Reissued for the first time ever, here’s the remastered debut album of jamaican singer/producer Enos McLeod, originally released in 1983 on Soul Beat record. An ultra rare affair recorded at Joe Gibb's studio with a great backing band featuring Sly & Robbie, Earl Chinna Smith, Winston Wright and more…
Suche:j rob
- 1: Slim Smith – Hip Hug
- 2: Ras Michael And The Sons Of Negus – Good People
- 3: Lord Tanamo – Keep On Moving
- 4: Wailing Soul – Trouble Maker
- 5: Rita Marley – Come To Me
- 6: Johnny Osbourne – All I Have Is Love
- 7: The Martinis – I Second That Emotion
- 8: Irving Brown – Run Come
- 9: The Heptones – Give Give Love
- 10: Rockie Ellis – Double Minded Man
- 11: Jackie Opel – The Lord Is With Me
- 12: Dub Specialist – Happy Feelings
- 13: Prince Lincoln – Live Up To Your Name
- 14: Ken Boothe – I Am A Fool
- 15: Rheuben Alexander – Happy Valley
- 16: Larry Marshall – There’s A Fire
- 17: Roland Alphonso – Rolando Special
- 18: Freddie Mcgregor – Homeward Bound
Studio One Sound is the classic Studio One collection from Soul Jazz Records. Described as ‘The University of Reggae’ by Chris Blackwell, Studio One, and founder Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd are by far the most-important names in the history of reggae music. Originally released in 2012 this album has been out of print for many years, making it one of the most-collectible of Soul Jazz Records’ Studio One Series. This is the first ever colour vinyl edition of this classic album.
The album features some of the most in-demand and collectible Studio One tracks from over its fifty-year history and includes incredible legendary reggae artists such as The Heptones, Ken Boothe, The Skatalites, Johnny Osbourne and Wailing Souls. All these artists (and hundreds more) launched their careers at Studio One under the guidance of Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd. The Studio One Sound collection features everything from classic ska and rocksteady to the deepest roots, heaviest dub and dancehall roots. Sleevenotes are by Rob Chapman, author of the celebrated books about Studio One Records, 'Never Grow Old' and 'Downbeat the Ruler'. The exact reproduction of the original artwork features the classic image of Dennis Brown on the cover. This album is newly fully remastered for vinyl by Jason Goz at Transition. Exclusive one-off pressing on heavyweight double transparent green vinyl.
- A1: Melleny Melody & The Pop Machine - Bad Girl (Sean Dimitrie & Todd Connell Big Time Remix)
- A2: Melleefresh & Princess Superstar - Let's Do It Together (Superfresh Mix)
- A3: Adam K, Mark Oliver, Billy Newton Davis, And Melleefresh - In Out (Original Mix)
- B1: Billy Newton-Davis & Deadmau5 - All You Ever Want (Crazibiza Vocal Mix)
- B2: Melleefresh & Dirty 30 - Beautiful Rich & Horny (Deadmau5 Remix)
- B3: Melleefresh & Deadmau5 - Hey Baby (Olav Basoski Remix)
- C1: Deadmau5 - Dr Funkenstein (Melleefresh Vs Jerome Robins Remix)
- C2: Deadmau5 - 1981 (Weekend Heroes Mix)
- C3: Deadmau5 - Faxing Berlin (Chris Lake Remix)
- D1: Melleefresh - Intuition (Alex Kenji Remix)
- D2: Melleefresh & Boy Pussy - Bitches N Whores (Dj Genderfluid Eurodance Remix)
- D3: Melleefresh - Hey Baby Redux (Tech Us Out Remix)
- D4: Kardano & Dtaborah - Dj Play Those Records (Jason Hersco Remix)
2 x LP Yellow Vinyl in Picture Sleeve
Celebrating three decades of cutting-edge electronic music, iconic Canadian Melleefresh’s Play Records marks its 30th anniversary with a premium collector’s edition vinyl release. Founded in 1996, Play Records was the launchpad for much of deadmau5’s early catalogue as he rose to global stardom. This special anniversary edition dives deep into the Play Records archives, showcasing previously unreleased gems, exclusive tracks, and rare remixes and covers spanning the label’s storied history. The release comes as a 2×LP transparent yellow vinyl, housed in an iconic artwork sleeve with photography marking the label’s rich legacy.
