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Mit “Unbeschreiblich” begrüßte Die Zeit seinerzeit in einem begeisterten Artikel dieses Album und führte
deskriptiv fort: „Eine hohe, warme Stimme singt zerbrechliche Lieder, Annette Peacock begleitet sich
selbst am Flügel, ein Streichquartett modelliert Klangskulpturen dazu: von der Klassik das Zeitmaß, vom
Jazz das Gefühl, von der Lyrik das Offene, vom Träumen die Stimme“. An Acrobat’s Heart ist hinreißend
schönes Album von einer der geheimnisvollsten, am schwersten fassbaren und schillerndsten Figuren in den
Grenzbereichen des Jazz. Das Album präsentiert die einzigartige Stimme und das Klavierspiel der SingerSongwriterin Annette Peacock, die ihre Eigenkompositionen in Zusammenarbeit mit dem renommierten
Cikada String Quartet darbietet. Im Guardian nannte John Fordham das Album bei Erscheinen „eines der
feinsten, adäquatesten und aufwühlensten Unterfangen die Annette Peacock je geschaffen hat.“ Mit dem
Luminessence-Reissue im 2-LP-Tip-on-Klappcover erscheint das Album erstmals auf Vinyl.

Nicknamed "the Hendrix of the Kora", Seckou Keita has been celebrated for his ingenious tunings and virtuosity and praised as "one of the finest exponents of the kora". Performing all over the globe, he has captivated audiences at WOMAD, Hay, Glastonbury, Tokyo Jazz, Chicago World Music Festival, Sydney International, Montreal Jazz Festivals and many more collaborating with the likes of Damon Albarn & the Africa Express; Catrin Finch; Omar Sosa; AKA trio; Paul Weller and The Lost Words, Spell Songs. 'Homeland' heralds a bold new direction for the kora virtuoso, who invites his audience to explore his Mandinka roots and the ancestral culture of the griots. A journey between past and present, tradition and modernity, in words and music, infused with traditional rhythms embracing Afro-pop, urban and hip-hop. Homeland features collaborations with the Daar J Family, poet Zina Edwards and Costa winning poet Hannah Lowe.

Nicknamed "the Hendrix of the Kora", Seckou Keita has been celebrated for his ingenious tunings and virtuosity and praised as "one of the finest exponents of the kora". Performing all over the globe, he has captivated audiences at WOMAD, Hay, Glastonbury, Tokyo Jazz, Chicago World Music Festival, Sydney International, Montreal Jazz Festivals and many more collaborating with the likes of Damon Albarn & the Africa Express; Catrin Finch; Omar Sosa; AKA trio; Paul Weller and The Lost Words, Spell Songs. 'Homeland' heralds a bold new direction for the kora virtuoso, who invites his audience to explore his Mandinka roots and the ancestral culture of the griots. A journey between past and present, tradition and modernity, in words and music, infused with traditional rhythms embracing Afro-pop, urban and hip-hop. Homeland features collaborations with the Daar J Family, poet Zina Edwards and Costa winning poet Hannah Lowe.

Lake Mary is the moniker of Chaz Prymek, a guitarist, composer, free improvisor and painter currently based in the US. Through spacious personal hymns exploring the wilderness of deep emotional narrative, Prymek’s long-form compositions and improvisations are boundless meditations on the landscapes, river ways, and wildlife, both external and personal. Perhaps most widely known as a founding member of the group Fuubutsushi, Prymek's work as Lake Mary leans sometimes more slow, open and pastoral, sometimes more visceral with prepared guitar and synthesizers, but can always be characterized by patience. A board member of Dismal Niche Arts, and founder of Yardwork Presents, Prymek's focus on curation and community for exploratory and expansive music and arts spills over into all his sonic works.

Daniel Wyche is a Chicago-based guitarist, composer, and improviser. Working with a wide range of physical preparations, extended techniques, and pedal instruments, his solo recordings and live performances are characterized by long-form structured improvisations and multichannel guitar. He has been a curator with the Elastic Arts Foundation in Chicago since 2013, where is work has been described as “crucial” by Dusted and “vital” by the Chicago Reader. In March of 2020, Daniel co-founded The Quarantine Concerts in collaboration with Chicago’s Experimental Sound Studio. The series has been widely praised as a model for online/streaming live music. Along with his solo guitar work, Daniel is involved in several ongoing collaborations, most notably the trio of Wyche, Mark Shippy (US Maple), and Ben Baker Billington, as well as new work with longtime collaborators like Patrick Shiroishi, Lake Mary, and many others.

The debut recording from the duo of multi-award-winning Scottish author David Keenan and Bruce Russell, the guitarist from the greatest underground rock band of the late 20th century, New Zealand’s The Dead C, was recorded live in Christchurch, NZ, as part of the WORD festival in August 2023. A series of live improvised settings that pair readings from Keenan’s monolithic and critically-acclaimed modernist masterpiece, Monument Maker (White Rabbit 2021), with guitar and electronics from Russell, the music takes off on the kind of post-VU fantasy of punk-primitive free music posited by Russell in projects like A Handful of Dust while expanding on Russell’s no-technique blues w/scalpel sharp riffs and aformal blats of pure electricity that match the religious eroto-mania of the text. Keenan reads w/shamanistic intensity and with a sonorous, incantatory rhythm, while Russell conjures the very ghost of the book straight out of the air. Think the early Patti Smith/Lenny Kaye spoken word/guitar jams informed by religious painting, Bach cantatas, Pierre Reverdy, Goya, Charles Olson, Arthur Doyle and Rudolph Grey. Features full colour photography by musician and artist Heather Leigh taken in-situ during the writing of Monument Maker in France in 2018. Bruce Russell is a practitioner in sound, who for forty years has been a member of The Dead C and A Handful of Dust. He mixes rock, electro-acoustics, noise and improvisation in equal measures. Also directed two of New Zealand’s vanguard independent labels, Xpressway and Corpus Hermeticum. His solo guitar practice reconfigures the blues as a form of improvisational auto-destruction. He is also a writer and his next book is titled ‘Rock’n’roll: my part in its downfall’. David Keenan is the author of six novels; This is Memorial Device (Faber & Faber) which won the London Magazine Prize for Debut Fiction and was shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize; For the Good Times (Faber & Faber), which won the Gordon Burn Prize and was shortlisted for the Encore Award for Second Novels; Xstabeth (White Rabbit), which was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Prize; The Towers The Fields The Transmitters (White Rabbit); Monument Maker (White Rabbit), which was a Rough Trade Book of the Year; and Industry of Magic & Light (White Rabbit). Edna O’Brien has said of him “I sometimes think David Keenan dreams aloud. His prose has the effortless, enigmatic, unsettling quality of dreams… reading him feels like being cut open to the accompanying sound of ecstatic music.”

Based in a small town near Modena (Italy), Browbeat formed in early 1998 from the ashes of local Hardcore and Metal bands with the intention to create the most intense music possible joining angst, heaviness and aggressive vocals.

