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Das Südlondoner Speakers Corner Quartet begann 2006 als Hausband der legendären Spoken Word- & Hip-Hop-Nacht Speakers Corner in Brixton und unterstützt seitdem Musiker live und im Studio (u.a. Sampha, Kae Tempest, Tirzah, Dean Blunt, MF DOOM, Lianne La Havas). Sie verfeinerten ihr Handwerk und ihre Vielseitigkeit als multiinstrumentale Produzenten und präsentieren nun ihr Debütalbum 'Further Out Than The Edge' mit einigen der aufregendsten Namen der unabhängigen Szene: Tirzah, Kelsey Lu, Shabaka Hutchings, Coby Sey, Sampha, Kae Tempest, Mica Levi, Joe Armon-Jones, Lawfawndah, Léa Sen und mehr.

Originally released in 1996, Come's third album 'Near Life Experience' was the sound of a band heading into new territory, refining their dense mix of hypnotic noise-rock, blues and rock'n'roll song-writing. Lovingly remastered, this new version features three incredible bonus tracks 'Prize', 'Strike', 'Hurricane II' stemming from the same era, additional liner notes and photographs. After Come's seminal 1994 release 'Don't Ask Don't Tell', bassist Sean O'Brien and drummer Arthur Johnson left the band to pursue other careers. Remaining members Chris Brokaw and Thalia Zedek recorded Near Life Experience with two different rhythm sections: one half of the album was recorded with drummer Mac McNeilly of the Jesus Lizard and Bundy K. Brown of Tortoise and Gastr Del Sol, the other half recorded with Kevin Coultas and Tara Jane O'Neil of Rodan and The Sonora Pine. Other contributors to the album included Edward Yazijian from Kustomized and Jeff Goddard from Karate, both rock bands hailing from Boston, MA. The title of the album resulted from "a slip of the tongue, as Zedek states, she "was telling someone she had had a 'near life experience,' but meant to say near death experience. Chris [Brokaw] was cracking up at the imagery of that. Thus, the phrase was chosen as the album's title. "Near-Life Experience is heavier, and at the same time prettier, than Come has ever sounded." CMJ New Music Monthly. "Come is a re-energized, even more powerful band than they used to be, and Near Life Experience is their most concise and affecting release yet." All Music. Zedek and Brokaw might have compensated the loss of band members by recruiting new blood but the reward was huge, 'Near Life Experience' is Come's most cinematic, diverse and accessible album.

Avalon Emerson & the Charm is an evolution. Created during an extended break from the hectic blur of her life as a touring DJ, the album is a personal statement of intent from an artist who’s long looked beyond the club for inspiration. It’s also the first time that Emerson has put herself, her emotions and, most notably, her voice fully into the spotlight.

Having spent her entire career working more or less alone, Emerson purposely sought out a small cast of like-minded artists to help bring the album to life. A Chief among them was UK avant-pop savant Bullion, who executive produced the record and, most importantly, shares both Emerson’s predilection for shimmering pop melodies and her boundary- less approach to music-making.

Working together, they cracked open her head and heart alike, creating a space where she could intimately reflect on the people and places she’s loved and left behind.

Eine streng limitierte Neuauflage von "Day To Day" auf marmoriertem Vinyl. Das Debütalbum von Sarathy Korwar wurde ursprünglich 2016 in Zusammenarbeit mit der Steve Reid Foundation veröffentlicht und verbindet traditionelle Volksmusik der Sidi-Gemeinschaft in Indien (mit ostafrikanischen, Sufi- und indischen Einflüssen) mit Jazz und Elektronik.

Correcciones Calypso returns from a generous hiatus with the fourth edition of its acclaimed edit series, replete with four re-edits that veer from the subtle to the downright brazen. Thomass Jackson and INigo Vontier invite the French duo Youkounkoun to open proceedings with an insane early 80s edit full of big drums and exotic touches that's been blowing dancefloors all around the world for the past years - and definitely resides in the brazen category, despite a lot of work having gone into it. Olta Karawame make their debut on the series with a powerful, compact edit full of ballsy keyboard riffing and a military-sized kick drum that is guaranteed to have heads banging . To complete the release label bosses Thomass and INigo deliver edits of their own with their characteristic sound, giving this EP maximum a value for money factor and entertainment from start to finish.

As Warped Tour pop-punk and American Apparel indie rock dominated the strange post-Y2K guitar-band milieu, Boston's Karate delivered an engrossing shot of rock that constantly shifted between several shades of subterranean sounds. The quiet moments on Karate's millennium busting fourth album carry much of that old, unbridled intensity, braided into subdued jazz melodies and slowcore restraint. Karate's transition into rock maturity bore supple fruit with Unsolved, presented here with three previously unreleased songs.

As Warped Tour pop-punk and American Apparel indie rock dominated the strange post-Y2K guitar-band milieu, Boston's Karate delivered an engrossing shot of rock that constantly shifted between several shades of subterranean sounds. The quiet moments on Karate's millennium busting fourth album carry much of that old, unbridled intensity, braided into subdued jazz melodies and slowcore restraint. Karate's transition into rock maturity bore supple fruit with Unsolved, presented here with three previously unreleased songs.

As Warped Tour pop-punk and American Apparel indie rock dominated the strange post-Y2K guitar-band milieu, Boston's Karate delivered an engrossing shot of rock that constantly shifted between several shades of subterranean sounds. The quiet moments on Karate's millennium busting fourth album carry much of that old, unbridled intensity, braided into subdued jazz melodies and slowcore restraint. Karate's transition into rock maturity bore supple fruit with Unsolved, presented here with three previously unreleased songs.

As Warped Tour pop-punk and American Apparel indie rock dominated the strange post-Y2K guitar-band milieu, Boston's Karate delivered an engrossing shot of rock that constantly shifted between several shades of subterranean sounds. The quiet moments on Karate's millennium busting fourth album carry much of that old, unbridled intensity, braided into subdued jazz melodies and slowcore restraint. Karate's transition into rock maturity bore supple fruit with Unsolved, presented here with three previously unreleased songs.

Atheris joins the Amniotes with a 2-part egg:
ZRS-1: Instant Molting 1.0 (blue pill)
ZRS-2: Instant Molting 2.0 (red pill)

Chose one or ingest both for a wild ride at the Zion Cave #reloaded.

Presented by Julian Muller.

In recent years, SadhuGold has emerged as one of hip-hop's most exciting new sonic architects. Specializing in raw, dusty vibes with an otherworldly feel, the Philadelphia native has crafted tracks for acclaimed artists like Mach-Hommy, Westside Gunn, Your Old Droog, Rome Streetz, Tha God Fahim, and more.

Originally released on cassette tape in extremely limited quantities, the "Golden Joe" trilogy helped establish SadhuGold's signature sound and fuel the growing mystique surrounding his unique artistry. With those cassettes now rare collectibles, the enigmatic producer is unveiling an official pressing of "Golden Joe Vol. 1", launching the first ever vinyl release of his acclaimed instrumental series. Fully remastered, the collection is a journey through the imagination of the alchemically psychedelic mind that is SadhuGold.

