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

A nice boxset with 3 LP and a poster. Including all the greatest blues artists: LIGHTNIN" HOPKINS, JOHN LEE HOOKER, SCREAMIN" JAY HAWKINS, BO DIDDLEY, MUDDY WATERS, HOWLIN" WOLF, T-BONE WALKER, B.B KING...

Warehouse Find!

Toby Tobias coming through with the fresh raw s**t for Delusions! Two original tracks here absolutely loaded full of old school analogue machine funk and crazy dub tricknology. It's Burning builds around a beautiful chiming synth while a filtering acid bass line and 808 snares add a distinct bit of B-Boy to the mix. I Give You love heads for a more rugged house vibe complimenting the intense, loosely timed vocal hits perfectly. On the flip we have London Housing Trust bringing serious heat on their remix, jacking up the tempo but adding some decidedly tripped-out synth tweaks resulting in a show stopping reworking primed for freaking people out on the dancefloor. Finally we have that man Lauer working his magic on It's Burning, building up the track around some beautifully euphoric synth stabs and bassline. The perfect close to an EP in which it's very difficult to try and find words to justify. We think Toby Tobias has turned in some of his best ever work here and absolutely love this whole record so really hope you share the same admiration for the release as we do!

Featuring new mixes of "2 Another Planet". Delicate Instruments escapes in the spaceship and floats in outer space for the breakdown.
Introducing Memory0, a 'West Coast Electro' project launched on leap year 2024. Only problems when looking back at earth for mixes of "Solamente".
Forward and back 5seconds...

It's a new lineup,” landlord of the avant-garage Kid Congo Powers exclaims of the Pink Monkey Birds edition responsible for the fifth studio full-length of their 19 year recording career, That Delicious Vice. “We've gone from a four piece to a three piece,” continues Kid, whose unique guitar style has been at the center of some of the most forward-thinking bands in punk and garage: The Gun Club, The Cramps, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and Knoxville Girls, to name a handful. “I'm not sure if living in the desert is making me want more space in music or not,” laughs Kid, a Tucson resident for a few years now. “Maybe I’m turning into a desert stoner rocker. But I'm not a stoner, so that's not happening.”

It's a new lineup,” landlord of the avant-garage Kid Congo Powers exclaims of the Pink Monkey Birds edition responsible for the fifth studio full-length of their 19 year recording career, That Delicious Vice. “We've gone from a four piece to a three piece,” continues Kid, whose unique guitar style has been at the center of some of the most forward-thinking bands in punk and garage: The Gun Club, The Cramps, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and Knoxville Girls, to name a handful. “I'm not sure if living in the desert is making me want more space in music or not,” laughs Kid, a Tucson resident for a few years now. “Maybe I’m turning into a desert stoner rocker. But I'm not a stoner, so that's not happening.”

The debut solo album (and second studio LP) by German singer Nico, Chelsea Girl was released by Verve Records in October 1967, following Nico's collaboration with the Velvet Underground on their 1967 debut studio album. The title is a reference to Andy Warhol's 1966 film Chelsea Girls, which Nico starred in. Born Christa Päffgen in Cologne in 1938, Nico was a singer, songwriter, actress and model. Besides working with Warhol, she had roles in several films, including Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960). In the 1980s, she toured extensively. She died in Ibiza on July 18, 1988, as the result of a cycling accident at the age of 49. Musically, Chelsea Girl can be described as a cross between chamber folk and 1960s baroque pop. AllMusic reviewer Lindsay Planer gave it four and a half out of five stars, stating that "Nico's inherently bleak delivery is similar to the more modern contributions of Laurie Anderson, Ann Magnuson, and Patti Smith. An unqualified masterpiece." Produced by Tom Wilson, much of the album features instrumental work and songwriting credits from Velvet Underground members Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, and John Cale. "I'll Keep It with Mine" was written by Bob Dylan, while three other songs are by Jackson Browne.

I love these musicians Sam Amidon, Karl Blau, Charlotte Greve, Shahzad Ismaily. I’ve played with some of them for two years and some for over twenty. We met up last spring at Figure 8 Studios in Brooklyn and rehearsed for one day before recording this album at the nearby Owl Parlor on March 29 and 30, 2023. It fills me with joy to hear my songs reinterpreted through the spirits of these masterful musicians (who are also my dear friends). I hope you enjoy this document, too. Thank you to Oren Bloedow at The Owl Parlor for creating a beautiful space for us to perform and record this music.” Sam Amidon – fiddle, electric guitar and vocals Karl Blau – bass and vocals Charlotte Greve – sax, synths and vocals Shahzad Ismaily – drums, piano and vocals Laura Veirs – nylon guitar, electric guitar, piano and vocals Recorded and mixed by Lily Wen Mastered by Josh Bonati at Bonati Mastering NYC Produced by Laura Veirs

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"The soundtrack of a sunny day at the Eden Beach Club.

After the commercial and critical success of the album 'Hymne au soleil', Laurent Bardainne and Tigre d'Eau Douce defy the laws of attraction, aiming beyond the sun with Eden as their target in their third album 'EDEN BEACH CLUB.' A return to their successful uninhibited formula, blending lingering groove, luxurious soul, flamboyant jazz, and electronic spirals. Geographically or musically, no map can locate this place of eclecticism anymore, with each track leading to an invitation to dance and celebrate a moment. That of an eternal sunset, striped with electricity by Laurent Bardainne and Tigre d'Eau Douce."

Lauren Ritter returns to her roots with “Antigone // Sarus”, a new EP featuring two emotive, nostalgic, and melodic compositions,
“Antigone” and “Sarus,” that sure to please fans of her All Day Dream 2015 debut Lark EP and her recent Rift Vision output alike. She
invites friends Powel (DE – All Day I Dream) and Zone+ (BH – All Day I Dream / Satya / Mixcult) to provide their takes on both tracks,
who weave in dynamic grooves and vocal elements in their signature styles to underscore Ritter’s melodic motifs.

To record "Ease the Work", Hour traveled via ferry with an entire studio’s worth of equipment to an old off-Broadway theater on Peaks Island in Maine, months before the first tourists would show up. The week-long session started with an island-wide power outage that halted recording on the first day, and ended with twelve songs that walk steadily between longing and contentment, sentimentality and subtlety, the lift of harmony and the compulsion of a melody you wish would play forever. Hour’s music cuts a broad pathway, and remains hard to classify or compare. Perhaps most at home beside work from Bill Frisell, Eiko Ishibashi, ECM Records, or the Louisville experimental chamber group Rachel’s, Ease the Work shows us life on the boundary of composition and improvisation. It reaches for the sweeping gestures and inspired pacing of classic film scores, Frank Sinatra ballads, and Scott Walker’s pop orchestra. It also retains the arresting intimacy of the band’s early work. Strings swell and harmonize in counterpoint with electric guitar, clarinet, and piano, while drums, synth pads, and field recordings complete the aural world.

"Ease the Work" by Hour includes the following tracks: "Stoner", "Brain Scrub", "Dying of Laughter", "The Most Gorgeous Day in History" and more.

This release comes with a Download Code.

