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Here we go with another exclusive release of Passionate Music Label
Part 15 in the Hardcore Classics series

The first edition of Era Specific Noise is both an ode to the early 2000s and the debut of a new alias by label founder Richardson. Having spent the better part of his recent memory scouring record stores and consuming more VG+ dance music than is medically recommended, this 12-inch marks a personal shift towards character-filled production without limitation.

Armed with a growing appreciation for the originality and love poured into old-school techno, ESPN001 is the first glimpse into Richardson's fast-growing stockpile of musical weaponry.

We kick things off with "Introductions", the first of two upbeat, vocal-laden pieces of DJ-friendly dance music that make up the A side. A new hardware-focused approach produces whirling, stabbing chords and a groovy baseline to meet the eponymous sample of this track. Up next, "Coming In Hot" which does just that - presenting a cohesion of warm, groovy techno littered with dubby synths and a throwback feel.

On the flip side is a pair of fresh takes reminiscent of the more functional sound of the era - the timeless, loopy techno that powers dancefloors worldwide. There’s nothing quite like finding a hidden gem on the B side! Robotic vocal loopings and a galloping low-end form “Notch”, a warehouse tune completed by a warmer feeling send-off littered with floating pads and a classic Reese bass. Closing out the release is “Synthetic Scream”, a synthesiser in anguish showcasing an almost mournful interpretation of the 909 era, complete with fast, driving percussion and classic break hits.

Welcome to Era Specific Noise - New school old school.

This German label is active in the market for almost 25 years and we are selected to take care of some of their upcoming vinyl releases.

So here we go with the first one

Making his debut on Gated, Bristol-based Wiles brings the breaks across four tough but emotive tracks.
Wiles is a professional sound engineer who came up in the Norfolk electro and free party scene in the 2000s. During the lockdowns in 2020 he crystalised a live hardware setup that eventually became an EP for Batrachian.
But with Yellow Light he takes his sound even further, with washes of spaced out melodicism underpinned by punches of sub-bass and classic rave breaks, intricately programmed and devastating on a dancefloor at the right moment.
It’s atmospheric stuff for sure, with one eye on the future but rooted in the timeless dancefloor expressions of the past.

here are another release on this label!

After the success of volume 1, Stereophonk unveils the long-awaited sequel with Bunch Of Funk Vol.2. This album features 18 unreleased tracks, available for the first time on vinyl, including two never-before-released tracks created in collaboration with the talented Medline (My Bags).

DJ Marrrtin, an iconic figure in the breakdance scene, delivers a powerful and organic sound that celebrates the heritage of breakdance while reinventing it for future generations. His tracks, played at the biggest battles, competitions, and break events around the world, are a true ode to dance.

Whether solo or with his group Funky Bijou, Marrrtin drops hard-hitting breaks that set the dance floor on fire. Each track is an invitation to let loose, express your style, and showcase your best moves.

Get ready to feel the contagious energy of Bunch Of Funk Vol.2 and dance without restraint!

Slow paced drums with offbeats softly phased with the guitar, misty takeoffs from the synthesizer: a hazy idyll is starting off on the road to the rocket festival (bun bang fai). Answering each other on the responsive mode of the lam soeng, Sothipong engages in a flirt but Oulay Vanh is not ready to trifle with just anybody.

As a stylistic variation of a popular Lao musical genre, the lam soeng was the source of several themes among which the “bang fai” - which is part of the Lao conciliatory festivities preceding the rainy season - remains one of the most renowned.

However, the producer and composer of these songs, Sothy, created an unusual arrangement: the instrumental introduction separates from the sang canon, the synthetic mix is stripped down of the traditional organology - everything here becomes unsettling for a listener familiar with the genre.

Everything comes with a reason: the record was edited in 1981 under the title Sothy Productions yet produced in France by the Parisian label Oxygène (famously known for its unforgettable first French punk compilation 125 grammes de 33 1/3 tours). Chansons Laotiennes still remains hard to classify.

And then who’s Sothy? Along with the unverifiable identity of the seemingly Laotian singers, skepticism gains ground concerning the man behind the pseudonym. Is he an escaped musician from one of the first Cambodian rock bands of the 1960s? A surviving producer from the 1980s Paris? Or a composer in transit in one of the many places of the Laotian diaspora? Sothy eludes any researches and disappears behind his numerous homonyms.

The second track is just as enigmatic: a beat box, a lightly reverberated voice as well as a guitar solo and a small synthesizer break, “Tuei” or “Tawai” offering (as the writing on the record suggests) makes way to dancing step and a truly joyful melody. Twisted and lively steps on a romantic background tune turn this second track into a genuine paslop - a program recommended by therapists to relieve muscular pains due to seated positions: you will unlock your pelvis with some synchronized Laotian choreographies.

For their first edits, Akuphone called on a young Parisian producer. Shelter, aka Alan Briand, mingles his own mixes and electro productions with a large variety of influences and styles: krautrock, disco, traditional music, psychedelic, synth pop, ambient, bossa nova, Japanese funk. He produces both original compositions and remix.

"The first album to take UB40 to the top of the UK charts, 1983’s Labour of Love followed a stunning run
that had seen the group’s previous three albums go Top 5 alongside eight UK Top 40 singles. With their
cover of Neil Diamond’s ‘Red Red Wine’ making the No.1 spot ahead of the album’s release, the group
had perfectly set the stage for their first-ever collection of cover versions.
Spawning a further three UK hits in the shape of ‘Please Don’t Make Me Cry’ (UK No.10), ‘Many Rivers to
Cross’ (UK No.16) and ‘Cherry Oh Baby’ (UK No.12), Labour of Love also inspired four sequels: 1989’s
Labour of Love II (UK No.3), 1998’s Labour of Love III (UK No.8), 2010’s Labour of Love IV (UK No.24) and
2018’s A Real Labour of Love (UK No.2), the latter of which was credited to UB40 Featuring Ali, Astro &
Mickey. A crucial part of British reggae history, the original Labour of Love saw all the hard work pay off
for this much-loved outfit, and it now returns to vinyl in an exclusive blue pressing.

