Jean-Luc Mocard met Jean Ronde in September of 2009, while working at the CASIO Palaiseau factory, near Paris. Before, they were both active musicians with a particular taste for synthesized music, touring extensively through European and Asian underground venues and clubs. Eventually, their furious passion for collecting 80’s keyboards brought them together to become the fabulous duo Vive Les Cônes.
Presently based in Porto, Portugal, by a matter of pure chance, Vive Les Cônes is a CASIO explosion, the fuel of a dancing machine that never stops and cherry picks moments from dance and pop music culture along the way. Their live concerts are non-stop hit parades featuring their very own local cult classics, such as “Bonaparty” or “Brocoli-Rave”, and medleys of pop-culture classics ranging from video-game soundtracks, to dance hits, to classical music.
“De France”, their debut album, is the product of years of playing live, training and mastering the perfect CASIO technique. Every track in this album is played live using only pure unmodded Casio PT-380 and Yamaha PSR-37 keyboards, thrift store fx pedals, bringing to the recorded form the meticulously crafted tracks that set dancefloors on fire all throughout the world.
The album is an eclectic journey through electronic and dance music on cheap keyboards, from traces of House Music in “Maillon” and the instant hit “Je Ne Sais Pas”, fumes of vaporwave in “Machine à Vapeur”, and, of course, baguettes of French electro in “Brocoli-Rave”, the track that usually andeuphorically ends Vive Les Cônes’ set.
The Quietus has referred to the duo as a “weird John Shuttleworth take on house music”, but them being French, a better comparison would be something like “Daft Punk lost all their gear on tour and had to play a gig using some old keyboards”. But could they even do it? Maybe a “Pascal Comelade on molly live set for Boiler Room” could make thembetter Justice. We’re not really sure what to compare them to though, and probably there’s no need to compare them to anything, as the best thing you can do is to give them a go and check them out for yourself.
Cerca:furious
Jean-Luc Mocard met Jean Ronde in September of 2009, while working at the CASIO Palaiseau factory, near Paris. Before, they were both active musicians with a particular taste for synthesized music, touring extensively through European and Asian underground venues and clubs. Eventually, their furious passion for collecting 80’s keyboards brought them together to become the fabulous duo Vive Les Cônes.
Presently based in Porto, Portugal, by a matter of pure chance, Vive Les Cônes is a CASIO explosion, the fuel of a dancing machine that never stops and cherry picks moments from dance and pop music culture along the way. Their live concerts are non-stop hit parades featuring their very own local cult classics, such as “Bonaparty” or “Brocoli-Rave”, and medleys of pop-culture classics ranging from video-game soundtracks, to dance hits, to classical music.
“De France”, their debut album, is the product of years of playing live, training and mastering the perfect CASIO technique. Every track in this album is played live using only pure unmodded Casio PT-380 and Yamaha PSR-37 keyboards, thrift store fx pedals, bringing to the recorded form the meticulously crafted tracks that set dancefloors on fire all throughout the world.
The album is an eclectic journey through electronic and dance music on cheap keyboards, from traces of House Music in “Maillon” and the instant hit “Je Ne Sais Pas”, fumes of vaporwave in “Machine à Vapeur”, and, of course, baguettes of French electro in “Brocoli-Rave”, the track that usually andeuphorically ends Vive Les Cônes’ set.
The Quietus has referred to the duo as a “weird John Shuttleworth take on house music”, but them being French, a better comparison would be something like “Daft Punk lost all their gear on tour and had to play a gig using some old keyboards”. But could they even do it? Maybe a “Pascal Comelade on molly live set for Boiler Room” could make thembetter Justice. We’re not really sure what to compare them to though, and probably there’s no need to compare them to anything, as the best thing you can do is to give them a go and check them out for yourself.
- A1: S O.n.s - & Go Dam - Force Of Will
- A2: Volodymyr Gnatenko - Subra
- B1: Rds - & Eversines - Plooooooink
- B2: Ray Castoldi - 1991
- B3: Maara - & Priori - C'mon
- C1: Big Zen - Really Bad Habit
- C2: Furious Frank - Red Herring
- D1: Sansibar - Between Two Circles
- D2: Roza Terenzi - Beat Pig
- E1: Adam Pits - Spreadable
- E2: Sound Mercenary - Float Downstream
- F1: Syzygy - Can I Dream?
- F2: Sohrab - Silk Road
- G1: D Tiffany - Ghost Filter
- G2: Maara - Floating In The Swamp
- H1: Oma Totem - Sardana Sardana
- H2: Sw - Bixsixstreetlicks
- H3: Eversines - Onigi (Ambient Version)
Six years, more than fifty releases, countless artists and multiple subsidiaries; the Oyster Cult’s reach extends far beyond what sceptics once thought possible. It’s only fitting, then, that we gather some of our finest under the Kalahari banner in celebration.
The anniversary release is upon us. Six whole years since Jacy helped inaugurate the label with a spin on Midwestern house, OYSTER40 signals a landmark occasion. 18 tracks, quadruple vinyl boxset action, and in true Oyster Cult tradition, it comes bearing pearls.
Dancefloor squarely in focus, the Cult assembles on a compilation spanning alumni and new inductees alike. It’s an assemblage of the fractal, explorative and ritual-ready; at once a focused distillation of the Kalahari sound and celebration of its many acolytes. Big on atmosphere, heavy on groove, we delve deeply into the musical DNA shared by all who grace the label.
Tough, direct cuts (Sansibar, Roza Terenzi, Big Zen, Maara & Priori) to the pristine and widescreen (S.O.N.S., Volodymyr Gnatenko, Adam Pits), this is all quintessentially Kalahari. Elsewhere though, the likes of D. Tiffany and SW. journey further into realms of abstraction: the former opting for hi-tech, dreamstate IDM, while the SUED co-founder dissolves a house template into dubby introspection.
Calling upon contemporary talents for the most part, there are also exceptions. Raymond Castoldi - the one-time house producer best known as Madison Square Garden’s music director - returns with an unreleased nugget from ’91, while an ‘Aliens’-sampling track from Detroit-indebted techno outfit Syzygy gets the reissue treatment.
Recorded with a who's who of fusion titans including trumpeter Eddie Henderson, bassist Stanley Clarke, and keyboardist Herbie Hancock, Dance of Magic channels the lessons drummer Norman Connors learned in the employ of Pharoah Sanders, Sam Rivers, and Sun Ra, marshalling Latin rhythms, electronic textures, and cosmic mysticism to create non-denominational yet deeply spiritual funk-jazz. The sprawling 21-minute title cut spans the entirety of the record's first half, capturing a monumental jam session that explores the outer edges of free improvisation but never steps past the point of no return.
Connors' furious drumming is like a trail of bread crumbs that leads his collaborators back home. The remaining three tracks are smaller in scale but no less epic in scope, culminating with the blistering "Give the Drummer Some." by Jason Ankeny
Hard rave wave brothers, Younger Than Me and Curses have joined forces once again for their 2nd EP as Y2C. This time, in collaboration with 24/Hrs- the electronic concept label part of Milano's invincible Tempio Del Futuro Perduto collective, club and creative community space.
The project invites artists to come spend 24 hours at the on-site studio located within Tempio, and create music inspired by the energy and vibe of the multi-dimensional space.
Y2C return harder this time. Dragging their rave roots into a rusty blender drenched in neon acid and metallic percussion heard in the tunnels of lost dystopian cities.
From heavy hitting club tracks to a hypnotic ambient escape, the EP rounds out furiously with an absolutely devious and destructive electro techno bomb of a remix from fellow Berliner, Infinity Division (ex Minimal Violence).
Get ready for the storm. Y2C is bringing the hail and snow.
- A1: Petit A Petit (Feat Agnès Hélène) 4 20
- A2: Man Bo Diak (Feat Amatah Keo) 5 06
- A3: Femme Qui Danse (Feat Pat Kalla) 4 11
- A4: Bas Les Masques (Feat Charly Sanga) 4 14
- A5: Oh Ma Cherie (Petit À Petit Part 2) (Feat Agnès Hélène & Charly Sanga) 3 39
- B1: Love Is Jokin (Feat Pat Kalla) 4 35
- B2: Metissage (Feat Sana Bob) 4 24
- B3: Kinkeliba (Feat Jy Cooly) 3 33
- B4: Electro Highlife (Instrumental) 5 10
- B5: T’es Haut (Instrumental) 4 18
After Joao Selva, Dowdelin, The Bongo Hop, Underdog Records continue their exploration of the Black Atlantic with IREKE.Ecstatic brass, 70’s keyboards, elastic guitars, round bass and world percussion: from this sonic heritage, Ireke makes a unique fusion, enhanced by the audacious contribution of his dub science, and a few electronic touches
IREKE
Ireke? Sugar cane in Yoruba. Like her, the duo loves tropical climates and intoxicating rhythms, quick to liberate the bodies gathered on a dancefloor. Afrobeat urgency, funk suppleness, dub alchemy, highlife jubilation: with Tropikadelic, Ireke summons the heritage of the masters and the audacity of machines to give life to new sonic territories. At the crossroads. For the love of groove.
