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Viikatory returns to the UTTU-verse with 'Into The Unknown'. Frequently spotted tearing up the dance floor at TRESOR, Vika proudly channels her influences across six relentless dance trax blending Chicago house, Detroit techno, and deep, sub-aquatic electro. TIP!

Following the release of Deltron 3030, all three members participated in the Gorillaz' self-titled debut album. With Del aka Deltron Zero on vocals, Dan the Automator aka The Cantankerous Captain Aptos on production, and Kid Koala aka Skiznoid the Boy Wonder on turntables, this album takes the listener on a paranoid journey set in a dystopian year 3030 dealing with viruses, the apocalypse, an oppressive government, and a war waged against a huge company called the Corporate Bank of Time that rules the universe, all to the well-crafted and consistent musical backing of the Automator. Appearances by Damon Albarn (The Gorillaz, Blur), Prince Paul, Peanut Butter Wolf, DJ Money Mark, Paul Barman, Mark Bell (Bjork, production), Sean Lennon, and Mr. Lif compliment Del's vocal style and add the right amount of flavor to this classic period piece.

Mit Laughter In Summer präsentiert die legendäre Singer-Songwriter-Ikone Beverly Glenn-Copeland (bekannt durch das Kultalbum Keyboard Fantasies) ein zutiefst berührendes neues Werk – entstanden in Zusammenarbeit mit seiner Partnerin, der Künstlerin und Produzentin Elizabeth Copeland. Das Album ist ein musikalischer Liebesbrief, der Erinnerung, Hingabe, Verlust und Freude miteinander vereint.
In neun emotionalen Songs – allesamt in One-Takes aufgenommen – entfaltet sich eine außergewöhnliche Intimität, getragen von Glenns charakteristischer Stimme, warmen Chorarrangements und einem unverwechselbaren Gefühl spiritueller Verbundenheit. Der Sound reicht von kontemplativen Balladen wie „Children’s Anthem“ bis zu leuchtenden, hoffnungsvollen Momenten wie „Let Us Dance (Movement One)“.
Produziert wurde das Album von Elizabeth Copeland und Alex Samaras (Hotel2Tango / Howard Bilerman). Es folgt auf Glenns gefeiertes Album The Ones Ahead (2023) und seine Zusammenarbeit mit Sam Smith für Ever New (2024).
Laughter In Summer erscheint auf rosefarbenem Vinyl, als limitierte Dinked Edition auf milchklarem Vinyl inklusive Bonus-7" mit Coverversionen von Marvin Gaye – „What’s Going On“ / „Save The Children“ – sowie digital und auf CD.
Für Fans von Alice Coltrane, Terry Callier, Joanna Newsom, Sam Amidon und spiritueller Folk-Avantgarde.

Konfiguration: 140g Pink 12" vinyl, 3mm spined sleeve, Gloss machine varnish, 12" printed insert, Gloss machine varnish

Auf seinem neuen Album "Chopin Orbit" eröffnet Piano-Shootingstar Hayato Sumino einen ganz eigenen musikalisch Kosmos rund um den berühmten Komponisten Auf dem konzeptionell vielfältigen und emotional bewegenden Album, stellt der weltweit gefeierte japanische Pianist und Komponist Hayato Sumino (alias "Cateen") die Musik von Frédéric Chopin in den Mittelpunkt und baut seinen ganzen eigenen musikalischen Kosmos darum auf. Frédéric Chopin, der zu Hayato Suminos Lieblingskomponisten gehört, ist seit Langem eine treibende Kraft in dessen künstlerischen Leben. Diese Verbindung wurde erstmals während seiner vielbeachteten Auftritte beim Internationalen Chopin-Wettbewerb 2021 deutlich und kommt nun in "Chopin Orbit" voll zur Geltung. Zum Programm gehören Chopins Polonaise-Fantasie op. 61, Nocturne Nr. 20 in cis-Moll, Berceuse Des-Dur op. 57 und das "Regentropfen"-Prélude op. 28 Nr. 15. Daneben stellt Hayato Sumino eigene Werke wie "White Keys" und "Post Rain", als auch Stücke von so unterschiedlichen Komponisten wie Thomas Adès, Leopold Godowsky und Leoš Janáček, die Chopins Einfluss über Generationen hinweg unterstreichen. Hayato Sumino erklärt dazu: "Für mich war Chopin schon immer wie ein Idol, und seine Musik liegt mir seit meiner Kindheit sehr am Herzen. Als ich mich als Musiker weiterentwickelte, wurde mir bewusst, wie natürlich sein Einfluss in meine eigenen Kompositionen einfloss. Irgendwann dachte ich mir: Warum nicht ein Album mit Chopin als Mittelpunkt aufnehmen? Dieser Moment war der Ausgangspunkt für dieses Projekt. Meine Stücke entstanden aus der Inspiration durch Chopins Werke. Manchmal zitiere ich ein Motiv oder verwende eine Melodie, aber ich habe nie einfach versucht, 'im Stil von Chopin' zu komponieren. Ich wollte vielmehr seinen Geist mit meiner eigenen modernen Sensibilität und Kreativität verbinden."Und weiter: "Der Titel 'Chopin Orbit' spiegelt diese Idee wider. Ich habe Chopins Musik in den Mittelpunkt gestellt, und von dort aus nehmen verschiedene Reaktionen und Ableger Gestalt an - als würden sie von seiner Schwerkraft angezogen und bildeten ihre eigenen neuen Umlaufbahnen. Aus Respekt vor Chopin ist jedes meiner Stücke mit dem Original gepaart, das es inspiriert hat, sodass das Album abwechselnd seine Werke und meine Reaktionen darauf präsentiert.""Chopin Orbit" folgt auf das gefeierte Sony-Debütalbum "Human Universe" dieses außergewöhnlichen jungen Musikers, das im November 2024 bei Sony Classical erschien und auf dem Sumino mühelos ein vielfältiges Repertoire von Bach bis Zimmer sowie einige seiner eigenen Kompositionen präsentierte. Für das Album und seine herausragenden Leistungen als Pianist erhielt Hayato Sumino als erster Künstler überhaupt gleich drei Preise bei der Opus Klassik Preisverleihung 2025. Wie schon auf "Human Universe" kombiniert Hayato Sumino auch auf "Chopin Orbit" unterschiedliche Klaviere und Flügelklänge bei der Aufnahme.Das Album "Chopin Orbit" erscheint als CD und Doppel-Vinyl.

