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MixCult presents LO-FI sublabel CRYSTAL MUD focused on limited edition lathe cut 7" & 10" discs.
Dub Techno Music in Dubplate Culture. Highly Exclusive.

repress !

Fresh sounds from an authentic source. The Evolution EP is a focused and crisp techno thriller. Each track, all of them raw and direct, are certain to be effective. The growing mood builds with a contagious energy throughout the release, with each song as superb as the one before it. Uplifting, driving, floor friendly, and fun.

To wit, if you think you know already what you’ll be getting into here heady, Television-esque multi-guitar jams played with motorik precision and a fiercely American intensity: you know, a Forsyth record well, go ahead and think that. I won’t stop you. Only . . . maybe the pulsing bass, curiously lurching drumbeat, and lunar synth squiggling of Sun Ra Arkestra maestro Marshall Allen that opens “Experimental & Professional” will set you back on your heels. But just for a moment, before Ryan Jewell’s drums and Tortoise alum Douglas McCombs’s bass twine into perfect alignment and then guitars played by Forsyth and Tom Malach (of Garcia Peoples) start chipping and hammering, twittering and sparring, the whole thing managing to evoke Remain in Light without sounding remotely like it.

Tracks : 1 Experimental & Professional 2 Heaven For A Few 3 Bad Moon Risen 4 You're Going To Need Somebody 5 Hey, Evolution 6 Long Beach Idyll 7 Robot Energy Machine

Born in march 2000, ANGELUS APATRIDA became in few years one of the most important Spanish thrash metal bands. Many demos and band members passed through the history of ANGELUS APATRIDA but it was in January 2003 that the band decided to write pounding thrash metal , mostly influenced by like Pantera, Megadeth, Overkill, Anthrax or Annihilator. ANGELUS APATRIDA released their 7th, self-titled album in 2021 and conquered the top of the official album charts in Spain (#1) and it also marked the band’s first ever chart entries in Germany (#49) and Switzerland (#41) . The band ’s classic album’ Clockwork’ , ’The Call’ and ‘ Hidden Revolution’ have been much sought after in vinyl format and reached ridiculously high prices online. Listenable is now happy to reissue those albums in limited edition coloured vinyls with brand new vinyl mastering and meet the huge demand ! . First come First served !

LTE presents its debut release titled Long Term Evolution, a 6-track compilation bringing together pieces from six artists from around the world. Music we fell in love with, sounds we find appealing, paths to explore. Between now and then.

LTE is a newly-born music label from Prague. Its goal is to build a platform for local and foreign musicians, producers and sound artists. Label's focus lies on contemporary electronic music and a wide spectrum of genres. Learning, trying and experimenting. Putting love, time and effort.

Bad times, good timing.

Melvin Ukachi needs little introduction, the Lagos (Nigeria) based vocalist and bandleader is a living legend. Melvin is known for his fantastic solo albums, his vocals for the afrobeat star-groups M.F.B. and Ozzobia_but his biggest legacy is without a doubt him being the singer and bandleader of Ofege. Melvin formed Ofege in the early 1970s (when he and the other band members were all still a bunch of teenagers). Due to their vibrant combo of sweet harmonies, hooks & fuzz, Ofege would become one of the most legendary Nigerian groups of all time, with expressive sales and national stardom to follow. At the turn of the century (and because of tracks appearing on various compilations) Ofege would receive international acknowledgment for being the first of their kind and THE ultimate West-African psychedelic funk band! Melvin Ukachi recorded four milestone albums with Ofege: 'Try and Love' (1973) 'The Last of The Origins' (1976), 'Higher Plane Breeze' (1977) and 'How Do You Feel' (1978). When the Ofege story came to an end, Melvin recorded two astonishing solo albums: 'Evolution-Bring Back The Ofege Beat' (1981) and 'I am Ok' (1985). Both of his solo recordings have now become much sought-after holy grails for collectors and fans alike. On the album, we are presenting you today (Evolution-Bring Back The Ofege Beat) the listener is treated to the trademark Ofege sound (as the title of the record obviously suggests). Next to the rootsy and raw Ofege sound, we're shown a perfect glimpse of the late '70s afrobeat works combining soul, jazzy rhythms, William Onyeabor style synths & fluid boogie-danceability Expect some serious 'all-star' guest musicians as well_featured on the album are Chyke Madu (The Funkees) on drums, Berkley Jones (Ofege) on guitar_and many other local legends. To top things off the tracks were recorded and mixed at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London_all slickly engineered by Rafiu Ayoade (The Apostles) and produced by the president of sound himself Odion Iruoje (known for his work with Manu Dibango, Fela Kuti_and many others). 'Evolution-Bring Back The Ofege Beat' was released on EMI Nigeria in 1981 and is a total Afro-psych-funk classic that begs for a special place in your record collection. It's tight, funky and Melvin's soulful vocals are to die for. This record is a monster! Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the first-ever reissue (supervised by Melvin Ukachi himself) of this amazing Nigerian Afrobeat album. This RARE classic (original copies tend to go for large amounts on the secondary market) is now finally back available as a limited 180g vinyl edition (500 copies) complete with the original artwork made at Grafikad (who were responsible for designing landmark sleeves for renowned artists such as Fela Kuti).

