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Jonathan Richman’s classic 'Egyptian Reggae' has been responsible for setting thousands of discerning dance floors on fire. After getting the obvious Jah twist on a few occasions, so we thought it was about time for the Richman’s song to receive a fun yet respectful cumbia treatment! This cumbia candy has been recorded in Lima by no other than Pancho Acosta, founder and guitarist of Compay Quinto, and one of the greatest cumbia guitar players in Peru. On the flip side we find one of Acosta´s own original songs, 'Carnaval de Jujuy', recorded by Austin-based future-cumbia group Money Chicha.

After a three year hiatus, Mutual Response returns for its long awaited second release, by talented artist and close friend of the label, Dockett Eddy.
Moving through fresh yet familiar combinations of drum patterns and melodies, his first EP displays the beginnings of a unique, honed style.

Calling on a varied palette of reference from the last 30 years of electronic music, the atmosphere of the release is established somewhere between the skipping, dream-like rhythms of ’00:04’ and the rough, driving drums of ‘Delayed Response’. The gritty awkwardness of the title track, Monofly, builds to an unexpected, ethereal moment, in what is the worthy climax of all four tracks.

The record sets an ominous tone, consolidating itself as a recognisable contribution to the label’s evolving output, but at the same time demonstrating a sound which is entirely the producers own.

Fit for Consequences: Original Recordings, 1984–1987 is the first ever archival release from Repetition Repetition, the “two-man electric minimalist band” consisting of Ruben Garcia and Steve Caton hailing from Los Angeles in the mid 1980’s. Repetition Repetition’s unique blend of cosmic art-rock minimalism / maximalism was self-released across a series of cassettes produced in micro editions, and while garnering the attention and participation of luminaries such as Harold Budd, remained under the radar during the band’s existence. Fit for Consequences: Original Recordings, 1984–1987 collects select material from across the duo’s catalog.

It was over a plate of Mexican breakfast food when Ruben Garcia and Steve Caton first told Harold Budd of Repetition Repetition and the worlds they intended to explore by respective way of synthesizers and guitars --- a rendezvous instigated by the former’s fan mail to the legendary composer. If the upstarts entered this restaurant from a one-way street of admiration, they would leave with not only Budd’s interest but, sometime later, a blessing in the wake of many hours shared by the three in Garcia’s Los Angeles home recording studio: “This is going to be difficult, but God help them, I think they’re great,” noted Budd in a USC lecture in 1985. Now several degrees removed from prior rock music aspirations, the real game was afoot.

Between 1984 and 1988, Repetition Repetition operated within something akin to the underground of the experimental underground, although even that designation perhaps overstates the case. The duo’s sparse output consisted of three cassettes self-released on Garcia’s Third Stone Music label: Repetition Repetition (1985), Lakeland (1987), and The Machinist (1987). Their songs would also be included during this period on Trance Port Tapes’ vital scene-scanning compilations assembled by A Produce. Live performances occurred with similar infrequency, but Garcia and Caton counted converts in quality over quantity, numbering among them the aforementioned Budd, a Chambers Brother, and, judging by a memorably drop-jawed reaction following a rare Repetition Repetition gig, Jackson Browne.

Likewise, critical support materialized in the form of KCRW deejays Brent Wilcox and Dean Suzuki, whose steady airplay positioned Repetition Repetition’s music amidst fearless company like Jon Hassell, Hiroshi Yoshimura, and Richard Horowitz. Yet, to hear fellow Trance Port featured players like Tom Recchion and Bruce Licher of Savage Republic tell it, Garcia and Caton moved as ghosts --- a notion more vexingly endorsed by the silence of record companies that failed to come knocking --- and therein lies an overarching truth to the work itself.

Journey to the heart of Repetition Repetition and one discovers a collective ear impossibly attuned to the hypnotic possibilities of stylistic convergence, the resulting music possessed of seamless multimodalities which beckon to a glimmering plane of the disembodied. Where Caton sought his artistic fixes at an intersection of popular genres, Garcia zoned in on the sonically spare, drawing from the same wellspring as the Enos and Rileys of his personal avant-garde pantheon, and in their coming together the two tapped into a deeper cosmic source. Synthetic walls of keyboard sound in forever states of reprise met waves of shimmering --- and at times even punishing --- guitar in reply, their soundscapes hovering convincingly between, as suggested in fittingly dualistic fashion in a press kit assembled by Garcia, such disparate sensations as bird flight in one song and oil drilling in the next.

But don’t call it a push-pull dynamic, as this was a creative partnership founded upon fluidity and organicism by way of, naturally, repetition. In contrast to, say, the Bressonian ideal of repetitive motion as a great stripping away, the concept in the hands of Garcia and Caton equated to ascendancy via continuous unfolding, a maximal route to minimalism. To be sure, their recording philosophy morphed over the course of the act’s short history, and what started as a process defined by consistent in-person interplay developed into a more isolated method formulated by Garcia, who eventually took to his own one-man bedroom-studio sessions in order to fully chart any and all potential ostinato-loaded paths which he could travel down, the Tascam-captured resonances subsequently provided to Caton as blueprints from which to take flight himself, adding layer upon layer of steel to the proceedings.

If the practice and execution changed, however, the evidence certainly didn’t rest in the results: The seamlessness remained, and, despite the brevity of their time together, so has Repetition Repetition. With this finely calibrated collection of songs in Fit for Consequences: Original Recordings, 1984–1987, Freedom To Spend sees to it that the private worlds of Garcia and Caton can now be visited by all rather than just the count-‘em-on-both-hands lucky few whose musical endeavors or collector vocations carried them into this once-distant dimension.

Repetition Repetition’s Fit for Consequences: Original Recordings, 1984–1987 will be released on Freedom To Spend in vinyl and digital editions on May 30, 2025. The collection includes extensive liner notes from Bill Perrine, and wil be offered alongside Over & Over, a supplemental collection of music available exclusively as a mail order cassette from Freedom To Spend and RVNG Intl.

3volution in the recent past, Divide is like a bridge between old generations and new ones. Its sounds range from Sci-Fi techno to 90's techno, characterized by minimal sequences, heavy drum patterns, and an accurate sound design.
Third and last chapter for the VA vinyl trilogy on R3volution Records called

This edition includes exclusive tracks by the following artists:

- UVALL, from Tbilisi, Georgia. Born there and at the age of 23, he is no longer at the beginning of his musical journey and the refinement of his taste and style. Always on the cutting edge, he has been impressing with productions and releases on labels such as Semantica, WSNWG with Rohad, Float Records, Hayes, MALoR, and many many more. Already well known in our roster thanks to a previous collaboration for a remix, the talented young music producer delivers deep, muscular rhythms in his portfolio and translates this energy into a raw, dancefloor oriented session.

- Operator, there is no need to spend many words to describe one of the most talented and innovative British artists on the scene for a long time, recently appearing on

- Divide co-owner of EvodMusic and South Berlin Studio, with recent appearances on all the top labels on the planet (WarmUp, Semantica, MindTrip, Tremsix, Hayes, to name a few), and several collaborations and remixes for

- PTTRNRCRRNT aka Dave Brody from Antwerpen - Belgium. Characterized by efficiently percussion tunnelling through juggled textures, PTTRNRCRRNT's technical know-how and conceptual intentions can be masked by the efficiency and singularity of his music. Taking techno's tendency to constantly reinvent itself as a priority and researches between experimentalism and futurism. He is one of the artists with the most collaborations within our roster (some of his remixes are memorable), he alternates his productions on our label with frequent appearances on highly referenced labels in the scene, such as Soma, Materia and Devotion among others.

Spectral Bounce’s fifth instalment comes courtesy of L.A.’s rave archivist and dancefloor operative Dreams, A.K.A. Jesse Pimenta. Throughout his decade-long career the California native has inspected, dissected and concocted all manner of dance musics, leaving his mark with drops on Apron Records, Pinkman, BANK NYC and his own imprint Dance Data. On SPEC05 — Dangerous When Wet — he hijacks the synapses with 4 accomplished productions, plotting a high BPM course through manifold styles using the raw aesthetic that characterises his output.

