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Venturing into “a limbo world between medieval tropes and modern-day decay”, New Orleans musician Urq (half of art punk duo Spllit) returns with a new solo offering. Recorded over a single, intense month, This Dismal Village is a homespun document that sits somewhere between jittery punk, dreary psychedelia, and hooky bedroom pop. Recorded to 4-track, the record embraces limitation as a creative engine, resulting in a sound that is raw, unsettled, and deeply atmospheric.

The album is set not in a fixed point in time or geography, but a liminal environment where dystopic visions and archaic fixtures exist side by side. In the dismal village, kings and witches share space with televisions, skyscrapers, and modern enterprise; organ fanfares echo down streets populated by disgruntled townsfolk and whispered gossip. It is simultaneously the dark ages, 1950s suburbia, and a 21st-century metropolis. Embracing anachronism was central to the project’s identity, an attempt to collapse history into a single, uneasy present.

Sonically and philosophically, the album sits firmly in the tradition of rough and raw cassette rock. Guided By Voices’ Bee Thousand looms large as an influence, particularly its ability to build an entire world through unpolished, first-take recordings. Robert Pollard’s idea of the “four P’s” (psych, punk, prog, and pop) serves as a neat summary of the artist’s musical instincts and each element can be traced right through the heart of This Dismal Village. Further inspiration comes from post-punk’s so-called “Calgary Sound,” a loose movement blending psych pop, post-punk, and math/prog elements with a home-recorded, unpretentious ethos.

The result is an album that unrolls like a place wandered through, uneasy, occasionally familiar, and impossible to pin down in time. All captured on tape before it could disappear like an apparition, like a dream only half-remembered.

Acclaimed harpist and songwriter Mikaela Davis’ new album, Graceland Way (due TK via Kill Rock Stars), builds an expansive, kaleidoscopic neo-western dystopia from the cozy origin point—that duality compounded by a subtle exploration of light and dark, grace and struggle, rose and thorn, as well as the mystical power found at their meeting points. The “canyon country” epic born of that work is indebted to the titular street in Chevy Chase Canyon where she recorded the album, the lineage of Laurel Canyon, the mythos of Elvis’s Graceland, and Paul Simon’s restless reinvention. “At the end of the journey, the place you were destined for all along isn’t even a place, it’s a state of mind: Graceland Way,” Davis says. Featuring an unreleased Cass McCombs track (Mizmoon) as well as contributions from Karley Hartzman (Wednesday), Tim Heidecker, Madison Cunningham, Neal Francis, James Felice (The Felice Brothers), Clay Finch (Mapache) & Hannah Read.

Leather-jacket krautrock? Indeed. Welcome to the world of Carrboro NC's Object Hours. These generous saviors consist of three Triangle scene lifers who all worship the riff but imagine what happens if the riff fell into the middle of your favorite CAN LP. Yes, it lives up to the hype.

"Solved By Walking" was recorded in the winter of 2025 at Betty's in the Chapel Hill woods, these are mighty rock slabs ready for all seasons. Rock believers have felt the ripples and knew the day was coming. Object Hours is a band that fits right in on stage alongside acts as varied as Kim Gordon and Tropical Fuck Storm, bringing the house down in these and similar moments. These are songs that groove, peel paint, sandblast, inspire unconscious movement, make your head bob - frequently all at the same time. These are the jams inspired by the time that you heard "Fun House" coming out of that dude's car with the windows down in the middle of the summer, the ones inspired by the kids who own 3 copies of "Daydream Nation," the ones who listen to the last 1:30 of Wire's "Too Late" over and over. This is the band that has a timer on stage so they don't keep each song playing for days on end, the band whose Bandcamp bio succinctly summarizes their approach thusly: "We try to keep songs under 25 minutes for your sake." Every word here should be inspiration for you to *want* and *need* to hear this record and every word here is true. Just you wait.

Real heads know and the rest of the heads are getting ready to find out. Get ready for Object Hours' "Solved By Walking".