2024 Repress

Rotterdam based artist ''Ben Buitendijk'' has been around for quite a while now. With a string of releases of labels such as ''Ogun Records'', ''Eshu Records'' and appearances on the mighty ''Field Records'', the time has come for Ben to launch his own imprint. Inspired by the city of Rotterdam and his love for anything architectural, Oblique was founded. A label that is designed to cater to Ben's vision on the overall electronic landscape and to display his love for well thought out drum patterns with dense long-stretched builds and strained atmospheres.

''Venomous EP'' comes in a package of three extended techno cuts with a certain corresponding theme. As the title might suggest, all cuts have a certain
touch of hazardousness to them.

''Black Mamba'' is best explained as the experience of poison slowly creeping through one's veins and leaving an irreversible trail of destruction.

''King Cobra'' feels more boisterous than it's predecessor. Again, a long repetitive build keeps on changing into a slightly psychotic state of being while razor-sharp bits of synthesis tickle the listeners brain like when undergoing acupuncture.

''Stingray'' is the final cut of this first ''Oblique'' effort. Whilst maintaining the corresponding ''Venomous'' theme, the last endeavour is a thumping outcry of muscular drums, a ponderous bass shot, and haunting pad sounds that together create a dystopian character. As an extra, Ben has thrown in an ominous locked groove that should be useful in adventurous club settings.

Am 12.04.23 veröffentlicht Unter Schafen Records das Best Of-Album ''Retrospective'' von Sharon Stoned als limit. 2LPVersion bei Unter Schafen Records.

Die experimentelle Lo-Fi-Noise-Rock-Band Sharon Stoned wurde 1995 von Mark Kowarsch und Christopher Uhe direkt nach der Trennung ihrer Band Speed Niggs gegründet. Nach ihrem großartigen Debütalbum „License To Confuse“ und der Tape-EP auf dem Berliner Label City Slang unterschrieben Mark und Krite bei Sony Columbia und veröffentlichten das hochgelobte Doppelalbum „Sample & Hold“, das besondere Gastbeiträge von Künstlern wie Evan Dando enthielt (die Band unterstützte The Lemonheads während ihrer Car Button Cloth Europatour 1996), Lou Barlow, The Notwist, Tom Liwa, Furtips, Gitbox!, Tuesday Weld, Tocotronic und Mitglieder von HP Zinker und Die Goldenen Zitronen.







[g] My Style [feat. The Notwist] (05:11)
[h] Special Plan [feat. Evan Dando] (03:54)

[j] Some [feat. Lou Barlow] (02:40)

[l] Down [feat. Roeland Van Niele] (03:52)
[m] Never Dare To Ask [feat. Dirk Von Lowtzow] (04:00)
[n] Tape [feat. The Notwist] (06:45)
[o] Your Own [feat. Tom Liwa] (03:38)

Blue Bendy are kicking off 2024 with news of their highly anticipated debut album ‘So Medieval’ which is being released via state51 on 12 April. Alongside this big announcement the band are sharing the latest new track from the record, ‘Come On Baby, Dig!’, and dates for their UK tour including their largest headline show to date at The Garage in London on 9 May and a special Album Launch Show in the band’s hometown of Scunthorpe to celebrate the release.

‘So Medieval’ captures all the musical foibles, idiosyncrasies and departures from the norm which Blue Bendy have displayed across their previous releases. Expressing their sound over the course of a full record for the first time, ‘So Medieval’ is an explosive mix of genre, atmosphere and emotions. The end result is something rare for a new band: a debut album which is as experimental as it is confident and assured, as tender as it is visceral, as quiet as it is loud, as bloody as it is teary.

Released 25th January, new single ‘Come On Baby, Dig!’ follows on from previously released album tracks ‘Cloudy’ and ‘Mr. Bubblegum’. Simmering down the tempo and darkening the mood, the track stacks forlorn lyrics against an assortment of riffs, tones and textures. The music video, directed by Michael Julings, depicts an unnamed character locked in an existential battle with an immovable black fridge. Starring Laura Schuller, a performance artist recently cast in the Marina Abramović retrospective at the RA, the video also features the band coming together to conjure supernatural powers at the video's climax.

Singer and lyricist Arthur Nolan explains that “Dig is dedicated to an old flame and a city break. I was eat pray loving, digging around for some culture in the wake of breaking up. The wheels came off the trip quickly, and now I won’t go back to Bologna, I’m banned.”

Building on the momentum of their 2022 EP ‘Motorbike’ Blue Bendy are stretching out into vast new sonic terrain. Their following two singles ‘Mr Bubblegum’ - a joyously intricate piece of experimental guitar pop - and the frenetic, propulsive yet incredibly deft sprawl of ‘Cloudy’, saw the band reach new heights creatively. Of the former, The Guardian enthused: “indie is riddled with addled, verbose frontmen right now, but none so rapturous as Blue Bendy’s Arthur Nolan: here he dances all over splayed post-rock and micro-cataclysms.”

Having toured as main support for Squid and Cola as well as playing packed out tents at festivals like End Of The Road and Green Man, Blue Bendy have struck a balance between being obviously skilled musicians, writing complex, layered, overlapping and ambitious compositions, while also utilising space, breadth, and restraint. Their music is bursting with dynamism, exploring push-pull dynamics that results in something ceaselessly unpredictable.

Die schottisch-dänische Komponistin Clarissa Connelly präsentiert ihr erstes Warp-Album. Im Laufe der Jahre hat Clarissa heilige Stätten und Mythologie erforscht und sich dabei von der keltischen und nordischen Kultur inspirieren lassen. Für ihr jüngstes Werk 'The Voyager' (2021) wanderte sie durch die skandinavische Landschaft und kanalisierte Melodien aus alten vorchristlichen Stätten. Das Album erhielt weltweite Anerkennung und wurde mit dem renommierten Nordic Music Prize ausgezeichnet. In 'World Of Work' erkundet Clarissa Themen wie Akzeptanz und Wachstum, indem sie eine traumhafte Synthese aus Nordic Folk, mittelalterlichen Gesängen und modernem Pop schafft, das einem kraftvollen Zeugnis ihrer Produktions- und Kompositionsfähigkeiten gleichkommt.

