Across the vast expanse of the cosmos we approach a shimmering satellite globe. Entering its orbit in a hypnotic swirl our eyes peer closer and closer to the glowing sea below. We land near an intertidal zone wondering what enchants this world and its waters.
Coral Morphologic’s first album took us on a journey through space. Now with their sophomore LP we arrive at our destination, an aquatic world teaming with life.
*features a foldout poster with album art by Robert Beatty*
Suche:glow
Across the vast expanse of the cosmos we approach a shimmering satellite globe. Entering its orbit in a hypnotic swirl our eyes peer closer and closer to the glowing sea below. We land near an intertidal zone wondering what enchants this world and its waters.
Coral Morphologic’s first album took us on a journey through space. Now with their sophomore LP we arrive at our destination, an aquatic world teaming with life.
*features a foldout poster with album art by Robert Beatty*
Pinwheel Dewdrop / Blue Vinyl, limited to 200 copies. BANE's legendary album "Don't Wait Up" is getting the deluxe treatment from End Hits Records for its 10th anniversary! Released in the spring of 2014 as End Hits No. 10, it marked the beginning of the end for the iconic hardcore band. Initially, the band intended to record a final 7" to support a two-year-long farewell tour around the globe. However, they were eventually convinced by the label to record and release a full album instead. Upon release, "Don't Wait Up" was an instant success among supporters and critics alike. BANE embarked on a successful final tour and then called it quits. "Don't Wait Up" became a holy grail for vinyl collectors in the meantime. But the stars aligned, and much to the delight of hardcore enthusiasts around the world, the band came back together to tour again. To celebrate this landmark release and the return of BANE as a live band, End Hits Records is releasing an extraordinarily packed re-release of this classic album. The packaging features a deluxe gatefold sleeve with die cuts and is enhanced with layers of glow-in-the-dark lacquer. The ultra-limited anniversary reissue is available now from End Hits Records.
Adam Sellouk returns to Afterlife with a powerful solo EP.After remixing, and collaborating with, Anyma, Adam Sellouk joins Afterlife with his own solorelease. Blending melodic elements with crisp sound design, Adam’s EP emits a power fromits core. The opening track, a collab with KAS:ST, unites tough layers with a deeper layer ofemotion. On ‘Confusion’ he teams up with Glowal to splice a robotic vocal clip with a highlyemotive melody and melodrama to great effect. Lastly, ‘Poison’ is comprised heartfelt vocals,melancholy and potent stabs, closing out the EP with a solo cut.
Simple Reality cements the short lived legacy of Coventry DIY group Skeet.
Emerging from a scene of first-generation punks and 2 Tone kids, Skeet was instigated by Gary and Nigel Meffen in 1981, fusing tightrope instrumentals with a Roland CR-8000 under the glow of projected visuals. After a cassette of their debut performance found its way to Kay Booth who worked at Inferno Records, the unsuspecting frontwoman took the liberty of adding her own vocals. Instantly embraced as a permanent member, Booth’s shy delivery and open-diary expressions of social alienation and romantic rejection hovered over the brothers’ scratchy guitar and agitated bass.
Playing as few as 10 shows, their unnerving minimalism was recorded in a suburban home studio, borrowing a reel-to-reel from Toby Lyons (The Colourfield) and a mixer from Jerry Dammers (The Specials). Record labels gestured interest until one day they were no more - no arguments, no official split, just a silent parting of the ways and three people taking journeys in different directions. Unheard and unloved in the vaults for nearly four decades, 'Brief Call' finally resurfaced via the Coventry Music Museum compendium Alternative Sounds Volume 1, followed by a micro pressing of the full suite on Chris Long’s Almost Unknown imprint in 2023.
Simple Reality now offers a definitive snapshot of these must-hear neurotic post-punks. Mastered by Skeet fanatic Mikey Young, newly discovered instrumental multitracks are restored alongside a live recording of their final stand. Performed atop of a trailer in a pub beer garden, the release-worthy desk tape adds three new tracks and a more energised swing at ‘Left On the Shelf’s apathetic techno-pop.
