Suche:k si

This album, recorded in 1988 at Elkar Studios in Lasarte, is a happy accident, like much of La Polla Records' early output, by Jean Phocas (who also worked with other bands of the genre such as Cicatriz) and César Ibarretxe. It was lovingly designed, with a medieval atmosphere for the cover (by Txefo, Joseba Olalde and Txarly) featuring a huge scroll containing five tarot cards, a back cover in the same style with heraldic figures, and a meticulous presentation of the lyrics with separate spellings for each song, on a double sheet with photos of piglets suckling from their mother on one side and various images on the other. With animals as the common thread for the songs, it represents the confirmation that the concept album had arrived on the national punk scene. Perhaps a work of maturity, the band's traditional objectives disappear from the lyrics, and although there is still room for specific protests and chronicles of nights of alcohol and violence (such as those of La Rata), the emphasis is on revelling in the description of all kinds of personal, psychotic and hallucinatory hells. Evaristo confessed to being influenced by Umberto Eco's book The Name of the Rose (1980) in the making of this work. Far from indicating any departure from the foundations laid in previous works, it shows that the spectrum of the anti-establishment struggle the group was committed to was broad. A very complete album.

According to the court ruling in the lawsuit brought against the band, allegedly by a former technician, this album should have been released under a different name for the group. Perhaps as a provocative nod, the individual who appears on the cover wearing a nut as an oppressive turban is struck on the back cover by the hammers of Justice and the Law. However, the group ignores this and continues to sign as it has been doing since 1983. The musical arrangements are more powerful, with the guitars taking precedence over the rest much more than before. The drums are also more present. The soundscape takes centre stage, even over the lyrics. The opening track, 'Monopoly', is representative of this, with its fast-paced rhythm provided by galloping guitars. Originally released in 1994, it is surprising how, almost ten years after their debut, La Polla Records were still capable of making albums of such intensity.

A mix of metallic doomgaze, epic gothic soundscapes and post punk attitude. Loud and crushing, yet sharp enough to stick in your head for days. There are two kinds of heavy bands: the ones that make a lot of noise and the ones that drag you somewhere you didn't know you needed to go. Cwfen (pronounced 'Coven') are the latter, and Sorrows is a record that doesn't just crush - it haunts long after the final note. The allure of Cwfen's sound lies in contrasts: the glacial ferocity of Amenra, with the velvet-and-razor vocals of King Woman, and the rotting grandeur of Type O Negative. It's as hypnotic as it is harrowing, but somehow even better than the sum of those parts. Since emerging from Glasgow's underground just 18 months ago, Cwfen's reputation is growing, selling out shows and pulling growing audiences into their doom-laden fever dream. Released in October, the band's debut single 'Reliks' was a hit with fans and critics, landing a spot on Kerrang!'s release of the week playlist. And rightly so. Their sound devours and delights in equal measure. "Cwfen have emerged from the darkest depths of the Caledonian underground with a beguiling blend of doom metal and gothic post-punk for those who like to live deliciously." Kerrang! Sorrows lives in the space around doom where the weight of the riffs is matched by the weight in your chest, where the lyrics and the songwriting are as important as the music itself. Loud and crushing, yet sharp enough to stick in your head for days. It builds, burns, collapses, resurrects. Big on riffs, bigger on feeling. The kind of songs you carry with you. Singer and rhythm guitarist Agnes Alder bears her claws one minute, then whispers the next, as the band follows like a storm front, rising, breaking, drowning you in the weight of it. From the guttural Penance to the lush Whispers, to the feral Wolfsbane and the insurrectionist Rite. It includes a long reworking of Embers and Bodies, the two self-recorded demos that launched them into the scene with a bang and their growing legion of fans already adore. Intricate vocal arrangements, heavy and harsh guitars, a mix of atmosphere and heft, it undoubtedly punches above its weight for a debut. As Agnes says: "When we stopped trying to fit into any one space, what came out was this beautiful mix of dark and light. Something visceral and cathartic." This is a band that sits right in the boundaries between the heavy genres, pulling in everyone from the young goths and to the die-hard metalheads alike and 'Sorrows' truly does deliver in spades. Make no mistake, Cwfen are set to be one of the names to watch in 2025. FFO: Chelsea Wolfe, Zetra, King Woman, Type O Negative, Alcest, Faetooth, Liturgy. Limited vinyl pressing, 500 copies in transparent red vinyl. Full colour Gatefold outer sleeve, with a full colour printed inner sleeve, Full download included as well.

