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From the maniacal opening notes and carnival barker howl that launch the album, The Ugly Organ wasted no time searing itself into a listener's ears and quickly established Cursive as a musical force with which to be reckoned. A selfaware examination of artistic constraints (or lack thereof), relationships, sex, and the intersection of all three, The Ugly Organ wowed critics and audiences alike with its cerebral, cathartic blend of songs. Fiercely intelligent and cohesive - the liner notes laid the songs out like a play, complete with stage directions - across its diverse sonic landscape, the album landed Cursive on the Sunday Arts & Leisure section cover of The New York Times (which also called it "a marvelous collection of riddles and left turns, conceived as a single piece of musical theater") and earned accolades from Rolling Stone ("a brilliant leap forward"), Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, Alternative Press, MAGNET ("The best punk record you'll hear all year"), Esquire, and SPIN, among many others, as well as a place on numerous year-end best lists. The Ugly Organ feels as vibrant and vital today as it did upon release more than 20 years ago. A landmark album, it not only catapulted Cursive from the simmering indie underground to the forefront of a genre, but also served to inspire a host of young bands in its wake.

Daniele Baldelli
Considered one of the first DJs in Italy, Daniele Baldelli began his career in 1969 mixing vinyl at the Tana Club in Cattolica (his hometown),
predating the birth of the modern DJ by several years. In the following years, he solidified his talent and technique at histor such as the Tabù Club, Baia degli Angeli, and Cosmic. From 1979 to 1984, Baldelli created his unique and eclectic style, blendi ic clubs ng seemingly distant sounds and musical styles, complementing them with tempo adjustments (bpm) and deliberately extreme equalization,
creating a truly distinctive sound, known as "Afro Disco." Soundscapes and tribal percussion blend with early electronic music experiments, and Baldelli's sets become truly mystical experiences, where, for the first time, the temples are replaced by the dance floor.
The documentary film "A Cosmic Life" has just been released, starring Daniele Baldelli alongside other illustrious guests from the nightclub scene, recounting the history and formation of this movement from the 1970s to the present.
Gaudi
A producer/musician among the most highly regarded on the international dub/electronic scene, over the past 30 years Gaudi, from his
London studio, has contributed significantly to expanding the boundaries of musical genres with high-profile releases and innovative
music production techniques. Recently nominated for a Grammy Award with 'Mass Manipulation', the album he produced for the reggae
band Steel Pulse, and also nominated for a World Music Award with his album 'Dub Qawwali' with Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali
Khan, Gaudi has collected a series of number 1s on the international charts: Billboard - with the album 'Heavy Rain' by Lee "Scratch"
Perry, 'Vessel of Love' by singer Hollie Cook and with 'Mass Manipulation' by Steel Pulse -, UK Chart n.1 with the album 'Prism' by the
band The Orb (with whom he has collaborated as a producer and keyboardist since 2008), with 'Blue Monday' - by Gaudi himself with
the band Dub Pistols -, UK Dance Chart n.1 with 'Jus Come rmx' produced with DJ Angelino for Cool Jack. He also reached no. 41 the UK charts with the album ‘Midnight Rocker’ by reggae singer Horace Andy (known to the general public for his hits with Massive in
Attack), no. 13 with the album ‘Dubwise 2’ by the band Dreadzone and no. 5 in the Italian charts with the song ‘Lasciala Andare’, written
by him for Irene Grandi. With 19 solo albums and 350 remixes and productions under his belt, Gaudi, with his artistic versatility, has
worked with Groove Armada, UB40, Simple Minds, Brian Ferry, Devo, Big Audio Dynamite, Damian Marley, Seun Kuti, Mad Professor,
Trentemøller, Grandmaster Flash ft KRS-One, Lamb, Don Letts, The Beat, Deep Forest, African Head Charge (in which Gaudi is a keyboardist and dubmaster), Elisa, Scientist, Dub FX, Roedelius, Caparezza, Caravan Palace, EMF, Sizzla, Jovanotti, Sly & Robbie, Piero Pelù, Youth of Killing Joke, and Maxi Priest, to name just a few. Capleton,
Daniele Baldelli & Gaudi
DJ Daniele Baldelli and producer Gaudi first met three years ago at the Jazz Cafe in London. Mutual respect and an innate need to
create new stylistic fusions were the catalysts for Baldelli and Gaudi, leading to a series of subsequent meetings that inevitably culminated in the need to create music together. The project began at Gaudi's Metatron Studio in London using analog equipment and later
moved to Baldelli's studio in Cattolica, where the two organically defined their sound, also inspired by Baldelli's precious record collection. The duo consolidated a powerful compositional symbiosis, and the project, born from a simple initial groove, later transformed
into an entire EP consisting of four original tracks and a highly innovative sound, featuring fusions of psychedelic-funk, tribal-dub,
electronic-disco, and, of course, "Afro-Cosmic"! Daniele Baldelli and Gaudi began their sonic collaboration without setting any stylistic
direction and with the intention of not creating pre-established goals to achieve; it is a project of pure artistic freedom guided by their
compositional instinct and their experience. Constantly active with their evenings and live concerts, Baldelli and Gaudi have performed
individually in many of the best international clubs and festivals.

The Chisa Years: 1965-1975 (Rare and Unreleased) is a compilation album by South African jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela. The album consists of 14 rare or forgotten tracks recorded by Stewart Levine and Hugh Masekela from 1965 to 1975 when they ran their own Chisa Records label.Thom Jurek of Allmusic wrote 'In sum, there isn't a weak moment on this entire collection. It's appeal is wide and deep and one can only hope this is the first of many volumes of this material to appear. BBE Records has done a stellar job in making this slab available.' Dan Nishimoto of the Prefix Magazine stated 'The compilation focuses on Masekela's original idea of 'African American Music.' From the early experiments of the Zulus (a group featuring M'Bulu) in mixing doo-wop, rhythm & blues and South African gospel and the mbaqanga/'Grazing in the Grass'-style work of the generically named Johannesburg Street Band to the clearly Fela-influenced Ojah (Masekela's band in the mid-'70s, consisting of players from Ghana and Nigeria) and the readyfor-primetime belting of M'Bulu, each track reveals a multi-pronged effort to find and challenge the notion(s) of how African and American cultural forms could interact.'

NOW Music proudly presents the next release in our “NOW That’s What I Call An Era” series – NOW That's What I Call An Era - Disco: 1973-1980 – a dazzling celebration of the golden age of disco.



This stunning 3LP set, pressed on blue, violet and pink vinyl, showcases 48 essential tracks that lit up the dancefloors, charts, and airwaves at the height of disco fever — an era when glittering anthems, euphoric grooves, and iconic vocal performances defined nightlife around the world.



LP1 opens in iconic style with Chic’s monumental ‘Le Freak’ followed by Sister Sledge’s equally legendary ‘We Are Family’, and Gloria Gaynor’s empowering #1 ‘I Will Survive’. Anthems follow from Sylvester with ‘You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)’ and Chaka Khan with ‘I’m Every Woman’, ahead of the timeless ‘Young Hearts Run Free’ by Candi Staton and the first side finishes with production by Chic’s Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards on massive hits for Diana Ross with ‘Upside Down’, and Sheila & B. Devotion with ‘Spacer’. Flip the LP over for Amii Stewart’s version of ‘Knock On Wood’ followed by The Three Degrees, Eruption and the first smash from Boney M., ‘Daddy Cool’. The Village People topped the chart with ‘YMCA’ which has become an enduring party favourite, which leads to the infectious ‘Let’s All Chant’ from the Michael Zager Band, Lipps Inc. with ‘Funkytown’ and to close the first LP, sci-fi disco from Dee D. Jackson with ‘Automatic Lover’.



LP2 begins with Donna Summer’s epic version of ‘MacArthur Park’, before Earth, Wind & Fire with The Emotions bring pure euphoria on ‘Boogie Wonderland’, and McFadden & Whitehead with the floor-filling ‘Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now’. Great vocals from Marvin Gaye and Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes come ahead of George McCrae’s ‘Rock Your Baby’, one of the collections’ earliest and inspirational moments. UK artist Tina Charles hit the top with ‘I Love To Love’, and Andrea True Connection complete the side with the ear-worm ‘More More More’ whilst over on the other side legends Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons hit dancefloor gold and the #1 spot with ‘December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)’, ahead of The Trammps with their era-defining ‘Disco Inferno’. A Taste Of Honey, Grace Jones and a second appearance from Diana Ross are up next – before the LP closes with an enduring classic, ‘Follow Me’ from Amanda Lear, Patrick Juvet’s ‘I Love America’, and Frantique with ‘Strut Your Funky Stuff’.



LP3 bursts to life with the international smash and UK #1, ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ from Baccara, before a huge hit cover from Belle Epoque with ‘Black Is Black’. Next; Alicia Bridges, Rose Royce and UK chart toppers The Real Thing, ahead of funk-infused disco brilliance from Kool & The Gang and Barry White – whilst the side closer is Yvonne Elliman’s ‘If I Can’t Have You’, from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and over on the final side there’s a stellar run of Disco nuggets: kicking off with Elton John’s irresistible ‘Are You Ready For Love’, originally released in 1979 and a #1 in 2003 along with ‘Boogie Nights’ from Heatwave, The Emotions with ‘Best Of My Love’, and LaBelle’s influential ‘Lady Marmalade’. The anthemic ‘Got To Be Real’ from Cheryl Lynn is next ahead of the trio of closing tracks: Odyssey with the sublime ‘Native New Yorker’, Thelma Houston’s Grammy-winning ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’, and fittingly, Donna Summer’s iconic ‘Last Dance’, ending the collection in perfect style.



