JJ Tartaglia and Jonny Nesta (also band members of world-renowned
Skull Fist) have joined forces once again to form Thunderor, the latest
80s-infused heavy metal /hard rock sensation
The debut album 'Fire It Up' delivers hook-driven stadium caliber songs with an
untamed spirit. Thunderous drums, lightning hot guitar licks, dreamy synths, and
piercing vocals form the musical storm that is Thunderor. Complete with singalong choruses, drum solo breaks, ripping guitar leads, keytars, motorcycles, and
gongs, the Canadian trio will have you fueling up for adventure as you sail through
the 9- track album. For those who've ever felt a longing for escape, a thirst for
adventure, wrapped in romance and danger, Thunderor is your soundtrack!
VALKYRJA'S FOURTH STUDIO ALBUM OF MAJESTIC SWEDISH
DARKNESS PRESENTED ON THE VINYL FORMAT FOR THE FIRST TIME,
IN GATEFOLD SLEEVE
Valkyrja, one of the prominent acts among the current Swedish black metal
scene, was originally founded in 2004, "with the common collective goal of
channelling violence, deprivation & loathing through means of extraordinarily
potent audio emissions"; a parallel & extension of their own philosophies -
boundless & without limitation in their art.
'Throne Ablaze' was the band's fourth studio album, originally released in 2018 &
was a spectacular assault of finely honed Scandinavian black metal, steeped in
ritualistic darkness & seething grimness. Upon release, the album was considered
a highpoint for the band among an already highly revered repertoire, capturing the
attention of the metal world with eight tracks of pure majestic malevolence,
showing once more why Valkyrja is considered a prime force in today's black
metal climate.
'Throne Ablaze' was again recorded at Necromorbus Studio (Watain, Mayhem),
with Tore Sjerna at the helm handling production duties.
This edition of 'Throne Ablaze' is presented on vinyl for the first time, including
gatefold sleeve..
Double Blue Vinyl Edition of the black vinyl which is no longer available
Recorded July 2002 at The Chapel, Lincolnshire, England
Produced By Kit Woolven and Cathedral.
Full promotion across social media platforms
Advertising in Record Collector, Shindig
But like a sunbeam peering through a haze of wildfire smoke, Early Eyes have
somehow persevered through dashed dreams, fractured relationships, historic
social justice uprisings in their own hometown, and a society tearing apart at the
seams to make an album that is both responsive to the chaos and wearily
optimistic."It almost feels like Look Alive! is a direct response to the pandemic,"
bandleader Jake Berglove reflects. "It was like, oh, my goodness, all of our
capitalist anxieties just came true! We took all of that anxiety and angry energy
and put it into making a really f***ed up album." Look Alive! vibrates with angst,
punctuated by computerized glitches and disintegrating threads of abandoned
melodies that echo in the distance before roaring back to life. With the assistance
of producers Caleb Hinz and Jake Luppen (of the band Hippo Campus), Early
Eyes felt more liberated stylistically, and Look Alive! looks ahead to a post-genre
future where emo, post- hardcore, Japanese city pop, and musical theater can
coexist peacefully on one album. "We ran with so many different influences," John
says. "I mean, like, half the songs on the album just sound like a completely
different band. We were just more unafraid to commit — like, alright, we're just
going to make a punk song right now."
Dashboard Confessional's ninth studio album, All The Truth That I Can
Tell, is both a remarkable renewal and fortunate step forward for the
band's songwriter, front man, and founder, Chris Carrabba
All The Truth That I Can Tell stands among Carrabba's finest – a strikingly potent
musical look at himself through a rediscovered keyhole, both an achievement of
vision and a vital burst of artistic clarity; less like reading someone's diary and
more like reading their eyes.
Dashboard Confessional's ninth studio album, All The Truth That I Can
Tell, is both a remarkable renewal and fortunate step forward for the
band's songwriter, front man, and founder, Chris Carrabba
All The Truth That I Can Tell stands among Carrabba's finest – a strikingly potent
musical look at himself through a rediscovered keyhole, both an achievement of
vision and a vital burst of artistic clarity; less like reading someone's diary and
more like reading their eyes.
Stopped in the middle of a French and English tour by the Covid epidemic,
THE CELTIC SOCIAL CLUB immediately threw itself into the writing and
recording of what will become its fourth album - Combining absence and
distance, the seven Franco-Irish have patiently built, through the Channel
and from their respective home studios, these twelve titles which are
certainly, to this day, the most free, elegant and successful in their
discography
With great bursts of rock energy, pop melody and folk magic, DANCING OR
DYING? is simply a great record made by a band imposing a sound, a style and a
name.
