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BLARF is comedian and actor Eric André’s musical project. Most people know Eric as an actor (Bad Trip, Happy Gilmore 2, and The Righteous Gemstones), and for his surreal, boundary-pushing comedy career, with an eponymous Emmy Award-winning show on Adult Swim and standup shows toured around the world. But few know Eric André as a bona fide musician who attended the prestigious Berklee School of Music, where he specialized in standing bass.
BLARF brings his disruptive energy to a new body of work that is both an extended comedic bit and entirely, unironically serious: Film Scores For Films That Don’t Exist. Inspired by composers like Ennio Morricone and Vangelis, whose signature sound is as iconic as the films they soundtracked, Eric enlisted a full orchestra to bring his compositions to life, recording in Los Angeles and Budapest.

Repress

The Collaboration - Having toured together over the years, Lattimore and Barwick now join forces to co-write and record this full-length album. Their creative synergy brings together harp, voice, and analog synths in a deeply emotional, immersive sound journey. The album was recorded at the Philharmonie de Paris with co-producer Trevor Spencer (Fleet Foxes, Beach House). This album continues a unique series of collaborations between the label and the Musée de la Musique, featuring historical instruments in contemporary composition. Since 2017, InFiné and the Philharmonie de Paris have co-developed a series of albums designed to highlight the extraordinary instrument collection of the Musée de la Musique. Following the albums InBach by Arandel (2020) and Saturn 63 by Seb Martel (2022), this third release is a meeting of two iconic contemporary ambient voices: Mary Lattimore and Julianna Barwick. The project offers the artists full access to the museum’s playable instruments for recording, sound conservation, and creative reinterpretation.



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Tragic Magic brings together Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore, two of contemporary ambient, experimental and electronic music’s most celebrated composers, for a unique collaboration at the Philharmonie de Paris, with extraordinary access to the Musée de la Musique’s instrument collection, in partnership with the French label InFiné. The album features seven immersive, evocative compositions guided by the human spirit – intimate, grounded in friendship, both earthly and cosmic – and part of a greater continuum, reflecting the solace and transformative power of artistry across generations.

Co-produced by Trevor Spencer (Fleet Foxes, Beach House), Tragic Magic was created in just nine days, a testament to the “musical telepathy” that has developed between Barwick and Lattimore over years of touring and friendship. Arriving in Paris from Los Angeles shortly after the 2025 wildfires, their sessions combined improvisation with the emotions and experiences they carried, in a setting both inspiring and deeply supportive. Lattimore selected harps tracing the instrument’s evolution from 1728 to 1873, while Barwick chose several iconic analog synthesizers, including the Roland JUPITER and Sequential Circuits PROPHET-5. In freeform dialogue between voice and instrument, they create a meditation on tragedy, wonder, and the restorative power of shared experience.

The duo, often joined by Spencer, also explored the city, sharing meals and visiting museums and landmarks, each encounter leaving an impression on their next session. The experience allowed them to work intimately with rare instruments, blending their personal sensibilities with centuries of history, resulting in music that honors the past while remaining a deeply authentic expression of the present.
Throughout Tragic Magic, Barwick and Lattimore find something beyond themselves: a sense that while everything may not be okay, beauty persists. Their approach – transforming life into music, observing, feeling, and creating – continues a lineage of creative expression and visionary invention, embodied in the very instruments they employed for this project.

Swedish alt-pop icon Lykke Li, whose career spans the haunting intimacy of Youth Novels to the widescreen ambition of So Sad So Sexy, returns with her most uncompromising statement yet. Signed to Crush Management and already confirmed for Coachella 2026 and a run of South American festivals, her forthcoming album The Afterparty strips things back to raw truth and artist dogma. Built on a shoestring budget but led by high-fashion meets candid, meme-ready visuals, the world of The Afterparty channels early Tumblr and i-D magazine energy—real, raw, and distinctly Lykke Li.

Swedish alt-pop icon Lykke Li, whose career spans the haunting intimacy of Youth Novels to the widescreen ambition of So Sad So Sexy, returns with her most uncompromising statement yet. Signed to Crush Management and already confirmed for Coachella 2026 and a run of South American festivals, her forthcoming album The Afterparty strips things back to raw truth and artist dogma. Built on a shoestring budget but led by high-fashion meets candid, meme-ready visuals, the world of The Afterparty channels early Tumblr and i-D magazine energy—real, raw, and distinctly Lykke Li.

This 7-inch singles features a previously unreleased cover of Bob Marley's iconic "Sun Is Shining," performed by the prolific Jamaican singer Ronnie Davis of The Itals and The Tennors. The multi-track tape was famously mixed by Prince Jammy into the popular "Jammys A Shine" dub, without any vocals. More recently, Prince Fatty mixed his version "Dub Is Shining" for the acclaimed Prince Fatty Meets The Gorgon album (VP4246) in 2023. The vocal was never mixed or issued, for reasons unknown, but with Prince Fatty's usual magic touch, it finally finds its way to the public after nearly five decades. Ronnie Davis, 1950-2017, was one of Jamaica's beloved voices during his long career. He was better known as a member of the rocksteady group The Tennors, and later with The Itals, but during the 1970s he was on of Bunny Striker Lee's top vocalists.

Mutant, in collaboration with Hollywood Records and 20th century Studios, is proud to present the premiere physical media release of Benjamin Wallfisch's score to the first of two 2025 Predator films, the animated anthology PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS Benjamin Wallfisch had quite the task in scoring KILLER OF KILLERS.

Not only did he need to tackle one of the most iconic sci-fi titles in pop culture history, but he had to do so across multiple time periods, locations and genres. A Scandinavian arctic right of passage, a Japanese Feudal revenge plot, and a World War Two underdog dogfight - all bookended by an epic battle on the Yautja home planet where the far-reaching nature of the Predator finally reveals itself after 30 years of filmmaking.

All the while, Wallfisch nimbly navigates the spirit of each period, their cultural instrumentation, and the kineticism of each chapter, and the emotional stakes of each battle. It's a minor miracle of a score that we are honoured to celebrate.

Featuring original artwork by Oliver Barrett, featuring liner notes by the films director Dan Trachtenberg, and pressed on 140gm Red vinyl, this release is essential for fans of the series.

A physical media release of PREDATOR: BADLANDS featuring a score by Wallfisch and co-composer Sarah Schachner is forthcoming.

With his self-titled new album—out May 8 on Candid Records—Grammy-winning guitarist, producer, and songwriter Matthew Stevens delivers a definitive midcareer mission statement. Long recognized as one of the most thrilling and thoughtful guitarists of his generation, Stevens has built an elite reputation in music, touring and recording with a "who’s who" of modern icons, including Esperanza Spalding, Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah, Harvey Mason, and Walter Smith III.

On this new release, Stevens steps fully into the spotlight, performing at the absolute peak of his powers. The music seamlessly melds acoustic and electric sonics through a mix of genre-blurring originals and deeply personal covers. The album features a multigenerational cast of musicians, including mentors like Terri Lyne Carrington, personal guitar heroes like Jeff Parker, and rising visionaries such as vibraphonist Joel Ross and vocalists Anna B Savage and Corey King. Co-produced by Stevens alongside Josh Johnson and Eric Doob, the record is the culmination of 20 years of craft. It reflects a period of profound personal and artistic change, ultimately bringing Stevens to "a place of optimism, excitement, and confidence" that signals a bold new chapter for one of jazz’s most essential voices.