The Well Street label welcomes Yushh for her debut EP. The Pressure Dome label-head (who has previously landed on Facta & K-LONE's Wisdom Teeth as well as Banoffee Pies) brings a mind-altering mix of sounds here. There is sparse and futuristic space techno on 'Kara Arriba' then deeply introspective downbeat on 'Siro Silo'. 'Dough' is a percolating rhythm piece with rubbery bass and dreamy pads while 'OXI Ambigan' floats through space next to fizzing synth details, distant nebulas and alien life forms.

With the programmatic title “Strictly Hits”, Strictly Strictly pushes forward with their first Various Artists EP, a 6 tracker of characteristic Electro Breaks.

Karawai is whipping you into Side A with his sweaty Trance sunriser ‘Cyberythm’ while High Fidelity’s viciously banging ‘Catching the Case’ already leaves nothing but steam when DJ Purpur catches up with his mystical but no less driving ‘Spooky’ rounds out the experience in perfect style.

Flip to Side B and space out with Not Even Noticed’s intoxicated belter ‘Loko’, followed by Strictly’s very own Klex calling for hands up with ‘Blue Figurine’ before Generali Minerali takes you on a mind-bending journey with ‘Reverse Time’ to finish off the trip.

Brace yourself before Strictly Hits.

Beyond ecstatic to finally offer a glimpse into the world of voertuig. Working on music for several years, purely for themselves in sheds and studios tucked away in the outskirts of the hague, Tonal Oceans presents an album by the four piece act containing music embodying the true spirit of the city.

W&P by Offer van Kesteren, Gianni Tjon Tam Pau, Tijmen van Wageningen, Laurens ten Berge.

Artwork by Soft Turbo
Drawing by Ilan Havinga

The Classical collection focusses on Brahms with this new vinyl. Fins some of his masterpieces, played by the greatest orchestras and directed by the best conductors.

Space Adventure Cobra is the animated series from the masterpiece of Buichi Terasawa, produced by the prestigious studio TMS Entertainment and broadcasted from 1982. The series was a huge success and remains to this day one of the most appreciated in the world of Japanese animation.
In order to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Space Adventure Cobra, we are pleased to offer this sublime vinyl box set of the OST with its 3 discs gathering a very large selection of music, all the songs (long versions) as well as several covers and rare unused tracks composed at the time, all completed by a 12-page booklet, illustrated with the most beautiful artworks of the master Terasawa!
The legendary soundtrack of Space Adventure Cobra, composed by Kentarô Haneda and YûjiÔno, has greatly contributed to the reputation of the series with notably rhythmic tracks, sublime jazz pieces and unforgettable songs.
Here it is now completely remastered in vinyl format & double CD in this collector's edition!

Riding high on the inexplicable Tech-house adoption of their last release, Talking Drums return with hit number six.
This desert island disc finds the family bagging a last minute flight to sunnier climes, where the cocktails are strong and the seas are calm.

On 'Air Ecosse', the crew provide an engine overhaul to a middling slice of Scotch boogie, squeezing maximum thrust out of the new beat-y intro before a bubbling bassline and chiming chords provide some serious uplift. The captain takes the comms for a late deadpan vocal, hinting at a little Pet Shop Boys karaoke prior to touchdown in paradise.

The percussion pals kick off the Birkies on the B side, boarding the bateau with a pair of proper harbour heaters. 'Too Yacht To Handle' bubbles along like Mick'n'Keef in disco mode, oozing grooves under a swooning vocal a la Nicolette Larson. A hazy arrangement lets the music play, indulging the instrumental breaks, soaring synths and subtle delays in true 12" Extended Mix stylee, perfect for peak-time at poolside or la playa.

Dropping the tempo to a sunset strut, 'AORwaves' provides the perfect cool-down, as TD cut back the fat on a forgotten soft-rocker to create a cosmic yacht bomb. Low slung, sleazy and spaced out, this is gonna rock a bar set and beyond.

Limited Press - Numbered Insert - Drum Fun Guaranteed.

Gondwana Records announces 'Goodbyes' the debut album from Estonian pianist and composer, Hanakiv, a deeply beautiful, meditative piano album featuring special guest Alabaster dePlume

"This is an album about healing. It is about saying your goodbyes to everything that doesn't serve you anymore. Each of these songs has a little goodbye in it. So, these are very beautiful and necessary goodbyes".

Hanakiv is a young composer and musician from Estonia (now based in London) who creates meditative piano-based ambient music with elements from classical and electronic music. 'Goodbyes' is her debut recording and draws on influences as diverse as Tim Hecker, Björk "Vespertine", Kara-Lis Coverdale, Arvo Pärt, Erkki-Sven Tüür and Aphex Twin as well as her own cultural heritage. Music has an important part in Estonian culture, especially choir music and its traditions, but Hanakiv also draws on her love of nature – the beautiful Estonian seaside and forests - and on her time in Iceland. However, it was moving to London that gave her the freedom to make her own music: "London gave me the freedom and courage to really be who I am (as a person and musically)" and her heritage and her new home both offer inspiration to Goodbyes, as Hanakiv moves between these two opposite places, a bustling metropolis and a small country full of nature, drawing inspiration from both as she sculpts her own voice.

Hanakiv had an unconventional music education – she started studying music at a school for handbells when she was nine and was part of a handbell ensemble for eight years. Starting on piano at the same time she went on to study composition at high school, and later at the Estonian Academy of Music. Eventually switching to electroacoustic composition, she studied in Reykjavik, and did internships in Malmö, and again Reykjavik before moving to London. She grew up in a musical family and her grandmother was a piano teacher and choir conductor.

"I would always ask her to take me to her choir rehearsals. I remember sitting under the grand piano, listening to the choir and just being mesmerised by the sounds. She also teaches in a local music school in the south of Estonia with about ten pianos, and I'd spend a lot of time there as well. I believe this was the starting point for me to get to where I am now. The last two pieces on the album (Home II and Home I) are composed in this same music school, so it feels like a full circle.

An early influence was Regina Spektor "the first artist who made me really want to play piano" alongside dream pop and Sigur Rós' as well as Estonian contemporary composers such as Erkki-Sven Tüür and Arvo Pärt. Later her studies took her to Reykjavík: "There is this amazing record shop called 12 Tónar in Reykjavik where you can drink espressos and listen to all their vinyls. I spent quite a lot of time there. There is something about Icelandic music that really excited me (the mixture of contemporary electronic sounds with melancholy, emotionality). This is when I started getting more into electronic music, and experimenting outside of classical music". Following a year long break from studying and inspired by making an electroacoustic soundtrack for a friend's abstract video, she was inspired to complete a masters in electroacoustic composition, diving fully into the worlds of sound recording and mixing and focusing on surround sound and how to position and move sounds in space, eventually doing an internship with composer Kent Olofson in Malmö, who works with multi-speaker systems for theatre productions. "I learnt a lot from him and he introduced me to some of my favourite plugins I've used a lot on this album as well."

