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Mizery aus San Diego sind ein rebellisches Kraftpaket, das mit seinem Crossover-Hardcore-Sound für Aufsehen sorgen will. Mizery wurden 2014 mit ihrer EP ,Survive The Vibe" bekannt, gefolgt von ihrem 2016 erschienenen Album ,Absolute Light" (Flatspot Records). Mit ihren groovigen Rhythmen und dynamischen Live-Auftritten erregten sie schnell Aufmerksamkeit. Die Idee zu Mizery hatten die Kindheitsfreunde Jose Luna (Gesang) und Taylor Parker (Leadgitarre). Als die beiden den Schlagzeuger Cayle Sain trafen, wurde aus der Idee echt was. Bald darauf holten sie Miguel ,Mikey" Salazar am Bass dazu und begannen als Vierergruppe zu komponieren. Nach der Veröffentlichung des Albums tourten Mizery mit Genre-Größen wie Power Trip, Terror und Backtrack und nahmen Ahmad Ali am Bass auf, wodurch Mikey zur Rhythmusgitarre wechselte. Wie der Rest der Welt kam auch die Band während der Pandemie zum Stillstand, schrieb aber weiter Songs und war bereit, mit voller Kraft zurückzukommen. Im Dezember 2023 erschütterte der unerwartete Tod des Schlagzeugers Cayle Sain, der auch mit Twitching Tongues, God's Hate und GhosteMane auftrat, die Musikszene und brachte Mizery verständlicherweise zum Stillstand. Während sie ihre Trauer verarbeiteten und nachdachten, wussten die Mitglieder von Mizery, dass sie weitermachen mussten, und eine gefundene Aufnahme gab ihnen ein neues Ziel. Jose und Taylor entdeckten, dass Cayle die Vorproduktions-Demos, die sie ihm geschickt hatten, genommen und in einem professionellen Studio Schlagzeugspuren dafür aufgenommen hatte. Mit der Hilfe des Produzenten Taylor Young (The Pit) konnte die Band diese Schlagzeugspuren bekommen und sie für ihre selbstbetitelte EP verwenden. Die Mizery-EP, die am 20. März 2026 bei Flatspot Records erscheinen soll, ist ein offen politisches Album, das sich um Erneuerung und Reflexion dreht. In den sechs Tracks werden die Texte als Waffe eingesetzt, wie Jose erklärt: ,Es ist eine Reflexion einer Welt, die einige von uns sehen und andere ignorieren. Die Gewalttaten, die Angst vor Gewalt und die Auswirkungen von Gewalt." Die Songs weichen von einem geradlinigen Kurs ab und mischen mitreißende Rap-Gesangspassagen mit metallischen Riffs, einfallsreichen Grooves und einigen Überraschungen. Die Einflüsse stammen von Leeways ,Adult Crash", Merauders ,5 Deadly Venoms" und Only Living Witness' ,Innocents", kombiniert mit den Werken von Rage Against The Machine und P.O.D., die die Bandmitglieder in ihrer Jugend geprägt haben. Schon beim Opener ,Renegade Rhythm" wird klar, dass Mizery es ernst meint, wenn sie sich mit dem Zustand der Welt auseinandersetzen und dabei Musik machen, die im Kopf bleibt. ,The Weapon PT.II" ist der lauteste Track auf der EP und setzt auf Worte, um Veränderungen zu bewirken, statt auf physische Gewalt. Den Abschluss der EP bildet der selbstgerechte Song ,Eulogy" mit Gastgesang von Sammy Ciaramitaro von DRAIN. Der Song entstand als frühe Demo und war der einzige Track, für den Cayle programmierte Drums anstelle von Studioaufnahmen verwendet hatte. Um die Single zu vervollständigen, sprang Schlagzeuger David Stalsworth (Militarie Gun, Torena) bei den Aufnahmen ein und ist nun Mitglied von Mizery. Während manche die Veröffentlichung der EP als Triumph betrachten mögen, ist sie für Mizery ein Beweis für ihre Beharrlichkeit und zeigt, dass die Band bereit ist, in eine neue Ära einzutreten.

Mizery aus San Diego sind ein rebellisches Kraftpaket, das mit seinem Crossover-Hardcore-Sound für Aufsehen sorgen will. Mizery wurden 2014 mit ihrer EP ,Survive The Vibe" bekannt, gefolgt von ihrem 2016 erschienenen Album ,Absolute Light" (Flatspot Records). Mit ihren groovigen Rhythmen und dynamischen Live-Auftritten erregten sie schnell Aufmerksamkeit. Die Idee zu Mizery hatten die Kindheitsfreunde Jose Luna (Gesang) und Taylor Parker (Leadgitarre). Als die beiden den Schlagzeuger Cayle Sain trafen, wurde aus der Idee echt was. Bald darauf holten sie Miguel ,Mikey" Salazar am Bass dazu und begannen als Vierergruppe zu komponieren. Nach der Veröffentlichung des Albums tourten Mizery mit Genre-Größen wie Power Trip, Terror und Backtrack und nahmen Ahmad Ali am Bass auf, wodurch Mikey zur Rhythmusgitarre wechselte. Wie der Rest der Welt kam auch die Band während der Pandemie zum Stillstand, schrieb aber weiter Songs und war bereit, mit voller Kraft zurückzukommen. Im Dezember 2023 erschütterte der unerwartete Tod des Schlagzeugers Cayle Sain, der auch mit Twitching Tongues, God's Hate und GhosteMane auftrat, die Musikszene und brachte Mizery verständlicherweise zum Stillstand. Während sie ihre Trauer verarbeiteten und nachdachten, wussten die Mitglieder von Mizery, dass sie weitermachen mussten, und eine gefundene Aufnahme gab ihnen ein neues Ziel. Jose und Taylor entdeckten, dass Cayle die Vorproduktions-Demos, die sie ihm geschickt hatten, genommen und in einem professionellen Studio Schlagzeugspuren dafür aufgenommen hatte. Mit der Hilfe des Produzenten Taylor Young (The Pit) konnte die Band diese Schlagzeugspuren bekommen und sie für ihre selbstbetitelte EP verwenden. Die Mizery-EP, die am 20. März 2026 bei Flatspot Records erscheinen soll, ist ein offen politisches Album, das sich um Erneuerung und Reflexion dreht. In den sechs Tracks werden die Texte als Waffe eingesetzt, wie Jose erklärt: ,Es ist eine Reflexion einer Welt, die einige von uns sehen und andere ignorieren. Die Gewalttaten, die Angst vor Gewalt und die Auswirkungen von Gewalt." Die Songs weichen von einem geradlinigen Kurs ab und mischen mitreißende Rap-Gesangspassagen mit metallischen Riffs, einfallsreichen Grooves und einigen Überraschungen. Die Einflüsse stammen von Leeways ,Adult Crash", Merauders ,5 Deadly Venoms" und Only Living Witness' ,Innocents", kombiniert mit den Werken von Rage Against The Machine und P.O.D., die die Bandmitglieder in ihrer Jugend geprägt haben. Schon beim Opener ,Renegade Rhythm" wird klar, dass Mizery es ernst meint, wenn sie sich mit dem Zustand der Welt auseinandersetzen und dabei Musik machen, die im Kopf bleibt. ,The Weapon PT.II" ist der lauteste Track auf der EP und setzt auf Worte, um Veränderungen zu bewirken, statt auf physische Gewalt. Den Abschluss der EP bildet der selbstgerechte Song ,Eulogy" mit Gastgesang von Sammy Ciaramitaro von DRAIN. Der Song entstand als frühe Demo und war der einzige Track, für den Cayle programmierte Drums anstelle von Studioaufnahmen verwendet hatte. Um die Single zu vervollständigen, sprang Schlagzeuger David Stalsworth (Militarie Gun, Torena) bei den Aufnahmen ein und ist nun Mitglied von Mizery. Während manche die Veröffentlichung der EP als Triumph betrachten mögen, ist sie für Mizery ein Beweis für ihre Beharrlichkeit und zeigt, dass die Band bereit ist, in eine neue Ära einzutreten.

