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Optimo (Espacio) started life as a weekly club night. It was born at The Sub Club in Glasgow on a wet, windy, wintry November Sunday night in 1997. Run by JD Twitch and partner in crime Jonnie Wilkes. Optimo was a reaction against what felt like an increasingly conservative musical soundtrack in clubs here at that time. Clubland felt as if it had become very bland and a bit too serious; it was the era of the dawn of the Superstar DJ. Clubs often felt like bastions of male energy. It seemed dance music and culture was going somewhere far, far away from where it was meant to be. The notion of fun had got lost.

It was no longer the world they had devoted ten years of their lives to already, and lots of their friends felt the same. When the opportunity came up to do a Sunday night at The Sub Club it felt like the perfect opportunity to rip it all up and start again. So they did. There was nothing in the city (or possibly anywhere) like it. As the club believed wholeheartedly in what they were doing, there was no pressure from The Sub Club to fill the club. So, they embraced the freedom. Groups of people who had never been in the same room at the same time before came together. A community of kindred spirits started to emerge.

Word spread, slowly. Lots of people checked it out. Many loved it, some hated it. The core of the Optimo idea was to embrace music they loved that might work on the dancefloor from whatever era or genre they thought felt right. It might not seem very radical now but at that time it was revolutionary.

After about a year and a half, the club went from having 100 people attending most nights to suddenly one week having 500 people turn up. It was very weird. It was as if a collective light bulb went off in people’s heads in Glasgow. From that week on, until the very last weekly Sunday night at the Sub Club, in 2010, over a decade later, it was packed.

There were 550 Sunday Optimo nights. A LOT of music was played. So, what was the music? People often find it hard to pin down exactly what Optimo is. This has been a positive but also a negative as we live in a world where people want easily defined “brand identities”. The simplest definition of the music played is “music for dancing”, which of course is a very broad definition. Even better than trying to define it in words, we have these 2 volumes of music that give a hint of what that might be.

This is not a “Best of Optimo” or a “Greatest Hits of Optimo” compilation. For people who come to, or used to come to the nights there are of course “Greatest Hits”. But, over such a long timespan they are “hits” belonging to a certain moment in time and space. Someone who came to Optimo in 1997 would have a completely different notion of the big tracks at the club to someone coming in 2003, or 2010, or today. This compilation is just a snap shot missing several genres that might make up the DNA of Optimo. There is though a broad sweep through lots of music Optimo loves, that they believe is amazing. Music that they know will rock a dancefloor, that they have played between 1997 and 2023. Of course Optimo nights were not all about rocking the dancefloor. The first hour was always a time for them to play music they loved that often was far removed from the dance. Side 1, Volume 1 of this compilation is the kind of music one might hear at the very start of an Optimo night.

Optimo have always loved a good slogan. The most long lived, and fitting Optimo slogan is "We Love Your Ears", which is in essence what it is all about to them.

Optimo (Espacio) started life as a weekly club night. It was born at The Sub Club in Glasgow on a wet, windy, wintry November Sunday night in 1997. Run by JD Twitch and partner in crime Jonnie Wilkes. Optimo was a reaction against what felt like an increasingly conservative musical soundtrack in clubs here at that time. Clubland felt as if it had become very bland and a bit too serious; it was the era of the dawn of the Superstar DJ. Clubs often felt like bastions of male energy. It seemed dance music and culture was going somewhere far, far away from where it was meant to be. The notion of fun had got lost.

It was no longer the world they had devoted ten years of their lives to already, and lots of their friends felt the same. When the opportunity came up to do a Sunday night at The Sub Club it felt like the perfect opportunity to rip it all up and start again. So they did. There was nothing in the city (or possibly anywhere) like it. As the club believed wholeheartedly in what they were doing, there was no pressure from The Sub Club to fill the club. So, they embraced the freedom. Groups of people who had never been in the same room at the same time before came together. A community of kindred spirits started to emerge.

Word spread, slowly. Lots of people checked it out. Many loved it, some hated it. The core of the Optimo idea was to embrace music they loved that might work on the dancefloor from whatever era or genre they thought felt right. It might not seem very radical now but at that time it was revolutionary.

After about a year and a half, the club went from having 100 people attending most nights to suddenly one week having 500 people turn up. It was very weird. It was as if a collective light bulb went off in people’s heads in Glasgow. From that week on, until the very last weekly Sunday night at the Sub Club, in 2010, over a decade later, it was packed.

There were 550 Sunday Optimo nights. A LOT of music was played. So, what was the music? People often find it hard to pin down exactly what Optimo is. This has been a positive but also a negative as we live in a world where people want easily defined “brand identities”. The simplest definition of the music played is “music for dancing”, which of course is a very broad definition. Even better than trying to define it in words, we have these 2 volumes of music that give a hint of what that might be.

This is not a “Best of Optimo” or a “Greatest Hits of Optimo” compilation. For people who come to, or used to come to the nights there are of course “Greatest Hits”. But, over such a long timespan they are “hits” belonging to a certain moment in time and space. Someone who came to Optimo in 1997 would have a completely different notion of the big tracks at the club to someone coming in 2003, or 2010, or today. This compilation is just a snap shot missing several genres that might make up the DNA of Optimo. There is though a broad sweep through lots of music Optimo loves, that they believe is amazing. Music that they know will rock a dancefloor, that they have played between 1997 and 2023. Of course Optimo nights were not all about rocking the dancefloor. The first hour was always a time for them to play music they loved that often was far removed from the dance. Side 1, Volume 1 of this compilation is the kind of music one might hear at the very start of an Optimo night.

Optimo have always loved a good slogan. The most long lived, and fitting Optimo slogan is "We Love Your Ears", which is in essence what it is all about to them.

You’d think a guy like Butch Walker (producer/ writer for such artists as Pink, Fall Out Boy, Avril Lavigne, Weezer, Green Day, Katy Perry, and Taylor Swift) wouldn’t be particularly unlucky in love, but on Readysexgo the torture never stops, as Butch recounts one failed affair after another in exquisitely painful detail. All set to Marvelous 3’s never less than hooky power pop/glam metal stylings, often placed in seamless segues from one song to another...Readysexgo is the catchy soundtrack to the love life of a hopeless but somewhat embittered romantic. We worked with the band to create a special Expanded Edition for the album’s first-ever vinyl release at music retail, adding the non-LP side “Fastboat” plus two covers from the album sessions, one of Naked Eyes’ “Always Something There to Remind Me,” and one of Steely Dan’s “Reelin’ in the Years,” which ended up in the Jim Carrey flick Me, Myself and Irene. And after looking at the red, white, and blue artwork (faithfully reproduced here on a gatefold album jacket with lyrics), we figured if you blend those all together, you get purple, so purple vinyl it is for this 2-LP set!

