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GAEREA ist nichts weniger als ein fantastisches Rätsel, tief verwurzelt in Extremen und leidenschaftlicher Hingabe. In weniger als einem Jahrzehnt hat das maskierte Kollektiv, das in der portugiesischen Stadt Porto gegründet wurde, unzählige dunkle Facetten des Metal getestet und präsentiert nun mit "Loss" sein fünftes Album sowie Debüt bei Century Media Records.
"Wir haben das getan, was wir immer getan haben - wir sind unserem Instinkt gefolgt", sagt der anonyme Sänger von GAEREA. "Doch etwas sagt mir, dass dieses neue Album Elemente hat, die sowohl unsere neuen als auch unsere alten Fans lieben werden - aber es ist nicht gerade genau das, was sie von uns erwarten."
"Loss" definiert GAEREA neu und verquickt Elemente aus ihrer Post-Black-Metal Vergangenheit mit eindringlichen Melodien zu raffinierten Klanglandschaften. Dabei schlüpft die Band aus dem kreativen Kokon, um sich in etwas ebenso Mitreißendes wie Unerwartetes zu verwandeln: Es gibt Klargesang. Es gibt Refrains, die so eingängig und leidenschaftlich sind wie die besten Rock- und Metal-Songs. Und doch ist es unverkennbar GAEREA.
Die maskierte und ritualisierte Bühnenpräsenz der Band ist nicht nur Teil einer Show, sondern ein integraler Bestandteil von GAEREA, der ihre musikalische Extremität auf ein philosophisches, avantgardistisches Level hebt. Ihre Uniformen bieten dabei eine gesichtslose und androgyne Leinwand, die es ihnen erlaubt, sich in vollkommen in ihre Performance zu stürzen, die nicht zuletzt durch eine gewisse Körperlichkeit in ihren Bann zieht. Trotz ihrer dunklen Präsenz versprüht die Band stets einen Hauch von Transzendenz und Positivität. Mit "Loss" verschmelzen GAEREA die Ästhetik des Extreme Metal, die Offenheit des Post-Rock und einen freigelegten, emotionalen Nerv zu einem neuen musikalischen Paradigma.
Das ist GAEREA.
"Loss" ist erhältlich als: Ltd. CD Digipak in O-Card, LP, Digital Album

Brendan Eder follows up minimalist 70s-jazz concept with new ambient-classical album, THERAPY. Brendan Eder is a Los Angeles composer and drummer best-known for his eponymous genre-bending ensemble of woodwinds, drumset, and bass; as well as his film scoring work, most notably on four short films for director Ari Aster. On March 3, 2023 Eder released his third album, THERAPY, a collection of meditative woodwind arrangements recorded primarily at Church of the Good Shepherd in Arcadia, California.

The quest for THERAPY came during a period of deep spiritual curiosity. Eder was avidly watching testimonies of near death experience survivors (NDEs), pouring over books of Theosophical artwork and philosophy, and
processing experiences of grief, uncertainty and spirituality.

Eder wanted to explore the threshold between the spiritual and physical dimensions, and create music that could evoke its shape and texture — a theme further illustrated in the original album artwork and single covers by Adam Rabinowitz. Eder felt he must be on to something when, on a whim, he looked up the tempo of a piece he was calling “137 Riddle.” Turned out to be “the most important number in the world” in theoretical physics, as well as a provocative number in Jewish mysticism.

Since 2020, Eder's cover of Aphex Twin's “#20 (Lichen)” has garnered over two million streams. Appropriately, THERAPY delivers two new Aphex Twin arrangements alongside eight original pieces.

Maintaining his track record of recording the best musicians Eder can find, THERAPY features special guests Nailah Hunter (harp), Henry Solomon (saxophone), and Ethan Haman on The Newberry Memorial Organ at Yale University.

Benefit compilation with exclusive tracks from live performances & installations at eavesdrop festival 2024. All revenues go to charities providing medical aid and food sovereignty in Gaza.

In november 2024, eavesdrop festival presented its 3rd edition of contemporary electronic music and sound art, taking place in the striking architectural setting of silent green’s Betonhalle in Berlin. ”to eavesdrop” - is invoked as a mode of listening intently, attentively and with curiosity. With its ongoing commitment to adventurous listening cultures, the festival brought together a top-notch line-up of Berlin based and international artists, who share a common practice in electronic sound composition whilst spanning a diversity of inter-related contemporary tendencies. Whether it’s multi-award winning Mariam Razaei’s exceptional turntablism, Ilpo Väisänen’s legendary DIY analogue electronics, Jasmine Guffond’s generative sound installation, Nina Garcia’s extraordinary electric guitar manipulations, Lottie Sebes’ AI voice synthesis or Rashad Becker’s idiosyncratic synthesizer explorations, to name a few, eavesdrop invited listeners to consider, from multiple perspectives, new social and technical developments in international music and sound cultures.

This compilation documents those 2 nights with 9 exclusive tracks - 7 live performances and 2 stereo mixes from multi-channel installations, edited by the festival’s curator / organizer Jasmine Guffond, with a total running time of approx. 78 minutes. All revenues will go to charities providing medical aid and food sovereignty in Gaza: Medical Aid For Palestinians & Thamra.

Pioneering Swiss trombonist and composer Andreas Tschopp marries contemporary jazz with South African horns and homemade ocarinas, creating a record quite unlike anything you've heard before. "What if We Align Our Breath" disregards the curvature of borders, genre, and time itself - tugging a thread through the history of wind instrumentation with ghostly agility.

At the heart of the record lie spiralling, bonelike kudu (antelope) horns - instruments that have lent their stirring calls to indigenous South African rituals and signalling systems for millennia. These horns are clustered, harmonised and stretched beyond their godly usage by Tschopp - his extended techniques coaxing an array of melancholy, playful voices to canter through the album.

Flourishes of trombone, alpine flutes and a stellar supporting cast on double bass (Shane Cooper), cornet (Ben LaMar Gay), udu drums (Gontse Makhene) and spoken word (Koleka Putuma) bring groove, countermelody and a sense of earthy introspection to the proceedings. This is inconceivable music: a sighing tapestry of brass, clay and bone that hints at some preconscious connectedness, tracing figures that rejoice, exhale and embrace outside of time.

Recommended if you like Francis Bebey, quantum physics, peat bogs.

Palmier is producer and rapper Rocé's new album. At the crossroads of Sade and Rakim, the album unfolds an impeccable flow over gentle melodies, the mellow sound of the saxophone softening the sharpness of the spoken truths. Rocé delivers a melody of hope, and appreciation of determination in the face of the impossible. "La Voie Lactée" features the captivating voice of Natacha Atlas and the sublime orchestrated violins of Samy Bishaï, the whole thing wrapped up in the style reminiscent of Isaac Hayes' soul and Portishead's trip-hop. "Laisse les enfants courir" reveals a soulful hip-hop, between powerful groove and relentless flow, where Rocé blends political lucidity and poetic verse while Cisko's subtle arrangements sculpt an organic, sensitive landscape, poised between tension and serenity. On "Lunaire", Rocé surprises us right away, with a sharp and melodic flow. Driven by powerful imagery and sharp lyrics, the track transforms anger into creative energy. It portrays an artist outside the mainstream, aware of the world's failings but determined to create his own haven. Palmier embodies themelancholy of unfinished struggles, perseverance, and the promise of a brighter dawn.FEAT. NATACHA ATLAS & LE VIOLONISTE SAMY BISHAI

Introducing the 4th instalment of the Pacific Coast House rebirth. We bring back another much sought-after 12” from The Coastal Commission & Jesse Outlaw. “Bring down the Walls” was a nod to Raze’s “Break for Love”, Robert Owens “Bring Down the Walls” and Ritchie Hawtin’s use of the Roland 606 throughout “Sheet One”. Long out of reach and fetching $100+ on Discogs, Atjazz’s freshly remastered editions are finally available .. “Let it Go” was never mastered & only ever cut to dub-plate. It has now been mastered & available in all it’s glory.

