Cerca:k soul

THE SPEAKER WARS, an American rock band formed by Stan Lynch and Jon Christopher Davis, brings a unique blend of rock, country, and gospel influences to their debut self-titled release, the product of a longstanding collaboration. Stan Lynch, a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer, has contributed his talents as a songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, drawing on his work with Don Henley, Ringo Starr, The Byrds, and many others. Lynch produced, engineered, and mixed the album, lending guitar, keyboard, bass, and vocal skills to the mix. Jon Christopher Davis, a seasoned singer-songwriter from Dallas, honed his craft in Nashville, writing songs for icons like Dolly Parton, Timothy B. Schmit, and Vince Gill. Davis, known for his soulful lead vocals, fronts the band and adds guitar, bass, and keyboard layers to their distinct sound. The band’s live lineup features Lynch on drums, Davis on guitar, and additional musicians Jay Brown, Brian Patterson, Steve Ritter, and Jay Michael Smith, creating a dynamic stage presence.

Multi-instrumentalist producer and songwriter Barney Keen makes music for the long drive and nature"s embrace; influenced by a dynamic range of styles including Brazilian MPB, experimental electronic music, folk and soul. Harbinger, his 10-track debut album, is a cinematic journey exploring imagination, revelations of the day-to-day and life itself; landing via London"s Touching Bass.

Mia Zapata was the greatest rock singer of her time. She may have likely been the greatest blues singer in punk rock history, the woman who married the 78 and the '78. Tragedy did not make this true. Mia Zapata made this true, and the ferocious, spring-loaded shrapnel frame that was built around her by Andy Kessler (guitar: metronomic and furious), Matt Dresdner (bass: fluid, punching, beat-addicted and melodic), and Steve Moriarty (drums: martial and explosive) - who, with Mia, combined to form The Gits - made it true. The Gits were formed at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio in mid-1986, grabbing and swapping pieces of art, thrash, noise, punk rock, classic rock, and all the sorts of magical silly and bookish jingle bells that an old-school liberal arts education handed you; for the next few years they worked on turning it all into something tough, sensitive, both brutal and kind. Andy, Matt, Mia, and Steve moved to Seattle in middish 1989, landing in a house on Capitol Hill where they (and fellow travelers) wood-shedded and rehearsed for the next few years. The Gits put out three EPs in 1990 and '91 before signing with C/Z Records and releasing their first full-length album, Frenching the Bully. Seattle quickly claimed the quartet as their own and embraced the Gits blend of ferocious fangs and soft heart, the slug/slap of the guitars, and the gorgeous, soft underbelly of the poetic emotions. These qualities not only fit in with the doe-eyed/sharp-clawed grunge ethos but earned the Gits the respect of their peers, including Nirvana, who tapped them to open a major local show in 1990. Then other stuff happened, and their frantic, confessional barbed-heart snowball began rolling up hill very, very fast; the Gits "quickly" (hah! After half a decade learning to implode and explode hearts and stomping their boots on manifold beer-softened, Marlboro-weeded wood stages!) inspired rapture, awe, and the levitation that happened when peak emotion meets peak grindage in front of amps spitting out something that sounded like the mad marriage of Bolan swagger and Dischord tension_ all fronted by a genuinely incomparable woman who held her heart in her mouth and shared it, in all its celebration and fear, without hesitation. The Gits were an angry, inflamed slinky fully in tune with and tuned by the Bessie Patti Smith of her time, truly the only singer who could summon Joplin, Poly Styrene, Sam Cooke, Iggy Pop and Ian MacKaye all in the same goddamn song. In 1993, less than four weeks after accepting an offer from Atlantic Records, Mia died. I leave it at that, because this is not about death; it's about an extraordinary life. I do not say, "You should have been there," I say, "We are lucky so many of us were, and I am so glad we have this extraordinary evidence of the power and gifts of Mia and the Gits that you now can hold in your hands." And I note that Frenching the Bully, this extraordinary testament to the soul, shock, fury and feeling of the Gits, has been long out of print on vinyl and CD, and this new edition - remastered by legendary Seattle engineer Jack Endino - joyfully rectifies that. -Tim Sommer

High Roller Records, reissue 2025, black vinyl, ltd 300, original mix + bonus track, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, lyric sheet printed on uncoated paper, poster, mastered by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony

High Roller Records, reissue 2025, black vinyl, ltd 300, original mix + bonus track, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, lyric sheet printed on uncoated paper, poster, mastered by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony

Havukruunu is the spirit of freedom, harbinger of oblivion, and it tells you: FLY, YOU FOOLS! Svart Records is set to release the band’s fourth album TAVASTLAND in February 2025 After three albums, the pieces of the puzzle fit, and Havukruunu, the favorite band of the sensitive and sorrowful returns with a vengeance to blur the line between the real and unreal. The sorrowful guitars of Stefa and Bootleg-Henkka draw threatening dark shadows on the wall, Kostajainen's drumming bombardement pulses like embers of a dying fire in the hearth. All the while, Humö's bass guitar is clanking and wailing like the icy wind rattling windows and banging walls, as Stefa roars and channels messages from the netherworld or preaches wisdom of ancient days, backed by a choir. Lords of Hell smile approving as the flames of hatred and cunning of their beloved sons drowns a dying old world, and heart of the earth trembles the birth of new and weird. Havukruunu is the spirit of freedom, harbinger of oblivion, and it tells you: FLY, YOU FOOLS! Havukruunu’s upcoming album TAVASTLAND tells the story of a small, strange people. ”-TAVASTLAND tells how in 1237 the Tavastians rose in a rebellion against the church of Christ and drove the popes naked into the frost to die. TAVASTLAND reveals our fathers’ centuries old sins and lies of consolation. TAVASTLAND speaks of him, who has become a prisoner of his home, alienated from the land of the forest and is now afraid of the dark with all lights on, surrounded by his smart devices. TAVASTLAND tells about the freedom we lost. TAVASTLAND haunts its listener to the grave, and I will personally open that grave one bleak night, and steal the fading light of your sempiternal soul.”, says Stefa. TAVASTLAND is available on Svart exclusive ice & blood vinyl edition, limited to 666 copies. Also available on limited amber & black smoke vinyl, classic black vinyl, CD, cassette tape, and digital platforms. All vinyl editions of the first pressing include a booklet and poster. New Havukruunu T-shirt also up for pre-order now at Svart’s webstore. Release date February 28th, 2025.

Havukruunu is the spirit of freedom, harbinger of oblivion, and it tells you: FLY, YOU FOOLS! Svart Records is set to release the band’s fourth album TAVASTLAND in February 2025 After three albums, the pieces of the puzzle fit, and Havukruunu, the favorite band of the sensitive and sorrowful returns with a vengeance to blur the line between the real and unreal. The sorrowful guitars of Stefa and Bootleg-Henkka draw threatening dark shadows on the wall, Kostajainen's drumming bombardement pulses like embers of a dying fire in the hearth. All the while, Humö's bass guitar is clanking and wailing like the icy wind rattling windows and banging walls, as Stefa roars and channels messages from the netherworld or preaches wisdom of ancient days, backed by a choir. Lords of Hell smile approving as the flames of hatred and cunning of their beloved sons drowns a dying old world, and heart of the earth trembles the birth of new and weird. Havukruunu is the spirit of freedom, harbinger of oblivion, and it tells you: FLY, YOU FOOLS! Havukruunu’s upcoming album TAVASTLAND tells the story of a small, strange people. ”-TAVASTLAND tells how in 1237 the Tavastians rose in a rebellion against the church of Christ and drove the popes naked into the frost to die. TAVASTLAND reveals our fathers’ centuries old sins and lies of consolation. TAVASTLAND speaks of him, who has become a prisoner of his home, alienated from the land of the forest and is now afraid of the dark with all lights on, surrounded by his smart devices. TAVASTLAND tells about the freedom we lost. TAVASTLAND haunts its listener to the grave, and I will personally open that grave one bleak night, and steal the fading light of your sempiternal soul.”, says Stefa. TAVASTLAND is available on Svart exclusive ice & blood vinyl edition, limited to 666 copies. Also available on limited amber & black smoke vinyl, classic black vinyl, CD, cassette tape, and digital platforms. All vinyl editions of the first pressing include a booklet and poster. New Havukruunu T-shirt also up for pre-order now at Svart’s webstore. Release date February 28th, 2025.

Die Neuaufl age von "Free Jazz Goes Underground" bringt das erste Studioalbum Udo Lindenbergs und seiner damaligen Band Free Orbit zurück. 1970 aufgenommen, fängt dieses Kult-Album die freigeistigen, politischen und visionären Botschaften der damaligen Generation ein. Es verbindet die musikalischen Strömungen der 60er – von Jazz, Rock und Soul bis hin zu sozialkritischen Texten – und spiegelt die rebellische Atmosphäre der Hippie-Zeit wider.
„Was wir ganz dringend brauchen, ist, dass diese gewaltige Revolutionsenergie, diese alle mitreißende Aufbruchsstimmung in ein neues Morgen,
genauso stark ins Massenbewusstsein kommt wie damals!“ (Udo Lindenberg)
Die Neuaufl age enthält neue Linernotes sowie eine freie Übersetzung der originalen Songtexte von Udo Lindenberg und Beatrice Reszat. Die limitierte Sonderedition erscheint als 2 LP (12“ und 10“ Vinyl) und als CD mit dem Originalalbum. In einer handnummerierten Aufl age von nur 1.999 Exemplaren enthält die Vinyledition zusätzlich drei Bonustracks von Udo Lindenbergs späterem Album Lindenberg.
Ein einzigartiges Zeitdokument, das die revolutionäre Energie der 60er Jahre in Texten und Musik von Udo Lindenberg und Frank St. Peter aufgreift – jetzt in hochwertiger, überarbeiteter Form endlich wieder erhältlich.

In an ever-expanding musical universe, Azymuth have long existed as a celestial giant, drawing countless artists, musicians and followers into their orbit. Marking fifty years since their 1975 debut album Azimuth, their new album Marca Passo proves that the band’s alchemic brew of Brazilian jazz-funk and cosmic samba soul remains as vital as ever, as the group honours the profound legacy of their departed founders.

Recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Marca Passo is the first full-length release since the passing of founding drummer Ivan "Mamão" Conti in 2023, following the earlier loss of keyboardist José Roberto Bertrami in 2012. Alex Malheiros, the sole remaining original member, sees his stewardship of the band’s musical legacy as his spiritual duty. He is joined by the equally devoted Kiko Continentino (Milton Nascimento, Djavan) on keyboards, who has been with the group since 2016, and new recruit Renato Massa (Marcos Valle, Ed Motta) on drums.

Yet since their earliest recorded music, Azymuth have always been far greater than the sum of their parts. The "three-man orchestra’s" unmistakable sound is rooted in Brazil's MPB studio scene of the 1970s and early 1980s—a time when artists blended traditional Brazilian rhythms with global jazz, rock, and emerging psychedelic and progressive elements. Marca Passo continues this legacy, seamlessly fusing Brazilian musical traditions with global influences while showcasing the exceptional musicianship that powers Azymuth's distinctive, multi-dimensional sound.

The album is produced by studio mastermind Daniel Maunick, responsible for Azymuth’s two previous studio albums, Fênix in 2016 and Aurora in 2011. Daniel’s credits also include albums by Marcos Valle, Sabrina Malheiros and Terry Callier. Azymuth also invited Daniel’s father, British jazz-funk royalty Jean Paul “Bluey” Maunick, of Incognito, to play guitar on a new version of Azymuth’s eighties classic “Last Summer In Rio”, in tribute to the song’s composer, José Roberto Bertrami. Equally, “Samba Pro Mamao” is a new composition dedicated to Azymuth’s beloved original drummer, Ivan “Mamão” Conti.

Credits:

Alex Malheiros - Bass, Acoustic Guitar & Vocals: 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Kiko Continentino - Keyboards, Organ, Vocoder & Vocals: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Renato Massa - Drums & Vocals: : 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10
Ian Moreira - Percussion: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10
Sidinho Moreira - Percussion: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10
Dudu Viana - Keyboards & Vocals: 1
Victor Bertrami - Drums: 1
Mangueirinha - Repinique: 3
Jean Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick - Electric Guitar: 5
Jose Carlos Bigorna - Soprano Sax: 9
Daniel Maunick: Additional Percussion, Synths & EFX: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Produced, Engineered, Mixed & Arranged by Daniel Maunick
Co-Produced & Arranged by Alex Malheiros
Executive Producer: Joe Davis


Recorded by:
Daniel Maunick & Leonardo Vieira @ Estúdio Nos Trilhos, Santa Teresa, Rio, Brazil
Daniel Maunick & Amadeu Signorelli @ Sigstudio, Niterói, Rio, Brazil
Daniel Maunick & Alex Malheiros @ Estúdio Basslab, Piratininga, Rio, Brazil
Mixed by Daniel Maunick @ The Sugar Shack, Carluke, Scotland


Artwork & Design: Tyler Askew

Das achte Studioalbum des in Kobe geborenen und in Brooklyn lebenden Trompeters Takuya Kuroda ist ein beeindruckender Beweis seines Engagements und Könnens. "Everyday" taucht tiefer in die Hip-Hop- und Neo-Soul-Elemente seiner früheren Werke ein. Dabei ist Kurodas Spiel sicher und unverfälscht – ob auf dem Horn, dem Synthesizer oder Rhodes – er tanzt virtuos zwischen mitreissenden Rhythmen seiner eigenen Kreationen. Nach Releases auf Blue Note und Concord und Auftritten zusammen mit DJ Premiers Badder Band, Jose James und Akoya Afrobeat ist "Everyday" ein Triumph des genreübergreifenden Modern Jazz.

