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BLARF is comedian and actor Eric André’s musical project. Most people know Eric as an actor (Bad Trip, Happy Gilmore 2, and The Righteous Gemstones), and for his surreal, boundary-pushing comedy career, with an eponymous Emmy Award-winning show on Adult Swim and standup shows toured around the world. But few know Eric André as a bona fide musician who attended the prestigious Berklee School of Music, where he specialized in standing bass.
BLARF brings his disruptive energy to a new body of work that is both an extended comedic bit and entirely, unironically serious: Film Scores For Films That Don’t Exist. Inspired by composers like Ennio Morricone and Vangelis, whose signature sound is as iconic as the films they soundtracked, Eric enlisted a full orchestra to bring his compositions to life, recording in Los Angeles and Budapest.

2026 Repress

Un-American Activities is the 11th Studio album by Molly Nilsson. Written and recorded entirely on location in California at the former home of writer, poet and early opponent of the National Socialist regime in 1930s Germany, Lion Feuchtwanger and his wife Marta. An album of experimentation, genre-mashing and, above it all, Nilsson’s instantly recognisable melodic skill and empathy, it continues the songwriter’s explorations of power, freedom, oppression and its opposing force, a love unbound.
After accepting an artist residency as part of the Villa Aurora program, Nilsson began work crafting a new album from scratch in a new environment, afforded the freedom, space and time to challenge her practice and take her music into new territory. The resulting work, Un American Activities, is a love note not only to the artist who was among the very first to be declared an “enemy of the state” by the Nazi regime but also to both the eternal struggle he fought and the human spirit that pervades all of Nilsson’s best work. It is also a double-pointed poison pen letter: a critique of the new forms of oppression wielded by her temporary adopted country of the USA but also an acknowledgement of the promise it always offers but never fulfils.
Along with the novel use of colour and photography in the artwork for Un-American Activities, there are swathes of new techniques, genres and timbres new to Molly Nilsson’s music in evidence, 16 years into her music career. On Jackboots Return is an icicle-cold New Beat track that deals directly with the current situation in Germany and the resurgent Nazi-affiliated AfD. The question the song asks is, what’s the timeframe we’re talking about? Is this the 30s, or somewhere a lot closer to home? The beat is picked up on The Communist Party, Nilsson’s deepest bow to House music, evoking the early 90s Rave pioneers, Belgian 80s music and Vogue-era Madonna. Here the lyrics are direct quotes from the McCarthy-era, anti-Communist pamphlet 100 Things You Should Know About Communism in the U.S.A. The Beauty Of The Duty does to pounding Electro what Nilsson’s last album Extreme did to Metal: subsume it into the Molly Nilsson aesthetic. It goes hard.
While Un-American Activities finds Nilsson experimenting, creating instinctive music on a first-thought-bestthought basis there are still “classic” Molly moments liberally spread throughout. Excalibur feels like the Molly of old, an absolute star of a chorus refrain smudged with the vaseline of fuzz and hope, Red Telephone is wide-eyed, slathered in reverb and chorus effects, distorted with soaring melody, a heart-tugger that tugs the body upwards to the heavens with each evolving wave. Glistening digital tones wash through the album, providing a Y2K etherealness to Nilsson’s audacious Stars and Stripes reference to Wetcheeks. Perhaps the album’s standout, however, is Palestine (Somewhere Over The Rainbow), which is suffuse with empathy, solidarity and, in referencing the classic socialist-penned canon song from The Wizard Of Oz, speaks directly to the tradition of fighting oppression with full hearts of hope.

Closed For The Festival is MIDI Janitor’s fourth full-length and is the follow-up to the Holy To Dogs LP, which was originally released on cassette in 2024 on legendary Vancouver tape label Hotham Sound and then in a vinyl edition by Toronto’s We Are Busy Bodies.

The Midi Janitor’s new album, Closed For The Festival, is a biography of Jonathan Orr’s shadow self.

Born from memories of his childhood spent wandering rural Ireland in Ballymore, Donegal on his grandmother’s Christian commune, Closed For The Festival masterfully straddles the line between warped joy and sinister naivety. As Orr states, “the songs are always trying to get to that moment of taking your hand and walking you into the woods on a pretty spring afternoon and then abandoning you there to figure out ‘how do I get out of here??’”

Closed For The Festival recalls the skewed electronica of Boards Of Canada, the dusted syncopations of Heathered Pearls, and the long-buried treasures uncovered by the Sublime Frequencies label, but is never willfully nostalgic in nature - each track is an incantation in honour of ‘thin places’, where the presence of an eternal moment seeps into the present moment - the uncanny feeling of which has followed The Midi Janitor throughout his life and creative work.
- Steve Ramsay: Young Galaxy, Stars

UK Shoegaze legends, now on baby blue vinyl!

“Future Ruins achieves everything an admirer could ask of the reunited band’s new album…Swervedriver now posses a melancholic, autumnal undertow that suits them like a little distinguished grey in the whiskers…a career-best peak…Future Ruins pulls off a canny trick, perfectly channeling their past, while making sense in the present” – 4 stars, MOJO

“The spacious, Neil Young-ian rumbling of the title track and the bulked-up power-pop of ‘Spiked Flower’ both see co-founders Adam Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge venture beyond the template of Raise and Mezcal Head without making the faithful worry they’ve ditched their distortion pedals” – 7/10, Uncut

“That first song, ‘Mary Winter,’ is a heavy wave of swirling guitar fuzz offset by the soothing balm of Franklin’s voice.” – Stereogum

More unknown artist business from the Only Music Matters crew and it's a case of more essential minimal across three fresh cuts. The first manages to pair the sort of drive you need to keep you locked with some swirling, heady pads that encourage letting your mind wander. After that full-sided odyssey, 'BBB001B' stars the flip with tighter, more rubbery drums and bass and alien sounds weaving in and out. 'BBB002B' shuts down with some tech-y loops and a little more menace and mischief in the clipped vocals and wispy synth modulations.

