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What is there to say about this album that hasn’t been said before? Multiple words could be used to describe this album: Timeless. Essential. Masterpiece. Definitive. Sickening. Yes, even sickening falls into this category, because believe it or not, back in 1996 when Cryptopsy released “None So Vile,” it was unlike anything else at the time. From the first drum hits and guitar riffs of “Crown Of Horns,” it would have been obvious, and still is to this day, that Cryptopsy improved on themselves since “Blasphemy Made Flesh.” But then you combine some of the most technical and speedy Death Metal to date with the sickening screams, snarls, growls, and grunts of vocalist Lord Worm, and I’m sure that 1996 was the year Death Metal changed forever. “None So Vile” is a testament to the Death Metal formula, and the odd thing is is that not many have tried to emulate it. I don’t know why. Maybe it might be because of how difficult it would be to emulate an album of this calibur. Cryptopsy is a massive influence upon Death Metal. Many factors contribute to the influence Cryptopsy struck upon Death Metal. One of them is absurdly seen from Flo Mounier’s maniacal drumming. As far as I’m concerned, two words can sum up this man: Speed Demon. But just because he’s speedy doesn’t mean he loses any shed of technicality. But Flo is not alone in making Cryptopsy. With the duo of Jon Levasseur and Eric Langlois on guitar and bass respectively, Cryptopsy was noted for their technical music playing. Just look at songs like “Slit Your Guts,” “Graves Of The Fathers,” and “Phobophile” to see how this duo completely tore apart everything that may have been considered a standard for Death Metal at that time. These two remade the standard by bringing shredding guitar and audible, crushing, and technical bass playing into the mix. The playing by these two is a testament to technical playing. But what truly makes Cryptopsy, and many would agree, is Lord Worm. This man is down right beastly. No true word in the English vernacular could describe what this man brings to Cryptopsy and what he did for Death Metal on “None So Vile.” At this point in time, I don’t think anyone could have anticipated vocals like this. He is downright in-fucking-human. His screams are vicious, his gutteral growls are putrid, and the longevity at which he can perform and hold these vocals is insane. But not only did Lord Worm bring a sickening unnatural vocal style, he brings

An iconic landmark album within Death Metal. “Testinomy of the Ancients” gets the well-deserved reissue! Two years after releasing one of the best death metal albums ever to surface from The Netherlands, Pestilence hit jackpot again with their 1991 album “Testimony Of The Ancients”. The biggest differences with their previous effort “Consuming Impulse” are simple: The production is more clean, short intermezzos between all the songs, the average pace is lower and Patrick Mameli has taken over lead vocals. Pestilence has had a well-deserved place in the first wave death metal elite, mentioned in one breath with the likes of Death, Sepultura, Cynic, Atheist and the likes. Rightly so, because their progression up untill this album is comparable to, say, Carcass. With every album they developed their sound so no release sounds alike but still stays Pestilence undeniably. Their previous album “Consuming Impulse” was unprecedented in brutality and morbidness. ‘Testimony of the Ancients” is less relentless, but it makes up for that with an onimous dose of morbid melodies, great lyrics and an all out Lovecraftian atmosphere. The highlight of this album is definately the guitars. Patrick Mameli and Patrick Uterwijk are a great tandem, combining melodic (twin) soloing with screeches and crashes of tremolo filled chaos. Take for example the song “Land Of Tears”. The guitar solo starts out very emotional, almost ballad like and then switches into high gear, so that all listeners who were dreaming away immediately abbandon all hope for solution of the saddening first guitar part. Noteworthy also are the supportive keyboard samples, never obnoxious, always morbid. Other album highlights are the title track (with truly frightening and insane lyrics), ‘Twisted Truth’ with its catchy dynamics, ‘Profetic Revelations’ (excellent chorus) and basically the whole album is perfect. Special attention to the final track (the album sticks together with samples, which are all great by the way) ‘Stigmatized’. This is death metal perfection, combining Slayer, Death and even Iron Maiden to create a masterpiece of metal.

ke and Tina Turner formed a duo in 1960 and were soon seen as “one of the most potent live acts on the R&B circuit. The duo released their sixth studio album River Deep - Mountain High in 1966, which was produced by the legendary Phil Spector with his “Wall Of Sound”. They recorded the album with session musicians Jack Nitzsche, Leon Russell, Jim Horn, Glen Campbell, Darlene Love and Clydie “Brown Sugar” King.

The opening title track became a major hit and is still seen as one of the songs that shaped rock and roll. It is also the track that was arguably the high point of Spector’s “Wall Of Sound” production style. The 12-track set included three more successful tracks: “A Fool In Love”, “I Idolize You” and “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine”.

XXV, the thirteenth studio album from Robbie Williams, consists of all the classic hits newly orchestrated by Jules Buckley, Guy Chambers and Steve Sidwell, and re-recorded with the acclaimed Metropole Orkest. Also, included on XXV is “Lost” a new original composition & single.

Austin native indie rock band Why Bonnie will release their debut album 90 In November on Keeled Scales on August 19th, 2022. 90 in November, the first full-length LP from Texas quintet Why Bonnie, crashes into existence with a squeal of feedback and a burst of distorted guitar. It’s a dynamic introduction to a more raw-edged indie sound from a band who have matured from bedroom dream pop into a sophisticated rock act, their evolving sound a reflection of the journey undertaken by songwriter Blair Howerton on this vividly rendered collection of songs. The songs for 90 in November were mostly written in Brooklyn, New York, where Howerton moved from Austin in 2019. Already in the midst of a major life change, Howerton’s feeling of being between worlds was compounded when quarantine hit and she found herself, like so many others, stuck in her apartment—about as far away from the wide-open spaces of Texas as one can possibly get. It was in this environment that she began to write songs parsing out the complicated, mixed emotions associated with building a new home while attempting to make sense of the one she had left behind

Austin native indie rock band Why Bonnie will release their debut album 90 In November on Keeled Scales on August 19th, 2022. 90 in November, the first full-length LP from Texas quintet Why Bonnie, crashes into existence with a squeal of feedback and a burst of distorted guitar. It’s a dynamic introduction to a more raw-edged indie sound from a band who have matured from bedroom dream pop into a sophisticated rock act, their evolving sound a reflection of the journey undertaken by songwriter Blair Howerton on this vividly rendered collection of songs. The songs for 90 in November were mostly written in Brooklyn, New York, where Howerton moved from Austin in 2019. Already in the midst of a major life change, Howerton’s feeling of being between worlds was compounded when quarantine hit and she found herself, like so many others, stuck in her apartment—about as far away from the wide-open spaces of Texas as one can possibly get. It was in this environment that she began to write songs parsing out the complicated, mixed emotions associated with building a new home while attempting to make sense of the one she had left behind

März erscheint endlich blink-182’s „Greatest Hits“, eine Sammlung von Songs aus rund 30 Jahren Bandgeschichte.

