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After a year of sadness comes an album fit to resist it. Detritus, the third solo LP by violinist/composer Sarah Neufeld, confronts anguish with beauty, turmoil with grace, gliding through the present like a dancer mid-motion, reaching through space 'til she's caught. Detritus originated with a collaboration: in 2015, Neufeld was invited to appear on stage with the legendary dancer/choreographer Peggy Baker. Baker had prepared a solo piece based on work from Neufeld's second album, The Ridge, to which Neufeld added an original lyrical prelude. The live result was an incendiary duet, almost a sort of face-off, which left each artist unsated. They agreed to reunite for a more extended collaboration - a full-length show with Baker's company, where Neufeld would write to (and perform music alongside) Baker's choreography. It was a fertile partnership, uniting the two women's intense, curious, ferocious sensibilities across an age difference of 29 years. Baker had conceived the show around the title of Neufeld's prelude, "Who We Are In The Dark," exploring themes of loss, betrayal and the emptiness of space; Neufeld was herself in crisis mode, reacting to a specific, earthbound kind of grief (including the end of a relationship). Making work together, they drew on these raw feelings - insistent, urgent darkness but also something that was, for Neufeld at least, much more unexpected: a romantic, tender-hearted love, inspired by the movements of the dancers before her. The work premiered in February 2019. Even before Neufeld and Peggy Baker Dance Projects set off on tour, she had the intuition that this music might take another form: as a distilled set of songs, refined and developed beyond the versions performed on stage. Starting that summer, she began arranging this lush and soloistic material - work that eventually became Detritus - and performed some of these experiments at her own solo gigs. Neufeld worked throughout the process with her Arcade Fire bandmate Jeremy Gara, whose drums, synths and ambient electronics co-anchored the Peggy Baker shows and helped shape the reimagined album versions. She would go on to add foot-pedal bass synth, wordless vocals and swells of French horn courtesy of Bell Orchestre compatriot Pietro, bringing in woodwind wizard Stuart Bogie as a one-man flute ensemble, layering clusters of chords atop Neufeld's luminous compositions.

“Some of the most extraordinary songs I’ve heard in years.” Brian Eno

Les Disques du Crepuscule presents The Salt Garden (Landscaped), an album of extended pieces by acclaimed quiet music ensemble Fovea Hex, featuring longform remixes by British songwriter and producer Steven Wilson and Serbian soundscape artist Abul Mogard, as well as a previously unreleased mix by Peter Chilvers.

Formed in 2005 by Irish musician Clodagh Simonds, Fovea Hex have since released 3 albums (Neither Speak Nor Remain Silent, Here Is Where We Used to Sing and The Salt Garden), drawing favourable comparisons with Nico, This Mortal Coil, Ligeti and even Schubert.

The Salt Garden (Landscaped) is pressed on crystal clear vinyl, and comes packaged with a CD version featuring 4 tracks in total. The outer sleeve is printed in white reverse board and features an image taken by Crepuscule designer Joel Van Audenhaege during a recent trip to Greenland. The inner bag offers detailed liner notes as well as an interview with Clodagh.

As well as Steven Wilson and Abul Mogard, other high-profile admirers include film director David Lynch, who invited the group to play at his Cartier Foundation exhibition in Paris in 2007, and Brian Eno, who has described Clodagh’s work as “some of the most extraordinary songs I’ve heard in years.”

The Salt Garden (Landscaped) gathers together 3 long ambient remixes of tracks from the Salt Garden EP trilogy, originally released between 2016 and 2019. The core album is pressed on crystal clear vinyl and showcases ‘Solace’ and ‘Is Lanza Light & Given’, both re-worked by musical polymath Steven Wilson. “I’ve long been a fan of Fovea Hex,” explains Steven, “which for me is some of the most sublimely beautiful music ever recorded. It’s a mix of electronic and acoustic sounds played on instruments ranging from state-of-the-art to ancient and arcane.”

As well as the two tracks reworked by Steven, the bonus CD enclosed with the vinyl album also finds room for ‘We Dream All the Dark Away’, the widely-acclaimed re-interpretation by Abul Mogard of ‘All Those Signs’ from the Salt Garden II EP. By turns haunting and sinister, but always beautiful, the piece features vocals by both Clodagh and Brian Eno, as well as cello by Kate Ellis, and modular synth and effects by mysterious soundscaper Mogard.

An additional special bonus track on the CD is an unreleased remix of lesser -known 2015 digital single ‘By the Glacial Lake’ made by musician Peter Chilvers, best known for his collaborations with Brian Eno, Karl Hyde, Chris Martin and Tim Bowness.

“I feel truly honoured!” says Clodagh Simons, who began her career in cult folk-psyche band Mellow Candle, and since then has guested on albums by Mike Oldfield, Thin Lizzy, Russell Mills, Matmos, Current 93 and Steven Wilson. “It’s been fascinating to witness how these pieces have been so imaginatively and skilfully revisioned in the hands of Steven, Abul and Peter. Each piece has emerged into a completely fresh new light, with a different vibrancy, yet remains grounded in what was there before.”

Soundtrack for the critically acclaimed Jim Jarmusch film Only Lovers Left Alive, starring Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton. The score for Only Lovers Left Alive - a collaboration between SQÜRL (Jim Jarmusch, Carter Logan and Shane Stoneback) and Dutch lutenist Jozef Van Wissem - serves as a reflection of the distinct textures of Detroit and Tangier, bridging ancient and modern sounds, entangled and timeless. Avant-Baroque lute weaves through twenty-first century guitar grit, heavy back beats, Moroccan percussion, synth bass, field recordings, and numerous sonic effects to create a cinematic tapestry. Guest vocalist Madeline Follin (Cults) appears on SQÜRL's syrup soaked re-interpretation of the Wanda Jackson hit "Funnel of Love". Zola Jesus' commanding vocal soars through Van Wissem's "In Templum Dei". And Yasmine Hamdan's intimate and evocative "Hal", recorded on the set of the film and mixed by SQÜRL. The film and soundtrack album were released worldwide in 2014, and quickly earned the group the Cannes Soundtrack Award from a consortium of film and music critics. In the years that have followed it has remained a favorite of critics and fans alike, who have continued to hunt down the limited vinyl copies in existence.

