quête:la rock

After a steady stream of successful underground dance-floor stables via his Viscera EP series and last year climbing charts with his remixes, Fango returns with his second album titled "GEA". Set for release this forth-coming May 11th via Degustibus Music, GEA is a 10-track trip of eclectic electronica panning across various moods and tempos. Flexings his matured production credits, Fango fuses rock, disco and psychedelic influences, meticulously put together on his machines resulting in a spectrum of sounds to satisfy most palettes. It's a serenade from Gea to Ouranos, the Greek gods of earth and sky.

Glyn Bigga Bush has been producing electronic and sample-based music since the early 90s when he formed Rockers Hi Fi, going on to release numerous albums. Since the turn of the century he has produced and DJ'd as BiggaBush as well as various side projects such as Lightning Head (Sonar Kollektiv), the Dandelion Set (Buried Treasure) and the Magic Drum Orchestral (Tru Thoughts).

Bigga's latest project 'Sunken Foal Stories' represents a departure from much of his other work in that it is not primarily based on beats. Instead, his working method was to go with fascinating samples, accidental juxtapositions and irregular loops - inspired by pioneers of sound such as Faust and the audio experiments of Julian House as well as early stereo test records, soundtracks and library music.

The 21 concise tracks of Sunken Foal Stories link into two 15 minute segments on the LP. Bush explores the random elements created by overlaying disparate samples, where chimes of baroque psychedelia clash with ascending classical strings, or a haunting Eastern European folk song is looped into an eternal cadence of longing. Various voices float over the speakers, lost poets, disturbing therapists, dreaming vampires, chuckling cabaret singers. Sourced almost entirely from charity shops and carboot sales, the source material speaks of a forgotten yet relatively recent period, when stereo was something new and exciting, when home entertainment first came into its own and suburban homes thrilled to the exotic sounds of home organs, primitive beatboxes, LPs bought in unusual holiday destinations and 'glamorous' soundtracks.

For Alan Oldham, artistic expression is a way of life, taking multiple forms and medi-ums throughout his lifetime. Before he was ever known as DJ T-1000, he was a published car-toon artist and radio DJ in Detroit writing press releases for Underground Resistance to get by. One day, Underground Resistance was in need of a last minute DJ for their tour in Aus-tralia, and a door flew open for Alan Oldham. With passport in hand he departed on his jour-ney as a DJ, which little did he know would eventually span continents. Influenced by every-thing around him, his work has dynamically changed and evolved along with his life. Currently as an international DJ living in Berlin, his latest creation is the ACIDSPACE EP, released by Elypsia Records under the DetroitRocketScience name. The traveler himself takes us on an intergalactic adventure, beginning with ACIDSPACE (8:48). With a steady beat and a unique blend of serene space sounds, this jam excites the imagination for the journey to come. It is followed by ROCKET TO BERLIN (7:20), a subtle and intricate mix that entices one to enter the unknown. VESTA SYSTEM (6:22) finishes the EP off on a note that leaves lis-teners grooving and enjoying the ride. Creativity and sweet sounds are what it's all about for Alan Oldham. With his recent musical shift to mellower, sci-fi inspired jams, he continues to let listeners see for themselves.

The Fame-Beats' Davey Lane and Rusty Hopkinson are known to some as long time band mates in celebrated Australian rock-and-roll group You Am I. These two plucky charmers share a keen interest in Hamburg era British pop and it was on a stroll down the Reeperbahn that they decided to commit their love of all things BEAT to tape.

The Fame-Beats motor along a Cuban-heeled path from Merseybeat via the Medway, doffing their caps at favorite big-beat-acts, such as Bern Elliot & The Fenmen, The Milkshakes, Russ Kruger and of course that most Fab Four, along the way.

DON'T TELL NO LIES is the sad tale of a young man spurned told with the aid of chiming chords and soaring harmonies.

