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Das 4. Album einer der angesagtesten deutschen Black Metal-Bands wird nun endlich neu veröffentlicht. Für viele Jahre war das Album nicht erhältlich und so zahlten Sammler in den letzten Jahren unfassbar viel Geld für das Werk.

Das Artwork wurde von Benjamin Borucki / Irrleuchten in Zusammenarbeit mit der Band neu gestaltet und bietet zusätzlich zum hörbaren Genuss auch eine dem Konzept der Songs angepasste visuelle Aufmachung. Der Fan hat lange gewartet! Geben wir ihm, was er haben will!

Das 4. Album einer der angesagtesten deutschen Black Metal-Bands wird nun endlich neu veröffentlicht. Für viele Jahre war das Album nicht erhältlich und so zahlten Sammler in den letzten Jahren unfassbar viel Geld für das Werk.

Das Artwork wurde von Benjamin Borucki / Irrleuchten in Zusammenarbeit mit der Band neu gestaltet und bietet zusätzlich zum hörbaren Genuss auch eine dem Konzept der Songs angepasste visuelle Aufmachung. Der Fan hat lange gewartet! Geben wir ihm, was er haben will!

Swan Song

The vinyl LP at the heart of this éthiopiques 31 tracks 2 to 11 was one of the very last vinyl records ever released in Ethiopia. But above all it represents, we felt, the absolute masterpiece of the Ethiopian Groove – the Swan Song of Swinging Addis. The album leaves a clear idea for posterity of the level of sophistication and mastery that modern Ethiopian music had achieved, before being crushed under the Stalino-military heel of the Derg – as the bloody revolution that was unfolding came to be called.

Ethiopia1976.

The Revolution that broke out in February 1974 rolled on in a ruthless march. The whole of Ethiopian society was utterly stunned. The bouquets of flowers handed joyfully to the first tanks of the coup d'état were to wilt very rapidly. From September 1976 to February 1978, 18 months of Red Terror (the name given by the junta itself) spilled blood throughout the country. This fratricidal conflict took its heaviest toll among students and youth. The shift from feudalism to a cruel and primitive Stalinism left the country's citizens deeply traumatised, and snuffed out any pretence of activism, whatever the sector of society. This ice age was to last for seventeen long years.

ሙሉቀን፡መለሰ Mulukèn Mellèssè Muluqän Mälläsä

It was three tracks by Muluken that served as the opener for éthiopiques-1 more than 25 years ago. Seven more tracks appeared on éthiopiques-3 and 13, all accompanied by The Equators, which was soon to become the Dahlak Band.

The first track, Hédètch alu, also the very first piece that Muluken ever recorded, left audiences both unsettled and amazed. Reflecting the singer's extremely young age (he was just 17 at the time), this angelic voice mystified many, who thought they were in fact listening to a feminine voice. He was not yet 22 when he released his last vinyl record in 1976 with Kaifa Records (KF 39LP), one of the very last to be issued in Ethiopia, before the cassette tape became the dominant medium for music distribution – and before the new revolutionary regime put a stop to all independent musical life, via an unspeakable barrage of prohibitions and other persecutions.

Mulu qèn, literally, “A well filled day”. This tender maternal intention wasn't enough to ward off the cruelty of fate. His mother's premature death drove Muluken to leave his native Godjam, in northeast Ethiopia, to live with an uncle in Addis Ababa. Born Muluken Tamer, he took his uncle's last name – Mèllèssè.

The spelling Muluken appeared in his administrative records. Transcription of Amharic to the Latin alphabet, both in Ethiopia and for scholars, gives rise to controversies and quibbles that can never be neatly settled. French allows for a closer approximation of the original pronunciation, thanks to its battery of accent marks, confusing as they may be to anglophones.

Between rather accommodating administrative record-keepers and the various versions that pop up in interviews given by the artist, Muluken's year of birth oscillates between 1953 and 1955…

1954? One thing is certain: the artist's talent made itself known very early indeed, because he got his start in 1966-67, at the age of 13 or 14. Photos from the period attest to his extreme youth. It's a strange sort of initiation for a very young teenager to become a sensation in the heart of Addis's nightlife at the time, Woubé Bèrèha – the Wilds of Woubé. And what's more, in the club of the Queen of the Night, the Godjamé Assègèdètch Alamrèw herself, the very same that was portrayed by Sebhat Guèbrè-Egziabhér in his novel-memoir Les Nuits d’Addis Abeba2… The legendary female club owner who is remembered to this day by the capital's ageing boomers.

Muluken first tried his hand at the drums, before he grabbed the microphone. He emigrated briefly to the Zula Club, across the street from the old Addis Post Office, one of the ground-breaking bars of the burgeoning musical scene, before joining the Second Police Band in 1968, for around three years. He spent a few months with the short-lived Blue Nile Band founded by saxophonist Besrat Tammènè. As the musical scene grew increasingly successful, and pulled slowly but decisively away from its institutional ties, Muluken released his first 45rpm single in February 1972 (Amha Records AE 440). It was included in two LP Ethiopian Hit Parade compilation albums in September of the same year. All in all, Muluken released eight two-track 45s and the same number of original cassette tapes between February 1972 and 1984, the year that he departed for permanent exile in the USA. After converting to Pentecostalism in 1980, Muluken gradually abandoned all secular musical activity. In 1985, at the end of a concert in Philadelphia, he decided to quit concerts and recording for good. Mèlakè Gèbré, the historic bass player from the Walias band who was playing with him that night, recalls that everything appeared so irredeemably diabolical in Muluken's eyes, that it was to be the end of his contribution to Ethiopian Groove.

The end of the story, the beginning of a legend.

Dahlak Band, forgotten by History

Aside from his personal history and vocal talents, it must be remembered that Muluken Mèllèssè was one of the biggest names in the musical innovations that marked the end of the imperial period. These éthiopiques aim to convince those who are just discovering this hidden gem... As for Ethiopians themselves, they are to this day captivated by this singular and atypical figure in the Abyssinian pop landscape – even though he withdrew from public life some 40 years ago. Incorrigible devotees of poetic twists, of more or less hidden meanings, Ethiopians appreciate above all the care Muluken took in choosing his lyrics and the writers who penned them, such as Feqerte Haylou, Alemtsehay Wodajo and, here, Shewalul Mengistu (1944-1977). Love songs, written by women, a far cry from the conventional drivel that pleases sappy sentimentalists.

Muluken is equally acclaimed for his perfectionism when it came to music, the opposite of the overly casual approach that is all too common. He remained a faithful partner of musicians who came from a lineage that borrowed from several inventive and pioneering bands (Venus, Equators, Dahlak). Amongst them were certain artists who began their musical lives with Nersès Nalbandian at the Haile Sellassie Theatre and who come of age in around 1973 – at just the wrong time, you might say. Among them were the pillars Shimèlis Bèyènè (trumpet), Dawit Yifru (keyboards) and Tilayé Gèbrè (sax & flute). Most notably Tilayé Gèbrè, certainly one of the most important musicians, composers and arrangers of his generation, of the end of the imperial era, and of the early years of the Derg.

It was only in 1981 that a miraculous opportunity arose for Tilayé to escape the Stalinist paradise of the dictator Menguistou Haylè-Maryam. Once again it was Amha Eshèté (1946-2021) who provided a solution. The spirited and courageous producer, who had been in exile in Washington since 1975, succeeded, thanks to his incredible perseverence, in bringing the Walias Band to the USA. It was, in fact an extended Walias Band comprising ten musicians3, six of whom chose to slip away after a few concerts and the recording of an LP (The Best of Walias, WRS 100). Tilayé Gèbrè was one of these. He has been living in the USA ever since. There he joined the then-nascent Ethiopian diaspora, which lived largely unto itself, and was making only very modest headway in the American musical market. It seems unfair that Tilayé Gèbrè and the Dahlak Band were not able to benefit earlier from the public recognition that they do deserve.

A similar draining away of the top-rate talents would lead to the reorganization of the major groups of the “Derg Time”. The remaining artists spread themselves around between Ibex Band (renamed Roha Band), Ethio Star Band and a remodeled Walias Band. That spelled the end of the Dahlak Band.

With this record, produced by the essential Ali Abdella Kaifa a.k.a. Ali Tango, we can appreciate everything that the Derg not only destroyed, but also prevented from flourishing. This gem of Ethiopian-style afrobeat came out in 1976 (and, by way of a parenthesis, before the FESTAC 1977 in Lagos, which was attended by an impressive delegation of Ethiopian musicians — although Fela was already personna non grata in his own country). Despite everything that might distinguish this ethio-groove from Fela’s music – no colonial axe to grind, no question of political confrontation with the authorities, no claims to negritude or Africanism for the Ethiopian musicians, and less extrovertion! –, this LP fits beautifully into the saga of intense and electrified soul of the new “African” groove that Fela and Manu Dibango embodied so well from that point onwards.

In restoring this record to its place in the afrobeat epic, it can be seen that, if nothing else, the timeline bestows a legitimate pedigree and a historical primacy to works that had no international impact when they were originally released.

Warning! Masterpiece!

Blickwinkel presents ‘On a Tuesday and a Wednesday’, the first collaboration between Pierre Bastien and Casper Van De Velde. The album captures what the duo has been working on during a 2-day residency at Werkplaats Walter (Brussels), invited by the label. In their improvised sessions, they quickly found a way to merge Bastien's renowned mechanical sound sculptures with the playful and detailed style of percussionist Casper Van De Velde. The result is a blend of intricate rhythms and organic, music that flows effortlessly between the intimate and the expansive.

Gonzen, uminari or retumbos. Perhaps you've heard these sounds? They're known to occur all over the world and, as one might expect, humans have strained to offer various explanations for these unsettling emissions that materialise unbidden from the sky.

We like to say that we've understood what's happening so that we can move on. Tidy up the loose ends and don't scare the horses. Nothing wrong with that in good measure, but there's something to be said for the Haudenosaunee peoples' explanation. They pointed out that the Great Spirit hasn't finished their work of shaping the earth and is making a fair bit of noise while they're at it.

If you accept that many questions never truly get answered, in fact can or should never truly be answered, you may be able to tune your mind to this collection of lingering sonic detonations. If you accept that the work is ongoing, our labours seldom done, that there's not much point talking about the end of anything, you may be ready to join us. It's not our task to finish it, nor are we free to desist.

NPVR is the avant garde duo made up of the late Peter Rehberg and Nik Void. Editions Mego is proud to present their second and final release. No this is not some kind of Beatles synthetic AI that raises the dead reconstructed recordings but rather a new album made by the humans and their machines.

The initial meeting of Rehberg and Void was in London in 2016 and despite or due to their mutual awkwardness found solace and compatibility in the fact that they both had a similar electronic modular set up, along with matching cases to transport all. The idea to collaborate was an obvious and organic process as a means to connect their individual gear together and observe the outcome. The fruits of these initial experiments, recorded in London, resulted in the playful experimentation of their acclaimed 2017 release 33 33 (eMego 251).

Now in 2024 Editions Mego presents the logically titled follow up, 33 34. These sessions were recorded six months after the initial recordings at Peter’s home in Vienna. This was planned out as a mirror city release to the original London recordings. With Peter having access to his full studio set up this time around we encounter a rich audio landscape which organically folds together a variety of musical genres blurring any distinction between these forms so the resulting music hovers as a new cloud of sound. Any musical form, be it industrial, electro-acoustic, ambient, drone and techno all coexist and melt into the other as the ensuing result unveils a hypnotic swarm of divergent sounds (music). When active there were no lines or contexts with NPVR, either between sound or genre within these recordings or live where NPVR were at home playing at a techno club one night and an avant garde venue the next.

The initial session of these recordings was edited by Rehberg and sent to Void to further develop. Over time the final versions were agreed on and then shelved as other outside projects took over. The awkwardness had been surmounted and the two had become close friends. NPVR performed at a range of venues such as Tresor, Sutton House, Corsica, Blitz, Paris GRM #Focus2, LEV Festival and Rigas Skanumezs Festival. Following Rehberg’s untimely passing Void had difficulty listening back to the sessions but eventually thought it fit to complete and release this album, of which even the artwork (like 33 33, an image from Zurich photographer, Georg Gatsas) had been decided upon prior to Rehberg parting ways.

There is an unmistakable joy to these recordings. One encounters an enthralling exploration of their chosen machines which conveys the excitement of what can be randomly conjured when people speak through such devices. There is no grand statement or argument here, just the sheer thrill of creation and the recorded results of random encounters. The art of collaboration was always a mainstay of Rehberg’s practice from the advent of the MEGO adventure. Rehberg & Bauer was an initial collaboration with former business partner Ramon Bauer. Even at this stage one can hear a relaxed sense of delight in the sheer discovery of sound.