“Tako” means “octopus”, “kite”, and even “bunion” in Japanese. Bald men or men with shaven heads, as well as red-faced, staggering drunks, are also referred to as “tako”. It’s a word that appears in a lot of slang and sayings. Taco is also the name of an 80s music and performance collective whose performances were like nothing before or since. The Japanese band Taco, formed at the beginning of the 80s, is a loose group/collective of varying members that belongs to the post-punk alternative music movement. The network of members were all friends and acquaintances of Harumi Yamazaki, ex-member of Gaseneta and Taco’s central member.

Taco can be described as a band of guerrillas who, over the years, continued to connect, collect, interrupt, and scatter while sending out into the world music and sounds that can best be described as transient. Taco also performed without Harumi, and so it is as though the band is an anonymous group of mercenaries. Taco’s first album was released in 1983 and had a huge impact on Japan’s underground music scene as an anomalous and collaborative album involving various participating artists (the stars of Japan’s underground music scene!) and Harumi, who provided the lyrics. Although each track represents a reverberating conglomeration of sounds created by this transient local network, common to all the tracks are Harumi’s expressive lyrics. This has the effect of transforming all the tracks into a single powerful force which, in turn, spawns an “incident” which spreads like a giant ripple. However, because of another incident in which the records were recalled due to the scandal caused by some of the lyrics, only a limited number of people actually own a copy of the album. Taco’s second album (a 12” EP), released in 1984, features a live recording of a performance that was held at the end of 1982. Taco is a band of indeterminate members which only ever played one-off performances, but this is an album that reveals a unit whose performance was unusually musically coherent. This is an album which effectively conveys the power of Taco’s astounding and legendary live performances, as well as Harumi’s inflammatory, sensational, and masochistic presence on stage. Her mutterings and screams, which practically ignore the detached beat, confront the audience like an overwhelming groundswell.

The following is a description of Taco by one of its members following one of its live performances: “Taco’s like a project where the indeterminate participants fan each other’s heightened emotions of wanting to wreak personal revenge and retribution. It’s an ecosystem of tangible and intangible mouldy slime which accumulates in order for emotions to be acted out, both indoors in the studio, or outdoors on stage. That’s why the avenger can often end up being the victim.”

Nameless, March 1985

Das erste Album mit Originalmusik von den englischen Künstlern Flying Mojito Bros., die total auf Americana und Dance-Musik stehen. FMB hat dank seines einzigartigen Stils, der als Desert Disco und Outlaw House bezeichnet wird - ein neu definierter Americana-Sound, der von Poolside-Vibes bis zur Tanzfläche reicht -, eine wachsende Fangemeinde in den USA gewonnen. Das Album bietet eine hochkarätige Besetzung mit Künstlern wie Scott Hirsch, Will Worden und Rob Chaney (weitere werden noch bekannt gegeben!) und hat die Unterstützung von einflussreichen Persönlichkeiten wie Diplo, Phish, Pretty Lights, BBC 6 Music und KEXP erhalten. Just Passing Through zeigt die Entwicklung von FMB und kombiniert ihre charakteristischen Re-Edits und Remixe mit Live-Band-Aufnahmen. Es ist ein mutiger Schritt in ihrer Karriere, bei dem sie von den 1970er Jahren inspirierten Rock und elektronische Rhythmen mit Kollaborationen von Top-Musikern wie Shawn Lee (Young Gun Silver Fox), Joe Harvey-Whyte (The Hanging Stars) und Joe Stoddart (ABBA Voyage) verbinden. Dieses Album markiert ein neues Kapitel in der kreativen Reise von FMB und fängt ihre Erkundung der neu definierten Americana und den interkulturellen Rock-Austausch zwischen den USA und Großbritannien ein.

Two turntables and a microphone. There is a truth in the clarity of that simple coda, a truth that also belies the breadth of what is possible within its confines. Sometimes you gotta get reminded. I Guess U Had To Be There, the new album from NYC rapper ELUCID and veteran producer Sebb Bash, is one of those ones. So fresh it sounds like it was made tomorrow, but bet money you could put this on in ’89 and get heads bopping.
There are moments in music when masters of their craft cross paths at the height of their respective powers—records like Madvillainy, Liquid Swords, Dr. Octagonecologyst, and Hell Hath No Fury—where the result is more than the sum of its parts. ELUCID and Sebb Bash find themselves in this heady, seemingly effortless ephemera on I Guess U Had To Be There. Everything is both familiar and groundbreaking. The beats shift and flip under ELUCID’s feet but he tightropes it all, delivery nimble as a mountain goat, producer and rapper moving in perfect synchronization. Some shining stars make memorable appearances: billy woods, Breezly Brewin, Estee Nack, Shabaka Hutchings. But this is a two-man show, and the duo keep the spotlight where it belongs. I Guess U Had To Be There is a captivating, convention-defying listen and a high-water mark for two of the best artists in the genre.

Produzent, Multiinstrumentalist und Lazy Robot-Labelbetreiber Tom Funk veröffentlicht sein funkiges und souliges Debütalbum - mit 10 Tracks von P-Funk und Neo-Soul bis zu Einflüssen von Marvin Gaye, James Brown und Lonnie Liston Smith. Mit gefeierten Gästen, darunter die britische Soul-Legende Omar Lye-Fook, David Mrakpor (Blue Lab Beats), Keyboard-Virtuose Matt Cooper, der Londoner Sänger Andre Espeut und die langjährigen Lazy-Robot-Partner Valentina Russo und Brae Leni aus Arkansas.

