Top-notch Synthwave/Italosynthhorror on a sexy flexy, reworked by Aipd Q41/B47.
The two tracks were composed by pdqb while he worked for Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset TV production company. The flexi was originally included in the November 1985 issue of the Italian Playboy Magazine (cover girl: Grace Jones) and is extremely sought after.
To recreate it as faithfully as possible, pdqb reconstructed the track from memory - using a self-conducted cognitive interview, instructing AI exactly how it had to sound.
The original conditions no longer exist: no broken synths, no absurdly long cables, no direct-to-tape chaos, no instant flexi pressings.
So every flaw, limitation and imperfection was carefully re-introduced - by design.
The result sounds nothing like the original. Except that it does.
Flexi is wrapping up their 40th-anniversary celebration with a bang, and trust me, the wait was worth it. This VA 12” is a heavy-duty blend of family ties and international heat.
The Breakdown
* Gratts: The Adelaide-based crate-digger returns to Flexi with "Ghost Swell." It’s a deep, atmospheric builder that keeps the soul intact.
* Slowaxx & Ai Lati: Pure "rollin" energy. This Tuscan duo delivers a rhythmic, four-handed organic groove that’s been the secret sauce in the Italian underground.
* Melchior Sultana: The Maltese Deep House maestro brings the sub-heavy vibes. Total class, total depth.
* Robotalco: Fresh off his LP, he drops an Acid House banger. This 303-laced heater is strictly for the warehouse heads.
* DJ Soch: the "Italian Stallion" puts his classic old-school vein aside and reveals a darker, more minimal side: sharp drums, soulful vocal touches, and an essential, hypnotic groove shape a timeless track.
Forty years of curation distilled into one essential plate. It’s raw, it’s solid, and it’s built for the crates. Don’t sleep.
In this electrifying 2024, Flexi is still spinning, louder and prouder, as it marks 40 years of igniting dancefloors and fueling underground happiness. From its humble beginnings as a haven for vinyl enthusiasts to a cultural stronghold amidst the turbulent waves of the music industry, Flexi has become a name synonymous with passion, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of quality sound. To honor this milestone, Flexi’s indie label, Flexi Cuts, is dropping a second, limited-edition compilation. Aptly named "Musica Solida," this collection is spread across three or possibly four lush 12-inch samplers, each showcasing a handpicked selection of tracks from Flexi's cherished circle of artists and producers. This release is more than just a celebration; it’s a declaration—a call to arms to keep the spirit of the scene alive and thriving in Italy and beyond, against all odds.
"Musica Solida #2" doesn't just hold tracks—it’s got stories, moments, and grooves that demand movement. Each cut is a slice of that raw, unpolished energy that Flexi has championed for four decades.
Featured Artists on Musica Solida #2
Minimono: The powerhouse duo of Fabio Della Torre (founder of Bosconi Records) and Ennio Colaci take us on a hypnotic journey with their floor-filling "Before Morning." It’s the kind of track that keeps the dancefloor alive until the break of dawn.
DJ Rou: Going minimal yet impactful, DJ Rou delivers "Elastic Body," a dancefloor-ready cut that blends a stripped-back groove with robotic vocals—a futuristic twist that keeps things unpredictable.
Relative: Flexi’s proud owner kicks things off with an electro track that was conceived, birthed, and brought to life in a single whirlwind afternoon—an anthem for those who live for the moment.
Delphi: One half of the renowned Tiger & Woods, Delphi isn’t afraid to dive deep with a heavy-hitting house track, loaded with acid stabs and thick, pulsating basslines. A track that’s both a nod to the past and a push towards the future.
The record will be released in about 200 vinyl copies no more.
Packaged in the classic discobag 2- holes, with a distinctive letterpress print in a beautiful red cover.
Here we are - the new release from the italian project Club Soda is finally here!
The trio, made up of Nicola on bass, Simone on drums and samplers, and Filippo on keys, is bringing some real, raw, authentic sounds to the table. Their first LP, "Vibin' Places" dropped in 2020 and it's a versatile homemade electronic album that hits different, whether you're a listener, DJ, or clubber.
This new EP is fire too. A1 track "Basso e Batteria" with Sara Loreni on lyrics and vocals, has clear echoes of a '00s vocal-house joints, but sounds like it was recorded in a Chicago basement. The dirty grooves, thumping bass, and enveloping pads create a free-form vibe that's perfect for you summer madness.
But then they go and take it to the next level with the remixes on B side. Cristalli Liquidi's remix is on some current dance floor-ish, with bouncing rhythms, a wild bassline, and a catchy vocal cut. And Hill's dub mix is straight up trippy - like you're lost in a warehouse at 6am, with dreamy pads, a solid bassline, and rhythms that are distant but still pull you in.
And let's not forget "Gin Tonic" (A2) - it's a dope sunset jam session that's pure “Club Soda style”, with congas, DX7 keys, funky bass, and an MPC chop. This EP is the real deal, from start to finish! Shout out to Giulia Dall’ Ara for the sick artwork on the cover and label too - she killed it!
Flexi Cuts is pleased to introduce Lazy Snail's new EP, Lucky Life. A truly valuable work, the result of time and research, where Alessandro (aka Lazy Snail) wanted to explore different sides of electronic music of an inner and mature nature at the same time.
Lucky Life is like going up to the attic and finding something precious to take care of; it sums up a long musical journey, from the past to the present, in five tracks full of meaning.
The first track, Remèrcier, is a tribute to 'dance' music, an intense talk over a hypnotic moog bass.
This is followed by Vagrants, dedicated to his hometown (Cudgnola), where we find an 808 rhythmic patterns as involving and beating as a walk in the rain.
The B-side opens with One Place, which features a vocal stunning collaboration with Flicker Fox, who brings the track into a techno universe with percussion and intimate echoes.
Climbin' High was inspired by Alessandro's passion and admiration for the mountains. He composed it imagining an extreme climb, and immediately afterwards an equally dangerous but necessary descent. Just like in reality.
The record ends with No Evil, an ambient-flavoured gem that opens on the climax in a riot of expert snares and synths.
After five years Simone Guerra (aka Relative) returns to the "House of Mikkit" on his own Flexi Cuts imprint. This dancefloor-oriented album is a manifesto of raw obsession and future patterns, crafted for those who’ve stopped chasing trends to find something real.
The record breathes through deep fat analog basslines and hypnotic arpeggios, layered with dreamy synth lines and ghostly vocoder textures.
It’s a gritty, essential dive into the Italian underground—eight tracks where the machine finds its soul.
If you’re feeling down with your things, if you’re always chasing the tail end of the wave and looking back to it saying "wow"… this is a record you might want to listen to.
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Packaged in a protective PVC sleeve with a super raw hand-printed cover.
Including a postcard + 8 tracks download code.
******-----**
Produced, composed and mixed by Simone Guerra aka Relative at Studio Noce (Lugo) between dec '24 and sept '25.
Mastered by Francesco Brini
Design by Yari Calanna and Pietro Galeati.
