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SASSYHIYA want to take you somewhere. The journey starts in Kathy and Helen's flat in South London. Sit down, close your eyes, and immerse yourself... You are on your way to a musical rainforest a long way from Camberwell. Explore your new surroundings, and you will find beautiful pop blooms like Let's See What We Can Find, as bright and vibrant as The Sundays, thrusting their colourful faces up from the forest floor. You'll find tangles of sharp-edged guitar, as if Swiss she-punks Kleenex had been left to evolve here in the rich fertile soil (I Had A Thought). You'll find dark pools full of lyrical complexity, deceptively deep and immersive, with shimmering reflections of The Go-Betweens (Perennial). And you'll come across delicate love songs, creeping up the trunks and branches of the bass and drums, displaying their fragile beauty (Thank You And Goodbye). And what's that exotic striped animal prowling through the undergrowth? Actually, it's Crayon Potato, Sassyhiya's pet cat, the other resident of their flat in South London, taking up her role as the feline star of a lilting, singalong anthem written in her honour. That's what is so great about this album. You are somehow, simultaneously, exploring the most exotic forest in the world while also sitting in a flat in an ordinary, familiar English street with Sassyhiya and their cat. This album transports you without pretending the real world doesn't exist: it doesn't get all mystical on you (Take You Somewhere is as unlike Enya as anything you've heard). Sometimes you might be reminded of Girls At Our Best, and then Delta 5. You might even, on occasion, think of Echo and the Bunnymen. Sassyhiya (pronounced "Sassy Hiya") were formed when Helen and Kathy, real-life partners and co-songwriters, joined up with Pablo and Neil (drums and guitar). Helen had previously been in Boys Forever and Basic Plumbing, collaborating with much-missed Veronica Falls musician Patrick Doyle. She and Kathy then formed Barry, a stripped-down queercore outfit, with Bart McDonagh (The Male Gays) and Mark Amura (My Executive Dysfunction). Sassyhiya feels like a culmination of all these elements, hitting the sweet spot between post-punk and indie pop. They know their way around a melody but still keep it wonky, with influences ranging from the Breeders and Broadcast to Dolly Parton.

Anchored in the charmingly warm vocal presence that McNown partly honed by busking at the beach in Southern California just a few years ago, Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up) takes the latter half of its title from a gorgeously textured track that perfectly exemplifies his newly refined sound. With its rootsy and ethereal instrumentation—luminous steel guitar, lush mandolin, soulful organ—“The Cost of Growing Up” arrives as a clear-eyed but melancholy meditation on the inevitability of pain. “To me, the cost of growing up is an acceptance that difficult things are going to happen—from minor inconveniences to devastating loss, it’s all a part of life,” says McNown. “But there’s also beauty in that because, without those hard moments, you wouldn’t be able to truly love.”

Held on the Tips of Fingers (2005) was the album that launched Polar Bear into the spotlight, earning a Mercury Prize nomination and cementing their status as one of the most influential British jazz groups of the 21st century. Now, for the first time, this landmark album will be available on vinyl, bringing new life to a recording that helped redefine jazz for a new generation. Expanding on the ideas introduced in Dim Lit, Held on the Tips of Fingers saw the band refine their sound while pushing their compositions further into uncharted territory. The interplay between Rochford, Pete Wareham, Mark Lockheart, Tom Herbert, and Leafcutter John was sharper, the structures looser, and the music more expressive. It was a rare feat: an album that felt both urgent and timeless, raw yet meticulously crafted. Held on the Tips of Fingers was widely acclaimed, securing a 5-star review in The Observer and a place in Jazzwise’s 100 Jazz Albums That Shook the World and The Guardian’s 1000 Albums to Hear BeforeYou Die. This long-awaited vinyl edition revisits an album that shaped modern British jazz and inspired a wave of experimental music that followed. Held on the Tips of Fingers remains as vital and forward-thinking today as it was in 2005, standing as a testament to the groundbreaking vision of Seb Rochford and Polar Bear.

Ursprünglich für den RSD in UK exklusiv, Restmenge jetzt überall erhältlich.