Dry Socket is a politically charged hardcore band from Portland, Oregon, known for blistering performances and emotionally uncompromising songwriting. Rooted in the raw aggression of classic hardcore, their sound channels the urgency of early Ceremony, G.L.O.S.S., and Negative Approach while carving out a distinctly modern, inclusive space within the genre, one where anger, grief, and survival are not just themes, but lived realities.

Their music confronts systems of violence, coercion, and control with unflinching honesty, creating room to be unapologetically furious, vulnerable, and alive at the same time. Every riff lands like a strike; every lyric feels torn from experience rather than abstraction.

Since forming, Dry Socket has toured extensively across the U.S., Europe, and Mexico, sharing stages with Gorilla Biscuits, The Hope Conspiracy, Torso, and more.

Their latest record, Self Defense Techniques, centers on survival under constant pressure. Inspired by the practice of dehorning rhinos to protect them from poachers, removing a vital part of the animal in order to keep it alive, the album examines the compromises people are forced to make to endure a hostile world. Horns are tools for protection, communication, care, and identity. To survive, so many of us are taught to remove our own.

Across the record, Dry Socket interrogates life inside systems that demand silence, obedience, and self-erasure. Songs wrestle with exhaustion, spiritual betrayal, and economic violence, oscillating between fury and grief. Self Defense Techniques isn’t about triumph, it’s about endurance, documenting the cost of staying alive while refusing the lie that softness is weakness or that silence is peace

Nitai Hershkovits and Daniel Dor return with Found & Found, their second collaborative album and a natural continuation of the musical dialogue initiated with The Garden Suite.

Born out of pure curiosity - "there was more to say, more to explore," explains Dor - the album expands the duo's sonic language beyond the synth-only framework of their previous work. While the Moog remains central, Found & Found introduces clarinet and acoustic guitar, gently dissolving the boundaries between electronic and acoustic sound.

Each composition unfolds through interlocking, mantra-like patterns. Repetition becomes a space for transformation: melodies circle, textures shift, and subtle harmonic movements invite the listener inward. The music is structured with care, yet it feels open and fluid. intimate, spacious and quietly immersive. If their previous record explored orchestral depth through synthesizers, this new chapter embraces air and clarity. Acoustic gestures emerge within electronic landscapes, creating a sound world that is both grounded and weightless.

Nitai Hershkovits brings with his fellow partner Daniel Dor a refined harmonic sensitivity shaped by both jazz and classical traditions. Together they continue to refine a shared language that moves between structure and freedom, precision and emotion.

Dompe Delivers Peak-Time House Energy on New Reload EP.
Definitive Recordings welcomes a brand-new three-track EP from Dompe, showcasing his unmistakable blend of classic house foundations, driving grooves, and modern club attitude.

Dompe aka Dominic Wagner is a DJ and producer driven by relentless passion and an instinctive feel for the dancefloor.
Known for pairing distinctive vocals with finely crafted basslines and arrangements, his sound is always moving forward while staying rooted in house tradition. Based in Berlin since 2011, Dompe founded Jackfruit Recordings in 2017 as his personal creative playground, releasing a steady stream of music that has earned both national and international attention. His doublevinyl album ‘Hippie Crack’ sold out quickly and charted strongly on Beatport, followed by ‘French Collection’. In 2025, Dompe made his debut on Definitive Recordings with a standout remix of the label classic ‘Let It Go’ by John Acquaviva, Olivier Giacomotto and Dan Diamond further cementing his connection to the imprint.
Now returning with a full EP, Dompe opens with ‘Reload’, a classic house groover built around a tight rhythm, a looping piano motif, and a chopped, repeated male spoken-word vocal that locks into the groove. It’s raw, hypnotic, and instantly effective on the floor. ‘Wave’ shifts into more percussive territory, drawing on classic tech house energy. Built almost entirely around drums, the track evolves through rolling percussion, catchy vocal snippets, and sharp house synth work before snapping back into a full percussive drive designed for late-night momentum. Closing the EP, ‘Sundown’ delivers a no-nonsense house stomper. Big 909 drums, a 90s-inspired piano theme, and a vocal sample declaring ‘ecstasy’ capture the peak-time feeling of a packed club
in full flow: direct, euphoric, and unapologetically house.