HEAVY TEMPLE sind zurück - von einer ausgiebigen Tournee durch die USA und zum ersten Mal auch durch Europa. Sie sind aber auch zurück aus dem Proberaum, wo das Schmieden neuer Songs viel mehr aus der ganzen Gruppe kam, als es auf dem Debütalbum der Fall war. Und schließlich sind sie zurück aus dem Animal Farm Studio, wo John Forrestal dem neuen Album "Garden of Heathens" einen reichen und warmen, organischen Sound verpasst hat, der gleichzeitig aber auch knackig frisch und kristallklar rüberkommt. Während das Debütalbum "Lupi Amoris" noch wie ein wildes Mastodon heran stürmte, wirkt "Garden of Heathens" abwechslungsreicher und deutlich ausgefeilter - jedoch ohne an Wucht oder Härte zu verlieren. Obwohl die kraftvolle Stimme von Frontfrau High Priestess Nighthawk weiterhin für eine starke Anziehungskraft sorgt, stehen bei HEAVY TEMPLE immer die Gitarrenriffs im Vordergrund. Dabei hat das Trio aus Philadelphia, Pennsylvania seinen Fahrplan nochmals erweitert und fährt eine große Zahl von Rock- und Metal-Stationen an, die von BARONESS über THE BEATLES und von BLACK SABBATH bis FU MANCHU reichen - mit allerlei Weichen dazwischen. Inhaltlich ist "Garden of Heathens" sehr persönlich ausgefallen. Sängerin Nighthawk schrieb ihre bisher persönlichsten Zeilen, die sich thematisch um Dinge drehen, die nicht real sind - vom amerikanischen Traum bis hin zu Beziehungen. Egal wie glänzend eine Sache auch aussehen mag, lauern unter der Oberfläche oft genug Ängste, Verrat und Zweifel. HEAVY TEMPLE entstand zur Wintersonnenwende 2012 in einer Nacht der puren Freude am Erschaffen und Spielen harter Musik. Kaum war die Band gegründet, ging es auch schon auf die Bühne: erst lokal und bald auch auf Tour mit so bekannten Szenegrößen wie RUBY THE HATCHET, ROYAL THUNDER und CORROSION OF CONFORMITY. Auch auf namhaften Festivals wie dem Maryland Doom Fest und dem Psycho Las Vegas und vielen anderen war das Trio bald zu finden. Nach den beiden EPs "Heavy Temple" (2014) und "Chassit" (2016) und einer Reihe von Singles nahmen sich HEAVY TEMPLE eine Auszeit vom ausgiebigen Touren, um endlich ihren ersten Langspieler aufzunehmen. "Lupi Amoris" ("Wölfe der Liebe"), wurde im Jahr 2021 unter großem Beifall sowohl von Anhängern als auch Kritikern veröffentlicht. Das Album öffnete den Amerikanern neue Türen: weitere Festivalauftritte, eine US-Tour mit THE OBSESSED und die erste Europatournee mit ihren Freunden und Label-Kameraden HOWLING GIANT. HEAVY TEMPLE sind nicht nur zurück, sondern gekommen, um zu bleiben. "Garden of Heathens" legt ein starkes Zeugnis für den hart arbeitenden Dreier ab, der sein Spektrum stetig erweitert und alle Hindernisse aus dem Weg räumt. "Garden of Heathens" wirft ein neues Licht auf Heavy und Desert Rock, Psychedelia und Doom Metal. Hört es euch an!

HEAVY TEMPLE sind zurück - von einer ausgiebigen Tournee durch die USA und zum ersten Mal auch durch Europa. Sie sind aber auch zurück aus dem Proberaum, wo das Schmieden neuer Songs viel mehr aus der ganzen Gruppe kam, als es auf dem Debütalbum der Fall war. Und schließlich sind sie zurück aus dem Animal Farm Studio, wo John Forrestal dem neuen Album "Garden of Heathens" einen reichen und warmen, organischen Sound verpasst hat, der gleichzeitig aber auch knackig frisch und kristallklar rüberkommt. Während das Debütalbum "Lupi Amoris" noch wie ein wildes Mastodon heran stürmte, wirkt "Garden of Heathens" abwechslungsreicher und deutlich ausgefeilter - jedoch ohne an Wucht oder Härte zu verlieren. Obwohl die kraftvolle Stimme von Frontfrau High Priestess Nighthawk weiterhin für eine starke Anziehungskraft sorgt, stehen bei HEAVY TEMPLE immer die Gitarrenriffs im Vordergrund. Dabei hat das Trio aus Philadelphia, Pennsylvania seinen Fahrplan nochmals erweitert und fährt eine große Zahl von Rock- und Metal-Stationen an, die von BARONESS über THE BEATLES und von BLACK SABBATH bis FU MANCHU reichen - mit allerlei Weichen dazwischen. Inhaltlich ist "Garden of Heathens" sehr persönlich ausgefallen. Sängerin Nighthawk schrieb ihre bisher persönlichsten Zeilen, die sich thematisch um Dinge drehen, die nicht real sind - vom amerikanischen Traum bis hin zu Beziehungen. Egal wie glänzend eine Sache auch aussehen mag, lauern unter der Oberfläche oft genug Ängste, Verrat und Zweifel. HEAVY TEMPLE entstand zur Wintersonnenwende 2012 in einer Nacht der puren Freude am Erschaffen und Spielen harter Musik. Kaum war die Band gegründet, ging es auch schon auf die Bühne: erst lokal und bald auch auf Tour mit so bekannten Szenegrößen wie RUBY THE HATCHET, ROYAL THUNDER und CORROSION OF CONFORMITY. Auch auf namhaften Festivals wie dem Maryland Doom Fest und dem Psycho Las Vegas und vielen anderen war das Trio bald zu finden. Nach den beiden EPs "Heavy Temple" (2014) und "Chassit" (2016) und einer Reihe von Singles nahmen sich HEAVY TEMPLE eine Auszeit vom ausgiebigen Touren, um endlich ihren ersten Langspieler aufzunehmen. "Lupi Amoris" ("Wölfe der Liebe"), wurde im Jahr 2021 unter großem Beifall sowohl von Anhängern als auch Kritikern veröffentlicht. Das Album öffnete den Amerikanern neue Türen: weitere Festivalauftritte, eine US-Tour mit THE OBSESSED und die erste Europatournee mit ihren Freunden und Label-Kameraden HOWLING GIANT. HEAVY TEMPLE sind nicht nur zurück, sondern gekommen, um zu bleiben. "Garden of Heathens" legt ein starkes Zeugnis für den hart arbeitenden Dreier ab, der sein Spektrum stetig erweitert und alle Hindernisse aus dem Weg räumt. "Garden of Heathens" wirft ein neues Licht auf Heavy und Desert Rock, Psychedelia und Doom Metal. Hört es euch an!