Darunter Songs aus den Alben „Cheshire Cat“, „Dude Ranch“, „Enema of the State“, „The Mark“, „Tom and Travis Show“, „Take Off Your Pants And Jacket“, „blink-182“ und viele mehr. „Greatest Hits“ enthält außerdem zwei Bonustracks: „Not Now” (eine Auskopplung aus dem selbstbetitelten Album von 2003) und „Another Girl Another Planet”, welches als Titelmelodie für die MTV Realityshow Meet the Barkers mit Blink Schlagzeuger Travis Barker diente. Das Album erscheint als 2LP.

Limited edition & Vinyl Only


Here it is, coming from a long way, md001 hits the shelves.

A side is Swanse, a modern/classic funky groovy bomb. Played and requested on the

dance-floors of half of the globe, this track has been waiting to be released for a looong

time. Too long… But as they say, good things happen to those who wait… And now the

wait is over.

B side is The Sound of Rapping – a rolling and relentless track, an old school half way

between classic hip hop and funky jacking house.

Instant Classic xxx

*The very first of it’s kind, My First Book of Drum & Bass is an alphabetical adventure for little ravers and misbehavers! This 32-page illustrated hardback takes readers on an educational journey across airwaves and rumbling dance floors, introducing them to some of the most celebrated artists and icons of the Drum & Bass world along the way. The book features artists such as Andy C, Pendulum, DJ Zinc, Goldie, Calibre, Jenna G, Shy FX, Harriet Jaxxon, and many more. Following the classic ABC format, this hillarious and educational book has had support from many of the biggest artists in the D&B community and has been a huge hit with children and grown ups with a sense of humour alike. It appeals to all ages and to anyone with a love of all things Drum & Bass. The book comes with a variety of free downloads including an Audiobook recorded by award winning MC Harry Shotta.

FEATURES
Andy C, MC Bassman, Brockie, Calibre, Dillinja, MC Eksman, MC Det, MC GQ, Flava D, Goldie, Harriet Jaxxon, Icicle, Jenna G, Kasra, London Elektricity, DJ Marky, Nicky Blackmarket, Optical, Pendulum, The Qemists, Riya, Shy FX, Tali, The upbeats, Voltage, Wilkinson, XOYO, DJ Zinc

Berlin’s Pure Hate drop their 5th release ‘Chrome Horse Diplomat EP’ by Mickey Nox. Having previously remixed MDD on PH003, this time he takes both sides of the record and delivers 4 heavy hitting original signature hammer tracks. Mickey spawned out of the cracks of the Melbourne club scene in 2007. Which led to several residencies & festivals around Australia. In 2013 he launched his label & brand ‘Green Fetish Records’ which has since gone from strength to strength cementing its position in the Techno scene worldwide. Outside of Australia & GFR he has played clubs such as Tresor, Moog, Basis, Jaded to name a few and has released music on labels such as Perc Trax, Mind Cut Music & South London Analog Material, having been remixed by the likes of Ansome, Ayarcana, Myler & Manni Dee along the way. Mastering by Joe Farr. Artwork by Slave To Society.

The sixth release on Italian imprint Tempo Dischi comes from Alessandro Bernabeo, aka Raduan, the Italian DJ and producer behind 'Taki-Naki-Naki', one of the most eclectic and unconventional electronic records made in Italy in the late 1980s.

"At the age of 7, I started attending a music school learning to play the piano. At 11 I began working as a speaker in various radio stations, and at 14, I joined Punto Radio where I grew up professionally and launched my own radio show, PLAY MUSIC, under the name Alessandro Giordani. The success was impressive, and thanks to my friend Gianfranco di Lizio, I also started my DJ career by playing in some of the best dance clubs under the artist name Raduan or Rad-one. Mixing funk, soul, afro and cosmic disco in my music gave me a chance to meet and establish relationships with many of the protagonists of this new musical scene, like l’Ebreo, Fari, Maselli, Claudio Mozart Rispoli, Pery, Rubens. In 1988 I was a resident DJ in a well-known club at the time, the 'RIO CLUB', and together with my keyboardist and percussionist, I had the idea to produce a maxi single. The song was recorded in about 40 hours without sleep at the Cicero Bros studio in Cassino in April 1988, with the support of Lino Rufo, a great artist from Molise, as well as his dear friend and old producer Toni Ochiello. The initial project was completely reworked. The original sampled drums were coupled with an acoustic one, and new melodies and fantastic spacey new sounds and effects were created by keyboardist Bengha. The hypnotic and repetitive voice of Cristina, Claudio Baglioni's background vocalist at the time, and that of Jamaica, originally from Mauritius, made the project even more interesting. 'Taki Naki Naki' is an Italo song, with Cosmic disco and Afro influences, and it's the title track of the EP originally released in June 1988 on Bmg Ariola, ex RCA. The EP includes two other songs 'Nightflight' and 'Hiroshima'. The record was a big hit in all the Italian Disco clubs and launched me into the international dance music scene. It was a fantastic time, with different styles of music and House Music was also on the way. There was a lot of research spirit and the people of the club were ready for various types of change. This record has left a mark, international DJs and shops from all over the world still contact me to ask if I have a vinyl copy left in my archive."

Featuring underground hits including How About Some Hardcore, and M.O.P., whose Ante Up was a worldwide hit.Real hip-hop with raps by Lil' Fame and Billy Danze matched with rockin' sampled beats by KAZAHAYA.

Last Temptation with their 2nd album "Fuel For My Soul". Founded by guitarist Peter Scheithauer (Killing Machine, Belladonna, Temple of Brutality) and singer Butcho Vukovic (Watcha, Showtime), with bassist Julien Rimaire (Los Dissidentes Del Sucio Motel) and drummer Vince Brisach (Mitch Ryder), the band has a whole new rhythm section that supports them. Fuel for my Soul has a completely different production style than the band's debut album. The band had over 40 demos before finally narrowing them down to 11 hard-hitting tracks, all the rhythm tracks, bass, drums, and guitars were recorded live, and the songs are far more versatile than the previous release. While Last Temptation still maintain their Ozzy/Black Sabbath influences, they add a grungy twist, along with big choruses that add an 80s vibe. A big step forward for Last Temptation.

