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Leading Danish trombonist Lis Wessberg is grounded by the concept that a strong melody, and a rich sound are the two most important elements in composition and performance.A continuation of the refined contemporary answer to the"Cool Jazz" sound she"s been cultivating for the past 30 years, her sophomore album"Twain Walking" is set to release on April 12th onApril Records. With more than50 album credits to her name, and having performed and toured with renowned artists including Marilyn Mazur, Fredrik Lundin, Joyce Moreno, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band feat. Randy Brecker, and more, 2021 saw the release of her debut album "Yellow Maps"to critical acclaim from all around Europe. Diving deep into the personal exploration of her creative roots, "Twain Walking"hails from the warm vitality of New Orleans jazz, to the reflective hum of the ECM sound, and the boundary pushing songwriting of Radiohead. With a respectful nod to her influences such as Miles Davis, Curtis Fuller, Danish Erling Kroner, and Palle Mikkelborg, Wessberg operates within thetraditions they established. However, resisting producing a mere echo of the past, she cultivates her owndistinctaesthetic inspired in equal parts by her heroes as well as contemporary zeitgeist. Led by Wessberg"s dynamic trombone playing, her breathlike approach to the instrument mimics a lamenting human voice singing intricately lyrical melodies. Rock inspired drum grooves, thick synth timbres, and cavernous reverbs craft an expansive and dream-like contemporary soundworld in which Wessberg"s thoughtfully crafted compositions can unfold. From spacious,Nordic ballads todance floor psychedelia, the ensemble tackle all ten varied compositions with confidence, maturity, and a dedicated sense of self-expression. Featuring Estonian rising star Karmen Roivassepp on vocals, her effortless soloisticcontributions explore lyrical themes of recognising the beauty in love in life, elevating the record"s melancholic and reflective tone.

Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti is an Amsterdam-based mutli-medium artist who has worked as a performer, theatre maker, vocalist, visual artist, musician and teacher. Raised in Bolivia within Bolivian and Brazilian families. Her notable musical collaborators include: Alabaster DePlume, jaimie branch, Ab Baars, Wilbert de Joode, Eric Boeren, Mary Oliver, Paul Koek, and The Paper Ensemble. Frank Rosaly is a Puerto Rican drummer, composer, and sound designer with several decades of touring, performing, recording, and creating to his name. Born and raised in Arizona, Rosaly was known for his fifteen years of creative work on the Chicago jazz and improvised music scene, before moving to his current residence in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in 2016.

Erlend Øye & La Comitiva - 'La Comitiva': In einer kleinen Stadt wie Siracusa, Italien, findet das gesellige Beisammensein meist in den Häusern der Menschen statt und besteht aus: Zutaten für ein Essen kaufen, das Essen zubereiten und reden, das Essen essen und reden, die Instrumente holen und stundenlang am Tisch sitzen und spielen und singen. Erlend spielt eine Ukulele, Marco spielt Nylonsaitengitarre, Luigi spielt Cavaquinho, ein brasilianisches Samba-Instrument, und Stefano spielt Bass auf denselben Stahlsaitengitarren, die Erlend bei Kings of Convenience verwendet. Die Band wurde während einer Tournee 2018 durch Chile, Argentinien, Kolumbien und Mexiko professionalisiert. Während dieser Tour entstanden viele der ursprünglichen Songs der Band, wie Altiplano, dessen Arrangement in einer staubigen Grenzstation zwischen Chile und Peru stattfand. Nach vielen unfreiwilligen Pausen (Covid, Veröffentlichung des Kings of Convenience-Albums, Veröffentlichung des Marco Castello-Albums) wird die Full Length LP "La Comitiva" im Frühjahr 2024 endlich das Licht der Welt erblicken. 2016 wurde Erlend während des kollaborativen Festivals "People" in Berlin auf das freigeistige Klassik-Ensemble Stargaze aufmerksam und er begann, einige der Mitglieder in Studio-Aufnahme-Sessions und Live-Konzerte mit La Comitiva einzubinden.

Hauptsächlich mit dabei sind: Kobi Arditi (Posaune), Maaike van der Linde (Flöte), Romain Bly (Trompete, Horn und Percussions).

Zoo Min Sha is the solo project of Ryo Konishi, who also performs with the jazz-pop band CRCK/LCKS. 2 songs released in 2023, featuring AAAMYYYY, Ema, and Sara Yoshida (Mononkvl), and themed on parting with people, are now available in analog!

In addition to presiding over CRCK/LCKS, Ryo Konishi has participated in works by Chara and millennium parade, produced music for Amazon Prime Video's "More Than Words", produced music for the opening ceremony of the 2020 Paralympics, and has a growing presence in a wide range of other areas. This is his third analog work. Side A is "Glittering," which features AAAMYYYY as a guest performer and has a magnificent and beautiful sound centered on her clear voice and string quartet. Side B is "I Hear That Song", which features the beautiful ensemble of winds and strings and the gentle, enveloping harmonies of Mononkvl member Sara Yoshida and musical actor/jazz singer Ema. This is a piece as beautiful as a clear sky and a gem of pieces by the splendid members.

Christina Kubisch’s Stromsänger finds this legendary sound artist at the top of her game mixing electromagnetic wave recordings with a score for six voices, creating powerful results. Stromsänger is based on a collaboration with the Norwegian vocal ensemble Trondheim Voices and on a special experience while researching and recording electromagnetic waves in the city of Trondheim.

“The general theme of the composition is the idea of sounds which travel. During a tram ride from the city up to the hills with an old tram I discovered not only stunning views of the surrounding landscape but as well a special soundscape. Wearing a custom made induction headphones, I could hear the normally hidden electromagnetic fields of the tram, which were so impressive and musical to me that I immediately decided to base my piece for Trondheim Voices on this discovery.

As a start, a series of pure vocal recordings were produced by Trondheim Voices while listening to a choice of electromagnetic tram sounds and following score instructions. This material was mixed in my Berlin studio and afterward was played back through a multi-loudspeaker setup into the room of the Elisabeth Church in Berlin and was instantaneously recorded. The emerged recording was played back and recorded again. The process of playing back the previous recording was repeated numerous times, generating numerous “re-recordings”, until the voices sounded aethereal and abstract. The last one of these recordings became the very beginning of the Stromsänger piece.

Part A is based on the electromagnetic sounds of the waiting tram and previously recorded voices. The singers come on stage and start to sing together with their recorded part which slowly fades out while the live singing takes over: a kind of choral for electrical tram waves and voices.

Part B is based on the actual tram ride with strong and intense electromagnetic sounds. The single recordings were treated electronically and were divided into six channels. Each singer has chosen one of these files and improvises with the magnetic sounds as a soloist or in duos or trios.

Part C is based on the itinerary of the tram ride to Lian, where a pilgrim's path starts. The names of the single stops, which have very beautiful and poetic names, are performed together as a kind of "sound poetry". The singers walk around on stage and/or can choose special positions for their performance. The recording of the word "Lian", the final stop, was recorded beforehand and played back and re-recorded several times in the open Norwegian landscape near the final tram stop. The voices slowly disappear and fade out.”

Christina Kubisch, 2024

Bach und Jazz - diese Verbindung besteht seit mehr als 60 Jahren und ist mittlerweile längst nicht mehr neu - aber wieder immer neu zu entdecken. Und mit "About Bach" ist die aktuelle LP-Veröffentlichung der Vinyl-Edition Black Forest Sounds ein weiterer musikalischer und klanglicher Leckerbissen für Musikfreunde, eingespielt von Johannes Mössinger im Ensemblehaus des Freiburger Barockorchesters auf einem Steinway D-Flügel. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) ist unstrittig einer der wichtigsten Komponisten überhaupt. Seine Musik übt auf viele Musiker einen Reiz aus, vor allem aber auf Jazzer. Spätestens seit der Franzose Jacques Loussier Ende der 50er Jahre mit "Play Bach" die Grenzüberschreitung zwischen zwei Musikwelten etablierte, haben sich viele Jazzmusiker vor allem eben mit J.S. Bach beschäftigt und diesen immer wieder neu aufgearbeitet... Hier ein weiteres Meisterwerk, eingespielt vom Freiburger Pianisten Johannes Mössinger, der sich seit vielen Jahren (auch) mit Bach beschäftigt. Der 1964 geborene Musiker ist seit fast 30 Jahren auf der Jazzszene aktiv, unternahm aber Ausflüge in die Klassik und hat seit vielen Jahren immer wieder Bach-Themen aufgenommen. Im Jazz arbeitete er mit zahlreichen US-Musikern, wie Joe Lovano, Joel Frahm, Don Bradon und Adam Nussbaum zusammen, um mit denen vor allem seine eigenen Kompositionen zu präsentieren. Mösssinger hat seine ganz eigene Sichtweise auf Bach und kombiniert Bach mit seiner eigenen Musik: "Wie Mössinger Bach verwandelt, so verwandelt die Musik auch den Zuhörenden: Ein Gang durch eine sorgfältig kuratierte Gegenüberstellung, die den Blick auf Bach schärft, herausfordert und verändert. Bach hat sich bewegt, wurde bewegt, hat seine Räumlichkeit verändert und die Position gewechselt. Am Ende scheint ein anderes Licht darauf", schreibt die Musikerin und Autorin Maria Reich in den Liner Notes zur LP.

As its maiden release, Tbilisi Records presents the recordings by one of the essential Georgian jazz formations of the 1980s. Alexandre Kiladze's Jazz Choral, formed in 1985, featured an impressive lineup of 11 vocalists complemented by a full band. Alongside standards, the ensemble's material contained many outstanding, stylistically versatile originals lushly arranged into the layered vocal harmonies juxtaposed against the band's tuneful, dynamic play. The polyphony Jazz Choral displays draws equally from Georgian folklore and vocal jazz band tradition. This singular fusion of these two culturally distinct elements creates a remarkable listening experience often emulated by newer Georgian jazz formations thereafter.

2024 heißt es 20 JAHRE CHINESE MAN (RECORDS)! Das aus Südfrankreich stammende Trio Chinese Man (bestehend aus High Ku, Matteo & Sly) tritt seit seiner ersten VÖ unabhängig unter der Fahne des eigenen Label Chinese Man Records auf. Gegründet 2004, beziehen sie ihre Einflüsse vor allem aus dem Hip-Hop, Trip-Hop, aber auch aus Dub, Electro und Reggae. Mit über 600 Shows weltweit im Rücken, kehrt die Band 2024 für ihrem dritten richtigem Album zurück, eund einer explosiven Live-Show. Dieses neue Album wurde in den Studios des Labels in Marseille sowie in Paris, im Studio Zarma und im berühmten Studio Ferber in Paris aufgenommen, insbesondere mit dem Orchester "L'Ensemble Hors Champ". Die Leitung des Orchesters wurde Gilles Alonzo anvertraut, einem der Gruppe nahestehenden Musiker, der die Orchesterparts für sechs der 13 Titel des Albums mitkomponiert und arrangiert hat. Zu den Gästen des Albums gehören z.B. General Elektriks, KT Gorique, Stylo G, Isadora, Youthstar & Miscellaneous, FP & Green T (ASM) und Stogie T. Die Gruppe hat außerdem Ferdinand Lemoine für Bläserarrangements eingeladen. Lemoine hat bereits mit dem Funk-Produzenten Dabeull und der Pianistin Sofiane Pamart zusammengearbeitet. Wie schon bei ihrem ersten Album vor zehn Jahren hat die Gruppe beschlossen, Sodi (Studio Zarma) für die Koproduktion und den Mix des neuen Albums sowie Antoine Chabert (Studio Chab) für das Mastering zu engagieren. Die Gruppe kehrt mit dem Wunsch zurück, ihr Album einem erneut größeren Publikum zu präsentieren. Drei Vorab-Singles bereiten dafür bereits den Weg.Doppel-LP (schwarzes Vinyl) sowie CD!

FOLTERKAMMER bietet ein Klangerlebnis, wie man es noch nie zuvor gehört hat. Das New Yorker-schweizerisch-französische Ensemble verschmilzt gekonnt Elemente von Barockmusik, Black Metal, Oper, Jazz und Klassik zu einer fesselnden und zugleich verstörenden Mischung. Ihr Century Media-Debüt "Weibermacht", ein Begriff, der von Sängerin Andromeda Anarchia mit oktavierendem Geschick als "Bitch Power" übersetzt wurde, taucht sofort ins Provokative ein und sprengt schon beim ersten Stück "Anno Domina" die Grenzen. Der komplett auf Deutsch gesungene Song leitet einen 45-minütigen thematischen Abstecher in die Tiefen des BDSM ein, wo Schmerz und Lust miteinander verschmelzen. Dieser Ausflug ins Tabu ist keine Überraschung, denn zur Band gehört auch der IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT-Gitarrist Zachary Ezrin, und das Album bietet ein wirklich verstörendes Covermotiv des bekannten Künstlers Eliran Kantor (Immolation, Heaven Shall Burn). Unbehagliches Zuhören hat sich noch nie so gut angefühlt.

Death Songbook is an exquisite and unique collaboration between Suede’s Brett Anderson, Charles Hazlewood and Paraorchestra featuring special guests Nadine Shah and Gwenno. The album features delicate new interpretations of iconic songs by the likes of Echo & The Bunnymen, Suede, Depeche Mode, Mercury Rev and Japan tackling themes of death, the death of love, anxiety, loss and transcendence. Paraorchestra is the world's first large-scale virtuoso ensemble of professional disabled and non-disabled musicians. The CD and LP packages feature beautiful photography from the original recordings at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff.

Die Musik von Quadro Nuevo strahlt die Lust am abenteuerreichen Leben aus. Jede Melodie erzählt davon, jede Reise prägt die extravagante Musizierkunst des Ensembles. Die 16 Tracks des neuen Albums sind gefärbt von der Fröhlichkeit und Freundlichkeit ihrer Begegnungen in Brasilien. Da ist der Titel des Albums Programm!

Der OST zu Paul Kings Film 'Wonka' (2023), einem Prequel zu dem bereits mehrfach verfilmten Kinderbuch 'Charlie und die Schokoladenfabrik' von Roald Dahl. Die Partitur enthält sowohl köstliche Originalmusik, vorgetragen von Protagonist Timothée Chalamet und der phänomenalen Ensemblebesetzung mit Hugh Grant, Calah Lane und Keegan-Michael Key, sowie neue Musik des gefeierten Komponisten Joby Talbot und des Songwriters Neil Hannon. Braunes und cremefarbenes Doppelvinyl in Nagaoka-Stil-Innenhüllen samt Einleger im Hochglanz-Gatefold mit Obi-Strip.

Mit der Veröffentlichung ihres fünften Albums betreten Imminence verschiedenste musikalische Bereiche und zeigen auf ihrer Reise als Band eine große Vielfalt.

Das bahnbrechende Alternative-Metalcore-Ensemble Imminence stammt von der Südküste Schwedens und hat sich in den letzten Jahren mutig eine Nische im Musikbereich geschaffen. Allen Erwartungen zum Trotz hat das Quintett akribisch einen Klangteppich geschaffen, der die Grenzen des Genres überschreitet. Ihre mutige Verschmelzung klassischer Streicharrangements, verwoben mit der rohen Kraft wilden skandinavischen Metals, erschafft ein fesselndes Hörerlebnis. Sowohl klanglich als auch visuell erweisen sich Imminence als ein Leuchtfeuer der Innovation und Spannung und etablieren sich nicht nur als Band, sondern auch als Pioniere, die neue Gebiete in der sich ständig weiterentwickelnden Musiklandschaft erschließen.

