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Green Sonic Opaque w/ White Ink Cassette & Red Opaque w/ White Ink Cassette. Minecraft is a dreamscape, a limitless world where anything is possible. Minecraft is a tool, a means of bringing the imagination to life. Minecraft is a community, a platform on which inventive minds of all ages can share their creations and ideas. Minecraft, of course, is also a game, the most popular and best-selling video game of all time. Created in 2009 by Swedish programmer Markus "Notch" Persson, this cultural phenomenon speaks volumes of our current zeitgeist's love for virtual spaces, but its unprecedented success couldn't be pinned on one factor alone. Countless layers of thoughtful artistry flow through Minecraft's singular experience, not the least of which is its transportive soundtrack by C418, the project of German composer and musician Daniel Rosenfeld. Minecraft Volume Alpha, the first installment of a two-part OST, helped breathe life into the game's voxel-based universe. Upon release, fans and critics were universally enamored with C418's beatless, nuanced electronic pieces. Popular gaming site Kotaku named it among The Best Game Music of 2011, calling the music "remarkably soothing." The Guardian compared Rosenfeld's delicate piano and sparse ambient motifs to legendary artists Erik Satie and Brian Eno. Polygon distilled Volume Alpha to its essence: "It's not bound by the retro aesthetic of Minecraft's graphics. It transcends them. The album is an attempt to uplift the combined game/music experience into the sublime."

Carrying on from recent archival releases from masters of Indian classical tradition such as Kamalesh Maitra and the Dagar Brothers, Black Truffle is pleased to present a previously unheard recording of a concert by Pakistani vocalist Salamat Ali Khan. Born to a musician family in Hoshiarpur in the northwestern state of Punjab, Khan moved with his family to Lahore in Pakistan after the 1947 partition of India, becoming a child musical prodigy. Khan was a master of the kyhal form of Hindustani classical vocal music, a style integrating influences from Middle Eastern musical traditions that gives the singer a great deal of improvisational freedom. Travelling widely across the globe from the 1960s until his death in 2001, Khan approached ragas performed in the kyhal style as expressive forums for risk-taking improvisation, enlivened by ceaseless ornamental invention.

This remarkable recording was captured by Michael Hönig (of krautrock legends Agitation Free) in concert at Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie as part of the MetaMusik festival in 1974 (which also featured Nico, Tangerine Dream, and Roberto Laneri’s Prima Materia, among many others). Khan, who is also heard accompanying himself on a specially tuned alpine zither (in place of the traditional swarmandal, an Indian style of zither), is joined by Shaukat Hussein Khan on tabla and Hussein Bux Khan on harmonium. The lack of a familiar underlying tanpura drone gives this performance a weightless, floating quality, with all three of the musicians playing masterfully with the interaction between silence and the pulse propelling each section of the raag.

As Khan explains in his opening remarks, this performance of the rainy season Raag Megh is divided into three parts, each with its own tempo and rhythmic scheme (tala). The opening vilambit, in a twelve-beat tala, stretches out for over twenty minutes, lingering for a long time in a space of meditative calm, Khan lightly strumming the zither while exploring the lower end of his range in languorously extended notes. Virtuoso tabla interjections at first barely state the tempo, and the interplay between musicians is so spacious that we hear scraps of audience noise and the squeak of the harmonium’s mechanism in between the notes. Gradually picking up rhythmic definition and melodic complexity, after around fifteen minutes the music builds dramatically, with Khan letting out emotive yelps and swooping scalar shapes ranging across his full vocal range. This flows seamlessly into the following jhaptal, at a faster tempo in ten beats, which then makes way for the concluding teental, very fast in sixteen beats, which becomes a frantic improvisational exchange of daring rhythmic disruptions from the tabla, flowing harmonium melodies, and a stunning variety of vocal approaches from Khan, ranging from rapid-fire staccato consonants to guttural growls.

Accompanied by stunning black and white concert photographs, the LP also contains a moving and entertaining recollection from acclaimed German musicologist Peter Pannke, looking back on his experience assisting Khan and his musicians in Berlin at the Metamusik festival (including a mouth-watering description of a feast cooked by the maestro himself). As Pannke describes in his account of attending the concert, the beauty and spiritual intensity of this music leaves the listener speechless.

In collaboration with Telekom Electronic Beats, HOMEAGAIN005 captures the spirit of this year's Home Again Club Festival 2025 with a forward-thinking selection of tracks from artists across the festival roster.
Spanning house, tech house, breaks, ambient, and progressive sounds, this 7-track VA is a deep dive into late-night euphoria, sunrise moments, and everything in between.
Side A opens with Thabo's "Cheza Mwili" featuring Nairobi's Brian Msafiri-a high-octane Afro-electronic anthem with Swahili vocals and dancefloor urgency. Miura follows with the punchy and introspective "Home Alone," while Meggy delivers pure Berlin house warmth on "Around." Soela & Module One close the side with "Obsidian," a deep, shimmering journey built for long-form sets.
On the flip, "Pull Me Back" by LUV ATTACK pushes progressive, fast-paced house to an emotional edge. Thalo Santana & Oran Ray shift gears into breaksy territory with the playful, rhythm-heavy "Sweet Potato," before All Shade rounds things out with "Something Like This"-a sleek, driving tech house roller built for peak-time sets.
Mixed and mastered by Matthias Millhoff, and adorned with artwork by Ken Hanamura, HOMEAGAIN005 is a celebration of the diverse sonic threads running through Home Again's dancefloor community.

Aus dem kalten Mark der geheimnisvollen und verehrten norwegischen Black-Metal-Szene geschnitzt, beschwören Gaahls Wyrd eine fesselnde Verschmelzung von Chaos und Schönheit. Unter der beherrschenden Präsenz von Kristian "Gaahl" Espedal erschafft die Band eine weitreichende Saga des Sounds - sowohl ursprünglich als auch transzendiert.

Mit Braiding the Stories begeben sich Gaahls Wyrd auf eine alchemistische Reise durch die Reiche des Bewusstseins und der Träume und erschaffen eine klangliche Erzählung, die den nahtlosen Tanz zwischen dem Gesehenen und dem Ungesehenen erforscht. Jeder Track ist eine tiefgründige Erforschung der Schleier der Realität und kristallisiert das Ephemere durch die kraftvolle Verbindung von philosophischer Introspektion und kühner musikalischer Komposition. Von den eindringlichen Echos von "The Dream Master" bis zur ätherischen Resonanz von "Flowing Starlight" lädt das Album den Hörer ein, seine labyrinthischen Klanglandschaften zu durchqueren - ein Ort, an dem sich nachdenkliche Melodien mit intuitiver Kraft kreuzen. In diesem Bereich kanalisiert Gaahls Wyrd rohe lyrische Introspektion und starke klangliche Fähigkeiten, geführt von den geschickten Händen von Ole "Lust Kilman" Walaunet, Andreas "Nekroman" Salbu und Kevin "Spektre" Kvåle.

Im Herzen des Albums liegt eine Reise der Selbstfindung, die von der zeitlosen Stimme Gaahls durchdrungen ist und den Hörer dazu einlädt, nicht nur zu hören, sondern zu erleben, zu reflektieren und zu transzendieren.

- Die mit einem Grammy ausgezeichneten norwegischen Metal-Maestros Gaahls Wyrd präsentieren ihr faszinierendes zweites Album "Braiding the Stories". Dieses introspektive und ätherische Projekt überbrückt die Reiche des Bewusstseins und der Träume durch eine starke Mischung aus philosophischer Introspektion und kühner musikalischer Komposition.

- Angeführt von der beeindruckenden Präsenz des legendären Sängers Gaahl (Kristian Espedal) und unterstützt von Gitarrist Lust Kilman (Ole Walaunet), Bassist Nekroman (Andreas Salbu) und Schlagzeuger Spektre (Kevin Kvåle) verschmilzt die Band kunstvoll Chaos und Schönheit und findet im esoterischen Extreme/Black Metal-Genre großen Anklang.

- Braiding the Stories wurde im Solslottet Studio produziert und ist mit einem anspruchsvollen Cover von Øivind Myksvoll versehen.

