quête:i believe

In August 2020, following some typical delays at the plant, Fourth Dimension Records released the limited edition 2LP (and now sold out) set of Kleistwahr's This World Is Not My Home and Over Your Heads Forever albums, originally released by the same label in 2014 and 2016 respectively. Packaged together in a single sleeve with printed inners reproducing all the artwork found on the original CDs, the 2LP was always designed to represent the first volume in a series of them. This next volume gathers everything on the next two albums, Down But Defiant Yet and Acceptance is Not Respect, both also initially released on CD in, respectively, 2017 and 2018, and presented in the exact same way. 2017's long sold out at source album, Down But Defiant Yet, collects four lengthy cuts which catch Gary Mundy (also known for Ramleh, Breathless and Broken Flag Records) furrowing his distinct and recognisable take on a kinda contemporary psychedelia with dystopian leanings. Each piece nods towards the fug generated by certain ‘krautrock’ groups whilst retaining threads of those uncompromising power-noise surges he built his reputation on, this is music guaranteed to take you to new spaces before forcing you to nervously look over your shoulder. 2018's Acceptance is Not Respect collects two lengthy pieces themselves broken down into seven parts often tempered to the point restraint assumes new, often disturbed (and disturbing) psychedelic or even filmic, properties, this music arrives like a spitting and foaming scream into the insanity of the void and the myriad challenges and questions it inexorably keeps hurling at us. Whereas Ramleh captures the sound of at least two people dealing as best they know how with the constantly rising rivers of shit around us, Kleistwahr is akin to one man having scaled a great height poking out of an infinite chasm and wondering why he bothered. This is uneasy listening sometimes renderedvirtually elegiac by dint of a prowess rarely found in such realms. Of this, Gary himself quite prophetically, in light of how events have shaped the world since said, “I was trying to make the music more spiritual sounding this time as the album is about belief. The first half is about personal and political belief and the second half about religious belief. I was wondering about whether in the 21st Century, you can seriously get anyone to completely change their beliefs and [am] asking is there anything you believe that you would be willing to die for, and the difference between the way that most beliefs have been accepted/tolerated and [are] supposedly respected in recent times in [the UK]. Now our society is starting to break down, it becomes clear that that acceptance tends not to actually be the same thing as respect at all.”

Das erfolgreiche Debüt Album der Göteborger Melodeath-Szene Pioniere für kurze Zeit als limitierte 2-farbige Nachpressung – solange Vorrat reicht!

For the third time to the house of Sakskøbing we are witnessing return of a close friend to the label, Portland-based Aaron Carlson who goes by the moniker ac$. This legend of a human being has crafted a 5 audio pieces which has been made on his modular machines at his home studio and showcases a good range of what I believe we call house music. With the first release he has done for the label that went out in the year 2017 and marks a 6-year friendship between the artist and all of us fellas who hold his music dear to the hearts. The record turned out to be warm, personal and true to the artist’s vision you’ll agree if just like us you have been following the man’s sound output over the years. Very importantly it teaches that bean curd is not only good for your body but for the mind as well and let’s not even start to count how many things you can do with it. You know what they say…

Music follows strange paths, goes where it wants, always. This is how music created for use only as a background for adult films in the 70s today sounds so current, sophisticated, groovy and cool.

In this new chapter of Sexopolis "Beyond The Valley Of The Beats" ( Pornobeats ), we will in fact find songs "for adult listeners" who have made non-trivial musical research their final destination. 23 soul, funk, jazz, lounge and more songs that are not so easy to label with a musical genre, believe me.

18 of the songs in this selection have never been made on phonographic support before, a real "first time" that you can discover with all the taste, curiosity and kindness due, please.

The fourth chapter of the Sexopolis series is certainly the most alternative and ambitious, the result of an accurate and difficult musical research that will satisfy listeners at all times. The turquoise double vinyl is as always a limited edition. Then, all that remains is to add it to your collection and ... make your own mental private film.

Enjoy!

