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What is Buck? Buck is a state of mind, a way of life, a demeanor that gets you through the good times and the bad. If you ask Brainstory, It is also the energy that permeates their debut album. Kevin, Tony, and Eric are a trio of brothers bounded by blood, fate, and a small town with nothing to do. Their story begins in the long lost lands of the San Bernardino Valley, in the twilight zone known as Rialto, California: An arid wasteland of boredom and empty lots. Through punk rock and skateboarding they found temporary liberation from the local monotony. However, it wouldn't be long before a hunger for more led them to explore musical realms beyond that of the hardcore punk they admired. After stints at music school and steady disappointment trying to navigate their local jazz scene they moved to Los Angeles and Brainstory was born. Through a introduction from Chicano Batman's bassist, Brainstory caught the ears of Big Crown head honchos Danny Akalepse and Leon Michels. Shortly thereafter they were on their way to Queens, to record at The Legendary Diamond Mine with Michels at the helm. An instant chemistry yielded 10 songs in 10 days and now Brainstory has gifted the world with one hell of an introduction to all things Buck. Highlights include the sublime slow burner, "Dead End" which was the A-side to their first 45 on Big Crown that sold out in a matter of days. With Kevin's sublime falsetto floating atop Tony and Eric's unflappable and unmistakable backbeat, this tune has become a favorite with the ballad heads, the low-riders, and the slowie collectors. "Breathe" showcases another side of their sound taking a page out of the Shuggie Otis playbook and flipping the script with some stoned out west coast swag. Kev and Tony's father, Big Tone, an accomplished performer himself, steps in on "Peter Pan" to sing lead vocals over a chorus of friends and family. Bassist extraordinaire, Tony, takes over lead vocal duties on "Sorry", a smoked out, G Funk groove that is just waiting to be sampled. These guys have come a long way from their self released EPs and opening tours with Chicano Batman. Their musical growth is undeniable, and taking their California sunshine vibes and mixing them with Michels' NYC aesthetic has proven to be an amazing combination. It's a debut record that pulls influences from so many genres seamlessly it's hard to nail down. Call it Funk, call it Rock, call it Soul, but over here at Big Crown HQ, we've decided to call it BUCK.

Der Breakthrough-Artist sombr hat sein Debütalbum "I Barely Know Her" veröffentlicht. Das 10-Track-Album ist jetzt über Warner Records erhältlich und enthält die Hits „back to friends”, „undressed” und „12 to 12” (inklusive Musikvideo mit Addison Rae), die weiterhin international die Charts stürmen – darunter die globalen Spotify-Charts, die UK Official Singles Charts sowie die US-amerikanischen „Top 40 Radio“ und „Alternative Radio“-Charts. In diesen erreichte sombr schneller als jeder andere neue Künstler der letzten zehn Jahre Platz 1. Auch in den Billboard Hot Rock Songs setzte er ein Ausrufezeichen und verdrängte Hozier nach einem Jahr von der Spitze. In Deutschland befinden sich mit „back to friends”, "12 to 12" und „undressed” mittlerweile 3 Singles in den Top 30 der deutschen Single-Charts und das Debutalbum schoss auf Platz #16 der offiziellen deutschen Albumcharts!
"I Barely Know Her" wurde komplett von sombr geschrieben und vom 20-jährigen Künstler zusammen mit dem renommierten Produzenten Tony Berg (Phoebe Bridgers, The Replacements) co-produziert. Gegenüber i-D gibt er zu Protokoll, die Songs seien inspiriert von „young romance, dimly lit rooms, late nights, and love, loss, and life.” Die Veröffentlichung folgt auf die Nachricht, dass sombr sein Debüt bei den MTV Video Music Awards geben wird – live aus New York am 7. September –, wo er als Best New Artist und Best Alternative Artist nominiert ist.

sombr (bürgerlich Shane Boose) wuchs im New Yorker Stadtteil Lower East Side auf und entdeckte seine Liebe zur Musik als Teenager im eigenen Schlafzimmer. Parallel dazu studierte er klassische Musik an der renommierten LaGuardia High School. Mit dem viralen Hit „Caroline“ (2022) wurde er über Nacht zum Internetphänomen. Seitdem hat er mehrere EPs und Singles veröffentlicht und bringt es inzwischen auf über 400 Millionen monatliche Streams über alle Plattformen hinweg. Heute lebt sombr in Los Angeles und verarbeitet in seinen Songs die Höhen und Tiefen junger Liebe – alles selbst geschrieben, co-produziert und veröffentlicht über Warner Records.

Hatchback is the alias of Samuel Milton Grawe. Sam creates music that sings of the Cosmos, full of deep resonant tones, glistening arpeggios, lush pads and harmonic motifs. ‘Phaser For The Ocean, Chorus For The Moon’ is his magnum opus, a sprawling masterwork that encompasses ambient, new age and environmental music to wondrous effect. Soaked in Californian consciousness, the album is a balm like no other for these troubled times.

When I first was getting into the creative side of music making in my teens, I was heavily influenced by concept albums like ‘Quadrophenia’ and ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’, as well as epic pieces that took up an entire side of a record: Pink Floyd’s ‘Echoes’, Yes’ ‘Close To The Edge’, Klaus Schulze’s ‘Nowhere Now Here’, Miles Davis' ‘Shhh/Peaceful’ and ‘He Loved Him Madly’. In the extreme, these ideas coalesced in double albums where each side of each record is occupied by a single title - Yes’ ‘Tales From Topographic Oceans’, and Tangerine Dream’s ‘Zeit’ being primary examples. When I returned to making music after moving back to Northern California in 2020, the first piece I recorded landed around the 20-minute mark, and the idea of creating three other long pieces to realize a full album felt like a natural - if indulgent - goal. From there, each new piece followed sequentially. Four songs. My fourth album. - Sam Grawe

‘Phaser For The Ocean Chorus For The Moon’ is a pure expression, informed by a lifetime of deep listening unbound by algorithms or AI.
These are songs for the sunrise and the sunset - and every colour in between.

a 01. And The Walls Became The World All Around [18:53]
[b] 02. Phaser For The Ocean, Chorus For The Moon [21:48]
[c] 03. Other Desert Cities [20:19]
[d] 04. Friendship Fountain [18.33]

a1 One Vision 5:50
a2 Tie Your Mother Down 3:52
a3 In the Lap of the Gods...Revisited 2:43
a4 Seven Seas Of Rhye 1:18
a5 Tear It Up 2:12
a6 A Kind Of Magic 8:41
b1 Under Pressure 3:41
b2 Another One Bites The Dust 4:53
b3 Who Wants to Live Forever 5:16
c1 I Want To Break Free 3:34
c2 Impromptu 2:57
c3 Brighton Rock Solo 9:11
c4 Now I'm Here 6:20
d1 Love of My Life 4:49
d2 Is This the World We Created? 2:58
d3 (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care 1:36
d4 Hello Mary Lou (Goodbye Heart) 1:51
d5 Tutti Frutti 3:24
e1 Gimme Some Lovin' 0:55
e2 Bohemian Rhapsody 5:51
e3 Hammer to Fall 6:04
e4 Crazy Little Thing Called Love 5:59
f1 Big Spender 1:06
f2 Radio Ga Ga 5:57
f3 We Will Rock You 2:48
f4 Friends Will Be Friends 2:06
f5 We Are The Champions 4:01
f6 God Save the Queen 1:32