I notice this Melly Eye blink to the Fenek 01 with the A-side tunes witch will perfectly feet to the mix between both records (almost same tempo and tune, well done). B-side stands a solid dancefloor track too... 2 banging shirts !

Latin tinged California funk band Magnum has seens its reputation blossom since the original releas of their LP "Fully Loaded" An exuberant band of individually talented musicians working in an expansive and comfortable environment, they give a loose funky overlay to a grounded R&B and Jazz sound that included a variety of instruments including whistles, that lift the music to an exciting , hypnotic groove.

Based in San Pedro Bay, California, Magnum origianlly consisted of brothers Michael Greene (multi-instrumentalist and youngest in the group) playing piano, organ, percussion and vocals and Harold Greene on bass, with Kevin "Cornbread" Thornton on lead and rhythm guitars and doing the arrangements, Vance Wormley on trombone, organ, piano and percussion and with George Chaney on congos & bongos; Thurron Mallory, playing tenor, alto sax and electricfied percussion, joined six months later and brought with him the rest of the Magnum Horn esemble with Lamont Payne on trumpet as well as percussion.

Trad Vibe records started in Paris in 2005 when two friends and open minded musicians decided to set up a label that would mainly focus on vinyl releases. In times when Serato and other midi controllers dominated the dj booths and when vinyl record sales were experiencing a major downturn, this endevour did not look like an easy bet . "Moar's Remixes", the label's first release allowed Trad Vibe to set foot in the business and to meet people like Grandmaster Dee Nasty, Cortex (Alain Mion), Raashan Ahmad, The Audible Doctor (NYC) amongst many others which resulted in fruitful collaborations."
Ten years and over thirty vinyl releases later we are poud to present you with this compilation that includes unreleased tracks and remixes by Dj Cam, 20syl (C2C/Hocus Pocus), Venice Beach, Lord Funk, Blanka (La fine Equipe / Juke Box Champions) as well as brand new tracks by artists we like among which LS Brigandes (NYC) feat Insight, Moar & Elodie Rama, Dj Suspect & Doc TMK, King Most (San Francisco) and Madjir."

Evolution is our main target and we hope that you will enjoy our new projects as much as we do."

Unter Evolution versteht man gemeinhin die allmähliche Veränderung der vererbbaren
Merkmale einer Population von organischen Strukturen von Generation zu Generation.
Überträgt man diesen Gedanken aus der biologischen Welt in die musikalische von Northern
Lite, so trägt jedes neue Album die signifikanten Merkmale seiner Vorgänger in sich, aber erfindet
dennoch den typischen Northern Lite Sound auf spielerische Art neu.
Evolution, das 13. Studioalbum von Northern Lite, gibt ihrem unstillbaren Drang nach Härte und
Geschwindigkeit Raum, ohne jedoch die existenzielle Notwendigkeit von Liebe zu verleugnen.
Sich ihrer eigenen Vergänglichkeit bewusst geworden, gehen Kubat, Bohn und Rödel, nun jenseits
der vierzig, schonungslos mit sich ins Gericht. Weder textlich noch musikalisch werden
Gefangene gemacht. Von zärtlich quecksilbrigen Pop Balladen, bis hin zu neuen Hymnen, die die
Kraft haben, ganze Generationen im Herzen zu verbinden, nimmt jeder Song des neuen Albums
seine Hörer mit auf eine Reise zu sich selbst.
Im Ergebnis bilden hier Inhalt und Form eine rauschhafte Koexistenz, die nur durch die
meisterhafte Präzision der musikalischen Ausführung noch Steigerung erfährt.

