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Lockhart is a new melodic rock/AOR band from Canada, fusing synthesizer-fueled eighties arena rock with classic hard rock. The trio consists of Devon Kerr (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Jason Junop (bass) and Fabio Alessandrini (drums). Jason is best known for his work in Cauldron and Goat Horn. Devon’s main band is Axxion, and Fabio plays or has played in Bonfire, Enforcer, Annihilator, Hardline and many others. Lockhart issued their debut EP »No Chance« in 2022, followed by the single “City Pulse” in 2025. The band has signed with High Roller Records, and their first full-length album »City Pulse« is now ready to be unleashed to the public. It's hard to describe the specific sound of Lockhart in all its details but on »City Pulse« you will certainly hear a lot of Journey, Boston, Toto, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, and maybe even some Starcastle. “The influences are endless,” comments the vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player Devon Kerr, “and they go deep. I appreciate the comparisons. These bands are monumental. Lockhart has a sound of its own though. Bands that existed during the times you mentioned definitely provide influence! However, if you look past the surface (overdriven guitars and old synthesizers), you’ll hear influences from 50s doo wop, legends like Brian Wilson, and straight up choral music, too.” Compositions such as “The Dose That Made You Poison”, “Under Fire”, “Before The Fall’” or “Together As One” are very well constructed and flawlessly performed. “For me, songwriting is a deliberate process,” explains Kerr. “I set out a time and carve out the songs. Lyrics are written last. Once the song is ready, it undergoes hours of polishing to mold the perfect choir parts, guitar leads, and so on. Everything is very deliberate and carefully selected. Nothing was written by accident.” You can clearly hear that on »City Pulse«. With their melodic, at times even poppy approach Lockhart may stand out a bit on High Roller Records. Devon Kerr: “Our music has so many elements that traditional metal fans value, but with something very different, too. Something that might be new for some of the High Roller Records fanbase. I mean for those unsure, we’ve got Nick from Municipal Waste shredding guitar leads on ‘You Wouldn’t Know Love’, and Ian from Cauldron on ‘Can’t Shake It’ …”

With bloated souls and skeletal bodies the three mad kings of the end times walk among us, with empty eyes and insatiable hunger. Innocence thieves, blood collectors, bastard children of archaic dynasties built upon the broken bones of the weak. Their consorts are the rotten and the dead, their champions soulless, empty vessels gasping for validation as they bathe in the nectar of inflicted pain. They lead us not into temptation, but into degradation and the all-consuming fire. Born in the heat and shadows of the Australian underground, in Brisbane in 2014, Graveir have carved out a stronghold for themselves in their homeland's black metal scene. Bleak, violent and uncompromising, their music possesses a powerful individuality that sees them following their own path, lone wolves in a world of people searching frantically for a voice to tell them how to think and what to believe. After their powerful 2016 debut, Iconostasis and its critically acclaimed successor, King Of The Silent World, hailed as 'captivatingly hypnotic' by Metal Bite, Graveir are poised to unleash their third set of black prophecies - The Festering Triad. The Festering Triad begins with the sinister 'Lords Of Misrule', rising from the silence with guitars like an insect swarm before a lugubrious, dolorous shift into life and movement. The song holds you on the edge of oblivion, a constant aura of threat radiating from its broken beauty. There's a powerful underlying melody too, but it's corrupted and riddled with disease. And while this unsettling and disorientating introduction to The Festering Triad is still crawling through your veins, 'A Futile Exhortation' bursts into flame - as implacable and unstoppable as the passage of time, formed from the seething darkness on the edge of chaos and touched by something ancient and primal. You are now in the heart of darkness, jagged riffs circling like atavistic, feral presences, hammering blast beats disrupting natural rhythms. Nothing is as it should be. Nothing stays within the expected boundaries. This is a malicious attack on the laws that govern reality. 'A Thief In The Heart Of Man' flies at you in a howl of rage and bloodlust; you can feel its desperate need to tear you apart and the inherent danger is exhilarating. Title track, 'The Festering Triad' arrives swathed in an aura of decaying majesty, a triumvirate of wickedness wreathed in flame, marching onwards, entwined in black briars of unease - on into twisted soundscapes of fear and dizzying anxiety, through boiling malignancy and relentless intensity to the finale of 'The Rite Of Degradation', where portentous grandeur and bestial hunger combine in bewildering, schizophrenic fury. This album is fuelled by a determination to leave you broken, beaten and humbled - and it succeeds, absolutely.

The name RUTHLESS in itself means “without mercy.” Since the early 1980’s, lead by vocalist Sammy DeJohn, the band has stayed true to its style of metal, from the classic first EP “Metal Without Mercy” (1984) and the debut cult album “Discipline Of Steel” (1986), to the later albums “They Rise” (2015)” and “Evil Within” (2019), they’ve never wavered on the power of bands like JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT and BLACK SABBATH, always staying true to their roots.

Their latest album “The Fallen” was released in January 2024 on their new label Fireflash Records (WOLF, HOLY MOSES a.o.), followed by a European tour as support act for their fellow believers JAG PANZER, cementing their reputation as a magnificent live band. Now, RUTHLESS are proud to announce the release of their next studio album “Curse Of The Beast”. The band has created an album full of power and passion, combined with the classic 80s metal sound, ready to become a future classic and a must-have for anyone who loves traditional heavy metal like METAL CHURCH, JUDAS PRIEST, EXCITER, and others. “Curse Of The Beast” was recorded along with producer Ron Sandoval (KERRY KING a.o.), who also did the final mix and mastering. The album will be released on July 17th, 2026. “We can't wait for you all to hear it. We have a couple of surprises on this one and it's going to destroy,” reveals vocalist Sammy. Immediately afterwards, the band will play selected shows in Europe, along with MINDWARS as well as THE TROOPS OF DOOM, including the legendary “Headbangers Open Air.”

Hailing from Sheffield, MAU MAUS were one of the pioneering hardcore punk bands of the early to mid 80s, releasing a string of classic singles and an album for Pax/Rebellion at the time. They returned reborn in 2021, with new singer Danny, and with 10 songs recorded through lockdown which were released on Boss Tuneage as "The Enemy Within" 12" - the first official MAU MAUS new release in over 30 years! That release mixed 5 brand new songs with 5 re-recordings of classic 80s tracks, and it showed that the 21st century MAU MAUS had not lost any of their energy, bite and anger over the years and subsequently the release sold out within a couple of months and the band went on to show they were blistering live as well across numerous gigs and tours. Now, Boss Tuneage is delighted to announce the long awaited follow up to "The Enemy Within" and the bands full length album "THE BATTLE SCARS OF HUMAN DEBRIS" which features 13 slices of raging hardcore punk which feels as relevant for 2026 as it would have done in 1986!! The band have tours/gigs planned around the world to coincide with this album and it's great to put a new MAU MAUS album out to the world!

