Cerca:headphone head

Das 2024er Album des irischen Indie-Folk-Singer/Songwriters Fionn Regan wird erstmals auf Vinyl erhältlich: "O AVALANCHE" ist voller schwebender Intimitäten, abstrakt und intuitiv, durchdrungen von einem Gespür für die erhebende Verbindung zwischen Umgebung und Emotionen. Zwischen sonnendurchfluteten Kulissen und leuchtenden Arrangements entstand eine Reihe wundervoll-erhabener Songs. Koproduziert mit Ian Grimble (Travis, Manic Street Preachers, Texas), schafft Regans abseits gelegenes Gespür für Klima und Landschaft einen weiteren kreativen Höhepunkt und ein Album, in dem man sich verlieren kann.

Featuring the otherworldly vocals of the legendary jazz singer Norma Winstone whose vocals were recently sampled in Drake's 2023 chart topping single IDGAF (feat. Yeat) and Leo Taylor (Floating Points, Hot Chip, Joy Crookes) on drums, the EP is the amalgamation of Barrott's long term fascination with sunset music, and the ways the change of seasons impact the way we co-exist with the sun. As winter draws closer and we move on from the Autumn equinox to Winter solstice, Barrott's latest release captures the transformative yet paradoxical feeling of melancholy over the end of Summer and the start of winter while creating an eerie sensation of serenity.

The EP follows from the release of Barrott's critically acclaimed and deeply personal 2024 album Everything Changes, Nothing Ends.

The new EP sees Barrott return to his beloved sunset music, as he continues his eternal quest to find new ways to soundtrack this sacred Ibiza moment.



Crowned as the"master of sunset music"by Pitchfork, Barrott's new EP is filled with celestial grandeur that stops you in your tracks. A profound musical meditation and an homage to the sunsets of the Autumn months, the EP captures the sonic poetry of the changing skies and the seasons.

The haunting combination of Barrott's production & arrangement skills, Taylor's jazz drums and Winstone's endlessly ethereal vocals soar in a harmonious union across the title track of the EP while the openerI Am The Starssummons you in for a brief respite from the cacophony of the modern world. The wistful second trackMy Blue Heartlingers with you with its melancholic jazz horns swelling side by side with Winstone's vocals while the closing trackI Am The Airfloats through your ears with its sublime contemplativeness. I Am The Sun, You Are The Moonsees Barrott returning to his sonic ruminations on sunsets, however they are more profound and life affirming than ever.



"At the end of the summer, on a clear bright starry night I climbed to the top of a mountain in Ibiza with a pair of headphones and listened to these tracks and lost myself in the vastness of the night sky and the endlessness of Norma's voice. At that moment everything made sense in my world for the first time in a long while and it just felt right",Mark Barrott says.

"I was surprised and delighted to be asked to participate in this very musical project and to be given such a free hand. Trying to integrate the voice into what were already beautifully formed pieces was creatively very interesting", Norma Winstone says

Das 2024er Album des irischen Indie-Folk-Singer/Songwriters Fionn Regan wird erstmals auf Vinyl erhältlich: "O AVALANCHE" ist voller schwebender Intimitäten, abstrakt und intuitiv, durchdrungen von einem Gespür für die erhebende Verbindung zwischen Umgebung und Emotionen. Zwischen sonnendurchfluteten Kulissen und leuchtenden Arrangements entstand eine Reihe wundervoll-erhabener Songs. Koproduziert mit Ian Grimble (Travis, Manic Street Preachers, Texas), schafft Regans abseits gelegenes Gespür für Klima und Landschaft einen weiteren kreativen Höhepunkt und ein Album, in dem man sich verlieren kann.

Halina Rice is a London-based electronic music artist known for her groundbreaking approach to music production and live performance.Rice has established herself as a leading figure in the contemporary electronic scene, blending complex soundscapes with immersive visual elements.

Her previous releases have been praised for their innovative use of technology and emotional depth, earning her a dedicated following around the world.

UNREALITY is the latest installment in the NEW WOLRDS series where each track is considered as the creation of a unique environment using textured synths, warped sound design and underpinned by a beat-driven dance sensibility.

Rice has toured the album extensively across the UK and Europe with sold out headline shows as well as festival appearances on the lineup with artists such as Jon Hopkins, Max Cooper and Rival Consoles.

Press coverage for the album includes Mundane Mag, Narc Magazine and previous support for the artist project includes feture length articles in Electronic Sound Magazine, DJ Mag, Mixmag, Decoded, Earmilk and Headphone Commute.

"Rice is part of a frontier movement of like-minded artists who twist, transform and manipulate the hallmarks of electronic dance music and visual accompaniments into exciting new shapes"

Electronic Sound Magazine

Cornel Wilczek (Talk To Me, Bring Her Back) crafts an incredible score for this body horror future classic from director Michael Shanks, blending the organic and synthetic, merging them to create something new, mesmerising, calm, eerie yet beautiful and oddly melodic. Disembodied voices flow in and out of soundscapes made up of traditional acoustic instruments, strings, and synthesisers. At first listen, the score seems very minimalist, but with repeated listening, it reveals these amazing earworms that stick in your mind. It’s a truly lovely, otherworldly listen, ideal for late nights and headphones.

Detroit-born artist, Jalen Elk Star unveils his debut LP, ESIN on L.I.E.S. Known in certain circles as filmmaker, music producer, playwright, and collagist, Jalen often draws from controversial themes to craft modern avant-garde works redefining the way art is seen in today’s chaotic universe. After years working on diverse projects under various aliases, his shift to a more liberated creative process under this new moniker has allowed his vision to reach a broader audience, continuing the path with the music on this new lp.

ESIN, a 13-track sonic collage, builds on his past, blending raps, noise, ambience, samplers, drum machines and synths into a raw, vibrant narrative. This work traces Jalen’s journey between his cities, Detroit and Chicago, offering a profound glimpse into his dynamic, limitless world of sound and vision. Something along the lines of the dusty crunched out vapors of the 2010s getting in a car crash with the abstractions of Rammellzee. A headtrip for the headphones.

Cassette
Earth Sounds Now is a collective made up of community activist and musician Stefan Christoff,
drummer, composer, scholar, and bandleader Asher Gamedze, music producer Nicolás Jaar, pianist
and composer Büsra Kayikçi, and novelist, poet, and sound performer Kaie Kellough.

Over 13 months, they met online to share sounds, readings, writings, and drawings, resulting in
Convergence—a project reflecting their collaborative process. Each member submitted different
works, including paintings, poetry, field recordings, and musical experiments, taking turns responding
to each other's contributions.

Member Stefan Christoff highlights the importance of listening in these sessions:
"Sometimes we would listen all together, so there was also silence on the online call as we all listened
on headphones to the sounds from our respective places. I am underlining listening here, which the
world needs much more of."

These submissions were organized into a sound library and finally mixed into record format by Jaar,
capturing the essence of their exchanges across global soundscapes.

On their new album The Besnard Lakes are the Ghost Nation, Montreal’s The Besnard Lakes return with their post-rock psych; but this time around, with a lightness and optimism at play.

Unique among their furrowed brow peers, The Besnard Lakes are unafraid to marry textured, questing headphone sonics to the honeyed pleasure of radio hits past: the rapture of My Bloody Valentine entwined with the romance of Fleetwood Mac. Imagine dreamy Beach House riding Led Zeppelin dynamics, with unabashedly androgynous vocal harmonies; a melodic yet mountainous sound world.

In a crowded leaderboard of their own making, The Besnard Lakes are the Ghost Nation might just be their best album yet; a strive for hope when it is needed most.

On their new album The Besnard Lakes are the Ghost Nation, Montreal’s The Besnard Lakes return with their post-rock psych; but this time around, with a lightness and optimism at play.

Unique among their furrowed brow peers, The Besnard Lakes are unafraid to marry textured, questing headphone sonics to the honeyed pleasure of radio hits past: the rapture of My Bloody Valentine entwined with the romance of Fleetwood Mac. Imagine dreamy Beach House riding Led Zeppelin dynamics, with unabashedly androgynous vocal harmonies; a melodic yet mountainous sound world.

In a crowded leaderboard of their own making, The Besnard Lakes are the Ghost Nation might just be their best album yet; a strive for hope when it is needed most.

Press Quotes:

Rock Hard 8.5/10: "...noch ausgereifter und dürften sich endgültig als eine feste Größe im britischen Prog Metal etablieren. Das Nebeneinander von modernen und traditionellen Elementen funktioniert ganz wunderbar... Eine der positivsten Überraschungen des Prog-Jahres 2025!"
"...even more mature and should finally establish themselves as a permanent fixture in British prog metal. The juxtaposition of modern and traditional elements works wonderfully... One of the most positive surprises of the prog year 2025!"

Metal Hammer 4.5/7: "Insofern gehört auch LEGACY zu den tiefschürfenden Statements einer modernen Band, die voll im Zeitgeist ist."
"In this respect, LEGACY is also one of the profound statements of a modern band that is fully in tune with the zeitgeist."

