Italian duo Agents Of Time have been incredibly busy over the past few years, from releasing a string of classic singles – including their recent single for Afterlife, “The Mirage”, which earned more than five million views on Instagram – to remixing The Weeknd’s “Take My Breath”, which appeared on his recent Dawn FM (Alternative World). But the biggest news is here now – their second album, Universo, is ready. Elevating their trademark melodic techno with an exquisite pop-ness, Universo has found its ideal home with Kompakt, following their Music Made Paradise 2020 debut EP for the label. It’s a meeting of minds that makes perfect sense.
Andrea Di Ceglie and Luigi Tutolo, the two members of Agents Of Time, used their time during the pandemic to work on Universo, an album loosely conceptualised around their ‘personal universo’, a manifestation of the world Di Ceglie and Tutolo built both within and around their studio. This accounts for the sparkle and brightness of Universo – it’s full of personality, vim and vigour, the duo experimenting with their music, exploring its furthest corners. If you come to Universo expecting just another album of melodic techno, get ready to be pleasantly surprised – there’s a whole lot more going on here, and it’s all equally compelling.
After a typically poetic opening gesture – the swirling, synaesthetic, self-titled intro track – expectations are immediately blindsided with the two-step pop of “Fallin’”, sung with gentle clarity by guest Audrey Janssens, a dream of a song that harks back to the glory days of early ‘00s UK garage. “Interstellar Cowboy” is a confident, lithe, disco-fied strut; the gentle minor-key piano of “Liquid Fantasy” spirals into a gorgeously melancholy techno-pop epic, Vicky Who?’s voice rich with yearning. Janssens also reappears on the electro-swirl of “Poison”; “Dream Vision” revisits their single “The Mirage”, soft with sweeping strings, loaded with drama; “Part Of Life” sashays into view with a schaffel-stomp.
This rich variety throws the more dancefloor-focused tracks, like “Ciao”, into even starker relief – they’re more decisive, streamlined, yet rich with detail, chugging, Moroder-esque bass meeting strobe-lit synths that fire melodies out into the firmament. Universo feels texturally dense, but it still breathes, its sounds so tactile you want to reach out and grab them, its tunes so seductive you can’t get them out of your head. Universo is a fiercely beautiful album, brave in its spirit, a perfectly poised meeting-point of pop melody and stylish, lush techno: Agents Of Time in excelsis.
Das italienische Duo Agents Of Time war in den letzten Jahren unglaublich fleißig, von der Veröffentlichung einer Reihe klassischer Singles - darunter ihre jüngster Beitrag für Afterlife, "The Mirage", der mehr als fünf Millionen Aufrufe auf Instagram erhielt - bis hin zum Remix von The Weeknds "Take My Breath", der auf dessen aktuellen Album “Dawn FM (Alternative World)” erschien. Aber die bahnbrechendeste Neuigkeit ist erst jetzt endlich da - ihr zweites Album "Universo" ist fertig! “Universo" verbindet ihr Markenzeichen, melodischen Techno, mit einer besonderen Pop-Haltung und findet nach der EP "Music Made Paradise 2020" sein ideales Zuhause bei Kompakt. Eine Seelenverwandtschaft, die absolut Sinn macht.
Andrea Di Ceglie und Luigi Tutolo, die beiden Mitglieder von Agents Of Time, nutzten die Zeit während der Pandemie, um an "Universo" zu arbeiten, einem Album, das lose um ihr "persönliches Universum" herum konzipiert ist, eine Manifestation der Welt, die Di Ceglie und Tutolo in und um ihr Studio herum aufgebaut haben. Das macht den besonderen Glanz und die strahlende Helligkeit von "Universo" aus - es strotzt nur so von Persönlichkeit, Elan und Kraft, das Duo experimentiert mit Musik und erkundet auch noch deren entfernteste Ecken. Wer bei "Universo" nur ein weiteres Album mit melodischem Techno erwartet, wird angenehm überrascht sein - hier ist viel mehr los, und alles ist gleichermaßen spannend.