"

"One of the most iconic groups of the late 20th century, Dire Straits established their timeless sound from the
moment they first appeared on the London gig circuit, in 1977. With faultless musicianship and memorable songs
that quickly connected with music lovers, it was clear the group would set their own path, proving that, even amid
the new-wave era, classic songwriting would never go out of fashion.
After three years of relentless hard work, touring, writing and recording their music, the group entered the 1980s
well on their way to becoming the biggest-selling band in the world. That year’s Making Movies album would also
make its presence felt on the silver screen, thanks to the inclusion of the UK No.8 single ‘Romeo And Juliet’ – later
used in films such as Empire Records, Hot Fuzz and I, Tonya – and live favourite ‘Tunnel Of Love’, which featured in
the 1982 Richard Gere film, An Officer and a Gentleman. Dire Straits’ frontman, Mark Knopfler, would later explain
to The Times how satisfying it was to write ‘Tunnel Of Love’: “It’s the moment when you know you’re really on to
something,” he said. “There’s a certain part of the song that I call the breakdown and when I got there I could feel
the drums, the piano, all the things that I wanted all the instruments to do. When you get to that state, there’s a
strange sense of one thing following another, of elements falling into place quite naturally.”
Paying extra attention to those elements, this half-speed master of Making Movies has been overseen by Miles
Showell at Abbey Road Studios, in London, resulting in a cut that has a superior high-frequency response (treble)
and very solid and stable stereo images. Pressed on 180g vinyl, it comes with alternative artwork that swaps the
red and the blue of the original album sleeve, plus a printed inner sleeve, a “Half-Speed Master”-branded obi-strip
and an Abbey Road certificate of authenticity.
"

The Sound Of Hardstyle präsentiert die neue Serie: The Anthems Vol.1. Eine nostalgische Zeitreise mit einigen der besten Hardstyle-Hymnen, die die Szene je hervorgebracht hat. Mit Acts wie Brennan Heart, Technoboy, Wildstylez, Headhunterz und Noisecontrollers und Hymnen wie Power Of The Mind und CTRL.ALT.DELETE darf dieses Vinyl in keiner Hardstyle-Sammlung fehlen!
Zusätzlich zu den goldenen Hymnen bietet The Sound Of Hardstyle ein mit viel Liebe zum Detail gefertigtes Produkt mit geprägtem Logo und hochwertigem Sticker auf der Vorderseite.

Eine unveröffentlichte, feurige Latin-Session des unvergessenen, 2018 verstorbenen Trompeters!
Kaum ein anderer Jazzmusiker beherrschte in den 1990er Jahren so sehr die Schlagzeilen wie der Trompeter
Roy Hargrove. Die New York Times bezeichnete ihn einmal als “einflussreichsten Trompeter seiner Generation”. Seine stilistische Vielfalt beeinflusste Musiker wie Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper, D’Angelo,
Erykah Badu und andere.
1997 gründete er das Ensemble Roy Hargrove’s Crisol, das für sein Debütalbum “Habana” mit einem
Grammy ausgezeichnet wurde. Nur zwei Monate später ging Hargrove mit Crisol erneut in ein Studio auf
der Karibikinsel Guadeloupe, um ein Nachfolgealbum aufzunehmen, das dann aber nicht das Licht der Welt
erblickte.
Erst jetzt, sechs Jahre nach dem überraschenden Tod des Trompeters und zwei Tage nach seinem 55.
Geburtstag, erscheinen diese Aufnahmen bei Hargroves altem Label Verve unter dem Titel “Grande-Terre”.
Das Album zeigt Hargrove - der damals noch keine 30 Jahre alt war - im Zenit seines Könnens. Mal explodiert er auf seiner Trompete förmlich vor Energie und Feuer, dann wieder intoniert er auf dem Flügelhorn
schmachtende Boleros und Rumbas.

Seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 2016 haben die Londoner High Vis ihre Palette an progressivem Hardcore mit Nuancen von Post-Punk, Brit-Pop, Neopsychedelia und sogar Madchester-Groove verfeinert und einen Mittelweg zwischen Hooks und Wut, Melodien und Moshpits gefunden. Sänger Graham Sayle beschreibt ihr drittes Album Guided Tour als eine Achse der konkurrierenden Kräfte: "Es versucht, eine hoffnungsvolle Platte zu sein, während es gleichzeitig wütend macht." Die Band, die von Schlagzeuger Edward 'Ski' Harper, Bassist Jack Muncaster und den Gitarristen Martin MacNamara und Rob Hammaren komplettiert wird, ist tief in der britischen und irischen DIY-Hardcore-Szene verwurzelt und wird von Rastlosigkeit und rechtschaffener Wut gleichermaßen inspiriert. Sayle sagt: "Jeder kratzt sich, jeder arbeitet die ganze Zeit, und die Vorstellung von Entspannung ist es, sich zu ficken und der Realität zu entgehen. Dieses Album ist eine Flucht vor dieser Realität." Von den ersten Sekunden an, in denen eine Kabinentür zuschlägt, ein Auto aufheult und ein sackartiger Rhythmus zum Leben erweckt wird, klingt Guided Tour wie eine Band, die nach neuen Höhen strebt und vor Energie strotzt. Das Ergebnis der mehrwöchigen Aufnahmen in den Holy Mountain Studios in London mit Produzent Jonah Falco und Tontechniker Stanley Gravett fühlt sich dynamisch und einstudiert an, wie Hymnen, die sich durch Schweiß und Wiederholung in das Gedächtnis der Sinne eingebrannt haben. Harper bringt es auf den Punkt: "Wir hatten eine klare Idee, jeder Moment wurde genutzt. Wenn wir 60 sind, können wir uns vielleicht hinsetzen und einen Schlagzeugsound hinbekommen, aber im Moment geht es darum, die Dinge zu erledigen." Die 11 Songs des Albums umfassen das gesamte Spektrum zeitgenössischer Gitarrenmusik, die durch Erfahrung, Kameradschaft und gesellschaftliche Frustrationen geschärft wurde. Von schwungvollem Streetpunk ("Drop Me Out", "Mob DLA") über schrillen Indie-Spott ("Worth The Wait", "Deserve It") bis hin zu Heavy Alt ("Feeling Bless", "Fill The Gap") und shoegazeartigem Spoken Word ("Untethered") - die Chemie der Gruppe verwandelt jeden Stil in ihre einzigartige Intensität. Sayle setzt sich für diese sich entwickelnde Verschmelzung ein: "Jahrelang hatten wir, die wir aus dem Hardcore kamen, ziemlich klare Grenzen - andere Szenen waren getrennte Welten. Jetzt vermischen sich die Dinge immer mehr, wir schöpfen aus verschiedenen Quellen."

