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‘Tedere Baldadigheden’, Guido Belcanto's new, long-awaited album in a production by Firmin Michiels and Guido Op De Beeck, was released on 4 October, 2024 at the beginning of a very extensive, sold out tour. It is a special retrospective from an award-winning singer who looks back with melancholy and humour on the many mischievous adventures that marked his life. Love prevails, but tragedy and tristesse also leave their mark on Belcanto himself and the scarred souls of the many colourful characters who come to life in his songs.

This 15th studio album undoubtedly represents a new high point in Belcanto's oeuvre, which now numbers over 300 songs, with 11 of his own songs and 2 surprising adaptations of songs by Eels and Guido's idol Renaud. Besides members of his loyal backing band Het Broederschap, guest musicians such as Stoy Stoffelen, David Poltrock, Evert Verhees, Jan De Smet, Alban Sarens, Adriano Cominotto and Chris Peeters also play along. Also notable are certainly the passages of Lara Chedraoui (Intergalactic Lovers) and The Bonnie Blues.

For more than 40 years, Guido Belcanto has been creating a universe all his own with his songs. A warm, recognisable home for everyone, young or old, rich or poor, winner or loser. A home too, masterfully brought to a stage where the audience is allowed to be themselves without embarrassment, praising happiness, measuring the damage suffered, letting the tears flow and the laughs ring out.

Originally out as a free Net-7inch on Jahtari in 2008 to pay respects at the shrine of arcade machine fighting games, these undying hiphop-infused martial arts Dubs by disrupt are finally reaching their intended destination: white blood-splattered 7inch vinyl (attention: not actual blood!).

"Samurai Showdown" (which eventually became Solo Banton's classic "Kung Fu Master", from his Music Addict EP in 2010) is taking place at sunrise, of course, when two master swordsmen are matching blades in a battle to the death. Can the wave-cutting technique of the Jahtari-school prevail?

The B-side is the meditation after the battle, mentally re-creating the epic struggle move by move and in slow motion...
So draw your Katana and prepare for beats as sharp as a battle sword, deadly moves of Ninja swiftness and basslines coming straight from the six paths of hell.

BABYMETAL feiert ihr 15-jähriges Jubiläum mit ihrem vierten Studioalbum “METAL FORTH”. Nach dem
Erfolg von “METAL GALAXY” (2019) und dem Konzeptalbum “THE OTHER ONE” (2023) knüpfen sie
nun an ihre einzigartige Erfolgsgeschichte an. Das Album enthält 10 brandneue Tracks, die musikalische
Grenzen sprengen. Mit dabei sind einige Kollaborationen, darunter Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) und Electric Callboy. Auch Poppy, Slaughter to Prevail und Sunset Kiss verleihen dem Album ihren
Sound. Besonders hervorzuheben sind die Live-Hits “METALL!” und “TRATATATA”, die bereits jetzt die
Fans begeistern. Das Album vereint gekonnt Metal mit modernen Einflüssen und zeigt die Weiterentwicklung der Band. Außerdem wurde die Gründung von BABYMETAL WORLD LLC in den USA bekannt
gegeben.

Following their rattling 45 Cry / I’ll Be There Now and the wiry full-length My Mother Was a Friend of an Enemy of the People, Blurt returns to All City with Mecanno Giraffe - a new 12" capturing Ted Milton’s band of beat-punk absurdists in full, surreal stride.

The A-side delivers the title track: Mecanno Giraffe, a spiky, off-kilter groove threaded with Milton’s unmistakable bark, rhythmic sax blurts, and angular momentum that feels both mechanical and oddly animal. It’s Blurt as alwaya: driving, dry-witted, and defiantly out of sync with any prevailing trends.

On the flip, Milton shifts gear with a number of spoken word pieces. Stripped bare, intimate, incantatory. More Artaud than Allen, these pieces reveal another facet of Blurt’s singular frontman, echoing threads found in recent interviews tracing his ongoing collision of poetry, punk, and performance.

Third strike on the label and still no sign of softening. Mecanno Giraffe proves that Blurt still remains gloriously out of step, part animal, part machine!.

Swollen Members rose in the underground Hip Hop scene with a series of classic albums that made them one of the genre's brightest stars. Founded by Madchild, Prevail, and DJ Rob the Viking, Swollen Members have stayed independent under their own label Battle Axe Records. The have returned in 2009 stronger than ever with Armed to the Teeth, which features appearances from Talib Kweli and Tech N9NE.

Ali Farka Touré trekked the world, bringing his beloved Malian music to the masses. Dubbed “the African John Lee Hooker,” one could hear strong connections between the two; both employed a bluesy style of play with gritty textures that elicit calm and fury in equal measure. While the influence of Black blues music prevailed, Touré created a West African blend of 'desert blues' that garnered Grammy awards and widespread reverence. Though he transcended in 2006, Ali’s musical legacy lives on through his son, Vieux aka “the Hendrix of the Sahara,” an accomplished guitarist and champion of Malian music in his own right. On Ali, his collaborative album with Khruangbin, Vieux pays homage to his father by recreating some of his most resonant work, putting new twists on it while maintaining the original’s integrity. The result is a rightful ode to a legend. Ali isn’t just a greatest hits compilation. It’s a lullaby, a remembrance of Ali's life through known highlights and B-sides from his catalog. It is a testament to what happens when creativity is approached through open arms and open hearts. “To me, music is magic, it is spontaneous, it is the energy between people,” Vieux says. “I think Khruangbin understands this very well.” The genesis of the album dates back to 2019, when Khruangbin, coming off their breakthrough album Con Todo el Mundo, was beginning to play to bigger crowds. The record was finished in 2021, as a global pandemic shuttered businesses and forced us to take stock of what Earth was becoming. Indirectly, Ali captures this as a moment of peace within a raging storm, a conversation between past and present without allegiance to suffering. Now, given Khruangbin’s reach as a unit with legions of fans (including the likes of Jay-Z and Paul McCartney), they’re poised to bring Malian music to broader groups of listeners. Ali is a masterful work in which the love surrounding it is just as vital as the music itself, driving it to unforeseen places; Vieux and Khruangbin are spreading the good word to a completely new generation. “I hope it takes them somewhere new, or puts them in a place they haven't felt or heard,” Lee says. “It is about the love of new friendship and making something beautiful together,” Vieux continues. “It is about pouring your love into something old to make it new again. In the end and in a word it is love, that's all.”

