Search:head

Repress

They say that good things come in threes... it must be true and Favorite Recordings also proudly presents the third edition of its acclaimed French Disco Boogie Sounds compilation series.

Like on prior volumes, the complete tracklist is selected by label head honcho, Charles Maurice (aka Pascal Rioux), who's unearthed 13 more forgotten and hidden tracks, all produced whether in France, in French, or by French artists between 1977 and 1987.

With most of these titles now very hard to find in their original edition and unknown by many, this compilation should be a must have for any Disco-Boogie-Funk music lover and collector.

Fully remastered from originals at The Carvery Cut (UK), French Disco Boogie Sounds Vol.3 (1977-1987, selected by Charles Maurice) is presented by Favorite Recordings in a gatefold vinyl double LP and as CD.

Representing the spirit of the underground in Dubai, Shadi Megallaa is a multifaceted music lover whose unwavering passion for music permeates throughout all of his endeavours. A pioneer of Dubai’s electronic music culture, Shadi’s roots lie with the foundations of modern day electronica: all shades of house, techno and beyond. His commitment to preserving and evolving the culture is inherent in his record shop, The Flip Side, which has been intrinsic to the growth and development of music culture in Dubai. As a DJ and producer he draws on a multitude of experience, diverse taste and a refined ear that has instilled the ability to craft compelling productions. On Spirits Of The Deep we find Shadi exploring the deeper side of electronic music, creating layers of vibration designed to immerse the listener in layers of positive vibration.

As prescribed by Shadi himself, we start the traditional way, with Side B (the info side), where ‘Microgravity’ transports us into the cosmos. Soothing sonics envelop a taut low end with crisp percussion and swathes of pad work cultivating an interstellar atmosphere. Subtly shifting layers keep you locked into a groove, as the track maintains its energetic pulse. The synth lines increase with intensity midway through, adding more potency. Across almost nine minutes Shadi takes us on an excursion beyond the stars…

This is followed by ‘G-Dub’, a smooth jazz-inflected piece full of soul nourishing goodness. Intuitive drum programming with a groove-laced low end form the propulsive backbone of this track. The dreamlike melodic elements are almost transcendent in their illuminating impact. With all of its elements combined, ‘G-Dub’ is a glorious foray into the depths of true deep house. Shadi keeps things interesting throughout, adding and subtracting layers to complement the pace. Those hi-hats and intermittent cymbal crashes are especially impactful. A delight.

On the flip we have ‘Pressure’, where Shadi’s UK breaks influence comes through. A characterful vocal sample features throughout the intro before we enter a world of unusual sounds. The beats are, once again, impeccably executed, accompanied by a dubby bassline and an ever-evolving cacophony of squelchy sounds and chirps. Running at just over 9 ½ minutes, ‘Pressure’ sees Shadi flexing his creative muscles with a heady, expansive composition that invites us on a deep musical trip.

Finally, ‘The Poet’ closes out the EP on an emotive tip. The track is dedicated to the Palestinian poet and activist Refaat Alareer, who was killed during an airstrike on Gaza in December 2023. It utilises Refaat’s powerful poem If I Must Die, with the spinetingling words taking centre stage, as Shadi’s beats, bass and bright pads provide the backdrop. A piano-led melody appears in the latter part of the track, amplifying its emotionally-charged atmosphere. A wonderfully imagined homage to a martyr for peace. As the samples state, Let it bring hope…

Never Sleep charity tape series heads for Etruria with a late 90s mix from one of the masters.

Gaetani sophist Claudio Coccolutto quantifies joy with a blend of Balearic, House and Prog. A frivo- lous journey through the golden spectrum of dance music and hosted by ??.

Showcasing a smoother than buttered muffuletta mix style, deep grooved sequential ecstatica and layered love for the summertime balcony terpsi-chorean. Utilising Pioneer 800 sound design filter elements, slowly simmered percussion and magne-tised around the good time driving force of House music. Coccolutto brings the positivity, uplifting vocal tenderness and cavorting XTC for a master-class in slow burning velocity.

Claudio Cocculutto passed away in March 2021 and is well known for his community work, politics and love of dance music.

After years of parties and radio, Late Night Shopper have launched a fresh label.

Kicking off with a series of collaborative EPs - two artists, two original tracks & two remixes.

First up, one of dance music’s most respected experimental producers and DJs in the form of Peder Mannerfelt. He’s someone who has released on top top labels and has been on the cutting edge of dance music for a decade, and his unique approach to techno shines through his track ‘Records & Vibes’.

He is paired with a London-based producer who’s on track to becoming a mainstay in UK techno/bass - Dyslecta. He’s already had some weighty releases on stellar labels as well as his own imprint (Tenuous Links). His track ‘Muckle Drum’ showcases why Leo Bell is already one of UK Techno’s most promising artists.

Murky heads down Techno - plenty more to come…

Hexagonal rising star Hyas & Parisian underground mainstay Aurèle join forces on their latest five-track EP, “Spider Rituals”. This release navigates the realms of techno, breaks, and UK inspired wobbling frequencies.

The journey begins with the 140 BPM head-turner, “Craig Mild” where an enchanting witchcraft ambiance intertwines with classic Roland drum machines and emotive Yamaha synth chords.
A2, “Pryorities” propels you straight into the heart of a sweaty basement, layered with naughty boys samples and a wonky bassline supplement that keeps the energy alive.