- All These Years
- Just To Make You Laugh
- Bipolar Crack
- About Nothing
- Echoes
- You
- Something Good
- Black Swans
- In Your Grace
- Pillar Of Davidson
- Afterlife
- Black Swans
Robert Pettersson, die kraftvolle Stimme hinter zwei der größten schwedischen Rockbands, Takida und Stiftelsen, tritt nun mit seinem ersten Soloalbum ins Rampenlicht. Bekannt für seine rohe Emotion und seinen unverwechselbaren Sound, hat Robert mehr als zwei Jahrzehnte damit verbracht, Charts anzuführen, Arenen auszuverkaufen und den modernen schwedischen Rock zu prägen. Sein Solodebüt zeigt eine persönlichere Seite und verbindet tiefgehende Texte mit elektronischen Klangwelten. Produziert wurde das Album von Roberts langjährigem Songwriting-Partner Chris Rehn. So habt ihr Robert Pettersson noch nie gehört - intim, mutig und unverkennbar authentisch.
- 1: Mojo Jam (Special Guest Dennis Gruenling)
- 2: Baby Hold Tight
- 3: House Full Of Love
- 4: That Smile (Special Guest Sue Foley)
- 5: The Man I Used To Be
- 6: Faith
- 7: Tooth And Nail (Special Guest Rick Vito)
- 8: Fate Is A Train
- 9: This Road (Special Guest Rick Vito)
- 10: What Has Happened Here?
- 11: Without You (Special Guests John Ginty And Mark Johnson
Peter Karp gehört zu den unverwechselbaren Stimmen der amerikanischen Americana-, Blues- und Roots-Szene. Seine Musik verbindet kraftvolle Emotionen, feines Storytelling und eine tiefe Verwurzelung in den Klangtraditionen des amerikanischen Südens. Aufgewachsen zwischen New Jersey, New York City und Alabama, entwickelte er früh ein Gespür für die Energie urbaner Songkultur ebenso wie für die Ursprünglichkeit des Blues. Künstler wie Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters oder Howlin" Wolf prägten ihn ebenso wie die poetische Kraft von John Prine und die erdige Direktheit von Joe Ely. Karp schreibt Songs, die das Leben so zeigen, wie es ist: ehrlich, rau, humorvoll und voller beobachteter Details. Seine markante Stimme, sein expressives Gitarren- und Pianospiel und sein Gespür für melodische Hooks machen ihn zu einem der respektiertesten Songwriter seines Genres. Kritiker loben seine Fähigkeit, Blues, Folk, R&B und Americana zu einem eigenen, zeitlosen Stil zu verbinden. Peter Karp steht für authentische amerikanische Musik - tiefgründig, mitreißend und voller Charakter. Ein Künstler, der die große Tradition des Songwritings fortführt und gleichzeitig seine ganz eigene Handschrift setzt.
