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The learning process is just as much an act of healing as betterment. The enabling of solutions through sheer willpower and openness to discovery, or a noble mission, never completed. In that spirit, the latest album by Berlin-based Slovak duo Päfgens – comprising Jana Drábeková Kočišová and Filip Drábek – represents a pensive development for the project.

Drifting from their lo-fi shoegaze beginnings, Päfgens drone-infused soundscapes have become increasingly immersive and expressive “framed improvisations,” where spontaneous passages are captured, then revisited with fresh layers upon layers over the course of months, breathing and evolving naturally, mirroring the unpredictability of nature. Songforms have all but melted away, with ethereal guitars and bass nestling up against field-recorded sounds, synth beds, percussion, and singing bowl tones.

The framed improvisation on ‘Aspect of What’ explores love and loss, relishing both the joy and melancholy of paying tribute to Filip’s late ethnologist grandmother, Božena Filová (1926-2020). Her voice opens track 2, ‘Particles’, speaking of the humble desire to “help the people in the rural environment”, and the goal of “uplifting people to better living through education”. The album’s emotionally charged approach to improvisation is suitably uplifting and seemingly made without ego, the couple melting away into the flitting wall of rustling drones and heavenly fuzz. Even at their most serrated (the groaning guitar amp squall underpinning ‘Journey’) or when surrounded by chiming bells, clocks and bowls (‘Around the Clock’), Päfgens is ready to listen, rest, learn, and improve, extracting and nurturing hidden abstract emotion in every piece, plundering something universal and teachable from very personal depths.

"Even God Has A Sense Of Humor" is the long-awaited follow up album to Maxo's critically acclaimed 2019 release Lil Big Man. Across the 14-tracks, Even God Has A Sense Of Humor pays tribute to the mercurial nature of life and includes features from Liv.e, keiyaA, LastNameDavid, and Melanie Charles along with the previously released singles "Free!," produced by Dev Morrison and "48," produced by Madlib and featuring Pink Siifu. The FADER recently sat down with Maxo to discuss the album, which they described as having "a defiant glow, like a bronze statue still standing after an intense tornado."

Born Maxamillian Allen, Even God Has A Sense Of Humor finds Maxo earnest, full-hearted, and lyrically agile. His delivery punches as he poetically unpacks the trials and blessings that have marked the last three years since Lil Big Man, his stirring and meditative debut album. “Life is always gonna be life-ing,” Maxo says, speaking to the spiritual lessons that inspired this new project and an album process that has revealed to him the many ways in which he’s divinely protected.

The album’s striking cover features three casted sculptures of Maxo by legendary NYC-based artist artist John Ahearn, photographed by the rapper’s friend Steven Traylor. The image both preceded the music and set the tone for the record’s overall aura. Experiencing the casting process—which required long periods of stillness for form, and breathwork to avoid claustrophobia—became a metaphor about ego death for Maxo. “I had to go to a space where I was just not there,” he says. As the molding was poured over his body and the voices of those in the room became distant, Maxo’s inner world came into focus. “By the time it hardened, it seemed like the sculpture had risen to be 20 feet above where it was first— almost like it grew tall,” he explains. EGHASOH, in its aural ebbs and flows, honest questioning, profound revelations, and elegant verse, is Maxo standing spiritually tall following a period of challenges with family and friends.

Maxo’s writing process has always been rooted in imagery, observation, and capturing moments. Growing up in Southern California, Maxo spent a lot of time combing through old family photo albums, some of whose contents have become the artwork for prior releases. But his fascination with visual memento is less about nostalgia or remembering, and more about exploring concepts of growth, healing, and cycles. His artistry is intentional and deeply sensitive: “If I’m not feeling it, I’m not gonna record.” While his past records openly grappled with emotional turbulence, anger and depression, EGHASOH is Maxo’s acceptance stage: “I can't really judge nothing. I can't sit up and be mad at shit because everything is, everything is kind of coexisting,” he says.

Musically, EGHASOH is an impressive evolution from Maxo’s earlier, unornamented lo-fi projects. With an emphasis on jazzy instrumentalism and soothing, intricate vocals from both the artist and featured chanteueses Liv.e, Melanie Charles, and keiyaA, EGHASOH is a welcome and beautifully complex sonic effort. Its contributors include a range of musicians: Pink Siifu, LastNameDavid, Madlib, GrayMatter, Karriem Riggins, Beat Butcha, Lance Skiiiwalker, and more. The album was executive produced by Mount Kimbie’s Dom Maker.

“Nobody talks about the fact that we’re changing as we get older... Everybody just acts like you supposed to know,” Maxo says on album standout, “Face of Stone”. It's moody bassline meets a cinematic accordion melody that paradoxically both broods and uplifts—a fitting production choice that mirrors the song’s story. “I’m seeing how this world is chipping you and withering your bones,” Maxo says. “I’m talking about myself, talking about my bro. But it’s never nothing you gonna do that’s a one stop shop in this life. You gotta keep staying diligent and consistent.” For Maxo, Even God Has a Sense of Humor is nothing more than another moment on the timeline of his offerings of self-expression as an artist—one whose sole intention is to, in his words, develop as a human being and heal.

Indies only 150 available. Lotus is led by the rhythmic prowess of percussionist Olaf Olsen (Fra Det Onde, Needlepoint). Olaf joins forces with electric bassist Chris Holm (Orions Belte, Sondre Lerches band) as well as Norwegian-based Danish alto saxophonist Signe Emmeluth. Finalising the line-up is electric guitarist Karl Bjorå, known for his unique sonic creations - such as making his guitar oscillate like a synthesizer! Pulling momentum from the individual members’ diverse backgrounds in psychedelic rock, pop, jazz and improvisational music, Lotus creates a sound that transcends genre boundaries."Synthbuljong," their debut album, brilliantly captures the band's vibrant energy. Recorded partially during one of their electrifying concerts in Bergen, Lotus intentionally incorporated the live experience seamlessly into the album. From the raw Coltrane-meets-Sonic Youth energy of the opening track to the serene and contemplative atmosphere of "Ballade", the album takes the listener on a trip. The collaborative synergy of the musicians blend seamlessly in the seventeen-minute opus, “Synthgitar," pushing the boundaries of sonic exploration. The group taps into a Scandinavian history of high-powered, multi-cultural free jazz, but goes off on their own contemporary tangent. This is the kind of music that demands surrender from the listener - just lean back and let the lush, organic sound of Lotus wash over you. Includes liner notes by Audun Vinger. File next to: Don Cherry, Sonny Sharrock, Chris Corsano, Chicago Underground Duo.

THE SINISTER DEBUT ALBUM OF PURE NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL
FEELING,FEATURING MEMBERS OF AURA NOIR, OBLITERATION &
CONDOR."Underground metal the way it should sound returns to
Kolbotn!" - Fenriz (Darkthrone)From the depths of Norway looms a new
rising beast of hate & misanthropy in the form of Avmakt
Featuring the duo of Kristian Valbo & Christoffer Brathen - known for their work
with such acts as Aura Noir, Obliteration & Condor - their debut album, 'The
Satanic Inversion of....', is a grim & revelatory offering. Primitive in a way that
captures the early magic of Kolbotn's metal kings, Darkthrone, as well as the stark
chaos of early-era Bathory along with their very own distinguishable stamp on the
genre, 'The Satanic Inversion of....' is a masterclass of real Black Metal feeling,
wrapped up in a hypnotic frenzy of ice-cold riffing.
Though both members had played in bands covering different genres since their
early teenage years, Black Metal had always been one of the most important as a
vehicle for an honesty & fierceness that resonated deeply within the duo, without
the need for extravagant clothing or pretentious concepts. And so Avmakt itself
was born as the vessel for channelling this stripped-down raw feeling.
Formed in 2020 & with their one & only demo release gaining traction in the
underground, the Norwegians quickly came to the attention of Darkthrone's Fenriz
& Peaceville Records & Avmakt was swiftly included on Peaceville's Black Metal
Compilation, 'Dark Side Of The Sacred Star' which launched at the end of 2022.
Avmakt itself means "powerlessness", the sense of being overwhelmed & not
able to have any influence - without choice, voice, or hope. And so, it is from far
down in this psychological abyss that Avmakt's ideas & expressions manifest
with the completion of their debut studio release; 6 sprawling epic tracks
recorded with the assistance of Arild Torp, also of Obliteration & encapsulating
such themes as emptiness, desolation & alienation in a powerful display of
sinister, uninhibited Black Metal.

On 'Leaving Me', the debut album by British singer and songwriter Denver
Cuss, she has crafted a wonderfully nostalgic album in the style of '60s
soul and rhythm and blues
Denver first gained recognition as an accompanist and background singer for PM
Warson, who produced this album. She and her co-writer Kit Warren began writing
this album in early 2022, recording it gradually over the next 18 months. They
utilised several studios across London to capture the best of each element: The
Cube in Stoke Newington for the drum sound, Hackney Road Studios for lead
vocals, and Sam Beer's studio in Acton for Hammond, Wurlitzer, and background
vocals. This album was a labour of love, involving over 12 musicians with
incredible talent.
Inspired by the doo-wop and Chicago soul pioneers The Impressions, the vocal
styles of Sarah Vaughan and Aretha Franklin, and the echoing, modern R&B
sounds of Thee Sacred Souls and The Altons, Denver's debut album has a clear
thematic thread. It effortlessly navigates the world of '60s- style background
vocals and R&B horn arrangements, carefully curated by Denver. With her
background in jazz and her arrangement style firmly rooted in the world of soul
and R&B, you can clearly hear her influences, supported by some of London's
finest musicians.

There is something simultaneously both brand-new and retro about 'All News Is Good News’ - the debut album from Melbourne's instrumental soul group Surprise Chef. It sounds like something dreamt up by lo-fi cousins of David Axelrod and Janko Nilovic, with dramatic Library-music-eqsue cinematic arrangements echoing both light and dark, delving into moments of dissonance and positivity.

There is a meticulous education of 1970’s soul on display that touches on the legacies of the great composer / producers, yet at the same time this is a truly contemporary record that could have only been made now. The first limited pressing of 'All News Is Good News’ was released on the band's own 'College Of Knowledge' imprint in November 2019. It slipped rapidly into the collective consciousness of underground music lovers around the world, with all copies selling out within a week and becoming a firm favourite at Mr Bongo HQ in the process.

We felt Surprise Chef had made something very special, a future-classic, and that needed to be heard well beyond those lucky enough to have bagged those limited first copies. Formed at the end of 2017, Surprise Chef have grown within the fertile, creative, and supportive Melbourne music scene. Whilst the band is comprised of four core members, the album features friends and family as guest instrumentalists on flute, saxophone, vibraphone, congas, and assorted percussion; all adeptly recorded by engineer Henry Jenkins from the band Karate Boogaloo. The warm-raw-authenticity of the album was captured in the recordings live to tape over a handful of sessions in the band’s home studio in Melbourne’s inner-northern suburb of Coburg. As band member Lachlan Stuckey explains “All of the music we record is tracked live to tape, simply because so many of the records we love most were made that way".

The results are a captivating journey of instrumental cinematic-soul that will connect with the hardened Axelrod, Truth & Soul, El Michels Affair, and Daptone's fans, as well as the open-minded first-time listener. We are very excited to share this first slice of Surprise Chef’s world, with plenty more magic from these guys coming around the corner very soon.

Also available on Red Vinyl - Limited Edition of 200 Copies.

Urbanatribù was an extremely interesting project based in Alessandria, deep North-Italian province. Formed by bassist Flavio Gemma and cyber wizard Massimiliano Bocchio, the outfit had a distinctive way to interpretate electronic and dance music.
Gemma founded some key Italian 80's wave groups like Viridanse and C.O.D.E.X. with some late digressions in the punk scene with Peggio Punx. Bocchio had its debut on the seminal imprint Minus Habens Records in 1994 under the moniker Klange, reflecting the unique and radical sound of the label.
Inspired by John Carpenter movies, rough basslines and british ghost stories, Urbanatribù records camed out against any order.

2024 Repress

140g schwarzes Vinyl, mit Spot UV-Sleeve, 2LP 45rpm. Das beste Post-Rock-Album aller Zeiten" - Fact Mag // ,Ihr Einfluss ist allgegenwärtig` - The Quietus // ,Mysteriös, eindringlich und atemberaubend visionär` - Allmusic // Bark Psychosis waren eine der innovativsten Bands ihrer Zeit und der Legende nach wurde der Begriff ,Post-Rock` erstmals von Musikkritiker Simon Reynolds verwendet. Nach mehreren Singles und EPs erschienen die avantgardistischen, auf Drones und Samples basierenden Klanglandschaften des 21-minütigen Titeltracks ,Scum" nur zwei Jahre vor ihrem bahnbrechenden Debüt ,Hex" (1994). Ihr Sound entstand aus ihren Improvisationen in einem provisorischen Studio in der St John's Church in Stratford. Die Fertigstellung von ,Hex" dauerte ein Jahr und brachte die Band an den Rand des Zusammenbruchs, so dass sie sich zum Zeitpunkt der Veröffentlichung bereits aufgelöst hatte. Indem sie ihre Songs zerlegten und im Studio neu zusammensetzten, entstanden charakteristische Ambient-Soundscapes und ein atmosphärischer, experimenteller Sound. Letztes Jahr hat das Fact Magazine das Album verdientermaßen auf den ersten Platz der ,30 Best Post-Rock Albums Of All Time" gesetzt. Neu gemastert im Jahr 2017 von den originalen analogen Bändern in den Metropolis Studios von Graham Sutton und Stuart Hawkes.

Auf seinem neuen Album Sun Glories erkundet der in Oakland lebende Musiker, Komponist und Produzent Chuck Johnson Themen wie Zeit, Erinnerung und Illusion durch seine einzigartige Mischung aus Pedal Steel, Synthesizern, Gitarren, Orgeln, Streichern und Schlagzeug. Der Eröffnungstrack "Teleos" erforscht die linearen und zyklischen Qualitäten der Zeit durch episodische Abschnitte und Motive, die die bittersüße Erleichterung und Nostalgie heraufbeschwören, die mit der Ankunft des ersten warmen und sonnigen Tages nach einem langen, dunklen und regnerischen Winter die Sinne überfluten. Das gitarrenbasierte "Sylvanshine" fängt einen Moment zwischen Improvisation und aufkeimender Komposition ein, mit einem strahlenden Gastbeitrag des elektroakustischen Saxophonisten Cole Pulice. Bei "Ground Wave" greift Johnson auf die Kompositionstechnik zurück, ein kleines Streicherensemble in Wolken aus Pedal Steel zu verweben, ähnlich wie bei "Red Branch Bell" von seiner 2021 erschienenen LP The Cinder Grove. "Wenn das Pedal-Steel-Solo bei etwa 3:30 einsetzt, wollte ich, dass es sich anfühlt, als würde der Boden unter den Füßen des Zuhörers plötzlich verschwinden." Um seine Vision zu verwirklichen, arbeitete Johnson mit der Cellistin Clarice Jensen und der Geigerin Emily Packard zusammen, die beide mehrere Stimmen übereinander legten, um ein virtuelles Kammerensemble zu schaffen. Das Album schließt mit "Broken Spectre", einer Anspielung auf einen Begriff, der eine geisterhafte optische Täuschung beschreibt, die dadurch entsteht, dass sich das Sonnenlicht über einen nebel- oder wolkenverhangenen Berg beugt. Wieder einmal bauen sich Johnsons herrliche Pedal Steel-Melodien zu einem hypnotischen Strudel auf, der mit Ryan Jewells hymnischem Schlagzeugspiel ein episches Gefühl der Erhabenheit entwickelt. Wenn sich der Nebel lichtet und die Sonne durchbricht, hinterlässt dieser letzte Track ein Gefühl von Hoffnung und Entschlossenheit.

