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“Godzilla just walked into the room. People just stood there with their eyes and mouths wide open.” To hear Randy Holden describe the audience’s reaction in 1969 to his solo debut performing with a teeth-rattling phalanx of 16 (sixteen!) 200 watt Sunn amps is about as close as one will get to truly experience the moment heavy metal music morphed into existence. However, at last Riding Easy have unearthed the proper fossil record. Population II, the now legendary, extremely rare album by guitarist / vocalist Holden and drummer / keyboardist Chris Lockheed is considered to be one of the earliest examples of doom metal.

Though its original release was a very limited in number and distribution, like all great records, its impact over time has continued to grow. In 1969, Holden, fresh off his tenure with proto-metal pioneers Blue Cheer (appearing on one side of the New! Improved! Blue Cheer album and touring for the better part of a year in the group), aimed for more control over his band. Thus, Randy Holden - Population II was born, the duo naming itself after the astronomical term for a particular star cluster with heavy metals present. “I wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before,” Holden explains. “I was interested in discordant sounds that could be melodic but gigantically huge. I rented an Opera house for rehearsal, set up with 16 Sunn amps. That’s what I was going for, way over the top.” And over the top it is. The six-song album delves into leaden sludge, lumbering doom and epic soaring riffs that sound free from all constraints of the era. It’s incredibly heavy, but infused with a melodic, albeit mechanistic, sensibility.

Troubles with the album’s release bankrupted Holden, who subsequently left music for over two decades. It was bootlegged several times over the years, but until now hasn’t seen a proper remaster and has yet to be available on digital platforms. “The original mastering just destroyed the dynamics of it,” Holden says. “They flattened it out. Now we got a really nice remaster that should be the closest thing to the original recording.”

“Are You Lonely?” by Hipnotic is a smooth and emotive modern soul gem that oozes timeless class and subtle groove. Rich with layered
harmonies, warm keys, and a subtly striding rhythm section, the track sits comfortably among the finest in sophisticated late-night soul. Hipnotic
deliver a heartfelt vocal performance that echoes the vulnerability and depth found in the best 70s and 80s soul cuts, making this a must-have
for collectors of sweet soul and rare groove.

Pager Records returns with catalog number sixteen, dropping another essential slab of wax: The Aquatic Genie — a 5-track journey that blends house, disco, funk and a wink of humor — this time from Aladdin, a French DJ and Producer based in Lyon, coming in HOT with his unique approach to house music, influenced by jazz, funk and reggae. Drawing from these influences his sound feels fresh yet rooted in the DNA of Pager’s signature aesthetic.

Intro (Flying Carpet Airlines) – hazy lift-off joint, saturated samples and dubbed-out FX pulling you into a low-slung groove. Cosmic Lounge Energy…

Forever – breaky house with elastic low-end and vocoder shimmer that sneaks into your head. Pure sunrise material…

You Smell Like Fish – house on a g-funk trip! Funk-driven bass, warm keys, and talkbox heat bringing a modern boogie twist — guaranteed eyebrow-raiser.

Doyoulike2dance – straight-up party trigger with a smile. Funk-loaded drums and a hook that says it all. Pure body music.

Rock The House – stripped-down, Detroit-tinged funk workout to shut it down raw and sexy…

Playful and funky — The Aquatic Genie keeps one foot in the house nation and taps the other into the disco world. Full of character, bounce, and club weight — another Sureshot from Pager for both DJs and Listeners <3

Limited Vinyl Pressing. Don’t sleep on it.

Introducing our first release from the Radikal Rockerz label with what happens to be a mystical alignment between well-established producers Ashanti Selah & Didubz Sound alongside guest feature from Jahwind & Baodub on the accompanying heavyweight versions on this record!

Hi-power driving stepping riddim with a truthful conscious message alongside top musicianship working in great context amongst each other!! Showing unity is truly the key to the a brighter world.

zake has written a new album to get 2025 underway in his usual prolific fashion, and it comes as both a triple CD set with the same tracks in different versions, but also as this special vinyl release with five different pieces from his Caelum series, limited to just 200 copies. As you would expect from this most masterful ambient leader, this is another immersive work that blends shifting synthscapes with melancholic chord work, beautiful keys with more lingering feelings of sadness. Another triumph if you ask us.

Veröffentlicht 1977 auf Led Zeppelins Swan Song Records, zeigte Detective mit ,It Takes One To Know One" eine weitere Steigerung ihres kraftvollen Hardrocks, mit Frontmann Michael Des Barres und dem ehemaligen Yes Keyboarder Tony Kaye an der Spitze. Mit einer Mischung aus kraftvollen Riffs, bluesigen Grooves und einem Hauch von Glam festigte das Album den Ruf der Band als eine der bedeutendsten Neuverpflichtungen von Swan Song Records. Diese limitierte Neuauflage wurde auf lavendelfarbenem Vinyl gepresst, von Dave Gardner neu remastert und mit aktualisiertem Artwork sowie einer ausklappbaren Beilage versehen. Ein lange übersehenes Juwel des 70er-Jahre-Rock, das endlich mit der gebührenden Sorgfalt wiederveröffentlicht wurde.

In den 90ern hatte Jad Fair fünf Lieblingsbands und Songwriter: Daniel Johnston, The Pastels, Sonic Youth, Teenage Fanclub und Yo La Tengo. Das ist echt eine coole Liste, aber das Besondere daran ist, dass Fair im Laufe von etwa zwölf Jahren mit allen in irgendeiner Form Musik gemacht hat. Jad Fair ist seit einem halben Jahrhundert produktiv, lange bevor das Internet ein simultanes und scheinbar ewiges Archiv von allem schaffen konnte, was jemand mit seinen Vorlieben gemacht hat. Er war an mindestens mehreren hundert Titeln beteiligt, von denen viele bei kleinen Labels erschienen, die es heute nicht mehr gibt, und die vergriffen sind. Tatsächlich ist eine dieser Kollaborationen, die Fair in den 90er Jahren gemacht hat - Strange But True mit Yo La Tengo - schwer zu finden, obwohl sie am 20. Oktober 1998 in den USA bei Matador Records erschienen ist. Jetzt wird das Album zum ersten Mal von Joyful Noise und Bar/None auf Vinyl neu aufgelegt. Als Fair Mitte der 90er Jahre mit Yo La Tengo auf einer Party spielte, waren sie alle Freunde, Fans und Kollaborateure, die gemeinsam an Platten gearbeitet oder diese veröffentlicht hatten. Als Fair vorschlug, gemeinsam ins Studio zu gehen, war das Trio sofort dabei. Das Ergebnis, ,Strange But True", ist so wunderbar, abwechslungsreich und wild wie eine riesige Wiese mit einheimischen Gräsern. Dieses Kollaborationsalbum zeigt die unglaubliche Bandbreite der Künstler und versetzt uns zurück in eine Zeit, in der Indie-Rock noch so seltsam und widerspenstig sein durfte, wie seine Schöpfer es wollten.

