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Black Truffle is pleased to announce the first vinyl reissue of Trancedance, a wild slice of Swedish Afro-fusion from Christer Bothén, originally released in 1984. A major figure in Swedish jazz and improvised music since the 1970s, often heard on bass clarinet and tenor sax, Bothen studied doso n’koni (the large six-stringed ‘hunter’s harp’ of the Wasulu) in Mali in 1971-2 before turning to the guinbri (the three-stringed lute of the Gnawa/Gnauoua) in Marakesh later in the decade. In between, he performed extensively with Don Cherry during his Organic Music Society period and taught Cherry the doso n’koni. In the later 70s and 80s he worked with the most important figures in the distinctive Swedish jazz-rock-world fusion scene, joining Archimedes Badkar for their African-influenced Tre and participating in Bengt Berger’s legendary Bitter Funeral Beer Band. Many of the musicians who played on the Bitter Funeral Beer Band’s ECM LP (including Berger on drums, Anita Livstrand on voice and percussion and Tord Bengstsson on piano, violin and guitar) joined Bothén for one of the sessions that produced Trancedance, the first release under his own name, dedicated to his compositions. The other session introduced his seven-piece group Bolon Bata, heard on the second track of each side. The title track opens the album with the rubbery buzzing strings of the doso n’goni playing a hypnotic ten beat pattern, soon joined by bass and piano before the entire nine-piece group kicks in with a rollicking Afro-jazz workout, Berger’s drums driving an intricate, winding melodic line played by the horns with Mattias Helden’s cello throwing in pizzicato slides and smears. Bothén then takes centre stage on tenor sax, soloing with a wide, vibrating tone and moving seamlessly from soaring melodies to guttural stutters. After a return to the composed horn lines and a solo from Elsie Petrén on alto sax, the piece builds to an ecstatic conclusion of yelping voices and handclaps, gradually simmering down to return to the solo doso n’koni where it began.

The hypnotic sounds of the hunter’s harp carries over to ‘Mimouna’, where it is joined by Bothen’s overdubbed guinbri. The piece develops into a haunting whispered and sung invocation, gradually building momentum until the organic textures of strings, voices, and hand percussion are ruptured by Lennart Söderlund’s distorted guitar, which brings an unmistakable touch of 1984 to the otherwise timeless sound. Joined by chicken scratch guitar and increasingly dominated by the insistent clang of three of Bolon Bata’s members on karqab (a kind of cast-iron castanet), the grove develops frenetically.

The B side opens with the multi-part epic ‘9+10 Moving Pictures for the Ear’, at over 16 minutes the record’s longest piece. Though Bothen is heard only on horns on this piece, the hypnotic repeating bass line carries on the first side’s link to African musical traditions. Using an expanded 16-piece ensemble, the music balances untethered improvisation with carefully arranged passages of knotty ensemble playing that at points suggest Mingus, Moacir Santos or some of the ambitious post-free work being done in the same years by figures like David Murray or Henry Threadgill. The piece ends with a triumphant passage of looping unison melody reminiscent of the Scandinavian folk explorations of Arbete och Fritid (whose Kjell Westling is heard on bass clarinet and soprano sax here). The sound of Bjorn Lundqvist’s fretless bass introduces the odd left turn made by the record’s final track, a spaced-out expedition into bluesy horn lines and distant guitar atmospherics set to a semi-reggae beat, perfumed by the core Bolon Bata group and bearing the appropriate title of ‘The Horizon Stroller’. A must for fans of the Swedish scene around groups like Arbete och Fritid and Archimedes Badkar, as well as any listener who has been seduced by Louis Moholo’s Spirits Rejoice!, The Brotherhood of Breath, or, more recently, the guinbri grooves of Natural Information Society, Trancedance is a lost classic ripe for rediscovery.

With Lucifer, Kompakt presents an album of rare beauty from two masters of modern music. A family affair, it’s a collaboration between the Italian father-and-son duo of Luciano Michelini and Lorenzo Dada, whose combined histories bring to Lucifer a depth of experience alongside clarity of vision and a finely tuned, neatly developed combined compositional voice. A lovely, beguiling suite of music that combines the electronic and the acoustic, the urban and the pastoral, its gorgeous night-eye vision and tender melancholy sits neatly within the Kompakt universe, while offering the curious listener some rich new perspectives.

There is already plenty to know both artists by. Lorenzo Dada creates across multiple fields – a techno producer and DJ who has already worked with the likes of Jay Haze, Fete, Leo Benassi, and Der, he’s released a small clutch of stylish, smartly designed EPs, and a solo album, Second Life (2018). His complementary background in classical music and composition informs his ensemble project, Tears Of Blue (who appear on Lucifer), where Dada paints with neo-classical tones for a quartet of violin, viola, cello and grand piano, supplemented by electronics for live performance.

Luciano Michelini’s history is yet richer. He may be best known, to many, for his piece “Frolic”, the theme to Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm series; it was also sampled by Snoop Dogg for 2022’s “Crip Ya Enthusiasm”. But there’s much more to Michelini’s story. A successful soundtrack composer, Michelini both studied and taught at the Conservatoro di Santa Cecilia, and worked for RCA from the sixties to the eighties; his soundtracks from this period are gorgeous examples of the form, particularly his work for Il Decamerone Nero (1972), L’Isola Degli Uomini Pesce (1979), and the devastatingly gorgeous Dimensione Donna (1977).

In the eighties, Michelini and his wife Anna Gutling founded the Electronic Music Division studio and academy in Rome, which is where the majority of Lucifer was recorded. Dada reflects on the experience: “We never worked together before, so it was all new for both of us,” with Michelini adding, “I truly love this experience with my son. He’s a talented pianist and composer. I am not very familiar with electronic music nowadays, but we did it fluently.” There’s certainly a familial energy at play through Lucifer, and you can hear how Dada and Michelini, through exploration and experiment, find a shared language, balancing Dada’s tendency toward minimalism, and Michelini’s composerly voice.

Lucifer flows as a suite that interweaves electronic music with acoustic instruments: the lonely sigh of saxophone; Michelini’s lush, verdant piano; the weeping strings of Tears Of Blue (recorded at the studio of Michelini’s friend, the late Maestro, Ennio Morricone). These multiple voices are located within the electronic sighs and swarms from Dada’s kit; there are moments of propulsion, and passages of lambent drift, where the album revels in its tonal sweetness. If it flows so effortlessly, that’s because Lucifer was designed that way, as a suite or a sonata of sorts.

And the title? Dada reflects, “Lucifer was an angel who decided not to be one anymore. The miracle of life is that we can decide what we want to be, even if we are born as angels or vice versa.” This feels somehow apposite: there’s certainly something of the transformative, and the transportive, in Lucifer, a unique family collaboration of rare poetry and sensitivity, where two generations meet in the modern crucible that is the electronic music studio.

Look through any self respecting quality music publication or web site and peruse through a list of the most important and influential psychedelic albums of all time and you can be pretty sure to see KALEIDOSCOPE'S 'Tangerine Dream' ranked high up there, along with your 'Sgt Peppers', your 'Forever Changes' 'Satanic Majesties Request' 'Axis Bold As Love' 'Odyssey & Oracle' and 'The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators'........

This seminal album of quintessential English psychedelia is one of the most highly prized artifacts that define the psychedelic genre and like some of the most highly collected and prized albums from that time, mint copies can now go for way in excess of £1000.

Thus given the record`s rarity & collectability, matched to the recent explosive interest in all things psyche, garage & underground, you would be excused for thinking that this slice of perfect late 60's progressive underground pop would have been given the full reissue and remastering treatment already. Surprisingly though, you would very much be mistaken. But to those of you who know the checkered history of Kaleidoscope this will perhaps come as no surprise!!!

Thankfully after 3 years of painstaking detective work, chance encounters with Universal archivists, heavy negotiations with major label legal executives and some good fortune, we are delighted to announce that this record will finally not only get its first proper official reissue in over 5 decades, but thanks to a lot of pure persistence it can now be presented to its listeners in the manner in which it was supposed to have been heard, following the discovery of a batch of the original master tapes that were languishing in the vaults of Universal that have laid largely unheard for 50 years!

Furthermore following a couple of shared festival billings at Austin and Copenhagen Psyche Festival, with another legend of the scene, Mr Pete Kember aka SONIC BOOM of SPACEMEN 3 fame, Sonic has been holed up in his Lisbon studio, painstakingly remastering the album from the original ¼' tapes.

The remastering of these ¼' tapes though is only part of the story, as along with the discovery of these a significant number of ½' tapes and other material was also discovered which is penned for a future release when the band`s entire works will be presented in a definitive boxset of all four of their studio albums (including all their Fairfield Parlour recordings) plus BBC Sessions, live recordings, alternative takes, new mixes, unreleased tracks and material from the band`s own archive including pre-Kaleidoscope demos when they were known as both The Sidekicks and The Key.

For now though, this 50th Anniversary release comes with a flavor of what is to come, with the inclusion of two unreleased out-takes tracks from 1967 on a bonus 7' housed in a replica original paper thin Fontana sleeve which, includes an early version of the track that gave the band their name, the suitably titled: 'Kaleidoscope'. Whilst the flip presents an alternative earliest known recorded version of the album's follow-up single: Dream For Julie'.

The album itself, has been cut onto 180g heavyweight vinyl, housed in a deluxe high-end gatefold tip-on sleeve with the lyrics printed and new artwork. The first 1000 copies of the album will be hand numbered by the band & pressed on 'Tangerine' orange vinyl housed in an inner sleeve with attractive new artwork + download code.

The music industry, once revered as a realm of artistic expression and creativity, has gradually transformed into a breeding ground for commercial nonsense. The rampant commercialization of music has resulted in an environment where genuine talent often takes a backseat to profit-driven motives. It’s high time we unmask and challenge the prevailing commercial bullshit that plagues the music scene today.

In the midst of all this commercial nonsense, it’s essential to recognize that there is a thriving underground and independent music scene where authenticity and creativity still flourish. Listeners can play a vital role in reshaping the music industry by supporting independent artists, seeking out diverse sounds, and rejecting the homogenized offerings of major labels.

To combat the commercial bullshit in the music scene, we must prioritize artistry over profit, diversity over uniformity, and creativity over conformity. Only by championing these values can we hope to revive the music industry as a bastion of authentic expression and genuine talent, free from the shackles of commercial exploitation.

This record invites you on an extraordinary journey, in the form of a spatio-temporal and transgenerational sound collage, into the parallel and singular universe of one of the major counter-culture movements of the 1960s fantastic realism. A cross between thematic compilation and sound creation, it offers a selection of rarities and nuggets with psychedelic and esoteric tonesby groups from the late 60's - early 70's French psychedelic scene, such as Haira, Guy Skornnik and Martin Circus, as well as previously unreleased tracks by major current and emerging bands such as The Limiñanas, Zombie Zombie featuring Pacôme Thiellement, The Penelopes or Terrains vagues, Rubin et le paradoxe featuring Brigitte Fontaine, Tuxedomoon or Exotourisme (Perez and Dominique Gonzalez Foerster). These tracks were created especially for the occasion. All mixed and interspersed with audio archives by Jacques Bergier, Louis Pauwels or Eugène Canseliet and sounds from installations designed by visual artists (Veronique Belland, Alexis Chapelain). At once cutting-edge and accessible to the uninitiated, between fantasy and science fiction, esotericism and occultism, popular culture and contemporary art, avant-garde and pop music, this disc offers a poetic ode to the Strange, to curiosity, to the capacity for wonder and the desire for knowledge, with a view to re-enchanting reality. Conceived by Jean-François Sanz (author, director and curator) and Hermione Volt (visual artist), in collaboration with Laurent Paulré (founder of the Contours label and producer at Radio France), and with the complicity of Céline Du Chéné (author and journalist), this album, an atypical sound object, is the musical extension of the eponymous group exhibition UN AUTRE MONDE ///DANS NOTRE MONDE, which opened at Galerie du Jour in Paris.

"A Twangy Touch On 1960s Hits!

As one of America’s most influential guitarists, Duane Eddy’s famed twangy, reverb-drenched guitar shines on a wide variety of pop-rock hits, standards, and more!

Backed by two drummers, four more guitars, organ, piano, bass, saxes, and that's just the beginning, Duane goes unafraid at the kind of tunes that normally are "one person songs" Like "Ballad of the Green Berets" which becomes a twang-bang march under Duane's banner. Like "Monday, Monday" which was "The Mamas and Papas" and now has the wild newness of Duane Eddy.

After rising to fame in the late ‘50s with “Rebel Rouser,” Eddy’s influence on radio inspired musicians like George Harrison and Bruce Springsteen. Rockabilly and country music were both major factors in Eddy’s trademark sound; heavy, catchy guitar riffs over a ska-type beat. His hits included “Peter Gunn,” “Because They’re Young,” and “Twistin’ ‘n’ Twangin’.”

As music morphed into melodic sunshine pop, Eddy adapted his sound to fit chart hits of the ‘60s in his own twangy style."

"The Biggest Twang Of Them All" includes the following tracks: "Monday, Monday", "Night Train", "Day Dream", "Younger Girl" and more.

"A Twangy Touch On 1960s Hits!

As one of America’s most influential guitarists, Duane Eddy’s famed twangy, reverb-drenched guitar shines on a wide variety of pop-rock hits, standards, and more!

Backed by two drummers, four more guitars, organ, piano, bass, saxes, and that's just the beginning, Duane goes unafraid at the kind of tunes that normally are "one person songs" Like "Ballad of the Green Berets" which becomes a twang-bang march under Duane's banner. Like "Monday, Monday" which was "The Mamas and Papas" and now has the wild newness of Duane Eddy.

After rising to fame in the late ‘50s with “Rebel Rouser,” Eddy’s influence on radio inspired musicians like George Harrison and Bruce Springsteen. Rockabilly and country music were both major factors in Eddy’s trademark sound; heavy, catchy guitar riffs over a ska-type beat. His hits included “Peter Gunn,” “Because They’re Young,” and “Twistin’ ‘n’ Twangin’.”

As music morphed into melodic sunshine pop, Eddy adapted his sound to fit chart hits of the ‘60s in his own twangy style."

"The Biggest Twang Of Them All" includes the following tracks: "Monday, Monday", "Night Train", "Day Dream", "Younger Girl" and more.

Recording technology was completely revolutionized in the 80s by the multitrack recorder, with the popularity of 24-channel SSL consoles sweeping the world. Japanese pop music created during this wave of digital improvement is now recognized worldwide as ""City Pop."" Techno Pop was another offshoot born of the same revolution. Precise, computer-controlled beats produced by groups like Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) introduced a different type of sound to the masses. By now, these works have been brought into the international limelight and continue to be a major influence on today's music.

At the center of Tokyo’s Techno Pop scene was ALFA/YEN Records. The label left behind an impressive body of work, but much of it wasn't made widely available... until now! This new, definitive compilation focuses on the music archives of the YEN Records catalog, available for the first time exclusively at Light in the Attic. This is a true celebration of Japan's Techno Pop scene of the 80s, reissued with the intent that future generations, internationally, will be able to discover, enjoy, and appreciate ALFA/YEN and its significant contributions to the sonic landscape of the 80s and beyond.

Bruno Berle, the young songwriter and poet originally hailing from Maceió, the capital of Brazil’s Alagoas state, crafts songs that are simple, direct, and full of tender nuance. With his first album No Reino Dos Afetos (which translates to "In the Realm of Affections” and was released in 2022), Berle firmly established himself as a unique and important voice in the burgeoning scene of new Brazilian artists making a global impact, including peers like Ana Frango Elétrico, Tim Bernardes, Bala Desejo, Sessa and more. Now back with his second album, No Reino Dos Afetos 2, he stretches that further.

Bruno Berle’s music lives between two worlds – a traditional Brazilian folk talent steeped in history, and a contemporary, dreamy electronic pop; the result is songwriting that’s genre-bending, intentional, iconoclastic and consuming, spacious and sinewy and singular, a striking reflection of its composer while leaving space for the listener to settle in. The album follows Bruno’s relocation to São Paulo, and the songs are a reflection of his past and present. A rebuke of former categorizations of his work in Brazilian music scenes, and an idea of where his music can move, unfettered.

Berle’s music is purposeful in being a true portrait of himself, and a reflection of the music, art, and fashion scenes he personally moves through. Berle aims to provide an entrypoint for Black queer joy in his music, in his storytelling, in his presence and vision as a creative. For him, it feels subversive to be playing MPB laced with dubstep and lo-fi, a sort of intentional sacrilege, capturing a dialogue of modernity in traditional music.

Berle wrote most of the arrangements and co-produced his new album, Reino Dos Afetos 2 with longtime friend and musical partner Batata Boy, who is also from Maceió; the album was recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Maceió, and São Paulo, his new home, and picks up the conversation begun in 2022 on Berle’s debut album No Reino dos Afetos. Both records are the result of a nonlinear but coherent seven-year music creation process culminating in these albums, holding hands across space and time.

