Buscar:jok s

Deutsche Grammophon präsentiert das aufregende neue Filmprojekt der mehrfach ausgezeichneten (Oscar,
2 Grammys, Golden Globe, Emmy, BAFTA u.a.) isländischen Komponistin und Cellistin Hildur Guðnadóttir
(Joker, Chernobyl, Battlefield 2042 u.a.) - ein bahnbrechendes Konzeptalbum für den neuen Film TÁR
des dreifach Oscar-nominierten Todd Field mit Cate Blanchett in der Hauptrolle als Dirigentin Lydia Tár.
Blanchett tauchte in jeden Aspekt des Lebens ihrer Figur ein und ist auf dem Album zu hören, wie sie
die Proben einer Mahler-Sinfonie mit außerordentlichem Geschick leitet. Bereits bei der Premiere im
Rahmen des Venice Film Festivals wurde sie für diese herausragende Leistung ausgezeichnet, sodass der
Film schon jetzt als Frontrunner für die Oscars und Award Season 2022/23 gilt. Das facettenreiche Album
präsentiert sowohl Musik aus dem Film wie auch durch den Film inspirierte Musik, darunter eine Reihe von
eindringlichen neuen Stücken von Hildur Guðnadóttir, sowie Auszüge aus Werken Elgars und Mahlers. Es
ergänzt die faszinierende Handlung des Films, indem es vollendete, reale Versionen der Musik präsentiert,
an denen die fiktive Protagonistin Lydia Tár bereits im Film arbeitet. Ziel des Albums ist es, dem Hörer
etwas von der Komplexität des musikalischen Proben- und Aufnahmeprozesses zu vermitteln. ”Das Album,
wie auch der Film, soll für den Hörer das komplexe Wirrwarr erlebbar werden lassen, wenn Musik gemacht
wird.“ (Todd Field).

Back in the early days of GAMM we used to release Hip Hop reworks of classic golden era favourites.

After tons and tons of Disco, Jazz, House and Latin reworks we thought it was time to bring it back to the streets of the American east coast with a three part 7" inch series produced (not edited) by the mighty Lee Gomez aka Wipe The Needle.

The beats are all brand new production but you'll probably recognise the vocals.
Over the 3 releases you'll hear shades of inspiration from classic producers like Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Dilla and DITC.
It almost sounds as if these are the original productions. No joke...it's that strong!!

Back in the early days of GAMM we used to release Hip Hop reworks of classic golden era favourites.

After tons and tons of Disco, Jazz, House and Latin reworks we thought it was time to bring it back to the streets of the American east coast with a three part 7" inch series produced (not edited) by the mighty Lee Gomez aka Wipe The Needle.

The beats are all brand new production but you'll probably recognise the vocals.
Over the 3 releases you'll hear shades of inspiration from classic producers like Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Dilla and DITC.
It almost sounds as if these are the original productions. No joke...it's that strong!!

1974 entstanden die Zusammenstellungen Planeten Sit-In und Sci-Fi Party mit der Musik aus den Jam Sessions der Cosmic Jokers. Unter einem konzeptionellen Mantel wurden die legendären Aufnahmen einem jungen Publikum nähergebracht. Unter den Musiker die Elite der damaligen Krautrocker, wie Manuel Göttsching, Klaus Schulze, Jürgen Dollase, Harald Grosskopf und Dieter Dierks der für die Aufnahmen, Arrangement und den Mix zuständig war, aber auch als Musiker mitwirkte. Neu transferiert von den originalen analogen Bändern und sorgfältig und erstmalig remastert. ENG The compilations Planeten Sit-In and Sci Fi Party, both originally released in 1974, are a contemporary document of the legendary jam sessions of the Cosmic Jokers. Under a conceptual mantle, the recordings were brought to a young audience. Among the musicians the elite of the Krautrockers of that time, like Manuel Göttsching, Klaus Schulze, Jürgen Dollase, Harald Grosskopf and Dieter Dierks who was responsible for the recordings, arrangement and mixing, but also participated as a musician. Newly transferred from the original analog tapes and carefully remastered for the first time.

1974 entstanden die Zusammenstellungen Planeten Sit-In und Sci-Fi Party mit der Musik aus den Jam Sessions der Cosmic Jokers. Unter einem konzeptionellen Mantel wurden die legendären Aufnahmen einem jungen Publikum nähergebracht. Unter den Musiker die Elite der damaligen Krautrocker, wie Manuel Göttsching, Klaus Schulze, Jürgen Dollase, Harald Grosskopf und Dieter Dierks der für die Aufnahmen, Arrangement und den Mix zuständig war, aber auch als Musiker mitwirkte. Neu transferiert von den originalen analogen Bändern und sorgfältig und erstmalig remastert. ENG The compilations Planeten Sit-In and Sci Fi Party, both originally released in 1974, are a contemporary document of the legendary jam sessions of the Cosmic Jokers. Under a conceptual mantle, the recordings were brought to a young audience. Among the musicians the elite of the Krautrockers of that time, like Manuel Göttsching, Klaus Schulze, Jürgen Dollase, Harald Grosskopf and Dieter Dierks who was responsible for the recordings, arrangement and mixing, but also participated as a musician. Newly transferred from the original analog tapes and carefully remastered for the first time.

Finally available on vinyl for the first time, with extra tracks - Limited edition numbered red vinyl. 500 copies worldwide A supergroup with twenty lead singers from twenty different bands, featuring members of: Killing Joke, Carcass, Funeral For a Friend, Therapy, Hundred Reasons, Napalm Death, Sikth, Pitchshifter, Fightstar, Earthtone 9, Amen, New Model Army, Send More Paramedics, Hiding Place, Romeo Must Die, Murder One, Hondo Maclean. Architect and founding This is Menace member MD Clayden (Pitchshifter) has curated ‘Ism’ adding previously unreleased material. Reviews: “A living, breathing, subversive collective.” Kerrang Magazine / “Furious. Like a juggernaut. F*ck yeah!” Metal Hammer Magazine / “Brash...and brilliant to break stuff to.” NME

1971 entstand unter der Leitung von Jürgen Dollase, der auch alle Titel komponierte, dieses Album, welches 1972 veröffentlicht wurde. Aufgenommen wurde in den Dierks Studios durch Dieter Dierks selbst. Dollase und der Schlagzeuger Harald Grosskopf waren später auch Mitglieder der legendären Cosmic Jokers. Das Debütalbum wurde von treuen Krautrock Fans eher im Bereich des Progressiv Rock verortet, womit sie dem Album nicht wirklich gerecht wurden. Opulente langatmige Werke wie Lunetic mit einer Spieldauer von 12 Minuten zählen heute zu den Highlights dessen was unter Krautrock zusammengefasst wird. Von den originalen analog Bändern transferiert und sorgfältig remastert, ohne den Charakter der Aufnahmen zu zerstören. Absolut hörenswert! ENG In 1971, under the direction of Jürgen Dollase, who also composed all the tracks, this album was recorded and finally released in 1972. It was recorded at Dierks Studios by Dieter Dierks himself. Dollase and drummer Harald Grosskopf were later also members of the legendary Cosmic Jokers. Loyal Krautrock fans labelled this album as Progressive Rock - but that doesn't really do justice. Opulent, lengthy works like Lunetic with a playing time of 12 minutes are today among the highlights of what is summarized as Krautrock. Transferred from the original analog tapes and carefully remastered without destroying the character of the recordings. Absolutely worth listening to!

Repress!

