Eurorack tweaker, 8-bit master, king of carnival madness, Dutch producer Solo Moderna is back with his female alter ego singer Krage, for a perfect fusion of Afro-Latin and Caribbean rhythms with modern synth pop. Highly entertaining, Clever and unique blend of organic sounds, samples and vintage synths tweaking, "Daïsm" is a fun and enjoyable journey to the frontiers between electro, mento, dub, rocksteady, contemporary African rhythms and cumbia with a twist.
Certainly not your average tropical music. This new album is definitely a step up for the eccentric artist, as he's now reached the next level of mastering the fusion of genres and the art of blending organic sounds with electronic elements. Solo Moderna is one of the few “electro” artists you can immediately recognise when you hear one of his songs. In the creative process of “Daïsm”, Solo Moderna met his soulmate singer, Krage, who sings in a delightful mixture of English, French, Spanish and Jamaican Patois. Together, they found their very own way of expressing their love for nature and diversity through universal language.
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- A1: Mieko Hirota - Soul Lady
- A2: Shinji Maki &Amp; Black Jack - Nabeyoko Soul
- A3: Tan Tan - Happy Day
- A4: Kenji Niinuma - Airenki
- A5: Hatsumi Shibata - Furui Fuku Nanka
- B1: Strawberry Jam - Arimasen
- B2: Mieko Hirota - Anata Ga Inakute Mo
- B3: Akira Yasuda &Amp; Beat Folk - Kaeroka Kaeroka (Single Version)
- B4: Miki Hirayama - Hatachi No Koi
- B5: Masaaki Sakai - Baby, Yuki Wo Dashite
At the start of the 60s, a new wave of gospel-influenced jazz started to emerge, with hits such as Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers' "Moanin'" and Cannonball Adderley's "Work Song" epitomizing this evolution in the genre. The terms "soul jazz" and "funky jazz" were coined as a way to describe this new sound that was making an impact in the US and also on the other sides of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
In 1964, Ray Charles made his first visit to Japan. Then, in 1968, Martha & The Vandellas and Stevie Wonder set foot in the country, followed by Sam & Dave in 1969, Ike & Tina Turner in 1970, and B.B. King in 1971. The TV show "Soul Train" also began airing in Japan in the early 1970s. A watershed moment happened in 1973 when Sammy Davis Jr. was cast in a TV commercial for Suntory whisky — and the influence of the US Black entertainment world had really landed, with soul, jazz, and funk artists becoming household names.
Nippon Columbia played a pivotal role during this turning point. The company had contracts with Buddah Records and Blue Thumb Records, releasing notable works by artists such as Gladys Knight & The Pips, Curtis Mayfield, The Crusaders, and The Pointer Sisters. At the same time, the label was also releasing several Japanese soul, jazz, and funk projects under the lead of music director Jiro Inagaki. Inagaki, a saxophonist who began his professional career in the early 1950s, honed his skills at U.S. military camps, where he shared his love of music with the Black servicemen. In the 1960s, he played with drummer Hideo Shiraki's band, which was widely considered to be Japan's representative group of the funky jazz movement. Later, Inagaki went on to pursue more cutting-edge sounds with his Soul Media project, including being a pioneering figure in the "jazz rock" genre. By working closely with Inagaki and his various musical projects, Nippon Columbia really placed the company at the center of an exciting and important period in Japanese music.
In 1965, Nippon Columbia opened a recording studio in Tokyo's Akasaka neighborhood. Akasaka was also home to the first ever discotheque in Japan, the legendary MUGEN, which ran from 1968 to 1987 and where many acts performed, including Con Funk Shun, the Bar-Kays, Ike & Tina Turner, B.B. King, Sam & Dave, Three Degrees, and Edwin Starr, as well as many local Japanese singers and musicians. This melting pot of creativity in the area led to the recording of many singles and albums by Japanese artists that were infused with the sounds of soul and funk. Most of these recordings were not available outside of Japan and remain rare and unknown musical gems. The selection you are holding in your hands is an explosive collection of 10 essential tracks released by the legendary Nippon Columbia label between 1969 and 1977, capturing the raw, unapparelled energy that was flowing through the air of the Akasaka streets at this electrifying time. Enjoy!
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180GWALP07 - Manufactured and distributed by 180g.