Angeführt vom Sänger und Geiger Eddie Berg, den Gitarristen Harald Barrett und Alex Arnoldsson, dem Schlagzeuger Peter Hanström und dem Bassisten Christian Höijer; Imminence entfesseln ihr musikalisches Können auf dem kommenden Album „The Black“. Machen Sie sich bereit und atmen Sie tief durch, während Imminence uns auf den großen Sprung in die Tiefen von „The Black“ vorbereiten, einem kühnen Versprechen einer beispiellosen musikalischen Odyssee, die sich allen Konventionen widersetzt und Sie einlädt, sich auf den Aufstieg eines neuen Genre-Klassikers einzulassen.
Die Band wagt sich in eine düsterere und stärker auf Orchester ausgerichtete Welt vor und definiert die Grenzen der modernen Alternative-Szene immer wieder neu. Imminence Erforschung ist mehr als nur Musik; Es ist ein mutiger Abstieg in unbekannte Gebiete, der ihre Position als Pioniere in der Landschaft einzigartiger und hochinnovativer musikalischer Ausdrucksformen festigt.

- „Dies ist die größte Annäherung an eine selbstbetitelte Veröffentlichung, denn diese Platte spricht Bände darüber, was Imminence als Band ausmacht.“ Durch die Einflüsse aus unserer gesamten Diskographie, gemischt mit unseren skandinavischen Wurzeln, kann man Elemente aus unserer gesamten Geschichte hören, die jedoch von einem unstillbaren Hunger angetrieben werden. Das Album ist wahrscheinlich das konzeptionellste, das wir je geschaffen haben, und ich war noch nie so stolz auf ein Werk. Die lyrischen Konzepte setzen den Weg früherer Veröffentlichungen fort und drehen sich um psychische Gesundheit und Depression. Aber dieses Mal gibt es kein Zurückhalten. Es ist wütend, verzweifelter und aus den Fugen geraten, durchdrungen von Angst und Dunkelheit. Wir haben es uns auch erlaubt, das Album in unerwartete Räume schweben zu lassen und so eine musikalische Reise mit starken Kontrasten zwischen Licht und Dunkelheit zu schaffen. Es ist ein „Eat Your Heart Out“, ein kompromissloser Beweis dafür, was „Imminence“ geworden ist. Das ist das Schwarze.“ – Eddie Berg

Mit der Veröffentlichung ihres fünften Albums betreten Imminence verschiedenste musikalische Bereiche und zeigen auf ihrer Reise als Band eine große Vielfalt.

Das bahnbrechende Alternative-Metalcore-Ensemble Imminence stammt von der Südküste Schwedens und hat sich in den letzten Jahren mutig eine Nische im Musikbereich geschaffen. Allen Erwartungen zum Trotz hat das Quintett akribisch einen Klangteppich geschaffen, der die Grenzen des Genres überschreitet. Ihre mutige Verschmelzung klassischer Streicharrangements, verwoben mit der rohen Kraft wilden skandinavischen Metals, erschafft ein fesselndes Hörerlebnis. Sowohl klanglich als auch visuell erweisen sich Imminence als ein Leuchtfeuer der Innovation und Spannung und etablieren sich nicht nur als Band, sondern auch als Pioniere, die neue Gebiete in der sich ständig weiterentwickelnden Musiklandschaft erschließen.

Angeführt vom Sänger und Geiger Eddie Berg, den Gitarristen Harald Barrett und Alex Arnoldsson, dem Schlagzeuger Peter Hanström und dem Bassisten Christian Höijer; Imminence entfesseln ihr musikalisches Können auf dem kommenden Album „The Black“. Machen Sie sich bereit und atmen Sie tief durch, während Imminence uns auf den großen Sprung in die Tiefen von „The Black“ vorbereiten, einem kühnen Versprechen einer beispiellosen musikalischen Odyssee, die sich allen Konventionen widersetzt und Sie einlädt, sich auf den Aufstieg eines neuen Genre-Klassikers einzulassen.
Die Band wagt sich in eine düsterere und stärker auf Orchester ausgerichtete Welt vor und definiert die Grenzen der modernen Alternative-Szene immer wieder neu. Imminence Erforschung ist mehr als nur Musik; Es ist ein mutiger Abstieg in unbekannte Gebiete, der ihre Position als Pioniere in der Landschaft einzigartiger und hochinnovativer musikalischer Ausdrucksformen festigt.

- „Dies ist die größte Annäherung an eine selbstbetitelte Veröffentlichung, denn diese Platte spricht Bände darüber, was Imminence als Band ausmacht.“ Durch die Einflüsse aus unserer gesamten Diskographie, gemischt mit unseren skandinavischen Wurzeln, kann man Elemente aus unserer gesamten Geschichte hören, die jedoch von einem unstillbaren Hunger angetrieben werden. Das Album ist wahrscheinlich das konzeptionellste, das wir je geschaffen haben, und ich war noch nie so stolz auf ein Werk. Die lyrischen Konzepte setzen den Weg früherer Veröffentlichungen fort und drehen sich um psychische Gesundheit und Depression. Aber dieses Mal gibt es kein Zurückhalten. Es ist wütend, verzweifelter und aus den Fugen geraten, durchdrungen von Angst und Dunkelheit. Wir haben es uns auch erlaubt, das Album in unerwartete Räume schweben zu lassen und so eine musikalische Reise mit starken Kontrasten zwischen Licht und Dunkelheit zu schaffen. Es ist ein „Eat Your Heart Out“, ein kompromissloser Beweis dafür, was „Imminence“ geworden ist. Das ist das Schwarze.“ – Eddie Berg

The AKAGERA trio released their debut album Serpente in 2019. The subtle blend of African music and jazz laid the foundations for a new sound driven by an unconventional ensemble of instruments.

Their new album, Traverse, is the soundtrack to the imaginary travel diary of three intrepid musicians forced to put a hold on their adventures. Over a period of three years, they took time out from improvisation sessions to collectively compose a repertoire reflecting the diversity of their backgrounds and influences: classical and contemporary music for Benoit, mixed music from South America and the Caribbean for Stéphane, and African rhythms and Brazilian grooves for David, all to the backdrop of their shared passion for jazz.

David Georgelet: drums
Benoit Lavollée: vibraphone, marimba
Stéphane Montigny: bass trombone

Revision of new beats on the horizon
Every 20 years or so, certain musical movements come full circle. Young musicians are inspired by genres dating back two decades, channelling them through their modern sensibility. The legendary J Dilla’s Donuts album was released in 2006 and instantly marked a starting point for the work of musicians worldwide, laying the foundations especially for the beat scene in Los Angeles. A whole young generation of musicians brought up on the new, instrumental and abstract hip-hop has carried jazz into a new era. The four London-based musicians who make up Uniri have gone one step further by abandoning the idea of a jazz band and "bedroom production" in favour of collective composing, creating a new look at the new-beat aesthetics, framing it as a road novel set in an unspecified time and space.

Uniri translates as ‘one unified dream’ and is the key driving motto of the project conceived by Chiminyo (Cykada, Maisha), the band's founder and head honcho. The project materialised in his private studio, where he invited fellow jazz musicians Amane Tsuganami (Jorja Smith, Maisha), Al Macsween (Nubya Garcia, Gary Bartz, Kefaya) and Luke Wynter (Nubyan Twist, Golden Mean) to spontaneously compose together. Hence, despite this being the band's first album, it wouldn't be right to call them rookies. The result of Uniri's collaborative work is the psychedelic, rhythmic album Infinite Reflections, packed with cosmic and warm synths, which neatly balances hip-hop beat and jazz composition. It's safe to say this music is even more appealing when played live, although it's equally suited to the club dancefloor.

UK Jazz has become a permanent fixture in the London landscape, but also across Europe and the US. Today, the musicians who shape the new wave of jazz are drawing on more and more genres, reducing solo improvisation for the benefit of composition and increasingly drawing on influences from the beat scene. Among such formations are the British NOK Cultural Ensemble, the Polish Błoto, the Belgian ECHT!, and the Dutch Comité Hypnotisé. Uniri is part of this emerging yet already international trend, creating an entirely fresh aesthetic that echoes artists such as Flying Lotus, Samiyam, Dorian Concept, Ras G and Nosaj Things oriented around the Californian 'new beats generation' scene.

The title Infinite Reflections alludes to a phenomenon observable on the open sea or during intercontinental flights. Gazing at the horizon blurs the boundary between the ocean and the sky, forming an infinite palette of blue shades. This inspiration sparked an elusive musical narrative, navigating between a sea voyage and an astral journey, destination unknown.

FYEAR is a Montréal-based ensemble led by composer Jason Sharp and poet/writer Kaie Kellough that fuses spoken word into genre-bending compositions for electronics, two voices, two drummers, and processed saxophone, pedal steel guitar, and violins. FYEAR incorporates drone, out-jazz, post-classical, ambient metal, avant-rock, and modular synthesis in a sonic and stylistic palette the opposite of collage or pastiche: the FYEAR ensemble integrates a unique and unified sound/aesthetic while traversing adventurous and variegated terrain. Kellough’s poetic materiality conveys acute political-existential themes, alternating between declarative, meditative, and cut-up/semiotic manifestations. This self-titled debut album is a supremely innovative 40-minute multi-movement work; an ardent mission statement that mines the interzone where Saul Williams, Moor Mother/Irreversible Entanglements, Shabazz Palaces, Zulu, Angel Bat Dawid, Damon Locks/Black Monument Ensemble, Shabaka Hutchings, and Matana Roberts are all iconoclastic neighbours. FYEAR melds improvisation and composition, traditional notation and graphic scoring, electronic and acoustic instrumentation, lucid recitation and abstract vocalization, balancing intensive structure with an expansive sense of exploration. Through several years of collaboration, development, workshops, commissions and performances conducted by Sharp and Kellough, their wordsound practice has culminated in this nine-piece group which also features poet/writer/activist Tawhida Tanya Evanson (present director of the Banff Centre Spoken Word program) violinists Josh Zubot and Jesse Zubot (Tanya Tagaq, Darius Jones, Joshua Hyslop), pedal steel player Joe Grass (Tim Hecker, Patrick Watson), drummers Stefan Schneider (Bell Orchestre) and Tommy Crane (The Mingus Big Band, Aaron Parks), with live visual typographics from Kevin Yuen-Kit Lo, who also designs the album art. Propelled by the vocal interactions of Kellough and Evanson, FYEAR interrogates our present and future post-capitalist polycrisis, invoking collective anxieties, emotions, and critiques. FYEAR re-poetizes our constructed, manipulated social/conceptual realities, re-inscribing questions about the future by setting them to a wildly dynamic and evocative temporal soundtrack: Who does it belong to? How will it be shared? How do we project a collective future into the contested challenges of climate change, global migration, wealth gaps, safety/precarity, identity/affinity, segmentation / segregation, all our seemingly irreconcilable histories and forward visions for the world we dream to inhabit

Akua Naru's latest feat is an album entitled, "all about love: new visions", inspired by and an ode to Black feminist icon bell hooks and her titanic classic text of the same name, in which hooks examines society and its ideals of love. To honor and take up hooks' understanding of "love as a practice of freedom", especially in these times, naru's forthcoming offering is a new vision for her love songs: recorded live by a large band ensemble supported by the highly decorated classical orchestra, Ensemble Resonanz. Naru has worked with Tony Allen, Eric Benét, Angelique Kidjo, Questlove, and more.

Rebirth 10, a limited double CD released in 2016, celebrated the 10th anniversary of Rebirth Records. Curated by one of the greatest names in House Music, Larry Heard, aka Mr. Fingers, it featured key releases from the label's first decade. Now exclusively for Record Store Day 2024, it will be reissued for the first time on limited edition numbered double vinyl, showcasing sought-after tracks from the catalogue. Featuring original music and remixes from Larry Heard himself alongside further legends of the scene such as Motor City Drum Ensemble, Joe Clausell, Andres, Jamie 3:26, Ripperton, and Mr Fingers himself. This compilation shines a light on forgotten classics from one of House Music's most influential labels of the past 20 years. True house from THE house producer of the scene.

Smudge All Stars is Richie Stevens' audio intelligence collective. Richie is the son of the late John Stevens, a pioneer of British free jazz, and a gifted drummer, percussionist and producer in his own right. His talents have found him in constant demand, working with everyone from Horace Andy and Joss Stone to Boy George and Damon Albarn. Now, with Smudge All Stars, Richie leads a funk/soul ensemble that draws on his friendships with many leading black British, Jamaican and US musicians.

Smudge All Stars is Richie’s musical vision writ large. This is a party album in the old school P-funk tradition, all instrumentation is recorded live with Stevens calling on the original Horny Horns Fred Wesley and Peewee Ellis to help build a fat brass groove for the authentic P-Funk vibe and George Clinton vocals for the ultimate seal of funk approval.

The 8-track musical extravaganza commences with ‘Brutal Funk’; a rousing psychedelic funk workout that encompasses a delicious groove cooked up by the famed Jamiroquai member DJ D-Zire and the powerful vocals of British soul singer Mary Pearce. ‘Up is Just a Place Feat. George Clinton’ continues the party vibes by bringing none other than the P-Funk master himself together with Mary Pearce, MWS, Derek 'Dr Mouthquake' Green and the decorated British soul singer-songwriter Omar for a full flavoured aural delight. Cue tight rapping, funky beats and scratching alongside slap bass and a slice of synth for good measure.

Other highlights include, ‘Freaky Toe’ which opts for a smoother groove than its predecessors with seductive vocals courtesy of Soul II Soul’s Charlotte Kelly. ‘B Side’ sees Mary Pearce join Derek 'Dr Mouthquake' Green for another upbeat affair, accompanied by the legendary American trombonist Fred Wesley (James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic) who adds a distinctive touch to the track.

A quietly influential figure among electronic and experimental circles since the late 90s, Berlin based sound artist Hanno Leichtmann has been developing a sprawling and idiosyncratic vision both as a creator and curator.

With a keen sense for charting new territories, Leichtmann's work spawns a multitude of languages that go from deli-cate ambient excursions to techno explorations or abstract sceneries on numerous sound installations, releases on such esteemed labels like Entr'acte or The Tapeworm and collaborations with artists like Valerio Tricoli or Jan Jelinek. A reflection of his keen sense of discovery.

Centered around the Villa Aurora Organ, an intriguing and mostly unknown instrument built in 1928/29 by the Artcraft Organ Company in Santa Monica, California, 'Outerlands' presents a deeply personal approach to the instrument's particular properties, very much in line with Discrepant's ethos. Consisting of a pipe organ, a wall mounted marimba and a two octave tubular bells/chimes ensemble, remotely controllable by MIDI, the Villa Aurora Organ's rich palette of sounds is translated into 12 short tracks capable of conveying the mesmerising spirits of minimalism, exotica and de-votional music.

Starting with the ecstatic sound of the pipe organ, 'Lucero' sets up the hypnotic mood for 'Outerland's excursions through moments of spiralling repetition - 'Tramonto' -, blissful contemplation - 'Sunset' or 'Notteargenta' - or underly-ing tension - ‘Coperto’. 'Espera' amps up the unease, with queasy organ tones lurking beneath marimba harmonic motifs that wouldn't sound out of of place on some survival horror movie, while 'Miramar' or 'Revello' bring an uncanny sense of familiarity through its repetitive melodies.

Drifting seamlessly through a variety of moods that somehow feel connected - the outerlands are within you, if you allow yourself to let go.

Second in a series of reissues from Pierre Jaubert’s Parisound studio archive on Strut Record IS Lafayette Afro Rock Band's elusive funk/Afro original album, 'Soul Makossa' originally released in 1973. Transparent blue colored LP

In 1971, an undocumented seven-member Afro-American ensemble known as the Bobby Boyd Congress made a transformative journey from the United States to France. Bandleader Frank Abel recollects, "We sensed that the soul and funk market was saturated back home, and our original plan was a brief 6-month stint in Paris. Surprisingly, we ended up staying for a decade." Upon lead singer Bobby Boyd's return to the U.S., the group rebranded as Ice and crossed paths with independent producer Pierre Jaubert, a seasoned studio professional with credits on groundbreaking recordings alongside Charles Mingus, John Lee Hooker, and Archie Shepp, among others.