Crystal clear vinyl, limited to 200 copies. HEBI KATANA's 3rd full album, known as "Tokyo Samurai Doom"! The classic doom riff and mellow and dark melody reminiscent of THE OBSESSED and TROUBLE have become a hot topic mainly overseas. Both works have been released on CD/LP/cassette by domestic and international labels. Their dark yet melodious doom sound attracted attention, especially among doom/stoner enthusiasts around the world. This work, which is the third album, maintains the classic doom/hard rock sound that has been created up to now, but it also has a strong jam feeling honed through expeditions including overseas tours, and the band ensemble is truly impressive. It is a work of art. Coupled with member changes, the content gives a sense of significant growth and progress. In addition, the songs created through collaboration with seasoned live acts have a more vivid finish. Through songwriting that involves everyone's participation, each band's colors and characters are strongly reflected, and it can be said that the band is exploring a unique sound based on the doom/stoner sound. "Hallelujah Anyway" is a straightforward attack with a classic heavy riff and mellow chorus, "Depressed Blues" is a combination of a mid-tempo heavy riff and dark vocals In the second half, "Darkest Priest" develops into a more doomy shuffle boogie, and "Lost" drifts from a dark arpeggio-driven melody to a heavy and sinking development, and the songs included are rich and fulfilling. The yellowtail is something to behold. The rapid advance of "Tokyo Samurai Doom" begins now!

The yellow transparent vinyl reissue of Damian Wilson's 2016 album 'Built
for Fighting', featuring the BBC playlisted single 'Thrill Me'
Built for Fighting contains 11 original songs and a cover of Depeche Mode's
Somebody'. The album is mixed and mastered in Sweden by the Fascination
Street duo Jens Bogren and Tony Lindgren.

Bedouin return with ‘Make Me Feel’, their first new materialsince their critically-acclaimed ‘Temple Of Dreams’ LP. The mesmerising single, featuring Iveta, arrives via their Human By Default imprint in the heart of Summer!

Miami-based duo Bedouin, aka Rami Abousabe and Tamer Malki, are masters of deep, organic, enchanting house music that draws on their own rich cultural heritage. Last year's debut album project ‘Temple Of Dreams’ proved that, with a great step up in craft that took them to an all-new level. Synonymous with their renowned SAGA party, which will again offer richly immersive soundscapes at Pacha Ibiza all summer long with a tasteful mix of guests from across the electronic spectrum, the Human By Default bosses and versatile, forward-thinking duo dazzle once again with their first material of 2024, ‘Make Me Feel’.

The spellbinding ‘Make Me Feel’ imbues an immediate mark with its pairing of dramatic minor chords and wavy, organic drums. As the groove unfolds, wooden percussion and the gorgeously soulful vocals of Iveta layer in further emotion next to hypnotic daubs of colour. It's a stylish mix of proper songwriting and musicality that will become a sure-fire staple of their SAGA party this summer and beyond.

2024 Reissue

Fracture & Neptune reissue two classics from the Astrophonica catalog on a new 12”. Clissold and The Limit shine a spotlight on the early days of their musical journey in the mid 2000s.

While there are other tracks that could and may get reissued, the pivotal nature of these two and the ongoing demand for represses made them the perfect place to start. Reissuing them not only honours their impact on our careers and Astrophonica's evolution but provides the opportunity to have them remastered on vinyl by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven and on digital by Bob Macciochi at Subvert Central Mastering for a modern take in 2024.

Pt. 3 of the 'Dub me crazy' series by Mad Professor. This one features the much played killer, Bengali Skank .. TIP!
Originally released in 1983 on the same Ariwa imprint. True D.I.Y. business from this UK dub pioneer.

Pt. 5 of the 'Dub me crazy' series by Mad Professor.
Reggae meets twisted electronics for wild dub trips!

Originally released in 1985 on the same Ariwa imprint.
True D.I.Y. business from this UK dub pioneer.

On ALPHA WAVES, AUX88 ventures into uncharted sonic territories by subtly incorporating 432 Hz alpha wave tones. This forward-thinking approach to sound exploration is a testament to their creativity and commitment to pushing the boundaries of electronic dance music.

It is believed that 432 Hz is the healing frequency of the universe and has the power to improve our bodies' natural healing abilities. Similarly, alpha brain waves are associated with restful, meditative states and are believed to reduce depression, combat anxiety, and increase creativity. By blending these healing frequencies with their classic techno-bass fusion, AUX88 offers listeners a unique auditory experience that is both soothing and energizing, especially powerful during their all-sensory-consuming live performances, where fans can fully immerse themselves in the music and experience its transformative effects.

The weather might never be hot in the UK but the 7th release from Regulate Recordings is an absolute scorcher! Coming hot on the heels of the “The Rhythm / Make Em Bounce” going to the top of the Juno charts and doing serious dance floor damage the North West imprint have gone even bigger for the next release with a daisy age inspired transatlantic cross over.
Manchester producer Atomphunk has teamed up with Seattle Duo Mugs and Pockets with turntablist extraordinaire DJ Deviant on the cuts. The results are without doubt the jams of the summer, which is handy because the A side is called “Summer Jam”. With a popping funk bass line and rhymes dancing over the top that immediately evoke the spirit of the Native Tongues, but added into the mix is that Grand Central / Fat City groove and the West Coast USA bounce of Jurassic 5 and their collaborators, (Chali2Na is a big supporter of Mugs & Pockets). In a packed field “Summer Jam” might just be Regulate’s biggest release yet.

Things don’t let up on the flip “Back For More” sees Atomphunk go for the hotter stickier side of the season, with a more laid back synth driven groove evoking Roy Ayers and Quincy Jones, but with crisp beats and Mugs and Pockets bringing it once more. Don’t sleep on this one.

Neil Feather has spent decades creating a musical world of his own through dozens of one-of-a-kind instruments he invented and built himself. His work as an instrument inventor, improviser, musical iconoclast, and stalwart of the idiosyncratic Baltimore experimental scene culminated in the late 2010s when filmmaker Skizz Cyzyk shot hours of footage of Feather taking stock of his workshop and his collaborations with musicians from Baltimore and beyond as he prepared to relocate permanently to New Zealand. That period produced Sound Mechanic, Skizz’s 2022 feature-length documentary about Feather’s work and music. It also produced an album-length collection of recordings of Feather’s music from the film that captures the spectrum of his unique sonic vision. Uninterested in the traditional rules and roles of music from his early years, Feather began constructing noisemakers out of what was around him—pieces of metal, spare parts from bikes and other gadgets, discarded traditional instruments, various electronics, ball bearings, and so on. By the time he moved to Baltimore in 1985, his work had become more codified into a practice of instruments and families of instruments, such as the Nondo, the Vibrawheel, and the Former Guitars. At the same time, he became a mainstay of the burgeoning experimental / improvised music scene that erupted from the Red Room and the internationally renowned High Zero Festival.

Few names shine as brightly in the cosmology of dubwise bass music as that of V.I.V.E.K. From releasing absolutely ground-breaking tracks for the better part of 20 years primarily on his own System and VIVEK imprints, to curating and hosting his legendary System nights, to bringing so much rising talent to light, it’s honestly difficult to imagine the last two decades of UK and global sound system music without him.

For ZamZam 96 V.I.V.E.K went straight to the bedrock of sound system music and delivered a power-stepper of galactic proportions.

“Illusions Dub” opens with starkly heavy valve bass and a punishing kick, leaving little doubt where this journey is headed . Richly adorned with neck-snapping percussion, industrial snares, post-punk atmospherics and a gorgeous melodic figure, the tune employs classic 90s digi-dub principles while feeling like a message from a gloriously human -or post-human- future.

“Illusions (Raw Dub)” runs rugged through the desk in fine style, with barely restrained feedback, phasers, and deep space echo and reverb ripping open shimmering holes in space-time for a truly cosmic Part 2.

Sandy Bull war ein amerikanischer Folk-Musiker, der mit einer Reihe von Alben auf dem Vanguard-Label in den 1960er und 70er Jahren bekannt wurde. "Still Valentine's Day 1969" stammt aus zwei Live-Shows, die 1969 im The Matrix in San Francisco aufgenommen wurden, wo Bull schimmernde E-Gitarre und Oud spielt, begleitet von Tape-Loops. Zuvor auf CD erhältlich, aber inzwischen in allen Formaten vergriffen - dies ist die allererste Vinyl-Pressung und enthält die Original-Liner Notes von Byron Coley.

Mas O Menos was set up by South African born, Manchester based, DJ and Producer Levi Love. Levi has played numerous dancefloors across the globe for the past 13 years developing a fine palate for Deep House and electronica.

A chance meeting with one half of >ONE, MAKO MCR resulted in Levi signing the DUO and their APPLEBUSH offering. To Levi, Applebush reignites the memories of Johannesburg townships when he was a teenager, which at the time was infused with
Kwaito music. Slow BPM, synth heavy and trippy at times, APPLEBUSH takes it to another level of impressive technical acumen and blessed creative prowess.

>ONE is comprised of MAKO MCR and METRODOME. METRODOME is a known producer for World renowned RED LASER DISCO imprint alongside Manchester's LEVELZ & Wet Play collectives, working with artists like Amp Fiddler & Zed Bias, with a bevy of heavy hitters to his name. MAKO MCR is no newcomer to the scene as he boasts releases from numerous labels such as Hot'n'Heavy, Gradient Audio, Abaga records and
Echodub. The Applebush EP marks the start of their creative endeavors together with an already varied back catalogue of electronic music from across the spectrum to come.

There are ghosts all across AVANTI, the debut album from Malice K. At points it's howling and unhinged, a grungy layer atop a lush foundation of melodic capital-s Songwriting, but in other moments it dissolves into a gentle, wistful haunting. Malice K's songs are blunt, uncomplicated and unflinching as he probes the interiority of memories, of mistakes - saturated with an innate intensity that sucks you into his gnarled and visceral world, so barbed it could draw blood. Malice K is helmed by visual artist and songwriter Alex Konschuh, New York-based but born and raised in Olympia, Washington. Following a stint living in Los Angeles, where he became a member of the artist collective Death Proof Inc., a trip to New York resulted in him simply never leaving the city. A period of chaos ensued, Malice K exhausted and unmoored and ultimately, unwell. The record is unpredictable across its 11 songs. The album opens with a jarring scream on "Halloween," Malice K's breathless vocals buried beneath a grungy, roving Nineties riff. The track emanates a manic energy, enveloping. It's a fitting entrypoint for the record, and for the vividness of Malice K. The snarling and obsessive "You're My Girl" has a swaggering paranoia: "I got so high I thought my hand touching my hand was your hand." But AVANTI exists in quieter moments too; "Radio," with its fluttering morose cello, moves at an almost glacial pace comparatively. The aching wistfulness of "The Old House" is an album stand-out, anchored in an acoustic guitar, an uneasy lullaby that never quite settles into itself: "I think to myself I got the things that I wanted, but I can't help think there's something else that I forgot to do." A recent press interview called Malice K a shapeshifter, but he's not amorphous in that way. He's decisive and intense, more concerned with carving his own path, and building his own world. Every part of Malice K is distinctly himself: from his sweaty high-octane shows to the high-flash high-contrast photos; from his gnarled and unsettling illustrations to the studio recordings that vacillate between grief and tenderness, there's an exceptional ferocity across everything Malice K touches. AVANTI feels lived in, like peering into an abandoned house through a window smeared with grimy fingerprints, relics of a life well-lived scattered inside - despite being a debut, there's the sense that Malice K arrived fully-realized, imperfections and all.

There are ghosts all across AVANTI, the debut album from Malice K. At points it's howling and unhinged, a grungy layer atop a lush foundation of melodic capital-s Songwriting, but in other moments it dissolves into a gentle, wistful haunting. Malice K's songs are blunt, uncomplicated and unflinching as he probes the interiority of memories, of mistakes - saturated with an innate intensity that sucks you into his gnarled and visceral world, so barbed it could draw blood. Malice K is helmed by visual artist and songwriter Alex Konschuh, New York-based but born and raised in Olympia, Washington. Following a stint living in Los Angeles, where he became a member of the artist collective Death Proof Inc., a trip to New York resulted in him simply never leaving the city. A period of chaos ensued, Malice K exhausted and unmoored and ultimately, unwell. The record is unpredictable across its 11 songs. The album opens with a jarring scream on "Halloween," Malice K's breathless vocals buried beneath a grungy, roving Nineties riff. The track emanates a manic energy, enveloping. It's a fitting entrypoint for the record, and for the vividness of Malice K. The snarling and obsessive "You're My Girl" has a swaggering paranoia: "I got so high I thought my hand touching my hand was your hand." But AVANTI exists in quieter moments too; "Radio," with its fluttering morose cello, moves at an almost glacial pace comparatively. The aching wistfulness of "The Old House" is an album stand-out, anchored in an acoustic guitar, an uneasy lullaby that never quite settles into itself: "I think to myself I got the things that I wanted, but I can't help think there's something else that I forgot to do." A recent press interview called Malice K a shapeshifter, but he's not amorphous in that way. He's decisive and intense, more concerned with carving his own path, and building his own world. Every part of Malice K is distinctly himself: from his sweaty high-octane shows to the high-flash high-contrast photos; from his gnarled and unsettling illustrations to the studio recordings that vacillate between grief and tenderness, there's an exceptional ferocity across everything Malice K touches. AVANTI feels lived in, like peering into an abandoned house through a window smeared with grimy fingerprints, relics of a life well-lived scattered inside - despite being a debut, there's the sense that Malice K arrived fully-realized, imperfections and all.

Originally released in 1996 as a limited fan-club pressing for Rockathon, Guided By Voices’ Tonics And Twisted Chasers has always existed as an anomaly in Robert Pollard’s vast discography. In many ways, the album serves as the tail of a creative comet that in just two years included the “classic line-up” trilogy of Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, Under the Bushes, Under the Stars and countless singles that crammed endless hooks in their grooves. In the intervening space, Tonics And Twisted Chasers has taken on a mythic status. It’s arguably Pollard’s strangest, gnarliest, most enlightened record and also the fans first chance to see the stitches that bind his galaxy of songs. It’s like peering at the caliber inside a watch, responsible for making the whole enterprise tick. This nineteen-song collaboration with guitarist Tobin Sprout could be interpreted as spontaneous sketches, late-night improvisations, ideas that blossomed later in the timeline (“Knock ’Em Flyin’” and “Key Losers”), but as with anything in Pollard’s orbit, its intention is clear when heard as a cohesive whole. The Pollard tenet that “less is more” is on full display here. The songs rarely creep past ninety seconds and coalesce much like Pollard’s collage-styled visual art. Arena anthems in miniature (“158 Years Of Beautiful Sex”) bash up against eerie piano laments (“Universal Nurse Finger”) without any time to breathe, acoustic lullabies that sound like a Midwestern summer’s twilight (“Look It’s Baseball”) segue into monochromatic post-rock (“Maxwell Jump”). The euphoric joy and obtuse melancholy in Pollard’s voice is so palpable on the album’s standout, “Dayton, Ohio 19 Something & 5” (which has since become a live staple), that it’s impossible to find a more autobiographical yarn in his catalog. The album’s closest analog is 1993’s Vampire On Titus, as it contains that album’s prickly, dark and shimmering obfuscation that only reveals its beauty after repeated listens. Tonics And Twisted Chasers maintains the lore because the melodies are so strong. Using a primitive drum machine, Radio Shack effects, minimal instrumentation and the DIY spirit that guided them in the first place, Pollard and Sprout constructed a masterpiece of pop that could only come from a basement in north Dayton, Ohio. Anyone in that hallowed era who happened upon it, kept it as a secret.