From the West, with their ears to the Black Atlantic, Julien Gervaix and Damien Tes- son are both children of the collective and of improvisation, playgrounds for these complete multi-instrumentalists.
The first one puts his talents of arranger-saxophonist at the service of the Nantes collective Soulshine and of numerous formations - in turn funk or rhythm’n blues - where swinging is the rule.This is notably the case of the afrobeat group Walko, in which Julien Gervaix had the honour of sharing the stage and the studio for several years with Kiala Nzavotunga, guitarist extraordinaire for Fela Kuti and Egypt 80. Meanwhile, Damien Tesson was being trained as a dubmaster-guitarist-arranger at the reggae roots school with the digital option of the Vendée collective Shi Fu Mi Temple.This initiation led Damien Tesson to join, among others, the Nantes-based group BIBA (Bingy Band) and then to collaborate with Jideh High Elements, a key figure on the international dub scene, Roberto Sanchez and the team of his Lone Ark Studio, as well as Sana Bob, a famous reggae singer from Burkina Faso.And then, life being well done, the paths of Julien Gervaix and Damien Tesson ended up crossing within the jazz-funk combo Playtime, before meeting again in the Vendée a few years later.
With an obvious tropism for Afro-Latin grooves, tropical colours, electronic tricks and furious swaying, the two musicians create Ireke like a glass of well arranged rum. Here’s to us, here’s to you! As if guided by the spirit of the plant, Ireke toasts the immense richness of these danceable rhythms, true generators of life, connection and energy.
Like Legba, the Yoruba orisha of intersections and crossroads, Ireke thrives in the between worlds.Aware of the lineage of goldsmiths who preceded them, Ireke
knows his classics and humbly draws inspiration for Tropikadelic from the musical genius of Pat Thomas, Poly-rythmo Orchestra, King Tubby,Tony Allen, Fela Kuti, Maître Gazonga, Ernesto Djédjé or the Vikings of Guadeloupe. Ecstatic brass, 70’s keyboards, elastic guitars, round bass and world percussion: from this sonic heritage, Ireke makes a unique fusion, enhanced by the audacious contribution of his dub science, and a few electronic touches patiently flushed out in the studio - which the duo considers as an instrument in its own right.
Finally, to give voice to his compositions, on Tropikadelic, Ireke calls upon an army of serious enthusiasts, each member of which has come up with his or her own lyrics. Thus, alongside Ireke, we find the groove griot Pat Kalla (“Femme qui Danse”,“Love Is Jokin”), the Franco-Laotian reggaeman Amatah Keo (“Man Bo Diak”), the Vendée- based Agnès Hélène (“Petit à Petit”,“Oh Ma Chérie”) and Charly Sanga (“Bas Les Masques”,“Oh Ma Chérie”), the Burkinabè lion Sana Bob (“Métissage”) as well as the Nantes soulman Jy Cooly (“Kinkeliba”).
For the duo, music is above all a collective practice, an active liberation, a rhythmic approach to letting go, a source of communicative joy... In short, groove is the weap- on! And Ireke knows how to use it.
Mercury Prize-nominated cross-genre composer/producer Anna Meredith releases her new project in collaboration with contemporary string quartet Ligeti Quartet. Nuc started life as a conversation between Anna Meredith and Richard Jones (Ligeti Quartet viola) after a decade of collaboration, honouring a shared attitude towards creating music which pushes boundaries whilst also speaking very directly to the listener. In addition to string and electronic recordings of Anna's music from throughout her career, performed by Ligeti Quartet, Richard also developed new arrangements of existing compositions by Anna, and Nuc came to embody a celebration of forward-thinking pop composition rooted in classical instrumentation. The result is a joyful, occasionally furious, never too serious, sometimes energetic and sometimes restful collection of tracks which dazzle with Anna’s signature compulsive harmonies, rhythmic shifts of gear and sparkling textures.
Existing somewhere between the post-psychedelic period of Soft Machine and the electric funk of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, Black And White, the 1976 album from Norway's Vanessa is without question a formidable beast of a jazz-rock record. A potent brew of sonic experimentation and pulsating off-kilter groove. Taking their name from the genus of Nymphalidae butterfly, Vanessa was founded in 1971 by saxophonist Svend Undseth and pianist Frode Holm, the founder of the Oslo record store turned imprint, Compendium Records. Unsurprisingly analogous to the music championed across the Compendium catalogue Black And White is clearly influenced by the UK Canterbury scene, highlighted by Compendium's focus on the recordings of Soft Machine alumni Hugh Hopper and Elton Dean. Vanessa's spirit also lies synonymous with the collective pedigree on the label's roster including British progressive jazz stalwart Keith Tippett and Mirage (a UK group consisting of ex-members of Centipede and The Mike Westbrook Orchestra), together with the avant-rock collective Henry Cow and the experimental synthesiser-jazz of US ex-pat Joe Gallivan (together with Charles Austin).
Often dubbed the 'Compendium house band' owing to Holm's association with the label, the Vanessa sound is inherently familiar yet undeniably original. Each of the album's four long compositions are a meld of complex angular jazz laced with swirling electronic textures - furious rhythms that surge in intoxicating intensity before easing into fluid passages of soulful post-bop. The dichotomy of these styles plants the group firmly into radical new jazz territory alongside their Canterbury contemporaries. Despite their brief existence, the band, alongside the label left an indelible mark on Norwegian jazz-rock and the headier side of European progressive music at large.
Reissue of 1976 Norwegian Jazz-Rock album.
Post-psychedelic period Soft Machine meets the electric funk of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters
Transferred and restored from the original master tape.
Daje Funk Records is back with Vol. 4 of the legendary ‘Slam Dunk’ series of EPs, this time featuring Souldynamic - Musta - Les Inferno - Groovemasta !!!
On the A-side, the supremely talented Souldynamic kicks things off with ‘Tales From Q.J.’ - a delicious chunk of late summer grooves bathing in sun-drenched keys and strings. The rolling bassline acts as the hook, and what follows is a gloriously constructed melodic masterpiece sprinkled with heavenly vocals. Fall in love with this, you will.
A2 sees Italian maestro Musta crack open the deep reggae vibes with ’Soup’. You’ll find it hard to resist this bubbling broth of twisted, rhythmic precision bass, ‘one drop’ beats and tight, short skanking guitar riffs. With ‘Soup’, Musta demonstrates his complete understanding of this genre. Darkened room or bar sun terrace - you decide.
On the B-side, label co-owner Les Inferno spices things up several notches with the aptly titled ‘Hot Burn’. And boy, does this track sizzle. A hustling rhythm that takes over your dance nodes from the get go, Les Inferno lovingly sprinkles Latino and Afro vibes all over this searingly hot dish. It’s furious, intense and relentless - and the brass breakdown acts as the tabasco sauce. Drink water. Plenty of water.
Closing Vol. 4 out on B2 is Groovemasta with ‘That Funk’. A track that treats its funky beats and chunky bass like royalty, this 118bpm monster wastes no time in demanding ‘Gimme that funk’. And you’re gonna hand it over. The swirling, gyrating sexiness of ‘That Funk’ can’t be understated - impossible not to lose yourself in this guaranteed dance floor time bomb.
Slam Dunk Vol. 4 seriously raises the bar for this already excellent series, and has to be in any self-respecting vinyl junky’s record box. Grab it while you can!
Pure Adult are a Brooklyn-based experimental rock duo formed
by Jeremy Snyder and Bianca Abarca. At the centre of their
music is the far-left political ethos and DIY attitude the pair
share.
Having grown up in the unusually sheltered environment of a
church-turned-cult, Snyder has always found himself drawn to
the harsh, dissonant music that was off-limits during his
formative years. In 2017, he and contemporary dancer and
visual artist Bianca Abarca formed Pure Adult, who released
their debut EP, ‘Pure Adult I’, in 2019. Now they are set to
release their debut album, ‘II’, on FatCat Records.