Hanakiv moved to London just as the pandemic hit and found herself trapped, in a big new city, without any network or family and so just concentrated on making music. "I stayed in my room with my basic equipment - keyboard, Korg minilogue, SM 58 and Rode nt1-a microphones, laptop and speakers. I was reading about mixing, and trying out different things and listening to a lot of music to get the sense of the mixes and production and finishing a commission piece for 5.1 multi speaker system at that time so I set up four speakers for quadrophonic surround sound in my room!". She also found her way back to piano - my instrument – and started practicing again, playing the pieces she used to play, but also just improvising, and this was the beginning of what would become her debut album, 'Goodbyes'.

"I started appreciating everything about music again (even melody!), and everything just came together naturally, and I arrived to a point where I finally found my voice, and I had something that I wanted to say and share. I composed "Meditation I" first and started with "Goodbye", and all the other pieces are derived from that. Without "Meditation I" there wouldn't be this album. If you listen closely, "Meditation I" starts where "Goodbye" ends; "Meditation II" is born from "Meditation I".

But it was meeting Fi Roberts, a sound engineer based at the legendary Strongrom Studios in Shoreditch, London in December 2020 that really brought the album into focus. The pair bonded over an interest in prepared piano and a similar approach to production ideas (a balance of not overdoing it, and letting the songs speak for themselves, but being open to explore) and Fi became a friend but also a confidant and eventually co-producer

"Fi has a big impact on this record but I don't know how to really explain that properly. Of course, this album is sonically stunning thanks to her amazing mixes and recording skills, but she also believed in this music so much and it created something very special - that's difficult to measure with words. She just works with heart, and I really appreciate that"

This then is 'Goodbyes', the first offering from a major new voice, who offers us a meditative work full of space and tranquillity but also life and friendship and meaning. And we are very proud to welcome her to the Gondwana family.

Scottish composer and multi-instrumentalist Bill Wells and virtuoso tuba player Danielle Price once more team up for Karaoke Kalk under the name The Sensory Illusions. The two further explore the affinities between their idiosyncratic musical approaches across a variety of styles and genres while also expanding their sound palette. After its predecessor saw Wells working strictly with his electric guitar, on the »Sensory Illusions II« the piano enters the mix on two of the eleven pieces. Much like his brass-heavy collaboration album »Osaka Bridge« with Japanese collective Maher Shalal Hash Baz—made available again on vinyl by the German label Karaoke Kalk in February 2023—this album injects melancholic atmospheres with a sense of playfulness. Picking up on elements from jazz, pop, blues, and classic songwriting while acknowledging their debt to techniques from the worlds of avant-garde and improv music, The Sensory Illusions weave together disparate elements into a colourful, imaginative suite of songs.

Starting with the folky chords of opener »Four Chord Dream,« the track titles spell out Wells’ characteristic use of ideas that literally come to him in his sleep (the project was even named after a record he found while browsing a store in a dream). The National Jazz Trio Of Scotland leader then fleshes them out together with Price, who again serves as a one-woman rhythm section, as she does throughout most of the album. When Wells enters 1960s spy movie territory with a swirling rendition of John Barry’s »Theme from Vendetta« and picks up on those dynamics with a rolling riff in the next song, her versatile playing provides the backdrop for that. Once Wells sits down at the piano for the tender »Flotsam Bodes,« however, their roles are being reversed and Price—a seasoned and multifaceted musician who was one of only six applicants chosen to attend Chilly Gonzales' Gonzervatory in 2019 and who is currently working with acclaimed London-based trumpet player and composer Laura Jurd—takes the lead. »I’m the Urban Spaceman« makes it even more apparent how seamlessly these two experienced players leave each other space to showcase their respective talent and expand on their individual ideas: Marked by Wells’ soloing and exploring different sonic possibilities of the guitar, it also sees Price showcasing her reduced yet agile solos before they both return to the idea at the heart of the song.

It is precisely those ideas that guide the duo’s way through the individual pieces, but their sometimes widely different approaches yield very distinct results. While working with the piano once more on »Mr. Sophie« results in a fuller and more anthemic sound, they opt for a more restrained, melancholic one the album closer »Desk Aunt«. It is precisely these kinds of variations in mood and tone that underscore how these two musicians are perfectly attuned to each other. As the second duo record in their six years of working together, »The Sensory Illusions II« proves once more how much musical ground they are able to cover with their instruments and open minds alone.

Originally released in May 2006 through the German label Karaoke Kalk, »Osaka Bridge« was an album that captured the joyful amateurism of Tori Kudo's free-spirited Japanese collective Maher Shalal Hash Baz and Bill Wells’ rich, wistful and easy sense of melody. Approaching brass band and jazz music with a knack for making playing imperfectly feel perfectly right, »Osaka Bridge« became nothing short of groundbreaking when it was released to critical acclaim, becoming an instant classic among musicians and fans alike. Coinciding with the release of the second LP of Wells’ on-going collaboration with Danielle Price on tuba, »The Sensory Illusions«, Karaoke Kalk makes this highly sought-after record available again on vinyl for the first time in 16 years.

The pairing of the prolific Scottish pianist and composer and the fluctuating collective active since the mid-1980s was an easy, natural one—a union particularly apt and complementary. But this is not to say that the 15 recordings which made up »Osaka Bridge« were in any way seamless. The horns played by these self-taught musicians strain and struggle with Wells’ luscious arrangements; each note is given all the stiff emphasis that you’d expect of a high school brass band at its first rehearsal. Songs fall in and out of rhythm, and a track like »Poxy« misses its intended swing feel by a country mile. Of course, this is all part of the magic. Maher Shalal Hash Baz take Wells’ melodies and strip them back to their emotional core, disallowing all artifice and revealing a stark, serene beauty.

Particularly affecting are »On The Beach Boys Bus«—described by colleague Jens Lekman as the »the most beautiful melody I’ve ever heard«—and »Time Takes Me So Back«, the two tracks sung by Kudo’s wife Reiko. Inspiration for both pieces came to Wells in dreams. The former was sung by a group of tanned Californians on the way to a Beach Boys convention, the latter by his grandmother shortly before she passed away. Reiko’s voice gives each song a haunting fragility that enhances their phantasmagoric character. »Cowtail Calypso«, on the other hand, was born when Wells asked Tori Kudo to sing Roger Miller’s »King Of The Road« over a syncopated, propulsive melody. Kudo’s ambiguous response (»maybe,« which according to Wells usually translated to »forget it«) resulted in a brief, idiosyncratic track that nevertheless exceeded all of Wells’ expectations.