Originally released in 1996 as a limited fan-club pressing for Rockathon, Guided By Voices’ Tonics And Twisted Chasers has always existed as an anomaly in Robert Pollard’s vast discography. In many ways, the album serves as the tail of a creative comet that in just two years included the “classic line-up” trilogy of Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, Under the Bushes, Under the Stars and countless singles that crammed endless hooks in their grooves. In the intervening space, Tonics And Twisted Chasers has taken on a mythic status. It’s arguably Pollard’s strangest, gnarliest, most enlightened record and also the fans first chance to see the stitches that bind his galaxy of songs. It’s like peering at the caliber inside a watch, responsible for making the whole enterprise tick. This nineteen-song collaboration with guitarist Tobin Sprout could be interpreted as spontaneous sketches, late-night improvisations, ideas that blossomed later in the timeline (“Knock ’Em Flyin’” and “Key Losers”), but as with anything in Pollard’s orbit, its intention is clear when heard as a cohesive whole. The Pollard tenet that “less is more” is on full display here. The songs rarely creep past ninety seconds and coalesce much like Pollard’s collage-styled visual art. Arena anthems in miniature (“158 Years Of Beautiful Sex”) bash up against eerie piano laments (“Universal Nurse Finger”) without any time to breathe, acoustic lullabies that sound like a Midwestern summer’s twilight (“Look It’s Baseball”) segue into monochromatic post-rock (“Maxwell Jump”). The euphoric joy and obtuse melancholy in Pollard’s voice is so palpable on the album’s standout, “Dayton, Ohio 19 Something & 5” (which has since become a live staple), that it’s impossible to find a more autobiographical yarn in his catalog. The album’s closest analog is 1993’s Vampire On Titus, as it contains that album’s prickly, dark and shimmering obfuscation that only reveals its beauty after repeated listens. Tonics And Twisted Chasers maintains the lore because the melodies are so strong. Using a primitive drum machine, Radio Shack effects, minimal instrumentation and the DIY spirit that guided them in the first place, Pollard and Sprout constructed a masterpiece of pop that could only come from a basement in north Dayton, Ohio. Anyone in that hallowed era who happened upon it, kept it as a secret.

Leif Maine and Jackson Mathod are thrilled to announce the August release of their album, "Volte-Face", with a single of the same name. This collaboration marks a bold new chapter in contemporary jazz, blending traditional and modern elements with great artistry and a willingness to explore many genres on one project.

"Volte-Face"is a sonic journey that showcases Maine's innovative compositions and Mathod's masterful trumpet performances. The album features a rich tapestry of sounds, from soulful melodies to intricate improvisations, capturing the essence of their dynamic synergy. Each track is meticulously crafted, promising an immersive listening experience for audiophiles and jazz enthusiasts alike.

Volte Face, the single, features rapper and Washington DC transplant (born and raised in NY), J Scienide. J has been around the great in underground Hip Hop. He shared a manager with the late and great MF DOOM, released and recorded with D-Styles from the World Famous Beat Junkies/ Invisibl Skratch Piklz, worked with super producer Daringer (Griselda Records/Action Bronson). He is regularly supported by FunkMaster Flex, Peter Rosenberg, Dj Premier, Dj House Shoes, Statik Selektah and many more.

The Circus is a place of lights and colors, but also of shadows, even darkness. Admittedly, it delights children and makes adults laugh. But you only need one rainy autumn evening near a circus tent and the smell of fodder to think of the sadness of the clowns, the endless training of the animals and the freaks who are hidden in some caravan... cinema, the essence of the circus – movement, light, danger and burlesque – will have been admirably rendered in Notes on the circus by Jonas Mekas (1966), one of the inventors of the filmed diary. With Cirque, Michèle Bokanowski does similar work, entirely dedicated to spinning, in the musical field.

She distinguished herself in particular in the composition of musique concrète, among others Tabou and Trois chambres d'inquiétudes, after having studied with Pierre Schaeffer and Éliane Radigue. The latter, great lady of drone and minimalism, fell under the spell of Cirque and wrote the booklet for the piece as a poem.

The piece, divided into five movements, is based on the handling and editing of recordings captured within one or more circuses (this is not specified and is of no importance) between 1988 and 1993. The initial allegro reveals the gallop of a horse joined gradually by other images. The idea of the circular space of the circus tent is immediatly and magnificently rendered and will be constantly recalled by an insistent use of the loop technique. Children's laughter, applause and drum rolls are thus sheared, repeated before being brutally interrupted. Accordion interludes and the distortion of sounds create a dreamlike atmosphere. This beautiful nightmare reminds us, to quote Éliane Radigue, the "Magic of childhood still living in the heart of man even beyond its abrupt end."

Words by Alexandre Galand, from the book “Field Recording – L’usage sonore du monde en 100 albums” (ed. Le mot et le reste, 2012)

Major member of the french musique concrète scene, Michèle Bokanowski was born on August 9, 1943 in Cannes, FR, to a musician mother and a writer father. She now lives and works in Paris.
Music lover since adolescence, it was relatively late, at the age of 22, that Michèle Bokanowski decided to study composition. Reading In Search of a Concrete Music by Pierre Schaeffer was decisive. After classical training on harmony, she met Michel Puig, a student of René Leibowitz, who taught her writing and analysis based on the Treatise of Schönberg. In September 1970 she began a two-year internship in the ORTF Research Department under the direction of Pierre Schaeffer. She takes part in the same time in a research group on sound synthesis, studies musical computing at the Faculty of Vincennes and electronic music with Éliane Radigue.
Her main works are intended for concert: Pour un pianiste, Trois chambres d’inquiétude, Tabou, Phone Variations, Cirque, L’étoile Absinthe, Chant d’Ombre, Enfance, Rhapsodia, Cadence, Elsewhere. She has also composed for theater (with Catherine Dasté), dance (with choreographers Hideyuki Yano, Marceline Lartigue, Bernardo Montet) and cinema: music for the short films of Patrick Bokanowski and his two feature films L'Ange ( 1982) and A Solar Dream (2016).

Following a ten-part series of unannounced artist records and a spectacular high-concept album on Mask Records, label head ZentaSkai returns to the imprint for his next solo vinyl-only release, ‘Bob’.
The A1 sees the Berlin-based ZentaSkai combine a dusty, taped white noise feel with subtle, swirling dub chords as its high-end propels the track forward. It’s a stunning and evocative piece before the A2 continues with minimal drums and electric acid bleeps, a smooth organ lead completing its gorgeous soundscape.
On the B-side of the ‘Bob’ EP, ZentaSkai joins forces with long-time collaborator Sebastian Klenk. It follows their
‘Apeiron’ track on ZentaSkai’s 2023 ‘Architecture Of The Mind’ LP, among other joint work, and sees them deliver a near-twelve-minute track that is a true masterpiece. The track takes listeners through found-sound texture samples, intricate drum patterns, crunchy breakbeats, and more beautiful dub melodics.
‘Bob’ is another fantastic listening experience on Mask Records, already supported by Satoshi Tomiie, Raresh and Laurent Garnier.

With their new album 'Rhapsody, the extraordinary vocalists fedayo Gatling, Dennis Bailey, and George Marage are able to fully explore the entire range of music that influenced them. The follow-up to their acclaimed 2021 release 'Look Up!', the record is a dive into a lesser-known but hugely important era in the evolution of gospel music.

Starting in the mid-1960s, local gospel groups and singers began incorporating elements of popular soul and funk styles and in 2006, Chicago-based reissue label Numero Group released Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal. HGT's longtime friend and mentor Eli.

"Paperboy Reed" approached the group with the idea of digging through the Numero catalog and recording some of the gospel funk material, reinterpreted in their own way from the high-energy, old-school soul of "God's Been Good to Me" to the hip-hop-inflected "Get Involved."

The Harlem Gospel Travelers story began when Gatling and Marage met while studying under Reed's tutelage. The group put out their debut LP, 'He's On Time', to rave reviews in 2019, earning them high profile fans like Elton John and landing them festival slots everywhere from Pilgrimage to Telluride Jazz. Originally a quartet, they brought in Bailey and reconfigured as a trio prior to recording Look Up!, their first album of all original material.

At a moment when the world is reconsidering the concepts of genre and category and who's allowed to participate in which traditions, HGT are squarely on the cultural pulse.

"We always found it difficult to stay in this one lane of what people think gospel is supposed to be," says Gatling. "This record allowed us to hear people that were innovators in their own time, pushing how gospel music sounded, and now we've created this project that is message-wise gospel, but the feeling and the sound can be whatever you want it to be."

Die aus Hawthorne, Kalifornien, stammenden Thee Heart Tones setzen mit ihrer Musik sowohl eine Tradition fort als auch neue Grenzen. Leadsängerin Jazmine Alvarado ist gerade mal 19 Jahre alt und das älteste Mitglied der Gruppe, Jorge Rodriguez, ist 21, aber wenn man sich ihre Platte anhört, wird deutlich, dass sie weit über ihr Alter hinaus talentiert sind. Thee Heart Tones, das sind Jazmine (Gesang), Ricky Cerezo (Tasten und Orgel), Jorge (Schlagzeug), Jeffrey Romero (Bass), Peter Chagolla (Leadgitarre) und Walter Morales (Rhythmusgitarre). "Eines Tages bekam ich eine Mail von Ricky Cerezo mit der Frage, ob ich einen Song für seine neue (damals noch namenlose) Band schreiben wolle", erzählt Jazmine. "Ich kannte seinen Schlagzeuger und die anderen Jungs aus der Mittelschule, sie waren also bekannte Gesichter. Sie schickten mir ein mp3 eines Instrumentalstücks, das sie geschrieben hatten, und sagten mir, sie wollten einen Text, also schrieb ich einen und schickte ihn ihnen." Dieser Song wurde schließlich "Don't Take Me as a Fool", eine schwermütige Moll-Ballade, in der Jazmines schwülstiger, perfekter Gesang erklingt, und die nun für ihr Debütalbum bestimmt ist. Ricky ging nach Hause und spielte seinem Vater "Don't Take Me As a Fool" vor, das er als Sprachnotiz auf seinem Telefon aufgenommen hatte. "Ich war zögerlich. Dad kannte diese Musik besser als jeder andere, er ist damit aufgewachsen. Aber er hat sich mein Telefon geschnappt und es an sein Ohr gehalten. Seine Zustimmung bedeutete mir sehr viel. Aber er hatte die gleiche Reaktion wie Jorge und ich, als wir Jazmine zum ersten Mal singen hörten. 'Das wird ein Hit', sagte er mir. Ihr habt hier etwas ganz Besonderes". Es war dieselbe Aufnahme, die Leon Michels und Danny Akalepse von Big Crown Records aufhorchen ließ, die beide sofort das Potenzial der Gruppe erkannten. Nachdem sie bei dem Label unterschrieben hatten, flog Leon nach Los Angeles, um mit Tommy Brenneck in Tommys Diamond West Studio ihr Debütalbum aufzunehmen. In fünf Tagen haben sie 14 Songs aufgenommen, die den Charme des Teenager-Souls einfangen und ihn mit ihren bewährten Produktionsfähigkeiten mischen - das Ergebnis ist ein modernes klassisches Soul-Album. Der Album-Opener und Titeltrack "Forever & Ever" ist ein ansteckender Two-Stepper, der sofort die Stimmung hebt, während schwere B-Seiten-Balladen wie "Should I Call You Tonight", "Cry My Tears Away" und "It's Time" den Klassikern des Genres den Rang ablaufen. Mit "Need Something More" ziehen sie das Tempo an und füllen die Tanzfläche, während Jazmine mit einem Track im Northern-Soul-Stil ganz sachlich die Dinge auf den Punkt bringt. Sie covern den Klassiker "Sabor A Mi" aus der Feder von Alvaro Carrillo mit großem Effekt, werden ihm gerecht und stellen ihre Version auf eine Stufe mit den besten von ihnen. Ein weiterer Höhepunkt ist ihre Version des The Vanguards-Klassikers "Somebody Please", den sie auf eine ganz andere Ebene heben. Die stampfenden Drums von "No Longer Mine" stehen im Kontrast zu Jazmines honigsüßem Gesang und enden mit der düsteren Energie eines Hip-Hop-Samples aus den mittleren 90ern. Forever & Ever ist sowohl ein Beweis für die unverwechselbare musikalische Chemie als auch für das Talent der beiden. Ihre Intentionen als Band sind ein Beweis für ihren kollektiven Charakter. Die Entscheidung, "Sabor A Mi" zu covern, "erlaubt es uns, unser Publikum wissen zu lassen, dass wir zu unseren Wurzeln zurückkehren", sagt Jazmine. "Wenn man in L.A. aufwächst, wird man von der Stadt, den Kunstwerken und der Musik beeinflusst", sagt Ricky. "Dad besaß kein Lowrider-Auto, aber andere Mitglieder unserer Familie schon. Impalas. El Caminos. Wir waren von der Kultur beeinflusst, insbesondere von der Chicano-Kultur. Und Oldies und Soulmusik spielten eine große Rolle." Der Stil. Die Kultur. Die Anspielung auf die Vergangenheit. "Das ist es, was wir anstreben. Wir wollen junge Chicanos mit ihrem Erbe verbinden. Und wir wollen die Menschen vereinen_ alt und jung."