Milan Records are excited to announce the release of TRAVESÍA, an album of music by prolific composer, producer, and artist RYUICHI SAKAMOTO curated by five-time Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu. Available in vinyl format, the compilation album features twenty tracks handpicked by Iñárritu, who famously collaborated with Sakamoto on his Best Picture-winning film, The Revenant. Taking its name from the Spanish term for “journey,” Travesía spans nearly four decades of Sakamoto’s solo work and scores, with Iñárritu taking listeners on a one-of-a-kind trip through the iconic musician’s career.

Morcheeba unveil Remix The Chaos: Volume 1, the first instalment in a three-part remix series drawn from their 11th studio album, Escape The Chaos (2025).

Spanning four tracks per volume, the project brings together an eclectic, global roster of electronic producers, each offering a distinct reimagining of Morcheeba’s unmistakable sound. Multi-genre and far-reaching, the series expands further into the rich sonic world the band have built over the past few decades, pushing their music into bold, contemporary electronic territory. Volume 1 features remixes from Paula Tape, the Chilean superstar producer, recent Mixmag cover star and one of electronic music’s most exciting names heading into 2026; Trance Wax (a.k.a. Ejeca), the prolific Belfast producer specialising in high-energy breakbeat and trance-leaning remixes; Frazer Ray, the London-based underground force known for UK bass, breaks and garage; and Brothers Counsell, a side project from the formidable Joy Anonymous.

Together, the tracks form a journey of dancefloor-ready hard hitters, powered by Morcheeba’s iconic vocals and signature guitar lines. Pressed on limited edition traffic light red vinyl, Remix The Chaos: Volume 1 comes with deep-cut grooves designed to hit just as hard on a club sound system as they do from the comfort of your living room.

Iconic Atlanta quintet SEVENDUST is back with its 15th studio album, ONE, set for release on May 1, 2026 via Napalm Records. The upcoming full-length LP forges ten simultaneously lean and gut-punching tracks out of gargantuan riffs, seismic grooves, and signature soul-stirring hooks, once again produced by Michael “Elvis” Baskette (Alter Bridge, Falling In Reverse, Mammoth). The group, comprised of Lajon Witherspoon (vocals), Clint Lowery (lead guitar, backing vocals), John Connolly (lead guitar, backing vocals), Vince Hornsby (bass), and Morgan Rose (drums), busts down the door with the first single “Is This The Real You”. Its swaggering fretwork alternately wallops and gallops in lockstep with a pummeling rhythm anchored by thunderous drums. The riff rolls and seethes, and the vocals swing from guttural growls into the embrace of a jazz-y chantable chorus.

A hummable lead ties the bridge together. Echoes of a tensely picked single-note set the tone for “Threshold.” Lajon’s delicate delivery gives way to a contentious distortion-boosted refrain. Then, there’s “Unbreakable,” which has all the makings of a clarion call for the collective and a future live staple. Strains of soft piano slip into the undertow of a towering hook punctuated by a promise, “We were meant to be unbreakable… even when we’re at our lowest lows. And if it gets too cold, I’ll never let you go.” The title track succinctly sums up the record as a whole. Bellowing out of a maelstrom of roaring distortion, Lajon’s voice reaches heavenly heights. For over three decades, SEVENDUST have made countless fans feel a part of something special. The group’s community isn’t passive. Members of the “7D Army” make a very active commitment to being part of this family – as evinced by sold-out shows worldwide and innumerable tattoos of the band’s logo and lyrics. Since 1994, the band has quietly built a legacy without parallel, encompassing sales of nearly eight million albums, a GRAMMY® Award nomination for “Best Metal Performance,” three Top 15 entries on the Billboard 200, hundreds of millions of streams, and the fierce loyalty of millions of listeners in every corner of the globe.

WRWTFWW Records is very excited to announce the first release from its new City Pop Series with Japanese singer, actress, entertainer, scholar and all-around legend Momoko Kikuchi’s sun-drenched classic Ocean Side album, available now as a limited-edition transparent vinyl LP in a heavyweight sleeve with obi.

A cult classic among Japanese music collectors, Ocean Side was originally released in 1984 by mythical label VAP and features lush compositions and arrangements by J-Pop icon Tetsuji Hayashi (Mariya Takeuchi, Miki Matsubara, Omega Tribe, Junichi Inagaki, Urusei Yatsura anime, soundtrack…). Momoko Kikuchi’s city pop gem is a flawless mix of heartwarming beachside funk, breezy grooves, and silky-smooth vocals - the feel-good music we all need in our life right now.

The 9-track summer-is-forever adventure notably includes the ultra-funky megahit “Blind Curve”, the fan-favorite title song, and the insanely romantic ballad “Futari No Night Drive”. A vibrant reflection of summer in 1980s Japan, Ocean Side masterfully balances nostalgia and elegance, and provides part of the origin story for revered modern music genres such as chillwave, and future funk, and vaporwave.

The official reissue licensed from VAP, Inc. is sourced from the original masters with an audiophile-cut by Sidney Meyer at Emil Berliner Studios.

WRWTFWW’s City Pop Series and its Lopetz/Büro Destruct-designed logo also includes jazz-fusion-AOR-mellow-funk treasure Safari (1984), a limited capsule collection of merch, and much more to come in the near future.

Capturing Bubs’ high-energy Italo sound, this EP features a collaboration with iconic Italo master Vanello, alongside progressive house remixes from CLOSE PROXIMITY and Nairless. A bold, high-voltage collision between dancefloor nostalgia and modern club intensity.

Armada Music are back again with a release packed full of nostalgic flavour, Angie Brown’s grade-A reimagination of the silver-certified ‘I’m Gonna Get You’ is a trip down memory lane tailored to today’s dance floor. A cult classic among ravers young and old, this re-release gives the early-‘90s classic a new lease of life. Now with three fresh new remixes 20 odd years later, following on from the original mix is Jess Bays’ Remix she brings her unique style of production which has been integral to her rise in the world of dance music by making hits for the likes of Defected, Stress, Warner, Universal, Sony and many more. Flipping over to the B side is Robbin Traxx an alias formed by the collaboration of the heavyweight hitters who are Solardo and Joshwa, together they bring their UKG touch to provide a fresh take to the 93’ classic. Finally, rounding off the release is Austin Millz an artist who has established himself as a genre-bending icon. Having performed with artists like Quincy Jones and Beyonce, his music is a deeply textured fusion of soul and dance-floor euphoria. An essential piece of vinyl for fans of classic dance music new & old!

Einstein Doctor Deejay – Automatic Sex: The adrenaline of 1994 returns in an
Exclusive Edition
Get ready to reactivate your circuits: one of the cornerstones of 90s Italian techno-dance is
finally available again in a breathtaking new edition. "Automatic Sex" by Einstein Doctor
Deejay is more than just a track; it is a hypnotic journey that defined the sound of
European clubs in the mid-90s.
Originally released in 1994, the track perfectly fuses the energy of hard-trance with the
charisma of Eurodance, driven by that iconic robotic vocal sample that became a
trademark during peak-time sets in every club.
This reissue is no ordinary black vinyl. It is a meticulously detailed Picture Disc,
transforming the physical record into a true art piece for your collection.