Special tour only numbered 3 cd package. (Albums Inc: Joan Of All / Get Well Soon / Sarabeth Tucek) #33 MOJO AOTY 2023 #28 UNCUT AOTY 2023 Sarabeth Tucek emerges from a decade-long hibernation with a new double-album Joan of All under the new moniker SBT – a longtime nickname given to her by the many musicians she has worked with throughout her career. After retreating from the fevered pace of the record business to concentrate on other creative endeavors, Sarabeth began to piece together the music that would eventually become her most ambitious, personal project yet – the sprawling double-album Joan Of All, which will be released world-wide on 19th May 2023 via her own freshly-minted imprint Ocean Omen. Sarabeth Tucek officially broke onto the music scene 2003 performing a series of spellbinding duets with Bill Callahan on the acclaimed Smog album Supper. This was swiftly followed by a memorable appearance in the prize-winning Brian Jonestown Massacre documentary DiG! Sarabeth also contributed material to their 2005 EP release, We Are the Radio. One of Sarabeth's compositions covered by the band on that EP, "Seer," would later be retitled and released in 2006 as Tucek's debut single, "Something for You”, which became Steve Lamacq’s Single Of The Week on BBC Radio 6 Music. Her self-titled debut album produced by Luther Russell and Ethan Johns hit stores the following year and garnered rave reviews in the press, leading her to supporting Bob Dylan and unfaltering support at the BBC. In 2011, Sarabeth followed up her extraordinary debut with a raw, uncompromising album entitled Get Well Soon, praised as an unflinching meditation on the subject of grief. This release made many year-end lists and the title track was featured on the first season of HBO’s Girls.

In 2013 Finland’s Oranssi Pazuzu issued their ‘Valonielu’ LP, an album of timeless creative immensity that was met with ubiquitous praise throughout the world, and solidified the band’s position as one of the most forward-thinking and interesting metal bands. Now Oranssi Pazuzu returns with the follow-up album and fourth overall, the mind-bending masterwork ‘Värähtelijä’. Oranssi Pazuzu, since birth, has never been satisfied to stick with a formula. Each album has seen the band expand upon its previous incarnation and then, like a supernova, blow it up and transform again into something recognizable but completely new. ‘Värähtelijä’ continues in this vein, giving the band much more room to diverge and explore the vast regions of hypnotic progressive psychedelia and the nebulous outer limits of Scandinavian black metal. Songs explode with radiant ultraviolet color and plunge into the deep black darkness of innermost consciousness. If ‘Valonielu’ was the creation of a universe, ‘Värähtelijä’ is the magnification and expansion of its infinite boundaries. Not meant for genre purists, Oranssi Pazuzu are on a trip all their own; modern electric pioneers on an expedition to unlock the keys to the hidden spaces all around and inside us.

First time vinyl release for this classic LOW holiday recording.
Their attention to musical detail combined with the heavenly vocal harmonies of ALAN SPARHAWK and MIMI PARKER (R.I.P.) are perfectly attuned to both traditional carols like “Silent Night” and more contemporary tunes such as “Blue Christmas.”
Christmas contains a selection of seasonal songs, including four originals by the band, mostly recorded at Lowʼs 20º Below studio in Duluth, MN. “If You Were Born Today” and “Blue Christmas” were released as a 7-inch single in 1997 on the English Wurlitzer Jukebox label, while “Taking Down The Tree” is taken from a 1998 compilation of live recordings issue by the Dutch VPRO radio station.

Back in Your Life was released in 1979 under the Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers moniker, but only half the album featured the backup band. The other half of the album features Richman as a solo artist. The Modern Lovers were formed by Richman and included Leroy Radcliffe on guitar, Asa Brebner on bass and Denotra ‘D’ Sharpe on drums. Occasionally, they were joined by Richman’s friend and The Real Kids’ band leader John Felice.

Back in Your Life is available on black vinyl.

A white convertible drives off into the sunset to the sound of Save you ft. Surahn and its funky, dance-inducing mantra, the first single to herald this road trip to the edge of space. Whether on cathartic beaches (Breath) or a desolate landscape: First Wave, Shades of Black, Who am I, Stars or Ghosts and its conquering lasers, Peter's music transports us into a cinematic world
(Night Road), where the synth-pop of M83 would have fused with the pop-rock of Supertramp and Fleetwood Mac (Burning House ft. Goldilox). A radiant production, wrapped in folk strumming, orchestrated by strings and keyboards with multicoloured diodes. A record that draws on the roots of timeless songwriting, enhanced by a modern, demanding electronic sound. The voice of Surahn (Empire of the Sun) returns to close the album with Open Your Mind and its flower power adlib: the closing credits of this first opus.

If the genesis of The Big Idea was written both in the corridors of their high school and the surroundings of La Rochelle, the first chapter truly takes place in a big house in outskirts of Paris, where the six boys settled once they got their baccalaureate in 2015. Throughout these five years, The Big Idea hosted every European band playing in Paris with no landing place. The house of Champigny-sur-Marne, almost invisible in the monstrous metropolis, became a central location of the capital’s underground scene.

That creative cyclone within which the band is placed quickly shows results and the band hit it hard with their debut LP “La Passion du crime 3” (2017). This quadruple album, written as the movie score of a police investigation story, affirms something fundamental: The Big Idea is determined not to do things like everybody else. The influences of the great psychedelic rock’n’roll tribes naturally appear, the band release several record, start touring all around Europe allowing them to develop a furious alchemy on stage. But then covid brought everything to a halt. However, the band returned to La Rochelle and plotted a new, mad project.

The Big Idea becomes the first band to record an album on a sailing boat while crossing the Atlantic. Once again, the idea is fabulous, and “The Fabulous Expedition of Le Grand Vésigue” represents both the thirst of adventure of the sextet from La Rochelle, and their yearning for calm, psychedelic horizons. After the release of the documentary film and the big tour that followed this extraordinary adventure, the band decides to reaffirm the most essential part of its identity and announces for February 2024 the releasing of a new record more electric and radical, in the image of their live performance with more and more intensity. “Tales of Crematie” is a story built on a fantasy medieval backdrop, but could have however taken place in our modern era. If the elegant, psychedelics parts have not disappeared, the record’s tone is clearly more rock than what the band has ever created before, and as The Big Idea always likes to go overboard, the album will be released as a double LP in which you’ll hear trumpets as well as pianos, violins, tropical influences, post-punk, and above all, loads, loads of fuzz. Just like a toy chest whose key would’ve been thrown away on purpose, hidden arrangement treasures abound inside of “Tales of Crematie” , along with a violent revolt against the modern archetypes of “too normal music.”