It’s time to celebrate an incredible decade in pop music – and with so many huge hits to choose from we had to make this a 100 track selection across 5 CDs – including more than 40 #1 singles… immerse yourself in rock, glam, disco, punk, new wave, soul, easy listening and pure pop gold … ‘NOW That’s What I Call The 70s’! Also available as 46 tracks on 3-LPs pressed in suitably 70s wallpaper favourite colours – one for each disc – orange, beige and brown – and including an amazing 20 #1 singles

COMPUMA's new new album “horizons”now available on vinyl via his own label Something About!

The album “horizons” is a further development of COMPUMA's “horizons EP”, which was released in July 2023 as a digital-only EP on his Bandcamp. The songs are inspired by the scenery and environment of Lake Ezu, Kumamoto, where the artist's roots lie, and by his walks in various places around Japan.

Horizons 1”, in which the undulations of electronic sounds seem to represent a leisurely walk across a clear expanse of sky and lake scenery, and the vocoder voice somewhat reminds us of people's activities, and the piece changes to a more minimalistic play of rhythms and electronic sounds, as if focusing on introspection in the midst of walking. The album also includes “horizons 2,” which changes with exquisite salinity, “horizons 3,” which pays homage to early electronic music, and “horizons 4,” a more stoic minimal electro-dubwise piece that seems to be immersed in the act of walking, The last track on the album, “horizons 5,” is a non-beat ambient track with a hint of the waterfront, as if the artist is gazing at the vast sky, as if the steps of the first half of the album are expanding into a faint memory, and is accompanied by a field recording. The album includes “horizons 5”, a non-beating ambient taste that is covered by field recordings and depicts the atmosphere of a wandering waterfront, and five versions of “horizons” that remind us of the days of “walking”, sometimes immersed in the scenery and walking, sometimes lost in thought, with “horizons interlude” in between, which reminds us of the surface of a bobbing lake, and is a self-titled version of “View 2” from the previous album, “A View”. The album contains seven songs in total, including a self-remix of “View 2” and an electro version of “view 2 electro”, reminiscent of the shimmering surface of a lake.

Personally speaking, this work reminds me somewhat of Kraftwerk's “Autobahn,” which depicted the countryside of West Germany with minimal electronic sounds, and this work also seems to depict a scene of a “walk” with electronic sounds. However, what is different from “Autobahn” is that there is an element in the middle part of the album that seems to go into introspection in the midst of walking, and it is a work that shows various views (including feelings) throughout the album. From a macro perspective, this album is a new response to the recent environmental music revival and generalization of ambient music, which he has introduced as a DJ and record buyer for a long time.
The album was co-produced by hacchi, who also works with Deavid Soul, Urban Volcano Sound, and as a recording/mastering engineer, and mastered by Nakamura Soichiro of Peace Music, a studio that has produced many masterpieces, including Shintaro Sakamoto's solo work. The package artwork is by designer Seiichiro Suzuki. The package artwork is by designer Sei Suzuki. （The package artwork was designed by designer Sei Suzuki.)

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Compuma is a Tokyo-based log-serving DJ whose extensive knowledge of obscure and left-field music across so many genres and different regions of the world established himself as one of the most respected record buyers in Japan,
a country well known as record collectors’ paradise. While he built his career in record business over decades, he has also been sharing his expertise in music as a DJ just as long. Not only the breath and the depth of where his selection derives are hard to compete, the way he blends them all together is also a state of art. Often intricately layered and collaged, Compuma is capable of sculpting something entirely new with bits and pieces of existing tracks in various forms such as ambient soundscapes to dubbed out club sets. In 2017, his unique ability caught the attention of Berlin Atonal directors and he was invited to play at the festival in Berlin.

He extends his skills into remixing which can be heard on the released from EM Records - “Compuma meets Haku” (2015) and “Bangkok Nights” (2017.) In June 2022, he released his first solo album, A View.
He is also an active member of a DJ trio called Akuma No Numa (which translates to “devil’s swamp”) in which he explores darker and more psychedelic periphery of dance music.

In May 1981 B-Movie and Soft Cell went into Advision Studios in London with the same producer, Mike Thorne (Wire, Bronski Beat, China Crisis, The Communards) to record singles for the label they were both signed to. Phonogram had really wanted to sign B-Movie but had also committed to Soft Cell, having been coerced into it by Stev0, who managed both artists and wouldn’t let them have one without the other. B-Movie commenced recording the dark moody anti-fame anthem ‘Marilyn Dreams’, whilst Soft Cell got underway on a cover of an obscure Northern Soul classic. When both songs were released in July 1981, ‘Tainted Love’ became a worldwide hit and shot Soft Cell to international fame, making them the biggest stars of 1981. B-Movie had formed in 1979, in Mansfield, a typical northern town in the middle of the Nottinghamshire coalfield. Originally a three piece featuring, vocal / bass, guitar and drums, they expanded by adding a keyboard player to broaden their initial post punk sound. Local Lincoln independent record label, Dead Good Records, firstly put them on the compilation LP ‘East’, followed by 7" inch EP and then a mini-album releases, which led to an appearance on the legendary Some Bizarre label (alongside the likes of Blancmange, Depeche Mode, Soft Cell and The The)
Major label interest followed, from which came the deal with Phonogram, B-Movie initially re-recording the track ‘Remembrance Day’, which reached No61 in the UK chart in early 1981 and, more importantly, was played by BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, and appearing in his Festive 50 for that year. All of the recordings the band made during their Phonogram period have been consigned to the Universal Music vault for several decades, with the band finally managing to have these returned in 2024. The various tapes have been digitised and restored, resulting in the creation of what would have been their 1982 debut LP ‘that never was’. Ten tracks including the three singles plus seven previously unreleased recordings. The CD version contains a further seven recordings including the 12” versions, single B-sides and the track “Moles’” from the Some Bizarre compilation.So “Hidden Treasures” from B-Movie, is only four decades late but still able to sit seamlessly alongside contemporaries like The Chameleons and The Sound. The LP is a darker, more brooding and psychedelic affair, more akin to the gothic elements of the Bunnymen or Joy Division, than the ‘pop sensations’ Phonogram wanted them to become. By both opening and closing this chapter of B-Movie, it puts them firmly in the same bracket as their new wave and post-punk contemporaries, which is the least they deserve, as one of the great ‘lost’ bands of the early 1980’s. "It’s nice to hear B-Movie are finally getting a chance to release their forgotten gems’” Matt Johnson (The The) Vinyl

VERVE ACOUSTIC SOUNDS SERIE: komplett analog von Ryan K. Smith bei Sterling Sound von den Originalbändern gemastert, QPR-Pressung (180 g), stabiles Tip-On-Gatefold (Stoughton Printing), wattierte Innenhülle, Gatefold Sleeve

Ein Klassiker des Vocal Jazz! ”All Or Nothing At All” - was für ein passender Titel! Denn für Billie Holiday, deren Karriere sich im Sinkflug befand, ging es in gewisser Weise wirklich um alles oder nichts. Es war das letzte Album, das Norman Granz von der Sängerin auf seinem Label Verve veröffentlichte. Entstanden waren die Aufnahmen im August 1956 und Januar 1957 bei denselben Sessions wie die Holiday-Klassiker ”Body And Soul” und ”Songs For Distingué Lovers” und übertreffen diese nach Ansicht heutiger Kritiker sogar.

From the experimental chaos of IDM to the deep, soulful chords of Detroit techno, Japanese DJ and producer Takuya Matsumoto takes us on a captivating journey through decades of musical evolution. Vertical Stories is Takuya’s debut album, and it seamlessly blends the past with the future. Get ready to dive into a sonic landscape that spans from unfiltered energy to complex, layered textures. If you’re a fan of the raw energy of Underground Resistance, the innovative sounds of Mike Paradinas, or the intricate layers of Floating Points and Pepe Bradock, to name just a few, this full-length album is for you!

We are pleased to present again this wonderful and highly sought-after album, born from a promotional campaign by the U.S. Army to encourage recruitment. The recording perfectly captures the spirit of young America through songs written by Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, Funkadelic, and Burt Bacharach (via Isaac Hayes, of course). High-level soul and funk performed by brilliant anonymous musicians. Virtually impossible to find in its original edition, we are now reissuing it once again thanks to a collaboration with Now Again. Pressed on 180g vinyl. Often, the most prized records by collectors hold unexpected stories. When they also feature incredibly high musical quality and only a few original copies are available, they become the holy grails of collecting. This is the case with this album, recorded by American soldiers stationed in Germany in the early 70s. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. Army organized a band competition among its soldiers. The winners would record a promotional album that would be distributed for free to encourage enlistment during such a turbulent time. The result was a double LP shared between the bands SOAP and East of Underground. Although East of Underground's repertoire consists of covers of soul and funk hits, the quality is surprisingly high: raw guitars, crushing drums, brilliant vocal harmonies... The result perfectly captures the spirit of young America through songs written by Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, Funkadelic, and Burt Bacharach (via Isaac Hayes, of course). High-level soul and funk performed by anonymous musicians whose final fate has yet to be confirmed. When the label Now Again tried to reconstruct the story of East of Underground, they only managed to contact one of its members after digging through documents in the New York Library and collaborating with the U.S. Army. We are now pleased to present this wonderful and highly sought-after album once again, a surprising case where the covers rival the originals, creating a unique recording that justifies its immense appeal among collectors.

Midnight Blue Vinyl. Kelly Finnigan has teamed up with soul music legend Renaldo Domino for his next 45, out May 23rd via Colemine Records. The A-track 'Keep Me In Mind' is a catchy, straight-down-the-middle soul tune in the classic dual male duo style of Sam & Dave, Eddie & Ernie, and Bob & Gene. Featuring organ and classic horn stabs, Kelly and Renaldo's voices blend harmoniously and make for a killer cut. The B-side, 'Let Me Count The Reasons,' is a track from Kelly's critically acclaimed new LP 'A Lover Was Born.' Slower in tempo and full of love and heart, the tune is a masterclass in romantic soulful sounds.

Ltd edition in transparent yellow vinyl!



The Mystery Lights 2nd outing on Daptone's rock subsidiary, Wick, sees them digging deeper into their cavern of influences, taking on tips from Suicide, The Kinks and Television as they look to build on their already party fuelled, raucous sound.

The Mystery Lights story begins in 2004 in the small town of Salinas California when friends Michael Brandon and Luis Alfonso -whose shared fondness for groups like The Mc5, Velvet Underground, Dead Moon, and The Fall (just to name a few) -decided to join forces and craft their own brand of unhinged rock and roll. From there they spent the better part of 10 years touring relentlessly before migrating to Queens, New York in 2014.

With a live show known for its raw, visceral energy and relentless assault –leaving little to no stoppage between songs –they barreled through countless NYC haunts and DIY venues, quickly amassing a fervent local following. The buzz soon caught the attention of Daptone Records execs who were in the beginning stages of launching a new rock-centric imprint, Wick Records. Impressed by the groups’ musicianship, groove, endless supply of energy, and understanding of musical history the Mystery Lights were quickly signed to Wick. Though a rock band at heart, the parallels to what Daptone Records had traditionally looked for in their Soul artists was undeniable. Soon sessions were booked with Producer/Engineer Wayne Gordon, and the release of their debut single “Too Many Girls” b/w “Too Tough to Bear” launched to mass critical fanfare.

Upon the release of their self-titled full-length on June 24th 2016 The Mystery Lights were quickly crowned “one of New York’s finest garage rock bands” by NME. Extensive touring, including multiple stops in Europe, Asia and Australia followed which found the group graduating from support slots at hole-in-the-wall clubs to headlining stages at major festivals worldwide.

After two years of break-neck, non-stop touring, the group settled back into Queens to prepare for their second full-length record, Too Much Tension(out May 2019). With Wayne Gordon in the producer’s chair and several intense writing sessions under their belt the group were back at Daptone’s House of Soul and ready to track. While keeping the hard-hitting approach of the first LP, Too Much Tension finds the group digging deeper into their well of eclectic influences, enriching their sound without echoing the past. Mixing the eerie, insistent synth sounds of groups like The Normal and Suicide, the energy and swagger of punk’s golden age, the pop sensibility of The Kinks, and the stark, deliberate execution of Television -The Mystery Lights are taking their idiosyncratic brand of rock and roll to dizzying new heights.