2026 is the 50th anniversary of the iconic fourth album by Average White Band, released in June 1976.

Reaching #9 and becoming their third consecutive US Top 10 album, “Soul Searching” includes the much-sampled classics ‘A Love Of Your Own’ and ‘Queen Of My Soul’, with the latter reaching the Top 40 Singles Charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Two further singles in ‘Everybody’s Darling’ and ‘I’m The One’ were also released as singles in various parts of the world.

Snoop Dogg, Fatboy Slim, Ice Cube, Puff Daddy, TLC, Rick Ross, will.i.am and Mark Ronson amongst countless others, have all borrowed sections of their grooves.

In 2026, the sample alchemist returns to his first love with his 11th album, Endless Smile 2. A 16-track project conceived as a tribute to his landmark 2015 album Endless Smile, which featured his iconic tracks “Betty” and “Qu’attendez-vous de moi”.

Born from a desire to return to the essentials, Endless Smile 2 focuses on instrumental compositions enriched with samples and organic textures inspired by the 70s. The album develops a warm and sun-soaked atmosphere, crossed by the melancholic touch that defines Degiheugi’s musical universe.

Recorded between 2023 and 2025 in his studio Endless Smile Records and mixed by his longtime collaborator Mr. Gib, the album opens with the trip-hop anthem “The Last Opening”. Far from being a simple introduction, it acts as a true gateway into Degiheugi’s new sonic journey. Keyboards set the tone, the horn section led by N’Zeng invites listeners into the groove, while guitars and organic keyboards immerse us fully into his musical world. The scene is set: he’s back.

Among the standout tracks, “Ain’t Goin Down” delivers a reggae-influenced groove driven by a message of hope, while “Vem O Mar” (feat. Hugo Kant) explores funk and tropical soundscapes. “Ipanemax”, a nod to the classic “The Girl From Ipanema”, and “Ouh Baby” extend this Brazilian atmosphere, while “Savoir Danser” leans toward oriental textures and “Juanita Bonita” ventures into a bold fusion of cumbia and dub.

The album also reveals Degiheugi’s signature melancholic side. An addictive loop settles deep into the listener’s mind as “Sympathique et sympa” balances nostalgia with urban groove. The haunting strings of “Naked” and the soul ballad “She Worries” respectively reflect on mortality and the fragility of romantic relationships. Guest artist Miscellaneous addresses gender-based violence on “Love Is Blind”, telling the story of a woman trapped in a toxic relationship.

Endless Smile 2 closes with “Enivrez-vous”, an outro inspired by Charles Baudelaire’s poem, bringing the album to a contemplative conclusion. With this release, Degiheugi masterfully completes a musical journey that began ten years ago.

Global icon and five-time GRAMMY® winner Angelique Kidjo returns with HOPE!!, a revelatory 16-track collection that serves as a vibrant antidote to the times. Following her 2021 success Mother Nature, this album bridges continents and genres, featuring a star-studded lineup including Pharrell Williams, Quavo, Ayra Starr, Nile Rodgers, and Davido among other A-listers

Produced by Pharrell and Shizzi, and featuring songwriting by the legendary Diane Warren, HOPE!! is more than an album—it’s a global musical movement dedicated to the resilience of the human spirit.

The Swallows were one of Singapore’s standout bands of the 1960s, rising from the explosive Pop Yeh-Yeh movement, the regional response to the global beat-band wave, with strong garage-rock roots. Fusing surf rock, early Beatles-inspired pop, and gritty, fuzz-laden guitars with a distinctly local sensibility, they became youth icons of the era. Defined by sharp suits, infectious melodies, and a rebellious spark, The Swallows captured the restless energy of post-independence Singapore, securing their place in the island’s golden age of bands and in the wider story of Southeast Asian rock.

For their second full-length album, Under My Umbrella, Miss Grit has lifted the lid on their internal world, lasering in on the anxieties and heartbreak of the past two years, following their acclaimed debut Follow the Cyborg.

On this album, Margaret Sohn – aka Miss Grit (they/she) – channels the noirish atmosphere of classic trip-hop bands, while adding a hefty dose of maximalism and a dream-pop sensibility. The title is a nod to the iconic Rihanna song and embraces Sohn “…letting people in more on this record and trying not to shy away from that. I’m leaving the cyborg behind, I’m letting it all out.”

This record started to take shape when Sohn returned from an intense touring schedule where they’d driven themself around North America totally alone. When they returned home, Sohn found themselves yearning to capture that specific, less restrained energy of playing live.

Under My Umbrella not only presents Sohn’s gift for complex production, but also the boldness of finding your voice, and ultimately is about coming to terms with yourself, your imperfections, and your complex interior world.

WRWTFWW Records releases THE GENTLE PEOPLE - The Peel Sessions, available on vinyl for the first time ever, in conjunction with the worldwide expanded reissue of the group's Soundtracks for Living. Lounge/Chill Out music reborn !

This is an exclusive 4-song EP recorded in 1997 on BBC's Peel Sessions, as The Gentle People were doing the rounds for the release of their legendary debut album. These live versions have never seen the light of day before - a must have for all the gentle fans !
When The Gentle People first glided into the mid-90s on clouds of strings, sugar and sine waves, they sounded like visitors from another, more glamorous planet. Signed to Richard D. James and Grant Wilson-Claridge's cult label Rephlex, this multinational "E-Z-Core" lounge unit took the aesthetics of 50s/60s easy listening and exotica and gently smuggled them into 1990s club culture.

Imagine KLF's Chill Out or Space growing up on French 60/70s pop, bossa nova, soundtracks, vocal harmony groups, library music and easy listening then slipping out for a late-night date with dub, ambient techno and bubble-bath pop. That's The Gentle People : music that can score cocktail hour, 4am taxi rides, and daydreams in headphones with the same effortless grace.

The Gentle People weren't just a curiosity on a weird label; they became unlikely icons of a whole loungecore moment, gracing TV, compilations and magazine spreads, and proving that tenderness could be as futuristic as any drum machine.

2 x LP Red & Blue (Half & Half Effect) Vinyl in Gatefold Sleeve

The Bloods and Crips’ debut Bangin’ on Wax (1993) — which we reissued in 2023 to an incredible reception — inspired us to dig even deeper into this iconic catalogue. The follow-up, The Saga Continues, originally dropped only on CD in 1994. Now, for the first time ever, we’re proud to bring it to wax — pressed on solid Blue and Red vinyl, of course. This concept was a pivotal moment in West Coast gangsta rap, uniting members of L.A.’s two most infamous sets. Crips from Compton, Watts, and Long Beach, and Bloods from Inglewood and Los Angeles auditioned for the project, with the sharpest MCs selected for the final lineup. All proceeds from the original Bangin’ on Wax album went toward improving local schools and parks for the community’s children. Over 30 years later, the lone CD pressing regularly fetches £50+ on the secondary market — and now the album finally arrives on vinyl. Sleeker in production and delivery, this record carries that true G-Funk swagger, tipping its hat to Warren G, Snoop, DJ Quik, and even Dr. Dre.

The first album ever to release on Jahtari vinyl, back in circulation for the first time since it’s original release in 2009.