Die aus Hawthorne, Kalifornien, stammenden Thee Heart Tones setzen mit ihrer Musik sowohl eine Tradition fort als auch neue Grenzen. Leadsängerin Jazmine Alvarado ist gerade mal 19 Jahre alt und das älteste Mitglied der Gruppe, Jorge Rodriguez, ist 21, aber wenn man sich ihre Platte anhört, wird deutlich, dass sie weit über ihr Alter hinaus talentiert sind. Thee Heart Tones, das sind Jazmine (Gesang), Ricky Cerezo (Tasten und Orgel), Jorge (Schlagzeug), Jeffrey Romero (Bass), Peter Chagolla (Leadgitarre) und Walter Morales (Rhythmusgitarre). "Eines Tages bekam ich eine Mail von Ricky Cerezo mit der Frage, ob ich einen Song für seine neue (damals noch namenlose) Band schreiben wolle", erzählt Jazmine. "Ich kannte seinen Schlagzeuger und die anderen Jungs aus der Mittelschule, sie waren also bekannte Gesichter. Sie schickten mir ein mp3 eines Instrumentalstücks, das sie geschrieben hatten, und sagten mir, sie wollten einen Text, also schrieb ich einen und schickte ihn ihnen." Dieser Song wurde schließlich "Don't Take Me as a Fool", eine schwermütige Moll-Ballade, in der Jazmines schwülstiger, perfekter Gesang erklingt, und die nun für ihr Debütalbum bestimmt ist. Ricky ging nach Hause und spielte seinem Vater "Don't Take Me As a Fool" vor, das er als Sprachnotiz auf seinem Telefon aufgenommen hatte. "Ich war zögerlich. Dad kannte diese Musik besser als jeder andere, er ist damit aufgewachsen. Aber er hat sich mein Telefon geschnappt und es an sein Ohr gehalten. Seine Zustimmung bedeutete mir sehr viel. Aber er hatte die gleiche Reaktion wie Jorge und ich, als wir Jazmine zum ersten Mal singen hörten. 'Das wird ein Hit', sagte er mir. Ihr habt hier etwas ganz Besonderes". Es war dieselbe Aufnahme, die Leon Michels und Danny Akalepse von Big Crown Records aufhorchen ließ, die beide sofort das Potenzial der Gruppe erkannten. Nachdem sie bei dem Label unterschrieben hatten, flog Leon nach Los Angeles, um mit Tommy Brenneck in Tommys Diamond West Studio ihr Debütalbum aufzunehmen. In fünf Tagen haben sie 14 Songs aufgenommen, die den Charme des Teenager-Souls einfangen und ihn mit ihren bewährten Produktionsfähigkeiten mischen - das Ergebnis ist ein modernes klassisches Soul-Album. Der Album-Opener und Titeltrack "Forever & Ever" ist ein ansteckender Two-Stepper, der sofort die Stimmung hebt, während schwere B-Seiten-Balladen wie "Should I Call You Tonight", "Cry My Tears Away" und "It's Time" den Klassikern des Genres den Rang ablaufen. Mit "Need Something More" ziehen sie das Tempo an und füllen die Tanzfläche, während Jazmine mit einem Track im Northern-Soul-Stil ganz sachlich die Dinge auf den Punkt bringt. Sie covern den Klassiker "Sabor A Mi" aus der Feder von Alvaro Carrillo mit großem Effekt, werden ihm gerecht und stellen ihre Version auf eine Stufe mit den besten von ihnen. Ein weiterer Höhepunkt ist ihre Version des The Vanguards-Klassikers "Somebody Please", den sie auf eine ganz andere Ebene heben. Die stampfenden Drums von "No Longer Mine" stehen im Kontrast zu Jazmines honigsüßem Gesang und enden mit der düsteren Energie eines Hip-Hop-Samples aus den mittleren 90ern. Forever & Ever ist sowohl ein Beweis für die unverwechselbare musikalische Chemie als auch für das Talent der beiden. Ihre Intentionen als Band sind ein Beweis für ihren kollektiven Charakter. Die Entscheidung, "Sabor A Mi" zu covern, "erlaubt es uns, unser Publikum wissen zu lassen, dass wir zu unseren Wurzeln zurückkehren", sagt Jazmine. "Wenn man in L.A. aufwächst, wird man von der Stadt, den Kunstwerken und der Musik beeinflusst", sagt Ricky. "Dad besaß kein Lowrider-Auto, aber andere Mitglieder unserer Familie schon. Impalas. El Caminos. Wir waren von der Kultur beeinflusst, insbesondere von der Chicano-Kultur. Und Oldies und Soulmusik spielten eine große Rolle." Der Stil. Die Kultur. Die Anspielung auf die Vergangenheit. "Das ist es, was wir anstreben. Wir wollen junge Chicanos mit ihrem Erbe verbinden. Und wir wollen die Menschen vereinen_ alt und jung."

Die aus Hawthorne, Kalifornien, stammenden Thee Heart Tones setzen mit ihrer Musik sowohl eine Tradition fort als auch neue Grenzen. Leadsängerin Jazmine Alvarado ist gerade mal 19 Jahre alt und das älteste Mitglied der Gruppe, Jorge Rodriguez, ist 21, aber wenn man sich ihre Platte anhört, wird deutlich, dass sie weit über ihr Alter hinaus talentiert sind. Thee Heart Tones, das sind Jazmine (Gesang), Ricky Cerezo (Tasten und Orgel), Jorge (Schlagzeug), Jeffrey Romero (Bass), Peter Chagolla (Leadgitarre) und Walter Morales (Rhythmusgitarre). "Eines Tages bekam ich eine Mail von Ricky Cerezo mit der Frage, ob ich einen Song für seine neue (damals noch namenlose) Band schreiben wolle", erzählt Jazmine. "Ich kannte seinen Schlagzeuger und die anderen Jungs aus der Mittelschule, sie waren also bekannte Gesichter. Sie schickten mir ein mp3 eines Instrumentalstücks, das sie geschrieben hatten, und sagten mir, sie wollten einen Text, also schrieb ich einen und schickte ihn ihnen." Dieser Song wurde schließlich "Don't Take Me as a Fool", eine schwermütige Moll-Ballade, in der Jazmines schwülstiger, perfekter Gesang erklingt, und die nun für ihr Debütalbum bestimmt ist. Ricky ging nach Hause und spielte seinem Vater "Don't Take Me As a Fool" vor, das er als Sprachnotiz auf seinem Telefon aufgenommen hatte. "Ich war zögerlich. Dad kannte diese Musik besser als jeder andere, er ist damit aufgewachsen. Aber er hat sich mein Telefon geschnappt und es an sein Ohr gehalten. Seine Zustimmung bedeutete mir sehr viel. Aber er hatte die gleiche Reaktion wie Jorge und ich, als wir Jazmine zum ersten Mal singen hörten. 'Das wird ein Hit', sagte er mir. Ihr habt hier etwas ganz Besonderes". Es war dieselbe Aufnahme, die Leon Michels und Danny Akalepse von Big Crown Records aufhorchen ließ, die beide sofort das Potenzial der Gruppe erkannten. Nachdem sie bei dem Label unterschrieben hatten, flog Leon nach Los Angeles, um mit Tommy Brenneck in Tommys Diamond West Studio ihr Debütalbum aufzunehmen. In fünf Tagen haben sie 14 Songs aufgenommen, die den Charme des Teenager-Souls einfangen und ihn mit ihren bewährten Produktionsfähigkeiten mischen - das Ergebnis ist ein modernes klassisches Soul-Album. Der Album-Opener und Titeltrack "Forever & Ever" ist ein ansteckender Two-Stepper, der sofort die Stimmung hebt, während schwere B-Seiten-Balladen wie "Should I Call You Tonight", "Cry My Tears Away" und "It's Time" den Klassikern des Genres den Rang ablaufen. Mit "Need Something More" ziehen sie das Tempo an und füllen die Tanzfläche, während Jazmine mit einem Track im Northern-Soul-Stil ganz sachlich die Dinge auf den Punkt bringt. Sie covern den Klassiker "Sabor A Mi" aus der Feder von Alvaro Carrillo mit großem Effekt, werden ihm gerecht und stellen ihre Version auf eine Stufe mit den besten von ihnen. Ein weiterer Höhepunkt ist ihre Version des The Vanguards-Klassikers "Somebody Please", den sie auf eine ganz andere Ebene heben. Die stampfenden Drums von "No Longer Mine" stehen im Kontrast zu Jazmines honigsüßem Gesang und enden mit der düsteren Energie eines Hip-Hop-Samples aus den mittleren 90ern. Forever & Ever ist sowohl ein Beweis für die unverwechselbare musikalische Chemie als auch für das Talent der beiden. Ihre Intentionen als Band sind ein Beweis für ihren kollektiven Charakter. Die Entscheidung, "Sabor A Mi" zu covern, "erlaubt es uns, unser Publikum wissen zu lassen, dass wir zu unseren Wurzeln zurückkehren", sagt Jazmine. "Wenn man in L.A. aufwächst, wird man von der Stadt, den Kunstwerken und der Musik beeinflusst", sagt Ricky. "Dad besaß kein Lowrider-Auto, aber andere Mitglieder unserer Familie schon. Impalas. El Caminos. Wir waren von der Kultur beeinflusst, insbesondere von der Chicano-Kultur. Und Oldies und Soulmusik spielten eine große Rolle." Der Stil. Die Kultur. Die Anspielung auf die Vergangenheit. "Das ist es, was wir anstreben. Wir wollen junge Chicanos mit ihrem Erbe verbinden. Und wir wollen die Menschen vereinen_ alt und jung."

"Vanatühi" by Kiwanoid is a technopagan concept album. Track titles refer to the word "nothing" in various languages.
The sonic landscape is crafted using deprecated tools: a first-generation 4-bit laptop, the DOS operating system, and a tracker program. Inspired by glitch aesthetics, the sound palette includes clicks, error noises, and low-bitrate techno sounds. Initially, the structures of the pieces may appear complex and chaotic. This electronic thicket might seem abstract, cold, and inaccessible, yet upon closer examination, it reveals a plethora of diverse species, coming across as somewhat nostalgic and warm, evoking surreal associations. From beneath towering sequoias peek pixelated ferns, LED eyes are blinking from below the undergrowth, and against the backdrop of a crackling campfire and cave paintings, a lively stomping of microchips unfolds.
Sudden contrasts, sharp cutting edges, a tachycardic bass drum engine, and irregular polyrhythms make themselves physically felt. Elsewhere, haunting lo-fi textures, hidden ambient drones, mysterious hums, and obscurely garbled samples offer introspective breathers. The dynamic range of the music is favourably extensive, and the raw imperfections of the sound are unmasked by reverb effects or other generic tools. Interwoven throughout are outsider rhythm loops, which could find a home at an alien rave party or a hobgoblin honky-tonk. Various human voice samples build a bridge to the listener, allowing them to embody a cyborg-like experience.

While each twist and turn remains unpredictable, these diverse approaches align in complementary patterns and stochastic regularities, making the whole surprisingly coherent, despite its chaos. The album doesn't bore the audience with intentionally irritating compositions or pseudocomplexity - it demands attention, but doesn't try to outrun its listeners.

With their new album 'Rhapsody, the extraordinary vocalists fedayo Gatling, Dennis Bailey, and George Marage are able to fully explore the entire range of music that influenced them. The follow-up to their acclaimed 2021 release 'Look Up!', the record is a dive into a lesser-known but hugely important era in the evolution of gospel music.

Starting in the mid-1960s, local gospel groups and singers began incorporating elements of popular soul and funk styles and in 2006, Chicago-based reissue label Numero Group released Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal. HGT's longtime friend and mentor Eli.

"Paperboy Reed" approached the group with the idea of digging through the Numero catalog and recording some of the gospel funk material, reinterpreted in their own way from the high-energy, old-school soul of "God's Been Good to Me" to the hip-hop-inflected "Get Involved."

The Harlem Gospel Travelers story began when Gatling and Marage met while studying under Reed's tutelage. The group put out their debut LP, 'He's On Time', to rave reviews in 2019, earning them high profile fans like Elton John and landing them festival slots everywhere from Pilgrimage to Telluride Jazz. Originally a quartet, they brought in Bailey and reconfigured as a trio prior to recording Look Up!, their first album of all original material.

At a moment when the world is reconsidering the concepts of genre and category and who's allowed to participate in which traditions, HGT are squarely on the cultural pulse.

"We always found it difficult to stay in this one lane of what people think gospel is supposed to be," says Gatling. "This record allowed us to hear people that were innovators in their own time, pushing how gospel music sounded, and now we've created this project that is message-wise gospel, but the feeling and the sound can be whatever you want it to be."

Søren Skov Orbit's debut album, "Adrift," is at once subtle and profound. The saxophonist and his collaborators have created something quite special and consistently deep. This record may not easily be classifiable, but the most interesting music creeps between the lines

Danish tenor and soprano saxophonist Søren Skov (Debre Damo Dining Orchestra) and keyboardist Peder Vind co-founded the trippy quintet Søren Skov Orbit in 2016 to explore “more jazzy ideas,” as the saxophonist puts it. Joined by a rhythm section steeped in contemporary improvisation and psychedelia, bassist Casper Nyvang Rask, drummer Rune Lohse and percussionist Ayi Solomon of the legendary 80's Ghanaian roots/highlife band Classique Vibes, the Orbit belts out a richly focused helping of broadly African-inspired modern jazz with a hazy sheen.

On the opening “Notifications of Nothingness,” Skov digs in his heels, a steely but languid unspooling of burnished tenor lines atop condensed, quavering piano and the thick footfalls of bass and percussion. As a tenor player, Skov has done his homework and has a kinship with Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, J.R. Monterose, and the Dutchman Hans Dulfer, but he clearly has got his own robust phraseology and expressiveness. He also cites multi-reedists John Gilmore, Yusef Lateef, and Bilal Abdurahman as, “some of the players I’ve been listening to the most for the last 10-15 years.”

A healthy dose of reverb is present throughout the album, echoing Alton Abraham’s studio wizardry with the Sun Ra Arkestra or the trance-inducing and compressed fidelity of certain Ethio-jazz and Mystic Revelations of Rastafari sessions. Skov notes that, “everything is recorded live at the same time in the same room. I wanted to do it that way in order to catch the dynamics and authenticity of the music.” There is, in fact, a complex teeter- totter between crisp and hazy execution, achieved by a delicately balanced mix that keeps the group’s sound simultaneously advancing and receding. Vind’s phrasing is terse and introspective, a vibrating echo that nudges and reflects on Skov’s brusque tenor in a dance of sonic displacement.

“Orbiting” pits a chunky backbeat and the teetering, taut hand-rhythms of Solomon against an infectious, almost microtonal piano riff, while Skov’s arpeggios are clean and florid as he patiently rises up from under a carpet of funky loops. Following the freer “Reflections of Rif,” “Naration” lilts with a wink at “Footprints” and tugs between up-tempo polyrhythmic drive, clanging keyboard accents, and the innately steadfast keenness of the bandleader. The coupling of Solomon and Lohse is a big part of the group’s detailed energy; as the leader puts it, “Ayi knows everything about regional differences in drum patterns. He is always listening and super responsive, and his and Rune’s dynamics are amazing.” The music both presents a “vibe” and keeps the door open for engaging well under the surface as repeated listens will be extremely rewarding.

First-ever release of the long-lost original full length versions of tracks from Sheena’s 1985 hit collaboration with super producer Nile Rodgers. Remastered from the original master tapes and pressed on orange coloured vinyl with brand new artwork including full lyrics and rare photos.

Features the previously unreleased uncut versions of singles ‘Jimmy Mack’ and ‘Magic Of Love’, original alternate ‘Break Mix’ of ‘Do It For Love’ and 7 minute+ take on the rock-funk
workout ‘Don’t Turn Your Back’
This orange vinyl ‘Uncut Nile Rodgers Sessions’ edition of 1985’s dance-R&B orientated ‘Do You’ features eight previously unreleased full-length versions of tracks from the hit album.

‘Do You’ finds Sheena Easton hooking up with Nile Rodgers at his imperial 1980s superproducer peak - following mega hit productions for the likes of David Bowie, Madonna and Duran Duran. Easton fully embraces her new upbeat, pop-funk direction on tracks like the Top 30 US dance hits ‘Do It For Love’ and classic Motown cover ‘Jimmy Mack’, as well as sensual groove ballads like ‘Magic Of Love’ and ‘When The Lightning Strikes Again’.

Kompakt is proud to announce, finally, a reissue of the first, self-titled GAS album. Originally released on electronica imprint Mille Plateaux back in 1996, it’s been unavailable in its original form ever since – the version of GAS included in 2008’s Nah Und Fern box featured several different tracks. Here, however, GAS is restored in all its glory, the debut full-length from Wolfgang Voigt’s most enigmatic, quixotic project.