European version of the long overdue LOS CRUDOS Discography collection. LOS CRUDOS, formed in Chicago's Pilsen neighbourhood in the early 90's, are a Latino punk band with a strong socio-political message and an extremely militant DIY attitude. During their first incarnation, spanning the years 1991 to 1998 the band self-released their own records, printed their own merch, booked their own shows and toured relentlessly around the world. From South America to Japan including a 3 month European tour in the winter of 1996. They spoke to the freaks the outsiders and the minorities and were not afraid of confronting the white middle class punk who reigned supreme during the terrible 90's. A time which will not be remembered for their hardcore output except for a few exceptions, in which CRUDOS are surely included. Their sound, far from being a copycat of whatever flavour of the month was reigning at the time was heavy rooted in the golden years of European and Latino American ferocious hardcore punk. With bands as IMPACT, WRETCHED, OLHO SECO, TERVEET KADET or MASACRE 68 as obvious influences in a time when the simple mention of any of those bands (or any non English speaking bands really) was usually met with a laugh or a joke. They sang in Spanish, with aggression and conviction and that made their message spread out widely, reaching thousands of Spanish speaking punks both in Latino America and Spain as well as inside USA where third generation Latino kids surely were missing a voice within the punk scene. The band split up in 1998 after a really intense year of touring and reformed in 2008. The band will be undertaking their first ever Scandinavian tour in July/ Agust 2016. This collection, originally released as a benefit for MRR magazine last year, includes all the LOS CRUDOS output plus compilation tracks as well as a couple demo tracks and an unreleased song. The European version comes in a gatefold sleeve and brings a 40 page booklet with flyers and the lyrics of all songs.

Track list: 1. Tiempos De La Miseria 2. Me Robaron 3. Crudo Soy 4. La Madres Lloran 5. Eliminación 6. Desde Afuera 7. Asesinos 8. Se Ve En Tu Cara 9. Cipayos, Traidores y Vendidos 10. Sin Caras 11. No Estoy Convencido 12. Curiosidad 13. ¿Por Qué? 14. Tú Lo Enseñaste 15. Lucha Para Que Te Escuchen 16. Corrido Jodido 17. Escaleras 18. Llegan Empujando 19. Nada Cambia 20. Achicados 21. En Mi Opinión 22. No Te Debo Nada 23. Levántate 24. La Caída De Latinoamérica 25. Nos Quieren Como Siempre 26. No Me Vengan A Salvar 27. Déjanos En Paz 28. Tierra De Libertad 29. Victorias y Ganancias 30. Unidad Prohibida 31. That's Right We're That Spic Band 32. Poco a Poco 33. Suéltalo 34. Migra Violencia 35. Viejos Patéticos 36. Del Pasado Al Presente 37. Esto No Trae Precio 38. A Los Inseguros 39. Tomando Los Golpes 40. No Existen Palomas Blancas En Mi Barrio 41. No Va A Haber Revolución 42. ¿Quién Es El Pendejo Más Grande? 43. ¿Qué Pasó Con La Paz? 44. Metiendo Sal En La Llaga 45. ¿Vas A Regresar? 46. Hardcoregoismo 47. Naciste Con Voz 48. Ilegal, ¿Y Qué? 50. Identidad Perdida 51. Vendedores De Dolor 52. 500 Anos 53. ¿Ahora Quién Se Queja? 54. Lengua Armada 55. ¿Qué Paso Con La Paz? (Alt. Version) 56. Peleamos 57. Escupiendo En Tu Propia Cara 58. Que Te Conviene 59. Me Lo Paso Por El Culo 60. Cobardes 61. Desde El Barrio 62. Sin Título 63. Somos Peligrosos 64. No Se Acabó 65. Lo Que Queremos 66. ¿Qué Me Importa? 67. Mediocre

Debut album by Dutch producer w1b0, who passed away in August, to be released in November on U-TRAX.

Wibo Lammerts' sudden death on August 15thshocked the worldwide electro community, and also left the record label, that had been working on the debut album with the artist known as w1b0 for the past two years, dumbfounded and in grief.

Wibo had jokingly always called his upcoming debut album 'his legacy', which now sadly has become a painful truth. With the support of Wibo's family, U-TRAX is now doing the only thing that doesn't feel totally wrong: proceed as planned, and release 'When Humans Ruled The Earth' on November 11.

W1b0 made quite a name for himself with heavy electro tracks that he released on labels like Bass Agenda, Hilltown Disco and Discos Antónicos. Standing at 202 meters, and combined with a cheerful character, most people remember him as the gentle giant of electro.
For this album, Wibo wanted to steer away from the dark and heavy electro he mostly made until then. The idea of having a platform to create delicate electronic music in different styles, and make it a showcase of his versatility, was very appealing to him. And that is where he and U-TRAX found each other.

The full-length album (over 75 minutes on cd and digital) comes after 'The Pilex Program EP', released in October, that featured a remix by Detroit's Ectomorph of 'Pilex Driver' and saw 'Program Yourself To Feel' remixed by a well-known Dutch producer that recently created the new 'techno alias' Human Form.
As usual with U-TRAX, the album comes in three different editions, with the 11-track double vinyl version containing the Ectomorph and Human Form remixes. The CD and digital version boast original versions only, plus four additional tracks: 'Alternate Reality Interface', 'Mixed Matter Fluctator', 'Synthetic', and 'In There'. The cassette version more or less has the same track list as the CD/digi version, but has both aforementioned remixes and a bonus track in the incredibly hypnotizing 'I Wanted You', a track that unfortunately couldn't be on the CD and vinyl versions.

Buyers of the physical releases get treated on superior quality products, another trademark of U-TRAX. The vinyl edition boasts over one hour of music, on two 180 grams, green vinyl discs, in a black & white & neon green gatefold sleeve. The eye-catching artwork is created by Utrecht artist Leffe Goldstein, known amongst others for his psychedelic beer can designs for Utrecht brewery Maximus. Wibo, being the beer lover he was, had zero doubts about having Leffe Goldstein do the cover for his album. The CD has a total playing time of 75 minutes and comes in a beautiful 6-panel digipack, while the cassette will have full-color on-body print and comes in a plastic-free Maltese cross fold-up sleeve.

Buyers of the physical releases get treated on superior quality products, another trademark of U-TRAX. The vinyl edition boasts over one hour of music, on two 180 grams, green vinyl discs, in a black & white & neon green gatefold sleeve. The eye-catching artwork is created by Utrecht artist Leffe Goldstein, known amongst others for his psychedelic beer can designs for Utrecht brewery Maximus. Wibo, being the beer lover he was, had zero doubts about having Leffe Goldstein do the cover for his album. The CD has a total playing time of 75 minutes and comes in a beautiful 6-panel digipack, while the cassette will have full-color on-body print and comes in a plastic-free Maltese cross fold-up sleeve.

Opener 'Acid Whip' is one of the oldest compositions on this album, in which a dark 303 bassline hums over layers of spacey strings. Wibo named it after the legendary Whip It party in Amsterdam's De Melkweg. 'Alternate Reality Interface' then presents bouncy rhythms toying around with all sorts of analog (bass) synthesizers, before we go really deep with the epic ambient techno track 'Wandering Souls'.
Then things get a little lighter spirited: 'Mixed Matter Fluctator' is an electro track that builds on sounds created by Matt Buggins. It has very strong Detroit influences, the city Wibo loved so much and that he made a pilgrimage to with a group of friends that called themselves 'The Techno Tourists'. The tempo goes up a notch in 'Program Yourself To Feel', that halfway opens up in wide science fiction strings that evoke memories of Star Wars, the movie series that Wibo was a great fan of, and that was the source of many of his tracks' names. The Human Form remix opens the vinyl edition of this album and is a downright belter of a track.

