Suche:gre

Demdike Stare & Cherrystones unveil a long-in-the-making darkside fantasy weaving atmospheric and loose-limbed cuts recorded at labs in London and Manchester, brilliantly shaking a bush of ghostly trig points ranging from the Mars rehearsal tapes to Minimal Man, Randy Greif’s cut-ups, Conrad Schnitzler’s industrial prototypes and ‘70s ECM sides – with vocal contributions from Ssabae’s mesmerising Laura Lippie.

In dazed pursuit of styles heard on Cherrystones’ DDS tape ‘Peregrinations in SHQ (Super High Quality)’, the renowned London digger properly hexes sonic leylines with his label bosses on 10 wickedly grubby and hazed sound experiments. They tumble down the rabbit hole like some sixth sense-guided call-and-response, resulting in an exquisite unfolding of psychoacoustic spaces familiar to their mutually spirited sounds.

Honestly it's some of the dirtiest and most esoteric gear we've heard from Demdike; you can sense a lifetime of incessant digging drip through every loop and crack; grotty no-wave, industrial noise, DIY psych, proto-techno and gnarled concrète, further bolstered by Cherrystones’ perpendicular, equally insatiable and fathoms-deep areas of interest. With a focus on scrappy, feral cuts and hastily recorded edits, the trio roughly re-draw wordless chants and hyper-compressed knocks over a vortex of found sounds that curdle in rhythmic heat. Never staying sill for long, the trio get drowned by watery ambience, then shredded loops, Technoid shrapnel and electric bass prangs dancing into the aether.

The crankiest spirit perfuses the whole thing, evoking states of unravel and psychic distress as they pit a near-peerless collective knowledge into the void. Laura Lippie acts as human ligature to sanity, a fleeting constant found smudged into the hip hop chops of ‘Familiar Unfamiliarity’, spectral incantations of ‘Prophet in View’, or a channelling of Ozzy in ‘Thee Oath’, among more deranged tongues on ‘Observing the Crux’.

It’s the missing link between ECM, Earth and Dilloway we didn’t know we needed - up there with some of the most satisfyingly deep and frazzled gear this century.

the new müller records electro bomb - great traxx and a great ugly cover !!!

Limited edition of 1000 copies on dark green vinyl. The gutter-scraped amalgamation of sludge, punk, noise, and bracing wit of Pissed Jeans is back on full display in "No Convenient Apocalypse," a new single release and first material since Why Love Now, the group's acclaimed album of 2017. "No Convenient Apocalypse" was originally recorded for the Cyberpunk 2077 video game soundtrack. The b-side to the physical single is "Bathroom Laughter (Live in Allentown)". Pissed Jeans is currently at work on the follow-up to Why Love Now, an album that took aim at the mundane discomforts of modern life-from fetish webcams to office-supply deliveries. "_ One of our era's best punk bands." - SPIN "Another blast of full-fury guitar rock." - Billboard

In demand Electroclash from the golden days in the rebound! The best tracks by Michi Bormann, all released under his alias Latex on Muller Records and some tracks released under the pseudonym Steril on Gigolo and Lasergun. All newly mastered and processed. Seven tracks will be released on vinyl and the edition is limited.

After the remarkable success and acclaim that greeted her second album Carry Them With Us (tak:til / Glitterbeat, 2023), Scottish composer and small pipes player Brighde Chaimbeul returns with a magic(k)al third album, Sunwise, which sees her push forward experimentally but also immerse her music more deeply in tradition, folklore and mystery.

Chaimbeul has travelled in a short time from her roots as a teenage piping contest winner into a fearless, widescreen artistry. She appeared on avant-pop paragon Caroline Polachek's last album, has collaborated with Canadian composer/saxophonist Colin Stetson on her previous album (and this one also) and in the last couple of years has graced the stages of premier experimental festivals such as Big Ears (USA), Le Guess Who? (NL) and Supersonic (UK).

Sunwise is a revelatory album, steeped in landscape, ritual, minimalism and the eternal presence of the drone.