2026 Repress

Philippa Pacho launches her new record label, 'phorum,' with a powerful debut release from Phil Berg. Titled 'Thrust' the EP delivers four expertly crafted dancefloor tools, offering a solid selection for any serious Techno DJ.

IARC108LP – black vinyl / IARC108LPI – indies exclusive grapefruit colour vinyl. All formats are extremely limited and orders may be subject to cutbacks.

IARC108LP – black vinyl / IARC108LPI – indies exclusive grapefruit colour vinyl. All formats are extremely limited and orders may be subject to cutbacks.

Mit ITS MANY FACES legen DERRY ihr lange erwartetes Debütalbum vor und machen unmissverständlich klar, warum sie längst fest zur deutschen Horror-Punk-Szene gehören. Nach der EP REMEMBER THE CURFEW, erscheint auch das Album auf Fett Fleck Records und bündelt all das, wofür die Marburger Band steht: düstere Stories, treibender Punkrock und eine kompromisslose Liebe zum Horror. Horrorpunk, Skate Punk und melodischem Punk Rock mit klarem 90s-Vibe - DERRY schaffen den Spagat zwischen roher Direktheit und eingängigen Hooks, zwischen dunkler Atmosphäre und maximalem Vorwärtsdrang. Schnörkellos, druckvoll und hochgradig eingängig - ein Sound, der gleichermaßen im Club, auf dem Weg zur Arbeit und im Festival-Moshpit funktioniert. ITS MANY FACES ist mehr als nur eine Sammlung von Songs - es ist ein geschlossenes Werk, ein Liebesbrief an den Horror, an Punkrock und an Stephen King: inhaltlich ist es nämlich ein konsequentes Konzeptalbum, das sich ausschließlich Stephen Kings ES bzw. IT widmet, der Roman bildet die Grundlage der Recherchen, Texte und Motive. Die bereits veröffentlichten Singles Laurie Ann, Deadlights, Afraid of Spiders sowie die finale Vorab-Single 29 Neibolt St. beleuchten dabei unterschiedliche Facetten derselben Geschichte - und fügen sich zu einem geschlossenen, düsteren Gesamtbild zusammen. Und bitte auch das famose Coverartwork beachten. Sehr gelungene, runde Sache das. Auf farbigem Vinyl oder als Digipak-CD zu haben.

Mit ITS MANY FACES legen DERRY ihr lange erwartetes Debütalbum vor und machen unmissverständlich klar, warum sie längst fest zur deutschen Horror-Punk-Szene gehören. Nach der EP REMEMBER THE CURFEW, erscheint auch das Album auf Fett Fleck Records und bündelt all das, wofür die Marburger Band steht: düstere Stories, treibender Punkrock und eine kompromisslose Liebe zum Horror. Horrorpunk, Skate Punk und melodischem Punk Rock mit klarem 90s-Vibe - DERRY schaffen den Spagat zwischen roher Direktheit und eingängigen Hooks, zwischen dunkler Atmosphäre und maximalem Vorwärtsdrang. Schnörkellos, druckvoll und hochgradig eingängig - ein Sound, der gleichermaßen im Club, auf dem Weg zur Arbeit und im Festival-Moshpit funktioniert. ITS MANY FACES ist mehr als nur eine Sammlung von Songs - es ist ein geschlossenes Werk, ein Liebesbrief an den Horror, an Punkrock und an Stephen King: inhaltlich ist es nämlich ein konsequentes Konzeptalbum, das sich ausschließlich Stephen Kings ES bzw. IT widmet, der Roman bildet die Grundlage der Recherchen, Texte und Motive. Die bereits veröffentlichten Singles Laurie Ann, Deadlights, Afraid of Spiders sowie die finale Vorab-Single 29 Neibolt St. beleuchten dabei unterschiedliche Facetten derselben Geschichte - und fügen sich zu einem geschlossenen, düsteren Gesamtbild zusammen. Und bitte auch das famose Coverartwork beachten. Sehr gelungene, runde Sache das. Auf farbigem Vinyl oder als Digipak-CD zu haben.

What's the first thing you think of when someone mentions Thee Oh Sees? Probably their riot-sparking live show, right? Visions of a guitar-chewing, melody-maiming John Dwyer careening across your cranium, rounded out by a wild-eyed wrecking crew that drives every last hook home like it's a nail in the coffin of what you thought it meant to make 21st-century rock 'n' roll? Yeah, that sounds about right. But it misses a more important point-how impossible Thee Oh Sees have been to pin down since Dwyer launched the project in the late '90s as a solo break from such sorely missed underground bands as Pink and Brown and Coachwhips. (While Dwyer still records songs on his own, Thee Oh Sees is now a five-piece featuring keyboardist / singer Brigid Dawson, guitarist Petey Dammit, drummer Mike Shoun and multi-instrumentalist / singer Lars Finberg.) That restlessness extends to everything from the towering, thirteen-minute title track of 2010's Warm Smile LP to the mercurial moods of 2008's The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In. Now, Thee Oh Sees chase the home-brewed symphonies of Castlemania with the scrappy, high-wire hooks of Carrion Crawler / The Dream. Originally envisioned as two EPs, it was cut live to tape in less than a week at Chris Woodhouse's Sacramento studio in June, reflecting the battering-ram bent of the band's live show better than any bootleg ever could. "As I'm sure most would agree," explains Dwyer, "Castlemania was more of a vocal tirade. This one's meant to pummel and throb." That it does, whether one blasts the slow, speaker-bruising build of "The Dream," the sunburnt organs and dovetailing guitars of "Crack in Your Eye" or the interstellar instrumental "Chem-Farmer," a perfect example of what happens when one takes a well-oiled machine-a gang of rabid road warriors, really-and adds a second, groove-locked drum set to the mix. To listen is to realize that Dwyer's music is as manic as the underground comic inclinations of his artwork; colorful and confusing in a way that's more than welcome. It's downright refreshing, like a slap in the face at 5:00 in the morning. Or, as Dwyer puts it, "You have to leave a mark somehow."