Drawing inspiration from Motown's work ethic, Jaubert initiated regular rehearsals with Ice. He recalled, "I didn't want to mimic Berry, but with seven talented musicians collaborating daily, something unique emerged." The band, residing in Paris and immersed in the African-dominated Barbesse district, began infusing African elements into their music frequently performing with Paris-dwelling Camaroonian and legendary composer Manu Dibango.

Rechristening themselves Lafayette Afro Rock Band, the group's musical direction shifted towards predominantly instrumental compositions, characterized by a weightier, more intricate Afro-funk sound. Their debut recording under this new moniker, 'Soul Makossa,' made a powerful impact with a dynamic rendition of Dibango's classic, coupled with the intense break of 'Hihache' and the contagious 'Nicky.' Initially released by Musidisc in France and later in the U.S. via Editions Makossa, the album omitted the title track due to publishing clearance issues.

Despite modest sales upon its initial release, the album's enduring influence became evident as hip-hop culture surged in the '80s, establishing it as a primary source for samples and riffs. The iconic 'Hihache' break found fame in Biz Markie's 'Nobody Beats The Biz,' and tracks from the album were lifted by LL Cool J, The Beatnuts, Kruder & Dorfmeister, and numerous others.

First in a series of reissues from Pierre Jaubert’s Parisound studio archive on Strut Record IS Lafayette Afro Rock Band's elusive funk/Afro original album, 'Malik,' originally released in 1974. Transparent blue colored LP

In 1971, an undocumented seven-member Afro-American ensemble known as the Bobby Boyd Congress made a transformative journey from the United States to France. Bandleader Frank Abel recollects, "We sensed that the soul and funk market was saturated back home, and our original plan was a brief 6-month stint in Paris. Surprisingly, we ended up staying for a decade." Upon lead singer Bobby Boyd's return to the U.S., the group rebranded as Ice and crossed paths with independent producer Pierre Jaubert, a seasoned studio professional with credits on groundbreaking recordings alongside Charles Mingus, John Lee Hooker, and Archie Shepp, among others.

Drawing inspiration from Motown's work ethic, Jaubert initiated regular rehearsals with Ice. He recalled, "I didn't want to mimic Berry, but with seven talented musicians collaborating daily, something unique emerged." The band, residing in Paris and immersed in the African-dominated Barbesse district, began infusing African elements into their music frequently performing with Paris-dwelling Camaroonian and legendary composer Manu Dibango.

Under the new moniker Lafayette Afro Rock Band, the group's music transitioned to predominantly instrumental compositions, featuring a denser Afro-funk sound. Their inaugural recording with the new name, 'Soul Makossa,' included a compelling rendition of Dibango's classic and the impactful break in 'Hihache.' The subsequent release a year later, 'Malik,' refined their sound with the percussive Afro party jam 'Conga,' the atmospheric vocoder and piano-led piece 'Djungi,' and the robust funk of 'Darkest Light.' Despite a limited impact upon its initial release, 'Malik' found appreciation as hip-hop culture flourished in the '80s, establishing itself as a rich source of samples and riffs. 'Conga' was featured in the 'Ultimate Breaks And Beats' series, while the opening horn line from 'Darkest Light' became a pivotal hip-hop motif, employed by Jay-Z, Public Enemy, Wreckx 'N' Effect, and many others

"Back in the 1990s original Verve pressings of this record were hot items pushed into prominence in great part by write-ups in The Absolute Sound, particularly by my friend Frank Doris. I found a few, and even a few in pretty good condition, but none of them begin to compare to this double 45 RPM set that offers more of everything, particularly transparency and instrumental separation. ...Ella's on a microphone with a slightly rising high end but if it sounds icy, don't blame the recording or the mastering. It's your system. If it's well-balanced and your cartridge is a good tracker, the vocal transparency and clarity are spooky and the sibilant articulation is precise. These double LPs cut at Sterling Sound use the original tapes, not copies of the original tapes and the clarity and transparency coupled with QRP's drop-dead silent pressings are remarkable. The original pre-MGM buyout LP has a pleasingly nostalgic quality and the added warmth produces a bit more room sound, but in my opinion it can't compare to this reissue unless you like hearing things through rose-tinted loudspeakers. Elegantly produced, arranged and recorded and easy to recommend ..." Music = 9/11; Sound = 9/11 - Michael Fremer, February 15, 2013.

Fourteen numbers from the heyday of swing, composed sometime between 1930 and 1945 - played and sung time and time again in ballrooms, or on the radio to advertise biscuits or war bonds, were recorded by Ella in completely new and personal interpretations in 1961. No one should be put off by the rather unfortunate cover. Clap Hands... is absolutely top notch as regards musicality, perfect recording quality, superb accompaniment by a small ensemble, with room for improvisations; it offers a wonderful opportunity to discover something new in these evergreens, despite the occasionally banal lyrics. The songs of this recording conjure up bygone days, with listeners in the 21st century being offered a highly personal homage to one of the most successful periods in the 100-year history of jazz.

Danny Clay is a composer who often utilizes classical instruments, open forms, found objects, analog media, and digital errata in his work. He has collaborated with musicians and ensembles throughout the US, including Kronos Quartet, Eighth Blackbird, Third Coast Percussion, Volti, the San Francisco Girls Chorus, Wu Man, Sarah Cahill, Phyllis Chen, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Ensemble Dal Niente, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and others.

After 4 years since his last solo release ("Ocean Park" LAAPS04). Danny Clay comes back with "No More Darkness No more Night", which could be, maybe, or, finally, a follow-up from his previous work. a complete intimate and out-of-time piece evolving between ambient, chamber music and contemporary music.

One could be forgiven for getting that familiar feeling when listening to the music of Ghost Woman. And that's not just because songwriter & multi-instrumentalist Evan Uschenko is deeply steeped in classic guitar-led rock & pop songwriting (more on that later), it's that the music was, by design, intended to be evocative. But not evocative, however, of any one thing; what separates the music of Ghost Woman from a great many other bands working today is his openness to non-specificity. He's not trying to impart any sort of message to the listener; instead, the hope is that one will find themselves luxuriating in nuances of how the music is delivered, and the feelings it stirs up for each individual.

For the past couple of years Ghost Woman has been Evan Uschenko's outlet for his interest in songwriting and recording, which began after a number of years spent playing as a sideman in various Canadian indie ensembles, most notably in the Michael Rault band, a group that displays a similar affinity for perfectly dialed, partially yesteryear-looking guitar pop. Following 2022's self-titled


debut, issued by UK-based Full Time Hobby to great critical acclaim, Anne, If presents a slightly more expansive vision of what Ghost Woman can offer.

Organic, electric, freeform. Pete Jolly's Seasons is comprised of melodies and textures composed live and without pretense—its grooves contain a complete and divine listening experience that surpasses all others of the era in which it was originally released, coming as close to transcendent musical meditation incarnate as one could possibly imagine. Seasons is an unsung masterpiece of ensemble groove and stellar musicianship, equally unsurpassed and inspired in its quiet excellence

While Seasons never had significant commercial success upon its release, it has since amassed a cult following, leading collectors to pay top dollar for copies of the rare record. Out of print since 1971, it has only been reissued once on CD.

In his liner notes accompanying this release, Dave Segal puts the album’s massive demand in perspective: “British label owner Jonny Trunk put up an original pressing of the LP for sale for an undisclosed but large sum on Instagram in January 2023, and it sold in five minutes. With Seasons back in circulation, maybe Pete Jolly will finally gain the broader audience that his phenomenal skills merit,” writes Segal. “If nothing else, it serves as a valuable lesson to artists: venturing outside of your comfort zone can bring the most interesting, enduring results.”

Remastered from the original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray at Coherent Mastering, this record not only foreshadows the roots of hip-hop but manages to embody the richness of a full album listening experience that few records can offer. Its timeless appeal is rare—and its dynamic range sets it apart as an album that straddles both the jazz and pop worlds in a way that almost no others can. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the changing and complex colors of Seasons for the first time ever since its initial release.

Organic, electric, freeform. Pete Jolly's Seasons is comprised of melodies and textures composed live and without pretense—its grooves contain a complete and divine listening experience that surpasses all others of the era in which it was originally released, coming as close to transcendent musical meditation incarnate as one could possibly imagine. Seasons is an unsung masterpiece of ensemble groove and stellar musicianship, equally unsurpassed and inspired in its quiet excellence

While Seasons never had significant commercial success upon its release, it has since amassed a cult following, leading collectors to pay top dollar for copies of the rare record. Out of print since 1971, it has only been reissued once on CD.

In his liner notes accompanying this release, Dave Segal puts the album’s massive demand in perspective: “British label owner Jonny Trunk put up an original pressing of the LP for sale for an undisclosed but large sum on Instagram in January 2023, and it sold in five minutes. With Seasons back in circulation, maybe Pete Jolly will finally gain the broader audience that his phenomenal skills merit,” writes Segal. “If nothing else, it serves as a valuable lesson to artists: venturing outside of your comfort zone can bring the most interesting, enduring results.”

Remastered from the original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray at Coherent Mastering, this record not only foreshadows the roots of hip-hop but manages to embody the richness of a full album listening experience that few records can offer. Its timeless appeal is rare—and its dynamic range sets it apart as an album that straddles both the jazz and pop worlds in a way that almost no others can. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the changing and complex colors of Seasons for the first time ever since its initial release.

Kjetil Mulelid's various projects have received international acclaim, ranging from his duo with Siril Malmedal Hauge, his trio, and the quartet Wako. His first solo album, "Piano" (Rune Grammofon, 2021) received plaudits that placed him in the same company as pianists like Keith Jarret, Brad Mehldau, and Bill Evans. With "Agoja" Mulelid demonstrates what a musician and composer worthy of such acclaim can do with an ensemble cast of musicians of the highest calibre. On "Agoja" three features are immediately apparent. First, that Mulelid's compositions are melodic, yet frequently surprising in their path from their beginning to end; second, that he is a generous band leader, allowing the musicians both to be themselves and to express themselves, often while he merges almost completely into the background; finally, that each composition has its own unique identity, yet bears Mulelid's hallmark clearly and distinctly. Kjetil Mulelid (b.1991, Hurdal, Norway) has distinguished himself as an inventive artist, blending jazz, psalms, and improvised music in both his own playing and compositions. After graduating from the famous "Jazzlinja" in Trondheim back in 2014, he has been heavily touring the world's nooks and crannies with his own music and projects. He has played concerts in large parts of Europe and Japan and released several well-received albums as a solo artists, as well as with his own Kjetil Mulelid Trio, the jazz quartet Wako, with singer Emilie Storaas as the duo Kjemilie, and with singer Siril Malmedal Hauge - both as a band and as a piano / vocal duo.

Tauchen Sie ein in eine harmonische Mischung aus rauen Emotionen und musikalischer Brillanz. 'The Color Purple (Music From and Inspired By)' verspricht ein Hörerlebnis, das zutiefst nostalgisch und erfrischend neu zugleich ist. So trumpft das Album mit einem Ensemble auf, das seinesgleichen sucht - der für den Golden Globe nominierten Fantasia mit ihren gefühlvollen Melodien, Taraji B. Henson mit ihrer emotionalen Tiefe, Colman Domingo mit seiner fesselnden Energie, der für den Golden Globe nominierten Danielle Brooks mit ihrer kraftvollen Resonanz, H.E.R. mit ihrer zeitgenössischen Kunst und Hallie Bailey mit ihrem strahlenden Gesang. Und Musik von den Grammy-prämierten Songwritern des Musicals - Brenda Russell, Allee Willis und Stephen Bray. Doch hört die Magie nicht bei den zeitlosen Klassikern auf.
Tauchen Sie noch tiefer ein und lassen Sie sich verzaubern von einem neuen Kapitel und neuer Musik von Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, Coco Jones, Jorja Smith, Celeste, Mary Mary und October London sowie einer atemberaubenden Kollaboration von USHER & H.E.R.
Von Liebe und Schmerz bis hin zu Widerstandskraft und Erlösung - diese Songs fangen die Essenz von 'The Color Purple' ein und ebnen gleichzeitig den Weg für eine neue musikalische Ära. Und für diejenigen, die einen modernen Twist suchen, gibt es Remixe von Missy Elliot featuring Megan Thee Stallion und Timbaland featuring Black Thought. So schlägt 'The Color Purple' auch eine Brücke zwischen Generationen von Musikliebhabern.

Repress.

MFM044 sees the reissue of the cult Spanish studio project Música Esporádica with their incredible one off, self-titled album.

Another Suso Saiz side project, this one grew out of his work with his band Orquesta De Las Nubes, who were themselves the subject of a Music From Memory compilation last year.

The idea of getting Orquesta De Las Nubes to collaborate with Glen Velez and Layne Redmond arose after the two American musicians visited Spain during a series of seminars on frame drum techniques in 1985. Having met Glen Velez some years before in Madrid whilst Glen was performing with the Steve Reich Ensemble, Suso Saiz and Glen Velez quickly formed a strong friendship over their mutual love of non-Western music and the potentials of repetition within music. The two would play, talk and drinks for many hours in Suso’s studio space whenever Glen was in Madrid.

During one such session in 1985, Glen and Suso would be joined by Orquesta De Las Nubes and Spanish friend and musician Miguel Herrero. With exciting new ideas flowing quickly and easily, Suso decided to immediately call Track Studios in Madrid to see if they might have a space to record some of the material. With just a few days available the group would record for about 12, with what Suso would describe as ‘incredible fluency’, by which time they would have recorded the album they would later title Música Esporádica.

After its release 34 years ago Música Esporádica sounds as stunning as ever and Music From Memory are delighted to be able to share the fluency, spontaneity and close friendship which fuelled the recording of this amazing album.