Next is a somewhat experimental intermezzo named 'Synthetic'. Erratic beats and pounding bassdrums get accompanied by very subtle eerie-sounding strings, before melancholic synthesizers and piano chords take over. This is an excellent prelude to the epic 'Hologram Computing', a track that is one of our favorites. It slowly and softly builds and builds, before a pounding bassdrum breaks loose and a hypnotic arpeggio takes you to higher planes.
Not ready to letting the listener relax, w1bo then serves 'Beilstein Reference', which again presents his trademark cocktail of down-to-earth electro rhythms and catchy melodies, covered in all sort of little sounds and noises, giving the song a lot of energy. What follows is 'Hit me', a track loosely based on a song by Dutch indie rock band Mr. Joe Abe. Wibo met the band's singer on a camping site while being on holidays and the two decided Wibo should do a remix of one of their songs. Nothing was left of the original except the vocals, and the result is a remarkable cheerful, poppy electro song.

'Anticipated Input' is one of the more recent tracks Wibo made for this album, combining electro, acid and, yes: epic strings. But not all is peace and quiet on this album, as 'Pilex Driver' shows. This is w1b0 going experimental in a danceable fashion: Industrial sounds make the track sound like we're passing a construction site that is playing loud electro music. On the vinyl version of this album, Ectomorph totally decomposed the original and made it into a mysterious, almost subdued, and totally brilliant electro track that sees a main role for the retro Roland CR drum machines sounds.

TFHats, Wibo's fellow member of the Transhumanism collective, added lyrics to 'Cartesian Coordinates'. His vocals add a pleasant New Wave flavor to this song, that has breaks that remarkably reminds one of Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. What follows is the most personal track on this album. 'Fornan' is a song that Wibo made for his wife Nanette, and was added as the last piece of the puzzle that creating an album is. The warm Detroit techno atmosphere in this electro song couldn't be a more beautiful tribute to his love, and mother of their two young boys.
The album then takes a surprising detour through a 1980s landscape with 'In There', that features the Joy Division-esque vocals of another one of Wibo's friends, indicated only as Vincent. The super slow and gloomy track is a treat for anyone that loved the darker side of New Wave. The album has a worthy closer in the sensitive, yet playful 'Schlegel Diagram'.








h 08: Hit Me (w1b0's Slugfest Assault Dub) feat. Mr Joe Abe

'Hear what happen now! We used to punch the juke box lunchtime... Me and me friends had a kinda thing like the juke box was our sound system and we'd use our lunch money to play the baddest tunes on the juke box.

We were aided and abetted by a kinda dodgy little shop keeper cause we were kids and we were in the rum bar punching the juke box when we weren't supposed to be allowed! So we were breaking all the rules... punching the juke box and taking turns to play the wickedest tunes in the juke box...' - Ossie Thomas.

Breaking rules from the outset Ossie Thomas had furthered his childhood fascination with music while still attending Oberlin High School and many more rules would be broken when together with Phillip Morgan he set up the Black Solidarity label in 1979 on Delamare Avenue deep in the heart of the Kingston ghetto...

'I used to tell people that dance hall was like styles and fashions, if you have a wicked style and you have the fashion you go make it in the dancehall... You understand... - Ossie Thomas.

The current moment in music is an interesting one: electronic music is more popular than ever, but at the same time there is a growing counterworld of new bands and musicians who are inventing new styles by reinterpreting old styles and combining live music with electronic production. Many of these new musicians are switching between "scenes" and styles - just like many young listeners do today. Kryptox, the sub-label of Toy Tonics, is a platform for these new hybrid musicians. Noah Fürbringer is one of these new talents. Moving in these intermediate worlds - a virtuoso drummer, composer and busy band leader who is at home in many genres and besides writing his own great music which he debuts on this album he also is a side musicians for some big names of the German rap and indie pop scene.

Omochi, (honorific “O” before mochi) in daily parlance is a rice cake, a dense glutinous product suited to many recipes, sweet or savoury. Stick one under the grill, watch it burst open, wrap it in crisp seaweed and dip it in soya sauce - a healthy snack, and a staple around Japanese New Year. Like everything, Omochi also has its dark side - each year it kills off a small section of the aged community, the gluey bolus a hard act to swallow - the unwary can quickly choke to death.

This Omochi is in fact Tadaki Matsunaga, of early 2000s Tokyo three piece Femini Flyers. The original Feminis were Tadaki (bass), Sachie (vocals) and Koji (drums) that was it, no guitars, no synths, Tadaki's bass being the rhythm and lead, and boy could he make it sing. Their 7” single Like You See / Masterbed was an early Ethbo release was the most requested track from Japan Blues’ Boiler Room Collections video - now pulled off the internet by The Powers That Be - since it was first aired, way back in 2014. Now the single trades for a collector's premium with those in the know. Since that recording, Omochi has built, and been working in, his home studio. The first release being his Ethbo 7” Devil, in 2019.

The follow-up is a roller-coaster ride, his own take on several genres in his forage bag, marinated to his own recipe. You'll hear his expert bass in amongst the fungii, some slick R'n'B guitar styling, several dollops of glitch-tronics, some falling-down-the-stairs drum'n'bass, a slice of kraut, Omochi's louche voice, and a spot of Sachie, the lead singer of the legendary Feminis.

This modern psychedelic omnibus, flying in the face of logic (an Ethbo template) was pressed by Omochi at Toyo Kasei, the last independent Japanese pressing plant, housed it in a tip on sleeve and shipped it to the UK, grill-ready for release. Itadakimasu!

Surging brass and organ-laden funk wonderment! Formed in 1967, Crow
combines gritty blues with nasty, hard-charging garage rock
Inspired by the likes of The Ventures and The Trashmen, Minnesota natives Harry
Nehls, Dick Wiegand, and Larry Wiegand combined forces with ex- Jokers Wild
members David Wagner and Dave Kink Middlemist. Originally known as South 40,
the band released two singles and one album, Live at Someplace Else, on
Metrobeat Records.
After winning a recording session with Columbia from a battle of the bands
contest in Des Moines, Iowa, the band recorded five demos: Evil Woman, Time to
Make a Turn, Busy Day, and White Eyes. Columbia didn't offer the band a contract,
but Dunwich signed the band.
To give their sound a more commercial appeal, Dunwich added horns to Evil
Woman without the band's knowledge- and it worked! Crow signed with Capitol
subsidiary Amaret Records after turning down Atlantic, hoping to be a big fish in a
small pond. Recording their first electrifying album, Crow Music, in 1969, Crow
delivered their very best. Before it was covered by Black Sabbath and Ike & Tina
Turner, their acclaimed single, Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games With Me), hit
the Top 20 that Fall. Reminiscent of Blood, Sweat & Tears, Deep Purple, and
James Gang, Crow blends an alluring mix of soul, funk, blues, psychedelia, and
garage rock into one package. I'm sure you'll agree Crow Music is a holy grail of
heart-poundin', grease grindin' rock!

16 years on from its deliverance, Killing Joke release the deluxe version of arguably one of their darkest albums to date, ‘Hosannas From The Basements of Hell’. In addition to the 9 bludgeoning tracks featured on the original incarnation of ‘Hosannas…’ the deluxe version has three deep cuts - ‘Afterburner’, ‘Afterburner (alternative version)’ and ‘Universe B’ - all regarded as some of the best and most powerful Killing Joke songs ever.