A mix made for the Wire magazine following the release of 33 33 hints at the freedom that comes with endless urge for exploration and discovery. Abstract tracks from Z'EV. Jérôme Noetinger and Jung An Tagen are included alongside British stalwarts The Fall and New Order. There were no lines between pop / academic / underground or mainstream in Rehberg’s world. All of it sat at the same table. It is just matter in the atmosphere, like the diverse exploration found in these recordings that comprise 33 34.

Towards the end of his life Rehberg was obsessing over the immense output of the German ambient musician Pete Namlook. An artist renowned for not only his sprawling catalogue of ambient masterpieces but one who often said his main inspiration was nature. This is apt with regards to the work of NPVR which also aligns with such thought as the intertwining of the two individual artists and their machines results in a natural symbiotic flow, as it happens, just like in the world around us.

Roughly three years after the release of Balts, Schreel Van De Velde’s debut album on Blickwinkel, the guitar and drums improv-centered duo is happy to present their sophomore album A One And A Two.

The Brussels-based musicians sound more decisive than ever: the loud became louder, the quiet became quieter, the weird became weirder and the nostalgic became more nostalgic. The fruit peeled off one of its own shells, getting closer to its heart.

The album came about as a result of 2 separate studio sessions. For a first one, they restricted themself to solely electric guitar and drums, without overdubs, and with most songs ending up as one-takers. A second one took place some months later in a different recording space, using classical guitar with a matching small, cute drum set-up.

On both sessions, the duo played the same compositions, with some additional improvisations. Afterwards they made a blend of both sessions, mixing both energies: A One And A Two. A new language, organic and well-considered, was found.

Throughout the album, touches of minimalism, American primitivism, free-improv, and 90s indie rock can be found, but always within the limits of Schreel Van De Veldes freshly found voice: one that combines sentiment and cerebrality, overview, playfulness and mystery.

Lucas Schreel is a classically trained guitarist based in Brussels. His first solo album We're Never Afraid of Getting Up Every Morning was released through Sentimental Records in 2019 and was well-received both in written-press (Humo, Enola & Indiestyle) and radio (Duyster, Radio 1 & Klara). Besides his solo work, Schreel is also a member of the lo-fi indierockband Kloothommel.
Acclaimed Brussels percussionist Casper Van De Velde made quite a name for himself through his bands like SCHNTZL, Bombataz, Donder among others. His work received prices at International Jazz Contest d’Avignon and Storm! Contest (Jazzlab). Casper is currently also a member of the recently formed An Pierlé Quartet.

Kulture Galerie releases its 3rd Digital Artefacts cassette tape: "Mediterranean Blue" by NYC's own Alien D. Alien D is back on Kulture Galerie. Prior to this, Daniel Creahan has been featured on labels such as Lillerne Tapes, Banlieue Records, and Theory Therapy, and now shares a 6 track EP called Mediterranean Blue that lands on Filippo MSM's tapes series Digital Artefacts, the label's more experimental output.

The work is something of a companion piece to his recent release on Theory Therapy, “For the Early Hours of the World in Bloom,” exploring similar states with a more hazy, fluid sensibility. The compositions here trace back to a week spent several years prior on the Puglia coastline, where, in the midst of a read through of Helene Cixious’s Tomb(e), he began compiling a series of works drawing the gleaming sun, swirling waves and jagged, rocky coastline of the region, mixing in fragments of slow, pulsing low end, wafting synth elements and a range of processed samples dwelling on states of transition, life and love. Waves and dripping water swirl around lilting saxophone, kick drums drown the mix in heavily side-chained throbs of bass, and breaks rush in and out of the mix, making for a series of recordings that seem to view the dancefloor as a dream, always front of mind but hazily remembered.

“I was obsessed with these balances between the light-washed, dusty landscape and these quiet modest homes dotting the hills, and all I could think about was the passage of time, falling in and out and back in love, and the slow drift of memory,” he says. “It was like waking up with a new thought.”

Das Album ,Scrabbling At The Lock" von 1991 war in vielerlei Hinsicht ein Wendepunkt für The Ex. Es war ihre erste Zusammenarbeit mit dem New Yorker Improvisationskünstler Tom Cora, der fast 100 Konzerte mit der Band spielte. Außerdem erweiterte es ihr Spektrum erheblich und machte sie zu einer Kraft, die ihre Balance zwischen Kreativität und Intensität auf ein neues Level hob. Das Album war nicht nur ein kreativer Meilenstein, sondern brachte ihnen auch ein neues Publikum ein, da sie als eine der ersten ,Punk"-Bands den Sprung in die Welt der improvisierten Musik schafften und regelmäßig als Gäste bei Free-Music-Festivals in ganz Europa auftraten. Das Folgealbum ,And The Weathermen Shrug Their Shoulders" setzte 1993 diese Erfolgsserie mit einer weiteren Reihe herausragender Songs fort, die glühende Energie mit grenzenlosem Eklektizismus und selbstbewusster, improvisatorischer Freude verbinden. Kunstvoller Punk, orientalische und europäische Folk-Inspirationen, einfallsreiche und leidenschaftliche Texte und ein Händchen für Echtzeit-Kreationen verschmelzen nahtlos zu einem Cocktail, der hochbrennbar und gelegentlich bedrohlich, aber auch durchweg abenteuerlich und auffallend ansteckend ist. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt waren The Ex zu einer der beständigsten, herausforderndsten und zukunftsweisendsten Bands ihrer Generation geworden. Und jetzt ist ,And The Weathermen Shrug Their Shoulders" endlich wieder auf Vinyl erhältlich!

Did You Enjoy Your Time Here...? ist das neue Studioalbum von PremRock, einem Künstler von Backwoodz Studioz(vielleicht am besten bekannt als die Hälfte von ShrapKnel; das ernüchternde Yin zu Curly Castros wildem Yang). DYEYTH knüpft da an, wo Prems nachdenkliches Backwoodz-Debütalbum ,Load Bearing Crow's Feet" aus dem Jahr 2021 aufhörte: klar, herzlich und gnadenlos witzig. Das Album wurde von Sebb Bash, Blockhead, YUNGMORPHEUS, Child Actor, Controller 7, ELUCID, Small Professor, Jeff Markey und Fines Double produziert, während Prems langjähriger Kollaborateur Willie Green alles zusammenfügt. Textlich wird Prem von einigen der weltweit besten Künstler unterstützt, darunter Pink Siifu, Billy Woods, Cavalier, Nappy Nina, Illogic, AJ Suede, Mary Esther Carter und natürlich Castro. Jeder Gast holt das Beste aus dem Mix heraus und sorgt für fruchtbare Kollaborationen, die weit über einfache Gastverse hinausgehen. Mit originellen Artworks, die vom Album inspiriert sind, vom Chicagoer Künstler Gabe Karagianis. Die besten Formulierungen sind diejenigen, die mehr als eine Bedeutung haben. Wie beim Betrachten eines abstrakten Gemäldes können Worte für verschiedene Menschen unterschiedliche Bedeutungen haben. Eine Frage oder ein Satz, der entweder zu einer längeren existenziellen Überlegung oder einfach nur zu einem Achselzucken führt. Könnte sich auf das gesamte Leben beziehen, auf 90 Minuten in einer Einrichtung oder auf 5 Jahre in einer romantischen Beziehung. Der kurze, berauschende Rausch einer Designerdroge oder die automatisierte Umfrage am Ende einer Online-Transaktion. Es ist eine einfache, aber heimlich geladene Frage. Nun, hast du es getan?

KEG announce new EP Girders set for release September 2nd on Alcopop! Records/BMG. The band also share the frenzied and whip-smart new single Kids. The band, who have been hotly tipped across the board for 2022, will also play their debut UK headline tour plus festivals which include Green Man, End Of The Road, Latitude and more. Kids strides into the deep lineage of British art-punk songwriting that is both self-referencing and outward-facing - while being consistently innovative. Few singles manage to take aim at both the restaurant chain Itsu and the comedian Michael McIntyre, but KEG somehow pull it off.

Following a widely successful debut single release Heyshaw in the summer of 2021, KEG saw major support from publications such as NME, DIY, Dork, So Young, Clash etc. Leading into their debut EP Assembly, released October 2021, KEG toured with contemporaries such as Squid and Talk Show.

KEG are a seven piece. Albert (vocals), Joel (bass) & Will (synth) grew up together around the seaside Yorkshire town of Bridlington; and like many artists growing up in removed quarters of the country, they shared a yearning to leave. Spreading to different parts of the country after leaving school, they found their bandmates in their respective cities and found one another once again on the southern shores of Brighton.
Frank (guitar), whose background resides mostly in hip-hop, afforded a unique pulse with a guitar sound which is manic, discordant but firm. Jules (guitar) whose songwriting sensibilities come from a love of cadence and craft of beautiful soul ballads, imbued the band with his structured sense of composition. Both Charlie (trombone & shell) and Johnny (drums) come from classically trained Jazz backgrounds.
The announcement will receive digital marketing support and will launch with new tour dates announced (below) with pre-order for presale access available.

»Memento Mori: Mexico City« ist eine über zweistündige Liveaufnahme von Depeche Modes drei ausverkauften Konzerten im legendären Foro Sol Stadion in Mexiko-Stadt aus dem September 2023 und wird durch vier bisher unveröffentlichte Studioaufnahmen von den »Memento Mori«-Sessions ergänzt.

Die CD-Konfiguration enthält das Livealbum und Bonustracks auf zwei CDs sowie ein 16-seitiges Booklet mit Livefotos von den Shows.

Dieses Livealbum erscheint parallel zu Depeche Modes neuem Film »Depeche Mode: M«, der während der Shows in Mexiko-Stadt aufgenommen wurde. Der Film wurde konzipiert und umgesetzt vom vielfach ausgezeichneten mexikanischen Filmemacher und Regisseur Fernando Frías. Während »Depeche Mode: M« packende Konzertmitschnitte mit stimmungsvollen Nebeneindrücken und ausgesuchtem Archivmaterial vereint, wird gleichzeitig die tiefgreifende Verbindung zwischen Musik und Vergänglichkeit innerhalb der mexikanischen Tradition veranschaulicht. Die Blu-ray- und DVD-Konfiguration von »Depeche Mode: M« enthält zusätzlich das schon erwähnte Livealbum »Memento Mori: Mexico City« sowie einen abendfüllenden Konzertfilm.

Trouble’s absolute classic: the legendary album from 1990 and the pinnacle of Trouble’s impressive career. Heavy Metal was never better than this! Includes a live bonus CD recorded in Dallas, Taxas (USA)! Trouble’s debut album did great things for Metal and remains one of the darkest, thrashiest Doom albums to date. A lot of things can change in six years, especially when you’re talking Metal and the dates are 1984 and 1990. The decade may have changed them, but not in a way that suggests decay or a decline in the quality of their resolve or their skill as musicians and performers. On the contrary, Trouble’s 1990 self-titled release is arguably their most mature, boasting a fleshed out sound with unparalleled songwriting, a great production, and the time-crafted vocals of Eric Wagner which had improved major in the years since their previous efforts. All of this culminates in what is my mind the most “complete” thing Trouble ever created. From the mid-paced chug of a killer opener in “At the End of My Daze” to the last notes of “All Is Forgiven”, I can’t see filler or anything resembling a weak link. The riffs here are some of the best ever written, by Trouble or anyone else; every song has a manically awesome main riff that demands a display of headbanging. Riffs are undoubtedly the point of focus here; they make the songs, and they’re a timeless variety of great. Also, the interplay between guitarists Bruce Franklin and Rick Wartell is some of the best lead work you will ever hear in Metal. Trouble basically reinvented themselves with this release, and while I think it was a fantastic rebirth, those who aren’t so keen on the laid back stoner vibe they chose to adopt may not see it as a rejuvenation, but a step back (they did go from doom and gloom to collectively embracing their inner acid dropping free love hippie, after all). But the Metal remained fully intact! And as I’ve said, I think this is Trouble at their best. This is originality and innovation at its best, it is supreme quality. A leader of bands paves the way and then steps aside to create something that will serve as an example of how to improve upon an established formula: that is, by doing it really damn well.