THE WATFORD STOMP is a reckless Cavern styled romp that demands you to DANCE.

The turning point between Pumpin tribe and « back to techno »... X-tech have always been a bit electro and on this EP he defently goes for it... This is the successfull turning point for his artistic choice. Even if you can still feel the acid, and the pumpin and the breakbeat of a classic tribe tune, there is here already the elcrto (this is a Marseille thing), the down pitch to more reasonable speeds, and aslo the variety of style into a single, witch was kind of a revolution and will always be ! A breilliant record that deserved a descent repress ! Was mastered and cut at DK Mastering, near toolbox. Brightening old this old DAT before it's too late !

· Bart Davenport's 7th album since his 2002 solo debut
· West Coast yacht rock meets '80s English pop
· Produced by L.A. Takedown's Aaron M. Olson
· Confirmed live dates in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, San Diego, Vida Festival (Spain)

Recorded in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, Blue Motel is the new album by Bart & The Bedazzled, a brand new musical enterprise by Bart Davenport and his seventh album proper since his solo breakout in 2002. Alluding to Los Angeles with the lights down, it's an amalgam sound of '80s English pop and West Coast yacht rock jams, sprinkled with cinematic flourishes clearly influenced by the understated production of L.A. Takedown's Aaron M. Olson. The jangly pop aesthetic, resplendent with choppy chorus tinted guitar, snappy snares, sax and bass is underlined with life trodden stories about day jobs, dating, financial insecurities, lost innocence and most prominently, time travel.

The album lives somewhere in an imagined past (or future) that is curiously both the 1960s and 1980s conveying the groups's nostalgia for a fantasy world with a cheeky cynicism, despite a perception of a world that is, for Bart, on the downfall. To that end, Davenport's songs are, as always, delivered with a happy and sad sensibility reminiscent of the great Burt Bacharach. From the surreal yet humorous 'The House That Built Itself' to the sad surf music of 'Halloween By The Sea' or the romantic L.A. noir of the title track, Blue Motel arrives with a spoonful of tears, a nod and a wink.

The Bedazzled band lineup, united by their love of the 'Elegant '80s', includes the guitar of Wayne Faler (Dream Boys), drums, percussion and beats by Andres Renteria (Jose Gonzales) and post-punk bass lines from Jessica Espeleta (L.A. Takedown). The four friends from Los Angeles, united in their affection for the more sophisticated sounds of English '80s groups like Prefab Sprout and Style Council give the setlist a more distinctively pop flavour compared to Bart's soulful last outing on his album Physical World, also released on Lovemonk. Blue Motel features regular appearances from female vocalist Nedelle Torrisi (Domino, Asthmatic Kitty) who notably adds the lush layers of harmony on 'The Amateurs'. Saxophonist Billy McShane is also featured on three songs with improvisations that evoke the scene of whales in outer space.

Producer Olson often incorporates soundtrack and avant-garde elements in his own work. His gift for song arrangement, understanding of the synth and penchant for subtlety all shine brightly on Blue Motel.

The band Gruppenbild was named after Heindrich Böll's famous novel and was the first musical output by the versatile Stijn Meuris (Noordkaap, Monza). Drummer Frank Coonen would later go on to be a member of 90ties indie powerpop trio 'The Romans'. Also joining in here are Luc Vrancken (Bass), Marc Guffens (Guitar) and Stijn's brother Koen Meuris on the Keyboards. As legend has it Meuris got the idea of starting his own band through his history teacher in the small provincial town of Overpelt. Said teacher was the bass player of 'De Brassers', a by then already notorious new wave punk band who had made it to the finals of Humo's Rock Rally in 1980. Blown away by the sheer simplicity and power of De Brassers music, the teenage 5 piece Gruppenbild was formed that same year. Taking inspiration from both British postpunk cornerstones as well as Belgian bands like 'Siglo XX', 'TC Matic' and the Dutch band 'De DIV' 2 years later they too found themselves in the finals of the Rock Rally. Noordkaap (Stijn's future band) would win the contest in 1990. Onbereikbaar On the Gruppenbild 7' one can already hear Meuris' melancholic singing style and his ability to write excellent lyrics in Dutch that would define the future of his musical career. The Tranquillity EP was originally released on Blitz Records in 1982, this was the band's first & only release & has become quite the rare collectable that is fetching hundreds on the second hand market. Now finally back available as a limited 7' EP (500 copies), released exclusively for Record Store Day Belgium 2018.