- A1: Dean Martin - You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
- A2: Tony Bennett - Rags To Riches
- A3: The Ink Spots - Whispering Grass (Don't Tell The Trees)
- A4: The Shirelles - I Met Him On A Sunday (Aka "Da Doo Ron Ron")
- A5: Robert & Johnny - You're Mine
- A6: Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightning
- A7: The Cramps - The Creature From The Black Leather Lagoon
- B1: Jimmy Smith - Walk On The Wild Side
- B2: Jimpson & Group - The Murderer's Home
- B3: Santo & Johnny - Sleep Walk
- B4: Lonnie Johnson - Tomorrow Night
- B5: Glenn Miller & His Orchestra - Moonlight Serenade
- B6: Muddy Waters - Hoochie Coochie Man
- B7: The Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra - Radetzky March
- C1: The Harptones - Life Is But A Dream
- C2: Bing Crosby With Victor Young's Orchestra - Just One More Chance
- C3: Charlie Parker - I'll Remember April
- C4: Johnnie Ray - Cry
- C5: Benny Goodman - Moonglow
- C6: Lavern Baker - Tweedlee Dee
- C7: Frankie Carle - I Want A Girl (Just Like The Girl)
- D1: Ray Charles - Come Rain Or Come Shine
- D2: Bo Diddley - Road Runner
- D3: Brenda Lee - I'm Sorry
- D4: The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman
- D5: Jackie Gleason - Melancholy Serenade
- D6: The Hot Club Of France With Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli - What Is This Thing Called Love
- D7: The Danleers - One Summer Night
- 1: As We Should
- 2: This Is Not A Drill
- 3: Whole Foods Of Rap
- 4: We Could Exist (Feat. Janay Saxon)
- 5: Naturally (Natural E)
- 6: Dopamine
- 7: Infinite Shine
- 8: Alive And Well
- 9: Cosmos Is Calling
- 10: Alignment
- 11: Nile River Flows
- 12: Book Smart Street Smart
- 13: Yktv (You Know The Vibes)
- 14: Noone Can Tell Me…
- 15: Time Doesn't Exist
- 16: Demon Frequency
- 17: Three-Card Monte
Tape[21,43 €]
Hailing from the birthplace of Hip-Hop, this 3-Man Crew (Natural Elements) have been a Staple in the NYC Hip-Hop scene for among those who seek authentic lyricism and organic flows given off by this amazing group. On their highly anticipated NEw album “ALIGNMENT” on the legendary Fat Beats they are continuing this tradition of sharp, thought-provoking bars and songs that their cult following (worldwide) has become accustomed to over the years. This 17 Song piece of art features robust production by their longtime original producer and founder of NE “(The Real) Charlemagne”, as well as UK producer “I.G Nexus”, Harlem producer ‘Le Grand Mohyay aka Bearfakts’ & producer ‘Real6’ on the title track. As a quote from one of their previous releases goes "Fat Beats, Lyrics and Skills Natural E is coming with it."
- 1: As We Should
- 2: This Is Not A Drill
- 3: Whole Foods Of Rap
- 4: We Could Exist (Feat. Janay Saxon)
- 5: Naturally (Natural E)
- 6: Dopamine
- 7: Infinite Shine
- 8: Alive And Well
- 9: Cosmos Is Calling
- 10: Alignment
- 11: Nile River Flows
- 12: Book Smart Street Smart
- 13: Yktv (You Know The Vibes)
- 14: Noone Can Tell Me…
- 15: Time Doesn't Exist
- 16: Demon Frequency
- 17: Three-Card Monte
(2x12") Vinyl[31,89 €]
Hailing from the birthplace of Hip-Hop, this 3-Man Crew (Natural Elements) have been a Staple in the NYC Hip-Hop scene for among those who seek authentic lyricism and organic flows given off by this amazing group. On their highly anticipated NEw album “ALIGNMENT” on the legendary Fat Beats they are continuing this tradition of sharp, thought-provoking bars and songs that their cult following (worldwide) has become accustomed to over the years. This 17 Song piece of art features robust production by their longtime original producer and founder of NE “(The Real) Charlemagne”, as well as UK producer “I.G Nexus”, Harlem producer ‘Le Grand Mohyay aka Bearfakts’ & producer ‘Real6’ on the title track. As a quote from one of their previous releases goes "Fat Beats, Lyrics and Skills Natural E is coming with it."
First issued in 1990 on the UK's 'Faze 1 FM' label, Trevor Dale's SMILING / SUMMER 88 has become somewhat of a holy grail house record. This is the first time these tracks have been re-issued in any form.
Also included here are two other tracks from his Torrington Foe side-project: 'Take Me Back' from 1990 (featuring vocals from Chicago's Robert Owens) and the deep acid cut 'Morning Shuffle' from 1994.
Dale had the ability to create timeless tracks that still echo decades later - this release will leave you nostalgic for the early London club days.