2025 Repress

A tale of paramount love for machines and the inextinguishable power of subjugation that lies in these button-studded boxes teeming with cabled bowels that feel so intimidating to the uninitiated, Italo Brutalo's longed-for debut album "Heartware" is a 12-track voyage across 25 years of intense synth collecting, fiddling,
composing and endless loving for audio synthesis and the art of how robots make human bodies jack.
Throughout the twelve cuts that compose "Heartware", a feeling of retro-gazing, candidly playful glee prevails. Looking right in the eye of the era when dazzling flipper visuals and static-filled VHS glitches
reigned supreme, Italo Brutalo invites us to witness first-hand his own textbook smorgasbord of fast-wheeling arpeggios and vocodized hoodoo ("Heartware", "Reach Horizon"), dystopian digital sunsets by the beach ("I Feel Lonely"), early hip-hop-informed whackin' n' thumpin' ("Analog Bars") and the slo but hard churn of a robot heist score ("Nobody Moves").
A lush tapestry of woozy exotic pads set in contrast with a deft and aggro drum programming ("As Above So Below"), followed by a new-beat oriented hammer-drop that shall leave no raver unscathed ("Heat of the Knight"), Italo Brutalo shifts the scope to radical effect whilst maintaining that cohesive headspace flush with the iconic 80s-to-90s-sourced assets. The hardware used in the making of "Heartware" is obviously the star here, and the inner sleeve pays tribute to that: the ideas behind the album have been there waiting to find their way out for over twenty years!
From adrenalin-boosting fractals of keyboard razzle-dazzle ("Chemical Element") to straight out pumping EBM primed for hi-octane mosh pits down the basement ("You Are Welcome"), via polyrhytmic percs-driven assaults and sizzling hot synth-smithery ("Into a Sampler"), the pressure levels never falter. Yet, Italo Brutalo sure knows how to weave further oneiric, softer narratives for your mind to frolic in unhindered ("Dream Machine") and rounds it all off with a total, space-opera'esque epic bound to have you spinning out of orbit into the great unknown ("Eternia").
"Heartware" is released in a neat double-vinyl gatefold package presenting the concept and machines involved in its making, including a twelve-page booklet featuring Italo Brutalo's key pieces of gear.

Originally released on Ben Chasny's own Pavilion imprint in 2011.

"I was invited by the Incubate Festival and the city of Tilburg to participate in an artist residency where I would explore the region’s unique chapels built for the Virgin Mary. After writing the music for about six months by drawing on memories of the encounters with the chapels and using techniques inspired by Gaston Bachelard’s Poetics Of Reverie, I flew back to Tilburg to perform the music at the Incubate Festival. We recorded the evening and I released the result on my Pavilion label. Each cover was hand painted white on white in the old Pavilion style. I created a stencil and used graphite powder to make the design that is inspired by the sun imagery in Athanasius Kircher diagrams."

Roadside chapels express the identity of the inhabitants of North Brabant, a Dutch province, bordering on Belgium. Roman Catholicism has been the dominant religion in this southern part of the Netherlands since the eighth century. For about a century and a half this religion was strongly suppressed. Only when the French revolutionaries preached freedom of belief around 1800 could the people of North Brabant exercise their faith again. This was the start of a very strong emancipatory development from which a special form of the Roman Catholic faith arose that fully determined everyday life of the people here. This faith was the determining factor in life and the measure of all things. After the second Vatican Council (1962-1965) the reins of the catholic faith in Brabant were loosened as well. This was the start of a revolutionary process of secularisation. Within a decade hardly anything was left of the almighty influence of the Roman Catholic Church and this situation has lasted up to the present day.

In spite of the almightiness of the official, Vatican ruled, Roman Catholic faith, North Brabant has always and perhaps notoriously fostered an undercurrent of popular belief as well. This is a kind of belief in which elements of the official faith and age-old pre-Christian traditions are combined. Worshipping relics, holding pilgrimages and processions, the use of water from holy wells, popular art, recitations and songs, festivals, rituals, folk traditions, superstition and the like are all examples of popular devotion. These matters have strongly influenced and formed the identity of the present-day population of North Brabant. It is part of their immaterial heritage.

An obvious and still very much visible form of popular devotion are the roadside chapels. In Brabant some 400 can be found, most of which have been devoted to Mary. Chapels are small buildings in which Mary or other saints are worshipped. They can be found within villages or towns or in natural surroundings. Always at the finest spots! The beauty of the environment adds a primary religious or mystical feeling to the visitor. Local people attach great value to their chapels. In spite of the overall secularisation in society they are still at the centre of cultural and social life. Where people in North Brabant can hardly be found in the churches nowadays, this doesn’t mean at all they are no longer religious. On the contrary, religious feelings are perhaps stronger than ever, but now people have to find their own expression of them. That’s why they fall back on the age-old popular belief in which chapels play an important role. We can even witness new forms of popular belief with chapels as their focal point. An example of this is the scattering of ashes of people who have been cremated. Chapels clearly also play a role in the lives of young people. On an average five new chapels are added every year.

I have studied the popular culture and belief and the identity of the inhabitants of North Brabant for over thirty years. I have published over forty books on these subjects. In 2010 I was approached by the organisation of the Incubate Festival in the North Brabant town of Tilburg. Their request was for me to lead the American composer and guitarist Ben Chasny around a number of chapels in the province devoted to Mary. He had been invited to North Brabant to write some new compositions. Ben Chasny then chose to be inspired by these chapels and that’s how we met. I was especially curious how an American would react to something as specific and small as a roadside chapel in North Brabant, since we tend to think here of (people in) America in terms of ‘big-bigger-biggest’. Would an inhabitant of this enormous country with this prevailing culture be able to grasp and respect the identity of some 2.5 million people in North Brabant with their chapels? The answer to this question lies hidden in the compositions he made and that can be listened to on this album. Yes, Ben Chasny has been able to convert the phenomenon of a simple chapel devoted to Mary into music. The physical and the spiritual have found each other. What a beautiful world…just listen! - Paul Spapens

2025 Repress

As a trained dancer, movement has always guided GiGi FM’s work, whether through developing movement based instruments, or questing to make you move via sound-systems across the world. These ephemeral moments of altered sleep patterns and dance are now present in the music of ‘Sea~rène’, sounds for a trip in the mind held with a desire to dance.

A sense of brightness prevails in ‘Movimiento’, the feeling of white light rising from the dark of your mind as you lay with closed eyes.



Opener ‘Gabriella’ takes you by the hand to spin you across the ballroom floor, dancing in a dusky glow. Piano twinkles along with your step; a gradual ascension as a graceful dance can be. Lost in thoughtful yet thoughtless drift to the rumble of sound, we can confront parts of ourselves and our connection to others, the spirit of B side opener ’Awakening The World’s Heart’.



Place is important to movement also, as heard in the kinetic motion of ‘Tempelhof’, reminiscent of the feld in Berlin (GiGi’s home) itself. Blurred lines of people weaving their way through, either high speed on skates or on a leisurely stroll. It's summer in the city, where the nighttime shortens and daylight extends, yet the simulated night of the club never ends. Eventually reaching slumber, ‘Lucid Dreaming’ is the record's swan-song, a final lift of propulsion to remind that the dream of dance is a physical act, belonging to the imagined and the real. Digi bonus ‘Raspberry Pie’ is a sweet treat at the end of the dance, a familiar taste and a reminder of joy, ready for the next ‘Movimiento’.