Kaum zu glauben: Harald Grosskopf gibt es jetzt schon ein Dreivierteljahrhundert. Anlässlich seines 75. Geburtstags erscheint nicht nur im Ventil Verlag seine Autobiographie "Monsieur Séquenceu" - sondern auch endlich wieder ein neues Album vom Elektronik-Altmeister. Man muss zu diesem Mann eigentlich nicht viel sagen: Mitbegründer von "Wallenstein", ergo Drummer auf mindestens zwei der wunderbarsten Krautrockalben (nämlich "Mother Universe" und "Cosmic Century"), Mitglied der legendären "Kosmischen Kuriere", Platten mit Ash Ra Temple und Klaus Schulze. Schließlich wechselt Harald Grosskopf dann von den Drums zu den Sequencern und schafft Atemberaubendes. Und nun: "Strom". Die Evokation der Elektrizität, der Virtuosität der Schaltung, die Mensch und Maschine kunstvoll verschraubt und der über ihrem Triumphzug verödeten musikalischen Digitalität entgegengestellt wird. Wer genau hinhört, der erkennt den Ingenieur hinter den Klanggebilden sogleich.

Kaum zu glauben: Harald Grosskopf gibt es jetzt schon ein Dreivierteljahrhundert. Anlässlich seines 75. Geburtstags erscheint nicht nur im Ventil Verlag seine Autobiographie "Monsieur Séquenceu" - sondern auch endlich wieder ein neues Album vom Elektronik-Altmeister. Man muss zu diesem Mann eigentlich nicht viel sagen: Mitbegründer von "Wallenstein", ergo Drummer auf mindestens zwei der wunderbarsten Krautrockalben (nämlich "Mother Universe" und "Cosmic Century"), Mitglied der legendären "Kosmischen Kuriere", Platten mit Ash Ra Temple und Klaus Schulze. Schließlich wechselt Harald Grosskopf dann von den Drums zu den Sequencern und schafft Atemberaubendes. Und nun: "Strom". Die Evokation der Elektrizität, der Virtuosität der Schaltung, die Mensch und Maschine kunstvoll verschraubt und der über ihrem Triumphzug verödeten musikalischen Digitalität entgegengestellt wird. Wer genau hinhört, der erkennt den Ingenieur hinter den Klanggebilden sogleich.

Philadelphian Jazz legend Benny Golson, an American bebop/ hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger, has had a long and storied career.

He has played with luminaries such as John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey, to name just a few.

With his 1978 album “I’m Always Dancin’ To The Music,” Golson took a unique turn. Known primarily for his hard bop roots and classic compositions like “Whisper Not”

and “Killer Joe,” Golson steps into the realms of jazz-funk and disco with this release.

The title song is a stellar dance groove, holding heavyweight status among underground soul, funk, and jazz aficionados—a true ‘rare groove’ indeed.

Produced by George Butler, the instrumental hook of this title song has been sampled many times by artists such as Naughty by Nature, Logistics, Leona Lewis, and many others.

This is a real hidden gem and well worth seeking out!

This release comes as a limited edition of 750 copies on light green coloured vinyl.

Harlem Street Singer ist das 1960 erschienene Album von Reverend Gary Davis, das ursprünglich bei Prestige
Records’ Bluesville Imprint veröffentlicht wurde. Das Album enthält eine Kombination aus Titeln aus Davis’
Feder, darunter „Death Don’t Have No Mercy“, und Standards wie „Samson and Delilah“. All Music
erklärte, das Album sei „ein Muss für Fans von Country-Blues und Gospel“. Diese Wiederveröffentlichung
wurde bei QRP auf 180-Gramm-Vinyl gepresst und mit einer Replika-Hülle versehen.

Andrew Davie (Gitarre, Lead Vocals), Joey Haynes (Gitarre) und Kevin Jones (Drums, Bass) sind Bear's Den. Ihre schon jetzt große und ergebene Fanschar haben sich Bear's Den mit ihrem Sinn für Songwriting und berauschende Harmonien und sicher auch mit ihrer DIY-Attitüde, ihren individuell per Hand gestalteten Konzert-CDs und ausführlichen Touren erspielt. Nun erscheint ihr Debütalbum Islands. Vorbote ist der Song 'Elysium', zu dem der Filmemacher Marcus Haney ein bewegendes Video gedreht hat. Wie der Song selbst angelegt als eine 'Ode an die Freundschaft', kam es bei den Dreharbeiten, bei denen er Studenten während der letzten ausgelassenen Tage ihres Semesters begleiten wollte, zu einer dramatischen Wendung, die dem Song im Nachhinein eine ganz neue Bedeutung gab. Ein bewaffneter Einzeltäter erschien auf dem Campus, erschoss einen Freund der Gruppe und verletzte zwei weitere Menschen. Nach reiflicher Überlegung beschlossen die Beteiligten, die Dreharbeiten fortzusetzen und den Opfern mit dem Video ein Denkmal zu setzen.

Zur Feier des 10-jährigen Jubiläums des gefeierten Debütalbums „Islands“ von Bear's Den aus dem Jahr 2014 wird das Vinyl in einer neuen limitierten Farbe veröffentlicht. Das Album enthält Fan-Lieblingssingles wie „Agape“ und das für den britischen Ivor Novello Award nominierte „Above the Clouds of Pompeii“.

