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The songs of Jules de Corte are condensed, folky gems with an almost effortless charm. Poised between the intimate and the universal, between lightness and darkness, they touch on religion, love, loss, and the small dramas of everyday life. Yet they resist easy translation. Packed with wordplay, de Corte’s signature alliterations, humor, and local cultural references, the songs inevitably lose something in another language. Still, when a Belgian quartet of improvisers takes them on, joined by American songwriter Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, the songs are reborn rather than merely transposed: literal fidelity gives way to interpretation, and what is lost in words is often gained in spirit.

Even without tracing every change, their overall effect is fascinating. Songs are slowed down, often doubled in length, and filled with unexpected musical intrusions. They gain fuller arrangements and are placed in an entirely new context. Replacing de Corte’s piano with guitar can create a radically different vibe, as in “Mariska.” An added solo can heighten the contrast between childlike perspective and the almost matter- of-fact brutality of “Little Anita.” In “The Stranger,” another use of contrast unsettles the everyday harmony, transforming it with a subtle, disorienting twist.

Ultimately, these performances show that interpretation is not successful simply because it is literal. With the groundwork laid by Linus, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy further liberated the songs from their original versions. Lyrics and melodies become malleable, shaped by his recognizable cadences, timbre, and personal quirks. Like his collaborators, he allows himself the freedom to bend the material to his own approach. There is no radical break between this performance and his other records. Listeners familiar with the originals may be puzzled at first; for those new to de Corte, it is a wholly different experience.

Does it really matter that the original “Little Jesus, Mighty God” is a 100-second nugget combining playful naivete with biblical fervor? In the hands of these five explorers, the song becomes an intriguing contemplation, with subtle musical shades and a recitation in which every syllable carries a maturity that offers a new perspective. Then there is “The Outsider,” which feels as genuine as any original American folk song. The musicians’ process is more than reinterpretation—it is reimagination, bringing new musical compatibility and emotional depth. Whether that depth was there from the start, waiting to be uncovered, or created in the process is beside the point. What matters is that Linus and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy have made the essence of these songs their own, paying homage yet dancing to their own tune.

Linus is the Belgian duo of guitarist and banjo player Ruben Machtelinckx and reedist and synthesiser player Thomas Jillings. Across five previous albums — Onland (2014), Linus + Skarbø / Leroux (2015), Felt Like Old language at the crossroads of folk, jazz, minimalism, chamber music and free improvisation. Their music is adventurous, shaped by a particular sensitivity to texture, timbre and the subtle interaction between musicians.

What began as a duo gradually grew into a flexible musical world, bringing Linus together with musicians such as Nils Økland, Ingar Zach, Niels Van Heertum, Øyvind Skarbø and Frederik Leroux. Yet each new constellation has remained recognisably Linus: music in which carefully considered forms leave space for intuition, interaction and the unexpected.

For their sixth album, Linus takes a new step by moving into the world of song and text. Inspired by a shared love for the late Dutch songwriter Jules De Corte, the album is a reimagining of De Corte’s unique repertoire. More than simply interpreting De Corte’s songs, they absorb and reshape them, bringing them into dialogue with their own musical language. In keeping with this open approach, they are joined by celebrated vocalist Bonnie “Prince” Billy. With albums such as 1999’s I See a Darkness appearing on several greatest album lists, Bonnie “Prince” Billy is a cult figure in the alternative folk scene, and his highly intuitive way of singing seamlessly matches the subtle interplay Linus has developed over more than a decade.

Blume presents two pieces composed in 1970 by the American pianist and composer David Tudor (1926-1996), one of electronic music's most important pioneers, for the Pepsi-Cola Pavilion, a unique artist-designed and programmed space for Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan, created by Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.). Pepsibird and Anima Pepsi deploy electronic technology as a means to experience sound in ways that are anything but matter of fact, rendering liberated environments within and through which one might democratically express and commune. Viewed through the lens of what was, is, and might have been, they offer the tools for time travel: an unmediated encounter with radical, optimistic ideas that gave way to the complex cultural landscape of our time.

Initially trained on organ and then piano, Tudor emerged as a leading figure within New York's musical vanguard after his groundbreaking 1950 performance of Stefan Wolpe's Battle Piece and the American premiere of Pierre Boulez's Second Sonata. Within less than a year he had joined the Merce Cunningham Dance Company as its accompanist, a role he kept until his death, and began one of his most lasting creative relationships with John Cage, who would state that his entire output between 1951 and the end of the 1960s was written with Tudor in mind. Christian Wolff, Earle Brown, Morton Feldman, Sylvano Bussotti, Mauricio Kagel, and Karlheinz Stockhausen all wrote works for him during the 1950s and '60s. Through indeterminacy and chance-based methods, Tudor was noted for radically intervening with the works he played, often making them entirely his own, and it was this same singularity of vision that led him to gradually abandon the piano in favor of electronic process, through which he began working as a composer in his own right.

His engagement with electronics dates to the early 1950s and Cage's Project for Music for Magnetic Tape. By the following decade the pair had moved to live electronics, with Tudor rendering works like Cartridge Music and Variations II through contact microphones and complex systems of feedback and amplification. Before modular synthesizers existed, he designed and built his own electronics, often with engineers from Bell Laboratories, producing dozens of unique instruments and processing tools that helped lay the groundwork for the technological needs embraced by most electronic musicians ever since. A clear marker of his emergence as a composer came in 1966 with 9 Evenings: Theatre and Engineering, where he premiered Bandoneon! (a combine), turning the cavernous performance space into a feedback instrument and a total environment. The event led directly to the founding of E.A.T. the following year by the engineers Billy Klüver and Fred Waldhauer, alongside Robert Rauschenberg and Robert Whitman.

Among the most ambitious of E.A.T.'s projects was the Pepsi-Cola Pavilion, for which Tudor composed four pieces between March and April 1970: Pepsibird, Anima Pepsi, Pepscillator, and Microphone. Together with Forrest "Frosty" Myers, Robert Whitman, the sculptor and filmmaker Robert Breer, and the architect John Pearce, he was tasked with the design and function of the building: a 120-foot diameter steel and polyvinyl dome, shrouded in mist and fog and lit in the evenings by a square of intense blue-white xenon light. Tudor worked with Gordon Mumma and Fred Waldhauer on a unique sound system capable of processing and variable distribution through 37 speakers, controlled both by automated means and by the performer, and with Lowell Cross on a sound-activated laser deflection system inside the pavilion's mirrored performance hall.

Both pieces are an advanced form of musique concrète: libraries of tape recordings, live mixed and processed through the pavilion's sound console and distributed through 8 channels of stationary and rotating patterns designated by Tudor's instructions (small circle, great circle, large rhomboid, spiral, small triangles, small ovals). Pepsibird is focused upon a physical interiority, its source tapes being recordings of the brain wave activity of humans and animals: cat's eye, nerve firing, bats, EKG, alpha waves, a modified nightjar. Recorded in situ in 1970 and mixed down to stereo, it retains a striking sense of the space and ambience that Tudor achieved in performance. For more than eighteen minutes he merges subtle textures and pulses, at times resembling birdsong, within a blanket of vast, resonant ambience of subaquatic density, foreshadowing the relationship to the natural world of later works like Rainforest IV (1973).

Anima Pepsi is centered on the exterior: field recordings that Tudor made of animal and insect sounds (mosquitoes in a jar, a fly on flypaper, a wasp chewing, a beetle walking) and a mix of human and animal sounds that he called the "funny tape". Where Pepsibird deploys interior sounds in ways that allude to the natural world, Anima Pepsi pushes the sounds of nature and humanity toward the otherworldly through the clear presence of electronic sounds and processing, moulding detailed, pointillistic patterns of abstract sonority into gauzy blankets of ambience and space.

The collaboration did not last: less than a month after the opening, Pepsi withdrew its support, fired E.A.T., and disregarded Tudor's tapes, which according to accounts had to be smuggled out by staff, playing its own soundtrack in the pavilion for the rest of the Expo. Heard today, Pepsibird and Anima Pepsi anticipate many territories of later electroacoustic practice, from field recording to live processing, while the terms on which they were made, radically unpredictable, indeterminate, and experimental to the core, reconfigure what we've come to expect from electronic process, making one wonder if the past was ahead. Issued by Blume in a highly limited vinyl edition of 300 copies on red vinyl, with a 20-page LP-size booklet containing You Nakai's essay and newly commissioned liner notes by Bradford Bailey.

Feeling both familiar and forward-looking, MBK004 expands its reach with an international lineup of
producers united by a shared appreciation for the New York underground sound.
Crafted by Tunisian producer Gringow, our first two tracks take listeners to the darker side of minimal.
Also owner of the HeardOf label, Gringow lends his talent to Minimal Brooklyn with 15 minutes of
hypnotic rhythms. “Black is the new color” gives chills, while “My K” triggers introspection.
Flipping the record will bring listeners to a brighter space. We begin with Chilean DJ/producer
Francisco Ruíz-Tagle and his original track “Primal Depths”. Francisco introduces textures that have
been cultivated throughout his life. His submission to Minimal Brooklyn holds nothing back, delivering
a multidimensional auditory experience to listeners.

MBK004 ends with “Bean Water”, an original track from Chicago-based producer Double Dipp. This
spell-casting production truly highlights the attraction of minimal. Dynamic instrumentals with clean
resolution. This is Double Dipp’s formula for timelessness.

“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.

“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.