Lost soul phenomenon Lewis Taylor's Numb finally arrives on double vinyl! One of UK soul’s most fascinating artists, most enigmatic figures and most under-appreciated talents, Andrew Lewis Taylor is a prodigious multi-instrumentalist and eclectic polymath. He enjoys a fiercely loyal following which, over the years, has included celebrity champions like Bowie, Elton and D'Angelo. Numb is Taylor's sixth album, initially released on his own label Slow Reality (an anagram of his name) and licensed to Be With for this long-awaited physical edition. It captures Taylor's wholly unique, intoxicating take on lush, late-night psychedelic soul music.

Lewis wrote and recorded these 10 brand new tracks after a 17 year break from making music, although the album came together over a two-year period. The years away have done nothing to dull Taylor's unique musical vision. He still astounds. The lyrical themes, however, have shifted. Understandably, more than a decade and a half of soul searching and unflinching self-examination cannot fail to influence this most honest of songwriters, and boy does it show. Numb marks a return to the darker, more mysterious side of his output: "Brian Wilson-channels-Smokey Robinson atmospheres", as Mojo put it recently.

After playing a rapturously received gig at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC in 2006, Lewis unceremoniously walked away from music and disappeared completely. An interview in 2016 shed light on some of the reasons for Taylor’s withdrawal from the business, but there was no hint of a return anytime soon. Then in June 2021, news emerged out of the blue that he was readying new music alongside Sabina Smyth with whom he had worked first time around.

On Numb, Lewis deftly balances stark, soul-bearing lyrics with moody mid-tempo pop-soul sheen. He deals candidly with depression, mental turmoil, even thoughts of suicide - clearly more personal than Taylor's earlier songs. The music is rich, warm and layered, with infectious melodies and hooks that stick with you. A true grower of an LP, it really does reward repeated listens. As Jim Irvin in Mojo reflected, "despite the depths these plumb, it's a curiously uplifting experience, unfurling like a concept album about life's challenges with an optimistic beauty at its heart."

Triumphant dubwise horns ring out yet, almost instantly, “Final Hour” takes on a dark, downbeat vibe. With lyrics that confront (and, seemingly, confound) death head-on, Lewis ensures the groove is still there, the beats still swing and your head still nods, strings glissade. Woven around delicate yet insistent piano and subtle strings over a killer bassline, the title track “Numb” is a good example of the lyrical themes throughout the album. As Taylor reflects, "So removed I feel no pain / And for all I know I could be having the time of my life" with a coda that feels very much in conversation with Brian Wilson's finest harmonies. "Feels So Good" is sophisticated 90s-sounding soul of the highest order. The music and vocals feel simultaneously optimistic and despondent. Downlifting. A neat trick, and one Lewis has been so adept at over the years. "Apathy" is a mini-epic, a symphonic-soul gem which builds and glides and, eventually, soars. “Worried Mind" is another slow-builder, creeping out the gate in a sketchy, discordant fashion before climbing to half-crescendo but never quite breaking free of its disorientating restraint.

The brighter "Please" presents a more hopeful mood, with the refrain "I still believe" ringing out as Lewis harmonises with himself. "Brave Heart" quietly struts from step one, as Lewis's falsetto swaggers over a downtempo backdrop with ace echoey drums, beautiful strings and serene electric guitar. Closing out Side C, "Is It Cool" answers its own (non-) question with a spellbinding five and a half minutes of swoonsome deep soul that oscillates between a restrained, barely-there backdrop and a lushly full musical accompaniment of acoustic and electric guitar and organ over bass and slick drums. The penultimate track "Nearer" is a magical, soul-stirring ballad in which Lewis sings of reaching a sweet salvation and achieving a peace of mind. If the hairs on the back of your neck aren't standing up by the midway point, you might need to check your pulse. Album closer and true tear-jerker "Being Broken" places Lewis's gorgeous voice high in the mix and the wordless falsetto and melodies invite you to ponder what Pet Sounds might sound like if it were refashioned as a dubby 21st Century electronic soul album. Astonishing.

