped in organic membranes and ASMR-like synth tapestries, K. Inoue’s nu-agey opener ‘Em Paz’ takes us on a ride across the most serene dreamscapes. Jazzing up these lush and oneiric coastal vibes, Gabby & Lopez ‘Drive form the Miracle’ merges a sense of Californian psychedelia with a straight out hard-bop swing. No stranger to our catalogue, Inner Science returns to serve up a crystalline slice of laid-back house on a mystique-imbued tip he holds the secret to. Flip it over and here comes Aquarium with the splendidly immersive ‘Rainy Night in Shibuya’, which very much feels like wandering amidst its neon-upholstered streets and swarming hallways in a bubble of your own.

Naohito Uchiyama treats us to a synth-drenched nocturnal ballad with the ‘80s-inflected vibes of ’Shugetsu’, whereas Keta Ra cuts a path of ethereal sublimation via the mischievously fun and bouncy balearic lounge of ‘equals’. Masterly crafted by Yuu Udagawa, ‘Infinite Possibility’ eases us in a realm where weightless pop and low-slung abstract hip-hop combine to further exhilarating effect. All in harp-driven brittleness and velveteen sub-bass stealth, Noah ‘Gemini - Mysterious Lot’ has us drifting to a lavishly orchestrated headspace, laying down an impressive work on textures and arrangements. All in on the sedated drip-tease flex, Sauce81 ’Sign of Secret Love’ is a blast of freaky hedonism, just as ready to cast its hypnotic spell down the sweatbox as it was upon its original release ten years ago.

Languid jacking house tune ’Tai+Dai’ from Keita Sano blows the winds of discoid luvin’ across the room with its impeccable balance of sharp, glimmering synthwork and driving bass onslaughts from the depths. An odd slice of reshuffled folk music, Waltz ‘Folkesta’ makes for some eerie invitation of sorts, enchanting and spookily haunting in equal measure. Back to a fevered, hip-swaying mindset, Kuniyuki hi-NRG jazz number ‘Free’ is an absolute wonder of piano and drums-driven boogie, cut from the same cloth as some of Blue Note’s finest Cuban jazz classics. Rounding off the package, Japanese legend Ken Ishii’s version of Larry Heard’s house Hall-of-Famer ‘Can You Feel It’ is pure bliss in a can, tailored to turn any crowd into a shapeless cloud of balmy euphoria and universal love, whatever the place or time.

DeForrest Brown Jr., the writer and producer behind Speaker Music, describes Techxodus as "abstracting Blackness through information overload". On the album he explores the intersection of tech, Blackness and resistance via music taken from his archived live shows, which are then edited, ordered and reassembled in the studio. The main line of inquiry that feeds into Techxodus is Drexciya, whose myths have informed much recent afrofuturist creativity. DeForrest researches and reimagines the artifacts and stories of Drexciya with new maps, ideas and music, particularly reflecting on the 'Seven Storms', seven albums that came out in quick succession around the death of Drexciya member James Stinson, which seemed to herald Drexciyans in the attack mode. The artwork by Abu Qadim Haqq, who also created artwork for Drexciya, links the work too, with Deforrest re-orienting charts and timelines familiar from Drexciyan mythology, working up clues to all possible environments where Drexciyans could survive, from the depths of the Atlantic, to oceanic islands or even outer space. Like Sun-Ra, another touchstone of Afrofuturist music, it might be that the Drexciyans wanted to leave the planet they hated. With these elements, DeForrest creates a soundtrack for an alternate history, a sort of sci-fi sonic fiction which threads together the sonic warfare and mythos of the Drexciyan records with ideas and references to Ishmael Reed's 'Mumbo Jumbo', which tracks the story of 'Jes Grew', an audio virus, back to the coastal black cities of Alabama and the American South. Musically the album is as intense as its inspirations. DeForrest skilfully hand-plays rhythms which amalgamate trap and jazz drumming, but feel at times like orca-song as they pulse through the thick waves of digital sound. Equally the music evokes the ocean, with deep cold drones, or as if it's floating through time like in 'Holosonic Rebellion' which mixes in recordings of African Warriors. Sometimes there is an energetic turbulence as on 'Jes Grew', where punched-in passages of jazz brass bounce against DeForrest's drums to create a weird disassembled jazz. Towards the end the album begins to feel like a spaceship taking off, the rushes of ascending noise and distortion, distant Southern Gospel Vocals feel like music that's leaving earth. Listen to it without the references or feed your imagination; this is a powerful and immersive original work from one of electronic music's most unique creators.