RIYL: Fire Engines, 23 Skidoo, A Certain Ratio, Young Marble Giants, pel mel
These 4 songs represent the first chapter of MOULD. Most of them stem from jams we had during soundchecks on tour as Fenne Lily's backing band for her Breach album tour. Once we got back from tour we decided to replace Joe's solo project SLONK (which we all played in) with a fresh new collaborative beast, we called that beast MOULD.
This record is 20 years in the making. It features two songs by one Makode Linde, legendary visual artist and musician, dear friend of (and frequent cover designer for) Studio Barnhus, the wonderfully weird dance label from Stockholm, the city Makode once called home, before moving to Berlin around the same time work started on these two songs.
On Never Getting Over Me, Makode sings an age-old song of lost love and persistent passion over a zany, sunsoaked riddim, while Professional Help is a piece of bossa nova perfection, its protagonist lamenting his old flame's refusal of therapy over a graceful, flute-driven instrumental.
Exquisite songwriting and glowing lo-fi charm will have these propel straight to your heart, taking up residency in that sacred place reserved for the sweetest pop songs only.
Continue As Amery is the debut album by Montreal-based artist Amery. Formerly recording under the moniker Alpen Glow, Continue As Amery sees the songwriter step out into a bold, colourful world full of pop hooks, snagging feelings of abandon and the mornings after. Amery Sandford began releasing as Alpen Glow in 2020 after years playing in punk groups in Newfoundland and as half of Montreal pop duo Born At Midnite (Arbutus). Recorded in Montreal by David Carriere (TOPS, Marci), Patrick Holland, and Kristian North, Continue As Amery is a blast of melodic joie de vivre. On her debut Sandford brings her punk and DIY credentials into sharp focus on 8 perfect pop odes to city living, making mistakes and figuring it out as you go along. Suffuse with powerful imagery and an almost uncanny talent at spinning out hooks brimming with humour and spirit, Amery’s soundworld is informed by friendship, experience and by her day job as a renowned illustrator and visual artist. Beginning Alpen Glow in a spirit of fun and now shedding the alias, Amery’s ready to hotwire the nite. Each song is rich with story. Mountain FM, named for the radio station in Sandford’s home town in the mountains of Alberta, launches into a tale of speeding, blasting the radio too loud, the giddy burning of rubber with no care in the world to slow you down. Featuring live band members Sarah Harris, Jack Bielli, and Frank Climenhage, the singer bristles to get out of her stifling hometown while lamenting the wide eyed adventurer who left for the big city. On Hotwire The Nite, Amery is out on the town, with imagery loaded with the night’s promise. Amery sings “Black candle / Dripping intel / Dagger hanging by an emerald handle / Holy roller that I just can’t have without my hand on an old flame,” diving in and out of fantasy and desire over a pulsating banger. Moments like these feel like a thesis on aural pleasure, with the production sleek and silky playfulness persisting throughout. Spirit Is Broken is a pep talk the artist is giving herself in the mirror. Only Amery could write something so joyous and harmonically glorious while singing about low ebbs. Every line shines with humour, the chorus starting with an exasperated “oh my god, alright” and the refrain nailing the bittersweet feeling of enjoying feeling down. It’s a mood continued on slow groover Ennui, a melter striking out at being stuck; same parties, same faces, daring to dream beyond. As an illustrator and visual artist, Sandford’s images detail dancing instrument-clad animals, party scenes that nod to historical image making heavy hitters like Hieronymus Bosch and Ludwig Bemelmans. On Miracles, Amery deals in bold pop production and her yearning to escape into fantasy, given wings by Korgs and drum machines. On Rocker Blues, originally by French artist FR David, Amery brings the heavy with synth-guitar and an undeniable chorus. C9 is in some ways the album’s centrepiece, a mid tempo funk jam and duet with Montreal stalwart Fireball Kid, it’s the party just out of reach on the horizon. The thing about Cloud 9 is that on the comedown you might get a hella lot of rain. The world Amery builds is intoxicating, rich and most importantly open for anyone to fall into. To be continued…
