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Palace return with their most open-hearted collection yet, 'Ox', out September 18th. The announcement of the new album arrives alongside the release of its latest single, ‘Dream On’. Palace’s fifth album, Ox, finds beauty and wisdom in the most human of revelations: watching a child encounter music for the first time, feeling overcome by gratitude, or sensing that the possibilities ahead are endless The album arrives as Palace continue to thrive as an independent act. What began in 2016 as Palace Presents, a monthly takeover at The George Tavern in London, has evolved into a worldwide community. This autumn, the band will embark on a major North American run, following a sold-out homecoming show at London’s iconic Somerset House this summer. 'Ox' will be available on CD and in four LP formats including 180g heavyweight black vinyl from the official store and a black cherry vinyl available from independent record stores.

IRON REAGAN's Relapse debut The Tyranny Of Will is a 24 song wrecking ball of hardcore-punk/thrash fury. Fronted by the venomously lyical Tony Foresta (Municipal Waste), on paper IRON REAGAN is a Richmond, VA supergroup (the band also features Phil Hall of Municipal Waste, Cannabis Corpse, etc as well as Ryan Parrish of Darkest Hour together with members of Mammoth Grinder). In practice IRON REAGAN are WAY more than just a supergroup project---they have toured the world several times over levelling audiences with their furious live show. This is a fully formed raging band that have delivered one of the heaviest hardcore records of the year that is guaranteed to be on the top of both metalheads' and punk rockers' year end lists.

Blurb Manchester’s Corella has traded their indie-pop playfulness for a "razor-sharp" ferocity on their thunderous second album, A Beautiful World To Lose, the Jason Perry-produced record captures "lightning in a bottle" energy while tackling heavy themes of political discontent and personal grief. With a "distinctive snarl" and a growing reputation for "no-nonsense" authenticity, the four-piece are embracing a gritty evolution that cements them at the forefront of the current rock resurgence.

Following the “immaculate and eternal soul” (The Guardian) of The Indications’ 2019 album, American Love Call, Private Space unlocks the door to a wider range of sounds, boldly launching the band into a world of synthy modern soul and disco beats dotted with strings. Anchored by the high-low harmonies of Aaron Frazer (drums/vocals) and Durand Jones (vocals), and rounded out by Blake Rhein (guitar), Steve Okonski (keys), and Mike Montgomery (bass), The Indications are true masters at melding revival sounds with a modern attitude. The ten tracks across Private Space provide for both an escapist fantasy and a much-needed recentering after a tumultuous 2020.In conjunction with today’s announcement, they share Private Space’s lead single/video “Witchoo.” Reflective of the track’s vibrant, playful energy, the Weird Life-directed video features the five band members and close friends, transitioning from a live performance 
to an electric backstage soirée.“At the end of the day, I just want people to close their eyes and forget where they are. Just the way a Stevie Wonder album does for me,” says Jones. Developed after being apart for much of the year, Private Space is creatively explosive and delights in upending expectations. Throughout, The Indications highlight a collective resiliency – as well as the power of a good song to be a light in the darkness. From an Indiana basement (where the band recorded their 2016 self-titled debut LP as college students), The Indications have catapulted into the soul limelight and an international stage. Following their sophomore album American Love Call
 — a dreamy but pensive record of big string arrangements and sweet soul stylings — The Indications became revered by vintage music fans, the lowrider community and late-night television.

For more than three decades, this Grammy-winning US bandleader and roots master has outrun genre, classification and comfort zone, journeying between the acclaimed solo work with his own name on the marquee, his storied jam-band Gov't Mule, and America's fabled rock 'n' roll institutions from the Allman Brothers Band to the Grateful Dead. To represent this lifetime of roots and branches in a single project, while tearing down and reimagining his songbook with bold orchestral arrangements, acknowledges Haynes, was a daunting prospect that nonetheless exerted an irresistible pull. Now, the resulting live album - Dreams & Songs, released September 18, 2026 - is a living document of 2019's one- of- a- kind concert at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, with a visceral mix by the legendary Bob Clearmountain capturing the thrilling collision between Haynes' lineup of seasoned rock 'n' roll improvisers and the 64- piece Asheville Symphony Orchestra.

Could it be that the world is finally ready for the tempestuous folk-rock opera that is "All the Leaves are Gone?" In 2004, only the truly informed and forward-thinking heads "got" this mini masterpiece. Critics scratched their heads and usually resorted to comparisons of past artists, like ol Grace Slick and her Great Jefferson Society, Fairport Convention (but which era? SURELY Judy Dyble's early reign?), and at best, Shirley Collins. A few fans attempted to connect the record to even more obscure "freak folk/rock" like Mellow Candle, Fear Itself, or Trees. "All the Leaves are Gone" was made by unique personalities not concerned with influences or copying any bygone era. Surely, some things are in our DNA or even early childhood, as Josephine Foster's roots in opera manifest themselves as much as any other influence in this organic song cycle. Sure, guitarist Brian Goodman may have heard Richard Thompson before, but his alchemical and molten guitar spray is purely his own, in tunings and intervals still not meant for normal humans to understand, mostly because his 2004 guts were poured into every sublime note (I think even Brian himself never even understood how good he was). That fiery emotion is also in every nuance of Foster's songs--like life, there's disquieting, jagged moments of unease, and there's calm both before and after the storm. There are moments of utter gentleness along the journey---because yes, every concept album should be a voyage, and this is one everyone should take. - Steve Krakow.

Formed in New York City in 1993 around singer, guitarist and songwriter Chris Leo, the band emerged from the same fertile underground scene that gave rise to many of the most influential post-hardcore, indie rock and emo acts of the decade. Yet while many of their contemporaries went on to achieve wider recognition, The Van Pelt chose a different path: one built on artistic independence, restless experimentation and a stubborn refusal to fit comfortably into any scene or trend.
Across two landmark albums — Stealing From Our Favorite Thieves (1996) and Sultans Of Sentiment (1997) — The Van Pelt developed a singular language that combined intricate guitar interplay, spoken-word intensity, literary lyrics and emotional depth. Their music occupied a unique space between post-hardcore urgency, indie rock invention and the introspective sensibility that would later become associated with emo, influencing generations of musicians while remaining largely outside the spotlight.
After disbanding in 1997, the band's reputation continued to grow. What began as a well-kept secret among underground music fans gradually became a touchstone for listeners searching beyond the obvious narratives of 1990s alternative rock. Reunions in 2009 and 2014, the release of the long-lost Imaginary Third, and a series of acclaimed live performances introduced their music to a new audience while reaffirming their enduring relevance.
In 2023, The Van Pelt returned with Artisans & Merchants, their first collection of new material in more than twenty-five years. Rather than revisiting old formulas, the album expanded the band's sonic vocabulary while preserving the qualities that made them unique: curiosity, intelligence, vulnerability and an unwavering commitment to following their own instincts.
Now, more than three decades after their formation, The Van Pelt are set to return in 2026 with Remain Obscure, their fifth studio album. Continuing their tradition of defying expectations, the record pushes beyond the familiar boundaries of the band's sound while embracing the same spirit that has defined them from the beginning. A band whose influence has consistently exceeded its visibility, The Van Pelt remain one of independent music's most enduring and rewarding secrets.

When Pouya dropped The South Got Something To Say in the summer of 2019, it wasn’t just a title—it was a definitive statement of growth. Nodding to André 3000’s iconic 1995 Source Awards declaration, the Miami pioneer used his third studio album to prove that his raw, independent formula had mutated into something deeper, more mature, and entirely unmatched in the underground rap landscape. Now, for the first time since its digital release, this pivotal moment in Florida hip-hop history is finally available on wax, offering listeners something tangible they have been anticipating for years.