The Times running a full page feature, mid February - (band are flying out
journalist to a big show they have in France). UK Full band show at Nell's, London
on 24th Feb. Festival confirmed Wickham, Beautiful Days, Glastonbury, Tolpuddle
Martyrs, Little Orchard. Julian Spear PR Andy Prevezer Plugging Mdnight Mango
Agent
Matrimony emerged from the scrum of yobbos making noise in late-'80s
Australia (Cosmic Psychos, Lubricated Goat, etc), a nearly all-female
band of punk-pop minimalists as raw emotionally as musically
Building songs around simple, repetitive bass lines and the languidly morose
vocals of one Sybilla, the band reveals its disaffection more through what it
doesn't say than what it does. So while choppy guitar squalls underpin songs like
'Kitty Finger' and 'Fish and Chips Sweetheart,' elsewhere the playing is stripped
nearly bare. Sybilla's love/ hate relationship with her titular subject on 'Mr. Pop
Star' is reduced to a series of stuttered yelps, while her dispassionate plea on
'Come Back Baby' is backed only by finger snaps and the ubiquitous heavy bass
lines, distilling a lifetime of self-pitying angst into a two-minute session in front of
a cracked bedroom mirror. Matrimony also pays a nominal tribute by covering the
Scientists' 'Frantic Romantic' even more dourly than the original.
Reissue of violinist Jean-Luc Ponty's 1967 album 'Sunday Walk', originally
released on the SABA label (which later was renamed MPS), featuring an
all-star group that includes pianist Wolfgang Dauner, bassist NielsHenning Örsted-Pedersen and drummer Daniel Humair
Legendary drummer Kenny Clarke compared Jean- Luc Ponty to Dizzy Gillespie.
Fellow violinist Stuff Smith marvelled, "He plays violin like Coltrane plays
saxophone." Born in 1942, the French violinist transported jazz violin playing into
the world of modern jazz. On Frank Zappa's urging, Ponty moved to the States in
1973. Over the next years he toured with Zappa as well as the Mahavishnu
Orchestra. In 1975 he founded his own band and became one of the most
prominent figures of the jazz- fusion movement in the USA, selling millions of
albums that all reached the top of the U.S. charts.
On the 1967 'Sunday Walk' the band saunters through two blues, a waltz, and a
standard before reaching "Suite for Claudia", which begins at a blistering pace
with Ponty's saxophone- like "brilliance and fire" playing. It then settles into a
medium swing groove with Wolfgang Dauner's infectious piano play followed by a
smouldering Ponty. Daniel Humair's crisp drum solo segues into a heart- felt
waltz. After all, this was written for Ponty's wife. Ponty is here with a group of
Europe's finest at their youthful best. The way they play, it's all a walk in the park.
Beside Dauner and Humair, legendary bass player Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
completes Ponty's quartet.
"The re-issue of this album by MPS makes me extremely happy as I consider it to
be one of my best recordings from the 60s. " - Jean-Luc Ponty
By All Means (Feat. Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard,
Lee Ritenour, Seawind Horns)
Reissue of Alphonse Mouzon's killer 1981 album 'By All Means', featuring
Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard and Lee Ritenour - the album is a
classic of the period, blending funk, disco, and improvisational creativity
At the time of his death in 2016 at the age of 68, drummer, composer and multiinstrumentalist Alphonse Mouzon had for decades been a major force within the
jazz, fusion, R&B and pop arenas. The early eighties was a time when Mouzon
toyed with disco and channelled funk. His musical amalgam was a far cry from
the Saturday Night Fever brand – he brought more funk, more soul, more
spontaneous creativity into the mix.
For 'By All Means', Mouzon brought together musicians who were masters in
virtually any musical style. The rhythm section belonged to the who's who of the
LA studio scene. Electric bassist Scott Edwards had worked with such stars as
Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & Aretha Franklin. 21- year- old guitarist Paul
Jackson Jr. was just beginning his stellar career, had recorded with Aretha
Franklin and within a few years he would participate in Michael Jackson's Thriller
and Bad and would go on to work with the likes of Elton John, George Duke, Al
Jarreau, and Marcus Miller. Lee Ritenour began playing and recording with
Mouzon in 1974. At the age of 17, Ritenour first worked with Tony Bennett. He
was also brought in to put a little more rock in the rock 'n roll of a couple of takes
on Pink Floyd's seminal "The Wall". Over the years he has recorded with many of
the giants of pop, rock, and jazz, and his own recordings have had a slew of
Grammy nominations.
Herbie Hancock stands beside Mouzon as the other major presence on the
recording. Like Mouzon, at the beginning of the eighties he delved into disco,
adding danceable grooves to the mix. During this period Mouzon was Herbie's
drummer on four of Hancock's albums, so it seems appropriate that these two
like- minded musicians came together for this recording. The Seawind Horns
provide the last needed ingredient in this tasty musical concoction. Guesting on
the title track, trumpet great Freddie Hubbard's contributes a flashy solo.