Twelve meticulously crafted lofi Dub oddities by disrupt, off-the-grid riddims with lots of SciFi samples, cheap synths and effects from another world, all soaked in gnarly but deeply cosmic textures and with expert low end mastering by peak time CGB1 at D&M in Berlin.

This new album version includes all-time classics like “SEGA Beats”, a killer chiphop dub cut of Misora Hibari’s “Ringo Oiwake”, as well as “Berzerk Dub” and “Echobombing” (the instrumental to Kiki Hitomi‘s “Nighwalkers“), which only have been released on CD or limited 7″ before.

“The Bass Has Left The Building” comes with iconic cover art by Jimmy Cauty (KLF) – and an inlay poster with an exploding sound system…

A collection of tracks by iconic bassist , producer & composer Jah Wobble( P.I.L.). Straight from his early 12 inches, released between '83 and '86 on his own label LAGO Records.

FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF “THE OTHER HELL”, GOBLIN ARE BACK FOR RECORD STORE DAY 2026 WITH AN EXCLUSIVE COMPILATION OF SINGLES RELEASED BETWEEN 1975 AND 1979!

For the very first time on vinyl, this compilation gathers together all the singles released by Goblin during their golden era between 1975 and 1979, a journey that begins with the explosive, legendary debut Profondo Rosso, a true chart phenomenon of its time, and reaches the rare Amo Non Amo, passing through unforgettable milestones of Italian film music and progressive rock.

The collection opens with Profondo Rosso and Death Dies, taken from the soundtrack of Dario Argento’s masterpiece that catapulted Goblin to fame, blending dark atmospheres, virtuosity, and a unique sense of cinematic tension. It continues with Roller and Snip Snap, drawn from the instrumental album Roller (1976), a record not tied to any film, yet considered a cult cornerstone of Italian progressive music for its intricate structures and expressive power.

Chi? and Chi? - Parte Seconda follow; two tracks originally composed as the theme for a 1976 RAI television show, which saw Goblin bring their unmistakable sound to a different medium, experimenting within a shorter, punchier format.

Next comes Suspiria with its haunting counterpart Blind Concert, from the soundtrack of Argento’s 1977 horror classic. This remains one of Goblin’s most iconic and unsettling works, where music becomes an active narrative force: hypnotic, percussive, and filled with eerie vocal layers that made it a cornerstone of horror soundtracks worldwide.

From Il Fantastico Viaggio del Bagarozzo Mark (1978) come Un Ragazzo d’Argento and Opera Magnifica, two tracks that highlight the band’s more conceptual and visionary side, a move away from cinema toward a self-contained narrative and progressive experimentation.

The single Yell stands as another late-decade gem. Originally composed as the opening theme for the RAI television series “Sette storie per non dormire” (1978), it captures Goblin’s ability to merge rock energy with electronic pulse, proving their versatility far beyond the horror realm.

The compilation closes with Amo Non Amo and Funky Top, taken from the soundtrack of the 1979 film Amo Non Amo, one of the group’s lesser-known but fascinating cinematic works.

Far more than a simple anthology, The Singles Collection 1975–1979 maps the evolution of Goblin’s sound, from the worldwide success of Profondo Rosso to their most mature and experimental phase. It finally restores to vinyl a body of work that had long been scattered across rare 45 rpm releases, offering fans and collectors a complete, vivid portrait of one of Italy’s most inventive and influential musical ensembles.

Belgian minimalist, Dutch-language new wave/synth pop, since 1981! The historic album ‘Jonge Helden’ (1981) brought them instant eternal fame, the single ‘Lekker Westers’ (1983) a Belpop classic & the line-up changed wildly with icons such as Luc Van Acker (Revolting Cocks), Dani Klein (Vaya Con Dios), Willy Willy (The Scabs) or Andrew Chi Claes (Stuff) ...

However, MARCEL VANTHILT (lyrics & music) continues to rock the anarcho-Dadaist-electro-super-tronica scene to this day. Side note: Vanthilt often strayed into TV land (BRT, VPRO, MTV-EUROPE, BBC) and is now a DJ at Radio WILLY with the alternative ‘De M-Show’.

AA! is once again performing frequently in the best clubs (Depot, Casino, Macca) and on major stages (Pukkelpop, Villa Pace, Paulus Oostende). This will also be the case in 2026! This is due to the fresh and spicy new album ‘AA!PKPP’ in collaboration with PARKAPARAPLU.

PARKAPARAPLU: New dark wave duo from Antwerp. With ...

> EMMA ROTSAERT, singer and actress. She plays the lead role in the Ensor-nominated TV drama series ‘How To Kill Your Sister’ (2025). And comes from the same absurd planet as Vanthilt.
> GEERT VANBEVER, veteran of Wizards Of Ooze, Rudy Trouvé Septet, Dead Man Ray, Tuff Guac, among others... worked with Hugh Cornwell (The Stranglers) and Budgie (The Banshees), among others. Together, Emma & Geert also have a Sisters Of Mercy tribute band: Body Electric.

Welcome to the mind-expanding 1968 jazz recording of Bill Plummer and The Cosmic Brotherhood—where Eastern and psychedelic influences meld together to produce one of the trippiest jazz albums on Impulse Records. This LP is a much-sought-after sonic travelogue, with the pop-psych spoken-word sitar freakout of “Journey To The East” to Bill Plummer’s swinging, rapid fire/cool jazz compositions, to his covers that go straight to the heart of any 60’s genre-crossing jazz fans. Featuring an incredible who's who of the high-caliber talent bubbling over in the Los Angeles music scene at the time: Carol Kaye (legendary bass player of The Wrecking Crew), Maurice Miller (drummer in The Jazz Corps), Dennis Budimir (guitarist with Chico Hamilton Quintet, Ravi Shankar & Frank Zappa), Mike Lang (Piano with Flamin’ Groovies & Hal Blaine), Tom Scott (Saxophone with Gabor Szabo & Thelonious Monk), Ray Neopolitan (Bass for The Doors & Leonard Cohen), Milt Holland (Percussionist with The Wrecking Crew &
Captain Beefheart), Bill Goodwin (Drums for Mose Allison & Tom Waits).
Housed in a beautiful gatefold sleeve with iconic liner notes by Frank Kofsky, who comes out swinging hard in favor of the album, while shaking the dust off any jazz snobs left in the '60s who still were not ready to embrace the future of jazz. Produced by Bob Thiele who produced everyone from John
Coltrane, Art Blakey to Charles Mingus, this sonic rarity is yet another impressive vinyl reissue from the folks at Jackpot Records.

Featuring iconics like The Beach Boys, Dick Dale, Ritchie Valens, The Wailers , The Champs ... and many more! Whether you're a crate digger, surf rock purist, or just vibin' for summer, this LP is your sonic wave to a vintage beach party. Catch it before it's gone

During a job in Cologne, I stayed in a room with a loft bed that had no electrical outlets at the top. Every night, I would listen to my TB303, which runs on batteries, through headphones to help me fall asleep. I loved the sequences, it was like meditation. The TB-303 bassline is iconic in acid music, so I created the Acid Lullabies to bring these two elements together. In 2017, the label Doom Chakra Tapes released ten of the Acid Lullabies on tape. Last year, I felt the urge to rework the tracks, so I mixed them again and created some new ones. I also
asked friends to contribute their own versions.

