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Mantar erreichten mit ihrem letzten Album Pain Is Forever... (2022) Platz 2 in den Offiziellen Deutschen Charts!- Year End "Best" Listen: Metal Hammer Deutschland, LAWeekly (US), Exclaim (CA), Terrorizer (UK)- Vorgestellt auf: All New Metal/Black & Dark Metal/The Pit/Metal Planet (SPOTIFY), Breaking Metal/New Music Daily/Optimus Metallum/Breaking Hard Rock (APPLE MUSIC)- Mantar hat 8,5 Millionen Streams auf Spotify erreicht- Massive Underground-Fangemeinde in Europa und Nordamerika, die auf einem jahrzehntelangen DIY-Ansatz und ausgedehnten Tourneen beruht- Vergangene Festivalauftritte: Hellfest, Download, Full Force, Oya Festival, Getaway Rock, Roadburn, The Fest (US), Wacken, Maryland DeathfestCharts (Pain is Forever...):Germany:#2 Official German Album ChartsAustria:#69 Official Album ChartsSwitzerland: #45 Official Album ChartsUS Billboard:#60 Current Hard Music Album#84 Top New ArtistsQuotes for Pain Is Forever and This Is The End (old):- Album of the Month - Metal Hammer (GER)"So präsentiert sich das räudige Doom-Duo auf PAIN IS FOREVER AND THIS IS THE END in Bestform. 'Art Is Hard', das wussten bereits die Indie-Rocker Cursive. Aber Mantar sind härter." - 6/7pts - Metal Hammer (GER)- Album of the Month - Metal.de (GER)- "Pain Is Forever.. skillfully keeps the balance between brute destructive fury and dense atmosphere in widescreen format with real underground hit potential." - 8.5/10 pts Rock Hard (GER)"So hält "Pain Is Forever..." gekonnt die Waage zwischen brachialer Zerstörungswut und dichter Atmosphäre im Breitwandformat und hat oftmals echtes Underground-Hitpotenzial zu bieten." - 8.5/10pts Rock Hard (GER)- "The blackened doom punk duo's biggest rock moment to date is not a betrayal, but an accomplishment" - Visions (GER)"Der bislang größte Rock-Moment des Blackened-Doom-Punk-Duos ist also kein Verrat, sondern eine Vollendung" - Visions (GER)- "A tremendous hit rate, as if we were not dealing with a regular longplayer, but with a "Best-of MANTAR". Very Strong!" - 8.5/10 pts Deaf Forever (GER)"Und so kann man "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End" eine enorme Trefferquote attestieren, so als ob man es nicht mit einem regulären Longplayer, sondern mit einer "Best-of MANTAR" zu tun hätte. Stark!" - 8.5/10 pts Deaf Forever (GER)"- "Compact and to the point interpretation of Black'n'Roll, which can not only split your skull, but also animate you to headbang and even sing along." - 9/10 pts Powermetal.de (GER)"Ein weiterer Volltreffer aus dem Hause MANTAR!" - 9/10 pts - Powermetal.de (GER) - "Auf dem neuen Album haben MANTAR nichts an Angriffslust und brachialer Wirkung verloren, ihr Repertoire jedoch eindrucksvoll erweitert, sind gewachsen und zu etwas in seiner grundlegenden Ehrlichkeit und massiven Härte unfassbar Schönem geworden, ohne auf ihren urgewaltigen Sound zu verzichten. " - 10/10 pts - Slam (AT/GER)- "Thicker grooves, anthemic refrains, head nodding rhythms and a greater exploitation of the fist-in-the-air-ology school of song writing." - 8/10 pts - Metal Injection (USA)- "...their latest studio album may be their best yet... a burning Molotov cocktail of black metal, sludgy hardcore and classic metal hooks..." - Decibel (USA)- "...they've made the album of their career so far; so buckle up and get ready for forty minutes of blackened punk that'll give you the kick up the ass you've been waiting for." - Distorted Sound (USA)- "I love how far my mind roams while listening to the same album on the repeat; the more I spin "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End", the more things I discover, driving me deeper into MANTAR's moving sand." - 10/10pts - Metal Kaoz (USA)- "Pain Is Forever... clearly takes some inspiration from their recent album of Grunge, Punk, and Riot Grrl covers by elevating this aspect of their sound a little more too, without dulling the unapologetically in-your-face edge of the music." - No Clean Singing (USA)