Spencer Parker returns to Rekids with ‘Better Days’. Tee Amara lends her voice to both English and Spanish versions, while Radio Slave steps up for a remix. Spencer Parker and Tee Amara arrive on Rekids with ‘Better Days’ in March, alongside a remix from label founder Radio Slave.
Originally the closing track ‘Faster Forward’ on 2018’s ‘DANCE MUSIC’ album on Parker’s Work Them Records, the track is reborn as full vocal cut ‘Better Days’ after the long search for a vocalist led the producer to fellow Berlin resident, Tee Amara. Known for work alongside Cromby, Ariel Me Llamo, and Ed Davenport, Amara’s heartfelt, soulful vocals in both English and Spanish versions bring new depth to Parker’s original track. As a longtime friend of Matt Edwards and a staple of the Rekids imprint since the mid-2000s, Parker returns to the label with ‘Better Days’, an occasion that calls for a remix from Radio Slave himself, who adds a jazzy swing vibe via additional melodic elements while he puts in a classic house groove. Spencer Parker, Tee Amara, and Radio Slave
‘Better Days’ is Rekids proper! Radio Slave’s Rekids was founded in 2006 and has since spawned successful offshoots with the Techno-focused Rekids Special Projects in 2017 and its newest sublabel, REK’D, in 2024. With Matt Edwards as the sole A&R, Rekids has been crucial in developing early artist careers and has become a haven for established acts operating in House and adjacent genres, having recently featured the likes of Hilit Kolet, William Kiss, Bushwacka, Mathias Kaden, Katerina, Sean Johnston, and many more.
- A1: Amor Verdadero
- A2: Alto Songo
- B1: Habana Del Este
- B2: A Toda Cuba Le Gusta
- C1: Fiesta De La Rumba
- C2: Los Sito' Asere
- C3: Pío Mentroso
- D1: María Caracoles
- D2: Clasiqueando Con Rubén
- D3: Elube Changó
'A Toda Cuba le Gusta', the classic debut album by the Afro-Cuban All Stars. The frst in a trilogy of extraordinary albums recorded by World Circuit in a single two-week session
at Havana's EGREM studios, 1996. The other albums, which share many of the same personnel, were 'Buena Vista Social Club' and 'Introducing Rubén González'. Remastered by Bernie Grundman from the original analogue tapes and now available
for the frst tme on double 180gm heavyweight vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve and presented alongside a 32 page booklet as part of World Circuit's classic album series. Plays at 45rpm.
- A1: Skeletons In My Closet - Fugee X Thaehan
- A2: Mystical Town - Dosi
- A3: Twistedbramble - Wys
- A4: Ghost In The Mall - Pbdr
- A5: The Bone Dance - Lock X Simber
- A6: A Pumpkins Farewell - Frances The Mute X Lenny B
- A7: Bag Of Bones - Jam'addict X Monocloud
- B1: Bloody Night - Swink
- B2: Souls Are Dancing - Kanisan
- B3: Ghost's Show - Softy X Lock
- B4: Frightful Foyer - Evenbluer X Odd Panda X Copacetik
- B5: Do Not Fear - Pierson Booth X Kyoshi
- B6: Ritual - Luqęt
- B7: Black Cat - Thaehan
- C1: Devil's Bane 6 Dosi
- C2: Mage's Lair - Tah. X Gatz2Gatz
- C3: Hall Of Masses - Towerz
- C4: Ghost Jam - Goson
- C5: Neverending Carrousel - Luqęt X Fugee
- C6: Creepy Cauldron - Pbdr
- D1: Hollow - Alto X Lenny Loops
- D2: The Haunted Manor - Lucid Keys
- D3: Zombie Walk - Tah. X Gatz2Gatz
- D4: Ghost & Stuff - Eevee X Fugee
- D5: Ghostly Whispers - Vimef X Solar Body X Jwxd
- D6: Bloody Mary - Myceliumbug
- E1: Ghost Waltz - Hokø X Fugee
- E2: Night At Hogsmeade - Sheath X Dark Winter
- E3: Ghosts And Ghouls - Solar Body
- E4: Crow's Nest - Luv Pug X Spaniel Mac
- E5: Phantom Force - Odd Panda X Fool Parsley
- E6: Lost Cemetery - Klemsis
- F1: Phantom Party - Pbdr
- F2: Pumpkin Dance - Bedroom Lofi
- F3: Hocus Pocus - Sheath X Solar Body
- F4: Graveyard Groove -Tibeauthetraveler
- F5: Ghost Of 1496 - Nadav Cohen X Nev Benjamin
- F6: Shadows Of The Night - No Spirit X Flâneur
For this special release, we’re excited to unveil something brand new: a triple vinyl, perfect for casting a spell on your Halloween night
Witches brew and cauldrons bubble, as Halloween stirs up an eerie trouble! Step into the world of spooky beats with Lofi Girl's 'Halloween 2024' compilation. Featuring talented artists from around the world, this potion of ghostly rhythms and haunting melodies sets the mood for a night of chills and thrills. Whether you're conjuring up potions or unwinding under the moonlit sky, let the witchy magic of these chilling beats take over your Halloween night!