- A1: El Shaddai Theme
- A2: Blessed By The Gods
- A3: Medley 1 (The One Who Receives The Glow -Apostle’s Guide - Michael’s Hand)
- A4: Eternal Heaven And Earth - Enoch’s Theme
- A5: Never Ending Journey
- A6: Rapid Evolution
- A7: The Infinite In The Void
- A8: Overture In The Twilight
- B1: Dignified Time
- B2: Scarlet Liturgy
- B3: Encounter The Sanctuary
- B4: Nephilim Appeared
- B5: Dear Past
- B6: Resonating Heaven And Earth
- B7: Hell Fire Cry
- B8: Violent Soul
- B9: Tragic Scream
- B10: Reverbs Of The Gods
- C1: Flight Of Darkness
- C2: Sariel’s Thoughts
- C3: Ringing Scorching Heat
- C4: Mad Motherhood
- C5: Hymns Of The Underworld King
- C6: Baptized Melody
- C9: The One Trapped In The Dark
- C10: High In The Sky, The Bells Of Hope Are Ringing
- D1: Dripping Madness
- D2: Mirror Reflecting A False
- D3: Forbidden Boundaries
- D4: My Evolutionary Form
- D5: Torn Heart
- D6: Gate To Immortality
- D7: Creation Of The World
- C7: Delusions Beyond The Imaginary
- C8: Revelation
"Relive Enoch's mystical journey in his quest to defeat the fallen angels!
El Shaddai Ascension of the Metatron is back on Nintendo Switch in full HD and for the first time in vinyl format!
To celebrate the occasion, in partnership with CRIM headed by creator and designer Sawaki Takeyasu, here's the game's original soundtrack in a magnificent Gatefold 2 x LP edition with white discs.
The El Shaddai Ascension of the Metatron soundtrack is composed and arranged by Masato Kôda and Kento Hasegawa, and features a variety of epic orchestral pieces and sacred, dreamlike melodies.
It has been praised for its quality and distinctive style, which fits perfectly with the game's artistic design and narrative."
Following a ten-year hiatus, multi-instrumentalists Rafael Anton Irisarri and Benoît Pioulard return with »How to Color a Thousand Mistakes«, their third LP together as Orcas. Building on the electronic minimalism of »Orcas« (2012) and the Twin Peaks-inspired haze of »Yearling« (2014), the duo have expanded their sound and vision into a full-spectrum ensemble.
In the time since their last major collaboration, Irisarri and Pioulard have done plenty on their own, while also traversing significant life changes: relocation from Seattle to New York, separation and divorce, illness, hospitalizations, and the loss of siblings, parents, and friends. Yet from these tribulations, they gleaned inspiration to reconstruct their lives, creating music with new collaborators and partners. Recorded in a variety of studios and cities including Brooklyn, Cambridge, Oxford, Seattle, and upstate New York, the resulting album, under the tutelage of UK producer James Brown (Arctic Monkeys, Kevin Shields, Nine Inch Nails), is a patiently-crafted beast, equally inspired by impressionism, British new wave, and dream pop.
With Irisarri’s guidance and Brown’s encouragement, Pioulard brings his velvety voice to its harmonized peak on songs like »Wrong Way to Fall« and the Durutti Column-indebted »Fare«. Where his most recent solo albums for Morr Music (»Sylva« and »Eidetic«) navigated foggy forests of ambient pop and stacked tape loops, here his characteristic blur shifts into focus with a unique degree of clarity and confidence. »How fare against balance do I / Navigate my errors?«, Pioulard sings in a heartbreaking tenor, echoing the album’s broader themes of introspection, grief, loss, trial and trauma.
Lead single, »Riptide«, is a summary of Pioulard’s life changes and personal upheavals in the past decade, »flitting eastward toward a yen deep in the past« and learning to glide through the tumult of ocean waves, as a metaphor for the punches one takes in pursuit of grace. Its towering, key-changing midsection arrives with the monumental drumming of Slowdive’s Simon Scott, a long-time friend and cohort who appears on most songs in the set. Scott’s quintessentially English, jazzier approach offers a balance of force and restraint as the backdrop for Irisarri’s majestic guitars, analog synth lines, and Martin Heyne’s Fender Rhodes counterpoints.
