quête:family

Two of Slow Life's stronghold producers and family members team up for the first time. The legendary Alex Neri, and the young magician Paolo Mosca, a powerful combo delivering a timeless piece of danceable art. They are past, present and future: eterno.

Anna Erhard returns with her third Album Botanical Garden, on which she expertly deconstructs social mores with her trademark lightness of touch, seeking out the funny side of life's everyday's frustrations with a breeziness and genuine warmth. Available on 180g black Vinyl Side A 170 Botanical Garden B.M.G. Academy Spa Package Side B Hot Family Stash Not Rick Teeth on the King

Mutant is proud to present Academy Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino's latest album, Exotic Themes for the Silver Screen – Volume 1, featuring iconic scores from Giacchino's extensive portfolio rendered in the retro lounge style of Exotica from the 1950s.



“It's no secret that we at Mutant are huge fans of Michael Giacchino,” says Spencer Hickman, Co-Founder of Mutant. “We're excited to release a retrospective of his astonishing three decades as a composer. Rather than just curating a simple compilation of his previous works, Michael went back into the studio, rearranged and re-recorded every major theme from his career. These tracks have been recorded in an Easy Listening style inspired by such greats as Martin Denny and Les Baxter, creating not just a unique and incredible look back at some of the most beloved movie and television themes of the modern age, but also bringing a fresh, exciting take to the beautiful journey he has taken us all on with him. It feels like you are discovering these songs for the very first time: timeless, beautiful, and a joy to listen to. These newly recorded themes transport you to a far-off sunset, looking out at the ocean, complete with a cocktail in hand, providing a much-needed escape from the stress of modern times, and we can all agree that is something we all crave right now.”



Exotic Themes for the Silver Screen – Volume 1 spans nearly two decades of Michael Giacchino’s music, from his early video game scores to his television hits and blockbuster films. The album transforms these works through the lens of Exotica, replacing epic strings and thundering drums with vibraphones and marimbas.



“This album was inspired by the work of Arthur Lyman and Martin Denny,” says Giacchino. “What would they do with the Star Trek theme? Or video games like Medal of Honor? It was a way for me to play in that world I loved so much growing up. I thought it would be fun to create a fantasy world, where this album was recorded back in 1967 and then lost, only to resurface today.”

The album showcases Giacchino’s unerring talent for melody, stripping down grand symphonies to their essential elements while retaining their aesthetic and emotional core.



“So much was rooted in the big orchestral sound, so it was really about scaling it back. The real trick is figuring out the little fun hooks and things you can add along the way. There were no rules; I was up for anything. It was a way to re-engage with the material and be creative in a new way.”



Exotic Themes for the Silver Screen – Volume 1 includes an array of reinterpreted pieces from Michael Giacchino’s career. Highlights include ‘Primordial Forest’ from the 1997 video game The Lost World: Jurassic Park, ‘Life and Death’ from Lost, the theme from Ratatouille, ‘Roar!’ from Cloverfield, ‘Enterprising Young Men’ from Star Trek (2009), ‘A Man, A Plan, A Code, Dubai’ from Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and a Super 8 suite.



Featuring package design by Luke Insect, and liner notes by Charlie Brigden.

Smutty Edits is the brainchild of Jeroen Van der Smut, a music aficionado who after indulging himself in kilos of Gouda Cheese, Fritjes with Mayo and Ban-cakes, left Amsterdam over 30 years ago for Anjuna Beach in India. Jeroen quickly got into Raving in the world of Goa Trance and electronic music. However, his love for Disco, Synth-Pop, and New Wave, where his musical journey began, brought him back to his roots. This passion led to the creation of Smutty Edits, as he decided to release carefully chosen edits from some of the most talented artists in the industry.

This first 12” features contributions from renowned artists who have left an indelible mark on the music scene. These collaborations ensure that each edit is of the highest quality, maintaining the integrity and spirit of the original tracks while adding a fresh perspective.

With occasional trips to Europe to reconnect with family and old friends, Jeroen remains deeply rooted in his heritage while continually seeking out new musical inspirations. Smutty Edits is set to release a series of records, each showcasing the label’s dedication to quality and innovation in Italo, Proto-House, Synth-Pop etc

"Ist es die Euphorie" ist ein Live-Album, das die bereits jetzt legendären, ekstatischen Konzerte dieser 4Mann-Band einfängt. Aufgenommen in einem ehemaligen Schlagzeug- und Chorübungsraum des ehemaligen Münchner Gasteig, sitzt man quasi mit Raketenumschau im Proberaum. Ihre scheinbar "altmodische" Aufnahmetechnik beschreibt eigentlich schon den Werdegang der Band, die sich ganz old school, ohne große Spotify Playlists und TikTok Algorithmen, sondern Live, mit bald 100 Konzerten in 2 y Jahren ihr Publikum erspielt haben. Raketenumschau sind Freunde, ein Schwarm sozusagen, jeder ist Teil der Bandgeschichte und des Sounds. O-Ton Band: Geprägt haben uns viele Bands der Hamburger Schule aber auch Münchner Bands wie Malva, Prohibition oder Plainhead. Das Debütalbum der Raketenumschau "Ist es die Euphorie" wurde von Willy Löster (MOLA, Florian Paul, Bruckner) produziert und von Olaf O.P.A.L. (International Music, Juli, The Notwist) gemischt.

Originally released in 1981, La folie is the 6th studio album by English new wave band the Stranglers. Available for National Album Day on 1LP translucent pink vinyl for a limited run.

Originally released in 1981, La folie is the 6th studio album by English new wave band the Stranglers. Available for National Album Day on 1LP translucent pink vinyl for a limited run.

Fire Red Vinyl. As one would expect of any historic city, the houses in Decatur, GA are old, and while many have been renovated to suit the needs of the 21st century family, the one Lunar Vacation calls home has not. The porch is quaint and crumbly, the roof leaks, and there is a single bathroom shared by the band's five members who insist that this is not, actually, a bad thing. "I used to be so protective of the songs when I gave them over to the band," lyricist/vocalist/guitarist Gep Repasky says. "There's so much trust involved, but this house helped us grow as best friends, as musicians, as a band." That newfound sense of trust is apparent on Everything Matters, Everything's Fire, whose title, taken from the concluding track "You Shouldn't Be," is a thesis statement. While Lunar Vacation's last album, 2021's Inside Every Fig is a Dead Wasp, happily bathed in the waters of indie pop, their latest effort is exploratory, a product of many hours shared experimenting in a living room together. Inspired by prolific shapeshifters like Yo La Tengo and Björk, Everything Matters, Everything's Fire adopts an ethos that every idea has the potential to be a good one. "Our last album was super produced, manicured," guitarist/ vocalist Maggie Geeslin says. "This one's organic. We embraced mistakes; it made the work even better." In other words: everything matters, everything's fire.

2024 repress

Rush Hour’s RSS series excels in unearthing buried treasure, offering a second chance for artists and releases that have long been overlooked. That’s certainly the case with ‘Witches’, the superb sole single by British 1980s wave trio Zenana.

Originally released on seven-inch by the tiny PRM label in 1986, ‘Witches’ was the product of a sister-brother songwriting team whose music was mostly recorded in the front room of a terraced house in Nanpean, a small industrial village in Cornwall, England’s most south-westerly county. While the single was infectious, impeccably produced and dancefloor-ready, it sold in limited quantities at the time.

Zenana’s story can be traced back to the early 1980s, when singer-songwriter Anita Tedder founded the all-female trio as a vehicle for her musical ambitions. To bring her songs to life, she joined voices with her brother Mike, an early adopter of electronic music who had built a studio – nicknamed MFR, short for ‘Mike’s Front Room’ – in his Cornish home.

Countless Zenana tracks were recorded at ‘MFR’ between 1984 and ’86, with the resultant demo cassette securing the band a management contract, a slew of live bookings, a video shoot and even a television appearance. Buoyed by this underground success, they headed to the remote Sawmills Studio in Cornwall – famously only accessible by boat – to re-record ‘Witches’, a song inspired by local folk tales of witches gathering near Mike’s home.

While this version of ‘Witches’ failed to make an impact at the time, it has become something of a cult classic following its’ rediscovery by crate digger Kiernan Abbott – and subsequent championing by other dusty-fingered DJs including Antal, Skyrager, Trevor Jackson and Luke Una – in early 2023. The buzz inspired Zenana to perform live again for the first time in decades, with the story of their surprise comeback being covered by British media outlets including the BBC and (more surprisingly) the Daily Mail.

Now presented in re-mastered form, ‘Witches’ is a genuinely slept-on gem. Propelled forwards by punchy drum machine beats, a killer synth bassline and fizzing keyboard sounds, the song benefits greatly from strong vocals and an extra-percussive middle eight layered with vocalisations, cosmic spoken word sections and swirling noises.

It comes backed by a brand-new extended ‘spell of love’ courtesy of Bristol duo Bedmo Disco, AKA music journalist Matt Anniss (author of Join The Future: Bleep Techno and the Birth of British Bass Music) and DJ/production partner Gareth Morgan. Anniss is a long-time friend of Mike and Anita Tedder who has fond memories of visiting Mike’s home studio with his family around the time that ‘Witches’ was recorded.

Working from Zenana’s original MFR eight-track recording (tapes of the single version were lost years ago), Anniss and Morgan have turned in the extended ‘dance mix’ the track never had first time around. More atmospheric, clandestine and dancefloor-focused, it offers authentic nods to New York proto-house, mid-80s Shep Pettibone dubs, and the pioneering synth-pop productions and dub mixes of Factory Records regular Martin Rushent.

Album packaging features 24pt reverse board jackets and illustrated inner board sleeves, with silver printed center labels. All artwork created by acclaimed designer, Håvard Gjelseth. Ol’ Burger Beats’s new opus, 74: Out of Time, is a multifaceted and stunning exploration of sounds and eras. In addition to every track being produced at 74 beats per minute, the album harks back to the year 1974; particularly the music, the records, the activism, the artwork, and the aesthetics. But it’s also incredibly current, as the Out of Time portion of the title very much refers to the present. It promotes a sense of urgency in the face of current affairs such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, as well as contentious politics sweeping across the US and Europe. Beyond those deeply resonating elements to the record, 74: Out of Time is a truly gorgeous representation of hip-hop through the lens of the Norwegian composer, which is undoubtedly his most ambitious undertaking to date. Using 74bpm as his basis, he constructs sublime, jazzy instrumentals that feature some of hip-hop’s finest emcees and vocalists. And to say they all gel perfectly together is an understatement—and it would be underselling OBB’s meticulous approach here. Each song blends seamlessly from one to the next spread across the album’s 17 tracks, with the help from a standout supporting cast that includes Fly Anakin, Awon, Quelle Chris, Pink Siifu, Yungmorpheus, Lojii, billy woods, Tha God Fahim, Vic Spencer and Vuyo, among several others. “An avid record collector, the producer's first release was 2014's High Rhodes which led to comparisons to his heroes such as J Dilla, Madlib and Pete Rock.” Okayafrica // “With music teachers for parents, it was perhaps inevitable that Ole-Birger Neergård would follow their path and become a student of the game.” Passion of the Weiss

Soul Jazz Records’ are releasing their classic release ‘Rastafari – The Dreads Enter Babylon 1955-83’ in a new one-off pressing limited edition blue coloured double vinyl edition. The album includes new tracks and is fully remastered from the original edition.

Spanning nearly 30 years of revolutionary music and featuring the music of Count Ossie, Johnny Clarke, The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, Bongo Herman, Earth & Stone and many more, this is an in-depth look at some of the heaviest and righteous music ever made!
Soul Jazz Records' Rastafari: The Dreads Enter Babylon charts the many links between reggae music and Rastafarianism. The album comes complete with full gatefold and bespoke inner sleeves, containing stunning exclusive photography and extensive sleevenotes.

Rastafarianism had its roots at the start of the 20th century and became widespread in Jamaica following the visit of Haile Selassie, the King of Ethiopia, to Kingston in 1966. By the 1970s Rastafarianism become practically synonymous with reggae, as many roots reggae artists became known throughout the world, notably spearheaded by the success of Bob Marley and The Wailers.

As ‘roots reggae’ artists in the 1970s continued to spread the word of Jah (God) in their music, Rastafari reggae became the ultimate rebel sound throughout the world.