Of the instrumental tracks, »Liquorice Tics« stands out for its rolling rhythms and circular melody, while »Family Sighs« creates a brooding atmosphere which perfectly encapsulates the conflicting feelings many people have for their immediate family. For the most part, the instrumentals are concise—a melody stated once and then dispensed with—but their brevity only heightens the impact. Even (or especially) 16 years later, »Osaka Bridge« continues to be an almost accidentally timeless document that captured fleeting moments and personal revelations at their most spontaneous and unaffected. As someone put it so aptly in a Discogs comment a few years back, »this is the album which is able to make aliens understand what humankind is about.« You better turn up the volume so that everyone can hear it everywhere.

Trumpeter, composer, bandleader & producer, Nick Walters delivers his 2nd studio album within the last year for his D.O.T. Records imprint. Padmāsana is an exquisite mix of jazz fusion and traditional Indian sounds, inspired and constructed from experiences and samples he encountered whilst travelling around the Indian subcontinent. The album was pieced together at his studio in East London, featuring live contributions from Tenderlonious on flute, Kieran McLeod on trombone, Tim Carnegie on drums, and Walters himself on trumpet and synthesisers. Padmāsana was mixed by Sam Interface at More Time Studios.

On their transformative debut album Nakshatra, violinists Trina Basu and Arun Ramamurthy reach both deep into their past and high into the celestial realm, culminating in a lush and spiritual collaboration that bridges traditions and defies genres

A Sanskrit word evocative of constellations, stars, and interconnectedness, nakshatra perfectly encapsulates the album's expansive sound, which quite surprisingly, is made by just two violins vibrating together in sublime harmony.

Profoundly intimate yet bearing a cinematic gravitas, this work five years in the making conveys a feeling of two souls in conversation spanning hundreds of years into the past and the future. Basu (Karavika) and Ramamurthy (Arun Ramamurthy Trio) are deeply rooted in traditions of South Indian classical music, Western chamber music, and jazz, uniquely positioning them to create a sound that feels ancient, orchestral, and contemporary or as The New Yorker put it, "free- flowing and globe- spanning.

Through the duo's grounding in tradition paired with their fluency in improvisation, the compositions on Nakshatra have a clear architecture, which allows space for
their two violins to be deliciously indiscernible while shining individually. Basu
says of the duo's collaboration, our hope for our music is to be a meeting point for
the tradition of South Indian classical music raga music that Arun comes from
and Western classical music and creative improvisation that I come from, and
bring these pieces together in a way that creates a sound that reflects who we
are, a sound that reflects our multicultural background, and our experiences in
this world."

Voller Zorn und brennendem Hass, doch gleichzeitig auch erfüllt vom prallen Leben und mit Momenten erstaunlicher Schönheit - IMHA TARIKATs drittes Album "Hearts Unchained - At War with a Passionless World" deutet seine internen Widersprüche und Konflikte bereits im Titel an. Das Album ist um einen Kern aus typisch deutschem Black Metal entstanden, der ebenso präzise wie trocken und humorlos auf jeglichen Bombast und die oft folkloristischen Untertöne seines nordischen Gegenstücks verzichtet. Dabei stößt IMHA TARIKATs lyrischer und musikalischer Vordenker Kerem Yilmaz alias Ruhsuz Cellât erneut mit seinen einzigartigen Kompositionen auch in tiefere Schichten und unerforschte Dimensionen vor. Während er seinem körperlich schwer fordernden Gesangsstil noch mehr brutal die Kehle zerfetzende Ansätze hinzufügt, bilden ein furioses Drumming sowie das unerbittliche Peitschen von frostig klirrenden Gitarrensaiten das mal eiskalte und dann wieder glühend heiße Fundament von IMHA TARIKAT. Doch während sich Yilmaz' Songs durch die schwarze Leere des Alls winden und drehen, tauchen aus dem Nichts überraschend strahlende Momente und Soli auf, die ihre Ursprünge eher im Heavy Metal, hartem und okkultem Rock und sogar einer Messerspitze Punk haben. Textlich funktionieren IMHA TARIKAT weiterhin als eine Art von verschlüsseltem Tagebuch, in dem Yilmaz seine persönlichen Erfahrungen, sein menschliches Wachstum und seine Faszinationen festhält: "Ich habe mich buchstäblich in den Wahnsinn getrieben, um eine absolut authentische Erfahrung zu erschaffen", beschreibt der Sänger und Gitarrist den Aufnahmeprozess von "Hearts Unchained". Von daher liegt es nahe, dass "Hearts Unchained - At War with a Passionless World" von inneren Konflikten, seelischem Leid, eskalierenden Emotionen, aber auch von Katharsis und Erlösung handelt. Der brutale schwarze Sound von IMHA TARIKAT war von Anfang an auch als eine Art von emotionalem Druckventil für den Bandgründer Kerem Yilmaz konzipiert. Seine brennende musikalische Leidenschaft zeigt sich ebenso in der rasanten Entwicklung, die Yilmaz' Songwriting mit jeder neuen Veröffentlichung offenbart und das in mehrere Richtungen gleichzeitig expandiert. Während bereits die erste EP "Kenoboros" 2017 einen hervorragenden Eindruck hinterließ, eroberte die Band auf dem folgenden Demo "Son Mistisizm" (2018) hörbar neues Terrain. Mit dem 2019er Debütalbum "Kara Ihlas" und ihrer folgenden Black Metal Supernova "Sternenberster" (2020) erreichten IMHA TARIKAT dann neue Höhepunkte. Es passt ins Bild, dass es den Deutschen mit "Hearts Unchained - At War with a Passionless World" gelingt, einen weiteren Gipfel zu erklimmen. IMHA TARIKAT sind drauf und dran, die Welt in schwarze Flammen zu setzen und "Hearts Unchained - At War with a Passionless World" ist der Funke, der alles entzündet. Bevor alle Gefühle zu Asche und Schlacke zerfallen, lasst sie lieber brennen!