Stevie Cox and Ansboy: two powerhouses of the Glaswegian club scene join forces for their collaborative debut EP on Rhythm Section INTL- ‘Twice Like Rice’. It’s a weighty four-track EP designed for the dancefloor, taking in myriad influences from dub techno, breaks, trance and good old fashioned house music. The Ep is full of deep, pulsating rhythms, lush textures and emotive peaks - all road tested in Stevie’s Iconic home turf: Sub Club.

Stevie Cox has long been a name long ruminating on everyone's lips, as a resident DJ of the iconic ‘Sub Club’ with an ever-growing tour schedule and back catalogue of releases via the likes of Klasse Wrecks and Optimo. Whilst the name Ansboy may be new to some, it is a fresh alias for the grammy nominated producer and mixdown engineer Robert Etherson who has long been a staple in the Scottish scene with an international touring repertoire under his belt.

The two friends met in their hometown of Glasgow and began their musical journey together last year after Robert taught Stevie how to do mixdowns. The pair clicked effortlessly, quickly discovering they shared the same passion for emotive, deep and progressive dance music. Their first track together - which took shape in the form of ‘Drift’ - a high-energy synth led anthem, came out with a special selection of tracks curated by Bradley Zero for his exclusive SHOUTS Summer sampler in 2025.

For the Twice Like Rice EP, their work evokes all corners of the dancefloor, kicking things off with ‘GC’ - a peak time breaks-infused trancey-heater - a master class in building dancefloor tension which gives way into a searing crescendo. Things spin towards a darker percussive focus on the more intense ‘Twice Like Rice’.

On the b-side things return to blissful euphoria with ‘Virgil’ - a warm up dub-techno ballad, before the emotional release of ‘Subculture closure’ inspired ‘Carter21’.

For his new full-length on Second End Records, Lyon-based artist Jonnnah turns deeply inward. Conceived as a form of therapy, as much as a reflection and a testimony, the record retraces a process of introspection and confrontation with one’s own history, looking back at origins, DNA, and the invisible ties that connect us to our ancestors, while opening paths toward new connections.

The double-sided structure of the album makes this journey tangible. The first side lingers in uncertainty : opaque atmospheres, fragmented rhythms, and restless textures mirror the doubts, questions, and fragile states of self-analysis. The second side, in contrast, embraces clarity and resolution, dense yet luminous soundscapes where reconciliation and acceptance take shape, culminating in The Blue Comet, a piece charged with finality and revelation.

Opening with the multipart suite N-zero, symbolizing the beginning of therapy, and closing with O-one, evoking the soul’s original purity, the record traces a complete emotional and spiritual cycle. Between them, the third edition of Insomnia Never Ends once again portrays the struggle between sleep and the irresistible pull of musical distraction, a fragile tension that runs through the album as a whole.

The record condenses Jonnnah’s language into something rawer and more direct. Layers of dub and dub sonic resonate against ethereal ambient passages, while techno impulses maintain tension and forward motion. Each piece feels at once intimate and expansive, designed as much for solitary listening as for collective experience.

A new chapter in Jonnnah’s trajectory, the album is a document of transformation : from shadow to light, from questioning to acceptance.

Bright morning. To noon and into afternoon. To dusk and the inky night.

A major new exhibition of Mammo’s music spread across a triple disc, twelve track album. Call it a compendium or summary, a network of sparking neurons and painted landscapes in techno.

It folds in all the aspects of his other identities (self-)released over the last few years into an ultimate package ~ Heaven Smile, A∞x, CoA-A, E35, Puddlerunner; really any other project Fabiano has assumed an identity under. It all finds its way into the code and format of Lateral in some way or another.