This 1983 period in which Gyllensköld was recorded was a fantastic time for the evolution of Steven Stapleton’s audio art. His collaborations with Diana Rogerson, Robert Haigh (Sema), David Tibet, and Thirlwell around this time elicited some of the most exciting work Nurse With Wound had yet recorded. Listen to this material and compare it to Chance Meeting and it becomes clear that in just a few years, Stapleton’s art had grown by leaps and bounds. The production quality on these tracks is remarkable, and the widening out of the NWW soundworld opened up a whole new audio toybox that Stapleton has continued to experiment with up to today. This new sound encompasses vocal experiments, vintage LPs of easy listening music, demented nursery rhymes, lateral references to disposable pop music, avant-garde jazz and minimalistic piano composition, all glued together with evocative atmospheres redolent of things unholy, troubling and perverse, but always oddly indefinable and puzzlingly misshapen. In retrospect, Gyllensköld can be seen as the beginning of the “mature” period of NWW, and thus it is an indispensible release for fans of the project. : Brainwashed

Koma Saxo, the explosive quintet led by Berlin-based Swedish bassist/producer Petter Eldh, returns on We Jazz Records with their new album, cut live at We Jazz Festival in Helsinki, December 2019. Whereas their lauded debut was a triumph of remapping the goal posts for an acoustic jazz combo for the 2020's, "LIVE" takes you right to the heart of the actual ensemble sound, with 5 musicians tearing the place down, no post production. From the fiery opening sequence kicking off with "Euro Koma", on to the much calmer beauty of "Waltz Me, Waltz Me Baby, All Night Long" and the first single "Fiskeskärsmelodin", the 8-song set is pure fire, never failing to convey the extraordinary intensity of the group: Eldh on bass, Otis Sandsjö (Y-OTIS), Jonas Kullhammar and Mikko Innanen on saxes, and Christian Lillinger on drums.

An excerpt of liner notes by Peter Margasak:

"When I first saw Petter Eldh's quintet Koma Saxo in Berlin in September of 2019 I was floored. The raw, sprinting energy of the band was both infectious and astonishing, but what I most remember was a sense of cognitive dissonance. Was this the same combo that recorded a fantastic eponymous 2019 studio album that represented one of the most convincing, pleasurable, and driving hybrid's of searing post-bop and the production ethos of hip-hop? There have been endless stabs by producers trying to remap the machinations of an organic, all-acoustic jazz band with electronic post-production, but Eldh, channeling a sonic language heavily informed by J Dilla, nailed it in a way I'd never experienced before. Having the trust of his three imaginative, high-octane saxophonists—Jonas Kullhammar, Otis Sandsjö, and Mikko Innanen—he used their grainy sound as raw material, smudging and smearing it like a painter creating new hues on a palette, and then extending, editing, and powering it up within the imperturbable grooves meted out by he and drummer Christian Lillinger. He didn't really alter the essential core of the band's performances. There's no question that a seriously burning quintet had laid the tracks down, even if the performances reflected the kind of concision many jazz groups adapt for a studio endeavor. But the way his jacked-up bass lines and Lillinger's impossibly peripatetic, stuttering rhythms buffeted the massed saxophones elevated Koma Saxo to plane all its own, and I repeatedly returned to that place—half the time trying to figure out what the hell Eldh had done, and the other half lost in giddy ecstasy.

The live show, on the other hand, featured the band without any production tricks. Its soaring, pithy repertoire came alive in a different way, and this excellent live recording from the 2019 We Jazz Festival, has reminded me of how fun and visceral that experience was."

Koma Saxo "LIVE" is released by We Jazz Records on 30 April 2021 on two vinyl editions (silver + black), as a bundle with an unreleased 7" (+ silver vinyl edition), on CD and digitally. The vinyl versions plus the CD come complete with silver embossed lettering. The vinyl is delivered on heavy-duty tip-on sleeve, complete with an insert featuring liner notes by Peter Margasak, Andreas Müller, Matti Nives and Petter Eldh.

a 01: Euro Koma (Live) feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger
b 02: Puls Koma (Live) feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger
c 03: Fanfarum for Komarum III (Live) feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger
[d] 04: Waltz Me Baby, Waltz Me All Night Long (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[e] 05: Otis and Christian (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö & Christian Lillinger]
[f] 06: Blumer (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[g] 07: Fiskeskärsmelodin (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]

Silver Vinyl

Koma Saxo, the explosive quintet led by Berlin-based Swedish bassist/producer Petter Eldh, returns on We Jazz Records with their new album, cut live at We Jazz Festival in Helsinki, December 2019. Whereas their lauded debut was a triumph of remapping the goal posts for an acoustic jazz combo for the 2020's, "LIVE" takes you right to the heart of the actual ensemble sound, with 5 musicians tearing the place down, no post production. From the fiery opening sequence kicking off with "Euro Koma", on to the much calmer beauty of "Waltz Me, Waltz Me Baby, All Night Long" and the first single "Fiskeskärsmelodin", the 8-song set is pure fire, never failing to convey the extraordinary intensity of the group: Eldh on bass, Otis Sandsjö (Y-OTIS), Jonas Kullhammar and Mikko Innanen on saxes, and Christian Lillinger on drums.

An excerpt of liner notes by Peter Margasak:

"When I first saw Petter Eldh's quintet Koma Saxo in Berlin in September of 2019 I was floored. The raw, sprinting energy of the band was both infectious and astonishing, but what I most remember was a sense of cognitive dissonance. Was this the same combo that recorded a fantastic eponymous 2019 studio album that represented one of the most convincing, pleasurable, and driving hybrid's of searing post-bop and the production ethos of hip-hop? There have been endless stabs by producers trying to remap the machinations of an organic, all-acoustic jazz band with electronic post-production, but Eldh, channeling a sonic language heavily informed by J Dilla, nailed it in a way I'd never experienced before. Having the trust of his three imaginative, high-octane saxophonists—Jonas Kullhammar, Otis Sandsjö, and Mikko Innanen—he used their grainy sound as raw material, smudging and smearing it like a painter creating new hues on a palette, and then extending, editing, and powering it up within the imperturbable grooves meted out by he and drummer Christian Lillinger. He didn't really alter the essential core of the band's performances. There's no question that a seriously burning quintet had laid the tracks down, even if the performances reflected the kind of concision many jazz groups adapt for a studio endeavor. But the way his jacked-up bass lines and Lillinger's impossibly peripatetic, stuttering rhythms buffeted the massed saxophones elevated Koma Saxo to plane all its own, and I repeatedly returned to that place—half the time trying to figure out what the hell Eldh had done, and the other half lost in giddy ecstasy.

The live show, on the other hand, featured the band without any production tricks. Its soaring, pithy repertoire came alive in a different way, and this excellent live recording from the 2019 We Jazz Festival, has reminded me of how fun and visceral that experience was."

Koma Saxo "LIVE" is released by We Jazz Records on 30 April 2021 on two vinyl editions (silver + black), as a bundle with an unreleased 7" (+ silver vinyl edition), on CD and digitally. The vinyl versions plus the CD come complete with silver embossed lettering. The vinyl is delivered on heavy-duty tip-on sleeve, complete with an insert featuring liner notes by Peter Margasak, Andreas Müller, Matti Nives and Petter Eldh.

a 01: Euro Koma (Live) feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger
b 02: Puls Koma (Live) feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger
c 03: Fanfarum for Komarum III (Live) feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger
d 04: Waltz Me Baby, Waltz Me All Night Long (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[e] 05: Otis and Christian (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö & Christian Lillinger]
[f] 06: Blumer (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[g] 07: Fiskeskärsmelodin (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]

[a] 01: Euro Koma (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[b] 02: Puls Koma (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[c] 03: Fanfarum for Komarum III (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[d] 04: Waltz Me Baby, Waltz Me All Night Long (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[e] 05: Otis and Christian (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö & Christian Lillinger]
[f] 06: Blumer (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[g] 07: Fiskeskärsmelodin (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]

Jadu Heart’s Wanderflower and Ezra’s Garden reissued together on vinyl for the first time.