As genre conventions continue to morph and blur, there's a wealth of stunning
new music being made wherever groups of musicians have the imagination
and ingenuity to transcend the old boundaries and just play whatever comes
naturally
Sun Speak are such a group and their album Probiotic Orchestrations is full of music
that's urgent, powerful, accessible and humorous, pulling together sounds and
textures from the worlds of rock, jazz, electronica, Americana and the outer reaches of
progressive music into compelling whole. Guitarist Matt Gold and drummer Nate
Friedman first came together as Sun Speak ten years ago amid the white heat of the
Chicago experimental scene, where they'd worked with such luminaries as Makaya
McCraven and Patricia Barber.
On this, their sixth release, they continue to develop their own distinctive sonic world
with the aid of fellow Chicagoan Daniel Pierson who joined as engineer/ sound
sculptor and now increasingly takes a collaborative role as a third member of the
band on keyboards. Now the trio are dispersed and live in different corners of the USA,
but in 2024 they came together in a remote seaside cabin in New Hampshire, writing
and recording every day in an intense undisturbed whirlwind of creativity. Probiotic
Orchestrations is the result - a dazzling mix of improvisation and composition,
exploring rhythm, colour and texture with the directness of rock and the fearless
improvisatory flair of jazz.
Available on heavyweight black vinyl + 6-panel digipak CD editions.

Sermon On The Rocks is Josh Ritter's eight studio album, released in 2015. Singles from the album include "Getting Ready To Get Down" and "Homecoming." According to Ritter, the album is "messianic oracular honky-tonk." Produced by Trina Shoemaker and Josh, the 12-song album was recorded over two weeks at New Orleans’ The Parlor Recording Studio and features Matt Barrick from The Walkmen on drums, Zachariah Hickman on bass, Josh Kaufman on guitars, and Sam Kassirer on keyboards. Josh Ritter is the definition of an experienced songwriter. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1999 Ritter devoted his life to a songwriting career, releasing albums independently and garnering word-of-mouth popularity. He eventually caught the attention of Irish- songwriter Glen Hansard (writer of the song 'Falling Slowly' from the movie Once) and was invited to be the tour opener for his band The Frames. This then resulted in Josh gaining international success, with his third record 'Hello Starling', becoming a charting hit in Ireland. His songs have been featured on the TV show Parenthood, and in movies like The Other Woman and Typeface. Josh Ritter has so far released 7 studio albums, is an author, husband, father, and is considered one of the best living songwriters by Paste Magazine.

Italian duo Marsupials returns on Cut My Records with a two-track EP that blends the sophistication of deep house with the pulsating energy of afrodisco roots.

On side A, “Kaurna” opens with an elegant homage to the Detroit scene of the early 2000s: an intense and enveloping track, built on deep live bass, velvety strings, warm keys, and a groove that builds hypnotically until it completely captivates the listener.

“Sokoni”, meanwhile, takes the dance outdoors: a sunny and percussive track, animated by choruses recorded live at a Tanzanian market, intertwined with a driving and syncopated guitar enriched by played parts of bass and rhodes riffs. An explosion of rhythm and vitality that effortlessly blends tradition and club culture.

A very limited vinyl release (edition of 200 hand stamped and numbered copies) that speaks to the body and soul, designed for the dance floor but crafted from heart and with an increasingly mature and recognizable sensibility.

With an internet-born sense of humor and an instinct for turning vulnerability into spectacle, Aldn has become one of the most distinct and enigmatic voices in alt-pop"s ever-mutating landscape. The Virginia-raised singer, songwriter, and producer first grabbed attention with his glitch-laced experiments and emotionally raw lyricism, but it was his 2024 viral smash "i cant believe i let you get away" that sent his profile into the stratosphere. The single - a pixelated cry of regret and romantic confusion - cemented his reputation as both a sonic innovator and a self-aware avatar for Gen Z"s wired melancholy. Now, Aldn announces his long-awaited debut album Strung Out Symphony

The album is made up of two sessions recorded for BBC Radio 1 at Maida Vale Studios, from 1973 and 1978 that feature vocalist Norma Winstone, trumpeter Henry Lowther, saxophonists Art Themen, Tony Coe and Alan Wakeman, trombonist David Horler, bassists Dave Green and Jeff Clyne, and drummers Trevor Tomkins and John Marshall. The material, all composed by Garrick, includes some favourites from the classic LPs 'Troppo' and 'October Woman'. He wouldn't record the tracks "River Running" and "Galilee" until decades later, so this is the first time these '70s arrangements have been released. Whereas "Robin's Rest" and the title track are exclusive to this album - providing a fascinating insight into this uniquely talented artist.

Garrick was at the forefront of British jazz from the mid-1960s until his death in 2011 aged 78. He was a key member of The Don Rendell / Ian Carr Quintet, composing the jazz gems "Dusk Fire and "Black Marigolds" and released a series of seminal 1960s and 1970s LPs including 'Cold Mountain', 'The Heart is a Lotus' and 'Black Marigolds'. Remastered by Caspar Sutton-Jones @ Gearbox Records, 'Late Autumn Sunshine' is available as a 2LP set housed in a gatefold sleeve (a limited edition of 600 copies) and 'mini-LP' gatefold CD, with sleeve notes by Daniel Spicer (Jazzwise, The Wire). 'Late Autumn Sunshine' celebrates Michael Garrick's memory and should introduce him to many new fans.