An unforgettable journey through the songs that defined the dancefloor: NOW That’s What I Call An Era – Disco: 1973-1980 — the definitive celebration of disco’s golden age.

Chase is a self-produced, self-funded artist, and this record channels the spirit of Caribbean pirate radio and London’s underground hiphop scene. Drawing from the Global South and reimagined through a raw, bass-heavy UK lens, Raggamuffin celebrates independence, heritage, and DIY energy.

Already championed by Bandcamp Editorial, featured on Rinse FM (Tim Garcia), and following sets at We Out Here Festival, Chase is fast becoming a vital new voice in the UK scene.

Die Rückkehr von DOZER - Drifting In The Endless Void, ein glühendes, dröhnendes und wummerndes Werk! Gegründet in der verschlafenen Stadt Borlänge, Schweden, führten DOZER die erste Welle des europäischen Stoner/Desert Rocks an, eine beeindruckende Fusion aus Proto-Metal, Riff-Rock und Punk, die als Antwort auf den sonnengetränkten Fuzz und die tektonische Wucht der amerikanischen Bands Kyuss und Fu Manchu entstand. Mehr als ein Jahrzehnt nach ihrem letzten Album sind Dozer wieder aufgewacht und melden sich mit einem leidenschaftlichen, wummernden Album zurück. Drifting in the Endless Void ist eine Gravitationsmasse, vollgepackt mit dichter Instrumentierung, arena-tauglichen Melodien und kontemplativer Zurückhaltung. Dozer bringen immer noch die stürmischen Grooves, die langjährige Fans erwarten, aber sie beziehen auch massiven Sludge, fuzzigen Doom, raumgreifende Grooves, Psychedelik mit geröteten Augen und alles, was sich sonst noch in den riesigen kosmischen Weiten findet mit ein. DOZERSs Rückkehr in die musikalische Landschaft, welche sie mitgestaltet haben, ist Grund genug zum Feiern, aber das explosive Spiel und die feurige Zielsetzung machen Drifting in the Endless Void zu einem wirklich unverzichtbaren Erlebnis.

On November 7, 2025, the Belgian label Sdban Records will release a reissue of the mythical Open Sky Unit (1974) by the eponymous jazz fusion group featuring Micheline and Jacques Pelzer, Steve Houben, Ron Wilson, Janot Buchem and Michel Graillier. The album returns on vinyl, highlighting a pivotal moment in Belgian jazz history, where soul, funk, and free improvisation came together in a vibrant and family-driven project.

Formed in the early 1970s as a homage to Dave Liebman's group Open Sky, Open Sky Unit grew out of informal jam sessions in Liège, Belgium, into a unique collective. One of the central figures was Jacques Pelzer, father of drummer and vocalist Micheline Pelzer, alongside his second cousin, saxophonist/flutist Steve Houben, bass player Janot Buchem, percussionist Michel Graillier and American pianist/composer Ron Wilson.

Their 1974 debut album was released on the Duchesne classical music label, run by Pelzer's brother-in-law. The group's sound carefully balanced jazz and soul and was largely directed by Wilson, a Californian pianist and singer who settled in Liège and nearby Maastricht after his army service. Wilson composed the entire repertoire. Open Sky Unit was recorded live at Jazzland club in Liège, and the band made several short tours in Belgium and abroad (including Tunisia) until around 1975-1976, when Houben left for Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music.

Although the original live recording from 1974 was not technically perfect, the group succeeded in capturing their heartfelt live energy. Tracks such as Open Sky, Sunshine Star, and Passion and Compassion are striking examples of this. Years later, the album version of Sunshine Star found its way onto Funky Chicken (2014), the compilation that not only brought the track back into the spotlight but also marked the beginning of Sdban Records.

In addition to the standard reissue, a limited edition of 200 copies will be released for collectors, featuring a 7" single of Ron Wilson's Sunshine Star as a special bonus. This single was originally released in 1973 with the acoustic version of Sunshine Star (piano and vocals) on the B-side, recorded a few months before the longer jazz-funk version later featured on the LP Open Sky Unit. The A-side, Peace Is The Answer, was only released on that single at the time and is now being reissued for the very first time. The 7" is thus a faithful and long-awaited reissue of a rare piece of Belgian jazz history, it's intimate, soulful, and an ideal complement to theexisting and well-known LP.

Although the band never achieved a major international breakthrough, they were highly valued in progressive European jazz circles and later secured a place in anthologies such as Utopic Cities: Progressive Jazz in Belgium 1968-1979. The reissue of Open Sky Unit brings their music back into the spotlight and reaffirms their role as key figures in the Belgian jazz scene of the seventies.

‘Cataclysm’ is a poignant call for revolution of both politics and consciousness, conveyed through ten distinct songs written and produced by Zanias between 2020 and 2024. Each piece of music inhabits its own aesthetic universe and rhythm, featuring elemental fusions of coldwave, italo disco, witchhouse, trance, breakbeats, hyperpop and even a touch of drum and bass. The unique amalgamation is best described as post-industrial ethereal wave, of Zanias’s very own signature. The subject matter grapples with how to move forward through times when civilisation and the entire ecosystem of the planet feel like they are on the brink of total collapse, while gazing back over hundreds of thousands of years of human survival in total awe of how far we’ve come. The lyrics aim for a balance of vulnerability and poetic strength, as the audience is beckoned to “thread the power through the pain”. While darker atmospheres are conjured through the sound design and instrumentation, the album ultimately directs itself steadfast toward the glittering sheen of hope. As the tempo ascends through the course of the album’s tracklist, so too does Zanias’s deep attachment to our sacred humanity and refusal to give in to despair.

‘Cataclysm’ represents an ambitious defiance of genre tropes in pursuit of pure artistry, with a potent political message delivered with assertive fervour and playful sincerity. Additional production was contributed by mixing engineer Trey Frye, best known for his work in the band Korine, and the album was mastered by Alain Paul.

- Limited edition solid 2x12” vinyl LP.
- Housed in PMS printed inner sleeve, featuring custom fonts by No Format and spot gloss abstraction of the original album artwork.
- Accompanied with a double sided 2-panel insert and double sided 4 panel poster.
- All sleeved in a custom PMS reverse board outer sleeve with die cut square centre panel and belly band.


Grinning Cat confounded devotees of Sakura with a far more complex set of tracks. A landscape of ambiguous emotional resonance within an album of measured extremes. Sentimental without being schmaltzy, joyful without being saccharine, Grinning Cat sees Yokota at his most playful and experimental, channelling moments of transitory wonder and jubilation, and opening up a sonic environment in which we can romp and play.

Going Up, originally released in 1983, is one of the most curious and enduring records from British studio mavericks The RAH Band. Long out of print, it now sees its first ever vinyl reissue courtesy of Shocking Music and Rush Hour.

Led by super-producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist Richard Anthony Hewson, The RAH Band has always existed just outside the mainstream. Blending jazz-funk, sci-fi synth pop, and cosmic lounge, their sound never quite fit the mould. That might explain the cult status they’ve held ever since. Beloved by Balearic heads, rare groove collectors, and adventurous synth diggers, Going Up is perhaps their most influential record.

At the centre of it all is the intro track “Messages From The Stars”, the band’s runaway cosmic hit. A spacey, retro-futurist groove that has become a viral favourite in recent years, it now boasts hundreds of millions of streams, with a new generation discovering it through TikTok and YouTube. But it was originally just one track on this understated 1983 album.

The rest of Going Up is just as compelling, filled with dusty drum machines, off-kilter instrumentals, woozy vocals, and that unmistakable early '80s charm. It is a snapshot of a band in transition, blurring the lines between leftfield pop, sci-fi funk, and home-brewed synth experiments.

Out of print for over 40 years, Going Up finally gets the reissue treatment it deserves. Restored and remastered, and still sounding like nothing else.

Mardi Gras Marble Coloured Vinyl Sao Paulo, Brazil's Blind Pigs are excited to give an essential record in their renowned discography - 2006's Heróis ou Rebeldes (Heroes or Rebels) - the re-issue it deserves. Considered by many in the band's home country as their finest release, many fans around the world have yet to hear it. It was originally released only on CD in Brazil, with the lyrics written entirely in Portuguese. Consequently, the band released it under their Portuguese name: Porcos Cegos. However, when it was released, many fans did not realize it was the same band! On top of that, it has never had a release outside of Brazil_until now! Nevertheless, within Brazil, the album was an instant sensation that bridged the gap between punk, streetpunk, and Oi! - exposing the country to sounds influenced by contemporary US streetpunk bands such as Reducers SF, Dropkick Murphys, and the bands on TKO Records. In particular, the title track, for which the band made a music video, became a shout along anthem for the band's fans, AKA "The Legion of the Unconformed." After a 10" vinyl pressing quickly sold out in 2013, the album has been tragically out of print. The new edition on 12" Mardi Gras Marble Vinyl from Pirates Press Records has been remastered by Dan Randall (Subhumans, The Slackers, Fucked Up), bringing new life to a master that the band was never quite satisfied with. With the addition of a song cut from the original tracklisting - "Tiros No Escuro" ("Shots in the Dark") - this is truly the record the band have always wanted fans to hear. And with it finally bearing the name "Blind Pigs" on the cover, there will be no more confusion_and as the band's frontman Henrike Baliu proudly puts it, "the world can finally witness a record that was so important to the Brazilian punk rock scene."