Delsin is pleased to announce the second volume of their extensive compilation series combing through the catalogue of landmark Dutch techno label Djax-Up-Beats. The series, curated by Rush Hour co-founder Christiaan Macdonald, continues with a look at the label's legacy in the development of Dutch techno through the early 90s. This second volume in the Djax-Up-Beats 1990-2005 series comprises 25 tracks, presented again as a main triple-vinyl album plus three additional 12" EPs. The compilation also features again all-new illustration from Alan Oldham, design by Lost Communication and liner notes from music journalist Oli Warwick. Crucially, every track featured on the series has been carefully mastered by Johanz Westerman, bringing the best out of tracks that often had very little post-production treatment before they were originally pressed to wax. Volume 2 - The NL Connection takes a deep dive in the development of Dutch techno. Saskia Slegers didn't run her label with a specific focus on any one place, but she naturally connected with artists close to home. Emergent producers from across the Netherlands found a vital outlet in Djax-Up whether they were short-lived dabblers or dance music devotees on their way to lifelong careers. Volume 2 - The NL Connection looks at the first outings in Dutch techno by originators such as Stefan Robbers as Terrace, Dylan Hermelijn as Planet Gong and Edge Of Motion (with Gert-Jan Schonewille) and Sander Friedeman as Random XS. Whether it was sensitive, melodious machine dreaming, gnarly acid tweaking, jackhammer techno or oddball outliers, you could count on Slegers' label to point you to the best underground club music coming out of the Netherlands. With four more, equally extensive, volumes to come in this series, Djax-Up-Beats 1990-2005 is a thorough exploration of a true totem of techno culture -- a renegade label that operated on its own terms and carried surprises and slammers in equal measure.

For the next release on NDYUKA RHYTHMS we welcome Toru Ikemoto, all the way from Osaka, Japan. This exceptional 4-track EP is an elegant meeting point between two deeply rooted cultures. Toru's Japanese heritage and NDYUKA RHYTHMS' signature percussion-driven sound form the foundation of the release, creating a connection that can not only be heard, but truly felt. Each track carries a Japanese title, with Toru developing a distinct musical vision and concept behind every piece. He has put these ideas into words and translated them into sound with remarkable precision, resulting in four carefully crafted compositions that each tell their own story. The EP is a genuine fusion of heritage, rhythm and musical expression - bringing together Toru's Japanese roots and the rhythmic identity of NDYUKA RHYTHMS in a way that feels both authentic and effortless. A special release from Osaka to the world.

Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue Brigitte Fontaine’s landmark 1970 Saravah album Comme à la Radio, recorded with Areski Belkacem (who sadly died last June), Wadada Leo Smith and the Art Ensemble of Chicago. This deluxe 2-LP edition pairs the original album with a second LP of rare bonus material. The release is accompanied by a lavish 24-page bilingual booklet featuring an introduction by journalist Andy Beta, essays by Wadada Leo Smith, Brigitte Fontaine biographer Benoît Mouchart and Benjamin Barouh, plus a recent interview with Brigitte Fontaine and the late Areski Belkacem. The booklet also includes complete lyrics and a selection of rare archival photographs by Jean-Pierre Leloir and Philippe Gras. The reissue is announced alongside its companion, the deluxe 2-LP set Comme à la Radio "On Air", featuring previously unreleased ORTF live recordings and additional studio rarities.


Wewantsounds pursues its Brigitte Fontaine reissue program with Comme à la Radio, originally released in 1970 on Pierre Barouh’s cult Saravah label, fusing Fontaine’s radical lyricism with Areski Belkacem’s minimalist compositions and the fearless improvisations of the Art Ensemble of Chicago + Wadada Leo Smith. Its title track has since become a cult classic in jazz and groove circles.
The album has been newly remastered from the original tapes and is reissued in a deluxe 2-LP edition featuring 11 bonus tracks. The first LP presents the original album in restored clarity, while the second gathers rare non-album singles, English-language takes, alternate versions and previously unreleased instrumental recordings showcasing the Art Ensemble's artistry, including the elusive English version of Comme à la Radio, and a striking early version of L’été L’été.
Also included is a 24-page bilingual booklet featuring rare archival photographs by cult photographers Jean-Pierre Leloir and Philippe Gras, complete lyrics, and contributions by Andy Beta, Wadada Leo Smith, Benoît Mouchart and Benjamin Barouh, plus a recent interview with Brigitte Fontaine and the late Areski Belkacem. The reissue is announced alongside its companion Comme à la Radio "On Air", a deluxe 2-LP set presenting previously unreleased ORTF live recordings and additional studio rarities.
Comme à la Radio stands as a visionary landmark of French music and a defining statement in Brigitte Fontaine’s career. This expanded edition confirms its enduring influence more than fifty years after its original release.

a A1. Comme À La Radio 8.03
b A2. Tanka II 2.04
c A3. Le Brouillard [3.24]
[d] A4. J'ai 26 Ans [3.04]
[e] B1. L'été L'été [3.56]
[f] B2. Encore [1.34]
[g] B3. Léo [3.50]
[h] B4. Les Petits Chevaux [0.43]
[i] B5. Tanka I [1.45]
[j] B6. Lettre À Monsieur Le Chef De Gare De La Tour De Carol [6.04]

[l] C1. Comme À La Radio – English Version [8.08]
[m] C2. J’ai 26 Ans – English Version [3.56]
[n] C3. Le Goudron – 7’’ Single [4.12]
[o] C4. Le Noir C'est Mieux Choisi – 7" Single [5.03]
[p] D1. Les Beaux Animaux – 7’’ Single [3.16]
[q] D2. L'été L'été – Early version [4.38]
[r] D3. L'été L'eté – Instrumental Version [4.23]
[s] D4. Tanka I – Instrumental Version [1.47]
[t] D5. Tanka II – Instrumental Version with Flute [1.40]
[u] D6. Le Brouillard – Instrumental Version [3.57]
[v] D7. Lettre À Monsieur Le Chef De Gare – A Cappella English Version [2.46]

[a] A1. Comme À La Radio [8.03]
[b] A2. Tanka II [2.04]
[c] A3. Le Brouillard [3.24]
[d] A4. J'ai 26 Ans [3.04]
[e] B1. L'été L'été [3.56]
[f] B2. Encore [1.34]
[g] B3. Léo [3.50]
[h] B4. Les Petits Chevaux [0.43]
[i] B5. Tanka I [1.45]
[j] B6. Lettre À Monsieur Le Chef De Gare De La Tour De Carol [6.04]

[l] C1. Comme À La Radio – English Version [8.08]
[m] C2. J’ai 26 Ans – English Version [3.56]
[n] C3. Le Goudron – 7’’ Single [4.12]
[o] C4. Le Noir C'est Mieux Choisi – 7" Single [5.03]
[p] D1. Les Beaux Animaux – 7’’ Single [3.16]
[q] D2. L'été L'été – Early version [4.38]
[r] D3. L'été L'eté – Instrumental Version [4.23]
[s] D4. Tanka I – Instrumental Version [1.47]
[t] D5. Tanka II – Instrumental Version with Flute [1.40]
[u] D6. Le Brouillard – Instrumental Version [3.57]
[v] D7. Lettre À Monsieur Le Chef De Gare – A Cappella English Version [2.46]

[a] A1. Comme À La Radio [8.03]
[b] A2. Tanka II [2.04]
[c] A3. Le Brouillard [3.24]
[d] A4. J'ai 26 Ans [3.04]
[e] B1. L'été L'été [3.56]
[f] B2. Encore [1.34]
[g] B3. Léo [3.50]
[h] B4. Les Petits Chevaux [0.43]
[i] B5. Tanka I [1.45]
[j] B6. Lettre À Monsieur Le Chef De Gare De La Tour De Carol [6.04]

[l] C1. Comme À La Radio – English Version [8.08]
[m] C2. J’ai 26 Ans – English Version [3.56]
[n] C3. Le Goudron – 7’’ Single [4.12]
[o] C4. Le Noir C'est Mieux Choisi – 7" Single [5.03]
[p] D1. Les Beaux Animaux – 7’’ Single [3.16]
[q] D2. L'été L'été – Early version [4.38]
[r] D3. L'été L'eté – Instrumental Version [4.23]
[s] D4. Tanka I – Instrumental Version [1.47]
[t] D5. Tanka II – Instrumental Version with Flute [1.40]
[u] D6. Le Brouillard – Instrumental Version [3.57]
[v] D7. Lettre À Monsieur Le Chef De Gare – A Cappella English Version [2.46]

[a] A1. Comme À La Radio [8.03]
[b] A2. Tanka II [2.04]
[c] A3. Le Brouillard [3.24]
[d] A4. J'ai 26 Ans [3.04]
[e] B1. L'été L'été [3.56]
[f] B2. Encore [1.34]
[g] B3. Léo [3.50]
[h] B4. Les Petits Chevaux [0.43]
[i] B5. Tanka I [1.45]
[j] B6. Lettre À Monsieur Le Chef De Gare De La Tour De Carol [6.04]

[l] C1. Comme À La Radio – English Version [8.08]
[m] C2. J’ai 26 Ans – English Version [3.56]
[n] C3. Le Goudron – 7’’ Single [4.12]
[o] C4. Le Noir C'est Mieux Choisi – 7" Single [5.03]
[p] D1. Les Beaux Animaux – 7’’ Single [3.16]
[q] D2. L'été L'été – Early version [4.38]
[r] D3. L'été L'eté – Instrumental Version [4.23]
[s] D4. Tanka I – Instrumental Version [1.47]
[t] D5. Tanka II – Instrumental Version with Flute [1.40]
[u] D6. Le Brouillard – Instrumental Version [3.57]
[v] D7. Lettre À Monsieur Le Chef De Gare – A Cappella English Version [2.46]

[a] A1. Comme À La Radio [8.03]
[b] A2. Tanka II [2.04]
[c] A3. Le Brouillard [3.24]
[d] A4. J'ai 26 Ans [3.04]
[e] B1. L'été L'été [3.56]
[f] B2. Encore [1.34]
[g] B3. Léo [3.50]
[h] B4. Les Petits Chevaux [0.43]
[i] B5. Tanka I [1.45]
[j] B6. Lettre À Monsieur Le Chef De Gare De La Tour De Carol [6.04]

