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Neu gemasterte Neuauflage des Archive Debütalbums zum 10. Geburtstag auf limitiertem Gatefold Cerulean in Cloudy Clear Vinyl, inkl. Bonustrack und Poster, illustriert von Chad VanGaalen.

LINKIN PARK—Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Phoenix, Joe Hahn, alongside new members Emily Armstrong of critically acclaimed band Dead Sara as co-vocalist and Colin Brittain songwriter/producer for G Flip, Illenium, One OK Rock as drummer—share their first brand new music in seven years.

The iconic band shared a new single “The Emptiness Machine,” which is also the herald for the arrival of LINKIN PARK’s first album since 2017, FROM ZERO, on November 15.

About the new era, Shinoda stated, “Before LINKIN PARK, our first band name was Xero. This album title refers to both this humble beginning and the journey we’re currently undertaking. Sonically and emotionally, it is about past, present, and future—embracing our signature sound, but new and full of life. It was made with a deep appreciation for our new and longtime bandmates, our friends, our family, and our fans. We are proud of what LINKIN PARK has become over the years, and excited about the journey ahead.”

Right out of the gate, “The Emptiness Machine” channels the DNA of LINKIN PARK, harnessing the band’s explosive energy and retaining the hallmarks of their instantly identifiable and inimitable sound. A chameleonic and catchy anthem, Shinoda’s hypnotic melodies hand off to Armstrong’s blistering chorus, over distorted riffs and head-nodding drums.

Ultimately, with FROM ZERO, the band is looking to harness the purest energy of their past, present, and future. The new era has officially begun.

Thousand Yard Stare is re:ni's 3rd 12" and her first on re:lax, the label and club-night she runs with Laksa. Following on from records from Harba, Jurango and Laksa, the ep stays true to the imprint's exploration of emotive high-tempo club records which marry the character and energy of the hardcore continuum with technical precision and slick sound design. With her distinguished alien vocal chops it’s proper ‘GET IN UR HED’ business.

The title is a nod to the dissociative state we can find ourselves in as a result of trauma, and how creativity/music is able to illustrate emotions that words cannot.

Sonically the ep is continuation of the bass-driven, vocal-led 140-150bpm territory explored on her Timedance and Ilian Tape records, this time more explicitly drawing on inspiration from electro, drill and jungle in the dynamic drum programming, growling 808 bass and icy snares that feature across the 3 tracks.

"VOLUME 1" ist eine denkwürdige Einführung in die Welt von MRCY. Ihre Vision von Soul lässt sich von den Größen der Kindheit (SAM COOKE, MARVIN GAYE) bis hin zu Genre-verschmelzenden Modernisten wie KHRUANGBIN oder SAULT inspirieren - "it's like hearing a distant memory," sagt Barney, "but one that speaks to where you are now". Auf ihrem Debüt blickt der Sound von MRCY tiefer nach innen und weiter nach außen: Die Debüt-Single "Lorelei" war eine ätherische, jenseitige Geschichte über eine Liebe, die in einer Katastrophe enden sollte, während "Flowers In Mourning" Afrobeats und Northern Soul in einer ergreifenden Meditation über Familie und Verlust zusammenbrachte. Das Album wird von einer auffälligen, visuellen Ästhetik begleitet, die in Zusammenarbeit mit Harris Elliot entstand und KI, Adinkra-Symbolik und britische Ikonografie zu einem Look - und Sound - verbindet, der bereits unverkennbar MRCY ist. Auch wenn MRCY sich mit einer ausgereiften Vision präsentieren, haben sie auch hart daran arbeiten müssen. Barney, der inmitten der Schmelztiegel-Kultur von Huddersfield aufgewachsen ist, hat sich als einer der gefragtesten, eklektischsten jungen Produzenten Großbritanniens etabliert; von einem Ivor Novello Award für seine langjährige Zusammenarbeit mit Obongjayar bis zu Mercury-nominierten Künstlerinnen wie Joy Crookes und Olivia Dean. Der in Süd-London aufgewachsene Kojo verdiente sich seine Sporen in der Kirche und sang mit ebenso illustren einheimischen Künstlerinnen wie Cleo Sol und Little Simz. Nachdem sie sich während der Pandemie über Instagram kennengelernt hatten, trafen sich MRCY zwischen den Abriegelungen in Brixton, wodurch sich der Sound der Band - und ihre Verbundenheit - vertiefte. Und obwohl das soziale und politische Chaos unweigerlich in ihr kommendes Projekt einfließt, geht es bei MRCY auch um das Bedürfnis nach einer gemeinsamen Basis: universelle, aber höchst individuelle Erfahrungen mit Klasse, Gemeinschaft und der Qualitätsmusik, die gute Menschen schon immer zusammengebracht hat.