"As Bill Orcutt’s most mature and exhilarating LP to date, Music for Four Guitars was a slab of undeniable Apollonian beauty. Its approachability and obvious novelty landed it not only on the year- end lists of every key-pushing codger in the underground in 2022, but also on NPR in the form of the Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet, an ensemble assembled to perform this music and featuring Wendy Eisenberg, Ava Mendoza, and Shane Parish in addition to Orcutt. But while their Tiny Desk Concert gave a whiff of the quartet’s easy intimacy, the sterile confines of the virtual recital medium still left a puzzle unsolved: how might these brutally mannered bricks of minimalist counterpoint sound on a stage in front of actual breathing bodies?" "This was the question foremost in my mind when I first saw the quartet in San Francisco a few months before this double live LP was recorded. I was already familiar with the prowess of Eisenberg and Mendoza, two of the most technically intimidating shredders to blast out of the noise/improv underground, and knew Parish as the mastermind behind the epic translation of Orcutt's quartet recordings into a fully notated score. I was ready to be 'blown away'—and I most assuredly was. The quartet navigated Orcutt's jaggedly spiraling right angles into the shining core of the compositions with joyous ease, faithful to the originals in nearly every way (though their tempos were slightly ramped up, Blakey style, to communicate their breathless rush). The renditions were flawless, stellar and inspiring. I had expected nothing less." "Which leads us to this album, Four Guitars Live, recorded in November of 2023 at Le Guess Who? festival during the quartet’s first European tour. The true essence of this set is not simply in its faithfulness to the source compositions, but in the group's easy familiarity (no doubt the result of weeks on the road) and the generosity of their improvisations, both collective and solo. Orcutt, clearly cognizant of both the caliber of his collaborators and the singularity of their voices, has given everyone room to stretch out, and all have delivered some of their most moving passages to date." "One of this record's great thrills for me is imagining a listener, perhaps unfamiliar with the outer limits of contemporary guitar improvisation (or the Tzadik catalog), slammed into catatonia by Mendoza's liquefying lines on Out of the corner of the eye, then revived and healed by the languid, breathy lines of Parish's unaccompanied, spaced-out breakdown of the track's main theme, finally only to be crushed by Eisenberg’s staggering extended solo on Only at dusk (somehow channeling both Eugene Chadbourne and Buck Dharma)." "There's another peak, which begins at the end of side B, in Orcutt's own languid solo, encapsulating the flowing focus of his recent solo LPs, and serving as an introduction to the next side's ensemble tour de force, the psychic heart of the album, On the horizon: its melodic core passing first to Orcutt, launching into a sublime solo turn by Eisenberg, a duo of Parish and Mendoza, before parachuting back into the ensemble for a smashup rendition of Barely visible and Glimpsed while driving (renamed Barely driving) knitted together with an softly bubbling ensemble improvisation. The transfer is orchestrated yet seamless, its tonal form undeniable even in the presence of obvious dissonance." "The breadth of Four Guitars Live gives lie to the false notion that agile, polytonal improv is necessarily without soul, is necessarily inaccessible. Rather, Four Guitars posits a human avant-garde music that the most conservative will recognize as virtuosic and revel in its classic intervals, boiling counterpoint, and precisely- layered facets. Even the rockers in your life might dig it, so why not pass it on?"—Tom Carter

In 2014, Wye Oak released Shriek, their fourth album. It was a necessary departure for Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack, who found themselves on uncertain ground after two years of constant touring for 2011's Civilian, living on opposite ends of the country and trying to revitalize their creative partnership. Wasner set aside her guitar for a bass. Stack took on the band's upper register, playing syncopated, meditative keyboard parts that interacted with Wasner's voice, which was newly freed from its call-and-response relationship to the guitar_what had been, until then, a signature of Wye Oak's sound. "This idea and the ensuing creative reworking of our band did what it was meant to do," Wasner writes in 2024. "It ended a long, painful period of creative stagnancy and reconnected me with the joy of making music." During that period, Wasner and Stack were introduced to William Brittelle, the Brooklyn-based composer whose 2019 LP Spiritual America featured Wye Oak, the Metropolis Ensemble, and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. His orchestral reimaginings of five songs from Shriek (Shriek: Variations, if you will) are the centerpiece of this package, which serves not only to mark the tenth anniversary of a great album, but to demonstrate the richness of Wye Oak's compositions. Stack says of Shriek: Variations: "It's like looking at the songs in a funhouse mirror. The songs on Shriek can be stripped down or embellished_this is maximal embellishment. William took the album and blew it to smithereens, looking at it in a weird, prismatic way." Through Brittelle, Wasner and Stack found themselves at the intersection of classical, experimental, and pop music. Further collaborations, like the Brooklyn Youth Chorus- featuring No Horizon and Paul and Michi Wiancko's string arrangements on "My Signal" from The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs, followed, as this connection fundamentally changed the way Wye Oak approached making records, incorporating an entirely new palette of sound into their work. That shift began here. Shriek: Variations may feel like a startling take on the material, something like light bursting into a room through drawn curtains, but Brittelle's arrangements are largely original to his first collaborations with Wye Oak a decade ago, suggesting that his maximalist arrangements have lived comfortably within the framework of Shriek the whole time, waiting for the right moment to emerge. It's a fitting reintroduction to the album, which upon its initial release was pigeonholed into the easy one-note talking point of being the "no-guitar" record. But even so, as that happened, Shriek quietly started to become a staple among Wye Oak's core fans. Here, with help from Brittelle's expansive compositions, the release draws attention back to the songwriting_how, regardless of the instrumentation, Wasner and Stack's uncanny musicwriting partnership at the core is what makes both Shriek and Wye Oak excellent. Joined by the Metropolis Ensemble, Paul Wiancko, and Lizzie Burns, Wye Oak turn songs like "Logic of Color" inside out, reaching towards a kind of pastoral bombast, Brittelle's aesthetic with Wasner and Stack as an anchor. In fact, "Logic of Color" in this iteration takes that "no-guitar" script and flips it, with Wasner playing the synthesizer ostinato on acoustic guitar at its center. If Shriek is a record that charts the depths of solemnity and inner space, its Variations, roiling in a sea of winds, brass, and strings, recolors that space and complicates it, a gorgeous, unexpected response to the original's siren call.

Beim Hören von "Decrepit Flesh Relic", dem ersten Album von Civerous, bekam man man das Gefühl, dass es einen ersticken würde und dass man sich unter den knochenbrechenden Todeshymnen in Todesangst verstrickt. Mit dem überragenden neuen Album "Maze Envy" entlässt LA's kreativstes Death/Doom-Ensemble ein neues, aber nicht weniger brutales Feuerwerk aus eindringlichem Horror und morbidem Wehklagen auf die Menschheit los!

Wo Death / Doom oft in sicheren und abenteuerlichen Gefilden des engen Fokus verbleibt, präsentiert "Maze Envy" eine weitreichendere Bandbreite an Ambitionen - ungewöhnliche Technik, progressive Atmosphären, Streicherverzierungen und chaotischer Mystizismus strahlt ein violettes Licht des Aufstiegs der Seele aus den schwarzen Ozeanen des Grauens aus, die Civerous bewohnen. Kettenschleppendes Gejammer, geschwärzte Blasts und die wilde Grausamkeit von Lord Fouls höllischen Vokalexorzismen verleihen "Maze Envy" eine höllische Erhabenheit auf seinen unzähligen Pfaden in die Vergessenheit.

Beim Hören von "Decrepit Flesh Relic", dem ersten Album von Civerous, bekam man man das Gefühl, dass es einen ersticken würde und dass man sich unter den knochenbrechenden Todeshymnen in Todesangst verstrickt. Mit dem überragenden neuen Album "Maze Envy" entlässt LA's kreativstes Death/Doom-Ensemble ein neues, aber nicht weniger brutales Feuerwerk aus eindringlichem Horror und morbidem Wehklagen auf die Menschheit los!

Wo Death / Doom oft in sicheren und abenteuerlichen Gefilden des engen Fokus verbleibt, präsentiert "Maze Envy" eine weitreichendere Bandbreite an Ambitionen - ungewöhnliche Technik, progressive Atmosphären, Streicherverzierungen und chaotischer Mystizismus strahlt ein violettes Licht des Aufstiegs der Seele aus den schwarzen Ozeanen des Grauens aus, die Civerous bewohnen. Kettenschleppendes Gejammer, geschwärzte Blasts und die wilde Grausamkeit von Lord Fouls höllischen Vokalexorzismen verleihen "Maze Envy" eine höllische Erhabenheit auf seinen unzähligen Pfaden in die Vergessenheit.

ORANGE COLORED VINYL

In March of 2023 Mercury Prize nominated composer & alto saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi premiered a commissioned suite of music in front of a sold out crowd at London"s Southbank Centre. She wrote the piece - gratitude - for her flagship large ensemble seed., in a special augmented formation that also featured turntablist NikNak and the London Contemporary Orchestra. Months later, Kinoshi passed the live recording to Dave Vettraino, who began the mixing process at International Anthem Studios in Chicago. Kinoshi and Vettraino then convened in November of 2023 at Livingston Studios in London to do final mixes and overdub additional sounds from members of seed.

Ivy Falls, the alias of singer-songwriter Fien Deman, will release her first full album in the spring of 2024. 'Sense & Nonsense' sounds mature, with a clear vision and direction. Fien wrote the album after a breakup and leaving her home; she witnessed cracks appearing in her life and found herself in a whirlpool of insecurities. Writing turned out to be the way to reorient herself and discover what she could fill her empty 'house' with. Everything changed: a new life, a new place, new people, and a new view of herself as a musician and writer. Bram Vanparys, aka The Bony King of Nowhere, makes his debutas a producer on Ivy Falls' first release. This unreleased duo impresses with 'the best coda for the confusing time that your twenties can be.'

Sometimes hitting a wall is inevitable. This occurred, partly even literally, in 2020: a broken nose, a painful breakup, and a series of chaotic events shook Fien's foundations. Losing her job, ending her relationship, leaving her home, and returning to her parental home, she hit rock bottom and started her quest to rebuild everything from scratch. After the tumult, Fien decided to shed the oppressive norms and ideas learned as a child and wholeheartedly pursue her own choices and projects.

In the years that followed, each aspect of her life gradually fell into its right place. This extended to her musical identity, themes, and sound. Acquiring some guitars and an upright piano, she endeavored to master them as a self-taught artist. Devoting ample time to her self-made home studio, she returned to the essence, distancing herself from the polished pop sound of her initial work and reconnecting with her first musical love - the singer-songwriters who had colored her teenage years. This rediscovered inspiration marked the first time in her musical career that everything felt perfectly aligned.

The album's artistic approach aligns with a fresh, expansive outlook on life and the future. Fien aims to challenge rigid societal concepts, including the notion of 'golden years.' She questions what and when exactly should be considered the most significant, joyful, and vibrant moments of life. The album delves into topics like the perceived superiority of extroverts, narcotic materialism, and toxic positivity. It's not a lament but rather an ode to what truly matters-the essence, love, and beauty. Fien's perspective encourages finding your inner child and immersing yourself in timeless and profound feelings.

Musically, Fien discovered her perfect match in Bram Vanparys (The Bony King of Nowhere), her newfound love. She wrote the songs, and he took on the role of album producer and co-arranger. Together, they crafted a metaphorical space where every small musical idea has room to flourish, and each insight and effort carries significance. Influenced by indie folk luminaries such as Julia Jacklin, Amen Dunes, Feist, Sharon Van Etten, Sufjan Stevens, and Nick Drake, Ivy Falls has set a high standard for her sound.

The main constant? Fien's distinctive voice commands every song, now revealing greater depth and nuance than ever. In live performances, Ivy Falls is joined by a talented ensemble: Trui Amerlinck (Tsar B, Mayorga), Jasper Morel (Black Box Revelation), Simon Raman (Steiger), and Anton De Boes (Philemon).

In the past, Ivy Falls has launched two EPs, received airplay on Studio Brussels and Radio 1, and shared the stage as supportfor artists like Balthazar, Jessie Ware, Sigrid, and Mabel.

A new album of twelve original songs and beautiful orchestrations performed by an all around amazing ensemble. Headhunter drummer Mike Clark and Henry 'The Skipper' Franklin hold down the rhythms
section while Matt Clark lights up the piano and Erik Jekabson soars on trumpet.

In March of 2023 Mercury Prize nominated composer & alto saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi premiered a commissioned suite of music in front of a sold out crowd at London"s Southbank Centre. She wrote the piece - gratitude - for her flagship large ensemble seed., in a special augmented formation that also featured turntablist NikNak and the London Contemporary Orchestra. Months later, Kinoshi passed the live recording to Dave Vettraino, who began the mixing process at International Anthem Studios in Chicago. Kinoshi and Vettraino then convened in November of 2023 at Livingston Studios in London to do final mixes and overdub additional sounds from members of seed.

tapetopia 015 The name L’Ambassadeur des Ombres goes back to the
French science fiction comic “Valérian et Laureline”. The Ambassadors of the Shadows combined pop appeal and experimentation as the soundtrack to the zero hour of their generation in the GDR’s waning days. The music was made in a children’s room, but the edifice of ideas was a demolition site. L’Ambassadeur des Ombres existed as a hybrid of the wave bands Die Vision and Neuntage. The open ensemble’s family tree can however be traced back to buried DIY projects such as the Mahlsdorfer Wohnstuben Orchester, Zerstörte Umwelt and dark-wave protagonists Fellini Prostitutes or Nontoxic. In the short time of their existence in 1988/89, L’Ambassadeur des Ombres did not give a single concert. The tape “Strike Me If I Shriek” was circulated among friends and musicians only as an on-request work report – it’s a long overdue discovery. The tapetopia series, using the original layouts and track lists, publishes cassette editions from the GDR underground of the 1980s, especially from the “walled-in” scene in East Berlin. More than three decades after their initial “release”, most of these tapes have yet to be heard on either vinyl or CD, even though they made an audible mark in the canon of GDR subculture. Despite the tiny original editions of the time, many of the bands were considered cult in countercultural circles, which made them highly suspect in informed circles.

MUSIC BY MADLIB / ARRANGED BY KIEREN HEBDEN (Four Tet)

Gil Evans to Miles Davis…. Holger Czukay to the ensemble known as Can….Jean Claude Vannier to Serge Gainsbourg on Histoire de Melody Nelson. That’s the only way to explain the specificity of Four Tet and Madlib’s collaboration, in this special album that showcases a two-decade long friendship that has resulted in an album that follows Madlib’s classics like Quasimoto’s The Unseen, Madvillainy and his Pinata and Bandana albums with Freddie Gibbs.

“A few months ago I completed work on an album with my friend Madlib that we’d been making for the last few years. He is always making loads of music in all sorts of styles and I was listening to some of his new beats and studio sessions when I had the idea that it would be great to hear some of these ideas made into a Madlib solo album. Not made into beats for vocalists to use but instead arranged into tracks that could all flow together in an album designed to be listened to start to finish. I put this concept to him when we were hanging out eating some nice food one day and we decided to work on this together with him sending me tracks, loops, ideas and experiments that I would arrange, edit, manipulate and combine. I was sent hundreds of pieces of music over a couple of years stretch and during that time I put together this album with all the parts that fitted with my vision.” - Kieren Hebden AKA Four Tet

Violist, violinist and singer-songwriter Marla Hansen returns to Karaoke Kalk with "Salt", her second full-length album to date. Building upon the sonic palette the Berlin-based musician established with her debut "Dust" in 2020, "Salt" takes the delicate mixture of acoustic instruments such as viola, violin, piano and guitar combined with subtle electronics to the next level. The new album is both a remarkable departure and at the same time sheds a new yet reassuring light on Hansen's work and creativity. "Salt" features numerous collaborations with like-minded musicians and friends, e. g. producer and composer Simon Goff, The Notwist's drummer Andi Haberl and the renowned artist DM Stith.

The "Dust" has settled. After having recorded her solo debut of that name, in 2020 the world came to a grinding halt, leaving Marla Hansen left to her own devices in her adopted home of Berlin. For Hansen, who previously had lent her talent to many creative minds such as The National, Sufjan Stevens, The Hidden Cameras, Jay-Z and Ravi Coltrane, the collaborative aspect of writing and producing music had always played a crucial part in finding her own path as a solo artist.

"I started to explore synthesizers and electronic production myself," she remembers of the time when meeting other musicians in person was out of the question. "I am proud that I accomplished many of the electronic elements of the new album by myself, and otherwise laid the groundwork for the final electronic structures through my own experiments. I always wanted to record a 'big' record, one that has a lot of power and sound, and this one is 'bigger' than anything I have done so far."

"Salt" is big, indeed. The opener "Chains" is driven by a gliding bass line, bobbing 808 snares, deep chords and a mesmerizing chorus doubled by luscious strings, marking the beginning of a new chapter in her creative journey. A stark statement, both musically and lyrically. Meanwhile, the title track of the album is an almost abstract sounding ambient miniature, sketch-like, dark and haunting, showcasing Hansen's voice in a shy, brittle and fragile state. If This Mortal Coil/The Hope Blister were ever to record another album, these songs should be high up on the shortlist of tunes to pick. "The One Time" - a duet with Hansen's long-time friend DM Stith - gently meanders between a Philip Glass-inspired piece for chamber orchestra and a vocal ensemble performing on Top Of The Pops. In this range of styles and approaches, Hansen's vision is more present than ever.

For refining and finishing the songs, Hansen turned to Simon Goff, who produced the album and engineered much of the recording, merging Hansen's newly-found songwriting approach with the artistic delicacy which made her debut album an exceptional piece of work. Features include among others: Alice Dixon (Oriel Quartett) on cello, Kyle Resnick (The National, Beirut) on trumpet, Benjamin Lanz (The National, Beirut) on trombone and tuba, and Miles Perkin on bass. And then there is The Notwist's Andi Haberl, who "crafted perfect drum and percussion parts to move the songs wherever they needed to go, either into their driving grooves, slow-build explosions or gentle swells of feeling."

