quête:k brand

They drift with phantom ease from spare, intimate, literate alt-country to a nuanced, weighted music bearing the marks of rock'n'roll history..." Classic Rock 8/10 // ”...slow burning, emotional intensity" Mojo **** // ”Alluring and seductive." Uncut **** // Morton Valence’s eighth, and eponymously titled album, comes to you, courtesy of Cow Pie Recordings, featuring 11 new songs, produced by the legendary BJ Cole. Robert ‘Hacker’ Jessett and Anne Gilpin, who form the nucleus of Morton Valence, effortlessly take the country music genre, which is generally considered a uniquely American musical form, and create something uniquely English, without ever compromising their authenticity. The atmosphere that BJ Cole brings to the album is palpable, in both production values, and his unmistakable pedal steel guitar performances, on songs such as the plaintive ‘Together Through the Rain’, where an estranged Anne and Hacker reunite under the shelter of an umbrella, walking through the rain and trading verses along the way. Or the more upbeat country rock of ‘I’ve Been Watching You/You’ve Been Watching Me’, which is almost as if Richard and Linda Thompson had touched down in some Nashville backbar before heading for the bright lights. And of course, the scintillatingly down-beat opener, and instant urban-country classic; ‘Summertime in London’, where Hacker reflects on his home city from afar, through simultaneously tear-stained and rose-tinted glasses. What gives the album its country hallmark, are the narratives in the songs. However, they forego the typical Americana for an altogether more kitchen-sink aesthetic. We see the return of MV alter egos Bob and Veronica in ‘Bob and Veronica’s Big Move’, as they make their way from the big city to what could only be the arcadian blue-collar tranquillity of Hastings, or Skegness perhaps? There’s the bewildered small-town homecoming of a wannabe prodigal son in ‘A Town Called Home’. And a conversation with ‘Jim’, a seemingly old-school kind of bloke, with a penchant for midday drinking and late-night city shenanigans. As well as BJ Cole’s steel guitar, there are other collaborations too. ‘Like a Face that’s Been Starved of a Kiss’, co-written with Band of Holy Joy front man, and lyrical visionary Johny Brown. Flamenco guitar genius, Amir John Haddad, sits in on the urban-cowboy ballad, ‘Me & My Old Guitar’, the skewed violin of Dylan Bates brings something of the vaudeville to songs such as ‘It Isn’t Easy Being an Angel’, Guy Jackson adds his sublime keyboards throughout, and the whole thing is held together by unsung rhythm section heroes Jamie Shaw on drums and Josh De Mita on bass. As with all Morton Valence albums, along with the shade, there is always some light, in particular the escapist cosmic romp of ‘It’s a Brand-New Morning’, or the wryly observant, ‘It Isn’t Easy Being an Angel’, where the protagonist discovers that he’s living in some weird kind of purgatory where even the late Johnny Thunders has quit smoking. This is an ambitious album, formed through a unique symbiosis of musical characters, which is ready to redefine UK country music, put ‘urban country’ centre-stage, and should be heard by everyone

The 12th instalments on the label is signed by NeuGrau a brand new project from Ingmar Pauli and Saša Rajković. Their sound brings to mind rough 80s/90s dark wave with a punk/rock tinge and bass guitar as the lead instrument.

The duo is hard to pin down: synth mixture, prominent bass guitar, solid basslines and drums in tight lockstep, all with Saša Rajković’s fascinating vocal signature alongside.

Beneath The Skin flexes the songwriting muscle and spirit of the duo’s aesthetic, inspired by an entirely set of circumstance and vocabulary. No matter what situation the duo finds themselves in, every song gets an individualized treatment while building a larger story. NeuGrau’s feel is a musical manifesto of the current society disease and socially regressive technology.

Curren$y & Harry Fraud's fifth joint project - 'The Director’s Cut' featuring: Snoop Dogg, Larry June, Styles P & Trippie Redd. Just two months following the release of their fourth joint album, The OutRunners, Curren$y and Harry Fraud returned with a brand new project called The Director’s Cut. The longtime cohorts latest project features 9 tracks with guest appearances by Trippie Red, Larry June, Snoop Dogg and Styles P. Initially, the artists intended for The Director’s Cut to be a deluxe version of The Outrunners, but once they went to work they ended up with a standalone project. Curren$y describes the connection between The Director’s Cut and The OutRunners best: “It’s not a deluxe album, it’s the director’s cut of an underground film that garnered a nice bit of mainstream notoriety, with alternate endings, added scenes, secret characters and verses unlocked!

