quête:gone

With a decade between releases, VILDHJARTA remain as inscrutable and as close to anonymity as a band can be. Their down-tuned, staccato riffs and pulverizing grooves are the sound of music stripped to its essence. Formed in 2005 in Hudiksvall, Sweden, VILDHJARTA has become an institution of omission. From their origins, they were unafraid to embrace the untraditional. Since dropping a minute of new live music in 2016, the band's focus has almost entirely been on the new album, “måsstaden under vatten” that was finally released October 15th, 2021, with drummer and now noted producer, Buster Odeholm (also known for his work with Born of Osiris, Shadow of Intent and guitar for Humanity’s Last Breath amongst others) heavily involved in the production, mixing and mastering of the music. While working on “måsstaden under vatten” the band also revamped their two first releases. Buster Odeholm comments: "Before I joined VILDHJARTA they were my favourite band. However, I always felt the production could be a lot better and serve the songs a lot more. After joining I asked for the files from those albums to be able to try my own approach. I’ve re-programmed/produced bass and drums from scratch. For producing the drums on ‘Thousands of Evils (forte)’ I got some help from Chris George from Sworn In. I've also remixed and remastered both albums. This has been going on a long time and a lot of remixing has been done as the years have gone by, but now it’s finally time to release it.". Don’t miss the chance to check out classic VILDHJARTA tunes in all their up to date glory, now entitled ”måsstaden (forte)” and “Thousands of Evils (forte)”. Both are available as Ltd. Gatefold marbled LP, Ltd. CD Edition and Digital Album.

Highly innovative outsider folk-horror score by John Mehrmann receives lush vinyl and CD treatment from Svart Records. Honeydew is a rural cinematic scare written and directed by Devereux Milburn and stars Sawyer Spielberg, Malin Barr and Barbara Kingsley. Described by writer/director Milburn as a “modern-day Hansel and Gretel narrative,” Honeydew follows Rylie (Malin Barr) and Sam (Sawyer Spielberg) on a camping-trip-gone-wrong. Mehrmann’s soundtrack to this underground horror feast is an eerie organic assembly of human and animal groans, mumbles, vocals, meat and metal percussion. Mehrmann’s (Maine, USA) online biography lists him as a composer for choirs, movies, orchestras, soloists, kids’ shows, commercials, and churches; a pianist, singer, conductor, percussionist, and accordionist; the music director at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Auburn, Maine; a member of the Bangor Symphony percussion section; and a teacher, at Bay Chamber Music School in Rockport, Maine, and at the University of Maine at Augusta. In the score’s accompanying notes Mehrmann explains: “When I started to write the soundtrack for Honeydew, my first few tracks were for fairly traditional instruments, but the director made it clear that he didn’t want that, and he encouraged me to get weirder and weirder. I recorded the entire album with a single mic in my living room, using whatever sounds were at hand namely, my voice, my body, long kitchen knives, glasses filled with water, little percussion instruments and sound effects.

25TH ANNIVERSARY OF GAVIN HARRISON'S DEBUT ALBUM REISSUED
Gavin Harrison has established himself as one of the most revered
drummers in the progressive rock scene in recent years
As a member of Pineapple Thief, Porcupine Tree & King Crimson at one time or
another, as well as guesting on numerous acclaimed recordings, he has secured a
reputation as one of the most thrilling drummers around.
In 1997 Gavin released 'Sanity & Gravity', an impressively ego- free debut solo
release featuring performances from a stellar line-up including Mick Karn, Richard
Barbieri, Jakko Jakszyk (21st Century Schizoid Band) & Dave Stewart (Egg,
National Health). Avoiding making a typical 'solo' drum album as a means of
demonstrating his prodigious technique, Gavin created an expressive & emotional
album that is strong on both groove & melody.
In his own words, "faced with the prospect of making a 'solo' drum album I
decided I would take a more experimental approach to playing my instrument,
rather than make a record of fast fashy solos & flls to try & show off my
technique. I felt there was a way to express emotion from the drums played with
the attitude of "blowing" on a saxophone or "twiddling" around on a piano."
The original album has gone on to gain legendary status in the 25 years following
its original conception with the CD fetching high sums on the resale market.
Kscope is now thrilled to present the album reissued & remastered with an
exclusive bonus track & new original artwork for the anniversary. Essential
listening!
'SANITY & GRAVITY' WILL BE ISSUED VIA KSCOPE

Double BLACK Vinyl, Gatefold sleeve, DL card. René Laloux’s celebrated 1973 sci-fi animation ‘La Planète Sauvage (Fantastic Planet)’, is overhauled with a re-imagined soundtrack by electronic modernists Stealing Sheep and legendary sound innovators The Radiophonic Workshop. This exclusive release is part of Fire Records’ re-imagined score series. “No institution has had a greater impact on the development of electronic music than the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.” The Vinyl Factory. It’s a real pre-Avatar conundrum that Stealing Sheep, with the help of Bob Earland, Dick Mills and Roger Limb from the Radiophonic Workshop, unravel. Creating an ethereal excursion that’s narrated by Roger Limb; like a futuristic Martin Denny, or Dr Who gone ambient techno, with a hint of Forbidden Planet 50 years on. It’s an analogue swirl set in an off-world paradise; a field recording from the future. This is a creative, generation-spanning, union brought together to score this unique cult film. A must for fans of psyche electronica and Stealing Sheep’s formidable ‘Big Wows’ album. “Stealing Sheep devour a broad range of styles, incorporating everything from the dark dance-pop of Grace Jones to the experimentations of Radiophonic Workshop pioneer Delia Derbyshire and John Carpenter soundtracks.” The Guardian // ‘La Planète Sauvage’ is a thing of ambient beauty punctuated with electronic earworms that switches from intensely ominous to otherworldly dream like moments.

Francis Ford Coppola’s coming-of-age drama The Outsiders (1983) adapted S.E. Hinton’s successful 1967 novel of the same name, using a young cast of rising stars (C. Thomas Howell, Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio and Diane Lane) many of whom came to be known as the Brat Pack, defining a genre of 80’s films. The plot focuses on the rivalry between two gangs of teenagers in Tulsa, Oklahoma, one poor (Greasers), the other wealthier (Socs).

Coppola’s ambition was to achieve the widescreen scope ‘of a teen Gone with the Wind’, and he asked his father, Carmine Coppola, to score the soundtrack. The result is epic and romantic, a return to a golden age of Hollywood film composing which suits the stylised and epic cinematography, becoming darker as the characters fulfil their tragic destinies. Stevie Wonder co-wrote and performed the song that plays over the credits, ‘Stay Gold’, which is included on this release.

The inner sleeves feature extensive notes by Daniel Schweiger on the history of the film, the soundtrack and an insight into the Coppola father and son partnership.

You might know Barnt as one of the people behind the idiosyncratic imprints Magazine and Schalen, through which he released his most of his EPs and the incomparable 2014 debut album, Magazine 13.; or maybe you know the thread of beautiful, unpredictable club hits he’s woven with labels like Cómeme and Hinge Finger.

Despite living in Cologne, and being friends with the label, Barnt has not put out anything on Kompakt yet, apart from an one-off appearance on Pop Ambient 11 over a decade ago. An EP had been in the air for several years, but it took Barnt a bit of time to get into the right state of mind, because he wanted to make sure the music paid tribute to “the ceremonial, emotional, grand sprit” that he connects with Kompakt.

Typical to the producer’s modus operandi, ProMetal Fan Decor Only Product spins out a surprising narrative, catching the listener unawares, while remaining fundamentally Barnt. After the elegiac opener “Fan”, stately in its melancholic, epic flourish, “You Know What’s Gone” stomps into earshot, the pounding thud of the drums pinning clanging patterns to the dancefloor, a Sturm Und Drang symphony, the tones all clashing metals and silvers.

After that, there’s release – the hypnotic psychedelic reels of “This Is For Decor Only” are Barnt gone trance, a sensual glide of a track that pirouettes out an eternity of sizzling hi-hats and strip light melodies. While you might want to be alone when listening to “Fan”, you might have the time of your life dancing to “This Is For Decor Only”, played by your favourite DJ at your favourite festival this Summer.

With ProMetal Fan Decor Only Product, wrapped in a sleeve by artist Lukas Heerich, Barnt and Kompakt finally come together, equal parts refined elegance and sweaty fervour.

IDLES return with their new album, ‘CRAWLER’, an album of reflection and healing
amid a worldwide pandemic that stretched the planet’s collective mental and physical
health to the breaking point.
 Frontman Joe Talbot says: “We want people who’ve gone through trauma,
heartbreak, and loss to feel like they’re not alone, and also how it is possible to
reclaim joy from those experiences.” IDLES albums have always been anchored by
these overarching themes, but the ability of the band to juxtapose beauty and rage
with humour and drama has never felt more satisfying than on ‘CRAWLER’.
 These stories are vividly brought to life through IDLES’ most soul-stirring music to
date, recorded with co-producers Kenny Beats (Vince Staples, Freddie Gibbs) and
IDLES guitarist Mark Bowen.
 Previous album ‘Ultra Mono’ was Number 1 album in the UK, with over 35k sales
week one.
 Huge 2022 January UK tour including five Brixton Academy dates, three at Glasgow
Barrowlands, two at Manchester Warehouse and more. Over 20k UK tickets sold in
the first hour of release.
 Three high budget music videos, written and directed by LOOSE (Lucy Hickling,
Stink Films).
 CD in digipak packaging.
 Deluxe LP mastered at half-speed (45rpm), pressed on deluxe heavyweight 180g
black double vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket with printed inner sleeves.
 Eco-Mix coloured vinyl LP housed in a single-sleeve jacket and printed inner sleeve.
Eco-Mix vinyl production uses leftover wax that’s already in the factory, meaning
each record is different and the colour is completely random and unique.
 Standard black vinyl LP housed in a single-sleeve jacket and printed inner sleeve.

