Search:id

Following the international praise for their 2024 debut album Where Did You Go?, Sandman Project return with Hearts Forever, the first album entirely composed, arranged and produced by guitarist, composer and bandleader Tal Sandman. Rooted in psychedelic groove, Middle Eastern musicality, funk, jazz and desert rock, it is a record driven above all by a wider spiritual belief in music as a force for connection.

If Where Did You Go? introduced Sandman Project as a borderless, brass-heavy outfit with a cinematic sound, Hearts Forever takes that vision somewhere more intimate and self-assured. Written following Tal's move from Jaffa to Leipzig, the album reflects a period of personal and creative transformation. Arriving in Germany without knowing whether she would find the right collaborators, she gradually assembled a new band through recommendations from fellow musicians, discovering a group capable of bringing her musical vision to life. For Tal, the music is not about drawing neat lines between styles or traditions. It is about taking inspiration from wherever it appears and reshaping it into something honest and alive. "If music touches my heart, it inspires me", she says. "So much music already exists, but what we are doing is creating something new out of inspiration. You take the ingredients and make a new thing".

This is the quiet force behind Hearts Forever. Almost entirely instrumental, the album deliberately leaves space for listeners to find their own stories within it. Without lyrics, the music is never confined to one language, nationality or identity.

Following support for Where Did You Go? from All About Jazz, DJ Magazine, Bayern Radio, Greedy For Best, Pipelines Magazine, Ban Ban Ton Ton and Laurent Garnier, Hearts Forever finds Sandman Project entering a new chapter: more confident, broader in vision and more deeply rooted in Tal Sandman's own creative voice. Rich, restless and full of feeling, Hearts Forever is music for uncertain times; a record about holding on to innocence, choosing compassion and believing, however quietly, that connection is still possible.

There's a moment during every great dance floor experience when the music takes over and everyone becomes part of something bigger. "SHOUT!", the latest release from 2SoulFusion Presents Ascension, captures that feeling in its purest form. Featuring the powerhouse voices and ad-libs of Dames Brown and Dawn Tallman, along with an all-star ensemble of master vocalists including Josh Milan, Rahsaan Patterson, Lisa Fischer, Cindy Mizelle, Audrey Wheeler, Ramona Dunlap, and Lea Lorien, this joyful anthem is an invitation to let go, lift your spirit, and celebrate through music.

Produced, written, arranged, and mixed by 2SoulFusion—Louie Vega and Josh Milan—"SHOUT!" draws inspiration from the communal spirit of gospel while embracing the energy and freedom of house music. Driven by simple yet powerful affirmations—"Shout," "Sing," "Move," "Love," "Get Up On Your Feet," "Listen Up," and "Let This Music Take You Higher"—the song transforms into an experience where every voice becomes part of the celebration. It's a journey of anthemic hooks, soaring harmonies, infectious grooves, and unforgettable melodies designed to ignite dance floors, uplift hearts, and remind us that music has the power to unite people through rhythm, joy, and love.

The inspiration for "SHOUT!" was born from a creative exchange between Louie Vega and Charaf Tajer, founder and creative director of the internationally acclaimed fashion house Casablanca. Introduced by longtime friend Joseph Capriati, Charaf shared a bold vision—to bring together the worlds of fashion, gospel, and house music for one unforgettable Casablanca runway presentation in Paris.

Louie Vega recalls: “Charaf was introduced to me by my friend Joseph Capriati, who said Charaf was looking to meet me about an idea he had. His vision was to marry fashion, gospel, and house music within Casablanca's collection. At first, he wanted me to DJ and play gospel house music. I said, 'Instead of playing existing music, why don't I create an original song with a gospel house flavor?' I immediately got together with my 2SoulFusion partner Josh Milan, and together we came up with 'SHOUT!'”

That vision came to life during Casablanca's spectacular Paris presentation inside a breathtaking cathedral, where Louie Vega premiered the original twelve-minute and nine-second composition live. As the music echoed through the cathedral, Dames Brown joined the London House Gospel Choir in a soul-stirring performance while the models walked the aisle on Casablanca's carpet made of their signature green color and a dashing vibrating giant mirror echoing the runway visually. Renowned DJs Luciano and Chloé Caillet were among those who walked the runway, while friends of Charaf Tajer and special guests—including Jaden Thompson, Folamour, Dimitri From Paris, Kapela, and many others—were in attendance, making it an unforgettable gathering where music, spirituality, fashion, and culture merged into one extraordinary experience.