Transparent Double LP

Sixteen years on from its deliverance, Killing Joke release the deluxe version of arguably their darkest album to date, "Hosannas From The Basements of Hell". In addition to the nine bludgeoning tracks featured on the original incarnation of "Hosannas..." the deluxe version has three deep cuts - "Afterburner", "Afterburner (alternative version)" and "Universe B" - all regarded as some of the best and most powerful Killing Joke songs ever.

“A Dream In A Dream” is the debut LP by DJ Piper, also known as Felix Wagner of techno superstar duo FJAAK.
One might be surprised about this all hip-hop instrumental album looking at Felix’ all dance music focussed musical resumé. Nevertheless, he has been crafting rap beats ever since he started producing as a teen, but had his childhood friends freestyle over the tracks solely. It took until 2020 when he teamed up with Lukas and
Jonathan Nixdorff of Kommerz Records to release his first solo track “Iluminay”, which was part of “Kommerz Season 1: Anti-Virus” compilation and shared by B-Real of Cypress Hill right away.

Now, 2022, marks the right moment to share his debut album, a waltzing ode to hip-hop’s golden era. The Berlin- Spandau original merges the legacies of both Pete Rock and Dr. Dre, while funky breakbeats meet laid back SoCal “Chronic” vibes. 12 instrumental tracks and 2 skits strong, his album tells the story of a young man, who lives up to his wildest teenage dreams. Most of the track ideas came up while being on tour with FJAAK. Between international transit areas, making inspirational new friends and bizarre encounters all over the world, beat making became DJ Piper’s safe space to process all the positive madness around him. As a result, “A Dream In A Dream” breathes that raw, untamable creative energy around Felix’ extraordinary day-to-day life, while being heavily influenced by the sound of his childhood, 90s and 2000s rap.

To visualize “A Dream In A Dream” DJ Piper and Kommerz Records joined forces with Raman Djafari, a childhood friend of the artist, who illustrated music videos for Dua Lipa and Elton John (no joke!) and worked for New Release Information Adult Swim. Raman’s supernaturalistic aesthetics bring life to DJ Piper’s somewhat psychedelic, somewhat nostalgic fantasy, locating the album in an otherworldly version of Spandau, hometown to both of the artists.
As one half of FJAAK Felix became an icon of Berlin techno conquering major festival stages and mainstream audiences while heavily representing underground D.I.Y. mentality up to this very day. As an initiator of Spandau20 label and collective, Felix pushes his creative family and day 1’s regardless of commercial potentials.
The same ethos and love for culture fuels the DJ Piper project. No matter if it’s FJAAK or DJ Piper, techno or hiphop… Integrity is key!

This performance by Waylon Jennings was no April Fool's joke - This was the "new" Waylon, both personally and professionally - He had kicked a 20-year drug habit, split with RCA and signed a new deal with MCA Records - He discovered a passion for songwriting, teamed with
legendary producer Jimmy Bowen, and produced some of the best work of his 30-year-plus career

He credited his wife and soul mate, Jessie Colter, for much of his inspiration. This was Waylon's second trip to the ACL stage, but the one that best captures the raw edge and driving urgency that pushed country music way past its
Nashville boundaries starting in the mid-1970's. He was described as the leader
of the country "Outlaw" movement, which he often dismissed as just another
marketing scam, but there's no denying that he turned the music on its head and
took it way beyond its rural southern roots. This West Texas boy who worked as a
DJ and started his own band at 14, then later played with Buddy Holly, left an
indelible mark on the music he loved. He was a class act, this man called Hoss --
Terry Lickona (Producer Austin City Limits).

After a long period of time separated from their bandmates due to COVID,
The Homeless Gospel Choir and Teenage Halloween went into their
respective studios and recorded two new songs each
Derek Zanetti of The Homeless Gospel Choir had this to say about the process:
"After spending months apart from each other and feeling the bitter bite of
quarantine, we wanted to write songs for each other to help us get through the
lonely times. "Pittsburgh Shoes and "Harrisburg Shoes" are love songs written to
encourage and uplift one another and remind ourselves about the goodness that
is to come.
It was amazing for us to all be in a room together playing music and capturing the
magical moments of being a band. All of the elements and musicality that is so
important, small nuances, and inside jokes are all laid out in a way that you can
hear everything." Pressed on Opaque Yellow Color vinyl.

Surging brass and organ-laden funk wonderment! Formed in 1967, Crow
combines gritty blues with nasty, hard-charging garage rock
Inspired by the likes of The Ventures and The Trashmen, Minnesota natives Harry
Nehls, Dick Wiegand, and Larry Wiegand combined forces with ex- Jokers Wild
members David Wagner and Dave Kink Middlemist. Originally known as South 40,
the band released two singles and one album, Live at Someplace Else, on
Metrobeat Records.
After winning a recording session with Columbia from a battle of the bands
contest in Des Moines, Iowa, the band recorded five demos: Evil Woman, Time to
Make a Turn, Busy Day, and White Eyes. Columbia didn't offer the band a contract,
but Dunwich signed the band.
To give their sound a more commercial appeal, Dunwich added horns to Evil
Woman without the band's knowledge- and it worked! Crow signed with Capitol
subsidiary Amaret Records after turning down Atlantic, hoping to be a big fish in a
small pond. Recording their first electrifying album, Crow Music, in 1969, Crow
delivered their very best. Before it was covered by Black Sabbath and Ike & Tina
Turner, their acclaimed single, Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games With Me), hit
the Top 20 that Fall. Reminiscent of Blood, Sweat & Tears, Deep Purple, and
James Gang, Crow blends an alluring mix of soul, funk, blues, psychedelia, and
garage rock into one package. I'm sure you'll agree Crow Music is a holy grail of
heart-poundin', grease grindin' rock!

Surging brass and organ-laden funk wonderment! Formed in 1967, Crow
combines gritty blues with nasty, hard-charging garage rock
Inspired by the likes of The Ventures and The Trashmen, Minnesota natives Harry
Nehls, Dick Wiegand, and Larry Wiegand combined forces with ex- Jokers Wild
members David Wagner and Dave Kink Middlemist. Originally known as South 40,
the band released two singles and one album, Live at Someplace Else, on
Metrobeat Records.
After winning a recording session with Columbia from a battle of the bands
contest in Des Moines, Iowa, the band recorded five demos: Evil Woman, Time to
Make a Turn, Busy Day, and White Eyes. Columbia didn't offer the band a contract,
but Dunwich signed the band.
To give their sound a more commercial appeal, Dunwich added horns to Evil
Woman without the band's knowledge- and it worked! Crow signed with Capitol
subsidiary Amaret Records after turning down Atlantic, hoping to be a big fish in a
small pond. Recording their first electrifying album, Crow Music, in 1969, Crow
delivered their very best. Before it was covered by Black Sabbath and Ike & Tina
Turner, their acclaimed single, Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games With Me), hit
the Top 20 that Fall. Reminiscent of Blood, Sweat & Tears, Deep Purple, and
James Gang, Crow blends an alluring mix of soul, funk, blues, psychedelia, and
garage rock into one package. I'm sure you'll agree Crow Music is a holy grail of
heart-poundin', grease grindin' rock!