Coastal Commission “Bring Down the Walls” “Bring down the Walls” was a nod to Raze’s “Break for Love”, Robert Owens “Bring Down the Walls” and Ritchie Hawtin’s use of the Roland 606 throughout “Sheet One.” We gave the tune a Californian psychedelic twist with conga laden drums, a moody synth, low pulsing 303 patterns + Benjamin Zephaniahs patois call to “Move the Body Rhythmwize!” The first PCH releases had dropped Worldwide to International acclaim from DJ’s far and wide across the Globe with support in London, Paris & New York. However the local scene here in L.A that preached “Love, inclusion & Unity” was anything but that. L.A at that time was very tribal & divided up into 3 camps. If you weren’t affiliated with any of them (aka independent) then you were pretty much locked out of getting any kind of gig support or the Dj’s from those camps actually playing the music. The local feedback from Dj’s was that what we were making wasn’t “house,” but “Techno” which was absurd to me. “Bring Down the Walls” was a mantra to “move the bod”y and in doing so “bring down the walls” of separation not just in L.A but throughout society in general. Thank goodness for support from people like Terry Francis, Eddie Richards, DJ Deep & Philly Stalwart King Britt. After years of copies going for upward of $100+ on Discogs the now freshly remastered copies by At Jazz’s Martin Iveson are finally hitting the platters this Spring.

Jesse Outlaw “Let it Go” I met Jesse at Beatnonstop Records on Melrose Ave with Miguel Placencia in the late 90’s. Miguel (RIP) was a mainstay in the Underground scene and had always been very supportive of my endeavors. He had had success with a huge release on Yellow Orange and was working with Jesse under the moniker “When Worlds Collide.” I signed “Brighter Days” & “Set you Free” from them and released the tracks on my Seductive imprint. They told me that they were making the tracks on a Sony Playstation “Music Now” program and I was like FFS “What.s more Underground than that!?” Later Jesse gave me some of his solo work. The track “Let it Go” was never mastered & only ever cut to Dub-plate and featured on my 1st PCH mix “Pacific Coast House Sounds.” It has now been mastered by Martin Iveson and is available in all it’s glory. The dreamy vocal “You need to let it go” beckons over the top of driving percussive Latin beats and church organ which is a great compliment to the flip side of “Bring down the Walls.” All in all two West Coast stompers now finally available remastered on PCH in Orange vinyl.

Dorian Concept returns with "Miniatures," a collection of his renowned one-take synthesizer recordings that he’s been known for sharing online since the mid-2000s. “This release was right under my nose” he says. Over the past two decades, Dorian Concept has uploaded videos of himself "fooling around" on various synthesizers and keyboards – long before the rise of short-form content. These signature one- to two-minute performances have sparked countless covers, remixes and reinterpretations by musicians and producers alike. Through this project, Dorian Concept aims to celebrate a long-standing bond with his instruments and honor it in the form of a photo album.

In his own words:

As a kid, every night before bed, I would sit in the same place and draw a comic. I rarely finished them, but I couldn’t go to sleep without having started one. These "Miniatures" and the preceding videos I’ve recorded come from the same place. They’re the expression of a ritual.
Around 2020, I created a compact setup using three devices – a mono synthesizer, an analogue reverb and a looper –which I separated from the rest of the studio. Every day, before I started working, I would improvise on this small setup and at the end of every month, I would record a video and share it with the world. These songs were made in front of you, in a Truman-Show like fashion.
Now they feel like diary-entries that capture the timeline of a deepening relationship, the harvest of limitation and repetition, and the beauty of simplicity.

The cover art is a drawing by the esteemed Austrian artist Leopold Strobl (courtesy of Gallery Gugging), who is known for his distinctive small-format work. The closing track, “An Unopened Letter,” features the genre-defying guitarist and producer Bibio.

* King General’s debut single from 1993 receives a welcome reissue. Originally released on Conscious Sounds, the 12” has been out of print for over 30 years. This issue features a previously unreleased dub version.

* Produced by Centry and mixed by Dougie Wardrop.

Apollo Records proudly present the vinyl reissue of ‘Morning Light’, the acclaimed 1997 album from Mark Van Hoen’s Locust project; a work that blurred the boundaries between ambient electronics, trip-hop, and dream-pop with an emotional precision few have matched since.

Originally issued during the label’s pioneering late-’90s era, ‘Morning Light’ marked a bold evolution for Van Hoen, best known at the time for his dark, abstract ambient work under Locust and as a member of Seefeel. Seeking to create something more human and melodic, Van Hoen assembled a rotating cast of collaborators, including Zoe Niblett, Craig Bethell, Neil Halstead (Slowdive/Mojave 3), and Wendy Roberts, blending fractured dance rhythms, live instrumentation, and intimate vocal performances into something both deeply personal and effortlessly cinematic.

From the haunting reimagining of The Carpenters’ ‘No-One In The World’ to the slow blooming emotional arcs of ‘All Your Own Way,’ ‘Folie’, and ‘The Girl With The Fairytale Dream’, the album’s 13 tracks form a widescreen narrative of melancholy and beauty. Reviewers at the time hailed it as “a subtle delight” and “sheer God-given genius”, comparing its mood and texture to Massive Attack, This Mortal Coil, and Portishead, yet noting its entirely singular voice.

This reissue restores Morning Light to vinyl for the first time in over two decades. A crucial artefact from the fertile intersection of experimental electronica and ethereal pop, ‘Morning Light’ stands today as one of the label’s most quietly influential releases.

Released in 1967, Open marked a bold debut for Brian Auger & The Trinity, featuring the dynamic vocals of Julie Driscoll. Music and its makers were rapidly evolving in ‘67, the UK's Jazz and R&B scenes were being influenced by pop and psychedelia and socially, musicians of many styles found common ground in London’s clubs like The Cromwellian and The Scotch Of St James where the The Beatles, US legends Wilson Pickett and Jimi Hendrix mingled with the capitals jazzers and pop stars, often loudly jamming together in even louder 'Lord Byron' shirts. 'Open' fully embraced this spirit by fusing together those genres and attitudes of the era. From the outset Auger displays his jazz rooted approach on the A side with 'In and Out' and 'Isola Natale' (later covered by one of his American jazz heroes Richard ‘Groove’ Holmes). Both showcase the Trinity's musicianship and Brian's improvisational flair. Auger himself takes on vocal duties on the raucous ‘Black Cat’, a track that became a club hit. Open is marked by its eclecticism; 'Lament for Miss Baker' is a tender, piano ballad influenced by Duke Ellington, reflecting Auger’s jazz and classical influences whilst 'Goodbye Jungle Telegraph' is a wild and crazy percussive freak out. Brian displayed not only his virtuosity but also his surrealist sense of humour with bizarre sound effects, inspired by Spike Milligan's The Goons' radio show interspersed between the tracks.

Julie Driscoll’s arrival on the album’s B side brings a sharp shift in tone. Her smoky, emotive vocals inject a soulful depth, notably on covers of Otis Redding & Carla Thomas hit 'Tramp', Aretha's 'Save Me' and The Staples Singers ‘Why Am I Treated So Bad". With original numbers 'Break It Up' and 'A Kind Of Love In' we hear the Auger / Driscoll pop infused R&B at its very best, whilst the version of Donovan’s 'Season of the Witch' stretches out into a slow-burning epic. In 2025, Open is viewed as a cult classic and testament to a unique period when genre boundaries were fluid and artistic risk-taking was the norm. Brian Auger & The Trinity’s debut captures the adventurous energy of the late 1960s. 58 years later, its importance in the development of British jazz fusion and progressive bands that followed is undeniable, with The Charlatans Tim Burgess recently commenting on Auger's Instagram that The Trinity were a 'huge influence'.