But what are songs actually about? "The themes revolve around a feeling of being trapped. Having to stay inside during the pandemic, with all the silence and stillness coming with it. Simultaneously, I was caught up in a professional situation that was not working for me, yet it required a lot of energy and time. I was thinking a lot about how to break old habits and patterns. Patterns in my life, patterns I saw my friends and loved-ones stuck in. There are a lot of ways that people can be trapped, and breaking out of that requires a lot of courage and energy - on all levels. The title 'Salt' seemed to fit, ocean themes showed up naturally in some of the songs, and I thought often about the quote: 'The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.' Maybe I was just dreaming of the ocean, since it was inaccessible for the first time! But I wanted a cure for this feeling of being trapped, in a time of uncertainty and anxiety, salt as a remedy seemed to have some truth in it: sweat, tears or the sea."

Perseverance and the urge for freedom prevailed in the end. "Salt" is a bold artistic achievement, with songs as big as the biggest waves imaginable. With melodies as alluring as the most comfortable breezes. Perfect from start to finish.

Dire Straits never made a big to-do about its final run. In classic understated British fashion, the band simply let its music speak for itself. And how. Originally released in September 1991, On Every Street became the group's swan song – a lasting testament to the influence, musicianship, and integrity of an ensemble whose merit has never been tainted by cash-grab reunions or farewell treks. It remains an essential part of the Dire Straits catalog and a blueprint of the distinctive U.K. roots rock the collective played for its 15-year career.

Sourced from the original master tapes, housed in gatefold packaging, and pressed at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's 180g 45RPM 2LP set of On Every Street presents the album like it has always been meant to be experienced: in reference-grade audiophile sound. Recorded at AIR Studios in London and produced by Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler, it features all of the band's sonic hallmarks – wide instrumental separation, visceral textures, seemingly limitless air, broad soundstages, atmospherics that you can almost reach out and feel. Each element is made more vibrant, physical, and lifelike on this collectible reissue, which marks the first time this 60-minute work has been available at 45RPM speed.

Afforded generous groove space and black backgrounds, the songs from On Every Street burst with nuanced details and vibrant colors. Dire Straits' playing appears to float, their intricate performances organized amid hypnotic, fluid, three-dimensional arrangements. Mobile Fidelity's definitive-sounding set also brings into transparent view Knopfler's finely sculpted guitar lines, expressive tones, and laid-back vocals – as well as the balanced accompaniment from his band mates. Here's a record on which you can hear the full blossom and decay of individual notes, and imagine the size and shape of the studio. It is in every regard a demonstration disc. And it happens to be filled with timeless fare.

Remarkably, On Every Street almost never came to light. Dire Straits initially dissolved in September 1988 after touring behind its blockbuster Brothers in Arms and suffering the departure of two members. At the time, Knopfler professed his desire to work on solo material; bassist John Illsley also explored side projects. But Knopfler's decision in 1989 to form the country-leaning Notting Hillbillies reignited a spark to reconvene his primary band and craft a fresh batch of songs. Six years removed from Brothers in Arms, Knopfler, Illsley, keyboardist Alan Clark, and keyboardist Guy Fletcher teamed with A-list session pros – steel guitarist Paul Franklin, percussionist Danny Cummings, saxophonist Chris White, guitarist Phil Palmer included – to create what still stands as an unforgettable farewell.

The platinum record brings the band full circle in that it returns Dire Straits to a quartet formation; finds the group refreshingly out of step with the era's prevailing trends; and sees Knopfler and Co. knocking out song after song with the deceptive ease of a punter tossing back a pint at a pub. That subtle cool, clever poise, and innate control – signature traits that no other band ever matched – dominate On Every Street. Knopfler's clean, virtuosic six-string escapades unfurl with dizzying melodicism and economical efficiency. Led by his winding fills and focused solos, Dire Straits traverse a hybrid landscape of rock, jazz, country, boogie, blues, and pop strains with near-faultless prowess.

More than any other entry in the group's oeuvre, On Every Street welcomes quick detours down back alleys and into the depths of human souls. What makes it more brilliant is its staunch refusal to cater to commercial expectations or take advantage of prior successes; every passage feels true, every measure echoed in the service of song. It's evident in the humorous satire of "Heavy Fuel," closeted desperation of the witty "Calling Elvis," and shake-and-bake bounce of "The Bug." It pours from the album's darker corners, as on the high-and-lonesome melancholy of the title track and bruised emotionalism of "When It Comes to You."

Hinting at the open-minded approaches and boundless curiosity he'd embrace as a solo artist, Knopfler doesn't limit himself when it comes to style or subject matter. Look no further than "You and Your Friend," a shuffle whose all-inclusive lyrics encourage an array of interpretative meanings. Another of the album's deep cuts, "Iron Hand," comes on as one of the band's most memorable moments – the narrative addressing the abuses of power at the 1984 Battle of Orgreave during the U.K. miners' strike. Given cinematic heft by the expert production, the true-fiction account puts into perspective the richness, poetry, and depth of On Every Street.

"Every victory has a taste that's bittersweet," sings Knopfler on the title track. At least that bittersweetness seldom sounded so damn good on record.

These are gifted soloists and seasoned ensemble players who bring clarity to each arrangement, fire, and dynamism to every solo exchange.”– David R. Adler, JazzTimes. For fans of Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Horace Silver, Miles Davis, George Coleman, Wynton Marsalis

James Hudson is a captivating and charming performer who has a natural affinity with an audience. His outstanding voice can communicate the nuances of a melody and lyric with great interpretive prowess which undoubtedly sets him apart as a jazz singer at the top of his game.

James Hudson's upcoming second album 'Moonray' is a bold and ambitious project that features a unique ensemble including horns, vibraphone and strings to create a rare and accomplished sound. This follows his debut album 'Tomorrow', which attracted international media coverage and exceptional reviews from many top jazz publications (BBC Music Magazine, London Jazz News, Jazzwise, JazzViews), plus air-time across national radio stations where it was named 'Album of the Week' by Jazz FM.

Having recently sold out his first show at the world- renowned Ronnie Scott's, James is in demand at many of the UK's most respected jazz clubs. Regularly performing to sell- out crowds at Pizza Express Jazz Club Soho, Crazy Coqs, Piano Smithfield, Peggy's Skylight, and Hull Truck Theatre, he has appeared at the EFG London Jazz Festival, Leeds Jazz Festival, and Wigan International Jazz Festival. James is sought after by some of the top big bands and orchestras in the industry whom he has guested with all over the world.

James has taken great inspiration from the likes of Mel Torme, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Sarah Vaughan which when combined with his passion for jazz standards has inspired him to establish his own voice and unique style, which is captured in his music and live performances.

PREGOBLIN II is a strange name for a debut album. For the artist who created it, Alex Sebley aka PREGOBLIN, its astonishingly heartfelt and brilliantly catchy assemblage of songs is the culmination of a tortuous genesis period. Its release finally, he hopes, will usher in a fresh, more positive chapter for him, a sequel to all the misery and bullshit up to this point – hence the title. The creative journey to this point has been labyrinthine and frequently painful. As far back as the early ’10s, Sebley was registering his embryonic talent alongside Lias and Nathan Saoudi in The Saudis, the chaotic pre-Fat White Family ensemble where he played guitar and co-authored raw, post-punk material including FWF’s breakthrough tune ‘Touch The Leather’. PREGOBLIN receive a healthy 50,000 plays a month on Spotify. Previous singles include: Combustion which to date has amassed 2.2M streams and was dubbed ‘Single of the year’ last year in The Quietus. Other PREGOBLIN songs include Anna (flowers Won’t Grow), Love Letters, Snakes & Oranges and Wimpy & Wimpy Love with the Pop Group. “PREGOBLIN II’s genre-straddling dexterity and melodic riches mark it out as a loser classic fit to rank alongside Beck and Daniel Johnston. The tunes are memorable and the execution’s forward-facing and inspired” ★★★★ MOJO MAGAZINE // Live Shows February: 2nd Friday London - Amp Studios (with Harry Merry) 17th Saturday Leicester - Academy 2 (with Pip Blom) 19th Monday Cambridge - Junction 2 (with Pip Blom) 20th Tuesday Brighton - Chalk (with Pip Blom) 21st Wednesday London - Heaven (with Pip Blom) 24th Saturday Bristol - Simple Things Festival 25th Sunday Milton Keynes - MK11 (with the Libertines)

PREGOBLIN II is a strange name for a debut album. For the artist who created it, Alex Sebley aka PREGOBLIN, its astonishingly heartfelt and brilliantly catchy assemblage of songs is the culmination of a tortuous genesis period. Its release finally, he hopes, will usher in a fresh, more positive chapter for him, a sequel to all the misery and bullshit up to this point – hence the title. The creative journey to this point has been labyrinthine and frequently painful. As far back as the early ’10s, Sebley was registering his embryonic talent alongside Lias and Nathan Saoudi in The Saudis, the chaotic pre-Fat White Family ensemble where he played guitar and co-authored raw, post-punk material including FWF’s breakthrough tune ‘Touch The Leather’. PREGOBLIN receive a healthy 50,000 plays a month on Spotify. Previous singles include: Combustion which to date has amassed 2.2M streams and was dubbed ‘Single of the year’ last year in The Quietus. Other PREGOBLIN songs include Anna (flowers Won’t Grow), Love Letters, Snakes & Oranges and Wimpy & Wimpy Love with the Pop Group. “PREGOBLIN II’s genre-straddling dexterity and melodic riches mark it out as a loser classic fit to rank alongside Beck and Daniel Johnston. The tunes are memorable and the execution’s forward-facing and inspired” ★★★★ MOJO MAGAZINE // Live Shows February: 2nd Friday London - Amp Studios (with Harry Merry) 17th Saturday Leicester - Academy 2 (with Pip Blom) 19th Monday Cambridge - Junction 2 (with Pip Blom) 20th Tuesday Brighton - Chalk (with Pip Blom) 21st Wednesday London - Heaven (with Pip Blom) 24th Saturday Bristol - Simple Things Festival 25th Sunday Milton Keynes - MK11 (with the Libertines)

Die in Montréal lebende schwedische Sängerin und Komponistin hat in den letzten 20 Jahren sechzehn unabhängig produzierte Alben vorzuweisen und ist zahllose Kollaborationen eingegangen. Sie ist eine poetische und kühne Kraft in der Musik, die sich dem Genre entzieht. Ihre Stimme wurde als "eine führende Präsenz" (Exclaim) beschrieben, die "den Unterschied zwischen dem Göttlichen und dem Dämonischen aufspaltet, gekonnt aus den Angeln hebt" (Under The Radar) und "neben den größten Indie-Künstlerinnen steht, die vor nichts Angst haben" (Le Devoir). Aufgewachsen auf einer Insel an der schwedischen Westküste, begann ihre musikalische Laufbahn, als sie 2004 nach Stockholm zog und Mitglied des renommierten Kollektiv-Labels und Veranstaltungsortes Fylkingen wurde (die älteste Organisation in Europa für experimentelle Musik und Kunst, gegründet 1933). Seit ihrem Umzug nach Montréal im Jahr 2012 erstreckt sich ihre Karriere über zwei Jahrzehnte und ist geprägt von einem unerschrockenen Streben nach Originalität, einem unerschöpflichen Wunsch, Genres zu überschreiten, und einem Engagement für künstlerische Zusammenarbeit. Angell verschmilzt musikalische Bereiche von Klassik, Folk, Rock und Pop bis hin zu Jazz, Elektronik, freier Improvisation und Avantgarde. Bekannt ist sie vor allem für ihr unkonventionelles künstlerisches Schaffen mit der gefeierten und für den Polaris nominierten Avant-Rock-Band Thus Owls, die sie seit 2007 gemeinsam mit ihrem Mann Simon Angell leitet. Zu ihren früheren Ensembles gehören das schwedische Vokal-Bass-Duo Josef & Erika und die elektronische Noise-Gruppe The Moth. Zur Unterstützung dieser und anderer Projekte unternahm sie ausgedehnte Welttourneen, bei denen Daníel Bjarnason (Ben Frost, Sigur Rós), Liam O'Neill (SUUNS), Karl Lemieux (Godspeed You! Black Emperor), Lisen Rylander Löve (Midaircondo) und Anders Jormin (ECM) zu ihren zahlreichen Partnern zählten. Ihre unverwechselbare und virtuose Stimme hat Aufnahmen und Live-Auftritte mit einem breiten Spektrum von Künstlern geziert, darunter Loney Dear, Patrick Watson, Leonard Cohen, Kim Myhr, Arve Henriksen, Land Of Kush, Wildbirds and Peacedrums, La Force und The Besnard Lakes, um nur einige zu nennen. Kürzlich gründete Angell zusammen mit Róisín Adams und Peggy Lee das Neue-Musik-Trio Beatings Are In The Body und vollendete ein Solo-Debütalbum mit uneingeschränkter stimmlicher Erkundung und expressionistischen avant-elektronischen Kompositionen, das Anfang 2024 auf Constellation erscheinen soll.

Tauchen Sie ein in eine harmonische Mischung aus rauen Emotionen und musikalischer Brillanz. 'The Color Purple (Music From and Inspired By)' verspricht ein Hörerlebnis, das zutiefst nostalgisch und erfrischend neu zugleich ist. So trumpft das Album mit einem Ensemble auf, das seinesgleichen sucht - der für den Golden Globe nominierten Fantasia mit ihren gefühlvollen Melodien, Taraji B. Henson mit ihrer emotionalen Tiefe, Colman Domingo mit seiner fesselnden Energie, der für den Golden Globe nominierten Danielle Brooks mit ihrer kraftvollen Resonanz, H.E.R. mit ihrer zeitgenössischen Kunst und Hallie Bailey mit ihrem strahlenden Gesang. Und Musik von den Grammy-prämierten Songwritern des Musicals - Brenda Russell, Allee Willis und Stephen Bray. Doch hört die Magie nicht bei den zeitlosen Klassikern auf. Tauchen Sie noch tiefer ein und lassen Sie sich verzaubern von einem neuen Kapitel und neuer Musik von Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, Coco Jones, Jorja Smith, Celeste, Mary Mary und October London sowie einer atemberaubenden Kollaboration von Usher & H.E.R. Von Liebe und Schmerz bis hin zu Widerstandskraft und Erlösung - diese Songs fangen die Essenz von 'The Color Purple' ein und ebnen gleichzeitig den Weg für eine neue musikalische Ära. Und für diejenigen, die einen modernen Twist suchen, gibt es Remixe von Missy Elliot featuring Megan Thee Stallion und Timbaland featuring Black Thought. So schlägt 'The Color Purple' auch eine Brücke zwischen Generationen von Musikliebhabern.

In July of 2022, just one month before jaimie branch"s death sent shockwaves around the world, the trumpet player and composer was in Chicago at International Anthem (IARC) studios putting finishing touches on an album. It was a suite of music she had composed and then recorded with her flagship ensemble, Fly or Die, over the course of a residency at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, Nebraska. In her wake, the album was near complete, with only mixing tweaks, final titles, and artwork to be fully realized. In the months following, her family (led by sister Kate Branch), her band (Jason Ajemian, Lester St. Louis, and Chad Taylor), and her collaborators at IARC (engineers Dave Vettraino and David Allen, comrades Alejandro Ayala and Scott McNiece) banded together to gather memories, texts, emails, photographs, artwork and fragments belonging to jaimie to light the path forward. The goal was always to do what jaimie would have done. Packaged in stunning artwork by John Herndon, Damon Locks, and branch herself, Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)) is jaimie"s final album with the quartet.