WHEN RIVERS MEET – BREAKING BOUNDARIES IN ROCK, BLUES & AMERICANA - When Rivers Meet aren’t just making waves—they’re blazing their own trail. The husband-and-wife duo, Grace & Aaron Bond, have carved out a unique sound that defies genres, fusing the raw power of blues-rock, the storytelling soul of Americana, and the heartfelt intimacy of folk. Their music is gritty, soulful, and electrifying, with Grace’s powerhouse vocals and Aaron’s dynamic musicianship creating something truly unforgettable. A huge part of their unmistakable sound comes from their dual vocal chemistry. Grace’s voice is raw, powerful, and deeply emotive, delivering every lyric with intensity, while Aaron’s vocals bring a rich, warm depth, perfectly balancing power with soul. Whether harmonising in haunting unison or trading lead vocals, their voices create a magnetic dynamic that sets them apart. Aaron’s expressive guitar work, especially his masterful slide guitar playing, adds another layer of grit and emotion, helping to shape the band’s signature sound—blending bluesy swagger with anthemic rock energy. Their breakthrough album, ‘Aces Are High’ (2023)—recorded deep in the heart of Suffolk—marked a seismic moment in independent music, launching them into the UK Official Album Charts Top 10, a first for an independent Rock/Blues band. Now, they’re ready to raise the stakes once again. Expect a bigger, bolder, and more dynamic sound, combining powerful harmonies, raw energy, and hard-hitting rock with foot-stomping Americana grooves. This album is When Rivers Meet at their most passionate, unfiltered, and intense. To celebrate, they’re bringing their explosive live show back to the stage: May 23 – Glasgow, Oran Mor, May 24 – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms, May 26 – Southampton, The Brook, May 29 – Norwich, The Waterfront - A SOUND LIKE NO OTHER – MUSIC THAT TRANSCENDS GENRES

Jackie Edwards voice can be heard on 100's of Ska, R&B. Soul and Rocksteady records.
In fact all the in carnations that evolved from Reggae.
He was at the birth of Island Records and his distinctive soulful voice has rightly given him the moniker of the Original Cool Ruler.
Jackie Edwards (b. Wilfred Edwards 1938,Jamaica)was a renowned singer from the early days and by 1959 had presented future Island Records owner Chris Blackwell with two outstanding tunes.
The first a sentimental ballad 'Your eyes are Dreaming' and a Latin beat tune 'Tell me Darling'.
His song writing skills were much in so demand and his popularity of such importance that when Chris Blackwell went to London in1962 to set up his record company he took his top Balladeer Jackie with him.
This would pay dividends when a UK group Blackwell had signed called The Spencer Davis Group went on to release two of Jackie's compositions 'Keep on Running' and 'Somebody Help Me', which topped the British charts in 1966.
We have compiled some of Jackie Edwards finest songs..all cool tunes in different Reggae styles but all sung to perfection..
Hope you enjoy the set....

"Irrepressible, off-the-wall and utterly unique - the late 70s/early 80s Latin jazz-funk and leftfield electronic boogie of Japanese composer and pianist Izumi ‘Mimi’ Kobayashi collected for the first time.

A star in Japan, she moved to Europe to record global hits with Depeche Mode and Swing Out Sister, toured the world with the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra and made beats with Attica Blues’ Tony Nwachukwu. Now based in London, Mimi currently fronts Tokyo Riddim Band - the intergenerational live Japanese Reggae outfit born from Time Capsule’s acclaimed 2023 compilation of the same name - playing live shows and releasing a trio of recordings.

Choice Cuts 1978-1983 collects eight recordings from four of Mimi’s first five albums – Sea Flight (1978) recorded with her group Flying Mimi Band, and Coconuts High (1981), Nuts Nuts Nuts (1982) and Tropicana (1983) under her own name.

The compilation opens with a syncopated electro-funk cover of Sergio Mendes’ ‘Mas Que Nada’ (Tropicana) and the crisp and stripped back techno-pop of ‘Coffee Rumba’ (Nuts Nuts Nuts) with a keyboard bass line that would have made Stevie Wonder weep.

Alongside the off-beat synth jam ‘Quiet Explosion’ (Nuts Nuts Nuts) and piano samba of ‘Espresso’ (Tropicana), there’s two low slung soul-jazz numbers, ‘Naze’ and ‘Angel Sky’, from Sea Flight (1978) that recall the collaborations between Herbie Hancock and Kimiko Kasai. But it is around the two tracks from Mimi’s 1981 album Coconuts High that this compilation revolves (and from whose cover shoot it borrows).

Released on legendary guitarist Takanaka’s Kitty Records label, Coconuts High was recorded in LA with a jazz fusion backing band, including Alex Acuña, Abraham Laborial, Harvey Mason and the Tower of Power horns. A riot of playful Latin-tinged jazz, funk and fusion with the off-beat spirit of Kid Creole & and the Coconuts, the album became a cult hit. Here it’s the sultry, Minnie Riperton-esque ‘Crazy Love’, with its addictive groove and bittersweet melodies that makes the cut, alongside the steel drum-infused carnivalesque bounce of ‘Palm St’.

Choice Cuts 1978-1983 will introduce the idiosyncratic energy and playful verve of this under-the-radar pioneer to a wider audience for the first time. Welcome to the world of Izumi ‘Mimi’ Kobayashi."

More than 20 years after their debut, Witchcraft's seventh album, 'IDAG,' is an awaited full accounting of who they are as a band. Those who have clamored for the return to an earlier sound rooted in '70s classic progressive and heavy rock will delight to the strut of "Irreligious Flamboyant Flame" while the eight-minute opening title-track is the heaviest the band have ever sounded, and a succession of interspersed acoustic-based pieces helps create a vision of a new, soulfully folkish doom taking shape as they continue to move inexorably forward. Founding guitarist/vocalist, Magnus Pelander, says of 'IDAG': "This album will reap souls and destroy wicked minds. And perhaps mend a couple of broken ones." These enigmatic few words from the Swedish band's main songwriter give clues as to the songs' intentions; a reference dropped to Coven's 1969 album, 'Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls.' Coven also had a folkish, proto-doomed take at that point in their history, and that multifaceted nature has been a part of Witchcraft all along. On one level, Magnus is winkingly telling you it's a Witchcraft record. The actual meaning of that becomes clear when you hear the album and find out just how much 'a Witchcraft record' can encompass. The storyline of Witchcraft's growth, from Pelander's starting the band in Örebro in 2000 in the wake of his prior outfit Norrsken's disbanding. A generational landmark of a 2004 self-titled debut helped spark a retroist movement that has become its own subgenre, but Witchcraft never stopped growing. 2005's 'Firewood' and 2007's 'The Alchemist' introduced more progressive sounds, and five years later, the pointedly modern 'Legend' established in 2012 that they had moved beyond the analog worship they had been a part of pioneering within the contemporary heavy rock and doom scene. In 2016, the 2LP 'Nucleus' introduced fuller-toned doom, and 2020's 'Black Metal' diverged into moody acoustic minimalism familiar to some fans from Pelander's early solo work, but different from anything Witchcraft had done prior. 'IDAG,' then, is the tie that draws all of this - more than two decades of exploring and growth - together. Whatever they've done in the past and whatever they'll do in the future, 'IDAG' feels like a nexus for defining who and what Witchcraft are. Even crazier, that might be the point of the thing. JJ Koczan

More than 20 years after their debut, Witchcraft's seventh album, 'IDAG,' is an awaited full accounting of who they are as a band. Those who have clamored for the return to an earlier sound rooted in '70s classic progressive and heavy rock will delight to the strut of "Irreligious Flamboyant Flame" while the eight-minute opening title-track is the heaviest the band have ever sounded, and a succession of interspersed acoustic-based pieces helps create a vision of a new, soulfully folkish doom taking shape as they continue to move inexorably forward. Founding guitarist/vocalist, Magnus Pelander, says of 'IDAG': "This album will reap souls and destroy wicked minds. And perhaps mend a couple of broken ones." These enigmatic few words from the Swedish band's main songwriter give clues as to the songs' intentions; a reference dropped to Coven's 1969 album, 'Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls.' Coven also had a folkish, proto-doomed take at that point in their history, and that multifaceted nature has been a part of Witchcraft all along. On one level, Magnus is winkingly telling you it's a Witchcraft record. The actual meaning of that becomes clear when you hear the album and find out just how much 'a Witchcraft record' can encompass. The storyline of Witchcraft's growth, from Pelander's starting the band in Örebro in 2000 in the wake of his prior outfit Norrsken's disbanding. A generational landmark of a 2004 self-titled debut helped spark a retroist movement that has become its own subgenre, but Witchcraft never stopped growing. 2005's 'Firewood' and 2007's 'The Alchemist' introduced more progressive sounds, and five years later, the pointedly modern 'Legend' established in 2012 that they had moved beyond the analog worship they had been a part of pioneering within the contemporary heavy rock and doom scene. In 2016, the 2LP 'Nucleus' introduced fuller-toned doom, and 2020's 'Black Metal' diverged into moody acoustic minimalism familiar to some fans from Pelander's early solo work, but different from anything Witchcraft had done prior. 'IDAG,' then, is the tie that draws all of this - more than two decades of exploring and growth - together. Whatever they've done in the past and whatever they'll do in the future, 'IDAG' feels like a nexus for defining who and what Witchcraft are. Even crazier, that might be the point of the thing. JJ Koczan

Purple Vinyl, limited to 450 copies. More than 20 years after their debut, Witchcraft's seventh album, 'IDAG,' is an awaited full accounting of who they are as a band. Those who have clamored for the return to an earlier sound rooted in '70s classic progressive and heavy rock will delight to the strut of "Irreligious Flamboyant Flame" while the eight-minute opening title-track is the heaviest the band have ever sounded, and a succession of interspersed acoustic-based pieces helps create a vision of a new, soulfully folkish doom taking shape as they continue to move inexorably forward. Founding guitarist/vocalist, Magnus Pelander, says of 'IDAG': "This album will reap souls and destroy wicked minds. And perhaps mend a couple of broken ones." These enigmatic few words from the Swedish band's main songwriter give clues as to the songs' intentions; a reference dropped to Coven's 1969 album, 'Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls.' Coven also had a folkish, proto-doomed take at that point in their history, and that multifaceted nature has been a part of Witchcraft all along. On one level, Magnus is winkingly telling you it's a Witchcraft record. The actual meaning of that becomes clear when you hear the album and find out just how much 'a Witchcraft record' can encompass. The storyline of Witchcraft's growth, from Pelander's starting the band in Örebro in 2000 in the wake of his prior outfit Norrsken's disbanding. A generational landmark of a 2004 self-titled debut helped spark a retroist movement that has become its own subgenre, but Witchcraft never stopped growing. 2005's 'Firewood' and 2007's 'The Alchemist' introduced more progressive sounds, and five years later, the pointedly modern 'Legend' established in 2012 that they had moved beyond the analog worship they had been a part of pioneering within the contemporary heavy rock and doom scene. In 2016, the 2LP 'Nucleus' introduced fuller-toned doom, and 2020's 'Black Metal' diverged into moody acoustic minimalism familiar to some fans from Pelander's early solo work, but different from anything Witchcraft had done prior. 'IDAG,' then, is the tie that draws all of this - more than two decades of exploring and growth - together. Whatever they've done in the past and whatever they'll do in the future, 'IDAG' feels like a nexus for defining who and what Witchcraft are. Even crazier, that might be the point of the thing. JJ Koczan

Weisheit, Disziplin und unbändige Kreativität prägen den smarten Electro-Soul von Ellen Beth Abdi. Die renommierte Livemusikerin wird mit ihrem Debütalbum auf dem eigenen Label zur überragenden Solovirtuosin. Poppige Synth-Sounds, sich langsam steigernde Backgroundklänge und feinfühlige Worte von kraftvoller und persönlicher Bedeutung: Manchesters am schlechtesten gehütetes, genreübergreifendes Multiinstrumentalisten-Geheimnis steigt aus dem Schatten ins Licht. Vor fast einem Jahrzehnt wurde ihr aussergewöhnliches Talent entdeckt, was zahlreiche Support-Slots für u.a. Lady Blackbird, Courtney Pine und Angelique Kidjo einleitete. Diese Live-Erfahrung fliesst nun in die Konzerte zur Feier des lang erwarteten Soloreleases von Ellen Beth Abdi ein.

- "Something of a masterclass." - Louder Than War

- "Sharp lyrical insight with a distinctive sonic identity." – Backseat Mafia

Mit 'Stand Together' kehrt Aloe Blacc eindrucksvoll zurück - ein Album voller Soul, Hoffnung und Haltung. Der US-amerikanische Sänger, der mit Songs wie 'I Need a Dollar' und dem Welthit 'Wake Me Up' (mit Avicii) internationale Bekanntheit erlangte, zeigt sich auf seinem neuen Werk gereift und zugleich so relevant wie nie.

'Stand Together' ist eine musikalische Hommage an Menschlichkeit, Empowerment und gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt. Jeder Track ist inspiriert von einer Organisation oder Bewegung für sozialen Wandel - getragen von Aloe Blaccs unverwechselbarer Stimme und seinem Gespür für mitreißende, zeitlose Melodien.

This new album celebrates 10 years of activity by the quartet House of Echo!


Wallsdown II: Beyond Cyborgs, tECHnO Inside Us is the second part of a trilogy, following Wallsdown, released in 2020. This new repertoire, half organic, half electronic, questions the relationship between man and machine and the digital worlds of today and tomorrow. It confronts electronics and artificial intelligence with the acoustic quartet, which, throughout the album, enter into osmosis, reverse their roles, and merge.

