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Criteria for a Black Widow was a love letter to old-school Annihilator fans. It hit record shops at the precise moment the delirium of the 90s cleared and metal was ready to get heavy again. From the pummeling attack of opener Bloodbath to the classic brawl of Back To The Palace and the album's searing title track – all festooned with Jeff's ability to fuse the finesse of six stringed virtuosity with the auditory effects of a hand grenade – this was more than a return to form; it was the sound of Annihilator coming full circle.

GENERATION RADIO return with "Take Two", the eagerly awaited follow-up to their acclaimed debut, delivering another masterclass in AOR/West Coast rock infused with just the right touch of the Nashville sound. Produced by founding members Jay DeMarcus (Rascal Flatts) and Jason Scheff (former Chicago), the band features an all-star lineup: Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Average White Band) joins on drums, replacing the formidable Deen Castronovo (who returned to Journey as full-time member), while Tom Yankton (guitar, vocals) and Chris Rodriguez (guitar, vocals) round up the powerhouse ensemble. “Take Two” is rich with pristine harmonies, unforgettable hooks, and timeless songwriting—hallmarks of the genre delivered with class and authenticity.

Tracks like the widescreen, harmony-laden “Montana Sky,” the hook-filled “The Melody,” and the emotionally charged ballad “Hate This Heart” showcase the band’s signature blend of melodic precision and heartfelt performance. Adding depth to the album’s appeal, Generation Radio also offers reimagined versions of timeless classics that shine in their live sets: Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again,” Chicago’s “You’re the Inspiration,” Kenny Loggins’ “I’m Alright,” and a rock version of Rascal Flatts’ classic “These Days.” With "Take Two," Generation Radio not only honors the legacy of AOR and West Coast rock—they elevate it, combining elite musicianship and genre-crossing influences into a record that’s as fresh as it is nostalgic.

Hailing from the birthplace of Hip-Hop, this 3-Man Crew (Natural Elements) have been a Staple in the NYC Hip-Hop scene for among those who seek authentic lyricism and organic flows given off by this amazing group. On their highly anticipated NEw album “ALIGNMENT” on the legendary Fat Beats they are continuing this tradition of sharp, thought-provoking bars and songs that their cult following (worldwide) has become accustomed to over the years. This 17 Song piece of art features robust production by their longtime original producer and founder of NE “(The Real) Charlemagne”, as well as UK producer “I.G Nexus”, Harlem producer ‘Le Grand Mohyay aka Bearfakts’ & producer ‘Real6’ on the title track. As a quote from one of their previous releases goes "Fat Beats, Lyrics and Skills Natural E is coming with it."

Hailing from the birthplace of Hip-Hop, this 3-Man Crew (Natural Elements) have been a Staple in the NYC Hip-Hop scene for among those who seek authentic lyricism and organic flows given off by this amazing group. On their highly anticipated NEw album “ALIGNMENT” on the legendary Fat Beats they are continuing this tradition of sharp, thought-provoking bars and songs that their cult following (worldwide) has become accustomed to over the years. This 17 Song piece of art features robust production by their longtime original producer and founder of NE “(The Real) Charlemagne”, as well as UK producer “I.G Nexus”, Harlem producer ‘Le Grand Mohyay aka Bearfakts’ & producer ‘Real6’ on the title track. As a quote from one of their previous releases goes "Fat Beats, Lyrics and Skills Natural E is coming with it."

Baby Rollén and Wilba (Fraise), embark on their new collaborative project Heartbreak Hombres. Straight ahead dancefloor house cuts and no nonsense!

Already drawing support from a diverse spread of DJs including Raresh, Ben UFO, Dr Banana, Eris Drew, Chris Stussy, Wallace, Louise Chen (NTS) and more - the Heartbreak sound is designed for the DJ; a selectors handy weapon at the ready!

April Records proudly presents the new album from Danish trombonist and composer Lis Wessberg. Her most personal album to date, In The Wake of Blue is a song-driven work exploring transience, love, and transformation. Expanding her writing while remaining rooted in her distinctive instrumental voice, Wessberg creates an intimate musical landscape where lyric, melody, and texture carry equal weight. Wessberg has established herself as a leading voice on the European jazz scene through her band Yellow Map and a series of acclaimed releases on April Records. Her previous album, Twain Walking (2024), marked her first step into English-language songwriting and earned a Danish Music Award nomination in 2025 for the track Behind the Walls. In The Wake of Blue develops this direction further. The album draws on images from nature - sea, tides, clouds, mist, and birds - used as emotional anchors rather than abstractions. These elements frame songs that move from uncertainty and loss toward openness, connection, and renewal. The title reflects this arc: "blue" as melancholy, depth, and memory, and what emerges in its wake. Vocalist Veronika Rud is central to the album"s sound, bringing vulnerability and clarity to the songs. Rather than a traditional singer-led project, the music unfolds as a dialogue between voice and trombone, with Wessberg"s warm, airy tone mirroring and extending each song"s emotional core. At times the two move in close unison; elsewhere, they diverge and reconnect. The core ensemble - Steen Rasmussen (piano and keys), Lennart Ginman (bass), and Jeppe Gram (drums) - provides a responsive, understated foundation, while string quartet Live Strings appear on two tracks, expanding the ensemble"s depth and resonce. In The Wake of Blue offers a quietly assured statement from an artist continuing to refine a voice that speaks as clearly through brass as it does through words.

