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Something Else bietet 13 klassische britische Popsongs
von The Kinks. Diese konzentrieren sich auf nostalgische
und sentimentale Themen und ziehen sich von den
psychedelischen und modischen Haltungen, die die
Rockwelt beherrschten etwas zurück. Something Else
klingt wie nichts anderes aus dem Jahr 1967. Die Kinks
schalten auf diesem Album einen Gang zurück und
bevorzugen akustische Balladen, Dancehall-Nummern und
gemäßigten R&B. Von dem martialischen stampfenden
"David Watts" bis zum lieblichen, schimmernden
"Waterloo Sunset" gibt es keinen schwachen Song auf
der Platte. Und ebenso beeindruckend ist das Auftauchen
von Dave Davies als Songwriter. Sein dylaneskes "Death
of a Clown" und der
bluesige Rocker "Love Me Till the Sun Shines" können
mit Rays Meisterwerken mithalten und tragen dazu bei,
dass Something Else zu einem faszinierenden Album
geworden ist.

Big AC Records and renowned music photographer, Dean Chalkley, present ‘So Pure’, an astonishing soulful single written and recorded in just 48 hours by six musicians working together for the first time.

The collective, named Phono 48, features neo-soul singer Laville, Kitty and Lewis Durham (of Kitty, Daisy and Lewis), Amané Suganami (Maisha), Solomon Douglas and Nick Corbin, all of whom entered the studio with no preconceived ideas of what they would create.

The result is a beautifully crafted, contemporary-sounding song; Laville’s positive lyrics and smooth, laid-back vocal are soundtracked by an infectious piece of music, with all participants blending seamlessly to create a track at the intersection of soul, funk and jazz.

‘So Pure’ anchors the multi-media ‘New Perspectives’ project devised by Dean Chalkey, who captured the magic of the two days’ studio time in a vast series of documentary style images.

Additionally Chalkley and art director Ciaran O’Shea created a short experimental film with different abstract elements reflecting this brilliant creative journey, inspired by Jean Luc Godard’s ‘Sympathy For The Devil’, where the director shot the Rolling Stones as they made their famous record.

The multi-faceted ‘New Perspectives’ project also includes a one-off journal written by music journalist Andy Thomas. The project will launch on 17th February at The Museum of Youth Culture with a photography exhibition and film screening.

** SISTER FUNK, SOUL-JAZZ and BLUE-EYED-SOUL - OBSCURE RARE GROOVES ALL THE WAY THRU! **

- the double vinyl LP comes with a full album download code
- deluxe double-gatefold LP with detailed liner notes & unseen photographs
- ALL songs appear on LP & digital for the very first-time
- sales notes by Joel Ricci (aka Lucky Brown)

When Tramp Records was founded, there really were very few ways in which the music lover could discover new music besides the traditional methods of digging, good luck, and inheritance. First there were torrent sites such as Napster and Limewire where generous collectors might digitize and upload portions of their accessions, and sometimes you could find entire radio show broadcasts of live vinyl curation made by real Disc Jockeys out there, a lot of the Deep Funk I heard for the first time in around 1999 I found this way via Disc Jockeys on radio shows from the UK, tunes were faded and mixed together and of course veiled with that unmistakable Mp3 'whoosh'. And unless you have been living as an off-grid hermit for the past 20 years, you know the rest of the story.

But though our world has changed, and even though everyone from our grandparents to our 5-year old nieces are curating their own internet playlists, I submit that the role of DJ has become even more vital, not less. We as a culture have always relied on our Disc Jockeys to introduce us to sounds that speak to their souls, to control the vibe and most importantly put forth the narrative that speaks to society as a whole. DJs are our tribal storytellers, and the music they bring us are the stories. And when a DJ like Tobias Kirmayer is telling us that story clearly and with conviction, it speaks to our souls as well.

"Countdown to...SOUL" is a compilation series that, much like Tramp Records' other critically-acclaimed comps such as Movements, Feeling Nice, and the Praise Poems Series' examines a unique facet of the Golden Era of Soul, Funk, Jazz and R&B. Perhaps, in this case the dawning of the Soul era, "proto-soul", "primitive soul", or even "pre-soul" if you will. When they were recorded, many of these tunes were still firmly ensconced in the Black Radical Jazz tradition, but there was a change in the air, something happening in the coming years that would revolutionize popular music forever. In fact, Soul had already taken over the world by the time many of these tunes were released on 45, but for various reasons, the artists and their music occupied the fringes of the idiom and therefore remained obscure. Countdown to...SOUL chronicles that beginning, that buildup, those heady moments before the lid blew off and American Black music would explode across the planet, while scouring the outskirts and tide pools for specimens that were emanating in their own respective neighborhoods and communities, so often overlooked by the American pop music machine.

Side A features barrier-breaking pioneer Frankie Staton and her message of "Love One Another" to the world that is as fresh and vital today as it was when it first came out in the late seventies. In that spirit, Tenison Stevens' appeal "Don't Rip Me Off" reminds us to treat each other as brothers and sisters.

Side B meets us at the altar of the formidable Hammond Organ with an Unknown and uncredited Organist found languishing on a one-of-a-kind unreleased acetate and moving on to explore the nexus of Soul, Bebop, and R&B with Don Patterson's "Paddy Wagon".

Side C satisfies our hunger for the blaring horn sections, big beat drums, wailing Hammonds, pleading vocals and gritty guitars of authentic Soul music (both brown and blue-eyed) with Marva Josie, Shirley Wahls and The Echomen, among others, but then takes a hard left turn into undoubtedly uncharted territory with the hybrid folk/country/soul story of Sherrif Black and poor Sally who, though she is tragically met with a terrible fate, thanks to the careful and conscientious mastering of our German engineers, the song itself remains alive and is a genuine addition to the canon.

For the remaining side, I'm gonna just let you discover this music on its own terms, as you won't find these tunes anywhere else, not on Napster, not even on Limewire, or anywhere else. I want to personally thank you for putting your trust in the DJ and for continuing to listen, study, appreciate, and share the work and mission of Tramp Records.

-Joel Ricci (May 2022)

Steel, Speed, and Destruction!
*Behold the debut album from Power Trip!!!!
*Drawing from the sacred texts of the Cro-Mags, Vio-lence,Leeway, Exodus, and Nuclear Assault, Texas savages Power Trip have unleashed their debut album with Southern Lord.
*They leave in their wake a multitude of crushed generic and feeble contemporaries. POWER TRIP don't emulate they properly channel the old-school energy of the old cross-over gods and add their own brand of modern thrash warfare.
*'Manifest Decimation' was recorded/produced by Arthur Rizk (War Hungry, Mother of Mercy, Inquistion). The recording is absolutely face-peeling and will ensure
maximum head-banging from the hordes.
POINTS OF INTEREST:
- Huge buzz in underground hardcore, crust-punk and metal scenes. A very highly anticpated debut album
- Have played several high profile festivals including: The Power of the Riff, This is Hardcore, United Blood etc..