Der in einem Kellerstudio am Zusammenfluss von Mississippi und Missouri arbeitende Pipeline-Mann Howard Neal und sein passend benanntes Shoestring-Label waren die Antwort von Alton, Illinois, auf eine Frage, die niemand stellte. Die Singles von The James Family, Jimmie Green, Pete & Cheez und Carletta Sue, die in winzigen Auflagen gepresst und kaum außerhalb der Postleitzahl 62002 vertrieben wurden, sind Paradebeispiele für kosmische Midwestern-Disco auf der Suche nach einem Durchbruch. Diese schwergewichtige 10-Song-LP im Klappcover enthält ein Essay und Bilder, die diesen reinen Ausdruck von Kleinstadt-Soul vervollständigen.

"Jimmie Green Color"-Vinyl. Der in einem Kellerstudio am Zusammenfluss von Mississippi und Missouri arbeitende Pipeline-Mann Howard Neal und sein passend benanntes Shoestring-Label waren die Antwort von Alton, Illinois, auf eine Frage, die niemand stellte. Die Singles von The James Family, Jimmie Green, Pete & Cheez und Carletta Sue, die in winzigen Auflagen gepresst und kaum außerhalb der Postleitzahl 62002 vertrieben wurden, sind Paradebeispiele für kosmische Midwestern-Disco auf der Suche nach einem Durchbruch. Diese schwergewichtige 10-Song-LP im Klappcover enthält ein Essay und Bilder, die diesen reinen Ausdruck von Kleinstadt-Soul vervollständigen.

The DANCEFLOOR STOMPERS are back with "PHUTURE SOUL," the new 7" vinyl. Following the success of their debut album "Librerie Musicali" (Solid Music/Four Flies Records/Flipper Music), which featured several tracks synced and used as soundtrack for TV series/films/radio shows, the band will release an Extended Play with four unreleased songs.

The tracks influences cross a wide span of styles, from the P- Funk/90s of the 8tle track, to the pure Memphis Sound of Glass Tears, passing through the Northern-Soul vibes of "Catch this train" and the Blaxploita8on mood of "Not in my name."

Daniel Land's new album, "Out of Season", is his most ambitious record to date, a series of reflections on history, memory, and post-Brexit Britain, which was inspired by his return to the landscapes of his youth – the rugged, underpopulated west coast of Somerset. The album was written and partly recorded in Daniel’s studio in a static caravan, overlooking the coast, during the period when the UK was tearing itself apart over its relationship to Europe. "I didn't set out to write about Brexit", Daniel says, "I have a kind of horror of political music. But I couldn’t escape the atmosphere of the time – this strange, distorted version of ‘Englishness’ in the national psyche. I’ve always been interested in memory and nostalgia; Brexit illustrates the dangers of taking seductive, possibly false memories at face value”. Songs like “White Chalk”, “Island of Ghosts”, and the album’s title track, represent a series of attempts to reclaim an older, more peculiar idea of England which, Daniel says has been “Lost in the nationalist mythmaking of the past decades” – the island of misfits and outsiders exemplified by the works of Derek Jarman, for example, whom Daniel was rediscovering while working on the album. “I must have read 'Modern Nature' ten times over the years”, Daniel says. “What I love about Jarman is that he had a deep, abiding love for England, but it was a very complicated, critical and a very queer kind of love. That was very much my mood, going into the making of this album”. Like Jarman’s work, "Out of Season" probes national identity whilst also displaying resolutely queer themes throughout. Daniel’s voice – once described by The Guardian as "The spawn of Elizabeth Fraser and Anthony Hegarty” – is less heavily reverbed than before, bringing to the fore his often-confessional lyrics, inspired by the frankness of modern queer poets like Andrew McMillan, Seán Hewitt, and Ocean Vuong. A lyrical highlight is the gorgeous “Southern Soul”, a deceptively straightforward recounting of a decades-old hookup with a closeted guy from his hometown which, Daniel says, “Serves as a metaphor for everything I’m talking about in the album”. And in keeping with the album’s nods to the heroes of gay literature, Daniel’s self-styling of the album as a “Dream Pop Album on National Themes” deliberately references the full title of Tony Kushner’s era-defining play "Angels in America", whose central character is namechecked in the hook-laden “Lemon Boy” – a song which must surely stand as Daniel’s most deliciously pop moment yet. Lauded by Mark Radcliffe, Guy Garvey, Tom Robinson, and many others, Daniel Land makes music that, in the words of BBC Radio 1, "You can't help but think the late John Peel would have loved".

Soul Jazz Records’ long out of print classic ‘Studio One Dub’ collection is being re-released in three new one-off limited-edition coloured pressing 18th anniversary format editions!
Firstly a heavyweight special limited edition one-pressing only orange 2xLP vinyl + download.

Secondly, there is also a new special limited-edition one-off pressing edition orange-pressed CD enclosed in jewel case and slipcase.
And thirdly there is a very limited unique new one-off pressing orange-cased cassette format (200 copies only)!
18 years on from its original release Studio One Dub remains super-hard hitting featuring classic + rare Dub tracks from Studio One, many available on vinyl for the first time in over thirty years.

Studio One Dub includes the dubs of many classic tracks such as Horace Andy’s “Skylarkin”, Johnny Osbourne’s “Truth and Rights”, John Holt’s “Hooligan”, Freddie McGregor’s “Bobby Bobylon” plus many more rare tracks.

The album also comes with two rare interviews - one with Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd about dub and dubplates and one with the sound engineer Sylvan Morris, talking about his groundbreaking period at Studio One and his many innovations that he evolved there.
In short, this is a 100% essential album!





"Almighty slab of dub featuring loads of rare and classic dub versions of Studio One's foundation tracks." Rough Trade

“Quite a treat awaiting here for the unsuspecting reggae faithful – as always with Soul jazz chock full of a bunch of big tunes – but here in version form lies some of the freshest rhythms and most radical revisions of some of the greatest Studio One music. The darkest and the absolute deepest in the series – naturally essential.” Boomkat

"Continuing the Studio 1 Series this album features classic and rare Dub tracks from Studio One, many available for the first time in over thirty years. Studio One Dub includes the dubs of many classic tracks such as Horace Andy’s “Skylarkin”, Johnny Osbourne’s “Truth and Rights”,
John Holt’s “Hooligan”, Freddie McGregor’s “Bobby
Bobylon” plus many more rare tracks. In short, this is an essential album!" Wax Museum

2024 Repress
Strong forces from the Outerworld are coming! Sound Synthesis, Gilbert, ReKaB and iNF0 will protect earth with their electronic sounds. Compiled by JDSK from Under The Radar, limited copies..

'“Nobody Move!”, so says Philippe Doray and his Asociaux Associés (the Antisocial Associates)! Having dynamited the end of the 70s with two radical albums – Ramasse-Miettes Nucléaires in 1976 & Nouveaux Modes Industriels in 1978, both reissued by Souffle Continu – Doray still hadn’t finished singing. Throughout the next decade he began his Composant compositeur which would document the “second period”, as he calls it, of his Asociaux Associés.