Colored vinyl repress of last Pinback album, originally released in 2012. On one hand, their fifth album, Information Retrieved, is the logical and accessible realization of a sound Pinback have been developing and refining for over a decade. However, that consistency that we've taken for granted is what makes Information Retrieved such a euphoric surprise; their finest and most fully realized album, a dozen years deep into a career that includes bona fide modern classics like "Good To Sea" and Summer In Abaddon. Simply put, this is better than we ever could have expected. They could have coasted on automatic pilot to another lauded album that likely would have made it onto plenty of year-end lists, but instead they shot the moon, and the result is a major triumph. The touchstones are still there: Zach Smith's stunningly unique bass guitar acrobatics driving both rhythm and melody in lock-step unison; the incredible immediacy of Rob Crow's voice that could make a phone book sound compelling; and the musical and lyrical interplay between the two of them that made Pinback so special in the first place. The difference now is their exquisite control over dynamics and a greater emotional resonance throughout. It's the most complete and soulful Pinback album by a fair distance, the finest moment in the career of a band whose unfettered brilliance we've come to count on, but will never again take for granted. For Fan of The xx, Deerhunter, Built To Spill, Broken Social Scene

What We Have Now is a love-letter to New York City, written by a breaking heart weathering the deep indigo night of a soul realizing dawn will release it from the dried tears of youth. There is no brighter or harsher wasteland of self-discovery than the one in which we see that childhood is a dream and the now is something we will have to fabricate alone, from those broken mirror shards of memories in service to a world that does not seem to know how to care for us any longer. Full of feeling and shepherded by Clara's intensely honest vocals, these songs transcend place and time to share a universe of wonders beneath the hard-wrought questioning of the deeply human condition we are all living within. Clara Joy is a songwriter full of melody and vision. These home recordings were made by Clara in NYC between 2020 and 2024. The songs were then arranged, mixed & mastered by Kramer in December 2024 in his studio in the mountains of North Carolina. Clara is at the dawn of her career and Shimmy-Disc is proud to bring this amazing work to the world. This creation is a beacon on the murky horizon of this Pyrocene age landscape we find ourselves traversing.

Brooklyn-based musician and producer Eliot Lipp has spent the last two decades crafting a signature sound that fuses hip-hop, synthwave, glitch, and electro. His breakthrough came in 2004 when Prefuse 73 released his debut album on Eastern Developments, a then-subsidiary of Warp Records. Since then, he has built an extensive discography across influential independent labels like Hefty Records, Mush Records, Pretty Lights Music, Young Heavy Souls, and his own Old Tacoma Records. Lipp's music, described by Billboard as "funky and experimental, crunchy and distorted, romantic, thoughtful, and all around playful," blends vintage and modern influences, with Kaltblut Magazine noting his inspiration from "sci-fi soundtracks and '70s and BDs funk" to create "weird, high-definition, melodic beats." His work has been featured by Bandcamp, Magnetic, XLR8R, and major radio stations like BBC Radio 6, KEXP, and KCRW. A seasoned performer, Lipp has toured extensively for over 15 years, playing in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Denver, as well as major festivals such as Electric Forest, Forecastle, and SXSW. With a career rooted in both classic beat-making and forward-thinking electronic production, Eliot Lipp remains a vital force in the independent music scene.

On his first release with Bastard Jazz, veteran Brooklyn producer Eliot Lipp delivers Kona, a bright blend of guitar samples, breakbeats, and his signature Korg MS-20 synth lines, evoking the feeling of kicking back on a beach at sunset. The beat hits hard from the start, but as the track unfolds, it eases into a more laid-back, summery vibe. Lipp's signature fusion of retro synth textures and crisp modern rhythms shines through, capturing an effortless, sun-soaked energy perfect for a night drive or a rooftop party. The B-side, Silver Bass, takes a different approach—starting with live drums, electric bass, and a groovy guitar and piano arrangement before morphing into a futuristic, digitally sequenced version of itself. With dueling saxophone and Moog melodies weaving between organic and electronic elements, the track transforms into a breezy electro jam that feels both nostalgic and forward-thinking, solidifying Lipp's ability to craft timeless, genre-blending sounds.

Denmark's premiere outlet for forward-thinking modern jazz, April Records proudly presents the debut of a brand new quartet featuring some of Scandinavia and the UK's most celebrated instrumentalists: Mathias Heise, Anton Eger, Rasmus Sørensen and Conor Chaplin. Meeting for the first time on a spring day in 2023, the quartet quickly discovered a natural synergy.Their debut performances that summer were met with resounding acclaim, with Politiken music editor Thomas Michelsen calling them a "supergroup" and awarding their concert at Balders Plads five hearts. Buoyed by their success, the group headed into the studio to record their eponymous debut album. THE ACTION 4s thrives at the intersection of jazz, rock, funk, fusion, and electronica. Their music is a dynamic interplay of raw energy and masterful artistry, seamlessly blending the acoustic and the electronic. The chromatic harmonica's soulful tone meets the rich textures of piano and synthesizer, while the foundation laid by the electric bass and dynamic drumming creates a playful arena for ever-evolving spontaneity. Their compositions pulse with rhythm, melody and interplay, pushing the boundaries of genre and tradition to forge an exciting new direction for Danish jazz. The quartet brings together four internationally acclaimed musicians, each a master of their craft: Mathias Heise: Chromatic Harmonica, Synthesizer Anton Eger: Drums, Percussion Rasmus Sørensen: Grand Piano, Synthesizer Conar Chaplin: Electric Bass

It’s been 6 years now since our last collaboration with Roar Groove and The Revenge in 2019. So it was about time to unleash some new heavy hitters by this House master.

With the opener “Twisted Signal” this EP sets the pace and tone to spiraling and pulsating sines, great grooves and hypnotic vocal use. Dark dance floor material at it’s best! Followed by the deep “Spiral Highway” the a-side is one long live jam. On the b-side we take back the pace and make it groovy-er with the House cut “Open Your Eyes” in a true classic “Revenge” style. Closing out with the excellent lush journey that is “Your Life”, bringing back again his great vocal sample use and adding deep soulful chord flavors.

Get real Deep with this new 4 tracker by The Revenge! Enjoy!

All tracks mastered by Salz Mastering in Cologne. Art by Hugo Barne.

Bea Elmy Martin hat sich schnell zu einer der überzeugendsten Stimmen des britischen Alternative-Pop entwickelt, die Musik, bildende Kunst und Performance nahtlos miteinander verbindet und seit ihrer Debütsingle "Blue Escape" 2021 viel Kritikerlob erntet. Zwei Jahre lang arbeitete sie gemeinsam mit ihrem Partner Dominick J Goldsmith akribisch an dem Debütalbum "Under The Yew", einem intimen, atmosphärischen Statement künstlerischer Integrität. Ihre Bühnenpräsenz ist ebenso beeindruckend, ob auf der Rabbit-Hole-Bühne in Glastonbury oder als Begleitung von HÆLOS als Vorgruppe von Depeche Mode auf europaweiter Stadiontour. Beas Debüt-LP erscheint als Zweiteiler, Vol.1 kommt im Mai im umfangreichen Gatefold mit Platz für Vol.2, das sechs Monate später folgt.

– „Bea verbindet Soul-Elemente mit zeitgenössischem Pop zu einem Hybrid-Mix, der einen sofort in süße Ekstase versetzt.“ – Wonderland Magazine

– „Die Art und Weise, wie sie die Energie um ihren ruhigen Gesang herum aufbaut, zeugt von wahrem Verständnis und Talent.“ – Jack Saunders, BBC Radio 1

Der meisterhafte Selektor Mark Iration hat vollen Zugang zu den Greensleeves-Archiven erhalten und eine sorgfältige Auswahl von Roots- und Dub-Schätzen zusammengestellt, die seit langem zu den Grundpfeilern des Iration Steppas Soundsystems gehören. Die Sammlung enthält legendäre jamaikanische Sänger wie u.a. Michael Prophet, Johnny Osbourne und Wailing Souls. Die zweite Disc entführt in die Echokammer und zeigt Dub-Versionen von Schwergewichten wie Roots Radics, Augustus Pablo und The Revolutionaires. Die illustrierten Innenhüllen von Tony McDermott und Fotos aus dem Iration Steppas-Archiv runden die Gatefold-Verpackung ab. Die erste Ausgabe unserer Soundsystem-Reihe (mit Channel One Soundsystem) war so schnell vergriffen, dass die Nachfrage das Angebot bei weitem übertraf - verpassen Sie dieses Mal nichts!

What We Have Now is a love-letter to New York City, written by a breaking heart weathering the deep indigo night of a soul realizing dawn will release it
from the dried tears of youth. There is no brighter or harsher wasteland of self-discovery than the one in which we see that childhood is a dream and
the now is something we will have to fabricate alone, from those broken mirror shards of memories in service to a world that does not seem to know
how to care for us any longer.
Full of feeling and shepherded by Clara’s intensely honest vocals, these songs transcend place and time to share a universe of wonders beneath the
hard-wrought questioning of the deeply human condition we are all living within.
Clara Joy is a songwriter full of melody and vision. These home recordings were made by Clara in NYC between 2020 and 2024. The songs were then
arranged, mixed & mastered by Kramer in December 2024 in his studio in the mountains of North Carolina.
Clara is at the dawn of her career and Shimmy-Disc is proud to bring this amazing work to the world. This creation is a beacon on the murky horizon of
this Pyrocene age landscape we find ourselves traversing.

A sum greater than its individual parts, 'Look What You Made Me Do' is Ashaine White's fourth EP A rockier edge than her previous releases, the EP is drenched in distorted guitars and Ashaine's distinctive vocals. Taking influence from a large gene pool of genres, the EP walks the line between early 90s guitar driven rock, the stunning vocal tones of soul music and all with a hint of infectious pop charm.

Three years after the release of her successful debut album 'Alma', Munichbased singer, pianist, and composer Alma Naidu unveils her long-awaited self-produced new album 'Redefine' She presents 13 original songs that showcase remarkable emotional depth, musical diversity, and intensity. The album features a wide range of arrangements, from classic band settings to string orchestras and intimate voice-and-piano solo pieces. It explores themes such as friendship, love, personal growth, and thought- provoking topics like equality and the redefinition of gender roles. The record is further enriched by collaborations with renowned artists, including Mark Lettieri (Snarky Puppy), Raphaela Gromes, Nils Landgren, Jason "JT" Thomas, Lisa Wulff, and Simon Oslender.

The original line up of all women featured Sally Sweet of Minneapolis garage bands THE CAVEGURLS and THE BLUE UP. After some time the original line up morphed into a mixed band of men and women and the group released a 45 on Ramo Records. This caught the attention of Boston record label RUM BAR RECORDS, who would release the BEEBE GALLINI album 'Pandemos', a collection of material made during the worldwide pandemic. A well-received collection ranging from garage nuggets to 60's BEE GEES' hit and original material.

For their next project producer and drummer for the group Travis Ramin brought the group into the legendary Kay Bank Studio in Minneapolis. A studio rich in musical history where everything from DAVE DUDLEY's Six Days on the Road and THE FENDERMEN's Muleskinner Blues to THE TRASHMEN's Legendary Surfin Bird and all of Soma Records' Big Hits Of Mid America were recorded. The early GUESS WHO recorded there and decided on their name in the building even ... the list goes on and on!

Travis' idea for a record was to re- record some Minnesota garage classics that were originally recorded there in the same room and invite some of their garage rockin' friends to join them. Run Run Run by THE GESTURES and Why by THE ACCENTS would feature on lead guitar Keith Patterson (formerly of THE FUNSEEKERS, THE SPECTORS, and THE CONQUERORS). I Believe from THE HIGH SPIRITS would feature Melanie Vammen of THE PANDORAS organ solo and Russell Quan famously of THE MUMMIES, FLAKES and DUKES OF HAMBURG would take lead vocal on THE KAN- DELS raucous Cry Girl. The session was so successful that it expanded into the full- length album "Begged, Borrowed and Stealed" and batch of material expanding beyond the Minnesota borders, with tunes from DAVE DEE, DOZY, BEAKY, MICK & TICH, OTIS REDDING, BEEBE themselves and more! Recording in the sacred space made for a special rock and roll party album which also features the artwork of legend Cliff Mott! So, get ready for an all-star cast and a little dose of Minnesota Garage Rock and Soul!

THE CAPELLAS are a rhythm & blues / raw soulful Beat Quartet from the UK, featuring Elsa Whittaker on vocals (The Missing Souls, The Jack Cades), Mike Whittaker on Guitar (Thee Vicars, The Baron Four, The Jack Cades), Mole on bass (The Embrooks, The Baron Four) and Yan Quellien on Drums (The Barracudas, Chrome Reverse) The band have played shows in the UK, Germany and Spain, and they have slowly started conquering crowds with their highly danceable shows, so make sure to bring your dancing shoes! They have released their first EP "Take Your Chance with The Capellas" on Sweet Grooves Records (Spain) which has since then been repressed and they have just finished recording their first LP "Untamed" featuring 9 fabulous self-composed tracks plus one mind-blowing cover version of the classic "Love's Gone Bad" (Chris Clark). What a fantastic debut album by a fantastic group!

Mr Bongo proudly presents the third album by Melbourne/Naarm multi-instrumentalist, Don Glori, entitled ‘Paper Can’t Wrap Fire’. A kaleidoscopic genre-surfing odyssey that brings together the worlds of jazz, soul and funk. Feeling both contemporary and classic, familiar yet novel, it’s an assured third release that sees an artist in full flight, showcasing their creative prowess and the uniqueness of their musical voice.

Steering in a new direction, Don Glori (aka Gordon Li) has delved headfirst into his songwriting with ‘Paper Can’t Wrap Fire’. Deftly showcasing his talents as a writer and bandleader, he brings with him a whole host of friends from the creative crossroads that is Naarm. It’s an album enriched with more soul, R&B, and funk-oriented songs than his previous jazz-rooted productions, yet there’s still plenty of jazz material for those familiar fans of Don's earlier works.