FFO: Mayhem, Wardruna, Gorgoroth, Enslaved

Aus dem kalten Mark der geheimnisvollen und verehrten norwegischen Black-Metal-Szene geschnitzt, beschwören Gaahls Wyrd eine fesselnde Verschmelzung von Chaos und Schönheit. Unter der beherrschenden Präsenz von Kristian "Gaahl" Espedal erschafft die Band eine weitreichende Saga des Sounds - sowohl ursprünglich als auch transzendiert.

Mit Braiding the Stories begeben sich Gaahls Wyrd auf eine alchemistische Reise durch die Reiche des Bewusstseins und der Träume und erschaffen eine klangliche Erzählung, die den nahtlosen Tanz zwischen dem Gesehenen und dem Ungesehenen erforscht. Jeder Track ist eine tiefgründige Erforschung der Schleier der Realität und kristallisiert das Ephemere durch die kraftvolle Verbindung von philosophischer Introspektion und kühner musikalischer Komposition. Von den eindringlichen Echos von "The Dream Master" bis zur ätherischen Resonanz von "Flowing Starlight" lädt das Album den Hörer ein, seine labyrinthischen Klanglandschaften zu durchqueren - ein Ort, an dem sich nachdenkliche Melodien mit intuitiver Kraft kreuzen. In diesem Bereich kanalisiert Gaahls Wyrd rohe lyrische Introspektion und starke klangliche Fähigkeiten, geführt von den geschickten Händen von Ole "Lust Kilman" Walaunet, Andreas "Nekroman" Salbu und Kevin "Spektre" Kvåle.

Im Herzen des Albums liegt eine Reise der Selbstfindung, die von der zeitlosen Stimme Gaahls durchdrungen ist und den Hörer dazu einlädt, nicht nur zu hören, sondern zu erleben, zu reflektieren und zu transzendieren.

- Die mit einem Grammy ausgezeichneten norwegischen Metal-Maestros Gaahls Wyrd präsentieren ihr faszinierendes zweites Album "Braiding the Stories". Dieses introspektive und ätherische Projekt überbrückt die Reiche des Bewusstseins und der Träume durch eine starke Mischung aus philosophischer Introspektion und kühner musikalischer Komposition.

- Angeführt von der beeindruckenden Präsenz des legendären Sängers Gaahl (Kristian Espedal) und unterstützt von Gitarrist Lust Kilman (Ole Walaunet), Bassist Nekroman (Andreas Salbu) und Schlagzeuger Spektre (Kevin Kvåle) verschmilzt die Band kunstvoll Chaos und Schönheit und findet im esoterischen Extreme/Black Metal-Genre großen Anklang.

- Braiding the Stories wurde im Solslottet Studio produziert und ist mit einem anspruchsvollen Cover von Øivind Myksvoll versehen.

FFO: Mayhem, Wardruna, Gorgoroth, Enslaved

ARCHITECTS are back and charging forward in the heavy rock world with their latest sonic masterpiece, The Sky, The Earth & All Between. After two relentless years on the road-featuring massive European summer tours with Metallica and top billing at festival stages across Europe, (Rock Am Ring, Rock Im Park, Hellfest, Download, Graspop, Full Force to name a few and headlining Bloodstock) - the band has returned to the studio to deliver their most powerful collection of songs yet. With the creative force of Jordan Fish (Bring Me The Horizon) behind the boards, Architects have captured the explosive energy of their live performances while elevating their signature melodic edge. This album reflects the perfect blend of raw intensity, emotional depth, and innovative production. Already making waves, singles like "Curse" and "Seeing Red" have drawn rave reviews from all major metal press worldwide. "Seeing Red" the "anthem powerhouse" landed because of global success in the top 10 of charts worldwide-amassing over 45 million streams along the way. The Sky, The Earth & All Between builds on the momentum of their 2022 album, the classic symptoms of a broken spirit, which stormed to the top of the UK Rock and Metal Charts. With this new release, Architects are once again set to push the boundaries of modern heavy music, cementing their status as one of the most exciting and essential bands of our time.

Life and Death is thrilled to unleash the electrifying debut EP from rising Irish producer Cromby, marking a bold new chapter on DJ Tennis’ genre-defying label. Packed with highvoltage energy, emotional depth, and razor-sharp house production. At its heart is “I’m Coming Back”—a radiant, hands-in-the-air anthem co-crafted with NiKi K. The track also receives a powerful rework from the enigmatic Known Artist, who transforms it into a hypnotic late-night weapon—fusing atmospheric textures with raw emotional drive. Cromby finally concludes with “One More Time”— a colorful house thumper of pure peak time energy, right on cue for the summer festival season ahead.

Martha Argerich - eine Legende am Klavier
Der Begriff „lebende Legende“ trifft auf Martha Argerich zu, deren schillernde Mischung aus Virtuosität, Einfühlungsvermögen, Eklektizismus, Großzügigkeit und faszinierender Aura sie zu einer Pianistin von unvergleichlicher Faszination macht. Die in Argentinien 1941 geborene und in Wien ausgebildete Pianistin, die 1965 den Chopin-Wettbewerb gewann, ist zu einer manchmal schwerfassbaren Figur geworden, deren Auftritte und Aufnahmen mit Spannung erwartet werden. Martha Argerich ist zudem eine großzügige Mentorin für junge Künstler, insbesondere durch ihr ehemaliges Progetto Martha Argerich beim Lugano Festival in der Schweiz. Nun erscheint eine Auswahl ihrer berühmten Solo-Klavier- und Kammermusikaufnahmen auf Vinyl.

BLUE NOTE TONE POET EDITION: produziert von Joe Harley, komplett analog von Kevin Gray von den Originalbändern remastert, RTI-Pressung (180g), stabiles Tip-on-Sleeve, wattierte Innenhülle.

Andrew Hill - Andrew!!!
Der Pianist und Komponist Andrew Hill stürmte die Jazzszene mit einem Ausbruch an Kreativität. In nur acht Monaten, zwischen November 1963 und Juni 1964, nahm er für Blue Note fünf bemerkenswerte Alben in unterschiedlichen Besetzungen (vom Trio bis zum Sextett) und mit durchweg eigenen Kompositionen auf. Das letzte dieser Alben war “Andrew!!!”, über das AllMusic schrieb: “Die Musik hat oft eine schwebende, hypnotische Qualität, die Hills Dissonanzen, ungewöhnliche Voicings und komplexe Arrangements noch fesselnder macht als sonst.”

K U T E get rambling on through the perpetual fog and herald a spectacular mould-melting sound on their forthcoming album 'Intrigue/Fatigue'

After breaking out of Glasgow's live circuit and releasing a critically acclaimed demo tape, the band of dissenters is ready to break the unsuspecting public. Never Sleep are proud to present a landmark moment in the Glasgow hardcore scene. The modus operandi of 'Intrigue/Fatigue' is as political as it is social, a fusion of post rock, art, hardcore, punk, and performance. It’s their first for the Berlin label (founded by Gabber Eleganza) following the elusive demos that circulated Glasgow's underbelly.

Ahead of the release K U T E brought their fervorous live show around the UK and beyond leading to award nominations in Scotland for 'Best Live Act' supporting bands like Militarie Gun, Angel Du$t, The Serfs to name a few. The band also played at Outbreak and .core festivals

The band member's Amy, Kenni, Fletch and Matty have been performing as K U T E for just over a year. Amy's frontwoman reputation has already garnered huge attention and her lyrics honesty, social awareness and humility has also made waves as a true new voice in music.

The result is a mesmerizing powerhouse of a debut, where they have found a singularity where hardcore meets Battles, or Godspeed goes full windmilling in the basement.

Playing singles 'For You', 'One More For The Walk' and 'Intrigue/Fatigue' have been released in the lead up to the record and have been making big waves at BBC6 with support from members of Mogwai. The band's technical yet gargantuan sound has crossed over into the public spectrum and led to a whole wave of new fandom.

They have shared their self produced videos for Singles ‘For You’ & ‘One More For The Walk’ as well as a 2 song live session ‘LIVE AT THE LAWBURN’

The band are embarking on their first UK Tour in 2025 supporting ‘Fentanyl’ in June and a slew of UK & EU dates

Following the success of his debut album Echoes of Prayer - featuring singles like Communicate, Calm Waters, and Silent Chaos - Ghanaian-Dutch artist Bnnyhunna announces the album's first-ever vinyl release, set for May 30, 2025, via the renowned Belgian label Sdban Ultra.