Ste Cy, the latest studio offering from the trio of Jac Berrocal, Vincent Epplay, and Timo van Luijk, ripens like a forbidden fruit—born of an improvised instrumental session captured in the secluded hush of Kulta Saha by Timo van Luijk. These raw recordings were later reshaped into 12 songs by Vincent Epplay at Studio Villejuif in Paris. And over it all drifts the poetry of Jac Berrocal— sensual and incendiary, seeping into the music like spice into flesh.

Metaphon is pleased to present this première edition, which brings together a near-complete collection of the acousmatic works of Liliane Donskoy, recorded in the 1970s and 1980s.

Liliane Donskoy (*1933) is a French, classically trained pianist, music teacher, and composer of both instrumental and acousmatic music. She began her musical training at an early age, undertaking private piano studies with Yves Nat at the age of thirteen, shortly after the Second World War. During the 1960s and 1970s, she pursued advanced studies with prominent figures of twentieth-century music, including Darius Milhaud, Olivier Messiaen, Pierre Schaeffer, and Guy Reibel, and participated in courses led by Karlheinz Stockhausen, Luciano Berio, György Ligeti, and Iannis Xenakis.

Despite this extensive and diverse training, Donskoy encountered limited institutional and professional opportunities to fully realize her artistic vision. A decisive turning point occurred in 1977, when she gained access to the facilities of the Institute of Psychoacoustics and Electronic Music (IPEM) in Ghent. There, she realized and completed the majority of her acousmatic compositions.

Donskoy’s oeuvre is characterized by a high degree of structural complexity, precision, and expressive intensity. Her work reflects a pronounced and distinctive artistic temperament, manifested through a rigorous exploration of sound material and form. Notwithstanding its artistic significance, her music has remained largely unknown, as her compositions were neither widely circulated nor formally released, leading to their relative obscurity until the present publication.

Metaphon is pleased to present this première edition, which brings together a near-complete collection of the acousmatic works of Liliane Donskoy, recorded in the 1970s and 1980s.

Liliane Donskoy (*1933) is a French, classically trained pianist, music teacher, and composer of both instrumental and acousmatic music. She began her musical training at an early age, undertaking private piano studies with Yves Nat at the age of thirteen, shortly after the Second World War. During the 1960s and 1970s, she pursued advanced studies with prominent figures of twentieth-century music, including Darius Milhaud, Olivier Messiaen, Pierre Schaeffer, and Guy Reibel, and participated in courses led by Karlheinz Stockhausen, Luciano Berio, György Ligeti, and Iannis Xenakis.

Despite this extensive and diverse training, Donskoy encountered limited institutional and professional opportunities to fully realize her artistic vision. A decisive turning point occurred in 1977, when she gained access to the facilities of the Institute of Psychoacoustics and Electronic Music (IPEM) in Ghent. There, she realized and completed the majority of her acousmatic compositions.

Donskoy’s oeuvre is characterized by a high degree of structural complexity, precision, and expressive intensity. Her work reflects a pronounced and distinctive artistic temperament, manifested through a rigorous exploration of sound material and form. Notwithstanding its artistic significance, her music has remained largely unknown, as her compositions were neither widely circulated nor formally released, leading to their relative obscurity until the present publication.

Wired was an ephemeral improvisational music project formed by Michael Ranta, Karl-Heinz Böttner, and Mike Lewis. On 28 April 1970, the trio recorded an extended studio session of approximately 140 minutes, in collaboration with Conny Plank, who engineered and mixed the recording in real time, incorporating elements of live electronics. This session was subsequently edited to album length and released in 1974 as part of the Free Improvisation 3LP box set issued by Deutsche Grammophon, alongside recordings by Iskra and New Phonic Art.

Owing to its exploratory electric sound world and Plank’s distinctive spatial production techniques, the Wired recording acquired a degree of underground cult status, particularly among listeners associated with krautrock and psychedelic improvisation.

Shortly after the studio session, Ranta and Böttner travelled to Japan, where they spent approximately six months performing with Karlheinz Stockhausen at Expo ’70 in Osaka. In addition to these activities, they engaged in various independent musical projects and performances.

The present release, sourced from the personal archive of Michael Ranta, documents a live duo performance by Ranta and Böttner, recorded on 27 July 1970 in an outdoor setting in Kyoto (the exact location remains unknown), before an audience of approximately 200 music teachers. The recording exhibits sonic and aesthetic characteristics closely aligned with the previously recorded studio material, retaining the distinctive “Wired” sound while situating it within a live, site-specific context.

Michael Ranta: percussion, voice, home-made instruments, tapes, tape delay, effects Karl-Heinz Böttner: guitar, organ, ocarina, voice, effects

Dass Death Of Lovers das Potenzial für mehr als ihre bislang einzige EP "Buried Under A World Of Roses" haben, war schon 2014 bei der Veröffentlichung unverkennbar. Die Frage war eher, wann kommt die Band aus Philadelphia, die seitdem mehr oder weniger permanent auf Tour ist, endlich dazu, ihr erstes Album aufzunehmen? "The Acrobat" besticht mit glitzernden Shoegaze-Gitarren, wavigen Rhythmen und konzentrierten, durchdachten und atemberaubend schönen Melodien. Die Stücke zeichnen sich durch eine einladende Komplexität und Tiefe aus, die Stimmung ist immer funkelnd und spannend und bietet einen schönen Kontrast zu den ehrlichen und dunklen Texten. "The Acrobat" erreicht eine warme Vertrautheit und klingt doch völlig neu. Und obwohl die Titel leicht aus dem Soundtrack zu jedem Lieblingsfilme der 80er-Jahre stammen könnten, gibt es eine neue Perspektive und eine Weiterentwicklung, die das "Post-Punk"-Reglement neu schreibt.