Words by Matteo Garavini
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In this electrifying 2024, we're buzzing with excitement as we celebrate 40 years of Flexi, the record emporium that's weathered countless storms amidst the ever-shifting tides of the music industry, catering to vinyl aficionados across the ages. Alongside the raves and swag, no doubt, there's a killer compilation dropping on the indie label "Flexi Cuts," dubbed evocatively as "Musica Solida" spread across 3 or perhaps 4 12-inch samplers, boasting a carefully curated selection of singles from cherished Flexi-affiliated artists and producers. The vision? To cultivate a virtuous movement of sublime tunes, echoing the fervor and zeal to persist within the realm of quality that Flexi embodies within the Italian scene, alongside kindred spirits... despite the daunting challenges of the market in recent years.
Musica Solida # 1 showcases
DJ Rocca: One of the most solid producers on the panorama, a respected maestro of the clubbing scene in Italy and worldwide.
Club Soda: Live electronic ensemble, still dreamin' from their latest EP 'Basso e Batteria', which packs an unreleased track recorded directly from their house-flavoured jam sessions.
Lex (Athens) & Locke : A Greek producer who is well established in today's dance house scene, with quality-vibey releases and a very nice and classy and groovy sound. We will definitely hear from him in the future!
Hiroyuki Kato: Emerging Osaka-based multi-instrumentalist makes his debut with a very punchy and catchy track!
The Mechanical Man (feat. Bob Vito) : Neapolitan super producer. Raw-sounding, gritty, powerful and never dull, a pleasure to have him with us.
The record will be released in about 200 vinyl copies no more.
Packaged in the classic discobag 2- holes, with a distinctive letterpress print in a beautiful silver cover.
Compiled by Simone Guerra aka Relative
Mastered by Francesco Brini (except track B1, Mastered by Marco Spaventi)
Distributed by Rubadub, Glasgow
Pressed by Desslab
Design by GLZ
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Last delivered 16 months ago available to reorder, subject to availability
This time they’ve roped in Daniele Tomassini, aka Feel Fly, DJ and producer from Perugia who’s graced labels like Hell Yeah, Internasjonal, Bosconi, International Feel, New Interplanetary Melodies, and co-founded the Afro Templum party.
“Sole” is a euphoric, powerful, liberating track that’ll blow your mind and get you moving. It's a little anthem, versatile and dance-worthy, with those beloved Italo-house vibes that Daniele (and us) are totally into.
Flip it over for the “Tramonto Mix” on the B-side, which teleports you to ethereal Balearic atmospheres, be it mesmerizing sunsets over the sea or dawns at the end of a club night.
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"Detroit Stories" is the name of this cool social project happening in Motorcity, USA, aka Detroit. It's a rad way to capture and show off the history and present of the city and its peeps. They're doing it by interviewing OG residents and immigrants from way back, the ones who lived through all the ups and downs of the Motor City. You've got stories of good times, hard work, opportunities, but also struggles, violence, and social movements that shaped Detroit's rise and slow fall. This city's always had a lot to offer in terms of music, culture, and beyond.
And guess what? DJ and producer Luca Fronza gets in on the action, finding some of those interview podcasts. He's turning their stories, the vocals, and speeches into some killer beats, with the distinctive motorcity raw house touch that we absolutely love here at Flexi. And to top it off, you've got a remix by the master himself, Prins Thomas! It's gonna be lit!
All tracks (except B2) produced and composed by Luca Fronza Remix of “Gipsy” is by Prins Thomas
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If you don't yet know, Flexi is a record store and music label based in Italy and run by Simone and Lorenzo.
Over the years, Flexi have gained both the respect and recognition of the music scene, earned by almost forty years of experience in the world of music and with the support of many DJs, artists and fans
Finally Flexi Cuts returns with a brand new release pressed on a “raw transparent" vinyl called “Velvet Series” no 2 – six quality tracks from six superb artists for an electronic journey that makes you fly over “velvet”.
Selection of the works wasn't easy; the tracks were chosen tryin' to maintain a high quality level, such as the oldest (v. series part 1) which have been so appreciated out there.
The A side opening is by Bologna-based Brine, with “YR Body” that provides a Juno-ish bassline with a catchy vocal and a jazzy mood.
Then we have “Benerice" from Daughters and Sons (aka the master Luca Fronza) who throws us into a beautiful Detroit-inspired analog jam.
This side ends with our very own Sicily man Manuold with fresh Italo-House vibes absolutely made for the dance floor.
On the B side, welcome back the veterans Tengrams (formerly the Piatto brothers from N.O.I.A Records) with the outstanding "Rapid Eye Movement"… travelling across retro-future influences and 808 patterns… under a dystopian-sci-fi movie theme.
B2 track is by the Calma duo who plays with a few elements to build a neverending techno climax...did you recognise the sample?
The last track is a sort of relaxing downtempo sunset closure complete with bells, from the California producer Gloved Hands, a name that speaks for itself.
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Konstruktivists are a UK Industrial group formed by Glenn Michael Wallis in 1982 out of the ashes of Heute. In the late 70's/early 80's Wallis was heavily involved with Throbbing Gristle and the Industrial Records crew. Influenced by Krautrock bands like Can, NEU!, Cluster/Harmonia as well as Tuxedomoon, Yello, Chrome, SPK and early Clock DVA, Glenn began to record his own material. After several cassette releases through Flowmotion under his own name, Konstruktivists' first LP A Dissembly' was released in 1982.
There are still precious few women at the helm of record labels, let alone Indian women, but Vinita stands out as a proud anomaly... a champion of the underdog, an underdog herself, a surrogate mother to unsung musicians, a relentless workerbee, a fan, a carer, a catalyst...' (Richard Milward, from the Rocket Girl 20 book)
2018 marked the 20th anniversary of Rocket Girl, one of the most eclectic and resilient small independent labels in the UK, steered single-handedly by Vinita Joshi. To celebrate this milestone, in March 2019 Rocket Girl will release a very special collection of music and literature, comprising a 16-track CD compilation of Vinita's artists past and present, a collectable 7' and flexi disc, exclusive Anthony Ausgang print, full 20 track download, plus a strikingly illustrated 70-page hardback book uncovering the history of the label.
Based on extensive interviews with Vinita, with contributions from many of her bands (Füxa, God is an Astronaut, Coldharbourstores, Pieter Nooten), the book's text is written by Faber author and long-time Rocket Girl supporter Richard Milward. Beginning with Vinita's formative years in Rugby in the 1970s and 1980s, the story covers not only the eventful history of Rocket Girl but also Vinita's teenage initiation into the music industry: managing The Telescopes, founding Ché with Nick Allport out of the ashes of Cheree, before finally going it alone and setting up her own label in 1998. It is both an inspiring and bittersweet tale. Vinita's staying power alone in such a challenging industry is worthy of its own tribute: she has built a record label on her own terms from scratch, she has overcome the loss of loved ones, survived a breakdown at the height of her label's popularity, and all in all her immense love of music, her strength and positivity in the face of adversity blazes throughout the book. Along the way we learn of the hits (and why Kurt Heasley's vocal cords seemed to be malfunctioning during the Lilys' Top of the Pops appearance), the near-misses (including a never-before-seen letter from Richey Edwards of the Manic Street Preachers), the triumph of Vinita's first self-released LP A Tribute to Spacemen 3, her heartbreak losing Jason DiEmilio of The Azusa Plane in 2006, plus sad revelations concerning Television Personalities' Daniel Treacy's condition following his brain trauma in 2011...