Papernut Cambridge is the project started in 2010 by former Death In
Vegas and Thrashing Doves guitarist Ian Button
Over 10+ albums they've drawn on influences from psych and bubblegum pop to
indie, glam and Motown, with Button working solo, or regularly joined by a core of
contributors including Darren Hayman and Jack Hayter (formerly of Hefner),
Robert Rotifer, and Picturebox's Robert Halcrow.
Cinderella Crazy Golf is a brand new four song EP loosely based on the scenario
of an elderly couple of former psychedelicians growing old and infirm together by
the sea, still very much in love but dealing with ageing, memory loss, medication
side effects etc.
The black vinyl 7" comes with 3 double sided postcard prints featuring photos
and the song lyrics

Limited - no repress

London-based DJ and producer Rommek releases on 47, showcasing his signature brand of seething, fragmented techno in this formidable label debut. "Arkho" opens the EP with rolling drums before a heavily distorted synth line pierces the atmosphere, evoking tension and unease before launching into a furious lead. On "Silverlock," broken drums skitter across a droning soundscape, while a glitched-out melody adds a dark tint. "Decipher" squirms with a similarly syncopated rhythm and ice cold textures, topped with crisp hi-hats. Closing track "Synthetic Dream" is threatening but never overly dark, stitching weighty drums between tactile, warped-out synth notes. A chilling cut that conveys Rommek's shadowy aesthetic all the way through.

Repress!

Britney Spears gets the reggae treatment. Brand new cut of her massive hit 'Toxic' recorded at The Arch, Tottenham by the Horus All Stars.

Vocal from Aphrodite Delacruz. She is an ex top line / vocal writer who lived and worked in the USA, involved closely on projects with many of the biggest artists of the 2000s (Beyonce, Kylie Minogue, Rihanna etc). At the end of the decade she extricated herself to Freetown Christiania, changing her name to Aphrodite Delacruz.

Now with very little involvement in the music industry she agreed to do this recording as it felt right paying homage to her Jamaican heritage and her history with commercial music.

Unidisc 40th anniversary continues with a Saturday Night Band classic featuring brand new Dave Lee remixes!

"Come On Dance, Dance" is a disco funk track by the Saturday Night Band, originally released in 1978. The song features an upbeat tempo and groovy bassline, with brass and string sections adding to the lively and energetic vibe. The catchy chorus invites listeners to join in the dancefloor, with the lead singer's soulful vocals urging everyone to let loose and have a good time. The song is a quintessential disco anthem, with its infectious rhythm and joyous spirit capturing the essence of the era's dance music. "Come On Dance, Dance" has become a classic of its genre and continues to be a popular choice for parties and events.

Dave Lee, also known by his stage names Joey Negro and Jakatta, is a British DJ, remixer, and producer known for his contributions to the house, disco, and dance music scenes. Lee has been active in the music industry since the late 1980s and has released numerous singles and albums under his various aliases.

Throughout his career, Lee has been a champion of disco and funk music, often incorporating these genres into his productions and remixes. He is also known for his expertise in crate-digging and his extensive record collection, which he has used to source samples and inspiration for his music.

Sechs Jahre nach "Legends Of The Shires" kehrt Progmeister Richard West an diese Gestade zurück, um uns die lang erwartete Fortsetzung zu erzählen mit seiner brandneuen Supergroup: Oblivion Protocol

Im besten Fall kann Prog ein sicherer Hafen vor dem Sturm da draußen sein, ein heilsamer Ruhepol, purer Eskapismus. Echte Musikalität, pure Emotionen und eine Vorliebe für überragende Melodien machen diese Musik zu einer Reise, einer Erfahrung, für die Platten und Kopfhörer überhaupt erst erfunden wurden. Ein ganz
besonderer Prog-Aficionado ist Richard West, seit über 30 Jahren renommierter Keyboard-Wizard und Songwriter der britischen Prog-Metal-Pioniere Threshold. Sechs Jahre nach deren epischem Meisterwerk "Legends Of The Shires" kehrt West an diese Gestade zurück, um uns die lang erwartete Fortsetzung zu erzählen. Nicht unter dem Namen Threshold, wohlgemerkt. Sondern mit einer brandneuen Supergroup. Prog-Fans weit und breit, jauchzet und jubilieret: Oblivion Protocol sind da. Und sie bringen uns "The Fall Of The Shires".

Repress!