Dass Death Of Lovers das Potenzial für mehr als ihre bislang einzige EP "Buried Under A World Of Roses" haben, war schon 2014 bei der Veröffentlichung unverkennbar. Die Frage war eher, wann kommt die Band aus Philadelphia, die seitdem mehr oder weniger permanent auf Tour ist, endlich dazu, ihr erstes Album aufzunehmen? "The Acrobat" besticht mit glitzernden Shoegaze-Gitarren, wavigen Rhythmen und konzentrierten, durchdachten und atemberaubend schönen Melodien. Die Stücke zeichnen sich durch eine einladende Komplexität und Tiefe aus, die Stimmung ist immer funkelnd und spannend und bietet einen schönen Kontrast zu den ehrlichen und dunklen Texten. "The Acrobat" erreicht eine warme Vertrautheit und klingt doch völlig neu. Und obwohl die Titel leicht aus dem Soundtrack zu jedem Lieblingsfilme der 80er-Jahre stammen könnten, gibt es eine neue Perspektive und eine Weiterentwicklung, die das "Post-Punk"-Reglement neu schreibt.

"Weejuns is all about interplay,"erklärt Gitarristin Mollestad. ,Bitches Blues besteht aus sechs Instrumentalstücken oder Musikabschnitten mit einer extremen Bandbreite an Dynamik. Einige basieren auf kräftigen Beats, während andere Stücke weitaus lyrischer und rubato sind. Die Bandbreite reicht von riffbasierten rockigen Stücken über lautes Chaos bis hin zu melancholischen Balladen und sogar völlig freien Improvisationen." Mit einem kultivierten und dennoch erfrischend instinktiven Ansatz, Instrumente und Einflüsse miteinander zu verflechten, wechselt Bitches Blues (ein ironischer Verweis auf Miles Davis' Album Bitches Brew) unvorhersehbar zwischen langsamen und sanften, klar gegliederten Songs mit disziplinierten Akkordfolgen und explosiven Ausbrüchen kathartischer und komplexer Strukturen. Weejuns (eine Slang-Abkürzung für ,Norwegians") stellten sich 2023 mit einem selbstbetitelten Doppel-Live-Album vor. Ursprünglich von Mollestad für das Kongsberg Jazz Festival zusammengestellt, wo sie mit dem renommierten Musicians Prize ausgezeichnet wurde, hat sich die Chemie innerhalb von Weejuns als dauerhaft und verlockend erwiesen, auch als Gegenpol zum bisher härtesten Album des Hedvig Mollestad Trios, Bees in the Bonnet aus dem Jahr 2025. Mollestad hat mit ihrem gleichnamigen Trio acht gefeierte Alben veröffentlicht. Das Markenzeichen ihrer 15-jährigen Karriere ist die Verschmelzung von ernsthaftem Können mit einem offensichtlichen Fokus darauf, Spaß am Klang zu finden. Als Tochter eines Jazzmusikers vertiefte sie sich in dessen Plattensammlung und studierte klassische Werke von Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Joe Pass und Jim Hall, bevor sie in ihren 20ern Riff-gewaltige Titanen wie Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath und Mahavishnu Orchestra entdeckte. Dies führte zur Gründung des Hedvig Mollestad Trios, dessen unermüdlicher Aufnahme- und Tourneeplan seit Anfang der 2010er Jahre der Gitarristin eine Reihe von Auszeichnungen einbrachte, darunter zwei norwegische Grammys (Spellemannprisen) und die Ernennung durch das DownBeat-Magazin zu einer der 25 Künstlerinnen, die ,den Jazz für Jahrzehnte prägen könnten". Ståle Storlokken (Bass, Synths) ist Gründer und langjähriges Mitglied von Supersilent und Elephant9, seit Mitte der 90er Jahre die ,rechte Hand" von Terje Rypdal und hat mit Motorpsycho auf Platte und auf der Bühne sowie mit unzähligen anderen zusammengearbeitet. Ole Mofjell (Drums) ist das jüngste Mitglied und spielt bei Krokofant, Signe Emmeluths Amoeba und seinem eigenen Free-Jazz-Trio 3 Days Of Maceration.