The South Got Something To Say captures Pouya at a lyrical and sonic turning point. While maintaining the blistering flows, heavy bass, and visceral Florida energy that initially put him on the map, the album opens the door to intense themes of mortality, legacy, and the heavy toll of independent success. It bridges the gap between the frantic energy of the SoundCloud era and a mastery of songwriting, offering fans a remarkably transparent look into the mind of an artist surviving the very chaos that birthed him. Standouts like "Cruisin' in the MIA" and "Florida Thang" showcase his signature rapid-fire delivery, perfectly balancing the record's darker, more introspective moments.

The sonic diversity of the project is anchored by a stellar lineup of collaborators who push Pouya into new creative territory. He enlists Three 6 Mafia royalty Juicy J alongside heavy-hitting underground peers like Ghostemane and City Morgue, while seamlessly pivoting into the melodic, hazy soundscapes of indie-pop artist Cuco and longtime producer Rocci on tracks like "Talk to Me Before I Die" and "Mood Swing Misery." This striking balance of aggressive phonk and melodic vulnerability solidifies the album as a cohesive, genre-bending journey rather than a mere collection of singles.

For years, vinyl collectors and die-hard fans have begged for this underground masterpiece to be immortalized on wax. This first-ever vinyl pressing delivers the booming low-ends and intricate, therapeutic bars exactly how they were meant to be experienced. From the opening nostalgic chords to the final fading beats, this release stands as an essential artifact of the modern underground rap movement, finally giving a landmark Southern album the premium physical presentation it deserves.

Remastered limited edition double vinyl with double-sided screenprinted poster-cover (sleeve folds out to be one huge poster). A real collectors item!

When Off Off came out around June 1984, one couldn’t speak of an independent music scene in Portugal. Warm Records’ vague existence didn’t have any impact and Dansa do Som’s inaugural release appeared only in December. 10 years after the revolution, after two IMF interventions, a lot of political instability (not to say turmoil, in the first couple of years) and the natural excesses of a sudden burst of freedom, the Portuguese consumer had more choices but a generally poor standard of living. There was no entrepreneurial culture and serious second thoughts about investing private money in risky ventures.

After many complaints about the whole music scene (institutions, critics and record label executives, popular and classical music alike), something that would continue well beyond the end of the decade, Telectu decided to finance, record, produce, release and sell an album with complete independence from outside structures. Their karmic reward was profit. According to Vítor Rua, Off Off was the only album fully payed by the duo and the only one that really payed off. Not an easy accomplishment for a double LP housed in a large (also double-sided) screenprint with complicated cuts and folds. The artwork was conceived by António Palolo, a friend and multidisciplinary artist. It was based on a collage of heavily saturated and xeroxed polaroids framed in shocking pink and green. Palolo was considered the third member of Telectu, regularly producing slides, video and other visual support for their shows. The inspiration for the type of cover came from GRM’s Gramme series.

Off Off is divided in four distinct sides, each one corresponding to a “theme” or “function” related to Telectu’s manifold artistic interests and interactions. The titles are also gateways to influences and a small portion of Portuguese cultural life:

- Side 1 / “Diagonale” is dedicated to Egídio Álvaro, art critic and gallery director (he opened Diagonale in Paris). Performance art was arguably his main artistic concern over the years, so the music on this side is suggested for use by one or more performers in live or playback situations. The three tracks segue into each other, linked by a synth arpeggio much in the same way as Telectu’s previous “Belzebu” álbum (1983);

- Side 2 / “Anarké” is dedicated to the composer Filipe Pires, one of Jorge Lima Barreto’s recurring invocations when asked about worthwhile contemporary music in Portugal. It is subtitled “concert music”, proposing «a new form of listening». Three tracks also, and these are separated by “clap interludes”, which basically consisted in the following: JLB and VR each had a pair of headphones on, and they clapped their hands according to the rhythm of the music each one was listening. Both musicians were interacting with a different Steve Reich piece: Vítor with “Music for Mallet Instruments”, Jorge with “Six Pianos”. The result is disjointed clapping, an awkwardly deliberate celebration of their own music. Telectu applauded themselves.

- Side 3 / “Cornucópia” is subtitled “music for theatre” and dedicated to Luís Miguel Cintra and Luís Lima Barreto (JLB’s brother), both connected to the Cornucópia theatre company. The side consists of several short pieces previously used as interludes in the Cornucópia staging of “Mariana Espera Casamento” (1983). Field recordings, mood pieces, ambience and a numeric poem (“Soneto Soma 14x”, by E.M. de Melo e Castro) read by João Perry, a quite well-known stage actor. His voice is treated with a flanger effect;

- Side 4 / “Palolo” is “video music”. It’s a one-take mix recorded from cassette sources (Telectu studio experiences) and done live while watching António Palolo’s Om film (1978) projected on the living room wall. It’s a deep, immersive, quasi-mystical 20-minute piece perfectly suiting the meditative, abstract, fluid images created by Palolo by mixing paint and water inside a bathtub. One imagines the Cosmos, hardly suspecting the technique. The film is 90 minutes long, so the music on the LP is of course edited.

The six titles on sides 1 and 2 evoke demons, all of them with conflicting symbolism, since it varies from culture to culture, religion to religion. No explanation is given and Vítor Rua has no idea where this imagery comes from. During virtually the whole stretch of the 1980s, Jorge was the one in charge of titles and concepts, and Vítor didn’t bother too much even reading the liner notes :) In any case, when you synchronize the listening experience with the imagery, a powerful impression emerges, a feeling of being in the presence of these entities while placing yourself inside the sonic narrative.

Off Off is undoubtedly a seminal album in the history of electronic music, as much Heldon as Fripp & Eno, jazz and American minimalism, cosmic out-thereness, mantric miniatures. Telectu at the height of their powers, still very early on, delivering an album-manifesto advocating intermedia art and the fierce independence of Portuguese musicians «from the scum of capitalist music industry monopolies. It’s a path to follow, albeit one that requires enduring hardships and retaliation from music industry gangsters.» Despite a few journalists deemed «capable of being free», the media are «enslaved by the dominant and fascist imbecility of the speculators of light music.» Off Off is addressed to those journalists «and to an audience angry at the cultural misery imposed upon us ..., certain that this music will open new horizons of musical pleasure in the conception of Portuguese avant-garde music, and in the open consciousness of us all. OFF OFF repeats Freedom.»

Those two words are a direct lift from Alberto Arbasino’s 1968 book Off Off, the basis of which is a critical analysis of Theodor Adorno’s and Dwight MacDonald’s ideas concerning the stratification of culture in different levels (high, mid and low) and the pervasiveness of mass culture in the form of a culture industry. In very simplistic terms, and that is precisely the point that inspired Jorge, Arbasino argued that it was possible and desirable to effect a revolution from below, cultivating alternative circuits completely cut-off from what he termed the in-in reality. Telectu’s record was a deliberate demonstration that it could be done, displaying Freedom in the face of all the gatekeepers and other human obstacles.

Night repeats itself in small fragments.

A thought left unfinished.
A sentence waiting to be said.
One day dissolving into the next.

Akero returns to Moving Pictures with a five-track EP shaped by melodic tension, understated emotion and gently shifting club rhythms.

The record opens with "I Need To Say It" - a direct and emotional cut carried by a restless groove and a quietly luminous atmosphere.
"Ogninotte" unfolds with hypnotic movement with a soft melancholic pulse, while "Unagiornata" brings a brighter, more open-ended moment to the record.

On the remix side, Roman Rai reshapes "I Need To Say It" into a Complete Cosmic Rework, allowing the original to unfold across wider, more spacious terrain.
Täino closes the circle with his own interpretation, keeping the emotional core intact while bringing it closer to the label's warm and introspective dancefloor language.

Geoff Kirkwood (Man Power)

I’dgained some notoriety as a music producer and DJ but I hit a horrible case of writers block around 2018.