There had, of course, been signs of what was to come. Back in 1995, Voigt essayed the first GAS release, a slender, yet remarkable four-track EP, Modern. Its centre label featured a reduced symbol – an overhead or lamp light, switched on, its glow radiating outwards in four bold black lines – a perfect representation of the tight, stylised ambient electronic pop contained on that 12”. A few curious compilation tracks were floating around, too, for Mille Plateaux’s Modulation & Transformation and Electric Ladyland series. If you were attentive enough, you could tell something was up.

But nothing quite prepared us for the languorous, effervescing loops and regular-like-clockwork beats that Voigt folded together on GAS. Its six long tracks, all untitled, neither begin nor end but hazily fade into earshot, vibrate majestically in your cochlea for fifteen-or-so minutes – some a bit shorter, some longer – and then meander away, reading the mise-en-scène for the next example of Voigt’s drift and dream logic to unfold. The material is referential in the most distant way, and you can sense only the most evanescent of ghostly presences, haunting these six compositions.

GAS feels, also, like a more pliable hint at what’s to come, as the GAS concept really solidified on its successor, 1997’s Zauberberg, and reach its apotheosis on Königsforst and Pop. Those three albums share a very similar palette – blurred, hazy samples, often of classical music, stacked and cross-thatched across a muted 4/4 thud. GAS, then, is an outlier of sorts: it’s more expansive in its remit, lighter in its mood, perhaps more fleet of foot. This, of course, is part of its charm.

In clearing space for Voigt, by preparing the terrain, GAS sits both at the edge of the forest, and at the verge of an expansive, wide-eyed future; one where GAS would become truly eternal.

Text by Jonathan Dale

Kompakt ist stolz, endlich eine Neuauflage des ersten, selbstbetitelten GAS-Albums ankündigen zu können. Ursprünglich im Jahr 1996 auf dem Electronica-Label Mille Plateaux veröffentlicht, ist es seitdem nicht mehr in seiner ursprünglichen Form erhältlich – die gleichnamige Version von GAS, die 2008 in der Nah Und Fern Box enthalten war, enthielt verschiedene andere Titel. Nun liegt das 3er Album in seinem naturbelassenen Originalzustand wieder vor.

Bereits 1995 zeichnete sich mit der Maxi GAS - Modern auf Profan, sowie einigen Kompilation-Beiträgen auf Modulation & Transformation und Electric Ladyland auf Mille Plateaux dieser frühe, weltentrückte, rätselhafte GAS Sound ab, der sich erst in den sechs scheinbar endlosen, majestätisch-sprudelnden Tracks des Albums voll entfaltete. Die Musik ist von ätherischer Leichtigkeit, in der wie aus einer anderen Sphäre abstrakte Referenzen aus weiter Ferne nur andeutungsweise herüberzuwehen scheinen.

Dieser frühe, eher sphärisch-leichte, gleich einer sonnendurchfluteten (Wald-)Lichtung anmutende GAS Sound, stellt gewissermaßen den Ausgangspunkt der audiovisuellen „Welt“-Reise in den düster-romantischen Acid-Wald dar, in den sich GAS ab 1997 mit den Alben Zauberberg, Königsforst, Oktember und ab 2000 mit Pop an anderer Stelle wieder hinaus und in seine ganz eigene Ewigkeit begeben hat.

Mere months after releasing their critically acclaimed debut LP “Judgement Day”, five piece Rock & Roll group The Judges return with a “seven inch” - a format often utilised and deployed in the lead up prior to album releases, but not in this case - which features two tracks that Judges fans may recognise from their recent concert performances. “Guns”, a droning groove-meditation on international arms trafficking, imperialism, war, and the utter uselessness/usefulness (?) of using Rock & Roll as a weapon against the establishment that arguably created and fostered its growth. And “(The People Want A) Show”, an uptempo neo proto-punk number thematically concerned with the inherent desire of the undiscerning masses to endlessly consume entertainment media of all kinds, including the aforementioned format of Rock &Roll. Both tracks were composed, performed, recorded, and mixed by The Judges, and now exist in both physical and digital formats for you to consume and enjoy at will

After two very intimate solos albums, pianist and singer Gregory Privat returns with PHOENIX, a luminous album celebrating the cycle of life and the constant rebirth from the ashes. A metaphor for the firebird, it's a continuation of the album SOLEY released in 2020. With double bassist Chris Jennings and drummer Tilo Bertholo, this unique trio blends spiritual jazz with urban pop, Creole songs, and electronic music.

Born in Martinique in December 1984, Gre\u0301gory Privat is the son of pianist Jose\u0301 Privat, known for his participation in the internationally recognized Caribbean group, Malavoi. Attracted by the piano at an incredibly young age, he took private lessons from the age of six and devoted himself for 10 years to a classical apprenticeship before turning to improvisation techniques and jazz.

Performers on this recording:

Gregory Privat - piano; Chris Jennings- double bass; Tilo Bertholo - drums

Double LP set capturing some of Causa Sui's heaviest, most psychedelic tunes recorded live at Loppen - a legendary Copenhagen venue, located in the famous - and infamous - Freetown Christiania commune. This is the sound of Causa Sui at their home turf, stretching out and exploring eight epic fan-favourites from their entire catalogue in front of a small crowd of 400 people in a packed sold-out venue. The show was recorded the first week that Covid restrictions were lifted on venues in Denmark, which called for an especially buzzing night, even for a band that has exclusively played no more than a handful of shows each year since their 2005 debut. Each Causa Sui show is unique. Here we're offered a different perspective of the band's music - it's looser, more free-flowing, and some tracks are warped into something far from their original versions, bouncing off the wooden beams on the low ceiling of Loppen with renewed energy. At one point you can hear the band calling to take a breather and let some air inside the sauna-like temperature of the show, which just weeks before seemed impossible. Loppen 2021 offers a complete set from start to finish, so since chances that you'll catch the band live in person are slim, this is the next best thing. Mixed and mastered by Jonas Munk. Edition of 1000 copies on coloured ecomix vinyl.

A familiar favorite, Deft, steps up with his second EP on Hooversound, featuring a VIP remix of one of his original songs taken from his 2020 ‘Burna’ EP.

Defts ‘Burna’ EP back in 2020 set the tone perfectly for Hooversound, it being the second release on the imprint following Hyroglific and Sinistarr’s almighty ‘BS6’. Deft’s hybrid artistic style of production sat perfectly within the launch of Hooversound as he went on to rise steadily within the underground electronic scene. Fast forward four years, Deft returns to Hooversound with an equally impressive follow up, entitled ‘Two Years’.
Yip Wong aka Deft has been producing music for nearly a decade. Within that time he has crafted a signature style using elements of dance, cinematic sound design, hip hop, jungle, footwork and 140. This enigmatic style of production has led him to release on 20/20 LDN, Exit, 1985 Music, Critical Music and more. His release schedule alongside his ever evolving sound has gained the attention of not only London and UK listeners, but fans worldwide.

Defts new ‘Two Years’ EP on Hooversound once again sees the talented producer drawing elements from 140, footwork and jungle, all laced with his ability to create immersive atmospheres and intricate percussion. It’s been teased across SHERELLE and NAINAs DJ sets for months, with it finally dropping to the masses this summer on Hooversound.

The UK’s first and only emo band Los Campesinos! return with their highly-anticipated seventh album, All Hell. It is perhaps their most ambitious and assured album yet, whilst simultaneously recalling everything we’ve come to love about LC! over their faultless discography. Recorded between October 2023 and February 2024, it is the first album to be wholly self-produced by band member Tom Bromley (having co-produced previous albums Sick Scenes and NO BLUES). The album is also self-released on the band’s own Heart Swells record label.

In the band’s words All Hell is an album about…

Drinking for fun and drinking for misery // adult acne // adult friendship // football // death and dying // love and sex // late-stage capitalism // Orpheus // day dreaming // night terrors // the heart as an organ and as a burden // suburban boredom // Tears of the Kingdom // the punks on the playlist // increments of time // climate apocalypse // the moon the moon the moon ///

Los Campesinos! have become one of the most important and influential cult acts in the UK since they formed in the mid-2000s. Starting out in the Cardiff indie scene and soundtracking Budweiser adverts, the seven-piece’s musical evolution since then has been slow, steady and remarkable. From the frenzied chaos of debut album Hold On Now, Youngster… (2008) through 2010 breakthrough Romance is Boring and the self-mythologising of latter day highlights NO BLUES (2013) and Sick Scenes (2017), their discography is an interconnected web of niche references, big swings and unflinching honesty.

Making self-professed sleeper hits for weeping dipshits, they’re as influenced by The Beautiful South as they are US emo, with emotional intensity and connection always at the core. Their lyrics are a treasure trove of football references, tales of romantic woe and painfully frank exorcisms, which have been tattooed across hundreds of fans’ bodies and served as comfort and insight during that break-up you had (there’s a reason the band’s tagline is “your ex-girlfriend’s favourite band”).

Now with the release of All Hell, Los Camp! approach their third decade as a band more brilliant, more potent and more vital than ever.

After the first casual meeting at Lessinia Psych Fest 2014 (Maxigross festival in the Lessini Mountains) Miles managed to come back in Italy during spring 2015 to work with the band. In march 2015 they went together in the studio house of the band in the small mountain village of Vaggimal (Verona) to improvise and record one month straight, interrupting the sessions only for a few shows between Verona and Roma. They put few microphones around a big room in the house to catch the general sound in a Daniel Lanois’s style, and they played in the dark of the night without any light to forget the individual sound of each member, focusing only on the main sound of the Music. Miles brought from LA some recordings he made with drummer Joe Westerlund (Megafaun, Califone…) and, starting from that material, they begin to play on that. After these magical musical encounter they became close friends, sharing an house in Verona (Casa Tega), many albums, shows and life experiences, forgetting about these Vaggimal Sessions, that bring inside of itself the magic and the purity of any first meeting. These naked recordings are the only witness of this session.

Valuable reissue of slow Italo classic! Roberto Onofri, since he was a teenager, has developed his own culture independently. Whatever he liked to do, he immediately embodied it, instantly identifying with what he was passionate about. However, one certainly cannot expect the sixteen-year-old and self-taught disc jockey to be ready as a composer for his first time in a recording studio. He became an author, arranger and performer shortly after, but for his first experience on vinyl he had to resort to a cover, as many did to get noticed and have the limelight on him. There was no mistake in choosing 'Living with Passion'' by the Canadian band Moral Support, but only how to write the title of the piece on the album cover!!! At the time, not all Italian printers knew English well, which is why Italo Disco soon became sadly famous for the huge blunders that were written. It was love at first sight for Roberto, who played the song written and produced by Richard Cranford and Sandro Durante every night in the disco. There were some imperfections due to inexperience, but the electronics, more and more imperious and overwhelming, won over everything, effectively decreeing the beginning of a new musical style. The Italian one. Dave Mathmos did well to have the same passion as Onofri and his DJ Program Band, developing an excellent version that gave new life to the piece from 40 years ago, reprinted by Best Record in two different and limited editions, in black vinyl and in green vinyl with black shades. Both editions come out with the artwork and credits in relief and with the image of the very young DJ Onofri immortalized next to a drum kit with the microphone in his hand, ready as always to make people jump and have fun.

Valuable reissue of slow Italo classic! Roberto Onofri, since he was a teenager, has developed his own culture independently. Whatever he liked to do, he immediately embodied it, instantly identifying with what he was passionate about. However, one certainly cannot expect the sixteen-year-old and self-taught disc jockey to be ready as a composer for his first time in a recording studio. He became an author, arranger and performer shortly after, but for his first experience on vinyl he had to resort to a cover, as many did to get noticed and have the limelight on him. There was no mistake in choosing 'Living with Passion'' by the Canadian band Moral Support, but only how to write the title of the piece on the album cover!!! At the time, not all Italian printers knew English well, which is why Italo Disco soon became sadly famous for the huge blunders that were written. It was love at first sight for Roberto, who played the song written and produced by Richard Cranford and Sandro Durante every night in the disco. There were some imperfections due to inexperience, but the electronics, more and more imperious and overwhelming, won over everything, effectively decreeing the beginning of a new musical style. The Italian one. Dave Mathmos did well to have the same passion as Onofri and his DJ Program Band, developing an excellent version that gave new life to the piece from 40 years ago, reprinted by Best Record in two different and limited editions, in black vinyl and in green vinyl with black shades. Both editions come out with the artwork and credits in relief and with the image of the very young DJ Onofri immortalized next to a drum kit with the microphone in his hand, ready as always to make people jump and have fun.

On 'Be Am' (now available only vinyl), Norwegian pianist, composer and
producer Bugge Wesseltoft has allowed his creative impulses to wander
where they may - no pre-set rules to govern the composition and
production, no obligations to (not) use electronics, not even a will to be
totally alone: this is pure playing and composition, where the music
speaks freely by whatever means it will
In the 25 years since Wesseltoft founded Jazzland Recordings, he has engaged in
numerous group projects and collaborations such as New Conception of Jazz,
duos with the likes of Sidsel Endresen, Henning Kraggerud and Henrik Schwarz,
one- off projects such as Trialogue, Bugge and Friends, and OKWorld! And of
course, the super- trio Rymden. However, it is in his solo material that we can
glimpse the true soul behind the effervescent and mercurial mind of one of the
most influential and important Norwegian musicians of an entire generation.
Many of the pieces here have the feeling of being wordless songs - indeed, no
words are needed when the notes convey all that is needed on tracks like "Tide"
or "State". The arrival of Håkon Kornstad on the track pairing of "Emergence" and
"Roads" shifts the mood from one of peace within solitude to peace within
company, the latter track being an understated dialogue, a musical soundtrack for
watching the world hustling and bustling, or sleeping its way towards a new day.
Tracks such as "Messenger", "Green" and "Be Am" throw more angular shapes,
musical shadow-play where unexpected progressions shift to moments of gospel
uplift before taking unanticipated shifts towards unexpected harmony. With "Life",
kalimba accompanied by birdsong loops, carrying us into a piece that takes
tentative but exact steps between positions, like tai chi in musical form.
"Sunbeams through leaves softly rustling" closes the album with that beautiful
Satie-like melodic simplicity that Bugge has made his own.

RAYE has been on a real journey prior to her stratospheric rise to the top and notching the first #1 UK hit of 2023. Nominated for 7 x Brit Awards (the most by any artist in one year) her long-awaited independent debut album, My 21st Century Blues, made an immediate impact hitting the #2 spot on the UK albums chart. As a welcome result of her self-fulfilling new work, RAYE unknowingly created the song that has become synonymous with 2023 – the chart topping, viral global smash “Escapism” featuring 070 Shake – that earned her first Top 10 slots at US Pop and Rhythm radio and and is the biggest selling single by a Female British artist in the UK in 2023. From the radio to the club, it put RAYE on the map in a whole new way earning the Best Contemporary Song Award at the 2023 Ivors, AIM Best Independent Track and Best Social Trending Song at the Global Awards, as well as contributing to her winning a BRIT Billions Award in recognition of 1 Billion career UK streams (globally, 4.5 Billion cumulative). RAYE also received the Live Nation Best Female Award at the O2 Silver Clefs and was nominated for the Best International Act at the BET Awards. Fresh off sold-out tours with Lewis Capaldi, Kali Uchis, and SZA, she embarked on a mammoth journey of her own. Two headline tours spanning the UK, Europe, and North America saw her energy ignite sold-out crowds every night. Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage felt her command, and the Royal Albert Hall, draped in the magic of her orchestra and choir, witnessed a BBC special for the ages. This year, My 21st Century Symphony arrives at the o2 Arena, then it's on to Coachella. After playing and owning the pop game, RAYE bet on herself and won.