Strut present the definitive edition of a 1977 classic, Plunky & Oneness OfJuju's 'Make A Change' album featuring the international hit 'Every WayBut Loose' and five previously unheard studio takes. Recorded at Omega studios in Maryland, the album marked a transition forthe band with lead vocalist Jackie Eka-Ete recording her last sessions withPlunky and Virtania Tillery taking over lead vocal duties. "'Make A Change'was always designed as a slightly more commercial entry in our discography," says Plunky. "We approached the sessions in the same way that we had approached all of our music since the early '70s. We played extended jams because we would always find something within those explorations. The songs had enough organic qualities to be considered R&B and enough rhythm to be Afro funk." After catching fire in Washington DC clubs through local record pools, the dancefloor favourite 'Every Way But Loose' famously became an anthem for Larry Levan at New York's Paradise Garage, kick-starting international success for the track. Other album cuts like funk workout 'Higher' and the wistful stepper 'Always Have To Say Goodbye' have remained staples among soulful DJs worldwide. "The songs and lyrics on this album have come back around full circle," continues Plunky. "With songs like '(Family Tree) Make A Change' and 'Every Way But Loose', we don't have tochange one word for them to be relevant all these years later. The positive messages are universal and timeless." This definitive edition of 'Make A Change' features the full original album alongside five previously unheard studio takes, all remastered by TheCarvery from the original tapes. Bonus tracks include extended studio versions of 'Every Way But Loose' and 'Always Have To Say Goodbye'and a previously unheard version of 'Time'. Package features brand newliner notes by bandleader Plunky Branch.

Brilliant second album from the wholly original cult Sheffield post punk band. Released in 1983 on Red Flame ‘One Afternoon In A Hot Air Balloon’ is an adventure on its own. Artery somehow replaced the somber post-punk of the debut with a stream of melancholic pop paeans influenced by british folk and certain ballroom dances, with a spectral keyboard sound worth killing for. The secret weapon - when compared to the rest of their discography - is largely explained by the presence of keyboard player and (by now) main composer Christopher Hendrick. The band was in fact reduced to a trio with former members Mark Gouldthorpe (guitar) and Garry Wilson (drums) now supported by the singular effort of Hendrick (also on bass and xylophone). At the same time Garry Wilson was playing in an early incarnation of Pulp. Despite the early Joy Division influence - which the band firmly dismissed – Artery is moving forward into the so-called new romantic era. A vaudeville scenario light years ahead from the streets and the aggro-culture, a way to some pleasant and revealing experience.

The American Negro is an unapologetic critique, detailing the systemic & malevolent psychology that afflicts people of color. It should be evident that any examination of black music is an examination of the relationship between black & white America. This relationship has shaped the cultural evolution of the world and its negative roots run deep into our psyche. With an elaborate orchestral and soulful display, The American Negro re-invents the black native tongue: a politically conscious LP with a prescription to eradicate hate in America. "The American Negro is the most important creative accomplishment of my life. This project dissects the chemistry behind blind racism, using music as the medium to restore dignity and self-worth to my people": Adrian Younge is a multi-instrumentalist, film composer and producer with an analog studio and record store in Los Angeles. He is a member of The Midnight Hour and has produced for entertainment greats ranging from Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar and Wu Tang Clan. He's composed for television shows such as Marvel's Luke Cage (with Ali Shaheed Muhammad), and films including Black Dynamite. He owns the boutique record label, Linear Labs, and is co-owner of Jazz Is Dead. When he's not working on scores for major studios or networks, he's making albums that speak to his own artistry. For The American Negro, Younge not only wrote, but played every instrument of the album's rhythm section; he also orchestrated a 30-piece orchestra and recorded them in his analog studio.

Next up for Shall Not Fade's new Killer Cuts series is London-based DJ and label boss Tom Frankel. The up-and-coming producer has gained attention and respect for his slick techy house cuts that take from a range of classic house and UKG sound palettes. He makes his debut on Shall Not Fade with Milestones EP, six tracks of skippy house that reminisces early 90s raves.

The record meshes modern sounds with nostalgia; "Better Perspective" is a pulsing laid back house track but with a swerving bassline that gives it edge. Frankel experiments with the sounds of a warehouse rave in a nod to dancefloor romance, "Mandy Cuddles" - melding the classic M1 house piano with searing jungle vocals that cut through the melody like a laser.

Showing the cheekier side of his production, "Slippery Nipple" pays homage to filter house, a skippy garage bassline bringing it up to date. The funkiness of this one is unavoidable, making even the most static hips move; onto "Peak District", a throbbing 90s style roller to keep the pace going.

The two final tracks dabble in the darker end of Frankel's sound palette; "Tapas" adds heavy bass and percussive organ stabs to a clean house sound while "Cuckoo Land" is a deep, sweeping club track that formed a spaced out end to an otherwise high-intensity EP.

Beggars Arkive announce vinyl reissues for all five Peter
Murphy solo releases on Beggars Banquet, plus the release of
a brand-new rarities album titled ‘The Last And Only Star’. Each
album is pressed on coloured vinyl. The albums will be released
in three batches of two.
Peter’s third solo album saw him break wide open with his
biggest hit, ‘Cuts You Up’, which is often included in lists of the
greatest alternative singles. Propelling him into mainstream
stardom, ‘Deep’ also had two additional fantastic charting
singles - ‘The Line Between the Devil’s Teeth (And That Which
Cannot Be Repeat)’, ‘Cuts You Up’ and ‘A Strange Kind Of
Love’. Again produced by Simon Rogers, the critically
acclaimed album is still a fan favourite. Pressed on clear vinyl.
The fourth Peter Murphy album, ‘Holy Smoke’, contained the
single ‘The Sweetest Drop’, which made it onto the modern rock
charts. It was an elegant follow up to ‘Deep’ with crisp
production by Mike Thorne. As written in the original press
release for the album, “You can’t pin down ‘Holy Smoke’, it curls
and eddies in white and blue swirls, drawing a series of patterns
on the brain, but just when an image begins to come into focus,
the music mutates into something hypnotically new.” Pressed
on smoky vinyl.
Peter Murphy’s solo career began in 1986 with the release of
‘Should The World Fail To Fall Apart’ and continues to this day.
In addition to his work as the frontman of the legendary and
ground breaking Bauhaus, he has released ten solo albums, in
addition to several live releases. Over the last few years, he
staged several multi-night residencies where he performed a
different album each night. He also recently reunited with his
Bauhaus bandmates for shows.