Ghent based pianotrio Steiger have earned their place in the ever growing peloton of young Belgian jazz innovators. As a result, they won the Young Jazztalent price at the 2017 Gent Jazz Festival. With their luscious and rigid grooves in minimalistic framing, they cose themselves between SCHNTZL and De Beren Gieren, likewise minded young Beljazzbands that don't take it so closely with traditions. They play jazz with a rock'n'roll attitude. Sdban Ultra is very pleased to present a sampler of their debut album 'And Above All' on a limited 10" vinyl for Record Store Day 2018. This release marks their introduction on Sdban Ultra, their sophomore album is expected next fall. And Above All' houses both jazz and modern compositions, avant-garde and experimental electronics. Steiger takes inspiration from jazz and refers to the traditions but equally pulls those apart, for example in the chaotic miniature 'Bachfag' and in the intimate 'Inverse/Reverse'. With 'Berlin Revisited' the band clearly chooses electronic instrumentation. It is reminiscent of the electronic jazz of the noughties: bands like Triosk, Sofa Surfers and Flanger did not so much work towards jazz but used the genre as a stepping stone to dive into the cosmos. Steiger are launching themselves into infinity on this track with a pounding beat, shrill cymbals, overdriven keys and an unwieldy bass.

This August sees Stone Foundation release their fourth studio album 'A Life Unlimited' featuring ten new original recordings.

Last year's album 'To Find The Spirit' was easily their most successful seeing the band reach No. 33 in the Independent Charts, receive regular Radio 2 play, achieve glowing reviews in The Mirror, Scootering, R2, Jocks & Nerds magazine and saw the band tour Japan twice where the huge attendances helped secure them a recording contract with the prestigious P-Vine label and an appearance at Fuji Rocks festival.

'A Life Unlimited' features contributions from Graham Parker (The Night Teller), US soul stalwart Nolan Porter (Beverley), vocal harmony group The Four Perfections (Pushing Your Love) and Blow Monkeys frontman Doctor Robert
Howard (A Love Uprising). 'A Life Unlimited' sees Stone Foundation develop their unique style of soul, funk & jazz to a much broader scale. Horn driven arrangements add colour to an inspired display of songs that are unquestionably the group's strongest to date. Thought provoking lyrics and strong melodies sit upon a stylish musical bed.

The first single from the album 'Beverley' was the title music in the award winning (best film at the Portobello film awards & East End film festival ) Cass Pennant & Alexandra Thomas film of the same name starring Vicky McClure (this is England) and Laya Lewis (Skins)

The backroom club was packed with the hottest kids from the street. The movers and shakers wore their finest clothes to get down to the boassanova rock whilst the gangsters and players watched on from behind luxurious red curtains. In the murky shadows some exchanged more than just pleasantaries in the form of parcels and goods. They were devilish figures who existed only by night, when the streets were no longer safe for the do gooders to walk. This was a rough and ready town.
CYRK is set to release a new EP on the infamous Rawax record label. A charming assortment of well crafted house and some sophisticated electro cuts for the club. Rounded up by a fantastci remix from Claude Young!

A wonderful companion piece to the totemic Fed, we proudly announce the first ever vinyl edition of Korp Sole Roller by Plush. Liam Hayes' magical fourth full-length LP was previously only available on a rare Japanese import CD. Produced and arranged in 2010 by Pat Sansone (Wilco / The Autumn Defense), it finally arrives in a limited edition of 500 copies.