Mantar erreichten mit ihrem letzten Album Pain Is Forever... (2022) Platz 2 in den Offiziellen Deutschen Charts!- Year End "Best" Listen: Metal Hammer Deutschland, LAWeekly (US), Exclaim (CA), Terrorizer (UK)- Vorgestellt auf: All New Metal/Black & Dark Metal/The Pit/Metal Planet (SPOTIFY), Breaking Metal/New Music Daily/Optimus Metallum/Breaking Hard Rock (APPLE MUSIC)- Mantar hat 8,5 Millionen Streams auf Spotify erreicht- Massive Underground-Fangemeinde in Europa und Nordamerika, die auf einem jahrzehntelangen DIY-Ansatz und ausgedehnten Tourneen beruht- Vergangene Festivalauftritte: Hellfest, Download, Full Force, Oya Festival, Getaway Rock, Roadburn, The Fest (US), Wacken, Maryland DeathfestCharts (Pain is Forever...):Germany:#2 Official German Album ChartsAustria:#69 Official Album ChartsSwitzerland: #45 Official Album ChartsUS Billboard:#60 Current Hard Music Album#84 Top New ArtistsQuotes for Pain Is Forever and This Is The End (old):- Album of the Month - Metal Hammer (GER)"So präsentiert sich das räudige Doom-Duo auf PAIN IS FOREVER AND THIS IS THE END in Bestform. 'Art Is Hard', das wussten bereits die Indie-Rocker Cursive. Aber Mantar sind härter." - 6/7pts - Metal Hammer (GER)- Album of the Month - Metal.de (GER)- "Pain Is Forever.. skillfully keeps the balance between brute destructive fury and dense atmosphere in widescreen format with real underground hit potential." - 8.5/10 pts Rock Hard (GER)"So hält "Pain Is Forever..." gekonnt die Waage zwischen brachialer Zerstörungswut und dichter Atmosphäre im Breitwandformat und hat oftmals echtes Underground-Hitpotenzial zu bieten." - 8.5/10pts Rock Hard (GER)- "The blackened doom punk duo's biggest rock moment to date is not a betrayal, but an accomplishment" - Visions (GER)"Der bislang größte Rock-Moment des Blackened-Doom-Punk-Duos ist also kein Verrat, sondern eine Vollendung" - Visions (GER)- "A tremendous hit rate, as if we were not dealing with a regular longplayer, but with a "Best-of MANTAR". Very Strong!" - 8.5/10 pts Deaf Forever (GER)"Und so kann man "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End" eine enorme Trefferquote attestieren, so als ob man es nicht mit einem regulären Longplayer, sondern mit einer "Best-of MANTAR" zu tun hätte. Stark!" - 8.5/10 pts Deaf Forever (GER)"- "Compact and to the point interpretation of Black'n'Roll, which can not only split your skull, but also animate you to headbang and even sing along." - 9/10 pts Powermetal.de (GER)"Ein weiterer Volltreffer aus dem Hause MANTAR!" - 9/10 pts - Powermetal.de (GER) - "Auf dem neuen Album haben MANTAR nichts an Angriffslust und brachialer Wirkung verloren, ihr Repertoire jedoch eindrucksvoll erweitert, sind gewachsen und zu etwas in seiner grundlegenden Ehrlichkeit und massiven Härte unfassbar Schönem geworden, ohne auf ihren urgewaltigen Sound zu verzichten. " - 10/10 pts - Slam (AT/GER)- "Thicker grooves, anthemic refrains, head nodding rhythms and a greater exploitation of the fist-in-the-air-ology school of song writing." - 8/10 pts - Metal Injection (USA)- "...their latest studio album may be their best yet... a burning Molotov cocktail of black metal, sludgy hardcore and classic metal hooks..." - Decibel (USA)- "...they've made the album of their career so far; so buckle up and get ready for forty minutes of blackened punk that'll give you the kick up the ass you've been waiting for." - Distorted Sound (USA)- "I love how far my mind roams while listening to the same album on the repeat; the more I spin "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End", the more things I discover, driving me deeper into MANTAR's moving sand." - 10/10pts - Metal Kaoz (USA)- "Pain Is Forever... clearly takes some inspiration from their recent album of Grunge, Punk, and Riot Grrl covers by elevating this aspect of their sound a little more too, without dulling the unapologetically in-your-face edge of the music." - No Clean Singing (USA)

Hailed by Galore Magazine as "A Queer Icon", 80's inspired popstar Caroline Kingsbury releases her latest EP "I Really Don't Care!" on pink 10" vinyl. "I Really Don't Care!" was produced by Charlie Brand (Minature Tigers), and features the song "Take My Phone Away" co-written with Justin Tranter.

Kingsbury has been featured in influential playlists such as Spotify's Fierce Femmes, Fresh Finds, and Apple Music's Alt Pop, and New Music Daily. She's toured the US multiple times over supporting artists like Alex Lahey, St Lucia, Arlie, and has garnered praise from Pitchfork, the New Yorker, Gay Times, Rolling Stone, and many more."

Legendary Welsh stoner rock / doom metal band Acrimony is triumphantly re-releasing their monumental debut-album “Hymns To The Stone”. This sonic masterpiece was originally released in 1994; it combined bone-crushing riffs, psychedelic overtones and a visceral connection to both 1970s hard rock and the emerging sludge and doom scenes of the ‘90s. The album - with the 2019 mix and mastering by James Plotkin - was already included in the long sold out vinyl box set “The Chronicles Of Wode”, but never as a stand-alone re-release. “Hymns To The Stone” has a gigantic cult classic status and it’s often admired as a defining release in the stoner rock and doom metal scenes. Over three decades this album has built ad devoted fanbase. As one of the pioneering stoner rock bands in the UK with their raw, riff-heavy sound and deep love for the psychedelic and the smoking weed culture, Acrimony set a standard that influenced countless bands in the genre. “Hymns To The Stone” reminds fans old and new why Acrimony remains a cornerstone of heavy music. Don’t miss your chance to relive - or discover for the first time - the transcendental power of Acrimony’s debut-album! Vinyl.