Sechzehn Jahre sind zwar vergangen, seit Isaac Hayes im Alter von nur 65 Jahren viel zu früh verstarb, aber er bleibt einer der beliebtesten und kultigsten Singer/Songwriter/Arrangeure in der Geschichte der Soul-Musik. Die Alben, die Hayes für Stax' Enterprise-Label produzierte, bleiben der Maßstab in Sachen "Symphonic Soul" und klingen auch heute noch genauso atemberaubend brillant wie damals, als sie neu veröffentlicht wurden. Hayes gehörte nicht nur zu einer kleinen Gruppe von Künstlern, die das Wachstum des Soul-Album-Marktes ('Hot Buttered Soul') vorangetrieben haben, sondern war auch ein durchweg erfolgreicher Single-Künstler, der zwischen 1969 und 1976 sechzehn aufeinanderfolgende Singles in den R&B-Charts platzierte - die meisten davon schafften es auch in die Pop-Szene. Die größten Hits wurden bereits früher in Anthologien zusammengestellt, aber 'Hot Buttered Singles' ist die Compilation, die die A- und B-Seiten aller 45er von Hayes aus der "Yellow Stax"-Ära in chronologischer Reihenfolge und in ihren Original-Singleversionen präsentiert. Einige davon sind zuvor noch nie auf CD erschienen. Viele dieser famosen Soul-Tracks gehören zu seinen beliebtesten Aufnahmen, die auch das Soul- und Pop-Radio revolutionierten, darunter das mit Wah-Wah-Intro befeuerte 'Theme From Shaft', 'The Look Of Love', 'Never Can Say Goodbye', 'Walk On By' oder 'By The Time I Get To Phoenix' aus der Feder von Jimmy Webb.
Ausführlich kommentiert und schön illustriert im Booklet und auf CD sowie Doppelvinyl erhältlich!
Die Fortsetzung der Isaac Hayes' Single-Geschichte bis 1977 mit allen frühen Singles auf Ikes eigenem HBS-Label erscheint 2025.

- 140G schwarzes Vinyl inklusive Einleger und Downloadkarte

Nach der Veröffentlichung von 'POPtical Illusion' Anfang des Jahres kündigt John Cale die Wiederveröffentlichung seines Album-Klassikers 'The Academy in Peril' für den 15.11.2024 an!

Das Album wurde von Heba Kadry neu gemastert und es ist die erste von Cale Künstler autorisierte Neuauflage des beliebten Albums. "The Academy in Peril" enthält enthält den Bonustrack "Temper" und wird auf CD, Vinyl und digital erhältlich sein.

"Das Wiederaufgreifen von Werken aus der Vergangenheit ist für mich ein zweischneidiges Schwert. Natürlich ist das unvermeidlich, wenn man seit 60 Jahren oder so Musik macht. Das Besondere an diesem Prozess bei Domino ist, dass sie es richtig machen wollen. Es geht nicht darum, etwas nur wegen eines Jubiläums neu aufzulegen oder einen Katalogfavoriten zu sammeln, sondern darum, neue Schätze zu finden und das hervorzuheben, was sie ursprünglich besonders gemacht hat. Nachdem ich die Testpressungen gehört hatte, kam mir der Gedanke, dass das neue Mastering einen wesentlichen Teil der Präsentation dieser Werke ausmacht, anstatt sie einfach nur zu konservieren. Es gibt Momente der Klarheit und sogar den einen oder anderen Lacher, wenn man nicht nur die Musik, sondern auch die Sessions (und Possen) Revue passieren lässt, aus denen diese beiden Aufnahmen entstanden sind. Es ist mir eine Freude, diese mit Ihnen zu teilen . . wieder." - John Cale, September 2024

The members of the Peruvian psychedelic folk-pop band
Kanaku y el Tigre never thought that what started as a fun
project among friends would become one of the most
acclaimed bands in Latin America. Their first single,
"Bicicleta", was made without the pressure of trying to fit
into the local scene. This attitude fueled the creativity with
which they managed to create an important space for
themselves in the local music scene. "Bicicleta" is the city
of Lima, the constant search for an identity, the illusion,
the monsters, the carbon monoxide, the belonging and the
absence.