Kritikerstimmen:
- "Ein absolut großartiges Album." – Colin Curtis
- "Unglaublich!" – Reuben James, Jazz FM
- "Was für ein wunderschönes Stück Musik!" - Nick Hosier, Stomp Radio

Das erste Album mit Originalmusik von den englischen Künstlern Flying Mojito Bros., die total auf Americana und Dance-Musik stehen. FMB hat dank seines einzigartigen Stils, der als Desert Disco und Outlaw House bezeichnet wird - ein neu definierter Americana-Sound, der von Poolside-Vibes bis zur Tanzfläche reicht -, eine wachsende Fangemeinde in den USA gewonnen. Das Album bietet eine hochkarätige Besetzung mit Künstlern wie Scott Hirsch, Will Worden und Rob Chaney (weitere werden noch bekannt gegeben!) und hat die Unterstützung von einflussreichen Persönlichkeiten wie Diplo, Phish, Pretty Lights, BBC 6 Music und KEXP erhalten. Just Passing Through zeigt die Entwicklung von FMB und kombiniert ihre charakteristischen Re-Edits und Remixe mit Live-Band-Aufnahmen. Es ist ein mutiger Schritt in ihrer Karriere, bei dem sie von den 1970er Jahren inspirierten Rock und elektronische Rhythmen mit Kollaborationen von Top-Musikern wie Shawn Lee (Young Gun Silver Fox), Joe Harvey-Whyte (The Hanging Stars) und Joe Stoddart (ABBA Voyage) verbinden. Dieses Album markiert ein neues Kapitel in der kreativen Reise von FMB und fängt ihre Erkundung der neu definierten Americana und den interkulturellen Rock-Austausch zwischen den USA und Großbritannien ein.

Seit nunmehr über zwanzig Jahren als Duo zusammen, setzen Hammock ihre bemerkenswerte Reihe klanglicher Entdeckungsreisen mit The Second Coming Was A Moonrise" fort. Der Titel fängt einen Moment der Entdeckung ein, als Byrd und ein Freund in seinen späten Teenagerjahren unter dem Einfluss von Psychedelika den Mondaufgang für die Wiederkunft Christi hielten. Byrd und Thompson, beide in erster Linie Gitarristen, haben festgestellt, dass ihre musikalische Verbundenheit immer stärker wird, während ihre gemeinsame Arbeit im Laufe der Jahre noch dramatischer und reichhaltiger wird, auf der Suche nach einem Gefühl von mitreißender, schimmernder klanglicher Ehrfurcht, das sich niemals einfach als etwas anderes als sich selbst zusammenfassen lässt. The Second Coming Was A Moonrise" setzt diese Empfindungen der Entdeckung fort und fühlt sich gleichzeitig wie eines ihrer intimsten Alben an, während es das reiche Gefühl von Erhabenheit erforscht, das sie im Gegenzug erschaffen können. Ein Großteil von The Second Coming" ist instrumental oder fügt nur wortlose Gesangssenken und Texturen hinzu, wenn auch immer mit Titeln, die bewusst gewählt wurden. Byrd greift mit Chemicals Make You Small" erneut auf seine drogenbefeuerten Fluchtversuche zurück, wobei zwei namhafte Gäste mitwirken: Wayne Coyne und Steven Drozd von The Flaming Lips, die Gesang und Keyboards beisteuern. Zu den weiteren wiederkehrenden Gastmusikern gehören der regelmäßige Mitstreiter Matt Kidd von Slow Meadow, der Streicher und Gitarre beisteuert, Matthew Doty von Deserta an Synthesizern und Gitarre, Christine Byrd von Lumenette mit engelsgleichem Gesang, Chad Howat am Keyboard und Bass sowie Jake Finch mit bemerkenswertem Schlagzeugspiel.

Nickodemus is a globally respected DJ and producer who has been touring nonstop since the mid-1990s, consistently drawing capacity crowds at clubs and festivals worldwide. As a producer, he has released five acclaimed albums (Soul & Science, A Long Engagement, Endangered Species, Sun People and Moon People) and curated eleven volumes of the influential Turntables on the Hudson compilation series. His work bridges hip-hop, house, jazz, and global sounds, highlighted by collaborations and cultural milestones including the Jungle Brothers' genre-defining legacy and the enduring house-rap classic "I'll House You" with Todd Terry. Nickodemus' hit "Mi Swing Es Tropical" (with Quantic & the Candela All-Stars) has surpassed 50 million streams and featured prominently in the film Chef. He has received extensive international press (Billboard, Rolling Stone, The FADER, Paste) and widespread radio support from tastemakers such as Gilles Peterson, BBC 6 Music, KCRW, and KEXP.


b B1: Monk-One Remix feat. Monk-One


b B1: Monk-One Remix [feat. Monk-One]


[b] B1: Monk-One Remix [feat. Monk-One]


[b] B1 | Monk-One Remix [feat Monk-One]

Increasingly essential US artist Ben Hixon drops sublime deep house EP on Kai Alce's faultless NDATL Muzik. The six classy tracks will appeal to those who appreciate the subtleties of the classic Midwestern sound.

Ben is a Texas-born, but Brooklyn-based artist who has become a firm favourite of true deep house heads in the last year or so. He has put out several EPs on Dolfin, all of which find a perfect sweet spot between immersive atmospheres and late-night drive. Dusty analogue textures and frayed edges define his drums, while the subtle details are intelligent and add effortless emotion. He is a perfect fit for NDATL Muzik, the Atlanta label that has long been a flagbearer for well-crafted house grooves like these.