By All Means, get out on your private dance floor and get up with it.
Reissue of The Rolf Kühn Group's funky 1975 fusion album 'Total Space',
featuring Joachim Kühn, Philip Catherine, Gerd Dudek, Albert
Mangelsdorff and Daniel Humair
For a German jazz musician to find international recognition as a major player
has been and remains a rarity. Clarinettist Rolf Kühn belongs to this elite class.
No one sounds like him on the clarinet; warm, round and masterful, his tone
remains unmistakable no matter what style he may be playing at any given
moment. His play resonates with a maturity and wisdom gathered from a long
and rich life of musical experiences. At MPS, Rolf Kühn was allowed free rein to
choose the team for the recordings and so he decided to get Wolfgang
Hirschmann on board, one of the most interesting sound engineers in jazz at that
time. Having a free jazz background, Kühn breaks out in a new direction towards
jazz fusion with this album.
"My recordings for the MPS label always benefited from an atmosphere of artistic
freedom, something that I am still thankful for. MPS was the first German record
company that recorded solely jazz and was open for experiments and new fields
of music. For "Total Space" I was allowed to try out new things like having two
drummers, Daniel Humair and Kaspar Winding and to invite completely
freethinking players like Albert Mangelsdorff or Gerd Dudek to the recording." -
Rolf Kühn, 2019
Reissue of The Rolf Kühn Orchestra's gently-grooving 1979 album
'Symphonic Swampfire', featuring Joachim Kühn, Philip Catherine, NielsHenning Ørsted Pedersen, Charlie Mariano, Herb Geller and others
For a German jazz musician to find international recognition as a major player
has been and remains a rarity. Clarinetist Rolf Kühn belongs to this elite class. No
one sounds like him on the clarinet; warm, round and masterful, his tone remains
unmistakable no matter what style he may be playing at any given moment. His
play resonates with a maturity and wisdom gathered from a long and rich life of
musical experiences.
Inspired by the captivating and breathtaking landscape of Ibiza, which Rolf Kühn
discovered for the first time in 1970, the album 'Symphonic Swampfire' was
created in 1978. Rolf Kühn had spent many summers in Ibiza, his brother
Joachim is now living there since several years. After Kühn had written orchestral
compositions for commissioned works for film, TV and radio productions, he was
able to fulfill his long- standing wish to record one of his jazz albums with an
orchestra. 'Symphonic Swampfire' is the first collaboration with sound engineer
Walter Quintus, with whom Rolf and Joachim Kühn should collaborate many more
times.
Reissue of Rolf Kühn's funky 1980 LP 'Cucu Ear', beside his brother
Joachim Kühn, who as always took the place at the keys, Rolf brought
together an illustrious group of musicians from a variety of backgrounds
for this record, including Alphonse Mouzon, Philip Catherine, Charlie
Mariano, Herb Geller and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
For a German jazz musician to find international recognition as a major player
has been and remains a rarity. Clarinettist Rolf Kühn belongs to this elite class.
No one sounds like him on the clarinet; warm, round and masterful, his tone
remains unmistakable no matter what style he may be playing at any given
moment. His play resonates with a maturity and wisdom gathered from a long
and rich life of musical experiences.
"I have always had the desire to find unusual set-ups for my productions – like
working with musicians who come from very different genres such as classical
music, jazz fusion, pop, etc. But these trains of thought, which of course can be
very tempting, can never be implemented without a risk. In the case of "Cucu Ear"
for example Alphonse Mouzon and Niels- Henning Ørsted Pedersen played
together for the first time ever. With Niels and Alphonse, coming from such
different stylistic directions, the plan worked out so perfectly that they are among
my favorite rhythm groups today. Not least because of my brother Joachim, who
plays fantastic additional synthesizer solos in addition to his great piano playing.
These were two wonderful days in the studio and an unusual and extraordinary
session that is still today very special for me." - Rolf Kühn, 2019
Reissue of George Duke's classic 1975 jazz-funk-fusion album 'The Aura
Will Prevail'
With its intensive quartet, this 1975 recording again mirrors how far Duke, by his
own admission, had moved away from the "smug and overly serious jazz
musician" and towards a master of fusion, eager to experiment and add a note of
humour to the music. With Santana drummer Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, bassist
Alphonso "Slim" Johnson, and the Brazilian percussion magician Airto Moriera,
Duke designed stunning scenarios in sound which once more reveals him to be
one of the synthesizer pioneers.
He paints a fantastic morning atmosphere in Dawn; in Floop the Loop Duke
conjures animated, funky tone poems. There is a change of scene as Duke takes
up the role of soulful singer on the smooth ballads For Love and Fools. His
onetime collaboration with the Mothers of Invention rubs off on Duke's
adaptations of Echnidna's Arf and Uncle Remus, and a touch of samba is added
to the relaxed tropical magic of Malibu.