Regular Rocket Girl designer Xiaofei Zhang has been given access to Vinita's vast collection of personal photographs, letters, flyers, press clippings and other keepsakes, arranging these alongside the text to give the book the feel of a technicolour scrapbook, a vivid chronicle of indie music past, present and future.
As Milward writes: 'The artists Vinita has worked with over the years are undisputed luminaries of alternative music, and stand up to any major indie label's roster: Spacemen 3, The Telescopes, Bark Psychosis, Disco Inferno, Lilys, Low, Bardo Pond, Mogwai, Cocteau Twins' Robin Guthrie, My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields, Patti Smith, Jonathan Richman, Television Personalities, to name just a handful.' Likewise, the artists featured on the accompanying CD compilation reveal just how far-ranging Vinita's taste is, and how loyal her bands have been to her over the years. The disc opens with a special 'Rocket mix' of Silver Apples' 'Susie' - the band that adorned the A-side of rgirl1, the label's first 7'. From here, there are cuts from Rocket Girl stalwarts like Füxa and Bell Gardens, as well as tracks contributed by friends and supporters of the label, such as Andrew Weatherall and Mogwai. Arguably the most notable track (certainly the most poignant) is the Television Personalities' 'All Coming Back', one of just a few unreleased songs recorded before Treacy's accident, and released here with Daniel's sister's blessing.
Vinita began her career selling Loop/Telescopes flexi discs on New Year's Eve 1988 and, in homage to this bygone format, she has included a 7' flexi (featuring 'Fight For Work', an outtake from Mogwai's most recent LP, Every Country's Sun) as well as a standard 7' bringing together rare tracks from two Philadelphia bands she has championed since their formation: Bardo Pond and The Azusa Plane. The three discs are housed in pockets found in the book's inside covers, and there are yet more gifts: an exclusive print by Anthony Ausgang (the instantly recognisable artist behind MGMT's Congratulations and Füxa's Electric Sound of Summer covers), plus a free download code for all tracks featured across the various formats of the collection.
Vinita's story is anything but ordinary, and this extraordinary collection is the most fitting tribute to the label's legacy so far: a treasure trove of rare tracks and unheard stories for Rocket Girl devotees, a comprehensive introduction to the label for the uninitiated, and both an inspirational chronicle and cautionary tale for anybody interested in the history of British independent music in the past thirty years...
Depeche Mode realized the format's potential and embraced the power of 12" vinyl and the avenues of innovation it opened up. The 12" single allowed the band to explore new sonic possibilities while the physical beauty of the packaging gave Depeche Mode room to develop a sophisticated and commanding visual aesthetic. Depeche Mode used their singles discography as a means of offering left field remixes and other delights for their fans.
Each box set in the series will contain the singles from each Depeche Mode album on audiophile-quality 12' vinyl, with audio remastered from the original tapes and cut at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. The artwork for the exterior of each of the new box sets draws on street art iconography inspired by the original releases, while the vinyl sleeves themselves feature the original vinyl single artwork.
Speak & Spell | The 12' Singles contains a facsimile reproduction of the rare Flexi Disc 'Sometimes I Wish I Was Dead' b/w 'King of the Flies' (the Fad Gadget track as on the original release); Dreaming Of Me 12': 'Dreaming of Me' b/w 'Ice Machine'; New Life 12': 'New Life (Remix)' b/w 'Shout! (Rio Mix)'; Just Can't Get Enough 12': 'Just Can't Get Enough (Schizo Mix)' b/w 'Any Second Now (Altered)'; original single poster reproduction; download card.
KKYV10 is a four-track EP by Bulgarian producer Loopdeville, currently based in Spain. The release explores a flexible space between minimal, breakbeat and house, shaped by groove-led structures, textured sampling and a slightly twisted, off-centre energy. Built to move through different moments — daytime light, peak pressure, late fade. The EP opens with "The Bizz", a track built around jazzy elements, vocal cuts and a jackin low-end. Its warm, rolling groove sets a natural tone for the record, balancing playfulness with reflections. "Shmuck Norris" follows with a heavier, more direct approach. Driven by raw drums and a rolling bassline, the track leans into a big-beat aesthetic while maintaining a stripped structure. On "Rashford", the EP shifts into a breakbeat framework. The track carries a deeper, more introspective mood, with subtle background movement adding acid tension beneath it’s surface. The closing track, "Septimo", draws from UK-influenced minimal with garage elements. Focused on sub frequencies it is designed for systems that favour depth and clarity in low parts. Together, the four tracks form a cohesive yet varied release, reflecting Loopdeville’s recognisable sense of tension and detail while staying totally aligned with Kooky’s sonic direction.
Rock is rich krovvy that froths in the veins of Chicago's Axis: Sova, the trio of Brett Sova, Jeremy Freeze, and Josh Johannpeter. Progressive earworm hooks, phased/fuzzed guitars, and live/electronic drums for metronomic flexibly give Flowerage a visceral pull and elegant bloom. An energetic mix of art rock and post-punk with uniquely tight vocal harmonies/arrangements to focus an eye in the world's chaos.
Rock is rich krovvy that froths in the veins of Chicago"s Axis: Sova, the trio of Brett Sova, Jeremy Freeze, and Josh Johannpeter. Progressive earworm hooks, phased/fuzzed guitars, and live/electronic drums for metronomic flexibly give Flowerage a visceral pull and elegant bloom. An energetic mix of art rock and post-punk with uniquely tight vocal harmonies/arrangements to focus an eye in the world"s chaos.
The songs of Jules de Corte are condensed, folky gems with an almost effortless charm. Poised between the intimate and the universal, between lightness and darkness, they touch on religion, love, loss, and the small dramas of everyday life. Yet they resist easy translation. Packed with wordplay, de Corte’s signature alliterations, humor, and local cultural references, the songs inevitably lose something in another language. Still, when a Belgian quartet of improvisers takes them on, joined by American songwriter Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, the songs are reborn rather than merely transposed: literal fidelity gives way to interpretation, and what is lost in words is often gained in spirit.
Even without tracing every change, their overall effect is fascinating. Songs are slowed down, often doubled in length, and filled with unexpected musical intrusions. They gain fuller arrangements and are placed in an entirely new context. Replacing de Corte’s piano with guitar can create a radically different vibe, as in “Mariska.” An added solo can heighten the contrast between childlike perspective and the almost matter- of-fact brutality of “Little Anita.” In “The Stranger,” another use of contrast unsettles the everyday harmony, transforming it with a subtle, disorienting twist.
Ultimately, these performances show that interpretation is not successful simply because it is literal. With the groundwork laid by Linus, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy further liberated the songs from their original versions. Lyrics and melodies become malleable, shaped by his recognizable cadences, timbre, and personal quirks. Like his collaborators, he allows himself the freedom to bend the material to his own approach. There is no radical break between this performance and his other records. Listeners familiar with the originals may be puzzled at first; for those new to de Corte, it is a wholly different experience.