[l] C1. Comme À La Radio – English Version [8.08]
[m] C2. J’ai 26 Ans – English Version [3.56]
[n] C3. Le Goudron – 7’’ Single [4.12]
[o] C4. Le Noir C'est Mieux Choisi – 7" Single [5.03]
[p] D1. Les Beaux Animaux – 7’’ Single [3.16]
[q] D2. L'été L'été – Early version [4.38]
[r] D3. L'été L'eté – Instrumental Version [4.23]
[s] D4. Tanka I – Instrumental Version [1.47]
[t] D5. Tanka II – Instrumental Version with Flute [1.40]
[u] D6. Le Brouillard – Instrumental Version [3.57]
[v] D7. Lettre À Monsieur Le Chef De Gare – A Cappella English Version [2.46]

[a] A1. Comme À La Radio [8.03]
[b] A2. Tanka II [2.04]
[c] A3. Le Brouillard [3.24]
[d] A4. J'ai 26 Ans [3.04]
[e] B1. L'été L'été [3.56]
[f] B2. Encore [1.34]
[g] B3. Léo [3.50]
[h] B4. Les Petits Chevaux [0.43]
[i] B5. Tanka I [1.45]
[j] B6. Lettre À Monsieur Le Chef De Gare De La Tour De Carol [6.04]

[l] C1. Comme À La Radio – English Version [8.08]
[m] C2. J’ai 26 Ans – English Version [3.56]
[n] C3. Le Goudron – 7’’ Single [4.12]
[o] C4. Le Noir C'est Mieux Choisi – 7" Single [5.03]
[p] D1. Les Beaux Animaux – 7’’ Single [3.16]
[q] D2. L'été L'été – Early version [4.38]
[r] D3. L'été L'eté – Instrumental Version [4.23]
[s] D4. Tanka I – Instrumental Version [1.47]
[t] D5. Tanka II – Instrumental Version with Flute [1.40]
[u] D6. Le Brouillard – Instrumental Version [3.57]
[v] D7. Lettre À Monsieur Le Chef De Gare – A Cappella English Version [2.46]

Kapote presents: ITALOMANIA Vol. 4.

Toy Tonics Italomania Vol. 4 is a compilation dedicated to new ITALIAN DISCO. Not ITALO DISCO.

10 new tracks made by young producers from Italy, exclusively made for Toy Tonics. All songs with Italian vocals.

Made with a lot of love by

Cleeeo, Giorgio Lopez, Magnolia, Juan Soto & Sam Ruffillo, KOKO, Luca Averna, Ricardo Baez, Euro Nettuno, The Cube Guys and Paccone.

The Italomania compilation was initiated by Mathias ‚Kapote‘ Modica. Creative mind behind Toy Tonics and half italian producer himself.

The series is a manifesto to show the status of Italian disco of today.

Kapote invited the most relevant producers to show different new styles of modern Italian disco and house music.

With a wide range of influence: Live disco, indie dance, italo pop, and italo house.

Italian disco is not Italo disco. The last few years saw a big revival of the trashy pop music of the 1980s called Italo disco, mostly with English lyrics.

But this compilation is about something else. It is about this new Italian disco. Toy Tonics wants to show a new way to combine Italianity with dance culture.

The Italomania Vol. 4 Artists

Cleeeo - Come Tocchitu: A sexy and sophisticated disco house track by 22 year old newcomer DJ and producer Cleeeo. Driven by a warm, uplifting groove and strong dancefloor energy. The record is dedicated to Brazil. The vocals move between Italian and Portuguese. This creates a natural bridge between two cultures.

Giorgio Lopez - Italiani Brava Gente: Giorgio Lopez is an important player from the much talked about new music scene from Napoli.

For "Italiani Brava Gente," he teams up with Los Angeles artist Sueño. The track is a tongue-in-cheek take on the stereotypical Italian male. It pays homage to late Italodisco legend Pino D’Angiò. The story unfolds from the perspective of a foreign tourist navigating the contradictions of self-proclaimed Casanovas.

The Cube Guys - Saper Ringraziare: The legendary italo house duo shows their Italian vibes and musical taste with “Saper Ringraziare”. The track captures the warmth of summer and the infinity of urban nights. A combination of early Italo disco elements mixed with their typical groovy beats.

Magnolia - Vesuvio: Magnolia’s “Vesuvio” is a cover version of a song from the 1960s by artist E’ Zezi. While the original is more in a folk vibes, the new version is an irresistible piano house track with groovy, sun-soaked vibes. It is made for the dance floor. This track blends Mediterranean roots with the euphoric energy of modern house. Some might know the vocals already from another cover version by Nu Genea from the previous album.

Juan Soto & Sam Ruffillo - Italomexicano: What happens when a Toy Tonics artist hangs out in Mexico city and teams up with the local scene? The result is here. A blend a Toy Tonics sound and tons of vintage synthesizers and some additional production by Mexican producer talent Juan Soto.

You get "Italomexicano". A fuse of the mystique of Mexican mariachi with the magnetic pulse of Italo disco.

KOKO feat. Elena Moroder - I Can't Understand: This melancholic piano house track is a serious floorfiller! Goosebumps! Italian DJ and producer KOKO teams up with Elena Moroder on "I Can’t Understand". Elena delivers a captivating vocal performance. The track explores the misunderstandings of a relationship where emotions were never fully expressed. It blends an iconic piano melody with warm, uplifting grooves.

Luca Averna - Le Luci Della Pista: Luca Averna is a DJ, producer, and resident at the iconic Pikes Hotel in Ibiza. "Le Luci Della Pista" is an energetic track designed for peak-time Ibiza moments while keeping a strong groove and a playful spirit.

Ricardo Baez - È Venerdì: Ricardo Baez is an Italian-Venezuelan DJ and producer. He is known for his distinctive blend of house, dark electro, italo disco, and leftfield electronics. Well respected in Italy's contemporary electronic scene he has been releasing on labels such as Running Bag, Permanent Vacation, Bordello a Parigi, Correspondant, Mule music, Live at Robert Johnson.

Euro Nettuno - La Notte Chiama: These guys are hot! Part of the Polyamore Crew, one of the rising italian new disco collectives their sound mixes Italo house from the 1990ies, electro and Pop in a very cool new way.

Paccone - J'Adore Napoli: Vincenzo Paccone is a DJ, producer but also very renowned graphic designer. He is co-founder of NSS. A fashion agency that is by now one of the leading italian fashion crews. He has been also working as a designer for Circoloco Ibiza for many years and organizes some of the hottest parties in Napoli currently. He makes his official debut as a producer with “J’Adore Napoli”. It is a vibrant tribute to the house music culture born in Naples. The track draws inspiration from the late 1990s and early 2000s. And is part of a NSS campaign about the ’new coolness of the city of Napoli“.

Introducing Relik.

A new sub-division from Earth Dog Records, reissuing overlooked gems from the North American underground

The ‘90s to early 2000s saw US dance music experience a uniquely innovative gold rush. Records from that period narrate a burgeoning rave-obsessed sub culture, experimenting with the psychedelic sounds of tech house and progressive, with further flirtations with trance, breaks and beyond.

Many of those era’s artefacts have been increasingly difficult to find, and even rarer to hear out in the contexts they were constructed for. Relik exists as a means to preserve the legacy of this formative era, honouring the artists and labels that helped shape an ethos and sound unique to North America, and pivotal to the Earth Dog vision, while exposing this music to a new generation of listeners.

Each reissue will be released with permission and in collaboration with the original artists.

R001: The Vortex Archives

Volume one shines a light on Gainesville’s legendary Vortex Records.
Founded in 1996 by Boyd Westerman and Kyle Hogan, lifelong underground innovators (with Boyd remaining the undisputed king of the Discogs comment section). Vortex was home to a catalog of sounds that helped define a unique tech house and progressive flavoured corner of the North American underground.

Vortex Archives compiles four of our favourite cuts from the label’s discography, that for our money showcases their unmistakable sound best; a seamless fusion of progressive house, tech house, trance and breaks.

Nearly three decades on, these tracks (and the label from where they came) are as timeless and prescient than ever. We’re honored to certify their legacy by bringing them back into circulation.

A huge thank you to Boyd for trusting us with this release and helping to bring a sample of the Vortex catalog back into the world.

Endless respect to all the OGs who archived their catalogues, continued to make incredible music and subsequently paved the way for future generations. We wouldn’t be here without you.

The seminal psych-rock classic The Evil One by Roky Erickson And The Aliens is reissued by Fire Records in a deluxe 15-track edition, restoring the original front cover from San Francisco’s 415 Records release for the first time since 1981. Presented across two LPs cut at 45 rpm for maximum sonic depth and clarity, the release brings together the complete recordings from the legendary 1978 and 1979 sessions. The package includes a collector’s booklet with liner notes by acclaimed Austin music journalist Joe Nick Patoski, who attended a recording session for The Evil One in 1979. Alongside rare photographs and archival images from the collection of Roky’s then manager, Craig Luckin.

Following his release from Rusk State Hospital in 1974, Erickson formed The Aliens and channelled his experiences and fascination with horror and science fiction into a singular new sound. Moving beyond the psychedelic garage blues of the 13th Floor Elevators, the band created harder, more ferocious rock built around jagged guitars, strange melodies and a propulsive rhythm section.