Originally released digitally in October 2024, Echoes of Prayer stands as a deeply personal and spiritual work that reflects Bnnyhunna's faith, his early experiences growing up in church, and his West African heritage. Every track on the album serves as a form of prayer, a conversation with God. The album showcases his ability to weave poetic lyrics, vivid visuals, and captivating melodies, creating an immersive experience that resonates on a spiritual and emotional level.

Bnnyhunna's signature fusion of jazz, hip-hop, gospel, and Afro rhythms highlights his versatility and musical integrity. Next to the the warm jazz textures of Calm Waters, the vibrant Afrobeat pulse of Communicate, and the soulful, piano-driven Silent Chaos, Echoes of Prayer also blends elements of '70s P-Funk grooves, gospel harmonies, and modern hip-hop rhythms. Each song represents a different facet of Bnnyhunna's artistic vision. Tracks like SHOULD'VE BEEN YOU carry nostalgic R&B undertones, while Sum Love brings gospel-infused choir arrangements that recall sacred spaces. Interludes such asAvanti add moments of intimacy and reflection through gentle guitar lines.

The album's diverse sound is elevated by collaborations with The Cavemen, who lend their signature highlife revival, and Jembaa Groove, who contribute with West African-inspired rhythms.

His debut project EP SINTHA, released in 2021, quickly established Bnnyhunna as a rising talent, leading to collaborations with artists like Asake, Rimon, and José James. He gained momentum by selling out his first headline show, which included a surprise performance from Kokoroko, and receiving global recognition from platforms like Highsnobiety, VICE, and Complex, as well as performing at prestigious festivals such as North Sea Jazz and Montreux Jazz. Bnnyhunna challenges conventional music by engaging all the senses through photography, videography, and poetry.

The release of Echoes of Prayer follows a year of significant achievements for Bnnyhunna. In2024, he performed for Highsnobiety at Paris Fashion Week, appeared at prestigious festivals such as Dekmantel and Zwarte Cross, and played a standout performance at the Steam Down Weekly series in London. Additionally, he composed an original score for the Dutch National Opera and won the Edison Pop Award, one of the most prestigious music awards in the Netherlands (often referred to as the Dutch Grammys), in the Soul/R&B/Funk category.

With the vinyl release of Echoes of Prayer, Bnnyhunna offers fans a tangible, collectible edition of his powerful debut. The release via Sdban Ultra invites listeners to experience the full depth of his sound in its most intimate and analog form yet.

Little Simz hat ihr sechstes Album Lotus angekündigt, das am 9. Mai über Awal Recordings erscheinen wird. Gleichzeitig präsentiert sie die erste Single Flood, featuring Obongjayar und Moonchild Sanelly. Der Albumtitel Lotus steht für Simz als Symbol für Erneuerung und Wachstum – ein zentrales Thema, das sich durch die musikalische und inhaltliche Reise des Albums zieht und die komplexen Phasen des Lebens reflektiert.

Little Simz gilt als eine der spannendsten und visionärsten Künstlerinnen Großbritanniens – Musikerin, Geschichtenerzählerin und Kulturkuratorin zugleich. So wird sie das diesjährige Meltdown Festival in London kuratieren, wie zuvor schon Superstars wie David Bowie, Yoko Ono, The Queens oder David Byrne. Mit mehreren Brit Awards, MOBOs und einem Ivor Novello Award sowie einer beeindruckenden Diskografie aus Mixtapes, EPs und fünf von Kritikern gefeierten Alben erzählt ihre Musik ihre eigene Geschichte – und die einer ganzen Generation. Simz' Vorgängeralbum "No Thank You" Ende 2022 hat es hierzulande auf die #11 der Charts geschafft. Im Jahr 2023 setzte sie ihren Weg als gefeierte Schauspielerin fort und kehrte in der letzten Staffel des Netflix-Dramas Top Boy zurück. Little Simz' Auftritt auf der Pyramid Stage des Glastonbury Festivals im Jahr 2024 festigte ihren Ruf als unnachahmliche Live-Performerin.

"Throughout all my time as a musician and producer, ever since Jack the Tab, I've been focused on developing a single idea: Blending psychedelic sounds and effects with rhythm." Richard Norris, Strange Things Are Happening White Rabbit 2024

Over the past few years Eskimo Recordings have invited some of the best crate diggers around to curate compilations that don't just reveal the hidden contents of their record bags but something about themselves too. Now, following in the footsteps of the likes of Bill Brewster and Psychemagik, producer, musician, DJ, writer and more, Richard Norris, takes us on a globetrotting psychedelic journey with the epic 42 track collection, Mr Norris Changes Brains.

For over forty years Richard has played a part in many of the UK's most important music subcultures. Whether sharing stages with the likes of Tracey Thorn as a pubescent punk in St. Albans, or running freakbeat nights in Liverpool and working at the pioneering psychedelic label Bam Caruso, co-producing the UK's first acid house inspired LP with Throbbing Gristle's Genesis P. Orridge or riding the wave of creativity that the second summer of love unleashed all the way to the Top of the Pop studios as The Grid, Richard's career has continually seen him work to expand both his own and the public's musical horizons.

With Mr Norris Changes Brains it's the most recent part of his mercurial career that he's focused on. Drawing inspiration from his post 2006 adventures as one half of Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve, alongside Trash's Erol Alkan, this compilation shows how a more connected world has blown the dust off a paradoxically sometimes straightjacketed scene. The result is a dizzyingly wide-ranging collection that explores the further out there reaches of worldwide psychedelia and dancefloor mayhem.

"A lot of these tracks are fairly recent discoveries, things that I've discovered from around the time I started working with Erol and going right up to today," Richard explains. "Whether that's from going out to play and finding new records in places like Istanbul or just connecting with people online from all around the world. Psych can sometimes be a sort of narrow-minded field, with everything having to sit in its specific niche, but more and more people are open to new sounds and that's allowed for a much broader selection."

Despite their disparate origins what does unite these tracks is that they aren't just there to zone out to on a bean bag as projections of swirling coloured oils and psychedelic patterns wash over you. Mr Norris may change brains but his DJ sets also move feet, and whether it's their killer guitar riffs, oscillating synths floor shaking drums or soulful Hammond organs these are all cuts that from festival tents to underground clubs have proven time and time again to get people dancing.

"With a lot of these tracks there's a kind of fun element in them," says Richard. "It's still psychedelia, but they've also got these solid, funky grooves. They sound phenomenal on the dancefloor and as much as these records might excite old psych heads, this compilation is also for a new generation out there who might have never heard anything like this before and, just like when I was 18 and heard The 13th Floor Elevators for the first time, think 'Oh, my God, what on earth is this and more importantly what else is out there?'"

Chancha Via Circuito - Remixes is a new compilation from the Argentine producer Chancha Via Circuito, who has been a key player in the Latin electronic music scene. The album brings together some of his top remixes from the past 11 years, now available for the first time on vinyl. This is Chancha's first physical release since his 2022 album La Estrella, and it features remixes with artists like El Búho, Nickodemus, Fuel Fandango, and Lagartijeando.

Chancha is known for blending cumbia with electronic sounds, a style he pioneered in Buenos Aires' vibrant digital cumbia parties. His music often mixes South American folk influences with environmental sounds. Over the years, he's built a global following, performing in cities like London, New York, Paris, Berlin, Sydney, and São Paulo, where he's played at some of the biggest clubs and festivals.

SUPERVIVENXIA is Baby Volcano’s second EP, an intoxicating mix of hybrid pop, experimental reggaeton, Latin music, and chanson – it is a testament to Baby Volcano’s evolving artistry. The title is a blend of the Spanish words "sobrevivencia" (survival) and "supervivencia" (super-alive), encapsulating the EP’s essence: living life fully, embracing its sorrow as much as its joyous madness.