Does it really matter that the original “Little Jesus, Mighty God” is a 100-second nugget combining playful naivete with biblical fervor? In the hands of these five explorers, the song becomes an intriguing contemplation, with subtle musical shades and a recitation in which every syllable carries a maturity that offers a new perspective. Then there is “The Outsider,” which feels as genuine as any original American folk song. The musicians’ process is more than reinterpretation—it is reimagination, bringing new musical compatibility and emotional depth. Whether that depth was there from the start, waiting to be uncovered, or created in the process is beside the point. What matters is that Linus and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy have made the essence of these songs their own, paying homage yet dancing to their own tune.
Linus is the Belgian duo of guitarist and banjo player Ruben Machtelinckx and reedist and synthesiser player Thomas Jillings. Across five previous albums — Onland (2014), Linus + Skarbø / Leroux (2015), Felt Like Old language at the crossroads of folk, jazz, minimalism, chamber music and free improvisation. Their music is adventurous, shaped by a particular sensitivity to texture, timbre and the subtle interaction between musicians.
What began as a duo gradually grew into a flexible musical world, bringing Linus together with musicians such as Nils Økland, Ingar Zach, Niels Van Heertum, Øyvind Skarbø and Frederik Leroux. Yet each new constellation has remained recognisably Linus: music in which carefully considered forms leave space for intuition, interaction and the unexpected.
For their sixth album, Linus takes a new step by moving into the world of song and text. Inspired by a shared love for the late Dutch songwriter Jules De Corte, the album is a reimagining of De Corte’s unique repertoire. More than simply interpreting De Corte’s songs, they absorb and reshape them, bringing them into dialogue with their own musical language. In keeping with this open approach, they are joined by celebrated vocalist Bonnie “Prince” Billy. With albums such as 1999’s I See a Darkness appearing on several greatest album lists, Bonnie “Prince” Billy is a cult figure in the alternative folk scene, and his highly intuitive way of singing seamlessly matches the subtle interplay Linus has developed over more than a decade.
Vokabularium returns with leksikon vol. 2, the second instalment of the label’s evolving VA series - a carefully curated body of work that reflects the deeper philosophy behind the Copenhagen-based imprint: emotionally driven electronic music built for introspection as much as the dancefloor.
Following the success of the first leksikon compilation, this new chapter expands the label’s sonic identity further, bringing together a diverse collection of artists whose productions move fluidly between melodic techno, leftfield electronica, deep house and experimental club music. Across the compilation, there’s a consistent thread of tension, atmosphere and storytelling - records designed less around fleeting trends and more around lasting emotional resonance.
Founded by Denis Horvat, Vokabularium has steadily established itself as a platform for detailed, synth-led electronic music rooted in analogue textures and cinematic depth. The label has become an extension of Horvat’s own musical language - one shaped by releases on respected imprints including Innervisions, Afterlife and Diynamic, alongside his increasingly distinctive output on Vokabularium itself.
Timeless – yet always fresh: Regardless of the whims of the pop business, Planet Yello has been making its rounds for almost fifty years, repeatedly whisking us away to a world where past and future greet each other and James Bond joins forces with the Man in the Moon, Dionysus and Philip K. Dick.
"To the future, through the past"—with their fifteenth studio album, "Time Lab," Dieter Meier and Boris Blank put this maxim into practice more vividly than ever. Blank meticulously crafts his imaginary soundtracks from fresh samples and found objects from his own archive, which has accumulated a vast collection of sonic fragments, riffs, and motifs over nearly fifty years of creative work. Meier immerses himself in these parallel soundscapes, discovering within them his romantic tales of robbers, mysterious night creatures, and Dadaist wordplay. Essentially, every Yello track is both ancient and brand new at the same time. This principle is perfectly illustrated by the first single, "Around the Sun." It's based on a dormant Meier recording that was cut at the last minute from the selection for "Claro Que Si" (1981). Blank gave Meier's sonorous voice a fresh sonic makeover – the result is an elegant and flexible, thoroughly Yello-esque combination of past and present, romantic wanderlust and driving percussion. "Break Out" also plays with stylistic elements that can be traced back to Yello's earliest days: a dangerously prowling bass riff, fiery percussion, and storyteller Meier in hypnotic top form.
Time begins where it ends, or vice versa. Or, as Boris Blank says: "Yello's music doesn't really know time."
On Finding Home he's joined by three musicians with a similarly eclectically unfettered approach to music making, that embraces high-level complexity while maintaining a direct connection to the listener. Kaidi Akinnibi on tenor sax brings his distinctive, light-as-air tone and compatible range of experience across musical genres, while the rhythm team of Joe McLaren on bass and drummer Blake Cascoe provide a revelation in shifting texture and intensity, always driving the music to greater heights. Trumpeter Christos Stylianides brings his uniquely individual voice as a guest to enrich the ensemble. Finding Home is a powerfully characterful statement from a standout artist who's crafted his own voice, surrounded by a like-minded family of players. Each of the eight tunes has its own distinct personality, yet they all hang together as a continuous piece, establishing their own musical identity through Finn's tumbling, lyrical piano, Kaidi's nimble, breathy saxophone, and the endlessly flexible interactive grooves from bass and drums.