LRK are excited to announce their latest limited edition 45 (LRK-28) release:

Dylan Chambers - I Can Never Get Enough/Comin' Up

Dylan Chambers is a vintage pop/R&B/soul singer, songwriter and guitar player from Arlington, TX. After graduating high school, Dylan got accepted to the Berklee College of Music in Boston but ended up moving to LA to work on his music career. He has since shared the stage and worked with numerous artists such as Haley Reinhart, Brett Young, Sabrina Carpenter, Gavin DeGraw, Dave Koz, Three Dog Night, etc. and toured around the country with ABC's hit television show "Dancing With The Stars" as a featured singer/guitarist on their 2014-15 National Winter Tour. For the past five years, Dylan has traveled around the world as a guest artist aboard the "Dave Koz and Friends" Live at Sea Jazz Cruise. As a songwriter, Dylan co-wrote jazz legend Herb Alpert's first single "Skinny Dip" off of his album, "Slow Down Turbo" for Indonesian rapper Rich Brian as well as country star, Brett Young's "Kiss by Kiss". Live TV appearances include the Radio Disney Music Awards, Access Hollywood, Hallmark's Home and Family, and The Today Show.
Since 2020, he has released over a dozen singles as a solo artist which he co-produced with longtime friend and musical collaborator, Stefan Lit (Lil Nas X, One Direction, Andy Grammer). Throughout the years, he has shared the stage with Flatland Cavalry, Charley Crockett, Molly Tuttle, Haley Reinhart, Sabrina Carpenter, Delvon Lamar Organ Trio, and Prep. As a songwriter, Dylan has written tracks for UMI and Rich Brian, and he's also collaborated on singles with Cory Wong from Vulfpeck, G. Love and Special Sauce, and Alex Lambert

RAWAX proudly welcomes Felipe Gordon to the artist family! We are very happy to present you this outstanding artist from Colombia on our CHIWAX imprint. His fantastic debut release for us will be out early September. Higly recommended!

Composed in the aftermath of family tragedy, NY Graffiti’s Burden is an album full of peace anthems, psalms, dirges, and confessionals. In the pursuit of consolation, the tectonics of techno, dub, and post-club aesthetics are pushed past their margins onto new emotional plateaus.

Like the series of EP’s that NY Graffiti has released in recent years – including a split with Subtext affiliate UCC Harlo – Burden is an amalgam of dub-informed club music, acoustic emulations, and doom-scroll sourced social media chatter, filtered through the artist’s unique sonic palette that has developed over years on the fringes of New York’s contemporary club scene.

From the largely-improvised opener (and closer) “Approximation”, to the discord of the steppa-inflected track “98 Prayers”, and the dystopian ambiance of “Reach” (evoking early Hype Williams), Burden constantly reconfigures itself in search of catharsis. The album's seven tracks are dense and claustrophobic yet unexpectedly grounding. Amid the weight of grief, and the bleakness of our shared geopolitical realities, the NYC-based artist provides moments of solace that are intimate, direct, and revelatory.

Burden was initially released as a digital album earlier this year and is now available on vinyl through NY Graffiti’s own Peace Anthem Records and Switzerland-based Präsens Editionen. While the former has primarily focused on releasing NY Graffiti’s own projects, the latter is the publishing house of zweikommasieben Magazin and has released music and sound works by artists such as Anom Vitruv, Red On, Belia Winnewisser, Martina Lussi, Samuel Reinhard, and Magda Drozd

Japanese vibraphonist and marimba player Masayoshi Fujita returns with Migratory, his masterful new solo album, where his sonic explorations into the unknown continue.

In 2019, after 13 years of living in Berlin, Fujita returned to his native Japan with his wife and their three children, fulfilling his life-long dream of living and composing music in the midst of nature. The family found their new home in the mountain hills along the coast of Kami-cho, Hyōgo, three hours west of Kyoto.


Once settled in, Fujita spent his time turning an old kindergarten into his own music studio, Kebi Bird Studio, which became the birthplace of Migratory. On his new album, the composer and producer masterfully reimagines and mesmerises with his trademark sounds of vibraphone, and resumes his experimentation with the marimba and synthesisers that he first incorporated on his 2021 album, Bird Ambience, which followed the release of his acclaimed vibraphone triptych: Stories (2012), Apologues (2015) and Book of Life (2018).


On Fujita’s ever-evolving list of collaborators, Migratory introduces vocals from Moor Mother on ‘Our Mother’s Lights’ and Hatis Noit on ‘Higurashi’, as well as shō and saxophone to its soundscapes. Whilst at a music residency in Stockholm in 2021, Fujita met Swedish shō player Mattias Hållsten. Although it was a brief encounter, the two musicians stayed in touch. During a visit to Japan, Hållsten stopped by the studio and played on three of the tracks, including the alluring album closer ‘Yodaka’, exceeding Fujita’s own expectations.

Japanese vibraphonist and marimba player Masayoshi Fujita returns with Migratory, his masterful new solo album, where his sonic explorations into the unknown continue.

In 2019, after 13 years of living in Berlin, Fujita returned to his native Japan with his wife and their three children, fulfilling his life-long dream of living and composing music in the midst of nature. The family found their new home in the mountain hills along the coast of Kami-cho, Hyōgo, three hours west of Kyoto.


Once settled in, Fujita spent his time turning an old kindergarten into his own music studio, Kebi Bird Studio, which became the birthplace of Migratory. On his new album, the composer and producer masterfully reimagines and mesmerises with his trademark sounds of vibraphone, and resumes his experimentation with the marimba and synthesisers that he first incorporated on his 2021 album, Bird Ambience, which followed the release of his acclaimed vibraphone triptych: Stories (2012), Apologues (2015) and Book of Life (2018).


On Fujita’s ever-evolving list of collaborators, Migratory introduces vocals from Moor Mother on ‘Our Mother’s Lights’ and Hatis Noit on ‘Higurashi’, as well as shō and saxophone to its soundscapes. Whilst at a music residency in Stockholm in 2021, Fujita met Swedish shō player Mattias Hållsten. Although it was a brief encounter, the two musicians stayed in touch. During a visit to Japan, Hållsten stopped by the studio and played on three of the tracks, including the alluring album closer ‘Yodaka’, exceeding Fujita’s own expectations.

Limited Opaque Green Vinyl. Anthony "Ant" Davis is a distinguished hip-hop producer, one-half of the renowned duo Atmosphere, and a founding member of independent record label Rhymesayers Entertainment. His decades-long career of beat-making has also included works for MF DOOM, Brother Ali, Murs, Rav, Sage Francis and a dozen others. Raised in a military family, his nomadic upbringing exposed him to many diverse influences and, coupled with his father's love for collecting records, laid the groundwork for his deep appreciation for all sorts of music. Ant's latest endeavor, Collection of Sounds, is a four-volume series of instrumental works showcasing the breadth and depth of his musical expertise. The Collection of Sounds series offers a window into Ant's creative journey, reflecting his evolution as an artist over the years. Drawing from a vast vault of unreleased material, he's exhumed cross sections of his catalog with surgical precision, organizing songs by sound rather than mere chronology. Volume 1 is at times so intimate as to border on claustrophobia, like the creeping "Bar One" or the haunted twinkling of "I Was Always A Collector" while other tracks are expansive enough to fill entire venues, like the forebodingly airy "4-Track Beyond Beat 1996." Many of the beats on Collection of Sounds: Volume 1 have pockets that are practically begging for rappers to explore. When he first pondered releasing an instrumental series, Ant figured he might want to make the songs more intricate than the ones gave to his rapper collaborators, filling up the space in the mix that would normally be given over to their vocals. "But then it would be jazz, right?" he says with a loud laugh. "And I'm not that." Fitting, as Collection of Sounds is not about forgetting who you are-it's about remembering, reconfiguring and reimagining, all at once; a testament to Ant's artistic integrity.

Originally released in November 1984, Limahl’s debut solo album ‘Don’t Suppose’ is to be reissued on recycled lavender vinyl to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The album is probably best known for the aforementioned ‘Neverending Story’. As well as featuring in the film of the same name (which is being revived for the big screen once more), it more recently found a whole army of new fans when it appeared in the final episode of the third season of Stranger Things. Set in 1985, the song is sung by Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and his long-distance girlfriend Suzie (Gabriella Pizzolo) as a way to reconnect after not seeing each other for some time. Following the season's release on July 4, 2019, interest in the track surged; viewership of the original music video had increased by 800% within a few days according to YouTube, while Spotify reported an 825% increase in stream requests for the song.

Further reflecting on the album Limahl goes on… “I can’t believe it’s been 40 years, yet sometimes it feels like yesterday! Looking back now, it's surreal to think that at just 24 years old, being born and raised on a Wigan council estate with no family connections in the music business, I was thrust into a whirlwind of travel and appearances to promote my music worldwide via TV, radio, and press—long before the internet.

“I’m excited to imagine where and how the song will continue its journey. It’s amazing that it still feels relevant 40 years on. I’m not too shy to say how immensely proud I am of its achievements.”

Carving an unlikely and elaborate niche in the stoney academic landscape
which she once shared with the likes of Phill Niblock, John Cage and Sorel
Hayes, the excitable proto-punk poèmes sonores of the linguistic loose
cannon known as Beth Anderson first rolled through New York in the mid-
1970s (from Kentucky via San Francisco) like a jumbled tumbleweed of lost
Letterism, face paint and threadbare drummy funk to astonish gallery floors,
lecture theatres and loft apartment stages.
One thousand leagues under the radar of the commercial music industry,
with a sense of humour that elevated way above her highbrow peer group,
the music of Beth Anderson has successfully evaded the pressing plant for
most of her creative career, and not unlike fellow New York gallery actionist
Suzanne Ciani, it has taken decades to successfully collect and contextualise
these early recordings - expanding her elusive discography beyond the rare
and mysterious solo single entry in the process.
When uttered amongst the type of vinyl vampires that haplessly gravitate
between both art school vintage vanity pressings and family funded plunder
funk, there’s an outside chance that the name Beth Anderson might muster
some vague recognition on account of her one and only solo wax sojourn
into the expansive DIY market. In 1980 the 45rpm single, ‘I Can’t Stand It’,
combusted into the consciousness of adventurous participants with its deep
rhythmic backbeat (courtesy of future Sonic Youth / Dinosaur Jr producer
Wharton Tiers, member of the new wave band Theoretical Girls), climaxing
with two colourful and commanding linguistic tantrums before disappearing in
a puff of smoke leaving would-be fans dumbstruck without so much as a
label name or distribution contact to explain what they had just heard.
For those who have spent the subsequent years on the edge of that same
seat, it might come as some comfort knowing that somewhere out there,
there is also a contrasting world of gallery patrons and experimental sound
poetry enthusiasts that similarly didn’t know that their regular performance
poet Beth Anderson even made the ambitious pop record. For the uninitiated,
the enigmatic Beth Anderson has straddled both sides of the art / rock fence
placed between two equally niche pastures.
Hopefully this first ever vinyl compendium will succeed in joining the dots,
loops, yelps, squeaks, beats and repeats. Let us follow Beth’s lineage, along
her magnetic tape highways crossing multiple boundaries in a hope to bridge
unlikely anti-genres like ‘yoga punk’, ‘ramble rap’, ‘combustion pop’ and
‘formroom funk’… all of which were officially neatly bracketed under the
curious Text-Sound movement where Beth garnered utmost respect as a key
practitioner.

We are proud to welcome Myungho Choi to the family of Sakskøbing for our twenty-third release. Residing in the big apple New York and baptised in the early 90’s of the warehouses of the Midwest we can safely say the man has seen and experienced the music first hand. Boss of Transit records with the first official vinyl release dating to 1999, Myungho has acquired a ton of knowledge through the years of digging and listening to the music on any medium it came on. Having an opportunity to witness his heroes and get inspired by them sufficiently to create his own story within the sound frequencies.

The EP is a boat of smooth sailing but with the turbo jets attached to it, to get to any needed destination as comfortable as possible. Heavy influenced by the sounds of Detroit and Chicago, having grew up with an abundance of the music that comes from there resulted in JET, the formation of the artist’s skill and knowledge which has been executed on the canvas that is a beautiful to look at and pleasure to listen - the 12” vinyl record we are beholding today.

Typically, a band's big indie label debut doesn't come 15 albums into its career, but with Constant Smiles' Paragons, here we are. Primary songwriter and sole "constant" member Ben Jones_who considers Constant Smiles a collective_sees its impressive output as a way to document the group's evolution. Since its live debut as a noise duo on Ben's home of Martha's Vineyard in 2009, Constant Smiles has grown to include contributions from 50 other members, all of whom have personal connections to the group's extended family. And while the collective has indulged an array of musical whims along the way - including Ben's penchant for penning a new set's worth of material for each live performance - Constant Smiles' sound has tightened up considerably over their past couple of albums, in large part as a result of Ben's working relationship with Mike Mackey, who has become his main creative partner. This increased focus manifests on Paragons in the band's most cohesive batch of songs to date, ranging from shimmering psych-pop excursions to bittersweet, piano and string-accented strummers, and an execution that feels like a massive step forward for the band. Through its recent forays into dream pop and shoegaze (Control) and synth-pop (John Waters), Constant Smiles has learned how to incorporate its experimental inclinations more fluidly into the mix. Artists like Yo La Tengo, and the more recent Rat Columns, are good touchstones for Constant Smiles' musical approach - tethering to an indie-pop core while perennially mining genres, always finding new ways to intrigue listeners and pursue a unique vision. Paragons was produced and engineered by Ben Greenberg in the last two weeks of December 2020 at Gary's Electric, with additional recording done by Ben Jones at his home studio, The Void, and his Aunt Leanne's house. The album was mixed at Circular Ruin Studio and mastered by Josh Bonati. The band on Paragons consists of Jai Berger (who performed "Introduction"), Spike Currier (bass and synth), Matthew Addison (drums), Emma Conley (violin), Nicky Wetherell (cello), Adam Lipsky (piano), and Ben Greenberg (guitar and Mellotron).