Baby Volcano is a Swiss-Guatemalan artist who erupted onto the Swiss underground scene with her debut EP Síndrome Premenstrual (2021). Trained in contemporary dance and performance in Buenos Aires, she has captivated audiences powerful live shows at festivals including Roskilde, Eurockéennes de Belfort, Paléo Festival, Dour Festival, Les Vieilles Charrues, Transmusicales, and many more.

Wenn drei visionäre Köpfe der elektronischen Musik aufeinandertreffen, entsteht ein Sound, der Grenzen sprengt. Demise Of Love ist das Projekt von Daniel Avery, James Greenwoods Ghost Culture und Working Men’s Club – eine Kollaboration, die aus gegenseitiger Wertschätzung und dem Streben nach neuen Klängen entstanden ist. Demise Of Love verbindet rohe Energie mit klanglicher Präzision. Das Ergebnis ist eine Fusion aus industriellen Klanglandschaften, pulsierendem Acid-House und melancholischen Melodien. Ihre Musik fordert heraus, fesselt und bleibt haften. Die EP, abgemischt von Alan Moulder, bringt das Beste der drei Musiker zusammen: Synthesizer, die den Raum aufbrechen, intensive Refrains und eine Soundästhetik, die sich nicht einordnen lässt. „Strange Little Consequence“ wechselt spielerisch zwischen Acid-Groove und monumental anmutendem Rock-Refrain. „Carry The Blame“ fängt die Weite des Detroit-Techno ein, „Be A Man“ verbindet Industrial-Punk mit düsterer Melancholie, und „Like I Loved You“ hebt mit hymnischem Gesang in elektronische Höhen ab. Auch inhaltlich geht die EP tief: Texte über Entfremdung, Kontrollverlust und die Suche nach Verbindung verleihen der Musik zusätzliche Schwere. Zeilen wie „Dead peasants excite you / Rewards of the plight fall / Into your hands“ aus „Strange Little

Consequence“ oder „Your ways are antiquated / And I’m bored now“ aus „Be A Man“ spiegeln das Unbehagen unserer Zeit wider. „Demise Of Love“ ist keine bloße Zusammenarbeit, sondern eine Verschmelzung dreier einzigartiger Klangwelten zu etwas völlig Eigenem. Hier trifft Innovation auf Emotion – kompromisslos, intensiv und von zeitloser Eleganz.

Obwohl ANTROPOMORPHIA für "Devoid of Light" insgesamt zweieinhalb Jahre im Studio verbrachten haben, verloren sie dabei nie ihre Vision aus den Augen: Nämlich eine Vielzahl von harten musikalischen Texturen, einschließlich fanatischer Aggression, misanthropischer und nihilistischer Texte mit dunklen Emotionen wie Wut, Verzweiflung und Schmerz zu dunklen und bedrückenden Klanglandschaften zu kombinieren. ANTROPOMORPHIA wurden 1990 im niederländischen Tilburg aus der Gruft gehoben. Als Pioniere ihres Genres wurden sie schnell zu einem Fundament der Death Metal Szene in den Niederlanden. Trotz gelegentlicher Unterbrechungen konnten ANTROPOMORPHIA ihren Status als Underground-Ikonen mit einer Reihe gefeierter Veröffentlichungen kontinuierlich festigen. Ihre kompromisslose Herangehensweise und der sich ständig erweiternde Malstrom musikalischer Texturen brachte einen stetig wachsenden Einfluss von Black Metal Elementen in die musikalische und visuelle DNA der Niederländer. Jetzt kehren ANTROPOMORPHIA mit "Devoid of Light" zurück und zeigen der Welt, dass sie immer noch danach dürsten, die Grenzen der Death Metal Szene zu überschreiten. Dreht die Regler auf 10 und lasst dieses monströse Album von der Leine!

Das vierte Album von Ellen Arkbro, "Nightclouds", versammelt fünf Improvisationen für Orgel solo, die 2023-24 in Mitteleuropa aufgenommen wurden. "Nightclouds" ist unverhohlener romantisch und introspektiver als ihre früheren Werke, obwohl es fest in der Strenge und Präzision verwurzelt, die Arkbro's Konzept ausmachen. Es ist die Erweiterung ihrer Erkundungen von räumlicher Harmonie, Taktilität und Textur, Arkbro schöpft gleichermaßen aus sakraler Musik, Jazz im ECM-Stil und Minimalismus und beschwört eine kühle Intimität und einen kühlen Ton herauf. Ihre entschleunigten Akkordimprovisationen hüllen den Zuhörer in düsteres verwaschen, während ihre Mikrofonierung die raue haptische Maserung des Rohrblatts offenbart und den Zuhörer sowohl innerhalb als auch außerhalb des Klangs bringt. Sie evoziert Duette von Kjell Johnsen und Jan Garbarek oder La Monte Young und Tony Conrads Bearbeitung von Euringers und Harmer's Cowboy-Song ,Oh Bury Me Not". "Nightclouds" kanalisiert spirituelles Pathos durch eine rigoros zurückhaltende Architektur. Anknüpfend an das letztjährige Album "Sounds While Waiting" (W.25TH, 2024), einer Auswahl von Stereomischungen, die Arkbro's räumliche Orgelinstallationen dokumentieren, ändert Nightclouds die Richtung und konzentriert sich auf unmittelbare Komposition und Improvisation. Elegante, einfache akkordische Gerüste unterstützen reiche, sich ständig verändernde Texturen; genaues Hinhören erfordert die Hingabe an anhaltende Unentschlossenheit. Den Abschluss einer Sammlung von kurzen Stücken bilden zwei Variationen über die titelgebende Komposition ,Nightclouds", eine eine schelmische Anspielung auf den britischen Jazz-Gitarristen Allan Holdsworth: Die erste Aufnahme verlangsamt und dehnt eine kontinuierlich modulierte harmonische Progression, während die kurze Schlussversion einfach drei Akkorde schleift. Zwischen diesen Stücken liegen ,Still Life" und ,Chordalities", zwei kurze Werke, die im Temple de La-Tour-de-Peilz in Vevey, Schweiz, aufgenommen wurden. Die zweite Hälfte des Albums ist folgenden Stücken gewidmet ,Morningclouds", ein weitläufiges Werk, das in der rekonstruierten Gedächtniskirche (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche) in Berlin aufgenommen wurde. Arkbro's prägnantes musikalisches Vokabular und formale Architektur evozieren ein Gefühl der emotionalen Ambivalenz, gleichzeitig erhebend und schwermütig und führt den Hörer mit kühler und distanzierter Schönheit. "Nightclouds", das als tiefgründiges Statement in Arkbros sich entwickelndem Werk steht, das zugleich introspektiv und expansiv ist, bestätigt ihre einzigartige Fähigkeit, harmonische Einfachheit in tief berührende Klanglandschaften zu verwandeln, die den Hörer in einen Raum der Kontemplation und emotionalen Tiefe führen.

Finally available following strong support from Antal and Hunee, including soundtracking the closing of Rainbow Disco Club Festival in Japan: Cabo Verde Show's 1984 showstopper “Bem Danca” revisited in its original form alongside a perfectly stripped-back, synth-focused edit by The Square Sun. Now on a 12” pressed loud at 45 RPM, with the edit on the A-side and the original version on the flip!

“Bem Danca” was a B-side cut from a 1983 release, featuring lead vocals from Luis Da Silva. The original is a party-ready Funaná jam with intricate horn and guitar work. The Square Sun’s edit takes the track deeper, extending some instrumental parts to build tension before the culmination of synths and horns that truly sparkle in this version. An essential for your bag as we begin to enjoy those open-air dancefloors once again!

Anamaría Oramas, a leading voice in Bogotá’s jazz scene, made history as the first Colombian jazz
artist to perform at Estéreo Picnic 2024. Her second album, Ramas Lejanas, explores Colombia’s wind
instrument traditions, blending gaita, flute, and percussion with jazz improvisation, evoking festive
pelayera bands, nostalgic gaita songs, and arrullador currulao.

6LP Box Set, 24-page booklet & Original programme housed in a hardboard box. Across two nights in August 1970, these were the first concerts Ra and the Arkestra had performed outside North America and formed part of a stellar festival line-up alongside Albert Ayler, Cecil Taylor, LaMonte Young and Marian Zazeela.