It was in such a dense and impenetrable darkness that Lake of Tears must have been
born.
And their debut album is immersed in this darkness. It was baptized "Greater Art" and
indeed the title sets the tone for what was to follow. Yes, it is a higher art, it was and is
something different. Although there are infuences from other Swedish bands of the
time, such as Tiamat, or even death metal elements, what is certain is that their doom
metal brought to the fore something new, fresh and completely innovative.
We won't go into the process of choosing any songs, as we've said it before, Lake of
Tears never included indifferent compositions on any album. However, we can't help
but make a small exception when talking about the magnifcent epic " Upon The
Highest Mountain ", which in itself would be an excellent reason to purchase the
album.
We are proud to release Lake of Tears ' debut on vinyl after 31 years. For the older
generation to remember and the younger generation to discover. Because what these
Swedes made here, three decades ago, stands as an immortal monument. Is it doom
metal? Does it have death metal infuences? Is it gothic metal? Yes, but it sounds a bit
different...Who really cares?
It was then that the magnifcent prologue was written, becoming the beginning of
everything that was to follow. And hold on... the epilogue hasn't been written yet...

3kelves and Dylan C. Greene unveil their debut EP, THEY'RE NOT GONNA KNOW, a four-track blast of high-energy, filter-heavy disco house released on their San Francisco-based label C3DO Recordings. Inspired by early-2000s sample house and modern club energy, the EP opens with ISSINME, a hard-hitting disco cut with soaring string melodies, followed by SOGOOD, a slow-burn synth tool built for extended sets with a twist in the back half. SLIDE brings blistering uptempo energy and big chorus vocals, while FORYOU closes the project on an emotional note, celebrating the duo's journey so far.

A warm breeze drifts through the open cabin of the boat, carrying the scent of salt and sunwarmed teak as it stirs the linen curtains. The man moves easily, bare feet against the wooden floor, the slow rhythm of the harbor rocking beneath him. He flips through his records with a knowing touch, pulling out a favorite—something smooth and mellow, with buttery vocals and melodies that drift like a sailboat on calm waters. The needle drops, and honeyed guitar riffs spill into the air, effortless and sunlit. He reaches for the bottle of rum, the ice in his glass chiming softly as he pours, then adds a squeeze of lime, a lazy stir. Outside, the water glows in the last light of day, golden ripples stretching toward the horizon. He leans back against the cushioned bench, drink in hand, the music swirling around him like the evening breeze—unhurried, weightless, exactly where he wants to be.


Small Talk brings together a carefully curated selection of long-forgotten, yet remarkably smooth and captivating soft rock and AOR tracks from the ‘70s and ‘80s, compiled by Brandon McMahon. These lesser-known songs are drenched in lush harmonies, dreamy guitar riffs, and mellow rhythms, capturing the essence of an era without the mainstream recognition. For those with an ear for the obscure and a taste for the subtle, Small Talk offers a fresh perspective on an era’s most overlooked gems.