“Losing Control” is a frenetic dancefloor invitation, immediately locking into a pacing groove. Beneath wild hand drums, Dreams plays with an insistent 303 bassline alternating between rasping buzz and oily squelch, while stern vocals are layered on top of breaks that have been processed to a viscerally satisfying end.

Taking things from delirious dance circle to underwater biosphere, the EP’s eponymous track explores a submerged 1980s Miami. Weighty & enveloping, “Dangerous When Wet” is pure aquatic pop-n-lock — hydraulic electro for a drowned world. Ocean floor caustics are transmuted into auditory form: arpeggios bubble up; drones shimmer mystically; hi-hats hiss like air from an open valve. Amongst the sonar bleeps, a barrage of pummeling low-end is sure to give subwoofers a workout.

“XTC Messenger” delivers an infectious paranoid dispatch, astutely balancing the sensual with the deranged. A slow-mo dial tone unfolds languidly, running counter to nervously twitching high frequencies. Its punchy percussion is tuned for maximum dopamine release; the track’s abrupt vocal chops and mechanical kick-snare pulsation evoke the leather jackets and jagged edges of 1980s industrial discotheque.

“Pressure Points” closes the EP on a heady and mesmerising polymetric trip. The parting track is a lithe yet spacious number, propelled by a rattling break. Here Dreams follows from track 2, creating an immersive environment in which sounds tightly twist and twirl. Shifting oscillators call out like tiny creatures as the bass throbs and wriggles further into your brain, long after the needle hits the runout groove.

"In a world where it is easier than ever to say something, it is actually the hardest time to be heard.
We are constantly bombarded by so much information and/or distractions that people can hardly be blamed for not tuning in.
The box has been constructed to be safe, so why step outside it?

The vibe shift is undeniable but everyone is free to choose which frequency to tap into.
Music can be nourishment for the soul if you have the right ingredients. Even then you need the right chefs to cook it properly to be served.
Meftah and Ideeyah have taken their time to create something that feels complete.
Something intentional. Meditative.
Another piece in the great chain of the African Diaspora.

Where else but Detroit could something like this come from?
A complete concept that is unabashedly of the present but still honors the past. This is Soul music. Crafted with love for community, for heritage, for fulfillment.
There was a method to the madness, a reason for the gradual formation of artistic merit that is presented to you now.
This music contains a universal message if you can open your eyes and mind to it.

Less talking, more doing.
Go out there and be somebody again.
Reclaim your light under the sun.

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.
For Funk is it’s own reward,
if you want it to be.

- Turtle Bugg"

The album "Plural" celebrates the remarkable encounters and partnerships that have shaped Gabriel Grossi"s 25-year career as a harmonica player, composer, arranger, and producer. Featuring 10 of his own compositions, Grossi"s renowned virtuosity flows with deep sensitivity through various genres, reflecting the solid trajectory of one of the greatest instrumentalists and most creative musicians in Brazilian music. Collaborating with prominent names from both the national and international music scenes, "Plural" showcases Grossi"s music without borders, offering the world a glimpse of his extensive career. For this celebration, outstanding guests were invited to join the musical journey. Including Jacob Collier, Ed Motta, Hermeto Pascoal, Seamus Blake, Omar Sosa and others.

French singer, songwriter and producer Léa Sen’s debut album Levels, is a deeply immersive journey through memory, self-discovery, and emotional growth—imagined as a surreal, liminal hotel where each room holds a different chapter of her life.

Created in collaboration with her brother, Florian Fourlin, and inspired by Léa's own coming-of-age, Levels blends experimental pop with slinky R&B, woozy trip-hop, and warm, smudged guitars. The album plays with the tension between reality and dreamlike abstraction, examining the mysterious ups and downs of existence.

Salsa Verde is the latest release from artist, Tom Caruana and, the newest instalment of Def Pressé’s series of projects made in partnership with KPM (and associated music libraries).



In 2021 Def Pressé entered into a deal with KPM whereby the deeper KPM and associated libraries can be used, exclusively, by Def Pressé. Sampled, replayed and reimagined, this vast catalogue has provided music for TV and Cinema for decades. Sampled, often illegally, by practically every Hip Hop producer ever, the library is available to select Def Pressé artists to utilise in order to create new pieces of music. This music is then fed back into the KPM/Sony AVI library for use in TV and Cinema, and the Def Pressé artist in question is then a KPM Artist in their own right. Completing the circle and hopefully providing music to inspire the new generation of beat makers/sample-based producers.



With several titles in the series, notable names like Blockhead, Damu the Fudgemunk and Stro Elliot since its inception in 2021, the Def Pressé Editions x KPM series, Crate Diggers continues into the seventh episode.



Producer & multi-instrumentalist Tom Caruana has been producing Hip Hop for over 25 years. Incorporating both samples and instruments in his production has helped him create a signature sound which covers a wide range of moods. He has produced quirkier and more humorous material for the likes of Dr Syntax & Professor Elemental, live production for his band Son Of Sam,

sample heavy material in a range of projects with MCs as well as notoriously remixing Wu-Tang Clan with The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.

In 2021, Luke (aka Lukid) recorded a mix for Dekmantel, which had some of his jungle tunes (under his Refreshers alias) featured in the set, including an unreleased tune of his called Crumbling Down. I couldn't find any information about this tune anywhere and was unsure if it ever came out or if there were ever any plans to release it.

So out the blue, in 2023, I reached out to him about this track to find out about what the situation was with it, and he replied saying that there were no plans for it to come out. I offered to release it on Future Retro London, which Luke was thankfully up for & here we are!! It was quite a gamble considering I'd never seen any Refreshers tunes released anywhere else besides on his own label (which I have all the releases of and can recommend strongly) but I'm grateful that he was willing to work with me on putting this one out.

Big thanks to Luke for allowing me to have put out Crumbling Down, to Andrew (aka Yedsy, who does all the artwork for Refreshers) for the design of this release's artwork and to Phineus II for his heavyweight remix on the b-side.

Not much is known about De Frank Kakra - let alone his birth name or where he is today. A few liner notes scattered across his records give a glimpse of his career as a backing vocalist and percussionist on the Ghanaian highlife scene of the 1970s, notably with Vis-A-Vis, K. Frimpong's band (Cubano Fiestas). He later formed his own bands, The Professionals and The Diggit Ways, alongside Sammy Copper, recording throughout West Africa. His recordings have now been unearthed, remastered and compiled in a triple LP anthology of his musical works. Although much remains unknown, RastaPastaRecords' goal is to ascertain several discoveries made about his life during the production of this record and to continue the research. "Call Me Frank" is a funky take on 1970s highlife set to a vintage Afro - rock fusion that evokes a time when West African dance floors vibrated with raw energy and relentless groove. "Psychedelic Man" is a full dive into the De Frank Kakra sound. With its hypnotic guitar riffs, cosmic organs and head- nodding drum rhythms, this infectious anthem will plunge you into a state of nostalgic psychedelia.

manufactured
in heaven
to create
your own hell

COMPUMA's new new album “horizons”now available on vinyl via his own label Something About!

The album “horizons” is a further development of COMPUMA's “horizons EP”, which was released in July 2023 as a digital-only EP on his Bandcamp. The songs are inspired by the scenery and environment of Lake Ezu, Kumamoto, where the artist's roots lie, and by his walks in various places around Japan.

Horizons 1”, in which the undulations of electronic sounds seem to represent a leisurely walk across a clear expanse of sky and lake scenery, and the vocoder voice somewhat reminds us of people's activities, and the piece changes to a more minimalistic play of rhythms and electronic sounds, as if focusing on introspection in the midst of walking. The album also includes “horizons 2,” which changes with exquisite salinity, “horizons 3,” which pays homage to early electronic music, and “horizons 4,” a more stoic minimal electro-dubwise piece that seems to be immersed in the act of walking, The last track on the album, “horizons 5,” is a non-beat ambient track with a hint of the waterfront, as if the artist is gazing at the vast sky, as if the steps of the first half of the album are expanding into a faint memory, and is accompanied by a field recording. The album includes “horizons 5”, a non-beating ambient taste that is covered by field recordings and depicts the atmosphere of a wandering waterfront, and five versions of “horizons” that remind us of the days of “walking”, sometimes immersed in the scenery and walking, sometimes lost in thought, with “horizons interlude” in between, which reminds us of the surface of a bobbing lake, and is a self-titled version of “View 2” from the previous album, “A View”. The album contains seven songs in total, including a self-remix of “View 2” and an electro version of “view 2 electro”, reminiscent of the shimmering surface of a lake.