"Weejuns is all about interplay,"erklärt Gitarristin Mollestad. ,Bitches Blues besteht aus sechs Instrumentalstücken oder Musikabschnitten mit einer extremen Bandbreite an Dynamik. Einige basieren auf kräftigen Beats, während andere Stücke weitaus lyrischer und rubato sind. Die Bandbreite reicht von riffbasierten rockigen Stücken über lautes Chaos bis hin zu melancholischen Balladen und sogar völlig freien Improvisationen." Mit einem kultivierten und dennoch erfrischend instinktiven Ansatz, Instrumente und Einflüsse miteinander zu verflechten, wechselt Bitches Blues (ein ironischer Verweis auf Miles Davis' Album Bitches Brew) unvorhersehbar zwischen langsamen und sanften, klar gegliederten Songs mit disziplinierten Akkordfolgen und explosiven Ausbrüchen kathartischer und komplexer Strukturen. Weejuns (eine Slang-Abkürzung für ,Norwegians") stellten sich 2023 mit einem selbstbetitelten Doppel-Live-Album vor. Ursprünglich von Mollestad für das Kongsberg Jazz Festival zusammengestellt, wo sie mit dem renommierten Musicians Prize ausgezeichnet wurde, hat sich die Chemie innerhalb von Weejuns als dauerhaft und verlockend erwiesen, auch als Gegenpol zum bisher härtesten Album des Hedvig Mollestad Trios, Bees in the Bonnet aus dem Jahr 2025. Mollestad hat mit ihrem gleichnamigen Trio acht gefeierte Alben veröffentlicht. Das Markenzeichen ihrer 15-jährigen Karriere ist die Verschmelzung von ernsthaftem Können mit einem offensichtlichen Fokus darauf, Spaß am Klang zu finden. Als Tochter eines Jazzmusikers vertiefte sie sich in dessen Plattensammlung und studierte klassische Werke von Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Joe Pass und Jim Hall, bevor sie in ihren 20ern Riff-gewaltige Titanen wie Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath und Mahavishnu Orchestra entdeckte. Dies führte zur Gründung des Hedvig Mollestad Trios, dessen unermüdlicher Aufnahme- und Tourneeplan seit Anfang der 2010er Jahre der Gitarristin eine Reihe von Auszeichnungen einbrachte, darunter zwei norwegische Grammys (Spellemannprisen) und die Ernennung durch das DownBeat-Magazin zu einer der 25 Künstlerinnen, die ,den Jazz für Jahrzehnte prägen könnten". Ståle Storlokken (Bass, Synths) ist Gründer und langjähriges Mitglied von Supersilent und Elephant9, seit Mitte der 90er Jahre die ,rechte Hand" von Terje Rypdal und hat mit Motorpsycho auf Platte und auf der Bühne sowie mit unzähligen anderen zusammengearbeitet. Ole Mofjell (Drums) ist das jüngste Mitglied und spielt bei Krokofant, Signe Emmeluths Amoeba und seinem eigenen Free-Jazz-Trio 3 Days Of Maceration.

»Vents d’aether« is the first collaborative album by sound artist Jérôme Bouve and composer-performer Delphine Dora. The six pieces are based on live improvisations on organ and harmonium. They were recorded in different churches on the Cotentin peninsula in France’s Normandy region and later enriched with additional field recordings by SA~RA. This adds an extra layer to compositions which were created both in and out of the moment and which quite literally resonate with the histories of the instruments and the buildings that were so integral to their emergence. »Vents d’aether« is to be understood as a dialogue between sound and space that takes place across time and place.

Bouve carried the idea of working with the organs and harmoniums that can be found in the churches and chapels in the Val de Saire in the Northeast of Cotentin around with him for years. When he got to know Dora, he found the perfect musical partner with whom to finally make a record »about the wind, the wood, the stones of the Val de Saire.« In September 2024, the duo embarked on a short but fruitful journey during which they stopped by at several different churches. They recorded hours-long improvised sessions dedicated to »capturing the moment, letting space and time shape gestures and sound, seizing fleeting epiphanies in their greatest simplicity,« as Dora notes in the album’s linernotes.

She took the lead behind the instruments, however Bouve assisted her on drawbars for the last two pieces on »Vents d’aether,« thus adding an even more unusual touch to the recordings. They formed the basis for an album that Dora calls »the testimony of a sensory quest, a collection of memories suspended in time.« Indeed, starting with the epic 20-minute-long titular piece up until the ringing of church bells near the end of the closing piece »Montfarville V,« this overwhelming yet intimate record blurs the boundaries between different times and spaces altogether.

Originally released in 1993 on Big Beat/Atlantic, MC Thick’s The Show Ain’t Over Till the Fatman Swings followed his 1991 underground single “Marrero (What the Fellas Be Yellin)” and marked a defining moment for the Marrero, Louisiana rapper. While early ’90s New Orleans was dominated by bounce, MC Thick stood apart with gritty, street-level storytelling and a raw, unapologetic voice.

Featuring “T.H.I.C.K.” and production work involving T-Ray (Todd Ray), known for his work with Cypress Hill, the album remains an important piece of Southern rap history.

Fully remastered and pressed on black vinyl, this is the first vinyl availability in decades. Housed in a full-color jacket with a printed insert and is limited to 500 copies worldwide.

This 18- track selection spans Edith Piaf' s career from the years 1946 to 1961. It includes all of her big hits, such as 'La Vie en rose', 'Non, je ne regrette rien', 'Hymne a l'amour', 'Milord', 'La Foule', 'L'Accordeoniste', and 'Padam Padam', among many others. Regarded as France's national chanteuse, singer songwrite, and actress Edith Piaf (1915-1963), also became one of the country's greatest international stars. Her music was often autobiographical with her songs reflecting her own personal life. Piaf's specialties were the chanson and torch ballads, particularly those of love, loss, and sorrow.

