It was in such a dense and impenetrable darkness that Lake of Tears must have been
born.
And their debut album is immersed in this darkness. It was baptized "Greater Art" and
indeed the title sets the tone for what was to follow. Yes, it is a higher art, it was and is
something different. Although there are infuences from other Swedish bands of the
time, such as Tiamat, or even death metal elements, what is certain is that their doom
metal brought to the fore something new, fresh and completely innovative.
We won't go into the process of choosing any songs, as we've said it before, Lake of
Tears never included indifferent compositions on any album. However, we can't help
but make a small exception when talking about the magnifcent epic " Upon The
Highest Mountain ", which in itself would be an excellent reason to purchase the
album.
We are proud to release Lake of Tears ' debut on vinyl after 31 years. For the older
generation to remember and the younger generation to discover. Because what these
Swedes made here, three decades ago, stands as an immortal monument. Is it doom
metal? Does it have death metal infuences? Is it gothic metal? Yes, but it sounds a bit
different...Who really cares?
It was then that the magnifcent prologue was written, becoming the beginning of
everything that was to follow. And hold on... the epilogue hasn't been written yet...

Claremont 56 founder Paul ‘Mudd’ Murphy has been in a rich vein of creative form of late. Having released his first solo album in 18 years in 2024, the effervescent and picture-perfect 'In The Garden of Mindfulness', Murphy is well on his way to finishing solo LP number three – a set you’ll be able to hear in full later in 2025. To get us in the mood, he’s offering up a two-track taster featuring instrumental takes on cuts that will appear as full-vocal songs on the final album. Both were written with, and feature instrumentation by, regular collaborator Michele Chiavarini, an Italian musician, producer, composer, and arranger who has long been part of the Claremont 56 family.

Up first is ‘Mahalo (12" Instrumental Mix)’, a languid and emotion-rich groover built around a smooth, mid-tempo jazz-funk-goes-disco groove – think crispy drums, delay-laden hand percussion and rubbery bass guitar – and all manner of ear-catching musical details. As the track unfolds, you can expect to hear lilting strings, warming electric piano chords, mazy synth solos, heady horn-style blasts and glistening, eyes-closed guitar licks. It’s a genuinely superb slab of musically rich dancefloor warmth. The track that follows, ‘Mata Ne’, is an altogether dreamier and more dub-influenced affair. Featuring some sublime piano playing from Chiavarini, it sees Murphy layer simmering strings, cascading guitar licks, spacey synths and blissed-out melodic motifs atop the kind of chunky, dubby groove that has long been one of his aural trademarks. Offering positivity and melancholia in equal measure, ‘Mata Ne’ is Mudd at his most musically majestic. His forthcoming album will be worth waiting for.

BIOGRAPHY BY IRVINE WELSH
I discovered the Beta Band, like I discovered a lot of great music, basically through eventually surrendering to the enthused urgings of a mate who was cooler than me. He continually evangelized about the EP's. I was lost to the concert hall and firmly ensconced on the dancefloor by then and highly resistant, but quite taken by the idea that a band would bring out extended plays rather than singles. When I did check them out, I was instantly smitten by their originality and power.

The band, therefore, were pivotal for me in terms of my own musical journey, in that they represented a gateway back into indie guitar music, which I'd basically given up since becoming obsessed with rave and acid house.

The Beta Band were definitely a band for the cool cognoscenti- like my buddy- the ones you make a bit of a tit of yourself trying to convert quite straight boring people to.

The emotions they induced were a kind of throwback to school days when you were very pompous and prescriptive about what you liked, and derisive towards non believers. It's a testimony to the power of the music that they could take me to the raw state of the younger man.

I took it personally that they didn't hit the mainstream commercial base. At least two of the three albums they made deserved quadruple platinum status. Hot Shots II and Heroes to Zeros are permanently lodged very high in my top one hundred albums of all time.

So, the return of the Beta Band has me moving into the same mode of immature, adolescent anticipation. Everyone should have the Beta Band albums and EP's in their collection. It still kind of annoys me - in fact it bugs the shit out of me - that most of them don't.

And that really is something.

Harmonies so thick you could build a city on them. A supercut of the very best of 90s R&B, soul and gospel. Show-stopping vocals straight out of the gate. Your new pick-me-up that's got heart, bump and groove in all the right places. Praise be to our ears, RISSA has truly arrived.