LOS ANGELES BASED PRODUCER MINION DEBUTS ON EVAR RECORDS WITH THE FOUR-TRACK EP 'NITE LYFE.' RELEASED ON AURA T-09 AND TRICKFINGER'S REVERED RECORD LABEL, 'NITE LYFE' MERGES HARDCORE, TECHNO AND GABBER WITH SOFT TEXTURES AND GOSSAMER SHEENS, EVOKING AN INTENSE, WAVEY TRIP. THIS ONE IS SUITED TO A CHURNING, POST-3 AM DANCEFLOOR, OR IN MINION'S OWN WORDS, "WARM SUMMER NIGHTS IN LOS ANGELES WAREHOUSES."

OPENER 'SAD B0I MASSIVE' BLENDS DISTORTED, GABBER-FLECKED DRUMS WITH CRUNCHY SNARES, WHILE A HAZY, DAFT PUNK-ESQUE SYNTHLINE CONJURES A DREAMY VIBE. THIS SIGNATURE MINION MOVE CONVEYS HIS KNACK FOR SERVING UP HARSH YET ROMANTIC ATMOSPHERES, PAIRING TWO OPPOSITE MOODS THAT MELT INTO ONE ANOTHER LIKE ACETONE AND WATER.

ON 'MAGNETAR', WE'RE CAUGHT UP IN THE THUNDERDOME CIRCA 1990, BUT JUST FOR A MOMENT. WHILE RUBBERY KICK DRUMS AND WHOOSHING HOOVER SOUNDS SHAPE THE TRACK, MINION COMBINES THESE OLD-SKOOL ELEMENTS WITH A MORE MODERN QUIRK, PRODUCING A TWINKLING MELODY THAT AROUSES EMOTION AND EUPHORIA.

THE PENULTIMATE TRACK 'GREY GOO' IS THE TOUGHEST OF THE FOURSOME. BUILT WITH OFF-KILTER, GRAINY KICKDRUMS AND CINEMATIC PADS THAT SLINK BETWEEN RUSTY BEATS, IT BRIDGES HARDCORE MOTIFS WITH DELICATE SHADES OF GREY, MINION-STYLE.

FINAL TRACK 'SATURDAY NIGHT IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE' DISPLAYS MINION'S VERSATILITY AS A PRODUCER. DELVING INTO A POTENT PALETTE OF ELECTRO, BREAKBEAT, TECHNO AND 2-STEP, HE WELDS RAPID-FIRE CLAPS, FIZZING HI-HATS AND A HEARTFELT MELODY, WEAVING THROUGH BLEEPS AND A CHUNKY BASSLINE—A SIGNAL TO END A LONG TRIP, SOMEWHERE IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE.

ALTHOUGH MINION PRODUCED THE TRACKS FOUR YEARS AGO, 'NITE LYFE' STANDS THE TEST OF TIME AND DOESN'T FOLLOW ANY ONE TREND OR GENRE. INSTEAD, IT'S AN ALCHEMY OF SONIC PATTERNS AND CONTRASTING COLOURS, NODDING TO MINION'S PUNK, HARDCORE AND EXPERIMENTAL INFLUENCES THAT CULTIVATED ODDBALL ELECTRONIC MUSIC IN THE 80S. THE AFTERGLOW OF THESE SOUNDS CULMINATES IN AN EP THAT RIPPLES WITH INTRIGUING HOOKS, CORROSIVE QUALITIES AND STRANGELY BLISSFUL MELODIES. IT REFLECTS THE EXPANSIVE ETHOS OF EVAR DOWN TO THE FINAL BAR.