[q] Le Chevalier De Paris [aka Les Pommiers Doux]

Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida was the first artist to receive Grammy Awards for both classical and jazz performances. His discography encompasses more than a hundred recordings over five decades. On Acapulco '22, which includes two complete consecutive 1962 dates by the same formation, Almeida is accompanied by American jazz stars such as Bob Cooper , Jimmy Rowles, Don Fagerquist, Victor Feldman and Shelly Manne







[g] Meditation [meditacao]

Highlights include more terrific songs from the Plague and Lexington Avenue, bands whose members would be better known when they created the Jarvis Street Revue. Twelve tough tracks by the Checkerlads, White Knights, Tomorrow's Keepsake, NRG, and Solid Reputation . The Gaiety roster was rich in talent (the 49th Parallel, Jarvis Street Review, and Souls of Inspyration, not to mention the Checkerlads, White Knights, Dewline, Tomorrow's Keepsake, NRG, Merriday Park, and Portland Street South) -- but it was not rich in resources, which is why these singles are as relatively unknown as they are even today

Dirty Dike's legendary High Focus Records debut 'Constant Dikestar' featuring classics such as 'Pork Pie', 'Hi I'm James' as well as appearances from Jam Baxter, Fliptrix, Ronnie Bosh, Edward Scissortongue, Mr Key, Leaf Dog, BVA, Stig Of The Dump and more!

Limited edition 15 year anniversary repress on colour vinyl, full colour 350gsm reverse board sleeve. 14-track LP over 1-disc. Shrink wrapped.

Silver foiling on the '15 Year Anniversary' text on front of sleeve.

Album comes with digital download upon purchase.

"Brudna - Bielizna" is the second album by the boy band KOSMONAUCI. This album consists of original compositions by the band members, which were created over the past two years and evolved together with the artists during concerts. The Kosmonauts' music is rooted in jazz and improvisation, but over time, the musicians have developed many new paths and ways of drawing from many other, seemingly disparate musical genres. On the album "Brudna - Bielizna" the Kosmonauts continue to explore various genre and stylistic combinations. However, the second album is more focused and connected to the band members' jazz inspirations. KOSMONAUCI have been playing together since high school, and this is clearly audible.

***After very quick SOLD OUT of the U JAZZ ME vinyl - we are adding new version of the album - 200 copies extra of white and blue galaxy vinyl in collaborationn with U Know Me Records - 180g wax with insert ***

UK producer and DJ Huxley return’s to Rekids with the ‘Pinball Skizzard’ EP, arriving 10th April 2026.

It follows last year’s ‘MIND G%MES’ EP, which marked his debut on Radio Slave’s label and won support from artists including Enzo Siragusa, Jennifer Loveless, Carista, and Laurent Garnier. Active for over two decades, the Dumb Safari label boss has left his mark, founding the online
R Trybe community with Ramin Rezaie/BAKKIS, while boasting label credits including Aus, 20/20 Vision, and collaborator Steve Bug’s Poker Flat.

Huxley opens the ‘Pinball Skizzard’ EP with ‘Pinball’, setting the tone with a hefty House groove, anchored by cavernous bass, and brought to life by old-school vocal touches and bright sax motifs that inject warmth and energy into the mix. ‘Heaven’ follows with a buoyant rhythm, pairing glowing chords and twinkling melodic details with deep, dubby low-end pressure designed to keep bodies locked in motion. ‘Deep Down’ shifts into a slinkier back-room groove, rich in atmosphere and soulful vocal fragments that underline its timeless house feel. Closing track ‘Felix’ rounds things out with a percussive roller built around vocal snippets and subtle tribal accents, delivering a stripped-back but effective finale that fits neatly within the Rekids aesthetic.

Volume 2 of 3 vinyls containing all the extended mixes on Claude VonStroke’s 5th original artist album, “Wrong Number.” Whilst the first vinyl was all deep cuts, this second record is full of bumpy, quirky, club tools with unique properties. “Two Line Groove” features vocals “in the round” from both of his children, Jasper and Ella, and can be imagined working well on the DC10 terrace this summer. “A Little Drizzle” is a classic wonky VonStroke bassline with vocal chops all getting twisted like Matthew Herbert meets Akufen. Lastly, “Busted Ass Deejays” is a little bit of shade going out to $100+ tickets to see generic Deejays playing Beatport top 10s. Just poking a little bit of fun, we love you all!

In a most original impetus this album traverses forty years of Italian new wave and singer-songwriter tradition. As in the desert where Infesta’s urge is to walk, we are ambushed by the most intense thermal and sonic difference.

It is from here that this important journey we mustn’t miss begins. It leads us eight thousand meters deep in the blue abyss. Not quite enough to come out the other side and, as a kite, bestow all the heights that I will reach. These depths are nevertheless necessary to adjust our eyes to the darkness that lives within us, as a machine to burst our hearts to which we can’t and won't be accomplices.

Machine against machine. The increasing pressure of the lashes of an incessant current, at times sweet and at times sour, on which all the courage is sung and yet is everywhere dispersed like thoughts on water and melodies to be lost at sea. Darkness persists: you said the world can be lived where all was taken. And it’s a crazy and estranging babbling that, stripped by a current, answers: never never never never, in no direction.

My companions, come back, the breaking point has been found, we sing together. Leaf after leaf the time has come: it is possible to destroy the Machine in a mad blinding light.