The record includes new schizo-electro songs which make the most of his association with Laurence Garcette, who also plays all sorts of keyboards. A prolongation of the first period of the Asociaux Associés, the duo updates Doray’s poetry: in reaction to the current overcast atmosphere, here are some hallucinatory fantasies to the rhythm of an infernal circle dance (« Le petit géant ») or an ecstatic waltz (“Bombés fluo”) or even coded messages stuffed into bottles and thrown into space (“Secoue le flipeur”, “Choc d’amour”).

On the bonus CD there are further iconoclastic examples: rare recordings (unpublished or even “inaudible”) of the Asociaux Associés but also by Crash, a duo that Doray formed with Thierry Müller (Ilitch, Ruth). At the controls of their experiment- bending machine the musicians multiply the possibilities: peripheral rock, arias in orbit, broken swing, industrial mantras and other joyful falsities. Enough to make you lose your mind? No... as Philippe Doray promised: it is the “jackpot qui frissonne” (the shivering jackpot) which is there to excite.'

Lead single from Skinshape’s 8th Studio Album ‘Craterellus Tubaeformis’. For fans of Khruangbin, El Michels Affair, Madlib, Bonobo. A perfect taster of Skinshape’s latest album ‘Craterellus Tubaeformis’ is this double header featuring the laid-back vocals from the man himself. The joyous feel of ‘It’s Real’ sounds as if it’s been lifted from a classic blues album but with a contemporary feel. ‘Amnesia’ keeps a similar vibe with thoughtful lyrics leading to a deeper track than the production may initially suggest. Will Dorey’s ambiguous words on the tracks It's Real: “I shall leave you to decide what the song is about. Musically, it's straight-up 1960s British blues era style. Phased guitar solos, 12-string acoustic chugging along. All that.” Amnesia: “Following the course of slightly psych-edged bedroom pop. Is it pop? I shall leave you to discern the lyrical meaning.” Support from BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 2, Jazz FM, Soho Radio, Mojo, Uncut, Shindig etc

Batov Records' Middle Eastern Grooves 45s series welcomes the latest addition to its eclectic roster - a two-track EP from Eje Eje, the psych and funk inspired project from Şatellites band leader and producer, Itamar Kluger. Featuring the tracks "That Rainy Down" and "Coral Sex," the EP showcases Eje Eje's unique blend of Middle Eastern melodies, soulful grooves, and psychedelic sounds.

On the A-side "That Rainy Down," The electro baglama player takes the lead, building and building as if, “he is pushing himself to his limit”, says Itamar, “seeking catharsis as he walks to the edge of the cliff with confidence”, whilst the a baladi rhythm plays like an immense march of drummers. On the B-side we find the funkier "Coral Sex", which according to Itamar tells a story of a drunk tramp bothering the refined and self-important occupants of an exclusive hotel lobby. Reflecting this friction, the track juxtaposes a silky and sophisticated R&B sound, with loosely, pr even drunkenly, played take on rebetiko, a traditional Greek music associated with the poorest of city dwellers, played on a long-necked Greek lute known as a bouzouki.

As each track develops, new layers are revealed, inviting the listener to delve deeper. The effect is intentional. As Itamar says, "there is this kind of music that hooks you in a different way every time you hear it, different places in the songs lighting up in different colors, like slowly revealed layers. In our (Eje Eje) case, it is just such a hazed blend. It could make a very specific atmosphere, color a very specific movie scene that is lost in time or yet to be directed, or a very specific moment with your headphones on a long bus to the desert."

Itamar Kluger is best known for his work with the Şatellites, a six-piece band whose blend of Turkish folk and psych with funk and disco won them champions and listeners across the globe, from KEXP in Seattle to BBC Radio 6 Music, and FIP in France.

Eje Eje’s first 45 promises to be at least as quirky and original, if not more so, since the project is even more unshackled from traditional concepts of a band.

Das zweite und letzte Studioalbum der Punk-Ikonen - X-Ray Spex. Das heiß begehrte Album wurde 1995 in einer sehr kleiner Auflage nur auf CD bei Receiver Records in Großbritannien veröffentlicht und war in den letzten 27 Jahren offiziell nicht erhältlich! Das Album vereinte die original X-Ray Spex-Sängerin Poly Styrene mit der ursprünglichen X-Ray Spex-Saxophonistin Lora Logic und dem Bassisten Paul Dean sowie dem Kula Shaker-Frontmann Crispian Mills an der Gitarre unter seinem damaligen Pseudonym Red Spectre. Das Reissue wurde von den Original-Masterbändern neu gemastert und ist zum ersten Mal überhaupt auf LP erhältlich! Mit dem originalen und erweiterten Artwork, einschließlich bisher unveröffentlichter Texte und originaler Cover-Notizen von Poly. Die Popkultur ist voll von klassischen Alben, die iregndwie durchrutschen. In den letzten Jahren haben die verstorbenen Poly Styrene und X-Ray Spex mit ihrem 1978er Debütalbum "Germfree Adolescents" Kultstatus erlangt, aber das 17 Jahre später veröffentlichte Nachfolgealbum "Conscious Consumer" ist im Sand der Zeit untergegangen. Heutzutage wissen die meisten Leute nicht einmal, dass X-Ray Spex ein Nachfolgealbum hatten. Diese liebevoll zusammengestellte Neuauflage rückt ein verlorenes Juwel ins Rampenlicht, das viele Merkmale des Debüts aufweist, aber durch eine andere Brille betrachtet wird. Conscious Consumer" war eine Weiterentwicklung des klassischen Debüts mit derselben Punkrock-Dringlichkeit und denselben Konsumthemen, aber mit einer poppigeren Kante und einer durchdachteren Weisheit, die aus der Perspektive eines älteren, weiseren Krishna-Anhängers aus den Höhen und Tiefen des Lebens geschöpft wurde. Im Jahr 1995 war das Album ein unerwartetes Comeback und wurde ein verlorener Klassiker. Es war das erste neue Material, das die Band seit Jahren aufnahm, obwohl viele der Songs bereits ein Jahrzehnt zuvor geschrieben worden waren. Nach der Veröffentlichung verschwand das Album jedoch schnell vom Radar, lang bevor Poly dihren verdienten Kultstatus erlangte. Die Band, die sich 1991, 1995 und 2008 neu formierte, wird heute weltweit dafür verehrt, dass sie eine neue Art von musikalischem Lebensgefühl ausgelöst hat. Die verstorbene Poly ist heute ein Pin-up der Punk- & Popkultur für eine Originalität und einen Feminismus, die zu dieser Zeit kaum existierten. Ihre bissigen, witzigen und brillanten Texte und ihre unverwechselbare Stimme haben den Test der Zeit bestanden, und zusammen mit der ursprünglichen Saxophonistin der Band, Lora Logic, ist sie Teil der Punkrockgeschichte geworden. Die unscharfen Schnappschüsse der kurzen frühen Besetzung zeigen den frechen und scharf gekleideten Teenager-Kern, der vor Talent, Originalität und Stil strotzt, in einem Standbild der popkulturellen Punkrock-Perfektion. Wenn er sich das Album nach einer langen Pause wieder anhört, ist Bassist Paul Dean überrascht. Conscious Consumer" klingt jetzt so viel besser als in meiner Erinnerung. Damals wurde es nicht richtig veröffentlicht und deshalb kennt es niemand. Wenn du Germfree Adolescents liebst, wirst du Conscious Consumer lieben, sie sind miteinander verbunden. X-Ray Spex hatten nicht nur ein großartiges Album, sie hatten zwei!" CD, Eco Mix LP (random colour) & Crystal Clear LP (for Indies Only)