Driveline Records launches its catalog with a focused four-track vinyl EP built for the dancefloor, presenting four distinct yet cohesive techno cuts driven by groove, atmosphere and functionality.

The A-side opens with Invexis - "Roots", a hypnotic builder that slowly unfolds into a funky-driven rhythm. Tight hi-hats and rolling basslines carry the track forward, culminating in a subtle yet engaging melodic progression that lifts the energy without losing tension.

Next, Pylot - "Observation" delivers a highly functional club tool based on steady loops and an aquatic sound design. Aggressive low-end and raw basslines support an atmospheric and hypnotic flow, making it a solid choice for mid-set pressure and long blends.

On the B-side, Berlin-based duo Disguised contribute "Gitty (Dub Mix)", a dub-influenced and dreamy track designed to keep the dancefloor moving while creating a floating, immersive mood. Deep grooves and spacey textures balance rhythm and emotion.

Closing the EP, Shadow Hrym - "Delia" explores more melancholic territory, combining tribal and funky rhythms with emotive soundscapes, offering a powerful and memorable ending to the record.

A strong debut statement that defines Driveline Records' sonic vision: DJ-oriented techno with depth, groove and atmosphere, pressed on vinyl for dedicated selectors.

“Tectonic” is a concise portrait of SIMON BERZ’s geological sound explorations across continents over the last 15 years: drums, electronics, and a set of electronically manipulated basalt stones from Iceland.

SIMON BERZ is a transdisciplinary drummer, sound artist, and music educator based in Switzerland and Berlin. Working at the intersection of improvised music, sound art, and performance, and deliberately crossing boundaries between disciplines, his aesthetics are shaped by a sustained engagement with natural materials, particularly stone, and their sonic transformation through electronic manipulation. Beyond his performance work, BERZ founded BADABUM as an art label and a music school.

For the last 30 years, BERZ has been performing in Japan, China, Russia, the USA, Cuba, Iceland, Turkey, and across Europe. He has collaborated with artists including BILL LASWELL,BABY SOMMER, DAMO SUZUKI (CAN), JAMES TURRELL, JIMI TENOR, JOHN SINGLAIR, JOJO MAYER (NERVE), KONDO TOSHINORI, KIDD JORDAN, LAUREN NEWTON, LEE “SCRATCH“ PERRY, MAURO PAWLOWSKI (dEUS), NILS PETTER MOLVÆR, NIKI GLASPIE, NORBERT MÖSLANG, PAUL LOWENS, PFADFINDEREI, ROB MAZUREK, SKÚLI SVERRISSON, and he was the live drummer for APPARAT. As BERZ understands artistic practice as energy emerging from nature and through dialogue with people, his recorded output is intentionally selective, with one highlight being “Beats versus Breath” with KONDO and LASWELL (2023). Alongside a regular drumkit and electronics, he has developed his own instruments such as the “Lithophon” in which resonating stones are turned into amplified sound through water drops, and “Tectonic”, a set of Icelandic basalt stones shaped through electronic manipulation. These self- built instruments form the material basis for his performances, installations, and sound recordings.

“Tectonic” is also the title of BERZ’s latest work: a summary of his geological sound explorations across continents. From Iceland to Indonesia and Bali, from New Orleans to China, in caves and at shores, BERZ carried his millions-of-years-old basalt stones as both instrument and collaborator. On Java, he met Baron, a builder of stone gamelan instruments. At the Pacitan Tabuhan Cave (Indonesia) he performed with MISBACH BILOK and WUKIR SURYADI (SENYAWA) who work with corals as instruments. BERZ brought these encounters and “field recordings” to the Stöðvarfjörður studio in Iceland, where he recorded with his “Tectonic” set-up, drums, and electronics. The music was later mixed in Berlin by DIRK DRESSELHAUS (SCHNEIDER TM). The resulting album moves from club-driven tracks to ambient passages, from gamelan-inspired textures to HipHop-like beat patterns. It resists easy categorization while staying direct and physical in its impact.

This EP marks a natural convergence for Primal Instinct. Built around pure dancefloor intent, it presents a focused spectrum of moods, unified by intent. Each track is unmistakably Temudo, and unmistakably Primal Instinct: physical, driven, and designed to move bodies first and foremost.
The release is the result of close collaboration between Temudo and the label. A shared framework took shape, allowing Temudo to adapt to the vision without altering his sound, forming a joint effort where two aesthetics align.
Visually, an image rooted in memories of Carnival in Temudo's hometown becomes the perfect symbol: chaotic, social, and in constant motion, reflecting the absurdity of life and the human condition.

Strut Records presents a fresh look at Oblivion Express, the 1971 album that marked Brian Auger’s shift into a new musical frontier. After years spent shaping the sound of British jazz-soul with the Trinity, Auger stepped into the new decade with a leaner, electrified ensemble and a renewed sense of purpose. This record captures the moment that transformation took shape.

Oblivion Express introduced a sound that was distinctly Auger’s own. Rather than echoing the fusion emerging in the United States, Auger developed a language rooted in the UK’s jazz underground, culminating in a spaced out jazz- rock / prog-fusion album awash with larger than life drum fills and Auger’s virtuosic organ playing. Between bassist Barry Dean and drummer Robbie McIntosh the album moves effortlessly between tight, articulated phrases and broader, improvisational passages. The trio’s interplay forms the backbone of the album and sets the tone for the sound that would define the early years of the Express.

Album opener “Dragon Song” launches with a restless drive that immediately signals Auger’s new direction. Auger chose to record this version of John McLaughlin’s piece (his friend and former bandmate in 'The Niddy Griddys') after hearing McLaughlin’s album Devotion during its mix at New York’s Record Plant Studios. Auger was blown away, recalling, “Oh my god, this is amazing. I wanted to record that myself - and I did!”. Pieces like “Total Eclipse” demonstrate the Oblivion Express’ command of dynamic contrast, and title track “Oblivion Express” explores the cinematic and compositional prowess of the group through stripped back, building moments vs. explosive melodic breakdowns. Riff-heavy “The Sword” later became known through Madlib’s usage in 2014 tracks “Yeti Movie” and “Parodies”.

In retrospect, Oblivion Express stands as a jazz leaning, prog-rock masterpiece and foundational moment in Auger’s catalogue. It captures the starting point of a new sound that is more focused, more urgent, and fully committed to the possibilities of jazz-rock at the dawn of the seventies. The album remains a vivid document of a band discovering its identity and setting the stage for the further array of influential releases that would follow.

Repress!

Legendary NYC house label Strictly Rhythm is celebrating a mammoth 3 decades of cutting edge, roof-raising house music. Truly a benchmark. Originally founded in 1989 by the dynamic pairing of music industry man Mark Finkelstein and A&R expert Gladys Pizarro, Strictly tapped directly into the fertile New York underground & after hours club scene, helping to launch and bolster the recording careers of dance music luminaries like Armand Van Helden, Roger Sanchez, Ultra Nate, Todd Terry, Wamdue Project, DJ Sneak, Louie Vega,
and many more ...