Simon Francis’s vinyl mastering spreads out the ten tracks over a double LP so, as ever, nothing is compromised. And as usual, the records have been cut by Cicely Balston at Air Studios and pressed at Record Industry. Turn it up and let the Lewis Taylor sound envelop you.

Stoned Part I was the first self-released album from lost soul phenomenon Lewis Taylor. His third album proper, it was initially released on his own label Slow Reality in 2002 and it's been licensed to Be With for this long-awaited double LP release, its first ever vinyl edition. The songs are varied, hook filled and outstanding. Beloved by his legions of diehard fans, it's nothing short of a masterpiece.

After parting ways with Island, and without a label deal, Lewis went back to his home studio and began to record Stoned Part I in 2001. Co-written and co-produced with longtime collaborator Sabina Smyth, Lewis sings and plays all the instruments on this beautiful, emotional and very human album. It represents Lewis at his most accessible and finds him in the middle ground between his two Island releases. In some ways, Stoned Part I distills the best of his musical sensibilities. The flawless production is dense, layered and very early-2000s slick. The bottom end is thick, funky and sexy.

The complex, proggy-soul of title track "Stoned" opens the album and instantly captivates. Deep swinging funk with truly sweet soulful vocals, complemented by wah-wah guitar and swelling acidic synths. As Lewis himself told us, the ad libs at the end of the track were a nod to Paul McCartney at the end of "Hey Jude". Fan favourite "Positively Beautiful" has shades of Curtis and Marvin; its richly layered harmonies propelled by a simple, metronomic click-track that gives way to a more fully fleshed beat for the magnificent coda.

The slow, sweeping majesty of "Lewis IV" is all moody atmosphere, featuring dense, richly textured music and heavenly multi-tracked harmonies. The stop-you-in-your-tracks incredible "Send Me An Angel" could have been a huge AM radio hit, beautifully crafted sophisticated soul-pop songwriting in the vein of the very best Sade records. Yep! *That good* The smooth, psychedelia-lite "Til The Morning Light" is a gorgeous, sun-dappled love song, layered with Lewis' distinctive honey drenched vocals and, again, the type of record you could've easily heard all over the radio at the time of initial release.

The remarkable, wide-eyed "Shame" packs so many shifting styles into one song, it has to be heard to be believed. Opening in a laconic, breezy style, not unlike a Dallas Austin or Rodney Jerkins produced R&B hit of the day, it morphs into a heavy psych-soul Soulaquarians wig-out (the solo bearing an uncanny resemblance to Carlos Santana’s on "She’s Not There") before elegantly sliding into string-assisted symphonic soul and then back around again. And again. Sheer brilliance. The sublime, gentle head-nod funk-soul of "When Will I Ever Learn" (Part 1) is a strikingly well-turned-out tune, a neat, sweet bass-driven guitar-soul jam that ensures our jaw won't be leaving the floor anytime soon. "Lovin’ U More" sounds like a classic turn-of-the-century Neptunes production, the likes of which they'd lay on for JT BITD. A Latin-tinged groover with more than a little Nile Rodgers-driven slick funk stylings, it's yet another instant Lewis bomb with those gorgeous harmonies and chart-friendly irresistible key-changes to boot. Another indisputable (non-)HIT!

The funky seductive swagger of "From The Day We Met - Part II" opens the final side of wax, giving way to the gigantic buzzing synth-funk beast "Lovelight", a track so insouciantly mighty it should have been a massive hit for someone. Wait, what's that? Robbie Williams covered it? Ah, OK, well, I guess that says something about the effortless pop genius contained within. Containing a seemingly unnoticed nod to Kraftwerk’s "Computer World", it's Lewis's favourite song on the album. It's easy to hear why: "Sabina’s production totally nails it. I love the restraint and the subtlety, and that mixture of warmth and sweetness from the singing against the slightly cold, yet beautiful airy-ness of the backing track." To close this phenomenal album, the twisted electronic soul of "Sheneverdid" marries Lewis's beautiful falsetto to his virtuoso playing and an easy-cum-ominous musical backdrop. Stunning.