A decade on from their first record, Iceage continue to harness their lives together through music. This journey, in music and life, has never progressed in a linear fashion. Seek Shelter — Iceage’s fifth LP and first for Mexican Summer — is proof that their lives are still happening through their music, and that they remain determined to harness it. Enrolling Sonic Boom (Pete Kember of Spacemen 3) to produce, Seek Shelter sees Iceage’s propulsive momentum pushing them in new, expansive, ecstatic directions. The sound of an emotional core unwound, Seek Shelter radiates warmth and a profound desire for salvation in a world that’s spinning further and further out of control. In an extraordinary and unexpected run following the release of their debut LP, Iceage went from the fertile hyperlocal Copenhagen scene to stages all over the world. Their recordings reflect their journey: 2012’s You’re Nothing was hard, fast and raw, a bold doubling-down on the aggression of youth in the first record as well as the weight of expectation. Plowing Into the Field of Love (2014) and Beyondless (2018) saw a softening of the band’s hardest edges and the arrival of a certain world-weary vaudeville in the Iceage sound. The band’s past two records — all filtered twangy guitar riffs, sparse piano arrangements, and slinky, slow-moving rhythms — ventured into an intoxicated but knowing swirl, surveying the party at the end of the night. They’d seen it all, at least once, and their music rode the crest of that chaos. Seek Shelter, the band’s first record made with an outside producer, is the place they have been called to next. The LP was recorded at Namouche, a dilapidated wood-paneled Lisbon radio studio of 1960s vintage where the band set up for 12 days. It is the longest time they have spent recording a record. Steady rain dripped through the ceiling; they had to arrange their equipment around puddles and slowly-filling buckets covered in cloth so that the sound of droplets wouldn’t reach the mics. Sonic Boom arranged garden lamps from a nearby party store for mood lighting in the high-ceiling space. A choir, the Lisboa Gospel Collective, joined the band for two tracks on the final day in the studio providing a new scale to Rønnenfelt’s incantations. Singer and primary songwriter Elias Rønnenfelt casts their new producer as a sparring partner, another wayward mind to bounce ideas off of. “We wanted a partner that had some noise that we didn’t have, more a wizard than a producer. “When we started, I think we were just lashing out, completely blindfolded with no idea as to why and how we were doing anything. For Seek Shelter, we had a definite vision of how we wanted the album to be carved out, yet still the end result came as a surprise in terms of where we sonically were able to push our boundaries.” He’s speaking of the new record and also of their entire existence as a band, a travelogue that has catapulted these four friends far past the horizons of punk. “Some of that we wanted to remain intact. We try to keep the mystery. If there's no sense of mystery in it for us, then it's not fun.” Seek Shelter is a record that now exists at a moment of a collective unknown, when every beating heart wonders what will happens next.

Night Beats, will be announcing their fifth full-length ‘Outlaw R&B’ and sharing the first single, ‘New Day’ on Feb 5th. Following the recent ‘That’s All You Got’ 7”, Night Beats’ latest long-player lands May 4th via Fuzz Club Records. Made during the height of the California wildfires (where Danny now resides), rioting in the streets and a nation in lockdown, ‘Outlaw R&B’ deals in a psychedelic and R&B-infused garage-rock sound that’s “bathed in post-apocalyptic bliss”.

Hugh Padgham-produced albums have sold well over 100 million copies worldwide, and gathered over 100 billion streams on digital platforms to date. Despite these stratospheric stats, the multi grammy award-winning producer has not been involved in any new material for well over a decade, and it would always take something ultra-special to pique Hugh's attention enough to get him back into the studio. This new album by Drummer/Composer Graham Costello, co-produced by Padgham and out May 7th on Gearbox Records, is most definitely that. Veering away from solid Jazz and into minimalism, electronics and post rock, Costello builds triumphantly on the foundation he laid down on 'Obelisk', his debut 2019 release which was nominated for the Scottish Album of the Year Award. It garnered much attention from the UK press and further, receiving 5-stars from The Scotsman and strong accolades from the likes of Clash Magazine, who called it ”startling, groundbreaking...it explodes definitions to seize fresh space”. 4 leading singles will drop to dsps in advance of the album street date of May 7th - each chosen to unpeal a little of the multiple layers to be discovered on the full set. 2nd single 'Circularity' (March 10th) hints at Blackstar-era Bowie while calming the soul with its sensuous hypnoticism, while 'Impetu' (April 9th) reveals a dense, lustrous sound bursting with colour, rich in energy, and 'Legion' (April 30th) explodes with muscular force and purpose.

This 4th full-length album by the legendary Congolese collective marks a new milestone in their already rich history, as the band have incorporated their own approach to electronic music into their new compositions. The album was produced by guitarist Mopero Mupemba, who also wrote about half of the songs. Mopero also took care of the often intricate programming, which is perfectly adapted to Kasai Allstars' peculiar rhythmic patterns drawn from traditional trance and ritual music. The album features Kasai Allstars mainstays such as vocalist Muambuyi (whose voice and personality inspired the making of multi-awarded feature film Félicité), vocalist and electric likembe player Kabongo, powerful singer Mi Amor, and instrumentalists Tandjolo and Bayila. Wonderful young vocalist Bijou makes a notable first appearance on several tracks. As is well-known by now, Kasai Allstars was born from the reunion of five bands, all from the Kasai region, but originating from five different ethnic groups whose diverse musical traditions were thought to be incompatible until these musicians decided to pool their resources and work together, an inspiring example of collaboration transcending ethnic and language barriers. Ever since the debut release in 2008, Kasai Allstars' music struck the imagination of music lovers and artists worldwide. They're particularly admired by avant-indie rock, electronic & hip hop musicians and media, who consider it as a kind of "primal rock", an accidental blend of trance and avant-garde. They're admired by artists such as Saul Williams, Questlove and Björk, have engaged in live collaborations with Deerhoof, Juana Molina and Konono Nd1, and have had their tracks remixed by the likes of Animal Collective, Deerhoof, Aksak Maboul, Jolie Holland, Shackleton and more.

With unfettered access to the Zappa Trust and all archival footage, ZAPPA explores the private life behind the mammoth musical career that never shied away from the political turbulence of its time. Alex Winter’s (Bill & Ted’s movie franchises, The Lost Boys) assembly features appearances by Frank’s widow Gail Zappa and several of Frank’s musical collaborators including Mike Keneally, Ian Underwood, Steve Vai, Pamela Des Barres, Bunk Gardner, David Harrington, Scott Thunes, Ruth Underwood, Ray White and others. The soundtrack is a perfect complement to the film available as a limited edition 5-LP 180-gram vinyl set for the Zappa completist. Showcasing 69 total songs, there are 12 previously unreleased recordings from the Zappa archive along with his 1978 Saturday Night Live performance; 24 additional Zappa songs from his extensive catalog spanning four decades; songs from Zappa’s labels Straight / Bizarre Records like “No Longer Umpire” by Alice Cooper and “The Captain’s Fat Theresa Shoes” by The GTO’s; 2 classical compositions by Edgard Varese and Igor Stravinsky; and 26 Original Score cues newly composed by John Frizzell for the documentary – all of which give the universe a sonic exploration into the musical brilliance of Frank Zappa. A 2LP edition on 180-gram clear vinyl will also be available, collecting together eight of the unreleased recordings from the Zappa archive, the SNL performance and 13 recordings from Zappa’s extensive recording career.