The problem I was finding was that I was trying to shoe horn every smart arsed clever dick musical reference I had into the music I was making, but the function of dance music is to make people dance, not to show people who broad your musical references are, so I was making pretty shitty music that landed in the middle and didn’t achieve either aim.

To tackle this I ended up committing to just trying to make the most expressive and wanky experimental stuff I could. I was immersed in club culture at the time so the whole enterprise started as a joke, hence the name “Bed Wetter”. However when I fully submitted to just naked exploration the really unexpected thing that happened was that I found myself unavoidably having to deal with a lot of my own bullshit. That bullshit turned into the “Billy Mill is Dead” album, which was essentially the sound of me excavating my own life and looking at how I felt about where I was from, where I was headed, my family, my history, my region and all of the things i have conflicting feelings about.

It was partially catharsis and also a bit of deprogramming around being able to call myself an artist after being raised to believe that wasn’t an option for me.

I self released Billy Mill is Dead in the months before the pandemic and it found it’s fair share of love in the places I hoped would connect with it, and just the right amount of being ignored by people who I’m pleased didn’t feel it. This all lead to me being emboldened enough to apply for an artist in residence position at a big regional opera house months later in the middle of lockdown.

My feeling was that if my DJ career was potentially over for the remainder of my lifetime then there was no harm in exploring this alternative method of expression to see where it could take me.

I submitted a ridiculously ambitious plan for what I would like to do as a project, and to my absolute shock I was selected for the position.

I was 40 years old and from a scarcity background so I had a potentially unique response to that kind of validation for the first time and what followed next was a process of me just coming back with bigger and more ridiculous ideas just to find out at whatstage they’d tell me to stop.

The thing is, nobody did. I got as far as suggesting writing a full symphony to be performed by an orchestra before my own nerve gave out and I decided that was probably as far as I should push things.

The problem with people giving you permission to do things is that you then need to go out and figure out how to do those things.

The biggest issue for me, beyond raising the money to pay for everything, was how does a person actually write a symphony?

I was introduced to Fiona Brice, a multi instrumentalist and orchestral arranger. She’s also a recording artist who releases on Bella Union. On top of that she’s a violinist who used to be part of the band Placebo and who used to appear regularly playing for other bands on things like Top of the Pops.

Not only was Fiona uniquely placed to not look down on the strange provenance of someone from an Acid House background wanting to write a symphony, but more to the point we really hit it off from day one.

Fiona coached me in the essentials of writing for an Orchestra, and then I went off and wrote the 8 movements.

I’d love to say I laboured for years over this bit, but it took about 2 weeks in total. I’d also love to say what I wrote was a complete symphony, but the version of this which is solely me feels like looking at something without your glasses on. The shape,feel and borders were all there, but the definition was absent. Fiona taught me the broad language of a symphony, but without her it would have lacked all intonation, nuance and detail. Where I had shaped ideas with a hammer, she brought out my meaning with precision using a scalpel.

I think the prodigiously quick turnaround for the music is as much proof of how conceptually and musically aligned Fiona and I are. I know we’re both incredibly proud of what we’ve created.

It took nearly 2 more years to stage the debut performance in what was potentially the most traumatic period of my life which saw me embroiled in an international crisis with my own family and the death of my father, all with the backdrop of COVID.

The work itself is inspired by the working class experience, but it’s also a comment on how we get to decide what we are and how we’re defined, and we get to choose what we do to prove these things.

The original recording was contractually impossible to ever share again, so we re-recorded it in a working men’s club with jobbing (albeit world class) players. In many ways it’s a record that feels like it shouldn’t exist, which is why we’re all so happy that it does.

Apero, das aktuell wahrscheinlich beliebteste (weil einzige) deutsch-franzosische Eggpunk-Trio legt nach! Nach der laut Expert*innen "extrem geilen" Debut-Kassette "Cold Drinks, Cool Snacks" gibt es mit "Dragons & Eels" jetzt endlich Nachschub, diesmal in Form einer 7" EP. Vier neue hektische Garagenpunk Smasher aus der Holle werden auf die nichtsahnende Menschheit losgelassen. Synthie Geballer, schrammelige Riffs, ein uberhitzter Drumcomputer kurz vorm Absturz, saftige Schellen vom Schellenkranz. Und doch gibt es auch ein paar neue Akzente zu horen. Der Song "Tribute To Eel", in dem Apero einer gleichermaßen bedrohten wie coolen Tierart Tribut zollen, ist zum Beispiel fast schon postpunkig. Jemand meinte neulich, das klingt "wie Jay Reatard auf Eggpunk". Lassen wir so mal stehen weil: Namedropping. Mit "The Rent Is Too High (And I'm Too Fucking Sober)" kriegt auch die Immobilienwirtschaft ihr Fett weg. Ein Schrei nach Gerechtigkeit sowie nach alkoholhaltigen Erfrischungsgetranken. Der anti-Ritter Song "Dragon Slayer" und der pro-Rock 'n' Roll Song "Rock 'n' Roll Tonight" vervollstandigen das Paket. 4x aufs Maul fur schmales Geld. Empfehlung des Hauses!

Channeling his honed sample craft towards the ominous portent of modern times, Romare returns with his fifth album Oblivion, with the previous 3 out of 4 LP's appearing on Ninja Tune. Across a suite of downtempo, broken beat, bubbling grooves and brooding reveries Archie Fairhurst threads a narrative that wrestles with the big questions of the present moment — the tipping points of the planet and technology, the fight for social justice and the power structures that govern our existence. While his trademark source material continues to cast a long line back through recorded history, this is Romare at his most contextual.

Nothing is placed by accident. 'Machines' hums its throbbing 4/4 pulse along to a German language recital of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 'Blessed Longing' — an enduring reflection on the human condition that rings true from way back in the 19th Century when it was written. 'Computer Love' slinks into a sumptuous trip-hop lull laced with sci-fi flourishes sculpted from samples of old computer documentaries — a bittersweet romantic backdrop to our complicated situationship with the devices in our lives. 'Take Us' goes one step further on its hard-stepping boom-bap strut as a subtle tale of possession by screens unfolds around Romare's signature strain of technicolour mutant funk.

There is space for optimism in the message on Oblivion as well — the strength of the suffragettes as a benchmark for social justice and activism amidst the speakeasy slink of ‘Deeds, Not Words', and spring-loaded acid house joint 'Change' pointing to the need for positive action in the face of imminent calamity.

The artwork for the album follows Fairhurst's thought process, drawing on Edvard Munch's iconic 'The Scream' along with Philippe Halsman and Salvador Dali’s ‘Voluptuous Death’ to help render the ideas of the album visually.

The wild ride of Oblivion races towards a final beguiling opiate on 'The Last Lullaby' — the perfect sedative after the rush of information and emotion that comes with a full-length trip through Romare's vivid, uniquely creative world of sound.

Zehn Jahre nachdem Lord Of The Lost die Menschheit erstmals auf die Suche nach einem Paradies jenseits ihrer eigenen Trümmer schickten, erscheint “EMPYREAN” nun endlich auf Vinyl.

Als Lord Of The Lost “EMPYREAN” 2016 veröffentlichten, schufen sie ein dystopisches Future-Metal-Konzeptalbum von epischem Ausmaß: eine Science-Fiction-Odyssee über eine Spezies, die sich seit Jahrhunderten selbst zerstört und dabei unaufhörlich der Verheißung von “EMPYREAN” nachjagt, einer vermeintlich perfekten Welt, die sich am Ende auch als letzte Illusion entpuppen könnte. Gothic und Metal verschmelzen mit Glam, Electro, Prog und Industrial zu einem übermächtigen Gesamtsound, getragen von einem dominanten elektronischen Fundament und durchzogen von Glam-Refrains, die ungebremst auf knallharte Industrial-Attacken treffen, mit Hooks, scharf genug, um selbst die größte Zerstörung zu überstehen.