Nach einer poetischen Eröffnungsgeste - dem wirbelnden, synästhetischen, selbstbetitelten Intro-Track - werden mit dem 2-Step-Pop von “Fallin” alle Erwartungen sofort über den Haufen geworfen. Mit sanfter Klarheit von Gastsängerin Audrey Janssens gesungen, ist “Fallin” ein Traum von einem Song, der an die großen Zeiten von UK-Garage in den frühen 00er Jahre erinnert. "Interstellar Cowboy" ist ein selbstbewusstes, geschmeidig über den Laufsteg stolzierender Disco-Track; das sanfte Moll-Klavier von "Liquid Fantasy" entwickelt sich zu einem wunderbar melancholischen Techno-Pop-Epos, mit Vicky Who?’s Stimme voller Sehnsucht . Danach taucht auch Janssens Gesang auf dem Elektro-Wirbel von "Poison" wieder auf; "Dream Vision" greift die Single "The Mirage" auf, sanft und mit schwungvollen Streichern, voller Dramatik; "Part Of Life" dagegen ist ein echter Schaffel-Stomp.
All der Abwechslungsreichtum lässt eher tanzflächenorientierte Tracks wie "Ciao" noch deutlicher hervortreten - sie wirken noch entschlossener, stromlinienförmiger und dennoch reich an Details, pluckernde, Moroder-eske Bässe treffen auf stroboskopisch blitzende Synths, von denen aus die Melodien ins Firmament schießen. “Universo” fühlt sich textlich dicht an, aber es atmet trotzdem, seine Klänge sind so greifbar, dass man sie anfassen möchte, seine Melodien so verführerisch, dass man sie nicht mehr aus dem Kopf bekommt. “Universo” ist ein wunderschönes, mutiges Album, ein perfekter Treffpunkt von Pop-Melodien und stilvollem Techno: Agents Of Time in excelsis.
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What do you get when you mix a Culture LP with the dub stylings of the master of dub Scientist? An extraordinary LP that is, simply put, out of this world! By implementing the vocals of the great Joseph Hill from Culture and flavoring these with his dub touch, Scientist has flavored this concoction in a way that only he is capable of doing. This stellar release will take you where no man has gone before. Deep into a solar system that has no bounds and where the infinite endless vastness of space has no beginning. And no end. Take the journey beyond our galaxy into a parallel universe and rediscover a dubwise experience that will have you drifting weightless into the inexplicable unknown. Let your mind and body go.
And in addition to this brilliant musical journey you may also feast your eyes upon the impressive album cover art which has been thoughtfully created by noted American artist extraordinaire Eric White. Eric’s work has created much excitement in art galleries and collections around the world and it is an honor to have him lend his artistic eloquence to such an important project.
Surprise Chef’s music is based on evoking mood; their vivid arrangements utilize time and space to build soundscapes that invite the listener into their world. The quintet’s distinct sound pulls from 70s film scores, the funkier side of jazz, and the samples that form the foundation of hip hop. They push the boundaries of instrumental soul and funk with their own approach honed by countless hours in the studio, studying the masters, and perhaps most importantly, the “tyranny of distance” that dictates a unique perspective to their music. Hailing from just outside of Melbourne, Australia their first two albums, All News Is Good News and Daylight Savings amassed a die-hard fanbase and brought their sound from their home studio to every corner of the globe. The band is now signed to Big Crown Records, joining a lineage of contemporary and classic sounds that have influenced Surprise Chef’s music since their formation in 2017. Surprise Chef is Lachlan Stuckey on guitar, Jethro Curtin on keys, Carl Lindeberg on bass, Andrew Congues on drums, and Hudson Whitlock—the latest member who does it all from percussion to composing to producing. Their self proclaimed "moody shades of instrumental jazz-funk" have a bit of everything: punchy drums, infectious keys, rhythm guitar you might hear on a Studio One record, and flute lines that could be from a Blue Note session. But when you step back and take in the entirety of their sound and approach, you'll hear and see a group greater than the sum of its parts. In many ways Surprise Chef embodies the idiom "the benefits of limits." They were limited in that there weren't many people making or talking about instrumental jazz/soul/funk in Southeast Australia, let alone putting out records. This left them to develop their sound and approach in a kind of creative isolation where a small circle of friends and like-minded musicians fed off each other. "Being in Australia, being so far away, we only get glimpses and glances of this music’s origins," Stuckey says. "But hearing a label like Big Crown was one of the first times we realized you could make fresh, new soul music that wasn't super retro or just nostalgic." This approach is on full display throughout their new album Education & Recreation. Tracks like “Velodrome” pair chunky drums with an earworm synth line that has all the making of something you would find on an Ultimate Breaks & Beats compilation while numbers like “Iconoclasts” show their knack for tasteful use of space. From the crushing intro of “Suburban Breeze” to the floaty mellow bop of “Spring’s Theme” Surprise Chef has weaved together an album that takes you through peaks and valleys of emotion and provides a vivid soundtrack that will pull you deeper into your imagination. There is a beauty in the vast space for interpretation of instrumental music and they are adding a modern classic to the canon with this new album. Turn on the record and enjoy the ride, wherever it may take you.