Inspired by that magical evening in Paris, Louie Vega and Josh Milan returned to the studio to expand the original composition into the powerful recording heard today. Built around rich live musicianship, Josh Milan's keyboards, organ, piano and synth bass provide the foundation alongside Axel Tosca's expressive grand piano recorded live, Sherrod Barnes' soulful guitar, and Gene Perez's unmistakable bass groove. Together they create an infectious, organic driving sound that allows the vocals to soar while delivering the unmistakable musical depth and musicianship that define 2SoulFusion.

Leading the celebration are Dames Brown and Dawn Tallman, whose commanding performances are elevated by an extraordinary choir of world-class vocalists. Dames Brown's spirited sermon and ad-libs, and Dawn Tallman’s powerful ad-lib vamping out together with the soaring harmonies of Lisa Fischer, Cindy Mizelle, Audrey Wheeler, Rahsaan Patterson, Ramona Dunlap, Lea Lorien, and Josh Milan, recreate the feeling of a joyful gospel congregation—not confined to four walls, but alive on dance floors around the world. Every chorus encourages listeners to get up, listen up, feel it, sing, move, love, and become part of the experience. Recorded between Honeycomb Studios in Pennsylvania, The Hub Ibiza and Manhattan Center Studios, New York City, and mixed at The Hub Ibiza, "SHOUT!" reflects the continuing vision of the Ascension project, where spirituality, musicianship, community, fashion, and dance music become one.

Back in May of '25, Body/Head's Bill Nace and Purling Hiss' Mike Polizze launched an improv duo with an unhindered exhibition of full-spectrum free string playing at Philadelphia's Pageant Soloveev. Mike + Bill, on gtr & taishogoto respectively, their unique idioms colliding with sibilant crunch across twenty-three minutes of forever captured on iPhone and carved into vinyl. Wild molten rock to keep noise freeks spinning for eternity.

Stoked to announce the debut record by Faulsk on Ruff Kutz!

Sometimes life can feel cyclical and having the first solo release on the label by someone other than myself had to be the right choice, it just so happened to be the producer from Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland, which is where I started my lifelong obsession with Electronic music.

Shortly after playing a gig together at Whakamana in late 2024, we started exchanging tunes and I immediately wanted to put a release together with the first track he sent.. The release also features 2 collaborative tracks with myself and consists of 4 deep psychedelic grooves across the tempo ranges, built with the sound system in mind. This is an outrageous debut EP, and I am stoked to have it on Ruff Kutz!

Whilst having a low social media profile and only a few tracks released into the wild, Faulsk seems to have carved out a honed in sonic identity. Mixing Techno and Dub production techniques whilst still having swagger and depth that appeals to the bass heads. Expect expertly crafted soundscapes, interesting loopy grooves, lush evolving pads/stabs and low end wizardry. Genre - Faulsk, just how we like it.

Galvanize was the first track to build the EP with a relentless 4x4 groove, perfectly balanced low end and washy atmospherics, the track gradually evolves to show that less is more sometimes - with it's use of stripped back restraint and negative space to create energetic mood shifts.

On the A2, the first collaboration track Exhalation slows the tempo to 100 BPM for some kind of bass mutation straight from the underworld. This one taps into the tense atmospherics of Galvanize whilst cranking up the intensity with evolving drones and razor sharp percussion to sit amongst the dense soundscape.

The title track on the flip, is a 9 min roll out, reminiscent of early Forest Drive West. The subtle modulation and dubbing on musical parts draws you in and is a nice juxtaposition to the crunching percussion, militant groove and precise low end. Chugging away at 115 BPM, this is a versatile track to inject some kinetic energy into your local underwater dancehall.

Closing out on the B2 we have another collaboration. Upping the tempo to the mid 120s, Retrospect sinks deeper into hypnotism with polyrhythmic grooves and an unresolving feel which creates steady momentum, coupled with lush and evolving synth work which take the track into serenity. Regulate your sound system.

One for the heads!

The Liber series was always about the dancefloor. Dark rooms, loud systems, repetition, pressure and the point where the machinery takes over. Liber Eleven continues that idea. The tracks have been remastered and are now available again on CD, vinyl and download.

This is The Black Dog in full techno mode. Hypnotic, physical and built for big systems, with enough strange corners to keep things interesting when the lights go down.