Wiederveröffentlichung des zweiten Milkshakes-Albums als schwarze Vinyl-Stereo-LP! ,Vom eröffnenden Raspeln von ,SEVEN DAYS" bis zu den ausklingenden Tönen von ,WO' NOW" geht der rasende Beat weiter. Sogar die ruhigeren Tracks sind mit dem unverwechselbaren MILKSHAKES-Branding versehen, was darauf hindeutet, dass THE MILKSHAKES die unbestreitbaren Anführer des World Beat sind!", heißt es hier. Nach dem imaginären internationalen Erfolg ihres Debütalbums ,Talking Bout...", und der 45er Single "It's You" c/w ,Please Don't Tell My Baby" beschlossen die Milkshakes, das wenige Geld, das sie noch hatten, für einen weiteren Longplayer zu verschwenden. Das Ergebnis war das clever betitelte, wenn auch etwas prahlerisch klingende ,Fourteen Rhythm & Beat Greats". In der Tat, wenn man die Augen schließt und den Plattenspieler ausschaltet, könnten alle 14 - zähle sie (wenn du das nächste Mal deine Augen öffnest) - fein gearbeiteten Stücke auf dieser LP fast als ,großartig" bezeichnet werden, je nachdem, wo du musikalisch stehst. Mit Live-Favoriten wie ,Black Sails In The Moonlight" und ,Red Monkey" war der allgemeine Konsens, dass dies das bisher beste Werk von THE MILKSHAKES sei (fragt sie selbst). Das muss zum Teil stimmen, denn das renommierte Londoner Label Big Beat Records fand das Album gut genug, um es auf seinem eigenen renommierten Label Big Beat wiederzuveröffentlichen - und das gleich zweimal. Aber das war vor über 40 Jahren, also versucht bitte, eure Begeisterung zu zügeln und bildet eine geordnete Schlange... obwohl, je schneller sie ausverkauft ist, desto eher kann sie - wieder einmal - nachgepresst werden. Bassist Russ Wilkins erinnert sich an die Aufnahme der LP: ,Die Aufnahmen fanden in Herne Bay in Oakwoods zweitem Studio statt. Ich glaube, ich war gerade mit den Prisoners dort gewesen und hatte "Taste of Pink" aufgenommen. Ich benutzte meinen Framus Star Bass und fing gerade an, einen Fender-Bassverstärker zu benutzen, der mich im Studio im Stich ließ, also musste ich einen AC30 Top verwenden, der ziemlich verzerrt und nicht das war, was ich wollte, aber wir mussten damit arbeiten. Man kann es bei "No-one Else" hören, das bei den Proben großartig klang. "Can You Tell Me" war der Beginn des Strippings, bei dem wir versuchten, so minimal wie möglich zu sein, und ich schaffte es später, es auf nur zwei Noten zu reduzieren. Es gab natürlich auch die Wall City Version der Platte, die von Hansi Steinmetz in Berlin herausgebracht wurde - mit einem andersfarbigen Logo auf der Vorderseite. Da sind auch viel mehr Backing Vocals drauf. Ich denke, dafür muss ich etwas Verantwortung übernehmen. Es wurde eher wie die vorherigen Pop Rivets-Alben aufgenommen, indem wir uns alle zusammen in einem Raum aufstellten und live spielten, mit sehr wenigen Overdubs, abgesehen von dem einen oder anderen Solo. Wir haben noch ein weiteres in dieser Art gemacht und dann die Richtung geändert, als wir die sieben Alben an einem Tag oder was auch immer veröffentlichten." RUSS WIILKINS, MAI 2025

To mark 10 years since SOPHIE’s game-changing singles collection PRODUCT, Numbers are celebrating with a special edition featuring 11 songs across Deluxe Vinyl and Compact Disc.

This anniversary release includes bonus tracks, track-by-track slide posters, and a SOPHIE PRODUCT Card. Physical editions are now available for pre-order and released on 11th July 2025.

SOPHIE classics ‘BIPP’, ‘LEMONADE’ and ‘VYZEE’ are joined by two immaculate PRODUCT-era songs ‘OOH’ and ‘GET HIGHER’ recorded and produced at the time, each with colourful single artwork completing the set.

‘OOH’ is one of SOPHIE's earliest productions that has been through several revisions since 2011. It was one of three original tracks that Numbers had signed when SOPHIE uploaded the song alongside 'BIPP' and 'ELLE' to her Soundcloud, and while it had been through several iterations and speed changes, this finalised version was completed by SOPHIE in 2019.

SOPHIE once described ‘OOH’ as “hi tech club dance pop”. Musically speaking, the earworm hook is carved out by her signature portamento-infused synths and candy-coated lyrics, a firm cult classic approved by AG Cook and Charli XCX. Initially titled 'MAKE RESPECT', the track was first performed live by SOPHIE in 2011 to a handful of lucky people at a beach afterparty surrounding Sonar Festival, Barcelona and later that year at Manhattan's New Museum. The vocal was recorded as the first track in the same one-day recording session as SOPHIE's debut single 'NOTHING MORE TO SAY', released on the Huntley & Palmers label, where Sophie's songwriting was performed by the London vocalist Jaide Green.

The genesis of the ‘OOH’ and ‘NOTHING MORE TO SAY’ recording session is lore-worthy in its own right: after watching Jaide Green perform live with Olly Murs during the sixth series of The X Factor in 2009, SOPHIE reached out and invited Jaide to record in her home bedroom studio.

‘GET HIGHER’ was born during joyous sessions in 2013, when SOPHIE’s beat was introduced to the vocalists Cassie Davis and Sean Mullins. The track feels like a visionary precursor to ‘Vroom Vroom’, and doesn't sound out of place next to the sub-clang intensity of SOPHIE’s ‘HARD’ and ‘MSMSMSM’. Striking a playful balance between blissed-out hyperpop and club-ready Atlanta trap, it showcases SOPHIE’s signature, laser sharp sound design. Originally released as a bonus track on the Japanese CD edition of PRODUCT, ‘GET HIGHER’ has remained a hidden gem.