Simon Francis’s vinyl mastering, approved by Lewis himself, presents the eleven tracks over a double LP so, as ever, it sounds sensational. The records have been cut by Cicely Balston at Air Studios and pressed at Record Industry. Allow Lewis Taylor to get you Stoned.

We brake, always,
The rules of our ego,
Of the esteem for ourselves.

We leave the room,
to any kind of influence,
that pull us into eddies without exit.

We allow our minds,
Not to believe anymore who we are,
Not to recognise anymore themselves,
Until the point to not distinguish,
The live, from the die.

We are conscious of what we see,
What we listen, continuously;
Undaunted, we proceed,
In a promised decline.

In the outline of a dry future,
We recognise ourselves, enthused;
In a dark path,
We leave our existences end,
Sure, of tomorrow's absence.

Bone colour vinyl version of the recently released album (CD was released in May). Produced by Rick Rubin, this is a full bodied collection that flows like a stream of conscious journey through the psychedelic dark depths of the human psyche followed by basking in the cleansing light when finally reaching the surface. Continued promo/marketing activity.

Hard Rock/Melodic Metal pioneers Y&T have always been a LIVE metal machine and "Yesterday & Today Live" is the bedrock Y&T's legendary live shows are built upon. Recorded during what-was-then billed as the final date from Y&T's emotional farewell tour before the home town crowd in San Francisco, the inspired and energetic live set is a high octane set of the very best from the band's early catalog. The track listing is back-loaded with the classics fronted by the mighty Dave Meniketti. The majority of the songs are pulled from a powerful trio of early-eighties Y&T albums, the ground-pounding Earthshaker LP, plus the prowling Black Tiger and the hardened Mean Streak. Opening with a blinding version of the keepin'-up-with-the-Jones' "Meanstreak", and the fully-blown assault of "Hurricane", the spirited thirteen song performance adds "Struck Down", the sobering "Winds of Change", the growling "Black Tiger", the inspired "Midnight in Tokyo", the down 'n' out "Hard Times", the Bic-flickin' "I Believe in You" and set closer/fan favorite "Forever". New for 2023 is two additional bonus tracks not included on the original release in 1990; "Earthshaker" and "Rescue Me", making for a 15 track live concert experience from the legendary Bay Area sons; Y&T.

Adam Pits is back with his second album on Leeds based On Rotation ‘Synthetic Serenity’ represents the next evolutionary step of Adam’s sound design and direction. In stark contrast to his first album, ‘A Recurring Nature’, this new release moves out of the forest and into the digital landscape, capturing the sound of a future world over 8 varied tracks.

Adam Pits talks about the inspiration behind the new album:

“It’s hard to put into words how much of an impact 2022 had on my life. I could talk for hours about the highs and lows, the journeys, both inside and out of my body. Or I could just make an album.

Having delved into the deeper reaches of techno and ambient, I wanted to show my appreciation for these genres on the record. Atmosphere, clarity and warmth became the pillars of my new sonic exploration, with stress falling on my signature ‘journeying’ style. The album describes the idea of being at peace with machines and being open to the idea that in the future we will find ourselves more and more involved with one another.

‘Synthetic Serenity’ is a product of a big energy release. It’s a testament to my acceptance of change in life and I believe it’s a true sign of my sonic evolution”

Crass Records, alongside One Little Independent Records, reissue
their iconic three volume compilation series, ‘Bullshit Detector’, on LP,
available in both classic black and special edition grey vinyl.
 ‘Bullshit Detector’ was the name of a series of compilation LPs put
together by the anarcho-punk band Crass and released on their own
label. Three editions were released between 1980 and 1984,
consisting of demo tapes, rough recordings and artwork that had
been sent to the band.
 The sound quality of the ‘Bullshit Detector’ series was mixed and
often basic, or even poor, as Crass would master the tapes directly to
record without any additional production or enhancement. For Crass,
the expectation of a polished performance was missing the point.
 After punk had already been co-opted, re-packaged and sold back to
us, ‘Bullshit Detector’ volumes 1-3 were, and still are, seen by many
to capture the purest ethos of punk culture, an event that inspired
hundreds to take to their bedrooms and garages and join the DIY
revolution.
 Crass believed in the power of community and that their movement
was for everybody. These compilations are an admittedly harsh but
important part of that story; when Crass gave punk back to the
people.
 Sleeve notes from ‘Bullshit Detector Three’ read: “Don’t expect music
when the melody is anger, when the message sings defiance, three
chords are frustration when the words are from the heart.”