Here the ground is given for the listener to hear just how much range and individual language there is in the music he’s been making. Fully immersive, inventive and detailed while also elegant and light of touch. It’s quite a package from one of the most talented techno producers right now, gesturing towards different genres and novel ideas in beautiful and intuitive fashion.

Break the pack down for your preferred disc of the day if you like. It’s designed with that modularity in mind. Disc one sparkles with vitality and a buoyancy. The middle disc has more drive and harder bites that you may want to amplify and split out to slot in a DJ bag. Sides five and six move into deeper, dreamier and more emotional techno in twilight. Each one is a little distinct and has its own orbit.

But give it your full attention on the turntable platter too. A listen from beginning to end. There’s lovely dynamics and interplays in the narrative, and its a remarkable new body of work to let your time dilate to.

Mastered and cut by Rashad Becker.

Art by Mammo.Works.

Burial Mix numbers 6 to 12: classic after classic, like King In My Empire, Queen In My Empire, We Been Troddin’...

‘Since the 16th century, the Ecuadorian province of Esmeraldas has been home to a unique Afro-Indigenous culture originating in the integration of the Indigenous Chachi and Nigua peoples with African Maroon communities. Juyungo documents significant Esmeraldan artists and bands playing the Afro-Ecuadorian folklore of the province, as well as including some older field recordings. Based mostly on the marimba, whose origins lie partly in the African balafon, partly in Indigenous percussion instruments, the music is laced with call and response chants, ambient insect and bird noise, the filigree finger-styles of the Andean guitar tradition and the panpipes of the mountains. This is resonant insider roots music at its headiest — the mystic revelation of Esmeraldas, gully deep and lustral.’
- Francis Gooding, The Wire.


The fifth in our series of LPs compiling classic music from Ecuador. Customary Honest Jons runnings: a beautiful gatefold sleeve; superior pressing, with vivid, intimate sound; full-size, sixteen-page booklet, in colour throughout, with detailed, fascinating, bi-lingual notes, and stunning photographs.

The music is transfixing, magical; not like anything else. From start to finish, this album is continuously, profoundly immersive; a kind of journeying, trippy meditation about slavery and cultural resistance, identity and mix, places and spaces, futures and pasts. It’s inscrutable to net-surfing, algorithms, Shuffle. But for a taste try the insurgent marimba roller Agua Largo, jet-propelled by Rosa Huila’s rapturous blend of African spiritualist and Christian chant. ‘Healing music,’ Zakia called it on Gilles Peterson’s BBC show recently. And the ravishing pasillo Kasilla Shungulla — ‘calm your heart’ in the Quichua language — a duet between the Peruvian master-guitarist Raúl García Zárate and viola da gamba by Juan Luis Restrepo from Medellin, recorded in a baroque church in Buzbanza, Colombia.

'At the beginning of the 1960s, at the Berklee College of Music, Byard Lancaster met some feisty friends: Sonny Sharrock, Dave Burrell and Ted Daniel. It is easy to see why he rapidly became involved in free jazz. Once he was settled in New York, he appeared on Sunny Murray Quintet, recorded under the leadership of the drum crazy colleague of Albert Ayler.
'In 1968, the saxophonist and flutist recorded his first album under his own name: It’s Not Up To Us. The following year he came to Paris in the wake of… Sunny Murray. He would come back to France in 1971 (again with Murray) and in 1973 (without Murray for a change). This is when he met Jef Gilson, the pianist and producer who encouraged him to record under his own name again. On Palm Records (Gilson’s label), he would release four albums: Us, Mother Africa, Exactement and Funny Funky Rib Crib.

'Us, the first of the four records was recorded on November 24th, 1973 with Sylvin Marc on electric bass (a Fender… Lancaster?) and the evergreen Steve McCall on drums.
'On the album, the trio works from the John Coltrane model; free jazz shook up by the timely contributions of the bassist, followed by a mesmerizing atmospheric music. Then, Lancaster delivers a sinuous solo path, which is a reminder of his unique tone. On the album’s companion single, the trio launches into great black music of a different genre which would lead the clairvoyant François Tusques to claim that Byard Lancaster is an “authentic representative of soul/free jazz”, to sum up this is Great Black Music!'