The elusive Hackney basement dweller Alpha Delta colloquially known as Alpha D drops his debutsingle “The Moat” as the very first 12” output on the mysterious new hybrid Berlin++Sydney based label Delphic Iris Records. The headline single inspired by a faithful rave session in Croatia whereAlpha D was simultaneously emotionally touched, scarred and sonically pummelled by kick drums ata wild and stormy Dimensions Festival.
This dark techno beast was the aggressive, distorted acid offspring of that faithful night ravingbetween the mud and tears of the crowd at the formidable Moat stage at Punta Christo. His OG Mixis classic 132bpm heavy pounding acid techno at its moodiest. In the Remix department we have support from the entire Delphic Iris Records crew on this one. Afitting introduction to the labels sound. Sydney based Drox of Analog Cabin fame has a low end electro bass bin rattler for us that delvesinto melancholic and psychedelic 303 territory, deep, minimal and functional a perfect mid setgroover in our opinion. Critical Automator takes us on a deep and elegant techno journey transcending both murky seasand lush hazy skies in his dub mix. Definitely dialled back from the OG mix but there is no shortage ofkick drum energy in this one. 16 Faces cooks up complex drum work and funk driven baselines in a hybrid 146 bpm number that’sa just a touch rave, grime and idm in his 5am mix. The off beat stabs and euphoric strings areplentiful, more than enough to get your through any wobbly kneed sunrise.

Death Is Not The End sub-label 333 turns up the gold again with this repro of the much in-demand Flames cut of Nairobi Sisters' Promised Land. Sampled by Q-Tip for "Whateva Will Be" (appearing on ATCQ's final long-player) and on a range of earlier 90s boom-bap era productions, it is not at all hard to figure out why it's a coveted record. That break is as low-slung and funky as it gets, and best showcased on the superbly stripped-back dub on the flip.

The Nairobi Sisters were singers Terrie Nairobi and Judy Mowatt (later of the I-Threes, alongside Rita Marley & Marcia Griffiths). Promised Land was originally recorded together with The Gaytones for Sonia Pottinger's Gay Feet label, with this later version cut for Winston Jones' Brooklyn-based Flames Records. It is issued here under license from producer and songwriter Jones - the original singer and composer of Stop That Train (later made world-famous by Keith & Tex's version) with his Spanishtonians in the early 1960s - who later moved from JA to NYC where he established and ran the Flames label, a core imprint in Brooklyn's reggae scene from the mid-1970s until the early 1990s. 333 has licensed a range of Flames-era productions from the now Texas-based Jones, so keep and eye out for more as it comes... but for now, jump on this before it's gone!

Das war längst überfällig: The Headlines "In the end" erscheint zum ersten Mal endlich auf Vinyl. 2017 markierte das Album für die skandinavischen Punk Rocker The Headlines einen Wendepunkt, denn fortan übernahm die fantastische Sängerin Kerry Bomb das Mikro, während Mastermind Jake Lundtofte als Songwriter und Lead-Gitarrist den Sound weiter perfektioniert und prägte. "In the end" ist dabei nicht nur vom Titel auch 5 Jahre nach Erstveröffentlichung aktueller denn je: Kerry im Interview mit dem Pressure Magazine dazu: "Der Titel "In The End" ist unsere Antwort darauf, wo die Menschheit derzeit steht. Mit unserer Energie geht es dem Ende zu und der Planet zerstört sich mehr und mehr von Tag zu Tag selbst.

Auf intellektueller Ebene, sind wir irgendwie am Ende angelangt." Das Ergebnis ist schlichtweg ein Punkrock-Meilenstein voller Energie und Leidenschaft, der einen sofort in seinen Bann zieht...straight forward, rotzig-frech und doch ausgeklügelt und extrem abwechslungsreich. Kurz gesagt die Scheibe rockt vom ersten bis zum letzten Ton.

CLEAR VINYL. LIMITED TO 300 COPIES!


Suzanne Ciani’s Improvisation On Four Sequences somehow represents the complete histo- ry of electronic music, as the enthusiastic audience at Week-End Fest 2021 were lucky enough to experience. From the awakening of American avant-garde music at the end of the 1960s, right through to the development of the electronic sound of the club scene in L.A. and New York. But above all it is the dialogue between artist and machine, which simply ends when the concert is over, that comes across. Laconicism, precision, sound sensitivity and the weight of a tradition that Ciani was instrumental in founding all come together. It is spectacular precisely because it is so unexciting.