Crass Records, alongside One Little Independent Records, reissue
their iconic three volume compilation series, ‘Bullshit Detector’, on LP,
available in both classic black and special edition grey vinyl.
 ‘Bullshit Detector’ was the name of a series of compilation LPs put
together by the anarcho-punk band Crass and released on their own
label. Three editions were released between 1980 and 1984,
consisting of demo tapes, rough recordings and artwork that had
been sent to the band.
 The sound quality of the ‘Bullshit Detector’ series was mixed and
often basic, or even poor, as Crass would master the tapes directly to
record without any additional production or enhancement. For Crass,
the expectation of a polished performance was missing the point.
 After punk had already been co-opted, re-packaged and sold back to
us, ‘Bullshit Detector’ volumes 1-3 were, and still are, seen by many
to capture the purest ethos of punk culture, an event that inspired
hundreds to take to their bedrooms and garages and join the DIY
revolution.
 Crass believed in the power of community and that their movement
was for everybody. These compilations are an admittedly harsh but
important part of that story; when Crass gave punk back to the
people.
 Sleeve notes from ‘Bullshit Detector Three’ read: “Don’t expect music
when the melody is anger, when the message sings defiance, three
chords are frustration when the words are from the heart.”

Crass Records, alongside One Little Independent Records, reissue
their iconic three volume compilation series, ‘Bullshit Detector’, on LP,
available in both classic black and special edition grey vinyl.
 ‘Bullshit Detector’ was the name of a series of compilation LPs put
together by the anarcho-punk band Crass and released on their own
label. Three editions were released between 1980 and 1984,
consisting of demo tapes, rough recordings and artwork that had
been sent to the band.
 The sound quality of the ‘Bullshit Detector’ series was mixed and
often basic, or even poor, as Crass would master the tapes directly to
record without any additional production or enhancement. For Crass,
the expectation of a polished performance was missing the point.
 After punk had already been co-opted, re-packaged and sold back to
us, ‘Bullshit Detector’ volumes 1-3 were, and still are, seen by many
to capture the purest ethos of punk culture, an event that inspired
hundreds to take to their bedrooms and garages and join the DIY
revolution.
 Crass believed in the power of community and that their movement
was for everybody. These compilations are an admittedly harsh but
important part of that story; when Crass gave punk back to the
people.
 Sleeve notes from ‘Bullshit Detector Three’ read: “Don’t expect music
when the melody is anger, when the message sings defiance, three
chords are frustration when the words are from the heart.”

Volume 2 of a new 12" vinyl series from REEL PEOPLE MUSIC. 4 stunning cuts from the RPM back catalogue.

A Side on Volume 2 features the wonderful remix by OPOLOPO of ADINA HOWARD – MIND READER and the stunning remix by ROCCO RODAMAAL of KELLI SAE’s remake of the PLATINUM DOLL classic BELIEVE IN A BRIGHTER DAY.

B Side includes the ever so soulful REEL PEOPLE remix of ZO! FEAT. TAMISHA WADEN – STEAL MY JOY and also MICHAEL GRAY’s superb remix of JOE BUHDHA PRESENTS TERRI WALKER – FEEL RIGHT.

Over the last few years, Bristol born, London based artist LCY has become one of the guiding lights in a scene of fans who like their club music deep, dark and with a heavy dose of rhythm. Releasing predominantly on their own label SZNS7N, LCY has transcended musical boundaries, taking from a wide range of musical influences to create their own fluid hybrid style that indulges the deepest desires of those who chase a visceral dancefloor response - uplifting a huge amount of unconventional producers alongside them in the process. Today marks the announcement of their first release on fabric Originals, the flagship label from global club imprint fabric, alongside a new single, ‘Bad Blood’.