Betty Boo is a Brit and Ivor Novello Award winning singer/songwriter/producer from West London. After a chance meeting in McDonalds on Shepherds Bush Green, she ended up supporting Public Enemy on tour in the US with her Hip Hop trio The She Rockers. In 1989, she featured as guest vocalist on The Beatmasters Top 10 single - Hey DJ/I Can't Dance (To That Music You're Playing). Betty Boo released two albums - Boomania and GRRR! Its Betty Boo - and then mostly retired from the public eye. Earlier this year, she released the Human League sampling banger Get Me To The Weekend - her first solo music in three decades.
2022 sees the return of Betty Boo as a brand new album is set for release entitled Boomerang.
Betty Boo is a Brit and Ivor Novello Award winning singer/songwriter/producer from West London. After a chance meeting in McDonalds on Shepherds Bush Green, she ended up supporting Public Enemy on tour in the US with her Hip Hop trio The She Rockers. In 1989, she featured as guest vocalist on The Beatmasters Top 10 single - Hey DJ/I Can't Dance (To That Music You're Playing). Betty Boo released two albums - Boomania and GRRR! Its Betty Boo - and then mostly retired from the public eye. Earlier this year, she released the Human League sampling banger Get Me To The Weekend - her first solo music in three decades.
2022 sees the return of Betty Boo as a brand new album is set for release entitled Boomerang.
- A1: Party Time- Dennis Brown
- A2: Fancy Make Up- John Holt
- A3: Can I Change Your Mind- Alton Ellis
- A4: Mean Girl- Jackie Edwards
- A5: Once Upon A Time- Delroy Wilson
- A6: Moving Away- Ken Boothe
- A7: Dancing Mood- Delroy Wilson
- B1: The Love Of A Woman- Horace Andy
- B2: Man Next Door (Got To Get Away)
- B3: Those Guys- Pat Kelly
- B4: I'm Still Waiting- Jackie Edwards
- B5: Why Birds Follow Spring- Cornell Campbell And The Eternals
- B6: Soul And Inspiration- Johnny Clarke
- B7: Riding For A Fall- Delroy Wilson
2022 Repress
The Sound of Studio One can be identified by the great singers that it cultivated along the many great songs that these singers released. But as studio 1's dominance was slowly pulled away by the up and coming new breed of producers many of the artists would inevitably end up working for these new camps and so the songs and singers found a new audience. The reggae sound of the Studio 1 would make a great combination and the man to pull this was together Bunny Lee.
The 1960's in Jamaica was run by two main factions, Coxsonne's Studio 1 and Duke Reid's Treasure Isle. These two leading protagonists saw what some of the other great Sound System men like ' Tom The Great Sebastian' had not taken onboard, that when the tunes they imported began to dry up from the USA, their future lied in producing music. Tunes that suited the musical styles that the people of Jamaica still enjoyed. By the late 1960's thse supremacy was being challenged by the up and coming new producers on the scene, Lee Perry being one, and the other being 'Ghost of the Studios' himself, Bunny Lee. Bunny 'Striker' Lee may have inherited the moniker 'Striker' from his liking of a particular TV show called 'The Hitch-Hiker', but it would soon stand also for the considerable hits he would obtain as he was declared producer of the year in Jamaica in 1969, 1970,1971 and 1972.
For this release, we have compiled many of the great Studio hits that Bunny Lee recorded with the singers that had originally cut at the famed Studio 1. Bunny Lee's sprinkling of magic over some classic tunes....the sound of Studio 1 backed up this time Bunny 'Striker' Lee's set of star musicians The Aggravators. Proving you can't keep a good tune down, or a great producer pushing forward.....Bunny Lee strikes back....
Hope you enjoy the set.....