Available on red, white and blue splatter coloured vinyl - Hot on the heels of the 2024 singles; ‘Come Together#2’ (co-written by multi-platinum selling, Brit Award winner James Morrison) and the critically acclaimed, lyrically hard hitting, breakout single ‘Cancelled’ British Alt Rock 3-piece LiVES announce the release of their highly anticipated new album ‘Let Them Eat Cake’ via Roulette Records. Produced by the legendary John Cornfield (Muse, Supergrass, The Stone Roses) ‘Let Them Eat Cake’ is a fast, aggressive, loud and socio-politically charged slice of post punk rock, packed with razor-sharp riffs, pounding drums and bass with screaming histrionic vocals! Lyrically confrontational and antagonistic, every song takes on songwriter Peter Chisholm’s disillusioned view on modern society; the internet, politicians, suicide and the media all take a kicking…simultaneously astute and foulmouthed, 'Let Them Eat Cake' is the voice of the lost and disenfranchised

Das dänische Hardrock-Quartett BLACK OAK COUNTY veröffentlicht sein drittes Album, das sie zu neuen musikalischen Horizonten führt, mit einer
breiten Mischung aus donnernden Breakdowns, eingängigeren Refrains als je zuvor, einer massiven Wand aus stampfenden Gitarrenriffs und einer
gefühlvollen Klavierballade. „III“ wurde gemeinsam mit dem dänischen Metal-Schwergewicht Nicklas Sonne (Defecto, Aries Descendant, dänische
Eurovisions-Vorentscheidungen) geschrieben und produziert, was sich als fruchtbare kreative Beziehung zwischen den beiden Parteien erwies. Das
Album markiert eine Rückkehr zur alten Form für die Band, die auf den Singles „Back For Blood“ und „It's On You“ von 2022 wieder mit
Gitarrist/Sänger Niels Beier zusammenkommt, der von dem ehemaligen Grammy-Nominierten Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Asinhell) produziert und
zusammen mit Soren Andersen (Glenn Hughes, Mike Tramp) geschrieben wurde. Jetzt, wo sowohl Beier als auch Sänger/Bassist René Kristensen in
der Band singen, haben sich für die Rocker aus Esbjerg neue musikalische Türen geöffnet. Black Oak County haben tief in ihrem musikalischen
Ideenfundus gegraben, um eine breitere Palette von Songs als je zuvor zu entwickeln und dabei brandneue Ideen mit älterem Material aus den
Anfangstagen ihrer Karriere zu verbinden. „III“ ist ein energiegeladenes Album mit der bekannten Mischung aus hochintensiven, tief gestimmten
Riffs, die eine Hommage an ihre Metal- und Hardrock-Helden darstellen, gemischt mit modernen Mixing-Techniken, Synthesizern und einer frischen
Interpretation des vertrauten Sounds der Band

Das dänische Hardrock-Quartett BLACK OAK COUNTY veröffentlicht sein drittes Album, das sie zu neuen musikalischen Horizonten führt, mit einer
breiten Mischung aus donnernden Breakdowns, eingängigeren Refrains als je zuvor, einer massiven Wand aus stampfenden Gitarrenriffs und einer
gefühlvollen Klavierballade. „III“ wurde gemeinsam mit dem dänischen Metal-Schwergewicht Nicklas Sonne (Defecto, Aries Descendant, dänische
Eurovisions-Vorentscheidungen) geschrieben und produziert, was sich als fruchtbare kreative Beziehung zwischen den beiden Parteien erwies. Das
Album markiert eine Rückkehr zur alten Form für die Band, die auf den Singles „Back For Blood“ und „It's On You“ von 2022 wieder mit
Gitarrist/Sänger Niels Beier zusammenkommt, der von dem ehemaligen Grammy-Nominierten Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Asinhell) produziert und
zusammen mit Soren Andersen (Glenn Hughes, Mike Tramp) geschrieben wurde. Jetzt, wo sowohl Beier als auch Sänger/Bassist René Kristensen in
der Band singen, haben sich für die Rocker aus Esbjerg neue musikalische Türen geöffnet. Black Oak County haben tief in ihrem musikalischen
Ideenfundus gegraben, um eine breitere Palette von Songs als je zuvor zu entwickeln und dabei brandneue Ideen mit älterem Material aus den
Anfangstagen ihrer Karriere zu verbinden. „III“ ist ein energiegeladenes Album mit der bekannten Mischung aus hochintensiven, tief gestimmten
Riffs, die eine Hommage an ihre Metal- und Hardrock-Helden darstellen, gemischt mit modernen Mixing-Techniken, Synthesizern und einer frischen
Interpretation des vertrauten Sounds der Band

GǼG, the production unit of Tokyo's leading club sound Monkey Timers and Okayama-based maverick producer Keita Sano, is proud to present this heavyweight, alternative, and leftfield release on the "Sound of Vast."

Over a powerful and mysterious bassline, the hypnotic A1 'Jack' builds up with sharp synth stabs, dark pads, and ACID voices taken from Ron Hardy's open reel soundtrack series Jackmaster Hater.
AA1 is followed by the obscure percussion track 'Yamato.' It is a reinterpretation of the drumming of legendary drummer Curt Cress from the German jazz-rock scene of the 80s in the context of dance music.
AA2, 'Central' takes the funky bassline of The S.O.S. Band's 1982 album 'High Hopes' and infuses it with roaring feedback, cutting guitars, and spacy synth sounds, giving it a fresh, modern twist and elevating it to the realm of cosmic disco.

Monkey Timers' love for the classics of disco, krautrock, and Chicago house, the intensity and immersion of current club music created by their real-life experience in the field, and Keita Sano's unique free-form outlandish sound techniques coexist on this 12" EP.

東京のクラブサウンドをレペゼンしてきたMonkey Timersと岡山の奇才プロデューサーKeita SanoによるプロダクションユニットGǼGが〈Sound of Vast〉より満を持して放つ超重量級オルタナティブ・レフトフィールド・ストンパー！

パワフルで不穏なベースライン上にRon Hardyのオープンリール音源シリーズJackmaster Haterから割愛した”Acid! Acid! Acid!” ヴォイスリフレインを刻み、鋭利なシンセスタブとダークなパッドでビルドアップしたヒプノティックなナンバーA1. Jackを皮切りに、80年代ドイツジャズロックシーンの伝説的ドラマーCurt Cressのドラミングをダンスミュージックの文脈で再解釈したオブスキュアなパーカッション・トラックAA1. Yamato、そしてThe S.O.S. Bandの82年作”High Hopes”のファンキーなベースラインに轟音フィードバックやカッティングギター、スペーシーなシンセサウンドで現代的なコズミックディスコへと昇華したAA2. Central。

ディスコ、クラウトロック、シカゴハウスといった古典への愛情と現場で積み重ねてきたリアルな経験が生み出す現行のクラブミュージックとしての強度と没入感、そしてKeita Sanoのフリーフォームで奇天烈なサウンドテクニックが同居した渾身の3曲を12“EPに収録。

The next installment of MFM's popular multi-artist compilation Virtual Dreams: 'Virtual Dreams - Ambient Explorations In The House And Techno Age, Japan 1993-1999'. As with Part One, released in 2020, 'Virtual Dreams II' shines a light on house and techno-adjacent music that helped redefine the definition of ambient music during the 1990s.