Brennan Wedl"s self-titled album is a testament to collaboration, with old selves, the selves yet-to-be and the friends helping you along the way. It"s an anthology of spiritual awakening that sizes up the road ahead, encapsulating the messes and triumphs when leaving a traditional path for something less steady. Wedl is already a prolific artist, releasing solo music since 2012, and co-founding the queercore outfit Dazey & The Scouts in 2015. On her debut album for ANTI-, she shakes off the prying eyes of expectation, leaving behind the anxiety of forming yourself for others and welcoming in the delight of finally being exactly who you are. Wedl enlisted Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) and Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Hurray for the Riff Raff) to co-produce and play on the album, with instrumentalists Colin Croom, Lindsey Jordan and Matt McCaughan also sprinkled throughout. Together, they formed a middle ground between punk, grunge and Americana - "grungetry" as they affectionately call it - capturing all tracks within a 10 day stay at Cook"s studio in Durham, NC.

Baby You’re A Winner’ is a perfect illustration of the elevated musicality of the album that bears its name. Linking up across the record’s twelve tracks with producer Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, Perfume Genius, Yard Act), Baby You’re A Winner showcases a real levelling up for Grandmas House: more layered and involved than their trio of previous EPs - Grandmas House (2021), Who Am I (2023), Anything For You (2025) - with a greater focus on the use of vocals and harmonies to embolden the meticulously crafted arrangements.

It’s the sound of the quartet - Yasmin Berndt (guitar, vocals), Poppy Dodgson (vocal, drums), Zoë Zinsmeister (bass, vocals) and Polly Jessett (guitar) - bringing a greater sense of nuance and space to their music, while deploying myriad genres to maximum effect. From the righteous, elasticated rock of recent single ‘DOG’ to the syncopated post-punk and brass blasts of ‘Dance’ and on to the chamber folk ambiance of closer ‘Spring’, Baby You’re A Winner is the most authentic, realised portrait of Grandmas House to date.

The songs here navigate a precarious balancing act between sadness and catharsis, ultimately landing in a place of salvation - the product of the band’s tight-knit friendship, this album is their gift to the world, born from a period of grief and hardship but emerging from the other side with profound love and strength. It’s a testament that even when the odds are against you, anyone can be a winner.

On Squirrel Flower's new album, Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Ella Williams, delivers her most transcendent and instantly classic record to date. It's an album full of hope and beauty, with themes of staying in constant motion, electric love, and knowing when to leave, but also when to stick around. After touring in support of 2023's Tomorrow's Fire, Williams remained on the road, following instinct over itinerary_passing through Gary, Indiana; Los Angeles; Putney, Vermont; Silver City, New Mexico; and Hudson, New York. Each stop became a site of creative renewal. She ended up recording the album at two locations: a makeshift studio in rural Wisconsin, and at Drop of Sun in Asheville, NC, featuring friends and collaborators such as Dimitri Giannpolous (Horse Jumper of Love), Sofia Jensen (Free Range), Clay Frankel (Twin Peaks, Hazel City), and many others along the way. Standouts like "Reelin" and "Highway Woman" showcase the push and pull of life as a musician; the constant need for embarking on a hero's journey in search of reflection and freedom. Others like "Not Me" and "Cleveland" are classic Squirrel Flower, but with a sharper and more concentrated writing style paired with some of Williams' strongest vocal delivery of her career. Mixed and co-produced by Alex Farrar (MJ Lenderman, Wednesday), Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going is the sound of cosmic rebirth, looking behind to illuminate what's ahead. "Pack your life and your guitar," Williams sings on "Highway Woman." "You can change it as you go. You do not plan on dying." In addition to her seemingly nonstop DISABLED touring across North America and Europe, Squirrel Flower has been featured in outlets such as Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The NY Times, Paste, and many others, as well as performances at NPR's Tiny Desk & KEXP. Williams' music has been streamed millions of times around the globe, proving her to be an undeniable force as a songwriter. FOR FANS OF Indigo De Souza, Soccer Mommy, Katy Kirby, Julia Jacklin, Tomberlin, Hand Habits, Phoebe Bridgers, Waxahatchee, PJ Harvey, Grouper, Chelsea Wolfe, Moses Sumney, Cat Power, Liz Phair, Alex G, Mazzy Star, Julie Byrne, Big Thief.

On Squirrel Flower's new album, Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Ella Williams, delivers her most transcendent and instantly classic record to date. It's an album full of hope and beauty, with themes of staying in constant motion, electric love, and knowing when to leave, but also when to stick around. After touring in support of 2023's Tomorrow's Fire, Williams remained on the road, following instinct over itinerary_passing through Gary, Indiana; Los Angeles; Putney, Vermont; Silver City, New Mexico; and Hudson, New York. Each stop became a site of creative renewal. She ended up recording the album at two locations: a makeshift studio in rural Wisconsin, and at Drop of Sun in Asheville, NC, featuring friends and collaborators such as Dimitri Giannpolous (Horse Jumper of Love), Sofia Jensen (Free Range), Clay Frankel (Twin Peaks, Hazel City), and many others along the way. Standouts like "Reelin" and "Highway Woman" showcase the push and pull of life as a musician; the constant need for embarking on a hero's journey in search of reflection and freedom. Others like "Not Me" and "Cleveland" are classic Squirrel Flower, but with a sharper and more concentrated writing style paired with some of Williams' strongest vocal delivery of her career. Mixed and co-produced by Alex Farrar (MJ Lenderman, Wednesday), Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going is the sound of cosmic rebirth, looking behind to illuminate what's ahead. "Pack your life and your guitar," Williams sings on "Highway Woman." "You can change it as you go. You do not plan on dying." In addition to her seemingly nonstop DISABLED touring across North America and Europe, Squirrel Flower has been featured in outlets such as Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The NY Times, Paste, and many others, as well as performances at NPR's Tiny Desk & KEXP. Williams' music has been streamed millions of times around the globe, proving her to be an undeniable force as a songwriter. FOR FANS OF Indigo De Souza, Soccer Mommy, Katy Kirby, Julia Jacklin, Tomberlin, Hand Habits, Phoebe Bridgers, Waxahatchee, PJ Harvey, Grouper, Chelsea Wolfe, Moses Sumney, Cat Power, Liz Phair, Alex G, Mazzy Star, Julie Byrne, Big Thief.