Marked by resilience, maturity, and the optimistic joy of a creative resurgence, Pat Green’s Miles and Miles of You is the work of an icon reclaiming ground only he himself could have ceded. Ten fresh tracks feel like the spiritual exhale of a celebrated troubadour, taking fans on a journey to the other side of turmoil… and to a place where the old ways feel new again.
Credited as one of Texas country’s modern-era founding fathers, Green has traveled many roads in the 25 years since his debut album, Dancehall Dreamer. A Grammy nominated singer-songwriter with a restless creative spirit, his career has gone beyond the bounds of a “country star” to include the work of a painter, sculptor, philanthropist, family man and more. But one constant has remained – his vision.
Green’s 14th album overall, Miles and Miles of You is also his first in nearly seven years – since his inspiration-first writing style means he won’t force a song into existence. But that philosophy also makes it possible for a whole album to arrive in a dam-burst of expression, and Green now calls Miles and Miles of You an “effortless” project.
“It was just so smooth and natural,” he says. “I write the song when it comes, and it was like ‘Man, we’re on a roll.’”
Recorded outside Austin with producer Dwight Baker (Bob Schneider, Josh Abbott Band), more of that story is revealed with each track, as Green and his band mirrored the loose vibe of the songwriting with country balladry, dancehall energy, soul-baring reflection and at times, a swampy blues strut. “The older you get, you just have more to think about,” he says. “So that’s
what this record is – a guy with more to think about, coming through a hard time and into something as fun and beautiful as creation. I’m just gonna take the ball and run with it.”
Over the past two decades, Dez Mona never ceased to surprise audiences. Less than a year after “Lucy”, a 'worldly oratorio' in collaboration with the Antwerp Baroque Orchestration X, singer Gregory Frateur and his companions now knock on the door with the cosmopolitan “Loose Ends”.
On the group's ninth studio album, rugged funk often alternates with bouncing disco pop. 'After the dark ballads from our previous projects, we consciously chose to make a cheerful, straightforward record', says Frateur. 'This time I didn't want to exhaust myself too much in metaphors: the lyrics had to be simple and 'in your face'.
On a compositional level, Gregory Frateur gave the steering wheel this time to guitarist Sjoerd Bruil and accordionist Roel Van Camp. This contributed to Dez Mona stepping out of their comfort zone on Loose Ends and experimenting with a new sound. On the new album, for example, Van Camp plays the piano more often than the accordion. Leaning towards a more electronic sound, some songs gravitate and take you on a fantastical, abstract journey. ’Indeed, sometimes Sjoerd adds strange angles in his compositions', the singer concludes. 'During performances, they force me to put myself aside as a singer and get completely absorbed in the instrumental trip'.
The emphasis is more than ever on the rhythm and groove. Drummer Karel De Backer, the newcomer in the band, gives the music extra punch, while the absence of a bassist is ingeniously compensated by Bruil and Van Camp. 'On Loose Ends we go 'back to basics', admits Gregory Frateur. “But without losing our recognisability.”
Multi-instrumentalist Tijs Delbeke, who was part of Dez Mona for many years, but has moved to Balthazar, was responsible for the production. Frateur prefers to surround himself with people with whom he feels at ease and who carry the DNA of Dez Mona.
With "To the Westcoast / My Fate (Revisited)" by Ara Pacis we are proud to officially release two of the most exciting AOR tracks hailing from Germany.
Ara Pacis, a group from the island Föhr in the North Sea, was originally founded in 1971. Initially influenced by blues and classic rock by The Rolling Stones, The Who, and the like, they were also inspired by bands such as Steely Dan as well as the German/British group Lake. However, Ara Pacis created a style of their own when their privately pressed and self-distributed "To the Westcoast" LP was released in 1979. The songs were mainly characterized by two-part guitar riffs by Töns Brautlecht-Deppe and Wolfgang Schiffner, who also were the core songwriters of the band.
The freshly remastered single starts with the title track "To the Westcoast". Due to its sunny and yacht-y vibe it is easily amongst the best and most authentic tunes out of the "Westcoast rock" genre recorded in Germany. With family connections in California, lead singer Töns Brautlecht-Deppe was able to create and capture the feeling of the Pacific sea shore just perfectly.
The single is backed with a revised studio version of "My Fate". Here, lead singer Töns Brautlecht tells his story about getting into playing guitar as a young boy. The track is also featured on the album but the version we present on the 7" vinyl is an unreleased, even quite funky and more powerful take. It was recorded in 1981 at the Rüssl studio in Hamburg where Brautlecht had just started to work as an engineer.