The focus of Part One heavily fell on music from techno and house producers in Europe, eagerly exploring new soundtracks for chill-out rooms and re-imagining the potential future of club culture from new perspectives. For Part Two, we narrow the lens to focus on a unique time and place, namely Japan between 1993-1999. Despite missing out on the 'Acid House Fever', club culture was beginning to take shape in Japan during the early '90s. In contrast to the rest of the world, where ambient techno / IDM emerged as a by-product or response to the scene, 'listening techno', as it is known in Japan, was a central pillar of the culture right from the start.

'Virtual Dreams II' aims to shine a light on this unique moment in time where the thread of ambient music weaved its way through the music of an emerging club culture. This period saw the birth of many great Japanese techno labels such as Sublime Records, Transonic Records, Syzygy Records, Frogman Records, and Form@ Records, following in the late '90s. 'Virtual Dreams II' features ambient, chill-out, and intelligent techno from these leading labels alongside other lesser-known but equally influential imprints, as well as ambient deviations from Japanese house producers. Much of the music featured has only ever been released on CD.

'Virtual Dreams II' is compiled by Eiji Taniguchi and Jamie Tiller, who have worked closely together on previous Music From Memory releases such as 'Heisei No Oto' and 'Dream Dolphin - Gaia'. It is also the final project Jamie Tiller worked on before his tragic passing in 2023. Jamie had been researching, planning, and compiling this version of Virtual Dreams even before the first chapter was released, believing that there were many great tracks in Japan that fit the concept of the series. Knowing how much love and energy he put into compiling it gives it an extra special place in our hearts.

Compiled by Jamie Tiller and Eiji Taniguchi with artwork by Kenta Senekt, design by Steele Bonus and liner notes by Itaru W. Mita,

We bring you one of the best unreleased tunes we have had the pleasure of uncovering. "Come Down" was made in the same sessions as Kong's massive "He Was a Friend" (reissued by DKR back in 2010), and never released until now. Pure uptempo digital fire.

*Update - Sept. 2024: Some may remember that the mixdown of the version side of this tune had the bass drop out early on and never come back. This was odd and maybe even a mistake in the mix? But none the less, due to a puritanical impulse, we didn't trouble it. For this second time around for this 45, thru the miracles of modern science, the bassline has been added back to ride thru the verison side.

Killer wonky modern soul / disco out NYC written by Producer Alan Jones. Rathen than put the instrumental on the flip same as the og, we opted to put a mix with a lower vocal on the B-side, mostly because we wanted a mix to play out ourselves, killer modern 45, do it!

Brunson debuts on Rekids Special Projects with ‘Intimacy Between Friends’. Discovered in a Mike Banks interview by Benji B, ‘Intimacy Between Friends’ releases on RSPX 18th October.

Brunson’s ‘Intimacy Between Friends’ EP on Rekids Special Projects kicks off with 'Aminal'. Originally discovered via a 2017 BBC Radio 1 interview between Benji B and Underground Resistance co-founder Mike Banks, ‘Aminal’ was played on the show and subsequently sought out by Matt Edwards for release on RSPX in 2024 as part of the ‘Intimacy Between Friends’ EP.

‘Aminal’ by Brunson is a ten-minute odyssey into atmospheric deep techno. Wiggling acidic synth motifs and warm, radiant pads bring the soul to a tight groove, constantly evolving and allowing you to sink ever deeper into majestic chords which wash over you like rays of sunlight. Brunson’s 'My Friend Ryan' is another classic Detroit sound with machine warmth and energetic drum programming, which all work together to make you move your body while your heart is enriched by its vibrant soundscape.

Brunson released his first EP in 2023 via Berlin’s Tresor Recordings but has been active for a number of years before this as a Midwest American and Motor City producer while being the VJ behind Juan Atkins’ Model 500 shows. He now releases the ‘Intimacy Between Friends’ on Radio Slave’s Rekids Special Projects, already supported by artists such as Luke Slater, Laurent Garnier, and Jerome Sydenham.

Derwin Daniels, Soprano Sax player and composer, made this little R&B 45 in 1989. Recorded with vocals by the unfortunately passed away La Donna Wells who brings a Mary J Level performance 3 years before "What's The 411" hit the streets. Slick, deep R&B that's soulful enough for modern soul and disco sets, what's not to love. Flipped with some Jazz Bizznes from Derwin, utter gold!

DJ support from Soul Clap, Walla P (Voyage Funktastique), Dam Funk

The original version of 'Serious' was included on Kazzey's 2022 album Voyage. The collaboration between him & LA modern funk mainstay XL Middleton became a favorite in the street dance scene, soon becoming used in innumerable videos & dance battles internationally. It also found its way into heavy club rotation thanks to forward-thinking DJ's who include the modern funk sound in their sets, from the west coast of the US, to Japan, and back to Kazzey's native France. Now, the track is finally being pressed on vinyl and included on the b-side is a bonus remix (the 'Midnight Drift Remix') bringing a silkier, late-night edge to this certifiable dance floor filler.

Music video premiering 2 October 2024.

Included on Spotify's 'Nu-Funk' playlist, garnering nearly 700,000 streams on Spotify alone

Sol Power Sound returns with an EP of two blistering (and rare) island disco cuts remixed by Bosq and the Sol Power All-Stars that will make you forget that summer has come to a close. Officially licensed from the estate of Nappy Mayers, who wrote and produced both originals, both tracks capture Nappy’s exquisite sound that dominated the Trinidadian discotheques in the late 1970s and early 1980s but never received the international acclaim they deserved.

Bosq, a long-time friend of the label, leads things off on the A-side with his fiery dance floor flip of Nadie La Fond’s “Three Way Situation.” In his classic yet understated style, Bosq adds just enough, enhancing the captivating groove, while preserving the true essence and of the original. Using both vocal and dub parts Bosq turns up the funk and transforms the tune into a blistering modern disco cut that works equally well on the beach, in a dark club, or at your favorite underground afterhours.

On B1, the Sol Power All-Stars present an extended disco dub of the 1980 Nappy Mayers tune “Let Yourself Go.” The Sol Power crew opts to work with the b-side version of the original, which bypasses the lead vocal and instead focuses on the synth-bass led groove, an unforgettable chorus, and powerful disco horns. Toss in some chopped up flute, guitars, and synth and you’ve got yourself a party. And did we mention drums and perc? Don’t miss the massive soca break that will take you straight to a carnival jam in the islands.