Robert and Lyric Hood aka Floorplan return to Classic with two-track release ‘The Curse Breaker / What You Need’, further demonstrating their unique gospel house sound. With their growing catalogue of previous Classic releases gaining extensive club support from tastemakers such as Dan Shake, TSHA, Jamie Jones and Seth Troxler to name a small few, as well as widespread specialist radio support, the appetite for Floorplan’s Classic output is evident. Now the father and daughter duo return with another adventurous vocal sample for their latest release; ‘The Curse Breaker’ combines a religious sermon with expertly produced house, building from a small flame to its euphoric, blazing climax. Next up, ‘What You Need’ displays the duo’s disco influences with a heavy dose of classic 20th century soul.

Justin Drake and Clive Henry, recognised as the legendary Peace Division, stood out as one of the UK's most successful tribal/tech house production duos from the late 90s to the mid-00s. Their contributions extended to renowned British labels such as NRK and Junior London, as well as releases with Hooj, Crosstown Rebels, and major label remixes.

Lesser-known but equally intriguing was their venture into a different musical realm under the alias Soul Purpose. Shifting towards a deeper shade of house, Soul Purpose featured tracks characterised by lush chords and rolling basslines, placing a strong emphasis on the soulful elements.

Originally released on Low Pressing Limited, an offshoot label of Clive Henry and Rocky (X-Press 2) iconic Low Pressing, the four Soul Purpose titles emerged between 1997 and 1998. Despite being somewhat under the radar, these tracks gained recognition among DJs in the know. Now, the Selected Works release, compiled from the original DAT tapes and fully remastered, reunites the entire Soul Purpose catalogue for the first time in 27 years since their initial release.

D Double E is one UK rap's most respected, celebrated and genre defining artists, shelling down radio sets, raves and having countless solo hits. Starting off in Jungle and UK garage, he began life in grime as a member of the N.A.S.T.Y. Crew alongside Ghetts, Kano and Jammer before founding the Newham Generals with Footsie. From solo releases and much loved classics including ‘Street Fighter Riddim’ and ‘Woo Riddim’, in 2018 he released his debut solo album Jackuum to critical acclaim. Subsequent releases included the invigorated and daring D.O.N and most recent Bluku! Bluku! 2 have led the legendary artist to receive consistent praise and support from the likes of The Fader, i-D, Crack, The Guardian, VICE, Complex, Highsnobiety, COLORS, DJ Target and more. Boasting artistic collaborations with everyone from Kenny Allstar, Unknown T, Skepta, Ghetts, Novelist, Shy FX, Backroad Gee and more, D Double E has also made an impact in his career resounding far outside of UK rap with big brands. He wrote the original track for the viral and now iconic IKEA Christmas Advert, put his lyrical magic touch on an advert for Pepsi and more. Most recently he has been interviewed as part of the BBC documentary “8 Bar: The Evolution of Grime” and has been tapped for collaborations with Clarks, Palace Skateboards and others.

Platz 2 Powermetal SOUNDCHECK 01/24
Die aus Brisbane stammende Band Caligula's Horse hat sich seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 2011 zu einer der führenden Progressive-Metal-Bands der Welt entwickelt. Mit Charcoal Grace, ihrem 6. Studioalbum, kehrt die Gruppe mit einer Kombination aus roher Rock-Power und immenser emotionaler Tiefe zurück. Charcoal Grace ist aus der statischen Hoffnungslosigkeit geboren, die die Pandemie der Band und einem Großteil der Welt in den letzten Jahren aufgezwungen hat. Es ist ein Album, das mit den Erfahrungen und Ergebnissen dieser Zeit abrechnet und letztlich auf eine Katharsis abzielt - auf eine hoffnungsvollere Zukunft. Der Titel Charcoal Grace wird von der Band als "die düstere Anziehungskraft und seltsame Schönheit von Stille, Schweigen und Verlust" beschrieben. Das kann man im 10-minütigen Eröffnungstrack "The World Breathes With Me" hören, einem Mission Statement für die Hauptthemen des Albums. Musikalisch ist es ein Werk der Kontraste, das sich von der leichtesten Ebbe bis zum schwersten Fluss bewegt. Der zweite Track und die erste Singleauskopplung des Albums, "Golem", befasst sich mit dem Kampf mit der Last der Erwartung durch die Pandemie. Es ist ein schwerer Song mit Schwerpunkt auf Riffs und treibenden Rhythmen. Im Mittelpunkt des Albums steht die vierteilige Suite des Titeltracks, ein 24-minütiges Werk, das die grundlegenden Themen des Albums vertieft: Verbindung, Entfremdung und die Art und Weise, wie die Menschheit unter Zwang handelt. Musikalisch deckt es alle Facetten des Vokabulars der Band ab, von schwerer und dichter, orchestral begleiteter Intensität, die die dunkelsten lyrischen Ideen der Songs verkörpert, bis hin zu sanften, akustisch geprägten Momenten und Introspektion. Nachdem Caligula's Horse in den letzten Jahren nicht in der Lage waren, ihr letztes Album Rise Radiant der Welt zu präsentieren, sind sie nun bereit, Charcoal Grace auf schonungslose Art und Weise unter die Leute zu bringen. Mit diesem Album hat Caligula's Horse ein Statement abgegeben, und sie sind bereit, dass die Welt zuhört. Charcoal Grace ist erhältlich als Gatefold 180g 2LP

La Matta Records proudly presents the official reissue of the first 7-inch by Rita and the Danger, an Italian Disco-Funk masterpiece originally released in 1980 on the Flop Record label. This rare and sought-after track ( “Io e lui al lago Nassua” ) recorded in Bari, finally comes out after more than 40 years, carefully restored directly from its original tape on a 16-track Ampex MM 1100 machine, was a pioneer of the 1980s Italo-disco genre. It features melodic overtones that flow into synthesized sequences of early electronic pop. In 1980, the B-side track “Io e Lui al Lago Nassua”, arranged by Cavaros (Rosa Cavalieri), reached the top of the national charts, invading dancefloors and radio stations all over Italy. It also helped Rita and The Danger connect with an audience that extended well beyond their native Puglia region. The group’s youthful charm resonates loud and clear 40 years after its first release, and this sound, which was born in the analog age and is still relevant in the digital age, is now being brought back to life with a new and extended version of the original 7-inch 45 rpm single.