Voller Zorn und brennendem Hass, doch gleichzeitig auch erfüllt vom prallen Leben und mit Momenten erstaunlicher Schönheit - IMHA TARIKATs drittes Album "Hearts Unchained - At War with a Passionless World" deutet seine internen Widersprüche und Konflikte bereits im Titel an. Das Album ist um einen Kern aus typisch deutschem Black Metal entstanden, der ebenso präzise wie trocken und humorlos auf jeglichen Bombast und die oft folkloristischen Untertöne seines nordischen Gegenstücks verzichtet. Dabei stößt IMHA TARIKATs lyrischer und musikalischer Vordenker Kerem Yilmaz alias Ruhsuz Cellât erneut mit seinen einzigartigen Kompositionen auch in tiefere Schichten und unerforschte Dimensionen vor. Während er seinem körperlich schwer fordernden Gesangsstil noch mehr brutal die Kehle zerfetzende Ansätze hinzufügt, bilden ein furioses Drumming sowie das unerbittliche Peitschen von frostig klirrenden Gitarrensaiten das mal eiskalte und dann wieder glühend heiße Fundament von IMHA TARIKAT. Doch während sich Yilmaz' Songs durch die schwarze Leere des Alls winden und drehen, tauchen aus dem Nichts überraschend strahlende Momente und Soli auf, die ihre Ursprünge eher im Heavy Metal, hartem und okkultem Rock und sogar einer Messerspitze Punk haben. Textlich funktionieren IMHA TARIKAT weiterhin als eine Art von verschlüsseltem Tagebuch, in dem Yilmaz seine persönlichen Erfahrungen, sein menschliches Wachstum und seine Faszinationen festhält: "Ich habe mich buchstäblich in den Wahnsinn getrieben, um eine absolut authentische Erfahrung zu erschaffen", beschreibt der Sänger und Gitarrist den Aufnahmeprozess von "Hearts Unchained". Von daher liegt es nahe, dass "Hearts Unchained - At War with a Passionless World" von inneren Konflikten, seelischem Leid, eskalierenden Emotionen, aber auch von Katharsis und Erlösung handelt. Der brutale schwarze Sound von IMHA TARIKAT war von Anfang an auch als eine Art von emotionalem Druckventil für den Bandgründer Kerem Yilmaz konzipiert. Seine brennende musikalische Leidenschaft zeigt sich ebenso in der rasanten Entwicklung, die Yilmaz' Songwriting mit jeder neuen Veröffentlichung offenbart und das in mehrere Richtungen gleichzeitig expandiert. Während bereits die erste EP "Kenoboros" 2017 einen hervorragenden Eindruck hinterließ, eroberte die Band auf dem folgenden Demo "Son Mistisizm" (2018) hörbar neues Terrain. Mit dem 2019er Debütalbum "Kara Ihlas" und ihrer folgenden Black Metal Supernova "Sternenberster" (2020) erreichten IMHA TARIKAT dann neue Höhepunkte. Es passt ins Bild, dass es den Deutschen mit "Hearts Unchained - At War with a Passionless World" gelingt, einen weiteren Gipfel zu erklimmen. IMHA TARIKAT sind drauf und dran, die Welt in schwarze Flammen zu setzen und "Hearts Unchained - At War with a Passionless World" ist der Funke, der alles entzündet. Bevor alle Gefühle zu Asche und Schlacke zerfallen, lasst sie lieber brennen!

MILK GREY VINYL

100% GALCHER was by all accounts a game-changer when it landed in 2013 as an hour of original music from a relatively unknown producer ushered in by the beloved mix series Blowing Up The Workshop. Galcher Lustwerk's signature sound _ a smoky stream-of-consciousness baritone shadow-boxing with beats, informed by funk, rap, rhythm, and blues _ felt like an epiphany, impossibly hypnotic and complete. Resident Advisor writes, "100% GALCHER laid out a louche, lysergic and resolutely black take on deep house." Pitchfork remembers the music's immediate impact: "It's the sort of gem you felt inclined to pass around" _ and by year-end list time, word-of-mouth intensified. It was Resident Advisor and Juno's mix of the year, and earned a top-ten placement in FACT Magazine's albums list, as well as Philip Sherburne's personal rundown for Spin." Since then, select songs from 100% GALCHER have seen small-run pressings, while the album has lived primarily on SoundCloud and YouTube as a low-key cult legend. The gateway into Lustwerk's now well-established catalog, known for its reliability as a late-night listen and its prophetic vision for the near future of underground dance music. RA would later name it a mix of the decade, citing its influence and imagination: "Original in every sense _ unknown, unheard and unbelievably good." In late 2022, marking ten years since he first recorded the material, Lustwerk returns to Ghostly International to release 100% GALCHER as a remastered limited-edition double LP. Lustwerk is a product of the Midwest. Growing up in Cleveland, he'd tape over his parents' cassettes and spend hours at his family computer recording loops and designing artwork for the jewel cases of burned CDs. In high school, he turned to Ableton Live and absorbed every electronic music magazine he could find at the local Borders Books store. As a college student at RISD, he played in noise bands, plugged into Providence's DIY scene via Myspace, and started DJing weeknights at bars downtown. There he connected with Young Male and DJ Richard, who would go on to found White Material Records and offer their third release to Galcher Lustwerk, an alias realized via CAPTCHA test, a perfect artifact of its internet age. By 2012, Lustwerk had drifted to New York City and settled into a graphic design job, quickly growing disenfranchised by office culture. "Some days I felt like a token, other days I felt invisible." At night, he and his friends were carving out their own space, throwing parties in small basements, office buildings, and off-beat karaoke bars in Manhattan, influenced by series such as Mr. Sunday in Gowanus and The Bunker at Public Assembly. The lifestyle started to bleed into Lustwerk's musical vision. He remembers the night it clicked in Providence, partying and listening to tunes with Morgan Louis and Alvin Aronson. He went back to New York and pieced together his bedroom setup: a Dave Smith Tempest drum machine, a Waldorf Blofeld synthesizer, and a TEAC cassette recorder. Early snippets went straight to SoundCloud, where Lustwerk tested the crowd. Comments and messages offered instant feedback. One DM proved to be the greenlight: from Matthew Kent, an invitation to his burgeoning mix series Blowing Up The Workshop. 100% GALCHER traveled fast and far. A phenomenon he could only enjoy for a short period before discovering that nearly all the masters of the tracks got wiped by water damage to his computer. "The only copies were now on the 192kbs mp3 mix I sent Matt." Until now, after Lustwerk revived the lost tracks and handed them to Josh Bonati for remastering. "The original mix was never mastered so I hope older fans can find something new here." Hearing the enhanced set for the first time delineated by tracklist reveals this was a proper album all along. Sly synth interludes (all titled "Stem") clear the air for raspy house anthems like "Fifty" and "Parlay," the set's original breakout. Themes present across Lustwerk's catalog first materialize in this iconic run _ the link between the meditative state of Midwest driving and the solitary comedowns of nightlife. Lust- werk, the narrator, is an elusive character, a secret agent of the club, embodied by the hooks: "One minute I'm on / next minute I'm gone," he reminds us on cult-favor- ite "Put On." These narcotic, one-line refrains stick with you; look no further than the original YouTube upload of "Kaint" to know that fans can't let these phrases go. While recorded alone, 100% GALCHER was a collective moment. A decade later, Lustwerk sees the legacy as shared: "Making music can be an alienating experience, especially for DJs who travel a lot, it's all super isolating. It's easy to express lone- liness in the music itself, but when it comes down to getting things done, putting music out, you def should go on that journey w other people, friends, or maybe just a group of people online, build things with your friends then they can build to help you."