A violin, a fife, and the endless sky opens up to us. Two voices cross it, a duet of swallows playing their perpetual encounters, joined by percussion that crashes like waves on jagged coasts. This is the opening of the album Déliryom, the beginning of this "watia watia" - meaning joyful mess or tasty mishmash, opened by six "zoreys": in Reunion Island Creole, it means metropolitan people from France. But these zoreys claim their creolity as a family of the heart, a chosen homeland. And they celebrate it. Rosemary Standley (Moriarty) and Marjolaine Karlin met at a concert where Reunionese maloya was resounding in Paris. It was in 2008, and their fascination for the island, its rhythms, its language born for poetry was bound to bring them together. A character too, a majestic poet and celestial wanderer, who for them would be a spiritual father - Alain Peters. Or rather his ghost, since he died in 1995 of a heart attack, leaving behind a daughter and some twenty songs that have shaped a fertile horizon for all the musicians of the Reunion Island... and elsewhere! Six years after giving birth to their first album (Zanz in Lanfèr, 2016), the two singers continue this great journey, exploring other pieces forged over the years, always alongside percussionist and rhythm doctor Salvador Douézy, and new zoreys who have joined them. There is Gérald Chevillon, who plays bass saxophone, Chadi Chouman as a guitarist who has no equal in awakening the colors of his native East, and finally Jennifer Hutt, whose energetic violin evokes the Cajun colors of New Orleans. For even if this new album tells of other facets of the Peters totem, it also ventures towards other Creole lands, other islands where music and song are much more than entertainment: they are a way of being in the world.

Sublime unreleased soundtrack by Ron Geesin, to one of the most important and controversial films in British cinema history.
Standard black vinyl (750 Copies) with sleeve art taken from the 1971 film poster. Cool as fuck.
Side One is the score for Sunday Bloody Sunday, the controversial 1971 drama directed by John Schlesinger. Starring Peter Finch, Glenda Jackson and Murray Head, it tells the story of an open love triangle between a gay Jewish doctor, a divorced woman and a bisexual young male artist who makes glass fountains. Daniel Day Lewis also makes his uncredited screen debut as a yobbo scratching up posh cars. The films significance at the time of release lay in the depiction of a mature gay man who was both successful, well adjusted and at peace with his sexuality.

The music on Side Two comes from two different sources: tracks one to four are from the 1985 Channel Four documentary about Viv Richards. Simply called “Viv” it was directed by Greg Lanning, with words and narration by Darcus Howe. It was (and still is) a fascinating film recounting Richards’ rise from young talented Antiguan to global cricket superstar. It also explored the long history of West Indian players through the English game. Howe later recalled how seeing Viv Richards walking out to bat at the Oval (just down the road from where Howe lived in Brixton) without a helmet on no matter how fast the bowler was - and wearing his Rasta sweatbands of gold, green and red, was inspirational. The documentary was later re-titled ‘Viv Richards - King Of Cricket’ for the video market, and let’s face it, that’s a more commercial title. I’d strongly recommend trying to track it down to spend an hour or so in the company of Viv and Darcus. As I write this it’s still up on a popular online streaming site for free.

The last six cues of Side Two are from a 1970 BBC Omnibus film ‘Shapes In A Wilderness’. Directed by Tristram Powell this was a documentary about the importance and influence of art therapy in mental hospitals, tracing its origins from a painting hut in a wartime military hospital to its successful and widespread incorporation in institutions. It featured fascinating medical insights, disturbing imagery and Ron’s finely tuned accompaniment. On its original transmission John Schlesinger saw it and was heard to say “I must have that composer for my new film!”. And he got his way.

I could spend another paragraph analysing the music and stuff like that but you can listen and work all that out for yourself. But I will say that all the music just confirms the fact that Ron Geesin is one of the most underrated, inventive and versatile composers (and musicians) we have.

"Renaud Capucon ist eine der brillantesten
Musikerpersönlichkeiten Frankreichs", schrieb der
Kultursender Arte über den facettenreichen Violinisten. Mit
der Geige in der Hand leitet er sein Orchestre de
Chambre de Lausanne - so auch für das gemeinsame
Album Vivaldi Les 4 Saisons . Hier verbindet Capucon
das wohl berühmteste Werk Vivaldis, Die vier
Jahreszeiten, mit zwei Violinkonzerten des heute fast
vergessenen Komponisten Joseph Bologne Chevalier de
Saint-Georges.
1745 in Guadeloupe geboren als Sohn eines
Plantagenbesitzers und einer Sklavin aus dem Senegal,
sorgte Chevalier de Saint-Georges als Musiker in Paris
für Furore - als Komponist, Violinist und Leiter eines der
damals führenden Orchester der französischen
Hauptstadt. Scherzhaft wurde der Liebling der Pariser
Gesellschaft auch "schwarzer Mozart" genannt, weil seine
Werke im Stil an den zehn Jahre jüngeren genialen
Kollegen erinnern (vermutlich aber ließ der junge Mozart
sich von den Werken des Älteren inspirieren). Den
Violinkonzerten Saint-Georges' lässt Renaud Capucon die
einfallsreiche und effektvolle Programmmusik Vivaldis
vorausgehen. In Die vier Jahreszeiten verleiht der
Barockkomponist Naturphänomenen musikalisch Gestalt,
vom Vogelgezwitscher über Gewitter bis hin zu Schnee
und Eis. Eine willkommene Gelegenheit für den
Star-Violinisten, einmal mehr seine brillante Technik und
Ausdruckskraft unter Beweis zu stellen.