Since their 2016 debut EP, Wanderflower, Jadu Heart has been slowly building a catalog of electro-pop, R&B, and psychedelic bops. The UK-based duo, consisting of Alex Headford and Diva Jeffery, now has roughly 30 songs that are a collective myriad of immersive soundscapes.

Jadu Heart's Wanderflower was a project released as part of a school project at The British and Irish Modern Music Institute in 2016. Diva described the project as a "story of two characters - Dina and Faro - who get cursed in a temple and every song in Wanderflower corresponds to a different chapter in their story." Their tutor sent the EP to Mura Masa who immediately took a liking to the duo and made them an opening act for his album release show. They were subsequently signed to his label and given the same manager.

The couple's sophomore EP, Ezra's Garden, is a continuation of Jadu Heart's now-signature DIY, psych-funk sound inspired by Jai Paul. The tracks are accompanied by a visual component on Youtube, as Spotify hadn't quite explored the necessity of visualizers yet. After the fantastical characters were introduced in Jadu Heart's first EP, the second EP explores the relationship between Dina and Faro when they are whisked out of the cursed temple and stumble upon a friend who takes them to a machine that shoots them through the galaxy.

This album is the game soundtrack of Absolum, a fully hand-drawn world and unique lore by the team behind Streets of Rage 4, TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge... Known for Ori and the Blind Forest and Halo Infinite, the main composer Gareth Coker brings his signature emotional depth, blending dark fantasy orchestration with medieval-inspired themes and brooding atmospheres.


From orchestral soundscapes to thrilling boss fight themes, this soundtrack features guest tracks by Mick Gordon (DOOM 2016, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Atomic Heart...), Yuka Kitamura (Elden Ring, Dark Souls III, Dark Souls II), Motoi Sakuraba (the Dark Souls Series, Mario Golf, Star Ocean), and Rachel Hardy (Stray Gods, Eternal Strands), setting the tone for the events taking place in this cute but twisted fantasy world. Magic may be forbidden in these lands, but the music is still truly enchanting!

With her sophomore album JAWBREAKER, Sam Quealy cements her status as one of pop’s most daring new voices. Like the cult candy it’s named after, JAWBREAKER is bold, addictive, and dangerously fun — a sugar-coated explosion of chaos, glamour, and emotion.

Produced alongside longtime collaborator Marlon Magnée (La Femme) between their Paris home studio and the legendary Studio Ferber, the album marks a striking evolution from Blonde Venus (2023). Here, Quealy trades the sharp edges of techno-pop for a lush, disco-infused sound, blending live instrumentation and cinematic sheen with her trademark anarchic energy. The result is a record that feels liberating, hedonistic, and deeply human — a vibrant antidote to modern gloom.

From the euphoric escape of “LONDONTOWN” to the dark romance of “LOVE LASSO”, and the shimmering pop fantasy of “GIRLS NIGHT”, Quealy channels a thousand versions of herself — club queen, rock diva, dreamer, and provocateur. The ethereal duet “BY MY SIDE” with Magnée closes the album in a haze of tenderness and light.

A multidisciplinary artist — singer, dancer, performer, and visual visionary — Quealy extends her universe through spectacular music videos and high-energy live shows that merge fashion, choreography, and raw emotion. On stage, she’s magnetic: a whirlwind of hyper-femininity and power, commanding every room with unfiltered authenticity.

With JAWBREAKER, Sam Quealy delivers a fearless pop statement — an exhilarating fusion of sensitivity, chaos, and self-expression that confirms her as a genre-defying visionary ready to take over the world.

Repress!

Maceo Plex teams up with Gabriel Ananda to deliver the momentous 'Solitary Daze'. An awe-inspiring piece of music; Maceo and Gabriel have pulled out all the stops in creating this anthemic masterpiece. A sure fire dancefloor destroyer! The original is also deftly remixed by Barnt and by North Lake.

The A Side features North Lake's infectious deeper remix whilst the flip features Barnt's epic revision of the original. Both of which create fantastic versions of the original version, taking it off into new stratospheres. Another great single from Ellum, who seem to be going from strength to strength.

Blu:sh back in Kalahari orbit for a third bite of the cherry.

This one’s dark and dank, with sultriness off the scales. The antithesis of the Frenchman’s output as Terra Utopia, it’s everything we’ve come to love from the project in 6 deadly traxxx.

Moody but never unruly. Taught, tough and rendered in the same seductive, turbulent vortex that’s defined all the Blush material to date.

Strapping earworm grooves set pace, as is tradition with these records. Not sparing on the menace either. Some of it sounds like Blu:sh on a villain arc. Whether you’re a cut-throat stalking the backstreets or looking for a mean streak of pure sci-fi dystopia, we got you covered.

Proper late nite hedonism. Oscillating between sensuous clubland fantasy and a volatile astral kinda flex, the sense of impending danger is unabating.

Step Ball Chain’s unconventional prototype band trickpony is the 11th release on the ever evolving imprint. An assortment of sensual cyber jams collaged together by the trio over timezones, birthed in Perth, Australia by Mike Midnight and Roza Terenzi; old friends joined by Helsinki’s visionary songstress Maria Korkeila. A trinity of alchemy blossomed into an audio rendition of exquisite corpse, layers of each entity glistening through amongst a united cosmos; trip hop atmospherics and downtempo drippings. The five track EP reveals a metamorphosis of nostalgia, a foot in the ever present and daydreams of future. A subconscious deep dive into lustful pop, guided by spine tingling vocal fantasies; textural hallucination, harmonic odes to the golden era underground and a flirtation with drum and bass, tribal percussive freakouts and dream tinged lyrics of desire. Pillow talk is a timeless exhibit of esoteric treasures, a portal to a private world of modern enchantment that reveals itself in new ways each listen, music for lovers created by a supergroup of innovators to be digested, shared and cherished.

15 years since their fantasy disco scene-defining 1st volume, Johnny Jewel’s IDIB lasso Sally Shapiro, Desire, Farah, Lovelock and the kreme of their field for a 27-song, 2-hour re-up



Where previous volumes took their sweet time to arrive, ‘Volume 4’ graces the ‘floor only two years since the last, and nobody’s complaining. From its slo-mo, dry-iced covers of Jennifer Lopez’ ‘Waiting For Tonight’, Don Henley’s ’Boys of Summer’ and even flipping R.E.M.’s ‘Losing My Religion’, thru to exclusive pearls by our disco queen crush, Sally Shapiro, and Johnny Jewel as Desire, it’s the ideal soundtrack for late summer into silly season.