After leaving the church in 2007, Jeremy began studying
religion, philosophy and politics whilst working as a sound
engineer. “I ended up touring with some small pop rock bands,
while my studies brought me through an array of beliefs and a
far-left political worldview. While I’ve identified as a communist
for almost 20 years now, I didn’t fully give up on religious belief
until around 2010. A fundamental element to our belief system
was this sort of unverifiable feeling that must be something and,
because I’ve experienced that feeling, virtually nothing can
make me deny it. And it’s comforting, in a world of quantifiable
uncertainty, a guise of certainty,” he says.
In more recent years, Jeremy has become the engineer of
choice to internationally acclaimed acts such as Mdou Moctar
and IDLES, both of whom are big fans of Pure Adult. IDLES
lead singer Joe Talbot says of the band’s forthcoming album:
“Pungent chaos that serves no pomp, instead it throws around
dark innuendo like a rag doll to the cadence of fury and fucking.
The best album I’ve heard in ages. The best band you haven’t
seen. Go dig, it’s beautiful at its worst.”
As well as the release of their debut album at the start of 2023,
Pure Adult are also preparing to release a collaborative EP with
Gustaf, Thank and Heavy Lungs in the Spring. They will support
Gilla Band on tour in the US early next year.
“Blown-out, hyperactive, aggressive, and danceable rock
informed by punk and post-punk.” - Brooklyn Vegan
“A furious piece of work” - Steve Lamacq, 6 Music
Frokedal is a popular folk singer-songwriter whose haunting vocals have scored the music of various acclaimed bands over the past decade. The members of Sa^ver are veterans of the Norwegian heavy scene. Having toured all over the world playing renowned festivals like Roadburn and Psycho Las Vegas, they now fill and orchestrate the gap between eerie softness and furious anger as a three-piece atmospheric sludge metal ensemble. This split 10" sees each of these artists present a song from the respective other artist's back catalogue, finding a transcendental middle ground between the other artist's musical realm and their own sphere. Commenting on the beginning of her own musical career, Frokedal notes: "Because everyone has a computer these days there's no limit to how many times you can multi-track. I was sick of that. I hoped to go the other way - to remove as much as I could and be left with a beating heart." Remarkably, Sa^ver have done just that in their execution of Frokedal's track «Shot-Put», turning down their guitars to give space to clean vocals and laying bare the synths that are an integral part of their sound. Driven by deep drones and soft layered vocals, the Homeric simile of a meeting at the shot put becomes even more compelling, turning the folksy original into a haunting ambient rock opus. In turn, Frokedal lays bare the heart of «I Vanish» from Sa^ver's debut LP in a gently swaying but bewitching folk version. In a world somewhere between the triple harmony magic of The Staves and the polyphonic madness of Le Myste`re des Voix Bulgares, Anne Lise conjures the unsettling path towards obliteration. Many things can be said about the way these songs sound and even about how they transcend the originals in some ways, but the true beauty of this EP lies in the way both Frokedal and Sa^ver incline towards each other to find a middle ground that is yet unexplored in their respective careers. Coming together, they prove that beauty is found in the eye of the beholder, but transcendence is found in the eye of the storm! Limited (100 copies ww) Single Colour (Dark Blue) Edition!
After two fiery albums, ‘Silence Slowly And Madly Shines’
in 2017 (Alter K), and ‘Private Meaning First’ in 2019
(Vicious Circle / FatCat Records), The Psychotic Monks
have never ceased to impress with their maturity and
determination to offer a singular stage and discographic
presence.
Although radical, ‘Pink Colour Surgery’ is truly accessible
to those who immerse themselves in its in depth. One is
unceasingly hypnotised, shaken as their soul flirts
dangerously with a furious and oppressive trance. Then
the journey becomes addictive, letting yourself slide from
one track to another, sometimes struck, sometimes set
ablaze with an unexpected epiphany, because its light
irradiates us.
Live, their music is an intimate, sensory experience, the
effects of which continue to be felt for a long time
afterwards.
Recorded and produced by Daniel Fox of Gilla Band, ‘Pink
Colour Surgery’ is composed, in part, of improvisations,
and is presented as an act of resistance to the ambient
violence. Disconcerting at first sight, this new opus
operates in the dark, a surgery of ethics which is fleshed
out of pink for a staggering metamorphosis. Its very
structure takes the listener on an initiatory trip full of secret
corners, provided they are prepared to dive into it, to
plunge into it.
‘Pink Colour Surgery’ is like a hidden room in a house that
we have never entered before, and the possibility of
feeling good there is not excluded.
Support from KEXP, Northern Transmissions, Kerrang,
Loud & Quiet.
UK and EU tour dates to be announced for early 2023.
Techno trailblazer Amelie Lens presents her new EP 'In My Mind' on her own Lenske imprint, containing three explosive techno tracks.
Belgium's Lenske Records presents its next EP from label head Amelie Lens. The release marks a considerable high point of Lens' career, hot on the heels of the launch of her radio show and dropping just before her debut Ibiza residency with sister label EXHALE. 'In My Mind' will mark Amelie's first solo release on the label since 2020 and follows her collaboration with Airod on 'Raver's Heart' EP late last year. The EP also was inspired by electrifying visuals that Amelie takes on the road and showcases at selected gigs.
Title track 'In My Mind' opens proceedings with blasts, bangs and heavy reverbs whilst Amelie's voice swirls above. The build-up gives way to furious claps, and spiking synths that continue to dance around the vocal sample in a ruthless march. The beat is unrelenting with a venomous, pulsing bassline that creates this raw and atmospheric techno cut, while bubbling keys maintain vitality and lightness with their careful arrangement.
Multiple elements come into play for subsequent track 'First Light'. A stripped back kick synchronizes with distorted pads for the opening, soon accompanied by a heavier kick-drum counterpart and lick of acid to inject some sharpness. The true DNA of the track is the programmed claps and dark pads that rise and fall menacingly throughout, as splashes of effects are thrown into the mix.
Final track on the record 'Trippin'' undoubtedly packs a punch. Blasting off with a dominant kick and oscillating spring reverb that swipes through Amelie's wistful vocals, the harder elements gradually succumb to the softness of her voice. The listener's focus is momentarily shifted during an early breakdown before the kick returns with more vigor accompanied by hurried hi-hats and distortion that sends you into a frenzy.
2020. The year of the corona-pandemic, when the music world was forced into a standstill, five old friends put in motion an old idea that had been lingering - and what eventually was to become a new band and powerhouse: The Halo Effect.
The members of The Halo Effect are not only masters of their domain, but also some of the pioneers of the Gothenburg melodeath scene; Lead guitarists and melodic deathslingers Niclas Engelin and Jesper Strömblad, lead singer and raging growler and lyricist Mikael Stanne, further on adding to this mix is the solid backbone and foundation of power bassist Peter Iwers, and his partner in crime since twenty plus years, hard-hitting drummer Daniel Svensson.
Knowing each other from an early age during the late 80’s and then playing together in different constellations during the 90’s, they came to dominate the Metal scene in Gothenburg - mainly being part of the two major bands and metal exports In Flames and Dark Tranquillity, also two of the pioneers and major forces behind the melodeath monicker: The Gothenburg Sound. A sound that would echo far and wide across the world and influence countless of metal bands during the 90’s and early 2000’s.This was also the initial thought behind The Halo Effect - to go back to the roots and
explore what the groundbreaking metal sounded like then. And add the experience and skills of what the members could bring to the table now. The result is an exceptional album and real tour de force to fans of melodeath where the echoes of the Gothenburg Sound is evident. The Halo Effect delivers the goods in a brutally efficient display of heart pounding beats, melodic mayhem and furious growling at its best. Raw, yetmelodic, and in your melted face.Buckle up and remove your ear plugs. The restrictions are being lifted, the pandemic is over, and The Halo Effect is finally ready to meet its audience all over the world.