The Liber series started with Liber Kult, Liber Temple and Liber Nox, followed by Liber Dogma and Liber Chaos. Eleven picks up that thread and carries it forward.

No nostalgia trip. No archive dusting for the sake of it. Just The Black Dog making techno...

Tommy Lefroy has never been afraid of existential questions. From their critically acclaimed debut EP, Flight Risk, the band has captured audiences with their candor wrapped in wit. Both lyrically intimate and sonically vast, the band’s catalog is confessional and commentative, balancing irony with sincerity. They broach their biggest subjects yet on their first full length album, The Precariat. An economic term, the precariat refers to a growing class of people facing increasing instability. “Most people we know are experiencing an unprecedented level of precarity, permeating into the collective psyche. We feel like the best we could strive for in a body of work is an unflinching capture of the moment. The Precariat felt like the perfect title, and emblem of how it feels to be alive these days.” Recorded in Los Angeles at Blue Canyon Studios, The Precariat was produced by band members Wynter Bethel and Tessa Mouzourakis, with co-production from Stephen Sesso, and executive production by Mike Crossey (The 1975, Wolf Alice, MUNA). The album’s songs were written by Bethel and Mouzourakis, over the tenure of their friendship, across apartments and tour vans, phone calls and late night conversations. With themes of friendship, coming of age, personal and collective grief, environmental uncertainty and political decay, The Precariat offers a sonic landscape in which to contend with our rapidly changing world. The album’s title track (largely inspired by Springsteen’s critical narratives mistaken for bleeding heart patriotism) grapples with constant exposure to global suffering, and feeling entrenched within systems that fail us. “The Precariat” disintegrates into the ‘American cities’ outro, an idea started while the band lived in London, about missing home while watching it destabilize from afar. The Precariat faces this head on – all the sheen of the American empire has worn off, and there is much work to be done. “We hope to foster an antidote to precarity – community.”

Strawberry Guy’s new album ‘Give Me A Dream’ unfolds as a tender, fragile and intimate record. The 14 track album arrives as the ultimate hopecore long player, in a time when we need it most. It's a guiding light, healing for the mind, exploring the tight-rope balance that is making it through life intact. Strawberry Guy evolves from the dreamy indie-pop home recordings to a perfectly formed crystalline vision, utilizing an immersive studio approach. Shifting from sparse & fluid piano parts to rich, engulfing layered strings, infectious melodies and an exquisite rumination on manhood from fraught emotional states. Give Me A Dream is a big step up, brimming with ideas, glistening production, and a tender heart.

The vibraphone may have gone quiet, but the groove hasn't. Roy Ayers passed away on March 4, 2025, in New York City, at the age of 84, but the man they called the Godfather of Neo-Soul left behind a vault deep enough to keep dancefloors moving for generations. BBE Music now hands the keys to Berlin's own Delfonic, whose second volume of reworks digs even further into that treasure chest for six fresh, floor-ready reimaginings. The series began when Delfonic shared a spontaneous edit with BBE founder Pete Adarkwah, and listener demand for a vinyl pressing turned the idea into a full official release. Volume 1 sold out fast and moved through collector circles at speed; Volume 2 arrives with even higher expectations attached, and record heads who missed out the first time won't want to sleep twice. Everything here is pulled from deep, previously-vaulted Ayers sessions. The reworks draw from BBE's celebrated Virgin Ubiquity compilations, a trove of unreleased Roy Ayers recordings cut between 1976 and 1981. These are the rarer cuts serious collectors have been chasing for years, now given a second life courtesy of BBE Music Delfonic is the alias of Markus Lindner, a Berlin lifer. He's been DJing professionally since 2004, building his name across Berlin and wider Europe with a sound rooted in hip-hop but stretched across many genres. For anyone who needs the primer: Ayers pioneered jazz-funk through his group Roy Ayers Ubiquity and was widely regarded as the godfather of neo-soul. His breakthrough came young; he got his first vibraphone mallets at age five after watching Lionel Hampton's band, and by 1963 he had his own recording contract. His records have been sampled for decades by artists including Mary J. Blige, A Tribe Called Quest, Common, and Kanye West, cementing him as one of the most sampled figures in soul-jazz history; a status that only grows with every year that passes. About BBE Music: This is a label with real archival credibility on Ayers specifically. BBE has held the license to the Virgin Ubiquity sessions since 2004, and this rework series is a natural extension of that decades-long relationship. Buyers trust the BBE stamp on soul-jazz reissues and edits precisely because of that history and the care, thought and quality that goes into every physical release, as BBE celebrates 30 years of real music for real people.