THE VISION BLEAK kehren in der Luxusklasse zurück: Mit ihrem siebten Album "Weird Tales" zollt das deutsche Metal-Duo dem gleichnamigen amerikanischen Pulp-Magazin sowie anderen Geschichten voller Mystik und dunkler Phantasie einen monumentalen Tribut. Das Album besteht aus einem einzigen Track, der in interne Kapitel unterteilt ist. Diese erzählen schaurig-schöne Geschichten, vertonen Gedichte und sind von der klassischen Literatur des Horror sowie des Makabren inspiriert. Unter anderen beziehen sich THE VISION BLEAK auf bedeutende Autoren des legendären Weird Tales Magazins wie H. P. Lovecraft und Clark Ashton Smith. Sie spielen aber auch auf andere Großmeister der Phantastischen Literatur an wie zum Beispiel Edgar Allen Poe und Lafcadio Hearn, dessen "Fantastics and Other Fancies" einen starken Einfluss auf dieses Album ausgeübt hat. Für diese Hommage ziehen THE VISION BLEAK alle Register ihres enormen musikalischen Könnens. Die Kapitel decken die gesamte stilistische Bandbreite von extravagantem Gothic Rock über düsteren Doom bis hin zu harschen Black und Death Metal Parts - sowie so ziemlich alles dazwischen - ab. All die spannenden Elemente, welche die Anhängerschar des Duos lieben und schätzen gelernt hat, sind auf diesem Album vertreten: das Dramatische und Theatralische, das Raue und Schwere, das Melancholische und Unheimliche, aber auch eingängige und symphonische Momente. All diese Stränge sind zu einem dichten Klangteppich verwoben, der von einem wiederkehrendem Auf- und Abschwellen zusammengehalten wird, das an klassische Kompositionen erinnert. THE VISION BLEAK sind aus der Freundschaft zwischen Gitarrist, Bassist und Sänger Markus Stock alias Ulf Theodor Schwadorf und Schlagzeuger und Sänger Tobias Schönemann alias Allen B. Konstanz entstanden. Nach anfänglichen Experimenten in Richtung Gothic Rock fanden THE VISION BLEAK ihre eigentliche Berufung, als das Duo begann, ihre gemeinsame Liebe zum Horror-Genre mit einzubeziehen. Bereits das Debütalbum "The Deathship Has a New Captain" (2004) erzielte sowohl in Gothic- als auch Metal-Kreisen auf Anhieb einen Volltreffer und gilt mittlerweile als Klassiker. Da das Debütalbum thematisch an bedeutende Horrorfilme angelehnt war, nannten die Deutschen ihren Stil treffend: Horror Metal. Mit den folgenden Alben kultivierten THE VISION BLEAK einen Ruf als Garanten für stilvolle und hochwertige Musik. Thematisch drehen sich alle Werke um das Horror-Genre: Auf "Carpathia" (2005) folgten "The Wolves Go Hunt Their Prey" (2007) und "Set Sail to Mystery" (2010), "Witching Hour" (2013) und "The Unknown" (2016). THE VISION BLEAK, die Meister des Horror Metal, schenken der Welt ihr bisher ambitioniertestes Werk: "Weird Tales". Diese ausnehmend schöne und von Herzen kommende Hommage an das goldene Zeitalter der Phantastischen Literatur ist musikalische Poesie. Der Hörer möge mit Bedacht lauschen, sollte dabei aber immer auf der Hut sein. In diesem Song lauern unheimliche und verbotene Klänge aus anderen dunklen Welten!

Nia Archives is the star at the forefront of the latest era of jungle. Since her emergence in 2020, her collagist soundscapes have helped bring the sound to a new generation of clubgoers (though fair warning: don’t call her a “revivalist” – she’s the first to point out that the scene never went away). So when it comes to talk of the 24-year-old producer, DJ, singer and songwriter’s much-anticipated debut album, the odds are you’re thinking of a full-length record of weightless jungle tracks with basslines so intense they’ll leave your ears ringing.

But the reality of the Bradford-born, Leeds-raised artist’s first ever album – while very much replete with that exquisite jungle sound she does so well – is also doing something a little different. On the thrilling and freeing Silence Is Loud, Nia Archives is looking to make music for beyond the rave. As she explains: “I think music can be experienced in different ways, and there’s different kinds of music for different scenarios. Say you’re at a festival listening to music with thousands of other people, that can feel really uniting. But then you might listen to an album on your own in the bus, or in a taxi; and this project is definitely more a record to sit and listen to than a collection of club tracks.” Nia is intent that Silence Is Loud is taken in as a full body of work of something “more song-focussed, putting interesting sounds on jungle.” It means that this is a record which finds gloomy Britpop, warm Motown, soaring indie, a love for Kings of Leon’s Aha Shake Heartbreak, skittering IDM, Madchester, classic rock, old skool hardcore and more, woven and fused into her ragga and junglist tapestry, all layered with feeling, imbued with her songwriterly lyricism about loneliness, relationships, family, navigating her 20s, and the intense potential power of silence.

The vast sonic palette on Silence Is Loud comes down to Nia’s broad array of influences through her life. With her Jamaican heritage, Nia remembers hearing jungle as a child via her nana, as well as at Bradford Carnival, where she was drawn to the soundsystem culture, dancing carefree on the floats in the parade. The first album she ever bought was Rihanna’s debut, Music of the Sun, and she also went to Pentecostal church back then, and was obsessed with gospel. Aged 16, she moved to Manchester, where she didn’t really know anybody: and so, her solution to meeting people was going out. “Partying was a huge part of my life,” she says, “They used to do little freestyle cyphers at the house parties and I would join in – that’s kind of how I got into singing.” She had found music boring at school, but in meeting all these new people she became interested in making her own music as a hobby. “I was making boom-bap kind of stuff which I didn’t really like in the end,” she laughs, “My lyrics are quite deep, so on a hip-hop beat it all sounds really depressing. I wanted people to dance to my music.” And so she began experimenting with faster tempos alongside that melancholy songwriting, teaching herself how to make beats on Logic: “It’s all been a lot of trial and error, really.”

Nia went to study music in London, and was also interested in visual art, making collages and VHS: “Before the music, I was trying to make a visual archive of my life and the people around me,” she explains, “And then my music was like my diary, and a sonic archive, as well.” Hence, she paired the word “archives” with her middle name, Nia. To this day, in her spare time she’s working on pulling together a documentary on the global nature of the jungle scene.

Back on those first two EPs, Headz Gone West (2021) and Forbidden Feelingz (2022), she honed that junglist sound, painting it with new flecks of colour and vibrance. It was only after she started releasing work that she realised pursuing music could be a viable life path for her. The decision has been paying off ever since. Nia Archives placed third in the prestigious BBC Sound Poll for 2023, alongside garnering a nomination for the Brit Awards’ Rising Star prize, plus wins at the DJ Mag, NME, the MOBOs and Artist and Manager Awards. She has also toured the world – be it North America, Europe or Asia – and even opened a show in London as part of a little something called Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour. She’s renowned as a party-starter in her own right, too, with takeovers at Glastonbury, Warehouse Project and her own Bad Gyalz day event. She’s done official remixes for the likes of Jorja Smith, had a huge summer hit with her Yeah Yeah Yeahs rework ‘Off Wiv Ya Headz’, and worked with brands like Corteiz, Nike, Flannels, Burberry, FIFA and Apple. In just three years, it’s fair to say that Nia Archives has become a need-to-know name in dance music.

But Nia is not interested in being one fixed thing. Building on the terrain from her third EP, Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall, the universe of Silence Is Loud is not totally unfamiliar territory; but it’s still emblematic of a bolder scope than we’ve heard from the artist before. Working with Ethan P. Flynn (the songwriter and producer known for his work with FKA twigs and David Byrne), the resulting record is an impressive feat of deftly-sculpted textures; sometimes big and euphoric, like the wobbly, lusty bass of ‘Forbidden Feelingz’, or elsewhere notably gentle and quiet – see: the gorgeous, surprisingly drumless ‘Silence Is Loud (Reprise)’, a heartfelt number that sits somewhere in the school of Adele. “I really sharpened my songwriting skill on this project,” Nia says, “I was really intentional about what I was writing about, and I really loved co-producing with Ethan. His process is so different to anyone I’ve worked with before, and he’s got a kind of DIY set-up like me.” Flynn’s flat overlooks the Barbican, adding that unquantifiable futurist urban quality that the area holds to the music. The pair enjoyed the collaborative process so much that the album was done within three and a half months.