The project brings together a stellar cast of musicians. Guitarist and producer Matthis Pascaud who crafts a rich and colourful sonic landscape, along with acclaimed drummer Raphael Chassin, pianist Thibault Gomez, and bassist Simon Tailleu. The record shines further with the participation of special guests: iconic guitarist Bill Frisell and the legendary saxophonist Archie Shepp, whose contributions underscore both the intimacy and the grandeur of Rampal's homage. Through inventive arrangements and deep poetic sensibility, 'Song For Abbey' revisits key pieces from Abbey Lincoln's repertoire, including a luminous, modern rendition of ' And It's Supposed To Be Love' .

Marion Rampal's voice, instantly recognisable and deeply evocative, breathes new life into Lincoln's world, blending tradition and innovation across jazz, blues, and folk influences. With high-profile guest artists, Bill Frisell and Archie Shepp, who elevate the album's international visibility and media value, 'Song For Abbey' is not just an album, but a resonant contemporary statement - a vibrant crossroads of jazz legacy, emotion, and artistry. "One of the most beautiful voices of her generation brings new life to the legacy of the sublime singer and songwriter Abbey Lincoln - chills guaranteed." - Jazz Magazine

Working with elite keys player Ross Stanley (steadily making ripples on the world stage through his work with legends like Maceo Parker, and more recently with Robben Ford), guitarist Nigel Price says: "I've never heard Ross play a bad note, and he absolutely played out of his skin on this record." Joel Barford is one of the most exciting and vibrant young drummers on the scene today. He relishes the space and freedom of the organ trio format, which is totally evident on this new recording.

Six of the nine pieces are original Price compositions, confirming his strength as a writer, especially for this tight, powerful unit. A relaxed recording session brought out the best in these three master musicians, and the result is an exciting collection of captivating music. Nigel Price is acknowledged as one of the foremost UK exponents of jazz guitar. He has played on more than 60 albums including eight as a leader, spent 10 years with acid jazz outfit The Filthy Six, was a member of James Taylor's band, JTQ, for three years (with whom he recorded five albums) and performed with the legendary David Axelrod. Price has worked tirelessly to organise his own tours, with epic tours he's organised for the Nigel Price Organ Trio becoming the stuff of legend.

Final LP of a productive year for Feral Child is an absolute cracker. The latest of a long line of superb full lengths from Stephen James Buckley's incendiary Polypores project. This one is arguably his most adventurous outing to date, the undeniably psychedelic “Hungry Vortex”. Four extended pieces exploring polyrhythmic fixations and cosmic jazz-prog freak-outs. Percussion-heavy opener ‘The Body Is The Spaceship’ is a fine example of the sort of seamless organic growth we tend to see in Polypores’ music, with slewed synth blips and rolling polyrhythms gradually twisting into unrecognisable strands of melody and unconventional groove before your very ears.

The prog-heavy ‘Wizards!’ sees Buckley’s trademarked playful use of time-signature changes, providing such a wealth of emotional and stylistic variance and immeasurable enjoyment without changing key once (honestly, who needs keys). It’s brilliantly evocative too and could indeed perfectly soundtrack a mushroom-trip wizard march. As we flip the record over, the flutey flourishes and minimalist clicks of the title track draw the listener into a trancelike state, repeated movements spiralling like myriad creatures crawling over a candy-coloured horizon, echoing forth into an inviting sonic oblivion. It’s ostensibly electronic, yet somehow more natural organism than machine, with little concern for the grid, or indeed, the rules. Finally, we end on something a little more subdued - the reassuring classicism of the beautiful ‘Void High’, with washes of warm noise and wobbly delay lines whirring and twinkling away, closing the record with an experience that is undeniably emotional, spiritual and as always, uniquely Polypores. This is a wonderful record with which to close the year out, it comes in a magnificent, spot varnished Jake Blanchard sleeve. A superb record released as a one time only vinyl pressing.

Ston Elaióna is John Also Bennett’s first album for Shelter Press since his 2019 solo debut Erg Herbe. The American born, Athens, Greece, based flautist, synthesist, and composer weaves a strikingly singular electroacoustic excursion for bass flute and Yamaha DX7ii, largely recorded in the golden haze of the early morning hours - bending time at the otherworldly juncture of consciousness and place. Translating from Greek as “in the olive grove”, Ston Elaióna is permeated with the ambiences of the ancient and present world, guided into form by a playfully rigorous approach to sound.
Initially emerging during the mid 2000s as part of Columbus, Ohio’s noise scene, before relocating to NYC around 2010, Bennett’s diverse activities picked up an increasing sense of pace over the following decade - performing and recording as a solo artist (JAB), with the trio Forma and with CV &JAB, his prolific duo with his partner Christina Vantzou, as well as playing in Jon Gibson’s ensemble among many other multifaceted collaborations. However, since 2020 the flautist and electroacoustic composer has existed in a semi nomadic state: drifting between Brooklyn, Brussels, extensive tours, and Greece, where he finally came to rest in Athens last year.

Drawing upon a carefully honed attentiveness to the environments and experiences of everyday life, Ston Elaióna is a suite of nine pieces (with an additional track exclusive to physical formats), many of them composed and played live as the early morning sun touched the Parthenon, in full view from Bennett’s studio window in Athens. Bennett’s refinement and restraint, honed over his years adrift, led him to adopt a limited palette focused on his primary instrument, the bass flute, and a Yamaha DX7ii synthesizer tuned to just intonation scales. Alongside a handful of other keyboards, digital oscillators triggered by his flute, and occasional field recordings, this simple palette is reflected by the deeply emotive sense of minimalism that permeates the album’s two sides. Following two solo albums defined by outward facing temperaments - 2022’s Out there in the middle of nowhere (Poole Music), which used a lap steel guitar and generative oscillators to evoke the surreal landscapes of the South Dakota badlands, and the largely synthetic atmospheres of the 2024 anthology Music For Save Rooms 1 & 2 (Editions Basilic) - the shift in Bennett’s worldly circumstances offered an intuitive return to the calm, inward states of creative exploration that have historically defined JAB’s sound. In parallel, context provided clear sources of inspiration for many of the album’s themes, as well as sources for some of its sounds. The aura of Greece, from the ancient to the present, from its stones and olive groves to its traffic, figures heavily across Ston Elaióna’s two sides. John Also Bennett’s Ston Elaióna forms an elegantly rigorous world of electroacoustic sonority, bridging the expanse of time with the immediacies of environment and happening in the here and now: a profound sonic mediation on the countless dimensions unlocked by life in Greece.