In many ways, this trio recording is a milestone in the career of this young
Californian
Duke unveils more of his early experiments with the ARP synthesizer, as well as a
new creativity on such more conventional keyboards, as the Wurlitzer, Fender
Rhodes, and the clavinet. As a result, Faces in Reflection is characterized by a
wide variety of tonal hues. The journey moves from the explosive The Opening on
to the tender- tinged Capricorn, which Duke had snatched from the Cannonball
Adderley repertoire. Adderley had been the second major player he had worked
with during that early period; Frank Zappa was the first. Two impressionistic solo
intermezzi segue into the funky fusion escapade Psychosomatic Dung, with
superb interplay between drummer Ndugu and bassist John Heard. The title
piece's secretive synth lines are the moments of calm before Duke's passionate
love affair with Brazil on the B side. The most surprising excursion on this side is
the vibrant and rhythmically intricate adaptation of Milton Nascimentos' Maria
Três Filhos, counterbalanced by the synth laboratory of North Beach. Duke
himself cherished the recordings; he stated that, "This was the first LP that really
said what I wanted to say."
Reissue of George Duke's classic 1975 jazz-funk-fusion album 'Feel'
This album with the strange psychedelic sci-fi cover draws a tighter circle around
Duke's fusion language. The keyboard master ventures deep into his synthesizer
laboratory. Their textures become a more essential component of his pieces,
attaining orchestral dimensions, as evidenced in the opener, Funny Funk, with its
smacking, squishing tongue- in- cheek dialogue between the synths. A virtuoso
layering of the keyboards is also central to Cora Joberge, and on Rashid, Duke's
electronic orchestra explodes over the stormy drums of Leon "Ndugu" Chancler.
Duke shows himself to be a singer with a soulful sound. Shortly before this
recording he had shelved his trombone so that he could communicate more
directly with the audience, as can be heard in the hymnal, dreamlike title piece.
The guest list of players make for an especially exciting concoction. No less than
Duke's playing companion Frank Zappa, under the cryptic pseudonym Obdewl'l X,
performs some adventuresome guitar passages on Love and Old Slippers. On the
California- sunshine pop samba, Yana Aminah, we have a surprise visit by
Brazilian Flora Purim, wife of percussionist Airto Moreira, who opens up his bag
of tricks on The Once Over, and plays on three more tracks.
Reissue of George Duke's classic 1973 jazz-funk-fusion album 'The Inner
Source'
In 1971 George Duke, having just recently done his time with the Mothers of
Invention, was engaged by the Cannonball Adderley Quintet. Beginning in April of
that year, Duke made two recordings over a short timespan that on their release
in 1973 as a double LP (against the desire of the artists, by the way), would be a
major statement.
On Chapter One of his fusion autobiography, "Solus", Duke, along with the
skeleton crew of bassist John Heard and drummer Dick Berk, tries out the new
compositional philosophy he had absorbed from his work with Adderley. On
Chapter two, "The Inner Source" " Duke lives it up as he shows off his exuberant
experimental synth side and also begins to vary the line-up here as some tracjs
are reinforced with Latin percussion, incisive horn and reed instruments or with
Duke on his first instrument, the trombone. As a curiosity, two basses compete
with each other on "Twenty Five".
Reissue of Ella Fitzgerald's 1969 album of funky big-band cover versions,
conducted by and featuring Tommy Flanagan on piano
Ella Fitzgerald singing Eric Clapton's "Sunshine of Your Love", or the Beatles' "Hey
Jude"? Something of a revelation for those who know Fitzgerald as purely a jazz
singer. Ella's pristine clarity of earlier years, now tinged with a throaty worldliness,
is a perfect foil to her choices from the world of rock and pop. It also adds new
depth to such standards as "Give Me the Simple Life", "Old Devil Moon", and Burt
Bachrach's "A House is Not a Home".
Recorded "live", the album is divided into a big band set and Ella with her longtime accompaniment, the Tommy Flanagan trio. Pianist Flanagan is simply one of
the all-time greats. After listening to this, how can you not be a fan of Ella's?
Includes the original liner notes from Norman Granz, who produced this record.
"Europe's greatest clarinetist and free spirit" (Jazzthetik) plays ballads and
legendary love songs on his new MPS album. In so doing, he delivers new
meaning and a fresh sound to the pieces. A sentimental look back is simply not
his thing. Together with his new quartet of pianist Frank Chastenier, bassist Lisa
Wulff, and percussionist Tupac Mantilla, Kühn contrasts his sensitive side with
his unbridled desire to experiment. "I've chosen some of my favourite ballads for
this album. These pieces have nothing to do with any sort of trend. For me, they
are poignant and beautiful; they are simply timeless," says Kühn. "I found it
especially appealing to combine these particular choices with my latest
compositions. The album opens with "Both Sides Now", a classic by Joni
Mitchell. Kühn liked the poetic text, and says that, "Somehow, in life there are
always two sides, but it's best when they enrich each other and can smoothly
merge in order to create something new."
