Spacey Jane haben ein großes Jahr vor sich. Mitten in einer Reihe von internationalen Konzerten (im April auch in Deutschland), von denen einige US-Shows bereits Monate im Voraus ausverkauft sind, bereiten sich die vier Musiker auf die Veröffentlichung ihres am im Juni erscheinenden zweiten Albums vor.
“Here Comes Everybody” war der Arbeitstitel von Wilcos bahnbrechendem Album “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” (eines der Lieblingsalben der Band). “Here Comes Everybody” wurde zu Beginn des ersten Lockdowns im Jahr 2020 zum Leben erweckt und enthält die bereits veröffentlichten Tracks "Lunchtime", der auf der aktuellen australischen Triple J Hottest 100 auf Platz 12 landete, und "Lots of Nothing", das den 3. Platz belegte.
First Word Records is extremely delighted to present 'Torn : Tonic' — the sophomore album from singer, performer, poet and producer, Allysha Joy.
Delivered unfiltered, straight from the soul, ´Torn : Tonic' pulls us into a 10 track journey that weaves through the multiplicity of letting go, standing tall, and creating space all at once. The album's expansive and vivid exploration of healing examines the power that comes with accepting the complexity of change. Allysha walks listeners through the remedy she finds in sound and emerges empowered to share this healing with others. Deeply moving and lyrically compelling, 'Torn : Tonic' hosts a stellar line-up of artists, creating a world of collective power, growth, and hope.
Allysha Joy is an integral member of the vibrant Melbourne soul & jazz scene, well known for both her solo work and as lead vocalist for 30/70. A uniquely-talented soul, her husky voice, and formidable Fender Rhodes prowess have garnered attentive audiences around the world.
Her 2018 debut album 'Acadie : Raw' was named 'Best Soul Album' at the Music Victoria Awards, featured in Bandcamp's 'Top Soul Albums' of the year and received a nomination for 'Best Jazz Album' at the Worldwide Awards. An incredibly prolific artist, Allysha has released on labels; Rhythm Section, Gondwana, Future Classic, Total Refreshment Centre and now another drop for First Word, after her acclaimed 2020 EP, 'Light It Again'.
Allysha's production on 'Torn : Tonic' effortlessly arches across a sonic palette, comprised of shuffling broken grooves and exquisite celestial melodies. There are healthy swathes of skippy neo-soul boom bap sensibilities, entwined with stark swing-laden electronic percussion, Detroit-esque sun-saturated synths, and Antipodean bruk backbeats. And whilst this project was produced entirely by Joy herself, she is far from alone, inviting in an array of female and non-binary artists to bless assorted tracks with their own unique gifts. Ego Ella May, BINA, Rara Zulu, Belle Bangard and Dancing Water all appear, expanding upon the formulaic roles of featured artists to share the creative space as equal collaborators.
'Torn : Tonic' exudes vibes, from the opening whiplash snare of 'Peace, to the rolling jazz-bruk of lead single 'Let It!', to the sweet soulful sonics of 'Still Dreaming', to the closing triumphant shout of "All Joy!!" on 'G.N.D.', this is a 40-minute opus that will definitely require repeat listening.
Allysha's poetic introspection reveals the album's intention to demand space, purpose, and pleasure. Her words are deliberate and direct to the alarm bells and messages her artistic vision carries. Fluid, cross-genre, and spirited with generational stories embodied, 'Torn : Tonic' sits at the intersection of a feminist manifesto of Joy's momentous leap as an artist, and her exploration of what it means to be human in today's capitalist-driven world.
In Allysha's words, 'Torn : Tonic' is exactly as the name describes. "It is looking directly into the shadow of pain and overcoming it with joy. No love songs! Just social, political, emotional anthems for change! It is the first record I have produced entirely on my own and it feels like that perseverance that I have consistently had to conjure up is embedded in this music, overcoming my own conditioning in a society and industry that constantly tells me I can't, so I must!"
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The Spy from Cairo (aka Moreno "Zeb" Visini) returns with his 5th studio album on Wonderwheel Recordings: "Animamundi" features some special collaborations from his travels & live shows from over the past few years. The album reflects the move from his home in NYC to his mother's home in a quiet village in Italy to take care of her in her older age. It's been a difficult transition with Italy's challenging experience with the pandemic, including some of the strictest measures enforced on the public. He recalls by stating "This album was conceived between 2020 and 2021 in Italy, between lockdowns, restrictions, and various pandemic mandates. Its message is of hope and positivity - a reminder that we are all spiritual beings… Free spiritual beings… and that freedom can't be broken."
"Animamundi" is a reconfirmation that The Spy from Cairo overcomes all obstacles & delivers a diverse progression of his iconic "Arabadub" sound, with the help of collaborators like Andalucian vocalist Carmen Estevez, Mexican vocalist Mambe Rodriguez on the heavy hitting "Criminal," Egyptian vocalist Adii Small on "Beautiful Baraka," and former touring band member, the multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Fatima Gozlan from Hungary. The music can vary from heavy deep electronic synths and live eastern instrumentation with Zeb playing oud, saz, chiftelli, bass, percussion, and other instruments, all along giving it his signature dub mixing style.
The songs take inspiration from a wide range of musical traditions and cultures, including Turkish (on "Cosmic Pasha," "Qanun in Dub" – using the qanun, an instrument popular across the Middle East, with a sound between the European harp and a dulcimer – and "Black Sea," which utilises a typical Dabke melody), Egyptian ("Mizmirized," sampling riffs from a mizmar), Indian ("Seeds of Culture), and Sufi ("Divination," a devotional composition), fusing these reference points with healthy doses of cumbia, funk, reggae, psychedelic, and dub. Thematically, "Animamundi" deals with some of the struggles Zeb – and all of us – have faced the last two years, through the lens of his personal experiences. Yet, the tone of the record manages to remain positive, like an uplifting dance through the world's sounds; after all, "Animamundi" means "soul of the world" in Greek. With album art by Sam Angeli and layout design by Marcial Arts, this beautiful album is a truly well-rounded worldwide collaboration.
"Animamundi" will be released digitally on March 4th, 2022, with the LP to follow shortly after.
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In Trux We Pux is an editorial project organized by the Porto based label and collective Favela Discos. Focusing on the city’s thriving experimental and improvised music scene, it sets out to portrait in a series of four volumes some of the characteristic sounds and collaborative practices that have been in development in Porto during the last few years.
In Trux We Pux 04 is the last in a series of four records organized by Favela Discos, set out to shine a light on Porto’s thriving experimental and improvised music scene. Throughout the collection the label tries to expose the eclectic sound and collaborative practices that have been in development in the last few years in the city by promoting the collaboration between artists and the creation of new collective improvisation pieces.
As the first album dwelled into the electronic spectre of the scene, this volume veers itself to the physical side of experimental and improvised explorations. Although there is space for outsiders manipulating the sound by electronic means, most of the music in this album is plucked, bowed, percussed or sung. The artists themselves are as varied as the music they played, among the 13 artists that collaborated for the creation of this album are many promising newcomers but also some of the more recognizable and relevant names in the scene, with the presence of the Sonoscopia founder Gustavo Costa, João Pais Filipe one of the most characteristic drummers in Portugal, and the DIY duo and underground staple Calhau!.
As we could suspect, the diverse selection of musicians, while providing us a view on the various kinds of musical languages that populate the city’s scene, also creates a dynamic collection of sounds. Spanning a large gamut of sub-sub-genres, from near-musique concrète to tribal noise, the album is a rollercoaster collage that miraculously achieves logic and cohesion, like a voyeur listener taking us on a journey through an abandoned mall where most of the bands in Porto rehearse, whose halls reverberate with a cacophony of music.
