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'Hallival' is the long awaited debut album from Leeds based folk singer
and songwriter Iona Lane, Having found herself fascinated by folklore
and folk stories from across the UK 'Hallival' is inspired by natural
landscapes, scientific discoveries, equality, human relationships and the
supernatural, all tied together by a strong sense of place and a love for
being in wild places - creating something truly special.The name 'Hallival'
is taken after one of the mountains on the Isle of Rum, which inspired the
writing for the opening track 'Western Tidal Swell'
Karine Polwart and Julie Fowlis, amongst others, selected 'Western Tidal Swell' to
win Feis Rois'/NatureScots' In Tune With Nature competition in 2020.With Andy
Bell on production, Iona and her band ventured to Watercolour Music (Ardgour,
Highlands) for a week of recording in April 2020. The studio was chosen due to
it's stunning location - every day the team woke up to herds of deers guarding the
studio, ever changing weather and phenomenal views over to Ben Nevis 'Hallival'.
The lead single from the album 'Humankind', featuring Jenny Sturgeon on
backing vocals, was written from the depths of the Lake District in Wasdale just
before the first lockdown. Being the closing track on the album, it reflects on how
important humans are to each other and the kindness that we can bring
particularly whilst feeling isolated, a feeling that we all know too well after the
past couple of years.
'Schiehallion' was written after discovering the Schiehallion Experiment that was
carried out in 1774. During the experiment scientists from the Royal Society used
the shape and location of Schiehallion to calculate the mass of the Earth for the
first time. After a summer of calculations on the hill, the scientists and locals had
a party in a nearby bothy. The fiddler got so drunk that they burnt their violin and
the bothy to the ground. 'Schiehallion' features Lauren MacColl on fiddle and
Rachel Newton on harp.
Stemmed from being read 'Stone Girl Bone Girl, The Life of Mary Anning' by
Laurence Ann Holt as a child, Iona's song 'Mary Anning' focuses on the life of the
groundbreaking paleontologist who lived and worked in Lyme Regis in the 1800s.
Mary made vast contributions to the scientific world, however, due to her being a
woman she was unable to present her findings and would often end up selling
them to her male colleagues. Up until very recently Mary Anning has had little
credit for her work.
Having studied under the tuition of Nancy Kerr, Jim Moray and Stuart McCallum,
Iona has been praised throughout the scene for her delicate yet powerful vocals,
which have captivated audiences up and down the country.
Iona was chosen by Karine Polwart to receive the Taran Guitars Young Players
Bursary 2020. Since receiving the bursary luthier Rory Dowling, of Taran Guitars,
has designed and built a bespoke instrument for Iona's music.

As the daughter of a blues musician, Chastity Brown was born with an
innate ability to channel complex circumstances into beautiful, uplifting
songs
But after surviving the isolation of the early pandemic and witnessing the global
racial reckoning that manifested itself in the riots mere blocks from her South
Minneapolis home, even she is surprised to hear the way her new album 'Sing To
The Walls' turned out. "It's a love album, in a way I didn't plan on," Chastity says.
Like so many artists who endured the uncertainty of the 2020 lockdown,
Chastity's instinct was to turn inward, at first out of self- preservation, and then
because the new songs kept coming and coming. Since finishing her last album,
2017's 'Silhouette Of Sirens', she estimates she's written nearly 100 new songs,
10 of which found their way onto 'Sing To The Walls'. Produced by Brady Blades,
'Sing To The Walls' is a sonically expansive album; it mines the roots of
Americana, folk, and soul music, but Chastity's stories are delivered in a style that
feels remarkably timely, modern, and forward-thinking. "I celebrate the emotional
richness in the tradition, but in my music I've committed myself to moving
forward and reflecting the experiences of those overlooked by tradition."
Chastity Brown has been praised by NPR, CMT, American Songwriter, the London
Times, Paste Magazine, and The Independent, among many others, and appeared
on the U.K.'s Later… with Jools Holland. She tours nationally and internationally,
having shared the stage and supported artists such as the Indigo Girls, Ani Di
Franco, Andrea Gibson, Jayhawks, The National, and Micheal Kiwanuka.