Rough Trade Records freut sich, das fantastische Debütalbum von Tyler Ballgame ankündigen zu dürfen: For the First Time, Again erscheint am 30. Januar 2026. Mit zwölf Songs, die zwischen Classic Rock, Indie und Americana oszillieren - Ballgame zeigt, wie große Stimmen und starke Melodien Herzen bewegen und Horizonte öffnen können. Die erste Single I Believe in Love, eine hymnische Mischung aus Lennon und Orbison, ist ab sofort mit Video erhältlich - gefilmt von engen Freunden in Ballgames WG. Entstanden am Küchentisch und inspiriert vom Rat seines Produzenten Jonathan Rado ("Schreib den größten Song der Welt"), wurde daraus eine Ode an die Liebe selbst - und an die Narren, die sie macht. Produziert von Jonathan Rado (Foxygen, Weyes Blood, Miley Cyrus) und Ryan Pollie (Los Angeles Police Department), bringt das Album analoge Wärme, akustische Energie und üppige Harmonien zurück - mit Unterstützung von Amy Aileen Wood (Fiona Apple) am Schlagzeug und Wayne Whitaker am Bass. Ballgames Weg hierhin war alles andere als geradlinig: Vom Kellergeschoss in New England über Coverband-Auftritte in Rhode Island bis hin zum mutigen Neustart in Los Angeles. Offenheit, Risiko und der Glaube an sich selbst prägen seine Songs - und werden live zur großen Bühne.

Rough Trade Records freut sich, das fantastische Debütalbum von Tyler Ballgame ankündigen zu dürfen: For the First Time, Again erscheint am 30. Januar 2026. Mit zwölf Songs, die zwischen Classic Rock, Indie und Americana oszillieren - Ballgame zeigt, wie große Stimmen und starke Melodien Herzen bewegen und Horizonte öffnen können. Die erste Single I Believe in Love, eine hymnische Mischung aus Lennon und Orbison, ist ab sofort mit Video erhältlich - gefilmt von engen Freunden in Ballgames WG. Entstanden am Küchentisch und inspiriert vom Rat seines Produzenten Jonathan Rado ("Schreib den größten Song der Welt"), wurde daraus eine Ode an die Liebe selbst - und an die Narren, die sie macht. Produziert von Jonathan Rado (Foxygen, Weyes Blood, Miley Cyrus) und Ryan Pollie (Los Angeles Police Department), bringt das Album analoge Wärme, akustische Energie und üppige Harmonien zurück - mit Unterstützung von Amy Aileen Wood (Fiona Apple) am Schlagzeug und Wayne Whitaker am Bass. Ballgames Weg hierhin war alles andere als geradlinig: Vom Kellergeschoss in New England über Coverband-Auftritte in Rhode Island bis hin zum mutigen Neustart in Los Angeles. Offenheit, Risiko und der Glaube an sich selbst prägen seine Songs - und werden live zur großen Bühne.

The rubber of ER Jurken"s pure pop fantasias meets the road on his second album, aided and inspired by a power trio of players from Chicago"s Junegrass to crank it up and out of the park. Paul Von Mertens" string and horn arrangements highlight the gritted teeth and dripping sweat that belie Ed & Co"s easy riding rock, while Jurken"s heavenly vocal choir provides balm to transcend and defy the stings of everyday misfortune.

"When The Wind Forgets Your Name" ist das erste neue Built to Spill -Album seit der Veröffentlichung von "Untethered Moon" aus dem Jahr 2015 und das achte Studioalbum dr langlebigen Band um Mastermind Doug Martsch. Es wurde von Martsch produziert, von Martsch, Lê Almeida, Joao Casaes und Josh Lewis gemischt und von Mell Dettmer gemastert. Das Cover Artwork wurde von dem Comiczeichner Alex Graham (Dog Biscuits; Fantagraphics Books) gestaltet, der auch den fünfzigteiligen Comicstrip für das Klappcover des Albums illustriert hat (erhältlich mit den CD-, LP- und MC-Ausgaben des Albums). Seit 1992 wollte Doug Martsch, Gründer von Built to Spill, dass seine geliebte Band ein gemeinschaftliches Projekt ist, eine sich ständig weiterentwickelnde Gruppe von unglaublichen Musikern, die gemeinsam Musik machen und live spielen. Nach mehreren Alben und EPs auf Independent-Labels stand Martsch von 1995 bis 2016 bei Warner Brothers unter Vertrag. In dieser Zeit nahmen er und seine wechselnden Mitstreiter sechs unbestreitbar großartige Alben auf - "Perfect From Now On", "Keep It Like A Secret", "Ancient Melodies Of The Future", "You In Reverse", "There Is No Enemy", "Untethered Moon". "When The Wind Forgets Your Name" setzt nun die Erweiterung des Built to Spill -Universums auf neue und aufregende Weise fort. Im Jahr 2018 brachten Martschs Glück und seine Intuition ihn mit dem brasilianischen Lo-Fi-Punk-Künstler und Produzenten Le Almeida und seinem langjährigen Mitstreiter Joao Casaes zusammen, beide von der psychedelischen Jazz-Rock-Band ORUA. Als Martsch ihre Musik entdeckte, verliebte er sich sofort in sie und bat sie bei Built to Spill mitzumachen, als er eine neue Begleitband für Auftritte in Brasilien brauchte. Die Auftritte in Brasilien liefen so gut, dass Martsch, Almeida und Casaes beschlossen, 2019 weiter zusammen zu spielen und durch die USA und Europa zu touren. Bei Soundchecks erlernten sie neue Songs, die Martsch geschrieben hatte, und als die Tournee zu Ende war, nahmen sie die Bass- und Schlagzeugspuren in seinem Proberaum in Boise auf. Nachdem sie nach Hause geflogen waren, begann Martsch selbst mit dem Overdubbing von Gitarren und Gesang. Das gemeinschaftliche Abmischen fand während der Pandemie übers Internet statt, in dem die Tracks hin und her geschickt wurden. Herausgekommen ist "When The Wind Forgets Your Name", eine komplexe und schlüssige Mischung aus den unterschiedlichen musikalischen Ideen der Künstler. Neben den poetischen Texten und Themen von Built to Spill sorgen die Experimente und die Liebe zum Detail für ein Album voller einzigartiger, lebendiger und zeitloser Klänge.