Flipping to Side B, we dive into the grooviest cut of the record, B1 – “Wow Seen”, certified banger material avidly tested by the French duo prior release… spoiler : it works every time. B2, “Bueno Dub” ventures into frowning-and-vibing territories, serving up a potent mix of daggering basslines, breakbeats, and off-kilter pop samples. Finally, B3 – “Cash Mire” closes the record on an ambient note, featuring deep 808s that seamlessly pull you in a deep bass bath.

With a commitment to blending influences, Hyas & Aurèle present this ambitious opus as a collaboration between their respective labels, Bardouin Music and Demi-Monde.

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.'

»The Death of Me« ist das zweite Studioalbum der Metalcore-Band aus Sydney/Australien. In Australien kam es bis aus Platz 3 der Albumcharts, in Deutschland auf Rang 39. Metal1.info über das Album: »Ein absolutes Muss für jeden Metalcore-Fan«

»The Death of Me« ist das zweite Studioalbum der australischen Metalcore-Band Polaris. Die Band produzierte und und nahm es in Mollybook Beach NSW mit Lance Prenc und Scottie Simpson auf, und es wurde von Carson Slovak und Grant McFarland (Atrium Audio) in den Think Loud Studios, PA, USA, abgemischt. Das Album wurde im Februar 2020 unter Resist Records und SharpTone Records und SharpTone Records veröffentlicht und nominiert für einen ARIA Award für das beste Hard Rock- oder Heavy Metal-Album.

Sneaker Social Club is pleased to direct your attention to this sparse and weighty club gear incoming from a sizeable new talent on the scene, Beton Brut.

Following on from his previous drops on Plasma Sources and Coyote Records, Beton Brut steps onto this latest platter with a surefooted sound. It’s informed by weightless grime, minimal techno and brittle electro, but he carves his own incisive path towards the hoods-up-heads-down Dancefloor.

This is stark, moody gear to get lost in — the dexterous sound design slipping around the rhythm core of ‘Tobacco Earthworm’; gleams in high-definition, but never at the expense of the eerily stripped-back atmosphere. ‘Booters’ snips up a clutch of clippings from grime and scatters them across the timeline in a scrapbook style, making a deadly, dislocated love letter to the sound in the process. Approaching mutant, hybrid club music with a considered poise, this is exactly the kind of forward-thinking bassweight gear that Sneaker thrives on.

Five tracks of future electro-funk from Spanish DJ and producer Lefrenk, who makes his Gated debut.

Across five expertly warped tracks, the EP pulls from 80s Balearic sunsets, fried breakbeats, warehouse-scented house music, and electro that’s been lightly basted in funk and grilled over a lovely DAW.


‘Brainstorm’ kicks off with pummelling beats then goes widescreen, like a sci-fi epic barging into your set uninvited but winning you over immediately. It’s bold, abstractly beautiful, and absolutely means business.

‘Clocks’ loops squelchy bass and a twinkling melody that develops masterfully, intent on living in your head proudly — like a tenant who pays rent on time and doesn’t play the saxophone.

‘Funk Awake’ could soundtrack a very stylish chase scene between two people in vintage tracksuits.

‘Ocaso’ slows it down a little — warm and woozy, but with snappy, electrified beats holding it up like a drunk at a bar vying for the bartender’s attention.

Rounding things off, ‘Relative Point’ floats somewhere between VHS nostalgia and late-night contemplation, where the insistent beat and bass hold steady and the synths do the wandering.

Caroline Polachek released her solo debut Pang back in 2019 after having been the lead singer of the acclaimed band Chairlift for more than 10 years. Immediately upon release Pang received major hype and critical acclaim, but in the years since, it has practically achieved a monolithic status in modern art pop.

Not surprisingly, expectations are huge for her sophomore album Desire, I Want to Turn Into You, but with excellent singles like "Billions" and "Sunset", it is evident that Polachek is a headstrong and original pop star who is here to stay!

Das weltweit gefeierte Musikphänomen Africa Express ist zurück mit einem brandneuen Studioalbum mit
dem Titel „Africa Express presents... Bahidorá“, das in Mexiko aufgenommen wurde und Künstler und
Musiker aus vier Kontinenten zusammenbringt. Das bahnbrechende Musikkollektiv vereint seit über zwei
Jahrzehnten Künstler aus verschiedenen Ländern und Genres in radikal kreativen Kollaborationen, in denen
alles passieren kann und auch passiert.
Mit der Idee, Künstler aus verschiedenen Kulturen, Genres und Generationen zusammenzubringen, um
aufzutreten und Musik zu machen, wurde Africa Express 2006 mit einer Reise nach Mali gegründet, die die
lokalen Stars Toumani Diabaté, Bassekou Kouyaté und Amadou & Mariam mit Künstlern wie Mitbegründer
Damon Albarn, Martha Wainwright und Fatboy Slim zusammenbrachte.
Jeder Auftritt von Africa Express ist einzigartig, voller spontaner Momente der Magie, Zusammenarbeit
und Entdeckung. Im Jahr 2024 war Africa Express Headliner des Bahidorá-Festivals in Mexiko, einer Reise,
bei der eine außergewöhnliche Gruppe von Musikern, Sängern und DJs aus der ganzen Welt zusammenkam,
um an den Ufern der alten Quellen von Bahidorá zu proben, aufzutreten und neue Musik zu schreiben.
Das Ergebnis ist „Africa Express präsentiert ... Bahidorá“, eine völlig originelle, einmalige Sammlung von
21 Songs, die ein außergewöhnliches Line-up von Talenten aus Mexiko, Südamerika, Afrika, den USA und
Großbritannien präsentiert, darunter:Abou Diarra – Baba Sissoko – Bonobo u.a.