Strictly Rhythm is easily one of the most recognisable and respected dance music powerhouses of all time.
Across 3 limited double vinyl offerings, the Strictly catalogue has been expertly picked over to present you with a snapshot of some of the most earth shattering house music to emanate from the streets of New York City.

A who's who of producers and artists, all killer and no filler. End to end classics that help to tell the story of one of dance music's most well loved labels. Classic cuts and essentials from Armand Van Helden, Logic, Roger Sanchez (Underground Solution), Photon INC and more all feature on part 2 in their unedited, 12" mix glory.

Fully legit, remastered and selected with love courtesy of Strictly Rhythm and Above Board distribution for 2020 - Happy birthday Strictly Rhythm!

Für Chantal Michelle ist das Komponieren von Musik wie eine Art Choreografie. In surrealen Klangwelten verbinden sich verschiedene Töne miteinander - sie bewegen sich zusammen und entfernen sich dann wieder voneinander - in einem Prozess, der sich ständig im Hörfeld wiederholt. Diese sich ständig verändernde Konstellation zeigt, wie zerbrechlich und veränderlich Wahrnehmung sein kann, ein Thema, das in Michelles Arbeit immer wieder auftaucht. Michelle, die schon früh eine Tanzausbildung absolvierte, bringt eine ausgeprägte räumliche Sensibilität in ihre Arbeit ein: ein intuitives Verständnis dafür, wie Formen koexistieren und sich durch drei Dimensionen bewegen, sowie eine Wertschätzung für die Schönheit, die sich in ungewöhnlichen Gegenüberstellungen von Materialien und Ideen findet. Seit sie 2021 ihre Solokarriere gestartet hat, hat sie internationale Anerkennung für ihre geduldigen, akribischen Aufnahmen bekommen, die oft zusammen mit Installationen, Mehrkanalkompositionen und Klangskulpturen entstehen. Innerhalb dieser subtil verwirrenden Klangarchitekturen können neue Beziehungen entstehen, neue Grenzen gezogen werden, und die Zuhörer werden zu einer Erfahrung von Zeit eingeladen, die sich der Linearität widersetzt. All Things Might Spill, Michelles erstes Album für Shelter Press, ist eine Auseinandersetzung mit anhaltender Spannung und der mysteriösen Erfahrung der Zeitdehnung in den Momenten kurz vor einem Bruch oder Zusammenbruch. Die Musik bewegt sich in einem Raum der Instabilität, und obwohl sie durchgehende Töne und definierte melodische Phrasen verwendet, herrscht eine Atmosphäre der Unentschlossenheit - wie ein Moment der Unruhe, der auf unbestimmte Zeit in der Schwebe bleibt. Ein Großteil des Albums wurde in den Wintermonaten 2024 in Berlin aufgenommen, wobei viele frühe Morgenstunden in einem Raum subtiler Unruhe verbracht wurden. Man sagt, dass Licht in die Dunkelheit eindringt, und diese Übergangszeit, die von Erwartungen geprägt ist, ist in der Musik zu hören. In ,Presence of Border" winden und verflechten sich nebulöse Stimmen, während sie über mehrdeutigen Harmonien schweben, die sich in unendliche Ferne zu erstrecken scheinen. Die beiden kurzen Stücke ,Magnetic Field I" und ,Magnetic Field II" enthalten bearbeitete Aufnahmen einer Tromba Marina, gespielt von der argentinischen Klangkünstlerin Alma Laprida. Die Gegenüberstellung von kratzigen Tönen und hauchzarten Obertönen erzeugt tamburaähnliche Drones, die den Zuhörer in einen schwer fassbaren Mittelpunkt ziehen. Später auf dem Album gibt es in ,Drying of Frozen Soils" modale Klarinettenlinien von Severin Black, die anfangs in dem nebligen, synthetischen Hintergrund fast nicht zu hören sind, bevor sie sich zu einem gespenstischen Kontrapunkt entwickeln. Eine ähnliche Struktur aus Unklarheit und Klarheit prägt den Titeltrack, in dem wortlose Gesänge eine laute Feldaufnahme durchdringen, die auf einer Fähre aufgenommen wurde, die den East River von Brooklyn nach Manhattan überquert. Das ist Musik mit einem weitläufigen Terrain und einer dichten Atmosphäre. Veränderungen sind langsam, aber dramatisch, jede Verschiebung ist sorgfältig geplant, um Gefühle des Staunens und der Vorfreude zu wecken und gleichzeitig eine erhabene Sensibilität dafür zu bewahren, wie einzelne Klänge mit der Bewegung ihrer Umgebung in Beziehung stehen. Michelle verzichtet meisterhaft auf Narrative und komponiert in drei Dimensionen. Wir bleiben mit der Mehrdeutigkeit des Wortes ,might" zurück - der anhaltenden Möglichkeit des energetischen Ansturms des Bruchs, des Ausbrechens, mal am Horizont, mal unmittelbar bevorstehend, irgendwie beides gleichzeitig.

Dusty Springfield hosted this impromptu TV special to promote the Tamla Motown artists that were taking part in their first ever European tour in 1965. Motown sent over their six premier - The Supremes, The Temptations, The Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Martha & The Vandellas were all backed by the Motown house band, The Earl Van Dyke Sextet. Dusty was a huge Motown fan and was keen to play her part in bringing the acts to a wider audience. The Beatles and the Stones also went out of their way to give Motown a mention in their interviews. Remember, Motown had only just launched its label in Europe earlier that year and the artists were known only to a small number of soul aficionados, so ticket sales for the tour were very poor. Mary Wilson recalls that the acts referred to it as the ghost tour, but they all put a performance for this fabulous TV show.

If you could go back in time ten years, what would you want to tell yourself? This was a question Khruangbin posed to themselves when approaching the ten-year anniversary of their debut album, the once cult classic, now genre-defining work The Universe Smiles Upon You. “If we could go back and tell ourselves how much was going to happen to us after that record, what would we want to
celebrate?” asked Laura Lee, bassist, vocalist, and founding member of the band. Instead, they thought: “Let’s do it again.”
The Universe Smiles Upon You ii was recorded on January 4-6, 2025, in the same family barn of guitarist Mark Speer, across the
same dates where TUSUY was first conceived ten years earlier. Though the conditions were the same–dirt floor, brutally cold,
minimal sound isolation, all takes live–the songs aren’t. They’re re-approached, some changed more than others, harnessing the lightning-in-a-bottle energy of TUSUY while discovering what would be unique this time around, in this stage of the band’s life.
The result moves like ripples on the water across ten hypnotizing tracks, the barn creating a sense of spaciousness, serenity and creative freedom, nearby wildlife (listen out for the birds on “August Twelve ii”), rattles and creaks of the barn and all. It’s a tapestry of small movements in nuanced arrangements, slowly revealing the new life, stories and character of someone you’ve met again for the first time in ten years.