One of five new compositions, the title song "Yellow + Blue" encapsulates the two
perspectives: the flamboyant, the impulsively vibrant yellow next to the soft,
sensitive, warm bluesy-blue tonal colour. In turn, a new musical color is created
out of the contrast.
"My aim for my new record was to find really unusual combinations,"
explains Rolf Kühn, in cheerful mood after his last day in the studio
The special attraction of these 13 'Spotlights' emanates from the extraordinary
combination of instruments and styles, and above all from the fact that a group
of virtuoso artists from very different musical backgrounds have come together
to participate in a a project very close to their hearts. The theme running through
and joining up the album is of course the unmistakable sound of Rolf Kühn's
clarinet. Hamilton de Holanda, the distinguished Brazilian expert on the bandolim,
a kind of mandolin, immerses Kühn's clarinet in Latin- sounding melancholy.
Albrecht Mayer, international classical star and solo oboist with the Berlin
Philharmonic, provides a fascinating angle with his highly sensitive playing and
the rich facets of his art. Asja Valcic, the outstanding Croatian cellist, contributes
her impressive, classical virtuosity and daring improvisation, as she races
frantically through the notes with Kühn. Christian Lillinger, the exceptional
percussionist with the Rolf Kühn Unit, adds his wild groove to the mix and 0 like
Berlin bassist Oliver Potratz - accentuates the tense dynamic mood. Ed Motta,
heavyweight Brazilian singer and megastar in his homeland, brings out his
baritone to sound like a synthesizer suffering voltage fluctuations, breathing and
scatting resounding word scraps into Kühn's compositions.
Reissue of George Duke's classic 1975 jazz-funk-fusion album 'I Love The
Blues'
On the fourth album of his fusion cycle, George Duke substantially expanded the
number of his colleagues. As before, drummer Leon "Ndugu" Chancler beats as
the heart of the rhythm section, and the Brazilian couple, Airto and Flora are again
on board. The ten tracks perform a stylistic balancing act. The jittery funk of
"Chariot" and the smooth ballad "Someday" show off Duke's soulful vocal flair.
Flora Purim crowns the complex "Look Into Her Eyes" with her spheric sound as
she and guitarist George Johnson take care of business on this stratospheric
piece with its bluesy electric shuffle. With two high- voltage guitarists (Daryl
Stuermer and Byron Miller), "That's What She Said" points to the tie between rock
and funk. The most eye- opening outing occurs with star guitarist Lee Ritenour
stomping on "Rokkinrowl, I Don't Know", and its Hendrix parody. "Sister Sirene"
shows that, naturally, the typical dreamy Duke instrumentals are not left off the
album. An almost animistic soundscape is woven into the fabric of "Mashavu",
and "Giant Child Within Us - Ego" is a small fusion suite encompassing the
spectrum from the classical to the Zappaesque finale. The title piece is indeed a
blues, dished out pure and simple - a far cry from the sounds of the preceding
piece with its mountains of synthesizers. Rather, the sultry delta heat, the
acoustic simplicity and raw truth of the song prevail - the blues.
With her very own musical language, pianist Julia Kadel has become a
regular talking point in jazz circles, releasing her first two records on Blue
Note/Universal she and her trio were nominated in 2015 for the
prestigious German Music Award Echo Jazz as "Newcomer of the year"
and Julia Kadel as "Female instrumentalist of the year"
Julia Kadel's variable competitions, her imaginative playing and the band's
striking improvisations became more courageous over time. On 'Kaskaden' they
have now reached a new dimension of detail and intensity. More determined than
ever, the trio balances the fine line between harmony and atonality, intuition and
reflection, poetry and austerity.The live qualities of the trio, which was founded in
2011, its subtle interaction and intuitive understanding encouraged the trio to
produce the new album under live conditions - especially as it took place in the
legendary MPS studio in Villingen (Black Forest, Germany). Its history dates back
to 1958, great jazz pianists such as Oscar Peterson, George Shearing, Monty
Alexander and Bill Evans once recorded here. With the Bösendorfer Grand
Imperial grand piano - once acquired for Friedrich Gulda - in the center
surrounded by classic analogue technology, Kaskaden was captured to tape oneto- one. This influenced not only the charismatic sound but also the special
atmosphere that characterises the album.