- 2026 Edition, gepresst auf apricotfarbenem Vinyl - Erweitertes Gatefold-Cover - Enthält ein 20-seitiges Booklet mit seltenen Fotos und Liner Notes von Lenny Kaye sowie Beiträgen von Nick Cave und Devendra Banhart. Karen Daltons Album ,In My Own Time" aus dem Jahr 1971 gilt als wahres Meisterwerk einer der geheimnisvollsten, rätselhaftesten und nachhaltig einflussreichsten Künstlerinnen der Musikgeschichte. Das neu erweiterte, 20-seitige LP-Booklet mit selten gezeigten Fotos, Liner Notes des Musikers und Autors Lenny Kaye sowie Beiträgen von Nick Cave und Devendra Banhart rundet das Paket ab. Die in Oklahoma aufgewachsene Karen Dalton (1937-1993) brachte eine Vielzahl von Einflüssen in ihr Werk ein. Wie Lenny Kaye in den Liner Notes schreibt, hört man den Jazz von Ella Fitzgerald und Billie Holiday, die Intensität von Nina Simone, den Appalachen-Gesang von Jean Ritchie sowie den R&B und Country, die auf ihrem Weg nach New York unweigerlich in ihre Musik einflossen. Ausgestattet mit einem Langhalsbanjo und einer 12-saitigen Gitarre hob sich Dalton durch ihren unverwechselbaren, lebensmüden Gesang von ihren Kollegen ab. In den frühen 60er Jahren wurde sie zu einer festen Größe in der Folk-Szene von Greenwich Village, wo sie traditionelles Material, Blues-Standards und die Songs ihrer Zeitgenossen interpretierte, darunter Tim Hardin, Fred Neil und Richard Tucker, den sie später heiratete. Bob Dylan war unterdessen sofort von ihrer Kunst begeistert. ,Meine Lieblingssängerin dort war Karen Dalton", erinnerte er sich in *Chronicles: Volume One* (Simon & Schuster, 2004). ,Karen hatte eine Stimme wie Billie Holiday und spielte Gitarre wie Jimmy Reed." Wer Dalton kannte, wusste, dass sie kein Interesse daran hatte, sich den Launen der Plattenindustrie zu beugen. Auf der Bühne interagierte sie kaum mit dem Publikum. Im Studio fühlte sie sich beim Aufnahmeprozess ebenso unwohl. Ihr Debütalbum von 1969, *It's So Hard to Tell Who's Going To Love You The Best*, das 2009 von Light in the Attic neu aufgelegt wurde, entstand heimlich, als Dalton dachte, sie würde nur Songs proben. Als Michael Lang, Mitveranstalter von Woodstock, Dalton ansprach, ob sie ein Folgealbum für sein neues Label ,Just Sunshine" aufnehmen wolle, war sie, gelinde gesagt, skeptisch. Das Album musste nach ihren eigenen Bedingungen und in ihrem eigenen Tempo entstehen. Daraus wurde ein sechsmonatiger Aufenthalt in den Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York. Produziert wurde das Album von dem Bassisten Harvey Brooks, der bereits auf ,It's So Hard to Tell Who's Going To Love You The Best" an Daltons Seite gespielt hatte. Brooks, der stolz darauf war, unkompliziert, zuverlässig und unterstützend zu sein, verstand Daltons Arbeitsweise, war aber auch bereit, sie sanft zu ermutigen und die Künstlerin dazu herauszufordern, ihre kreativen Grenzen zu erweitern. ,Ich habe versucht, ihr einen flexiblen Rahmen zu bieten", erzählte er Kaye. ,Ich habe die Entscheidungen ihr überlassen - das Tempo, das Feeling festzulegen." Sie war sehr zurückhaltend, und ich habe ihr alles vorgelegt; wenn sie mehr brauchte, habe ich ihr Optionen angeboten. Alle gingen einfühlsam auf sie ein. Sie war die Anführerin. Dalton, die selten ihre eigenen Kompositionen aufführte, wählte eine Reihe von Stücken zur Interpretation aus - von traditionellen Liedern wie ,Katie Cruel" und ,Same Old Man" bis hin zu Paul Butterfields ,In My Own Dream" und Richard Tuckers ,Are You Leaving For The Country". Außerdem erweiterte sie ihr übliches Repertoire und fügte R&B-Hits wie ,When a Man Loves a Woman" und ,How Sweet It Is" hinzu. Im Gegensatz zu ihrer vorherigen LP bot Daltons neue Aufnahme vollere, poporientiertere Arrangements, an denen eine ganze Reihe talentierter Studiomusiker mitwirkte. Auch wenn das Publikum der 70er Jahre vielleicht noch nicht bereit für Daltons Musik war, stand eine neue Generation kurz davor, ihr Werk zu entdecken. In den Jahrzehnten nach ihrem Tod nannten viele Künstler Karen Dalton als Einfluss, darunter Lucinda Williams, Joanna Newsom, Nick Cave, Angel Olsen, Devendra Banhart, Sharon Van Etten, Courtney Barnett und Adele. In dem kürzlich gefeierten Dokumentarfilm ,Karen Dalton: In My Own Time" sinniert Cave über Daltons einzigartige Anziehungskraft: ,Es wird eine Art Anspruch an den Zuhörer gestellt", erklärt er. Ob man es mag oder nicht, man muss in ihre Welt eintauchen. Und es ist eine Welt voller Verzweiflung. Peter Walker, der ebenfalls im Film zu sehen ist, führt diesen Gedanken weiter aus: ,Wenn sie in ihrer Musik ein bestimmtes Gefühl empfinden und es so rüberbringen kann, dass man dieses Gefühl auch spürt, dann ist das wirklich das Magischste, was man tun kann." Er fügt hinzu: ,Sie hatte eine tiefe, tiefgründige und liebevolle Seele - das hört man in ihrer Musik."
Trunk Records was started 30 years ago. It quickly established itself as a unique and highly influential label finding the unfound, the unthinkable and the forgotten sounds of the past. Here we celebrate 30 years of the label, by issuing amazing music it has not released yet. Of course we do.
Trunk Records began in 1996. It was the first label to issue non commercial library music to the public. It was the first label to chase, find and issue The Wicker Man soundtrack, the first to issue the sounds of computer keyboards and even announcements from train buffet cars.
Movements like “Hauntology” and “Folk Horror” all began thanks to the music issued by Trunk Records. And here we are, 30 years on, and we think it is time for a 30 years anniversary LP.
Unlike the 25th anniversary double LP, we are not issuing music we have issued before. Instead, here we are issuing music we have not issued before. What better way to sum up such an important and unique label better than continuing where we first began.
Tracks include some unreleased Roger Webb slow sex disco, scatty breakbeat library, psychedelics from Gabo Szabo’s backing group (The Advancement), groovy jazz from Pittsburg (The Silhouettes), Basil Kirchin’s unreleased electronic experimental thing (it is very much “a thing”). Some outsider singing from a hippie who lived in Drop City, a flexi disc selling you the Milton Keynes shopping centre and of course some improvised jazz for children’s dance workshops. And more too. And all on one LP.
In their countless years of deep digging, Dark Entries has uncovered many curiosities, oddball Italo and synth-wave creatures too rare to live, too funky to die. Dark Entries’s conservationist efforts began with 2020’s Endangered Species Vol 1. Six years later, we are finally treated Endangered Species Vol 2, an even more ambitious effort which features eleven specimens previously deemed extinct, now safely preserved on vinyl. Things kick off with an extended mix of Palazzo di Danza’s “Play That Song For Me,” a lavishly produced German-Italo number propelled by a slinky bassline. Russian Olga Vosconyan’s “Cars” delivers what might be the moodiest song ever produced for a car commercial.
Fuzz Dance maestro Alexander Robotnick appears with a previously unreleased male vocal demo version of “I Wanna Believe,” a legendary track that would later appear under the name Gina & the Flexix. Canadian industrial royalty Dwayne R. Goettel (Psyche) and cEvin Key (Skinny Puppy) team up on the horror-sampling hit-heavy blaster “Bastards.” Belgian EBM progenitors à;GRUMH... report for duty with a slab of machine funk on “The Army.” UK DIY stalwarts Khmer Rouge bring Krautrock-inflected minimalism with “Take Me (Across the Floor Tonight) In Dub.” Endangered Species Vol 2 comes housed in a sleeve designed by Eloise Shir-Juen Leigh, and includes a 16 page booklet featuring liner notes, lyrics, and photographs of each featured project. Please assist Dark Entries in their efforts to preserve the rarest of beasts (and beats).