Perhaps this is why Silence Is Loud maintains an exuberant immediacy while still being sleek and spacious, interspersed with flourishes of metallic beats, lush melody and topped with her sugary but powerful vocal, floating over it all. There is an intimacy to the record, perhaps in part due to Nia writing most of her lyrics while sitting in bed in her flat in Bow (once a bedroom producer, always a bedroom producer). You can hear it on the refrain for lead single ‘Crowded Roomz’, which finds rippling guitar lines cutting taut through the beats as Nia refrains: “I feel so lonely crowded rooms.” The song is an examination of life on tour, constantly surrounded by people, but not necessarily those she can be herself around; more than that, the track is exemplary in the category of sad bangers.

Silence Is Loud often finds itself in that push and pull between melancholy and euphoria. There’s a celebration of her unconditional love for her younger brother (the title track), a rumination of an evening with an Irish boy she met by Temple Bar (‘Cards On The Table), or a letter to herself on the light and airy ‘Unfinished Business’, even coming to terms with a lover having a past they haven’t quite processed yet (“nobody comes with a clean slate”). The latter was recorded the week after a music festival, and accordingly captures Nia’s vocal in its not quite healed, husky state.

Nia’s work is always a snapshot of where she’s at when she’s making it. This might not be the debut album you were expecting, but that’s what makes Silence Is Loud so special. Nia Archives has learned the rules of her sound, and is unafraid to break them, pushing jungle and herself into new, unchartered territories that, in turn, go some way to map the history of the greats of British dance music. More than that, it plants her firmly in that lineage.

Diane Birch emerges as a formidable American singer-songwriter and pianist, boasting a repertoire of critically lauded releases spanning a rich decade-long career. With an eclectic array of musical influences stemming from a globe-trotting childhood - ranging from her humble beginnings as a preacher's daughter in Zimbabwe and South Africa to her transformative years as a gothic teen immersed in the vibrant cultural underbelly of Portland, Oregon. Her discovery while living in London via Myspace led to a record deal in New York, where she then spent the next few years.

Diane's journey is as diverse as her sound. Her profound experiences have culminated in a unique musical blend, characterized by her stint performing soulful covers and original pieces in the swanky lounges of the Beverly Hills elite. Receiving widespread attention with her debut album "Bible Belt" and her follow-up projects "Speak A Little Louder" and "Nous", these works not only cemented her position in the international music scene but also earned her accolades and respect from esteemed peers including Prince, Daryl Hall, Mark Ronson, Dave Stewart, Questlove, Elvis Costello, Bryan Ferry and Stevie Wonder.

Returning with her latest work, "Flying On Abraham", Diane presents a meticulously crafted collection of original compositions. This album is a heartfelt homage to her vast and varied musical roots, weaving together the rich tapestry of 70s AM radio, soul, jazz, classic rock, 80s/90s pop and R&B. Despite the eclectic mix, Diane's sound remains distinctly her own - her voice a blend of raw emotion and refined grace, echoing the legacy of iconic artists like Carole King, Carly Simon and Rickie Lee Jones, yet standing out with an authenticity and individuality that is unmistakably Diane Birch. Produced by renowned English musician Paul Stacey, known for his work with Noel Gallagher and the Black Crowes, "Flying On Abraham" was recorded in the UK, backed by an impressive lineup of musicians. This album is not just a collection of songs but a narrative of her artistic journey, offering a window into the soul of a woman who has traversed continents and musical genres to create something truly extraordinary.

With "Flying On Abraham", Diane Birch reaffirms her status as a musical virtuoso, continuing to enchant audiences worldwide with her evocative lyrics. It represents Diane's enduring vision of "making American music with an English sensibility."

Stellen Sie Ihren Shoegaze-Modus ein und stürzen Sie sich in diese überdimensionale Wolke aus ätherischem Dream Pop. Inspiriert von der Flut britischer Bands mit wirbelnder Verzerrung und erdrückender Lautstärke, spielten Ozean aus San Jose in ihrer kurzen Existenz nur zwei Konzerte und lösten sich auf, bevor die Scene That Celebrates Itself jemals die Siliziumgrenze durchbrach. Die selbstbetitelte Demokassette des Quartetts aus dem Jahr 1993 wurde neu gemastert und mit 45 Umdrehungen pro Minute gepresst, ein zeitloses Dokument spätpubertären Staunens und Experimentierens.

‘Musica E Computer’ is a momentous release from Slow Motion label head Fabrizio Mammarella and Rodion recorded in the legendary Marche Synth Museum (Museo Del Synth Marchigiano).

A fully functional recording space that houses a fusion of several private collections of Italian electronic musical instruments gathered over the many years since their creation. The Marche region, being home to some of the most ground-breaking and foundational instruments, has created the likes of Crumar, Farfisa and Elka with innovative use from the likes of Tangerine Dream, Pink Floyd and Vangelis.

The opening track ‘Iris’ sets the exceptional tone for this release. Fully exploring the realms within the Marche with an eerie, metallic tropical soundscape showing their discoveries’ breadth. ‘A Corrente Alternata’ brings us back to Mammerella and Rodion’s revered partnership as unmatched creators of enigmatic, timeless earworms. The driving bassline sits beautifully within the characterfully saturated drums and tweets of an equally enigmatic synthesiser.

‘Un Segnale Di Speranza‘ launches us into the infectious, mind-bending signature arps of Mammerella and the rising harmonies of Rodion, with another ground-shattering bassline and arcane vocoders that transport you to peak time at Slow Motion’s Italorama Bar. ‘Musica E Computer’s’ soundscapes provide rich blends of the synthetic and organic sounds of the Italian region, acting as a geographic coda that can also be heard in ‘La Domenica Del Villaggio’.

‘La Memoria Dei Sistemi’ slips us back into the energetic, electronic environment that Rodion and Mammerella have so delicately crafted. Driving us through the celestial alchemy of this atmospheric track, which leads us to the chiming finish of ‘Una Nuova Era’. This ties together a transcendent homage to Musica E Computer’s recording surroundings and a bar-setting conclusion to another captivating masterpiece from the duo.

The nineties are often described as a hedonistic decade, a party decade when all arrows pointed upwards. In music culture, first things that comes to mind is the peak of club music, big-mouthed and drunken British rock bands, extreme Black Metal, and the high-energy "Scandi-rock" - a scene that the Euroboys members themselves were part of, in bands like Gluecifer, Team Spirit, Fair Fuck and Turbonegro. "Soft Focus" broke out from the noise after the nineties, and started introducing new vibes in the rock genre. With inspiration from the music scene that grew out of Laurel Canyon and California in the early seventies, Euroboys came up with a rock album that was soft on the edges, warm sounding with bittersweet melodies. Today, names like Fleetwood Mac, Eagles and David Crosby are of course gods on the retro sky, but it wasn't like that in 2004. This first time on vinyl reissue of "Soft Focus" has been remastered from the original tapes, and also features two bonus tracks that resurfaced in the process, mixed and released for the first time.

”Road Runner” is the debut album by Gothenburg, Sweden’s Upploppet. A perfect mix between punk and rock, this electrifying 10 track studio recorded release pays homage to the old punk and rock ‘n’ roll legends while at the same time embracing the new. Upploppet injects a vibrant and youthful energy into their performance resulting in a release that’s equal parts fresh and vintage sounding. Filled to the brim with fast paced, guitar-driven tracks, ”Road Runner” is an 28 minute minute, hard hitting explosion that is destined please the rock-yearning ears of any fan of Turbonegro, The Sonics, Gluecifer, The Hellacopters, and New Bomb Turks, and other high octane acts. ”Road Runner” was recorded at Welfare Sounds. The album is produced, recorded, and mixed by Per Stålberg (Division of Laura Lee, Pablo Matisse) and Pontus Robertsson. Mastered by Hans Olsson Brookes (Bombus, Spiders, Graveyard, Blues Pills) in Svenska Grammofonstudion. ”Road Runner” is released by The Sign Records on vinyl and digital formats.