The Hillmen is a bluegrass super-group of including future Byrd Chris Hillman, country music legends Vern and Rex Gosdin, and banjoist Don Parmley. The Hillmen is the seminal bluegrass LP recorded by a super-group of players including mandolin prodigy (and future Byrd) Chris Hillman, country music legends Vern and Rex Gosdin, and banjoist Don Parmley. Recorded in 1963-'64, these recordings would not see official release until 1970 as an 11-track LP. The Hillmen displays their unique takes on Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and Maybelle Carter, alongside several original songs by the Gosdin Brothers. The original 11-track album is now enhanced with 6 bonus tracks and will recreate the original artwork by Dean Torrance of Jan & Dean fame. Produced by Byrds manager Jim Dickson, all of the tracks were mixed from the original 3-track tapes in 1970 by engineer Dave Hassinger (Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, Jackson 5). This new expanded release is a must-have for fans of bluegrass music and is a true treasure of Americana. For fans of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Billy Strings, Nickel Creek and The Del McCoury Band Includes the original album artwork designed by Dean Torrance (of Jan & Dean fame) with album liner notes by Chris Hillman. Includes six bonus tracks not on the original 1970 LP Has not been available re-released on vinyl in many decades

Known for his signature positive vibes and the triple-platinum single “GOOD TIME,” country star Niko Moon digs into his own origin story on his new 15-track album, ROOTS. Following his 2025 tropical album AMERICAN PALM, ROOTS shifts the scenery to the verdant hills of Georgia where Moon grew up, balancing his trademark optimism with unprecedented transparency about his journey. On the track “AMERICAN DREAMIN’,” he reflects on a lean childhood moving between trailers and motels, inspired by the resilient optimism of his truck-driver dad and waitress mom. He fast-forwards to his current life in Nashville on the ballad “RICH MAN,” celebrating his wife and two children as his true source of wealth, while tracks like “GET COUNTRY” deliver a trap-beat party anthem designed for pure escapism. The album's centerpiece, “GEORGIA (ROOTS),” interpolates the classic "Georgia on My Mind" to celebrate his home state with a feature from his own daughter. Beyond the music, Moon channels his pay-it-forward mentality into his Happy Cowboy Foundation, which provides affordable therapy, proving that his signature smile isn't from a lack of hardship, but a conscious choice to spread encouragement.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over 40 years ago that we started out as a cover band in the night clubs of California before writing and recording our own songs and selling millions of albums. Just like our musical heroes The Beatles, Rolling Stones, or even Jimi Hendrix, all artists who honed their craft by learning cover songs from the legends before them, we did the same as youngsters and still enjoy paying tributes and recording cover songs today. HOMAGE is our new album that not only pays tribute to legends but gives us a chance to showcase our lead singer’s diversity as well as the musical dynamics we learned as a band many years ago. And now, our new album HOMAGE is a thank-you note written in sound. An offering to the great singers and songs that shaped the music we grew up listening to and the songs we would eventually write.

Each track showcases Jeff Keith’s incredible vocal ability Something that may have been overlooked throughout our long career. But not by our fans.........!!! HOMAGE isn’t about imitation. It’s about acknowledgment. About tracing the line from influence to identity, from listening to becoming. You ask why ? .....why not! It felt like a good thing to do, it’s been 20 years since we did Real to Reel.....It sparked writing a new original Tesla song called “Never Alone” And it’s what bands are supposed to do ..make music. These songs were picked for various reasons… Mostly because they’re some of the greatest singers of all time: Elvis Presley Freddie Mercury Sam Cooke David Ruffin Etta James James Brown And some of the others because we liked the songs and grew up hearing them on the radio or on our turntables. Anyway, we hope you all enjoy this as much as we did making it....Thank you for all the years ..Keep it Real and keep Rockin!!!!!

Mexico’s Phantom bring raw, unrelenting energy to speed and thrash metal, and their 2022 “Hellspeed Death” demo is now hitting a wider audience with a High Roller Records re-release, complete with two bonus tracks. “Hellspeed Death” remains a true demo in spirit: raw drums, gritty vocals and guitars that cut with sharp precision. The songs are steeped in old-school influences — early Slayer, Venom, Tank, Motörhead and Voivod — but still full of the band’s own ferocious personality. Tracks like ‘Payback,’ ‘Reaper’s Bane,’ and ‘Death Crusade’ race forward with galloping, punk-tinged thrash energy, while ‘Onslaught’ and ‘Speedhammer’ deliver blackened, high-velocity assaults that leave no room for compromise. Phantom write what matches the mood of the music: fast, loud, and aggressive themes like war, revenge, horror, and dark chaos, aiming to leave a mark and revitalize the underground. At this stage, the band had already experienced moments that hinted at bigger things to come. Thus, the new edition of “Hellspeed Death” showcases a fledgling band full of energy, attitude, and DIY ethos. Their mission has been clear from the outset: to push their music as far as it can go, play relentlessly, and prepare for a debut album (“Handed to Execution”, 2023) that eventually turned quite a few heads.

Veteran NYC producer Blockhead teams up with rising Baltimore MC Brian Ennals (usually seen in his lauded partnership with Infinity Knives) for vital, skillsharing new album Boatshoes, a canny and celebratory ride through everything that makes these artists great.

Everything I Ever Saw finds THE MENZINGERS entering a new era in what"s already been a storied career. The Philadelphia punk legends" eighth album chronicles moments of significant change-the personal, the political, and the universal-while returning to the core creative principles that first put them on the map with listeners the world over. Twenty years in, the Menzingers have discovered that the wisdom gained with time"s passing is even stronger than the emotional armor they once wore in their youth, and Everything I Ever Saw captures the quartet embracing the here and now while strengthening the bonds that have held them together. THE MENZINGERS have always created as a four-headed unit, with all members (vocalist/ guitarist Greg Barnett, vocalist/guitarist Tom May, bassist Eric Keen, drummer Joe Godino) throwing in their respective talents as part of the craft-but for Everything I Ever Saw, the group worked in creative symbiosis more than ever before. "The way we made this record feels the most like how the band was in the very beginning: Me and Tom coming to the band with the most basic element of a song, and the four of us shaping that," Barnett says. Instrumental in building that excitement was locally centered and nationally renowned production legend Will Yip, who threw in with the Menzingers on 2017"s After the Party and their sonically expansive 2019 record Hello Exile. This time around, Yip once again became an unofficial Menzinger while the band crafted these 11 songs in their South Philly space. "Working with Will was like a homecoming," May beams while talking about Yip"s contributions. "We"ve grown up together over these years, and we"re still incredibly close friends. He"s the best at gassing you up and making sure everybody"s on the right page, but he"s also so good at pointing out stuff that might not fit the vision without being a fucking prick. He"s the hardest working person that we"ve come across in the music industry, and he"s incredibly inspiring."

Everything I Ever Saw finds THE MENZINGERS entering a new era in what"s already been a storied career. The Philadelphia punk legends" eighth album chronicles moments of significant change-the personal, the political, and the universal-while returning to the core creative principles that first put them on the map with listeners the world over. Twenty years in, the Menzingers have discovered that the wisdom gained with time"s passing is even stronger than the emotional armor they once wore in their youth, and Everything I Ever Saw captures the quartet embracing the here and now while strengthening the bonds that have held them together. THE MENZINGERS have always created as a four-headed unit, with all members (vocalist/ guitarist Greg Barnett, vocalist/guitarist Tom May, bassist Eric Keen, drummer Joe Godino) throwing in their respective talents as part of the craft-but for Everything I Ever Saw, the group worked in creative symbiosis more than ever before. "The way we made this record feels the most like how the band was in the very beginning: Me and Tom coming to the band with the most basic element of a song, and the four of us shaping that," Barnett says. Instrumental in building that excitement was locally centered and nationally renowned production legend Will Yip, who threw in with the Menzingers on 2017"s After the Party and their sonically expansive 2019 record Hello Exile. This time around, Yip once again became an unofficial Menzinger while the band crafted these 11 songs in their South Philly space. "Working with Will was like a homecoming," May beams while talking about Yip"s contributions. "We"ve grown up together over these years, and we"re still incredibly close friends. He"s the best at gassing you up and making sure everybody"s on the right page, but he"s also so good at pointing out stuff that might not fit the vision without being a fucking prick. He"s the hardest working person that we"ve come across in the music industry, and he"s incredibly inspiring."

and the second chapter in an ongoing improvisational document recorded inside one of Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s abandoned oil tanks.

Gaf & The Love Supreme Arkestra work outside conventional studio frameworks. Their music emerges from extended improvisation sessions that unfold sporadically, sometimes over several days. Built around drums, guitar, bass, modular synthesis and samplers, and expanded with vibraphone and winds (flutes, saxophone, Herreño whistle), the group continues to move between jazz, psychedelic rock and free-form experimental composition.

While Ganzfeld drew from the misty northern coast of Isla Baja, Retiro Espiritual turns toward Taganana, one of Tenerife’s most remote regions. Its isolation, Atlantic exposure and volcanic terrain inform the record’s pace and focus. The title reflects this shift: a space for retreat, collective creation and suspended time.

