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So auch am 2. Weihnachtstag 2019 im „Gruenspan“ in St. Pauli anlässlich des 25jährigen Bandjubiläums.

Sobald OHRENFEINDT die Bühne entern, wird aus allen Rohren gefeuert. Der Kiez-Dreier macht keine Gefangenen. Wer bisher lediglich ihre Studioalben kennt, wird sich wundern, was für eine Schippe die Jungs live nochmal obendrauf packen.

Zwei Stunden volle Pulle Riff-Rock-Hits aus einem Vierteljahrhundert. Drei bis in die Haar- bzw. Bartspitzen motivierte Roggenrohl-Vollblüter ohne Netz und doppelten Boden. Da ist nix gedoppelt, da kommt kein Ton aus der Dose, selbst der Schweiß ist echt.

Zwei Stunden pures Adrenalin, ungeschönt und rau.

Der Klassiker "The Savage Poetry" bekommt zum 20 jährigen Jubiläum noch einmal eine Neuauflage mit komplettem Remastering und ist erstmals als Vinyl erhältlich.

Gut 20 Jahre nach Veröffentlichung des viel beachteten vierten Edguy-Albums "Savage Poetry" (ursprünglich 2000 erschienen) kommt nun eine neue Version - als Digipak und erstmals als Vinyl (in verschiedenen Farben).

Die internationale Power-Metal-Formation kehren zurück mit ihrem kraftvollsten und ideenreichsten Werk ihrer bisherigen Karriere, mit massenhaft tollen Gitarrenriffs, groovenden Rhythmen und hymnischen Melodien.

„Diesmal haben wir wirklich an jeder Stellschraube gedreht, um das bestmögliche Resultat zu bekommen. Und ich denke, der große Aufwand hat sich nachweislich gelohnt!“ so fasst Bassist und Gründer Mario Lochert das die Arbeit des Kommenden Serious Black Albums „Vengeance Is Mine“ zusammen.

Einer der neuen Songs der kommenden Serious Black-Studioscheibe ‚Vengeance Is Mine‘ nennt sich ‚Album Of Our Life‘ und trifft damit wohl den Nagel auf den Kopf, zum einen ist der internationalen Power-Metal-Formation um Bassist und Gründer Mario Lochert das wohl kraftvollste und ideenreichste Werk ihrer bisherigen Karriere gelungen, andererseits geht es textlich in für die Band bislang unerforschte Tiefen. Lochert: „Wie nie zuvor habe ich diesmal Einblicke in mein Innen- und Privatleben zugelassen, also: wie ich denke, wie ich fühle, wie ich bin, und wie schwierig es sein kann, eine Band am Laufen zu halten, wenn es einem selbst nicht gutgeht. Die Texte auf ‚Vengeance Is Mine‘ spiegeln die zurückliegenden vier, fünf Jahre wider. Dies wiederum hatte natürlich Auswirkungen aufs Songwriting, das noch intensiver und emotionaler geworden ist.“ Mit dem ausdrucksstarken Timbre von Sänger Nikola Mijic, den rasanten Riffs und Hooks ihres Gitarristen Dominik Sebastian, vielen treibenden Grooves von Schlagzeuger Ramy Ali und dem abwechslungsreichen Songwriting von Bassist und Bandleader Mario Lochert avanciert ‚Vengeance Is Mine‘ zum Paradebeispiel eines tiefmelodischen und zugleich kraftstrotzend-dynamischen Power-Metal-Albums.

Die internationale Power-Metal-Formation kehren zurück mit ihrem kraftvollsten und ideenreichsten Werk ihrer bisherigen Karriere, mit massenhaft tollen Gitarrenriffs, groovenden Rhythmen und hymnischen Melodien.

„Diesmal haben wir wirklich an jeder Stellschraube gedreht, um das bestmögliche Resultat zu bekommen. Und ich denke, der große Aufwand hat sich nachweislich gelohnt!“ so fasst Bassist und Gründer Mario Lochert das die Arbeit des Kommenden Serious Black Albums „Vengeance Is Mine“ zusammen.

Einer der neuen Songs der kommenden Serious Black-Studioscheibe ‚Vengeance Is Mine‘ nennt sich ‚Album Of Our Life‘ und trifft damit wohl den Nagel auf den Kopf, zum einen ist der internationalen Power-Metal-Formation um Bassist und Gründer Mario Lochert das wohl kraftvollste und ideenreichste Werk ihrer bisherigen Karriere gelungen, andererseits geht es textlich in für die Band bislang unerforschte Tiefen. Lochert: „Wie nie zuvor habe ich diesmal Einblicke in mein Innen- und Privatleben zugelassen, also: wie ich denke, wie ich fühle, wie ich bin, und wie schwierig es sein kann, eine Band am Laufen zu halten, wenn es einem selbst nicht gutgeht. Die Texte auf ‚Vengeance Is Mine‘ spiegeln die zurückliegenden vier, fünf Jahre wider. Dies wiederum hatte natürlich Auswirkungen aufs Songwriting, das noch intensiver und emotionaler geworden ist.“ Mit dem ausdrucksstarken Timbre von Sänger Nikola Mijic, den rasanten Riffs und Hooks ihres Gitarristen Dominik Sebastian, vielen treibenden Grooves von Schlagzeuger Ramy Ali und dem abwechslungsreichen Songwriting von Bassist und Bandleader Mario Lochert avanciert ‚Vengeance Is Mine‘ zum Paradebeispiel eines tiefmelodischen und zugleich kraftstrotzend-dynamischen Power-Metal-Albums.

'Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam' ist ein expressionistischer deutscher Film von Paul Wegener und Carl Boese aus dem Jahr 1920.
Lexikon des internationalen Films:

"Wegeners Film war einer der künstlerisch wie geschäftlich größten Erfolge der deutschen Stummfilmproduktion, dessen außergewöhnliche, von Jugendstil und Expressionismus bestimmte Bild- und Dekorgestaltung bis heute nichts von ihrer suggestiven Wirkung eingebüßt hat."

Der Film wurde im Rahmen des San Francisco International Film Festival nochmals restauriert aufgeführt, und Black Francis gebeten, die begleitende Musik neu zu einzuspielen. Auf dem wertigen Vinyl-Reissue ist die 'Rock Songs' Version enthalten.
Es erscheint im Gatefold Sleeve inkl. bedruckter Inner Sleeves.

Obwohl es nun schon eine ganze Weile her ist, dass Svartsot neues Material veröffentlicht hat, ist die Band immer noch sehr lebendig. In der
Zwischenzeit seit dem 2015er „Vældet“ sind die biergetränkten Folk-Metaller in der Live-Szene in Dänemark und im Ausland aktiv, u des Bassisten
und der Entscheidung, das Material eines Albums 2017/18 auf Eis zu legen, entstand die Idee, eine Sammlung traditioneller Folksongs zu ver-
öffentlichen, die die Band inspiriert haben und die im charakteristischen Stil von Svartsot überarbeitet wurden.
Die ursprüngliche Idee war, dieses fünfte Album mit dem Titel „Kumbl“ (ein altes dänisches Wort für „Denkmal“ oder „Denkmal“) im Jahr 2020
zu Svartsots 15-jährigem Jubiläum zu veröffentlichen. Aus praktischen Gründen wurde das Album jedoch erstmals während der Pandemie aufgenommen – von keinem Geringeren als dem Schlagzeuger und aufstrebenden Produzenten der Band, Frederik Uglebjerg.
Die Veröffentlichung markiert auch die erste Zusammenarbeit der Band mit dem dänischen Metal-Label Mighty Music.
„Kumbl“ enthält 12 Tracks, die eine Mischung aus relativ unbekannten und anderen populäreren Folk- und spätmittelalterlichen Liedern aus
Dänemark und ganz Nordeuropa präsentieren. Zwei Lieder beinhalten Gastauftritte von Andrea Uglebjerg, Sängerin der dänischen Punkband
Situationsfornærmelse und Schwester des zuvor erwähnten Frederik. Drei Singles werden veröffentlicht: „Liden Kirsten“ ist eine traditionelle
dänische Volksballade, die davon erzählt, wie ein König beschloss, die Dame seiner Begierden zur Mutter seiner Kinder und seiner Königin zu machen, ohne es ihr vorher zu sagen; „Carmen Vernale“ ist ein Lied aus der Zeit um 1500, geschrieben von Morten Børup, Kantor an der Kathedrale
von Aarhus, das die Ankunft des Frühlings preist und in der lateinischen Sprache vorgetragen wird – die Melodie wird stündlich von den Glocken
des Rathauses von Aarhus gespielt; „Drømte Mig En Drøm“ ist eine Ausarbeitung des ältesten aufgezeichneten dänischen Liedes, das uns in einer
Runenhandschrift von ca. 1300. Zu „Liden Kirsten“ wird ein Musikvideo veröffentlicht, außerdem wird eine Lyric-Videoversion von „Drømte Mig
En Drøm“ erhältlich sein.
Zur Unterstützung des Albums wurden Svartsot für eine Reihe von Konzerten in ganz Dänemark gebucht. Während derzeit nur wenige europäische Shows gebucht oder geplant sind, werden hoffentlich weitere folgen, wenn die Reisebestimmungen dies zulassen.

Obwohl es nun schon eine ganze Weile her ist, dass Svartsot neues Material veröffentlicht hat, ist die Band immer noch sehr lebendig. In der
Zwischenzeit seit dem 2015er „Vældet“ sind die biergetränkten Folk-Metaller in der Live-Szene in Dänemark und im Ausland aktiv, u des Bassisten
und der Entscheidung, das Material eines Albums 2017/18 auf Eis zu legen, entstand die Idee, eine Sammlung traditioneller Folksongs zu ver-
öffentlichen, die die Band inspiriert haben und die im charakteristischen Stil von Svartsot überarbeitet wurden.
Die ursprüngliche Idee war, dieses fünfte Album mit dem Titel „Kumbl“ (ein altes dänisches Wort für „Denkmal“ oder „Denkmal“) im Jahr 2020
zu Svartsots 15-jährigem Jubiläum zu veröffentlichen. Aus praktischen Gründen wurde das Album jedoch erstmals während der Pandemie aufgenommen – von keinem Geringeren als dem Schlagzeuger und aufstrebenden Produzenten der Band, Frederik Uglebjerg.
Die Veröffentlichung markiert auch die erste Zusammenarbeit der Band mit dem dänischen Metal-Label Mighty Music.
„Kumbl“ enthält 12 Tracks, die eine Mischung aus relativ unbekannten und anderen populäreren Folk- und spätmittelalterlichen Liedern aus
Dänemark und ganz Nordeuropa präsentieren. Zwei Lieder beinhalten Gastauftritte von Andrea Uglebjerg, Sängerin der dänischen Punkband
Situationsfornærmelse und Schwester des zuvor erwähnten Frederik. Drei Singles werden veröffentlicht: „Liden Kirsten“ ist eine traditionelle
dänische Volksballade, die davon erzählt, wie ein König beschloss, die Dame seiner Begierden zur Mutter seiner Kinder und seiner Königin zu machen, ohne es ihr vorher zu sagen; „Carmen Vernale“ ist ein Lied aus der Zeit um 1500, geschrieben von Morten Børup, Kantor an der Kathedrale
von Aarhus, das die Ankunft des Frühlings preist und in der lateinischen Sprache vorgetragen wird – die Melodie wird stündlich von den Glocken
des Rathauses von Aarhus gespielt; „Drømte Mig En Drøm“ ist eine Ausarbeitung des ältesten aufgezeichneten dänischen Liedes, das uns in einer
Runenhandschrift von ca. 1300. Zu „Liden Kirsten“ wird ein Musikvideo veröffentlicht, außerdem wird eine Lyric-Videoversion von „Drømte Mig
En Drøm“ erhältlich sein.
Zur Unterstützung des Albums wurden Svartsot für eine Reihe von Konzerten in ganz Dänemark gebucht. Während derzeit nur wenige europäische Shows gebucht oder geplant sind, werden hoffentlich weitere folgen, wenn die Reisebestimmungen dies zulassen.

Das kommende und lang erwartete Full-Length-Album zeigt eine Band, die ihr Bestes gibt und den klassischen Heavy Metal ihrer mittlerweile kultigen 80er-Demos „Crucifying The Virgins“ und „M.A.D.H.O.U.S.E.“ miteinander verschmilzt. mit neuer Kraft und Energie. Es wird dir in der Tat die Seele rauben und dich durstig nach mehr von diesem skandinavischen Heavy Metal-Kraftpaket machen. Alles begann 1983.