Tracklisting

1. Overture. - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra 2. Oscar Winning Tears. - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra 3. Hard Out Here. - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra 4. The Thrill Is Gone Requiem. - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra 5. The Thrill Is Gone. - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra 6. Five Star Hotels. - RAYE, Heritage Orchestra 7. Mary Jane vs Graeme Blevins. - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra 8. Mary Jane - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra 9. Environmental Anxiety. - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra 10. Body Dysmorphia - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra 11. Ice Cream Man. - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra 12. Dani's Interlude. - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra 13. Flip A Switch. - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra 14. Worth It Prelude. - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra 15. Worth It. - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra 16. Black Mascara. - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra 17. Buss It Down. - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra 18. Escapism. - RAYE, The Heritage Orchestra



Congratulations to RAYE on her phenomenal night at the Brit Awards.. with a record breaking six wins in one night, including ..

Best British Album

Best Artist

Best Breakthrough Artist

Best Songwriter

Best R&B Act

The Moon and the Melodies is a singular record within the Cocteau Twins" catalogue - unusually ethereal, even by their standards, and largely instrumental, guided by the free-form improvisations of Harold Budd, an ambient pioneer who had drifted into their orbit as if by divine intervention. Building on the atmospheric bliss of Victorialand, released earlier the same year, it signalled a possible future for the trio, yet it was a path they"d never take again. Now, almost forty years after it was fi rst released, it"s being reissued on vinyl for the first time - remastered, from the original tapes, by Robin Guthrie himself. Over the ensuing years, The Moon and the Melodies has attracted a passionate fan base. Its most atmospheric tracks routinely turn up in ambient DJ sets. "Sea, Swallow Me" is one of the Cocteau Twins" most streamed songs on Spotify, having found a new life on TikTok, where it serves as the soundtrack to innumerable expressions of hard-to-express melancholy. For such a low-key aff air, the album casts a long shadow - but Raymonde believes the record"s uniqueness stems directly from its humble, unpremeditated origins. "It captured a moment in time between friends that are enjoying making music together. Really, that"s the essence of it."

"Artist, multi-instrumentalist and astral traveller E Ruscha V releases a hypnotic suite of flow-state synth improvisations for Fourth Sounds.

Building on Ruscha’s 2022 collection Thinking A View, also accompanying an exhibition at Cedric Bardawil, Seeing Frequencies is as intuitive and it is experimental, as Ruscha follows melodic and rhythmic modulations like desire paths across 13 spacious recordings.

Drawn in part from the CocoQuantus synth, built by a man Ruscha describes as 'too weird for Buchla', Seeing Frequencies rides high on tremolo waves and organic vibrations, rooted in ambient, Balearic and Kosmische music traditions, while simultaneously engaging in a dialogue with the synaesthetic qualities of Ruscha’ painting practice.

Allowing the music to flow through him, Ruscha describes the optimum moment of creation as one he imagines for the listener too. 'I really love when music forces you to forget,' he explains. 'There's this beautiful moment where everything coalesces, and you just don’t think about anything.'

To immerse yourself in Seeing Frequencies is to understand exactly what he means."

Edition of 300 marbled vinyl with risograph insert, liner notes by Anton Spice.

"Following the resonating success of their initial collaboration, the TLF Trio—comprising Danish cellist Cæcilie Trier (CTM), pianist Jakob Littauer, and guitarist Mads Kristian Frøslev—reunites on Latency with electronic music legend Moritz von Oswald for the follow-up to their debut album, 'Sweet Harmony.'

TLF Trio, along with Moritz von Oswald, once again delves into the realm of chamber music, this time with two new songs further exploring the intricate acoustic dynamics of their instruments with electronics. As the second instalment in this musical journey, 'New Songs & Variations' builds upon the minimalistic, sculptural, and narrative qualities of its predecessor, weaving a tapestry of expressive and plural voices.

Moritz von Oswald, a central figure in the electronic music scene since the early '90s, brings his wealth of experience to the project, reinterpreting two of TLF Trio's previous works. From his early days as a classical percussionist to groundbreaking collaborations in the techno sphere, von Oswald's influence has left an indelible mark. His role in co-founding Basic Channel/Rhythm & Sound and contributions to the Berlin-Detroit-Chicago axis have defined various strains of modern music.

'New Songs & Variations' not only captures the rich history and influence of Moritz von Oswald but also showcases his ongoing exploration into classical, experimental, and improvisational contexts. From recomposing Ravel and Mussorgsky’s music for Deutsche Grammophon to acclaimed collaborations with jazz trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær, composer Laurel Halo, or Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen, von Oswald's versatility continues to evolve.

TLF Trio and Moritz von Oswald invite listeners to embark on a sonic journey that bridges the past and the present, mirroring the transformative essence of Louise Lawler's distorted image, which graces its cover—a testament to the delicate fluidity and shape-shifting nature of the music contained within.

Compossed by Moritz von Oswald, Cæcilie Trier, Claus Haxholm (beat on Chrome), Jakob Littauer and Mads Kristian Frøslev.
Mastered by Kassian Troyer at Dubplates & Mastering.
Artwork by Louise Lawler. Formica (adjusted to fit, distorted for the times, slippery slope 2), 2011/2012/2015/2017. Courtesy the artist and Sprüth Magers. As adjusted for Latency.

2024 Repress


Mysterious UK Garage imprint Time Is Now returns for its second outing, this time equipped with four club weapons from rising talent Interplanetary Criminal.

Repress

Songs ’94-’98 is a smart selection of material from The Cat’s Miaow, an Australian indie-pop group that gifted their decade with some of its finest songs. Released on World Of Echo, the album draws from the group’s string of excellent seven-inch singles, a small clutch of compilation contributions, and features one previously unreleased song, “I Take It That We’re Through”, recorded in 1998. Part of the burgeoning international pop underground of the nineties, The Cat’s Miaow’s legend has only built over subsequent decades, as more people discover this most quixotic and curious of groups: a recent appearance on A Colourful Storm’s compilation of Australian indie-pop, I Won’t Have To Think About You, is testament to their enduring influence. In part emulating the selection of tracks on the 1997 CD-only compilation, Songs For Girls To Sing, Songs ’94-’98 is also the group’s first ever full-length 12” vinyl collection. The Cat’s Miaow started out in 1992 as a home-recording duo, Bart Cummings (guitar, bass, vocals) and Andrew Withycombe (bass, guitar) taking time out from duties with Girl Of The World and The Ampersands (respectively), knocking out songs on Withycombe’s four-track. Soon joined by Kerrie Bolton (vocals) and Cam Smith (drums), the quartet spent the next five years quietly, slowly working away in the suburbs of Melbourne, recording gem after gem of independent pop. Like many of their Australian precursors or peers – The Particles, Even As We Speak, The Cannanes – The Cat’s Miaow were more successful overseas, a sadly typical phenomenon within the Australian musical landscape. The Cat’s Miaow were always worldly and stylish, anyway, each seven-inch single a refined artifact, each song a peaceable jewel. You could hear some relationships with other music – someone (if not everyone) in The Cat’s Miaow was a Galaxie 500 fan; there’s a minimalism to the playing and melodies that recalls Young Marble Giants, Marine Girls, Beat Happening – but the spirit in these songs is endearingly individualised, the result of a hermetic vision, an ideal of what a simple, unadorned pop song could be. They had a winning way with simplicity, songs like “Autumn”, “Crying” and “I Can’t Sleep Thinking You Hate Me” passing by in the blink of a moistened eye, and when they stretched out, as on “Firefly”, you can hear hints of the drifting ambience they’d perfect in their other band, Hydroplane. It’s not much of a surprise that The Cat’s Miaow found a receptive audience, and no small amount of support, from the networked communities of indie-pop labels and fanatics that developed in the nineties – they released records on imprints like Drive-In, Darla, Bus Stop and Quiddity, shared a flexi-disc with Stereolab, and appeared on countless compilations over the years. But they also understood the importance of the local: their first few cassettes reached the world’s mail routes via Wayne Davidson’s legendary Melbourne tape label, Toytown; they turned up on a split single with Davidson’s group, Stinky Fire Engine; they appeared on a tribute cassette for one of Australia’s finest, The Sugargliders, and indeed that’s Josh Meadows of said group playing wah guitar on “Stay”. The Cat’s Miaow also rarely played live – one launch gig, for the Munch video compilation, and a few parties – which is a great way to maintain mystique. Cosmopolitan yet homely, dedicated to their craft, The Cat’s Miaow always felt a little like a group moving in slow motion, using that pace and focus fully to embrace the art of the perfectly stated pop song – every element in place, no flash and no fuss, no excess, just the core of the thing. Few managed to tease such fierce poetry from such understated, elegant means. From Australia or anywhere.

Simple Reality cements the short lived legacy of Coventry DIY group Skeet.

Emerging from a scene of first-generation punks and 2 Tone kids, Skeet was instigated by Gary and Nigel Meffen in 1981, fusing tightrope instrumentals with a Roland CR-8000 under the glow of projected visuals. After a cassette of their debut performance found its way to Kay Booth who worked at Inferno Records, the unsuspecting frontwoman took the liberty of adding her own vocals. Instantly embraced as a permanent member, Booth’s shy delivery and open-diary expressions of social alienation and romantic rejection hovered over the brothers’ scratchy guitar and agitated bass.

Playing as few as 10 shows, their unnerving minimalism was recorded in a suburban home studio, borrowing a reel-to-reel from Toby Lyons (The Colourfield) and a mixer from Jerry Dammers (The Specials). Record labels gestured interest until one day they were no more - no arguments, no official split, just a silent parting of the ways and three people taking journeys in different directions. Unheard and unloved in the vaults for nearly four decades, 'Brief Call' finally resurfaced via the Coventry Music Museum compendium Alternative Sounds Volume 1, followed by a micro pressing of the full suite on Chris Long’s Almost Unknown imprint in 2023.

Simple Reality now offers a definitive snapshot of these must-hear neurotic post-punks. Mastered by Skeet fanatic Mikey Young, newly discovered instrumental multitracks are restored alongside a live recording of their final stand. Performed atop of a trailer in a pub beer garden, the release-worthy desk tape adds three new tracks and a more energised swing at ‘Left On the Shelf’s apathetic techno-pop.

RIYL: Fire Engines, 23 Skidoo, A Certain Ratio, Young Marble Giants, pel mel

Modern Obscure Music presents "Sakuraza," a live album featuring Eiko Ishibashi (flute and electronics), Jim O'Rourke (electronics), Kei Matsumaru (alto saxophone), Tatsuhisa Yamamoto (drums), and Giovanni Di Domenico (piano). Recorded at the Sakuraza jazz club in Kofu, Japan, this dynamic and sophisticated performance blends jazz, electronic music, and pop elements.
Giovanni Di Domenico, a frequent visitor to Japan, organized this June 2023 concert with long-time collaborators Ishibashi, O'Rourke, and Yamamoto, and invited saxophonist Matsumaru. The warm, intimate setting of Sakuraza provided the perfect backdrop for their unedited, improvisational session.
"Sakuraza" captures the deep musical connection and spontaneity of these artists, offering an immersive auditory experience. Recorded on June 14, 2023

Horse Jumper of Love thrive on patient and pummeling songs. Since 2013, the Boston trio of singer-guitarist Dimitri Giannopoulos, bassist John Margaris, and drummer James Doran have slowly stretched the fringes of indie rock across five full-length LPs. Their music unwinds with gutting emotional intensity thanks to Giannopoulos' impressionistic lyrics and how the arrangements violently lurch from delicate to bludgeoning. Disaster Trick, the band's new album out August 16 via Run For Cover, is their most direct and uncompromising LP yet. Its 11 songs tackle self-destructiveness and healing with jolting lucidity. Where the band's last LP 2023's Heartbreak Rules excelled with quiet, bare-bones songwriting, Disaster Trick cranks up the volume and boasts some of the most expansive arrangements of the band's catalog. Recorded at Asheville, North Carolina's Drop of Sun Studios with producer Alex Farrar, the recordings soar with searing guitars and a thunderous rhythm section. "I tried the quiet thing on the last album and I realized there's definitely two parts of me: I like really heavy music, and I like really gentle music," says Giannopoulos. "The two albums I was listening to the most, while we were in the studio were the Leonard Cohen's Songs From a Room and Hum's Downward is Heavenward." Disaster Trick is a dark record but it's never dour. There's a glimmer of hope and humor throughout these 11 songs, written with the grace that only time and growing up can bring. As he sings on "Death Spiral," "I know it sounds dramatic / But I must describe / The way that it felt." There's catharsis when it's needed most. "This album is a reflection on destructive behavior from a lens of more clarity," says Giannopoulos. "A lot of the songs came out of this point where things in my life were going well but I couldn't accept it. I was being a brat. Disaster Trick is me cleaning up my act a bit and reflecting on it."

Horse Jumper of Love thrive on patient and pummeling songs. Since 2013, the Boston trio of singer-guitarist Dimitri Giannopoulos, bassist John Margaris, and drummer James Doran have slowly stretched the fringes of indie rock across five full-length LPs. Their music unwinds with gutting emotional intensity thanks to Giannopoulos' impressionistic lyrics and how the arrangements violently lurch from delicate to bludgeoning. Disaster Trick, the band's new album out August 16 via Run For Cover, is their most direct and uncompromising LP yet. Its 11 songs tackle self-destructiveness and healing with jolting lucidity. Where the band's last LP 2023's Heartbreak Rules excelled with quiet, bare-bones songwriting, Disaster Trick cranks up the volume and boasts some of the most expansive arrangements of the band's catalog. Recorded at Asheville, North Carolina's Drop of Sun Studios with producer Alex Farrar, the recordings soar with searing guitars and a thunderous rhythm section. "I tried the quiet thing on the last album and I realized there's definitely two parts of me: I like really heavy music, and I like really gentle music," says Giannopoulos. "The two albums I was listening to the most, while we were in the studio were the Leonard Cohen's Songs From a Room and Hum's Downward is Heavenward." Disaster Trick is a dark record but it's never dour. There's a glimmer of hope and humor throughout these 11 songs, written with the grace that only time and growing up can bring. As he sings on "Death Spiral," "I know it sounds dramatic / But I must describe / The way that it felt." There's catharsis when it's needed most. "This album is a reflection on destructive behavior from a lens of more clarity," says Giannopoulos. "A lot of the songs came out of this point where things in my life were going well but I couldn't accept it. I was being a brat. Disaster Trick is me cleaning up my act a bit and reflecting on it."

Following a string of releases on a who’s who of top labels such as Planet Euphorique, Salt Mines, Haws and Craigie Knowes, prog-trance pioneer Lisene drops a full-length LP on his On Rotation imprint. With 8 hyper-detailed tracks ranging from club-focused techno, progressive and electro to slo-mo downtempo, Lisene brings his A-game to an album sure to cement his place as one of the most exciting producers and DJs in the UK’s underground music scene.

Created over several years with a perfectionist’s attention to detail, “Science Friction” flits between moods and sonic environments with ease while retaining the cohesion of Lisene’s inimitable production style. Despite being an album, this is still very much a record for the DJs, featuring heads-down club tracks and bass-heavy electro crafted with precision and a cinematic sense of scale. For the home listeners, expansive slo-mo soundscapes and cerebral synth odysseys float high above the clouds, with widescreen details revealing themselves ever further with each re-play.