“Tirolirole,” the first single from the record, was released at the end of 2023; sun-soaked rhythms and soft voice coat the song, the lilting refrain of “Tirolirole” throughout – hushed, gentle, but somehow almost tactile, a golden-hour moment unlocked in the mind. “Tirolirole” is a triumphant future classic about the temporality of a blossoming love, with Bruno’s stunning vocal soaring over melodies which ebb and flow like the waters on the Atlantic shore. Of the track, Berle explains: “Despite ‘Tirolirole’ being an expression that evokes my childhood, just like the light words about nature, the harmony, and the poetry are epic, carrying a great hope for love.”

In fact, the guiding theme of No Reino dos Afetos 2 is a relationship, unfolding in the arc of a weekend. It traverses the innocence of an early young love, how that can be formative, can stretch on to take new shapes, or shape you. The album happens at the genesis of meeting someone and falling for them, before the relationship is thrown into overdrive – set in a big city, against a backdrop of major life changes, rising energy, the sound of São Paulo.

Something transcendental emerges in “Dizer Adeus,” with an arrangement that echoes a gospel atmosphere (evangelical and Catholic environments were pivotal to Berle’s upbringing). On “É Só Você Chegar,” piano and flute gracefully intertwine, a dance, while “Quando Penso” skews sparser, the voice-and-guitar minimalism somehow cultivating an entirely different shape – somehow both cozy and melancholy, with the background sound of a rainy day. Coupled with the lo-fi aspects that shape much of the album’s personality in the vocals and the production, No Reino Dos Afetos 2 is meticulously elaborated by Berle’s sonic alchemy, like on the mid-album instrumental “Sonho,” which feels like floating. “It’s the apex. It’s when lovers are sleeping together,” Berle explains of the feeling he wanted to encapsulate in the song.

On “Love Comes Back” Berle interprets Arthur Russell, the late Iowa musician who only reached greater visibility after he died in 1992. “His way of making music is similar to mine,” Berle explains. “He sings in a more fragile way, has more of an experimental way of recording, letting ‘chance’ appear in the final work.”

Even so, Berle doesn’t want his music to be buried in sentimentality – and the purposefulness of his craft serves as a sort of north star. The production, the arrangements, his restraint and intentionality in crafting his songs feel just as vital as their emotional cores. His songwriting is amorphous, fluid, an encompassing genre-bending movement in-and-of-itself, quietly daring. The songs are often in conversation with other works – drinking in fountains as diverse as the filmmaking of Ingmar Bergman, the poetry of Walt Whitman, the rhythm of Djavan, and the painting of Maxwell Alexandre. Musically he weaves together a rich tapestry of Brazilian folk, UK 2-step garage/dub, trip hop and sun soaked west coast songwriters; something akin to the worlds of Milton Nascimento, Arthur Russell, James Blake, Feist, and Sade colliding into one. But even then No Reino Dos Afetos 2 floats separately, a romanticism driven by a simplicity and intimacy, an open-ended possibility, Berle’s singularity as an artist at the helm of the ship.

This new opus marks a major comeback for Samuel Sanders, who made a name for himself in the 2000s with his first productions alongside Max Walder on Ghoststyle, whose track "Cyclone" was covered by big names such as Ken Iishi, Marco Bailey, Frank Biazzi, Technasia, Marco Carola ... but also on the Invasion label with "Dependance" (N.E.W.S label) and among others on the Kevlar "Illusion" label, where this EP received great support from Dave Clarke, Carl Cox, Chris Liebing ... He also produced alongside Manu Kenton on the Kentek, Frenchtek and Fanatix labels. With N.O.B.A, he returned to production, choosing Vibes Addikt for his comeback.

The A-side "Do You Like ... 2024" is a remake of a track he and N.O.B.A created in 2008 on Reaktion, in a much more Hard Techno version with a spirit all its own.
Side B is dedicated to Samuel Sanders himself and presents his new productions:
B1 "Desolation" a hypnotic spirit with a touch of Acid on the cover for lovers of this spirit
The B2 "Don't Be Afraid" is close to Hard Techno with a more clubby style for fans of this style.

Jonah Matranga has been making music for over 30 years. A prolific artist, he has become an enduring institution in the scene with a devoted fan base, rich lineage, and varied music career. Jonah has often straddled the line between the underground and mainstream. He’s worked with indie labels like Jade Tree and majors such as Atlantic, having fronted the bands FAR, NEW END ORIGINAL, and GRATITUDE. His music has influenced bands from Deftones to Blink-182, and he was there for emo and post-hardcore giants in their earliest beginnings–taking bands such as Thursday and Dashboard Confessional on tour. Simply put, the scene cannot be separated from Jonah’s art. Jonah has always written from the heart and performed in an intimate way that few others have accomplished. From basements to massive festivals, he brings the same energy to them all: raw honesty and an ability to make every show unique and personal. This is most apparent in Jonah’s solo and collaborative project ONELINEDRAWING. Jonah’s solo performance has always been about connecting with fans in an intimate setting, where they often perform with only a guitar and R2D2 sidekick. Sketchbook is the latest release from ONELINEDRAWING, featuring a collection of songs from Jonah’s early solo years, 1999 - 2001, completely remastered for vinyl. The album features originals and renditions of the likes of 7 Seconds and Jawbox, as well as the Sensefield split honoring the late Jon Bunch (Sense Field / Further Seems Forever). The LP also includes liner notes and zine by Norman Brannon (Texas is the Reason / New End Original). Sketchbook exists as both a time capsule and thank you letter to fans and music itself–a combination of the period in which Jonah first embarked on his solo journey and a celebration of the vitality that music and community not only affords him but all of us. Available in the EU/UK from Thirty Something Records and in the US from Iodine Recordings. Genre: Alternative / Emo

As an organism, Blood circa Loving You Backwards, was a six piece. Tim O'Brien is the lyric writer, but the song writing and arrangement is a painstakingly collaborative process in which the band aims for democracy over swiftness.

The record also features the band's first major work with the producer Daniel Enrique Howard, whom the band recorded with at his studio in Brooklyn. Howard helped guide Blood into this new sonic territory. It is not a bedroom project, but instead fully realized, somehow sounding both intimate like Liz Harris' Grouper feels intimate and totally vast in the way that a Talk Talk record feels vast. It's in the same universe as Ought in its earlier iterations.

Son Mieux is a collective formed around Dutch singer, songwriter & producer Camiel Meiresonne. Once the keyboard player in Soul Sister Dance Revolution and in his young years frontman of All Missing Pieces. After playing in bands since he was eleven years old, he is now a grown young man, ready to invite the world into his own. Son Mieux writes his songs in the after hours, which make his songs both intimate & alive. By combining folk, indie and electronic music, he manages to create a unique sound and to process the expressions of his personality in his music.

The past two years have been an accumulation of highlights for Son Mieux. Single 'Even' became 3FM Megahit, debut EP 'Vice Versa' (2016) was streamed more than 6 million times and the song 'Easy' was used under major advertising campaigns from ING, McDonalds and Deezer. The band toured the country with sold-out club shows, festivals such as Zwarte Cross and Where The Wild Things Are.

In 2017 and 2018 they took their time to write the debut album. With singles 'Hiding', 'Everyday' and 'Old Love', the debut album Faire de Son Mieux makes a more mature and fuller sound. Together with producer Thijs van der Klugt (Douwe Bob, Sue the Night), a deepening was sought without losing the characteristic Son Mieux sound.

Faire de Son Mieux is available as a limited first pressing of 500 individually numbered copies on white vinyl. The package includes 5 exclusive inserts with song lyrics and photos.

Repress! PRESSED ON BLUE & WHITE SWIRL VINYL! Housed In A High Gloss Jacket With Each LP Tucked Into A Printed Inner Sleeve

Nasir "Nas" Jones' 2001 record Stillmatic was considered a major comeback for the 90s rap icon. It signalled a return to the gritty, urban chaos of his acclaimed debut album, after releasing record after record of gradually more mainstream material, and Nas' return to prominence in the highest echelons of hip-hop. In spite of this newfound critical clout, Stillmatic's release did nothing to squash his then ongoing feud with fellow New Yorker Jay-Z, who had gone so far as to challenge Nas to a pay-per-view rap battle. A challenge Nas rejected, stating "If Jay-Z wants to battle, he should drop his album the same day I do and let the people decide." Nas fans never would get the no-holds barred lyrical battle with Jay-Z many had speculated. What they got instead was one of Nas' most personal and introspective releases to date in 2002. Not long after Stillmatic's release, Nas spent much of his time away from the limelight to tend to his ill mother, who would pass on from breast cancer in 2002. His experiences with his mother's mortality as well as the fallout of his feud with Jay-Z, who continued to produce diss tracks as Nas tended to his mother, would inspire much of the lyrical material on his next record. God's Son was released in December of 2002, and like Stillmatic before it, was subject to major critical acclaim. On God's Son, Nas effectively took the battle-hardened demeanor he had cultivated and tore it down across 14 tracks that were emotionally insular, though still dusted in urban grit, and still finding time to shoot back at Jay-Z's potshots on tracks like "Last Real Nigga Alive" and "Mastermind." Assisting Nas was a slew of top-tier producers like The Alchemist, Eminem, Ron Browz, and Salaam Remi, over samples of James Brown, the Incredible Bongo Band, Fela Kuti, and Beethoven, and guest vocals from Alicia Keys, Kelis, Claudette Ortiz of City High, and even a posthumous 2Pac.

Repress!

Two of dance music's most recognisable names come together once more as Nic Fanciulli returns on the mighty Rekids.

Fanciulli has long been one of the leading lights in the house world. His Saved Records label is one of the go-to outlets for forward-thinking grooves thanks to his own music and his on-point A&R of many other talents. Over the years, his releases have explored every facet of house and tech, while the man himself has played every major club and festival in the world. This is Fanciulli's third outing on Rekids after 12"s in 2019 and 2020, and it might be his best yet.

The stylish and seductive sounds of 'On My Mind' open up with loopy and catchy vocals, disco-tinged house beats and plenty of feel-good energy. The funky basslines and innovative samples make this a fun, full flavour and heart-warming groove that is sure to get crowds locked in and hands in the air. The brilliant 'U Gotta' is another track steeped in classic references but with a modern twist. It builds in careful layers that tease and please with sustained strings and low, grinding bass offset by the diva vocals and atmospheric crowd noise. When it drops, it is the sort of tune to bring real rapture to the party.

This live album is a recording of the last live performance by Drumwolf (Toru)'s with the band. The concert was held at W.W.W.X. in Shibuya on March 11th, 2023 and includes 13 of the songs that they played at this gig.

It is the last memorial live performance for Toru, the bedrock of Guitarwolf for many years and will be permanently etched on vinyl. This is a must record that fans need to get hold of, as it is the live recording of the band's latest performance featuring many of their classic songs.

Guitar Wolf have been expanding their horizons of their activities in recent years, including an appearance at the Shimane Jet festival, and they hope you can appreciate the pure joy of their universal rock 'n' roll vibes on vinyl that might be too hot for the whole world to handle!

And as a bonus item, you can stream the full live performance of this monumental concert of Guitarwolf in its entirety as well! It was directed by Tetsuro Takeuchi who has previously worked on Guitarwolf's music videos for many years.

This video of their live performance was edited full of tension and speed and it truly displays how much Guitarwolf deserves the title of Japan's number one rock 'n' roll band. This fact can also be relived by seeing this video included in this deluxe edition.

Guitarwolf
Members:
Seiji (Guitarwolf): Lead Vocals, Guitar
GOTZ (Basswolf): Bass, Vocals
Shingo (Drumwolf): Drum Note: Joined the band in 2022

Real-life rock 'n'roll super heroes that rock fans all over Japan continue to admire.
While creating numerous legendary myths in the 1990s, being unique beyond comparison, they continue to consistently blare out their spontaneity to the present day,

The band's unusually extreme and bombastic sound amplifies the embryonic impulses of rock 'n' roll, while Seiji's lyrics mix words that evoke the 'universe' and the 'Showa era' with his own unique sense of humor. In their relentless pursuit of a style that has remained unchanged since the band's formation, the music that the three members who don their entire bodies in black leather play, emits power that transcends time and space. While doing so, they continue to gain enthusiastic fans from all over the world.

Formed in 1987, the original members, Seiji and Billy (bass, vocals) and Toru who joined the band later, started their musical activities together and released their debut album "Wolf Rock" in 1993 from the Memphis-based Goner Records. Later, they signed to Matador Records, one of the leading indie labels in the USA. They also made their major label debut in 1997 with the album, "Wolf Planet" on Ki/oon Records/ Sony Music in Japan.

They have released 12 albums to date. The band has also continued to tour energetically around the world, not only in Japan but also in the US, EU countries, Australia and South America. Billy suddenly passed away in 2005. After having two mighty support casts, U.G. and Hikaru, GOTZ (Gotz) joined the band in 2018 as the new bass wolf. Also, Toru who had been with the band as drum wolf for many years left in 2022 and the band is now more energetically active with their new drum wolf, Shingo.

The third major release from deadbeat Records – East London’s newest home for delinquent house, techno and breaks – sees I Love Acid heads Posthuman swagger out of the shadows with a wry smile, packing a full clip and one in the chamber.

DBR003 offers 4 peak cuts of early-hours madness. Pure and simple. And we are not talking fucking beautiful sunrises here. This is 4am, sanity wearing off, blurred vision, locked jaw, pumped fist, heart in your mouth kind of music. Where Extender drops in hard upfront with its jacked, high energy rave stabs,

Head Wrench’s relentless acid worm burrows a little deeper into your amygdala before splitting it wide open. On the flipside, Wobble Tool’s suitably drippy hook oozes over a brooding, proggy baseline, but only after Builder growls out the gate, an irresistible dancefloor-melting monster with an appetite for destruction

Audrey Powne's stunning debut album, From The Fire, is set to be one of those must have LPs in any music lover's collection. Something of an auteur release it features nine tracks all composed by Audrey, with all string arrangements and all produced by her. Audrey's decision to produce the whole album herself came from a desire to take creative control of her music and apply techniques developed from the influences of the producers she had previously worked with. If all of the above were not enough Audrey also wrote the lyrics for those tracks on which she sings, and as a multi-instrumentalist contributes piano, Rhodes and organ. She also features as a trumpeter with dextrous and soaring solos as evidenced by the two single releases so far; Feed The Fire and the title track, From The Fire. Due to be released by BBE as both a vinyl and on digital From The Fire is an album of Soul-Jazz with a serious environmental and social messages as well as one which blends classical music, hip-hop and influences from Roy Hargrove, Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock. Indeed it is Roy Hargrove's studio techniques evident in his work with the RH Factor that Audrey credits as a major factor in her producer role here. As well as her solo work, Melbourne born Audrey Powne has also worked as a session player with acts as diverse as Maceo Parker, Midnight Oil, Jimmy Barnes, Masta Ace and the Grammy nominated band The Teskey Brothers. With testimonies and positive reviews from Gilles Peterson, Earmilk, Bandcamp Daily, tracks on the Sunny Side Up compilation and performances on Boiler Room Audrey Powne is a supreme talent whose star is on the rise. From The Fire is destined to become a future classic.

Following a banging streak of collaboration albums with the likes of Boldy James and Smoke DZA, as well as his successful On High Alert series, Real Bad Man teams up with one of the most buzzing names in underground hip-hop right now, a true chameleon, Pink Siifu. The Birmingham, Alabama native emcee has been shaking the foundations and pushing boundaries in rap and music in general over the last few years gaining major attention and touring the world. On collaboration album "Real Bad Flights" the two both bring their A-game to the table, creating a unique soundscape together with special guests such as Boldy James, Armand Hammer, Chuck Strangers and Iojii among others, to bring you one of the most exciting albums of 2022/2023!

AMEN is the 3rd release by bassoonist / composer / producer Joy Guidry. Representing a major ste up in her ability to fully realize and embody a sound and concept, AMEN moves from rousing, rafter-splitting spiritual jazz and gospel compositions to ambient compositions that create a powerfu statement of communal healing and peace. The album features contributions by Niecy Blues, Kalia Vandever, Tyrone Allen and Jessie Cox.