American jazz drummer Roy Porter hit a late career high with his first album Jessica. The classic record throngs with intricate rhythms and vigorous drumming that reveal a playful yet ambitious approach. The standout title track 'Jessica' - a long jazz-funk meditation written for his girlfriend - reimagined by the master, Kenny Dope, shimmers with melancholy and colour. Extended breaks and beefed-up drums give the mix extra punch, while the horns retain their jazzy flair and the vocal version on the flips makes it's 7" debut - these cuts have previously been album only and are well worth copping.

Reliance is one of the many labels in Burnski's orbit. Its sixth outing comes from Philip George who seems to be a newly emerging producer. His sound doesn't suggest that, though, as it's an accomplished, fulsome blend of bassline, garage and house that is full of character. 'Bad Thing' brings hefty low-end power with bounce to spare and the slightest of vocal touches to set things aflame. 'Labyrinth' is a little more roomy with space for the pads to breathe and the drums to get you locked in. 'Irresistible' has a cool retro undercurrent with bright neon colours and endless vibes in the garage-house grooves. Another useful weapon.

One of the beating hearts of the film Hola Frida is its soundtrack, composed by Laetitia Pansanel-Garric in collaboration with Olivia Ruiz. More than just accompaniment, the music is a true extension of its universe: it paints emotions with vibrant sounds and pays tribute to Frida's roots while exploring modern and universal soundscapes.


From Olivia Ruiz's rendition of the original song ‘Hola Frida’ to the
rich orchestral sounds of the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, each note invites you to immerse yourself in an artistic tribute that will appeal to young
and old alike.

- 2026 repress -

SHDW & Obscure Shape launch new label Mutual Rytm with powerful eight-track V/A "Federation Of Rytm I", featuring VIL & Cravo, Lars Huismann, Grindvik and more.

Favourites for many within today's modern techno landscape, Stuttgart-based pairing Marco Blasi and Luigi Urban, aka SHDW & Obscure Shape, continue to grow their profile and position as artists leading the current new wave of techno. Having launched their first label From Another Mind in 2014, releasing material from themselves alongside remixes from the likes of Rodhad, James Ruskin and Dax J, early December welcomes the arrival of a new project and a second imprint to the fold, Mutual Rytm.

Showcasing a new dimension of techno and electronic music, celebrating originality and innovation by combining timeless cuts from the past with cutting edge sounds of the present and the future, the label will serve as a breeding ground for new artists alongside established talent and legends from the scene. Opening the imprint in style, the label bosses head up the first-ever release and the first V/A "Federation Of Rytm I" as they welcome a selection of new and established talent.

"Since the beginning of the global pandemic, we have been diving deep into the roots of our music and working on the aesthetics of our sound. That's when we realized that now is the right time to start a new project which differs from FAM, in both musical and artistic direction. The project will showcase a new dimension that aims to channel the authentic perspectives of both established and up-and-coming talents. With our new label, we want to give all artists the opportunity of musical freedom and expression of their versatility as producers. It is an honour to accompany the young artists on their careers, to see them grow and to help them in their development as musicians." - SHDW & Obscure Shape

The duos rolling opener "Conquest Of Paradise" quickly sets the tone and builds to reveal a classy and slick offering, combining rich stabs with tough drums and sharp hats, while Invexis keeps the tempo high as he weaves escalating synths and pacy kicks across "Elektronenwind". VIL & Cravo combine on the jacking and lively "Apolonia Loop", as eerie synths work amongst warped vocals across a tweaked out peak-time effort, before Alarico keeps the energy levels up throughout the relentless funk of "I'm Into You".