Max Volume solo EP on Audiotrix.
Minimal or mental, Breakbeat pumpin music...
Defenitly kind of a family sound remaining here... Uncommercial one.

Luv !

RAWAX proudly welcomes Mr. Gerald Mitchell to the Family!
We are happy to present you in near future his own series on the Motor City Edition! This will include new releases and classic re-issues.
Starting with M5 - Celestial Highways from 1999. Originally released on Metroplex.

The records is released in two options. Both hvae 180g vinyl records. The first version has two black vinyls and the second limited edition (numbered 100 pieces) has one turquoise vinyl and the other red.

Over the last three decades, Auckland, New Zealand, has given birth to several generations of musicians, DJs, and producers who operated within the interzone between jazz, blues, soul, funk, Latin music, hip-hop, house, boogie, and broken beat. Across two slow-cooked albums that sit at the intersection of machine funk and vivid live instrumentation, Odyssey (2016) and their forthcoming sophomore release Long Road (2024), After 'Ours - the group project of pianist and composer Michal Martyniuk and drummer, guitarist and producer Nick Williams - have comfortably located themselves within this antipodean tradition.

Born and raised in Auckland, Nick Williams grew up surrounded by music from a young age. At home, his mother, Mary Anne, a record collector and DJ with deep, diverse vinyl crates, kept his ear sharp. By the time he was eight years old, he was regularly joining his musician father on stages across Australia in his blues rock band Slippery Sam. In his early twenties, Nick began leading the eleven-piece Auckland Latin-dub-funk fusion big band Tangent, who performed regularly until the late 2000s.

Michal Martyniuk, on the other hand, grew up on the opposite side of the world in Szczecin, Poland. After playing classical music for twelve years and attending jazz school, he relocated to New Zealand with his family in his teens. While studying at Auckland University Jazz school, Michal came into the orbit of the legendary New Zealand saxophonist, composer, producer, and band leader Nathan Haines, who brought him into the same world as future collaborators like Tama Waipara, Batacada Sound Machine, Sola Rosa and Nick.

Inspired by the rich stories of jazz, neo-soul, electronica, and dance music from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and the open-eared Auckland scene they emerged from, After 'Ours formed in 2011. Born out of a friendship cultivated through playing together at bars and nightclubs around town and home studio sessions. "Nick had family and work, so I had to wait all day," Michal says. "We'd come to the studio at 10 PM and go till 3 AM. That's how we came up with the name.

Session by session, After 'Ours revealed itself to be a creatively fertile meeting of minds. "We both have our angles, but it works well in the end," Nick reflects. "It takes the music to a place we can't get to by ourselves."

Between 2011 and 2016, they wrote and recorded Odyssey with a cast of musical collaborators that included KP, Sharlene Hector & Kevin Mark Trail (UK), Matt Nanai, Nathan Haines, Jakub Skowronski, Nick's partner Ange Williams (nee Saunders) and British producer Mike Patto from the lauded UK future jazz group Reel People. Influenced by the smooth yacht rock of Steely Dan and Donald Fagan, the warm midtempo bounce of A Tribe Called Quest and J Dilla, and the complex jazz/RnB bop of Robert Glasper, Odyssey was a labour of love that emphasised community, warm-hearted hospitality, and care.

Seven years on, they're finally ready to return with Long Road, an album that contains some of their best work yet. As well as reconnecting with past collaborators Kevin Mark Trail and Ange Williams, Long Road sees After 'Ours calling on assistance from Louis Baker, Jakarta-based saxophone player Kuba Skowroński, bassist Dan Antunovich, Los Angeles-based drummer Chris Bailey and the journeyman British soul artist Omar Lyefook.

Across ten songs that plot a stargazed course through their antipodean spin on UK broken beat, jazz, modern soul, and blues rock, Nick and Michal build on everything they learned while writing and recording Odyssey. In the process, they take their joyful musical visions to sublime new heights.

"Even God Has A Sense Of Humor" is the long-awaited follow up album to Maxo's critically acclaimed 2019 release Lil Big Man. Across the 14-tracks, Even God Has A Sense Of Humor pays tribute to the mercurial nature of life and includes features from Liv.e, keiyaA, LastNameDavid, and Melanie Charles along with the previously released singles "Free!," produced by Dev Morrison and "48," produced by Madlib and featuring Pink Siifu. The FADER recently sat down with Maxo to discuss the album, which they described as having "a defiant glow, like a bronze statue still standing after an intense tornado."

Born Maxamillian Allen, Even God Has A Sense Of Humor finds Maxo earnest, full-hearted, and lyrically agile. His delivery punches as he poetically unpacks the trials and blessings that have marked the last three years since Lil Big Man, his stirring and meditative debut album. “Life is always gonna be life-ing,” Maxo says, speaking to the spiritual lessons that inspired this new project and an album process that has revealed to him the many ways in which he’s divinely protected.

The album’s striking cover features three casted sculptures of Maxo by legendary NYC-based artist artist John Ahearn, photographed by the rapper’s friend Steven Traylor. The image both preceded the music and set the tone for the record’s overall aura. Experiencing the casting process—which required long periods of stillness for form, and breathwork to avoid claustrophobia—became a metaphor about ego death for Maxo. “I had to go to a space where I was just not there,” he says. As the molding was poured over his body and the voices of those in the room became distant, Maxo’s inner world came into focus. “By the time it hardened, it seemed like the sculpture had risen to be 20 feet above where it was first— almost like it grew tall,” he explains. EGHASOH, in its aural ebbs and flows, honest questioning, profound revelations, and elegant verse, is Maxo standing spiritually tall following a period of challenges with family and friends.

Maxo’s writing process has always been rooted in imagery, observation, and capturing moments. Growing up in Southern California, Maxo spent a lot of time combing through old family photo albums, some of whose contents have become the artwork for prior releases. But his fascination with visual memento is less about nostalgia or remembering, and more about exploring concepts of growth, healing, and cycles. His artistry is intentional and deeply sensitive: “If I’m not feeling it, I’m not gonna record.” While his past records openly grappled with emotional turbulence, anger and depression, EGHASOH is Maxo’s acceptance stage: “I can't really judge nothing. I can't sit up and be mad at shit because everything is, everything is kind of coexisting,” he says.

Musically, EGHASOH is an impressive evolution from Maxo’s earlier, unornamented lo-fi projects. With an emphasis on jazzy instrumentalism and soothing, intricate vocals from both the artist and featured chanteueses Liv.e, Melanie Charles, and keiyaA, EGHASOH is a welcome and beautifully complex sonic effort. Its contributors include a range of musicians: Pink Siifu, LastNameDavid, Madlib, GrayMatter, Karriem Riggins, Beat Butcha, Lance Skiiiwalker, and more. The album was executive produced by Mount Kimbie’s Dom Maker.

“Nobody talks about the fact that we’re changing as we get older... Everybody just acts like you supposed to know,” Maxo says on album standout, “Face of Stone”. It's moody bassline meets a cinematic accordion melody that paradoxically both broods and uplifts—a fitting production choice that mirrors the song’s story. “I’m seeing how this world is chipping you and withering your bones,” Maxo says. “I’m talking about myself, talking about my bro. But it’s never nothing you gonna do that’s a one stop shop in this life. You gotta keep staying diligent and consistent.” For Maxo, Even God Has a Sense of Humor is nothing more than another moment on the timeline of his offerings of self-expression as an artist—one whose sole intention is to, in his words, develop as a human being and heal.

2024 REPRESS

Fourth corner. Physically, it's where four states in the U.S. come together at one singular point. Symbolically, it's where the four great rivers in China come together as one. Or, it could be the cycle of life during the four seasons of the year. For Trixie Whitley, it's a metaphor for trying to find balance and belonging from the songs that make up her scintillating debut album, Fourth Corner.

Whitley burst into public consciousness in 2011 as the lead singer of Black Dub, super-producer Daniel Lanois' (U2, Bob Dylan) project, blowing people away with a voice and presence beyond her now-25 years.

And it's that voice: an emotional, blues-drenched instrument that ranges from a lilting slap to a knock-you-backwards uppercut. On Fourth Corner, Whitley explores the range of human emotion in another set of four: utter love, total rage, unadulterated happiness, and crippling loneliness. "It's those elements of life I keep coming back to," she says. "Both as a person and musically as well."

Recorded in New York with producer/keyboardist Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman, who's also worked with Glen Hansard, Antony and the Johnsons, Grizzly Bear and the National) engineer Pat Dillett (David Byrne, St. Vincent, Mary J. Blige), and string arrangements by Rob Moose (Antony, Bon Iver), aching songs like "Need Your Love" have Whitley working from a spare beginning that explodes into a blossom dripping with pleading vocals and delicate piano. On tracks like the sassy "Irene" and the sinister "Hotel No Name," Whitley lays down a snarling guitar line on top of scuzzy beats while her voice veers from defiant to remorseful.

It's a tantalizing mix of sounds that can come only from someone who says: "I'm from everywhere but have never felt like I belong." Whitley lived a nomadic life: born in Belgium, she split her time growing up there and in New York but also frequently visiting family in France, Texas, and Mexico. Her mother came from an artistic European gypsy family, filled with musicians, painters, writers, and sculptures, while her father, renowned singer-songwriter Chris Whitley, thrust her into the world of music as a toddler when she joined him onstage in Germany at age three.

After a few years of touring and recording experience with some of the most inspiring artists around, Trixie is ready to presenther anticipated first solo full length.

"I'm psyched and petrified," says Whitley in her archetypal wide-eyed wonderment mixed with a fierce determination. "As a songwriter, I want to go to places people don't expect and with that is complete freedom of expression." Perhaps that place is another version of a fourth corner: something spiritual perhaps, certainly emotional, but most definitely real.

Enumclaw aus Tacoma, WA, angeführt von Sänger/Songwriter Aramis Johnson, ist eine Bewegung von Menschen für Menschen. Mit ihrer neuen, zweiten LP „Home in Another Life“ ist Enumclaw mehr als nur eine Rockband. Stattdessen sind sie eine Gemeinschaft von Kreativen, Videofilmern, Fotografen, Schriftstellern, Kritikern und Skatern. Sie sind für die punkigen Kids in den Skateparks in jeder Stadt, für die Kids, die die Hähnchenstreifen im Supermarkt essen, ohne zu bezahlen, für die Kids, die vielleicht nicht in den Theatern und Amphitheatern anzutreffen sind, aber auf jeden Fall im Punk-Treffpunkt die Sau rauslassen. „Home in Another Life“ packt ein ganzes Leben voller Emotionen in seine elf Songs - Johnson gibt gleich beim Opener „I'm Scared I'll End Up All Alone“ den persönlichen Ton an, einem schwankenden, aber heftigen Auftaktsong, der sich an Bands wie Dinosaur Jr und Archers of Loaf orientiert, aber einen modernen Touch hat. Singles wie „Change“ und „Not Just Yet“ zeigen, dass sich die Fähigkeit der Band, Hooks zu schreiben, seit ihrem Debüt „Save the Baby“ aus dem Jahr 2022 komplett verbessert hat. „Would you want me to change?“ schreit Aramis über einem krachenden Riff von Gitarrist Nathan Cornell, während das aggressive Schlagzeug- und Bass-Duo Ladaniel Gibson und Eli Edwards bei „Not Just Yet“ zum Headbanging-Tempo des Songs beiträgt. Nach einem hektischen Tourneeplan mit Bands wie Nothing, Illuminati Hotties und Toro Y Moi gibt es bei Enumclaw keine Anzeichen für eine Verlangsamung ihres Non-Stop-Tempos. Von Anfang an waren sie stolz darauf, eine Band der Arbeiterklasse zu sein, die so viel wie möglich unterwegs ist und CDs an Merch-Tischen brennt, wenn es nötig ist. „Home in Another Life“ fängt diese Energie ein - es ist ein Soundtrack, den man verdammt laut aus dem Fenster einer Mittelklasse-Limousine oder durch die Wände des Wohnhauses des Nachbarn schmettern kann. Es ist ein Album, das darauf abzielt, sich mit dir zu verbinden - das ist die einzige Art und Weise, wie Enumclaw funktionieren.