Sam Cooke’s SAR Records Story 1959-1965 gathers significant recordings of SAR Records – the label Sam Cooke co-founded, produced the majority of records for and was instrumental in operating. Groundbreaking artists such as The Soul Stirrers, Johnnie Taylor, Billy Preston, and Bobby Womack’s group The Valentinos are all featured, in addition to Sam himself. “The whole SAR Records Story is infused with Sam Cooke’s rapturous sense of how sacred gospel and sexual soul flow together, unbroken,” stated Milo Miles on NPR’s Fresh Air upon the set’s initial release almost three decades ago. In an era where black-owned labels were a rarity, Los Angeles based SAR Records was founded at almost exactly the same time as Motown, its Detroit counterpart. SAR was established in 1959 by Sam Cooke, music publisher J.W. Alexander, and S. Roy Crain, Cooke’s road manager and founder of gospel group The Soul Stirrers. The acronymous name standing for Sam Alex Roy, SAR sought to keep gospel music alive while simultaneously crossing over to pop audiences in the secular world. LPs 1 and 2 of the set focus on the former, while LPs 3 and 4 encompass the latter. From choosing talent, to writing a great number of songs, to producing, SAR was entirely the fulfillment of Cooke’s vision on a musical/creative level. The superstar singer, who had already crossed over from the gospel world himself, tirelessly coached the vocalists during SAR recording sessions, emphasizing diction. His methods are heard throughout the collection, as he is heard speaking to artists between takes. “And by Sam being there with you and just giving you that special attention, you wanted to give it to him like it was supposed to be. I think that’s what made SAR, SAR. Because he was selling himself through different artists.” – Bobby Womack. VERY LIMITED 1-2 COPIES ONLY PER SHOP

Elevating, uplifting and beautifully arranged. Jasmine Myra's sophomore album Rising builds on the success of her

breakthrough album Horizons to deliver a major statement from one of UK Jazz's rising stars. Produced by Matthew Halsall and mixed by Greg Freeman (Hania Rani, Matthew Halsall, Portico Quartet), Rising delivers a confident and vibrant follow up that joins the musical dots between Myra’s influences Kenny Wheeler, Bonobo and Shabaka Hutchings while delivering something unique, beautiful and profound.

Rising is also the sound of a composer and performer growing in stature and adding extra layers of confidence and poise to both her playing and composing. Aided and abetted by Matthew Halsall who once again lends his production skills, Rising is fuller, richer and deeper as Myra develops her uniquely uplifting sound.



Much like my first album, Rising is a reflection of a period of my life. It is a continuation from Horizons, which was all about my experience during lockdown, and entailed overcoming my struggles with mental health. Following on from that experience, I set out to continue building my self-confidence. This album has an uplifting and spiritual sound, drawing influence from artists such as Makaya McCraven, Bonobo and Shabaka Hutchings.



Rising features the same core of musicians as Myra’s debut album Horizons (Gondwana records GOND052): guitarist Ben Haskins, drummer George Hall pianist Jasper Green, harpist Alice Roberts (who both also perform with Matthew Halsall) and bassist Sam Quintana who collectively bring a deft understating of the subtle textures of Myra’s music and perform with a collective empathy and drive that really pushes the music on a radiant journey. And a string quartet add gently elevating textures to Still Waters, Knowingness, From Embers and How Tall The Mountains.

Warehouse Find!

Red D is back for a follow up to his brilliant Chez EP which dropped last year and this time he's going for the jugular! The man responsible for
some of the finest house music of the last decade as FCL (with San Soda) and FCL vs VFB (with Motor City Drum Ensemble) knows a thing or two about
what makes the dancefloor lose its s**t, with tracks such as Let's Go Seven, It's You and Can We Try all testament to this.
When he's not DJing at the likes of Panorama Bar or hosting his own stage at Tomorrowland, Red D can be found running his own mighty fine We Play House label from his Ghent HQ.
Moan The Mania opens this release in suitably back to the raw fashion! A minimal drum machine groove and clipped bassline lay the foundations of this tribute to all things jacking with a sprinkling of porno groans to help you on your way. This is sleazy machine funk at it's very best. Next up we have a remix from Eli Escobar, the native New Yorker who has recently been making major waves following the release of his LP Happiness on Classic.
As someone who has remixed the likes of Lana Del Rey, Kim Ann Foxman, Honey Dijon and Holy Ghost we knew he'd be the man to take Red D's baton and run with it.
Keeping the overall vibe of the original intact
Eli cranks the energy further with additional in your face percussion parts and a couple of perfectly placed build ups. Flipping over we have Chase The Cat which takes a similarly stripped-back and minimal approach as Moan The Mania but goes heavier on the 707 beats. Finally we have Dusk Or Dawn closing the release with a deeper mood.
Simple FM synth stabs and glassy chimes provide a tender and naive-sounding counterpoint to the basic beats.
Red D proving once again that limiting your tools and not over-complicating things can often have so much more impact when it comes to house music.

Holland, Dozier and Holland are arguably the greatest songwriters ever. More prolific than Lennon and McCartney, they shaped “the Sound of Young America” and propelled the Motown sound in the mid-1960s into a creative stratosphere unmatched by any other independent music label. Their trademark catchy teenage love songs were delivered energetically by previously unknown Detroit groups like The Supremes, the Four Tops, Martha & the Vandellas & Marvin Gaye. Although synonymous with Berry Gordy’s Motown, it was their departure from Motown after a stand-off strike in 1967 and a brutal legal battle that led them to run their own group of labels, Invictus, Hot Wax and Music Merchant. This compilation is a definitive look at this period in history, exploring how H-D-H, under a new guise ‘The Creative Corporation’, drove the next generation of soul music in a myriad of different ways, towards funk, underground disco and jazz. Featuring 55 tracks, this collection documents HDH’s creativity and growth over this seminal 8 year period. During this time the trio developed new artists to rival Motown’s success such as Chairman Of The Board, Freda Payne, Honey Cone, Glass House, Flaming Ember, 8th Day, Laura Lee & Eloise Laws. The collection is complete with a detailed depiction of this period in history by award winning author Stuart Cosgrove who wrote the Soul Trilogy, a series of books on soul music and social change - Detroit 67: the Year That Changed Soul, Memphis 68: The Tragedy of Southern Soul which won the Penderyn Prize, as Music Book of the Year in 2018, and Harlem 69: the Future of Soul. Stuart’s notes detail the relationship with Motown in the final days, the immediate fall out after the trio left Motown and the creation of the new labels Hot Wax, Invictus & Music Merchant

Today, the Toronto-born-and-raised singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Charlotte Day Wilson announces her highly-anticipated sophomore album Cyan Blue out May 3rd via Stone Woman Music / XL Recordings Along with the announcement of her new album comes the release of first single, "I Don"t Love You", a stark and devastatingly beautiful confessional, highlighting Wilson"s immaculate production skills and chill inducing vocals laid atop smooth groove piano chords and soft drums. The track also arrives with a visual directed by Dani Aphrodite featuring layered low fi footage of the artist and producer performing at home, living every day life and having moments of solitude in her car, a theme that comes up throughout the album. Cyan Blue finds Wilson crafting a smoothly woven cyan tapestry of her eternal influences; thumping gospel piano, warm soul basslines, atmospheric electronics, and penetrating R&B melodies. Yet, it possesses a sense of vastness that rings in a new era for Wilson, one in which she"s embracing collaboration and newfound creative openness tinged with wistfulness and yearning and a reflection on youthful innocence. "I want to look through the unjaded eyes of my younger self again," Wilson explains of making Cyan Blue. "Before there wasn"t as much baggage, before so much life was lived. But I also wish that my younger self could see where I am now. It would be nice to be able to impart some of the wisdom and clarity that I have now onto her." Working with producers like Leon Thomas (SZA, Ariana Grande, Post Malone), and Jack Rochon (HE.R, Daniel Caesar), Cyan Blue demonstrates Wilson"s sonic expertise while also showcasing the next evolution of her time-bending songwriting. Through 13 hypnotizing tracks, she continues to use music as a vessel for unpacking relationships, which in turn allows her to meet and understand herself in life-spanning, panoramic focus. But, on Cyan Blue, she challenged herself to kick her perfectionist tendencies. "Before, I was extremely intentional about creating music with a strong foundation, a bed of artistic integrity," Wilson reflects. "But that was a bit stifling, like, "Let me just make a great piece of art that will stand the test of time, no pressure." Now, I think I"m getting out of this frozen state of needing everything to be perfect. I"m more interested in capturing feelings in the moment as they happen and leaving them in that moment." While this is only her second album, Wilson"s influence in music has made a major mainstream impact. Wilson broke out in 2016 with her critically acclaimed EP, CDW, followed by 2018"s Stone Woman and made her debut studio album an official coming out moment in 2021 with the critically acclaimed, self-released Alpha. Over the past decade, she"s been sampled by Drake, John Mayer, and James Blake, while Patti Smith has recently praised and covered Wilson"s 2016 breakout single "Work." Additionally, she"s collaborated with artists like Kaytranada, BADBADNOTGOOD, and SG Lewis, demonstrating that there"s no sound Wilson can"t adapt to and sprinkle her cyan-colored magic over.

Elevating, uplifting and beautifully arranged. Jasmine Myra's sophomore album Rising builds on the success of her

breakthrough album Horizons to deliver a major statement from one of UK Jazz's rising stars. Produced by Matthew Halsall and mixed by Greg Freeman (Hania Rani, Matthew Halsall, Portico Quartet), Rising delivers a confident and vibrant follow up that joins the musical dots between Myra’s influences Kenny Wheeler, Bonobo and Shabaka Hutchings while delivering something unique, beautiful and profound.

Rising is also the sound of a composer and performer growing in stature and adding extra layers of confidence and poise to both her playing and composing. Aided and abetted by Matthew Halsall who once again lends his production skills, Rising is fuller, richer and deeper as Myra develops her uniquely uplifting sound.



Much like my first album, Rising is a reflection of a period of my life. It is a continuation from Horizons, which was all about my experience during lockdown, and entailed overcoming my struggles with mental health. Following on from that experience, I set out to continue building my self-confidence. This album has an uplifting and spiritual sound, drawing influence from artists such as Makaya McCraven, Bonobo and Shabaka Hutchings.



Rising features the same core of musicians as Myra’s debut album Horizons (Gondwana records GOND052): guitarist Ben Haskins, drummer George Hall pianist Jasper Green, harpist Alice Roberts (who both also perform with Matthew Halsall) and bassist Sam Quintana who collectively bring a deft understating of the subtle textures of Myra’s music and perform with a collective empathy and drive that really pushes the music on a radiant journey. And a string quartet add gently elevating textures to Still Waters, Knowingness, From Embers and How Tall The Mountains.

"Will Hoge has a career whose milestones include Number One hits, Grammy nods, majorlabel record deals, and hard-won independence.

With Les Liaisons dangereuses 1960, Roger Vadim stirred up a scandal. Based on the famous epistolary novel by Laclos, the director presented audiences in the early 1960s with a film in which libertinism, scheming and the upper middle classes intertwine in 1960s Paris. Gérard Philipe and Jeanne Moreau excel, and the film is often considered one of Vadim's best. It also owes much to its music, which reflects Vadim's taste for jazz. For the soundtrack to Les Liaisons dangereuses, the director called on Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengerswhose exceptional musical qualities make for a record full of daring musical ideas and a marvellous choice of brilliant themes. The majority of the tracks feature Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers of mid-1959 with trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenorman Barney Wilen, pianist Boby Timmons and bassist Jymie Merritt joining the explosive drummer/leader. This beautiful re-issue of the original recording is pressed on 180g vinyl at GZ, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket with the original liner notes and a photo of Gérard Philippe and Jeanne Moreau from the film, and additional notes by recording producer Marcel Romano from 1988.

Warehouse Find!

It always gives us an extra little buzz to bring you a debut release from a new artist, especially when you know it’s going to be the launch pad for someone that is going to grow to become a heavyweight player. Parisian Larry Quest has been slowly but surely paying his dues, promoting, DJing and generally immersing himself in the underground House Music scenes of Paris and then London after moving to Hackney eight years ago. Growing up playing in punk bands, then studying Jazz at music college has given him the attitude as well as the skillset to create music which is both intensely raw and rugged whilst still being musical and deep. For his debut EP he delivers four drumheavy cuts which bring together elements of Detroit techno and house to form a forward-looking sound which will make an impact wherever you play them.

Opener Conun Drums packs a serious punch with simple synth line sitting on top of a lo-slung bumpy groove. Perfectly timed synth stabs bring a touch of light to the thumping bass and metallic percussion and already we get a sense that we’re in safe hands with Larry Quest at the controls.

Red C Mellow D follows, treading similar water with live drums laying the foundation and touches of colour coming from echoing synth lines and an acidic bassline.

Flip over for the curiously titled A Frog Rovin’, which is about as quirky and off-kilter as the name suggests. The major tonality brings an optimistic vibe which sits in contrast to the thundering saturated 909 drums and speakerwobbling low-end.

Closing out this brilliant release we have Solar Assailer which plays with our sense of time as drums and filtering stabs dance around the beat completely throwing us off the scent of where the one is. Finally the elements fall into place and lock into the groove which is underpinned by the pulsing throb of the bassline. Larry’s jazz background rears it’s head now and then, coming out in the little flourishes of fusion-era chord sequences and moogy lead lines. What a debut, we hope you agree!

Repress.

La Rama is back with a repress of the incredible Bunzinelli release! After only receiving half of our pressing the first time around, we finally tracked down our master plates and pressed up another batch.

Slightly flipped artwork and a full label sleeve for the occasion :-)


La Rama Records is proud to present four fresh feelers from our friend Bunzinelli. These tracks have weathered the storm of no-fun to provide joy and elation for the living to come... psychedelic feelings to help it all fall back in to place.

Bunzinelli has been personally involved in serving sonic treats to the world via his label and mix series Chambre Noire. He was also part of the team behind Cosmic Tones which in 2019 released 'Montreal Pleiades' featuring his first musical outing alongside local major players Priori, Dust-e-1, URA, Temple's M. Salaciak & R. Weng (the wizard behind our first release as Dj Medallion).

ZOOM SUR LES ARTISTES DE LA SEPTIÈME ET NOUVELLE COMPILE VINYLE STAR WAX, CETTE FOIS EN PARTENARIAT AVEC MID, UNE MAISON EN CHARGE NOTAMMENT DE LA DISTRIBUTION EN FRANCE DE VOID, HH, ECLER… LES SIX TITRES SONT SEULEMENT DISPONIBLES EN FORMAT VINYLE EN ÉDITION LIMITÉE ET LA MAJORITÉ DES ARTISTES PLAYLISTÉS SORTENT LEUR MUSIQUE EN FORMAT PHYSIQUE POUR LA PREMIÈRE FOIS.

Bach und Jazz - diese Verbindung besteht seit mehr als 60 Jahren und ist mittlerweile längst nicht mehr neu - aber wieder immer neu zu entdecken. Und mit "About Bach" ist die aktuelle LP-Veröffentlichung der Vinyl-Edition Black Forest Sounds ein weiterer musikalischer und klanglicher Leckerbissen für Musikfreunde, eingespielt von Johannes Mössinger im Ensemblehaus des Freiburger Barockorchesters auf einem Steinway D-Flügel. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) ist unstrittig einer der wichtigsten Komponisten überhaupt. Seine Musik übt auf viele Musiker einen Reiz aus, vor allem aber auf Jazzer. Spätestens seit der Franzose Jacques Loussier Ende der 50er Jahre mit "Play Bach" die Grenzüberschreitung zwischen zwei Musikwelten etablierte, haben sich viele Jazzmusiker vor allem eben mit J.S. Bach beschäftigt und diesen immer wieder neu aufgearbeitet... Hier ein weiteres Meisterwerk, eingespielt vom Freiburger Pianisten Johannes Mössinger, der sich seit vielen Jahren (auch) mit Bach beschäftigt. Der 1964 geborene Musiker ist seit fast 30 Jahren auf der Jazzszene aktiv, unternahm aber Ausflüge in die Klassik und hat seit vielen Jahren immer wieder Bach-Themen aufgenommen. Im Jazz arbeitete er mit zahlreichen US-Musikern, wie Joe Lovano, Joel Frahm, Don Bradon und Adam Nussbaum zusammen, um mit denen vor allem seine eigenen Kompositionen zu präsentieren. Mösssinger hat seine ganz eigene Sichtweise auf Bach und kombiniert Bach mit seiner eigenen Musik: "Wie Mössinger Bach verwandelt, so verwandelt die Musik auch den Zuhörenden: Ein Gang durch eine sorgfältig kuratierte Gegenüberstellung, die den Blick auf Bach schärft, herausfordert und verändert. Bach hat sich bewegt, wurde bewegt, hat seine Räumlichkeit verändert und die Position gewechselt. Am Ende scheint ein anderes Licht darauf", schreibt die Musikerin und Autorin Maria Reich in den Liner Notes zur LP.

The fourth full-length record from Atlanta’s Microwave is a trip. It all begins with the misty synth strikes and cosmic transmission warbles of “Portals,” before hazy, dripping-wet guitar chords settle in. The song, an adaptation of the traditional Christian hymn “Softly and Tenderly,” is true to its new name, as liminal and fleeting as it is gripping and emotional. It’s an enormous, gentle, enveloping introduction to what will be explored: life and death, happiness and freedom, the real and unreal. This is Let’s Start Degeneracy, the long-awaited new album from Microwave, releasing on April 26 via Pure Noise. It's an emo record, but perhaps only categorically speaking. It contains multitudes: ambient, pop, R&B, punk, and experimental sounds float in and out of one another as the record moves through scenes, experiences, and feelings, all of them rippling with a purity of intention and translation that mark the best artistic works of “psychedelia.” Vocalist/guitarist/producer Nathan Hardy, bassist Tyler Hill, and drummer Timothy Pittard have created something that resembles a concept record, but it’s the sort of concept that’s impossible to contain in just one phrase or word or sound. The record’s title, taken from a conservative politician’s take on drugs in 1970, captures this liberated spirit. There are no rules, and there is nothing to be ashamed of. “It’s about letting go of attachments and behaviors that aren’t serving you, and trying to shake off your programming and not be motivated by fear and guilt and shame,” says Hardy.