Limitierte Loser Edition, gepresst auf "Misty Kiwi Fruit Green" farbiges Vinyl. "When The Wind Forgets Your Name" ist das erste neue Built to Spill -Album seit der Veröffentlichung von "Untethered Moon" aus dem Jahr 2015 und das achte Studioalbum dr langlebigen Band um Mastermind Doug Martsch. Es wurde von Martsch produziert, von Martsch, Lê Almeida, Joao Casaes und Josh Lewis gemischt und von Mell Dettmer gemastert. Das Cover Artwork wurde von dem Comiczeichner Alex Graham (Dog Biscuits; Fantagraphics Books) gestaltet, der auch den fünfzigteiligen Comicstrip für das Klappcover des Albums illustriert hat (erhältlich mit den CD-, LP- und MC-Ausgaben des Albums). Seit 1992 wollte Doug Martsch, Gründer von Built to Spill, dass seine geliebte Band ein gemeinschaftliches Projekt ist, eine sich ständig weiterentwickelnde Gruppe von unglaublichen Musikern, die gemeinsam Musik machen und live spielen. Nach mehreren Alben und EPs auf Independent-Labels stand Martsch von 1995 bis 2016 bei Warner Brothers unter Vertrag. In dieser Zeit nahmen er und seine wechselnden Mitstreiter sechs unbestreitbar großartige Alben auf - "Perfect From Now On", "Keep It Like A Secret", "Ancient Melodies Of The Future", "You In Reverse", "There Is No Enemy", "Untethered Moon". "When The Wind Forgets Your Name" setzt nun die Erweiterung des Built to Spill -Universums auf neue und aufregende Weise fort. Im Jahr 2018 brachten Martschs Glück und seine Intuition ihn mit dem brasilianischen Lo-Fi-Punk-Künstler und Produzenten Le Almeida und seinem langjährigen Mitstreiter Joao Casaes zusammen, beide von der psychedelischen Jazz-Rock-Band ORUA. Als Martsch ihre Musik entdeckte, verliebte er sich sofort in sie und bat sie bei Built to Spill mitzumachen, als er eine neue Begleitband für Auftritte in Brasilien brauchte. Die Auftritte in Brasilien liefen so gut, dass Martsch, Almeida und Casaes beschlossen, 2019 weiter zusammen zu spielen und durch die USA und Europa zu touren. Bei Soundchecks erlernten sie neue Songs, die Martsch geschrieben hatte, und als die Tournee zu Ende war, nahmen sie die Bass- und Schlagzeugspuren in seinem Proberaum in Boise auf. Nachdem sie nach Hause geflogen waren, begann Martsch selbst mit dem Overdubbing von Gitarren und Gesang. Das gemeinschaftliche Abmischen fand während der Pandemie übers Internet statt, in dem die Tracks hin und her geschickt wurden. Herausgekommen ist "When The Wind Forgets Your Name", eine komplexe und schlüssige Mischung aus den unterschiedlichen musikalischen Ideen der Künstler. Neben den poetischen Texten und Themen von Built to Spill sorgen die Experimente und die Liebe zum Detail für ein Album voller einzigartiger, lebendiger und zeitloser Klänge.

SAGENBRINGER weaves fantasy and emotion, joy and sorrow into the 12 stories on ‘Zwischen den Welten’ (Between Worlds) through words and sound. All of this is packaged in a modern musical guise that has been forged from folk and metal elements into a hot iron. Stories are everywhere. They are countless and come from all corners of the worlds we know and don't know. But they always manage to stimulate the mind, touch the heart or send the soul on a journey. This is the calling of SAGENBRINGER: to spread these stories and not let them fall into oblivion. After establishing themselves in the German folk and pagan scene with their first two albums, ‘Sagenbringer’ and ‘Zeit der Geschichten’, and becoming a recurring name on festival posters across Germany, the young skald troupe are now releasing their third studio album on 30 January 2026. Zwischen den Welten (Between Worlds) transports listeners to the most diverse corners of mythology, legends and human emotions.

black vinyl All riddims produced by Derrick Sound (Etienne et Nicolas Maître). This album is dedicated to the memory of our friend Chaouki Abbas. All brass instruments are played by Romain Tingueli (saxophone) and Zacharie Ksyk (trumpet and trombone). Featuring artists like Sizzla, Capleton, Peetah Morgan, and Luciano, this album stands as a true tribute to reggae excellence.Side A1.UpliftmentBugle & Agent Sasco (Assassin)2.BlessingsLutan Fyah3.Jah Is Always So NearSizzla4.Jah Is In ChargeChezidek5.Knock KnockTurbulence6.Change we wantEesahSide B1.Can’t Break Our SoulsPeetah Morgan2.Tired Of The DramaCapleton3.Bla Bla BlaLutan Fyah4.Rumours Of WarJah Mason5.Old School RuleLuciano6.Badda We BaddaBrother Culture & Eesah7.Double StandardFantan Mojah

Permanent Vacation proudly presents a double A-side collaboration from Gold Panda and Fort Romeau: El Espíritu / El Fantasma. Bringing together two distinct artistic voices, the release blends
Gold Panda’s emotional, melodic sensitivity with Fort Romeau’s refined, hypnotic dancefloor touch. El Espíritu radiates warmth and shimmering detail, while El Fantasma drives deeper into late-night territory with atmospheric tension. — a standout meeting of two producers at the height of their craft.

After three decades of musical escapades as both a solo artist and 1/4 of The Four Owls, Verb T returns with his most ambitious offering to date in the shape of ‘To Love A Phantom’.

Reuniting with Canadian producer Vic Grimes on the follow up to their 2023 LP ‘The Tower Where The Phantom Lives’, the duo leave the traditional ‘rapper + producer’ stereotypes at the door on an insanely adventurous LP; Vic Grimes expertly soundtracking Verb T’s low fantasy across a double album 26-tracks steeped in suspense and intrigue.

Picking up where the previous album left off, ‘To love A Phantom’ sees the duo expand upon their collective love for the language of cinema; each track expertly blurring the everyday with the supernatural; spectres and spirits swirling around our protagonist as he exits the tower and extends his arc…

A deeply emotive, visceral and visual listen, the plot thickens with the help of a supporting cast of featured artists from across the UK underground, each adding their own distinctive flair to the wider narrative.

A truly unique universe of sight and sound, ‘To Love A Phantom’ is a shining example of Verb T & Vic Grimes at the height of their collective powers

After three decades of musical escapades as both a solo artist and 1/4 of The Four Owls, Verb T returns with his most ambitious offering to date in the shape of ‘To Love A Phantom’.

Reuniting with Canadian producer Vic Grimes on the follow up to their 2023 LP ‘The Tower Where The Phantom Lives’, the duo leave the traditional ‘rapper + producer’ stereotypes at the door on an insanely adventurous LP; Vic Grimes expertly soundtracking Verb T’s low fantasy across a double album 26-tracks steeped in suspense and intrigue.

Picking up where the previous album left off, ‘To love A Phantom’ sees the duo expand upon their collective love for the language of cinema; each track expertly blurring the everyday with the supernatural; spectres and spirits swirling around our protagonist as he exits the tower and extends his arc…

A deeply emotive, visceral and visual listen, the plot thickens with the help of a supporting cast of featured artists from across the UK underground, each adding their own distinctive flair to the wider narrative.