A heady and adventurous experience with ever-shifting elements of jazz,
fuzz guitar, blues rock and psychedelia! Graffiti's origins can be traced
back to 1967 and the dissolution of The Hangmen, a popular Washington
DC area garage rock act well noted for the proto-punk stylings of their
singles € What A Girl Can't Do € and € Faces
€ Singer Tony Taylor, a late addition to the band's lineup, recruited guitarist
George Strunz to the group and soon announced the band would pursue a more
psychedelic direction. It didn't take long for Graffiti to attract label attention, and
by August of 1968 the band signed to ABC Records and released their debut
single, € He's Got The Knack. € In November of 1968 they released their one and
only album.
The juxtaposition between Graffiti's smooth vocal harmonies and their intricate
songwriting is stark. One moment the group is immersed in all of the feel-good
pop songwriting tropes of the era, oftentimes quite reminiscent of acts like The
Association and The Mamas & The Papas. Meanwhile, the next moment sees the
band vamping into extended passages, odd chord sequencing, and off beat time
signatures, highlighted by Strunz's frequent fuzz laced soloing and the energetic
drumming of Richie Blakin. The legacy of Graffiti's self-titled debut was seemingly
hampered by the fact that that it is often lumped in with the plethora of other oneand- done psych releases of the time, an era in which major labels were falling
over one another in an attempt to capitalize on the psychedelic sounds
popularized by the Summer of Love. This is unfortunate because Graffiti's
approach to songwriting and blending together of jazz, classical, and rock
elements are rather groundbreaking, precursors to the arrival of progressive rock -
proto-prog pioneers, if you will.

This volume "Caribbean Rare Groove" is an invitation to discover music from the cultural mix of the islands and countries located on the Caribbean Sea. From Haiti to the Bahamas via the French West Indies, this journey explores the traditional rhythms of Soca, Calypso or Biguine that musicians such as Gordon Henderson, Max Cilla or the group Skah-Shah have skilfully blended with Soul, Funk or Disco influences, creating a unique groove with multiple facets. Have a good trip!

"The whole point of this record was to share every emotion that I feel," sagt THE SOFT MOON aka Luis Vasquez. "No two songs are the same. It's about existing in the world as a human being and experiencing many emotions and experiences throughout life." Daher auch der Titel "Exister", ein Album, das von den ekstatischen Freuden und lähmenden Tiefen des Lebens handelt und davon, dass das Durchhalten und die Existenz manchmal alles ist, was wir haben. Der Grund, warum das Album für Vasquez so persönlich ist, liegt darin, dass sich sein Leben während der Entstehung des Albums stark verändert hat. Er verließ Berlin, sein langjähriges Zuhause, und zog in den Joshua Tree, um während des Lockdowns musikalisch und persönlich etwas Freiraum zu finden. Es fühlt sich wie eine Art musikalischer Neustart für Vasquez an. Das Cover des Albums zeigt ein Foto von Vasquez als Kind und steht stellvertretend für eine Platte, bei der es darum ging, sich wieder mit seinem jüngeren Ich zu verbinden, wobei eine Mutter-Sohn-Beziehung im Mittelpunkt des Albums steht. "It's my child self that you hear all over it," sagt er. "I was reminiscing and hurting a lot during the writing process. This is possibly my most vulnerable record yet." Doch trotz des Schmerzes, der Wut, der Verletzlichkeit und des Schmerzes, die im Kern dieser Platte zu finden sind, gibt es auch ein tiefes Gefühl von Hoffnung und Schönheit. Auf dem abschließenden Titel-Song "Exister" scheint das Album einen Ort des Friedens und des Trostes zu erreichen und endet mit einem ruhigen, nachdenklichen und ergreifenden Moment, der ein Gefühl des Optimismus nach einer Zeit des Umbruchs einfängt.

For the next instalment in our split series, we handed the reins over to two producers whose work has kept us continually inspired over the last few years. At the helm of the A-side, Berlin big-room havoc-wreaker AMOTIK puts on the burners right away with two riotous jams that scream nothing but sonic aggression. On the flip, the mysterious, genre-unbound Janice sweeps us into his psychedelic, non-formulaic techno mindset. True to AMOTIK's minutely balanced, well-integrated blends of punishing kick drums and sunken harmonics, metronomic destroyer "Narangi" swings the pendulum sharp and clean, from deep down a thick sludge of reverb-soaked, FX-topped percussive armada to bleeps n' bloops barrage fire, whereas quake-inducing tides of 909 thunder hail down upon the dance floor with unrelenting frenzy. The dusty bone-bruiser "Hara" picks up the torch and it's in no calmer mood. A slowed-down, breaks-loaded churner, this one relies on a fine engineering of lo-freq moves and pure hardware-processed filth to establish a murky motel, cinematic narrative of sorts. Up with the fracturing wares, here's Janice rocking the flip upside down with the aptly-titled "Mass Formation Hypnosis". Doing what's written on the tin, the faceless producer rushes us headfirst into the boiler for a thorough, unfaltering brainwash. Smelling of leather, grease and coal, this one's bristling with a delectably rugged palette of unambiguous electronics: an ultimate shelling of chest-rattling drum work, in-your-face bass uppercuts, trumpeting stabs and menacingly altered vox. The final salvo, "Names and Excuses", tops it all off on an ominously droney tip, flinging us right away into the frothing mouth of a deadly machine giant, hurtling and tumbling down mazy bowels of washed-out ambient techno via rhyzomatic gutters of brooding abstract motifs and no-frills heavyweight pound. Hectic. ''XVII'' comes adorned with a duly outstanding frame to shine, and will be pressed on 180g audiophile quality vinyl. Once again a way for RYC to openly declare its aspirations and goals, in letting people know that quality, passion and love for the music is all that matters.

"With a catchy indie-pop sound and her elegant songwriting the 24-yearold Austrian OSKA is capturing everybody´s hearts
Born as Maria Burger, the talented artist took her rich musical upbringing to
Vienna where she has now crafted her debut album My world, My love, Paris.
Through its various themes like love, family and legacy the record is ultimately a
snapshot of a young woman attempting to make sense of getting older in an
increasingly uncertain era. Despite that, she always manages to put a smile on
her listeners faces."

Will Joseph Cook makes music that will put a smile on your face
The indie-pop dreamer's third album, 'Every Single Thing', is an exercise in joy: a
collection of unashamed love songs, it's a bubbling and exuberant reminder to
cherish the present.
The album's ten meticulously crafted pop songs are a celebration of love that
acknowledges the often-tumultuous journey that life can take us on.
On Every Single Thing, Will Joseph Cook finds inspiration in the tradition of
writing songs for and with someone special in mind.

Deeply ingrained into the fabric of the British electronic music landscape, Luke Vibert shows no sign of slowing down, after an illustrious career spanning three decades (to date!). Vibert returns to Hypercolour after 2020’s hugely successful trilogy series (Amen Andrews/Modern Rave/Rave Hop) with his 18th album (not counting albums released under his other monikers Kerrier District, Plug, Wagon Christ et al).

‘GRIT.’ finds Vibert in playful mode (and, let’s face it, whenever isn’t he!), as twelve tracks of acidic and squelching drum machine tracks come rolling out to play. Bouncy and hypnotising 303 jams of the highest order are served up here, with rhythms pulled from the electro, garage and house pools, all delivered in Vibert’s inimitable style.