Milan based collective Just This continue their mission into the darkest territories of electronic music with the Evolution EP from Hill Of Vision featuring an Alex.Do remix, due February 22nd.

Title track is a bleak, disorienting journey through muffled acoustics and gloomy surroundings narrated by an eerie vocal. For his remix, Alex.Do reinterprets the tension of the original into a floating dance floor weapon.

'Signs' is a stripped back swirl of strange melodic inflections and cyclical effects, whilst 'Land Of Vision' dissects the framework of atypical techno into an immersive doomsday soundtrack.

Evolution EP delves deeper into the blackened acoustic world of Just This, repurposing references from gothic tales and electronic music culture into a singularly murky aesthetic.

Russian tribecore banging tunes, quiet evolutive and hardfloor...

Following the huge success of the lead single "Settle Down" (played twice on one show by David Rodigan!), Blend Mishkin and the Roots Evolution band deliver their stunning debut album "Survival Of The Fittest" for NICE UP! records. Having spent most of his professional career behind either a computer screen or pair of turntables, Athens based producer Blend Mishkin (real name George Mantas) has been putting in work since the mid 90s with releases on labels such as Pork Recordings, Tru Thoughts, Shadow Records and many more. For this, actually his 8th studio album, he decided to do something a little different and step out from behind the computer. A chance meeting with some like minded musicians led to a conversation about them re-creating some of his past tracks for a potential live show, but after much thought it was decided that something brand new and fresh was needed. After numerous sessions and jams, a collection of tracks had begun to take shape. Recorded live and then taken back to the lab for mixing and dubbing, "Survival Of The Fittest" is the fruits of these sessions. The next step was to scout for vocal performers to bring the rhythms to life, with the focus on using both international and local talent to give a wide breadth of influences and themes. Lining up are Rebel Salute show-stopper and Juno award winning Exco Levi and seasoned veteran Skarra Mucci from Jamaica, UK reggae/dancehall don Gappy Ranks, Italian raggamuffin KG Man, Mandinka Warrior from Denmark and fellow Greek BNC amongst many others. Retaining an authentic vibe whilst keeping it current, "Survival Of The Fittest" is a truly modern roots reggae album.

Absys Records is proud to present the labels 7th dnb vinyl outing ! For this release, we have stellar music by our long time Italian comrade, Arp XP backed with a collaborative effort courtesy of Belgian duo Glyph and Canadian veteran, Gremlinz. This release is diverse, showcasing very different aspects within the Drum & Bass spectrum while maintaining the quality and craftsmanship associated with Absys.

The A side Seems Like by Arp XP, is a classic, laid back, liquid track flavoured with a touch of Jazz. It is a nod to old school and reminds us of the lightheartedness of summer with its congenial and atmospheric tune progression!

The flip sees newcomers Glyph (who are creating quite a buzz in the scene) team up with acclaimed veteran, Gremlinz, resulting in a beast of a track! Much like the flip, Evolution is touched by an element of Jazz, kicking off with a vibe that will conjure up a sense of being in a dark lit Jazz Cafe. Following a memorable sample referencing the apple in the Garden of Eden, the tune does what the name suggests and evolves into a trippy stomper that will pummel any system, making this one of the highlights of this years Absys releases!

Out soon in all good stores with a digital bonus in the form of Mesmerize by Glyph!