"Road Runner" by Upploppet includes the following tracks: "I Want To Love You", "Ibuprofen", "Thinking of me ", "Bombay Boogie" and more.

This version of the album comes as a 1LP on transparent red vinyl.

The duo's third album of instrumental guitar recordings pushes their sinuous compositions into labyrinthine new shapes, interlocking and interlocutory, supported by a cast of stellar collaborators. Interwoven among the dazzling original pieces is a fascinating array of covers, ranging from traditional Breton dance tunes to a deconstruction of Neneh Cherry's "Buffalo Stance." Their melody-first sensibilities are perfectly suited to each other _ playfully complex guitar work that sounds as if it was tossed off in an afternoon of whiskey and laughs. - NPR An intoxicating, intricate web _ Wherever Salsburg and Elkington go, it's always a pleasure. - Aquarium Drunkard Sounds like winter has always been approaching, like Indian summer never quite fades, like fall isn't built around loss. - Stereogum

Das 25. Album von Giant Sand, das sie im 25.Jahr in ihrer Karriere aufgenommen haben, ist eine großartige und viel gefeierte Sammlung von perfekt ausgearbeiteten, persönlichen Songs von Howe Gelb. Mit Ausnahme von ein oder zwei wunderbar abrupten und perfekt platzierten Ausbrüchen ist es eine sanfte Achterbahnfahrt durch das innere Nachdenken über das Warum und Wozu von was auch immer, eine Meditation über Zeit und den Alterungsprozess.Howe Gelb erklärt zu dieser Platte: "Auf dieser LP zeige ich eine erworbene Wertschätzung für einfache Lyrik. Manchmal ist es eine Art Haiku, wie Flamenco-Verse oder der Blues. Ich kann mich mehr konzentrieren, da es offensichtlich ist, dass nur noch so viel Zeit übrig ist - das hat einen ganz eigenen Produktionswert."Diese Wiederveröffentlichung unterstreicht die eklektische und esoterische Karriere der Band und feiert ihre großartige, lange und kurvenreiche Laufbahn. Diese Deluxe-Wiederveröffentlichung enthält ein restauriertes Artwork und neu verfasste Liner Notes von Dave Henderson von MOJO.Giant Sand sind das wichtigste Ventil für die stilistischen Biegungen und die sonnengeschädigte Songkunst des Sängers und Songwriters Howe Gelb gewesen. In mehr als vier Jahrzehnten ist es ihm gelungen, Rock, Country, Blues, Punk, Garage, Lo-Fi, Jazz, Gospel, Avantgarde-Noise und Flamenco-Gypsy-Musik mit seinen impressionistischen Bildern und weitreichenden Beobachtungen der Welt neu zu erfinden. "An album full of heart, soul, and wit, this music confirms that no one does quite what Howe Gelb can do with such remarkably innate grace and feel" AllMusic Klassisch schwarzes Vinyl, original Coverart, Linernotes & DLC!

Here at Four Flies, we kind of feel we need a bigger word than 'proud', this time, to present, in collaboration with Beat Records, the first-ever release of the original soundtrack written in 1976 by Guido & Maurizio De Angelis for the legendary Squadra Antifurto, the second chapter of the comedy-infused crime saga directed by Bruno Corbucci and starring Tomas Milian as the iconic Italian Police Marshal Nico Giraldi.

The excitement in this case is nothing short of gigantic, difficult to rein in for those who, like ourselves, grew up adoring the character played by Milian as one of our cult heroes, and dreaming that the soundtracks of the first three films in the saga – the only ones composed by the De Angelis brothers – would one day be released.

Since the launch of our label, Squadra Antifurto has been at the top of the list of film scores we most wanted to release. Until a few months ago, this dream of ours seemed destined to remain just that, so strong was the conviction in all of us that the master tapes were definitively lost, that they had forever vanished into thin air. That's why their recovery, made possible by Maurizio De Angelis himself and the persistence of our friends at Beat Records, is an extraordinary feat.

Nearly 50 years after it was first heard in cinemas, the soundtrack penned by the De Angelis brothers is resurrected in its entirety and can finally shine its incredible power all over us.

Beautifully seeping through this score – like many others composed by the golden duo in the 1970s – are elements from the Italian, and especially Roman, folk tradition, for instance in the warm, heartfelt ballad sung by Alberto Griso, "E nun ce voio sta," which first plays in the opening credit sequence and is then reprised in various forms throughout the film, culminating with the soul-stirring orchestral version that closes the album's tracklist.

But as in any Italian crime film worthy of that name, a different soundscapetakes centre stage: it's the music that accompanies the countless scenes of tension, action, and pursuit that punctuate the film, and which has made us fall madly in love with this score.

The main theme is a prog-funk joyride, drawing inspiration from the traditional tarantella but elevated to irresistible energy thanks to a rock orchestration featuring psychedelic flutes, wild percussion, distorted electric guitars, piano chords, and various feedback and delay effects.

The resulting groove is just mind-blowing, and we almost can't believe it's finally available on a record, completely remastered for vinyl.

We really couldn't be prouder, and dedicate this release to all passionate fans of Italian crime films, the De Angelis brothers, and Tomas Milian aka Nico Giraldi.

Available starting April 12th on standard black vinyl and limited coloured vinyl (transparent amber, limited to 300 copies).

REISSUED ON GLACIAL BLUE VINYL! Papercuts' You Can Have What You Want is the third phase in Jason Quever's ongoing pop investigations. The relatively earthbound happy/sad pop of Mockingbird and Can't Go Back has been launched into the vault of the skies. Here, Quever delves further into epic dream-pop using mostly vintage organs, pulsing bass, and Kraut-via-Ringo-inspired drum rhythms. Intact from those earlier efforts is Quever's sense of arrangement and drama, as well as his soaring vocals, draped in reverb gauze. The words reveal a fascination with mortality and things cosmic, while sonically the voice acts as another instrument. This obsessively all-analog effort (no computer processing here whatsoever!) cuts across several eras of dreamy sound: '80s/'90s Creation and 4AD Records, The Zombies, '60s French pop, even Can's Future Days--and then there's the inevitable connection to former tourmates Beach House and Grizzly Bear. Indeed, Beach House's Alex Scally helped with some of the arrangements, though You Can Have What You Want is its own strain of addictive pop. For many, it will be the blissful/melancholy jam of the spring and summer. Quever was raised on a commune in Humboldt County, orphaned, and moved up and down the West Coast before calling San Francisco home and starting Papercuts, initially as a four-track recording project. When not performing with his own band, he can often be found recording others in his studio and filling in when needed as a multi-instrumentalist in friends' groups. "It takes a few seconds of Papercuts' second album, Can't Go Back, to think that maybe you've stumbled upon something special, a delicate mood piece made to slice through the din and chaos of modern life." --Pitckfork (8.3 rating

repressed !