In den Achtzigern und vor der Auflösung 1989 veröffentlichte Metal Cross zwei Demobänder: „Metal Cross“ und Demo 2 „M.A.D.H.O.U.S.E.“ Die Band trug auch zu zwei Compilation-Alben bei. Die Band spielte Konzerte in ganz Dänemark und teilte Szenen mit anderen großen dänischen Metalbands wie Artillery und Invocater. Metal Cross spielten das letzte Konzert der Band in der Heimatstadt Randers am 16. Dezember 1989 – kurz nach der Auflösung der Band.
Im Jahr 2009 wurde eines der Bandmitglieder von der Plattenfirma Horror Records kontaktiert und gefragt, ob die Band der Veröffentlichung der beiden Demobänder der Band in einem Vinylformat zustimmen würde. Nach langem Versuch, das Material aus der alten Zeit wiederzubekommen, wurde eine Vereinbarung getroffen, die Songs von den beiden alten Bändern zu veröffentlichen. Außerdem wurde entschieden, dass auch
die Aufzeichnung des allerletzten Metal Cross-Konzerts verwendet werden kann. 2014 erschien das Doppel-Vinyl-Album „Metal Cross“. Eine LP
mit Demoaufnahmen und die andere mit dem Konzert von 1989. Außerdem wurde eine 7“ Bonus-Single mit zwei Live-Songs von einem anderen
Konzert veröffentlicht.
Nach der Veröffentlichung wurde Metal Cross überredet, 2014 einen einzigen Gig beim Metal Magic Festival zu spielen. Vor dem Festivalauftritt
spielte die Band einen Warm-Up-Gig für Artillery. Nach 26 Jahren standen Artillery und Metal Cross noch einmal auf derselben Bühne! Die beiden
Jobs haben alle Erwartungen übertroffen und Metal Cross ist wieder voll im Einsatz und hat mehrere Festivalgigs in Dänemark gespielt und immer
mit großartigem Feedback vom Publikum.
2019 verließ der ehemalige Sänger Henrik „Faxe“ die Band und Esben Fosgerau Juhl übernahm seinen Platz und ging direkt ins Studio. Metal Cross
haben seitdem in den letzten Jahren neues Material produziert und aufgenommen und sind nun bereit, das lange Warten auf ein erstes Album
mit „Soul Ripper“ zu beenden. Metal Cross Ambitionen sind nicht zu verkennen. Sie werden alle kleinen Underground-Bühnen betreten, zu den
größeren Festivals und streben auch eine Europa-Tournee an.

Das kommende und lang erwartete Full-Length-Album zeigt eine Band, die ihr Bestes gibt und den klassischen Heavy Metal ihrer mittlerweile
kultigen 80er-Demos „Crucifying The Virgins“ und „M.A.D.H.O.U.S.E.“ miteinander verschmilzt. mit neuer Kraft und Energie. Es wird dir in der Tat
die Seele rauben und dich durstig nach mehr von diesem skandinavischen Heavy Metal-Kraftpaket machen. Alles begann 1983.
In den Achtzigern und vor der Auflösung 1989 veröffentlichte Metal Cross zwei Demobänder: „Metal Cross“ und Demo 2 „M.A.D.H.O.U.S.E.“ Die
Band trug auch zu zwei Compilation-Alben bei. Die Band spielte Konzerte in ganz Dänemark und teilte Szenen mit anderen großen dänischen
Metalbands wie Artillery und Invocater. Metal Cross spielten das letzte Konzert der Band in der Heimatstadt Randers am 16. Dezember 1989 –
kurz nach der Auflösung der Band.
Im Jahr 2009 wurde eines der Bandmitglieder von der Plattenfirma Horror Records kontaktiert und gefragt, ob die Band der Veröffentlichung der
beiden Demobänder der Band in einem Vinylformat zustimmen würde. Nach langem Versuch, das Material aus der alten Zeit wiederzubekommen, wurde eine Vereinbarung getroffen, die Songs von den beiden alten Bändern zu veröffentlichen. Außerdem wurde entschieden, dass auch
die Aufzeichnung des allerletzten Metal Cross-Konzerts verwendet werden kann. 2014 erschien das Doppel-Vinyl-Album „Metal Cross“. Eine LP
mit Demoaufnahmen und die andere mit dem Konzert von 1989. Außerdem wurde eine 7“ Bonus-Single mit zwei Live-Songs von einem anderen
Konzert veröffentlicht.
Nach der Veröffentlichung wurde Metal Cross überredet, 2014 einen einzigen Gig beim Metal Magic Festival zu spielen. Vor dem Festivalauftritt
spielte die Band einen Warm-Up-Gig für Artillery. Nach 26 Jahren standen Artillery und Metal Cross noch einmal auf derselben Bühne! Die beiden
Jobs haben alle Erwartungen übertroffen und Metal Cross ist wieder voll im Einsatz und hat mehrere Festivalgigs in Dänemark gespielt und immer
mit großartigem Feedback vom Publikum.
2019 verließ der ehemalige Sänger Henrik „Faxe“ die Band und Esben Fosgerau Juhl übernahm seinen Platz und ging direkt ins Studio. Metal Cross
haben seitdem in den letzten Jahren neues Material produziert und aufgenommen und sind nun bereit, das lange Warten auf ein erstes Album
mit „Soul Ripper“ zu beenden. Metal Cross Ambitionen sind nicht zu verkennen. Sie werden alle kleinen Underground-Bühnen betreten, zu den
größeren Festivals und streben auch eine Europa-Tournee an.

Pure Space Records welcomes a newly emerging Naarm (Melbourne) producer, Dividens with his EP ‘Blueprints’. Across four tracks Dividens masterfully guides us through the fringes of modern drum n bass, eerie Dub and restrained Jungle styles.

Starting strong, ‘Audio Blueprint’ provides a fast and erratic baseline cushioned only by a deep, squelching synth. It’s a textural and delicately refined track, with each sound finding its perfect place with twisted effect.

Completing the A-side, in confidence, is ‘Rollin Smoke’. An acid tinged take on electro, composed with trancey pads and tight percussion.

Flipping over we find ‘Bionic’, luscious pads swirl amongst a deep sub bass rhythm before free-falling into stints of breakbeat. The ominous tone of the track is coloured by the disorienting vocals; lean in and let the bass hold your feet firmly on the ground.

Finally, ‘Tell Dem’ rounds out the release with a tasteful amount of dub. Here a mass of swamp-like synths envelop you completely, while the tight break patterns elevate the energy through to the final moments of the release.

~

Tracks written, produced and mixed by Dividens on Wurundjeri Land. Pure Space and Dividens both acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land and pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.

~

Pure Space Recordings is the label venture from the beloved radio show hosted by Andy Garvey, and produced by Mija Healey which has broadcast weekly on Eora Nation (Sydney) radio station FBi Radio for over four years. The label focuses on Australian music both for home listening and that made for the club.

The first and truly stunning release on the new Deeptrax sub-label Chasing Sunsets is one that is hard to describe...

As an (electronic) multi-instrumentalist, ES has been making music on a daily base for more than 25 years but has not released anything meaningful to this day. When we asked for some demos, we were literally bombarded with hundreds of well-produced songs in a wide variety of styles.

ES is a very creative artist who, in addition to making (video) art, creates his own world with his music. He is a musician with a completely unique sound that sometimes evokes a strong association with other music or artists. It sounds familiar and is pleasant to listen to because all the sounds seem to fall into place perfectly. But at the same time, it's totally fresh and sounds like nothing else.

“I just want to make music and not worry about the hassle; you just have to do it for me...” was the answer to the question if we could talk about releasing some music on one of our labels. "Just pick the songs you like, releasing my music on vinyl would be great ..."

So that's what we did...

This first EP gives a nice overview of some of the many musical sides of ES. It's jazzy, funky, dubby and trippy electronica with bits of ambient, house, breakbeat, acid and many other weird ES sound mix-ups. The tracks are as they are, all recorded in one take/version. Unique songs with sharply programmed rhythm and bass complemented by brilliantly played guitar, piano and synth parts. It's a surprising debut from an artist who only shows a small part of his personality with this release.

Welcome to the world of ES....

Fabio & Grooverider have been at the forefront of UK dance music for over 3 decades. This is the roots of their story told through music.

The 2 London DJ's are part of the DNA of the global Jungle / D&B movement and they have remained relevant, cutting edge, authoritative and essential to this truly underground art-form since it's inception. RAGE could arguably be the ground zero of Jungle. The party was started at London's cavernous Heaven club by Fabio & Grooverider in 1988, at the height of Acid House fever that was making it's way up and down the motorways, slip-roads, fields and warehouses of the M25 and further beyond every weekend, troubling the nation, the police, your parents and the press as it went. RAGE was a different beast, it certainly channelled some of that Acid energy but pitted it against the new and exciting sounds emanating from Belgium, Amsterdam, Detroit, Sheffield, Essex and Hackney and in turn created a new style, a new sonic attitude and energy in the process. Rumbling bass-lines, narcotic synth rushes and roughly chopped and sped-up breakbeats all merged into a style that we now know as Jungle. Nothing like this had been heard before, this was a brand new style and it was coming out of London's West End and Fabio & Grooverider were the people firmly behind it.

RAGE is approaching its 30th anniversary. Its sonic and cultural legacy is still being felt today, Fabio & Groove are still shutting down raves and festivals every weekend all over the world with their superior DJ sets and musical knowledge guided by their pioneering spirit. This musical selection you hold in your hands, the first of 4 parts, sees them delve into their prodigious memories and record boxes to select a true musical representation of the very beginning of one of the UK's most unique and influential musical movements of the last 50 years. Across 4 x 2 x 12"s compilations we are taken on the journey through the sounds of RAGE, accompanied with track by track notes from Fabio & Groove themselves. This is the sound of the underground, from the inside out.

This is a masterclass in the old-school. The roots. There is no filler here, it's simply ALL killer. Lovingly selected and programmed by the masters - 'The Living Shock' & 'The Ladies Choice'. Produced in conjunction with Above Board distribution and Fabio & Grooverider. All tracks mastered from original sources and fully licensed. Mastering by Optimum, Bristol. Artwork and design by Atelier Superplus. 2019

Dark Hardcore privacy !

Oftentimes in this busy and chaotic world it’s challenging to draw a parallel between two congruent events. In this case drawing its inspiration from Detroit’s meteoric rise from the ruins
of the past, BerettaMusic a label founded in Detroit in 2002 who took a several year hiatus is back in a big way, also rising from the ashes like it’s birth city has done.

Ryan Sadorus who co-founded the label with Brian Kage delivers some next level quirky Detroit house jams. Already getting spins by local Detroit DJ’s and the verdict is in and the tracks are
dance floor ready and sure to get people moving. The release also features vinyl artwork by renowned midwest artist Jon Griffin featured on full color vinyl jackets.

First off is “Slippah”, a shuffling and quirky bass heavy stormer. The track builds through various levels dropping into syncopated and distorted vocal riffs, lifting its way into some pulsing
synth stabs with perfectly timed filtering which lends itself to the overall energy rise through the track. With a huge breakdown and vocal stab sequence, it’s sure to have them moving! “Hit
'em with da slippah!”

Expansive is a chugging deep house tune with atmospheric synth business to really set the mood anytime of the night. A deep bassline carries the tune along into a breakdown complete with a quote from the man himself, Carl Sagan.

Brian Kage delivers a stunning remix of Expansive, imprinting his own defined style he’s known for as he keeps things level grounded with evolving Detroit-inspired soulful elements.

Last but not least, “Flexxin” is ripping speaker work out of epic proportions. Another quirky, bass heavy jam that will definitely wake up the dance floor. Written and Produced by Ryan Sadorus, mixed by Brian Kage at The Bear Cave in Detroit Mastered by Dietrich Schoenemann Label art by Brian Kage & Juju / painted original portrait art by Jon Griffin Special thanks to: Juju, my parents and family, Brian Kage, Ronnie Perez, Sims Cabrera and the entire Guam crew, Norm Talley, Dietrich and to you for your support! - Ryan Sadorus

There seems to be something in the water down in Hastings as a veritable hive of electronic music artists have been busy making beats in ever growing numbers down there - including Kim Cosmik.

Kim's debut on 20/20 Vision is an impressive and highly original mix of techno, electro, broken beats and industrial sounds, destined to destroy the long-anticipated dance floor revival. Although overall the record is abrasive, hard-hitting and takes no prisoners - beneath the surface, in tracks like 'Drifting' we also find nuances of emotional musicality that shed vast streams of light on the proceedings. The record does indeed kick off with intent though with 'Night Flight' - a blistering techno workout that would resonate magnificently in the mighty Berghain hall. There's no holding back the menacing bass line, fortified tough jacking groove on this one as strong synth lines and strings embellish and complete the soundscape.Over to 'Ore' which cranks up the gears into an industrial techno slammer packed with abstract outer-planet sound design finished off with pounding overdriven drums programmed with military precision.

On the flip side is a gem called 'Nocturnal'- this is the cut that first really caught our attention at 20/20 Vision, with it's merciless industrial dubstep kick drums and brutal precision. It's a simple, stripped back workout held in place beautifully by a discordant string - there's just no escaping this fierce ruling diva. Not for the faint-hearted but those who dare will be rewarded.

Kim's final track 'Drifting' is the jewel in the crown that provides the light after the storm. It's a blissful, cosmic, jazz fused musical tapestry driven by break beats, while compassionate strings infused with Kim's own vocal harmonies and subtle piano motifs glisten and glide over the track adding soothing layers of harmonious quality. Drifting is the perfect close to a truly stunning debut EP.