In this post Sounds world, the boundaries of Post Punk have not only broadened but splintered. And over the course of (now) four releases, Index For Working Musik have seen to using the sprawling boundaries to great effect, flexing a polyglot of styles to convey the language of the moment. On Which Direction Goes The Beam, the murky, distant ambience that was 2023's Indexé has been fleshed out, incorporating everything from the Brian Aldiss laced, ground lightning shudder of Dome, to the chamber-like arrangements of This Kind Of Punishment. There's even a candle flickering in the window for Think Fellers Union Local 282 that warmed these ears. And if you're a fan of the great Dutch band, Trespassers W (who isn't?), the collective consciousness IFWM enunciates on here is a similar testament of a band growing more sure footed in the pursuit of not only knowing all the ways in, but carving a few of their own on the way out. And it's discerning releases like Which Direction Goes The Beam that keep us in the hunt. Long may they forge. - Tom Lax. RIYL: Brian Jonestown Massacre, Velvet Underground, TOY, John Cale, Wire, Dome
This second EP from Alex Jungle comes with the standard amount of chaos and confusion, what with it being titled Chapter Three. But once again, Alex drops four demented breakbeat tracks, flexing his muscles with both the old skool and the classic jungle styles, yet keeping his eyes on progression and innovation. The only thing better than having this Chapter Three EP would be having Chapter Two as well.
Flex7 is flexing its muscles here, with the currently ultra-prolific king of the multitrack The Reflex doing what he does best. Everything this producer and Pikes regular touches turns to gold and this time the edit maestro adds his know-how to 'D-Y-D', a low-slung and playful funky disco cut with plenty of atmospheric crowd chatter and jazzy chords that swoon through the mix. After that slice of warm proto deep house, the flip features a B-Boy classic cut that is loose-limbed and irresistibly funky.
For the next SlapFunk outing, the Amsterdam stronghold welcomes fellow Dutchmen Malin Genie and Frits Wentink for a joint adventure down synth-lane.
A 4-tracker crafted in the depths of the underworld: gritty, wall shaking frequencies stay true to the SlapFunk style whilst pushing their best foot forward. On all 4 tracks, techno influences run deep, relying on hypnotic builds for a no-thrills experience powered by two of the most revered producers of the modern era. The duo went all out, flexing their knowledge for a release built for any dancefloor ready to blend both the past and the future.
Trademark sounds-- a Blood Meal for anyone looking to get the function jumping.
The long-awaited new vinyl release from Daniel Broesecke features three original tracks and one remix by Ki.Mi., delivering a technically precise and energetic deep-tech statement. Built for the club yet flexible enough for any moment in a set, the record balances drive, groove, and atmosphere with confidence. Side A focuses on modern, immersive deep-tech — forward-moving, hypnotic, and immediately engaging. Side B explores broken rhythms, controlled tension, and deeper movement, closing with a distinctive reinterpretation by Ki.Mi. that adds a new perspective while preserving the core energy of the release. VAM13 isn’t just another vinyl — it’s a focused, cohesive label gem with a strong signature sound. A reliable companion for DJs and a powerful addition to the Afterme catalogue.
Kashatskikh Studio Mastering
Design & Illustration by Kirill Kashatskikh
Fuse co-founder Enzo Siragusa steps up for productions duties once more with his Hard Steppers EP.
Flexin kicks things off with a pared down groover of a track simplicity is the key here, all the elements combining beautifully for a deadly hypnotic head nodder.
Jump Up once again harnesses Enzo's Jungalist past with a typical rave-inflected, monstrous b-line underpinning the brisk percussive nature of the track, a real treat for lovers of the black wax as the track is strictly VINYL ONLY.
LOS ANGELES—To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the celebrated Talking Heads and Jonathan Demme’s concert film Stop Making Sense, the set will be re-released as a 2LP and 2CD/Blu-ray set this summer.
Released last year, the sold-out Deluxe Edition of the soundtrack will return as a 2-LP black vinyl on Rhino and 2-LP crystal clear vinyl at retail. Both variants feature a 12-page booklet with liner notes from all four band members –Tina Weymouth, David Byrne, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison—and band photos. The 2CD/Blu-ray version includes the entire 28-page booklet from last year’s Deluxe Edition and a Dolby Atmos mix of the complete concert, mixed by Jerry Harrison and E.T. Thorngren, who also mixed the original release. Both will be available on July 26. Pre-order now.
The band appeared together for a sold-out screening and Q&A last night at the Pantages Theater, the same theater at which Stop Making Sense was recorded. They were joined by Blondshell, who performed “Thank You For Sending Me an Angel.” Another special screening with the band will occur in Brooklyn at the King’s Theater on June 13, with the Q&A hosted by Questlove and The Linda Linda’s performing “Found a Job.” The two events cap off a banner year of celebrations for what many consider to be the best concert film of all time.
The inspiration for Stop Making Sense came when director Jonathan Demme saw Talking Heads perform during the band’s 1983 tour for Speaking in Tongues. Afterward, he approached them with the idea of making the show into a concert film. They agreed and worked together over the next few months to finalize the details. Ultimately, Demme filmed three shows at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December 1983 to create Stop Making Sense.
The concert film presents a retrospective of the band up to that point, with a performance that weaves together songs from all six of its studio albums. The show progresses methodically, opening with Byrne onstage performing “Psycho Killer” alone with a drum machine. After each song, he’s joined by a new band member until Weymouth, Frantz, and Harrison are all on stage with him. The group continues to grow throughout the concert as members of the stellar touring band are added: keyboardist Bernie Worrell, percussionist Steve Scales, guitarist Alex Weir, and backup singers Lynn Mabry and Ednah Holt.
The band performs 18 songs in Stop Making Sense, including its recent single at the time, “Burning Down The House.” That summer, the song was in heavy rotation on radio and MTV, helping the song become the band’s first top 10 hit in America. It was, however, a different song from Speaking in Tongues that was destined to deliver one of the film’s signature moments. Talking Heads would perform “Girlfriend Is Better” wearing the now iconic, oversized suit inspired by costumes worn in traditional Japanese theater. For good measure, a picture of David Byrne in the suit also graces the album cover.
Stop Making Sense focuses mainly on music by Talking Heads but does include a few songs recorded outside the band: “Genius Of Love” by Tom Tom Club, “What A Day That Was” and “Big Business” from Byrne’s 1981 album, The Catherine Wheel. Limited edition vinyl versions of both of these albums, along with Harrison’s The Red And The Black, were released for this year’s Record Store Day.
When it arrived in September 1984, Stop Making Sense was an artistic and commercial triumph. The film had people dancing in theatre aisles, and the soundtrack sold over two million copies. Just last year, the Library of Congress added Stop Making Sense to the National Film Registry in recognition of its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.
Weymouth praises Demme as a collaborator: “…Jonathan was a very enthusiastic, highly adaptive, and imaginative guy who was just as good a listener as he was a talker and collaborator. From the get-go you just got the impression he was as flexible as he was disciplined. Being team players, that boded well for a great relationship and a great film!”
Harrison says the film still holds up today: “To me, Stop Making Sense has remained relevant because the staging and lighting techniques could have been created in a much earlier time period. For example, Vari-Lights, lights with motors to re-aim them, had just come into vogue. Had we used them, there would have been a timestamp on the film, and it eventually would have felt dated...The absence of interviews, combined with the elegant and timeless lighting, created a film that can be watched over and over.”
Byrne says it’s interesting that this album was – for many people – an introduction to Talking Heads. “We had done a live album before this, but coupled with the film, and with the improved mixes and sound quality, this record reached a whole new audience. As often happens, the songs got an added energy when we performed them live and were inspired by having an audience. In many ways, these versions are more exciting than the studio recordings, so maybe that’s why a lot of folks discovered us via this record.”