Strolling through the world by Biboul Darouiche & The Bantu Jazz Connection marks the first vinyl release on Crispy Water and is a vibrant fusion of African rhythms, jazz improvisation, and soulful storytelling, blending ancestral rhythm with contemporary jazz expression. Recorded with an ensemble of outstanding musicians, the album moves effortlessly between groove, spirit, and freedom — connecting continents through sound.

BIBOUL DAROUICHE is a singer, percussionist, composer and head of the ensemble. By playing the conga, djembe, calimba and - the African treetrunk drum (also called nkul or tam-tam, which by the way should not be missing at any concert!) Darouiche brings a very special color to his music. He works mainly in Europe, but his engagements also take him to the Middle East, the countries of the CIS, Brazil and the USA. Since1995 he has been a member of Klaus Doldinger's Passport. He has also worked with musicians such as Al Di Meola, Pee Wee Ellis, Roy Ayers, Graham Haynes, Paquito D'Rivera and the Jazz Baltica Ensemble.

The Austrian multi-instrumentalist and producer MICHAEL HORNEK, who is part of the permanent cast of Klaus Doldinger's Passport as a keyboardist, plays keyboards, percussion and sings. His free-jazzy percussive playing inspires every listener. Hornek's keyboard skills can be heard on over 750 music productions, and the trend is of course increasing!

Mauritian bassist LINLEY MARTHE is one of the world's best bassists. He was a long time permanent member of the band Joe Zawinul Syndicate,worked with musicians like Dave Liebmann, Richard Galliano, Omar Hakimand many more. Zawinul said of Linley Marthe in an interview: “Linley is a phenomenon. I don't know if anyone can match him in terms of bass playing."

ROGER BIWANDU, french musician born and raised in Bordeaux/France, with roots from Congo (DRC) is an artist resident at l'Apollo bar in Bordeaux since june 1997, he plays there one time per month. He played with a lot of great musicians all over the world, with some heavy weights too, like Joe Zawinul, Salif Keita, Marcus Miller, Lee Ritenour, John Beasley, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Franck McComb, to name a few.

Pat Orburn serves up a wicked nine-track offering for Cassette Blair — a project built from pure resourcefulness and raw imagination. His vocals glide over synth-driven textures crafted from all around, including a battered Yamaha psr 175 keyboard that his flatmate rescued off the street. Pat leans into the beauty of imperfection, shaping found sounds through analog tools, tape warmth, and gritty modulation.

“good” marks the second release on Cassette Blair — a label founded by Gavsborg, dedicated to uplifting his extended global family of artists. True to its mission, the record feels communal, handmade, and deeply personal: a celebration of creativity that thrives outside of traditional studios, born instead from curiosity, friendship, and the joy of sound exploration.

“Good news. Good it’s out, good of Gav to help, all round completely good!"

- Pat Orburn

Digi- Cover art & Design by Pat Orburn (London, UK)

Cassette- Cover art & Design by Gavsborg, Sherice Bromfield & Pat Orburn (Kingston Jamaica & London, UK).

Mixed by Pat Orburn (London, UK).

Mastered by Mario “Syantis” Lawerence (Kingston, Jamaica).

Paul Murphy’s Claremont 56 label welcomes a genuine legend of UK music to its roster – Chaz Jankel, the man whose dizzying musicality and love of soul, funk and disco did much to shape the sound of Ian Dury’s Blockheads band in the late 1970s and early ‘80s.

A virtuoso keyboardist with a deep love of Black American music, Jankel’s arrangements and compositional skills were key to the success of their records, the funkiest of which not only became crossover pop hits – see ‘Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick’ and ‘Reasons To be Cheerful, Part 3’ in particular – but also saw heavy rotation in now iconic New York clubs including the Paradise Garage and Studio 54.

This continued during the formative years of his solo career, with ‘My Occupation’, ‘Questionnaire’ and ‘Glad To Know You’ (later famously re-edited and dubbed out for nu-disco dancefloors by Todd Terje) all becoming club hits. The great Quincy Jones also covered Jankel’s infectious single ‘Ai No Carrida’, while experimental, club-ready synth-jam ‘3,000,000 Synths’ was also influential during the early years of the electro movement.

For his Claremont 56 bow, Jankel has delivered an all-new workout recorded earlier this year, the simply titled ‘Rhumba Jam’. A typically warm, groovy and rolling affair, it features Jankel delivering infectious, stretched-out Rhodes electric piano solos over toasty bass, clipped guitar licks, warm bass, accordion-style synth motifs and a densely layered Rhumba rhythm. While relaxed and sun-soaked, it also has bags of Balearic dancefloor potential.

Murphy remixes under his now familiar Mudd alias, leaning into the track’s languid Balearic vibe while keeping a firm focus on the dancefloor. Beginning with an enticing mix of metronomic drums and jangly acoustic guitars, Murphy slowly layers up key elements of Jankel’s original – think rubbery bass, rhythmic handclaps, mazy synth sounds and those wonderful, stretched-out solos. It’s a version that pays due reverence to the quality of Jankel’s musicianship, production and arrangement while subtly extending it and reframing it for 21st century Balearic dancefloors.

Domenic Cappello, key resident at the legendary 'Sub Club' in Glasgow graces us with a stylish four tracker for the Royal Oak Series. Showcasing the deeper side where house and techno collide. Warming things up or getting deep during the night..? Dominic's got you covered...

The inimitable Richard Youngs returns to Black Truffle with this third full-length for the label, Hidden. Like CXXI and Modern Sorrow, Hidden unfolds across two side-long pieces at once eminently listenable and possessed of the ‘bloody-minded’ dedication to ‘having an idea and sticking with it’ that Youngs himself has identified as one of the key qualities of his work.