Zum 10-jährigen Jubiläum des Albums bringt diese limitierte weiße 2LP “EMPYREAN” erstmals auf Vinyl und gibt damit einem der ambitioniertesten Werke der Band endlich das physische Format, auf das Sammler gewartet haben.

"Originally released in 1979 on Sly & Robbie's Taxi label, this album was Black Uhuru's second LP. Recorded at Channel One it set forth a new sound in recorded music technology. The songs blend into dub versions and the mixing is simply stunning. The track Shine Eye Gal also features guitarist Keith Richards"
(but hey, nobody's perfect).

"Hear the meticulous song writing of Michael Rose, joined by Puma Jones & Duckie Simpson, to complete the vocal line-up.

Sly & Robbie and the Taxi Gang created a sublime sonic masterpiece at Channel One studio in Jamaica. They were at their absolute peak of their powers, before being launched as global superstars with Grace Jones.

Black Uhuru went on to be an extremely popular live outfit, touring endlessly around the world, breaking down barriers and making new inroads to territories previously unknown to Jamaican artists.

This Classic reissue is a must for all reggae collectors."

The wait is over, Return To The 37th Chamber is El Michels Affair's highly anticipated follow up to 2009's underground cult classic Enter the 37th Chamber. Churning out classic records since then for the likes of Lee Fields, The Arcs, The Shacks, and tons more, it is clear that EMA's signature sound is stronger & sharper than ever. This time, in addition to re-interpreting the Wu compositions for a live band, EMA pays homage to the production and sonic fog that makes a RZA beat so recognizable. Producer and bandleader Leon Michels recorded the album completely analog, sometimes hitting 6 generations of tape before it was ready for mixing, giving the Return to The 37th Chamber it's own hazy sound. Adding to the unique fidelity, the record is laced with psychedelic flourishes, John Carpenter' synths, heavy metal guitars, triumpha0nt horns, and traditional Chinese instruments that make up for the lack of the Wu's superlative vocals. From start to finish it's a dark trip that walks the line between RZA's timeless hip-hop aesthetic and the cinematic soul EMA has become known for. El Michels Affair tackles some classics like 4th Chamber and Wu Tang Aint Nuthin to Fuck Wit, as well as some deeper cuts like Ol Dirty Bastard's Snakes, Raekwon's Verbal Intercourse, and Shaolin Brew, Wu-Tang's contribution to the St. Ide's Hip Hop endorsement campaign from 1994. This time El Michels brings some of the Big Crown family along for the ride. Lee Fields handles vocal duties on Snakes and is joined by Shannon Wise of The Shacks for their version of Tearz, which pays as much homage to the Wendy Rene sample as it does to the Wu-Tang Clan. Lady Wray makes an appearance on the cover of Method Man's hit, All I Need, lending her vocal prowess to what gave the Wu one of their biggest hits of all time. Interspersed throughout the record are some original interludes that are like the rug that ties the room together,' giving Return To The 37th Chamber a cinematic narrative that makes it a proper El Michels Affair record and not just a collection of covers. From the music to the presentation, this album is a perfect example of what can only be achieved through diversity. The end result is as much a kaleidoscope of influences and multiculturalism as the city it was recorded in. El Michels Affair is once again, sounding out the city' that raised them, pulling elements of art and culture from across the country and around the globe to create an album truly unique in it's own right.

2026 Repress

Deadbeat & Tikiman's occasional collaborative performances have since blown the minds of many audiences

Deadbeat. Tikiman. Infinity. Dub. A quadrangle of such obvious statement and perfect musical inference may very well never have been uttered for those of the wholly weeded out persuasion. Indeed, when the great book of Dub music is written the names Scott Monteith and Paul St Hilaire will undoubtedly figure highly in its chapters devoted to recent years. Monteith, the last great prodigal son of the doctrine handed down from the Blue Mount of Lord Scratch and King Tubby, St Hilaire the undisputed voice of a generation, those fanatical warrior monks, followers of the most Holy House of Ernestus and Von Oswald incarnate.

Having developed a fast friendship from their very first meeting in Montreal at the premier Micro Mutek event a decade ago, Deadbeat and Tikiman's occasional collaborative performances have since blown the minds of audiences from Berlin to Tokyo and many points in between. No great surprise then that their first album length venture is a Tour de Force of Dub music of the highest order.

Nearly a year in the making, the genetic code of Deadbeat's Infinity Dubs series gets shot through with a Dreader than Dread Kingstonian logic, hi hats dropping back from the three to the one, Tikiman at his most militant, poetic, fierce, and flowing. These are the recordings of two lions uncaged, and none who bare witness shall escape their fiery judgement.

If music is truly eternal, here be two voices which shall echo in infinity with all the weight, reverence, and dire power unleashed with every tectonic bass hit, and every whimsical turn of phrase. And if these eight burnt offerings are any indication of what happens when these two sit down for a session of smoke and reasoning, here's hoping they choose to do it frequently. Dub without end. Ad Infinitum.

2026 Repress

Inhale. Exhale. Remember to breathe. In that rhythm lies the pulse of being - the ancient echo of stars from which we are made. Breathing is the bridge between the inner cosmos and the outer void. When you breathe, you testify to existence itself: "I am." The Moonrover - a child of reason - abandoned on the cold, dead Moon. It does not feel time, know fear, or comprehend solitude. But a human, in its place, would understand: Silence is not emptiness. It is a mirror. And in that mirror arises the question: "If I am alone, and silence is infinite - who hears my breath?" The answer lies in the breath. Each inhale is resistance against entropy. Each exhale is an act of remembrance. To breathe is to remember that you are not just part of the Universe - you are its awakened part. And just as the Moonrover crawls across grey lunar plains, driven by an unknown purpose, so do you move through life, led by an inner light, until you realize: breath is not just life. It is a prayer sent into silence. And if you can hear it - you are alive.

As has been the case with a number of releases on Punctuality so far, Echo Chambered has already gained notoriety as a sleeper hit for those in the know. Fans of Evan Baggs and Rey Colino’s Radar stream from Dekmantel 2025 will instantly recognise Carousel, pulled from a white-label dubplate about half an hour into the set. Fast forward nine months and a flood of track ID requests later and PNCT011 is finally here: five expertly crafted rollers from a modern master of the craft, Bliss Inc.

It’s easy to see why there has been so much demand for Carousel. Its earworm vocal, delicate percussion programming, undulating low end and spacey sound design land it squarely in the sweet spot between the minimal, progressive and contemporary tech house that so many
diggers are seeking out.

While the A1 is an undeniable hit, each track truly sounds like a hard-to-find early 2000s gem—the kind of record a Discogs shark will flip for extortionate rates. Why? Maybe it’s the rolling basslines, the understated grooves, the organic but club-ready percussion, the vocal samples or the cerebral FX.

Maybe it’s the mature, floor-focused arrangements, or the way Bliss Inc. nods to different corners of the dance music spectrum while maintaining a distinct signature. Or more simply, perhaps it’s because each track is an expertly constructed club tool —built for DJs, but just as rewarding for listeners.

However you want to hear it, Echo Chambered has all the markings of a Punctuality classic. With all five tracks doing damage in equal measures, you know what to do…

Love Glow Vinyl, auf 700 Stück limitiert. Wendecover. Inkl. Poster, Insert, Downloadcode und CD (Album + Film "Im Zeichen des Zwillings". Wer nach dem von der Presse hochgelobten Vorgänger ,Remove The Ties" dachte, das kreative Maximum sei erreicht, wird eines Besseren belehrt. Vibravoid unterwerfen sich nicht dem zerstörerischen Zwang, das Vorgängeralbum übertreffen zu müssen - sie tun es einfach. Auf ,A Reason For Now" zeigt die Band, wie tief die DNA der Jahre 1966 bis 1968 in ihrem Sound verwurzelt ist. Vibravoid kopieren nichts - noch nicht einmal sich selbst. Sie distanzieren sich von den inflationär verwendeten Begriffen, die sie einst selbst popularisiert haben, und erklären die Popmusik zur neuen Droge. ,A Reason For Now" ist ein mitreißender Rausch, der sofort infiziert - ein fieberhafter LSD-Rausch aus Verzerrung und surrealen Traumfrequenzen.