- A1: We Don't Care
- A2: Graduation Day
- A3: All Falls Down (Featuring Syleena Johnson) (Featuring Syleena Johnson)
- A4: Spaceship (Featuring Glc & Copnsequence) (Featuring Glc & Copnsequence)
- A5: Jesus Walks
- B1: Never Let Me Down (Featuring Jay Z & J Ivy) (Featuring Jay Z & J Ivy)
- B2: Get Em High (Featuring Talib Kweli & Common) (Featuring Talib Kweli & Common)
- B3: The New Workout Plan
- B4: Through The Wire
- C1: Slow Jamz (With Twista & Jamie Foxx) (With Twista & Jamie Foxx)
- C2: Breathe In Breathe Out (Featuring Ludacris) (Featuring Ludacris)
- C3: Two Words (Featuring Mos Def, Freeway & The Boys Choir Of Harlem) (Featuring Mos Def, Freeway & The Boys Choir Of Harlem)
- D1: School Spirit
- D2: Family Business
- D3: Last Call
2024 Backstock
15-track double album black vinyl 2-LP including the singles Through The Wire, All Falls Down and Slow Jamz. With jaw-dropping cameos from Jay-Z, Common, Mos Def, John Legend, and the Harlem Boys Choir, this 2004 album is as explosive, provocative, and complex as rap gets. Kanye magically sledgehammers home opinions on taboo topics over beats that are equally daring.
2025 Restock!!
First Dabeull's proper album of his career after several key releases - Intimate Fonk, Fonk Delight or the sought-after compilation InDaStudio.
For Dabeull, analog production is his favorite playground as showing his upcoming 9-track album, "Analog Love" (out on April 12th 2024) was recorded using Michael Jackson's Thriller console - 100% analog.
Hailing from Rimini, Italy, Matteo Gatti is fast becoming one of the country and Europe’s most respected underground names.
Inspired by several of the industry’s leading names, including Sven Vath, Marco Carola, Luciano, Danny Tenaglia, Ricardo Villalobos and many others, Matteo’s refined sonic blueprint of Deep, Tech and Minimal House has led to ever-growing appeal as a DJ and Producer globally.
His unwavering studio ethic has seen Matteo go on to release music on some of the scene’s most-loved imprints, including Neverdogs’ Bamboleo Records, Dennis Cruz & Eddy M’s MUSE, and Riva Starr’s Snatch! Records, Artslaves’ Moan, Stefano Noferini’s Deeperfect and countless others.
Modern Obscure Music is proud to present Pierre Bastien & DJ Low's "Swing Low", a work that fuses the poetic inventiveness of Pierre Bastien with the visionary legacy of the late DJ Low (Tom Deweerdt), a central figure in Belgian independent music and founder of the influential Lowlands label. This album, which interweaves memory and experimentation, represents Bastien's debut on the Barcelona label's catalog and a testament to the creative bond between the two artists.
The album, composed of seven pieces, stands out for its hybrid nature: five reinterpretations of Bastien's previous works, some of them coming from his influential Mecanoid (originally released by Rephlex), and two unreleased improvisations, A Pupa and Reviver, which seal the unique character of the project.
Pierre Bastien, recognized as a composer, inventor and builder of sound machines, has been a tireless explorer of the frontiers between the mechanical and the musical. From his contribution to the Belcanto Orchestra, his collaboration with the PRSNT project to his participation in Pedro Vian's Earth, Our Planet or his collaboration with Tomaga for the Other People label, his career illustrates a constant commitment to experimentation and the intersection of disciplines. Among the artists he has worked with are names such as Robert Wyatt, Jac Berrocal, Jaki Liebezeit and designer Issey Miyake. His works have found homes on iconic labels such as Marionette, Morphine and Discrepant to name a few.