With unfettered access to the Zappa Trust and all archival footage, ZAPPA explores the private life behind the mammoth musical career that never shied away from the political turbulence of its time. Alex Winter’s (Bill & Ted’s movie franchises, The Lost Boys) assembly features appearances by Frank’s widow Gail Zappa and several of Frank’s musical collaborators including Mike Keneally, Ian Underwood, Steve Vai, Pamela Des Barres, Bunk Gardner, David Harrington, Scott Thunes, Ruth Underwood, Ray White and others. The soundtrack is a perfect complement to the film available as a limited edition 5-LP 180-gram vinyl set for the Zappa completist. Showcasing 69 total songs, there are 12 previously unreleased recordings from the Zappa archive along with his 1978 Saturday Night Live performance; 24 additional Zappa songs from his extensive catalog spanning four decades; songs from Zappa’s labels Straight / Bizarre Records like “No Longer Umpire” by Alice Cooper and “The Captain’s Fat Theresa Shoes” by The GTO’s; 2 classical compositions by Edgard Varese and Igor Stravinsky; and 26 Original Score cues newly composed by John Frizzell for the documentary – all of which give the universe a sonic exploration into the musical brilliance of Frank Zappa. A 2LP edition on 180-gram clear vinyl will also be available, collecting together eight of the unreleased recordings from the Zappa archive, the SNL performance and 13 recordings from Zappa’s extensive recording career.

Maya Dunietz is a prodigy pianist, an avant-garde sound artist, an award winning composer and mom to four.
A dubious character, a local legend and an inspiration for a generation of musicians. This is a unique kind of jazz. Glimpses of folk lullabies, African scales and rhythms, moments that border with free jazz, and homage to the old school traditions of stride, blues and to the great Thelonious Monk. Maya blends her infinite influences into a mind expanding groovy, never-dull journey.
This EP is Maya’s first solo release; with her as the leading voice and visionary.

When pianist Paul Bley passed away on January 3, 2016, we lost one of the most important improvisers/innovators of modern jazz. He was
instrumental in the surge of free jazz in the 60s.
He established his iconic style and remained influential throughout his life in both avant-garde and mainstream jazz.
The album here is the sequel to SteepleChase’s 1986 LP ‘Live’ from the live recording of March 26, 1986 at Copenhagen’s famous Jazzhus Montmartre.
“If you appreciate Bley’s quintessential lyricism and Lundgaard’s singing lines, this one and the other (‘Live Again’) are noteworthy albums.” - A.G., Compact
“The beautifully clear recording captures Bley’s incisive touch to perfection... recommended to both confirmed Bley addicts and anyone in need of a representative introduction to the startlingly focused genius of the most lucid of romantics.” - Michael Tucker, Jazz Journal International

Kleistwahr is the solo project of Gary Mundy, the legendary power electronic and noise-rock musician who is a founding member of Ramleh and runs the highly influential Broken Flag label. Solemn drones and elegiac long-form passages gird Kleistwahr’s Winter, which often chimes, glistens, and glows through a unhurried constructs for organ, synth, guitar, and electronics. Yet Mundy pivots throughout with triumphant explosions of shrill noise, redlined overload, and harrowingly anguished vocals from the great unknown. Quintessential Kleistwahr.

Winter was originally published as part of the instantly out of print On Corrosion - a 10 cassette anthology from 2019 that was housed in a handcrafted wooden box and featuring full albums from Kleistwahr, Neutral, Pinkcourtesyphone, Alice Kemp, She Spread Sorrow, G*Park, Relay For Death, Francisco Meirino, Fossil Aerosol Mining Project, and Himukalt. The collection also stood as the 50th release for The Helen Scarsdale Agency, an imprint founded in 2003 and dedicated to post-industrial research, recombinant noise, surrealist demolition, existential vacancy and then some.

With the necessary reissue of Winter, The Helen Scarsdale Agency will embark upon the reissue of much of that material from On Corrosion.

Satomimagae is a songwriter, singer, producer and composer residing in the environs of Tokyo, Japan. Hanazano is Satomimagae's fourth album and first for RVNG Intl. Her last albums Kemri (2017), and Koko (2014), were released on Chihei Hatakeyama's White Paddy Mountain. A tribute to everyday mysticism, Hanazono (translated as "flower garden") is an ecology of simple, cyclical refrains and elegiac entreaties cross-pollinating with ludic and layered folk vibrations. Each song on Hanazono is dedicated to a simple theme, object or image, out of which grows uncomplicated melodies wrapped in layers of textural warmth, like a flower subtly moving in sway with its environment. Accompaniments of avian calls and electric guitar strata, added by Hideki Urawa, who also mixed Hanazono, suggest a spacious firmament above this burgeoning bed of earth. An ecology of simple, cyclical refrains are bathed in humming ethers, elegiac entreaties cross-pollinating with ludic and layered folk vibrations. These are songs, lyrically light footed and tunefully mellow. Every element has its place, blooming in synchronicity with its sphere. Hanazono realizes a shift in the artist's habitually intimate and introspective tendencies. Though there are perceptible shades to this space_suggestions of isolation and vulnerability_there is a balance of light which resonates outwards. There is a sense of seeing the world around with wide-eyes, and belonging to it. This way of looking and being is reflected in the folktale relief print illustration which covers the album, setting a scene of sanctuary and insight for this green, growing patch of sound.

Magical is a fusion of a dozen genres, where every song opens up like a Russian doll, splitting into real songs within the song.
Hundreds of details are part of the different sonic worlds in which each song progresses.
Magical is no doubt hard to decipher for very good musicians, but it's easy to dance to for very normal people.
Since the orchestral introduction of the first song your senses will be automatically taken on a journey between irony and sadness, emotional intensity and vibing, extreme nerding and introspection. Magical is a dream that, through sound illusion, makes you meditate on the meaning of life, death and love, three fundamental topics in the album lyrics.
The album is a leap into a future where no tradition is missing.
Just a perfect way to discover the surprising world of Ze in the Clouds.

Ze in the Clouds is a cutting edge multi-instrumentalist and producer.
He created his own compositional style as the result of his jazz origins and his continuous studying and evolution. He shares his thousand faces without any stylistic boundaries with people and musicians who have the same vision.
Born in the Po Valley of Northern-Italy at the end of the last millennium, from a very young age Ze attracted the attention of promoters and artistic directors of the new avant-garde scene linked to jazz and electronic music. JazzMi and Jazz:Re:Found, the two most influential Italian festivals to focus on this kind of artistic proposal, immediately understood the potential of his amazing talent, showcasing him in their lineup. Jazz:Re:Found, captivated by his unique and inimitable style, decided also to reward his genius by inaugurating the catalog of the new record label project "Time is The Enemy" with his debut album.

After appearing on the label's Time Is Now Allstars compilation, Bristol's own Wilfy D makes his second appearance with Shall Not Fade, adding to their new Time Is Now White label series. The young garage star serves up the smooth and soulful two-step he is known for, plus two killer remixes from Time Is Now family DJ Crisps and Soul Mass Transit System.