Wewantsounds is delighted to release for the 1st time on vinyl Brion Gysin's cult recordings, produced by Ramuntcho Matta in the 80s and early 90s. The release features the hypnotic 32-minute journey "Dreamachine," which transforms the effects of Gysin's legendary light art device into a mesmerizing audio experience, alongside the track "The Door," featuring the visionary saxophonist Steve Lacy. A towering figure in avant-garde art, literature, and sound, Gysin influenced generations of creators, from William Burroughs to David Bowie and Laurie Anderson. Newly remastered and accompanied by liner notes by Gysin scholar Jason Weiss, this LP edition coincides with a major exhibition dedicated to Gysin at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, opening Spring 2026, underscoring his lasting impact on contemporary culture.

A journey into the raw and visceral origins: from the demo sessions mixed by Steve Albini to the night of the very first secret show on December 20th, 1988. In the heart of Chicago, Geordie and Martin Atkins turned frustration and distance into pure creative energy, recording the now-legendary "Black Cassette" demos at Albini"s house. Distorted, menacing bass lines, unruly oscillators, and Albini running endlessly up and down the stairs between the basement drum room and the pantry control room defined a sound that was brutally direct and uncompromising. The first interactions with the Yamaha drum machine foreshadowed elements that would later shape parts of the album. Those sessions sparked essential ideas, while the future studio - purchased from Steve and moved to Wabash Ave - would soon become the core of Invisible Records and Killing Joke"s operations. On the other side, a truly rare document: excerpts from Atkins"s very first show with the band, at Burberries in Birmingham on December 20th, 1988. In a small, mirror-lined club filled with tension, adrenaline, and inevitable collisions with the walls, Extremities, The Fanatic, Intravenous, and The Beautiful Dead were performed publicly for the first time. It was the night when everything ignited: the blast beat still in its embryonic stage, the controlled fury Geordie demanded - "can you go a bit more Moonie on it?" - and above all Jaz"s theatrical yet strikingly genuine laughter. Not just joy, but a declaration: a giant "fuck off" to the doubters and a prelude of what was about to come. A raw, essential, indispensable testimony: the birth of an era.

A journey into the raw and visceral origins: from the demo sessions mixed by Steve Albini to the night of the very first secret show on December 20th, 1988. In the heart of Chicago, Geordie and Martin Atkins turned frustration and distance into pure creative energy, recording the now-legendary "Black Cassette" demos at Albini"s house. Distorted, menacing bass lines, unruly oscillators, and Albini running endlessly up and down the stairs between the basement drum room and the pantry control room defined a sound that was brutally direct and uncompromising. The first interactions with the Yamaha drum machine foreshadowed elements that would later shape parts of the album. Those sessions sparked essential ideas, while the future studio - purchased from Steve and moved to Wabash Ave - would soon become the core of Invisible Records and Killing Joke"s operations. On the other side, a truly rare document: excerpts from Atkins"s very first show with the band, at Burberries in Birmingham on December 20th, 1988. In a small, mirror-lined club filled with tension, adrenaline, and inevitable collisions with the walls, Extremities, The Fanatic, Intravenous, and The Beautiful Dead were performed publicly for the first time. It was the night when everything ignited: the blast beat still in its embryonic stage, the controlled fury Geordie demanded - "can you go a bit more Moonie on it?" - and above all Jaz"s theatrical yet strikingly genuine laughter. Not just joy, but a declaration: a giant "fuck off" to the doubters and a prelude of what was about to come. A raw, essential, indispensable testimony: the birth of an era.

Rising singer-songwriter Hetta Falzon announces her debut EP ‘Henrietta’, due for release on March 13th. Marking a new chapter for the Manchester-based artist, the EP captures Hetta at her most self-aware and emotionally articulate yet - balancing tenderness, humour and quiet self-reckoning across a collection of deeply personal songs. Following recent releases ‘Thank God It’s Mum’s (Live at Mum’s)’, ‘The Rabbit Hole’ and ‘I Hope You Notice Me’, Henrietta expands Hetta’s soft, soulful world while keeping its emotional core intact. Where earlier releases leaned into stillness and vulnerability, the EP introduces moments of lightness and observational wit - songs that don’t shy away from heartbreak, but aren’t afraid to smile at it either.

Demetrio Castellucci and Massimo Pupillo present the music of Sleep Technique, a performance by Dewey Dell inspired by the Chauvet cave and its ancient cave paintings.
The music comes to life anew on record, an immersion into the depths of sonic particles, moist electroacoustic rhythms, the repeated forms of speleothems, and the electric bass that scrapes the walls, shaping them into concave or convex surfaces. A voice that moves incredibly slowly, yet is in constant motion, like the millennia-old, unceasing erosion of water.
The album’s journey follows the geography of the cave in reverse, moving from its deepest chamber back to the entrance.

Demetrio Castellucci is a composer and sound designer who has been involved in theater productions, choreography, and film since 2004. Around the same time, he began performing as a DJ, favoring an omnitemporal approach geared toward dance that transcends musical genres. Since 2006, he has been a member of the dance company Dewey Dell, and since 2007, he has been active as Black Fanfare, a maximalist electroacoustic project. He has collaborated on performances by Andreco and Enrico Ticconi/Ginevra Panzetti, as well as on films by Ahmed Ben Nessib, Beatrice Pucci, and Ilaria di Carlo. After living in London and Berlin, he settled in Vilnius, where in 2018 he founded Unarcheology, a digital platform that publishes music and radio programs. He is also active as Airport Gad, an ambient project which, together with Unarcheology, launched its own “Airline Company”: concerts in a flight simulator built from cardboard, where the pilots are also the musicians.

Massimo Pupillo is best known as a founding member of the band Zu, with whom he has released 18 albums and performed over 2,000 live shows worldwide. He has maintained a highly open and multidisciplinary approach that has led him to work with some of the most acclaimed figures in the contemporary art world: South African photographer Roger Ballen, actors Malcolm McDowell and Marton Csokas, Romeo Castellucci and Chiara Guidi of Societas Raffaello Sanzio, American choreographer Meg Stuart, poet Anne Waldman, and Italian poet Gabriele Tinti, among others. He has collaborated live and in the studio with avant-garde musicians and composers such as Alvin Curran, piano duo Katia & Marielle Labèque, and classical virtuosos like Viktoria Mullova and Giovanni Sollima. He has also worked with some of the most influential names in the international rock scene, including Mike Patton, Thurston Moore, Jim O’Rourke (Sonic Youth), Guy Picciotto & Joe Lally (Fugazi), Buzz Osborne (Melvins), and Damo Suzuki (CAN).

In the field of improvised music, he has collaborated with Peter Brötzmann, Toshinori Kondo, Mats Gustafsson, Ken Vandermark, and Tony Buck, among others. Within the experimental music scene, his collaborations include Oren Ambarchi, David Tibet (Current 93), Thighpaulsandra (Coil), Stephen O’Malley (Sunn O))), Abul Mogard, Mick Harris (Scorn), Gordon Sharp (This Mortal Coil), FM Einheit (Einstürzende Neubauten), and many more. In cinema, he composed the score for Kirill Serebrennikov’s film LIMONOV, presented at Festival de Cannes in 2024.