A groundbreaking producer, songwriter and performer, SOPHIE's visionary approach reshaped the landscape of pop and electronic music. Emerging in the early 2010s, SOPHIE introduced a hyper-detailed, futuristic sound defined by metallic textures, elastic basslines, and an uncanny blend of synthetic and emotional tones. Collaborating with artists including Charli XCX, Madonna, Vince Staples and Arca, SOPHIE helped pioneer a new pop movement while challenging conventions around identity, genre and production. SOPHIE's work continues to resonate deeply, leaving a lasting impact on a generation of artists and listeners alike. Discography: PRODUCT (2015), OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES (2018), SOPHIE (released posthumously, 2024).

Dogs Of War is the twelfth studio album by the heavy metal band Saxon, released in 1995. This one marked a period of changes for Saxon, both in their sound and lineup. Thanks to early ‘90s albums like Solid Ball Of Rock and Forever Free, Saxon convinced many skeptics that they still have plenty of quality heavy metal to offer and after a three-year recording hiatus, the band returned to glory with the massive-sounding Dogs Of War. Once past its thunderous opening title track, Dogs Of War delivered a slew of improbably memorable and distinctive numbers, including ""Big Twin Rolling (Coming Home),"" ""The Great White Buffalo"" and ""Demolition Alley."" It was also the last album with longtime guitarist Graham Oliver as a member of the classic formation, who left shortly after the album release. Dogs Of War is available is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on gold colored vinyl and includes an insert. This special edition contains an additional and exclusive cover print.

Dogs Of War by Saxon, released 12 April 2024, includes the following tracks: "Don't Worry ", "Hold On ", "Demolition Alley ", "Give It All Away " and more.

This version of Dogs Of War comes as a 1xLP. This release comes with (a) Insert(s).

The vinyl is pressed as a gold disc.

Carrying on the long tradition of sentimental jangle pop songwriters, Lightheaded distil decades of lovelorn tunes into sounds for modern softies. They have the sunshine sparkle of The Left Banke and Margo Guryan, the C86 charm of Dolly Mixture and Would-Be-Goods, and the cinematic swell of Belle & Sebastian and Camera Obscura. Formed on the shore of New Jersey in 2017 by Cynthia Rittenbach and Stephen Stec, Lightheaded took time to hone their sound with a rotating crew of drummers, guitarists and backup vocalists. They found a community of like-minded bands in a vast but tight-knit international indie pop scene, which eventually led them to the iconic California label Slumberland Records. Their debut cassette EP Good Good Great!, a collection of five perfect pop songs, landed in 2023, followed by the full-length Combustible Gems in 2024. A European tour and gigs opening for bands like Heavenly, The Softies and The Ladybug Transistor rounded out their breakout year. Thinking, Dreaming, Scheming is their most collaborative and earnest release to date. A side of five brand new songs is combined with the five tracks from Good Good Great!, now available on vinyl for the first time. Recorded bi-coastally with Gary Olson (The Ladybug Transistor) and Alicia Vanden Heuvel (The Aislers Set, Poundsign) and drenched in lush reverb on tape by Fred Thomas (Saturday Looks Good to Me), the new songs are rendered in a dreamy soft focus that perfectly suits their starry-eyed themes. Adding to all the fun are the cameos and contributions from the new generation of New York indie pop goodness, featuring members of Starcleaner Reunion and Trinket, pushing the songs on this record to a high point in the young band's discography. There is something unusual about this band - something truly special.