After a meteoric rise over the past decade, acclaimed Australian rapper Iggy Azalea drops the third and (possibly) final album, The End of an Era. Signifying a time to potentially take a step back from music, Iggy surely doesn't go out without a bang. With standout hits such as "Brazil," "Iam The Stripclub," & "Sex on the Beach (feat. Sophia Scott)," the 14 track album is filled with bangers returning to the sound of her mixtape roots. Features include BIA, Sophia Scott & Ellise.

After a meteoric rise over the past decade, acclaimed Australian rapper Iggy Azalea drops the third and (possibly) final album, The End of an Era. Signifying a time to potentially take a step back from music, Iggy surely doesn't go out without a bang. With standout hits such as "Brazil," "Iam The Stripclub," & "Sex on the Beach (feat. Sophia Scott)," the 14 track album is filled with bangers returning to the sound of her mixtape roots. Features include BIA, Sophia Scott & Ellise.

'Cody Fry shot to internet stardom when his song “I Hear A Symphony” went viral on TikTok. It was soon followed by a second viral track, a sophisticated symphonic pop cover of the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.” On ‘The End’ – his debut album with Decca Records – Cody rolls the credits on a difficult few years of panic, pandemic and crisis, and looks to the future. Touching on themes of anxiety and potential with a cinematic Golden Age glow, ‘The End’ is bold, quirky, dark nostalgic and hopeful.

In 1972, left-wing intellectual film critic Uwe Nettelbeck suggested to Anthony Moore that he might write some straight songs (relatively speaking), which in turn prompted Moore to invite his old schoolfriend Peter Blegvad over to Hamburg to form the band Slapp Happy.

Dagmar Krause, a young singer from Hamburg and Moore‘s girlfriend, joined them both on their trip to Wümme to record what was to become this album, Sort of, using Faust as their rhythm section. In honour of this album ́s 50th anniversary the album will get a nicely remastered reissue with the newly founded Week–End Records –the fetsival‘s inhouse label who managed to get the band together for a final reunion shows in November of 2016 and Spring of 2017.

Read any article or comment thread about the Seattle noise-rock outfit GREAT FALLS and you're likely to see descriptors like cathartic, heavy, crushing, and unhinged. Maybe even psychotic. And sure, those are all apt: For over a decade, vocalist/guitarist Demian Johnston and bassist Shane Mehling (who also played together in the early-2000s noisecore band PLAYING ENEMY and the experimental duo HEMINGWAY) have honed their sludgy, overwhelmingly intense brand of heaviness, punctuated by delectably discordant riffs, terrifyingly low, thwacking bass lines, and mesmerizingly tight percussion. In the live setting, too, they’re notorious for a stage presence that is so aggressively confrontational and menacing that Mehling once broke his own arm mid-set.

But the most striking aspect of GREAT FALLS, setting them apart from the murky sea of sludge metal and AmRep-inspired noise-rock bands, is their ability to paint a deeply, utterly human story through an all-out assault on the senses: an art the band has perfected on their fourth full-length album OBJECTS WITHOUT PAIN, out September 15 via NEUROT RECORDINGS.

The album is not only their NEUROT debut, but also the first LP featuring drummer Nickolis Parks (GAYTHEIST, BASTARD FEAST), who joined the band prior to the release of their exhilarating, cacophonous 2023 EP,FUNNY WHAT SURVIVES.

OBJECTS WITHOUT PAIN takes us on a bleak, purgative journey through a separation–a snapshot of the turmoil and indecision that occurs after the initial realization of someone's misery, and before the ultimate decision to end a decades-long partnership. From the foreboding intro riffs of “DRAGGED HOME ALIVE” to the end of the 13-minute closer “THROWN AGAINST THE WAVES,” its eight tracks explore the thoughts that come up when a person is staring down the barrel of blowing up their life: How did this happen? Is it too late for a new life? Will the kid be OK? What will make me happier: familiar torment or unknown freedom?

Die preisgekrönte, mehrfach mit Platin ausgezeichnete Band Thirty Seconds To Mars, bestehend aus den Brüdern Jared und Shannon Leto, veröffentlichen am 15.09. das mit Spannung erwartete sechste Studioalbum ”It’s The End Of The World But It’s A Beautiful Day”.