As a follow-up to our previous work reissuing the recordings of Pau Riba, key figure in Catalonia's counter-culture and music scene, we now present "Juguetes de época y cajas de cerillas - Singles y rarezas. Primera época (1967-1969)," compiling songs drawn from rare releases in his catalog as well as his singles from this period. It includes previously unreleased material sourced from the artist's own tapes, along with an extensive booklet featuring notes and photographs of the artist. This collection brings together songs taken from rare releases in his discography-such as the album recorded at one of the concerts performed by Grup de Folk during its brief existence, "Folk 2" (1968)-as well as from his singles: "Taxista!" (1967), "Noia de porcellana" (1969), "Miniatura" (1969), "L'home estàtic" (1967), "Pau i Jordi" (1968), and "El Nadal no té 20 anys" (1967). Alongside these tracks, this compilation also releases for the first time part of the previously unheard material found on magnetic tapes discovered in the artist's studio after his passing. Among these tapes were the instrumental recordings of "Taxista!"-versions with slight differences from those issued on the original single, possibly prepared for television playbacks. These recordings provide further insight into the making of Riba's first release, particularly regarding the mixing process and the later addition of subtle details.

New album from Dutch indie pop favourites Maureens. Warm, jangly guitar pop filled with rich harmonies and bittersweet melodies. Recorded with producer Frans Hagenaars, Don't Give Up captures the band's timeless sound perfect for fans of Teenage Fanclub, The Go-Betweens, and Real Estate. Maureens craft guitar-driven pop that feels like the soundtrack to a perfect late-summer evening - warm, melodic, and quietly nostalgic. Their songs blend bright, jangling guitars with rich harmonies and a subtle undercurrent of melancholy, creating a timeless sound that feels both classic and unmistakably their own. Formed in the Utrecht music scene, the band now celebrates fifteen years together and five albums deep into their journey. At the heart of Maureens are the songs of singer and guitarist Hendrik-Jan de Wolff, whose love of melody and harmony shapes the band's distinctive sound. For their latest record, Don't Give Up, Maureens reunited with producer Frans Hagenaars, recording much of the album live in a secluded wooden cottage in the Belgian Ardennes, capturing a raw and immediate energy.

In 2019, La Volte released Les Furtifs, the latest novel by science fiction writer Alain Damasio. At that time, to mark the publication, Damasio invited the band Palo Alto to join him on stage in response to an invitation from the literary festival Oh les beaux jours !, held at La Criée – Théâtre national de Marseille. What was initially intended as a one-off performance led to a multi-date tour across France. The show performed at La Maroquinerie was filmed and recorded in multitrack and will be release on the 12th of June 2026 on Hublotone (HUBLO006CD).

At the same time, to join this release, Palo Alto invited eight artists to remix the pieces composed for the show: Ptôse, Pacific 231, Judith Juillerat, Herb Duncan, Norscq, Thierry Zaboitzeff, Lefdup & Lefdup, and Electronicat.

Bringing together the best of the French underground music scene, these tracks echo avant-garde artists such as Coil and Tuxedomoon, blending electronic music with string instruments, instrumental compositions with acid club influences. They will be available on vinyl in a gatefold sleeve featuring artwork by Kiki Picasso (ex-Bazooka). Inside the gatefold, an exclusive text by Alain Damasio introduces the project.