Ein Gespräch mit Thee Sinseers kurz vor der Veröffentlichung ihres neuen Albums ,Love Stories" bei Colemine Records macht eines ganz deutlich: Dies ist kein Album, das eine glatte und ordentliche Liebesgeschichte erzählt. Es geht hier nicht um das Happy End. Es geht um alles, was davor, danach und trotz allem passiert. Auf dieser LP hat sich die Band auf eine erdigere Instrumentierung konzentriert - Kontrabass, Gitarren, die durch Verstärker laufen, um einen wärmeren, an die Sechziger angelehnten Klang zu erzielen - und sich von allem inspirieren lassen, wo es sich bot, selbst an den unwahrscheinlichsten Orten. Es ist dieses genreübergreifende Denken, das Sänger Joey Quiñones als das bestimmende Merkmal der Platte ansieht. "Es fühlte sich zu keinem Zeitpunkt so an, als würden wir Soul-Musik machen", sagt er. ,Es fühlte sich an, als würden wir einfach unsere Musik machen." Die Band wollte etwas Ehrlicheres einfangen als nur die Höhepunkte - sie wollte die Höhen und Tiefen romantischer Beziehungen zeigen und gleichzeitig den Rahmen erweitern, um auch das Familiäre, das Komplizierte und das Ungelöste einzubeziehen. Die Eltern der Bandmitglieder sind auf dem Albumcover zu sehen, ihre eigenen Liebesgeschichten sind in die visuelle Identität der Platte eingewoben, manche dieser Geschichten bestehen noch, andere nicht. ,Jeder einzelne Songtitel führt dich auf einen anderen Weg der Liebe - egal, ob du gewinnst oder verlierst." Quiñones wollte, dass die Zuhörer sich auf diese Mehrdeutigkeit einlassen. ,Liebe ist unendlich", sagt er. ,Sie reicht über ein Leben hinaus. Ich möchte, dass die Leute immer noch verwirrt sind - ich möchte, dass es wie ein offenes Buch bleibt." Doch eines bleibt durchgehend konstant: das Bekenntnis von Thee Sinseers zu ihrer Herkunft. Diese East-LA-Identität stellt sich nicht zur Schau - sie existiert einfach, eingewoben in das Gewebe der Musik, ohne als Abzeichen getragen zu werden. Hier wird kein Liebeskummer vorgetäuscht, sondern es ist das Echte.

The Weather Channel is the new instrumental album from Bad Brains bassist Darryl Jenifer. It follows his 2010 solo debut, In Search of Black Judas. The record features a venerable lineup of heavy-hitters from the jazz world, including the likes of John Medeski, Ben Perowsky, Jack DeJohnette, and Lenny White, among others. The tracklist includes nine new compositions, as well as new interpretations of two Bad Brains classics.

“Environments 3” is one of ‘the great lost albums’ by The Future Sound Of London and these sessions have taken on almost mythical status with the group’s fan base. It was initially due for release after the 1993 release of the UK Top 10 album hit “Lifeforms”, but that didn’t happen. Instead, much later in 2010, it came on CD and download. Only now is it being released on vinyl for the first time..



This release also comes after the success of the first two installments which have sold steadily across the different volumes over the years and still climbing. This third volume is a sparse, highly minimal, and vivid departure from their dense 1990s period, and cited as one of the standout ambient releases of its time with FSOL in fine creative form. Reviewers at the time noted he complete absence of the heavy, spacey atmospheres of Lifeforms or the dark chaos of Dead Cities with delicate textures and moody variety throughout. While mostly calm and meditative, certain cuts evoke a desolate, lonely, or gently industrial feel.

Fort Romeau debuts on Rekids with the ‘Lovin’ U’ EP.

The British producer's three-track release lands this September. London-based DJ and producer Fort Romeau arrives on Rekids with the ‘Lovin’ U’ EP, releasing 11th September 2026. Opening the release, the title track beams sunshine through 8-bit melodies and a repeating, hypnotic vocal shot through with tasteful echoes, all underpinned by a tight drum groove. ‘No Limit’ dives into more of that endless depth, its vocal sample floating over the groove as delectable piano keys bring the party. Closing things out, the Trip Mix of ‘Breathe’ eases the pace, snappy rhythms laying the foundation while dubby chords spring through a track built for daydreaming.

Fort Romeau, aka Michael Greene, has spent more than a decade shaping a sound that blends deep house, hypnotic techno and ambient influences. His productions have appeared on labels including Ghostly International, Running Back, Live at Robert Johnson, Cocoon and Permanent Vacation, alongside more than 100 remixes for a wide range of artists. As a DJ, he's contributed mixes to BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix, the Resident Advisor Podcast and Circoloco Radio, while his latest EP for Rawax became one of Juno's bestselling records of 2026.

The first new material from Krash Slaughta since last autumn finds our man dropping a tuff 45 featuring two dope ATCQ remixes. And what else to call that but ATCK a.k.a. ‘A Tribe Called Krash’! First up is Scenario which gets a gritty guitar-led new beat making it sound closer to something by Gravediggaz at their noisiest (or even DMX) than the Afro-centric jazz-hope vibes of Native Tongues. Over on the flip, a co-production with, and tribute to, the now sadly departed Del the Soul Condor, takes Low End Theory’s Buggin’ Out and sticks with the jazzy vibes but swaps Buggin’s minimal double-bass dominated shenanigans for something rather more Latinate and Bonita Applebum-esque. Naturally these are as cheeky as they come so it’s a strickly limited affair. Don’t sleep…

A deep cut from the extensive back catalogue of South African group Splash, significant artists in the narrative of the country’s fiercely independent Gallo Record Company, CWPT presents two uplifting mixes of 1990’s ‘An Eye For An Eye’, arranged by a modern day hero of the craft, Lipelis.

Originally released in parallel with the official beginning of the end of South Africa’s decades-long Apartheid, lead vocalist Daniel Tshanda dispels the philosophy of the track’s title, instead offering a still poignant call for unity; “An eye for an eye is no good… Let’s live together as one.”

Lipelis’s carefully crafted take retains this sentiment front and centre, while nudging the arrangement toward contemporary dancefloors, enriching a steady and bubbling mix of colourful keys, bubblegum percussion and a lifting backing chorus that includes another Gallo sensation, Dalom Kids.

These same voices form the spiritual centre of Lipelis’s 12” dub version, which further demonstrates the track’s irresistible rhythm, making space for complimentary piano melodies from Lipelis, alongside collaborator Eugene Piankov. Here, sunsetting piano lines dance with the analogue techniques of Lipelis’s own production instincts, forging a blissful tribute to a potent moment in South African musical history.

Still hot on the heels of compiling the first volume of the Italian Dancefloor Outsiders, and moved by the urge to explore new musical landscapes and discover sounds produced in subsequent years, we decided to continue our quest of tracking an alternative map of what was happen- ing in the Italian electronic music scene. This second volume takes inspiration from the concept of “Mezzanotte Mezzogiorno” (literally “from Midnight to Midday”), a term first used for a now legendary party held in 1992 at Club Imperi- ale in Tirrenia, Tuscany. The owner of the club, Roberto Pannocchia, was eager to attract a different kind of audience to his venue and so decided to extend the closing time until midday, well beyond the Italian law limits. But as Imperiale was a members club, he was allowed to do it, and he already knew that this act would forever shape the Italian club scene. "Mezzanotte Mezzogiorno" was then used to describe long dancing marathons that lasted for the whole weekend, spread across clubs, after-parties and more off-the-grid open air venues but, most of all, became the symbol of an era. The music ranged from slow, pitched-down landscapes to epic techno progressions, filling both feverishly packed big rooms and colourful chillout zones. A parabola of musical move- ments related to specific genres was born, reaching its peak and then fading towards the end of the millenium.