Philly’s own Chained Bliss set tongues a-waggin’ back in 2019 with their Stained Red cassette EP, gathering more than a few comparisons to the Wipers’ early racket in the process. Well, now they’re back with a debut album that seems to have skipped right ahead from Is This Real? to Over The Edge: this self-titled LP has all the gut-punching ramalama, knockabout guts’n’glory of that first tape, with added layers. Melodic guitar lines come perilously close to jangling over crunching power chords, while furiously yelped choruses give way to sumptuously put-together breakdown sections that catch you off guard and kick you in the shins before legging it down the street. Chained Bliss clearly love scrappy, skatey garage rock (echoes of Agent Orange’s Living In Darkness abound) as much as they love pushing that raucous clatter into something spacious - the meditative sections that flow effortlessly into absolute ripper Pillars Of Abuse are as unexpected as the thoughtful but head-spinningly energetic sections that bring Creative Seizure so thrillingly to life. Other times they’re just as happy to keep you careening towards the pit with two-minute bangers, but that’s the beauty of this record: it’s never smarter than when it’s playing dumb, and the rest of the time it’s just pretty damn smart. Here’s a challenge: can you listen to Ominous Life’s gnarly pop without raising those fists of yours skywards and landing a firm thump on the air? Or Drifter’s swaggering stomp? Or, or, or… ahhh hell, you get what I’m saying here. Every single cut slays, every single hook snags itself on your brain. You’ll come back for more, and more, and more. Are Chained Bliss your new favourite band? Well, gee, we’ve never met and I don’t know what you like and it’s not for me to say… but on the other hand, yes. Yes, they are. They’re heading straight for your heart and they ain’t budging. Will Fitzpatrick
Shamir's art is a synthesis of the full spectrum of human emotion;
sensual, furious, yearning, joyful
The freedom in his self produced and released Hope, although tethered through
style to greats (like Miss Nina Simone, Prince, and Taylor Swift) is based almost
entirely in a hyper specific, fully autonomous, embodied expression of
personhood. Originally––and somewhat begrudgingly––released via SoundCloud
n 2017, Hope was received with the sort of enthusiasm that marks this work as a
truly iconic, world building project that only Shamir could have constructed. The
original vinyl pressing was quick to sellout, and now, via the venerated label Kill
Rock Stars and following its 5 year anniversary, Hope finds itself remastered on
color vinyl, in a gatefold jacket and featuring two never- before- heard bonus
tracks; marking a maturation all the way from Shamir's bedroom 4- track to
platforms available worldwide.
'What if Blitz hailed from Los Angeles and sang in Spanish’ isn’t a question you hear all that often. Fortunately, we don’t need to ask - the answer is provided by Generacion Suicida’s latest album, which rages and rattles in all the right places, drenched in the memorable brilliance that powered the Killed By Death compilations (ask yer dad - and if he doesn’t know or care, burn his terrible records and make some space to track down the KBD LPs). The band’s slogan is ‘musica del barrio, para el barrio’ - music from the neighbourhood, for the neighbourhood - but it sounds like they could use these hooks to take on the world. That’s a pretty accurate sentiment as well, because this album was written during the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020, while the world bubbled over with carefully managed misinformation, police violence and the sickening overspill of white supremacy’s foul brew. If Regeneracion sounds potent, it’s because there was a lot to be angry about, and the result is arguably their best album yet. Those chorused-out guitar lines carry shades of deathrock, hints of Manchester circa 1980, elements of something you might call goth if it was several degrees less furious. But there’s no doomed romance to this music; it’s an all-out attack. Street punk with the smarts turned up and an ear turned to the lessons learned from post-punk (but crucially, not the ‘post-punk revival’ that is essentially shirtless beardy lads chanting non-sequiturs over landfill indie). Chiefly, it’ll make you wanna get out of your chair, unite your local community and march on down towards your government’s centre of operations with a simple-to-use molotov cocktail kit. Its rage is infectious. It’s inspired by bleak moments in our recent shared history, but it revels in humans’ capacity to find strength in each other. And the tunes? Oh damn, they’re good.' Will Fitzpatrick.
Finally available on vinyl for the first time, with extra tracks - Limited edition numbered red vinyl. 500 copies worldwide A supergroup with twenty lead singers from twenty different bands, featuring members of: Killing Joke, Carcass, Funeral For a Friend, Therapy, Hundred Reasons, Napalm Death, Sikth, Pitchshifter, Fightstar, Earthtone 9, Amen, New Model Army, Send More Paramedics, Hiding Place, Romeo Must Die, Murder One, Hondo Maclean. Architect and founding This is Menace member MD Clayden (Pitchshifter) has curated ‘Ism’ adding previously unreleased material. Reviews: “A living, breathing, subversive collective.” Kerrang Magazine / “Furious. Like a juggernaut. F*ck yeah!” Metal Hammer Magazine / “Brash...and brilliant to break stuff to.” NME
"Matasuna Records" musical journey takes the listener this time to "Panama" - a country in Central America, which offers a rich and breath-taking variety of musical treasures. In a first reissue, two songs from the legendary "Loyola Records" label were selected, both released in 1969: one by "Camilo Azuquita" and one by the group "Panama Brass". Two super-rare tunes that fetch crazy prices, if you're lucky enough to find a copy at all. Available for the first time as an official remastered reissue on 7inch vinyl - the song by Panama Brass even makes its 7inch premiere. Don't sleep on it!
The A-side features the killer boogaloo tune "Borombon" by "Camilo Azuquita". Its take of the song composed by "Javier Vasquez" is undoubtedly the best version of this song. The striking piano, driving bass and rich horns are fueled by percussive accompaniment and especially by Azuquita's powerful voice. A terrific song that has also recently gained new notoriety in movies and series - such as "Better Call Saul".
The B-side features the instrumental Latin Jazz/Guaracha tune "Con La Mano En La Biblia" by "Panama Brass" - an orchestra led by the excellent organist "Cristobal Munoz Jr." and consisting of Panama's best musicians. A no less energetic and furious song composed by "G. Garcias". The musicians of the orchestra combine a great musicality and diversity in the song, delivering a special delicacy.
"Camilo Luis Argumédez" is a singer and composer born in "Colon (Panama)" on February 18th 1945. He became world famous under his stage name Camilo Azuquita. He began his career at a young age, when he participated in various competitions organized by local radio stations. He left Panama for the first time for an engagement in "Lima (Peru)" - the prelude tocountlesstrips.
After returning to Panama, another engagement in 1966 took him to "Puerto Rico", where he also recorded music. Due to a tour he was involved in, he ended up in "New York City" where he made new & fruitful acquaintances with other artists that resulted in some more recordings.
In 1968 he returned again to Puerto Rico, where he joined a band to record an album. In the following years, tours and concerts followed, as well as an engagement in a club where he musically accompanied many stars of Latin American music.
Between 1972 and 1976 he spent four years in "Los Angeles", where he performed in night clubs, recorded two albums and toured California with his own band "Melao". In LA, through a brother of the "Fania" boss, he got a contract with "Vaya Records", a subsidiary of the Fania label, which brought him back to New York City in 1976. There he joined the band "Tipica'73" and their two following albums brought him much success.
A tour led him to "Paris", where he met the journalist "Pierre Goldman". A proposed project became reality two years later: Azuquita opened the first Parisian Salsa Club. As this became a complete success and the audience filled the club on each of the evenings, a first engagement of one month was extended to several years. In France, he performed at the world-famous "Olympia Theater "or played at the "Old Bourget airport", opening for a live concert by reggae legend "Bob Marley" in front of 75,000 people. From France, he traveled throughout Europe, where the performances in front of European audiences brought him enormous prestige.
From 1985 to 1987, "Azuquita y su Melao" toured extensively in "California", where he signed a 1-year contract at "Club Candilejas" in "Hollywood" in 1988. In the following decades, he recorded many more albums - in NYC, Cali (Colombia), France or Havana (Cuba), among others. In addition, he was still very active on tours, festivals and concerts around the globe. An extremely remarkable artist, whose activity has brought him to the top.
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"Panama Brass" was an orchestra directed and orchestrated by the excellent organist "Cristobal Munoz Jr." The orchestra consisted of one of the best musicians of Panama at that time. Munoz was an exclusive artist of "Loyola Records" at the time and was considered a promising or up-and-coming conductor. That this album could be realized at all had only been possible thanks to Hubert J. Pretto. Pretto, then Assistant Vice President & General Manager of "Coca Cola Panama" arranged the funds necessary for the realization of this album and supported the campaign to promote music culture in Panama. This album would remain the only one released by this group.
Orange Vinyl
Four trax of filthy warehouse techno featuring two fast and furious bombs from Spanish underground whizz-kid Seon - "Fuck The Church" already garnering a cult following with it's cheeky sample. Co-Ax and Pest control go dark and dirty with the clanging "Saturated", whilst Technika funks it up on "It's Alive!".