Bev Lee Harling returns with her first solo recording in almost a decade. She won the hearts and musical minds of DJs across the board with her 2012 debut LP, Barefoot In Your Kitchen, which BBC 6Music's Gilles Peterson made his Album of the Week. Now the gifted singer, violinist and composer returns with twelve beautiful pieces of music that tell a very personal story of the years since.

Having swapped the busy streets of North London for the calmer shores of Hastings in Sussex to bring up her young family, it's fair to say that Bev's priorities might have changed somewhat over the past few years, but the music was never far away. Her new environment, and musical family (including multi-talented partner and album co-producer Frank Moon) added plenty of fresh inspiration to her recordings, and we're very excited to share her new album, entitled Little Anchor, with you this Autumn.

The album is in some senses a travelogue, a 9 year journey of a creative womannavigating the landscape of parenting. Each song is a snapshot taken at a differentlocation in time, in a world where finding balance between creative freedom and motherhood is still a struggle, from the uplifting and euphoric Beautiful Life, to the heavy and harassed Only Got A Minute.

Between the unexpected joys of parenting, grappleswith mental health and feelings of inadequacy, and fighting for every second ofcreative time while slowly accepting a life very different to the one that existedbefore, this unedited family album emerged bursting with quirky childhoodmemories, dark musings and celebrations of musical passion and legacy.

Each song carries breakthrough personal moments in rebuilding strength as an artist, as a person, as a parent. Even down to a very emotional moment with Ray Davies of The Kinks, during a songwriting retreat, where album closer This Violin String, a deeply personal ode to her recently departed mum, was written…

"Everyone turned up writing on guitars and piano and I just had my battered old violin. I felt totally out of touch with my former confident musical self and had zero confidence in what I was doing after an intense period of car crash parenting. I wrote it, performed it on the same day and then sobbed my guts out in front of a bunch of total strangers (sorry Ray!). Something shifted for me in the act of being quite so vulnerable though and I found my mojo again in writing solo with my violin."

The personal nature of this record is self-evident, it bursts through every note and word in each song. We're very excited to be able to share such a special album,afresh foray into the always unpredictable, experimental and playful world of Bev Lee Harling.

C-L-A-S-S-I-C library breaks and beats set of heavy drums and louche funk.

One of two Be With forays into the archives of revered British library institution Conroy, we present one of our favourites on the label - the super in-demand Dramatic Tempi / Larry Robbins Background Rhythms, originally released in 1975. Rare and sought-after for many years now, this is one of those cult library LPs that rarely turns up on even the deepest dig.

As a single LP, Dramatic Tempi / Larry Robbins Background Rhythms is two distinctly different collections of music. The first side, Dramatic Tempi, is made up of four tracks each from Sammy Burdson and Klaus Weiss.

Sammy Burdson was one of the many, many aliases of the mighty Austrian composer, arranger and conductor, Gerhard Narholz. Founder of adored library label Sonoton in 1965, and a classically trained composer, his work runs from easy listening through pop, jazz and electronic, to avant-garde.

About as cult as it gets when it comes to library music legends (German or otherwise) Klaus Weiss produced essential records on German library labels Coloursound, Selected Sound and Sonoton, as well as making two essential entries in the Conroy catalogue. Having started his career at the age of 16 as a jazz drummer, the Klaus Weiss trademark electronic sound is unsurprisingly built on top of sometimes funky, sometimes frenetic, but always hard-hitting drums.

The second side is both titled and also credited to Larry Robbins Background Rhythms. We have to admit to being stumped as to who Larry was, but we don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to assume it might well be yet another incarnation of Gerhard Narholz’s.

First up from Dramatic Tempi are the phased, gargantuan hip-hop beats of Sammy Burdson’s impeccable “Pop Waves”. This is otherworldly funk on a whole new level. Hearing is believing. The magnificently titled “Cyclodrom” is up next, a beast of booming bass and wah wah guitars over frenetic funk drums. “Devils Drive” is dramatic, blaxploitation street funk with rolling, pounding drums. “Crime Ways” is an acid-squelch, slow-pace neck-snapper.

Klaus Weiss starts by askings us “Is It Hip” and we can only answer “yes it is!” to the clean, skipping drums, booming bass and proto-hip-hop bells, layered beneath laconic and melodic guitar shredding. This is just horizontal soul perfection. “The Camp”, propelled by jazzy guitar à la Joe Pass over fast drum and conga breaks, gives way to the dark guitars and cymbal crashes of “Tomorrow”. It sounds like an early New Order jam session. Closing out a pretty startling side of library greatness, “Rhythm Trip” presents early stuttering funk before easin' on in to a jazzy, soulful groove; all breezy guitar and warm keys. Lush.

Larry Robbins Background Rhythms is a lighter, poppier affair, but it’s not without its drum-heavy bangers. “Vox Pop” and “Pop Phase” each have clean, open-ish drum breaks, ripe for sampling or more daring DJ sets. “Pop Twang” is a short and sweet beat-heavy number that gives way to the fantastically out-there “Canned Pop”. We‘d love to know if this was ever actually licensed for something! The final seven tracks are a set of 1-to-2 minute “Percussion Takes”. All compelling, and all equally useful for any number of production needs. Get sampling.

The British library label with those instantly recognisable “orangey-red” sleeves, Conroy began releasing production music in 1965. A sub-label of Berry Music Co, its catalogue typified the library industry’s strange mixture of tradition and experimentation from the start. Conroy’s early releases included work by big band stalwarts like Eddie Warner as well as early electronic recordings by the likes of Belgian experimental pioneer Arséne Souffriau. With Berry Music Co working as a distribution partner to the German library label Sonoton, it was through the Conroy that a great deal of German library music found its way into the UK market.

Conroy stopped putting out new music in the 1980s, but its history and its catalogue offer an excellent window into the trends and eccentricities of a highly unique industry at the height of its international appeal.

This re-issue of Dramatic Tempi / Larry Robbins Background Rhythms has been mastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis from audio from the original tapes. Richard Robinson has handled reproducing the iconic, hypnotic original Conroy sleeve. Essential.

The second Be With foray into the archives of revered German library institution Selected Sound is one of our favourites, Sound Inventions from Klaus Weiss Rhythm And Sounds, originally released in 1979.

From the notoriously strong mind of Niagara drummer / library-funk overlord Klaus Weiss, Sound Inventions is loaded with tripped out studio funk-freakery, mad samples and swaggering abstract funk grooves. From dramatic deep disco with dark Italo/Moroder leanings to heavy German funk breaks, this is absolutely sensational. Absolute synth-and-string-drenched magic.

Born in 1942 in Gevelsberg, Germany, Klaus Weiss began his career as a jazz drummer at sixteen (with a group called the Jazzopators) before working with the internationally successful 60s groups the Klaus Doldinger Quartet and the Erwin Lehn Big Band. In 1965 he formed his own trio, the first of many groups to bear his name, and as his renown as a bandleader grew over the next decade it naturally lead to working in production music.

About as cult as it gets when it comes to library music legends (German or otherwise), he produced essential records on German library labels Coloursound, Selected Sound and Sonoton, as well as making two essential entries in the Conroy catalogue. Collections of music in the trademark Klaus Weiss sound of electronics unsurprisingly built on top of sometimes funky, sometimes frenetic, but always hard-hitting drums.

Sound Inventions is one of those library records with a hefty track list, 22 in total, but they’re all pretty stunning. That’s not something you can often say and picking out the highlights is almost impossible. If pushed, we’d steer you towards the tough teutonic funk of “Drumcrazy”, the by turns juddering and sweeping majesty of the title track “Sound Inventions”, the aquatic serenity of “Glide”, the elegant strut of “Greenwich Street”, the muted, eerie cosmic-funk of “Air Space”, the squelchy acid-clavs of “Rhythm Function”, the calming, melodic “Waves”, the stuttering proto-Timbaland sensation that is “Rainbows” and the percussive funk-fuelled workout of “A Few Cuts”. Phew. Heavy indeed!

Founded in the late 60s by German composer and musician Klaus Netzle, Selected Sound began as a production music company specialising in jazz, orchestral and electronic recordings. You can’t miss those early LPs in their iconic glossy metallic copper sleeves with minimal German typography. Serious, classy stuff.

This re-issue of Sound Inventions has been mastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis from audio from the original tapes. Richard Robinson has handled reproducing the glossy metallic (iconic) original Selected Sound sleeve. Essential.

First Word Records is very pleased to welcome back Quiet Dawn with a brand new EP entitled 'Movements'.

Parisian multi-instrumentalist Will Galland has been with First Word since late 2014, providing several releases for us over the years, from his acclaimed debut album 'The First Day' to his last EP release, the organic opus 'Human Being - The Short Story Of The Reed'. Collaborations have included Makaya McCraven, Oddisee, Miles Bonny and First Word crew such as Eric Lau, Bastien Keb and Sarah Williams White, who he teamed up with on his classic remix of the track 'Hum' and most recently on the track 'One By One' which appeared on the compilation EP 'A Family Affair' at the start of 2021.

For his latest project, 'Movements' sits firmly in the realms of broken beat, after being heavily inspired at First Word's infamous 14th birthday party at Total Refreshment Centre, where he played alongside label-mates such as Kaidi Tatham and Children of Zeus. This delectable six-track EP encompasses a series of deeply percussive grooves and squelchy synths. This is a predominantly instrumental affair, though does feature the supremely soulful vocals of Oliver Night on the track 'Change Must Come', following on from Oliver's work with the CoOp Presents crew amongst others.

Quiet Dawn says "after the birth of my son, I took the time to get back to making new music.

And when I started to work on new tracks, I wanted to compose something without concept, unlike my previous records, just because time is precious and I wanted to find pleasure again when I composeand not be fixed to a concept, or a story.



These new tracks are instinctive; made with my main instruments, rhodes & piano, synths, percussions, vocals, bass and guitars. They are naturally oriented towards my big musical crush, BRUK, along with different rhythms, vibes and grooves. For me, it's definitely a record for the dancers. For this reason, the new EP is called 'Movements'. Aside from the dancer's element, the title relates to everything that is happening in the world at the moment, working on this record over the pandemic. Affecting people in all countries, friendship, mutual aid, solidarity and movements in many instances are very important to me, my family and my musical family, First Word.'



The influences on this particular EP come largely from the West London music scene; DKD, Bugz, Neon Phusion, 2000Black, Domu, IG Culture, Jazztronik, MdCL, the First Word fam and many many more artists. There are also heavy vibes inspired by 70's jazz, funk, disco, latin & african music."

'Movements' by Quiet Dawn is released on First Word Records on vinyl & digital in late 2021.

"The core of confusion and upheaval that drove some of the band's most fiery earlier work, however, is replaced by a more stabilized undercurrent, a mentality that's reflected in songs not afraid to try new things and honestly explore uncomfortable feelings. When combined with exciting production and songwriting choices, that mindset helps make Feels So Good // Feels So Bad one of the Shivas' best albums.” - AllMusic "Portland, Oregon-hailing psych-surf band The Shivas accomplish another time-traveling, reverb-ridden sound that refuses to get boring. Jared Molyneux’s guitar work knows when to be bright or bashful at the right times, breaking into guitar solos that possess a late-’60s groove… The Shivas seem to blissfully flourish” - Paste "a consistent treat for the ears” - The Vinyl District "Though the psych-tinged guitar riff that drives 'Feels So Bad' was written while The Shivas were still on the road, its lyrics didn’t fall into place until the band was well into lockdown, unsure of when they’d be able to return to their most imperative true love: Live shows... Accordingly, 'Feels So Bad' permeates with a sense of urgent desperation, building off a chugging prog-rock instrumental.” - Consequence (on “Feels So Bad”) "They hooked the audience with their throwback rock sounds. The guitar strums and rhythmic drum beats were layered atop smooth and hallucinogenic vocals. The eyes can tell the take at times and there was a sparkle there that said that the band members just love doing live performances." - California Rocker "This single layers on the fuzz but keeps it dreamy, with an especially sticky guitar riff sure to lodge itself in your brain with minimal effort." - Portland Monthly (on “If I Could Choose”) “'My Baby Don’t' translates the genuine vibrant joy