Legacy 13/15: "Diese Band ist manifestierte Kreativität, die dazu dient, den Geist mit Glück zu erfüllen. So viel Schönheit ist schon bemerkenswert. Dieses Werk ist wahrlich ein Vermächtnis, welches den Prog in ein neues Zeitalter führt und in der Musikwelt seine Spuren hinterlassen wird."
"This band is manifest creativity that serves to fill the spirit with happiness. Such beauty is truly remarkable. This work is truly a legacy that will lead prog metal into a new era and leave its mark on the music world."

eclipsed 8/10 (#2 in eclipsed Radar Top 20): "Die erzeugten Stimmungen - die mit den eine dystopische Zukunft beschreibenden Texten korrelieren - machen „Legacy" vielmehr zu einem Bauch-Album, das mit Atmosphäre punktet und einem bei jedem Durchlauf besser gefällt. ...Durchweg tolle Melodien, starker Gesang und abwechslungsreiche Gestaltung der Songs. ...Es ist ein moderner Kopfhörer-Traum, den Ihlo hier abgeliefert haben."
"The moods created—which correlate with the lyrics describing a dystopian future—make "Legacy" more of a gut-pumping album, one that scores with atmosphere and grows more likable with each listen. ...Consistently great melodies, strong vocals, and varied songwriting. ...It's a modern headphone dream that Ihlo have delivered here."

saitenkult.de 9/10: "Mit ´Legacy´ legen IHLO den Grundstein zu ihrem eigenen Vermächtnis. Ein Werk, das in die Zukunft strahlt und zugleich im Hier und Jetzt überwältigt."
"With 'Legacy,' IHLO lay the foundation for their own legacy. A work that radiates into the future and simultaneously overwhelms the here and now."

theprogspace 10/10: "Ihlo’s growth since their beginnings has been nothing short of spectacular, and to witness how far they’ve come is inspiring. After listening nonstop to ‘Legacy’, it is really hard for me to realize that it is just their second album (!). It is so well produced with its raw energy and depth. It is truly cementing their career, carving out a big bold name within the best of the best in the prog metal universe."

metal-heads.de: "Ein interessantes Prog-Werk haben IHLO da erschaffen."
"IHLO have created an interesting prog work."

moshpitpassion.de: "Manchmal hört man einen Song und weiß sofort: Das hier wird etwas Besonderes. Genau so wirkt „Replica“, die neue Single von IHLO. …macht deutlich, wie weit sich die Band seit ihrem Debüt entwickelt hat. Die Atmosphäre ist dicht, die Dynamikwechsel kommen plötzlich und hart, und der Breakdown bringt eine rohe Härte mit, wie man sie von IHLO in dieser Form noch nicht kannte. Und trotzdem bleibt alles stimmig, melodisch und emotional aufgeladen."
"Sometimes you hear a song and know immediately: This is going to be something special. That's exactly how "Replica," the new single from IHLO, feels. ...makes it clear how far the band has evolved since their debut. The atmosphere is dense, the dynamic shifts are sudden and harsh, and the breakdown brings a raw heaviness never before seen from IHLO. And yet everything remains coherent, melodic, and emotionally charged."


Press Quotes:

Rock Hard 8.5/10: "...noch ausgereifter und dürften sich endgültig als eine feste Größe im britischen Prog Metal etablieren. Das Nebeneinander von modernen und traditionellen Elementen funktioniert ganz wunderbar... Eine der positivsten Überraschungen des Prog-Jahres 2025!"
"...even more mature and should finally establish themselves as a permanent fixture in British prog metal. The juxtaposition of modern and traditional elements works wonderfully... One of the most positive surprises of the prog year 2025!"

Metal Hammer 4.5/7: "Insofern gehört auch LEGACY zu den tiefschürfenden Statements einer modernen Band, die voll im Zeitgeist ist."
"In this respect, LEGACY is also one of the profound statements of a modern band that is fully in tune with the zeitgeist."

Legacy 13/15: "Diese Band ist manifestierte Kreativität, die dazu dient, den Geist mit Glück zu erfüllen. So viel Schönheit ist schon bemerkenswert. Dieses Werk ist wahrlich ein Vermächtnis, welches den Prog in ein neues Zeitalter führt und in der Musikwelt seine Spuren hinterlassen wird."
"This band is manifest creativity that serves to fill the spirit with happiness. Such beauty is truly remarkable. This work is truly a legacy that will lead prog metal into a new era and leave its mark on the music world."

eclipsed 8/10 (#2 in eclipsed Radar Top 20): "Die erzeugten Stimmungen - die mit den eine dystopische Zukunft beschreibenden Texten korrelieren - machen „Legacy" vielmehr zu einem Bauch-Album, das mit Atmosphäre punktet und einem bei jedem Durchlauf besser gefällt. ...Durchweg tolle Melodien, starker Gesang und abwechslungsreiche Gestaltung der Songs. ...Es ist ein moderner Kopfhörer-Traum, den Ihlo hier abgeliefert haben."
"The moods created—which correlate with the lyrics describing a dystopian future—make "Legacy" more of a gut-pumping album, one that scores with atmosphere and grows more likable with each listen. ...Consistently great melodies, strong vocals, and varied songwriting. ...It's a modern headphone dream that Ihlo have delivered here."

saitenkult.de 9/10: "Mit ´Legacy´ legen IHLO den Grundstein zu ihrem eigenen Vermächtnis. Ein Werk, das in die Zukunft strahlt und zugleich im Hier und Jetzt überwältigt."
"With 'Legacy,' IHLO lay the foundation for their own legacy. A work that radiates into the future and simultaneously overwhelms the here and now."

theprogspace 10/10: "Ihlo’s growth since their beginnings has been nothing short of spectacular, and to witness how far they’ve come is inspiring. After listening nonstop to ‘Legacy’, it is really hard for me to realize that it is just their second album (!). It is so well produced with its raw energy and depth. It is truly cementing their career, carving out a big bold name within the best of the best in the prog metal universe."

metal-heads.de: "Ein interessantes Prog-Werk haben IHLO da erschaffen."
"IHLO have created an interesting prog work."

moshpitpassion.de: "Manchmal hört man einen Song und weiß sofort: Das hier wird etwas Besonderes. Genau so wirkt „Replica“, die neue Single von IHLO. …macht deutlich, wie weit sich die Band seit ihrem Debüt entwickelt hat. Die Atmosphäre ist dicht, die Dynamikwechsel kommen plötzlich und hart, und der Breakdown bringt eine rohe Härte mit, wie man sie von IHLO in dieser Form noch nicht kannte. Und trotzdem bleibt alles stimmig, melodisch und emotional aufgeladen."
"Sometimes you hear a song and know immediately: This is going to be something special. That's exactly how "Replica," the new single from IHLO, feels. ...makes it clear how far the band has evolved since their debut. The atmosphere is dense, the dynamic shifts are sudden and harsh, and the breakdown brings a raw heaviness never before seen from IHLO. And yet everything remains coherent, melodic, and emotionally charged.

Press Quotes:

Rock Hard 8.5/10: "...noch ausgereifter und dürften sich endgültig als eine feste Größe im britischen Prog Metal etablieren. Das Nebeneinander von modernen und traditionellen Elementen funktioniert ganz wunderbar... Eine der positivsten Überraschungen des Prog-Jahres 2025!"
"...even more mature and should finally establish themselves as a permanent fixture in British prog metal. The juxtaposition of modern and traditional elements works wonderfully... One of the most positive surprises of the prog year 2025!"

Metal Hammer 4.5/7: "Insofern gehört auch LEGACY zu den tiefschürfenden Statements einer modernen Band, die voll im Zeitgeist ist."
"In this respect, LEGACY is also one of the profound statements of a modern band that is fully in tune with the zeitgeist."

Legacy 13/15: "Diese Band ist manifestierte Kreativität, die dazu dient, den Geist mit Glück zu erfüllen. So viel Schönheit ist schon bemerkenswert. Dieses Werk ist wahrlich ein Vermächtnis, welches den Prog in ein neues Zeitalter führt und in der Musikwelt seine Spuren hinterlassen wird."
"This band is manifest creativity that serves to fill the spirit with happiness. Such beauty is truly remarkable. This work is truly a legacy that will lead prog metal into a new era and leave its mark on the music world."

eclipsed 8/10 (#2 in eclipsed Radar Top 20): "Die erzeugten Stimmungen - die mit den eine dystopische Zukunft beschreibenden Texten korrelieren - machen „Legacy" vielmehr zu einem Bauch-Album, das mit Atmosphäre punktet und einem bei jedem Durchlauf besser gefällt. ...Durchweg tolle Melodien, starker Gesang und abwechslungsreiche Gestaltung der Songs. ...Es ist ein moderner Kopfhörer-Traum, den Ihlo hier abgeliefert haben."
"The moods created—which correlate with the lyrics describing a dystopian future—make "Legacy" more of a gut-pumping album, one that scores with atmosphere and grows more likable with each listen. ...Consistently great melodies, strong vocals, and varied songwriting. ...It's a modern headphone dream that Ihlo have delivered here."