Samo DJ, undeniable legend of global oddball house, finally debuts on hometown label Studio Barnhus after a decade-long, winding courtship and frequent collaborations with SB mainstays like Baba Stiltz and Pedrodollar. Every atom of his singular craft is on display as tracks like Third Guitar distill disco
tradition, club futurism and hip-hop attitude into cuts only Samo could deliver. Pressed on DJ-friendly 12'' vinyl, complete with a printed love letter from Stockholm underground hero, Nasty Nate
Seit fast 30 Jahren erweitern SUNN O))) - Stephen O'Malley und Greg Anderson - die Grenzen der Heavy-Musik und verbinden die Welten der Avantgarde und des Rock, um einen Stil zu schaffen, der sofort als ihr eigener erkennbar ist. Jetzt melden sich SUNN O))) mit ihrem ersten Album mit neuem Material seit dem gefeierten Pyroclasts aus dem Jahr 2019 zurück. Ihr zehntes Album - ihr Debüt bei Sub Pop - zeigt, wie gut das Duo mit Zeit und Raum, Licht und Dunkelheit umgehen kann und dass sie bereit sind, ihren unverwechselbaren Sound zu neuen, mutigen Formen weiterzuentwickeln. Das gleichnamige Album ,SUNN O)))" wurde in den Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, Washington, mit Brad Wood (HuM, Tar, Sunny Day Real Estate, Liz Phair) aufgenommen. Dieser Ort erwies sich als entscheidend für den Aufnahmeprozess. ,Der riesige Aufnahmeraum hatte große Fenster mit Blick auf Bäume", sagt O'Malley. ,Wir konnten wandern gehen und draußen im Wald sein, Zeit im Freien verbringen. Das war ein wichtiger Teil davon." SUNN O))) haben schon lange Mitwirkende in ihre eigenständige Welt aufgenommen: In früheren Werken waren Attila Csihar (Mayhem), die Komponistin Hildur Gudnadóttir, der Multi-Instrumentalist Steve Moore, der Universalgelehrte Mark Deutrom, Tim Midyett von Silkworm und der legendäre Singer-Songwriter Scott Walker zu hören. Auf diesem Album haben O'Malley und Anderson jedoch neue Möglichkeiten im ursprünglichen Format des Duos entdeckt und alle Instrumente selbst gespielt. ,Was in den letzten Jahren mit unseren Auftritten zu zweit und ohne weitere Mitwirkende passiert ist, war wirklich neu und aufregend", sagt Anderson. Die Kompositionen auf SUNN O))) sind weitläufig und panoramisch, aber dennoch detailreich und spiegeln die baumreiche Umgebung wider, in der sie aufgenommen wurden. Inmitten von heulendem Feedback und eisigem Knirschen findet man überraschend zarte Momente: eine Feldaufnahme von plätscherndem Wasser im Hintergrund, Klavierzwischenspiele, die eine gedämpfte, feierliche Stimmung erzeugen. Dabei erreicht das Duo neue Höhen telepathischer Intensität, während es Musik formt, die die belebende, erdige Luft des pazifischen Nordwestens atmet. Visuell wird das Album von zwei Gemälden des verstorbenen amerikanischen Künstlers Mark Rothko eingerahmt. Die Liner Notes stammen vom preisgekrönten britischen Schriftsteller Robert Macfarlane, der für seine Werke über Landschaft und die Beziehung zwischen Mensch und Natur bekannt ist. Durch die Arbeit der Band, Macfarlane und Rothko verbinden sich Klang, Wort und Bild zu einem umfassenden Erlebnis, das unbestreitbar ganz und gar SUNN O))) ist.
- A1: Made Of Stone (808 State Mix)
- A2: I Am The Resurrection (Jon Carter Mix)
- A3: Fools Gold (Grooverider’s Mix)
- B1: One Love (Utah Saint’s Mix)
- B2: I Wanna Be Adored (Bloody Valentine Edit)
- B3: Fools Gold (Top Won Mix)
- C1: Elephant Stone (Mint Royale Remix)
- C2: Waterfall (12” Remix)
- C3: She Bangs The Drums (Elephant Remix)
- D1: Shoot You Down (The Soul Hooligan Remix)
- D2: Waterfall (Justin Robertson’s Mix)
- D3: Elizabeth My Dear (Kinobe Remix)
Always a dancefloor friendly act, The Remixes (originally issued 25 years ago) is the sound of the Roses biggest tunes revisited by many of the foremost names in UK dance music at that time – including legends such as Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne and fellow Mancunians 808 State and A Guy Called Gerald. With fully restored artwork, including notes from the remixers, this 2LP set features some tracks that have really stood the test of time. “808 State turns ‘Made of Stone’ into an aggressive, high-pitched piece of electro-pop. Rabbit in the Moon earns points simply for…. making over ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ into a slow acid house excursion. Elephant dares to twist ‘She Bangs the Drums’ into an echoing, spooky vocoder workout.”