Air, Nico, St Etienne, Kid Loco, Young Marble Giants, Sandy Denny, Vashti Bunyan, Andrew Weatherall, Robert Wyatt and Serge Gainsbourg. Limited edition first pressing of 500 copies on "Mock Turtle" Blue. International collaboration between artists in Glasgow, London, Paris & New York. Mastered by Shimmy-Disc founder Kramer. Accompanying visual art work by Film and art director Tim Saccenti. Inspired by the intensity of lockdown, the self-titled debut album by electro-pop project Gates of Light, is the result of a collaboration between five artists across four cities, three time zones and two continents. Hailing from Glasgow, singer-songwriter Louise Quinn and producer Bal Cooke teamed up with London-based DJ and producer Scott Fraser; Parisian musician, DJ and producer Kid Loco; and film director and photographer, New York’s Tim Saccenti - who has previously worked with Run The Jewels and Pharell- to create a sublime, electro-pop reflection on the grief, insularity and peculiar highs of lockdown. Immediately after hearing the album, revered post-punk musician and producer Kramer offered to release the vinyl edition on his iconic cult label Shimmy-Disc, which boasts an impressive back catalogue of artists including Daniel Johnson, Low and Galaxie 500. A project grounded on collaboration - born from a period of disconnect - Gates Of Light perfectly amplifies the longing, confusion, lucid dreams and appreciation of the outdoors that the pandemic ignited in so many over the last couple of years. Originally written and recorded by Louise and Bal from their bedroom studio in Glasgow whilst their one-year-old twins slept, the tracks were then sent to Scott and Kid Loco who remixed the tracks from home studios in London and Paris before Tim created the artwork and a video for the track ‘When The Leaf Falls’. Gates Of Light is the latest project from Louise and Bal who have released music in the past as A Band Called Quinn and DAWNINGS. Louise and Scott Fraser have also previously collaborated following a chance encounter at a nightclub in Glasgow. Their single ‘Together More’ was released on Andrew Weatherall’s renowned Birdscarer vinyl imprint in 2019 and featured a remix by the Guv’nor himself who described the track as “sublime magik”.

Repress incoming...

Far Out Recordings proudly presents Milton Nascimento's Maria Maria. Recorded in 1974 and unreleased until almost thirty years later, the album was written as the soundtrack to a ballet which dealt with the legacy of slavery in Brazil. Raw, atmospheric and emotionally charged, Maria Maria reveals one of Brazil's greatest ever songwriters at his creative peak. Featuring an all-star cast of fellow Brazilian legends including Nana Vasconcelos, Joao Donato, Paulinho Jobim, and members of Som Imaginario, Maria Maria holds what Milton considers to be the definitive versions of some of his classic songs, including 'Os Escravos De Jó' and 'Maria Maria'.

Originally released in 2003 as a double CD package, with Milton Nascimento's 1984 follow up ballet soundtrack Ultimo Trem, Maria Maria will be available on vinyl for the very first time from December 2019, with Ultimo Trem set for vinyl release early 2020.

Milton Nascimento possesses one of the most immediately recognizable voices in Brazilian music: high and sweet and as breathtakingly sublime as that of any soul singer. It was this voice that the legendary Brazilian singer Elis Regina fell in love with back in 1964, having heard Milton perform his song 'Canção do Sal (Sultry Song)' at a private party in Sao Paulo. Ellis went on to record the song in 1967 -giving Milton his first hit in Brazil and beginning a career that has spanned over 50 years.

Born in Rio on the 26th October 1942, Milton moved with his adoptive parents at the age of 18 months to Tres Pontas, a rural town in the state of Minas Gerais, 500 miles north of Rio. He began his musical career as a young teenager, singing in a crooner style he learnt from listening to Brazilian singers and US groups such as The Platters on the radio. Hungry for more opportunities to perform, Milton moved to Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, at the age of twenty. By the beginning of the 60s Milton had made a name for himself both as an accomplished singer and guitarist.

Milton became part of a local network of musicians, film makers, dancers, theatre directors and writers that included the journalist and song writer Fernando Brant as well as lyricist Marcio Borges and his younger brother Lo Borges. Together these four wrote and produced what would become Milton's milestone album, 'Clube da Esquina (Club on the Corner)'. The originality of 'Club da Esquina' shaped the local scene, and it reflects the essence of 'the Nascimento Sound'. Milton's religious upbringing as an Afro-Brazilian Catholic saw him exposed to church choral music from an early age. His love of this genre of music is apparent in both his celestial falsetto and vocal choral arrangements. This collection also displays his early fascination with evocative, non-verbal, scat-style singing, spare, harmonic guitar work and local folk music, jazz and rock.

In 1976, Milton and Fernando Brant teamed up with a new contemporary dance company called Grupo Corpo, whose Argentinian choreographer Oscar Araiz, would become a collaborator with the two musicians. Together, they conceived a show based on the composite life story of the daughter of a black slave called Maria. Nascimento wrote music to Brant's lyrics and "Maria Maria" was premiered in the main theatre of the Belo Horizonte Palacio das Artes that year. "Fernando wrote the lyrics for the ballet, but there were originally no lyrics for the theme song, "Maria Maria'". Milton and Fernando worked on the lyrics together, basing them on folk stories about black women of the countryside. Adds Milton "These memories are mostly things that we witnessed – Fernando and I – rather than what we experienced ourselves.