At the core of both pieces are rapid, randomised arpeggios generated with a Moog Grandmother, hypnotic patterns that wouldn’t be out of place on a Berlin School classic. Alongside these arpeggios, across the seventeen minutes of the first side-long piece Youngs builds an airy structure of shakers, synthetic handclaps and a brief, repeated sample, impossible to identify but sounding like a glitched foghorn. Over the top we hear his unmistakable voice, repeating single syllables—Ha, Ho—with a slow delay, something like a lonely one-man-band take on Anthony Moore’s Pieces from the Cloudland Ballroom or a more musical elaboration of the hypnotically overlapping delayed phonemes of Anton Bruhin’s Rotomotor. Like much of Youngs' work, the arrangement of sounds is sparse, each layer punctuated by spaces that allow others to shine through, in a way that seems to have more to do with dub or early hip-hop than high-brow models of musical reductionism.

On the flipside, the arpeggios return, now accompanied by ringing, filtered guitar chords and long flute tones. The use of a similar ground layer across the two pieces with strikingly different overdubs calls up Youngs' first solo record, the classic Advent, reminding us of how consistent ‘theme and variations’ is as an approach in his enormous body of work. Joined by handclaps and a chiming sound, the piece almost feels like it is about to achieve dance-floor lift-off at times, only for the percussion to disappear and leave the listener once again floating among the guitar and flute, now joined by occasional cut-off vocal snippets, like a radio turned quickly on and off. The suspension of these disparate elements over the steady foundation of the Moog arpeggios might remind some listeners of the free-form studio explorations of Moebius & Plank and Holger Czukay or even give a nod to Youngs’ formative encounter with Cabaret Voltaire.

Like some of Youngs’ much-loved work with Simon Wickham-Smith, Hidden approaches relatively familiar sounds and instruments from skewed angles, delighting in loose structures of interaction that border on gleeful incoherence while remaining outwardly beautiful. Coming up to almost four decades of persistent activity, like little else in contemporary music Youngs’ work beams with the simple joys of exploration and experiment.



"We're in the joy business," says frontman Ketch Secor, who launched the Grammywinning band in 1998. "From the very start, a lot of the virtues of Christmas -- the revelry, the singalongs, the happiness -- have been present in our show." Nowhere is that more apparent than OCMS XMAS , the group's first holiday album. Decorated with seasonal spirit and string-band stomp, it's the rare breed of Christmas record that packs a punch all year long, shining new light on the band's chart-topping version of American roots music. Old Crow Medicine Show aren't just reinterpreting their favorite yuletide standards; they're adding new songs to the canon, too, from "Jolly Man" -- a country-blues number inspired by Mississippi John Hurt and laced with harmonica, sleigh bells, and resonator guitar -- to the Zydeco- flavored "All About A Baby." They're telling fresh stories, too. On "Corn Whiskey Christmas," a bootlegger drives his Chevrolet through the snow on Christmas Eve, bringing moonshine to those craving a cup of cheer. On the John Prine-worthy "Bethlehem, PA" -- a sly reimagining of Jesus' birth story, with lyrics that substitute Steel Country for Jerusalem -- the band heads to the Keystone State to witness the Nativity, making stops at Wawa and Motel 6 along the way.

"Grandpa's Gone" grapples with the loss of a family figure during the holiday season, while the wicked "Krampus Night" puts a minor- key spin on the Christmas catalog, paying tribute to a folkloric creature who, according to Secor, "just might leave ya coal and steal your soul." Old Crow have thrived for more than a quarter century. Like many of their heroes, they've become torchbearers of classic folk music, reshaping those sounds for the modern world. They're creators, not replicators, and OCMS XMAS finds them tackling another tradition -- the time- honored Christmas album -- with humor, hillbilly twang, and novel ideas. Supported by the band's first-ever "Holiday Hootenanny" tour, OCMS XMAS just might be the start of a new tradition itself: a celebration of the seasonal sounds, shared joy, and holiday rituals that bring us all together. Christmas just got a new soundtrack.

‘Workaround’ is the lucidly playful and ambitious solo debut album by rhythm-obsessive musician and DJ, Beatrice Dillon for PAN. It combines her love of UK club music’s syncopated suss and Afro-Caribbean influences with a gamely experimental approach to modern composition and stylistic fusion, using inventive sampling and luminous mixing techniques adapted from modern pop to express fresh ideas about groove-driven music and perpetuate its form with timeless, future-proofed clarity. Recorded over 2017-19 between studios in London, Berlin and New York, ‘Workaround’ renders a hypnotic series of polymetric permutations at a fixed 150bpm tempo.

Mixing meticulous FM synthesis and harmonics with crisply edited acoustic samples from a wide range of guests including UK Bhangra pioneer Kuljit Bhamra (tabla); Pharoah Sanders Band’s Jonny Lam (pedal steel guitar); techno innovators Laurel Halo (synth/vocal) and Batu (samples); Senegalese Griot Kadialy Kouyaté (Kora), Hemlock’s Untold and new music specialist Lucy Railton (cello); amongst others, Dillon deftly absorbs their distinct instrumental colours and melody into 14 bright and spacious computerised frameworks that suggest immersive, nuanced options for dancers, DJs and domestic play. ‘Workaround’ evolves Dillon’s notions in a coolly unfolding manner that speaks directly to the album’s literary and visual inspirations, ranging from James P. Carse’s book ‘Finite And Infinite Games’ to the abstract drawings of Tomma Abts or Jorinde Voigt as well as painter Bridget Riley’s essays on grids and colour. Operating inside this rooted but mutable theoretical wireframe, Dillon’s ideas come to life as interrelated, efficient patterns in a self-sufficient system.