Die 2007 gegründete deutsche Heavy-Metal-Formation KISSIN DYNAMITE hat sich mehr als nur einen
Namen in der Szene gemacht: Mit sechs Studioalben und diversen Chart Erfolgen (#7 in den GERAlbumcharts mit dem 2018er Full-Length Ecstasy) etablierte die Band ihren Trademark-Stil - geprägt
von modernen Sounds, wuchtigen Hymnen und eingängigen Hooks, gepaart mit 80er-Jahre-StadionrockAttitüde und einem außergewöhnlichen Look. Nun steht die Kombo in den Startlöchern bereit, ihr Napalm
Records-Debüt Not The End Of The Road zu veröffentlichen und mit 12 kraftvollen Tracks den Weg des
Metal im Jahr 2022 zu ebnen.
Produziert, aufgenommen und gemischt wurde das neue Studioalbum von Sänger Hannes Braun selbst, der
auch schon mit Bands wie SANTIANO, THE KELLY FAMILY oder BEYOND THE BLACK gearbeitet hat.
Das Mastering übernahm Jacob Hansen in den Hansen Studios, der Grammy Award nominierte Produzent
ist bekannt für seine Arbeit mit Bands wie VOLBEAT und vielen mehr.

Since the inception of Anxious in 2016, the band has always acted with purpose. This may seem like a simple premise, but for five kids still in high school at the time, it’s quite an accomplishment. Early songs were packaged in limited run demo tapes with accompanying zines and hand-dyed t-shirts. Weekends were filled with regional runs of shows outside of their Fairfield, Connecticut homebase. With this amount of effort it’s no wonder that within a few years of graduation, Anxious has built a solid foundation for their debut album to flourish upon.

Burying '60s sing-alongs and dance crazes beneath waves of reverb and giddy thud, Ty Segall has carved out his own shelf in the San Francisco neo-psych garage alongside local compatriots and collaborators Sic Alps and Thee Oh Sees. After shattering the Bay Area underground as a frantic one-man band that was devoured by the local press, Segall has now given up the solo act for a three-piece group that destroys sonic and melodic boundaries with manic glee. This new live setup is a better reflection of his studio work. As an exploration of the space between Cro-Magnon fuzz and atmospheric acoustic psych, Lemons is the natural next step after his celebrated self-titled 2008 debut on Castle Face.

English jazz-funk band Level 42 released their tenth studio album Forever Now in 1994. While Forever Now marked the return of original drummer Phil Gould, it was the last album before the band’s breakup. Featuring the popular singles “Forever Now”, “All Over You”, and “Love In a Peaceful World”, the album was a commercial success. It reached #8 on the UK album charts. Music critics were also generally favourable, calling it the band’s “best album since the mid-80s heyday of World Machine and Running in the Family”.

Nervous Records, the iconic label synonymous with the rise of house from the streets of New York City, will mark 30 years in the music industry by releasing the celebratory compilation LP ‘Nervous Records: 30 Years’ on October 1st (Part 1) and October 15th (Part 2).

Featuring original mixes of the label’s biggest tracks, plus remixes by some of its most celebrated acts, ‘Nervous Records: 30 Years’ is both a celebration of the past and of the future. Featuring a who’s who of electronic dance music, the long player sees names including Louie Vega, David Morales Darius Syrossian, Tensnake, Monki, Franky Rizardo, Danny Howard and more take on iconic Nervous cuts: ‘You Make Me Feel Mighty Real’, ‘Treat Me Right’, ‘Future Groove’, ‘Feel Like Singing’, ‘Get Up Everybody’, ‘Break You’, ‘Hot’, ‘End This Hate’, ‘Unspeakable Joy’, ‘Can Ya Tell Me’, ‘Jerk It’, ‘The Anthem’, ‘It Makes A Difference’, ‘Learn 2 Luv’ and ‘Don’t You Ever Give Up’.

The album marks one of the most enduring, extraordinary legacies to grace America’s illustrious music history, not just in electronica but far beyond. Founded in 1991 by Michael and his father Sam Weiss, and recognizable immediately by its distinctive character logo, the label grew rapidly, in no small part due to Michael Weiss’ practically unmatched passion for discovering new music.

“Louie Vega and Kenny Dope woke me at 4am on Tuesday night, Wednesday morning from their studio telling me they had something really different that I needed to hear,” Michael recollects. “I asked if they could play it over the phone. They said if I wanted to hear it I had to come to the studio. So of course I got myself up, got dressed and went there. That “really different track” ended up being ‘The Nervous Track’, a tune that became our signature release and was also highly instrumental in the emergency of London’s ‘Broken Beat’ movement.”

The label’s willingness to take chances on fresh sounds and innovative concepts rising up from the melting pot sidewalks of NYC ensured a body of work that has become a living musical history of the city. House cuts ‘Unspeakable Joy’ and ‘Nitelife’ (Kim English), ‘Get Up (Everybody)’ (Byron Stingily) and ‘Feel Like Singing’ (Sandy B) bump up against hip-hop anthems like ‘Who Got Da Props’ (Black Moon) and “Bucktown” (Smif-n-Wessun) and reggae cut ‘Take It Easy’ (Mad Lion); soulful flows from Mood II Swing (Kim English ‘Learn 2 Luv’, Loni Clark “Rushing”), Armand Van Helden (‘The Anthem’) and Nuyorican Soul (‘Mind Fluid’) sit alongside seminal techno singles like Winx’ ‘Don’t Laugh’. The young artists and producers who joined the Nervous Records’ family have gone on to become some of the most hallowed and celebrated dance acts of all time: Louie Vega, Kenny Dope, David Morales, Tony Humphries, Roger Sanchez, Armand Van Helden, Kerri Chandler, Kim English, Byron Stingily, Josh Wink, to name just a handful.

“We did a release with Josh Wink under his Winx alias entitled ‘Nervous Build-Up’,” Michael said. “It did well and it was obvious how talented Josh was. Subsequent to that release I was pretty persistent in asking him to continue to play me his new demos. During one phone conversation he said, “Mike I’m gonna play you something over the phone but don’t laugh when you hear it.” That demo ended up being ‘Don’t Laugh’, which became one of our biggest international hits and still to this day is one of America’s earliest and most impactful techno hits.”

As much a celebration of the label’s future as it is of their past, Nervous Records: 30 Years is but a marker in the imprints’ history, a clear sign of where they’ve been and also where they’re going. With 30 years behind them, the label’s determination to unearth new raw diamonds in the rough is as unwavering as ever.

“I’ve always been one to look at what others are doing (the industry at large) and think, “ok, are they doing this specific thing for a reason, or doing it because everyone else is doing the same thing” and make my decision based on that,” says Nervous Records’ General Manager Andrew Salsano. “In an age where data metrics and analytics reign supreme, I remain steadfast that they should be complementary to your decision and not the sole indicator to make one. So many songs today are written with 15 second hooks in mind for social media, and while there’s nothing wrong with that business model you will always be chasing the wave instead of carving out your own path and identity.

“My primary focus for the sound of the label has and will continue to revolve around signing good songs and music that has the ability to react at the street level first. The best results come from artists that are firstly given a bit of local love that grows into a global impact. Fresh ideas that express child-like curiosity and artists showing vulnerability in their music are also something I look for, artists and producers that are not making music with certain markets in mind, but rather their own style and signature that is unique but able to straddle the fine line of underground and overground.”

Still as raw, as underground and as finely tuned to the dance floor as they ever have been, perhaps the secret to the success - and the longevity - of Nervous Records has something to do with that hard, dogged, no-holds-barred NYC edge that runs through the veins of the label. With the next generation of producers rising from the clubs of New York, one thing is certain; Nervous Records will be there to find them, nurture them and bring them to the world at large, over the next decade and beyond.

Newly remastered audio.
LP pressed on black vinyl & housed in a gatefold jacket.

Willie Nelson’s 1996 album Spirit is an emotional concept album illustrating the forlorn tale of a man abandoned by the great love of his life. We follow him down the path of loss as he confronts grief, gets back on his feet, and eventually finds solace in acceptance. While producing Spirit, Nelson assuredly knew the commercial risks behind releasing an album this melancholic. After all, in 1973 he himself wrote: “sad songs and waltzes ain’t selling this year.” Beloved by those familiar with Nelson’s deep catalog, Spirit largely slipped through the cracks in the mainstream, but remains highly revered amongst critics and fans alike.
Backed by legendary country fiddler Johnny Gimble (of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys), sister Bobbie Nelson on piano, and his longtime touring guitarist Jody Payne, the song-cycle is anchored by lilting Spanish-inspired instrumentals that absorb a lonesome gravity when placed next to ballads that tug at even the most unwavering heartstrings. Likened to Bob Dylan’s Time Out Of Mind or Waylon Jennings’ Right For the Time, Spirit sees Nelson maturing most gracefully: he trades rousing sing-alongs and saloon tunes for gut-wrenching lyrics and instrumentation of greater precision and skill, proving this release as deep and as challenging as his career-defining albums released twenty years before.
Originally released by Island Records in 1996, Spirit is newly remastered and housed in a gatefold jacket. This is a chance to own this unique album in its most beautifully presented form.

Danish maverick Nandu reppears on TAU after a short absence. Nandu’s remarkable ascension has been swift, yet he’s maintained a high level of quality with all of his releases. Every step of the way he’s ensured that his sonic signature has remained intact and, as a result, his music has been signed to labels like Afterlife, Innervisions and Out Of Options.

It’s great to have the talented producer back on TAU and he’s bestowed us with four stirring cuts, each of which demonstrates why he’s become such hot property...

repressed !