saitenkult.de 9/10: "Mit ´Legacy´ legen IHLO den Grundstein zu ihrem eigenen Vermächtnis. Ein Werk, das in die Zukunft strahlt und zugleich im Hier und Jetzt überwältigt."
"With 'Legacy,' IHLO lay the foundation for their own legacy. A work that radiates into the future and simultaneously overwhelms the here and now."

theprogspace 10/10: "Ihlo’s growth since their beginnings has been nothing short of spectacular, and to witness how far they’ve come is inspiring. After listening nonstop to ‘Legacy’, it is really hard for me to realize that it is just their second album (!). It is so well produced with its raw energy and depth. It is truly cementing their career, carving out a big bold name within the best of the best in the prog metal universe."

metal-heads.de: "Ein interessantes Prog-Werk haben IHLO da erschaffen."
"IHLO have created an interesting prog work."

moshpitpassion.de: "Manchmal hört man einen Song und weiß sofort: Das hier wird etwas Besonderes. Genau so wirkt „Replica“, die neue Single von IHLO. …macht deutlich, wie weit sich die Band seit ihrem Debüt entwickelt hat. Die Atmosphäre ist dicht, die Dynamikwechsel kommen plötzlich und hart, und der Breakdown bringt eine rohe Härte mit, wie man sie von IHLO in dieser Form noch nicht kannte. Und trotzdem bleibt alles stimmig, melodisch und emotional aufgeladen."
"Sometimes you hear a song and know immediately: This is going to be something special. That's exactly how "Replica," the new single from IHLO, feels. ...makes it clear how far the band has evolved since their debut. The atmosphere is dense, the dynamic shifts are sudden and harsh, and the breakdown brings a raw heaviness never before seen from IHLO. And yet everything remains coherent, melodic, and emotionally charged."


Press Quotes:

Rock Hard 8.5/10: "...noch ausgereifter und dürften sich endgültig als eine feste Größe im britischen Prog Metal etablieren. Das Nebeneinander von modernen und traditionellen Elementen funktioniert ganz wunderbar... Eine der positivsten Überraschungen des Prog-Jahres 2025!"
"...even more mature and should finally establish themselves as a permanent fixture in British prog metal. The juxtaposition of modern and traditional elements works wonderfully... One of the most positive surprises of the prog year 2025!"

Metal Hammer 4.5/7: "Insofern gehört auch LEGACY zu den tiefschürfenden Statements einer modernen Band, die voll im Zeitgeist ist."
"In this respect, LEGACY is also one of the profound statements of a modern band that is fully in tune with the zeitgeist."

Legacy 13/15: "Diese Band ist manifestierte Kreativität, die dazu dient, den Geist mit Glück zu erfüllen. So viel Schönheit ist schon bemerkenswert. Dieses Werk ist wahrlich ein Vermächtnis, welches den Prog in ein neues Zeitalter führt und in der Musikwelt seine Spuren hinterlassen wird."
"This band is manifest creativity that serves to fill the spirit with happiness. Such beauty is truly remarkable. This work is truly a legacy that will lead prog metal into a new era and leave its mark on the music world."

eclipsed 8/10 (#2 in eclipsed Radar Top 20): "Die erzeugten Stimmungen - die mit den eine dystopische Zukunft beschreibenden Texten korrelieren - machen „Legacy" vielmehr zu einem Bauch-Album, das mit Atmosphäre punktet und einem bei jedem Durchlauf besser gefällt. ...Durchweg tolle Melodien, starker Gesang und abwechslungsreiche Gestaltung der Songs. ...Es ist ein moderner Kopfhörer-Traum, den Ihlo hier abgeliefert haben."
"The moods created—which correlate with the lyrics describing a dystopian future—make "Legacy" more of a gut-pumping album, one that scores with atmosphere and grows more likable with each listen. ...Consistently great melodies, strong vocals, and varied songwriting. ...It's a modern headphone dream that Ihlo have delivered here."

saitenkult.de 9/10: "Mit ´Legacy´ legen IHLO den Grundstein zu ihrem eigenen Vermächtnis. Ein Werk, das in die Zukunft strahlt und zugleich im Hier und Jetzt überwältigt."
"With 'Legacy,' IHLO lay the foundation for their own legacy. A work that radiates into the future and simultaneously overwhelms the here and now."

theprogspace 10/10: "Ihlo’s growth since their beginnings has been nothing short of spectacular, and to witness how far they’ve come is inspiring. After listening nonstop to ‘Legacy’, it is really hard for me to realize that it is just their second album (!). It is so well produced with its raw energy and depth. It is truly cementing their career, carving out a big bold name within the best of the best in the prog metal universe."

metal-heads.de: "Ein interessantes Prog-Werk haben IHLO da erschaffen."
"IHLO have created an interesting prog work."

moshpitpassion.de: "Manchmal hört man einen Song und weiß sofort: Das hier wird etwas Besonderes. Genau so wirkt „Replica“, die neue Single von IHLO. …macht deutlich, wie weit sich die Band seit ihrem Debüt entwickelt hat. Die Atmosphäre ist dicht, die Dynamikwechsel kommen plötzlich und hart, und der Breakdown bringt eine rohe Härte mit, wie man sie von IHLO in dieser Form noch nicht kannte. Und trotzdem bleibt alles stimmig, melodisch und emotional aufgeladen."
"Sometimes you hear a song and know immediately: This is going to be something special. That's exactly how "Replica," the new single from IHLO, feels. ...makes it clear how far the band has evolved since their debut. The atmosphere is dense, the dynamic shifts are sudden and harsh, and the breakdown brings a raw heaviness never before seen from IHLO. And yet everything remains coherent, melodic, and emotionally charged.

Limited first pressing on silver vinyl. Flying Horseman returns with their first new album in five years. Experience their renewed but signature sound with a fresh line-up.



Flying Horseman is back! After a five year hiatus and with a new line-up, the band is ready to once again captivate headphone junkies and live audiences alike with Anaesthesia, their seventh album. It's an urgent and passionate work of intelligent rock'n roll, hazy psychedelia and cosmic folk. Anaesthesia is brooding, angry and dark but at the same time full of life, wonder and sophistication. It's an invigorating, fascinating, electric brew.



Flying Horseman is still centered around the intensely personal song writing, singing and guitar playing of Bert Dockx. The band's line-up has changed,with Louis Evrard (Pruillip, Ottla, Grid Ravage) and Maximilian Dobbertin (Calicos, Frankie Fame) replacing drummer Alfredo Bravo and bassist Mattias Cré. Bravo and Cré were long-standing members, beloved by fans and fellow musicians alike, and they have played an important part in establishing Flying Horseman's musical identity. Today Evrard and Dobbertin are adding a fresh and personal twist to the idiosyncratic sound of Flying Horseman: their groove, their intuition and sensibility, their soul.



Then there's Loesje and Martha Maieu, who have been part of the group for almost as long as its frontman has, and who offer essential ingredients to bring about Flying Horseman's signature flavour, their haunting vocals and atmospheric electronics contrasting beautifully with Dockx' more earthy vocal delivery and his restless, fiery plucking of the guitar strings.



The whole record is fiery, alternately smouldering and violently burning. These are musical sounds capable of setting the listener's heart and mind ablaze. Anaesthesia is very consciously, a political record born out of Dockx and his friends' bafflement at the state of the world, the new rise of fascism, the onslaught of injustice, barbarism and stupidity which we, inhabitants of planet earth, are witnessing day in day out.



How to guard one's sanity in such a crazy world? How to maintain one's dignity? How to feel useful and joyful when surrounded by confusion and hate? These are the questions Flying Horseman is struggling with, as are so many of us today. But there is joy and purpose in the asking; in the struggling; in staying critical of dominant systems of oppression; in thinking or saying: "I don't agree, this is not how it's supposed to be"; in coming together and connecting, sharing, mourning and dreaming. Joy and purpose; questions and confusion; burning hearts and tarnished dreams: it's allhere, in the transportive sound world of Flying Horseman.



Anaesthesia was recorded in Antwerp by Joris Caluwaerts (keyboardist of the inimitable avant-jazz group .STUFF) and mixed by Yves De Mey (one of Belgium's most prominent & avant-garde electronic wizards), two experienced collaborators who know a thing or two about capturing sound and transforming it into a rewarding listening experience. With their help, Flying Horseman has crafted a tight collection of eight art-rock tunes with a clear identity, a rich sound, an original vision and a joyful purpose in the face of encroaching sinister forces.

Ready for take off?

With his new album 'Cruise Control', Satin Jackets presents a perfect musical soundtrack for relaxed moments that take us away from the stresses of everyday life. The title of the album is meaningful: 'Cruise Control' stands for the feeling of switching on the autopilot, leaning back and enjoying the journey to the fullest - an atmosphere that the album unfolds.

The album is a collection of singles that have been released over the last few years and are all interwoven at their core. Because no matter where you listen to the songs, they work, images arise in your head and your feet rarely stay still. Satin Jackets remains true to himself with his album sound, as he repeatedly receives feedback from listeners who appreciate the positive mood in his songs and which always puts them in a good mood.

The songs are first created in the producer's head and then develop together with the features, who add their own touch. For Satin Jackets, 'the most important thing is this immediate feeling that it fits musically and atmospherically'. This can also come out of nowhere, as was the case with David Bay and Small Black, who got in touch with the producer and it was an instant fit.