- A1: Hìeratico
- A2: Litho Non-Danse
- A3: Blue Hymne (Feat Limpe Fuchs)
- A4: Cuerda De Piedra
- A5: Aranha
- A6: Tombal (Feat Pierre Bastien, Massimo Silverio &Amp; Marco Baldini)
- B1: Boku Ga (Feat Adele Altro)
- B2: Meridiana (Feat Giuseppe Ielasi)
- B3: Lode (Feat Natalia Rogantini &Amp; Jonas Torstensen)
- B4: Sospire (Feat Roberto Musci)
- B5: Muracetra (Feat Vipera &Amp; Dròlo Ensemble)
- B6: Vessel (Digital Bonus Track)
Like its cover, Nicolas Remondino's Hìeratico plays in the rich shades of crepuscular spaces. A night-tuned, percussion led album where prepared drums are accompanied by flickers of spoken word, acoustic instruments and muted electronics,
The title translates to 'hieratic', for Remondino a "black and gold" term laden with dualities and complex connotations. A sense of teetering between sparkling light and richly coloured darkness imbues the music, the compositions simulating a sense of heightened acuity as they convey us through a spooky elemental soundworld. The opening title track begins with a metallic shimmer, a drum skin activated in a way that sounds like it's being smelted. A cushioned rhythm enters, a smothered timbre akin to hearing something lurking around the garden. On "litho non-danse", percussion cracks like branches and dried foliage under foot.
Remondino recorded initial outlines for the pieces at Giuseppe Ielasi's studio in Milan, before fleshing out these ideas with his own additional instrumentation and contributions from a globe-spanning network of collaborators. On "blue hymne", chiming percussion equal parts jubilant and sinister heralds spoken word from Limpe Fuchs. "Tombal" opens with Massimo Silverio whispering in the Carnic dialect, a minority language from the Carnic Alps. Around, Marco Baldini, Pierre Bastien and Remondino construct a somber soundscape that cranks and sighs in the crevices.
Hìeratico is an album of hybrids. Diverse voices, accents and dialects deliver its lyrics, the instrumentation underpinning it crosses idioms. The drumkit at its core is modified to amplify its resonant tones and harmonics. Inspired by natural substances and phenomena: stone, wood, wind, earth, metal, grass, rain, clouds and bark, Remondino explores how percussion could evoke their materiality, treating drums as lucid textural instruments as much as rhythmic timekeepers. It gives the album a finely shaded depth and clarity as it conjures the vibrancies that reside in darkened corners. Hìeratico dwells in a sensation that crosses borders, the speckles of light in the oblique night sky. Listening is an aural equivalent to stepping into a pitch black forest and waiting for your eyes to adjust, a lightless void turning into a spectacular tableau of shadows and glows. Daryl Worthington
- A1: One For The Books (With Giggs)
- A2: Doctor (With Mj Cole)
- A3: Cops & Robbers (With Skepta)
- A4: Up & Down (With Tuff Jam)
- A5: 925 (With Chris Lake)
- A6: Dis Badman (With Champion And Irah)
- A7: Survive (With Salute)
- A8: Burn The River
- B1: Tremor Take-Two (Interlude)
- B2: Match My Mood (With Spice And Flowdan)
- B3: Roads Roulette (With Unknown T)
- B4: Nostalgia (With Issey Cross)
- B5: Dub It In (With 33 Below)
- B6: So Over You
- B7: I Guess We’re Not The Same
- B8: Leroy St
Re issue of the album on LP as previous versions had all sold out and were deleted.