Strong contender for dance record of the year- Red Rack'em's incredibly wonderful and fantastically wonky, Disco Banger, was rereleased on Classic this year.
After a few months of slowly embedding itself in people subconscious, it returns with new mixes.
First up in the marvellously talented KiNK - Strahil is no stranger to Classic, having made a stamp on the label many years ago with his remix 3rd Face. He's gone from strength to strength with his productions which have been accompanied by his glorious live performances. Kink goes in, heads down with some proper techno Wonk. This is indeed a beast.
On the flip Luke Solomon joins forces with Bristol's very own Eats Everything and Lord Leopard, creating a Bristol 'Circle of Three.' The Luke Eats Leopard edit adds a slight bit of conformity to the drums and the arrangement, without taking out too much of the Wonk but taking it ever so slightly into 'house ' territory.
Overall this is a monstrously Wonky package - and just in time for Xmas too.

Home to Cuca Records and hundreds of Nashville-fantasizing pluckers and singers, Wisconsin’s Driftless region was a hotbed of country music in the 1960s. Influenced by old-timey ethnic songs, Bakersfield outlaws, countrypolitan rainbows, and the lonesome twang of every rural route roadhouse, these 17 Driftless Dreamers washed up at Jim Kirchstein’s Sauk City record plant with little more than $100 and a longing. Collected here are the fruits of Cuca’s documentary approach to record making, capturing the voices and stories of a culture and glacier in abatement.

The third entry in Lucy's trio of adventurous full-lengths is visually introduced by artwork of a pearl-bearing shell, designed by Stroboscopic Artefacts' resident visual artist (and Lucy's brother) Ignazio Mortellaro. This drops a subtle hint as to the nature of its contents: just as a pearl slowly forms within its enclosing body in response to organic challenges, Lucy's work is also a kind of crystallization of memory and experience into an artifact of great value.

Listeners to this album will be struck immediately by how different it sounds from past Lucy productions, while still retaining the feel of relentless questing that defined his previous two solo LPs Wordplay for Working Bees and Churches, Schools, and Guns (or, as Lucy himself defines the feeling, the equal valuation of precision and exploration'). Initially feeling like Lucy is guiding his listeners on a slow and slightly apprehensive down-river trip through the Amazon, or some similarly thriving but as-of-yet undiscovered terrain, the album is enriched by several layers of ambience and by the wordless, improvisational (yet still somehow narrative) vocals and flute of Jon Jacobs. Without a doubt, it's an album with an initiatory' atmosphere that listeners should commit themselves to hearing in one sitting, with as little interruption as possible. However, unlike many initiatory rites, this is no arduous ordeal at all: great care has gone into connecting each chapter of the album with the same silver thread of entrancing story-telling. On standout pieces like She-Wolf Night Mourning,' electronic arpeggiation and persistent synthetic flutters perfectly merge with the unique tone colors of resonant acoustic percussion and pensive woodwind. Elsewhere, pieces like A Selfless Act' reconcile technoid pulses with melancholic, yet intoxicating echoes of Mediterranean musical traditions.

Interestingly, many of the tracks on Self-Mythology refer to old legends and well-known fairytales (e.g. the opening track which references Baba Yaga's magical hut), or to more broadly defined states of consciousness ( Samsara,' which features an especially strong, sustained choral interplay between glassy synth sequences and earthy flute sonorities). This is where the album is truly unique and relevant in its ambition. The interplay between the graphic design, the vocal and flute performances of Jacobs, and the sound design chosen by Lucy aims to be an intimate audio autobiography of its creators while also referring back to the stories that have shaped human destiny for millennia. This work is a meditation upon the reciprocity between personal hopes and fears and collective dreams and nightmares, an exploration of the endless interplay between the universal and the deeply individual. It is the tale of that uncanny process by which our own conscious experience draws from the pool of archetypal information, while also contributing to it.

Fresh sounding and (mostly) slower paced house tracks with a twist coming out of Detroit. Filled with a sample-soaked miasma of sonic mutations that will appeal to fans of Moodymann, Theo Parrish, Urban Tribe... From the first to last thud, it moves the listener from head-shaking bewilderment to head nods of agreement at a moment's notice. Not much is known about K-6000, but based on this initial offering it is evident that the orbit of this group is broad...

In 1972, Australia’s Albert Falzon made a film that would forever change the way the world thought about surfing. The film was Morning of the Earth. For many people it was the very first time they came to recognise surfing as a complete lifestyle. This recognition, coupled with mind-blowing, innovative surfing made the film a classic that has remained vital for over 50 years. Albe’s portrayal of all things pure and simple influenced generations, and passed on an enduring sprit to our Australian culture, our music, and our lifestyle.

Morning Of The Earth’s ethos of soul and spirit in surfing representing surfing as a lifestyle rather than a commercial entity. Not only did it show that these opportunities were open to everybody on their own doorstep, but it also showed for the first time the new exotic frontiers of Indonesia and Hawaii, in which you could further your adventures that encompassed the realm of spirituality and soulfulness.

Morning of the Earth took a unique approach to music. G Wayne Thomas’s selection of performers, songs and songwriters along with his own writing and performance created a warm blend of country soul and pop that helps carry the film to an esoteric level. For the first time, music was not treated as a background or incidental to the vision on the screen. The music was the narrator, with each track played in its entirety. The original soundtrack produced the Australian #1 single Open Up Your Heart and was the first Australian soundtrack to achieve gold sales. It was also recently included in the 100 Best Australian Albums.

The movie and the soundtrack have gone on to become legendary within the Australian surf history so we will be re-issuing the original 12 track soundtrack on black vinyl to commemorate the 50th Anniversary.

The latest thrilling incarnation of master rock'n'roll storyteller Tex Perkins (The Cruel Sea, Beasts of Bourbon, Thug, Tex Deadly and the Dum Dums, Tex, Don et Charlie.) and the Fat Rubber Band began with a rare vinyl copy of Link Wray's Beans and Fatback album, recorded in 1971. Perkins and his respected musician, songwriter, producer and bandmate Matt Walker share a mutual admiration of the American electric guitar innovator, whose iconic power chords in his signature 50s rock'n'roll instrumentals, had a profound influence on the evolution of rock guitar. The Fat Rubber Band is borned with this rare vinyl, the pair have enjoyed countless musical conversations over the decade while hanging out backstage and on the road. Walker offered the debut album's opening track, the wide-screen drama of "Pay The Devil's Due". Perkins responded with the plaintive blues of "My Philosophy". Walker replied with the album's fuzz driven debut single "Danger Has Been Kind" and Perkins countered with the glacially-paced, intimate "Poor Simple Minded Fool". The pair road-tested their works in progress as a duo before enlisting bassist Steve Hadley, drummer Roger Bergodaz and Evan Richards on percussion to complete the Fat Rubber Band line-up to record the album's ten tracks at Walker's Stovepipe Studios in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges. "At Matt's studio - you open the door to the studio and nature floods in," Perkins says. "We wanted it to sound rural, to feel the dirt and the grass and the leaves." Even after all these decades, when you think you know that gravelly baritone inside out, Perkins finds new emotional tones in the service of the Fat Rubber Band's songs vivid narratives, with their characters wrestling, but sometimes dancing, with the tougher, darker qualities of the human condition. This is truly existential blues. Bubbling underneath those upfront vocals and raw harmonies are intricately entwined guitar conversations and unexpected percussive flourishes. "Another aspect that we wanted was for the sound to be sometimes a collision and sometimes a marriage of acoustic and electric instruments. We wanted that tension between mandolins and bouzoukis meeting fuzz guitars." "We also considered percussion to be a vital element of the sound we were going for; we noticed in the recordings we loved from the 50s and 60s that often the tambourine hit, or the maracas, or whatever percussion, was right up there in the mix, right next to the vocal," Perkins says.

Limited vinyl featuring producers Seldom Seen, Force Placement, DELINSTR, and IvanAM. 4 underground trax ending out 2021 with this bang for your buck release!! L.A. West Coast focus: Caltechno, deep groove and electrofunk beats! Digital download code included (code sealed inside behind label sticker)

Peggy Gou’s Gudu Records presents a landmark EP of original music by Dea - a legendary Indonesian DJ and artist who counts DJ Harvey, Mr. Scruff and Gilles Peterson (who famously claimed that Dea was the best DJ he’d seen in a decade after watching him spin in 2017) among his admirers.

Making his name in Indonesia’s Sun Down Circle collective, Dea has gone from one of his country’s best-kept secrets to one of the world’s most respected diggers and DJs. His EP for Gudu is his most extensive collection of solo music yet, backed with a transcendent remix by I:Cube - the few-more-acclaimed French artist famed for trading remixes with Daft Punk in the 90s and decades of brilliant solo music since.

BOSS BY NAME, BOSS BY NATURE. The five heroes finally follow up the Steel Box 45 (Goner) with Cash 'Em In. A disgustingly catchy yet charming ode to the lost art of picking up one lucky person and, well, chucking them over a bar. Might as well, right? Sonically, this is still hitting that sweet spot between early UK punk and glam rock n roll, and once you've flipped both sides you'll be getting ready to cash someone in yourself (and don't worry, Cal from The Chisel pops up to provide full instructions). Featuring members of Fucked Up, Rixe, Chubby and The Gang and The Chisel. The 7" is limited to 450 copies on white vinyl and comes in a fold out poster sleeve with artwork from Tin Savage.

Pairing dreamy falsetto vocals on a smooth, languid groove that sounds like an undiscovered hip hop sample, 'Starchild' is the new EP by Common Saints. This will fly out the door, don’t be the one to miss it once it’s gone!

A live experience on its own! A never before released live recording from the Lady Soul ! On July 21 1970 Aretha Franklin made her appearance at the great Antibes Jazz Festival in the south of France. At the head of a twelve piece backing band, "Lady Soul" gave a great performance based on a fine set-list full of hits such as "You Send Me", "Dr. Feelgood", Spirit in the Dark and a couple of tributes to "British Pop", via two heartfelt renditions of the Stones's "Satisfaction" and the Beatles's "Eleanor Rigby".