OPAQUE YELLOW VINYL. 'Lawn Mower Man' is the second studio album from Swollen Members'
Madchild, and would hit #2 on the Canadian Albums Chart and #150 on the US Billboard 200. The record
features guests including Sophia Danai, Bishop Lamont, JD Era, Prevail and Slaine. To commemorate 10+
years since its release, Suburban Noize is proudly presents a limited colorway exclusively for RSD 2024.

Extirpated from the crepitating bowels of the surging Death / Grind scene of the early nineties and became cult with their frst platter of splatter released in 1991 by Wimp Records (LP) & Adipocere Records (CD), PUTRID OFFAL slowly dissolved in formaldehyde by the middle of the decade ..

But that is not dead what sleeps and the thing got alive again 25 years after its inception offering a brand new vision of its art with the release of the proper PUTRID OFFAL debut, Mature Necropsy in 2015 soon followed by countless Europe tours and festivals appearances like their 2017 gig at world famous HELLFEST captured alive for a DVD release as a bonus of second full-length, Sicknesses Obsessions in 2020 again followed by a slaughter campaign on all of Europe soiled grounds.

Now that their historical label KAOTOXIN / XENOKORP is left for dead, PUTRID OFFAL come back deadlier than ever and hungry for touring and gigging like a zombie for fesh ready to turn the crowd to pieces with their most brutal, to the point and mature album to date, Obliterated Life.

LINER NOTES BY BOOM BASS
A FIRST ALBUM AFTER SIGNING THE CONTRACT TO RELEASE OUR DEBUT ALBUM, WE WERE SUDDENLY INUNDATED WITH AN OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF TASKS.

TOWARD THE END OF THE 20TH CENTURY,MUSIC PRODUCTION WAS STILL A HEAVILY INDUSTRIAL PROCESS. FACTORIES MANUFACTURED CDS, VINYL RECORDS, AND EVEN AUDIO CASSETTES, WHICH WERE THEN SHIPPED BY TRUCK TO WAREHOUSES BELONGING TO VARIOUS FRENCH MAJOR LABELS. DEDICATED TEAMS BRAINSTOR-MED IDEAS, DEVISED STRATEGIES, AND ORCHESTRATED PLANS TO DISTRIBUTE THESE RECORDS TO SPECIALIZED STORES. AT THE TIME, RADIO, TELEVISION, AND THE PRESS HELD THE KEYS TO SUCCESS.

WITHOUT THEIR SUPPORT, REACHING THE GENERAL PUBLIC, OR EVEN A NICHEA UDIENCE, WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE.OUR FIRST ALBUM AS CASSIUS, SLATED FOR RELEASE IN JANUARY 1999, SPARKED GENUINE EXCITEMENT WITHIN THE VIRGIN RECORDS TEAM. AS A FORMER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, I KNEW THIS LEVEL OF ENTHUSIASM WAS RARE. FOR PHILIPPE AND ME, STEPPING INTO THE SPOTLIGHT WAS A COMPLETELY NEW EXPERIENCE.

AFTER YEARS OF WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES FOR OTHERS,FOCUSED AND IMMERSED IN THE STUDIO, WE WERE NOW AT THE FOREFRONT, ENTIRELY INCONTROL. THIS SHIFT BROUGHT A WHIRLWIND OF EMOTIONS: AMBITION FUELED OUR FEARS,AND CREATIVE CHAOS OFTEN BLURRED OUR JUDGMENT ABOUT WHEN TO STOP REFINING OURWORK.NAVIGATING DECISIONS AS A DUO, WE QUICKLY DISCOVERED THE COMPLEXITIES OF PARTNERSHIP AND PRODUCTION. WITHOUT MANAGEMENT, WHOSE CRITICAL ROLE IS OFTEN TO SHIELD ARTISTS FROM THEIR OWN TENDENCIES, WE OCCASIONALLY STRUGGLED TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES.

YET, EXCITEMENT AND SHEER JOY ULTIMATELY PREVAILED, AND WE THREW OURSELVES WHOLE HEARTEDLY INTO THE ADVENTURE. AS POSITIVE FEEDBACK ROLLED IN FROM SUBSIDIARIES, MARKETING BUDGETS EXPANDED, AND THE ALBUM'S RELEASE STRATEGY SKYROCKETED TO NEW HEIGHTS.

DAFT PUNK'S GROUNDBREAKING ALBUM HOMEWORK HAD JUST OPENED THE DOOR FOR FRENCH ELECTRONIC MUSIC TO REACH GLOBAL AUDIENCES. FOR ARTISTS ROOTED IN DJ CULTURE,THIS WAS A TURNING POINT. FRENCH ACTS WERE FINALLY BEING INVITED TO PLAY AT BURGEONING FESTIVALS AND ICONIC CLUBS. THE BRITISH AUDIENCE WAS THE FIRST TO EMBRACE US, AND WEEKEND AFTER WEEKEND, WE TOURED THE UK.

INSPIRED BY THOSE NIGHTS BEHIND THE DECKS, WE SUGGESTED RELEASING A VINYL FEATURING EXTENDED VERSIONS OF TRACKS FROM 1999. DESIGNED AS A PROMOTIONAL DJ TOOL, IT CELEBRATED EXPANSIVE, LONG-FORM TRACKS REMINISCENT OF THE ONES WE LOVED TO PLAY, AN HOMAGE TO OUR EARLY EXPERIMENTS WITH NDLESS LOOPS, LIKE DINAPOLY FROM 1996.

THE VINYL WAS PRESSED IN AN EXTREMELY PROMO LIMITED SERIES, ECHOING OUR EARLY MAXI-SINGLES AND THE RARE RECORDS WE USED TO HUNT FOR AS COLLECTORS. FOR FANS, IT WAS A CHANCE TO OWN SOMETHING TRULY UNIQUE; FOR US, IT WAS A FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO RE-EXPLORE THEA LBUM'S MUSIC.PRODUCED IN THE STYLE OF LA FUNK MOB'S EP, WITH THE TWO OF US IN A RECORDING BOOTH SURROUNDED BY FLOPPY-DISK MACHINES AND TWO OR THREE SYNTHS, THE ALBUM'S SONGS WERE STRUCTURED AND MIXED DIRECTLY IN STEREO ON A DAT (DIGITAL AUDIO TAPE).

MOST TRACKS, ORIGINALLY VERY LONG, WERE EDITED INTO A COHERENT, HOUR-LONG LISTENING EXPERIENCE. THE DJ TOOL WAS ASSEMBLED FROM THOSE ORIGINAL MIXES, AS A FINAL, FREE WHEELING VARIATION OF OUR THREE WEEKS OF FUN IN THE STUDIO.HOLDING THAT VINYL TODAY BRINGS BACK VIVID MEMORIES OF THOSE EARLY TRAVELS, THE NIGHTCLUBS AT THE CUSP OF TRANSFORMATION, THE CROWDS GETTING YOUNGER AT NEW PARTIES, AND THE VINYL RECORDS THAT WERE JUST STARTING TO FADE FROM DJ BOOTHS.