Nils Økland is interested in the journeys and dialogues of music across time and space, a music without national and traditional borders. At the same time, he is also very inspired by local music from many places and often prefers old fiddlers and singers who have a unique personal playing style. The first concert with Nils Økland Band took place in 2014, and since then, they have released the Norwegian Grammy nominated "Kjølvatn" on ECM and "Lysning" on Hubro, which won the award. It has been seven years since their last release. On March 1st, the highly anticipated album "Gjenskinn" (Gleam) is set to be released. The band has been working on the album for a long time, resulting in a genre-defying, cohesive work inspired by influences from around the world. Nils Økland, known for his innovative playing style on the Hardanger fiddle, violin, and viola d'amore, comes from the folk music tradition and is internationally recognized. He has collaborated with major orchestras, composed music for various mediums, and played on albums with notable musicians. Additionally, he is a member of the rock trio Lumen Drones (ECM), their latest release (Umbra) was released on Hubro, and he was a member of the improvisation band 1982 (Hubro), bridging folk, classical, and improvisational music. The Nils Økland Band consists of several of the foremost musicians in Norway: Rolf-Erik Nystrøm (saxophone), Sigbjørn Apeland (organ), Håkon Mørch Stene (percussion), Mats Eilertsen (double bass). These are musicians who, individually, have collaborated with Økland for a long time, but many of them had not played together before Økland formed the band. Rolf Erik Nystrøm has played in the genre-crossing contemporary music trio Poing for several decades, in addition to being a soloist with large orchestras, playing with world and folk musicians, and in various jazz bands. Sigbjørn Apeland has a long history of collaboration with Økland. They play a lot as a duo and have also played in the band 1982 for ten years, along with drummer Øyvind Skarbø. Percussionist Håkon Mørch Stene plays in the contemporary ensemble Asamisimasa and has also released critically acclaimed albums featuring music by Laurence Crane, Gavin Bryars, and Michael Pisaro on Hubro. Mats Eilertsen is the leading jazz bassist of his generation. He has played with a number of prominent jazz musicians such as Tord Gustavsen, Trygve Seim, Bendik Hofseth, and has released several albums under his own name on both Hubro and ECM. The Band - Nils Økland: Hardangerfiddles and violin, Rolf-Erik Nystrøm: Alto and baritone saxophones, Sigbjørn Apeland: Harmonium and Fender Rhodes, Håkon Mørch Stene: Percussion, vibraphone and electronics, Mats Eilertsen: Double bass.

We are pleased to introduce our new single coming out on 16th of February featuring ever productive Guiding Star Orchestra eleven-man roots reggae ensemble from Copenhagen, Denmark and young, upcoming, Jamaican roots Artist Azizzi Romeo (son of legendary Max Romeo) on “In Jah Sight” riddim. Coming out on both vinyl and as a high quality digital release.

The song contains conscious lyrics on top of a meditating steppas riddim with beautiful arrangements from GSO horn section and includes an amazing dub version made by the great Roberto Sanchez from A-Lone Ark Music Studio. Two wicked collaborations on both sides of a heavy slab of 7” record!

The song is an uplifting statement about putting trust in your faith. “When thirst cover your mouth, Jah will send the Rain!” A strong message from a young Artist who’s ready to take over the world of conscious roots reggae music. This is the first time Orchestra has done a collaboration with a vocalist and we have many more collaborations planned for the future as well as some brand new solo material coming this year. Stay tuned!

Blending sounds of early 70s Funk & Soul, Latin-Jazz, and Afrobeat, Mestizo Beat kicks the year off with a heavy dose of new material. First up is “She’s A Rose b/w Lotsapapa,” their next 45, offering two sides of masterful instrumental soul music written & produced by The Magaña Brothers out of their hillside studio, Spc 166 in Topanga, CA. Side A’s “She’s A Rose” takes us back to the golden years of the Blaxploitation film genre and the soundtracks we have grown to love. This song was inspired by the compositional and orchestral arrangements from the greats, such as Curtis Mayfield’s “Superbad,” Johnnie Pate’s “Shaft in Africa,” and Bobby Womack’s “Across 110 Street.” Featuring Tim Felten of Surefire Soul Ensemble on keys, with horns written and arranged by Jesse Audelo, Mestizo Beat takes the listener on an evolving journey, exploring the mood and cinematic elements of flute, saxophone, and wha’d-out guitar, topped off with a funky drum and percussion break. On the flip, “Lotsapapa” rounds out the B-Side, blending the musical styles of Latin and Nigerian disco-funk into a track that’s perfect for the dancefloor and those late nights out. Written about Bernard “Lotsapapa” Crowe, a notorious drug dealer who survived an attempted murder by Charles Manson, this side is sure to get the body moving with the afro-disco rhythms and chant vocals, dubbed out around a tightly arranged horn section written and arranged by Jesse Audelo and Jason Cressey. “Lotsapapa” features guests Steve Haney from Jungle Fire on Percussion and Cressey of the True Loves on trombone.

With each side highlighting the various talents of the ensemble, Mestizo Beat always stays true to their sound and recording techniques. Both tracks are mixed by Sergio Rios at Killion Sound and are featured on the forthcoming LP, Jaraguá, coming mid-2024.

Since the early 80's Allan Crockford has been a major figure in Medway's garage rock scene, including playing for The Prisoners, Billy Childish's Thee Headcoats, the original line-up of the James Taylor Quartet, The Solarflares and many more. Since 2010 he has fronted his own band, The Galileo 7, as writer, guitarist, and lead vocalist. Their unique blend of powerful '60s garage rock'n'roll, psychedelic vocal harmonies and quality songwriting has now featured on no less than eight albums. Their ninth, You, Me and Reality, sounds like the work of a seasoned rock 'n' roll band dialling things up one and approaching its zenith. The group performances of the quartet of Allan Crockford, Viv Bonsels, Paul Moss and Mole ooze energy and dynamics - whether it's the garage ramalama of opener 'Can't Go Home', the woozy psychedelics of 'Slow Down', the chipper folk-rock of 'A Simple Man' or the '60s mod-pop stomp of the title track. As with 2019's last album proper, There Is Only Now, all four group members share lead vocal duties, with Viv's contributions adding an affecting indie-pop flavour that coyly suggests new directions. You, Me & Reality largely eschews its predecessor's predilection for ambling unplugged off the beaten path, instead sticking with up-tempo ensemble performances that showcase the players' musical chops and vocal interplay in the kind of warm, fizzy, analogue soundscape that's become a touchstone of many Medway bands.

Gemeinsames Album des vielseitigen, mit einem Grammy ausgezeichneten Pianisten und Songwriters Bruce Hornsby und des experimentellen
klassischen Ensembles yMusic ,unter dem Namen BrhyM.
Deep Sea Vents ist ein Album mit 10 Songs über Wasser und die Art und Weise, wie wir mit, in oder gegen das Wasser leben. Hornsbys unmittelbare
melodische Leichtigkeit verbindet sich mit der rhythmischen Präzision und endlosen Vielseitigkeit von yMusic, und verbindet die verschiedensten
Einflüsse zu einem unverkennbaren Stil.
yMusic und Hornsby haben bereits bei mehreren Bruce-Hornsby-Alben zusammengearbeitet, darunter auch bei seinem letzten Album 'Flicted 2023,
seinem dreiundzwanzigsten. In seiner langen und abwechslungsreichen Karriere hat Hornsby u.a. mit The Grateful Dead, Pat Metheny, Ricky Skaggs,
Justin Vernon, Jamila Woods Songs aufgenommen und ist mit ihnen gemeinsam aufgetreten.

Gemeinsames Album des vielseitigen, mit einem Grammy ausgezeichneten Pianisten und Songwriters Bruce Hornsby und des experimentellen
klassischen Ensembles yMusic ,unter dem Namen BrhyM.
Deep Sea Vents ist ein Album mit 10 Songs über Wasser und die Art und Weise, wie wir mit, in oder gegen das Wasser leben. Hornsbys unmittelbare
melodische Leichtigkeit verbindet sich mit der rhythmischen Präzision und endlosen Vielseitigkeit von yMusic, und verbindet die verschiedensten
Einflüsse zu einem unverkennbaren Stil.
yMusic und Hornsby haben bereits bei mehreren Bruce-Hornsby-Alben zusammengearbeitet, darunter auch bei seinem letzten Album 'Flicted 2023,
seinem dreiundzwanzigsten. In seiner langen und abwechslungsreichen Karriere hat Hornsby u.a. mit The Grateful Dead, Pat Metheny, Ricky Skaggs,
Justin Vernon, Jamila Woods Songs aufgenommen und ist mit ihnen gemeinsam aufgetreten.

If you are a death metal fan, GRACELESS shouldn’t need an introduction. Three full lengths and two split EPs have granted the Dutch ensemble a respectable reputation across the globe. Closer to home, the four piece has played countless live shows since their 2016 inception. The rock solid line up -unchanged since day one- has delivered ferocious, high energy live performances at Eindhoven Metal Meeting, Into the Grave, Party San Metal Open Air, Ruhrpott Metal Meeting, Stonehenge, SDF2021 and many more festivals and clubs. Joining forces with LISTENABLE RECORDS in 2023 is the next thundering milestone for GRACELESS. Tirelessly working on their fourth full-length, the next chapter for GRACELESS will be another step deeper into the abyss that started with Shadowlands (2018), via Where Vultures Know Your Name (2020), to Chants from Purgatory (2022). For fans of DEATH, ASPHYX, GOREFEST, BOLT THROWER, AMON AMARTH, BLOODBATH

‘THE CONGREGATION - Jazz Alliance International’ compilation is the latest offering from Mono Jazz label. Compiled by Massimiliano ‘Jazzcat’ Conti - a DJ, broadcaster and internationally respected
selector with over 150,000 followers on Mixcloud - and featuring liner notes by Paul Bradshaw (from the iconic ‘Straight no Chaser’ magazine), ‘THE CONGREGATION’ is an innovative, largely
contemporary selection of tracks that they feel is representative of the current era - a true manifesto of the international jazz scene of the present days.

The release was received with great enthusiasm by some of the leading DJs and music critics of the scene – from the UK, to Germany, to Japan – getting early radio support by Patrick Forge (NTS), Colin
Curtis (Hitmix Radio), Kevin Beadle (TWR), Rainer Trüby (Compost Records), Shuya Okino (Kyoto Jazz Massive), Raffaele Costantino (Rai Radio 2), Ilya Rasskazov (Headz.FM), Michael Rütten (Soul Searching), David Patterson (JFSR), Simon Harrison (Basic Soul) & more.

Built around a near mythical, unreleased song by Japanese producer Yellowtail featuring legendary beat generation jazz singer Mark Murphy, the selection of tunes contained in this album ventures far and wide. Soulful offerings by Anthony Joseph and Jimetta Rose & The Voices of Creation, percussive and spiritual renditions by the likes of Malcolm Strachan, Right Tempo’s own Francesco Sotgiu and Nicola Conte, Latin-flavoured explorations by Mexican giant Tino
Contreras and Acid Jazz’s signed Mama Terra and a hip-hop spiced cut by Portuguese producer Azar Azar are some of the many moods that can be found in ‘THE CONGREGATION’

Following on from their contribution to theButter SessionsCome Togethercompilation released in March this year, Melbourne'sPolitodeliver their debut EPUltraparallel.Politois the collaboration between musicians Robert Downie and Finnian Langham and dancers Arabella Frahn-Starkieand Hillary Goldsmith. The ensemble integrates improvised techno and contemporary dance to form well-considered and captivating performances. The spirit of these performances are masterfully captured on the 12" record. On the transition between mediums, the group states; "we always aim to capture the unpredictability and liveliness of our improvised performances when we record, and try to sculpt the feeling of continuous movement which is so intrinsically tied to Polito's identity."

Ultraparallelconsists of four tracks that were extracted from studio sessions, emerging organically whilst jamming. The EP's introductionHornet's Webwields mutilated samples of vocals and spoken word, paired with abrupt rhythms to forge anomalous techno. The eponymous trackUltraparallel, recorded in 2018, is a dark and brooding arrangement with a murmuring melody and an infectious recurring bassline. Polito reflects; "this track is from the first batch of studio sessions we had as Polito where our intention was to create more discrete 'tracks' which could be played by DJs, rather than the longform compositions more similar to the live performances which we had recorded up to that point."

Turning the record over,Seventh Limbembodies the music for dance nuance by infusing dub with sounds from outer-space. Polito reveals; "we wanted to explore creating something more in line with the mood of our live performances, which are typically slower and have a rather meditative atmosphere. The more relaxed tempo allows the dancers to move at a sustainable pace and gives the musicians more space to prepare and manipulate the various musical elements in real-time. The result is our first formal exploration of 'the chugger.'"Ultraparallel'sfinaleSublunaryis a playful sequence mingling electronics with an airy clarinet and saxophone.

Attuned to their audience,Politoimagines how their music will be consumed throughout the creative process. They comment "while making music in the studio, we try to transport ourselves mentally to hypothetical dancefloors the music we're making could be played on, adding moments and sounds which would excite, energise, disorient, or have some other desired somatic effect. We're also considering not just how the music sounds, but how it would 'feel' when played on large sound systems."Ultraparallelultimatelypresents a refreshing visual take on literal dance music; a considered and holistic approach to enhancing the experience of listening and moving.

For the first time, Brandt Brauer Frick’s seminal album Mr. Machine is being reissued on coloured vinyl.

‘Mr. Machine’ is a record that put them alongside names as Steve Reich and Philip Glass, but with considerably more groove. More than anything, Daniel, Jan and Paul are keen that the Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble are not written off as a curiosity.

“Often people focus a lot on this whole "cross-over" aspect,” says Brauer. “We wish people would simply notice we have good chords, melodies etc. and take the music as it is. Because we make it the way we feel, and not for other, let's say purely conceptual reasons. Some only seem interested in how it’s made. Some reviewers perceive us as minimal techno, some as modern classical, some as nu jazz and so on. But we don’t divide the world into techno and nontechno.”

Neben ihrer Zusammenarbeit mit Modern Cosmology, dem unglaublichen What Will You Grow Now? aus dem letzten Jahr und ihren fortgesetzten Tourneen mit den neu formierten Stereolab ist Laetitia mit Rooting For Love solo plus The Choir zurück in der Welt und ruft uns erneut dazu auf, uns auf unsere innere Ausrichtung und unsere Herzenskraft zu besinnen, um besser gerüstet zu sein für das, was kommen wird. Das regelmäßige Auftauchen von The Choir während Rooting For Love erinnert daran, dass diese Musik von einem Volk in der kritischen Masse stammt, zusätzlich zu einer Entwicklung, die die reichen harmonischen Felder, in denen Laetitia spielt, weiter vertieft. Die diversen musikalischen Arrangements tragen dazu bei - Orgel, Synthesizern, Gitarre, Bass, Posaune, Schlagzeugprogrammierung, Vibraphon und Zither, die alle auf verschlungenen Pfaden von Akkord- und Tempowechseln arbeiten. Der melodische Funk des Bassisten Xavi Muñoz führt zu gelegentlichen Dancefloor-Vibes und No-Wave-Rockouts, während Hannes Plattemier und Emma Mario abwechselnd die Tracks abmischen und das Material mit Vibes, zusätzlichem Drum-Programming und Synthesizern zusammen mit einer talentierten Besetzung von Spielern und Sängern aus Laetitas Source Ensemble und darüber hinaus bereichern. Ob sie sich Laetitia Sadier nun von der eigenen Zen-Shiastu-Ausbildung oder von den Texten von Véronique Vincent (Texterin und Sängerin von Aksak Maboul und einst Leadsängerin der Honeymoon Killers) inspirieren lässt, immer stellt sie sich der Wahrheit, ohne mit der Wimper zu zucken. Die Schatten, aus welchem Stoff sie auch immer bestehen - individuelle und kollektive, gegenwärtige und uralte - müssen erkannt und anerkannt werden, denn je mehr wir in uns selbst heilen, desto ungeteilter werden wir angesichts der drohenden neofaschistischen/neoliberalen Narrative, die die inneren und äußeren Landschaften verschmutzen. Wie das Titelbild des Winterbaums, das sich in den Wortmustern von Rooting For Love widerspiegelt, behauptet Laetitia, dass die Art und Weise, wie wir die kommende Welt heilen, und was wir daraus machen, eine Ko-Kreation sein wird. Die Qualität unserer Vorstellungskraft, die Ausrichtung, die wir unseren Gedanken geben, und die Fähigkeit, uns selbst und der Welt Liebe zu bringen, sind ein erster Schritt.