Enumclaw aus Tacoma, WA, angeführt von Sänger/Songwriter Aramis Johnson, ist eine Bewegung von Menschen für Menschen. Mit ihrer neuen, zweiten LP „Home in Another Life“ ist Enumclaw mehr als nur eine Rockband. Stattdessen sind sie eine Gemeinschaft von Kreativen, Videofilmern, Fotografen, Schriftstellern, Kritikern und Skatern. Sie sind für die punkigen Kids in den Skateparks in jeder Stadt, für die Kids, die die Hähnchenstreifen im Supermarkt essen, ohne zu bezahlen, für die Kids, die vielleicht nicht in den Theatern und Amphitheatern anzutreffen sind, aber auf jeden Fall im Punk-Treffpunkt die Sau rauslassen. „Home in Another Life“ packt ein ganzes Leben voller Emotionen in seine elf Songs - Johnson gibt gleich beim Opener „I'm Scared I'll End Up All Alone“ den persönlichen Ton an, einem schwankenden, aber heftigen Auftaktsong, der sich an Bands wie Dinosaur Jr und Archers of Loaf orientiert, aber einen modernen Touch hat. Singles wie „Change“ und „Not Just Yet“ zeigen, dass sich die Fähigkeit der Band, Hooks zu schreiben, seit ihrem Debüt „Save the Baby“ aus dem Jahr 2022 komplett verbessert hat. „Would you want me to change?“ schreit Aramis über einem krachenden Riff von Gitarrist Nathan Cornell, während das aggressive Schlagzeug- und Bass-Duo Ladaniel Gibson und Eli Edwards bei „Not Just Yet“ zum Headbanging-Tempo des Songs beiträgt. Nach einem hektischen Tourneeplan mit Bands wie Nothing, Illuminati Hotties und Toro Y Moi gibt es bei Enumclaw keine Anzeichen für eine Verlangsamung ihres Non-Stop-Tempos. Von Anfang an waren sie stolz darauf, eine Band der Arbeiterklasse zu sein, die so viel wie möglich unterwegs ist und CDs an Merch-Tischen brennt, wenn es nötig ist. „Home in Another Life“ fängt diese Energie ein - es ist ein Soundtrack, den man verdammt laut aus dem Fenster einer Mittelklasse-Limousine oder durch die Wände des Wohnhauses des Nachbarn schmettern kann. Es ist ein Album, das darauf abzielt, sich mit dir zu verbinden - das ist die einzige Art und Weise, wie Enumclaw funktionieren.

Multi-Blues Music Award-Winner Albert Castiglia Assembles All-Star Cast of Righteous Souls on His New Gulf Coast Record Album including Joe Bonamassa, Josh Smith, Danielle Nicole, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Popa Chubby, Ally Venable, Kevin Burt, Monster Mike Welch, Gary Hoey, Rick Estrin, Jimmy Carpenter and Alabama Mike.

"During last year's "Blood Brothers" tour, Mike Zito informed me that it was time for me to do another solo album. At that moment, I felt I was ill prepared for the task. I had been constantly touring with Mike for the last two years, doing very little writing so I didn't have a lot of original material. My last two studio albums were quite thematic. With 'Masterpiece' the album centered around the discovery of my daughter. 'I Got Love' was fueled by my life during the pandemic of 2020. What would be the thing that fuels the next one? It concerned me because if I'm not living the songs, it'll never work. It had to mean something to me. Mike suggested we make it an album with guests, my friends so to speak. I was concerned my friends wouldn't have time to devote to the project. I was wrong, so wrong. Joe Bonamassa, Josh Smith, Kevin Burt, Gary Hoey, Ally Venable, Popa Chubby, Rick Estrin, Kid & Lisa Andersen, Alabama Mike, Jimmy Carpenter, Kingfish Ingram, Danielle Nicole, Monster Mike Welch, Jerry Jemmott, D-Mar Martin, Jon Otis, Jim Pugh and others stepped up for me. My daughter, Rayne even participated which was the cherry on top. Suddenly, the theme became clear. It's about friends and family. It's about 'Righteous Souls'." - Albert Castiglia

The boys are seated under the shade of a family tree that bears its fruit on the branches of Kings of Leon & the Black Crowes; deeply rooted in an unwavering respect for Lynyrd Skynyrd & Led Zeppelin. Founded as an edgy, hard rock band in 2018, Mojo Thunder have built up a rabid fanbase in the time since with its enthralling live shows and down-to-earth humility. During that time the band has become one of the most entertaining new acts to emerge from Kentucky -- a state otherwise known for its bluegrass and country music. On the album's 10 tracks, the band explores everything from the dark side of activism ("Holy Ghost") and civil rights ("Memphis") to the healing power of a live concert experience ("Greetings from Western Art") and the feeling of not being enough ("Step by Step"). A definitive journey of growth, the project sees the band as their most authentic selves yet as they push themselves -- and their listeners -- to be the best versions of themselves. Mojo Thunder's sophomore effort, The Infinite Hope will please fans of rock music as they return to some familiar sounds while also ambitiously reaching for new heights.

"This Jon Favreau-directed movie stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human raised in the North Pole to be an elf. After discovering he`s really a human, Buddy heads to NYC to find his place in the world and to find his father.

He not only finds his family, but he also manages to rekindle Christmas spirit in the city. The soundtrack includes songs by Louis Prima, Ferrante & Tercher, Ertha Kit, Brian Setzer, Ella Fitzgerald, Wayne Newton, Stevie Wonder, Billy Preston, Johnny Osbourne, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Zooey Deschanel, and Leon Redbone."

Composer and musician Daniel Rafet Grima, offers a thematic release via Research Records titled 'You Are In the Embrace of The History'.

The double A side nods to ambient music, jazz and devotional musics in its arrangement and lyricism; penned as an act of faith in something other.

Research Records' 12" vinyl release of 'You Are In the Embrace of The History' will feature B side reworks by Iti (UK) and Kuniyuki Takahashi (Japan).

Rafet studied music from a young age. Tertiary education brought about further teachings in jazz. Growing up in the family village of Miniara (North Lebanon) saw to an inquiry into maqamat and traditional arabic musics post study. After composing for multiple ensembles and performing in various projects over the years, Rafet settles into his own artistry with this debut.

The vinyl is limited edition blue vinyl with a numbered certificate. This is the first coloured Evo vinyl. The Miners Son Film Soundtrack features self-penned material from Ettecon. 11 original Tracks, most of which has been written and composed by Ettecon Productions. A Nostalgic story of the hopes and dreams of a rock band in 1984. THE MINER’S SON depicts how a year of industrial action and violent unrest changed the face of a small tight knit community and their way of life forever. A bitterness that is still very much felt today. The film focuses on a bygone industrial past of a Kent town in Southeast England. Some of the characters are based on real people and true events from the day. The findings for this story are factual and sourced from friends and family who lived through this turbulent time. This story evolved from the memories of Kevin Short, co-writer & producer of The Miner’s Son. Kevin, a miner’s son himself was a guitarist in many local rock bands who struggled to achieve recognition. Despite this, he recalls the era as a fun and carefree time. A world away from how people see life today.

With a deep-rooted love for traditional Music, Zach Top is poised to
invigorate the country genre with his homage to classic sounds and
authentic storytelling
Zach embodies the spirit of 90's country legends, shaped by his upbringing in
Sunnyside, WA, listening to classic country music while driving around his
family's ranch tending to livestock.
At the age of seven, he formed a band with his siblings which set the stage for his
musical ambitions. Throughout his teenage years and early twenties, Zach honed
his craft by playing in various bluegrass bands before moving to Nashville in 2021
where he has been steadily making his mark as an artist to watch.
Zach just released two special holiday tracks and is set to join CMA Entertainer of
the Year, Lainey Wilson's "Country's Cool again" tour this year

There is something simultaneously both brand-new and retro about 'All News Is Good News’ - the debut album from Melbourne's instrumental soul group Surprise Chef. It sounds like something dreamt up by lo-fi cousins of David Axelrod and Janko Nilovic, with dramatic Library-music-eqsue cinematic arrangements echoing both light and dark, delving into moments of dissonance and positivity.

There is a meticulous education of 1970’s soul on display that touches on the legacies of the great composer / producers, yet at the same time this is a truly contemporary record that could have only been made now. The first limited pressing of 'All News Is Good News’ was released on the band's own 'College Of Knowledge' imprint in November 2019. It slipped rapidly into the collective consciousness of underground music lovers around the world, with all copies selling out within a week and becoming a firm favourite at Mr Bongo HQ in the process.

We felt Surprise Chef had made something very special, a future-classic, and that needed to be heard well beyond those lucky enough to have bagged those limited first copies. Formed at the end of 2017, Surprise Chef have grown within the fertile, creative, and supportive Melbourne music scene. Whilst the band is comprised of four core members, the album features friends and family as guest instrumentalists on flute, saxophone, vibraphone, congas, and assorted percussion; all adeptly recorded by engineer Henry Jenkins from the band Karate Boogaloo. The warm-raw-authenticity of the album was captured in the recordings live to tape over a handful of sessions in the band’s home studio in Melbourne’s inner-northern suburb of Coburg. As band member Lachlan Stuckey explains “All of the music we record is tracked live to tape, simply because so many of the records we love most were made that way".

The results are a captivating journey of instrumental cinematic-soul that will connect with the hardened Axelrod, Truth & Soul, El Michels Affair, and Daptone's fans, as well as the open-minded first-time listener. We are very excited to share this first slice of Surprise Chef’s world, with plenty more magic from these guys coming around the corner very soon.

Also available on Red Vinyl - Limited Edition of 200 Copies.

The records is released in two options. Both hvae 180g vinyl records. The first version has two black vinyls and the second limited edition (numbered 100 pieces) has one turquoise vinyl and the other red.

Over the last three decades, Auckland, New Zealand, has given birth to several generations of musicians, DJs, and producers who operated within the interzone between jazz, blues, soul, funk, Latin music, hip-hop, house, boogie, and broken beat. Across two slow-cooked albums that sit at the intersection of machine funk and vivid live instrumentation, Odyssey (2016) and their forthcoming sophomore release Long Road (2024), After 'Ours - the group project of pianist and composer Michal Martyniuk and drummer, guitarist and producer Nick Williams - have comfortably located themselves within this antipodean tradition.

Born and raised in Auckland, Nick Williams grew up surrounded by music from a young age. At home, his mother, Mary Anne, a record collector and DJ with deep, diverse vinyl crates, kept his ear sharp. By the time he was eight years old, he was regularly joining his musician father on stages across Australia in his blues rock band Slippery Sam. In his early twenties, Nick began leading the eleven-piece Auckland Latin-dub-funk fusion big band Tangent, who performed regularly until the late 2000s.

Michal Martyniuk, on the other hand, grew up on the opposite side of the world in Szczecin, Poland. After playing classical music for twelve years and attending jazz school, he relocated to New Zealand with his family in his teens. While studying at Auckland University Jazz school, Michal came into the orbit of the legendary New Zealand saxophonist, composer, producer, and band leader Nathan Haines, who brought him into the same world as future collaborators like Tama Waipara, Batacada Sound Machine, Sola Rosa and Nick.

Inspired by the rich stories of jazz, neo-soul, electronica, and dance music from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and the open-eared Auckland scene they emerged from, After 'Ours formed in 2011. Born out of a friendship cultivated through playing together at bars and nightclubs around town and home studio sessions. "Nick had family and work, so I had to wait all day," Michal says. "We'd come to the studio at 10 PM and go till 3 AM. That's how we came up with the name.

Session by session, After 'Ours revealed itself to be a creatively fertile meeting of minds. "We both have our angles, but it works well in the end," Nick reflects. "It takes the music to a place we can't get to by ourselves."

Between 2011 and 2016, they wrote and recorded Odyssey with a cast of musical collaborators that included KP, Sharlene Hector & Kevin Mark Trail (UK), Matt Nanai, Nathan Haines, Jakub Skowronski, Nick's partner Ange Williams (nee Saunders) and British producer Mike Patto from the lauded UK future jazz group Reel People. Influenced by the smooth yacht rock of Steely Dan and Donald Fagan, the warm midtempo bounce of A Tribe Called Quest and J Dilla, and the complex jazz/RnB bop of Robert Glasper, Odyssey was a labour of love that emphasised community, warm-hearted hospitality, and care.

Seven years on, they're finally ready to return with Long Road, an album that contains some of their best work yet. As well as reconnecting with past collaborators Kevin Mark Trail and Ange Williams, Long Road sees After 'Ours calling on assistance from Louis Baker, Jakarta-based saxophone player Kuba Skowroński, bassist Dan Antunovich, Los Angeles-based drummer Chris Bailey and the journeyman British soul artist Omar Lyefook.

Across ten songs that plot a stargazed course through their antipodean spin on UK broken beat, jazz, modern soul, and blues rock, Nick and Michal build on everything they learned while writing and recording Odyssey. In the process, they take their joyful musical visions to sublime new heights.