I ALSO RECALL BEING 32 YEARS OLD, NAVIGATING THIS EVOLVING WORLD. NOW, AS I PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING CASSIUS CLUB TOUR, I'M STRUCK BY HOW CLOSELY IT MIRRORS THE ERA OF THE DJ TOOL RELEASE. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER, I FEEL INCREDIBLY FORTUNATE TO STILL BE DOING THIS.

IN THE STUDIO, PHILIPPE ONCE SHOUTED, "CASSIUS IN THE HOUSE !" INTO MY EAR. TODAY, I FEEL LIKE TELLING HIM, "I'M GOING BACK TO OUR ROOTS."BOOMBASS.

'199 DJ TOOL", 2025 UNRELEASED ALBUM BY CASSIUS FEATURING 8 EXCLUSIVE EXTENDED VERSIONS OF THE MOST ICONIC TRACKS FROM THE ALBUM 1999 AND THIS EXCLUSIVE SHORT STORY BY BOOMBASS.

'It begins with a shoebox of mysterious provenance, full of recordings from the Vendée department on France’s western seaboard: songs of love and war, life and death, played out on land and sea. Songs passed down and sung by ordinary men and women, gracefully delivered with the poetic economy which unites the folk song of all peoples.

Next it takes a group of contemporary musicians to make selections from this treasure trove and sing these old songs anew; to sing them for their beauty, of course, and to reclaim the people’s tradition from those who would seek to exploit it for nefarious political ends. Who better for this task than Tartine de Clous, a singing trio from Vendée’s neighbouring department of Charente-Maritime, who burst into national and international consciousness with their debut album "Sans Folklore" in 2015? The result of their shoebox rummagings, the new album "Compter les dents", recorded in 2019 and finally seeing the light of day, is bound to delight old fans and win them many new ones.

Time makes many’s the alteration, and "Compter les dents" finds 'les garçons' - Geoffroy Dudouit, Thomas Georget and Guillaume Maupin - in a different state of being from their debut release. The trio, friends since youth, have certainly matured between albums, as one would expect; consequently the newer performances are more considered and poised, unfolding with a patient confidence. A relaxed domesticity prevails, something to do with the fact that the album was entirely recorded chez les amis, in contrast to the first album, which was mostly recorded at live performances in bars and night-spots across France.

Lending gravitas to the grain of their voices we mark a deepened richness, doubtless born of the various vicissitudes of daily existence which these gentlemen - and we too as citizens of this turmoiled globe - have weathered in the intervening years. Not too dissimilar, in fact,
from some of the vicissitudes detailed in those old Vendée songs. Plus 'ça change', right?

There’s a greater complexity and subtlety to their unique three-part harmonising, too. Their voices mesh in even stronger - almost telepathic - 'fraternité' than ever before: now commanding and mighty as a full-rigged counter-vessel, now gentle and lulling as a mother’s
cradle-croon, or as the whisper in a lover’s ear.

Three legendary figures of French traditional music, now sadly departed, preside as tutelary spirits over Compter les dents. They are: the late Claude Flagel, musician and ethnomusicologist; and the late Jean-Loup Baly of the well-known 1970s band Mélusine. Most of the album was recorded by Claude in the Brussels home he shared with his late wife Lou Flagel. The album is dedicated to the memory of Jean-Loup, Claude and Lou.

For the first time there are several guest instrumentalists working their magic to expand the Tartine de Clous sound. Jean-Loup plays a characterful accordéon on the song ‘La Veuve'. The other guests are: Maurice Artus (voice), Robert Thébaut (violin), Quentin Manfroy (piccolo, contrabassoon), Marceau Portron (cigar box guitar). Their contributions add even more conviviality to that which the trio of singers already share, a sensation which will doubtless be shared by those who happen to find a place in their lives for "Compter les dents".'

Liner notes by Alasdair Roberts.

LP in printed inner sleeve. The Joy of Coincidences is the debut album from the intriguing Barcelona-born and raised musician and singer-songwriter of British and German descent. The songs are stories and related feelings that reflect upon mankind observed through our eyes in different circumstances. This reflection is told through intimate music coming from folk-inspired pop.



The Joy of Coincidences is the debut album from the intriguing Barcelona-born and raised musician and singer-songwriter of British and German descent. Within the midst of movement, noise and chaos of the city, Bianca Steck searched for calmness and silence in order to write these twelve songs. Whether in a bar, on a tram, under a tree in a park, on a bench or on the balcony of her little apartment in Brussels overlooking the square, there must always be room for curiosity regarding the world we live in. Hence, this album was born through her compelling need for a conscious observation of our society and surroundings.



The songs are stories and related feelings that reflect upon mankind observed through our eyes in different circumstances and the consequent understanding of ourselves along this process. This reflection is told through intimate music coming from folk-inspired pop. Rooted in classical tradition, Bianca Steck chooses instruments such as harp, cello, double bass, upright piano, and flugelhorn and blends these warm sounds with synths, omnichord, drums, electric bass... in a very delicate way in order to create a dreamy landscape of sound. This carefully chosen music together with lyrics that tell real down to earth stories seen through the eyes of her imaginary world are the realm of this work.



BiancaSteck sees coincidences as small and playful interruptions of our everyday concerns, of life. We live in extremely uncertain times where many worries reign over our minds and there needs to be some kind of lightheartedness to move forward, to survive. Within all this complex spiral of thoughts, in the Joy of Coincidences the essential seed of simplicity prevails over the existential crisis.



The album is produced together with Catalan pianist and composer Nil Ciuró and features guest appearance Hania Rani with whom Bianca Steck toured as a support act across London, Paris, Berlin, Utrecht, Antwerp and other European cities and venues.

All demos were recorded in her apartment in Brussels with very simple means and were later on recorded in a studio in the mountains of Catalunya.

First LP in the ‘Signature Series’, a small new series in the Metaphon catalog, documenting previously unreleased archive works of less known composers. Metaphon presents their ‘signature’ in the most personal and elementary way.

Raoul De Smet (1936), mainly known for his numerous instrumental and chamber music works, started composing in the early 1960’s. Between 1974 and 1989 he also recorded several electro-acoustic compositions at the IPEM in Ghent, one of the more approachable crossroads for experimental music creation at the time. His work carries different moods and contrasts, a sort of expressive eclecticism where straight forward evolution often prevails over far-fetched intemperance. However, his work is far from obvious. The four distinctive tracks on this album portray a fresh and unpretentious enthusiasm of a composer discovering new electronic tools.

Julek ploski’s ‘Give up Channel’ is on mappa. It’s the follow-up to the Poland-based FL Studio demon’s ‘Hotel *’, released via Orange Milk in 2023.

It’s an album that wrestles against a shadow self. It’s about shelter from the hailstorm of unwanted memories and guilt pangs and serrated blades of thought. It’s about clinging on to some semblance of hope, knuckles taut and teeth gritted.