Second single, »Next Life«, began as a sketch by Scott, and reached its final form in the hands of Pioulard and Irisarri, at a point that each had endured major concurrent losses, finding a commonality in the need to gaze over the horizon while acknowledging the unavoidable bittersweetness of letting go – not only of people, but of routines, places, and expectations. It’s one of Orcas’ most nuanced pieces, with a mid-tempo, sunset glow that unfolds into a sparkling, slide-guitar finale as it disappears in the rear view.
On third-act highlight, »Bruise«, Scott is doubled on the drum kit by MONO’s Dahm Majuri Cipolla, whose Liebezeit-influenced metronomy anchors a nimble bass groove from Andrew Tasselmyer (of Hotel Neon), and some of the album's most syncopated, spaced-out interplay, courtesy of Puerto Rican guitar player Orlando Méndez (a childhood friend of Irisarri’s). Originally a droney, fingerpicked guitar demo, »Bruise« is the most storied composition here, having gone through almost a dozen versions and lyrical edits, with Brown distilling hours of improvised performances into the final arrangement.
Throughout »How to Color a Thousand Mistakes«, Irisarri uses his deep well of production experience to paint the stereo field with meticulously designed textures, exemplified on the slow burn of »Heaven’s Despite« and the heady rush of »Swells«. As a mixing and mastering engineer with Black Knoll, he has built a client list that reads as a who’s-who of modern, forward-thinking composition, including Temporary Residence, All Saints Records, and Ghostly International, among many others.
As with previous collaborations, Irisarri and Pioulard bring disparate styles and specialties to the table, but with an interpersonal dynamic that transcends friendship into brotherhood, their open-minded workflow and mutual respect are evident at every turn. »How to Color a Thousand Mistakes« brims with tight, complex art rock songwriting, masterful production, and sonic versatility, informed by a plethora of genres and tonal hues. The title might promise answers, but the gravitational center of the album is the dawning realization that, as you reckon with the infinite whims of the cosmos, there could be none.
"Everyone you love will end up dead," Isaiah Neal sings on "Ivy Tech," the second track from Leisure Hour's upcoming The Sunny Side. It's a matter-of-fact lyrics delivered in a matter-of-fact way - but a second later, Grace Dudas and Raegan Gordon join in to harmonize on a booming "whoa-oh-oh-oh" chorus. In the span of about three seconds, Leisure Hour's whole ethos becomes clear. The Sunny Side is the result of years of writing and recording, the culmination of a half-decade of lineup changes; by now, Leisure Hour's reached their final form: bassist/vocalist Dudas, guitarist/vocalist Neal, and drummer/vocalist Gordon. The Sunny Side, according to the band, is about "love, loss, and struggle with mental health as a middle class individual," and maybe it was a case of life mimicking art. The three of them struggled to come up with enough money to record and produce these songs the way they envisioned; they picked up extra shifts at their jobs and, in true DIY fashion, decided to throw as many music festivals as they could to drum up enough cash to bring these songs to life, and "the community around us rallied together to make this album happen, and for that we are eternally grateful." That gratitude is the driving force behind The Sunny Side. The eleven songs that comprise the record are built on shaky hopes and the anticipation of disappointment, but along with that comes a teeth-gritting resilience and a hard-won appreciation for those small victories. "I can't forgive you," Dudas sings at the end of "Forgiveness," but she follows it quickly with "But I'm trying to," and then she repeats it over and over. Maybe she's just trying to convince herself, but it's the effort that matters. Leisure Hour won't stop looking on the sunny side anytime soon, and they're trying their damnedest to convince you to do the same.