Black vinyl / 505mcn paper / 30 x 60 cm Insert with Liner Notes by Tony Higgins printed on 250 mcn Lenza Top Recycling Paper / Condensed interview to Spata Sisters and exclusive pictures.

Personnel:
Enzo Randisi - Musser Percussion Keyboards
Riccardo Randisi - Acoustic Piano, Rhodes, ARP & Korg Keyboards
Marcello Pellitteri - Drums
Giuseppe Costa - Acoustic Bass & Electric Bass Guitar
Mimmo Cafiero - Congas & Percussions
Sandro Palacino - Tenor and Soprano Saxes
Loredana Spada - Vocalist
Cinzia Spata - Vocalist
Mary Lo Giudice - Vocalist
Mariella Gueli - Vocalist

Notes:
Did someone say Summer? Sicily is what Cuba is to the Caribbean, sun, sea, easy and friendly people with lots of troubles! You won't find anything better around that identifies the summer more than this album by Enzo Randisi who at the beginning of the 80s put together a Swing Ensemble as a tribute to that "cheerful" movement of Jazz music. But Enzo and his fellas just couldn't stay on track and put in the best that the alternative Palermo area could offer in that historical period, like the sisters Cinzia and Loredana Spata, who brought the production to a next level in the vocal version of All Blues or in Chic Corea's Spain. But what really struck us was Charles Cables' version of "Quite Fire" (here missspelled as "Quite Fair"), released a few months earlier only in Japan and which would only become famous in the 90s with the Acid Jazz movement, and this tells us a lot about how hungry Enzo and Riccardo were of musical knowle, to be able to find some pearls in a city with basically no record shops and isolated...well...it's on an island! For this re-press we enlisted Tony Higgins, who recently finished a very long commitment and greenlight to delight us with his polished English...Welcome back Tony!

As soon as Martin Circus was born in 1969, the band laid foundations for the French "Pop Musique" genre, deliberately turning its back on both French yéyés and rock'n'roll to better embrace psychedelia and the French language. In 1971, they were a pioneering, innovative group moving as fast as a speeding train, building upon everything they found on the way. However, faced with band members changing often, management issues and music evolution, Martin Circus ended up trying to fit in every style: soul, R&B, glam rock, disco, new wave, 80s mainstream music. To follow their journey is to listen to the world shifting along music charts. Behind the scenes, since the very first days of the band, one man had been pulling all the strings. Manager and artistic director Gérard Hugé used to work for both the band and the label - this has never been good news. What he cared about the most was getting records out, no matter who played on them. In the mid-70s, he registered the Martin Circus name, granting himself full power over the band. Deciding that it no longer had either a lyricist or a composer, he made the remaining musicians embark on a series of American 60s hits adaptations. As a result, they made tons of money : "Marylène" was a huge hit and gave them a new impulse. The Martins adopted a new look by wearing shiny Courrèges-style suits and platform boots, and on stage they performed dance moves choreographed by the eccentric Amadeo. They completely fit into the disco craze which was about to take over. Still, their music blended doo-wop and rockabilly with glam rock and funk music. They eventually hit disco with a soundtrack in the mannerof French disco groups such as Space and Voyage. Effortlessly, they released the epic 14- minute "Disco Circus", a track which was to become a real underground gem. DJ and remixer François Kevorkian then released it on the American Prelude label in a self-edited version, shortened to 7 minutes while retaining all the dazzling passages of the original track. It came to be a hit in the clubs of New York and Chicago, making a lasting impression on everyone who heard it. It got sampled on at least 40 tracks over the following decades and featured in dozens of bootlegs and prestigious compilations - by Laurent Garnier, Carl Craig, Juan Atkins, Joey Negro, The Beatnuts, The Rapture, and by Danny Krivit in the DJ culture film Maestro. As the 80s arrived, Martin Circus once again changed the way they looked and their style. Inspired by Devo and their cold dance music, by Buggles' synthpop and Plastic Bertand's postpunk. Throughout their career full of ups and downs, Martin Circus nonetheless managed to keep up with one stable element: contrary to what they seemed, the musicians never took the easy way out. Their playing and arrangements were consistently flawless and polished, they relentlessly dedicated themselves to playing quality music and this can only compel admiration. As Coco Chanel once said, "Fashion goes out of fashion, style never does."

Free jazz poetry by a spry, 85 year old Joe McPhee, adapting his renowned improvised practice to words - juxtaposed with Mats Gustafson’s sparing brass and electric gestures. It’s an utterly timeless and transfixing salvo, another shiny notch for Smalltown Supersound’s Le Jazz Non Series.