Aretha Franklin (Piano, Vocals)
Donald Towns, John Wilson, Charles Horse & Clay Robinson (Trumpet)
Chancey Outcalt & René Pitts (Trombone)
Louis Barnett, Miller Brisker, Donald Walden & Charlie Gabriel (Saxophone)
Truman Thomas (Organ)
Ted Sheely (Piano)
Leslie Harvey (Guitar)
Melvin Jackson (Bass)
Hindel Butts (Drums)
Evelyn Green, Almeta Latimer & Wyline Ivy (Backing Vocals)

The Blind Date Party hosted by Bill Callahan and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
and featuring AZITA, Matt Sweeney, Alasdair Roberts, Matt Kinsey,
Sean O’Hagan, Bill MacKay, George Xylouris, Dead Rider, David Pajo,
Mick Turner, Meg Baird, Ty Segall, Emmett Kelly, Cory Hanson, Six
Organs of Admittance, David Grubbs, Cassie Berman, Cooper Crain and
Sir Richard Bishop happened online in the autumn and winter of 2020 -
2021 but the party planning dated back to the spring of 2020.
 Stuck at home, with no gigs in the foreseeable future, Bill, Bonnie and
Drag City needed an outreach program to keep themselves busy, not to
mention sane. In the absence of any company or anything on the
calendar, playing songs they loved was an idea; playing with people they
loved, the desire. And making it fun - so pairing someone with someone
else having no say in the matter, the essence of the blind date, was the
plan. Favourite songs were chosen; players from around the Drag City
galaxy were messaged. Pretty soon, songs were flying back and forth -
music in the air.
 By autumn, the songs started to appear online: Bill and Bonnie singing a
song by someone they loved and admired; each song cut by another
artist they loved and admired, then sent to Bill and Bonnie to provide the
finishing touches. The spotlight pointed in every direction each week:
toward the singers and writers who’d originally played the songs (Yusuf
Islam, Hank Williams Jr., Dave Rich, The Other Years, Billie Eilish,
Steely Dan, Lou Reed, Bill Callahan, Jerry Jeff Walker, Robert Wyatt,
Lowell George, Johnnie Frierson, Air Supply, Will Oldham, Leonard
Cohen, David Berman, Iggy Pop and John Prine), toward their featured
collaborators, the artists whose artwork adorned each digital single and
videos made by still more collaborators.
 Like the best parties, it turned out to be everything and more than they’d
even hoped for. So many more people were involved in the process that
would on the page here. Suffice to say, making records over the years
has required a broad sense of community and an always-surprising mix
of independence and unity, inspiration and utility. Some of the best
memories are those where as many of our folks as possible were
together in one place at one time. The Blind Date Party was one of
these, maybe the most improbable one yet. It’s for everyone who’s here
and it’s in the name of everyone who’s gone but will never go and will
always live with us here. This album will too.

The Blind Date Party hosted by Bill Callahan and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
and featuring AZITA, Matt Sweeney, Alasdair Roberts, Matt Kinsey,
Sean O’Hagan, Bill MacKay, George Xylouris, Dead Rider, David Pajo,
Mick Turner, Meg Baird, Ty Segall, Emmett Kelly, Cory Hanson, Six
Organs of Admittance, David Grubbs, Cassie Berman, Cooper Crain and
Sir Richard Bishop happened online in the autumn and winter of 2020 -
2021 but the party planning dated back to the spring of 2020.
 Stuck at home, with no gigs in the foreseeable future, Bill, Bonnie and
Drag City needed an outreach program to keep themselves busy, not to
mention sane. In the absence of any company or anything on the
calendar, playing songs they loved was an idea; playing with people they
loved, the desire. And making it fun - so pairing someone with someone
else having no say in the matter, the essence of the blind date, was the
plan. Favourite songs were chosen; players from around the Drag City
galaxy were messaged. Pretty soon, songs were flying back and forth -
music in the air.
 By autumn, the songs started to appear online: Bill and Bonnie singing a
song by someone they loved and admired; each song cut by another
artist they loved and admired, then sent to Bill and Bonnie to provide the
finishing touches. The spotlight pointed in every direction each week:
toward the singers and writers who’d originally played the songs (Yusuf
Islam, Hank Williams Jr., Dave Rich, The Other Years, Billie Eilish,
Steely Dan, Lou Reed, Bill Callahan, Jerry Jeff Walker, Robert Wyatt,
Lowell George, Johnnie Frierson, Air Supply, Will Oldham, Leonard
Cohen, David Berman, Iggy Pop and John Prine), toward their featured
collaborators, the artists whose artwork adorned each digital single and
videos made by still more collaborators.
 Like the best parties, it turned out to be everything and more than they’d
even hoped for. So many more people were involved in the process that
would on the page here. Suffice to say, making records over the years
has required a broad sense of community and an always-surprising mix
of independence and unity, inspiration and utility. Some of the best
memories are those where as many of our folks as possible were
together in one place at one time. The Blind Date Party was one of
these, maybe the most improbable one yet. It’s for everyone who’s here
and it’s in the name of everyone who’s gone but will never go and will
always live with us here. This album will too.

‘The Alienist: Angel Of Darkness (Original Series
Soundtrack)’ is now available on vinyl.
 The album features music by Ivor Novello Awardwinning composer Bobby Krlic (The Haxan Cloak).
 The album is pressed on blue vinyl, with a deluxe
spined sleeve with deboss artwork and the vinyl itself
housed in its own double sided inner sleeve. Digital
download card included.
 Bobby Krlic is an award-winning British artist,
composer and music producer based in Los Angeles.
Over the past decade, Krlic has created music under
the The Haxan Cloak, releasing two critically
acclaimed full-length albums (2011’s ‘The Haxan
Cloak’ and 2013’s ‘Excavation’) and touring
extensively as a solo artist building a devout fanbase.
As a producer, Krlic has worked with artists including
Björk, Khalid, Troye Sivan, Goldfrapp, serpentwithfeet,
The Body and noise-rock band HEALTH.
 Krlic scored Ari Aster’s 2019 horror film ‘Midsommar’,
earning him an Ivor Novello Award for Best Original
Film Score. Last year, he made new music for ‘Red
Dead Online’ and also co-produced Father John
Misty’s ‘To S.’ and ‘To R.’.
 An unflinching, gripping, turn-of-the-century murder
mystery that traverses both New York’s wealthy elite
and the struggling underbelly of the city’s ‘Gilded Age’,
‘The Alienist’ follows Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Brühl),
a brilliant and obsessive ‘alienist’ in the controversial
new field of treating mental pathologies.

Debut solo studio album by Depeche Mode songwriter. Originally released in 1989 - a 6 track EP of covers. Recorded during a band hiatus after recording/touring for the album 'Music For The Masses'. Pressed on 180gm black vinyl with download code. Marketing.

The Mighty Soulmates is a towering early 90s project from the legitimate super group of André Cymone (bass player with Prince), St. Paul Peterson (guitarist with The Family and Prince), Mic Murphy (of Sass and The System fame) and Gardner Cole (writer, producer and musician probably best known for his work with Madonna). The sound is a majestic blend of sophisticated funk, emotional R&B, New Jack Swing flava and slick deep soul.

These should-be legendary sessions have been almost a secret since they were recorded back in 1993. The first Be With knew about the project was whilst working with Mic on some Sass re-issues and he told us he had something else we might be interested in hearing.

Mic explained, “In the summer of 1993, Gardner Cole asked if I’d be interested in coming out to work with him, André, and St. Paul. So we all headed out to what can best be described as a fantasy music summer camp at Gardner’s house in Woodland Hills, California. We had all worked together in the past in some form or another so everyone was energized and enthused and excited to see what we could create together. St Paul and Andre had already begun some songwriting at Gardner’s well equipped home garage studio. The songs and ideas progressed quickly and some additional recording was completed at André Cymone’s studio in downtown LA. We ended up working on the project for about 6 months, off and on, until Gardner's house fell victim to the Northridge Earthquake in January 1994.”

There were some vague ideas at the time about turning the sessions into a finished record, but everyone went back to their day jobs and as St. Paul puts it: “for nearly 30 years it just sat there, marinating like a fine funk masterpiece. Everything has its right time and now just be the time”.

From all the tracks Mic sent over, we’ve cherry picked the absolute cream for a tight four track EP. In an alternate history all four for these would’ve been radio smashes. No doubt. But these songs never even reached a plugger. A mixture of beat ballads and uptempo non-hits, coming on like Al B Sure! or Babyface take on Shalamar or, dare we say it, The Purple One - maybe not so surprising given who’s playing!

The feel-good dancefloor dynamite of “I Wanna Be The One” is the explosive opening track. A piano-driven, groove-laden blast of yearning deep-pop, with perfectly delivered soulful vocals and an unmistakable “early 90s” sound. Indeed, fans of Eddie Chacon’s old group will dig this for days. “Back In The Day” has a timeless swing and swagger, the lyrics reminiscing about the halcyon streetlife of the Soulmates’ youth, about Curtis, Superfly and innocent days gone by, about hustling with friends. Yet more spine-tingling vocals over yet another perfectly produced musical backdrop. Stunning.

Opening side B, “Blue Tuesday” is the thrilling pinnacle of the EP, at least for us. It’s absolute soulful-pop perfection, and the one we’ve been asked about most after teasing this collection on our NTS show. A soaring beat ballad full of chiming guitars, gorgeous harmonising, falsetto “doo-doo-doo-doo do-do-do-do” backing vocals and a real steppers’ groove. Glide to this with your loved one at the next roller rink party.

Dramatic, purple-hued closer “Private Time” seems to predict the Timbaland-dominated sound of the mid-to-late 90s, all synthetic strings and squelchy, acidic-drum-machine soul. There’s even room for funky piano breaks, vocoder bridges and more cowbell than you can shake a cowbell at. You could just as easily hear Aaliyah vibing over this as much as Mic.