Time to welcome another newcomer to Freerange with a brilliant debut that has already been gaining a lot of interest from early spins. Stefano Ritteri should be a familiar name to many, having dropped several well- received releases on key labels such as Pets, Rockets & Ponies and Get Physical as well as his own monthly Rinse France radio show. A producer in the old school sense, he has the ability and desire to flip from deep, emotive and down tempo jams to the most impactful, high energy floor fillers, all with a deft touch and unique and experimental spin. The Italian producer, now relocated to London, has a studio chock full of vintage synths and hardware outboard which keep him inspired and ensure his output sounds fresher and fatter than most, as can be heard on this excellent two-tracker entitled A Different Happiness EP The title track is a spaced out, percussion-heavy jam which takes a minimal approach but wins hearts and minds with an ear-worm of a melody that gets gets you hooked in from the start. Snippets of spoken word add to the intense atmosphere making this one of those sure-fire, perennial tracks which can work in a variety of sets and still guaranteed to make an impact and stand out in the crowd. Flip over for Pocket Melody, another simple yet effective and inventive track which sees Stefano letting loose on his synths and coming up with some warped Zawinul-inspired vibes in the process. The playful melody snakes around in an improvised way whilst the dubby drums and classic analogue machine beats ensure everyone stays locked into it's hypnotic groove. Definitely a producer to watch for us and we're sure Stefano is on track to continue making some amazing music. We hope you love this as much as we do!

RUN-DMC DOWN WITH THE KING 30th ANNIVERSARY Pressed On Red, White and Black Double Colored Vinyl With Commemorative Numbered OBI Limited To 2000 Copies Thirty years ago on May 4, 1993, Run-DMC made one of the greatest comebacks in Hip-Hop history with the release of their 6th studio album Down With The King. To understand the significance of this feat we have to go back a few years. Coming off an amazing four-album run ending with the platinum album Tougher Than Leather, Run-DMC released their 5th studio album, Back From Hell, to lackluster sales. Did Run-DMC fall off? Did the emergence of gangsta rap push them off to the side? It was sad to see your Hip-Hop heroes take a fall. Then in 1991, a 12-inch remix came out for the single "Back From Hell" featuring Chuck D and Ice Cube and fans took notice. It would be two more years before anyone would hear from Run-DMC again. In March of 1993, a new single and video “Down With The King” debuted on Yo! MTV Raps featuring the new Hip-Hop Gods Pete Rock and CL Smooth paying homage to The Kings calling back verses from Sucker MCs over a dope signature Pete Rock beat. The video would be in constant rotation on Ralph McDaniels Video Music Box, YO!, BET’s Rap City and more. Fans watched it over and over to catch all the cameos, everyone from Eazy-E to the Native Tongues Family of De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. The anticipation was building, but would the album live up to the lead single that knocked it out of the park? On May 4, 1993, the album dropped on CD, Cassette, and Vinyl. Run-DMC enlisted The Bomb Squad from Public Enemy, Q-Tip, EPMD, Jermaine Dupri, Kay Gee of Naughty By Nature, and Pete Rock to produce the album with a special appearance by Tom Morello rocking out his guitar emulating DJ scratches he made famous with Rage Against The Machine. Their rhyming was as enthusiastic and powerful as they were on their debut album 10 years prior. Run-DMC, the self-proclaimed Kings of Rock and original Kings of Hip Hop were indeed back. The album debuted at #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts and #7 on the Billboard 200 and would go Gold within two months. Get On Down is proud to present for the first time on vinyl since its original release, a 30 Year Anniversary pressing on double-colored vinyl with numbered OBI in a gatefold jacket.

Freestyle Records drop a killer UK soul/early street soul reissue LP from 1988, in the form of Rick Clarke's hard to come by 'Time Keeps Moving On' album.

Originally appearing on the Raven label in 1988, Time Keeps Moving On constituted Rick Clarke's first LP following his work in the earlier eighties as part of brit-funk groups Potion and Side On, and solo output including Love with a Stranger (released on The Specials' Ghost Town's producer John Collins' Local Records imprint) and a few singles for RCA. Largely co-written and co-produced with Peter Hinds (Take Three, Atmosfear, Light of the World) and a guest turn from Master T aka Toyin Agbetu - this is foundational street soul that appeared at a time when the likes of Loose Ends were starting to break through to the US, and Soul II Soul just emerging.

5, the fifth installment of the mixtape series that propelled her to stardom - a journey that began over a decade ago with the release of the first Winter’s Diary. This follows the release of her 2023 masterpiece, Thanks 4 Nothing, which was executive produced by Hitmaka. Thanks 4 Nothing has garnered over 160 million streams, and received accolades from virtually every major publication, including receiving a 7.6 rating by Pitchfork and gracing the cover of Galore Magazine. She followed up with her Thanks 4 Everything North American tour where she delivered an unforgettable performance of hits from her previous albums as well as the new project. In addition to new music coming this year, Tink will also be joining Jhene Aiko on The Magic Hour arena tour, spanning 27 cities. While all of this success may be a surprise to some, Tink and her day ones know how hard she has been grinding for this moment and how deserved it is. An album over 6 years in the making, Winter’s Diary 5 is finally here, and it’s about to be a cold winter.

“A huge thing for this record was to make it feel as close to our live show as possible,” says Tom Sharkett of W.H. Lung’s latest album. “We didn’t want it to sound live but we wanted to capture the excitement of the live performances.”

This is something that has become paramount to the group in recent years as they have undeniably blossomed into one of the most joyous and arresting live bands in the country. “The reason I’m in a band is to play live music,” says singer Joe Evans. “For me, music is live music. That’s what it’s for, to be played with people.”

The five-piece band, also featuring Chris Mulligan, Hannah Peace, and Alex Mercer-Main, decided to try something new on their third album after two incredibly successful collaborations with previous producer Matt Peel. In order to capture the energy, spirit and dynamism of their live shows, they relocated to Sheffield to work with Ross Orton (MIA, Arctic Monkeys, Working Men’s Club) who was able to harness this side of the band to remarkable effect. “Ross is the Sheffield Steve Albini,” says Evans. “He’s the king of not overthinking it and trusting the process of the art of recording songs. He was always there to stop us fucking around with cerebral stuff and get it down.” Sharkett echoes this too: “He was the exact producer we needed without us even realising. His productions and mixes are bombastic, lively and in your face and that’s exactly what we wanted.”