As a common ligature to the OG free jazz scene of ‘60s NYC, with formative binds to its European offshoots and the experimental avant garde, Joe McPhee is a true force of nature who has represented jazz at its freest over a remarkable lifetime. In duo with Swedish free jazz and noise standard bearer Mats Gustafson, he upends expectations with an astonishingly vivid and upfront example of his enduring contribution to freely improvised music. In 11 parts he variously reflects on everything from the neon sleaze and scuzz of NYC to contemporary US politicians and laugh out loud imitations of his previous sparring partners such as Peter Brötzmann, with a head-slapping immediacy that leaves you reeling, spellbound.

McPhee’s flow of rare, organic cadence, ranging from urgent to contemplative and dreamlike, is blessed with a unique turn-of-phrase that surely mirrors his decades of instrumental work. Gustafsson, meanwhile, dextrously takes up the mantle with a multi-instrumental spectrum of sounds, leaving McPhee unbound and able to float and sting on the mic. There’s obvious wisdom in his perceptively penetrative observations, as derived from a rich cultural life well spent, but also a playful naivety and levity in his ability to veer from almost melodic speech to explosive aggression and a knowing, bathetic wit. It’s perhaps hard to believe that McPhee only started incorporating and performing spoken word in his work in the past ten years, a half century since his declaration of “What Time Is It‽” announced his arrival on a legendary debut ‘Nation Time’ (1971), ushering in one of free jazz’s most singular characters in the process.

Oscillating between discordant reflections on life as a touring musician, set to Gustafsson’s skronk and culminating in a snort-worthy imitation of Peter Brötzmann’s gruff German accent, on ‘Short Pieces’ or the glowering growl and noise exhortations of ‘Guitar’, he evokes a more sweetly consonant calm in ‘When I Grow Up’ and eerie threat of ‘The Dreams Book’, and viscerality of ‘Disco Death’, where Gustafson’s tonal versatility comes into hugely mutable play, whilst McPhee’s extraordinary, unaffected voice is a constant. It’s perhaps McPhee’s balance of cool measuredness and wellspring of barbed energies that allows us, at least, to get the most out of this one; not stifling with mannered or manicured enunciation that can trigger certain icks; keeping close to the nature of spoken word in a way that avoids cliche and becomes inherently critical of it within his purposeful, non-hesitant clarity and unflinching approach.

Music Brokers’ exploration into legendary Progressive Rock keeps expanding now on vinyl format. We return to the rock sub-genre that combined complex arrangements and improvisation with fantasy aesthetics and lyrics. Krau- trock & Progressive: The Definitive Era digs deep into some of its lesser known artists like Hammer, Harmonia, One, and Agitation Free and combines them with many of the most essential names of the ‘60s and ‘70s like East Of Eden, Mogul Trash, Egg, La Dusselford and Beggars Opera. With fantastic artwork and remastered sound, Krautrock & Progressive: The Definitive Era is another essential addition to your collection on vinyl format; and remember that the album is not available on streaming platforms!

1st November saw the release of THE CURE's critically acclaimed album, 'SONGS OF A LOST WORLD,' the band’s first new studio record in 16 years and their first #1 album in the UK since 1992.

The night of the album's unveiling, The Cure performed it in full to 3000 fans at Troxy London and to more than a million on a free global stream.



The stunning live performance entitled 'SONGS OF A LIVE WORLD : TROXY LONDON MMXXlV’ will be released on the 14th Feb on vinyl on Fiction/Polydor, with all The Cure's royalties benefitting War Child and this will be opened up to Indie stores.



Initially formed in 1978, The Cure has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, headlined the Glastonbury festival four times and been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. They are considered to be one of the most influential bands to ever come out of the UK.



'SONGS OF A LOST WORLD' was written and arranged by Robert Smith, produced and mixed by Robert Smith & Paul Corkett and performed by The Cure - Robert Smith: Voice / guitar / 6string bass / keyboard, Simon Gallup: Bass, Jason Cooper: Drums / percussion, Roger O'Donnell: Keyboard, Reeves Gabrels: Guitar.

'SONGS OF A LIVE WORLD : TROXY LONDON MMXXlV’ includes Perry Bamonte: Guitar / 6string bass / keyboard.

Ltd Deluxe Boxset: 180g dunkelgrüne 2LP in Gatefold-Hülle mit alternativem Coverartwork; 2CD (Album + Instrumentals); Blu-Ray (Dolby Atmos & Surround Sound, High Res Stereo Mixes); 68 seitiges Artbook); Poster 600x600mm; Schlafmaske; Traumfänger Schlüsselanhänger; A5 Dream Journal

Warehouse Find

Time for the second release in our series with the super OG, Mr. Bobby Aitken. Bobby and his band the Carib Beats produced a whole lot of stuff for release thru WIRL back in the late '60s. One of the best is this great rocksteady adaptation of Curtis’ classic “Keep On Pushing”, with Lloyd (Robinson) and Glen (Brown) on vocals. On the flip side of this is one of the rarest Carib Beats tunes, titled “Soul Special.” This is a cool instrumental with some charming flute playing (we love flute!), only ever released as the flip of “Crying Time” (still available), a brutally rare 45 that only exists in tiny numbers as a UK test pressing, never making it to full release.