Studio Barnhus presents Fold, the first full-length release on the label from Stockholm-born, Berlin-based DJ and producer MOLØ: a patiently unfolding album of club-adjacent lullabies, soft-focus breakbeats and open-window electronics. Following 2024’s Aqua Lull and 2025’s Don’t Change EP with Slackin Beats, MOLØ returns to Barnhusgatan with her most fully realised work yet – an album built like a night slowly finding its shape, starting somewhere quiet and letting the music grow and shift. The result is Fold: eight tracks moving freely between rooms and tempos, held together by MOLØ’s sense of atmosphere, melody and pace. There are pads with endless skies in them, field recordings whispering from the corners, melodies suddenly appearing, having been waiting patiently for the right light.
As often with Studio Barnhus, friends old and new are invited in. Swedish jazz pianist Albin Söderbäck leaves his mark on Cloud and Sväva, bringing a warm, searching musicality that nods gently towards MOLØ’s favourite jazz-fusion records. On Le, Diane Emerita’s fragile voice slips in between the breaks, making the track feel at once human and unreal. Off The Meds frontman Kamohelo keeps it cool as ever on the dynamic stepper Bump.
Then there is Malmö, featuring Norwegian songwriter and vocalist Ane Brun. MOLØ sent Brun the instrumental because she could already hear her voice inside the music – what came back felt so natural, it was as if the whole track had been written around it from the start.
Elsewhere, DJ favourite Fluff captures a different kind of magic: made in MOLØ’s Berlin apartment one spring evening, barely changed since its first draft, then road-tested immediately on a late-night walk through the city with the demo on repeat, strangers moving through the frame.
Fold is a record about trusting the long way round. In a time of shrinking attention spans and growing impatience, MOLØ chooses the scenic route, with curiosity, generosity and enough confidence to let the listener get a little lost

Hot off the heels of a stack of fine singles, they found love with the likes of Nels Hylton, Amy Lame, John Kennedy, Visions, NTS, Bring The Noise, Upset, arts culture, Distorted Sound, The Punk Site and many more - building a buzzing community, touring with Don Broco and Weakened Friends, finding favour with scribes at the likes of Kerrang, Rock Sound and Clash and popping up on the BBC Radio 1, Radio X and BBC 6 Music airwaves with alarming regularity... Signed to Alcopop! (UK/ ROW) and Grand Hotel van Cleef (GAS) they drop fiery choruses, grungy riffs and catchy hollering britpop sensibilities. With these future anthems all wrapped around vocalist jim heffy's lyrics of angst, depression and medication, break- ups, drinking and problematic housemates, it's prescient to remember the most important message that resides in the beating heart of these songs - 'be kind and be free to express yourself, no matter who you are'.

There is an ecstatic melancholy in Dent May’s music. The bedroom pop auteur’s songs are both bittersweet and exuberant, breaking your heart while you can’t help but sing along.

Over six albums, May has built a wildly diverse discography spanning 17 years. He has typically worked alone, assembling perfect pop gems on his laptop, playing nearly every instrument himself. But when he began preparations for his new album, May’s tried and true process suddenly felt stale.

The Big One brings together both the scrappy DIY ethos of Elephant 6 Collective and early The Magnetic Fields with May’s lifelong affinity for the great ’70s singer-songwriters like Harry Nilsson and Ram-era Paul McCartney. The songs balance a clear-eyed view of the world with a cautious optimism, looking at the everyday experiences of disappointment and heartbreak with a sense of possibility for the good that may still come. Things might seem bleak, May tells us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be thankful for our brief time here on Planet Earth.

The title track is the beating heart of the record. Over a steady drumbeat, piano, and accordion, a melancholy May sings, “The big one’s coming, the big one’s on its way,” promising disaster. But May won’t wallow in the misery: “Thank the Lord for all my friends/We can make it ’til the end/No we can’t stop now/Who knows? Tomorrow it all could turn around.” For May, hope comes in the form of others.

It’s with this joyful melancholy Dent May draws in the world. Everything might be ending, the planet could be careening off into chaos, but tonight there’s a party down the block and you’re invited. Be sure and bring your friends.

The Dresden Dolls announce the re-recorded release of Yes, Virginia... (Tailor"s Version). Guest vocalists include Jinkx Monsoon and Veronica Swift. The pioneering punk cabaret duo of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione enter a new chapter with a full re-recording of their 2006 album Yes, Virginia..., tracked in Boston. The title nods to Taylor Swift"s reclamation of master recordings. After a 20-year contract with Roadrunner Records, the band regained the right to re-record their catalog. The announcement comes nearly 20 years after the original release. The track list remains unchanged (with a bonus track on vinyl and CD), while performances reflect two decades of artistic and personal evolution. Known for Viglione"s orchestral drumming and Palmer"s percussive piano and songwriting-exploring sexuality, identity, addiction, capitalism, and social isolation-this version brings new depth. Songs including "My Alcoholic Friends," "Sex Changes," and "Backstabber" return with renewed intensity. Recorded in late 2025 at Mad Oak Studios, the album was tracked mostly live with Benny Grotto and mixed by Paul Kolderie. It also features artwork by Niki McQueen.

The Dresden Dolls announce the re-recorded release of Yes, Virginia... (Tailor"s Version). Guest vocalists include Jinkx Monsoon and Veronica Swift. The pioneering punk cabaret duo of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione enter a new chapter with a full re-recording of their 2006 album Yes, Virginia..., tracked in Boston. The title nods to Taylor Swift"s reclamation of master recordings. After a 20-year contract with Roadrunner Records, the band regained the right to re-record their catalog. The announcement comes nearly 20 years after the original release. The track list remains unchanged (with a bonus track on vinyl and CD), while performances reflect two decades of artistic and personal evolution. Known for Viglione"s orchestral drumming and Palmer"s percussive piano and songwriting-exploring sexuality, identity, addiction, capitalism, and social isolation-this version brings new depth. Songs including "My Alcoholic Friends," "Sex Changes," and "Backstabber" return with renewed intensity. Recorded in late 2025 at Mad Oak Studios, the album was tracked mostly live with Benny Grotto and mixed by Paul Kolderie. It also features artwork by Niki McQueen.

This limited vinyl edition of Brain Invaders offers another chance to experience the album in
its most iconic format. Faithful to the original release, it features high-quality pressing andpackaging, making it a must-have for collectors and fans alike. Part of Be the Change, a project conceived and developed by Rude Cares to raise awareness about climate change and environmental sustainability within the music
community, this exclusive eco-friendly variant is more than just a vinyl release. Created in collaboration with artists who share this vision, each edition supports a more sustainable future: a donation is made to Green Future Project for every release, and 100 new trees are planted to fully offset the project's residual environmental footprint. A timeless album with the same energy and impact that made it a fan favorite, Brain
Invaders remains an essential addition to any punk rock vinyl collection—now with a positive
impact beyond the music.