Strut Records highlights a landmark in British jazz-rock with Second Wind, the 1972 album from keyboard visionary Brian Auger and his powerhouse group Oblivion Express. Capturing a fully matured lineup, the record finds Auger expanding his fusion language - bridging jazz sophistication, funk-driven rhythm, and soul-infused songwriting with the clarity and fire that defined his early ’70s work.

Though Auger’s roots lie in the lineage of hard-swinging jazz organ and the improvisational fire of the ’60s British scene, he has never been an artist content with tradition. With Second Wind, he moves further into a hybrid language that fuses rhythm with harmonic depth and groove, without sacrificing sophistication. His playing is expansive yet precise, translating the electricity of live performance into a studio work that breathes with immediacy.

At the heart of this era of Oblivion Express is the telepathic rapport among its members. Vocalist Alex Ligertwood (in one of his earliest major recordings before Santana fame) brings a soulful intensity that feels both grounded and forward- looking. Second Wind contains tracks that have become deeply significant in Auger’s discography - original compositions Second Wind, and Truth to name a few - but it was Auger's high octane revisioning of Eddie Harris' Freedom Jazz Dance, (adding new lyrics to the original instrumental) that genuinely broke barriers. The track became a DJ friendly classic and highlighted the groups deeply original approach.

The rhythm section of Barry Dean and Robbie McIntosh balances weight and fluidity, giving Auger the space to stretch across Hammond organ, Rhodes, and keys with characteristic boldness. Their collective sound is one of seamless motion: jazz-inflected lines swelling into rock-driven crescendos, funk-leaning grooves locking with vocal hooks, moments of quiet clarity emerging between bursts of improvisation.

Second Wind stands as a pivotal moment in Auger’s discography: a record that bridges the exploratory spirit of his earlier projects with the more groove-oriented approach that would soon bring international attention. More than five decades later, it remains a vivid document of a band carving out its own language. Music born of instinct, collaboration, and a restless desire to push beyond the expected.

Electro raving house sounds ! fever !

From the depth of transient memories comes ‘Some Leaves Must Fall 聽其自然’, Temple Rat’s latest EP and the inaugural release for Martin Gilleshøj’s ‘Buttheads’ label.

Across 6 tracks Temple Rat distills fragments of spatial memory, merging conceptual ambience with the mystic, spatial, and driven edges of deep trance and hypnotic techno. A pensive and functional synthesis, one played out like an ode to the sustained.

Through 2024 while moving between Berlin and Sichuan, Temple Rat conceptualized and finished ‘Some Leaves Must Fall 聽其自然’. At its core, the work is an exploration of how the personal memory of cities and their particular acoustic environments can be transmuted in musical form. For these places, altered by the passing of time and the shifting of contexts, mirror the fluid and generative nature of sound itself.

Creatively this approach was borne out in a kind of archaeology of sound: by sampling and capturing auditory fragments Mei was able to preserve otherwise fleeting moments of experience. Sonics which not only embodied the emotions of the present but served too as a mechanism of recall, pulling memory back into focus even against the erasures of time.

In its method this project seeks to transform the sonic textures of urban and natural environments into high-energy dance tracks, exploring the tension between the certainty of space and the uncertainty of time. A tension operating not only within the structural logic of the sound itself, but so too as an affective experience, extending into the listener’s body and perceptual field.

For we are not the first to note that in a world of pervasive temptation and fragmented information, sustained listening has become rarified. Through this project, Temple Rat hopes to counter this tendency; to encourage a deeper mode of listening that restores attention, re-establishing our essential connection with the present.

All music is written, recorded, arranged, and produced by Temple Rat aka Yuxin Mei
Mastered by Giuseppe Tillieci at Enisslab
Distributed by One Eye Witness


Repress!

Legendary NYC house label Strictly Rhythm is celebrating a mammoth 3 decades of cutting edge, roof-raising house music. Truly a benchmark. Originally founded in 1989 by the dynamic pairing of music industry man Mark Finkelstein and A&R expert Gladys Pizarro, Strictly tapped directly into the fertile New York underground & after hours club scene, helping to launch and bolster the recording careers of dance music luminaries like Armand Van Helden, Roger Sanchez, Ultra Nate, Todd Terry, Wamdue Project, DJ Sneak, Louie Vega,
and many more ...

Strictly Rhythm is easily one of the most recognisable and respected dance music powerhouses of all time.
Across 3 limited double vinyl offerings, the Strictly catalogue has been expertly picked over to present you with a snapshot of some of the most earth shattering house music to emanate from the streets of New York City.

A who's who of producers and artists, all killer and no filler. End to end classics that help to tell the story of one of dance music's most well loved labels. Classic cuts and essentials from Armand Van Helden, Logic, Roger Sanchez (Underground Solution), Photon INC and more all feature on part 2 in their unedited, 12" mix glory.

Fully legit, remastered and selected with love courtesy of Strictly Rhythm and Above Board distribution for 2020 - Happy birthday Strictly Rhythm!

Chalybeate documents a month long stay by Tokyo based producer aus in Ikaho, one of Japan's most established Onsen (hot spring) towns, during autumn 2024.

Working from field-recordings captured inside multiple ryokan baths, aus synthesized the subterranean movement of the onsen's with local details: the bubbling of source water, the hoozuki lantern plants and wind chimes placed at each inn, and the surrounding insects and birds. Rather than portraying Ikaho as a landscape, the recordings trace the town's respiration.

The material was first presented on site as an installation unfolding across eight different baths, where visitors listened while soaking in roten-buro (open air hot baths). The project drew wide attention for proposing listening as a bodily act, inseparable from heat, moisture, and duration.

Chalybeate re constructs that installation as an album. The recordings were left to sit for a year within Ikaho's air and humidity, allowing the sound itself to slowly change. The title refers to Ikaho's iron rich mineral water, known as "Golden Water," which oxidizes upon contact with air and leaves rust colored traces in its baths. Following this process, the album's sound was repeatedly re submerged and re worked, gradually absorbing a corroded texture.

Tape hiss, gentle distortion, and subtle fluctuations rise quietly, like steam.
What remains is not documentation but residue.

Mixing was handed over to Manchester based producer The Humble Bee by Craig Tattersall, known for his work with The Boats and The Remote Viewer, after aus exhausted himself traversing Ikaho's steep stone steps. The exchange mirrors the work itself: from bathtub to hot spring, from sound to something that surrounds the body.

Woodwind like tape noise and the movement of water dissolve into one another.
The music does not arrive all at once. It settles slowly, as if lowering into warm water.

Spirit of Brotherhoods rauer, straßennaher Funk-Cut - aufgenommen auf Band, fast verloren gegangen und später wiederbelebt als herausragender Opener der A-Seite auf Eccentric Disco, einer Veröffentlichung, die stark genug war, um sieben weitere genreorientierte Ausgaben von Numero anzustoßen. Diese 45er-Platte kommt in bester Klangqualität und greifbarster Form.

From Rival Sons’ Grammy-nominated frontman Jay Buchanan comes Weapons of Beauty — a sweeping, cinematic solo debut written in the Mojave Desert and produced by Dave Cobb. Available on CD (Digipak + poster) and Black Vinyl (gold-foil gatefold). Weapons of Beauty — a revelation from one of this generation's most arresting voices.