Produced by Creedence Clearwater Revival bassist Stu Cook, The Evil One includes some of Erickson’s most celebrated recordings, including ‘Two Headed Dog’, ‘I Walked With A Zombie’ and ‘It’s A Cold Night For Alligators’. Erickson’s unmistakable voice and surreal lyrics, populated by zombies, demons, vampires and atomic monsters, gave the album a character unlike anything else in rock. Both the LP and CD editions feature rare photographs and images from the archive of Erickson’s then manager and the sessions’ executive producer, Craig Luckin.

The Evil One has since become a landmark of cult rock, with its songs covered by generations of artists and its influence extending across punk, alternative and psychedelic music. As Craig Luckin recalls, “Roky considers The Evil One to be his favourite album that he ever recorded. He really loves that album.”

Austin music journalist Joe Nick Patoski, who attended one of the album’s 1979 sessions, contributes a new essay to the LP and CD packaging, exploring Erickson’s extraordinary career, enduring influence and place in Texas rock history.

More than a standalone reissue, this deluxe edition of The Evil One opens an exciting new series honouring Roky Erickson’s extraordinary body of work, with Gremlins Have Pictures and Don’t Slander Me to follow in 2027.

The seminal psych-rock classic The Evil One by Roky Erickson And The Aliens is reissued by Fire Records in a deluxe 15-track edition, restoring the original front cover from San Francisco’s 415 Records release for the first time since 1981. Presented across two LPs cut at 45 rpm for maximum sonic depth and clarity, the release brings together the complete recordings from the legendary 1978 and 1979 sessions. The package includes a collector’s booklet with liner notes by acclaimed Austin music journalist Joe Nick Patoski, who attended a recording session for The Evil One in 1979. Alongside rare photographs and archival images from the collection of Roky’s then manager, Craig Luckin.

Following his release from Rusk State Hospital in 1974, Erickson formed The Aliens and channelled his experiences and fascination with horror and science fiction into a singular new sound. Moving beyond the psychedelic garage blues of the 13th Floor Elevators, the band created harder, more ferocious rock built around jagged guitars, strange melodies and a propulsive rhythm section.

Produced by Creedence Clearwater Revival bassist Stu Cook, The Evil One includes some of Erickson’s most celebrated recordings, including ‘Two Headed Dog’, ‘I Walked With A Zombie’ and ‘It’s A Cold Night For Alligators’. Erickson’s unmistakable voice and surreal lyrics, populated by zombies, demons, vampires and atomic monsters, gave the album a character unlike anything else in rock. Both the LP and CD editions feature rare photographs and images from the archive of Erickson’s then manager and the sessions’ executive producer, Craig Luckin.

The Evil One has since become a landmark of cult rock, with its songs covered by generations of artists and its influence extending across punk, alternative and psychedelic music. As Craig Luckin recalls, “Roky considers The Evil One to be his favourite album that he ever recorded. He really loves that album.”

Austin music journalist Joe Nick Patoski, who attended one of the album’s 1979 sessions, contributes a new essay to the LP and CD packaging, exploring Erickson’s extraordinary career, enduring influence and place in Texas rock history.

More than a standalone reissue, this deluxe edition of The Evil One opens an exciting new series honouring Roky Erickson’s extraordinary body of work, with Gremlins Have Pictures and Don’t Slander Me to follow in 2027.

Priding themselves in having cultivated a community and culture at their club nights, they play some of the best music ever cut to wax. It might not be quite what you’d expect from a typical northern soul night, it isn’t stepping back into the past, it’s the music stepping forward into 21st century.

“We’re not interested in nostalgia – we love soul music because it’s brilliant. It probably still resonates with young people because it has a message of something bigger than what’s inside your own head – that what really matters resides in relationships with other people, not material things. We think that is beautiful” – DNSC.

“Deptford Northern Soul Club have emerged as the new faces of northern soul” – Yuck.

As featured in Alan Byron’s documentary Northern Soul: Still Burning (2026).

“By recontextualising northern soul in a modern context, they empower the genre to continuously evolve, imparting new meaning to younger, perhaps previously unaware audiences” – Pilot magazine

Every coastline develops its own rhythm. The Adriatic is no exception.

For decades, Italy’s eastern coast has been shaped by funk, Cosmic Disco, Balearic sounds, Italo Disco, House, Latin rhythms, Brazilian music and countless other influences. Rather than blending into a single style, these musical worlds have lived side by side, constantly inspiring new generations of DJs, musicians and dancers. For more than fifteen years, Soul Fingers and Funk Rimini have explored that landscape from different perspectives. Founded by Claudio Cavallaro in 2013, Soul Fingers grew into a vinyl-driven community where groove matters more than genre. Its philosophy has always been simple: if the groove is right, genres stop mattering. Brothers Ricky and Francesco Cardelli developed Funk Rimini into a project rooted in funk, disco, live performance and electronic production. Anima Adriatica is where these two journeys meet.

The project didn’t begin with the ambition of making an album. It began behind the turntables. As DJs, Claudio Cavallaro and Ricky Cardelli found themselves constantly searching for records capable of connecting distant musical worlds inside their sets; from Afrobeat into disco, from hip hop into Latin, from Brazilian grooves into boogie, from cosmic electronics into deep funk. Sometimes those records existed. More often, they didn’t. So they stopped searching and started writing them. Not records designed to belong to one genre, but records designed to travel between genres. That space between musical worlds became Anima Adriatica.

The music grew through spontaneous jam sessions with Ricky and Francesco Cardelli, drummer Enrico Mao Bocchini and, gradually, a wider circle of musicians, singers and longtime friends, making Anima Adriatica less a traditional band than the beginning of an open collective. Recorded at SynthPosio Studio, founded by Ricky and Francesco Cardelli inside Rimini’s iconic skyscraper, the project also carries a symbolic connection to the building itself, where many Italo Disco classics (including records by Betty Miranda, The Creatures and many others) were recorded decades earlier.

Betty Miranda returns not as a nostalgic guest, but as a bridge between generations. On the title track she performs a spoken-word text written by Claudio Cavallaro, reflecting on the invisible thread connecting the Adriatic dancefloor across time. From Baia degli Angeli to Cocoricò, from the legendary clubs of Riccione to today’s independent communities gathered around projects such as Soul Fingers and Funk Rimini, the places have changed, but the dancefloor continues to tell the same story. Much like Pier Vittorio Tondelli’s Rimini captured the Adriatic through literature, Anima Adriatica imagines its soundtrack.

Brazilian musician Daniel Plentz (Selton) expands that vision on Açúcar and Alegria, bringing another coastline into the story. Across its four tracks, the EP moves naturally between analogue funk, boogie, Brazilian music, underground disco, cosmic textures and the wider Black musical tradition, with All Down The Line paying tribute to the Paradise Garage era.

Released by Bordello A Parigi, the project found its natural home through a shared love of adventurous dance music, records and club culture. More than the title of an EP, Anima Adriatica marks the beginning of an open collective; a meeting point where musicians, DJs, producers and friends continue building bridges between genres, generations and communities.

Because Anima Adriatica doesn’t live inside a genre. It lives between genres. If soul music has always reflected the places where it was born, Anima Adriatica is simply our own Adriatic Soul.

Yuki Kawamura - a multifaceted producer, songwriter, DJ, and the founder of Tokyo's iconic DJ warmup bar, Shibuya Oiran - presents a highly anticipated 12" vinyl release on her imprint OIRAN MUSIC.

As a globally active selector, her international footprint includes a monthly residency on Romania's Black Rhino Radio, alongside notable appearances on world-renowned platforms like NTS Radio and The Lot Radio.

Back in Tokyo, her venue Shibuya Oiran - featured in Time Out Tokyo's '50 Things to Do in Japan' as a premier spot to "pregame in stylish surroundings" - serves as a vital cultural hub where legendary international and local DJs gather. Its unique musical ecosystem is perfectly reflected in this release, which features a carefully curated selection of popular remixes from her debut album, Love Forever.

Side A delivers Balearic and dancefloor-ready grooves. It opens with 'Ra' a tribute to Sun Ra featuring musicians Watusi and George Kano, a track that has garnered massive support from top DJs including Red Axes...
The A-side also features brilliant Balearic-infused dance remixes by DJ SHIKISAI and XTAL (known for his work with Traks Boys and (((ssurround)))).

Side B shifts the focus to deep ambient and chillout soundscapes. It includes the previously unreleased full version of R.I.P Sunset',featuring an exquisite violin performance by Neko Saito.
The standout on this side is a stunning remix by renowned Japanese producer Calm. This specific remix holds a special history: Yuki debuted it as her opening track during her historic DJ set at the legendary Cafe Del Mar in Ibiza - making her the first Japanese Female DJ to perform there - where it received an incredible response on the floor.

The striking cover art is designed by HAMADARAKA, an acclaimed and rapidly rising female twin artist duo, produced by Nomadic Gallery in Tokyo.

