Los Angeles' Zen 2000 returns with its third release, the third and final chapter in its kick-off string of 7-inches. For this episode, we once again dip into the deep and diverse well of local talent for a single from Tim Jones, a.k.a. Ex.Pontoon.
“Coming Back” is a slinky, off-kilter slow burn, a slinky vocal groove snaking through SoCal G-funk refashioned into a crackly reggae dub wobble. The other side is a delirious and psychedelic trip into the desert, the fiery sun scorching the earth below. Icy guitars and a cavernous arrangement turn the sonic horizon into a shimmering mirage. For the digital bonus, an instrumental version of the B-side, further revealing the nuanced and delicate composition of the piece.
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Locklead arrives on LOCUS in style as he drops a quartet of cuts via his ‘Blue Monday’ EP.
An artist undeniably in a purple patch following releases via Dungeon Meat, Vatos Locos, Dark Side Of The Sun and his debut album ‘Square One’ on Up The Stuss, Utrecht’s Locklead continues to flourish as one of the Netherlands’ hottest emerging house talents. Showing no signs of slowing down, his next release provides another signal of intent as he heads to FUSE sister imprint LOCUS for the first time. Following multiple appearances for the label at their London showcases, he now unveils four diverse and expansive offerings showcasing his far-reaching sound across his ‘Blue Monday’ EP.
A track that’s been the subject of ID requests for months, title cut ‘Blue Monday’ kicks things off in style as infectious vocals and spiralling synths go to work above a wormhole of a bassline to provide a peak-time cut already proven to work dancefloors. ‘Join The Tribe’ leans on tight rolling grooves guided by crisp organic drums licks, rumbling low-ends and off-kilter samples, while ‘Orbiting’ is a spacey journey into the late night hours. To close, Locklead takes things deeper as he layers rich chords, swinging drums and hazy vocals across a classy house effort to wrap up proceedings.
7" + Purple & Green Vinyl LP[27,94 €]
Limited Edition of 7,000 on Purple & Green Vinyl. Limited Edition of 3,000 on Purple & Green Vinyl w/ Bonus 7“. Celebrating the 15th anniversary since its original release, Dinosaur Jr. is reissuing “Beyond” on limited edition coloured vinyl with a special edition white vinyl 7”. With J Mascis on guitar & lead vocals, Lou Barlow on bass and vocals, and Murph on drums, the 2007 album was the first from original lineup Dinosaur Jr. since 1988’s “Bug," kicking off a Dinosaur Jr. reunion which has lasted longer than the band’s original run. "Less a theme park of the past and more of an actual trip there… Beyond is nostalgic for everything but the band's own glory days. If anything, it's an exercise in making their entire twenty-year output sound contemporary again.” - Zach Baron for Pitchfork // "very existence of this new album is a surprise, but the real shock is that Beyond is a flat-out great record, a startling return to form for J Mascis as a guitarist and songwriter and Dinosaur Jr. as a band… Beyond isn't merely a worthy album from a reunited band, it's simply a great record by any standard.” - Stephen Thomas Erlewine for Allmusic Guide // "There is something almost eerie about how exactly the Dinosaur Jr of 2007 sound like the Dinosaur Jr of 1988: on occasion, listening to Beyond feels discombobulating, like meeting an old school friend 20 years on…" - Alex Petridis (The Guardian).