Ähnlich wie die nachtblühende Flora, nach der das Album benannt ist, ist Constant Smiles' Felte-Debüt ,Moonflowers" das Ergebnis langsamer, weitgehend unsichtbarer Wachstumsmuster. Die in New York ansässige Band hat sich ihren eigenen Weg hierher gebahnt und sich nach und nach von einer amorphen Sammlung hochkonzeptioneller Ideen zu etwas Greifbarerem entwickelt, wobei jeder Schritt ihres ungewöhnlichen Weges zu ,Moonflowers" führte, einem subtilen Meisterwerk des intern entstandenen Ambient-Pop. Constant Smiles wurde 2009 von Ben Jones gegründet. Er wurde von verschiedenen Mitwirkenden in verschiedenen Versionen der Band unterstützt, die sich in Form von lauten Soundscapes, szenischem Chamber Pop oder eisigem Coldwave-ähnlichem Synth-Pop manifestierten und oft auf undurchsichtig gestalteten, ultra-limitierten Alben veröffentlicht wurden, die nach Lieblingsfilmregisseuren benannt waren. Durch den Umzug nach New York und einige Platten bei Sacred Bones wurde die Band einem größeren Publikum bekannt, aber Jones und seine Freunde blieben in ständigem Wandel. Die große Entschlüsselung des Constant Smiles-Rätsels erfolgte, als sich die Band zu einer festen Kernbesetzung formierte, als Schlagzeugerin/Sängerin Nora Knight Ende 2022 zu Jones und dem langjährigen Bassist Spike Currier stieß. Nach Jahren, die von tiefgreifenden Veränderungen und Unbeständigkeit geprägt waren, veränderte diese stabilisierte Besetzung den Sound, die emotionale Färbung und die Wirkung der Band. Mit Knight und Currier, die einen Kontrapunkt und Struktur zu Jones' stets sprudelnder Kreativität bildeten, wurden die Songs stromlinienförmiger und direkter. Nach wie vor luftig und traumhaft, hat die Trio-Version von Constant Smiles, die Moonflowers produzierte, die Wolken der Unbestimmtheit und Unsicherheit beseitigt, die es schwieriger machten, sich mit früheren Versionen der Band zu identifizieren. Wie die besten Momente der grundlegenden Alben von Talk Talk oder Nick Drake, die gelebte Erhabenheit von Adrianne Lenkers Songs/Instrumentals oder Jim O'Rourkes Ausflüge in den Kammerpop erreicht Moonflowers seine dynamischen Schwünge auf natürliche, fast unterschwellige Weise. Es ist ein Sound, den frühere Veröffentlichungen von Constant Smiles andeuteten, aber nie ganz erreichten. Moonflowers ist die klarste Sicht auf etwas, dessen Entstehung Jahre gedauert hat, das sich aber dennoch ganz natürlich wie eine Einführung anfühlt. Die Musik ist sorgfältig, aber nicht überladen, und das passt perfekt zu Songs über Gefühle, die entstehen, bevor man Zeit hat, nachzudenken. In dieser vollendeten Form erschließt Constant Smiles etwas Instinktives, eine Atmosphäre der Stille mit mikroskopisch kleinen Teilen, die nie aufhören, sich zu bewegen, und Songs, die fast transparent sind, aber dennoch irgendwie schwerer als ein Berg.

Wounds is the band's long-awaited fifth album - their first in six years, their most eclectic and ambitious work to date. As heavy as it is haunting, the record masterfully blends doom, post-punk, and driving krautrock in a dynamic, hypnotic maelstrom - pushing London's most exciting cult band into intoxicating new territory. "Wounds is a series of songs about the different ways people live with and process 'the wounds' of their lives," explains vocalist Maya. "A strange celebration of that formative pain we have all experienced in some way. The loss and joy of survival - the celebration of finding others like us, the gift of knowing life comes after fire." Wounds was recorded by Mike Bew, on location at Foel Studio. The band could be found working deep into the witching hours, experimenting with new sounds and filling the valleys with cantankerous wails of sound, bursting from amps borrowed from My Bloody Valentine. "The Welsh countryside has a mystical quality to it," says guitarist Adam. "We recorded in a deep, dark valley; misty days and shooting stars at night. You could wander through nearby woods and stone circles during breaks. Foel Studios is woven into this setting with a transcendence of its own - its storied history includes sessions by Electric Wizard, Hawkwind and The Fall." Synths on the album are arranged by Berlin-based Bow Church, an influential figure in the dark electronic scene and a longtime collaborator of the band. His work weaves icy and atmospheric textures into the album's tracks. While meticulously crafted, Wounds captures the visceral energy of Cold in Berlin's renowned live shows. The album's arrangements and raucous sound remain true to the unrelenting intensity and atmosphere of their stage performances - every track retains the sweat, urgency, and immediacy of a band performing in the moment.

Fin" is the fourth album by Spanish band Exnovios, a group that has been described as a blend of Spacemen 3 influences and the best of Spanish '60s pop. The new dozen songs that make up their fourth LP happily shifts away a bit from to the usual unbeatable formula of this Pamplona-based quartet (garage reverbcore as if sung by Spanish legends Juan y Junior) and add new and fascinating layers-at once fresh yet entirely logical in the evolution of such a unique band within the local scene. Exnovios' new collection of songs wasn't created in a rehearsal space or recorded in a single week in the studio. Rather, it was composed and rehearsed slowly in bedrooms and living rooms-songs that were later brought into the studio with the idea of finishing building them there. Over the course of nearly a year, the band approached each song one by one, in a handcrafted manner, alongside their trusted ally, producer Guillermo Mutiloa. The result is a treasure trove of songs, perhaps more psych-folk than ever, as acoustic pieces abound-full of exquisite melodies without abandoning the consciousness-expanding journeys that have made Exnovios a cult favorite: from the instant classic 'Nubes' (with its very Byrds-like harmonies and gorgeous twelve-string acoustic guitar), to the delightful Big Star-style fiction of 'El cine se queda en silencio', or even the fabulous cover of Stephin Merritt's 'Tú tú tú tú.' These are often drumless tracks, perhaps with some light percussion, always featuring detailed and exquisite arrangements of guitar, electronics, percussion, and even touches of strings. And despite the reduced presence of drums (which, along with the laid-back recording approach, makes this almost Exnovios' "White Album"), fans of the band's legendary fuzz-guitar reverbcore sound won't be disappointed: there's the psychedelic 'Viaje Alucinante', full of their classic riffs; their brutal cover of Psychic TV's 'Godstar' (drenched in echo and eccentric vocal effects); and the perfectly crafted 'Naves Misteriosas', which pulls off the impossible feat of sounding like 'Cerca de las Estrellas'-era Los Pekenikes in the verses, Phil Spector in the chorus, and the Ramones in the post-chorus. And there's much more: percussion reminiscent of the most 'baggy' Primal Scream on the brilliant 'Aún no es tarde'; love lyrics wrapped in an exquisite drum machine soaked in reverb and Suicide-style Farfisa on 'Ha venido a quedarse'; the beautiful two-chord electronic Christmas carol 'Ya es Navidad'; and that lysergic waltz that sings of the peace brought by karmic revenge, carried along by waves of fuzz and delay, titled 'El día del juicio final.' "Fin" reveals more sides and nuances of Exnovios than ever before-a festival of eclectic styles that all remain true to the musical vision that has defined them over the past decade, with their melodic powers at the peak of their talent.