With a naturally fractal-not-fractional logic, Dillon’s rhythms unfold between unresolved 5/4 tresillo patterns, complex tabla strokes and spark-jumping tics in a fluid, tactile dance of dynamic contrasts between strong/light, sudden/restrained, and bound/free made in reference to the notational instructions of choreographer Rudolf Laban. Working in and around the beat and philosophy, the album’s freehand physics contract and expand between the lissom rolls of Bhamra’s tabla in the first, to a harmonious balance of hard drum angles and swooping FM synth cadence featuring additional synth and vocal from Laurel Halo in ‘Workaround Two’, while the extruded strings of Lucy Railton create a sublime tension at the album’s palatecleansing denouement, triggering a scintillating run of technoid pieces that riff on the kind of swung physics found in Artwork’s seminal ‘Basic G’, or Rian Treanor’s disruptive flux with a singularly tight yet loose motion and infectious joy. Crucially, the album sees Dillon focus on dub music’s pliable emptiness, rather than the moody dematerialisation of reverb and echo. The substance of her music is rematerialised in supple, concise emotional curves
and soberly freed to enact its ideas in balletic plies, rugged parries and sweeping, capoeira-like floor action. Applying deeply canny insight drawn from her years of practice as sound designer, musician and hugely knowledgable/intuitive DJ, ‘Workaround’ can be heard as Dillon’s ingenious solution or key to unlocking to perceptions of stiffness, darkness or grid-locked rigidity in electronic music. And as such it speaks to an ideal of rhythm-based and experimental music ranging from the hypnotic senegalese mbalax of Mark Ernestus’ Ndagga Rhythm Force, through SND and, more currently, the hard drum torque of DJ Plead; to adroitly exert the sensation of weightlessness and freedom in the dance and personal headspace.

Xexa is still undefined, gliding over her origins, influences, and points of reference. Her music is informed by uploads from all that, processing heritage and future in much the same democratic way, sure of its (her!) path. Synthetic as it may sound, »Kissom« contains the very human element of Xexa's presence, not only through her instantly recognizable ethereal vocals but also manifest in the web of grooves stopping short of »dance«. »Kizomba 003« is the closest she comes to the dancefloor, a reduced take on the popular style of kizomba, a low-key interpretation but with the vocals atypically high in the mix. A brief breath of nostalgia. »Kissom« (title track) prolongs the slow pace, almost as an extended mix of »Kizomba 003«, stretching the sexy bounce for close to 4 extra-delightful minutes.

Everything seems to dissolve into space, as if every track gently expires only to be reconfigured somewhere else, molecule by molecule, perhaps in a different location within our mind. The artist somehow corroborates the feeling, particularly regarding »Será«, »Xtinti«, and »Txe«, which she says »finish exactly where I wanted. They all end with an EQ that mutes the frequencies until they cease to exist«. Here, there, sparse beats, successive waves of ambience, half-machine lips singing close to our ears, a blend of classic 4AD and a metallic environment warmly wrapping around the music. Extra-long, »Quem és tu?« poses the question – Who are we? Who is she? And the title »Kissom« stems from another question Xexa often hears from people, »Ki som é este?« (What is this music?). The answer might well be the artist's own paste of the words »kiss« and »som«. Lovely.

A song about Colostomy - from the opening bars you might think so. but it gets worse. 'X rated' stuff.
the label say 'Djoko is no stranger to Voyage Direct. Having first appeared on the label way back in 2012, he's returned numerous times since, becoming an integral member of the imprint's growing family of artists. Elsewhere, he's delivered material on Tuskegee, Mobilee and Leftroom, amongst others, developing an approach that takes inspiration from numerous styles of house and techno. However, little he's previously released can match the raw, eyebrow-raising lust and sexually charged funk of Dirty Talk'.

Driven forward by Djoko's sleazy, whispered spoken word vocal, the original version combines the rubbery, bass-heavy rhythms of classic, Dance Mania-style ghetto house, the delay-laden guitar flashes of vintage NYC proto-house, and the kind of darting, funk-fuelled keys - provided by fellow Dutch producer Kid Sublime - that recall the glory days of '80s electrofunk. Djoko provides an alternate version in the shape of the thrusting, stripped-back Club Dub', with his breathy Accapella' rounding off the A-side.

On the flip, two Voyage Direct stalwarts take it in turns to rework the track. First up is label boss Tom Trago, who builds on Djoko's elastic percussion with some dense new drum hits of his own. These are combined with spacey synths and sharp string stabs, giving Dirty Talk' a more classic techno/house fusion flavour. In contrast, Werner uses the opportunity to turn in a triple-X-rated interpretation full of bounding, Chicago-influenced beats, intergalactic pads, sleazy acid lines, and sweaty, surging drum fills. It's a fittingly breathless remix.'

MAL welcomes Hiroshi Takakura aka Element & co-owner of Riddim Chango Records with a heavyweight session of deep roots mutations and dynamic steppers.

A truly unique and well loved character, Hiroshi is one of Japan’s key figures for dub wise experimentation and this release presents a decade of influence distilled into a selection that bridges Jamaican and UK lineages with a very personal slant.

The centrepiece, ‘Longest Summer Pt.1 & 2’, is a radical remake of the theme from Fruit Chan’s Hong Kong cult film. He flips the wistful, naïve melancholy of the original alongside deep bass weight and syncopated hats with a slink and roll that feels as well suited to the steaming tarmac of LA as any smoke laced, late night Blues dance.

Born from the momentum of live set preparation, the raw sketches that make up the ep were shaped into full-blown dancefloor weapons, particularly the percussion-heavy, tribal mayhem of the title track, ‘Motion Exchange’.

All in all the release captures a snapshot of heady obsessions: UK roots and dub pressure channeling echoes of Jah Shaka, Jamaican dancehall’s roughneck energy, and a wide selection of experimental electronic influences from the early 80’s to the present day.

Motion Exchange delivers a weighty steppers sound that honours its roots while pushing into bold, forward-thinking territory.

Like Element’s sets, this is music for the rig but has layers of detail that reveal themselves on repeat listens and in selector tradition, the EP offers multiple versions for extended play.

A further milestone in MAL’s journey, with Takakura charting heavy new territories in modern dub. RIYL 5 Gate Temple / Bokeh Versions / Lord Tusk / Seln etc.

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We’re happy to announce the “Planetary Shift” EP by our friend O-Wells with an additional remix by Bangkok’s finest Sarayu from More Rice. An EP that combines friendship and a long overdue Ozelot-cosmos release. After we heard “Planetary Shift” a while ago for the first time, we kept insisting on releasing it- Now we’re happily presenting it to you in the form of a 4 track EP.