The fragmented drift of opener ‘Naysayer’ flows forward like an anxious daydream, pad eddies and piano plinks anchored by Trapaholics drops and bursts of guaracha drums. It’s a mess of mind: the bleakness of ‘Truth’ is punctuated by gun cocking and bullet spray and sudden jester-like blasts of unhinged, schizo-whimsical melody. An internal war without a clear winner.

Shame snakes through this music like venom through an emaciated body. Blue screenlight in a dark bedroom, pulsating temples, lockjaw. ‘Titanic’ hits like the thrashing resistance of a being built for love grappling against the scalding vengefulness it’s forced to contend with, the song’s abstracted rave synths giving way to warped voices and spiralling derangement. ‘Hollywood’ is a scarred battleground, the martial bludgeoning of a tightly wound hardstyle stomp blistering and shredding a delicate piano-and-string arrangement.

This music is about deep solitude, a meditation on simmering, slow-marinating hatred. But it’s ultimately about prevailing. It doesn’t revel in negativity, it roils and twists and writhes against it. Dots of light in oppressive darkness. Clarity and purpose against chaos and filth. It’s a struggle worth waging.










h I Was #AllAlone Movements V - VIII
[i] Economy [Movements I - IV]

With four full length albums and an ep under their belt, CHEMICIDE have become one of the biggest neck breaking thrash metal acts in Latin America selling over 10K+ albums worldwide and have continued to tour around the globe in DIY mode that has helped them grow steadily in the metal community. The band has been on multiple extensive tours around South, Central, North America & Europe, playing with great bands like Toxic Holocaust, Cattle Decapitation, Municipal Waste, Angelus Apatrida, Helloween, Destruction etc… and have been featured in Metal Hammer UK’s top 10 thrash albums of 2022 alongside Megadeth, Kreator & Destruction; it helped the band connect with a bigger audience worldwide and led the band to several European and American festivals, like Pitfest (NL) Into the Grave (NL) In Flammen (DE) and MetalDays (SL), Rock al Parque (CO) and México Metal Fest (MX). CHEMICIDE band leader Frankie comments about their new album 'Violence Prevails' : « Violence Prevails is a reflection of our daily life. America is a beautiful continent but filled with corruption; more specifically Central and South America. I wanted to portray how there's no more dialogue; everything is resolved with violence and unfortunately for us, we see a lot of poverty and class disparities among our people. I also wanted to tell a story that could resonate with more individuals across the planet and see that they are not alone when they see what's happening around them. Violence now is the key to sort out any discrepancies you may have with someone else and we see it on a daily basis with international conflicts around the globe. Production wise We wanted a late 80's-early 90's approach to the sound of this album. Big drums, heavy bass and sharp guitar riffs, all of this mixed with a lot of reverb and a very raw, 'butchery' approach to the sound. Martín Furia (of Bark and Destruction fame who mixed and mastered the album) understood this perfectly and he helped us shape the sound of this album. He took Black Sabbath's "Dehumanizer" as an inspiration for the drum sound and we tried to start from scratch on the guitar, bass and vocal sound.» CHEMICIDE have been perfecting their bombastic frenetic riffwork and drumming savagery during the course of their past four albums, now resulting in their strongest and most punishing new album 'Violence Prevails' .

The Tonarium is an idiosyncratic instrument comprising of two sets of modular synthesizers: Serge by Random Source, and another one by Bugbrand, both of which operate alongside a mixer constructed by Piotr Ceglarek and Jan Dybała. This intertwinement facilitates precise control over audio and CV signals and integrates technology with analog sound, offering the artists a distinctive sonic palette to delve into.

The present record unfolds in two parts, each exploring the fluctuating nature of sound. Both equally contribute to the work’s immersive imaging characterized by sound intensity, continuity and endless flow. Within its sonic tapestry lies a space for listeners to uncover subtle nuances, pulsations, and moments of harmony flickering through each chord’s firm surface.

In Part I, a formidable force consisting of chord progressions pierced by abrupt shifts and transitions unfolds. This deliberate disruption of harmonic continuity invites listeners to immerse themselves fully in each musical entity, uncovering the intricate details of the chords’ overtonal structure, drifting and steadily glimmering inside their glowing cores.

Part II, on the other hand, presents a more closed form—a recurring four-chord motif that evolves and transforms with each iteration until it finally fades out into whisper-like serenity. Here, the bass pulsates with greater intensity, like a wave enveloping the listener in a froth of feelings, which prevails and swells throughout the composition. In contrast to Part I, it exudes a sense of warmth and intimacy, inviting listeners to reflect over the dimensions of their own inner landscapes.

The Tonarium is to serve as a conduit for expression—a vessel through which the artist Aleksandra Slyz is enabled to channel her creativity and emotion into the music. Both Part I and II of the work have the capacity to drag listeners into a sonic odyssey that transcends time and space, therefore leaving an indelible impression on one’s trembling soul.

Performed & recorded on December 18-19th 2023 while in residence at The New Media Laboratory in Katowice, Poland.

Organized by The Soundscape Foundation

Composed & produced by Aleksandra Słyż

Mastered by Rashad Becker

Photographies by Kacper Krzętowski

Design by Maks Posio

Executive production by Christian Di Vito

Los Belking emerged during the British Invasion, capturing Peru’s fascination with instrumental rock. In 1966, they became Peru’s first fully instrumental band, inspired by The Ventures and The Shadows. Founding member Raúl Herrera formed the band in response to the wave of rock sweeping through Lima, blending surf and rock sounds that defied prevailing trends. Managed by disc jockey Gustavo Galliani, Los Belking secured a contract with the El Virrey label. Their unique lineup, including guitarist Willy Sandoval and bassist Jerry Lam, resonated with Peruvian youth, particularly within the Cantonese community, marking them as a revolutionary force in the history of Peruvian rock.

The music industry, once revered as a realm of artistic expression and creativity, has gradually transformed into a breeding ground for commercial nonsense. The rampant commercialization of music has resulted in an environment where genuine talent often takes a backseat to profit-driven motives. It’s high time we unmask and challenge the prevailing commercial bullshit that plagues the music scene today.

In the midst of all this commercial nonsense, it’s essential to recognize that there is a thriving underground and independent music scene where authenticity and creativity still flourish. Listeners can play a vital role in reshaping the music industry by supporting independent artists, seeking out diverse sounds, and rejecting the homogenized offerings of major labels.

To combat the commercial bullshit in the music scene, we must prioritize artistry over profit, diversity over uniformity, and creativity over conformity. Only by championing these values can we hope to revive the music industry as a bastion of authentic expression and genuine talent, free from the shackles of commercial exploitation.