The indie folk and experimental pop group Kanaku y el
Tigre has a 15-year artistic career and is considered one of
the most influential contemporary bands in the Latin
American music scene.

The band has been part of festivals such as Rock al Parque
and Estéreo Picnic in Colombia, Vive Latino in Mexico, Río
Babel in Madrid, Primavera Sound in Barcelona, and has
toured in other countries such as Argentina, France, and
Chile.

Additionally, they have shared the stage with
Aterciopelados and collaborated with Jorge Drexler, Kevin
Johansen, Miki Gonzáles, Leonor Watling, among other
renowned musicians from Latin America.

Young-Girl Forever' ist das neue, schillernde Elektropop-Album der in Wien lebenden Künstlerin Sofie Royer. Es folgt auf ihr Debütalbum 'Cult Survivor' von 2020 und 'Harlequin' von 2022.

Das Album zeichnet ein kühnes Porträt davon, wie es ist, heute eine Künstlerin zu sein - inmitten der Fallen des Kapitalismus, der existenziellen Unsicherheit und des ständigen Gefühls, mit Gleichaltrigen nicht im gleichen Takt zu sein.

Royer entlehnt den Begriff 'Young-Girl' aus den Preliminary Materials on the Theory of a Young Girl, die ursprünglich in der französischen anarchistischen Zeitschrift Tiqqun veröffentlicht wurden. Darin wird das Young-Girl als Symbol für den Konsumismus der Moderne dargestellt.

'Young-Girl Forever' schwankt zwischen Optimismus und Verzweiflung - es feiert das junge Mädchen und tadelt gleichzeitig die Kultur, die es hervorgebracht hat, und drückt so den Wunsch nach wahrer Befreiung aus.

Sofie Royer ist bereits mit Künstlern wie LCD Soundsystem, Lana Del Rey und Air aufgetreten.

- Für Fans von Weyes Blood, Lewis OfMan, Okay Kaya, Caroline Polachek, The Weather Station, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jockstrap.

Zur Feier des 25-jährigen Jubiläums des legendären Films, der jeden die Realität in Frage stellen
ließ, präsentiert Varése Sarabande eine ganz besondere farbige Vinyl-Edition von Don Davis Filmmusik für
den legendären Sci-Fi-Action-Klassiker The Matrix der Wachowskis. Diese neue Ausgabe enthält ein
brandneues, vom Anime inspiriertes Artwork der renommierten japanischen Illustratorin Yuko Shimizu und
eine erweiterte Titelliste mit vom Komponisten ausgewählten Liedern.

Joni Mitchell Gets Jazzy, Counterbalances Love and Trust with Freedom and Confusion on Court and Spark


Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP
Plays with Definitive Detail and Clarity: Pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl Strictly Limited to 5,000 Numbered Copies
Box Set Features New Liner Notes
1/4" / 15 IPS / Dolby A analogue master to DSD 256 to analogue console to lathe


Court and Spark, the most commercially successful album of Joni Mitchell's trailblazing career, arrived after a year in which she took some time to breathe and kept a low profile. The pause led to more breakthroughs for the singer-songwriter. Marking Mitchell's increasing drift toward jazz (and affinity for Miles Davis and John Coltrane), Court and Spark garnered four Grammy nominations, earned the Best Album of the Year vote in the prestigious Pazz & Jop poll, and ranks #110 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Sourced from the original analog master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing on MoFi SuperVinyl, strictly limited to 5,000 numbered copies, and featuring new liner notes, Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP box set presents the 1974 classic with definitive detail, tonality, and directness. Marking the first time the revered LP has received audiophile-quality treatment, it's one of six iconic 1970s Mitchell records Mobile Fidelity is reissuing on vinyl and SACD sets.

Benefitting from a virtually nonexistent noise floor, dead-quiet surfaces, and superior groove definition, this collectible edition reproduces without compromise the textures, details, and breathtaking craftsmanship that help make Court and Spark into what many fans believe is the Canadian native’s finest hour. Notes bloom and decay as they do amid an acoustic live environment. Soundstages extend far and deep, with black backgrounds and balanced tones adding to the uncanny realism.