'There are always those magical moments when a song comes out of nowhere. Once I had an idea for a chord sequence that I couldn't get out of my head, but somehow that certain something was still missing. I then spontaneously asked a bassist friend of mine if he would like to play something to it - ten minutes later we had a hook that carried the whole piece. It's these unexpected, spontaneous inspirations that make the process so exciting.'

'Cruise Control' is more than just another album from Satin Jackets. It is an invitation to enjoy the moment and surrender to the music - a soundtrack that creates a good mood and takes us on a relaxing journey. So just switch on the autopilot again, put on your headphones and let yourself go.

Ready for take off?

Satin Jackets präsentiert mit seinem neuen Album "Cruise Control" einen perfekten musikalischen Begleiter für entspannte Momente, die uns vom Alltagsstress befreien. Der Titel des Albums ist vielsagend: "Cruise Control" steht für das Gefühl, den Autopiloten einzuschalten, sich zurückzulehnen und die Reise in vollen Zügen zu genießen - eine Atmosphäre, die das Album entfaltet.

Das Album ist eine Sammlung der Singles, die über die letzten Jahre erschienen und im Kern alle miteinander verwoben sind. Denn egal, wo man die Songs hört, sie funktionieren, es entstehen Bilder im Kopf und die Füße bleiben selten still. Mit dem Albumsound bleibt Satin Jackets sich treu, denn immer wieder bekommt er die Rückmeldung von Hörer:innen, die die positive Stimmung in seinen Songs schätzen und die immer wieder für gute Laune sorgt.

So entstehen die Songs zuerst im Kopf des Produzenten und entwickeln sich im Anschluss gemeinsam mit den Features, die ihre eigene Note mit einbringen. Für Satin Jackets ist es "das Wichtigste dieses unmittelbare Gefühl, dass es musikalisch und atmosphärisch passt". Das kann auch aus dem Nichts kommen, so wie bei David Bay und Small Black, die sich bei dem Produzenten meldeten und es sofort passte.

"Es gibt immer wieder diese magischen Momente, in denen ein Song quasi aus dem Nichts entsteht. Einmal hatte ich eine Idee für eine Akkordfolge, die mir nicht aus dem Kopf ging, aber irgendwie fehlte noch das gewisse Etwas. Ich habe dann spontan einen befreundeten Bassisten gefragt, ob er etwas dazu spielen möchte - zehn Minuten später hatten wir einen Hook, der das ganze Stück getragen hat. Es sind diese unerwarteten, spontanen Eingebungen, die den Prozess so spannend machen."

"Cruise Control" ist mehr als nur ein weiteres Album von Satin Jackets. Es ist eine Einladung, den Moment zu genießen und sich der Musik hinzugeben - ein Soundtrack, der für gute Stimmung sorgt und uns auf eine entspannte Reise mitnimmt. Von daher einfach mal wieder den Autopiloten einschalten, , Kopfhörer aufsetzen und fallen lassen.

36 and Past Inside The Present label head Zake return to their Stasis Sounds For Long Distance Space Travel project which is music designed not for the distracted world we inhabit, but for the still moments we so often neglect. Crafted with intention and restraint, it is a universe that suspends the listener in time across glacial soundscapes in which the duo conjures a sense of cosmic awe. Soft, slow-moving drones and textural washes drift like solar winds through the vacuum, suggesting the boundless calm of deep space. The production is rich, gentle with tonal shifts and barely-there harmonics that evoke both distance and intimacy, wonder and melancholy. It feels like music beamed in from the edges of the known universe. If you fancy a contemplative journey from the edge of Earth's thermosphere into the unknowable beyond, tune into Stasis Sounds on your best headphones.

Massi NPL’s EP debut on House on the Strand’s label 'Herah' is a wonderful cluster of ambient club adjacent works
Producer and sound artist Massi NPL has spent close to a decade honing his craft as a producer with an impressive growing list of accolades that have seen him try his hand at everything from scoring award winning video games and theatre productions at the Zurich theater to DJ at events and radio stations around the globe.
While the producer’s output may be slim it is considered and precise. His new Fragments EP is a deeply personal project that is the product of years of work.
These select 3 pieces are crafted from a series of field recordings spanning 3 cities that have shaped much of the producers life. These ambient club adjacent works are equally promising at decibel sound system shaking volumes as they are within tucked away headphone and home listening environments. They exude expansive soundscapes, featuring a rich array of washed out synth backdrops and percussions.
As featured on Alex Ruder’s Pacific Notions on KEXP
Mastered by artist engineer Adam Badí Donova (ulla, mu-tate, dj lostboi, Torus)

Modularz is proud to welcome back Venezuelan-born, Buenos Aires-based producer Michel Lauriola for his second full-length release on the respected American techno imprint. A rising figure in the global underground scene, Lauriola has consistently earned acclaim for his raw, immersive sound—an aesthetic rooted in precision, intensity, and emotional depth. With this new release, he further refines his unique sonic identity, presenting a gripping body of work that blends driving, hypnotic rhythms with a bold approach to sound design often described as sonic brutalism.

Each track on the 8-track release is a testament to Lauriola’s dedication to the craft, weaving together pounding drums, industrial textures, and layered atmospheres that build tension with surgical focus. His work evokes the stark energy of warehouse spaces, late-night dance floors, and the darker corners of techno culture, while still maintaining a sense of control and finesse. There is a narrative quality to the arrangement—one that guides listeners through a landscape of intensity, depth, and release.

Lauriola's return to Modularz marks a significant moment for both artist and label, as the project continues to push boundaries and elevate the label’s already rich catalog of forward-thinking techno. This release is not only a showcase of his technical skill and creative vision but also a powerful statement of where modern techno is headed: uncompromising, emotionally resonant, and undeniably physical. Whether heard in a club, warehouse, or on headphones, this is music that demands attention and rewards deep listening.

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.

36 and Past Inside The Present label head Zake return to their Stasis Sounds For Long Distance Space Travel project which is music designed not for the distracted world we inhabit, but for the still moments we so often neglect. Crafted with intention and restraint, it is a universe that suspends the listener in time across glacial soundscapes in which the duo conjures a sense of cosmic awe. Soft, slow-moving drones and textural washes drift like solar winds through the vacuum, suggesting the boundless calm of deep space. The production is rich, gentle with tonal shifts and barely-there harmonics that evoke both distance and intimacy, wonder and melancholy. It feels like music beamed in from the edges of the known universe. If you fancy a contemplative journey from the edge of Earth's thermosphere into the unknowable beyond, tune into Stasis Sounds on your best headphones.

Civilistjävel! x Mayssa Jallad’s ‘Marjaa: The Battle of the Hotels (Versions)’ is a radical response to Mayssa Jallad’s 2023 original LP, a lyrical account of epochal events in Beirut at the dawn of Lebanon's civil war. ‘…(Versions)’ sees Civilistjävel! (aka Swedish producer Tomas Bodén) apply a stripped, dub methodology to Mayssa's rich stems, refracting the Arabic source through the hazy prism of Northern European electronica. Retaining ‘Marjaa…’s deep spatial framing and vaporous, shifting nature, traces are lifted and set down in a new landscape: a ghost of a ghost. Informed by Tomas' singular strand of ambient, minimalist, dub techno, ‘… (Versions)’ recalls the reductive, shimmering pulse of pioneering Berlin-based practitioners Basic Channel/Chain Reaction, but with the parameters stretched into the ether. Where versions typically focus on a rhythm, here the anchor is the tone and texture of Mayssa’s voice, around which a new world has been constructed. Disembodied and liminal, it conjures an eerie panorama that feels like a postscript to the original, further emphasizing the geopolitical events that have had such devastating effect in Mayssa’s homeland of Lebanon since that record’s release. ‘Marjaa…’ (tr. ‘reference’) combined Mayssa Jallad’s two main vocations: music and urban research/architectural history. The album was co-written with Fadi Tabbal and based on Mayssa's Historic Preservation master's thesis (‘Beirut’s Civil War Hotel District: Preserving the World’s First High-Rise Urban Battlefield’). The thesis examined a 5-month conflict that took place within Beirut's skyscraper-laden luxury hotel district of Minet El Husn near the start of the Lebanese Civil War. Addressing a post-war generation who have never been taught this difficult history, ‘Marjaa…’ was an attempt to process trauma, and “a call to protest for the renewal, rather than the recycling of the political class that once destroyed the country and holds us, to this day, hostage of its violence.” Often perceived as a mysterious, shadowy presence, Civilistjävel! has come increasingly to the fore in recent years through a consistently dazzling stream of records, released both anonymously and via Fergus Jones’ FELT imprint, often appearing with scant information and tracks for the most part untitled. Having featured tracks from ‘Marjaa…’ on mixes, and included the album in his picks of 2023, in early 2024 Tomas asked Mayssa to provide vocals for a track on his album ‘Brödföda’. Mayssa remembers, “Tomas asked me to choose one of the tracks he was working on. I was in Boston at the time, so I took a walk and chose a track. I wrote the lyrics at the public park, wondering if I was the only one around that was losing sleep over the genocide in Palestine and the war in South Lebanon. I went back to the apartment and recorded the vocals on my phone, while listening to the track on headphones. Tomas reworked it with the voice and sent it back. I liked it immediately.” Despite the geographical distance from Beirut to Uppsala, Sweden, where Tomas resides, Mayssa’s contribution sounds very much at home in Civilistjävel!’s atmospheric, contemplative sound-world. Tomas’ request was reciprocated by Mayssa soon after, resulting in the spectral, glassy ambience of ‘Etel, Kharita (Version)’. This was followed by an invitation to work on more tracks, which Tomas immediately embraced, intensively jamming out versions live to two-track tape in downtime between travelling. If not entirely dissimilar to his regular working practice, the immediacy of it was unusual. Much was improvised live with just a keyboard (not tethered to a grid), and a restricted set-up that largely forbade later edits - only the rhythm tracks are programmed. A sharp conceptual thinker and composer, Tomas takes creative liberties with Mayssa’s songs in a way that is deeply felt and sympathetically aligned, whilst unashamedly outside of the original context of the record. The voice is leaned into as an instrument, without the clear, specific details of language, and this axis provides an uncertain, amorphous footing - structure is often suggested or hinted at, before disappearing or collapsing into fog, and folding back into the message within the song. A somewhat unprecedented source for an album of versions, even those familiar with ‘Marjaa: The Battle of the Hotels’ may at points struggle to hear the songs these versions are rebuilt from, despite the vocal narratives remaining virtually intact. The light has shifted; eroded buildings are foregrounded; fragments of memories appear in chiaroscuro. Signs and signifiers have been replaced. Shorn of the original's warm guitar, ‘Baynana (Version)’ feels like an ominous visitation, the sun no longer visible. ‘Holiday Inn (March 21 to 29) (Version)’ is a molten, clattering invocation. The beat-less tracks nod towards the cold, otherworldly sound-scaping of late '90s isolationism. More propulsive and embodied, ‘Holiday Inn (January to March) (Version)’ and ‘Kharita (Dub)’ are strobing, iridescent techno - lithe, shifting and mutating with almost implausible finesse. A stunning addition to Civilistjävel!’s growing catalogue, ‘…(Versions)’ is a luminous counterpoint to ‘Marjaa…’, and a welcome reminder of how incredible that record remains.