Nachauflage auf schwarzem Vinyl. 22 Jahre nach ihrer ersten Veröffentlichung und 10 Jahre nach ihrem letzten Album sind Nebula wieder da. Wenn du jetzt "Holy Shit!" denkst hast du es ziemlich genau getroffen. "Holy Shit" ist Nebulas erste LP seit "Heavy Psych" (2009), und beantwortet schnell die Frage die sich stellte, seitdem Gitarrist/Sänger Eddie Glass, Bassist Tom Davies und Schlagzeuger Michael Amster 2017 die Reformierung der Band angekündigt haben: Nebula sind immer noch Nebula. Seit den Tagen der 1998er Let it Burn EP und dem mittlerweile klassischen To the Center Debütalbum waren Nebula immer nur ein wenig gefährlicher. Nur etwas mehr aus den Angeln gehoben. Holy Shit zeigt diesen von vorne nach hinten für den wesentlichen Teil ihres Charakters, der er ist, und doch versucht er nicht, etwas zu sein, was sie schon einmal getan haben, sei es bei diesen frühen Ausflügen oder Heavy Psych or Charged (2001), Apollo (2003) oder Atomic Ritual (2005). Es ist ein sechstes Nebula-Album - etwas, worauf selbst die leidenschaftlichsten Fans kaum gehofft hätten. Die Grundtracks wurden in zwei Tagen aufgenommen, aufgenommen in den Mysterious Mammal Studios in L.A. mit Matt Lynch (ebenfalls von Snail) am Steuer. Leads und Loops und Feedback-Effekte wurden von Glass and Davies live aufgenommen, als sie die Basic-Tracks aufnahmen, genau so, wie sie es auf der Bühne tun würden, und Overdubs folgten bei Bedarf. Eine Fülle von Material wurde produziert und auf den Kern dessen, was man hier hört, reduziert. Ein sechstes Nebelalbum. Und wenn du es hörst, wirst du feststellen, dass du diesen Titel immer wieder sagst. Cover Art von ROBIN GNISTA

Nachauflage auf senfgelbem Vinyl. Limitiert auf 300 Exemplare. 22 Jahre nach ihrer ersten Veröffentlichung und 10 Jahre nach ihrem letzten Album sind Nebula wieder da. Wenn du jetzt "Holy Shit!" denkst hast du es ziemlich genau getroffen. "Holy Shit" ist Nebulas erste LP seit "Heavy Psych" (2009), und beantwortet schnell die Frage die sich stellte, seitdem Gitarrist/Sänger Eddie Glass, Bassist Tom Davies und Schlagzeuger Michael Amster 2017 die Reformierung der Band angekündigt haben: Nebula sind immer noch Nebula. Seit den Tagen der 1998er Let it Burn EP und dem mittlerweile klassischen To the Center Debütalbum waren Nebula immer nur ein wenig gefährlicher. Nur etwas mehr aus den Angeln gehoben. Holy Shit zeigt diesen von vorne nach hinten für den wesentlichen Teil ihres Charakters, der er ist, und doch versucht er nicht, etwas zu sein, was sie schon einmal getan haben, sei es bei diesen frühen Ausflügen oder Heavy Psych or Charged (2001), Apollo (2003) oder Atomic Ritual (2005). Es ist ein sechstes Nebula-Album - etwas, worauf selbst die leidenschaftlichsten Fans kaum gehofft hätten. Die Grundtracks wurden in zwei Tagen aufgenommen, aufgenommen in den Mysterious Mammal Studios in L.A. mit Matt Lynch (ebenfalls von Snail) am Steuer. Leads und Loops und Feedback-Effekte wurden von Glass and Davies live aufgenommen, als sie die Basic-Tracks aufnahmen, genau so, wie sie es auf der Bühne tun würden, und Overdubs folgten bei Bedarf. Eine Fülle von Material wurde produziert und auf den Kern dessen, was man hier hört, reduziert. Ein sechstes Nebelalbum. Und wenn du es hörst, wirst du feststellen, dass du diesen Titel immer wieder sagst. Cover Art von ROBIN GNISTA

Der mehrfach preisgekrönte Londoner Jazz-Saxofonist startet mit seinerm neuen Soloalbum sein eigenes Label.

Multiinstrumentalist, Produzent und Künstler Shabaka (Hutchings) veröffentlicht mit "Of The Earth" sein drittes Soloalbum, das gleichzeitig das erste ist, das über sein eigenes Label Shabaka Records erscheint und komplett von ihm selbst geschrieben und produziert wurde. Auf "Of The Earth" kehrt Shabaka zu seinem charakteristischen Saxophonklang zurück, ergänzt durch ausgefeilte Elektronik und Produktion sowie traditionelle Holzblasinstrumente und Perkussion aus aller Welt. Diese Kombination unterstreicht sein vielseitiges Talent und prägt den Gesamtklang des Albums. Hutchings genießt hohes Ansehen für seine Arbeit mit The Comet Is Coming, Sons Of Kemet, Shabaka And The Ancestors sowie für die beiden jüngsten Soloprojekte "Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace" (2024) und "Afrikan Culture" (2023). Als Musiker arbeitete er bereits mit einer Vielzahl namhafter Künstler zusammen, darunter Andre 3000, Floating Points, Mulatu Astatke, The Sun Ra Arkestra, Lianne La Havas, Saul Williams und viele mehr. "Of The Earth" erscheint als schwarze Vinyl-LP, als limitierte kornblumenblaue Vinyl-Edition und als CD. Beide Vinyl-Formate enthalten ein Booklet mit Hutchings' eigenem Artwork.

Studio Barnhus presents ARN4L2, a producer from Cartagena, who debuts on the Stockholm label with the striking EP TIERRA BOMBA, a record built from the fractured memory of an island in the
Colombian Caribbean, understood as a surface in motion.
The project draws on tools present in the early development of the Champeta genre – the Yamaha RY30 drum machine, the Yamaha DD-14 drum pad, and the Pyramid mixer – alongside percussive
gestures and guitars characteristic of the style. On songs like the effortlessly bouncy title track and the gaita-laced curveball BULLA, featuring the characteristic melodic flute of the region, ARN4L2’s instinct for propulsion and detail comes into focus, while vocal tracks like the energetic closer LA ÑAPA integrate the artist’s voice as texture, without hierarchy or center.
TIERRA BOMBA becomes a point of convergence, where technology, sonic practices, and fragments of local popular culture meet in the present tense. Released through Studio Barnhus on
12'' vinyl and all digital platforms on March 13.

Text written by Edna Martinez.

Zwei Plattenspieler und ein Mikrofon. In der Klarheit dieser einfachen Schlussformel liegt eine Wahrheit - eine Wahrheit, die zugleich erahnen lässt, wie groß die Möglichkeiten innerhalb dieser Grenzen sind. Manchmal muss man daran erinnert werden.I Guess U Had To Be There, das neue Album des New Yorker Rappers ELUCID und des erfahrenen Produzenten Sebb Bash, ist genau so ein Fall. So frisch, als wäre es morgen entstanden - und doch kann man darauf wetten, dass man es auch 1989 hätte auflegen können und sofort alle Köpfe mitgenickt hätten.Es gibt Momente in der Musik, in denen Meister ihres Fachs sich auf dem Höhepunkt ihrer jeweiligen Schaffenskraft begegnen - Alben wie Madvillainy, Liquid Swords, Dr. Octagonecologyst oder Hell Hath No Fury -, bei denen das Ergebnis mehr ist als die Summe seiner Teile. ELUCID und Sebb Bash bewegen sich auf I Guess U Had To Be There genau in dieser berauschenden, scheinbar mühelosen Sphäre.Alles wirkt zugleich vertraut und bahnbrechend. Die Beats verschieben und wenden sich unter ELUCIDs Füßen, doch er balanciert sie wie auf einem Drahtseil - seine Performance so beweglich wie die einer Bergziege, Produzent und Rapper in perfekter Synchronität. Einige leuchtende Stars haben unvergessliche Gastauftritte: billy woods, Breezly Brewin, Estee Nack und Shabaka Hutchings. Doch im Kern ist dies eine Zwei-Mann-Show, und das Duo hält den Fokus genau dort, wo er hingehört.I Guess U Had To Be There ist ein fesselndes, konventionssprengendes Hörerlebnis und ein neuer Höhepunkt im Schaffen zweier der besten Künstler dieses Genres.