Anthology of some the earlyest french Hardcore producers.
Featuring Yann Dub from Brest, who passed away 10 years ago in Barcelona playin guitar in the a bar... Peace to him and his familly.

Playing experimental music since the 90's, creating "Reverse Studio" in Paris in Y2K (we did a lot of cut with him...) and then moving away to Barcelona, cutting again... His brother took over with DK Mastering studio... His cutting machine is now in Belgium at Angström Studio... The story continues...
Explore Toi is Explore Toi Crew. Also early french Hardcore music producer, golden age where musicians were nameless... Everybody knows his label(s) as a CYBER Hardcore pure creation... Visual and musical artist.
Alive and kicking, active !

Big respect for this high ranking production, with locked grooves and remastering.

All tunes are improvisations from the 90's.

Don't miss !!!

International Anthem proudly presents Step on Step, a double LP collection of newly unearthed solo home recordings created by enigmatic producer, arranger, and composer Charles Stepney in the basement of his home on the Southside of Chicago during the years before his untimely death in 1976. Stepney’s signature “baroque soul” sound is known to many as it’s heard in his prismatic orchestral arrangements for Rotary Connection, Minnie Riperton, Howlin Wolf, Terry Callier, Earth, Wind & Fire, and many more. His sound has been used by countless samplers in the hip-hop world including Kanye West, The Fugees, and MF Doom. But in comparison to the post-mortem renown of his sound, or the artists he supported while he was alive, Stepney is a greatly underappreciated figure… a genius relegated to the shadows.

Step on Step is Stepney’s eponymous debut album, featuring 23 bare-bones, demo-style home recordings, most of which are Stepney originals that were never again recorded by him or any other artist. Highlights from those original works include “Denim Groove,” which hears Stepney on piano and congas alongside his first instrument (the vibraphone), and “Look B4U Leap,” one of several kinetic lo-fi dance numbers that feature Stepney having fun with an early-gen Moog synthesizer. It also features prototypical, seedling-style demos of Stepney compositions for Earth, Wind & Fire, including “That’s The Way of The World,” “Imagination,” and “On Your Face,” as well as the original version of “Black Gold,” which would eventually be recorded by Rotary Connection (as “I Am The Black Gold of The Sun”).

A collection of home recordings Charles Stepney -- the late composer/producer who worked with Earth Wind & Fire, Deniece Williams, Rotary Connection, Minnie Ripperton, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Terry Callier, and more, and was sampled by Kanye West, Madlib, MF Doom, A Tribe Called Quest, The Fugees, and more -- called Step On Step is coming out September 9 via International Anthem.

Unstoppable Ukrainian metalcore unit SPACE OF VARIATIONS ascend to the next level of mind-bending modern metal on their upcoming, in-your-face full-length, IMAGO, out March 18, 2022. Following their 2019 Napalm Records debut, the XXXXX EP, the unbridled outfit breaks new ground and transcends all expectations with their exciting and undeniably fresh second studio album. IMAGO’s multifaceted, cathartic delivery seamlessly mixes gut-punching hardcore riffs and catastrophic breakdowns with colorful electronics, brutalizing vocals and, at times, trance-like synth – exploring elements of djent, hip-hop and even hyperpop influence along the way. The album’s addictively erratic, emotive atmosphere echoes their spontaneous live performance; having previously toured with modern metal giants JINJER, the four-piece relentlessly smashed European stages while captivating each listener with futuristic stylings reverberating the likes of Bring Me The Horizon, Architects, Norma Jean and LANDMVRKS. Furiously crashing opener “SOMEONE ELSE” sets free the uncompromising spirit of SPACE OF VARIATIONS – instantly breaking down genres and placing a forceful exclamation mark at the start with smashing instrumentation and a feverish vocal and lyrical assault by Dmytro Kozhukhar and Olexii Zatserkovnyi. Devastatingly heavy “1M followers” takes no prisoners from the first second and features a hefty appearance from former Asking Alexandria vocalist Denis Stoff, resulting in a fearless, addictive metalcore banger. Tracks like eponymous “IMAGO” and intense mid-tempo “Serial Killer” emphasize the multifaceted nature of SPACE OF VARIATIONS with sporadically scaled-back instrumentation and emotion turned to 10. On the contrary, previously released penultimate post-hardcore dystopia “Ultrabeat” delivers bone-crushing beats and is by far no stranger to the band’s devotees. Closing with an insane verse from Ukrainian rap sensation ALYONA ALYONA, the track undeniably marks a milestone in the unit’s soon-to-be revered history while representing the seething desire to expand all limits of songwriting and creativity. This mindset embodies SPACE OF VARIATIONS and their sonically boggling ode to the future, IMAGO. 1. SINGLE - EN Unstoppable Ukrainian metalcore unit SPACE OF VARIATIONS steps up its game with hard-hitting opener “SOMEONE ELSE” from the upcoming full-length album IMAGO. Previously touring with modern metal giants JINJER, the five-piece already smashed numerous stages across Europe. “SOMEONE ELSE” promises aggressive screams, charging transitions and deadly synth parts straight to your face. Stay tuned for this futuristic metal monster called SPACE OF VARIATIONS! 2. SINGLE - EN Unstoppable Ukrainian metalcore unit SPACE OF VARIATIONS drifts off into distant universes with their second single “vein.mp3” from the upcoming full-length IMAGO. Previously touring with modern metal giants JINJER, the five-piece already smashed numerous stages across Europe. Like a bestial alien, "vein.mp3" goes wild with its shattering drums, thudding bass, heavily distorted guitars and evil screams. Beware of this musical demon called SPACE OF VARIATIONS! 3. SINGLE - EN Unstoppable Ukrainian metalcore unit SPACE OF VARIATIONS reveals its album title track “IMAGO” from the upcoming full-length IMAGO. Previously touring with modern metal giants JINJER, the five-piece already smashed numerous stages across Europe. With melodic, yet distorted and heavy riffing, booming drums and deep growls, "IMAGO" proves itself as SPACE OF VARIATIONS’ anthem! 

Die größten Hits von Alphaville aus 40 Jahren Band-Geschichte, komplett neu arrangiert und aufgenommen
mit dem Deutschen Filmorchester Babelsberg Alphaville, der größte deutsche SynthPop-Export und Schöpfer der legendären 80s-Hymnen „Big in Japan“, „Sounds like a Melody“ und „Forever Young“, wagt den Schritt ins Symphonische. Die Band greift zum ganz großen Besteck und katapultiert die größten Hits aus 40 Jahren BandGeschichte vom Sound der Synthesizer und Rhythmus-maschine in die Welt der menschlichen
Klangmaschine Symphonieorchester.