Grönland Records announce a revised, remastered reissue of “Sleepwalkers” by DAVID SYLVIAN. Available as a gatefold 2LP with exclusive art print and as a gatefold digipack CD, this new edition also features the previously unreleased track “Modern Interiors”.
in the 00s, DAVID SYLVIAN produced two of his strongest and most solitary statements, BLEMISH and MANAFON. but those records don’t tell the whole story. during that the same period, SYLVIAN created an alternate body of work: a series of collaborations and side projects with leading talents of pop and improv, electronic and contemporary classical music. the best of these recordings are gathered here on SLEEPWALKERS, meticulously sequenced and remixed: the fruits of one-off meetings and lifelong partnerships, they jump from bliss to intrigue, romance to sensuality, as arch experiments lead into the lushest pop.
the single ‘world citizen – i won’t be disappointed,’ written with RYUICHI SAKAMOTO, is a sublime example, with an impeccable melody and lyric warmed by SYLVIAN’S gorgeous tenor. SYLVIAN has worked with SAKAMOTO for close to three decades. by contrast, on ‘pure genius,’ a collaboration with CHRIS VRENNA aka tweaker, he sounds like he’s walked into a heist flick, singing the part of a delusional, dangerous bedroom genius. as sylvian explains, tracks like this ‘give me a chance to write in a way that’s completely non-personal, playful. it’s an exercise of some kind, working within the parameters of a given assignment.’
intrigue of a different kind drives ‘sugarfuel,’ with music by JEAN-PHILIPPE VERDIN, aka READYMADE FC. the lyrics offered ‘an opportunity to grapple with a more overt sexual theme than anything i’d previously attempted, as suggested by a vocal sample in the original track provided, a threateningly insistent ‘i’m on your side.’ so i took that as my point of entry and ran with it. i would love to write more on this subject should i find the right context. you’re always aware of walking a thin line exploring sexuality with language alone. the failings of the great and the good are strewn all around.’
NINE HORSES’ ‘wonderful world’ strolls in on a black tie bassline and the echoing coos of swedish chanteuse STINA NORDENSTAM, whose high chirps brush hands with SYLVIAN’S lead; there’s the blistering ‘money for all’ by FRIEDMAN and SYLVIAN, an oblique response to the fallout of 9/11 and the war on iraq. this is followed by the last known recording of SYLVIAN’S singing voice in over a decade, ‘do you know me now?’, a live studio recording later augmented by JAN BANG, EIVIND AARSET and ERIK HONORÉ. it’s certainly a title that’s become more relevant over time as SYLVIAN, in the latter stages of his career, repeatedly comes face to face with a new generation of admirers fixated on the life and times of the band formed by his younger self. SYLVIAN is one of only a handful of musicians to have successfully moved on from overt pop beginnings into a domain all his own but is consistently plagued by the misguided desires or expectations of some unfamiliar with his evolution to do a u-turn, pick up where he left off in the late 90s. although this compilation, as well as his writing for NINE HORSES, adequately shows SYLVIAN’S traditional love of melody is
intact, that it’s consistently remained part of his output, there’s no denying his focus has shifted, evolved.
the refusal to embrace complacency, the need to cover new ground ‘as older generations of popular musicians have a moral duty to explore despite, or because of, the greater possibility of failure’ will, i believe, lead to a reassessment of his later work that embraces a sightly more complex relationship with what we’re referring to as ‘melodic’, accompanied by an exploration of improvisation without dogma or beholden to any ‘givens’ for which he’s not infrequently been castigated. for SYLVIAN, there are no such boundaries. it’s obvious that different facets of his work co-exist without conflict but not necessarily for the majority of his audience. again, this places SYLVIAN in the odd, rare, unenviable(?) position of moving forwards leaving many in his devoted audience behind as, should he decide to return to music, it’s unlikely he’ll be aiming to placate an audience in love with work that preceded the 00s. in fact we’ve no idea where new work, should it surface, may lead.
SLEEPWALKERS also spotlights the innovators who contributed to MANAFON and BLEMISH. CHRISTIAN FENNESZ hangs a crackling, shimmering curtain behind the vocal on ‘transit,’ matching his signature mass of sui generis sounds to sylvian’s stately performance. and the title track began with an instrumental handed to SYLVIAN by MARTIN BRANDLMAYR of POLWECHSEL, soon after the first recording session for MANAFON. spite crackles in the gaps between the percussion, and onkyo artists TOSHIMARU NAKAMURA and SACHIKO M set the stage for the scathing lyrics in the chorus.
it cuts close to the bone and so do the two spoken word cuts, ‘angel’ and ‘thermal,’ produced by SAMADHISOUND recording artists JAN BANG and ERIK HONORÉ (and featuring ARVE HENRIKSEN on trumpet). SYLVIAN describes the latter work as a ‘love poem’ to his daughter. ‘‘thermal’ reflects on a period when our time in sonoma, ca was coming to an end. we’d stayed in temporary accommodation which had lulled us into a false sense of security. we had pear, apple, lemon, and figs trees growing in the yard. a small but exotic paradise. a cocoon. but the cracks were beginning to show in the relationship between ex-wife INGRID CHAVEZ and i which is where i think this underlying sense of anxiety, which runs throughout the poem, is derived from, coupled with the need to provide physical and spiritual stability to the children, the youngest of whom was just under two at the time. the poem is addressed to her. our world was dissipating, coming apart at the seams, but we were an island unto ourselves.’
‘five lines’ marked the start of a new partnership with acclaimed young composer DAI FUJIKURA, who at the time of recording was also working on remixes of MANAFON for what became DIED IN THE WOOL. the string quartet was performed by the celebrated ICE ENSEMBLE and written for SYLVIAN, who FUJIKURA cites as an early influence. says SYLVIAN, ‘the composition moves through numerous changes in time signature but as i had no knowledge of what these were i just relied on my gut instinct, and responded, as i always do, with what felt right to me, composing an entirely new melody in the process. some months later i was working in a studio in london and dai dropped by. i rather tentatively asked if he’d like to hear a rough mix of the song as it stood, painfully aware that my contribution might make no sense to him at all but, to my relief he loved the result.’
there’s one further new addition to this collection, the first official release of a track composed in response to the tsunami in fukushma, ‘modern interiors’, featuring SYLVIAN once again in collaboration with BANG and AARSET.
like 2000s EVERYTHING AND NOTHING, SLEEPWALKERS is a retrospective of a particular decade when SYLVIAN was free of major label interference and could follow his own instincts without having to explaining himself – but it’s also an eye-opening complement to his solo releases. as SYLVIAN explains, ‘some collaborations seem to be a one-off exchange but you can never be too certain of that fact. others have been long term. in this respect, RYUICHI comes to mind. there’s others with whom you hope to continue working as you feel you’ve barely scratched the surface. other times offers come out of the blue, welcome, inspired. regardless, it’s wonderfully explorative to have so many possibilities to juggle with. each collaboration seems timely. it’s as if there’s a rightness to the exchange at a given moment in time.’
in the meantime, we hope you enjoy the work presented here, personally selected, remixed and sequenced and entirely remastered. these are the orphans, abused, estranged, exotic, migrating from diverse corners of the globe, brought together under one roof which they're learning to share despite their differences.
‘as many of you will already be aware, despite relatively continuous work on solo albums, i’ve maintained strong ties with a number of musicians throughout my life in one context or another. on this new collection, let’s call it SLEEPWALKERS 2.0, a selection of collaborative work produced over the period encompassing blemish through to manafon, i’ve included compositions by nine horses as well as more fleeting flirtations and one-offs. neglected offspring. represented also is long term friend and writing partner, RYUICHI SAKAMOTO, as well as more recent but potentially equally productive partnerships such as CHRISTIAN FENNESZ, ARVE HENRIKSEN and contemporary classical composer DAI FUJIKURA.
i hope you enjoy the work presented here, personally selected, remixed and sequenced and entirely remastered. these are the orphans, abused, estranged, exotic, migrating from diverse corners of the globe, brought together under one roof which they're learning to share despite their differences.
we contain multitudes. we’re nothing if not contradictory.’
DAVID SYLVIAN, 2010
(consistency is contrary to nature, contrary to life: aldous huxley)
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Wick Records is proud to present Michael Rault, the eponymous new album from one of the most talented songwriters in the game. A remarkable re-imagination of '70s pop perfection, the album began to take shape during a time of endings. Michael, on the cusp of turning 30 and freshly off the road promoting 2018's A New Day Tonight, had just ended a romantic relationship, and cut ties with his management and touring band. Returning home to Montreal where his van was already buried in six feet of snow, he hunkered down in his bedroom studio and began writing. Over the span of five months he penned most of the album. From the drug-fueled, dance floor slow-stepper, "Neither Love Nor Money", to the introspective "Inside Your Heart", to the tongue-in-cheek playfulness of "Champagne", the body of work he created in this epoch of uncertainty is proof of just how crucial that time of endings really was. Bruised but certainly not beaten, Michael delivers a lush, timeless collection of songs - continuing his increasingly profound exploration into the worlds of progressive pop, psych folk, yacht rock and beyond. Trust us...you're gonna love it!