Das 2010 erschienene Album „Pyramid of the Sun“ ist der Meilenstein von Maserati. Es war die letzte Aufnahme der Band mit Schlagzeuger Jerry Fuchs, die ein Jahr nach seinem tragischen Tod fertiggestellt und veröffentlicht wurde. Es wurde zu einem der wichtigsten Alben der Band und ist nach wie vor der Grundstein von Maseratis legendärem Katalog. Als letzter Teil der Feierlichkeiten zum 20-jährigen Bestehen von Maserati kommt "Pyramid of the Sun - Anniversary Edition" neu verpackt, von den Original-Masterbändern von Josh Bonati neu gemastert und ergänzt um die Bonustracks "Pyramid of the Moon" und "Pyramid of the Moon (The Field Remix)" sowie ein grandioses Live-Set von der SXSW Music Conference 2009.

EVOLV is a visionary window into the mind of Dubfire, the journey of the ‘hybrid’ being and its evolution. Last year in October, an 11-track debut album was released on his long-standing SCI+TEC imprint. And now, just over a year later, Grammy award winning producer Dubfire returns to that sonic discourse, drafting in an impressive array of names to re-interpret the material, and accompanied by Dubfire's new audio-visual EVOLV show which picked up where the critically acclaimed electronic performance experience HYBRID had left off.

The eclectic package will include such notables as Glaskin, Arjun Vagale, Nadia Struiwigh, Mathimidori (dub alias of Mathias Kaden), Maral, Decka, Carl Craig, Truncate, Drumcell, Chris Liebing, Radio Slave and Luke Slater who have all given the original music in their own unique style.

With a career spanning over 3 decades, Dubfire has achieved global success as an artist with relentless drive, talent, and intuition. Pioneering commercial notoriety came initially as one half of the Grammy Award-winning (2001) duo Deep Dish, before embarking on a truly groundbreaking solo career in 2007. A career filled with timeless tracks include his early works, ‘RibCage’ (2007), ‘Emissions' (2007), ‘Roadkill’ (2007) and the highly acclaimed ‘Grindhouse’ (2009) remix from Radio Slave which led to a host of other notable projects over the years.
Collaborative work highlights include projects with Miss Kitten, Luke Slater, Flug, and Oliver Huntemann, as well as co-producing two songs on Underworld’s Barking album. A true artist, he has always been heavily invested in exploring performance technology, unveiled to wide praise with his HYBRID live show. A two-year world tour commenced in 2015 and was followed by his retrospective album, A Decade Of Dubfire (2017), a celebration of his immense output during the first 10 years of solo artist stardom. EVOLV is Dubfire’s debut solo artist album.

Kein anderes Konzert wird auf der ganzen Welt mit so viel Spannung erwartet wie das alljährliche Neujahrskonzert aus Wien. In diesem Jahr wird das Mega-Klassik-Event in über 90 Länder übertragen und von mehreren Millionen Menschen verfolgt.Am Pult des Neujahrskonzerts 2024 steht Christian Thielemann, Chefdirigent der Sächsischen Staatskapelle Dresden und künftiger Nachfolger von Daniel Barenboim an der Berliner Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Thielemann ist den Wiener Philharmonikern seit dem Jahre 2000 musikalisch eng verbunden, und 2019 leitete er erstmals eines ihrer Neujahrskonzerte. Darüber hinaus dirigiert er das Orchester regelmäßig in Abonnementkonzerten im Wiener Musikverein, bei den Salzburger Festspielen sowie auf Tourneen in Japan, China, Europa und den USA. Nach der Referenz-Einspielung eines gemeinsamen Zyklus sämtlicher Beethoven-Symphonien begannen die Wiener Philharmoniker und Christian Thielemann noch während der Pandemie mit der Arbeit an einer Gesamtaufnahme der Symphonien von Anton Bruckner, die im Oktober 2023 bei Sony Classical erschien.Bruckner wird auch im Neujahrskonzert 2024 mit einer dortigen Erstaufführung seiner Quadrille op. 212 geehrt.

Das zweite und letzte Studioalbum der Punk-Ikonen - X-Ray Spex. Das heiß begehrte Album wurde 1995 in einer sehr kleiner Auflage nur auf CD bei Receiver Records in Großbritannien veröffentlicht und war in den letzten 27 Jahren offiziell nicht erhältlich! Das Album vereinte die original X-Ray Spex-Sängerin Poly Styrene mit der ursprünglichen X-Ray Spex-Saxophonistin Lora Logic und dem Bassisten Paul Dean sowie dem Kula Shaker-Frontmann Crispian Mills an der Gitarre unter seinem damaligen Pseudonym Red Spectre. Das Reissue wurde von den Original-Masterbändern neu gemastert und ist zum ersten Mal überhaupt auf LP erhältlich! Mit dem originalen und erweiterten Artwork, einschließlich bisher unveröffentlichter Texte und originaler Cover-Notizen von Poly. Die Popkultur ist voll von klassischen Alben, die iregndwie durchrutschen. In den letzten Jahren haben die verstorbenen Poly Styrene und X-Ray Spex mit ihrem 1978er Debütalbum "Germfree Adolescents" Kultstatus erlangt, aber das 17 Jahre später veröffentlichte Nachfolgealbum "Conscious Consumer" ist im Sand der Zeit untergegangen. Heutzutage wissen die meisten Leute nicht einmal, dass X-Ray Spex ein Nachfolgealbum hatten. Diese liebevoll zusammengestellte Neuauflage rückt ein verlorenes Juwel ins Rampenlicht, das viele Merkmale des Debüts aufweist, aber durch eine andere Brille betrachtet wird. Conscious Consumer" war eine Weiterentwicklung des klassischen Debüts mit derselben Punkrock-Dringlichkeit und denselben Konsumthemen, aber mit einer poppigeren Kante und einer durchdachteren Weisheit, die aus der Perspektive eines älteren, weiseren Krishna-Anhängers aus den Höhen und Tiefen des Lebens geschöpft wurde. Im Jahr 1995 war das Album ein unerwartetes Comeback und wurde ein verlorener Klassiker. Es war das erste neue Material, das die Band seit Jahren aufnahm, obwohl viele der Songs bereits ein Jahrzehnt zuvor geschrieben worden waren. Nach der Veröffentlichung verschwand das Album jedoch schnell vom Radar, lang bevor Poly dihren verdienten Kultstatus erlangte. Die Band, die sich 1991, 1995 und 2008 neu formierte, wird heute weltweit dafür verehrt, dass sie eine neue Art von musikalischem Lebensgefühl ausgelöst hat. Die verstorbene Poly ist heute ein Pin-up der Punk- & Popkultur für eine Originalität und einen Feminismus, die zu dieser Zeit kaum existierten. Ihre bissigen, witzigen und brillanten Texte und ihre unverwechselbare Stimme haben den Test der Zeit bestanden, und zusammen mit der ursprünglichen Saxophonistin der Band, Lora Logic, ist sie Teil der Punkrockgeschichte geworden. Die unscharfen Schnappschüsse der kurzen frühen Besetzung zeigen den frechen und scharf gekleideten Teenager-Kern, der vor Talent, Originalität und Stil strotzt, in einem Standbild der popkulturellen Punkrock-Perfektion. Wenn er sich das Album nach einer langen Pause wieder anhört, ist Bassist Paul Dean überrascht. Conscious Consumer" klingt jetzt so viel besser als in meiner Erinnerung. Damals wurde es nicht richtig veröffentlicht und deshalb kennt es niemand. Wenn du Germfree Adolescents liebst, wirst du Conscious Consumer lieben, sie sind miteinander verbunden. X-Ray Spex hatten nicht nur ein großartiges Album, sie hatten zwei!" CD, Eco Mix LP (random colour) & Crystal Clear LP (for Indies Only)