Girl groups have come and gone over the years, but the Crystals’ name, along with the Ronettes, has become synonymous with the groundbreaking early-Sixties wave promoted by producer Phil Spector. As well as including some of their early recordings, the songs featured here on this 180g Vinyl set retain their period charm thanks to what one critic called the Crystals’ ‘sweet-butstreetwise vocal magic.’ File the music under Brill Building, GirlGroup Pop or whatever you choose, it wears its half a century of history lightly

For her second full-length as Plume Girl, Sowmya Somanath crafts a space where boundaries of language, feeling, and sound start to dissolve. ‘Unnameable Glory’ ruminates on the limits of expression, and the luminous freedom that emerges when we let go of the need to name. Elaborating on the exploratory songs of her debut, Plume Girl continues to bring together Hindustani classical improvisation, ambient soundscapes, and experimental pop.

Somanath’s voice—from gentle murmur to radiant call—guides the listener through dreamlike arrangements: sunrise guitar arpeggios, humming choirs, heartbeat kickdrums, and synths tremble. Elsewhere field sounds and old family recordings are collaged, a woman’s giggle transposed into a piano melody, a sloshing body of water mirrored by synth bleeps. Plume Girl conjures moments of revelation, drawing from the natural beauty and intuition, that unnameable glory.

Is there a divinity or a wholeness that exists beyond language, belief, or tradition? Unnameable Glory both celebrates and gently challenges the notion: Can we honour the creative richness of culture while also seeing through the divisions it creates? Can we meet the world—and each other—without assumption, without fear, with eyes made new? In these songs, the sacred is found not in grand gestures, but in the anonymous freedom of simply being: the iridescence of oil and water on a street, the smile of a stranger, the hush that settles by a creek.

At the heart of the album is a sense of curiosity and surrender—a willingness to listen without judgment, to let the moment be unnameable, to allow wonder to arise and dissolve. And yet, as Somanath notes, there’s an impulse to capture that’s tough to ignore; a need to replicate and remember. Unnameable Glory dwells in this tension: between holding and letting go, between the urge to define and the beauty of what cannot be contained. There is a quiet, revolutionary joy in simply living and sensing together. Music becomes a meeting place for the whole, the holy, and the unnamable.

In 1995, when Cobweb-day was released, Fabrice Laureau was 24, Nicolas Laureau 21, Ludovic Morillon 22, and Quentin Rollet, who had just joined them on this new album, was 21. Prohibition, founded in 1989, had already released two albums: Turtle in 1993 and Nobodinside in 1994, on the Distorsion label. Cobweb-day, literally "Spider-web Day," is poetic, satirical, and libertarian. A title conceived by Nicolas to express all the feelings and themes explored on the album, this neologism also echoes the artwork on the cover. The lyrics describe, in vitriolic poetry and with a touch of self-deprecation, a world based on the powers of commodification and order, on submission to modern Molochs. Thirty years ago, it addressed themes such as the trade in minds and bodies, Kafkaesque justice, state violence, and Western blindness. Is this a coincidence that might raise a smile? Fabrice and Nicolas were both conscientious objectors at the time the album was written. The deceptively childish drawing that adorns the cover was created by Fabrice in 1989. It evokes African art and the skyscraper where the brothers grew up. Its title? "Glances on the Horizon." Yet, in these naive eyes, locked in a rhizomic matrix, there is the disturbing sensation of being observed, scrutinized, or perhaps imprisoned. This is Cobweb-day. During this period, the band spent its entire life touring with the British post-punk trio Headcleaner and the furious Lyon-based Condense. Their correspondence, followed by a meeting in 1994 with Guy Picciotto, singer-guitarist in Fugazi, led to a series of concerts with the Washington, DC quartet, around the time of the album's release in the spring of 1995. Quentin Rollet gradually joined the band, first on stage and then on the records. The concerts of this era often ended with long improvisations featuring saxophone, sitar, bass, and drums. Prohibition had emerged from the shadows, but chose to continue evolving underground, with the Laureau brothers creating their label Prohibited Records. Cobweb-day serves as the first reference. Thirty years ago, then. The album was recorded at Ark Studios near Paris in January 1995, along with eight other previously unreleased tracks. This new mix was created at Black Box Studios by Peter Deimel and Nicolas from 24-track analog tapes in August 1998, shortly before the release of 14 Ups & Downs, Prohibition's fifth and final album, and their US tour. All tracks were remastered by Fabrice and Nicolas Laureau in March/April 2025.

sychedelic hard-rock Holy Grail, originally released by this Greek band in 1976 but sounding more akin to late 60s / early 70s.
Highly recommended to fans of HEAVY-FUZZ guitars, think DARK, FIRE, OPEN MIND or even SPACEMEN 3 circa “Revolution”!
The 4 Levels Of Existence (Τα 4 Επίπεδα Της Ύπαρξης) formed around 1974 in Athens from the ashes of a band called
Frog’s Eyes. Some of their influences were groups like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Who or Iron Butterfly as well as traditional Greek music.
They recorded their sole album in just 10 hours with no overdubs and it was eventually released (500 copies only) on the small Venus label. The cover artwork was created by guitar player Athanasios Alatas. The band sadly split soon after but they left behind one of the most legendary and sought after albums not only from Greece but also from the worldwide heavy-prog scene.