Die amerikanische Rockband Skid Row eroberte in den späten 80er Jahren die Musikszene und wurde zu einer führenden Kraft im Hard Rock- und Heavy Metal-Genre. Bekannt für ihre unbändige Energie, ihre melodischen Hooks und ihre unerbittliche Härte, feierten Skid Row mit Hits wie "18 and Life", "Youth Gone Wild" oder "I Remember You" weltweite Erfolge. Die Band wurde zum Synonym für den rebellischen Geist der späten 80er und frühen 90er Jahre, verkaufte weltweit Millionen von Alben und festigte ihren Platz in der Rockgeschichte. Im Jahr 2022 meldeten sich Skid Row mit ihrem mit Spannung erwarteten neuen Studioalbum "The Gang's All Here" zurück, das von Kritikern und Fans gleichermaßen als kraftvolles Revival ihres klassischen Sounds gefeiert wurde.
"Revolutions Per Minute", erstmals erschienen im Jahr 2006, stellt einen entscheidenden Moment in der Karriere der Band dar, da Skid Row aus ihrer Komfortzone heraustraten und neue Ideen und Einfl üsse in die Band einbrachten. Das Album präsentiert den sich weiterentwickelnden Stil der Band, der ihre charakteristische Härte mit einem moderneren, aƽressiveren Sound kombiniert. Die komplett remasterte Neuaufl age bietet den Fans die Möglichkeit, dieses klassische Album neu zu entdecken und seine nachhaltige Wirkung zu schätzen.

Musiker und Produzent Greg Surmacz aus Leeds veröffentlicht mit "Building Beyond The Sky" sein fünftes Album. Seine Musik kombiniert Jazz-Atmosphären mit elektronischen Sounds und wird von Trendsettern wie Gilles Peterson, Tom Ravenscroft, Jamie Cullum, Jamz Supernova oder Moses Boyd unterstützt. Surmacz trat mit James Holden und auf Gilles Petersons "We Out Here"-Festival auf. Bislang erschienen von ihm die Albentrilogie "Timelines" (2021-2022) sowie die LP "What We Can Assume" (2023).

Die malische Ethnie der Dogon sind für ihre Tier-Masken und rituellen Tänze weltweit berüchtigt. Auch ihr unglaubliches astronomisches Wissen - wichtige Feste orientieren sich an der Laufbahn von Sirius B, einem mit bloßem Auge nicht zu erkennenden Planeten - lassen westliche Forscher seit über hundert Jahren rätseln. Aber hat man schon jemals von der Musik dieses Mythen-umrankten Volkes gehört? Petit Goro hat als erster Musiker die traditionellen Dogon-Rhythmen für ein junges, modernes Publikum aufbereitet, ja er ist der erste Popstar der Dogon überhaupt. Wenn er sich auf einer der Freiluftbühnen von Bamako seine Gitarre umhängt, dann wirbeln tausende von Tänzern den Staub auf. Es ist ein Sound, der bisweilen so klingt, als hätte es Junior Kimbrough, R.L. Burnside und die One-Chord-Vamps des Mississippi Hill Country Blues an den Niger verschlagen. Pentatonische Akkorde. Dogon-Chants. Und der Sog seiner Band - die mit Bass, Gitarre und traditioneller Perkussion Richtung Trance reitet. Petit Goro besingt dabei den Kampf um die eigene Kultur und Identität. Der Popstar ist das Aushängeschild einer neuen Bewegung : Die jungen Dogon haben angesichts der Bedrohung, - fast jede Woche wird ein Dogondorf von Dschihadisten attackiert - ihre gefährdeten animistischen Traditionen wiederentdeckt. Überall in Bamako sieht man Jugendliche stolz ihre Dogon-Tracht tragen. Petit Goro aber trägt ihre Botschaft in die Welt hinaus, rockt archaische Traditionen mit einem nie gehörten Dogon-Blues

Olympia erschien ursprünglich 2010 und ist eine meisterhafte Mischung aus Artrock, anspruchsvollem Pop
und elektronischen Elementen, die Bryan Ferrys charakteristische Eleganz unterstreicht. Das Album enthält
Kollaborationen mit Legenden wie seinen Bandkollegen von Roxy Music, David Gilmour, Nile Rodgers und
den Scissor Sisters und enthält neben Coverversionen von Song to the Siren und No Face, No Name,
No Number auch die herausragende Single „You Can Dance“. Mit seiner opulenten Produktion und dem
atmosphärischen Sound ist Olympia eine raffnierte und fesselnde Ergänzung zu Ferrys gefeiertem Katalog.
Das Album erscheint erstmals seit 2010 auf limitierter roter 1LP-Vinyl-Edition, wobei die CD-Version zwei
Bonustracks enthält. Bryan Ferry hat außerdem das aktualisierte Artwork für beide Formate gestaltet.

Get Sunk ist eine Ode an das Unendliche. Es bringt mit dem Pinsel gestrichene, verschwommene Erinnerungen an die Oberfläche, die sich zu einem Haufen von Farben und Verbindungen anhäufen, der sich über
die Individualität hinaus in eine endlose Veränderung erstreckt. Unter Wasser bewegt sich alles in Zeitlupe,
und Matt Berninger sah seine kreative Stimme mit der Strömung entgleiten. Aber manchmal müssen wir
ertrinken, um uns daran zu erinnern, wie man atmet. Get Sunk ist das reinigende Einatmen. Es ist der
Anblick des wogenden Spiegelbilds im Wasser und die Erkenntnis, dass man nicht man selbst ist ohne
tausend andere: Eltern, Freunde, Geschwister, Ehepartner und Ex-Freunde, College-Mitbewohner, beste
Freunde aus der Kindheit, Cousins und Cousinen, sogar Fremde - all das macht den Geist des Erzählers von
Get Sunkaus. Berninger wollte herausfinden, warum er liebt, was er tut, und es ist der kollaborative Geist
des Albums und die lockere, sich entfaltende Haltung, die Berninger aufblicken und die Wärme in seinem
Gesicht spüren ließ. Wenn wir in uns selbst versinken, stellen wir oft fest, dass wir eigentlich mit anderen
schwimmen.

Wer glaubt, über die Diskografie des legendären Pianisten Sviatoslav Richter sei bereits alles gesagt, der
irrt. 60 Jahre lang schlummerten die Aufnahmen, die die Deutsche Grammophon 1965 bei den Festivals in
Tours und Luzern mitgeschnitten hatte, in den Archiven. Sie werden nun erstmals veröffentlicht, sorgfältig
restauriert von den renommierten Emil Berliner Studios. Wie viele Künstler hatte auch Richter das Gefühl,
im Konzert besser und freier zu spielen als im Studio. Diese ungeheuren Aufnahmen zeigen den Pianisten
auf dem Höhepunkt seines pianistischen Könnens. Und in der Tat erinnern sie an Van Cliburns Ausspruch:
„Das ist das gewaltigste Klavierspiel, das ich je gehört habe“. Richters Beethoven-Interpretationen sind
phänomenal. Die Deutungen der Sonaten Nr. 18, 27, 28 und 31 zeigen einen frappierenden, einen modernen
Ansatz, der kein Risiko scheut und den musikalischen Ausdruck in jeder Hinsicht auf die Spitze treibt. Die
Pianistin Elisabeth Leonskaja, eine Vertraute Richters, zeigte sich begeistert von der künstlerischen Freiheit,
der spieltechnischen Brillanz und der Liebe zur Musik, die sich in diesen Aufnahmen vermitteln. Das Album
ist digital, als CD und Doppel-LP erhältlich und enthält ein aktuelles Interview mit Elisabeth Leonskaja,
einen Essay von Jed Distler sowie editorische Anmerkungen von Markus Kettner. Zahlreiche, zum Teil
unveröffentlichte Fotos ergänzen die Edition.