Purple & Green Vinyl LP[24,33 €]
Limited Edition of 7,000 on Purple & Green Vinyl. Limited Edition of 3,000 on Purple & Green Vinyl w/ Bonus 7“. Celebrating the 15th anniversary since its original release, Dinosaur Jr. is reissuing “Beyond” on limited edition coloured vinyl with a special edition white vinyl 7”. With J Mascis on guitar & lead vocals, Lou Barlow on bass and vocals, and Murph on drums, the 2007 album was the first from original lineup Dinosaur Jr. since 1988’s “Bug," kicking off a Dinosaur Jr. reunion which has lasted longer than the band’s original run. "Less a theme park of the past and more of an actual trip there… Beyond is nostalgic for everything but the band's own glory days. If anything, it's an exercise in making their entire twenty-year output sound contemporary again.” - Zach Baron for Pitchfork // "very existence of this new album is a surprise, but the real shock is that Beyond is a flat-out great record, a startling return to form for J Mascis as a guitarist and songwriter and Dinosaur Jr. as a band… Beyond isn't merely a worthy album from a reunited band, it's simply a great record by any standard.” - Stephen Thomas Erlewine for Allmusic Guide // "There is something almost eerie about how exactly the Dinosaur Jr of 2007 sound like the Dinosaur Jr of 1988: on occasion, listening to Beyond feels discombobulating, like meeting an old school friend 20 years on…" - Alex Petridis (The Guardian).
For Fans Of Garage Punk, Power Pop, Cheap Trick, Dollyrots, Suzi Moon, Pretenders, Blondie, The Muffs, 5.6.7.8’s. One part pop, one part poison, all “poolside glitter punk,” Hayley and the Crushers offer up a tsunami of bad girl power. Anointed “the naked embodiment of power pop punk” by New Wave icon Josie Cotton (who signed the band to her Kitten Robot Records in 2021), Modern Adult Kicks is their most ambitious and self-possessed album to date. Produced by legendary LA punk producer and ex-Screamer Paul Roessler (TSOL, Josie Cotton, Richie Ramone), the album conjures up the electricity of first-car freedom, the woes of suburban isolation and the lurid pleasures of Y2K chat rooms all wrapped in the warm glow of a late-night infomercial. While the content is no doubt “adult,” there’s no shortage of kicks to be had. The California-to-Detroit transplants have injected even the most bummer of subjects (addiction, heartbreak) with a potent venom of caffeine and heart. Sure, BUST Magazine once likened the band to a bag of Sour Patch Kids, but this new album reveals fresh depths of flavor. Crafted in a post-Covid world, Modern Adult Kicks is exactly what it advertises to be: a more put-together, wiser “big sister” to the band’s sunny 2020 release, Vintage Millennial. Like finally being old enough to party with the babysitter, Kicks is a shining example of how growing up can actually rule. In the Crushers’ world, growing jaded isn’t an option and there’s never a good reason to stop dancing. Tracks 1 Taboo 2 Cul de Sac 3 She Drives 4 Broken Window 5 I Fall 6 Click and 7 Act Now 8 Lost Cause 9 California 10 Sober 11 No Substitutes 12 Overexposed
‘Running Out Of Time’ is the first physical single to be taken from Billy Sullivan’s forthcoming debut solo album - due early 2023.
“Lyrically it’s about the idea that once you hit your late twenties, you’re running out of time. That you immediately have to sort a job, a house, relationship, kids. For the only aim to be stability within a mundane scenario. But we’re still fed this idea of ‘normality’ in a time where it’s harder than ever to achieve what is expected. I suppose it’s a response to not living up to those expectations
We return with the second Glenn Davis” 12”, a year on from his last Yore twelve-inch “Soul On My Side”, Dublin-based DJ and producer Glenn Davis returns with its sequel, the as-stellar Better Daze. The EP's melodic, soulful sound. The dynamic title cut locks in instantly with a pumping kick drum and builds layer by layer thereafter. Percussion, hi-hats, electric piano chords, and synthesizers add to the thrust of the production as it grows ever more urgent. As the track advances, Davis drapes a jazzy keyboard solo across the booming base as the swing swells to a near-ecstatic level. “Your Time” rounds out the A-side with a cut that suggests pure energy at its outset before quickly morphing into a sleek house strut. With percussion included and late-night synth atmospherics folded in, the breezy tune starts to sound like something you'd hear banging out on the Dancefloor thats surrounding you.
On the flip, Davis brings the skipping house groove of "Inner Monologue” to a fever while. Moody chords, hand drums, and a snappy groove set the scene. The female vocalist's soulful delivery and vibes-like earworm that make the tune the standout it is. Think of a dark Room and a red light bulb & House Music forever and a day.