Vintage Electronica aware smart leftfield House jams & Ambient interludes

Southern California hard rock mainstays FU MANCHU are announcing details of their forthcoming new album, itled "GIGANTOID," out June 9th the band's own At The Dojo Records distributed throughout the US and Europe via Cargo Records. After almost 25 years together, and following last year's Scion A/V Club split 7" with friends MOAB and 2009's "Signs of Infinite Power," Scott Hill and company return with their first full-length album in close to five years. Recorded with Andrew Giacumakis, singer / guitarist for he aforementioned MOAB at his studio in Simi Valley, CA, the album features a slightly more primitive, raw and ultra fuzzed-out sound than previous releases. "We wrote 17 new songs for this record and got our favorite 9 songs out of that together," says Hill. "We were planning on releasing a 'part 2' record later this year but have plans for some of the other songs to appear in early 2015 to line up with our upcoming 25-year anniversary."

2021 REPRESS! Robotic, atmosferic, dark electrotechno as we have come to expect from The Exaltics. Reminiscent of old B12, Transmat and Dopplereffekt releases.

First production of the label Sound Crack Records, 'Organic Feeling (Tool
Mix)' is a run through the jungle, savage, tribal, the raw nature animals of
Mama earth bring the feeling of being in the middle of them, the TR08 add a
kick to the efficient duo live drum Fleury Saint Denis. A real tool for house
and techno DJ's to pump the energy to the top.
On the B side comes 'Before Midnight (Evolution Mix)'. This techno track is a
trip in the urban jungle, when the city sounds are coming out of nowhere, the
melody of the steel tongue drum live played by DJ GSD is bringing the human
vibration to heal the soul. An old school touch of Detroit techno, mix with a
meaningful speech of Kennedy will take you travelling through the evolution of
mankind.

`Humble Pi' is the forthcoming collaborative album
from two NYC-based rappers, Homeboy Sandman
and Edan.
Homeboy Sandman is a flagship Stones Throw
rapper and Edan is a revered cult hip hop producer
and beatmaker.
This is Edan's highly anticipated return since
2005's 'Beauty And The Beat'.
Homeboy Sandman has been praised by The
Guardian, amongst others.
For fans of MF Doom, Madvillain, Blu & Exile,
Guilty Simpson, Mike Eagle.
Europe tour early 2019.

"Thoughts towards change, evolution, learning from mistakes. Take advantage of the time that we have ahead of us as an opportunity for development, to be who we want to be and not necessarily who we were yesterday. Having absolute control over our subconscious and unconscious mind will allow us to achieve success."

Midi Deux Entertainment is back with his first compilation dedicated to Zizou & the Roudourou stadium. Artists of the EP come from Bretagne and offer us great techno & acid tracks.

The current resurgence of jazz in all its' forms has certainly been impossible to ignore in recent times - from the chart-bound, mainstream crooning of Gregory Porter, to the left field 'jazz not jazz' soundscapes of Kamasi Washington, Moses Boyd, Nubya Garcia and Snarky Puppy proves this is a worldwide phenomenon. One artist who has been been ploughing this furrow in the southern hemisphere for longer than most is Lance Ferguson. As the driving force behind The Bamboos, Cookin' On 3 Burners, Lanu, and the Black Feeling series, these are the varied and versatile projects on which he has built an enviable reputation.

Menagerie 'They Shall Inherit' saw the light of day in 2012 (Tru Thoughts Records) and established the fact that jazz of the contemporary type could reach back to it's essential roots and present itself, refreshed and vital for a contemporary audience.

Lance himself explains: "The Arrow Of Time' draws its inspiration conceptually from the themes of space exploration, human evolution and the future of humankind. It's pretty big stuff to be underpinning an album of modal Jazz tunes - but the main message is one of hope, and I hope that comes across in the music"

Late 2017 saw the 2 track album sampler 'Evolution/Arrow Of Time' create a genuine buzz of anticipation, being playlisted on Jazz FM, and also supported by Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2) and both Don Letts & Gilles Peterson on their BBC 6 Music shows - having as it does the spirit of deep jazz, but combining an accessible sound that reached way beyond the usual jazz hungry audience - due in one part to Evolution's immensely catchy hooks, with the voice of Fallon Williams focusing the listeners attention on the philosophical themes Lance highlighted above. Now the album, laid out in its' entirety can be experienced, attempting to encapsulate the music with the written word feels like a somewhat futile exercise, so it is best to consider Lance Fergusons' final thoughts about its inspiration, influences and ongoing appeal.