of the live experience into the studio, bringing the band’s ‘60s garage rock roots, sharp pop vocal harmonies, and fervent performances along for the ride." - Under The Radar "Perfectly straddling the line between a solid-head bopping track and an introspective deep cut, The Shivas’ 'Undone' is a rock & roll gem. The track sounds straight out of the late 60s and fits seamlessly in the Portland band’s electrifying catalog." - The Luna Collective "The first time I clicked play on this track, I knew it was a yes for me." - Ear To The Ground Music (on “If I Could Choose”) "The harmonies would make the “Happy Together” Turtles blush, but the unsettling guitar doesn’t shy away from the woollier implications of the ’60s." - Willamette Week (on “If I Could Choose”) "'Undone' is just the perfect song for the good days and the bad ones." - GlamGlare "another hit" - Austin Town Hall (on “Undone”) "one of the best forthcoming albums of the year" - Austin Town Hall RADIO: #3 Most Added @ NACC - 50 official adds BIO Every working musician has had their life turned upside down by Covid-19. For The Shivas, who had recently released a new LP and normally keep a rigorous touring schedule, it was a particularly screeching halt. “We were about to go to SXSW, the following weekend was Treefort in Boise, and then we were going to open for our friends’ band on tour in the US before going to Europe,” Jared Molyneux remembers. Then everything just stopped. They were faced with a dilemma. “It forced us to adapt or just quit,” Molyneux says. “The reality is that shows are our job.” In truth, live shows aren’t just The Shivas job: they are the band’s greatest love. Shivas shows are bombastic, explosive and thoroughly communal live rock and roll experiences where barriers between the performers and their audience seem to dissolve into the sweat and sound. The stage—or the basement, or the living room—that’s The Shivas’ true element. It’s their raison d’etre. It’s their religion. The band’s live urgency may have been born in 2006, when the band’s young members—who began booking West Coast tours while still in high school—waited without fanfare on sidewalks or in parking lots, before being rushed onstage for their sets at 21-and-up clubs. Maybe it developed a little later, as The Shivas blasted their way through Portland’s storied and unsanctioned mid-aughts house show scene. Whatever the origin of their famously kinetic live experience, it’s the show that keeps them coming back after over 1,000 performances spread over 25 countries in 15 years. In those 15 years, The Shivas have grown tight-knit as a group. Guitarist/singer Jared Molyneux, bassist Eric Shanafelt and drummer/singer Kristin Leonard have all been with the band since its earliest days; guitarist Jeff City, another high school friend, joined in 2017. Together they’ve learned to thread a seemingly impossible needle: They’ve honed and tightened their performances without sacrificing the element of surprise that makes each show special. And despite touring and recording for most of their lives, they speak about their project with humility, in the DIY vernacular of their Pacific Northwest upbringing. They talk up their own favorite bands, play all-ages shows as much as possible, and bring a sort of blue-collar humanism to the live performances they relish so much. “We just want to make people feel good,” Molyneux says. “We want them to forget they have to work tomorrow.” Kristin Leonard elaborates, “The live show is all about that feeling of catharsis—in ourselves and in everyone who comes out. We’re creating this safe space where we can all let go. Where we can exhale. And it feels really good when we are able to facilitate that.” So when Covid hit, the band knew it was time for transformation. After a settling realization that live music would be grounded for the foreseeable future, The Shivas booked significant studio time with Cameron Spies, who also produced the 2019 Dark Thoughts LP. They also transformed their lives: three of the band’s four members found work with a local nonprofit serving unhoused Portland residents. They became engaged in protests and fundraisers for social justice. They spent a whole summer actually living in Portland, settling into the city they had always called home, but that sometimes felt like a temporary stop between tours. “We got into a more community-minded headspace,” Leonard says. “And that did give us some purpose. It felt cool to see everybody come together to stick up for what they believe in. It feels like an incredibly formative last twelve months.” The album that emerged from this new moment finds The Shivas reborn as a band that seems seasoned and perfectly at home with itself. There is a calm, even a hopefulness, to Feels So Good // Feels So Bad that sounds new. The Shivas didn’t write or record the album with a particular theme in mind, but one seems to have emerged: where Dark Thoughts was about confronting your demons with fearless self-examination, much of Feels So Good // Feels So Bad is about what happens once you find that peace: how being honest with yourself changes your relationships and your priorities. “I do think it’s about acceptance,” Leonard says. “There’s a weird relaxation that comes with being at peace with things you can’t control or have regrets about.” Maybe that’s why the squealing, riff-laden break-up song opener, “Feels So Bad,” is such a shock to the system. But it’s more of an exorcism than a melodrama: more a song about not being able to do the thing you love (in


this case, playing live shows) than splitting with a partner. “It’s like part of you goes to sleep,” Leonard says. As bandmates who are also in a long-term relationship, Molyneux and Leonard know that their songs might be seen as glimpses into their personal lives, but their songwriting is rarely autobiography. Leonard compares their process to something more akin to screenwriting. “There’s bound to be some autobiographical material in there,” she says. “But the common denominator is the exploration of universal feelings: ones that everyone experiences or can relate to.” The goal is to use the music to drill down into something genuine and sincere, beyond genre or stylistic affectation. That’s where The Shivas have arrived. Whatever growth led the band to Feels So Good // Feels So Bad, plenty of their fascinations remain. They’re still turning love songs into psychedelic, transcendent epics. “Tell Me That You Love Me” subverts doo-wop extravagance and dabbles in Flamenco rhythms. “Rock Me Baby” is a bubblegum anthem soaked in so much reverb that we might just be hearing it from the stadium nosebleeds. “Sometimes” is almost impossibly huge, like a witchy outtake from the Brill Building era. Those songs feel like logical expansions from a band that has always excelled at a timeless sort of rock and roll that tinkers with and explodes elements from every era. But on the towering and mournful “You Wanna Be My Man,” a slow-burning six-minute shoegaze prayer for a higher sort of love, there is a level of emotional nuance that feels like something altogether revolutionary. It’s there again in the stripped-down vulnerability of the album-closing elegy “Please Don’t Go.” Yes, Feels So Good // Feels So Bad is an album about acceptance. Sometimes that acceptance feels enlightened and sometimes it feels like the end result of a lot of kicking and screaming. The Shivas have adapted in both of those ways. With new tours scheduled and a new album on the way, they’re still hoping--like all of us--for a new era of vibrant, cathartic live music. The lessons they learned from having their normal upended, though, have only helped them grow

Sony CMG label release. Pitch perfect whether hitting magnificent highs or sliding into sultry depths, Judi’s voice recalls some of music’s great divas. The majority of this album was recorded in London or Milan between 2019 and 2021, with all fifteen songs written or co written by Judi. Other notable collaborators include Reuben James (John Legend, Nile Rodgers),Tim Baxter (Jasmine Thompson, Muse) and Tom Excell, leader of the UK’s acclaimed afro jazz collective Nubiyan Twist. Specialist promo/marketing activity across all media outlets.

Vinyl Only

Undefined #12 comes from the hand of Dan Piu. Since 1992, Dan has been keeping it versatile by blending different styles of music throughout his career. We are very happy to welcome him to the Undefined family.

His 'Fantasy Juxtaposition' EP resembles exactly what Undefined stands for; versatile and timeless.

On the A side we have a straight up DJ track with a certain techno and bleep flava combined with deep luscious vocals. Aa. gives us an old nu groove kinda beat with naughty 80ies jazz and old school bleepy acid house.

The B side starts with a real old recorded 90ies track, one of Dan's first tracks ever made. A dull love romance evolves from a harmony of batteling synthesizers layered on a break beat groove and fueled with a portion of soul. A mindbending trip. The Bb rounds it off! A track that Dan created back in 1998 together with his friend Gary Rich, Take a walk to a mysterious forest with this uplifting vibe. Gary Rich was a mysterious producer himself - people may know him from his Nightstalker moniker which he was in together with Dan.

During the late 1970s, deejay-turned-producer Jah Thomas played a key role in the emerging dancehall movement, harnessing the Roots Radics at Channel One studio for rough-edged futuristic rhythms that became platforms for songs of everyday life. Junior Keating’s solid debut LP Weekend Lover gathered popular singles such as ‘Watch What You Do,’ which implored upright living, and lovers laments ‘Long Long Time’ and ‘Something Is Bugging Me’; ‘Conquering Lion’ showed that the versatile singer was also adept at deep roots tunes. With a tough mix by Scientist at King Tubby’s studio and additional editing by Bullwackie, this superb offering is of massive appeal to all fans of late roots and foundation dancehall.

The young and ambitious hip hop group Blackalicious emerged from the underground during the late Nineties. Their debut album established them as one of the West Coast’s top outfits, but it was the follow-up Blazing Arrow that earned them major acclaim. This second studio album was originally released in 2002 on MCA Records. The album features several guest appearances, including Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against The Machine), Gil Scott-Heron, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Cut Chemist and Chali 2NA (Jurassic 5) amongst others.

Blackalicious was known for their ‘positive tip’, in other words, their lyrics have often been spiritual and uplifting rather than violent or misogynous.The group consisted of DJ/producer Chief Xcel and rapper Gift of Gab.

The fantastic Italian duo on a superbe hypnotic and groovy track “It’s just a dream”. Coming with a Djebali remix

Tape

Foam and Sand is the ambient soundscape and visual project of award-winning composer and conceptual artist, Robot Koch. Inspired by the composer’s daily habit of meditation, ideas for the project started to take shape during the lockdown of 2020. Using tape recordings of slowed-down pianos, modular synths, and other sonic sources, »Full Circle« is a collection of 16 warm and organic ambient tracks.

»Full Circle Reworks« comes with an international selection of some of the most interesting and upcoming names in the ambient/electronic/modern classical community: Midori Hirano, Hainbach, Slow Meadow, Alaskan Tapes, Tom Ashbrook, Arms and Sleepers, Birds Of The West, Julien Marchal and Six Missing.

Soul singer Betty Harris – mainly known for her Jubilee and Sansu recordings – was born in 1939 in Orlando, Florida. As a teenager she worked as a mate for Big Maybelle who encouraged her to start singing. First recording was released in 1962, her major hit was a cover of Solomon Burke’s “Cry To Me” in 1963. Taken at a slower pace, Harris’ rendition turned the song into a Billboard Hot 100 number 23 hit and soon became a deep soul classic. A total of three further singles including a reissue of “Cry to Me” were released on Jubilee with “His Kiss”, which was released on January 4, 1964, another deep soul ballad, reaching the lower part of the Billboard Pop and R&B charts. In 1964, Betty Harris switched record labels to Sansu, a New Orleans label, where she was produced by Allen Toussaint. Her recordings with Sansu produced ten singles and Toussaint raw yet sophisticated Southern soul arrangements behind Harris’ rich, distinctive vocal, are considered prime specimens of the classic soul era. Soul Perfection, originally licensed on UK label Action in 1969 , was in fact a collection of her previous works on Sansu, a rare groove affair rapidly in demand between a crowd of obsessive fans all over the world. Harris retired from performing in 1970 to raise a family and made an occasional return in 2007 with the album Intuition.

In 1994, hip-hop was going through an at-times painful growth spurt. Since N.W.A.'s and Ice-T's ascent in the late '80s, the rap game was no longer owned by the East Coast. After the worldwide popularity of Dr. Dre's The Chronic in 1992, things were looking even worse for hip-hop's hometown. The East Coast / West Coast feud that would later indirectly claim the lives of Biggie and Pac was still in its infancy, but New York needed a shot in the arm. The hype behind young Queensbridge native Nasir 'Nas' Jones had been in full swing months before his smash debut album Illmatic, thanks to Columbia Records' promo machine. From his earliest appearance on Main Source's 'Live at the BBQ,' to his own accomplished debut 'Half Time' (as Nasty Nas, on the Zebrahead soundtrack in late 1992), it was clear that this kid was something special. In fact, the pressure on him must have been overwhelming at times. April 19, 1994 couldn't have come soon enough. And as soon as the first lines of 'N.Y. State of Mind' kick in, bolstered by perhaps DJ Premier's darkest beat of all time, the entire East Coast breathed a collective sigh of relief. God's Son had arrived. Backed by an absolute all-star cast of New York's top-shelf producers - Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Q-Tip and a youngster named L.E.S. - the album never lets up. Serious to a fault, and lyrically dense to an extent that has possibly never been matched, the 20-year old Nas stood on the shoulders of his predecessors and proudly proclaimed, 'Don't f*** with the East... we are BACK.' Illmatic was actually a slow-burn, which might surprise fans that have come to its genius more recently. Despite an unheard-of '5 Mics' in The Source - despite an unwritten rule of never awarding classic status to debuts - it didn't go gold until early 1996, and didn't hit platinum status until late 2001. But when you dive deeper that shouldn't be a shock: like Black Moon and Wu-Tang's debuts, it was a dark, hard record, made for heads in New York, not teeny-boppers in Des Moines. There were no dance beats, no crossover love songs. Just boom-bap and rhymes, skills and heart.

Anlässlich des 25-jährigen Label-Jubiläums erscheint erstmalig seit zehn Jahren auf Thrill Jockey eine Wiederauflage des Jeff Parker Albums "The Relatives" aus dem Jahr 2005 als Vinyl mit MP3-Download Coupon. Jeff Parker ist Multiinstrumentalist und bekannt als Mitglied von Tortoise sowie für seine Arbeit mit Isotope 217, Fred Anderson, Rob Mazurek, Tricolor, Chicago Underground, Brian Blade Fellowship, Makaya McCraven, Toumani Diabaté, Matana Roberts und Meshell Ndegeocello. Das Album wurde von John McEntire aufgenommen und Parker wird von Percussionist Chad Taylor, Bassist Chris Lopes und Pianist Sam Barsheshet begleitet.

Ninja Gaiden, of the most iconic and beloved 2D action game series ever created, was first released in the arcades in 1988, while making its console debut on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) later in the same year. At the time of the console release, Ninja Gaiden was renowned not only for its deep storytelling beautifully visualized by TECMO’s unique “cinema scenes,” but also through its legendary chiptune soundtrack, whose unique rock-’n’-roll sound and drum beat instantly became a formative musical experience for players who were only just getting into video games.