Palo Alto is a French band formed in Paris in the late 1980s. They have recorded a dozen albums and developed several projects featuring guest musicians such as Scanner, Simon Fisher Turner, Ramuntcho Matta, J. G. Thirlwell / Foetus, Richard Pinhas and the New York trumpeter Rhys Chatham. They contributed to a tribute album to John Balance / Coil and asked a dozen artists to reinterpret "Half-Mute", Tuxedomoon’s debut album, featuring the original members of the American band (Steven Brown, Blaine L. Reininger and Peter Principle). In 2018, they were selected by the Californian band The Residents to take part in a cover album released on Cherry Red Records. Their latest album, dedicated to the philosopher Gilles Deleuze, was released on the Belgian label Sub Rosa in 2020.

a A1 - The Stealthy Ones remix By Ptôse
[c] A2 - Une Grâce [remix By Pacific 231]
[e] A3 - Menace Prophylaxie Niveau 6 [remix By Judith Juillerat]
[g] A4 - La Ville Est À Nous ! [remix By Herb Duncan]
[i] A5 - Lueur Ultramarine [remix By Norscq]
[k] B1 - Une Clameur De Sabbat [remix By Thierry Zaboitzeff]
[m] B2 - Un Cri [remix By Lefdup & Lefdup]
[remix By Electronicat]

[a] A1 - The Stealthy Ones [remix By Ptôse]
[c] A2 - Une Grâce [remix By Pacific 231]
[e] A3 - Menace Prophylaxie Niveau 6 [remix By Judith Juillerat]
[g] A4 - La Ville Est À Nous ! [remix By Herb Duncan]
[i] A5 - Lueur Ultramarine [remix By Norscq]
[k] B1 - Une Clameur De Sabbat [remix By Thierry Zaboitzeff]
[m] B2 - Un Cri [remix By Lefdup & Lefdup]
[remix By Electronicat]

Obsessed With You The Early Years' is an official release of the early X-Ray Spex demo recordings which would evolve into the celebrated pioneering 'Germ Free Adolescents' album. Also includes early versions of classic Punk pioneering debut single tracks 'Oh Bondage, Up Yours!' and 'I Am A Cliché’.

Recorded in 1977, the majority of these recordings feature original saxophonist Lora Logic and capture the raw instinctive power of the band who seemed to arrive fully formed despite their youth. The iconic vocal stylings of Poly Styrene immortalised here are even more visceral than what was recorded for the final product and further indicate just how much inspiration they lent Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna and the Riot Grrrls that followed. Elsewhere, an early take on 'Germ Free Adolescence' has subtle electronic influences that hint at a potential future the band didn't hang around long enough to fulfil.

This fascinating document is released in various limited edition vinyl formats. 'Day-Glo' orange or 'Day-Glo' pink vinyl with laser die-cut outer sleeve and 'Day-Glo' inserts. The sleeve design is based on original Poly Styrene artwork and brand new sleeve notes from Paul Dean and Lora Logic also feature. Also available on Compact Disc and Digital.

On his new album, Micha Acher rearranged compositions for bands such as Tied & Tickled Trio and Ms. John Soda from previous years.

Why are we interested in ghosts? What fascinates us about the eerie? According to cultural theorist Mark Fisher, the allure that the eerie possesses is not captured by the idea that we „enjoy what scares us“. It has, rather, to do with a fascination for the outside. For that which lies beyond standard perception, cognition or experience, as he writes in his book „The Weird and the Eerie“.

In fact, also none of the 15 pieces from Henry and the Ghost is really scary. On the contrary, they all feel strangely familiar. Like revenants or doppelgängers, which in fact they are. They have all been released before. But in a different form. In different line-ups. With different band projects such as Tied & Tickled Trio, The Notwist or the Alien Ensemble.

With the „Songbook“, Micha Acher's aim was, as he says, to find out how the familiar pieces sound in a chamber music instrumentation. Therefore he met with Theresa Loibl (bass clarinet, piano), Timm Kornelius (bassoon), Markus Rom (guitar, banjo, electronics) and Simon Popp (drums, percussion) in his living room for a musical séance in the summer of 2022. The séance lasted two days. Afterwards, Markus Rom (Oh No Noh), added some haunting electronical ideas.