"The sound of record labels like Strata East, Tribe and Black Jazz has been a massive influence on Menagerie. To me that sound is timeless, exciting and just as vibrant as a musical format in 2018 - and the proof is that we're hearing more and more young musicians embracing it"

akim Murphy & Ike for Innerspace Halflife concept on Syncrophone Recordings with special Sleeve.
Don't miss this out

On her first Harmony Index album, multi-instrumentalist and producer Nico Leibman spotlights the feelings that are most difficult to express, bringing out the friction between her dreamy hooks and harsher sonics. Written almost like a DJ set, the album shifts intentionally between piano-led trip-hop, lounge, dream pop, 2-step and breakbeat house, not languishing in nostalgia but defining a language that's rooted in desire, surrender and forward motion.

Until now, Leibman has been best known as a touring musician, working alongside artists like Jessica Pratt and Ana Roxanne, while slowly putting together new solo material in-between frequent tours. The album was written in bursts over the course of five long years and provided Leibman with a much-needed outlet - a chance for her to lock into her personal musical preoccupations, like Janet Jackson's 'The Velvet Rope', Everything but the Girl's 'Walking Wounded' and Prefab Sprout's 'Jordan: The Comeback'.

It's this era of pop - when nascent technology collided at force with skillful, soulful songwriting - that provides the album's backbone, fleshed out by Leibman's potent meditations on a spectrum of experiences in Los Angeles. And as the record was evolving, Leibman let long night drives crack her creative world open. Embracing the city's notoriously cinematic romantic side, she used the car as a "little chamber of limerence," in her own words, enabling her fantasies and acting as a test system for each song. "If it wasn't hitting in the car," she says. "It wasn't going to be on the record, period."

This sense of motion is evident almost immediately on 'Recognize', when Leibman's breathy words are carried into the night by choppy, uptempo breaks and resonant pads. So even when she simply coos over chugging guitars and bass on the first half of 'Enough', the drop into a low-slung breakbeat is implied. "Another digression, a break in this tension," she sings. "Was I foolish to believe that this was never your intention?" Leibman's tales of disillusionment are imbued with power, buoyed by her pitch-perfect production, with additional help from co-producer Cesar Maria.

On 'Don't Pretend', she sings softly and soulfully over decelerated Timbaland-inspired beats and a dubwise bassline, aided by additional production from Purelink. And 'If' marks the point where she lets go, infusing her euphoria with melancholy as her voice soars alongside the album's most infectious piano riff. Fittingly, the album concludes with 'Trust', a song about surrendering to the possibilities of love that works as a potent metaphor for the album's evolution. Over the course of five years, Leibman learned to let people in, finally trusting the process. "It's also a fantasy of what it would feel like to finally be in love again," she laughs, accepting that it's still just a fantasy. But it's this hope in unfulfilled longing that gives the album its unique character, defining a bold, unguarded voice in LA's experimental pop landscape.

Argentinian artist Juan Hansen presents his debut album 'Ultrasonido'; twelve tracks spanning indie dance, tech house, and soft melodic house, released on his own newly founded label Ultrasonido, with the second single 'Inside My Mind' coming out via belonging by Innellea.

After his breakthrough Boiler Room appearance in 2019, Juan has been on a relentless quest to push the boundaries, playing major stages around the globe, becoming one of the figureheads of the Argentinian electronic music world. As an exceptional live artist, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Juan brings a real sense of groove to the stage, merging two worlds effortlessly: deeply emotional songwriting and direct, dancefloor-focused club tracks. 'Ultrasonido' brings both sides together. The album is a clear evolution of Juan Hansen, presenting a wider range of his sound, which he also presents in his live performances. A journey through the musical world of Juan Hansen.

Across twelve tracks, with contributions from Clér Letiv, Santi Portillo, Franco BA, Rocio Giorgi, Miko Franconi, Brigado Crew and Marley Waters, Juan shifts between club-focused tracks and more intimate, song-driven moments, moving naturally between Spanish and English. It’s a debut album that captures both his roots and the direction he’s evolving toward.