"Berlin is the Spanish TV series created by Álex Pina and Esther Martínez Lobato for Netflix. It serves as a prequel to Money Heist/La Casa de Papel, focusing on Andrés de Fonollosa, aka “Berlin”. The story goes back his golden age before the events of Money Heist, where Berlin and a masterful gang gather in Paris to plan one of his most ambitious robberies ever. The series features an original soundtrack by Lucas Peire and Frank Montasell. The album also contains the main theme “Bullets and Flowers” performed by Francis White and Nikki, and tracks by Samantha Siqueiros, Pipo Romero, Pedro Alonso, Tristan Ulloa, GOA, and POL 3.14. The 2LP Berlin is available as a limited edition of 500 copies on turquoise coloured vinyl and includes an insert. "

Berlin by Lucas Peire & Frank Montasell, released 26 April 2024, includes the following tracks: "Dernière Chance", "Racing Point", "No Me Mires (by POL 3.14)", "La Banda" and more.

This version of Berlin comes as a 2xLP. This release comes with (a) Insert(s).

The vinyl is pressed as a turquoise disc. Another vinyl is pressed as a turquoise disc.

Black Truffle is pleased to announce The Mountains Pass, a major new work from Olivia Block. A key player in Chicago’s vibrant experimental music scene since the late 1990s, Block has developed an extensive body of work grounded in a personalised, at times emotive approach to the studio-based practices of the musique concrète tradition, while also encompassing improvisation, orchestral pieces, sound installations, and a sustained engagement with the piano. On The Mountains Pass, recorded by Greg Norman at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio and meticulously edited and constructed over the course of three years, Block pushes into new terrain, introducing her singing voice and drums played by Jon Mueller into flowing assemblages that move seamlessly from ruminative organ tones and fragmented piano airs to explosions of sizzling synths and thundering percussion. Like many of Block’s past works, which include, for example, a sculptural installation using the sound of oyster beds, The Mountains Pass draws inspiration from nature and the animal world. Time spent in a particular mountain range in Northern New Mexico informs this suite of pieces, whose lyrics and titles refer particularly to animal life in the area. Beginning with bursts of white noise and delicate synthetic pops and squeaks, opener ‘Northward’ very soon reveals the special direction the album will take, as lyrical piano lines are joined by Block’s fragile voice, singing words written from the perspective of f2754, an endangered Mexican gray wolf who wandered more than five hundred miles from Arizona to New Mexico in 2022. The fragment of song quickly breaks off, leaving us with a ghostly electronic hum. ‘The Hermit’s Peak’ follows, one of two epic pieces at the album’s core. Beginning with chiming, almost harpsichord-like tones, it moves through episodes of spacious, ruminative piano, Jon Mueller’s sparkling cymbals, stuttering cut-up piano sounds, and a climax of keening organ and trumpet tones (performed by Thomas Madeja). Continuing the exploration of vintage keyboard and synth tones heard on Block’s Innocent Passage in the Territorial Sea (Room 40, 2021), the music sometimes suggests the great outer-limits works of 70s Italian prog figures like Franco Battiato or Arturo Stalteri in the languorous drift of synthesizer, organ, and piano tones and the meticulous yet organic flow of its construction. ‘Violet-Green’ opens the second side with another epic journey, its lyrical content concerning ‘a mysterious bird die-off and a forest fire’. Block’s crystalline voice and rich piano chords at times call up the restrained chamber songs of Janet Sherbourne, but fragmented and threaded through passages of woozy pitch-bent keyboards, hypnotic distant thuds, tinkling bells, and searing distorted synth tones. On ‘f2754’, the freedom of the roaming wolf surges through dense layers of rapid keyboard attacks and long organ tones over a propulsive drum performance straight out of Animal Magnetism-era Arnold Dreyblatt. This distinctive sound world is then reencountered in a darkened mirror image in the uneasy, metallic shimmer of the closing ‘Ungulates’, named in reference to a heard of elk roaming through the mountains. Like Battiato’s Clic or Gastr del Sol’s Upgrade & Afterlife, The Mountains Pass inhabits the underexplored terrain where the beauty of song coexists with a radical formal openness, illuminating the deep musicality and warmth that have been present in Block’s work all along.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, a veritable tour de force known for turning heads coast-to-coast with their high-octane live concerts, not only grabs life by the horns, but they harness its energy within their hypnotic hybrid of funk, rock and psychedelic groove.With a devout fanbase and trail of sold-out tours behind them, the Maryland quartet takes a major step forward on their seventh full-length offering, Day In Time.Guitarist Jeremy Schon says, "This album is the most cohesive group of songs we've ever had in the studio"."This record is a snapshot of our band as a group and as individuals at this exact moment." says Greg Ormont (vocals, guitar). "The title serves as a reminder that life moves fast, so we better make the most of each day, make each second count."

Melbourne/Naarm-based musician and curator Rama Parwata, known for being the backbone drummer in bands such as Kilat, Whitehorse and Rinuwat, releases his second major solo album titled ‘Ceases’ on Cassauna/Important Records.

Parwata's gripping new electro-acoustic work is a sonic exploration within the realms of post-free-jazz and experimental electronics. At its core, ‘Ceases’ navigates the liminal spaces between rhythm and noise, structure and chaos. The album traverses a vast emotional and conceptual landscape, touching upon themes of impermanence, transformation, and the cyclical nature of existence.

At the forefront of the album is Parwata's emotive compositional and performative approach, which serves as both anchor and catalyst for the album's journey. The percussion performance is cymbal heavy accompanied by deeply meditative drones and slow moving melodies. The wash of sound touches on a spiritualism akin to Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme Part 4: Psalm”, albeit with a modern electronic vision á la Tim Hecker. With a keen sense of textural intricacy Parwata favours the emotional expression of electro-acoustic composition, weaving complex poly-textures that ebb and flow with hypnotic, prayer-like intensity. Each performative gesture creates a visceral immediacy that draws the listener deeper into the celestial, otherworldly sonic framework.

The diverse array of electronic elements, meticulously crafted and seamlessly integrated into the fabric of the album are a testament of Parwata’s capacity for acousmatic composition. From pulsating synthesizers to glitched-out samples, the electronic timbres in "Ceases" serve as both sonic embellishments and structural foundations, blurring the boundaries between organic and synthetic, acoustic and digital. Honing in on the electronics, a listener could be convinced they were hearing anything from spiritual-jazz, 90s rave, dungeon synth or doom. Through judicious composition, Parwata imbues each sound with a sense of transcendental allure and paints a soundworld that has a distinct ‘outerness’. At times the narrative is pointedly bleak but over a few passages the sonic language often bends toward rejuvenation; finding respite in cadence. The title itself suggests a sense of cessation, of endings and beginnings intertwined—a motif that reverberates throughout the album.

Featuring GEORGE JJ FLORES on vocals, this follow-up to "DO'S AND DON'TS" is a hard, yet tender, West Coast style funk slapper. Another major boogie groove likely to set floors ablaze from LA to Paris, Tokyo to Chicago, and Berlin to Brazil. Vocal and instrumental mixes.

2024 RSD Release

Johnnie Mae Mathews is fondly referred to as being 'The Godmother Of Detroit Soul' as she was responsible for creating at least 8 different Detroit record labels and for discovering and nurturing many future Motown artists in their early years. In fact she was a major source of inspiration for the young Berry Gordy, founder of Motown. We are delighted to finally be releasing what many people consider to be the pinnacle of independent Detroit Soul music, the impeccable and gut-wrenching 'I Have No Choice', the defining record of Johnnie Mae Mathews many recordings with the equally impressive 'That’s When It Hurts' on the flip. 'I Have No Choice' is a record that has finally hit the heights it always deserved after being a cult record for almost 50 years and is now commanding a staggering £1200-1500 for a decent original copy for those lucky enough to be in that league. This will be a historic RSD release with comprehensive notes and photos from Johnnie Mae Mathews expert Richard Gilbert. If you’re a Soul music fan, then this record is indispensable. Full picture sleeve featuring Johnny herself in full swing, with liner notes, and fully remastered, heavyweight vinyl 45.

Toe is a Japanese music group long revered in post-rock circles, while their song structures and dynamics have taken on elements from all styles of music, ranging from math-rock, jazz, pop, and R&B. toe is composed of Kashikura Takashi on drums, Mino Takaaki on guitar, Yamane Satoshi on bass guitar, and Yamazaki Hirokazu on guitar. The band has formally played with this lineup since their inception in 1998. The vast majority of the music is instrumental and features the swift, agile drumming of Takashi. The band is also known for melodic, clean guitar, often employing the juxtaposition of electric and acoustic. While the compositions feature the repetition of typical rock motifs, the subtle changes in beat and rhythm form a unique rhythmic dialect. The band has consistently expanded their sound throughout their musical tenure by incorporating singing, rhodes piano, mallet percussion, and electronic production elements.

The sophomore album from acclaimed US musician Vanderwolf and follow-up to 2022 debut '12 Little Killers' ("Soul, gospel, theatrical rock and more" Mojo), 'The Great Bewilderment' is a major rock record full of big emotions and adventurous songs. Whereas '12 Little Killers' was written and recorded during Vanderwolf's final years in London following the break-up of his semi-legendary band Last Man Standing, 'The Great Bewilderment' was mostly written during the pandemic, during which he relocated from New York to Los Angeles. For the recording, Vanderwolf reached out to an old friend, drummer Angie Scarpa, while a recommendation from John Cale's guitarist, Dusty Meadows, led to bassist H Chris Roy joining the band. Tim Sonnefeld contributes a variety of guitars, including beautiful crying feedback throughout album centrepiece "Gaza", which also features a guitar solo from Portishead's Adrian Utley. The album title itself is drawn from the mood of writing music during the pandemic. "I think we're still in that great bewilderment," insists Vanderwolf. "With threats to democracy, the division of opinion, plus this latest war on top of the war in Ukraine, and the climate crisis becoming acute, there's a looming sense that there's nothing we can do. 14 years of Tory corruption in an alleged democracy...that is bewildering. That a twice impeached President with 91 indictments against him can be the frontrunner in a presidential election...that is bewildering." As a music programmer and concert producer, Max Vanderwolf has worked for some of the worlds' most celebrated clubs and concert venues. These include New York's legendary Knitting Factory and London's internationally renowned Royal Festival Hall, where for 9 years he produced the Meltdown Festival working closely with artists including David Bowie, Patti Smith, Jarvis Cocker, Massive Attack and Ornette Coleman.

Bruno Berle, the young songwriter and poet originally hailing from Maceió, the capital of Brazil’s Alagoas state, crafts songs that are simple, direct, and full of tender nuance. With his first album No Reino Dos Afetos (which translates to "In the Realm of Affections” and was released in 2022), Berle firmly established himself as a unique and important voice in the burgeoning scene of new Brazilian artists making a global impact, including peers like Ana Frango Elétrico, Tim Bernardes, Bala Desejo, Sessa and more. Now back with his second album, No Reino Dos Afetos 2, he stretches that further.

Bruno Berle’s music lives between two worlds – a traditional Brazilian folk talent steeped in history, and a contemporary, dreamy electronic pop; the result is songwriting that’s genre-bending, intentional, iconoclastic and consuming, spacious and sinewy and singular, a striking reflection of its composer while leaving space for the listener to settle in. The album follows Bruno’s relocation to São Paulo, and the songs are a reflection of his past and present. A rebuke of former categorizations of his work in Brazilian music scenes, and an idea of where his music can move, unfettered.

Berle’s music is purposeful in being a true portrait of himself, and a reflection of the music, art, and fashion scenes he personally moves through. Berle aims to provide an entrypoint for Black queer joy in his music, in his storytelling, in his presence and vision as a creative. For him, it feels subversive to be playing MPB laced with dubstep and lo-fi, a sort of intentional sacrilege, capturing a dialogue of modernity in traditional music.

Berle wrote most of the arrangements and co-produced his new album, Reino Dos Afetos 2 with longtime friend and musical partner Batata Boy, who is also from Maceió; the album was recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Maceió, and São Paulo, his new home, and picks up the conversation begun in 2022 on Berle’s debut album No Reino dos Afetos. Both records are the result of a nonlinear but coherent seven-year music creation process culminating in these albums, holding hands across space and time.

“Tirolirole,” the first single from the record, was released at the end of 2023; sun-soaked rhythms and soft voice coat the song, the lilting refrain of “Tirolirole” throughout – hushed, gentle, but somehow almost tactile, a golden-hour moment unlocked in the mind. “Tirolirole” is a triumphant future classic about the temporality of a blossoming love, with Bruno’s stunning vocal soaring over melodies which ebb and flow like the waters on the Atlantic shore. Of the track, Berle explains: “Despite ‘Tirolirole’ being an expression that evokes my childhood, just like the light words about nature, the harmony, and the poetry are epic, carrying a great hope for love.”

In fact, the guiding theme of No Reino dos Afetos 2 is a relationship, unfolding in the arc of a weekend. It traverses the innocence of an early young love, how that can be formative, can stretch on to take new shapes, or shape you. The album happens at the genesis of meeting someone and falling for them, before the relationship is thrown into overdrive – set in a big city, against a backdrop of major life changes, rising energy, the sound of São Paulo.

Something transcendental emerges in “Dizer Adeus,” with an arrangement that echoes a gospel atmosphere (evangelical and Catholic environments were pivotal to Berle’s upbringing). On “É Só Você Chegar,” piano and flute gracefully intertwine, a dance, while “Quando Penso” skews sparser, the voice-and-guitar minimalism somehow cultivating an entirely different shape – somehow both cozy and melancholy, with the background sound of a rainy day. Coupled with the lo-fi aspects that shape much of the album’s personality in the vocals and the production, No Reino Dos Afetos 2 is meticulously elaborated by Berle’s sonic alchemy, like on the mid-album instrumental “Sonho,” which feels like floating. “It’s the apex. It’s when lovers are sleeping together,” Berle explains of the feeling he wanted to encapsulate in the song.

On “Love Comes Back” Berle interprets Arthur Russell, the late Iowa musician who only reached greater visibility after he died in 1992. “His way of making music is similar to mine,” Berle explains. “He sings in a more fragile way, has more of an experimental way of recording, letting ‘chance’ appear in the final work.”

Even so, Berle doesn’t want his music to be buried in sentimentality – and the purposefulness of his craft serves as a sort of north star. The production, the arrangements, his restraint and intentionality in crafting his songs feel just as vital as their emotional cores. His songwriting is amorphous, fluid, an encompassing genre-bending movement in-and-of-itself, quietly daring. The songs are often in conversation with other works – drinking in fountains as diverse as the filmmaking of Ingmar Bergman, the poetry of Walt Whitman, the rhythm of Djavan, and the painting of Maxwell Alexandre. Musically he weaves together a rich tapestry of Brazilian folk, UK 2-step garage/dub, trip hop and sun soaked west coast songwriters; something akin to the worlds of Milton Nascimento, Arthur Russell, James Blake, Feist, and Sade colliding into one. But even then No Reino Dos Afetos 2 floats separately, a romanticism driven by a simplicity and intimacy, an open-ended possibility, Berle’s singularity as an artist at the helm of the ship.

toe is a Japanese music group long revered in post-rock circles, while their song structures and dynamics have taken on elements from all styles of music, ranging from math-rock, jazz, pop, and R&B. toe is composed of Kashikura Takashi on drums, Mino Takaaki on guitar, Yamane Satoshi on bass guitar, and Yamazaki Hirokazu on guitar. The band has formally played with this lineup since their inception in 1998. The vast majority of the music is instrumental and features the swift, agile drumming of Takashi. The band is also known for melodic, clean guitar, often employing the juxtaposition of electric and acoustic. While the compositions feature the repetition of typical rock motifs, the subtle changes in beat and rhythm form a unique rhythmic dialect. The band has consistently expanded their sound throughout their musical tenure by incorporating singing, rhodes piano, mallet percussion, and electronic production elements.

This release comes with a Poster & Insert & Sticker & Download Code.

The vinyl is pressed as a colour in colour, green & yellow disc.

toe is a Japanese music group long revered in post-rock circles, while their song structures and dynamics have taken on elements from all styles of music, ranging from math-rock, jazz, pop, and R&B. toe is composed of Kashikura Takashi on drums, Mino Takaaki on guitar, Yamane Satoshi on bass guitar, and Yamazaki Hirokazu on guitar. The band has formally played with this lineup since their inception in 1998. The vast majority of the music is instrumental and features the swift, agile drumming of Takashi. The band is also known for melodic, clean guitar, often employing the juxtaposition of electric and acoustic. While the compositions feature the repetition of typical rock motifs, the subtle changes in beat and rhythm form a unique rhythmic dialect. The band has consistently expanded their sound throughout their musical tenure by incorporating singing, rhodes piano, mallet percussion, and electronic production elements.