Dusky return to Anjunadeep with their forthcoming studio album ‘Signals’. The London duo first debuted on Anjunadeep in 2011 with their critically acclaimed album Stick By This. Expanding the boundaries of deep house and UK club music, the record marked the beginning of Dusky’s rise as one of the scene’s most respected acts. Their breakout track ‘Careless’, released via Aus Music, further cemented their reputation, amassing more than 14 million streams and becoming one of the defining UK house records of its generation. In 2014, the pair launched their own imprint, 17 Steps, which has since hosted releases and remixes from artists including Nathan Micay, LTJ Bukem, Interplanetary Criminal, Denham Audio and Shed. Since then, Dusky have released two further studio albums, Joy and Pressure, alongside a string of acclaimed singles. Their music has earned support from Pete Tong, Danny Howard and Sarah Story on BBC Radio 1, as well as widespread backing from leading DJs including Jamie Jones, Peggy Gou, Gorgon City, TEED and TSHA. While 'Signals' represents a natural continuation of the Dusky story, it also ventures into more reflective territory than previous releases. The album's wider range of influences and more contemplative mood offer a fresh perspective on the duo's sound, while also paying subtle homage to their acclaimed debut album ‘Stick By This’. Featuring multiple collaborations with vocalist Rromarin, alongside a contribution from Nadeem and Pritt, 'Signals' reflects a creative process that unfolded over many years. Some tracks grew from ideas first sketched long ago, while others emerged more recently, giving the album a sense of both history and momentum. Across its 13 tracks, 'Signals' balances Dusky's club-rooted instincts with downtempo offerings. Tracks such as 'Next Life', 'Kadhalan' and 'Lab' showcase the duo's signature combination of bold basslines, driving rhythms and emotional resonance. Elsewhere, 'Elm' and 'Bindweed' slow the tempo and draw on the warmth of soul, the deeper edges of disco and richly textured live instrumentation.

If it's extreme, leave it to us. Challenging the sound, playing with the sound, laughing at the sound. A docking of debut recordings from the most talked-about street artists and "sound collages & sound gags" by pro musicians with eccentric ideas. An exciting, bold, and humorous "bright" New Wave omnibus album. Featuring artists like: Kaoru Sato (EP-4), Masumi Hara & BANANA, Shingo Tomoda, Chinju, Mammy, MUZEUM, and more.

LP w Silver foil print sleeve + Hype Sticker)

Revisiting the sound and spirit of Jazzy Sport, rooted in Japan and carried forward by a new generation. Compiled by Nina Yamada, featuring Cro-Magnon and Grooveman Spot, with remixes by DJ Mitsu the Beats and Idjut Boys.

Founded in 2002, Jazzy Sport emerged at a particularly fertile moment in Japanese music. Beginning as an independent label and record shop, with its first store in Morioka and Jazzy Sport Music Shop Tokyo opening in Shibuya the following year, it became a home for artists including GAGLE, DJ Mitsu the Beats, Cro-Magnon and Grooveman Spot. Its releases moved freely between hip-hop, house, jazz, broken beat and live musicianship, helping define a distinctly Japanese strain of open-minded club culture.

But the music was only the beginning. Jazzy Sport developed into a network of record shops across Japan, alongside its label and distribution work, apparel and design, dance studios, and a Morioka record shop joined to a bouldering gym. These were not unrelated side projects. They expressed the same founding idea: that music, sport and everyday life could come together to create community.

PAST FORWARD: SILVER marks the first release on the Jazzy Sport London label, distributed by Time Capsule. Established in 2022, the London project first took shape through parties, radio shows and community collaborations connecting Japan and the UK. This compilation carries the Jazzy Sport archive and its values forward through a new generation.

At the centre is Nina Yamada, the daughter of one of Jazzy Sport’s core members. She grew up within the community that shaped the collective, and her selection is not a conventional greatest-hits survey, but an inside view of the catalogue and an intergenerational handover made audible.

The music moves naturally between hip-hop and house, electronic production and live performance. That openness has always been central to Jazzy Sport, where club music, musicianship and community are part of the same conversation rather than separate scenes.