Der Bandname hat sich geändert, von easy zu hart, doch die Musik bleibt genauso mitreißend, beats-lastig,
ironisch und auf die Zwölf wie bereits in den vergangenen Jahren.
Nach einem Rechtsstreit mit dem Großkonzern easyJet (2023) musste die Band rund um Frontman Murray
Matravers ihren Namen von easy life zu hard life umändern.
Nun melden sich die britischen Durchstarter zurück und veröffentlichen am 18. Juli ihr neues Album
„onion“.
Besonders in Großbritanien feiert die Band bereits große Erfolge: Mit 2 Alben, die beide auf #2 der UKCharts landen, 3 NME-Nominierungen bis hin zu Auftritten auf dem Glastonbury-Festival, ausverkaufte
Headline-Shows im Londoner Alexandra Palace und Kollaborationen mit Arlo Parks, Kevin Abstract und
FINNEAS.
Als Nachfolger von „MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE…“ (2022) befasst sich das neue Album „onion“ mit
Themen wie Trennungen, persönlichem Wachstum, sowie dem Mut, sich wieder selbstzufinden.

Turning heads with their unique blend of garage, psych, punk rock Bad Bangs played across notable festivals and club shows throughout a 23 show run in 2024. Making waves at Left of The Dial (NL), Leffingeleuren (BE), Truenorayo (ES) and Gliding Barnacles Festival (PT) Bad Bangs make a charging return to the 2025 European Summer festival circuit. Their 2024 sophomore release Out Of Character was the first offering since their debut album Character Building. Somewhere between punk and country, folk and psych, Bad Bangs find themselves Out Of Character. The Melbourne based outfit's sophomore album bends across genres to form a unique soundscape of their own. Live tracking with the masterful Paul Maybury (Cash Savage & The Last Drinks, The Murlocs) captured the bands enigmatic live energy, whilst mastering by Jim Diamond (Ghetto Recorders, The White Stripes, The Dirtbombs, The Gore Gore Girls) secured the signature gritty sound of Bad Bangs. The album arrives with the punchy, punk-laced opening track Contest, which questions the fabric of an industry hell bent on image and conformity, and concludes with the psych infused Wild Mess which laments the shifting state of the natural world. Themes of social and environmental unrest swirl in the undercurrent of an album reflecting on immediate frustrations and personal reflection. With a staple cult following in their hometown of Melbourne, Bad Bangs have supported a high caliber of contemporaries over the years such as Shannon and The Clams, The Murlocs, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and Chastity Belt. Bad Bangs Out Of Character is set for re-release through Beast records (FR) and locally released via Blossom Rot Records (AU&NZ) (Snowy Band, Cassie Ramone and more) Bad Bangs are part of Ya Ya Yeah's booking roster throughout EU. Bad Bangs members are Shelby De Fazio, Tim Ryles, Sophia Lubczenko and Gab Portocarrero.

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.

The lengthening days and the long beautiful evenings: it must be time to treat yourself to this wonderful (and highly limited) 10” single from Julian Cope’s Dope feat. Fuck Authority. Consisting of two 20 minute tracks, main track ‘666’ is a Deutsche sing-a-long from beyond the grave, replete with martial side drums and cacophonous orchestral strings. With raised steins, our gruff-voiced male choir recounts their bolshie nursery rhyme – a beguiling tale of a mysterious tree that predicts the future. Simultaneously traditional and avant-garde, ‘666’ will remain in people’s heads long after the vinyl has been ejected. Meanwhile, awaiting listeners on the other side of this epic release is Dope’s most overtly psychedelic offering thus far. Off-kilter and raging, this non-LP B-side is entitled ‘1381’, after the year of Wat Tyler’s Peasant’s Revolt. Unbalanced? U-Betcha! As Fat Paul’s cataclysmic FX and Holy McGrail’s Space Echo obscure and overwhelm Fuck Authority’s vast stereo bass guitar, one can only praise the poor technicians who captured it all on vinyl. Yes, with its fabulous packaging and earworm chorus, this unlikely 10” release must be a candidate for Single of the Year surely?

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.' The four bonus CD tracks kick off with ‘Coward’, another teen Bateman/Bond composition. ‘No You Don’t’ is just over two minutes of vocal acrobatics over a Dexedrine-driven Devo-esque chord sequence, and the frantically brilliant ‘I Dare To Breathe’ from ‘Battle of Britain’ continues the aural assault. Then the final sombre entreaty of ‘You Can’t Buy Back The Dead’ warns us that ‘Enough’s never enough; absolute power will corrupt; the war machine still rumbles on’ before fading into the future.

GOSPEL CHRISTMAS Mahalia Jackson is considered the greatest gospel singer of all time. Her goal was to proclaim God‘s word through song. She ushered in the Golden Age of Gospel between 1945 and 1965. Jackson was the first gospel artist to tour Europe. She appeared regularly on tele- vision and radio programs and sang for many presidents and heads of state, including the national anthem at John F. Kennedy‘s inauguration in 1961. At a time when segregation was pervasive in American society, she had great success. She sold an estimated 22 million records, but still had trouble hailing a cab or sim- ply being able to buy something in stores. Her gospel interpretation of Silent Night is still one of the most soulful and impressive versions of the famous Christmas song. The album of the same name is still a classic today and remains unsurpassed.