Sieben Jahre nach ihrem sehr erfolgreichen dritten Album HURRICANE kehren sie mit ihrem neuen Meisterwerk ROCK AND ROLL BONES
zurück!
Die Pause war das Ergebnis intensiver Tourneen, des Schreibens des neuen Albums und der Pandemie! ROCK AND ROLL BONES wurde von Gitarrist Paul Hurst und seinem Partner Anthony Brady produziert, der auch das Album gemischt hat! Es ist ein Album voller herrlicher, flüssiger
Lead-Gitarren-Licks, lebendiger, ausdrucksstarker Vocals, grooviger Basslinien und knackiger, krachender Drums sowie einer Menge eingängiger
Hooklines. Sie klingen wie eine gesunde Mischung aus CHICKENFOOT, AC/DC und THE BLACK CROWES. THE JOKERS, die aus dem Nordwesten
Englands stammen, wurden 2006 mit dem Ziel gegründet, die größte Rock'n'Roll-Band der Welt zu gründen. Ihr 2009er Debütalbum THE BIG
ROCK & ROLL SHOW wurde von Mike Fraser in Vancouver gemischt, direkt nachdem er das über 10 Millionen Mal verkaufte BLACK ICE-Album von
AC/DC gemischt hatte. Nach der Veröffentlichung verbrachte die Band zwei Jahre auf der Straße und baute eine beachtliche Fanbase auf, als man
mit Größen wie HAWKWIND, Y&T, JOE ELLIOT, ARGENT, ANVIL und FOZZY unterwegs war. Danach taten sie sich mit Produzent Andy Macpherson
(ERIC CLAPTON, THE WHO, BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST, THE BUZZCOCKS, etc.) zusammen und begannen ihr zweites Album ROCK 'N' ROLL IS ALIVE
zu schreiben, welches im September 2013 veröffentlicht wurde.
Exzessives Touren war damals schon ihr Ziel. Sie spielten jede Show, die sie bekommen konnten und machten ihre erste Headliner-Tour in Spanien
mit 17 Shows, bevor sie auf mehreren Festivals in Großbritannien spielten.
Ihr drittes Album HURRICANE erblickte 2015 das Licht der Welt. Gefolgt von Tourneen, Tourneen, Tourneen. 2018 begannen sie ROCK AND ROLL
BONES zu schreiben und aufzunehmen. Aber der Beginn der Pandemie machte alle Pläne der Veröffentlichung zunichte. Deshalb beschlossen
sie mit der Veröffentlichung zu warten bis dies vorbei war und sie nach der Veröffentlichung das tun können, was sie am besten können, nämlich
touren!

Extremely rare, under the radar afro-psychedelic LP from South Africa. This mysterious band was produced by African funk master, composer, guitarist and producer Almon Sandisa Memela, who was active since the mid 1950s, first as a musician and guitar teacher and then also as a producer. He is famous for his 1970s Afro funk works Funky Africa and the very sought after Broken Shoes.

Action features a cool mixture of incipient afro-funk and garage pop/psych, with one of its songs having been compiled on the famous Next Stop... Soweto compilation series that helped ignite the current fever for African music.



RIYL: Ofege, Blo, Aktion, The Apostles, SJOB Movement, Soweto and the likes.



First ever vinyl reissue, reproducing the original sleeve artwork and with remastered sound. 500 copies only.

***
Herdersmat.
Morderstwo.
Rotterdam.
***

The latest project from Pittsburgh-based rock band Soraia. Bloom is Soraia’s third album on Wicked Cool Records, and showcases their raw energy, poetic themes, and driving melodies. The album features ten original tracks, and a cover of Kiss’ ‘Strutter.’ Additionally, ‘Hammer and the Anvil’ is co-written by Stevie Van Zandt. The band looks forward to releasing the album on October 28, and playing the songs live during their fall tour. The album cycle will be accompanied by press, radio, and streaming campaigns.

Clear Vinyl

Downwards’ deep bonds with NYC catalyse the debut LP by Jim Siegel’s Vivid Oblivion, a reveberating post-industrial salvo produced by adopted Brooklynite Karl O’Connor (Regis), and co-mixed by Anthony Child (Surgeon) and Simon Shreeve, who also mastered it. It’s a super deep, highly atmospheric beast somewhere between Valentina Magaletti’s most expressive percussion work, Bark Psychosis, and classic, moody 4AD, which is coincidentally referenced via the artwork, made by Chris Bigg - legendary graphic designer and longtime assistant to Vaughan Oliver.

Invoking the density, vertiginous scale, and dark grimy nooks of NYC, ‘The Graphic Cabinet’ was realised by Jim Siegel - hardcore legend and occasional/regular drummer with everyone from Raspberry Bulbs to Damo Suzuki and Boredoms, made in close collaboration with Karl O’Connor aka Regis during 2021.

Stemming from intently deep listening sessions immersed in LPs by Viennese aktionist Hermann Nitsch and the myriad eras of Killing Joke, while also absorbing the atmospheres of classic Tarkovsky flicks, the album began life as gonzo field recordings of Siegel smashing the f*ck out of his drum kit, zither, scrap metal and gongs in an array of abandoned warehouse spaces. The recordings formed the basis of Karl’s compound productions, which add depth charge bass and sonorous metallic atmospheres to the mix, along with birdsong and gibbon hoots, plus guitar textures by Nick Forté (Raspberry Bulbs, Rorschach) for a dread-lusting jag deep in the belly of the Big Apple.

With a palpable tang of rust and blood in the air and grime under the fingernails, the seven tracks evoke a resoundingly brutalist portrait of space and place. Siegel’s nervy percussive discipline is framed in alternating barometric and light settings from cut to cut, variously snaking from the poltergeist clang and haunted resonance of ‘Converging and Dissolving’ to slamming motorik thrum in ‘Oblivion’ via imaginative descent into cyberpunk simulacra of the city as jungle-at-night in ‘Remnant Corridor’, replete with animalistic atmospheres that recall Organum.

While the raw attack and devilish swerve of the rhythms are utterly fundamental to the record, Karl’s atmospheric content and the animist mixing magick of Anthony Child and Simon Shreeve most potently give flesh to its bones. Patently evident on the stepping pulse and searching zither that keens into detuned orchestration on ‘Immediate Possession’, the zoned-out klang of ‘Stand Aside’ or in the flooded warehouse chaos of ‘Test For Traps’. The attention to spatial, textural and proprioceptive detail is tightened throughout, peaking with ‘Bargemaster’, a dense slab of tension that sounds like Jon Mueller’s Silo recordings fed through The Caretaker’s fogged machinery.

It’s one of the most impressive records on Downwards for a long while, bound to gnaw and spark the nerves of experimental rock and post-industrial’s greats, anything from The New Blockaders to Faust, Flying Saucer Attack and into iconic Blackest Ever Black releases in the modern era.

The Older I Get, the Funnier I Was, which follows Thomas’ brilliant 2020 HBO special The Golden One and his Can't Believe You're Happy Here EP released earlier this year, surveys a range of emotion and offers a broad sonic palette, moving between pop punk, electro, and the obvious influence of the singer-songwriters he grew up listening to in early childhood. It conjures the ennui of Bright Eyes alongside the barefaced storytelling of John Prine, the overstuffed lists of Fred Thomas with the lackadaisical humor of Colleen Green, among many others.

Thomas attributes the dexterity of the record to Duterte, who recorded and engineered most of it in addition to serving up plenty of encouragement when Thomas got down on the process. “As a comic, I used to test out new songs during sets to see if the funny bits were hitting, but since I wrote this in isolation I ended up writing lyrics and worrying less about making jokes,” Thomas says. That said, the album’s plenty funny. Stand-out and lead single “Rigamarole” opens with a Thomas-voiced infomercial that recalls his oft-cited lookalike Jim Carrey as the Grinch, before launching into a buoyant pop song about being depressed.

Whitmer Thomas will admit that when he traveled home to small town Gulf Shores, Alabama to record his HBO stand-up special, The Golden One, he expected to be greeted as a returning hero, a conquering king, or at minimum, a guy with a moderately successful career as an entertainer in Los Angeles. “I expected a big welcome home, open arms, but when I went back I realized: nobody fucking knows me. Nobody remembers me,” Thomas says. “In the years I’d been performing that show, I’d been romanticizing my childhood in this mythologized place, but the visit made me see that I’m not really from there anymore.”