The incendiary proto hard rock and ambitious epic journeys this album delivers are all the more uncanny and devastating when you realize Gary Del Vecchio was a mere 16 years old when the title track Buzzin was unleashed! Even more astonishing is how far he travelled over the next five years, documented in this brilliant selection of nine tracks from the classic daze of early 1970s underground rock. Ohio was a hotbed for hard rock at the time with bands like the James Gang, Glass Harp, Poobah, Left End, Damnation Of Adam Blessing… what you get here matches the style any of those bands laid down. Gary's music grabs you immediately and grows over time. Grabber and Grower… best of both worlds style! It makes sense that Gary later owned a recording studio, right out of the gate he was laser focussed on all the aspects involved in making music that stands the test of time. The guitar action is incredible, shards of sound flying free yet hitting the bullseye continuously, vocals confident with none of the macho posturing that ages poorly in much early hard rock. These tracks are all vividly recorded and meticulously mixed in a way that balances fiery performance and intelligent structure to maximum effect. The bass and drumming here are phenomenally inventive and propulsive, the several players involved across the album nail it in their support of Gary's vision. This is rock music born in the 'anything is possible' life affirming energy of the late '60s right on time with where the most enduring artists of the early '70s took it. Had he scored the major label deal he pursued with labels like Mercury or London at the time I am confident we'd be hearing his music on classic rock radio today! The music on this album is both uncompromising and accessible. In particular, the two long tracks Wasted King and Starman have all the moves needed to grab fans of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and the likes by the throat and brain in the extended progressive epic department! RidingEasy Records sets a high bar when it comes to unleashing the best vintage hard rock you never heard… take my tip people, the ride this one takes you on is definitely an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10… Gary Del Vecchio really knows how to do it!

Big Crown Records is proud to present Brainstory’s sophomore full-length album Sounds Good.

Based in L.A. but hailing from the Inland Empire's own Rialto, California, two-thirds of Brainstory, Kevin and Tony Martin are brothers by blood, while Eric Hagstrom is a brother through their music and long term friendship. Since they started the band they have constantly faced situations that forced them to rise to the occasion. They got signed to Big Crown Records, they stepped up their game. COVID happened, they learned to record themselves. They started touring a ton sharing the stage with the likes of Lady Wray and they got their live show super tight. All of this time spent grinding and growing has certainly paid off. The path to take their art to the next level is clearer than ever, and once again, they are here for it. If there is one thing that is abundantly clear on Sounds Good, it’s that Brainstory has leveled up.

Part of this evolution is undoubtedly attributed to having access to and working constantly in their own studio in Long Beach. Another major factor is that their brotherhood has expanded. "I've been playing music with my brother all my life and now with Eric for a long time," Tony tells us. "Leon, though, is like another brother I've just met."

Leon Michels, Big Crown's co-owner, produced this record and applied his unmistakable golden touch in crucial ways. The other member of the extended Brainstory brotherhood whose contributions were essential to the album, is studio engineer legend Jens Jungkurth who controls the tones and textures of the music. "That's what you're hearing, our connection, the fun moments, the little details," Kevin describes. "This record isn't half what it is without them—and it made us want to match that effort," and match that effort they did. Album opener "Nobody But You" is an uplifting, dance ­oor burner, that shows off a new side of Brainstory's range. Drummer Eric Hagstrom’s crushing back beat lays the foundation for an inspirational feel good banger that manages to take the uncomfortable truth that “nobody will save you but you” and turn it into pure blissful motivation. "Peach Optimo" is a laid back half time tune that blends the bounce of Down South Hip-Hop with California G funk and Jazz. They once again show off their B said ballad talents with "Gift Of Life" but this time taking the genre to a new place with lyrics about existentialism and a track that is drop dead gorgeous, haunting, and profound all at once. "NyNy" is an homage to Kev and Tony's recently deceased grandfather while "Too Yung" is a show stopping, deeply personal, stripped down number about being introduced to

alcohol at a young age. They put another hit on the boards with "Hanging On," a Latin / Psychedelic Soul inspired banger featuring Claire Cottrill on background vocals while "XFaded” addresses the all too common vicious cycle of smoking and drinking too much over a trippy shuf­e.

"It's been four years since our last full length record, and with everything that's happened since, it's like we've been catching up to ourselves." That's one way to describe change: catching up to oneself. Each member of Brainstory has gone through shifts, both personally and musically, and all of that threads through Sounds Good. It's easy to say that the music industry can be short on lasting, genuine relationships. However, for Brainstory, from day one it's been about standing by each other, for each other. Their friendship started the group. Track listing:

EIGHTEEN AND I LIKE IT… (MISC. COLOURED VINYL))if you survived trips 1-17 with one tiny speck of psychedelic sunshine intact, Brown Acid The 18th Trip will be your coming of age nightmare. Vintage underground '70s hard rock, coming at you from bizarre angles, local scene wasteland America when everybody was out for themselves and the drugs went bleak. The guitars kill, the attitude is twisted, even the sex is headed down the wrong road. Real people, no compromise, pure and potent. Get stoked, take the 18th Trip and know that the artists will get paid for pulverizing your soul! "People… are you ready?, 'cause the music now is getting so heavy"… Back Jack out of St. Louis, Missouri in 1974 launch our trip with "Bridge Waters Dynamite". It's an invocation to rock flashing on Mark Farner whooping up a Grand Funk crowd, then getting to the point quickly with berserk guitar assaults. Heavy riff with power chord stalks beneath as you take their advice… get loose and blow up the past. Smokin' Buku Band dropped my jaw with the audacious track "Hot Love" coming on like some fractured fever dream burlesque of Led Zep moves out of Hollywood in 1980. Swooping elongated vocals above, a total Zep chord move at the end of each verse. Writer/producer Steve Shauger aka Shag Stevens gets a brilliantly messed up sound quality here, the ideal polar opposite of slick. The extended guitar break is an epitome of serendipitously crude virtuosity, simply outrageous! Coming at you from way outta left field is "Moby Shark" by Atlantis, a hilarious and strange Baltimore pre-punk vibed dose of D.I.Y. meets hard rock. Lon Talbot is the mastermind, the flip side of this impossibly rare Mekon Records label single was featured in an obscure 1978 B-movie titled "The Alien Factor". Follow the lyrics closely, when the ominous jaws jaws jaws start coming after you you you… the song's big hook is so preposterously catchy the shark attack feels like good news. Inquiring minds should know that the band formerly known as Atlantis can now be found by searching for the Lon Talbot Group! Tommy Stuart and the Rubberband's "Peeking Through Your Window" from 1970 opens with a spooky organ riff, slips into a gushy fuzz/organ groove akin to "Mustache In Your Face” by Pretty. The singer creates downright creepy vibes, a stalker peeking through the girl's mind like a peeping Tom at the window up to no good. The lyrics evoke a disturbing scenario. Tommy Stuart also made a strange LP titled Hound Dog Man in 1977 and some terrific rare garage singles under the names Magnificent Seven and The Omen & Their Love in the mid '60s. Nothing better than an angry two chord guitar attack with cowbell to set the stage for this rant about getting "Ripped Off" by love. Taken from their rare 1977 LP on Dynamite Records, Chicago Triangle was Marvey Esparza, Dave Guereca, Jose 'Tarr' Perez and Robert Aguilera. They unleash such strong brain-scrubbing wah wah frenzy in the guitar break here that it seems to perversely mock it's own intensity! Like I said, Brown Acid the 18th Trip comes at you from all kinds of uncanny angles. Damnation of Adam Blessing out of Cleveland, Ohio unleashed a stone killer psychedelic hard rock classic "Cookbook" in the late '60s, this track "Nightmare" from 1973 has them cooking again at full power. A different singer, name change to Damnation and then Glory, unleashing a deadly dose of dark progressive heavy rock drama peaking when spooky 'oooo-wa-oooo' background vocals emerge during a bizarre spoken bit. It unfolds like a mini-epic and includes some remarkably brutal guitar and turbulent organ, too. "Swing your sword, all aboard… bid farewell to the dreamer" Dalquist exclaims. Cynical view of human nature, idealism is over, war is coming, it always does. Opens with a cold menacing riff and atmosphere reminiscent of "Synthezoid Heartbreak" by Maya. Mournful despondent vocals ride an insistent churning groove, gnarly guitar break moves into free noise territory. This rare track is from a local various artists benefit album titled Kangaroo Jam issued for the Waco Family Abuse Center in Texas circa 1980. The Pawnbrokers "Realize" is prime proto heavy rock emerging out of psychedelic garage roots in 1968 Fargo, North Dakota. Unusual arrangement, terrific sustain guitar tones like on the first Blue Cheer LP, even a rip on Hendrix "Manic Depression" with unison voice and guitar ascent near the end. They made three 45s and were active from '65 to '69. Hats off to Blake English, Kent Richey, Paul Rogne and Steve Harrison, you nailed it in just a hair over two minutes! As pure and creative as the original psychedelic garage hard rock gets. Parchment Farm from Union, Missouri gigged with the likes of ZZ Top and Foghat back in the day and unleashed the amazing "Songs Of The Dead" in 1971. Primitive riff/chord pattern dosed with some funky prog moves, sky turning black, 'is this heaven or hell' type disoriented confusion… may as well grab your guitar and sing songs to the dead. Robert 'Ace' Williams on bass, Paul Cockrum on guitar, Gary Reed on keys and Micky Waterman on drums, replacing Mike Dulany (R.I.P.) Cool that they use the Blue Cheer misspelling from Vincebus Eruptum for the band name! Ominous organ, thick minimalist fuzz riff, funky psychedelic wah wah flashes and freaky sex combine in one twisted dance titled "Rockin' Chair" by Brothers Of The Ghetto. Out of Chicago in 1975 with some Santana atmospherics and a delicious fuzz wah screamin' guitar break, the groove is highlighted by an off the wall vocal which sounds eerily detached in a subtly sleazy way. Rene Maxwell is the writer of this hard-rock boogie-down hybrid straight out of the twilight zone. It was issued on Ghetto, a subsidiary of the peculiar Kiderian label that released the Creme Soda LP. Now that your head is totally skewered, go Back Jack and play side one again! (Words by Paul Major)

EIGHTEEN AND I LIKE IT… (MISC. COLOURED VINYL))if you survived trips 1-17 with one tiny speck of psychedelic sunshine intact, Brown Acid The 18th Trip will be your coming of age nightmare. Vintage underground '70s hard rock, coming at you from bizarre angles, local scene wasteland America when everybody was out for themselves and the drugs went bleak. The guitars kill, the attitude is twisted, even the sex is headed down the wrong road. Real people, no compromise, pure and potent. Get stoked, take the 18th Trip and know that the artists will get paid for pulverizing your soul! "People… are you ready?, 'cause the music now is getting so heavy"… Back Jack out of St. Louis, Missouri in 1974 launch our trip with "Bridge Waters Dynamite". It's an invocation to rock flashing on Mark Farner whooping up a Grand Funk crowd, then getting to the point quickly with berserk guitar assaults. Heavy riff with power chord stalks beneath as you take their advice… get loose and blow up the past. Smokin' Buku Band dropped my jaw with the audacious track "Hot Love" coming on like some fractured fever dream burlesque of Led Zep moves out of Hollywood in 1980. Swooping elongated vocals above, a total Zep chord move at the end of each verse. Writer/producer Steve Shauger aka Shag Stevens gets a brilliantly messed up sound quality here, the ideal polar opposite of slick. The extended guitar break is an epitome of serendipitously crude virtuosity, simply outrageous! Coming at you from way outta left field is "Moby Shark" by Atlantis, a hilarious and strange Baltimore pre-punk vibed dose of D.I.Y. meets hard rock. Lon Talbot is the mastermind, the flip side of this impossibly rare Mekon Records label single was featured in an obscure 1978 B-movie titled "The Alien Factor". Follow the lyrics closely, when the ominous jaws jaws jaws start coming after you you you… the song's big hook is so preposterously catchy the shark attack feels like good news. Inquiring minds should know that the band formerly known as Atlantis can now be found by searching for the Lon Talbot Group! Tommy Stuart and the Rubberband's "Peeking Through Your Window" from 1970 opens with a spooky organ riff, slips into a gushy fuzz/organ groove akin to "Mustache In Your Face” by Pretty. The singer creates downright creepy vibes, a stalker peeking through the girl's mind like a peeping Tom at the window up to no good. The lyrics evoke a disturbing scenario. Tommy Stuart also made a strange LP titled Hound Dog Man in 1977 and some terrific rare garage singles under the names Magnificent Seven and The Omen & Their Love in the mid '60s. Nothing better than an angry two chord guitar attack with cowbell to set the stage for this rant about getting "Ripped Off" by love. Taken from their rare 1977 LP on Dynamite Records, Chicago Triangle was Marvey Esparza, Dave Guereca, Jose 'Tarr' Perez and Robert Aguilera. They unleash such strong brain-scrubbing wah wah frenzy in the guitar break here that it seems to perversely mock it's own intensity! Like I said, Brown Acid the 18th Trip comes at you from all kinds of uncanny angles. Damnation of Adam Blessing out of Cleveland, Ohio unleashed a stone killer psychedelic hard rock classic "Cookbook" in the late '60s, this track "Nightmare" from 1973 has them cooking again at full power. A different singer, name change to Damnation and then Glory, unleashing a deadly dose of dark progressive heavy rock drama peaking when spooky 'oooo-wa-oooo' background vocals emerge during a bizarre spoken bit. It unfolds like a mini-epic and includes some remarkably brutal guitar and turbulent organ, too. "Swing your sword, all aboard… bid farewell to the dreamer" Dalquist exclaims. Cynical view of human nature, idealism is over, war is coming, it always does. Opens with a cold menacing riff and atmosphere reminiscent of "Synthezoid Heartbreak" by Maya. Mournful despondent vocals ride an insistent churning groove, gnarly guitar break moves into free noise territory. This rare track is from a local various artists benefit album titled Kangaroo Jam issued for the Waco Family Abuse Center in Texas circa 1980. The Pawnbrokers "Realize" is prime proto heavy rock emerging out of psychedelic garage roots in 1968 Fargo, North Dakota. Unusual arrangement, terrific sustain guitar tones like on the first Blue Cheer LP, even a rip on Hendrix "Manic Depression" with unison voice and guitar ascent near the end. They made three 45s and were active from '65 to '69. Hats off to Blake English, Kent Richey, Paul Rogne and Steve Harrison, you nailed it in just a hair over two minutes! As pure and creative as the original psychedelic garage hard rock gets. Parchment Farm from Union, Missouri gigged with the likes of ZZ Top and Foghat back in the day and unleashed the amazing "Songs Of The Dead" in 1971. Primitive riff/chord pattern dosed with some funky prog moves, sky turning black, 'is this heaven or hell' type disoriented confusion… may as well grab your guitar and sing songs to the dead. Robert 'Ace' Williams on bass, Paul Cockrum on guitar, Gary Reed on keys and Micky Waterman on drums, replacing Mike Dulany (R.I.P.) Cool that they use the Blue Cheer misspelling from Vincebus Eruptum for the band name! Ominous organ, thick minimalist fuzz riff, funky psychedelic wah wah flashes and freaky sex combine in one twisted dance titled "Rockin' Chair" by Brothers Of The Ghetto. Out of Chicago in 1975 with some Santana atmospherics and a delicious fuzz wah screamin' guitar break, the groove is highlighted by an off the wall vocal which sounds eerily detached in a subtly sleazy way. Rene Maxwell is the writer of this hard-rock boogie-down hybrid straight out of the twilight zone. It was issued on Ghetto, a subsidiary of the peculiar Kiderian label that released the Creme Soda LP. Now that your head is totally skewered, go Back Jack and play side one again! (Words by Paul Major)

Sometimes you have to move backwards to move forwards. Just ask punk cultural commentators BODEGA, whose new album sees them carve a new future from fuzz-soaked, consumerism-skewering shards of their past. "Our Brand Could Be YR Life" is BODEGA's first album release through Chrysalis Records. "It's something we've been wanting to do for years," guitarist and vocalist Ben Hozie explains of Our Brand Could Be YR Life - a collection of catchy indie-rock ruminations on the slow-creep of corporate-think into youth culture, first written eight years ago. The 15 tracks on "Our Brand Could Be YR Life" explore indie-rock subgenres, self-critique and everything in between. "I think it's our best- sounding record to date," says Hozie, "It's got dance-punk. There's some shoegaze on there. There's slacker rock on there. There's psychedelic rock on there. R.E.M, too. We wanted to be another band in a long stream of missionaries, proselytising a certain type of rock subculture."