The album’s title is an old Chinese proverb, roughly translated as 'you can’t deny the truth'. This underlying thread is woven between the songs. “A lot of them are in some way about truth-seeking, observations and the masks you put on to deal with life (hence the cover art)”, Don mentions. Take, for instance, the sensational soul single 'Brown Eyes' featuring silky lead vocals by ML Hall. A dissection of the minority experience, and the power and comfort in building those communities. Elsewhere, 'Disaster' is a satirical take on the structures serving everyone but the artists, and 'Flicker' tackles notations of truth and clarity after introspection.

To marry that meaning with the level of musicianship on these tracks is what really stands out. Don has set out his stall here as an artist who can write songs that hit home in the heart, as much as they do in the head. It’s a journey infused with a glistening jazz finesse, layered with nourishing vocal harmonies and powered by an instantly relatable human soul.

Recorded over two hot summer days in Rolling Stock Studios in Collingwood, Naarm, the lineup of musicians is built up of Don's friends and family. Featuring the backbone team of Tim Cox, Al Kennedy, Joel Trigg, Robyn Cummins and Lachlan Thompson, who were part of Don's touring band before he relocated to London, and a stunning selection of vocalists in the form of ML Hall, Ruby Dargaville, Isadora Lauritz, and Bianca Kyriacou. Also gracing the album are trumpeter extraordinaire Audrey Powne, saxophonist Joshua Moshe, and Alcides Neto who sprinkles some Brazilian magic into the record.

Taking influence from artists including Azymuth, SAULT, Jordan Rakei and Lynda Dawn, as well as from London musical beacons such as NTS and Total Refreshment Centre, Don has run with this, leaned in and come out with a record truly unique to himself and his distinctive core, with no mask necessary.

Detroit deep house don Rick Wade back in full force! Four cuts of pure groove, lush vibes, and soulful grit. Limited wax, no sleep!

Laurent Garnier : cool release
Radio Slave (Rekids) : Woah !!! Rick knows.
Ben Sims : Now downloading. Will check asap!
DJ Bone (FURTHER) : So deep so dope! Love every track here.
DJ Sneak (I'M A HOUSE GANGSTA) : superb work
Jaye Ward (Dalston Super Store / Netil Radio) : super deep super lush
Marcel Dettmann : thx
Ryan Crosson (Visionquest) : Been playing Rick's music for 20 years. thanks for sending
Arno (Pressure Traxx / Einzelkind / Half Baked) : In a world that gets more and more crazy and unpredictable it feels good to know that some things can still be relied upon. Like Rick Wade and his crunchy deep house jams. Thanks! I was pleasantly surprised to receive such a good digital promo. Keep up the good work. Greetings from Berlin
Pat Hyland (Northside Loft Society) : Loving this EP. Rick‘s House interpretations are the finest. Full Support. Your Love Is........ Magic!
Mike Shannon (Cynosure) : Big Daddy Rick is goin' deep!
Harri (Sub Club) : lovely stuff, will play and support
Fred P : Dope...
Kai Alce (Real Soon) : Classic sounds of Rick Wade!
Enrica Falqui (ERIS, Plexus 4) : Dusk Runner for me, thanks!
William Kiss (Rekids) : Lovely!
Kléo (Rush Hour) : deep and soulful just the way it's supposed to be!
Bill Brewster (NTS) : Best track: Your Love Is
Gerd (4Lux / Clone) : Amazing house tracks by Rick Wade as usual! Phonogramme killing it too!
Aleqs Notal : Love it !!! Full support
Jorkes (Freeride Millenium) : lovely. thanks so much for sending. xoxo
Geir Aspenes (G-Ha (Sunkissed)) : Nice, thank u
Dorian Paic (Raum Musik) : Your Love Is is the one for me. Thx for the promo!
Dj Hutch (Ambers) : Lovely stuff this

NOW is proud to present the next instalment in our ongoing ‘Yearbook’ series, and the final one representing an individual year from the 1980s: NOW – Yearbook 1989. 78 tracks across 4CDs – celebrating a magnificent and eclectic year in pop! This release is available as a standard 4-CD set, and as a special edition 4-CD set in ‘hardback book’ packaging, which includes a 28-page booklet packed with notes about all of the 78 featured tracks. Also available as 42 tracks across 3LPs, pressed in stunning pink vinyl…celebrating a magnificent and eclectic year in pop!

Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 release their new album "Fontana Rosa". Possibly the world's only musical group to fuse Latin music of all kinds with the Welsh language, this time Rio 18 draw inspiration from slightly different musical corners, including Chicano Soul, Nuyorican pop, and Salsoul disco plus Latin sounds filtered through the cultural spectrum of the USA.

Most significantly though, the album was among the last ever to be recorded by the acclaimed producer Liam Watson at his legendary studio and shrine to all things analogue, Toerag Studios - a huge inspiration and influence on Rio 18's Carwyn Ellis. The "Fontana Rosa" sessions saw Ellis draw together an all-star band at the fabled studio which is perhaps best known through its place in the White Stripes history.

Talking about the story and gestation of the album, Carwyn said:

"I was in Mexico City with Baldo Verdú when I heard that Toerag Studios in London was going to close. It came as a shock - Toerag and Liam Watson, its owner and resident producer had been a massive influence on me. Liam, along with Edwyn Collins, had taught me much of what I know about recording, had hired me as an instrumentalist on countless sessions and had helped me to get started when I began my own solo career. And over the years, I'd still go in to record with Liam whenever the opportunity arose. When I heard that Liam was shutting up shop, I took it upon myself to try and ensure he went out with a musical bang. I rounded up the best band I could get: the aforementioned Venezuelan percussion wiz and singer, Baldo Verdú: American drummer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Shawn Lee: the Isle of Wight's finest drum and percussion master, producer and composer Rupert Brown (whom I'd originally met at Toerag many moons ago): Elan Rhys, one of Wales's finest voices and long term collaborator with Rio 18, as well as being one third of the wonderful folk group, Plu: and Kassin - my Brazilian brother from Rio de Janeiro, bassist and producer with artists such as Jorge Ben, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and a multitude of others, including Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18.

So this was my dream team, assembled to make beautiful music one more time at Toerag (I have to add at this point that Shawn and Rupert hit it off so well at our sessions that they booked their own session shortly afterwards! Look out for the brilliant Shawn Lee's Toerag Orchestra 'Percussion Discussion' album). Toerag, if you're not familiar with the place, made its name as London's foremost analogue studio for some 30 years, recording directly to tape which in essence means musicians playing live, together in a room until they get it right. And the sound? Oh the SOUND!! And this is all Liam Watson's doing, his sonic aesthetic - a real master engineer. The studio is perhaps best known as the place where the White Stripes recorded their monster hit album 'Elephant' but for me it's where I got to record with James Hunter, Lay Low (from Iceland), Quruli (from Japan), Fabienne Delsol (from France) and made many lasting friendships, learnt a great deal about popular music, as well as making a bunch of my own best recordings with Colorama.

Over the course of five days we laid down as much music as we could. We had some visitors too: guitar slinger Little Barrie (Primal Scream, The The and Liam Gallagher among other things, but also my dear bandmate in Edwyn Collins's band): sax and flute maestro Jim Hunt (Amy Winehouse, Primal Scream, Duffy and very many others): and Diego Laverde Rojas, the Colombian Latin harp virtuoso.

This time the music had a slightly different edge - although we still maintained our Brazilian/Welsh connection on 'Deffro'r Dydd' (written with and sung by Elan Rhys), our Cumbia vibe and some Merengue ('Mariposa' and 'Te Adoro', sung by Baldo Verdú) and even a traditional Afro-Venezuelan tune ('La Quichimba', again sung by Baldo) - the main influence for me this time was Latin music as recorded in the USA, both new and old. 'No More Secrets' is a straight up slice of Salsoul disco, while 'Hei Ti' is a punky funky but of Nu Yorican pop somewhere between ESG and the Beastie Boys. But one of my main influences in the last couple of years has been the current wave of Chicano Soul coming from California, particularly via the Penrose and Big Crown labels. I was turned on to this music when I was in Japan in early 2023 - Takashi-san at Pleased To Meet Me Records in Nara played me the Altons' 'Float' and I was hooked!

And that music has a similar aesthetic to Toerag: music recorded live to tape by excellent engineers, performed by fine musicians and singers. So our songs 'Impossible', 'Heartbreaker' and 'Lovesick' are very much in this vein. And that just leaves the title track, 'Fontana Rosa'."

A SIDE: "Smooth Co-Operator" 124 BPM
Deep within the Co-op laboratory, a timeless classic was lifted from the ether and reborn under the alchemists’ touch. "Smooth Co-Operator"
takes the silk and smoke of Sade’s iconic Smooth Operator and fuses it with the pulse of an uptempo soulful house rhythm. Sprinkled with the
magic dust of hip-hop and funk samples, the track moves effortlessly—grooving on a smooth, rolling bassline, locked into a four-to-the-floor
heartbeat. The result? A dance where elegance meets momentum, where the past is reimagined for the now. Let yourself be carried away—
this is RnB soul jazz, remixed for the future.

B SIDE: "Dream Alchemy" 120BPM
Summoned from the realm of dreams, "Dream Alchemy" is a hypnotic, Kubrickian voyage through sound and shadow. Co-op bends time,
doubling the original tempo into a driving force of tech-house vibes. J Diggns layers ethereal, cascading keys—melodies that flicker like lucid
visions—while Whiskey Drop layers in A$AP Rocky and grounds the experience with a deep, rolling bassline that pulses from the underground.
The groove is relentless, the atmosphere cinematic. Step inside—The dream and the Sandman await.

Salty Millers einziges Album ist ein verstecktes Juwel der Yachtrock-Szene, das 1980 in begrenzter Auflage erschien. Aufgenommen mit Mitgliedern der legendären Yachtrock-Combo The Embers, mischt die LP Soul, Disco und Midtempo-Stepper zum charakteristischen Szenetanz, dem Shag. Durchdrungen von pazifischen Sounds und gefühlvollen Streichern dient die LP sowohl als Liebesbrief an die goldenen Yachtrock-Jahre als auch als Ausreisser, der die Konventionen überschreitet. Während viele Songs nostalgische Yachtrock-Themen wie Liebe und Freude feiern, bieten andere mit einem nachdenklicheren Unterton eine seltene Abkehr vom traditionell sonnendurchfluteten Geist des Genres. Lang ersehnte, in den AIR Studios neu remasterte und geschnittene Neuauflage mit neuen Liner Notes.

Back to the 80s: A Holy Grail of Italo Disco Returns on Vinyl

Oh, those magical 1980s… an era forever entwined with iconic music that still stirs the soul. For the young, it’s a source of fascination; for those who lived it, a flood of unforgettable memories. And when you combine that nostalgia with a collector’s thrill and the magic words “Italo Disco”, only a handful of legendary labels come to mind. One of them? Sensation Records: the experimental sub-label of the iconic Disco Magic, headquartered at Via Mecenate 78/A in Milan. Known for its distinctive blue label, Sensation was home to less commercial, often bold and boundary-pushing releases – tracks that dared to be different.

Today, Vintage Pleasure Boutique dives deep into the vaults of Sensation Records to revive one of the genre’s most coveted treasures: Marylinlove – “Another Love.”

Produced by none other than Bruno Mosti – a mastermind behind some of the most sought-after Italo tracks of the era. This is more than a reissue. It’s the return of a true cult classic, a holy grail for collectors and genre lovers alike.

If you know, you know. And if you don’t, this is your moment to own a piece of history. Don’t miss your chance to grab this stunning vinyl reissue, before it disappears again.

Side-A features Alex Désert and Deston Berry of Hepcat, in addition to Malik Moore of The Lions. Side-B features Asdru Sierra, vocalist of Ozomatli. Produced, Mixed, and Recorded by Dan Ubick (The Lions, Connie Price and the Keystones). Previous steady radio play on BBC Radio 6, KCRW, SoHo Radio, etc... Very popular among DJ’s and collectors worldwide. To round out their second wave of 7" singles, Night Owls bring the heat once again with their signature sound and vision.

Re-imagining two Aaron Neville classics, “Hercules” feat. Alex Désert and The Lions b/w “Tell It Like It Is” feat. Asdru Sierra from Ozomatli, Night Owls up the ante by bringing in some heavy hitters for both sides of this 45. Side A's "Hercules" features long-time collaborators and bandmates from The Lions (Stones Throw, Ubiquity, NYCT) - the soulful tenor of Alex Désert (also Hepcat) on lead blending seamlessly with the familiar voices of Deston Berry (Hepcat) and Malik Moore (Ocean 11) on backing harmonies. The Lions front line locks in tight from the many years performing together on top of a darker and grittier interpretation of Allen Toussaint’s masterpiece complete with fuzzed-out guitar, Space Echoes and rhythm drops. On the flip, "Tell It Like It Is" keeps the momentum going and hips swaying with added Colombian percussion elements and California lowrider vibes. Featuring L.A. family and multi-talented vocalist of Ozomatli, Asdru Sierra, on lead and Night Owl Dan Ubick on backing vocals Side B creates a unique blend of reggae and Cumbia into a very fresh take on this multi-generational hit

Show Your Power” music was part of a studio session with Nickodemus & Costa Rican rising star & versatile producer Barzo. Produced around the time Nickodemus was working on his album "Soul and Science". After many weeks of searching for the right vocalist Nickodemus finally connected with Ghanian vocalist Zongo Abongo who collaborated on 3 of his songs. Musically, "Show Your Power" is an uptempo joint with hard hitting afro-Caribbean beats & Rhythms, a UK inspired dub bassline & ska horns.