40th Anniversary Edition

"RATT exploded on to the national scene in 1984 with the release of ‘Out Of The Cellar.’ Featuring an undeniable hook and legendary music video, lead single “Round And Round” hit #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, while ‘Out Of The Cellar’ reached #7 on the Billboard Top 200 and was certified triple platinum. Two more charting singles followed with “Back For More” and “Wanted Man”. RATT started the tour as an opening act, but by the end of the tour had climbed to arena headliner.
The album features the classic line up of Stephen Pearcy (vocals), Warren DeMartini (guitars), Robbin Crosby (guitars), Juan Croucier (bass/vocals), and Bobby Blotzer (drums), and is now available on CD with Lenticular Cover, and Limited Edition Red and Black Splatter vinyl with Lenticular cover with a Neon Orange 7"" single"

Claremont 56 founder Paul ‘Mudd’ Murphy has been in a rich vein of creative form of late. Having released his first solo album in 18 years in 2024, the effervescent and picture-perfect 'In The Garden of Mindfulness', Murphy is well on his way to finishing solo LP number three – a set you’ll be able to hear in full later in 2025. To get us in the mood, he’s offering up a two-track taster featuring instrumental takes on cuts that will appear as full-vocal songs on the final album. Both were written with, and feature instrumentation by, regular collaborator Michele Chiavarini, an Italian musician, producer, composer, and arranger who has long been part of the Claremont 56 family.

Up first is ‘Mahalo (12" Instrumental Mix)’, a languid and emotion-rich groover built around a smooth, mid-tempo jazz-funk-goes-disco groove – think crispy drums, delay-laden hand percussion and rubbery bass guitar – and all manner of ear-catching musical details. As the track unfolds, you can expect to hear lilting strings, warming electric piano chords, mazy synth solos, heady horn-style blasts and glistening, eyes-closed guitar licks. It’s a genuinely superb slab of musically rich dancefloor warmth. The track that follows, ‘Mata Ne’, is an altogether dreamier and more dub-influenced affair. Featuring some sublime piano playing from Chiavarini, it sees Murphy layer simmering strings, cascading guitar licks, spacey synths and blissed-out melodic motifs atop the kind of chunky, dubby groove that has long been one of his aural trademarks. Offering positivity and melancholia in equal measure, ‘Mata Ne’ is Mudd at his most musically majestic. His forthcoming album will be worth waiting for.

When it comes to dark, mesmerizing electronic music steeped in EBM, house, industrial, and electro, few artists delve as deep — or as strangely — as Timothy J Fairplay. A long-time underground stalwart and collaborator with the late Andrew Weatherall, Fairplay has carved out a sound that’s as cinematic as it is menacing.

His Melt the Chains EP pulses with slow, chugging rhythms, warped synths, and a kind of psychedelic paranoia that feels tailor-made for shadowy dancefloors and late-night headphone sessions alike.

Adding an extra touch to the release is DC Salas, who delivers an extraordinary remix that pushes the EP even further. Injecting his signature blend of sleek groove and cosmic flair, Salas reimagines “Runs Every 15 Minutes” into something both dancefloor-ready and deeply hypnotic — a perfect complement to Fairplay’s noirish sonic world.

Following their acclaimed debut Spirits, New Zealand"s boundary-pushing jazz collective The Circling Sun return with their sophomore LP Orbits - a deeply layered fusion of spiritual jazz, analog electronics, and percussive groove. Where Spirits explored 1960s influences, Orbits shifts into the mid-"70s, drawing inspiration from Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Yusef Lateef"s Atlantic era, and the Brazilian jazz of Azymuth and Airto Moreira. The ensemble blends arpeggiating Prophet synths and modular electronics with acoustic instrumentation: saxophone, upright piano, vintage drums, and hand-played percussion. Tracks move seamlessly between danceable Afro-Cubanrhythms and expansive, ambient jazz meditations - with layered vocals and choral textures guiding the listener through an interstellar sonic journey. Lush yet accessible, Orbits appeals to both deep jazz heads and fans of ambient, soulful instrumental music.

Lela Amparo's debut album for Past Inside The Present is a smooth fusion of ambient guitar, IDM, trip-hop rhythms, orchestral arrangements and poetic vocals that draw from her American Southwest roots, international travels, and life in Gothenburg, Sweden. Amparo crafts a raw, worldly sound from these inspirations and mixes cinematic grandeur with tender grace, gorgeous melodies and head-nodding drum programming. Highlights include 'Space Us Out' with its emotional beat and piano loop, and 'You Say You Love' which combines harp and choral voices. 'Rose & Honey' reflects on isolation in Tokyo, while 'Wrong Thing' offers a Burial-style rhythm. Keep Your Soul Young is all about finding home within yourself.

Wade Watts and Sir Rizio have previously only released on Lempuyang's digital arm, but now step up to the full label with this standout new EP. They hail from the suburbs of Jo'burg which is where they have cooked up these seriously flavoursome and stripped-back sounds. 'Atlas' kicks off with rolling drums and widescreen dub chords that sink you into a warm world of fluid groove. 'Limitless Progression' keeps the depths coming with rattling and classic dub hits and smoky pads, while an EmmaSoul dub mix on the flip heads into heady territory and 'Innermost Existence' brings some wisps of melodic light to the fore.