"Live in Paris" - Nathan Davis, (sax); Georges Arvanitas (p, org); Jack Diéval (p); Jacky Samson, Jacques Hess (b); Franco Manzecchi, Charles Saudrais (dr)
Style is not a given. Not many musicians reach the level of artistic personality where you can unmistakably recognize them. It takes character, roots, honesty, soulfulness. Nathan Davis had style.
His tone on tenor was unique. So was his soprano sound and his distinctive approach to flute. His musical world was equally original and knew no boundaries.
This concert in Paris is audible proof that as a performer, his fluid phrasing, distinct articulation, booming bottom register, growls and shrieks were fuelled by tremendous drive and furious invention - the man was on fire!
These live sessions demonstrate the limitless invention of Nathan’s solos. Holding no punches, weaving signature phrases, shouts and riffs into his solos, he was a fierce and fervid performer. With a sort of hollow resonance at the heart of his reedy and warm sound, Nathan Davis was a highly original artist, from an era when having a distinct sound on your instrument was the grail of jazz artistry. Harold Land, Jimmy Heath, John Gilmore, Paul Gonsalves, Charlie Rouse, George Coleman, Booker Ervin, Clifford Jordan ... Jazz is made of such giants and Nathan Davis was one of them.
- A1: Zion Gates- Jacob Miller
- A2: Satta Massaganna- Don Carlos
- A3: Dem Say A Rasta- Johnny Clarke
- A4: Its Gonna Be Dread- Horace Andy
- A5: Decleration Of Rights- Dennis Brown
- A6: Two Faced Rasta- Cornell Campbell
- A7: Every Rasta Is A Star- Bonnie Davis
- B1: This World - Horace Andy
- B2: Man Like Me- Johnny Clarke
- B3: Satta And Praise Jah- Frankie Jones
- B4: Never Conquer Jah- Linval Thompson
- B5: Bightess Rasta Man- Cornell Campbell
- B6: Live On Jah - Wayne Jarrett
- B7: Wicked Babylon - Linval Thompson
Rastafarianism came to prominence in the late 1960's/ 1970's and had a huge influence on the musical culture in Jamaica. The sentiments of the songs reflected the struggles of life, as reggae music always did but now with an added spiritual/conscious element to the lyrics. By the mid 1970's most, if not all the top flight singers were following the doctrine and growing their har to dreadlocks.
Everything was truly 'Dread'.
At the heart of this musical explosion was again Bunny 'Striker' Lee a man who was always at the heart of the action and many times in his career ahead of the musical game. As Bunny Lee's stable of singers were at this time nearly all Rasta's and with the worldwide acceptance of Bob Marley, in especially the foreign territories, this musical style was the way forward for reggae music in the mid 1970's. The visual focal point of this new turn in reggae music would be a call to all things 'Dread'. Add to the mix Bunny Lee's close working relationship with studio wizard King Tubby, again not a Rasta himself, but someone who could sonically bring what was needed to the table and enable the whole musical chemistry to fall into place.
Heavy rhythms were created to match the heavy and serious lyrics and 'Versions Galore' as they say were coming out fast and furious.
We have compiled a set of conscious tunes that not only match the 'Dread' criteria, but also are just great tunes. The great Jacob Miller's 'Zion Gates', Cornell Campbells 'Two Faced Rasta', Horace Andy's 'It's Gonna Be Dread' alongside Linval Thompson's 'Never Conquer Jah'. Two timeless cuts from the 'The Abyssinians' get a fresh outing by two great singers, firstly Don Carlos' cut to 'Satta Massaganna' and the prince of reggae himself, Dennis Brown works 'Declaration of Rights' in fine style. Johnny Clarke's 'Man like Me' and 'Dem Say Rasta' still sound as fresh today as when they were first laid down and Wayne Jarrett's 'Live On Jah' and Frankie Jones 'Satta and Praise Jah' add to this great selection. All great 'Dread' tunes that were cut or voiced at King Tubby's giving them that extra shine.
So if you are Rasta or not this is a great set of tunes to make you move and also like all of the best things in life, make you think.........
Track 14 WICKED BABYLON - LINVAL THOMPSON
In 2003, Pisco Crane assembled a six-piece band from motivated and talented like minds in the Kinshasa slums where he grew up. Pisco had been involved with a handful of local rap acts when he was younger, but after meeting legendary instrument builder Bebson De La Rue, he was inspired to follow a new path. He set about building instruments from the discarded trash that surrounded his city: bits of old computers or oil cans were fashioned into bass guitars and drums, and keyboards were bashed together using springs, metal pipes, and offcuts of tubing. If there was a core philosophy that guided Pisco at this stage in his journey, it was that everyone should have access to instruments, no matter where they come from or what their budget might be. And following in the footsteps of Bebson, Pisco locked into a Congolese tradition that touches on the eccentric genius of globally lauded artists like Konono Nº1 and Staff Benda Bilili. Over the years, Fulu Miziki's notoriety grew in the Kinshasa underground - their utopian vision of the future was infectious. Eventually, they were joined by performance artist, sculptor and fashion designer Lady Aisha, who offered the band unique colour and a soulful central focus. Influenced by Kinshasa's street performance scene, Aisha helped the band devise vivid masks and costumes that were as electric and singular as the instruments they played, and the scene was set. In 2020, as the world was plunged into lockdown, footage of Fulu Miziki went viral and their star began to grow exponentially, with a video of the band preforming the track 'Tikanga' racking up millions of views on Facebook. The band used this opportunity to work on documenting their sound, and shored up at the Nyege Nyege studios in Kampala for a year to assemble a definitive album. Recorded by HHY & The Macumbas' Jonathan Saldanha, this record captures the band's furiously innovative mixture of industrial sonics, spiritual jazz, punk, and Congolese soukous pressure. At their best, Fulu Miziki sound almost completely out of time, curving pounding rhythms around microtonal clanks, rousing chants and spiky sonics. On 'Mutangila', there's a hint of disco in the 4/4 stomp, but it's been shifted into a post-punk ritual, adorned with complex bell percussion and overlapping vocals. 'Congo' is even harder to define; electrified buzzes form a bassline, but it's the mindboggling rhythms that shuttle the track into psychedelic realms, led confidently by Lady Aisha's limber rhymes. Fulu positively slither on the sultry, industrial-influenced 'Sebe', while 'Tikanga' reminds of Congo's rumba-derived soukous traditions, materializing the sounds into the future with tight, pounding percussion and head-melting fx. The story of Fulu Miziki is sprawling and complex and constantly evolving, with various offshoots and band iterations. Two members left the band in 2016 to form KOKOKO! with French producer Débruit. Not long after they recorded this magnum opus album, several other original members left to form a similarly named outfit currently based in Europe. This other incarnation recently released an EP of electronic productions without the band founder Pisko Crane and lead vocalist Lady Aicha, on the UK based Moshi Moshi records. Pisco and Lady Aicha currently lead a different outfit in Kinshasa made up of completely new musicians. This full-length is the remaining proof of Fulu Mziki at their most vital and most complete - it won't be repeated - and can never be recreated. It's an essential portrait of one of the Democratic Republic of Congo's most innovative contemporary outfits, and some of the most surprising hybrid music you're likely to hear.
40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION.With this album a fuse was lit, leading to
an explosion that spawned a new religion: Bad Religion
How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, their second record and first LP is nothing short
of genius. Shattered-glass guitar riffs, fast, furious drums, and a 16 year old Greg
Graffin's voice for the ages. The coalescence of lyrical intellect and savage music
make for a sound seldom (if ever) heard before. The impact of this record still
resonates to this day. Classic tracks like Fuck Armageddon...This Is Hell,
American Dream, and The Voice Of God Is Government are as crucial and socially
lucid as the day they were created in a southern California garage. When the
greatest punk records of all-time are discussed, How Could Hell Be Any Worse? is
sure to be mentioned.