This EP represents the sound of four incredibly soulful, talented, and influential (soul)mates jamming together over one long hot summer and weaving pure sonic magic. André Cymone loved the “kinda pop, experimental exploration of sound and music. I think these songs make a statement. Not just because of the collection of talented musicians involved but the idea of musically branching out and experimenting; which is what I loved about the project and for people to hear and hopefully appreciate the artistic adventure this music takes, I think it’s a much needed breath of fresh air.” As Mic recalls, “it had the feeling of recovery in a circle with my dudes making music sitting around catching up on life - it felt like living a second childhood. We just wrote what we felt. I don’t remember ‘aiming’ at anything but a great song, melding all our different influences from throughout our lives. We had no restraints. For me personally, it was a time to make music and regroup. I call it the ‘Soulmate Experience’ because in many ways we are kindred souls as a band. We did have an amazing time making the record and so much fun together. Probably my best summer ever”.

The Mighty Soulmates EP has been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman at Finyl Tweek and pressed at Record Industry. That early 90s gloss sounds spectacular, if we do say so ourselves.

And such a special record needed some truly almighty artwork, so thanks go to DJ Ruby Savage for directing us to London-based illustrator and designer River Cousin. This music needed something elegant and indulgent yet soulful and striking and something as simultaneously tongue-in-check and deadly-serious as the group’s name. The end result is as modern yet timeless as the music itself.

And these are just our four picks. There’s plenty more where this came from and Mic tells us he’s even picked the album title: “Earthquake Summer”.

Formed by Cream lyricist Pete Brown, The Battered Ornaments were a mixture of English jazz, blues, and psych rock in the late 60s. By the time they got around to recording their sophomore album Mantle-Piece, Brown was out of the band, yet they recorded his songs and sang his parts. The album was a critical and commercial disaster. It was later rediscovered by hip hop crate diggers for its raw funky production and open grooves especially on the track "The Crosswords And The Safety Pins".

After the worldwide success of their first album Puzzle (1999), which sold over 200,000 copies and went gold in Japan, Xavier Boyer (vocals, guitars), Pedro Resende (bass), Médéric Gontier (guitars) & Sylvain Marchand (drums) reunited with producer Andy Chase to record the follow-up, Wallpaper for the Soul, in New York City. Starting in November 2001 at Stratosphere Sound, the prolific sessions gave birth to twenty tracks, twelve of which appeared on the original tracklist. The eight outtakes were compiled on the mini albums A Piece of Sunshine (2003) & Extra Pieces of Sunshine (2004). This new vinyl edition will be the first time all these songs appear together.

Almost 20 years on, WFTS is a tour de force of contemporary songwriting with obvious nods to the past somehow revisited in a timeless fashion. Tahiti 80’s second effort can also be seen as an alternative and more sophisticated snapshot of an era often associated with the rebirth of rock (The White Stripes, The Strokes…). This set of songs also established them as stalwarts of the Post French Touch cannon, showcasing both their ability to write catchy songs and their knack for mélanges & experimentation. 1,000 Times or The Train are unique examples of blue-eyed soul augmented with French flair (« Prefab Sprout as produced by Thomas Bangalter » suggested Uncut which listed WFTS in their Top Ten’s albums of 2003). Listen to Don’t Look Below today, and ask yourself who was mixing Destiny’s Child with My Bloody Valentine in 2001? Delicate numbers like Open Book or live favorite Better Days Will Come both demonstrate T80’s songwriting skills and their innate sense of melancholia.

Listening back to WFTS today, one cannot help but think of it as an album recorded in a state-of-the-art fashion. All four members would typically perform together in the same room. Basic takes were printed on a 24-track analog tape machine and then bounced onto a computer for editing. A fine example of this method is the title track itself. Originally written on acoustic guitar, Wallpaper … is the result of three eight minutes synthesizer jams pieced together. The Frenchmen were keen to try out multitude of ideas and had developed a taste for experimentation. The sessions also coincide with a rich outburst of creativity from a band on top of their game after several months of touring around the world.

Another typical WFTS characteristic is Richard Hewson’s orchestration. Veteran string arranger, famous for arranging The Beatles’ The Long And Winding Road or writing RAH Band’s ‘80s classic Clouds Across The Moon Hewson gave the songs a sweeping orchestral touch. Strings, Horns & woodwinds were all performed at the now defunct Olympic Studios in London. Urban Soul Orchestra, a 24-piece ensemble who played on Oasis’ or Spice Girls’ hits can be heard on five songs: the opening trilogy Wallpaper…, 1,000 Times and The Other Side, then on the Northern Soul revival Soul Deep and lastly on the album’s closer Memories Of The Past.

Rouen’s most famous four-piece, now relocated in a house on France’s North West Coast, in the quiet seaside town of Étretat, added more bells & whistles and resumed production on the songs. With one last transatlantic leap during the summer of 2002, the boys flew to Portland, Oregon to attend the mixing sessions held by sound wizard Tony Lash (Elliott Smith, The Dandy Warhols…). Suggested by Sub Pop’s craftsman Eric Matthews, also a guest on trumpet and keyboards, Lash would later become a major collaborator on Tahiti 80’s subsequent albums.

In the meantime, Laurent Fétis, the designer behind Puzzle’s iconic artwork, had started working with artist Elisabeth Arkhipoff on a set of nostalgic photographs transfigured with a soft air-bush technique. Those visuals, like their predecessors, have since become an inseparable companion to Tahiti 80’s music.

Many musical fashions and flavors of the month have come and gone, but twenty years after its release, WFTS still sounds fresh and relevant. And always forward-looking, Tahiti 80 is currently wrapping up the recording of their eighth album, to be released in early 2022.

In July just gone, after 8 years as a label, 36 seven-inch singles, 21 lockdown tracks, 3 samplers, 4 compilations, 2 EP’s and with only their second ever album release – Speedy Wunderground achieved their first ever Top 40 album – with ‘Busy Guy’ the third long-awaited album (14 years!) from the elusive cult singer-songwriter Stephen Fretwell. A landmark achievement, which heralded universal critical acclaim and one that proved (to those that didn’t know already) that the label was now a serious force to be reckoned with as its scope, style and reach continues to rise.

The Waterboys 1990 album ‘Room to Roam’ was the bands fifth album. It continued the Folk-Rock sound of 1988's Fisherman's Blues and was recorded at Spiddal House in Galway, where the last recording sessions from the preceding album, Fisherman's Blues, had been recorded. Room to Roam would be the last of The Waterboys' Folk-rock sound until the release of Universal Hall in 2003. Fiddler Steve Wickham, who had been a large inspiration for the change to that sound for Fisherman's Blues, left the band shortly before Room to Roam was released.



This new vinyl has been produced to compliment The Magnificent Seven CD/DVD/Book box set. Mastered for Half-speed and cut by Miles Showell at Abbey Road and made into a double album running at 45rpm. The original artwork has been presented in a new 5mm wide spine sleeve, polyline inners and insert.

Northern Soul legend Lorraine Silver recorded Lost Summer Love when she was just 13 years old in August 1965. Whilst not a chart hit on its release, the track did become a massive anthem at the iconic Wigan Casino and was reissued on the Casino Classics label in the late 70s selling in excess of 30,000 copies. However, Lorraine knew nothing of her heroic Northern Soul status until the late 80s.

23 years after the original recording, Lorraine’s husband, agent Barry Collings, was reading Blues & Soul magazine which featured a top ten selection of favourite Northern Soul tracks that included Lost Summer Love. Lorraine called the editor and was flabbergasted to discover it really was her song. Following this, her story was told in a whole
selection of Northern Soul publications. She contacted the original record company PYE and was told that the track had sold some 34,000 copies worldwide and she could claim her royalties!

At around the same time Barry was involved in promoting Northern Soul weekends across the country and Lorraine was able to meet all the DJs who had been playing her record for years.
She was persuaded to get up and do a couple of PA’s of Lost Summer Love much to the delight of the audience who were queueing for autographs.

Since then, Lorraine’s resurrected career has gone from strength to strength, with airplay on BBC Radio 2, performances at Northern Soul events, and an appearance at the Edwin Starr Memorial Concert alongside the likes of Clem Curtis, Geno Washington, and Jaki Graham. In 2011 she was asked to join the line-up of a new touring show ‘The Mod All Star Band’ with artists she herself had idolised in the 60s including Steve Ellis and Chris Farlowe.

Now, at the age of 70, Lorraine continues to perform, record, and release new material in a career that now spans an incredible 57 years. Her brand-new single Fever Raging Out Of Control was produced by legendary Northern Soul DJ Ian Levine who has also produced pop hits for Take That including ‘A Million Love Songs’ and ‘Could It Be Magic’. The final mix of the track was done by Nigel Lowis who has also worked with Burt
Bacharach, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion to name just a few.

And…that original recording of Lost Summer Love, has now become quite the collector’s item, with a recent copy selling on eBay for some £700.00!

On ‘Deciphering The Message’, Chicago-based jazz drummer and producer Makaya McCraven reworks some jazz classics. Tunes by the likes of Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Dexter Gordon and Ahmad Jamal are triumphantly reborn into the world of hip-hop. McCraven has chosen and reworked the tracks to work as a complete LP rather than individual tracks. “I always want to make music that will connect with people in one way, where it makes them nod or feel something or transport them somewhere,” McCraven said in a statement. “I also hope this makes them check out the source of this music if they have it. The music that we’re making now is part of the same route and is connected, so I want to honor tradition and release something that people can vibe to.”

What do you get when you blend a reverential take on the diverse canon of popular Caribbean music with an all-star cast of seasoned studio musicians from the heart of Brooklyn? The answer lies in Combo Lulo's much anticipated debut studio long-player, Neotropic Dream. The group takes its influence from the deep musical heritage of New York's cultural pedigree, especially the heyday of the city's Caribbean record distribution industry — a culture of music that still bubbles today in the crevices of the city's independent neighborhoods and record communities.