Immerse yourself in a unique narrative experience, embarking on a vibrant journey that will awaken your senses and evoke warm memories.

Play as Mimi, exploring the precious recollections of your childhood and the times shared with your late grandmother. As past meets present, confront your adult choices with fond childhood memories to uncover lost family secrets.

For the OST, SUPERNAIVE brothers oscillates between melancholy and wonder. They build a strong narrative throughout the songs, taking the listener by the hand to discover their unique poetic universe.

Motion picture soundtrack to the critically acclaimed 2023 black comedy starring Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi and Rosamund Pike. Includes the huge resurgent hits Murder on the Dancefloor by Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Perfect (Exceeder) by Mason vs Princess Superstar.

Saltburn is the 2023 black comedy psychological thriller film written, directed, and co-produced by Emerald Fennell. The film stars a student (Barry Keoghan) at Oxford University, who finds himself drawn into the world of a charming and aristocratic classmate (Jacob Elordi), who invites him to his eccentric family’s sprawling estate for a summer never to be forgotten. The film became one of the most-streamed films upon its streaming release on Amazon Prime Video in December 2023. It received critical acclaim and several accolades, including nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and five BAFTA Awards.

WRWTFWW Records is wonderfully proud to announce the long anticipated official reissue of Chrysalide (1978), the sole album from French multi-instrumentalist and enigmatic genius Michel Moulinié. The krautrock/ambient/minimalism paragon is available as a limited edition LP with one never-heard bonus track. It is sourced from the original reels and housed in a heavy 350gsm sleeve.

Originally released in 1978 on Ange and Jean-Claude Pognant's mythical prog rock label Crypto,
Chrysalide is a fusion of minimalist meditations, cosmic soundscapes, and ambient with a human warmth, carried by a profoundly beautiful and unique use of twelve-string guitar, bass, and violin.

Ideal for an introspective listening experience, the hypnotic Kosmische Musik of Michel Moulinié belongs to the same psychedelic family as Manuel Göttsching’s Inventions For Electric Guitar, Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, early Tangerine Dream, and Steve Hillage’s innovative guitar mastery. WRWTFWW listeners might also be reminded of the label’s seminal French release, Dominique Guiot's L'Univers de la Mer, which makes a great spiritual pairing with Chrysalide.

Escape into the vast universe inside yourself :

Gregory T.S. Walker’s Minstrels & Minimoogs was self-published by a young, nomadic composer and virtuoso in 1988 to accompany an immersive multimedia performance at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Fiske Planetarium. Created with this outer, and other, world setting in mind, the four tracks find Walker stretching toward an ancient-to-future vision where Egyptian myths and Hieronymus Bosch-ian tableaus are rendered in a screaming three dimensional circuitry of electronic drums, synth guitars, and, of course, Minimoog. Given the musical terrains and outmoded topics traversed, and that this entirely DIY effort was originally released as a micro one-sided 12” edition, Minstrels & Minimoogs is as perplexing and euphoric a document lost-to-time as it is now found.

Born in 1961 into an intensely musical family spanning four generations, Gregory’s mother Helen Walker-Hill was a noted musicologist specializing in the rediscovery and work of historical Black female composers, while his father, George Walker, was the first African American composer to win the Pulitzer Prize for music. Both parents studied with the famed (and famously strict) Nadia Boulanger in Paris in the 1950s, and held to lofty aesthetic standards in their home life. Walker began studying the violin as a child, but when a burgeoning interest in the electric guitar and rock music as a teen manifested, it was largely verboten in the household. The rule was that the music played in the home was to be acoustic and classical. Although the elder Walkers eventually relented and allowed Gregory’s guitar to be plugged in for a brief interval on the weekends, the remaining days he settled for strumming it sans amplification.

Gregory, conditioned and eager for a life in music but looking to get out from under the influence and yoke of his famous composer father, ultimately chose to study computer music at the University of California at San Diego, where he earned a Master of Arts. This was followed by another MA in electronic music composition at that hotbed of West Coast experimental music, Mills College. Intermedia and multimedia in the arts was the rage in the 1980s, and Mills was one of the centers for it; audacious spectacle meeting visionary performance, such as one of the realizations for Anthony Braxton’s music for multiple orchestras a young Gregory performed in with his violin.

After a series of solo synthesizer concerts around California, Gregory followed a girlfriend on a mid-country move to Boulder, Colorado. After picking up yet another composition degree at University of Colorado Boulder, his life as a composer really started, writing a piece for extended technique for guitar, a passacaglia for vocoder and orchestra, as well as Minstrels & Minimoogs.

Envisioned as a multimedia performance such as the kind he’d experienced at Mills (which was all but unknown in Boulder at the time), Gregory roped in a number of college going or aged friends of varying skill levels and musical sympathies to accompany him with distorted sax or oblique spoken interludes. Confronted with a lack of finances, but driven to get his ideas captured in a complete musical package, the album was recorded in his brother’s apartment. If not every player assembled was on Gregory’s virtuosic level, so be it; it was more about capturing the spirit of his intentions and embracing the serendipity of mistakes.

An inspired attempt at world building, Minstrels & Minimoogs draws on the deep well of musical knowledge Gregory gathered from his parents and teachers, but all the while subverting that historical basis by incorporating mutant strains of prog and pop music. The work accumulated is not unlike the playful 1980s work of Gregorio Paniagua, where medieval estampies and rondeaus are wrenched into an anachronistic present where Hildegard Von Bingen and Kate Bush are contemporaries. Ars nova, new art, a 20th century minimalist jester and troubadour.

A one sided LP was the cheapest option Gregory found to have Minstrels & Minimoogs memorialized on vinyl, so somewhere between 50 to 100 copies were pressed. There was no distribution, outside of copies that were handed out to friends or sold at the performances at the planetarium. Gregory T.S. Walker’s cosmic-futuristic forays into oblique pop and baroque subversion could forever reside perfectly in both the domed simulacrum of our universe for which it was composed, in the formats it is being reintoduced now, and our own biblical firmament. For in the words of Gregory, straight from the original liner notes: “God Is A Minimoog”

Gregory T.S. Walker’s Minstrels & Minimoogs arrives again August 23, 2024 on vinyl and digitally as part of uncommon¢ (“uncommon sense”), an open-ended, serialized endeavor from Freedom to Spend that provides new meaning for rarefied recordings from music's outermost fringe.

Hip hop 50th Anniversary reissue on Gold
Vinyl. Includes MF Doom remix of “If I
Ruled The World”. Special edition
stickered sleeve

Young Marble Giants' "Colossal Youth" has mystified and beguiled audiences since its 1980 release. Seen by primary songwriter Stuart Moxham as "a last gasp" at making a record, Stuart insisted the one-off 7" deal offered by Rough Trade be altered to allow an entire album . . . that paid off when with a big seller which produces cover versions even from bands whose members were a decade or two away from being born on the album's release. When YMG disbanded, Stuart was at a loss; he'd never envisioned a follow-up. A series of experimental recordings made with pal Phil Legg (Essential Logic) and supported by other YMG members, musicians from This Heat and Swell Maps, old Cardiffian pals, and new friends like Vivien Goldman resulted in an album, "Embrace The Herd", as The Gist. Released just before Rough Trade made bold moves toward pop charts with Scritti Politti, The Smiths and others, the album was odd for its time, but has since taken on the lustre of genius. Years of silence followed, thereafter intermittently broken by the odd release from small labels. Stuart delved into family life, though he never stopped writing and recording. In more recent years, two retrospective compilation of lost recordings by The Gist have been released, as well as a superb collaboration with French arranger Louis Philippe, "The Devil Laughs". "Fabstract" is the final gathering of Stuart's lost recordings. Compiling long-lost YMG-era tracks with the recent brilliance of "Crow, Crow" and "Suburban Monochrome", through bits of whimsy and vastly alternate versions of fan faves, this diverse album shouldn't work . . . but it does, telling a satisfying story of an underrated talent whose mistake was following his muse, not the charts. This album precedes a new recording, years in the making, produced by Dave Trumfio, which promises to be Stuart's most complete - and original - work since "Colossal Youth". Tracks:

After the success of her breakout EP, 'Water-Based Lullabies', a playful, Zodiac-inspired odyssey through life and love, Mancunian fan favourite Abbie Ozard is back with a bang. The last release hinted at an evolution in sound, and in the soon-to-drop album 'Everything Still Worries Me', we see all that potential realised as Ozard's musical and personal growth is laid bare.

Growing pains and the overwhelm of those first steps into adulthood of stand out as overarching themes in this more serious, introspective body of work, in which Ozard explores beyond her bedroom-pop origins and lays bare the vulnerabilities that will resonate with so many young women becoming adults in a complex, confusing and ever-changing world. Even without the transcendent vocals that could belong to no one else, Ozard is present in every second of this album - from musical performances from close friends to samples of old family videos, she is enshrined in this spellbinding debut that could not be more authentic to its creator.

Meghan Parnell (vocals) and Dave Barnes (guitar) are the founding
members of Bywater Call, a powerhouse seven-piece Southern soul,
roots rock band from Toronto, Canada
The band is completed by Bruce McCarthy on drums, Mike Meusel on Bass,
newest member, John Kervin on Keys, Stephen Dyte on Trumpet and Julian Nalli
on Tenor Sax. Bywater Call has received multiple Independent Blues and
Maple Blues Award nominations including Entertainer, Electric Act and Best
Female Vocalist for the 2024 Awards Season. They have toured extensively in
Europe where shows have been praised by Dutch, German and UK media, with
references to Meghan as one of the best female voices in blues and roots today.
In August 2023, the band participated in Joe Bonamassa's thirdKeeping the Blues
Alive at Sea Mediterranean Cruise alongside headliners Blackberry Smoke and
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, and were invited to perform at the All-Star Jam on
the mainstage with Bonamassa himself. Guitarist Dave Barnes was also asked to
join legendary blues artist Jimmy Vivino (Conan O'Brien's Basic Cable Band) on
stage. On October 24, 2023, Bywater performed a live stream performance for the
famed German TV show and festival Rockpalast. The band's music is an
exploration of life's highs and lows. From intimate ballads that lay bare the
complexities of human emotion to electrifying anthems that demand to be played
at full volume, their catalogue is a journey through the human experience,
incorporating influences from the likes of The Band, The Wood Brothers, Tedeschi
Trucks Band, Otis Redding, Little Feat, Sly and the Family Stone, among others.
Video Link:

'A Handful Of Memories' is the result of an appreciation upon reflection of Adam's
past experiences, trips with his family, his touring families and friends in some
places that hold special memories for him.
To reflect the personal, minimalist nature of the tracks, no effort was made to
remove any of the pedal noises or enhance the tracks in any way, as Adam
wanted them as exposed and natural as they can be.
The pandemic had a hand in Adam's return to modern classical piano after 25
years. As a highly sought- after touring pianist, Adam played extensively with
Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Travis and many others. When the pandemic
started, and the music world paused, he was halfway through a South American
tour with Martin Barre on his 50th Anniversary Tour of Jethro Tull. Forced to leave
his gear in Peru and hurry home before the airports closed, a period of reflection
had started and this album is a result of that.