Keiji Haino/Jim O'rourke/Oren Ambarchi
Caught in the dilemma of being made to choose” This makes the...
- 1: A Contradiction Has Started To Devour The Numerical Sequence We May Be Made Aware That Normal??? Exists Finally
- 2: Thinking Too Deeply I Skipped Over ¯¯ Three By Three
- 5: “Caught In The Dilemma Of Being Made To Choose” This Makes The Modesty Which Should Never Been Closed Off Itself Continue To Ask Itself: “Ready Or Not?” Part 1
- 6: “Caught In The Dilemma Of Being Made To Choose” This Makes The Modesty Which Should Never Been Closed Off Itself Continue To Ask Itself: “Ready Or Not?” Part 2
- 7: Overtightened The Screw Of The Password To Mystery Drowns In An Infinite Number
The renowned trio of Keiji Haino, Jim O’Rourke and Oren Ambarchi return to Black Truffle with their 11th release, “Caught in the dilemma of being made to choose” This makes the modesty which should never been closed off itself Continue to ask itself: “Ready or not?” Demonstrating once again their commitment to continual experimentation in instrumentation and approach, the record begins with a long-distance collaboration made in response to a commission from New York’s Issue Project Room in 2021 during widespread lockdowns and travel limitations. A unique piece in the trio’s extensive body of work, this side-long epic finds Haino performing on metal percussion, O’Rourke on electronics and Ambarchi on gongs and bells. Initially dominated by rapid patterns on resonant, high-pitched tuned percussion, the piece sets Haino’s dynamic and dramatic performance against a calm backdrop of cycling electronics, thrumming gong strikes and hanging bell tones. The performance develops a heightened, intensely concentrated atmosphere reminiscent of Haino’s classic Tenshi No Ginjinka or his Nijiumu project; when Haino moves to clashing hand cymbals in its second half, the piece’s ritualistic energy suggests aspects of the music of Tibetan Buddhism.
The remainder of the double LP documents the trio live at Tokyo’s SuperDeluxe (the location of all but their very first recording) in a wide-ranging set recorded in December 2017. The concert opens, in another first for the trio, with Haino on drums, O’Rourke on Hammond organ and Ambarchi on his signature Leslie cabinet guitar tones. Haino’s explosively untutored approach to the drumkit will be familiar to some listeners from the radical duo iteration of Fushitsusha heard on Origin’s Hesitation. Setting flurries of rapid activity against moments of silence, his drumming here at times suggests Milford Graves in its tumbling toms and thudding kick-drum propulsion. Accompanied by O’Rourke’s organ and Ambarchi’s guitar, which in their shared use of long tones and shifting modulation speeds almost blend into a single voice, the opening sections of this performance are some of the most magical music the trio has committed to tape thus far.
After an interlude of spoken vocals in both Japanese and English, Haino makes a dramatic entrance on guitar. Against O’Rourke and Ambarchi’s increasingly intense electronic backdrop, Haino unleashes a stunning passage of slowly moving chromatic melodies and sudden shrieking explosions bathed in distortion and reverb. By the time we reach the third side, the guitar/bass/drums power trio is established and lurches into a passage of massive, lumbering rock that threatens to fall apart at every beat, O’Rourke’s strummed chordal work on six string bass creating a harmonic density equivalent to a second guitar. An abrupt edit throws the listener in media res into a frantic locked groove grounded by fuzzed out bass patterns and caveman drums. As Haino moves through a variety of approaches, from massive edifices of stuttering fuzz to ominous swarms of feedback, the trio eventually stumble into a kind of Harmolodic military tattoo, Haino’s guitar weaving and slashing across the rhythm section’s irregular accents. Moving through an epic opening duet for O’Rourke on Hammond and Haino’s wailing guitar, the fourth side eventually ramps up into a frenetic finale of mad bass riffing, crackling snare hits and guitar squall.“Caught in the dilemma of being made to choose” This makes the modesty which should never been closed off itself Continue to ask itself: “Ready or not?” is a testament to the continuing power and invention of this trio, who continue to seek out new terrain after over a decade working together. 2LP set presented in a lavish gatefold sleeve on heavy stock along with inner sleeves containing live pics by Tsuyoshi Kamaike. Photography by Jim O’Rourke, design by Lasse Marhaug and translation by Alan Cummings.