Das Cover von ,Liquorice", dem dritten Album der australischen Indie-Pop-Künstlerin Hatchie, zeigt ein Nahporträt von Harriette Pilbeam, die lächelt, wobei ihr verschmierter roter Lippenstift auf die glorreiche Folge eines Kusses hindeutet. Das Bild wurde während eines spontanen Fotoshootings im Hinterhof mit einer einfachen Digitalkamera aufgenommen und fängt eine Erinnerung ein, die etwas unvollkommen ist und von Sehnsucht, Begierde und Bedauern geprägt ist Das Bild wurde während eines spontanen Fotoshootings im Hinterhof mit einer kleinen Digitalkamera aufgenommen und verkörpert ein Album, das rau und voller Freude ist und sich mit Themen wie Sehnsucht, Begierde und Reue befasst. Pilbeam begann ernsthaft mit dem Schreiben von ,Liquorice", während sie von 2022 bis 2023 in Brisbane lebte, und später in einem gemeinsamen Haus mit Agius in Melbourne, wo sie die Demos schließlich Mitte 2024 fertigstellte. Als Musikerin, die ihre Einflüsse bisher offen zur Schau gestellt hat, bemühte sich Pilbeam, von Grund auf neu zu schreiben, ohne bestimmte musikalische Einflüsse im Hinterkopf zu haben. Pilbeam begann ernsthaft mit dem Schreiben von ,Liquorice", während sie von 2022 bis 2023 in Brisbane lebte, und später in einem gemeinsamen Haus mit Agius in Melbourne, wo sie die Demos schließlich , und stellte die Demos schließlich Mitte 2024 fertig. Als Musikerin, die ihre Einflüsse bisher offen zur Schau gestellt hatte, bemühte sich Pilbeam, ganz von vorne anzufangen, ohne bestimmte musikalische Einflüsse im Hinterkopf zu haben, und ließ den Songs wochenlang Zeit zum Atmen, anstatt Ideen zu überstürzen. Sie fühlte sich von der melodischen Einfachheit ihrer frühen Songs angezogen und akzeptierte ihre musikalischen Unsicherheiten: ,Ich wollte meine Grenzen als Stärken betrachten, die meinen Stil prägen." Nachdem sie mit den Produzenten Jorge Elbrecht (Caroline Polachek, Japanese Breakfast, Sky Ferreira) und Dan Nigro (Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan) an ,Giving the World Away" gearbeitet hatte, wollte Pilbeam ,Liquorice" mit einem einzigen Kollaborateur fertigstellen, idealerweise einem nicht-männlichen Produzenten, der auch sein eigenes Musikprojekt vorantreibt. Im September 2024 kehrten Pilbeam und Agius nach Los Angeles zurück, um mit Melina Duterte zusammenzuarbeiten, die unter dem Namen Jay Som Indie-Rock aufnimmt und an einer Reihe von Projekten mitgewirkt hat, darunter das mit einem Grammy ausgezeichnete Album ,The Record" von boygenius. ,Mein letztes Album ist sehr düster und introspektiv geworden, und das ist zwar ein Teil von mir, aber es gab noch eine ganz andere Seite, die ich nicht zum Ausdruck gebracht habe", sagt Pilbeam. ,Ich bin eine hoffnungslose Romantikerin und eine sehr alberne Person, manchmal sogar bis zum Äußersten." Die heute 32-jährige, verheiratete Pilbeam stellte fest, dass ,ewige Gefühle" der Sehnsucht und des Herzschmerzes schnell zurückkehrten, als sie über ihre Erfahrungen als jüngere Frau nachdachte. Gleichzeitig ließ sie ihre Vorliebe für tragische Liebesfilme einfließen, in denen die Figuren nicht unbedingt ein gemeinsames Happy End finden. Liquorice beschäftigt sich mit der Endlichkeit des Ewigen. Diese Songs fangen die überwältigenden, berauschenden und transformierenden Nebenwirkungen der Verliebtheit ein, auch wenn die gesamte Liebesgeschichte nur eine einzige magische Nacht dauert. Wie die reichhaltigen Aromen der gewundenen, titelgebenden Süßigkeit - süß, salzig und bitter in einem Bissen - bestätigt Liquorice, wie Sehnsucht und Besessenheit in der Selbstfindung einer jungen Frau miteinander verflochten sind.

The Swedish band Bullet got together in autumn 2001, with the aim of playing traditional heavy metal inspired by the late 1970s and early 1980s: solid, authentic and classic, with a contemporary and timeless touch. Seven years after their latest studio album, ‘Dust To Gold’ (2018), the musicians Dag “Hell” Hofer (vocals), Hampus Klang (guitar), Gustav Hector (bass), Gustav Hjortsjö (drums) and latest addition Freddie Johansson (guitar) are now back with a new album: ‘Kickstarter’ is scheduled for release on Steamhammer/SPV on 09 January 2026 and is set to prove that Bullet are determined to continue their almost 25-year career with the very kickstart referenced to by the album title. This of course also includes Bullet’s iconic tour bus, whose engine exploded after one of their most recent shows, forcing the musicians to embark on their return journey without their rolling accommodation. Naturally, this was the end neither of Bullet nor their battered vehicle – to the contrary: The group’s classic heavy metal spirit and their unwavering DIY mindset have proved stronger than ever. Having repaired the ageing bus with unwavering determination, oil-smeared hands and sweaty brows. Bullet are now ready to hit the road again, with ‘Kickstarter’ and the three lead singles/videos ‘Kickstarter’ (17 October 2025), ‘Keep Rolling’ (21 November 2025) and ‘Chained By Metal’ (19 December 2025) on board.

Pullman ist eine im Studio entstandene Akustik-Supergroup, die Ende der 90er Jahre aus der Post-Rock-Szene Chicagos hervorging und Ken ,Bundy K." Brown (Tortoise/Directions in Music), Curtis Harvey (Rex), Chris Brokaw (Come) und Doug McCombs (Tortoise/Eleventh Dream Day) vereinte. Später kam Schlagzeuger Tim Barnes hinzu, wodurch die Kernbesetzung der Gruppe gefestigt wurde. Ihr Debüt bei Thrill Jockey gaben sie 1998 mit "Turnstyles & Junkpiles", einer leisen, live auf zwei Spuren aufgenommenen Sammlung verwobener Gitarrenklänge, die Kritiker mit John Fahey, Leo Kottke und Gastr del Sol verglichen. Ihr Folgealbum "Viewfinder" (2001) erweiterte die Palette um Percussion, subtile elektrische Texturen und Mehrspur-Layering, wobei die rustikale, filmische Zurückhaltung von Pullman beibehalten wurde. Mit beiden Alben wurde die Band zu einem Maßstab für akustische, songorientierte Instrumentalmusik: folkig im Geist, postrockig in der Methode und zeitlos im Klang. Zwei Jahrzehnte später kehrt Pullman mit "III" zurück, einem Album, das von Freundschaft und Widerstandsfähigkeit geprägt ist. Im Jahr 2021 gab Barnes seine Diagnose einer früh einsetzenden Alzheimer-Erkrankung im Alter von 54 Jahren öffentlich bekannt. Trotz seines fortschreitenden Gesundheitszustands begannen er und Brown fast täglich, oft aus der Ferne, mit einem großen Kreis von Mitwirkenden aus Barnes' musikalischer Vergangenheit zusammenzuarbeiten. Was als einzelner Beitrag für eine Compilation begann, entwickelte sich nach und nach zu einem vollständigen Pullman-Album, das zwischen 2021 und 2023 fertiggestellt wurde. "III" wurde von Brown bearbeitet und gemischt, mit frühen Beiträgen von Barnes, und führt die für die Gruppe charakteristische Intimität und Räumlichkeit fort, während es gleichzeitig den Geist der Gemeinschaft verkörpert, der ihre Arbeit seit jeher geprägt hat. "III" ist sowohl eine Fortsetzung der einzigartigen Ästhetik von Pullman als auch ein Beweis für die nachhaltige Kraft der Musik und schwebt mit der stillen Schwere der Erinnerung, der Beharrlichkeit und der Anmut.

Bruit's sound is a tectonic collision of raw noise and patient, cinematic structure: layers of metallic percussion, low-end rumbles and fractured melodic fragments that creep, accumulate and then converge. Balancing soaring melancholy and industrial grit with meticulous dynamics, they turn long-form pieces into physical architectures where silence, resonance and sudden force are equally important. In this reissue of their staggering debut EP `Monolith', Bruit give us the opportunity to rediscover their first ever release, the completely self-produced and recorded record that defined their direction and introduced their world-shattering sound. `Monolith' is an epic portrayal at the centre of the human experience, the band's use of melancholia, industrial textures reimagined through patient dynamics, sculpted resonances, and a singular attention to momentum gives listeners access deep and power terrains. `Monolith' is the first expression of Bruit's exploration of material sound and human scale. Building on the dense palette of integrity and compositional mastery, Bruit interrogates what long-form composition can hold: memory, pressure, and a cinematic coalescence. Bruit's sound captures the exorbitant nature of the times, the outrageousness of humanity at a moment in time that is grotesque in scale and overwhelming in scope. Two long tracks for FOR FANS OF Hans Zimmer * Nils Frahm * Godspeed You! Black Emperor * Balmorhea * Max Richter * Olafur Arnalds * A Silver Mount Zion * Boards Of Canada

-Vinyl

The Ruins Of Beverast narrate fables of the darkest secrets in human history and present. ‘Tempelschlaf’ is The Ruins Of Beverast’s seventh full-length output and sees the band continue with their sonic morbidity, noises and melodies of a human habitat in its sunset era, while maintaining and refining the widescreen low end that has been sustaining their sound from the beginning. On the instrumental side, ‘Tempelschlaf’ is stripped of some fat, forging the songs with a reduction in length and layers, cautiously leaning towards the stage part of things. While synths and samples have always played an adamant role in The Ruins Of Beverast’s sound, they reach yet another level of psychedelia and insanity on ‘Tempelschlaf’. The Ruins Of Beverast were formed in early 2003 and named after the most bloodcurdling occasion of the collapse of the giant bridge Bifröst. This incident bears analogy to the musical aura of The Ruins Of Beverast, which builds a sonic landscape of massive, surreal, barren mountain formations. Seven full-length albums and several EPs, splits and compilation releases have been published through Ván Records so far. As a live act, The Ruins Of Beverast became a strong force after Roadburn 2013, a festival the band have played again since with exclusive shows. The Ruins Of Beverast have embarked on several European tours with acts like 1349, Grave Miasma and King Dude, as well as a highly acclaimed US tour that eventually concluded with an iconic show at Fire In The Mountains festival. The band have played such well-established club shows and festivals as Hellfest, Inferno, Incubate, Party.San Open Air and Beyond The Gates, to name just a few.

Zwar nicht sieben auf einen Streich, aber immerhin sieben Alben in einem Jahr, das war die beeindruckende
Bilanz, die Hank Mobley, damals der führende Tenorsaxofonist des Hard-Bop, am Ende des Jahres 1957
vorweisen konnte. Und mehr noch als die Quantität überraschte die ungebrochen hohe Qualität seiner Alben. “Hank” war das letzte Album dieses Aufnahme-Marathons. Wie immer hatte das Gründungsmitglied
der Jazz Messengers es mit einigen der besten Hard-Bop-Musiker jener Zeit eingespielt, unter denen sich
drei weitere Jazz Messengers befanden

"Sunshine and Balance Beams", das neunte Album von Pile, ist eine Sisyphus-Parabel über Arbeit und Leben. Um es zu schreiben, begab sich Sänger Rick Maguire an ,einen dunklen Ort" und rang mit dem Konzept, dass es keine Erleuchtung und kein Ende des Leidens gibt. Maguire erforscht den Workaholismus, den Mythos der Leistungsgesellschaft und die Akzeptanz der Sterblichkeit - und das alles in einer teuflischen Allegorie, in der es darum geht, durch einen schattigen Wald zu stapfen und dem ungewissen Traum einer hellen Lichtung entgegenzugehen. Pile ringt mit existenziellen und sozialen Widersprüchen, indem sie klangliche Zwischenräume heraufbeschwören. Die Musik existiert irgendwo im temporären Gleichgewicht von Licht und Schatten, Chaos und Ordnung. Heiße, regenähnliche Gitarren, sich verschiebende Drums, die gewundene Wege in Klang und Tempo ebnen, unheimliche Synthesizer und wässrige Streicher fügen sich zu einem Panorama aus Laut-Leise-Dynamik zusammen, das der Emotionalität der donnernden Auftritte der Band entspricht. Die Gruppe engagierte eine Streichergruppe (Geigen, Bratsche, Cello), die glühende, durchkomponierte Arrangements spielten, die von der Cellistin Eden Rayz und Pile mitgeschrieben wurden. Sie ließen sich von Kino- und Opernpartituren von Chopin, Bernard Herrmann und Ralph Vaughan Williams inspirieren, was "Sunshine and Balance Beams" einen überlebensgroßen Sound verleiht, der Piles blitzschnelle Umsetzungen einiger ihrer bisher zugänglichsten Songtexte noch verstärkt. Die Aufnahme ist ein deutlicher Sprung im Produktionswert und stellt Maguires Gesang auf neue und aufregende Weise in den Mittelpunkt. Pile reisten nach Pawtucket, RI, um zwei Wochen lang bei Machines with Magnets mit ihrer langjährigen Tontechnikerin Miranda Serra (Kal Marks, Kira McSpice) aufzunehmen. Das Album wurde von Seth Manchester (Lightning Bolt, Mdou Moctar) gemischt und von Matt Colton (Aphex Twin, Swans, Muse) gemastert. "Sunshine and Balance Beams" ist das erste Album von Pile für das Chicagoer Label Sooper Records.