Inveterate, known for championing transformative sounds, is thrilled to announce the launch of its maiden Various Artist compilation, "Incurables 001".

"Incurables" isn't just a title; it's a testament. It epitomizes the label's and its artists' relentless pursuit to push creativity's boundaries. The term captures the insatiable, 'incurable' passion for genuine music and its inherent message.

The compilation boasts an ensemble of prodigious talents, with contributions from artists such as Cressida, S Ruston, Ôtone, Znzl, Giordano, and Rommek. Together, they've crafted a compilation that is not just a collection of tracks but a synergistic blend of sonic narratives.

Curated by Tapefeed, each track on "Incurables 001" functions as a piece of a larger puzzle, resulting in a cohesive and impactful auditory journey that is sure to captivate listeners.

Der großartigen Sängerin Billie Holiday nähert man sich immer sehr respektvoll, behutsam ihrem tragischen Leben gegenüber, aber auch voller Bewunderung der fantastischen Musik, die sie erschaffen hat. Die aktuelle Analogue Productions/Verve Edition in 45rpm, verteilt auf zwei super sauber gepressten Vinyl-Scheiben, unterstreicht dies akustisch mehr als deutlich. Dabei ist die Tatsache, dass die Aufnahmen in Mono sind, ein soundtechnischer Haupt-Gewinn. Der Klang gewinnt dadurch definitiv an Intensität, Tiefe und Druck. Die Scheibe erschien erstmals 1955. Eine geniale Band bannte damals 12 wunderbare Lieder auf die analogen Studiobänder. Neben Sängerin Billie Holiday agieren noch die Schlagzeuger Larry Bunker und Alvin Stoller, Harry „Sweets“ Edison an der Trompete, Barney Kessel an der Gitarre, Jimmy Rowles am Piano und Ben Webster am Saxophon. Den Bass teilen sich Red Mitchell und Joe Mondragon. Der Opener „Do NothingTill You Hear From Me“ ist maximal fesselnd. Holidays Stimme erfüllt den ganzen Hörraum. Kessel spielt dazu wunderschön bluesig-trockene und wohlklingende blue notes. Websters Saxophon ist so unendlich präsent, dass man unschwer meinen könnte, man säße inmitten des Ensembles. Mit Swing und Maxi-Groove kommt „But Not For Me“. Jazz as Jazz can! Herrlich perlen die Klavierfiguren von Rowles. Der Kontrabass kommt dabei so unendlich druckvoll und dynamisch. Das muss man hören, fühlen und spüren. Holidays Stimme hat dabei soviel Klangfarbe, dass man nur noch Schwärmen kann. Die zwei 180 Gramm schweren LPs kommen im ästhetisch gestalteten Klappcover. Dieser audiophile Edelstein gehört in jede gut sortierte Schallplattensammlung, und zwar definitiv schrankenlos Genre-übergreifend. wb

Bella Brown & the Jealous Lovers Unveil "Soul Clap" LP: A Fusion of Retro Soul/Funk and Modern Grooves

Los Angeles-based retro soul/funk sensation Bella Brown & the Jealous Lovers are set to ignite the music scene with their highly anticipated LP, "Soul Clap." Born from the creative genius of Grammy Award-winning vocalist/songwriter Carol Hatchett, Bella Brown emerges as a diva with a fiery stage presence, drawing inspiration from the likes of Tina Turner and Sharon Jones, and channeling the empowered female leads of 70s Blaxploitation films. Led by producer/bassist/songwriter Daniel Pearson, The Jealous Lovers assemble an impressive ensemble of A-list musicians, boasting pedigrees that include names like Mick Jagger, Elton John, Whitney Houston, Prince, and Stevie Wonder. This musical collective is on a relentless quest to redefine the boundaries of music, infusing soul and funk with elements of jazz, rock, and Afro-Caribbean influences.

The essence of "Soul Clap" is derived from the cultural phenomena it is named after—a shared and improvised rhythm-making by a collective. The LP, spanning 40 minutes of pure musical bliss, invites the audience to immerse themselves in the groove and discover their individual truths in the music.

The title track, "Soul Clap," and the infectious "Living Proof" serve as funky dance bangers, echoing the spirit of Bohannan and The Tramps. These tracks, punctuated with jazzy improvisations and soulful horn arrangements, are simple yet joyful expressions of shared humanity and self-love.

"Coming For You" is Bella's audacious response to the soul/funk classic Apache, boldly announcing her and The Jealous Lovers' arrival on the modern soul landscape. "I Found You" takes a northern soul love song approach, reminiscent of Gloria Jones with a touch of modern influence, giving it a distinct Amy Winehouse feel.

Bella Brown seamlessly weaves social commentary into her art. "Bang Bang Bang," an uptempo, funky Motown groove, cleverly uses Curtis Mayfield's sense of sarcasm to reflect on American gun culture. "Lady Time" takes a driving afrobeat groove, employing brassy horns and reggae-like echoes to address the issue of homelessness.

However, the album is not without its lighthearted moments. "Fast As Lightning" celebrates a cleaner future by imagining Jimi Hendrix joining Ike and Tina Turner's band to create a classic Chuck Berry car song. "There Is Love" blends horns, strings, and vocals reminiscent of The Stylistics over a Chi-Lites style rhythm section, to create a lush message of support to those among us that may find the world a bit overwhelming at moments. Finally, "What Will You Leave Behind," is a revamped version of the group's sold-out vinyl 45 release. This track serves as a powerful call to action for a better future, delivered over a straight-up Motown groove with a funky Sly Stone finish.

Bella Brown & the Jealous Lovers have crafted an album that transcends genres, embracing the roots of soul and funk while pushing musical boundaries.

"Soul Clap" is a celebration of individual truths, shared experiences, and the timeless power of music.

Rated 5/5 in UK Music Republic Magazine

We Release JAZZ is so happy to announce the fourth Bruno Spoerri release in the WRWTFWW discography, this time focusing on the Swiss legend’s unheard jazz catalogue. The pristine 6-track album Musiques Légères (1976-1982) is available as a limited edition half speed mastered biovinyl LP housed in a heavy 350gsm sleeve with superb design by Nicolas Eigenheer and the classic WRJ obi.

Swiss jazz and electronic music pioneer Bruno Spoerri unveils a treasure trove of never-before-released songs in this rare archival collection recorded between 1976 and 1982 that includes collaborations with the fabled Radio Suisse Romande-backed music ensemble GIR (Groupe Instrumental Romand) which featured the crème de la crème of Helvetic forward thinking musicians with an international reputation. The super team of instrumentalists / composers represented Swiss national radio in endeavors that spanned a vast array of music genres such a jazz, pop, experimental music, or what they referred to as “musiques légères” (light music), their very own brand of jazz and funk infused easy listening. One notable member of GIR was drummer extraordinaire Stuff Combe that We Release JAZZ collectors will know from his Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion LP.

Musique Légères (1976-1982) offers a marvelous blend of easy listening jazz, joyful synth improvisations, and soulful funk ballads, a testament to Bruno Spoerri’s multifaceted talents and ability to approach various genres while keeping his very personal and very magical touch. Among the hidden gems on the carefully curated collection is the immensely catchy "Prince Karl", an undeniable hit that truly deserves to be heard.

This is the fourth Bruno Spoerri release from WRWTFWW, following the synth heavy and galactic Voice of Taurus and The Sound of the UFOs, and the compilation of unreleased experimental tracks Rare & Unreleased 1971-1998.
Musiques Légères (1976-1982) is pressed on biovinyl, a sustainable alternative to traditional vinyl. Biovinyl replaces petroleum in S-PVC by recycling used cooking oil or industrial waste gases, resulting in 100% CO2 savings in bio-based S-PVC production. Furthermore, it is 100% recyclable and reusable, embracing the circular economy ideology.

Kali Malone's anticipated new album "All Life Long" is a collection of music for pipe organ, choir, and brass quintet composed by Kali Malone, 2020 - 2023. Choral music performed by Macadam Ensemble and conducted by Etienne Ferschaud at Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-L'Immaculée-Conception in Nantes. Brass quintet music performed by Anima Brass at The Bunker Studio in New York City. Organ music performed by Kali Malone and Stephen O'Malley on the historical meantone tempered pipe organs at Église Saint-François in Lausanne, Orgelpark in Amsterdam, and Malmö Konstmuseum in Sweden. Kali Malone composes with a rare clarity of vision. Her music is patient and focused, built on a foundation of evolving harmonic cycles that draw out latent emotional resonances. Time is a crucial factor: letting go of expectations of duration and breadth offers a chance to find a space of reflection and contemplation. In her hands, experimental reinterpretations of centuries-old polyphonic compositional methods become portals to new ways of perceiving sound, structure, and introspection. Though awe-inspiring in scope, the most remarkable thing about Malone's music is the intimacy stirred by the close listening it encourages. Malone's new album All Life Long, created between 2020 - 2023, presents her first compositions for organ since 2019's breakthrough album The Sacrificial Code alongside interrelated pieces for voice and brass performed by Macadam Ensemble and Anima Brass. Over the course of twelve pieces, harmonic themes and patterns recur, presented in altered forms and for varied instrumentation. They emerge and reemerge like echoes of their former selves, making the familiar uncanny. Propelled by lungs and breath rather than bellows and oscillators, Malone's compositions for choir and brass take on expressive qualities that complicate the austerity that has defined her work, introducing lyricism and the beauty of human fallibility into music that has been driven by mechanical processes. At the same time, the works for organ, performed by Malone with additional accompaniment by Stephen O'Malley on four different organs dating from the 15th to 17th centuries, underscore the mighty, spectral power that those rigorous operations can achieve. All Life Long simmers in an ever-shifting tension between repetition and variation. The pieces for brass, organ, and voice are alternated asymmetrically, providing nearly continuous timbral fluctuation across its 78-minute runtime even as thematic material reiterates. Each composition's internal framework of fractal pattern permutations has the paradoxical effect of creating anticipated keystone moments of dramatic reverie and lulling the listener into believing in an illusory endlessness. On an even more granular level, the historical meantone tuning systems of each organ used, and the variable intonation of brass and voice, provide further points of emotional excavation within the harmony. The titular composition "All Life Long" appears twice on the album, first as an extended canon for organ and again in the final quarter, compactly arranged for voice In the latter, Malone pairs the music with "The Crying Water" by Arthur Symons, a poem steeped in language of mourning and eternity. For organ, "All Life Long" moves with a patient stateliness, the drama concentrated in moments when shifting tonalities generate and release dissonance and ecstasy. For voice, each word is saturated with feeling, the singers swooping gracefully downward to capture the melancholy of the narrator's relationship to the timeless tears of the sea. "Passage Through The Spheres," the album's opening piece, contains lyrics in Italian pulled from Giorgio Agamban's essay In Praise of Profanation. In it, Agamban defines profanation as, in part, the act of bringing back to communal, secular use that which has been segregated to the realm of the sacred, a process Malone enacts each time she performs on church organs. This is not music of praise, or of spiritual revelation, but it is an artistic enactment of translating the indescribable. It carries the gravity of liturgical chant, and its fixation on the infinite, but draws its weight from the earthly realm of human experience. A music that draws the listener into the present moment where they can discover themselves within the interwoven musical patterns that can come to resemble the passage of days, weeks, years, a lifetime.

Austin musician Jason Butler returns as Thee Conductor, his musical alter-ego, on Ennoia, a new song cycle of poignant compositions and contemplative beauty. Known as an artist who frequently collaborates on his releases, Butler has again enlisted Will Oldham (as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy) to sing, this time on every track. Elsewhere, Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche makes a couple of appearances as do multi-instrumentalist Christopher Cox, longtime collaborator Kevin Shea, and GRAMMY-winning ensemble The Tosca String Quartet.

First album in seven years from Maple Death Records founder James Jonathan Clancy (Italy/Canada), and the first under his birth name following previous ensembles His Clancyness (Fat Cat, Maple Death) and Brutal Birthday (Total Punk, Improved Sequence). In the interim between those projects and this latest, ‘Sprecato’, Clancy has refined and honed his vision —steadily and carefully drawing from a host of disparate influences to create a new kind of singer-songwriter album that bridges the divide between cosmic loner-folk, proto-ambient music, and the epic, intricately arranged world of vintage Italian soundtrack music. For ‘Sprecato’, Clancy has assembled a transnational cast of renowned guest collaborators; including Stefano Pilia (co-producer/guitar/modular/synths/bass), Andrea Belfi (drums), Enrico Gabrielli (flutes, PJ Harvey/Calibro 35), Francesca Bono (piano, Bono/Burattini) —while the core of the band features Dominique Vaccaro (guitars, J.H. Guraj), Andrea De Franco (synths, Fera) and Kyle Knapp (sax, Cindy Lee/Deliluh).

Written and recorded between London & Bologna, the initial spark for the album was to be found in the book length work ‘Gli Sprecati’ (Canicola Edizioni), by visionary Italian comic’s artist Michelangelo Setola, who ultimately provided Clancy with the graphics

that grace the album’s cover and overall visual sensibility. Something of Setola’s near apocalyptic pastoralism runs through the record, even as Clancy’s themes grow beyond the seed they’d originally planted. Drum machines that sound as if they’ve been excavated from the earth meet detuned pianos and guitars; bucolic traces of synths stretched beyond all reckoning. While the band is both loping and epic —with shades of Pentangle’s Terry Cox in the live drumming in particular —there’s a new emotional depth and

ITALIAN LIBRARY GEM RE-IMAGINED BY BEATMAKER KORALLE AND RAPPER ILLA J

Four Flies is proud to present a new installment in the RELOVED series, 'New Levels / Chartreuse', with an original track from late-70s Italian ensemble Modern Sound Quartet and a rework from producer and beatmaker Koralle featuring iconic rapper Illa J.

In keeping with the aim of the series, which is to put a modern and urban spin on tunes from Italian golden age soundtracks and library music, Koralle has used the unique jazz-funk sound of the original sample to create a smooth and stylish hip-hop beat to which Illa J adds irresistible swag and coolness. More than a remix, 'New Levels' is a new composition that takes 'Chartreuse' into the world of contemporary hip-hop and rap.

Lorenzo Nada, aka Koralle, is a musician, beatmaker and producer from Bologna, Italy. Nada is best known for his project Godblesscomputers, which kicked off a couple of years ago while he was living in Berlin. After releasing four albums/EPs and touring Europe with a four-piece band, Nada is heading into a new direction as Koralle. Firmly rooted in hip-hop, Koralle is taking his jazz crates and field recordings to the studio. Equipped with an array of synths, Rhodes and bass, he creates deeply textured tracks that touch mind, body and soul. "Each beat is like an object found at the bottom of the sea," says Koralle to describe his music. And adds: "The samples emerge from the depths of my record collection and find a new meaning, transformed, like corals from the bottom of the ocean."

Rapping on Koralle's beat is Detroit artist Illa J. Raised in a musical family (his father played piano, his mother sang, and his older brother is the late hip-hop producer J Dilla), he grew up surrounded by jazz, gospel and soul, before building a name for himself as a rapper with a distinctive flow and timbre, but also as a singer and songwriter. Illa J has said of his approach to lyric writing that "the melody comes first, then I bring the words in, even when I'm rapping, you know rhythmically. I'm a singer, so melody comes first, but in terms of the subject matter, the music tells you."

The Modern Sound Quartet was an ensemble led by Milanese pianist and composer Oscar Rocchi. It included Rocchi on keys, Andrea Surdi on drums, Ernesto Verardi on guitars, and Luigi Cappellotto on bass. 'Chartreuse' (written by Cappellotto) comes from their 1976 library LP Cocktail Bar – a collection of jazz-funk/jazz-rock/fusion tunes, each named after a famous spirit. While little known to the general public, Cocktail Bar is highly sought after by diggers, DJs and beatmakers.