The mood of most of the pieces is melancholic. There are surprising twists and siren-like melodies. Just as ghost stories should be. However, most of the songs sound very light-footed. With their feet in pop, folk, jazz and classical music. Pieces such as „Johanna“ with its wheezing harmonium and spooky piano, or the dreamy „Modest Farewell“ on the other hand have a cinematic flair. Immediately faces and scenes arise in the mind. But at the beginning, there is „Hamlet“. It starts with ghostly electronics and merges into a calm, almost classical guitar piece. Could it be that the ghost of Hamlet's father is hiding between the strings?

„34E“ begins with a banjo. Then the deep humming of Micha Achers sousaphone and the other brass instruments kick in. In the slow, solemn „Aelita“, the sousaphone starts a dialogue with a children's piano. With the banjo and the other wind instruments acting as mediators. The title of „All Tomorrow's Past“ brings Velvet Undergrounds „All Tomorrow's Parties“ to mind. Another ghost from the past. What connects the two pieces is free-floating percussion, which accompanies the sumptuous melodies.

„Arc“ takes us on an exhilarating voyage at sea, with the sousaphone providing powerful propulsion. Towards the end, things get quite turbulent. With the clarinet stirring up the water, before the sea calms down again. „Henry and the Ghost“ is characterised by a ghostly mood change between major and minor. In „Radio Four“ the banjo with its stoic chords keeps the lively brass section in check. „Solid Ground“ is imbued with melancholy. „Space Minor“ takes us into outer space, with the power of sousaphone and percussion.

„Tomorrows“ is filled with cautious optimism. And the concluding „Nordlead“ turns out to be a revenant of the instrumental „N.L.“ from The Notwist's legendary album „Shrink“ from 1998. In the new version, the piece sounds like a distant echo. One that also brings to mind how Micha Acher's music has evolved. Which new worlds he explored and opened up since the nineties. And yet Acher's signature is recognisable in every single note of this fascinating „Songbook“.

Ricardo Villalobos runs wild on Mohammad Reza Mortazavi’s Persian tombak hand drum actions, expanding a 4 min kernel of inspiration into 24 minutes of mesmerising polyrhythmic traction. From an original ‘Swamp’’ piece that practically recalls Ricardo’s style of slinky minimal techno sorcery to begin with, the Chilean-German maverick derives a more driving tract of rough hewn rhythmic grit bound to hypnotise ‘floors for the duration. Accentuating the undulating bass and dialling up the volume whilst retaining the frictional grind of the original, Villalobos gets right inside the groove with typically obsessive tekkerz, plucking out additional string
motifs and tempering the flow with signature, taut but sinuous, loosey goosey flex that cross-pollinates cultures and gets right under the skin of the thing.

Ricardo Villalobos (b. 1970, Chile) is a pioneering figure in minimal techno, celebrated for his hypnotic and groovy approach to rhythm. Raised in Germany after his family fled Pinochet’s regime, Villalobos was drawn early to percussion - he began playing congas and bongos at eleven, developing a tactile relationship to rhythm that would later inform his distinctive production style. Immersed in both Latin American folk traditions and the emerging house and techno scenes of late-80s Europe, he began DJing and producing in the early 1990s, quickly achieving cult status within global club culture. Mohammad Reza Mortazavi (b. 1979, Iran) is a virtuoso percussionist known for his groundbreaking work with the tombak and daf, traditional Persian drums that he has radically redefined through new playing techniques. Mortazavi began playing the tombak at the age of six. By nine, he had already outpaced his teacher and won Iran’s national tombak competition - a distinction he would earn six more times. By his early twenties, he was widely regarded as one of the foremost players of the instruments. Since then, his music has continued to evolve, embracing new forms beyond tradition.

If you’ve been keeping your ears to the ground, chances are this won’t be your first encounter with the glistening, shape-shifting sounds of Yushh. She has spent recent years DJing across the globe and releasing a series of standout tracks and remixes, cementing her status as one of the most vital flag-bearers of the Bristol continuum.