"Garage Tools" opens out the EP with staccato sampling and a rumbling sub bass wobble dominating the track, the most headsy on the record while "All About U (3am Mix)" takes on a gentler vibe. Using luscious vocal chops and glimmering synths, Wilfy D creates a kind of garage love song, delicate and soothing. He kicks things up a notch on "Know U Like It", a slice of speed garage that grooves along to an earworm melody.

On the B-side Wilfy D's original "Midnight Shift", a clean classic noughties garage sound palette, is reimagined twice by DJ Crisps and then Soul Mass Transit System. DJ Crisps gives the track a drum and bass edge replete with teeth-gritting sub bass power; Soul Mass close out the record with a dirty up-tempo remix perfect for a soundsystem.

On April 30, Mascot Label Group/Provogue will release "How Blue Can You Get", a collection of previously unreleased songs from Gary's substantial body of outstanding work in his back catalogue. The album contains 4 originals, and 4 songs previously recorded and made famous by classic bluesmen like Elmore James, Sonny Thompson, Memphis Slim and BB King.
Venturing deep into the Moore family archives, some previously unheard and unreleased deep cuts and alternative versions surfaced to accentuate the beguiling mastery of one of blues' finest modern exponents. Amongst the songs are unheard and unreleased Moore originals - "In My Dreams," a lusciously glorious slow-moving ballad with every note and bend weeping as Moore pours out his heart along with the stunningly melancholic "Looking At Your Picture".

The album kicks off a rip-roaring take on Freddie King's "I'm Tore Down," a Moore live favourite before he slips into a previously unreleased virtuosic version on Memphis Slim's "Steppin' Out." Elmore James' "Done Somebody Wrong," is another that showcases his blues chops, as does the enormous 7-minute never been released before scorching take on BB King's 1964 hit "How Blue Can You Get." An alternative version of "Love Can Make A Fool Of You," makes itself at home deep into the blues-rock heart of Moore, in a way that his most loved songs do, whilst the finale soars into the stratosphere with the beautifully aching "Living With The Blues."

It's our hope that current and future generations of music fans discover and re-discover Gary Moore, revelling in the artistry of not just a great guitarist, but a supremely talented musician. Back to the future with Gary Moore.

Beautiful and highly collectible item: 2xColored LP (Orange / Translucent) + Booklet + Gatefold. Both CDs and 2LP contains download code. Official licence with SNK.

The soundtrack for the sequel to SNK's classic fighting franchise, ART OF FIGHTING 2, is now available on vinyl! Featuring 34 breathtaking NEO GEO tracks across 2-LPs and CD, take the ART OF FIGHTING 2 soundtrack for a spin and relive the classic days of SNK music.

After years of performing live together and appearing on each other's solo albums, critically acclaimed mc's/producers Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic, along with DJ Big Wiz, come together as Hail Mary Mallon and deliver their Rhymesayers debut Are You Gonna Eat That?. The name and album title are inspired by Mary Mallon aka Typhoid Mary, the first person in the U.S. identified as a healthy carrier of the pathogen associated with typhoid fever. Mary Mallon was presumed to have infected 53 people, three of whom died, over the course of her career as a cook. She spent three years in quarantine, which is where she died. Are You Gonna Eat That? is full of powerful dense production and witty word play courtesy of Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic. Add some turntable wizardry from DJ Big Wiz and this trio is destined to be as infectious as Typhoid Mary herself.

Die 7-fache Grammy Gewinnerin Carrie Underwood veröffentlicht ihr neues Album „My Savior“ Seit ihrem Gewinn der amerikanischen TV-Show „American Idol“ 2005 geht es für die 37-Jährige steil Bergauf: Mit mehr als 64 Millionen verkauften Platten weltweit, 27 Nummer eins Hits (14 davon als CoAutor) und sieben Alben die mit dem RIAA Platin Award ausgezeichnet wurden zählt Carrie Underwood
zweifelsohne zu den Ausnahmetalenten im Pop-Olymp.
Mit „My Savior“ erscheint nun das nächste Werk der Amerikanerin. Das Album enthält eine intime Sammlung traditioneller Gospel-Hymnen und ist das spirituelle Gegenstück zum Weihnachtsalbum „My Gift“: ”Diese beiden Alben stehen seit Beginn meiner Karriere auf meiner musikalischen Bucket List und waren
lange vor den Ereignissen des vergangenen Jahres geplant, aber irgendwie fühlt es sich wie der perfekte
Zeitpunkt an, diese Songs mit der Welt zu teilen.”, so Underwood.
Der Grammy Preisträger David Garcia ist als Co-Produzent beteiligt und wirkte bereits an Carrie Underwood‘s mit Platin ausgezeichnetem Album „Cry Pretty“ mit.

All music improvised by Michael Wollny, Emile Parisien, Tim Lefebvre
and Christian Lillinger (except ‘Nostalgia for the Light’, written and
arranged by Michael Wollny).
The music we hear doesn’t fit into any category. We’re in uncharted
territory, so a good way to capture its essence might be to break it
down into its four component parts. First there’s Michael Wollny, here
for the very first time playing only on electronic keyboard instruments.
He creates a characterful world of retro-futuristic sounds that is very
much his own. We find the occasional nod to early Jean-Michel Jarre,
references to science fiction and horror movies and also vivid
memories of the sounds of avant-garde Krautrock: Can and Irmin
Schmidt and Klaus Schulze.
As for Tim Lefebvre, here is a musician who has plied his very great
craft with stars such as David Bowie, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, John
Mayer, Knower, Steely Dan, Elvis Costello and Wayne Krantz. Here
he is like a rock in a tempestuous sea. He propels the music forward
with a combination of bass and effects. He builds structures and
tames unruly elements. The way he lays down a groove is
overwhelming.
As a counterbalance we find the explosive yet highly sensitive playing
of drummer Christian Lillin-ger. He stacks layer upon layer of rhythms
and textures.
And the melodic lines of Emile Parisien on soprano saxophone
always have an astonishing springy inventiveness. Such is Parisien’s
latent energy, it seems as if at any moment he could suddenly
become airborne.
The players’ eager curiosity as to what the next turn, the next
impulse, the next push will be is palpable to the listener. One can
sense the tension between the urge to construct forms, lines,
grooves, harmonies, textures, versus the illicit joy of tearing such
fragile structures apart before they have even been heard. There are
beats and patterns from the 90s, 80s and 70s, all coalescing into
cinematic bacchanalia of sound. These four master improvisers and
composers all have the urge to rewrite the rules of their musical world
- and to do so in real time.
LP pressed on 180g vinyl with digital download code.