Bruit's sound is a tectonic collision of raw noise and patient, cinematic structure: layers of metallic percussion, low-end rumbles and fractured melodic fragments that creep, accumulate and then converge. Balancing soaring melancholy and industrial grit with meticulous dynamics, they turn long-form pieces into physical architectures where silence, resonance and sudden force are equally important. In this reissue of their staggering debut EP `Monolith', Bruit give us the opportunity to rediscover their first ever release, the completely self-produced and recorded record that defined their direction and introduced their world-shattering sound. `Monolith' is an epic portrayal at the centre of the human experience, the band's use of melancholia, industrial textures reimagined through patient dynamics, sculpted resonances, and a singular attention to momentum gives listeners access deep and power terrains. `Monolith' is the first expression of Bruit's exploration of material sound and human scale. Building on the dense palette of integrity and compositional mastery, Bruit interrogates what long-form composition can hold: memory, pressure, and a cinematic coalescence. Bruit's sound captures the exorbitant nature of the times, the outrageousness of humanity at a moment in time that is grotesque in scale and overwhelming in scope. Two long tracks for FOR FANS OF Hans Zimmer * Nils Frahm * Godspeed You! Black Emperor * Balmorhea * Max Richter * Olafur Arnalds * A Silver Mount Zion * Boards Of Canada

Quickness is the fourth full-length studio album by Bad Brains, originally released by Caroline Records in 1989. At the time of it's release, it was the band's best-selling album and also landed them a featured MTV music video for the opening track, "Soul Craft." This reissue marks the fifth release in the remaster campaign, re-launching the Bad Brains Records label imprint. In coordination with the band, Org Music has overseen the restoration and remastering of the iconic Bad Brains' recordings. The audio was mastered by Dave Gardner at Infrasonic Mastering and pressed at Furnace Record Pressing.

Aaron Frazer - der in Los Angeles lebende Sänger, Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist und Mitglied der gefeierten Gruppe Durand Jones & the Indications - lässt mit "Into the Blue" eine gewagte Mischung aus Soul, Psychedelia, Spaghetti-Western, Disco, Gospel und Hip-Hop auf sein hochgelobtes Debütalbum "Introducing_" aus dem Jahr 2021 folgen. "Into The Blue" repräsentiert die beeindruckende Bandbreite von Frazers klanglichen Talenten. "Es ist das klarste Porträt dessen, was ich als Künstler bin", sagt Frazer über sein zweites Solo-Album, auf dem er die unverwechselbare Falsettstimme und das klassische Songwriting beibehält, für das er bekannt ist, aber mit einer Hip Hop inspirierten Mentalität im Kern, die Genres und Produktionstechniken miteinander verwebt und "Into The Blue" somit fest im Hier und Jetzt verankert. "Into The Blue" ist das Ergebnis eines gebrochenen Herzens. Nach dem Ende einer langen Beziehung zog Frazer quer durchs Land von Brooklyn nach Los Angeles und begab sich auf eine Reise, die sich in den Themen des Albums widerspiegelt: Trauer, Einsamkeit und die Suche nach Heilung. "Into The Blue" enthält Momente mit überragenden Arrangements, die an David Axelrod und Ennio Morricone erinnern, wird aber durch die Rohheit von iPhone-Aufnahmen und One-Take-Vocals ausgeglichen. Als Co-Produzent für das Album konnte Frazer den Grammy-Gewinner Alex Goose gewinnen, der für seine Crate-Digging-Samples und die Zusammenarbeit mit Hip-Hop-Künstler*innen wie Freddie Gibbs, Madlib und Brockhampton bekannt ist. Frazer experimentierte auch zum ersten Mal mit Samples, die er aus unerwarteten Quellen wie der R&B-Gruppe Hi-Five aus den 90ern bezog. Und Obwohl "Into the Blue" aus Herzschmerz entstanden ist, hofft Frazer, dass es die Zuhörer*innen mit einem Gefühl des Optimismus zurücklässt. "Weißt du, man kann auch an einem Tag, an dem man trauert, lachen", sagt er, "es gibt keine Gipfel ohne Täler" - aber mit "Into The Blue" erreicht Aaron Frazer neue Höhen.

Es ist alles überlebensgroß, düsterer als der Tod und das beste Album, das die Horror-Punks von Creeper je aufgenommen haben.

Das Album "SANGUIVORE" hat Creepers ohnehin schon überlebensgroße Ambitionen auf neue Höhen geführt, was zu den positivsten Kritiken ihrer Karriere führte und in ihrem ersten Headliner-Konzert in der OVO Wembley Arena in London gipfelte. Historisch gesehen schließt die Band am Ende einer Creeper-Ära den Sargdeckel, um sich erneut neu zu erfinden. Doch dieses Mal trotzt die fünfköpfige Band den Erwartungen, indem sie das kreative Universum des Vorgängeralbums erweitert und am 31. Oktober mit "Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death" aufs Neue ins Vampir-Universum eintaucht.

"Sanguivore II: Misstress Of Death" ist eher eine thematische Fortsetzung als eine direkte Weiterführung der ursprünglichen Geschichte. Wie eine klassische Horror-Anthologie spinnt es eine neue Geschichte aus derselben Blutlinie wie das Original, diesmal mit dem blutigen Vampirherz als roter Faden, um eine brandneue Erzählung einzuführen.
Die Geschichte führt uns zurück in die moralische Hysterie der Satanic Panic und ihre Auswirkungen auf die Welt des Hardrock und Heavy Metal der 80er Jahre. Es war eine Zeit, in der der verstorbene Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne und Judas Priest von Gerichtsverfahren verfolgt wurden. Iron Maiden spielte tief im Herzen Amerikas, während W.A.S.P. und Mötley Crüe mit ihrer skandalösen Theatralik und Dekadenz die Gemüter der Konservativen erhitzten.

Wie schon das Original wurde auch "Sanguivore II" von Tom Dalgety (Ghost, Rammstein, Royal Blood) produziert.

Released in 1971, 'A Nod Is as Good as a Wink...to a Blind Horse' is Faces' most commercially successful album, now available on standard black vinyl. When the record originally released it reached the Top 10 in both the UK and US charts. 'A Nod Is as Good as a Wink...to a Blind Horse' features the Faces' signature rock and roll sound, including the enduring hit "Stay with Me." With a perfect balance of raucous party anthems and heartfelt ballads, the album showcases the band's formidable songwriting and is a testament to their powerful, collaborative chemistry.

“So, how did this band even happen?” That’s the question most often asked of Winged Wheel, a creatively and geographically scattered collective who have somehow congregated to make a noise that’s unexpected but undeniable. The band includes Whitney Johnson (Matchess, Circuit des Yeux), Cory Plump (Spray Paint, co-owner of the dream venue Tubby’s), Matthew J. Rolin (solo guitar wizard and half of the Powers/Rolin Duo), Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth), Lonnie Slack, and Fred Thomas (Idle Ray, Tyvek), each player living in a different city and bringing their own unique element to the group’s chain reactions. Early long distance file-trading between a few members yielded 2022’s No Island, a debut album that was accidentally really good. Good enough for the band to expand their membership and meet in person for the sessions that became 2024’s Big Hotel, a surgically-assembled murk of high energy kosmische rock with jammed-out tendencies.

Fast forward just a little and all of a sudden the band that started out as a passing idea has completed multiple tours, become a taper’s dream with sets that drift through structure and improvisation, and ridden the momentum to places unforeseen on their third album, Desert So Green. After a run of shows across the Midwest in the spring of 2025, the group settled into a studio on the outskirts of Chicago to track their next record. Though the full lineup had only been solidified for a little over a year at this point, time together on stage led to a quickly-expanding sound and a unified vision of always going somewhere new. To this end, Winged Wheel abandoned the play-now-sort-it-out-later approach of Big Hotel and instead spent hours refining flashes of inspiration into coherent songs.

Saint Etienne kündigen mit 'International' ihr 13. und zugleich letztes Studioalbum an, das am 5. September 2025 bei Heavenly Recordings erscheint. Nach 35 Jahren Bandgeschichte, unzähligen Stilwechseln und Projekten jenseits der Musik ziehen Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley und Pete Wiggs damit einen Schlussstrich unter ihr gemeinsames Schaffen im Studio. International ist ein stilistisch vielseitiges Album, das von langjährigen Weggefährten, Heldinnen und Freundinnen mitgestaltet wurde – darunter Confidence Man, Vince Clarke, Erol Alkan, Paul Hartnoll (Orbital) und Nick Heyward. Die Songs spiegeln sowohl den nostalgischen Rückblick als auch die ungebrochene kreative Neugier der Band wider. Mit dem bewegenden Abschlusstrack Last Time verabschiedet sich das Trio endgültig von seinen Fans – aufrichtig, wehmütig und voller Wärme.

Das legendäre Album „Technological Mind“ von Laserdance aus dem Jahr 1992 ist endlich wieder erhältlich – jetzt als farbige Vinyl-Neuauflage!

Die Spacesynth-Pioniere liefern auf diesem Album ihren typischen, futuristischen Sound: treibende Synthesizer, galaktische Melodien und pulsierende Beats, die den Geist der frühen 90er perfekt einfangen. Mit Tracks voller Energie und kosmischer Atmosphäre ist Technological Mind ein absolutes Highlight für alle Fans von Spacesynth, Italo Disco und RetroElectronic Sounds.

Ein zeitloses Meisterwerk elektronischer Musik – Laserdance – Technological Mind, jetzt endlich wieder auf Vinyl!

Laserdance‘s legendary 1992 album „Technological Mind“ is finally available again – now as a coloured vinyl reissue!

On this album, the space synth pioneers deliver their signature futuristic sound: driving synthesizers, galactic melodies and pulsating beats that perfectly capture the spirit of the early 90s. With tracks full of energy and cosmic atmosphere, Technological Mind is an absolute highlight for all fans of space synth, Italo disco and retro electronic sounds.

A timeless masterpiece of electronic music – Laserdance – Technological Mind, now finally back on vinyl!

White Lies, eine der gefeirtesten Gitarrenbands Großbritanniens, veröffentlichen ihr siebtes Album "Night Light". Inspiriert von der Live-Performance-Fernsehshow The Midnight Special aus den 1970er-Jahren, beschloss das Trio, die Stücke zunächst live zu meistern und bis ins Detail zu verfeinern, bevor es ins Studio ging. Mehr Einfachheit statt aufwendiger Set-Ups. So konnten sie sich auf das Songwriting und die Chemie zwischen den Songs konzentrierten und verließen sich auf ihre 17-jährige musikalische Verbindung, um die Energie des Albums zu formen. Das Ergebnis, an dem neben dem Produzenten Riley McIntyre auch der Keyboarder Seth Evans maßgeblich mitgearbeitet haben, klingt nach Progressive Rock, Synthie-Klangwelten und beizeiten sogar nach Disco. White Lies klingen auch auf ihrem siebten Album noch selbstbewusst und kreativ zugleich. Oder wie Sänger und Gitarrist Harry McVeigh sagt: "Wir wissen endlich, was wir tun."

LTD Edition Clear Vinyl Version

Arguably one of the most memorable house music moments, born out of the black LGBT scene in Chicago at the legendary Warehouse and known as one of Frankie Knuckles earliest productions; ‘Your Love’ is a stone cold classic. A record that is up there with the greats, instantly recognisable and a song that only get better with time.

Written by Jamie Principle and originally released in 1986, ‘Your Love’ has become a seminal recording over the past 34 years. Originally an underground club anthem, famously borrowed on the crossover hit ‘You’ve Got The Love’ (The Source feat. Candi Staton), and most recently re-produced by as part of the Director’s Cut project which aimed to update a number of classic cuts for the modern dancefloor, this is a record that endures the test of time. Working alongside The Frankie Knuckles Foundation and Eric Kupper, SoSure Music now releases two new remixes for 2020 from Darrius Syrossian and Alan Dixon.

First up, House music aficionado and legendary Sankey’s resident Darius Syrossian offers his unique blend of beats to the remix package. With releases on the likes of Get Physical, Viva Music and Hot Creations, Darius’ production is heavily influenced by some of the greats – think of the finest spinners from Detroit, New York and Chicago – and is well placed to approach this huge task. Darius introduces a rolling house beat and some old skool breakbeats into his mix, keeping the energy high throughout; bringing a feeling of a euphoria and hitting the peak time moment.

Charting a rapid rise through the ranks in a relatively short time Alan Dixon is already building a name for himself in House and Nu Disco scene and has recently released on labels including Glitterbox, Permanent Vacation, Running Back and True Romance. Alan’s remix aims directly at the centre of the disco dancefloor. A strong beat dominates a unique energy through the mix along with a slightly nostalgic vibe. With a beautiful floaty interlude and a raw emotion this remix updates a classic with respect while also giving a fresh new twist.