Well known as the Deep’a half of Deep’a & Biri, and a huge influential source of energy and innovation in Tel Aviv’s house and techno community, Yaron Amor goes solo for the very first time with an incredibly personal project. Introducing Zeena…
“The decision about the solo project was made during a visit to Morocco, in the main city square of Marrakesh I came across an improvised jam of 20 drummers from all over the country, the crazy rhythms they played together spontaneously amazed me and made me realize that the perfect beat I've been looking for, for so many years, was under my nose. In Arabic and Moroccan music that was constantly played in the house where I grew up…”
Home is where the soul is… Zeena translates to beauty in Moroccan and this label exists wholly to celebrate and push cutting edge Arab electronic music. It starts here with Yaron’s first solo EP. The result of an inspired creative series of recordings with drummers and musicians from Israel, Algiers, Morocco, and Berlin, across three tracks we’re taken on a beautiful excursion of emotions, tension and introspective places.
“I tried to merge together influences from the world of techno which I have been active in for almost 20 years along with the rhythms of Arabic music while paying respect to each of the genres.”
From the tension and powerful emotion of ‘The Pain Body’ (a mesmerising kick-less tableaux that would work perfectly for an intro or mid-set game-changer) to the powerful synth-laced Detroitian drive and thump of title track ‘Zeena’ via the wild rolling toms of ‘Omipresence’, this is Yaron Amor as we’ve never heard him before… Raw, honest, direct and totally at home. The middle east has played a huge role in so many inspirations, influences and sample sources since the very start of electronic music. Now its time to bring that to the fore and celebrate it on a whole new level. Zeena is that level. Stay tuned…
- 1: Going To The City - Stormer
- 2: Cocaine - L.a. Rocks
- 3: Bound For Hell - Max Havoc
- 4: Rock ' Roll Ain't Pretty - Jaded Lady
- 5: Ready To Explode - Steeler
- 6: No Time To Lose - Lizzy Borden
- 7: On The Run - Sin
- 8: Give Em The Old 1, 2, 3 - Black Blue
- 9: Damnation Alley - Bitch
- 10: Feeling To Rock - Romeo
- 11: Savage Kind Of Girl - V.v.s.i
- 12: Up From The Depths - Hellion
- 13: Blade Of Steel - Angeles
- 14: Cold Reception - Knightmare Ii
- 15: Cinderella (In Black Leather) - Witch
- 16: Liquid Lady - Reddi Killowatt
- 17: Lesson Well Learned - Armored Saint
- 18: We Came To Kill - Leather Angel
- 19: Take It Or Leave It - Rough Cutt
- 20: Fool Of Lies - Lisa Baker
- 21: Judgement Day - Odin
White Lines Vinyl[88,24 €]
2xLP + Book (Black) Heavy metal? Glam? Hard rock? Make your own fuckin' call, you poser. We're not gonna do it for you. Bound for Hell is early `80s L.A. rock as it actually was: a California cataclysm of drunk and horny headbangers, dressed in sharp, shiny, leather androgyny and fire, kicking crowds in the teeth to clear the way to that one big shot. This 2LP set delivers 21 tracks by 21 artists in an ephemera-stuffed gatefold, plus 144-page hardbound book detailing the Sunset Strip's most razor-sharp heathens. Drumsticks burned. Hands were severed. Faces bled. Heavy was HELL for a half decade and it was a long, long way down.