Senselessness 1/2 is the very first solo issue of the Swiss electronic composer Robin Félix, on his own label De l’Aube (Of Dawn), the occasion for him to prove that field recordings can be (or should be?) an integral part of the global matter, when so often they are just something hovering in the background because it’s “nice” or reminds the artist of a place he loves.

Throughout the length of these four tracks, they are litterally central; moreover, they are electronically transformed, manipulated, skewed and twisted in order to form some sort of framework, a backbone on to which sounds and genres intertwine. On Cluster, violins and cellos (recorded in the gardens of the Venice Biennale) are soon transmuted into the abrasions of the electroacoustic realm, until the pulse of a relentless bass introduces a pure and pristine electronic music that knows and uses the roots of dub, drum’n’bass and the meticulousness of Jan Jelinek’s Glitch aesthetics. A tad “housy”, Chi comes as a second pulse where a modified didgeridoo and African percussions (recorded in a Swiss forest) lead the listener to a sort of tribal mode, as suited to dancers than to those who prefer inner journeys; here, the spatial dub of King Tubby moves from background to foreground.

The more abstract Boiler verges on the IDM and the heady, elegant and spartan Detroit techno – headphones reveal its numerous minute and delicate details. Based on the recording of insects, of which one can hear the actual rubbing of elytras, the closing Swarm ends the record with and intricate blend of ambient, which in some way winks to the Aphex Twin and The Future Sound Of London. Overall Senselessness 1/2 is a mesmerising and concise update of the famous Deutsche elektronische musik of old, that gathered on its way the other genres that made Robin Félix tick. Since field recordings have hardly been that meaningful, one wonders where Senselessness 2/2 will lead us to

Rando Arand is an Estonian electronic music producer from Tallinn. With a strong foundation in sound design, Arand released his debut record on Asphalt Soliloquies in 2017 and has since captivated audiences at clubs and festivals across the Baltics with his unpredictable and unique live sets. Drawing inspiration from a range of genres such as broken jazz, dubtechno, breakbeat and jungle, Arand incorporates modular synth patches into his performances. He has shared the stage with artists like Dorian Concept, Gerry Read and King Midas Sound. In 2019, Arand released the "Alles" EP on Ali Asker's LIITHELI imprint, which focuses on promoting local talent from Estonia's capital. Arand's latest EP, "Aru" (2022), showcases his exploration of a new "Linki" format. In addition to his musical pursuits, Arand was also a host at the underground venue Ulme in Tallinn.

About the album „Child of the Internet”

The new album by experimental sound designer and electronic music producer Rando Arand takes the artist on a completely different path compared to the previously known dance music influenced deep and contemplative instrumental tracks. Featuring several notable guest artists, the album is a sizzling hot record that makes feet tapping and bodies grooving. On the artist’s most listener-friendly work to date, an impressive lineup of Estonian vocalists makes an appearance: Hyrr IV, the lead singer of the indie band Ouu; Jon Mikiver from Elephants from Neptune; actress Mirtel Pohla; alternative pop artist Kitty Florentine; queer artist Helgi Saldo; comedian Maiduk; and hobby musicians Maihe and David.

The conceptual album "Child of the Internet" is dedicated to young kids for whom the internet has been a defining part of growing up. Genre-wise, the album is very flexible, weaving through various musical chapters and styles with the help of numerous musical sketches, touching on both the comedic and the darker oddities that circulate online.

The album features scorchingly hot, electrified synth-funk jams with a nostalgic touch reminiscent of Prince ("Slidin in Yo DM’s", "Refresh"). Kitty Florentine delivers a sensual neo-soul ballad ("Just Scrolling"), filled with soft tones, soulful warmth, and a smooth groove. For more demanding listeners, the record also explores elements of chillwave, glitch, lo-fi hip-hop, techno, house, and breakbeat. Longer tracks and shorter interludes come together like a bouquet of favorite memes or a collection of countless open web browser tabs that we all keep running. At the same time, the album hints at the immense impact the internet has on our everyday lives.

Rando Arand’s latest studio album is an intriguing listen — perfect for enjoying alone with good headphones or as an ideal background soundtrack for a larger gathering with friends.

In 2005, Headphones arrived as a seismic shift in David Bazan's already formidable canon- a collection of synth-driven confessions that push the boundaries of narrative songwriting. Stripped down to its barest essentials, the album finds Bazan and collaborators Tim Walsh and Frank Lenz constructing an audaciously raw soundscape: no guitars, just synthesizers, live drums, and Bazan's unmistakable vocals. Twenty years later, it remains a masterwork of emotional excavation and geopolitical reckoning, as relevant today as the day it was released. This 20th Anniversary edition, remastered by Christopher Colbert at National Freedom (The Walkmen, Richard Swift, Pedro the Lion), is housed in a gatefold jacket with expanded artwork by Grammy-nominated designer Jesse LeDoux, plus liner notes by writer and Belmont University Associate Professor David Dark. The self-titled album threads a delicate needle, simultaneously personal and prophetic. Songs like "Major Cities" tackle the macrocosm of American imperialism with clarity and anger, while tracks like "I Never Wanted You" unearth the raw wounds of interpersonal defeat. These are stories of inner and outer collapse, of bullies (both personal and political) wreaking havoc, yet rendered with humanity. Even in its darkest moments, though, Headphones pulses with the hope that honesty might light a way forward if only we'll bear witness to the truth. On its twentieth anniversary, Headphones feels more vital than ever. For those who've lived with it since 2005, this reissue is a chance to revisit an old wound, to press on it and see what's healed and what still aches. For new listeners, it's a chance to sit with something audacious and true an album that invites us to reckon with the ways we fail each other-and the ways we might still be good. Twenty years on, Headphones remains a rare album that doesn't just speak to you, but asks you to listen harder. + PROJECT FROM DAVID BAZAN OF PEDRO THE LION + DELUXE 20TH-ANNIVESARY REMASTERED REISSUE WITH BONUS TRACKS + DELUXE FIRST PRESSING ON LIMITED EDITION OPAQUE YELLOW VINYL LIMITED TO 750 COPIES + EXPANDED GATEFOLD ARTWORK BY GRAMMY-NOMINATED ARTIST JESSE LEDOUX + LINER NOTES BY DAVID DARK + REMASTERED BY CHRISTOPHER COLBERT (THE WALKMEN, RICHARD SWIFT, PEDRO THE LION) + LP INCLUDES BONUS 7" ON BLACK VINYL WITH TWO BONUS TRACKS

Berlin-based French-Irish multimedia artist Zoe Mc Pherson levels up on their third full-length "Pitch Blender", mangling years of experience DJing and performing live into a tight set of cybernetic soundsystem experiments that flicker between the rave and the art space.