Hüsker Dü. Live. 1985. Das transzendente Punk-Trio aus Minneapolis in seinem explosivsten Jahr, live aufgenommen auf der Bühne im First Avenue, in der vielleicht am besten klingenden Aufnahme der gefeierten SST-Ära der Band. Diese 4xLP/2xCD-Edition enthält Beau Sorensons Restaurierung der 21 Songs des gesamten Sets vom 30. Januar 1985, dazu 20 zusätzliche Live-Tracks aus dem weiteren Tourneeverlauf des Jahres und ein Deluxe-Booklet mit detaillierten Informationen zu den zwölf geschichtsträchtigen Monaten von Hüsker Dü. Wie klingt eine Legende, in dem Moment, wenn sie geschrieben wird? Betrachtet man das Jahr 1985 durch die dynamische Linse der Independent/DIY-Musik, so gab es Mitte des Jahrzehnts für Hüsker Dü einen kraftvollen und unbestreitbaren Sprint von der rauen Punk-Institution bei SST zur künstlerischen Empathie bei Warner Bros. Die New York Times bezeichnete die Band als "die beste, die aus der Hardcore-Szene hervorgegangen ist". Im Einklang mit diesem Lob zeigte Hüsker Dü ein kreatives Tempo, das in keiner anderen Musikära zuvor oder seitdem jemals erreicht wurde. Nachdem sie im Juli des Vorjahres mit dem Doppelalbum "Zen Arcade" die aufkeimende Alternative-Rock-Bewegung sprengte, veröffentlichte die Band nur sechs Monate später, am 14. Januar 1985, das epochale "New Day Rising" und hörte nie auf, dem Sonnenaufgang über dem Hidden Beach nachzujagen, der das Cover des Albums zierte. Am 30. Januar 1985 erreichte Minneapolis am Abend zum Zeitpunkt des Konzerts -11 °C, was einem gnadenlosen Temperatursturz von 19 Grad gegenüber dem Tageshöchstwert von 8 °C bedeutete. Die 1500 Besucher im First Avenue brauchten jedoch kein T-Shirt, geschweige denn eine Daunenjacke: Von den ersten blendenden Momenten von "New Day Rising" an war klar, dass Bob Mould, Grant Hart und Greg Norton fest entschlossen waren, jedes Molekül im Raum in Brand zu setzen. Ihre Setlist bot eine nächtliche Kaskade von Feuerbällen aus den Alben "Everything Falls Apart", "Metal Circus", "Zen Arcade" und "New Day Rising" sowie fünf neue Songs, die später auf "Flip Your Wig" wieder auftauchen sollten. Außerdem würdigten sie ihre rockigen Vorfahren: mit einer rasanten Version von "Eight Miles High" von The Byrds, einer turbulenten Interpretation von "Helter Skelter" von den Beatles mit Dave Pirner von Soul Asylum, einem Pop-Punk-Remake von "Ticket To Ride" ebenfalls von den Beatles und ihrem charakteristischen Cover von Sonny Curtis' Mary-Tyler-Moore-Titelsong "Love Is All Around" zum Abschluss. Die First-Avenue-Bänder von 1985 zeigen Hüsker Dü in Höchstform mit bereits beliebten Songs, ein paar Jahre bevor sie ihren Status als Blaupause für den kommenden Alternative-Rock-Boom endgültig gefestigt hatten. Dieses Box-Set feiert diese Aufnahmen, die vielleicht die besten Hüsker-Dü-Aufnahmen sind, die während der legendenhaften SST-Jahre der Band produziert wurden. "Wenn ich an diese Zeit zurückdenke", kommentiert Greg Norton, "waren das drei Jungs, die das taten, was sie liebten, Spaß hatten und im Grunde anderen Menschen zeigten, dass man sich selbst treu bleiben kann, seiner Musik treu bleiben kann und sich nicht der Mode oder den Erwartungen beugen muss, um etwas wirklich Großartiges zu schaffen."

Heavyweight psychedelic improvisers EarthBall are back with their third and most monstrous record to date: ‘Outside Over There’, released on Upset The Rhythm (Nov 7th). Born from the haunted basements of Nanaimo, Canada, the quintet thrives on spontaneity, shaping improvisation into jagged hallucinations and ecstatic eruptions.
Recorded live-off-the-floor in 2024 in Jeremy, Izzy, and Kellen’s basement, and mixed by drummer John Brennan, ‘Outside Over There’ is an album that feels both summoned and inevitable. Each track lands with uncanny purpose, as if uncovered rather than written.
The opener, 100%, features a cameo from comedian and English icon Stewart Lee, who lent his blessing for the band to use a fragment of his stand-up. The album was mastered by John Dieterich (Deerhoof), with liner text contributed by longtime comrade John Olson (Wolf Eyes). Olson describes the album in his unmistakable style:
“This eight-track odyssey unfolds like a dreamscape, where whispered incantations brush against the shadowy fringes of the cosmos, and wild, Cézanne-inspired rock anthems erupt like geysers of color in the midst of a western warm and wet rain storm… culminating in the sprawling eleven minute masterpiece, ‘And The Music Shall Untune The Sky,’ aptly dubbed the Earth Crusher. A creation so utterly deconstructed and intertwined with the pulse of nature itself that if AI was called upon to conceive ‘Outside Over There’ anew, it would just spit back, “F.U. in Tree Font”. An enchanting invitation for even the flat-earthers to join the circle, if only just a little.”
EarthBall’s trajectory has been relentless. Their 2024 album ‘It’s Yours’ was praised by The Quietus as “fully aggressive and fully life-affirming,” and by The Wire as "a boisterous mind-melting album”. The band’s live double set LP ‘Actual Earth Music Vol. 1 & 2’ (2025) captured blistering performances: a performance opening for Wolf Eyes at the Fox Cabaret, and a Café OTO improvised throw-down featuring Chris Corsano and Steve Beresford. These releases on their own confirm them as one of Canada’s most vital experimental exports, not to mention the impressive self-released discography on their Bandcamp. The band’s reach has stretched far beyond their west coast roots with a UK tour May 2024, plus this past June, EarthBall closed Montreal’s Suoni Per Il Popolo Festival alongside Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Raven Chacon. This November they will perform at Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, with a European tour to follow (tour dates below). Outside of EarthBall, each member carries their own torch. Jeremy Van Wyck, founding member of the legendary Shearing Pinx, has toured extensively, released over 100 records, and has been a vital force in the Vancouver and West Coast underground for the past 25 years. He and Isabel Ford (Izzy) play together not only in EarthBall, but also in Psychedelic Dirt, Shearing Pinx, Behaviours, and Crotch.
John Brennan collaborates widely, including recently with Endlings (Raven Chacon and John Dieterich), Evichen (Victoria Shen), Francesco Fonassi, Plan Your Future (with Greg Saunier of Deerhoof), Brennan/Corsano duo and Physics with John Dieterich. Kellen Maclaughlin performs with KVMP and Ora Corgan, while saxophonist Liam Murphy is a west coast staple, playing with the best across Vancouver Island and the mainland. On three of the tracks of ‘Outside Over There’, the band is joined by their comrade Justin Patterson, who also plays with Brennan in the duo Modale. This cross-pollination fuels EarthBall’s sound - a collective improvisation, psychically overdriven, and grinding into bloom.
Outside Over There’ is more than an album though, it is a ritual, a gathering of sound at the forest’s edge; where feedback, saxophone screams, and ecstatic vocals dissolve the boundary between chaos and clarity. EarthBall invite you into their circle, to share in the joyful terror of spontaneous creation. ‘Outside Over There’ will be released on November 7th through Upset The Rhythm digitally and as a limited blue-in-black vinyl LP.

“A good song can survive and shine in different ways in the hands of different musicians,” says Emmylou Harris. “It can have different meanings at different times in your life. A good song can travel with you anywhere.” That philosophy has guided her fifty-year career in country music, during which she has covered countless songs across countless genres and put her own indelible stamp on each one. More specifically, it’s the philosophy that animates both Spyboy, her touring band in the late 1990s, and Spyboy, the 1998 live album that demonstrates how these musicians made her songs shine. Sequencing old songs alongside new ones, the album tests the tensile strength of each one, pushing them into wilder and more psychedelic territory while remaining grounded in earthy country music. It’s completely unique in her catalog, a crucial document of an important chapter in her career, and it’s finally getting reissued after years of being unavailable. “It’s such a special record,” she says. “Well, they all are, but this one is really, really special. That was such a fantastic band and such an amazing time.”

Spyboy grew out of Wrecking Ball, Harris’ groundbreaking 1995 collaboration with producer Daniel Lanois. In 1996 and 1997 together with Buddy Miller, Brady Blade and Daryl Johnson, The band, also named Spyboy, toured America and Europe together, never playing a song the same way twice. Buddy Miller brought along his recording gear and recorded nearly every show on the tour. When their time on the road ended, Miller and Harris sat down together and they culled through hundreds of tracks to choose the ones that best represented the Spyboy ethos of endless possibility. They whittled the original release down to 14 tracks and in 1998 Eminent Records released Spyboy on CD.

The long-awaited analog release of “ODDTAXI” by Skirt and PUNPEE, the opening theme of the TV anime "ODDTAXI" is finally here!

■Skirt
Skirt is a self-described “unhealthy pop” band known for its refreshingly light yet slightly shadowed songwriting and band ensemble, earning widespread
acclaim across professions, genders, and age groups.
The project began in 2006 as the solo multi-track recording endeavor of Wataru Sawabe. In 2010, he launched his own label, Kaczka Sound, and released
his first album ""S-O-S,"" marking the true beginning of Skirt’s full-fledged musical journey.
In April 2021, Skirt collaborated with PUNPEE on the opening theme "ODDTAXI" for the anime "ODDTAXI". Drawing from his extensive knowledge of
comedy, Sawabe served as a judge for the finals of the UNDER 25 OWARAI CHAMPIONSHIP—a comedy competition for performers under 25—in
September 2023, and also wrote the event’s official theme song, "Kitai to Yokan"
In addition, he has contributed music to numerous animated works, films, and TV dramas. His exceptional songwriting skills have led him to write songs
for a range of artists including Takashi Fujii, Kaede (Negicco), Toko Miura, and adieu (Moka Kamishiraishi).
As a versatile multi-instrumentalist, Sawabe has also participated in live performances and recordings with artists he deeply admires, such as Spitz,
Makoto Kawamoto, and Moonriders. Skirt continues to attract attention as both a band and the project of a wonderfully talented, genre-defying
singer-songwriter.