The common impression of Plush is that of an underground rock myth, lent greater poignancy by the lofty vision that galvanised his music. Yet while he has long been a cult concern, clued-up celebrity fans periodically declare their profound love for Hayes' maverick genius. Indeed, after Jason Schwartzman introduced Plush to Roman Coppola, several stunning songs from Korp Sole Roller soundtracked Coppola's A Glimpse Inside The Mind Of Charles Swan III.

As ever with Plush, it's easy to imagine you are listening to a privately pressed rarity from the mid-late 1970s. Or one of the criminally neglected jewels from the discography of Jimmy Webb or Burt Bacharach. The sound on Korp Sole Roller does differ crucially from Fed, however. It is more streamlined. These 10 gorgeously seductive creations careen around ornate string and wind instrument arrangements and producer Sansone's deft work is likely the reason for this. Yet, brilliantly, it still possesses that sun-warped take on classic pop-rock, that Plush specialises in. That peculiar "down-lifting" phenomenon of performing upbeat songs in an enigmatically mournful way.

Upon completion, Korp Sole Roller barely received anything resembling a release. Press coverage was zero because none of the major magazines or blogs knew of its existence. His management at the time essentially buried the album in order to concentrate on other releases. Looking back on this decision, it really made little sense. Everyone involved in its creation of these near-perfect gems is extremely proud of it. Liam himself has described it as the favourite of his albums. Pat's delicate work is astounding. Remastered especially for this special limited edition, it is presented in a sumptuous gatefold jacket with high-end art photography throughout, including full colour inner sleeves. Finally, here's your chance to own a slice of kaleidoscopic pop history.

Do you like Love songs After spending a lifetime spent avoiding this subject in song, Joel Sarakula finally admits that he does. On his new album "Love Club" Sarakula relives the golden age of Soulful and Romantic Pop music and connects it with a modern aesthetic. While a deeper message of love and peace flows through the record, Joel Sarakula is no old fashioned hippie: ",Love Club' is about connecting to reality and re-framing the idea of romantic love and loss in the present, loveless age ". Featuring eleven songs touching all genres from disco to blues, from soul to soft-rock, Joel Sarakula's "Love Club" is a profound pop statement.

Joel Sarakula has travelled the world in search of his muse, experiencing everything from being a victim of Caribbean carjackings to performing in the remote fishing villages of Norway, via the dive bars of Europe and the US. It was the hodge-podge musical tapestry of England's capital that finally drew him to a settling point, in the wake of seemingly never ending run of shows. With personal tastes that span from the more avant-garde to soul and pop greats like Sly Stone, Todd Rundgren and Hall & Oates, there are clear nods to contemporaries like Unkown Mortal Orchestra, Erlend Oye and Toro Y Moi in terms of ambition and style.

With his last two albums "The Golden Age" and "The Imposter" collecting strong radio plays at BBC Radio 2, BBC 6, BBC London, XFM Joel Sarakula has been play-listed nationally in Europe including Flux FM, WDR 5, Radioeins, Bayern 2, Deutschlandfunk and Deutschland Kultur Radio in Germany as well as in Benelux and Italy and Spain. He is a regular fixture on the live festival and club circuit in the UK, Europe and internationally including appearances at SXSW, Primavera Sound, Glastonbury, The Great Escape, Liverpool Sound City, Scala London, Tallinn Music Week, V-ROX (Vladivostok) and Reeperbahnfestival Hamburg.

"Love Club" is Sarakula's bold and unashamedly emotional next step. In essence the album is a homage to the soulful singer & songwriter artistry of the Seventies filtered through a darker contemporary lens - fitting for these uncertain times. "I always shied away from generic love songs," the Sydney, Australia born songwriter admits, "but on this record I embraced the subject wholeheartedly... and intellectually, looking at themes of love, lust, loneliness and everything in-between." Take the first single "In Trouble", co-written with Michele Stodart of The Magic Numbers, as the best example for Joel Sarakula's unique, and honest approach to making music. "We Used To Connect" questions the changing nature of relationships in our social-media addicted world: 'We used to connect in the real world too, now the touch of your hand is a digital cue'.