Along the west coast of Co Kerry in Ireland you will find the amazing Valentia Island.

Attached by a bridge to the mainland, it is a place of beauty touched by years of history and the songs of the sea.

I managed to obtain a house there for a few weeks, I took my computer and mic with me not knowing what to expect when I got there. In one of the rooms sat a piano, and as my fingers touched the keys I knew there was a story there waiting to be told.

The sound of the piano in that place was something very magical as 100mph winds battered the house and interrupted my recordings.
Other material has since emerged from those days spent on the island, but the main body of work that I recorded there makes up this album that I now present to you.

Album support from: Gilles Peterson, Skream, Laurent Garnier, Patrick Forge, Jean-Claude (IF), Soulclap, Joszif, Makoto, Breach, Flight, dBridge, Doc Scott, Trevino, Craig Richards, John B, Klaus
Fiehe. Mr Scruff....

tapetopia 006 In 1983, some more subdued sounds began to waft from the GDR punk underground into the second half of the ’80s. At five to the end of time, it was perpetually striking midnight and the occasional punk band would mix a little laudanum into their potential for aggression. Portents in this vein preceded a dark wave whose foamy crest would break on fog walls of dry ice. Especially in Leipzig and East Berlin, a chain-rattling zeitgeist produced bands that drew from a dark well. Many of these bands arose from the still hot or already cold ashes of punk. The two founding fathers of Neuntage Alt, René Glofke and Taymur Streng (nicknamed “Strangler”), knew each other from the East Berlin punk scene. The third man aboard, Mike Sauer, played drums in the early 1980s for Sendeschluß, a punk band that, lost in thought somewhere in the no-man’s land between punk and post-punk, faded away in 1984. Punk was no longer the order of the day, but it was a form of expression among many and easy to combine. Glofke and Streng found common ground in experimental set-ups with such otherworldly names as Medusa Brahma or Die zeitweilige Erscheinung.
From this far-flung point of departure, a short tunnel led straight into the black light of Neuntage Alt, the coldest star in the low-hanging sky above East Berlin. Neuntage Alt appeared at the end of 1986, during the last blackout phase of the GDR, on the threshold between the underground and the so-called “other bands” – a scene that used the non-socio-critical approach of German Wutwave (“anger wave”) in order to be allowed to perform publicly. In the context of this scene, Neuntage Alt did not belong to the inner circle. Moreover, the band’s subcultural base was initially in Mahlsdorf, on the south-eastern edge of East Berlin. This was where the DIY sound studio of amplitude apostle and great modulator Taymur Streng was situated. Strangler held the position of house electrician and keyboard god in various projects. One of them had the bland alias Mahlsdorfer Wohnstuben Orchester, behind which the avant-garde court chapel of the bungalow studio was concealed. There Taymur also conspired with the East Berlin underground band Ornament & Verbrechen (tapetopia #001). Ronald Lippok of Ornament & Verbrechen remembers how once, at the opening of a joint session, he and his brother Robert attended Taymur’s engaging slide show of his collection of test patterns. Afterwards, they created a piece with the psychedelic title “Das sentimentale UfO”, which sheds an iridescent light on the bizarre atmosphere in the studio. Taymur’s obsession with technology was legendary. The home studio was also his living space; a circuit, a machine park of screwed and soldered equipment, a single keyboard orgy. His own creations were also based on circuit diagrams found in the radio amateur magazine “Funkamateur”. Its somewhat clueless subtitle “Praktische Elektronik Für Alle” (Practical Electronics for All)

Rich in ancestral flows, between Ghana and Europe, powered by deep, conga led rhythms and seductive warm horn riffs come Jembaa Groove, whose new album and newly rendered sound, reminds us that jazz, in its contemporary, soulful form is not just a London ‘ting’. Highlife is Ghana’s colourful national tradition and is at the heart of Berlin based Jembaa Groove’s groove. And this newly crafted follow up to their debut album. Susuma from 2022, goes even further in provoking new perceptions of jazz and soul music helped by young and senior blood from Ghana and its diaspora. Vocal masterclasses come via Sheffield (UK) based K.O.G and original veteran of the 70s and 80s highlife scene Gyedu Blay Ambolley with Ghanian multi-instrumentalist and producer Kwame Yeboah (Kwashibu Area Band) also providing inspiration.

Yet this is not a breakout moment. For the last 2 years Jembaa Groove have been entertaining discerning dancefloors worldwide. They continue to ratchet up a solid and loyal fanbase buoyed by breakout performances at SXSW (USA), ESNS and Supersonic Jazz Festival (Netherlands). And now looking through the keyhole of 2024, with live headline and album launching dates in April confirmed in London, Paris, Madrid and Berlin and an exciting touring schedule ahead, the future of contemporary, highlife inspired Afro-Jazz is in motion and spreading like gospel.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stellen Sie Ihren Shoegaze-Modus ein und stürzen Sie sich in diese überdimensionale Wolke aus ätherischem Dream Pop. Inspiriert von der Flut britischer Bands mit wirbelnder Verzerrung und erdrückender Lautstärke, spielten Ozean aus San Jose in ihrer kurzen Existenz nur zwei Konzerte und lösten sich auf, bevor die Scene That Celebrates Itself jemals die Siliziumgrenze durchbrach. Die selbstbetitelte Demokassette des Quartetts aus dem Jahr 1993 wurde neu gemastert und mit 45 Umdrehungen pro Minute gepresst, ein zeitloses Dokument spätpubertären Staunens und Experimentierens.

Das Hamburger Label Grand Hotel van Cleef kündigt, in großer Vorfreude und aller Feierlichkeit, das sechste Studioalbum der Indierock Band Kettcar an. Es hört auf den Namen "Gute Laune ungerecht verteilt" und erscheint am 05. April 2024. Der langerwartete Nachfolger von "Ich vs. Wir" (2017, "Eines der kraftvollsten und wichtigsten deutschen Alben des Jahres" - spiegel.de) wurde von Simon Frontzek, Rudi Maier, Philipp Schwär und Philipp Steinke produziert. Kettcar malen auf "Gute Laune ungerecht verteilt" das ganze Bild - textlich wie musikalisch. Schroffe Post-Punk-Gewitter, Akustisches, Sprechgesang. Welchen Style wollt ihr? Hier sind sie alle drauf. Die zwölf Songs erzählen Geschichten von, auf und über Bayreuth, Krankenhauszimmern, Rügen, dem Supermarkt, der Enterprise und der Blauen Lagune. Mal die Faust in der Tasche, mal das Herz im Hals Die erste Single aus dem Album heißt "München", ein Song, den man so von einer Band aus Hamburg sicher nicht erwartet hat.