Cast your mind back to February 2020 for a moment, when Mc Pherson released their last album "States of Fugue". The world seemed less tangled somehow, and yet Mc Pherson's precision-engineered fusion of exploratory sound design and visceral club pressure seemed to hint at a cataclysmic event none of us were really expecting. Only a few weeks after its release the world changed forever, and the majority of us were grounded - forced to consider our lives and the movement (or lack thereof) surrounding us. The philosophy of this extended time period is welded into the bones of "Pitch Blender", Mc Pherson's supple third album. They have learned plenty in the last two years, and infuse all of that anxiety and spiky emotionality into a spread of tracks that sound as powerful in headphones as they do over a well-tweaked soundsystem, soldering vocals, environmental recordings and instrumental flourishes to unpredictably pneumatic, cybernetic beats.

Anyone that's caught one of Mc Pherson's energetic live performances over the last few months will have an idea of what "Pitch Blender" is made of. They're an artist who's somehow able to match the raw energy of post-punk and no-wave music with the brain-altering potential of the best experimental club tracks, vocalizing an incongruous post-lockdown reality over beats that sound as if they're in a permanent state of flux. 'On Fire' splutters to life in a frenetic patter of drums that blur into oddly soothing hoover sounds, snaking lysergically towards a drop that's teased constantly, and never comes. We're forced to wait until 'The Spark' for that, fighting through choppy, pitch-mangled guitar and rolling beats until a gruesome kick drum forces its way through the psilocybin mists and heaving Bristol-inspired bass clonks. Backed up with just the inverted traces of recognizable breaks, this vigorous pulse lies at the heart of "Pitch Blender", the driving force that powers Mc Pherson's sound even when it's only hinted at.

'Blender' is the moment where Mc Pherson show their full hand, using crackling sound effects, ghost vocals and uneven rhythms to build a textural landscape that's so evocative you can almost taste it. Squealing modular synth effects sound like gameshow buzzers being triggered in another dimension and propel the track forward - it's club music, just about, but Mc Pherson's motivation is world-building, and their world is colorful, abstract, and dizzyingly surreal. "Obsolete user," their voice echoes over driving airlock kicks. But they take a swift left turn with 'Lamella', reducing the kinetic club rhythms to a longing simmer and letting loose with powerful vocals, intoning with robotic, gender-fluxed intensity. On 'Wait', New York City's clacking crosswalk signal - already an effective club track on its own - is transformed into a reminder to slow down, juxtaposed with booming sub-heavy kicks, acidic synths and effervescent percussion that rattles in time with the vibrations. It's foley rave, built for pure psychedelic intensity to blur the line between real life and sonic fiction.

One of the album's most galvanic tracks, 'Power Dynamics' curves a double-time rhythm around breathless HQ sound design squiggles until it hits a polyrhythmic crescendo, striking a queasy balance between rave hedonism and ritualistic hand drum energy. It all builds towards eerie closing track 'Outside' that acts as an important wind down, spotlighting Mc Pherson's ability to operate outside of the rhythmic spectrum, using cinematic scrapes and flickering neon synths to create music that's tense but never terrifying. The track feels like the end credits of a particularly bewildering movie - something between the cyberpunk dystopia of "Ghost in the Shell" and the vivid, sky-scraping beauty of "Koyaanisqatsi". Mc Pherson has managed something special with "Pitch Blender": mashing together genres with rare focus, and sharpening their engineering skills to a fine point, they've concocted an antidote to contemporary malaise - a wakeup call that's begging us to loosen our limbs and move.

In nearly a decade, songwriter Sonia Weber’s ability to pen precise lyrics and memorable riffs has become laser-focused. As a result, the songs feel like they’ve been assembled with all the intention and care of a mixtape to a high-stakes crush. Caleb Misclevitz, A.P. Fiedler, and Derek McNeil round out the band, bringing the giant loud guitar rock feeling these songs require. The Portland outfit crafts songs big enough to fill an arena while simultaneously conjuring the emotional intimacy of making out in the bathroom of your favorite karaoke bar. Alien Boy does this by harnessing the raw power of PDX’s Wipers’ but not being afraid to embrace the pop catchiness of rock titans like Oasis or Third Eye Blind, all while crafting a tone and power distinctly their own. Whether listened to in your headphones in bed or witnessed live in person, Alien Boy leaves an emotional crater that’ll keep you coming back for more (Gem Fair)

Mudd has been trying to sign this for well over a year now, orginally only available on cd from Blackbelt's album on Full Pupp, it's been given the 12'' release with both original and ambient mixes. The original is a slow chugging house monster, softened by beautiful pads and synths that drop in and out but never let the pace die. The ambient mix is a late night headphone winner which you can easily get lost into. Another winner from Claremont 56.

Manolis Pappas writes: "Coming from Thessaloniki, but currently residing in Athens, Savvas Metaxas presents "Feedback Poetics", a study in ambient, minimal electronics and feedback drone, revealing a work of compelling compositional clarity. "Feedback Poetics" was recorded during a long improvisational night, with most of the piece captured in a single take. Later, a few additional sounds were added. Recorded using the Lyra-8 synthesiser by Soma Electronics and the Lemondrop granular synthesiser, the album weaves intricate sonic patterns into a meticulously crafted soundscape. The idea behind this recording was to create a long, meditative piece, captured entirely through headphone monitoring. The title reflects the experience of listening to these sound frequencies dancing around the listener's head. Metaxas, known for his output on esteemed labels in recent years and co-founder of Dasa Tapes and Granny Records, offers a work that resonates with the intimacy of a private live performance, yet possesses a refined and considered structure befitting a carefully curated cassette documentation." – Manolis Pappas/Coherent States.

Neon Orange & Black Vinyl. With Information (2019), Cleveland-raised, New York-based producer and DJ Galcher Lustwerk marked his debut LP on Ghostly International, having already carved out a lane of low-key hip-house music with his instant classic 100% GALCHER mixtape: deep, smooth, psychedelic, equally cut for the club, after-hours, night drives, and headphones. Lustwerk leveled up for Information, experimenting with more live drums and jazz saxophone to create a new dynamic, what he considered a hookier, more bittersweet, Midwest mindset. Lustwerk emerged in 2013 with the game-changing 100% GALCHER for the beloved mix series Blowing Up The Workshop, later named a mix of the decade by Resident Advisor. The signature sound - a smoky stream-of-consciousness baritone shadow-boxing with beats, informed by funk, rap, rhythm, and blues - felt like an epiphany distinctly linked to the expanse of Midwest driving and the strobe-lit detachment of club culture. Now over a decade into his musical vision, Lustwerk remains an elusive nightlife narrator, embodied by the hooks and a growing catalog that's proven influential and singular.

Every so often an album of such deceptive genius, of such aesthetic clarity, comes across our desk and transfixes us. Thought Leadership's III Of Pentacles is one such work of art. It's an instant classic and glides into the pantheon of timeless guitar-soul totems. Originally out on cassette only, we present the first ever vinyl issue. It's a hideously limited pressing of 300 for the world, so don't sleep on this.

Thought Leadership has already garnered big support from such tastemakers as Ruf Dug, Jason Boardman, Nathan Gregory Wilkins, J Walk, Evan Woodward, Justin Robertson and Heavenly's Jeff Barrett. The first time we heard III Of Pentacles, we nearly wept at the thought that something so beautiful, so bursting with real hope, could even exist in this brutal world. To quote the Quietus, "imagine if Stockport was situated somewhere along the Pacific Coast Highway rather than the M60, and you’ll have some idea of the coordinates to the post-industrial, sunburnt dream space opened up here."

So, who is Thought Leadership? What do we know about them? They reside in Stockport and are obsessed with ethereal guitar records. That’s about it. That and these X ideas shared with you, the listener.

Captured on a multitrack recorder in a terraced house in Stockport, this is as DIY as it gets. Glaringly obvious is a love for classic Factory and early 4AD. Perhaps it is the proximity to the River Mersey where the ideas arrived, and there being but three miles between where this and the Durutti Column’s classic “LC” was recorded, as the two operate across a familiar aural plain. Be it geographic or otherwise, limited by a true economy of means, namely guitar, pedals and drum machine, the fruit borne from these humble tools has been indelibly shaped by the perma-gloom that hangs low over the Manchester and Stockport environs.

Ushered in on 808 kicks, “I” opens the record as a beautiful Sketch for Stockport; a chiming maj7 chord dripping in chorus and delay sets us on our way. The Vini Reilly comparisons are unavoidable. “II” is all John McGeoch, with its trippy goth-psyche arpeggiated pattern cascading across the stereo image. Do those drums swing? But goths don’t swing?! They do here. We’re treated to a bit of crunch on the lead guitar part and some really lush reverb. We even step forth into shoegaze territory, albeit briefly, for the middle eight. “III”, a firm Be With favourite, continues the dreamy psyche leanings of the previous track, with an even bigger melody this time. We’re hearing The Teardrop Explodes on quaaludes here. A proto-dream pop cut soaked in melancholy. But watch out! The coda finds Johnny Marr has gotten into the ‘ludes and gatecrashed the final bars with some incredibly ignorant B minor pentatonic noodling.