Sonically, Retiro Espiritual leans warmer and more reflective. Flutes drift over slow grooves, extended jams unfold patiently, and traces of 70s spiritual jazz surface throughout. The experimental core remains, now shaped by repetition, space and a calmer, sunlit atmosphere.

Another autonomous transmission from a band committed to ritual, territory and long-form collective improvisation at the edge of the Atlantic.
—
Recorded live in 2020 in Tenerife Canary Islands
Produced by Mladen Kurajica
Mixed by Jorge Lozano
Master by Daniel García
Artwork Felipe González Cabezas

Played out a couple of times by the KM crew, and eagerly anticipated by the community, &ME's remix of UNKLE's already classic tune „Only You" is available now. The original track taken from UNKLE's 2019 album The Road: Part II / Lost Highway features regular UNKLE collaborators including West London's Miink on vocals and celebrated composer and arranger Wil Malone on strings, famed for his work on Massive Attack's Unfinished Sympathy and The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony. Here we once again witness &ME feeling through the source material just to do what he does best: adopting the emotive essence of a track and moulding it into a reduced and unpretentious, yet highly compelling club-weapon of anthemic magnitude. This one will be all over the place, that's a given.

Darwin Chamber is a veteran of the prog game, and now that sound is very much back en vogue, it's no wonder new generations are falling for the American's sounds. Back in March, he dropped this EP which was inspired by a San Fran acid trip, and it became an instant classic that meant the initial translucent yellow vinyl edition, limited to 303 copies, soon sold out. Now it reappears on black wax and obviously it still bangs. 'The Acid Test (DJ Spun mix)' is a heavy, raw jam with plenty of trippy details, warped pads and vocals that come and go so subtly you can't really be sure they're there. 'Never Coming Down' is a deep and dark workout with cold analogue hits and paranoid vocals, then '25th Century Acid Cat' is a little brighter with its synths but no less of a mind-fuck. 'Get Down' is gurgling, coruscated, sleazy and mid-tempo acid techno for the freaks. Brilliant.

Baby Ford perfected the minimal sound with his impeccable early run of releases. Now, one of them gets reissued many years on and it still sounds as strikingly new as ever, not least because it has been remastered by the legendary Dubplates & Mastering in Berlin. The sought-after EP from Peter Adshead emerged during his shift toward stripped-back techno and tech-house and captures a deeper, more hypnotic side of his craft. 'Serpentine Tale' coils through hissing rhythms and shadowy bass pressure, while 'Night D3 Died' pairs crunchy drums with mournful synth chords. Closing cut 'The Introducer' drifts into warm, spacious territory.

Folk-Musik hat die schlechte Angewohnheit, als eine todernste Angelegenheit dargestellt zu werden. Sie ist etwas, zu dem man weint, sie ist übermäßig heilig, sie ist feierlich von Kritikern und Historikern betrachtet. Aber das Folk Bitch Trio, die ehemaligen Highschool-Freundinnen Heide Peverelle ("they/them"), Jeanie Pilkington ("she/her") und Gracie Sinclair ("she/her"), haben einen gemeinsamen Sinn für Humor , der tief in ihre Musik eingebettet ist und sie zum Leuchten bringt, sicher vor den selbsternsten Fallen des Genres. "Now Would Be A Good Time", ihr Debütalbum, erzählt lebendige, viszerale Geschichten und ist witzig und dunkel-ironisch in der Art von Schriftstellerinnen wie Mary Gaitskill oder Otessa Moshfegh. Ihre Musik klingt vertraut, aber die Songs sind modern, jugendlich, singen akut durch dissoziative Tagträume und ärgerliche Trennungen, sexuelle Fantasien und Medienüberflutung, über all die belanglosen Ressentiments und kleinen Demütigungen, die man als Anfang Zwanzigjährige in den 2020er Jahren erlebt. "Cathode Ray" beginnt mit Vorsicht, seine ersten Harmonien kommen in großen, schleifenden Seufzern an. Es ist verletzlich, aber auch ein wenig bedrohlich, mit , einem weit offenen Refrain und einem geräumigen, luftigen Beat, der alles verankert. "Moth Song", ein Song über unerwiderte Liebe und ,von so durchgedreht zu sein, dass man sich wie im Wahn fühlt und verrückte Dinge halluziniert", bildet das sparsame Herzstück des Albums, wobei Anita Clarks wogende Geigenstimme wie in einem Traum in den Fokus hinein- und wieder herausdriftet. Andere Songs sind nicht so schräg, sondern schildern brutal vertraute Momente am Ende von Beziehungen: Der spannungsgeladene, emotional flüchtige Torch-Song "The Actor" handelt laut Peverelle davon, "zur One-Woman-Show deines Partners zu gehen und dann Schluss zu machen". In "Hotel TV", einer hypnotischen, nächtlichen Träumerei, geht es darum, ,einen Sextraum über zu haben, während man neben seinem Partner sitzt, und der Partner ist ein Lügner", erklärt Pilkington. Die stärkste Verbindung zwischen dem Trio, abgesehen von der Freundschaft, ist Musik. "Wir haben alle darüber gesprochen, dass wir Musik liebten, als wir aufwuchsen, und dass wir wussten, dass Musik ein großer Teil unseres Lebens sein sollte", sagt Pilkington. Dieses Gefühl, dass Musik eine angeborene Berufung ist, im Gegensatz zu Hobby oder Torheit, war berechtigt: Das Folk Bitch Trio tourte bereits durch Australien, Europa und die USA und unterstützte dabei so unterschiedliche Bands wie King Gizzard, Alex G und Julia Jacklin. Sie sind bei Jagjaguwar unter Vertrag, einer Heimat für einzigartige Ikonen und Ikonoklasten (Bon Iver, Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten, Unknown Mortal Orchestra und andere), und sie haben ihre ersten eingefleischten Fans mit schillernden Harmonien und bissiger Lyrik gefunden, die über Genreerwartungen und Publikumsgrenzen hinausgehen. Das sind die Herausforderungen: Es geht darum zu lernen, wie man ein Leben ohne Liebeskummer und Verlierer-Ex lebt, wann man im zeitgenössischen Nihilismus versinkt und wann man mit seinen Freunden lacht, und warum sich das Leben so flüchtig und unwirklich anfühlen kann. In diesem Sinne fühlt sich "Now Would Be A Good Time" wie ein Handbuch für das moderne Leben an: eine Botschaft dreier stolzer Folk Bitches, die gemeinsam Schönheit und Weisheit finden, wo sie können.

Having built a reputation through an impressive run of standout releases on labels such as Life and Death, United Identities, HOME//GRXWN. and Berg Audio, coupled with an ever-growing presence behind the scenes, Dutch DJ/producer M-HIGH arrives on Up The Stuss for his label debut with ‘What’s Going On’ - a four-track collection that shifts shape as it moves.

A friendship dating back years, with Chris having been a key early supporter of M-HIGH’s productions, regularly digging through fresh sketches and unreleased ideas while both artists carved their own individual paths, that connection now comes full circle here with a heavily anticipated first outing on the label that has long felt inevitable - it was simply a case of when.

Never holding still in one form for too long, he plays with tension and release across the individual tracks, balancing airy, vocal-led moments with weightier, more grounded rhythms, allowing each idea room to unfold without losing momentum. There’s a constant sense of motion that runs through the record from the first minute to the last, yet it’s an EP that showcases distinct sides to his growing sound across each production. Melodic passages drift in and out of focus, giving way to tougher, more angular sections before circling back again.

Subtle nods to classic house touches, from organs to retro-leaning motifs, are reframed through a more off-center lens and direction, while flashes of electro influence and low-slung grooves keep things unpredictable for the later hours. It’s a record that feels built for both peak dancefloor use and also the in-between moments, when the energy shifts, the room resets, and the direction isn’t quite locked yet.

Following a huge wave of global support since its digital debut, ‘Edge Of Desire’ from Jonas Blue & Malive finally lands on 12" vinyl. A fitting format for one of the most talked-about house records of the past twelve months.