'Taping' kicks off with heavy kicks that swing under gentle chords that are perfect for after dark. There's a persuasive bump in the beats that will get early evening dancers primed and ready for more. Next up we have 'Y Do U Get So Nervous' - a mastery of sampling with nagging vocal hooks, cascading piano keys and wet finger clicks all adding soul to another low-key but all-consuming groove. 'Area Code 336 Phone Rings' is a higgledy-piggledy tapestry of toms and stuttering kicks with vocal fragments to match - the thrill is the looseness of it all. The smouldering and meandering 'December Blackout' is for gazing off it into the distance at the busy yet muted jazz keys that twinkle like faraway stars. 'It's Like A Vision' picks up the pace with more closely stacked kicks but still oodles of cuddly warmth and smudged synth work, before '0823' ends with a decidedly heavy feel - spare, lump drums unfurl beneath forlorn synths that feel utterly bruised and heartbroken.

Ben Hixon's deft artistry makes these quiet, texture tunes irresistibly danceable yet emotionally profound.

Powerful lyrics are voiced by Jah Rueben Mystic, with the inspirational Ital Horns brass section.

Jah Rueben Mystic vocal evokes the fighting spirit and hopefulness of a message sent out to defeat the arrogance and greed of the capitalistic leaders of the world.

Lock up riddim, composed by Kieko De Stefanis is an original Roots Dub tune.

The Dub -produced by Gaudi- is a musical journey through the sound of 70's roots, Gaudi here adds his own analogue trademark creativity and psychedelic-dub mastery effects to the track.

The year that NOW’s story began, and where we started our ‘Yearbook’ series back in 2021. An incredible year in Pop music, and a fabulous selection of the years’ hits have featured on that first ‘Yearbook’, and on the ‘80-84 Final’ as part of our appreciation of 1983. Those tracks were generally the bigger hits of the year, with their Chart achievement a factor in their inclusion. However, that’s not the whole story, and our celebration of 1983 wouldn’t be complete without shining a light on some of the year’s singles that have been compiled much less frequently over the past 40 years. Welcome to the THE VAULT for 1983…Some of the tracks were Top 40 hits, some missed the Chart completely, and some were huge in the U.S. and not in the U.K. – but all are part of the wonderful Pop story of 1983. Released as 80 tracks across 4-CDs, available as a standard 4CD and as a a special edition 4CD in ‘hardback book’ packaging featuring a 28-page track by track guide, original singles artwork and a quiz and 45 tracks across 3-LPs, pressed on stunning translucent red vinyl -

Naya Beat is excited to announce 'PAWA!', a soaring disco-funk anthem celebrating feminism and the power (pawa) of togetherness. It is a mouthwatering collaboration between legendary jazz vocalist and disco pioneer Asha Puthli and NYC’s punk-chic, discodelic stars Say She She.

A fortuitous and fleeting window between touring schedules allowed Puthli and Say She She’s Nya Gazelle Brown, Sabrina Cunningham, and Piya Malik to write and record Pawa! with members of the cult funk band Orgone in the English countryside at Mike Oldfield’s (Tubular Bells) studio. Pawa! is a tribute to female fortitude and an anthemic call to action for unity and collective action. PAWA TO THE PEOPLE! Asha’s spoken word bursts into a soaring falsetto while Say She She’s celestial three-part harmonies make for a sublime call and response between the fabled mentor and her gifted disciples. Throw in a stellar bassline and one of tightest rhythm sections around, and you have an instant classic. And if that wasn’t enough, four remixes bring Pawa to the dancefloor! The UK’s legendary Crazy P deliver not one, but three future classics – an epic house take with a stomping bassline, a stripped-down vocal dub, and a sunshine-ready disco dub. Not to be outdone, Greece’s favourite dance duo Boys’ Shorts add magical disco touches and reimagine the original as an eight-minute balearic opus.

Featuring beautiful artwork and a premium poly-lined inner sleeve, the 12" has been cut to vinyl for the discerning DJ and listener by Grammy-nominated Frank Merritt from The Carvery, London.

Urban Skies ist das neue Album des finnischen SynthKünstlers Kebu, das am 20. März über ZYX Music erscheint.

Das Album ist der Nachfolger von Urban Dreams (2021) und enthält Kollaborationen mit Johan Becker, Madis und Gattobus sowie eine Vielzahl an Solo-Tracks. Vollständig mit analogen Synthesizern und Drum-Maschinen produziert, verbindet Urban Skies melodisches Songwriting mit kraftvollen, von den 80er-Jahren inspirierten Pop-Metal- Ästhetiken und gilt als Kebus bislang vielfältigstes und ausgereiftestes Album. Die Veröffentlichung wird von einer europaweiten Tour begleitet, die 12 Länder und 32 Konzerte umfasst.

Compare the best of British jazz circa 1963 with American sounds from labels such as Prestige, Tangerine and World Pacific. This album captures the period when rhythm and blues is emerging as the dominant club sound, forcing Soho jazz clubs to change their music policy in order to survive. On the British side, you’ve got Ronnie Scott’s arrangement of Last Minute Bossa Nova; Bang!, taken from Dick Morrissey Quartet’s first session for the BBC’s World Service, recorded around the time of the release of their first album Have You Heard? The version here is take two. You can hear take one along with the rest of the eleven-track session on R&B18 Jazz For Moderns.
Early In The Morning is a Ginger Baker/Jack Bruce arrangement of the traditional work song realized as a repeated blues riff, and is the first ever recording that is recognizably British Blues. Graham Bond features on alto sax along with Bruce and Baker together as members of the Johnny Burch Octet heard playing live at a BBC staff party from March 1963. Side Two features Jazz Stateside, such as West Coast guitarist Johnny Hartsman, Gene Ammons veering into proto jazz-funk on Jungle Soul, aka Ca' Purange plus a couple of top notch Hammond workouts from Terrell Prude and Charles Kynard.