Mit ihrem Album betritt die Band neues klangliches Terrain, mit straff arrangierten, prägnanten Songs, die sich auf gefühlvollen, direkt aus dem Herzen kommenden Gesang konzentrieren. Die 11 Songs des Albums erforschen ein neues Kapitel der Gefühle der Brüder, während sie Trost in den elementaren Dingen finden:
Liebe, das Ergreifen des Augenblicks, Herzschmerz und letztendlich Transzendenz. Besonders herausragend ist die 1.Radiosingle ”Stuck”, wie auch die zweite Radiosingle ”Seasons”.

Anfang des Monats war die Band Headliner bei zwei ausverkauften offziellen Lollapalooza Aftershows im Chicagoer House of Blues, wo sie den IG ”Seasons” erstmals vorstellten. Außerdem kehrte die Band zum ersten Mal seit 2006 auf die Hauptbühne des Festivals zurück, die mit Spannung erwartet wurde. Forbes bezeichnete ihren Auftritt als ”visuelles Spektakel” mit ”einem Auftritt, der schwer zu toppen sein wird”, in Anspielung auf Jareds Sprung vom Dach der Bühne zu Beginn des Sets.

Auch für Deutschland ist eine grosse Tour geplant für Anfang 2024, das announcment folgt am 08.09.!

Explosions In The Sky haben ihr erstes Album seit sieben Jahren angekündigt! “End” erscheint am 15. September über Bella Union. Die erfreuliche Meldung erfolgt zeitgleich mit der Veröffentlichung des Eröffnungsstücks “Ten Billion People” und der Ankündigung einer ausgedehnten Tour, die die Band auch im November nach Deutschland bringt.

Ils Veulent Nous Tuer is Bérurier Noir's 3rd maxi 45tours, the title of which is borrowed from the slogan of a banner unfurled by the mutineers from the roof of Fresnes prison. It was an apt title for the group, too, since at the time of its release, the political and police authorities decided to destabilise them by associating them with the Black War activists and arresting many of the Bérus' entourage.

It's a dark album, with hard-hitting lyrics rooted in the social reality of the time (1988) and tackling subjects as diverse as the problems of access to food for the precarious (On A Faim !), prison repression (Sur Les Toits), the excesses of marginal youth (Mineurs En Danger) and the omnipresence of the military and police in our daily lives (Et Hop !). The album compo

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The band's name alone evokes the epic of alternative rock: rebellious and committed.

Born by mistake on a February evening in 1983, Bérurier Noir soon found themselves the driving force behind a vast "Mouv'ment d'la Jeunesse", determined to take control of their lives in the face of a society that was ultra-conservative at the time. Times have hardly changed.

From their first self-produced records distributed by hand to the creation of self-managed labels, from concerts in squats and wild appearances at demonstrations, on the street or in the metro to endless tours, from interviews given to fanzines and free radio stations to unclassifiable appearances in the mainstream media, Bérurier Noir waged the most exciting war of independence in the history of French rock, with just a microphone, a guitar, a drum machine, a few red noses and patched-up theatre masks.

François, Loran and their 'Troupeau d'Rock' gave the last finger to this turbulent, irredeemable raia, committing hara-kiri at the height of their glory, during three final concerts in the heart of Paris in November 1989.

Forty years after its birth, Bérurier Noir's work continues to resonate, whether at demonstrations or free parties, fuelling the hopes of all those who wish to turn this world upside down and build a truly libertarian society based on solidarity and brotherhood.

For those who missed this unprecedented adventure, the Archives de la Zone Mondiale label is bringing you 8 recordings by Bérurier Noir in the form of limited-edition reissues on highly original colour vinyl ("crown" finish), distributed throughout the year.