Che spent her formative years living the troubadour life playing local clubs in
Vancouver, becoming embroiled in the Toronto indie music scene and touring
worldwide as a solo artist and with her critically acclaimed band 'Casualties of
Cool', a joint venture with prog behemoth Devin Townsend.
The Crowned shows a side to Che seldom seen on record before. A more
confident and determined thread runs through these songs, signalling the birth of
a new era for Che.
Inspired by her love of Trip Hop, Folktronica and Soul, The Crowned has Che's
signature all over it whilst reaching out into new sonic environments. Half of The
Crowned's tracks produced by Bob Rock pre-pandemic and half of the tracks selfproduced post pandemic, this album tells a story of an artist's evolution and
growth.
You are looking at a woman who still has a sense of individualism combined with
a drive and vision that is growing increasingly rare in this day and age. An artist in
the truest sense of the word, a product of passion and not curation.
She has previously worked with LA with hitmakers Greg Wells, David Foster and
Kara Dioguardi; performing with Michael Buble, Kim Churchill and Dan Mangan
and releasing music with industry heavyweights Andrew Loog Oldham (Rolling
Stones) and Tom Sarig (Lou Reed). Most recent work includes a collaboration
with Juno nominated EDM duo Young Bombs, a darkly lit duet with the late Gord
Downey (The Tragically Hip) and a featured performance on Devin Townsend's
'Lightwork'. She also collaborated with Townsend on 2014's Casualties Of Cool.

At the turn of the century and after three albums, Karate’s tenure within the insular east coast indie rock scene had expired, but the band was just getting started. Collected here is the band’s spacious, adventurous, and sometimes difficult second half presented in fastidious detail. This five LP box includes the trio’s Unsolved, Some Boots, and Pockets albums, a first time vinyl pressing of their Cancel/Sing EP, and recently unearthed rehearsal recordings of two unreleased tracks, all annotated by Geoff Farina’s account of Karate’s adulthood and Andy Hong’s insights into the trio’s recording process.

At the turn of the century and after three albums, Karate’s tenure within the insular east coast indie rock scene had expired, but the band was just getting started. Collected here is the band’s spacious, adventurous, and sometimes difficult second half presented in fastidious detail. This five LP box includes the trio’s Unsolved, Some Boots, and Pockets albums, a first time vinyl pressing of their Cancel/Sing EP, and recently unearthed rehearsal recordings of two unreleased tracks, all annotated by Geoff Farina’s account of Karate’s adulthood and Andy Hong’s insights into the trio’s recording process.

As a true reference in the world of cultural media, Trace completes its musical offer with a first collection of 3 vinyls! Find the cream of Zouk selected by Trace and journalist Osman Jr. With: Kassav"-Perle Lama-Admiral T..

Essentia is not only the latin word for – you guessed that right – essential, but also the name of Krystal Klear’s return to Running Back. While trance might be a state of mind (according to DJ Dag), it’s also a tone theory with a very specific tool kit. Here you get the version that makes sense in the aural universe of a producer that got raised on a diet of hip hop, boogie and the foundation tunes in house music. Moderate in tempo, the result is still euphoric to say the least: melted brains, stimulated spinal cords and rave rampage included. Essentia balances the euphoric rush of its topical genre perfectly with the happy-sad moments after the rave. If that is not musical or emotional enough for your taste, you will find content in the Sunrise version. Excessive use of the well-beloved choir, breakbeats and - downs make it equally irresistible for sun-ups and love-ups.

Flip the coin for Winnies Karaoke. Stemming from the same source and session as Essentia. Named after the interactive entertainment bar in Chinatown NYC and made sometime in the early morning hours, its the quintessential Krystal Klear. Sawtooth boogie, if you will. It’s counterpoint is the Sundown mix. Techno prog for the tilted generation.
Sometimes, in the permanent search of happiness, the world of tomorrow needs the sound of yesterday made with the means and minds of today. Essential bliss.

Berlin electronic duo Donna Regina recorded two songs for the 10th edition of the Snowflakes Christmas Singles Club. In ‘Weihnachten Woanders’ (‘Christmas Somewhere Else’), singer Regina Janssen reflects on how it feels to spend Christmas away from home. Somewhere else, in a strange town where nobody knows your name and no one is waiting for you. You miss the familiar sounds of Christmas, like the child that sings ‘Stille Nacht’ and you dream of being home again. It’s a feeling many people can relate to. Especially this year, a year in which so many people were forced to flee from their homes. Günter Janssen, the other half of Donna Regina and Regina’s husband, lays down a minimalistic tapestry of synths and drum rolls. A loop of street sounds, a sample taken from sound artist Paula Schopf’s 2021 album ‘Especios En Soledad’, forces its way into the song, and in the end overpowers voice and other instruments. ‘Weihnachten Woanders’ very much captures the year 2022 and the worrying times we are living in, in both lyrics and music.

‘Christmas With You’, the B-side of the single, was originally written and recorded by Polish indie band Old Time Radio for their 2009 Christmas album 'Sketches For Another Christmas Songbook'. Donna Regina again goes for a minimalistic electronic sound, but also adds a certain melancholy to the song. Partly due to the synths that in places resemble the sound of an organ, an instrument that appeared on so many Christmas recordings from the 1950s and early 1960s. The love-hate relationship many people have with Christmas is perfectly laid down in the lyrics: “We watch the cartoons / We sing out of tune / Kiss by the fireplace / Listen to those horrible songs / Do we know / It’s Christmas time at all?”.

Regina and Donna Janssen debuted as Donna Regina in 1990 with the single 'Avec Le Temps' and released their debut album 'Lazing Away' in 1992 on Our Choice, a German sublabel of Rough Trade. In 1999, after four albums on Strange Ways Records, they signed to their current label Karaoke Kalk. Since then, they have released eight albums for the label. In 2015, Karaoke Kalk also released 'Dis Cover', a compilation of Donna Regina songs recorded by other artists like Dean & Britta, Bernard Burgalat, Mouse On Mars and many others. Donna Regina’s songs have been featured on compilations of labels like Rough Trade, Sonar Kollektiv, Klant Elektronik, Milan and Rolling Stone. Donna Regina was not Günther’s first band. In the early 1980s he was part of a Neue Deutsche Welle act with a very Christmas-related name: Heilige 3 Köninge ('Holy 3 Kings'). Their sole album, 1982's 'Zum Teufel Met Dem Kamel' has become very collectable. Günther was also featured as songwriter and musician on German singer Romie Singh's 1986 CBS album 'Masters' and later ventured into writing music for television and film. Regina Janssen also recorded as a vocalist with French musician Bertrand Burgalat, and sang several songs on his 2005 album ‘Portrait-Robot”.

"Contaminated Culture" is the next various artists on limited edition by Scena_731 Recordings. Are two collections with 7 artists and divided in one vinyl release. The contamination comes from the different culture of these artists, who found two similar genres into the techno music and who marry in a festival line up. On the Part I of the V/A on side a, we have three artists on the classic techno and deep sounds. As you will know the well-known sound of Ritzi Lee with a classic mix, Paul Birken with his unmistakable technique through modular systems, Booz equally a lover of the sound sought through spatial connections of the universe. On the Part II on the side b, we have the B2B of Yari Greco & Karah from Rotterdam with a totally raw and edgy version for the dancefloor with a mix of raw and pounding groove. Then you will listen to Aeit, with an industrial London sound with a raw electronic synth perfect for the rave crowd and the last track signed by Jassass, an earthquake that damages you with very fast grooves and changes of industrial scenarios.
Support the good techno music for his different culture. Enjoy!