„Eternally Yours“ ist dabei mehr als eine bloße Übersetzung der Songs in das Klangspektrum eines großen Orchesters. Es ist vielmehr eine Symbiose zwischen Marian Golds einzigartigen stimmlichen
Fähigkeiten, dem originären Alphaville-Sound und dem
majestätisch kraftvollem Facettenreichtum des großbesetzten
Deutschen Filmorchester Babelsber

El Goodo guitarist and songwriter 'Pixy Jones' has announced that his debut album entitled 'Bits n Bobs' is due for release on 16th of September via Strangetown Records. 
After 4 albums with El Goodo, Welsh psych scene stalwart Pixy Jones has himself compiled a truly remarkable collection of tracks that fluctuate from 60's harmony-rich psych pop, to Alt-Country with ringing tremelo guitar. 

The swaggering 'I'm Not There' is the first single to be taken from 'Bits n Bobs' accompanied by a magical version of Beatles track 'And Your Bird Can Sing' as it's B SIde, which will be released digitally on Friday 1st of July.

Pixy had this to say about the release: 
The album was originally intended as a solo project under the pseudonym of “Wallace Russell”. I recorded it alongside the recording of Zombie (El Goodo) whenever I could get in the studio. There are some really old songs that have always been overlooked for 'El Goodo' albums for one reason or another, a few new ones which I wrote specifically for this, and a couple that would have probably ended up on the intended double album version of Zombie if we’d kept going with the double album idea. I’ve since ditched the 'Wallace Russell' name and gone back to 'Pixy Jones' as I figured there’s no need to have a pseudonym if nobody knows who you are in the first place. Even though I dropped the name I’ve kept the walrus mask for now as it is more photogenic than my actual face.
I had no recording budget so I had to fund it by quitting smoking and saving the money up to pay for studio time. It took, I think, two and a half years to record, which is by far the quickest I’ve ever recorded an album.

Originally I wanted it to just be a quickly recorded slap dash and get it out sort of thing but I had a year and a half during Covid to think about it a bit more and ended up taking more care to get it done properly. It was just me there so I played most of it myself apart from Stephen Black (Sweet Baboo) who played brass and woodwind on one song and Rhodri Brooks (AhGeeBe) plays some pedal steel on a couple. 

Elliott and Canny from 'El Goodo' played drums and bass on Wind Street during the ‘Zombie’ recording sessions. 

The album was recorded and mixed in Aerial Studios with Tim Lewis, (Thighpaulsandra), a couple of songs were finished in the house during the lockdowns.

"The whole point of this record was to share every emotion that I feel," sagt THE SOFT MOON aka Luis Vasquez. "No two songs are the same. It's about existing in the world as a human being and experiencing many emotions and experiences throughout life." Daher auch der Titel "Exister", ein Album, das von den ekstatischen Freuden und lähmenden Tiefen des Lebens handelt und davon, dass das Durchhalten und die Existenz manchmal alles ist, was wir haben. Der Grund, warum das Album für Vasquez so persönlich ist, liegt darin, dass sich sein Leben während der Entstehung des Albums stark verändert hat. Er verließ Berlin, sein langjähriges Zuhause, und zog in den Joshua Tree, um während des Lockdowns musikalisch und persönlich etwas Freiraum zu finden. Es fühlt sich wie eine Art musikalischer Neustart für Vasquez an. Das Cover des Albums zeigt ein Foto von Vasquez als Kind und steht stellvertretend für eine Platte, bei der es darum ging, sich wieder mit seinem jüngeren Ich zu verbinden, wobei eine Mutter-Sohn-Beziehung im Mittelpunkt des Albums steht. "It's my child self that you hear all over it," sagt er. "I was reminiscing and hurting a lot during the writing process. This is possibly my most vulnerable record yet." Doch trotz des Schmerzes, der Wut, der Verletzlichkeit und des Schmerzes, die im Kern dieser Platte zu finden sind, gibt es auch ein tiefes Gefühl von Hoffnung und Schönheit. Auf dem abschließenden Titel-Song "Exister" scheint das Album einen Ort des Friedens und des Trostes zu erreichen und endet mit einem ruhigen, nachdenklichen und ergreifenden Moment, der ein Gefühl des Optimismus nach einer Zeit des Umbruchs einfängt.

"The whole point of this record was to share every emotion that I feel," sagt THE SOFT MOON aka Luis Vasquez. "No two songs are the same. It's about existing in the world as a human being and experiencing many emotions and experiences throughout life." Daher auch der Titel "Exister", ein Album, das von den ekstatischen Freuden und lähmenden Tiefen des Lebens handelt und davon, dass das Durchhalten und die Existenz manchmal alles ist, was wir haben. Der Grund, warum das Album für Vasquez so persönlich ist, liegt darin, dass sich sein Leben während der Entstehung des Albums stark verändert hat. Er verließ Berlin, sein langjähriges Zuhause, und zog in den Joshua Tree, um während des Lockdowns musikalisch und persönlich etwas Freiraum zu finden. Es fühlt sich wie eine Art musikalischer Neustart für Vasquez an. Das Cover des Albums zeigt ein Foto von Vasquez als Kind und steht stellvertretend für eine Platte, bei der es darum ging, sich wieder mit seinem jüngeren Ich zu verbinden, wobei eine Mutter-Sohn-Beziehung im Mittelpunkt des Albums steht. "It's my child self that you hear all over it," sagt er. "I was reminiscing and hurting a lot during the writing process. This is possibly my most vulnerable record yet." Doch trotz des Schmerzes, der Wut, der Verletzlichkeit und des Schmerzes, die im Kern dieser Platte zu finden sind, gibt es auch ein tiefes Gefühl von Hoffnung und Schönheit. Auf dem abschließenden Titel-Song "Exister" scheint das Album einen Ort des Friedens und des Trostes zu erreichen und endet mit einem ruhigen, nachdenklichen und ergreifenden Moment, der ein Gefühl des Optimismus nach einer Zeit des Umbruchs einfängt.

THE MARCH VIOLETS came out of Leeds in the early 80"s, label-mates of Sisters of Mercy. Releasing six singles, they were a constant presence in the UK indie charts, hitting the top two spots with Snakedance, Deep and Walk Into The Sun. They never got around to recording an album - their only "80"s long-players, Natural History in the UK and Electric Shades in the USA, were compilations. Eventually they signed to a major label and were groomed for a USA breakthrough, performing in the 1987 Some Kind of Wonderful movie. However they were asked to make too many compromises and split up. Their early eighties career was thankfully well-documented by the BBC, who broadcast six sessions between 1982-86 - three for John Peel, and one each with Kid Jensen, Janice Long and Richard Skinner. Chronicling their development with lead singers Simon Denbigh, Rosie Garland and Cleo Murray and backed by bassist Lawrence Elliot and guitarist Tom Ashton, these sessions include nine unreleased songs and alternative versions of their indie hits. Here is the unheard history of The March Violets.