The album is presented with a visual design by Koen Bruyneel, reinterpreted as a tribute to Tom Deweerdt, a decade after his departure.
- 1: Purely Physical
- 2: Keep On Moving
- 3: Insane (Tambourine Mix)
- 4: The Road
- 5: Id Do It For You
- 6: Everything Goes
- 7: Ex
- 8: Insane (Bass Mix)
- 9: Gimme A Blast
Repressed LP on Neon Orange Vinyl, includes download card. It feels like someone left the light on in the studio and it all just ran itself, there had been a funky human input earlier in the day but, by a Darwinian machine-led kind of osmosis, the tracks recorded spent the wee small hours self-reducing and simplifying themselves. Marinated in music. “I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil,” said Truman Capote. ”Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” opined Leonardo da Vinci much earlier in proceedings. Yes, it’s the space around the object, what you leave out that makes what you leave in so important. ESG know this. Sure they can play the game but it’s the swagger of the groove and the minimal topping – like an anti-cup cake – that makes this unique New York sisterhood so appealing on ‘Keep On Moving’. Sampled on TV ads, lauded by critics and swooned over on the dancefloor, ESG’s post-punk took out the grunge and polished the basics. Cut them open and “less is more” is written all the way through. ‘Keep On Moving’ was released over ten years ago to much praise (Q said it was “even better” than 2002’s much loved ‘Step Off’). ESG had been sparring partners for PiL and early hip hop and four years after the ‘Off’, they were onto something new – rhythm as core, reflective storylines about relationship management, sensuality and insanity gather around the bass fix but they’re much blurrier than the incessant beats. Inadvertently they unmask techno and glitch and leave out any kind of superfluous fluff. It’s hard and temple throbbing. Turn it up. And keep moving. “If there's one tune which sums up ESG's enduring lust for life, it's the beautifully-judged Black Flag/early techno crossover of the closing 'Gimme A Blast'.” The Guardian 5/5 // “This album's every percussive aspect has been honed to impart the maximum amount of pleasure.” The Observer // “Despite their influence on younger bands (you can hear LCD Soundsystem's knobbly grooves on ‘Insane’), ESG still sound like nothing else.” The Guardian
"Try It' was the first of just four singles that London-based quintet The Attack released in their brief but brilliant career, and the only one to feature original drummer Alan Whitehead, who left shortly after this to join Marmalade. The A-side was also recorded by acclaimed US Garage Rock band The Standells, but it is the self-written Hammond organ driven B-Side 'We Don't Know' that gets fans of great '60s Pop excited, which might explain why they are willing to pay £300 for an original copy. Guitarist and singer Davy O'List left The Attack a few months later, and had a brief spell deputising for Syd Barrett in Pink Floyd, before forming The Nice with keyboard player Keith Emerson.
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Band leader, songwriter, arranger and producer of the now disbanded Pizzicato Five (1985-2001). Although having 2 successful world tours and 5 international albums under his belt, with fans ranging from London’s Karminsky Experience to Karl Lagerfeld, many of his fans know him as a DJ, spinning in Tokyo’s hotspots such as Shibuya’s ‘Organ Bar’. He tours regularly throughout Japan and abroad. In the Jackson 5 Remix Album, his remix ‘I want you back (readymade 524 mix)’ received an extraordinary amount of national radio play.
The remix album itself has scored healthy rankings in major record stores. In 1998, his own project ‘Punch the Monkey!’ (in which he remixes the theme tune of a popular Japanese cartoon series ‘Lupin the Third’) sold over 700,000 records, and this, some say, began Japan’s remix rush. His achievements truly invaded the mainstream when in 2000, he produced the No.1 single ‘Oha-Rock’ which became a social phenomenon in itself. Most
recently, he set up his own record label, ‘readymade international inc.’ from he which he plans to release new exciting solo works.
His talents also embrace film and photography and he is well known as a director in promotional videos, shows and advertisements. T-shirts and original goods which Konishi personally designed are sold in select shops such as BEAMS of Shibuya.