On the flip side, Mr. Doris shows his diversity also in the studio with good friend & producer Much Maligned for this heavy hitting Afro-Caribbean dance-floor shaker "Want Some More"

The James Reese & The Progressions – "Throwing Stones" (Kenny Dope Mix) 7-inch vinyl is a rare gem for collectors of soul and breaks. Released on Kay-Dee Records in collaboration with Now-Again Records, this edition features a Kenny Dope Mix From Original Master Tapes that enhances the deep soul energy of the original with signature break-heavy production.

This release blends vintage soul with modern breakbeat sensibilities, making it an essential pick for soul lovers, breakbeat collectors, and DJs looking for timeless grooves

Vocals by Marlene King

Punching our ticket for the tenth trip on the Drum Chums line, we rattle past the control centre, where Approach Release delivers another masterclass in genre-blurring brilliance.
Darting through emotional New Beat, psychedelic soul, stomping Afro-disco and coastal cosmic, AR keeps things right on track and perfectly off the rails.

'So Wrong' starts the party with a growl and a gurn, all gnarly sequences and robotic drums until that mournful vocal moves us into a land of Lynchian longing. Teardrops on the dance floor, clouds in your coffee, it's, it's, Goth Italo folks.

Shifting tone like McCrae shifted gears, Approach Release moves on from Main-Room Gloom into the smooth and sensual soul of 'LuvLuvLuv'. Low-slung, lilting, loose and lysergic, this versatile version-excursion works wonders as warm up and rub down, its brilliant bedroom vocals floating atop the synthetic and psychedelic groove.

Over on the B-side, 'E-Killa' bursts out the speakers with about 100,00 volts of Afro-disco energy, each one perfectly harnessed to whip a crowd into a grinning frenzy. Armed with an unstoppable arrangement, vital vocals and a stomping rhythm section, this delicious drink of tropical pop just keeps on fizzing.

For an encore, Approach Release drops the deeply dramatic 'Lou Cee', a full-hearted bit of Balearique-brilliance stacked with enough synth strings, faux-accordion and earnest outpourings to give Chris Rea a run in the anthem stakes.

100% Drum Fun Guaranteed. .

The incredibly elusive band Sault release their debut album 5 on Vinyl via independent record label Forever Living Originals. The record fuses African, soul, funk and post-punk vibes amongst other flavours. With support from Radio 6's Lauren Laverne and USA's KWRC and KEXP, the band are set to go from strength to strength becoming one of the most prolific bands of 2020 with a barrage of material up their sleeves

Dean Josiah Cover aka Inflo has been composing for Michael Kiwanuka, The Kooks, Tom Odell, The Jungle and Little Simz

Wairunga finds the Freddy juggernaut digging deep to debut five songs and revisit two classics captured in an outdoor performance sans audience but with wild weather elements playing an important creative role in producing this unique live album.

Recorded in Wairunga, high above Waimarama Beach in New Zealand, it is place etched into the DNA of Fat Freddy’s Drop who’ve roamed here for over 20 years; to party, relax between tours, make a song Wairunga Blues in its honour and even to get married. Farmed by the Parker family for a century, Wairunga is an oasis of green pasture and native tree filled valleys that fall away to the ocean below.

In inimitable Freddy's fashion the new tunes run a gamut of genre busting styles. Coffee Black is layered with cosmic hot buttered soul and cinematic wigged out psyche-blues while Shady continues Freddy's Afro-Acid adventures with Fitchie’s beat-making tapping into a South African township brand of techno Freddys experienced on tour.

Bush Telegraph is a reggae classic featuring MC Slave aka Mark Williams on the mic with freshly minted yum char spiced rhymes of hope. The other new tracks Leave Your Window Open and Dig Deep are loose rhythmic experiments that the band have been working on for a long time. Versions were developed, rehearsed, but then set aside – dismissed, demonised - only to be revived with new energy in some future moment of creative cohesion. The results are loose-limbed; broken and bruised beats smashing into subterranean bass and twisted up melodies.

Bones and Wairunga Blues are the two classics from Freddy's vast back catalogue. Off the Blackbird album, Bones has aged beautifully - like a fine wine - the song’s component parts matured and melded together in harmony and balance. DJ Fitchie rates this 2021 vintage superior to the 2013 original. Wairunga Blues has been a work-in-progress since it was released on Bays in 2015. Kuki dials up some appropriately off-kilter keys to match the wonky-funk laid down by Fitchie’s bass line and the horns. It’s a mighty comeback – and a fitting tribute to this magical place.

Vinyl format only. Acts of Faith is the eleventh studio album from British R&B musical group Sault. Originally previewed in December 2023 at a one-night only concert in London, which was the group's first performance. Upon the album's release, Bill Pearis of Brooklyn Vegan called this "yet another stunner" from the group that is "a joyous rumination on faith". Writing for Radio New Zealand, Tony Stamp noted the religious themes and uplifting lyrics in the music and responded to the band's mystique by summing up, "everything on record is so substantive, and enriching, that the gimmicks feel justified"

Claire Chicha aka Spill Tab is feeling more free than ever before. The LA-based, French-Korean songwriter and producer,has spent the past five years as spill tab honing a sound that is as raw-edged as it is refined, channelling low-slung guitar-strumming confessionals as well as the earworming melodic hooks of anthemic pop to produce a heady and distinctive mix.

Following the 2019 release of her intimate and infectious debut single “Decompose”, Spill Tab has evolved her spill tab project through three EPs: 2020’s synth-pop influenced Oatmilk, 2021’s playful, uptempo Bonnie, featuring Gus Dapperton and Tommy Genesis, and 2023’s co-produced, sonically-intricate Klepto, which gleefully meanders from the Hiatus Kaiyote-influenced jazz freakouts of “CRÈME BRÛLÉE!” to the guitar-chugging thump of “Splinter”. Live, meanwhile, Spill Tab has been tapped for her explosively energetic presence to open the North American leg of popstar Sabrina Carpenter’s tour, as well as touring through Australia with alt-rock trio Wallows.
With “PINK LEMONADE”, opening single from her forthcoming debut album “ANGIE” , spill tab’s freewheeling sound finds its fullest expression, harnessing this onstage experience and recorded experimentation with her bass-weight and pitched-up vocals. Here we find Chicha only ever chasing that “weird thing”, fizzing with an infectious enthusiasm and intricate musicianship. “The best songs come from writing the main idea in a day, as it’s so instinctual,” she says, such as “PINK LEMONADE” recorded “from a clip taken out of a 40-minute jam that we then chopped and spliced”.
Born to her French Algerian composer father and Korean pianist mother, Claire Chicha spent her early childhood in the mixing room of her parents’ LA post-production studio, bringing coffees to artists as they tracked scores for exciting new projects. “I hung out in that studio all the time until I was around 10 years old, absorbing jazz music my dad was into and classical music that my mom loved,” Chicha says. “My mom had a big hand in making me an adventurous kid, always trying new things from piano to harp and violin, forever soaking up new sounds.”

At 12, Chicha’s life was uprooted as she relocated to Thailand to live with her mother’s family following the collapse of her parents’ business after the 2008 recession. What followed was an unstable and formative few years of early teenagedom, navigating new cultures and life changes. In Thailand, Chicha began learning guitar to cover the Paramore and Green Day tracks she had grown to love while also becoming immersed in Thai traditional music. After a year, she moved once more to live with her aunt in Paris and there she was introduced to the classic sound of Serge Gainsbourg and Édith Piaf before ultimately returning to LA following the untimely death of her father.

“I had to become a real people person to fit in everywhere I was moving, and it immersed me into so many different styles of music,” she says. “I went from listening to the nasal singing of Thai traditional music at muay thai fights in Bangkok, to emotive classic French songs. It definitely informed the need to experiment with my sound as I became more interested in making music.”

At high school in LA, Chicha joined one of the country’s foremost show choirs and realised a natural aptitude for stagecraft and performance as she sang medleys in competitions throughout the US. Going on to study Music Business at NYU, Chicha found a love for the alternative soul and singer-songwriting of the likes of Moses Sumney and Bon Iver, as well as developing her own sound while spending summers interning as an A&R at Atlantic Records and being exposed to the gamut of New York’s live music scene.

“I was going to so many shows as an A&R intern and seeing just how much a lot of music sounded alike,” she says. “It made me realise I wanted my music to feel different, to cut through the noise but still make something that felt honest to me.”

Beginning to independently release tracks, Soill Tab gradually built a loyal fanbase with the release of wistful early numbers “Calvaire” and “Cotton Candy” and soon found herself signed to a major label. Yet, as her career progressed through the COVID pandemic the demands of a corporate major began to conflict with her own searching style. “My last two EPs were under contract and it felt like I was always chasing the carrot,” she says, “I felt a certain pressure to put out tracks quickly and find that ‘hit’. It wasn’t the right environment to truly make what I wanted.”

Ultimately parting ways with her label, Chicha began work on a new album, exploring new sounds and ideas with her LA-based community of collaborators like producer David Marinelli, Solomonophonic, Wyatt and Austin and John DeBold, without expectation. “It became this beautiful experience of only following ideas that I really believed in and exploring all the musical avenues I hadn’t before,” she says. “I’ve never been more excited about songs and I’ve never felt like a project is more mine.”

Writing and recording while touring with Sabrina Carpenter and Wallows, Chicha road-tested her new tracks to see what might land best with an audience who had likely never heard her music before. “You have to win people’s hearts as an opener and you can see what resonates and what doesn’t,” she says. “I would watch people fall in love or not and it’s usually always the song you’re having the most fun with that does the best. That’s what I put on the record.”

« Angie », Spill’s Tab debut album is relased on because Music and expected for May 16th release.

SAMOSA RECORDS EARTH, WIND & FUNK VOL.2 - Pt.1

Samosa Records comes at you with all the elements for Earth, Wind & Funk Vol. 2 – a succulent double slice of vinyl heaven!

On side A1 label favourites Dirty Elements & Drunkdrivers start the party with the knee-slapping treat ‘Koko’. A bouncing bassline and some sweet clavinet keys act as the starters to this trip around the discophere. Lush strings and sassy vocals provide a delicious cherry on top. Mesmerising stuff.

For A2, Macchianera undergoes a De Gama Re-Groove with ‘Gotta Dance’, a deceptive 115bpm chugger that could travel the tracks for an eternity. Deep, groovy bass and soulful vocals combine perfectly in the build-up to the brass-soaked chorus line. Oh, and you know that rhythm guitar is gonna get you.

Side B1 finds Niels F. ‘Trying To Love’ with a little help from some De Gama Re-Drums. ‘Trying To Love’ breaks out into its stride from the off. With an almost ‘2-step’ vibe at the intro, ‘Trying To Love’ nicely builds to a rag time jam of lush strings, smile-inducing brass and a wicked vocal – all applied perfectly and filtered expertly. Let the good times roll!

B2 brings the Afro inspired delights of MP Soundworks and ‘Gotta Get It’. There’s a tribal vibe in the air at this party, a hypnotic runaway train of a track that makes full use of filtered build ups, looped vocal samples and a wicked, wicked bassline. Bouncier than supper-concentrated Zectron.

In Earth, Wind & Funk Vol. 2 Samosa Records has produced a stunning double slab release, featuring a good mix of some of the label’s most prolific artists and some welcome newcomers.

Lynn White hails from Mobile, AL and started singing at the age of six in her local church. She worked in Ike Darby’s record store where she would sing along to the sounds that were playing, and it wasn’t long before the owner decided to record her on his local label Darby Records in 1978 at the age of 25. Three singles and the highly collectable album “Am I Too Much Woman For You” ensued, but they didn’t bring much success to the label, which folded shortly afterwards. They did get married though.

Her sultry bluesy Darby-penned/produced “I Don't Ever Wanna See Your Face Again” was released in 1982 on another local label, Sho-Me Records, and it quickly came to the attention of Willie Mitchell, who signed her immediately to his Waylo imprint. A fruitful period followed with 7 albums and 12 singles released for the Memphis-based label during the rest of that decade. Her mid-paced “See You Later Bye” was a huge favourite with the modern soul scenes in Europe, and it was a pleasure to see White as part of Waylo’s A Memphis Soul Night - Live In Europe in 1990 when she appeared with Otis Clay, Ann Peebles and David Hudson, performing in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Berlin and London; each artist doing a solo spot then all four joining together for some rousing soul medleys.

By now a Memphis resident, she switched to S.O.H. Distributions in 1990, which gave her more control of her output, and these two sides are from that period; “I Don’t Know Why” (1993), clearly her most popular track was only available as a 12” single, and featured the amazing but uncredited vocals of Farris Lanier Jr., who was lead singer of another Waylo act, Lanier & Co. Now very hard to find, this will be an eagerly awaited release as a 7” single. The flip is a gorgeous stepper written by George Jackson (previously recorded by Otis Clay) and from her CD only album The New Me (1990). White’s version just oozes with soul and makes for an essential double-sider.