In his sixth and latest album “New African Orleans”, released by ENJA and Yellow Bird, bass guitarist and composer Alune Wade explores the multiple junctions between his native West African rhythms, the Afrobeat and juju rhythms from Lagos and the brass band repertoire immortalized in New Orleans. “I’m exploring a world that goes from my roots to the lost branches on the other side of the Atlantic,” explains the musician from Senegal. He has whittled down around 50 compositions – both original and standards - to a dozen which Alune recorded in Paris, Dakar, Lagos and New Orleans. “The idea first came to me during the Jazz à Gorée festival I organized back in 2014,” he explains. “It had me reflect on the notion of reversing the musical trip most people take from the United States to the African continent. I wanted to set out westward and begin a musical conversation with the best artists, both in Nigeria and the US.”
To achieve this, Wade has invited top artists from both sides of the Atlantic, including the Nigerian talking drummer Olaore Muyiwa Ayandeji, the percussionist Weedie Braimah and the jazz drummer Herlin Riley from New Orleans. The musical inspirations are equally transatlantic, ranging from Dr. John to Manu Dibango and Charlie Parker. But the 45-year-old also pays homage to his father who was a brass band star in his native Senegal back in the Sixties.
BACKGROUND

We only have a partial idea of the birth and remarkable development of the music born of the transatlantic slave trade. From Malinke ballads to Cuban son, from call-and-response patterns to field hollers and hip-hop, Yoruba rhythms to Argentinian tango, from Angolan percussions to the New Orleans brass band sounds… all have roots in Africa and a shackled migration that lasted four centuries. No more so than Congo Square in the Louisiana capital. In 2024, we mark the 300th anniversary of the implementation of the Code Noir which “gave enslaved Africans Sundays off to dance”. A drop in the ocean, but one which shows the importance of culture as a lifebuoy against this barbaric trade. As the Guadeloupian writer Daniel Maximin once claimed: “Our music guided us from the scream to the song, from dragging our chains to dancing.”

COMPUMA's new new album “horizons”now available on vinyl via his own label Something About!

The album “horizons” is a further development of COMPUMA's “horizons EP”, which was released in July 2023 as a digital-only EP on his Bandcamp. The songs are inspired by the scenery and environment of Lake Ezu, Kumamoto, where the artist's roots lie, and by his walks in various places around Japan.

Horizons 1”, in which the undulations of electronic sounds seem to represent a leisurely walk across a clear expanse of sky and lake scenery, and the vocoder voice somewhat reminds us of people's activities, and the piece changes to a more minimalistic play of rhythms and electronic sounds, as if focusing on introspection in the midst of walking. The album also includes “horizons 2,” which changes with exquisite salinity, “horizons 3,” which pays homage to early electronic music, and “horizons 4,” a more stoic minimal electro-dubwise piece that seems to be immersed in the act of walking, The last track on the album, “horizons 5,” is a non-beat ambient track with a hint of the waterfront, as if the artist is gazing at the vast sky, as if the steps of the first half of the album are expanding into a faint memory, and is accompanied by a field recording. The album includes “horizons 5”, a non-beating ambient taste that is covered by field recordings and depicts the atmosphere of a wandering waterfront, and five versions of “horizons” that remind us of the days of “walking”, sometimes immersed in the scenery and walking, sometimes lost in thought, with “horizons interlude” in between, which reminds us of the surface of a bobbing lake, and is a self-titled version of “View 2” from the previous album, “A View”. The album contains seven songs in total, including a self-remix of “View 2” and an electro version of “view 2 electro”, reminiscent of the shimmering surface of a lake.

Personally speaking, this work reminds me somewhat of Kraftwerk's “Autobahn,” which depicted the countryside of West Germany with minimal electronic sounds, and this work also seems to depict a scene of a “walk” with electronic sounds. However, what is different from “Autobahn” is that there is an element in the middle part of the album that seems to go into introspection in the midst of walking, and it is a work that shows various views (including feelings) throughout the album. From a macro perspective, this album is a new response to the recent environmental music revival and generalization of ambient music, which he has introduced as a DJ and record buyer for a long time.
The album was co-produced by hacchi, who also works with Deavid Soul, Urban Volcano Sound, and as a recording/mastering engineer, and mastered by Nakamura Soichiro of Peace Music, a studio that has produced many masterpieces, including Shintaro Sakamoto's solo work. The package artwork is by designer Seiichiro Suzuki. The package artwork is by designer Sei Suzuki. （The package artwork was designed by designer Sei Suzuki.)

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Compuma is a Tokyo-based log-serving DJ whose extensive knowledge of obscure and left-field music across so many genres and different regions of the world established himself as one of the most respected record buyers in Japan,
a country well known as record collectors’ paradise. While he built his career in record business over decades, he has also been sharing his expertise in music as a DJ just as long. Not only the breath and the depth of where his selection derives are hard to compete, the way he blends them all together is also a state of art. Often intricately layered and collaged, Compuma is capable of sculpting something entirely new with bits and pieces of existing tracks in various forms such as ambient soundscapes to dubbed out club sets. In 2017, his unique ability caught the attention of Berlin Atonal directors and he was invited to play at the festival in Berlin.

He extends his skills into remixing which can be heard on the released from EM Records - “Compuma meets Haku” (2015) and “Bangkok Nights” (2017.) In June 2022, he released his first solo album, A View.
He is also an active member of a DJ trio called Akuma No Numa (which translates to “devil’s swamp”) in which he explores darker and more psychedelic periphery of dance music.

Offending everyone since April 1st, 2013,Brutal Sphincter(BE) has, over the years, established themselves as one of the leading acts in the current goregrind scene.

Bringing political themes into their music, they dub themselves "POOlitical" and, through offbeat and satirical humor, take a stand against all forms of extremism while championing freedom of speech.

Despite their extreme musical style, they are one of those rare acts that can seamlessly fit into any type of event or festival.

They have proven this time and again, performing at some of the biggest metal gatherings in Europe, such asHellfest, Summer Breeze Open Air, Alcatraz, Motocultor, Party San, Metaldays, and more, as well as at the most extreme metal events likeObscene Extreme, DeathFeast Open Air, Meh Suff, Kaltenbach Open Air,andNetherlands Deathfest.

BEWARE!Party, dance, groove, and brutality are the elements they always bring with them to every show.

In May 1981 B-Movie and Soft Cell went into Advision Studios in London with the same producer, Mike Thorne (Wire, Bronski Beat, China Crisis, The Communards) to record singles for the label they were both signed to. Phonogram had really wanted to sign B-Movie but had also committed to Soft Cell, having been coerced into it by Stev0, who managed both artists and wouldn’t let them have one without the other. B-Movie commenced recording the dark moody anti-fame anthem ‘Marilyn Dreams’, whilst Soft Cell got underway on a cover of an obscure Northern Soul classic. When both songs were released in July 1981, ‘Tainted Love’ became a worldwide hit and shot Soft Cell to international fame, making them the biggest stars of 1981. B-Movie had formed in 1979, in Mansfield, a typical northern town in the middle of the Nottinghamshire coalfield. Originally a three piece featuring, vocal / bass, guitar and drums, they expanded by adding a keyboard player to broaden their initial post punk sound. Local Lincoln independent record label, Dead Good Records, firstly put them on the compilation LP ‘East’, followed by 7" inch EP and then a mini-album releases, which led to an appearance on the legendary Some Bizarre label (alongside the likes of Blancmange, Depeche Mode, Soft Cell and The The)
Major label interest followed, from which came the deal with Phonogram, B-Movie initially re-recording the track ‘Remembrance Day’, which reached No61 in the UK chart in early 1981 and, more importantly, was played by BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, and appearing in his Festive 50 for that year. All of the recordings the band made during their Phonogram period have been consigned to the Universal Music vault for several decades, with the band finally managing to have these returned in 2024. The various tapes have been digitised and restored, resulting in the creation of what would have been their 1982 debut LP ‘that never was’. Ten tracks including the three singles plus seven previously unreleased recordings. The CD version contains a further seven recordings including the 12” versions, single B-sides and the track “Moles’” from the Some Bizarre compilation.So “Hidden Treasures” from B-Movie, is only four decades late but still able to sit seamlessly alongside contemporaries like The Chameleons and The Sound. The LP is a darker, more brooding and psychedelic affair, more akin to the gothic elements of the Bunnymen or Joy Division, than the ‘pop sensations’ Phonogram wanted them to become. By both opening and closing this chapter of B-Movie, it puts them firmly in the same bracket as their new wave and post-punk contemporaries, which is the least they deserve, as one of the great ‘lost’ bands of the early 1980’s. "It’s nice to hear B-Movie are finally getting a chance to release their forgotten gems’” Matt Johnson (The The) Vinyl