"If you can imagine a love child between MAC DEMARCO and SPAR-KLEHORSE, then this would be what you're left with." - SO YOUNG MAGA-ZINE
Raised in North Queensland, Australia, Jarrod Mahon is not one to shy away from bold new endeavors. Once parting ways with his previous record label in 2019, Mahon chose to go fully independent, relocating to Berlin in 2019 (where he still resides), despite having no contacts at all in the country. What’s more, having recorded/performed under the pseudonym Emerson Snowe for over a decade - during which time he home-recorded five albums and 13 EP’s, toured with the likes of King Krule or Ariel Pink, played showcases SXSW and the Great Escape, the works - Mahon took that brave, most uncommercial decision to release under his own name and start almost totally anew.
“There was never really a concept to that name Emerson Snowe other than having some kind of separation from who I was as a person,” Mahon explains, “using a moniker gave me that confidence to push myself further mentally and to give myself some kind of a freedom”. And through the process of creating what would become his debut album, Mahon saw that he had outgrown the need for this protective persona. ‘Everything Has A Life’ was meant to be the debut Snowe album”, he admits, “but after I finished mixing it with Syd Kemp, co-producer I realized that I had actually grown a lot and was much more comfort-able with who I am and what my personal beliefs are.”
The choice of ‘Everything Has A Life’ as the album title, pulled from beauteous opening track ‘All I Know’, neatly summarizes this new outlook: moving on from ‘self-pity’ of the past-self by becoming present for the loved ones around you, improving understanding of one’s own self, via the wider world at large.
That track marks the first written during a lockdown stint in LA where Mahon wrote and recorded every day for 2 months, produced nigh on 250 demos and birthed the bulk of the record. It also brought Mahon back to his all-time favorite, Sufjan Stevens’ Ilinois and its blend of widescreen orchestral landscapes and more candid, naked acoustic-leaning variations - an important influence for the album's stylistic contrasts. Another key inspiration for the record too brought Mahon back to his roots - those full-bloom strains of his Mum’s Beloved Neil Diamond, an annual Christmas irritant to Mahon as a child, yet an artist he’s come to respect in adulthood. “Whatever the reason, with age I came to love the big show band sounds,” he says, “the idea of a performer on stage with a mas-sive orchestra with strings was amazing to me.”
With the help of producer Syd Kemp (Ulrika Spacek, Vanishing Twin), such grand designs could be met. - “When we first met, he asked me if I would like real strings on it. I said of course.” Enter Magda Mclean on violin (Caroline/the Umlauts), and Gamaliel Rendle Traynor on Cello (Sweat, Fat White Family), whose strings helped lift the record to romantic new heights.
He continues: “I said to Syd that the only thing I wanted to achieve with this rec-ord was that I wanted it to make me cry at one point. And we got there eventual-ly.” The final culmination of all these strands, ’Everything Has A Life’ is indeed a treasure trove of emotive riches. Locking into that bittersweet, quintessentially ‘pop’ combination of triumphant rhythms and confessional, stream-of-consciousness lyrics plucked straight from the heart, Mahon faces up to years of substance abuse with a series of gorgeous, blushing melodies: “I was using, I was drinking, I was lying to my friends, I was messing up again, I was hiding from myself”, he joyously chants on ‘The Growing’.
A banquet fit for an indie king, Everything Has A Life is loaded with psych-pop lusciousness (‘All I Know’) and anthemic glam fuzz (‘Death Of The Ladies Man’, ‘Deadstar’, or ‘Sonny is my Best Friend’); recalling that foundational Sufjan Ste-vens influence too with shambling flecks of country (‘Charly (Romantic Heart)’). There’s also those lo-fi crepitations of ‘My Man’ and ‘I can’t’ harking back home-recorded demos that lie at the core of Mahon’s creative process.

2023 Repress

CELESTE have been breaking the outer boundaries of heavy music for over fifteen years. When they first evolved from the Lyon hardcore punk scene, they were absolutely brutal and entirely unique, delivering extremity on their own terms that they pushed further and further with each successive album. “We just wanted to get darker and more violent,” says drummer Antoine Royer, until 2017’s Infidèle(s) saw the incorporation of a more melodic streak. Their most focussed record yet, it was tremendously received, critically adored, and backed with the band’s biggest shows to date.

Its follow-up was always going to be something radical. Even by their own inordinately high standards, however, new record Assassine(s) is one hell of a step forward. Even if this album still contains cyclonic walls of guitar, of battering rhythm, and passages of blissful, rushing release. it’s unlike anything the band have ever released; embracing a modern and forward-thinking production, they're just as complex but more direct, diverse and accessible than before. “Our leitmotif here was to open our minds,” says guitarist Sébastien Ducotté. “We made a real effort to think outside of our box.”

During lockdown CELESTE’s members were forced to each write individually. “We each went further into our personal, inner views of what the songs were,” says bassist and vocalist Johan Girardeau. When eventually they began sessions under producer Chris Edrich, it was gruelling. “We ended up exhausted, physically and mentally” says Johan. “There was no break in two weeks. We didn’t see the sun at all during that time. Every night we were so tired that we didn’t enjoy being together as much as we’re used to.” Nevertheless, in the same way the hardships of isolation led to richer and more complex songwriting, it’s that relentlessness that led to the record’s razor-sharp edges.