The Leaves’ sophomore album weaves blues, folk and garage together through kaleidoscopic shards of psychedelia to bring listeners All The Good That’s Happening. On translucent chlorophyll green vinyl! Fired by youthful exuberance and a well-rounded repertoire of musical fashions, The Leaves, by all rights, should have turned into major stars. Despite the fact the band’s second and final album, “All The Good That’s Happening,” parented no winning singles and isn’t quite as potent as the first disc, the platter remains terribly underappreciated. Tracks such as the moody stupor of “On The Plane” and the ping-pong pulsations of “Lemmon Princess,” which carries a chaotic circus-like air, are decorated in psychedelic decals, while “Twilight Sanctuary” features some hard-driving harmonica blowing chained tight against giddy blues rock jamming.

The band’s blues influences additionally prevail on honest recyclings of Jimmy Reed’s raspy-throated “Let’s Get Together” and Buffy Sainte-Marie’s candidly cryptic “Codine,” along with “Flashback (The Rhythm Thing),” a retooling of John Lee Hooker’s “Crawling King Snake” that morphs into an intense boogie woogie instrumental. A copy of Manfred Mann’s “The One In The Middle” weighs in as another blues based item, and “To Try For The Sun” is a stark and haunting folk ballad. Snapping guitars, compounded by strong and solid harmonies give the album a strutting garage rock edge, where smatterings of offbeat arrangements and curious effects zone in on the freakier side of The Leaves. To call the album trailblazing would be stretching the truth, but there are enough amusing and exciting ideas to keep listeners awake and interested. Personnel issues, paired with lack of promotion prevented “All The Good That’s Happening” to be heard, resulting in the end of a band that died on the vine (pun intended) way too soon.

There is NO LIGHT at the end of this tunnel! BROWN ACID: The Nineteenth Trip fires ten more savage nails deep into the coffin of ‘60s psychedelic idealism. This series is THE premier top dog journey into the rarest and most wasted early local eruptions of heavy rock, unleashed at a time when harsh reality, human nature and disillusionment drove prevailing underground rock glimpses of a ‘better’ world into ever darker selfabsorbed comedowns. Mind expanding ’60s love energies transform into toxic aggression right before your ears! The great thing is that these moves are totally justified, ‘we are all one’ is cosmically good in theory but ‘get it while you can’ ends up perhaps better advice in the light of human history. Both of those angles of awareness can coexist, some of these bands deliver unrelenting sideways positive energy but they aren’t over-thinking it, they are youthfully driven by hunger for life and satisfying the undeniable urges their DNA thrusts upon them. Sonically, the results in the BROWN ACID series never fail to breathe hot and heavy, the guitars kill it every time, the variety of approaches these tracks take keep the scenery shifting into new places. The key element that makes this stuff so potent is that THEY (the bands) are in control. Captured genuinely with no compromise, right out of the gate. No doubt they had ambition with high hopes for the future when they laid down these primal efforts, the fact that they captured their energy so vividly at a moment in time when the only direction imaginable was UP creates a hard hitting life affirming subtext to the proceedings. That is the core energy of blues and rock and roll, dealing with the struggles of existence by flipping a gigantic ‘what the fuck’ high energy bird right in the face of the moronic defective reality these bands were born into. If you take this stuff too ‘seriously’ you are utterly missing the point, it is beyond analysis, it is life itself! No amount of thinking will get you there quicker! BROWN ACID: The Nineteenth Trip is scary... the bottomless pit of deranged vintage heavy rock the series presents continually expands over time... one deadly dose too many and you might be trapped in the bad trip loop forever... enjoy it or lose your mind!

Legowelt returns to Clone Records with yet another sonic journey that defies conventional electronic music boundaries, offering an album that is as eclectic as it is immersive. Blending different styles and textures seamlessly and proving that electronic music can still be creative and that function doesn't always prevail style. He delivers a collection that transports listeners through a kaleidoscope of retro-futuristic sounds, deep grooves, and cosmic melodies. Despite being in the music game for more than 25 years the music from Danny Wolfers remains playful and refreshing. Stylistically taking elements from his whole musical career and not commiting to the latest trend or any genre specifically, and low-key taking the piss with everyone who takes themself to seriously. While many electronic music artists are stuck in their own void, busy pleasing the big room, Legowelt meticulously crafts rich textured soundscapes, balancing between cosmic exploration and the dancefoor, that evoke both nostalgia and futuristic visions. His ability to fuse elements of house, techno, disco and electro with cinematic influences results in an album that is not only ready for club use but also gratifying at home. Each track offers something unique--whether it's the hypnotic rhythms, the lush synth lines, or the subtle, eerie undertones that creep in unexpectedly. Legowelt's attention to detail and passion for his craft shine through, making this album a worthy follow up to his last album on the Clone Jack For Daze series.

Imagine a late-1980s British band who ignored the prevailing chest-beating roots rock and jangly indie, and opted instead for terrace chant pop choruses, lyrical wit and a high-fashion boot-boy image: Queen meets the Sex Pistols. But wait ... the band actually existed and quite possibly invented Britpop. Reviled by the press at the time, Boy Wonder's recently discovered recordings now sound remarkably prescient: Blur's London; the Sladeier side of Oasis; Supergrass' sense of fun; and the arched eyebrow of Pulp. Never previously available, Question Everything is a revelation.

Emotive and raw, British (St. Albans) punk band returns with fourth album “Heaven Can
Wait.” With “Heaven Can Wait.”, the band effortlessly blend punk rock and post-hardcore;
shining melody and searing lyricism. New album includes features from Eric Vanlerberghe
of I Prevail on single “Be Someone” & Kenta Koie of Crossfaith on single
“filthy//RIGHTEOUS”.

A 2024 edition of Terry Riley's »Descending Moonshine Dervishes,« originally recorded live in Berlin in 1975 and released by Kuckuck in 1982. This will be the first time the remastered album has been available since 2016.

Using just intonation and a modified organ, Riley conjures forth a rich and layered sound that challenges the Western ear, reflecting his associations with Indian classical singer Pandit Pran Nath and La Monte Young, whose Well Tuned Piano was well underway. »Descending Moonshine Dervishes« is a virtuosic and kaleidoscopic performance, standing as one of the finest works of a revolutionary composer and musician at the height of his powers.

»Descending Moonshine Dervishes« dates from 1975 and it belongs to a larger Dervish series of compositions whose origins predate Riley’s two signature works of minimalism, »In C« (1968) and »A Rainbow In Curved Air« (1969)… the piece is structured around just intonation, which stretches the listening experience into new areas. Played on a Yamaha organ with a bit of tape delay that allows Riley to duet with himself, the music of »Descending Moonshine Dervishes« is an ear expansion that goes through skittering arpeggios and long, droning notes that indicate something of the many levels that it operates on. – Louise Gray, The Wire Magazine (March 2017)

California composer Terry Riley launched what is now known as the Minimalist movement with his revolutionary classic 'In C' in 1964. This seminal work provided a new concept in musical form based on interlocking repetitive patterns. It's impact was to change the course of 20th century music and it's influence has been heard in the works of prominent composers such as Steve Reich, Philip Glass and John Adams and in the music of rock groups such as The Who, The Soft Machine, Tangerine Dream, and many others. His hypnotic, multi-layered, polymetric, brightly orchestrated eastern flavored improvisations and compositions set the stage for the prevailing interest in a new tonality. Riley has worked with Kronos Quartet, La Monte Young, members of Fluxus, Chet Baker, Pandit Pran Nath, his son Gyan Riley, choreographer Anna Halperin, and many others over the years.