However, while this album is rooted in a sense of capturing a moment and a sparky liveness, that’s not to say it’s a raw or ragged record. It is still a meticulously composed, delicately layered and pristinely produced piece of work that, in true W.H. Lung style, runs the gauntlet from dance to pop to indie while still capturing that distinctly unique quality that is unquestionably their own. “It was a really big thing for me to realise what made us sound like us on this record,” says Sharkett. “I think the album sounds a lot more confident and self assured because of it. Some songs sound just so much like Lung and I’m really proud of that. I’m not sure we’ve done that as consistently across the other records.”

While the band have drilled deeper into finding their own singular identity, it’s not a record resting on its laurels. It’s a significant leap forward, expanding on their solid foundations while also breaking new ground. “The big difference with this record is its directness in every sense,” says Sharkett. “The songwriting is more upfront. Previously we’d focused a lot on vibe and production as opposed to just writing songs. The overall mission here was to revert to a classic songwriting structure and for the production to come afterwards.” And so what you have on this record are deeply considered and well-crafted songs, then recorded with blistering intensity in the moment, and then given a touch of experimentation afterwards. Then throw in Orton’s contributions to the band and it’s proven to be a real winning formula. “He brought a real dose of magic to the songs we’d written,” says Sharkett. “And brought an extra bit of wonk and quirkiness each time.”

The band’s ability to write more traditional and conventional songs is clearly a skill they’ve taken to with ease, at times there’s an almost Springsteen-like quality – but if he'd ever had an ecstasy period – to tracks such as ‘Thinner Wine’ and ‘Bloom and Fade’. While ‘How to Walk’ was constructed with one thing only in mind: that it would absolutely slay on stage. “I can’t wait to play this live,” says Evans. “We wanted a song to represent our live set, a new big one, and this is it.” Once again it leans towards the anthemic, with its driving, propulsive charge complete with incandescent synths and vocal melodies so irresistible you can already hear them being sung in unison by a crowd.

It’s an incredibly difficult feat to pull off a record that is more rooted in traditional songcraft while also capturing the power of a live performance, as well as pushing sonics into experimental new directions while working with a brand new collaborator. But here the band has managed to do just that. And the album’s closing song ‘I Will Set Fire To The House’ is a perfect example of such a thing. It’s a song that feels immaculately constructed but also very much alive and of the moment as its radiating synths engulf from the off, and Evans’ vocal is silky but powerful and in perfect symbiosis with Peace’s. It’s a song that captures the endless joys of music playing long into the night. “It may be a bit of a bloody bombastic way to end an album saying ‘and we’ll dance into the sunrise’,” says Evans. “But fuck it.”

MORE PRESS ON ‘VANITIES’ (MELO131)

"Vanities artily refines an exhilarating brand of up-front electro-dance" MOJO ⅘

'Idiosyncratic yet euphoric electronic pop on triumphant second LP' 9/10 Uncut

''One of the most effective alternative pop albums of the year'' 4/5 Record Collector
'Dance music for the modern age' - The Times (4*)

Synth pop trio Bronski Beat's 1984 debut The Age of Consent is a rarity in musical history - an album that both defined a generation and challenged the status quo. Its four singles, and particular lead single 'Smalltown Boy', have endured with astonishing resonance, offering home to all listeners dreaming of escape from their familiar surroundings and situations.

Every track on the album places the listener 'in the room': they are in it, living it, rolling inside each song's thematic meaning. Through the blue-eyed wonder of singer Jimmy Somerville's vocal pirouettes, they too take the punch of hate in 'Why?', question the bible with alongside a male voice choir on 'It Ain't Necessarily So', and watch the same crappy TV advertising on 'Junk'. They are part of the trade-off between lust and commerce in 'Love and Money' and the heated near climax of 'Need A Man Blues.'

40 years later and The Age of Consent remains as prescient and vital as ever as it did on its original release; truly transgressive - defiant, queer, and laden with hooks. To celebrate this important anniversary, London Records revisit the album across a series of expanded formats, uncovering sonic archival gems, new mixes, essays and more.

It's official! Post Malone is finally releasing his long-awaited country album. This marks his concrete foray into country music. He ensures us this isn't just a few fleeting off-hand singles. Rather, he's doubling down on his excursion into Nashville. Includes the single ft. Morgan Wallen “I Had Some Help”. A 9x diamond-certified GRAMMY® Award-nominated phenomenon, Dallas, TX artist Post Malone regularly rewrites history, blurs boundaries, and incites internet-breaking conversation with every move.

Masterminded by the prolific collaborators The Fattoruso Brothers, Airto Moreira, and Hermeto Pascoal, Opa’s Goldenwings a latin-jazz-fusion extravaganza that weaves a sonic world that lives at the intersection of lush three-part vocal harmonies, tender flute solos, pulsating percussions, and robust synth textures. Reissued on vinyl for the first time in 50 years as part of Jazz Dispensary’s Top Shelf series, the album was cut from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray, pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a gatefold tip-on jacket.

Distance as a measure of time and place informs Kelly Finnigan's, A Lover Was Born with a grit and grace that turns passion into virtue. The latest solo release from The Monophonics frontman roots itself in the best traditions of midwest soul labels like King, Curtom, Dakar, and the Bodie Recording Company. A Lover Was Born is a testimony that these deep cut grooves are not resigned to nostalgia, instead, they are at the burning heart of longing and hope. The journey Finnigan takes listeners on over Lover's eleven tracks echo the state of motion and growth since his solo debut, The Tales People Tell (2019). These two records bookend a prolific period of output, including a pair of Monophonics albums, a Christmas album, a mixtape, and a full slate of producing other artists (The Ironsides, Alanna Royale, the Sextones). "There's nothing like making records," says Finnigan. "It feels like that's my purpose _ the reason I was put on this earth." Written in California, Ohio, and Staten Island, Kelly Finnigan collaborated with old friends in and outside the studio. "I enjoy working alone but it's not how you want to make a record_almost everybody I brought in for this album I've worked with, toured with or spent a great deal of time with." Max and Joe Ramey (The Ironsides), Jimmy James (Parlor Greens), Sergio Rios (Orgone), Joey Crispiano (Dap Kings) and Jay Mumford (aka J-Zone) all contribute to the overall sound of A Lover Was Born. Dramatic influences like Isaac Hayes (check out the piano on "Be Your Own Shelter") and Jerry Ragovoy are chopped and folded into Northern Soul uptempo numbers to create stompers like "Get a Hold of Yourself" or "Chosen Few". Finnigan's take on Deep Soul is captured brilliantly on "Walk Away from Me" and "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)", while Boom Bap pervades on hard hitters "His Love Ain't Real" & "Cold World". Slower songs such as "Let Me Count the Reasons", the emotional "All That's Left", and the soul-stirring album closer "Count Me Out" show the honest and tender side that has become Finnigan's calling card. All the while, the voice is raw and earthy _ in the best tradition of R&B shouters like Otis Redding, Lee Moses, and David Ruffin. The songs on A Lover Was Born reconfigure the spliced and sampled DNA of hip hop (extracted by crate diggers like Dilla and RZA) to create something new, underscoring both the spectrum and depth of soul while making a case to the timelessness of Finnigan's sound.