“This album has been 15 years in the making and represents a culmination of everything I’ve worked towards in defining my own sound and style without letting myself be pigeonholed. I’m immensely proud of each track - it really reflects where I was at musically while making this, while giving a glimpse into my future sound. This is a record that deserves to be played on the finest sound systems and hi-fis, and I couldn’t be more happy with how it’s turned out. Dive in and enjoy!”

Combining influences from across the spectrum of dance music with a cinematic sense of psychedelia and his own inimitable production skills, “Science Friction” is sure to see a lot of airtime across the festivals, after-parties and living rooms of the world this summer and beyond.

On Rotation is a Leeds based label, event & mix series run by Chris I’Anson, Lisene & Adam Pits. Artwork illustrated and designed by Patch D Keyes.

This album was a self imposed ambitious project for us. Something to kick in the creative flow. The last few years, having been a challenging time in general, felt like a good time for a pivot. The last two albums were so guitar and keyboard centric, I wanted a weird and fun set of parameters for us to work with. I demo’d everything at home on cassette 4 track (harkening back to simpler times) using drum loops, and just had at it 'til I had a pile of “songs”. Tom and I chose one sound each using synths and created a range of 3 octaves of that sample, then loaded them into Roland SPD-SX samplers and learned the transcribed songs using drum sticks. The idea was to change the way we wrote and to have 4 people along the front of the stage essentially playing percussion. So no guitar, no keys. As we were recording I kept thinking how the sounds, when paired up, sounded a bit like brass. So, we added a saxophone horn section to round out the horniness of the sound with a bit of reedy bell tones. Thanks to Cansfis Foote & Brad Caulkins on tenor and Baritone saxophones :) Sort of a Dexy’s Midnight Runners meets Von LMO meets The Flesh Eaters meets the Screamers kinda punk junk. Poppy and hooky, heavy at times.. Sort of vacuous and maybe a bit sci-fi in sound. Boneheaded in riff and heady in lyrics. Recorded at Stu-Stu-Studio by me on 8 track 1/4” tape . So pretty hot and raw. Lots to write about today. A lot of these lyrics were taken from things people said in passing about taking on life right now that stuck with me. Things that made me reflect. Things that made me laugh. Things that made me WTF. Some folks are kind, genuine & give you love and energy. Some are greedy manipulative ghouls who hang off your veins. You must be strong, composed and take care of yourself. Be self aware and check your mind for cracks. Learn to relax and be well. There are moments of beauty and redemption. Its not all bad news and there’s always hope. People continue to surprise me one way or another. Anyhow, Hope you enjoy and good luck out there. — John Dwyer

Diese leicht verrückten Italiener kannten keine Berührungsängste! Für Fans von gut gespieltem, originellem Thrash Metal ist „Neurodeliri“ von 1988
ein Muss. 1988 schien der richtige Zeitpunkt für die Welt gekommen zu sein, Bulldozer endlich so zu sehen, wie sie es verdienten, nämlich nicht mehr
als Venom-Tribute-Band, sondern als eine wirklich eigenwillige Band mit einer ganz eigenen Musikrichtung. Im Lichte dieser Überlegungen markierte
„IX“ definitiv eine 180-Grad-Wende von der Vergangenheit, mehr als in musikalischer Hinsicht. Es war endlich der Moment für die Mailänder Crew,
auf ihrer Popularitätswelle zu reiten, vielleicht erwarteten die Bandmitglieder, dass es das beste Jahr für die bisherige Karriere der Band werden
würde. Doch dann, im April, beging der Mitbegründer und ehemalige Bassist Dario Carria Selbstmord und machte alles kompliziert. AC Wild und vor
allem Andy Panigada waren wie die Fans fassungslos und zutiefst erschüttert. Dennoch gelang es ihnen, alle Emotionen dieser Tragödie in das
Songwriting für den Nachfolger ihres Durchbruchsalbums „IX“ zu kanalisieren, das übrigens ihr letztes Album nach ihrer Auflösung im Guten im Jahr
1990 sein sollte.

Dom Salvador, released in 1969, is a landmark album by Brazilian pianist and composer Dom Salvador. This instrumental jazz record showcases Salvador's mastery of blending Brazilian rhythms with American jazz influences. The album features a mix of samba, bossa nova, and hard bop, highlighting Salvador's innovative approach and technical prowess. Known for tracks like ""Samba do Malandrinho"" and ""Tio Macrô,"" the album stands out for its vibrant, sophisticated arrangements and improvisational flair. ""Dom Salvador"" is celebrated for its contribution to the evolution of Brazilian jazz and remains a significant work in Salvador's extensive discography. Dom Salvador is available as a limited edition of 500 copies on translucent magenta coloured vinyl.

The new Bishop 88 imprint hits gold from the off here as they offer up an edit of 'Last Night Changed It All' by Esther Williams, a track famously sampled by numerous artists like Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy. It is a drum-heavy version of a funky tune with conversational melodies and blissful soul vocals next to swooning strings. On the flip is an edit of 'I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More, Baby' - originally by Kellee Patterson - which itself is a rendition of Barry White's original. These are classy and sophisticated soul sounds for serious heads.

This new collaboration started by Dutch/Swiss baritone saxophonist Jeroen Visser and Ethiopian dancer and cultural ambassador Melaku Belay features nine musicians and dancers. Their album "GOJO" pays tribute to the golden age of the Ethio-jazz in many refreshing ways. Where the old recordings were played with western instruments, this release leans on traditional instruments like the Ethiopian lyre the kirar (Robel Solomon/Sentayehu Tadesse), a one-string violin the masinqo (Habtamu Yeshambel), and the kebero as percussion (Mesay Abebay). The additional saxes (Jeroen Visser/Steve Buchanan) go well with the soulful and funky arrangements. Changes in rhythm, some experimental improvisations and wild outbursts, and the mesmerizing voice of Nardos Tesfaw are completing the overall hypnotic mood.

VERVE ACOUSTIC SOUNDS SERIE: Stereo, komplett analog von Ryan K. Smith bei Sterling Sound von den Originalbändern gemastert, QPR-Pressung (180 g), stabiles Tip-On-Gatefold (Stoughton Printing),
wattierte Innenhülle.

In den 1960er Jahren ließen sich viele Jazzkünstler auf die eine oder andere Art und Weise von den bahnbrechenden Aufnahmen inspirieren, die John Coltrane damals für Impulse! Records einspielte. Selbst der große Sonny Rollins konnte sich diesem Einfluss nicht ganz entziehen. Bestes Beispiel dafür ist das 1966 entstandene Album “East Broadway Run Down”, auf dem der Saxofonist - kongenial unterstützt vom Rhythmus-Tandem des legendären Coltrane-Quartetts und Trompeter Freddie Hubbard - einen abenteuerlichen Ausflug in freiere Klanggefilde unternimmt. Das Album gilt als wahres Juwel in Rollins’ Œuvre der 1960er Jahre

The second part in Shan’s warehouse series delivers more of the same – but that’s definitely a great thing, if the dish has a great taste. Like it’s successful predecessor, the tracks don’t re-invent the wheel, but cater to all the nameless spaces and places that made raving in defiant and derelict places fun. There is house that sounds like techno (Elevate) and vice versa. Seasoned with break beats (89 Swing or the Future Sound of London-esque Euphony) or breaks for love (Uplift My Spirit) and even dub sirens, it is almost impossible not to find something to suit the customer’s environment. The main focus of attention might be the jack of all trades called Phantazia. Wouldn’t have sounded out of place at the entertainment series of the same name, it melts proto hardcore harmonics with Soul II Soul type of strings and immediate call for „the action“. And as we all know, that always speaks louder than words.

Katya Shirskova - David Maranha - Le Héron / A Reuniåo

Stellagedelivers a compelling split LP fromKatya ShirshkovaandDavid Maranha, "Le Héron / A Reuniåo," set for release in July 2024. Created and produced in residence at La Box contemporary art gallery at ENSA - École national supérieure d'arts de Bourges in 2023, this album is a profound exploration of the two artists' respective voices, showcasing their distinctive approaches.

Katya Shirshkovaopens the LP with side-long "Le Héron." This piece is an unadulterated exploration of voice, devoid of any field recordings or added effects. Embracing minimalism, the work revolves solely around vocal loops and re-recordings, creating choral structures that evoke folk traditions while delving into experimental realms. The ASMR-like techniques employed serve not merely as an auditory gimmick but as an intricate tool to illustrate the delicate flight of birds, mirroring the ethereal quality of the entire composition.

"Le Heron" aptly draws inspiration from its avian namesake, weaving birds into its fabric through the concept of vertical polyphony. The piece is underpinned by a profound understanding of this polyphonic approach, demanding meticulous precision in its looping technique. Each fragile construction is crafted in a single, unbroken take, showcasing an impeccable blend of simplicity and complexity.

David Maranhatakes over on the flip side with "A Reuniåo," delivering seven suites of powerful, minimalist drone compositions. Maranha's mastery of sustained tones and evolving harmonics creates a mesmerizing, meditative experience that is both intense and transformative.A dynamic interplay of harmonics creates a dense, immersive auditory environment, a study in sustained tones and subtle variation, leaving a lasting impression.

Mixed and mastered by Giuseppe Ielasi

Hear the brutal anguish and aural suffering! LG Records has gathered out-of-print and unreleased recordings by two of San Diego’s more infamous and obscure punk bands from the very early 1990’s onto one blistering split LP. Often remembered merely as side-projects of Heroin and End of the Line, Sloog (aka Slug) and Brain Tourniquet were standalone outfits that were beloved locally but barely made any impact outside of the local San Diego scene. Sloog were heavy, tortuous, and disturbing. Fronted by mysterious and odiferous local character “Justinman”, Sloog sounded like they could have been the lovechild of Savage Republic and United Mutation. Brain Tourniquet were a younger thrash band who were noticeably inspired by contemporaries like Born Against and Crossed Out. Primitive and sublime, members went on to bigger things, but this was the not-so-humble beginning. The first release for each band was the 1991 Slug/Brain Tourniquet split cassette, released as Gravity Records #0. Copies of this tape were sold at local shows and during Brain Tourniquet’s west coast tour with Heroin. Sloog would record multiple demos in 1990 and 1991, and in the end they recorded what became their only vinyl release, 1992’s Pigs 7”. The material on this LP was pulled together from all of these recordings. Punish yourself with the Slug / Brain Tourniquet / Sloog vinyl LP out now on LG Records. Caution: this record may emit visible stink-lines into the air of your household. Open a window while enjoying the soothing sounds of Slow Death, circa 1991. 180-gram black vinyl only, 500 pressed, 28 pt tip-on jackets with printed inner sleeve.

Ontology II is a rather impressive 20th full-length from The Corrupting Sea, a well-regarded ambient project helmed by Jason T. Lamoreaux and one that takes the form of a profound exploration of personal experiences and emotions using sound to delve into philosophical themes of being and existence. The album's four carefully crafted tracks transform abstract metaphysical inquiries into tangible auditory experiences that make for a meditative journey. It is quiet and patient yet captivating in its artistry and is exactly the sort of immersive ambient that makes a lasting impression.

Kannon is an album which was composed in the aftershadow of SUNN O)))’s most recent successes in immersive collaboration (the group worked with Scott Walker on Soused, Ulver on Terrestrials in 2013 and 2014) and also from the broad and influential wake of their epitimous Monolith’s & Dimensions . Kannon emerged both independently as a conceptual entity and with roots in the legacies of those projects, yet was fully realised years later, in 2015. The album is 36 minutes in length and consists of three pieces of a triadic whole : Kannon 1, 2 and 3.

The album celebrates many SUNN O))) traditions ; Kannon was recorded and mixed with SUNN O)))’s close colleague and coproducer Randall Dunn in Seattle, in Studio Litho, Aleph and Avast! ; and the LP includes performances by long term allies and collaborators Attila Csihar, Oren Ambarchi, Rex Ritter, Steve Moore and others. And at the core the composition centers around the dynamic and intense guitar and bass interplay of SUNN O)))’s founders : Stephen O’Malley & Greg Anderson.

It’s possibly the most figurative album SUNN O))) has created, which is unusual as they usually dwell in layers of abstraction and subjectivity. On the other hand the album is the most outright “metal” in years, drawing personal associations and memories of cherished albums like Panzerfaust and Twilight of the Gods again to the forefront of consciousness. At the third time it is very close to the cyclical character of mantra which the band has evolved into as a living creature, the enormity of intense sensate detail and manifestation of the live in concert face of SUNN O))), the organism that has flourished, metamorphosed and transcended tremendously over the past ten years.

The literal representation of Kannon is as an aspect of Buddha : specifically “goddess of mercy” or “Perceiving the Sounds (or Cries) of the World”. She is also sometimes commonly known as the Guanyin Bodhisattva (Chinese: 觀音菩薩) amongst a plurality of other forms. There is a rich lineage behind this idea tracing back through many asian belief systems, with as many names and cultural personifications of the idea .

SUNN O))) commissioned critical theorist Aliza Shvartz to write a text / liner notes around these ideas and topics. She also explores the relations and perceptions to their approach to these ideas via the metonym of music and SUNN O)))’s place/approach within the framework of music and metal overall.

SUNN O))) also commissioned Swiss designer/artist Angela LaFont Bollinger to create the cover artwork, an abstracted sculpture of vision of Kannon, and the French photographer Estelle Hanania to capture portraits of the core trio (Csihar, Anderson, O’Malley) in the impressive and obscurant Emanuel Vingeland mausoleum in Oslo.

The LP is packaged in immaculate tip on gatefold sleeve by our long time comrades Stoughton Printing, and pressed at Cascade in Portland, Oregon. CD, download and coloured vinyl versions are also available

Dubwize at the broken tek frontier :)

poland Import

For fans of Blink 182, Green Day and Power Punk! PUMP5 is a touring rock band hailing from southern California that has kept its wheels turning for the last 10 years. PUMP5 is comprised of respected talent such as Alex Kane (Shark Island, Enuff Z’nuff, Starz, etc….) on guitar, Andre Bonter on drums, Andrew Cates on the bass and Steven Todd Barnett on guitar and vocals. PUMP5, has been touring the lower 48 and Canada, and have no plans of slowing down. PUMP5 has found its place in American rock, and represents the brand with a high energy, in-your face live show. Full Service was independently released in 2017 and boasted stand out tracks “Flight Song”, “Painted Flowers”, and “Pills”. Now it is getting its worldwide release through Deko Entertainment. Critics and fans are taking notice, “The entire group shines with exceptional musicianship, brilliant ideas, impressive creativity, and talent. All these qualities shape their catchy, familiar, but entirely unique sound that will satisfy even the pickiest fans of the genre.”

Recorded by renowned producer Andy Bell at the remote Red Kite Studios in Wales, Silver Horizon features 11 hook-driven indie folk songs set in a captivating, dream-like sound world, infused with Sam’s love for the ethereal textures of slowcore and dream pop bands such as Low and Cocteau Twins. Guitarist Stuart McCallum (The Breath) weaves epic reverb-drenched soundscapes around many songs, which are simultaneously otherworldly and deeply personal. “I’m still dealing with themes of love, loss, and change that have been a part of my earlier work, but at the moment, sketching events in an impressionistic way instead of documenting them in detail gives the songs more room to breathe.” This seamless blend of the intimate and ethereal makes Silver Horizon the most remarkable album of Carter’s career.