Imagine Dragons sind zurück! Die mit über 160 Milliarden Streams und dem GRAMMY Award ausgezeichnete Rockband veröffentlicht ihr sechstes Studioalbum ”LOOM”. LOOM wurde komplett von Imagine Dragons und ihren langjährigen Kollaborateuren Mattman und Robin produziert. Die Band hat ihren klassischen Dragons-Sound mit frischen Einflüssen aufpoliert und ein Projekt geschaffen, welches stilistische Grenzen gekonnt hinter sich lässt. Das Album enthält 9 brandneue Tracks, inklusive der Hit-Single ”Eyes Closed”.

This is Music: The Singles, ist ein Kompilationsalbum der englischen Alternative-Rock-Band The Verve:
Richard Ashcroft (Gesang), Pete Salisbury (Schlagzeug), Simon Jones (Bass) und Nick McCabe (Gitarre).
Ursprünglich wurde das Album im November 2004 veröffentlicht und enthielt zwei Nicht-Singles, die aus
den Aufnahmen zu ihrem dritten Album Urban Hymns stammten: „This Could Be My Moment“ und
„Monte Carlo“.
2024 markiert den 20. Jahrestag der Veröffentlichung eines Albums, das nie auf Vinyl gepresst wurde,
und unter der Leitung der Gruppe ersetzt diese längst überfällige Neuauflage die Bonustracks durch die
kraftvollen Singles aus dem 2008er Reunion-Album Forth - ’Love is Noise’ und ’Rather Be’ - und enthält
auch die zweite Single ’She’s A Superstar’ (1992) in ihrer ursprünglichen, achteinhalbminütigen Form (statt
der fünfminütigen Bearbeitung). Somit repräsentiert das Album nun die komplette Geschichte der Singles
von The Verve.
Benannt nach der sechsten Single der Band, der ersten aus ihrem zweiten Album A Northern Soul, dokumentiert es auf brillante Weise die Kraft der relativ kurzen, aber epochemachenden Reise von The Verve
durch den musikalischen Kosmos.

"Four years in the making, Nikolaienko’s retrogarde take on mid-20th century tape music is a loping, whirling fuzzy felt oscillator odyssey. If Louis and Bebe Barron had been asked to create electronic tonalities for a Czech animation based on EM Forster’s The Machine Stops, the results may have turned out like this. Only, for all its nods to Parmegiani and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, one can’t quite see this album coming out in 1956 – or even 1976. Something about the slightly off kilter rhythms, the loose feel and wheezing sound effects make this very much a post-Dilla take on Raymond Scott and his successors." - The Wire

"...The album, pitched as “a tribute to early-electronics’ golden era,” takes on a fragmented aesthetic of bleeps, thunks and jolts that secrete the concentrated focus of a fantastical laboratory...” Tiny Mix Tapes

"...The Sounds Of Pseudoscience is a perfect cocktail of space ambient with ice, delicate percussions, under-water rhythms and echoes of Soviet 60s..." Krossfingers

Limited to 50 copies cassettes in Riso printed J-cards

"Four years in the making, Nikolaienko’s retrogarde take on mid-20th century tape music is a loping, whirling fuzzy felt oscillator odyssey. If Louis and Bebe Barron had been asked to create electronic tonalities for a Czech animation based on EM Forster’s The Machine Stops, the results may have turned out like this. Only, for all its nods to Parmegiani and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, one can’t quite see this album coming out in 1956 – or even 1976. Something about the slightly off kilter rhythms, the loose feel and wheezing sound effects make this very much a post-Dilla take on Raymond Scott and his successors." - The Wire

"...The album, pitched as “a tribute to early-electronics’ golden era,” takes on a fragmented aesthetic of bleeps, thunks and jolts that secrete the concentrated focus of a fantastical laboratory...” Tiny Mix Tapes

"...The Sounds Of Pseudoscience is a perfect cocktail of space ambient with ice, delicate percussions, under-water rhythms and echoes of Soviet 60s..." Krossfingers

East meets west on this long-lost and super rare 1973 jazz album from Israel. Headed by Albert Piamenta, 'The Jazz workshop' was a group of jazz pioneers from the Middle East who sought to make the connection between the countries of their up-bringing and the hardcore New-York jazz sound of the 60's. Druze, Arab and Jewish folk compositions interpreted in a deep, mystical yet thumping manner, making this an absolute gem for jazz collectors and dj's alike.

GRAMMY-nominated recording artist GloRilla releases her highly anticipated debut album GLORIOUS. The star-studded affair includes features from Megan Thee Stallion, Latto, Sexyy Red, Kirk Franklin, Bossman Dlo, Fridayy, T-Pain, Muni Long, and Chandler Moore. The debut studio album comes after Big Glo trailblazed her way through the music industry with infectious hit records and high-profile collaborations that have won fans around the globe, including this year's Hot 100 hits ""Yeah Glo!,"" ""TGIF"" and ""Wanna Be"" featuring Megan Thee Stallion."""

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, two-time Grammy® Award-winning Hip-Hop icon, Kennedy Center Honoree, actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder/CEO of Rock The Bells, LL COOL J continues his trailblazing career with upcoming album 'The FORCE'.