LA via Paris classically trained keyboard wizard DAVID ZYLBERMAN AKA GHOST from EGYPTIAN LOVER's spaced out synthfunk backing band follows up his sold out/out of print STAR CREATURE debut with another set of Contemporary Electronic Jazz Funk primed for peak hour dance floor action. After flipping bananas covers of LONNIE LISTON SMITH and ROY AYERS, he drops an original production that gives that same synth driven, rhythm forward dance vibe. The B Side takes us straight to deep space with an uptempo cracker of a remix of BRIAN BENNETT's ‘SOLSTICE” done in a zero-gravity flavor previously considered impossible. The promo copies have already seen major support from Chicago and NYC heavyweights.

The making of Congo Funk!, our long-awaited journey to the musical heart of the African continent, took the Analog Africa Team on two journeys to Kinshasa and one to Brazzaville. Selected meticulously from around 2000 songs and boiled down to 14, this compilation aims to showcase the many facets of the funky, hypnotic and schizophrenic tunes emanating from the two Congolese capitals nestled on the banks of the Congo River.

On its south shore, the city of Kinshasa – capital of Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country formerly known as Zaïre – is often seen as Africa’s musical Mecca, the city that spawned such immortal bands as African Jazz, O.K. Jazz and African Fiesta, and the place to which aspiring musicians from throughout the continent would go to make a name for themselves.

But the city of Brazzaville on the north shore of the river – capital of the Congo Republic – played an equally important role in spreading Congolese sounds continentally. In addition to producing legendary bands such as Les Bantous de la Capital, it was the powerful transmitters of Radio Brazzaville that allowed the unmistakable groove of Congolese Rumba to be heard as far away as Nairobi, Yaoundé, Luanda and Lusaka thus turning the electric guitar into the continent’s most important instrument!

Although the musical landscape of these cities had been defined by a core group of bands in the late 1950s, the modernisation of Congolese music has been steadily evolving until the events surrounding the Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman boxing match marked a turning point. The promoter of that event known as “Rumble In The Jungle” was none other than the notorious Don King who needed 10 millions dollars to get Ali and Foreman into a boxing ring. The only candidate willing to put this kind of cash on the table was Mobutu Sese Seko, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mobutu - the megalomaniac dictator who got to power with the support of the United States and Belgium in exchange for unlimited and affordable access to the riches of the country - had a soft spot for music and it doesn’t come as a surprise that he agreed to a three-day live music festival being organised prior to the “Rumble”. Zaïre 74 - as the festival was dubbed - was meant to hype the boxing match and many stars were invited.

Although a myriads of artists flocked in for the occasion, it was the performance of James Brown on Zairian soil that caused havoc among the younger generation, inspiring hundreds of would-be musicians to take up their electric guitars and reverbs cranked to the max in search of a new sound in which hyperactive Rumba was blended with elements of psych and funk. While the results were very different from the popular music of the three Musketeers - as Tabu Ley, Franco and Verckys were known - they weren’t a complete break with tradition.

These new sounds emerged at a time when the Congolese record industry – previously dominated by European major labels – was experiencing a period of decline due to rising production costs and needed a radical change. The void was filled by dozens of entrepreneurs willing to take chances on smaller scale releases. It was the beginning of a golden age for Congolese independent record labels, and the best of them – Cover N°1, Mondenge, Editions Moninga, Super Contact – preserved the work of some of the region’s finest artists, while launching a generation of younger musicians into the spotlight.

The movement was greatly helped by legendary radio shows but it was the dynamic productions of Télé-Zaïre that set the dynamite on fire. Legend has it that TV shows were so huge that president Mobutu himself ordered RTV du Zaïre to put on daily concerts since it halted criminal activities for the duration of the evening.

Congo Funk! is the story of these sounds and labels, but most of all it is the story of two cities, separated by water but united by an indestructible groove. The fourteen songs on this double LP showcase the many facets of the Congolese capitals, and highlight the bands and artists, famous and obscure, who pushed Rumba to new heights and ultimately influenced the musical landscape of the entire continent and beyond.

Keyboardist and composer Carl Moore originally wrote, recorded and pressed only 100 (!) copies of these tracks, grabbing a quick moment of studio time during a tour of Japan in the early 1980s. Moore’s purple patch saw him becoming peers with artists such as Phyllis Hyman, Jean Carn, Janet Jackson and ‘The King of Gospel’, James Cleveland.

Carter Lake is an energetic 2 minutes 30 second blast of pure dance floor joy, that looks back at carefree days, teenage love and love lost. Moore’s voice soars, and showcases his love for the powerful stylings of jazz and gospel. On the flip, Must Be The Beat sees him explore very different textures and could easily be a long lost Prince recording found in the vaults in Paisley Park. Sounding like something jammed late at night, this one is perfect for the afterhours when there are 30 sweaty dancers left on the floor at 5am that just don’t want to go home!

This is the first release on Sweet Free Association, a new label founded by Sam Don, the DJ and curator responsible for the recent lovers rock and UK soul comps For The Love of You and Just A Touch. Born out of the wish to find another way of sharing ‘the fruits’ from his Free Association radio show and parties, these impossibly rare disco tracks are now available to a wider audience for the first time, as the vast majority of the original copies have been long lost.

Mastered at The Carvery, the lo-fi recordings have been skilfully lifted by Frank Merritt to sound big in the club, while retaining the original charm in the sound that made the tracks stand out to Sam in the first instance.

Just when you thought you had Kasper Bjørke figured out he comes back with another great musical surprise. His new album Puzzles, which will be released April 5th on hfn music, follows two recent collaborative EPs on Live at Robert Johnson and Mule Musiq as well as his second Kasper Bjørke Quartet neoclassical/ambient album Mother on Kompakt.
Puzzles is Kasper’s love letter to the sound of early 2000s New York - merged with his Scandinavian sense of producing songs that goes beyond conventional club music; combining disco tinged instrumentations mixed with elements of 80s funk, jazz and contemporary pop songwriting, creating something familiar yet, something very fresh and innovative at the same time.
The album includes collaborations with a wide range of musicians and vocalists. From California based indie-disco troubadour Woolfy (DFA, Rong, Permanent Vacation etc.) to the Icelandic dream-folk trio Systur aka Sísý Ey (who also featured on Kasper’s 2014 single Apart, where the Michael Mayer remix became a timeless club anthem), as well as other longtime collaborators and artist friends: Toby Ernest, Jacob Bellens, WhoMadeWho’s Tomas Høffding on bass, Posh Isolation affiliate Frederik Valentin on guitar and the young, rising jazz star Oilly Wallace on saxophone and flute. Essentially, the majority of Puzzles is played and recorded live, including the drums by Rasmus Littauer (School of X, MØ). Many of the songs emerged from chord progressions written during studio sessions between Kasper and Toby - which Kasper then produced into a colourful and effective album, rooted in an expressive live feeling far from programmed patterns.
Puzzles is a new step for Kasper as a producer and artist, showcasing his ability to move and flow freely between genres and expressions, however still deeply rooted in his love and affection for the classic disco groove - which is only natural after more than two decades as an active DJ.
Another piece has been added to the musical puzzle of Kasper Bjørke

Having built a loyal local Antwerp following off of the success of their 2019 debut self released album, ‘Forgotten Kingdom’, and growing reputation for electrifying stage performances, Kolonel Djafaar achieved worldwide recognition in 2021 for the ‘Cold Heat’ EP on Batov Records, attracting praise from Music Is My Sanctuary (“triumphant), and support from Gideon Coe on BBC 6 Radio Music, and DJs across Worldwide FM, Soho Radio, Le Mellotron, and KEXP.

The group overcame busy schedules and frequent quarantine periods to hit the studio in February 2022 to lay down four tracks. However, the creative itch persisted, leading to an intense writing session in August, deep in the heart of a tranquil forest. From noon until midnight, the band immersed themselves in the creative process, embracing the freedom to make noise without restraint.

Fueled by hearty breakfasts, unwavering focus, and the ambient clucking of chickens roaming the studio, Kolonel Djafaar crafted the majority of ‘Getaway’. This period marked a pivotal shift as a number of new band members joined just in time for the August sessions.

Membership changes, including Emiel Lauryssen joining on trumpet, alongside guitarist Philip Matthhijnssens, the band's palette has broadened and new sounds are able to break through. From psychedelic rock and soul influence of the Daptone Records’ affiliated Budos Band, surf rock (“Urban Dweller”), Morricone Spaghetti Western guitar, and Afro Cuban (“Kelmendi”), alongside the brassy Afrobeat and Ethio jazz vibes the group have been known for.

The broader dynamics of ‘Getaway’, and the band’s more cinematic and experimental approach, is particularly apparent on "Siren’s Glitch" and "Phil’s First Tear". The latter, first conceived by drummer Anton Van Hove, features the lead guitar doubling up with the bass guitar for added impact. Whilst the origins of "Convoi Exceptionnel", a brass & synths stomper of a march, trace back to a jam session during the band's Hungarian tour, another vital period of prolonged time together, capturing the organic essence of their experiences on the road.

Each track on ‘Getaway’ holds a unique connection to at least one band member, and all benefit from a collaborative approach to songwriting. "Sparking Clover'', an Ethio-inspired psych & soul groover penned by tenor saxophonist Doyin Smith, carries a poignant undertone inspired by personal loss, while psych rock leaning tracks like "Apologies in Advance" showcase the band's evolution and increasing professionalism in crafting a distinct sonic experience.

The curious cover art depicts a lone individual heading down an empty city street towards a large mysterious glowing object, evoking the common emptiness and struggle of urban life, and the search for meaning or just something better. The band envision the object to represent this album, offering a beacon to like-minded listeners. Kolonel Djafaar invite music enthusiasts on an immersive journey, to ‘Getaway’ from the daily grind of life, on an album reflecting diverse influences and marking a new chapter in their musical exploration.

We’re hugely excited to announce the brand new album from Dee C. Lee - ‘Just Something’, out 22 March on Acid Jazz. It follows the incredible response to the new single ‘Walk Away’ and last year’s double-sider ‘Don’t Forget About Love’ / ‘Be There In The Morning’, marking the return of one of the UK’s most revered soul singers. Dee is known for her work with The Style Council, Wham!, Slam Slam and Animal Nightlife, and an illustrious solo career (including the Top 3 hit ‘See The Day’). ‘Just Something’ is her first new record since 1998, and her debut for Acid Jazz. Available on LP and CD, all pre-orders from the Acid Jazz Store will be signed by Dee.

‘Just Something’ features 11 songs: nine originals co-written by Dee, a song penned by her daughter Leah Weller, a successful singer/songwriter in her own right, and two inspired covers. Produced by Sir Tristan Longworth, the album is a soulful collection that frames her instantly recognisable vocals in luxurious horns, percussion and keys, and heritage soul with a disco backdrop. While making the record has been a collaborative process, ‘Just Something’ is nevertheless the sound of a singer in charge of her own style and direction. Her vocal delivery and phrasing steal the show throughout, bright and lilting one moment, passionate and ringing the next. She cites Chaka Khan and Jean Carn as major influences, but Lee’s voice is resolutely her own, the product of a life lived.

Inspired by classic Motown, current single ‘Walk Away’ was written by Dee with one of her ‘brothers from another mother’, former fellow Style Council member Mick Talbot, and features Talbot’s distinctive piano and Wulitzer playing on the track. Talbot also plays on another of the album’s many standouts, the Leah Weller-penned ‘Everyday Summer’.

Three of the album’s songs, opener ‘Back In Time’, first single ‘Don’t Forget About Love’ and ‘How To Love’ were co-written with Michael McEvoy and Ernest McKone, whom Dee wrote with back in the 1980s. All three songs channel her musical past, from the thrill and excitement of those early Wham! days, going out and partying, to The Style Council’s trademark jazzy soul, and expressive balladry and killer choruses, which places Lee in the lineage of classic soul singers.

Elsewhere, on ‘Anything’, co-written with Paul Barry, Dee sings her heart out on a song full of optimism and hope for the future, while ‘For Once In My Life’, the oldest song here dates back to 1998, is effortlessly commercial and has hit written all over it, with Lee empowered and regal sounding over a warm blanket of bassy funk.

The album’s two covers, meanwhile, were both suggested to Lee by Acid Jazz’s Eddie Piller. In Lee’s hands, Renee Geyer’s ‘Be There In The Morning’ is pure celebration, taking its cue from the Norman Connors version from 1979. ‘I Love You’, written by Don Blackman and recorded by Weldon Irvine in 1976, could have been written with Lee in mind. A big club tune, Dee recalls hearing it everywhere she went and I wanted to keep as close to the original vibe as she could.

Dee’s relationship with Acid Jazz the goes back to The Style Council days, and it was the 2019 documentary ‘Long Hot Summers’ that renewed Dee’s friendship with label founder Ed Piller and director Dean Rudland. We’re honoured to release this record and be a part of Dee’s return to the forefront of UK soul music.

Whether they were singing hymns or secular songs, Ladysmith Black Mombazo always raised their voices in glorious harmony

They are the unmatched masters of South African a cappella and this release documents their vocal prowess. This album is comprised of their very best performances from over a long and prestigious and celebrated career. It covers from when they burst onto the scene when they participated with Paul Simon on his hugely successful "Graceland" album and launched their years of worldwide touring to appearances on venues like Saturday Night Live, and providing music for movies with major stars like Michael Jackson and Dolly Parton. Their unparalleled artistry won them great fame and five Grammy awards. They also always found time to lend their voices in Support of South Africa's Struggles away from apartheid rule.

11 Years Voodoo Down Records celebrates a decade-plus milestone of music from the titular label, which was launched by three friends in Brooklyn in late 2012 and later split across both sides of the Atlantic.
Their 17th vinyl release is their first double 12”, compiling tracks from a selection of the artists that helped them hone their sound: STL, who featured on the first release on the label; October, a recurring favorite who came out of a techno hiatus to cut demos for this release; Tobias., who first appeared on the label in 2015; JXTPS, the recent roster addition from Melbourne; MadderModes, the Manchester duo who debuted on the Empirical Evidence EP; and as always, the label founders themselves: L’estasi Dell’oro, 12 x 12, and N’conduit.
These tracks run the gamut of sounds that have been a staple of the label over the years: upbeat drone techno from L’estasi Dell’oro leading off the release with “Get GOO ing”, dusty dub techno courtesy of STL on “Dungeon CeLL”, head-trip hypnotic techno from Tobias. on “Public Eye”, downtempo melodic from 12 x 12, punchy peak-time techno from JXTPS and N’conduit, and a raw acid techno groover from October.

This release celebrates a decade plus of music on the label. It also marks the return of STL, Tobias., and October to the label with all original material. October coming off a long hiatus, and will follow up with a mini-album later on the label.
The first 2x12” compilation released on the label, and along with the release we will be adding the label’s back catalog on major digital streaming platforms.
Touring by 12 x 12 and L’estasi Dell’oro planned in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia during the last weeks of 2024, and in LA, NYC, Denver following later in the year.

Bartees Strange has been one of the most significant indie artists to break out in the post-Pandemic era. He debuted with ‘Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy’, an album length collection of The National songs released in March 2020, on the cusp of the Pandemic. Later that year came his first LP, ‘Mustang’, which was named in endless year-end Best Of lists, including those from Pitchfork, Stereogum, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. He quickly signed to 4AD, and his debut for the label, ‘Farm To Table’, turned him into a club headliner and an arena-sized opening act with genre-defining artists such as The National, boygenius, Phoebe Bridgers and Courtney Barnett. The vinyl-exclusive release, ‘Magic Boy’, represents the Bartees story before this story began -33 1/2 minutes of recordings created before he entered the public eye, with eight out of ten never previously released. It finds his ever-malleable sound touching on genres like coffee house folk (‘IDK’, ‘Best Of You’, ‘You’re Here’), emo troubadour (‘Count It Back’, ‘Little Brother’), and wigged-out experimentation (‘Eat Your Heart Out’). Appended with two tracks previously available only as digital Bsides from ‘Say Goodbye’ (‘HAGS’, ‘Going Going’), ‘Magic Boy’ reads as a kind of ‘lost’ album for someone shaping up to be a major voice in indie music.