He is also a writer having regular columns in various magazines, and has also written several books. A collection of his essays have been published under the title ‘Kore wa koi de wa nai’ (’This is not love’)
SUNAGA tatsuo (sunaga t'experience)
DJ and Music Producer. Basing his activities around his own club ‘Shibuya Organ Bar’, holds regular club nights throughout Japan. Apart from his own mix CDs such as the ‘Organ b. SUITE’ which many say is in a class of its own, has produced remixes for the ‘Soul Source 2: Jackson 5 Remix’ and Yasuharu Konishi’s ‘Punch the Monkey’. He began his own label ‘AFTERS OR’ in 1998,acting both as artist and producer. Releasing records under the alias of ‘Sunaga t experience’ on avex/cutting edge records, the ‘It’s you’ 12 inch made record sales of 7,000 records, an incredibly large number in the vinyl market. His name is known in Europe through such labels as IRMA and SCHEMA records, and has remained in the forefront of the industry since the beginning of the Tokyo club scene.
Fumio Itabashi is a jazz pianist who has garnered global recognition from jazz enthusiasts around the world. Following the success of Watarase ECHO, which compiled previously unreleased takes of his signature work Watarase through the lens of Minoru Wakasugi, a pioneer of the Japanese jazz scene, the second installment of the series, Watarase VOICE, is now being released by P-VINE. This new album focuses on the "voice" aspect, compiling previously unreleased tracks that feature a diverse array of vocalists who participated in Watarase.
Looking back on a remarkable 40-year career, the series carefully selects and presents the Watarase compositions that are most deserving of being heard today. Through this series, listeners can experience a glimpse into Fumio Itabashi’s life and his ongoing passion for expressing the pinnacle of jazz as an art form, a passion that continues to this day. The Watarase series offers a unique opportunity to savor not just the music, but the essence of Itabashi’s dedication to jazz.
- A1: Into Dust Becoming
- A2: One Is Two
- A3: In Starless Reign
- A4: Our Serpent In Circle
- B1: Teeth To Sky
- B2: Lone Blue Vale
- B3: Landscape Of Thorns
- B4: Illumine
“We all grew up playing heavy music. For me personally, listening to artists like Swans, Godflesh, Neurosis and Kiss It Goodbye in my 20s was cathartic in a lot of ways. Identifying with people that have a similar world perspective, who are channeling their angst and frustration into the creative outlet of art and music — that was important.”
Josh Graham isn’t just talking about his decades-long career in heavy music, which has included A Storm of Light, Battle of Mice, and many years as the one-man visual department for Neurosis. He’s also talking about the formation of Guiltless, his new band with bassist Sacha Dunable (Intronaut), drummer Billy Graves (Generation of Vipers) and guitarist Dan Hawkins (A Storm of Light).
Guiltless released their debut EP, Thorns, via Neurot Recordings in early 2024. Crushing and cheerless, it seemed to welcome the apocalypse looming on our collective horizon. “The EP had a pretty narrow focus starting from my ideas,” Graham explains. “With this record, my main goal was to really collaborate with Sacha and Dan and Billy because those guys are great songwriters. The new album is meant to open up the sonic palette and explore more territory.”
That new album is Teeth to Sky, the band’s first full-length. Even more pulverizing and focused than its predecessor, the album’s collaborative songwriting approach was paired with an adjustment to the lyrical content.
You can hear it on “One Is Two,” which channels a tightly controlled Meshuggah churn through the more visceral lo-fi approach of Kiss It Goodbye or Swedish noise rock legends Breach. On “In Starless Reign,” Guiltless blend dissonant black metal and thundering doom while Graham invokes humanity’s inability to see the forest through the trees. Then there’s the bruising title track, which combines the gnarled sensibilities of The Jesus Lizard, Cherubs and Barn Owl into a rumination on Mother Nature’s revenge.
Teeth To Sky was recorded remotely by the members of Guiltless—except for the drums, which were recorded by Travis Kammeyer (Generation of Vipers) at Fahrenheit Studios in Johnson City, Tennessee. The album was mixed by Kurt Ballou at God City in Salem, Massachusetts, and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege in Portland, Oregon.
Crafted from solo recordings of 42 top-notch improviser musicians mostly drawn from Berlin’s multi-layered experimental scene, the monumental Phantom Orchestra project by Raed Yassin is finally getting released on Morphine Records. More than 1000 minutes of source material, recorded at the Morphine Raum during the fall of 2021, is distilled into a cogent work marked by a dazzling display of editing and blending, and packed into a double LP containing 7 “movements” of the Phantom Orchestra composition.
Crafted from solo recordings of 42 top-notch improviser musicians mostly drawn from Berlin’s multi-layered experimental scene, the monumental Phantom Orchestra project by Raed Yassin is finally getting released on Morphine Records. More than 1000 minutes of source material, recorded at the Morphine Raum during the fall of 2021, is distilled into a cogent work marked by a dazzling display of editing and blending, and packed into a double LP containing 7 “movements” of the Phantom Orchestra composition.