A truly unique universe of sight and sound, ‘To Love A Phantom’ is a shining example of Verb T & Vic Grimes at the height of their collective powers

After three decades of musical escapades as both a solo artist and 1/4 of The Four Owls, Verb T returns with his most ambitious offering to date in the shape of ‘To Love A Phantom’.

Reuniting with Canadian producer Vic Grimes on the follow up to their 2023 LP ‘The Tower Where The Phantom Lives’, the duo leave the traditional ‘rapper + producer’ stereotypes at the door on an insanely adventurous LP; Vic Grimes expertly soundtracking Verb T’s low fantasy across a double album 26-tracks steeped in suspense and intrigue.

Picking up where the previous album left off, ‘To love A Phantom’ sees the duo expand upon their collective love for the language of cinema; each track expertly blurring the everyday with the supernatural; spectres and spirits swirling around our protagonist as he exits the tower and extends his arc…

A deeply emotive, visceral and visual listen, the plot thickens with the help of a supporting cast of featured artists from across the UK underground, each adding their own distinctive flair to the wider narrative.

A truly unique universe of sight and sound, ‘To Love A Phantom’ is a shining example of Verb T & Vic Grimes at the height of their collective powers

"Huntress" by She Spread Sorrow (Alice Kundalini) is the story of a huntress and her morbid and psychotic relationship with her prey. The protagonist is Blue, a girl whose existence is marked by obsession with another woman of the same age and by nightmares that leave her without peace. Between love and psychosis, a tragic story is consumed, which vibrates in the stomach, like the music that accompanies it - dark and hypnotic death industrial, with moments of dark ambient, power electronics and noise.Inspired by Kundalini’s nightmares and her fervent world of dreams, "Huntress" was born after 3 years of intense recordings. It pursues the need to whisper secret, forbidden tales and to stimulate the deepest shadows of the human being, exploring the boundaries between the delicate and the violent; between love and obsession; between fantasy and madness."Huntress" is the soundtrack of a tragic game between opposites in a reality of total solitude.

Das legendäre Debütalbum der norwegischen Funkateers Xploding Plastix, "Amateur Girlfriends Go Proskirt Agents" (2001), erscheint als Deluxe-Doppelvinyl mit 6 zusätzlichen Bonustracks. Mit ihrer Mischung aus obskuren Jazz-Samples, coolen Beats, melodischem Feeling, einer unkonventionellen Herangehensweise und einer gehörigen Portion Humor schufen Xploding Plastix ihren ganz eigenen Stil. Eine Art älterer Amon Tobin trifft auf Scott Walker in einem verraucht-schmuddeligen Jazzclub. Dazu noch ein Faible für Film Noir, Balearic Beats, Lo-Fi, absolut abgefahrene Sounds – einfach genial! Der NME schrieb damals: "Währenddessen bieten die Norweger Xploding Plastix – zwei Verrückte mit vielen kleinen Boxen und einem schrecklichen Namen – auf dem Jam Festival eine ganz andere Art von Umbruch. Ihr Sound ist ein lauter, desorientierender Future-Jazz-Krach, eine Mischung aus DJ Foods verrückten Drums, Aphex Twins Taktarten und den stimmungsvollsten, cineastischen Passagen von The Herbaliser. Fantastisch!"

Composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist Yoshiharu Takeda's long-awaited first album, released in 2018, is now available as a reissue LP with obi strip.
He plays various instruments himself, including piano, clarinet, pedal steel guitar, and percussion.
Fantastical, crystalline melodies constructed through masterful use of multi-tracking and programmed elements.
This richly textured work possesses an organic quality, unfolding dynamically through colorful arrangements while maintaining a mysteriously serene atmosphere.
Highly recommended not only for jazz and world music fans, but also for enthusiasts of ambient and new age music.

Are you Looking for Love? Advice? Good Luck? Then you’ve come to the right place. Fortune Three, the third release in the Psychic Readings catalog, Peach continues to explore her sound bringing 4 tracks dedicated to the dance.

It starts with In Ur Dreams, an ode to the dreamers and lovers in your fantasies. Peach gives some subtle organ hits a whirl with deeper basslines and punchy drums. Next, a track inspired by and sampling an old Christina Aguilera interview, What U Got is a warm, beachy roller which is reminiscent of hotter temperatures. Pretty pads, shiny stabs, and a weighty bassline create an endlessly playful groove – a Peach signature.

On the flip, we see Brady’s Song mixed two ways – the first being the deeper cut of the two, Brady’s Song slowly unravels melody after melody, playing with sassy stabs and a bassline on the subbier side. The Afters Edit takes a more upfront and jacking approach, focusing on the ability of the bass to roll through the whole track – shimmering percussion and the same stabs from the B1 carry us through until the last second.

All the tracks are a testament to her many moods as a DJ. From club use to home listening, this is an EP dedicated to the dance.

The Dynamite Coorporation is the brainchild of Robbert Peperkamp aka @infestmusic and Tommy Willetts aka @thenightservicecommute. After meeting in music school their joint interest in jazz, breaks, tape and dark cinematic soundscapes resulted in a collaboration that led to this fantastic album.
Expect dark cinematic soundscapes, Drums, trumpets, guitar, keys and resample madness.

The Dynamite Coorporation is the brainchild of Robbert Peperkamp aka @infestmusic and Tommy Willetts aka @thenightservicecommute. After meeting in music school their joint interest in jazz, breaks, tape and dark cinematic soundscapes resulted in a collaboration that led to this fantastic album.
Expect dark cinematic soundscapes, Drums, trumpets, guitar, keys and resample madness.

In 2023 Ace Records released the album “28 Little Bangers From Richard Hawley’s Jukebox” where the acclaimed Sheffield musician, singer and songwriter compiled together some of his favourite records. These were instrumentals and vocals records that he had collected over the years and found musically addictive. The album received fantastic reviews and allowed his
extensive fanbase to discover and enjoy tracks like Ronny Kae’s ‘Swinging Drums’ and King Curtis’ ‘Hot-Rod’ that were on the juke box in his home.

Now, three years later, Richard has lifted the lid, taken those 7” out and replaced them with another favoured selection. One again, this second version of “Little Bangers” is full of cracking records such as Chet Atkins ‘Boo Boo Stick Beat’, Frank Minion’s ‘Watermelon’, Johnny Todd’s ‘Pink Cadillac’, Sunshine Theatre’s ‘Mountain’, Jet Harris’ ‘Man From Nowhere’, Tracy Rogers ‘Baby’ and the Ventures ‘Fuzzy And Wild’.

A with the first album there are 28 tracks spread across two albums or shoehorned onto one CD. The extensive liner notes see Richard discussing each and every track and what the record or artist meant to him. As he states himself in the introduction, “the record you hold in your hand is the result of a lifetime obsession.”
Listen for yourself and you will discover that this was time well spent.