Key Selling Points
• Sophomore album on Wick Records.
• Indie Only Blue Galaxy vinyl Covered by Paste, Pitchfork, Stereogum and many others.
• “Hook after hook after hook” - PASTE
Wick Records is proud to present Michael Rault, the eponymous new album from one of the most talented songwriters in the game. A remarkable re-imagination of '70s pop perfection, the album began to take shape during a time of endings. Michael, on the cusp of turning 30 and freshly off the road promoting 2018's A New Day Tonight, had just ended a romantic relationship, and cut ties with his management and touring band. Returning home to Montreal where his van was already buried in six feet of snow, he hunkered down in his bedroom studio and began writing. Over the span of five months he penned most of the album. From the drug-fueled, dance floor slow-stepper, "Neither Love Nor Money", to the introspective "Inside Your Heart", to the tongue-in-cheek playfulness of "Champagne", the body of work he created in this epoch of uncertainty is proof of just how crucial that time of endings really was. Bruised but certainly not beaten, Michael delivers a lush, timeless collection of songs - continuing his increasingly profound exploration into the worlds of progressive pop, psych folk, yacht rock and beyond. Trust us...you're gonna love it!
Key Selling Points
• Sophomore album on Wick Records.
• Indie Only Blue Galaxy vinyl Covered by Paste, Pitchfork, Stereogum and many others.
• “Hook after hook after hook” - PASTE
Prince Jazzbo started his career at Studio One before moving on to record for Glen Brown and Bunny Lee. He cut more classics with Lee Perry before establishing his own labels ‘Mr Funny’ ‘Ujama’ ‘Brisco’ and ‘Count 123’.
Rally Round Zion only appeared on a very limited run on the Wildflower label and has always had a cult status with collectors. An authentic roots tune with a deep Tubbys dub on the flip side. This is the first time it has been re-pressed. Comes in a hand stamped bag. Killer no filler!!
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"I live too fast to die young, it ain't nothing when your
head's screwed on,? röhrt der elektrisierende Frontmann
Michael Monroe auf seinem zweiten Album für Silver
Lining Music. Ein großartiges Rock'n'Roll Album, "I Live
Too Fast To Die Young" - ein ehrlicher Schrei aus vollem
Herzen.
Zu einer Zeit, wo Spaß zu haben nicht einfach ist,
kommt "I Live Too Fast To Die Young" als gradliniges,
freches Album mit rauer Rock'n'Roll Musik - deftige Songs
wie "Young Drunks & Old Alcoholics?, "All Fighter? und
dem punkigen "Murder The Summer Of Love?. Die
Songs bringen frische, knackige Elektrizität und Melodien,
die sich schimmernd um messerscharfen Riffs wickeln.
Ausgedehnte, Stones-angehauchte Tracks gibt es
ebenfalls wie das "Can't Stop Falling Apart? und
"Everybody's Nobody?, während der Titeltrack genau
zwischen deine Augen zielt, mit einen forschen Back Beat
und einem frechen Chor , wundervoll und großartig in
Szene gesetzt mit Michael Monroes unbändiger,
aufregender Pose - mit seiner großartigen Attitude.
Das Album wurde in den Inkfish Studios in Helsinki,
Finnland im November/Dezember 2021 aufgenommen und
von der Band zusammen mit Erno Laitinen produziert.
Michael Monroe (Gesang und Harmonika) , Steve Conte
( Gitarre und Gesang), Rich Jones (Gitarre und Gesang),
Karl Rockfist (Schlagzeug) und Sami Yaffa
(Bass/Gesang/Gitarre) und einigen Gastmusikern; unter
anderem dem legendären Guns N' Roses Gitarristen
Slash , den man mit einem Solo und zusätzlicher Gitarre
auf dem Titeltrack hören kann.
Triumphale Rückkehr mit vier Songs von einer der besten aufstrebenden Power-Metal-Bands Amerikas! Kurz nach ihrem brillanten ersten Full-Length-Album 'Far Flung Realm' kehren die Adamantis aus Massachusetts mit der EP 'The Daemon's Strain' zurück, einer beeindruckenden Collage aus heroischem Power Metal gemischt mit Symphonic Rock! Das Herzstück der EP ist der 13-minütige Titeltrack. Er nähert sich einem klassischen symphonischen Rocksong, ist aber immer noch im traditionellen Heavy Metal verwurzelt. Adamantis ist nicht länger eines der bestgehüteten Geheimnisse des amerikanischen Power Metal und hat eine EP voller Tiefe und Triumph geschaffen - eine beeindruckende Darbietung von einprägsamem, hymnischem Melodic Metal. Es ist der nächste logische Schritt für Adamantis.
Mit "Zeitlang" legen die bayrischen Schwarzmetaller GRÀB ihr lang erwartetes, harsches Debütalbum vor. Der ehemalige DARK FORTRESS Sänger und Bandgründer Grant hat sämtliche Texte dieses Konzeptwerks in einem lokalen Dialekt von Deutschlands südlichstem Bundesland am Rand der Alpen verfasst. Musikalisch greifen GRÀB den Faden der frühen GEHENNA, ULVER und DARKTHRONE auf, lassen sich aber auch hörbar von den deutschen NAGELFAR und LUNAR AURORA inspirieren. Dennoch bleiben die Bayern stets ihrem Thema treu und beziehen traditionelle lokale Elemente mit ein, was beispielsweise instrumental durch den im Metal ungewöhnlichen Einsatz von Hackbrett, Zither und Alphorn zum Ausdruck gebracht wird.
Atangana Records is back with two afro disco groove tracks from the second album of the mythical Senegalese band Touré Kunda. The tracks "Manso" & “Touty Yolle” were originally released in 1980. The remastered track "Manso" is remixed on B1 by the duo Deni Shain & Mister Francky and B2 with the remixes add part.
When Deni struck gold: "It was a warm Sunday in Guadeloupe when I went back for some for digging, after looking through 800 vinyls, I was swayed by the album E'mma Africa from Toure Kunda. Listening to it sent me back to my youth, when I used to play the K7 over and over again.As I replayed the LP, these two songs stood out and I could instantly picture the potential & the remix I could do with Mister Francky."
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SCHANDMAUL, die unangefochtene Speerspitze des deutschen Mittelalter Folk Rocks, enthüllen ihren neuesten Geniestreich und lassen wahrlich den Knüppel aus dem Sack. Das elfte Album der deutschen Ausnahmekünstler erscheint am 10. Juni 2022 via Napalm Records. Seit ihrem 1999 veröffentlichten Debütalbum, Wahre Helden, sind die Münchner ein Garant für hochkarätigen und niveauvollen Folk-Rock voller spannender, fesselnder Erzählungen, dargeboten durch genretypische Instrumente wie Dudelsäcke, Drehleier
und Folk-Flöten und gekrönt von der unverwechselbaren Sangeskunst von Vocalist Thomas Lindner. Mit sechs #10 Alben in den deutschen Charts (darunter das #1 Werk Leuchtfeuer, 2016, und zuletzt Artus auf #2, 2019), zwei Nominierungen für den Echo Award, Gold-Status für Traumtänzer (2011) und Unendlich (2014), erfolgreichen Touren und zahlreichen Festivals, wie etwa dem Wave Gotik Treffen, M’era Luna und dem legendären Wacken Open Air, sowie Millionen Streams auf digitalen Plattformen haben SCHANDMAUL sich an die Spitze der Folk Rock Szene vorgearbeitet. 2022 beweisen SCHANDMAUL erneut, dass sie diesen Standpunkt erobert haben, um dort zu verweilen!
SCHANDMAUL demonstrieren mit ihrem stimmungsvollen Folk Rock und dem neuesten Ausrufezeichen, Knüppel aus dem Sack, einmal mehr instrumentale Klasse voller wohltuender Unbeschwingtheit und zaubern einen weiteren Meilenstein in ihrer fast 25-jährigen Bandgeschichte!
Die Power Metal Gnome WIND ROSE stürmen in die epische Schlacht auf Warfront! Nach der Veröffentlichung ihres hochgelobten 2019er Albums Wintersaga mit epischen Geschichten und noch epischeren Riffs kehren WIND ROSE, die mächtigsten Gnome des Power Metal, aus der Schmiede zurück und hämmern auf ihrem neuen Album Warfront (10. Juni via Napalm Records) neue Hymnen auf
den Amboss!