Black Truffle is thrilled to announce Drumming Up Trouble, the first release of previously unissued music by Alvin Curran on the label. Collecting works recorded between 2018-2021 and a side-long epic dating back to the early 80s, as the title suggests, Drumming Up Trouble focuses on a hitherto almost unknown aspect of Curran’s encyclopaedic and omnivorous musical world: his experiments with sampled and synthesised percussion. As Curran’s wonderful, wildly sweeping liner notes make clear, his fascination with drumming belongs to the radical investigation of music’s fundamental elements that has marked his output since the beginnings of MEV, who aimed (as he says in a recent interview) to return ‘in some collective way to a non-existent start time in the history of human music’. Whatever kind of music our proto-human ancestors played, he writes, ‘drums were front and centre in the mix. Drums rule!’

In a paradox typical of Curran’s approach, Drumming Up Trouble interrogates this most ancient dimension of music with contemporary technology. On the first side, we hear recent pieces performed using the sampling software and full-size MIDI keyboard setup Curran has refined since the 1980s. Two of them are wild real-time improvisations, primarily utilising an enormous bank of hip-hop samples. Building from polyrhythmic layers of drum machine fragments to wild cacophonies of clashing vocal samples, scratching, and frantic pitch shifting, these energetic and at times hilarious pieces occupy a space somewhere between John Oswald’s Plunderphonics, Pat Thomas and Matt Wand in the Tony Oxley Quartet, and the propulsive Kudoro/Grime fusion of Lisbon’s Príncipe label. They are improvisations are accompanied by two austere, minimal compositions realised in collaboration with Angelo Maria Fallo: ‘End Zone’ for orchestral bass drum and high oscillator, and ‘Rollings’, where a snare roll is gradually stretched and filtered by digital means into ‘floating electronic gossamer’.

The incredible breadth of Curran’s output makes it pretty unlikely that a listener familiar with his work would be surprised to find it branching out in a new direction. But no degree of familiarity with his work can really prepare for side B’s epic and bizarre ‘Field it More’. It’s perhaps best to let the maestro describe this unhinged and infectious offering in his own words: ‘It features an 8 bar funky minimal riff à la James Brown, played on synth and an-out-of-tune piano, synced to a pre-paid patch on the Roland drum machine. Over this is laid a heavily processed track of the voices of dancer Yoshiko Chuma and movie-maker Jacob Burckhardt discussing an upcoming performance of theirs at the Venice film festival, capped by a track of my playing an increasingly out of control blues over the top of all of the above’. Only Pekka Airaksinen’s Buddhas of the Golden Light comes to mind as a reference point that might even vaguely compare to this wild home-brew of drum-machine funk, mad improvisation and squelching electronics, which eventually dissolved into a massive, layered cluster. Ancient and modern, synthetic and human, hysterical and rigorous, Drumming up Trouble is 100% Curran.

Following the »Minna Miteru« compilation, released in 2020, Morr Music announces a sequel, dedicated to Japanese indie music, overflowing with surprises and welcome discoveries. Like its predecessor, »Minna Miteru 2« is compiled by Saya of Tenniscoats, with the support of Markus Acher (The Notwist). It’s also another part of the Minna Miteru universe, alongside retrospective albums by The Andersens (»There Is A Sound«, 2020) and yumbo (»The Fruit Of Errata«, 2021). Taken together, these albums suggest a scene in rude health, sharing a unique vibration.

If its predecessor circled around Tenniscoats and their close friends, the second volume, though featuring a collaboration between Tenniscoats and Deerhoof as oneone, reaches far further afield, drawing from music old and new, far and wide. Consistent across »Minna Miteru 2« is a sense of wonder and a cheerful unpredictability: you never quite know what you’ll hear next. There are some gorgeous indie pop songs here, like Yuko Kono’s »Ginger« or HOSE’s »Baseball«, but there are other sounds too, like Kariu Kenji’s blue-hued electro-pop, or the wheezing pipe-organ ambient of FUJI||||||||||TA: »Minna Miteru 2« hints at new kinds of beauty.

Some of the more widely known names here contribute typically gorgeous melodies – Kama Aina’s »Wedding Song«, from 2005’s »Hawaii Hawaii« CD, is a reflective tune that combines a country-ish lilt with hints of slack-key guitar. Shugo Tokumaru’s »5 A.M.« is a delirious psychedelic pop mantra, drawn from his excellent 2005 album, »L.S.T.«. Many of the revelations, though, come from artists and groups relatively unknown outside Japan. The lovely, disorienting glitch-folk of Wasurerogusa features Aki Tsuyuko, perhaps best known for her albums on Thrill Jockey and Jim O’Rourke’s Moikai label, collaborating with psych-folk legends Eddie Marcon.

There’s also the delightful synth-pop of Jonathan Conditioner; the electronic dreamscape of Chaplin, whose opening »Out Cont« runs along several parallel paths at once; the twinkling, acoustic jangle at the heart of mmm’s luscious »Blue«; and a curious collection of miniatures, from acts like tenshinkun, Daisuke Tanabe and NNMIE, that embrace a childlike curiosity, essaying a kind of toytown pop-tronica.

The twenty-six songs on »Minna Miteru 2« repeatedly catch you unawares, upending your expectations and signaling both the breadth and depth of the Japanese indie underground. It’s a compilation of play and pleasure, but also of bold experiment smuggled into the everyday through pop music’s welcoming moods, magically creating a new world for the listener, spun out of the air and woven in between your ears.