The music industry, once revered as a realm of artistic expression and creativity, has gradually transformed into a breeding ground for commercial nonsense. The rampant commercialization of music has resulted in an environment where genuine talent often takes a backseat to profit-driven motives. It’s high time we unmask and challenge the prevailing commercial bullshit that plagues the music scene today.

In the midst of all this commercial nonsense, it’s essential to recognize that there is a thriving underground and independent music scene where authenticity and creativity still flourish. Listeners can play a vital role in reshaping the music industry by supporting independent artists, seeking out diverse sounds, and rejecting the homogenized offerings of major labels.

To combat the commercial bullshit in the music scene, we must prioritize artistry over profit, diversity over uniformity, and creativity over conformity. Only by championing these values can we hope to revive the music industry as a bastion of authentic expression and genuine talent, free from the shackles of commercial exploitation.

A/B Side Effect, Black & Gold, limited to 200 copies. More than 4 years after "Sculpture Of Violence," GIVER from Cologne, Germany, announce their third album "The Future Holds Nothing But Confrontation" for September 20, 2024, on End Hits Records. In recent years, GIVER have not only refined their hardcore sound to be more brutal and atmospheric with elements of metal and post-punk, but thematically, it's clear that their new album serves as an even more drastic political manifesto. Capitalism, culture wars, the climate crisis, and their societal implications and consequences are central themes on "The Future Holds Nothing But Confrontation." GIVER critique the prevailing neoliberalism and its ongoing agitation for the uncompromising pursuit of happiness and satisfaction. The band explains: "What neoliberalism has established is a lonely place. Its driving force is the individualized pursuit of constant fulfillment, altering the way we interact with each other. Whatever we do to achieve satisfaction, there's always a lingering sense of something missing. Happiness and contentment are never the goal; they've been replaced by profit margins and excess. These are endless and extremely unevenly distributed. Anger arises in this vacuum. With this album, we want to remind that it's the economic conditions and inequalities that should be the target of our collective frustration. They create depression, despair, and a downward spiral. Being anti-fascists is not enough; we must also be anti-capitalists." This anger is also reflected musically in the furious 11 new tracks. Filled with powerful guitar riffs and sometimes bilingual lyrics, some of the songs also introduce a new, deep style of spoken word for GIVER, making the eventual eruptions that much more impactful. With the release of their third album, GIVER venture into fresh and melodic territory, integrating elements of post-punk, black metal, and hardcore into a sound that sits somewhere between bands like Oathbreaker, Converge, or Chelsea Wolfe. Although "The Future Holds Nothing But Confrontation" builds on a foundation of biting, powerful metal, it also incorporates dark vocal lines that could be found on a Fontaines D.C. or IDLES record. "The Future Holds Nothing But Confrontation" was produced by Lewis Johns (Rolo Tomassi, Employed To Serve, Funeral For A Friend).

ARIA Award-nominated composer and electronic artist Lance Gurisik announces his forthcoming album, ‘Proffer’. Set to be released on his Sydney-based label, 33 Sides, with global distribution through Inertia / PIAS, ‘Proffer’ promises to be a groundbreaking exploration of experimental electronic, jazz and modern classical forms.
 ‘Proffer’ is a psychedelic fusion record that blends eclectic musical influences. It draws inspiration from German Krautrock hero Manuel Göttsching, French synth legends Air, minimalist composer Terry Riley, and classical composers Ralph Vaughan Williams and Alexander Scriabin. The album is a maximalist exploration of experimental electronic, jazz, and modern classical forms.
 The album features collaborations with Lamorna Nightingale from Australia’s premier Ensemble Offspring on alto and bass flute, Nick Meredith on drums and percussion, a 16-piece string section performed by Ian Cooper on violins and violas, Paul Ghica on Viola da Gamba and cellos, and Lance himself on modular synth and keyboards.
 ‘Proffer’ challenges the prevailing norms in the music industry, advocating for music as a vehicle of escapism and self-exploration through active listening. The album’s maximalist approach to composition and production pushes the boundaries of where experimental electronic, jazz, and modern classical forms meet, creating an adventurous and cinematic listening journey.
 Contemporary Album Of The Month in The Guardian.

Civilistjävel! returns with »Brödföda«, the successor to 2022’s »Järnnätter« and his fourth release for FELT. The record features collaborations with Laila Sakini, Mayssa Jallad, Thommy Wahlström, ELDON, and Withdrawn.

Tomas Bodén is a revered figure of the aural murk, known primarily for his work as Civilistjävel. It’s an alias that has spawned a catalogue of self-released peculiarities, featuring music that scorns traditional form, instead opting for unfussed symphonies of ice-hued minimalism; soft murmurs that emanate from his studio in the High Coast of Sweden.

On »Brödföda«, his latest album for Fergus Jones’s FELT imprint, subtle new developments in mood prevail. Across its 75 minutes, Civilistjävel! unveils a breadth of emotions that on previous releases seemed distant. He also invites collaborators on record for the first time: Beirut-based singer Mayssa Jallad mournfully croons on »IV«, »VIII« hosts Coldlight’s ELDON & Withdrawn for an abstracted session of dub-hop murk, Laila Sakini offers a hallucinogenic monologue amidst melodica, sticks & bells playing on »IX« and Thommy Wahlström floats scant acid dub stylings on »VI«. These additions and developments bring a forlorn intimacy to the music, and suggest an ambition that few artists of his ilk strive for.

FELT’s (un)reliable cast of audio ghouls routinely summon the odd, with Civilistjävel! often its primary culprit; »Brödföda« gently modifies this path to pursue some of his and the label’s most quaintly beautiful music yet.

Die 'Bleeders' EP ist die erste gemeinsame Veröffentlichung der US-Shooting-Stars Black Veil Brides auf Spinefarm Records. Die EP enthält den Titeltrack (ein Black Veil Brides-Original, das eine Vision ihrer Vergangenheit und Zukunft entfesselt) sowie eine liebevolle Interpretation von Sweeney Todd's 'My Friends' und eine getreue Coverversion eines U2-Klassikers (das passend betitelte 'Sunday Bloody Sunday').

'Bleeders' bietet einen Vorgeschmack auf das, was Black Veil Brides' bisher eindringlichste, theatralischste und unerbittlichste Ära werden wird. Sie kombinieren eine einzigartige Identität mit einem unstillbaren kreativen Durst. Sie sind ein Objekt der Hingabe für diejenigen, die ihre Hymnen unisono singen, eine vielfältige BVB Armee, die niemals kapituliert.