Eine Hommage an innovative mexikanische Musiker, die elektronische und indigene Instrumente mit Minimalismus, Ambient, Jazz und New-Age-Ästhetik verschmolzen haben Mit 12 visionären Künstlern, darunter Luis Pérez, Arturo Meza, Jorge Reyes, Aristeo und Tribu, um nur einige zu nennen Zusammengestellt und produziert vom mexikanischen Journalisten, Musiker und DJ Carlos ,Tropicaza" Icaza sowie dem Gründer von dublab radio und Creative Producer des LA Phil, Mark ,Frosty" McNeill Cover-Artwork vom legendären Künstler Eduardo Terrazas sowie Design und Layout von D.Norsen Design Doppel-LP, gepresst bei Optimal, inklusive Booklet mit Liner Notes Audio remastered vom GRAMMYr-nominierten Toningenieur John Baldwin Limitierte Farbvinyl-Edition, gepresst auf violettem und rosa Vinyl //// ,A LA ALTURA" - oder ,To The Height" - würdigt mexikanische Musiker, die sich in den letzten Jahrzehnten des 20. Jahrhunderts mit elektronischen und indigenen Instrumenten auf experimentelles Terrain wagten und dabei im Dialog mit Minimalismus, Ambient, Jazz und New-Age-Ästhetik standen. Über ein Jahrzehnt in Arbeit und liebevoll kuratiert vom mexikanischen Journalisten, Musiker und DJ Carlos ,Tropicaza" Icaza sowie dem Gründer von dublab radio und Creative Producer des LA Phil, Mark ,Frosty" McNeill, basiert A LA ALTURA auf Originalbändern und Masteraufnahmen mit unveröffentlichten, längst vergriffenen und privat gepressten Aufnahmen. Die Bände 1 & 2 präsentieren 25 visionäre Künstler, die sich aktiv für eine Art Bewusstseinserweiterung einsetzten - sei es durch die Suche nach den Sternen mittels ihrer Musik oder durch die Weiterentwicklung der Kunstform selbst. Ebenso kühn setzen diese beiden Bände ein Zeichen dafür, dass mexikanische Künstler und Komponisten wie Luis Pérez, Arturo Meza, Jorge Reyes, Ana Ruiz und Antonio Zepeda in einem Atemzug mit Michael Rother, Terry Riley, Hiroshi Yoshimura und den vielen anderen Künstlern genannt werden sollten, die zu Recht für ihren Experimentiergeist gefeiert wurden.

Eine Hommage an innovative mexikanische Musiker, die elektronische und indigene Instrumente mit Minimalismus, Ambient, Jazz und New-Age-Ästhetik verschmolzen haben Mit 12 visionären Künstlern, darunter Luis Pérez, Arturo Meza, Jorge Reyes, Aristeo und Tribu, um nur einige zu nennen Zusammengestellt und produziert vom mexikanischen Journalisten, Musiker und DJ Carlos ,Tropicaza" Icaza sowie dem Gründer von dublab radio und Creative Producer des LA Phil, Mark ,Frosty" McNeill Cover-Artwork vom legendären Künstler Eduardo Terrazas sowie Design und Layout von D.Norsen Design Doppel-LP, gepresst bei Optimal, inklusive Booklet mit Liner Notes Audio remastered vom GRAMMYr-nominierten Toningenieur John Baldwin Limitierte Farbvinyl-Edition, gepresst auf violettem und rosa Vinyl //// ,A LA ALTURA" - oder ,To The Height" - würdigt mexikanische Musiker, die sich in den letzten Jahrzehnten des 20. Jahrhunderts mit elektronischen und indigenen Instrumenten auf experimentelles Terrain wagten und dabei im Dialog mit Minimalismus, Ambient, Jazz und New-Age-Ästhetik standen. Über ein Jahrzehnt in Arbeit und liebevoll kuratiert vom mexikanischen Journalisten, Musiker und DJ Carlos ,Tropicaza" Icaza sowie dem Gründer von dublab radio und Creative Producer des LA Phil, Mark ,Frosty" McNeill, basiert A LA ALTURA auf Originalbändern und Masteraufnahmen mit unveröffentlichten, längst vergriffenen und privat gepressten Aufnahmen. Die Bände 1 & 2 präsentieren 25 visionäre Künstler, die sich aktiv für eine Art Bewusstseinserweiterung einsetzten - sei es durch die Suche nach den Sternen mittels ihrer Musik oder durch die Weiterentwicklung der Kunstform selbst. Ebenso kühn setzen diese beiden Bände ein Zeichen dafür, dass mexikanische Künstler und Komponisten wie Luis Pérez, Arturo Meza, Jorge Reyes, Ana Ruiz und Antonio Zepeda in einem Atemzug mit Michael Rother, Terry Riley, Hiroshi Yoshimura und den vielen anderen Künstlern genannt werden sollten, die zu Recht für ihren Experimentiergeist gefeiert wurden.

Alveromancy is a method of divination performed by attending to and interpreting certain sounds, so that the loudness of sound is taken to indicate the severity of predicted event and from its proximity how soon the event will come to pass.
The label’s first divination session is made up of 4 selected cuts originally composed between 1994 and 1996 coming from Fred Exelby’s archives, bringing his All Broken solo project back to a renewed life more than 30 years after his last release.
Rooting its core into Canada’s 90s DIY electronic scene and drawing inspiration from themes such as anti-pop culture, shared knowledge, music programming and his formative frequentation of the seminal Rivoli in Toronto, this record might also be seen as a picture in time, a reflection of Fred’s world back then.

Ghanaian producer, songwriter, and cultural innovator Delasi has earned international recognition for his forward-thinking blend of traditional Ewe rhythms, soul, jazz, hip-hop, and electronic music, with recent releases on Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings and support from outlets including Bandcamp Daily, CLASH, CRACK, COLORS, and BBC Radio 6 Music. His music has also appeared in the indie feature Dreams in Nightmares and the UK Premier League. Joining him are Tokyo's acclaimed experimental pop outfit TAMTAM, whose distinctive fusion of reggae, dub, jazz, soul, exotica, and electronic music has drawn praise from Gilles Peterson, Bandcamp, NTS, Mr. Bongo, and Rolling Stone Japan, alongside performances at Fuji Rock and international tours across Canada, Australia, and South Korea.

This limited 7" brings the two artists together across two richly textured collaborations. A-side "Guardian of The Green" blends alternative soul, downtempo electronica, trip-hop, and cinematic post-rock into a lush, organic soundscape where futuristic electronics meet live instrumentation. On the flip, "Celestial Bodies" explores dream pop, ambient electronica, and jazz-inflected soul, pairing hypnotic rhythms with shimmering synths, expressive guitars, and warm lo-fi grooves. Together, the release showcases a cinematic, globally minded approach to contemporary electronic music that will appeal to fans of Bonobo, Khruangbin, Little Dragon, and Cinematic Orchestra.

BATTISTINO, the artistic alias of Marco Battistini, is an Italian musician, songwriter, producer and DJ. His project is rooted in the meeting point between Italo Disco, French Electro, late-’70s Disco Music and Italian pop culture, reinterpreted through a contemporary vision that avoids nostalgia in favor of a distinctive sonic identity. His main influences include the aesthetic vision of Daft Punk, the musical freedom of Daniele Baldelli’s Cosmic Sound, the international disco movement of the late 1970s, and the golden era of Italian Italo Disco, with a special admiration for Righeira. His productions combine driving synth grooves, pulsating basslines and immediate melodies. Gritty electronic drums, saturated synthesizers and subtle harmonic distortion deliberately break away from the polished sound traditionally associated with classic Italo Disco. The result is a more physical and textured sonic palette that preserves the melodic elegance at the heart of the project. BATTISTINO’s visual identity follows the same philosophy. Elegant, reserved and almost bureaucratic, he prefers to remain behind the scenes rather than at the center of attention. More than a performer, he acts as the curator of a sonic archive, where every track represents a fragment of a larger story.

“Il Segreto” is the opening chapter of a conceptual trilogy inspired by an affair that was never revealed, set on the Italian Riviera in the early 1980s. Rather than telling the story itself, the project explores what remains: silence, forgotten details, invisible traces and memories suspended in time. Music, visual design and imagery all become chapters of the same narrative. Every release is a new file, every track a recovered document, every production another fragment of a story that will never be fully disclosed. BATTISTINO doesn’t tell stories. He preserves them. And, from time to time, he allows part of them to surface.

The 12″ includes a N.O.I.A. Remix!

MALEDICTUS is a Portuguese metal band formed in Lisbon. Bringing together experienced musicians with a shared vision, the band creates dark, powerful and atmospheric heavy music. With a foundation of aggressive riffs, haunting melodies and emotional vocals, the band blends modern heavy metal with darker, more melodic influences.

The group was formed by musicians seeking to explore a heavier and more expressive sound, combining technical musicianship with compelling songwriting and a cinematic atmosphere. Their music strikes a balance between intensity and melody, moving between crushing guitar passages, dynamic rhythms, and dramatic vocal performances. ""Our music reflects who we are and how we process life and our own emotions. Music is life manifested through an artist's soul. We all process life with a sense of dark melancholy”, comments guitarist Ben Stockwell. As history has taught us, Portuguese metal bands are known for their melancholic sound, which reflects their cultural identity.

Since their formation, MALEDICTUS has been focused on creating music that reflects the darker and more emotional aspects of the metal genre. Drawing inspiration from classic and contemporary metal acts, the band aims to create a sound that feels familiar yet distinct, appealing to fans of powerful, atmospheric metal.

Boasting a line-up of seasoned performers and a clear artistic vision, MALEDICTUS is developing new material and establishing its presence in the Portuguese metal scene and beyond. Their debut album, „Lazarvs“, is set to be released on Friday 13th of November. The album title draws heavily on the biblical story of Lazarus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus performs the great miracle of raising his deceased friend Lazarus from the dead after he had been in the tomb for four days.

With Rez on vocals, the band has an exceptional singer with a distinctive, powerful voice. „He is undoubtedly one of the best out there having power, soul, range and timbre. Everything fits perfectly with our sound. We couldn't have asked for a better voice or frontman"", says the guitarist. Rez’s lyrics are another perfect addition to the band's dark, epic and partly progressive sound. The lyrical themes focus on life's darkest moments. „Death brings an opportunity for renewal, as do our most difficult struggles, which require part of us to die in order to be overcome.

Legendary Children (All of Them Queer)" is a celebrated 1994 dance-pop track by former Frankie Goes to Hollywood frontman Holly Johnson. The song acts as an upbeat LGBTQ+ historical roll-call, honoring historical queer icons from Andy Warhol to Leonardo da Vinci, and was notably performed at London's Gay Pride in 1994. The song is based on the iconic Paris Is Burning and features the brilliant vocals of Helen Terry (Culture Club/2wo Third3). 