Two Times Juno awards listed and 2 times Polaris price listed, Canadian Soul Star Tanika Charles unleash the new album "Reason To Stay that drops on May 16 via independent soul label Record Kicks. Reasons To Stay is Tanika Charles' fourth full-length album, and her most introspective to date. Where her songs have typically touched on romantic love and heartache, the core love and loss of this record is family focused. It has taken years for Tanika to be able to publicly reflect on the childhood trauma and family breakup that occurred during her teens. The majority of the album was composed by Tanika with the tight knit team of Scott McCannell (Lydia Persaud, Henry Nozuka), Kyla Charter (Aysanabee) and Chino de Villa (Jessie Reyez). Kelly Finnigan of the Monophonics joined in to mix the bulk of the project and apply some trademark analogue grit to Tanika's sheen. Guests include Quebec-based Soulful singer/songwriter Clerel on the last track "Win", as well as Toronto soul artists Aphrose and Claire Davis providing additional vocals. "I love this album. I love singing these songs. I love that it's made me step outside of my comfort zone. It's forced me to face the root causes of my own insecurities that I carry to this day. Why am I striving so hard to seek validation, and why take it so personally when it doesn't come? That distortion has prevented me from celebrating my own successes at times. This album is me trying to change that." "I love the conversations that have begun with these songs. It's about childhood trauma, but it's not a victim story. I'm doing well, despite the baggage I carry. I want others to be able to carry theirs too." In the last few years, Canadian Soul/R&B powerhouse Tanika Charles has transformed from an emerging solo artist to a commanding performer and bandleader, cementing her status as a staple in the Canadian soul scene. Her previous studio albums - "Soul Run" (2017), "The Gumption" (2019), and "Papillon De Nuit" (2022) - have propelled her to international acclaim, earning her two JUNO nominations, two Polaris Prize listings, and a growing global fanbase. Extensive touring across North America and Europe has further solidified her reputation, with standout performances at festivals such as Trans Musicales in France, Fusion Festival in Germany, Mostly Funk & Soul Festival and Jazz Festival in the UK, Holy Groove Festival in Switzerland, and Canarias Jazz Festival in Spain. She has also shared the stage Estelle, Mayer Hawthorne, Haitus Kayote, Lauryn Hill, Bedouin Soundclash and Macy Gray. Tanika's meteoric rise and undeniable artistry have been widely championed by outlets such as KCRW, KEXP, BBC6 Music, Exclaim!, CBC Music, Uncut Mag, PopMatters, Albumism .. further solidifying her position as a global soul sensation.

2005's Naturally was a pivotal moment in the history of soul music. It was the first Daptone album tracked at the renowned "House of Soul", a recording studio handbuilt by Sharon and the rest of the Daptone family in a two story rental in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The album has gone on to sell over 200,000 records, with hit singles "How Long Do I Have To Wait?" and "This Land is Your Land" streaming in the hundreds of millions- staggering figures for a wholly independent release.

Up to this point Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings had yet to reach an audience outside of dingy, hole-in-the-wall clubs, dive bars, and underground DJ parties, attended by only the most in-the-know. This was the scene where the band began to flourish, developing the sound that would forever alter the musical landscape and set a lofty new bar for what could be considered real-deal soul music. It made Daptone a household name and opened doors for countless musicians and record labels to come. Naturally sparked a renaissance that is still vibrating today- a testament to Sharon Jones' legacy as the undisputed, reigning Queen of Heavyweight Soul.

Legendary Latin jazz percussionist Poncho Sanchez returns with his 31st recording, Live at The Belly Up Tavern. Recorded at the iconic venue in Solana Beach, California, this electrifying live album captures the raw energy and passion that have defined Sanchez’s storied career.
A GRAMMY Award winner for Latin Soul (Best Latin Album, 1999), Sanchez has spent decades honoring and expanding the Latin jazz tradition. With a discography that includes classics like Soul of the Conga, Latin Spirits, Out of Sight!, and Psychedelic Blues, his music bridges Afro-Cuban rhythms, hard bop, and soul, bringing the spirit of legends like Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo to a new generation.
Following his tribute album Chano y Dizzy! and the dynamic Live in Hollywood, Sanchez once again delivers a masterful live performance, full of infectious grooves, rich storytelling, and blazing solos. Live at The Belly Up Tavern is a must-have for jazz lovers and fans of high-energy, soulful Latin music.

Repress!

MIKE’s music carries age beyond his years. Born in New Jersey, he moved to London with his mother before eventually settling in The Bronx for the remainder of his teenage years. Renaissance Man was recorded between the two cities that shaped him, with both regions leaving a distinct mark on his sound. In London, he was immersed in grime and the music of King Krule, while in The Bronx, he gravitated toward the influences of Earl Sweatshirt and MF DOOM.Through his mixtapes Winter New York, Longest Day, Shortest Night, May God Bless Your Hustle, and his EP By The Water, he has made a definitive statement on the state of youth in New York. The releases turned heads outside of MIKE’s immediate community in the city, earning praise from The FADER, The New Yorker, and being selected as Best New Music by Pitchfork.MIKE raps over characteristically lo-fi, and soulfully hazy, self produced beats. Themes about the depression and anxiety that accompany being young and African American abound throughout his music, but a muted sense of hopefulness and certainty that he is moving towards ultimate triumph is the motor quietly propelling things forward.Renaissance Man follows his critically acclaimed Lex Records release, Black Soap

Im klassischen, nicht-popkulturellen Sinne bezieht sich der Begriff "Schamanismus" in erster Linie auf die spirituellen Praktiken der indigenen Völker Sibiriens. Schamanen interagieren als Beschützer ihrer Gemeinschaften über veränderte Bewusstseinszustände mit der Geisterwelt. Auf ihrem Album "Songs of the Shaman" interpretieren NYTT LAND traditionelle schamanische Gesänge und Zaubersprüche der mandschu-tungusischen Sprachgruppen unter Sibiriens Ethnien. Bei diesen Liedern kommen sehr alte musikalische Techniken wie Kehlkopfgesang und Trommeln zum Einsatz. Alle Gesänge wurden in der jeweiligen Originalsprache aufgenommen. Damit will die Band deren ursprüngliche Kraft bewahren, die auch aus der Intonation sowie dem Sprachrhythmus der Worte entsteht. Diese Sammlung alter Magie in Form von Geisterbeschwörungen, Abwehrzaubern und Segensprüchen wurde sorgfältig ausgewählt und schließt Schadflüche bewusst aus. NYTT LAND sind eine rituelle nordische Folk-Band, die das Ehepaar Natalya und Anatoly Pakhalenko im August 2013 in der westsibirischen Stadt Kalachinsk gründete, welche am Ufer des Flusses Om und als Station der Transsibirischen Eisenbahn errichtet wurde. Nach drei in Eigenregie veröffentlichten Alben, "Nytt Land" (2013), "Hávamál" (2015) und "Scopun: Songs from the Elder Edda" (2016), erschien im Jahr 2017 mit "Fimbulvinter" ihr Debüt bei einem Label, auf das kurz darauf das Album "Oðal" (2018) folgte. Während NYTT LAND auch weiterhin Werke in Eigenregie veröffentlichten, traten die sibirischen Elemente in ihrer Musik auf ihrem dritten Label-Album "Ritual" stärker als jemals zuvor in den Vordergrund.

Im klassischen, nicht-popkulturellen Sinne bezieht sich der Begriff "Schamanismus" in erster Linie auf die spirituellen Praktiken der indigenen Völker Sibiriens. Schamanen interagieren als Beschützer ihrer Gemeinschaften über veränderte Bewusstseinszustände mit der Geisterwelt. Auf ihrem Album "Songs of the Shaman" interpretieren NYTT LAND traditionelle schamanische Gesänge und Zaubersprüche der mandschu-tungusischen Sprachgruppen unter Sibiriens Ethnien. Bei diesen Liedern kommen sehr alte musikalische Techniken wie Kehlkopfgesang und Trommeln zum Einsatz. Alle Gesänge wurden in der jeweiligen Originalsprache aufgenommen. Damit will die Band deren ursprüngliche Kraft bewahren, die auch aus der Intonation sowie dem Sprachrhythmus der Worte entsteht. Diese Sammlung alter Magie in Form von Geisterbeschwörungen, Abwehrzaubern und Segensprüchen wurde sorgfältig ausgewählt und schließt Schadflüche bewusst aus. NYTT LAND sind eine rituelle nordische Folk-Band, die das Ehepaar Natalya und Anatoly Pakhalenko im August 2013 in der westsibirischen Stadt Kalachinsk gründete, welche am Ufer des Flusses Om und als Station der Transsibirischen Eisenbahn errichtet wurde. Nach drei in Eigenregie veröffentlichten Alben, "Nytt Land" (2013), "Hávamál" (2015) und "Scopun: Songs from the Elder Edda" (2016), erschien im Jahr 2017 mit "Fimbulvinter" ihr Debüt bei einem Label, auf das kurz darauf das Album "Oðal" (2018) folgte. Während NYTT LAND auch weiterhin Werke in Eigenregie veröffentlichten, traten die sibirischen Elemente in ihrer Musik auf ihrem dritten Label-Album "Ritual" stärker als jemals zuvor in den Vordergrund.

Rico Nasty returns with a new studio album, LETHAL due out May 16th on Fueled by Ramen (Atlantic Music Group).

Rico Nasty is known for her own particular brand of rage-rap and for her outrageous on-stage, online, volume-up persona. But as she grew up, she started to feel trapped by the character she created. LETHAL is a reckoning of who Rico is at 27 with the trap-pop teen persona she created more than a decade ago. Executive produced by GRAMMY nominated producer Imad Royal, the album still features all the hallmarks of a Rico Nasty record - female rage, heavy guitars, humor - but there are also notes of femininity,

introspection and a more complex framing of all the angles of Rico - the performer, the mother, the adult.

LETHAL is Rico Nasty’s third studio album following her debut album, Nightmare Vacation and her 2022 follow-up to Las Ruinas.

Based in São Paulo and formed in 2017, TaguaTaguais lead by songwriter and producer FelipePuperi. Felipe, having fronted space groove rock band WannabeJalvafor several years, has an extensive indie resume. Having played at Lollapalooza Brazil, supported shows for Pearl Jam and Jack White. He's also been featured on KCRW, NY Times, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan and WFUV.

Tagua Tagua's 3rd full length LP and 3rd release on Wonderwheel following 2024's Todo Tempo EP and 2023's Tanto LP

Upcoming tour plans include SXSW and Lollapalooza Brasil in March 2025

Lead singleLado a Ladofeatures James Petralli frontman of the Austin, TX based rock band White Denim

White Denim were founded in 2008 and have shifted through genres like post-punk, soul, garage, and psychedelic rock and have released music on labels such as Bella Union, City Slang, and Downtown

2024 was a big year at radio as Tagua Tagua filmed and recorded a live sessions for NPR's World Cafe (US) and Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Basement on Worldwide FM (UK)

Embarked on a 10 date Brazilian tour in Spring of 2024 playing to capacity crowds each night in 400-500 cap rooms

Recent tour history includes two stints in the US for New Colossus Festival in NYC and SXSW March 2024 and November of 2024 in Miami, New York, and Philadelphia as well as a headline tour throughout Europe in September and October of 2024

Significant press coverage from publications like NPR Alt Latino, Remezcla, FIP, Bandcamp, and Sounds & Colours to name a few

Huge worldwide radio support from stations like KEXP, KCRW, KUTX (US) Inter, FIP, Nova (FR), RinseFM, Soho Radio, Worldwide FM (UK), 3RRR, 2SER, RTR (AU), RTP Antena 3, TSF Rádio Notícias, Rádio Oxigénio (PT) iCat, Radio 3 (ES) RBB Radioeins (DE) and many more

On June 13th 2024, Joakim, along with six guest musicians performed Terry Riley"s renowned piece "In C" at a sold-out Philharmonie de Paris. This is the recording of their live performance. The guest musicians were Amosphere, Apollo Noir, Canblaster, Narumi Herisson, Joseph Schiano di Lombo, and Frederic Soulard.

2023, past and future merge into one. Stripped of temporal markers, today's artists unabashedly draw from the past while boldly gazing into the future. Amid revivals and

innovations, trends and undercurrents, the game is intricate, the nuances abundant. Orphia's music is no exception. Behind the synthesizers, the Genevan weaves a musical tapestry on a tightrope. Cold wave, synth-pop, post-punk, eurodance, Indochine, Depeche Mode, Boards of Canada, Eurythmics... it all blends in a grand synthetic ritual where the festivities happily don't stop at the first light of dawn. Charging forward, swiftly, strongly, into an uncertain future, no questions asked but with a quick glance in the rearview mirror, just to be sure.

"L'Aventure des Gens Modernes" resides in this retro-futuristic melancholy, between nostalgia and a thirst for tomorrow. Without ever falling into foolish nostalgia or soulless revival, the EP reflects an absolute urgency. Urgency to produce, first and foremost, as studio work has become a true raison d'être for Orphia. Urgency to also shout out a certain rage against a world devoid of hope, and this on stage where the artist performs alone, synths in hand and sharp beats for the dancefloor. In an era where the past enables facing the future, the 5 tracks of "L'Aventure des Gens Modernes" breathe a breath of fresh air into a scene in ruins. Cyberpunk or punk in general, Orphia wants to go fast and take everything in its path.

Sometimes records reflect life with an unsettling precision, your own breath sticking to a mirror, confounding or transforming reality. J.H. Guraj, real name Dominique Vaccaro, is back with ‘The Flip Side’, an accomplished work of grace and sprawling elegance documenting struggle and a near-death experience that summons ghosts of Western primitive masters, rollicking free folk, minimalist orchestrations, weeping guitars and smooth psychedelics.