Furthermore, the location of the recording not only came as a surprise but
probably also as a small sensation to every fan of MPS as the Julia Kadel Trio is
the first MPS act after over 35 years recording again in the historic studios; the
popular German magazine Der Spiegel reported about it.
The beauty of the sound: clear, transparent, precise, a work of art - and
that includes both the actual recording, and the subsequent production -
something that was already an essential difference in clarinettist,
composer and sound researcher, Rolf Kühn's musical concept
The pieces were recorded on separate sound tracks, in a stereo technique that
lends a visual sense to the music. In fact, there is a cinematic feel as sounds
project on the mind's eye. For this special, sensual production, Kühn has gathered
his Berlin trio around him - his "working band" with Christian Lillinger (drums),
Ronny Graupe (guitar) and Johannes Fink (bass). Their previous studio
recordings have had a sense of freedom about them that has indicated the
direction in which these musicians are heading. Theirs is a concentrated,
compact play that has moved further and further away from the delineation
between notated and improvised music. Duo and group improvisations flow
across the interstices between the sketched-out musical islands. On 'Stereo' Rolf
Kühn goes even one step further; he condenses the compositions, providing
accurate and concise sound ideas. The sound of 'Stereo' is reminiscent of the
Blue Note aesthetics of the 1960s, when the stereo sound was something
outrageously new and greatly enhanced the tonal possibilities of the recordings.
To celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the debut album "Hipsway" PNFG
will remaster and repackage this frankly outstanding debut album in
gatefold glory
Originally released in 1986, the album spent 23 weeks in the UK charts, spawned
the hit single "The Honeythief" and should have been hit singles "Ask The Lord"
and "Long White Car" whilst also contributing "Tinder" to a long- running lager
commercial.The album will be remastered for vinyl by Paul McGeechan (Love &
Money) and will feature extensive new liner notes.
Jesse B Weaver, since christened Schoolly D, is one of the most iconic
figures in rap music.
Within the hip-hop industry, Schoolly is considered to be the creator of
gangster rap via his globally acclaimed singles 'P.S.K.' and 'Gucci Time'
Schoolly D has transcended the boundaries of genre and created "rap" music that
has been integrated in films, animated series and sampled by some of the most
prolific acts in music including Beastie Boys, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Lil Wayne
and The Chemical Brothers.
Deemed a "pioneer" by Jay-Z (Decoded, 09) and credited by Ice-T as releasing the
first gangsta rap record (Props Magazine), Schoolly D's career has given
inspiration to countless musicians and fans alike. Songs like 'Gucci Time',
'Saturday Night' and 'P.S.K. What Does It Mean?' have become classics and
illustrate the uncompromising narrative that has become synonymous with the
hardcore gangsta rap of the eighties. His true-to-life lyrics give a snapshot of the
streets of his hometown, Philadelphia, and the influences that drugs and gang life
had on him as a young man. Today, Schoolly D has an almost cult-like following,
as his music continues to be referential. Even younger generations have been
turned onto him thanks to his work with Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
This release is Schoolly's 2021 album 'Cuz Schoolly D Is Crazy' and features a
remake of his classic 'P.S.K.' with appearances by B-Real from Cypress Hill and
Too Short. The album also features appearances by Chuck D and Ice- T. The
album was recorded using the same studio and production of his legendary first
three albums. It's reminiscent of his early work and showcases his rhythmic raps,
mastery of beats and sometimes-explicit lyrics, proving the lasting power of one
of rap's legendary b-boys.
The Grammy-nominated powerhouse vocalist Beth Hart takes on one of
her most profound undertakings to date by channelling the legendary
voice of Robert Plant on A Tribute To Led Zeppelin
The album will be released on CD, double black vinyl and doulbe orange vinyl via
Provogue/ Mascot Label Group. The nine- song album highlights the incredible
spectrum that Led Zeppelin operated in, from powerhouse rock to psychedelia,
folk, jazz, prog, blues, funk, soul and beyond. Rumours about the album had been
circulating for a few years. At the helm was super- producer Rob Cavallo and
engineer Doug McKean. The A-list musicians include Cavallo on guitar along with
Tim Pierce, Chris Chaney on bass, Jamie Muhoberac on keyboards, Dorian
Crozier on drums and Matt Laug, with Orchestral arrangements by David
Campbell. All that was left was the final piece of the puzzle… the voice.
Things clicked into place when Cavallo was producing Hart's previous album, War
In My Mind (2019), and she did an impromptu version of "Whole Lotta Love" in the
control room during the session. Maybe this was always in the cards. It's fitting
that the song that started it all, "Whole Lotta Love", is the opening song of the
album. From there, it's a non-stop, palpitating journey.
Talking about the music and legacy of Zeppelin, Beth says, "it's so beautifully
done, it's timeless. It will go on forever. Sometimes people come along, and
they're from another planet, and they make these pieces of art which will forever
be, like the Mona Lisa."