DJ Mitsu the Beats’ remix of Cro-Magnon’s “Eclipse” brings the refined, soulful depth that makes him such an important figure in Japanese beat music. Idjut Boys’ deep, dubwise Cro-Magnon rework reflects the long exchange between Japan and the UK, while Grooveman Spot’s “Do The Dance” finds a sweet spot between acid-tinged 808 groove and warm soulfulness.

Elsewhere, Nubian Lady’s “In☆Flu☆Enza” draws on Detroit techno and Chicago house but sharpens those influences into something lean and distinctive. Physical Sound Sport’s “Magical Kalimba” captures the communal energy and openness of a live session. Bottom Fly’s “Rhyme Or Reason,” rooted in Morioka, pairs rough-edged beats with mellow samples and a quiet sense of nostalgia.

What comes through is not only the strength of the individual tracks, but the sensibility that connects them. That keeps PAST FORWARD: SILVER from feeling like a nostalgic best-of. For longtime followers, it offers rediscovery; for new listeners, a way into the breadth of Jazzy Sport; and for DJs, a selection made for the record bag, not just the archive.

Riding the least likely commercial success of the 90s with Modern Rock chart topper "Pepper," Austin odd rockers Butthole Surfers returned to the studio in 1998 for the followup, After The Astronaut. Leaning further into experiments with electronics, hip-hop, acid grooves, and the otherwise unusual, the result is a dizzying orbital trip expanding the idea of what's possible in rock music.

Disputes between the Butthole Surfers and Capitol Records left the album unreleased, while the band regrouped and re-recorded some of the material for 2001's Weird Revolution, released through Hollywood Records. After The Astronaut collected dust, eventually developing a mythic status.

A quarter century later, Butthole Surfers are realizing their vision for After The Astronaut. Newly mixed by guitarist/producer Paul Leary, After The Astronaut corrects the record on the band's activity in the late 90s with a bold, idiosyncratic evolution of their sun-fried psychedelia.

Eine sorgfältig zusammengestellte Kollektion, die Desmond Dekkers Einfluss auf Ska, Rocksteady und
frühen Reggae unterstreicht. Mit herausragenden Titeln wie „Israelites“ und „007 (Shanty Town)“ fängt
sie jenen Sound ein, der dazu beitrug, jamaikanische Musik einem internationalen Publikum nahezubringen.
Dies ist eine kompaktere Version der „Essential Collection“ von 2023; sie erscheint anlässlich des National
Album Day 2026 (10. Oktober 2026) sowohl als Pressung auf schwarzem „Ecorecord“-Vinyl als auch
im Digisleeve-Format (1 CD) inklusive Booklet. Die Veröffentlichung bietet ein klares, warmes Klangbild
und dient als prägnanter Überblick über Dekkers wichtigste Aufnahmen – eine verlässliche Ergänzung für
Sammler und ein idealer Einstieg für alle, die den klassischen Reggae für sich entdecken möchten.

Mit „Tranquilo II“ schlagen In Extremo ein neues Kapitel ihrer beeindruckenden Erfolgsgeschichte auf. Am
23. Oktober 2026 erscheint das außergewöhnliche Akustikalbum mit 17 Songs, die mehr als drei Jahrzehnte
Bandgeschichte in überraschend neuem Klang präsentieren.
Statt ihre Klassiker lediglich leiser zu spielen, haben In Extremo Stücke wie „Spielmannsfluch“, „Frei
zu sein“, „Störtebeker“, „Liam“ und „Feine Seele“ komplett neu arrangiert. Swing, Rockabilly, Ska, Reggae und osteuropäische Einflüsse treffen auf historische Instrumente und den unverwechselbaren Sound der
erfolgreichsten Mittelalter-Rockband der Welt. Eingespielt wurde das Album in einem kleinen Studio in
Dornbirn – live, unmittelbar und mit viel Raum für spontane musikalische Ideen.
Unterstützt werden In Extremo von hochkarätigen Gästen: Metal-Ikone Doro Pesch verleiht „Feine Seele“
besondere Intensität, Jan „Monchi“ Gorkow und Max Bobzin von Feine Sahne Fischfilet sorgen bei „Störtebeker“ für eine ebenso ungewöhnliche wie mitreißende Begegnung, während Faun-Sängerin Laura Fella
den Klassiker „Liam“ bereichert. Mit „Heute wird der Himmel brennen“ enthält das Album außerdem einen
brandneuen Song.
Ein besonderes Highlight für Fans ist die exklusive Bonus-EP „Sternhagelvoller“, die der Deluxe-CD sowie
dem streng limitierten Vinyl-Bundle beiliegt. Das Herzstück bildet eine sechsminütige XXL-Version des
Partyklassikers „Sternhagelvoll“, aufgenommen mit zahlreichen Weggefährten aus der Mittelalter-Rock- Szene – darunter Mitglieder von Feuerschwanz, d’Artagnan, Faun, Tanzwut, Subway to Sally, Versengold,
Fiddler’s Green und Corvus Corax. Ergänzt wird die EP durch den exklusiven neuen Song „Amontillado“
und eine besondere Version von „Ave Maria“ mit der kroatischen Vokalformation Metaklapa.
Im November und Dezember bringen In Extremo „Tranquilo II“ auf große Akustiktour. In ausgewählten
Spielstätten wie dem Berliner Admiralspalast, der Hamburger Laeiszhalle, der Alten Oper Frankfurt und
dem Circus Krone in München stehen Nähe, Atmosphäre und musikalische Feinheiten im Mittelpunkt.
„Tranquilo II“ ist weit mehr als eine Reise durch die Vergangenheit: Es ist ein mutiges, vielseitiges und
überraschendes Album, das bekannte Hymnen neu entdecken lässt und zugleich eindrucksvoll zeigt, warum
In Extremo auch nach mehr als drei Jahrzehnten musikalisch unberechenbar bleiben.