Juan Hansen's story doesn't start on the dancefloor, it starts with acoustic instruments. He built his foundation in the indie and rock scenes of Argentina before crossing into electronic music, a journey that's still audible in every track he makes. After years of building his profile with live performances, mesmerizing audiences from Cosquín Rock and Ultra in Argentina to Watergate in Berlin, Burning Man in the Nevada desert, and Grand Factory in Beirut.

His search is real and visceral; a search for the different, mixing genres without prejudice, with a seriously playful attitude. Positioned within a new generation of artists dedicated to improvising on stage, Juan fuses electronic sounds with analog instruments and organic soundscapes. There's no genre cage. 'Ultrasonido' is his debut album and the launch of his own label, also named Ultrasonido. A long-form statement after years of singles, EPs, and shows around the globe.

“Simply put, it’s unlikely we’ll encounter a mix that leaves a cultural footprint and defines the sound of a generation quite like Northern Exposure again. Both mixes are absolutely 100% astoundingly brilliant”

DJ Mag

“Their best-loved mix CD is a trippy traipse through the verdant world of progressive house, a genre with one foot in the rave and the other somewhere in the great beyond” Rolling Stone - The 30 Greatest EDM

Albums Of All Time

Originally released on 27th September 1996, ‘Northern Exposure’ is widely regarded as one of the greatest mix compilations ever made. Thirty years on, it sounds as vital as ever - a testament to the fearless vision that went into its creation.

At a time when DJ culture was still writing its own rules, Sasha and John Digweed pushed against the grain. Drawing on sounds discovered during early trips to America - from Rabbit in the Moon to Future Sound of London - they built something that prioritised atmosphere over dancefloor convention. DJ Mag panned it on release. History changed their tune.

Northern Exposure Redux marks the 30th anniversary with a definitive reissue of both original mixes. The CD version also includes a newly created ambient mix. Shaped by the spirit of Bill Laswell and Mad Professor, it explores the deeper, more hypnotic DNA that always ran beneath the surface. Northern Exposure Redux North includes classic tracks by Keiichi Suzuki, The Future Sound Of London, and Banco de Gaia. Northern Exposure Redux South includes classic tracks by Dope On Plastic, Pete Lazonby, and a newly recreated version of ‘Dark And Long (Dark Train)’ by none other than Darren Emerson himself. Both vinyl versions also include a download code for both the North And South mixes, as well as the individual tracks.

Canonical then. Essential now.

Composer and multi-instrumentalist Koen Holtkamp has spent more than two decades shaping a body of work at the intersection of ambient, experimental, and electroacoustic music. Known for his role in the influential duo Mountains, as well as a solo catalog defined by texture and spatial awareness, Holtkamp has long explored how sound interacts with environment and perception. With Nightlife, he enters a new phase of that inquiry, one shaped as much by physical relocation as artistic evolution.

After leaving Brooklyn for the relatively rural setting of New York’s Hudson Valley, Holtkamp found himself immersed in nature and embracing a slower way of life, a shift that directly informed the album’s creation. Rather than rushing into a new project, he allowed the space itself to guide him, focusing on experimentation and play instead of a fixed outcome. Over time, a new instrument emerged from his modular system, built around physical modeling techniques that emulate plucked string sounds. Drawing on a deep affinity for acoustic traditions, from guitar soli to the kora and other chordophones, he began translating those influences into an electronic language, creating music that feels tangible, effusive, and even intimate, despite its synthetic nature. As the pieces took shape, Holtkamp expanded the project into a kind of imagined ensemble. Composed with specific collaborators in mind, the album features extensive contributions from drummer Greg Fox and saxophonist and flutist Matt Bauder, whose performances subtly reshape the material and draw it toward more fluid, song-like forms, alongside a guest appearance from Ben Vida on synth bass. Yet even as Nightlife occasionally resembles a band in motion, its construction resists traditional cohesion. Acoustic and electronic sources coexist to create a hyper-dimensional sense of space, with each element deliberately placed in its own distinct environment, yielding a complex yet inviting setting that feels both otherworldly and completely natural.