- 1: Going To The City - Stormer
- 2: Cocaine - L.a. Rocks
- 3: Bound For Hell - Max Havoc
- 4: Rock ' Roll Ain't Pretty - Jaded Lady
- 5: Ready To Explode - Steeler
- 6: No Time To Lose - Lizzy Borden
- 7: On The Run - Sin
- 8: Give Em The Old 1, 2, 3 - Black Blue
- 9: Damnation Alley - Bitch
- 10: Feeling To Rock - Romeo
- 11: Savage Kind Of Girl - V.v.s.i
- 12: Up From The Depths - Hellion
- 13: Blade Of Steel - Angeles
- 14: Cold Reception - Knightmare Ii
- 15: Cinderella (In Black Leather) - Witch
- 16: Liquid Lady - Reddi Killowatt
- 17: Lesson Well Learned - Armored Saint
- 18: We Came To Kill - Leather Angel
- 19: Take It Or Leave It - Rough Cutt
- 20: Fool Of Lies - Lisa Baker
- 21: Judgement Day - Odin
Black Vinyl[84,03 €]
2xLP + Book (Black) Heavy metal? Glam? Hard rock? Make your own fuckin' call, you poser. We're not gonna do it for you. Bound for Hell is early `80s L.A. rock as it actually was: a California cataclysm of drunk and horny headbangers, dressed in sharp, shiny, leather androgyny and fire, kicking crowds in the teeth to clear the way to that one big shot. This 2LP set delivers 21 tracks by 21 artists in an ephemera-stuffed gatefold, plus 144-page hardbound book detailing the Sunset Strip's most razor-sharp heathens. Drumsticks burned. Hands were severed. Faces bled. Heavy was HELL for a half decade and it was a long, long way down.
"Under This Hunger Moon We Fell" is the new album from the uniquely talented, multi-instrumental artificer Lomond Campbell, the third and final instalment of his experiments using tape loops at the heart of his music making process. Campbell notes that "as the album was nearing completion there was a particularly dramatic Supermoon called a Hunger Moon. Apparently it has this name because it occurs right at the end of winter, when predators are at their most lethal and desperate, and those seen as less powerful are preyed upon". These themes can be clearly heard on an album that feels cold and bleak in tandem with moments of vulnerability and tenderness. "Under This Hunger Moon We Fell" stalks from the shadows with a natural, quiet confidence before exploring more carnal heaviness and occasionally brutal displays of dramatic tension. It meditates in cycles and is at both times predator and prey, conveying the balance of these relationships with its cinematic compositions. The album ranges from soft, delicate atmospheric musings such as "Bastard Wing" and "Leave Only Love Behind" to the dark electronics of "And They Are Afraid Of Her" and "Phonon For No One", which Campbell describes as "akin to a massive machine starting up, like a huge sinister power mobilising". During its gloomier moments, "Under This Hunger Moon We Fell" buries tonally ambiguous ambience underneath hazy, distorted textures created via the gradual degradation of the tape. It creates a dream-like backdrop with a moody undertone created by deep basslines and hulking percussive elements, blended with orchestral sounds that add an air of humanity. Although his music is grounded in sound it often incorporates sculpture, engineering, product design and visual art. Using a combination of hardware hacking and industrial manufacturing techniques, Lomond builds his own unique instruments and devices for creating sound which he combines with modular synths, piano and voice. The album also sees Campbell"s vocal debut on "For The Uncarved", having originally written the part for a friend. "I was supposed to be recording her album in my studio The Lengths, but she was struck down with Covid so the session was scrapped. It felt like the album needed some kind of human element so I resorted to singing the part myself". "Under This Hunger Moon We Fell" concludes a trio of albums using tape loops, which was kickstarted with an email from Lomond"s long-time friend and collaborator King Creosote. He was looking for a custom tape looping machine so Lomond set about designing and building a unique music machine, inspired by Reich and Basinski, that plays 10 second tape loops which disintegrate over time as they pass near a rotating magnetic disc. Campbell built and then tested the machine by recording a series of improvisations with it which became LUP, the first album in the trilogy.