The Modern Jazz Quartet, known for its sophisticated and elegant approach to jazz, consisted of pianist John Lewis, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Connie Kay

Here are Some key points about the album: "Fontessa" is regarded as one of the Quartet's essential recordings, praised for its elegant performances and refned compositions. The album refects the commitment to creating jazz that is both accessible and artistically ambitious. Critics and jazz enthusiasts often highlight the interplay between Milt Jackson's vibraphone and John Lewis's piano, supported by the solid rhythm section of Percy Heath and Connie Kay. The title track "Fontessa" is a suite in several movements, showcasing the band's ability to merge different musical themes seamlessly; the album includes notable covers such as "Angel Eyes," "Willow Weep for Me," and "Over the Rainbow" all of which are given the Modern Jazz Quartet unique treatment with a mix of lush harmonies and sophisticated improvisation. The album, released in 1956, signifcantly contributed to the evolution of jazz by demonstrating that it could be a serious, artful genre capable of sophisticated expression. The Modern Jazz Quartet infuence extends beyond jazz to classical and popular music, and "Fontessa" remains a testament to their innovative spirit and enduring appeal, a key album in their discography, exemplifying their unique sound and artistic vision.

Lifelong friends Richard Lowe and Rob Bendelow formed their first band “Lammergier” during the mid 1970’s together with bassist Barry Yates. Following their first love performance in 1977 the band gigged extensively across the British midlands. The standard of these performances combined with their unique brand of symphonic rock saw “Lammergier” amass a large and loyal following. Then a new decade arrived changes were made, the music remained the same, but they called themselves “Saracen”.

After several months on the road Saracen decided it was time to record an album, and in October 1981 they released “Heroes, Saints and Fools” to critical acclaim. Saracen tracks received regular airplay on Tommy Vance’s Friday night rock show and the single “We have arrived” was recorded. In 1983 line-up changes occurred and the band eventually stopped touring in 1985.

Two decades later and the band re-appear with a vengeance and the release of “Red Sky” in March 2003 put the band firmly back on the map, and it was a rework of some of the old classics with new tracks added. The band regained its popularity, and a further three albums have emerged to critical acclaim, namely “Vox in Excelso”, “Marilyn” and “Redemption”.

With renewed interest in the vinyl format of recorded music “Vox In Excelso” has been re-released in 2025 as a numbered limited edition with new artwork and now “Red Sky” is to follow, again with new artwork. These are beautiful works of art and the recordings sound fresh and vibrant, its classic progressive rock brought into the present day and it doesn’t get better than this..

25th anniversary edition of the widely acclaimed tribute album celebrating the music of Brian Wilson & The Beach Boys. 24 exclusive tracks. New remaster on 2 LPs in a gatefold sleeve with extensive liner notes and many rare photographs.

Atlanta Based Band Rujen And their Album "Velvet Dream".
Velvet Dream is more than a collection of songs - it’s a cosmic nudge sent to remind you that your future begins with a choice. You close your eyes and a vision begins to form: a life just beyond your reach, patiently awaiting your arrival. It’s the version of yourself you imagine when you tune out the noise and tune in to the things that make you feel. With their Broc Recordz debut, Rujen aim to open doors through that very threshold with 11 tracks of 70s-tinged space rock that thoughtfully weave together lyrical themes of time, personal agency, and the pursuit of silencing self-doubt.