‘Make The Call’ comes with an extended version and remixes from the legendary Two Soul Fusion duo of Louie Vega and Josh Milan. These remixes bring something new and special to the track with each creating a subtly different mood for the dance floor, for the radio and for the house party.

MF Robots is a songwriting, production and performing duo created by former Brand New Heavies founder Jan Kincaid and BNH vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Dawn Joseph. The pair left the Heavies in 2014 to record their own compositions and have been wowing audiences and record buyers with their effortless blending of Soul, RnB, Funk, Disco and Jazz ever since.

Louie Vega is one half of the House music dons Masters at Work and Josh Milan is a Grammy nominated vocalist, musician and composer who also collaborate in Vega’s collective ‘Elements of Life’. With both at the forefront of production, composition and remixing for more than three decades, the House, Boogie and Instrumental versions they have produced for ‘Make the Call’ are off the scale here.

Long Island Sound follow up their acclaimed debut album and accompanying remix EP with Don’t Let Me / Air a limited white label release featuring 2 brand new dancefloor-certified anthems that signal a new era for the duo in both style and effect, while certifying them as masters of their house domain.

The Dublin-based duo of Rob Roche and Tim Nolan have made impressive strides as Long Island Sound for close to a decade now, honing their swooning dance craft via beloved EPs on their Signs Of Space imprint while becoming mainstays of their island’s club and festival circuit thanks to multiple acclaimed DJ sets.

Last year, they reached an impressive feat that few Irish dance acts have before them by releasing their debut album Lost Connection.

A 7-track opus that fused dynamic electronic sounds with contemporary styles of house, techno, and breaks, it signalled an exhilarating new direction for the duo that showcased their exceptional artistry in melody and production and subsequently earned them great acclaim.

An accompanying 5 track remix EP followed this year, featuring quality club reworks of various album cuts from producers Cromby, James Shinra, Mor Elian, and Benjamin Damage.

Signing off on that notable era, the duo moves swiftly on with this limited 2 track white label of unadulterated festival-ready house epics that have been highlights of their sets over the past year.

Don’t Let Me glides along a chromatic world of lasered synths, pitched diva croons and shuffling pistons before a breathtaking swell of cinematic rave harmonics reaches a magnificent combustible peak that’ll have you gasping for Air.

The flip cracks the window open, dialling down the frenzy with a magnificent swooning melody sits on top of a growling Reese bassline and mechanized 2-step beat where a romantic ambience grows.

Limited stock. First come first served!

DJ Support:

Pete Tong Radio One Support 21.07.2023

Tim Sweeney supports 'Don't Let Me' on his Beats in Space podcast on Apple Music

John Digweed supports 'Air' on his recent Compiled and Mixed podcast for Apple Music

Jenny Greene 2FM Ireland supports 'Don't Let Me'

Long Island Sound Guest Mix on Jenny's 'The Greene Room' on 2fm Ireland

Das Drängen der Fans war so groß, dass Big Time Rush sich dazu entschieden haben, ihr neues Album digital schon früher als geplant zu veröffentlichen. Am 02. Juni 2023 erschien mit "Another Life" ihr erstes Studioalbum seit 10 Jahren. Nun folgt am 18.08. auch die CD und LP dazu!

Die Band um Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Logan Henderson und Carlos PenaVega wurde 2009 durch den Start der Nickelodeon-Fernsehserie Big Time Rush über Nacht zur Sensation. In ihrem Mittelpunkt: die Hollywood-Abenteuer von vier Eishockeyspielern aus
Minnesota, nachdem diese ausgewählt wurden, eine Boyband zu gründen. Die Serie war ein durchschlagender Erfolg und katapultierte die gleichnamige Band ins reale Leben, wo sie drei Studioalben veröffentlichte und weltweit Konzerte gab. Nach einer fast siebenjährigen Pause veranstalteten Big Time Rush 2020 eine überraschende virtuelle Reunion, um das 10-jährige Jubiläum ihres Hits "Worldwide" zu feiern.

Die Wiedervereinigung führte zu einer Massenhysterie unter ihren Fans und wurde zu einem globalen Medien-Spektakel. Im Jahr darauf wurden alle Staffeln der Serie auf Netflix eingestellt, und die Band ging erneut viral. Die Resonanz übertraf alle Erwartungen und bewies die Macht ihrer treuen Fangemeinde. Es folgten neue Musik und ausverkaufte Tourneen.