The hardcore house heads at Dungeon Meat have assembled another funky slab of waxy deliciousness to tuck into and this time it's a various artists affair. Mance serves up the starter, 'In A World Of,' which is rock solid cut with a physical low end but infused with real soul warmth. Timmy P's 'Utter Filth' is another muscular house workout with an elastic bassline and trippy lead. Pimp C's 'Where My Bitches' is a sleazy and ghetto-tinged pumper and Jesse Merlin brings some warped low ends and twitchy synth menace to the prowling rhythms of closer 'Do The Umm'. Essential tackle.

The Night/Tainted Love, is the latest 45 release from BDQ featuring Sarah Orpen on vocals, and is taken from the forthcoming album The Ultimate BDQ, for this single we decided to go big or go home, both of these tunes are our absolute favourites, and were so much fun to record.

The Night is an all time banger and an absolute floor filler, the Frankie Valli version is a brilliant tune, so we thought why not bring this album project to a close with a female vocal version, and Sarah as usual knocked it out of the park with her slamming vocal take on this fabulous classic.

Tainted Love is a tune that we all agreed would be fun to record, and we weren’t wrong its no mean feat to approach a tune of this magnitude with the full respect it deserves, the bass line thunders along driving the tune like an express train in a hurry to deliver the goods, and yet again Sarah was well up to the task, this tune fits a lot of punch into its 2 minutes 18 seconds, we hope you enjoy it as much as we do

Albums are usually released and then a couple of single releases are taken from the album, however we decided to flip this usual way of doing things on its head, we have released almost all of the tunes on 45 first, and now we are busy compiling them into the album, which i have to say is sounding great.

This release brings this covers project to a close with a bang, the album will bring all of them together as one with some updated mixes with subtle changes to the 45s.

British sci-fi romantic comedy Timestalker is written and directed by Alice Lowe who also stars in the film alongside Aneurin Barnard, Tanya Reynolds, Kate Dickie, Jacob Anderson and Nick Frost.
The album features the film’s original music composed by Toydrum (Prevenge, Slow Horses, Platform 7, Three Pines, Deep Water, The Banishing).

From the depths of personal reckoning to the forefront of the UK"s alternative scene, SPLIT CHAIN have spent the past two years transmuting raw emotion into sound. Their debut album, motionblur, out soon on Epitaph Records, is a thunderous statement of intent-an electrifying fusion of shoegaze, grunge, and nu-metal that surges with both nostalgia and forward momentum. Sonically, motionblur captures a distinctive aesthetic, steeped in the melancholic haze of early 2000s alt-rock yet sharpened by the intensity of modern hardcore. Guitars drenched in chorus and distortion crash into ethereal, hook-laden vocals, forging a sound that"s at once crushingly heavy and deeply immersive. Following a string of self-released singles that organically amassed millions of streams, SPLIT CHAIN"s signing with Epitaph catapulted them further into the spotlight. Their first label-backed single pushed their streaming numbers past the 15-million mark, earning them accolades as AltPress" Breakout Artist of the Month and Revolver"s "Badass Rising Band to Know." With nods from Stereogum, The Needle Drop, BrooklynVegan, and Metal Injection, the buzz around Split Chain is undeniable. With motionblur, SPLIT CHAIN aren"t just making an album-they"re making a moment. And if their trajectory so far is any indication, this is only the beginning.

From the depths of personal reckoning to the forefront of the UK"s alternative scene, SPLIT CHAIN have spent the past two years transmuting raw emotion into sound. Their debut album, motionblur, out soon on Epitaph Records, is a thunderous statement of intent-an electrifying fusion of shoegaze, grunge, and nu-metal that surges with both nostalgia and forward momentum. Sonically, motionblur captures a distinctive aesthetic, steeped in the melancholic haze of early 2000s alt-rock yet sharpened by the intensity of modern hardcore. Guitars drenched in chorus and distortion crash into ethereal, hook-laden vocals, forging a sound that"s at once crushingly heavy and deeply immersive. Following a string of self-released singles that organically amassed millions of streams, SPLIT CHAIN"s signing with Epitaph catapulted them further into the spotlight. Their first label-backed single pushed their streaming numbers past the 15-million mark, earning them accolades as AltPress" Breakout Artist of the Month and Revolver"s "Badass Rising Band to Know." With nods from Stereogum, The Needle Drop, BrooklynVegan, and Metal Injection, the buzz around Split Chain is undeniable. With motionblur, SPLIT CHAIN aren"t just making an album-they"re making a moment. And if their trajectory so far is any indication, this is only the beginning.

Jede Compilation-Serie hat ein Ende. Nach 10 grandiosen Ausgaben verabschieden wir uns nach diesem 11. Teil von der unter Sammlern und Musikliebhabern hoch geschätzten Praise Poems Reihe. Ganz bewusst wagen wir uns mit diesem letzten Teil an ein Genre heran welches wir bis dato nur in Ausnahmen mit einbezogen haben: Power Pop der späten 1970er und frühen 80er.