Drumcode returns with its flagship A-Sides series, led by a huge new Adam Beyer single that highlights the 20-track compilation.

If you want a snapshot of techno in any given year, look no further than Drumcode’s annual A-Sides compilation. The release broadly charts the evolution of the genre, while giving a platform to standout demo’s Adam Beyer has received across the course of the year with many emerging artists finding their music on Drumcode for the first time. Case in point – Wehbba, Charles D and Raxon who all debuted on the label via a track on the A-Sides series and have gone on to become regular contributors to Beyer’s influential labels.

This year’s compilation features an exciting mix of established heavy-hitters, alongside a slew of new faces set to make their mark on the genre. ‘We Don’t Say Please’ – is emblematic of Adam Beyer’s sound in 2025 – fresh, experimental and thriving on cross-genre pollinations, as elements of bass music, rap and techno collide, underpinned by a distinctive UK vocal. The results are inspiring.

Elsewhere, the 20-track compilation brims with highlights. HI-LO’s ‘NYC to Amsterdam’ has inflections of New York house fused with driving techno elements. Nicole Moudaber returns to DC in cahoots with the rising ZLATA for the super-charged ‘Report to the Dancefloor’. Oscar L & Charles D mint a new collaborative partnership with the immersive, spacey cut ‘Lift Me Up’. LUSU continue their red-hot run following the recent ‘Move 2 the Groove’ EP, and craft a straight-up mind-mashing single ‘LIKE THIS’. Mark Reeve is in trademark strong form with hypnotic ‘My Mind’, which comes to life via a massive synth led. The fantastic Kaufmann shares her ‘People are Strange’, a nod to a classic vox, re-contextualised for a modern techno audience.

As is tradition, a troupe of ascendant producers land on Drumcode for the first time. They include Uruguay’s Enzo Monza, who delivers the crisp ‘Late Night’ – a favourite of Beyer’s; Mattia Saviola, whose ‘Parallel Dimension’ is a powerful cut with fantastic sound design; Romanian artist Tao Andra, who shares the celestial ‘Unity’; and long-time industry stalwart AdamK, who makes a richly deserved Drumcode debut in partnership with Vikthor feat. MC Stretch on the stunning ‘Silence + The Sound’.

Die Montrealer Ikone Tiga kehrt mit seinem vierten Album HOTLIFE zurück und läutet damit eine neue Ära in seiner unsterblichen Techno-Reise hin zu absoluter geistiger Freiheit ein. Mit Beiträgen von Boys Noize, Matthew Dear, Fcukers, MRD, Gesloten Cirkel, Paranoid London, Maara und den neuen Studio-Experten seiner Heimatstadt Priori und Patrick Holland befindet sich Tiga mit HOTLIFE auf dem Gipfel des Musikbergs und versetzt die Zuhörer mit ansteckenden Dancefloor-Klängen in Begeisterung: ,Wenn ich die Catharsis Machine einschalte", sagt der berühmte Sänger und Produzent, ,spielt es keine Rolle, ob Sie reich oder arm sind, denn Sie werden ein freier Mensch sein ..." Die Rückeroberung seines Platzes an der Spitze des himmlischen Firmaments der zeitgenössischen Tanzmusik verlief nicht ohne eine fesselnde und nachvollziehbare Erzählung. Nach einem mühsamen Kampf mit einer neurologischen Erkrankung, die er entdeckte und ,Vibe Fog" nannte, befand sich Tiga an einem Scheideweg: ,An einem bestimmten Punkt hieß es entweder, das Exoskelett zu kaufen und meine Virgin Megastore-Aktien zu verkaufen, oder Tiga City von Grund auf neu aufzubauen, Stein für Stein, Wasserspeier für Wasserspeier." Das Ergebnis ist ein Tiga, den langjährige Tiga-Beobachter als ,engelsgleich" und ,furchteinflößend" bezeichnen, was zu einem Album geführt hat, das die destillierte Essenz eines Trendsetters einfängt, der über alle menschlichen Grenzen hinausgeht. ,Meine Ja/Nein-Reaktionszeit bei künstlerischen Entscheidungen ist außergewöhnlich", fügt Tiga hinzu. ,Wir haben jede Sekunde, die wir bei jeder kreativen Entscheidung eingespart haben, in die Laufzeit des Albums reinvestiert. 12 Songs. 60 Minuten. Bemerkenswert."

A new duo and record label based in Madrid lands on the underground techno scene, led by Mike Gómez and José Castillo, the latter known for his aliases Milford and UHF, and also the owner of the electro label Gladio Operations.

Diorama is born with the intention of recovering the soul and essence lost in electronic music, which for some time has become practically homogeneous and predictable. With a timeless, fresh, and warm sound, Diorama produce rhythms close to dub and Detroit techno, mainly influenced by Juan Atkins, UR, and Basic Channel, among others.

This EP, titled Pacific Trak, begins with a nod to the old Scottish school, where they revive a forgotten track by British producer Anthony Scott, adding its imposing main chord to a true sea of melodic textures, bathed in exquisite acid. Spanish techno master Tadeo gives us his vision of Pacific Trak, exploring dub territories that remind us of past pieces released under the incomparable Maurizio label.