Maverick folk artist and touring veteran Rev Hammer has been writing and releasing music for over 40 years. He regards his music not so much as a passport to fame and fortune but as a ticket to ride and has enjoyed numerous tours, collaborations, and projects over his long and varied career. The Old Crow Folk Club album features 23 of his songs re-imagined by friends and artists including Justin Sullivan (New Model Army), Mark Chadwick (Levellers), Maddy Prior (Steeleye Span), Simon Friend (Levellers), Seth Lakeman, John Jones (Oysterband), Dan Donnelly & Jon Sevink (Levellers), Nick Harper, Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman, Nick Parker,

Black Screen Records once again teams up with composer Chris Christodoulou and Hopoo Games for a vinyl repress of the classic original soundtrack to Risk of Rain 2. At the request of Christodoulou, the new edition of the triple vinyl comes on heavy 180g black wax, the way he enjoys the format the most. The set is housed in a beautiful trifold sleeve with the original artwork illustrated by Italian artist Daniele Giardini. All 20 songs have been carefully remastered by Christian Bethge (Risk of Rain, Deadbolt, Divinity: Original Sin II, A Plague Tale) for the vinyl format. With Risk of Rain 2 the classic multiplayer rogue-like returns with an extra dimension and more challenging action. No run will ever be the same with randomized stages, enemies, bosses, and items. Play solo, or team up with up to four friends to fight your way through hordes of monsters, unlock new loot, and find a way to escape the planet. In his third collaboration with Hopoo Games, Chris Christodoulou returns to the Risk of Rain franchise adding another dimension to the game's music-verse. This two-hour-long genre-bending release spans from foreboding electronica to pounding progressive metal and features all music from the game and then some.

Handpicked by MoBlack, here are eight tracks that lended the dynamic vision and artistic stimulation for what is now a bastion of Afro House. Collected from the label's artists, friends and inspirations of past and present, "House of Mo'" comprises musical snapshots from Mimmo Falcone's journey as a DJ, producer and label head. Reverberating rhythms and grooves attached to memories made on and off dancefloors, these sonic wonders are part and parcel of the House the label built, go-to jams that speak of the spirit that binds its growing family.

Tread lightly, listen hard, and feel at home.

Ursprünglich im Jahr 2000 auf Fuzzbox veröffentlicht und 2003 vom Beggars-Imprint Too Pure erneut herausgebracht, stellte My Pain and Sadness Is More Sad and Painful Than Yours die Band mclusky aus Cardiff als eine drängende neue Stimme im britischen Rock vor. Das Album zeigt die Band in ihrer unmittelbarsten und rohesten Form und prägte mcluskys Mischung aus scharfkantigen Gitarren, schwarzem Humor und Andrew Falkous" pointierter, oft absurdistischer Lyrik. Noch bevor spätere Anerkennung für Alben wie Mclusky Do Dallas und The Difference Between Me and You Is That I"m Not on Firefolgte, fängt dieses Debüt die Band in einem ungefilterteren Zustand ein - volatil und direkt. Songs wie "Joy" und "Rice Is Nice" deuten bereits die Präzision und Bissigkeit an, die später voll zur Geltung kommen sollten, während ein Großteil des Albums auf Wiederholung, Spannung und Auflösung setzt - mit einem beinahe bedrohlichen Minimalismus. Nun, 26 Jahre später, wurde das Album von Sean Magee in den Abbey Road Studios neu gemastert und erscheint auf 180g schwerem schwarzem Vinyl, wobei das originale Artwork beibehalten wurde. My Pain and Sadness Is More Sad and Painful Than Yours bleibt ein zentrales Dokument der Anfänge von mclusky. Sein Einfluss lässt sich in späteren Wellen von Noise Rock und Post-Hardcore nachverfolgen, doch seine einzigartige Mischung aus Witz, Aggressivität und Ökonomie bleibt unerreicht.

Beefheart & McQuinn is the new project from UK artist Moby Beefheart aka William Murray (formerly of UK outfit Fur) and Melbourne / Naarm musician Winter McQuinn (Sunfruits, jade imagine). Coming together after a chanced coffee meetup, the musical connection between the two artists is palpable. Sharing a love for the folk and rock sounds of yesteryear without pastiche obsession, Beefheart & McQuinn make contemporary psychedelic folk / soft rock, a rich sonic tapestry of vocal harmony blends and deft musicianship / production.

Midtown Downtime is a debut album which explores the tensions of time and productivity in late-stage capitalism. The album is a collection of 10 songs that explore the genres of contemporary psychedelic folk / soft rock, with stacked harmonies over syncopated guitars and occasional synth / drum outbursts.

The album has a sound that is familiar yet unique, harkening to both Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young and Luke Temple/Carol King. Lyrically the album covers a lot of ground with songs about the squeeze of capitalism coupled with the feeling of isolation and anxiety that the modern world’s political landscape can engender, alongside songs of love, friendship and nostalgia.

There’s a high energy feeling that runs through the 27-minute album's core, an energy that goes hand in hand with the modern era's ever-changing focus & diminishing attention spans, the record asks you to sit down and listen to it all in one go.

2026 Repress

Future Sounds Of Jazz Vol. 14 - Compiled By Permanent Vacation Benjamin Fröhlich & Tom Bioly!

28 Tracks By Move D, Roman Flügel, Slowdive, Isolée, Cobblestone Jazz, Luke Abbott, Remixes By Avalon Emerson, Russ Gabriel, Kassem Mosse, I:cube A.m.o. Including 3 Exclusive And Previously Unreleased

Wow, A New Chapter Of This Legendary Series. This And The Very First Time It's Not Compiled By Michael Reinboth, Rather By Benjamin Fröhlich And Tom Bioly, The Founders And Masterminds Behind Permanent Vacation.

Why Simply Because They Both Are Very Close Friends Of The Compost Famlee, With An Amazing Musical And Dj-like Tastefulness, With The Knowledge-based Trust Of Music In The Vein Of Vibrant, Jazzy Electronica Hybrids. And They Are From Compost Records' Hometown Munich, Too.

Maybe Volume 14 Differs Slightly To What The Previous 13 Brought Up Music-wise, But That's The Score, Idea And Open Mindedness Of This Series, As It Was By The Compilers, And Last But Not Least A Great Time For A Change, Too. So We Welcome This, We Very Much Appreciate And Like Their Selection. We Are Sure, This Will Convince You.

28 Tracks, 3 Exclusive Tracks. Enjoy!

The Exciting Package Comes As 2-cd / 4-lp Vinyl
Cd 1 Is Bit More Clubby, Cd 2 Is Bit More Sublime Downbeat/electronica Or Relaxed Feel, Well Both Are True Listening Pleasure Anyway.

Several Magazines Voted Fsoj As One Of The Best Compilation Series Of All Time. With This Series, Starting In 1995, The Term Future Jazz Became A Genre Landmark.

Florian’s Morning is the musical project of Mats Lideborg. Originally from Motala and now based in Stockholm, Mats balances life as a troubadour and songwriter with driving subway trains across the city. His music carries the weight of Scandinavian melancholy, intimate storytelling, and timeless songwriting traditions.