- A1: Philipp Gorbachev - Ivan, Come On, Unlock The Box (Kraviz Edit)
- A2: K-Hand - The Box
- B1: Nikita Zabelin - Bells
- B2: Vladimir Dubyshkin - Lose Yourself
- C1: Barcode Population - Marduk
- C2: Roma Zuckerman - Geburt Part 2
- D1: Barcode Population - Internum
- D2: Nina Kraviz - I Believe I Can Fly (Klm Delayed Flight Version)
2022 Repress
Trip Recordings follows the huge success of its first three releases with a third double-vinyl album, once more curated by label owner Nina Kraviz and featuring gatefold artwork by in-house artist Tombo. The release draws on contributions from established Trip members Kraviz, Population One and Nikita Zabelin, in addition to new artists added to its expending roster including K-Hand, Philipp Gorbachev, Vladimir Dubyshkin and Roma Zuckerman.As established with the label's first three releases, TRP004 will function as a soundtrack to a scenario and its accompanying artwork from Kraviz and Tombo. The title 'Ivan, Come On! Unlock The Box!' (, ! !) is inspired by the track contributed by Philipp Gorbachev (Comeme/PG Tunes), from which Kraviz has extrapolated a story of a rule-defying Russian maverick who is 'searching for the key to the future'.Set for release in mid-November, TRP004's two twelve-inches orbit around a nucleus of talent drawn from label boss Nina Kraviz's homeland of Russia. In addition to 'I Believe I Can Fly (KLM Delayed Flight Version) - one of her own 'road tracks' produced during the producer's hectic global touring schedule - Kraviz has enlisted a quartet of her countrymen for this latest collection. Philipp Gorbachev contributes his most uncompromisingly techno track yet, while Moscow's Nikita Zabelin follows his label debut on TRP003 ('De Niro Is Concerned') with the sinister minimalism of 'Bells'. In addition, TRP003 marks the label debuts of Vladimir Dubyshkin and Roma Zuckerman, both of whom were recommended to Kraviz by Zabelin. The former - a true outsider, just 17 years of age and based in the remote Russian town of Tambov - follows an early 2015 LP for SUB-AMP Records with the disorienting off-kilter techno of 'Lose Yourself', while the latter marks his first ever release despite years of producing with the unsettling 'Geburt Part 2'.
Completing TRP004 are two defiantly individual international artists: K-HAND makes her Trip debut following a two-decade career that's seen her become on of Detroit's true underground, and relatively unsung, heroes. Her contribution, 'The Box', finds her clipping effortlessly within Trip's aesthetic, with a heady textured acid potboiler. Two more Barcode Population tracks, excavated from a mine of undiscovered Nineties-made rarities, complete the release with furiously paced techno rollers which will remain strictly vinyl-only.
From their masterfully titled, anthemic Shit Opus, to their growling,
distorted guitar, Shutups could be effectively described as a group of
anti-establishment California indie punks with a vested interest in
encouraging capitalism's implosion
Leaving it there would also be a disservice to the deliberation, complexity, and
artistry in their music. The groups' new album holds true to the distinctive niches
they carved out to begin with, from bedroom pandemic production to postisolation DIY maximalism. I can't eat nearly as much as I want to vomit presents a
very human expression of reality in spite of what is, overwhelmingly, a bad time--
serving us a sort of seething, technicolor alternative sound that's both intimate,
furious, and inarguably cool. Pressed on Green color vinyl.
Cassette[13,40 €]
‘Stumpwork’ is the follow-up to 2021’s ‘New Long Leg’. The
South London-based group’s first studio album, recorded in
just two weeks with producer John Parish at the iconic
Rockfield Studios, became a huge critical and commercial
success reaching #4 in the UK Album Charts and featuring in
Best Of 2021 polls across the board. Buoyed by its success,
Nick Buxton (drums), Tom Dowse (guitar), Lewis Maynard
(bass) and Florence Shaw (vocals) returned to rural Wales in
late 2021, partnering once more with Parish and engineer
Joe Jones. Working from a position of trust in the same
studio and with the same team, imposter syndrome and
anxiety was replaced by a fresh freedom and openness to
explore beyond an already rangy sonic palette, a newfound
confidence in their creative vision. A longer period in the
studio afforded the time to experiment, improvise, play,
sharpen their table tennis skills.
‘Stumpwork’ was inspired by a plethora of events, concepts,
and political debacles, be they represented in the icy mess of
ambient elements reflecting a certain existential despair, or
the surprising warmth in celebrating the lives of loved ones
lost through the previous year. Surrealist lyrics are as ever at
the forefront - but there is a sensitivity now to the themes of
family, money, politics, self-deprecation, and sensuality.
Furious alt-rock anthems combine across the record with
jangle pop and ambient noise, demonstrating the wealth of
influences the band feed off and their deep musicality. With
the pressure of their debut album behind them, Dry Cleaning
have crafted an ambitious and deeply rewarding new work
that marks them out as one of the most intelligent and
exciting acts to come out of the UK.
LP pressed on white vinyl.
White Vinyl LP[29,83 €]
‘Stumpwork’ is the follow-up to 2021’s ‘New Long Leg’. The
South London-based group’s first studio album, recorded in
just two weeks with producer John Parish at the iconic
Rockfield Studios, became a huge critical and commercial
success reaching #4 in the UK Album Charts and featuring in
Best Of 2021 polls across the board. Buoyed by its success,
Nick Buxton (drums), Tom Dowse (guitar), Lewis Maynard
(bass) and Florence Shaw (vocals) returned to rural Wales in
late 2021, partnering once more with Parish and engineer
Joe Jones. Working from a position of trust in the same
studio and with the same team, imposter syndrome and
anxiety was replaced by a fresh freedom and openness to
explore beyond an already rangy sonic palette, a newfound
confidence in their creative vision. A longer period in the
studio afforded the time to experiment, improvise, play,
sharpen their table tennis skills.
‘Stumpwork’ was inspired by a plethora of events, concepts,
and political debacles, be they represented in the icy mess of
ambient elements reflecting a certain existential despair, or
the surprising warmth in celebrating the lives of loved ones
lost through the previous year. Surrealist lyrics are as ever at
the forefront - but there is a sensitivity now to the themes of
family, money, politics, self-deprecation, and sensuality.
Furious alt-rock anthems combine across the record with
jangle pop and ambient noise, demonstrating the wealth of
influences the band feed off and their deep musicality. With
the pressure of their debut album behind them, Dry Cleaning
have crafted an ambitious and deeply rewarding new work
that marks them out as one of the most intelligent and
exciting acts to come out of the UK.
LP pressed on white vinyl.
From the mid-90s to 2005, Sweden’s Defleshed churned out a white hot blend of thrash, death metal, and grindcore, marking themselves as one of the most vital bands in all three of those genres. Having run out of inspiration and wanting to try other things they called it a day the same year they released their fifth album Reclaim The Beat, and ever since fans have hollered for their reunion. In 2021 they got what they were asking for when the band’s core lineup - guitarist Lars Löfven, drummer Matte Modin and bassist/vocalist Gustaf Jorde - got back together. None of the members took any convincing to reform or to push ahead with the full-length, starting to seriously write in Autumn 2021, and there was no masterplan guiding them. “We just wanted to see what we sounded like today, with new perspectives on things. We knew it had to be fast and furious yet diverse.” The result is an album “filled to its maximum with power and energy”, this made clear by opener “Bent Out Of Shape”, which is perhaps the greatest start to any of their records. They do not take it easy on the listener from there on, with the likes of the thrashy “Dear Devil” and groove-laden “Unburdened By Genius” taking very different tactics in the damage they wreak, the band making a point of not repeating themselves while staying true to that classic Defleshed sound.
We are proud to present "I'm Always Right" by Imagination, an unreleased jazz rock LP from 1977. Comprised of five tracks with a playtime of roughly 30 minutes, you will hear one of the finest German late-70s rock-tinged electric jazz albums of the era. The recording is a delightful stand-out with unique compositions, aspiring solo work, and a soulful spirit throughout. Additionally, the album veritably glows with exceptional sound quality, as it has been remastered from original tapes that were cut more than four decades ago at the WDR Funkhaus, Cologne.
Here is the story of how label founder John Raincoatman became aware of these lost tapes:
"I first got in touch with members of Imagination from Düsseldorf (not to be confused with the UK disco band under the same name) in 2017 for licensing the track "Strawberry Wine" from their collectible "Shake It" album from 1980. A couple of months later, when I was speaking with Willi Hövelmann, the guitarist for Imagination, he told me about some recordings the band had made a couple of years before, when they had been invited to to the studio of the WDR, a major German broadcaster. A couple of weeks later, when Hövelmann finally sent me the files that he had requested from the WDR, I could not believe what I heard - not only that the songs were totally different from what I expected, but that they were also very very good! The music wasn't comparable to any other kind of fusion release that I knew of. These five songs were straight forward, tight and soulful electric jazz rock, a combination rarely heard from Germany from that time period."