The record orbits around O-Wells’ signature style: dub-inflected drums, slithering synth lines, and percussive patterns that never sit still. There’s a sleek futurism to these tracks, but they feel worn-in, like spacecraft that have already charted the edges of known space. Across the EP, O-Wells embraces tension and release—rolling low-end pressure that swells, only to dissolve into weightless melodic fragments.

The result is music that feels in constant flux, forever shifting through sonic terrain without losing its pulse. Anchoring the EP is a remix from Sarayu, a key voice from Southeast Asia’s flourishing electronic music scene. Known for threading traditional rhythmic sensibilities into contemporary club frameworks, Sarayu flips O-Wells’ abstract groove into something tactile and urgent. His version turns the track inside out—primal percussion and humid atmospheres pushing the original’s spacious minimalism toward a more grounded, earthy palette. It’s a vital rework that expands the release’s global reach, bridging Frankfurt and Bangkok through the shared language of rhythm and friendship – Overall, the reason why we do what we do.

Out Friday 14th June, the renowned jazz and funk trumpeter Sefi Zisling presents his third album ‘The Librarian’, blending classic elements with psychedelic funk, soul, and spiritual jazz. ‘The Librarian’ is dedicated to all things close to Sefi’s heart. The album pays homage to his musical inspirations, his wife, friends, and Eyad, a Palestinian whose story moved Sefi.

"This album was made as an ode to the people I love, and I would like to dedicate this album to them." - Sefi Zisling

Sefi Zisling first started playing the trumpet at the mere age of ten, soon after enrolling in the prestigious art school Thelma Yellin. Performing in an array of bands since his early teens, Sefi has performed and recorded sessions with almost every key player of the jazz world in Israel. His debut album ‘Beyond The Thing I Know’, released on Tel Aviv’s leading collective Raw Tapes, propelled the trumpeter onto the world stage. Sefi then found his home on Tru Thoughts for his sophomore record ‘Expanse’, an album that captured the essence of the classic jazz session and transformed his role from instrumentalist to composer.

The cover art is a painting by the late Walid Abu Shakra, a member of the Abu Shakra family who have collectively played a pivotal role in the Palestinian-Israeli art scene and are respected worldwide. Walid aimed to highlight the expropriation of Palestinian land by the Israeli state and centred his artistic career on safeguarding a disappearing landscape through his monochromatic etchings.

Selling Points
Sefi Zisling's sophomore album "Expanse" sold out on vinyl in the first few months
The cover art is a painting by the late Walid Abu Shakra, a member of the Abu Shakra family who have collectively played a pivotal role in the Palestinian-Israeli art scene
Praise from Jazz FM (Playlisting), FIP, Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), Jazz Times, Jazziz, Tom Ravenscroft, Huey Morgan, Cerys Matthews (BBC 6Music), Musica Macondo, Music Is My Sanctuary, Bandcamp Weekly, Wax Poetics and much more.
Recorded intimately and live with a five-piece ensemble
The LP features a spellbinding version of Mall Waldron's jazz standard 'All Alone'
Mixed by renowned engineer George Atkins (80 Hertz Studios)

Ralph Rodriguez aka Ralph Session is a Barcelona-based NYC-born house artist who kicks off this lush new Silver Walker 12" with 'Voices Rising', a smooth and song-driven deep house cut with a summery soul and stylish female vocals that hark back to the earliest soulful OGs. DFRA & MissFly combine then for 'Thinking', which is a more percussive and steamy, intense house sound with jazzy chords. Session's 'Love's Dance Floor' (instrumental mix) then taps into smoky late-night soul vibes with meandering leads allowing your mind to get lost in the moment and DFRA's 'Kiss My Soul' closes with a more playful and jazzy sound thanks to the charming flute leads and nimble, dancing keys.

2025 Repress

"Cake" was a New York band formed in 1973, following a line-up tweak and a change from their previous name "Mixed Company» (referring to the racially mixed personell). At Arabellum Studios in Colony, Albany, NY, the band recorded their only 7-inch single. "Make Up Your Mind" / "Let Your Body Go» was released on Key Records in 1979.



Half a life time later, after appearing in DJ mixes and online auctions in the late 2000s, the single started gaining notoriety among DJs and diggers. Working its way up to "holy grail" status on the modern soul and disco collector scene, original copies of the sought after record would eventually sell for as high as $1000.



In 2012, Hans Jørgen Wærner (Mutual Intentions Co-Founder and notorious disco collector) got in touch with Arabellum studio owner Art Snay who produced the record. This lead him to lead singer Bob Treffiletti who had a cassette tape with unreleased long versions of the songs. The sound quality of the tape was not adequate for what Hans had in mind, and so the hunt for the original master tapes began! Unfortunately, Art Snay later passed away. At one point chances of finding the original recordings seemed so slim, the project was all but abandoned….



Luckily, Bob managed to get hold of the master tapes via Art's wife and they were sent away to legendary disco mixer / remixer John Morales, who transferred the tape to digital format. After several rounds in one of Norway's best mastering studios (Strype Audio), noise reduction and sound surgery were done while retaining the soul of the original recordings. The songs were finally ready to be pressed on the format they have always deserved: the 12-inch disco single!



The 12-inch comes with four 5 min + long songs and can be pre-ordered now. The high-quality lacquer cut pressing is produced at Optimal Media in Germany and limited to 300 copies worldwide.

Their first full length LP, Khana Bierbood are a fresh Thai band with their hearts in a lot of musical places. . Produced by Go Kurosawa (Kikagaku Moyo) in Tsubame studio in Tokyo.Starting track Rustic Song, from the jet sound at beginning, you will realize that you arrived in Thailand. Followed by Track 2 Starshine, you can find surf vibe but it’s different than the West coast surf music. The topnotch is the B1 track Badtrip where you can hear lo-fi garage with heavy doomy fuzz jam part. For fans of Oh Sees, La Luz, or Thai’s morlam music. Khana Bierbood (translated as Strange Brew in Thai), formed in 2012, in Bangsaen Beach in Thailand. After hours of jamming together they started create their unique sound influenced by 60’s surf music, 70’s garage rock with Thai traditional music. Current line up is: GOB Yutthana -Vox,Guitar, JAY Rathchanon-Bass,Backing vocal, OHM Chanutpong – Drums, Peep Sirimit -Percussions, Keys, and MO kittinan- Guitar.