Personally speaking, this work reminds me somewhat of Kraftwerk's “Autobahn,” which depicted the countryside of West Germany with minimal electronic sounds, and this work also seems to depict a scene of a “walk” with electronic sounds. However, what is different from “Autobahn” is that there is an element in the middle part of the album that seems to go into introspection in the midst of walking, and it is a work that shows various views (including feelings) throughout the album. From a macro perspective, this album is a new response to the recent environmental music revival and generalization of ambient music, which he has introduced as a DJ and record buyer for a long time.
The album was co-produced by hacchi, who also works with Deavid Soul, Urban Volcano Sound, and as a recording/mastering engineer, and mastered by Nakamura Soichiro of Peace Music, a studio that has produced many masterpieces, including Shintaro Sakamoto's solo work. The package artwork is by designer Seiichiro Suzuki. The package artwork is by designer Sei Suzuki. （The package artwork was designed by designer Sei Suzuki.)

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Compuma is a Tokyo-based log-serving DJ whose extensive knowledge of obscure and left-field music across so many genres and different regions of the world established himself as one of the most respected record buyers in Japan,
a country well known as record collectors’ paradise. While he built his career in record business over decades, he has also been sharing his expertise in music as a DJ just as long. Not only the breath and the depth of where his selection derives are hard to compete, the way he blends them all together is also a state of art. Often intricately layered and collaged, Compuma is capable of sculpting something entirely new with bits and pieces of existing tracks in various forms such as ambient soundscapes to dubbed out club sets. In 2017, his unique ability caught the attention of Berlin Atonal directors and he was invited to play at the festival in Berlin.

He extends his skills into remixing which can be heard on the released from EM Records - “Compuma meets Haku” (2015) and “Bangkok Nights” (2017.) In June 2022, he released his first solo album, A View.
He is also an active member of a DJ trio called Akuma No Numa (which translates to “devil’s swamp”) in which he explores darker and more psychedelic periphery of dance music.

Vita est Morte est Vita is the band’s debut full-length; recorded, mixed, and mastered by Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse Studio, London. The four tracks of the album are a dynamic and richly textured journey through the human psyche – inviting the listener to Discover, Enter, Understand, and Become.

In addition to the cover artwork by the band’s own Stuart Hodgkinson, each track is accompanied by individual artworks by Steve Burns, Justin Fink, Eduardo Canalejo, and Lauren McIvor.

This new anniversary edition from London's the Duke Spirit marks 20 years since their adrenaline-charged debut roared onto the UK indie scene. Originally released in 2005, it's now remastered and paired with a second LP of B-sides, demos and rarities, pressed on heavyweight yellow and red splatter vinyl. It's a suitably bold presentation for a record that remains as full-throttle and emotionally raw as ever. Built around the magnetic presence of vocalist Liela Moss and the jangling, distorted interplay between guitarists Luke Ford and Dan Higgins, this is a sound forged in post-punk grit and heavy rock swagger. Tracks like 'Lion Rip' and 'Love Is An Unfamiliar Name' still land with venom, but it's the depth and tension of songs like 'Fades The Sun' and 'Hello To The Floor' that show their full range. The bonus material only adds to the mythology i 'Boot Hill (demo)' and 'Scratching Around (demo)' offer glimpses of the band's early energy in the raw, while 'Souvenir' and 'Now Be Still' stand strong on their own. It's a beautiful document of a band at full force, and a reminder that sometimes the most exciting sounds are the ones that never tried to fit the moment.

Planning For Burial is the solo project of Thom Wasluck, emerging from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It’s Closeness, It’s Easy is the long-awaited follow-up to 2017’s Below The House. If Below The House was about returning home, following in the footsteps of one’s father and joining a union, and leaving behind youth’s wild days, It’s Closeness, It’s Easy embraces what comes next—the weight of all years, the quiet shifts, the reckoning with what remains. This record is many things. It captures the slow drift of time, the unnoticed shifts in a loved one—the creeping changes in mental health, the quiet pull of addiction, the kind of grief that settles in the bones rather than announces itself.
At its core, It’s Closeness, It’s Easy is about stepping into middle age and taking stock. It confronts the reality of living with the hand that’s been dealt and searching for meaning in what remains. It speaks to loss—the crushing weight of saying goodbye to a beloved 17-year old cat, the slow-motion grief of watching friends self-destruct, the inescapable passage of time as it bears down on aging parents and the self. But it also reflects the warmth of reconnection, the kind of love that never burns out but instead deepens. The feeling of picking up where things left off, untouched by the years in between.

While written over the course of two years, the recording process reflects a sense of immediacy. Rather than assembling songs piece by piece over time, the album took shape in singular, immersive sessions—less an act of construction, more an unveiling of something already waiting to take shape.
Rooted in a staunch DIY ethos, Wasluck handles every aspect of Planning For Burial project himself—recording the music, designing the artwork, and performing live as a one-man band. He books his own tours, ever and independent creative. This hands-on approach has led Planning For Burial to play hundreds of shows solidifying his place in the underground music scene. A defining moment came in 2018 when he performed at the Meltdown Festival in London, curated by Robert Smith of The Cure.

Planning For Burial is the solo project of Thom Wasluck, emerging from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It’s Closeness, It’s Easy is the long-awaited follow-up to 2017’s Below The House. If Below The House was about returning home, following in the footsteps of one’s father and joining a union, and leaving behind youth’s wild days, It’s Closeness, It’s Easy embraces what comes next—the weight of all years, the quiet shifts, the reckoning with what remains. This record is many things. It captures the slow drift of time, the unnoticed shifts in a loved one—the creeping changes in mental health, the quiet pull of addiction, the kind of grief that settles in the bones rather than announces itself.
At its core, It’s Closeness, It’s Easy is about stepping into middle age and taking stock. It confronts the reality of living with the hand that’s been dealt and searching for meaning in what remains. It speaks to loss—the crushing weight of saying goodbye to a beloved 17-year old cat, the slow-motion grief of watching friends self-destruct, the inescapable passage of time as it bears down on aging parents and the self. But it also reflects the warmth of reconnection, the kind of love that never burns out but instead deepens. The feeling of picking up where things left off, untouched by the years in between.

While written over the course of two years, the recording process reflects a sense of immediacy. Rather than assembling songs piece by piece over time, the album took shape in singular, immersive sessions—less an act of construction, more an unveiling of something already waiting to take shape.
Rooted in a staunch DIY ethos, Wasluck handles every aspect of Planning For Burial project himself—recording the music, designing the artwork, and performing live as a one-man band. He books his own tours, ever and independent creative. This hands-on approach has led Planning For Burial to play hundreds of shows solidifying his place in the underground music scene. A defining moment came in 2018 when he performed at the Meltdown Festival in London, curated by Robert Smith of The Cure.

Welcome to the second edition of Era Specific Noise! This release sees the debut of three talented new artists to the label - there's nothing better than a good VA. With an audible sonic influence and shared appreciation for the originality and love poured into old-school techno, ESPN002 has something for every drum machine lover out there.

We kick things off with Toecruncher's track "Turnstyle", the first of two driving pieces of dancefloor-friendly techno that make up the A side. A classic 16th note bassline, strong percussion, and just the right amount of ear candy and ephemeral pads - this work practically mixes itself into your DJ set. The next output by label head Richardson "Situational Awareness" builds off this style and adds a growling, modulated synthline, a uniqueness which ensures its memorability and slot in your bag.

The clarity in production of B1 "Occhio per occhio" by Alfa Cornae is hard to put into words. There's a mountain of percussion in this hardgroove-inspired piece and yet, everything seems to have its own place - and those squelchy breakdowns don't hurt either. Rounding off the release is "Kintsugi" - a slamming, industrial yet ethereal piece by Andrea Crestani. We personally enjoy a release that tells a story, and this track has all the hallmarks and melancholy of an EP closer.

We hope you enjoy your stay with Era Specific Noise - New school old school.