Michael Kiwanuka veröffentlicht sein 5. Studioalbum ”Fudge”, welches von Druck, Erwartungen, Zweifeln
und dem spielerisch kindlichen Umgang damit handelt. Für Kiwanuka ist das Album eine höfliche Art zu
sagen: Egal was du davon hälst, Ich werde es einfach tun! Das Album markiert das erste Werk seit 13
Jahren in dem Kiwanuka ohne sein bewährtes Produktionsteam arbeitet. Die ersten Ideen zum Album
sind bereits in der Zeit des Lockdowns entstanden, besonders prägend war ein Interview auf Instagram mit
dem verstorbenen Jazzpianisten Chick Corea. Besonders das Zitat: ”Du musst herausfinden, was du schön
findest, und darauf vertrauen und daran glauben” hat den Entstehungsprozess nachhaltig geprägt.

Bereits in den frühen 1920er Jahren hatte sich Coleman Hawkins in der New Yorker Jazzszene als einer
der ersten großen Improvisatoren auf dem Tenorsaxofon etabliert. Bis sich sein Gesundheitszustand 1966
rapide verschlechterte, hielt er stets mit der Entwicklung des Jazz Schritt. In seiner letzten Schaffensphase
zwischen 1960 und 1965 war er unter anderem auf Max Roachs Klassiker “We Insist!” und zusammen mit
Sonny Rollins auf dem gemeinsamen Album “Sonny Meets Hawk!” zu hören. Darüber hinaus spielte er
in diesen Jahren vier Alben für das damals trendsetzende Label Impulse! Records ein. Das letzte dieser
vier Alben, “Wrapped Tight”, war 1965 zugleich auch das letzte Album, das von Coleman Hawkins als
Bandleader noch zu Lebzeiten veröffentlicht wurde. Mit einem Sextett interpretiert er hier ein breitgefächertes Repertoire, das neben klassischen und zeitgenössischen Jazzstandards mit “She’s Fit” auch auch
ein Hawkins-Original enthält. Scott Yanow bewertete das Album in seiner Rezension bei AllMusic mit vier
Sternen und schrieb: “Auf Hawkins’ letzter starker Aufnahme improvisiert der Veteran - 43 Jahre nach
seinem Plattendebüt mit Mamie Smiths Jazz Hounds - kreativ über ein breit gefächertes Repertoire …
Glanzstück ist eine gewagte Version von ‘Out of Nowhere’, die zeigt, dass der Tenorsaxofonist auch 1965
noch neue Ideen hatte.”