Lisa Batiashvili gathers all the places and memories that have been important in her life and career together with some of the world’s most beautiful music. A journey from her native Georgia to Paris, Berlin, Buenos Aires and Hollywood that features ground-breaking collaborations with artists as diverse as Miloš, Katie Melua and Till Brönner. City Lights shares the beautiful melodies from Cinema Paradiso and Chaplin’s own compositions with all time classics from Piazzolla, J.S. Bach and the late Michel Legrand - all in new arrangements by Nikoloz Rachveli - and last, but not least a new song by Katie Melua about the magic of London. This Special Edition of Lisa Batiashvili’s City Lights combines the most popular music from her latest album on a 10 inch vinyl. Including a brand new track: Desafinando recorded with the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra in July 2021.

Die Grammy-nominierte amerikanische Schauspielerin, Sängerin und Songwriterin erregte mit ihrem mit Platin ausgezeichneten Debütalbum „So Real“ erstmals 1999 Aufmerksamkeit. Es folgten Hauptrollen in Film + TV und eine Reihe weiterer äußerst erfolgreicher Pop-Alben. Für die Hauptrolle in der gefeierten TV-Serie ”This Is Us” erhielt sie Emmy- und Golden Globe-Nominierungen.

Vom Teenager ist Mandy Moore zur erfolgreichen erwachsenen Künstlerin gereift. Noch immer lässt sich prächtig streiten: ist sie eine singende Schauspielerin oder eine schauspielernde Sängerin? Fakt ist: Moores achtes Studioalbum „In Real Life“ ist erneut ein gelungenes, erwachsenes Pop/Rock-Werk und ein weiterer
künstlerischer Schritt für die inzwischen 37-jährige, die einst mit Teenage-Pop-Hits berühmt wurde.

Die britischen Alleskönner ”easy life” melden sich, nach einer kurzen Schaffenspause, mit Ihrem zweiten und brandneuen Studioalbum ”MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE” zurück. Die Songs setzen einen neuen Maßstab in der bereits erfolgsgeprägten Karriere der Leicester Band und bieten den Fans einen ausgewogenen Mix aus Melancholie und Feel-Good-Songs.

Auch die, von den Fans geschätzte, hedonistische Attitüde der ”easy life-Jungs” ist im neuen Album wiederzufinden. Dieses Mal allerdings gepaart mit einer zutiefst ehrlichen, aber auch messerscharfen Re-
flexion des Alltags in Großbritannien.

Eine weltenübergreifende Kollaboration zwischen Kevin Abstract (BROOKHAMPTON) und dem ”easy life”-Quintett lieferte schließlich den Grundbaustein für ”MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE”. Der Albumtitel
beschreibt eine sehnsüchtige und unerwiderte Liebeserfahrung zwischen Schüler und Lehrer: ”maybe in another life, we could try to roll the dice, and get it right”.

Die britischen Alleskönner ”easy life” melden sich, nach einer kurzen Schaffenspause, mit Ihrem zweiten und brandneuen Studioalbum ”MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE” zurück. Die Songs setzen einen neuen Maßstab in der bereits erfolgsgeprägten Karriere der Leicester Band und bieten den Fans einen ausgewogenen Mix aus Melancholie und Feel-Good-Songs.

Auch die, von den Fans geschätzte, hedonistische Attitüde der ”easy life-Jungs” ist im neuen Album wiederzufinden. Dieses Mal allerdings gepaart mit einer zutiefst ehrlichen, aber auch messerscharfen Re-
flexion des Alltags in Großbritannien.

Eine weltenübergreifende Kollaboration zwischen Kevin Abstract (BROOKHAMPTON) und dem ”easy life”-Quintett lieferte schließlich den Grundbaustein für ”MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE”. Der Albumtitel
beschreibt eine sehnsüchtige und unerwiderte Liebeserfahrung zwischen Schüler und Lehrer: ”maybe in another life, we could try to roll the dice, and get it right”.

Die britischen Alleskönner ”easy life” melden sich, nach einer kurzen Schaffenspause, mit Ihrem zweiten und brandneuen Studioalbum ”MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE” zurück. Die Songs setzen einen neuen Maßstab in der bereits erfolgsgeprägten Karriere der Leicester Band und bieten den Fans einen ausgewogenen Mix aus Melancholie und Feel-Good-Songs.

Auch die, von den Fans geschätzte, hedonistische Attitüde der ”easy life-Jungs” ist im neuen Album wiederzufinden. Dieses Mal allerdings gepaart mit einer zutiefst ehrlichen, aber auch messerscharfen Re-
flexion des Alltags in Großbritannien.