Indignation Meeting are punky rail fans from Leeds. 15-year-old Peter is the driver - he's the drummer and lead singer, writes most of the songs, and also plays bass and trumpet on the album. The rest of the crew is his dad Michael on guitar, Hugo on bass, and with Keith, Heather and Sally often along for the ride when they play out. Here at DGHQ we've been listening to their self-released debut album Trouble In The Shed since last year and finally spoke with the band and agreed to release it on vinyl for the first time. It was very good timing as they've just been in the studio to finish recording their second album, so we'll be releasing that later in 2024. Welcome on-board! We caught up with Peter to ask as few questions about the band_ Q: "In a week when the Labour Party promised to return the rail network to public ownership, we ask how did your fascination with trains begin?" A: "Honestly, I don't really know - I've just loved them ever since I can remember. It's not like with some people who had a family connection or watched Thomas the Tank Engine; I've just always loved them. I guess it's just a childhood obsession that never went away!" Q: "'Trouble In The Shed' is quickly becoming a firm office favourite here at DG. There's a touch of punk, indie and new wave about it. What would you say are the key influences that make up your musical DNA?" A: "My main influence when this album was released was Blyth Power. They'd been my favourite band for years when this was recorded, so everything on it was influenced by them in some way. They've had so many different musical styles over the years that they kind of conglomerated into this album, to create yet another eclectic mix of songs. The only real exception to that on this album is Electrification - no prizes for guessing the influence there! If you see us live, however, you may notice another influence pervading through our songs. That influence is the anarcho-hippy band 'The Astronauts,' whom I discovered midway through the recording process, and have quickly become one of my all-time favourite bands!" Q: "What's the story behind your song 'Hornby Horrors'?" A: "Hornby Horrors is an interesting one. People who haven't heard it may assume it's about some ill-fated model railway endeavour, but it's actually a tale of corruption in, of all places, the model train company Hornby! This song was the result of several minor scandals at Hornby HQ making their way to the modelling masses, the main ones of which were an ill-fated tier list, which placed retailers in three categories as to whether or not they received Hornby's products, with tier 3 retailers barely getting anything at all. Interestingly, the UK's former biggest retailer, Hatton's Model Railways, was a tier 3 retailer due to their 'competing products' (made by their own small brand Hatton's Originals') and has recently announced closure due to financial hardship. Now as we all know, correlation does not equal causation, but I wonder_" Q: "The album is being released on a specific shade of green vinyl. What's the significance?" A: "The shade of green on the vinyl is very similar to the shade worn by the locomotives from the Great Western Railway in the 1870s - 1940s. Due to this connection, we thought it was only proper we picked this colour, which we have dubbed 'Great Western Green!'" Q: "The album release coincides with an appearance at Rebellion Festival in Blackpool this August. Can you give the readers three reasons why they should come and see your performance?" A: "1 - We like to think we provide something different with our music - it is very obviously punk, but it's a bit more light-hearted than a lot of the political stuff, with nearly all the songs being about some sort of obscure steam loco engine. If you just want something light-hearted to enjoy, we might just be the band for you! 2 - We've got a rather interesting line up - instead of the usual line-ups you see, we've got a 15 year-old singing drummer with his dad on guitar, a newly-turned adult with a massive ginger afro playing the bass, the guitarist from the old anarcho band 'Dog On A Rope' playing some gnarly lead parts, and all topped off with some beautiful backing vocals from the drummer's sister and mother. As Attila the Stockbroker described us, Blyth Power meets the Partridge Family - not to be missed! 3 - Here's something you won't forget in a hurry - as well as his vocals, our 15-year-old frontman Peter plays drums and trumpet at the same time! If that's something you want to see, make sure you get down to see us!"

The Acido family in full effect: leftfield, lo-fi Acid, ace Ambient trips, Disco vibes & what not.

Asmaa Hamzaoui stands out as a pioneering female figure in the traditionally male-dominated realm of Gnawa music. With her group, Bnat Timbouktou, she brings a dynamic and spiritual dimension to the genre, infusing it with the vibrant energy of desert blues. Despite the essential role women have played in Gnawa rituals, female musicians have historically been underrepresented. Hamzaoui, however, is at the forefront of changing this trend. Born into a family deeply entrenched in Gnawa traditions in Casablanca, Hamzaoui was immersed in this musical heritage from a young age. Her father, a master musician, and her mother, a dancer, provided a rich environment for her early education in music. She learned to play the guembri, a three-stringed lute central to Gnawa music, and began performing with her father's band on the qraqeb, metal castanets used in Gnawa music, and in the choir. Encouraged by her father, she eventually formed her own group, Bnat Timbouktou. The group's debut album, "Oulad Lghaba," recorded in collaboration with the Swedish label ajabu! Records, was critically acclaimed and nominated for a Songlines Music Award. This album, along with their upcoming release "L'bnat," showcases Hamzaoui's commitment to preserving and revitalizing Gnawa music. "L'bnat," will emphasize the female traditions and spiritual aspects of Gnawa culture. Hamzaoui's performances are characterized by her powerful voice and the rhythmic, percussive playing of the guembri. Her music not only pays homage to the spiritual and healing qualities of Gnawa but also aims to keep the tradition alive by introducing it to new audiences worldwide.

Grande Coisa! (Big Deal!). You could hear it. It is the eternal irony of life. For a composer who has been making music since he was a teenager and only at the age of 38 does he make his work public, it can indeed be a big deal. Grande Coisa, is Dorea's first authorial album, and tells his stories, the ones he lived, others he heard about, but mainly the ones he created. With all the songs composed during the most isolated period in the pandemic, the work can be dense in many moments, difficult to digest, but there are sighs. And there are stories that intersect, like those of the boys who are one and also millions, and show the artist's vision of Brazil. The disappeared, forgotten, the sad and aimless still appear. And there is the warmth of the song for a loved one or even a family partnership, between mother and son. Grande Coisa has ten songs, all written by the artist himself, one of them with lyrics adapted from an excerpt from a book written by his mother. Its musical roots are rooted in rock, but with a blatantly Brazilian gaze and interpretation. It has musical production and minimalist paths chosen by Sebastian Notini, collaborative arrangements forged in the encounter of Dorea's guitar with Seba's percussive and melodic vein and Carla Suzart's bass, and a wood weave that ends the album with the timbres of Joana Queiroz (bass clarinet and clarinet) and Leandro Tigrão (flute) under the baton of maestro Per Ekdahl.

In November 2023 we celebrated NOW’s 40th anniversary with a collection of massive Pop hits – but with 40 years of hits to choose from we had to leave out so many fantastic tracks – so it’s time to continue that celebration with NOW That’s What I Call 40 Years - Part 2 – again honouring the legacy with a stellar selection from the past four decades of NOW. Embark on a musical journey from 1983 right up to the present day. Released on a triple vinyl set pressed on Green, Clear Transparent, and Pink LPs with 43 essential hit tracks. and 100 essential hit tracks across the 5 CD set

RAWAX welcomes Shacklo to the Family!

Das mit Spannung erwartete WE STILL DON'T TRUST YOU ist das nächste Kapitel einer explosiven Kampagne. Sie feiert die historische Partnerschaft zweier kulturverändernder Legenden, die auf dem Höhepunkt ihrer Kräfte agieren, und zementiert ihr Vermächtnis als Hip-Hop-Pioniere. Wie bei seinem Vorgänger ist das Who's Who ihrer Kollaborateure vertreten und hebt die kultigste Rapper-Produzenten-Partnerschaft in eine ganz neue Stratosphäre.

Das mit Spannung erwartete WE STILL DON'T TRUST YOU ist das nächste Kapitel einer explosiven Kampagne. Sie feiert die historische Partnerschaft zweier kulturverändernder Legenden, die auf dem Höhepunkt ihrer Kräfte agieren, und zementiert ihr Vermächtnis als Hip-Hop-Pioniere. Wie bei seinem Vorgänger ist das Who's Who ihrer Kollaborateure vertreten und hebt die kultigste Rapper-Produzenten-Partnerschaft in eine ganz neue Stratosphäre.

For the 20th Pleasure Club release we are very happy to present an EP from two core members of the Pleasure Club family - Johnny Hunter & Remi Mazet.

The "Passing Through Fyah EP" comes via the connected mind of both artists, with a record which spans and blurs the realms of house, techno and electro. Characterised by dubwise basslines, cosmic synth work and expert drum programming, this one feels like the perfect way for us to celebrate the two zero milestone.

A big shout out to everyone who has supported the label until now. We really appreciate it <3

After meeting in 1992 as members of St Etienne's touring band, Debsey Wykes (Dolly Mixture) and Paul Kelly (East Village) turned their shared love of the soft rock and sunshine pop of the 1960s and 1970s into the now-legendary Birdie. In the summer of 1998 Birdie recorded their debut album "Some Dusty" with the estimable Brian O'Shaughnessy (Denim, Moose, The Clientele). It's a deep and beautiful album, with melodic & sophisticated (yet understated) arrangements providing the perfect setting for Debsey's sweet and soulful soft-pop vocals. Add in gorgeous string arrangements from The High Llamas' Sean O'Hagan and you have all the makings of a pop classic.

Subsequent singles and a second album cemented their reputation as top-notch purveyors of pop, but family life and other artistic pursuits called and Birdie has only been sporadically active since 2001. Their brief but perfectly-formed discography has become the stuff of legend, though, charming savvy pop fans around the world with its timeless songcraft and flawless production.

Summer 2024 will see the long overdue vinyl reissue of "Some Dusty" on US indie label Slumberland Records, returning this classic album to much-needed availability in deluxe remastered form with a deluxe 60s-style laminated heavy card jacket and a fine insert with rare photos and liner notes by Chickfactor’s Gail O’Hara.

The album opens with a 13 minute improvisation titled “The Time Is Now For Change”. As Ranelin , Belgrave, and Harrison exchange flurries of notes and squeaks over improvised chaos from the rhythm section, the group builds to a spiritual high that calls to mind the best Albert Ayler recordings. Bebop lines and unison phrases occasionally rise to the surface, offering a glimmer of familiarity in what is largely a harsh soundscape. Yet what sets Ranelin (and indeed, all of his Tribe contemporaries) apart from the larger free and spiritual jazz scene at the time is their sense of rhythm. Even as Harrison evokes sounds that would make a Meditations era Coltrane blush, the drums stay in time, and the looping bass and piano riffs take on an almost hypnotic quality, repeating quietly under a whirlwind of sound.

Later tracks see the ensemble veer into soul jazz, and jazz-funk, with “Black Destiny” perfectly highlighting the group’s ability to meld the avant-garde with grooves that you won’t be able to stop yourself from tapping your foot to. Members of the Tribe were well known for their appreciation of African American popular music, and the influence of groups such as Sly And The Family Stone is clear in the song’s edgy rhythms and dense sound.

This double LP reissue also contains alternate versions and outtakes that are so good you’ll be wondering why they were originally left out! With modern remastering, three bonus tracks, and an obi-strip, you don’t want to miss the definitive version of Phil Ranelin’s The Time Is Now! "

"We had a conversation recently where we realized that we’ve been a band for almost 10 years. When we started Wild Rivers way back when, we had never played a real concert before. When we made our first record it was our first time stepping into a real studio. We barely even knew each other when we started this band. Since then we’ve played a thousand shows, recorded over 30 songs, and become a family.

When we set out to record ‘Never Better’, we felt like we were at a new stage of the band. By that point, we’d put in the hours and all began to feel totally self assured in what we were about to do. We wanted to bring everything we’ve learned over the years and all that we’ve been through as a group to the project. We chose to trust our guts and move quickly and confidently in every decision, second guessing ourselves as little as possible. In having this mindset, we were able to completely let loose and go deeper into the process, finding new ways of recording live, swapping instruments, and turning these songs on their heads. We couldn’t have made this record a few years ago.

We approached this record with the mindset, ‘this is who we are’. We aren’t pretending to be something we’re not, or trying to sound like anyone else. We wanted it to feel easy. We wanted the stories to be real. We wanted to show our true selves as best we could. We’re proud of who we’ve become as people and as a team. We truly feel like we’re having the most fun with music that we’ve ever had, and in the most exciting stage of our lives. We’re never better."

Bristol-based DJ/producer Jay Singh a.k.a. Indian Man has been a regular on the festival and club circuit for several years, bringing to the dancefloors his distinct blend of musical influences, from electronica to the Punjabi sounds of his Indian roots. Championed by the WOMAD festival, his first official release is a mixtape of tracks he has created with a truly international cast of collaborators he met on his travels with the global music festival from the UK to Europe and South America, including stars such as Emmanuel Jal, La Dame Blanche, and Dobet Gnahoré.

Upon returning from his extensive travels, Indian Man honed his craft in the spare room of his grandmother’s house where he lived as a carer. He spent his evenings playing DJ sets and producing dance music on a midi keyboard left there from his father’s band, inspired by melodies his gran sang around the house. Packed with dance beats, playful melodies, and spin-chilling vocals, the result is Gran’s House — both a tribute to the loving family and diverse cultures that made him who he is, and the bold coming-of-age of a rapidly-rising talent.