Milton's music is impressionistic, emotional and romantic. Relying on songs without lyrics as well as evocative vocalizing and choruses, Milton experimented heavily with Afro-Brazilian percussion and taped jungle sounds. His composing method for these recordings was highly unconventional: "I wrote the music for 'Maria Maria' in a tiny Rio apartment with friends and their kids running around and having fun! I love to be in noisy places, surrounded by people", he says.
The music on 'Maria Maria' was performed by an impressive group of young musicians who are today household names in Brazilian music, including Naná Vasconcelos (percussion and effects), Toninho Horta (guitars) and Paulo Moura (sax). Several vocalist including Naná Caymmi, Fafá de Belém, Beto Guedes, and Milton himself, had hits in years to come with reworkings of these songs.

Milton says his compositions follow his visions "like a movie", and he believes that reflects his long love affair with cinema. "I only began composing because of enjoying the movies so much," he says. "I wrote my first song "Peace for the Coming Love" after seeing 'Jules et Jim' (the cult 60s French film directed by François Truffaut), with my friend Marcio Borges. We went early in the morning and watched it four or five times in a row, then went to Márcio's home and wrote the song."

The songs also include solo spoken passages set to music, clearly influenced by this style of French art cinema. On the title track, Maria's story is narrated and translated to music through the use of African Percussion, drums and metal signifying the field slave tools of the day. 'Trabalhos (Works)' runs to work rhythms and whipcracks: no words, just pain. 'Lília' documents the beating of the slave woman. After 'A Chamada (The call)' and the triumphant 'Era Rei e Sou Escravo (I was a king now I am a slave' things begin to turn and Milton employs tropical jungle cries to symbolize freedom. 'Santos Catholicos x Candomble (Catholic Saints vs Candomble)' represents the battle between African and European religions through the music of both sides. Milton's heavenly falsetto pours into 'Francisco' and 'Pai Grande (Great Father)' and the outstanding 'Eu Sou Uma Preta Velha Aqui Sentada no Sol (I'm an old black lady, sitting under the sun)' conjures images of an old woman sitting deep in the forest, her memories painted in drums, piano and voices.

Tiptoe between the toadstools of Liverpool’s city parks, and amongst the foliage you might find a Strawberry Guy, contemplating his next chord-progression. Composing hi-fi symphonies from within his humble abode, the Welsh-born songwriter is ready to share the fruits of his labour with debut album Sun Outside My Window. A timeless vista of ethereal balladry looking towards 19th Century musical maestros and works of art, it brings new meaning to the term ‘Modern Classic’ and is the most optimistic of lockdown records yet.
“It’s about seeing the simple things in life and them making you happy,” tells Alex Stephens, the Guy behind the Strawberry. “I remember this day when I was really down… looking out the window, the sun beaming in was beautiful, it made me want to go outside – it was simple but made me so happy in that instance.”
A one-man impressionist, painting majestic soundscapes, Strawberry Guy blends truthful lyrics with lush arrangements to conjure new emotive worlds. Inspired by composers of the Romantic period, or Debussy, Ravel, and other classical artists of the 1800s, his wonderland moves like a Monet painting where arpeggios dance between meadows of dazzling dynamics and dramatic key changes. As former keyboard player of The Orielles and Trudy and The Romance, the light through his floor to ceiling windows has caused a dramatic Greenhouse Effect and now ripening on solo terms, his innocent uploads of ‘Without You’ and ‘F-Song’ comfort 2 million Spotify listeners a month. ‘Mrs Magic’ has received 40 million streams, landing at #13 in its chart and countless fan-created videos have appeared on YouTube. “Throughout history composers have tried to capture emotion, painting their own impressionist pictures with musical brush strokes… I guess I’m just trying to do the same and people enjoy that,” he suggests modestly.
Named by musical friends Her’s after his impeccable taste in milkshakes, Strawberry Guy upturns ‘bedroom artist’ perception, as each idea is crafted into a widescreen wonder where vocals tag-team instrumentals and countermelodies flourish within the Georgian walls of his Liverpool flat’s small space. “I want it to sound like I’ve squeezed an 80-piece orchestra into my room, and for listeners to wonder how all those strings got there,” he says. “Working on the 4-part harmonies, the orchestra became real; I began believing in myself.”
Imitating nature’s effect on emotion, like 70s songwriters, or the fantastical soundtracks accompanying vibrant scenes in the Japanese animated Studio Ghibli films and video games, landscape is brought to the fore. Monet’s picturesque Meadow at Giverny features as the album’s accompanying artwork – perhaps a reminder of the rural Welsh countryside views through his childhood home’s window; “I was inspired by how calm and peaceful the image felt. Its painted lines show real-life scenes in a magical way, which to me reflects my music.”
Just as the first Strawberry Guy EP Taking My Time To Be offered a slowing down for the soul, Sun Outside My Window is musically unhurried, written and recorded over 2 years. “Recording as a lone berry meant I could run with my emotions in the moment and deliver something true; it would have been an entirely different album had it been recorded in a studio,” he says.
Modern Classic? Only time will tell. For now this Guy’s happy-sad world is here to get the juices flowing and with, pandemic permitting, a US tour in 2022, life looks a whole lot sweeter. Until then, take it slow, be at one with the wilderness and remember, when life gives you lemons, swap them for Strawberries.