A deeply intimate and cinematic body of work, My Goddess unfolds as a self-contained emotional universe; an album about grief, depression, healing, and the enduring human urge to find beauty in a world that often feels unrelenting.
Composed against the backdrop of Lebanon’s ongoing political and economic collapse, My Goddess captures what it means to process personal heartbreak and collective trauma simultaneously. Across nine emotionally charged tracks, Etyen draws from profound loss, existential reflection, and the tragic death of his beloved cat Lucy to craft a record that is as fragile as it is resilient; both a personal reckoning and a universal portrait of survival through art. “This album is a conversation with myself. It’s about loss and grief, about finding beauty and trying to hold on to it,” says Etyen. “It’s about confronting the painful parts of life while still believing there’s something gentle and divine to hold onto.”
Blending cinematic textures, Etyen's unique and inspired electronics, and minimally sculpted yet immersive melodies, My Goddess pushes further into the raw introspection first glimpsed on Etyen’s 2022 debut album Untitled. But this time, the sonic architecture is more distilled, the emotional stakes more immediate. The result is a record that gently lingers in the spaces between memory, absence, and hope.
The album’s first single, the title track “My Goddess,” drops May 5 with a self-directed music video, one of three cinematic visuals accompanying the album. The trilogy further expands the emotional world of the record and affirms Etyen’s role not only as a musical artist, but as a multidimensional storyteller.
With over a decade of work that spans Netflix scores (Jinn), international festivals (Sonar Barcelona, Mutek), and critical acclaim and editorial support from Bandcamp Daily, BBC Radio and much more, Etyen has carved out a singular voice in electronic music—bridging personal, cultural and political resonance through sound. As the founder of Thawra Records, he also continues to champion independent artists from the region, building a vital platform for forward-thinking music in and beyond the Arab world.

Planning For Burial is the solo project of Thom Wasluck, emerging from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It’s Closeness, It’s Easy is the long-awaited follow-up to 2017’s Below The House. If Below The House was about returning home, following in the footsteps of one’s father and joining a union, and leaving behind youth’s wild days, It’s Closeness, It’s Easy embraces what comes next—the weight of all years, the quiet shifts, the reckoning with what remains. This record is many things. It captures the slow drift of time, the unnoticed shifts in a loved one—the creeping changes in mental health, the quiet pull of addiction, the kind of grief that settles in the bones rather than announces itself.
At its core, It’s Closeness, It’s Easy is about stepping into middle age and taking stock. It confronts the reality of living with the hand that’s been dealt and searching for meaning in what remains. It speaks to loss—the crushing weight of saying goodbye to a beloved 17-year old cat, the slow-motion grief of watching friends self-destruct, the inescapable passage of time as it bears down on aging parents and the self. But it also reflects the warmth of reconnection, the kind of love that never burns out but instead deepens. The feeling of picking up where things left off, untouched by the years in between.

While written over the course of two years, the recording process reflects a sense of immediacy. Rather than assembling songs piece by piece over time, the album took shape in singular, immersive sessions—less an act of construction, more an unveiling of something already waiting to take shape.
Rooted in a staunch DIY ethos, Wasluck handles every aspect of Planning For Burial project himself—recording the music, designing the artwork, and performing live as a one-man band. He books his own tours, ever and independent creative. This hands-on approach has led Planning For Burial to play hundreds of shows solidifying his place in the underground music scene. A defining moment came in 2018 when he performed at the Meltdown Festival in London, curated by Robert Smith of The Cure.

Planning For Burial is the solo project of Thom Wasluck, emerging from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It’s Closeness, It’s Easy is the long-awaited follow-up to 2017’s Below The House. If Below The House was about returning home, following in the footsteps of one’s father and joining a union, and leaving behind youth’s wild days, It’s Closeness, It’s Easy embraces what comes next—the weight of all years, the quiet shifts, the reckoning with what remains. This record is many things. It captures the slow drift of time, the unnoticed shifts in a loved one—the creeping changes in mental health, the quiet pull of addiction, the kind of grief that settles in the bones rather than announces itself.
At its core, It’s Closeness, It’s Easy is about stepping into middle age and taking stock. It confronts the reality of living with the hand that’s been dealt and searching for meaning in what remains. It speaks to loss—the crushing weight of saying goodbye to a beloved 17-year old cat, the slow-motion grief of watching friends self-destruct, the inescapable passage of time as it bears down on aging parents and the self. But it also reflects the warmth of reconnection, the kind of love that never burns out but instead deepens. The feeling of picking up where things left off, untouched by the years in between.

While written over the course of two years, the recording process reflects a sense of immediacy. Rather than assembling songs piece by piece over time, the album took shape in singular, immersive sessions—less an act of construction, more an unveiling of something already waiting to take shape.
Rooted in a staunch DIY ethos, Wasluck handles every aspect of Planning For Burial project himself—recording the music, designing the artwork, and performing live as a one-man band. He books his own tours, ever and independent creative. This hands-on approach has led Planning For Burial to play hundreds of shows solidifying his place in the underground music scene. A defining moment came in 2018 when he performed at the Meltdown Festival in London, curated by Robert Smith of The Cure.

Get Sunk ist eine Ode an das Unendliche. Es bringt mit dem Pinsel gestrichene, verschwommene Erinnerungen an die Oberfläche, die sich zu einem Haufen von Farben und Verbindungen anhäufen, der sich über
die Individualität hinaus in eine endlose Veränderung erstreckt. Unter Wasser bewegt sich alles in Zeitlupe,
und Matt Berninger sah seine kreative Stimme mit der Strömung entgleiten. Aber manchmal müssen wir
ertrinken, um uns daran zu erinnern, wie man atmet. Get Sunk ist das reinigende Einatmen. Es ist der
Anblick des wogenden Spiegelbilds im Wasser und die Erkenntnis, dass man nicht man selbst ist ohne
tausend andere: Eltern, Freunde, Geschwister, Ehepartner und Ex-Freunde, College-Mitbewohner, beste
Freunde aus der Kindheit, Cousins und Cousinen, sogar Fremde - all das macht den Geist des Erzählers von
Get Sunkaus. Berninger wollte herausfinden, warum er liebt, was er tut, und es ist der kollaborative Geist
des Albums und die lockere, sich entfaltende Haltung, die Berninger aufblicken und die Wärme in seinem
Gesicht spüren ließ. Wenn wir in uns selbst versinken, stellen wir oft fest, dass wir eigentlich mit anderen
schwimmen.

Auf Festivalbühnen waren Cari Cari 2017 und 2018 nicht mehr wegzudenken. Und doch stehen die beiden erst am Anfang. Das Album feiert diesen mit dem prototypischen Titel »Summer Sun« – und gibt damit die Schlagrichtung vor. »Anaana« versammelt die Unmenge an Eindrücken aus vielen Reisekilometern, Nächten und Abenteuern in einem glühend heißen Druckkochtopf; unterhaltsam, schnell und abwechslungsreich.

Eine gewisse Liebe zu den Welten von Ennio Morricone und Quentin Tarantino ist nicht von der Hand zu weisen – und damit auch der Hang des Duos, mutig entlang eines schmalen Grats zu tänzeln: Cari Cari vermengen zahlreiche Popkulturzitate und weltmusikalische Einflüsse mit einer Prise Ironie und viel Charme. So dürfen sich zwischen kessem 60s-Gitarrensound und tribal beats auch Maultrommeln und Didgeridoos tummeln, die SML auch auf der Bühne zur Begeisterung des Publikums immer wieder auspackt. Und so gelingt der Tanz dem Duo mit jener jugendlich-frischen Mühelosigkeit, die die beiden schon die genannten Bühnen im Sturm erobern ließ.

Over the decades, the image of Kompakt as a pirate ship has taken root in our minds, braving the dangers of the seven seas of the music market. Sometimes it glides with a tailwind through calm waters, sometimes it has to survive violent storms. When we set sail in 1993, we never would have dreamt that our journey would still be going on after more than three decades and with 500 releases to date.