- A1: De'sean Jones & Ideeyah - Pressure
- A2: Donald Lee Roland Ii - Simba's Theme
- A3: Jason Hogans - Surrounded By Trees
- B1: John C & Meftah - Full
- B2: Meftah - When The Sun Falls
- B3: De'sean Jones - Psalm 23
- C1: Ian Fink - Moonlight (Duality/Detroit Live Version)
- C2: Kesswa - Chasing Delerium Feat. Nova Zai
- D1: Specter - The Upper Room
- D2: Raj Mahal - Hudsons
- E1: Raybone Jones - Green Funk
- E2: Whodat & Sophiyah.e - Don’t Know
- F1: Howard Thomas - Experiment 10
- F2: Mbthelight - Again (T’s Edit)
- F3: Sterling Toles - Janis
Growing up in Chicago, later Detroit-based music producer, Theo Parrish is internationally well known for his own inimitable downtempo house music style. The approach Parrish took to compiling DJ-Kicks was very ambitious, inviting his Detroit peers to produce a collection of brand new material, and in turn creating the first ever all exclusive entry to the esteemed series.
"Detroit creates. But rarely imitates. Why? We hear and see many from other places do that with what we originate. No need to follow. Get it straight. In the Great Lakes there are always more under the surface than those that appear to penetrate the top layer of attention and recognition. What about them that defy tradition? Those that side step the inaccurate definitions often given from outside positions? This is that evidence. Enjoy."
First official compilation by Theo Parrish
All exclusive unreleased material
Includes new music from Theo Parrish
Triple LP sampler containing 15 full length tracks
GoaTekk is a mind blowing blend of sharp breakbeat rhythms and flying Goa Trance feeling with a huge blow of Acid influence. On this 5 dancefloor killer tracks plate you will find the diverse palette of mutating genres. The opener ‘deleting_your_data313’ is a tribute to Techstep domination times: gated Reese bass with evolving trance pads goes together on the basement of classic break. Next comes the ‘digital_trance’ stomper - rolling 101 baseline, huge 4x4 kick served with 303 acidline and vocal stabs in breaks. The second side starter - minimalistic ‘primal_code’ utilizes fast 808 drum pattern alongside with ripping roaring acid lead which conquer all frequency spectrum. B2 ‘hyperplane’ is a heavy mid tempo Electro tune with long tailed pitfall and flangy 101 bass. The closing one, ‘poison_bit’ creates a dreamy soundscape where fast 160pbm Juke drum pattern interflow with gated Goa pads and melancholic 101 arpeggios. The ultimate seduction....
French firecracker Adrien Calvet shacks up on those sun-kissed Bali shores providing a luscious EP for Pantai People’s fifth release. Soulful serenity underpinned by bumping house grooves with that distinctive French feel.
On the A, title track ‘Le Doigt De Toto’ kicks off the journey with its infectious bassline, sweeping pads and absorbing vocals. Beachside or boothside, this one hits just right. Berlin’s Cinthie then works her magic giving it a late night, heads down, deep house rework.
Flip it for another two gems, the jazz-infused, acid-tinged ‘Riesling’ featuring Coupe Melba that slips down like a smokey Negroni with an added kick and the slap bass channelling, cosmic percussive workout ‘Esperance’.
(Amsterdam | NL) Surrender to the call of NowNow Records as the imprint from Lee Ann Roberts' sets the release of its first V/A compilation. Featuring Aida Arko, Brecc, Blicz, and Geerson, NowNow Various 1 sets the space between the subtlety and soul of Hard Techno with a tasting of proper talent. Pre-orders are available starting on 30 September 2022.
The now Amsterdam-based South African artist, Robert's created NowNow Records as a destination for communities and cultures to come together in sonic bliss. NowNow Records has championed off-the-grid Techno through its inherent state of urgency since Robert's kicked off the imprint with 2021's I Want You Ep. Since, NowNow Records has been celebrated as a go-to destination for the harder edges of Techno, with releases from WarinD, OGUZ, Ana Lilia, and Benny Guzi all offering their respective takes on this unmistakably relentless sound.