How come Imagination - at that time a young newcomer band consisting of musicians between 19 and 22 years of age - was able to record at the well-equipped Funkhaus studio of German radio and television? Hövelmann explains: "The WDR got to know us from a newcomer band competition called "Pop am Rhein" (Pop at the Rhine) which was set up to support local bands and was promoted by several bigger newspapers. Imagination was one of the 5 contestants which were picked from 59 bands by a jury of music journalists and our band was invited to play a concert at the Philipshalle in front of about 3500 guests. Although a band called "Accept" won the contest (yes, the heavy metal band that gained international success in the following years!) and Imagination only made 3rd place, we were invited by music host and journalist Wolfgang Neumann to record in a professional studio."
Neumann's broadcasting show at the WDR was called "Rock Studio", and one of his special goals was to help push newcomer bands by giving them airplay. As a side note, Neumann actually compiled a series of three LPs on the Harvest label from 1979-1982, each of them featuring four bands. However, the earlier recordings of Imagination had only been used for broadcasting reasons, they were aired a couple of times but never made it to a vinyl or CD release.
So, on October 10th, 1977, it was time for the band to show up and prove themselves in the studio. The tracks were all recorded in one afternoon, mainly as one takes. In some cases flute, saxophone were overdubbed, as well as the vocals on "Love is Genesis", as Hövelmann remembers.
The first song, "Jazzgang" can probably be seen as Imagination's most characteristic composition out of their early period: heavy bass, saxophone leads and speedy solos by the band members. A genuine, rough, yet funky uptempo jazz rock tune. But it's "I'm Always Right", the second track on the album, that raises the bar as the key track of the release with its 10-minute length. The song starts with a great piano solo by Mario F. Demonte. In fact, "Demonte" was a pseudonym of Ratko Delorko, a classically trained piano virtuoso who is still active today as conductor, composer and performer. At that time, it was simply impossible for him to officially be part in a band like Imagination and hence the alias was invented. Anyway, the speedy intro leads to a very soulful mid-tempo jazz funk groove that offers space and time for the band members to perform a solo. First off is Uwe Ziss with sax and flute combined. The second solo belongs to Willi "Sultan" Hövelmann on electric guitar. For the furious ending the pace is set back to high speed. Delorko serves us with one of the most brilliant uptempo piano solos you may have heard in a while on a jazz record.
The next song stylistically stands out from the rest. "Biting My Time" incorporates a rhythm and blues feel with a 60s soul jazz attitude. The track was composed by Uwe Ziss who leads through the track with aspiring flute solos which feel like an easy summer breeze after the first two rock tinged tunes.
"Himalaya" sees Imagination move away from jazz quite a bit, rather approaching the psychedelic rock genre with a vibe reminiscent of the sound of the early 70s. Again starting with a piano solo by Ratko Delorko the pace is quickly at 150 bpm with the full band laying down an energetic jazz rock sound. Just after a little over one-and-a-half minutes there is a breakdown to a slower tempo with overdubbed mysterious vocals and psyche-y screams which may remind more of the legendary krautrock band Can than what is typically known as "jazz". The mood continues with tense saxophone and guitar solos, just to speed up again towards the end with furious drumming by Andreas Oelschläger.
"Love Is Genesis" concludes the release. It was composed and sung by former bassist Robert Schlickmann. Though most of the band members didn't really like the song at that time it still is a one-of-a-kind soft rock pop ballad which partly reminds of some of the vocal song tracks later to be found on the "Shake It" LP from 1980. The track manifested that Imagination were never really supposed to be solely an instrumental band.
We are now happy to have cleared the exclusive rights for this recording from the WDR and are proud to re-present this amazing collection of songs. It should appeal to fusion, jazz rock and jazz funk aficionados but also to late krautrock collectors. We are also certain that it will also please fans of the "Shake It" album, simply in terms of being such a bright and soulful debut with great music overall.
- A1: Splashscreen 01
- A2: Welcome To Blackreef
- A3: Menu - Break The Loop
- A4: Karl's Bay
- A5: The Revenant (By Frank Spicer)
- B1: Updaam
- B2: Colt Win
- B3: Anonymous (Aleksis Dorsey)
- B4: Invasion Started
- B5: Ubiquity (Wenjie Evans)
- B6: Julianna Win
- C1: Fristad Rock
- C2: A Band Apart (Frank Spicer)
- C3: Rocket Man
- C4: Ode To Somewhere (By Frank Spicer)
- D1: The Complex
- D2: Eternal Deathwish
- D3: Final Confrontation
- D4: Déjà Vu
The visionaries at Bethesda, Arkane and Laced are bringing the twisted ’60s soundtrack for award-winning looper-shooter DEATHLOOP to wax.
The complete 59-track soundtrack has been specially mastered for vinyl and will be pressed onto heavyweight discs. These will come in spined inner sleeves housed in a rigid board slipcase. Tracklist curation and stunning original sleeve artwork is by the team at Arkane Lyon.
This Standard Edition quadruple LP box set features traditional black discs.
Lead composer Tom Salta has built an enviable credits list, with entries in the Prince of Persia, Tom Clancy and Halo universes to his name. For DEATHLOOP’s original score, he immersed himself in the music of Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Nelson Riddle and a host of other late-’60s influences. Layers of period-appropriate organs, synths and other instruments (including Rhodes, Wurlitzer and Hammond B3) help maintain the tension as Colt picks off Eternalists from the shadows. As things get dicey, or Julianna intervenes with extreme prejudice, tracks explode into furious guitar and drum grooves that propel the zany, supernaturally enhanced gunplay.
Ross Tregenza’s multi-genre diegetic cues perfectly complement the psycho-sophisticate stylings of Blackreef’s artistically aspirational inhabitants, while songwriter Erich Talaba and singer Jeff Cummings brought to life the vicious visionary Frank Spicer with catchy in-universe songs. Music agency Sencit teamed up with powerful yet soulful vocalists for trailer and credits songs, including Bond-ish banger “Déjà Vu” (featuring FJØRA), “Pitch Black” (featuring Lady Blackbird) and “Down the Rabbit Hole” (featuring Samantha Howard & Haqq.)
The sophomore offering from the 'DeaThrash' trailblazers CARRION VAEL. Melodic Death Metal collides with furious Trash in an essential offering for fans of Alterbeast, The Black Dahlia Murder, At The Gates and Benighted!
Add color, reframe, follow the prism, head to the beach. Not sure we’d ever be talking about Grotto Terrazza, the Munich based art/music/life project of Thomas Schamann, in these terms, but here we are, adjusting to his ever evolving collage of life in the form of his new album ‘Kalte Köstlichkeiten’, an ecstatic uptempo, punchy mitteleuropa celebration of punks in the city.
If his 2019 debut ‘Stumpfer Gegenstand’ (also co-released by Cut Surface and Maple Death) introduced us to Grotto Terrazza’s beautiful intimate translucent dark beat poetry set over art-punk ritmik, foggy nightclubs and musk-induced industrial malaise, Kalte Köstlichkeiten sets the record straight by adding a whole new dimension. Cold Delicacies (the literal translation) delivers so much more, 12 melting popsicles that furiously jump from dancefloor post-punk, brazen EBM, funk sleaze and smoked out cold-wave.