Alongside remastered extended 12” versions of both original vocal cuts, Trini Disco Dubs highlights the genius of Nappy Mayers, a legendary Caribbean songwriter, producer, and performer, through the lens of modern producers who are at the top of their game.

8 years after the official reissue of the LP “An Eye For An Eye” by Byrne & Barnes, Favorite Recordings proudly presents this new single release.
The 7inch first includes the classic “Love You Out Of Your Mind”, extracted from the WestCoast classic LP, which was a one-stop collaboration between Robert Byrne and Brendan Barnes, however both display incredible music career and went on to produce for famous artists such as Pointer Sisters, Patti Austin, Earth Wind & Fire, or Phil Collins to name just a few. The song parades all the elements of the AOR style: a jazzy sometimes fusion approach, with modern soul and groove flavors.
The other side features an exclusive and unreleased track by Robert Byrne, dug by the original executive producer up in his archives for our great pleasure. “Do You Wanna Make Some Love” is also nurtured with Westcoast and AOR vibes, while leering to Boogie and Disco influences. We have no doubt it will delight all the Byrne & Barnes music lovers and many more.

SUBB Selections is back! The second in the series again features the best in bass bin shaking tweeter breaking modern day jungle sounds. Aeon Four's debut "Respect" gets a bouncy rework from Ark X & Duburban, while the duo themselves return a remix favour to Esc with "Black Tiles". Elsewhere, DJ Sofa delivers "Step Up", a dark & heavy nod to the classic jump up of mid-90s à la The Ganja Kru, while FFF takes it a few notches faster with a pure dance floor banger "The Limit".

Slow paced drums with offbeats softly phased with the guitar, misty takeoffs from the synthesizer: a hazy idyll is starting off on the road to the rocket festival (bun bang fai). Answering each other on the responsive mode of the lam soeng, Sothipong engages in a flirt but Oulay Vanh is not ready to trifle with just anybody.

As a stylistic variation of a popular Lao musical genre, the lam soeng was the source of several themes among which the “bang fai” - which is part of the Lao conciliatory festivities preceding the rainy season - remains one of the most renowned.

However, the producer and composer of these songs, Sothy, created an unusual arrangement: the instrumental introduction separates from the sang canon, the synthetic mix is stripped down of the traditional organology - everything here becomes unsettling for a listener familiar with the genre.

Everything comes with a reason: the record was edited in 1981 under the title Sothy Productions yet produced in France by the Parisian label Oxygène (famously known for its unforgettable first French punk compilation 125 grammes de 33 1/3 tours). Chansons Laotiennes still remains hard to classify.

And then who’s Sothy? Along with the unverifiable identity of the seemingly Laotian singers, skepticism gains ground concerning the man behind the pseudonym. Is he an escaped musician from one of the first Cambodian rock bands of the 1960s? A surviving producer from the 1980s Paris? Or a composer in transit in one of the many places of the Laotian diaspora? Sothy eludes any researches and disappears behind his numerous homonyms.

The second track is just as enigmatic: a beat box, a lightly reverberated voice as well as a guitar solo and a small synthesizer break, “Tuei” or “Tawai” offering (as the writing on the record suggests) makes way to dancing step and a truly joyful melody. Twisted and lively steps on a romantic background tune turn this second track into a genuine paslop - a program recommended by therapists to relieve muscular pains due to seated positions: you will unlock your pelvis with some synchronized Laotian choreographies.

For their first edits, Akuphone called on a young Parisian producer. Shelter, aka Alan Briand, mingles his own mixes and electro productions with a large variety of influences and styles: krautrock, disco, traditional music, psychedelic, synth pop, ambient, bossa nova, Japanese funk. He produces both original compositions and remix.

lp wiBola’s music melds sheer force of spirit with a sound not often heard by ears outside the remote Upper East Region of Ghana. This man who grew up herding livestock in the savannah, far away from the tropical coast and cosmopolitan cities of Accra and Kumasi, has aligned himself with national and international means of expression to transform his hometown sound into something downright avant-garde. His bold fury stems from the kologo—a two-stringed lute with a calabash gourd resonator—and Frafra language vocals, emitted in raspy bursts.

Traditionally, kologo performances occur at pito (local beer made from fermented millet or sorghum) bars, weddings, funerals, festivals or spontaneous jams on the street, which are the environments where Bola honed his craft as a solo musician. In recent years, he came into contact with people like his mentor Guy One who helped him get into the studio to document what is some of the most dynamic music to come out of Ghana since the emergence of hiplife in the mid-'90s.

Volume 7, which came out in 2009, is just one entry in a brilliant series of recordings Bola has released on CD and cassette. Although he employs a traditional instrument and the age-old mode of griot story-telling, Bola embraces elements of up-to-the-minute mainstream Ghanaian music—drum machines, synths, bone-shaking bass. Inspired by pioneering kologo greats like King Ayisoba, Bola has taken a dynamic instrument used by traditional healers and herbalists to sing to god in search of advice and taken it to futuristic heights.

Nothing But Net presents “Perceptions”, the debut LP from Los Angeles producer/beat maker Jamma-Dee aka Dyami O’Brien. Jamma-Dee has been a figure in the west coast modern funk and boogie scene, both as an accomplished DJ and music producer, having released records under his own name and producing for the likes of Joyce Wrice, Mndsgn and others.

From a musical upbringing in Los Angeles, Dyami’s adolescent obsession with record digging and beatmaking eventually led him to Dam-Funk’s renown Funkmosphere parties where he built friendships with key players in the LA funk scene and began to make a name for himself as a DJ and producer. In the second half of the 2010’s he released a series of EPs on Arcane and hosted the legendary Soul In Paradise show on NTS radio.

His first full-length, “Perceptions” is a long time in the making. Beginning with studio experiments nearly a decade ago, a version of the album found its way to producer and Nothing But Net label boss Onra, who helped guide the project to completion. The album artwork was created by outsider soul music conceptualist and painter, Mingering Mike, whom O’Brien felt compelled to reach out to after discovering his work years earlier. Thematically, the artwork, record, and its title touch on very modern themes: the alienation of life in a world of instant-gratification, an overly-connected society of masks, distorted realities and shifting identities.

Musically, “Perceptions” is the culmination of a life lived under the groove. Featuring a long list of collaborators, including Benedek, Mndsgn, Koreatown Oddity, the legendary Craig T. Cooper and fellow NBN labelmate, Devin Morrison, the double album touches on all of O’Brien’s musical influences. Album opener “Up N Down” sets the scene with it’s syrupy g-funk impressionism, before “Jamma’s Jam” bounces out of the speakers through an auburn-colored sunset haze of lush Rhodes chords and sparkling vibraphones. “It Takes A Freak” and “Datafile Groove” shuffle westward, re-imagining New Jack Swing grooves through a distinctly Californian lens. Elsewhere, the album touches on classic deep house rhythms (“Tic Toc” and “Silly”) and crystalline, downtempo R&B and UK street soul (“Joy”, “Saturday”).“U.R.” features legendary L.A. guitarist Craig T. Cooper laying down a network of stunning, silken guitar lines with absolute class.