Re-press of the 2018 LP on green vinyl
In many ways Insecure Men - the band led by the fiercely talented songwriter and musician Saul Adamczewski and his schoolmate and stabilising influence, Ben Romans-Hopcraft - are the polar opposite of the Fat White Family. Whereas sleaze-mired, country-influenced, drug-crazed garage punks the Fat Whites are a “celebration of everything that is wrong in life”, Insecure Men, who blend together exotica, easy listening, lounge and timeless pop music, are, by comparison at least, the last word in wholesomeness. The band originally formed in 2015 in the cramped confines of The Queens Head pub, Stockwell, in the Fat White Family’s notorious South London ‘practice space’. Saul recorded all of the songs he wrote at The Queens Head onto tape at Sean Lennon’s studio in upstate New York. This tape, recorded on his own in a corridor onto an ancient Tascam while in a foul mood with his mates, essentially became Insecure Men’s self-titled debut album as more layers were dubbed over the top until nothing of the original demos remained. Saul lists some of the influences on their sound, mentioning the exotica of Arthur Lyman, the early electronic pop of Perrey and Kingsley, the supreme smoothness of The Carpenters, the songwriting chops of Harry Nilsson and the hypnagogic uncanniness conjured up by David Lynch, describing what they do as “pretty music with a dark underbelly to it”.

"Where Do We Go From Here" is Dumpstaphunk's first album in seven years. It will be released on April 23, 2021 on The Funk Garage, an imprint of Mascot Label Group.
Over its past 17 years, Dumpstaphunk has earned its reputation as the most well-regarded next-generation New Orleans live powerhouse, the type of band whose live shows attract sit-ins from legends like Carlos Santana, Bob Weir and Trombone Shorty. Alongside Hall, Daniels, Alex Wasily, Ryan Nyther and drummer Devin Trusclair, cousins Ivan and Ian Neville have built upon their family’s iconic NOLA legacy as they’ve transformed Dumpstaphunk into the city’s pre-eminent 21st-century funk-fusion export.
The band’s mix of classic and modern influences can be heard throughout the party-friendly mix of R&B, funk, rock, swamp-pop and blues of "Where Do We Go From Here," from the slap-bass rave "Make It After All" to the band's contemporary renderings of NOLA R&B rarities (the 1975 Blackmail gem "Let’s Get At It") and early Seventies classics (Sly and the Family Stone's "In Time”).
‘Where Do We Go From Here’ is perhaps the best evidence yet of Dumpstaphunk’s ability to strengthen and transform their singular NOLA roots in combination with the deeper outside musical and philosophical influences on which the band is founded.

2LP on crystal clear vinyl. In these trying times, where intimacy and closeness are fraught with danger, Dans Dans (Dance Dance) brings you the sound of connection, communication, passion and togetherness.

In these trying times, where intimacy and closeness are fraught with danger, Dans Dans (Dance Dance) brings you the sound of connection, communication, passion and togetherness.

Dans Dans unites the talents of three of Belgium's most prolific music makers in Bert Dockx (Flying Horseman), Fred 'Lyenn' Jacques (Lyenn, Lanegan band) and Steven Cassiers (Dez Mona, DAAU). An utterly unique musical collective, the trio are set to release new album 'Zink' on the 23rd April via Ghent based independent, Unday Records.
From jazz, psychedelic blues and ecstatic noir soundtracks to spacey rock 'n' roll, Dans Dans cut their teeth on the cool jazz cafe scene in Flanders, Brussels with their sensational live performances and have since gone on to become a mainstay on the flourishing Belgian musical landscape.

Releasing their self-produced, eponymous debut album back in 2012, their highly distinctive, intuitive mix of musical styles and their ever-imaginative live shows caught the attention of discerning music lovers, journalists and promoters. A relatively unknown tour de force outside the Benelux region, Dans Dans have built a solid fan base since their inception with limited edition runs of early releases becoming collector's items among vinyl enthusiasts.

Well-received appearances at Cactus Festival, North Sea Jazz and Pukkelpop, as well as Gent Jazz, Ljubljana Jazz and Jazz Middelheim have confirmed their reputation as one of the most unique and exciting bands to come out of Belgium. In recent years, the group has been touring throughout Europe, garnering enthusiastic reactions beyond the Belgian borders as well. There's a case to be made that Dans Dans even played a key role in breaking down the wall between the Belgian jazz scene and the pop/rock circuit (years before pop journalists began referring to a New Wave of Belgian Jazz).

Opening with the moody noir rhythms of 'Cinder Bay', Dans Dans look to construct their own musical universe across 'Zink'. 'Naiad' unfolds into a devastating explosion of heavy feedback and wild, crashing drums before subtle electronica and baroque art-rock collide on 'Anemone' giving a good indication of Dans Dans' eclecticism. There's unquestionably a deep, underlying filmic beauty to the music, an evolving darkness and a perpetual sense of dread and paranoia. Elsewhere, 'Ravine' is intoxicating, provocative and uncompromising while the beatific 'Shell Star' is an infectious exploration of hypnotic grooves, atmospheric sounds and mind-bending melodies.

Producer Christine Verschorren (Philippe Catherine, Ivan Paduart) accentuates the music's wondrous fluidity throughout 'Zink'; the intriguing interplay; the subtle ties; the deep layering. Musical styles and influences are being blended organically and sublimated into what can only be called Dans Dans-music. "This is no fusion, no rock or jazz or ambient. This is the sound of the searching, intuitive human; of a timeless, mysterious dream; of the heart, the gut and the soul," says Dockx.

A ground-breaking new collaboration for fans of African music (Ali Farka Touré, Oumou Sangaré) as well as contemporary orchestral music (Max Richter, Olafur Arnalds, the London Symphony Orchestra)

Kôrôlén is a very special collaboration between two titans in music: Toumani Diabaté, the Grammy-winning Malian kora virtuoso, and the London Symphony Orchestra, renowned worldwide for their performances of orchestral music on record, film and stage.

Diabaté, a griot whose musical lineage stretches back generations, is well known as one of the most creative musicians on the African continent, and is almost single-handedly responsible for bringing the iconic sound of the kora to worldwide audiences. No stranger to a genre-defying collaboration, he has recorded two Grammy-winning albums alongside desert blues pioneer Ali Farka Touré, as well as projects with Taj Mahal, Björk, Béla Fleck, Damon Albarn and Afrocubism.

Commissioned as a special project by the Barbican Centre in London and produced by World Circuit, these recordings feature Diabaté and his group of eminent Malian musicians (including Kasse Mady Diabaté and Lassana Diabaté), accompanied by the soaring presence of the LSO, in dedicated arrangements by Nico Muhly and Ian Gardiner and conducted by Clark Rundell.

The title bestowed by Diabaté on this unique and groundbreaking release, ‘Kôrôlén’, translates from the Mandinka language as ‘ancestral’ - a fitting theme for an album that brings together ancient griot melodies and Western orchestral arrangements, resulting in an achingly beautiful and fresh Afro-neo-classical sound that will appeal to admirers of African, traditional and new classical, and ambient music.