This sampler compiles 14 killer tropical tracks for the dance floor, all taken from the vaults of Peru's MAG records, including cumbias to descargas, boogaloo to salsa. Classic songs such as 'Arroz Con Coco' or 'Aprieta (Oye Como Va),' and also obscure recordings like the stunning 'Ritmo Veregua' by Tito Chicoma or the totally under-the-radar -recorded in Lima- 'Mi Son Combinado' by Cuba's legendary Orquesta Revé. MAG will turn 70 in 2023 and is a pivotal label in Peruvian music, mainly focused on tropical rhythms although its extensive catalogue also includes rock, pop and jazz recordings. This compilation celebrates the recent addition of Discos MAG to the Vampisoul family, where the best and most elusive titles from the MAG archive will become available again. MAG has been, since its foundation in 1953, an essential label in the music scene of Peru, allowing the development of the careers of both tropical artists and musicians of other genres. At the head was Don Manuel Antonio Guerrero, its founder, whose name comes from the acronym of the label itself (M.A.G.). In 2021 MAG was acquired by the Spanish company Distrolux SL, owner of the Munster and Vampisoul record labels, after years of previous collaborations in which some of the most emblematic titles in the catalog were already reissued for the international market: Nils Jazz Ensemble, Sonora Casino, Traffic Sound, Al Valdez, Pax_ "14 MAGníficos" is a 14-track compilation that celebrates a new era in the history of the label, now under the Vampisoul umbrella, with a selection of astonishing dance floor-oriented gems. This is also a perfect introduction to MAG, showcasing the amazing musical variety sported by the Peruvian label throughout the years. The comp includes juicy Cuban songs like 'Mi Son Combinado', an outstanding original taken from the extremely scarce LP recorded by Cuba's finest Orquesta Revé for MAG in Lima, and the explosive guaracha 'Tin Marin' by Los Kintos, a group lead by guitarist Pancho Acosta. Also classic songs such as 'Arroz Con Coco' or 'Aprieta (Oye Como Va),' and obscure recordings like the stunning 'Ritmo Veregua' by Tito Chicoma.

Stargeigerin Anne-Sophie Mutter und Cellist Pablo Ferrández, einer der vielversprechendsten Newcomer der Klassik, veröffentlichen ein gemeinsames Album mit dem Doppelkonzert von Brahms und dem selten zu hörenden Klaviertrio von Clara Schumann bei Sony Classical am 4. November 2022. Die Einspielung erscheint als CD, Vinyl und digital.Anne-Sophie Mutter hat für diese Zusammenarbeit mit ihrem Protegé, dem Cellisten und Sony Classical Exklusiv-Künstler Pablo Ferrández, das Konzert für Violine, Violoncello und Orchester a-moll op. 102 von Johannes Brahms mit der Tschechischen Philharmonie und dem Dirigenten Manfred Honeck sowie das rare Klaviertrio g-moll op. 17 von Clara Schumann mit dem Pianisten und langjährigen musikalischen Partner Lambert Orkis aufgenommen. Das Album ist ab dem 4. November 2022 bei Sony Classical erhältlich.Cellist Pablo Ferrández, der für sein hochgelobtes Debütalbum "Reflections" bei Sony Classical den Opus Klassik-Preis 2021 als "Nachwuchskünstler des Jahres" erhielt, war Mitglied von Anne-Sophie Mutters handverlesenem Ensemble Mutter's Virtuosi. Anne-Sophie Mutter zählt seit ihrer frühen Zusammenarbeit mit Herbert von Karajan, mit dem sie 1983 auch ihr erstes Brahm Doppelkonzert aufnahm, zweifellos zu den Größen der Klassik-Welt. Neben ihrem überragenden Können und hohen Ansehen hat sie sich stets dafür eingesetzt, neue Generationen von Streichern zu fördern und zu unterstützen, beispielsweise in der von ihr ins Leben gerufenen Anne-Sophie Mutter Stiftung zur Förderung von musikalisch Hochbegabten, darunter auch Pablo Ferrández.Das Doppelkonzert von Johannes Brahms nahmen beide Künstler live in Prag im Januar 2022 mit der Tschechischen Philharmonie unter Manfred Honeck auf, nachdem sie bereits in Madrid und Oxford mit demselben Werk aufgetreten waren. Das Konzert ist ein Kammermusikwerk mit symphonischer Wirkung, eine anregende Mischung von musikalischem Miteinander, wie auch Konfrontation. In der Zusammenarbeit mit Pablo Ferrández erlebte Anne-Sophie Mutter eine "frische, aufgeschlossene und neue" künstlerische Partnerschaft mit einem Musiker, der ihrer Meinung nach "an der Spitze" der neuen Generation von Cellisten steht. Clara Schumann, künstlerisch untrennbar mit Johannes Brahms verbunden, war eine weibliche Komponistin in einer Männerwelt und wurde oftmals und für lange Zeit übersehen. "Beide bewunderten sich künstlerisch und Johannes Brahms fragte sie oft um Rat", so Anne-Sophie Mutter. Ihre menschliche und künstlerische Beziehung verband und inspirierte sie. Für die Geigerin spielte bei der Auswahl des Repertoires auch die Vielfalt eine wichtige Rolle, um auch eine von der Musikgeschichte vernachlässigte Komponistin ins Rampenlicht zu rücken. Clara Schumanns Klaviertrio g-moll von 1846 ist eines ihrer besten Werke - ein Stück voller Turbulenz, beeindruckender Komplexität und tiefer Sehnsucht, das Anne-Sophie Mutter und insbesondere ihren regelmäßigen Klavierpartner Lambert Orkis zu einer neuen Dimension musikalischer Konversation animierte. Die Studio-Aufnahme entstand in München und ist unvergleichlich in ihrem Fokus auf Clara Schumanns individueller Musikalität."Es inspiriert mich, mit Pablo solch ein musikalisches Gespräch zu führen", sagt Anne-Sophie Mutter über ihre Arbeit mit Pablo Ferrández. "Anne-Sophie Mutter ist die ideale Künstlerin", sagt Pablo Ferrández. "Hinter ihrem Spiel steckt immer eine Idee, alles geschieht aus einem bestimmten Grund. Es ist eine Ehre, nicht nur mit ihr zu spielen und aufzunehmen, sondern sie zu kennen und sie als Mentorin zu haben."