"Dark Paradise" von IMPERIA ist eine ist die Fortsetzung des musikalischen Stils, den sie mit ihrem letzten Album "The Last Horizon" eingeführt haben.
Trotz seiner kompakten Länge ist "Dark Paradise" ein in sich geschlossenes Werk, das symphonische und rockige Elemente nahtlos zu einem einheitlichen musikalischen Erlebnis verschmelzen lässt.
Die Zusammenarbeit zwischen IMPERIA und Jacob Hansen für den Mix des Albums, garantiert einen qualitativ hochwertigen Sound, da Hansen einen hervorragenden Ruf genießt.
Der Gitarrist der Band, Jan Yrlund, stellt seine künstlerische Vision in den Vordergrund und sorgt dafür, dass der visuelle Aspekt des Albums der Tiefe und Komplexität der Musik entspricht.
Durch dieses Zusammenspiel überzeugt "Dark Paradise" sowohl klanglich als auch visuell und ist ein fesselndes Werk für die Fans von IMPERIAs Musik

Resonance is one of the most powerful forces this world has,
simply because there is no way to stop it. A drop of
condensed water separates itself from the concrete ceiling.
Propelled only by its own weight, it plummets down towards
a cacophony of naked bodies and §ailing arms to shatter on
a the forehead of an ecstatic dancer. And while all this is
happening, a voice resonates through the entire room,
making the walls shake and the crowd lose themselves even
further : “Move Your Body, Move Your Soul”. Narciss emerges
from a grimey basement in Berlin to bring us two heavy
utility dance§oor cuts on Actions Speak Louder Than Words,
his ¦rst Solo EP on Seelen. The title track is truly something
to behold. With a breakneck tempo, hard hitting percussions
and a legendary house vocal, it wields an absolutely
hypnotizing power that, before you know it, will make
everyone in attendance grind and juke till the early morning
hours. There is a palpapable vibe of mid 90s Detroit-Techno
but still it manages to cut out an identity for its own, with
razor sharp sound-design and a very uplifting attitude for its
genre. And while the tracks arrangement and sound-design is
very minimal, it is on Brennpunkt that Narciss really §exes
his trademark way of building tension with remarkably few
elements. Everything here is stripped down to its most
functional core. The synth-lead is simple yet menacing, the
kick-drum hits like a boxer, and you can be pretty sure that
the hihats will leave burns if you get too close to the record.
As is custom on this label, the B-side is dedicated to thereconstructive efforts of friends or family. This time the
mastermind of Manhigh and Grounded Theory, Mr. Henning
Baer, and Seelen’s very own Shaleen have both let their
actions speak. Henning Baer has taken on the title track in
his Remix and has transformed it into a true vintage electro
cut. A distorted synth and pad add heavy grit to the original’s
vocal, and the warehouse sized kickdrum will knock anyone
unprepared off their feet. Meanwhile Shaleen’s reinterpretation of Brennpunkt strips it down even further,
swirling the original’s elements into a groovy maelstrom.
This version rumbles, clicks and sneers, with sampled voices
from a Shakespeare play giving the whole ordeal a truly
macabre feeling. This is a tool for only the most darkest of
warehouses when the night is at its peak. So now, to
summarize this record : it is a call to action. And because of
this, it continues to resonate, even when the last track has
been played. And a resonance can never be stopped.

On his new album, Samurai, Lupe retreats inward to give fans one of his most personal albums in his deep catalog. “I sometimes get tagged by my fans as not doing personal records,” Lupe says, “but I always tell people there's me in there if you listen closely enough. This album is one of my more personal records to date. It's not a full biography, but my personal experiences are tied up in all of my music. A lot of the records are me. Some are from the POV of a character. and some are me. The album weaves things from my life as an artist, touching on things other artists go through.” The narrative follows a battle rapper through various moments in his career, starting with how they honed their battle rap skills, following their career through different moments. Musically, the new album finds Lupe delighting in the simple pleasures of assembling assonant syllables into playful and poignant narratives. The 8-track album is smooth, yet cerebral, brimming with ideas, but always radiating Lupe’s pure love for the art of emceeing and committing himself as a servant of the rap game. The album was produced in full by longtime collaborator and friend, Soundtrakk (“Superstar,” “Kick, Push,” “HipHop Saved My Life”), their second time linking up on a full album after 2022’s DRILL MUSIC IN ZION, and is also the first time Lupe, Trakk, and longtime manager Charles “Chill” Patton were in the studio together since Patton’s release from prison in 2023. “It felt great to be back in the studio again as a family,” Lupe says. It’s the first time they’d worked together in the studio since Lupe’s seminal album, The Cool in 2005. “The word ‘samurai’ means to serve,” Lupe says on the album’s title. “My relationship to that word has always meant that you need to be at the service of other people, either in the overall community, or in this instance, the rap community at large that I’ve been a part of for years. You have some duty, some purpose to serve. The title alone is very important to me. Before rap even, martial arts was my whole life, and it still plays a huge role in my life. The album is me, but also inspired by a quote I heard from one of my favorite artists. The overall themes of the album speak to the constant fight and the battle one goes through being in the entertainment industry. Some of the things we need to defend.”

Archeo Recordings' rewarding relationship with Tony Esposito continues on AR027, as the label provide a remastered reissue of his transcendent fusion-pop masterpiece "Pagaia" alongside a trio of brand new reworks from Perugia's mighty Feel Fly. Whether you're looking for cosmic house, mellow acid, trancey techno or dubby downbeat, these remixes have you covered, and the original remains a true work of art. Available in all good record stores on 12th July as a 50 copy super limited edition on Solid Blue Vinyl (including gadget scarf) and limited black vinyl edition.
50 copy Solid Blue Vinyl Edition (including gadget scarf), and also limited black vinyl run "Pagaia" hails from the Neapolitan percussionist's 1982 LP Tamburo, his first release for the brilliant Bubble imprint. Though the album delights and excites from start to finish, dancing through jazz-funk, Mediterranean pop, slow disco and smooth fusion, it's "Pagaia" which is first among equals. Esposito's nuanced hand drums lay the foundation for Claudio Pizzale, Sara Borsarini and Simona Pirone's wordless vocals, a life affirming chorus which carries us onto the swell of bass, piano and horns which drive the track through four and a half minutes of emotional release. Emphatic and expressive, the track transports the listener into a state of body moving rapture, all driven by Tony's rhythmic fluency. The song found its way into Italian living rooms over the credits of TV show Domenica In, and found its way into club culture thanks to fanatical support from the likes of Daniele Baldelli, who even included it on his first official Cosmic compilation.
Following a string of essential releases for the likes of Internasjonal, International Feel and New Interplanetary Melodies, Daniele Tomassini, better known as Feel Fly, now joins the Archeo family with a trio of contemporary club translations of the killer "Pagaia". The Perugian's "Cosmical Remix" extends that familiar introduction into a deep and DJ-friendly blend of drum and voice, awash with airy reverb and augmented by additional percussion, building through the original piano and bass into the churn of a dance floor wormhole. Driven by an unstoppable sequencer throb, the interpretation skirts the dark side of space before landing in the light of the miracle, those heavenly vocals and lush keys leading the way. The "Instrumental Cosmical Remix", not entirely instrumental, but utterly cosmical nonetheless, sees Daniele serve a tense and tracky arrangement of his first rework, perfect for deep space exploration. Stripped of the joyful exuberance of the original, this variation is a complex blend of shadowy trance idents and the mature techno we'd expect from the likes of François K. Not content with soundtracking either side of the peaktime, Feel Fly serves up a third version, following the Compass Point through a musical map of club-dub to turn out an immersive interpolation of deep bass, spring reverb and stabbing keys that sits perfectly beside the Rhythm & Sound catalogue. Each interpretation is an emphatic demonstration of Tomassini's musical talent, production prowess, and stylistic range, and furthermore a fitting tribute to the lasting genius of Esposito's original.

As deep as it comes, two unwinding cuts of beautiful deep house..

Hand scrubbed textured record sleeve, with custom stamp by Ciaran Birch.

“Escape” from abusive family ties is almost a cliche in modern media. In practice, the threshold for self-informed decoupling from said abuse is often socially out of reach for those that have in fact been abused, both physically and/or psychologically.

We feel shame for even entertaining the idea of getting rid of people in our lives that are joined to us by blood. Instead of genuine mutually-assured connection, we feel duty-bound to them - no better than a minimum wage retail job without which we would become homeless. Had these people been anything other than family, we would have ditched them long ago. I encourage a decoupling from the family unit and giving up on any hope you had for improved relations.

This record has been mastered without compression in an attempt to counter the over saturation of three minute, brick-walled, max-energy production trends in contemporary dance music.

Early Mod outings, courtesy of The Blockheads rhythm section!
The Ossie Layne Show - Barcelona 69. EP is the latest vinyl release to become part of the Acid Jazz Records. Rare Mod Series.
This very rare 4-track 33rpm vinyl 7' featuring 'Ian Dury and the Blockheads' bass player Norman Watt-Roy and his brother Garth, led by band leader Ossie Layne.
The EP.s tracks deliver the classic 60.s Soul and Funk sound that Acid Jazz Records and the Rare Mod Series are famous for.
The EP features a version of Rod Stewarts. - Rock My Plimsoll. and Sly and The Family Stones classic 'Sing A Simple Song'.

Last month, Chase and Status returned to the limelight unveiling their hard-hitting and trailblazing singles “When It Rains” ft. BackRoad Gee, complete with a Jack McMullen starring, Hector Dockrill-directed cinematic visual and the addictive smash “Don’t Be Scared” ft. Takura. Today, the duo are making a true statement of intent for the year ahead, with the announcement of their sixth studio album, What Came Before. Created by Crown & Owls, the accompanying artwork captures a truly special and magnetic live moment. Speaking on the concept, Crown & Owls state:

“We wanted to create an image that captured the very human compulsion to gather in a dark room and dance and sweat. Such scenes have a different weight to them after they were off the table for a good while, and we were very interested in capturing a moment of collective catharsis in the shadow of a period of history that pushed isolation on so many. We were really interested in the stories of the individuals in the image - what drives them to want to be in that room? The whole campaign kind of works backwards from that moment in the photo really - the intersecting stories of the dance floor, and the sense of freedom and release it brings to the individual. The record sleeve, the single covers, visualisers and elements of the music videos were all captured at this special night - it’s been a joy to work on.”

Landing alongside the album announcement is new single “Mixed Emotions” - a euphoric and recognisably brilliant dose of true Chase and Status energy that landed alongside an incredible video, filmed in two halves and directed by UKMVA-winning Femi Ladi (Pa Salieu - “My Family”). Femi Ladi states:

“On nights out like this, sometimes you just want to get fucked up. Trying to get to that moment, when you’re out of your head and completely in the moment. Sometimes music gets us there, sometimes drugs and alcohol, sometimes it’s a combination of all 3.

I want to connect our camera to the chasing of that high. A visual metaphor for trying to reach that euphoria. Each time she takes a bump, a line or a pill, the camera closes in on her. The closer she gets to that euphoric moment, the closer the camera gets to her.

By the end I want the audience to have an uncomfortable and claustrophobic feeling as our hero goes slightly overboard, a feeling that most of us know but won't dare to admit.”

Consisting of 13 tracks, What Came Before distills 15 years of unparalleled experiences into a bold, invigorating sixth album; informed by global tours, sold out headline shows, five albums, multiple awards, chart success, underground kudos, top tier collaborations and remixes, and, above all else, that unwavering dance floor energy that remains as tangible and transformative now as it has since the very beginning. This pure, unadulterated exhilaration is the glue that binds all of these experiences together, cultivating a legacy of positive vibes, unforgettable moments and the continued progression of British club culture.

For trailblazers Chase and Status, the story is cyclical - a constant process of regeneration and refinement that comes full circle. Everything that came before, from their inception point to now, has brought them back to their essence.

Landing in the wake of their critically acclaimed specialist album RTRN II JUNGLE, and the more recent news of their headlining ParkLife festival this Summer, Chase and Status’s musical return is highly anticipated. After a series of teasers were published on their social media, the duo directed their fans to whatcamebefore , unveiling a plethora of forthcoming Summer festival dates.

The forthcoming album marks the inception point for the duo’s next phase; while on forced hiatus they also went back to square one with their live show. With What Came Before Chase & Status prepare to embark on the next chapter of their illustrious career as a seasoned act ignited by the same excitement

Things are getting better is a bold statement to make in a time when the world seems to be on the verge of world war 3 and the cost of living is rising beyond most of our reach. Five years ago when I started the Voices of Creation with Jack I knew the world would need new songs, new mantras and prayers for this new day that is dawning. We would need more faith, we would need love, we would need vision, and we would need each other. A part of every beginning is an ending, this is an observable law of nature. So it is with unyielding faith and a hopeful heart that I look out at this world and find reasons and ways to keep moving forward with love; making music that echoes with the sparks of this new world I’m working to see come into view. Things may be falling apart, old ways of being becoming unsustainable; death, war, chaos, genocide, famine, and floods; symptoms of the internal combustion of a society wracked with fear and given more access to weapons than to their own feelings.

This collection of songs are my testimony in a way, a sonic exploration of finding my faith and figuring out how to use my faith to navigate life and this great big old world after losing family (my mother Betty and my brother Keith) and in a way losing my sense of hope for what my future could even be. Through the writing and singing of these songs I healed myself of the doubt and mistrust of the unknown. I found a way to forge my faith into what is now a mighty sword of song, community, and ministry with the intention of healing myself and others. I’ve always felt as though melody and language were tools that could be agents of change and healing if used with intention and integrity. To witness the expanding joy and shared purpose grow within the choir and to see the contagious nature of faith and togetherness through our rehearsals and shows showed me how necessary it is to the human experience. This has been truly revelatory, further anchoring me in what I feel my purpose is on the planet; and that is to sing and bring to life more joy, peace, love, community, unity, faith, and praise. With more of those energies flowing around the planet, things will surely get better and better and better…ad infinitum. Word to Nina, Jimmy & Betty, and all my angels and ancestors riding wit me. We still here and God is still good.