Deluxe 180gram vinyl edition comes in a foil-embossed and die-cut cardstock jacket with printed inner sleeve and additional 12x12 art cards featuring the collages of Maciek Szczerbowski. All the art interacts with the die-cut jacket framing. Edition of 300. Rooted in a distinct and immediately identifiable sound_with the cello of Rebecca Foon (Saltland, Set Fire To Flames, Thee Silver Mt Zion) and the marimba of ex-Godspeed You! Black Emperor percussionist Bruce Cawdron at its core_Esmerine has long embroidered emotive chamber works using threads of post-classical, post-rock, Minimalism, neo-Baroque, jazz, pop and a wide array of folk traditions. Multi-instrumentalist Brian Sanderson, who joined the group in 2012, has furthered Esmerine's melodic and ethnomusicological sensibility ever since, expanding the ensemble's palette as its third core member with guitars, ngoni, ekonting, hulusi, brass horns of all sorts, and more. Since 2003, six stately and filmic instrumental albums have inscribed compositional landscapes through epigrammatic miniatures, longform multi-movement chronicles, and all manner of evocative musical prosody between. Marked by an inimitably turbid yet tempered pastoralism, alternately lit by dappled dawn and disquieted dusk, Esmerine's musical narratives balance asceticism and romanticism, melancholy and hope, stillness and wanderlust. Esmerine now shares Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More, its seventh full-length album and first in five years. The band surprise-dropped the full album digitally on 06 May 2022, with the CD and Deluxe 180gram LP editions hitting stores on official release date 26 August 2022. Following an acclaimed run of mid-career records on Constellation through the 2010s_the last three of which have all been finalists or winners of Juno Awards for Instrumental Album of the Year and/or Album Packaging of the Year_Esmerine began working on new music at decade's end. Under the auspices of a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, and a summer 2019 residency at Le Château de Monthelon (an artist commune in France where the band has cherished long-standing spiritual, creative, and personal connections), compositional seeds were planted_and then pandemic rooted everyone in place. In between lockdown waves, at the respective rural Québec homesteads of Cawdron and Foon, longtime co-producer Jace Lasek (The Bernard Lakes) began capturing the band in various stripped-down configurations with spartan remote equipment. More fulsome arrangement and overdub sessions at Foon's converted barn during the summer of 2021 brought the album to full fruition_where a notable increase in the use of acoustic piano also poured forth, with just about every band member having a go. The record also signals the definitive integration of bassist Philippe Charbonneau_having joined Esmerine as a touring member pre-pandemic, he plays throughout the album on upright and electric bass, with turns on piano and synth, as well as sound design contributions via tape echo and other processing. Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More grapples with the existential tensions between atmosphere and airlessness, seclusion and claustrophobia, forbearance and coalescence. In many ways it is one of Esmerine's most restrained records. Only a few passages are driven by full percussion. There is palpably less Sturm and Drang or overt crescendos compared to its recent predecessors. The new album roils with a different sort of dynamic intensity, where instrumental densities ebb and flow within an overtonal centre, melding into each other with gauzy timbral warmth, sometimes tracing fleeting tendrils outwards, but always rotating around a saturnine gravitational force. Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More is like a dark forest lit by a closely-orbiting opalescent planet; it could be the alternate score to Von Trier's Melancholia or Cormac McCarthy's The Road.

Often duplicated, never imitated: the power of Lauer! Albeit being no stranger himself to musical influences from the outside, the producer from Frankfurt managed to carve out a sound that is very much his own. Indie-dance, Italo, power pop and house music in its traditional sense get mixed up in a blender of happiness.
Lauer’s latest achievement for Running Back and welcome return is a mini-LP called Cyclone Days. Aptly titled and ably executed, it’s everything you would expect or want from him. A world of merry music, where melody is king.

On top of that , you get value for your money: Vocal blockbusters like the upbeat Somebody (instrumental included) and the more restrained Friends (both with frequent collaborator Dena), sit comfortably between instrumental hits. Resonator and Neway take the role of the proverbial keys to happiness, while the title track or Exterminate balance it out with joyful melancholy.
Just imagine Righeira signing to Factory Records or Durutti Column on holidays in Rimini and you are halfway there. The days might be like a cyclone, but as long as there are records like this, the shelter isn’t blown.

(Remastered 2022)

Das Album „A Single Man“ von Elton John wird am 2. September wiederveröffentlicht.

Das Album war eines der am heißesten erwarteten Alben in der Karriere von Elton John und brachte zwei von Eltons beliebtesten Hits hervor, ”Part-Time Love” und den ergreifenden, fast instrumentalen
Song ”Song For Guy”. Es ist auch das Album auf dem Elton zum ersten Mal ohne den Produzenten Gus Dudgeon arbeitete und zum ersten Mal mit Bernie Taupin zusammenarbeitet.

Da Album wurde originalgetreu neu verpackt und ist jetzt auf 1LP als 2022 remastered Ausgabe erhältlich.

In 2021, Los Angeles trio Gabriels arrived in a whirlwind with the loose-limbed vintage soul jam of ‘Love & Hate In A Different Time’, a song that could have dropped in almost any era. A stone-cold classic, it introduced a band so much more than just the sum of their supremely talented parts.

For the first time, ‘Love & Hate In A Different Time’ is now getting a special 7 Inch release with a previously unreleased live version of ‘Spanish Harlem’ recorded at BBC Maida Vale studios for a Gilles Peterson 6 Music session.

Just a handful of live shows deep, the spotlight swings and lands squarely on vocalist Jacob Lusk. A man who demands attention with a presence and voice of a gospel choir. That rich vocal swoops and soars through the pitches effortlessly matched by an on-stage persona that’s intensely likeable.

A bonafide star by anybody’s reckoning. Two acclaimed EPs deep and yet barely out of second gear, Gabriels have moved beyond mere promise to become one of 2022’s most essential new acts.

Press / PR:

“One of the most spectacular voices you will hear this year... Set to be 2022’s word-of-mouth hit” - The Guardian

“A sound that’s unlike anything else out there” – The Times

SOLD OUT every headline live show in 2021 and 2022 so far in seconds. Gabriels will also support Celeste on her sold out UK tour in the spring of 2022.

Love And Hate In A Different Time was playlisted at 6Music Arielle Free’s TOTW on Radio 1, other supporters included Annie Mac, Nick Grimshaw and Adele Roberts

Syncs with Reebok and Gucci campaigns

Breaking Act - Sunday Times Culture feature

Included in The Guardian’s 2022 Tips

NME Radar feature & NME 100: Essential Emerging Artists For 2022

KCRW’s 2021 Breakthrough Artist

Ones To Watch – The 25 Artists to Watch

Madfish are extremely proud to present:

LAURA NYRO - AMERICAN DREAMER

An 8LP Deluxe Vinyl Box Set housing 7 of Laura’s breathtaking original albums - More Than A New Discovery, Eli And The Thirteenth Confession, New York Tendaberry, Christmas And The Beads Of Sweat, Gonna Take A Miracle, Smile & Nested, alongside an original LP of Rarities & Live Recordings.