Ninja Gaiden: The Definitive Soundtrack is divided into volumes. The first, Ninja Gaiden Vol. 1, features the music of both the NES title and the Arcade game, both titled Ninja Gaiden. These legendary soundtracks have been digitally restored under the supervision of Keiji Yamagishi, one of the original series composers. The booklet includes a comprehensive roundtable discussion among several members of the original development team, including the director, producers, artist and composers; an essay by game historian Ray Barnholt; and original archival artworks.

Deluxe 2LP editions with artwork re-imagined by Ian Anderson of 'The Designers Republic'. "If I could watch any jazz band in the UK, any, I would choose Matthew Halsall's band, just love what he's been doing over the last few years ... It's always high level, spiritual jazz music" - Gilles Peterson BBC Radio 1. Matthew Halsall (*September 11th' 1983, in Manchester, England) is a Worldwide Award winning and MOBO nominated trumpeter, composer, producer and DJ.

Since 2008, Matthew has released seven critically acclaimed studio recordings and has been a key figure in the rise of a new jazz sound in the UK. In addition to his own releases Halsall has collaborated with many DJs and producers, most notably DJ Shadow and Mr. Scruff, and in 2013 Matthew's music was selected by Bonobo for his Late Night Tales compilation. Halsall is also the founder of Gondwana Records, a genre bending independent record label featuring a wealth defining albums by the likes of Portico Quartet, GoGo Penguin, Hania Rani and Mammal Hands. His own rich music draws on the spiritual-jazz of Alice Coltrane and Phaorah Sanders, contemporary electronica and dance music alongside his travels in Japan, the traditional art and music of which, has left a lasting impression on his compositions.

Sending My Love (2008) and Colour Yes (2009) were his first releases and document Halsall's first great bands featuring the likes of flautist Chip Wickham, saxophonist Nat Birchall, harpist Rachael Gladwin, bassist Gavin Barras and drummer Gaz Hughes. Joyful, life-enhancing albums, drawing on UK jazz and spiritual jazz influences but with a decidedly modern bounce, they introduced Halsall's music to the world gathering support from the likes of Gilles Peterson and Jamie Cullum, Mojo, Straight No Chaser and beyond. But Halsall was never completely happy with how the records were presented and as part of Gondwana Records 10th anniversary decided to revisit the recordings, meticulously remixing and remastering them for vinyl and commissioning new artwork from Ian Anderson, one of his favourite designers. These then are the definitive editions of the records. Sending My Love comes complete with the beautiful bonus track This Time, while Colour Yes features the equally striking It's What We Do and Ai.

"I am very proud of these early recordings. They represent the starting point of my musical journey in Manchester and showcase some of the cities finest musicians such as: Nat Birchall, Chip Wickham, Rachael Gladwin, Adam Fairhall, Gavin Barras and Gaz Hughes. They are also the very first recordings my brother and I decided to release on our record label (Gondwana Records). Listening back they sound full of energy and joy and really reflect how I was feeling at that precise moment. But as much as I loved the music, I was never 100 percent happy with the sound of the mixes and mastering. So I decided to go back to the original tapes to remix and remaster them and present them the way I'd always wanted, and along the way we unearthed a couple extra unreleased tracks, which we decided to include as bonus material. Myself and my brother also decided to bring in Ian Anderson of The Designers Republic to re-imagine the artwork and we are super blown away by the results!" Matthew Halsall, Oct 2019.

Revelation of the 1st MIDEM in January 1967 with its tile 7h du mat labelled a sixties jewel by Rock & Folk or little gem by La Voix du Nord while Juke Box sees this track as a 60s classic. A must, appreciated by all true connoisseurs - no female French rock compilation is complete without her. Jacqueline Taïeb is a comet, whose songs come back regularly without a wrinkle, every bit as modern.

Repress

Originally released in 2006, Eingya by Helios aka Keith Kenniff returns in a new 2021 edition vinyl re-release, remastered by Taylor Deupree.

Beginning the album on a high with the pastoral beauty of "Bless This Morning Year," Kenniff showcases of what he does best: heartbreaking guitar and piano melodies punctuated by crumbling beats and backed by the most atmospheric synthesizer sounds this side of Eno's Apollo. The appetizing "Halving the Compass" blends subtle field recording with the kind of piano melodies so beautiful they could be compared to Virginia Astley or Harold Budd. This is followed by the album's clear highlight, "Dragonfly Across an Ancient Sky." It's an unsurpassable folk guitar piece with a decomposing percussive background and the sort of melodies that would turn evil tyrants into weeping babies. An album that could appeal as easily to fans of Nick Drake as to fans of Boards of Canada or even early AIR, this truly has something for everyone.

Raised in rural Pennsylvania, Kenniff put out Helios's 2004 debut album, Unomia, while studying percussion at Boston's Berklee College of Music. Since then, he's released six more albums as Helios, in addition to collaborating with his wife Hollie Kenniff in the shoegaze-inspired pop duo Mint Julep and composing music for films and archival use.

"A protracted sunset of an album guaranteed to see you through the longest days of summer and into the twilight of the autumn." - The Wire
"A soundtrack of molasses-sweet, midsummer sunset melancholy and pastoral mellifluence." - Tinymixtapes

NEW REPRESS (SAME COLORS) - RELEASE SEPTEMBER 24th

Ninja Gaiden, of the most iconic and beloved 2D action game series ever created, was first released in the arcades in 1988, while making its console debut on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) later in the same year. At the time of the console release, Ninja Gaiden was renowned not only for its deep storytelling beautifully visualized by TECMO’s unique “cinema scenes,” but also through its legendary chiptune soundtrack, whose unique rock-’n’-roll sound and drum beat instantly became a formative musical experience for players who were only just getting into video games.

Ninja Gaiden: The Definitive Soundtrack is divided into volumes. The first, Ninja Gaiden Vol. 1, features the music of both the NES title and the Arcade game, both titled Ninja Gaiden. The follow-up, Ninja Gaiden Vol. 2, features the music of both Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos and Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. This bundle includes BOTH Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 at a special price. These legendary soundtracks have been digitally restored under the supervision of Keiji Yamagishi, one of the original series composers. The booklet includes a comprehensive roundtable discussion among several members of the original development team, including the director, producers, artist and composers; an essay by game historian Ray Barnholt; and original archival artworks.

The only mountains in Amsterdam you'll every see

This one's for all the jazz-fusion heads out there and a celebratory tribute to the undisputed king of anything jazzy, Mr. Gilles Peterson.

The Japanese duo The Magic Twins delivers a strong 3-track EP which is full of jazz/brazil/funk-fusion reworks that would make the dancers at the legendary London Club Dingwalls swing just a little longer.

Proper dance material for the jazz-ish community.

Limited Edition Turquoise/ Yellow &White Splatter Colour Vinyl 2LP Set. 1500 Units for UK.

Nina Simone’s story from the late sixties to the nineties can be told through her legendary performances in Montreux. Taking to the Montreux stage for the first time on 16 June 1968 for the festival’s second edition, Simone built a lasting relationship with Montreux Jazz Festival and its Creator and Founder Claude Nobs, which uniqueness, trust and electricity can be clearly felt on the recordings. Simone’s multi-faceted and radical story is laid bare on ‘Nina Simone: The Montreux Years’. From Nina’s glorious and emotional 1968 performance to her fiery and unpredictable concert in 1976, one of the festival’s most remarkable performances ever witnessed, the collection includes recordings from all of her five legendary Montreux concerts – 1968, 1976, 1981, 1987 and 1990.

Featuring rare and previously unreleased material from Claude Nobs’ private collection, Nina Simone devotees worldwide will be thrilled by the inclusion of the powerful I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free, poignant and fearless Four Women and Simone’s hauntingly beautiful performance of Ne Me Quitte Pas. A spine-tingling version of Janis Ian’s searing and potent Stars, which Simone covered for the very first time during her 1976 Montreux performance, sits alongside her bold and electrifying re-imagine of Bob Marley’s ballad No Women No Cry in 1990. The collection closes with the encore of Nina Simone’s final Montreux Jazz Festival concert and one of Simone’s most-loved and best-known recordings, the exuberant My Baby Just Cares For Me, showcasing the deep and multidimensional facets of Simone’s life and music.

Mourn The Light were formed in early 2018 by
Dwayne Eldredge, also co-founder of The New
England Stoner And Doom Festival.

Driven by his passion for thunderous, traditional
doom metal mixed with lofty progressive and
power metal leanings, Dwayne was hell-bent on
creating a band that could sonically push a
message of hope in spite of despair.

Following their highly acclaimed 2019-debut EP,
‘Weight Of The World’, and touring the US and
Canada on the back of this, Mourn The Light
returned to the studio to record their first album.

Entitled ‘Suffer, Then We’re Gone’, the band’s
debut album showcases a plethora of influences.
At one moment, Mourn The Light deliver crushingly
massive riffs, only to jump at the next turn,
galloping along with shades of classic heavy,
progressive and power metal taking hold and
leading the way, all the while focusing on incredibly
memorable songs with catchy hooks and anthemic
choruses.

For fans of Solitude Aeturnus, Savatage, Psychotic
Waltz, Trouble, Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus,
Candlemass.

LP pressed on green and orange splatter vinyl.

"Black Truffle proudly presents The Refrain from Melbourne-based artist Francis Plagne, whose growing catalog of collaborative and solo releases range from song-based work to abstract audio collages.

Closely aligned with Plagne's Moss Trumpet LP (released by Penultimate Press in 2018), The Refrain’s two side-long tracks mix sounds of the mundane with the otherworldly; rising, receding and overlapping. The result feels like being led through a series of scenes devoid of context or direction. Furthermore, it’s hard to define the scenes as either inviting or disconcerting, as they’re often both at the same time. As the record progresses sounds reappear and are juxtaposed so as to only hint at the familiar. A hall of mirrors, perhaps?

Completed in 2020 using material recorded from 2012-2020, the record uses tapes of shelved, unfinished, and forgotten projects that featured field recordings from various locations, domestic sounds of plastic bottles, bubble wrap, creaking chairs, voice, and instrumental recordings, including an appearance from crys cole on Casio. These pieces were re-amped, processed and edited, then additional instrumental pieces featuring synths, guitars, plastic saxophone, melodica, and percussion were added, the results shaped into drifting, episodic assemblages.

Although essentially a tape piece, The Refrain presents as a crude, non-idiomatic composition that feels both timeless and transitory. It’s a million miles from the polish and rigour of GRM, perhaps more in line with Jacques Bekaert’s eponymous Igloo LP, or Costin Miereanu’s Luna Cinese. The Refrain could be read as a psychedelic Krapp’s Last Tape; one man’s response to listening through forgotten and discarded tapes, reflecting, reconciling, and forging a new path. A potent tonic for these absurd times."

-- Nick Hamilton, August 2021

Established UK-talent Made By Pete lands on Damian Lazarus’ flagship Crosstown Rebels imprint this February. Collaborating with Savage & SHē on the two-track Walls of Zion, it acts as the debut release of 2022 for each artist and marks Made By Pete’s third release on the label.

The title track sets the tone, taking the form of a spacious, shamanic inspired cut. Rattling percussion reverberates around shimmering hats, as resonant vocals dive in and out. It feels atmospheric and soothing in one, opening neatly into the stripped-back sounds of Too Drunk To Dream. Lucid and dream-like, there’s a spiritual theme throughout, with whirring synths residing beneath tribal-like drum patterns to form an ethereal, club-ready cut.

Born and raised in London UK, Made By Pete is an artist who can count mavens of the electronic music scene like Damian Lazarus, Sasha and Kolsch as big fans of his sound. He has seen his work snapped up by taste-making labels such as Crosstown Rebels, Saved, Rebirth and Radiant to name a few, whilst performances across the world at clubs such as Space (Ibiza), Chinese Laundry (Sydney), Fabric (London) as well as Thailand’s famous Full Moon Party have highlighted him as a truly global artist.

Mexico-based duo Savage & SHē have garnered an international following thanks to a consistent schedule of quality releases. Imprints such as Abracadabra, Earthly Delights, TrueColors and Trndmsk are just a few examples of labels they’ve graced over the years, whilst sharing the stage with standout performers in the form of Adriatique, Be Svendsen, Matthias Meyer and many more besides.

2 new big tunes featuring N.E.D & Ostapuzz MCs, giving this release a special meaning, these songs are already well known in Ukraine and just have to complement the vinyl collection of Derrick & Tonika fans. Instrumental versions have been added in separate tracks!

2022 may bring much much uncertainty to the world but one thing we know for a fact is that we are introducing our most innovative and intriguing new act in years – the French duo Archil & Leon with their five track debut (appropriately called) “Blooming”.

Having both released in the past independently, Archil & Leon were originally brought together thanks to their teenage band His Majesty and from there, their passion to create music together never has faltered. Leon is a veteran session and live drummer who also produces music for his own dance project Ongaeshi and the dance collective moovance. Archil is an accomplished solo electronic musician and the force behind Archil Lab handmade musical devices. Using elements like springs (Springophone) and wheels (Roulettophone), his instruments are lovingly manufactured in wood and somehow carry the characteristics of modular gear but in the most unconventional way possible.