■PUNPEE
Active as both a rapper and producer, PUNPEE has released acclaimed albums such as "MODERN TIMES" and "The Sofakingdom"" His diverse body
of work includes contributions to a Red Bull TV commercial, the opening theme for the TBS show "Wednesday's Downtown" a remix of Hikaru Utada’s
"Hikari -Ray of Hope MIX-" and the track "Time Machine ni Notte / Kazoku no Fukei" for the Sotetsu–Tokyu through line commemorative short film.
But of course, what truly matters—is what comes next. P

Am 12. und 13. Oktober 2024 gaben American Football zwei ausverkaufte Konzerte im El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles als Teil ihrer Tour zum 25. Jubiläum ihres selbstbetitelten Debütalbums. Mit Gastauftritten von Ethel Cain und M.A.G.S. wurden diese besonderen Konzerte für das erste und einzige Live-Album der Band aufgezeichnet. Zeitgleich erscheint gemeinsam mit Prophet Media und Regisseur Steph Rinzler ein abendfüllender Konzertfilm mit Interviews. Sowohl der Film als auch das Album fangen das Erbe und die unerwartet anhaltende Stärke einer Band ein, die ein Genre mitgeprägt hat.

Nachdem American Football 1999 während des Studiums in aller Stille ihr Debütalbum veröffentlichten, lösten sie sich auf, um sich anderen Projekten zu widmen. 15 Jahre später kehrte die Band jedoch mit einer Fangemeinde zurück, die in der Underground-Emo-Szene stetig gewachsen war. Das Album landete später auf #6 der Rolling Stone-Liste "40 Greatest Emo Albums Of All Time", während Pitchfork der Deluxe-Neuauflage den Titel "Best New Reissue" verlieh und die LP als "einflussreichstes Album des Genres" bezeichnete.

Segawa Hiroshi (vocals, guitar) / Ishima Hideki (guitar) / Harada Hiroomi (drums) / Nomura Mitsuro (drums) / Kozuki Jun (drums) / Yamauchi Tetsu (bass) / Ohno Katsuo (keyboards)

Segawa Hiroshi's solo album, pursuing country rock and southern rock in Japanese
A treasure of Japanese rock, bringing together members of Flower Travellin' Band, Samurai, and PYG
After the GS boom subsided and New Rock was in full swing, Segawa Hiroshi was one of the few bands pursuing country rock and southern rock in Japanese, while most bands were aiming for British rock.
The album "Pierrot," one of the culminations of this endeavor, was produced with the help of a lineup of representative Japanese new rock artists, including Ishihama Hideki and Kozuki Jun from
Flower Travellin' Band, Yamauchi Tetsu and Harada Yushin from Samurai, and Ohno Katsuo from PYG.
The album has been reissued with the additional recording of the single "The White Room Where You Were," released the year after "Pierrot," and remastered by Kubota Makoto.

Commentary: Ogawa Shinichi
Remastering: Kubota Makoto

Debut solo album from guitar player of Calicos. The result is a record that balances melancholy and raw intensity, where vulnerability is never far from power.Aäron Koch's voice cuts straight through, while the band builds a sound that feels both timeless and urgent, echoing The Veils, My Morning Jacket and Strand of Oaks.



For years, Aäron Koch was the guitarist in other people's bands. Writing intricate riffs and odd time signatures came naturally, but the thought of writing a simple song, a verse, a chorus, a melody that could stand on its own, felt out of reach. He tried and failed, discarded demos, and pushed himself through the humbling exercise of writing "bad songs" just to learn the craft.

'For Once', his debut album (out via Unday Records), is the unexpected outcome of that long struggle. What began as an exercise became a set of songs that refused to stay in the drawer. Months after recording rough sketches, Koch listened back and realized they weren't throwaways after all. With a small heart, he shared them with friends, musicians from bands like Calicos, Uma Chine and Tin Fingers, who immediately heard their potential and joined the project.



The result is a record that balances melancholy and raw intensity, where vulnerability is never far from power. Koch's voice cuts straight through, while the band builds a sound that feels both timeless and urgent, echoing The Veils, My Morning Jacket and Strand of Oaks.

"This music is about weaknesses and vulnerability," Koch says. "Autobiographical really, something I only realized once the album took shape."



That honesty struck a chord. In 2024, after only a handful of shows, Aäron Koch reached the finals of Humo's Rock Rally and was invited to open for Belle & Sebastian at a sold-out Ancienne Belgique. Now 'For Once' shows why: it's the sound of someone learning to write songs the hard way, and discovering in the process that he has something entirely his own to say.

Westbound Train kehren mit ihrem bisher dynamischsten und gefühlvollsten Album zurück, einer mutigen Weiterentwicklung, die in der charakteristischen Mischung aus Ska, Rocksteady und klassischem Soul der Band verwurzelt bleibt. Produziert von Frontmann Obi Fernandez und Schlagzeuger Eric Novod, verbindet das Album warme, analoge Texturen mit einfallsreichen Arrangements und nuancierten Mixing-Entscheidungen und bietet eine neue Perspektive auf einen Sound, den sie über Jahre hinweg perfektioniert haben. Herausragende Tracks wie ,L.M.A.", ,Keeper From the Start" und ,Slippery Slope" unterstreichen das ausgefeilte Songwriting und das erweiterte Klangspektrum der Band, während eine neu aufgenommene Version von ,We All Need Rescue" einem weniger bekannten Titel aus ihrem 2022er Album neues Leben einhaucht. Es ist eine selbstbewusste, emotional bewegende Sammlung, die Westbound Train auf einem neuen kreativen Höhepunkt einfängt.

Mit ihrem 2025 erscheinenden Album »Alienated« startet Europas Nr. 1 Horror-Punk- Band The Other ein neues, aber vertrautes Kapitel. Frontmann Rod Usher beschreibt es als bewusstes »Back to the Roots«-Album mit energiegeladenen Punk-Riffs, dunklen Hymnen und Gothic-Punk-Vibes. Die neue Besetzung – inklusive Gründer Andy Only – ermöglichte die Rückkehr zum klassischen Stil.

Nach Erfolgen wie »Haunted« (2020) und der Rückkehr zum eigenen Label Fiend Force entstand ein fokussiertes, kraftvolles Album voller Spaß beim Songwriting. Produzent Tim Schulte brachte frische Akzente, während Arne Neurand den Mix perfektionierte. Songs wie »I Give You the Creeps« oder »Hier Sein« greifen Themen von Entfremdung auf. Rod Ushers tiefe, eindringliche Stimme macht Alienated womöglich zum bisher dunkelsten Album der Band – direkt, emotional und mit Herzblut.

Wahrscheinlich das erste Album, das komplett in einem Bundesliga-Fußballstadion geschrieben und aufgenommen wurde, nämlich im Millerntor-Stadion des FC St. Pauli in Hamburg. Keine Sorge, es klingt überhaupt nicht nach Stadionrock. Ganz im Gegenteil sogar ... Lo-Fi, ohne spröde zu sein, und minimalistisch, ohne karg zu wirken. Seit 1995 haben sich Swearing At Motorists mit ihrer rohen Energie, ihren herzlichen Songtexten und ihrer unerbittlichen DIY-Ethik eine Kult-Anhängerschaft aufgebaut. Als ,The World's Local Band" bezeichnet, sind sie unzählige Kilometer gereist, um weltweit Konzerte zu geben, und haben die Bühne mit legendären Acts wie Guided By Voices, Songs:Ohia, The Breeders, Spoon, Unwound, Brainiac, The Lemonheads, My Morning Jacket und vielen anderen geteilt. Nach einer zehnjährigen Pause ist die Band zurück. Von Kritikern gefeiert, aber definitiv unter dem Radar geblieben, sind Swearing At Motorists nach wie vor ein beliebter Fixpunkt der Indie-Rock-Underground-Szene.

Camp Trash ist das Ergebnis von zwei Freundschaften: 1. Friendship America, die kurzlebige Band aus Sarasota, die von den Brüdern Keegan und Levi Bradford und Bryan Gorman gegründet wurde, und 2. die jahrzehntelange Freundschaft und Zusammenarbeit beim Songwriting zwischen Keegan und Bryan. Nachdem Keegan Florida verlassen hatte, blieben er und Bryan in Kontakt, indem sie an Musik arbeiteten und sich Song-Demos per E-Mail schickten. Obwohl sie in verschiedenen Bundesstaaten lebten, beschlossen die drei Freunde, dass es Zeit war, mit den Songs, die sie geschrieben hatten, ein neues Projekt zu starten. Sie gründeten Camp Trash, ohne einen Plan zu haben, wie sie aufnehmen oder auf Tour gehen würden, nur mit einer Handvoll Songs und der Freude, gemeinsam mit Freunden etwas zu schaffen. Camp Trash unterschrieb 2020 bei Count Your Lucky Stars Records, veröffentlichte 2021 ihre Debüt-EP ,Downtiming" und 2022 ihr erstes Album ,The Long Way, The Slow Way". Ihr neues Album ,Two Hundred Thousand Dollars" wurde von James Palko aufgenommen, produziert und gemischt, von Zach Weeks bei God City Studios gemastert und enthält einen neuen Beitrag von Kyle Meggison (ehemals Worst Party Ever) am Schlagzeug. Die zweite LP der Band ist das Ergebnis jahrelanger Begeisterung für Fountains of Wayne und Guided by Voices und dem Wunsch, kurze, laute und eingängige Songs zu schreiben. Die Songs sind lose miteinander verbundene Charakterskizzen, die unglücklichen Betrügern, Spielern, Sektenmitgliedern und kleinen Gangstern folgen, die von etwas Größerem träumen und sich narrensichere Pläne ausdenken, um dorthin zu gelangen, aber feststellen, dass der Weg dorthin komplizierter ist, als sie sich jemals vorgestellt haben.