The reference-grade presence and openness put in transparent view Mitchell’s incisive words and unique phrasing, as well as the contributions of her prized support musicians — including Tom Scott and the L.A. Express as well as guest turns by the likes of David Crosby, Graham Nash, Jose Feliciano, and Robbie Robertson. Mitchell, experimenting with the melodic parameters of guitar and piano, is rightly found at the center of it all. The jazz-rock rhythms of drummer John Guerin, slippery guitar lines of Larry Carlton, vibrant horns and reeds laid down by Scott — crucial to the songs’ shape-shifting arrangements — can now also be heard with fresh ears.

Visually and physically, the packaging of the Court and Spark UD1S set complements its distinguished status. Housed in a deluxe slipcase, both LPs come in foil-stamped jackets with faithful graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording. This reissue is for listeners who desire to engage themselves in everything involved with the album, including Mitchell’s “The Mountain Loves the Sea” painting — a picture of waves embracing and receding away from a mountain, a metaphor for the record’s lyrical themes — on the cover art.

Pitching deceptively light compositions against underlying tensions, Court and Spark witnesses the singer-songwriter finding her footing with a group of top-shelf musicians who seemingly understand her visions as well as expanding her lyrical palette and venturing further into territory no artist had dared explore. Mitchell’s accessibly complex structures, beat-propelled rhythms, and spirited interplay with Scott & Co. both give the music a different identity than her prior efforts and point in the directions she soon headed.

Lyrically, Court and Spark matches the wit, integrity, originality, and intellect of anything in Mitchell’s oeuvre — no small feat. Offsetting positives with negatives, and considering circumstances from multiple angles, Mitchell explores issues connected to love and freedom, certainty and confusion, and trust and fear with unfettered boldness and introspective empathy. She teeters between surrender and retreat, and spends a majority of the record sussing out the complications and sacrifices involved with such actions.

Mitchell addresses the transactional nature of desire (the intimate title track, the upbeat “Raised on Robbery,” complete with rock ‘n’ roll pep from Robertson and zesty sax from Scott); anticipation and disappointment of romance (“Car on a Hill,” “”Down to You); fame and celebrity (“A Free Man in Paris,” “People’s Parties”); and sanity (the dark and stormy “Trouble Child,” a satirical cover of Annie Ross’ “Twisted”). Throughout, she sings with an emotionally penetrating beauty and devastating honesty that teaches about ourselves.

Or, as Mitchell relays on “People’s Parties”: “Laughing and crying/You know it’s the same release.”

"Enjoy The Ride Records in conjunction with Doghouse Records are happy to announce The Honorary Title - Scream & Light Up The Sky (Deluxe Edition). The band's sophomore studio album returns to vinyl on a Deluxe 2xLP.

Featuring illustrations by the late Paul Paddock, Scream & Light Up The Sky (Deluxe Edition) is pressed on 2xLP colored vinyl and includes the Untouched and Intact EP, plus ""The City On Christmas,"" ""Salvation,"" as well as ""A Thin Layer"" and ""Seven Blocks,"" Live at Dubin's House. "

Krauty electrocis from FACTORY FLOOR re-promoted now! The music is taken from a project originally commissioned by London's Science Museum to live score Fritz Lang's 1927 cinematic landmark, Metropolis on its 90th anniversary. The band performed the score live at the Science Museum's IMAX in April 2017 in an event that was part of the acclaimed Robots exhibition. This new release is a studio recording of the 150 minute score, recorded in its entirety and mixed by Nik Void with the exception of the tracks `Heart of Data' and `Babel' which was mixed by award-winning producer Marta Salogni. It's something of a rite of passage for electronic artists to compose music for the classic sci-fi movie Metropolis, and with the simply named Soundtrack for a Film, Factory Floor join the ranks of Giorgio Moroder and Jeff Mills. ... While Soundtrack for a Film is subtler than Factory Floor's albums, it still bears the duos signature approach. ... Soundtrack for a Film also takes Factory Floor's skill at making expansive, evolving tracks to its logical conclusion, and the album could be heard as one two-and-a-half-hour cut. Despite its length, Gurnsey and Void never lose focus thanks to their carefully chosen motifs. ... As Factory Floor balance the organic and mechanical aspects of Metropolis and their music on Soundtrack for a Film, they achieve the best of both worlds -- a commissioned work that's just as original as their own albums. - Available as a box set comprising four 12" vinyl on the band's own imprint H/O/D Records. The artwork is by British artist Haroon Mirza adapted and arranged by Nik Void in collaboration with illustrator Sam Moore.