The Brussels based power trio Don Kapot has gained a lot of attention on the national and international music scene in recent years. Their raw and energetic in your face mix of punk, free jazz, afrobeat and other global sounds took them to stages all over Europe.

Their first two records were based on the unique combined sound of Viktor Perdieus' baritone saxophone, the raw and pumping electric bass of Giotis Damianidis and the powerful and creative drumming of Jakob Warmenbol. Recently, the band has been experimenting with incorporating other sounds and instruments into their repertoire. In anticipation of their new full album, they invited a number of musical friends to their rehearsal room at various times at the end of 2021 and recorded an improvised repertoire with them on the spot. One of those musicians is the multi-talented all-round musician and singer Fulco Ottervanger (known from FULCO, De Beren Gieren, BeraadGeslagen). The recording they made turned out to be so successful that they couldn't just let it pass.

In two twenty-minute suites, Don Kapot & Fulco Ottervanger take the listener on a haunting musical trip, in which numerous influences and genres are reviewed: Classical Indian music, blues, krautrock, free jazz, synth-pop, post-punk, ambient, ... you name it. The musical brilliance of these four extraordinary musicians reaches unprecedented heights.

The record, simply titled 'un peu live', will be officially released on the Belgian jazz not jazz label WERF records on September 23.

The Music Legend, the collection presenting the history of modern music, is back with a nice gatefold vinyl presenting no other than John Coltrane - the American jazz saxophonist and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music.

“I had to write myself back into existence,” says Jessie Baylin. “I’d been feeling lost, empty, unsure if I’d ever make music again, and I think this album came along to remind me of who I really am, of who I could still become.” Indeed, Jersey Girl is more than just another record for Baylin; it’s a radical act of self-actualization, a moving work of reflection and rebirth from an artist who’s spent the better part of her adult life running from her roots. Written and recorded with GRAMMY-winning producers Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk (Kacey Musgraves, Birdy), the collection marks Baylin’s first release since the passing of her longtime collaborator Richard Swift, whose influence looms large here even in his absence, and it signals the start of a profound new chapter, one marked by love and empathy for the face staring back in the mirror. The songs are lush and dreamy here, drawing on a hazy palette of warm guitars and vintage keyboard tones, and Baylin’s performances are nothing short of mesmerizing, her tender voice front-and-center in the mix as she grapples with guilt and shame, pain and healing, purpose and identity. Baylin’s the first to tell you this wasn’t an easy record to make—in fact, it wasn’t a record she intended to make at all—but sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from the most unexpected places. “I had to be tricked into writing these songs,” Baylin confesses, “but it was a good kind of trick. I didn’t realize what was happening until I was already in the midst of it, and that turned out to be exactly what I needed.”

Perc returns to Perc Trax with 'Dirt', one of his most raw and uncompromising works to date. Across three versions of the track, one remixed in collaboration with rising US star EAS, Perc fuses together dry looped techno with caustic industrial sounds and just a splash of rave euphoria.

Opening up the release is the original mix of 'Dirt' layering searing top end percussion over cropped breakbeats before dropping unexpectedly to an unmistakable classic piano riff. The riff has been completely replayed and reproduced rather than sampled and provides the kind of sudden jolt that Perc's productions are famous for.

On the B-side Perc teams up with Los Angeles DJ and producer EAS who returns to the label for the first time since his devastating remix of Perc's own 'Dumpster' in early 2021. Perc provides the beats and EAS serves up the 303 lines, as the hedonism of the original mix's piano drop is swapped for a screw faced slice of warehouse acid.

Rounding off the release is Perc's own 'Crowd Mix' which focuses on the beats with additional layers of percussion and atmospheric crowd samples filling the space taken by the piano hook and acid lines of the first two mixes.

'Dirt' will be released as a hand-stamped white label release in a stickered black paper sleeve. The release was mastered by regular Perc Trax mastering engineer Matt Colton at Metropolis studios with Adult Art Club handling visual presentation and design.

Following up on the Rock Sound and Kerrang! Radio supported album
'Amorphous', Icon For Hire introduced 'The Reckoning', with the bruising
single 'Ready For Combat'
Described by Rock Sound as "a bold and belligerent piece of hard rock chaos", the
track, alongside its high-powered music video, perfectly depict the harder-edged
sound and aesthetic of the upcoming album, in the band's own words; "grittier,
louder, larger". Talking about the album Icon For Hire say; "'The Reckoning' isn't
just about exploring all the dark and heavy pieces of ourselves, it's about
embracing and accepting those pieces, and using them as weapons against the
gatekeepers that hold us back, even when those gatekeepers are our own selfimposed limitations." Featuring collaborations with Keith Wallen of Breaking
Benjamin and mixing by Joe Rickard of In Flames and Red, the album boasts
Ariel's fiercest vocals to date, and Shawn's signature in-your-face guitar style.
Since forming in 2007, Icon For Hire - composed of singer Ariel Bloomer and
guitarist Shawn Jump - have quietly amassed a legion of fans. With 250 millions
global streams to date and nearly 1 million followers across social platforms,
Icon For Hire are no longer the sleeping giants of the modern rock scene. Having
sold over 120,000 albums to date through their completely independent set up,
they are one of the most successful direct to fans stories. Continuing to build
their legacy on their own terms, unapologetically forcing all to take note that they
aren't going anywhere any time soon, with 'The Reckoning' Icon For Hire are
embracing their self funded freedom.
Featuring collaborations with Keith Wallen (Breaking Benjamin) & mixed by Joe
Rickard (previously of In Flames & Red).
144M YouTube streams / 410K subscribers.
725K+ followers across social channels.

Archival reissue of the garage-psych Zamrock masterpiece (1975). PRESSED ON OPAQUE ORANGE VINYL. “...face melting psych-funk garage madness..." MTV // “Four Stars!" MOJO // This landmark recording from Now-Again’s comprehensive overview of Zambia’s premier garage-, psych-, prog-, funk-,afro-rock ensemble WITCH, We Intend To Cause Havoc! Is now available in a never before seen color variant. The audio is nigh-perfect – restored and remastered from the original master tapes. WITCH’s musical arc is contained to a five year span and, in retrospect, is a logical one. The band’s third album, Lazy Bones!!, is the band’s masterpiece - a dark, brooding psychedelic opus that makes equal use of wah-wah and fuzz guitars, that relies as heavily on the stomping feel of hard rock as it does the syncopation of funk.