Somehow, it has been three years since her last solo outing. Making up for lost time, we finally welcome Yushh to Timedance for a searing five-track EP, “Full Body AXY”.

Yushh’s sound resists stasis, nothing feels formulaic. Instead, each track moves with an expert sense of detail, striking a rare balance between precision and instinct, dancefloor science and raw emotion. With a natural flair, she bends low-end pressure into something airborne. Heavy sub frequencies dissolve into a feeling of weightlessness that is both physical and elusive.

How can music hit with such precision and still feel like it floats beyond the rules of gravity? Yushh answers in her own language, where tension and release blur, where sounds flicker between density and light, and where the dancefloor becomes a space for both body-centric exploration and emotional catharsis.

DJ Mart presents the new Dodge compilation *Dodge with Friends*. I am very proud of this exceptional compilation. *Dodge with Friends* reflects the musical and electronic diversity of my label Dodge, which I founded in Bochum in 1995 to promote electronic music from the Ruhr region. The new Dodge compilation *Dodge with Friends* features artists who have helped shape the evolution of music on Dodge and who are my friends—some of whom haven’t been able to release music on Dodge yet because they aren’t from the Ruhr region. All 16 of these artists have made a name for themselves in their respective fields over the years. You are the future with friends *

After receiving a lot of love for his debut album "Love Machine" in late 2024 the enigmatic artist returns with the production screws firmly tightened once more. Snappy modular sounds bounce on a bed of bass made of silk stamina. Good for screw faces in the club, 2am joy rides and on headphones while pumping iron in the gym.

The mysterious London producer previously contributed a song on CASISDEAD’s chart topping, Brit Award winning debut album and has worked with London RnB vocalist Gloria on her release Metal, which came out on Gaika’s label The Spectacular Empire.

Mary Mundy born in 1944 is an underground soul and disco singer best known for her rare 1980 album Mother Nature.

Often referred to as "Dr. Mary Mundy," she is a cult figure among record collectors and DJs due to the scarcity and high quality of her work which blends heavy disco-soul grooves with powerful, soulful vocals.

Llewellyn "Lew" Hanson (1925–1984)

was a Jamaican-born writer, producer, and performer primarily active in Hartford, Connecticut. After serving in the Royal Air Force during the 1940s, he moved to the USA and established himself as a versatile figure in the Caribbean and soul music scenes.

Musical Career and Production

Hanson transitioned from performing traditional calypso with local bands to writing and producing more mainstream sounds in the 1960s.

​

The Islanders: In 1974, he released the LP Just For You... From Home And Abroad with his group, Lew Hanson and The Islanders. The album featured a mix of styles, including the flute-funk track "Soul Safari".

Record Labels: He founded Insurance City Records and Big Street Records to release his productions.

Key Collaborations:

Mary Mundy: Hanson worked closely with Mundy throughout the 1970s and 80s, producing her singles and her LP Mother Nature.

A tasty slice of early 90s New Jersey hip-hop makes this inaugural release from Concrete Flowers a real doozy. Apache's 'Gangsta Bitch' was produced by Q-Tip and taken from his 1993 debut Apache Ain't Shit, so it is a portal back to the raw, unfiltered energy of a time when the Flavour Unit collective was at its most vital. Apache had already appeared alongside Naughty By Nature, Queen Latifah and 2Pac before this record landed and the Q-Tip production connection to A Tribe Called Quest gives it a lineage that still hits hard. The Beatnuts' 'Hit Me With That' on the flip doubles down on the era's boozy, sample-heavy swagger, making this a perfectly paired two-sider that reminds you exactly why the golden era was so golden.

With its second release, Fleur Sauvage stays true to its opening premise: no calculated moves, no outside logic, only work that could not reasonably exist anywhere else. Danieli has been part of the La Nature and NoName fabric for years, as co-curator, resident, and crew, one of those people whose presence shapes a space long before a set begins. This album is the natural continuation of that relationship, extended now into a more permanent form.
Where FS001 captured the charge of a live moment, FS002 turns inward. Seven studio compositions, built at a remove from the dance floor, without urgency or performance. The kind of record that needed time to be what it is.