Die Ära der Mix-CDs mag schon lange vorbei sein, doch wenn man sich 'Midnight Ragas' anhört, das neue Album des legendären Downtempo-Produzenten und Thievery Corporation Mitbegründers Eric Hilton, könnte man der Meinung sein, sie wäre nie weg gewesen. Man stelle sich Khruangbin vor in noch entspannter, wie sie einen alten Billy Dee Williams-Werbespot für Malt Liquor vertonen, neu abgemischt von Zero 7, und man kommt der Sache schon sehr nahe. 'Midnight Ragas' - ein süchtig machendes Hörerlebnis.Auf dem Album sind auch die Thievery Corporation-Mitglieder Natalia Clavier und Puma Ptah zu hören.'Midnight Ragas' ist Erics 8. Solo-Studioalbum und der Nachfolger von Sound Vagabond und seinem Ambient-Album Out of the Blur.- Ltd. Col. LP: (Bone Color Vinyl)Tracklist LP:A-SeiteA1. Life (In The Deep End)A2. Leave It All (feat. Puma Ptah)A3. Je ne t’aime plus (feat. Natalia Clavier) videoA4. Behind My Eyes (feat. The Infinite Daisy Chains)A5. All I Want (feat. Puma Ptah)A6. Burkina FasoB-SeiteB1. Midnight RagaB2. Sol Interior (feat. Natalia Clavier)B3. Galactic ShineB4. Madame AshaB5. L’Ocean (feat. Natalia Clavier)B6. Beautiful Moment (feat. The Infinite Daisy Chains)

Beautiful mix of eastern sounds and western rhythms, with haunting melodies, nice drum breaks and using traditional arabian instruments alongside organs and drums.

Compilation of tracks from the two Mosaic of the Orient LPs released in the 70's - beautiful psychedelic funk gems.

Right Track is a specialized music label based in Beirut - Lebanon. As an IFPI certified member they are the exclusive Licensee and distributor of multiple international and regional labels in addition to a range of Lebanese Artists. From Omar Khorshid’s arabian-funk to Fairuz’s eerie songs, from Ziad Rabani’s proto-disco to lebanese traditional Wadih Al Safi compositions, Right Track is committed to re-releasing the Immortal Arabic music repertoire on 180 g vinyls, delivering the highest possible quality from remastered audio to satisfy the demanding audiophile connoisseurs.

Devendra Banhart's 3rd and 4th albums, originally released yb Young God, together as a 2xLP

Emerging from the fertile chaos of Düsseldorf’s Salon des Amateurs scene, Sequence of Events, the collaborative project of Deniz Saridas and Joshua Gottmanns, presents The Art of Memory, an album that feels both intimate and ungraspable, like recalling a dream that fades upon waking.

Rooted in the post-industrial landscapes of West Germany, The Art of Memory channels the bleak resilience of these environments into its sound. It’s a collage of kraut-infused electronics, shoegaze textures, and industrial pulses, filtered through a lens of introspective psychedelia. “We don’t consciously break down or combine genres,” they explain. “Everything is interwoven, like chemistry. Some reactions happen immediately, others take years under pressure.”

From the opening track TAR, with its stoic vocals and drum-heavy propulsion, to the robotic Meagre Gardens, where autotuned chants coil around unconventional drum programming, the album moves like a fever dream through fragmented memories. Soul Divider unfolds like a cinematic journey through yearning and desire, its repetitive pulses echoing the ache of unfulfilled longing, while Nature Hates Life distills pop music through the eyes of a killjoy: “Kurt Cobain on an AKAI MPC2000,” as the band describes it. Even moments of tenderness, like the drifting Becomings, shimmer with absolute sensuality: a seductive exploration of presence defined by absence. We lift each other up and hold each other down.

The creative process behind The Art of Memory is as fluid as the music itself. Saridas and Gottmanns, both self-taught musicians with backgrounds in fine art, worked intuitively, drawing from a shared pool of samples, text fragments, and images. Operating somewhere in the space between fin de siècle aesthetics and occultism, it’s a dream wedding with a continuous stream of meaningless (moving) images generated by human and non-human entities.

Ultimately, The Art of Memory is not an escape but an immersion. A meditation on the sensory overload of the present and the ghosts it leaves in its wake. In a world where music is often reduced to background noise for consumption, Sequence of Events offers something more elusive: a record that lingers, unsettles, and demands to be remembered.