The project grew out of a long-standing friendship between Mats and ionnalee, who first met as teenagers in Motala playing music together. More than two decades later, they reconnected in Stockholm and began revisiting a collection of songs originally written by ionnalee years earlier.
Hearing Mats interpret the material sparked a complete transformation. The songs were rewritten and newly produced, evolving into something both cinematic and deeply personal, somewhere between Bryan Ferry and Elliott Smith meeting in a small town Swedish dive bar at closing time.
Florian’s Morning’s self-titled debut album is a striking introduction to an artist with a rare voice and quietly magnetic presence.

Florian’s Morning’s - Florian’s Morning’s is written and produced by ionnalee, out April 22, 2026 on To whom it may concern.

In a world currently defined by unrest, uncertainty, and cultural fracture, acclaimed saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Isaiah Collier returns with Joy, a 5-track EP that reframes one of humanity’s most nuanced emotions both as a devotional grounding and political act.

Collier’s deeply personal compositions present joy as an act that isn’t rooted in escapism or abstraction, but rather, as something hard-won rooted in lived experience, shaped by transformation, and sustained through connection. Throughout the album’s five compositions, Collier positions joy as a guiding light during challenging times, an expression of challenging yourself to utilize your gifts, an affirmation of love and discovery, and as an affirmative source of reassurance.

“We are in a paradoxical time, where so much is being revealed to us,” Collier shares. “Everything feels political from every scope… our collective hearts feel the heaviness in the air. Yet I say to you all—don’t despair. For right now, the most political thing we can do is share joy.”

That ethos is made clear in the opening title track and lead single “Joy.” A pulsing rhythmic motif anchors the melody with a sense of both searching and certainty. Collier conceived the piece around 3 years ago reflecting on a time where many people in his life were experiencing loss of family and friends and experiencing profound life transitions. “Everything just felt like it was falling apart with no aim in sight,” he reflects. “Yet, there is a light at the end of it all.”

As he played the chords with a sense of urgency, he could feel the vibration of yellow in the piece. That initial triplet motif serves as the guiding light on the piano and the only word Collier could hear was Joy. In addition to Collier at the helm singing and playing piano and tenor sax on the track, it features an expansive 11-piece ensemble with a full horn and string section allowing Collier’s propensity for composition and arrangement to shine with an eclectic sonic palette.

“Landscape of Dreams” finds Collier serendipitously leaning into utilizing his gifts as a multi-instrumentalist. While he had a sketch of the piece going into the studio, a traffic delay caused musicians to be late arriving at the studio. Never one to waste time in the studio environment, Collier stepped into new creative territory and took up the challenge of executing playing all instruments himself as an act of trust and experimentation. “I’ve never done this before, and so it was a leap of faith for me,” he asserts. “I always dream of doing stuff like this, and being part of the small percentage of people who can do it like Prince, Steve Lacy, Frank Zappa, and Stevie Wonder. The end result finds Collier immersed in a hypnotic soundscape playing layered flutes, drums, Metatron, Wurlitzer, and auxiliary percussion.

Another layer of joy is revealed in “Where I’m Loved” that serves as a love letter and leaning into the process of stepping into the willingness to explore life and love with a partner. On the intimate meditation of vulnerability and connection, Collier's vocal prowess is on full display, exerting effortless falsetto reminiscent of D’Angelo over soulful Wurlitzer and guitar as he crosses over into more R&B-inspired realms. “I believe everyone deserves this feeling or to honor the memories of it. Furthermore, I believe you should also go where you’re celebrated and not tolerated.”

“When the Dust Settles” captures the electricity of live collaboration and Collier further steps out of being confined to any specific genre. He had just gotten a microKORG keyboard from co-producer Sonny Daze and was exploring the vast array of sounds on the instrument. Collier plays synth bass on the microKORG joined by the electrifying improvisation of Cole Runge on guitar and the combustible rhythm of his brother Jeremiah Collier on drums with additional post-production work from Sonny Daze.

The album’s final track “God’s By Your Side” reflects on perseverance and artistic legacy, directly inspired from the passing of D’Angelo, whose life’s work was a huge part of Collier’s childhood growing up in the late 90s and early 00s. With gospel flavor and direct influence both from D’Angelo’s vocal and instrumental arrangements, the track speaks to resilience and persistence in the face of obstacles—an affirmation of source and reassurance. “And what’s better than having God by your side, right?” asserts Collier.

Joy is a through-and-through expression of the arc of joy in its truest form. Joy transcends fleeting happiness and is conscious gratitude shaped by taking chances, leaning into your gifts, fostering community, and lived experiences.

“Joy is partially happiness,” Collier explains. “But to me it means happily being grateful for family, friends, lovers, teachers, and good times. These are the things that anchor us.”

The release of Joy comes off the heels of significant momentum for Collier, whose work continues to garner accolades and resonate across cultural spheres. He was featured on the cover of DownBeat’s April 2025 issue, where he was named “The Next Sax Giant,” and profiled on NPR’s Jazz Night in America for his ambitious 13-movement interdisciplinary suite The Story of 400 Years, that traces 400 years of Black American History. He released two full-length albums in 2024 with The World Is on Fire highlighted in The New York Times’ Fall Arts Preview and The Almighty named among the publication’s Best Jazz Albums of the year.

Beyond performance and recoding, Collier’s influence is recognized in broader cultural and intellectual spaces as he was the recipient of the Jazz Journalists Association’s 2025 Up and Coming Artist of the Year Award, the 2024 Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz, and was named a Steve Jobs Archive Fellow joining an elite cohort of the next generation of artistic visionaries through a yearlong program.

In addition to the release of Joy, Collier is touring his “Collier Plays Coltrane” program throughout 2026 in honor of John Coltrane’s centennial. Rather than presenting Coltrane’s expansive catalog as repertory, Collier approaches this music as something living, reshaping it in real-time with a sense of space and improvisational dialog reflecting both reverence to the past and present times.

Sasha takes charge of the 200th release on his influential label, Last Night On Earth.

The two richly detailed cuts balance cinematic emotion, club functionality and meticulous sound design and arrive on vinyl alongside the digital release.

Electronic music titan Sasha launched Last Night On Earth in 2011, and for 15 years, it has been at the forefront of the melodic underground. Breaks, house, techno, ambient and progressive have all been explored by a mix of original pioneers, new school innovators and Sasha himself, either solo or often in collaboration with friends, peers and exciting emerging talents. The label swiftly became a movement, with regularly sold-out showcases around the world and exclusive merch. Enduring tastemaker Sasha remains as busy and innovative as ever in the studio and on the road, and just weeks after his last outing here with Franky Wah, he returns with another standout single.

Majestic opener 'Hollow Sun 25' is a slow-burning seven-minute odyssey with an acid-infused bassline and Sasha's signature celestial touch in the spectral vocal fragments that infuse the mix. The wavy, fl uid grooves provide a constant, gentle uplift to this widescreen, immersive gem. 'Hollow Sun 24' reworks the same cut into something with a more epic and spine-tingling breakdown that douses dancers in classic Ibizan trance synths while the bassline is darker and the groove more heads down.