Over the course of these 15 tracks, Jamma Dee consolidates, renovates and perpetuates the sound of his influences. “Perceptions” is a masterclass in modern funk and soul production.

Forgive Yourself. Learn to live with yourself. Don't hurt yourself. This is the mantra of the new album Venus Smiles Not in the House of Tears from Samora Pinderhughes. Made over 8 years with loving detail by Pinderhughes and his longtime producer Jack DeBoe, it is a deeply personal exploration & reflection of mental health in the modern age. It tells a non-linear story about a relationship that didn't last, and the lessons learned through it. How can love exist when grief is in the way? Musically it's intentionally tough to pin down. Although Pinderhughes is Juilliard-trained, Venus is an open-genre exploration of musicmaking with wide-ranging production and a cinematic landscape of feeling and spirit. From quiet, contemplative piano pieces to hard-hitting and soulful full band jams, to expansive and fullthroated choir celebrations, Venus is a fitting accompaniment to a multitude of daily human experiences. It also features artists from Pinderhughes's tight-knit NYC community, representing a wave of new artists who thread the ethics of honesty & vulnerability into their work. Says Pinderhughes of the album, "Mental health isn't solitary; it's about how our feelings, fears, traumas, and conceptions of self meet the world around us. Like so many, I've struggled with depression, anxiety, and isolation within a complicated matrix of identities. I wanted to make a project that would be brutally and lovingly honest about what it feels like to try to sift through the debris of time. A project that really engages with what it means to love, in the midst of a society that teaches us all the wrong lessons. Our modern world wants us to get over things quickly and easily. That's where shame enters the picture, because when you struggle with deep cyclical feelings, the process of engaging with these elements in your life is never linear. It is always two steps forward, one step back. Kindness and honesty are required in equal measure in this life. Hopefully through the prism of these songs, you can feel something that resonates with you in your own life and experience." Pinderhughes is known for striking intimacy and carefully crafted, radically honest lyrics alongside high-level musicianship, and for using his music to examine sociopolitical issues and fight for change. His work delves into the things our society tries to hide - its history, its structures, and the things we all experience but don't know how to talk about. It is an invitation to feel and think deeply about how we live and a commitment to making art that is useful for everyday life. The New York Times described Pinderhughes' 2022 album GRIEF as a "visionary" work from "one of the most affecting singer-songwriters today, in any genre." Pinderhughes - a collaborator across boundaries with artists including Herbie Hancock, Glenn Ligon, Sara Bareilles, Common, Robert Glasper - is the creator and director of The Healing Project, a project that examines trauma & healing from incarceration, detention, and structural violence. Pinderhughes was the first-ever Art for Justice + Soros Justice Fellow and a recipient of Chamber Music America's 2020 Visionary Award. He is also a United States Artist Fellow, Creative Capital awardee, and Sundance Composers Lab fellow.

Nour Mobarak’s Dafne Phono is an adaptation of the first opera, Dafne, composed and written by Jacopo Peri and Ottavio Rinuccini in 1598. Drawing on the myth of Daphne and Apollo from Ovid’s Metamorphoses—a story of unrequited love, patriarchal possession, conquest, and transformation—Mobarak’s multimedia and multispecies reimagining splinters the opera’s Italian libretto. Alongside English and Greek versions, it is translated into some of the world’s most phonetically complex languages—Abkhaz, San Juan Quiahije Eastern Chatino, Silbo Gomero, and !Xoon. In this process, the narrative—and an artifact of Western culture—is dismantled, metabolized, and rendered into unruly utterances that shape the sensorium as much as they do the capacity for sense-making. These voices are given material form by a cast of mycelium sonic sculptures whose rhizomatic compositions and broadcasted recordings resemble the formation and mutation of language over time, reconstituting speech into a new, polyphonic body politic, composed of voices whose striking, poetic utterances transfix and transcend meaning.

The A-Side of the record presents a stereo version of Mobarak’s 15-channel sound installation, Dafne Phono. The B-Side uses a recording of a portion of the translation process the libretto underwent in Namibia, live-processed by the artist.

The LP is published on the occasion of Nour Mobarak’s exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, New York (October 26, 2024–January 12, 2025), with support from Sylvia Kouvali.

Artist Bio:
Nour Pamela Mobarak (Lebanese-American, b. 1985, Cairo, Egypt) lives and works between Los Angeles; Bainbridge Island; and Athens, Greece. Her works have been shown at Sylvia Kouvali (formerly Rodeo), London/Paris; Schinkel Pavillon, Berlin; MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge, MA; Amant, Brooklyn; JOAN, Los Angeles; Kim? Contemporary Art Centre, Riga; Miguel Abreu Gallery, New York; Hakuna Matata, Los Angeles; and Cubitt Gallery, London. Exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and Castello di Tivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Turin, are forthcoming. She has performed at Western Front, Vancouver; 2220, the Hammer Museum, and LAXART, Los Angeles; Cafe OTO, London; Renaissance Society, Chicago; the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego; and elsewhere. Her music has been released by Recital (Los Angeles), Cafe OTO’s TakuRoku (London), and Ultra Eczema (Antwerp), and she has had sessions on BBC Radio 3, NTS Radio, and Dublab Radio. Mobarak’s writing has been published in Triple Canopy, F.R. David, The Claudius App, and the Salzburg Review, and her first catalog, Sphere Studies and Subterranean Bounce was published by Recital (2021). She received a BA in English and Media Studies from Sussex University and did further studies at Université Paris-Sorbonne, Paris IV. She has held residencies at Denniston Hill, New York and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and was the recipient of the 2023 FOCA fellowship award. Mobarak was a 2024 faculty at Bard College MFA program.

Dafne Phono Vocalists:
Apollo: Renato Grieco (Italian)
Cupid: Arnou Argun (Abkhaz)
Dafne: Agnes | xaye (!Xoon)
Ovid: Olivia O’Dwyer (Latin)
Venus: Don Eugenio Darias (Silbo Gomero)
Abkhaz Chorus: Liana Ebzhnou, Murman Guaramia, Fatima Kharzalia, and Gunda Osia
Chatino Chorus: Felix Daniel Peña Mendes, José Vasquez Canseco, Catalina Candelario Matias, and Claudia Garcia Baltazar
!Xoon Chorus: Franco Tsame, John Djujui Klosi Barase, and Charity Tsame
Clarinet: Steve Kado

“A huge thing for this record was to make it feel as close to our live show as possible,” says Tom Sharkett of W.H. Lung’s latest album. “We didn’t want it to sound live but we wanted to capture the excitement of the live performances.”

This is something that has become paramount to the group in recent years as they have undeniably blossomed into one of the most joyous and arresting live bands in the country. “The reason I’m in a band is to play live music,” says singer Joe Evans. “For me, music is live music. That’s what it’s for, to be played with people.”