"ADN", High Tone's second album, is energy packed, much like their debut album. The ingredients remain the same, but this time, the record is bursting with breaks, loops and samples of voices, electro and even hip-hop sounds. High Tone are incorporating all sorts of influences to create their own personal ground breaking massive dub style, a subtle mixture of an unbeatable energy, an undeniable sense of arrangement and a great desire to surprise. Just first-class dub.

10 years ago, the Southern Rock Americana album 'Catawba River Fox' was released independently and in a small edition, with 9 songs written by Pablo van de Poel and recorded analogue in 9 days, with the collaboration of, in addition to his DeWolff mates Robin Piso and Luka van de Also pool Mischa Porte, Joep Bollinger and Stefan Wolfs. It was the first time that Pablo recorded and mixed an album himself, and in his own words “you could hear that”. To mark the 10th anniversary of this album, we are now releasing a remastered version.

If this LP exists it is thanks to the vision, energies, work and perseverance of Thomas M. Lopez, aka Meatball Fulton. He is the president and one of the founding members of the ZBS Foundation (ZBS stands for Zero Bullshit), where the audio dramas written by Lopez himself were born. Dramatic programs with stories that blended noir, comedy and science-fiction genres such as Ruby The Galactic Gumshoe or Jack Flanders were produced to critic and public acclaim. It was in Ruby The Galactic Gumshoe that the Android Sisters, who would later have their own spin-off series, first appeared. The characters represent two robotic siblings that Tom Lopez created under big influence from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the Philip K. Dick novel that was taken to cinema by Ridley Scott in Blade Runner. The Androids were performed by actresses Ruth Maleczech and Valeria Wasilewski.



The big success of these “cosmic and comic” sci-fi series, as they are described in the ZBS Foundations website, led to the releasing of cassette tapes, CDs, USBs and podcasting of the stories. Along with these, several music albums were also released in different formats. One of them is Songs Of Electric Despair, the first of two released by the Android Sisters. The songs contained are written by Tom Lopez and his long time collaborator experimental musician Tim Clark.



The Android Sisters Songs Of Electronic Despair LP was originally released as a ZBS Foundation cassette and also as a vinyl LP on Vanguard in 1984. It featured 11 compositions (two bonus tracks not on the original LP have been added to the Wah Wah reissue) on which the experimental synthesizer music of Tim Clark finds a perfect counterpoint in the deliciously surrealistic, cosmic social satire of Tom Lopez’s texts, magically performed by the robotic, yet sensual voices of the Android Sisters as performed by Maleczech and Wasilewski. Clark composed and performed the backing tracks on the Synclavier II synthesizer.



The Wah Wah reissue comes with two bonus tracks not on the original 1984 LP, respects the beautiful original album artwork and enhances it with a 4 pages full colour insert with notes and lyrics of the songs.



BARBARELLA MEETS PHILLIP K. DICK!



RIYL : SYNTH POP CYBERPUNK with DEVO’s sense of humor, LOGIC SYSTEM, FRANK CHICKENS or even some 1990s things to come such as LIKE A TIM or ARPANET.

If this LP exists it is thanks to the vision, energies, work and perseverance of Thomas M. Lopez, aka Meatball Fulton. He is the president and one of the founding members of the ZBS Foundation (ZBS stands for Zero Bullshit), where the audio dramas written by Lopez himself were born. Dramatic programs with stories that blended noir, comedy and science-fiction genres such as Ruby The Galactic Gumshoe or Jack Flanders were produced to critic and public acclaim. It was in Ruby The Galactic Gumshoe that the Android Sisters, who would later have their own spin-off series, first appeared. The characters represent two robotic siblings that Tom Lopez created under big influence from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the Philip K. Dick novel that was taken to cinema by Ridley Scott in Blade Runner. The Androids were performed by actresses Ruth Maleczech and Valeria Wasilewski.



The big success of these “cosmic and comic” sci-fi series, as they are described in the ZBS Foundations website, led to the releasing of cassette tapes, CDs, USBs and podcasting of the stories. Along with these, several music albums were also released in different formats. One of them is Songs Of Electric Despair, the first of two released by the Android Sisters. The songs contained are written by Tom Lopez and his long time collaborator experimental musician Tim Clark.



The Android Sisters Songs Of Electronic Despair LP was originally released as a ZBS Foundation cassette and also as a vinyl LP on Vanguard in 1984. It featured 11 compositions (two bonus tracks not on the original LP have been added to the Wah Wah reissue) on which the experimental synthesizer music of Tim Clark finds a perfect counterpoint in the deliciously surrealistic, cosmic social satire of Tom Lopez’s texts, magically performed by the robotic, yet sensual voices of the Android Sisters as performed by Maleczech and Wasilewski. Clark composed and performed the backing tracks on the Synclavier II synthesizer.



The Wah Wah reissue comes with two bonus tracks not on the original 1984 LP, respects the beautiful original album artwork and enhances it with a 4 pages full colour insert with notes and lyrics of the songs.



BARBARELLA MEETS PHILLIP K. DICK!



RIYL : SYNTH POP CYBERPUNK with DEVO’s sense of humor, LOGIC SYSTEM, FRANK CHICKENS or even some 1990s things to come such as LIKE A TIM or ARPANET.

Earthly Measures are proud to present the release of ‘El Búho - Cumbias Imaquinarias’, this time on wax with some added remixes.

'Cumbias Imaquinarias' is an EP that flows full circle with one of El Búho’s earliest inspirations for making electronic music; digital Cumbia. It was a scene that exploded out of Buenos Aires around 2008 and went global. The scene soon saturated and fell out of fashion, but gave birth to artists like Chancha Via Circuito, Frikstailers, El Remolon and was a big inspiration for him as a young producer.

For El Búho there was always something there; the entrancing magic of the Cumbia rhythm reimagined for the electronic dancefloor. Cumbia is a music that is globally connected but also so diverse, evolving and growing into many subshoots of this one simple rhythm. This EP presents three Cumbia’s and one Porro rhythm (a derivation of the Cumbia rhythm from the Colombian Caribbean which evolved into its own style).

Joining El Búho on remix duties for this release are ARN4L2, Lagartijeando, Auntie Flo, La Jungla, Earthly Measures x Dreems, La Forasteria and Sun Sone. Each artist offering a completely unique approach and their own magic touch to this El Búho masterpiece.

Oxford band Low Island announce their new album, bird, produced by Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor on label Emotional Interference. Recorded at the legendary La Frette Studios, bird is an album as brash as it is tender, exploring the struggle to find freedom and presence in an increasingly automated world.

The result is an album where Jay’s guitars and synths screech with unhinged anger as much as they wail with anguish; Lively’s bass dances frantically whilst swimming underneath the songs with an effortless beauty; Higginbottom’s drums are as deft as they are punishing; Posada’s voice as frail as it is resilient.

These emotional polarities speak to the heart of bird: a coming to terms with the overwhelming breadth of experience in the modern world, trapped as we are in our own bodies. How do we act in the face of this? Do we try to reach beyond ourselves? Wish to be saved or transformed? Retreat inwards? Or embrace things as they are? These are the questions that haunt bird in its search for freedom and presence.