Global Dance phenomenon Sammy Virji’s sophomore album ‘Same Day Cleaning’ sees the renowned party starter deliver UK Garage to the world like no one before. The new album is rooted in Sammy’s unmissable club ready production style and features a slew of legendary rappers & producers. The project lands after an insane year of global festival and headline touring for Sammy. ‘Same Day Cleaning’ follows Sammy’s hugely successful ‘If U Need It’ and his follow up singles including club mainstay ‘Damager’, with Interplanetary Criminal. The album also features Sammy’s massive link up with British icon Skepta, ‘Cops & Robbers’. ‘Same Day Cleaning’ is bigger, bolder and promises to propel Sammy Virji even further onto the global dance-music stage
Thirty years after its release, Robert Miles' 'Children' remains the most famous instrumental electronic track
in the world. To celebrate this anniversary, a special numbered collector’s reissue is being released.
Dedicated to one of the most iconic pieces in electronic music history, this edition features artwork that stays
true to the original 1996 debut."
With Alouette!, Les Louanges attempts to make sense of his human condition and Québécois identity by bringing guitars and Joual (the French language dialect spoken in Québec) to the forefront while still fuelling his signature grooves. More rock-oriented than his previous albums, this third effort is luminous yet rich in sounds, emotion and political commentary. It unfolds through a journey that will lead Loulou to encounter universal experiences such as illness, death, and true love.
The album is also the result of an artistic quest that began during a period of self-reflection, when Vincent Roberge (aka Les Louanges or Loulou) seized the opportunity to take a break after his last extended tour. Alongside the existential questions typical of someone approaching their thirties came a rediscovery of the classics—from Leonard Cohen and Prince to Richard Desjardins and the nursery rhyme that gives the album its name–, followed by total exploration. In addition to playing most of the instruments himself, the singer-songwriter revived obscure Quebec records through sampling and got to experiment with actual sound recording. Roberge co-produced Alouette! with his long-time collaborator Félix Petit (because why change a winning formula).
Four years after the success of his sophomore album Crash, Les Louanges returns more confident than ever, thanks to a renewed cultural and emotional baggage that allows him to reflect on the past to better engage with the present, while also enjoying it to the fullest. All of this, without overlooking the future, which he foresees with hope despite the collective challenges that await us.
2025 Reissue.
Münchenbuchsee, a suburb of Bern, Switzerland. Stephan Eicher is the youngest of three children. His father, a radio and TV repairman, is also a jazz violinist and a sound tinkerer in his spare time. In the family home's converted fallout shelter turned studio, Mr. Eicher experiments with homemade sequencers, tortures handcrafted drum machines, and abuses reel-to-reel tape recorders—all under the fascinated gaze of young Stephan.
The boy quickly develops a musical curiosity, exploring sound through various experiments and wanderings. Alongside his younger brother Martin, Stephan crafts audio plays on a homemade multi-track recorder (essentially several cassette decks hooked together!), which they write, record, add sound effects to, and perform for family and friends. Just a couple of nice kids, really...
Then comes 1972, and Lou Reed's Transformer album changes everything for the Eicher kids. For 13-year-old Stephan, it's a revelation—especially "Vicious", the opening track, which he plays on repeat for months. He convinces his father to buy him an electric guitar. Not stopping there, his father also builds him a tube amp using an old radio.
Then comes adolescence. A rough one. Stephan leaves home at 16 and moves to Zurich. With obvious artistic talent, he persuades his art teacher to help him get into F+F, a radical, alternative art school—despite his young age. Accepted, he starts learning video techniques, determined to become a filmmaker.
At F+F, Stephan organizes Dada-style happenings and concerts with a group of friends known as the Noise Boys. Among them: one of his teachers on bass, Veit Stauffer on drums (who would later found ReR/Recommended Records), his girlfriend Sacha on vocals, and Stephan on guitar. In one of their early performances, they release a remote-controlled mouse covered in dull razor blades into the audience to create panic and chaos. Keeping with this aggressive, confrontational spirit, they once played a concert while wearing headphones blasting Tristan and Isolde, trying to perform their own songs simultaneously—to maximize the cacophony. The goal was always the same: clear the room.