As the "To the Westcoast" LP was released during a time when styles like New Wave, Synth Pop and Punk became popular in Germany and the interest in organic and soulful rock declined, Ara Pacis' debut remained relatively unnoticed until today and even the Krautrock collector's scene does not seem to be fully aware of this hard to find gem yet of which only 1000 copies were originally pressed. The band is still kept in good memory by their fans as a quite legendary live act and although they officially split in 1982, the group still served their fan base with revival concerts in 1990 and 2002 plus a website with full band story and lots of images from the early days.
We hope this single sheds new light on this great band. It is limited to 350 copies and released in a beautiful picture sleeve which shows the original LP artwork.
Longform: EXHUMED return from the depths with their macabre new album, To the Dead! The band' storied career needs no introduction; EXHUMED are the pioneers of blood-soaked "Gore" Metal. To the Dead is the culmination of decades upon decades of nightmarish riffs, obliterating blast beats, and hellish screams from the very depths the band crawled out from! "To The Dead is a destination," EXHUMED mastermind Matt Harvey says. "A rotting world populated by the grotesquely twisted truths of our waking world and the decaying fallout of our most deranged ambitions. But it's also a title that evokes a celebration of, and an invitation into the gore-soaked world of EXHUMED." The very celebration of EXHUMED's history is ever-present on this album. "We've expanded the writing team on the record to include former members Mike Beams, Leon del Muerte, Matt Widener and Bud Burke in an effort to celebrate the band's history - at this point decades of it - and I think the resulting record is an excellent testament to the surprising longevity of Gore Fucking Metal!" Harvey says. So please, accept the band's humble invitation and sink six feet down to their level. EXHUMED can't wait for you to get a whiff of what they've cooked up - this will be the most fun you've ever had being disgusted! Short: EXHUMED return from the depths with their macabre new album, To the Dead! The new album is the culmination of decades upon decades of nightmarish riffs, obliterating blast beats, and hellish screams from the very depths the band crawled out from! FFO: Carcass, Repulsion, Aborted, Autopsy, Dying Fetus, Impaled, Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death
- A1: The Animals - We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place
- A2: Chris Farlowe - Out Of Time
- A3: Dave Berry - Don't Gimme No Lip Child
- A4: Peanuts Wilson - Cast Iron Arm
- A5: The Cougars - Saturday Nite At The Duck-Pond
- B1: Dave & Ansell Collins - Double Barrel
- B2: Burundi Steïphensonblack - Burundi Black
- B3: John Leyton - Johnny Remember Me
- B4: The Dakotas - Cruel Sea
- B5: The Legendary Stardust Cowboy- Paralyzed
- B6: Fats Domino - Sick & Tired
- C1: Winifred Atwell - Hawaiian Cha Cha
- C2: Max Bygraves - You Need Hands
- C3: Lloyd Price - Where Were You On Our Wedding Day
- C4: The Ethiopians - Train Toskaville
- C5: Dave & Ansell Collins - Monkey Spanner
- D1: Billy Fury - Wonderous Place
- D2: Nico - I'm Not Sayin
- D3: The Leaves - Funny Little World
- D4: The Animals - I Can’t Believe It
- D5: Ron Moody - You Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two
- D6: Dave Berry - The Crying Game
- D7: Mott The Hoople - The Golden Age Of Rock 'N' Roll
Mohair Blue Vinyl[46,18 €]
The second installment of gems and nuggets straight from the infamous jukebox at Malcolm and Vivienne's King's Road SEX boutique.
Compiled again by Marco Pirroni (Adam and The Ants, Siouxsie and the Banshees) another collection of carefully curated tracks that were played on rotation at 430 kings road Chelsea, throughout 1974-1976.
Years in the making, this follow up to Marco’s 2004 “SEX: Too Fast To Live Too Young To Die” continues to complete the jukebox playlist with tracks contributed from those friends who frequented the shop - Jordan Mooney (RIP), Paul Cook, Steve Jones and Sam Bully amongst others – remembering those all-important songs that soundtracked the shop and left lasting impressions on them over 47 years ago.
Another wild ride and a kaleidoscope of jukebox bangers from The Animals to Max Bigraves, Nico to Burundi Black, these tracks undoubtedly played a heavy influence on SEX’s customer’s young ears many who would go on and change the musical world forever - Sex Pistols, The Clash, Chrissie Hynde, Siouxsie Sioux to name just a few.