'New Levels / Chartreuse' is the fifth release in the RELOVED series, following Jolly Mare's retouch of Piero Umiliani's 'Discomania' (12"), Free The Robots' rework Gianni Safred's 'Autumn 2001' (7"), Dengue Dengue Dengue's remix of Giuliano Sorgini's 'Oasi Nella Giungla' (7"), and Fratelli Malibu's reversioning of Alessandro Alessandroni's 'Tema di Susie' (12"). The 7" releases are co-curated by fellow independent label Little Beat More.

ESP Institute artist Bartellow, one third of the project Tambien and otherwise known in the Contemporary Classical sphere as Beni Brachtel, returns to the label with his second full-length release, Noosphere. While currently heading the SVS label and residency series out of Munich, Beni’s resume expands well beyond electronic music to include immersive sound installations such as The Adven- ture Of The Empty House (solo live performance across seven floors of Walter Henn’s Deckelbau building), a slew of compositions for the Bavarian State Opera (for which he doubled as conductor), and a prolific career of over twenty-five theater scores for institutions such as the Münchner Kammerspiele, Schauspiel Basel, Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin, Berliner Ensemble, Schauspiel Köln, Schaus- piel Graz and with directors Ersan Mondtag, Alexander Eisenach, Jessica Glause and Tobias Staab among others.

Noosphere is a compendium excerpting from theatrical scores WUT (Elfriede Jelinek, at Schauspielhaus Köln, directed by Ersan Mondtag, 2020), Ödipus and Antigone (Maxim Gorki Theatre Berlin, directed by Ersan Mondtag, 2017), Der Zauberberg (Thomas Mann, Schauspiel Graz, directed by Alexander Eisenach, 2017), Hass Tryptichon (Sybille Berg, Wiener Festwochen / Maxim Gorki Theatre, directed by Ersan Mondtag, 2019), Wonderland Ave. (Sibylle Berg, Schauspielhaus Köln, directed by Ersan Mondtag, 2018), Die Verdammten (after Visconti ́s film, Schauspielhaus Köln, directed by Ersan Mondtag, 2019) and Roi Ubu (Alfred Jarry, Theater Neumarkt, Zurich, directed by Alexander Eisenach, 2018).

The work traverses homages, infusing everything from Baroque to Impressionism, and while these types of references are certainly built into the canon of Theatre as a discipline, here we gather histor- ic layers in an even wider net. Under the self-referential thumb of Contemporary Classical music, this sort of "hindsight" approach has been largely avoided, however, in today’s all-access arena, the constant stream of historic causal-chained events has opened a delta where anything is possible. This defines Bartellow’s stance among his colleagues as well as his cultural position as a composer.

Beni considers beauty a fleeting objective in the arts, that expression is often expected to follow notions of Destructivism or the unfulfilled. Art will pore over wounds, collective angst, mourn- ing a loss of natural habitat or a fear of technological invasion, yet there is a bitter irreverence for the friction or salvation in beauty itself. Acknowledging this subjectivity — what one audience considers superficial pleasure may be deeply profound to another — he leans into musical instinct as if composing via divine conduit.

Noosphere conjures a array of suspense, ecstasy, melancholy, and dread, but in isolating the work from its theatrical component, Brachtel directs our focus toward formal qualities, clearing unim- peded space to conceive fresh narratives and examine dynamism and interconnectivity. In sympathy with often difficult theatre pieces, the passages can be dark and transgressive, but more importantly they remain relative to Brachtel’s circumstances at their time of creation. The title Noosphere speaks to the evolution of human thought and knowledge, opening a door to subjective points-of-view. For example, Nexus II On The Beach refers to both Roberto Musci’s Water Messages On Desert Sand as well as the film Bladerunner, invoking the image of an android enjoying the sunset, but whether or not this abstraction may be considered beautiful depends the listener’s cumulative life experience and perspective.

This is hybrid chamber music, augmented by electro-acoustic layers, juxtaposing various periods and successively processing their residual themes into a trans-generational rendering of “now.”

Bob Balch from FU MANCHU here. The idea for the SLOWER project started around four years ago. I was teaching a student how to play "South Of Heaven" by SLAYER but she was a beginner so we slowed it down. I thought that sounded cool so I tuned down to B standard and tried it. I added some drums and thought "someone in the doom community should do this and name it SLOWER." A few years later I befriended Steven "Thee Slayer Hippy" Hanford, best known for his work as the drummer in the influential Oregon punk band Poison Idea. He was backstage at a FU MANCHU show. Oddly enough I was wearing a POISON IDEA shirt and he told me that my shirt sucks. I asked who he was and why he was in our backstage. He told me and I felt stupid. We started drinking whiskey and talking about music. We stayed in touch over the next year or so and during Covid I told him about my SLOWER idea. He asked me to send him tracks. I waited too long because the day I sent the tracks he passed away. Totally tragic. I'm glad I got to know him even for a few years. He was a monster musician with a giant heart. He will be greatly missed. I shelved the project for a while after that. One day Esben from MONOLORD posted about musical collaborations. I love MONOLORD so I thought what the hell. I sent him some tracks and he killed it on drums. So I sent more. Then more. Shortly after that we started reaching out other musicians to get them involved. That's how we ended up with this lineup. Everyone that contributed completely knocked it out of the park and I can't thank them enough. This project has been a long time coming and I'm beyond stoked on how it turned out. Without all of the players involved, Steven Hanford and my baritone Reverend guitar it wouldn't have happened. Thanks to everyone involved and I hope you dig it! I'm a giant SLAYER fan so it's been a treat to dig into these classic songs. Hopefully we can do another record in the near future. Look out for shows because they will happen! Esben Willems - When Bob first approached me with the idea and I heard his scratch guitars, my first thought was "This is genius". Those iconic tracks we all know by heart suddenly unveiled an unexpected dimension. I'm really proud of how this turned out. Peder Bergstrand - "This might be blasphemous considering the circumstances, but when Bob reached out and asked if I'd want to play bass on sludged-out Slayer covers, I had to admit some of these tracks were brand new to me. That made the experience even more special though, hearing and playing on the Slower version first, and then comparing to the original. Bob has really transformed these songs into something totally their own, and on a personal level I feel the rest of the band's insane performances pushed me to my most inspired playing to date. So incredibly stoked for people to hear this album."

Neon Green Vinyl, limited to 500 copies. Bob Balch from FU MANCHU here. The idea for the SLOWER project started around four years ago. I was teaching a student how to play "South Of Heaven" by SLAYER but she was a beginner so we slowed it down. I thought that sounded cool so I tuned down to B standard and tried it. I added some drums and thought "someone in the doom community should do this and name it SLOWER." A few years later I befriended Steven "Thee Slayer Hippy" Hanford, best known for his work as the drummer in the influential Oregon punk band Poison Idea. He was backstage at a FU MANCHU show. Oddly enough I was wearing a POISON IDEA shirt and he told me that my shirt sucks. I asked who he was and why he was in our backstage. He told me and I felt stupid. We started drinking whiskey and talking about music. We stayed in touch over the next year or so and during Covid I told him about my SLOWER idea. He asked me to send him tracks. I waited too long because the day I sent the tracks he passed away. Totally tragic. I'm glad I got to know him even for a few years. He was a monster musician with a giant heart. He will be greatly missed. I shelved the project for a while after that. One day Esben from MONOLORD posted about musical collaborations. I love MONOLORD so I thought what the hell. I sent him some tracks and he killed it on drums. So I sent more. Then more. Shortly after that we started reaching out other musicians to get them involved. That's how we ended up with this lineup. Everyone that contributed completely knocked it out of the park and I can't thank them enough. This project has been a long time coming and I'm beyond stoked on how it turned out. Without all of the players involved, Steven Hanford and my baritone Reverend guitar it wouldn't have happened. Thanks to everyone involved and I hope you dig it! I'm a giant SLAYER fan so it's been a treat to dig into these classic songs. Hopefully we can do another record in the near future. Look out for shows because they will happen! Esben Willems - When Bob first approached me with the idea and I heard his scratch guitars, my first thought was "This is genius". Those iconic tracks we all know by heart suddenly unveiled an unexpected dimension. I'm really proud of how this turned out. Peder Bergstrand - "This might be blasphemous considering the circumstances, but when Bob reached out and asked if I'd want to play bass on sludged-out Slayer covers, I had to admit some of these tracks were brand new to me. That made the experience even more special though, hearing and playing on the Slower version first, and then comparing to the original. Bob has really transformed these songs into something totally their own, and on a personal level I feel the rest of the band's insane performances pushed me to my most inspired playing to date. So incredibly stoked for people to hear this album."

tapetopia 007 Corp Cruid I was the only release of the planned tap series BleiBeil. The tracks were recorded over a longer period of time in 1988 – and in changing constellations that corresponded to the lineup of the East Berlin underground band Ornament & Verbrechen. 30 copies were circulated exclusively among friends. Concerts were not part of the plan, also due to the band’s rejection of a playing permit; there was no interest in being tolerated by the cultural apparatus, which treated projects like Corp Cruid with contempt or even hostility. Even before the GDR collapsed, in November 1989, almost half of the Ornament & Verbrechen musicians had left the country. Ensembles as remote from the state as Corp Cruid sounded like a faint scratch on the Wall of Sound of a hysterical system. The tape survived on a master tape and on a few copies; today the GDR is only its background noise.
The tapetopia series, using the original layouts and track lists, publishes cassette editions from the GDR underground of the 1980s, especially from the “walled-in” scene in East Berlin. More than three decades after their initial “release”, these tapes have yet to be heard on either vinyl or CD, even though they made an audible mark in the canon of GDR subculture. Despite the tiny original editions of the time, many of the bands were considered cult in countercultural circles, which made them highly suspect in informed circles

Kepler is free” represent the brand new Athenian Urban Jazz scene in full. You may say that they actually started the whole scene with their debut album "Teegarden" by Veego Records, an instant sold out! Voted by local music portals as one of the best albums of 2020 and probably one of the best debuts ever when it comes to the Greek jazz game. “Kepler Is Free” jazz rock ensemble makes expansive music that straddles the line between '70s soul-jazz, alternative hip-hop, and experimental electronica.

The name of the band is inspired by a retired space telescope launched by NASA to discover Earth-size planets orbiting other stars. Named after astronomer Johannes Kepler. Founded in November of 2018 by Sokratis Tsentoglou (drums) who gathered George Migdanis (electric guitar), Nikiforos Nugent (keys), Spyros Zardas (trumpet) and Vasilis Alexopoulos (bass guitar), they all came together from different musical backgrounds in order to create original and groundbreaking material.

Commuting over their shared love of jazz and hip-hop, they composed their debut album, “Kepler”, with five tracks that highlighted their love for the music of GoGo Penguin, Badbadnotgood and Alfa Mist.

The fact that all the members were young and had not played in other Jazz bands before was something that shook the Greek Jazz community. ''Second Light'' was recorded in difficult conditions and was delayed quite a while until it was finished due to the pandemic.

The band played a handful of sold out shows in Athens over the last few months proving with their performance and the attendance that the band created a crossover from Jazz to pop audience. "Juno" track was a smash hit on legendary "En Lefko'' Radio station over the last two years. Worth to mention that just a month before the release of their second album Kepler is Free collaborated with LEX, one of the most famous rappers in Greece with the "Spike Lee" track.

In the midst of the pandemic, Enjoy Jazz Festival has developed a musical project whose members will be recruited new every year and then debut at a concert on UNESCO International Jazz Day, April 30. The members come from the jazz scene of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. "We wanted," festival director Rainer Kern stresses, "not only to revitalize the fragile network of outstanding creative minds, but also to rethink it artistically as a rolling system." Two experienced and renowned band leaders, Alexandra Lehmler and Erwin Ditzner, now curate an annually changing ensemble of outstanding artists of the most diverse provenance. As part of a voluntary commitment, the ensemble is to be organized in a sustainable, diverse, and, in three years at the latest, completely gender-equal
and climate-fair manner. Thus, as a commitment to the goals of the "European/Local Green Deal" (and with reference to the jazz standard "On Green Dolphin Street"), the name Green Dolphin Orchestra was created. Another special feature: The renowned Oriental Music Academy Mannheim (OMM), a long-standing partner of the Enjoy Jazz Festival, receives a white card, so that musicians with a migration background or protagonists from other musical cultures are always part of this "orchestra of many" and constantly expand its sound language.

The project has a free improvisation approach with changing personnel. "We actually even thought of drawing lots for the different formats within the band pool," explains saxophonist Alexandra Lehmler. "We decided against it in the case of the first concert and instead put together curated formations." And drummer Erwin Ditzner adds, "In principle, however, this procedure remains an option." It was important to the two of them to also mix the genres represented by the individual musicians in such a way that free space for something truly new could emerge. "We wanted to challenge ourselves," Lehmler sums it up. The only restriction: a time code was assigned to each sub-project. "Each formation was given a time limit, although it was possible to virtually override this limit by spontaneous
reshuffling," says Ditzner, explaining one central of the few rules. "In concrete terms, this meant that after eight minutes, the improvisation in progress was either ended or new musicians simply joined in the ongoing creative process, while others took themselves out of the game."

Alexandra Lehmler summarizes the artistic impact of the ensemble as follows: "We really cross-fertilize each other. In order to push this process even further, we forced ourselves when putting together the ensemble not to fall back on our 'favorite playing partners', i.e. musicians with whom one feels particularly at home. In other words, we consciously wanted to step out of our comfort zone with this project." The present pieces were recorded live in Heidelberg during the ensemble's premiere concert on the occasion of International Jazz Day on April 30, 2022.

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

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

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

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

The stars and their reflection on the sea still inspire Pellegrino and his live band Zodyaco. Their second LP 'Morphè' released on Early Sounds Recordings, is an ode to Naples as seen from Vesuvius. The ensemble that follows him through this musical journey has been enriched with new members for the continuous development of the label's distinctive Mediterranean sound; this marks a further step into the evolution of their Neapolitan melodic disco from the slopes of Vesuvius.
The sound and aesthetic metamorphosis of this second release, which gives the title to the LP the greek word "Morphé" is inspired by the conflicting scenarios of the Neapolitan metropolis; always caught up between the never ending and frenetic flow of its narrow alleys and the soothing relief of the sea, with the night as the backdrop that is not able to light it up its inner depths.

On Natura Morta, Sven Wunder is exploring art as a bridge between nature and the human ability to judge and observe in eleven musical compositions with brightly colored textures and an emphasis on vibrant melodies.

Throughout human history, we have depicted the world we live in through art. By reworking what we see in the world, the simplest things have helped us understand the beauty of nature and to evaluate the material world that we have created around us, as a window to a constantly changing reality, through our own perception. It is that absolute reality that appears in the seam of human and nature and that can be revealed through art.

Still life painting, also referred to as Natura Morta (”dead nature”) in Italian, stretches back to ancient times. Some of the earliest works, found in Pompeii, depict commonplace objects such as fresh autumn fruits alongside man-made objects such as a small amphora and a small terracotta heap with dried fruits. These two-thousand-year-old paintings give a snapshot of Roman life, and also creates a link to time and space. A slice of life has been created by binding the earth’s pigments with extracts of oil, made from nuts and seeds, painted with brushes, made from a variety of fibers, such as trees and hair from animals. While life wanes with each brushstroke, by shifting reality into the past, art exists to make us come alive, being a living image of a dead thing, a surface and a symbol with symbolic powers of its own. Still life works celebrate material and ephemeral pleasures by returning to nature as the ultimate source for our standards in art as well as in life itself.

Natura Morta collects pieces from a continuous variety of melodies — supported by a decisive rhythm section — creating a musical kaleidoscope of ever-changing colors. Sven Wunder brings life into this rich assortment of musical implications by fusing and combining melodic instruments with each other in a setting that spans from a classical to a modern idiom. The author evokes this panoramic portrait by articulating an instrumental dialog between a chamber orchestra and a jazz ensemble. The result is a musical celebration of material pleasures that also serves as a reminder of the brevity of human life. This album was produced with financial support from the Swedish Arts Council.