With »News from Planet Zombie«, The Notwist return to view after years of exploration and experiment with an album rich in both melancholy and positivity, sketched across a suite of thrilling, fiercely committed pop songs. It’s an album reflecting a chaotic world, but responding with warmth and generosity, to achieve creative and spiritual consolidation. Recorded in their home base of Munich, it reconnects with the security of the local to explore the troubles of the global: a guiding impulse writ large across this album’s eleven songs. It’s also the first studio album since 1995’s »12« that the entire band recorded together in the studio in its expanded live formation.

A new album by The Notwist is always a curious endeavour; their musical language is as consistent and resilient as the contexts for creativity are unpredictable and ever shifting. For »News from Planet Zombie«, the core trio of Markus and Micha Acher and Cico Beck embraced the plural possibilities of writing together, bringing songs to the collective and then arranging, rehearsing and recording that material live, in the studio.

The result is an album that’s energised, fully in ›the now‹, with spectacular moments where you can hear the magic bubbling up in the dynamic between the Achers, Beck, and fellow members Theresa Loibl, Max Punktezahl, Karl Ivar Refseth, and Andi Haberl. If »Teeth« begins »News from Planet Zombie« quietly and reflectively, by »X-Ray« everyone’s supercharged, blasting out future anthems with the collective energy cranked up high. The chiming keys of »Propeller« skim the instrumental’s surface like stones across burbling water; »The Turning« clangs its way into one of the album’s most heartwarming melodies.

»News from Planet Zombie« was recorded over one week at Import Export, a non-profit space for arts and music. You can tell, too; there are some pleasingly rough edges here, as though The Notwist’s striving for hazy perfection means they’re also confident enough to let the songs breathe and mutate between our ears. That openness to chance also takes in guest turns from friends both local and international, reflective of a cosmopolitan Munich: Enid Valu joins in on vocals, while Haruka Yoshizawa guests on taishōgoto and harmonium, Tianping Christoph Xiao on clarinet, and Mathias Götz on trombone.

The Notwist aren’t best known for cover versions, but »News from Planet Zombie« features two: a gorgeous version of Neil Young’s »Red Sun« (from 2000’s »Silver & Gold«), which the group originally developed for a theatre play directed by Jette Steckel, and a take on Athens, Georgia folk-pop gang Lovers’ »How the Story Ends«. They slot into the album’s narrative perfectly, nestling in like old friends, revealing The Notwist as poetic interpreters. Played well, the cover version is both acknowledgement of fellow travellers and act of generosity, and The Notwist nail both aspects here.

And that narrative, the way the album plays out? »News from Planet Zombie« acknowledges the distress of our current geopolitical impasse, while reminding us there are collective ways forward. Fed through the figure of the zombie, Markus Acher explores our anxieties: »In the title and some lyrics I reference B- and horror-movies, which is a reference to the crazy world at the moment, which seems to be like a really bad and unrealistic B-movie.« But there’s a reminder here not to lose the thread entirely, that these things, too, will pass.

»The river here in Munich I often go to has been there forever and will be there long after us,« Acher reflects, pinpointing an important source of succour for him, »always the same but always changing. Very calming, but also always reminding me that like this river time only flows into one direction and you can’t go back. Every moment is very precious.«

Artwork by Marie Vermont

The Notwist:
Markus Acher: vocals, guitar
Micha Acher: bass, sousaphone, euphonium, trumpet
Cico Beck: electronics, keyboards, guitar, recorder, percussion
Theresa Loibl: bassclarinet, clarinet, piano, harmonium, organ
Max Punktezahl: guitar
Karl Ivar Refseth: marimbaphone, vibraphone, glockenspiel, congas, percussion
Andi Haberl: drums, dulcimer
+
Enid Valu: vocals on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
Haruka Yoshizawa: taishōgoto on 6, harmonium on 9, 10, 11
Tianping Christoph Xiao: clarinet on 4, 10, 11
Mathias Götz: trombone on 4, 10, 11

Danny Scott Lane is a New York-based musician, photographer and sound artist whose work drifts between jazz, ambient, and gentle funk. Originally an actor and singer before turning to photography, Lane brings a cinematic and emotional sensibility to his recordings - music that feels intimate, tactile, and quietly surreal. He has scored films and commercials, and his eclectic taste has taken him to DJ booths around the world.

Since his first tape release in 2019, Lane has released nine albums, five of them with WRWTFWW Records, each expanding his distinct blend of warmth, rhythm, and daydream. His tenth LP, House of Alice, welcomes back three-time collaborator David Lackner and introduces Michael Gagliardi, further deepening the reflective world Lane continues to build.

The album's title is derived from the Alice Austen House. Danny took an interest in the prolific 'street' photography of Alice where she often captured everyday life and intimate depictions of women's lives beautifully. Inspiring images that reflect in his own photography as well. We will continue to stand on the shoulders of giants.

Expect a gentle mix of electronic new age jazz and soft funk.

Danny Scott Lane is a New York-based musician, photographer and sound artist whose work drifts between jazz, ambient, and gentle funk. Originally an actor and singer before turning to photography, Lane brings a cinematic and emotional sensibility to his recordings - music that feels intimate, tactile, and quietly surreal. He has scored films and commercials, and his eclectic taste has taken him to DJ booths around the world.

Since his first tape release in 2019, Lane has released nine albums, five of them with WRWTFWW Records, each expanding his distinct blend of warmth, rhythm, and daydream. His tenth LP, House of Alice, welcomes back three-time collaborator David Lackner and introduces Michael Gagliardi, further deepening the reflective world Lane continues to build.

The album's title is derived from the Alice Austen House. Danny took an interest in the prolific 'street' photography of Alice where she often captured everyday life and intimate depictions of women's lives beautifully. Inspiring images that reflect in his own photography as well. We will continue to stand on the shoulders of giants.

Expect a gentle mix of electronic new age jazz and soft funk.

Recorded spontaneously in a single afternoon, the album captures an unguarded musical conversation between two of the most compelling voices of their generation. Born in Brixton and now based in Harlem, Ruben Fox has emerged as a major presence on the international jazz scene, renowned for the depth of his sound, the emotional clarity of his ballad playing, and a voice rooted in tradition while speaking firmly in the present. His work follows collaborations with artists including Wynton Marsalis, Barry Harris, Roy Hargrove, Jon Batiste, and George Coleman, and builds on the critical acclaim of his 2021 debut Introducing Ruben Fox.

Micah Thomas is one of the most celebrated pianists of his generation, praised for a style that is both restlessly inventive and deeply grounded in the history of the music. A Jerome L. Greene Fellow and Juilliard alumnus, Thomas has worked extensively with Immanuel Wilkins, Joshua Redman, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Billy Drummond, and has been recognised by DownBeat, Jazz Magazine, and The New York City Jazz Record as a defining contemporary voice. Fox and Thomas first developed their musical relationship while studying at Juilliard, where they regularly played duo sets. In Two Minds was recorded on a whim at Chris Pattishall's apartment in Washington Heights, with no rehearsal, no edits, and no agenda beyond mutual respect, listening, and shared musical values. Over three hours, the pair simply showed up and played.