The sense of alienation compounded when Thomas recognized how few people in town remembered his mom, to whom The Golden One is dedicated and largely about. Thomas grew up watching her perform with her twin sister at the legendary Flora-Bama Lounge, where he set the special, and still counts her as one of his musical influences. His new album, The Older I Get, the Funnier I Was, isn’t overtly about his mom, her presence is deeply felt throughout. While in Gulf Shores, Thomas discovered dozens of her old recordings, all of which had been wrecked by Katrina, but upon returning to LA, Thomas paid “a fancy place in Hollywood” to fix the tapes and hired Melina Duterte (Jay Som, Bachelor, Routine) to mix them. The two struck up a collaborative friendship, and Thomas had the sound of his mom’s voice back. “I was listening to songs she recorded when she was about my age, just these heartfelt, sweet Americana songs,” he says. “I decided then that I wanted to lose the Ian Curtis voice I always sing with; I wanted to do what came naturally, because my mom always sounded like herself, even when she was singing some cheesy reggae song about, like, Jamaica.”

Thus he went into The Older I Get, the Funnier I Was knowing it was time to retire his darkwave persona, and leaning into his natural, chirpier voice, which he says sounds “like a 12-year-old’s.” It makes sense: much of the album chronicles what Thomas calls “being a kid and feeling like you have no control and overcompensating by being annoying.” “So much of the album is about witnessing drug and alcohol addiction as a kid and seeing what it does to people, but also realizing that there's nothing you can do about it,” Thomas says. It’s familiar territory (see: “Partied to Death”) but the methodology is different this time around; true to its title, The Older I Get, the Funnier I Was isn’t always looking for laughs. Thomas might’ve left his hometown behind, but his kid self is still tagging along, a Peter Pan shadow he can’t untether himself from. The first line he sings on The Older I Get, the Funnier I Was is: “There should be a room at every party where you can just sit and watch a movie.” Find a 12-year-old who wouldn’t say the same.

Perpetual Doom proudly presents the new album from Austin Leonard Jones: Dead Calm. On this collection of nine new tracks, the Texas-based troubadour channels his eclectic talent into a melancholy country groove. Full of signature tumbleweed melodies and his deadpan wit, it is an essential addition to Jones’ unique and varied catalog.

Like any good country record, Dead Calm starts with a joke and ends in tears. “A werewolf walks into a bar,” Jones sings on opener “Cape Fear,” where vampires pour drinks and no one seems to escape. The town might be full of the undead, but it could be anywhere—after all, as Jones says, “It’s hard on the living in Cape Fear.” The slide guitar and faint bright keys set the tone for an album that mixes domestic sorrow with a touch of kitsch, like Conway Twitty at a seasonal Halloween outlet. “I’m the sole survivor of the all-night show,” he sings on “Back in the Black Lagoon,” “and it cost a thousand tears for every episode.” Somewhere between a funeral and a costume party, Dead Calm bursts with classic songwriting sure to get you on the dance floor and crying.

All these ghost towns, desert bars, and haunted capes emerge from the small town outside Austin where Jones wrote and recorded the album. Alongside producer Jesse Woods, he crafted a sound based on the traditional country palette of acoustic and slide guitar, organ and gentle drums. Songs like “Night Parrots” and “Demon Sands” take stock of life’s disappointments as Jones’ maudlin voice and Jesse Siebenberg’s pedal steel twist tighter around each other. “The Australia Song” puts autobiographical storytelling first, while “Exotics” laughs at our tendency to seek satisfaction in far-off places and things. It all comes together on “Its Treachery,” where Jones confronts the intimate betrayals of “a whole life not working out as planned.”

Sound familiar? Austin Leonard Jones invites you to join the club.

1989's DIE MINIMALISTEN single get's a 10" re-issue (complete with a Heap produced 'Megamix')

_Heap (who runs WIENER BRUT): „While working on the release we kept on jokingly referring to the record as the „Austrian Mashisa“ due to the similarity in sounds it provides. I first played the Megamix on last year’s Dekmantel Selectors festival, where it showed its potential for being a Summer hit. In fact, the original 7'' release was the result of a final school project with the goal to substitute the Austrian tradition of compiling a class magazine when graduating from school.“

Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp tapped into the frustration of living through the pandemic in 2020 with their well-timed cover of John Lennon’s “Isolation.” The Grammy winning guitarist and Hollywood Vampires co-founder are back with their first album together, appropriately titled, JEFF BECK AND JOHNNY DEPP. On the new record, Beck’s first studio effort in six years, the artists coax unexpected performances from one another on 11 covers and two originals that touch on everything from Celtic and Motown to John Lennon, the Beach Boys and The Velvet Underground.

The result is a wild roller coaster ride through different genres where hairpin juxtapositions deliver some of the album’s biggest thrills. A remarkable example comes early on when the industrial stomp of Killing Joke’s “Death And Resurrection Show” gives way to the intense heartache of Dennis Wilson’s “Time.” Each performance stands on its own, but the sharp contrast created by sequencing them together heightens the emotional impact of both songs.

The duo recorded most of the album in Beck’s studio over three years while Depp lived on and off in the guitarist’s English cottage. Robert Adam Stevenson co-produced several tracks on the album and engineered many of the sessions remotely from Depp’s studio in Los Angeles. When the basic tracks were finished, they were fleshed out by musicians who’ve played with Beck through the years, including drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and bassist Rhonda Smith.

The album title will be “18.” The cover illustration (attached) was done by Jeff’s wife, Sandra and pictures them when they were both 18. Here’s Jeff’s comment on the title from the PR: Beck explains the album title: “When Johnny and I started playing together, it really ignited our youthful spirit and creativity. We would joke about how we felt 18 again, so that just became the album title too.”

In a collaboration you might never have expected but somehow makes perfect sense, original Brit blues mastermind Jeff Beck teams up with a little known American by the name of Johnny Depp to render some of the latter's songs alongside some finely selected covers. From The Beach Boys to John Lennon, The Velvet Underground to Killing Joke and more besides, this is the sound of two lifelong music lovers letting it all hang out and playing with the impassioned energy and innocence of youth. More than just a throwaway side project for a global superstar, this is a deeply discerning project which frames Depp's music in a whole new light.

Oakland, California dark punk trio TENSION SPAN unites Noah Landis (Neurosis, Christ On Parade) on vocals, Geoff Evans (Asunder) playing guitar and synth, and Matt Parrillo (Dystopia, Kicker) providing bass, guitar, synth, and additional vocals.

Infusing classic elements of punk and post-punk, fans of Killing Joke, T.S.O.L., Subhumans, Conflict, Rudimentary Peni and The Wraith will be instantaneously addicted to TENSION SPAN’s dire urgency and infectious hooks.

During the isolation of Covid, the newly formed trio crafted The Future Died Yesterday, an album that sounds both varied and cohesive, combining musical and emotional heaviness with melody, samples, and synth. Sonically unique and riveting, The Future Died Yesterday sees the band ripping through thirteen doomed anthems.