Since its release in July 2025, ‘Edge Of Desire’ has become a genuine streaming and club phenomenon. The sun-drenched house cut built on shimmering guitar riffs, bubbling synths and an irresistible vocal hook quickly took on a life of its own, topping Beatport Overall Chart and spending weeks in the Top 10 while racking up 100 million streams worldwide and over 100,000 global radio plays. From major playlists to festival stages, the track’s uplifting energy has made it a staple for selectors and listeners alike, with early DJ support from tastemakers including Adriatique, Adam Ten and Carlita.

Now, ahead of summer 2026, the record arrives on a special 12" vinyl edition bringing together the original alongside standout reinterpretations from some of house music’s most respected names. Dutch favourite Franky Rizardo delivers a groove-heavy club workout, Florida legends Jazz-N-Groove add their unmistakable soulful house touch, while Grigoré & Serve Cold transform the track into a deep, rolling dancefloor weapon.

With the original continuing to dominate playlists and dancefloors around the world, the vinyl release of ‘Edge Of Desire’ feels perfectly timed. Ready to soundtrack open-air sets, beach parties and late-night club moments throughout the season. For DJs, collectors and house music fans alike, this pressing captures the record at the peak of its momentum: a modern Defected anthem finally given the wax treatment it deserves.

UK electronic duo Prospa unveil their long-awaited debut album Free Your Mind, a bold, emotionally charged, and club-focused statement from one of dance music’s most exciting acts out now via CircoLoco Records.

Years in the making, Free Your Mind captures the full scope of Prospa’s evolution: from breakout underground producers to globally recognized festival headliners and chart-topping innovators. Across the album, the Leeds duo seamlessly blend euphoric house, rave nostalgia, breakbeat experimentation, progressive emotion, and peak-time club energy into a body of work that feels both deeply personal and built for massive communal release.

The album’s final moment is the focus track “Dreams,” a euphoric anthem that drives home Prospa’s songwriting and production sensibilities. Balancing cinematic atmosphere with the duo’s unmistakable dancefloor instincts, “Dreams” channels the reflective, ecstatic energy that defines the album as a whole, equally suited to sunrise festival moments as late-night club systems.

The album arrives following a string of major singles that have propelled Prospa to new heights over the past year. Most recently, “Baby” with Murda Beatz became one of Miami Music Week’s most talked-about track IDs after being teased during a back-to-back set with Josh Baker, quickly spreading across social media thanks to its infectious vocal hook and stripped-back club precision.

Before that came the album’s title track “Free Your Mind” with Cloonee — a vocal house anthem that climbed into the Official Singles Chart top 20, alongside Beatport chart-topper “Love Songs” featuring Kosmo Kint. Together, the tracks established the foundation for an album that represents Prospa at their most expansive and fully realized.

Hailing from Leeds, childhood friends Harvey Blumler and Gosha Smith connected over their shared passion for electronic music – drawing inspiration from the likes of Daft Punk, Disclosure, The Chemical Brothers, and The Prodigy as they first started producing under the Prospa moniker in 2013. The duo broke out in late 2018 with the anthem “Prayer” earning support from high-profile tastemakers including The Fader and NME, while helping relaunch heritage house label Stress Records after a 13-year hiatus. Since then, Prospa have embarked on a rapid ascent to consolidate their status as one of the UK’s most exciting electronic acts.

Experts at crafting high-octane dancefloor-focused anthems as much as they are at composing more heartfelt, meditative moments, Prospa’s work continues to evolve, blurring and pushing the edges of these boundaries into their biggest statement yet

Originally released in 2008. Although this album invites aesthetic comparisons to works by the likes of Philip Jeck, William Basinski, and Janek Schaefer – draped as it is in an obfuscating, soupy crackle – there’s a very specific conceptual agenda at work here.

Part of the success of »Persistent Repetition of Phrases« comes from the attention it pays to the function of »the loop«, not only as a narrative ordering system in modern music, but as a means by which the brain itself recalls and interprets information; it’s as old as recorded sound itself, but in this context the repetition of small shards of auditory information becomes an elegy to fading memory and the worn-out synapses of old age. The track titles offer signposts through Kirby’s labyrinth of faulty remembrances, pointing their way towards the peculiarities dictating the manner by which the mind stores and attempts to recover information: »Lacunar Amnesia« references a condition that leaves a specific event absent from the sufferer’s memory, and Kirby’s music sounds suitably stuck on a prelude to something that never happens.

Bathed in gusts of crackle, the piece gets stuck on what might be a start of something, but we never get to hear what. Many of the pieces refer to different ways the memory might find itself caught in a holding pattern: »Von Restorff Effect«, »Rosy Retrospection«, and the title track itself are all suggestive of reliving a single event or point in time – here, both music and memory are united by the notion of »glitch«, whereby a fault or fissure causes the replaying of the same pocket of data over and over again, but what distinguishes Kirby from so many other musicians operating within the field of loops and broken recordings is the unnerving, ghostly sentimentality that courses through this process. »Long Term (remote)« is particularly explicit in its reaching back through the first half of the 20th century, exhuming snatches of music hall romance, now warped into a sinister new form by the erosions of time. It’s like watching John Carpenter’s »The Fog« only to find that instead of vengeful phantoms emerging from the mist, it’s The Glenn Miller Band. Which is infinitely more disturbing. More eerie still is the detachment from authorship endemic to this sound – at no point do you really sense the presence of a composer’s hand; this album just... is. A remarkable thing that only seems to have improved with age (which is either highly appropriate or highly inappropriate, I can’t quite decide which), »Persistent Repetition of Phrases« is an even better fit on vinyl, a medium which itself wears and fades just as the memory does.

Defected’s annual Ibiza ‘In The House’ mix series returns for 2026 celebrating the label’s new summer residency at Chinois Ibiza. This 3LP vinyl format collects 12 full-length standout tracks from mix compilation that perfectly capture the soundtrack of what a night at Defected in Ibiza sounds like.

Featuring the global hit ‘Edge of Desire’ from Jonas Blue, underground club tracks from Nick Curly, Dam Swindle and Groove Armada plus productions from some of the biggest DJs in Ibiza right now; ANOTR, Rampa, Honey Dijon and more.

For its first release, Neurotrain Records presents a 4-track EP by its co-founder Krijka.
The label grew out of a friendship, a duo that spent years exploring and nurturing the Seoul underground scene.
‘Our Spleen’ EP carries that undefinable, elusive atmosphere and construction that has become Krijka’s signature; reflecting a desire to extend this identity now part of him, while opening doors to new elements and maybe a new era.

King Tubby and Producer Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee are intertwined in the birth of Dub Music. After discovering a mistake that made a ‘serious joke’ (more of which later...) they went on to release the first pressings of this new musical genre namely ‘Dub Music’. Tubby’s vast knowledge of electronics and Bunny’s vast catalogue of rhythms would lay the foundations of what today is taken as a standard... the Remix / Version cuts to an existing vocal tune.

Osbourne ‘King Tubby’ Ruddock was born in Kingston, Jamaica on 28th January 1941 and grew up in the High Holborn Street area of downtown Kingston. He studied electronics at Kingston’s National Technical College and also on two correspondence courses from the U.S.A... When he had qualified Tubby began repairing radios and other electrical appliances in a shack in the back yard of his mother’s home. His work in the early days included winding transformers and building amplifiers for Kingston’s Sound Systems. Tubby built his first Sound System in 1957 playing jazz and Rhythm & Blues at local weddings and birthday parties. His reputation as a man who knew and understood both electronics and music grew steadily and as the sixties drew to a close. Tubby purchased his own basic two track equipment. He installed this alongside his dub cutting machine, a homemade mixing console and his impressive collection of Jazz albums in the back bedroom of his home at 18 Dromilly Avenue which he christened his music room.

Tubby and Striker were at Treasure Isle Studio’s one day while Ruddy from Spanish Town was working with the engineer Byron Smith....