The second half of the package sees Lars Huismann enter the fray with the no-nonsense, snaking grooves of "Hyper Dub", with Nicolas Vogler's "Sauva Bite" fusing hypnotic tones with straight regimented claps for an intense yet playful ride through sounds and sonics. "Your Dry Lips" switches up the aesthetic as Grindvik journeys down a wormhole of metallic percussion and warping low-ends, before closing the show with authority via Stigmata's grinding and menacing offering "Gestas".

Purple Haze started out in Linköping in 1981. When singer Christer Göransson joined them towards the end of the year, they soon changed their moniker to Genocide (after the Judas Priest song of the same name) and supported local metal heroes Axewitch. A final name change was to follow: In August 1983, the band, now called Mindless Sinner, recorded a four-track demo entitled »Master Of Evil«, consisting of the title track, “Broken Freedom”, “Key Of Fortune” and “Screaming For Mercy”. This attracted Swedish label Fingerprint Records, and they in turn released the NWOBHM-inspired material as a mini-album with an awful cover and getting the band’s name wrong (spelling it Mindless Sinners). By then, the line-up of the band was Anders Karlsson (bass), Magnus Danneblad (guitar), Jerker Edman (guitar), Tommy Johansson (drums) and vocalist Christer Göransson. »Master Of Evil« originally saw the light of day on Fingerprint in January 1984. This was followed by the second album »Turn On The Power« in 1986 as Christer Göransson explains: “Well, »Turn On The Power« was actually recorded in October 1984, the same year as »Master Of Evil« was released. But the record label was almost out of business by 1985, so as a result »Turn On The Power« didn’t come out until January 1986, and shortly after the label went bust.” Just like on the debut, the cover was once again pretty weird. “Same story,” says the singer. “Blame the label again. We wanted a band photo for the cover but once more Fingerprint didn’t listen. We didn’t know who this girl was at all. And once again we saw the cover for the first time when we visited our local record store.” “I guess »Turn On The Power« was more of a straight heavy metal album compared to »Master Of Evil«,” describes Christer Göransson the band’s follow-up record, “better playing and better songs on »Turn On The Power«. Even though we love »Master Of Evil«. I guess it didn’t sell that much as the label went bankrupt, but the reactions were great.” Mindless Sinner played as much as they could in Sweden at the time but didn’t venture outside their home country. Over the years, their music has often been compared to the Tygers Of Pan Tang from England but Christer Göransson doesn’t see too many similarities: “We really love Tygers Of Pan Tang but I don’t think they were a big influence. It was more Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne and Dio.” Shortly after the release of »Turn On The Power«, the band cut their name short to Mindless. According to Christer Göransson, this is why: “It was the sign of the times really. We wanted a more melodic kinda style and we just thought it was better to change the name to Mindless. But looking back now we should have stuck to our guns.”

'A few months after recording Us, Lancaster recorded Mother Africa along with Clint Jackson III, a trumpeter, partner of Khan Jamal or Noah Howard on other recordings.
On march 8th, 1974, Lancaster and Jackson headed up a group composed of Jean-François Catoire (electric and double bass), Keno Speller (percussion) and Jonathan Dickinson (drums). Together, they create an immediate impression. From the first seconds of We The Blessed, they develop a free jazz which rapidly abandons any virulence under the effect of blues and soul based interventions.
When Gilson’s composition Mother Africa begins, listeners are transported into the studio, listening to the musicians setting up: chatting and joking… Then comes the melody: a dozen or so notes of a repeated theme which is accelerated and deformed according to their whims… The jazz played by the association Byard Lancaster / Clint Jackson III is rare: creative AND recreational. We the blessed, is apt listening to this again today!'

The Swallows were one of Singapore’s standout bands of the 1960s, rising from the explosive Pop Yeh-Yeh movement, the regional response to the global beat-band wave, with strong garage-rock roots. Fusing surf rock, early Beatles-inspired pop, and gritty, fuzz-laden guitars with a distinctly local sensibility, they became youth icons of the era. Defined by sharp suits, infectious melodies, and a rebellious spark, The Swallows captured the restless energy of post-independence Singapore, securing their place in the island’s golden age of bands and in the wider story of Southeast Asian rock.