Los geht’s mit „Real Proof“, einem unveröffentlichten Song der ursprünglich aus Boulder, Colorado stammenden Band The Nails die einige Jahre später sogar unter Vertrag eines Major-Labels standen. Obwohl die Fingerprints ein ganzes Album aufgenommen haben hat es über 45 Jahre gedauert bis dieses schließlich 2022 veröffentlicht wurde. „Wasted On You“ stammt von einer der drei Singles die zwischen 1978 und 1980 veröffentlicht wurden. Ganz im Gegensatz zu den Fingerprints sind die Original-Singles von Naked Rush extrem selten. Dies ist wohl mit ein Grund warum keiner ihrer Songs bis dato auf einer Compilation zu finden ist. Schön, dass wir dies nun ändern. Dies gilt übrigens für die Mehrzahl der Songs auf diesem Album und generell für alle unserer Compilation-Alben. Fritz, Blue Rain, oder Holidaye machen hier keine Ausnahme. Speziell erwähnen möchten wir noch zwei Songs. Zum einen „Don’t Quit“ von The Scam der von William Garrett produziert wurde. Garrett war von 2016 bis 2023 bei Spotify als Senior Music Producer für die Einführung von Spotify Singles zuständig und hat in dieser Zeit mit Künstlern wie Elton John, Ed Sheeran, John Legend und vielen weiteren zusammengearbeitet. Zum anderen gibt’s eine tolle Geschichte zu Animal Logic. 1989 erfuhr die Band, dass Stuart Copeland von The Police eine neue Band gründete. Der Name? Animal Logic! Nachdem Bitten, den Namen nicht zu verwenden, ignoriert wurden, sahen sich die Jungs von Animal Logic gezwungen, die Angelegenheit vor Gericht zu bringen, und verkauften schließlich den Namen an Copeland. Noch viel mehr weitere, spannende Geschichten rund um die Bands gibt’s im Begleitheft der CD bzw. der LP-Beilage.

Mit “A journey into raw, energetic power pop from the 1980s” beenden wir nun unsere 10-jährige Entdeckungsreise durch die Musikgeschichte unter dem „Praise Poems“ Schirm. Wir hoffen sehr, dass euch unsere akribische Arbeit viel Freude bereitet hat. Geht eine Tür zu, geht eine andere auf. So wird es auch hier sein. Es gibt noch so unglaublich viel zu entdecken und so freuen wir uns jetzt schon auf viele weitere Veröffentlichungen!

Schweiengötter nehmen menschliche Gestalt an und veröffentlichen ,Debütalbum"? Wenn man in einer Kleinstadt aufwächst, muss man entweder seine Freizeit kreativ gestalten oder man radikalisiert sich im Internet. Über dem San Fernando Valley von Los Angeles erhebt sich der süße, schwüle Sound von The Toxhards. Mit halb Psych, halb Prog, halb Rocktheater und halb Indie (das sind vier Hälften) hauchen The Toxhards dem längst obsoleten Genre des ROCK 'n' Roll neues Leben ein. Von ,existenziellen Doom-Bops" bis zu mitreißenden Hymnen über Schweinegötter, bieten The Toxhards einen genreübergreifenden, elektrischen und exzentrischen neuen alternativen Sound. Ihre Musik wird bereits auf TikTok Reels millionenfach angeklickt, ihre unterhaltsamen Bits und Sketche millionenfach geschaut (135k Follower auf TikTok, 75k Follower auf Instagram und 13k auf YouTube). Im Laufe der zwölf Tracks plus vier Zwischenspielen folgt ,Your Neighborhood" dem Protagonisten Adam und seiner Unzufriedenheit mit dem Leben - er hat Freundin verloren, ihm fehlt der Mut, seinen Ambitionen zu folgen - und er beginnt, die schlimmste Version seiner selbst zu werden, die er nur sein kann: ein unsicheres, reaktionäres Individuum, das Trost darin findet, sich in dunklen Online-Ecken über ,andere" zu beschweren. Ursprünglich aus dem Midwestern, nun in der smoggefüllten Höllenlandschaft des San Fernando Valley von Los Angeles lebend, ist die Band auch für ihre unterhaltsamen und mitreißenden Live-Auftritte bekannt, bei denen sie aufblasbare Schweinekostüme tragen, T-Shirts verschenken, unveröffentlichte Songs präsentieren, Kaffeepausen einlegen, Instrumente tauschen und gelegentlich einer ausgedehnten Jam (oder zwei oder drei oder...) fröhnen. Mit jeder neuen Veröffentlichung und bei jeder Show beweisen sie, dass sie die Zukunft von was auch immer sind. The Toxhards haben uns viel zu erzählen und zu bieten. 2023 bei Hopeless Records unterschrieben und direkt ihre erste Single "(The) Coffee Song / October" veröffentlicht.2024 gab's die limitierte und aktuell ausverkaufte Vinyl-Compilation ihrer bisherigen Songs und Singles zwischen 2022 und 2024. Obwohl es sich um eine Zusammenstellung handelt, betrachtet die Band es als ihr "eigentliches Debütalbum", aber nun ist "Your Neighborhood" dran! Für Fans von Ween, Car Seat Headrest, White Reaper, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, symphonischen Weezer, Indie-Prog, Alterntive Pomp, Psychpunk....

After a five-year hiatus, Times Are Ruff is back, recharged and inspired. This return marks a renewed commitment to the underground, bringing that ruff sound.

The label returns to the wax with the sound they are known for, defined by dusty grooves, ruff rhythms and soulful moods.

This record is for the heads. A proper blend of funk, acid, late-night vibes and early morning moods, that keep the floor moving and the soul intact. Pure, stripped-back house music for those who know.

Times Are Ruff—back in the game, staying true to the craft, and ready to deliver more underground cuts.