This self-titled work is Tim Buckley’s debut album, originally released in 1966. Most of the songs were co-written by Buckley and Larry Beckett while still in high school. It also features lifelong friend and collaborator Lee Underwood as well as Van Dyke Parks. This mostly folk oriented album was the start of an incredibly versatile career in which he later incorporated jazz, psychedelia, funk, soul and avant- garde. The album is released as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on gold coloured vinyl.

After NEF's album in 2019, Ici Bientôt is happy to present today the reissue of Comme Au Moulin by Nyssa Musique.

Paris 1985... ‘Extra-European’ Traditions meet Jazz and Minimal Music. An unusual array of instruments turn music into a dialogue. For a unique record ... vivid, full of texture, somewhere between Midori Takada, Don Cherry and Jon Hassell.

Beginning of the eighties, 5 musicians rehearse in a contemporary dance class hall, upstairs from the ‘’New Morning", renowned Music venue in Paris. Nyssa Musique is born. Passionate for a long time about traditional music, like those of the Middle East, India and East Asia, but also about African traditions, they throw a bridge between Jazz and ‘Extra-European’ traditions, resulting in what would be called "Spiritual Jazz" today, a little bit in the style of Don Cherry's Organic Music or Pharoah Sanders. With the notable difference, however, that their creations are strongly infused by contemporary classical and repetitive music, notably Steve Reich's work with whom they share a great interest for the traditional cultures of Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and its gamelans.

In the original group we have Armand Amar, Ballet Music composer and John Boswell. Both specialists of traditional hand percussion which they had been studying for a long time in India and the Middle East, they are also very fond of synthesizers. Three other talented musicians quickly join them: Jean-François Roger, percussionist, marimba and vibraphone specialist, Henri Tournier, multi-flutist and Renaud Garcia-Fons, double bass player, who has a passion for the Middle East and has developed a virtuosic play of the bow, reminding that of Cecil Mc Bee.

Each of them enriches the ensemble with their personality, originality and musical generosity. The rehearsal hall is rapidly invaded by the phenomenal instrumentarium put together by Armand Amar. A great opportunity for the musicians, for the dancers, to have access to an endless choice of instruments, offering infinite possibilities for mixing different colors and timbres. Their sense for being a group and their great capacity for improvising culminates, in 1986, in the composition of their first and only album Comme au Moulin (« As by the windmill"), testimony of years of creating without hidden agenda.

Authentic, free and vibrant, still today, this album has no real equivalent. Even though it recalls the Fourth World current by its combination of traditional instruments with a subtle use of synthesizers, Comme au moulin gives more space to improvisation. It may also recall those of Midori Takada, less the New Age esthetics. An album that should delight as well lovers of "Love Supreme" by John Coltrane, of "Vernal Equinox" by Jon Hassell, as those of Moondog, an artist who, like them, invented a music based on the use of untypical percussions, at the confluence of 'Extra-European' traditions, Jazz and Classical, all together complex and hypnotic.

Incl. Chris Geschwindner Remix

To kick off with their series, SINM presents its first record: First try Fridays (incl. Chris Geschwindner remix). The tree tracker consists of a blend between UK Garage, House and Electro to bring forward cutting edge rave sensations with futuristic vibes.

A side takes you straight to a two-stepper projectile, setting the tone with "First Try Fridays" and its powerful wobble sub and short electric stabs. Perfect for threatening the dance-floor in peak time hours alongside mysterious DDA's approach.

On the flip side, Realness teleports you to a nostalgic scenario with its polished chord progressions and breakbeat strikes. Slowly building up with vocal cuts and glitchy transitions, B2 reaches a both nostalgic and mysterious climax. To close the EP, Beam Dump's boss man captures the beautiful essence of Realness bringing beach-like sensations to a tune that's perfect for warming up a dance-floor or enjoying the after-hours.

More to come soon from the SINM crew, stay tuned!

Deluxe 3LP mit 34 neu gemasterten Tracks und einem 60-seitigen Buch mit ausführlichen Linernotes, Interviews, bisher ungesehenen Archivphotos und den Texten (samt Übersetzung) in einem ,Tip On"-Schuber und drei ,Tip On"-Sleeves. Linernotes von Kevin ,Sipreano" Howes. Bisher fast nicht an die Öffentlichkeit gedrungen, kaum dokumentiert, aber im Kern ungeheuer revolutionär, nehmen die Aufnahmen verschiedenster Gemeinden amerikanischer Ureinwohner endlich in Form von ,Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966-1985" den Platz ein, den sie verdienen. Eine Anthologie von Musik, die einst fast ausgestorben, aber nun für alle zu hören, ist ohne Frage eins der ambitioniertesten Projekte in der 12-järhigen Geschichte von Light In The Attic. ,Native Norht America (Vol. 1)" versammelt Musik der eingeborenen Völker Kanadas und der nördlichen USA, die in den turbulenten Jahrzehnten zwischen 1966 und 1985 aufgenommen wurde. Die Musik spiegelt die Zusammenführung globaler Popkultur und die Neuerweckung der eingeborenen Spiritualität und Ausdruckskraft wider. Der größte Teil dieses Materials war über Jahrzehnte lang durch fehlende Distributionskanäle und wenig Präsenz in den Massenmedien in Vergessenheit geraten - bis jetzt! Hier versammelt sich Garage Rock vom Polarkreis aus der Nunavik Region des nördlichen Quebec, melancholischer Yup'ik Folk aus Alaska und flüsternder Country Blues aus dem Wagmatcook First Nation Reservat in Nova Scotia. Man vernimmt Echos von NEIL YOUNG, VELVET UNDERGROUND, LEONARD COHEN, CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL, JOHNNY CASH und anderen in den Songs, die jedoch mit eingeborenem Bewusstsein, Erzählkultur, Poesie, Geschichte und Zeremonie angereichert werden. Die Compilation ist gewidmet dem legendären Métis Singer/Songwriter und Dichter WILLIE DUNN, der auf der Anthologie auftritt, während der Zusammenstellung des Albums jedoch verstarb. ,Native North America (Vol. 1)" ist nur der Anfang; eine Zusammenstellung von Folk, Rock und Country aus den südlichen 48 Staaten der USA und Mexiko wird momentan in der Light In The Attic Goldmine ausgegraben.

don Grammar’s success and longevity as a band has traced the British pop graph for over a decade now. The new album embodies a new clarity of purpose centred around frontwoman Hannah Reid, who crafts a message of femininity and power on the new material. Their debut double platinum selling record 'If You Wait' garnered huge success on its release in 2013, which was followed up by their #1 record 'Truth Is A Beautiful Thing' in 2017. To date the band have sold over 3 million records and 1 million tickets globally, whilst their music has been streamed 1 billion times. Having garnered numerous BRIT nominations and awarded a prestigious Ivor Novello, London Grammar remain rooted as one of the most exceptional and successful artists of a generation.

super deluxe box set/20 page hardback book featuring artwork, unseen photos and an exclusive lithograph art print on 300 GSM card. Inside you’ll find the album on CD, 12” 180g transparent white vinyl plus a special blue 10”.