On November 7, 2025, the Belgian label Sdban Records will release a reissue of the mythical Open Sky Unit (1974) by the eponymous jazz fusion group featuring Micheline and Jacques Pelzer, Steve Houben, Ron Wilson, Janot Buchem and Michel Graillier. The album returns on vinyl, highlighting a pivotal moment in Belgian jazz history, where soul, funk, and free improvisation came together in a vibrant and family-driven project.

Formed in the early 1970s as a homage to Dave Liebman's group Open Sky, Open Sky Unit grew out of informal jam sessions in Liège, Belgium, into a unique collective. One of the central figures was Jacques Pelzer, father of drummer and vocalist Micheline Pelzer, alongside his second cousin, saxophonist/flutist Steve Houben, bass player Janot Buchem, percussionist Michel Graillier and American pianist/composer Ron Wilson.

Their 1974 debut album was released on the Duchesne classical music label, run by Pelzer's brother-in-law. The group's sound carefully balanced jazz and soul and was largely directed by Wilson, a Californian pianist and singer who settled in Liège and nearby Maastricht after his army service. Wilson composed the entire repertoire. Open Sky Unit was recorded live at Jazzland club in Liège, and the band made several short tours in Belgium and abroad (including Tunisia) until around 1975-1976, when Houben left for Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music.

Although the original live recording from 1974 was not technically perfect, the group succeeded in capturing their heartfelt live energy. Tracks such as Open Sky, Sunshine Star, and Passion and Compassion are striking examples of this. Years later, the album version of Sunshine Star found its way onto Funky Chicken (2014), the compilation that not only brought the track back into the spotlight but also marked the beginning of Sdban Records.

In addition to the standard reissue, a limited edition of 200 copies will be released for collectors, featuring a 7" single of Ron Wilson's Sunshine Star as a special bonus. This single was originally released in 1973 with the acoustic version of Sunshine Star (piano and vocals) on the B-side, recorded a few months before the longer jazz-funk version later featured on the LP Open Sky Unit. The A-side, Peace Is The Answer, was only released on that single at the time and is now being reissued for the very first time. The 7" is thus a faithful and long-awaited reissue of a rare piece of Belgian jazz history, it's intimate, soulful, and an ideal complement to theexisting and well-known LP.

Although the band never achieved a major international breakthrough, they were highly valued in progressive European jazz circles and later secured a place in anthologies such as Utopic Cities: Progressive Jazz in Belgium 1968-1979. The reissue of Open Sky Unit brings their music back into the spotlight and reaffirms their role as key figures in the Belgian jazz scene of the seventies.

Puhdys - Live im Musikladen 1977 & mehr: Die frühen West-Auftritte Mitte der 1970er Jahre wagten die Puhdys erste Schritte über die Grenzen der DDR hinaus. 1974 spielten sie in Belgien, 1975 folgten Auftritte in niederländischen Diskotheken. 1976 standen sie beim Festival in Turku (Finnland) sogar mit Chuck Berry auf der Bühne und traten erstmals in der Bundesrepublik auf - beim "Fest der Jugend" in Dortmund. Ein besonderer Meilenstein war die Einladung zur Sendung "Musikladen Extra" im Februar 1977. Die Aufzeichnung in den Studios von Radio Bremen zeigte die Band ungewohnt locker und spontan - ganz anders als bei den streng durchgeplanten DDR-TV-Produktionen. Dieter "Maschine" Birr erinnert sich lebhaft an die entspannte Atmosphäre und die Gastfreundschaft von Produzent Mike Leckebusch. Diese Veröffentlichung dokumentiert die frühen West-Auftritte der Puhdys mit Originalmaterial aus dem "Musikladen" und weiteren seltenen Archivaufnahmen. Sie zeigt eindrucksvoll, wie die Band ihren Weg in die westliche Musiklandschaft fand - lange bevor sie mit über 22 Millionen verkauften Tonträgern und mehr als 4.000 Konzerten zur festen Größe der deutschen Rockgeschichte wurde.

Ulver geben heute bekannt, dass ihr klassisches Promo-Tape aus dem Jahr 1993 auf Peaceville Records neu aufgelegt wird. 2023 markiert dreißig Jahre seit der Aufnahme und die Platte zeigt Ulvers Black-Metal-Wurzeln, bevor die Band begann, sich außerhalb der Grenzen des Genres zu entwickeln.

Weithin bekannt für hochkarätige Klanglandschaften und exquisite experimentelle und elektronische Kunst als Teil ihrer kontinuierlichen und sich ständig verändernden Entwicklung, verschmolzen Ulver's Anfänge ätherischen Black Metal mit zarten Folk-inspirierten Passagen. Trotz der rauen Kanten sticht das Material der Band mit seinen höchst unkonventionellen Kompositionen im Vergleich zu den primitiveren und roheren Angeboten anderer schnell aufstrebender Acts in der norwegischen Szene jener Zeit hervor.

Vargnatt war Ulvers erster Ausflug in die Wildnis und ein außergewöhnliches Debüt-Demo, das das verwendete, was zu einem Grundelement ihrer legendären Trilogie (Bergtatt, Kveldssanger und Nattens Madrigal) werden sollte, nämlich akustische Gitarren inmitten melodischer und oft komplexer und verworrener Arrangements, die mit einem bereits fortgeschrittenen Grad an Musikalität gezaubert und vorgetragen wurden, mit dem unheimlichen Gesang des langjährigen Frontmanns Kristoffer Garm" Rygg. Zu dieser frühen Inkarnation von Ulver gehörten auch Carl-Michael Eide von Aura Noir / Ved Buens Ende am Schlagzeug sowie Robin "Mean" Malmberg (von den norwegischen Pionieren Mysticum) am Bass.

Das auf dieser Platte enthaltene Audiomaterial besteht aus Originalmaterial, das vom Original-DAT stammt. Die Veröffentlichung enthält außerdem den Bonustrack "Vargnatt", der 1993 live bei Bootleg TV in Oslo aufgenommen wurde und aus der Nationalbibliothek Norwegens stammt.

Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg äußerte sich wie folgt zu der Wiederveröffentlichung:
Das ist das erste, was wir als Ulver aufgenommen haben. Wikipedia sagt, es sei unser zweites Demo, aber es ist unser erstes und einziges. Stovner, Oslo, 1993, zwei-drei Tage, wham, bam, thank you mam, mit sehr wenig oder gar keiner Erfahrung. Wir waren Kinder, 17-19 Jahre alt, und haben das Wasser getestet. Abgesehen vom Gesang und einigen merkwürdigen musikalischen Entscheidungen muss ich sagen, dass ich mich heute weit weniger dafür schäme, als ich es wahrscheinlich in den Neunzigern tat, und ich muss darüber lächeln, dass diese Aufnahme 30 Jahre später immer noch aktuell ist. Es erfüllt mich mit Freude (und etwas Traurigkeit), die verrückten Launen und Dinge, die wir erlebt haben, in relativ unberührter Form wiederzuhören. Peaceville, der Hauptlieferant vieler unserer Lieblingsplatten von damals, leistet hervorragende Arbeit bei der Wiederveröffentlichung einiger dieser alten Underground-Tapes. Also, nach ein paar limitierten Auflagen, "warum zum Teufel nicht", oder? (Kristoffer Rygg, Ulver)
Tracklisting

This anthology of Los Wembler's allows us to appreciate the legacy of the iconic group from Iquitos, the most important city in the Peruvian Amazon which is only accessible by air or river, and their key role in the creation and revival of Amazonian cumbia. Los Wembler's emerged as a family band in the late 1960s in the Belén district of Iquitos and are regarded as pioneers of electric guitar-driven Amazonian cumbia from Perú. The selection of songs that make up this compilation dates from the period between 1972 and 1980, at the peak of the band's career. Songs such as 'Sonido amazónico' or 'La danza del petrolero' have become highly influential classics of the genre. Most of these tracks are reissued here for the first time after remaining unavailable for decades. "Selva" includes an insert with liner notes and photos. Pressed on 180g vinyl.

For the first time ever, the only full-length album by Spanish soul and garage legends Z-66 is being reissued. Z-66's signature blend of powerful soul, psychedelia, and pop-clearly influenced by bands like The Move, Stones, Vanilla Fudge, and Blood, Sweat & Tears delivers a bold, modern sound that remains fresh and compelling. Unlike other Spanish bands of the time, Los Z-66 enjoyed unique conditions that allowed their sound to stand out as one of the most advanced on the local scene in the late 1960s. As was the case with many other groups, their repertoire for entertaining discotheques had to include the hits of the moment and was not always open to the songs of the most daring international bands, which was the sound that most stimulated the musicians. In the case of Los Z-66, being based in Mallorca meant they had privileged access to hard to-find records, imported by foreign tourists, and to a much more modern atmosphere than in other parts of the country. Songs in Italian and French soon gave way to English hits by the Animals, the Stones, and the Beatles. But it was the offer received from Mike Jeffries, manager of Jimi Hendrix, the Animals, and others, to serve as the house band at the newly opened club Sgt. Pepper's that allowed the group to raise their live performances to a level rarely seen in these parts... They even soon incorporated the distorted sound of fuzz into their guitar when they received a fuzz face pedal as a gift from Jimi Hendrix himself, who was invited to play at the club's opening! Their excellent blend of stunning soul, psychedelia, and pop became their hallmark, not only in the band's concerts but also in the handful of singles and EPs they released on the Regal label. We are now re-releasing for the first time their only full-length album, originally published in 1969, which is actually a compilation of songs previously released in 45 rpm format, complete with two bonus tracks not included on the original LP plus a booklet with liner notes and rare photos.