Recital presents a newly unearthed recording of an interview between Sun Ra and composer Charlie Morrow recorded at his New York studio in 1989. This voice-only recording develops more like a kaleidoscopic sermon than any standard interview.

Charlie Morrow recalls:
My 1989 Summer Solstice Celebration featured Sun Ra and his Arkestra. On March 29, 1989, ahead of this historical performance, Sun Ra came to New York to plan the performance and do an interview with me in the Charles Morrow Associates studio. There were members of the Sun Ra Arkestra, some of my team, and a photographer present. Once in the sound studio, Sun Ra wanted to record the discussion. What he says is so much more than anyone expected. I pushed record on the tape recorder, which quietly took it all in.

What Sun Ra recorded is a breathtaking expression of his feelings and strong convictions, illustrated with personal memories and stories. My few questions to him about the upcoming Solstice and about the sun and his thoughts about a dawn event triggered his mind. He launched into a nonstop journey of ricocheting stories and concepts, climaxing when I started jamming with Sun Ra on conch horn. Our duo drives to a climactic peak with explosive conch breath sounds giving line-by-line affirmations to Sun Ra’s points.

The 1989 Summer Solstice event brought together Sun Ra and his constellation of musicians and fans with my large-scale gatherings and work with the New Wilderness Foundation. Here in 2023 and beyond, the events live again. Sean McCann of Recital was drawn to Sun Ra’s words, which inspired the production of this edition. Sun Ra’s words seem to have an even greater resonance in present time. Ra is calling out the turbulence of the bad actions of the righteous and the good actions that an evil man, as he dubs himself, can perform, all the time believing that music has the possibility to bring all humans to a better place.

Charlie Morrow, 2023 / Helsinki, Finland

One-time pressing of 425 copies, includes 12-page booklet with rare photos and full transcription of interview, 24”x18” poster of Sun Ra 1989 Solstice performance photograph

Featuring radio sessions and B-sides, as well as the singles 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now', 'How Soon is Now', ‘Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want' and ‘This Night Has Opened My Eyes’ which are all some of The Smiths’ biggest streaming and most popular tracks globally.

Re-mastered from original mono master tapes.

Limited edition 1000 copies.

180 gr vinyl pressed by Pallas in Germany.

Deluxe high-gloss flipback album jacket.

Facsimile reissue using the original cover art.

Double insert using an original photo by JP Leloir from 1955.

Each record has been visually checked to prevent defects.

Recorded December 27 and 29, 1955 at the Pathé Magellan studio, Paris.

Original LP issue: Barclay 84.023.

After hitting Paris in 1950, saxophonist Bobby Jaspar enthralled jazz fans and jazzmen alike with his smooth, elegant playing, with the lyricism of his tranquil phrases heavily influenced by Stan Getz in particular. So when Jaspar began regularly performing with a small ensemble at the Club St-Germain five years later, he adopted the same instrumentation as that of his idol’s illustrious quintet, with Sacha Distel on guitar and René Urtreger on piano in the roles of Jimmy Raney and Al Haig, respectively.

Contrary to what its title might suggest, ‘Modern Jazz au Club St-Germain’ was actually recorded in the studio. It features compositions by Milt Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis along with a handful of standards, in which the angular aridity of bebop gives way to the generous and yet sensitive idiom of cool jazz.

Jaspar’s premature death in 1963 robbed the jazz world of a promising talent; this record is among his best efforts as a leader. Bobby Jaspar is in top form here !!!

Text – Pierre de Chocqueuse

Bobby Jaspar (Tenor Saxophone & Flute)
Sacha Distel (Guitar)
René Urtreger (Piano)
Benoit Quersin (Bass)
Jean-Louis Viale (Drums)

Shock Room it’s a double vinyl release who takes the name from the main room of the discoteque.

ULTIMO IMPERO DI Torino; an historic temple of the techno music from the ‘90s. in this compila)on are all included the most iconic and an)cipated “techno, trance & progressive” grooves that have made dance en)re genera)ons of people, nowadays again on track and well
spinned up by djs all arounf the world.