Opening to a stark cascade of sonic shards and mechanised vocal chops, ‘Bad Blood’ descends into a sparse percussive workout. The track expertly makes use of space in its composition, stripping down its raw elements to reveal a beat that’s purpose built for sweat. Using glitching elements to find new elements of intricacy within its drum programming, LCY inexplicably creates a composition that’s wholly inviting despite its ominous sound - with even the track’s more human elements twisted to sound like they’re from an outer realm.

Factory Benelux presents a limited edition 180gm vinyl singles collection by Marcel King, best known for his sparkling 1984 dance single ‘Reach For Love’ on Factory Records, as well as the youthful vocalist on ‘SadSweet Dreamer’ by Sweet Sensation, a UK number one back in 1974 Limited to just 1000 copies, Reach For Love: Singles 1983-88 features both sides of the infectious electro single co-produced by Bernard Sumner (New Order) and Donald Johnson (A Certain Ratio) and released as Fac 92 in April 1984, as well as a previously unreleased demo for ‘Love To Shine’, the planned follow-up single on Factory produced by Tony Henry of 52nd Street. (NON-RETURNABLE).

The album also features ‘Hollywood Nights’, a later single cut by Marcel with Gee Bello of Light of the World, along with a rare US remix of ‘Reach For Love’ by noted New York DJ Mark Kamins, and extended dub and instrumental versions.

King was invited to record for Factory in 1983 by Joy Division/New Order manager Rob Gretton, a devotee of soul and black music, and prime mover behind the famous Hacienda nightclub. ‘Rob was a massive fan of Marcel and thought he was as good a singer as Michael Jackson,’ explains Tony Henry. Not just a gifted and
plaintive soul singer, King also wrote both sides of his Factory single, ‘Reach For Love’ and ‘Keep On Dancin’, both paeans to perseverance and enduring Hacienda classics.
A classic video clip for the single, filmed at The Hacienda with local breakdancing crews, is available in.

Alas ‘Reach For Love’ was destined to remain an underground hit rather than a chart topper. Rob Gretton blamed Factory’s disdain for conventional promotion. ‘At Factory we still basically believe that you don’t have to hype a group in any way, and that a record should success on its own. But it’s getting increasingly difficult.
We put a record out by Marcel King and it’s hardly sold at all. The charts are wide open to hyping and marketing.’

Adds Bernard Sumner: ‘Marcel was an incredibly talented guy, but a tragic figure. He used to sleep in a car in Moss Side and was a bad heroin addict.’ A troubled but pioneering artist, Marcel sadly passed away in 1995 after suffering a brain haemorrhage.
1000 copies only of FBN 47 will be available on Record Store Day on 22 April 2023, pressed on 180gm black vinyl. The sleeve is based on original artwork for the Factory single and also includes a press interview with Marcel from 1984.

20th Anniversary Edition of the long-deleted fifth album by THE PEARLFISHERS from 2003.
Deluxe 2-LP set in a beautiful gatefold sleeve with enhanced artwork and all lyrics. The album has been remastered and features four previously unreleased bonus tracks. Non-Returnable.

Masterful, melody-laden classic pop music, driven by main man DAVID SCOTT’s exceptional songwriting which has often been compared to PAUL MCCARTNEY, BURT BACHARACH, JIMMY WEBB, TODD RUNDGREN and BRIAN WILSON

2022 marked the 10th anniversary of Lonerism. To celebrate, Tame Impala present fans with a deluxe 3LP reissue of the album that features previously unreleased demos from the era.
Recorded in both Western Australia and Paris between 2010 and 2012, Lonerism was Tame Impala’s breakout record. It received critical acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork and NME and is regarded as one of the best albums of 2012.

"Home Again: Carole King Live In Central Park" dokumentiert Carole Kings außergewöhnliches Talent bei einem der wichtigsten Konzerte ihrer Karriere, das am 26. Mai 1973 im Central Park in ihrer Heimatstadt New York aufgezeichnet wurde