Eric Whitacre verbindet William Blakes Poesie mit Stimmen, Synthesizern, Streichern und Klavier.
Mit *Eternity in an Hour* präsentiert der Grammy-prämierte Komponist ein neues, rund 60-minütiges
Werk. Inspiriert wurde es von William Blakes Gedicht *Auguries of Innocence* und dessen berühmter
Anfangszeile „To see a world in a grain of sand“. Das Album markiert zugleich den Beginn einer erneuerten
Zusammenarbeit mit Decca Classics.
Whitacre dirigiert seine Eric Whitacre Singers sowie Streicher und verbindet ihren Klang mit elektronischen Texturen, Synthesizern und Klavier. Das Werk wurde 2024 bei den BBC Proms uraufgeführt.
Ausgangspunkt der Komposition ist die Granularsynthese: Für jeden Satz werden kleinste Ausschnitte aus
Blakes Versen herausgelöst und musikalisch neu zusammengesetzt.
Zum Einsatz kommen unter anderem ein Lyra-8-Synthesizer, ein Tascam-424-Tonbandgerät und der 125
Jahre alte Flügel von Whitacres Großmutter, dessen Klang ihn seit seiner Kindheit begleitet.
Die digitale Ausgabe und die CD ergänzen das Werk um *Auguries of Innocence*, eine Sammlung atmosphärischer Neubearbeitungen mit IDRA, Jess Gillam und Elin Piel.
Ein facettenreiches Album, das Whitacres musikalische Entwicklung in konzentrierter Form hörbar macht.

LUCIANO LAMANNA — A CARLO Blackwater Label — 2026 Distributed by Triple Vision More than ten years in the making, A CARLO is a single-sided EP by Luciano Lamanna for Blackwater Label, dedicated to Carlo Giuliani and to the memory of the events that unfolded during the G8 protests in Genoa in 2001. This record is the result of a long process, one that began more than a decade ago and has remained unfinished until now. Two tracks, both carrying the name and memory of Carlo, finally complete a circle that has been open for years. The first track, “Il Giorno del Sole”, was previously released on physical CD through Blackwater Label. The second, “Amore Infinito”, arrives more than ten years later, completing the dialogue between the two pieces and giving the project its long-awaited counterpart. Together, the tracks form a deeply emotional and personal statement: melancholic, haunting and at the same time driving and hopeful. Lamanna moves through the industrial language that has always characterised his work, while “Amore Infinito” explores a darker, more intimate territory, evoking the emotional intensity of Coil. A CARLO is not intended as a historical reconstruction or a conventional political statement. It is an act of memory.

For Blackwater Label, memory is political. For more than twelve years, Blackwater has built its identity around what we call Socialismo Sonoro: a way of understanding music and cultural production as a space for autonomy, resistance, collective consciousness and taking a position. We have never been interested in remaining neutral when the reality surrounding us contradicts the values we believe in. This record belongs entirely to that vision. Putting this record out today means continuing to pronounce the name Carlo. Keeping a memory alive. Refusing to allow silence to become the final form of history. Blackwater continues to expose itself, in its own way, through music, without claiming to speak for anyone else, but accepting the responsibility to say what it believes needs to be said. A CARLO is therefore both a tribute and a continuation: a record born from grief, transformed through sound, and ultimately directed towards memory and hope. CREDITS: Written, produced, mixed & mastered by Luciano Lamanna Released by Blackwater Label © 2026 Blackwater Label Distributed by Triple Vision N·C·V·A·F Nvmqvam Cede // Vsqve Ad Finem

Underoath reinvents the balance between chaos and harmony with each successive release. Their compositions, conjured from creative tension, become iconoclastic anthems. Even when the band almost combusts, the crackling energy coalesces into something deeply resonant for millions.

Each time they have a chance to do something safe, Underoath challenges themselves instead, with integrity and attitude. Their pair of gold albums and three Grammy nominations stand in stark defiance of the idea of commercial compromise. The Underoath catalog weaponizes noise, aggression, and ambiance as skillfully as melody.

This year the band celebrates 20 years of their album Define The Great Line. Coming on the heels of 2004’s They’re Only Chasing Safety, Define The Great Line saw Underoath pivoting towards a more aggressive sound. The record’s unconventional – and, at times, jarring – intensity served as a stark contrast to the pop-leaning trends that were taking over heavy music at the time.

Featuring fan favorites like “Writing On The Walls”, “In Regards To Myself”, and “You’re Ever So Inviting”, Define The Great Line defied expectations when it debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. It is widely regarded as one of the definitive heavy records of the early 2000s, solidifying Underoath’s legacy as one most influential bands of the genre.

The heart of their sound, which delivers naked vulnerability with thrilling force and cinematic lushness, can be heard in generations of bands who’ve pursued their trailblazing spirit. But Underoath refuses to sit still. Walking an artistic tightrope between immersive access and isolationist otherness, Underoath owns the space between huge choruses and forward-thinking heaviness, both on record and onstage.