After a few concerts/screenings improvised as a duo in Cairo and Beirut, as well as for the Rencontres d’Arles, the Lille photography center and the Belgian magazine Halogénure, Dargent and Oberland have teamed up with mavericks Elieh and Halal for a puzzling cross-border manifesto. The first sonic moves of this eclectic quartet, made in a bunker studio somewhere between Paris and Berlin,
urgently took the form of a quest, that of a neo-folklore for troubled times, a music seeping with many kinds of atavism and experimenting in all directions. A fertile no-man’s-land where trance and contem1plation, jazz and electronica, acoustics and electricity would merge in a stimulating mystical magma. From the possible emergence of a Babelian language to the shared desire to rediscover mu[1]sic as a ceremonial act, this encounter took place over three days of improvised sound bacchanalia, the phases of which were all recorded by Benoit Bel (Zombie Zombie, Thurston Moore Group, Oi[1]seaux-Tempête). A hallucinated and generous testimony, SIHR is a synergy of many different worlds and many different possibilities, the sonic vision of a present conjugated in a hybrid tense and exalted by too many tangos danced on the glowing ashes of our days
The new album from Lebanese-American musician Solpara, Melancholy Sabotage, marks his full length debut and return to Nicolas Jaar's Other People label. While it was recorded over Covid lockdowns, Jaar had been talking about wanting to back a Solpara full-length since he put out Swing. The album came to life while Solpara was living alone in a Brooklyn loft, collecting unemployment checks and viewing ample free time as the artist residency he'd dreamed of; he'd previously been forced to make music in odd windows between numerous jobs and the unmerciful pace of city life. Free from obligations, he would wake up early to take Arabic lessons online, read Tracey Thorn's autobiography, and skateboard the deserted streets, then come home and design sounds until he had a track that felt like it needed to be released. While this easy going lifestyle was peaceful in many ways, Solpara found more complex inspiration in the emotion that stemmed from participation in Black Lives Matter protests and the 2020 Beirut Port explosion, which rocked all of his extended family members in Lebanon.
Melancholy Sabotage explores the theme of sabotaging melancholy. Echoing sounds from the post-punk, trip-hop, and ambient genres, it is about sabotaging the cycle of melancholy and looking at this process without ignoring the sources that put it into motion. It may be compared to a rattling breaking free from retention, reaching states of dreamy euphoria while simultaneously acknowledging the sources of retention, viewed from above. The sources can be personal, political, or socio-economic. They are to be apprehended post-melancholy, after the sabotaging of the initial cycle of melancholy. In other words, it is about transcending melancholy and understanding where it came from with some distance. It may be beautiful and healthy to feel for a while, but how may one sabotage this cycle when it becomes paralyzing? Ultimately, this album is about feeling melancholy but also resisting it and naming the sources that initiated it.
"Time To Hold Better" points to neglect on both personal and group levels. "This Time Last Year" is a personal time capsule. "We Keep Us Safe" is about solidarity, autonomy, and care witnessed within protest groups. "Melancholy Sabotage" is a sonic exploration of the album concept illustrating anger and sadness, but finally, resistance and liberation from these feelings. "Measures" is a more fluid exploration of the latter after the initial storm has passed. "We Don't Owe" points to bigger bodies inflicting harm on populations that we owe nothing to. "Breaking Points" harkens the times that we may lose focus while pushing to transcend melancholy. "Eviction" is about being pushed out of a space unwillingly while simultaneously being forced to move forward.
Melancholy Sabotage pulls from a range of genres, uniting electronic sounds under the same post-punky glow. It pulls from complex, heavy themes including damage and injustice, presenting Solpara's most moving body of work to date. It highlights the poignance that has always been at the heart of his fluid sound, which caters to dancefloors and avant-garde spaces in equal measure. Working with a mix of dissonant guitars, distorted drum machines, and distant, reverb-washed vocals, Melancholy Sabotage is Solpara's uneasiest outing to date. The record pinpoints the duality at the heart of Solpara's sound, which is as plaintive as it is searing.
Upcoming Dubcore Volume 25 features Bman from Belgium. Beside pushing out anything related to breaks and bass Bman runs the label Monkey Bussiness and its sideboard for more jungle related More Fire Records.
On this Dubcore release he went hyped and stomped filled with joy with some oldschool rave flavor jungle tunes or jungle fever infected rave tunes? Rave O’Clock and Hands In The Eier are emotional ravecore tunes with a ruff edge on the breaks. The other side starts with the happy melody tune Glowsticks Filled With Joy and the the 12inch ends with a more dark pressure jungle tune THX.