Resilience
the elastic, technological noise crafted from the streets of Detroit
DRIVETRAIN - “Persuasion”
To be enchanted and beat down simultaneously
DJ CENT - “Send Me”
An unrelenting subsonic rhythm assault
Distant Lover - “Green Eyes”
The disco groove intent to ignite the dance floor
MARSHALL APPLEWHITE - “ “Front to Back”
Fast and furious high tech beats

"OKU" – An Introspective Journey through Sound and Playfulness
With his fourth LP, Martin Merz invites you on a journey into personal moments and memories. Through the playful and experimental lens of electronic soundscapes, OKU explores various moments of interaction, capturing the innocence, wonder, and depth of the bond shared between a father and his son. From spontaneous moments of laughter to quiet, reflective exchanges, OKU paints a sonic portrait of a pair navigating their world through sound.
The compositions are filled with vibrant textures, dynamic beats, and intricate layers, drawing the listener into a world where the boundaries between sound and emotion dissolve into a thrilling exploration. OKU is a record that reminds us of the simple yet profound beauty of our relationships and the music that exists between the spaces of our everyday lives.
Immerse yourself in the captivating soundscapes of OKU!

The Inner Sounds Of The Id / The Alternate Sounds Of
The Id
2CD - Groundbreaking 67 psych album gets the deluxe edition with a
whole bonus album of unheard Alternate Sounds! The gatefold jacket
features unseen photos and new liner notes written by Mike Vernon with
the aid of Id bassist Glenn Cass

Yellow Vinyl

'70s Disco Music wan’t just Abba or Studio 54. In the same way that punk or glam rock were evolving at the same time, the "disco" phenomenon generated a plethora of obscure and bizarre studio projects which remained unknown for decades, despite often being more inspired and creative than the few ones that reached stardom and sold millions of copies. 45 rpm singles that remained unsold, sitting in junkshops all over the world for decades hide forgotten gems, revealing genius and avant-garde only guilty of not being at the right place at the right time. Whether it's Moroder-oriented proto synth-wave, groovy space-disco or acid afro funk, volume 1 of the Cosmic Discotheque series is all about rediscovering those forgotten treasures while setting your dancefloor on fire!

Santana Bridges the Divide Between Live and Studio Material on Moonflower: 1977 Double Album Features Extraordinary Performances, Soulful Vibes, and Dynamic Mix of Latin, Rock, Funk, and Blues
Sourced from the Original Master Tapes and Strictly Limited to 3,000 Numbered Copies: Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 33RPM 2LP Set Plays with Audiophile-Quality Detail, Balance, and Imaging
1/4” / 15 IPS original analogue non-Dolby master to DSD 256 to analogue console to lathe



Though it may seem strange now, Moonflower stood for nearly 15 years as Santana’s first and only live record released in the United States. This despite the fact that roughly half of the double album consists of new studio songs, including a zesty cover of the Zombies classic “She’s Not There” that reached the Top 30 of the singles charts.

However unconventional, the “split” strategy went over like gangbusters. Moonflower reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200 and achieved double-platinum status — feats the group would not again replicate for 22 years. These, and the beautiful quality of the program itself, are among the reasons why the 1977 effort remains viewed by critics and fans alike as must-have Santana.

Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, housed in a Stoughton jacket, and strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 33RPM 2LP set of Moonflower presents the record in audiophile sound for the first time on a domestic reissue. Part of the MoFi’s Santana catalog restoration series, this collectible version features quiet surfaces and black backgrounds that expose the critical details, liquid tones, and dynamic interplay central to Santana’s music.

The enhanced sonics extend not only to Carlos Santana’s six-string wizardry, but to the rhythmic, melodic, and vocal elements that course throughout both the studio and live cuts on Moonflower. The grip and depth of the bass lines; the wash of the organ; the scope and carry of the vocals; the extension and weight of the low-end frequencies; the rich textures of the guitars, percussive devices, and keyboards: all appear amid wide, balanced soundstages and image with right-sized dimensionality.

Significantly rooted in the styles and approaches that inform the group’s first three records, Moonflower captures the final appearances of iconic percussionist Jose “Chepito” Areas and go-to keyboardist Tom Coster on a Santana album. As he did during the preceding five-year stretch, Coster inhabits a large role here, sharing songwriting credits on a majority of the new cuts and helping steer the arrangements toward spiritually minded albeit concise directions that encompass vibrant Latin, rock, and blues themes that began to escape the ensemble shortly after his departure.

Close your eyes and feel the warmth of the sun on the R&B-kissed “I’ll Be Waiting,” anchored by Carlos Santana’s gliding fretwork and Greg Walker’s creamy vocals. Enter the cosmic universe of “Zulu,” on which Coster’s nimble phrasing opens the gate to polyrhythmic beats, knotty grooves, and interlocking funk. Grab the album cover and drift off to paradise amid the equally evocative “Flor d’Luna (Moonflower),” a romantic slow dance that Carlos Santana ensures tiptoes en route to its blissful destination. Channeling a different spirit animal, the guitarist later lets loose on the hard-hitting “El Morocco,” on which he seemingly engages in a shootout with himself and wades into the rippling psychedelia that elevated the band’s early material.