Die fünfköpfige Band aus Pisa, Italien, der mit ihrer viralen Neuinterpretation der Minecraft-Hymne ”Diggy Diggy Hole” (bis dato über 30 Millionen Aufrufe auf YouTube) ihr sensationeller Durchbruch gelang, schärft ihre Schwerter und stürzt sich mit zehn neuen heroischen Songs auf die Schlacht. Egal wie groß der Sturm,
wie eisig die Winterkälte, WIND ROSE’s Gespür für sensationelle Hooks und eingängige Riffs - gekrönt von Francesco Cavalieri’s markanter Stimme - katapultiert sie an die Speerspitze des Folk- und Power Metal, ohne ihre einzigartige Härte einzubüßen!
WIND ROSE liefern auf Warfront jede Menge Gnom-Abenteuer, dramatische Orchesterarrangements und puren Spaß - Replay garantiert!
LP/CD-Deluxe-Edition zum 10-jährigen Albumjubliläum!
Mit seinem dritten Album, ursprünglich 2012 veröffentlicht, eroberte das Portico Quartet musikalisch neues Territorium. Für diese hochwertige Wiederveröffentlichung zum 10-jährigen Jubiläum wurde das Album neu gemastert und für LP auf drei Seiten geschnitten (die vierte Seite ist eine Radierung). Außerdem erscheint der Track „Laker Boo“ zum ersten Mal auf Vinyl. CD und LP erscheinen im neuen Artwork von Bandmitglied Duncan Bellamy, die LP enthält einen Hi-Res-Downloadcode für das gesamte Album sowie bisher unveröffentlichte Tracks, die exklusiv nur über den Download-
Gutschein erhältlich sind. Die LPHüllen sind mit Silberfolie geprägt und enthalten ein 12-seitiges großformatiges Booklet. Das CD-Digipak
im folienbedruckten Slipcase enthält ein 12-seitiges Booklet.
Heart Attack's upcoming album "Negative Sun" is the perfect amalgamation of roaring modern thrash metal and epic melodies to be released worldwide via Atomic Fire Records on June 10th, 2022. Heart Attack is a four-piece army and an unpredictable groovy blend of modern thrash metal, consisting of Kevin Geyer (rhythm guitars, vocals), Chriss Cesari (lead guitars, keyboards), Will Ribeiro (bass guitar, vocals), and Christophe Icard (drums). The band played prestigious Hellfest, shared the stage with Trivium and Opeth, or opened for Megadeth in Lyon. Heart Attack is for Gojira, Machine Head, and early Metallica fans searching for the definite riff that will help them drive for a long ride under the sun. Long live the famed modern metal scene rising up from France - remember where you heard it first!
40-plus years since its original release, the pop-punk-new wave inventions of Anthony
Moore’s ‘Flying Doesn’t Help’ are freshly remastered, blasting the sparkling, angular
sounds into today with perfect vitality.
After spending the early years of the 1970s making experimental music first as a solo
artist, then with Slapp Happy and Henry Cow, 1976’s ‘OUT’ sessions had reinvigorated
Anthony’s youthful love of the naive pop melodies of pop radio, the undeniable excitement
of songs. While ‘OUT’ ultimately went unreleased at the time, the iconoclasm clouding the
late ’70s air was addictive and transformative for Anthony. England seemed to be roiled
as violently as it had been in counter-cultural days a decade earlier; the UK pop charts
breathlessly reflected the changing spectrum with equal parts aging hippie and prog
delicacies alongside new ascendant sounds: rough-hewn pub and punk rock, plus dub
reggae and disco and ska and Stiff and Krautrock. This proved to be an ideal environment
for Anthony to make records by exploring, as he puts it, the “deep connection between
minimalism, repetition, working with tape and celluloid and forming the modules of a
three-minute pop song.”
Caught up in a no-holds-barred era, Anthony was more than happy to play the out-of-hishead madman, raving through outrageous exchanges with the press, while ‘Judy Get
Down’ received Single Of The Week honours from the NME (with review penned by Brian
Eno). Represented by Blackhill Enterprises, Anthony did production work throughout
1978-1979, on Kevin Ayers’ ‘Rainbow Takeaway’, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s ‘Angel
Station’ and the first This Heat album, meanwhile cutting his own songs on a dead time
deal at Workhouse Studio with engineer / producer Laurie Latham. Through the wee
hours of countless nights, the two pieced together ‘Flying Doesn’t Help’, with a little help
from friends (an inspired bunch, including Bob Shilling, Charles Hayward, Chris Slade,
Robert Vogel, Festus, Matt Irving, Sam Harley, Bernie Clark, Edwin Cross and Martine
Moore on the telephone).
Building upon the axis of pop and experimental impulses that distinguished ‘OUT’, and
informed further by the raw sensibilities exploding everywhere, ‘Flying Doesn’t Help’
blasts out of the speakers with its own unique blend of sophistication and aggression,
Anthony’s keyboard flashes between arpeggiations and outright stabs among the noise of
slicing guitars, funk basslines and the reverbed blare of the drumkit. Opening with
Anthony’s greatest hit, ‘Judy Get Down’, and containing a noise-laden remake of the
Slapp Happy/Henry Cow number, ‘War’, among other delightful sweet-and-salty
confections, ‘Flying Doesn’t Help’ never stops moving, fuelled with raw outrage and dark
satirical intent, churning with the energy of next-gen types like Tubeway Army and DEVO,
while shimmering with the elegance of the still-challenging old guard types, like Cale and
Bowie.
Clearly, ‘Flying Doesn’t Help’ was steeped in the time, and the original release reflected a
deep mistrust of the corporation mindset. Information was a dubious concept, and
connections to any recognizable organization were seen as untrustworthy, so facts like
musician credits were left out of the package, and even Anthony’s name was altered (he
was credited as A. More on the album and Tony More on a single release). The label
name QUANGO was conceptual as well, standing for ‘Quasi Autonomous NonGovernmental Organization’; each record was sealed with red tape that the listener was
required to cut through in order to get to the music. Rather than recreate the conditions of
the original release of ‘Flying Doesn’t Help’, this reissue instead embraces the changed
environment of the current time and place: instead of no credits, now they are complete,
with Anthony’s full name restored and even the artwork subtly ‘relocated’ to reflect a new
set of relationships. All of which brings the forward-looking sounds of ‘Flying Doesn’t Help’
into the more independent-minded 21st Century syntax where it belongs.
Mastered by Bernie Grundman from the Original Analog Master Tapes & Pressed at Gotta Groove!
Numbered Deluxe Laminated Gatefold Jackets!
Only 2500 Numbered Limited Edition Copies Worldwide!
John Coltrane returns to his roots using the Blues to explore the boundaries of Jazz! Features McCoy Tyner, Steve Davis and Elvin Jones! Recorded in 1960 during the My Favorite Things sessions, Coltrane Plays The Blues features "Blues To Bechet," "Blues To Elvin" and "Blues To You" in addition to three other tracks.
"Coltrane's sessions for Atlantic in late October 1960 were prolific, yielding the material for My Favorite Things, Coltrane Plays the Blues, and Coltrane's Sound. My Favorite Things was destined to be the most remembered and influential of these, and while Coltrane Plays the Blues is not as renowned or daring in material, it is still a powerful session. As for the phrase "plays the blues" in the title, that's not an indicator that the tunes are conventional blues (they aren't). It's more indicative of a bluesy sensibility, whether he is playing muscular saxophone or, on "Blues to Bechet" and "Mr. Syms," the more unusual sounding (at the time) soprano sax. Elvin Jones, who hadn't been in Coltrane's band long, really busts out on the quicker numbers, such as "Blues to You" and "Mr. Day." - Richie Unterberger
"The Coltrane Quartet, three-fourths complete at the time of this recording, had begun its historic rise and had also turned the corner in Coltrane's music, transitioning from the expressive verticality of Giant Steps to the more elongated, long-limbed lyricism that would define his role in the avant-garde. It can come as no surprise that to do so, he engaged the material he'd known longest and best - the blues." - Neil Tesser, author of The Playboy Guide To Jazz
Strictly limited to 10,000 numbered copies, pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl at RTI, and mastered from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's ultra-hi-fi UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP collector's edition enhances the blockbuster work for today – and the ages to come. Surpassing the sonics of any prior version, it peels away any remaining limitations to provide a transparent, lively, ultra-nuanced presentation of a record that won six Grammy Awards – including prizes for Album of the Year, Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, and Best Rock Song. The expanse and depth of the soundstage, fullness of tones, natural snap and extension of the guitar strings, realistic rise and decay of individual notes, and roll of Clapton's vocals all attain demonstration-grade levels.