Umweltfreundliches, recyceltes Vinyl. Jede recycelte Schallplatte ist individuell und erhält durch den Recyclingprozess ein eigenes Aussehen. Die aufstrebende Indie-Rock-Band KAFFKIEZ aus Rosenheim schlägt ein neues Kapitel auf: Ab sofort können Fans das zweite Album "EKSTASE" vorbestellen. Sänger Johannes Eisner dazu: "EKSTASE" beschreibt unser aktuelles Leben ganz gut. Es passiert alles. Unser Traum, die Zweifel, die großen Bühnen, die langen Nächte im Studio, alles prasselt auf uns ein und wir lieben es. Das neue Album soll das erzählen." Zwischen Studio, Interviewterminen, Festivalbühnen, Tourbus und mit über 70 Millionen Streams, hunderttausenden Tiktok und Spotify-Follower*innen, der Auszeichnung als MTV PUSH Artist 2022, Auftritten auf renommierten Festivals wie dem Southside, Hurricane und Highfield Festival hat sich KAFFKIEZ als eine der aufstrebendsten Indie-Bands der Musikszene etabliert. Die große Tour im März 2024 ist bereits in vielen Städten ausverkauft, unter anderem in renommierten Hallen wie der Columbiahalle in Berlin, Tonhalle in München, Große Freiheit (2x) in Hamburg oder dem Palladium in Köln. Die Single "Sommer Mit Dir" zeigt eine völlig neue Facette der Band. Ruhig wabernde Key-Flächen, ein emotionaler Text und ein starker, verletzlicher Song, der die Fans abermals begeistert. Die Attitüde der 5 Rosenheimer Jungs, die mitten in die Ungewissheit 2020 ihre Karriere starteten und sich immer nur auf ihren eigenen "fucking Mut" und ihre mitreißenden Songs verlassen haben, ist sonst die einer der mitreißendsten Bands der letzten Jahre. Optimistisch, eingängig, treibend. Dass sie damit offensichtlich einen Nerv getroffen haben zeigt der Erfolg ihres Debüt-Albums "Alles Auf Anfang" 2022 und die Zahlen neuer Hits wie der ersten Vorab- Singles "Alles Nur Gelogen", "Mut", "Scooter" oder Schrei es Raus" die in wenigen Monaten schon weit über 11 (!) Millionen Streams und das Cover der "Wilden Herzen" auf Spotify erreichte. Ein Indie-Märchen. "EKSTASE" liefert eine einzigartige musikalische Reise, die von KAFFKIEZ' unverkennbarem Stil geprägt ist - erdige, raue und begeisternde Indie-Hits, die immer tanzbar, aber nie langweilig sind. Immer zum Mitsingen, egal ob im Radio, dem Festivalslot oder nachts in der Kneipe. Produziert wird das Album wieder von Johann Seiffert. Das zweite Album wird das Ergebnis von KAFFKIEZ' eindrucksvollen Erfahrungen und der steilen Bergauffahrt im Musikbusiness der letzten drei Jahre, darunter die Herausforderungen der Pandemie und der Stress einer neuen Welt, in der sich die Mittzwanziger auf einmal in ein neues Leben als Musiker manövriert haben. In den vergangenen 3 Jahren haben Sänger Johannes Eisner, Keyboarder Johannes "Gotti" Gottwald, Bene Vodermaier, Niki Mayer und Florian "Weiny" Weinberger bewiesen, dass es sich lohnt, an Träume zu glauben. Aus einem Kaff sind sie wortwörtlich zu einer der gehyptesten Indie-Bands des Landes herangewachsen, die im letzten Jahr auf ausverkauften eigenen Konzerten und vollen Festival-Slots bewiesen haben, dass sie gekommen sind, um zu bleiben. "EKSTASE" erzählt diese Geschichte einer Band, die die Gedanken, Sorgen, Aängste, aber vor allem die guten Dinge des Lebens so energetisch vertont, konsequent weiter. Und das tun vor allem die Fans, Medienmacher*innen und Konzertliebhaber*innen des Landes. KAFFKIEZ sind bereit, ihr Publikum mit ihrer mitreißenden Live-Performance zu begeistern. Die jetzt schon zu weiten Teilen ausverkaufte Tour im März 2024 zeigt das: Eines ist sicher: KAFFKIEZ haben noch viel zu erzählen. Wir dürfen uns freuen, dass es endlich wieder eine Band gibt, die ohne großen Schnickschnack einfach mit guten Songs begeistert.

Mit mehr als 100 Millionen weltweit verkauften Alben zählt die Gruppe KISS zu den erfolgreichsten Rock-Bands. Mit ihrem Sound in den 70s & 80s
Jahren beeinflussten Kiss nachfolgende Generationen von Musikern. Noch heute sind die US-Amerikaner eine der beliebtesten Rock-Bands. Diese
strikt limitierte 12inch Schallplatte enthält Radio Broadcasts aus den USA, aufgenommen und übertragen im Jahr 1992.