The Grammy-nominated powerhouse vocalist Beth Hart takes on one of
her most profound undertakings to date by channelling the legendary
voice of Robert Plant on A Tribute To Led Zeppelin
The album will be released on CD, double black vinyl and doulbe orange vinyl via
Provogue/ Mascot Label Group. The nine- song album highlights the incredible
spectrum that Led Zeppelin operated in, from powerhouse rock to psychedelia,
folk, jazz, prog, blues, funk, soul and beyond. Rumours about the album had been
circulating for a few years. At the helm was super- producer Rob Cavallo and
engineer Doug McKean. The A-list musicians include Cavallo on guitar along with
Tim Pierce, Chris Chaney on bass, Jamie Muhoberac on keyboards, Dorian
Crozier on drums and Matt Laug, with Orchestral arrangements by David
Campbell. All that was left was the final piece of the puzzle… the voice.
Things clicked into place when Cavallo was producing Hart's previous album, War
In My Mind (2019), and she did an impromptu version of "Whole Lotta Love" in the
control room during the session. Maybe this was always in the cards. It's fitting
that the song that started it all, "Whole Lotta Love", is the opening song of the
album. From there, it's a non-stop, palpitating journey.
Talking about the music and legacy of Zeppelin, Beth says, "it's so beautifully
done, it's timeless. It will go on forever. Sometimes people come along, and
they're from another planet, and they make these pieces of art which will forever
be, like the Mona Lisa."
Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard began as a bedroom studio project for Tom
Rees in late 2016, though since then he has employed the help of brother
Eddie Rees, Ethan Hurst and Zac White
With an insatiably wild live show citing the ghosts of rock and rolls past, Buzzard
Buzzard Buzzard offer a fresh look on the classic rock model, and it comes
dressed in denim.
Lady Bird's brand new debut album 'WE' is finally aboard..
Embodying, as it does, the collective creativity and spark of the band, heralding a
celebration of survival and life, and the emotions induced during a tumultuous
album recording process that strengthened their brotherhood and friendship to
no end. Available on very limited Black and Red 'Lady Bird' edition (we had to
right?) each version comes with a luxuriant 24 page lyric booklet included and
download code.
Soundscapes shaped by moments of dark brooding doom and
relentlessly riff-heavy and psychedelically charged movements
For Hodges and Dimmock the chemistry they share is unshakeable both live and in the studio. Their unmistakeable energy and ferocity has marked them out as UK sludge metal's most exciting prospects.
The New Day- the debut album from Flying Norwegians is first truly
remarkable country rock album from Norway
It's the first album to be convincingly good in a genre that we believed, until 1974,
to solely be the domain of American artists with mud on their boots and whiskey
on their person..
Wounded Bird by Flying Norwegians is the best Norwegian country rock
album to ever have been made - An album that is so convincingly good, in
every conceivable way, that it was almost released by A&M Records
But it's also an album that serves as a classic example in which everything that
can go wrong, does go wrong. And at the worst possible time..
Brand new album by the legendary Swamp Dogg.In 1954, 12 year old
Jerry Williams, then performing under the name Little Jerry Williams,
made his first recording for Mechanic Records, a blues stomp with a
shockingly mature vocal performance - Through the 60"s Williams' career
developed with a number of successful singles, including 'I'm the Lover
Man' and 'Baby You're My Everything', as well as writing and producing
hits for Dee Dee Warwick, Doris Duke, and Patti LaBelle and the Blue
Belles. It was in 1970, however, that the full extent of Williams' eccentric
creative genius was unleashed on the world for the first time, with the
birth of his musical alter-ego, Swamp Dogg
Created to 'occupy the body while the search party was out looking for Jerry
Williams, who was mentally missing in action due to certain pressures, maltreatments and failure to get paid royalties on over fifty single records,' the
Swamp Dogg alias, still in use today, allowed Williams to create music that was
bolder, raunchier, and more honest to his creative instincts. The Dogg's cult
classic debut 'Total Destruction to Your Mind' struck a powerful blend of Williams
classic soulful sensibilities and the blooming psychedelia of the time. Infused in
the swirling brew is Swamp's blink- and- you'll- miss- it humor, a number of acid
odes, and a heavy dose of sharp political insight. Though the psychedelic
strangeness alienated R&B fans of the time, and the authentic R&B infrastructure
prevented it from clicking with hippie audiences, it has retroactively received
legendary status in cult music circles.Now, 50 years after Total Destruction
introduced Swamp Dogg to an unprepared world, and nearly 70 since Little Jerry
Williams went into the studio for Mechanic, Williams brings us I Need A Job' So I
Can Buy More Autotune. A spiritual successor to 2018"s hit Love, Loss and
Autotune, this album continues to push Swamp's sonic exploration of the effect
as one of his many creative weapons. In the extended tradition of Total
Destruction, Swamp Dogg's 2021 LP neatly balances sleek modern production
techniques with that classic Dogg sound that has anchored William's music since
the 70s. Subtle yet soulful drumming, skin- tight horn grooves and meandering
funk guitar leads create a sonic landscape fitting Swamp Dogg's iconic croon,
occasionally drenched in the titular autotune. At 78, Swamp Dogg is as sharp of a
singer and songwriter as ever. His raunchy yet charismatic sense of humor takes
a more forward role on I Need a Job' So I Can Buy More Autotune, with earnestly
delivered lyrics about all day sex and an entire song dedicated to the perils of
'Cheating in the Daylight.' Many of the record's most charming moments emerge
from the juxtaposition of Swamp's left field humor with genuine messages of
love, such as 'She Got That Fire', which weaves descriptions of imagined sex acts,
including but not limited to an encounter involving edible underwear, in between
relatively wholesome proclamations like 'she must be an angel on earth,' and
'when she looks at you, it's like sunshine from her eyes'. I Need a Job does more
than prove that Swamp's still got it, it proves he's still getting better.