I’m very glad that the following artists contributed the Acid Lullabies: 47IN4 (Pudel Produkte, Doom Chakra Tapes), Museum of No Art (Séance Center, Cosima Pitz), N:in and Philipp Otterbach (Music from Memory, Offen Music). Two violinists from Ensemble Resonanz performed my piece 'Afternoon Lights' for Acid Lullaby 6. Alex Solman designed the cover, which captures the essence of the project perfectly. Have fun with the Acid Lullabies!

Italy’s own L.D.F. makes his debut on Shadow Pressings with a fresh slab of raw, analog funk—pressed strictly to wax and destined for selectors who still worship the turntable altar. With contributions from Detroit icons, Javonntte, Gary Romalis, & European groove architects Tilman & Böhm, the EP threads classic motifs through a modern underground sensibility—never nostalgic, always alive.

Mannequin Records presents a special release that bridges two generations of electronic body music: DAF’s iconic track “El Que” reimagined by French techno and EBM pioneer Terence Fixmer.

A lifelong admirer of DAF, Fixmer has been playing El Que in his DJ sets for years, considering it one of the band’s most enduring and powerful pieces. His connection to the track and to DAF’s groundbreaking legacy is the core inspiration behind these two new remixes, created with both reverence and bold creative vision.

On the “El Que (Terence Fixmer Leather Remix)”, Fixmer remains close to the original’s raw, muscular pulse while injecting a sharp, modern club sensibility. The remix builds on DAF’s unmistakable rhythmics but adds a contemporary momentum that feels like a natural extension of the band’s DNA. “It was like imagining what I would do if I were a member of DAF today,” Fixmer says.

The second version, “El Que (Terence Fixmer Drive Remix)”, ventures deeper into Fixmer’s own territory: darker, hypnotic, and peak-time focused. Tension and release are crafted with surgical precision, taking the original’s spirit into a harder-edged, suspense-driven sound world. It’s a version built for late-night floors without ever losing the soul of El Que.

Fixmer explains:
“I’ve been playing DAF’s El Que in many of my DJ sets for years. It’s a track I deeply loved from the first listen. I’m super proud to have remixed DAF — one of my cult bands and a major influence on my sound and electronic universe. For the "Leather Remix", I wanted to stay close to the original while bringing modernity and club momentum. For the "Drive Remix", I pushed the track toward darker, peak-time and hypnotic techno, keeping the soul of the original intact. I wanted to make versions that make you think: ‘I know this track… but wait — what is this version? I want it!’ When I tested them, that’s exactly what happened.”

DAF remains one of the most influential bands in electronic music history. These new remixes by Terence Fixmer reinforce the timeless power of El Que while offering two striking, club-ready perspectives for a new generation of listeners.

On 6th October, multi BRIT-nominated DJ/producer Joel Corry releases his debut album, ‘Another Friday Night’ via Asylum / Atlantic Records, with the pre-order going live on the 18th August.

To be released on both vinyl & CD, as well as via streaming/download, ‘Another Friday Night’ is a collection of Joel’s most iconic records of the last five years, including breakthrough hit ‘Sorry’, ‘Lonely’, multi-platinum UK #1 single ‘Head & Heart’ ft. MNEK, ‘BED’ w/ RAYE & David Guetta, ‘OUT OUT’ w/ Jax Jones, Charli XCX & Saweetie, plus fresh 2023 cuts like ‘Dance Around It’ with Caity Baser and the anthemic ‘0800 HEAVEN’ with Nathan Dawe & Ella Henderson, ‘Another Friday Night’ toasts a remarkable run of releases that’s seen Joel become one of the UK’s biggest and most impactful dance acts.

“My debut album ‘Another Friday Night’ is the biggest moment of my life”, says Joel Corry. “Everything I have dreamed about and worked so hard for has come together with the release of this record. It has been an incredible journey and I am so proud to have reached this moment in my career. I want the songs to make people feel good and bring happiness to their days, and the album includes everyone’s favourite bangers from over the years, as well as some really exciting new material. This is the ultimate Joel Corry playlist, perfect for Another Friday Night.”

Ahead of the release of ‘Another Friday Night’ on October 6th, Joel has also announced a special headline show at London’s Ministry Of Sound on Friday 29th September – his first London headline date since playing at former 5000-cap venue, Printworks, in autumn 2021.

Fans who pre-order ‘Another Friday Night’ will be granted early pre-sale access to tickets on August 24th, before general sale opens on August 25th

This release is an act of breaking out of conventional categories for Seismic records. Established boundaries of genres are completely dissolved into an unpredictable flow of sonic associations. It’s an unexpected collaboration, yet it makes perfect sense from the first kick. Two artists from seemingly opposite ends of the musical universe come together to create a project which fearlessly embarks on the synthesis of hypnotic trance-techno and utter sonic chaos. This project is anything but predictable.

The duality is noticeable from the very first moment. One side brings relentless movement forward in the project: a raw, hypnotic pulse based on rhythm and precision, locking the listener in the present moment and not letting go. Unpredictable textures and psychedelic ornaments are constantly weaving through the rhythmic framework.

A dedicated listener may recognize that the whole EP carries the legacy of David Lynch’s work. The sense of peculiar uneasiness and indecipherability, overridden by the desire to find out what comes next, are exactly what the artists manage to capture and what is so characteristic of Lynch himself. At one point, the EP even reveals a moment as if a red curtain parts in the depths of the track and the listener momentarily catches echoes from the town where owls are not what they seem. Hidden within is a playful nod to the iconic Twin Peaks soundtrack.

The history of house and disco music is full of gospel soul singers creating anthemic bangers for the dance floor. Annie and the Caldwells, a family band from West Point, Mississippi, are the latest to join their ranks.

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This collection — featuring remixes from musclecars, Kornél Kovács, Alexis Taylor (of Hot Chip), and disco icons Nicky Siano and Justin Strauss — follows the release of the Caldwells’ wildly acclaimed debut Can’t Lose My (Soul) Luaka Bop, Spring 2025. Hailed as “a masterpiece” by The Guardian (★★★★★), and one of the best albums of the year by The Times, MOJO, UNCUT, and The Economist, Can’t Lose My (Soul) found fans all over the world — like Sir Elton John, who called their album “A great, great record that I insist you go out and buy.”

“I was blown away when I first heard the original version of ‘Wrong’,” says Kornel Kovács, whose remix of “Wrong” appears on this white label. “Deborah’s voice floored me, as well as the background singers. One of the greatest vocal performances I’ve heard, let alone worked with. The result is a club-ready take that’s become a highlight in my recent DJ sets.”

Producers Brandon Weems and Craig Handfield (of musclecars) had a similar experience when they heard the family for the first time: “We quickly fell in love with the groovy bassline and the choir vocals,” said Craig. “We thought it’d be fitting to put our own spin on it, while paying homage to those jive brothers from Tulsa. The uplifting keys paired with the punch of the drums, rounded out with that organ…this one is sure to bring a joyful noise!”