DRAHDIWABERL - "Psychoterror"- limitierte und nummerierte LP-Neuauflage mit blau-transparenter Vinyl und 8seitigem Booklet, illustriert von Stefan Weber!Das legendäre Debutalbum der Kultformation um Enfant terrible Stefan Weber erschien 1981 und schaffte es entgegen allen Erwartungen sich acht Wochen in den Top 20 der österreichischen Albumcharts zu halten und erreichte Goldstatus.Mit "Ganz Wien" ist auf der LP der "erste Hit" des späteren Weltstars Falco zu hören. Falco alias Hans Hölzel gehörte 1981 zur Drahdiwaberl-Besetzung und wirkte auf "Psychoterror" am E-Bass und Gesang sowie als Texter und Komponist mit.Weitere absolute Kulttracks auf "Psychoterror" sind z.b. "Mad Cat Sadie", "Boring Ord Fart" und "Ausgeflippter Lodenfreak".Das in gewohnter Drahdiwaberl-Manier hochprovokante und politische Album zählt vielen eingefleischten Fans als bestes Album der Band überhaupt.DRAHDIWABERL - "Psychoterror"Ab 8.11.2024 in limitierter und nummerierter LP-Neuauflage mit blau transparenter Vinyl und 8seitigem Booklet, illustriert von Stefan Weber, erhältlich.

In the heart of Offenbach, where the city's pulse synchronizes with the beat of the night, stands the illustrious Robert Johnson Club. For a quarter of a century, it has stood as a bastion of sonic exploration, a sanctuary for those who seek solace in the rhythm, and a beacon of inspiration for the global electronic music community. As it proudly raises its glass to toast 25 years of unrivaled musical excellence, the echoes of countless memories reverberate through its storied halls. To honor this landmark anniversary, „Live at Robert Johnson“ presents a kinda like masters blueprint of sound: "Tell Me Something Good - 25 Years of Famous When Dead!" This compilation, aptly named after the club's mantra, serves not only as a celebration of its rich history but also as a testament to the enduring legacy of the artists who have graced its stage. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, each track on the compilation is a sonic journey unto itself—a symphony of beats and melodies that weave together to tell the story of Robert Johnson's evolution over the past quarter-century. From the pulsating rhythms of underground techno to the ethereal melodies of deep house, the compilation encapsulates the club's eclectic spirit and unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of electronic music. But beyond the music lies something deeper—an intangible energy that permeates every aspect of Robert Johnson's existence. It's the sense of camaraderie that binds together the club's patrons and artists alike, the shared experience of losing oneself in the music, and the profound sense of belonging that transcends language and culture. As the compilation reverberates through the speakers, it serves as a rallying cry—a call to arms for all who have ever felt the transformative power of music. It's a reminder that, even in the darkest of times, there is beauty to be found in the simple act of coming together and losing oneself in the rhythm of the night. So let us raise our voices in celebration of Robert Johnson Club and the indelible mark it has left on the world of electronic music. Here's to 25 years of passion, of creativity, and of "something good" that will echo through the ages for generations to come.

The seeds of composer Rafael Anton Irisarri’s latest LP were first planted during his 2016 tour in Italy, months before that Autumn’s unexpected presidential election. The linguistic glitch of an innocuous diner in Milan named “il Mito Americano” – meant as “The American Dream” but translated literally to English as “The American Myth” – sparked a series of ideas, both conceptual and musical.

Amid the chaos of 2020, while exploring the stark world of brutalist architecture and inspired by the false fronts of Potemkin villages, a vision started to take shape: FAÇADISMS. Composed over three years, it’s a late capitalist lament of simmering electric despondency.

Irisarri’s obsession with repeating motifs mirrors the cyclical nature of our tumultuous political history. The album’s eight tracks heave and storm like a tempest being drained of its rage. This is the sound of majestic dissipation, of morning afters, fashioned from a mournful haze with cavernous guitars and granular twilight. A euphony of a receding tide as one sifts through the remnants of what remains: dust, delusion, and memory.