"Coldharbour Man", on the other hand, examines the identity of the song's narrator and the artist vs. fan dynamic all wrapped up in a disco love song: "There's a lot going on in this particular track. I feel my writing has grown emotionally...", explains Joel Sarakula. "Just best to listen yourself and make up your own interpretation!: 'We met in a song come to life like some fantasy cliché, though I'm known for my moves in the dark you flooded sunshine on my day'. Then there's "Baltic Jam", capturing romantic love and loss in authentic 70s confessional singer & songwriter style and of course "Dead Heat", a song about how there is struggle in the most perfect relationship pairings as the match is so even: "I recall an ex-girlfriend of mine... when we first met, we thought we hated each other but we eventually flipped that emotion and realised we had a deep passion and love for each other, there just was a lot of underlying sexual tension!" : 'It's a battle we could only win, if we lose. We'd be stronger if these lonely ones became two'.

More than a year in the making, Joel Sarakula recorded "Love Club" in various studios around London and Berlin capturing soulful performances from his many musical comrades on vintage analogue equipment. "This record has truly been a labour of love. Recording and privately sharing these performances amongst my collaborators started to feel like a bit like a club - I guess that lead to the album title! I was surprised how much I actually enjoyed the 'love-making process' and I look so much forward to playing these new songs on stage with my band." We can't wait, Joel Sarakula.

The Brighton-based powerhouse duo known as The Prototypes have officially announced the release of their very first vinyl record, hopefully signifying a legacy of future Get Hype Records vinyl packages for drum and bass fans everywhere. Featuring the monumental original mix of "Rocket Guns Blazin'" paralleled by the internationally-supported remix by Crissy Criss, Malux, and Erb N Dub, this exceptional record is one for dance floor fans everywhere. After the massive success of the label's launch, multiple world tours, countless number #1's alongside the groundbreaking signings the legendary duo themselves have discovered, this will be an excellent milestone for the Get Hype Records team.
We Get Hype.

Haiku's Raw Waxes label is delighted to welcome the famously unconventional Stanislav Tolkachev with a new track EP of experimental techno and IDM sounds. Entitled Champions' Breakfast and with brilliant artwork from German Benedikt Rugar, the releases features six cuts, one of which is a previously digital-only track landing here on vinyl for the very first time.

Haiku has long been a fan of Ukrainian Tolkachev having previously collaborated on a remix for the label, while Tolkachev has also released on Haiku's other label Inkblots. This new EP is one that not only shows off the label's willingness to take risks and put out diverse and interesting electronic music, but also one that proves Tolkachev is a truly unique artist with his own musical voice. He has been that way for more than a decade now, and has put out three long players as well as countless EPs that get heavy support from the tastemakers of the day. This latest offering contains his take on the essentialness of groove, enriched by his use of atonality, dissonance and acid-not-acid textures, all in a minimal style.

The deep 'Shady' kicks things off with spangled synth lines and eerie pads off in the distance. It's a lonely and insular piece with kinked rhythms that keep you locked. The excellent 'The Main Thing Is To Survive' is then less constrained, with kicks that rock back and forth as off kilter synth lines warp and wrap around each other in mind melting and tripped out fashion. Switching up the mood with ease, 'Fuck This Guy' is a dark and musty passage of humid ambient techno with static electricity buzzing about over smeared pads that are filled with menace, then the curious 'Hair In My Mouth' is about blurting, busted frequencies, loose and scattered drums and glassy melodies. It's a mangled and mashed up track that sounds like little else. 'Negative Space' is horror soundtrack techno with urgent, driving drums and nervy sound design that keeps you on edge, and closer 'Self Destruction' is built on broken, bristling beats. A rhythm slowly emerges from the haze and it is one that is physical and restless and sure to make a big impact in the club.