- A1: Savour
- A2: Day Is Gone
- A3: Founding
- A4: Big Ship
- A5: Will Bleed Amen
- A6: Fear
- A7: Shaping The River
- A8: Let Alone My Plastic Doll
- A9: The Stench Of Honey
- B1: Wind And Rains Is Cold
- B2: A Little Man And A House
- B3: Up In Annie's Room
- B4: Is This The Life
- B5: Stoneage Dinosaurs
- B6: March
- B7: Lilly White's Party
- B8: Home Of Fadeless Splendour
This is not just a tribute album. It is an endeavour borne of love. Tim Smith composer, principal songwriter, lead singer and guitarist of Cardiacs passed away on the 21st July 2020. The artists on this record came together to celebrate Tim's unique music and further it's dominion Everyone involved in the making of this album generously gave their time and creativity freely, a testament to the love they all shared for Tim. After articles about Tim Smith and Leader Of The Starry Skies have been written in The Guardian and the Sun this is what some reviewers have had to say; A treat for fans and a primer for everyone else, this is extraordinary and timeless music that glows and trobs with love for the very brilliant man who created it. Dom Lawson ~ Prog Classic ...the music of Mr Smith, has the uncanny ability to transform minds, delve deep into whatever it is that makes us think and feel and push and pull at it in a way that is utterly unique and endlessly rewarding... Prog Archives ...the most diverse eclectic and excellent mix of music styles, artistic execution and musical diveristy that this reviewer has had the privelege - nay, the JOY to hear in ages. Andi James Chamberlain ~ Subba-Cultcha These aren’t just pop songs, there’s something far deeper going on. Many have the familiarity and spirituality of hymns... he’s our generation’s Elgar . Sam Shepherd ~ Line Of The Best Fit ...smart, talented people performing great, unique songs in support of a very worthy cause. Matt Evans ~ Rockarolla
Kate Nash’s new album ‘9 Sad Symphonies’ is her first signed to the legendary Kill Rock Stars label. The album was produced and mixed by Grammy winning Danish producer Frederik Thaae (K Flay, Jada, Crown The Empire). Marking a new chapter in Kate’s illustrious career, the album’s lyrical scope is both deeply personal and achingly relatable, whilst its orchestral arrangements and melodies draw from Kate’s experience in the world of musical theatre.
Kate Nash is a BRIT Award-winning singer-songwriter, musician and actress known for her fearless approach to music and unapologetic storytelling. A platinum selling artist with a career spanning over a decade, she has garnered critical acclaim for her chart-topping hits and electrifying live performances. From her debut album Made of Bricks to her latest releases, Kate’s artistry continues to resonate with audiences and has earned her a dedicated fanbase. She also captivated audiences as Rhonda in Netflix’s Emmy-nominated GLOW."
- A1: Edward Hollcraft – South Bound Amtrak 716
- A2: J.j. Cale – Cherry
- A3: Bonnie Dobson – Milk & Honey
- A4: H.p. Lovecraft – Spin Spin Spin
- A5: The Rationals – Glowin’
- A6: Linda Perhacs – Hey, Who Really Cares
- B1: B-52’S – Deep Sleep
- B2: Nine Circles – Twinkling Stars
- B3: The Asphodells – Another Lonely City
- B4: Tangerine Dream – Love On A Real Train
- C1: Chris & Cosey – Dancing Ghosts
- C2: Johnny Harris – Fragments Of Fear
- C3: Bill Frisell – 1968
- C4: Bob Lind – City Scenes
- D1: Tony Joe White – Rainy Night In Georgia
- D2: Menahan Street Band – There’s A New Coming
- D4: The Byrds – Goin’ Back
- D5: Earth, Wind & Fire – Drum Song
- D6: Leon Russell – Out In The Woods
From Dusk, through to Dawn. A collection to accompany the change of the fields, the coastline, the colour of the sky outside your window as you take your journey.
From the compiler of Music For The Stars comes the next collection for Brighton label Two-Piers. Featuring artists such as J.J Cale, Chris & Cosey, The B-52s, The Asphodells, Bob Lind, Linda Perhacs and The Menahan Steet Band.