With classics like "I've Got You Under My Skin," "Come Fly With Me," "The Lady Is A Tramp," "I Get A Kick Out Of You," and "Love And Marriage," he defined the art of popular singing. A master interpreter of song, Sinatra's influence extends far beyond music, symbolizing sophistication and enduring American cool.

The beauty, confusion, complexity, and intensity of their youth - lived under the shadow and around the scars of conflict - are entangled in the industrial dance-punk hybrid encoded in the record's DNA, aptly entitled Crystalpunk. "This record is us waving a flag for that generation -- the ones who inherited confusion, resilience, and a fractured sense of self." They're waving that flag as intensely as possible too. For the uninitiated, Chalk mainlines the reaction between genres, eras, and cultures, commuting this collision into their sound. The Belfast group could comfortably power an underground warehouse party after-dark, incite a mid-day festival mosh-pit, or shake an arena on any given evening.

Their power has seamlessly translated to the stage with the group packing venues and delivering alternately sweaty and electrifying performances to a growing rabid fan base. As a group, they've sold out shows across the UK, EU and USA, notched festival performances such as Glastonbury, SXSW, BBK, Trans Musicals and more across 11 countries and were handpicked to tour alongside IDLES and Fontaines D.C.. Coming from dissimilar backgrounds and rallying together naturally, Ben and Ross first crossed paths in film school. As the story goes, Ben had noticed a framed poster of Dublin disruptors Gilla Band in one of Ross's Instagram photos and felt a kinship before ever actually speaking to him.

"Nobody else at our school was into experimental noise guitar bands, so that was all I needed to see," laughs Ben. Emerging in 2022, Chalk initially made waves with songs like "Them," "Velodrome," and "Static." Ultimately, they come-of-age and tell a story that resonates beyond borders. Not just a portrait of the band, but one of their home, a complicated place where the sacrifices made and risks taken by activists, artists, ravers and punks created the only environment that a band like Chalk could emerge from. Crystalpunk is not about choosing a side, it's about choosing the future.

A mix of metallic doomgaze, epic gothic soundscapes and post punk attitude. Loud and crushing, yet sharp enough to stick in your head for days. There are two kinds of heavy bands: the ones that make a lot of noise and the ones that drag you somewhere you didn't know you needed to go. Cwfen (pronounced 'Coven') are the latter, and Sorrows is a record that doesn't just crush - it haunts long after the final note. The allure of Cwfen's sound lies in contrasts: the glacial ferocity of Amenra, with the velvet-and-razor vocals of King Woman, and the rotting grandeur of Type O Negative. It's as hypnotic as it is harrowing, but somehow even better than the sum of those parts. Since emerging from Glasgow's underground just 18 months ago, Cwfen's reputation is growing, selling out shows and pulling growing audiences into their doom-laden fever dream. Released in October, the band's debut single 'Reliks' was a hit with fans and critics, landing a spot on Kerrang!'s release of the week playlist. And rightly so. Their sound devours and delights in equal measure. "Cwfen have emerged from the darkest depths of the Caledonian underground with a beguiling blend of doom metal and gothic post-punk for those who like to live deliciously." Kerrang! Sorrows lives in the space around doom where the weight of the riffs is matched by the weight in your chest, where the lyrics and the songwriting are as important as the music itself. Loud and crushing, yet sharp enough to stick in your head for days. It builds, burns, collapses, resurrects. Big on riffs, bigger on feeling. The kind of songs you carry with you. Singer and rhythm guitarist Agnes Alder bears her claws one minute, then whispers the next, as the band follows like a storm front, rising, breaking, drowning you in the weight of it. From the guttural Penance to the lush Whispers, to the feral Wolfsbane and the insurrectionist Rite. It includes a long reworking of Embers and Bodies, the two self-recorded demos that launched them into the scene with a bang and their growing legion of fans already adore. Intricate vocal arrangements, heavy and harsh guitars, a mix of atmosphere and heft, it undoubtedly punches above its weight for a debut. As Agnes says: "When we stopped trying to fit into any one space, what came out was this beautiful mix of dark and light. Something visceral and cathartic." This is a band that sits right in the boundaries between the heavy genres, pulling in everyone from the young goths and to the die-hard metalheads alike and 'Sorrows' truly does deliver in spades. Make no mistake, Cwfen are set to be one of the names to watch in 2025. FFO: Chelsea Wolfe, Zetra, King Woman, Type O Negative, Alcest, Faetooth, Liturgy. Limited vinyl pressing, 500 copies in transparent red vinyl. Full colour Gatefold outer sleeve, with a full colour printed inner sleeve, Full download included as well.

Limited Green LP is for Indies only. all LPs include a DL card. Island Family is the fifth album from Isle-of-Eigg dwelling electro-acoustic psych-pop wonder Pictish Trail, AKA Johnny Lynch. A strange, unpredictable, sardonic and yet deeply personal record inspired by all from Fever Ray to The Flaming Lips, Liars, Mercury Rev and Beck, Island Family is Pictish Trail's contrarian view of arcadia; a search for the euphoric in the bucolic, bound up in sometimes conflicting ideas and feelings around nature and environment, sincerity and artifice, escapism and belonging. It's an album about how no man can remain an island, however hard he might try. Released by Fire Records, with support from Johnny's own label Lost Map, and produced by long-term collaborator Rob Jones (The Voluntary Butler Scheme, The Gene Dudley Group), 'Island Family' opens with its title track, a song of death, ghosts and the ties that bind, fusing abrasive electronic beats with a tongue-in-cheek fireside folk refrain and the haunted ice cream van melody of a digitally reincarnated traditional Scottish jig. A purgative surrender to nature's whim driven by a clattering machine drumbeat rolled in a puddle of filthy dirty fuzz, 'Natural Successor' is five-and-a-half-minutes of cathartic churning bass. 'In The Land of The Dead' is an eight-bit glitch-core reflection on island party excesses spasming into existential dread and regret, suitably accompanied by a funereal mariachi band. It's followed by the epic 'It Came Back', the understated verses and arms-aloft falsetto chorus of which are accompanied by a tense, foreboding bass-driven electro hip hop instrumental with (spoiler) a brain-shattering industrial-metal meltdown. 'Melody Something' is the album's purest moment, a cautiously uplifting solar-powered-ballad about losing track of time in the cycle of the seasons, and the gap between memory and reality. Shapeshifting closer 'Remote Control' is a channel hopping cabin-fever-dream flipping from warped boyband ballad to deep-fried fuzz pop. "One of my favourite artists" Lauren Laverne, BBC 6 Music