This is a varied and vital EP that oozes essential electronic invention.

Vinyl edition of Stars of the Lid 2nd album in print for the first time in over 20 years.

The release of Music for Nitrous Oxide, the 1995 debut album by Stars of the Lid, heralded a new strain of the american underground music scene, one borne of the heat and humidity, boredom, and the insular, constipated, rockist music scene of Austin, Texas, the home of the duo of Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie. It was a muffled lashing out against surrounding musical conventions, a small middle finger to the local dominant americana' scene, but one that nobody could see outside the shack of a house in which they recorded or at their occasional sparsely populated live performances. It was as punk a move as anyone could make at that place and in that time. But in a surprise to the two members of SotL, people took notice, as related rumblings and grumblings were taking place simultaneously in other parts of the american landscape.
Coming quickly on the heels of that release was our current subject, Gravitational Pull vs. the Desire for an Aquatic Life, released one year later. This is a transitional release that travels from the scruffiness of the debut's ambiance to more extended and subtle undulating tides of assembled sound, yet still dominated by processed guitars as the primary sound source. It also serves as an omen to the mini-orchestral works to come beginning with the Avec Laudenum album a few years later. Gravitational Pull... is a small masterpiece.

We welcome the vinyl format after a hiatus to embark into an energy-driven journey, full of potent, cross-genre tracks courtesy of Mr. Ben Cano.

Ben, which previously collaborated on this label as TenienteTuko, builds on the previous album-creating experience and he outdoes himself in multiple ways, keeping the variety of groove encompassing all together with his propelling signature techno ethos.

'Deep Snowmass' starts the EP in a harsh, mental way to induce rapidly to a dark feeling which leaves you in the void with a malleable conscience that allows your body and soul to float, with the help of an ever-building acidic bass and pulsating percussion.

'Rocky Mountain' goes to other heights, using a uplifting Rhodes chord and effective drum programming to deliver a dreamy wave of full potential.

'Between dub', 'hitch' and 'Tube 8' seal the deal with energetic, acid-infused and sometimes-housey takes from his recent live set, which he manages to reorganize in the track format we currently offer as black pressed acetate.

The latest release on Serotonin brings recently remastered versions of four classic Synapse tracks from the early years of the label together into the "Cosmic Freak Gas Bubble" EP

Side A features two tracks from SER004 "Get the Freaks and Get Some". Side B contains two tracks from SER-002, a split EP with Auto Kine c.

"Cosmic Connecton" is classic Synapse electro-chill, featured
back in the day on the infamous late night German television
series 'Space Night' and related compilatons. This track is a call
to intelligent extraterrestrial seekers of intergalactc FNK. Fse
this as your beacon, broadcastng across the galaxy and bringing the aliens to you.

"The Freak" is an undeniable body mover and was featured on the legendary DJ Assault mix CD "Straight Up Shit Detroit Vol 3". An homage to straight up Detroit funk is exactly what Synapse was going for and with 'The Freak' they clearly hit the target.

Back in the rave days 'Gas" was an electro/breaks cross-over 'hit" in the FSA, getng play in dirty warehouses across the naton in 996. A randomly

selected spoken Japanese vocal clip provides a repetetve, non-sensical hypnotc hook. The sample apparently has something to do with environmentalism and sounds cool. The hybrid style of "Gas" hits a lot of the Serotonin values, from funk to new wave melody to breakbeat rave energy.

Just when you think you've fgured out what Synapse is all about, 'Bubble" presents yet another hybrid. The hypnotc dub techno chords create a dream state in which to lose consciousness of the fact that the infectous beat already has you rocking.

The "Cosmic Freak Gas Bubble" EP from Synapse is one record to have when you need some funk to match any occasion.