The promise of a Florry show, a now familiar caravan that has been honed over ambitiously trekked zig zags across America and Europe since the release of Dear Life Records debut The Holey Bible, is the redemptive promise and prodigal joy of rock and roll guitar music. Bred in the crackling warmth of the Philadelphia DIY scene, and forged with the alloys of community action, queer liberation and bedroom poetry, bandleader Francie Medosch and her absolute unit of collaborators have put in the work of sharpening their homespun tools to take up the mantle of the great lip-puckering rock and roll tradition pioneered by the likes of The Band and the Rolling Stones, but with proudly displayed Aimee Mann and Yo La Tengo bumper stickers on the rusty frame of the truck. At any second, the wheels could come off but they are steering just fine. For 'Sounds Like' Florry's sophomore effort as a fully realized band, Medosch and co. decamped to Drop of Sun studios in the nest of the Blue Ridge Mountains to record with Asheville wunderkind Colin Miller, a critical voice behind the records of MJ Lenderman, Wednesday and Merce Lemon and a powerful songwriter in his own right. Three powerhouse days in late 2023 solidified writing work done by the band earlier that summer in the now defunct Haw Creek compound under Miller's guiding suggestion. The result is a portrait of a ripping band cresting towards the height of their powers, uniquely equipped to capture a wildly loving, barn-burning camcorder clip of a turbulent trip with your best friends, without dipping into nostalgia bait. Lyrically, Medosch's utterances are both careful and excessive, the product of sifting through the rubble of classic good-time media, and finding what works for both her and her community to reach the heights of abandon. "The Jackass theme song was actually a really big influence on the new album" The expansive personnel and continent spanning footprint of Florry casts a wide net for this community. Florry the band rolls deep in the heard of North American DIY, featuring Jon Cox (Sadurn, Son of Barb) on pedal steel, John Murray on electric guitar, Collin Dennen on bass, Will Henriksen on fiddle, Katya Malison (Doll Spirit Vessel) on Vox, and Joey Sullivan (Bark Culture) on drums. Medosch's recent move to Burlington Vermont entrenches the Philly born project firmly within the ranks of fellow alt-country upstarts Lily Seabird and Greg Freeman, and gives them a vantage just outside of Pennsylvania at the thresholds of New England and the Midwest. There is a new life breathed into this music that confirms Florry as equally rooted in place work, and at home on the vast roads of America. For listeners who fell in love with Florry's infectious charm on sweeping tours with the likes of Kurt Vile, Real Estate, MJ Lenderman, Greg Freeman and Fust, 'Sounds Like', provides a refreshing memento of the band that surely left them smiling. If the support behind 'The Holey Bible' provided validation for the insistent vision of these young artists, 'Sounds Like' finds them reveling in and honing their vocabulary. Praise from outlets like Pitchfork, Stereogum, Paste, and Brooklyn Vegan touched on the potential of their wild idiosyncrasies, and accurately predicted that their next steps would see them continuing to write their own story, like a 10 car pileup that you can't take your eyes off if you tried. Florry proves that they can let the car spin just out of control whenever they want, and you are welcome to ride shotgun while Medosch does donuts in the WaWa parking lot. The ceiling, it turns out, is truly the roof.

The promise of a Florry show, a now familiar caravan that has been honed over ambitiously trekked zig zags across America and Europe since the release of Dear Life Records debut The Holey Bible, is the redemptive promise and prodigal joy of rock and roll guitar music. Bred in the crackling warmth of the Philadelphia DIY scene, and forged with the alloys of community action, queer liberation and bedroom poetry, bandleader Francie Medosch and her absolute unit of collaborators have put in the work of sharpening their homespun tools to take up the mantle of the great lip-puckering rock and roll tradition pioneered by the likes of The Band and the Rolling Stones, but with proudly displayed Aimee Mann and Yo La Tengo bumper stickers on the rusty frame of the truck. At any second, the wheels could come off but they are steering just fine. For 'Sounds Like' Florry's sophomore effort as a fully realized band, Medosch and co. decamped to Drop of Sun studios in the nest of the Blue Ridge Mountains to record with Asheville wunderkind Colin Miller, a critical voice behind the records of MJ Lenderman, Wednesday and Merce Lemon and a powerful songwriter in his own right. Three powerhouse days in late 2023 solidified writing work done by the band earlier that summer in the now defunct Haw Creek compound under Miller's guiding suggestion. The result is a portrait of a ripping band cresting towards the height of their powers, uniquely equipped to capture a wildly loving, barn-burning camcorder clip of a turbulent trip with your best friends, without dipping into nostalgia bait. Lyrically, Medosch's utterances are both careful and excessive, the product of sifting through the rubble of classic good-time media, and finding what works for both her and her community to reach the heights of abandon. "The Jackass theme song was actually a really big influence on the new album" The expansive personnel and continent spanning footprint of Florry casts a wide net for this community. Florry the band rolls deep in the heard of North American DIY, featuring Jon Cox (Sadurn, Son of Barb) on pedal steel, John Murray on electric guitar, Collin Dennen on bass, Will Henriksen on fiddle, Katya Malison (Doll Spirit Vessel) on Vox, and Joey Sullivan (Bark Culture) on drums. Medosch's recent move to Burlington Vermont entrenches the Philly born project firmly within the ranks of fellow alt-country upstarts Lily Seabird and Greg Freeman, and gives them a vantage just outside of Pennsylvania at the thresholds of New England and the Midwest. There is a new life breathed into this music that confirms Florry as equally rooted in place work, and at home on the vast roads of America. For listeners who fell in love with Florry's infectious charm on sweeping tours with the likes of Kurt Vile, Real Estate, MJ Lenderman, Greg Freeman and Fust, 'Sounds Like', provides a refreshing memento of the band that surely left them smiling. If the support behind 'The Holey Bible' provided validation for the insistent vision of these young artists, 'Sounds Like' finds them reveling in and honing their vocabulary. Praise from outlets like Pitchfork, Stereogum, Paste, and Brooklyn Vegan touched on the potential of their wild idiosyncrasies, and accurately predicted that their next steps would see them continuing to write their own story, like a 10 car pileup that you can't take your eyes off if you tried. Florry proves that they can let the car spin just out of control whenever they want, and you are welcome to ride shotgun while Medosch does donuts in the WaWa parking lot. The ceiling, it turns out, is truly the roof.

Cindytalk is the mercurial, expressionist outlet of Scottish artist Cinder, inspired by the crossroads of exploratory UK post-punk and early European industrial. Her work thrives on chance and transformation, collaging elements of noise, balladry, soundtrack, catharsis, and improvisation. "We were trying to find our own space," says Cinder of the formative period Camouflage Heart emerged from, amidst a move from Edinburgh to London and Cinder's evolving exploration of gender identity, well before culture at large was equipped to understand. With contemporary discourse we see that the project manifested her transgender ideas as visceral music. The guttural, feral sound marked a notably darker turn from The Freeze's sixyear run on the fringes of punk. Changing the project's name became vital, not just because they kept hearing the former was already taken, but the desire to embody the spiritual and sonic shift, "to uncover new pathways_to feminize it," she says. Cinder, with bandmates David Clancy and John Byrne, arrived at Cindytalk, a winking nod to Sindy, the British fashion doll rival to Barbie known then for its pull-string talking mechanism. "The goal was to have a more interesting narrative, more interesting dialogue. Music was ultimately my only way of talking to people. That was my conversation with the world, an abstracted conversation_an attempt to make some kind of tiny, tiny mark, if possible, you hope somebody will notice." Over the years, Cinder has heard from fans who did pick up on the signals and find refuge in Camouflage Heart. Camouflage Heart plays with tension and pace, from creeping to feverish to claustrophobic. The percussion moves between restless marches and barely-there pulses; for some parts, they scratched and hit a tin bath, among other objects. Guitar lines vibrate and stab as Cinder contorts her voice freely. She pulls poetry from a cerebral abyss, like "make the snake in your eye, pierce the camouflage heart" on the slow-droning centerpiece "The Spirit Behind the Circus Dream." In that register is raw power, both vulnerable and menacing, an ability to locate something deep and emotionally charged within. "I still remember that person who was way too intense for their own good," Cinder reflects. "I couldn't make a record like that now, certainly not vocally, while that anger hasn't dissipated; there's still a kind of warrior." For all the destruction and disintegration of Camouflage Heart, Cinder maintains the objective was never full-on fatalistic; these songs seek not to destroy but to poke and provoke, to transform and heal, to find cracks of light in a crumbling world. She points to the last lines of the opening track, "It's Luxury": "Don't look down," the lyric pines through static and rhythm. Cinder extrapolates, "I'm essentially saying, just keep fucking going. As time went on, for me, that falling became flying. Camouflage Heart is the beginning of believing in flight."

Something different from Causa Sui. While Causa Sui have always had one foot in heavy psychedelic rock, they've had the other one deep in a wide variety of esoteric styles. On this new double LP set, that other dimension of the band is being explored full-scale. "Szabodelico" paints with a colourful palette, both compositionally and sonically - digging deep into an assortment of cultures, eras and sounds with a true crate-digger mindset. Throughout their 15 year life-span Causa Sui has always been about seeking out new directions, exploring the past and the present in a way that's unique at each step of their subtle progression - forging new paths into an existing map. "Szabodelico" feels like discovering a small room under the stairs of your own house: familiar, yet new and exciting. Their latest vision is an elegantly zoned-out version of itself: a turn inward. Anti-bombastic, yet rich with ecstatic harmonics and dynamics. The band stringed together a long series of sessions in 2019 and early 2020 in their studio in Odense, often prioritizing playful first takes and good vibes rather than clinical perfection.Sparsely dubbed and mixed with a natural, full bodied flavour by Jonas Munk during the summer of 2020, each track has its own aesthetic. There's no simple equation to sum up the 13 individual parts of the album, but as a whole it creates an entity that's as complete as each of its parts. From the windblown opener "Echoes of Light", to the closing slow-motion epic "Merging Waters" you'll find yourself asking where did the time go? The answer of course is: Szabodelico.