Released on the album Soulstream, the song is famous for its spoken-word verses and euphoric chorus celebrating legendary figures like Oscar Wilde, Jean Cocteau, and Joe Orton. The overarching message is captured in its defiant lyric: "The answer is clear, they're all of them queer."

Now 2026 sees brand new versions by Luv Foundation (UK). George from the Sharp Boys, a dear friend of Holly's and Mark Loverush, mentioned to Holly that Luv Foundation (UK) should do the rework. Mark Loverush and Julian Napolitano wanted to capture as much of the original essence as possible, keeping that 90s flavor while giving the remix a big, classic feel reflective of how it would sound today. 

This is a limited edition of 700 pink vinyl, including 2 of the original versions alongside 2 remixes by Luv Foundation (UK).  It comes in brand new artwork by Philip Marshall.

Hell is empty and the salsa is all there is.

Chúpame el Dedo are BACK! After years of terrorizing the avant-tropical underground with their manic, mock-satanic metal-cumbia madness, the legendary Bogotano duo of Eblis Álvarez and Pedro Ojeda have officially scrubbed the pentagrams off the drum kit. They aren’t worshipping the dark lord anymore; they’ ve found a much more chaotic deity. Please lower your expectations and raise your instruments: Chúpame el Dedo are now officially Geobah Witnesses.

Forget everything you thought you knew. This new record is a high-octane salsa-altín exorcism. It’s not your abuela’s dance music; it’s a fever dream—like Waka Waka played at double speed through a frying mixing desk that’s caught fire mid-verse.

The Chúpame delirium remains terminal. We’re talking classic, hard-swinging Caribbean breaks that trip over jagged psych-synth riffs, all tied to those signature “broken” vocals—jumping from gutter-low growls to manic, helium-choked chirps. It’s twitchy, heavy, and lyrically, the most blasphemous shit they’ve ever committed to tape. It’s a holy, nonsensical collision that’ll leave you wondering if you’ve been saved or just brainwashed.

Put down the pitchforks, pick up a maraca, and surrender to the frequency. Geobah is watching.

With one foot in the Mexican underground rock scene and the other one in the global tape trading circuit, Las Ánimas del Cuarto Obscuro found themselves in the middle of a crossroad after their first LP. México wasn´t the same country as when the band first started. Even though access to non-commercial music still was a difficult task in the late eighties, the fringes of culture had way more resources thanks to the stubbornness of certain anonymous heroes: dwellers of El Tianguis Cultural del Chopo, niche record stores, illegal underground parties and hosts of late night Mexican public radio shows.


Ubiquitous social unrest expressed itself in every way possible. The aftermaths of the 1985 earthquake weren’t the only matters on the table. Protests erupted after a rigged presidential election and a student strike hit Mexico’s biggest public university. This was just the tip of the iceberg of issues PRI’s perfect dictatorship was or wasn’t addressing. The clash of the authoritarian regime against new and fresh ideas.


If the first record was about the loneliness of self-destructive youth and it’s urban phantasmagories, LACO’s second LP dealt with change as the axis of human existence. Las Ánimas is just the beginning of the sonic metamorphosis Toño Sánchez went through until this very moment.
The departure of former bandmembers set a different approach towards more experimental and atmospheric sounds. As the project’s only member, Toño Sanchez took an alchemical trip aiming for more mysterious horizons.


Despite the fact that we can still find conventional dark pop and catchy songwriting, the record rests on sound landscapes closer to Jorge Reyes or Tuxedomoon and This Heat than the orthodox ways of so called post-punk, seasoned of course with the lack of music gear and the economic reality prevalent in Mexico of those convulsed times.


Las Ánimas is a goodbye letter to underground but not because the next move is the mainstream. Far away from it, it’s a farewell to traditional rock and a the first steps down into the depths. From now on, Toño Sánchez will dedicate his musical efforts to weirder sounds and scarcer audiences in the search of the arcane, possessed by a mania of constant change that infects the soul after crossing the black door’s threshold.

What happens when bassweight electronic beats meet the abstract world of one of the most uncompromising MCs on this planet?

Get ready for a special listening experience as Abu Ama and Sensational take you deep into a world of heavy bass, fractured rhythms, strange frequencies and completely unpredictable flows.

Abu Ama is known for his unique production style, combining Dub, Ambient and Industrial soundscapes with Middle Eastern sound structures. His productions create vast, atmospheric spaces where bass pressure and subtle details constantly collide. Over the years, he has developed his signature sound through releases on forward-thinking labels such as Bokeh Versions and Accidental Meetings. With Ringing In Your Ear, Abu Ama presents some of his most adventurous and forward-thinking productions to date.

On the microphone, we are proud to present a true underground legend straight outta NYC: Sensational.

Born Colin Julius Bobb in Guyana and raised in Brooklyn, Sensational became one of the most distinctive and unpredictable voices to emerge from New York’s experimental hip-hop underground. Originally performing under the name Torture, he was already connected to the Jungle Brothers in the early 1990s before developing the completely unique style that would become synonymous with Sensational.

In 1997, he released his debut album Loaded With Power on the influential Word Sound label. Built from dusty beats, unusual samples and lo-fi textures, the record established Sensational as an artist who seemed to operate completely outside the established rules of Hip Hop.

Over the following decades, he continued to explore the space between underground rap, experimental electronics, noise and abstract music. His long list of collaborators included artists such as Spectre, Kouhei Matsunaga, Kid 606, Cardopusher, Handsome Boy Modeling School and many others. His work with Kouhei Matsunaga was even remixed by Autechre.

Sensational was never interested in fitting into a particular scene. His rhymes were surreal, his flows unpredictable and his approach completely his own. For more than three decades, he remained a true outsider — a cult figure whose music connected underground Hip Hop with some of the strangest and most adventurous corners of experimental music.

After Abu Ama and Sensational’s heavy 2023 single International Rokkaz left us wanting more, the two decided to take things much further. What started as a single collaboration evolved into a full length soundclash.

We were already incredibly hyped about this collaboration from the moment we heard it. But while we were preparing for the release of the single MOZZ, the terrible news reached us: Sensational had passed away.

The news hit hard. It is still difficult to believe that we will never hear a new Sensational verse again.

What makes Ringing In Your Ear even more special is that it captures Sensational doing what he did best — completely free, completely unpredictable and completely himself.

We dedicate this record to Colin Julius Bobb aka Sensational, in loving memory of an extraordinary artist, MC and true underground original.

Rest in power, Sensational.

'Get Back' is a 8-track album and collection celebrating the last ten years of Italian DJ and producer Da Lukas, a respected name in the global nu-disco and house music scenes. Known for blending vintage disco nostalgia with modern electronic production, this collection brings together his strongest club anthems from the past decade. The album also introduces two brand-new tracks. The first new track is a powerful cover of the James Brown-penned Lyn Collins funk classic, "Take Me Just As I Am," featuring a brilliant vocal performance by Fatimah Provillon. The second new addition is the original title track, "Get Back," a driving nu-disco anthem featuring the legendary dance/pop singer Amanda Wilson. This album serves as both a perfect retrospective of his signature sound and an exciting look at his latest work.

Agoro is a Franco-Ghanaian hip-hop group of four rappers and four musicians. After kicking off in 2023 with a 15-date tour in France, the group’s journey took a turn when a Ghanaian rapper vanished from the airport before boarding his return flight. Their new album chronicles this emotional roller coaster and the challenges of cultural exchange between Europe and Africa, with socially conscious lyrics in French, English, and Twi set to jazzy and electronic boom bap instrumental pieces.

New York-based Japanese jazz and electronic music polymath Takuya Nakamura presents his debut album Shape The Future - almost 35 years into his storied musical journey.

An expansive double album, the album’s first LP documents a spellbinding live performance by Nakamura recorded at fabric. A hybrid set combining DJing, live electronics, vocals, and trumpet, the set also features studio versions of special collaborations with Shigeto, Currency Audio and Tim Reaper. The second LP complements the first by assembling studio recordings of select album tracks. Altogether the two volumes make for a definitive display of Nakamura’s exceptional musicianship across jazz, DnB, jungle, broken beat, deep techno and more.

Across his career, Nakamura has played Brazilian music, merengue, salsa and straight-ahead jazz. He’s opened for Sun Ra Arkestra, performed with David Byrne, Laurie Anderson, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Wu-Tang Clan, and Arto Lindsay, appeared on sessions with Terry Riley, ASAP Rocky, Goldie, and TV On The Radio, and remixed the likes of Quincy Jones, Sun Ra, Billie Holiday, and The Streets. He’s also played under director and playwright Robert Wilson.

Although the musical past and present of the Tokyo-born, New York-based DJ and trumpet player is undoubtedly eclectic, Nakamura is abidingly steeped in the sounds of jazz and jungle. This’ll be obvious to casual observers who may have seen any viral videos of him. But there’s more to this. The depth of Nakamura’s engagement with these kinds of music, the way they’ve made him into the person he is, the decades-long path they’ve taken him on; to now arrive at the summit of a solo album is all truly remarkable. Shape The Future resonates with every chapter in this story.

In high school, Nakamura’s friends started listening to jazz and jazz fusion, which piqued his interest, especially when they started going to clubs to see it live, where they managed to see US legends like Sonny Rollins play. Eventually he began to play jazz every day and his musical skill emerged early. He soon became obsessed with getting closer to the source of this music, which led to his studies at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston with George Russell, an influential figure who had taught Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Nakamura drank it in: not only the technical aspects but the sense of a direct connection to “a music culture where Russell and his friends changed harmony forever. I wanted to know how that was possible!”.