In our fast-paced business, the 500 mark is rarely reached, so we want to celebrate it with a lavish 5LP box set. In a democratic process, we have selected 50 pearls from the thousands of tracks released over the last 33 1/3 years and pressed them onto 5 brightly coloured vinyls. Alongside many Kompakt evergreens, there are also some real rarities from the early ‘Kompakt Sound of Cologne’, which have been lovingly remastered here to shine in new splendour.

The box also contains a 144-page book that tells the story of Kompakt from 1993 to today with detailed texts and images. In addition to the manifold musical and graphic achievements of Kompakt, the multidisciplinary links to the visual arts are also highlighted here.

The Bonus Picture Disc opens with the symbolic tolling of 500 bass drums, followed by 50 locked grooves from the 5 Kompakt founders, looping into infinity at 133 1/3 BPM, and the ‘33 1/3 Years Loop Opera’ – in which the loops are combined into one track that, in its reduced essence, is more than the sum of its individual parts. The magic of groovy loop minimalism and the ‘art of omission’ are once again brought to the proverbial point.

On 23 May 2025, the big KOMPAKT 500 art exhibition will open at the venerable Kölnischer Kunstverein to coincide with the release. The entire visual cosmos of Kompakt will be shown here in an unprecedented way on three floors, with the participation of many renowned artists. Of course, there will also be dancing and partying at the vernissage party, with DJ sets and live shows by the Kompakt Allstars.

The last one turns off the bass drum.


Im Laufe der Jahrzehnte hat sich in unseren Köpfen das Bild von Kompakt als Piratenschiff festgesetzt, das den Gefahren der sieben Weltmeere des Musikmarktes trotzt. Mal gleitet es mit Rückenwind durch ruhige Gewässer, mal muss es heftige Stürme überstehen. Als wir 1993 die Segel setzten, hätten wir uns nicht träumen lassen, dass unsere Reise nach über drei Jahrzehnten und mittlerweile 500 Veröffentlichungen immer noch andauert.

Die 500 ist in unserem schnelllebigen Geschäft eine selten erreichte Katalognummer und soll daher mit einer üppigen 5LP-Box gebührend gefeiert werden. In einem demokratischen Prozess haben wir aus den tausenden Tracks der letzten 33 1/3 Jahre 50 Perlen ausgewählt und auf 5 knallbunte Vinyls gepresst. Neben vielen Kompakt-Evergreens finden sich auch einige echte Raritäten des frühen “Kompakt Sound of Cologne”, die hier liebevoll remastered in neuem Glanz erstrahlen.

Die Box enthält außerdem ein 144-seitiges Buch, das mit ausführlichen Texten und Bildern die Kompakt-Geschichte von 1993 bis heute erzählt. Neben den mannigfaltigen musikalischen und grafischen Errungenschaften von Kompakt werden hier auch die multidisziplinären Vernetzungen zur bildenden Kunst beleuchtet.

Die Bonus Picture Disc wird mit einem symbolischen Glockenschlag von 500 Bassdrums eröffnet, gefolgt von 50 Endlosrillen der 5 Kompakt-Gründer, die sich bei 133 1/3 BPM in die Unendlichkeit schleifen sowie der “33 1/3 Years Loop Opera”, in der die Loops zu einem Track zusammengefügt werden, der in seiner reduzierten Essenz mehr ist als die Summe seiner Einzelteile. Die Magie des groovenden Loop-Minimalismus und die “Kunst des Weglassens” werden einmal mehr auf den sprichwörtlichen Punkt gebracht.

Am 23. Mai 2025 eröffnet parallel zum Release die große KOMPAKT 500 Kunstausstellung im ehrwürdigen Kölnischen Kunstverein. Der gesamte visuelle Kosmos von Kompakt wird hier unter Beteiligung vieler namhafter Künstler*Innen in nie gesehener Form auf drei Etagen gezeigt. Selbstverständlich darf zur Vernissagenparty auch getanzt und gefeiert werden zu DJ Sets und Liveshows der Kompakt Allstars.

Der Letzte macht die Bassdrum aus.

K.K. Hammond is a slide guitar playing songstress living in the backwoods of the UK. She takes her influence from the Delta Blues players of the 1930s, the roots music of Appalachia and its ancestors fusing the vibe of the swamp with a sprinkle of Southern gothic horror, K.K. writes traditionally inspired roots music but twists it her own unique way for an untapped sound that appeals to contemporary music listeners as well as classic blues fans.

K.K's music has garnered critical acclaim worldwide as well as airplay on a multitude of blues radio shows internationally. This includes the Cerys Matthews BBC Radio 2 Blues Show and the award winning Gary Grainger Blues Show.
A video of K.K. playing a slide guitar cover of "Nothing Else Matters" with her good friend Kaspar "Berry" Rapkin accompanying her on banjo was shared by Metallica on their official TikTok and described by them as "Incredible"!

K.K.’s biggest success to date arose from the release of her debut album Death Roll Blues. The vinyl and CD run sold out via pre-order prior to the album's official release date. Upon its release, the album hit the #1 spot in the UK iTunes Blues chart and subsequently bagged another #1 spot in the US iTunes Blues chart. It also exceeded her expectations by breaking into the #12 spot in the mainstream iTunes charts (across all genres) and the #18 spot in the UK iTunes mainstream chart. It was also the #3 best seller of all time for an iTunes Blues album pre-sale. Death Roll Blues also enabled K.K.’s first breakthrough into the Billboard Blues Charts with a #7 position.

K.K.'s has also had some great successes with her self produced and directed music videos. The music video for Heart Shaped Box winning a multitude of awards including wins at the Video Nasties Genre Film Festival, the David Film Festival in Turkey, the Euro Music Video Song awards, the Anatolia Film Festival, The Golden Wheat Awards, as well as K.K. receiving an honorable mention at the London Director Awards.
U.K. born, K.K. took an interest in guitar, Americana and roots Blues from an early age. She spent some years exploring the back roads of the USA eventually settling in the remote, forested English Countryside, where she works her farm. A self-professed hermit living in an isolated spot in the woods, K.K. enjoys exploring the wilderness surrounding her home to seek inspiration for her song writing.

Brooklyn-based musician and producer Eliot Lipp has spent the last two decades crafting a signature sound that fuses hip-hop, synthwave, glitch, and electro. His breakthrough came in 2004 when Prefuse 73 released his debut album on Eastern Developments, a then-subsidiary of Warp Records. Since then, he has built an extensive discography across influential independent labels like Hefty Records, Mush Records, Pretty Lights Music, Young Heavy Souls, and his own Old Tacoma Records. Lipp's music, described by Billboard as "funky and experimental, crunchy and distorted, romantic, thoughtful, and all around playful," blends vintage and modern influences, with Kaltblut Magazine noting his inspiration from "sci-fi soundtracks and '70s and BDs funk" to create "weird, high-definition, melodic beats." His work has been featured by Bandcamp, Magnetic, XLR8R, and major radio stations like BBC Radio 6, KEXP, and KCRW. A seasoned performer, Lipp has toured extensively for over 15 years, playing in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Denver, as well as major festivals such as Electric Forest, Forecastle, and SXSW. With a career rooted in both classic beat-making and forward-thinking electronic production, Eliot Lipp remains a vital force in the independent music scene.

On his first release with Bastard Jazz, veteran Brooklyn producer Eliot Lipp delivers Kona, a bright blend of guitar samples, breakbeats, and his signature Korg MS-20 synth lines, evoking the feeling of kicking back on a beach at sunset. The beat hits hard from the start, but as the track unfolds, it eases into a more laid-back, summery vibe. Lipp's signature fusion of retro synth textures and crisp modern rhythms shines through, capturing an effortless, sun-soaked energy perfect for a night drive or a rooftop party. The B-side, Silver Bass, takes a different approach—starting with live drums, electric bass, and a groovy guitar and piano arrangement before morphing into a futuristic, digitally sequenced version of itself. With dueling saxophone and Moog melodies weaving between organic and electronic elements, the track transforms into a breezy electro jam that feels both nostalgic and forward-thinking, solidifying Lipp's ability to craft timeless, genre-blending sounds.