Artwork supplied by Personality Crisis with unpublished photographs from Jane England, a student at the time but already understood the cultural significance and beauty of both the shop and Jordan Mooney who the compilation is dedicated to.
- A1: The Animals - We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place
- A2: Chris Farlowe - Out Of Time
- A3: Dave Berry - Don't Gimme No Lip Child
- A4: Peanuts Wilson - Cast Iron Arm
- A5: The Cougars - Saturday Nite At The Duck-Pond
- B1: Dave & Ansell Collins - Double Barrel
- B2: Burundi Steïphensonblack - Burundi Black
- B3: John Leyton - Johnny Remember Me
- B4: The Dakotas - Cruel Sea
- B5: The Legendary Stardust Cowboy- Paralyzed
- B6: Fats Domino - Sick & Tired
- C1: Winifred Atwell - Hawaiian Cha Cha
- C2: Max Bygraves - You Need Hands
- C3: Lloyd Price - Where Were You On Our Wedding Day
- C4: The Ethiopians - Train Toskaville
- C5: Dave & Ansell Collins - Monkey Spanner
- D1: Billy Fury - Wonderous Place
- D2: Nico - I'm Not Sayin
- D3: The Leaves - Funny Little World
- D4: The Animals - I Can’t Believe It
- D5: Ron Moody - You Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two
- D6: Dave Berry - The Crying Game
- D7: Mott The Hoople - The Golden Age Of Rock 'N' Roll
Black Vinyl[44,50 €]
The second installment of gems and nuggets straight from the infamous jukebox at Malcolm and Vivienne's King's Road SEX boutique.
Compiled again by Marco Pirroni (Adam and The Ants, Siouxsie and the Banshees) another collection of carefully curated tracks that were played on rotation at 430 kings road Chelsea, throughout 1974-1976.
Years in the making, this follow up to Marco’s 2004 “SEX: Too Fast To Live Too Young To Die” continues to complete the jukebox playlist with tracks contributed from those friends who frequented the shop - Jordan Mooney (RIP), Paul Cook, Steve Jones and Sam Bully amongst others – remembering those all-important songs that soundtracked the shop and left lasting impressions on them over 47 years ago.
Another wild ride and a kaleidoscope of jukebox bangers from The Animals to Max Bigraves, Nico to Burundi Black, these tracks undoubtedly played a heavy influence on SEX’s customer’s young ears many who would go on and change the musical world forever - Sex Pistols, The Clash, Chrissie Hynde, Siouxsie Sioux to name just a few.
Artwork supplied by Personality Crisis with unpublished photographs from Jane England, a student at the time but already understood the cultural significance and beauty of both the shop and Jordan Mooney who the compilation is dedicated to.
In a time where electronic music gets harder and faster each day, Berlin-based duo Brigade‘s debut album „Hard Times, Soft Music“ reclaims easy listening as a badge of honour. Being released on 14.10.2022, the record is a meticulously calibrated work of room temperature, a home cooked meal between friends or a warm sonic blanket that tugs you in after a rainy day. Pushing their club roots to the side, Brigade‘s debut album con- dently sits between ambient, house and hip hop. „We took the pandemic as a cue to take a break from dance floor productions and play around with different genres and production styles.“ The rst single „International CommunicationTM“ showcases that breadth and introduces an album pretty much anyone in the post-Shrek cultural landscape could agree on. Basically, if you appreciate a good hug, chances are you‘ll enjoy this LP. Also, there's a pretty cute dog on the cover.
On this 7”, we present two lost jazz tracks by the trombonist and Horace Tapscott-collaborator, Lester Robertson. Lester has worked with some of the greats of jazz including Gerald Wilson, Anita O'Day, Lionel Hampton and Roy Porter Sound Machine on the classic 'Jessica' album.
Lester was a member of Horace Tapscott's The Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra and features on the iconic underground jazz albums 'The Call' and 'Live At I.U.C.C.'. The Arkestra was set up in 1961 in Los Angeles and over the years has included wonderful, inspirational musicians such as Adele Sebastian, Kamasi Washington, Dwight Trible, Phil Ranelin, Arthur Blythe, Jesse Sharps and Nate Morgan.