Schon in den späten Achtzigern waren Teile von Ampyre in Gruppen wie Tindale Creek, Silk´n´Steel oder Dark Haze aktiv, die Veröffentlichungen vorweisen konnten. Mit Sängerin Elke Grötzinger, die auch heute noch erfolgreich mit FRONTROW WARRIOR die Bühnen rockt, hatte man dazu einen perfekten Fang gemacht. Somit hatte man im Raum Stuttgart direkt einen guten Start und volle Häuser, trotz starker Konkurrenz.

Für das im Marquee Studio produzierte 5-Track-Demo griff man tief in die Tasche, was zu einem dementsprechend professionell klingenden Ergebnis führte. Das musikalische Können und ein für diesen Stil perfektes Songwriting hätten eigentlich für den großen Knall sorgen müssen, doch 1991 änderte sich die musikalische Landschaft und auch der melodische Metal musste gegen Grunge, Crossover, sowie Thrash- und Death Metal antreten. Das Label Golden Core machte diese Aufnahmen erstmals zugänglich und die Reviews in Magazinen wie Rock Hard oder Break Out waren traumhaft. Aus der Schweiz stammten Sacrifice, die sich 1984 mit einer selbstproduzierten Single vorstellten und dann einen Deal mit dem GAMA Musikverlag bekamen. „On The Altar Of Rock“ erschien 1985 auf dem GAMA-Label Camel und platzierte die Band in der damaligen Heavyrock-Szene.

Die Mischung aus melodischem Hardrock und Heavy Metal macht den Reiz dieses Albums aus. Geschicktes Songwriting mit vielen Hooklines paart sich mit dem spielerischen Können.

Die Wiederauflage auf Golden Core enthält als Bonus die zwei raren Tracks der 12“ Single und ist remastert. Ende der Siebziger befanden sich The Teens auf dem Siegeszug und dominierten die Jugendhefte wie die Bravo. Natürlich sollte es nicht lange dauern, bis man Konkurrenz bekam. Speedy waren eine waschechte Band, die beim Musizieren in ihrem Proberaum entdeckt wurde. Kurze Zeit später wurde die erste Single „Willy Is Back“ von Didi Zill (Birth Control, The Nighthawks) produziert, der auch als Fotograf für die Bravo bekannt war. Man schaffte es ohne Umweg in die Kultsendung Ilya Richer´s Disco. Dies führte zur ersten und leider einzigen LP „Much Too Young To Rock´n´Roll“ und zur gleichnamigen Single mit dem Knaller „Fight Like A Fighter“ auf der B-Seite.

Beide Tracks schafften es erneut ins TV (eine Ferienshow mit Karl Dall und zum zweiten Mal die Sendung Disco) – das Thema Speedy brodelte! Leider entschieden sich die Eltern der minderjährigen Musiker gegen eine Tournee mit Def Leppard, was die Karriere beendete. Die Wiederauflage enthält als Zusatz auch die Songs, die es nur als Single gab.

White Lies, eine der gefeirtesten Gitarrenbands Großbritanniens, veröffentlichen ihr siebtes Album "Night Light". Inspiriert von der Live-Performance-Fernsehshow The Midnight Special aus den 1970er-Jahren, beschloss das Trio, die Stücke zunächst live zu meistern und bis ins Detail zu verfeinern, bevor es ins Studio ging. Mehr Einfachheit statt aufwendiger Set-Ups. So konnten sie sich auf das Songwriting und die Chemie zwischen den Songs konzentrierten und verließen sich auf ihre 17-jährige musikalische Verbindung, um die Energie des Albums zu formen. Das Ergebnis, an dem neben dem Produzenten Riley McIntyre auch der Keyboarder Seth Evans maßgeblich mitgearbeitet haben, klingt nach Progressive Rock, Synthie-Klangwelten und beizeiten sogar nach Disco. White Lies klingen auch auf ihrem siebten Album noch selbstbewusst und kreativ zugleich. Oder wie Sänger und Gitarrist Harry McVeigh sagt: "Wir wissen endlich, was wir tun."

White Lies, eine der gefeirtesten Gitarrenbands Großbritanniens, veröffentlichen ihr siebtes Album "Night Light". Inspiriert von der Live-Performance-Fernsehshow The Midnight Special aus den 1970er-Jahren, beschloss das Trio, die Stücke zunächst live zu meistern und bis ins Detail zu verfeinern, bevor es ins Studio ging. Mehr Einfachheit statt aufwendiger Set-Ups. So konnten sie sich auf das Songwriting und die Chemie zwischen den Songs konzentrierten und verließen sich auf ihre 17-jährige musikalische Verbindung, um die Energie des Albums zu formen. Das Ergebnis, an dem neben dem Produzenten Riley McIntyre auch der Keyboarder Seth Evans maßgeblich mitgearbeitet haben, klingt nach Progressive Rock, Synthie-Klangwelten und beizeiten sogar nach Disco. White Lies klingen auch auf ihrem siebten Album noch selbstbewusst und kreativ zugleich. Oder wie Sänger und Gitarrist Harry McVeigh sagt: "Wir wissen endlich, was wir tun."

Rancid is without question one of the most successful and influential punk bands ever, not to mention being among the most prolific. Their nonstop songwriting and marathon studio sessions often result in far too many songs to fit onto their albums. True Rancid fans know that in addition to their classic long players, many of their finest tracks have been released as single B-sides, bonus tracks, on compilations, or in some cases have remained in the band's vault. That is why B sides and C sides is no mere throwaway record, but an essential part of this classic band's catalog. The songs collected here represent a cross section of everything that has made this band so beloved worldwide, including their creative genre hopping from blazing punk rock to danceable ska, to reggae, rockabilly, and more, all executed with some of the most impressive playing in the history of underground music. The songs range from fan-favorites like "I Wanna Riot" to obscure hidden gems from rare or hard-to-find compilations, and a handful of studio recordings that were completely unreleased before this album, several coming from the fertile recording sessions for the band's sprawling 1998 masterpiece Life Won't Wait. Originally released on CD in 2007, most of the tracks range from the band's early days through their sixth album, Indestructible, although the 2012 track "Fuck You," from the Pirates Press Records compilation Oi! This is Streetpunk! Volume 2 was added to place a definitive final word on the collection when it was pressed on vinyl. With the album being out of print and hard to find in its own right for the past ten years, Pirates Press Records is thrilled to partner with our friends in Rancid to remedy that situation and make this essential piece of punk rock history available to their many fans across the globe - this time as an incredible double 12" with super deluxe coloured vinyl and matching sleeve art!

The complete album - limited edition pressing on 180g crystal clear vinyl

Although both Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong had met and performed and recorded a number of singles together during 1940s for Decca, they wouldn't be heard on LP together until 1956 when producer Norman Granz paired the two for this first album session, Ella & Louis, which became an immediate hit. Two further sessions under Granz, followed, Ella & Louis Again, and Porgy & Bess. All three albumswere both critically acclaimed and commercial successes - appealing to audiences in and beyond the confines of jazz per se. Ella & Louis features the incredible Oscar Peterson Trio plus legendary drummer Buddy Rich. As one of the most iconic and fascinating jazz albums ever produced, its appeal and commercial sales haven't waned during the sixty-nine years since its first release. "Ella & Louis is one of the very, very few albums to have been issued in this era of the LP flood that is sure to endure for decades." - ***** Nat Hentoff, DownBeat

The capstone of Miles Davis’ electric period, Agharta reigns as a funk-rock fireball — a blazing comet streaked energy and elan, a fearless organism feasting on adventure and freedom, a seven-headed Godzilla stomping its way through Osaka, Japan. Recorded on February 1, 1975 at Osaka Festival Hall at the first of a two-show stand, the double album offers an endless abundance of surprises and shifts — as well as a road-proven ensemble whose chemistry and abilities equal that of any of Davis’ celebrated bands. If the true measure of jazz is the capacity to adapt to the moment and challenge perception, Agharta is consummate.

Sourced from the original master tapes, housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition 180g 33RPM 2LP set of this epic live release presents it in audiophile sound on a domestic pressing for the first time. Offering greater degrees of separation, detail, and richness than the compressed CD editions and more clarity, openness, and presence than older vinyl copies, this version of the 1975 release helps bring the concert stage to your home. Just make sure your turntable and speakers are up to the challenge of Davis and Co.’s explosive performances — and producing the decibels they demand.

Teeming with vibrant colors, tones, and pace, Mobile Fidelity’s reissue captures the hear-it-to-believe-it flow, sweep, and moodiness of the music. Though the group honors looseness and freedom with religious verve, the specificity and scale rendered by this remaster allows you to detect methods behind the alleged madness that are often otherwise harder to discern. This insight extends to the understated changes in volume, harmonics, and phrasings. In many ways, you can listen as Davis himself did that early February evening as he helped coordinate the overall direction and decided on whether to blow his wah-wah-wired trumpet or take a turn on the organ.

Tellingly, Agharta would likely never have been made if not for Davis’ ventures overseas and, specifically, to the Land of the Rising Sun. Having for years faced a backlash on his native soil for his choices to experiment and blow past all known borders, Davis was welcomed with open arms in Japan. The concert documented on Agharta — as well as the day’s later show, captured on the equally exciting Pangea — stemmed from a sold-out three-week tour that would ultimately mark Davis’ final public appearances for years, as he soon settled into semi-retirement and nursed the wounds connected to an unprecedented stretch of restless and relentless output.

For all the band-fueled merit of Agharta — and there’s plenty, given the cast of saxophonist Sonny Fortune, bassist Michael Henderson, drummer Al Foster, percussionist James Mtume, and guitarists Reggie Lucas and Pete Cosey seemingly blasts off to outer space and travels distant galaxies by the time this minimally edited record runs its course — Davis’ own playing often remains overlooked. As critics Richard Cook and Brian Morton observed, it is “often fantastically subtle, creating surges and ebbs in a harmonically static line, allowing him to build huge melismatic variations on a single note.” He attacks like a man on a mission, out to prove naysayers wrong and bent on trailblazing another new path forward. Convention and skeptics be damned.

Noisy and furious, dark and discordant, abstract and off-balance, radical and intense, abrasive and atmospheric, strangely beautiful and hypnotically eccentric: Agharta evades simple description, and refuses to be pinned down in any established category — rock, jazz, punk, ambient, prog, avante-garde, or otherwise. Shot through with trench-deep grooves, screaming riffs, scalding solos, and free-improv leads, its cosmic thrust comes on as the equivalent of an animated pointillist painting comprised of millions of textured dots, dashes, and dabs that hold your attention so raptly you want to revisit the ideas again and again.

Always steps ahead of everyone else, Davis knew what he was doing even when Agharta debuted in Japan before later hitting U.S. markets. Though “Maiysha” and “Theme from Jack Johnson” are identified in the track listing, the record contains a number of uncredited references to other Davis works, including a nod to “So What.” This decision to bypass labels only adds to the art of the reveal — the rare black magic in which Agharta expertly deals.

Analogue Productions (Atlantic 75 Series) Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Atlantic Records! Platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated album featuring the No. 1 smash title track! Tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jacket by Stoughton Printing Female R&B singers were expected to be forceful, big-voiced divas (like Aretha Franklin) or come-hither seductresses (like Diana Ross), but, as AllMusic says, Roberta Flack had her own unique approach. Flack's voice is vast, deep, and stately — where some singers confuse frenzy with passion, she is confident, majestic, and unhurried, intense in a profound yet reserved manner.

The title song of this 1973 masterful eight track album, "Killing Me Softly," was her second No. 1 hit, establishing her as a major modern R&B stylist. Killing Me Softly reached No. 3 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape and No. 2 on the Soul LPs chart. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album gold on August 27, 1973, and double platinum on January 30, 2006, denoting shipments of 2 million copies in the United States. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year, which it lost to Stevie Wonder's 1973 album Innervisions. The album's title track was released as a single and topped the Billboard Hot 100. The title track won the 1974 Grammy Award for Record of the Year. This deluxe 180-gram 45 RPM 2LP Analogue Productions (Atlantic Series) reissue of Killing Me Softly is a true audiophile gem and a worthy addition to your music collection.

The scottish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist James Yorkston and the english guitarist with a fluid fingerpicking touch, David A. Jaycock, already played together in the first formation of the experimental folk ensemble Big Eyes Family Players. Their encounter with Swedish saxophonist Lina Langendorf gives rise to a little gem of pure acoustic candour, perfectly balanced between chamber avant-garde and neo-folk. As on an endless autumn evening in front of a lake in Finland or Estonia, the trio's nordic soul creates atmospheres that recall hidden nostalgia. In a process of rarefied sound matter, elegiac paintings spring up, moments that flow slowly and silently in a tension that is always suspended and unresolved. Soft, crepuscular passages, at times sharp and cold guitar, but also the velvety breath of the nickelharpa, combine with a saxophone that still blows dramas of distant Norwegian fjords, but can also become more Mediterranean and arabesque. The music becomes like a warm warmth around the fire, reflecting a hidden twilight zone of the soul, in a quiet, gentle whisper between poetic abstraction and arpeggiated themes of more recognisable narrative melody, typical of a certain Northern folklore.
Co-Release with We are busy bodies.