Silky Beats are back for their third various artist release.
This sixth edition on the series brings together life long friends alongside friends of the label, Silky Beats Tuition students and demo submissions; for a varied and club ready five-tracker.

Boss Priester, Dingo, Lewis, Pete Melba and Ben Diggins deliver some highly contagious dancefloor grooves with garage, tech house and minimal influences at the forefront.

In den letzten paar Jahren haben wir alle den Sinn für die Zeit verloren, aber es muss so um 2023 herum gewesen sein, dass Robert Rotifer, Journalist, Singer-Songwriter und zeitweiser Gitarrist/Bassist bei allen möglichen Bands, von Louis Philippe & The Night Mail über Swansea Sound, Penrose Web, Papernut Cambridge, André Heller, Keiron Phelan bis hin zu Fay Hallam's Band, seinen Freund Kenji, Ex-Sänger der deutschen Sunshine-Pop-Sensation Friedrich Sunglight, fragte, warum er eigentlich in keinen Bands mehr singt. Das war der Auslöser einer Zusammenarbeit, aus der zuerst langsam, dann immer schneller, eine üppige LP gewachsen ist, auf der neben Robert & Kenji noch der elegante post-Glam Veteran John Howard, das große junge Wiener Talent Leo Schlager alias The Zew, die lebende She-Punk-Legende Helen McCookerybook und der beliebteste singende Drummer der britischen Indie-Szene Ian Button zu hören sind. Die ursprüngliche Idee war, dass Robert Songs für Kenjis glockenklare, wendige Stimme schreiben sollte, was stilistisch automatisch eine melodiöse Baroque Pop-Richtung suggerierte. Als nächstes entwickelte sich ein textliches Thema, vom Opener "Considering", einem Lied an einen Freund, der seinen Weg verloren hat, über Songs der Ermutigung ("Things to do in Winter", "Stay With Us", "The More That I Think About What We Should Do") zu Songs über den feindseligen Zustand der Welt ("The Words", "Listen to the News", "Sense of Time"). Was für Rotifer als eine Reihe von Heim-Demos an Gitarre und Tasten in ungewohnten Tonarten (für Kenjis Stimme) begann, wuchs bald zu größeren Arrangements heran, angereichert durch Ian Buttons Drums, seine Stimme, weitere Instrumente und sein Ohr für einen guten Mix. Kenji und Rotifer hörten noch mehr am Horizont und beschlossen, dass dieses Material noch mehr verschiedene stimmliche Schattierungen gebrauchen konnte. Während Robert seine über den Kontinent verstreuten Freund:innen John (Südspanien), Helen (London) und Leo (Wien) für Vocal-Takes gewinnen konnte, die Ian in den Mix einfließen ließ, schrieb Roberts Tochter Emma gerade eine Seminararbeit an der Uni darüber, wie in der Independent-Musik-Szene Arbeit organisiert ist. Sie kam zu dem Ergebnis, dass das Musiker:innen-Netzwerk, in dem ihr Vater sich herumtreibt, einer Theorie der gegenseitigen Unterstützung gleicht, die man "Radical Friendship" nennt. Also widmete Rotifer dieser Idee noch einen Song, den er diesmal selber sang (nebst dem Schluss-Song "Is This Real Enough?"). Am Ende ergab es sich, dass alle Beteiligten auf jeweils einem Track die Haupt- oder Nebenstimme und auf allen anderen Songs unterstützende Harmonien singen. Auf diese Weise wurde das Album per se zu einer Verkörperung von Radical Friendship, nicht in der Theorie, sondern in der Praxis. Radical Friendship Theory is keine Band. Es ist ein liebevoll arrangierter Reigen von Songs in vielen verschiedenen Stilen, von Baroque Pop zu Psychedelia, Power Pop, Country Rock bis zu Bücherwurm-Indie, interpretiert von einem Kreis von Freund:innen, der sich immer erweitern und wandeln kann. Rotifer, der während der Fertigstellung des Albums von Canterbury nach Berlin gezogen ist, wird diese Songs in verschiedenen Städten mit verschiedenen Musiker:innen spielen, von Wien über London bis Glasgow, Hamburg, wahrscheinlich Berlin und Paris, wo immer seine radical friends zuhause sind. Indessen bringt das britische Label Spinout Nuggets die Studio-Version des Stoff in seiner Original-Besetzung heraus - eine Zelebrierung menschlicher, kreativer Freundschaft als lebensrettende Alternative zu einer Welt der digitalen Pseudokommunikation und künstlich geschürter Konflikte.

For the first time ever, Los Campesinos! are proud to offer new pressings of their first three studio albums on their very own record label; Heart Swells.
2026 marks the 20th anniversary of LC!’s formation, and coincides with the band being more popular and relevant than ever before. The 3 albums are available for the first time since 2020, on brand new colour ways, on 12” vinyl and CD, with updated artwork and packaging.

What the press said:

“a messy, glorious, noisy document of internet café-era indie life that sounds best when sung by heart.” 8.3/10 - Pitchfork

“full of half-heartfelt, half-hilarious songs that capture the rush of being young in a noisy new century.” - 10/10 - Entertainment Weekly

“smart, immediate, and anthemic” - 10/10 - The AV Club

To mark its 10th Anniversary,
discover Awa Ly's Album "Five And A Feather" (Including one previously unreleased track) On Vinyl For The First Time !

One night, Awa had a dream.

The atmosphere was enchanted, almost mystical, enveloped in a setting that summoned the moon, the Earth, and the elements. An ancestral blend of Native American and African cultures, a shamanic being was there, speaking in an unknown language, narrating stories both real and imagined. She received these tales from others, made them her own, absorbed them, shared their joy, and soothed their harbored pain or sadness.

Upon waking, the shamanic narrator had vanished, but her presence was still palpable; Awa made her the storyteller of this new album: Five and a Feather.

Five, like all things counted by fives: the senses, the oceans, the lines of a musical staff, the fingers on a hand. And feather, the magical element that connects them-the very one Awa used to write and compose the ten tracks of this new album where, under the brush of SainaSix, she becomes the first Black woman immortalized in Mucha's Art Nouveau aesthetic.

Ballaké Sissoko's kora, Paco Sery's senza, Greg Cohen's double bass, Faada Freddy's vocals, the steel guitar, or the erhu (Chinese violin) are all elements that illuminate the shamanic storyteller's tales.

Produced alongside the duo Jean Lamoot and Pascal Danae (winners of the 2015 Victoires de la Musique in the World Music category with their band Rivière Noire), Five and a Feather faithfully captures the warm atmosphere of live-recorded sessions where instruments answer and interlock with one another, creating the perfect showcase for the album's principal instrument: Awa's voice.
Words that she delicately places or lets fall onto the notes like tears of joy or sadness, flowing from that source called love.

An album written, composed, and recorded like fine lace, starry with details that only reveal themselves to those who know how to seek them out.