PICTURE DISC VINYL LP: with a CD of exclusivbe REMIXES, Printed Lyrics Insert, Hand Screeened Art Print, and Signed Photo Postcard.

Im Mai 2026 würde Miles Davis seinen 100. Geburtstag feiern. Einen Monat vorher gratuliert ihm bereits
Decca Frankreich mit der LP-Wiederveröffentlichung eines besonderen Albums innerhalb seines Schaffens.
Auf “Michel Legrand meets Miles Davis” treffen ein amerikanisches und ein europäisches Musik-Genie
aufeinander. Zum Jubiläum erscheint das ursprünglich als ”Legrand Jazz“ veröffentlichte Album aufwändig
remastert als 140g-LP im neuen Artwork mit Foto beider Künstler.
1958 war Legrand erstmals in die USA gereist und hatte dort die größten Stars des Jazz zusammengetrommelt: neben Miles Davis waren das John Coltrane, Phil Woods, Bill Evans, Ben Webster, Art Farmer,
Donald Byrd u.v.a. “Legrand Jazz“ präsentierte einige der größten Jazzklassiker aller Zeiten in fantastischen Legrand-Arrangements, gespielt von der damaligen Crème de la Crème des Jazz.
Speziell die Zusammenarbeit von Michel Legrand und Miles Davis auf vier Tracks des Albums gilt als
historisch, da sie kurz vor den Aufnahmen zu Davis’ Meisterwerk ”Kind of Blue“ (1959) stattfand und
bereits die harmonische Tiefe und den orchestralen Ansatz vorwegnahm, den Davis später weiter verfolgte

Wie Amerika selbst ist auch die Geschichte von Chess Records eine Geschichte von Chancen in neuen Ländern, in denen Grenzen zwischen Hautfarbe und Kultur überwunden wurden, um Rhythm and Blues-Musik
zu schaffen, die Zuhörer auf der ganzen Welt beeinflusste. Das beeindruckende Künstleraufgebot von Chess
– und seine Gründer – haben den Blues von Volksmusik zu populärem Sound weiterentwickelt und verändert.
Chess Records wurde 1950 von den polnischen Einwanderern Leonard und Phil Chess gegründet und entstand im Süden Chicagos, aber der Einfluss ist weltweit und über Generationen der Popmusik hinweg spürbar
– von Acts der British Invasion wie den Beatles, den Rolling Stones und Eric Clapton, die Chess-Künstler
als ihre Vorbilder nannten, bis hin zu den heutigen Stars wie Beyoncé, Jack White, Questlove und Bruce
Springsteen.
Am 17.04.2026 erscheinen die Alben von Chuck Berry ”St. Louis To Liverpool” und Etta James ”Tell
Mama” im Rahmen des 75.ten Bestehen von Chess Records

Wie Amerika selbst ist auch die Geschichte von Chess Records eine Geschichte von Chancen in neuen Ländern, in denen Grenzen zwischen Hautfarbe und Kultur überwunden wurden, um Rhythm and Blues-Musik
zu schaffen, die Zuhörer auf der ganzen Welt beeinflusste. Das beeindruckende Künstleraufgebot von Chess
– und seine Gründer – haben den Blues von Volksmusik zu populärem Sound weiterentwickelt und verändert.
Chess Records wurde 1950 von den polnischen Einwanderern Leonard und Phil Chess gegründet und entstand im Süden Chicagos, aber der Einfluss ist weltweit und über Generationen der Popmusik hinweg spürbar
– von Acts der British Invasion wie den Beatles, den Rolling Stones und Eric Clapton, die Chess-Künstler
als ihre Vorbilder nannten, bis hin zu den heutigen Stars wie Beyoncé, Jack White, Questlove und Bruce
Springsteen.
Am 17.04.2026 erscheinen die Alben von Chuck Berry ”St. Louis To Liverpool” und Etta James ”Tell
Mama” im Rahmen des 75.ten Bestehen von Chess Records

This 18- track selection spans Edith Piaf' s career from the years 1946 to 1961. It includes all of her big hits, such as 'La Vie en rose', 'Non, je ne regrette rien', 'Hymne a l'amour', 'Milord', 'La Foule', 'L'Accordeoniste', and 'Padam Padam', among many others. Regarded as France's national chanteuse, singer songwrite, and actress Edith Piaf (1915-1963), also became one of the country's greatest international stars. Her music was often autobiographical with her songs reflecting her own personal life. Piaf's specialties were the chanson and torch ballads, particularly those of love, loss, and sorrow.

















[q] Le Chevalier De Paris [aka Les Pommiers Doux]

Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida was the first artist to receive Grammy Awards for both classical and jazz performances. His discography encompasses more than a hundred recordings over five decades. On Acapulco '22, which includes two complete consecutive 1962 dates by the same formation, Almeida is accompanied by American jazz stars such as Bob Cooper , Jimmy Rowles, Don Fagerquist, Victor Feldman and Shelly Manne







[g] Meditation [meditacao]

Sasha's collaborative hot streak continues with Manchester-based duo Cortese. The pair were last on Last Night On Earth in 2024.

A big 2025 saw electronic titan Sasha linking up with a mix of fellow pioneers and next-generation stars. He collaborated with the likes of Artche, Henry Saiz, and Joseph Ashworth, always pushing forward his signature sound, steeped in meticulous synth craft, built on transportive grooves, and packed with rare levels of universal emotion.