The result is an intimate, conversational record that foregrounds generosity, empathy, and deep musical listening. Sparse, direct, and emotionally rich, In Two Minds offers a rare document of two artists meeting in real time, balancing history, intellect, warmth, and spontaneity.

With »News from Planet Zombie«, The Notwist return to view after years of exploration and experiment with an album rich in both melancholy and positivity, sketched across a suite of thrilling, fiercely committed pop songs. It’s an album reflecting a chaotic world, but responding with warmth and generosity, to achieve creative and spiritual consolidation. Recorded in their home base of Munich, it reconnects with the security of the local to explore the troubles of the global: a guiding impulse writ large across this album’s eleven songs. It’s also the first studio album since 1995’s »12« that the entire band recorded together in the studio in its expanded live formation.

A new album by The Notwist is always a curious endeavour; their musical language is as consistent and resilient as the contexts for creativity are unpredictable and ever shifting. For »News from Planet Zombie«, the core trio of Markus and Micha Acher and Cico Beck embraced the plural possibilities of writing together, bringing songs to the collective and then arranging, rehearsing and recording that material live, in the studio.

The result is an album that’s energised, fully in ›the now‹, with spectacular moments where you can hear the magic bubbling up in the dynamic between the Achers, Beck, and fellow members Theresa Loibl, Max Punktezahl, Karl Ivar Refseth, and Andi Haberl. If »Teeth« begins »News from Planet Zombie« quietly and reflectively, by »X-Ray« everyone’s supercharged, blasting out future anthems with the collective energy cranked up high. The chiming keys of »Propeller« skim the instrumental’s surface like stones across burbling water; »The Turning« clangs its way into one of the album’s most heartwarming melodies.

»News from Planet Zombie« was recorded over one week at Import Export, a non-profit space for arts and music. You can tell, too; there are some pleasingly rough edges here, as though The Notwist’s striving for hazy perfection means they’re also confident enough to let the songs breathe and mutate between our ears. That openness to chance also takes in guest turns from friends both local and international, reflective of a cosmopolitan Munich: Enid Valu joins in on vocals, while Haruka Yoshizawa guests on taishōgoto and harmonium, Tianping Christoph Xiao on clarinet, and Mathias Götz on trombone.

The Notwist aren’t best known for cover versions, but »News from Planet Zombie« features two: a gorgeous version of Neil Young’s »Red Sun« (from 2000’s »Silver & Gold«), which the group originally developed for a theatre play directed by Jette Steckel, and a take on Athens, Georgia folk-pop gang Lovers’ »How the Story Ends«. They slot into the album’s narrative perfectly, nestling in like old friends, revealing The Notwist as poetic interpreters. Played well, the cover version is both acknowledgement of fellow travellers and act of generosity, and The Notwist nail both aspects here.

And that narrative, the way the album plays out? »News from Planet Zombie« acknowledges the distress of our current geopolitical impasse, while reminding us there are collective ways forward. Fed through the figure of the zombie, Markus Acher explores our anxieties: »In the title and some lyrics I reference B- and horror-movies, which is a reference to the crazy world at the moment, which seems to be like a really bad and unrealistic B-movie.« But there’s a reminder here not to lose the thread entirely, that these things, too, will pass.

»The river here in Munich I often go to has been there forever and will be there long after us,« Acher reflects, pinpointing an important source of succour for him, »always the same but always changing. Very calming, but also always reminding me that like this river time only flows into one direction and you can’t go back. Every moment is very precious.«

Artwork by Marie Vermont

The Notwist:
Markus Acher: vocals, guitar
Micha Acher: bass, sousaphone, euphonium, trumpet
Cico Beck: electronics, keyboards, guitar, recorder, percussion
Theresa Loibl: bassclarinet, clarinet, piano, harmonium, organ
Max Punktezahl: guitar
Karl Ivar Refseth: marimbaphone, vibraphone, glockenspiel, congas, percussion
Andi Haberl: drums, dulcimer
+
Enid Valu: vocals on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
Haruka Yoshizawa: taishōgoto on 6, harmonium on 9, 10, 11
Tianping Christoph Xiao: clarinet on 4, 10, 11
Mathias Götz: trombone on 4, 10, 11

Turma da Bênção – A Semba Gathering Across Generations

Conjunto Angola 70 & Paulo Flores

The Turma da Bênção project brings together Conjunto Angola 70, a collective dedicated to recreating and preserving the golden-era sound of Angolan music from the 1970s, and Paulo Flores, one of the most important ambassadors of semba worldwide and one of the creators of kizomba. Throughout his career, Flores has built bridges between tradition and modernity, helping shape the global understanding of contemporary Angolan music.

Recorded in Lisbon in 2018 in an intimate “roda de semba” setting, informal jam sessions rooted in collective rhythm and storytelling, Turma da Bênção gathers legendary musicians such as Botto Trindade (guitar), Joãozinho Morgado (congas) and Teddy N’Singui (guitar); mid-generation artists including Galiano Neto (percussion), Paulo Flores (vocals and artistic direction) and Pirika Duia (viola); and younger creators such as Mayo Bass (bass), Jéssica Pina (trumpet) and Armando Gobliss (keys).

The result is a powerful dialogue between eras. Classic Angolan repertoire meets new compositions, all deeply rooted in semba — the rhythmic and poetic foundation from which kizomba later emerged.

The album revisits emblematic songs such as Runfo da Liberdade, Memórias de Gui and Lamento de Duia, while introducing new works including Morgadinho, Catuta 45, Boas Festas Conterrâ and Réveillon, the latter awarded Semba of the Year at the Angola Music Awards in 2020.

Before this LP, Keep On Pushin Records released the singles Turma da Bênção presents: Joãozinho Morgado and Turma da Bênção presents: Botto Trindade, building anticipation for what now becomes the label’s first full-length vinyl release.

Issued on vinyl in the year Angola celebrates 50 years of Independence, Turma da Bênção stands as a symbolic statement, honoring the elders, empowering the present generation, and ensuring that the pulse of semba continues to resonate across borders.

Turma da Bênção is more than an album. It is a rare intergenerational encounter and a living celebration of Angola’s musical heritage.

The “5” Royales were the most enduring and influential of all the 1950s proto-soul groups. In a very crowded market, their success was remarkable. The Royales were the first African American group to introduce gospel based vocal styles into the rhythm and blues format. This gave an intensity to their recordings and live performances that no other combo could get near, thanks to the passion and power that lead singer Johnny Tanner generated. Furthermore, the group possessed in Lowman Pauling a songwriter of genius and a guitarist, who invented an exciting style of playing that linked stinging solos with rhythmic accompaniment. The Harbingers Of Soul is a mouth-watering overview featuring the best of the King era and the most soulful sides from their stay at Home Of The Blues. 180gsm vinyl. Sleeve notes by John Ridley.

The Golden Age of southern soul lasted from about 1962 to 1975, when disco ripped the heart out of it. And although it may seem as though the blend of country, gospel and R & B that emerged from the great studios in Memphis and Muscle Shoals in that decade was entirely fresh and new, like any other genre classic, southern soul picked up musical cues and absorbed influences from a whole variety of sources: horn lines from Louisiana's swamp pop, lyrical themes from the blues, songs from country music, and of course so, so much from the black churches. Part of the 'History of Soul' series, this LP reveals the musical antecedents that gave southern soul its inspiration. The music here will tell you the real story - and it will knock your socks off too! Notes by John Ridley.