The five-piece band, also featuring Chris Mulligan, Hannah Peace, and Alex Mercer-Main, decided to try something new on their third album after two incredibly successful collaborations with previous producer Matt Peel. In order to capture the energy, spirit and dynamism of their live shows, they relocated to Sheffield to work with Ross Orton (MIA, Arctic Monkeys, Working Men’s Club) who was able to harness this side of the band to remarkable effect. “Ross is the Sheffield Steve Albini,” says Evans. “He’s the king of not overthinking it and trusting the process of the art of recording songs. He was always there to stop us fucking around with cerebral stuff and get it down.” Sharkett echoes this too: “He was the exact producer we needed without us even realising. His productions and mixes are bombastic, lively and in your face and that’s exactly what we wanted.”

However, while this album is rooted in a sense of capturing a moment and a sparky liveness, that’s not to say it’s a raw or ragged record. It is still a meticulously composed, delicately layered and pristinely produced piece of work that, in true W.H. Lung style, runs the gauntlet from dance to pop to indie while still capturing that distinctly unique quality that is unquestionably their own. “It was a really big thing for me to realise what made us sound like us on this record,” says Sharkett. “I think the album sounds a lot more confident and self assured because of it. Some songs sound just so much like Lung and I’m really proud of that. I’m not sure we’ve done that as consistently across the other records.”

While the band have drilled deeper into finding their own singular identity, it’s not a record resting on its laurels. It’s a significant leap forward, expanding on their solid foundations while also breaking new ground. “The big difference with this record is its directness in every sense,” says Sharkett. “The songwriting is more upfront. Previously we’d focused a lot on vibe and production as opposed to just writing songs. The overall mission here was to revert to a classic songwriting structure and for the production to come afterwards.” And so what you have on this record are deeply considered and well-crafted songs, then recorded with blistering intensity in the moment, and then given a touch of experimentation afterwards. Then throw in Orton’s contributions to the band and it’s proven to be a real winning formula. “He brought a real dose of magic to the songs we’d written,” says Sharkett. “And brought an extra bit of wonk and quirkiness each time.”

The band’s ability to write more traditional and conventional songs is clearly a skill they’ve taken to with ease, at times there’s an almost Springsteen-like quality – but if he'd ever had an ecstasy period – to tracks such as ‘Thinner Wine’ and ‘Bloom and Fade’. While ‘How to Walk’ was constructed with one thing only in mind: that it would absolutely slay on stage. “I can’t wait to play this live,” says Evans. “We wanted a song to represent our live set, a new big one, and this is it.” Once again it leans towards the anthemic, with its driving, propulsive charge complete with incandescent synths and vocal melodies so irresistible you can already hear them being sung in unison by a crowd.

It’s an incredibly difficult feat to pull off a record that is more rooted in traditional songcraft while also capturing the power of a live performance, as well as pushing sonics into experimental new directions while working with a brand new collaborator. But here the band has managed to do just that. And the album’s closing song ‘I Will Set Fire To The House’ is a perfect example of such a thing. It’s a song that feels immaculately constructed but also very much alive and of the moment as its radiating synths engulf from the off, and Evans’ vocal is silky but powerful and in perfect symbiosis with Peace’s. It’s a song that captures the endless joys of music playing long into the night. “It may be a bit of a bloody bombastic way to end an album saying ‘and we’ll dance into the sunrise’,” says Evans. “But fuck it.”

MORE PRESS ON ‘VANITIES’ (MELO131)

"Vanities artily refines an exhilarating brand of up-front electro-dance" MOJO ⅘

'Idiosyncratic yet euphoric electronic pop on triumphant second LP' 9/10 Uncut

''One of the most effective alternative pop albums of the year'' 4/5 Record Collector
'Dance music for the modern age' - The Times (4*)

Gerry Mulligan mit der Night Lights Band auf Europatournee 1959. Das großartige Quartett besteht aus Gerry Mulligan am Baritonsaxophon und Klavier, Art Farmer an der Trompete, Bill Crow am Bass und Dave Bailey am Schlagzeug. Die Band war auf dem Höhepunkt ihres Könnens, und diese atemberaubenden Aufnahmen trugen entscheidend dazu bei, Mulligans Band als eine der angesagtesten Bands jener Zeit zu bestätigen.

In Zusammenarbeit mit dem Swedish National Radio Archive und dem Gerry Mulligan Estate ist es uns gelungen, die Original-Masterbänder im Tresor von Sveriges Radio ausfindig zu machen und sie Kevin Gray zur Verfügung zu stellen, der mit seiner gewohnten Magie beim Mastering und Editing diesen bisher unveröffentlichten Aufnahmen eine unglaubliche klangliche Bandbreite verliehen hat. Das neu gestaltete Cover wurde von Two To Tango entworfen, die regelmäßig mit New Land zusammenarbeiten, und bietet einen großartigen modernistischen Look.

Hergestellt bei Pallas und gedruckt auf 180g Vinyl im Reverse-Board-Sleeve, ist dies eine wichtige Ergänzung für jede Sammlung. Der Baritonsaxophonist Gerry Mulligan war eine wahre Ikone des Jazz und von den 1950er Jahren bis zu seinem Tod 1996 eine der herausragenden Persönlichkeiten der Westcoast-Szene. Mulligan, der vom Downbeat Magazine 42 Jahre in Folge zur Nummer eins auf seinem Instrument gewählt wurde, war einer der wichtigsten Musiker seiner Zeit und ein Aushängeschild, das den Sound des Jazz mitgeprägt hat. Gerry Mulligan spielte sowohl in der Miles Davis Formation der Birth Of The Cool-Ära als auch im pianolosen Quartett mit Chet Baker und war immer an vorderster Front, wenn es darum ging, was in Amerikas einzig wahrer Kunstform angesagt war und ist.

Over the past several years, The Voidz, led by Julian Casablancas, have been releasing various singles and performing unique residencies in different cities, all to critical acclaim. Now, they are returning with their highly anticipated third album, "Like All Before You."



This new release marks a shift back to album mode, showcasing The Voidz's unique sound that blends different styles into an immersive experience. The band will be promoting it in fall 2024 and 2025

Pique is the sensational debut solo album from Dora Morelenbaum, one of the key talents spearheading Brazil’s new musical wave. A member of the Latin Grammy award-winning band, Bala Desejo, Dora showcases a new side to her solo productions on this special LP. Whereas Dora’s first solo EP, Vento de Beirada, was a leap of faith, Pique sees her soaring as one of Brazil’s standout stars, emboldened, emphatic but ever elegant. Building bridges between past and present, it’s a funkier, more groove-based affair, weaved together with those signature, slower, celestial tracks. Touching on disco, MPB, soul, R&B and jazz, the album is enriched with an indie pop aesthetic courtesy of fellow Brazilian star and co-producer, Ana Frango Elétrico.