Fantastisches Album mit 12 Liedern der Begena-Musiker Tafese Tesfaye, Admassu Fikre, Seyoum Mengistu und Alemu Aga. ""Die Begena ist eines jener seltenen Musikinstrumente, das seit über 5800 Jahren existiert. Faszinierend an ihr ist nicht nur ihr Alter, sondern auch die Tatsache, dass sich ihre Herstellung und ihr Verwendungszweck über all die Jahre hinweg nicht verändert haben. ... Während des Derg-Regimes, nach dem Sturz von Kaiser Haile Selassie, wurde sie nicht mehr als wichtig erachtet. ... Aber besonders in den letzten 15-16 Jahren hat es eine Renaissance erlebt. Es gibt viele, meist junge Begena-Spieler, von denen ich über 500 Schüler unterrichtet habe. Es gibt auch Begena-Bauer, die das Instrument für neue Schüler bauen. Das Interessante an diesem Instrument ist, dass die Musik, der Klang, der aus diesem Instrument kommt, die besondere Kraft hat, Menschen zur Konzentration, zur Ruhe und zum Nachdenken zu bewegen. Das ist eine besondere Qualität. Man muss kein Äthiopier sein, jeder kann es hören, es wird ihn automatisch zur Ruhe und Konzentration anregen."" – Alemu Aga (aus einem Interview mit Pit Budde für den WDR, Köln, 2008)

Crypt of the Wizard is proud to present Ginger Wizard - The Curious Flora and Fauna of the Ancient World on vinyl and digital formats.
About ten years ago in a record store in Prague, the Ginger Wizard discovered a copy of Bo Hansson’s Lord of the Rings LP. Although initially unfamiliar with the record, the reference to Tolkien’s masterwork and the incredible cover art drew him in and, rather fittingly, sent him off on a journey of discovery that would reshape his creative trajectory.
Years later while working in cassette tape manufacturing, Ginger Wizard noticed that most fantasy-inspired music fell into two camps: metal and dungeon synth. With little interest in the former, but intrigued by the latter, he began writing a few songs imagining a beautifully packaged and tactile cassette tape. However, dungeon synth he soon realized was “the most boring music to make”.
So began the Ginger Wizard’s own mythological discography. In 2022 came The Feast for the Dead King and Other Musical Themes recorded at home in a cold kitchen, is conversely an album full of warmth drawn from sheer exploration. A year later Can I Choose My Own Psychopompos? was recorded for the legendary Stoned to Death label - a 7” séance of semi-improvised noise and melody featuring allies from the Ginger Wizard’s live backing band The Peter Jacksons. The following year with Bathysburg Tales, a new approach was needed in order to keep the project interesting. Drawing inspiration from Popol Vuh and the inclusion of vocals lent by Protomartyr’s Joe Casey and Jakob Battick, a new more cinematic sound began to emerge.
Now, we present The Curious Flora and Fauna of the Ancient World marking a step into something stranger while still channeling the spirit of Bo Hansson. The new album rejects swords and sorcery for the mythology of the natural world “the ancient stuff,” he explains in the record’s insert, “has a similar taste for me as fantasy.” These songs bloom, creep, and shimmer like forgotten plants under distant suns while rooted in something real and organic. Inspired by the myths of nature rather than heroic quests, it’s an album that feels alive, equal parts archaeological dig and psychedelic garden.
Currently at work on a soundtrack for an imagined 1970s fantasy film in collaboration with The Peter Jacksons, the Ginger Wizard continues to expand his strange universe while The Curious Flora and Fauna of the Ancient World serves as a new map to somewhere ancient, beautiful, and unknown.

Attention Italo-disco junkies: Disco Segreta is back, and we’re kicking off our 10th-anniversary celebration in style with a release you simply can’t miss. We’re beyond excited to present the official reissue of Cecilia Rizzoli’s iconic single, “Così non va”—a tearjerker Italo-disco masterpiece that has haunted the dreams of collectors for decades.

Originally released in 1985 in an ultra-limited run of just 500 copies split on two cult labels, Scarabes Sound and Discokkio, this gem became a mythical treasure for those dedicated diggers uncovering the rarest Italo disco tracks. “Così non va” blends hypnotic Juno synth lines, punchy Linndrum beats and airy arpeggios with Cecilia’s emotionally charged vocals, creating a soundscape that’s pure melanchol-Italo perfection—ideal for winter nights and nostalgic dance floors.

For this reissue, we’ve painstakingly tracked down the original analog master, that we’ve lovingly restored and remastered to deliver the kind of pristine sound quality this track deserves. The release features the remastered original and a fresh, contemporary edit by Latino-Swedish Italo-disco legend Claudio Burgos, aka Mr. Fantasy. Secure your copy now before it disappears into collector heaven—again!

Limited edition (numbered 100 copies) 180g black vinyl with insert.

"BEN BEKELE does not exist. At least not the one I'm thinking of.


It's a mix of memories and fantasies from the mid-80s when it was my father who visited Ethiopia, returning with two small drums, a couple of pictures and tons of tales.
One of them was a story of a boy named Bekele, who taught him a traditional Ethiopian song.

Father passed this song on to us, as best as he could - now I'm having doubts as to what the message is actually about - but back then I was fascinated. Many years later, when I was preparing a song for a compilation "Portrety" at U Know Me Records, I realized that the bass line that I created resembled a fragment of that exact song. Apparently the melody buried itself somewhere deep in my subconscious and unexpectedly revealed itself at that moment. Therefore I decided to honor the memory of my deceased of 30 years dad (whose friends called him Ben) naming the composition: "The Life and Death of Ben Bekele". The song turned out to be very happy to me - its success definitely exceeded expectations, while in my head an idea to go further after Ben Bekele began to form.

This time I didn't want to work alone. I invited Kamil Piotrowicz and Igor Wiśniewski to cooperate with me. Incredibly creative, sensitive artists and wonderful companions on stage as well as off it. The music on this album is similar to a small extent to the "founding" piece.
It has however a couple of common features, with focus on the rhythm as the form-forming factor at the forefront. It's also organic, emotional, at times trance-like and illustrative.

I sincerely hope that when listening to this record, for these tens of minutes you'll escape from the surrounding us not-so-pleasant everyday life."

2026 repress

The clergy is pleased to introduce you to a new initiate: Birds ov Paradise. This highly anticipated Hypnus debut comes split into three separate EP's which will be released one each full moon starting October.

Some of you may be acquainted with the music of Birds ov Paradise already as he's put out two stellar records on Jens and Aniara Recordings in 2016-2017, as well as making a contribution to our podcast series The Memoir where his sound was put on a grand display. Those of you who are new to the fantastic dream world of this very talented artist will quickly get lost in the flowing rhythms that drives his magical deep techno sound.

Early support from Etapp Kyle, Ness, Slam, Iori, Refracted, Svreca, Cio D'Or and Dorisburg to name a few.

Originally released as a digital double a side both lead tracks were chosen by the remixers and the results are like an electrical storm.

Newark, NJ’s Dälek (Will Brooks) drags T. Relly’s growl through the quicksand, a cacophony of whiplashed beats and visceral loops spurring our protagonist on. It’s a gaggle of Ghostface Killas trapped in a hall of mirrors; it’s next door’s MBV heard through the walls whilst submerged in a low-lit bathtub. And Wu Tang are pulling the plug out.