The notion of home isn’t precise, even a dictionary will offer multiple definitions. A home can be a place where you live, a place where you belong, where you originate from or a place where you’re given care; it can be a physical space, a land, a people or even a person. The concept isn’t completely universal, but everyone possesses a unique idea of what home means to them. On her fifth album, Ziúr considers not just what home symbolizes from her perspective, but the word’s resonance to the diverse community that surrounds her, and how their stories have impacted her over the years. Indeed, it’s the first time she’s felt it necessary to examine her own nationality. In the past, she’s deliberately avoided labelling herself as German, feeling disconnected from her country’s politics, culture and even the German language itself. In 2025, the idea of Germanness is in flux and progressives are under attack from all sides. The country’s politics aren’t only being turned inward by the growing throng of far-right voices, but by scared moderates, opportunists and those blinded by comfort, willing to ignore hatred to maintain their privilege. Stepping up to provide a different narrative, Ziúr scours her soul, writing and singing in German for the first time and proposing growth and evolution, not fear and regression. “I never considered being part of Germany,” she explains. “But I am.”

A solemn mood permeates the album’s opening track ‘Brown is the Color’, and Ziúr sings in measured, slow-motion breaths over noisy synth oscillations and doomed piano flourishes. Already, it’s a significant departure from her last run of releases, veering away from the frenetic, satirical chaos of 2023’s Hakuna Kulala-released ‘Eyeroll’ or its fantastical, dubby predecessor ‘Antifate’. Ziúr pulls on real world insights here, tracing her oldest, dearest musical inspirations to present her origins to anybody who might be listening. “Cold world is holding up,” she laments with a metallic crunch. “To let go of your heart, let me go.” And her voice emerges from the shadows completely on ‘Tame’; unprocessed, Ziúr sounds naked and vulnerable on ‘Tame’, curving her precise words around broken, lopsided rhythms and jangling new wave guitars. It’s pop music in its own way, inverted and reconstructed to fit snugly into her well-established sonic landscape. On ‘No Yawn’, brittle, downsampled hi-hats and industrial scrapes ping-pong around distorted riffs, provided by James Ó Ceallaigh aka WIFE; “You fail to sugarcoat your half-ass attempt,” she deadpans, “to build your promised wonderland on quicksand.” Even the beatless ‘All Odds No Chants’, a collaboration with Elvin Brandhi and Sara Persico, reveals another room in Ziúr’s autobiographical suite, mirroring György Ligeti’s enduringly influential choral works with its gnarled, dissonant vocal harmonies.

Bonbon Vodou’s third album (Épopée métèque), created by Oriane Lacaille and JereM Boucris, follows the paths of exile with lush orchestration and lyrics in French, Creole, and Gascon.

The bonbon piment (a spicy Réunionese fritter) is deceptive. Beneath its harmless appearance lies a fiery kick that can jolt you into clarity. Bonbon Vodou operates the same way. While the duo's musical influences sway between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, a sharp edge cuts through the tenderness of their graceful songs, often carried by the rhythms of maloya. This contrast gives depth to their third album, Épopée métèque, which takes us on journeys of exile—both across land and sea.
Oriane Lacaille is the daughter of accordionist René Lacaille, a key figure in the revival of Réunionese music in the 1970s, who has lived in mainland France for five decades. JereM Boucris’s father, from a Tunisian Jewish family, was 14 when he arrived in France at the end of the colonial protectorate. Their lives are interwoven with these paternal exiles, which they continue to explore and unravel, alongside the broader, universal stories of migrants fleeing poverty, persecution, and war.
The duo is now joined by a vibrant trio—Piment Piment (Juliette Minvielle, Roland Seilhes, and Yann-Lou Bertrand)—bringing a rich orchestration featuring guitars, flutes, brass, roulèr, kayamb, jaw harp… all set to lyrics in French, Creole, and Gascon. Their voices are joined by numerous guests, including Mouss and Hakim, Rosemary Standley, and Bernard Lavilliers. This playful yet poignant album explores themes of life and death—radiant but aware—seemingly echoing Camus: “There is no sun without shadow, and one must know the night.”

Assembled by Pedro Alves Sousa, Má Estrela is a conjuration of ideas and obsessions around dub, leftfield dance phenomena and the hypnotic potential of urban somnambulance.

In a levitating state, not exactly detached from the unease of these end times, Sousa surrounds himself by a number of accomplices from past and present endeavours to project a scrying mirror reflection of distinct languages of trance and liberation - dub's space and infinity, jungle and footwork's broken shards, DJ Screws legacy perpetually reanimated via numerous slowed down anonymous versions on Youtube and the lyricism and fire of jazz.

Temporarily a quartet, comprised of Sousa on saxophone and its electronic processing, Bruno Silva and Simão Simões on electronics and Gabriel Ferrandini on acoustic and electronic drums, after the departure of Miguel Abras, Má Estrela had in their 2022 debut album their first document of this ongoing process that’s now continued with ‘Tornada". Miguel Abras has since been replaced with Bruna de Moura and Má Estrela came back to being a five piece.

Coming out in November through Discrepant, with Miguel Abras' bass still present, 'Tornada' deepens the symbiotic connection between those rhythmic, melodic and textural particles in a mutating flux of continuities and disruptions throughout seven tracks. Featuring the invocations of Elvin Brandhi in 'All You Did', 'Tornada' makes its way amidst harmonic spectres, rhythmic debris that breathe for life and a certain, implicit idea of ritual that sustains itself liminally between the ethereal dissolution of time and the physical projection of space.

At the end of the 1980s, Mariolina Zitta approached the world of natural sounds, studying musicology and developing a passion for speleology. Her encounter with Walter Maioli was fundamental, guiding and influencing her definitive research into sound archaeology and the primitive sources of musical acoustic phenomena. In these recordings Mariolina conducts a magical ritual as a cave priestess, celebrating the icons par excellence of the mysteries of the an ancestral enchantment on the border between consciousness and dreams, a symbolic liturgy of primordial reverberations, echoes and whistles. Edition of 200 copies.

Gagaku is the oldest of the Japanese performing arts, with a history more than a thousand years old. The term refers to Japanese classical music and dance, traditionally performed by families of musicians linked to the ancient Imperial court, and later passed down in Buddhist temple ceremonies and Shinto shrines. Shiba Sukeyasu, founder and director of the Reigakusha ensemble, descends from the Koma clan, whose origins date back to the end of the 10th century. The recordings partly reflect repertoires borrowed from Chinese music between the 5th and 9th centuries. The incredible variety of timbres of the instruments greatly amplifies our exotic imagination: the eternal breath of the flutes (ryuteki and hichiriki) creates a sort of suspension of time, together with the hypnotic and hallucinatory atmosphere of the mouth organs (shō). The meditative tone of the string instruments (bika and koto) that punctuate the voids and silences is impressive, as is the enigmatic percussion section, with the tolling of the gong (shōko) and the calibrated beats of the drums (taiko and kakko).

At the end of the project’s 20th anniversary celebrations, ROME tolls in the next era of the band with two fresh and visionary albums: ‘The Hierophant’ and ‘The Tower’. Whatever the great poets have affirmed in their finest moments is the nearest we can come to an authoritative religion or truth. It is in this spirit that ROME welcomes the listener into the temple of ‘The Hierophant’, ROME’s final album of its second decade of existence.

‘The Hierophant’ represents the enigmatic accompanying piece to the more introspective and seclusive recent work (of ‘The Tower’). Starting its journey during ‘Days of Assembly’, from the opening ‘Secret Harbour’ along ‘On Sorrow's Embankment’ to its logical finale in the mythical North with ‘Apollo of Hyperborea’, ‘The Hierophant’ is a spiritual travelogue seeking out the word and world of this ‘My Frail Ambassador’, the proclaimer of the sacred truce, interpreter of the ancestral laws and our guiding light through these darkened times.

American Nightmare's "Year One" collection on 180 gram vinyl for its 25th anniversary. Available again for the first time in decades. Originally released in 2001, the Boston hardcore band’s 25th anniversary release of "Year One" pays tribute to their formative years. This collection unites their first two 7”s, originally released by Bridge 9 Records founder and then-roommate Chris Wrenn, on a 180-gram LP, with all tracks recorded by Kurt Ballou at God City. Originally designed by Jake Bannon (Converge), this edition has been reimagined by Del Jae (Futurismo Records) and singer Wesley Eisold, and comes packaged in a gatefold with an insert of handwritten lyrics and collaged images. "Year One" doesn’t just celebrate a milestone; it reaffirms American Nightmare’s enduring legacy. Their music raised the bar for emotional depth in hardcore, adding a distinctly poetic and existential lyrical approach that set them apart and changed the rules of the scene, paving the way for countless bands that followed

‘Get A Life, Listen To Autumns’ is a statement that tells you everything you need to know about the quality and attitude of the Irish producer’s latest EP. His DNO debut presents five tracks of steel-studded EBM and industrial run through with his trademark dub aesthetics.

A1 ‘100 Ways To Get Fucked’ — another bold title — struts its stuff to a methodical stomp; strained vocals pulled out of shape and fed back into macabre forms; low-end chugging like some smoke-billowing, grease-slicked machine.
‘Let It Melt’ picks up the pace, making judicious use of the reverse function, while subtle acid chirps and woozy arpeggios provide a chaotic, though not unpleasant, dissonance that induces a feeling of headrush.
‘Petted’ swaggers like sex incarnate, alongside snatches of diva vox and the kind of sweeping space-age pads that Holst might have used had he been born a century later, seemingly taking cues from the hot and sweaty nights of ’80s Chicago.

Over on the B-side, ‘LDRO’ sets its kicks and snares thrusting at full tilt over an inexorable bassline; Autumns’ favourite effect, delay, keeping things squelching like the jellified flesh of a ballistics dummy.
And to finish, ‘God’s Gift’ drops down to a sludgy rhythm — though with surprisingly spritely percussion — to match its tortured guitar, shrieking horns, and deadly subs. A fever dream of twisted metal and hot breath, like the gradual slowing after the climax of debauchery.

Marking a sultry new route for DNO, Autumns’ first for the label is confident, confrontational, and
not to be missed.

Rhythms of postmodern realism at the very bottom of the DNO.

Kontakt Records presents KNT-47 “Chromatic Noise”, a deep exploration of dub techno and dub-infused house from Canadian producer Matt Thibideau. Across three extended cuts, Thibideau sculpts spacious, analogue-leaning grooves where every element has room to breathe. Subtle saturation, soft tape hiss and finely tuned low-end weight create that unmistakable sense of depth, while shimmering chords and carefully placed delays drift in and out of the stereo field. The result is music that feels both hypnotic and alive, built for long blends, late sessions and sound systems that reward detail. “Chromatic Noise” sits comfortably in the Kontakt Records tradition: timeless dub aesthetics, modern production values and a focus on atmosphere over obvious peaks. It’s the kind of 12" that works just as well as a DJ tool as it does for attentive home listening – patient, understated and endlessly playable. Tiny shifts in texture, filter movement and echo tails keep the tension moving forward without ever breaking the spell.

Kontakt Records presents KNT-47 “Chromatic Noise”, a deep exploration of dub techno and dub-infused house from Canadian producer Matt Thibideau. Across three extended cuts, Thibideau sculpts spacious, analogue-leaning grooves where every element has room to breathe. Subtle saturation, soft tape hiss and finely tuned low-end weight create that unmistakable sense of depth, while shimmering chords and carefully placed delays drift in and out of the stereo field. The result is music that feels both hypnotic and alive, built for long blends, late sessions and sound systems that reward detail. “Chromatic Noise” sits comfortably in the Kontakt Records tradition: timeless dub aesthetics, modern production values and a focus on atmosphere over obvious peaks. It’s the kind of 12" that works just as well as a DJ tool as it does for attentive home listening – patient, understated and endlessly playable. Tiny shifts in texture, filter movement and echo tails keep the tension moving forward without ever breaking the spell.

KRONERT003 continues the label’s mission: honest, floor-ready house music with depth and character. Warm low-end, rolling grooves and hazy chords shape an EP that feels tailor-made for late-night floors and after-hours rooms. Kronert delivers functional but emotional tools with his unmistakable touch. Subtle details, careful sound design and a strong sense of movement make each track both a DJ weapon and a story on its own, a modern house record that aims straight at the dancefloor without losing soul.