“Tubby and myself was talking when Ruddy was cutting some dub but Smithy (engineer) made a mistake through we were talking and forgot to put in the voice. It was two track recording in those days. Ruddy said ‘No Man! Make it stay! and so they cut the rhythm. When I went over to Ruddy’s that Saturday night a dance was in progress and when they played the vocal to the tune... then he said we’re going to play ‘Part Two’. They never called it ‘Version’..and then he played the rhythm track. The song was a catchy song and everybody started to sing along and the deejay started to toast so everything went down well. On Monday morning I went up and I said ‘Tubbs the mistake we made was a serious joke. It mash up Spanish Town! The people went wild. So you have to start to do that now ‘cause when the man put on the ‘Part Two’ everyone start singing this song. It played about twenty times. I said you try Tubbs!’...Well the next Saturday night now when Tubby strung up down the farm U Roy said he’s going to play ‘Part Two’ but Tubby did it different now. He started with the voice then dropped it out and let the rhythm run and then he brought in the voice in the middle and from there Tubby started to get really popular.’’
Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee

Dynamic Sounds upgraded to sixteen track recording in 1972 and Tubby purchased, again with the help of a deal brokered by Bunny Lee. The old four track equipment and the MCI console from their Studio B. The four tracks now gave him far wider scope to work with and he began to create a new musical form where the bass and drum parts were brought up while the faders allowed Tubby to ease the vocal and rhythm in and out of the mix. It was only a matter of time before Tubby’s dub plate experiments began to make it on to vinyl and the first ever long-playing King Tubby releases would feature a collection of his mixes to a selection of Strikers rhythms. So please sit back and enjoy this historic set of sounds, mixed by King Tubby and Mr Prince Phillip Smart and another set of scorcher Bunny Lee rhythms.

Entombed's 2003 inferno burns anew. Remastered and reignited, this definitive edition unleashes one of the band's dirtiest, most aggressive, and groove-soaked records - where gritty riffs, doom-laden heaviness, and punk-edged energy collide.
Produced and mixed by Per Gunnefeldt (Fireside, also associated with Viagra Boys), the album now returns with a powerful new remaster by Magnus Lindberg (Redmount Studios, known for The Hellacopters, Cult of Luna, Refused, Alcest, and more). The result is sharper, denser, and more forceful than ever - preserving the grainy guitars and thick low-end rumble that define Entombed's trademark sound.
A longtime fan favorite and a bold detour in their catalogue, Inferno showcases Entombed's ability to weave raw death 'n' roll power with punk grit and a heavy, sinister swing. Signature tracks like ""Retaliation,"" ""The Fix Is In,"" ""Incinerator,"" ""Young & Dead,"" and ""That's When I Became A Satanist"" mark the album's feral intensity.
As Swedish Music Hall of Fame inductees and founders of Scandinavian death metal, Entombed forged a legacy that shaped generations of heavy music. Inferno stands as one of their darkest, most visceral statements - now restored for maximum sonic impact.
Formats:
* 2LP + Cassette editions feature 14 tracks, including the bonus cut ""When Humanity's Gone"" between ""That's When I Became A Satanist"" and ""Nobodaddy.""
* CD edition includes 13 tracks, closing with ""Night For Day.""
1. Retaliation 2. The Fix Is In 3. Incinerator 4. Children Of The Underworld 5. Thats When I Became A Satanist 6. When Humanitys Gone 7. Nobodaddy 8. Intermission 9. Young & Dead 10. Descent Into Inferno 11. Public Burning 12. Flexing Muscles 13. Skeleton Of Steel 14. Night For Day

Entombed's 2003 inferno burns anew. Remastered and reignited, this definitive edition unleashes one of the band's dirtiest, most aggressive, and groove-soaked records - where gritty riffs, doom-laden heaviness, and punk-edged energy collide.
Produced and mixed by Per Gunnefeldt (Fireside, also associated with Viagra Boys), the album now returns with a powerful new remaster by Magnus Lindberg (Redmount Studios, known for The Hellacopters, Cult of Luna, Refused, Alcest, and more). The result is sharper, denser, and more forceful than ever - preserving the grainy guitars and thick low-end rumble that define Entombed's trademark sound.
A longtime fan favorite and a bold detour in their catalogue, Inferno showcases Entombed's ability to weave raw death 'n' roll power with punk grit and a heavy, sinister swing. Signature tracks like ""Retaliation,"" ""The Fix Is In,"" ""Incinerator,"" ""Young & Dead,"" and ""That's When I Became A Satanist"" mark the album's feral intensity.
As Swedish Music Hall of Fame inductees and founders of Scandinavian death metal, Entombed forged a legacy that shaped generations of heavy music. Inferno stands as one of their darkest, most visceral statements - now restored for maximum sonic impact.
Formats:
* 2LP + Cassette editions feature 14 tracks, including the bonus cut ""When Humanity's Gone"" between ""That's When I Became A Satanist"" and ""Nobodaddy.""
* CD edition includes 13 tracks, closing with ""Night For Day.""
1. Retaliation 2. The Fix Is In 3. Incinerator 4. Children Of The Underworld 5. Thats When I Became A Satanist 6. When Humanitys Gone 7. Nobodaddy 8. Intermission 9. Young & Dead 10. Descent Into Inferno 11. Public Burning 12. Flexing Muscles 13. Skeleton Of Steel 14. Night For Day

Entombed's 2003 inferno burns anew. Remastered and reignited, this definitive edition unleashes one of the band's dirtiest, most aggressive, and groove-soaked records - where gritty riffs, doom-laden heaviness, and punk-edged energy collide.
Produced and mixed by Per Gunnefeldt (Fireside, also associated with Viagra Boys), the album now returns with a powerful new remaster by Magnus Lindberg (Redmount Studios, known for The Hellacopters, Cult of Luna, Refused, Alcest, and more). The result is sharper, denser, and more forceful than ever - preserving the grainy guitars and thick low-end rumble that define Entombed's trademark sound.
A longtime fan favorite and a bold detour in their catalogue, Inferno showcases Entombed's ability to weave raw death 'n' roll power with punk grit and a heavy, sinister swing. Signature tracks like ""Retaliation,"" ""The Fix Is In,"" ""Incinerator,"" ""Young & Dead,"" and ""That's When I Became A Satanist"" mark the album's feral intensity.
As Swedish Music Hall of Fame inductees and founders of Scandinavian death metal, Entombed forged a legacy that shaped generations of heavy music. Inferno stands as one of their darkest, most visceral statements - now restored for maximum sonic impact.
Formats:
* 2LP + Cassette editions feature 14 tracks, including the bonus cut ""When Humanity's Gone"" between ""That's When I Became A Satanist"" and ""Nobodaddy.""
* CD edition includes 13 tracks, closing with ""Night For Day.""
1. Retaliation 2. The Fix Is In 3. Incinerator 4. Children Of The Underworld 5. Thats When I Became A Satanist 6. When Humanitys Gone 7. Nobodaddy 8. Intermission 9. Young & Dead 10. Descent Into Inferno 11. Public Burning 12. Flexing Muscles 13. Skeleton Of Steel 14. Night For Day

1969 salsa gem originally released on Mary Lou Records, one of the labels in the right place at the right time, just before Fania smashed almost all the competition. The album is mostly comprised of guaguancós, boleros, and improvised-space-filling descargas (jam sessions). We are now happy to reissue this rare and in-demand album after decades unavailable! It includes an insert with liner notes. "Soogie" (1969) was Willie Rodríguez's first album for Mary Lou Records. Mary Lou Records, at that time, was also one of the labels in the right place at the right time, just before Fania smashed almost all the competition. The album is mostly comprised of guaguancós, boleros, and improvised-space-filling descargas (jam sessions). This is remarkable, as it hardly includes boogaloo, which was still prevalent during those years, yet already on the way out. According to Bobby Marín, its musical director "we didn't call it salsa at the time; it had no name. It was mambo or música movida, they used to call it on the radio." The first tune, 'My Dog Soogie,' which provides the title for the recording, is a playful guaracha about a dog The following track is the wildly popular 'La Puerta del Dolor.' 'El Chivo' (the goat) is a spicy guaracha, which changes into a son montuno-guajira. 'Grande' is a guaguancó, followed by 'Los Callos de Dolores,' also a delightful guaguancó. Then comes the ballad 'Porque yo te Amo,' a monster hit of the sixties by popular Argentine singer Sandro. Next we have 'Al Compás del Güiro,' a guaguancó, with the delicious chorus that goes "cómo va, cómo va, cómo va, mi güiro cómo va." 'Paul's Thing' is an instrumental guaguancó, with engrossing sax solos. Finally, we have the smashing, extended descarga 'Salsa con Willie Rodríguez.' We are now happy to reissue this rare and in-demand 1969 salsa gem after decades unavailable!