Time stopped for J.H. Guraj in 2021 following a brush with mortality, extensive forced recovery and subsequent hints of depression after an almost fatal bike crash, leaving our wandering soul, once again, at the edges. While his previous record ‘Introspection / Migration’ hinted at Middle-Eastern influences and merged the artists’ Arbëreshë upbringing with stoic ecstasis, free-form structures and guitar wizardry under sepia tone curtains, ‘The Flip Side’ twists, turns, falls down and rises to new heights, the widescreen breadth of Dominique Vaccaro’s cinematic vision projects new colours, a stark contrast of pastoral emerald green and pitch black asphalt, urban decay and mercurial mystery.

Like passages from some archaic songbook what astonishes is how detailed the new compositions are, a warm embrace like ‘Way To Long Goodbye’, counterpoint pianos leading the way down a Gershwin avenue; ‘You Got It All Wrong So Did I’ with its Van Dyke Parks arrangement; the 9 minute epic ‘Us As Ghosts’ a haunting ballad that resolves into kosmische landscapes; the muted symphony of ‘Fake Af’ and the spectral disorientation of ‘Nothing I Can Do But Flow’. Gentle drumming from collaborator Gianluca Panici augment the eeriness of ‘The Flip Side’, motions that create a sense of suspension and yearning.

Nachdem er im April 1960 als Sideman auf Jimmy Smiths Soul-Jazz-Zwillingsklassikern “Midnight Special” und “Back At The Chicken Shack” einen starken Eindruck hinterlassen hatte, gab Blue-Note-Chef Alfred Lion Stanley Turrentine im Juni die Chance, sein erstes Album als Leader für das Label aufzunehmen. “Look Out!” verkündete die Ankunft eines zutiefst gefühlvollen neuen Saxofonisten, der sein Herz und seine Seele in jede gespielte Note goss.

"Ars Moriendi" is the natural continuation of SlugoS' sound and his most ambitious work to date, taken to a new level of sophistication and sensitivity. This album not only stands out for its musical innovation but also as a conceptual piece that allows the listener to get closer to the artist's inner world.

Inspired by global funeral rites and shaped by industrial, dissonant, and distorted techno, Ars Moriendi unfolds as a spiritual and emotional descent, both brutal and transcendent. Aggressive yet elegant, this album flawlessly fuses elements: from apocalyptic dancefloor destroyers to introspective, IDM-tinged moments, the album offers more than just techno for the body; it is a ceremonial passage for the soul.

Composed of 12 original tracks, each gains new meaning as part of a whole, allowing for a listening experience that flows both from beginning to end and in reverse order. With a refined and detailed sonic palette, the album reaches an audience less attuned to the usual rawness of the artist's work.

In a musical landscape where intensity is often associated with a lack of sensitivity, Ars Moriendi comes as a breath of fresh air, proving that hardness does not have to be at odds with subtlety. With this release, Caedite Eos reaffirms its place at the forefront of uncompromising hard techno.

Originally released in the summer of 1994 at the height of interest in the US underground rock scene, ‘Without A Sound’ was Dinosaur Jr’s sixth album, and their third major label offering. Recorded by the then two-piece band (Mike Johnson on bass and vocals, J Mascis performing everything else himself, including drums), the album saw Dinosaur Jr continue to deliver on their distinct formula, J’s soul-searching songs being performed with his trademark effortlessly cool heavy style. Including classics such as ‘Feel The Pain’ and ‘Grab It’, the album remains a firm fan favourite. Released on highly collectable splatter green vinyl to commemorate the band’s flurry of ‘Without A Sound’ themed live shows in May 2025, this is a chance for the uninitiated and younger fans to discover a classic, and for familiar fans to revisit an album which sounds as vibrant and essential today as it did thirty years ago.

An album for sleeping and waking, walking and driving, hunting and fishing, for loitering outside a roadhouse on the haunted tundra. Okay in elevators, not great for dinner. On Caveman Wakes Up, Friendship’s new album and second for Merge Records, the band’s historically capacious definition of country music grows wider still. Shambolic guitars are offset by flute pads, bleary poetry is set against a Motown rhythm section, a song about Jerry Garcia and First Lady Betty Ford fades out with a drum solo, like if Talk Talk came from a dingy Philadelphia basement and was fronted by James Tate. Songwriter Dan Wriggins’ ragged baritone cuts through eleven murky, swirling country-rock songs with profound lyrical substance and sincerity. Like an alarm clock incorporated into the edge of a dream, Caveman Wakes Up belongs equally to the conscious and subconscious mind, fraught with background, steeped in reference and experimentation, delivered casually and as a dire warning, dedicated, above all, to music’s creative soul. Over the years, dedication has paid off. Friendship has become a kind of reverse supergroup,
wherein the band itself and each individual member are located centrally in an increasingly prominent scene of young folk and country musicians and songwriters. Drummer Michael Cormier O’Leary leads the instrumental collective Hour and, along with bassist Jon Samuels, runs Dear Life Records, home to friends and peers who count Friendship as a major influence including MJ Lenderman, Florry, and Fust. (Samuels also plays lead guitar in MJ Lenderman and the Wind). Guitarist Peter Gill’s band 2nd Grade records prolifically. Wriggins began writing the songs of Caveman Wakes Up on a downtuned classical guitar of Lenderman’s and finished on a barely tuned piano in an apartment he shared with Sadurn’s G DeGroot.
In the summer of 2023, Wriggins had just left the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where his love for poetry and mistrust for the academic poetry world grew in tandem. A relationship fell apart, and Wriggins crashed for several weeks at Lenderman and Wednesday’s Karly Hartzman’s home in North Carolina, where he recorded the first demos of “Resident Evil,” “All Over the World,” and “Love Vape.” Wriggins returned to Philadelphia, and the band got to work on new ideas, finally tracking the album in five days with engineer Jeff Ziegler (Mary Lattimore, War on Drugs). Wriggins recorded vocals with Love the Stranger engineer Bradford Kreiger, and organ, violin (Jason Calhoun), and flute (Adelyn Strei) were recorded by Lucas Knapp in a West Philadelphia church.

Prayer Meeting' is an incredible early document from the dark space rock collective from North Carolina. Remastered by Ivan Pjevcevic in 2024. Psych to post metal to prog and folk and heavy weirdness unite under USX's unique approach.
"Prayer Meeting" was originally the very first unreleased record by the pastoral psychedelic congregation U.S. Christmas, hailing from Marion NC, in the middle of the Appalachian region. USX have a long career and several released on the mighty Neurot Recordings, published just after an ultra-limited demo batch of “Prayer Meeting” was around.
“Some bands make demos. We made a record. We didn't do this for a label, an agent, or anyone but ourselves. It was the first step toward what would become a series of connected works. This record marks a special time in my life, and I'm sure the other dudes agree. Those days in the little trailer in Marion, NC were electric and filled with building power. Listen up, these are the sounds of our foundation.”
Nate Hall

It's 2022. The world lockdown is finally over. Imagine a picturesque lake in Tuscany. Now imagine a floating state of the art studio on that lake with two maverick rock icons creating a wild, alchemical concept album: Hugo Race, frontman of Australian post-punk legends The Wreckery and guitarist for the Bad Seeds and leader of True Spirit and Fatalists, and Gianni 'Marok' Maroccolo, producer of Italian alternative music and film soundtracks since the 1980s Florence darkwave scene with Litfiba, CSI & CCCP. Together, they fuse an existential narrative made up of individual stories in the style of Boccaccio's Decameron with psychedelic soundscapes framed by experimental electronica, rock instrumentation and decades of experience as cutting edge musicians and studio producers to bring you an album that defies categorization - The Vigil… "We all knew the situation was inauspicious, the planets lined up overhead like a firing squad and this empty silence roaming around our town, cut off from the other mountain towns by an electrical blackout. Without power, there was no way of knowing what was happening anywhere else. Left alone with our thoughts until help came from outside, a group of us gathered around a blazing fire in the abandoned city hall, feeding it with documents and broken furniture. Scientific progress had long told us we were parcels of dumb atoms and that consciousness and the soul were merely human projections. Now science had failed itself..."

DJ Support: Kerri Chandler, Mr.V, Lars Behenroth, Enoo Napa, Adriatique, Harri, Ilario, Alicante, Dennis Quin, Jimpster, Severino, Junior Sanchez

Kerri Chandler and Nae (SA) Unite for New Single ‘Caged Bird’ – Limited Edition Splatter Vinyl Release

Kerri Chandler teams up with South Africa’s Nae for their latest single ‘Caged Bird,’ featuring four exclusive mixes on a limited-edition vinyl release — only 300 copies available in this special colourway.

The A-side opens with the ‘Full Vocal Mix,’ where Chandler crafts emotive piano melodies, organic drums, and atmospheric strings, perfectly complementing Nae’s soulful vocals.

On the flip side, Chandler delivers a fresh remix of ‘Caged Bird,’ transforming the soulful essence of the original into a deep, slow-burning groove that unfolds over eight minutes.

The package also includes a ‘Kerri Chandler Instrumental Remix,’ stripping away the vocals to let the intricate production shine through.

If you're reading this you will probably already know that this Cruise Music series has been full of gold over the previous instalments. Whoever is in charge for curation has pulled it off again with four more funky and disco infused house gems. Keller's opener is a classy mix of filtered vocals and drum loops with an aching soul edge. Mark Funk offers a more party starting disco bumper with classic vocal hooks and Danny Cruz takes things onto a summer terrace with glorious horns and uplifting grooves. Makito shuts down with the dusty deep house shuffles and party atmospheres of 'Jackin With Millie.'

Heady house label Courtesy Of Balance only releases music that you know will stand the test of time. It is informed by the classic schools of deepness but always with a modern touch and unique character, and next to carry that torch is Ostrich aka Nadir Agha. He's in charge of curation at Montreal's legendary Stereo Club and shows his class here with opener 'Snake Charmer' which is built on a dynamic groove foundation and embellished with wispy pads that take your mind on a wander. 'Promiscuous' is heavy, dubby house stripped back to the core essentials and perfectly executed. 'Buttered Up' is a little more mobile but embellished with nothing chords and smoky vocal soul and 'Broken Science' closes with a brilliant broken beat flourish that is full of jazzy invention.

This tasteful Spanish label always does a fine line in traditionally inclined deep house. Their latest drop brings together the talents of Andrew Lozano and Trevor Vichas. 'Don't U Feel It' kicks off with a playful skip in the drums and one of those spoken word vocals that add plenty of atmosphere. It's Demuir who remixes this one with even more light-hearted groove and jazzy Rhodes chords. Lozano and Vichas then offer 'With You' which keeps the dubby, smoky, frayed-edge house sounds rolling and 'Feel The Heat then brings a more upright groove with driving hits and swirling pads that speak to the soul.

This latest Unxpozd release has taken a hot minute to arrive but it's been worth the wait, because once again DJ Aakmael shows off his deep house class. '6minutes' kicks off with the sort of whimsical late-night chords that soon get you dreaming as the loveably lazy grooves slouch on. 'Just A Track pt. 8' shows Aakmael's sample skills as he chops up the sounds with some nice jazzy keys. You won't find a groove more lush and smooth than the gently cosmic 'Track 123' while 'Autumn' is perfectly stripped back to chunky kicks, slowly ascending chords and a hint of Kerri Chandler soul with a gospel vocal hook.

Margate-based Braga Circuit showcases a refined signature style and knack for killer sampling with this standout debut on Air Miles. 'Fall' kicks off with amped-up chord stabs and brilliantly well-swung, rolling kicks that soon get those hips moving. 'Closer' oozes summer cool thanks to the balmy chords that soften the percussive, garage-flecked house drums. There is also plenty of Kerri Chandler soul in these here beats that makes them all the more essential. 'Filter Feed' layers up dusty perc and thudding kicks with sultry vocal whispers. It's steamy and irresistible and last but not least, Leod is another talent from the coastal town of Margate and remixes this one with a more direct and dubby style.

"Circling The Drain" is a collaborative project from Offish, featuring four talented guest artists: Forgiven Soul and Gred Lvov from Ukraine, both deeply influenced by the techstep scene, alongside UK-based TRC2 and NonRev, known for their atmospheric approach to drum & bass. Each artist brings their unique perspective and style, resulting in a release that showcases a rich diversity.

Side A includes "Eviscerate" and "Mushrooms," which embrace hard-hitting, broken rhythms inspired by jungle and old-school dnb influences. Meanwhile, "Cautionary Tale" and "Look For Patterns" on side B showcase a more refined drum & bass structure, with tightly engineered drums, complex basslines, and intricate, multi-layered atmospheres.

Once again the mighty Dusty Donuts take a trip to Queensbridge, where they bump
into a Lost Girl that once appeared on an infamous mixtape of one of QBs finest.
This bouncy and choppy rework is guaranteed to get the party going.
On the flipside we move from QB to Staten Island to rock you with the special
technique.
The heavy soul classic comes in a true shaolin fashion and makes all true hip hop
heads turn!
In stores early April 2025

The second instalment of the remixes from J:Kenzo's 'Taygeta Code' sees two absolute heavyweight producers from the world of Drum & Bass collide on this 2 track EP.

Kid Drama brings through dub techno funk and soul in his remix of 'Guilty' encompassing the beautiful drifting groove matched with dirty filtered mids.

On the flip the legend DJ Trace drops a harder sinister edge to the tribal stepper 'Token Image' keeping the dubbed out licks and hypnotic percussion whilst adding nasty gritty synth lines harking back to his signature sound.