"An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times." Nina Simone

Pleasure Planet’s kaleidoscopic debut album has been a long time coming, but good things come to those who wait. Developed over years of late-night studio improvisations, ‘Pleasure Planet’ is an affectionate and colorful patchwork of the New York City-based trio’s knotted influences that’s suspended between the rave and the chill-out room, weaving glistening pads and chunky basslines into vocal earworms and warm, saturated rhythmic cycles. Bandmates Andrew Potter, Kim Ann Foxman and Brian Hersey enter into a lysergic dialog with their discrete personal musical histories, drawing inspiration from vintage EBM, ambient music and heady early ’90s West Coast rave sounds and launching these classic elements into a transcendent new sonic universe.

Celebrated DJ and producer Foxman was a lead singer of Hercules and Love Affair when she first ran into DC rave veteran Potter, and the two rapidly realized their musical interests overlapped. So when Potter was recording with his studiomate Hersey, a NYC underground club scene mainstay, and they needed to bring in a vocalist, the choice was simple. Working together was a refreshing, freeing experience for the three seasoned artists, and the more they experimented, the closer they became; Foxman ended up moving into the studio, and Pleasure Planet was manifested into existence. “We’re like family,” says Potter. “We’re always on the same page – we couldn’t make this music solo.”

For Foxman, the open-ended jam sessions provided her with a chance to try something new, a few steps from the dancefloor-forward DJ tracks she’s best known for producing. And as the trio pooled their adolescent rave memories, reflecting on them with more mature ears, they began to develop the signature sound that was first heard on the Throne Of Blood-released ‘Animals’ 12″. Pleasure Planet aren’t trying to re-capture the past, but suggest a poetic contemplation that layers their recollections and musical obsessions into a hypnotic sci-fi dream. Harnessing a self-described “Aladdin’s cave” of analog and digital gear that help galvanize the timeline, they bridge the gap between avant-pop and icy bleep techno, curving suggestive words through lattices of tightly-engineered electronics.

On ‘Endless’, Foxman’s voice is echoed into a glistening haze that hovers around ethereal pads and tense, electroid pulses. Slow-moving and evocative, it’s a track that capture the open endedness of post-rave euphoria, touching the afterparty but moving far beyond the material world. She’s more recognizable on ‘Alien’, the album’s most upfront track, singing in a glassy, upper-register coo over urgent bass bumps, taut guitars and florid electronic atmospheres. “Are you an alien, or are you an angel?” she asks, fractalizing the borders between genres. And the band’s sense of cosmic togetherness bubbles to the surface on ‘Saved by the Bells’, a meditative after-hours experiment that diminishes the pulsing beats for a moment to bring out a spectrum of interconnected, serpentine melodies.

Modular bleeps and echoing percussion anchor the swooning ‘Planet Love’, one of Pleasure Planet’s most recent compositions and one of the album’s most outwardly psychedelic cuts, while the urgent and anthemic ‘Go With Madness’ steps back towards the main stage, evaporating Foxman’s memorable calls into a thumping procession of analog drums and squelchy, acidic bass tweaks. But they save the best for last, tugging at the heartstrings with ‘Remember (In Dreams)’, a giddy spiral of blipping synth arpeggios and haunting, reverberated chorals. It’s the perfect way to conclude an album that cryptically gestures towards the vulnerability of friendship, celebrating the shared experiences that result in some of the most meaningful memories of all.

RAWAX proudly welcomes legendary Fresh & Low to the family!
Rawax are very happy to present you in future most of their amazing
past productions on the new "Treasures" series.
Starting with groundbreaking LITTE "i" EP from 1997!

The only album by Descendants Of Mike and Phoebe, a family band made up of Bill Lee and his brothers, who are also known as the father of Spike Lee, the director of films such as 'Crooklyn' and 'Do The Right Thing'. A Sprit Speaks. The great song 'Coltrane' by Bill Lee, also famous for his performance of Clifford Jordan, is a miraculous balance of dignified and beautiful piano tones and a heavy waltz beat. M3 'Chick Chick', which seems to have been dedicated to Chick Corea, is an up-tempo, fast-moving song. From there to the last track, 'Too Little, Too Late', a beautiful, tear-jerking piece that conveys the depth and greatness of 70s spiritual jazz!

This work has become more popular in recent years because of its gentle style. Of particular note is the masterpiece "Walk The Way Of The New World," which is beautiful to the core due to the balance between the mellow electric piano melody, light flute, a flowing track with female scat, and Madhubuti's heroic poetry. The plaintive and mystical tone of the song is ear-catching. The funky, high-speed jazz of "Talking Stick" and the fast-paced title track "Rise, Vision, Comin" are also superb. This is a masterpiece of an album that is even better than "Medasi".

Coming And Going is the fifth release from Mas Aya, pseudonym of acclaimed Nicaraguan-Canadian composer, producer, and musician Brandon Miguel Valdivia. Over the past twenty years Valdivia has emerged as one of the most prolific and respected musicians in Canada.

In 2021 Valdivia's breakthrough LP as Mas Aya, Máscaras, ushered in a new era. With warm reception from the likes of Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, the New York Times, and NPR it shed new and long-overdue light on his inventive compositional outlook.

Coming And Going is the follow-up to Máscaras and, much like its predecessor, it represents yet another colossal shift in Mas Aya's creative journey.

The fact that its title is so evocative of flux is no mistake; it's an album that teems with subtle contradiction and restless intrigue, all the while carving pathways toward the reconciliation of these opposing sonic and thematic forces.

It's this very plurality that makes Coming And Going Valdivia's most intimate and personal effort to date. The music reflects upon community, family, the nature of home, and spirituality

"15th anniversary pressing of A Day To Remember’s Gold-certified third album, Homesick. The two-LP set features the original album, two acoustic tracks and nine live tracks. Homesick features some of the band’s biggest hits to date, including “The Downfall Of Us All,” “If It Means A Lot To You” and “Have Faith In Me.” After its 2009 release, the album hit #21 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Independent Albums Chart, as well as KILLYOURSTEREO’s Album of the Year. "

DJ 3000 Unveils “Immigrant Son”

Techno maestro DJ 3000 is back with a fresh new release, the "Immigrant Son" EP, following the success of his recent "Work In Progress" EP. Set to captivate listeners once again, DJ 3000 infuses this latest project with deep familial ties and cultural heritage.

"Immigrant Son" is a heartfelt celebration of family and deep-rooted traditions. The track "Gëzuar," meaning "Cheers" in Albanian, blends traditional Albanian rhythms with the soulful essence of Detroit techno, creating a unique and compelling soundscape. Another standout track, "Kanuni (Traditë Mix)," draws inspiration from the Code of Lekë Dukagjini, further enriching the EP with historical and cultural depth.

Adding a layer of intrigue, "Part Time Prophet" invites listeners to interpret its meaning, showcasing DJ 3000’s ability to provoke thought and emotion through his music.

Since his first vinyl pressing in 2002, DJ 3000 has continued to push boundaries and explore new sounds. With six vinyl records released in less than a year, he shows no signs of slowing down. Committed to the art of vinyl, DJ 3000 continues to DJ exclusively with vinyl records, preserving the authentic and tactile experience of music.

Habibi Funk is thrilled to share a second collection of deep grooves and unreleased songs from Algeria's Ahmed Malek, often compared to Italian heavyweight Ennio Morricone. Malek’s music effortlessly switches between thematic jazz, funk, reggae and Algerian folk – creating indelible soundscapes that intersect the musical innovations made in African jazz by Mulatu Astatke, Bembeya Jazz National along with some of Europe’s finest experimental composers like Piero Piccioni and Janko Nilovic. “Musique Originale de Films, Volume Deux” is out June 28th, 2024 via Habibi Funk.

Whenever an interview asks about a “memorable moment” in Habibi Funk label history, one we always reference is how we got in touch Ahmed Malek’s (22K Spotify Followers, 285K Spotify Monthly Listeners) music and subsequently his family. It all started with us coming across Ahmed Malek’s music on YouTube in 2012. We were mesmerized by how effortlessly the music would switch between jazz, funk and Algerian folk while counterweighting it with an undertone of melancholia. Musical perception is different for every person, but there is a chance that his music will touch you in one way or another. At the time, we had just started the Habibi Funk label and we felt Ahmed’s music might be a good fit for the sound we were trying to highlight. Fast forward three years: we had become captivated with the idea of reissuing some of Ahmed Malek’s music. We knew some people had tried to locate his family but, but with no success. In the end it was an incredible amount of luck that made it possible for you to read these words and listen to Ahmed’s music. We were on a DJ gig in Beirut playing old Arabic records and we mentioned our passion for Ahmed Malek’s music to a friend. She said she knew one person in Algier, and as much as it would be a shot in the dark, she could ask her if she had an idea of how to find Malek’s family. Two weeks went by before we heard back, and what we got was incredibly good news - her Algerian friend was the neighbor of Ahmed Malek’s daughter! We’re not spiritual people, but it felt like the universe wanted to see the release happen. We started to speak with Henya, Ahmed Malek’s daughter and she was more than happy with our idea. She assured us that her father would have loved the plan as well. She provided us with tons of awesome material, from great photos, to unseen video footage and unreleased tracks. Eventually we visited Henya in Algeria and we licensed some of her father’s music, first for one (Habibi 003), then for another (Habibi 005), then we eventually organized an exhibition in June/July 2019 – Planète Malek – Une Rétrospective – at the Musée Public National D’Art Moderne & Contemporain in Algiers, focusing on Ahmed Malek’s artistic life. We also produced a small movie about him that our friend Paloma Colombe shot and directed. “Musique Originale de Films, Volume Deux” is a deep collection of unreleased songs and stemmed grooves from the Algerian master, from jazz, funk, psych to reggae rhythms and Latin flavors, all under the sonic umbrella of “Planète Malek;” and to quote the maestro, “I didn’t choose music, music chose me.” Lead single is the subtlety funky “Thème Rythme Léger,” out May 3rd along with LP Pre-Order (coincided with Bandcamp Friday for a larger impact) a delicate sonic dance between flute, piano and Spanish guitar with a Bossainfluenced groove. The steady, swingin’ drum groove is cloudlike - definitely toe-tapping friendly so just grab a partner to feel the Rhythme Léger. Second single out May 17th is the reggae-infused “L’Empire Des Rêves” – a sultry sax melody weaves through a prismatic rocksteady thematic groove. 3rd and final single “Thème Djalti feat. Aïda Guéchoud” – is a true Western-inspired ode to his Italian counterpart Ennio Morricone. “Thème Djalti” features the haunting vocals of Aïda Guéchoud, and combines elements of baroque and Bossa-jazz in a timelessly thematic way that seems grandiose yet remains uniquely personal to your ears. Swelling strings, trumpet, fem vox, flute, and plucked guitar expertly arranged, feels like you’re riding a horse into the sunset. Focus track “La La La” is fiery afro-arab-funk of the highest order! Put on your dancing shoes as Ahmed cuts the rug and gets us grooving along. Sonically the cut sounds like if Ahmed ran into The JB’s and Fela Kuti at a Cymande concert. Driving guitar and organ solos vie over pulsating bass riffs and afro-funk drumming that’ll have you out on the dance floor in no time. As always, both vinyl and CD come with an extensive booklet featuring background and interviews with Ahmed compiled through found newspaper clippings and newsreels, also including unseen photos, scans and more. “Ahmed Malek: Musique Originale de Films, Volume Deux” will be out everywhere June 28th.

Celebrated Zambian guitarist and bandleader Paul Ngozi’s concept album about the stuggles of those living in Africa’s 1970s townships Includes Oversized 8 Page Booklet That Details Paul Ngozi and The Ngozi Family’s Arc, Including Rare Photographs, Discography And Annotation. The third entry in an era-defining reissue series on Now-Again centered around this Zamrock legend and his band - previous entries include Day Of Judgement and 45,000 Volts

"Zambia’s Zamrock movement that exploded in the 1970s...provided young musicians access to European and American music, and created a unique sound. At its root, Zamrock melded fuzz-toned psychedelia, chugging garage rock and roiling funk with a broad mix of African cadences and beats...enlivening a scene that included bands like Musi-O-Tunya, Amanaz and the Ngozi Family” (New York Times)

Zamrock was a bona-fide rock scene: on the African continent, only Nigeria can claim one so comprehensive, and Nigeria’s was largely catalyzed and funded by subsidiaries of the European major labels. Zamrock was as independent as the newly-named country, formerly known as Northern Rhodesia. Zamrock is starting in its completeness, especially for a scene that emerged, unfurled and disappeared so quickly. From Musi-O-Tunyaís fusion of Fela’s Afro-beat, Hendrix’s rock, South African jazz and traditional Zambian melodies and rhythms to Salty Dog’s acid folk/rock, Zambia’s rock scene contained all of rock’s subgenres. Zamrock was much more than an imitation of American and European rock music: it quickly became a uniquely Zambian movement, befitting of its name. WITCH, Paul Ngozi and Amanaz sound nothing like other rock music from the African continent - or elsewhere.