Cortese are new school artists with an emotionally rich mix of garage, breaks, and house. They head up their own Plaza Recordings and, as well as appearing on Sasha’s LUZoSCURA compilation, they dropped their 'All U Do' EP here in December 2024. Following gigs in support of mainstays like Bicep and Mike Skinner, they now hook up with one of dance music's most recognisable names.
The result is 'One', a deep and heavenly odyssey with warm, supple drums infused with subtle garage swing. Wordless vocals bleed into the mix, heightening the sensuality, as the majestic arps and shimmering chords light up the airwaves. It's an irresistible invitation for the dance floor to take off on a wave of cautious hope and optimism without ever losing sight of the grounding groove.

On the flip and the fantastic 'U Disappear' is an Ibiza anthem in the making - the synths are widescreen and sun-kissed, while the bass is dark and transportive. Balearic piano chords ripple through the mix alongside arching pads and soft, wordless vocals, lending a dreamy edge to what is a powerful track, both physically and spiritually.

Tim Reaper cited My God as his favourite jungle tune so we had to see if he fancied remixing it for us. And we think this is possibly the best remix he has ever done - but we are biased somewhat!

Then on the flipside Da Big Dawgs came back to the kennel - the original Mad Dog hit the studio together for the first time in over 30 years. Dave Wallace and Shaun O'Hara absolutely loved doing this remix and working together again - so hopefully we will see more new music from them as either Mad Dog or Fugitive in 2026.

Pressed on 10" vinyl. Handstamped vinyl and sleeve and comes with a 3mm spine black housebag.

Regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of the 20th century, Hank Williams recorded 55 singles that reached the top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, five of which were released posthumously, and twelve of which reached #1. After a life of alcoholism and substance abuse, Hank Williams died on New Year’s Day 1953 at the age of 29 in the back seat of a car, while going to perform a concert in Canton, Ohio. His songs have been covered by hundreds of artists and he influenced the careers of such stars as Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones. Presented here are his 22 greatest hits. 22 TRACKS - 180-GRAM VIRGIN VINYL - SPECIAL GATEFOLD - LIMITED EDITION

Classic album by Dinah Washington, one of America's most versatile singers of the 1950's who moved effortlessly between pop to gospel to jazz to blues. She teamed with the great Quincy Jones , For Those in Love is an essential album for any collection. Dinah Washington (1924-1963) recorded many albums for EmArcy Records and during the period 1954 to 1961 she worked with Quincy Jones, including the release presented here, For Those in Love, which was the first of their recorded collaborations. Featuring three brilliant small group sessions, taped on three consecutive days in March of 1955, the arrangements were by Jones, who also conducted the band and played a trumpet solo on 'Ask a Woman Who Knows'. The group of heavyweight players includes such stars as Clark Terry, Jimmy Cleveland, Paul Quinichette, Cecil Payne, Wynton Kelly, and Jimmy Cobb.

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Collateral Intelligence's Butterflies in Funerals is widescreen, sometimes dark, often hopeful electronica with one eye on the stars, but grounded in the sheer cathartic necessity of its creation.

The new moniker from Maltese wunderkind Neil "Acidulant" Hales, the album was formed during a turbulent period in the artist's life, when his father was seriously ill in hospital. Butterflies in Funerals is his way of expressing the complexity of emotion he was going through at the time.

"To me it all looked like a very dark movie," he says. "That's why the tracks are are at times cold or have a sad, emotional, or hopeful feeling."

Drawing on his impressive background in acid house and electro – with releases on Balkan Vinyl and Jack Trax – the album takes in mutant breakbeat, battle-scarred ambient, and tripped out 303 grooves, but pushes his sound further and deeper than ever before.

The album cover features specially designed artwork by rising star Fei Meng, who will be exhibiting at the Royal Society of British Artists later this year.

So in 2021 join Collateral Intelligence on a journey into the recesses of the soul, and emerge, purified, and ready for the rest of the trip.

Reissue on high quality, 180gr, limited color vinyl for PRINCE BUSTER's first studio album from 1963. Includes many of his top ska classics including "MADNESS", "THEY GOT TO COME", "WASH YOU TROUBLES AWAY", and "BLACK HEAD CHINAMAN". The musical accompaniment was by the DRUMBAGO ALL STARS and RICO RODRIGUEZ BLUES BAND. Essential early ska.

"Collected Works and War of the Martian Ghosts" ist die ultimative Sammlung von Aufnahmen der lebenden Chicagoer DIY-Legende Dr. Charles Joseph Smith. Es ist auch die erste Archivveröffentlichung von Sooper Records aus Chicago. Die Musik hier ist zum ersten Mal überhaupt für alle zugänglich. Diese 90-minütige Sammlung umfasst 30 Jahre von Charles' selbstveröffentlichter Musik, darunter Konzertklavier, elektroakustische Experimente, elektronische Beats, freie Improvisation und zwei Instrumentalversionen seiner sich weiterentwickelnden Science-Fiction-Oper "War of the Martian Ghosts" (eine elektronische Version von 2023 und eine Klavierversion von 2018). Diese Doppel-Vinyl-/Dreifach-CD-Sammleredition enthält ein umfangreiches Booklet mit 9000 Wörtern über das Leben und Werk des Künstlers sowie Gedichten, Interviews, Zitaten und 30 Archivfotos. Dies ist ein Stück Musikgeschichte Chicagos. Die bemerkenswerte Geschichte von Dr. Charles Joseph Smith beginnt mit der musikalischen Begabung eines stummen Kindes und der zielstrebigen Art und Weise, wie er dieses Talent förderte, um es zu seiner Lebensaufgabe und Daseinsberechtigung zu machen. Charles erzählt von dieser künstlerischen Reise in seiner Autobiografie ,The 88 Keys that Opened Doors", einem selbst veröffentlichten Buch, das ein Leben beschreibt, in dem Musik der wichtigste Schlüssel war (und immer noch ist), um die großen Herausforderungen durch Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen (ASD) zu meistern. Seine Karriere als Musiker startet in der Kirche, führt ihn in die internationale Konzertszene und endet schließlich in Chicagos experimenteller Underground-Szene, wo sie seltsame Früchte trägt. Auf diesem Weg hat Charles Joseph Smiths kompositorische Stimme populäre Musik von Pop bis Jazz, den Gospel der Kirche, den Kanon des klassischen Konservatoriums, moderne Tanzmusik und den regelbrechenden Experimentalismus der DIY-Subkultur seiner Stadt, in der er seit über 30 Jahren eine tragende Rolle spielt, aufgenommen und verarbeitet. Seit Mitte der 1990er Jahre tritt Charles auf, tanzt und verkauft seine selbst veröffentlichten Musik- und Schriftwerke persönlich, oft bei lokalen Shows, die er regelmäßig besucht. In Chicago ist er als lebendes Symbol für die Kraft der Musik und den beliebten Gemeinschaftsgeist im Herzen der DIY-Szene bekannt. Dies ist die definitive Sammlung seiner Originalaufnahmen - auch wenn es unmöglich wäre, die ganze Bandbreite der Musik, Poesie und Prosa des produktiven Dr. Charles Joseph Smith zu erfassen.