The B-side opens with Soul Memories, a manifesto of resistance that vibrates with detuned harmonies and raw bass lines, recalling the origins of Detroit’s primitive sound. The package closes with Polymorphic, a progression of relentless aquatic chords, set among careful and precise minimalist rhythms that oscillate between high-dynamics tech and dub.

Samo DJ, undeniable legend of global oddball house, finally debuts on hometown label Studio Barnhus after a decade-long, winding courtship and frequent collaborations with SB mainstays like Baba Stiltz and Pedrodollar. Every atom of his singular craft is on display as tracks like Third Guitar distill disco
tradition, club futurism and hip-hop attitude into cuts only Samo could deliver. Pressed on DJ-friendly 12'' vinyl, complete with a printed love letter from Stockholm underground hero, Nasty Nate

During a job in Cologne, I stayed in a room with a loft bed that had no electrical outlets at the top. Every night, I would listen to my TB303, which runs on batteries, through headphones to help me fall asleep. I loved the sequences, it was like meditation. The TB-303 bassline is iconic in acid music, so I created the Acid Lullabies to bring these two elements together. In 2017, the label Doom Chakra Tapes released ten of the Acid Lullabies on tape. Last year, I felt the urge to rework the tracks, so I mixed them again and created some new ones. I also
asked friends to contribute their own versions.

I’m very glad that the following artists contributed the Acid Lullabies: 47IN4 (Pudel Produkte, Doom Chakra Tapes), Museum of No Art (Séance Center, Cosima Pitz), N:in and Philipp Otterbach (Music from Memory, Offen Music). Two violinists from Ensemble Resonanz performed my piece 'Afternoon Lights' for Acid Lullaby 6. Alex Solman designed the cover, which captures the essence of the project perfectly. Have fun with the Acid Lullabies!

With Dispersion, Loom & Thread return to the volatile architecture of the expanded piano trio - and quietly fracture it from within.

Daniel Klein (drums), Tobias Fröhlich (double bass) and Tom Schneider (keys, sampler) remain the sole agents on stage and in the final recording. The triangle holds. And yet, the field has expanded. For their second studio album, the trio fed their improvisations with the timbral signatures of guest saxophone and vibraphone players - not just as additional voices to be featured, but also as material to be absorbed, atomized and redistributed. The result is not augmentation but thorough refraction.

Where the debut album explored the recursive labyrinth of Schneider's live sampling of his own piano, Dispersion introduces an external grain into the feedback system. Breath and metal. Reed turbulence and struck resonance. The trio sampled extended improvisations by saxophone and vibes players: Victor Fox, Asger Nissen, Volker Heuken, and L&T's own Daniel Klein; dissected their attacks, overtones and decay curves, and integrated these fragments into the trio's internal circuitry. What emerges is a play of presences without bodies - instrumental ghosts circulating through the dense weave of rhythm and keys.

At first, one might hear the familiar relational tension: Klein's polyrhythmic elasticity interlocking with Fröhlich's tensile double bass figurations, Schneider poised at the hinge between tonal field and percussive impulse. But soon, the surface splinters - again. A vibraphone shimmer appears, yet no mallets are visible. A reed multiphonic surges through the texture, bending space between bass and drums. These events are neither quotations nor overlays; they are redistributed energies, dispersed across the trio's grammar. A digital multidimensional interplay ensues.

If the first album unfolded as a two-tiered game - live phrase and sampled reflection - Dispersion adds a further axis. The sampled materials from other improvisers are stripped of their erstwhile two-way interaction and reconstituted as malleable particles. Signifier detached from origin, resonance detached from gesture. The trio navigates a constantly shifting topology in which acoustic memory and electronic manipulation are indistinguishable.

Crucially, the album never abandons the physical urgency of three musicians reacting in real time. The additional timbral layers do not thicken the texture into opacity; rather, they introduce stark points and arrows of diffraction. Density opens into prismatic clarity. Lines splinter and regroup. What seems like a quartet or quintet collapses back into three bodies negotiating an expanded field.

Dispersion is not about addition but about distribution - of agency, of timbre, of temporal perspective. It is an album in which the trio setting becomes a site of multiplicity without surrendering its immediacy. A dissolution not only of the divide between present experience and memory, but between inside and outside, self and other.

Three musicians. Countless vectors. A music that fractures in order to cohere.

CREDITS:
Tom Schneider: piano & sampler
Tobi Fröhlich: double bass
Daniel Klein: drums & percussion

sample sources:
Victor Fox: tenor saxophone
Asger Nissen: alto saxophone
Volker Heuken: vibes
Daniel Klein: vibes

Recorded by Martin Dressler at Bauer Studios, Ludwigsburg.
Mixed & mastered by Martin Ruch.
Artwork by Viet Hoa Le.

Karates trotziges und letztes Studioalbum rundet eine 12-jährige Diskografie ab, die von harDCore-artiger Katharsis bis hin zu feedbackgesättigten Improvisationen reicht. Dieser Klassiker aus dem Jahr 2004 verzichtete auf die Friendster-Migration zugunsten eines zurück zum Wesentlichen gerichteten Songwritings, das von Jazzphrasierungen und beatinspirierter Lyrik durchdrungen ist. Mit Chris Brokaw, dem Gitarristen von Codeine/Come, wurde ,Pockets" von den originalen Analogbändern neu gemastert und kommt in einer Deluxe-Hülle mit reproduzierten Songtexten.