Portland ist einer der überzeugendsten Indie-Exporte Belgiens. Mit einer Mischung aus cineastischem Pop, melancholischem Folk und festivaltauglichem Rock feierte die Band ihren Durchbruch 2019 mit ihrem Debüt „Your Colours Will Stain“ und dem Nachfolger „Departures“ (2023). Bekannt für ihre zarten Harmonien und emotionsgeladenen Live-Shows, wurde Portland von europäischen Trendsettern hoch gelobt und stand auf Bühnen von Rock Werchter bis Eurosonic. „Champain“ ist ihr bisher persönlichstes und furchtlosestes Werk.

„Champain“ ist Portlands drittes Album und die erste Songsammlung, die nach dem Kampf der Singer-Songwriter Jente Pironet gegen Hirnkrebs entstand. Es ist ein Album, das die Narben der letzten Jahre deutlich sichtbar trägt, aber gleichzeitig eine unbändige Lebensfreude ausdrückt. Es liest sich wie das ehrliche Reisetagebuch einer wandernden Seele, von der Bühne ins Krankenhaus an den Schreibtisch und wieder zurück. Vom Fallen – hart und tief – und dem Wiederaufstehen. Von einem Sänger und einer Band, die durchhalten. Und das Ergebnis zeigt: Portland hat noch nie so energetisch, reifer und reicher geklungen wie auf diesen 10 neuen Songs.

British South African composer & producer Galina Juritz presents 'One Weird Trick', her debut solo album on London's home for interdisciplinary oddballs, Kit Records.

As a classically trained violinist, Galina has worked in bands and ensembles such as ShhArt Ensemble, Inclementine, and in various combinations featuring leading musicians from Cape Town and Johannesburg's classical and jazz scenes.

Galina composed the music for Madness: Songs Of Hope and Despair, a cantata made in collaboration with Dizu Plaatjies, with a libretto by psychiatrist Dr Sean Baumann. Madness debuted at the World Psychiatry International Congress in 2016, and had a two week run at Cape Town's Baxter Theatre in 2017. As a composer she writes frequently for film, animation and ensemble.

She has collaborated with the likes of composer Neo Muyanga, Mr Beatnick, Cara Stacey, Kelpe, Juliana Venter, Violeta Garcia, Kit Records head Richard Greenan & more. Galina has been remixed by the likes of Photay, Memotone and Tom Skinner (Sons of Kemet, The Smile).

'One Weird Trick' is the culmination of her solo material. Still rooted in the ornate, technical world of string composition and arrangement, the album is stubbornly unclassifiable.

Opening with time-dilated ambient ('Leaves') before segueing into rippling, florid techno ('Skeleton and Tiger fighting'), Galina twists again and again, shifting gears through stoned, jazz-inflected r'n'b ('Things I Know to be True'), string-led widescreen songcraft ('Come Back') and orchestral minimalism for standing on vast shorelines ('Time Split at the Seams of Your Departure [everything is now before and after]').

On the B side, Galina flexes her composition chops with the storming jazz of 'Spirit Level', recorded by Cape Town-based musicians Buddy Wells, Andrew Lilley, Jonno Sweetman & Stephen de Souza. Galina is then joined by the Stockholm Sax Quartet on 'In Rebellion of Time', a stately Reichian revelation that moves from solemn ballet to ecstatic multiharmonic denouement. To close, Galina retrieves oozing electronics and smeared journal entries from the guts of a black hole - a fitting conclusion to a truly unique, unpredictable, delightful, sad, infectious, and bizarre record.

Influences / sounds like: Louis Cole, Matthew Herbert, Darkside, Thundercat, Eiko Ishibashi, ECM, Oliver Coates.

'One Weird Trick' is out 7th November 2025 via Kit Records, available on vinyl & digital formats.

Kit Records will throw an album launch party at Servant Jazz Quarters in Dalston, London on 30th October 2025. Tickets TBC.









[g] 07: Time Split at the Seams of Your Departure (Everything Is Now Before and After) [feat. sir kay]

Anathema has spent the vast majority of their career making music that defies
description. As part of the Peaceville 3, along with Paradise Lost & My Dying Bride,
Anathema have carved a strong legacy since their inception at the turn of the 1990s,
to become a widely revered & respected band within both the metal world & beyond,
as their sound & compositions progressed from doom/death metal into more rock &
progressive territory with each subsequent release, becoming one of the UK's most
cherished & critically acclaimed rock bands.
'The Silent Enigma', Anathema's second studio album, was originally released in the
summer of '95 & was the first release on which guitarist Vincent Cavanagh took over
the vocal duties of the departed Darren White. Where Darren's vocals were guttural,
Vincent's style pushed the possibilities for Anathema onwards & upwards, with a
scope & breadth beyond his years, complimenting an ethereal roller- coaster of
thoughtful atmospherics & crushing Celtic Frost style riffs - the Swiss legends being a
notable inspiration. What emerged was a fine example of highly-atmospheric & often
emotional gothic doom, spawning classic Anathema songs such as "Restless
Oblivion", "Sunset Of Age", "The Silent Enigma" & "A Dying Wish". Lauded by the metal
press & fans alike as a doom metal classic, the album's popularity has remained a
favourite within the metal scene.
This special 30th anniversary edition of 'The Silent Enigma' is presented on limited
marble vinyl, with the vinyl mastering work carried out by Abbey Road Studios,
London.

Emile Sornin has a robot in his life. It's not love, but it's not friendship either, and Forever Pavot is releasing an album documenting the affair on Born Bad. After a bunch of bold pop studio albums and a small stack of soundtracks, Emile needed a break. To put an end to it, he embarked with handyman extraordinaire Jonas Euvremer on the manufacture of an automaton destined to make his musician’s life easier. Melchior, who gave his name to the record, has the face of a ventriloquist's dummy, two plastic left hands, preppy clothes and a primitive logic circuit. This goodie two-shoes cousin of Bender’s is supposed to be doing the interviews and deal with socials for Emile. The plan worked admirably : Melchior is a perfect cover-boy, and his very existence has put our man back to work.



They set a path for phat electronic ventures (and by the way, mostly english-speaking). Sub- continental bass & massive drums, heavy-footed and unabashed : as much appreciated as unexpected. The half-android shares songwriting credits and vocal parts vocoded to perfection. Not a jealous lad, Melchior makes way for a guest of choice on “UFO” and “Waiting for the sign” : Lispector. Julie Margat sings and collaborated on the lyrics for these two bangers that provide a lot of context (robot angst is real). Kumisolo, our favorite Japanese « it » girl in Paris, also sent her “Postcard”, more vapour than song, unreal musical cotton candy of arrangements.


Domotic, who mixes and co-produces, gives a nice spin to “Count to 10”, a hip-hop/kraut crossover with a BEAK> flavour. The Forever Pavot, once a big-band, will be touring as a bass/ drums/keys & vocals trio, with Melchior as guest.



Record after record, Emile Sornin has become an increasingly literate musical illiterate. When needed, his music can still become a thicket of ancient and modern finds. « Le robot gentilhomme », a skillful pastiche of baroque composer Jean-Baptiste Lully, would stand a few rounds against Wendy Carlos. His love for oldies also shines through “Skyway”, a nod to the late Pierre Arvay, France’s Colonel Sanders of library music nuggets.



Forever Pavot may have gone wild, but remains indebted vis-à-vis the golden age of film music. Forebears deluxe Ennio Morricone & François de Roubaix make Hitchcock-style cameos: discreet appearances that you’ll watch out for (those syncopated cascades of syllables at the end of « UFO », and I guess we can indulge with some clavichord/ondioline Victoria sponge). His new flirt is all but a toxic relationship. « Melchior, Vol. 1 »: the robo-bromance is not over yet.

First chapter of a futuristic dub experiment series by The 18th Parallel. Geneva based collective invites engineer extraordinaire Roberto Sánchez to revisit 10 scorcher riddims from the Fruits Records vault to craft this inventive modern classic. Reminiscent of the greatest dub albums by King Tubby, Scientist, Prince Jammy, or Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry.

Fruits Records presents the first volume of a series of dub albums by Swiss collective The 18th Parallel. Following in the tradition of Jamaican producers who revisited their catalogues in dub versions, such as Bunny Lee and his Aggrovators with King Tubby, Junjo Lawes or Linval Thompson teaming up with Roots Radics and Scientist, or Joe Gibbs and his Professionals with Errol Thompson, Fruits Records is launching a series of dub albums produced by the label's studio band, The 18th Parallel, which will invite different sound engineers to (re)mix the tracks throughout the albums: DUB AVALANCHE. This first volume offers a deep dive into the label's catalogue through ten classic or unreleased riddims revisited by Fruits Records' long-time partner, Spanish sound engineer extraordinaire Roberto Sánchez. The instrumentals are brilliantly performed by The 18th Parallel and punctuated by the voices of legendary artists such as The Viceroys, Lone Ranger, Cornell Campbell, and Dennis Walks, who appear fleetingly before disappearing into clouds of echo. Roberto Sánchez performs ten explosive, creative sound deconstructions, playing with stylistic codes to stimulate our memory and offer a timeless sensory experience.
Like the classics of the genre, the cover art evokes a quirky retro-futuristic imaginary space where, breaking with convention, the talent of Mexican artist Melissa Santamaría is expressed through a striking metaphor of a sonic avalanche.