This was a radical experience in itself, but then another revolution happened for Nakamura. He was playing in a venue called The Western Front, near Boston and discovered that the elderly owner had his own soundsystem and was playing what was then - in 1992 - only just becoming known as jungle. This was as freeing a musical revelation as his proximity to the giants of jazz was, and in that instant the two things fused. He understood that using technology to fill a dancehall with sound and a jazz musician’s reflexes are all working to the same ends: “You’re always making decisions,” he says, “but it doesn’t have to be really difficult. It’s the truth of the frequencies, and how they’re affecting people’s minds.”

From that moment on, his life path was set. Moving to New York City, he sought out jungle and its offshoot sounds wherever he could find them, gigging and collaborating relentlessly, and gradually developing his own live and hybrid live/DJ shows. Through regular appearances at New York fixtures Zebulon and CBGBs, and continual shows elsewhere in the city, Nakamura developed his live performance and DJing and it was in these environments that he gradually weaved together his twin loves without compromising either, building an international reputation in the process.

It’s only fitting then that his first album, almost 35 years after he first found his musical direction, should be a live one: a window into this never-ending process. Even here, he had to be persuaded that he should make a record. A member of the fabric team got turned on to his music after their daughter saw him play. Of course, as a jungle lover, Nakamura knew fabric – which has a special place in the history of jungle and drum’n’bass – and “had wanted to play there since I was very young.” You can hear the club in the record: this isn’t just a live show, in keeping with his jungle roots, it’s Nakamura duetting with the soundsystem, and you can feel how the emotions in the room would have ebbed and flowed.

This dynamic translates to a transfixing record. Setting the tone with lushly textured ambient and reverberant jazz, Nakamura segues into cinematic breakbeat and stellar fusion, infusing it all with intoxicating low end and hypnotic rhythms. The LP’s midway point locks into mesmeric percussion heightened by resonant echoes of piano and trumpet. There’s an endless pull to this music. Nakamura adjusts the levels for maximum impact throughout, and the overall effect begins to evoke some harmonious hybrid between a jazz ensemble, a classic Metalheadz 12” and a Theo Parrish DJ set. His electric form continues through surreal jazz, intricate electronics and rolling sub-bass velocity, right up to the subtly devastating final cover of Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush’s ‘Don’t Give Up’, with Nakamura’s fragile vocal sitting in the heart of a huge sound.

From Tokyo jazz nights to formative studies and encounters in Boston to his artistic development in New York, Nakamura reaches another milestone with his monumental debut album. It’s a release that happened just the way a Takuya Nakamura record should. In the same way his instincts led him to musical revelations, taking his own sweet time has led him to make one of the most extraordinary debut albums imaginable, all executed in his own singular style. In Nakamura’s world, the universe finds a way.

'AMEN is a word that moves between the sacred and the ordinary, across languages and cultures. An ancient, universal expression, born in prayer yet living beyond it - in daily life, especially in the Italian language, where it has become part of ordinary speech, used to accept, conclude, affirm, and let things be.
'The sixth release on e s p e r p e n t o opens a gateway into a timeless, transcultural dimension through a continuous, immersive sonic flow. While conceived as an intimate listening journey, this record emerged from a shared experience within the walls of Frequenze Studio (Monza). ESPER006 is the result of a three-hour improvised live session that brought together experimental music trio MYS and London-based producer Big Hands.'

Originally released in 2006, Radiohead tribute album Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads returns to its original home at BBE Music, two decades on from its debut. Featuring eclectic cover versions of Radiohead’s songs by Mark Ronson, Bilal, Sia, Meshell Ndegeocello, Questlove Sa-Ra, The Cinematic Orchestra, Osunlade and Matthew Herbert to name but a few, the album gave BBE Music its first Top 40 single in the UK with Mark Ronson’s cover of “Just”, and has gone on to become an enduring classic, paving the way for many similar projects in the years since (like BBE's David Bowie tribute Modern Love and Naive Melodies, a tribute to the Talking Heads). Twenty years later, with several of its contributors now major names in their own right, its reputation as a genre-bending classic has only grown. People get confused about cover versions. They are a labour of love, not some sort of disrespectful treatment of the classics. Everyone involved in the "Exit Music" project loves the music of Radiohead; "Songs with Radio Heads" doesn't attempt to replace the originals as "definitive versions." Instead, like the Futureheads cover of Kate Bush or the Slits cover of Marvin Gaye, this is an exercise in translating well-loved tracks into a different genre. "Exit Music" also taps into the dance-floor potential of Radiohead, long recognised by DJs and producers ranging from Burial and Flying Lotus to Kendrick Lamar. The band themselves are devotees of both hip hop and dance music, commissioning remixes from respected figures such as Modeselektor, Madlib, DJ Shadow and Four Tet. Now a bona fide cult favourite, this 20th-anniversary reissue collects together the finest hip hop and dance cover versions of Radiohead songs. Ranging from gentle acoustic treatments to raw funky versions, BBE have taken the songs of Radiohead into realms even he couldn't imagine…

BLOOM, the 2026 Grammy Award-winning album from four-time Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and vocal powerhouse Durand Bernarr, is a landmark release from one of contemporary R&B's most celebrated voices. The album also earned Grammy nominations for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance ("Here We Are") and Best R&B Song ("Overqualified"), further cementing Bernarr's reputation as one of the genre's most innovative artists. BLOOM explores the concept of love beyond romantic intimacy, weaving together themes of self-love, personal growth, friendship, community, accountability, and the freedom to cultivate spaces where love can flourish. Rich in soulful songwriting and genre-blending production, the album showcases Bernarr at the height of his creative powers.

We are delighted to welcome back one of our most cherished artists, Life Recorder, for the third instalment of his remarkable Time Moods series on Visions Recordings.

This latest release delivers four vibrant and immersive tracks, blending deep techno textures with refined grooves, another strong statement in the series.

Far from the hype, French DJ and producer Kriss, aka Life Recorder, has been steadily shaping a distinctive sonic identity over the years. Deeply influenced by the heritage of Detroit and Chicago’s house and techno scenes, his sound travels effortlessly across genres while remaining rooted in soulful depth.

Born in the French suburbs of Geneva and now based in Marseille, he began his journey in the 1990s, connecting with music through record shops, DJing, and the evolving club culture of the time.
With this third chapter of Time Moods, Life Recorder continues to craft a timeless and introspective musical narrative.

Alex and Stephane Attias

Second chapter in the Alkaline series. Five electro cuts and one techno excursion, crafted by two artists with decades of dedication to electronic music.

On Side A, Raakel Bloody Raakel brings decades of discipline and formal training into a sharp, uncompromising sound. Active since the late 90s and rooted in both classical education and underground culture, his work reflects precision, intensity and structural control.

On Side B, Roi delivers three focused electro pieces forged through years of experimentation and dancefloor experience. His approach blends coherence, tension and forward motion, driven by a continuous commitment to evolving the language of electronic music.

Two trajectories. One alkaline framework. Built for those who understand the craft.

Cosmic Tribe · Research & Development in Sound.

Some 15 years into the label's story, Japanese deep house minimalist Sasaki Hiroaki continues to offer up EPs rich in ultra-deep ambient chords, hushed and hypnotic beats, and the kind of beautiful musical touches that have always been a key part of Japanese deep house culture. Opener 'Geograph' sees him place echoing piano motifs and pulsing ambient electronics atop a sparse tech-house groove, while 'Projection' is a deliciously deep, dreamy and shuffling slab of ambient house excellence. Over on side B, 'Do It (repeat)' is a spaced-out chunk of minimalist dub techno goodness and title track 'The Last Bohemian' is a warming and meditative dancefloor drift.

The Bratislava-based band 52 Hertz Whale release their new album Present Sense Impression in a collaboration of the labels Weltschmerzen and Full Moon Forum.

Three years since their album I've Met a Lot of People, the band brings forth a lot of new ideas, finding a new resonant space, and utilising the fierceness // savageness of their live shows, in an intimate stare at contemporary guitar music.

52 Hertz Whale is a band well known in the Central European music context. Their ferocious sound, mixing the intensity of post-punk, heavy guitar wails, and melancholic // stark vocals of Dominik Prok has been tearing down the fixtures of many festivals and venues, all the while being a great example of a band driving at 200mph nonstop. On Present Sense Impression, the band, composed of Dominik Prok, Dominik Fabian, Patrik Nagy, Tomáš Tabiš and Adrián Krišák, have arrived at a record full of manifold manifestations of their live sound, but at times recalling the more marginal waves of 80s pop // rock sound. Resolute drums, heavyweight guitar and bass riffs now deem closer to the lightness of early ethereal darkwave, just to indulge in the classic melancholic heaviness they are known for only seconds after.

Some of the songs have been produced by "Prague's favorite rock'n'roll enfant terrible" Lazer Viking as well as Pulp Studio's Jakub Hríbik, and one features a special guest - the cemballo virtuoso Marcel Comendant. The traditionally stunning artwork was created by the accomplished Martin Mesaroš.

Present Sense Impression is the 20th album released under the Slovak romantic // experimental label Weltschmerzen focused on emotionally hypercharged, humanely intertwined, and acutely sounding contemporary music. This time in collaboration with the czech label Full Moon Forum. It releases August 26th on limited edition baby pink, standard edition black vinyl and on all streaming platforms.

The creation and release of this record have been supported using public funding by the Slovak Arts Council, and SOZA. Fullmoon Forum project was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.