Italy’s own L.D.F. makes his debut on Shadow Pressings with a fresh slab of raw, analog funk—pressed strictly to wax and destined for selectors who still worship the turntable altar. With contributions from Detroit icons, Javonntte, Gary Romalis, & European groove architects Tilman & Böhm, the EP threads classic motifs through a modern underground sensibility—never nostalgic, always alive.

2026 Repress

DJ support comes from Roger Sanchez, Bob Sinclar, Claptone, Purple Disco Machine, Audiojack, David Penn, Sam Divine, Laurent Garnier, Chloe Caillet, Nicole Moudaber, Carlita, Groove Armada, Barry Can’t Swim, Bakermat, Danny Howard, Gorgon City and more!

Toolroom’s next Sampler showcases 4 big releases from Jesus Fernandez, Alex Preston, CASSIMM and Jewel Kid.

DJ 3000 BRIDGES CONTINENTS WITH "SO SHEIK": A CINEMATIC MIRAGE ON MOTECH #178

DETROIT / GLOBAL — Motech Records founder DJ 3000 returns with "So Sheik," a release that operates in the shadows between the Motor City and the Mediterranean. Having carved out a unique sonic identity among Detroit’s elite producers, DJ 3000 moves away from standard tropes to craft a cinematic mirage that blends the mechanical pulse of Detroit with a haunting, orchestral depth.

The production is anchored by the rhythmic drive of the shekere and deep percussion, layered with a haunting fusion of analog strings and horns. Rather than traditional brass, the horns blend seamlessly with the strings to create a lush, otherworldly atmosphere—making "So Sheik" a masterclass in global techno mystery.

True to the label’s roots, Motech #178 is a limited vinyl-focused release, continuing the label's unwavering commitment to the wax tradition in a digital age.

Composed by Christina Vantzou between 2023 and 2025 after being commissioned by INA GRM, »The Reintegration of the Ear« defines listening as a radical, embodied act of attention: a slower kind of presence rooted in care, intimacy, and reflection. Performed with John Also Bennett, Oliver Coates, Roman Hiele, and Irene Kurka, the work moves through intuition, breath, and resonance, forming an acoustic ecology between perception and expression.

Paired with »Observations, Edits, a Cure for Restlessness«, a companion suite of domestic fragments and temporal drift featuring harp by Sissi Rada, Ben Bertrand's bass clarinet, and others, time here is embodied, a porous medium where sound floats, reforms, and reveals itself as both instrument and witness.

Generic Flipper, the debut album by Flipper, remains the most absorbing full-length LP to emerge from the early San Francisco punk scene. A constant source of imitation for so-called "noise rock" bands, it has yet to be surpassed in its nihilistic glee.

Recorded between October 1980 and August 1981 and released in 1982 on the indispensable Subterranean Records, this album functions as a chaotic, sticky mass of individual personalities: the magma-like bass eruptions and dual vocals of Will Shatter and Bruce Loose, Ted Falconi's icy guitar scraping and the relentless beat of drummer Steve DePace. At times playful and taciturn, paranoid and absurd, Generic charts a deliberate path that willfully chances destruction.

In early '80s punk, when the hardening default was "faster-shorter-louder," Generic subverts the nascent hardcore scene with a strictly applied regimen of turgid-slower-heavier. The lyrics are bleak, yet unnervingly beautiful. "Ever" sets the tone with trademark restraint – "Ever wish the human race didn't exist? And then realize you're one too?" – while closer "Sex Bomb" is a churning, 8-minute epic with looping bass, saxophone accompaniment and electronic effects of dropping bombs.

Tons of indie bands have attempted to recreate Flipper's mix of acidic guitar, metallic bass sludge and sardonically brilliant lyricism, using the seemingly effortless template they pioneered; however, the effect usually drives listeners right back to Generic. While most of their contemporaries wilt under direct comparison, No Trend, the Butthole Surfers, feedtime and Church Police are a few who can stand the frigid heat.

Cititrax release Sand Clock, the new full-length album by Men With Secrets, the Italian trio of Donato Dozzy, Lino Monaco, and Nicola Buono (Retina.it). Originally emerging from a shared background in experimental techno under the name Le Officine Di Efesto, the three musicians turned toward classic post-punk, minimal wave, and synth-driven pop with the formation of Men With Secrets. Their debut album Psycho Romance (2020), released on Bunker Records, introduced a meticulously produced body of work that felt like a rediscovered European darkwave recording from the early 1980s—yet was entirely contemporary in its construction.

With Sand Clock, the trio deepen this language. The album leans more directly into the melodic clarity and romantic tension of late-80s and early-90s darkwave and synthpop while maintaining the stark restraint that defines the project. Icy synthesizers, shuddering basslines, and precise drum machine programming frame baritone vocals that are intimate, emotionally exposed, and quietly apocalyptic.

Balancing pop structure with gothic atmosphere, Sand Clock moves between shadowed dance floor momentum and solitary headphone introspection. It is not an exercise in revivalism, but a continuation—an acknowledgment that the emotional architecture of that era remains unresolved and still relevant. Written and produced by Donato Dozzy, Lino Monaco, and Nicola Buono and recorded in Rome and Pompeii.

The vinyl edition is pressed on clear 160-gram vinyl, limited to 500 copies worldwide. Each record is housed in a heavy printed jacket with a printed inner sleeve.