Housed in a deluxe box, the UD1S Unplugged pressing features special foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording and the reissue's premium quality. No expense has been spared. Aurally and visually, this UD1S reissue exists as a curatorial artifact meant to be preserved, touched, and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art – and everything involved with the album, from the images to the finishes.
Truly, everything about Unplugged matters. Having sold more than 10 million copies in the U.S. and more than 26 million copies worldwide, the 1992 work resonates with listeners of all generations and speaks a universal language. Recorded for MTV before a very small audience on January 16, 1992, the 14-track set became the signpost for future acoustic-based endeavours that witnessed artists of all stripes re-examining their catalogues and, in many instances, as Clapton does here, placing familiar originals in fresh contexts and unveiling spirited versions of cover material. Needless to say, Clapton's session turned MTV's series into can't-miss programming for which the likes of Rod Stewart, Tony Bennett, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and more would soon participate.
Kicking off his performance with a spirited instrumental to establish the mood, Clapton immediately wades into the style that originally caught his attention as a British teenager in the early 1960s: American blues. Backed by a superb band that includes guitarist Andy Fairweather Low, pianist Chuck Leavell, bassist Nathan East, and drummer Steve Ferrone, Slowhand delivers a rhythmic, toe-tapping rendition of Bo Diddley's "Before You Accuse Me" that announces he's come to reconnect with his muse. What follows over the course of nearly the next hour stirs the heart, shakes the soul, moves the mind, and invigorates the senses.
Of course, there's no talking about Unplugged without keying in on "Tears in Heaven," the striking ballad Clapton penned about the death of his four-year-old son. More emotional, direct, spare, and healing than the studio version released a year prior, it crackles with an intimacy, maturity, poignancy, honesty, sweetness, and integrity that inform the entire concert. Indeed, how Clapton frames other favorites here – transforming "Layla" into a relaxed, comfortable stroll and ruminating on the seasoned ripples flowing throughout "Old Love," for example – indicate both a creative rebirth and gleeful acceptance of the next phase of his career.
And that very direction (two of Clapton's next three albums would be all-blues projects) is what really makes Unplugged so indispensable. Equivalent in mastery if not in volume to the output that earned him his "God" nickname, interpretations of Jesse Fuller's "San Francisco Bay Blues" (complete with kazoo!), Big Bill Broonzy's "Hey Hey," Robert Johnson's "Walkin' Blues" and "Malted Milk," and Muddy Waters' "Rollin' & Tumblin'" showcase a learned professor in his element and all the wheels turning.
In every regard, Clapton's Unplugged session was appointment listening when it came out in August 1992. With the arrival of MoFi's UD1S pressing, that sensation is more urgent than before.
More About Mobile Fidelity UltraDisc One-Step and Why It Is Superior
Instead of utilizing the industry-standard three-step lacquer process, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's new UltraDisc One-Step (UD1S) uses only one step, bypassing two processes of generational loss. While three-step processing is designed for optimum yield and efficiency, UD1S is created for the ultimate in sound quality. Just as Mobile Fidelity pioneered the UHQR (Ultra High-Quality Record) with JVC in the 1980s, UD1S again represents another state-of-the-art advance in the record-manufacturing process. MFSL engineers begin with the original master tapes and meticulously cut a set of lacquers. These lacquers are used to create a very fragile, pristine UD1S stamper called a "convert." Delicate "converts" are then formed into the actual record stampers, producing a final product that literally and figuratively brings you closer to the music. By skipping the additional steps of pulling another positive and an additional negative, as done in the three-step process used in standard pressings, UD1S produces a final LP with the lowest noise floor possible today. The removal of the additional two steps of generational loss in the plating process reveals tremendous amounts of extra musical detail and dynamics, which are otherwise lost due to the standard copying process. The exclusive nature of these very limited pressings guarantees that every UD1S pressing serves as an immaculate replica of the lacquer sourced directly from the original master tape. Every conceivable aspect of vinyl production is optimized to produce the most perfect record album available today.
MoFi SuperVinyl
Developed by NEOTECH and RTI, MoFi SuperVinyl is the most exacting-to-specification vinyl compound ever devised. Analog lovers have never seen (or heard) anything like it. Extraordinarily expensive and extremely painstaking to produce, the special proprietary compound addresses two specific areas of improvement: noise floor reduction and enhanced groove definition. The vinyl composition features a new carbonless dye (hold the disc up to the light and see) and produces the world's quietest surfaces. This high-definition formula also allows for the creation of cleaner grooves that are indistinguishable from the original lacquer. MoFi SuperVinyl provides the closest approximation of what the label's engineers hear in the mastering lab.
SACD
Mastered from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's numbered hybrid SACD enhances the blockbuster work for today – and the ages to come. Peeling away remaining sonic limitations to provide a transparent, lively, ultra-nuanced presentation of a record that won six Grammy Awards (including prizes for Album of the Year, Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, and Best Rock Song), it places Clapton and company in your room. The expanse and depth of the soundstage, fullness of tones, natural snap and extension of the guitar strings, realistic rise and decay of individual notes, and roll of Clapton's vocals all attain demonstration-grade levels. A perennial audiophile favourite, Unplugged now tosses its hat into the ring as a demonstration disc.
Mondo, in partnership with Back Lot Music Wright, are proud to present the premiere physical release of Steven Price's electrifying score to LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, the latest film by Edgar Wright.
Edgar Wright wanted a score to soundtrack the two eras of Last Night in Soho and tie together the stories of these two very different young women. To achieve this, Wright turned once again to his now-regular composer, Academy Award® winner Steven Price, who successfully scored both Baby Driver and The World’s End.
While Price’s influences for the score included contemporary film music by the likes of Ennio Morricone and John Barry, a “’60s session band” sound with echoing fragments of dialogue add a different and sometimes subliminally sinister edge to the score. The sounds of ‘60s Soho blend into the present-day London scenes as Eloise is sucked further into the past. “The idea is that Sandie’s voice becomes part of the film, so you hear her siren song from the ‘60s coming through, and Anya became an intrinsic part of it… I was pleased that the lead actress is also the lead singer in the film score; the whole thing knitted together.”
The album also features songs performed by Anya Taylor-Joy, including the lead single from the film "Downtown (Downtempo Version)"
Markus Acher (best known as singer of The Notwist) typically produces his own music under the name Rayon – this time, however, is a different story. Using his real name, he sends a signal re: the circumstances he recorded the music in - at home in his old apartment in Munich, in a private setting, in a time when there was hardly anything else available. Accordingly, and rather fittingly, the four songs represent a bridge to the outside world: Acher tore the doors to his balcony wide open, inviting the outside in, capturing its sound on tape: rain falling, engine noise of passing cars. And at the same time the songs pushed outward, into that sphere that remained off-limits to us for some time (“Like a plane they can go everywhere”).
The four tracks - arranged for harmonium, acoustic guitar, banjo, glockenspiel, percussion, a children's harp and vocals - were released digitally in 2021 via the Japanese independent platform Minna Kikeru, run by Saya (member of the duo Tenniscoats and Markus Acher's bandmate in Spirit Fest), among others. For two songs of »Like A Plane«, Saya contributed vocal tracks as well.
»Like A Plane« now sees its vinyl release via Morr Music.
Es war im Frühjahr 2010, als SONIC YOUTH in ihrem Echo Canyon West Studio in Hoboken, New Jersey, zusammen kamen, um die Videoclips zu ,Simon Werner a disparu", dem neuen Film des französischen Regisseurs Fabrice Gobert anzuschauen. Sie verbrachten die nächsten Wochen damit, Musik aufzunehmen, die dann modifiziert wurde, um zu den jeweiligen Szenen zu passen. Die Band entschied sich dafür - statt die kleinen Häppchen Musik zu präsentieren, wie sie im Film auftauchen - sich noch einmal an die ursprünglichen Aufnahmen zu machen und die einzelnen Teile zu diesem Soundtrack zusammenzustellen. Manchmal werden mehrere Tracks zu einem Stück und manchmal inspirierten Audioschnipsel eine ganz neue Soundlandschaft. Der Film feierte seine Premiere im Mai 2010 in Cannes und ging direkt im Anschluss in die französischen Kinos.