The new album by L.Y.R., their third commercial release, begins with the idea that the furthest points of light - stars - can only be seen in the dark. It’s a kind of contradiction that finds musical expression in these new tracks, the band always navigating towards sightings of hopefulness and constancy in an increasingly bewildering and storm-battered world.

The term dark sky reservation has its origins in environmentalism, and several tracks on the album deal with the messed-up weather of our contemporary planet, both meteorological and psychological, from descriptions of an earth deluged by thunderstorms to the soggy back-gardens of suburbia, a climate crisis brought on by rampant urbanism. In that context, dark sky reservations are those regions of the landscape where light pollution is discouraged and even outlawed, to allow scientists and casual stargazers to peer into the cosmos and see the glory of the constellations, patterns of light that have entranced and mystified us for hundreds of thousands of years.

It’s from those designated zones that human beings get a sense of their place in the universe, and experience the wonder of the here and now against a context of eternity and infinity. An alternative to the hectic craziness of everyday life, so often virtual and synthetic, the dark sky reservation is a place of refuge and dreaming, and like L.Y.R.’s music, such spaces are earmarked for contemplation and thoughtfulness.

L.Y.R. is author and current British poet laureate Simon Armitage, singer-songwriter Richard Walters and multi-instrumentalist & producer Patrick Pearson.

The songs "At the End of August" and "Bloodwork" were released as singles, the latter of which was featured in the 2004 film Resident Evil: Apocalypse. The album was produced by James Paul Wisner and is considered by the community as a metalcore classic. 36 Crazyfists has earned their stars in the metalcore scene, taking little influences from bands here and there, but generally coming out with something incredibly singular and emotionally hard-hitting. A Snow Capped Romance is available on black vinyl and comes with a 4 page booklet.

In his 1954 book The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley theorized that every person lives and experiences life on their own island universe. We can try to explain our experience to others using language, symbols, and art, but we'll never be sure that we're feeling something precisely the same as anyone else. This line of thinking has become a source of inspiration for many prolific artists. Now, Cincinnati-based producer Jason Grimez is inviting us to hear what it sounds like on an island of his own creation. The Island of Dr. Bionic is the third installment in Dr. Bionic's Terrestrial Radio series. Due out 5/2/2025 on Chiefdom Records, it's a collection of instrumental fusion for fans of hip-hop, jazz, funk, and beyond. Grimez is the producer, mixer, and mastermind behind Dr. Bionic. He's a Cincinnati-based creator with a deep understanding of 90s hip-hop and DJ culture, and he draws inspiration from music of all kinds. Grimez' ever-growing catalog is best described as organic groove. He calls on a rotating cast of veteran musicians to join him at his home studio to write, record, and try out new ideas. Long-time listeners will find some familiar names in the liner notes, for good reason. 'Life Span' (track 14) features a head-bobbing beat from Marvin Hawkins. Nick Brown is responsible for the dreamy Rhodes performance on 'Shell Of The Soul' (track 11). If Charlie Suit's unforgettable sax performance on 'The Path Of Stars' (track 16) is stuck in your head for more than 3 days, please consult Dr. Bionic. Once the recording sessions are complete, the real production work begins. "We get together and record a ton of stuff, and then I'll go back and cut it and mix it together," Grimez explained. "It all finds a home over time."

SY3 (pronounced ‘sigh’) is a new project from LA-based Chinese-American artists Kelly Guan, Alex Ho, and Phil Cho. The trio started working on music together in 2023 after connecting over a shared love of Hong Kong New Wave cinema, Cantonese pop songs, r&b, and melody-driven dance music. Singer Kelly Guan aka Jia Pet has been independently releasing ‘bubbly’ pop music since 2022, and recently toured with the genre-bending indie artist Sasami. Multi-instrumentalists Ho (keyboards, saxophone) and Cho (guitar, bass) have collaborated frequently over the past decade, most notably on Ho’s 2021 debut album 'Move Through It' for Music From Memory.