180 Gramm Split Yellow/Green Colored
Gatefold
Inklusive Slipmat, Poster, Aufkleber


Das Hamburger Label Grand Hotel van Cleef kündigt, in großer Vorfreude und aller Feierlichkeit, das sechste Studioalbum der Indierock Band Kettcar an. Es hört auf den Namen "Gute Laune ungerecht verteilt" und erscheint am 05. April 2024. Der langerwartete Nachfolger von "Ich vs. Wir" (2017, "Eines der kraftvollsten und wichtigsten deutschen Alben des Jahres" - spiegel.de) wurde von Simon Frontzek, Rudi Maier, Philipp Schwär und Philipp Steinke produziert. Kettcar malen auf "Gute Laune ungerecht verteilt" das ganze Bild - textlich wie musikalisch. Schroffe Post-Punk-Gewitter, Akustisches, Sprechgesang. Welchen Style wollt ihr? Hier sind sie alle drauf. Die zwölf Songs erzählen Geschichten von, auf und über Bayreuth, Krankenhauszimmern, Rügen, dem Supermarkt, der Enterprise und der Blauen Lagune. Mal die Faust in der Tasche, mal das Herz im Hals Die erste Single aus dem Album heißt "München", ein Song, den man so von einer Band aus Hamburg sicher nicht erwartet hat.

LP Ltd Dark Green Colored


Das Hamburger Label Grand Hotel van Cleef kündigt, in großer Vorfreude und aller Feierlichkeit, das sechste Studioalbum der Indierock Band Kettcar an. Es hört auf den Namen "Gute Laune ungerecht verteilt" und erscheint am 05. April 2024. Der langerwartete Nachfolger von "Ich vs. Wir" (2017, "Eines der kraftvollsten und wichtigsten deutschen Alben des Jahres" - spiegel.de) wurde von Simon Frontzek, Rudi Maier, Philipp Schwär und Philipp Steinke produziert. Kettcar malen auf "Gute Laune ungerecht verteilt" das ganze Bild - textlich wie musikalisch. Schroffe Post-Punk-Gewitter, Akustisches, Sprechgesang. Welchen Style wollt ihr? Hier sind sie alle drauf. Die zwölf Songs erzählen Geschichten von, auf und über Bayreuth, Krankenhauszimmern, Rügen, dem Supermarkt, der Enterprise und der Blauen Lagune. Mal die Faust in der Tasche, mal das Herz im Hals Die erste Single aus dem Album heißt "München", ein Song, den man so von einer Band aus Hamburg sicher nicht erwartet hat.

MASK’s ZentaSkai & Laura Merino Allue announce vinyl-only underground house and techno series as Cuddling Monsters.
Cuddling Monsters serve up the first vinyl-only volume of a new self titled series on Berlin-based Mask Records. All four cuts explore deep and classy techno, dub and house soundscapes with the aim of rediscovering the soul of electronic music and forming new bonds between human creativity and technological innovations.
Cuddling Monsters is the coming together of creative partners ZentaSkai and Laura Merino Allue. ZentaSkai is the MASK founder recognised for his immersive, hypnotic groove, and Allue is a fashion and graphic designer. They are newly assembled under this alias but have a long-time love of vinyl and analogue machines, which shows in their sounds.
"Crafting music with analogue instruments holds profound importance in the contemporary musical landscape. Despite the omnipresence of digital technology, analogue instruments maintain a pivotal role, offering distinctive sonic qualities, creative constraints, and genuine sound reproduction. The tactile, hands-on connection." - Cuddling Monsters The superbly deep and atmospheric 'Lucky Star' is a dubby minimal cut with a deft rhythm and warm pads that are perfect for cosy back rooms. The absorbing 'Crystal Growing' is another stripped-back techno roller with rubbery drums and pensive chords that lock you into a state of meditation. Up next is the powerful 'Floating Tank' which pairs gorgeous ambient synths with driving drums. It's a great coming together of the physical and the emotional that will take dance floors to the next level. 'Analog Dreams' shuts down with more perfectly smoky pads and grainy lo-fi atmospheres as slick but driving drums power onwards.

Blue Marbled Vinyl

Die britischen Death Metaller INGESTED veröffentlichen heute ihre neueste Single "Pantheon". Die brutale neue Hymne kommt als Vorbote des aktuellen Albums "The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams", das am 5. April über Metal Blade Records erscheinen wird! Seit ihrem fünften Album "Where Only God May Tread" (2020) haben INGESTED einen kreativen Lauf, der fast jedes Jahr ein neues Album hervorgebracht hat, das die Art von musikalischem Wachstum zeigt, die nur durch ständiges Üben, Spielen und Schreiben entsteht. "The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams" ist nicht nur so innovativ und brutal wie ihre letzte Scheibe - das düstere, feurige "Ashes Lie Still" - es zeigt eine Band, die gewillt ist, ihre Kreativität zu erweitern, ohne dabei die Wildheit zu opfern, die sie zu einer der beeindruckendsten zerstörerischen, technischen Death Metal-Bands der Szene gemacht hat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If 2022’s The Children Of Scorpio was the debut album that turned people onto the world of Project Gemini aka Paul Osborne, Colours & Light is the body of work that will be buried deep into their hearts. It is a majestic album, bringing together the worlds of folk rock, psych soundtracks and hazy cinematic funk.

A growing confidence and ease emanate from the writing and production of this sophomore LP, bolstered by the reception to his standout debut. “It’s a more layered and diverse record” Paul mentions, “with a more outward-looking, global sound, born out of the records I was listening to and the musicians I was lucky enough to collaborate with”. It feels relaxed yet self-assured, with a kaleidoscope of sounds that twist together in a mesmerising fashion.

The theme of the album developed naturally through the lyrics Paul began writing. A creative process both plagued and fed by insomnia, nourished by relationships, entwined in emotions, nights out, nights in and the after-effects on the human condition. Relatable themes yet seen through the prism of a soundscape that takes in many a different culture and scene. From acid folk to psych-funk, Francophile elements to Anatolian and Eastern inspirations, all interlocking and rotating as one.

Drawing inspiration from those he admires, Colours & Light radiates with collaborations. The title track, which tips its hat to a live 1973 TV version of Pentangle’s ‘Wedding Dress’, features the folk rock, guitar brilliance of Jack Sharp from Wolf People/Large Plants.

Elsewhere, two tracks are blessed by the sultry, smokey French vocals of Gloria’s Wendy Martinez, ‘Extra Nuit’ and ‘Entre chien et loup’. The former echoes Paul's love of classic French psych-pop from the late ’60s and early ’70s and artists such as Laurance Vanay, Calcium, Leonie, and Serge Gainsbourg. Martinez's sublime vocal work nestles perfectly within Paul's psych-folk-funk productions, as her Gloria partner, Alexis Morel (aka Kid Victrola) sprinkles a dose of entrancing guitar line magic on proceedings.

The list of collaborations extends further with Raz and Markey Funk, drummer Tony Coote and percussionist Paul Elliott all featuring. Regular collaborator and underground icon Barrie Cadogan (Little Barrie) returns along with Bert Page from The Cromagnon Band, who between them provide a hit of whacked-out, fuzzed-up country guitar and Moog madness respectively on ‘Lost In The Woods (Bacchanal)’.

Rounding off the record Paul’s daughter, Olivia Osborne, supplies the keyboard intro on the penultimate track ‘Twilight’. Dorian Conway from The Soundcarriers (whose bandmate Paul Isherwood returns on mixing duties) then layers echoing heavy flute parts to magically capture the psychedelic sunrise images brought to mind.

Balancing light and shade on this record, there is beauty and tension all wrapped up in Paul’s vivid and visceral, storytelling gift.