20th Anniversary edition pressed on Californian Sunburst vinyl with
newly designed artwork and bonus 7” featuring ‘Brown Eyes’ and the
previously unreleased ‘The Earth From Above’.
 ‘California’ was released in 2002 to massive critical acclaim and reached
a much wider audience across Europe. Features the hit singles ‘This
Life’ and ‘Ordinary Day’.
 The album features Glenn Garrett on bass, Neil Conti (David Bowie /
Prefab Sprout) on drums and Dickon Hinchcliffe (Tindersticks ) and Rick
Carter (The Sisters of Mercy) on keyboards.
 ‘California’ was mostly co-written with Italian composer Marco Sabiu,
who collaborated with and was mentored by the late, great Ennio
Morricone.
 Perry Blake, Sligo-born singer / songwriter, is one of music’s great
untapped resources. After his first three singles - taken from his debut
album - received Single Of The Week on Jo Wiley BBC Radio 1, Blake
moved to France, where he was met with critical acclaim with his next
four albums, touring Europe with Carla Bruni and writing two songs for
Francoise Hardy’s Platinum-selling album ‘Tant de belles choses’,
appearing on various TV shows in France as her special guest.
 You may very well wonder what to expect of an album with American
West Coast orientations from an Irishman who happens to be critically
acclaimed on the Continent but is largely ignored in Britain. Thankfully,
Blake lives up to his billing with apparent ease. His song writing is
evidently mature and melodic; he incorporates lush orchestral
arrangements with tender vocals; and combines pop-like hooks with a
deep sonic texture.
 ‘California’ is a thriving and absorbing collection of songs in which
orchestral arrangements strain with emotion, melodies thrive and bloom,
like The Verve at their peak, though far more fragile and balmy.
 ‘California’ is ether for the soul - a truly magnificent and touching
collection of frankly beautiful songs, which is up there with class of Bryan
Ferry, The Blue Nile and anyone else who can turn a night around.
 Blake’s glimpses of people living a state of mind is one of those great
escapes it’s very hard to get away from. His gift here is to take a
subdued, grown-up collection of songs but make them sound like they
deserve daytime radio.
 Radio - Radio 2 Jo Whiley session.

Black Vinyl Repress

For the third release on De:tuned we proudly present The Kosmik Kommando AKA Mike Dred. Mike hardly needs an introduction; considered as one of the masters of the Roland TB-303 Mike has been releasing records under various aliases since the early 90s. He has recorded for high profile labels such as R&S and Rephlex as well as his own Machine Codes label. Together, with Aphex Twin, Mike was behind the Universal Indicator releases which are among the most collectible and sought after records in techno history.

De:tuned has worked closely with Mike to develop an 8 track project that gives props to the American Psychologist Timothy Leary and his proposed theory of 'The Eight-Circuit Model of Consciousness'. This model describes 8 circuits of information that operate within the human nervous system. Each circuit refers to a different sphere of activity, enhanced by experimentation with a particular substance. Each circuit also represents a higher stage of evolution than the one before it and the higher the circuit, the fewer the people have activated it as the higher four circuits exist for those who migrate to outer space and live extraterrestrially.

The 8 Models are applied to the track titles that present a varied collection integrating acid house, techno, electro and rave culture.

3 of the tracks on offer here were written exclusively for Mike's live performance at the De:tuned 'Meeting of Minds' event in June 2012, which was Mike's first full live show in 3 years.

This 8 track project will be available on limited 180 gr white double vinyl with label and sleeve artwork by Mike himself. Stay Tuned!

2022 Silver Vinyl Repress

For the third release on De:tuned we proudly present The Kosmik Kommando AKA Mike Dred. Mike hardly needs an introduction; considered as one of the masters of the Roland TB-303 Mike has been releasing records under various aliases since the early 90s. He has recorded for high profile labels such as R&S and Rephlex as well as his own Machine Codes label. Together, with Aphex Twin, Mike was behind the Universal Indicator releases which are among the most collectible and sought after records in techno history.