KRONERT003 continues the label’s mission: honest, floor-ready house music with depth and character. Warm low-end, rolling grooves and hazy chords shape an EP that feels tailor-made for late-night floors and after-hours rooms. Kronert delivers functional but emotional tools with his unmistakable touch. Subtle details, careful sound design and a strong sense of movement make each track both a DJ weapon and a story on its own, a modern house record that aims straight at the dancefloor without losing soul.

Home is the new collaborative album from Xan Tyler & Dusty Stray -
Released in Autumn 2025 on pink vinyl, the album is released by Stereogram
Recordings in partnership with Last Night From Glasgow
Xan Tyler is an English vocalist and songwriter, her voice has been described as
crystalline" by Pitchfork and "extraordinary" by Uncut - Xan has had an extensive
career after getting her start as backing vocalist for Death Bang Party as a teenager.
She went on to be half of electro pop duo Technique signed to Creation Records. She
has collaborated with the likes of Timo Mass, Martin Buttrich and Mad Professor. Her
first solo album Holding Up Half The Sky was released by Last Night From Glasgow in
May 2024. Dusty Stray is Amsterdam-based, US-raised alt-folk songwriter Jonathan
Brown. He has released six albums as Dusty Stray starting in 2009. His latest solo
album is Fire Place, released in 2023. Big Takeover described the album as "brave"
and "authentic".

Flug is back with a super deep 4 tracker on Andre Kronerts ODD EVEN. Flug, as his name suggests, allows his audience to take a trip back to their roots, back to their inner self and what it is to really feel techno. Do not miss this one!

2025 Repress

Repress!

Midnight Magic’s perennial disco anthem 'Beam Me Up' announced itself as an instant classic from the moment of its release in 2010, and at long last the band has teamed up with fellow Brooklynites Razor-N-Tape for a 10-year-anniversary package (minus one lost year) that once again establishes the timeless quality of the song with a fresh and versatile package of new remixes.

Norwegian space-disco don Prins Thomas delivers a sprawling and elegant mix, grounding melodic and psychedelic elements over a bumping percussive disco rhythm treatment, stretching out over 8 minutes of blissful breakdowns, delays and driving bass lines. Kim Ann Foxman takes the song to a darker and dubbier place with her 'Beam Me To The Basement Mix,' layering samples of singer Tiffany Roth’s vocal and insistent acid synths over a heavy and pulsing low end. Each Other, a new project by Max Pask and NYC club royalty Justin Strauss, crafts an extended peak-time stormer of a mix, with churning analog drum and synth production that is somehow ravey, New-Wavey and lush all at once.

These three mixes truly capture an entire club night in one record, each a beautifully unique interpretation that showcases the inimitable talent and creativity of the remixers, and is also a testament to the enduring perfection of the original. Grab this record immediately and beam yourself back to the dance floor!

House of Harm are proud to announce the forthcoming release of their new album Playground, out December 1st, 2023. The new record builds and expands upon the three-piece’s enthralling shadow-pop sound, a mix of midnight atmospherics, 90s era jangle pop, and contagious synth drenched hooks that further elevate the transcendent vocals of lead singer Michael Rocheford. Rounded out by Cooper Leardi (guitar / synths) and Tyler Kershaw (guitar / synth), House of Harm have amassed an impressive following as something of a best kept secret among their growing fanbase, leading to sold out shows on both coasts by the power of word of mouth alone.

The band members have been drawn to music for as long as any of them can remember, and the drive to be around like-minded artists and make their own noise drew them all to Boston after high school. There they all quickly enmeshed themselves, playing in other bands before meeting each other. Ever since, House of Harm have been quietly making a name for themselves among music fans with darker pop persuasions via a steady stream of releases in single, ep and album form.

That attention to detail and workmanlike approach at the expense of chasing instant gratification seems to be paying dividends after years of steady effort. The journey of their new album Playground saw House of Harm stay true to that ethos. The band painstakingly narrowed the record down to an efficient 10 tracks that they felt made the most sense, both standing on their own as well as fitting into an LP that built a cohesive world for the listener to get lost in. The album’s name also reflects the experimentation and happy accidents that came about during the writing and recording process.

On “The Face of Grace” they set out to explore different dynamics by writing a song entirely without drums, but couldn’t help themselves from putting emphasis on the song’s 6/8 waltz time signature. “Two Kinds” is another first for House Of Harm in that it’s predominantly driven by acoustic guitar. That aforementioned vulnerability shows up in other areas of the songwriting process as well with “Two Kinds”, one of their most revealing songs to date from a lyrical standpoint, written from a place of reflection and weakness and tackling feelings uneasy to be put on display for public consumption.

Taken as a whole, the end result is an album representing a collection of the band’s most raw and expressive songs yet.

Future pop unit "Mononkuru" has released their first album in nearly seven years since their previous album, "RELOADING CITY," on vinyl!
"Bokura wa Warai at a Dead End," a brand-new pop album featuring guest appearances by AAAMYYY and Daichi Yamamoto, is here!

Seven years after their last album, Mononkuru has finally released their long-awaited new album. Known for their jazz-infused pop, the band has changed their
name to "Mononkuru" in katakana and updated their sound. In addition to the innovative modern pop disco they showcased on recent releases "GINGUA"
and "HOTPOT," this album is packed with highlights, including "Futari Shibai feat. Daichi Yamamoto," a bold new work featuring a featured artist for the first time
for Mononkuru, and "Who am I feat. AAAMYYY," which debuts on an album.

Tagada-Rock vom Feinsten: Alpha Romeos neues Album 'Pluto im Wassermann'! Tagada-Rock nennt Michael Gutenbrunner alias Alpha Romeo mehr oder weniger augenzwinkernd seinen eingängigen Mundart-Pop, benannt nach dem legendären Karussell im Wiener Wurstelprater. Dabei mischt er großzügig Indie, Folk und Pop aus verschiedenen Musikepochen und hält das Ganze mit offenherzigen Dialekt-Texten, einer spielerischen italo-romantischen Note sowie einer Prise Selbstironie zusammen.

This holiday season, Harlem’s Capo, Jim Jones, brings At the Church Steps to vinyl for the very first time — and it’s more than just a reissue. A founding member of The Diplomats, platinum-selling artist, and a pioneer of NYC street rap, Jones has long been a voice of the hustle, style, and raw authenticity that define East Coast hip-hop. With over 2 million records sold and a deep-rooted influence on music and culture, At the Church Steps is now set to become a collector’s essential — reimagined for vinyl in a way no fan has ever experienced.

This limited-edition, audiophile-grade 2LP set is crafted for true connoisseurs. Pressed on premium Neotech 100% virgin vinyl, the release uses exclusive mastering technology that employs predictive analysis to correct groove deformation — delivering unmatched clarity, fidelity, and warmth. Every detail, from the sonic depth to the physical finish, speaks to the cult following Jones commands. Tailored for both the streets and the crates, this vinyl is a tribute to legacy and craftsmanship. Store it upright, keep it out of direct sunlight — and know you’re holding a piece of hip-hop history made to last.

Key Marketing Highlights:
Available on vinyl for the first time as a limited numbered 2LP set on Audiophile-Grade, COllector's Quality Vinyl
Brand new studio album from Jim Jones now available on 2LP
Jim Jones is a member of legendary hiphop group The Diplomats

Nachdem Master's Hammer 2018 die letzte Show zur Unterstützung des Albums »Fascinator« gespielt hatten, schien es, als sei die Geschichte der tschechischen Legende endgültig zu Ende gegangen.

Aber glücklicherweise wurde die Band nicht begraben, sondern ging nur in den Winterschlaf und ist nun nach 7 Jahren mit einem neuen Album zurück! Master's Hammer, die sich nie darum gekümmert haben, sich anzupassen, weigern sich, sich auf bestimmte Genres festlegen zu lassen und nach den Regeln anderer zu spielen, was zu vielen höchst originellen Alben geführt hat, die sich jeder Kategorisierung entziehen. Obwohl »Maldorör Disco« unverkennbar Master's Hammer ist, ist es wahrscheinlich ihr bisher experimentellstes und am wenigsten nach Black Metal klingendes Album.

Mit Hits wie „Hurra, hurra, die Schule brennt“, „Flieger, grüß mir die Sonne“, „Polizisten“ oder „Duo Infernal (feat. Marianne Rosenberg)“ haben Extrabreit ab Ende der 1970er Jahre die deutschsprachige Musikwelt
aufgemischt. Eine Formation, die mit ihrem anarchistischen Mix aus Deutschpunk, Rock und NDW sowie
oftmals provokanten Texten bis heute auf einem extrabreiten Grat zwischen poppiger Eingängigkeit und
bissiger Gesellschaftskritik reitet. Viereinhalb Dekaden nach der Veröffentlichung ihres bahnbrechenden
Debütalbums erscheint nun mit der umfangreichen 3LP/ 5CD-Box „Pralinen & Granaten (1979-1982 Remastered)“ ein Rückblick auf die frühen Anfänge der Kultband!
„Pralinen & Granaten (1979-1982 Remastered)“ enthält Extrabreits ersten drei Studioalben „Ihre größten
Erfolge“ (1980), „Welch ein Land! Was für Männer:“ (1981) und „Die Rückkehr der phantastischen
5!“ (1982) als remasterte Vinylausgaben sowie als großzügig erweiterte Bonustrack-CDs mit bisher unveröffentlichten Songs und gesuchten Raritäten. Komplettiert wird die insgesamt 131 Tracks umfassende
3LP/ 5CD-Box von zwei CDs mit ebenfalls unveröffentlichten Demo-Versionen aus 1979 sowie ungehörten
Livemitschnitten aus den Jahren 1981 und 1982. Sämtliche Bonustracks wurden von einem langjährigen
Extrabreit-Fan der ersten Stunde archiviert und kuratiert; für das Remastering der Original-Tapes zeichnet niemand Geringeres als Eroc (Grobschnitt, Amon Düül II, Doro, Phillip Boa And The Voodoo Club)
verantwortlich.

"Die große Palmöllüge". Alles steht hier im Zeichen der Verschwörungstheorie. Geht Palmöl nun klar oder ist die Abholzung des Regenwaldes am Ende etwa eine Riesensauerei - die Welt teilt sich in zwei Lager. Fridays for Future, regionale Kleinbauern und Orang Utans scheinen sich einig: geht eher nicht so klar. Hier halten wiederum ausgewiesene Klima-Experten dagegen, z.B. Jan Leyk (bekannt aus "Berlin Tag & Nacht"). Der sagt nämlich, dass die "bekackte Tofuwurst dafür sorgt, dass verschissen nochmal die Regenwälder abgeholzt werden". Palmöl, Facepalm - whatever_ Was hat das jetzt alles mit dem neuen Album des linksgrünversifften Punk-Quartetts Akne Kid Joe am Hut? Die sind Team Orang Utan und FFF, soviel erstmal dazu. Aber steht denn wirklich alles im Zeichen der Verschwörungstheorie? Wer aufgrund des Album-Titels nun eine Konzept-LP gegen nutella und co. vermutet, muss leider enttäuscht werden. Wie schon auf Karate Kid Joe wird sich hier auch wild echauffiert, die Palette ist nun aber deutlich breiter. Zentrale Themen sind - klar, Verschwörungstheorie - aber auch linke Klassiker wie Vaterlandsverrat, Saufen und Beamtenbeleidigung. Mitunter wird es auf der neuen Scheibe aber auch richtig deep, z.B. mit einer 1,5 minütigen Nacherzählung eines Beziehungsendes im Italien Urlaub. Oder der Frage was nun besser ist - "Free Hugs" oder "Love Yourself" T-Shirts.

Long regarded as singular architects within European post-rock, EF have built a catalogue defined by dynamic patience, melodic clarity, and widescreen emotional reach. Across two decades of touring, the Gothenburg ensemble have carried that language to clubs and theatres at home and abroad, earning a reputation for meticulous, high-impact live shows and a body of work that has steadily gathered critical regard and a devoted international following. Reimagined and with expanded production including strings and brass, this edition is a considered re-engagement with the material that first crystallised EF's voice. The band returns to thesesongs with the benefit of twenty years' craft, presenting new arrangements that stretch time and deepen narrative, while retaining the quiet-to-catharsis arc that has always set their music apart. "Since it's our precious first born we wanted to give it the love it surely deserves. We felt we didn't want to celebrate its big 20th birthday by just remastering it and we surely didn't want to make the songs too modern and unrecognisable for the old fans. We wanted to give it a tighter, more dramatic and bombastic make over_ a gentle touch of today's EF." (Niklas Åström) Originally released in 2006, `Give Me Beauty_ or Give Me Death!' introduced EF's signature blend of cinematic guitars, patient dynamics and aching melody. For this new edition, along with an incredible cover illustration by Phillip Janta and brand-new bonus track `Noll', the band returned to the material with fresh ears and clear intentions: to open more space in the arrangements and to enrich the melodic lines with orchestral colour. `Give Me Beauty_ or Give Me Death!' (20th-Anniversary Edition) is a document of growth rendered with care: more instrumentation, more time, more consequence. The album is an act of stewardship_ both a homage and a forward-looking manifesto for EF and for discerning listeners everywhere. FOR FANS OF Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, Caspian, Gospeed You! Black Emperor, Yndi Halda, Mono Black or White Double Vinyl, Digisleeve Single CD. Includes bonustrack Noll.