Rethink human's dominion in "The Invincible": a story-driven adventure set in a hard sci-fi world by Stanis?aw Lem. Discover planet Regis III as scientist Yasna, use atompunk tools looking for a missing crew and face unforeseen threats. Make choices in a philosophical story that's driven by science. A major part of the brand-new video game hit "The Invincible" is the unique atmosphere. Apart from the outstanding visual effort, created by Starward Industries, there's also the capturing soundtrack by Brunon Lubas that draws the player into the game. Lubas describes his contribution to this journey into space the following: "Inspired equally by the early pioneers of electronic music, minimalism, lo-fi and modern experimental music, the soundtrack for 'The Invincible' consists of 13 diverse tracks. Digging deep into the emotional part of the game's narrative, it accommodates the feelings of melancholy, mystery, loss and hope all glued together with a distinct and consistent take on aural aesthetic and harmony."

s Luminessence, ECM's new audiophile vinyl-reissue series, is a kaleidoscope, shedding light on the jewels of the label's deep catalogue in elegant, high-quality editions - audiophile vinyl pressing, high-grade tip-on gatefold sleeves that include new liner notes Recorded in 1977 and now reissued in ECM's audiophile Luminessence vinyl series, the debut album of the Azimuth trio was truly ahead of its time. Formed by adding Canadian-born trumpeter Kenny Wheeler to the British duo of pianist John Taylor and vocalist Norma Winstone, the group's futuristic musical palette embraced hypnotic, minimalistic pulse patterns, otherworldly synthesizer sounds, songs, collective improvisation and solo flights. In recent seasons, the number of listeners under Azimuth's sway has grown exponentially, as the music has adapted itself to new contexts. The vast international audience that has heard fragments of Azimuth's "The Tunnel" as part of a major rap hit by Drake in 2023 (on his 200M+ streaming "IDGAF"), can now discover the original in its pristine form, still magical after all these years - as is the whole album.

In the previous year 1965, "A Fistful of Dollars" by Sergio Leone was a huge success, and had greatly increased the popularity of the 'spaghetti western' genre With the two lead actors Clint Eastwood and Gian Maria Volonte "For a Few Dollars More" is the natural progression of that movie, and the addition of the third major star - Lee Van Cleef - a trio that made history in another Sergio Leone masterpiece. Ennio Morricone's music is equally important. The Maestro here chooses a 'poor' registry, consisting of folk instruments such as ocarina, Jew's harp and chimes, respectively used to accompany the entrance of the three main actors. There is as usual, the contributions of Alessandro Alessandroni and his Cantori Moderni choir, for an incredibly exciting vocal climax. This edition sees the eight tracks of the original score in a brand new layout. 45rpm - Ltd. Ed. Crystal clear vinyl edition, new 12-inch sized gatefold cover.

Black Truffle is thrilled to announce a major archival release from legendary American composer and live electronics innovator Richard Teitelbaum, centred around his soundtrack for Suzan Pitt’s cult 1978 animation Asparagus. Best known to some listeners for introducing Europe to the Moog synthesizer as a founding member of Musica Elettronica Viva in Rome, Teitelbaum’s extensive and radically experimental body of work includes collaborative recordings with master improvisers like Anthony Braxton, Andrew Cyrille and George Lewis, intercultural experiments combining electronics with non-Western instruments such as the shakuhachi, works for computer controlled piano, and large-scale multi-media operas. Recorded at York University, Toronto in 1975–1976, ‘Asparagus (European Version)’ sprawls across both sides of the first LP. Discovered by composer Matt Sargent in Teitelbaum’s tape archive, this is a previously unheard major work for Moog modular and Polymoog synthesizers, unique in Teitelbaum’s oeuvre for its lushness and gently melodic quality. The music unfolds slowly, submerging lyrical melodies and burbling arpeggios into uneasy, glacially shifting harmonic swells, the luscious texture thickened with subtle changes of modulation and phase, calling up the shifting layers of Costin Miereanu’s classic Derives or the kosmische Musik tradition more than any academic synthesizer exercise. Teitelbaum incorporated much of this material into his soundtrack for Suzan Pitt’s Asparagus, which receives its first official release here. Asparagus, famously paired with David Lynch’s Eraserhead for a two-year run of midnight screenings at New York’s Waverly Theatre, uses hand-drawn and stop animation to unfurl an oneiric succession of images, beginning with a sequence in which the female protagonist defecates two stalks of asparagus, which multiply and float out of the toilet bowl to form the letters of the title. Teitelbaum’s soundtrack interweaves delicate drifting tones from the ‘European Version’ with contributions from Steve Lacy and Steve Potts on saxophones, George Lewis on trombone and Takehisa Kosugi on violin. Edited closely to the film, even without images the soundtrack proposes a surreal journey through floating synth tones, squealing horns, propulsive arpeggios, distant chatter, and an old-timey waltz. The final side of the set presents a new realisation of Teitelbaum’s text score ‘Threshold Music’, performed at a memorial concert at Roulette, New York in 2022 by Leila Bourreuil (cello), Alvin Curran (sampler and objects), Daniel Fishkin (daxophone), Miguel Frasconi (glass objects) and Matt Sargent (lap steel). The piece asks musicians to match their instrumental volume to that of the sounds of the environment in which they play, sometimes with the addition of recorded environmental sounds, reinforcing frequencies they encounter in listening deeply to their surroundings. Here the players use a field recording taken at Teitelbaum’s home in Bearsville, New York, their long tones and shimmering, glassy textures delicately emerging from the white noise of the location recording. Released with the full approval of both Richard Teitelbaum and Suzan Pitt’s estates, Asparagus is illustrated with striking images from Pitt’s film and accompanied by detailed liner notes by Francis Plagne. These previously unheard pieces shed new light on the work of a key composer in the American experimental tradition, offering up some of Teitelbaum’s most beautiful and engaging music.

« Lush Life » (1958) is among John Coltrane’s best endeavours on the Prestige (and Music) label. One reason can easily be attributed to the interesting personnel and the

subsequent lack of a keyboard player for the August 16, 1957, session that yielded the majority of the material. Coltrane (tenor sax) had to essentially lead the compact trio of himself,

Earl May (bass) and Art Taylor (drums). The intimate setting is perfect for ballads such as the opener ‘Like Someone in Love ». John Coltrane doesn’t have to supplement the frequent

redundancy inherent in pianists, so he has plenty of room to express himself through simple and ornate passages.

May provides a platform for Coltrane’s even keeled runs before the tenor drops out, allowing both Earl May and then Art Taylor a chance to shine.

The fun cat-and-mouse-like antics continue as Taylor can be heard encouraging the tenor player to raise the stakes and the tempo – which he does to great effect.

Patsy Cline (born Virginia Patterson Hensley; September 8, 1932 – March 5, 1963) was an American singer. She is considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century and was one of the first country music artists to cross over into pop music. Cline had several major hits during her eight-year recording career, including two number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country and Western Sides chart. Under the direction of producer Owen Bradley, her musical sound shifted and she achieved consistent success. The 1961 single "I Fall to Pieces" became her first to top the Billboard country chart. Her next single release "Crazy" would also become a major hit. During 1962 , Cline had hits with "She's Got You", "When I Get Thru with You" and "So Wrong". This Limited Edition comes on Solid White coloured vinyl.

LA/Joshua Tree based Sugar Candy Mountain deliver carefully built psychedelic odes in the style of Jacco Gardner and Tame Impala. Their breakout album 666 feels like something unearthed from a box of records found in your dad's garage, glowing wistfully with vintage inspired tones, rambling organs, fuzzed out guitars, shimmering keys and sprawling drums. Ash Reiter's woolly voice croons with the icy warmth of Francoise Hardy, while Will Halsey's tender Lennon-esque vocals uncoil with easy languor. Recorded with Jason Quever of Papercuts, the bands sophomore album sits comfortably between 60's Laurel Canyon bliss and more modern production of Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips/Tame Impala). 666 is the band's first record after deciding to retire Ash Reiter's eponymous solo project to focus solely on Sugar Candy Mountain. With this shift Ash became more heavily invested in writing for the project. On 666 the band moves away from the grandiose production of their previous album, Mystic Hits, on which some songs featured over two hundred instrument tracks. The majority of basic tracking was done on Jason Quever's 16 track Ampex tape machine through a Neve console, and completed at the bands home studio. Under Quever's guiding hand, production on 666 is significantly simplified, favoring featuring strong melodies over the wildly playful orchestrations of Mystic Hits. Quever is also significantly featured on the record as a player, with his influence distinctly coloring the album.

When the grunge explosion of the early `90s elevated Seattle's flannel-clad misfits out of the divey clubs of downtown and into the mainstream, a new generation of restless artists filled the void left in the Pacific Northwest's underground music scene. The under-21 crowd making music in the wake of Nevermind seemed even less enamored with the slick production values, classic rock nods, and testosterone-fueled moshing culture that came with the Zeitgeist, favoring their own kind of Revolution Summer-style pivot away from the popular sounds of the era towards a more emotionally nuanced, melodic, and inclusive style of punk. The Puget Sound trio Lync perfectly captured the spirit of that era, blending the passionate chaos of the DC and San Diego scenes with the rough-hewn DIY pop sensibilities of Olympia's thriving indie community into one unified sound. Though they were only a band for two years, they helped define the next era of the Northwest underground, inspiring countless other artists and instigating the creation of beloved records from the region. After being out of print for over a decade, the band's sole LP These Are Not Fall Colors has been remastered and expanded into a 2xLP with the inclusion of "Can't Tie Yet"_a compilation track from the album's recording session_into a deluxe edition available courtesy of Suicide Squeeze Records. Originally released on K Records in the summer of '94 just a few months before the band called it quits, These Are Not Fall Colors is a boisterous collection of scrappy basement-show anthems played on duct-taped-together gear. Led by the off-kilter melodies of late singer/guitarist Sam Jayne and hammered into place by the driving bass of James Bertram and drum battery of David Schneider, the album's eleven songs channel that undefinable sound of the early `90s before descriptors like "post-hardcore" and "emo" became pejorative terms. Sure, you get a sense of the more sophisticated mid-tempo punk approach on songs like "B" and "Silverspoon Glasses," and maybe catch wind of wistful songwriting on "Pennies to Save" and "Cue Cards," but Lync seemed to cull their ideas from whatever bits of inspiration they could find in the gray gloom and geographic isolation of western Washington, absorbing it all and churning it together into a style uniquely their own. Despite Lync's short existence, modest aspirations, and DIY approach, their work had a ripple effect. Jayne would go on to make music under the moniker of Love As Laughter. Built to Spill's Doug Martsch was so enamored by the album that he enlisted Bertram and Schneider to serve as his rhythm section on the There's Nothing Wrong with Love tour. These Are Not Fall Colors engineer Phil Ek would go on to help record and produce records by Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, and The Shins. Early bassist Isaac Brock and These Are Not Fall Colors album art contributor Jeremiah Green would go on to form Modest Mouse. Bertram and Green would also go on to form the revered indie rock group Red Stars Theory. At times it feels like you could pick any major Northwest indie rock group from the `90s and `00s and trace their DNA back to Lync. The deluxe edition of These Are Not Fall Colors comes pressed on 180g vinyl and packaged in a gatefold cover with printed inner sleeves and expanded artwork by Jesse LeDoux. The 2xLP also features an 18x24 poster with extensive liner notes by Brian Cook. Altogether, this new version of These Are Not Fall Colors not only brings this celebrated classic back into analog libraries of old fans, it also provides new context and appreciation for Lync's ongoing impact on both a local and international level.

Seit ihrer ersten Albumveröffentlichung "GOLD VON MORGEN" im Jahr 2014 hat Alexa Feser einen festen Platz im deutschen Musik-Kosmos und befindet sich seither in einem stetigen Entwicklungsprozess. Nach dem Top-3-Album "ZWISCHEN DEN SEKUNDEN" (2017) und den TOP10 Alben "A!" (2019) und "LIEBE 404" (2022) sowie begleitenden äusserst erfolgreichen Tourneen arbeitet die Künstlerin bereits wieder an ihrem neuen Album. "KINO" wird im Frühjahr 2024 veröffentlicht und dieses Mal fungiert Alexa auch als Produzentin. Alexa klingt urban und verkörpert das Gefühl der Grossstadt. Ihr turbulentes Leben in Berlin fliesst in ihre Alben ein und macht sie zu einer konstanten musikalischen Zeugin der Entwicklung. Sie ist eine vollkommene Musikerin mit dem Anspruch, niemals fertig zu sein. Weiterentwicklung ist ihr Credo. Sie bleibt nicht stehen, sie kommt nicht an, sie transformiert sich immer und verändert sich stets. Am liebsten setzt sie ihre Vision im kleinen Kreis um. Sie nimmt das Beste aus beiden Welten mit. Obwohl sie bei einem Major-Label ist, bleibt alles DIY. Dabei möchte sie nicht einfach dem Sound der Zeit folgen; Nein, sie macht ihn sich zu eigen und verleiht ihm ihre ganz eigene Note - nicht zuletzt durch ihre einzigartige Stimme. Mit Features wie dem King Of Rap Kool Savas, Sero, Disarstar oder Esther Graf beweist die Künstlerin einmal mehr ihre Fähigkeit, ein unerschöpflicher musikalischer Hybrid zu sein. Was man hören kann, ist das Selbstbewusstsein einer Künstlerin, die sich weiterentwickelt, ihrer Eigenheit treu bleibt, auf ihre Instinkte vertraut, sich immer wieder neu erfindet und dabei authentisch bleibt.

John Coltrane's landmark 1961 jazz album My Favorite Things was born of the same recording sessions that yielded a majority of the albums Coltrane Plays the Blues (1962), Coltrane's Sound (1964), and Coltrane Legacy. That My Favorite Things was recorded in less than three days was in itself, remarkable. This record marked a significant turning point in Coltrane's career and showcased his distinctive playing style, which continues to inspire and influence musicians to this day. Coltrane's playing on My Favorite Things can be described as innovative, exploratory, and deeply emotive. The unforced, practically casual soloing styles of the assembled quartet — which includes Coltrane (soprano/tenor sax), McCoy Tyner (piano), Steve Davis (bass), and Elvin Jones (drums) — allow for tastefully executed passages à la the Miles Davis Quintet, a trait Coltrane no doubt honed during his tenure in that band, notes AllMusic. Coltrane was known for pushing the boundaries of jazz and expanding the possibilities of the saxophone as an instrument. Throughout the album, Coltrane's improvisations are characterized by their intensity, virtuosity, and sheer creativity. The title track is a modal rendition of the Rodgers and Hammerstein song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music. Coltrane's use of modal playing made him a pioneer — modal jazz emphasizes improvisation over specific chord progressions. Coltrane's modal approach allowed him to explore a broader range of tonal colors and to create more open and expansive musical landscapes. Each track of this album is a joy to revisit. The ultimate listenability may reside in this quartet's capacity to not be overwhelmed by the soloist. As a soloist, the definitive soprano sax runs during the Cole Porter standard "Everytime We Say Goodbye" and tenor solos on "But Not for Me" easily establish Coltrane as a pioneer of both instruments. In 1998, My Favorite Things received the Grammy Hall of Fame award. The album attained gold record certified status in 2018, having sold 500,000 copies. We've given this definitive reissue of such a landmark album the presentation it deserves: Mastered directly from the original master tape by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound and cut at 45 RPM. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, and housed in tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing.

Rock & Roll, indeed. Ruth Brown’s sizzling full-length debut — also known by its eponymous title — symbolizes what was exciting, fresh, invigorating, and raw about the burgeoning style in its halcyon days. Originally released in 1957, and reissued here in audiophile quality for the first time in partnership with Atlantic Records’ 75th anniversary, the set remains a testament to one of the most pioneering and talented vocalists to ever command a stage.

Mastered on Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's renowned mastering system in California, pressed at RTI, housed in a Stoughton jacket, and strictly limited to 2,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g mono LP of Rock & Roll plays with an immediacy, vibrancy, and fullness that showcase the reach, power, and emotionalism of Brown’s voice. The sound of her support musicians — brassy horns, swinging rhythm combos, echoing backing vocalists, rollicking pianists, jaunty guitarists — is made clear and vivid, helping the upbeat fare to jump, juke, and jive with newfound energy and exuberance. In a related manner, Brown’s slower, more understated material crackles with an intimacy and passion that let you know you're in the presence of a woman who has lived what she sings. The longtime Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member deserves nothing less.

In an era dominated by big-throated vocalists, few — if any — came grander than Brown. The singer, whose repeat million-selling ‘50s success with Atlantic Records led many to call the then-indie label “The House That Ruth Built,” charted two dozen R&B hits in the span of a decade for the fledgling imprint. Rightly coined “Miss Rhythm,” the extroverted Brown put Atlantic on the national map, became the best-selling female musician of the ‘50s, and established a precedent that would ultimately lead to Grammy and Tony Awards. Her early works have lost none of their fire or flair.

Akin to many full-length LPs of its era, Rock & Roll doubles as a collection. Its 14 tracks comprise some of the more famous sides Brown recorded for Atlantic, beginning in 1949 with the all-time-great rendition of the ballad “So Long,” and continuing through 1956. After the song caught the public’s ear, the Virginia native briefly became known for her smoldering style with lovelorn material and torch songs, approaching them (see “Oh What a Dream,” “Old Man River”) with a combination of pained sadness and hardened resilience that had no contemporary equal. Encouraged to pursue the style by Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmt Ertegun, her R&B-driven material soon made her a constant chart presence.