After a critically acclaimed trilogy of albums and a 10-year hiatus, Romain Turzi, the underground pope of uncompromising French music, returns to the helm to compose and produce his new opus “Drop!”. He is joined on vocals by his longtime friend Oliver Gage, whose autobiographical and melancholic writing brings to life an intimate and redemptive musical epic, woven with oblique pop songs and club tracks that reconcile punks and dancers.



An album of diverse influences, it draws on the masters of film music (Goblin, Angelo Badalamenti), the titans of electronic and techno music (808 State, Dopplereffekt), the hedonistic spirit of ’80s Brit rock (Happy Mondays, The Stone Roses), the finely crafted melodies of timeless folk singers (Woody Guthrie, Neil Young), and the sonic power of My Bloody Valentine or the productions of Andrew Weatherall.



A record born of friendship and fearless creative freedom, “Drop!” is an invitation to escape the heaviness of the present and brush against a form of utterly necessary ecstasy.

born (literally) in fire, soma flared briefly as the alchemical pairing of two unique and dynamic musicians. david thrussell and pieter bourke met through mutual friends in the artistic melting-pot of early 1990s elwood, melbourne, australia. bourke was an integral member of the gothically ambient eden, thrussell frontman of anarchic industrial combo snog. both admired each others work, and though some considered them an unlikely combination, something rather potent was brewing which drew them inexorably together.

initially bourke joined snog live and then in the studio, contributing mightily to their epic second album ‘dear valued customer’. as a natural result of their friendship and muse, thrussell and bourke instituted their own project, soma, to explore the intersections of arcane and mysterious technologies. the first soma album “hollow earth” was released to acclaim.

soon after, thrussell was awoken by a 3am knock on his door. bourke was now homeless - the result of a devastating fire that had just torn through his apartment and studio - and he needed somewhere to sleep. this is when work on ‘the inner cinema’ began, with bourke and thrussell ensconced in the same dwelling, able to write and record around the clock (often only leaving to plan the next session while dining at local vegan eateries).

at the time thrussell was obsessed by the testosterone bravado and haunting alienation of ‘spaghetti-western’ theme songs, while bourke brought his love of all things percussive and the other-worldly atmospherics of arvo pärt (with the outer-space dub of king tubby) to the mix. together, on a diet of blood-plum sago, fortean times and lingering smoke fumes, they concocted their dadaist brew.

magical and unforgettable, ‘the inner cinema’ stands apart and outside of the musical mainstream. since its 1996 release the album has developed a mythical reputation and is spoken of in hushed and adulating tones among acolytes of atmospheric and electronic music. you hold in your hands a lovingly remastered deluxe reissue of this sonorous gem.

time marches on, and after a few more sporadic soma recordings bourke and thrussell moved on to other pastures. bourke would work with dead can dance, lisa gerrard and hollywood auteur michael mann, as thrussell toured regularly with snog and black lung, cut some interesting soundtracks and birthed the idiosyncratic omni recording corporation.

expelled from its fiery crucible, this dark jewel of sound, this soundtrack of the mind, has lain in the soft earth awaiting rediscovery. fluid metabolic rhythms and breathy washes of timeless melancholy pulsing, inviting, in the warm soil. now is your chance.

Sarin Assault Hardcore Music remixed by friends of him : No progressives. No Easy Tricks. Only good Hardcore work inthere.

'As I Slip Into the Sky reflects a particularly small sliver of time compared to Where the Smoke Goes, with recordings taking place in early 2025, while Johnny was bed-bound in an assisted living facility with multiple sclerosis. Alabama born, Portland based artist Joel Nelson helms the nearly entirely electronic backdrop, posing a new canvas for Johnny, with Buchla Music Easel bubbling up between Johnny’s lines. This album captures Johnny in a remarkably tender and emotive form. Love and all its permutations. The tangled, but caring nature of familial love, (“But you and me, we can talk on the phone every day. I would never leave you behind”), to the anguish and euphoria of romantic connection. Johnny has a remarkable ability to pose questions, ("What is real love like?), and provide answers that reflect the truest of realities, absent cliche ("I don't know. His curly hair, short on his head, his smile, his smile, his smile...that is what real love is like").
'Joel Nelson's nimble work across a small array of analog synthesizers creates a flowing backdrop to Johnny's stream of consciousness. At times, Broadcast's fuzzed out ballads come to mind, while at others, early Oneohtrix Point Never's gauzy, distant drones anchor beneath Johnny's slippery syntax.
'Johnny recorded his poems while confined to a hospital bed, through an iPhone laid gently on his chest. Assisted by the caring presence of friends John Albea and Lauren Jones, we can hear through these recordings Johnny immersed in his world of words, taking in the world of sounds Joel had provided for him. We hear his breath, at times we hear the harsh sibilance captured by the iPhone microphone, but more than anything, we hear the tenderness and poetic resolve of his caring soul. He was incredibly grateful for the past years of connecting with the small cohort of Birmingham-affiliated musicians and artists who upheld him as the unofficial poet laureate of "The Magic City", Birmingham, AL. Perhaps most appropriately, Johnny closes the album out in a state of gratitude:'

"My funeral was perfect
I was buried wearing a very charming jacket
A very charming jacket I just happened to have on when i died
He was always the lucky one, Mary-Ellen said
I've been looking for a nice casual jacket like that I could wear to casual little outdoor parties and to my funeral all my life
But Johnny just had one
Probably someone left it in his car
He was so lucky
It doesn't even make sense
But its true
He really was that lucky"

'Where the Smoke Goes captures the conscious and unconscious of Johnny Coley in duet between 2020-2024 AD. Alabama-born, Marseille-based artist Turner Williams Jr. wraps a selection of his dear friend Johnny’s penultimate compositions in arresting tone poems.
'The music buzzes and hums with distant trains, trembling strings, and lapping water, haloing our protagonist in a humid glow as he considers whether horses can live to 70 years old, cigarettes potent enough to knock you on your ass, and orchids facing the wrath of winter storms.
'This work began in the first Covid spring, as Johnny's advancing multiple sclerosis gave way to a permanent domestic confinement and a final period of prolific creativity. Johnny braved the toxic gales of social media to share his thriving poetry and visual art practice and to keep in touch with friends like Turner, who had recently moved abroad. For the first time, Johnny recorded himself, sending Turner fresh poems, day and night.
'Taking cues from late era Coil and the operas of Robert Ashley, Turner approached these recordings both as language and pure sound, arranging accompanying mosaics that emerge as much from Johnny’s unseen text as his mercurial drawl. Tracks draw from Turner’s solo practice as well as sessions including Henry Birdsey of Old Saw, members of the French underground (Manoir Molle, Loto Retina, Mona Assayag) and close Birmingham collaborators (Jasper Lee, Jimmy Griffin, Ladonna Smith). The voice is parsed and played as an instrument and each poem becomes a score.
'There is Johnny’s poetry and Johnny’s voice. These are two independent yet interwoven instruments. For Turner, Johnny's vocabulary, cadence, and timbre carry all of the contradictions that he writes about. His work is a dialogue of rich contradictions. "He plays with Southern American vernacular speech in his poetry while embodying it with his speech, creating a zone of emotional frisson. He loved combining opposites. Rough yet soft was one of his favourite descriptors", Turner recalls, "That was Johnny. ” Upon hearing the completed record, Johnny likened it to "a beautiful wood box, that when you open it there are fabrics shot through with silk threads and sharp fall woods smells - supporting and decorating the poems that fall out of them. ”
'This record captures something unconscious, atmospheric, and gives it unexpected materiality. Smoke that you can feel like grass under your feet. Stars that you can touch like a lover. Meeting for the final time in the summer or 2025, the time for words had passed so they just held hands and listened to the album opener Stargazer in silence as Johnny drifted off to sleep.'