SASSYHIYA want to take you somewhere. The journey starts in Kathy and Helen's flat in South London. Sit down, close your eyes, and immerse yourself... You are on your way to a musical rainforest a long way from Camberwell. Explore your new surroundings, and you will find beautiful pop blooms like Let's See What We Can Find, as bright and vibrant as The Sundays, thrusting their colourful faces up from the forest floor. You'll find tangles of sharp-edged guitar, as if Swiss she-punks Kleenex had been left to evolve here in the rich fertile soil (I Had A Thought). You'll find dark pools full of lyrical complexity, deceptively deep and immersive, with shimmering reflections of The Go-Betweens (Perennial). And you'll come across delicate love songs, creeping up the trunks and branches of the bass and drums, displaying their fragile beauty (Thank You And Goodbye). And what's that exotic striped animal prowling through the undergrowth? Actually, it's Crayon Potato, Sassyhiya's pet cat, the other resident of their flat in South London, taking up her role as the feline star of a lilting, singalong anthem written in her honour. That's what is so great about this album. You are somehow, simultaneously, exploring the most exotic forest in the world while also sitting in a flat in an ordinary, familiar English street with Sassyhiya and their cat. This album transports you without pretending the real world doesn't exist: it doesn't get all mystical on you (Take You Somewhere is as unlike Enya as anything you've heard). Sometimes you might be reminded of Girls At Our Best, and then Delta 5. You might even, on occasion, think of Echo and the Bunnymen. Sassyhiya (pronounced "Sassy Hiya") were formed when Helen and Kathy, real-life partners and co-songwriters, joined up with Pablo and Neil (drums and guitar). Helen had previously been in Boys Forever and Basic Plumbing, collaborating with much-missed Veronica Falls musician Patrick Doyle. She and Kathy then formed Barry, a stripped-down queercore outfit, with Bart McDonagh (The Male Gays) and Mark Amura (My Executive Dysfunction). Sassyhiya feels like a culmination of all these elements, hitting the sweet spot between post-punk and indie pop. They know their way around a melody but still keep it wonky, with influences ranging from the Breeders and Broadcast to Dolly Parton.

“My hero’s back,” Madeline Kenney sings on the second track of her newest effort, Kiss from the Balcony. In a sense, she means herself; made with friends Ben Sloan and Stephen Patota across just a few in-person studio sessions in Oakland, these tracks represent a culmination of Madeline’s musings on growth and resilience reaching back years, brought to life through this generative and vibrant collaboration. Close listeners can hear the breadth of stylistic elements and themes carried through from various eras of her work, which all come together in a cohesive and timeless record.

In two week-long intensive sessions, the three collaborators grew these nine songs from fragments, sketches, and seeds. With a background in experimental percussion and sound design, Ben Sloan brings an electronic sound to Kenney’s writing; Stephen Patota provides ingenious guitar melodies throughout and grounds the project in acoustic elements. Kiss from the Balcony was originally intended to be an EP, but the sessions brought forth such fruitful ideation and play that the project was expanded to a full length album. It sits in Madeline’s discography as a thematic and musical progression that sees her iterate on ideas about love and explore new sonic motifs through her work with Patota and Sloan.

Much of Kiss from the Balcony is a meditation on modern relationships, a feminist and utterly human contemplation of power and who holds it. “Hereditary backward leaning,” she describes in ‘Slap,’ of the female condition; “But no-one ever likes to see the girls break down / So they keep it to the bathroom floor” she sings in the rapturous opener, ‘Scoop.’ While the songs are shrouded in metaphor, the ubiquity of heartbreak and resilience decode much of the internal conflict Kenney depicts. The album sees her recognize the precarity and peculiarity of life and take it by the horns, realizing she controls her own narrative:


She explores the relationships between joy and suffering, choosing to see them as inseparable, two sides of a single coin. “It’s never over / When will they love me?” Kenney asks on ‘They Go Wide,’ describing her positionality both as a woman in relationship and as an indie artist in the modern music industry.

A playful hopefulness pervades the record, providing a sense of revelation in the journey throughout, Kenney’s radical acceptance of life as it is like a lyrical tongue out at the absurd.

A series of Clutch catalogue releases reimagined and individually curated by one of the band members and reissued as part of the Clutch Collector's Series. The artwork is in the vein of the original yet strikingly different. The vinyl releases are remastered each album includes a numbered insert autographed by all band members.

We all knew what was on the line before ever setting foot in the studio to record Gone For Good. “Grow or die” had become our mantra. We had endured a four year hiatus (2018 - 2022), reconciled our personal grievances, re-established the band to our original fanbase and beyond, and grew from a trio to a four-piece. It was clear to us that not only was change going to be a constant presence in our lives and careers, it was the fuel that kept the fire lit. To us, Gone For Good is a record from a band that finally arrived at who they wanted to become after 15 years of searching. In an ever evolving industry that seems to deliver countless new artists that are fully realized, perfectly sculpted, we cast a line of hope that there is still room for a band with a story of becoming.