Originally produced over two decades ago, Wormhole returns fully remastered for 2026, pairing the unmistakable sound of DJ Quest & Odissi with a fresh remix from Spanish breakbeat heavyweights Destroyers.
The original remains everything that made early Cyberfunk stand out: deep rolling basslines, futuristic atmospheres and precision-engineered breaks that still sound ahead of their time. Alongside it, Destroyers inject modern dancefloor energy, tightening the groove with their trademark Spanish breaks sound while keeping the character of the original firmly intact.
This is another key release from the Cyberfunk vault, bridging the classic Bassline Breaks era with today's generation of producers and DJs.

Tracklisting
A. Wormhole (2026 Remaster)
A timeless Cyberfunk classic featuring Odissi, combining hypnotic melodies, heavy low-end pressure and rolling breakbeats that continue to work on modern systems.
AA. Wormhole (Destroyers Remix)
Destroyers deliver a contemporary club weapon, adding their signature percussion, energy and production polish while respecting the original's unmistakable identity.
——

Almost Starlight is the extraordinary new album by Jem Finer (hurdy-gurdy) and John Matthias (violin). Produced by Jay Auborn and recorded in a Medieval Church, deep in the Devon countryside, in the Summer of 2025, the music is suffused with light, heat and the natural acoustics of the space.

The album defies categorisation; forced to pigeon hole it the nearest approximation would be ‘modern-classical’ but this ignores its myriad influences and explorations which encompass inspiration from Arvo Pärt through Terry Riley to Can via Delius, Alice Coltrane and a subtle reimagining of electronic music played purely with acoustic instruments, bending and shaping their possibilities in surprising and unexpected directions.

Jay Auborn plays cello on a number of the compositions and his production opens up and expands the music through a skilled and imaginative use of space, paying homage to the atmosphere of the church; ‘the sound evolved… chasing the imagined acoustics of that church in my mind; a place for worshipping light with sound.’

Almost Starlight will be released on the 4th September by Touch, available as CD, vinyl, cassette and on streaming platforms.

BIOS OF THE ARTISTS

Jem Finer

Since studying computer science in the 1970s, Jem Finer has worked in various fields, including photography, film, experimental and popular music, sound recording, sculpture and installation.

Much of his work relates to systems, extended processes and extremes of scale and includes Longplayer, a musical composition repeating once every 1000 years, and the Gurdy and Hurdy stones, ancient rocks set upright in fields in East Sussex and Gloucestershire with Jimmy Cauty. Their work together includes a band, The Standing Stones, whose most recent release is Twa Sisters, featuring Iona Zajac and Daragh Lynch.

He was a founder member of The Pogues, with whom he has played, written and recorded since 1981.

Recent music revolves around a fascination with the hurdy-gurdy and includes hrdy-grdy, a cassette released by Benedict Drew’s Thanet Tape Centre. His latest collaboration, with John Matthias, Almost Starlight, will be released by Touch in September 2026.

John Matthias

Since studying Theoretical Physics in the late 1980s and 1990s, John has created music and sound in many forms, including for installation, popular music, music for film, for dance and orchestra.

Much of John’s work plays with the physics of complex systems but he is also greatly influenced by stories and song. John has collaborated with Matthew Herbert, Stanley Donwood, Jay Auborn, Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Nick Ryan and many others to create music with a variety of textures and sonorities. He is particularly interested in simplicity and form and how context informs the way music sounds.

His latest collaboration, with Jem Finer, Almost Starlight, will be released by Touch in September 2026.

It is a real testament to the enduring quality of the early tech house blueprint laid down by Eddie Richards that whether he drops reissues of his early classics or more recent sounds, they always sell out. This EP arrived last summer and soon flew off the shelves os it is back once again on purple vinyl this time and sounding as fearsome as ever. 'Destiny' is roomy, with swung drums bringing a pendulous groove as twanging modulations and freaky vocals linger in the spaces. 'The Soul' is quicker and fleshes out with broad synth stokes and a bubbly low end. It's pure dancing tackle with a moody soul.

Emerging from the Hungarian underground, POST ANALOG DISORDER inhabits the fractured space where EBM, hard-beat techno and post-punk converge. Cold, spectral melodies collide with relentless machine rhythms, dissolving the boundaries between body music, industrial tension and guitar-driven darkness into a singular, uncompromising language.

Driven by heavy analogue basslines, razor-sharp sequencers, haunting female vocals and hypnotic guitar motifs, the duo shapes a sound that is both mechanical and deeply human. Each composition unfolds through constant friction, balancing disciplined repetition with emotional instability, where raw physical force meets moments of haunting introspection.

Rather than revisiting the vocabulary of classic EBM, POST ANALOG DISORDER deconstructs and reconfigures it through a contemporary, forward-looking perspective. The result is an immersive work of hypnotic intensity, suspended between industrial ritual, post-punk melancholy and uncompromising electronic experimentation—a record conceived not only for the darkest dancefloors, but for those drawn to the outer edges of underground electronic music.

Originally released in 1995 Methodrone was the first Brian Jonestown Massacre album. Redolent with the spirit of such high priests of effects and delay as Loop, Spaceman 3, and My Bloody Valentine, not to mention a fair dollop of the Jesus and Mary Chain ,over 70 minutes long Methodrone clearly is the sum of its influences..

In 2001, Shin’ichi Ogawa of Sugar Plant was working for the SAL Disc record label and came up with the idea of doing an E2-E4 tribute album with his friends. This album would come off the back of a Neil Young tribute album which might have seemed odd but these two artists, Neil Young and Ashra (Manuel Göttsching), would be played regularly as equals at after-parties that Shini’ichi would throw at his house. Longtime friend and collaborator, Taro Yoda, noted that the eclecticism of these after-parties were influenced by the variety of parties they were attending at the time, from the legendary Japanese open-air rave party Life Force to Cream at Amnesia in Ibiza. Taro was obsessed with European trance and left-field downtempo while the two members of Sugar Plant were into ’70s soul—especially Marvin Gaye and William DeVaughn and at the same time, they were listening to Phish and the Grateful Dead too. All three of them were of course inspired by the DJ’ing and selections of Larry Levan.

A- Side – Sugar Plant – “Just Be There” – Production began in my home studio. Since I was frequently attending a house party called “Life Force” (with DJ Nick the Record as the resident DJ) at the time, I thought deep house would be the perfect style for a Sugar Plant cover.
I looped a two-chord electric piano track and applied filters using plugins and outboard gear to create a “sound I could listen to forever.” I recorded the bass on guitar and converted it to an analog synth (Doepfer MS-404).

From there, I layered synths improvisationally, listening to the track over and over again to make fine adjustments. I think I worked on it for days, mostly late at night.
I recorded the guitar at the very end of the track. After playing it a few times ad lib without any set plan, I suddenly had the idea to add vocals during the bridge, so I set up a mic in my hallway and recorded them.

I think this track is packed with the emotions I felt when listening to “E2-E4” back then, as well as the vibe I experienced at that party. – Shin’ichi Ogawa

The Comfort enters the double digits of its catalogue with the label’s most ambitious release to date by Saudi Arabian artist Noboot, titled “Call and Pulsate”.

Fluid in genre yet wholeheartedly electro in spirit, Noboot’s creative output shapeshifts across the record: from four-to-the-floor acid-tinged propulsion to time-freezing illuminations, with neon-coloured synths, body-twisting low ends and piercing drum hits mutating throughout the album, and often within the tracks themselves.