At a first listen, Archil & Leon’s music comes off as a well oiled live jam but as you dig deeper, it’s clear these tracks have a precision and style that separates them into a category of their own. Their EP “Blooming” is the result of two full years of being locked in their studio, writing and experimenting together. Indeed, an underlying flow of 70’s funk permeates throughout their music, however pigeonholing them into such a stereotype would be a travesty as they have impeccable song writing skills and their self made instruments conjure an experimentalism which is through and through rooted in electronic music. We can only hope that fans of now-classic Jamie Lidell / Super_Collider will appreciate where they are coming from, and you agree their “sound” is brilliantly individual. After all, they created their tracks literally from the ground up.

Watch more about Archil & Leon and their wonderfully outlandish instruments.Das Jahr 2022 mag viel Ungewissheit in die Welt bringen, aber eine Sache, die wir mit Sicherheit wissen, ist, dass wir euch mit dem französischen Duo Archil & Leon unseren innovativsten und faszinierendsten neuen Act seit Jahren vorstellen werden. Passenderweise trägt ihre ihre Debüt 5-Track EP den Titel "Blooming".

Archil & Leon haben beide in der Vergangenheit unabhängig voneinander Musik veröffentlicht haben und kamen ursprünglich durch die Teenager-Band His Majesty zusammen. Von da an hat ihre Leidenschaft, gemeinsam Musik zu machen, nie nachgelassen. Leon ist ein erfahrener Session-Musiker und Live-Schlagzeuger, der auch Musik für sein eigenes Tanzprojekt Ongaeshi Studio und das Tanzkollektiv moovance produziert. Archil ist ein versierter Solo-Elektro-Musiker und die treibende Kraft hinter den handgefertigten Musikinstrumenten des Archil Labs. Seine unter Verwendung von Elementen wie Federn (Springophone) und Rädern (Roulettophone) hergestellten Instrumente sind liebevoll aus Holz gefertigt und erinnern irgendwie an modulare Geräte, aber auf sehr unkonventionelle Art und Weise.

Auf den ersten Blick wirkt die Musik von Archil & Leon wie ein gut geölter Live-Jam, aber wenn man tiefer gräbt, wird klar, dass diese Tracks eine Präzision und einen Stil haben, die sie in eine eigene Kategorie einordnen. Ihre EP "Blooming" ist das Ergebnis von zwei Jahren, in denen sie sich im Studio eingeschlossen haben, um gemeinsam zu schreiben und zu experimentieren. Ein unterschwelliger Flow von 70er-Jahre-Funk durchdringt ihre Musik, aber sie in eine solche Schublade zu stecken, ginge gehörig am Thema vorbei, denn die beiden haben tadellose Fähigkeiten was das Songwriting angeht und ihre selbstgebauten Instrumente zaubern einen Experimentierfreude hervor, der durch und durch in der elektronischen Musik verwurzelt ist.

Wir sind uns sicher, dass Fans von dem jetzt schon klassischen Jamie Lidell / Super_Collider Material ahnen, woher der Wind hier weht und von welch individueller Brillanz Archil & Leon's Sound ist. Immerhin haben die Jungs ihre Musik wirklich von Grund auf neu kreiert. Schaut Euch ihre wundervollen, außerweltlichen Instrumente auf ihrer Website oder YouTube an

Khruangbin and Leon Bridges announce their latest collaborative EP, ‘Texas Moon’, out on Dead Oceans.

 An extension of the two’s chart-topping four-song ‘Texas Sun’ journey, ‘Texas Moon’ is an introspective stroll through the dark. “Without joy, there can be no real perspective on sorrow,” say Khruangbin. “Without sunlight, all this rain keeps things from growing. How can you have the sun without the moon?”

 Crediting their mutual home state for inspiration, ‘Texas Moon’ pensively examines Texas’ musical perception, while paying homage to the marriage of country and R&B that’s become synonymous with the lone star state. Propelled by rolling guitar licks, conga and bongo, lead single ‘B-Side’ meditates on meeting in a dream and frolics across the nearing contemplative night-time state with its longing joy.

 Elsewhere on ‘Texas Moon’, the artists channel a newly intimate musical scope that’s illustrated most dramatically when the spacy sensuality of the minimalistic ‘Chocolate Hills’ leads into the stark spirituality addressed on ‘Father Father’, a reminder of both acts’ gospel roots. Over a simple rolling guitar figure, Bridges pleads with the heavens - “Look at the mess that I made / Just a man with unclean hands” - only to be reminded of God’s eternal love.

 For Khruangbin, one song in particular was indicative of the trust that Bridges put in them. “The song ‘Doris’ is about his grandmother making the transition from this world to the next realm,” says Khruangbin’s Donald Ray ‘DJ’ Johnson Jr. “It’s a very somber, very deep record. And when someone places that kind of work into your
hands, the last thing you want to do is junk it up, overproduce it, or do too much. We treated it with the respect it deserved, and treated Doris with the respect she deserves.”

 “It’s like a short story...,” says the band’s Laura Lee of the music. “And it leaves room to continue having these stories together. It’s not Khruangbin, it’s not Leon, it’s this world we created together.”

 Upon its release, ‘Texas Sun’ soared to the No. 1 slot on Billboard’s Emerging Artists Chart along with landing the No.1 on spot on Americana/Folk Albums, among many others. Significantly, both parties’ musical directions were deeply affected by their time working together on ‘Texas Sun’.

 Khruangbin’s most recent studio album, ‘Mordechai’, moved their own vocals to the forefront, a change they readily admit was a direct result of working with Bridges.
Their sound was also tapped for remix / reinterpretation of a Paul McCartney song for the ‘McCartney III Imagined’ project. Meanwhile, in addition to his genre-defying Grammy-nominated album ‘Gold-Digger’s Sound’, Bridges has put out several other challenging, shared collaborative tracks, including work with John Mayer, Lucky Daye and, most recently, Jazmine Sullivan. Each of the artists appeared recently on Austin City Limits and will tour throughout the new year.

Introducing jazz harpist Amanda Whiting. From Wales, the home of the harp, Amanda has taken her classical roots and forged them in the path of jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby.

She has toured extensively with Matthew Halsall and the Gondwana Orchestra performing at Jazz festivals around the world. More recent collaborations have included recording with DJ Yoda and Chip Wickham and touring Wickham's latest album including appearances at Ronnie Scotts and Le Petit Halle, Paris.

Whiting's first album was recorded as a trio for CD in 2013, and pays tribute to Coltrane and Ashby with her own take on standards. She's joined by Deej Williams (bass) and Tony Robinson (drums). Here we've taken a selection of tracks for inclusion on vinyl, the best medium for serious music lovers.

Just 500 copies pressed and housed in a beautiful bespoke flip-back sleeve.

A key figure in Chicago’s second wave of influential house and techno producers, Mystic Bill returns to Classic Music Company with ‘Body Moves’, a release with serious club credentials and drenched in authentic NYC, New Jersey and Chicago influences. This 12” package is becoming a firm favourite of in-the-know selectors, no doubt thanks to its party-starting qualities that are sure to captivate floors. Featuring four versions of the track, Bill navigates various different analogue moods, kicking off with the vibing house of the original, as euphoric synth arpeggios and a warm, groovy bass blend for dancefloor magic. The Reprise Mix is another juicy club cut, with a full-throttle bassline that rips through the newly looped vocal. On the B-Side the NYC Mix demonstrates Mystic Bill’s trademark deepness, headsy enough for the darkest recesses of the dancefloors but with buckets full of energy for peaktime sets. The NYC Dub closes out, an essential club tool for any discerning selector. A perfect fit for Luke Solomon’s imprint, Mystic Bill’s ‘Body Moves’ is not one to be slept on.

BIOHAZARD formed in Brooklyn in 1988 and soon after released their first demo. The band consisted of founding members Billy Graziadei (vocals, guitar), Bobby Hambel (lead guitar) and Evan Seinfeld (vocals, bass). After the release of their second demo in 1989, drummer Anthony Meo left the band and drummer Danny Schuler replaced him. BIOHAZARD released their combined the urban sounds of hard-core, metal and rap with scorching lyrics describing the forces at work in our modern urban lives. With an impressive career spanning over 20 years with 10 albums (on both indie and major labels), the band sold over 5 million records. In 1990, Biohazard signed a recording contract with Maze Records. The band's self-titled debut album was poorly promoted by the label and sold approximately 40,000 copies. The album's subject matter revolved around Brooklyn, gang-wars, drugs, and violence.

In 1992, Biohazard signed with Roadrunner Records and released Urban Discipline, which gave the band national and worldwide attention in both the heavy metal and hardcore communities. The video for the song "Punishment" became the most played video in the history of MTV's Headbanger's Ball, and the album sold over one million copies. The band also began opening for larger acts such as Pantera, Suicidal Tendencies, House of Pain, Fishbone, and The Cro-Mags. In 1993, the hardcore rap group Onyx brought on Billy Graziadei for an alternate "Bionyx" version of their hit single "Slam" with Biohazard as their backup band. This led to a collaboration on the title track of the Judgment Night soundtrack. The soundtrack would go on to sell over two million copies in the United States. Months later, the band left Roadrunner Records and signed with Warner Bros. Records Inc. who released their third studio LP, State of the World Address. The album was produced by Ed Stasium in Los Angeles and contained the single "How It Is" featuring Sen Dog of Cypress Hill, for which a video was also shot. During their 1994 tour, the band made an appearance on the second stage at the Monsters of Rock festival held at Castle Donington. State of the World Address went on to sell over one million copies, and Rolling Stone magazine selected the Biohazard logo as the best logo of the year.

This was the last Biohazard album with Bobby Hambel, who left due to differences with the rest of the band. The band recorded their fourth studio album, Mata Leao, as a three piece in 1996. It was produced with the help of Dave Jerden. For the 1996-97 Mata Leao Tour, former Helmet guitarist Rob Echeverria joined the band. The band also played on the Ozzfest mainstage alongside Ozzy Osbourne, Slayer, Danzig, Fear Factory, and Sepultura. While touring Europe in support of the Mata Leao album, the band recorded their Hamburg, Germany, show for their first live album, No Holds Barred (Live in Europe), which was released in 1997 through their former label, Roadrunner Records. The band signed to Mercury Records and released their fifth studio album, New World Disorder, in 1999, once again with Ed Stasium as a producer.

The relationship with Mercury Records soured quickly as the band felt betrayed and misunderstood by the label. They severed their ties with the label amidst the merger of Mercury Records, Island Records, Def Jam Records, and Polygram into the Universal Music Group. The following year, Biohazard signed two new record deals with SPV/Steamhammer in Europe and Sanctuary Records for the remainder of the world. Despite the new record deals, the band took some personal time in order to work on other projects. Graziadei and Schuler also collaborated in transforming the band's rehearsal Brooklyn studio into a digital recording studio, known as Rat Piss Studios and soon after changed the name to Underground Sound Studios. Re-investing into the band, Graziadei and Schuler honed their engineering and productions skills while recording and producing local acts and new Biohazard demos. The band then undertook the process of writing, recording, and producing their own music. Their studio work led to the band's sixth studio album, Uncivilization, released in September 2001.
The album featured several guest appearances by members of bands such as Agnostic Front, Hatebreed, Pantera, Slipknot, Sepultura, Cypress Hill, Skarhead, and Type O Negative. Shortly after the release of Uncivilization, guitarist Leo Curley left the band and was replaced by former Nucleus member Carmine Vincent, who had previously toured with Biohazard as part of their road crew. The band had to cancel scheduled European festival dates when Carmine Vincent underwent major surgery. The band did manage to find a temporary guitarist, Scott Roberts, formerly of the Cro-Mags and the Spudmonsters, in time to join the Eastpak Resistance Tour with Agnostic Front, Hatebreed, Discipline, Death Threat, Born From Pain and All Boro Kings. Biohazard completed their seventh studio album in seventeen days; Kill Or Be Killed was released in 2003. While touring North America with Kittie, Brand New Sin and Eighteen Visions, Biohazard announced that Roberts would remain as their permanent lead guitarist. The tour was curtailed when it was announced that Seinfeld had fallen ill. With more downtime due to Seinfeld's illness, Graziadei and Schuler collaborated to mix Life of Agony's live comeback album, River Runs Again: Live 2003. Once Seinfeld was healthy again, the band toured Japan and North America, headlining over bands such as Hatebreed, Agnostic Front, Throwdown, and Full Blown Chaos.