The Last Revel's 5 previous studio albums give listeners a roadmap; hints and clues to who we are now. Gone For Good continues our story in the most powerful way. It's a challenging thing to do to be 15 years into a grassroots career of self-released music, self-promoted touring, and truly believe that we hadn’t written our best songs yet. That there was something deeper down in the well. Gone For Good is the manifestation of this belief and the songs reflect this with stories of sacrifice, courage, love, faith, and self-reflection. We called on Dave Simmonett of Trampled by Turtles to produce Gone For Good for two reasons: one being that Dave’s deeply personal and prolific songwriting career is a testament to the fact that a good song can move mountains.

Two being that we knew having someone involved that we admired so dearly would bring out the best in us. No one wanted to show up to the studio and show Dave a song they didn’t truly believe in. Working with Dave at Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, Minnesota over the course of 4 days was a powerful experience. Dave encouraged us to record everything live, together, in one room. The result being a sound we were searching for throughout our entire careers. It's just us; no studio magic to hide who we are. As a band we are the most proud of this record because we earned it. The countless hours working on our craft, the years touring, the work it takes to go on, it all shows up on Gone For Good. Whatever happens next belongs to us.

Eines wollen die Forth Wanderers vor der Veröffentlichung ihres dritten Albums "The Longer This Goes On" klarstellen: "Wir sind nicht zurück", sagt Gitarrist Ben Guterl mit Nachdruck. Das ist vielleicht eine unerwartete Aussage für das erste Album der Band seit ihrer Trennung vor sieben Jahren, aber die Band besteht darauf, dass es eine ehrliche Antwort ist - sie haben sich zusammengefunden, um die zehn kompliziert konstruierten Perlen aufzunehmen, die dieses neue Album ausmachen, und sie sind immer noch dabei herauszufinden, was es für sie bedeutet, in Forth Wanderers zu sein. Wenn man sich diese Songs anhört, von denen jeder einzelne ein glitzerndes Fest der eindringlichen und intuitiven Texte von Sängerin Ava Trilling und der natürlichen musikalischen Chemie der Band ist, hat man allerdings kaum das Gefühl, dass irgendetwas ungesagt bleibt. Das Album ist voller glänzender Melodien, klingender Gesangsharmonien und schlüpfriger, schräger Rhythmen und ist mehr als nur eine Rückkehr zur alten Form. Die Band scheut sich nicht, den Umweg über eine Hook zu gehen, indem sie instrumentale Schnörkel übereinander legt, um die leeren Stellen zu füllen, Raum für Trillings eindringliche Stimme zu schaffen oder ein Riff oder einen Text zu wiederholen, bis er zu einem Zen-Koan wird. Auf "The Longer This Goes On" klingen Forth Wanderers selbstbewusster und selbstsicherer als je zuvor. Man sollte es nur nicht als Comeback bezeichnen. Der Weg zu "The Longer This Goes On" begann im Sommer 2021 in einem Café in Brooklyn. Dort trafen sich Guterl und Trilling zum ersten Mal seit der Auflösung der Forth Wanderers im Jahr 2018. Die drei Jahre, die sie voneinander getrennt waren, hatten den Druck, den die Band während der Tourneen mit ihrer früheren Musik verspürte, teilweise abgebaut: "Wir fühlten uns alle frei, herumzualbern und Spaß zu haben", sagt Guterl. Die Wiedervereinigung mit dem Bassisten Noah Schifrin, dem Gitarristen Duke Greene und dem Schlagzeuger Zach Lorelli führte dazu, dass sich das Spielen so gut anfühlte, wie seit der Gründung der Band nicht mehr. "Es fühlte sich an, als wären wir wieder in der High School". Die Band hat die Art und Weise, wie sie bisher gearbeitet hat, neu definiert. "Dies ist das erste Mal, dass ein Großteil der Musik organisch entstanden ist", erklärt Schifrin. "Alle fünf von uns haben wirklich auf eine Art und Weise zum Schreibprozess beigetragen, wie wir es in der Vergangenheit nicht getan haben", fügte Guterl hinzu. Das daraus resultierende Album, das unter dem wachsamen Auge von Dan Howard produziert wurde, zeigt die Band so präsent und unbelastet, wie sie ihren Sound zum ersten Mal in Echtzeit geschaffen hat. Die Texte sind vollgepackt mit Bekenntnissen, die so breit gefächert sind, dass sich jeder, der sich in den Wirren einer unsicheren romantischen Vorhölle verirrt hat, verstanden fühlt, und doch so präzise geschrieben, dass sie eindeutig aus eigener Erfahrung stammen müssen. Das ist genau das, was Forth Wanderers sowohl so universell nachvollziehbar als auch so speziell macht. Auf "The Longer This Goes On" haben sie diese Fähigkeit, mit minimalistischen Texten und üppiger Instrumentierung an den starken Fäden der romantischen Langeweile zu ziehen, noch vertieft. Forth Wanderers sind sich nicht sicher, was als Nächstes kommt - sie wissen nicht, ob sie weiterhin neue Musik aufnehmen werden oder ob sie diese Songs jemals live aufführen werden. Diese Aufnahmen sind also zehn flüchtige, aber unschätzbare Eindrücke aus der Zeit, die sie als Band verbracht haben; das Wiederaufleben von Freundschaften zwischen Highschool-Kumpels, deren Träume sie ins Rampenlicht katapultiert haben, bevor sie alt genug waren, um Auto zu fahren; Songs, die die Ungewissheit der Zukunft ebenso einfangen wie ihre Musik ihr eigenes Selbstvertrauen in der Gegenwart zementiert. Auf "The Longer This Goes On" machen die Forth Wanderers Musik zu ihren eigenen Bedingungen.