Distance as a measure of time and place informs Kelly Finnigan's, A Lover Was Born with a grit and grace that turns passion into virtue. The latest solo release from The Monophonics frontman roots itself in the best traditions of midwest soul labels like King, Curtom, Dakar, and the Bodie Recording Company. A Lover Was Born is a testimony that these deep cut grooves are not resigned to nostalgia, instead, they are at the burning heart of longing and hope. The journey Finnigan takes listeners on over Lover's eleven tracks echo the state of motion and growth since his solo debut, The Tales People Tell (2019). These two records bookend a prolific period of output, including a pair of Monophonics albums, a Christmas album, a mixtape, and a full slate of producing other artists (The Ironsides, Alanna Royale, the Sextones). "There's nothing like making records," says Finnigan. "It feels like that's my purpose _ the reason I was put on this earth." Written in California, Ohio, and Staten Island, Kelly Finnigan collaborated with old friends in and outside the studio. "I enjoy working alone but it's not how you want to make a record_almost everybody I brought in for this album I've worked with, toured with or spent a great deal of time with." Max and Joe Ramey (The Ironsides), Jimmy James (Parlor Greens), Sergio Rios (Orgone), Joey Crispiano (Dap Kings) and Jay Mumford (aka J-Zone) all contribute to the overall sound of A Lover Was Born. Dramatic influences like Isaac Hayes (check out the piano on "Be Your Own Shelter") and Jerry Ragovoy are chopped and folded into Northern Soul uptempo numbers to create stompers like "Get a Hold of Yourself" or "Chosen Few". Finnigan's take on Deep Soul is captured brilliantly on "Walk Away from Me" and "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)", while Boom Bap pervades on hard hitters "His Love Ain't Real" & "Cold World". Slower songs such as "Let Me Count the Reasons", the emotional "All That's Left", and the soul-stirring album closer "Count Me Out" show the honest and tender side that has become Finnigan's calling card. All the while, the voice is raw and earthy _ in the best tradition of R&B shouters like Otis Redding, Lee Moses, and David Ruffin. The songs on A Lover Was Born reconfigure the spliced and sampled DNA of hip hop (extracted by crate diggers like Dilla and RZA) to create something new, underscoring both the spectrum and depth of soul while making a case to the timelessness of Finnigan's sound.

Distance as a measure of time and place informs Kelly Finnigan's, A Lover Was Born with a grit and grace that turns passion into virtue. The latest solo release from The Monophonics frontman roots itself in the best traditions of midwest soul labels like King, Curtom, Dakar, and the Bodie Recording Company. A Lover Was Born is a testimony that these deep cut grooves are not resigned to nostalgia, instead, they are at the burning heart of longing and hope. The journey Finnigan takes listeners on over Lover's eleven tracks echo the state of motion and growth since his solo debut, The Tales People Tell (2019). These two records bookend a prolific period of output, including a pair of Monophonics albums, a Christmas album, a mixtape, and a full slate of producing other artists (The Ironsides, Alanna Royale, the Sextones). "There's nothing like making records," says Finnigan. "It feels like that's my purpose _ the reason I was put on this earth." Written in California, Ohio, and Staten Island, Kelly Finnigan collaborated with old friends in and outside the studio. "I enjoy working alone but it's not how you want to make a record_almost everybody I brought in for this album I've worked with, toured with or spent a great deal of time with." Max and Joe Ramey (The Ironsides), Jimmy James (Parlor Greens), Sergio Rios (Orgone), Joey Crispiano (Dap Kings) and Jay Mumford (aka J-Zone) all contribute to the overall sound of A Lover Was Born. Dramatic influences like Isaac Hayes (check out the piano on "Be Your Own Shelter") and Jerry Ragovoy are chopped and folded into Northern Soul uptempo numbers to create stompers like "Get a Hold of Yourself" or "Chosen Few". Finnigan's take on Deep Soul is captured brilliantly on "Walk Away from Me" and "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)", while Boom Bap pervades on hard hitters "His Love Ain't Real" & "Cold World". Slower songs such as "Let Me Count the Reasons", the emotional "All That's Left", and the soul-stirring album closer "Count Me Out" show the honest and tender side that has become Finnigan's calling card. All the while, the voice is raw and earthy _ in the best tradition of R&B shouters like Otis Redding, Lee Moses, and David Ruffin. The songs on A Lover Was Born reconfigure the spliced and sampled DNA of hip hop (extracted by crate diggers like Dilla and RZA) to create something new, underscoring both the spectrum and depth of soul while making a case to the timelessness of Finnigan's sound.

The Well is the second album by the duo So Sner, composed of Susanna Gartmayer (bass clarinet) and Stefan Schneider (electronics). Recorded over nearly two years in various studios and spaces, the album reflects So Sner's extensive touring across Europe. The final mixing took place in Vienna at the studio of Martin Siewert, who served as both co-producer and mastering engineer. Known for his meticulous attention to sonic detail, Siewert brings his unique techniques and distinctive sound enhancements to the album, resulting in a work that is both stylistically cohesive and daringly uncompromising.

So Sner’s critically acclaimed debut album REIME (TAL26, 2021) was celebrated for its innovative fusion of bass clarinet and electronic sounds in unexpected and surprising ways. With The Well, the duo explores both fluid and dissonant sonic landscapes, embracing different structural and sonic challenges. The result is a quieter, more introspective set of compositions than many might have anticipated. The album is a statement of two confident collaborators crafting complex, spatial musical moments in their own distinct manner.