Better Than Money is an explosive collaboration between funk powerhouse Lettuce and legendary hip-hop lyricist Styles P from The Lox. Blending Lettuce’s signature groove-driven funk with Styles P’s raw, introspective bars, the track delivers a dynamic fusion of tight horn arrangements, relentless basslines, and gritty storytelling. It’s a celebration of the hustle, the passion, and the drive that push artists beyond material success — proving that soul and authenticity are truly better than money. This genre-bending anthem is set to light up playlists, moving both funk heads and hip-hop fans alike.

Pressed to limited edition other-worldly Zoetrope picture disc, Shui is the new album from Sydney based punk rock five-piece, Fangz, out via Impressed Recordings.

Since their 2019 inception, the band have released three EP’s For Nothing (2019), But No Thanks (2020), Falling Is Pretty Normal (2022), and a slew of singles, which received strong support from the likes of triple j, triple j Unearthed, Triple M, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Metal Hammer (UK), Loudwire (USA), Classic Rock (UK), Metal Injection (USA), Louder Sound (UK), NME, Pilerats, The Guardian, MANIACS and many more.

They’ve traversed the country multiple times selling out headline shows, performing at festivals and sharing stages with the likes of FIDLAR (USA), Pennywise (USA), The Bronx (USA), Cancer Bats (CAN), RedHook, Comeback Kid (CAN) and He Is Legend (USA).
The group have also completed an East Coast in 24 hours, launched their very own line of hot sauce Fang us Some Sauce, an annually curated festival ‘FANGZstock’, and hold the Guinness world record for the most hard-boiled eggs eaten in one sitting by front man Josh Cottreau (143 eggs in three minutes and ten seconds).

Coming into 2025, the quintet have released singles ‘Wasting Time’, ‘Nothing To Lose’, ‘Same Old Story’ and ‘Wide Awake’ from their forthcoming debut album ‘Shui’ (due July 2025), plus have taken FANGZstock on the road, launching the Melbourne and Brisbane contingents.

Playing with a Different Sex was the debut album by seminal post-punk band Au Pairs, released in 1981.

Described retrospectively by AllMusic as ‘one of the great post-punk records’, a review by Record Mirror on its release said the band’s ‘critique of all forms of possession and sexual stereotyping assumes a devastating power’. Themes include sexual politics and the torture of women imprisoned in Northern Ireland during The Troubles of the 1970s, as well as a stunning cover of David Bowie’s ‘Repetition’ about domestic violence. It peaked at No. 33 in the UK, and features the single ‘It's Obvious’, which reached No. 37 on the US Club Play Singles chart. Playing with a Different Sex is available as a numbered limited edition of 750 copies on turquoise coloured vinyl and contains an insert.

Das anglo-australische Indiepop-Quartett Allo Darlin' meldet sich nach über zehn Jahren mit dem neuen Album ,Bright Nights" zurück. Es ist die Rückkehr ihrer intelligenten, schönen Popmusik mit Texten, in denen Erfahrung mitschwingt, und Melodien, die klingen, widerhallen und schweben. Da sie sich und die Musik, die sie zusammen gemacht haben, vermissten, kündigten Allo Darlin' an im Oktober 2023 ein paar Konzerte in UK zu spielen, und die Reaktion der Fans war überwältigend. Die Tickets waren innerhalb Minuten ausverkauft, und die Fans reisten aus der ganzen Welt an, so dass die Band ihr Konzert in London in einen doppelt so große Halle verlegen musste. Es schien, als hätten ihre Fans Allo Darlin' genauso vermisst wie sie sich selbst. In diesem Jahr war die Band außerdem Headliner einer exklusiven Deutschland-Show auf dem Cologne Pop Fest und antwortete auf die herzliche Einladung mit einem speziellen Song mit dem Titel "Cologne". Bright Nights folgt den emotionalen Gezeiten der vorangegangenen zehn Jahre: "Es ist ein Album, das von Herzen kommt und sich mit Themen wie Liebe, Geburt und Tod beschäftigt - "Dinge, über die wir mehr nachdenken als bei unserem ersten Album. Ich hoffe, dass das Album zeitlos und fröhlich klingt, aber auch nachdenklich und emotional", sagt Songschreiberin und Sängerin Elizabeth Morris Innset. Inspiriert von einer Mischung aus klassischem (Indie-Guitar) Pop, Folk und Country, knüpft Bright Nights dort an, wo Allo Darlin' mit dem We Come From The Same Place von 2014 aufgehört hat, und erinnert an den selbstbewussten und anspruchsvollen Sound ihres zweiten Albums Europe. "Wenn ich es höre, denke ich an die Wüste, aber ich kann das Meer sehen. Die süßen Klänge der hellen Sommernächte in der nördlichen Hemisphäre, aber auch das Bewusstsein, dass der Winter eines Tages zurückkehren wird". Die Aufnahmen auf dem Album sind Live-Aufnahmen, die nach Meinung der Band die beste Art war, diese neuen Songs aufzunehmen. Allo Darlin' bringen uns an einen Ort, an dem wir uns geliebt fühlen. In einer wechselhaften Welt ist die warme Umarmung ihres neuen Albums ebenso notwendig wie willkommen. "Breezy rom-pop brilliance." 8/10, NME - "Classic indie pop... doesn't rewrite the formula for wistful bedsit charm as much as show that it can still be carried out masterfully." Pitchfork - "A masterclass of modern cult pop." The Guardian - "Terrific, witty and heartfelt, like a less moody Belle & Sebastian." The New York Times