Despite the general scope of the muse, it's hard to precisely pin down this fantastic re-imagining. In some ways, that's why the title for the band's debut album is Neotropic Dream, a nod to the biogeographic region that encompasses the countries along the Afro-Caribbean diaspora, a region intensely diverse in its climate, fauna and flora. This theme manifests musically as you journey through Combo Lulo's original compositions and cleverly chosen covers. More than anything, it's a dreamy storm of styles and musical moments born anew. And just as weather swiftly travels and transforms the Caribbean, so the varied musical styles carry the listener from the album's start to finish. Not just a talented band's showcase of styles, but rather a sumptuous feast of savory and sweet ingredients on display, together. A musical curry roux, if you will, that fits together so harmoniously, it's no wonder the band engenders automatic appreciation both in their studio recordings and in their uproarious live shows.

Whether it's cumbia gone rock steady, or reggae gone chicha, or vocal vs. version, there's a little something for everybody on here, depending on where you drop the needle. With splendid original compositions and horn arrangements from band leader Mike Sarason and saxophonist Anant Pradhan, respectively, Combo Lulo is quickly proving themselves to be a powerhouse of the highest caliber.

"Therapy? are an alternative metal band from Northern Ireland. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist-vocalist Andy Cairns from Ballyclare and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing. Their line-up was completed when the band recruited Larne bassist Michael McKeegan. Nurse was the first record by Therapy? for A&M (their first of 4 for the label), it was released in 1992 and moved the band to a more industrial sound. The album reached no 38 in the UK album charts. The album had the breakthrough single Teethgrinder which got to no 30 in the UK charts, its mixes appear on the CD bonus disc
This version comes with a bonus disc of demos, B-Sides and live material curated by drummer Michael McKeegan and mastered by Andy Pearce; the original album uses the master by Harvey Birell that was used on the acclaimed Gemil Box. The booklet contains a new sleeve note by Ex Kerrang editor Paul Brannigan who has interviewed the band about the album and the time period around it."

On Top Records is extremely proud to welcome back Smasher with his sophomore album, ‘Vibes In Motion’. due for release the 16/07/2021

Following the release of his debut album ‘Locked In Locked On' in 2020 which featured in numerous 'Album of the Year' lists Smasher has spent the past year offering a high level of consistency among a time which has been very difficult for creatives.

With live shows stopping to a halt Smasher has taken this opportunity with both hands building a home studio to sustain creativity a very important factor for an individual who has a burning passion to create music, he has used the time productively “Vibes In Motion” is 51 minutes of future classic British UKG encompassing Hip Hop, Grime, RnB, 2 step Garage all blended together seamlessly to bring a fresh approach to a genre he has gone extremely hard for. As with previous material, the album is produced by Smasher himself collaborating with long time friend Aaron Greenwood bringing his soulful smoothed-out keys and backing vocals the pair have a great working relationship which spans over a decade which can be heard through out the record.

Smashers journey began with a love for late 90’s UK Garage collecting vinyls from record shops and dj’ing on pirate radio, which lead him to Hip Hop, RnB, Reggae, Soul and many different uk underground music styles, followed by decades of producing records for some pinnacle uk artists most recent production credit for “Ghetts” on the critically acclaimed ‘Conflict Of Interest’ album charting at number 2 in the uk albums chart, Giggs - Landlord album, Klashnekoff - Iona to name a few, Smasher is a producer who can deliver a very high level of production no matter the genre. Over the past 2 years Smasher has gained props far and wide: from Todd Edwards to DJ EZ releasing a record under his Nuvolve imprint, to guest mix for MBE clothes designer Wale Adeyemi, comedy UKG faves Kurupt fm posting his “lockdown freestyle challenge” Numerous guest shows & live streams for Rinse fm, Kiss fm, Phaze Transition & Mind Charity, limited vinyl run presses to collaborating with Capo Lee & Ayo beats for film soundtrack “Against All Odds”

Since releasing “Locked In Locked On” the feedback for the project was so greatly received i knew how i wanted to approach this next album and with plenty of time on my hands to experiment i wanted to include more collaboration, a lot of the link ups came together organically.

I feel you get a nice balance of some new school artists like Local, Solo Jane & Hotch mixed with some UKG generals like MC Neat, Mighty Moe, Preshus, Creed & Troublesome and original “Knightz of the round table” member Luckie Luciano, i always feel a duty to pay homage but i also want to evolve the sound and take it to the next level.

Since march 2020 its been a tuff time for people i feel like there are some hidden messages in the album it leans towards the underdogs of this world and at times i feel like that but there is always this burning desire inside me to want to do better hopefully that comes across for the listener.

Already with a dedicated fan base and support from tastemaking DJs such as DJ EZ, Conducta (Kiwi Records), Toddla T (Radio 1), Heartless Crew (1xtra), Majestic (Kiss), Scott Garcia (kiss), Smokey Bubblin B (Rinse fm), DJ Redhot (Rinse fm), Dj Cartier, DJ Spoony, Artful Dodger, MattJam Lamont (Rinse fm) Shosh (Kiss Fm) Rudekid (Kiss fm) Ricky Chalrie & Melvin (BBC Radio 1) amongst others from the burgeoning UK Garage scene,

The Smasher sound especially in UKG has brought a well needed fresh flava to a genre which has had very few full album offerings, with that said its time to share “Vibes In Motion” with the universe, This will solidify Smasher as an artist in every sense of the word and undoubtedly concrete him as one of the UK’s finest talents.

Deepfunk / soul super rarity flipped with one of the best deep soul sides ever recorded, the family had some great images so we opted for a picture sleeve on this one, 400 copies only. forget about finding an O.G. Researched by our man, Brian Sears

Papa Bear And His Cubs were the brainchild of Eddie Disnute Sr., aka Papa Bear. A native resident of Hampton, Arkansas. Eddie started his music career in gospel then transitioned into secular music after moving to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1963. While living in Milwaukee with his wife and children, Eddie played with a group called the Fenders but eventually decided to start a group of his own with his kids aptly named Papa Bear And His Cubs.

Eddie Sr., a naturally gifted musician, taught his children how to play music. Creativity is a part of the Disnute DNA and before long Eddie's cubs were perfecting chops of their own. Papa Bear And His Cubs started performing together around the late 1960s. Although a few memorable gigs came their way, Wisconsin proved to be too cold for the Disnutes so they made their way back to Hampton, Arkansas.

The family continued to perform in Arkansas then made another move to Houston, Texas where they hoped to break into the music scene down south. They lived there for nearly three years and even recorded at SugarHill Studios, yet nothing materialized and the recordings remain a mystery to this day. For their final move, the Disnutes returned home to Hampton after Eddie's wife Christine (aka Mother Goose) received word that her father was ill.

In 1975 the group recorded their only vinyl record at Sam Griffith's home recording studio in Camden, Arkansas. Disnute Sr. recalls it only taking "one night, and one take" for both "Sweetest Thing On This Side Of Heaven" and "You're So Fine" to be born. Both songs have an entrancing quality that is inescapable and will surely resonate with listeners for years to come.

The group continued to perform until the early 1980s, at which point the cubs were bears themselves, who decided to go their own separate ways. When thinking back to their prime days, one thing will always remain clear in Eddie Sr.'s memory, "we could play, all it took was a countdown of 1, 2 ,3, 4 and we're gone".

Now Here Is Nowhere is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Secret Machines. It was originally released on May 18, 2004.

The band’s epic, drawn out melodies are reminiscent of classic rock bands such as Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, with influences from krautrock and shoegaze. Now Here is Nowhere received widespread critical acclaim, saying the band is locked-in and steady while Garza’s imperturbable drums stand strong against Brandon Curtis’ guitar explosions and Ben Curtis’ psych-rock keyboard scribbles.

The album was released online before it was released physically, which was uncommon at the time, but it did help the band gain more press coverage. The song “Nowhere Again” was used as a promotional single and appeared in the 2006 video game Driver: Parallel Lines.

Invada Records präsentiert den Soundtrack zu 'UNDERGODS' - dem Spielfilmdebüt des in Großbritannien lebenden, spanischen Musikvideo-und Werbespot-Regisseurs sowie Drehbuchautors Chino Maya.
Eine dystopische Reise durch ein futuristisches Europa im Niedergang.

Musik von Wojciech Golczewski, Francis Lai, Software, Thierry Durbet und Gerardo Carreras.

Limitiert auf insgesamt nur 1000 Exemplare
Gepresst auf "Concrete Wasteland" Marmor-Vinyl
Verpackt in einem Deluxe-Sleeve mit doppelseitig bedrucktem Insert

"The Best Driving Music in the World Ever" was written and recorded during a 48 hour lock-in session, having never left the studio until completion. The artist stated, "This all came together due to a bout of loneliness and depression that swept over me one Friday evening. Being lonely sometimes can render positive results, something I am learning. I decided to go and make a guitar-based record and not leave the house until it was done. I succeeded and this is what was made." The tracks were then sent over to be mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri at his incredible studio, Black Knoll in New York, US.

"The Best Driving Music in the World Ever" was written and recorded during a 48 hour lock-in session, having never left the studio until completion. The artist stated, "This all came together due to a bout of loneliness and depression that swept over me one Friday evening. Being lonely sometimes can render positive results, something I am learning. I decided to go and make a guitar-based record and not leave the house until it was done. I succeeded and this is what was made." The tracks were then sent over to be mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri at his incredible studio, Black Knoll in New York, US.

Recorded in May 2008, ‘Live at the Troubadour’ sees Daryl Hall and John Oates return to the legendary Los Angeles venue they first played as a support act in the 70s. Reissued on double CD and released for the first time on triple LP, the set sees the duo delve into their extensive back catalogue, delighting fans with nearly 2 hours of hits reimagined in a stripped back format, laying bare the beauty of their classic songwriting and mastery of their craft as live performers. The recording includes incredible live performances of ‘Maneater’, ‘Out of Touch’, ‘You Make My Dream’ and many more.














[n] e2. I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) [Live at The Troubadour]

The long awaited follow up to Osaka's Hibushibire 'Freak Out Orgasm!' debut album from 2017 is almost upon us ...
 
Who are Hibushibire ?
 