Their “songs,” if you can call them that, followed suit. Take "Hungeriges Afrika", for instance—performed entirely with power drills and some drum feedback.
To make ends meet, Stephan returns to Bern on weekends to work as a waiter at the Spex Club, the city’s main punk venue. On September 16, 1980, during a show by proto-electro group Starter, the police raid the club and arrest everyone. Stephan, who manages to avoid arrest, seizes the opportunity to “borrow” Starter’s gear left behind. He suddenly finds himself in possession of a Roland Promars synth, a Korg MS20, and a gorgeous CR78 drum machine, which he runs through a Big Muff distortion pedal to get that perfect gritty sound.
He then sets out to reinterpret some Noise Boys tracks, reworking them during impromptu sessions recorded on a dictaphone (yes, a dictaphone—now the lo-fi sound makes more sense, doesn’t it?). He ironically titles the resulting cassette "Stephan Eicher spielt Noise Boys" ("Stephan Eicher plays Noise Boys"). This gem features seven tracks, which are the ones reissued here.
Back in Zurich, he visits his friends Andrew Moore and Robert Vogel, who have a DIY cassette duplication setup. They make 25 copies of Stephan Eicher spielt Noise Boys for Stephan and his friends. Robert encourages him to visit Urs Steiger of Off Course Records and play him the tape.
Without much hope, Stephan shows up at Urs’s office. But Urs is instantly hooked and suggests releasing a 7” single. Due to space constraints, they reluctantly drop two of the seven tracks ("Hungeriges Afrika" and "One Second"). As for the musical score featured on the cover—it was randomly chosen and remains a mystery to this day. Calling all music theory nerds!
The 7-inch is pressed in 750 copies and released in the first week of December 1980—a date Stephan remembers well, as it’s the same week John Lennon was killed. Smartly, Urs sends a promo copy to François Murner, Switzerland’s answer to John Peel, who hosts a show on alternative station Sounds. Murner falls in love with the record and starts giving it airtime. To Stephan’s surprise, sales follow—and people actually seem interested in his music.
Even this modest underground success scares Stephan a bit. He stops making music for a year and moves to Bologna, where he works as a programmer at Radio Città, a feminist radio station.
Meanwhile, Stephan’s younger brother Martin, who’s also involved in the punk scene, joins the band Glueams as a singer and guitarist. Glueams, named after the fanzine run by two of its members (drummer Marco Repetto and bassist GT), eventually rebrands as Grauzone. Stephan is invited to their shows to project hacked Super 8 visuals live on stage.
Urs Steiger, now working on a compilation titled Swiss Wave – The Album, asks Grauzone to contribute alongside bands like Liliput, Jack and the Rippers, The Sick, and Ladyshave (Fall 1980).
For the album, Martin tasks Stephan with producing their recording sessions. Under Stephan's artistic direction, two tracks emerge: "Raum" and "Eisbär". During "Eisbär", Martin plays a minimalist bass line borrowed from post-punk band The Feelies (just an open string). Drummer Marco Repetto struggles to keep time. Later that evening, unhappy with the takes, Stephan builds a four-bar drum loop from a ¼-inch tape and uses it instead of the flawed original. He then adds bleepy synths and wind sounds to complete the track’s icy vibe before handing it over to Urs.
The Swiss Wave – The Album compilation is released quietly at first, but things snowball thanks to "Eisbär", which eventually becomes a smash hit—selling over 600,000 singles.
Meanwhile, Stephan plays in a rockabilly band called SMUV (named after Switzerland’s social security agency) and begins producing artists, including the debut album of Starter (1981), which includes a more pop-oriented version of "Minijupe".
By early 1982, Stephan starts spending time with the post-punk girl band Liliput (formerly Kleenex). They’re older than him, and he happily drives them around in his Renault Major, acting as their roadie.
By 1983, Grauzone—signed to the major label EMI, which turned out to be a misstep—is falling apart. Stephan begins to pivot toward a more mainstream pop sound with his debut solo album Les Chansons Bleues.
But that... is already another story.




