HIGHLIGHTS 180g vinyl reissue of the mega rare Mexican-only Luiz Eça album from 1970 in facsimile artwork and remastered sound. The Brazilian pianist and founder member of Tamba Trio is accompanied here by a large group of top-notch Brazilian musicians including Joyce, Nana Vasdoncelos, Wilson Simonal and Claudio Roditi delivering an outstanding mix of energetic arrangements and delicate vocal harmonies. A samba jazz masterpiece. Exclusive RSD 2020 release. DESCRIPTION Tamba Trio (Helcio Milito, Bebeto Castilho and Luiz Eça) released their first LP in 1962 and quickly became one of the most popular bossa jazz combos out of Brazil. By the mid 60s the band would expand becoming Tamba 4 and Luiz Eça would record his first albums as a leader. Trained as a classical pianist, Eça's style was a mix of jazz and pop then blended into bossa resulting in a fresh and unique sound that evolved over the years towards an even more eclectic blend. "La Nueva Onda del Brasil" was recorded in 1970 by Luiz Eça accompanied here by " La Familia Sagrada", a large group of top-notch Brazilian musicians including Joyce, Nana Vasdoncelos, Zeca do Trombone, Mauricio Maestro, Claudio Roditi_ even Wilson Simonal joins the group on Jorge Ben's 'Pais Tropical'. The album was released years later on the tiny Mexican label RVV, run by Rogelio Villareal, also home to the very rare LPs by Primo Quinteto or Rozana in a similar vein. Villareal was the owner of the Camino Real hotels group and the RVV records were exclusively available for sale at the hotels premises, as souvenirs for visitors. The band spent some periods of time touring Mexico, performing at different Camino Real locations. The album distribution was very limited and never got a local release in their native Brazil (or anywhere else) making this LP a very sought-after record that has reached cult status among Brazilian music collectors Worldwide. "La Nueva Onda del Brasil" includes both standards and originals, all performed in a very free style, an outstanding mix of energetic arrangements and delicate vocal harmonies, a sort of very late and evolved bossa mixed with jazz, emphasizing the rhythmic elements with an afrosamba twist. A samba jazz masterpiece.

The Badasonics mixes soul and funk together with Jamaican riddims and horns with the soulful rock and reggae voice of Caz Gardiner to deliver a pulsating party of soul steady beats. Caz has performed with the BandHouse Gigs, Newmeyer Fyler productions and The Beat Hotel. She was the lead singer for The Ambitions, a 60's influenced soul/rock band which in 2008 was nominated for a Wammie (Washington Area Music Association) in the best new band category; and the rock steady/reggae band Caz and The Day Laborers. In 2010, she was nominated for a Wammie in the best traditional blues/RnB vocalist category for her work with Caz and The Commotions. The Badasonics, consisting of former members of The Moon Invaders & The Caroloregians, were also known as the busiest backing band for Jamaican artists in Europe and have played with Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Ken Boothe, Alton Ellis, Dave & Ansel Collins, Rico Rodriguez, Doreen Shaffer, Pat Kelly, Derrick Harriott & many more.

Meet Bass / House... Sweet sounds

Far Out Recordings is delighted to present Mora!, and for the first time ever on vinyl Mora! II. Mexican-American percussionist and former member of the Sun Ra Arkestra, Francisco Mora Catlett originally recorded and released his debut solo LP as a private press in 1987, but the sequel he recorded over the course of the next few years with an expanded Detroit jazz brass section was shelved for decades to follow. A pan-American melting pot of hypnotic afro-cuban rhythms, frenetic batucadas and fiery sambas, Mora I & II are holy grails of latin jazz, masterminded by an unsung hero of the genre.

Born in Washington DC, 1947, Francisco Mora Jr is the eldest child of two highly prominent Mexican artists, Francisco Mora Sr and Elizabeth Catlett, to whom this project was dedicated. Being born into a mixed heritage bohemian family provided Mora Jr with what he called a “creative, progressive, and healthy arts environment”, building the foundations for a fascinating career journey ahead. Mora grew up in Mexico City where he began working as a session musician for Capitol Records in 1968, before moving to study at Berklee Music College in Boston, MA in 1970. Once he’d completed his studies in 1973, he very briefly returned to Mexico City with the best intentions of cultivating an avant-garde movement in the city, but when the Sun Ra Arkestra came to perform, Mora ended up leaving with the band to tour the world for the next seven years, a decent innings within a group famous for its constantly evolving line up.

Settling in Detroit after his years with the Arkestra, Francisco set to work on his self-titled debut, gathering an ensemble of musicians that included keyboardist Kenny Cox, founder of the legendary Strata Records, esteemed bassist Rodney Whitaker of the Roy Hargrove Quintet and percussionists Jerome Le Duff, Alberto Nacif, and Emile Borde. The album openly embraces and unites the broad spectrum of improvisation, rhythm, and jazz that has thrived throughout the American continents for centuries. In Mora’s own words the album intended to “manifest the African heritage presence in the American continent.” Epitomising this outlook, album opener ‘Afra Jum’ deploys a melody based on Haitian, African and Native American motifs, which is expanded upon by the soulful excellence of the Detroit veterans Cox and Whitaker, amidst a backdrop of afro-cuban inspired percussion.

The sequel Mora II was recorded shortly after with an expanded line up that included trumpet legend Marcus Belgrave, famed for his work with Ray Charles, Charles Mingus, Hank Crawford, Eddie Russ and Wendell Harrison. Continuing the concept of the first album, the follow up moves deeper into South America with the samba jazz dance belter ‘Amazona’, led by the rich vocals of Francisco’s wife Teresa Mora. The ‘Afra Jum’ concept is further explored, with the original motifs beefed up by the additional horns, and interspersions of Sun Ra inspired rumbling free improvisations. This follow up album remained shelved until 2005, when Mora put it out as a now obscure CD titled River Drum, but only now has it been given the high quality vinyl treatment it so deserves, presented as the sequel to Mora! as originally intended.

Through the 90s and into the the 21st century Mora would continue his Pan-American explorations, moving toward a more electronic afro-futurist direction as part of Detroit techno pioneer Carl Craig’s Innerzone Orchestra. Mora also worked with Carl Craig, moog synth wizard Craig Taborn, and his former Arkestra colleague, the legendary Marshall Allen, to form the Innerzone Orchestra spin-off Outerzone, released in 2007 on Premier Cru Records. Mora I & II will be out as two vinyl LPs, CD and digitally 16th April 2021.