De:tuned has worked closely with Mike to develop an 8 track project that gives props to the American Psychologist Timothy Leary and his proposed theory of 'The Eight-Circuit Model of Consciousness'. This model describes 8 circuits of information that operate within the human nervous system. Each circuit refers to a different sphere of activity, enhanced by experimentation with a particular substance. Each circuit also represents a higher stage of evolution than the one before it and the higher the circuit, the fewer the people have activated it as the higher four circuits exist for those who migrate to outer space and live extraterrestrially.

The 8 Models are applied to the track titles that present a varied collection integrating acid house, techno, electro and rave culture.

3 of the tracks on offer here were written exclusively for Mike's live performance at the De:tuned 'Meeting of Minds' event in June 2012, which was Mike's first full live show in 3 years.

This 8 track project will be available on limited 180 gr white double vinyl with label and sleeve artwork by Mike himself. Stay Tuned!

Die mehrfach mit Platin ausgezeichnete Rockband SEETHER veröffentlicht die Deluxe Version ihres achten Studioalbums ”Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum”, übersetzt ”If You Want Peace, Prepare For War”, eine Mischung aus Euphorie und Elend, zweifellos die wohl stärksten Songs in SEETHERs illustrer Karriere.

”Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum” wurde von ihrem Sänger Shaun Morgan produziert und von Matt Hyde (Deftones, AFI) in Nashville abgemischt. Das neueste Mitglied der Band, Corey Lowery (Ex-Gitarrist/Sänger
von Saint Ansonia und Stuck Mojo), ein langjähriger Freund von Morgan, ist auf dem Album zu hören.

”Corey has a lot of experience and is an inspiring guitarist as well; he’s the older brother I’ve always wanted”, fügte Morgan hinzu. SEETHER besteht aus dem Bassisten und Gründungsmitglied Dale Stewart und dem Schlagzeuger John Humphrey.

Das Push-Pull-Gefühl auf ”Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum” ist ebenso dynamisch wie einprägsam, da Morgan die intime Sensibilität eines Singer-Songwriters in schwere Rockgrooves der Band einbringt. Mit Einflüssen wie der dunklen und rohen Ehrlichkeit von Grunges epischer Gitarrenattacke und dem südafrikanischen Underground-Punk und Metal, ist SEETHER’s klangliches Gebräu unverwechselbar und zeitlos.

It’s been a long way. All seems to blend naturally with ‘A Long Way’, the debut album from Parisian duo Jacques Bon & Drux.

Jacques is a long term friend, who was running the Paris branch of the Smallville record store for 13 years (2006 – 2019). He made himself a name also outside of Paris as a DJ and with music released on Giegling, Kann, Mule Musiq and of course Smallville. Jacques shares his studio in Paris with Vincent Drux, a producer and sound engineer, who recently started his own imprint Cabale Records. Both got together naturally in the studio for hour-long sessions to craft an album together. House music at its most meticulous form.

First, as a short form, in which every track captures another time zone of the dancefloor experience. And then as longform, as a whole album with a narrative that combines futuristic aesthetics, classic ethos and human warmth.

From the rolling percussion and windy-city style bassline of opener ‘Distant Voices’, with its cut yet longing distant voices, through deepy, dubby and raw ‘Celeste’, the haunting synths of ‘Mirage’; The snares that arrive mid through ‘Space Ways’ and launch into another level; ‘Radiance’’s Techy vibe ride; The late night chords and peak time beat programming of ‘Your Wings’; And then final couple stick the landing with enough energy, deepness and beauty - ‘Elevate’, which channels Bon and Drux’s inner Fred P, and ‘Sandstorm’, a mastery percussive tale with a long, repetitive chord that opens and closes, teases until it disappears and remains nothing but a whispery dying effect.

Words by Niv Hadas


All Tracks are written, produced and mixed by Jacques Bon & Vincent Drux

What would it sound like if Ginger Root was asked to make the soundtrack to an American adaptation of a fictitious Japanese film from 1981 entitled, “街のやつ” (Machi No Yatsu) You’d get their new EP, “City Slicker” While the previous Ginger Root albums have had themes of introspectiveness and observations on past personal experiences, this upcoming release is the first collection of songs written from an outside perspective. The first collection of songs that live in a fabricated world. A short 19-minute escape to a metropolis that never was. Following a protagonist whose neighbors call him the “City Slicker”. On this EP, Ginger Root continues to pioneer their self-proclaimed genre: “Aggressive Elevator Soul”. By blending the bones and blueprints from the works of Yacht Rock and City Pop, with textures from the ever-evolving Bedroom Pop scene, glueing them all together fruitions something uniquely Ginger Root. One may argue that the best way to listen to “City Slicker” is not by vinyl, nor by cassette, but by VHS (if such a merch item were to be created). major label,