Ajay Saggar is BHAJAN BHOY. Since his debut album was released in June 2020 (“Bless Bless”) he has been receiving critical acclaim for his recorded output and his live shows. His second album “Shanti Shanti Shanti” was initially released on a limited edition cassette in November 2022 on his own Wormer Bros. Records. However, when respected label honchos at Cardinal Fuzz (UK) and Feeding Tube Records (USA) heard it, they insisted that this mighty album deserved a vinyl release. This album is part of a triptych. The other two albums in this series (“To Love Is To Love Vols.1+2”) were released in March 2023 to universal acclaim, with publications such as Mojo and Uncut and the Wire heaping praise on the two albums. "Another fine release by Dutch musician Ajay Saggar. His basic thrust is modern psychedelia, minted from radio snippets, dubby reverb flapping, elegant guitar washing, electronic drones interwoven with flashes of mock jaw harp or sploshy drums, and a generally stoned atmosphere. And the concept is spectrally sound!" (Byron Coley / the Wire magazine...January 2023) The songs on this album are varied stylistically. Combining psych, drones, minimalism, free jazz, electronic music and dub in this work, this is another album's worth of musical joy and wonder for all to enjoy.

REISSUE ** Black Vinyl ** 500 Copies // The AK47's or the Tottenham AK47's formed in the late 80's / early 90's in North London. They turned up on the London squatting gig scene fully formed and ready to go, fusing punk, ska and reggae with a strong and simple political, socio-anarchist message. The band were instantly popular in London and sat very much next to Radical Dance Faction, Back to the Planet and Culture Shock. Their one and only release was the album "Don't call me Vanilla" which was originally released in 1991 by Rugger Bugger Discs. The album was recorded and produced at The Refuge studio in Reading by Jim Warren. Built around a solid dub-punk backdrop with some atmospheric flute squalls and FX's weaving in and out of the mix while lyrically remaining true to their anarcho roots. Over the years the album's legacy has grown and yet has never been reissued. Finally 32 years after its release the band, Sean from Rugger Bugger and Not Lost reissue this gem in an exact replica. No coloured vinyl - just black vinyl with the same Lyric Insert. This reissue has been remastered from the original tapes.

In 1948, Moses Asch founded Folkways Records with a self-proclaimed mandate to record the sounds of the entire world. From the Sounds of North American Frogs to Speech After the Removal of the Larynx, Folkways documented the audible nooks and crannies of existence on hundreds of LPs produced by field recordists, scientists, and experimentalists probing the margins of the human soundscape. Seventy-five years later, electronic music duo Matmos have diced, looped, stretched, and recontextualized these recordings on their new album Return to Archive, which was assembled entirely from the so-called non-musical sounds released on Folkways. On just the album’s first track, dolphins, beetles, telephones, humans stretching the limits of their vocal cords, a shortwave radio, and metal balers co-mingle in a fantasia of sound both everyday and extraordinary. Each track on Return to Archive morphs its source material into something completely unexpected, honoring and expanding on Folkways’ legacy of sonic exploration. Featuring Evicshen and Aaron Dilloway.

Mista Sinista officially started DJing in 1986 and joined the X-Men in 1992. They later became the X-ecutioners and released two albums. Mista Sinista toured the world several times with the X-ecutioners and was a tour DJ for Common, Beatnuts, Joe Fatal and Lauryn Hill just to name a few. Some of his album credits include The Beatnuts Street Level LP and Common’s Resurrection LP. His work was also highlighted on Fat Joe’s sophomore release, Jealous One’s Envy. He continues to perform worldwide and is featured on The Rewind with DJ Safire which airs weekly on Beatminerz Radio. Mista Sinista’s debut LP is a mix of well-produced tracks along with live turntablism. The project features emcees Mr. VooDoo, Ill Bill, Vinnie Paz, The One Chadio, U.G. & The former MC Jean Grae to name a few. This album also features Rugged One, Q-Bert, The Cut Lieutenant, Ace & Rob Swift. Production credits on the project include Mista Sinista, Steve Dee, Nick Wiz, Statick, Eitan Noyze, Cee da Cuban & DJ Safire

Celebrated techno producer, sound artist and one half of ORKA, Jens L. Thomsen announces groundbreaking EP ÆÐR, landing 15th December via Kervið. ÆÐR (meaning ‘vein’ in English) is a uniquely atmospheric two-track EP, exploring modernity and post-war freedom through a Faroese lens. Commissioned for Eysturoyartunnil, a 12km subsea tunnel - the largest of its kind - in Jens’ native Faroe Islands, a structural marvel with striking art that has both a voice and aesthetic identity of its own. The EP currently lives as a live audio installation, broadcast around the clock on FM radio for anyone travelling through the tunnel. This is the first time a soundscape has been permanently installed and broadcast via this kind of technical solution allowing the sound to become part of the experience of the space itself. As one half of revered techno duo, ORKA, twice nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize, who recently released their sixth album, All At Once, and an integral part of Yann Tiersen’s live band, Thomsen has already made a significant impact in electronic music. ÆÐR is an expansion of his work as a composer, which includes several site-specific soundscapes, including NORD which was commissioned by the Southbank Centre and installed across the entire fifth floor of the Royal Festival Hall in London.
On ÆÐR, Thomsen brings his talent for one-of-a-kind environmental sonic experiences to a wider audience. A paean to human endeavour and the developmental history of humanity, the tunnel is at once progressive and ancient: a liminal setting where late-modern and pre-modern longings somehow seem to rub off on each other. These intersecting ideas are translated into a striking soundscape of dark drones, creeping frequencies, bleeping ambience, groaning masses of sound, and pulsating echoes from the hidden world beneath us. The underworld that we somehow are able to move through temporarily in our car under the sea, giving the tunnel and the islands a voice of their own, while exploring the parallels between the tunnel and Faroese society today.
This uniquely immersive and compelling work, previously existing only as a transitory experience for users of the Eysturoyartunnil, is now available on vinyl for the first time to be considered and enjoyed in all its fascinating detail. A thought-provoking and groundbreaking piece from one of Europe’s most exceptional composers and sound artists today

tapetopia 010 FO 32 extra hart arbeitendes rastermaterial für kontakt did not emerge from the usual underground milieu – their setting was the base of the 4th Flotilla of the GDR People’s Navy! The propaganda unit PrK 18 had among its recruits some who turned the logistics for agitation against the intentions of the system. Inside a barracks, but under the state radar, the paramilitary music corps FO 32 boarded an NVA studio and recorded industrial tracks and dark ambient. The experimental military band gave an illegal concert; they had previously been heard on the radio programme “Parocktikum”, a pirate gig from the ranks of the People’s Navy on GDR radio. In 1989, a first FO-32 tape was shared among just a few friends. Shortly after, an abridged mix of material was released on the illegal Trash Tape label in an edition of no more than one hundred copies. The vinyl version on tapetopia is based on the original tape. The tapetopia series, using the original layouts and track lists, publishes cassette editions from the GDR underground of the 1980s, especially from the “walled-in” scene in East Berlin. More than three decades after their initial “release”, these tapes have yet to be heard on either vinyl or CD, even though they made an audible mark in the canon of GDR subculture. Despite the tiny original editions of the time, many of the bands were considered cult in countercultural circles, which made them highly suspect in informed circles.