Für Fans von: Bad Omens, Ice Nine Kills, ERRA, Falling In Reverse, Fit For A King, Motionless In White, Pierce The Veil, I Prevail, Bring Me The Horizon, Of Mice and Me

- Ltd. Col. 12": (Red Vinyl)

Step into a world where authenticity meets emotional resonance with Maxo's 2018 album, "Smile," produced by the mastermind Lastnamedavid. This release marks the genesis of a new era, a departure from prevailing trends, and an introduction to the genuine artistry of Maxo.

"Smile" is a testament to Maxo's effortless storytelling and emotional delivery, setting a refreshing tone in the contemporary music landscape. Lastnamedavid's soulful production serves as the perfect backdrop, creating a sound that is as real as the content it supports. The album captures a range of emotions, painting a vivid picture of Maxo's journey through the realms of honesty, youthfulness, troubles, and hope.

From the reflective "Same Hoodie Since ‘05," a sobering exploration of identity and roots, to the anti-romantic ballad "Evelyn," Maxo invites listeners to join him on a personal and introspective journey. "Smile" serves as a reminder, not just to Maxo but to an entire generation, to appreciate every situation, irrespective of the circumstances.

The project features a notable collaboration with Sharp, adding an extra layer of depth to the already rich tapestry of "Smile." As Maxo unfolds his narrative, the synergy between his lyrical prowess and Lastnamedavid's production creates a sound that is not just music but an authentic expression of self.

"Smile" is more than an album; it's a sonic exploration of the human experience, capturing the essence of Maxo's voice and vision. In a world of fleeting trends, Maxo and Lastnamedavid deliver a timeless record that resonates with honesty, making "Smile" a standout release in the musical landscape of 2018.

Die geschätzten Unique Leader Records-Alumni Fallujah haben die 10-Jahres-Edition von "The Flesh Prevails" angekündigt, die von Zack Ohren neu
abgemischt und remastered wurde.
"The Flesh Prevails" hat bei seiner ersten Veröffentlichung 2014 die Technical Death Metal-Welt im Sturm erobert und ist nach wie vor eines der
wichtigsten Alben im Katalog des Labels. Fallujahs bahnbrechende Mischung aus epischen Klanglandschaften, die in ihre komplexen Strukturen
verwoben wurden, schufen eine Platte, die für sich allein steht und ein überragendes Werk darstellt. 10 Jahre später wirkt das Album frischer und
wichtiger denn je. Ein Remix und ein Remaster von den begnadeten Ohren von Zack Ohren haben dieses großartige Album auf ein noch höheres
Niveau gebracht.

2025 Repress

Operation Sole like the summer, hopefully, imminent; “Operazione Sole” like the 1967 song by Peppino Di Capri, considered, perhaps wrongly, the first ska in Italy, but certainly the first to talk about Jamaica and upbeat rhythms.
The record you have in your hand is intended to be a testimony to how much the sounds born in Kingston between the '60s and '70s had a significant influence on local pop.
With the first explosion of reggae in England between 1968 and 1970, as well as with the rise of Bob Marley to a worldwide cult phenomenon, parallel to the all-English phenomenon of Two Tone and the ska revival, Italy, always attracted by the new trends not only English, he certainly couldn't stay on the sidelines.
Therefore these innovative and unknown upbeat sounds, derived from the blues of the 1950s and mixed with a Caribbean sauce, have also taken hold in the Bel Paese.
It began as early as 1959 with the song “Nessuno” by Mina, considered to all intents and purposes a Jamaican shuffle, to arrive in a few years at blue-beat (I4 di Lucca, Claudio Casavecchi) and ska (Margherita, Peppino Di Capri , Silvano Silvi, Renzo and Virginia) and be exposed to the first reggae (for example Jo Fedeli and his Italian version of “Israelites” by Desmond Dekker). Thus, we quickly reach the end of the decade of the economic boom and the culture, styles, references change: everything becomes more busy (on a cultural, artistic and political level).
After a stalemate phase that lasted more than five years, Bob Marley's reggae (considered a sort of new Messiah) conquers the planet, including Italy: the producers and artists, even at a high level, for a few years do not remain at all indifferent to this novelty and decide to introduce the "upbeat", primarily reggae, into the various pop repertoires: well-known names such as
Loredana Bertè, Mario Lavezzi, Rino Gaetano, Ivano Fossati, Ilona Staller, Adriano Celentano, Edoardo Bennato throw themselves headlong into new sonic adventures, in a pioneering way, but often with excellent results.
The "Operazione Sole" collection wants to take the credit, instead, of proposing and discovering lesser-known artists (with the exception of Gino Santercole, former associate and relative of Il Molleggiato), often real meteors in the Italian musical panorama, who have tried to achieve (or achieve again) success by adapting the pop that was so popular in those years to the new black sounds prevailing in the West.
We are in the early 80s and we range from the most classic reggae, to Italo-disco contaminated by dub up to the true Neapolitan style which, on more than one occasion, in its being endemically "black" and full of groove, has wrung out the watch out for agreements made in Kingston and London.
“Operation Sun”: a pleasant philological work, but surrounded by an equally pleasant aura of disengagement.

The music industry, once revered as a realm of artistic expression and creativity, has gradually transformed into a breeding ground for commercial nonsense. The rampant commercialization of music has resulted in an environment where genuine talent often takes a backseat to profit-driven motives. It’s high time we unmask and challenge the prevailing commercial bullshit that plagues the music scene today.

In the midst of all this commercial nonsense, it’s essential to recognize that there is a thriving underground and independent music scene where authenticity and creativity still flourish. Listeners can play a vital role in reshaping the music industry by supporting independent artists, seeking out diverse sounds, and rejecting the homogenized offerings of major labels.

To combat the commercial bullshit in the music scene, we must prioritize artistry over profit, diversity over uniformity, and creativity over conformity. Only by championing these values can we hope to revive the music industry as a bastion of authentic expression and genuine talent, free from the shackles of commercial exploitation.

Dispatches From Solitude is their latest album from Ortrotasce on the mighty Dark Entries. For over a decade, the man behind this project, Nic Hamersly, has been making brooding yet propulsive darkwave anthems that draw on the similarities and differences between industrial and synth-pop, all while connecting past and present sounds. He recorded this album during the Covid and post-Covid era and it captures some of the prevailing moods of those times across eight expertly crafted synth-pop tracks that delve into grief, romance, and the weird and wonderful nature of our modern world.

SamOne seamlessly picks up where his ¦rst EP left off and
starts another chapter ¦lled with broken and cheeky sounds!
“Breakz N Harmony Pt. 2” is a 4 track heavy record carefully
pressed, handmade packed and sprayed. Just like the ¦rst
one, the sample-oriented intuitive style prevails, spanning
across Breaks and Electro. Bold and rough drums,
harmonized with organic basslines and iconic vocals,
dominate both sides A and B. Tune in, Shake Well!