Combining power pop and street rock with a sour but raw power, Kiss Disease sign with Svart Records! Kiss Disease’s praised self-titled EP from 2020, together with their fierce performances, sparked a wide interest in the underground circles. Encouraged by the fantastic feedback, the band took a conscious risk and began recording their debut album with no record deal in sight. Soon after hearing about this, Svart Records struck a deal with the band, whose brave blend of power pop, street rock and catchy choruses is only becoming more multifaceted and personal. Kiss Disease’s debut album, titled You Met Me at a Strange Time, is based on the raw and sour force displayed on the garage punk EP from last year. On the other hand, the band wanted to expand their sound to a grander and more versatile direction. The guidelines were sought from the worlds of power pop and protopunk. “The core of our album is formed by a strong group effort. The songs were written both together and by everyone on their own, with the whole band having a say on their final form. This time we took influences from a wider spectrum, and it’s precisely this lack of a clear guideline that made us pursue a more emancipated and personal version of our sound”, says the band’s lead guitarist Alex Stöd. The band’s sound has evolved greatly in the last year. You Met Me at a Strange Time is diverse, fierce, sensitive, and surprising, all at the same time. According to singer/guitarist Ella Laine, an existential transformation of some sort took place amid album’s creation: “For me personally, this album embodies some sort of turning point between adulthood and the craziness of adolescence, a place where you sit up and take notice of first yourself and then the people around you. Difficult and untold situations are squeezed from between the lines in the lyrics, revealing both everything and absolutely nothing.” The first single Season Creep took a while for the song to be born since the band’s style was expanding from straightforward punk songs towards a more melodic expression.

TRANSMISSION EDITION OF PORCUPINE TREE'S 2008 MINI ALBUM 'NIL
RECURRING'.Following on from the announced reissue series from
Porcupine Tree, issued through their own Snapper Music imprint
Transmission, 2008's mini album 'Nil Recurring' will be made available on
classic black vinyl edition
Originally released on CD in 2008, the mini- album (29 minutes of music) was
written during the 'Fear Of A Blank Planet' sessions, completed over the Summer
of 2007 & is presented as a cohesive, self-contained Porcupine Tree work in its
own right. The title track features Robert Fripp on lead guitar, & the album moves
through the full Porcupine Tree spectrum of atmospheric ambience, melodic
hooks & crushing riffs.
Porcupine Tree are gearing up for the release of their new album in June, marking
another step forward in the incredible journey of the band that began as a solo
studio project created by Steven Wilson in the late eighties to a multi grammy
nominated act & one of the world's most revered live bands, selling out arenas
across the globe & wowing fans with their incredible performances.
This new Transmission reissue of 'Nil Recurring' remains faithful to the original
artwork & has never sounded better.
"post- prog pearls of modern intelligent, rock- propelled pop....very tasty indeed"
Classic Rock

Perhaps the best Soul / Funk LP Athens of the North has ever released and you know we have high standards, not one filler and mostly unreleased tracks – Essential LP

The Up Tights were formed by Henry Bradley in Forrest City, Arkansas in March of 1967 while most of the band members were attending Lincoln High School.They took their name from the Stevie Wonder song "Uptight - Everything's Alright." Playing at school functions, they quickly branched out to playing bigger shows and headlined the 1968 St. Francis County Fair in Forrest City.

The Up Tights first recorded for Action Records in Memphis as Noble and the Up Tights. The 45 featured an original song by singer, Izear "Ike" Noble Jr. titled "Don't Worry About It."

Henry Bradley was drafted into Vietnam in 1968. He served in the 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. While he was away, the Up Tights continued with Henry's brother, Arthur, taking over all the guitar duties. The band also hired a manager named John Mitchell. In 1968, the band met Joe Lee, who owned Variety recording studio in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

For the band's first recordings at Variety, Lee chose two originals by Noble titled "Look a Little Higher" and an updated version of "Just a Dream" which Lee released on his Alley Records label in 1968. Lee continued to record the band over the next several months. He liked to experiment in the studio and produced many versions of the group's original songs, adjusting the mix and adding elements to each unique take.

For the group's second Alley release, they appeared simply as Ike Noble on the record label. Lee brought in a local songwriter named Charles "Jamie" Holmes, who had previously written for Alley records and Joe Keene's studio in Kennett, Missouri

The resulting 45 from this collaboration was "It's Bad" backed with "That's What I Get," two Holmes originals. Another Holmes original was unreleased at the time, but available here titled "There's Gonna Be a Better Day Coming." Stax Records was interested in signing the group and wanted to re-cut "It's Bad" at their studio, but ultimately the label passed since they generally had a policy of working with Memphis based groups.