Much of the album was created during late-night sessions, which became a kind of personal ritual and ultimately inspired its title. Nightlife unfolds as a series of finely detailed environments, where stillness, texture, and subtle interplay take precedence over momentum. Each piece invites close listening while remaining open and unforced, reflecting both a change in pace and a deepening of focus. The result extends Holtkamp’s ongoing interest in how sound can shape, and be shaped by, the spaces we inhabit.

Creole Culture is the triumphant return of Dawn Richard’s King Creole era. Steeped in history but with its flag planted firmly in the future, Creole Culture pulls elements from Richard’s heritage as a Black and Native American woman who has spent a lifetime making and engaging with music. Following New Breed (2019) and Second Line (2021), Creole Culture is akin to a panel of a triptych: a fully-realized sonic and narrative universe in which Richard, as King Creole, rebuilds her hometown of New Orleans in her image. She not only honors her city for what it was or what it gave her, but stakes a claim for it as a cradle of global culture now and for all time.


Creole Culture follows two acclaimed avant-garde R&B albums with composer Spencer Zahn — the later of which, 2024’s Quiet in a World Full of Noise, found Richard exorcising the specters of grief and trauma in the wake of her father Frank Richard’s health struggles and the killing of her cousin Cisco. It is a softer take on the brass-soaked swagger of Richard’s previous King Creole efforts, an evolution brought about when she realized she had left a crucial viewpoint out of her exploration of New Orleans: her own. “New Breed was the story of New Orleans through my father’s eyes,” Richard explains. “I used his samples, his music, his cultures, his work with Chocolate Milk, his side of the family. Second Line was my mom — her interludes riddled the album with her depiction of what is meant to be a Creole woman in New Orleans. The masculine and feminine sides of King Creole had expressed themselves through them, but the story felt unfinished, like my version of the story was untold.”
That story is, for lack of a better word, complex: at turns triumphant and tragic, sexy and mournful, braggadocious and contemplative. Creole Culture presents Richard’s New Orleans as a utopian soundscape — an intoxicating blend of R&B, soul, hip-hop, pop, and jazz — that’s survived and thrived despite the dystopian circumstances visited upon it. Richard presents the melange of influence and artifact on Creole Culture with the care of a botanist nurturing new hybrids in a rose garden.


What emerges from that care is at once delightful and unexpected, enlisting a crew of guest stars including Big Freedia, Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, Tarriona “Tank” Ball, and Durand Bernarr for features that play against type. Tank’s turn at spoken word verse on “l v r” serves to add dimension to King Creole’s New Orleans, as does Joseph’s undeniable voice on “chuuuurch.” “I’m not normally a features girl,” says Richard, ”but King Creole can’t build a world from scratch without help. What’s beautiful about the features here — which is also true of my band and producers — is they come from people who understand the materials of the world they’re from, they’re people I love, and they’re people who are just extraordinary at what they do. They’re part of the atmosphere of this place. You need them for the record to breathe.”
In the end, that’s what King Creole creates: a space where Dawn Richard can breathe, can be at peace with herself, and let loose with others. From finding love in opening single “enough” to relishing in the Afrocaribbean futurism of “fiesta,” Creole Culture is a tremendous, freeing breath of fresh air. It captures the resolve of a woman and a place who’ve survived the unimaginable and sees the future not as something to be endured, but as something to be created. Dawn Richard has been making that future one album at a time over the course of her career. Creole Culture is her most stunning one yet.

Creole Culture is the triumphant return of Dawn Richard’s King Creole era. Steeped in history but with its flag planted firmly in the future, Creole Culture pulls elements from Richard’s heritage as a Black and Native American woman who has spent a lifetime making and engaging with music. Following New Breed (2019) and Second Line (2021), Creole Culture is akin to a panel of a triptych: a fully-realized sonic and narrative universe in which Richard, as King Creole, rebuilds her hometown of New Orleans in her image. She not only honors her city for what it was or what it gave her, but stakes a claim for it as a cradle of global culture now and for all time.