When Aretha Franklin passed away on August 16, 2018 we lost the Queen of Soul, acknowledged as the foremost female singer of her generation, someone who sold over 75 million records in her glittering career. The sadness that so many soul fans felt at that time was most acute knowing that we would never hear her beautiful voice on any new recordings. So it is with great pleasure that we present a live set from Aretha never before heard on a commercial CD. And it is with pride that we can say that the recordings, made in a TV studio in Cologne during her first European tour in 1968, are smack in the middle of soul’s Golden Age. The musical quality - the great artist at her peak – is so high that this issue can only enhance her reputation. This is prime Aretha Franklin – and soul music doesn’t get much better than this. Notes by John Ridley.

If you could go back in time ten years, what would you want to tell yourself? This was a question Khruangbin posed to themselves when approaching the ten-year anniversary of their debut album, the once cult classic, now genre-defining work The Universe Smiles Upon You. “If we could go back and tell ourselves how much was going to happen to us after that record, what would we want to
celebrate?” asked Laura Lee, bassist, vocalist, and founding member of the band. Instead, they thought: “Let’s do it again.”
The Universe Smiles Upon You ii was recorded on January 4-6, 2025, in the same family barn of guitarist Mark Speer, across the
same dates where TUSUY was first conceived ten years earlier. Though the conditions were the same–dirt floor, brutally cold,
minimal sound isolation, all takes live–the songs aren’t. They’re re-approached, some changed more than others, harnessing the lightning-in-a-bottle energy of TUSUY while discovering what would be unique this time around, in this stage of the band’s life.
The result moves like ripples on the water across ten hypnotizing tracks, the barn creating a sense of spaciousness, serenity and creative freedom, nearby wildlife (listen out for the birds on “August Twelve ii”), rattles and creaks of the barn and all. It’s a tapestry of small movements in nuanced arrangements, slowly revealing the new life, stories and character of someone you’ve met again for the first time in ten years.

Transmitter ist Max Clarkes viertes Album als Cut Worms. Produziert von Jeff Tweedy im Loft Studio von Wilco, zeigt Transmitter, wie Clarke seine Fähigkeiten weiterentwickelt hat und wie zwei Künstler zusammenkommen, die in ihrer Arbeit nach Anmut inmitten von Entwurzelung suchen. Es sind Orte, die vom Mythos der Selbstständigkeit geprägt sind, an denen Menschen, die die Idee der Verbindung durch Technologie verkauft haben, zu stillen Sendern reduziert wurden - Datenpunkte, die gekauft und verkauft, manipuliert und gemessen werden und deren Leben durch genau die Netzwerke verzerrt wird, die sie eigentlich verbinden sollten. Die ersten Anzeichen für Transmitter gab es, als Cut Worms im Sommer 2024 als Vorgruppe von Wilco unterwegs waren. Am Ende der Tour lud Tweedy die Band ein, im legendären Loft in Chicago aufzunehmen, und schon bald wurden Pläne geschmiedet, im Herbst damit zu beginnen. In der gemütlichen Unordnung aus Gitarren, Verstärkern und Büchern im Loft fanden Clarke und Tweedy schnell eine gemeinsame musikalische Basis und eine gemeinsame Vorliebe für komplexe Songs. Während Clarkes Stimme und Texte den Rahmen bildeten, skizzierten Tweedys Gitarren- und Basslinien die Räume, in denen die Songs leben. Tweedys Präsenz als Produzent zeigte sich nicht in hartnäckigen Entscheidungen, sondern darin, wie er Räume kolorierte und immer wieder neue Texturen anbot. Zwischen ihnen überbrückte ihre gleichgesinnte Sensibilität eine Generationskluft, um etwas zu schaffen, das nuancierter war, als es jeder von ihnen allein hätte schaffen können. Wenn frühere Veröffentlichungen von Cut Worms von der Dekadenz des Brill Building und verrückter Americana geprägt waren, wirkt der Sound auf Transmitter dunkler, reichhaltiger und gesättigter mit der Angst des modernen Lebens. ,Long Weekend" beschleunigt die Zeit und hat die melodische Dringlichkeit von Big Star oder Dwight Twilley. ,Evil Twin" kämpft mit bitterer Enttäuschung, seine gesprächigen Gitarren erinnern an den klirrenden Herzschmerz von The Replacements und The Go-Betweens, und ,Windows on the World" neigt sich mit einer Melancholie, die irgendwo zwischen Elliott Smith und Miracle Legion schwebt, der Sonne der Zukunft zu. Der letzte Titel ,Dream" bringt uns zurück auf eine vertraute Ebene: Clarke allein am Klavier, zart und unentschlossen, grübelt er über das Schicksal von Träumen und das Risiko, zu kurz zu kommen oder sich auf dem Weg zu verlieren. Transmitter zeigt Clarke in voller Fahrt, der mit der Überzeugung eines Menschen schreibt, der seinen Frieden mit der Ungewissheit gemacht hat. Diese Songs setzen sich mit den Kosten des Komforts auseinander und kehren zu der Idee zurück, dass Schönheit, Verbundenheit und Liebe keine Luxusgüter sind, sondern Überlebensnotwendigkeiten. Clarke fühlt sich zu Paradoxien hingezogen - der Reibung zwischen Intimität und Flucht, Glauben und Zweifel, Schatten und Licht. Seine Vergebung kommt, wie die des abgeschnittenen Wurms, durch Übertragung zustande: durch den Akt, etwas Zerbrechliches in den Lärm zu entlassen und darauf zu vertrauen, dass es noch immer spürbar ist.

Transmitter ist Max Clarkes viertes Album als Cut Worms. Produziert von Jeff Tweedy im Loft Studio von Wilco, zeigt Transmitter, wie Clarke seine Fähigkeiten weiterentwickelt hat und wie zwei Künstler zusammenkommen, die in ihrer Arbeit nach Anmut inmitten von Entwurzelung suchen. Es sind Orte, die vom Mythos der Selbstständigkeit geprägt sind, an denen Menschen, die die Idee der Verbindung durch Technologie verkauft haben, zu stillen Sendern reduziert wurden - Datenpunkte, die gekauft und verkauft, manipuliert und gemessen werden und deren Leben durch genau die Netzwerke verzerrt wird, die sie eigentlich verbinden sollten. Die ersten Anzeichen für Transmitter gab es, als Cut Worms im Sommer 2024 als Vorgruppe von Wilco unterwegs waren. Am Ende der Tour lud Tweedy die Band ein, im legendären Loft in Chicago aufzunehmen, und schon bald wurden Pläne geschmiedet, im Herbst damit zu beginnen. In der gemütlichen Unordnung aus Gitarren, Verstärkern und Büchern im Loft fanden Clarke und Tweedy schnell eine gemeinsame musikalische Basis und eine gemeinsame Vorliebe für komplexe Songs. Während Clarkes Stimme und Texte den Rahmen bildeten, skizzierten Tweedys Gitarren- und Basslinien die Räume, in denen die Songs leben. Tweedys Präsenz als Produzent zeigte sich nicht in hartnäckigen Entscheidungen, sondern darin, wie er Räume kolorierte und immer wieder neue Texturen anbot. Zwischen ihnen überbrückte ihre gleichgesinnte Sensibilität eine Generationskluft, um etwas zu schaffen, das nuancierter war, als es jeder von ihnen allein hätte schaffen können. Wenn frühere Veröffentlichungen von Cut Worms von der Dekadenz des Brill Building und verrückter Americana geprägt waren, wirkt der Sound auf Transmitter dunkler, reichhaltiger und gesättigter mit der Angst des modernen Lebens. ,Long Weekend" beschleunigt die Zeit und hat die melodische Dringlichkeit von Big Star oder Dwight Twilley. ,Evil Twin" kämpft mit bitterer Enttäuschung, seine gesprächigen Gitarren erinnern an den klirrenden Herzschmerz von The Replacements und The Go-Betweens, und ,Windows on the World" neigt sich mit einer Melancholie, die irgendwo zwischen Elliott Smith und Miracle Legion schwebt, der Sonne der Zukunft zu. Der letzte Titel ,Dream" bringt uns zurück auf eine vertraute Ebene: Clarke allein am Klavier, zart und unentschlossen, grübelt er über das Schicksal von Träumen und das Risiko, zu kurz zu kommen oder sich auf dem Weg zu verlieren. Transmitter zeigt Clarke in voller Fahrt, der mit der Überzeugung eines Menschen schreibt, der seinen Frieden mit der Ungewissheit gemacht hat. Diese Songs setzen sich mit den Kosten des Komforts auseinander und kehren zu der Idee zurück, dass Schönheit, Verbundenheit und Liebe keine Luxusgüter sind, sondern Überlebensnotwendigkeiten. Clarke fühlt sich zu Paradoxien hingezogen - der Reibung zwischen Intimität und Flucht, Glauben und Zweifel, Schatten und Licht. Seine Vergebung kommt, wie die des abgeschnittenen Wurms, durch Übertragung zustande: durch den Akt, etwas Zerbrechliches in den Lärm zu entlassen und darauf zu vertrauen, dass es noch immer spürbar ist.