During the singer/songwriter movement in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Laura Nyro was one of the most celebrated tunesmiths of her day. She penned soulful, literate songs that took the folky introspection of her peers and infused it with elements of soul, R&B, jazz, and gospel, giving them an emotional heat that set her apart. Nyro was a hugely respected recording artist, whose confident piano work and rich, expressive vocals made other sonic trailblazers such as Miles Davis and Alice Coltrane navigate towards her. She has influenced the greatest of songwriters - Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Elton John, Neil Young, Carole King, Kate Bush and Elvis Costello among them. That influence continues today being heard in the works of Alicia Keys, Tori Amos, Suzanne Vega, Jenny Lewis and more. Nyro’s wonderfully
expressive and poetic songs – of which many became major hits by other artists, most notably The 5th Dimension, Three Dog Night and Barbra Streisand – remain hallmarks of outstanding quality. ‘Eli’s Comin’, ‘Gibsom Street’, ‘Wedding Bell Blues’, ‘And When I Die’, ‘Stoned Soul Picnic’, ‘Map To The Treasure’, ‘Sweet Blindness’ and ‘Stoney End’ are magnificent examples. Nyro was 18 years old when
she signed her first recording contract and wrote the songs for which she is likely to be best remembered. By the time she was 22, she had become one of the most successful composers in American popular music. But at the age of just 24, she drew back from her creativity and fame, battered and drained by the sheer energy and nerve required to sustain her career. Fortunately for those of us who loved her music, that was not the end of the story. She returned briefly to the fray for three turbulent years in the mid-to-late 1970s, and then enjoyed a final decade of artistic achievement and public acclaim, before illness took her from us at the tragically early age of 49 in 1997. Nyro found her early fame challenging yet despite living under an unrelenting spotlight, she was able to create this series of utterly beautiful
and stunningly unique albums.

2020 sollte ein großes Jahr für die Mad Caddies werden. Das Santa Barbara, Kalifornien, Sextett hatte einen beeindruckenden Meilenstein erreicht: 25 Jahre Band. Hättest du vor einem Vierteljahrhundert irgendein Mitglied der Caddies gefragt, ob sie dachten, dass ihre alberne Highschool-Ska-Band ein silbernes Jubiläum feiern würde, hätten sie dich wahrscheinlich zwischen den Bong-Hits ausgelacht. Aber die Band schaffte es so weit, verkaufte eine halbe Million Alben und sammelte dabei Zehntausende von Straßenkilometern.

"After 11 pm, you stop hearing regular rock on the classic hits radio
station and start hearing more strange stuff, one-hit wonders from 1976,
or really minor singles from artists I thought I didn't like because I just
hadn't heard this one weird song before," says Bloomington, Indianabased singer-songwriter Damion - Rather than let those offbeat classics
fade into the twilight on his late-night drives, Damion returned home and
went straight to the Tascam cassette machine - Inspired by both the
sound and the bleary-eyed ambiguity, the result of that late-night
recording is the bronzy Special Interest, a record bathed in memory and
the antigravity of '70s AM radio
Once he had finished demoing songs at home, Damion brought the nine tracks
that would make up the album to his preferred studio, Russian Recording, and
worked with Ben Lumsdaine and Lewis Rogers to polish them up. Aesthetically,
Damion aimed to fit within the limits of the era that inspired the songs.
"Recording to cassette tape, you either have to play the part right or learn to love
the way it sounds wrong, so even in the studio we abided by those same
limitations," he says. Rather than limitations, the structures and styles of vintage
rock perfectly suit the album's lithe falsetto, eerily familiar melodies, and hazy
storytelling--the listener immersed in a soup of poetic fragments, Damion himself
always at a beguiling arm's length. On lead single and opener "Company Man",
resonant acoustic guitar and Super Ball bass provide a platform for Damion's
knowing ability to split the difference between confident swagger and laid-back
charm. The singer-songwriter pulls joy out of musical echos and lyrical wordplay,
in part coming from his love of classic songwriters and long history as a
performer. "I am mostly inspired by singer- songwriters like Carole King, Todd
Rundgren, etc.

Since his introduction in the 60’s, Roger Damawuzan has lit stages on fire, whether it be with The Rickers Orchestra or with The Melo-Togo Orchestra (taking home 2nd place for the first National Festival of Tologese Music). His first 7" vinyl Wait For Me is a holy grail for diggers all around the world. It was such a hit that Togolese music is and will forever be stamped by Roger Damawuzan. He was principal in introducing Gazo, Akpesse and Kamou rhythms to modern day soul music. Relentless and unstoppable, Roger Damawuzan is now making a comeback with a heavy funk 7 inch!

This release contains an unreleased single from the album Seda , which will be available on October 14th 2022. Such a force of nature, this album could have been only captured, if not mastered, by one studio. Such mission was accomplished by the legendary studio OTODI (Office Togolese of Disks) by utilizing solely analog equipment to translate and to breath all of Damawuzan’s soul into this album. Roger Damawuzan could have been supported by only one group. Led by Peter Solo, the members of the Vaudou Game and Lomé’s most talented musicians are at Damawuzan’s disposal for this new soul DJ friendly vinyl.

Mid-summer, 2021, Waleed quietly released his debut single 'Se Rompen'. The response was anything but, with the track immediately taking hold as a sleeper hit that summer, being played out by the likes of Four Tet, Floating Points, Daphni, DJ Boring, DJ Seinfeld, Tourist and more. With word already spreading, an inclusion in Ben UFO's winter Essential Mix solidified the desire for more from this surprising new producer.

Last month, Waleed announced his signing to City Slang (Caribou, Gold Panda) with a re-release of 'Se Rompen', offering the track on ultra-rare test pressings (50 / sold out already) for the first time.

Today, we announce the pre-order of a white label 12” with “Se Rompen” and his new single “SuenÞos”, limited to 300 units worldwide.

Born in Washington DC to Iraqi/Puerto Rican parents, Waleed works in coding by day. Built around ready-made for the dancefloor kick and chopped vocals, 'Se Rompen' is an ambitious debut that showcases his focus on sound design. Waleed’s meshing of cultures and references gives 'Se Rompen' a unique perspective on dance music. At once melancholic and high energy.

“A beautiful euphoric/melancholy fusion of cut-up vocals, soft electronics and two-step beats.” The Guardian

“Highly refreshing, 'Se Rompen' has a rare immediacy, a feeling that it has always been a part of your life." Clash

The experimental legends BASTARD NOISE and MERZBOW present their new collaborative album, RETRIBUTION BY ALL OTHER CREATURES. A lashing out against man-made institutions that perpetuate animal cruelty, every second of BASTARD NOISE's contribution to this collaboration is simply put - pitch-black, palpable fury. Elsewhere, the iconic MERZBOW's influence creeps in with a two part concept - the ZooNOsISE tracks, firing off MERZBOW's calling card - grainy, unsettling distortion that builds and builds, set against wretched technological wailing and alarming constants.