Daniel
The B-side loosens further. Reverie does exactly what the word promises, without apology. Anew carries a quiet kind of relief, not triumphant but settled. Heavenly closes the record differently: a long, unhurried progression, organic sounds swelling and receding in waves, building toward something that never quite resolves, and doesn't need to.
Throughout, the sound is precise without being cold, textured without ornament. Ambient in the truest sense, music that holds a room, and asks nothing back.

Selekt Wax returns with its second vinyl offering, shifting the lens from introspection toward motion. Where its predecessor explored stillness and space, Varginha 96 leans into rhythm with a more fluid, tactile energy.

Loopedeville works within a minimal framework but pushes it toward something more animated. Groove takes the lead, while detail reveals itself gradually. The result is playful but controlled, built for movement while still carrying depth beneath the surface.

Inspired by the 1996 Varginha incident in Brazil, the record carries a subtle sense of the otherworldly. Not in a literal sense, but in texture. Unfamiliar tones, slightly off center moments, and elements that feel just outside of reach.

Etched on the sleeve, a poem sets the tone:

the analog moment is now
but, how? release
free form feelings finding
new places in yourself
a sort of synthesis
of interpretations
crash & collide
into the infinite groove of reality
but, is anything really real?

A1 – Varginha 96
A breakbeat driven opener centered on a looping vocal from the Varginha ‘96 incident. Off kilter synth textures circle the groove, giving it a subtle, otherworldly feel. Simple on the surface, with depth that reveals itself over time.

A2 – Varginha 96 (Ohm Hourani Remix)
Ohm takes it into a more stripped back, hypnotic space. Centered around the same vocal, the track locks into repetition and feel. Hazy, controlled, and built for late hours.

B1 – Thunders in Paradise
A driving groove built on dusty drums and a tightly controlled rhythm. It holds a steady pulse, with understated details and shifting textures giving it quiet depth.

B2 – Never Enough
A fluid, late night groove shaped by Loopedeville’s signature swing. Less driving than the previous cut, but still locked in, with warm tones and an easy bounce that carries through.

Kheper Wax is the second solo album of Imhotep, artist known for have being the sound architecht of IAM, a very popular hip hop group from Marseille (South of France) in the 90’s and the early 00’s.
The 100% instrumental album is a blend of Dub and Trip-Hop, infused with oriental music samples.
It was self-released by the artist in 2013 and since, the album price has increased a lot on Interne

Smoove returns with the latest instalment of his Multitrack Reworksseries, delivering two fresh, floor-ready reinterpretations of classic Rufus & Chaka Khan cuts.

On the A side, “Heaven Bound” gets the full Smoove treatment. The tempo is lifted for maximum dancefloor impact, driven by seriously funky basslines, razor-tight disco drums, and sweeping strings — all crowned by Chaka Khan’s unmistakable, breathtaking vocal performance.

Flip it over and the energy keeps rising with “Dancing For Your Love”. Crisp drums, lush orchestration, and rich soulful strings take centre stage as Smoove extends the groove into a club-focused workout. Rufus leads on vocals with Chaka Khan providing dynamic backing harmonies.

Two timeless tracks, expertly reimagined for modern dancefloors.