By the end of 2003, the band had begun recording its eighth studio album, Means To An End. The completed album was lost in a studio disaster, forcing the band to completely re-record the album, which was finally released in August 2005. In October 2004, Graziadei announced that Means To An End had been the final Biohazard album and that he would continue playing with his new band Suicide City as his main focus. One month later, on the Biohazard website, it was announced that there would in fact be a 2005 Biohazard tour. On December 15, 2005, Seinfeld and Graziadei participated in the Roadrunner United conglomerate event at the Nokia Theater in New York for an all-star event. The show opened with Biohazard's "Punishment," performed by Seinfeld, Graziadei, Sepultura's Andreas Kisser, former Fear Factory member Dino Cazares, and Slipknot's Joey Jordison. Graziadei and Schuler relocated their recording studio to South Amboy, New Jersey and renamed it Underground Sound Studios. The studio was renovated to include a live room with 20-foot (6.1 m) ceilings and 4,000 square feet (370 m2) of studio space. After Schuler's departure from the studio business, Graziadei relocated the studio to Los Angeles and changed the name to Firewater Studios. In January 2008, the classic lineup of Evan Seinfeld, Billy Graziadei, Danny Schuler and Bobby Hambel made the announcement that rehearsals had begun for a 2008 summer tour to commemorate the band's 20th anniversary. They toured Australia and New Zealand in April with Chimaira, Throwdown, Bloodsimple and headliners Korn to celebrate their newly declared reunion. The band also took part in Persistence Tour 2009, and announced at one of their shows that they were working on a new record. Biohazard brought in producer Toby Wright to work on the album and after several months at Graziadei's Firewater Studios in Los Angeles, the band completed their recording sessions. In June 2011, Biohazard announced that Evan Seinfeld had quit the band and Scott Roberts returned to replace Seinfeld for two UK dates but no decision regarding a permanent replacement was made. In January 2012, the band decided that Scott Roberts would remain with the band as a permanent member. The new album, Reborn In Defiance, was released worldwide, with the exception of North America, on January 20, 2012 through the Nuclear Blast label. In support of the album, Biohazard embarked on a short co-headlining tour of Europe with Suicidal Tendencies in the latter half of January 2012. After touring the world in support of Reborn in Defiance, the band entered the studio to work on a new release and after a falling out, Roberts departed the band.

Biohazard remains as it’s core founding members of Graziadei, Shuler and Hambel. Graziadei has since ventured off onto a solo career as BillyBio and teamed up with Cypress Hill frontman Sendog to start Powerflo. Both groups are working on their second releases due out late 2021 and early 2022.

The Nonesuch debut of Hurray for the Riff Raff (aka Alynda Segarra), LIFE ON EARTH, is a departure for the Bronx-born, New Orleans-based singer/songwriter. Its eleven new “nature punk” tracks on the theme of survival are music for a world in flux – songs about thriving, not just surviving, while disaster is happening. Hurray for the Riff Raff tours North America this spring, beginning March 19 in Atlanta and continuing through April 20 in Nashville, with stops in Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, among others. International tour dates will be announced shortly.

For her eighth full-length album, Segarra (they/she) drew inspiration from The Clash, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Bad Bunny, and the author of Emergent Strategy, adrienne maree brown. Recorded during the pandemic, Life on Earth was produced by Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Bon Iver, Kevin Morby).

Life on Earth’s first single, ‘RHODODENDRON’, is about “finding rebellion in plant life. Being called by the natural world and seeing the life that surrounds you in a way you never have. A mind expansion. A psychedelic trip. A spiritual breakthrough. Learning to adapt, and being open to the wisdom of your landscape. Being called to fix things in your own backyard, your own community,” says Segarra.

Of the ‘Rhododendron’ video, which was directed by New Orleans-based artist Lucia Honey, Segarra says: “It is really far out and fun. I got this bodysuit that just looks like the inside of the human body. It looks like you’re skinless. It’s in a scene where I’m playing to an audience of plants. Just really absurd, but I put that suit on and I was like man, this feels really good. It feels like, ‘This is who I am. Let’s just take the skin off.’

“It reminds me a little bit of Kids in the Hall,” they continue. “With this ‘Rhododendron’ shoot, something clicked in me where I was like, ‘All I have to do is be myself.’ I had been thinking that I had to be something bigger than myself. I felt like I was just never quite making the mark and then something clicked where I was like, ‘I just gotta be me. I could do that. I could show up and be me. And if people don’t like it, then I don’t know what to fucking tell them.’ It was like a brain shift of, ‘Oh, this can be fun. It doesn’t have to be suffering.’ With so many videos and photo shoots before, it really felt like suffering. I felt so uncomfortable being perceived. I didn’t know who I was.”

Honey adds: “We wanted to create something surreal, playful, and saturated that indulged heavily in the aesthetic of the early ‘90s. Alynda and I had many overlapping visual and philosophical references which sparked the initial collaboration. We wanted to make this video an homage to Gregg Araki’s Teenage Apocalypse trilogy but as a nature documentary crossover. I came across Araki’s work as a queer teenager, and he’s always been a big inspiration. Sex, blood, punk rock, camp, etc.

“We live in a moment where the future is bleaker and more unknown than ever, so there becomes a deep comfort in nostalgia and reliving the past. Through our talks, I realised Alynda’s new album touches on many of these same subjects, but perhaps in reverse; running from a past that is always haunting you. Shifting into a more refined self/identity through confronting one’s trauma and baggage. It was easy to reach collaborative synergy for this video project because we’re both interested in tackling similar issues.”

Alynda Segarra was born and raised in the Bronx, which they left at the age of seventeen, running away from everything and everyone they knew, hopping freight trains or hitchhiking across the country in the company of a band of street urchins. Segarra moved to New Orleans in 2007 and formed two bands: Dead Man’s Street Orchestra and Hurray for the Riff Raff. In 2015, Segarra decamped to Nashville, then to New York, to make her most recent album, 2016’s critically praised The Navigator, an ambitious and fully realized concept album that was her quest to reclaim her Puerto Rican identity. Segarra’s previous records as Hurray for the Riff Raff are Crossing the Rubicon (EP, 2007), It Don’t Mean I Don’t Love You (2008), Young Blood Blues (2010), Hurray for the Riff Raff (2011), Look Out Mama (2012), My Dearest Darkest Neighbor (2013), and Small Town Heroes (2014).

Tape

The occult and folk music have been friends for a while. In the 21st century, hauntology and the resurface of some cult soundtracks from the 1970s and 1980s helped to create a new sense of folk, not associated with the typical acoustic feeling, but more relatable with library, krautrock/kosmische and industrial music. João Kyron and Tony Watts, long time collaborators since the late 1990s with their band Hipnótica, and more recently with Beautify Junkyards (Ghost Box) are well acquainted with this friendship. Hidden Horse is their new project as a duo and “Opala” their first release.

With eight tracks and almost thirty minutes, their first release explores dense and greyish urban utopias. The song titles explore ideas that mix sci-fi, horror, science, space and urban phobia, and the music Kyron and Watts create delivers, using electronics and drums with great relish. Their relationship as musicians, which spans more than two decades, can be felt in the way their music flows with a continuous dialogue.

“Opala” is always keen to take you to another dimension. It lives in its own twilight zone, where the obscure entangles the most obvious senses of reality. It sounds like Jacques Tati “Playtime” with a hauntology soundtrack: it kind of feels that this imaginary world is real, but it’s not. And it sucks you in to be a part of it and enjoy it: close your eyes and let yourself go while listening to “Levitação Magnética” or “Fantasmas do Planeta”. You will feel like a foreigner in a new city.

Tougher Than Tough – Trojan Rude Boy Sounds is an exclusive release from Music On Vinyl’s Trojan compilation series, which celebrates the best works from the legendary reggae label Trojan Records. It was compiled by Laurence Cane-Honeysett, who also wrote the linernotes. Some of the artists featured on this compilation include Stranger Cole, The Pioneers and Alton Ellis. 2000 individually numbered copies on orange vinyl. The package also includes exclusive Trojan Records and Music On Vinyl coaster.

Modern metallers DAGOBA are back! After putting their stamp on the metal scene with a unique blend of metal and neckbreaking grooves, relentlessly touring and sharing the stage with legendary acts like Metallica, Machine Head and In Flames, DAGOBA have signed with leading Austrian metal label Napalm Records and are prepared to hit the next level. The French four-piece returns with the band’s most ambitious material yet: punishing vocals, groove and modern metal infused guitars and hard-hitting production shows DAGOBA on top of their game, pushing boundaries and incorporating electronic elements seamlessly into a unique modern metal formula. Vocalist Shawter impresses with a high variety in his singing by covering a wide span from intense and deep growls, strong shouts and precise clean vocals. The album starts off with an electronic intro that bursts into the massive attack „The Hunt“, that has already been released in July 2021 as a standalone single and includes all the significant trademarks: melodic passages with clean vocals alter with intense breakdowns and all of this underlined with electronic elements. This mixture leads to a catchy sound as showcased on the dramatic „Bellflower Drive“ or the melodic „City Lights“. Furthermore the sound of DAGOBA stands out for dominant drumming that oscillates between double bass, blast beats and forward going up tempo drumming as it occurs on „The Last Crossing“ or „Sunfall“. Between all the action, there is also space for calmer parts such as the interlude „Break“ or the track „On the Run“ that begins with female vocals that gradually build up into another hymn lining up brilliantly with the other songs of the album. DAGOBA manages the balancing act between harsh breakdowns, dense soundwalls and grooving passages with ease. Even on its hardest passages, the album never gets too enigmatic - quite the opposite: One smashing track is followed by the next, the record just flies by and leaves no time to breathe. By Night is a beast of an album showcasing how far DAGOBA can take electronic influences on the upcoming material – a must-have for true fans of modern metal! alone!

Durch eine unerschütterliche Hingabe an die Progression schärfen Wage War mit jeder weiteren Entwicklung ihre patentierte Mischung aus schwerer, technischer Technik und hypnotischen Melodien, die man mitsummen muss. Das Debüt der Gruppe aus dem Jahr 2015, ”Blueprints”, brachte mehrere Fan-Lieblinge hervor: ”Alive” knackte die Marke von 12 Millionen Spotify-Streams und ”The River” überschritt bis heute 8 Millionen. In der Zwischenzeit etablierte das 2017er Album ”Deadweight” die Jungs als aufstrebende Kraft.

Mit insgesamt fast 50 Millionen Streams in zwei Jahren erreichte die Single ”Stitch” 14 Millionen Streams auf Spotify, während ”Deadweight” von Metal Injection, New Noise, Metal Hammer und Rock Sound gelobt wurde, die das Album als ”ein unerbittliches, das Genre veränderndes Vergnügen” bezeichneten. In der Zwischenzeit tourten sie mit Bands wie I Prevail, Of Mice & Men, Parkway Drive und A Day To Remember und legten unzählige Kilometer auf der Straße zurück.

Jetzt sind Wage War mit ihrem neusten Longplayer ”Manic” zurück und begeistern erneut Fans und Kritiker
zugleich.

Logics siebtes Album “Bobby Tarantino III” ist nun endlich auch auf Vinyl erhältlich! Logic hat sich spätestens 2017 mit seiner erfolgreichen Single „1-800-273-8255“ einen festen Platz in der Hip-Hop-Welt gesichert. Für sein neues Album hat er sich nennenswerte Unterstützung rangeholt – wie den Producer 6ix, der auch schon für Dizzy Wright und Sylvan LaCue produziert hat. Oder auch Keanu Beats, der für seine Mitarbeit an Pop Smokes Album „Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon“ und Lil Babys „My Turn”
bekannt ist.

Reinhold Weber, born in 1927, was known as a pioneer of electronic music. In his compositions, Weber placed a focus on twelve-tone music, he became increasingly fascinated in the field of computer music since the 1970s. He produced numerous works at the Studio for Electronic Music at the University of Karlsruhe.

Reinhold Weber was born in Gießen on July 18, 1927. He studied at Robert Schumann Conservatory in Düsseldorf (including composition with Jürg Baur, piano with Max Martin Stein) and passed his exam in composition, theory, piano and ear training with distinction. He completed further masterclasses with Wolfgang Fortner, Hermann Heiss, Oliver Messiaen (composition), Kurt Thomas (choral conducting), Andor Foldes (piano) and Gerhard Nestler (electronic music). Reinhold Weber was a professor at the Baden Conservatory of Music in Karlsruhe and also worked in the Studio for Electronic Music of the University of Karlsruhe. His works have been performed in numerous concerts and were broadcasted by SDR, WDR, NDR, HR, SWF and Radio Bremen. Reinhold Weber died March 25, 2013.

Actor Kurt Müller-Graf was born in 1913. After visiting the Theater Academy of Baden in Karlsruhe, he appeared on stage at National Theaters of Karlsruhe, Kassel and Munich since 1935. During World War II he performed in about 10 feature films by Bavaria Film Munich. After 1945 he played at National Theaters in Karlsruhe, Stuttgart and at Theaters in Nuremberg, Cologne, Munich, Mannheim, Baden-Baden and Burgtheater Vienna. Furthermore he had guest performances in Zurich, Basel, Salzburg and Heidelberg. Kurt Müller-Graf was touring and had broadcasts on radio and television shows at home and abroad. Kurt Müller-Graf died August 10, 2013.

The meaning of the Blues whether sung, moaned or
shouted is a reflection of the troubled performer's
soul and there is little doubt that John Lee Hooker
was one of the most successful Blues artists that
ever lived. This collection of songs express twelve
chapters of a novel from a Blues icon who's music
continues to inspire with a legacy that lives on.

It was certainly an act of genius on the part of Norman Granz to
devise the concept of Ms. Fitzgerald devoting a double album to
the work of one of America's finest and most revered composers.
When Granz launched the Verve Records label in 1956, his first
release was the ground-breaking album that would elevate Ella's
career to new heights. Ella was eminently suited to interpreting
Cole Porter's clever, sophisticated lyrics. So indulge yourself in
this wonderful collection of 32 songs both written and delivered
by the best.