Ten releases in the space of seven years and then…puff, then nothing (in Europe). Los Peyotes seemingly vanished into the smoke that they knew full well did us wrong. But now they’re back, ripping up the rule book once again to shower us with evil-hearted, spitfire garage punk rock'n'roll on an album that takes in and mashes up straight from the grave garage rock with doses of savage psychedelia and hip-shaking yé-yé. Prepare to be beaten, bastardised, and left twitching on the floor as they hit you with 13 brand new tracks. "They say we’re all the same. Long-haired freaks. Drugs, sex, and into everything filthy. Haters of authority. But Los Peyotes don’t give a damn." As they spit on the opening track, "People are sh+t", but hey, at least their dog ain’t! Screw the haters and critics, everyone thinks they’re one. Take a look around. But who cares when Los Peyotes are biting back with all the force they have? Cranked guitars, a stabbing Farfisa and those ever-present wild-eyed howls. Theirs is, and has always been, a garage that draws lines straight back to their furious forefathers; Los Saicos, The Sonics, Los Shakers, The Seeds; and on their new album, Virgenes, they keep not only the flame but the whole goddamn sin-fuelled incinerating city burning. They rise up in swirling insanity on tracks like No Puedo Aguantar Mas (I Can’t Take Anymore) before bringing everything crashing down on songs like the riotously spooky Dame Dinamita (Gimme Dynamite). And yeah, of course, everything is sung in Spanish, drawing a line firmly back to their musical ancestors who cranked up that British Invasion sound like nobody else to pave the way for proto-punk. All hail Los Peyotes! Prepare to get dosed once again. - Sir Nathan Whittle de Manchester Genre: Alternative / Garage / Punk
Track list: 01 La Gente Es Una Mierda 02 Soy La Droga 03 No Puedo Aguantar Mas 04 El Hombre De Dos Cabezas 05 Terrorista De La Musica 06 Mi Chica 07 Mi Planeta Rosa 08 No Quiero Crecer 09 Soy Asi 10 Cumbia Del Dolor 11 Dame Dinamita 12 Peyolove 13 Nada Pude Ver
Unstoppable Ukrainian metalcore unit SPACE OF VARIATIONS ascend to the next level of mind-bending modern metal on their upcoming, in-your-face full-length, IMAGO, out March 18, 2022. Following their 2019 Napalm Records debut, the XXXXX EP, the unbridled outfit breaks new ground and transcends all expectations with their exciting and undeniably fresh second studio album. IMAGO’s multifaceted, cathartic delivery seamlessly mixes gut-punching hardcore riffs and catastrophic breakdowns with colorful electronics, brutalizing vocals and, at times, trance-like synth – exploring elements of djent, hip-hop and even hyperpop influence along the way. The album’s addictively erratic, emotive atmosphere echoes their spontaneous live performance; having previously toured with modern metal giants JINJER, the four-piece relentlessly smashed European stages while captivating each listener with futuristic stylings reverberating the likes of Bring Me The Horizon, Architects, Norma Jean and LANDMVRKS. Furiously crashing opener “SOMEONE ELSE” sets free the uncompromising spirit of SPACE OF VARIATIONS – instantly breaking down genres and placing a forceful exclamation mark at the start with smashing instrumentation and a feverish vocal and lyrical assault by Dmytro Kozhukhar and Olexii Zatserkovnyi. Devastatingly heavy “1M followers” takes no prisoners from the first second and features a hefty appearance from former Asking Alexandria vocalist Denis Stoff, resulting in a fearless, addictive metalcore banger. Tracks like eponymous “IMAGO” and intense mid-tempo “Serial Killer” emphasize the multifaceted nature of SPACE OF VARIATIONS with sporadically scaled-back instrumentation and emotion turned to 10. On the contrary, previously released penultimate post-hardcore dystopia “Ultrabeat” delivers bone-crushing beats and is by far no stranger to the band’s devotees. Closing with an insane verse from Ukrainian rap sensation ALYONA ALYONA, the track undeniably marks a milestone in the unit’s soon-to-be revered history while representing the seething desire to expand all limits of songwriting and creativity. This mindset embodies SPACE OF VARIATIONS and their sonically boggling ode to the future, IMAGO. 1. SINGLE - EN Unstoppable Ukrainian metalcore unit SPACE OF VARIATIONS steps up its game with hard-hitting opener “SOMEONE ELSE” from the upcoming full-length album IMAGO. Previously touring with modern metal giants JINJER, the five-piece already smashed numerous stages across Europe. “SOMEONE ELSE” promises aggressive screams, charging transitions and deadly synth parts straight to your face. Stay tuned for this futuristic metal monster called SPACE OF VARIATIONS! 2. SINGLE - EN Unstoppable Ukrainian metalcore unit SPACE OF VARIATIONS drifts off into distant universes with their second single “vein.mp3” from the upcoming full-length IMAGO. Previously touring with modern metal giants JINJER, the five-piece already smashed numerous stages across Europe. Like a bestial alien, "vein.mp3" goes wild with its shattering drums, thudding bass, heavily distorted guitars and evil screams. Beware of this musical demon called SPACE OF VARIATIONS! 3. SINGLE - EN Unstoppable Ukrainian metalcore unit SPACE OF VARIATIONS reveals its album title track “IMAGO” from the upcoming full-length IMAGO. Previously touring with modern metal giants JINJER, the five-piece already smashed numerous stages across Europe. With melodic, yet distorted and heavy riffing, booming drums and deep growls, "IMAGO" proves itself as SPACE OF VARIATIONS’ anthem!
DJ Black Low burst on the international scene last year with Uwami, a collection of his early, downright avantgarde amapiano work. The young producer and DJ makes electronic music that sounds like nothing else: glitchy and fierce while smooth and soulful, all under the rubric of South Africa's most-exported dance music movement to date. Now comes Uwami II, which features the rest of the tracks from the acclaimed debut plus a new song "Gijima." The Pretoria, South Africa-based artist has more work in the pipeline as we present these inimitable songs for the first time on vinyl. The song "Gijima" is a previously unreleased track Black Low chose to include in this collection as cremates more work at a furious pace. "This is essential listening from a 20 year-old star." - Resident Advisor Best Tracks of 2021 "Uwami keeps an adventurous spirit at its core and pushes far beyond genre conventions in the process." - The Vinyl Factory "A producer with a fully realized voice." - Bandcamp Best Albums of Winter 2021 "The hard hitting beats of the electronic percussions make the songs seem like they're out of this planet." - AfroPop Worldwide
Sub Pop are excitedly finally repressing vinyl versions of three scorching ‘90s
psychobilly classics by Reverend Horton Heat. All three have been out of print on
vinyl since the mid-1990s, with original pressings going for considerable amounts at
the ol’ junk shop.
1993’s ‘The Full Custom Gospel Sounds Of’ stepped things up a bit, with fuller
production by fellow Texan Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers. In addition to the
hilarious ‘Bales of Cocaine’, the album features the furious ‘400 Bucks’, the
atmospheric creeper ‘The Devil’s Chasing Me’ and ‘Wiggle Stick’. On seeing the
video for the latter, Beavis declared, accurately, “Yes! This guy RULES!” while
Butthead agreed, “Yeah… this guy ROCKS! ROCKS!!”
"The prolific band returns with a brief and seething left-turn: a furious homage to the scummiest, crustiest hardcore of the early ’80s". (Pitchfork)
"Brain stem cracking scum-punk recorded tersely in the basement of my home. After a notoriously frustrating eon, the knee-jerk song path was aggressive and hooky. This is an homage to the punk bands we grew up on—the weirdos and art freaks that piqued our interests and pointed us on the trail head to here / now. Bad times make for strong music is something I agree with. I would say that is evident by the past few years of output from the underground. Transmissions have been all over the map: scanning…searching...sweeping out in the darkness looking for a foot hold.
OSEES A Foul From represents some of our most savage and primal instincts. Fight or flight. And the importance of a sense of humor in the darkest hour. Nothing wrong with keeping it snappy in the meantime. For fans of Rudimentary Peni, Crass, Bad Brains, Black Flag, Screamers, Abwärts, Stooges and all things aggressively tilted towards your face. You can lean back but don’t flinch…it’s a brief foray into the exhausting pogo pit, so stiffen your back and jerk with your knees. Enjoy." - John Dwyer
Retro house sounds from Italy on this release... tunes that still go down well with some of the big name festival dj's during their summer tour! A track that remained unpublished for 33 years until Devil Dee decided to make it public and bring his own voice to the spotlight joined by jazz-blues singer Joan Faulkner, (former supporting voice of Boney M and Milli Vanilli, also known by her stage name 'Dee-Vah'). Devil Dee is Davide Mancori - a cinematograph with a flattering career as a club-dj from 80s-90s onwards - who lovingly produced this release which differs from most of the releases on Best Record by its housey vibe. 'And The Beat Goes On', was written in Germany in 1989 by Leonie Gane and Ryan Paris. Laying the crucial foundations for an evolutionary step of the italian disco music. A step forward for the 'Italo' movement which at the end of the 80s was been considered obsolete and defunct. In fact, the track is also referring to the latest Italo-Disco which entirely covered the scene of the 1980s with furious activity, If the meeting between Devil Dee and the famous interpreter of 'Dolce Vita' - Mister Ryan Paris - creates the alchemy, the explosive mix is completed with the precious work of Marco Magrini. The arrangement by Pierluigi Cerin and the executive work of Claudio Casalini close the magic circle. Five friends and a great singer from Indiana to fill the dance floors all over Europe, while the images of the provocative and surreal video-clip capture the audience by splitting in two. There are those who do not want to see certain issues publicized and those who appreciate their cheekiness, such as Best Record which by publishing the vinyl printed at 180 grams celebrates the 40 years of activity.






