Annie Caldwell and her family have since performed in more than twenty countries on four continents, and recently made a star turn on the UK's preeminent music program Later... with Jools Holland. They’re hitting the road again in 2026. Watch this space.





c Wrong You Dropped a Bomb - Extended Wooden Dance Floor Mix (A Nicky Siano Production) 6:48

Pariah’s cult debut re-issued! “The Kindred” brings you pure old school Thrash Metal fury! Satan changed their name to Pariah in 1988-1989. Satan’s evolution for the time being came to an end here with this band, Pariah, in 1988. What Satan were going for with “Suspended Sentence”, could definitely be seen as a hint to the direction they would take as Pariah. That raspy, ill-tempered, aggressive Michael Jackson (indeed) is still here on vocals and these guys really wanted to tear things apart with this album. The main lineup here is entirely the same from Satan and Blind Fury (vocalists aside).

Simply put, one could easily say they took “Suspended Sentence”’s interesting idea of “NWOBHM meets Thrash Metal” and basically focused on being even more aggressive this time. We might be throwing out the obvious here again, but if you are new to Pariah or perhaps Satan, familiarize yourself with the fact that guitarists Russ Tippins and Steve Ramsey are truly an insane duo. For the most part with “The Kindred” their guitar work is pretty thrashy and extremely melodic. Then out of nowhere those classic NWOBHM solo’s, dual harmonies, and majestic melodies come into play all over the place and they manage to make it work incredibly well in between the thrashy antics. The production and mix seems to be an improvement over “Suspended Sentence” and here the guitars tend to have more of a sharper edge, Jackson’s vocals are constantly in the clear and never overpowered by anything else, and overall there is a tougher vibe surrounding this.

Everything here is pretty damn heavy. While Tippins and Ramsey are really out there in a realm of their own, there’s great performances again by Graeme English on bass and Sean Taylor on drums. Overall you’ve got a whole package of virtuous musicians here that really mastered the beauty of balance. All in all “The Kindred” goes all the way with every track being fast and aggressive. Satan and Pariah are all typically made up of the same core members and definitely created some timeless and unique Heavy Metal.

Following the strong reception of their second album, Totem of Quiet Mystic (2023) Jiyu have earned praises from outlets such as Jazzwise, Enlace Funk and The Chillout Tent, as well as support from a wide range of iconic DJs including Patrick Forge & Chris Coco. The singles to this new album, Cumulus & the Subterranean, Smell of Fire and Deep Woods, have immediately been embraced—drawing glowing reactions and airplay from dj's like, Phil Cooper, Dj Vadim, Fred Everything, David Patterson, Jon Kennedy and Curtis Colin

On this third album from Jiyu, the Copenhagen band stretch their cosmic–spiritual jazz language into deeper, wilder terrain. Dropping April 10th on vinyl and digital via Dubsoul Records, the record captures six musicians in full telepathic flight, recorded at 12 Ton Studio in Copenhagen. Across eight tracks, elastic basslines, jazz-dub-soul—tinted drums and percussion, Wurlitzer and jazz-guitar glow and flute-swept atmospheres drift between grounded groove and open-sky improvisation, while guest vocalist Mai Lan Doky adds dreamlike textures on Cumulus & the Subterranean. From the shuffled broken-beat pulse of Smell of Fire to the slow-burn haze of Deep Woods, the Wild Things album is a rich analogue-soul excursion—earthy, exploratory and tuned to the outer frequencies.

Vinyl LP pressing. Bad Brains is the self-titled debut studio album recorded by hardcore punk/reggae band Bad Brains. Recorded in 1981 and released on (then) cassette-only label ROIR on February 5, 1982, many fans refer to it as The Yellow Tape because of it's yellow packaging. Though Bad Brains had recorded the 16 song Black Dots album in 1979 and the 5-song Omega Sessions EP in 1980, the ROIR cassette was the band's first release of anything longer than a single. In coordination with the band, Org Music has overseen the restoration and remastering of the iconic Bad Brains' recordings. The audio was mastered by Dave Gardner at Infrasonic Mastering and pressed at Furnace Record Pressing. This Punk Note edition comes with alternate packaging artwork from designer John Yates (Stealworks). The artwork is a nod to Reid Miles and Francis Wolff, and their amazing work at the Blue Note label

The re-issue of Truckfighters' album V marks a fresh celebration of this iconic record, It has been sold out for years but finally we're offering fans a chance to revisit the band's signature desert rock sound and collectible packaging. Originally released in 2010, V is praised for its heavy riffs, hypnotic grooves, and raw energy, solidifying Truckfighters' reputation in the stoner rock scene. The re-issue allows both longtime fans and new listeners to experience the album in a renewed format, highlighting its enduring influence and the band's distinctive style.

Stunning, limited edition 12" picture disc featuring iconic, gruesome artwork by Vince Locke. A crucial 1998 release that kept traditional death metal alive during the rise of nu-metal.

A cocktail of rebellious queer vocal fragments, deceptive percussive granules and swaying hammered vibrations, upsammy and Valentina Magaletti's first collaboration trembles with suspense. The seeds of 'Seismo' were sown following a commission from Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum to soundtrack an exhibition of work from the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam and the duo didn't want to approach their collaboration flippantly. So, wandering the museum's maze of rooms, they recorded various improvised percussive sounds with their arsenal of microphones, using the space to inform various rhythms and textures that were sculpted later into electroacoustic vignettes. This was just the starting point, though; as Magaletti and upsammy began performing together, the project evolved and 'Seismo' began to take shape. The duo had struck on a salient aesthetic concept, using mostly digital and acoustic mallet instruments to blur the boundary between their roles and create friction between the synthetic and the authentic. And the finished record is a phantasmagoric push-and-pull between its various conflicting elements: harmony and dissonance, randomness and predictability, openness and constraint. 'Seismo' isn't the first time that upsammy has studied her environment in search of revelation. On her acclaimed second album, 2024's 'Germ in a Population of Buildings', the Amsterdam-based DJ, producer and multidisciplinary artist erected her complex, unorthodox rhythms and eerie melodies around a modernist frame of field recordings collected in various cityscapes, countering heavyweight basslines with subtle, microscopic sounds. London-based Italian vanguard Magaletti, meanwhile, has applied her unique logic to innumerable projects at this point, working with everyone from batida icon Nídia and hardcore-dub outfit Moin to French writer Fanny Chiarello and British bass scientist Shackleton. For years she's approached the drums with criticism, attempting to challenge any preconceptions, something that's most visible on 2020's 'A Queer Anthology of Drums'. And both artists' thoughtful perspectives are welded together seamlessly on 'Seismo', a dizzying suite of eight eccentric statements that's fragile but never insecure, gauzy but not indistinct. An unnerving sense of space characterizes 'It Comes to an End' as Magaletti's in situ improvisations herald for upsammy's microscopic glitches and chiming pitch-bent melodies. It's almost unbalancing to witness the track's impossible dimensionality, the interplay between reverberant marimba hits and bone-dry synths, or percussion that's been recorded and processed in consciously different settings. A new architecture emerges in the sound itself that the two artists scan and explore meticulously, testing its boundaries with undulating hybridized rhythms on the invigorating 'Superimposed' and offsetting the powdery drums with liquified smacks and alien voices. The duo's vibrations are knotted with piano flourishes on 'Hyperlocalize', balanced with artificial clanks and clangs that disappear into the track's sonorous atmosphere, replaced by whispers and half-hallucinated insectoid chirps. 'Seismo' is an album that feeds off the energy generated by its juxtapositions: the tension and anticipation that's melted by rapid, hyperactive movement and the finely drawn rhythms disrupted by a layer of indistinct, barely perceptible microsounds. It's a collaboration that sounds like two minds challenging each other but not wrestling, each peering from their own distinct vantage point and imagining a third landscape shaped by optimistic, queer vibrations.