Soul / Electro / jazz / trip hop. It was in 2019 that Matteo (one of the 3 members of the band Chinese Man and co-founder of the label CMR) met the first musicians who would be part of the project "Matteo & Bro". Starting with guitarist Karim Addadi and bassist Christophe Lincontang (with whom he collaborates on a film score), Matteo then surrounded himself with drummer Hugo Pollon and saxophonist, flutist and Duduk (Armenian flute) player Lamine Diagne. A real desire to launch a project where the musicians are at the heart of the creative process progressively grew as the meetings went on. The artists gather in Bron (near Lyon) for the composition of the eponymous opening track. On this album we also find the voices of two female artists, Isadora (Belgium) on "Sweet Shadows" and Tania Saleh (Lebanon) on "Sakakeen", as well as General Elektriks with its keyboards and its sublime groove on several tracks ("Bina" & "Prumirim"). Between programming & electronic production, arrangements and composition, the demos take shape, the groove and the universe between soul, funk, trip hop and world music extend the desire and the production of an album. Due to the health crisis, the album is finally recorded in late 2021 with the help of Sodi, sound engineer and producer of many albums (Fela & Femi Kuti, Saul Williams, Deluxe, IAM ...). For the orchestration of the tracks "Path" and "Sakakeen", Matteo also called on Franck Lebon (film music composer) to add a cinematic dimension to these two tracks. Tracklist : 01 – Bron / 02 - Prumirim ft. General Elektriks / 03 - Sweet Shadows ft. Isadora / 04 - With S / 05 - Path ft. Franck Lebon / 06 - Sakakeen ft. Tania Saleh / 07 - Bina ft. General Elektriks / 08 – Playa
Numbered and limited to 1000 copies each worldwide. Recorded in Berlin & remotely between 2020 & 2021, the opening track “The Real” is from the forthcoming album “Fire Doesn’t Grow On Trees” the second track “Where Do We Go From Here?” is exclusive to this release. With Anton Newcombe (Vocals/ Guitars), Ryan Carlson Van Kriedt (keyboards), Hakon Adalsteinsson (guitar), Hallberg Daði Hallbergsson (bass), & Uri Rennert (drums) playing on this offering. It is 30 years since the release of their first single She Made Me / Evergreen. Released in 1992, the band continue to deliver the sound of the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Cover artwork by Anthony Ausgang.
Numbered and limited to 1000 copies each worldwide. Recorded in Berlin & remotely between 2020 & 2021, the opening track “The Real” is from the forthcoming album “Fire Doesn’t Grow On Trees” the second track “Where Do We Go From Here?” is exclusive to this release. With Anton Newcombe (Vocals/ Guitars), Ryan Carlson Van Kriedt (keyboards), Hakon Adalsteinsson (guitar), Hallberg Daði Hallbergsson (bass), & Uri Rennert (drums) playing on this offering. It is 30 years since the release of their first single She Made Me / Evergreen. Released in 1992, the band continue to deliver the sound of the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Cover artwork by Anthony Ausgang.
"Released in May 1986 on SST Records and Blast First! in the UK, EVOL was the third studio album by Sonic Youth and showed the first signs of the band transforming their No Wave past into a greater alt-rock sensibility. “EVOL … marks the true departure point of Sonic Youth’s musical evolution,” noted Pitchfork, “In measured increments, Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo … bring form to the formless, tune to the tuneless, and with the help of Steve Shelley’s drums…, impose melody and composition on their trademark dissonance.” ""If Daydream Nation is Sonic Youth’s opus, EVOL was crucial research. There’s a directness that makes everything feel close. It is pure tension with little release. The entire record is a shadow." Stereogum likewise praised the album as one, “full of suspense…, the cornerstone [Nico-evoking] monotone [by Kim Gordon]. ‘In The Kingdom #19,’ featuring Mike Watt on bass and … vocals [by Ranaldo]…, is a harrowing story of a highway wreck over a suitably edgy instrumental backing punctuated by … live firecrackers in the vocal booth.” For Popstache, “EVOL slithers into the unconscious. Once the....detuned melodies and haunting riffs and final whispers of feedback depart from the speakers… the music [leaves] a faded footprint, forever reeling the listener back for another strange trip.” // “The seeds of greatness…” Pitchfork (who placed the album #31 of the Top 100 Albums of The 1980s) // “A near-masterpiece.” Trouser Press // “A stunningly fluent mixture of avant-garde instrumentation and subversions of rock’n’roll.” All Music Guide"
Solo bedroom-pop project of Michael Ramos (Flowertown, April Magazine, Hectorine). Mostly recorded between last Christmas and New Year's during a window of isolation at home, “Hey There Flower” preserves Tony Jay’s prowess at making beautifully eerie lo-fi pop; like a hazy memory where your favorite Sixties girl-group melody is perpetually slowed down. Without a band to practice with, Tony Jay recorded the music alone, but recruited a slew of friends to remotely record backing vocals: Karina Gill (Cindy), Griffin Jones (Galore), Kati Mashikian (Mister Baby), Alexis Harper (Al Harper), & Hannah Lew (Cold Beat). "Hey There Flower", the most recent release from the prolific and mysterious Tony Jay delivers real melodies -- both lacey with vocal harmonies and dusty with layered guitars -- as fans have come to expect. This release also carries forward and elaborates on Tony Jay's tradition of songs that express a kind of naked honesty about things we all know -- love and loneliness and all that -- while communicating at the same time a wry edge of skepticism, so that the songs are like coins spinning on edge before landing heads, tails, or lost under the couch. Tony Jay brings us into a nostalgia where we recognize moods from music of the past -- Marc Boland definitely comes to mind, as well as Velvet Underground of the Nico era, and Tony Jay even covers Francoise Hardy on this collection -- but the songs create a three dimensional space with what feels like a thousand layers so that instead of being thrown back in time, it's like stepping into a little world with its own laws of nature, of which the listener gets just a few hints. - Karina Gill, Cindy/Flowertown. “Hey There Flower” is introduced by thudding snare beats eliciting reverb-stained tattered noisy guitar scrapes, to weave abrasive shimmery emotive vibrations, imbued with shattered nostalgic dreams, lit by brittle yet dazzling forsaken keyboard flows, over submerged and distorted male vocal’s whispery deluge of obsessive longing, lonely melancholy, and dark desire to exude a hazy gritty concoction of awkward sadness and brooding unrest.” White Light // White Heat // “What Tony sketches are concise commentaries on love, loneliness and a few things in between. His mode of expression is sparse, intense, and captivating. The arrangements are invariably lo-fi and slow tempo, blanketed with a fuzzy hiss. And it only took one listen to decide that it is a very special album. It has a '60s feel, albeit washed in an eerie slowcore machine. An ace example is "September Skies", which could be the 1965 'last dance' at the prom for the introverted students.” - When You Motor Away
Single sleeve, 12” 45rpm EP. 'Avocet Revisited' is a four track EP, commissioned by Earth recordings as a companion piece to Bert Jansch’s 1979 avian-themed masterstroke ‘Avocet’. Again drawing inspiration from the resplendence of birds native to British waters (Bert himself was a keen ornithologist), Earth invited this quartet of artists to each choose a species that particularly speaks to them, and base a track around it. The results have been universally graceful, evocative, and majestic - much like the creatures themselves. Fulmar - Drifting low and gliding high, the flight patterns of this gull-like creature are echoed in Edwyn Collins and Carwyn Ellis’s paean to the bird that spends most of its life airborne. Part waltz, part lullaby, ‘Fulmar’ is exquisite in its simplicity, with Carwyn’s elegant arrangements providing the perfect foil for Edwyn’s unmistakeable intonation. // Curlew - The opening of Modern Studies’ track - the call of the Curlew itself - is as recognisable as the looping feathered frame of its namesake. Perfectly showcasing the handsome orchestral arrangements that have become the group’s signature style, there is a lightness of touch here that evokes Virginia Astley’s ‘From Gardens Where We Feel Secure’. // Goosander - Another Scottish resident, both artist and avian. Unmistakably Alasdair Roberts, ‘Goosander’ is at once refined and somewhat feral; Alasdair’s picking supplemented by sighing organ drones and spartan electric guitar. // Golden Plover - Playing us out, Trembling Bells’ contribution has a Harvest feel - the last days of summer invoked by the warm refrain and gentle orchestration found on 'Golden Plover’. In another lifetime, this song - infused with the sounds of yesteryear - could very easily have made it onto the Wicker Man soundtrack… which should tell you all you need to know. A pagan hymn reimagined for the Scarfolk era! The band is joined by Callum Calderwood (violin), Rory Haye (vocals), Andrew Pattie (vocals) and Belle & Sebastian’s Stevie Jackson (12 string guitar). // Notes come courtesy of musician and keen twitcher, Karine Polwart, whose lyrical, prosaic turn of phrase brings the creatures here to life, as effortlessly as the songs themselves. Artwork again comes from Earth collaborator Hannah Alice (recently nominated for the Art Vinyl 2016) who has gifted each bird magnificent new plumage in her unique style.