LL’s highly anticipated 14th studio album The FORCE (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) set for release September 6th follows over a decade long hiatus. The record was executive produced by Hip-Hop innovator and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Q-Tip, of A Tribe Called Quest. With this album, LL will help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the creation of Def Jam Recordings. As LL was the label’s first release, there is no better way to represent the legacy of Def Jam Recordings on its 40th year

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, two-time Grammy® Award-winning Hip-Hop icon, Kennedy Center Honoree, actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder and CEO of Rock The Bells, LL COOL J has created one of the most multifaceted careers and brands in entertainment and continues to display his wide range of talents with every project.

Four decades after he first burst onto the scene, LL COOL J continues his vibrant, trailblazing career. LL COOL J helped elevate the burgeoning rap and Hip-Hop scene of the 80’s, which developed into the musical and cultural phenomenon that is Hip-Hop as we know it today. Of LL’s many contributions to the culture, he also is credited with the creation of the acronym “G.O.A.T.” - short for “Greatest of All Time.”

First introduced to the world in 1984 as a Def Jam Recordings’ flagship artist, LL is the first rap artist to amass ten consecutive platinum-plus selling albums, including his critically-acclaimed debut album, RADIO, and the international, timeless anthem and album of the same name, MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT. LL’s hit singles include “Going Back to Cali,” “Doin’ It,” “Around the Way Girl,” “Loungin’”, “Headsprung,” and Hip-Hop’s first rap ballad “I Need Love.”

Up next, this fall LL is back to make his latest artistic contribution and continue to elevate Hip-Hop culture after over a decade long hiatus with the release of his highly anticipated new album, The FORCE (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy), executive produced by Hip-Hop innovator and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Q-Tip, of A Tribe Called Quest. With this album, LL will help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the creation of Def Jam Recordings.

In December 2017, LL became the first rapper to earn the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor, which is America’s highest achievement for any performer. In addition, he received his star on the world-renowned Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 21, 2016.
In March 2018, LL launched his own SiriusXM timeless Hip-Hop channel entitled “LL COOL J's Rock The Bells Radio,” garnering millions of daily listeners. The channel features a wide range of innovative and timeless Hip-Hop content, music, interviews, and in-depth retrospectives curated, programmed, and presented by the award-winning artist himself. Since founding the radio station, Rock The Bells has developed into a global platform that has become the preeminent voice for timeless Hip-Hop. Rock The Bells focuses on content, commerce and experiences that honor the CULTURE and the core elements of Hip-Hop – MCs, DJs, Breakers, Graffiti Artists – and more. Rock The Bells hosted its inaugural eponymous music festival in Queens, New York in August 2022, which sold out back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023, where LL headlined both festivals.

LL COOL J was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on October 30, 2021, in Cleveland, Ohio for the 36th annual induction ceremony. Considered by most as the crowning achievement for one’s musical career, the ceremony was a celebration of LL’s lasting impact on Hip-Hop and the music industry.

In Summer 2023, LL COOL J, Rock The Bells, and Live Nation Urban kicked off his first arena tour in 30 years across North America called The F.O.R.C.E. Tour, inspired by the name of LL’s forthcoming album. Living up to the acronym for Frequencies of Real Creative Energy, the lineup for this tour was personally curated by LL COOL J. Building off their amazing performance together on the GRAMMY® Awards earlier that year celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop, all dates featured collaborative live performances with preeminent Award-winning Hip-Hop band The Roots, the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff, and DJ Z-Trip.

LL hosted the GRAMMY® Awards for an unprecedented five years in a row from 2012-2016, for which he earned rave reviews. In addition, he hosted and produced the GRAMMY® Nominations Concert Live Special for seven years and has also been a presenter at the Emmy®, Golden Globe® and SAG Awards. Most recently, at the end of 2023, LL helped produce CBS’ live concert special A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.

LL has always been an avid philanthropist involved in numerous causes, including literacy for kids as well as music and arts programs in schools. Founded in 2005, LL’s charity “Jump & Ball” – which takes place every August in his hometown of Queens, New York – aims to give back to his local community by offering an athletic and team building program dedicated to bringing wholesome fun to young people.

Between being a musician, actor, philanthropist and entrepreneur, LL COOL J is the ultimate multi-hyphenate whose career continues to expand and where he remains one of the most beloved and innovative brands in entertainment. He currently resides in both New York and Los Angeles.

Gus Englehorn ist Bürger des Planeten Gus, eines unheimlichen Universums, entstanden durch die Urknall-Kollision zwischen heiterer Schönheit und apokalyptischem Chaos. Sein Hornbook verwandelt die Rock’n’Roll-Geschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts – die Golden Oldies der 50er, den Garage-Spunk der 60er, die glamouröse Extravaganz der 70er, die Indie-Transgression der 80er, die Lofi-Weirdness der 90er – in eine Alien-Übertragung aus der Zukunft. "The Hornbook" wurde in Montreal von Grammy-Gewinner Mark Lawson (Arcade Fire, Sophie Hunger, Basia Bulat) produziert, dessen Lebenslauf auch einen persönlichen Meilenstein Englehorns enthält: "Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?" (2003), die herrlich verlotterte Debüt-LP der Montrealer Kulthelden The Unicorns, die ihn sehr beeinflusst haben.