Limited copies

Korlakang are four young friends from Thonburi, the quieter, canal-laced western bank of Bangkok, where temple bells and river rhythms shape everyday life. Formed from a bond that stretches back to high school hallways and shared university years, the band came together with a sound rooted in Thai traditional music and the warm haze of psychedelic rock.

Their debut 7-inch, Samong Sai, is that rare thing: a record that seems to arrive already aged, carrying the grain and warmth of a forgotten 70s pressing. It seeps in slowly, sweet and chill, like sound faintly coming through a neighbour's window. The kind of music that makes you stop what you're doing just to hear a little more of.

Ancient Infinity Orchestra return with their third album, It’s Always About Liberation, a new record that deepens the vision of their acclaimed recent work while moving into darker, more searching emotional territory.

Conceived as a partner to It’s Always About Love, this new body of work shares its predecessor’s generosity and spiritual openness, but carries a different charge. Where the previous album focused on healing and warmth, It’s Always About Liberation is largely animated by struggle, perseverance and the desire for transformation while still offering a path to betterment. It is music made in full awareness of a fractured world, yet unwilling to surrender to it.

Like It’s Always About Love the album title draws inspiration from words spoken by Moor Mother during their 2024 We Out Here festival performance that deeply affected bandleader Ozzy Moysey: “It’s always about love / It’s always about liberation.” Those twin ideas became a framework for the two albums Ancient Infinity Orchestra were creating. If one album explored love as repair, this one explores liberation as movement, continually striving toward freedom, clarity and deeper connection.
The 16-member ensemble is led by double bassist and composer Ozzy, with a distinctive line-up that explains their sound better than any artificial genre divisions: two double basses, harp, saxophones, clarinets, violin, viola, cello, oboe, flutes, mandolin, congas, piano, drum kit, with bells, shakers and other percussion instruments scattered on the floor of live sets and recording sessions, ready for members to use whenever the spirit takes them.

This orchestration, and the overlap between membership and friendship, gives Ancient Infinity Orchestra a sound that is at once expansive and intimate, earthy, and cosmic, constantly shifting yet grounded in shared intention. The attention to intention and the inviting sonic world connects the music to artists ranging from Alabaster dePlume to Gondwana label boss Matthew Halsall.
Gradually, the Orchestra became a grounding force in the emerging jazz scene in Leeds, bringing together individuals from different musical backgrounds co-founding the Café Oto-inspired Limpet Club or co-hosting the monthly Sonic Plunge (‘a platform for adventurous experimentation’) and co-founding the Leeds Improvisers Orchestra. Additionally, the ensemble acted as a bridge between musicians in Brighton and Leeds, after Ozzy spent a stint back on the south coast between 2020 and 2022.

Their debut, River of Light, was a vibrant celebration of togetherness recorded in three days and released on Gondwana in 2023. A Maida Vale session for Jamie Cullum’s BBC Radio 2 show brought them to a broader audience, as did bookings at North Sea Jazz Festival and Gretchen, Berlin. Since then, Ancient Infinity Orchestra has become a by-word for music that could be framed as ‘spiritual jazz’. Whilst Ozzy avoids the phrase when describing his music, he’s crystal clear that his heroes are associated with those words – citing Art Ensemble of Chicago, Pharoah Saunders, Coltrane (Alice and John), and Don Cherry as major influences.

Across trance-like meditations, rising grooves, moments of grief and collective uplift, It’s Always About Liberation speaks to the battle within the mind as much as the inequalities of the wider world. It acknowledges the darkness but lets connection and creativity have the last word Ancient Infinity Orchestra is a gathering of voices, traditions, and energies converging into something timeless. Their music is a journey inward and outward, always reaching toward the universal.

Racing Mount Pleasant began as a group of friends and like-minded musicians in Ann Arbor, anchored at a single creative house that various members of the band have frequented and, to this day, continue to live in near the University of Michigan.

After an early album and smattering of songs under the name Kingfisher, including one beguiling and ambitious album released in 2022, the band reimagined themselves as Racing Mount Pleasant.

Now the band are reintroducing themselves under this new moniker with a beautiful, challenging self-titled debut album that draws on each member’s academic mastery of their instruments, but also a spirited defiance of conventional song structures—or even what a contemporary band looks or sounds like.

The band supported Geese in the fall and embarked on their own headline tour in 2026.

2026 Repress

For the better part of two decades, the acclaimed band Calexico has crossed musical barriers, embracing a multitude of styles, variety in instrumentation, and well-cultivated signature sounds. With their forthcoming record Edge of the Sun, out April 13th via City Slang, they take inspiration from a trip to a place surprisingly unexplored by the band before in Mexico City, and with the benefit of many friends and comrades to help guide the way.

Encouraged by the experience, the guest list grew to include Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses), Nick Urata (Devotchka), Carla Morrison, Gaby Moreno, Amparo Sanchez, multi-instrumentalists from the Greek band Takim, and Neko Case. Burns' brother John Burns lent a hand to some lyrics and songwriting, and the band's keyboardist, Sergio Mendoza, stepped up to co-write and arrange certain songs, ultimately co-producing the album along with Burns, John Convertino, and longtime associate Craig Schumacher.

HUMAN ERROR CLUB is keyboardists Diego Gaeta and Jesse Justice and drummer Mekala Session. Gaeta is a jazz-trained pianist with a restless harmonic imagination. Justice honed his chops making beats before trading his MPC for a Fender Rhodes, always maintaining a producer"s ear for texture and detail. Session, raised in Los Angeles" Leimert Park, studied under the legendary drummer Billy Higgins, and also leads the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra. All hailing from different corners of LA, these longtime musician friends came together in 2019 as a solution to a recurring dilemma: good bassists are hard to find. What was originally meant to be a one-off for the underground series BackbeatLA turned into a regular thing, and soon the trio was in the studio recording what would become their debut album.

In order to celebrate their 20 years anniversary Permanent Vacation is releasing a series of EPs with some of their core artists and friends of the past two decades. First EP comes stacked with high quality tracks from Lauer, Midnight Magic, Pional, Curses and PV's own Benjamin Fröhlich. The
music is in a fabulously Permanent Vacation tradition and covers the spectrums from Disco, Italo, beefy House and poppy Electronic.