T. VINCENT: LIVE IN LONDON! (Total Pleasure/Virgin Music Group) offers up the opportunity to relive or experience for the first time that enthralling evening, a historic occasion that found Annie Clark, Buckley and the orchestra reimagining 19 classics, staples and rarely played deep cuts spanning the St. Vincent catalog from 2007’s solo debut Marry Me up to 2024’s multiple-GRAMMY-winning All Born Screaming.

Album Background
A complete live recording of St. Vincent's triumphant BBC Prom performance at The Royal Albert Hall with The Jules Buckley Orchestra. Featuring reimagined works from across her entire career, this is a chance for fans to experience an evening that Rolling Stone UK called "A glorious re-imagination," what The Times Of London classified as "Here's how to do a classical crossover," and about which Far Out Magazine UK said "There are certain gigs that are always destined to be great -- like St. Vincent, at the Royal Albert Hall, with an orchestra."

Newly signed to EMI Records, seven-piece boyband December 10 are ushering in a new era in pop music. Formed on camera during Netflix’s Simon Cowell: The Next Act (released globally on 10 December 2025), the hugely fun, utterly joyful, incredibly charismatic, often rambunctious and completely endearing group consist of Cruz (20), Danny (17), Hendrik (19), John (17), Josh (17), Nicolas (17) and Seán (19).

Within weeks of the series airing, the pace was relentless. December 10 sold out their Introducing! run of live dates across the UK and Ireland, adding extra shows twice in response to demand before all 13 dates sold out within minutes; built a huge online following, with millions of followers across social media; and released their debut single “Run My Way” on 30 January 2026.

Since then, the band have released the singles “Infinity (123)” and “Angel”, landed in the Official UK Top 10 best-selling vinyl singles of 2026 so far, and made their festival debut at Ultra Teens Fest Japan, performing to a crowd of more than 12,000 fans.

Summer 2026 will see December 10 embark on their headline UK and European tour, December 10: The Next Step, (which kicks off in Amsterdam on 26 June and wraps up in Dublin on 21 July,) release their debut EP, On Your Side, on 10 July, and make appearances at Summer Sonic Festival in Japan and Reading & Leeds Festival in the UK.

They’re not just brilliant singers, but accomplished musicians too, playing 14 instruments between them: Nicolas plays guitar and harmonica; Danny plays guitar; Josh plays guitar, cajón and drums; Hendrik plays guitar, bass and piano; Seán plays guitar, piano and harmonica; while John was due to take Grade 8 clarinet and piano this year - until life got a bit busy.

December 10 are very much a boyband for our times: a truly inclusive group representing Chorley, Rochester, Dublin, London, Lisbon and Walsall, with Irish, Brazilian, Indian, Nigerian and Jamaican heritage between them, and musical influences that are just as expansive.Pre-order our debut EP ‘On Your Side’ now!

Get your hands on the new mint green vinyl!

Mint Green Vinyl with printed inner lyric sleeve

These days – on the new, ninth Fink album – Greenall is operating within a lineage of authentic, quietly revolutionary artists from England’s verdant southwestern toe. Artists like Michael Chapman. In 1970, the elusive acoustic guitar wizard released an album called Fully Qualified Survivor. The cult-classic served as a lodestar for Greenall – along with bandmates Tim Thornton and Guy Whittaker – as he began jigsawing together The City Is Coming to Erase it All, the follow-up to 2024’s Beauty In Your Wake. He even considered covering a song from it, but in the process, inadvertently stumbled into what became the album’s opener. ‘Wishing For Blue Sky’ circles a universal teenage ache: waiting for life to start. “No point dying of patience” goes the first lyric as crunching footsteps cue a resonant, open-tuned acoustic swaying into view. By 18, Greenall was fed up with waiting, so he left suburban Bristol and saw the world, sending postcards from the edge, waiting tables, squirreling away tips for the next flight. Thornton had similar experiences when the guitarist/drummer busked across Eur

This is nowstalgia more than nostalgia, though; there’s a parallel between these 18-year-olds and Fink’s autumn-aged family men. “You’re expected to be boring and settling down at this age,” Thornton says. “But we’ve still got this tremendous wanderlust. We want to go and discover, and also achieve things. It’s a nice life – home and family – but fuck, I can’t wait to get back out there.” City is a product of this hunger for discovery, and idolatry of the album as a form – like we had in 1974. City’s cover mirrors its interior, the first song is the greeting, the instrumental closer the conclusion. It’s a story. It’s a record for people who, like its creators, are curious. People who happily face a little cold for music, who light a crackling fire back home, who sit with these songs until they’re ready to chase after their own blue sky

LTD Edition, Artwork by John Frusciante

LP1 New album
LP2 Available on vinyl for the first time
LP3/4 Debut album on green vinyl
LP5 Second album on red vinyl

When I recorded the first 2 Trickfinger records, I had recently discovered that you could make electronic music in a room with a bunch of synced machines going at the same time, record it on a
CD burner and have a finished track. I've heard this process described as “overdubbing into the air”. It was as exciting to me as my first 4 track was when I was 14. I wasn't trying to be good, or
original. I was just excited that music could be made that way; it felt like I was a whole group of musicians playing together… or like I was jamming with ghosts of myself. This has actually been a
very common way of making electronic music since the 80s, particularly in the main pioneering genres like Chicago Acid and Detroit Techno, but anyways I didn't figure it out until 2006. In 2007,
I started doing it myself, which resulted in what was eventually released as Trickfinger, and Trickfinger II. I was just home from tour and was still in the middle of recording The Empyrean.

A couple of years later I started making music by overdubbing onto a computer, but using the same machines. I tried to make music that didn't sound like anything else. I saw a way of combining
Progressive Rock and Synth Pop which nobody had done. And I was combining my songwriting and guitar playing with these old machines in a way which I was sure was unique. I had reached a point
where it was more important to do something original than to do something good, whatever “good” means.

Some of this music did not get a proper release, and is compiled here as the vinyl record High Low. I don't think I have ever tried so hard at making music as I did during that period. This in contrast to
those two Trickfinger records, where I wasn't trying at all. There’s something to be said for both mental states. When you're in one, the other seems impossible. I was really pushing myself on High
Low. Looking back, it was as if I had an audience inside myself, driving me to go beyond my abilities, while at the same time I had a total disregard for any concept of an actual audience. It
was one of those periods in life where things come together in a certain way that feels natural at the time, but seems foreign in retrospect. It felt like I was going to die if I didn't do something musically
different.