First Time Pressing on Heavyweight 160 Gram Black Vinyl LP at 45rpm. Merchandising Sticker. Jodi is the solo project of Chicago based singer-songwriter Nick Levine. A co-founding and former member of the band Pinegrove, Levine first launched their solo project Jodi in 2017 with the release of the Karaoke EP as one of the first releases on Chicago indie label Sooper Records. The project would prove formative, going on to garner millions of streams online and launching Levine’s solo career as Jodi in earnest. Back in 2017, the following was said about the project: “Jodi has left us broken, bereft but in awe of a talent that can take a couple of seconds and make it your whole world.” – THE LINE OF BEST FIT // “Jodi nudges the listener into attention rather than pushing them into a forced experience: songs that feel nostalgic and hopeful – a comforting blanket of reassurance that’s sincere in its utterances of uncertainty and regret but ultimately optimistic for the future.” – GOLD FLAKE PAINT // Now, for the 5-year anniversary of the EP that started it all for Jodi, the project is being pressed and released for the first time on Vinyl. After the success of Karaoke, Levine went on to release their debut LP Blue Heron on Sooper Records in 2021, an album that received accolades from FADER, UPROXX, STEREOGUM (Album of The Week), THEM, COUNTRY QUEER, PASTE MAGAZINE, FLOOD MAGAZINE and Others. Tracks: Side A: 1. Remember 2. Coffee 3. Passerine Side B: 4. On The Sly 5. Scratchoff 6. Visitors

Max Loderbauer’s career in music spans the last 3 decades, yet he’s still managed to keep his listeners hungry by releasing only 3 solo albums to date. Two of those releases (Transparenz, 2013 and Donnerwetter, 2020) were on Tobias Freund’s label Non Standard Productions - his long time collaborator and Templehof studio mate. In between those releases, Loderbauer graced Marionette with Greyland in 2016, revealing a previously unheard youthful and sentimental side. Now in 2022, the seasoned mind voyager is back with Petrichor, making yet another rare and treasurable solo appearance.

Petrichor distills the elements of Loderbauer’s work that are fundamental to the initiation of the label. With his Buchla, modular synth, and Haken fingerboard, Loderbauer’s improvised studio maneuvers dilate into imagined journeys from glacial peaks into the exosphere. This is Maxi at his most exhilarating state, morphing through bittersweet and optimistic soundscapes to bleak moments of throbbing unease - all while maintaining a sense of grace and elegance. Petrichor is a reflection of Loderbauer’s impactful trips to the mountains, and returning from these summits with an electrifying urge to paint this mighty perspective. The harmonies and melodies on the tracks simulate emotional peaks and valleys, with vibration and rhythm rooted in the foundation of the sound, as though it's woven into the fabric of the fauna and flora.

Legendary collaborations like Vilod (with Ricardo Villalobos), the Moritz Von Oswald Trio, Non Standard Institute, Sun Electric in the early nineties, and the newly formed Ambiq ensemble have gained this unique artist the respect of the underground and avant garde scenes alike.

Now available on vinyl, Heartmind is Cass McCombs' biggest album in
years, garnering the best reviews of his career to date
UNCUT ALBUM OF THE MONTH - "One of the most impressive bodies of work of
the century so far."
MOJO ALBUM OF THE MONTH - "On a mission to find out where the heart and
mind intersect.....there is real emotional impact here."
Songs like "Karaoke" are a god-level burst of powerpop perfection, as fetching as
anything Cass has ever cut: Cass triangulates a perch of his very own out among
The Go-Betweens, The dB's, and The Cure,and vibrates there, a beacon. And then,
of course, there is the song's playful if painful lyrical conceit — the lover who is
making all the sacred motions of commitment but whose feelings may be no
more deep or real than someone simply reading the lyrics for "Vision of Love" or
"Stand by Your Man" from some crowded bar's TV screen.
Cass recorded these songs in multiple sessions on both coasts, in Brooklyn and
Burbank. The great Shahzad Ismaily not only cut the staggering "Unproud
Warrior" and four others here but also played lots of bass. Buddy Ross tracked
"New Earth," a paean of post- humanity renewal with several sharp wisecracks.
Ariel Rechtshaid — now a dozen years into his collaboration with Cass, which
began with 2009's Catacombs—captured Cass' scintillating guitars on "Belong to
Heaven," a thoughtful consideration of what we all lose when we lose an old
friend to the inevitable end. The steadfast Rob Schnapf (who previously produced
McCombs' ANTI- debut, Mangy Love) mixed and merged it all. Wynonna Judd
(yes, that one) offers harmonies, while her beau Cactus Moser provides some lap
steel. Joe Russo, Kassa Overall, Danielle Haim, Nestor Gomez are featured on the
album, too.

Tape

The third LP from the New Zealand quartet houses 12 jewels of tight, guitar-heavy songs that worm their way into your head, an incandescent collision of power-pop and skuzz. With Expert, The Beths wanted to make an album meant to be experienced live, for both the listeners and themselves. They wanted it to be fun -- to hear, to play -- in spite of the prickling anxiety throughout the lyrics, the fear of change and struggle to cope.

Most of Expert was recorded at guitarist Jonathan Pearce’s studio on Karangahape Road in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa (Auckland, New Zealand) -- and sometimes in the building's cavernous stairwell at 1am -- toward the end of 2021, until they were interrupted by a four-month national lockdown. They traded notes remotely for months, songwriting from afar and fleshing out the arrangements alone, the first time they’d written together in such a way. The following February, The Beths left the country for the first time in more than two years to tour across the US, and simultaneously finish mixing the album on the road. That latter half felt more collaborative, with everyone on-hand to trade notes in real time, until it all culminated in a chaotic three-day studio mad-dash in Los Angeles. There, Expert finally became the record they were hearing in their heads.

Expert is an extension of the same skuzzy palette the band has built across their catalog, pop hooks embedded in incisive indie rock. The album’s title track “Expert In A Dying Field” introduces the thesis for the record: “How does it feel to be an expert in a dying field? How do you know it’s over when you can’t let go?” Stokes asks. “Love is learned over time ‘til you’re an expert in a dying field.”

The rest is a capsule of The Beths’ most electrifying and exciting output, a sonic spectrum: “Your Side” is a forlorn and sincere love song, emotive; while “Silence is Golden,” with its propulsive drum line and stop-start staccato of a guitar line winding up and down, is one of the band’s sharpest and most driving. “When You Know You Know” skews a bit groovier, pure pop and a natural addition to the band’s live set. “Knees Deep” was written last minute, but yields one of the best guitar lines on Expert. There’s a certain chaos across the 12 tracks, the palpable joy of playing music with long-time friends colliding with the raw nerves of pain.

Stokes strings it all together through her singular songwriting lens, earnest and self-effacing, zeroing in on the granules of doubt and how they snowball. Did I do the wrong thing? Or did you? And are we still good people at the end of it? She isn’t interested in villains, but instead interested in just telling the story. That insecurity and thoughtfulness, translated into universality and understanding, has been the guiding light of The Beths’ output since 2016. In the face of pain, there’s no dwelling on internal anguish - instead, through The Beths’ musi