…This choice of tracks is just one journey, a celebration of the beauty created by the artists, the musicians, the space & sound, the dark & light.
All aboard….The Night Train.
Baxter Dury’s neues und siebtes Studioalbum heißt 'I Thought I Was Better Than You' (über Heavenly Recordings).
Mit ordentlich Selbstironie und Sprachakrobatik malt der Musiker und Schriftsteller eine wilde Collage aus schrägen Träumen und Szenen, in der Baxter mit seinem Erwachsenwerden abrechnet. Doch anstatt nur mit einem Baseballschläger blindlings auf seine Vergangenheit einzuschlagen, spricht er offen über den giftigen Cocktail, in unglückliche Umstände hineingeboren zu werden, ohne richtige Strukturen oder Verantwortungsgefühl, und schwankt dabei zwischen “Fuck you Leon…/ You stole the sunglasses and I got busted” und dem Wunsch nach “Porridge in the morning and be normal”.
Mit kaum funktionierenden Maschinen arbeitete Baxter alleine in seinem Wohnzimmer an groben Demos, die er Produzent Paul White (Danny Brown, Obonjayer, Charli XCX) übergab, der sie in wiederum in seinem Wohnzimmer mit etwas besserem Equipment zum Leben erweckte.
Auf der ersten Single 'Aylesbury Boy' erzählt Dury von “Day Ghosts” und Personen, die lieber durch die Straßen streifen und die Schule meiden, aber auch enttäuschten Erwachsenen, die genau diese Entscheidungen bereuen. In Kombination mit dem swingenden Westcoast-angehauchten Hip-Hop-Beat und Spoken-Word-Elementen ergibt sich dabei eine besondere Kombination aus Humor und Mitgefühl, die Baxters gezeichnete Bilder begleitet. “This song is about coming from one place and arriving at another without fitting in to either, and I think of these people like characters from Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away.”
At the frayed bottom-edge of Indiana - just a moderate bike ride north of Louisville, Kentucky - multi-instrumentalist, artist and songwriter Ryan Davis' Americana-noir soundwaves have been emanating for years in a myriad of forms. As driving force for the lauded State Champion, long-running member of Tropical Trash, administrator of the esoteric and excellent Cropped Out festival, and lone proprietor of the Sophomore Lounge label, Davis lays down his first proper 'solo' release with Dancing On The Edge, a rich, 2LP tapestry of tunes that absolutely glows over seven expansive cuts. It's a pure collage of modernity and heritage. Recorded in early 2023 with help both in-studio and remotely from peers like Joan Shelley, Catherine Irwin (Freakwater), Will Lawrence (Felice Brothers, Gun Outfit, John Early), Jenny Rose (Giving Up), Christopher May (Mail the Horse), Elisabeth Fuchsia (Footings, Bonnie "Prince" Billy), and Aaron Rosenblum (Son of Earth, Sapat), the results herein are melancholic, gentle, minimal yet colorful in mood: a lilting highway accompaniment of crisp instrumentation and a relaxed, amiable approach to vocals with rhapsodic wordsmithery. Fans of the aforementioned artists as well as those of Souled American, David Berman, Kurt Vile and 'Comes A Time'-era Neil should all easily find bounty. While bare-boned and uncluttered in presentation, many of these pieces track over 6 minutes allowing a fair amount of expansiveness. Dancing On The Edge stares down into the navel of the American Experience underbelly with a fair amount of outward reach. Besides the Kosmische-synth and violin stabs reaching into a European element, stately organ swells build a musical bridge between 1969 Southern California and Felt's latter era smooth moves, with layers of intelligent gesture taking this well beyond the realm of its archetypal indie troubadour/acoustic songwriter tag. Music and mint juleps never went down so well together." Originally released via Ryan's own label, Sophomore Lounge, in the US late 2023, it picked up some incredible reviews: best of 2023 in both Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, 9/10 lead review in Uncut, and a raft of other notable publications. "This is the sound of someone bearing a torch." - Bill Callahan (Smog) - RIYL Silver Jews, BPB, Lambchop, Cass McCoombs, Sparklehorse.




