The music on The Well generates a multiplicity of effects that transcend conventional oppositions such as hand-played versus programmed, composition versus improvisation, or analog versus digital. The album suggests a re-articulation of these categories, allowing the ten tracks to gradually blend one musical idea into another, and one musician into another, in a circular and complementary fashion. The polymetric permutations and exploratory reed components create a soundscape where all elements coexist harmoniously, without compromising or diminishing each other’s presence.

With its sparse sound architecture, The Well invites listeners into a space of effective emptiness, offering room for the mind and body to explore—a sonic island where one can develop sensuality through patient movement.

For So Sner, live performance is a passion of the mind, and since they began working together in 2020, their music has taken them to many different places. The live experience has deeply influenced the recorded music on this album, with the interplay between live performance and studio work informing their creative process. The Well captures the genuine act of exploring new territories, serving as a storage place for the time and space shared by the duo, re-filtering their experiences of performing and traveling together.

The Well is a lucidly playful and ambitious album by two contemporary musicians who are continually learning to create and respond to the subtle and significant changes in their music, maintaining momentum throughout the entire work.

In addition to her work with So Sner, Susanna Gartmayer has recently collaborated with artists such as Joe McPhee and Maria Portugal, and remains a member of her long-running band, the Vegetable Orchestra. Stefan Schneider, founder of the label TAL, has recently performed with Garth Erasmus from Cape Town and fine art luminary Katharina Grosse.

Chicagos einzigartig erschütternde und technisch grausame Chaos-Einheit Immortal Bird ist zurück mit ihrem mit Spannung erwarteten dritten Album. Auf dem 2019er Album "Thrive on Neglect" manövrierte sich die Band durch ein Amalgam von Klängen, das sich zu einer verzerrten und kantigen Darbietung von vielschichtigen Ängsten entwickelte und nun als Sprungbrett für die weitere Entwicklung auf dem neuen Album "Sin Querencia" dient.

Immortal Bird vereinen Elemente aus Death und Black Metal, Hardcore-Tumult, eine Dosis Noise Rock aus ihrer Stadt und eine kompositorische Komplexität, die an Grenzgänger wie Gorguts und Ulcerate erinnert.

- Nachfolgealbum zu 'Thrive On Neglect' von 2019
- US-Tournee für Ende 2024 und bis 2025 geplant
- Ausgewählt, um für Emperor in Chicago 2023 zu eröffnen
- FFO: Pig Destroyer, Cattle Decapitation, Krallice, Oathbreaker, Converge, Full Of Hell, Cretin, Tombs, Cult Leader

Chicagos einzigartig erschütternde und technisch grausame Chaos-Einheit Immortal Bird ist zurück mit ihrem mit Spannung erwarteten dritten Album. Auf dem 2019er Album "Thrive on Neglect" manövrierte sich die Band durch ein Amalgam von Klängen, das sich zu einer verzerrten und kantigen Darbietung von vielschichtigen Ängsten entwickelte und nun als Sprungbrett für die weitere Entwicklung auf dem neuen Album "Sin Querencia" dient.

Immortal Bird vereinen Elemente aus Death und Black Metal, Hardcore-Tumult, eine Dosis Noise Rock aus ihrer Stadt und eine kompositorische Komplexität, die an Grenzgänger wie Gorguts und Ulcerate erinnert.

- Nachfolgealbum zu 'Thrive On Neglect' von 2019
- US-Tournee für Ende 2024 und bis 2025 geplant
- Ausgewählt, um für Emperor in Chicago 2023 zu eröffnen
- FFO: Pig Destroyer, Cattle Decapitation, Krallice, Oathbreaker, Converge, Full Of Hell, Cretin, Tombs, Cult Leader

Forgive Yourself. Learn to live with yourself. Don't hurt yourself. This is the mantra of the new album Venus Smiles Not in the House of Tears from Samora Pinderhughes. Made over 8 years with loving detail by Pinderhughes and his longtime producer Jack DeBoe, it is a deeply personal exploration & reflection of mental health in the modern age. It tells a non-linear story about a relationship that didn't last, and the lessons learned through it. How can love exist when grief is in the way? Musically it's intentionally tough to pin down. Although Pinderhughes is Juilliard-trained, Venus is an open-genre exploration of musicmaking with wide-ranging production and a cinematic landscape of feeling and spirit. From quiet, contemplative piano pieces to hard-hitting and soulful full band jams, to expansive and fullthroated choir celebrations, Venus is a fitting accompaniment to a multitude of daily human experiences. It also features artists from Pinderhughes's tight-knit NYC community, representing a wave of new artists who thread the ethics of honesty & vulnerability into their work. Says Pinderhughes of the album, "Mental health isn't solitary; it's about how our feelings, fears, traumas, and conceptions of self meet the world around us. Like so many, I've struggled with depression, anxiety, and isolation within a complicated matrix of identities. I wanted to make a project that would be brutally and lovingly honest about what it feels like to try to sift through the debris of time. A project that really engages with what it means to love, in the midst of a society that teaches us all the wrong lessons. Our modern world wants us to get over things quickly and easily. That's where shame enters the picture, because when you struggle with deep cyclical feelings, the process of engaging with these elements in your life is never linear. It is always two steps forward, one step back. Kindness and honesty are required in equal measure in this life. Hopefully through the prism of these songs, you can feel something that resonates with you in your own life and experience." Pinderhughes is known for striking intimacy and carefully crafted, radically honest lyrics alongside high-level musicianship, and for using his music to examine sociopolitical issues and fight for change. His work delves into the things our society tries to hide - its history, its structures, and the things we all experience but don't know how to talk about. It is an invitation to feel and think deeply about how we live and a commitment to making art that is useful for everyday life. The New York Times described Pinderhughes' 2022 album GRIEF as a "visionary" work from "one of the most affecting singer-songwriters today, in any genre." Pinderhughes - a collaborator across boundaries with artists including Herbie Hancock, Glenn Ligon, Sara Bareilles, Common, Robert Glasper - is the creator and director of The Healing Project, a project that examines trauma & healing from incarceration, detention, and structural violence. Pinderhughes was the first-ever Art for Justice + Soros Justice Fellow and a recipient of Chamber Music America's 2020 Visionary Award. He is also a United States Artist Fellow, Creative Capital awardee, and Sundance Composers Lab fellow.