The record's intent is both a call to action, and a foreboding signal of end times. "Stand up against any form of animal abuse you witness at all cost," BASTARD NOISE mastermind Eric Wood writes in his liner notes. "Be part of positive, compassionate change and spit on the grave of the status quo." MERZBOW/Masami Akita's message is simple, but hits hard - "TIME IS RUNNING OUT. NOISE IS MUSIC"

Banoffee Pies Records, in its eighth year of operating, hit the 20th release milestone in their Original Series. Joining the roster, Cairo based producer Hassan Abou Alam steps up with a 4 track solo EP entitled "Fasla".

A decisive selection of attitude packed wormhole bass lines and dark basement jams.

The A side was produced in a special collaboration with local artist SHBL-LBSH who's vocal works feature across "Kesibt" + "Fasla". The B side delivers a series of sharp and cutting synth lines in "Mawkif" and breakneck low end rumbles in "Hanshoof".After a series of works on the likes of Naive, Not For Profit and Rhythm Section, Hassan fittingly joins the Berlin based, Bristol born label with more boundless sounds that slice through the fabric of styles that BPR have fostered since inception. Tailored club music fromone of Egypts new wave of producers.Hold your hats and check your Bassbins. BPR. X

1990 Monster LP Repressed !!
The debut, self-titled album from West London's Brand New Heavies, went onto launch a stunning career which made them one of the most successful soul groups of the 1990s. The Heavies were one of the first soul bands to utilise vintage equipment to reference the classic sounds of jazz and funk, a mantle that is today taken up by the likes of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Lee Fields, Charles Bradley and others. This is where that whole movement started.

The album includes the songs that helped the band to make their name, including 'Dream Come True', 'Stay This Way' and 'BNH' which was sampled by Arrested Development on their international hit 'Tennessee'.

With a smooth-as-butter flow, an entrancingly deep vocal tone, and an exceptional ear for production, Big Cheeko is one of the most exciting emcees to emerge from Atlanta in recent memory.

After several outstanding mixtapes and a number of high-profile collaborations, the talented artist is now unveiling his commercial debut "Block Barry White". The album is a smoked-out masterpiece, capturing the full reach of Big Cheeko’s creative firepower, and is executive produced by hip-hop folk hero Mach-Hommy. Throughout the collection, Big Cheeko's powerfully authentic rhymes are accompanied by slow-burning, soul-influenced production and hard-hitting percussion, with all beats provided by Matic Lee, an acclaimed producer who has worked with the likes of Tech N9ne, Krizz Kaliko, Rittz, Jarren Benton, and more. Sure to blast out of trunks far and wide, "Block Barry White" features appearances by Mach-Hommy, Smoke DZA, Styles P, and Devin The Dude.

Highlights: Limey and the Yanks' A-side 'Love Can't Be A One Way Deal' is a garage song with a sound pitched somewhere between the Beau Brummels and the Beach Boys. 'Guaranteed Love', on the flipside, is an outstanding bluesy number with a stinging fuzz guitar, a concise harp solo and a rousing Bo Diddley-fied groove that has made its way to various compilations since the early 80s and now gets reissued for the first time on a 7" single. This release includes notes by Mike Stax (Ugly Things Magazine) Details: In California in the mid-sixties, with the British Invasion raging, having an authentic Englishman as the lead singer of your band was an ace in the hole that gave you an edge over the competition. Such was the case with Limey & the Yanks a quintet from Buena Park in Southern California's Orange County. Limey was young Steve Cook, and his Yanks by 1965 were guitarists Gregg DeLorto and Tim Gunne, bass player Bob Batman and drummer Wes Hunsinger. With his blonde Keith Relf-style hair, Steve was a striking front man who fortunately also possessed a decent voice, and with his father managing the group they were soon making waves throughout the area. A victory at a Battle of the Bands at the Hollywood Palladium put them on the map in Los Angeles, attracting the attention of producer Gary Paxton. By this time Wally Downing had joined on lead guitar, replacing Gregg DeLorto who had defected to the Spats. Paxton produced their debut single in late 1965, and it was released in January of the following year on his Starburst label. Paxton's business partner in Starburst was Lloyd Johnson, and the single's A-side was written by Lloyd's son Ken, who also recorded for Starburst with his group Ken & the Forth sic Dimension. Paxton had already produced a version of 'Love Can't Be A One Way Deal,' a couple of years earlier with the Rev-Lons, a girl group from Bakersfield, but the version by Limey & the Yanks took a completely different approach, turning it into a lovelorn garage number with a sound pitched somewhere between the Beau Brummels and the Beach Boys, with bright harmonies, mournful harmonica and a melodic twangy guitar solo. Swinging on a guitar hook based on Bobby Parker's 'Watch Your Step,' 'Guaranteed Love,' took a bluesier approach with a confident Limey vocal, stinging fuzz guitar, a concise harp solo and a rousing Bo Diddley-fied groove. The single was not a hit, but it added heft to the group's growing reputation. A second single, 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind,' was released in October, but it would be the group's last, although they did continue, through several lineup changes, into 1967. Limey's legacy lives on_

The garage -psychedelic French duo The Liminanas straddles since 2009 the boundary between psychedelic ,shoegaze,garage & French yé-yé up to cool vocals . Quintessentially French but first known at the start in the US before hitting homeland France. 7 studio albums so far, 2 rare tracks compilations, many Eps,some OST, collabs such as L’Epée with Anton Newcombe & Emmanuelle Seigner : time for a first time Best of, and actually more than a Best of : Double Cd , Ltd Triple Vinyl& Digital editions offer 12 exclusive bonus tracks -new songs + rare songs when they called themselves les Bellas, before The Liminanas-.
“Electrified” also includes 23 classics songs , with featurings such as Peter Hook, Anton Newcombe and French pionners Laurent Garnier, Etienne Daho & Pascal Comelade.
Features liner notes written by Iggy Pop, Peter Hook & Keith Streng (Fleshtones) : because it’s only rock’n’roll.

SUBVERTED's second double vinyl release "The Collective Impact" features ten non-binary, trans and female identifying artists, presenting their craft in the field of industrial techno. From ambient to raw and impactful beats, ethereal atmospheres and fast hard hitting sounds, listeners are invited to a hopeful journey and a fight for a more just society.