Lead single ‘Tell Me,’ the track that initially caught the ears of MFM's Jamie Tiller and Tako, nods to the hazy downtempo explored by Chinese pop stars like Faye Wong and Zhou Xun in the ‘00s, while also recalling Japanese producer Yoshinori Sunahara’s iconic album 'Lovebeat'. Beyond musical influences, SY3’s neon-drenched pop songs draw from a cinematic language, particularly y2k-era films like Made in Hong Kong and Suzhou River, which speak to a generation of disillusioned youth in an increasingly fast-paced world. Guan’s lyrics depict characters caught in bittersweet love affairs (‘dial tone, when I’m alone, you promised we’ll be in touch') forever looking towards an escape from their current realities (‘I know the walls are high, these graceless hands are slipping’). Title track ‘梦游 Sleepwalker’ features a Cantonese spoken-word story about a sleepwalking young girl who sits alone on a balcony wondering where she might have gone the night before. The drifting ambient production loosely references a traditional Chinese folk melody, and closes out the EP with a delicate, layered saxophone solo from Ho.

Balancing intimacy with a wider emotional and visual language, SY3’s debut unfolds as a series of nocturnal pop vignettes shaped by memory, cinema, and place. Released digitally and on vinyl through Music From Memory on March 25th. Sleeve art and design by Michael Willis.

Als Justin Morris 2019 nach einem Leben in North Carolina nach New York City zog, hatte er vor, das Gegenteil von dem zu machen, wofür die Leute normalerweise in die Stadt ziehen: seinen Traum aufzugeben. Seit seiner Kindheit war dieser Traum einfach: Songs schreiben, in Bands spielen, im ,Indie-Rock" leben. Aber als er für einen der größten Indie-Stars der Zeit Merchandise verkaufte, geriet diese Überzeugung ins Wanken. Von seinem Platz im Bus aus betrachtet, schien der Alltag auf Tournee nicht zu den faszinierenden Shows zu passen; Zugaben wichen einer Arbeitsrealität, die ihm die berufliche Seite von etwas zeigte, das er immer nur romantisiert hatte, und ihn fragen ließ, wo der Glanz geblieben war. Für seine naive Weltanschauung war die Kluft zwischen der Fantasie, ,es zu schaffen", und der Realität erschütternd. Wenn das ,der Traum" war, dachte er, musste er vielleicht überdacht werden. New York sollte ein Neuanfang sein, vielleicht sogar der Ort, an dem er einen anderen Beruf erlernen und die Musik hinter sich lassen würde. Doch weniger als einen Tag nach seinem Einzug in die Untermiete in Bushwick trat ein Mann mit einer Waffe seine Schlafzimmertür ein, zwang ihn auf den Boden und fesselte seine Hände mit Fernsehkabeln. In den Tagen nach dem Raubüberfall, in denen er nur noch durch Songs einen Sinn in den Dingen erkennen konnte, begann er wieder zu schreiben. Diese Songs wurden zum Beginn eines neuen Projekts, das er Sluice nannte. Sluice ist jetzt eine vierköpfige Band aus Durham, North Carolina - mit Morris an der Gitarre und am Gesang, Oliver Child-Lanning am Bass und verschiedenen Instrumenten, Avery Sullivan am Schlagzeug und Libby Rodenbough an der Geige - mit Companion, ihrem dritten Album und Debüt bei Mtn Laurel Recording Co. Es folgt auf Radial Gate aus dem Jahr 2023, das still geliebte Album, das Morris aufgenommen hatte, nachdem er aus New York geflohen war und sich mit dem damals noch unbekannten Child-Lanning in einem Haus in Hillsborough niedergelassen hatte, das er über Craigslist gefunden hatte. Dort nahm er Songs im Sylvan Essos Studio Bettys auf, während er als Zimmermann arbeitete. ,Companion" ist ein Album über das Dating, über das Verlieben zu den weitläufigen Refrains von Kenny Chesney und Alan Jackson. Der ,Begleiter" ändert seine Form: Manchmal hat er einen Namen (Sara, Bluey, Of Doe Eyes), manchmal ist er ein Hund, der morgens aus der Tür schlüpft, manchmal ist es Morris selbst, der sein Spiegelbild im Badezimmerspiegel sieht und murmelt: ,Junge, ich liebe dich." Manchmal sind es die Tischler, die Stadtbewohner, die Bandkollegen, die alten Tourkollegen, die wieder in sein Leben treten. In seinem sachlichen, ironiefreien lyrischen Stil, den Pitchfork einmal als ,eine Umerziehung in Aufrichtigkeit" beschrieb, wirken diese Menschen real, weil sie es sind. Und immer in greifbarer Nähe ist die Musik selbst, die Begleiterin, die fast verloren gegangen wäre.

DIY-Haltung, Slacker-Romantik und der Flirt mit den MTV-Heydays - eine bewährte Ästhetik, die irgendwie nicht totzukriegen ist und neuerdings in HI MUM aus Nürnberg ein weiteres Pro- Argument findet. Ja, das Quartett hat sich frisch formiert. Nein, der Begriff Newcomer trifft es trotzdem nicht ganz. Jedenfalls sollte die direkte Vorgängerband MAFFAI nicht gänzlich unerwähnt bleiben, auch wenn es zu kurz gegriffen wäre, die Verwandtschaft der beiden Projekte schlicht auf den Tausch der Frontperson zu reduzieren. Elan und Skillset beibehalten, profitieren HI MUM zwar vom Knowhow der letzten Jahre, schlagen musikalisch aber eine spürbar andere Richtung ein. Alternative, Shoegaze, Indie und Grunge sind in diesem Zusammenhang Genre-Bezeichnungen, die sich zweifellos aufdrängen.

On Blinking as the Starlight Burns Out Paula Kelley explores her reverence for the dark edges of pop music, crafting a deeply personal song cycle informed by her career as a musician, song-writer and arranger. Channelling some of her most treasured pop-noir classics by Judee Sill, Colin Blunstone and Big Star, the songs on her first album in almost 20 years are filled with heart-wrenching melodies and layer-upon-layer of lush, kinetic instrumentation.