As the band grew in popularity, they began appearing with and competing with Memphis legends, the Bar-Kays. The group's biggest show in Arkansas was an opening slot at Barton Coliseum, one of the largest venues in the state, in Little Rock in mid-1969. As a result, the band was offered a spot on George Klein's "Talent Party" television show on WHBQ in Memphis in July of 1969..... Further Sleeve notes on back of the LP

The music of Ugly Season was written for Perfume Genius and choreographer Kate Wallich's immersive dance piece, The Sun Still Burns Here. The work was commissioned by the Seattle Theatre Group and Mass MoCA and was performed via residencies in Seattle, Minneapolis, New York City and Boston throughout 2019. During this time, Perfume Genius shared two of the dance project's compositions - Pop Song and Eye In the Wall. "It's the sound of dancefloor euphoria," said Pitchfork. "The color of lights flashing as you move through a crowd, the touch of skin damp and warm against everyone else's." Now the entirety of the project's original music can be heard in Ugly Season. The album was produced by Perfume Genius and GRAMMY-winning producer and long-time collaborator Blake Mills and was created in collaboration with Hadreas' long-time partner Alan Wyffels.

Leeds art-rock group Mush (Dan Hyndman vocals / guitar, Phil Porter drums,
Nick Grant bass, Myles Kirk guitar) are set to return with album ‘Down Tools’
via Memphis Industries. The new record marks the prolific band’s third album
in as many years, following hype-building early singles ‘Alternative Facts’
and ‘Gig Economy’, 2020’s debut album ‘3D Routine’ and 2021’s acclaimed
‘Lines Redacted’, which pushed their sound further and, as Uncut wrote, saw
them become “kindred spirits to Wand and King Gizzard & The Lizard
Wizard, two other bands prolifically honing their sound and approach,
steadily developing their voice.”
 On ‘Down Tools’, this voice grows again into a more brilliantly singular
sound. It sees Mush getting loose, moving away from the defined moods and
textures of ‘Lines Redacted’ with a musical openness, straddling genres
while avoiding pastiche. Hyndman says of the lyrics on ‘Down Tools’ that
“there was a conscious decision to retreat further from an observational
approach” with vocals being ad-libbed lending the record a more abstract
feel. Hyndman continues: “this album is less dark than the previous one. The
Armageddon obsession has eased, or at least the symptoms have become
milder due to saturation. Musically there’s a lot more chill on the record -
there’s a few more mellow tracks out there and the most astute listener may
even be able to decipher some of the words, fingers crossed.”
 While grief and work balance form themes on the record, Hyndman’s
approach is largely made up of abstract, disconnected streams of
consciousness and lines liberally taken from books, paintings, films and
beyond. On ‘Human Resources’, Hyndman dramatically retells a battle he
had with an HR department at a job in a David and Goliath style. The song
‘Group Of Death’, a phrase chillingly familiar to any football fan, is
emblematic of the turn towards softer, more considered sounds. Hyndman
says: “In my warped imagination it just sounds like a Paul McCartney song,
but it won’t to others. I initially had the idea of doing a World Cup song called
‘Group of Death’, but by the time it was written nothing beyond the title had
any relevance to football. Anyway, the next World Cup is in Qatar so fuck
that shit.”
 ‘Northern Safari’, meanwhile, is a song about the way the North of England
has been portrayed in the media and used as a mirror to reflect some of the
nastier elements of what’s going on in society, in particular vox pops around
Doncaster, portraying a particular narrative of the collapse of the red wall and
the disgruntled ex-miners.
 ‘Down Tools’ sees Mush idiosyncratically ping-pong from finger picked
looseners to noise-rock bangers to brilliantly entertaining effect, avoiding
post punk saturation with an easy style and wit.

THE CULT 1990 DEBUT ALBUM OF INFLUENTIAL UK GRINDCORE FROM
PROPHECY OF DOOM - PRESENTED ON THE VINYL FORMAT WITH
COVER ARTWORK FROM THE ORIGINAL 1990 PRESSING.UK grind/death
veterans Prophecy Of Doom formed in Gloucestershire, 1988, with
bassist Martin Holt & vocalist Shrew Schroder uniting to embark upon a
journey to create something challenging & memorable to stand out in the
UK scene
After a few personnel changes whilst looking to establish a permanent recording
line-up after their 1988 demo & the 1989 EP, 'Calculated Mind Rape' (which had
brought the band to the attention of legendary DJ John Peel), the time had come
to create their debut full- length album. And so 'Acknowledge the Confusion
Master' came to be & was released in 1990 on the burgeoning Peaceville Records
& their then newly established sub- label, Deaf Records. A highly effective
concoction of blasting amid a titanic wall of raw grinding riffs & chaos propelled
Prophecy Of Doom to the forefront of the scene, also leading to two recording
sessions with John Peel & further enforcing Prophecy Of Doom's position on the
map of notable British grind acts.
As a further distinguishing factor, there was a great depth & consideration to the
themes of the album, perhaps in stark contrast to how the tracks were presented
sonically. Written by mainman/vocalist "Shrew", there with a strong philosophical
element to the lyrics, an exploration of awareness & intuition amid an era of
increasingly suppressed feelings & an urge to rise above mental restrictions.
This vinyl edition of 'Acknowledge the Confusion Master' contains cover artwork
from the 1990 release with printed inner sleeve containing lyrics & receives its
first vinyl pressing on Peaceville since that initial 1990 edition.