821 (Hani) on bass
Ryu Matsumoto on drums
Changchang on guitar and vocals
 
It would be fair to say Hibushibire’s 2017 debut album ‘Freak Out Orgasm!’ went down well with fans of psych-rock (call it what you will). So far it’s had three vinyl pressings, two cassette pressings and a CD run back in Japan. It garnered quite a few influential underground (if not mainstream) reviews and seemed to sell through on word of mouth alone - which in these times seems to be the way things are going: thriving social media groups sharing their love of recent purchases and fellow vinyl lovers going out and scooping them up without the need to buy a magazine or read an online review to make their mind up. My favourite review of ‘Freak Out Orgasm!’ came from UK based music blog Dayz Of Purple And Orange as I think he nailed it perfectly...
 
“Fuck me! I think I've died and gone to psychedelic heaven! If anyone had asked me what I would really want from a freak out, heavy-as-fuck psych band I would have to say I would want the sheer guitar pyrotechnics of Acid Mothers Temple, the hard-as-nails scuzziness of The Heads, the lead heaviness of a fucked-up Blue Cheer and the instrumental dexterity of Hendrix on speed. Guess what, that band exists and they are called HIBUSHIBIRE!"
 
That, to me, said it all. Nail hit hard.
 
But let's get onto 'Turn On, Tune In, Freak Out!'
 
Once again the album is produced by Makoto Kawabata (Acid Mothers Temple, Mainliner) and for me it's the next logical step in the bands sonic development. As with its predecessor, side one consists of three tracks, "Ecstasy Highwaystar / Blow! Blow! Blow! / Overdose, Pussycat! More! More!", (they do like an exclamation mark). Some of these titles will be familiar if you've followed the band's live shows in recent times, and it's pretty much a guitar to the front, full gonzo-style hard-rocking psychedelic freak out from the first blast of Changchang's guitar panning from left to right before the main riff kicks it all off.
 
Again, as with their debut, side two comprises of just one epic length track. 'Rollercoaster Of The Universe' clocks in at seventeen minutes and is, in my humble opinion, the sound of the band moving onto the next level during its journey. It's a shudderingly beautiful piece, with many hypnotic twists and turns. I can't wait to hear how they play this live.
 
The band did initially attempt to produce this album by themselves, but got 'brain fever' in the studio and called their old friend Makoto to come down and help them finish it off. As he had no preparation in advance, he knew nothing about how the recording was going in the studio, and moreover there was little time left for adjustments to be made. But his technique of mixing was, as always, both mighty and almost destructive.

"Therapy? are an alternative metal band from Northern Ireland. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist-vocalist Andy Cairns from Ballyclare and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing. Their line-up was completed when the band recruited Larne bassist Michael McKeegan. Nurse was the first record by Therapy? for A&M (their first of 4 for the label), it was released in 1992 and moved the band to a more industrial sound. The album reached no 38 in the UK album charts. The album had the breakthrough single Teethgrinder which got to no 30 in the UK charts, its mixes appear on the CD bonus disc
This version comes with a bonus disc of demos, B-Sides and live material curated by drummer Michael McKeegan and mastered by Andy Pearce; the original album uses the master by Harvey Birell that was used on the acclaimed Gemil Box. The booklet contains a new sleeve note by Ex Kerrang editor Paul Brannigan who has interviewed the band about the album and the time period around it."

Prodigal son of the ESP Institute, Juan Ramos, rises from the cesspool of a world gone mad with 'Agua Del Cenote', his fifth release with the label. Whilst many artists are following their inner light to bring us some much needed joy amidst these rotten times, Juan (being the little shit that he is) follows an inner demon and delivers listeners and dancers a demented clusterfuck of sadistic chaos. The title track opens with what sounds like a butane torch and we metaphorically freebase into oblivion. Our perception of reality unravels, writhing in abrasive textures smeared across a low-slung, mid-tempo erotic thump. Everything feels blurry and distant, as if we’re swimming through an underground aquatic tunnel, in a panic, searching for an invisible band of spirits whose tune summons us into certain annihilation. Following this is a remix from a decorated lord of 20th Century electronics, Harald Grosskopf AKA The Synthesist. Harald wipes away grit and lethargy to reveal elements hidden deep within the mix as well as softens Juan’s sense of terror by building up to an optimistic layer of added synth. We’d love to offer some relief with the balance of the EP, however, the remaining two tracks paint complimentary hues in the same cerebral palette. 'Let It Go (Freaks Only)' veers closely to House in terms of tempo and gestalt, utilizing a vocal sample from Third Generation (Kerri Chandler) and a healthy dose of sub bass, but Juan hardly apologizes for his masochistic tendencies and certainly never relents into an uplifting mood. Closing the EP, Juan serves an antidote of sorts with 'Cuko', as if suggesting a way out of the swamp, but leaves it up to the listener’s intuition to not only see the carrot, but actually follow it into the light, thus completing the quest.

By way of some cosmic miracle, only one Total Hell pops up
when the band moniker is searched on Discogs. And that would
be the band responsible for the five-song blast of heavy metal
sounds at hand. Now active for about two years plus change
and exported from the very metal and punk fertile New Orleans,
Total Hell is DD Deth (aka Drew Owen—Sick Thoughts
wheelman, Trampoline Team etc) on drums / vocals, Henry
Hell (John Henry of Static Static, Heavy Lids) on bass / vocals,
and guitarists Jason “Panzer” Craft (Persuaders, Tirefire) and
Michael Maniac (Michael He-man of Trampoline Team).
If self-deprecation is beyond the listener’s processing skills,
then please know that as self-described purveyors of the “New
Wave of Shitty Heavy Metal”, Total Hell’s big-boy debut is
not “shitty” in any manner whatsoever. These four recordings
(“Desecrate”, “Clones From Hell”, “Violator”, and “Disfigured”)
are melodic monstrosities that hit with a wall-to-wall, floorto-
ceiling hugeness, while doing so in an economical manner.
There will be no mistaking this for Broken Bones screeching out
of an iPhone inside the vegan squat. On the flip, this is no Bob
Rock joint. DD Deth elaborates: “Recorded on a Tascam 8-track
cassette live at home (aka “The Parkway”) by Michael He-Man
and the process was a nightmare. Original tape crapped out on us
back in early 2020 so we had to redo the whole thing. Intros and
interludes were done last minute by me with the cheapest midi
keyboard on the net.” Well, color Goner Records impressed.
One might get momentarily lost in the cavernous drums that
introduce opener “Desecrate”, but soon the buzzsaw-riff-wall
will crush one into a smudge on the bathroom floor. Without
rocking some safety goggles and diving headfirst down a
terminology rabbithole, this is punk jumping into the sack
with metal and leaving black boots on the bedroom floor rather
than white hightops. Xmas came early for fans of Anti-Cimex,
Celtic Frost, pre-shit Discharge, Motörhead, Blitz, Midnight,
Venom, Broken Bones and...one gets the picture.

Ten high-powered Hip-Hop tracks from Andy Cooper (Ugly Duckling, The Allergies) who delivers classic Rap skill over funky, uptempo instrumentals.

IDLES return with their new album, ‘CRAWLER’, an album of reflection and healing
amid a worldwide pandemic that stretched the planet’s collective mental and physical
health to the breaking point.
 Frontman Joe Talbot says: “We want people who’ve gone through trauma,
heartbreak, and loss to feel like they’re not alone, and also how it is possible to
reclaim joy from those experiences.” IDLES albums have always been anchored by
these overarching themes, but the ability of the band to juxtapose beauty and rage
with humour and drama has never felt more satisfying than on ‘CRAWLER’.
 These stories are vividly brought to life through IDLES’ most soul-stirring music to
date, recorded with co-producers Kenny Beats (Vince Staples, Freddie Gibbs) and
IDLES guitarist Mark Bowen.
 Previous album ‘Ultra Mono’ was Number 1 album in the UK, with over 35k sales
week one.
 Huge 2022 January UK tour including five Brixton Academy dates, three at Glasgow
Barrowlands, two at Manchester Warehouse and more. Over 20k UK tickets sold in
the first hour of release.
 Three high budget music videos, written and directed by LOOSE (Lucy Hickling,
Stink Films).
 CD in digipak packaging.
 Deluxe LP mastered at half-speed (45rpm), pressed on deluxe heavyweight 180g
black double vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket with printed inner sleeves.
 Eco-Mix coloured vinyl LP housed in a single-sleeve jacket and printed inner sleeve.
Eco-Mix vinyl production uses leftover wax that’s already in the factory, meaning
each record is different and the colour is completely random and unique.
 Standard black vinyl LP housed in a single-sleeve jacket and printed inner sleeve.

It’s all in a haze…

Time and life has happened and memories fade. These recordings were made in 1991 and 1992 when we were proudly surfing our mid teens and spending enormous amounts of time in the studio. Every weekend was spent upstairs at Zwarre’s house with analogue synths, VHS sessions watching splatter movies and Psychic TV’s ”8Transmissions8”, going through the Paul Kelday and Sound of Pig cassettes, reading zines to find out more about bands and labels operating the experimental music world, and dreaming about a life away.

Alvars Orkester had been going since ’87 and we had lost a few members so we were down to a duo. We had gone from being kind of all over the place, to investigating how sound affect your mind, and narrow it down. Recording together were magic moments, and it did change me to whoever I am today. These vague memories are dear to me.

Joachim Nordwall, Brännö, August 9th 2021

The Cool Feedback Quartet’s music is quite similar to a philharmonic orchestra manipulating new material:
feedback, or in other words, the unexpected beauty of sound when it is let loose. Becoming its master so as to make the
best use of it, like a new instrument, the guitar pick up plays again on request. Harmonizing sounds like a string section
gone wild would, like light piercing through ether, tearing up the background and taking us for good to unknown territory.
The bandleader, Grégoire Garrigues, who first got the idea of the concept and got the ball to roll, is a well-known and
respected French guitarist.