This compilation is a euphoric mix of Korean electro-pop beats, with a side of dizzy Seoul vibes. It consists of music by 9 Korean independent music artists. These artists are mostly well-known within Korea, but some of them are globally renowned. A number of artists in this record were awarded or nominated the Korean Music Awards (KMA), while some of them have worked collaboratively with the movie industry and the fashion industry. IDIOTAPE has become a globally renowned electronic band in the last decade. Starting from their early global exposure at 2014 SXSW, USA, IDIOTAPE has actively performed every year on big stages worldwide and has collaborated with various brands such as Adidas Originals, Fred Perry, and EA Sports. KIRARA is known for her music being “strong and pretty” since her debut in 2014. She has been actively producing music and performing on stage. She was invited to a number of international music festivals including 2017 Trans Musicales, France and 2019 SXSW, USA. Featuring the amazing artwork by Coen Pohl
Having initially met more than a decade ago at a local community radio station, sometimes doing guest slots on each other’s live, improvised noise shows, Cormac Culkeen and Dave Grenon knew they had a mutual interest in working with sonic textures. They listened to each other’s bands for a handful of years, and in 2017, “made good on a threat” that they’d been making for quite a long time: to start a band. At Cormac’s gentle but clear urging—declaring that they’d gone ahead and booked a space in which to record a video—the two wrote their first song, “Sebaldus,” an ambitious 12-minute trip, which also serves as the fireworks finale to their self-titled debut album. With surges of pathos that smooth out into something more soothing in turn, Cormac goes: “The hunter, you’ve seen him / The archer, his arrows are strong / And hunger, you’ve known her / I know the winter is long.” The track is as much about enduring a Canadian winter as it is about the eponymous 8th century hermit, shot through with sublimated desire. As Cormac put it, Joyful Joyful’s songs are “a little bit outside of time.” But while the lyrics beg close, oblique reading unto themselves, there’s also a distinct sense that they’re only one of many more ways that the duo shapes sound. Cormac, whose voice is like a sea with irregular tides, lights up about an idea in traditional sean-nós Irish music that songs already exist and are out there; it’s up to the singer to become the conduit. This belief in music as something to be channelled, and something more than sound, resonates with the singer’s fundamentalist religious past. To paraphrase: lots of group singing, harmonies, no instrumentation, totally unmediated, no priest, congregational—not choral, not a performance, not about talent, the spirit moves through people. “Of course that informs how I think about singing,” Cormac says. So, when they were exiled from the church because of their queerness, they took the music with them, dislocating it from its dogmatic bounds but not from its transcendent potential. This record might be thought of, then, as a kind of queering of sacred, devotional traditions—or at the very least, a space where all of these things can be held at once. Perhaps perceivable by some as contradictions, these intersecting influences create the conditions for an incredibly singular sound. Dave is steady and exploratory in his handling of this multiplicity, arranging sounds as they’re revealed, corralling them, coaxing them into form. “Because Dave is there,” Cormac says, “I get to sing three times higher, and three times lower, and faster, and backwards, and all of these sounds! That are there. They’re all there.” When asked about early musical memories, Cormac recalled an immediate fascination with harmony: from demanding that the first person they ever heard singing it explain what they were doing, to always (still, to this day) singing in harmony with their twin sister around the house, to being part of a children’s choir that sang soprano in Handel’s Messiah—not realizing until they entered the room with all the other ranges that their learned melody was but one part of the whole. Just as tellingly, Dave reflects on his early attraction to “abstraction and becoming abstract,” describing childhood afternoons messing with microphone and speaker feedback loops, producing long, enduring sounds with almost undetectable variations. In a way unique to the coalescing of these two listeners, notions of harmony are central to their output. Dave samples field recordings, old keyboards and synths, and vocal drones, running the live singing through four or five parallel effects chains, sampling and treating everything again in the moment. “Another way to put it is that Cormac’s voice comes into the board and then comes back out shifted, delayed, and shattered; Cormac and I hear it, live with it, and respond,” Dave says. This work is contingent not only on a deep intuition (neither of them read sheet music) of polyphony and due proportion (something St Thomas Aquinas famously listed as an attribute of beauty) but also on their connection to each other and ability to read subtle cues. Dave says they’d hold each other’s hands while performing if it was more convenient to do so, riffing on something else Cormac mentioned about traditional Irish singing: that someone would always hold the singer’s hand, for fear that without a tether to the ground they might find themselves utterly lost, unsure how to return. Joyful Joyful doesn’t shy away from offering such experiences of departure; they’re willing to unsettle their audiences because they themselves are unsettled. Their shared penchant for spooky, heavy music, and self-described “omnivorous” listening practices equip them with an array of sonic concepts that support this effort; Diamanda Galás, The Rankin Family, Pan Sonic, Pauline Oliveros, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Yma Sumac, and Catholic hymnody were just a few that came up. Observing their audience gives them insight about the effect of each song—something they considered while arranging the album. Its arc is marked by soft, sometimes sudden oscillations between cacophony and euphony, day and night (listen for insects), and from sexual, visceral entanglements to more ephemeral, celestial ones. Front to back, it arouses expansion, unraveling. Of lightning, Vicki Kirby writes: “quite curious initiation rites precede these electrical encounters. An intriguing communication, a sort of stuttering chatter between the ground and the sky, appears to anticipate the actual stroke.” By all accounts, something similar seems to happen at Joyful Joyful shows, between those on the stage and those off it, between what’s earthly and what’s beyond. “A lightning bolt is not a straightforward resolution of the buildup of a charge difference between the earth and a cloud … there is, as it were, some kind of nonlocal communication effected between the two,” writes Karen Barad, extrapolating on Kirby’s thought. Cormac acknowledges that while they and Dave play a role in this mysterious charge that comes about, they’re not solely responsible. However ineffable it may be, it’s undoubtedly a form of communion—and a sensuously shocking one at that
Following the success of Field Guide I, which Bandcampdescribed as
'collecting some of the world's best House,Techno, and UKG,' Maison
Fauna continues the traditionwith Field Guide II
The compilation represents the nextchapter in the evolution of Maison Fauna's sound, and giveslisteners an insight into what the burgeoning label plans todebut in 2022. Featuring an eclectic arrangement of House,Techno, UK Garage, and Drum and Bass from 8 talentedproducers ' each one pushing the boundaries of theirrespective genre in their own right ' Field Guide II weavesa compelling sonic narrative. The assemblage ofunderground electronic artists are sourced from ageography as expansive as the sounds they represent,ranging from Durham to Berlin and Bristol.
Katie Alice Greer releases Barbarism, her debut full length solo record
Katie was previously vocalist and founding member of Washington DC post punk
band Priests.
The fourth album from The High Water Marks, a band comprised of
Hilarie Sidney, co-founder of Elephant 6, one of the most influential
musical collectives of the past 30 years and songwriter/drummer of The
Apples In Stereo
Proclaimer of Things is a 39-minute blast of hook-laden numbers that careen and
roll mightily away with jangling precision and indie rock smarts.