Demonstrating what fellow legend Bonnie Raitt deemed “sex with class and dignity,” Brown merges blues and jazz, swing and gospel in electrifying fashion. She dares you not to move, dance, and get on your feet. A majority of Rock & Roll explodes with uptempo runs and jaunty readings of hot-blooded R&B numbers. Sweaty and sultry, bawdy and bold, Brown eclipses the anthemic blare of the saxophones and joyful clatter of the 88s, singing with a slight catch in her voice and hurricane-gale force that threatens to blow the roof off whatever room her voice occupies.

Evidence abounds. Listen to her prod the band and encourage the band members to blow a fuse on a sizzling “Hello Little Boy,” complete with cries and wails; stretch her phrasing to the heavens on the swaying “Wild Wild Young Men,” laden with romp-and-stomp beats; plead and persuade on the snaking “5-10-15 Hours,” which flips the script on the age’s notions of dominance; use her raspy tones, high notes, and breath control to mesmerizing effect on the smash “Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean,” recorded with a group led by Ray Charles; survey the scene and take charge on the steaming “As Long as I’m Moving”; and tap a classy albeit flirtatious vein on “Lucky Lips,” which dented the pop charts as her first crossover hit.

Throughout Rock & Roll, Brown knows the lyrical connotations and spirited architecture of the songs inside-out. Her assertive voice — never harsh, strident, or false — is the epitome of the passionate desires and sonic strains that turned into nascent rock ’n’ roll. Brown played a pivotal role in helping the style develop, the record a timeless reminder of a lasting legacy that will never be forgotten.

"For a long time, I'd come across these discs without really understanding what connected them, apart from a button and that famous logo designed by René Dessirier. Then, with a little more digging, I discovered the "self-production" link. For choirs, schools, folk singers, young pop groups, popular homes and even great composers who engraved unique copies of certain recording sessions...

The French equivalent of the English "Derby Service", the Kiosque d'Orphée, formerly at 7 Rue Grégoire de Tours in the 6th arrondissement, was taken over by Georges Batard in 1967 and moved to 20 Rue des Tournelles in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The adventure lasted until 1991. Georges Batard was a sound engineer who used a Neumann tube engraver to engrave acetates from the tapes he received, before printing the precious vinyls in the press factories of the day, where he was able to produce very small runs of between 50 and 500 copies.

Of course, there were other structures for releasing his records, such as Voxigrave or, later, FLVM, but none of them had so many records in their catalog. Le Kiosque d'Orphée was neither a label nor a publisher, but a structure that allowed you to press your own vinyl, at a time when it was quite an adventure to get your first 45 rpm or 33 rpm album released!

Georges Batard was described as passionate and conscientious. His son, bassist Didier Batard, wrote of him:
"Georges was passionate about recording and reproducing the stereo sound of his great passion, music. He paid close attention to distortion rates, signal-to-noise ratios, response curves, rise times and other damping factors in audio equipment. He was looking for the exact reproduction of concert hall sound in his living room (with the same sound level, if possible...). In the late '50s/early '60s, he found other sound enthusiasts in AFDERS (Association Française pour le Développement de l'Enregistrement et de la Reproduction Sonores). He became its honorary president. Every Saturday afternoon, its members met to test au- dio equipment. Their opinions were published in the monthly Revue du Son.

All you had to do was send in your tapes and choose the number of record copies you'd like to take home with you, so you could finally share your creations and, in a way, exist. You could opt for a generic sleeve, available in several colors, directly customizable with your name and credits, or you could design your dream sleeve yourself in your living room or at a printer's.

This "Do It Yourself" temple gave birth to some superb pouches. Stencilled, hand-written, illustrated with paintings, drawings, illustrations by friends or girlfriends of the time, photo prints hastily stuck in the middle of a blank, white sleeve, on which the traces of time would leave their imprints, so that collectors and the curious would come and buy them decades later, with the promise of a musical discovery, unfortunately not always fulfilled...

What most of these records have in common is the youth of their songwriters, whether or not they've had a career. Stories of buddies, of getting by and dreams of glory made up this catalog. Most of them were amateur productions, both in terms of the level of the musicians and the quality of the recordings, made on a two-track or, the ultimate luxury, a 4-track in a teenager's bedroom or parents' living room.

It was the beginning of the home studio, thanks to the advent of the Revox portable tape recorder. A bit of a shaky DIY system, but, in return, the luxury of setting no limits: one-sided tracks, no outside censorship, no artistic director, no manager, no Barclay or EMI/Pathé Marconi logos...

When you finally had your own record, you could give it away or sell it to friends, family or after concerts. You could also drop it off at the nearest record shop, with undisguised pride.

It was also a calling card that could be sent to radio stations or music labels, in the hope of launching a career...

Many of the protagonists in this story tried to sign with labels, but in those days, bridges were not so easy to build between one's hometown, or even one's village, and the major or more specialized label that might have released these records. At the time, the advertisements published in the press by the Kiosque d'Orphée opened up the field of possibilities for provincial composers. It was now possible to make their own record, without having to go through the process of signing with a label.

Some of the composers who have gone on to make a career have used this channel to release their first record or parallel projects (Claude Engel, Dominique A, Andy Emler, Michel Deneuve, Claude Mairet, Mick Piellard, Tristan Mu- rail...) and sometimes even single or very limited pressings of work or promotional copies (Bernard Parmegiani, Jef Gilson...).

This album is the conclusion of a long investigation, begun six years ago. It took a long time to find the records, scattered all over the place, in the homes of collectors and sometimes the musicians themselves, and then to listen to them, sometimes painstakingly, to unearth these moments of grace.

From this work, 23 tracks remain, but there are dozens of others that could have been included, so we had to choose, and the choice had to be as universal as possible. This selection is obviously not objective, but I hope you'll like it.

Today's music is raw, touching and powerful. "

Jean-Baptiste Guillot - Born Bad Records

Real groups like Empirical are a rarity in contemporary jazz, where musicians so often come together for single projects then disperse again once they are done: groups that endure for fifteen years, without slackening in their quest for the new and the fresh, are all but unheard of. Having started their journey in 2007, Empirical now makes a triumphant return, re-taking their rightful place at the centre of the UK scene with "Wonder is the Beginning". Their first full-length album since 2016, is a mature musical statement that shows the band"s fire is still undimmed and their commitment to maintaining the legacy while forging their own unique path is as strong as ever.

Chase Smith aka the W.T. Records and Apartment associate and documentary filmmaker Christa Majoras are back as brainwave research center with their second full length, Mosaic. Once again the sonically inquisitive pair mix up analogue synths with electro-acoustic experiments, epic and adventurous soundscapes and plenty of raw texture, hooky pop melodies and innocent rhythms. Along the way the duo take influence from their heroes including Ennio Morricone, John Carpenter and Kraftwerk on a record that was laid down in the back of Smith's synthesizer repair shop. It's an absorbing listen once more from this increasingly vital pair.

The time has come and my first solo album sees the light of day. I made the songs on it formyself.
The desire to write, experiment and play with sounds has never stopped. The artists you will hear on
this record, some are real life friends of mine and others are people with whom I have never spoken
a personal word to this day. I‘ve been friends forever with artists like Brixx, Farina Miss and of course
Mr. David A. Tobin for years. Andre Espeut and I have maintained an online friendship for a very long
time.
I hired all the other artists from the vastness of the Internet. Some of the artists didn‘t know the
parts of the other artists involved. In the end I puzzled all the pieces together and created a fine dish
with beautiful ingredients from all over the world. I know that an album like this might have a hard
time in this digital world and of course I don‘t have the marketing budget of a major release. But
time will tell and well produced music will find its ways.
Creating music has had a positive influence on my entire life, even though criticism and other
obstacles require you to build strong armor. The good news is when you grow older, many things are
no longer as important to you and you set priorities, focus more on the good things and good people
in your life. I hope you have fun with my music and my people and by listening and spinning my
record you will help to spread the good vibes.
It‘s truly a GOOD TIME FOR GOOD TIMES…

"Two Steps from the Move is the fifth studio album by the Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks, released in 198This is their last album to feature the late drummer Razzle. Before this album, all of Hanoi Rocks' albums were released on Lick Records and Johanna Kustannus, but this was the band's first album on a major label. Originally the album was supposed to be called Silver Missiles and Nightingales, but the name was changed at the last minute. The album's producer, Bob Ezrin had previously worked with big-name artists like Pink Floyd, Kiss and Alice Cooper, which was one of the main reasons Hanoi Rocks wanted him to produce the album. Ezrin wanted the album to have a heavier atmosphere and darker guitar playing than the band's previous efforts, while still keeping it melodic and punky, and he also worked on the writing of almost every song on the album. Two Steps from the Move was Hanoi Rocks' biggest hit when it was released, reaching #28 on the UK Album Charts, along with the singles ""Up Around the Bend"" and ""Don't You Ever Leave Me"". The album also gave Hanoi Rocks their first gold record in Finland, but not until 1986 after the group had already disbanded. Two Steps from the Move is often considered as a glam rock/hard rock classic. The album is available on black vinyl and includes an insert."

Two Steps From The Move by Hanoi Rocks, released 8 March 2024, includes the following tracks: "Underwater World", "Million Miles Away", "Boiler (Me Boiler 'N' Me)", "Cutting Corners" and more.

This version of Two Steps From The Move comes as a 1xLP. This release comes with (a) Insert(s).

"Something happened on No. The early EPs from Baltimore’s Tomato Flower were pretty, dreamy psychedelia. Warm to the touch, like looking up at the trees on a cloudless day. On No, the four-piece’s debut album, those trees, that cloudless sky, have become haunted, thorny, stormy. It takes Tomato Flower from buttoned-up, almost technically formalist psych pop to something more urgent, raw, emotionally immediate. No is messier, more expansive, and through all of its chaos, the band’s most rigorous artistic statement to date.

No is the band’s first effort made entirely in person, the first thing tracked in a studio instead of in a bedroom. It is a highly collaborative record written and recorded by everyone, partially made live. It is very much the byproduct of a band that has done some serious touring, following a coast-to-coast tour with Animal Collective in the summer of 2022.

Lead single “Destroyer,” has Jamison Murphy practically screaming over angular guitars, oscillating in a sonic space somewhere between the prettiness of Broadcast and the sludge of Jesus Lizard. It also presents an early entry point to one of No’s major conceptual underpinnings: that of the breakup between Murphy and fellow co-lead vocalist and guitarist Austyn Wohlers, which occurred during the composition of the album.

It wouldn’t be fair to just call No a break up album. It’s far more complicated with that. No is a record about negation: I will not do this, you cannot tell me what to do, we are not living in a utopia, don’t be delusional. No embraces a kind of brutal realism, a confrontation of life that only happens when you wizen up a little bit. All of it is a brutal delight, a departure from the past, a nod to a startling present."

Following a trail-blazing run, Overview Music returns with one of it's most sought after singles pressed onto waxed.

Dutch prodigy Waeys heads back to the label once more, bringing his highly anticipated 'Objection VIP', backed with a potent remix from Simula that's been causing a major stir in the scene.

Both these tracks have serious hype, the producers delivering the goods that will leave the floor in pieces, and that is something you definitely can't object.

Standard black vinyl is limited to 500 copies. Digipack CD. It’s two years since CONNECTIVITY (2021) smashed into the top 40 and debuted at #1 in the UK download chart, propelling the fiercely independent voice of GRACE PETRIE from critics’ choice to the main stages of major festivals across The UK and Ireland, Australia and Canada. For a seasoned road dog who spent almost 15 years clocking up tours with the likes of Billy Bragg, Frank Turner and Hannah Gadsby, the COVID lockdowns were like a cage for Petrie and when restrictions lifted, she hit the road harder than ever, armed with her most searing and successful record to date, and determined to make up for lost time. Sell-out headline tours across the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand followed, with audiences from Melbourne to Toronto mesmerised by the ferocity of her socially urgent lyricism and the barnstorming power of her live show. But travelling the globe hasn’t diminished her laser focus on the political issues plaguing the UK, with two more Prime Ministers, endless blunders and evermore division seen since she last swapped microphone for pen and paper. Now the songwriter is back - stronger, older and a whole lot angrier than ever before. As right wing ideologues trade in suspicion and cynicism, tearing communities apart against a backdrop of crumbling public services, the ordinary folk of Britain continue to suffer the consequences of corruption and individualism. From within this maelstrom of despair comes BUILD SOMETHING BETTER - the new, uncontainable album from Grace Petrie. Recorded raw and unflinchingly with folk-punk legend Frank Turner in the producer’s seat, BUILD SOMETHING BETTER is a return to blistering protest form for Britain’s most relevant political songwriter, a decade after being hailed as “a powerful new voice”, (The Guardian) and “a millennial’s Billy Bragg” (Huffington Post). In a world that seems to make less sense than ever, these are songs made to both holler along to from the crowd barrier and to tear up with on a lonely late night train. A record for everyone whose broken heart beats for, and whose boots stomp in time with, the hope a brighter tomorrow. “An effervescent charm-bomb of a performer” - The New Yorker. Headline Tour: 21st Feb Belfast - Oh Yeah Centre 22nd Dublin - Whelan’s, 24th Manchester - Academy 2, 28th Kendal - Brewery Arts 29th Edinburgh – Summerhall 1st March Gateshead – Glasshouse 6th Birmingham - Glee Club 7th Leeds - Brudenell Social Club 8th Nottingham - Rescue Rooms 9th Liverpool – Philharmonic 13th Oxford - The Bullingdon 14th London - Islington Assembly Hall 15th Brighton - Concorde 2 16th Norwich - Norwich Arts Centre 20th Cambridge - The Junction 21st Portsmouth - Wedgewood Rooms 22nd Exeter – Phoenix 23rd Bristol - Trinity Centre

Guitarist EARL HOOKER would undoubtedly have gone on to enjoy a major international career during the Blues/Rock era, had he been blessed with better health; but he suffered from Tuberculosis and sadly died in 1970, at the age of only forty. A cousin of John Lee Hooker, Earl was an exceptional slide player, known widely as “The guitarists’ guitarist”. He recorded few vocals as he was hindered by a stutter, to compensate, he concentrated on developing his playing technique. This compilation concentrates on his earliest recordings for a variety of record labels between 1953-62, several of which were not commercially released until after his death. This is the first time that this body of work has been thus compiled, and many of these sides are difficult to find elsewhere.

"Ride Hooker Ride 1953-1962" by Earl Hooker includes the following tracks: "ON THE HOOK", "MOVE ON DOWN THE LINE", "RAZORBACK", "BELIEVE I’LL SETTLE DOWN" and more.
This version comes on orange/black marbled vinyl.

Standard black vinyl is limited to 500 copies. Digipack CD. It’s two years since CONNECTIVITY (2021) smashed into the top 40 and debuted at #1 in the UK download chart, propelling the fiercely independent voice of GRACE PETRIE from critics’ choice to the main stages of major festivals across The UK and Ireland, Australia and Canada. For a seasoned road dog who spent almost 15 years clocking up tours with the likes of Billy Bragg, Frank Turner and Hannah Gadsby, the COVID lockdowns were like a cage for Petrie and when restrictions lifted, she hit the road harder than ever, armed with her most searing and successful record to date, and determined to make up for lost time. Sell-out headline tours across the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand followed, with audiences from Melbourne to Toronto mesmerised by the ferocity of her socially urgent lyricism and the barnstorming power of her live show. But travelling the globe hasn’t diminished her laser focus on the political issues plaguing the UK, with two more Prime Ministers, endless blunders and evermore division seen since she last swapped microphone for pen and paper. Now the songwriter is back - stronger, older and a whole lot angrier than ever before. As right wing ideologues trade in suspicion and cynicism, tearing communities apart against a backdrop of crumbling public services, the ordinary folk of Britain continue to suffer the consequences of corruption and individualism. From within this maelstrom of despair comes BUILD SOMETHING BETTER - the new, uncontainable album from Grace Petrie. Recorded raw and unflinchingly with folk-punk legend Frank Turner in the producer’s seat, BUILD SOMETHING BETTER is a return to blistering protest form for Britain’s most relevant political songwriter, a decade after being hailed as “a powerful new voice”, (The Guardian) and “a millennial’s Billy Bragg” (Huffington Post). In a world that seems to make less sense than ever, these are songs made to both holler along to from the crowd barrier and to tear up with on a lonely late night train. A record for everyone whose broken heart beats for, and whose boots stomp in time with, the hope a brighter tomorrow. “An effervescent charm-bomb of a performer” - The New Yorker. Headline Tour: 21st Feb Belfast - Oh Yeah Centre 22nd Dublin - Whelan’s, 24th Manchester - Academy 2, 28th Kendal - Brewery Arts 29th Edinburgh – Summerhall 1st March Gateshead – Glasshouse 6th Birmingham - Glee Club 7th Leeds - Brudenell Social Club 8th Nottingham - Rescue Rooms 9th Liverpool – Philharmonic 13th Oxford - The Bullingdon 14th London - Islington Assembly Hall 15th Brighton - Concorde 2 16th Norwich - Norwich Arts Centre 20th Cambridge - The Junction 21st Portsmouth - Wedgewood Rooms 22nd Exeter – Phoenix 23rd Bristol - Trinity Centre