Pleaser’s musicality, ethics and community are undeniably punk, but their expression is vast and more personal than it is bound by the confines of any one genre. The band projects the heart-on-sleeve earnestness of early emo, the in-your-face vivaciousness of punk rock and a metal-tinged darkness, as well as infusing both classic rock and modern experimental elements into their own unique aural aesthetic. Songs are both catchy and impenetrable at the same time, with the band appreciating a pop hook just as much as a labyrinthine song structure. Pleaser chews it all up and infuses it with their own noisy but charming melodic rattle.
Double lead vocalists and guitarists Annie Nyvold and Suo Fei, drummer Oliver Nehammer and bassist Olle Bergholzall enjoy omnivorous taste in music, and a pure love for creative expression.
Pleaser’s 2023 debut was acclaimed internationally by media such as Cvltnation, Bandcamp and Maximum RocknRoll. Aligned with the release of their debut album, Pleaser played a wide range of concerts in Denmark, from underground punk shows to well established festivals such as Roskilde Festival, K-Town Hardcore Fest and Metal Magic. This sparked a new wave of attention and airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music, and led them to stages in Scandinavia and Germany.
With their new album more cohesive than ever before, Pleaser persists in experimenting with their catchy, yet aggressive and dynamic sound, heightening listeners’ emotions in the process. The forthcoming full-length presents a series of adventurous new punk songs, fusing their creativity with a new force of excitement and curiosity. This new universe revolves around the journey of self-exploration, liberation from inner darkness, and transcending that darkness to form new pathways.

Twelve years on from the release of their debut album This Life, Dublin indierap trio The Original Rudeboys are back to play a sold-out show in the 3Olympia Theatre in April 2025, coupled with a limited edition run of first time vinyl pressings of debut album "This Life" One could say that indie- rap trio "The Original Rudeboys" were ahead of their time. Once sniffed upon, a strong Irish accent is prominent in most breakout Irish acts at the moment (Fontaines DC, Kneecap, Gurriers, LYRA, Curtisy). The Original Rudeboys were doing this 15 years ago, and their stand-out hit 'Stars In My Eyes' was met by thousands of fans across Europe when they supported The Script, or headlined their own arena tours. The Original Rudeboys: Reunion Show in the 3Olympia this April sold out straight away which is a testament to the staying power their music still has in Ireland.

Speaking on the incredible feat, the band said; "We never thought a show was ever going to happen for us again nevermind at somewhere as prestigious as the Olympia theatre. We have played 5 of our own headline shows there but to add 1 more to the history books over 10 years on is truly a blessing and we are very grateful to everyone who made it happen, we can't wait to do it again." With the reunion show being in such high demand that it was an instant sellout, the band also wanted to give back to the fans another way. They are releasing a limited vinyl pressing of their debut album "This Life". This album was never released on vinyl before and will contain one extra bonus track - a new release from the band, hinting at what's to come. "We started in the music industry on the backend of the physical media decline but to see it come full circle and the rise in fans buying vinyl records is very promising. The magic of having something tangible as fans ourselves is not lost on us and to be able to listen back to this album with the crackle of the needle gives it an extra bit of magic we didn't know it needed.

Welcome to this wild ride of cheese, wooden shoes, green gold and a whole lotta Dutch rock 'n roll attitude! This album is a high-octane compilation where today's garage, beat and rock'n'roll artists pay tribute to the rich history of Nederbeat and pop Each covering a classic Dutch tune with their own twist, companied with their own original. Think of it as a musical time machine with a detour through the gritty, reverbing walls of Studio Teepdek, guided under strict supervision by studio guru Arjan Spies and released by Soundflat Records / Topsy Turvy Records; home of the best contemporary Dutch artists. Buckle up, because you're about to hear the Netherlands' musical past and present collide in a glorious explosion of sound with a shot of cheap adrenaline.Enjoy the ride and to turn it up to 11.

The Krontjong Devils:The Greatest thing to come out of Holland since the Dutch Treat! Playing Surfmusic since 1991 and still going strong! Mooon: This young power trio consists of brothers Tom and Gijs and their cousin Timo. These cats take you to the Golden Age of pop music: the psychedelic boom of the 60's and 70's. The Kryng:Three jinxed no-good guys with an insatiable appetite for great popsongs. Their ace in the hole is singer/ guitarist/ cult- hero Mark ten Hoor, an extraordinary craftsman //when it comes to writing catchy and powerful songs. Fleur:She has the looks, the moves and a voice that sounds like a cool breeze on a hot summer day. The Heck:High pace, hectic, energetic and wild 60's garagepunk outfit all the way from Klazinaveen. Feel free to place them somewhere in between The Sonics and Reigning Sound. Frankie:The young and aspiring talent Frankie from the Eindhoven writes double edged songs like a head in the clouds and roots from your feet. Written like a dream but grounded in reality. Les Robots: Mechanical men from outer space, stationed in Rotterdam, presumably programmed by legendary producer Joe Meek to make astonishing instrumental music.

Jackie Edwards voice can be heard on 100's of Ska, R&B. Soul and Rocksteady records.
In fact all the in carnations that evolved from Reggae.
He was at the birth of Island Records and his distinctive soulful voice has rightly given him the moniker of the Original Cool Ruler.
Jackie Edwards (b. Wilfred Edwards 1938,Jamaica)was a renowned singer from the early days and by 1959 had presented future Island Records owner Chris Blackwell with two outstanding tunes.
The first a sentimental ballad 'Your eyes are Dreaming' and a Latin beat tune 'Tell me Darling'.
His song writing skills were much in so demand and his popularity of such importance that when Chris Blackwell went to London in1962 to set up his record company he took his top Balladeer Jackie with him.
This would pay dividends when a UK group Blackwell had signed called The Spencer Davis Group went on to release two of Jackie's compositions 'Keep on Running' and 'Somebody Help Me', which topped the British charts in 1966.
We have compiled some of Jackie Edwards finest songs..all cool tunes in different Reggae styles but all sung to perfection..
Hope you enjoy the set....

"Irrepressible, off-the-wall and utterly unique - the late 70s/early 80s Latin jazz-funk and leftfield electronic boogie of Japanese composer and pianist Izumi ‘Mimi’ Kobayashi collected for the first time.

A star in Japan, she moved to Europe to record global hits with Depeche Mode and Swing Out Sister, toured the world with the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra and made beats with Attica Blues’ Tony Nwachukwu. Now based in London, Mimi currently fronts Tokyo Riddim Band - the intergenerational live Japanese Reggae outfit born from Time Capsule’s acclaimed 2023 compilation of the same name - playing live shows and releasing a trio of recordings.

Choice Cuts 1978-1983 collects eight recordings from four of Mimi’s first five albums – Sea Flight (1978) recorded with her group Flying Mimi Band, and Coconuts High (1981), Nuts Nuts Nuts (1982) and Tropicana (1983) under her own name.

The compilation opens with a syncopated electro-funk cover of Sergio Mendes’ ‘Mas Que Nada’ (Tropicana) and the crisp and stripped back techno-pop of ‘Coffee Rumba’ (Nuts Nuts Nuts) with a keyboard bass line that would have made Stevie Wonder weep.

Alongside the off-beat synth jam ‘Quiet Explosion’ (Nuts Nuts Nuts) and piano samba of ‘Espresso’ (Tropicana), there’s two low slung soul-jazz numbers, ‘Naze’ and ‘Angel Sky’, from Sea Flight (1978) that recall the collaborations between Herbie Hancock and Kimiko Kasai. But it is around the two tracks from Mimi’s 1981 album Coconuts High that this compilation revolves (and from whose cover shoot it borrows).