“IV” ditches the drum machine for the first in a suite of three beatless electric guitar duets. The first of these semi-improvised rubato ideas is a striking departure from the earlier playful pieces, coming over emo and moody. Greyscale sulking for Stratocaster. Sign us up. “V” contains some really lyrical phrasing; a gorgeous conversation between two guitars. Real Stopfordian Primitive; meditative, crude, rain-soaked. We cycle through the same feels, then end on an alluring chord that breaks the pattern. Sometimes thoughts are like this. “VI” creeps in all plaintive, then a huge reverberating descending guitar line comes tumbling in like something off those classic Dif Juz 12”s. There’s some Maurice Deebank in there too, for sure, and the coda nods to early Meat Puppets.

“VII” rounds out the A Side, and succinctly presents a summary of all ideas explored thus far on our journey. The drum machine is back, this time with some wispy delay, before both guitars enter together playing interlocking lines. As we start, we end, with the delayed 808 guiding us out.

Opening Side B, “VIII” sees us embark on the other side of our journey as we slow down and space out. The drum machine is here, but the guitars are different now. Think Sensations Fix or Göttsching at his most peeled out. Drones, ambient drifts of broken chords and distorted lead lines all swirl round the mix. Side B is one for headphones for sure. “IX” is almost too exquisite for words. A New Age Mixolydian voyage through the cosmos. If you’re unmoved by the end you’ve probably got no pulse. We were left blunted ineffable by this one, such is the smudged elegance radiating from this idea. All hail the Thought Leader.

“X” is a full circle moment, and a fitting end. If you’ve not already elsewhere across the platter, you will be getting heavy Robin Guthrie vibes from this piece. Like the rest of Side B, this improvised jam sticks within a framework of related chords but the celestial energies channelled might invite us to wander “outside”, especially when the Tubescreamer is engaged.

RIYL Durutti Coulmn, Cocteau Twins, Dif Juz, Sensations Fix, Spike and adjacent guitar musicks – but, ultimately, this is just its own thing; such is the strength of ideas presented. "It’s good music to chill out to." (??)

Be With is honoured to present the first ever vinyl release of III Of Pentacles, carefully remastered by Be With's engineer Simon Francisco to ensure it sounds better than ever after its initial tape release. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry, in Holland. The original tape cover artwork, so crucial to Thought Leadership's striking visual aesthetic, has been rejigged for vinyl issue here at Be With. Its stark presentation befits the music contained within. They inform us that they shuffled their tarot deck to ask what the album should be called and the card you see on the cover popped out. The III Of Pentacles tarot card represents teamwork, shared vision and the ability to achieve goals through collaboration. We like to think Thought Leadership and Be With have nailed this one.

Danish drummer Daniel Sommer completes his internationally acclaimed Nordic Trilogy (featured in Stereogum, Downbeat Magazine, Bandcamp"s Best of Jazz and more...) with the release of Lost Threads on March 21st, 2025, via April Records. Following As Time Passes and Sounds & Sequences, the highly anticipated third chapter features Finnish pianist Artturi Rönkä and Swedish bassist Thommy Andersson. Together, the trio embarks on a deeply introspective exploration of time, space, and their shared Nordic spirit of improvisation. Described by Sommer as "a process-oriented project prioritizing musical risk and flow," the Nordic Trilogy has sought to illuminate Nordic approaches to composition and improvisation across generational and stylistic divides. With Lost Threads, this vision culminates in a collection of music that embraces vulnerability, spontaneity, and togetherness. "Most of the music emerged as Daniel and I improvised in my living room in Helsinki," Rönkä recalls. "Later, when Thommy joined us for a couple of concerts and recording sessions... his highly personal way of playing the bass inspired Daniel and me to try to develop the music in further, unexpected directions." The result is a dynamic and emotionally resonant album, recorded live in a Helsinki studio with all three musicians in the same room, without headphones or edits whatsoever. The title track and Den ensommes dans pulse with energetic groove and rhythm, while pieces like Meditation, Silent Steps, and Forgotten Song float with a haunting, rubato lyricism. With influences ranging from Nordic folk, Western Classical music and the jazz tradition, Lost Threads continues the trilogy"s history of blurring the boundaries between composition and improvisation. The trio"s collective sound-anchored by Rönkä"s nuanced piano, Andersson"s deeply personal bass tones, and Sommer"s textural drumming-creates a sonic landscape both timeless and contemporary. As the trilogy closes, Lost Threads invites listeners into a contemplative space where silence and sound intertwine, offering a balm for the modern world"s relentless pace. True to the spirit of the Nordic Trilogy, it stands as both a conclusion and a testament to the boundless possibilities of collective improvisation.

After a 30-year interstellar silence, the enigmatic producer Alien Signal—pioneering alias of Italian electronic composer Alex Silvi—reemerges with Whispers from Distant Suns, a transcendent odyssey that bridges retro-futurism and modern electronica. Hailed as a magnum opus, this album transcends genre boundaries, captivating ambient purists, downtempo aficionados, and even experimental listeners with its hypnotic fusion of analog warmth and digital precision.

Cosmic Tapestry of Sound
Drawing comparisons to Vangelis’ Antarctica and Alpha—but reimagined through a 21stcentury lens—Whispers from Distant Suns marries nostalgic synth textures with cuttingedge production. Silvi’s mastery of melody shines through in tracks like “Stardust
Memories” and “Fragile Eden” where shimmering arpeggios and celestial pads drift over robotic, glitch-infused drum patterns and sparse, meditative percussion. The result is a paradox: a retro-futuristic soundscape that feels simultaneously ancient and alien, familiar yet unexplored.

Listener Testimonials
Fans and critics have flooded forums with praise:

“An auditory revelation! It’s like Vangelis met Jon Hopkins in a nebula—vintage soul with a futuristic heartbeat.”
“The textures are gorgeously cinematic. Closing your eyes, you’re adrift in a Tarkovsky film scored for the Andromeda galaxy.”

The Vinyl Experience
Pressed on heavyweight vinyl, the album’s physical release amplifies its immersive qualities. The gatefold sleeve, adorned with surrealist astrophotography and metallic
foiling, mirrors the music’s cosmic ethos. Side A leans into Balearic serenity, with sundappled grooves and aquatic synth ripples, while Side B delves into darker, more
experimental terrain—think Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works colliding with the organic rhythms of Jon Hopkins.

Maturity in Motion
This album is a testament to Silvi’s evolution. Tracks like “Seeds Of Light” and “Message from Andromeda Galaxy” showcase his refined ear for dynamics, balancing silence and sound with surgical precision. Vintage drum machines spar with glitches, while field recordings of crashing waves and interstellar static blur the line between Earth and cosmos. The closing track, “The Star Charts We Shared” crescendos into a 6-minute ambient requiem, leaving listeners suspended in a state of weightless awe.

Final Transmission
Whispers from Distant Suns is more than an album—it’s a transcendent odyssey. Spanning time, space, and the artist’s own creative evolution, this immersive work invites listeners to lose themselves in its ebb and flow. Designed for moments both intimate and expansive, its balearic-tinged atmospheres resonate equally through dawnlit Mediterranean terraces or the solitary glow of headphones in darkness. These are compositions that pulse, morph, and haunt the air long after the final note fades. A living soundscape meant to accompany life’s quiet revelations and clandestine joys—a soundtrack to your most personal moments, crafted as what the artist calls ‘private dance music.’

Tailored for the Discerning Listener
Whispers from Distant Suns is designed with the true connoisseur in mind. This album is a must-have for:

Vinyl Collectors & Audiophiles: Those who value the warmth and tactile experience of heavyweight, limited edition pressings
Electronic Ambient and Downtempo Fans: Listeners who appreciate immersive soundscapes that merge retro analog charm with modern digital innovation.
Retro-Futurism Enthusiasts: Fans of pioneering artists like Vangelis, Boards of Canada, and early Warp Records who seek music that bridges nostalgic synth textures with futuristic experimentation.
Experimental Music Explorers: Individuals drawn to sonic narratives that invite deep, contemplative listening—perfect for both introspective moments and immersive listening sessions.
This release is not just an album; it’s a curated experience for those who desire music as a multidimensional art form, merging the vintage allure of analog sound with a contemporary, cosmic vision.

For fans of: Vangelis, Biosphere, Jon Hopkins, early Warp Records.

SC returns with a full length LP showcasing his vast armoury of musical ability in a controlled, contemplative reflection of his inner self, laid bare in breaks-driven form for the enjoyment of Spatial fans new and old - continuing the ongoing celebration and evolution of classic atmospheric drum & bass.

A1 - Fear of the Deep

Curious, high twinkling bells cautiously introduce Fear of the Deep, reminiscent of classic sci-fi movies building atmosphere and intrigue, before the hi-hat heavy, snappy break previously used in Spatial classic Essence (also by ASC) makes a welcome return. The 2-step - occasionally broken - beat pattern drives the track along with a darkly, investigative energy, while a typically deep bassline rumbles beneath, setting the scene perfectly.

A2 - Concentric Circles

A change of pace for ASC here with Concentric Circles, exploring a jazzier spectrum of influences not often broached in his production adventures, with broken scattershot beats toying and playing around a wealth of reverberating brass samples to create a minimal yet quietly imposing undertone. Double bass props up the composition wonderfully, completing an exquisitely quirky entry to the LP.