Best of' albums are invariably repackaged collections of old recordings, so Vice Squad's `Punk Rockers' is a breath of fresh air The songs have been lovingly recorded and remastered, keeping all the original fire and adding decades of experience gained from punishing tours and continuous songwriting Beki is the original architect of the songs and the Vice Squad name, and she is the sole surviving member of the original lineup to have continued as a full-time musician Vice Squad are 100% DIY and record everything in their home studio with guitarist/riffmaster Paul Rooney engineering and mixing. There is nothing sloppy here; the whole album is concise and intelligent with lightning-speed diction, passion, and intent. The glorious `If I Knew What I Know Now' and `The World Is Wrong' are examples of Vice Squad's ability to write instantly catchy, witty songs, and the more gut-wrenching material from their last album, `Battle of Britain', showcases some enormous riffs and a voice that is a million decibels from Beki's untried teen vocals. The album opens with the deliciously effervescent `If I Knew What I Know Now', followed by the sparkling old-school tongue-twister `Out of Reach'. Next up is the visceral `Get A Life', an angry anti-suicide note to the desperate, originally the title track from their 1998 comeback album. This is followed by a shimmering version of Vice Squad's old-school classic `Resurrection'. While the treatment of the old songs remains true to the original teenage renditions, the upgraded versions pack more of a punch with detuned guitars and growling bass. The tribal tom-toms of `Allergy' underpin just over two minutes of punk protest about the delights of pollution and asthma. Then comes the sublime `Sniffing Glue', a near-perfect punk love song that would be a huge hit if not for its subject matter. `Ordinary Girl' is punk-pop perfection brimming with hook lines and harmonies, warmly mocking the life that could have been chosen instead of the grindstone at the sharp end of the music industry. `The World Is Wrong' is anthemic, joyous, and wonderfully contrary, and one would expect nothing less from a band that has soldiered on and grown through the decades. It's always great when bands lead by example. In these increasingly tough times where our survival is threatened by the gargantuan greed of a few individuals, it's important to continuously stick two fingers up to the grabbers and spoilers. 'The World Is Wrong' does just that in an impassioned, melodic, and optimistic style. 'Hold your head up, stand your ground, and don't let the bastards grind you down.' Then we roar into the final single Beki wrote with original and now sadly deceased guitarist Dave Bateman, `Citizen', and continue with another teenage opus, the quite brutal `Scarred For Life'. `Voice of the People' is a bulldozer of a song, all swagger and ballsy riffs, and the chorus, `Freedom of speech is against the law; now we're all criminals,' snarls its derision at red-handed red tape. `Punk Police' sneers over a catchy-as-COVID guitar riff, and the lyrics, `Regulation cut, you must measure up, down on the street, PR companies, monied families, running the scene,' call out the hierarchies that now permeate Punk. Baritone guitars add extra darkness to one of the first-ever animal rights songs, `Humane', and I'm struck by how relevant the older songs are. Chocks away, and the awesome 'Spitfire' takes flight like Motörhead on extra amphetamines. Merlin engines fade into `Born In A War', the second in the triumvirate of conflict-themed songs, an absolute stonker with huge muscular riffs and lyrics that roar pure outrage. Then comes the ominous Last Rockers, with all the angst of the original plus added depth and resonance. Beki: ' "Last Rockers" is a typically depressive adolescent song about nuclear war and being too young to die but too late to live. I believed Punks were the `Last Rockers', the final youth cult before the Apocalypse. I was obsessed with punk, and all I wanted to do was sing in a band and be part of the movement, so I would often romanticise the idea of punk in my lyrics.'