Über die Jahre hat Numero eine Menge Aufnahmen aus den Tiefen Detroits ausgegraben. Aus allen möglichen Mini-Motowns haben wir Soul, R&B, Funk, Disco, Boogie und aufgrund der Nähe auch Gospel entdeckt. Frühere Untersuchungen der Labels Revival und Big Mack brachten mehr als nur ein paar neue apokryphe Hymnen zutage, und Great Lakes Gospel Vol. 2 versammelt ein Dutzend interessanter Kirchengruppen, die sich hingebungsvoll an die Ausläufer des Genres heranwagen. Verlier dich in ekstatischem Chor-Funk, Kanzel-Rap, direkt eingespeisten Gitarrensoli und dem Heiligen Geist, sollte er dich bewegen. Schau dich im Raum um. Mit diesem Ding könntest du eine Kirche gründen.

Sweet Pill ist eine Emo-Band aus Philadelphia, deren Songs sich zwischen Pop und Hardcore bewegen. Sie veröffentlichten ihr Debütalbum Where The Heart Is (2022) im selben Jahr, in dem sie bei Topshelf Records unter Vertrag genommen wurden, und seitdem befinden sie sich auf Erfolgskurs. Unter anderem wurde sie von Hayley Williams von Paramore wärmstens empfohlen, der ihr Song "High Hopes" so gut gefiel, dass sie ihn in ihrem Podcast "Everything Is Emo" erwähnte. Das zweite starke Album von Sweet Pill, Still There's a Glow, ist eine widerstandsfähige Antwort auf den zunehmenden Druck nach ihrem erfolgreichen Debüt Where The Heart Is. Angesichts der Erschöpfung verwarf die Band frühe Demos, um ihrer psychischen Gesundheit Vorrang zu geben, und schuf schließlich ein rohes Dokument der Selbstreflexion, das Sängerin Zayna Youssef als "das Schwierigste, was ich je tun musste" bezeichnet. Das neue Album markiert eine bedeutende Entwicklung in ihrer kreativen Dynamik und ist das erste, das vollständig als Gemeinschaftswerk von Youssef, den Gitarristen Jayce Williams und Sean McCall, dem Bassisten Ryan Cullen und dem Schlagzeuger Chris Kearney geschrieben wurde. Aufgenommen im Gradwell House mit den langjährigen Produzenten Matt Weber und Dave Downham, zielt das Album darauf ab, die kinetische Energie ihrer Live-Shows einzufangen - Auftritte, die ihnen die Unterstützung von Stars wie Hayley Williams und Doja Cat eingebracht haben. Das Ergebnis ist eine gehobene Mischung aus komplexem Math-Rock, drängendem Punk und herzlichem Emo. Als woman of color in der Alternative-Szene hofft Youssef, dass das Album und die Tournee eine vorurteilsfreie Community für die Fans fördern werden. Still, There's a Glow ist ein Beweis für das Überleben und Wachstum der Band und lädt die Zuhörer dazu ein, ihr eigenes Licht am Ende des Tunnels zu finden. CD & farbige LP erhältlich

Mit Lotus Bridge präsentieren The Monochrome Set ein weiteres Kapitel ihres unverwechselbaren Post-Punk-Kosmos - elegant, lakonisch und voller literarischer Tiefe. Seit über fünf Jahrzehnten kultivieren Bid und seine Mitstreiter einen Sound, der gleichermaßen klassisch wie idiosynkratisch wirkt: scharf gezeichnete Melodien, schwarzhumorige Texte und eine Songkunst, die sich cineastisch und zugleich unmittelbar anfühlt. Die Band, einst bei Rough Trade, Dindisc und Cherry Red zuhause, hat mit ihrem Stil Generationen von Musiker*innen inspiriert und bleibt dennoch ein eigenes Universum. Lotus Bridge öffnet nun ein neues, psychedelisch schimmerndes Kapitel. Das Album basiert auf einem wiederkehrenden Traum, den Bid in eine atmosphärische Reise voller Figuren, Orte und innerer Landschaften verwandelt. E-Piano, Akustikgitarre und weit gefächerte E-Gitarren verleihen dem Werk einen eleganten, beinahe orchestralen Charakter, während Ambient-Sounds die Stücke zu einem geschlossenen Ganzen verweben. Tiefgründig, erzählerisch und voller verborgenem Witz - ein Album, das wächst und fesselt.

Mit Lotus Bridge präsentieren The Monochrome Set ein weiteres Kapitel ihres unverwechselbaren Post-Punk-Kosmos - elegant, lakonisch und voller literarischer Tiefe. Seit über fünf Jahrzehnten kultivieren Bid und seine Mitstreiter einen Sound, der gleichermaßen klassisch wie idiosynkratisch wirkt: scharf gezeichnete Melodien, schwarzhumorige Texte und eine Songkunst, die sich cineastisch und zugleich unmittelbar anfühlt. Die Band, einst bei Rough Trade, Dindisc und Cherry Red zuhause, hat mit ihrem Stil Generationen von Musiker*innen inspiriert und bleibt dennoch ein eigenes Universum. Lotus Bridge öffnet nun ein neues, psychedelisch schimmerndes Kapitel. Das Album basiert auf einem wiederkehrenden Traum, den Bid in eine atmosphärische Reise voller Figuren, Orte und innerer Landschaften verwandelt. E-Piano, Akustikgitarre und weit gefächerte E-Gitarren verleihen dem Werk einen eleganten, beinahe orchestralen Charakter, während Ambient-Sounds die Stücke zu einem geschlossenen Ganzen verweben. Tiefgründig, erzählerisch und voller verborgenem Witz - ein Album, das wächst und fesselt.

Over the decades, Numero has excavated a metric ton of recordings from the depths of Detroit. From all manner of mini Motowns we’ve uncovered soul, R&B, funk, disco, boogie, and by nature of proximity—gospel. Previous examinations of the Revival and Big Mack la- bels turned up more than a few new apocryphal hymns, and Great Lakes Gospel Vol. 2 compiles a dozen curious church groups devotionally reaching towards the genre’s frayed edge. Get lost in ecstatic choir funk, pulpit rappin’, direct-injection guitar solos, and the holy spirit, should it move you. Look around the room. You could start a church with this thing.