Speaking of the past, Moonflower triumphs on that level as well. In more ways than one, the live selections — and the caliber of the performances — chosen for inclusion represent an abbreviated greatest-hits survey of the band up to that point. And, at the very least, a convincing argument about why Santana had progressed into one of the most formidable bands you could hope to see on a stage in the mid ‘70s.

Simultaneously representative and illustrative of the group’s breadth, tracks stem from the collective’s eponymous debut, Abraxas, and Santana III as well as the then-more recent Amigos and Festival. Whether you fall for the sidewinding spell of a spicy rendition of “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen,” lose your head to the positively epic momentum of “Soul Sacrifice/Head, Hands & Feet,” or keep dropping the needle on the savory grace of the brilliant reading of “Europa (Earth’s Cry Heaven’s Smile),” this pressing of Moonflower puts you — and Santana’s first-chapter legacy — in good hands.

The blues, born in the cotton fields of the American South, emerged from makeshift instruments and simple harmonies rooted in African heritage. It captured the struggles, hopes, and fleeting joys of laborers enduring harsh conditions, with its hallmark "blue note" adding a unique dissonance to this evocative musical style.

As industrialization progressed, the blues migrated to urban centers like Chicago and New Orleans, evolving with modern instruments and expanding themes to reflect urban struggles, sensual nights, and existential despair. This period birthed many of the musicians who later formed the American Folk and Blues Festival (AFBF), an initiative started in 1950s Germany to introduce Europe to the genre and counter its reductive reputation as a precursor to jazz.

The Lost Recordings celebrates these legendary artists through restored performances from the 1962 Olympia in Paris and the 1963 Stadttheater in Bremen. Featured artists include John Lee Hooker, Memphis Slim, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, T-Bone Walker, Helen Humes, and others, showcasing the depth and evolution of the blues.

From intimate duos like Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry’s harmonica-guitar interplay to T-Bone Walker’s electrifying group performances, each act demonstrates the genre's versatility and influence. John Lee Hooker’s solo mastery mesmerized audiences, while T-Bone Walker pioneered the electric guitar's place in blues, inspiring legends like B.B. King.

The album also highlights Sonny Boy Williamson, whose charismatic harmonica and profound sensitivity defined his performances. These concerts take listeners on a journey through the authentic sound of the blues, traversing America’s history and foreshadowing its transformative impact on global music.

"The restorations of The Lost Recordings are worthy of those devoted to master paintings." — Le Journal du Dimanche

"We discovered these previously unpublished tapes in the archives of the RBB — the Berlin radio. This discovery is absolutely major because these two incredible musicians had recorded too little together and because this recording offers us the possibility to listen to them in works that were unpublished so far in their discography — notably an extraordinary sonata by Prokofiev! And what can we say about this Bach sonata, with an Andante that brought tears to the eyes of everyone present in the studio at the time." — Frédéric D'ORIA-NICOLAS, Musical treasure seeker

János Starker, cellist, and György Sebok, pianist, were both born in Hungary early in the 20th century. They were welcomed into the formidable Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, and emigrated to the USA, where they both held the title of Distinguished Professor at the Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington. Both heavy smokers and sometimes reputed — unjustly — to be harsh, austere and insensitive to trends, they were drawn to music in all its varieties and fascinated by its many colours. They had one aim only, one noble objective: to showcase the works all composers, as evidenced by this recording made in the legendary Studio 3 of Berlin Radio on 24 October 1963.

Starker and Sebok were fully imbued with the aesthetics that Prokofiev proclaimed: "I cultivate melody and strive to introduce feeling and emotion into my works. No matter that some call me a cubist, adding that I systematically avoid any emotional or romantic elements in my quest to reach only objectivity."

Next, and at the opposite end of the spectrum, is the Spanish passion of the two pieces by Granados and De Falla, pieces that nevertheless also convey melancholy. Starker and Sebok launch into the works with enthusiasm and intensity.

The last piece, Bach's Sonata in G Major, BWV 1027 for Viola da Gamba and Keyboard, is one of three he composed, probably in Köthen. Because they may have originally been written for other instruments, they can easily be transcribed for the cello and piano. They reveal the rich influences that pervaded the German region during the first half of the 18th century. The two musicians give us a sublime interpretation of the beauty of the counterpoint in this Sonata.