Opening with the somber gauze of “Broken Intensification," FAÇADISMS moves fluidly between moments of absence and abandon. Ashen swaths of electronics billow above smoldering embers of melody, guitar, and scattered streaks of processed strings and voice, as on the rapturous doom of “Control Your Soul's Desire for Freedom,” featuring Julia Kent on cello and Hannah Elizabeth Cox on vocals. "The impoverished peoples of the Americas have known all along that 'freedom' is a cruel illusion crafted by the elites, akin to Potemkin's fake villages designed to impress Catherine the Great," Irisarri indicates. "FAÇADISMS illustrates a twisted inversion where the rulers deceive their subjects with illusions of safety, democracy, and free speech to create a grotesque mirage of control over their own lives.”

Elsewhere, Irisarri leans into passages of hushed oblivion (“Hollow,” “Dispersion of Belief”), while ragged drones rumble and disintegrate into wind-battered ambient wreckage. One has the sense that it’s all too late. The hour of fury has passed. The beauty has come and gone. Irisarri’s muse has become the crack in the façade of the unraveling myth.

The record closes with a climax of grand departure. Co-written with Kenyan sound artist KMRU, “Red Moon Tide” surges from flickering elegy to celestial disquiet, roiling waves of hymnal descent, and bristling noise. The effect is unsettling and unmooring: a soundtrack for the soul leaving the body, only to discover a void. It’s the sound of the center not holding, of shared illusions being dissolved in a tunnel of white light.

The cover photograph captures a profound sense of desolation. Taken in the historic shanty town of La Perla, Puerto Rico, where Irisarri spent his childhood, brutal colonial mysteries are lost to time. A skeletal concrete structure decays against an expansive blue horizon. Only the shadow of its shell ripples on the empty sea.

Has the American myth finally run its course?

The seeds of composer Rafael Anton Irisarri’s latest LP were first planted during his 2016 tour in Italy, months before that Autumn’s unexpected presidential election. The linguistic glitch of an innocuous diner in Milan named “il Mito Americano” – meant as “The American Dream” but translated literally to English as “The American Myth” – sparked a series of ideas, both conceptual and musical.

Amid the chaos of 2020, while exploring the stark world of brutalist architecture and inspired by the false fronts of Potemkin villages, a vision started to take shape: FAÇADISMS. Composed over three years, it’s a late capitalist lament of simmering electric despondency.

Irisarri’s obsession with repeating motifs mirrors the cyclical nature of our tumultuous political history. The album’s eight tracks heave and storm like a tempest being drained of its rage. This is the sound of majestic dissipation, of morning afters, fashioned from a mournful haze with cavernous guitars and granular twilight. A euphony of a receding tide as one sifts through the remnants of what remains: dust, delusion, and memory.

Opening with the somber gauze of “Broken Intensification," FAÇADISMS moves fluidly between moments of absence and abandon. Ashen swaths of electronics billow above smoldering embers of melody, guitar, and scattered streaks of processed strings and voice, as on the rapturous doom of “Control Your Soul's Desire for Freedom,” featuring Julia Kent on cello and Hannah Elizabeth Cox on vocals. "The impoverished peoples of the Americas have known all along that 'freedom' is a cruel illusion crafted by the elites, akin to Potemkin's fake villages designed to impress Catherine the Great," Irisarri indicates. "FAÇADISMS illustrates a twisted inversion where the rulers deceive their subjects with illusions of safety, democracy, and free speech to create a grotesque mirage of control over their own lives.”

Elsewhere, Irisarri leans into passages of hushed oblivion (“Hollow,” “Dispersion of Belief”), while ragged drones rumble and disintegrate into wind-battered ambient wreckage. One has the sense that it’s all too late. The hour of fury has passed. The beauty has come and gone. Irisarri’s muse has become the crack in the façade of the unraveling myth.

The record closes with a climax of grand departure. Co-written with Kenyan sound artist KMRU, “Red Moon Tide” surges from flickering elegy to celestial disquiet, roiling waves of hymnal descent, and bristling noise. The effect is unsettling and unmooring: a soundtrack for the soul leaving the body, only to discover a void. It’s the sound of the center not holding, of shared illusions being dissolved in a tunnel of white light.

The cover photograph captures a profound sense of desolation. Taken in the historic shanty town of La Perla, Puerto Rico, where Irisarri spent his childhood, brutal colonial mysteries are lost to time. A skeletal concrete structure decays against an expansive blue horizon. Only the shadow of its shell ripples on the empty sea.

Has the American myth finally run its course?