Long regarded as singular architects within European post-rock, EF have built a catalogue defined by dynamic patience, melodic clarity, and widescreen emotional reach. Across two decades of touring, the Gothenburg ensemble have carried that language to clubs and theatres at home and abroad, earning a reputation for meticulous, high-impact live shows and a body of work that has steadily gathered critical regard and a devoted international following. Reimagined and with expanded production including strings and brass, this edition is a considered re-engagement with the material that first crystallised EF's voice. The band returns to these songs with the benefit of twenty years' craft, presenting new arrangements that stretch time and deepen narrative, while retaining the quiet-to-catharsis arc that has always set their music apart. "Since it's our precious first born we wanted to give it the love it surely deserves. We felt we didn't want to celebrate its big 20th birthday by just remastering it and we surely didn't want to make the songs too modern and unrecognisable for the old fans. We wanted to give it a tighter, more dramatic and bombastic make over_ a gentle touch of today's EF." (Niklas Åström) Originally released in 2006, `Give Me Beauty_ or Give Me Death!' introduced EF's signature blend of cinematic guitars, patient dynamics and aching melody. For this new edition, along with an incredible cover illustration by Phillip Janta and brand-new bonus track `Noll', the band returned to the material with fresh ears and clear intentions: to open more space in the arrangements and to enrich the melodic lines with orchestral colour. `Give Me Beauty_ or Give Me Death!' (20th-Anniversary Edition) is a document of growth rendered with care: more instrumentation, more time, more consequence. The album is an act of stewardship_ both a homage and a forward-looking manifesto for EF and for discerning listeners everywhere. FOR FANS OF Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, Caspian, Gospeed You! Black Emperor, Yndi Halda, Mono Black or White Double Vinyl, Digisleeve Single CD. Includes bonustrack Noll.

An earth-moving night in Chicago, 30 crazy years ago, caught HOT on tape and finally unleashed! Teengenerate were a force to be reckoned with in the ‘90s garage punk underground and with their string of classic singles and LPs, the Midwest was just STARVED for these heathens to break our minds wide open. And they did, and some of us were just “never the same.” Is this how Hozac started? YES, this was THE SEED. Just an awe-inspiring brute force of punk purity, slashing through incredible covers of THE KIDS, PAGANS, and FUN THINGS and sowing the seeds of obscure punk obsessions to no end with their savage treasure map of sick sounds.

The heat, the power, the rage and the euphoria, it just doesn’t always align like it did when Fink & Fifi took the stage. Sure enough, it was on THIS DAY 30 years ago that our minds were blown apart and our eyes were opened and a life-changing rock’n roll performance that commemorates the 50th release on the Hozac Archival subsidiary. Secretly recorded by Ken White, the Brides’ right hand man, and mastered by TIM WARREN of Crypt Records for maximum authenticity, Live at the Empty Bottle just explodes out of the grooves and will level anyone within earshot, just like it did when Teengenerate desecrated Chicago TWICE on the same night (check out their VML Live at the Fireside Bowl 7″ too!), exactly 30 years ago TODAY!

In celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the blockbuster summer film of 1984, SPACELAB9, in conjunction with Columbia Pictures, proudly presents The KARATE KID: 40th Anniversary Original Motion Picture Score Double LP!
Released for the first time ever on vinyl, the collection features the full 20 track score album by legendary composer Bill Conti, plus 7 bonus tracks.
Double LP package features beautiful original cover artwork created exclusively for this album by renowned artist Astor Alexander, plus stills from the original landmark 1984 film and a brief note from composer Bill Conti.

HitSquad Records bringt die Größen des deutschsprachigen Musicals endlich dort hin, wo sie hingehören : Auf die
schönsten Vinyl-Schallplatten. Nach dem handsignierten Solo-Album von Everybody’s Darling Pia Douwes, einem von
den Fans-kurierten Best-Of der Songs aus Elisabeth, und einer Kompilation der Tanz Der Vampire Melodien, die die
Show unsterblich machen, erscheint nun ein weiteres KUNZE-LEVAY Meisterwerk auf WEISSEM Vinyl: Auch die
größten Hits aus MOZART! glitzern schon bald auf 12 hochwertig präsentierten Zoll.

2025 Repress

At last, we get doused from the source; four priors of reissued gems and newer beauts now land us at the quintus maximus: the inaugural Spray on Spray. It’s large and in charge, as we pull back the velvety curtain to reaffirm the exquisite curator is just-as-exquisite a melody maker. OT Rails adjusts the prog antenna to broadcast 3 anthems from the great big dance satellite in the sky, including a collaboration with French cuties Baraka. You’ve had your trad, now dance!

The title track struts along its psychedelic catwalk with a sexy house swagger, unlocking a wobbly stack of pineal-tickling melodies en route. The angels soon sing in positiva harmony, before the piano-lude calls for a tight embrace with those closest to you on the dancefloor. Raise those hands aloft, you know what’s coming; that hard house’d snare roll soon erupts and, before you know it, you’re soaring like the white dove you are. Why does it feel so good?

Spray then switches channel to Ceathair, coaxing the prog spirit from the motherland as the psilocybinised breaks wisp through the undergrowth. The vibe is bouncy, as the diva croons and bassline sings, before the vista opens and the sprayed piper summons you home. Open that third eye, súil eile.
Our swan song is reserved for Baraka and Spray, conjoining their tech trance powers on Think Of Me. The trio up the pace for the grand finale, rolling the tight groove from the off while igniting its hybridised trance rump with hypnotic fervour. The friendly mantra floats heavenly above throughout, absorbing you in a semi-lucid ecstatic state. It’s a whirlwind of dancefloor energy from beginning to end, and Spray wouldn’t have it any other way.

2025 Repress

JKS is back on his own imprint. Together with Bailey Ibbs they have collaborated on a groundbreaking EP. This partnership encapsulates the evolution of techno, blending spiritual intros, vibrant vocals, and pulsating rhythms. Each track offers a captivating journey, reflecting the creative depth of Smile Sessions and the philosophy of the label.

Drawing from diverse influences, yet meticulously guided by a singular artistic vision, this EP promises to immerse listeners in a hypnotic journey. From the captivating "It's a Vibe", fusing tribal and soulful techno, to the intense "Tempo," paying homage to 2000s-influenced techno, each track on the EP showcases meticulous curation.

"Shake" stands as a collaborative gem, melding distinct sounds into a driving techno groove enriched with warm, progressive tones and organ textures, while "Rituals" closes the EP with tribal-infused vibes and a seductive vocal flair, ending on a emotional note with its melancholic synth conclusion.

2026 Repress

Back in 1988, disco rap aficionado and collector Dave Lee put together a compilation titled 'Back To The Old School', showcasing some of the best of the genre, most of which had never been issued before in the UK . Fast forward to 2025 and Dave's label Z Records has managed to procure the rights to a few choice old school cuts for a (sort of) follow up. The difference is this time Mr Lee has remixed and re-worked the songs for today's dancefloors while preserving their original flavour and integrity. In this first part of the series we have TJ Swann's 1981 jam 'Get Fly', re-tracked and taken into lo-slung yacht rock funk territory with a sizzling synth solo for good measure, a perfect compliment to TJ's smooth NYC flow. Terry Lewis & Wild Flower are up next on the A-side, with a boogie rich, mid-tempo stomper with a heavy funk bottom end and a message that still rings true in this day and age. Mike T's 'Do It Anyway You Wanna' finishes things up with a compulsive dose of jazz-tinged disco rap that goes straight for the jugular, super charged slap bass underpinning sharp sax and flute motifs while the rich tones of Mike T slide over the top. Dave Lee yet again providing a masterclass in production.

Bringing together two distinct yet complementary forces in electronic music, Zohar and Nymfo join for their first collaborative release on Dekmantel.

Zohar’s sound is defined by razor-sharp precision and pulsating percussive energy storm-like sonics that disorient and excite in equal measure. With a background shaped by years of commanding dancefloors, she has carved a diverse and eclectic path, where rattling low-end and rhythmic tension form the foundation. Known for her technical refinement and mixing wizardry, Zohar intuitively seeks unexpected connections, always pushing her listeners into new territory. Following several contributions to Dekmantel compilations, this marks her first full-length release on the label.

Nymfo has been an essential figure in drum & bass since the late ’90s. Starting out in Eindhoven’s rave and jungle scene, he quickly became known for his fierce DJ sets and later, his productions. His catalogue spans acclaimed labels such as Metalheadz, 1985 Music, Commercial Suicide, Hospital Records, Critical, Dispatch, Shogun Audio, and many more. With two albums and a steady output of singles and EPs, Nymfo has consistently balanced raw dancefloor energy with a deep, refined production ethos.

Their paths crossed countless times in the scene, yet it wasn’t until Dekmantel invited them for a special Dekmantel Connects performance an ambitious setup with eight CDJs and four mixers that they shared the decks for the first time. The synergy of that moment carried into the studio, where their collaboration took shape. This release now returns them to the Dekmantel family, presenting their joint vision: a dialogue between low-end weight, rhythmic intricacy, and forward-thinking club sonics.

Capcom and Laced Records invite you to return to a world of Reploids and cyber-elves, betrayal and Bio-Metals...

Thoughtfully sequenced with a disc covering each of the Mega Man Zero games, and a fifth covering ZX and ZX Advent, this box set will allow fans to fully ensconce themselves in the series.

ultimatemaverickx returns as sleeve artist, producing lore-faithful, vibrantly colorful panels depicting memorable story moments and highlighting major characters in iconic poses.

The Mega Man Zero/ZX soundtracks' glorious mix of urgent acid house, ambient, face-melting metal, and even soaring pop feel downright prophetic in the modern music landscape. Transported from their '00s hardware origins to your turntable come the sounds of our present, broadcast from the past - and it rips.

Some things are just too good to be hidden from view. That's certainly the case with Things To Think About, the first album from Dutch electronic music legend Steve Rachmad's lesser-known Sterac Electronics project.
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Rachmad first rose to prominence in the late 1990s, spearheading a surge in Dutch techno that was heavily inspired by the futurist intent and machine soul of Detroit. Since then, he has continued to successfully explore a wide range of dancefloor-centric electronic styles under a dizzying array of aliases.

It's a while, though, since the public has been treated to a heavy dose of Sterac Electronics material. He first established the alias at the turn of the millennium, primarily as an outlet for hardware-driven electro music shot through with funk and soul.

A handful of highly regarded 12' singles were released on Music Man and Interpersonal XP, before Rachmad began focusing on other projects. When inspiration struck, he returned to the project, jamming out tracks using a mighty collection of vintage synthesizers and drum machines.

Recently, Rachmad and Tom Trago decided to revisit the Sterac Electronics archive, discovering a killer collection of cuts created at different points over the course of the last 15 years.

Now 9 of those spellbinding hardware jams have been gathered together for the first time on Things To Think About, a warm, rich and evocative collection of electro-fuelled workouts that giddily pay tribute to the music of Rachmad's youth.

From the thrusting, synth-driven machine funk of Original Pattern' and mutant electrofunk revivalism of Game Changers', to the baggy West Coast boogie of Metratron' and intergalactic hustle of Archetype' (which sounds like Cybotron covering the 1988 version of The KLF's What Time Is Love'), Things To Think About is an lesson in the emotion-rich, mood enhancing possibilities of spontaneous hardware jams.

The highlights don't stop there, either. Check, for example, the crystalline synthesizer melodies, body popping drum hits and spacey chords of Tuning Into Frequencies' and the breezy humidity of opener Altruistic Endeavor'.

Like the rest of the tracks on the album, they feel timeless, as if they could have been made at any point during the last three decades. From Steve Rachmad, we wouldn't expect anything less.

Things To Think About will be released as a limited-edition double album, preceded by a 12' single featuring another previously unheard gem from the vaults.

Luca Attanasio hails from Sydney, Australia but has made global moves with his grooves already on labels like Limousine Dreams. He brings his class to Pilot here - one of the very many labels in Burnski's orbit. Opener 'All 4s' amps you up with the insistent hi-hats, which bring air and dynamism to a warped low end and fresh tech drums. 'Pistol Pete' is another fulsome cut with a broad-stroke bassline and wub-wub effects on the synths to make for a wafty but driving vibe. 'Bust Up' taps into a dark garage low end with cosmic motifs up top and a perfect blend of headiness and physicality.