The cornerstone track from Chloe´'s new album, an adventurously dark landscape dotted by Montreal rock band Suuns' singer Ben Shemie's vocals, Recall deserved this long-awaited quartet of astounding remixes, which serve as extensions of her latest full-length Endless Revisions' second single, released last October on Lumie`re Noire, the label founded by Chloe´.Moire´, Matthew Dear's latest signing to his Ghostly International label (which released the London artist's debut album in early 2017), retained a smattering of Ben's syllables, setting them to a captivating retro- futuristic remix that straddles two worlds, along the milestones of a restrained beat in a mesmerizingly ethereal and ghostly road trip that could last forever.German Crosstown Rebels signee Jonathan Kaspar's version is a more banging techno version, rounding out the EP's wide array of moods and genres. Over a formidably progressive build-up, the mood remains dark thanks to Ben's stretched-out vocals, and Recall's original universe is made more dynamic with a sped-up tempo, added percussions, and a concluding harmonisation finale that brings it all into the light. Douglas Greed, previously remixed Chloe´'s Driven (released on BPitch Control back in 2015,) similarly chops up the vocals, but takes them down a different road, reassembling the original's elements to create a different track, resulting in a fascinating free-form re-reading, an adroit upcycling, a long detour through the German producer's favoured poetic techno backroads - possibly inspired by the surroundings of Jena, Greed (a.k.a. Mario Wilms') hometown, and homebase of the Freude Am Tanzen label, the serious stable of geniuses directed by the incomparable Robag Wruhme.In a more motoric register, Autarkic's re-imagines Recall via a different narrative lens, re-populating and grounding it all at once. The Israeli Red Axes accomplice, who released an excellent debut album (I Love You Go Away) on Disco Halal last April, has a knack for propelling fanatics of rock urgency straight to the dancefloor. A gang of machines amplifies Shemie's voice, highlighting its minutiae of suffering and pleasure, leading the listener into dawn.

The Telescopes were founded in England in 1987 by chief member Stephen Lawrie and released several recordings in the late 1980s but it is in 1990, when the band signed to legendary label Creation, that they hit their stride and helped to define a decade of UK rock music. Fusing elements of psychedelia with noise-rock, and dreamy pop, The Telescopes were near the forefront of the early shoegaze scene and hugely influential on the next wave of early 1990s Brit-pop. This crucial collection complies all 4 of their 12" singles on Creation as well as a 1991 John Peel session and other bonus tracks. Issued on 180 gram 2LP with a deluxe double sided poster insert.

A high-speed car chase between a Dodge Charger and a Ford Mustang, with super-cop Bullitt at the wheel, who forces the hitman off the road and into a petrol station, which explodes and incinerates him. Prior to that, harsh clashes of metal, hubcaps flying all over the place, and the chief character Steve McQueen, who grimly changes gears and hurtles through the streets of San Francisco, wheels screaming and rubber burning. That was how Hollywood staged one of the longest and most dramatic car chases, long before the days of the Anti-Blocking-System and Anti-Slide-Control.

Very up-to-date and just as exciting as the screenplay is the music Lalo Schifrin wrote for the film, which embeds the characters, places and events in a musical context. For example, "Bullitt": the metrically angular main theme portrays a mysterious, cool character who sums up a situation with keen alertness and then makes his attack with the speed of lightning.

Initially the music travels through easy-going Latin terrain. But gradually the rhythmic texture changes and takes a rougher path, with clicks, knocks and hammering. Legendary flute lines create a compensatory placidness with airy clouds floating above the sharp mix. A really special track is "Shifting Gears": here you can listen to Schifrin tuning the car, how he manipulates a jammed springy bossa to take on the sound of clean, smooth-running rock.

This Speakers Corner LP was remastered using pure analogue components only, from the master tapes through to the cutting head. All royalties and mechanical rights have been paid.