With an ethereal, enveloping air few can match, Dora’s gift shines through both the serene and the spirited songs contained within. The blissful, sun-soaked ‘Não Vou Te Esquecer’ opens, before the funk-fuelled, feel-good ‘Venha Comigo’ and ‘Sim, Não.’ give a glimpse of the creativity bursting from the production partnership between Dora and Ana Frango Elétrico. Elsewhere, the album reclines into hazy lean-back realms via ‘A Melhor Saída’ and ‘Petricor’, virtuoso jazz funk in the form of ‘VW Blue’ and radiant MPB through the album’s title track ‘Pique’.

The drumming is tight, fresh and swung, the horns and strings deftly arranged, as funk-driven basslines and strutting guitars mesh with playful production touches that give an added vibrancy to the record. It is an album that exhibits every side of Dora and one she has been involved in from the ground up, from the songwriting, singing, arrangement and production to booking the studio time and sourcing the artwork designer, Maria Cau Levy.

An exchange of musical ideas powers every great scene and Rio’s contemporary landscape is no different - a family of interconnected musicians and friends that collaborate on each other’s productions. Pique is graced by a wealth of these leading Brazilian lights including her Bala Desejo bandmates Lucas Nunes, Julia Mestre and Zé Ibarra, as well as Guilherme Lirio, Alberto Continentino and Tom Veloso to name just a handful. This exchange crosses generations merging tradition with modernity. In a full circle moment, Dora’s parents Paula and Jaques Morelenbaum, who featured in countless recordings from Tom Jobim's Nova Banda and Ryuichi Sakamoto to Gal Costa and Gilberto Gil, join on the album through backing vocals and arrangement.

Pique sees Dora embrace a freedom through fresh forms, showcasing the depth and diversity of her creative artistry. An infinitely listenable release that nods to Brazilian greats like Gal Costa, Banda Black Rio and Lincoln Olivetti, fused with the indie pop edge of Ana’s production. The result is truly unique and sure to be a future Brazilian classic.

Pianist Aaron Parks returns to Blue Note—where he released his influential 2008 album Invisible Cinema—with Little Big III, the third studio album from his acclaimed band Little Big featuring guitarist Greg Tuohey, bassist David Ginyard Jr., and drummer Jongkuk Kim. Co-produced by Parks and Don Was, the collective’s concise, accessible writing and vibrant, empathetic playing elevate the band’s powerfully modern, post-genre concept for improvised music in the 21st century.

Mit ihrem 6. Studioalbum “Sting” lassen Emarosa ihre Post-Hardcore Wurzeln zurück und öffnen das Tor zu einer neuen Welt voll von Pop-Rock Songs mit Ohrwurm-Garantie. In “Sting” vereint die Band ihre atmosphärischen Post-Rock Elemente mit einem musikalischen Ansatz, der als amerikanische Antwort auf The 1975 verstanden werden kann. Mit Funk Einlagen zwischen elektronischen Beats, einem 80er Jahre Vibe und modernem Alt-Rock, dominanten Synths und E-Drum Beats überzeugen sie alte wie neue Fans. “Sting” hat für die Band aus Kentucky ein neues Kapitel aufgeschlagen und ist nun auf limitierter neuer Multi-Color Picture Vinyl erhältlich, die zusätzlich den Cover Song “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” enthält.

Long overdue, we are happy to welcome Damiano von Erckert to Cocoon Recordings with his debut single, bringing late summer vibes that were well worth the wait. Damiano's lovely energy shines through in this EP, resulting in music that blends soulful character with his signature house sound.

“Steam (Staub Mix)” lifts your spirits from the very first beat, and the summery vibe of the housey Rhodes piano brings a smile to your face. Yet, the track retains a somewhat wistful and melancholy feel. Skillful intonation gives the break a jazzy feel, it's this friction that makes it special. Von Erckert showcases his skill with this playful arrangement, sure to have dancers' hands reaching skyward. The second track “Das Was Not Around” is a masterclass in purism, where simplicity meets profound emotion. Swirly synth pads unfold to create a dreamy, immersive atmosphere, pulling listeners into its depths. Despite its introspective title, a sense of hopefulness permeates the track, as if reaching for light through the shadows. Damiano’s approach allows every element to shine, making the deep grooves and ethereal sounds feel both intimate and expansive. It’s a journey of reflection yet imbued with a quiet optimism that lingers long after the final beat fades.

The essence of reduced Chicago drumming is brilliantly embodied in “Roh”, channeling a raw, stripped-back rhythm that strikes with precision and purpose. This forms the bedrock of a composition that feels timeless. The track carries an unmistakable grandeur, echoing the majestic hymns of certain legendary French artists. As the beats develop, they evoke a profound sense of reverence and nostalgia, seamlessly blending classic house influences with a modern edge. It's a track that honors the roots while confidently advancing the frontiers of contemporary house music. "Fantazia 93" is a nostalgic dive into a ‘90s House vibe, channeling the essence of that unforgettable era with authenticity. Damiano's signature sounds are front and center, infusing the track with a unique touch that’s fresh while reminiscent of classic house anthems. The track exudes an Ibiza after-hour feeling, transporting listeners to those sun-drenched days where time seems to stand still. It’s a sonic journey that feels like sunbeams warming the skin, bathing the senses in a radiant, feel-good energy that resonates long after.

Turbostaat - Role Model für eine ganze Generation deutschsprachiger Post-Punk-Bands - feiert das 25-jährige Bandbestehen mit der Wiederveröffentlichung ihres Katalogs über das bandeigene Label 18Null9. 'Vormann Leiss', mit dem 2007 die enge Zusammenarbeit mit Stammproduzent Moses Schneider begann, erscheint auf 180g schwerem Vinyl mit großem Textheft im Orginal-Artwork.

- Ltd LP: (180g, inkl. Textheft im 7" Format)

Turbostaat - Role Model für eine ganze Generation deutschsprachiger Post-Punk-Bands - feiert das 25-jährige Bandbestehen mit der Wiederveröffentlichung ihres Katalogs über das bandeigene Label 18Null9. 'Das Island Manöver'', mit dem 2007 die enge Zusammenarbeit mit Stammproduzent Moses Schneider begann, erscheint auf 180g schwerem Vinyl mit großem Textheft im Orginal-Artwork.

- Ltd LP: (180g, inkl. Textheft im 7" Format)

The success of the 1962 Modern Sounds in Country And Western Music albums paved the way for Charles’ creative freedom as an artist. Throughout the rest of his career, he continued to show his deep affinity for country music. 1965’s Country and Western Meets Rhythm and Blues (aka Together Again) features Ray’s timeless version of the Buck Owens country standard “Together Again.” It also holds the distinction of being the first album Charles recorded in his own RPM International recording studio. While on 1996’s Crying Time album Ray delivers the definitive version of that Owens song and earned Ray the GRAMMY for Best Rhythm & Blues Solo Vocal Performance Male and recognition as Producer of Best Rhythm & Blues Recording by The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. As if that weren’t enough, the album also boasts Charles #1 Billboard smash “Let’s Go Get Stoned.”