With their sophomore full-length "Gotta Light?", dark rock innovators CRONE are cruising in a high octane fuelled hotrod. Channelling their personal musical inspirations that range from ALICE IN CHAINS, via KILLING JOKE, NEW MODEL ARMY, and JOY DIVISION to PINK FLOYD among many others, the Germans leave their very own and personal mark on the genre that has been brought back to the forefront of interest by acts such as GHOST in recent years. While composer, guitarist, and singer Phil Jonas had felt tired, burned out, and empty, working on new songs for CRONE provided the spark that kindled the firestorm of fresh ideas and led to the creation of "Gotta Light?". The album title was inspired by the haunting eighth episode of David Lynch's masterpiece TV series "Twin Peaks". A corresponding element of the mysterious and surreal permeates all of the new songs that revolve around topics such as the hope of receiving signals from the afterlife ('Waiting for Ghosts'), shattered dreams ('Abyss Road'), and a guiding last will ('Gemini'). CRONE was conceived out of a musical collaboration between Phil "sG" Jonas and EMBEDDED drummer and guitarist Markus Renzenbrink. Both musicians wanted to explore musical horizons beyond the metal limits of their regular bands at the time. As a result the "Gehenna" EP was released in 2014 and sparked a first wave of interest. Critics labelled the first effort post-rock, post-punk, and even as shoegaze. The well-received debut full-length 'Godspeed' hit the streets in 2018 and its more focussed and consistent songs got often filed under "post-rock". With CRONE having been elevated to the main band of each protagonist, the band's renewed focus and urgency is clearly audible on "Gotta Light?". With Christian Schmidt a permanent keyboard player has been added to the line-up that now also features lead guitarist Kevin Olasz for added sparkle and sonic depth. From the ashes of SECRETS OF THE MOON a dark reborn phoenix is rising with CRONE and this bird of prey is ready to rock humanity's unstoppable descent into madness: "Gotta Light?"

With their sophomore full-length "Gotta Light?", dark rock innovators CRONE are cruising in a high octane fuelled hotrod. Channelling their personal musical inspirations that range from ALICE IN CHAINS, via KILLING JOKE, NEW MODEL ARMY, and JOY DIVISION to PINK FLOYD among many others, the Germans leave their very own and personal mark on the genre that has been brought back to the forefront of interest by acts such as GHOST in recent years. While composer, guitarist, and singer Phil Jonas had felt tired, burned out, and empty, working on new songs for CRONE provided the spark that kindled the firestorm of fresh ideas and led to the creation of "Gotta Light?". The album title was inspired by the haunting eighth episode of David Lynch's masterpiece TV series "Twin Peaks". A corresponding element of the mysterious and surreal permeates all of the new songs that revolve around topics such as the hope of receiving signals from the afterlife ('Waiting for Ghosts'), shattered dreams ('Abyss Road'), and a guiding last will ('Gemini'). CRONE was conceived out of a musical collaboration between Phil "sG" Jonas and EMBEDDED drummer and guitarist Markus Renzenbrink. Both musicians wanted to explore musical horizons beyond the metal limits of their regular bands at the time. As a result the "Gehenna" EP was released in 2014 and sparked a first wave of interest. Critics labelled the first effort post-rock, post-punk, and even as shoegaze. The well-received debut full-length 'Godspeed' hit the streets in 2018 and its more focussed and consistent songs got often filed under "post-rock". With CRONE having been elevated to the main band of each protagonist, the band's renewed focus and urgency is clearly audible on "Gotta Light?". With Christian Schmidt a permanent keyboard player has been added to the line-up that now also features lead guitarist Kevin Olasz for added sparkle and sonic depth. From the ashes of SECRETS OF THE MOON a dark reborn phoenix is rising with CRONE and this bird of prey is ready to rock humanity's unstoppable descent into madness: "Gotta Light?"

John Carpenter is a legend. As the director and composer behind dozens of classic movies, Carpenter has established a reputation as one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of modern cinema, as well as one of its most influential musicians. The minimal, synthesizer-driven themes to films like Halloween, Escape From New York, and Assault on Precinct 13 are as indelible as their images, and their timelessness was evident as Carpenter performed them live in a string of internationally sold-out concert dates in 2016. Anthology: Movie Themes 1974-1998 collects 13 classic themes from Carpenter's illustrious career together on one volume for the first time. Each theme has been newly recorded with the same collaborators that Carpenter worked with on his hit Lost Themes studio albums: his son, Cody Carpenter, and godson, Daniel Davies.

In the late 1950s, Tina Turner (née Anna Mae Bullock) caught a performance of Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm at St. Louis nightclub and practically begged Ike to let her sing with the band. Ike refused, as only men were allowed to sing in his group at the time, but she persisted, and once he heard Tina sing he wouldn’t let her stop. Since that fateful meeting, the world of R&B has never been the same. Ike & Tina Turner’s Kings of Rhythm Dance is their second long player, originally released in 1961, and it is full of stompers, rippers, and all around rocking R&B magic. Ike’s guitar tone and style are the perfect complement to Tina’s unmistakable voice. Now nearly impossible to find an original LP at a reasonable price, Destination Moon once again saves the party by putting another R&B classic back in print. Features the original hit version of “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine”.

Lee 'Scratch' Perry , der wohl größte jamaikanische
Produzent aller Zeiten, war in den sechziger und siebziger
Jahren maßgeblich an der Umgestaltung des nationalen
Sounds der Insel beteiligt und hat mit seiner einzigartigen
Herangehensweise an das Musikmachen die Musik über
die zuvor wahrgenommenen Grenzen hinausgetrieben.
Anlässlich des ersten Jahrestages seines Todes wird das
Beste aus seinem Schaffen in einer Reihe von Produkten
präsentiert, die alle deutlich machen, warum Perry so
lange eine weithin verehrte Persönlichkeit war.
Das Deluxe-Box-Set umfasst vier Vinyl-LPs und vier CDs
mit seinen bekanntesten und einflussreichsten
Aufnahmen, darunter ein bisher unveröffentlichter Mix von
Junior Murvin s kraftvollem "Police And Thieves", dem
britischen Chart-Hit "Hurt So Good" von Susan Cadogan
und dem Reggae-Klassiker "Return Of Django" von den
Upsetters sowie zahlreiche große jamaikanische Hits.
Das Set enthält ein 50-seitiges, vollständig illustriertes
Buch aus der Feder von Scratchs offiziellem Biographen
David Katz mit einer Reihe von Fotos des berühmten
Fotografen Adrian Boot sowie ein neu gestaltetes,
zweiseitiges Farbposter im Format 24" x 24".
Die 2LP und 2CD Formate konzentrieren sich auf die
bekanntesten Produktionen des legendären Musikers aus
den Sechzigern und Siebzigern, dargeboten von einigen
der Giganten der jamaikanischen Musik, mit ausführlichen
Texten zu dem Mann, dessen Talent und Fantasie den
Reggae zu neuen Höhen der Exzellenz führte

After the worldwide success of her debut album ‘Believer’, LAU’s long awaited sophomore album ‘Circumstance’ is finally here.