Noboot’s capacity for sonic manipulation is on full display here with the pieces moving with a captivating direction and command. Sometimes gentle, sometimes dramatic, but always carried with a particular elegance and poise. To listen to the record from start to finish is to step into Noboot’s own conceptual world, one in which the artist has the confidence to take floor-oriented dance music and elevate it both in spirit and form.

There is composure and ambition in this approach. Tracks move the listener from one emotional state to another in the span of six minutes: not merely teasing transformation, but by fully taking the listener there. To deliver on that ambition requires control and idiosyncratic intuition. If “Desolated Delay” and “Timer Set” are striking examples of Noboot’s capacity for propulsion, “Meter Tired” shows the other side of their talent: the ability to make time feel briefly suspended in a weightless flux of cybernetic psychedelia.

To achieve this once or twice would already be impressive. To sustain it across an album of this scale is rare in electronic dance music, and makes The Comfort’s tenth release a defining moment in the label’s catalogue.

Precious Bloom producer Dea returns on the Rush Hour Store Jams imprint with a fresh four tracker... tip!

The idea for Fairlight began shortly after Aradea Barandana purchased a Yamaha DX1 synthesizer. While exploring its presets, one sound in particular—called Fairlight sparked the initial concept for the EP. From there came the desire to create an Italo wave inspired track that would feel fresh to contemporary ears while still referencing the character of early electronic music.

Rather than following the traditional structure of dance music where drum machines and synthesizers lock into repetitive synchronized patterns the EP approaches composition more like a narrative. The music gradually unfolds, allowing melodies and harmonies to evolve so the listener is encouraged to stay with the piece from beginning to end.

Some of the harmonic ideas draw inspiration from Baroque music, particularly chromatic ascending progressions and voice-leading techniques. In contrast, other moments introduce playful bubblegum-inspired synth lines, adding lightness and color to the overall sound.

The result is a small collection of tracks that sit between nostalgia and experimentation where vintage synthesizers meet a compositional approach that values movement, surprise, and a sense of musical journey.

Frazer Ray lands on Time Is Now with Masha EP. Four tracks of killer, stripped back FWD facing proto/future garage effortlessly pushing the sound into a new direction.

FACTS:

1. Frazer Ray knows how to make a dance. IYKYK…. Recently he’s been shelling Live UKG cooked right in front of you on a custom modular rig. Mad energy. 100% party business.

2. Frazer Ray knows a thing or two about making UK soundsystem music. The artist FKA Soundbwoy Killah is now a decade deep in his discography. And first as ‘Soundbwoy Killah’ and now as ‘Frazer Ray’ he is 2 for 2 with aliases that never miss.

3. New Frazer Ray is always something to get excited about. For 10+ years he’s kept it super tight. Quality over quantity. Always holding dubplates. When releases have landed they drop on only the best labels; including both Rinse and Rinse’s new INGRAM imprint, Ninja Tune’s Technicolour imprint, Sneaker Social Club, Interplanetary Criminal’s Locked On and IPC & Main Phase’s ATW Records. (side note - his Soundbowy Killah - ‘Halcyon Daze’ LP on Sneaker is IMO an all time classic - do not sleep on that one). Aaaannd… if the dubplates got too heavy he’s also occasionally dropped weight on his own U-Phorix label.

Also…..what has always struck me about Frazer’s music is that it’s simultaneously integral in the hardcode continuum while also pushing it forward. It’s always complete. Fully formed. You never bristle. There’s no failed experiments. Just a firm nod to the future for anyone looking.

OK… Run the tracks.

Masha’s vocal licks tell it straight, this one is “Fire”. Proper club business to test the stacks. The drums roll steady in front of a wall of sub bass. A killer mix of post dubstep era goodness, techno sound design and the shuffle & swing of proto dubstep.

Settle Down There’s something 90’s tek step about this one. Dark and moody with a wall of bass. It bristles with texture and atmosphere before – a moment of reprieve in this absolute weapon – Frazer opens up into a dubwise oasis before skittering back into the darkness.

Syren Song is exactly what it says on the tin, alluring Dancehall vocals chatter and roll. Who knew auto-tune and Garage paired so well… Frazer did that’s who.

No Reasons Left is an ethereal closer for the end of the night / start of the morning after. Gliding warm & introspective dubwise breaks with a Reese bassline that hangs in the space between garage and hardcore.

Frazer says…

“This EP feels like I've finally nailed integrating my modular setup (and VCV rack for all you nerds out there) into my productions. I wanted to create deeper production while still ensuring the tracks translate well in the club.”

If this is only the beginning then strap in.

7" collaboration between Felix Kubin and Bound By Endogamy who first met in 2024 at a Bongo Joe Records night at Petit Bain in Paris. Stück I explores the failures of a mechanical woman dreaming of perfection - or perhaps the reverse. Stück II takes the form of a prayer glorifying pesticides and those who generously distribute them.

Bei ihrer Ankunft in den USA anlässlich der ersten landesweiten Tournee von The Tubs sagte Frontmann Owen Williams gegenüber dem ,New Yorker": ,Wir sind hier, um das Land zu vereinen. Wir werden so etwa dreimal kommen. Bis dann, denke ich, wird dieser Ort anfangen zu heilen." Und genau das taten sie dann auch voller Freude: Sie quetschten sich in einen Transporter und durchquerten die Vereinigten Staaten kreuz und quer, um den Massen ihren literarischen, verschlafenen, lebensmüden, ,Nacht-deines-Lebens`- Hochseilakt zu präsentieren, als dieser am dringendsten gebraucht wurde. Den Tubs hat es nie an Ehrgeiz gefehlt - auf ,Hard Life" geht es ihnen darum, das ,Tub-ullar"-Erlebnis zu verkomplizieren. Nachdem sie ihre Chemie über zwei vorherige Alben, Hunderte von Auftritten und ein ständig wachsendes Universum von Bands aus dem Londoner Gob Nation Collective (The TSG, Sniffany & The Nits, Spike und Garden Centre) perfektioniert haben, dringt die in London ansässige keltische Jangle-Boyband - Williams (Gesang, Gitarre, Keyboards, Bass), Dan Lucas (Gitarre), Taylor Stewart (Schlagzeug) und Max Warren (Bass) - dringen noch tiefer in das schillernde Herz des virtuosen Indie-Rocks vor. Zu ihnen gesellen sich die regelmäßigen Mitstreiter Lan McArdle (Gesang), George Nicholls (Gitarre) und Rachel Kenedy (Keyboards), die alle schon seit den Tagen von Joanna Gruesome an verschiedenen Projekten im Umfeld von ,The Tubs" mitgewirkt haben; doch das Geheimnis der Üppigkeit von ,Hard Life" ist die Mitwirkung des Geigers Chris Haigh, eines Musiklehrers und Session-Musikers, der mit dem Steps-Hit ,5, 6, 7, 8" unauslöschliche Spuren im britischen Pop hinterlassen hat. In Anlehnung an Williams' Einsatz von Trillern in den Gesangsmelodien untermalt Haighs Geige den wehmütigen Gesang des Sängers wie ein blauer Fleck. Bei ,Stoop to Me", dem folkigsten und klimperndsten Popsong des Albums, ergänzen Haighs Licks Williams in seinen selbstironischsten Momenten - das schiefe Lächeln eines Mannes, der versucht, nicht zu zeigen, wie sehr ihn die unerwiderte Liebe verletzt. Beim Album-Opener und Titelsong ,Hard Life" ist es die Süße der aufsteigenden Geigenlinien im Mix, die die Härte von Williams' Texten mit den mitreißenden Hymnen von The Tubs verbindet. Die harte Linie, die Williams hier und an anderen Stellen auf ,Hard Life" einschlägt, stellt die Vorstellung vom typischen Tubs-Song weiter auf den Kopf. Die Figur, die den Hörern von ,Cotton Crown" und ,Dead Meat" vertraut ist - um Williams: ,die Nabelschau über romantische Erniedrigung, Londoner Elend und die Demütigungen von Trauer und Zwangsstörungen" - ist nach wie vor präsent, doch ebenso gibt es eine zweite Stimme, die härter und erfahrener ist. ,Die zweite Figur hat nicht viel Zeit für die erste", erklärt Williams, ,und hält ihm oft seine Selbstgefälligkeit und Unreife vor; manchmal zu Recht, manchmal zu Unrecht." Es ist dieser Nörgler, der auf der Lead-Single ,Who's Gonna Love You Now?" im Mittelpunkt steht. Seine Fragen - von der im Titel genannten bis hin zu konkreteren Sorgen wie ,Wer bezahlt die Miete?" - stehen in spöttischem Gegensatz zu Ideen wie dem Umzug in die Stadt und dem Beginn eines wirklich erfüllten Lebens. Obwohl Williams den Griesgram spielt, ist der Song ein echter Raver, bei dem Gitarren über einem von Orgelklängen erhellten Horizont erklingen. ,Es ist dein Leben", singt Williams, während das Leben unter ihm vor sich hin tuckert und dabei außerordentlich lebhaft klingt. Er hätte wohl wenig Mitgefühl für den liebeskranken Williams aus ,If You Don't Love Me" - verdammt, seine gesamte Existenz wirkt wie eine Warnung, dass die Art von romantischen Verstrickungen, unter denen man in jungen Jahren leidet, in Einsamkeit, Scheitern und einem Posteingang enden wird, der mit ungelesenen Substacks überfüllt ist. Auf ,Hard Life" streiten diese Stimmen, bedrängen sich gegenseitig, verschmelzen miteinander und lösen sich wieder voneinander, manchmal sogar im Laufe eines einzigen Songs. Sie sind zwei Seiten derselben Medaille, Menschen, die Trauer, Enttäuschung, Reue und Scham erlebt haben und als veränderte Menschen aus den Trümmern hervorgehen. ,Mich interessiert, wie Mitgefühl und Geduld für jemanden, der leidet, immer irgendwann zu Ende gehen", sagt Williams. ,Wie das sowohl etwas Gutes und Befreiendes als auch etwas Trauriges und Brutales sein kann. Aber im Grunde sind es einfach nur Popsongs." Exquisite, unwiderstehliche Popsongs. Man höre sie sich so lange an, bis die Heilung beginnt, und dann noch einmal.