Best of' albums are invariably repackaged collections of old recordings, so Vice Squad's `Punk Rockers' is a breath of fresh air The songs have been lovingly recorded and remastered, keeping all the original fire and adding decades of experience gained from punishing tours and continuous songwriting Beki is the original architect of the songs and the Vice Squad name, and she is the sole surviving member of the original lineup to have continued as a full-time musician Vice Squad are 100% DIY and record everything in their home studio with guitarist/riffmaster Paul Rooney engineering and mixing. There is nothing sloppy here; the whole album is concise and intelligent with lightning-speed diction, passion, and intent. The glorious `If I Knew What I Know Now' and `The World Is Wrong' are examples of Vice Squad's ability to write instantly catchy, witty songs, and the more gut-wrenching material from their last album, `Battle of Britain', showcases some enormous riffs and a voice that is a million decibels from Beki's untried teen vocals. The album opens with the deliciously effervescent `If I Knew What I Know Now', followed by the sparkling old-school tongue-twister `Out of Reach'. Next up is the visceral `Get A Life', an angry anti-suicide note to the desperate, originally the title track from their 1998 comeback album. This is followed by a shimmering version of Vice Squad's old-school classic `Resurrection'. While the treatment of the old songs remains true to the original teenage renditions, the upgraded versions pack more of a punch with detuned guitars and growling bass. The tribal tom-toms of `Allergy' underpin just over two minutes of punk protest about the delights of pollution and asthma. Then comes the sublime `Sniffing Glue', a near-perfect punk love song that would be a huge hit if not for its subject matter. `Ordinary Girl' is punk-pop perfection brimming with hook lines and harmonies, warmly mocking the life that could have been chosen instead of the grindstone at the sharp end of the music industry. `The World Is Wrong' is anthemic, joyous, and wonderfully contrary, and one would expect nothing less from a band that has soldiered on and grown through the decades. It's always great when bands lead by example. In these increasingly tough times where our survival is threatened by the gargantuan greed of a few individuals, it's important to continuously stick two fingers up to the grabbers and spoilers. 'The World Is Wrong' does just that in an impassioned, melodic, and optimistic style. 'Hold your head up, stand your ground, and don't let the bastards grind you down.' Then we roar into the final single Beki wrote with original and now sadly deceased guitarist Dave Bateman, `Citizen', and continue with another teenage opus, the quite brutal `Scarred For Life'. `Voice of the People' is a bulldozer of a song, all swagger and ballsy riffs, and the chorus, `Freedom of speech is against the law; now we're all criminals,' snarls its derision at red-handed red tape. `Punk Police' sneers over a catchy-as-COVID guitar riff, and the lyrics, `Regulation cut, you must measure up, down on the street, PR companies, monied families, running the scene,' call out the hierarchies that now permeate Punk. Baritone guitars add extra darkness to one of the first-ever animal rights songs, `Humane', and I'm struck by how relevant the older songs are. Chocks away, and the awesome 'Spitfire' takes flight like Motörhead on extra amphetamines. Merlin engines fade into `Born In A War', the second in the triumvirate of conflict-themed songs, an absolute stonker with huge muscular riffs and lyrics that roar pure outrage. Then comes the ominous Last Rockers, with all the angst of the original plus added depth and resonance. Beki: ' "Last Rockers" is a typically depressive adolescent song about nuclear war and being too young to die but too late to live. I believed Punks were the `Last Rockers', the final youth cult before the Apocalypse. I was obsessed with punk, and all I wanted to do was sing in a band and be part of the movement, so I would often romanticise the idea of punk in my lyrics.'