Creole Culture follows two acclaimed avant-garde R&B albums with composer Spencer Zahn — the later of which, 2024’s Quiet in a World Full of Noise, found Richard exorcising the specters of grief and trauma in the wake of her father Frank Richard’s health struggles and the killing of her cousin Cisco. It is a softer take on the brass-soaked swagger of Richard’s previous King Creole efforts, an evolution brought about when she realized she had left a crucial viewpoint out of her exploration of New Orleans: her own. “New Breed was the story of New Orleans through my father’s eyes,” Richard explains. “I used his samples, his music, his cultures, his work with Chocolate Milk, his side of the family. Second Line was my mom — her interludes riddled the album with her depiction of what is meant to be a Creole woman in New Orleans. The masculine and feminine sides of King Creole had expressed themselves through them, but the story felt unfinished, like my version of the story was untold.”
That story is, for lack of a better word, complex: at turns triumphant and tragic, sexy and mournful, braggadocious and contemplative. Creole Culture presents Richard’s New Orleans as a utopian soundscape — an intoxicating blend of R&B, soul, hip-hop, pop, and jazz — that’s survived and thrived despite the dystopian circumstances visited upon it. Richard presents the melange of influence and artifact on Creole Culture with the care of a botanist nurturing new hybrids in a rose garden.


What emerges from that care is at once delightful and unexpected, enlisting a crew of guest stars including Big Freedia, Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, Tarriona “Tank” Ball, and Durand Bernarr for features that play against type. Tank’s turn at spoken word verse on “l v r” serves to add dimension to King Creole’s New Orleans, as does Joseph’s undeniable voice on “chuuuurch.” “I’m not normally a features girl,” says Richard, ”but King Creole can’t build a world from scratch without help. What’s beautiful about the features here — which is also true of my band and producers — is they come from people who understand the materials of the world they’re from, they’re people I love, and they’re people who are just extraordinary at what they do. They’re part of the atmosphere of this place. You need them for the record to breathe.”
In the end, that’s what King Creole creates: a space where Dawn Richard can breathe, can be at peace with herself, and let loose with others. From finding love in opening single “enough” to relishing in the Afrocaribbean futurism of “fiesta,” Creole Culture is a tremendous, freeing breath of fresh air. It captures the resolve of a woman and a place who’ve survived the unimaginable and sees the future not as something to be endured, but as something to be created. Dawn Richard has been making that future one album at a time over the course of her career. Creole Culture is her most stunning one yet.

Danielle Ponder is done waiting for a future version of herself to arrive. Now, the Rochester-born, Atlanta-rooted singer-songwriter is unapologetically living in the moment. This realization powers Everything Has Changed, Ponder's anticipated sophomore album (and debut on Dead Oceans in partnership with Phoebe Bridgers). The LP is Ponder’s most self-assured statement to date: it was crafted through a period of immense transformation as the beloved vocalist propelled from being a lawyer to a full-fledged musical powerhouse. That artistic freedom threads the album, as heard on lead single, “Power”, which serves as both a declaration and an affirmation for the Black diaspora. Other highlights include the revelatory “Sun and Moon”, the towering blues ballad “God of You”, and the devastatingly vulnerable “Open Windows”. Everything Has Changed dismantles the stories Ponder once told herself and finds peace in what remains—all themes that have shaped much of her journey. Music was always a constant presence throughout her life, but practicality initially took over in adulthood. While performing with her family’s band and later developing her own projects, Ponder pursued a legal career focused on criminal justice reform.

It wasn’t until her late 30s that she allowed herself to seriously imagine music as more than a side pursuit. In 2021, at age 39, she finally took the leap, leaving law behind to pursue her artistry full-time. The gamble paid off: she signed her first record deal in 2022, becoming a trailblazer on her own unusual path to worldwide renown. Her debut album Some of Us Are Brave introduced Ponder as one of soul music’s most compelling new voices, thanks to singles like “Someone Like You”, “Roll The Credits,” and the empowering title track. The LP earned critical acclaim along with dozens of major sync placements, including the latest Apple campaign for the iPhone 16 Pro. She’s since had four major TV appearances, including Jimmy Kimmel Live! Ponder has also sold out shows across North America and Europe, including festival appearances at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Afropunk, and the Montreux Jazz Festival.
But if that album documented her arrival, Everything Has Changed documents her evolution.