Khruangbin and Leon Bridges announce their latest collaborative EP, ‘Texas Moon’, out on Dead Oceans.

 An extension of the two’s chart-topping four-song ‘Texas Sun’ journey, ‘Texas Moon’ is an introspective stroll through the dark. “Without joy, there can be no real perspective on sorrow,” say Khruangbin. “Without sunlight, all this rain keeps things from growing. How can you have the sun without the moon?”

 Crediting their mutual home state for inspiration, ‘Texas Moon’ pensively examines Texas’ musical perception, while paying homage to the marriage of country and R&B that’s become synonymous with the lone star state. Propelled by rolling guitar licks, conga and bongo, lead single ‘B-Side’ meditates on meeting in a dream and frolics across the nearing contemplative night-time state with its longing joy.

 Elsewhere on ‘Texas Moon’, the artists channel a newly intimate musical scope that’s illustrated most dramatically when the spacy sensuality of the minimalistic ‘Chocolate Hills’ leads into the stark spirituality addressed on ‘Father Father’, a reminder of both acts’ gospel roots. Over a simple rolling guitar figure, Bridges pleads with the heavens - “Look at the mess that I made / Just a man with unclean hands” - only to be reminded of God’s eternal love.

 For Khruangbin, one song in particular was indicative of the trust that Bridges put in them. “The song ‘Doris’ is about his grandmother making the transition from this world to the next realm,” says Khruangbin’s Donald Ray ‘DJ’ Johnson Jr. “It’s a very somber, very deep record. And when someone places that kind of work into your
hands, the last thing you want to do is junk it up, overproduce it, or do too much. We treated it with the respect it deserved, and treated Doris with the respect she deserves.”

 “It’s like a short story...,” says the band’s Laura Lee of the music. “And it leaves room to continue having these stories together. It’s not Khruangbin, it’s not Leon, it’s this world we created together.”

 Upon its release, ‘Texas Sun’ soared to the No. 1 slot on Billboard’s Emerging Artists Chart along with landing the No.1 on spot on Americana/Folk Albums, among many others. Significantly, both parties’ musical directions were deeply affected by their time working together on ‘Texas Sun’.

 Khruangbin’s most recent studio album, ‘Mordechai’, moved their own vocals to the forefront, a change they readily admit was a direct result of working with Bridges.
Their sound was also tapped for remix / reinterpretation of a Paul McCartney song for the ‘McCartney III Imagined’ project. Meanwhile, in addition to his genre-defying Grammy-nominated album ‘Gold-Digger’s Sound’, Bridges has put out several other challenging, shared collaborative tracks, including work with John Mayer, Lucky Daye and, most recently, Jazmine Sullivan. Each of the artists appeared recently on Austin City Limits and will tour throughout the new year.

"Même Soleil" is the result of a dialog between the French photographer Gaël Bonnefon and the French musician Frédéric D. Oberland initiated by IIKKI, between December 2019 and June 2021.

Self-taught multi-instrumentalist & photographer, Frédéric D. Oberland finds himself at the crossroads of image and sound, favoring a synesthetic approach. He articulates different modes of narration, combining the raw character of the documentary form with the transfigured reality of myth and poetry, allowing him to question notions such as the sacred, the monstrous, the fraternity, while at the same time returning to the political news of the present. Attentive to the pulse of the body, his work is willingly itinerant, modulating between the ripples of dreams, watching the points of incandescence and the bursts of electricity that act as revelations of our presence in the world, here and now. He’s the co-founder of leading bands such as Oiseaux-Tempête, FOUDRE!, Le Réveil des Tropiques, FareWell Poetry and is co-curating the label NAHAL Recordings.

"Fueled by travels and their emanations, Frédéric D. Oberland’s music had to build new horizons this year, outlined by the curves of semi-modular synthesizers, the avalanches of effect pedals and the zigzagging paths of electric circuits. Même Soleil, his third solo album, manages to merge mystical visions of the unconscious and the absurdity of an apocalyptic present in a sensory whirlwind, operating an astonishing mutation with tones still unexplored in his previous releases. A visual as well as a musical journey that takes shape in a book and a record of the same title, Même Soleil is the result of a collaboration with the photographer Gaël Bonnefon. Seeking the tension between the blinding light of day and the glittering visions of saturated night skies, the two pieces in dialogue transcend reality to deliver their own truth, as bright as the first light of the sought-after morning." (Alice Butterlin)

Gaël Bonnefon graduated with highest honours from the Fine Arts School of Toulouse (Isdat) in 2008. He has exhibited at Villa Pérochon, at the Eté photographique in Lectoure, at the 104 in Paris during Jeune Création 2012, at Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie d’Arles and at PhotoEspaña, at the Abattoirs Museum in Toulouse in 2014, at the Château d’Eau Gallery in 2012 and 2019 and in the Vitrine of Frac Île-de-France in 2020. His work is part of the collections of Frac Midi-Pyrénées, Château d'Eau gallery, Kulturamt in Dusseldorf and Kiyosato Museum in Japan ; he participated in Temps Zero projects Berlin, Braga, Rome, Bucarest, Groningen and Thessaloniki. He has also been granted artist’s residencies in Germany, France and Israel. His first book Elegy for the Mundane was published by La Main Donne in 2019. He continues his intimate and dense journey and presents his second publishing, Même Soleil with photographic works from 2009 to 2021.

"At first brutal and declining, the substance of Gaël Bonnefon's photography is just like a gaze that fears being one day extinguished and that is always looking to be born again. In photography as in love, recoil and desire, tension and easement, repetition, wandering and rest, flight and pursuit. Here photography allows itself to be traversed by flashes of life, renewed forces, echoes of far-off kindnesses and lost joys. It sings silently, lover of a thousand faces from which the thread of a single and same image is born, followed without relent, from the snowy peaks of childhood to the lost worlds of the present." (Michaël Soyez)

WHEN TWO LONDON HIP-HOP HEAVYWEIGHTS JOIN FORCES, IT’S GOING TO BE “STYLE SO INCREDIBLE” THE ENIGMA HOWARD STEVENS PRODUCES A HARD HITTING SLAB OF B-BOY
ROCKING HIP-HOP FEATURING THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN SOUND, LEWIS PARKER.

CONSCIOUS STREET LYRICS FLOW EFFORTLESSLY OVER THE UPTEMPO CLASSICALLY STYLED BEAT, WITH A FURIOUS FUNKY SCRATCH CHORUS & REMIX FROM PRODUCER/DJ JUICE. ADD A HOT VIDEO DIRECTED BY RINGZ OV SATURN AND THE
WHOLE HIP HOP PACKAGE IS IN ORDER.

How can one explain the lasting popularity of the bass clarinet in musical circles from Vienna to Brussels? Perhaps because its frequency range articulates an alternative to conventions of popular music, where "bass" is reserved primarily for rhythmic impulses and the very foundation of the music. Viennese bass clarinetist Susanna Gartmayer's playing can by no means be reduced to just this, rather, it scutinizes the entire sound universe: she can do rhythm and drone, not to mention melody and noise, often all at once. Who would be a more fitting collaborator than Stefan Schneider, with his minimalist rhythms and subtle cosmic exploration?

Together, Schneider and Gartmayer form the project So Sner, which owes its existence to a concert in 2015 at the Approximation Festival in Düsseldorf. Gartmayer's bass clarinet polyphonies so impressed Schneider that he quickly suggested a collaboration. That same year, they began recording the album "Reime" in Kraftwerk's former Kling Klang studio, which in 2015 became workspace and concert venue simply called Elektro Müller. The second part was recorded in the summer of 2020 in Düsseldorf-Kaiserswerth at Stammhaus church, whose interior wood paneling facilitated organic acoustics.

Susanna Gartmayer has been active as a musician and composer in various realms between experimental rock music, improvisation and multimedia sound performance since the early 2000s, releasing the album "Smaller Sad" with Christof Kurzmann and "Black Burst Sound Generator" with Brigitta Bödenauer in 2020. In addition to his solo project Mapstation, Düsseldorf-based musician and producer Stefan Schneider has been pursuing new avenues of experimental music in the here and now for over 20 years, in numerous collaborations with Sofia Jernberg, Krautrock pioneer Hans-Joachim Roedelius, or visual artist Katharina Grosse among others.

So Sner's sound is equally oriented towards experiment and tradition, whose roots can be traced back to the UK of the early 80s: an era in which soul and synth, jazz and industrial, avant-garde and polyrhythm were blended with the help of intellectualism and punk attitude in such a way that manifold sketches of possible music emerged which are only being colorized today. Like So Sner - from the very first stomp to the very last drop.

Olaf Karnik, Cologne, October 2021

From his cult project “Chaser” in the 90’s with Lars Sandberg aka Funk D’void or releasing massive hit records under his own name and other aliases, globetrotting the world during years in consequence and securing residencies at places like Sub Club, The Arches, The Tunnel or Space Ibiza back in the days, Nigel Hayes has truly done it all and did it good but he seems to continue to do so, “Tribal Warfare” EP is just the proof of that.
We are really happy to welcome this essential UK producer to the label roster and we hope you enjoy this record as much as we did.

'Anon 1' was originally released as a very limited Anonymous 12" on Past Inside the Present in 2020, featuring 36 and Isaac Helsen. The idea was to let people hear the music and judge it not on the names behind it, but purely on the quality of the music itself. When it sold out, the label revealed who wrote it. Obviously quite a few 36 & Isaac Helsen fans missed out, so Past Inside the Present repressed the record, but this time with the knowledge of who made the tunes now public.

More than anyone, Blind Willie Johnson embodies the archetype of the cursed bluesman. Despite the fact that his records have sold fairly well at his time, or that one of his ballads (Dark Was The Night, Cold as the Ground - that also gives the name to this compilation) was included on the Voyager disc launched into space in 1977, the American singer/preacher has lived his whole life in total misery. However, his powerful voice fascinates. His guitar style, a mixture of picking and slide, will influence several generations of musicians. And like many of his contemporaries, it was not until the 1960s that his talent would finally be recognized at its fair value (via the work of the brilliant Reverend Gary Davis).

The new album by B.Visible is a distinctive studio work, which captures the state of mind of searching for something, without actually knowing what. The only thing you can make sense of is that you aren't currently satisfied, and you want a change in your life, even though you aren't exactly sure of where you belong. This music is a quest, a search for a greater range of self-expression. B.Visible captured this very thought-provoking concept by focusing on what really matters, musically, and conceptually alike. He stayed true to his feelings, regardless of judge-ment or other people's thoughts and opinions. In the end, it's all about fulfilling creativity and exploring feelings without boundaries.

"In Between Places", demonstrates his remarkable talent for extending varied elements across the whole spectrum, allowing a wide range of influences to inspire, entertain and captivate the audience in a very spe-cial way. What makes "In Between Places" stand out is the fact that it shows the artist's chops, without seeming to try to hard to do so. It's or-ganic and dynamic; technically accomplished, but also incredibly spon-taneous and one-of-a-kind in its execution. The instrumental is perfectly balanced, allowing B.Visible's expertly interwoven patterns of melody and rhythm to soar through the mix and come alive with raw and thrilling performance.

Ultimately, "In Between Places" is a truly special album, which is rich in terms of sound design and textures, tipping the hat off to artists such as Four Tet, Flying Lotus or Apparat, only to mention a few. This record is a musical journey with a unique twist.


Viennese producer B.Visible is always pushing his craft forward with each concept being an evolution. His music is mutating organically as each project brings novelty but always while blending sharp electronic components with dusty acoustic layers. That duality exists in every aspect of his creative journey with DJ sets revolving around second-hand records and modern-day productions but also his live project offering a whole new dimension and generosity to the audience. B.Visible melts the barrier between analog and digital in a such distinctive and elegant way that it feels natural.

Rome's Egisto Sopor has been making little waves with his releases for quite a while now. As Polysik, he’s put out music on Legowelt’s Strange Life Records, on 100% Silk label, and on Mike Paradinas' Planet Mu. As ‘TheAwayTeam’ he’s released a DVD ‘Relax & Sleep’ and a cd ‘Star Kinship’ on Japanese label Moamoo, and he's also one half of the low key video unit AAVV (whose work has graced many of the important releases of new lofi electronic movement). This time around he delivers another fine instalment to the Edizioni Mondo's kaleidoscopic catalogue. If you've been following Egisto Sopor's productions over the years, chances are you're already familiar with the visual, highly cinematic, quality of his works – it's music that don't evoke just emotions, it suggests landscapes, painting vivid pictures as it builds up. In the same way, Flora e Fauna tells the story of an extemporaneous, surreal walk in Rome. The 8-track album, organically navigates through imaginary urban and maritime scenarios, with an expansive sound palette that draws on deep and shimmering atmospheres, occasionally drifting from blissful textures and sub-aquatic, swirling moods to eerily quiet, suspended moments, often perfused by subtle field recordings of city life, wild animals and distant shores. Take a deep breath and soak away.