These two recordings have recently been discovered on an archived master tape that little information on it other than Lester's name and the track titles. Sadly, the other players on the tracks aren’t credited on the tape, so a line-up can’t be 100% confirmed. Still, the magic of what they laid down in the session pays testament to their artistry. First up is the lively popping track 'Akirfa' in which Lester gets space to let rip and exercise his talents. On the flip is the euphonious 'Untitled Ballad', a mellifluent lullaby for an end-of-the-day wind-down.
Lost for a while, but thankfully not forgotten, these beautiful recordings finally get their chance to shine.
- 1: John Sinclair Introduction / Yusef Lateef - Happyology
- 2: Donald Byrd - Christo Redentor
- 3: Donald Byrd - Blackjack
- 4: Detroit Contemporary - Effi
- 5: Detroit Contemporary 4 - The Promise
- 6: Bennie Maupin Quartet - Water Torture
- 7: Ron English - Bees
- 8: Teddy Harris - Passion Dance
- 9: Lyman Woodard - Déjà Vu
- 10: Lyman Woodard Organisation - Help Me Get Away
Strut and Art Yard present the culmination of a 5-year project researching the archives of author, DJ and activist John Sinclair with the first ever retrospective of the influential Detroit Artists Workshop spanning 1965 to 1978. This first compilation of Detroit Artists Workshop is a revelation for any fan of jazz, featuring previously unreleased recordings by Byrd, Moore, English, Woodard, Bennie Maupin and Teddy Harris accompanied by extensive sleeve notes from John Sinclair, Robin Eichele and Herb Boyd. All tracks are remastered from the original tapes by Technology Works.
The Perth-based psychedelic rock n roll machine rip through a full platter of their high-speed tunes, shot in two locations and heralding their new LP, Night Gnomes. Crunchy riffage, addictive melodies and no-holds barred psychedelia is on tap. Get it at the link below! "Thank you Levitation for getting us out the house! Absolute pleasure to be asked to collaborate on something together. There’s a brilliant story involving an angry local and a bulldozer if you’re won-dering why the location changes, but for the minutes we were filming it was magical. Gnomes till we die! Thanks to Jelly, Tay, Jared, Dima, & the McEwan crew for helping us put this together, love you all." – PPC
- A1: Splashscreen 01
- A2: Welcome To Blackreef
- A3: Menu - Break The Loop
- A4: Karl's Bay
- A5: The Revenant (By Frank Spicer)
- B1: Updaam
- B2: Colt Win
- B3: Anonymous (Aleksis Dorsey)
- B4: Invasion Started
- B5: Ubiquity (Wenjie Evans)
- B6: Julianna Win
- C1: Fristad Rock
- C2: A Band Apart (Frank Spicer)
- C3: Rocket Man
- C4: Ode To Somewhere (By Frank Spicer)
- D1: The Complex
- D2: Eternal Deathwish
- D3: Final Confrontation
- D4: Déjà Vu
The visionaries at Bethesda, Arkane and Laced are bringing the twisted ’60s soundtrack for award-winning looper-shooter DEATHLOOP to wax.
The complete 59-track soundtrack has been specially mastered for vinyl and will be pressed onto heavyweight discs. These will come in spined inner sleeves housed in a rigid board slipcase. Tracklist curation and stunning original sleeve artwork is by the team at Arkane Lyon.
This Standard Edition quadruple LP box set features traditional black discs.
Lead composer Tom Salta has built an enviable credits list, with entries in the Prince of Persia, Tom Clancy and Halo universes to his name. For DEATHLOOP’s original score, he immersed himself in the music of Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Nelson Riddle and a host of other late-’60s influences. Layers of period-appropriate organs, synths and other instruments (including Rhodes, Wurlitzer and Hammond B3) help maintain the tension as Colt picks off Eternalists from the shadows. As things get dicey, or Julianna intervenes with extreme prejudice, tracks explode into furious guitar and drum grooves that propel the zany, supernaturally enhanced gunplay.
Ross Tregenza’s multi-genre diegetic cues perfectly complement the psycho-sophisticate stylings of Blackreef’s artistically aspirational inhabitants, while songwriter Erich Talaba and singer Jeff Cummings brought to life the vicious visionary Frank Spicer with catchy in-universe songs. Music agency Sencit teamed up with powerful yet soulful vocalists for trailer and credits songs, including Bond-ish banger “Déjà Vu” (featuring FJØRA), “Pitch Black” (featuring Lady Blackbird) and “Down the Rabbit Hole” (featuring Samantha Howard & Haqq.)