UILTY RAZORS, BONA FIDE PUNKS.



Writings on the topic that go off in all directions, mind-numbing lectures given by academics, and testimonies, most of them heavily doctored, from those who “lived through that era”: so many people today fantasize about the early days of punk in our country… This blessed moment when no one had yet thought of flaunting a ridiculous green mohawk, taking Sid Vicious as a hero, or – even worse – making the so-called alternative scene both festive and boorish. There was no such thing in 1976 or 1977, when it wasn’t easy to get hold of the first 45s by the Pistols or the Clash. Few people were aware of what was happening on the fringes of the fringes at the time. Malcolm McLaren was virtually unknown, and having short hair made you seem strange. Who knew then that rock music, which had taken a very bad turn since the early 1970s, would once again become an essential element of liberation? That, thanks to short and fast songs, it would once again rediscover that primitive, social side that was so hated by older generations? Who knew that, besides a few loners who read the music press (it was even better if they read it in English) and frequented the right record stores? Many of these formed bands, because it was impossible to do otherwise. We quickly went from listening to the Velvet Underground to trying to play the Stooges’ intros. It’s a somewhat collective story, even though there weren’t many people to start it.
The Guilty Razors were among those who took part in this initial upheaval in Paris. They were far from being the worst. They had something special and even released a single that was well above the national average. They also had enough songs to fill an album, the one you’re holding. In everyone’s opinion, they were definitely not among the punk impostors that followed in their wake. They were, at least, genuine and credible.

Guilty Razors, Parisian punk band (1975-1978). To understand something about their somewhat linear but very energetic sound, we might need to talk about the context in which it was born and, more broadly, recall the boredom (a theme that would become capital in punk songs) coupled with the desire to blow everything off, which were the basis for the formation of bands playing a rejuvenated rock music ; about the passion for a few records by the Kinks or the early Who, by the Stooges, by the Velvet mostly, which set you apart from the crowd.
And of course, we should remember this new wave, which was promoted by a few articles in the specialized press and some cutting-edge record stores, coming from New York or London, whose small but powerful influence could be felt in Paris and in a handful of isolated places in the provinces, lulled to sleep by so many appalling things, from Tangerine Dream to President Giscard d’Estaing...
In 1975-76, French music was, as almost always, in a sorry state ; it was still dominated by Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan. Local rock music was also rather bleak, apart from Bijou and Little Bob who tried to revive this small scene with poorly sound-engineered gigs played to almost no one.
In the working class suburbs at the time, it was mainly hard rock music played to 11 that helped people forget about their gruelling shifts at the factory. Here and there, on the outskirts of major cities, you still could find a few rockers with sideburns wearing black armbands since the death of Gene Vincent, but it wasn’t a proper mass movement, just a source of real danger to anyone they came across who wasn't like them. In August 1976, a festival unlike any other took place in Mont-de-Marsan – the First European Punk Festival as the poster said – with almost as many people on stage as in the audience. Yet, on that day, a quasi historical event happened, when, under the blazing afternoon sun, a band of unknowns called The Damned made an unprecedented noise in the arena, reminiscent of the chaotic Stooges in their early adolescence. They were the first genuine punk band to perform in our country: from then on, anything was possible, almost anything seemed permissible.

It makes sense that the four+1 members of Guilty Razors, who initially amplified acoustic guitars with crappy tape recorder microphones, would adopt punk music (pronounced paink in French) naturally and instinctively, since it combines liberating noise with speed of execution and – crucially – a very healthy sense of rebellion (the protesters of May 1968 proclaimed, and it was even a slogan, that they weren’t against old people, but against what had made them grow old. In the mid-1970s, it seemed normal and obvious that old people should now ALSO be targeted!!!).
At the time, the desire to fight back, and break down authority and apathy, was either red or black, often taking the form of leafleting, tumultuous general assemblies in the schoolyard, and massive or shabby demonstrations, most of the time overflowing with an exciting vitality that sometimes turned into fights with the riot police. Indeed, soon after the end of the Vietnam War and following Pinochet’s coup in Chile, all over France, Trotskyist and anarcho-libertarian fervour was firmly entrenched among parts of the educated youth population, who were equally rebellious and troublemakers whenever they had the chance. It should also be noted that when the single "Anarchy in the UK" was first heard, even though not many of us had access to it, both the title and its explosive sound immediately resonated with some of those troublemakers crying out for ANARCHY!!! Meanwhile, the left-wing majority still equated punks with reckless young neo-Nazis. Of course, the widely circulated photos in the mainstream press of Siouxsie Sioux with her swastikas didn’t necessarily help to win over the theorists of the Great Revolution. It took Joe Strummer to introduce The Clash as an anti-racist, anti-fascist and anti-ignorance band for the rejection of old-school revolutionaries to fade a little.

The Lycée Jean-Baptiste Say at Porte d’Auteuil, despite being located in the very posh and very exclusive 16th arrondissement of Paris, didn’t escape these "committed" upheavals, which doubled as the perfect outlet for the less timid members of this generation.
“Back then, politics were fun,” says Tristam Nada, who studied there and went on to become Guilty Razors’ frontman. “Jean-Baptiste was the leftist high-school in the neighbourhood. When the far right guys from the GUD came down there, the Communist League guys from elsewhere helped us fight them off.”
Anything that could challenge authority was fair game and of course, strikes for just about any reason would lead to increasingly frequent truancy (with a definitive farewell to education that would soon follow). Tristam Nada spent his 10th and 11th unfinished grades with José Perez, who had come from Spain, where his father, a janitor, had been sentenced to death by Franco. “José steered my tastes towards solid acts such as The Who. Like most teenagers, I had previously absorbed just about everything that came my way, from Yes to Led Zeppelin to Genesis. I was exploring… And then one day, he told me that he and his brother Carlos wanted to start a rock band.” The Perez brothers already played guitar. “Of course, they were Spanish!”, jokes their singer. “Then, somewhat reluctantly, José took up the bass and we were soon joined by Jano – who called himself Jano Homicid – who took up the rhythm guitar.” Several drummers would later join this core of not easily intimidated young guys who didn’t let adversity get the better of them.

The first rehearsals of the newly named Guilty Razors took place in the bedroom of a Perez aunt. There, the three rookies tried to cover a few standards, songs that often were an integral part of their lives. During a first, short gig, in front of a bewildered audience of tough old-school rockers, they launched into a clunky version of the Velvet Underground's “Heroin”. Challenge or recklessness? A bit of both, probably… And then, step by step, their limited repertoire expanded as they decided to write their own songs, sung in a not always very accurate or academic English, but who cared about proper grammar or the right vocabulary, since what truly mattered was to make the words sound as good as possible while playing very, very fast music? And spitting out those words in a language that left no doubt as to what it conveyed mattered as well.
Trying their hand a the kind of rock music disliked by most of the neighbourhood, making noise, being fiercely provocative: they still belonged to a tiny clique who, at this very moment, had chosen to impose this difference. And there were very few places in France or elsewhere, where one could witness the first stirrings of something that wasn’t a trend yet, let alone a movement.