Bei ihrer Ankunft in den USA anlässlich der ersten landesweiten Tournee von The Tubs sagte Frontmann Owen Williams gegenüber dem ,New Yorker": ,Wir sind hier, um das Land zu vereinen. Wir werden so etwa dreimal kommen. Bis dann, denke ich, wird dieser Ort anfangen zu heilen." Und genau das taten sie dann auch voller Freude: Sie quetschten sich in einen Transporter und durchquerten die Vereinigten Staaten kreuz und quer, um den Massen ihren literarischen, verschlafenen, lebensmüden, ,Nacht-deines-Lebens`- Hochseilakt zu präsentieren, als dieser am dringendsten gebraucht wurde. Den Tubs hat es nie an Ehrgeiz gefehlt - auf ,Hard Life" geht es ihnen darum, das ,Tub-ullar"-Erlebnis zu verkomplizieren. Nachdem sie ihre Chemie über zwei vorherige Alben, Hunderte von Auftritten und ein ständig wachsendes Universum von Bands aus dem Londoner Gob Nation Collective (The TSG, Sniffany & The Nits, Spike und Garden Centre) perfektioniert haben, dringt die in London ansässige keltische Jangle-Boyband - Williams (Gesang, Gitarre, Keyboards, Bass), Dan Lucas (Gitarre), Taylor Stewart (Schlagzeug) und Max Warren (Bass) - dringen noch tiefer in das schillernde Herz des virtuosen Indie-Rocks vor. Zu ihnen gesellen sich die regelmäßigen Mitstreiter Lan McArdle (Gesang), George Nicholls (Gitarre) und Rachel Kenedy (Keyboards), die alle schon seit den Tagen von Joanna Gruesome an verschiedenen Projekten im Umfeld von ,The Tubs" mitgewirkt haben; doch das Geheimnis der Üppigkeit von ,Hard Life" ist die Mitwirkung des Geigers Chris Haigh, eines Musiklehrers und Session-Musikers, der mit dem Steps-Hit ,5, 6, 7, 8" unauslöschliche Spuren im britischen Pop hinterlassen hat. In Anlehnung an Williams' Einsatz von Trillern in den Gesangsmelodien untermalt Haighs Geige den wehmütigen Gesang des Sängers wie ein blauer Fleck. Bei ,Stoop to Me", dem folkigsten und klimperndsten Popsong des Albums, ergänzen Haighs Licks Williams in seinen selbstironischsten Momenten - das schiefe Lächeln eines Mannes, der versucht, nicht zu zeigen, wie sehr ihn die unerwiderte Liebe verletzt. Beim Album-Opener und Titelsong ,Hard Life" ist es die Süße der aufsteigenden Geigenlinien im Mix, die die Härte von Williams' Texten mit den mitreißenden Hymnen von The Tubs verbindet. Die harte Linie, die Williams hier und an anderen Stellen auf ,Hard Life" einschlägt, stellt die Vorstellung vom typischen Tubs-Song weiter auf den Kopf. Die Figur, die den Hörern von ,Cotton Crown" und ,Dead Meat" vertraut ist - um Williams: ,die Nabelschau über romantische Erniedrigung, Londoner Elend und die Demütigungen von Trauer und Zwangsstörungen" - ist nach wie vor präsent, doch ebenso gibt es eine zweite Stimme, die härter und erfahrener ist. ,Die zweite Figur hat nicht viel Zeit für die erste", erklärt Williams, ,und hält ihm oft seine Selbstgefälligkeit und Unreife vor; manchmal zu Recht, manchmal zu Unrecht." Es ist dieser Nörgler, der auf der Lead-Single ,Who's Gonna Love You Now?" im Mittelpunkt steht. Seine Fragen - von der im Titel genannten bis hin zu konkreteren Sorgen wie ,Wer bezahlt die Miete?" - stehen in spöttischem Gegensatz zu Ideen wie dem Umzug in die Stadt und dem Beginn eines wirklich erfüllten Lebens. Obwohl Williams den Griesgram spielt, ist der Song ein echter Raver, bei dem Gitarren über einem von Orgelklängen erhellten Horizont erklingen. ,Es ist dein Leben", singt Williams, während das Leben unter ihm vor sich hin tuckert und dabei außerordentlich lebhaft klingt. Er hätte wohl wenig Mitgefühl für den liebeskranken Williams aus ,If You Don't Love Me" - verdammt, seine gesamte Existenz wirkt wie eine Warnung, dass die Art von romantischen Verstrickungen, unter denen man in jungen Jahren leidet, in Einsamkeit, Scheitern und einem Posteingang enden wird, der mit ungelesenen Substacks überfüllt ist. Auf ,Hard Life" streiten diese Stimmen, bedrängen sich gegenseitig, verschmelzen miteinander und lösen sich wieder voneinander, manchmal sogar im Laufe eines einzigen Songs. Sie sind zwei Seiten derselben Medaille, Menschen, die Trauer, Enttäuschung, Reue und Scham erlebt haben und als veränderte Menschen aus den Trümmern hervorgehen. ,Mich interessiert, wie Mitgefühl und Geduld für jemanden, der leidet, immer irgendwann zu Ende gehen", sagt Williams. ,Wie das sowohl etwas Gutes und Befreiendes als auch etwas Trauriges und Brutales sein kann. Aber im Grunde sind es einfach nur Popsongs." Exquisite, unwiderstehliche Popsongs. Man höre sie sich so lange an, bis die Heilung beginnt, und dann noch einmal.