- Following Record Store 2024 Exclusive numbered yellow LP reissue for the first time since release , the album now back on CD too and as Solid Green Vinyl
- Northside were key players in the 'Madchester' / baggy / indie-rave scene of the early 90s
- Top 20 album produced by The Lightning Seeds' Ian Broudie (Echo & The Bunnymen, Shack, The Coral, Texas)
- Featuring the indie dancefloor fillers 'Take 5', 'Shall We Take A Trip' and 'My Rising Star'
- Vinyl cut from the original Factory Records masters
- Restored artwork by Central Station Design
- Expanded CD edition features 6 bonus tracks : rarities, single edits & 2 remixes by The Reflex & Leo Zero

Renowned Vienna-based keyboardist and producer Philipp Quehenberger is known for his improvisational approach to electronic music. With a history of notable releases on respected labels like Cheap Records and Editions Mego and his energetic live sets, Quehenberger has built a reputation for a distinctive sound.

His latest release, the vinyl EP "Hot Water", comes as the inaugural offering from the newly established label "other machines".

Opening with "Emortal" a slowed down four on the floor beat is acompanied by a heavy bassriff and wobbly psychedelic synthlines, the record picks up speed but maintains its dark but catchy vibe with the house -like "Heaven" featuring strings and another wallshaking bassline.

The story of Suffering began in the UK's West Midlands in 2012 and since those nascent days they have released a nefarious collection of occult black metal offerings, beginning with their debut album, 11, in 2018 and most recently the Symphonies: Diabolis EP in 2024. They have also built a reputation for intense, diabolical live performances, appearing alongside the likes of Esoteric, Ghost Bath, and Mol. The band recently signed with infamous label, Apocalyptic Witchcraft, with label founder Conor Droney describing Suffering's music as "dark, unflinching, and deeply atmospheric, exactly what we stand for." And now the first fruits of that new alliance are about to be unveiled, in the shadowed form of Things Seen But Always Hidden. Things Seen But Always Hidden is an enveloping nightmarish journey through temptation and spiritual destruction, an immersion in contrasting states of terror and ecstasy - it bewilders, consumes and possesses the power to change and scar. Each song seeps into the next, binding them into a grimoire of dehumanising ritual, yet they exist as powerful individual entities. There is 'Enthralled', constructed from classic black metal riffs and raw vocal exhortations_and something more, something imperceptible but profoundly affecting; 'What Once Was Shall Be Again And What Is Shall Be No More', a glimpse beyond the veil, a fall down the endless paths of inherited memory that binds you to this album, this place constructed from arcane sound; the fear filled and imperious 'Hell On Earth New Eden', driven by a ravenous, unholy hunger_each chapter in this tome of unmaking and desecration will burn itself into your mind. A fusion of blackest metal, ritualistic doom and unsettling, distressing atmosphere Things Seen But Always Hidden will never leave you, no matter where you run. The way to Things Seen But Always Hidden will be revealed by Apocalyptic Witchcraft on November 28th. But remember, once you have set foot on this path there is no way back_

Das letzte von Chris Bailey mit The Saints eingespielte Material! "Long March Through the Jazz Age" ist das letzte Album von Chris Bailey und The Saints. Es ist ein bewegender Abschied - ein Zeugnis eines rastlosen, kompromisslosen Künstlers, der immer vorwärts ging, einer der großen Texter und doch unglücklicher Musiker. Aufgenommen Ende 2018 in den Church Street Studios in Sydney, flogen Bailey und der langjährige Saints-Schlagzeuger Pete Wilkinson aus Europa ein, um sich mit Gitarrist/Toningenieur Sean Carey, der zuvor mit der Band getourt und aufgenommen hatte, gemeinsam an dieses letzte Kapitel von Bailey's Saints zu begegeben . Zu ihnen gesellten sich Davey Lane (You Am I) an der Gitarre sowie ein handverlesenes Ensemble junger Musiker*innen Sydneys. Aus Baileys groben Demos entwickelte sich "Long March Through the Jazz Age" zu einer zutiefst menschlichen Momentaufnahme mit Strahlkraft."Empires (Sometimes We Fall)" ist der hymnische Opener des Albums, getragen von Gitarren und untermalt von Baileys schmerzhaften Texten: ,Sometimes we rise, sometimes we fall". Es ist der perfekte Auftakt für ein Album, das Baileys angeborenen Punk-Spirit versprüht und gleichzeitig frei in einer großzügigen Produktion fließt. Eine 12-saitige Gitarre verleiht dem streicherlastigen "Judas" Harmonie und Wärme, es ist ein herrlich melancholisches Stück, "Gasoline" erinnert an den Country-Sound der Stones auf Exile On Main Street, während "Bruises" eine ehrliche Erinnerung daran ist, wie dieser gefeierte Troubadour dorthin gekommen ist, wo er heute steht. Es gibt Momente von Dylan-artiger Erhabenheit, wenn klangvolle Gitarren und Streicher das Panorama erweitern, während der Titelsong eine eindringliche, poetische Intensität vermittelt, dessen trauriger Trompetenbreak so erschauern lässt wie kaum etwas anderes. Long March Through the Jazz Age markiert das Ende der bemerkenswerten Reise von Chris Bailey und The Saints - die üblichen Wege ignorierend, über vier Jahrzehnte Musik gelebt. Limitiertes blaues Vinyl mit Glanzlack-Cover, Linernotes & DLC oder Digisleeve CD. "One of the most sporadically brilliant, frustratingly uneven and most undeniably important bands Australia has ever produced" - The Guardian

Space is a place in Kongsberg/Norway. Meadows & io fire up their spacerock jet engines for a double album release. An enchanting escapade into the ether and fabric of dreams. Claus A. Breda Gulbrandsen with Vegard Eggum, Svein Olav Eriksen and Julian Bugge Moe deliver soothing and gritty guitars intertwined, Lucious synts, and a cinematic and pleasantly drifting trip into a celestial plane. "Above and Below" just keeps on giving with those delicious keyboard leads and atmospheres... This is superb stuff that shouldn"t be overlooked by any prog and psychedelic space-prog nerd." - The Progspace.