In collaborating with iconic vocalists Matthew K. Heafy (Trivium), Josh Middleton (Sylosis) and Anthony Lucero (Cult Leader), Burner take a striking step forward to claim new territory while consolidating their extreme and unique sound into the heaviest and bleakest incarnation of their craft yet. Vocalist Harry Nott elaborates on the themes behind the new album: "If It All Returns To Nothing looked outwards to the world's chaos throughout history, No One Is Coming To Save Us instead looks inwards at its proposed cause; humanity's violent, animalistic nature, begging us for change. This is an album about human behaviour: that people create endless cycles of violence by repeating the mistakes of the past, forging a brutal history that we fail to learn from. But, at the same time, the album is about questioning whether we can ever get past those sins and repetitions. This is a record that is mournful as much as it is angry and engaged. It longs to bitterly recall the moments of greatness and sacrifice in our shared history that created the better world we currently destroy. It longs to look back at these moments for inspiration and optimism, at a time where it feels like hope is running thin. The album is also a struggle for hope, not just that humanity can overcome hatred and violence, but that we can look back on our greatest moments and take courage to build a better world. No One Is Coming To Save Us reflects this duality in its title: that no one will come to save us from the violence and tragedy we create as part of our humanity. But it also proposes that it's up to us to change - to overcome a violent human nature and usher in a better tomorrow."

You'd be hard pressed to name a song with the driving, emotional intensity and raw energy of the Hamilton Movement's anthemic ode to heartbreak, "She's Gone." Issued as the B-Side of the band's 1976 single "We're Gonna Party," and distributed in and around Indianapolis, there is no evidence the song garnered significant attention upon release—yet over the past fifty years it has amased a cult of devotees across the globe. But while interest in the group's music remains strong, little information has surfaced about the Hamilton Movement's history, and until now, there have been no official reissues of their work. This collection presents the band's discography, alongside previously unreleased music discovered on tape; it is the Indianapolis soul album that should-have-been.

The keys to the Hamilton Movement's mystery can be found in central Indiana, where promoter Dick Melvin has lived the past few decades, in a rural suburb of Indianapolis, amidst forests and cornfields. Melvin served as the group's manager throughout their entire existence, but his involvement extended far beyond typical managerial duties. He co-wrote and co-arranged the band's music; he produced and released their recordings on his Look Out label. Dick is also the band's archivist. His home is filled with boxes of demo sessions, live tapes, contracts, posters, and promotional photos documenting his work with the Hamilton Movement. He entrusted his archive to Now-Again's care and they've assembled this album under his watch. Dick's story, and the story of his band, are presented in an extensive, oversized booklet with Dick's rarely-seen photos and ephemera and words by Now-Again's Egon and Naptown historian Kylie Long.

After fifteen years of shaping dancefloors around the world, Mele is set to release his long-awaited debut album Alive On Arrival via Defected Records Far from an introduction, the album marks the arrival of an artist operating with complete creative clarity, bringing together the sounds, collaborators and influences that have defined his journey into one cohesive body of work.

"Alive On Arrival draws inspiration from what feels like my entire life as a producer, a DJ and a music fan, bringing together everything I love about house, hip- hop, UK music, soulful R&B and wider global sounds. The name comes from Wu-Tang Clan's C.R.E.A.M., which felt fitting to where I'm at in my musical journey. It's been 15 years as Mele, but I'm still alive and feel like I've got so much more to give. I've finally arrived at this point with my debut album. The album was made in, and heavily influenced by, London, Miami and Liverpool - three places that are close to my heart. Sonically, it's inspired by some of the best: Jungle, The Neptunes, Gorillaz and Masters At Work." - Mele aka Krissy Peers Set for release on 25 September, Alive On Arrival is Mele's most expansive project to date. Across fourteen tracks, he draws together house, hip-hop, soul and R&B into a record that reflects a lifetime spent moving between genres rather than being limited by them. Created between London, Miami and his hometown of Liverpool, the album captures the energy and musical history of three cities that have shaped both his sound and perspective. At the heart of Alive On Arrival is collaboration. Rather than simply assembling a list of featured artists, Mele has curated a cast of voices whose individual perspectives deepen the emotional and cultural narrative of the album. Long-time collaborators sit alongside new creative partnerships, each contributing to a record built on shared musical language and mutual respect.

2027 marks two decades since musician and producer Paul ‘Mudd’ Murphy struck out on his own and launched Claremont 56, a label initially dedicated to “music by Mudd and friends” and named after the house he grew up in. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Murphy has assembled the label’s first ever decades-spanning vinyl retrospective: a six-LP re-mastered collection bringing together key cuts, cult classics, personal favourites, hard-to-find gems and inspired remixes from across the catalogue.

Unlike the label’s previous 10th anniversary box set, which focused on unreleased material and never-before-heard remixes, 20 Years of Claremont 56 traces the musical story of the imprint to date. Across six records, it showcases the distinctive Claremont 56 sound in all its many forms: acoustic, electric and electronic instrumentation, Balearic sunshine, krautrock grooves, folk-inflected psychedelia, slow-burning chuggers and deeply considered dancefloor music.
The set comes housed in a custom box featuring cover art by long-term label illustrator Mark Warrington. Inside are six slabs of vinyl across three gatefold sleeves, accompanied by liner notes from music journalist and author Matt Anniss, Murphy himself, and many of the artists whose music features in the collection.

The journey begins with a selection of formative late-noughties releases, including Mudd & Pollard’s chugging, picturesque ‘Villa Stavros’, the folksy beauty of Smith & Mudd’s ‘Shulme’ and Murphy’s exotic reworking of Ahmed Fakroun’s ‘Drago’. From there, the collection moves freely through deep cuts, overlooked gems, album highlights and some of the most inspired remixes in the label’s catalogue.

Among those remixes is Murphy’s own über-Balearic rework of Zee Erf’s cover of ‘Southern Freeez’, a mix dedicated to his partner Emma; an extraordinary 22-minute, Manuel Göttsching-meets-ambient-dub revision of Smith & Mudd’s ‘Vegetable Square’ by friends-of-the-family Idjut Boys; Larry Heard’s typically deep and immersive house treatment of Jack Cutter’s ‘Serpent Strut’; and Quiet Village’s ambient-house ‘deep space dub’ of Mudd’s ‘Spielplatz’. Also included are lesser-celebrated but no less rewarding reworks by Recloose, Jex Opolis, Felix Dickinson and Deep88.

The collection represents every corner of Claremont 56’s self-contained musical universe, from the Murphy-assembled in-house collectives Hillside, Paqua and Bison - whose members famously included the late Holger Czukay and his life partner Ursula, to long-serving label artists such as Almunia and Hear & Now, as well as later additions and artists who took some of their first steps on the label through its much-loved Claremont Editions compilations.
That means the deeply cosmic krautrock of Bambi Davidson, the folk-meets-Americana of Torn Sail and the samba-electrofunk of Jpye sit alongside baggy Balearic sing-alongs such as Bel’s ‘Ready To Die’ and Sillyboy’s Ghost Relatives’ ‘In a Small Place’, recent high-profile guest releases such as Chaz Jankel’s ‘Rhumba Jam’, and string-laden ambient pieces such as Four Hands’ wonderful ‘Hizou’.

Packed with classic cuts, formative gems and overlooked treats, 20 Years of Claremont 56 is not only a fabulous label retrospective, but also an essential collection of timeless music from a label whose output has remained distinctive and unique for two decades.

Houston’s premier street griot is stepping into his most profound chapter yet with his highly anticipated upcoming album, O.Y.N. Throughout a decorated career that spans over 1.2 billion global streams and a fiercely loyal fanbase, Maxo Kream—born Emekwane Ogugua Biosah, Jr.—has established himself as one of rap’s most authentic, uncompromising storytellers. From the raw trenches of Alief to the critically acclaimed triumphs of Punken, Brandon Banks, Weight of the World, and his triumphant 2024 independent pivot Personification, Maxo has long been celebrated by Pitchfork, NPR, and Complex for his cinematic, hyper-detailed world-building. Now, O.Y.N. finds the Houston icon turning his gaze inward, pairing his signature Texas grit with an expansive, global perspective that redefines his artistic boundaries.

If his previous work was about Maxo taking full creative control as an independent force, O.Y.N. is about him uncovering who he is at his core. Following the passing of his father, Maxo found himself searching deeper for his family origins, leading to a pivotal moment of artistic and personal rebirth. For the first time in his life, Maxo traveled to Lagos, Nigeria, anchoring his new music in a profound celebration of his Nigerian heritage. The emotional centerpiece of this journey is the JPEGMAFIA-produced single “Time Out,” an introspective track that moves away from the frantic energy of his past releases to offer a stripped-back look at love, loss, and legacy. Featuring a heavy, resonant drum presence on the outro, the song’s accompanying music video was filmed on location in Lagos, capturing Maxo navigating his ancestral roots in real-time.

While O.Y.N. reaches new emotional depths, it doesn't sacrifice the hard-hitting, volatile street persona that made Maxo a star. The album expertly balances soul-baring vulnerability with cutting-edge hip-hop experimentation, showcasing elite chemistry with some of the genre's most forward-thinking visionaries. Look no further than “Fake Jeezy,” a collaborative explosion featuring Denzel Curry and masterminded by JPEGMAFIA. The track is a masterclass in industrial chaos, combining sharp lyricism and early-2000s trap imagery with cold, surreal visual aesthetics. This duality highlights Maxo's unique positioning in the culture as a trusted street general who can effortlessly trade bars with rap's avant-garde elite.

From his early days flipping Kendrick Lamar's “Rigamortis” to sharing marquee tracks with the likes of A$AP Rocky, Travis Scott, and Tyler, The Creator on hits like “Big Persona,” “Cracc Era,” and “Cracc At 15,” Maxo Kream has always been a rapper's rapper. O.Y.N. represents the ultimate synthesis of this incredible journey. It is an album born from the soil of Alief but elevated by the spirit of Lagos—a raw, beautiful, and heavy-hitting testament to an artist who has survived his past, honored his losses, and fully embraced his destiny.