‘Found Light’ may be Laura Veirs’ 12th studio
album, but it also, in many ways, feels like her
debut. If 2020’s ‘My Echo’ - written and mixed just
prior to her 2019 split from her long-time husband,
her long-time producer, and the father of her two
sons - was her divorce album, ‘Found Light’ is
about what comes after.
 ‘Found Light’ is a liberating collection of inquisitive
and surprisingly assured snapshots of healing and
personal growth, and her very first release with coproduction credits. Despite the sadness and
suffering that prompted these 14 graceful wonders,
the result is a testament to the inspiration of
independence, to shaping new possibilities for
yourself even after great loss. It is a reminder that
we are always capable of something more.
 CD in 4-panel digisleeve with 12-page booklet with
lyrics.
 LP on 140g Pink Galaxy vinyl in 3mm spined
sleeve with printed inner sleeve.

Dreamy ambient drifters by The Vision Reels

"A personal journey into one's self, this music was written over a really unpredictable part of my life it's to remind myself to always be true to my own colours and a reminder of how beautiful the world can be when you look at it through a different lens, it helps me see the beauty in everyday life. The album is a very personal thing that I will leave open to the interpretation of others, a welcome invitation into my vision and sound." - Adam O'Hara (The Vision Reels)

All tracks written, produced and mastered by Adam O'Hara aka The Vision Reels.
Original Artwork by Dima Rabik
Design by OFF T

Running with the ball that 2020’s “Serve To Serve Again” punted forward, this album marks another energetic break towards the goal for Vintage Crop. ‘Kibitzer’ sees the band define their field of play, more melodic at times, still bruising, forever droll. These ten tracks of ‘snappy as elastic’ Australian punk are packed with tensile riffage, hefty beats and witty refrains of everyman curiosity.

‘Kibitzer’ was written in quick response to their critically lauded ‘Serve To Serve Again’ album. Harsh guitars, a brutish rhythm section and a knack for always having the right words at hand are still abundant, but this time Vintage Crop’s songs expand upon their forceful nature with greater harmonic arrangement. It was recorded by Jasper Jolley in one single session on a former apple orchard in Geelong, a backdrop that mirrors the band’s own organic growth whilst highlighting their willingness to approach capturing their own sound their own way. The album was then mixed and mastered by Mikey Young.

‘Kibitzer’ delves into themes of identity, resilience and acceptance; some of the more upbeat notions that the band have dealt with to date. ‘Casting Calls’ opens the record, slamming through the speakers with gusto and setting the tone for the following 30 minutes. “It’s rolling, we’re rolling, we’re winding back the tape, we’re getting better with each take” sings lead songwriter Jack Cherry. Accepting your limitations and taking pride in your work are key themes on ‘Kibitzer’. In fact ideas around learning, growing and being able to take things in your stride are strongly felt through their entire body of work. These themes hit home with the album’s title too, with Cherry feeling that ‘Kibitzer’ is an apt way to describe a lot of the band’s focus. “I feel like a lot of our lyrics over the years have been our unsolicited opinions on other people’s situations, the very definition of the word Kibitzer. So for this record we wanted to lean into that tendency by acknowledging it and even go as far as stamping it on the album cover.”

Musically the band have expanded their palette on this album; exploring a world of rhythmic harmony and a newfound vocal melodicism. There’s also greater lyrical elaboration and considered song structures at play. ‘The Duke’ is a mob of rollicking chants and heavy hitting, catchy to the core. ‘The Bloody War’ is a more sanguine reflection of tumbling drums, struck chords and shrill keyboard warble. “He’s got the keys to the universe and they’re hanging from his belt loop, his wit is as quick as lightning, his disapproving gaze is the thunder that follows” pipes Cherry on ‘Double Slants’, guitars chiming through the hubbub. ‘Hold The Line’ turns the wry amusement of dealing with cold callers into a fidgety anthem of knowing frustration. Whilst ‘Switched Off’ even welcomes the introduction of horns (courtesy of Heidi Peel) to the group’s repertoire, ushering in an unexpected serenity into their tough sound.