Kim Gordon hat Kunst und Noise über Jahrzehnte immer wieder neu gedacht - und dabei nie an Schärfe verloren. Vierzig Jahre nach ihren Anfängen wirkt ihre Vision noch immer provokant. Dieses Abenteuer setzt sie mit ihrem dritten Soloalbum "PLAY ME" fort, das am 13. März bei Matador Records erscheint. Mit der Ankündigung erscheint die erste Single "NOT TODAY", begleitet von einem Kurzfilm der Modedesignerinnen und Filmemacherinnen Kate und Laura Mulleavy (Rodarte). Gordon trägt darin ein eigens für sie gefertigtes, handgefärbtes Seidentüllkleid. Der Song offenbart eine neue, fast poetische Spannung in ihrer Stimme: "Da kam eine andere Stimme zum Vorschein", so Gordon. "PLAY ME" ist ein konzentriertes, direktes Album, das ihren Sound um melodischere Beats und den motorischen Drive des Krautrock erweitert. Entstanden ist es erneut mit Produzent Justin Raisen (Charli XCX, Sky Ferreira, Yves Tumor). Die Songs sind kurz, prägnant und stark rhythmusorientiert - fokussierter und selbstbewusster als zuvor. Nach "No Home Record" (2019) und "The Collective" (2024, zwei Grammy-Nominierungen) richtet Gordon den Blick auf die Gegenwart: Tech-Macht, KI-getriebene Kulturverflachung, den Abbau demokratischer Strukturen und den absurden Alltag des Spätkapitalismus. Trotz dieser Themen ist "PLAY ME" ein nach innen gewandtes, geradezu körperliches und ebenso emotionales Album. Mit verzerrten Stimmen und schroffen Beats legen Songs wie "Square Jaw", "Dirty Tech" oder "Busy Bee" gesellschaftliche Realitäten frei. Der Titeltrack entlarvt die Logik einer durchkuratierten Komfortkultur. "PLAY ME" ist radikal gegenwärtig, widerständig und kompromisslos eigenständig.

Die Ende der 90er Jahre gegründete Band Unwed Sailor aus Tulsa macht einen einzigartigen Bass-lastigen Instrumental-Pop mit Post-Rock-Elementen, der zwischen knallharter Härte und luftiger Melodik schwankt. Seit sie 2019 nach einer zehnjährigen Pause zurück sind, haben sie mit ihrer kreativen Energie und dem Mischen von Genres ihre bisher besten Werke rausgebracht, darunter "Mute The Charm" (2023), "Underwater Over There" (2024) und "Cruel Entertainment" (2025). Für ihr elftes Album, "High Remembrance", brachte Gründungsmitglied Johnathon Ford eine Reihe von zu Hause aufgenommenen Entwürfen, Demos und Hooks ins Studio, wo sie unter der Leitung der langjährigen Mitstreiter Matt Putman (Schlagzeug) und David Swatzell (Gitarre) unter dem Motto Nostalgie und dem bittersüßen Trost der Erinnerung zum Leben erweckt wurden. Auf den acht Tracks des Albums gibt's Anklänge an den alternativen Rock der Blütezeit, die AM-Radio-Attitüde der späten 70er Jahre und die ekstatische Unbekümmertheit der New Wave, neben anderen Einflüssen, die sich einer einfachen Kategorisierung entziehen. Die Lead-Single ,West Coast Prism" verbindet einen unvergesslichen melodischen Hook mit optimistischen Drums und einem klirrenden Arrangement, das sich in einen treibenden, farbenfrohen Refrain verwandelt. Getreu seinem Titel erinnert der Song an weißes Licht, das sich in ein Spektrum aufspaltet, während weitläufige Synthesizer und sanfte Backing Vocals eine Aura melancholischer Glückseligkeit schaffen. Ford nennt treffend ,eine tiefe Vorliebe für das Meer, das Surfen, die Redwoods und die felsige Küste von Oregon" als spirituellen Hintergrund für seine Umgebung. Inspiriert von der Art und Weise, wie Erinnerungen die persönliche Identität prägen, könnte ,Don't Let Go" mit seinem straffen Tempo, seinem knackigen Ton und seinen schwindelerregenden Gitarren ein verlorener Alternative-Radio-Ohrwurm sein, während die täuschend einfache Rhythmusgruppe und seine glitchige Elektronik ,The Longest Day" fest in der Gegenwart verankern. ,Cinnamon" stellt wunderschön arrangierte Akustikgitarren-Gegenmelodien in den Vordergrund, zusammen mit Schichten subtiler Details, Chorstimmen und entspannten, hohen Bassgitarrenklängen. Laut Ford ist der Song ,eine Hommage an die Country-Musik der 70er und 80er Jahre, die die Familienausflüge in die Wüste begleitete, als ich ein Kind war", wobei Townes Van Zandts ,Pancho and Lefty" ein besonders bedeutender Ankerpunkt ist. An diesem Punkt in der bewegten Karriere von Unwed Sailor findet Ford einige seiner stärksten Inspirationen darin, darüber nachzudenken, wo das Projekt begonnen hat, während er es ständig mit neuen Ideen, Arrangements und Genre-Einflüssen vorantreibt. ,Es geht darum, an den Dingen festzuhalten, die man am meisten liebt", sagt er, ,einschließlich sich selbst." Sein akkordbetontes Bassspiel zieht sich wie ein roter Faden durch die Alben der Band und verleiht jeder neuen Sammlung eine vertraute Ernsthaftigkeit und Wärme.

Joyce Manor are California pop-punk legends and I Used To Go To This Bar is this epochal band operating at the top of their game. They continue to deliver relentlessly satisfying rock music in a manner that makes it look simply effortless. The Torrance, California-hailing trio of Barry Johnson, Chase Knobbe, and Matt Ebert are at a point in their career where their position as one of the most beloved rock bands is a foregone conclusion. Their seventh album finds the group continuing to find rich new veins to tap in their short-and sweet songcraft without losing an ounce of bite that gained them such repute in the first place. I Used To Go To This Bar further situates Joyce Manor in the rich lineage of their influences and inspirations. Think AFI"s rapid-fire burn, Weezer"s indelible power-pop acumen, and the dusky emotionalism of The Smiths while further establishing them as leading lights in the current rock landscape. The fresh burst of inspiration that fuels I Used To Go To This Bar proves that Joyce Manor are far from content to rest on such laurels, moving forward with their sound and style in a way that reminds you of how they got to this point in the first place. Catch them live at Coachella 2026.

James Ruskin's Blueprint Records continues its 30-year celebrations with a new EP by Kr!z who returns with his fourth EP for the label. Kr!z made his Blueprint debut in fine style with his "Neutrino EP" in 2022 and went on to deliver the "Revelation EP" in 2023 and "Horo EP" in 2024 so it's fitting that he's back to join in this landmark label anniversary.

Kr!z has been at the forefront of techno for more than a decade. Influenced by the hypnotic and energetic sound helmed by veterans such as Jeff Mills, Steve Rachmad and James Ruskin, he gradually but steadily developed his own identity in the international techno scene.

After making a name for himself as a skilled DJ with sharp focus and a quick mixing style in home country Belgium and the Netherlands, Kr!z launched Token Records in 2007. It has since been a leading outlet for heady, purist sounds. He rapidly established the label as a fixed value with a timeless and powerful sound and took it around the world with label nights on every continent. Token remains important in defining techno today - always straightforward, sometimes weird, often catchy - all under the helm of Kr!z as avid A&R.