Above all else, CELESTE are innovators. Whether by pioneering French avant-garde metal when they formed at the turn of the millennium, by making their boldest leaps despite being seven albums deep into their career, or using two years away from live shows to tightly finetune their stagecraft, they refuse at all costs to rest on their laurels. There can be consequences to this instinct – fans of the band’s older work might be thrown off by their constant shifts of pace – but they’re throwing caution to the wind. A bit of backlash “would be a good thing, because it would mean that we’ve really changed,” says Guillaume . “It's not disrespectful, it's just that we never made music to please people, but just to enjoy what we're doing.” In the end, CELESTE are a band so forward-thinking that they can only be judged on the strength of their latest work. And when it comes to a record as bold as Assassine(s), they’ve hit a whole new peak entirely.

BOTANICA is the newly established Japanese label created by DJ/ Producer, Iori Wakasa. It was formed for him to utilize it as a foundation for the realization of his own unique, artistic expression.
And now, he has the pleasure to announce his label’s inaugural title with the release of his own BOTANICA EP.

Born in 1988 in a rural Japanese city surrounded by mountains and the sea with a mild climate, Iori grew up playing RPGs with a father who was a devoted game aficionado. And he was introduced to electronic music through game music from an early age and formed his musical sensibilities through playing the classical piano around the same time.

Influenced by the spirituality and idiosyncrasies of punk rock and ethnic and indigenous music in his youth, also gradually influenced by the Tokyo club scene and the music, it didn't take him long before
he made the choice to start DJing at the age of 17 and soon afterwards, started exploring the path of music production as a form of self-expression.

Iori set up Botanica to convey 2 main concepts of 'presenting music that provides each listener with their own viewpoint' and ‘to construct a fusion between 'nature' and 'man-made objects and human
activity’. Through the experience of traveling around Japan, Europe and Asia and connecting with people of different languages and cultures, he became to appreciate that music transcends all languages and grooves, and the framework in which he would like to shape his perspective and embody it as his way of life is what he envisions as the vital expression for BOTANICA, The two tracks and the artwork included in this first EP are the first steps towards hopefully chronicling the story of the vortex that he resides in now and the new forest that he plans to weave in the future with his label.

'The Pure Land' means in Japanese 'Gokuraku-Jodo (= a space where you can live in bliss)', but in English it is closer to 'utopia' or 'paradise'. However, 'The Pure Land' is a musical work that evokes a
hypnotic and pleasant euphoria through the gradual layering of multiple rhythms and soft particles of spatial sound design. It is also shaped with the aim of liberating the listener and guiding them towards their primal self.

In contrast, 'Lunar Down' expresses the changes that occur in the human state of mind during the extended period from moonrise to moonset especially when the moon sets from its zenith and is completed with a focus on maximum dance floor impact via an inner voice that resonates in the brain that echoes throughout a well-textured bass line and rhythm track.

The artwork for the front cover of this EP was created by SHINOZAKI HILOSHI, an illustrator who has been traveling and painting to express his true way of life that he learnt in the 10+ years of commuting between Tokyo (the end) and the Hawaii Islands (the beginning), and the graphic designer hiro, who stands by Iori`s side as his life partner and as the person who understands him the best. Iori`s first steps are complemented by the label design and art direction by graphic designer hiro, who stands by his side as his life partner and most understanding partner, and the proof is the physical cut, which is presented as the foundation for the future.

Cypress Hill’s self-titled debut album was hard as nails, with very few pop concessions. There was humor, but it was laced by cackling, homicidal sneering. Not well known outside of the hardcore hip-hop scene at first, faces of the three group members weren’t usually shown clearly in press photos; they preferred the shadows. As their first singles began hitting the airwaves and record racks, the press and music fans started to take notice.