Eine weltenübergreifende Kollaboration zwischen Kevin Abstract (BROOKHAMPTON) und dem ”easy life”-Quintett lieferte schließlich den Grundbaustein für ”MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE”. Der Albumtitel
beschreibt eine sehnsüchtige und unerwiderte Liebeserfahrung zwischen Schüler und Lehrer: ”maybe in another life, we could try to roll the dice, and get it right”.

One of the inventors of the modern bebop style of drumming, Blakey is known as a powerful musician and a vital groover; his brand of bluesy, funky hard bop was and continues to be profoundly influential on mainstream jazz.

For more than 30 years his band, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers included many young musicians who went on to become prominent names in jazz. Recorded in 1956, Art Blakey's Drum Suite is a wonderful hybrid of African, Latin, and hard bop rhythms that prefigures the concept of Afro-beat by at least a decade. The sheer energy, not to mention its very special and fresh-sounding intimacy, make it especially astounding.

Even more amazing is that the three parts of the suite -- Blakey's "The Sacrifice," Ray Bryant's "Cubano Chant," and Oscar Pettiford's "Oscalypso" -- were recorded straight through live, and were only intended to be a pre-take run-through. As is obvious here, Blakey and company nailed the whole thing right out of the box.

Groundbreaking for its time, and still sounding vital, powerful, and visionary, the Drum Suite album is somewhat of a lost masterpiece that deserves a fresh audience.

"Art Blakey's first release for Columbia Records is essentially two records. Side one is a percussion ensemble playing what would, ten years later, be called Afro-Cuban drumming. Side two is the mid-fifties version of the Jazz Messengers featuring Jackie McLean on saxophone. Side one features Blakey, Jo Jones and Charles Wright on drums, Candido and Sabu on bongos, and Oscar Pettiford and bass and cello. The group plays three compositions, one by Blakey, one by Pettiford and one by Ray Bryant, fusing African, Cuban, and calypso percussion into a well-integrated suite.

"The group recorded a run through and it was so perfectly executed that they used the practice run for the release, unedited except to add some Swahili chants by the percussionists during a few passages. One cannot help but think of Olantunji's Drums of Passion, another Afro drumming landmark, here. Blakey's drum suite was recorded at Columbia's 30th Street studios in New York in 1957 and is in mono. The almost stereoscopic image is truly remarkable. Mastered by Kevin Gray and pressed at RTI, Drum Suite is a valuable record of one of the most important figures in jazz history. Recording: 9/10. Music 9/10." - Dennis Davis, Hifi+

"...The three-part suite was laid down in one take with no arrangements, and begins with a few tympani thwacks followed by an African chant. Soon the ensemble kicks in and the group takes off an a sweaty Afro-Cuban-bop journey that will leave you breathless, as the thing crackles with terrific energy. Side Two is more conventional hard bop, but given this group's mastery of if not invention of the style, these tracks are extremely satisfying. Kevin Gray's remastering is detailed and immediate, with plenty of bit and air, if not the widest dynamic range. For anyone interested in percussion of this genre, this is not to be missed." - Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound

In Japanese, the word “Guru-Guru” refers to the state of spinning, whirling.?
This state is captured in the work of Japanese artist Hoshina Anniversary, who makes his third appearance on MUSAR with his EP Guru Guru and marks the return of the label after an extended break.

Hoshina’s self-titled brand of ‘Watechno’ has appeared on well-loved dance music labels like ESP Institute, Volvox’s Jack Dept and Young Marco’s Safe Trip, alongside MUSAR where he also appeared as Shifting Gears back in 2022; an electronic-jazz-centered moniker.

His Guru Guru EP captures the latest snapshot of Hoshina’s sound and sees him draw from Japanese language as a through-line.
The title track is the clearest representation of his ‘Watechno’, where he uses Japanese instrumentation on top of a menacing EBM-style march. The track's slowly whirling momentum is the “Guru-Guru”.

On tracks like “Banri”, which means far away in Japanese, we see new shades to Hoshina’s work as he mixes a Japanese Wadaiko drum groove with acidic elements and piano melodies to make a track of contradictions which pairs roughness with elegance. Whereas on “Usagi”, Japanese for rabbit, Hoshina fires up the BPM.
Piano melodies remain here but their effect is more drifting and emotive than on “Banri”.
“Kaga” is named after a place in the southernmost part of Ishikawa Prefecture, between Kanazawa City and Fukui City.
On this track, Hoshina’s love for jazz comes through and even mirrors the work we heard from him under Shifting Gears.