After two successful years, NowNow Records' first V/A features Vienna's Aida Arko, whose A Long Night Into Dunwall kicks things off with her typically industrial, dark, and percussive groove before melding into Brecc's appropriately titled Praise the Rave. The Utrecht-based artist, known for his relentlessly energetic sets, draws from much experience with this one, and it shows! Next, Paris' enigmatic Blicz lets the music do the talking with Independance Night before fellow Frenchmen Geerson closes the affair with the bonafide banger, Domenical Mass.
The complete release is not one for the faint of heart but definitely for those looking for that moment where the music takes you travelling without ever having to leave where you are.
The fourth installment of MdCL’s Midnight Snacks series features remixes of snacks from vol 1 & 2, reimagined by Foursixone (Germany), Sound of Fractures (UK), Laroye (France) and Coflo (USA) – instrumental dancefloor pressure for the broken beat and soulful house heads. Curated by the Mashibeats community – community-sourced remixes and community-A&R’d – the EP kicks off with Foursixone’s broken beat reimagining of ‘Crush Velvet’: file alongside BITA and 2000Black. Sound of Fractures blends jungle bass-line pressure with a 2-step bounce on ‘Blue Hour’. On the flipside we dive into house with Laroye’s alternate mix of ‘Crush Velvet’ – a future nu-jazz house classic, and wrap up with the gospel organs and deep 4/4 grooves courtesy frequent Osunlade collaborator, Coflo.
As a duo they embrace both sides of the coin, drums and guitar, chaos and order, male and female, ying and yang, the angel and the devil. They are more than the sum of both counterparts though, making for a maximalist auditory experience. PIKA brings her skills of mystifying performance to the table, all free-drum bluster and vocals veering between shrine maiden and wild spirit. Kawabata's guitar-work moves from a roar to a whisper, a yell to a sob, he's working on the same canvas of extremes. The aim of their unity is to write truly celestial hymns for the outer world and odes of love for the inner cosmic context.
No strangers to one another, the pair have not only gigged together with their respective bands but also recorded together, when these two outfits temporarily fused in 2005 to become Acid Mothers Afrirampo (releasing an album of the same name). Two years later they distilled their collaboration, all other players being stripped away to leave the core of Pikacyu's manic drums and pop vocal, and Makoto's schizoid guitar conjurings. In 2011 they spent five weeks touring the US and their first album, 'OM Sweet Home: We Are Shining Stars From Darkside', which was released by the esteemed UK label of all things heavy and brilliant, Riot Season. Last year they spent two weeks touring through Europe whilst writing a new album suffused with the outreaching sound and message of their impulsive live performances. This new album is entitled 'Galaxilympics' and will be released by Upset The Rhythm on August 4th on LP and CD.
'Galaxilympics' is an album of contrasts, so much colour, so much shade! 'Space Sumo' kicks off the record in explosive style. Pikacyu's drums jitter, crash and stumble, but steadfastly refuse to groove. Makoto attacks his guitar, cloaking himself in reverb to produce a wall-of-sound, alternating between melody and noise. 'Funifunikonefuni' follows with it's frenzied take on pop music, bubbling with energy and PIKA's multiple vocal layers. 'I'll Forgive' is chant-like in its devotion to following the tumbling melody line of the song even to absurd and unpredictable dimensions. 'Pika Mako Hall' is a more serene affair, with whispered echoes and guitar drones swirling amongst bursts of rapid sequencer ambience. 'Castle Of Sand' picks up on this more spacious approach with slowly developing programmed electronics, before the title track erupts with gurgling synths, soaring guitar trails and PIKA's most searching vocal yet.