DUB AVALANCHE VOL. 1 is already establishing itself as a future must-have for fans of uncompromising reggae and dub!

Endlich das erste Soloalbum des bayrischen Experimental-Volksmusikers und Frontmanns der hochgelobten "Kofelgschroa" ist wieder lieferbar. Maxi Pongratz - der bayrische Texter und Liederschreiber der Band "Kofelgschroa" - ist mit diesem Album nun endlich auch solo unterwegs. Nach den drei erfolgreichen Alben mit seiner 4-köpfige Kapelle und ihrer ganz eigenen Version traditioneller Blasmusik, geht Maxi Pongratz nun eine Zeitlang eigener Wege: Mit seinem ureigenen Akkordeonspiel und Liedern, die uns laut auflachen lassen, solange, bis uns das Lachen auch mal gehörig im Halse stecken bleibt, die mehr als nur zwei Ebenen haben, in der die heile Welt Risse kriegt und die, das ist entscheidend, dem Schmunzeln und Augenzwinkern, der leisen und auch der lauten Ironie ihren Raum geben. Kaum ein anderes Bundesland hat eine so starke Tradition der anarchistisch gegen den Strich gebürsteten Volksmusik hervorgebracht wie Bayern; wo sonst wird so kritisch, politisch, witzig und laut geschrammelt, gestampft und gesungen? Ganz in dieser Traditionslinie der Zick-Zack-Gänger und Querschläger stehend, hatte es nicht umsonst bereits über die Texte von "Kofelgschroa" geheißen, sie seien dadaistisch-valentinesk. Das setzt Maxi Pongratz auf seiner ersten Soloplatte nun noch eins drauf. Mit seinem Akkordeon oder dem Klavier lässt er diese Texte in schnellen Schritten springen, plötzlich stocken oder schleppt und schuppst sie hinter und vor sich her. Das ist authentisch und rau, laut und lustig und nicht zuletzt auch ziemlich schlau.

Neon-orange Vinyl, limitiert auf 500 Exemplare. 1995 haben HARMFUL mit ihrem selbstbetitelten Debüt keine halben Sachen gemacht: herrlich anstrengend, atemlos und kompromisslos direkt - ein wuchtiger Sound, der bis heute Kultstatus hat. Keine Spielereien, nur pure, ungefilterte Energie. Grandios produziert von Guido Lucas, dem leider viel zu früh verstorbenen Kultproduzenten sowie langjährigen Freund und Wegbegleiter von HARMFUL, im legendären BluBox-Studio in Troisdorf. Das selbstbetitelte Harmful-Debüt war für das BluNoise-Label wegweisend und zugleich das erste Album auf dem später so einflussreichen Label - das danach Kultbands wie Blackmail und Ulme sowie viele weitere eigenständige Acts beherbergen sollte. Sänger und Gitarrist Aren Emirze, heute auch mit seiner Band Musa Dagh erfolgreich unterwegs, kehrt gemeinsam mit Chris Aidonopoulos (Bass) und Nico Heimann (Drums) in Originalbesetzung zurück auf die Bühne - für zwei exklusive Jubiläumskonzerte. Jetzt, 30 Jahre später, erscheint das Album als streng limitierte 30th Anniversary Edition auf transparent-orangenem Vinyl - limitiert auf nur 500 Stück - inklusive dem Original-Artwork, das den Kultstatus des Albums unterstreicht.

Zwölf Jahre nach dem gefeierten Album All Is Fever melden sich Naked Lunch mit Lights And A Slight Taste Of Death eindrucksvoll zurück. Die österreichische Band um Sänger und Songwriter Oliver Welter präsentiert ein Werk, das tief geht - musikalisch wie emotional. Der Titel deutet es an: Licht und Tod, Hoffnung und Abgrund, Intimität und Explosion - alles ist da. Welter verarbeitet persönliche Krisen, Krankheit und Wiedergeburt, aber auch Liebe und Lebensfreude. Die Songs sind radikal ehrlich, poetisch und musikalisch vielschichtig. Von zarten Balladen wie Come Into My Arms bis zu hymnischen Popmomenten wie To All And Everyone I Love oder We Could Be Beautiful entfaltet sich ein Klangkosmos, der berührt und fordert. Produziert wurde das Album gemeinsam mit Wolfgang Lehmann, dessen sensibles Verständnis für Musik Welters Vision perfekt ergänzt. Unterstützt von langjährigen Weggefährten Alex Jezdinsky (Drums) und Boris Hauf (Keys/Sax), entstand eine Platte, die sich kompromisslos in die eindrucksvolle Diskografie von Naked Lunch einreiht. Lights And A Slight Taste Of Death ist eine musikalische Tour de Force - intensiv, verletzlich, kraftvoll. Ein Album, das zeigt: Naked Lunch sind lebendiger denn je

Zwölf Jahre nach dem gefeierten Album All Is Fever melden sich Naked Lunch mit Lights And A Slight Taste Of Death eindrucksvoll zurück. Die österreichische Band um Sänger und Songwriter Oliver Welter präsentiert ein Werk, das tief geht - musikalisch wie emotional. Der Titel deutet es an: Licht und Tod, Hoffnung und Abgrund, Intimität und Explosion - alles ist da. Welter verarbeitet persönliche Krisen, Krankheit und Wiedergeburt, aber auch Liebe und Lebensfreude. Die Songs sind radikal ehrlich, poetisch und musikalisch vielschichtig. Von zarten Balladen wie Come Into My Arms bis zu hymnischen Popmomenten wie To All And Everyone I Love oder We Could Be Beautiful entfaltet sich ein Klangkosmos, der berührt und fordert. Produziert wurde das Album gemeinsam mit Wolfgang Lehmann, dessen sensibles Verständnis für Musik Welters Vision perfekt ergänzt. Unterstützt von langjährigen Weggefährten Alex Jezdinsky (Drums) und Boris Hauf (Keys/Sax), entstand eine Platte, die sich kompromisslos in die eindrucksvolle Diskografie von Naked Lunch einreiht. Lights And A Slight Taste Of Death ist eine musikalische Tour de Force - intensiv, verletzlich, kraftvoll. Ein Album, das zeigt: Naked Lunch sind lebendiger denn je

Ata Kak schuf mit seinem Debütalbum **,Obaa Sima"** ein eigenwilliges Stück ghanaischer Musikgeschichte. Bei seiner Veröffentlichung im Jahr 1994 blieb es zunächst weitgehend unbeachtet, doch 2006 erlebte die Kassette online ein neues Leben. Als erster Beitrag auf dem Blog *Awesome Tapes From Africa* avancierte sie zu einer Art Manifest für das gesamte Projekt - und löste eine ungewöhnliche, aber nicht gerade leise Kultbegeisterung aus. Seine fesselnde Mischung aus experimenteller elektronischer Musik und Twi-sprachigem Hiplife erreichte ein überraschend breites Publikum unter Musikfans unterschiedlichster Couleur. Das Rätsel um die Identität des Musikers wuchs. Schließlich trat Yaw Atta-Owusu aus dem Schatten - aus seinem ruhigen Zuhause in Kumasi - und tourte um die Welt, spielte energiegeladene, schweißtreibende Auftritte auf großen Festivals wie Glastonbury, Sónar und Pop Montreal. Nun veröffentlicht Ata Kak erstmals seit 1994 neue Musik. Über mehrere Jahre hinweg in Studios rund um Kumasi entwickelt, präsentieren die Songs den akrobatischen Rap und das charakteristische Scatting des Sängers-Rappers, dramatische Drums und sogar die traditionelle Akan-Harfe. Die Kompositionen sind ambitionierter als seine frühen Werke, mit komplexeren Arrangements und vielschichtigen Harmonien. Die neuen Stücke sind auch Ausdruck eines ruhelosen Künstlers - Ata Kak ist ein produktiver Dichter und Autor von rund einem halben Dutzend Büchern, zudem passionierter Gärtner und fleißiger Maler. Geboren 1960 in Ghana, war Ata Kak nicht immer in der Musik aktiv. Seine Reisen und seine Offenheit für die Welt führten ihn jedoch in die Musikszene. Während seines Aufenthalts in Deutschland wurde er eingeladen, in einer Reggae-Band Schlagzeug zu spielen, und trat später in Highlife-Bands in Ontario auf, nachdem er in die Gegend um Toronto gezogen war. Dort nahm er **,Obaa Sima"** in seinem Heimstudio auf und veröffentlichte es 1994 in Ghana. In den Jahren danach war er nur wenig musikalisch aktiv, bis ,Obaa Sima" 2015 neu aufgelegt wurde. Seitdem spielt er seine Songs live - unterstützt von einer brillanten Gruppe Londoner Musiker - und hat auf drei Kontinenten getourt, vor Tausenden von Fans in den unterschiedlichsten Locations.