Joke Lanz and Sudden Infant once again return in their razor-sharp trio setting whereby the absurdist nature that Joke’s work is already cut with is reconfigured in a gnarled and beefy punk-fucked contorted rock setting. Short bursts of angular flex are heavily propelled by depth-charge rhythms, wry lyrical musings on modern living, and sensibilities hatched from years of experience in the worlds of sound art, abstract music, industrialised junk-noise and related areas have manifested in the perfect follow up to 2018’s Buddhist Nihilism album on Harbinger Sound. Aided by Christian Weber on bass and Alexandre Babel on drums, Joke lays on a battery of electronics, loops, field recordings and samples to complement mostly semi-spoken vocals that appear like they’ve been swept from the overflowing gutters of a shopping centre into a huge ball of malaise that can only be laughed at as world leaders look on perplexed. Exactly as the title suggests, 'Lunatic Asylum' depicts a world in absolute disarray as the seams binding it together slowly fall apart to reveal jesters whose best attempts to glue everything back in place are built on bigger lies more transparent than ever. Meanwhile, citizens of the developed world turn on each other for the stupidest of reasons or grow fatter with their descent into an ignorance nourished by half-baked cultural nuggets pre-packaged and sold as great and awe-inspiring work. And everything has to be recorded, photographed and shared as brain cells are decimated by false ideals, propaganda, exaggerated lifestyles and a huge tub of popcorn swimming in indiscernible yellow gloop. Such are the snapshots that resonate as Lunatic Asylum takes some well-aimed swipes at the human condition of the 21st Century. Featuring a fantastic guest appearance by Franz Treichler (The Young Gods) on ' Il y a des Enfants', each of the 12 songs that constitute Lunatic Asylum are bold, heavy, playful and rife with surprising twists and turns Joke’s mostly English splatter-poetry helps guide into a space that’s about as accessible as the outer reaches of rock can get. In a perfect world, this is the stuff even daytime airwaves should be pregnant with but, since the world is presently tripping over its own feet more so than ever, we will have to suffice with wherever this can nudge with the help of Fourth Dimension Records. One day, hopefully, more will catch up. The CD version of Lunatic Asylum features two exclusive bonus tracks. It was released in April 2022. TRACKLIST 1/Good Morning! 2/Head 3/I Ghore Es Gloeggli 4/Mood Swings 5/Damage Control 6/Happiness to Go 7/Pain is a Pain 8/Il y a des Enfants 9/The Lived Body 10/Ah-Ah-Ah 1921 11/Mika the Dog 12/Tuba Manifesto

Sounding simultaneously from the past, the present, and the future, the debut album 'MLDE' by Marxist Love Disco Ensemble seeks to eradicate both the trite from disco and the sobriety from political music. Half poetic, half tongue-in-cheek, this stunning compact eight-track album is influenced by Eastern European and Mediterranean 70s disco records. In the words of band member Paolo, ''it was written in response to hearing 'I love America' by Patrick Juvet. The song prompted the question: why does disco, a genre originally created by oppressed minorities, eventually become synonymous with American capitalist excess?" MLDE seeks to break this connection.

Merging disco, post-disco 80s pop, and boogie into the fold, 'MLDE' was recorded using only analogue instruments, giving it warmth and space. Recorded on cassette, ¼ and ½ inch tape, this gives moments of lo-fi abstraction between the beats of an aggressive, tight drum kit. Instruments used for this recording range from saxophone, trumpet, harpsichord, guitar, and rare analogue synthesisers. The bass sound is shaped by early 80s boogie records, whilst the influence of artists such as Hamlet Minassian can be heard in some of MLDE's more driving-disco outings, such as 'Hues of Red'. In the tradition of Soviet vocal group records, which the band has studied, some songs are sung by a vocal quartet in homage to this tradition.

Tracks such as '1905' and 'Brumaire' have a greater pop aesthetic, with Paolo's vocal style on these more pop-driven songs evoking early 80s bands such as Orange Juice and Chas Jankel.

The format and message of pop and disco are commonly viewed just to entertain and move bodies around a dancefloor; however, lyrically, the subjects range from dialectical and historical materialism, class struggle, Marxist theory and praxis, as well as the concept of Marxist disco music.

Adding the icing to the cake, mastering don Joker aka Liam McLean dusted the album with his magic, giving the songs space where the room is needed, as well as the kick and punch demanded by the modern dancefloor.

Yes, this is a press release, and they are always full of hype, but we were blown away when we heard this album, and we hope it enriches you too.

Mit der ”Lord of Chaos”-EP liefert die Originalbesetzung von Killing Joke ihr erstes neues Material seit
sieben Jahren ab - eine Rückkehr zu einem früheren, punkigeren Stil, der von roher Angst durchdrungen
ist und die turbulenten Zeiten dokumentiert, in denen wir heute leben.
Neben zwei brandneuen Aufnahmen, die von der Band produziert und von Tom Dalgety (Ghost, Pixies,
etc.) abgemischt wurden, enthält die EP auch Überarbeitungen von zwei Songs des letzten Studioalbums
der britischen Band, ”Pylon” (2015); es handelt sich um die Songs ”Big Buzz” und ”Delete”, wobei ersterer
von Dalgety und Nick Evans neu abgemischt wurde und letzterer die volle Dub-Behandlung von KJ’s Youth
erhielt.
Das kultige ”Lord of Chaos”-Artwork der EP stammt von Mike Coles, der für einige der bekanntesten
Bilder der Band verantwortlich ist.
Für Fans von: New Model Army, The Damned, Ministry, Bauhaus

Sounding simultaneously from the past, the present, and the future, the debut album 'MLDE' by Marxist Love Disco Ensemble seeks to eradicate both the trite from disco and the sobriety from political music. Half poetic, half tongue-in-cheek, this stunning compact eight-track album is influenced by Eastern European and Mediterranean 70s disco records. In the words of band member Paolo, ''it was written in response to hearing 'I love America' by Patrick Juvet. The song prompted the question: why does disco, a genre originally created by oppressed minorities, eventually become synonymous with American capitalist excess?" MLDE seeks to break this connection.

Merging disco, post-disco 80s pop, and boogie into the fold, 'MLDE' was recorded using only analogue instruments, giving it warmth and space. Recorded on cassette, ¼ and ½ inch tape, this gives moments of lo-fi abstraction between the beats of an aggressive, tight drum kit. Instruments used for this recording range from saxophone, trumpet, harpsichord, guitar, and rare analogue synthesisers. The bass sound is shaped by early 80s boogie records, whilst the influence of artists such as Hamlet Minassian can be heard in some of MLDE's more driving-disco outings, such as 'Hues of Red'. In the tradition of Soviet vocal group records, which the band has studied, some songs are sung by a vocal quartet in homage to this tradition.

Tracks such as '1905' and 'Brumaire' have a greater pop aesthetic, with Paolo's vocal style on these more pop-driven songs evoking early 80s bands such as Orange Juice and Chas Jankel.

The format and message of pop and disco are commonly viewed just to entertain and move bodies around a dancefloor; however, lyrically, the subjects range from dialectical and historical materialism, class struggle, Marxist theory and praxis, as well as the concept of Marxist disco music.

Adding the icing to the cake, mastering don Joker aka Liam McLean dusted the album with his magic, giving the songs space where the room is needed, as well as the kick and punch demanded by the modern dancefloor.

Yes, this is a press release, and they are always full of hype, but we were blown away when we heard this album, and we hope it enriches you too.