Released on legendary guitarist Takanaka’s Kitty Records label, Coconuts High was recorded in LA with a jazz fusion backing band, including Alex Acuña, Abraham Laborial, Harvey Mason and the Tower of Power horns. A riot of playful Latin-tinged jazz, funk and fusion with the off-beat spirit of Kid Creole & and the Coconuts, the album became a cult hit. Here it’s the sultry, Minnie Riperton-esque ‘Crazy Love’, with its addictive groove and bittersweet melodies that makes the cut, alongside the steel drum-infused carnivalesque bounce of ‘Palm St’.

Choice Cuts 1978-1983 will introduce the idiosyncratic energy and playful verve of this under-the-radar pioneer to a wider audience for the first time. Welcome to the world of Izumi ‘Mimi’ Kobayashi."

Stripping away all expectations, constraints, pressures, and limitations, there’s a certain purity and allure to art crafted simply for the sake of genuine expression. The desire to unleash one’s unencumbered ingenuity and unique vision into the world is an attitude embraced by those often celebrated for pushing boundaries, and it’s under this same premise that German newcomers SENNA were formed.
Drawing their name from the Arabic word for brightness, shine, or glow, bandmates Simon Masdjedi (vocals), Tobias Stulz (guitar/ vocals), Marcel Dürr (guitar), Fabian Cattarius (bass), and Leon Dorn(drums), never intended for SENNA–a musical outlet originally established as a studio side project–to come into its own as a fully-fledged unit. Yet, tackling a luminous blend of playful but technical instrumentation and edgy hard rock meets progressive post-hardcore styling, it’s only fitting that both the innovative outfit and their introductory work have entered the limelight for all to enjoy.
“It was really liberating,” guitarist Marcel Dürr recalls the group’s mindset leading up to their SharpTone debut. “Because we weren’t pursuing SENNA as a proper band at first, we had a lot of time to experiment with our sound. Our goal was to simply write the music that we enjoyed, without being boxed into any one genre.

Stripping away all expectations, constraints, pressures, and limitations, there’s a certain purity and allure to art crafted simply for the sake of genuine expression. The desire to unleash one’s unencumbered ingenuity and unique vision into the world is an attitude embraced by those often celebrated for pushing boundaries, and it’s under this same premise that German newcomers SENNA were formed.
Drawing their name from the Arabic word for brightness, shine, or glow, bandmates Simon Masdjedi (vocals), Tobias Stulz (guitar/ vocals), Marcel Dürr (guitar), Fabian Cattarius (bass), and Leon Dorn(drums), never intended for SENNA–a musical outlet originally established as a studio side project–to come into its own as a fully-fledged unit. Yet, tackling a luminous blend of playful but technical instrumentation and edgy hard rock meets progressive post-hardcore styling, it’s only fitting that both the innovative outfit and their introductory work have entered the limelight for all to enjoy.
“It was really liberating,” guitarist Marcel Dürr recalls the group’s mindset leading up to their SharpTone debut. “Because we weren’t pursuing SENNA as a proper band at first, we had a lot of time to experiment with our sound. Our goal was to simply write the music that we enjoyed, without being boxed into any one genre.

More than 20 years after their debut, Witchcraft's seventh album, 'IDAG,' is an awaited full accounting of who they are as a band. Those who have clamored for the return to an earlier sound rooted in '70s classic progressive and heavy rock will delight to the strut of "Irreligious Flamboyant Flame" while the eight-minute opening title-track is the heaviest the band have ever sounded, and a succession of interspersed acoustic-based pieces helps create a vision of a new, soulfully folkish doom taking shape as they continue to move inexorably forward. Founding guitarist/vocalist, Magnus Pelander, says of 'IDAG': "This album will reap souls and destroy wicked minds. And perhaps mend a couple of broken ones." These enigmatic few words from the Swedish band's main songwriter give clues as to the songs' intentions; a reference dropped to Coven's 1969 album, 'Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls.' Coven also had a folkish, proto-doomed take at that point in their history, and that multifaceted nature has been a part of Witchcraft all along. On one level, Magnus is winkingly telling you it's a Witchcraft record. The actual meaning of that becomes clear when you hear the album and find out just how much 'a Witchcraft record' can encompass. The storyline of Witchcraft's growth, from Pelander's starting the band in Örebro in 2000 in the wake of his prior outfit Norrsken's disbanding. A generational landmark of a 2004 self-titled debut helped spark a retroist movement that has become its own subgenre, but Witchcraft never stopped growing. 2005's 'Firewood' and 2007's 'The Alchemist' introduced more progressive sounds, and five years later, the pointedly modern 'Legend' established in 2012 that they had moved beyond the analog worship they had been a part of pioneering within the contemporary heavy rock and doom scene. In 2016, the 2LP 'Nucleus' introduced fuller-toned doom, and 2020's 'Black Metal' diverged into moody acoustic minimalism familiar to some fans from Pelander's early solo work, but different from anything Witchcraft had done prior. 'IDAG,' then, is the tie that draws all of this - more than two decades of exploring and growth - together. Whatever they've done in the past and whatever they'll do in the future, 'IDAG' feels like a nexus for defining who and what Witchcraft are. Even crazier, that might be the point of the thing. JJ Koczan

More than 20 years after their debut, Witchcraft's seventh album, 'IDAG,' is an awaited full accounting of who they are as a band. Those who have clamored for the return to an earlier sound rooted in '70s classic progressive and heavy rock will delight to the strut of "Irreligious Flamboyant Flame" while the eight-minute opening title-track is the heaviest the band have ever sounded, and a succession of interspersed acoustic-based pieces helps create a vision of a new, soulfully folkish doom taking shape as they continue to move inexorably forward. Founding guitarist/vocalist, Magnus Pelander, says of 'IDAG': "This album will reap souls and destroy wicked minds. And perhaps mend a couple of broken ones." These enigmatic few words from the Swedish band's main songwriter give clues as to the songs' intentions; a reference dropped to Coven's 1969 album, 'Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls.' Coven also had a folkish, proto-doomed take at that point in their history, and that multifaceted nature has been a part of Witchcraft all along. On one level, Magnus is winkingly telling you it's a Witchcraft record. The actual meaning of that becomes clear when you hear the album and find out just how much 'a Witchcraft record' can encompass. The storyline of Witchcraft's growth, from Pelander's starting the band in Örebro in 2000 in the wake of his prior outfit Norrsken's disbanding. A generational landmark of a 2004 self-titled debut helped spark a retroist movement that has become its own subgenre, but Witchcraft never stopped growing. 2005's 'Firewood' and 2007's 'The Alchemist' introduced more progressive sounds, and five years later, the pointedly modern 'Legend' established in 2012 that they had moved beyond the analog worship they had been a part of pioneering within the contemporary heavy rock and doom scene. In 2016, the 2LP 'Nucleus' introduced fuller-toned doom, and 2020's 'Black Metal' diverged into moody acoustic minimalism familiar to some fans from Pelander's early solo work, but different from anything Witchcraft had done prior. 'IDAG,' then, is the tie that draws all of this - more than two decades of exploring and growth - together. Whatever they've done in the past and whatever they'll do in the future, 'IDAG' feels like a nexus for defining who and what Witchcraft are. Even crazier, that might be the point of the thing. JJ Koczan