Kevin Martin aka The Bug continues to release teeth rattling sonic masterpieces, his most recent being November’s ‘Implosion’ on his own Pressure label. In his hands ‘Protein’ becomes a submarine bass, head n’ rig wrecker opting here for more of his hooky ‘In Blue’ style Bug mix. As Kevin said – “to my fantastical mind it sounds like Bug dirt ‘n’grind Vs Yin Yang Twins’ louche swagger and Neptunes funk”.

“In Bristol, it was hip-hop and reggae renegades meeting up with white ex-punk guitarists, alternative pop pioneers hanging out with underground roots music makers, and sound system sonic stalwarts grooving out with rave’s space cadets that laid the bedrock for such an explosion. And if you think that such an eclectic melting pot ever went away, you would be wrong. Ree-Vo is all the proof that you need” – The Big Takeover

Trouble’s absolute classic: the legendary album from 1990 and the pinnacle of Trouble’s impressive career. Heavy Metal was never better than this! Includes a live bonus CD recorded in Dallas, Taxas (USA)! Trouble’s debut album did great things for Metal and remains one of the darkest, thrashiest Doom albums to date. A lot of things can change in six years, especially when you’re talking Metal and the dates are 1984 and 1990. The decade may have changed them, but not in a way that suggests decay or a decline in the quality of their resolve or their skill as musicians and performers. On the contrary, Trouble’s 1990 self-titled release is arguably their most mature, boasting a fleshed out sound with unparalleled songwriting, a great production, and the time-crafted vocals of Eric Wagner which had improved major in the years since their previous efforts. All of this culminates in what is my mind the most “complete” thing Trouble ever created. From the mid-paced chug of a killer opener in “At the End of My Daze” to the last notes of “All Is Forgiven”, I can’t see filler or anything resembling a weak link. The riffs here are some of the best ever written, by Trouble or anyone else; every song has a manically awesome main riff that demands a display of headbanging. Riffs are undoubtedly the point of focus here; they make the songs, and they’re a timeless variety of great. Also, the interplay between guitarists Bruce Franklin and Rick Wartell is some of the best lead work you will ever hear in Metal. Trouble basically reinvented themselves with this release, and while I think it was a fantastic rebirth, those who aren’t so keen on the laid back stoner vibe they chose to adopt may not see it as a rejuvenation, but a step back (they did go from doom and gloom to collectively embracing their inner acid dropping free love hippie, after all). But the Metal remained fully intact! And as I’ve said, I think this is Trouble at their best. This is originality and innovation at its best, it is supreme quality. A leader of bands paves the way and then steps aside to create something that will serve as an example of how to improve upon an established formula: that is, by doing it really damn well.

Black vinyl repress. Wie in het voorjaar van 2025 het voorrecht had om de theatertour van Het Zesde Metaal bij te wonen, kon daar op de koop toe genieten van een handvol gloednieuwe songs. Het resultaat is de EP Randgevallen: vijf songs, vijf vertellingen uit het persoonlijke en wereldse leven die andermaal bewijzen dat Het Zesde Metaal als geen ander kan beschrijven, beklijven en betoveren.

Wie in het voorjaar van 2025 het voorrecht had om de theatertour van Het Zesde Metaal bij te wonen, kon daar op de koop toe genieten van een handvol gloednieuwe songs. En daarna vaststellen dat die helaas nergens te (her)beluisteren waren. Tot nu, want de goesting om de songs vast te leggen voor de eeuwigheid werd op den duur wel heel groot. En dus kampeerden Wannes Cappelle en co afgelopen zomer enkele dagen in Waimes (DAFT Music Studios), voor het eerst in de nieuwe bezetting met Kasper Cornelus op gitaar/toetsen en Sander Verstraete op bas.

Het resultaat is de EP Randgevallen: vijf songs, vijf vertellingen uit het persoonlijke en wereldse leven die andermaal bewijzen dat Het Zesde Metaal als geen ander kan beschrijven, beklijven en betoveren. Een staalkaart bovendien van de muzikale en tekstuele veelzijdigheid die de band al jaren kenmerkt. Opener Service is een opgewekte popsong waarin Cappelle sappig de drang naar reviews en hartjes in het dagelijkse en economische leven fileert: 'wa' vind je van onze service? / zou j'ons geen tiene willen geven? / asteblieft, want anders is den directeur vies.' In Traagskes Groeien verstilt het tempo en keert de blik naar binnen, het persoonlijke leven in, mijmerend over kinderen die stilaan het nest ontgroeien. 'ge moet u zo nie' spoeien / ge moet traagskes groeien / ge moe' laagske per laagske groeien', probeert Cappelle het loslaten nog even uit te stellen.

Wie dacht dat Oud En Nieuw daarna gaat over feestvieren in de donkerste dagen van december, is op het verkeerde feestje beland. Wiegend op hypnotiserende bas, drum en pedal steel passeert opnieuw de vergankelijkheid van het leven, dit keer met een bredere maatschappelijke blik. 'alles da' oud is, was ooit nieuw / en groot is ooit kleine begonnen / veel komt van weinig / glad was eerst ruw / zelfs de waarheid wierd ooit verzonnen'. Wanneer naar het einde toe pulserende synths het tempo opheffen en de song licht euforisch uitwaaiert in een instrumentale coda, kun je alleen maar de ogen sluiten en stilstaan bij wat was en nog komen zal.

Label is het enige nummer dat speciaal voor de EP werd geschreven en baadt net als Service in meer dartele klanken, terwijl Cappelle met trefzekere oneliners een beeld van zichzelf schetst. 'de meeste middens mijd ik, ik hore bie de randgevallen thuis / misschien verdiene 'kik ook een label'. Moeten we altijd proberen de ander in een vakje te duwen? Kan iedereen niet 'gewoon' anders zijn? En ironisch draait Cappelle de rollen om: 'atypisch is de norm / ge moogt buiten de lijntjes kleuren / gewoon is niet verboden / normaal zijn doet geen zeer / as ze mor hunder plekke kennen / de rare zijn met meer.'

Het slotakkoord is voor het beklijvende Duizend Soldaten van Willem Vermandere, dat Cappelle en Filip Wauters begin dit jaar brachten voor het tv-programma Ik Vraag Het Aan. Nu zet het een pakkend punt achter een EP die nogmaals de tijdloze klasse van de band onderstreept. Meeslepend, verhalend, herkenbaar, grappig, ontroerend, scherp. Het Zesde Metaal is het allemaal en heeft daar slechts vijf songs voor nodig.

Randgevallen werd opgenomen met Frederik Segers (productie) en Jasper Maekelberg (mix) aan de knoppen, en komt uit op 4 oktober. Met de plaat onder de arm én aan de merchandisetafel herneemt de band zijn theatertour, maar dan in het groot, langs fantastische zalen in onder meer Brugge (Concertgebouw), Gent (Capitole) en Nederland.