Equipe de Foot is a French duo of singer-songwriters who record pop
songs and play them much louder on stage
Since their formation in 2015, Alex & Mike have played hundreds of gigs, from the
sweaty basements of their hometown of Bordeaux to the stages of nationally
renown festivals and European venues, making a solid name for their band, and
little by little becoming part of the new wave of French rock. Equipe de Foot now
admit that their flaws might be their greatest strength, and bring their love for
English and American indie pop music and production to the forefront in their
songs. For 'Geranium' they have chosen to work with producer and sound
engineer (and fellow Beatles fan) Johannes Buff (Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo,
The Drones, Dalek and other various amazing projects) at Shorebreaker studio in
Tarnos, France. A meaningful choice both in terms of technical and artistic skills,
Johannes was able to assemble Equipe de Foot's good old wall of guitars, as well
as reach the heart of their pop songs to make the whole thing gloriously shine,
without altering the charming homemade vibe emanating from their beloved
demos.
The album is a constant rollercoaster, alternating lo- fi ballads and powerful
anthems, but always with a twist, be it a pitched loop on a chorus or an auto
tuned solo trumpet at the end of a sad piano song.
ECHT! is an instrumental, futuristic four-piece inspired by the concepts absorbed in electronic music and musical production. Unquestionably the place where ECHT! really stand out, is on stage. Their live performance is a fusion between inventiveness and efficiency. Their setlist gathers original tracks but also covers that have always been part of the band's DNA.
Following on their debut album 'INWANE' released in 2021, ECHT! are now revealing two covers from producers they particularly love, 'MSMSMSM' by Sophie and 'The Goose That Got Away' by Objekt. ECHT! pay homage to the club culture with their own interpretation. While being faithful to the atmosphere and the sounds of the two original tracks, they add the organic energy that is typical of live music. Moreover, the live recording of the performances gives depth to the record. These two interpretations are the perfect representation of the band's broad influences from drum 'n' bass, trap, hip-hop, electronic music & jazz where energy and creativity are perfectly merged together.
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First ever reissue of one of the most sought after titles in the catalogue of Peruvian's label MAG, in high demand not only among Latin music collectors but also among those interested in the most exotic and experimental psychedelic sounds around. - It includes 'Astronautas a Mercurio', a cosmic descarga full of electronic effects, filtered voices and fierce guitars with wah wah and raw distortion, as well as guarachas, cumbias and descargas. - Details: Hugo Macedo was a member of the first sonora in Peru, directed by his brother: the Sonora de Lucho Macedo. His brothers were the singers of the band while he performed as a timbalero. After nine years he founded the Sonora Casino of Hugo Macedo in 1964, later incorporating his wife, Lucía "Pochita" Rivera as a vocalist. "Trompeteros" was released on the Peruvian record label MAG in 1972. Previously, the Sonora Casino had already recorded several albums for Philips since the mid-60s. At the time their repertoire was fed by rhythms such as cha cha cha, bolero, guaracha... Their MAG period would start in 1970 with the album "Pochita y la Sonora Casino de Hugo Macedo" in which Hugo Macedo's wife was granted with an important visual presence on the front cover, with a similar follow-up on "Trompeteros", creating some confusion since vocalist Pachito Nalmy was the actual main singer on the record. The vocalist, who hails from Callao, demonstrates here a great vocal versatility as captured on songs like 'Guajira del amor', with a heavy rhythm that will surely delight boogaloo lovers, or the bolero number 'Pasa, pasa', being both songs own compositions of the multitalented Nalmy. Guarachas, descargas and cumbias complete the offering of this fantastic album, one of the strongest tropical LPs in the MAG catalogue. But the real banger here is the almost magical 'Astronauts to Mercury', a cosmic descarga full of electronic effects, filtered voices and fierce guitars with wah wah and raw distortion, closer to the sound of any psychedelic recording than the classic tropical sound of La Sonora Casino, and right next to those elements, an impressive brass section that boosts the intensity of the song to the highest levels. It is not surprising that "Trompeteros" has become in recent years a highly sought-after album not only by Latin music collectors but also by those after the most exotic and experimental psychedelic sounds around... Pablo Iglesias aka DJ Bongohead
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Australian musician, composer and producer Ex Ponto aka Ivan Mašić has self-released dozens of albums with improvisation collective, Council of Elders, and experimental no-wave band, Wunderlust.
For his Offen Music debut Ex Ponto is constructing an alternative civilization of grace, post-sarcasm and intuitive response.
„In A Quarry...Far, Far Away“ is a 15 minutes long wandering with Joseph and August Norster around The Quarry, Beech Forest, Victoria, Australia, January 27, 2020.
Life affirming „Golden Hours“ is an alternative to the general wait for extinction and completition of a suicide program out there. An ode to the moments when sunlight turns magical.
„Shed 14“ is a personal reminiscence of the legendary club in Melbourne.
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A question popular among followers of Thrash Metal is undeniably this, “Which is considered the fastest Thrash Metal album of all time?”. There would be a high percentage of answers supporting “Reign In Blood”, Darkness Descends” or “Pleasure To Kill”. Now here’s a startling reality. Wehrmacht’s debut album makes those albums sound as if they were meant to be listed under progressive Metal. The sheer ferocity of these guys is enough to convince you why they were considered the fastest Heavy Metal band in the underground. So what is it that makes this record worthy of being called an underground classic? Right from production to musicianship, the concoction of several different ideas results into one colossal and inevitably unique style of their own. Many of you would probably wonder that there might just be a natural leaning towards sloppy playing especially considering my description of their astoundingly fast nature earlier. But the major surprise here is that all the musicians are extremely tight and precise with no single riff, solo or beat falling out of place. Tito Matos is one of the most versatile Thrash singers one has ever heard till date. His clarity of words and ability to keep up with the rest of the band with his lightning fast singing is simply commendable. The songs in here are all ridiculously speedy pieces of Thrash Metal with practically little or no remorse for the listener. The title track with that brilliant rendition of the famously eerie “Jaws” theme kicks off the onslaught with a tearing main riff that shreds away with speed and precision. Teutonic, Bay Area and a few east coast Thrash Metal bands have been instrumental in forging the whole genre altogether but taking the intensity a couple of notches higher was undoubtedly achieved by bands like Cryptic Slaughter, Soothsayer and finally Wehrmacht. For a year that was 1987, “Shark Attack” was way ahead of its time and has been highly regarded as the release that influenced many a band in the Grindcore and Black Metal genres. To testify this statement of mine, U.K Grindcore pioneers Napalm Death have covered Wehrmacht on one of their studio compilations, thus proving the exemplary effect this band had in the years to come. Yet the irony still stands out as to why only the most devoted of Thrash Metal/Crossover freaks know about this band. As for some of you guys, quit wasting your time listening to the senseless offshoots of Grindcore and shitty Black Metal and get a hold of this classic instead.
KU is paying tribute to one of the most acclaimed and iconic records in the NMS catalogue, with a 2LP vinyl release, with brand new artwork & a bonus remix. The re-release is an opportunity for new fans to be exposed to this masterpiece LP, old fans to explore a NMS classic through fresh ears, and for the band to reflect back on the record they made nearly 15 years ago.
As far as recording the record, there was nothing new about the approach. By this time the band had found a formula for making records that they found to make most sense and suit their chemistry well. Richard Formby was their goto engineer and Hall Place Studios in Leeds, was the space that breeds the desired sounds. This process would remain the same until the band started making records in the United States a few years later.
The KU ‘Plug & Play' Reissue is snapshot in time of a band that was around the 10 year mark of their career. There’s an undeniable chemistry and energy captured in the recordings that could only come from musicians who were tapped in and listening to one another's ideas and playing. With each track leaving you wondering how they were able to find that much pocket, and how much deeper could it possibly go!
“Radiant Bloom“ is the third full-length album from New England rock outfit, ASTRONOID. Often hard to categorize, the band has been dubbed "shoegaze black metal" due to their unique ability to weave together songs containing soaring, lush guitars over classic blast-beats. Coming in over the top are singer / guitarist Brett Boland's Mew-like vocals, a band he openly cites as a major influence. The band's last two albums, 2016's “Air“ and 2019's “Self-Titled“ follow up, have cemented ASTRONOID as trailblazers in the hard music genre with tons of support coming from the music press and some high profile tours under their belts with the likes of Periphery, Animals As Leaders, Between the Buried and Me, Coheed and Cambria and many more. While “Radiant Bloom“ is still squarely "Astronoid" and their sound is still remarkably obvious to those who know them, the album is focused more on song structure and arrangements, as they explored a more "pop" approach to writing. The combination of classic ASTRONOID songs written in that style leads to what is easily the band's most complete work to date, “Radiant Bloom“ is available as Ltd. CD Edition, Gatefold colored LP and Digital Album