Das anglo-australische Indiepop-Quartett Allo Darlin' meldet sich nach über zehn Jahren mit dem neuen Album ,Bright Nights" zurück. Es ist die Rückkehr ihrer intelligenten, schönen Popmusik mit Texten, in denen Erfahrung mitschwingt, und Melodien, die klingen, widerhallen und schweben. Da sie sich und die Musik, die sie zusammen gemacht haben, vermissten, kündigten Allo Darlin' an im Oktober 2023 ein paar Konzerte in UK zu spielen, und die Reaktion der Fans war überwältigend. Die Tickets waren innerhalb Minuten ausverkauft, und die Fans reisten aus der ganzen Welt an, so dass die Band ihr Konzert in London in einen doppelt so große Halle verlegen musste. Es schien, als hätten ihre Fans Allo Darlin' genauso vermisst wie sie sich selbst. In diesem Jahr war die Band außerdem Headliner einer exklusiven Deutschland-Show auf dem Cologne Pop Fest und antwortete auf die herzliche Einladung mit einem speziellen Song mit dem Titel "Cologne". Bright Nights folgt den emotionalen Gezeiten der vorangegangenen zehn Jahre: "Es ist ein Album, das von Herzen kommt und sich mit Themen wie Liebe, Geburt und Tod beschäftigt - "Dinge, über die wir mehr nachdenken als bei unserem ersten Album. Ich hoffe, dass das Album zeitlos und fröhlich klingt, aber auch nachdenklich und emotional", sagt Songschreiberin und Sängerin Elizabeth Morris Innset. Inspiriert von einer Mischung aus klassischem (Indie-Guitar) Pop, Folk und Country, knüpft Bright Nights dort an, wo Allo Darlin' mit dem We Come From The Same Place von 2014 aufgehört hat, und erinnert an den selbstbewussten und anspruchsvollen Sound ihres zweiten Albums Europe. "Wenn ich es höre, denke ich an die Wüste, aber ich kann das Meer sehen. Die süßen Klänge der hellen Sommernächte in der nördlichen Hemisphäre, aber auch das Bewusstsein, dass der Winter eines Tages zurückkehren wird". Die Aufnahmen auf dem Album sind Live-Aufnahmen, die nach Meinung der Band die beste Art war, diese neuen Songs aufzunehmen. Allo Darlin' bringen uns an einen Ort, an dem wir uns geliebt fühlen. In einer wechselhaften Welt ist die warme Umarmung ihres neuen Albums ebenso notwendig wie willkommen. "Breezy rom-pop brilliance." 8/10, NME - "Classic indie pop... doesn't rewrite the formula for wistful bedsit charm as much as show that it can still be carried out masterfully." Pitchfork - "A masterclass of modern cult pop." The Guardian - "Terrific, witty and heartfelt, like a less moody Belle & Sebastian." The New York Times

Los Angeles trio sunking marry hip hop, and electronic influences on their 2nd album I DON"T LIKE MY TELEPHONE. Childhood friends Bobby Granfelt, a jazz drummer and self-proclaimed hip-hop head, Antoine Martel, a synthesist and composer, branched off their mainstay High Pulp to explore their polar opposite tastes and make music as sunking in addition to multi-instrumentalist Victory Nguyen. Their 2022 debut Smug, was more jazz-influenced, while I DON"T LIKE MY TELEPHONE is akin to the early work of beat-driven artists Thundercat, Madlib, and Flying Lotus. They hand selected artists Salami Rose Joe Louis, Niki Randa, Deradoorian, and Takoda to lend vocals and help capture that spirit. I DON"T LIKE MY TELEPHONE as a series of self-contained "micro-compositions," built around Granfelt"s drum loops and Martel"s new gear. In addition to, they were fueled by an increasing love for electronic music artists like Galcher Lustwerk, The Field, and Susumu Yokota, whose 1994 cult classic Acid Mt. Fuji they cite as a particular inspiration. The result is a record as vibrant as a kaleidoscope, and compact as one too, shuffling through more styles and ideas in neat, three-minute chunks of virtuosity.

Juan Ramos is up to bat for the next Körperspannung release with the four-track stunner EP ‘Hard Bois’. Deeply connected to the ongoing pursuit of gay excellence and endeavors, Juan honors those who have come before us and touches us deeply in our soft spots at all the right moments. Across ‘Hard Bois EP’, the Berlin resident and behind the scenes operator (IYKYK) shows precisely why he’s one of dance music’s most exciting and dependable prospects. Opening the release, ‘Hard Bois’ combines snaking drums in a melange of samples with bff Kris Baha vocalizing sizzling and snaking lyrics winding around this propulsive club cut that could easily be a snapshot right out of a scene from Chicago’s iconic Medusa Club. ‘Saviour Sound’ is music that makes iron pipes sweat with hedonistic abandon. Exposed steel vibrates to a hardcore beat. Gears interlock to move the whole building into autonomous productivity. Conduits of electricity pulsate to the drama unfolding in a dim lit factory with dank corridors leading us on a path to a flowerbed growing and thriving in a subterranean hydroponic garden.
On the flip, the alarm strikes and it’s (shout it out): ‘Werk Day’! This is your call to get buttoned up and ready to make dreams reality. Head to the gym, pump those guns and then house your body. Technological funk winding through a sturdy and rock hard kick that helps you ride through the chasms of pleasure and pain. Rounding out the release is your ‘Acid BB’ rocking and roaring through the airspace of atomized acid matter, a perfect closer to a thoroughly exciting direction Juan Ramos takes with his newfound sound. Play it loud. Play it proud. Juan is one of our own and we do all we can to take care of each other.