Remastered reissue of the second landmark EP for Plus 8 Records by Speedy J. Again expanding on the emerging sounds of Techno Speedy J took it further into euphoric, minimal lofi and bleepy territory with ''Rise'', ''Tresor'' and ''De-orbit''. All while effectively stripping it down to the bare bones rocking only a 909 and a vocal sample on ''Something For Your Mind''. This release and in particular ''Something For Your Mind'' was there at the forefront of techno as we know it these days with a harder, raw and no-nonsense approach and all its variations such as Gabber that grew out of that in Rotterdam the following year.

Ekoplekz is Nick Edwards from Bristol, UK. He made waves in the 2010s with his distinctive brand of lo-fi analogue electronica for labels such as Planet Mu, Mordant Music, Punch Drunk, WNCL and Perc Trax, while also playing live around Europe. In recent times, Nick has preferred to remain a low-key presence, but Selvamancer are excited to have coaxed him back with his first vinyl release in 5 years! Dirtbokz is an 8 track mini-album that showcases the Ekoplekz sound of now. Recorded as always on four track cassette using hardware analogue synths and drum machines with minimal post-production, the tracks retain a raw immediacy and the dirty, dub-infused sound that he was always known for. For the Dirtbokz LP, Ekoplekz reaches back to the early acid, electro and primitive rave of his youth, all mixed in a hazy reverb-soaked echo chamber inspired by his love of '70s Jamaican dub reggae. 'Frampton Kotteral' takes a gentle detour into more melodic, sentimental territory and the set closes with the forlorn acid comedown of 'Phader'.

Mit ihrem 6. Studioalbum “Sting” lassen Emarosa ihre Post-Hardcore Wurzeln zurück und öffnen das Tor zu einer neuen Welt voll von Pop-Rock Songs mit Ohrwurm-Garantie. In “Sting” vereint die Band ihre atmosphärischen Post-Rock Elemente mit einem musikalischen Ansatz, der als amerikanische Antwort auf The 1975 verstanden werden kann. Mit Funk Einlagen zwischen elektronischen Beats, einem 80er Jahre Vibe und modernem Alt-Rock, dominanten Synths und E-Drum Beats überzeugen sie alte wie neue Fans. “Sting” hat für die Band aus Kentucky ein neues Kapitel aufgeschlagen und ist nun auf limitierter neuer Multi-Color Picture Vinyl erhältlich, die zusätzlich den Cover Song “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” enthält.

The origins of Oreo Jones forthcoming third studio album, to be released September 20th, 2024, started in 2019 while on an extended trip to Antananarivo, Madagascar supported by an Andy Warhol Foundation grant. The myriad sights and sounds of this journey greatly inform the sonic tapestry of this new album.Jones teamed up with indie producer Ben Lumsdaine (Durand Jones/Wishy/Varsity/Barrie) to build songs from the ground up sending demos back and forth from across the country. Jones also recruited composer and vocalist Hanna Benn to add heavenly harmonies sprinkled throughout the album. The result is a sound that is intentional and immediate, earthly and ethereal. Each song is a chapter in a narrative crafted with purpose.Emotionally, the album emerges from a place of much needed rest and peace. During the recording process, Jones' uncle passed away unexpectedly. Over the past few years, he has found himself processing grief and loss within his immediate family of elders. Nephew is an ode to celebrate the ancestors who shaped the artist he is today.

Coming together as Raz & Afla, Raz Olsher and Afla Sackey converge worlds through their dynamic fusion of electronic and traditional African rhythms, forging a path that is as bold as it is innovative. Rooted in their deep-seated passion for music and cultural exploration, they seamlessly blend their distinct musical backgrounds to create a unique sonic landscape that captivates audiences worldwide.

Raz Olsher is a visionary producer and composer known for his boundary-pushing electronic soundscapes, bringing his expertise in blending diverse musical elements to the duo. His meticulous attention to detail and penchant for experimentation form the foundation upon which Raz & Afla's sound thrives.

Already part of the Wah Wah 45s family with his band Afrik Bawantu, Afla Sackey is an esteemed percussionist and vocalist with roots tracing back to Ghana. He infuses the duo's music with rich traditional African rhythms and melodies. Afla's virtuosity on percussion instruments and his soulful vocals add a visceral, organic dimension to their compositions, creating a mesmerising auditory experience that transcends cultural boundaries.

Together, Raz & Afla defy genre limitations, seamlessly weaving together electronic beats, Afrobeat grooves, and intricate percussive textures. Their music resonates with a deep sense of cultural authenticity and a forward-thinking approach that pushes the boundaries of contemporary music.

Following on from their critically acclaimed full length debut The Cycle, and its subsequent remix project, their sophomore LP, Echoes Of Resistance, finds the duo remaining committed to exploring new sonic territories and creating music that speaks to the universal language of rhythm and melody. Once again, they invite listeners on a journey that celebrates the beauty of cultural exchange and the power of music to inspire and unite.

From more politically conscious cuts like the singles What's Going On? and We Taya, and On Da Phone, which deals with addiction to social media, to dealing with more personal and social issues on songs like ENo Be Me and Ano Be Mumu, Raz & Afla's music is something for the mind, body and spirit, as well as the feet.

There are moments of pure euphoria and unadulterated joy too though, as tracks like Mon Ni Fere, Voodoo Zeezee and Baby Moo inspire elated, tribal dance floor pleasure, and there's still time for a little, good old fashioned loving as Shikor Shikor conjures up the raw emotions of care and affection whilst delivering a hypnotic beat and instantly irresistible vocals from Afla Sackey.

With a growing discography that includes critically acclaimed releases and collaborations with musicians from around the globe, Raz & Afla continue to carve out their place in the international music scene. Their electrifying live performances are celebrated for their energy and the profound connection they forge with audiences, making every show a vibrant celebration of musical diversity and harmony.