"The whole point of this record was to share every emotion that I feel," sagt THE SOFT MOON aka Luis Vasquez. "No two songs are the same. It's about existing in the world as a human being and experiencing many emotions and experiences throughout life." Daher auch der Titel "Exister", ein Album, das von den ekstatischen Freuden und lähmenden Tiefen des Lebens handelt und davon, dass das Durchhalten und die Existenz manchmal alles ist, was wir haben. Der Grund, warum das Album für Vasquez so persönlich ist, liegt darin, dass sich sein Leben während der Entstehung des Albums stark verändert hat. Er verließ Berlin, sein langjähriges Zuhause, und zog in den Joshua Tree, um während des Lockdowns musikalisch und persönlich etwas Freiraum zu finden. Es fühlt sich wie eine Art musikalischer Neustart für Vasquez an. Das Cover des Albums zeigt ein Foto von Vasquez als Kind und steht stellvertretend für eine Platte, bei der es darum ging, sich wieder mit seinem jüngeren Ich zu verbinden, wobei eine Mutter-Sohn-Beziehung im Mittelpunkt des Albums steht. "It's my child self that you hear all over it," sagt er. "I was reminiscing and hurting a lot during the writing process. This is possibly my most vulnerable record yet." Doch trotz des Schmerzes, der Wut, der Verletzlichkeit und des Schmerzes, die im Kern dieser Platte zu finden sind, gibt es auch ein tiefes Gefühl von Hoffnung und Schönheit. Auf dem abschließenden Titel-Song "Exister" scheint das Album einen Ort des Friedens und des Trostes zu erreichen und endet mit einem ruhigen, nachdenklichen und ergreifenden Moment, der ein Gefühl des Optimismus nach einer Zeit des Umbruchs einfängt.

Having established himself as one of the most sought-after young jazz guitarists in London, Jamie Leeming has steadily carved out his own musical niche, during his extensive work for the likes of Alfa Mist, Tom Misch and Jas Kayser. His debut EP ‘Heartsong’ gained support from Jazz London Radio as one of the “Best Jazz Releases of 2015” and his follow-up collaborative album ‘Flow’ (with pianist Maria Chiara Argirò) received critical acclaim for The Guardian’s “Jazz Album of the Month”. Leeming now unveils his debut solo long-player ‘Resynthesis’ via Alfa Mist’s Sekito imprint.

Jamie’scuriosity has always been a key part of his ever-evolving relationship with music. Whether that be as a teenager and being captivated by the cover of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew in a local HMV, or his fascination with how we experience memories. ‘Resynthesis’ sees the guitarist creatively hitting his stride and exploring new sonic territories as he takes on the role of producer.

‘Resynthesis’ was created with the help of a handful of close friends, regular collaborators and some of the tightest young players around, many of whom met at an improvised music night hosted by Hugo Piper (who also plays on Resynthesis) called Champion Sounds. It was at one of these nights that the basis for ‘Champion’ was formed, plucked from a twenty second snippet recorded on a phone of one of the legendary jams, which has in turn been reimagined on ‘Resynthesis’ by some of the musicians that were present on the night itself. In addition to the trio instrumentation, Quinn Oulton and Nathaniel Facey lend their skills on saxophone. The album is tied together by artwork from painter and musician Kaya Thomas-Dyke, which includes reference to a number of the memories the album is inspired by.

With releases already under their belt from Bilal and Deyayu and a split 12" from Alex Dima and Cristian Sarde, London's Obscura is shaping up to be one of those destined to take up position towards the top of tech house shopping lists everywhere. That said, the four tracks from Arnic have a cheekier, mor sprightly vibe than a lot of tech-house, the likes of 'Night Children' and their tribute to the Glasgow clubbing institution that is the 'Sub Club' drawing on disco and early Chicago house influences, all within the economic and stripped down framework that put a big smile on a DJ's face when they're in the mix.

zake & Wayne Robert Thomas come together to serve up a thoughtful and healing deep dive into "what it means to continue living life in the face of loss and uncertainty." Their album is one of great depth emotional and full of subtle struggles that we can all relate to. 'To Those Who Dwelt in a Land of Deep Darkness' was first put out as a 10" lathe but now gets pressed dup properly to 12" vinyl with three extra tracks taken from the original recording sessions. They say the best art comes out of adversity and that is certainly true here.

New instrumental album from French producer Moresounds (Cosmic Bridge, Astrophonica), his second release for Italian label Original Cultures.

Originally intended for a rap project that was never finished, Roll G in Dub takes beats Moresounds had made for MCs and gives them a dub twist in his typical fashion. The result is 9 tracks of club ready, dubbed out trap beats.

Released as a 12" with artwork from Paper Resistance and mastering from Ian Carter (Stick In The Wheel, Various Production).

Early support from Om Unit, Fracture, Kutmah.

Sa Pa's 3rd ep following releases on Marcel Dettman's MDR and last year's release on Australian label, Rosa.

This builds on highly acclaimed album releases for the likes of Mana and Forum as well as a collaborative piece with Felix K, Marcell Dettman and Simon Hoffman for A-Ton under the moniker Rauch.

This record builds on Sa Pa's reputation for lush dub techno soundscapes and can be played either as a whole as one complete piece or broken down into it's constituent parts. It also includes a locked groove edit created with Scott Monteith (Deadbeat) who also helped with post-production.

The record was cut and mastered at Dubplate & Mastering by Helmut Erler.

Part profits from the record will go to homeless charity Caring in Bristol.

3rd album of kaleidoscopic 60s psych pop from Glasgow quartet, feat. members of The Wharves, Nightshift and Current Affairs. Now in their 5th year of existence, Order of the Toad forge onwards with 12 frenetic new compositions, pulled together throughout windows of opportunity during the covid era. Recently a four piece (new guitarist Fionnan joining the Order just before the lockdowns began), Gemma Fleet (Current Affairs/ ex- The Wharves/Kasms) remains the spiritual lynchpin and main energy conductor from which Chris Taylor (Personality Toilet/Open Face), Andrew Doig (Robert Sotelo/Nightshift) and of course now Fionnan (Open Face) are powered. With added twin guitar dimensionality, the band flirt with an 80s new wave sound at times on Spirit Man, garnishing their regular sound with new hues of blue and purple atop the amphibious green of previous efforts. ‘Subterranean’ which opens the set is evidence of a B52s style composite, Doig’s now familiar faux organ guitar franken-sound holding steady beneath the wild and youthful six string movement that Fionnan brings to the toadstool. Elsewhere Taylor takes the lead Vox on ‘Salt of the Earth’, ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ and ‘The Dumbening’, all further progressions of the ensemble’s sound. Song structure and chord elements subtly mutate away from the 60’s nucleus of yore, Taylor bringing a Kevin Ayers meets Bill Callahan vocal approach to his cleverly assembled lyrical narratives, the band weaving about tempos with eccentric colour around him. Of course Fleet’s voice is central throughout, always simultaneous with her precise elasticity on the 4 string bass guitar, providing the likes of ‘Golden Rod’ with a sweeping Grace Slick meets Dolly Parton wail, a hollering Kate Bush style octave leap during the kinetic ‘Fog Horn’ and the fast paced crescendo of hollers at the back end of ‘Beyond the Pale’, a breathless 4 chord slammer. Her graceful and acute vocalisms paint the world of Order of the Toad and never before as vibrantly.