Embrace have announced their eighth studio album 'How To Be A Person
Like Other People' will be released on their own Mo'betta label
Talking about the album, Richard said "Whenever we put out a new album it's
always a really big deal to us, we put everything we have into it. We know that
there's something about what we do that people love, that they just don't get from
other bands. It's like a pact, they want us to be intimate and personal and
autobiographical, but they also want us to be confident and rousing and
anthemic. It sounds like a contradiction, but I think when we're at our best we
somehow pull it off. I think in that sense this album is the most Embrace album
we've ever made".
Meanwhile the band have announced tour dates in support of the new album,
including their biggest London show in over 17 years at Brixton Academy on
Friday 9th September, a venue the band last played in 2005.
Produced and mixed by Richard McNamara at Magnetic North Studios the new
album is the follow-up to the band's 2018 Top 5 album, Love Is A Basic Need.
In the five years since, Larsen has moved across the country, studied philosophy
at a small liberal arts college, dropped out, and then moved across the country
again. Their life was also put on pause after the sudden death of their first love.
“This loss left so many people with so many unanswered questions, myself
included. I haven’t always arrived at answers to these questions, but songwriting
has provided me with a way to at least ask.” The first voice we hear on Good Grief
does not belong to Larsen, but to their first love. “Ready?” she asks. As if to
answer her, the album begins with an audio recording from 2013 of Larsen and
their high school friends singing Sufjan Stevens’ song "The Predatory Wasp Of
The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!" around a campfire. “When the record starts and
my ex says “ready?” there’s a part of me that feels like - in some way - she’s
asking grown-up-me if I’m “ready” to share my songs about grief now.” Good Grief
captures a coming-of-age story - of an artist and of a human being - as they try to
navigate the terrain of their existence and that of those around them. It’s an
experience of their loss but also honours the person that was lost to them. The
record closes with a reprise of the “Wasps” audio recording, marrying the past
and present as the old voice memo slowly fades into a newer one. Present-day
Larsen sings, “I can tell you I love her each day”: a testament to the fact that their
grief is-- finally--good.Packaging: LP Opaque "Yellowjacket" LP, with cover mount
marketing sticker
For Fans Of : The Black Keys, Otis Rush, J.B. Lenoir, The Ramones, Hound Dog Taylor, Christone Kingfish Ingram, Magic Sam. GA-20 clearly is on to something big. It’s a movement, a new traditional blues revival. The dynamic, throwback blues trio are disciples of the place where traditional blues, country and rock ‘n’ roll intersect. “We make records that we would want to listen to,” says guitarist Matt Stubbs. “It’s our take on the song-based traditional electric blues we love.” Stubbs, guitarist / vocalist Pat Faherty, and drummer Tim Carman have been at the forefront of this traditional blues revival since they first formed in 2018. It’s no wonder they skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard Blues Chart. According to Stubbs, “Since we started the band we’ve focused on the story, the melody, and on creating a mood. Playing live as much as we do, we’re finding more and more that people are discovering how cool it all is. Traditional country, soul and funk music have all had these massive recent revivals, but traditional blues so far has not.” With their new Colemine album, Crackdown, and an intensive tour schedule, that’s all about to change. On Crackdown, GA-20’s third full-length release, the band creates an unvarnished, ramshackle blues that is at once traditional and refreshingly modern. Expanding on their previous releases (2019’s Lonely Soul and 2021’s Try It…You Might Like It! GA-20 Does Hound Dog Taylor) GA-20 finds inspiration on the edges of the genre, where early electric blues first converged with country and rock ‘n’ roll. The album’s nine original songs include the loping, Louisiana-flavored Dry Run, the dirty, and bare-bones Easy On The Eyes and the melodic, garage-tinged Fairweather Friend. With tight, propulsive performances and a brevity and punk energy reminiscent of The Ramones, Crackdown is rowdy and fun, filled with instantly memorable, and well-crafted songs. Tracks: 1. Fairweather Friend 2. Dry Run 3. Easy On The Eyes 4. Crackdown 5.Just Because 6. By My Lonesome 7. I Let Someone In 8. Double Gettin' 9. Gone For Good 10. Fairweather Friend (Final Goodbye)


