After 12 years spent assiduously focused on curating the Token discography, showcasing artists he has nurtured and supported over this time, and incorporating the connoisseur's knowledge and experience he has cultivated in his work as a DJ, in 2019 he released his own debut EP "Mantra" on the label, earning high acclaim from both media and key DJs. Since then, he has continued to develop a strong body of work, regularly releasing on the influential Blueprint Records and SK_eleven alongside his own Token imprint, and producing aseries of notable remixes. This steady output has established him as a key figure within the techno landscape, recognized for both consistency and artistic depth.

Kr!z's latest Blueprint EP "Footprints" is released 13th March on vinyl and digitally.

Repress on black vinyl. Jalamanta was a life changing record for me. Its the record that launched my journey as Brant Bjork. Listening to the tapes 20 years later was amazing. Tony Mason and myself were transported back to that moment in time. Jalamanta was a first for both Tony and myself. My first record as a solo artist and his first record as an engineer. We didnt think twice about re-mixing it. With our combined experience over the years, we knew we could take Jalamanta to the place we always wanted it to go..and we did. Dig it. BB

Repress on babyblue vinyl. Limited to 300 copies. Jalamanta was a life changing record for me. Its the record that launched my journey as Brant Bjork. Listening to the tapes 20 years later was amazing. Tony Mason and myself were transported back to that moment in time. Jalamanta was a first for both Tony and myself. My first record as a solo artist and his first record as an engineer. We didnt think twice about re-mixing it. With our combined experience over the years, we knew we could take Jalamanta to the place we always wanted it to go..and we did. Dig it. BB

Al Fajer Group was established in Kuwait in 1987, co-founded by four artists: Sima Kanaan (Vocals), Bashar Shammout (Guitar) Jameel Saraj (Oud and Guitar) and Nizar Alyan (Percussion). Al Fajer Group became known for their unique frequencies and the transparency of their sound. The band is rooted in acoustic oud, guitar and percussion and they never used any electronic equipment during their sets. When they were first established they would perform Palestinian patriotic songs, related to the Palestinian liberation struggle. They released their launch album, recorded on reel tapes, during the First Intifada in 1988, after which they began composing and writing their own original music. They were unable to release this due to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, when all the band members were forced to leave the country and could not reunite to release the second album. During the limited time in which they were able to work together, they participated in multiple tours in Kuwait, Iraq, Germany and other locations.
This is the first vinyl release for the band and includes original music, which has not been available until today.


نشأت فرقة الفجر في الكويت في العام 1987 بمبادرة ذاتية من قِبَل أعضائها الأربعة وهم سيما كنعان (غناء) وبشار شموط (غيتار) وجميل سراج (عود وغيتار) ونزار عليان (أيقاع). تميزت الفرقة بأدائها الموسيقي الشفاف والهادئ والذي اعتمدت به على استعمال آلتي العود والغيتار وبعض الآلات الايقاعية المتنوعة وتجنبت استخدام أي آلات كهربائية. اعتمدت الفرقة في بدايتها على إعادة أداء بعض الأغنيات الوطنية الفلسطينية ذات الكلمات الواضحة والهادفة. أصدرت فرقة الفجر ألبومها الوحيد في ظلال الانتفاضة الأولي في العام 1988 ثم بدأت في تلحين أغانيها الخاصة بها والتحضير لإنتاج ألبومها الثاني، لكن لم تتمكن من تسجيله وإنتاجه وذلك بسبب نشوب حرب الخليج عام 1990 في الكويت حيث اضطر أعضائها للرحيل من هناك ولم تعد الفرقة قادرة على الاستمرار. رغم المدة المحدودة جداً التي نشطت فيها فرقة الفجر، إلا أنها شاركت في عدد لافت من العروض والمهرجانات في الكويت والعراق وألمانيا وغيرها.

Extra Stars is Gregory Uhlmann"s solo debut on International Anthem. It"s a deep and gorgeous expansion of the LA-based multi-instrumentalist producer / composer"s rhythmic ambient side, as nascently explored in his much-lauded duo with Meg Duffy, his trio work with Josh Johnson and Sam Wilkes, and in the gentler of SML (the improvising trance-jazz unit of which he is a member).

Extra Stars is Gregory Uhlmann"s solo debut on International Anthem. It"s a deep and gorgeous expansion of the LA-based multi-instrumentalist producer / composer"s rhythmic ambient side, as nascently explored in his much-lauded duo with Meg Duffy, his trio work with Josh Johnson and Sam Wilkes, and in the gentler of SML (the improvising trance-jazz unit of which he is a member).

Mai Mai Mai’s artistic path has never rested on laurels, it’s been a constant evolution, a profound and poetic research, a dark and dusty journey through awareness and collaborations where the heart of the process has always been about building connections and understanding people and their rituals. Mai Mai Mai’s new album ‘Karakoz’ was mostly recorded in Palestine (Ramallah and Bethlehem) in 2024 during an ongoing genocide and follows his acclaimed Southern Gothic double-album ‘Rimorso’. The album opens a new chapter for the Roma based artist, a deeply personal record where his traditional industrial miasma flows into a weeping vortex of spiritual hymns, Mediterranean hauntology and Middle Eastern chants of sorrow, carrying the despair of a battered population and matching the fighting hope with echoes of ambient bliss. Recorded during his artistic residency in collaboration with Radio Alhara and Wonder Cabinet, the album is the result of an immersive six-week residency between January and May 2024, in Bethlehem and Ramallah, where Mai Mai Mai delved deep into the traditional music of Palestine, meeting and collaborating with local musicians, exploring archives, and recording the resonances of the land. This deep engagement allowed him to unearth the intricate layers of Palestinian sonic heritage, weaving them into his own sonic language.

Diagonale des Yeux is the new band formed by two of France’s admired and adventurous artists. Laurène Exposito, we know as EYE, our longest regular contributor to the label — and friend Théo Delaunay, member and producer of Parasite Jazz, panoptique, De Klok & Violent Quand On Aime.

In Knekelhuis we have a particular fondness for artistic outputs that resist easy categorisation, and Diagonale des Yeux inhabits precisely that kind of territory.

Every aspect of the project is DIY/homemade. Their world drifts along the fringes of cabaret, strange 1980s French underground pop music to contemporary lo-fi scene — evoking the spirit of Nini Raviolette and The Residents — while delivering beautifully written songs that lodge themselves in your head almost immediately like a Cindy Lee ballad.

The tracks on Madeleine squeak and creak, wobbling on fragile hinges before suddenly opening onto moments of pure beauty.

Drums and guitars follow up synths and electronic percussions captured on tape between living rooms, studios and a concert space.

The band has a kink for choirs and playfully uses diverse languages. Their lyrics emerge through a homemade, patented four-hands cadavre exquis (Exquisite Corpse) process, where chance and dialogue shape meaning as much as intention.

Diagonale des Yeux is a singular project — equally strange and irresistibly pop-leaning. Music like weeds pushing through pavement cracks and, against all odds, turning into flowers.