2022 repress !


It’s been 11 years since we released the first Spektre production on Noir Music and I’ve been a fan of their music for even longer.
So it’s a great honor to have them back on the label with this amazing Shadowline release. The UK duo is currently making some serious noise in techno-world and well deserved as they keep shooting out great music. On this specific release I wanted the guys to show off their excellent production skills, so we get both their in your face, raw and unpolished sound with the acid opener “The Maze” and the more trippy, afterhours
hypnotic title track “Shadowline”. “Planet Noir” sits nicely in between with Spektre’s hardhitting beats and signature melodies.
On top of that we got an incredible remix of “The Maze” by Robert S (PT) who made the acid-journey more minimal and underground.
I’ve had these tracks for quite some time and I don’t get tired of playing these. In the fast-moving techno-industry that’s saying a lot. I am honored and super happy to have the guys back on my label.

Grey Marbled Vinyl

Clear water hits the surface of a grainy ball. The stream slowly dissolves and flows down the spherical structure until it finally drops on a candle. The flame extinguishes; fragile streaks of smoke ascend until they hit the rough surface of the colossal globe again.
The cover art to Marble Arch, the second long-player of Vienna- and Berlin-based artists Oberst & Buchner, depicts masterly the dramatic juxtapositions the musicians have always been reflecting in their musical outcome.
The massive density of a giant sound wall is contrasted by spacious openness. Fragile sonic details are sparkling out of colossal pitch-black clouds. The songs are filled with gentle warmth and cold roughness, bright digital clarity and deep analogue crackle, ranging in style from pulsating dark-disco over classic pop to experimental ambient.
The duo's two-week artist residency in a 250-year-old house, located in the mystic landscape of the Bavarian woods set this specific mood for the 10-track album which became a mixture of electronic synthesis, organic instrumentals and field recordings. Heavy-weight basslines in combination with bitter-sweet orchestral instrumentation and the minutiae of precise percussion recordings and drum programming are the characteristics that formed the sound of Marble Arch.
Oberst & Buchner's way to deal with tension is in how they compose their song structures as extreme arcs of suspense in a near classical manner. Their intense dynamic arrangements always alternate between rise and explosion or implosion and fall. This way the compositions pick up the motive of creation and destruction throughout the long-player in the same way as the cover-art.
Taken together, all these fragments form the duo`s signature cinematic articulation of dramatic slowed down club music and moments of surprise.

BIO
Oberst & Buchner are two friends and musicians living in Vienna and Berlin. They look back on a mutual musical journey that is as rich in variety as it is more then 15 years long. For one thing, countless high-energy DJ sets in clubs and at festivals all over Europe in recent years have earned them a reputation as a dynamic duo infernale. At the same time, their own productions draw from the full palette of moods and emotions.
Boiled down to the very essence, there's one common denominator running through the duo's musical works: colossally massive elements are masterfully set against a shimmering backdrop of incredibly detailed layers. Each so full of subtle suspense that they feel like the first raindrops before a monstrous thunderstorm. You can literally hear the calm before the storm in every break they build up, then feel the force of the wind in your face when it hits you.
Ranging from pulsating electronica over slow organic sounds derived from both nature and acoustic instruments to deep dance pop ballads, their songs are full of suspense and packed with drama. In their productions, the two friends conjure up soundscapes that are extremely dense and at the same time infinitely open and spacious. Within this framework, they play with stark contrasts of antithetic elements: repetition and improvisation, functionality and emotions, emptiness and overload, clarity and crackling.

Tape

The third LP from the New Zealand quartet houses 12 jewels of tight, guitar-heavy songs that worm their way into your head, an incandescent collision of power-pop and skuzz. With Expert, The Beths wanted to make an album meant to be experienced live, for both the listeners and themselves. They wanted it to be fun -- to hear, to play -- in spite of the prickling anxiety throughout the lyrics, the fear of change and struggle to cope.

Most of Expert was recorded at guitarist Jonathan Pearce’s studio on Karangahape Road in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa (Auckland, New Zealand) -- and sometimes in the building's cavernous stairwell at 1am -- toward the end of 2021, until they were interrupted by a four-month national lockdown. They traded notes remotely for months, songwriting from afar and fleshing out the arrangements alone, the first time they’d written together in such a way. The following February, The Beths left the country for the first time in more than two years to tour across the US, and simultaneously finish mixing the album on the road. That latter half felt more collaborative, with everyone on-hand to trade notes in real time, until it all culminated in a chaotic three-day studio mad-dash in Los Angeles. There, Expert finally became the record they were hearing in their heads.

Expert is an extension of the same skuzzy palette the band has built across their catalog, pop hooks embedded in incisive indie rock. The album’s title track “Expert In A Dying Field” introduces the thesis for the record: “How does it feel to be an expert in a dying field? How do you know it’s over when you can’t let go?” Stokes asks. “Love is learned over time ‘til you’re an expert in a dying field.”

The rest is a capsule of The Beths’ most electrifying and exciting output, a sonic spectrum: “Your Side” is a forlorn and sincere love song, emotive; while “Silence is Golden,” with its propulsive drum line and stop-start staccato of a guitar line winding up and down, is one of the band’s sharpest and most driving. “When You Know You Know” skews a bit groovier, pure pop and a natural addition to the band’s live set. “Knees Deep” was written last minute, but yields one of the best guitar lines on Expert. There’s a certain chaos across the 12 tracks, the palpable joy of playing music with long-time friends colliding with the raw nerves of pain.

Stokes strings it all together through her singular songwriting lens, earnest and self-effacing, zeroing in on the granules of doubt and how they snowball. Did I do the wrong thing? Or did you? And are we still good people at the end of it? She isn’t interested in villains, but instead interested in just telling the story. That insecurity and thoughtfulness, translated into universality and understanding, has been the guiding light of The Beths’ output since 2016. In the face of pain, there’s no dwelling on internal anguish - instead, through The Beths’ musi