The Alloy Six's third album Delicate Days is a rock album with roots in 60s and 70s rock and pop music but with an eye on the future. Ten new strong songs with jangly and fuzzed guitars, organs, and fine vocal harmonies.

The eleventh studio album by American soul quintet The Temptations for the Gordy label, Puzzle People was released in 1969. Produced entirely by Norman Whitfield, it expanded on the psychedelic soul sound of Cloud Nine. Although a few soul ballads are present, the album is primarily composed of Sly & the Family Stone/James Brown-derived proto-funk tracks, such as the number-one Billboard Pop hit "I Can't Get Next to You." The album peaked into the Top 5 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, and spent fifteen weeks at number one on the R&B Albums chart. According to AllMusic reviewer Mark Deming, this is "the work of a great vocal group firing on all cylinders and getting inspired support in the studio, one of the group's strongest late-60's efforts."

BASta! is the solo project of double bass player and composer Joris Vanvinckenroye, in which he explores and pushes the limits of the double bass. In this project, using looping and effect pedals, Joris creates an almost orchestral sound, using the full range of his instrument-from the deepest basses to the highest notes. These layered compositions weave complex rhythms and melodies into a rich and compelling soundscape.

The debut album of BASta!, Cycles, was released in 2009 on the label Homerecords.be and marked the beginning of an adventurous journey that brought BASta! to numerous stages, both solo and in collaboration with multidisciplinary productions by Rode Boom and Retina Dance Company, among others. Besides BASta!, Joris has been active for decades in bands such as Aranis, Troissoeur and MOTYK (formerly Flairck), with which he performs internationally, from Mexico to China and from Oman to the United States. He also composes music for dance, theatre and multidisciplinary productions, including Rode Boom's successful production Unknown Evidences, which has been performed over 600 times in France, Morocco and Denmark, among others.

Joris Vanvinckenroye:double bass, Viola da Gamba
Composed and recorded by Joris Vanvinckenroye,
Mixed at Studio Cucurucu by Jesse De Roo
Mastered at Elektropolis by Uwe Teichert
Album produced by Nik Bartsch

Available for pre-order! Expected to be available from Jan 31, 2025. Your order will be shipped as soon as the item is in stock. If a partial delivery is desired, additional shipping costs may apply.

Der vielleicht spannendste von Blue Notes ”jungen Löwen”, Altsaxofonist Immanuel Wilkins, Gewinner des
Deutschen Jazzpreis 2024 in der Kategorie „Live Act des Jahres International“, meldet sich mit seinem
dritten Album für Blue Note Records zurück.
Schon sein Blue-Note-Debüt ”Omega“, das von der New York Times zum #1 Jazz-Album des Jahres 2020
gekürt wurde, brachte ihm weltweite Beachtung und Anerkennung für sein Spiel und seine ungewöhnlich
vielschichtigen Kompositionen ein. Sein neues Werk „Blues Blood“ bezeichnet er als von seiner Kindheit
in der Gegend von Philadelphia inspiriert.
Co-produziert wurde es von Meshell Ndegeocello, mit Micah Thomas am Klavier, Rick Rosato am Bass,
Kweku Sumbry am Schlagzeug und den Sängern Ganavya, June McDoom und Yaw Agyeman, sowie Gastauftritten von Sängerin Cécile McLorin Salvant, Gitarrist Marvin Sewell und Schlagzeuger Chris Dave.
„Blues Blood“ ist Wilkins‘ bislang ambitioniertestes Album und gleichzeitig ein zugängliches, spirituelles
Werk über Erinnerungen, das Erbe unserer Vorfahren und die Blutlinien, die Menschen verbinden

John Lee Hooker - "It Serve You Right To Suffer (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series)" 180g Heavy Vinyl LP Released on the Impulse! Records label in early 1966, this collection is a mix of new compositions and re-workings of tunes John Lee Hooker had previously recorded, including a cover of Barrett Strong's 1959 Motown hit "Money (That's What I Want)." Featuring Panama Francis on drums, Milt Hinton on bass, and Barry Galbraith on second guitar, the result is some of the best John Lee Hooker material with a band that you're likely to come across. Verve's Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging. Verve Label Group; Verve; Jazz; Catalog