Black Truffle is pleased to announce a major archival discovery from the wildest outer fringes of the FMP universe, the Bergisch-Brandenburgisches Quartett’s Live ’82. The Bergisch-Brandenburgisches Quartett (BBQ) was formed in 1980 in Rostock, East Germany, when three of the most radical and riotous members of the West German free music scene—reedist/accordionist Rüdiger Carl, percussionist Sven-Åke Johansson and Hans Reichel on violin and his modified ‘strange guitars’ — first played as a quartet with East German saxophonist Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky. A rare example of a working band with members from both sides of the wall, during its lifetime the BBQ left only one recorded document, a studio LP on Amiga, the pop and jazz sublabel of the GDR state-run Deutsche Schallplatten Berlin. Neither pure fire music nor orthodox free improvisation, the four members of the BBQ shared an all-embracing aesthetic where quotes and jokes sat comfortably alongside radical extended techniques and sonic experiments. Beautifully recorded at the 1982 Moers festival, the music presented here is a kaleidoscopic demonstration of what Johansson has called the BBQ’s ‘free postmodernism’. Beginning with a fractured landscape of clarinet flourishes from Petrowsky, Johansson’s spacious drums accents, banjo-esque plucks from Reichel’s handmade guitar and the groans and squawks of Carl on cuica, the music lurches between flowing melodicism and stunted locked grooves, settling after a few minutes into a lyrical clarinet and bass clarinet duet accompanied by shimmering guitar chords and some inexplicable percussive rotations. When Petrowksy starts to unfurl long, flowing flute lines accompanied by hand percussion, the music suddenly recalls Don Cherry’s global fusions, but this turn to the folkish quickly takes on a more European character when Carl and Johansson pick up accordions for the first of several comical but oddly moving duets. The more frantic second half of the set takes in a raucous digression into honking R&B, an Ayler-meets-Schlager romp with almost rockish chordal accompaniment from Reichel and an outrageous free jazz blowout with Carl on accordion, not to mention episodes of Johansson’s signature improvised Sprachgesang and antics with his expanded percussion set up, including items such as shoe stretchers and the Berlin yellow pages, which more than once cause the audience to burst into laughter. Arriving in a beautifully designed sleeve with copious archival photographs and flyers from Johansson’s collection and extensive new liner notes from Francis Plagne, Live ’82 is a major historical document that remains both musically challenging and immensely entertaining forty years on.

Somewhere in the middle of the first track, “Torres e Baldios”, there’s a sudden change of pace with percussion rhythms interfering with the trance-like sound of the first six minutes. It sounds like steps, people running away on a corridor bashing their feet. It dazzles you because of how unexpected it is, how unpredictable those sounds sound like and, most of all, how it makes perfect sense. It is a monstrous piece. And the beginning of a new age for Ondness, in the same year he defied his Serpente moniker to create an absolute classic, “Dias da Aranha”.

What makes “Oeste A.D.” so remarkable is the intangible idea of nostalgia. “Aqua Matrix Alternative Nation” recreates with a slowed down mentality the theme of one of the main events of the Expo 98 in Lisbon. It’s nowhere similar to the original, what it does is to mess around with the global ideas that were such a big part of that event. The Portuguese musicians that were invited to collaborate with Expo 98 were mesmerized by the ideas of union and globalization, creating overpriced music that sounds like shit today. “Aqua Matrix Alternative Nation” messes around with that vibe in a positive way. Think Mark Leckey playing around with his rave memories. Same thing, but in Portugal we had Expo 98.

Jokes aside, B Side is more futuristic with “Torres e Baldios II” and “Endless Domingo”, a nod to “Endless Summer”, by Fennesz, and “Endless Happiness” (from “Beaches And Canyons”), by Black Dice, mashing up – freely - both covers and reminding of how great 2001/2002 was for experimental music. Both tracks are full of sci-fi drama and this sickness of the future that has been travelling with Ondness since its early days. But the approach here is somehow different. Before “Oeste A.D.” the Ondness sound was fragmented, sparse and intensively reflexive. There was this uncertainty to it that made the previously releases so good. But “Oeste A.D.” is full of clarity, the phrases are straightforward, and the music moves in one direction, continuously. Before, there were loads of unanswered questions. The only doubt is when will the world start to care and listen to Bruno’s brilliant music. Now sounds like a good time.    

With their sophomore full-length "Gotta Light?", dark rock innovators CRONE are cruising in a high octane fuelled hotrod. Channelling their personal musical inspirations that range from ALICE IN CHAINS, via KILLING JOKE, NEW MODEL ARMY, and JOY DIVISION to PINK FLOYD among many others, the Germans leave their very own and personal mark on the genre that has been brought back to the forefront of interest by acts such as GHOST in recent years. While composer, guitarist, and singer Phil Jonas had felt tired, burned out, and empty, working on new songs for CRONE provided the spark that kindled the firestorm of fresh ideas and led to the creation of "Gotta Light?". The album title was inspired by the haunting eighth episode of David Lynch's masterpiece TV series "Twin Peaks". A corresponding element of the mysterious and surreal permeates all of the new songs that revolve around topics such as the hope of receiving signals from the afterlife ('Waiting for Ghosts'), shattered dreams ('Abyss Road'), and a guiding last will ('Gemini'). CRONE was conceived out of a musical collaboration between Phil "sG" Jonas and EMBEDDED drummer and guitarist Markus Renzenbrink. Both musicians wanted to explore musical horizons beyond the metal limits of their regular bands at the time. As a result the "Gehenna" EP was released in 2014 and sparked a first wave of interest. Critics labelled the first effort post-rock, post-punk, and even as shoegaze. The well-received debut full-length 'Godspeed' hit the streets in 2018 and its more focussed and consistent songs got often filed under "post-rock". With CRONE having been elevated to the main band of each protagonist, the band's renewed focus and urgency is clearly audible on "Gotta Light?". With Christian Schmidt a permanent keyboard player has been added to the line-up that now also features lead guitarist Kevin Olasz for added sparkle and sonic depth. From the ashes of SECRETS OF THE MOON a dark reborn phoenix is rising with CRONE and this bird of prey is ready to rock humanity's unstoppable descent into madness: "Gotta Light?"

With their sophomore full-length "Gotta Light?", dark rock innovators CRONE are cruising in a high octane fuelled hotrod. Channelling their personal musical inspirations that range from ALICE IN CHAINS, via KILLING JOKE, NEW MODEL ARMY, and JOY DIVISION to PINK FLOYD among many others, the Germans leave their very own and personal mark on the genre that has been brought back to the forefront of interest by acts such as GHOST in recent years. While composer, guitarist, and singer Phil Jonas had felt tired, burned out, and empty, working on new songs for CRONE provided the spark that kindled the firestorm of fresh ideas and led to the creation of "Gotta Light?". The album title was inspired by the haunting eighth episode of David Lynch's masterpiece TV series "Twin Peaks". A corresponding element of the mysterious and surreal permeates all of the new songs that revolve around topics such as the hope of receiving signals from the afterlife ('Waiting for Ghosts'), shattered dreams ('Abyss Road'), and a guiding last will ('Gemini'). CRONE was conceived out of a musical collaboration between Phil "sG" Jonas and EMBEDDED drummer and guitarist Markus Renzenbrink. Both musicians wanted to explore musical horizons beyond the metal limits of their regular bands at the time. As a result the "Gehenna" EP was released in 2014 and sparked a first wave of interest. Critics labelled the first effort post-rock, post-punk, and even as shoegaze. The well-received debut full-length 'Godspeed' hit the streets in 2018 and its more focussed and consistent songs got often filed under "post-rock". With CRONE having been elevated to the main band of each protagonist, the band's renewed focus and urgency is clearly audible on "Gotta Light?". With Christian Schmidt a permanent keyboard player has been added to the line-up that now also features lead guitarist Kevin Olasz for added sparkle and sonic depth. From the ashes of SECRETS OF THE MOON a dark reborn phoenix is rising with CRONE and this bird of prey is ready to rock humanity's unstoppable descent into madness: "Gotta Light?"