Purple Vinyl, limited to 450 copies. More than 20 years after their debut, Witchcraft's seventh album, 'IDAG,' is an awaited full accounting of who they are as a band. Those who have clamored for the return to an earlier sound rooted in '70s classic progressive and heavy rock will delight to the strut of "Irreligious Flamboyant Flame" while the eight-minute opening title-track is the heaviest the band have ever sounded, and a succession of interspersed acoustic-based pieces helps create a vision of a new, soulfully folkish doom taking shape as they continue to move inexorably forward. Founding guitarist/vocalist, Magnus Pelander, says of 'IDAG': "This album will reap souls and destroy wicked minds. And perhaps mend a couple of broken ones." These enigmatic few words from the Swedish band's main songwriter give clues as to the songs' intentions; a reference dropped to Coven's 1969 album, 'Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls.' Coven also had a folkish, proto-doomed take at that point in their history, and that multifaceted nature has been a part of Witchcraft all along. On one level, Magnus is winkingly telling you it's a Witchcraft record. The actual meaning of that becomes clear when you hear the album and find out just how much 'a Witchcraft record' can encompass. The storyline of Witchcraft's growth, from Pelander's starting the band in Örebro in 2000 in the wake of his prior outfit Norrsken's disbanding. A generational landmark of a 2004 self-titled debut helped spark a retroist movement that has become its own subgenre, but Witchcraft never stopped growing. 2005's 'Firewood' and 2007's 'The Alchemist' introduced more progressive sounds, and five years later, the pointedly modern 'Legend' established in 2012 that they had moved beyond the analog worship they had been a part of pioneering within the contemporary heavy rock and doom scene. In 2016, the 2LP 'Nucleus' introduced fuller-toned doom, and 2020's 'Black Metal' diverged into moody acoustic minimalism familiar to some fans from Pelander's early solo work, but different from anything Witchcraft had done prior. 'IDAG,' then, is the tie that draws all of this - more than two decades of exploring and growth - together. Whatever they've done in the past and whatever they'll do in the future, 'IDAG' feels like a nexus for defining who and what Witchcraft are. Even crazier, that might be the point of the thing. JJ Koczan

WOW. Daniel O'Sullivan's transcendent new album, Eros, is one of the greatest things we've ever heard. A simply stunning song cycle of hypnotic, experimental contemporary chamber music composed for a 14-piece ensemble. Combining minimalism, complex syncopation, detailed acoustic textures, weird intervals and samurai precision, this record will elegantly blow your mind. When Daniel first sent us this, he pitched it as “Liquid Swords meets Michael Nyman”. Trust us, he wasn't wrong. A "unique hybrid orchestral music", it presents a confluence of Daniel's longstanding fixations; indeed, there's elements of Nyman, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Magma, Aaron Copland and RZA. But this is wholly O'Sullivan's. Originally commissioned for the Sonoton Music Library in Munich, Eros now receives a deluxe vinyl release courtesy of Be With Records, bringing this meticulously crafted work to a wider audience. Limited to just 500 copies for the world, these are gonna fly.

An English composer and multi-instrumentalist, Daniel O'Sullivan’s career has been marked by versatility and innovation. In addition to his work with Sonoton, he has composed extensively for the legendary KPM music library, contributing to its storied legacy of production music. As a deep virtuoso and collaborator, O'Sullivan has also played in a number of influential projects, including Ulver, Sunn O))), This Is Not This Heat, Grumbling Fur and Miracle (with Steve Moore), leaving an indelible mark on the contemporary experimental music landscape.

O’Sullivan’s first foray into classically informed chamber music, Eros is a culmination of his long-standing fixations and expansive musical influences. The album features arrangements that are as detailed as they are emotionally resonant, showcasing his unparalleled ear for intervals and mastery of counterpoint. The music brims with complex rhythmic syncopation and a sensitivity to texture and space, resulting in a soundscape that is both intoxicating and dauntingly precise.

Recorded June 2023 and February 2024, in Brussels, London and Carmarthenshire, Wales, Eros features members of Echo Collective (Neil Leiter and Margaret Hermant), Thighpaulsandra (from seminal post-industrial band Coil), and jazz pioneer Oren Marshall. Daniel's sonic weapons of choice, in his own inimitable words, were "Big Bad Drum, Pee Anne Oh, Low End Brass, Willowy Winds & Samurai Strings." You get the picture. As a cyclical suite, this is a record that really needs to be heard in its entitreity, from start to finish, to truly appreciate the genius at work here.

A jaw-dropping statement of intent, the minimalist "Golden Verses" sets the tone with its complex cue which has your neck snapping right when it feels like it needs to. Listen and you'll understand. A syncopated tangle of sharp strings, crunchy bass, drums percussion and bright piano and mallets vie for position with French horn and woodwind melody in the most compelling and unexpected ways. Quite simply, it's one of the finest album openers I've ever heard. It's followed by the atmospheric rippling minimalism of "Lyre Lyre", a gorgeous gem with shimmering chimes, bright melody, human percussion and syncopated pizzicato strings. It kinda comes on like a less-abstract Boards Of Canada, bursting with typical wonderment. The piano and string-drenched "Dolorous Stroke" effortlessly builds its warm, pastoral orchestration with flowing piano arpeggio, steadfast drums, expressive string quartet, rich low brass, woodwind and lyrical flute. Just sublime.

The insistent frenetic propulsion of "Plain Paper" is utterly beguiling, featuring a determined string motif, urgent drums and percussion, driving low brass and breathless, energetic flute. The haunting, interweaving string arpeggios that propel "Grapes Draped" presents a claustrophobic minimalism for chaos and darkness, with growling low woodwind and brass, spiky harpsichord, skittering flutes and tight drums. Up next, "Xanix Annum" is a stately minimalist waltz with expressive lyrical string quartet and delicate woodwind, anchored by drums and percussion. "Painting Rose" is a bouncy stop-start track with angular syncopated strings and a piano pulse underneath bright harpsichord and flutes. "Rotunda Garden" presents ethereal textural minimalism for landscapes and reflection with flowing string arpeggios, warm, low woodwind drones, floating choir and cymbal swells. Closing out this extraordinary side of music, the glowing, flowing minimalism of "Flowry Orb" features urgent organ, piano and woodwind arpeggios, half-time drums with shimmering cymbals, a soaring, beautiful violin solo and hypnotic vocal chant.

Side 2 opens with "Theia Mania" a determinedly off-kilter, angular track featuring low wind, brass and drum stomp in dialogue with lively string trio, woodwind and solo horn. The light, airy minimalism of "Painting Percy" is built around an interplay of rhythmic motifs for piano, low brass, bassoon, fluttering flutes, urgent strings, drums and percussion whilst "For Archetypes" is a delicate, gently syncopated chamber cue for nostalgia, nature, reflection and moments of calm, with steady piano motif, intimate woodwind and French horn, and warm, graceful strings. The urgent Ars Memoriae is a propulsive march for progress, processes and industry, underpinned by driving tuba, with determined strings, resolute drums, and vivid, expressive flute, clarinet and French horn.

The syncopated energetic minimalism of "Mirrored Seven" presents layers of melodic and cyclical piano, drums, low brass, harp, flute and strings. "Pure Ornament" follows, a slowly evolving chamber cue with flowing clarinet, string and harp arpeggio, plodding tuba and percussion, fluttering flute and graceful, lyrical solos. Stunning! Up next, "Brave Boy" moves from its tender, warm, lullaby-like intro with lyrical flute, clarinet and strings before opening into a playful backend driven by a bouncy tuba riff and syncopated piano, woodwind, string trio, and drums and percussion. Rounding out this astonishing piece, "Waxen Waned" is a warm, pastoral chamber cue with light lyrical woodwind, tender French horn and subtly pulsing string trio.

The album's title is a reference to Plato’s conception of Eros, which is more than romantic or physical desire. It is a dynamic and creative force that drives individuals to seek perfection whether in art, relationships, philosophy or the pursuit of truth. Wholly appropriate, here, we think. When asked what his influences were in making this astounding record, he answered thusly: "Non-musical: Householding, Pythagoras, Goethe, Grail romances, Hermeticism, Doctrine of Signatures (Parcelsus, Bohme, Pliny), Eric Rohmer, John Stezaker, Yasujiro Ozu. Musical: Duke Ellington (late suites), Smile-era Brian, early RZA, Wagner (Parsifal Overture), Magma, Mancini, Axelrod, YMO, Hildegard, Nyman, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Jobim (Stone Flower), Alessandro Alessandroni, Tavener, Moondog, Orthodox Music, Secular Music." That's some pretty deep shit. Makes you want to dive in, no?

Mastering for this vinyl edition was overseen by Be With regular Simon Francis, and it was cut by the esteemed Cicely Balston at Abbey Road Studios to be pressed in the Netherlands by Record Industry. Truly, Eros is a work of extraordinary depth and sophistication. It invites listeners to immerse themselves in its intricate layers, to lose themselves in its hypnotic rhythms, and to marvel at the precision of its execution. With this release, O’Sullivan reaffirms his position as one of the most inventive and uncompromising voices in contemporary music. Do. Not. Sleep.