The success of the 1962 Modern Sounds in Country And Western Music albums paved the way for Charles’ creative freedom as an artist. Throughout the rest of his career, he continued to show his deep affinity for country music. 1965’s Country and Western Meets Rhythm and Blues (aka Together Again) features Ray’s timeless version of the Buck Owens country standard “Together Again.” It also holds the distinction of being the first album Charles recorded in his own RPM International recording studio. While on 1996’s Crying Time album Ray delivers the definitive version of that Owens song and earned Ray the GRAMMY for Best Rhythm & Blues Solo Vocal Performance Male and recognition as Producer of Best Rhythm & Blues Recording by The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. As if that weren’t enough, the album also boasts Charles #1 Billboard smash “Let’s Go Get Stoned.”

The dB's 1981 second album & Power-Pop classic is available once again & newly remastered. Pop Dose noted “Repercussion is essential listening. It is necessary. It is pure and magnificent. It is a triumph...listen to it and absorb it.” Uncut stated “..this is The dB's' finest, the tension between the two writers' styles reaching its quasi­ psychedelic peak.” 9/10. The album was produced by Scott Litt (later a long-standing R.E.M. producer) giving it a fuller, more modern overall sound. The dB’s signed with the British label Albion and released 1981’s Stands for deciBels and 1982’s Repercussion, which became instant favorites among the fans, critics, and college-radio programmers fortunate enough to hear them. But the fact that the albums were available only as high-priced, sparsely distributed imports kept the band from reaching a wide audience in those pre-Internet days. The band will be touring select US cities in the Fall of 2024 and Winter of 2025 to support the first-ever US vinyl releases of the band's debut and Repercussion.

2024 coloured (violet) vinyl repress for this year's Sonic Cathedral's 20th anniversary! Hull/Leeds based five-piece bdrmm release their much anticipated debut Bedroom on July 3, via Sonic Cathedral. The 10-track album was recorded late last year at The Nave studio in Leeds by Alex Greaves (Working Mens Club, Bo Ningen) and mastered in Brooklyn by Heba Kadry (Slowdive, Beach House). It's a hugely accomplished debut and a real step up both sonically and lyrically from their early singles, which were rounded up on last year's If Not, When? EP. Musically, there are nods to The Cure's Disintegration, Deerhunter and DIIV, while the band reference RIDE and Radiohead. There are also echoes of krautrock and post-punk, from The Chameleons to Protomartyr, plus the proto shoegaze of the Pale Saints' The Comforts Of Madness, not least in the cross fading of some tracks, meaning the album is an almost seamless listen. As a result, Bedroom becomes an unexpected and unintentional concept album, running through the different stages of a break-up set against the backdrop of the ups and downs of your early twenties. "The subject matter spans mental health, alcohol abuse, unplanned pregnancy, drugs_ basically every cliché topic that you could think of," reveals frontman Ryan Smith. "But that doesn't mean they ever stop being relevant. It's a fucker growing up, but I'm lucky enough to have been able to project my feelings in the form of this band, surrounded by four of the best people I've ever met." And that band name, in case it needs explaining, is pronounced the same way as the album title. "I never thought I'd get to the stage where I would have to explain it so much," says Ryan. "We have been pronounced as Boredom, Bdum and my old boss thought we were a ska band called Bad Riddim. We're all sarcastic cunts, so Bedroom spelt correctly seemed like the perfect title." He's right. The perfect title for the perfect debut album. "A modern day shoegaze classic" - NME "The general roller coaster of being twenty-somethings in post-Brexit England who find themselves awash with a shimmering soundscape that recalls Oshin-era DIIV, Deerhunter's Microcastle, or even The Cure at their most ambiently grandiose" - Under The Radar

"Raise a glass to the latest entry in Bloodshot’s Barrel Select Series!

Barrel Select exists to highlight the best of Bloodshot’s cask-strength catalog. Robbie Fulks has made some of the finest records we can claim as our own, but if there’s only room for one on that sacred shelf at the top, it’s Gone Away Backward.

“At a time when modern country feels like bloated spandex-and-Aquanetted pop-metal, Fulks defiantly embraces an unflinching traditionalism.” Paste’s words, not ours, but we’re not gonna argue the point they made when Gone Away Backward hit their doorstep 11 years back. They also called this “a tour du force of bluegrass-derived spare country,” which we’ll also let stand. Magnet said it was “the best album Fulks has ever made, period,” and out of respect for the wonderful work Robbie has done in the past decade, we’ll simply point out that this too is an 11-year-old review.

With Steve Albini at the board, Robbie was able to break his songs down to their core and fire his characters, his chops, his band, and his amazing voice directly at listener’s souls. “We recorded it pretty fast, in a couple of days. People are always bragging that they did it without overdubs, but that’s the way we did it.” The results are everything we ever wanted from Robbie and a high-water mark of folk or bluegrass or alt-country or whatever genre bucket you want to pour his gifts into.

Recorded by Steve Albini

10th Anniversary Barrel Select edition on Bloodshot Red vinyl

“Stunning” —Saving Country Music

“a work of great, accomplished craft . . . vivid and moving” —Ken Tucker, NPR

“The level of artistry is so complete that it suggests a world in which Fulks isn’t a household name is somehow upside down.” —Wall Street Journal"

Joy Oladokun has announced her anticipated new album, Observations From A Crowded Room. The follow-up to 2023’s Proof of Life will arrive less than 16 months later, on Oct. 18, 2024, via Amigo Records/Verve Forecast/Republic Records. Oladokun completely wrote and produced the new album, and she performed the majority of it alone. The tracklist includes 12 new songs and three spoken interludes. Four songs from Observations From A Crowded Room have seen release so far. Earlier this year Oladokun shared the indie-folk ballad “QUESTIONS, CHAOS & FAITH” and the gospel-inflected “DRUGS.” Along with the album announcement, she has also revealed the soulful slow-burn rocker “NO COUNTRY” and the modern folk tune “I’D MISS THE BIRDS.”

“Oh My God! I’m So Alone.” is the third full length album from Liverpool’s premium Indie-Pop group, SPINN. A noted step away from their earlier sound “OMGISA'' feels like a major step forward for the trio. Reflecting upon the alienation and uncertainty they have felt in their early twenties, SPINN have taken inspiration from the people, places, films and books that they have come to know and love, and built an album with the aim of helping to navigate the daunting landscape of adulthood in mind. Built on the band’s underdog spirit, refusal to buck to trends, and their ability to articulate complex emotion through well written pop music, “Oh My God! I’m So Alone” is an album which perfectly exemplifies why SPINN are a band with such staying power, worthy of maintaining their place on the wider Indie scene whilst so many of their peers have fallen by the wayside.