In the provinces, in late 1976 or early 1977, there couldn’t be more than thirty record stores that were a bit more discerning than average, where you could hear this new kind of short-haired rock music called “punk”. The old clientele, who previously had no problem coming in to buy the latest McCartney or Aerosmith LP, now felt a little less comfortable there…
In Paris, these enlightened places were quite rare and often located nex to what would become the Forum des Halles, a big shopping mall. Between three aging sex workers, a couple of second-hand clothes shops, sellers of hippie paraphernalia and small fashion designers, the good word was loudly spread in two pioneering places – propagators of what was still only a new underground movement. Historically, the first one was the Open Market, a kind of poorly, but tastefully stocked cave. Speakers blasted out the sound of sixties garage bands from the Nuggets compilation (a crucial reference for José Perez) or the badly dressed English kids of Eddie and the Hot Rods. This black-painted den was opened a few years earlier by Marc Zermati, a character who wasn’t always in a sunny disposition, but always quite radical in his (good) choices and his opinions. He founded the independent label Skydog and was one of the promoters of the Mont-de-Marsan punk festivals. Not far from there was Harry Cover, another store more in tune with the new New York scene, which was amply covered in the house fanzine, Rock News (even though it was in it that the photos of the Sex Pistols were first published in France).
It was a favorite hang-out of the Perez brothers and Tristam Nada, as the latter explained. “It’s at Harry Cover’s that we first heard the Pistols and Clash’s 45s, and after that, we decided to start writing our first songs. If they could do it, so could we!”
The sonic shocks that were “Anarchy in the UK”, “White Riot” or the Buzzcocks’s EP, “Spiral Scratch” – which Guilty Razors' sound is reminiscent of – were soon to be amplified by an unparalleled visual shock. In April 1977, right after the release of their first LP, The Clash performed at the Palais des Glaces in Paris, during a punk night organised by Marc Zermati. For many who were there, it was the gig of a lifetime…
Of course, Guilty Razors and Tristam were in the audience: “That concert was fabulous… We Parisian punks were almost all dressed in black and white, with white shirts, skinny leather ties, bikers jackets or light jackets, etc. The Clash, on the other hand, wore colourful clothes. Well, the next day, at the Gibus, you’d spot everyone who had been at this concert, but they weren’t wearing anything black, they were all wearing colours.”

It makes sense to mention the Gibus club, as Guilty Razors often played there (sometimes in front of a hostile audience). It was also the only place in Paris that regularly scheduled new Parisian or Anglo-Saxon acts, such as Generation X, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Slits, and Johnny Thunders who would become a kind of messed-up mascot for the venue. A little later, in 1978, the Rose Bonbon – formerly the Nashville – also attracted nightly owls in search of electric thrills… In 1977, the iconic but not necessarily excellent Asphalt Jungle often played at the Gibus, sometimes sharing the bill with Metal Urbain, the only band whose aura would later transcend the French borders (“I saw them as the French Sex Pistols,” said Geoff Travis, head of their British label Rough Trade). Already established in this small scene, Metal Urbain helped the young and restless Guilty Razors who had just arrived. Guitarist for Metal Urbain Hermann Schwartz remembers it: “They were younger than us, we were a bit like their mentors even if it’s too strong a word… At least they were credible. We thought they were good, and they had good songs which reminded of the Buzzcocks that I liked a lot. But at some point, they started hanging out with the Hells Angels. That’s when we stopped following them.”

The break-up was mutual, since, Guilty Razors, for their part, were shocked when they saw a fringe element of the audience at Metal Urbain concerts who repeatedly shouted “Sieg Heil” and gave Nazi salutes. These provocations, even still minor (the bulk of the skinhead crowd would later make their presence felt during concerts), weren’t really to the liking of the Perez brothers, whose anti-fascist convictions were firmly rooted. Some things are non-negotiable.
A few months earlier (in July 1978), Guilty Razors had nevertheless opened very successfully for Metal Urbain at the Bus Palladium, a more traditonally old-school rock night-club. But, as was sometimes the case back then, the night turned into a mass brawl when suburban rockers came to “beat up punks”.

Back then, Parisian nights weren’t always sweet and serene.

So, after opening as best as they could for The Jam (their sound having been ruined by the PA system), our local heroes were – once again – met outside by a horde of greasers out to get them. “Thankfully,” says Tristam, “we were with our roadies, motorless bikers who acted as a protective barrier. We were chased in the neighbouring streets and the whole thing ended in front of a bar, with the owner coming out with a rifle…”
Although Tristam and the Perez brothers narrowly escaped various, potentially bloody, incidents, they weren’t completely innocent of wrongdoing either. They still find amusing their mugging of two strangers in the street for example (“We were broke and we simply wanted to buy tickets for the Heartbreakers concert that night,” says Tristam). It so happened that their victims were two key figures in the rock business at the time: radio presenter Alain Manneval and music publisher Philippe Constantin. They filed a complaint and sought monetary compensation, but somehow the band’s manager, the skilful but very controversial Alexis, managed to get the complaint withdrawn and Guilty Razors ended up signing with Constantin with a substantial advance.

They also signed with Polydor and the label released in 1978 their only three-track 45, featuring “I Don't Wanna be A Rich”, “Hurts and Noises” and “Provocate” (songs that exuded perpetual rebellion and an unquenchable desire for “class” confrontation). It was a very good record, but due to a lack of promotion (radio stations didn’t play French artists singing in English), it didn’t sell very well. Only 800 copies were allegedly sold and the rest of the stock was pulped… Initially, the three tracks were to be included on a LP that never came to be, since they were dropped by Polydor (“Let’s say we sometimes caused a ruckus in their offices!” laughs Tristam.) In order to perfect the long-awaited LP, the band recorded demos of other tracks. There was a cover of Pink Floyd's “Lucifer Sam” from the Syd Barrett era – proof of an enduring love for the sixties’ greats –, “Wake Up” a hangover tale and “Bad Heart” about the Baader-Meinhof gang, whose actions had a profound impact on the era and on a generation seeking extreme dissent... On the album you’re now discovering, you can also hear five previously unreleased tracks recorded a bit later during an extended and freezing stay in Madrid, in a makeshift studio with the invaluable help of a drummer also acting as sound engineer. He was both an enthusiastic old hippie and a proper whizz at sound engineering. Here too, certain influences from the fifties and sixties (Link Wray, the Troggs) are more than obvious in the band’s music.

Shortly after a final stormy and rather barbaric (on the audience’s side) “Punk night” at the Olympia in June 1978, Tristam left the band ; his bandmates continued without him for a short while.

But like most pioneering punk bands of the era, Guilty Razors eventually split up for good after three years (besides once in Spain, they’d only played in Paris). The reason for ceasing business activities were more or less the same for everyone: there were no venues outside one’s small circuit to play this kind of rock music, which was still frightening, unknown, or of little interest to most people. The chances of recording an LP were virtually null, since major labels were only signing unoriginal but reassuring sub-Téléphone clones, and the smaller ones were only interested in progressive rock or French chanson for youth clubs. And what about self-production? No one in our small safety-pinned world had thought about it yet. There wasn’t enough money to embark on that sort of venture anyway.

So yes, the early days of punk in France were truly No Future!