From the opening notes of the group’s first single, “The Phuncky Feel One,” to deeper album cuts like “Stoned Is The Way Of The Walk” and “Tres Equis,” it was clear that Cypress Hill was something different. And very, very dope. The world Cypress Hill espoused was gang-ridden and far from cheery, but they managed to laugh through the pain. Lead rapper B-Real took each fuzzed-out, rock-hard DJ Muggs beat as a challenge, jumping around it like a spark off a joint as it makes its way to the concrete. MC Sen Dog always had B-Real’s back, to bring intensity and a no-bullshit gruffness that made the group both menacing and unpredictable.


When they introduced percussionist Eric Bobo to the mix in the early 90s, it brought new dimension to the band, making their live performances one of the most unique and accomplished shows in hip-hop. Journalist and author Chris Faraone highlights the group’s relationship in the reissue’s liner notes (which is included only in limited edition Skull) saying, “By the late ‘80s the undisputed Cypress unit finally formed. B and Sen realized that their diametric styles - the latter’s deep wrangle, the former’s inimitable high notes - complemented one another righteously. By then Muggs had bangers in the bag, as well as industry experience from a jaunt with the New York duo 7A3. B and Sen waited while Muggs messed with 7A3, and in that time began to build the blueprint for their raucous and weeded no-holds-barred style. Besides getting schooled on industry pitfalls, Muggs had also grown into hip-hop’s most formidable young producer, while straddling the bi-coastal gap.”

Cypress Hill’s debut went gold by the end of 1991 and has since pushed past double platinum status, making it the first album for a Latino-American hip hop group to do so. The album received raves from the likes of Rolling Stone and the Los Angeles Times, saw a #1 Hot Rap Single with the release of “The Phuncky One” and helped the band win Artist Of The Year at the 1992 Source Awards. After 25 years, it should come as no surprise that Cypress Hill is a cornerstone of the group’s live set to this day.

ORKA is a duo comprising Francine Perry from London and Jens L. Thomsen from the Faroe Islands. They crossed paths in the vibrant club scene of London, an immersive world that had a profound impact on their creative journey. ORKA's music draws inspiration from the Hardcore Continuum and UK sound system culture, blending it with elements of minimal techno, progressive electro, and ambient music, resulting in a diverse range of stylistic influences. Now ORKA emerges with their long-awaited new album. Once again, they greet us with their distinct blend of earthy tones and a bold, adventurous spirit, taking us to a realm bursting with neon-lit hues, pulsating club beats, and an abundance of sensory stimulation. Aptly named "All At Once," the album title provides a clue to the auditory and sensory experience that awaits the listener in this immersive record. ORKA has continuously evolved as a project over many years and iterations, embracing fluidity and a relentless quest for fresh sonic amalgamations. Their journey has been marked by a gradual refinement, stripping away layers to reach the core essentials. This transformative process has unfolded over the years, reaching from their site-specific, cowshed sampling and band-based expedition in "Livandi oyða" (2007) to the bold, innovative exploration of minimalist techno in "Vað" (2016). However, their latest release, "All At Once," signifies yet another remarkable leap forward in their artistic evolution. The seeds of this artistic progression were already planted in previous releases like the <13 EP (2017) and the hard-hitting techno single "Juno" (2018). However, it is with the arrival of the album "All At Once" that ORKA's vision fully blossoms, unveiling a vivid and expansive sonic landscape. This latest offering presents a glorious and vibrant tapestry, showcasing a maximalist approach to techno that pulsates with energy coupled with their signature meticulous attention to sound design, reflecting a deep awareness and intentionality in their creative process. If this album was to be thought of as a place, it would be a shimmering, futuristic, buzzing kind of city with vibrating night-time drizzle from above and endless glowing lights in the distance. Several of the tracks are built around cut-up vocal samples that are divided from their semiotic meanings and reconfigured as loops, and thus mined for their timbral and percussive qualities. Recurring collaborators South London duo LV (Hyperdub, Keysound, Brownswood) are featured on a handful of these tracks, mixing in their complex cocktail of grime and bliss. The result is a sort of queer erotic dance-floor mysticism, and the closest to a full-blown dance record that ORKA have ever made. There must be a club in that shimmering futurist city of the night.. and it is a collective, inclusive and alluring place. There is no need to fear any dancefloor exhaustion by listening to this album though, as there are also moments of floating cyber beauty and pure enveloping warmth to be found among its tracks. As always, following the artistic journey of ORKA is a joyous experience, filled with unexpected twists and turns that keep us captivated.