The album concludes in reflective manner with the suitably titled 'Sayonownara', a song as much in the present as it is in the act of saying farewell. It's positively elegiac with washes of cymbal and deep acres of guitar drone for the first five minutes before PIKA's drums take things up a gear and into more psychedelic out-rock terrain. This insurgence eventually peaks and the album melts away to silence. PIKACYU-MAKOTO have made an album that takes you on a trip into your very soul before emerging once more at the edge of another galaxy. 'Galaxilympics' is a triumph of opposites united, it enjoys walking out into the unknown, but it's also a portal into the very real world of two musicians who find peace and semblance through their interaction. Hymns and odes to one side, this is a giant album of future-facing song and noise, where better to find harmony enthroned
+ 10 Tracks for download
Preceded by the successive releases of lead singles "Sandcastles" and "My Mind", here comes the versatile debut full-length offering from Tel-Aviv-based producer Kadosh on Stil vor Talent, "Unanimously". Bridging the club universe with that of deeper, further immersive off-floor narratives, Kadosh entices us down a compelling path of rhythmic enlightenment and all-embracing togetherness. Casting mutable strains of EBM, house, pop and exotica entangled in one dizzying polyphony throughout the album, the Israeli vibist has us surfing our way across his musical headspace effortlessly.
From the stealth, neo-noir-like opening sequence of "Interstellar" feat. Marc Piñol to the epic Luso-Italo vibrations of "Sandcastles" feat. vocal hoodooist Abra~o, via the exquisite Afro-informed piano house and all-round atmospheric luxuriance of "My Mind" feat. Floyd Lavine and Erika Krall's supremely smooth yet characterful timbre, Kadosh swings the pendulum with constant surprise and bravura. Aside from his compositions' obvious hooking nature, there's also great lots of textural back funk to dive in at every corner. Hauntingly transporting, "From Jaffa to Frederichshain" feat. Upon You's Marco Resmann works a more jagged programming, flush with big-room reverbs and muted drums, while the slo-evolving "Pronto" feat. Emanuel Satie morphs from a low-key DJ tool into a full-fledged, melancholy-charged peak-time burner.
Bearing both Kadosh and David Mayer's signature, "1999" lets the 80s-inherited arsenal of iridescent Casio synths and lashing percussions talk in unhindered fashion, whereas "Volantage" feat. Murat Uncuoglu goes all in on the trampling kicks, sooty claps and prismatic keyboard stabs. Sensual to the fullest, "Moran" in collaboration with Rodriguez Jr. is certainly one of the album's highlights with its impeccably laid-down melange of bassy thunder and shapely Latin rhythmic backbone ushering us down an irresistibly poignant and hypnotic tunnel of sound. A joint effort with Locked Groove, "Far Too Close" is a further loopy discoid affair reminiscent of the French filtered-house scene's heyday, while the album's closer "Think it Over" feat. Stereo MC's is that perfect pop-indebted electro chugger that'll rev up any tired engine with reinvigorated, ecstasy-inducing horsepower.
After a long hiatus partly initiated by our re-energizing from an incredibly hectic season, always with love and rhythm; Sacred Rhythm & Cosmic Arts are back; We are so excited about what's coming in the nearest future and onward. All praises go to our associations, partner Labels, our growing connection with our family of music creators and distributors, and of course; our unwavering love and appreciation with and for all of you our supporters, for whom we would not have made it this far without. That said, we are thrilled to announce this first release to kick off our upcoming season. We proudly present The Reflections EP by Artist / DJ Roi Azulay. The Reflection EP is the third release on Sacred Rhythm by Roi Azulay. On this EP Roi chose to illuminate a deeper almost acoustic side of his multi-dimensional production outputs. There are three compositions featured on this 12 Inch- one of which is a remix produced by the one and only Ron Trent, who without fail provides us with the dopeness that we've no doubt come to expect from this dope visionary… We invite you, however to dive further into Roi's world and take a deeper listen to the entirety of the EP, all the while taking in the full essence of this music tale that Roi Azulay tells via voices on his compositions, which by the way are siblings of a forthcoming Full-length Album Coming shortly… speaking of which, Roi's Full-length LP will feature a Kuniyuki Remix on



