Frantz recalls the sheer joy surrounding the entire Stop Making Sense experience. “I’m talking about real, conscious, transcendent joy… I’m talking about what the Southern gospel people call ‘getting happy,’ which means ‘to be filled with the Spirit.’ That is what happened to us onstage every night, and from my seat behind the drums, I recognized that this was happening to the audience too. Joy was visible in front of me and all around me every night.”
Side A
Don’t It Drive You Crazy (Break Edit) — The Pointer Sisters
Originally from the 1978 LP Energy, this is prime disco-era Pointer Sisters. The OG cut is beloved for its rolling rhythm section, and this edit zones straight in on the drum passages DJs & beatmakers have quietly relied on for years. Tight, punchy & perfect for looping under blends or quick cut-ins.
Side B1
In My Body’s House (Sample Drum Break Edit) — Gene Chandler
Lifted from Gene Chandler’s 1979 album Get Down, a late-career disco-funk gem. The drums here are the story: steady kick, crisp hats & a pocket that sits comfortably across disco, boogie & hip-hop-adjacent sets. This edit isolates the break for maximum flexibility behind the decks or in the studio.
Side B2
Don’t It Drive You Crazy (Sample Drum Break Edit) — The Pointer Sisters
A second, more surgical take on the same Pointer Sisters groove, focused almost entirely on the drum break itself. Think intros, beat tools & sample-ready loops.
Bottom line
A straight-up DJ weapon from start to finish. Disco breaks, clean edits & zero overthinking.
Fresh from flexing his scalpel skills via an impressive double 12-inch for Hot Biscuit Recordings, The Mighty Zaf once more joins forces with regular studio buddy Linkwood for two more tried-and-tested reworks. 'Get Another Love' is particularly potent, with the duo combining elements from a vintage disco-soul workout - glistening guitars, bass, vocals, strings - with a vintage-sounding drum machine beat which alternates between sweat-soaked Chicago-house jack and post-electro swing. 'He Made You Mine', meanwhile, is a straight edit of a slow, loved-up, immersive and horn-laden disco-soul gem that switches from loved-up downtempo loveliness to punchy dancefloor excellence midway through.
Sept returns to OPUS with a versatile five-track EP built for both peak-time impact and deeper moments. Featuring four dynamic techno tracks, the release combines driving energy with detailed sound design, making it equally effective on large stages and in intimate club spaces. The EP closes with an ambient track designed as a perfect DJ set opener, adding depth and flexibility for selectors.
One year on from his first Samurai release, Vardae returns to plunge even deeper into his mesmerising strain of hyper-mobile drum mantras and textural intrigue. Cédric Arnous' prolific run over the past few years has rapidly positioned him at the forefront of a scene between scenes where the rhythmic intrigue of drum & bass collides with modern techno's hypnotic linearity. On The Energy Of Presence he relishes the flexibility afforded by this intersection to deliver four distinct, high-impact workouts made with his ever-evolving live set in mind. 'Grounded Attachment' leads with the sonar strafe and broken beat pulse readily associated with the Vardae sound, threading twitchy percussion and steely brushstrokes around the bedrock of low-end pressure. It's the slowly emerging drone sweeps that round out the character of the track, betraying a warmth encased within the metallic overtones that deepens the emotional weight immeasurably. By contrast, 'Magnetic Flux' swerves towards a more direct thrust with its high-tempo 4/4 undercarriage and a limber, acidic lead line that helps join the dots between Vardae's modernist sheen and the roughneck days of free party tekno. This is still charged, atmospheric dance music, but it has no problem showing its teeth, too. 'Electric Feelings' is similarly sprightly in its tempo, but as ever Vardae runs a tight game with the weight of his drums, finding lightness and dexterity even at 170BPM while the transcendental wormhole opens up around the rhythmic force at the centre. Ensuring there's no space for predictability on this release, 'The Energy Of Presence' plies its own trade in sumptuous dub techno chords and angular groove designed to make you move on a different kind of downbeat. The consummate title track, it's the most roundly melodic offering on the record, served as a crescendo to the whole listening experience comfortably nestled on the B2 of the physical edition. Capitalising on the hypnotic codes etched into the dub techno sound, Vardae dials up the delay feedback for a psychedelic release at the end of a record that covers a lot of ground without losing focus.
This 12" introduces Maajo Soundsystem, the electronic, dancefloor-focused sub-project of Maajo, presenting stripped-down, club-ready versions of their 2022 album 'Water of Life' that go beyond standard remixes through newly recorded balafons, percussion, and vocals from Senegalese artist Ismaila Sané and Mauritian vocalist/drummer Gilbert K. Sané began his career in the 1970s as a percussionist and African ballet dancer before relocating to Finland in 1999, later becoming the first emigrant to receive the country's Citizen of the Year award. While Maajo tours as a six-piece live band, Maajo Soundsystem offers a flexible electronic configuration that retains live vocals and percussion. The group has released multiple LPs and EPs on Queen Nanny and Permanent Vacation, scored the silent film Lost World, received remixes from Luke Vibert and Call Super, and toured internationally, with strong radio and press support from BBC Radio 6, Worldwide FM, KEXP, Resident Advisor, WFMU, and more.
Ayô Dele — which means "joy comes to me" in Yoruba — is neither a slogan nor a promised miracle. It is a breath of fresh air. That of an album born in the interstices, where the word find their way between shadow and light, between the disorder of the worldand the impulse to be .
At the heart of the project, Julien Gervaix and Damien Tesson, multi-instrumentalist beatmakers, share a groove language that is both dense and airy, where every detail breathes and finds its place.
With background in Afrobeat, Dub, Funk, Soul, Roots Reggae, and Electronic Music, they treat the studio to be their playground. Their music is a hybrid groove that speaks to the body: round or bouncing basslines, brass oscillating between melodic warmth and funk energy, textured guitars, arpeggios, enveloping Rhodes, clavinet that slides, presses, and embraces. Everything comes together with precision and flexibility, in an inventive and warm composition. The meeting of their experiences and sensibilities gives rise to open, generous music, made for dancing and vibration.
With Ayô Dele , Ireke is embarking on a new chapter: the duo is refining its style,allowing the voices to breathe. The groove remains the driving force but opens up to intimacy. This intimacy is carried by two unique female voices: Nayel Hoxo, a Beninese-Nigerian singer/rapper, and Agnès Hélène, who has already made a name for herself on Tropikadelic with "Petit a Petit". They don't sing side-by-side; they coexist, respond to each other, and sometimes intersect. But each follows her own path: Nayel, with the power of her words in Yoruba, offers songs of elevation, healing, and resistance — a light born in the cracks Agnès explores these cracks themselves: what wavers within us, what reinvents itself in bonds, glances, and gestures.
For one track, Olivya (Dowdelin) joins this dialogue in Martinican Creole. Her sunny soul sketches the contours of gentle resistance and celebrates rediscovered light.
Ayô Dele embodies a quiet yet radical determination: to smooth nothing over, to let plurality, contradictory emotions, and mixed heritage live. An album that moves forward through vibrations, that speaks of emancipation without slogans, love without clichés, anger without uproar.