B1 - Say It

Opening with rousing strings and quietly ominous effects, ASC utilises a unique fusion of melancholic atmospherics, jazzy basslines and a classic old-school breakbeat to form Say It. Dense, purposeful kicks stomp across the mix as the strings and synthwork wash in the foreground, developing a sombre, contemplative tone to the track throughout, before a wonderful outro ending with those delightful strings.

B2 - Virtual World

Filtered Hot Pants breaks gently ease their way to the forefront of a beautifully constructed intro to Virtual World, trademark crispness and intricacy etched onto the beats effortlessly, as we've come to expect from ASC. Delicately nuanced vocal samples combine with an intense concoction of synths and micro-melodies, dancing over the sharp breaks and a suitably earthy undertone bassline.

C1 - Eons

The classic, intense atmospherics continue with Eons, a spacey piece introduced by a memorable melody, tinged with purpose and allure. This melody continues through sci-fi computer FX reminiscent of early 720, and persistent backdrop synths as we are treated to a gentle flurry of perfectly edited amens leaping and falling over subtle, juddering basslines creating that elusive blend of both headphone and dancefloor appeal.

C2 - Timeslides

ASC flexes the timeless Hot Pants break again - crisply edited with a sharpness in the mix which is simply to die for - in Timeslides, a track which continues the brooding, introspective tone of the LP. Utilising a varied array of samples and effects which will transport you straight back to that unmistakable era of 90's atmospheric heaven with several nods to forefathers of this wonderful sound - just how we like it at Spatial.

D1 - Lightspeed

Take a moment to appreciate the bells tolling, glimmering and colliding during an enchanting intro, freely crafting layered melodies without a care as ASC presents us with an immensely memorable piece in Lightspeed. Long, elongated vocals drift and swirl through the airy soundscape, all punctuated by finely tuned and arranged Circles breaks, energetically deployed for the discerning breakbeat aficionado.

D2 - Nightvision

Intensity is dialled up to 11 in Nightvision, a deeply atmospheric track which showcases a perfect, symbiotic combination of melancholy, drama and raw energy. The lively breaks take center stage over a heavy, consistent 808 bassline with enveloping masses of atmospherics circling, gripping your attention, joined by dreamy vocal samples deployed subtly in an ever-changing tone to close the LP in style.

Words by Chris Hayes (Spatial / Red Mist)

Five for Fighting achieved a hit record with "Superman (It's Not Easy)" in 2001 leading to his America Town album going Platinum.

For the follow-up, The Battle Of Everything, John Ondrasik went into the studio with Bill Bottrell, best known for his production work with Sheryl Crow.

On the influences behind Battle and its recording, Ondrasik said, "When I was a kid I could put on Dark Side of the Moon, turn up the sound in my headphones, lie down in the dark, and go away. I wanted that experience again, and so Bill and I were ambitious to the point of absurdity. If we wanted drama, we'd get a thirty-piece orchestra. If we wanted a rock edge, we went after it with reckless abandonment. It was like doing my own private Quadrophenia."

The Battle for Everything was released in 2004. The first single, "100 Years" was a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album itself was certified Platinum in 2009. and is now finally available on vinyl for the first time.

This is a limited edition of 500 individually numbered copies on gold coloured vinyl. The LP contains a 4-page booklet with lyrics and pictures.

All The Hits is the speedy follow up to Myriad Myriads’ debut album, Shardcore (released on Trilogy Tapes in September 2024). 200 vinyl pressed. Myriad Myriads was FKA Bass Clef. Wrong Speed Records have released two albums by Bass Clef (the 2020 limited vinyl reissue of 2011 cassette Inner Space Break Free and 2021 album Magnetic Chapters). Both organic and beautiful, both differing takes on electronic dancefloor - from 70's Germany, late 80's UK, and 90's Detroit. Myriad Myriads closed out the 2024 Wrong Speed Fest Weekender in the back room of a rowdy pub in Glastonbury (real Glastonbury, not Pilton). To watch up close and see the physicality was rapturous, to hear this music at volume positively transformative. All The Hits, recorded in Myriad Myriad's hometown of The Hague, Netherlands, is Carl Stone meets Sonz Of A Loop Da Loop Era. Carl Cox meets Harmonia. It's a headphone monster. Through a PA it will destroy. At home it's a living room shuffle, a synapse burster. It's a privilege for us to somehow be in the position to release records by Myriad Myriads / Bass Clef. We've known him for a long time. He's remixed a couple of Hey Colossus tunes. Check out the recent Patrick Cowley/Jorge Socarras covers 12" You Laugh At My Face on State 51 Conspiracy. His 22-minute-long reworking is a masterpiece. We love to be connected. We love Wrong Speed Records switching from Part Chimp to Myriad Myriads and on to Deep Cabaret via Jacken Elswyth. All come from the same place, if you feel it you know. This is our record collection

Ride guitarist and songwriter Andy Bell’s third solo album pinball wanderer is an otherworldly collection of intergalactic wizardry that mixes psychedelic melodies, Can-via-The Stone Roses grooves and Arthur Russell-style experimental textures. With guest appearances from Dot Allison and Neu! legend Michael Rother on a cover of The Passions’ peerless post-punk classic ‘I’m In Love With A German Film Star’, it is perfect for both deep-listening headphones moments and cutting across the coolest, most understated dancefloors. The loose-limbed rhythm tracks were the starting point and were laid down with the help of Andy’s old Oasis bandmate Gem Archer. The rest followed after an intense all-night session last summer, with the completed album being delivered the following morning. It’s Andy’s finest work to date; a quintessential nighttime record where you can slip through the gaps in the notes and revel in the moment.

The new recording of The Book of Sounds is an intimate exploration of the piano by pianist Carlos Cipa - a way of looking into the sound, of listening into the moment when Cipa's fingers press down on the piano keys. The Book of Sounds, composed between 1979 and 1982 by composer and pianist Hans Otte, is a musical pendulum movement of one hour in twelve 'pieces', as the composer himself describes them. Chords and melodies repeat themselves, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly; they follow each other in harmonic cadences and yet never dissolve - a timeless back and forth.
The Book of Sounds is the European-German answer to the concert music of American minimalism. But it is also the essence of many questions about society and the human condition at that time. Inspired by Zen Buddhism, Otte was convinced that a return to simplicity, to the unagitated - a piano, harmonic cadences, a middle register - frees the listener to focus on what is really important in art: the human being. Introspection begins with listening. Seldom have simple chords and melodies been so selectively staged. It is a process of endless reduction - no wild sound dramaturgies, no climaxes, hardly any beginning or end. The interpreting pianist simply prepares a tableaux of perception for the listener. Cipa naturally sets accents; he recorded the 12 pieces on three different pianos - a Steinway grand piano, a Yamaha piano, and a Yamaha CP-70, an early electric piano - to help shape the tonal characteristics.
Carlos Cipa hits the nerve of the times with this new recording. What music can be as art is still up for debate today. The Book of Sounds is not 'art-proof' and in this it is still a provocation today; absolutely unspectacular and practising relaxation. It is a wonderful invitation to feel, experience, and perhaps even find oneself in the confrontation with the work - and for a moment not to fuel the discourse. Cipa, who otherwise appears as a composer himself, here carries out Otte's intended gesture of withdrawal in a double sense and steps into the background as creator but also interpreter, in order to bequeath The Book of Sounds to the loudspeakers and headphones at home in one step forward.

DOVS are the duo of Vienna’s Johannes Auvinen, aka Tin Man, and Mexico City’s Gabo Barranco, aka AAAA. Psychic Geography is their second album together, but it differs considerably from both their respective solo work and their 2019 debut LP together, Silent Cities: Where that album’s hardware-based acid kept its gaze focused squarely on the dancefloor, Psychic Geography is a strictly ambient affair.

The album has its roots in a trio of beatless tracks that peppered Silent Cities; this time, the duo decided to try making an entire album with no drums. “It opened up the chance to make a different, more narrative style of music with more complex structures,” Auvinen says. Ambiguity and uncertainty are key watchwords for their music, which moves with eerie, liquid grace. Untethered from 4/4 kicks, their music drifts and morphs; familiar acid sequences give way to surprising shifts in tone and mood. And with no drums to distract the ear, the seeming simplicity of their silvery synth lines opens up to reveal remarkable depth and dynamism.

Barranco and Auvinen recorded the album together in the studio utilizing machines like the Roland TB-303, Juno G, Prophet 5, Elektron Octatrack MKII, Make Noise DPO and René, Mutable Clouds, Roland SH-101, Behringer TD3, and Sherman Filterbank. Listen on good speakers or headphones, and you can tell: Their gear yields a tonal richness that recalls the ambient and cosmic music of decades earlier. You can practically feel the heat from their circuits warming the air.

The meaning behind the name DOVS is as ambiguous as the duo’s music. (Dig, if you will, the picture of Picasso’s dove of peace—or, perhaps, the outline of a bird pressed into a small white pill.) But Psychic Geography needs little explanation. DOVS’ album is a collection of mental maps of imaginary places. Set your coordinates for the mirage on the horizon and prepare to dissolve.