Ominous drums, obscure cellos, fuzzy and distorted guitars, psychedelic piano sequences: legendary Italian composer Alessandro Alessandroni creates a sombre and gritty war atmosphere on this classic library album "Storie Di Guerra". Originally released on the Octopus Records imprint by Flipper Music in 1972, this obscure and spooky library has been long out of print — 50 years past its release we are happy to bring this back on vinyl in collaboration with Flipper Music as a limited edition of 500 copies!

Francesco Anselmo, also known as Lee Selmoco, Dorsey Dodd, Alex Brown, Arsenio Bracco or Tommy Ruff, is an Italian keyboardist that covered the role of of artistic director for Vedette Records, historical Italian imprint founded by director and violinist Armando Sciascia, and also recorded for its notorious Phase 6 Super Stereo, its sub-label focused on instrumental records and production music.

"Mosaico (Le Tastiere Di Lee Selmoco)" is an incredible display of his creative and composing skills, featuring 14 tracks of what could be classified as "happy music", with killer electric organ and rhythms alternating with fuzzy guitars and spacey / psychedelic hints thrown in for good measures, written alongside Guido Baggiani, alias Ruscigan. We are very happy to start a series of reissues from the Vedette Records catalog with the first ever reissue of this title after 50 years from its original release, and since the original pressing did not feature the correct track listing, it is reissued here for the first time in its correct version!

goat (JP) are renowned for two albums released in 2013 and 2015 that took Kraftwerk’s man-machine concept back to its roots with swingeing, inch-tight drums, bass and guitar patterns that needed to be heard to be believed. For their long-in-the-making new album ‘Joy In Fear’, band leader Koshiro Hino (YPY, KAKUHAN) describes the process as “90 percent pain” - and we can well believe it - few other records we can think of transmute DAW-composed rhythmic precision into such an expressive instrumental performance. It really is a feat of determination, skill and execution that seems to defy human dexterity.

Make no mistake - an academic exercise it ain’t - in the most visceral sense, goat (JP) make BODY music, for dancing, flailing, for losing yourself in completely. As usual, Hino plays guitar, backed by bassist Atsumi Tagami, while Akihiko Ando joins on saxophone, while Takafumi Okada and Rai Tateishi step in to handle percussion, with the latter moonlighting on flute. Every sound is sculpted into a fragment of cadence: guitar and bass prangs alternately echo and dance between the drums, and Ando's sax is mutated into a respiratory slobber of guttural smacks and phantom breaths.

In some respects, it's tempting to label it jazz, but the kind of jazz that Miles Davis spearheaded on the game-changing 'On The Corner', the blueprint for so much post-punk, electronic music and avant rock. goat (JP) take that raw alloy and sharpen it like a blade, mangling the template with the knotty metrics of Autechre or Ryoji Ikeda. The accuracy is galvanic; it's almost impossible to comprehend each player keeping a mental note of the mathematical time signatures, and yet they floss them out with trills and icy stutters that seem to evaporate around the thick, taiko-like thuds.

They practically get our teeth gnashing with the bruxist rictus chatter of ‘III I IIII III’ , before ‘Cold Heat’ introduces subtly harmonised, new aspects to their sound with slivers of Hassellian flute and ringing overtones of their percussion, while the winding sensuality of ‘Warped’ slips down very nicely. Their links to OG no-wavers like Glenn Branca & Wharton Tiers’ Theoretical Girls - is manifest in the 8 mins of chipping stop/start pulse and parry to ‘Modal Flower’, while a total left turn into Mark Fell-meets-Ligeti-esque messed up metronomics in ‘GMF’ ties it off with a properly beguiling flourish.

Since its founding back in 2014, Blume has carved a unique place in cultural landscape, issuing free-standing works, spanning the historical and contemporary, that represent singular gestures of creativity within the field of experimental sound. Joining their broad efforts in building networks of context and understanding that already includes the works by Werner Durand, Sarah Hennies, Bruce Nauman, John Butcher, Jocy de Oliveira, Mary Jane Leach, Valentina Magaletti, Alvin Curran, Julius Eastman, Alvin Lucier, and shortly after returning with the first ever vinyl release to attend to James Tenney’s legendary “Postal Pieces”, the label is now offering a brand new, ambitious work by the American composer Ben Vida, entitled “Vocal Trio”, conceived, performed, and recorded in Bremen, Germany, during the Spring of 2022. A truly stunning work of compositional conceptualism, combining the ideas of systems based synthesis with real-time vocal collaboration - issued in a highly limited vinyl edition of 200 copies mastered by Stephan Mathieu, featuring specially commissioned liner notes by Bradford Bailey and a leporello insert offering the piece visual score - it’s a landmark in contemporary experimental practice and arguably the most forward-thinking and exciting piece by one of the most exciting American artists working today.

Ben Vida first emerged during the mid 1990s within a loose constellation of experimental musicians, centred around a performance series of improvised workshops at the Myopic Bookstore in Chicago, alongside Jim O'Rourke, Kevin Drumm, Chad Taylor, and the other future members of Town and Country - Jim Dorling, Joshua Abrams, and Liz Payne - the band within which he would gain widespread recognition over the following years. Like many other members of that scene, Vida remains a restless product of a fleeting context - Chicago during the 1990s and early 2000s - continuously undermining concrete notions of idiom and signifier within a practice that witnessed him rendering bristling abstractions within Pillow, glacial melodies with Town and Country, the art-rock mayhem of Bird Show Band, and the angular, driving indie rock of Joan of Arc, before becoming immersed in a practice of systems based synthesis, beginning in the 2010s, that guided much of his first decade of output as a solo performer and composer.

As early as 2013, he began to incorporate acoustic sound sources - specifically the human voice - into his work. It was this shift, evolving and refining itself over the last decade, that underscores radically the leap in his practice represented by “Vocal Trio”, a work that encounters Vida composing for the human voice with the ideas that allow for synthesis - transferring the underlying concepts and structures of both subtractive and additive synthesis to the acoustic realm - without using a synthesiser.

During the Spring of 2022 Vida was in Bremen, Germany, collaborating on a dance piece with the choreographer Fay Driscoll, when the production fell into delays. Finding himself with time on his hands, a space at his disposal, and the company of two dancers - Amy Gernux and Lotte Rudhart - who were also singers, the idea for the piece - to utilising the larynx as audio paths (multi-harmonic or harmonically pure) while conceptualising each person’s mouth as a filter to sculpt the timbre and resonance of a given tone - began to take shape in his mind. Considering how typographical scores might be developed into a non-linguistic social framework, Vida drafted a single page of text - what became the score for “Vocal Trio” - accompanied by a set of harmonic suggestion and loose parameters, seeking a core meaning from each word's phonic make-up by each of the three singers (Vida, Gernux and Rudhart) singing as slowly as possible.

At the core of the pulsing vocal drones - intoxicating, harmonically rich long-tones - that make up the duration abstraction of “Vocal Trio”, is Vida’s regard for music as a social space. It is an experiment that seeks liberation through the act of collective music making, by challenging the terms through which the act of composing is perceived and then relinquishing control. The piece’s rehearsals were simply the three performers hanging out, allowing their knowing each other and natural dynamics to contribute to its form as the score, before recording during a single afternoon at the end of a number of days sharing company and space.

Creatively visionary and groundbreaking on numerous terms, as well as being intoxicatingly beautiful and remarkably listenable, Ben Vida’s “Vocal Trio” represents a striking step forward for one of the most ambitious and outstanding sonic artists working in the United States today. Issued by Blume in a highly limited vinyl edition of 200 copies mastered by Stephan Mathieu, featuring specially commissioned liner notes by Bradford Bailey and a leporello insert offering the piece visual score, this is hands down one of the most important contemporary records we’re likely to encounter in 2024.

As one of the most enigmatic figures of the 1970's Italian soundtrack and library music network Emma De Angelis and her short recording career provides thirsty fans of speedball psychedelic rock and drum heavy instrumental funk with a tight discography rivalling many of the long-standing bastions of the otherwise male-orientated business. * Strictly limited to 1000 copies.*
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Born in Rocca di Papa, near Rome, into a flourishing musical environment Emma was the younger sister of future award-winning composers Guido And Maurizio De Angelis, a duo, who under names like Oliver Onions and Dream Bags, would write chart-topping lyrical theme tunes for a wide range of Italian crime, Giallo and Spaghetti Western films featured alongside full scores by Ennio Morricone and the Magnetic System composers (Bixio Frizzi Tempera).
With encouragement from her brothers, Emma, who would also write music under the pseudonym of Juniper, would record a tight clutch of solo-penned material and seldom credited studio contributions to Guido And Maurizio's film commissions, such as the score for Giuliano Carnimeo's Simone e Matteo: Un gioco da ragazzi (aka Convoy Buddies). While simultaneously pursuing a career as an illustrator and set designer the De Angelis family contacts would lead Emma to the offices of Romano Di Bari, whose up-and-coming Flirt label was finding success providing custom built mood music for use in TV and film. Alongside important composers like Alessandro Alessandroni, Gerardo Iacoucci and A. R. Luciani, the young Emma Di Angelis would record a small number of tracks for a compilation called Underground Mood (credited in the small print to E De Angelis - not to be confused with Italian singer Edoardo De Angelis). It is from this rare LP that the record you are now holding is compiled. Within the Flirt family of labels Emma De Angelis would also share schedules with other important female composers such as Daniela Casa and Giulia Kema' De Mutiis - both of whom have appeared on dedicated Finders Keepers releases.
The tracks on this record provide us with a rare glimpse into Emma De Angelis' short musical career before she became a full-time visual artist. With an unknown personnel or studio date it is easy to speculate a potential family jam in Piero Umiliani's Sound Workshop studio in 1972. One only has to take a listen to Guido And Maurizio's instrumental theme Gangster Story from Enzo G. Castellari's 1973 thriller High Crime (which later appeared on Tarantino's Death Proof soundtrack) or the trippy title theme to Paolo Poeti's kinky 1976 drama Inhibition to spot the family resemblance

Released in 1971 on Impulse and recorded with two different ensembles, Thembi marked a departure from the slowly developing, side-long, mantra-like grooves Sanders had been pursuing for much of his solo career. Instead, it offers an intriguingly wide range of relatively concise ideas resulting in something of an anomaly in Sanders' prime period. This Verve By Request title is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Third Man in Detroit.

Released in 1971 on Impulse and recorded with two different ensembles, Thembi marked a departure from the slowly developing, side-long, mantra-like grooves Sanders had been pursuing for much of his solo career. Instead, it offers an intriguingly wide range of relatively concise ideas resulting in something of an anomaly in Sanders' prime period. This Verve By Request title is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Third Man in Detroit.

Following floor shaking four trackers on Bliss Point and his own Professional Music imprint, SPF 50 continues his roll on Amsterdam’s Dzungla label with the Terrarium Trek EP.

Terrarium Trek finds SPF 50 exploring the vanishing space between electronic and organic, returning to us with four sonic ecosystems encased in no-frills club melters. Each track thumps with life, conjuring the beauty, mystery and terror of the natural world, stomping and wriggling out of the sound system and immersing the dancefloor.

Composed using modular synthesis, sampling, and a process that eschews the rational for something deeper, with Terrarium Trek SPF 50 has once again gripped the unknown and pulled it into us, turning the club up, inside and out.

ddwy the duo from London is back on Public Possession. Naomi and Ronan aka Nangi and Inner Totality continue to impress with their blend of organic, rhythmic dance music. Mystic vocals intertwine with layers of cosmic melodies. This record is a must for Balearic D.J.s, but will likely also be played out in sleazy dark basements or Pubs in the British countryside. You’ll place it, people will embrace it. That’s a guarantee!

Black Truffle is thrilled to announce a reissue of Chico Mello and Helinho Brandão’s self-titled release from 1984, the first return to vinyl of this classic of Brazilian experimental music with its original cover art and complete track listing. An under-recognised figure whose work inhabits a singular terrain where radical new music techniques and music theatre meet musica popular brasileira, Mello has lived and worked in Berlin since the late 1980s. A student of Dieter Schnebel, Mello played in the 90s iteration of Arnold Dreyblatt’s Orchestra of Excited Strings alongside compatriot Silvia Ocougne, with whom he produced a radical and hilarious deconstruction of MPB classics on Musica Brasileira De(s)composta (an early and rather atypical release on Edition Wandelweiser).

On this release, his only recording predating his move to Europe, Mello works with the alto saxophonist Helinho Brandão, who appears to be otherwise unknown outside Brazil. The record’s six tracks range from solo saxophone improvisation to densely layered ensemble works bridging minimalism, acoustic sound art and a plaintive melodic sensibility that calls up Edu Lobo or Milton Nascimento. Beginning with a dramatic, dissonant wind and string surge from which emerge ominously pounding piano chords, opener ‘Água’ slowly builds in intensity, a halo of clustered vocal harmonies gradually closing in on Brandão’s squealing sax until the piece opens up to reveal a gorgeous passage of melodic singing. The piano accompaniment reduces to tolling bass notes as the voice begins a repeated incantation, suggesting a ritualistic atmosphere reminiscent of parts of Xenakis’ setting of Oresteia. Dissonant, sawing tremolos on the strings climb to a crescendo before disappearing into the sounds of water being poured and splashed into metal vessels, presented not as a field recording but as a percussive element performed by the ensemble. A child’s voice then appears, singing to piano accompaniment the same melody heard earlier in the piece. After a brief solo alto improvisation from Brandão, working with the guttural pops and fleeting melodic gestures of Braxton or Roscoe Mitchell, the remainder of the first side is dedicated to the leisurely unfolding of ‘Baiando’ over the course of twelve minutes. A trio for Brandão on soprano saxophone, Mello on a very period-appropriate phased nylon string guitar and Edu Dequech on bongos, the performance eases its way hypnotically through subtle variations on a set of rhythmic and melodic patterns, almost derailed at points by Brandão’s wild forays into extended technique but held together by Mello’s droning guitar notes.

The second side opens with another multi-part epic for a larger ensemble, ‘Matraca’, which makes use of strings, electric guitars and a wide range of South American percussion instruments. Rasping violin harmonics hover as drum hits, repeated guitar notes and triangle accompany a slowly descending bass glissando. A sudden change in direction introduces a thrumming, incessantly repeated bowed bass tone, beginning a series of episodes of minimalist phasing and pattern variation, the combinations of electric guitars and orchestral instruments giving the ensemble an ad hoc charm like the early Penguin Café Orchestra but with more percussive drive. Eventually the piece is overrun by a cacophony of the titular matracas (a kind of ratchet/cog rattle). Following a lyrical trio improvisation by Mello, Brandão and Gerson Kornin on bass, the final ‘Danca’ focuses entirely on Mello’s layered acoustic guitars and vocals, using this restricted palette to build up a haunting piece of almost orchestral density, reminiscent of the 70s work of Egberto Gismonti in how it thickens a folkish ambience with harmonic sophistication.

Arriving in a starkly beautiful gatefold sleeve and sounding better than ever in its new remaster, one might call the stunning music contained on Chico Mello/Helinho Brandão ahead of its time. But what (other than some of Mello’s own work) produced in the years since its initial release has really touched the organic fusion of minimalism, free improvisation, radical instrumental technique and popular song achieved here? Forty years after its first release, Chico Mello/Helinho Brandão remains music of the future.