Two women, two inner worlds: a sensitive complicity, a shared breath. Music that seeks not effect, but echo, weaving a living soundscape between reinvented traditions and contemporary textures. An alchemy faithful to the spirit of Underdog Records, where music unites and brings people together. Ayô Dele : "joy comes to me." A lucid joy, crossed by shadows, patiently regained. Music that welcomes, releases, gives, and in doing so, makes us feel good.
In a saturated world, Ayô Dele chooses nuance: transmission without emphasis, joy without naivety. An album that vibrates more than it demonstrates, that connects more than it imposes, and which, in its quiet clarity, resonates with a deep desire to be fully alive.
In den letzten fünf Jahren hat sich Joe Westerlund intensiv mit der Clave beschäftigt, dem metrischen Muster, das zunächst die afro-kubanische und lateinamerikanische Musik geprägt hat und dann in fast alle Bereiche des Jazz und Rock Einzug gehalten hat. Was bedeutete es, dass eine Idee so flexibel war, dass sie so viele Formen annehmen konnte und dabei doch ihre eigene Essenz behielt? Das Ergebnis ist für Westerlund ein Sprung ins Unbekannte: Curiosities from the Shift, ein 12-Track-Spielplatz mit endlos verwobenen Beats und Melodien, auf dem Westerlunds Begeisterung für die Clave auf seinen experimentellen Umgang mit Texturen trifft und seine rhythmische Symphonie mit Freunden Hand in Hand geht, die diesen Raum gemeinsam mit ihm gestalten. Die dreiteilige Suite, die die erste Hälfte von Curiosities ausmacht, beginnt mit den Schrottplatz-Percussions und den entzückenden Bass-Splashes, die ,Tem" umrahmen, und endet mit dem surrealistischen Boom-Bap von Daumenklavieren und Shakers auf ,Can Tangle". Diese Stücke strahlen eine hart erkämpfte Freude aus, als würde Westerlund sich in Echtzeit daran erfreuen, eine potenzielle Sackgasse zu entdecken, aber trotzdem seinen eigenen Weg nach vorne zu finden. Diese Songs wurden zu einer Art Arbeitsplan für das Terrain, das Westerlund auf Curiosities erkundet, vom glorreichen Call-and-Response-Opener ,Nu Male Uno" bis zum unheimlich amorphen Schlussstück ,Felt Like Floating". Alle diese Songs zeichnen sich durch einen erkennbaren Rhythmus aus, wie den galoppierenden Gang in der Mitte von ,Midpoint" und den kopfnickenden Puls, der sich durch ,Persurverance" schlängelt, dessen Name augenzwinkernd falsch geschrieben ist, um seiner Aussprache aus North Carolina via Wisconsin zu entsprechen. Aber das sind nur Sprungbretter für andere Texturen, Stimmungen und Ideen, wie die New-Age-Anklänge - schimmernde Metallophone, zwitschernde Vögel, zurückhaltende Flöten -, die ,Midpoint" durchziehen, oder die Dub-artigen Delays und Gamelan-Hymnen, die ,Persurverance" durchziehen. Dies ist zutiefst vielschichtige Musik, deren treibender Kern durch eine Reihe überraschender Entscheidungen ausgeglichen wird. Bittersüße und Freude, Trauer und Befreiung, Seufzer und Lächeln: All das ist hier vorhanden und verflechten sich bis ins Unendliche. In den Monaten nach den ersten Sessions wandte sich Westerlund an Freunde - darunter Tim Rutilli von Califone, den Saxophonisten Sam Gendel, den Trompeter Trever Hagen und die Violinisten Libby Rodenbough und Chris Jusell. Es waren seine am gründlichsten komponierten und präzisesten Werke, aber er wollte hören, was passierte, wenn seine Freunde in Echtzeit darauf reagierten. Sie lieferten Anmut, Tiefe und Gefühl, wobei ihre Parts den Vorhang zu verborgenen Winkeln rhythmischer Welten öffneten. Westerlund gibt bereitwillig zu, dass er von der Betonung des Grooves und des Metrums des Albums überrascht ist, die sich von abstrakten Klängen abhebt. Nachdem er so lange mit Bands gelebt und gearbeitet hatte, ging er davon aus, dass er mit grundlegenden Metren fertig war. Diese 12 Songs verschmelzen so viele von Westerlunds Leidenschaften zu endlos faszinierenden Stücken, die mit vertrauten Elementen seine Abenteuer ins Unbekannte übertragen. Verspielt, aber zart, wehmütig, aber wundersam, von Beats angetrieben, aber nicht an sie gebunden - dies ist Westerlunds bisheriges Vermächtnis, das Soloalbum, das einen Blick auf eine musikalische und emotionale Landschaft eröffnet, die vielleicht sogar noch reichhaltiger ist, als er es sich jemals hätte vorstellen können.
Bill Converse should be a household name in every head’s abode. He’s been DJing live with 3+ turntables since he was a teenager, always under the same name. Unfathomably envious record collection. Your favorite DJ’s as well as very likely your favorite DJ. Whether it is DJing or a live set, his presentation is head-spinning, hard-edged but hypnotic. His avalanching drum programming is as recognizable as Coltrane’s timbre. His records have been released on Dark Entries, Fit Sound, Texas Recordings Underground, Tabernacle Records, Immortal Sin, Acid Test, Feral Colony and Obsolete Future. Now Fixed Rhythms presents a 2×12” pack of Bill’s characteristically bewildering excellence.
The first 12” has four cuts. Woozy, heavy, bombastic machine workout opener “Stress Test” followed by the tension peaking sustainer “ZoneZone” on the A side. On the B side, “770” brings us to a new place of plucky bass lines and unconventionally tuned drum workouts, with “lure me” closing the first 12” with flexing low-end, percussive stabs syncopated with heavy snaredrum riffing.
Where does this music come from? Although you hear the decades of Midwest techno, jacking Chicago house, brain-tickling Warp Records cuts, and his dizzying skills as a DJ in the brew, his sound is uniquely Bill’s. The second 12” peels back the curtain a bit more, as the C and D side are two extended cuts from his live set at 2024’s Jackie O’Body Vol. 2 in Denton, Texas. We here at the label were at that gig. Pure energy. Sexy distortion. Rhythms that made you scream. After the set, the room erupted in a chant of “BILL! BILL! BILL!”. Dear reader, witness the power of Bill Converse’s raw, overdriven, drummy, jack house tech madness!
One of Vince Watson’s biggest selling tracks (but rarest vinyl records) finally gets a repress on wax. This time fully remastered and mixed and on his own Everysoul Audio imprint. The original vinyl release on Osunlade’s Yoruba Records in 2015, and was a very limited vinyl run. Now it sounds better than ever and on fresh wax. The track is backed up by a new dancefloor version of ‘Reach For The Sun’, a track that featured on the ‘Every Soul Needs A Guide’ album. This time its flexing jazz vibes, a driving addictive rhythm and ‘Jaguar-esque’ uplifting chords and strings.
a A1: Eminesence [2026 Rework]
[b] B1: Reach For The Sun [Floor Mix]