The fourth record in this box is me breaking in a new mixing console, making live-to-stereo music. The record is called Rotation, and it is all new music. These tracks are more in the “not trying”
category, since we're on that subject. I had just come home from tour, and was just really glad to be in the studio with my machines. Acid Test thought it would be nice to do a box set commemorating the 10th anniversary of the release of Trickfinger, and so we put together this box set, with homemade cover art.
John Frusciante 2026

Lemon Vinyl. Black Screen Records and Kaizen Game Works have once again teamed up for the vinyl repress of About That_ Paradise Killer B-Sides, the follow-up release to Barry "Epoch" Topping's vibrant funky city pop/vaporwave soundtrack to the open world adventure game Paradise Killer, which has proven to be a true essential release for itself. The record is featuring three new songs, vocal tracks, instrumental versions, remixes and piano arrangements along with a number of amazing guests, which are Fiona Lynch, Kyle Murray-Dickson, Fabian Hernandez, Ged Cartwright, Thomas Temple, MEEBEE and Okumura. Now available on lemon coloured vinyl with gorgeous cover art by José Salot. The sounds of Paradise. The music of a cosmic dream. Tunes from another reality. The tempo of the crime to end all crimes. The beat of long dead alien gods. The playlist of the investigation freak. Let the music take you away to Paradise. Feel the sun scorching your skin. Smell unbearably hot concrete. Savour the sweet taste of crime committed on a tropical island in another reality. Remember when we danced along the beach? Along the streets of Paradise? You made me this mix tape on the roof of your apartment block. We stared at the moon. You said you'd kill the moon. I didn't believe you. I was wrong.





e 5TO THE HEART [VOCAL VERSION]
[f] 6HOUSE OF BLISS [VOCAL VERSION]

[h] 8LEAVING [PIANO ARR.]
[i] 9LADY BLUE [MEEBEE & OKUMURA. REMIX]

[k] 11ABOUT THAT... [INSTRUMENTAL]
[l] 12PARADISE (STAY FOREVER) [INSTRUMENTAL]





[e] 5TO THE HEART [VOCAL VERSION]
[f] 6HOUSE OF BLISS [VOCAL VERSION]

[h] 8LEAVING [PIANO ARR.]
[i] 9LADY BLUE [MEEBEE & OKUMURA. REMIX]

[k] 11ABOUT THAT... [INSTRUMENTAL]
[l] 12PARADISE (STAY FOREVER) [INSTRUMENTAL]

The 4th album from Melodeath trailblazers CARRION VAEL. Like a bastard offspring of The Black Dahlia Murder, Necrophagist & Nevermore, CARRION VAEL are set to cement a sound that will bear their brand for years to come. Epic, swathing and furious, 'SLAY UTTERLY' is a grisly, visceral ride into the mind of various Serial Killers, a theme that the band have now become known for through their OTT lyrical approach.

In his most self-aware and sonically refined work to date, JORDY returns with In Retrospect—an 11-track journey through the clarity of hindsight. Transitioning from a breakup record into a manifesto on healing, the album captures the "push-and-pull" of turning 30 and finding power in the wreckage of the past.

Known for his unmistakable blend of "pop precision" and vulnerable storytelling, JORDY moves past the guilt of time wasted to celebrate the person he has become. This is an album about finding yourself again after the noise fades.

In Retrospect is a love letter to the music that shaped a generation. Sonically, JORDY pays homage to his roots, blending the infectious energy of early 2000s pop-punk and Hilary Duff-era bubblegum with the high-gloss production of modern synth-pop.
JORDY commented, “In Retrospect started as a breakup record, but it quickly became something much bigger. It turned into an album about healing. About growing. I think when people find themselves stuck in bad relationships, they often blame themselves for not leaving sooner. They carry guilt over the time they feel they’ve wasted. But writing this album helped me see it differently. The moment I chose to leave the toxicity behind, I felt like I found myself again. I got healthier, mentally and physically. I gave myself permission to mourn the life I thought I’d be living at 30, the future I imagined as a kid. I found peace in remembering that nothing is ever as serious as it feels. I found my power again. In retrospect, the pain and suffering may have been the very thing that saved me.

“Sonically, this album pays homage to my roots - to my younger self blasting Hilary Duff and pop punk bands alone in his room. It’s nostalgic. It’s the kind of music I love to listen to. It feels more like me than anything I’ve made in a long time. It’s funny and catchy, vulnerably heartbreaking, and beautifully hopeful all at the same time. It’s exactly where I am right now,” he added.

First Word Records are proud to bring you the debut EP from papaya noon - ‘through the moods’.

papaya noon are a Cardiff-based duo comprised of vocalist Annie Mirza and multi-instrumentalist Greg Marriott.

Formed five years ago, they make jazz-infused R&B music that incorporates their mutual love of classic soul, hip hop & electronica.

The duo have already amassed an impressive fan-base online, garnering over 80,000 followers across their socials, and receiving praise from such luminaries in the US as Missy Elliot, Snoop Dogg, Queen Latifah, 9th Wonder, Bootie Brown & the late great Fatman Scoop.

This is a result of their unique style, captivating grooves & deeply catchy hooks, encompassing a distinctive blend of soul music, from retrospective 90s vibes to alternative futuristic flavours, creating a sonic palette that’s wonderfully contemporary, yet very much their own.

All their music is written, performed & produced single-handedly by the duo themselves, who’ve managed to create a magically powerful potion from their plant-filled Cardiff studio space, and generated huge anticipation for their future output in-turn.

The future is NOW, as papaya noon are finally ready to unleash their music into the world.

‘through the moods’ is a 6-track EP of delicious alternative r&b vibes, already set to become future soul classics.

Sonically rooted in warm, textured instrumentation & layered harmonies, the duo have triumphantly built a huge soundscape that feels simultaneously nostalgic & futuristic. Smoky late-night ballads nestle alongside infectious uptempo jams, leaning into their jazzy boom-bap & neo-soul influences, whilst showcasing their phenomenal spread of talents as performers and songwriters both.

The duo explained that the EP navigates “neurodivergence, trauma & loss, with tenderness & honesty. Rather than presenting trauma as a spectacle, we’ve attempted to approach it with the softness and complexity that it merits”.


From the first single release ‘blush’, to the downtempo sweetness of ‘blindside’ or ‘morning light’, to the pacier ‘on your side’ & EP closer ‘crybaby’, each track on this project exemplifies their unbridled ability to produce deeply infectious earworms, whilst thematically encompassing unflinching lyricism that’s deeply personal.

Already hailed by some as “the Welsh Moonchild”, papaya noon were named as one of Clash Magazine’s “must-see” acts at FOCUS Wales in 2025, bringing their music to life on stage with their 5-piece live band, additionally performing at Brick Lane Jazz Festival, The Great Escape, Inglefest, Nowadaze, Swn Festival & Good Vibrations Society, as well as NXNe and BreakOut West in Canada, and supporting the likes of Hot 8 Brass Band & Reel People.

With everything already pointing to the duo swiftly becoming one of the hottest new soul acts in Britain, this is only the beginning of the journey for papaya noon…

‘through the moods’ will be released on vinyl & all digital platforms on Fri 10th July.

Grandeza, the debut album by Sao Paulo’s Sessa, points to new, subtle directions for modern Brazilian music – a deep, minimalist, almost insinuated use of the rich textures that define the songwriting history of Brazil, one which Sessa now joins among its most promising new voices. His songs are sung in Portuguese, with visceral, sensual lyrics in the vein of Caetano Veloso, and the melodic flourishes of Tom Jobim and Arthur Verocai.

However, the music gets a deliberate minimalist treatment rarely found in contemporary Brazilian music, more reminiscent of the bareness of Leonard Cohen, with touches of tropicalia, psychedelia, and the mystic jazz of Moondog and Pharoah Sanders. Recorded in various locations between São Paulo and New York City.

Debut EP (1969) by the legendary Bolivian band Climax, recorded during their hard rock period, before evolving their sound toward progressive rock a few years later with the release of their well-known album "Gusano mecánico". Includes versions of 'Born to Be Wild' by Steppenwolf, 'Fire' by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and 'Sunshine of Your Love' and 'Tales of Brave Ulysses' by Cream. On October 7, 1974, the now-historic "Gusano mecánico" was released - the only full-length album by the legendary Bolivian rock band Climax. Founded in 1968 from the remnants of the disbanded Los Black Byrds and the unrealized project The Turtles, Climax was formed by guitarist José "Pepe" Eguino and bassist Javier Saldías, who developed a strong bond with drummer Alvaro Córdova, cemented by their shared passion for rock. Together, they embarked on a journey of self-discovery, spending several months in the United States during a crucial period straddling the end of the Summer of Love and the lead-up to Woodstock. This period, perhaps the most significant of the 1960s Bolivian countercultural movement, saw an explosion of artistic expression driven by dissatisfaction with the society that the youth had inherited from their parents. Within this context, the influence of iconic bands such as The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, Blue Cheer, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer played a pivotal role in their decision to return to Bolivia and form the country's first 'power trio'. Their early EPs paid tribute to their musical heroes. The first of these is titled "Born to Be Wild" (1969), including versions of 'Born to Be Wild' by Steppenwolf, 'Fire' by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and 'Sunshine of Your Love' and 'Tales of Brave Ulysses' by Cream. Recording covers was completely normal at the time and was also their way of learning the musical language. It's worth noting that the term "cover" did not carry the meaning it has today; back then, the main goal was to spread the music and bring it to a wider audience. First time vinyl reissue.