LAU (AKA Laura Fares), a prominent figure in the Synthwave and Retrowave scenes has finally gone solo after over a decade of writing Synthwave hits for other artists.



What is it like to fall in love in these crazy pandemic times? What about falling for someone miles away that we’ve never met? Is it real love or just a fantasy?



In this new album, LAU talks about the challenges, the uncertainty, the crazy circumstance she has found herself in, the ups and downs of “virtual romancing” in the distance, and falling in love with a complete stranger that she’s never met (yet). LAU explores the bittersweet feelings of happiness (to finally fall in love again), mixed with the anxiety and the uncertainty of longing for someone that we’ve only seen on a screen, added to the frustration of not being able to travel to meet them in person.



LAU recorded most of this album in her new home in Barcelona (Spain) throughout 2021 and finished recording the album in her hometown (Buenos Aires, Argentina), creating ten fantastic Synthpop / Retrowave tracks (and a couple of Disco-Pop songs) produced by international producers like Brian Skeel (USA), Zak Vortex (UK), Ends 84 (France), Saint Innocent (France), Popcorn Kid (India), Adam Siana (Sweden) and TAKTA (Norway).

Plying their own distinct breed of art-punk - taking
in fleet-footed guitar and drum motifs, bite-andbark vocals and popping electronics - Speedy
Wunderground’s The Lounge Society have made
quite the reputation for themselves in their short
time together.
 After releasing their debut EP, ‘Silk For The
Starving’, to universal acclaim in 2021 (“The
Lounge Society have the world at their feet” -
NME) the band toured extensively throughout the
UK performing sold-out, enthralling headline
shows across the country, before taking their first
steps onto European festival stages.
 This autumn, the Hebden Bridge outfit hit the road
again, playing the biggest shows of their career in
support of their very first long player, ‘Tired of
Liberty’, their highly anticipated debut album,
produced by Speedy Wunderground boss and
revered producer Dan Carey (Wet Leg, Kae
Tempest, Fontaines D.C.).
 Recorded over two weeks in November 2021,
‘Tired of Liberty’ is a stunningly ubiquitous
snapshot of instrumental meltdown, and timeless
adolescence. This is the sound of young England:
articulate, enraged and energised

Standout favorites of RidingEasy Records’ Brown Acid compilation series, White Lightning’s stellar discography of rare and under-appreciated heavy psych, proto-metal rock gets a vital revival for new generations to learn how swinging, swaggering and often blazingly fast rock’n’roll is done.White Lightning was formed in Minneapolis, MN in 1968 by guitarist Tom “Zippy” Caplan and bassist Woody Woodrich after leaving garage psych band The Litter (themselves popular standouts from the Nuggets and Pebbles series of garage rock rarities.) Originally a power trio, the band later expanded to a 5-piece in 1969 while shortening its name to Lightning. The quintet’s brilliant and rare 1970 self-titled album on Pickwick International’s P.I.P. imprint provides 6 of the 10 tracks on Thunderbolts of Fuzz.The original White Lightning trio only released one 45-rpm single “Of Paupers and Poets” during their existence (on local Hexagon label in 1968, later reissued by major label ATCO Records in 1969.) A long out-of-print posthumous album released in 1995 gathered unreleased recordings, 3 of which are found here. This rounds out this collection of recorded highlights from the band’s rocky history.
Taking their name from a particularly potent type of LSD, White Lightning laid out from the start that it was not cute and cuddly 70s rock. In fact, the band’s aggressive tempos are like punk rock way before punk. However, their dirty blues groove and musical prowess shows the band was more than unrefined ne’er-do-wells, they had true versatility.
Drummer/lead vocalist Mick Stanhope later relinquished his drum throne to take center stage as lead singer of the expanded lineup. Throughout its initial 1968-1974 run, the band had 10 different lineups, with Caplan, Woodrich and Stanhope the most consistent members — though the band points out that no one member has played in all 11 incarnations of the group. For more facts and information visit thelitter-lightning.
Album opener “Prelude to Opus IV” is a wailing rocker with blazing double-kick drum, sizzling melodic riffs and Jim Dandy howls jam packed into an epic 4 minutes that serves enough testament to the band’s greatness, nothing more need be heard or said. However, the would-be hits keep coming as the Led Zeppelin meets Black Oak Arkansas thwack of “Hideaway” and “Born Too Rich” come screaming out of the speakers. “When A Man Could Be Free” shows the band could also reign in the fury, at least a little bit, for a warm Southern rock style ballad. “Borrowed and Blue” echoes the stately poetry of Electric Ladyland-era Hendrix with a dash of The Who’s rollicking psychedelia. “1930” is, quite simply, insane. Searing twin guitars with incredible fuzz-drenched tone, a warm and buzzing bass line bounce atop drummer Bernie Pershey’s unrelenting bass drum triplets while Stanhope ravages his lungs with soulful abandon. The album closes with the aptly titled “Before My Time” a barnstorming boogie rock instrumental the proves the band vanished long before receiving their due.

With their ability to move seamlessly from the triangle to the donkey jaw, cymbals to Chinese gong, vibraphone to wind machine, percussionists are undoubtedly the most atypical members of the classical orchestra. Paul Changarnier, Nicolas Cousin and Alexandre Esperet are a case in point. Having set their sights on the marimba - Latin American xylophone, cousin of the African balafon - they decided to use it as the main vehicle for their artistic dreams. With the label No Format, they embarked on a project which would see them taking on pop hits of the kind that are produced in mega studios on the other side of the Atlantic and dazzle with a thousand lights and special effects. But they wanted to do it without leaving France or their beloved instruments. They wanted to make pop without machines, guitars, bass or synths. They ended up finding a hitherto unknown instrumental formula that belongs to them and them only, one conceived as the perfect fit for the voices from the well-known French artists that were called upon to interpret the songs. Camille, with her extraordinary energy, makes Rihanna"s "Don"t Stop the Music" waltz in a new organic mode; Blick Bassy redecorates Ariana Grande"s "One Last Time" in the colours of Bassa; Malik Djoudi envelopes Frank Ocean"s "Super Rich Kids" with a subtle ethereal texture; Camélia Jordana made her mark on this bonanza of reinvention by slowing down the tempo of "Dance Monkey"; The voice of Sandra Nkaké, imbued Lana del Rey"s "Video Games" with a solemn and sublime mystery. Like an old love that"s rediscovered with new eyes, an air that comes back from far away but could have been born today, somehow familiar but never seen before. Déjà vu but never heard until now. Déjà Vu: the name of this magnificent, unprecedented experience, this unidentifiable flying platter.