Badass electrofunk album!

gem-K is the femme fatale alter-ego of Maria Korkeila, a Finnish multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of fashion, graphics, textiles, photography and music. Super Utu and Korkeila first crossed paths in 2017 at The Community, a small independent art gallery then located in Paris’s 10th arrondissement run by a group of Finnish expats. It was from then we learnt that Korkeila’s artistry is influenced not by any one discipline but by praxis itself. This can be observed through her myriad creative explorations: In My Room - a site specific installation at Kämp Garden, Helsinki; Her Aalto University grad collection - a junction of photography and textile design through a feminist lens; and Fiskars by Maria Korkeila - a gender-neutral gardening and urban exploration clothing collection.

The Eagles will take the stage once again this Sunday 22nd August at Madison Square Garden to resume their acclaimed “Hotel California” 2021 Tour. In celebration of the band being back on the road, Rhino will release LIVE AT THE FORUM ’76, featuring 10 songs recorded in the autumn of 1976, just prior to the release of Hotel California. LIVE AT THE FORUM ’76 will be available on 12th November as a 2LP set on 180-gram vinyl. The tracks will be making their vinyl debut, as they were previously only available on CD and digitally as part of 2017’s “40th Anniversary Edition” of Hotel California. The live music takes up three LP sides while the final one features an exclusive etching of the artwork.



LIVE AT THE FORUM ’76 was recorded during the band’s three-night run at the Los Angeles Forum in October 1976. The show took place as the group was putting the finishing touches on Hotel California, which would be released that December. The concert recording captures some of the very first live performances of “Hotel California” and “New Kid In Town.” During the show, the band also play hits from earlier albums with “Take It Easy” from the band’s 1972 self-titled debut; “Already Gone” from 1974’s On the Border; and the #1 title track from 1975’s One of These Nights. The concert also includes a raucous performance of “Funk #49,” a song originally recorded by Walsh’s James Gang.



The Forum concert presents a snapshot of the band right before Hotel California became a critical and commercial phenomenon. After its release, the album went on to become x6 platinum in the UK with the title track becoming one of the UK’s most loved classic rock anthems.

Home to Cuca Records and hundreds of Nashville-fantasizing pluckers and singers, Wisconsin’s Driftless region was a hotbed of country music in the 1960s. Influenced by old-timey ethnic songs, Bakersfield outlaws, countrypolitan rainbows, and the lonesome twang of every rural route roadhouse, these 17 Driftless Dreamers washed up at Jim Kirchstein’s Sauk City record plant with little more than $100 and a longing. Collected here are the fruits of Cuca’s documentary approach to record making, capturing the voices and stories of a culture and glacier in abatement.

"Life, Love And Faith" - Allen Toussaint (p, g, hca, arr); Alvin Thomas (ts); Francis Rousselle (tp); Clyde Kerr (tp, frh); George Plummer, Vincent Toussaint (g); Walter Payton (b); Joe Lambert, Joseph Modeliste (dr); a.o. & The Meters

Allen Toussaint had it all around him – the voices and spirits of black music, rhythm ’n’ blues, funk and soul. He was born in New Orleans and grew up there, the birthplace of jazz. As from 1960, he worked as a record producer and an A&R man at Minit Records, an independent label, which was closely associated with the transformation of the New Orleans Sound. His compositions for fellow musicians landed them in the charts, he frequently participated by performing with them on the piano, and so became a connoisseur and master of all possible sounds.

"Life, Love And Faith" marks his launch into his solo career, and quite rightly so. In the songs, Toussaint amalgamates all he had mastered with a rocking R&B, funky rhythms and expressive soul to create his highly personal sound.

Although it is a soul album through and through, one has the feeling that one is listening to an album from Reprise’s stable of singers/songwriters – including such artists as Randy Newman, Bonnie Raitt, Little Feat and Joni Mitchell – rather than what usually came out of New Orleans in the early Seventies. And also because "Life, Love And Faith" captures an eccentric genius who pursues his own idiosyncratic vision. It is a structured, multi-layered album, which does not show Toussaint in his purest form, but it is his only album that shows just how widely ranged and profound his many talents were.

This Speakers Corner LP was remastered using pure analogue components only, from the master tapes through to the cutting head.

All royalties and mechanical rights have been paid.

Recording: 1972 at Jazz City Studios, New Orleans, by Cosimo Matassa and Skip Godwin

Production: Allen Toussaint

Recommended If You Like: Elliott Smith, Hand Habits, Chris Cohen, Sam Evian, Wilco, Bright Eyes, The Magnetic Fields. Press Quotes/Selling Points: "Stewart Bronaugh sings cool and steady about his close experiences with death, what it means to endure your losses, and the gift of being able to recognize the most real love in your life." Angel Olsen. "Spiral Groove" delivers us singer-songwriter Stewart Bronaugh at the height of his artistic powers both visually and sonically. This album is studded with stories of mortality, challenges of addiction and sobriety, and the romance of a lifetime. Recovering from a seizure, Bronaugh’s sudden awareness of the limits of his own body was a “psychedelic experience” that shifted his perspective wildly. No longer “bulletproof, ” Bronaugh splits himself wide open on Spiral Groove, encapsulating all of our existential questions into tidy love songs. You’ll find pianos, string quartets, slide guitar, buzzing synth lines, and plenty of room to breathe. Each song is like a painting you can disappear into, a somber and hopeful spell for life after the end of the world

Recommended If You Like: Elliott Smith, Hand Habits, Chris Cohen, Sam Evian, Wilco, Bright Eyes, The Magnetic Fields. Press Quotes/Selling Points: "Stewart Bronaugh sings cool and steady about his close experiences with death, what it means to endure your losses, and the gift of being able to recognize the most real love in your life." Angel Olsen. "Spiral Groove" delivers us singer-songwriter Stewart Bronaugh at the height of his artistic powers both visually and sonically. This album is studded with stories of mortality, challenges of addiction and sobriety, and the romance of a lifetime. Recovering from a seizure, Bronaugh’s sudden awareness of the limits of his own body was a “psychedelic experience” that shifted his perspective wildly. No longer “bulletproof, ” Bronaugh splits himself wide open on Spiral Groove, encapsulating all of our existential questions into tidy love songs. You’ll find pianos, string quartets, slide guitar, buzzing synth lines, and plenty of room to breathe. Each song is like a painting you can disappear into, a somber and hopeful spell for life after the end of the world

In 1981, The Ex started squatting Villa Zuid, an estate overlooking abandoned Van Gelder paper factory in the village of Wormer, Netherlands. Formerly the home of the factory's manager, the Villa briefly served as the band's base of operations and would inspire one of The Ex's most impactful, enduring albums in their 40+ year history.

Originally released in 1983, Dignity Of Labour is "our idea of improvised industrial punk noise," states Ex-frontman G.W. Sok, which not only offers a perfect summation of these idiosyncratic sounds, but also of the group's music in the decades to come.

During its heyday, Van Gelder employed over 1,000 workers. By 1981, it had gone bankrupt, following the takeover and divestment of a multinational corporation. Having saved the Villa from demolition through squatting, The Ex pored over newspaper articles, interviews and business records to tell the story of the factory and the people whose labor brought it to life – an unparalleled example of DIY archival action.

With new drummer Sabien Witteman bringing polyrhythmic accents and a supporting crew of agitators (credits include piledriver, bus engine, printing press, etc.), The Ex recorded eight tracks in-studio and then played them back in the ruins of the factory while recording the playback – giving Dignity Of Labour a haunting sense of space that is at once cavernous and decaying.

This first-time vinyl reissue (configured as single LP) comes with 24" x 18" poster and 24-page booklet.

New purple splatter repress of ‘Monsters’, the latest album
from US-based duo The Midnight.

Having gone from online cult fascination to selling out
London’s Roundhouse, The Midnight’s ‘Monsters’ debuted in
the UK Top 100 Album Chart on release, ahead of a sure-tobe-sold-out tour that includes headining Brixton Academy.

The album finds lyricist, guitarist Tyler Lyle and
instrumentalist and producer Tim McEwan creating a
sweeping sound that fuses Americana archetypes with an
evocative electronic palette referencing synth-driven film
scores, deep house, pop and rock.

‘Monsters’ (released via Counter Records - Maribou State,
ODESZA) sees a continuation of The Midnight’s immersive
world-building that has attracted a rabid fanbase. From the
album artwork to the song titles, the record excavates
teenage emotions through nostalgic touchstones - the early
internet, VHS tapes, PlayStations, movie posters - to
recreate the thrilling and crushing experiences of those
tumultuous years.

For fans of Kyle Dixon (‘Stranger Things’ OST), The 1975,
M83, The Weeknd, Muse, Chromatics, Hot Chip, Chvrches.

Fans of the band also include actor Chris Evans (‘The
Avengers’, ‘Captain America’) and legendary producer
Quincy Jones.

“Big soundscapes, dreamy vocals, and saxophone solos - for
years.” - BBC Newsbeat

2LP pressed on 140g purple splatter vinyl in a gloss
varnished gatefold sleeve with printed inners plus digital
download code.

In 2019 Christian Savill found himself alone and with a year off from playing guitar for his grown up band Slowdive. He started writing and demoing songs with no particular plan. From 2001 he had recorded with longtime friend and collaborator Sean Hewson as Monster Movie releasing several albums on Graveface Records. These new ideas felt different in that they’re more personal and honest.
Christian sent these sketches to good friends and multi instrumentalists, Ryan Graveface (Dreamend / The Casket Girls) and Steve Clarke (The Soft Cavalry) and Beachy Head was formed. Ryan and Christian put flesh on the bones in Savannah just before Covid struck. Matt Duckworth (Flaming Lips) added drums. In between lockdowns back in the UK Steve added harmonies and other instrumentation. The final touch of recording was Rachel Goswell (Slowdive / Mojave 3 / The Soft Cavalry / Minor Victories) contributing vocals on a few songs.
Beachy Head is a chalk cliff in Sussex. It’s one of Britain’s most popular beauty spots but also a notorious suicide spot.