Second EP (1970) by the legendary Bolivian band Climax, recorded during their hard rock period, before evolving their sound toward progressive rock a few years later with the release of their well-known album "Gusano Mecánico". Includes a new funky version of 'Born to Be Wild' by Steppenwolf, as well as three original compositions by the band. On October 7, 1974, the now-historic "Gusano mecánico" was released - the only full-length album by the legendary Bolivian rock band Climax. Founded in 1968 from the remnants of the disbanded Los Black Byrds and the unrealized project The Turtles, Climax was formed by guitarist José "Pepe" Eguino and bassist Javier Saldías, who developed a strong bond with drummer Alvaro Córdova, cemented by their shared passion for rock. Together, they embarked on a journey of self-discovery, spending several months in the United States during a crucial period straddling the end of the Summer of Love and the lead-up to Woodstock. This period, perhaps the most significant of the 1960s Bolivian countercultural movement, saw an explosion of artistic expression driven by dissatisfaction with the society that the youth had inherited from their parents. Within this context, the influence of iconic bands such as The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, Blue Cheer, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer played a pivotal role in their decision to return to Bolivia and form the country's first 'power trio'. Their early EPs paid tribute to their musical heroes. Their second EP "Born to Be Wild II" was released in 1970, it featured a new funky version of the Steppenwolf original. It also introduced the band's first original compositions and their new influences: 'Ritmo de la Vida,' an instrumental chord-driven melody with Latin jazz overtones where we begin to hear the influence of Santana; 'El Abrigo Café de Piel de Gallina,' a standard blues number that recalls 'All Your Love' by Otis Rush; and 'The Seeker,' with a Latin vibe and lyrics that include the first reference to drug use in Bolivian music. First time vinyl reissue.

Katatonia was formed in 1991 by Anders Nyström & Jonas Renkse. Their debut album, ‘Dance Of December Souls’, was released in 1993, gaining the band recognition for their eclectic brand of gothic doom/death metal & joining acts such as Paradise Lot & My Dying Bride as one of the genre's defining bands. Over the years, Katatonia evolved beyond their more extreme metal origins to become one of the pinnacles of the progressive metal genre.

‘Viva Emptiness’ was Katatonia’s sixth studio album & is considered among the band’s strongest works; a step up even over the seemingly insurmountable greatness of previous release, ‘Last Fair Deal Gone Down’. The album was recorded at the famous Soundtrade Studios (part of the 301 group) in Stockholm in October/November 2002 & released the following year; further refining Katatonia’s unique & poignant brand of melodic dark rock & metal.

This edition of 'Viva Emptiness' features the original 2003 audio mix, which received a recent half-speed master courtesy of Abbey Road Studios, London, & is presented on black vinyl. The release contains the original artwork from Travis Smith.

Nach der Veröffentlichung von „idea 1“, kündigt Kelela ihr neues, drittes Album an, das am 10. Juli bei Warp Records erscheint – und veröffentlicht die zweite Single „linknb“, produziert von Oscar Scheller.

Der Track entstand in einer Phase der Schreibblockade und begann als Mantra, das Kelela schrieb, um sich wieder an die Arbeit zu bringen. Angeführt von einem labyrinthischen Gitarrenriff über treibenden Metal-Drums ist „linknb“ ein Song über Selbstvertrauen, das man sich durch Schwierigkeiten erarbeitet hat, darüber, sich nicht klein machen zu lassen. „Es ist nicht schwer, mutig zu sein / Es ist leichter, zu viel preiszugeben / Ich weiß nur, dass ich den Weg geebnet habe, unterbezahlt.“

Das von Mischa Notcutt inszenierte Video versetzt Kelela in die Mitte einer urbanen Traumlandschaft. Als enger Freund und Kelelas ehemaliger Kreativdirektor war Notcutt die naheliegende Wahl. Das Video lässt Realismus und Abstraktion ineinanderfließen und verwandelt eine einsame Reise in eine Meditation über Selbstfindung und Erneuerung.

Mit „new avatar“ rückt alles, worauf Kelela hingearbeitet hat, in den Fokus. Sie begann ihre ersten Songs in der Indie-Szene von Washington, D.C. zu schreiben, bevor die Clubmusik und die elektronische Produktion, die ihre frühe Karriere prägten, die Oberhand gewannen. Mit „new avatar“ schließt sie den Kreis: R&B, unterlegt mit verzerrten Gitarrenklängen, trifft auf neue Schnittstellen in der Tanzmusik und gipfelt in einem Sound, der aus all den musikalischen Einflüssen schöpft, die sie je geprägt haben. Das Album enthält zudem Kollaborationen mit PinkPantheress, A. K. Paul und Fousheé.

„Dieses Album findet Trost in der Konfrontation“, sagt Kelela. „Ich möchte nicht, dass die Musik von dem ablenkt, was wirklich in der Welt vor sich geht; ich möchte, dass sie in dieser verrückten Zeit Sinn ergibt und den Menschen gleichzeitig hilft, mit der Schönheit und Freude in Kontakt zu kommen, die sie ebenfalls erleben.“

Das Album setzt sich mit einer Welt auseinander, die aus allen Nähten auseinanderfällt, und mit der Klarheit, die das Überleben erfordert.

„Die Leute sollten auch wissen, dass meine Freunde und ich ständig lachen und dass Humor kein Abwehrmechanismus ist; er ist Ausdruck dafür, wie scharfsinnig wir die Dinge einschätzen und wie klar wir die Welt sehen.“

Im Kern schildert „new avatar“ eine vielschichtige Erfahrung, und obwohl die Außenwelt präsent ist, schwächt sie Kelelas Entschlossenheit zu keinem Zeitpunkt.

About Kelela: Throughout her globally revered, boundary-pushing career, Kelela has established a lane of her own in R&B and electronic music. On her long-awaited third album, new avatar, the singer/songwriter (through the versatility of the guitar) challenges perceptions of these genres, while weaving together fragments of lived experiences to shape a world of connection and resilience during times of unrest.

The songs journey through Black femme rage, joy as resistance, Gotham City-esque dystopia, misogynoir, romantic tension, and more. It’s anchored by production that demands a broader rethink about alternative, rock and indie music.

Kelela’s defiant nature has propelled her so far already — from her hometown of Washington, D.C to world stages. In 2013, she released her debut mixtape, Cut 4 Me. She continued solidifying her revolutionary R&B sound with 2015’s Hallucinogen EP, with The New York Times naming its single, “Rewind,” one of the “25 Songs That Tell Us Where Music Is Going”. By 2017, she released her electric debut album Take Me Apart (which was followed by 2018’s TAKE ME A_PART, THE REMIXES), building upon her intimate storytelling.

After a nearly five-year hiatus, she returned in 2023 with her groundbreaking second album, Raven, and its critically-acclaimed counterpart, RAVE:N, The Remixes in 2024. Raven has been hailed as one of the ‘Best Albums of 2023’ by Pitchfork, Billboard, Vulture, Variety, and more, while the remixes solidified her as a leader in the dance music space.

In 2025, Kelela showcased yet another innovative side of her artistry with her live album In The Blue Light, which hit #5 on the Contemporary Jazz chart and #20 on the Jazz Albums chart. Now, with new avatar, Kelela displays the masterful intention she puts into forming new sonic cityscapes. But don’t confuse it with escapism: “I don't want the music to be a distraction from what's really going on in the world; I want it to help you get into it.”