"The beauty of Jiha's work lies in the spaces she leaves" - The Guardian
The highly acclaimed Korean multi-instrumentalist and composer Park
Jiha, returns with a luminous third album
A deep meditation on the intersection of music and light, The Gleam further
extends Jiha's reputation for uncompromising sonic explorations. Pop Matters
called her musical art "a near flawless fusion of folk tradition and new
composition."
How often do we consider light? We revel in the soft wonder of a sunrise or the
majesty of a glorious sunset, but all through the day its quality and texture is
continually changing, second by second, in ways we rarely register. That beauty is
the inspiration for The Gleam.
"The Gleam continues Park Jiha's solo expedition into experimental Korean
neoclassical braindance. Once again, she plays all the instruments herself – piri
(an oboe), saenghwang (a multi-pipe mouth organ), yanggeum (a dulcimer) and
glockenspiel – overdubbing multiple parts to build songs that shimmer with
levels and degrees of light." - The Wire: Adventures In Modern Music Upcoming
live shows
These two pieces, recorded in sessions in Ghent, Belgium and Hamburg, Germany, represent the first musical collaboration between long-time friends U. Schütte (half of the German duo Phantom Horse, with several releases on Umor Rex) and G. Steenkiste (aka Hellvete). In this work, two specific traditions of the avant garde of modern electronic music of the meet elegantly: the systematic, evolutionary and minimal construction of harmonic and solemn forms, with the patience and aesthetics of long durations ––where small changes take time but are always punctual and precise. U. Schütte & G. Steenkiste built a beautiful meeting between electric and acoustic music, basically carried out with a harmonium, a shruti box and modular synthesizers. Beauty is in the details and what Schütte and Steenkiste do here is to cover two long landscapes with well-consolidated details that invite contemplation and moments of extreme sensory relaxation. You have to give yourself a space to listen and see through sound, and these two long pieces are a rare and perfect opportunity to do so.
Recorded by G. Steenkiste and U. Schütte in December 2020 in Sint-Denijs & Hamburg. Mastered by Edgar Medina. Photos & design by Daniel Castrejón.
Long time hard to find and long awaitedreissue of Chet Baker’s last studio album.
Lyrical, poignant, it shows Chet Baker at his best. Included the original version of Elvis Costello’s “Almost Blue”. Which has become
an all-time classic masterpiece in Chet’s repertoire, also heard on the “Let’s Get lost” soundtrack. HQ re-mastering
Ghédalia Tazartès left us in February 2021 when we had just finalized the editing and the cover art of his new album with him. Unfortunately he will never see the finished object. This record is therefore particularly important for us. He opened his archives to us so that we could select unpublished pieces with him and organize them in two long suites (indexes have been made on the CD for a more convenient listening) . This work took almost two years (finding the pieces among dozens of sometimes very old CD-Rs, checking that these pieces had not already been published, processing the sound to obtain an aesthetic unity and a coherent order, etc). This record is therefore a melting pot of unreleased tracks which cover a large part of his career. You can hear a few guests perform on some of the tracks (mostly vocals parts). As for the lyrics, apart from Ghédalia's own personal poetry, he wrote music for two texts by different poets, that he performs himself in a more or less comical way or on the contrary very intense (the final on a text by Antonin Artaud)!
During an art exhibition in 2018, Ghédalia really loved a series of photographs by Isabelle Magnon and immediately asked to use them for the cover of a future album. It is therefore these three photos (two for the LP version) which illustrate Ghédalia Tazartès' final album.