Artificial Go’s new 7” for Carpark Records signals the next chapter in the band’s gentle-but-rapid evolution. The Cincinnati-based rock ‘n’ roll combo dials in to their distinct sound while opening the doors wide to newness. In just two songs, they share joyous expression, frustrated anger, and curious exploration.
The 7” follows two beloved albums and loads of talked-about touring. The excitement is easy to connect with as 7” A-side “Triple Ones” spools out its coiled, bouncy lead guitar with a bass part worth following through the kitchen conga line and into the living room dancefloor. On the flipside, “Jane Ate The Apple Seed” provides a mysterious atmosphere and chorus of unusual trance.
The band’s live configuration is often so: lead vocalist Angie Willcutt, drummer Cole G Patrick, guitarist Ryan Sennett, and bassist Micah Wu. But on record, the members swap instruments and play whatever part necessary. For example, Sennett is drumming on “Jane Ate The Apple Seed,” with Patrick playing guitar, Wu on bass, and Willcutt playing an autoharp with a bow.
While the music is undeniably fun and mesmerizing, lead singer Angie Willcutt’s lyrics center serious matters. The story told in “Triple Ones” refers to a person undercut by those running the show. Willcutt calls it “the most blatantly upset Artificial Go song.” “Explain to me your delusional behavior,” she sings. “The world dealt me the cards of presumption/ I’ll play them right and use it to my advantage.” It might be groovy music, but Willcutt says, “When writing that song, I was just pissed off.”
Three of the bandmates live in the same house in Cincinnati. They practice in the basement, record in the haunted attic, and live in between. “Jane Ate The Apple Seed” started as a jam in that basement. The landlord came over to do maintenance and stayed to watch the jam become a song. Its lyrics tell the hidden story behind a well-known tale: “Jane ate the apple seed/ Johnny nowhere to be seen.”

‘Richness of tone; precision of articulation; ingenuity of timbre that, when Akinmusire pursues microtonal avenues, creates the sense that particular sounds are almost hermetically sealed before being slowly squeezed and pinched into the air. In other words there is a high degree of technical mastery, but, tellingly, it underpins a profound and often engrossing sense of narrative.’ - Jazzwise

‘Halvorson has formulated a guitar style with few precedents. One inspiration might be the painter George Seurat, whose Impressionist paintings of a hundred isolated dots cohere into a picture if one steps back from the canvas. Halvorson’s pointillist approach to the guitar works much the same way.’ - JazzTimes

Slo-Mo Neon Luminate Hoverings, the new album by trumpeter/composer Ambrose Akinmusire and guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson, features four new compositions by each musician as well as one collaboration. The duo, long admirers of each other’s musicianship, met at Halvorson’s Brooklyn apartment and began playing together periodically, going back as far as 2009. They rehearsed the music on Slo-Mo Neon Luminate Hoverings in January 2025, just before performing it at the New York City club The Stone; they recorded this album the next day at Sear Sound.

Akinmusire and Halvorson made two previous attempts at recording an album but felt that they got it right with this third session. Halvorson says of their rapport, which developed over those years of friendship and collaboration, “I think it’s partly a shared aesthetic and an ease of communication. I feel comfortable to try whatever.” Akinmusire concurs, “I think it’s rare to find an improviser that all goes and nothing has to go at all. It’s rare to feel like you don’t have to do anything and you can do anything. And that’s what I love about playing with Mary.”

Though Halvorson regularly uses effects pedals on her guitar, Akinmusire’s use of one on Slo-Mo Neon Luminate Hoverings is new. Having recently gotten an updated model of the Line 6, Halvorson was passing her old ones along to friends. “Ambrose was interested in trying a Line Six. I gave him one five minutes before the rehearsal and was amazed how quickly he was able to do incredible shit on it ... in literally five minutes,” she says.

“But I’ve been watching you, I’ve been watching Bill Frisell and other people use it for a long time,” Akinmusire says. “I approached it as if it were its own musician. I played and it would process the sound and then I would choose to react to that or not. The people like Mary that I love to listen to who use delay, I like being able to hear the process of the texture that’s being built. With some people, when they use it, you don’t really hear it. But with Mary, she’ll play a line and then she’ll react to that line and then react to that,” he continues. “It’s really cool to hear how something is being built. So I kind of stole that.”

Halvorson says, “I’ve never seen someone pick up a pedal and then immediately do something with it that felt like, ‘Oh, this is a sound,’ as opposed to just tinkering, you know? It felt like he was making music on it right away, and then also doing things that surprised me, like the vocalizing really surprised me. I wasn’t expecting that, and it was awesome.”