These recordings attest to the importance that the two superb musicians attached to working in the service of the composers. We wonder if, in that enchanted studio in Berlin in 1963, they knew how much further they went to bewitch us and touch us so profoundly.

Am 24.06. erscheint das achte Studioalbum „Meet The Moonlight“ von Jack Johnson. Zeitgleich startet
seine Sommertour quer durch die USA.
Das Album ist zum größten Teil in persönlicher Zusammenarbeit mit Produzent Blake Mills entstanden;
aufgenommen wurde es in Los Angeles und Hawaii. Es behandelt Themen wie die Zerbrechlichkeit menschlicher Beziehungen und die Unbeständigkeit des Lebens

DJ Support - Luke Una, Nikki Nair, Make A Dance, Boris Dlugosch, Gallegos

THIS YEARS BANGER IS HERE! After last years crossover smasher ‘Italo Disco Banger’, which picked up love from DJ Harvey, Gerd Janson and Fatboy Slim, Red Rack’em has been back in the lab, cooking up this years contribution to his ever growing, genre hopping series of ‘Bangers’. He’s hit discotheque paydirt once more with the euphoric tropical disco house burner vibes of ‘Secret Banger’. The feedback has been insane with early support from a wide range of tastemakers including Make A Dance, Nikki Nair, Luke Una, Boris Dlugosch and Gallegos, it’s a crossover, summer magic jam, perfect for those Adriatic or Balearic mornings. Secret Banger is an instant classic. Perfectly pitched for festival sunshine and late night heads down parties. It’s a ‘moment’ track, combining the biggest vocal hook this side of Daft Punk, ecstasy pads, tropical boogie strut and the trademark Rack’em club shaking sub bass. Secret Banger is a sureshot, guaranteed to give eyes closed moments to even the most frosty dancefloors. Monday is ostensibly ‘the deeper B Side cut’ but it’s also a certy club wrecker. Samples are being mad flipped people. A wacked out street soul snippet is sliced and diced before the track mutates into a huge pitched down late night jaw bothering incantation. The OG sample is hard cut into the track like a more clever than most DJ on the decks. You need this.

Nach seinen Megaerfolgen der letzten Jahre mit der erfolgreichsten Radiosingle 2021 „Save Your Tears“ (Platin) und dem erfolgreichsten Song 2020 „Blinding Lights“ (3x Platin) beginnt The Weeknd nun sein
nächstes Kapitel.
Dieses kündigte der Superstar bereits im Herbst 2021 mit “The Dawn Is Coming” auf seinen Social-MediaKanälen an und bestätigte die Gerüchte für ein neues Album dann an Neujahr. Der erste Vorgeschmack auf sein neues Album erfolgte mit der Single „Take My Breath“. Diese stieg direkt in die Top 20 der deutschen Charts ein und erreichte Platz 2 der Airplay Charts.

Sein letztes Studioalbum „After Hours“, welches u.a. die Erfolgshits „Blinding Lights“, „Save Your Tears“ und „After Hours“ enthält belegte Platz 5 der Albumcharts. Seine anderen Alben „Beauty Behind The Madness” (2015) und “Starboy” (2016) sind in Deutschland beide mit Gold ausgezeichnet. Sein neues Album „Dawn FM“ erscheint nun am 07.01.2022 digital und enthält Feature-Artists wie Jim Carrey, Tyler The Creator und Lil Wayne.

Am 28.01.2022 erscheint es auch auf CD und wird ab dem 29.04.2022 auch als Vinyl erhältlich sein.

Following his 2019 debut on the label with Amphibious / Lucid Dreams, Bristol-based producer Drone returns to System Music for another exploration into the darker corners of sonic frequencies and low end pressure.

Entitled Flooded EP, this is Drone’s biggest project to date and features 4 original, epic tracks accompanied by an incredible remix from SP:MC. The EP kicks off with 20k, an introduction laden with off-kilter, haunting eeriness and pulsating bass and percussion. Next up is Entropy, a truly ethereal track. Spatially beautiful yet isolating and cold. The title track, Flooded, is a monster of a track which intimidates and excites with eyes down and gun fingers raised. Rounding off the body of work is Fear which hits hard with crisp drum patterns and a throbbing bassline, almost evoking a sense of nostalgia, tying it in seamlessly with a typically electrifying remix from SP:MC