With lyrics that "give a voice to the feelings of people who often get left out of
popular discourse and pop culture" (NPR), Oliver Anthony became the first artist
in history to debut at No. One on the Billboard charts without previously having a
song on the charts with his hit song "Rich Men North of Richmond." The song has
been streamed more than 153 million times on YouTube and has tallied more
than 433 million across all streaming platforms. He is the first living male
songwriter to chart 13 songs simultaneously in Billboard's Top 50 Digital Song
Sales. Five of his other songs have made iTunes' Top 10, including "Ain't Got a
Dollar," which also claimed the No.One spot on Spotify's Viral 50 list.
In April, he released his first studio album, Hymnal Of A Troubled Man's Mind; the
dynamic 11-song collection "hits on an emotional, nostalgic musing of childhood
joy compared to adulthood strife. These ideas expound on facets of human
existence untouched by the political realm, no matter which camp you find
yourself on" (American Songwriter). Produced by Grammy winner Dave Cobb, the
album was praised by fans and critics for its "homespun sound" that shines light
on "his grainy, soulful vocal with acoustic guitars, bass and fiddle" (Billboard).
"Helmed by Nashville super- producer Dave Cobb, the 18- track collection is rife
with stories of addiction, depression, faith, and fury as Anthony documents the
decade leading up to his unexpected rise to stardom (it also features eight Bible
verses as interludes). A stark departure from "Richmond" in some ways and
others not, the album is proof that his viral moment wasn't a fluke." -
"This album represents the most pure and transparent view inside my heart and
soul that I could offer. While Richmond was the song that got my name out in the
public, these songs represent the true foundation of the music that got me
through life up until now" - Oliver Anthony Music

Repress!

PPU 12" release from Evans Pyramid aka Blood Deep featuring "Where Love Lives" an unreleased accelerated funk anthem from the late 80s, bridging the gaps between boogie, soul and house. The B side is a proper 12" pressing of Evon's side project Royale's "I Want Your Body". Comes in full color jacket

Following the huge acclaim of Matt Berry’s 2021 album The Blue Elephant (“A sonic odyssey” – Uncut) – as well as last year’s one-off album of library music collaboration with the KPM label (“another string to Berry’s impressive bow” – Prog magazine) – we present Heard Noises, Matt’s eighth studio album with Acid Jazz, out 24 January.

We’re hugely excited to offer a beautiful label-exclusive gatefold edition on Psychedelic Swirl colour vinyl, alongside the standard version Sky Blue LP, as well as corresponding soft-pack CD and retro Cassette.

Out now, lead single ‘I Gotta Limit’ finds Matt trading lines with Kitty Liv (Kitty, Daisy and Lewis) as a man after a second chance with a woman impatient with his pleading. With a song structure inspired by Sly Stone, in a little over three minutes ‘I Gotta Limit’ crams in a plethora of musical ideas on an instantly catchy song which is part Northern Soul, part psych.

In contrast to The Blue Elephant’s dizzying trip through an idiosyncratic love of British Psych, Freakbeat, Acid Rock and late ‘60s pop, Heard Noises finds Matt heading for a looser, Californian psychedelia through his love of the trippier sounds of space pop and rock, and his ear for an eerie, haunting melody.

Once again, the album is testament to Matt’s exceptional musicianship, production skills and songwriting prowess. Almost every instrument is played by Matt including guitars, bass, a variety of keyboards (acoustic and Wurlitzer pianos), synthesizers and organs (including Moogs, Vox, Farfisa, Gibson, Eminent organs) and Mellotron.

He is joined by long-time collaborator, neo-progressive drummer Craig Blundell, and guests including Pokerface’s Natasha Lyonne and back with Matt is The Shins/Fruit Bats’ Eric D. Johnson (acoustic guitar, autoharp and backing vocals on ‘Why On Fire?’, ‘To Live For What Once Was’ and ‘Snakes That Slide’), Phil Scraggs (lap steel guitar on ‘To Live For What Once Was’ and ‘Snakes That Slide’), Rosie McDermott (vocals on ‘Sky High’) and the S. Club 60s Choir (featuring Matt’s mum).

In many ways Heard Noises could be considered the perfect distillation of the extraordinary breadth of musical ideas across Matt’s albums to date.

“Gallows” is our third solo EP for Artikal Music, and was written over mid-2020 as an intended collection of 140bpm tracks with varied styles, themes and sound palettes, which would still gel together in EP form. The track that got the ball rolling was the title track, “Gallows” a link-up with PAV4N, in which we explored some of the more melodic, experimental corner of our sound for the instrumental, which is beautifully contrasted by Pav’s aggressive and intense delivery, and his lyrics which serve as an observation on political and government hierarchies. The second track, “Understand”, is a more dark, dub-focused outing, with chunky elements and bass that are built for sound system playback. Building this one was really fun, allowing us to dig for drums and elements that we don’t typically use to create a more grungy experience. Track three, “Blinded”, goes darker still, enlisting regular collaborator Jack Flynn-Oakley, who we love working with, to write something with pure, crushing impact and a level of anxiety that increases steadily throughout the track. There’s no dance that this one hasn’t shelled down yet. The final track, “Inner Sanctum”, was the last track to be finished for the release and is a track we’ve been keeping locked down for a while now. It’s an off-kilter mix of wailing vocal cuts, cold bass movement, and percussion that’s bursting with character.

We’re stoked to be back on Artikal, and we hope you guys enjoy the sounds this time around.

Will & Mike
Mystic State

This collection features sixteen of the most renowned salsa and Latin soul singles released on Fania Records, and its subsidiaries, between 1964-1978, making it the perfect introduction to the legendary catalog. It celebrates the trailblazing label’s 60th anniversary, and iconic artists Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Rubén Blades, Johnny Pacheco, Celia Cruz and more. Archival images and new liner notes, in English and Spanish, by New York-based music historian Aurora Flores are also included.