The Lebanese composer, musician and visual artist Raed Yassin has built a career straddling artistic mediums and communities, his devotion to improvisation, his connection to experimental electronic music, and his interest in the archive distinguishing a progressive impulse rooted in historic exploration. In 2020 Morphine Records released his wildly ambitious Live in Sharjah, made by a kaleidoscopic expansion of Praed, his duo with clarinetist Paed Conca. He resumes his interest in large-scale projects with Phantom Orchestra, conceived during the pandemic when most European improvisers were forced to redirect their energies into solo work,
Each set of the Phantom Orchestra’s solos was cut on a Dubplate, ready to be performed on 12 turntables routed to a six-channel setup, to create a unified and breathtaking composition from the spontaneous material. The resulting material was then edited and prepared to be cut on a Double LP format, marshalling a staggering variety of improvised footage into an air-tight collage that locates abstract consonance, stunning sonic rhymes, and unusual harmonies without shutting out the sort of exhilarating collisions and fraught tensions inherent in collaborative improvisations. With this final stage of the composition, Yassin offers a vibrant testimony to the diversity of Berlin’s community of improvisers, to say nothing of his own refined artistic sensibility in achieving such a remarkable feat of blending so many contrasting voices into a truly unified piece of music. “For me it's about how to learn to be a community again,” he says. “And how to live in a world together again, which is a very difficult question for me.”
“This Album was published with the support of the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture – AFAC”
- 1: R&P
- 2: Levels (Feat. Bilal & Igmar)
- 3: Speak No Evil (Feat. Myron Walden)
- 4: Words I Manifest (Feat. Raydar Ellis & Sean Jones)
- 5: One Of A Kind (Feat. Ben Williams And Nicholas Payton)
- 6: The Coming
- 7: Infant Eyes (Feat. Jean Baylor & Marcus Strickland)
- 8: Thelonious (Feat. Nicholas Payton)
- 9: Thelonius (Feat. Talib Kweli)
- 10: Lonius
- 11: Mark’s Hope (Feat. Mark Whitfield)
- 12: Fortress Of Hope (Feat. Mark Whitfield)
- 13: Angst (Feat. Igmar & Marcus Strickland)
- 14: To Kinda Lounge Around (Feat. Raydar Ellis, Terrace Martin & Nicholas Payton)
- 15: Runnin Outa Time (Feat. Igmar & Marc Cary)
- 16: Play It Back (Feat. Dr. Lonnie Smith, Cory Henry & Grégoire Maret)
When the late Jazz impresario and trailblazer Meghan Stabile first launched the Revivalist platform and Revive Da Live concert series in NYC, the goal was to bridge the gap between younger Hip-Hop audiences and traditional Jazz purists. Born from this vision in 2010 was the Revive Big Band, an inventive 20+ piece ensemble led by artistic director, trumpeter, and composer Igmar Thomas. Merging tradition with groundbreaking creativity since its inception, the multi-generational band’s world-class cadre of musicians unites for Like A Tree It Grows. As the Revive Big Band’s official full-length debut, this album represents not only a 14-year timeline of the Revive collective’s journey, but also a deeper tribute to the Black American Music lineage. It’s a celebration of community that uses the timeless power of music to tell a story of cultural legacy, innovation, and artistic collaboration. From original compositions like “R&P” and “The Coming”, to reinterpretations of classic records paying homage to musical legends (e.g. Wayne Shorter, Dizzy Gillespie, etc.) Like A Tree It Grows showcases Thomas’ intricate arrangements that blend Jazz, Hip-Hop, Soul, and a range of genres from the lineage of Black American music. With guest features from Talib Kweli, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Terrace Martin, Jean Baylor, Bilal, and more, the album provides a bridge between past and future, inviting listeners to explore the roots of Black music while reimagining its possibilities.
- 1: This Love Of Ours
- 2: Back On Top 3. I Have A Feeling
- 4: Geniuses Of Love 5. A Powerful Heart
- 6: A Better Day 7. That Is That
- 8: A Time For Love 9. Lucky Ones
- 10: The Love Bee 11. Right All Wrong
- 12: The Good Stuff 13. Oh Gee
- 14: Wonderful 15. Angel You
- 16: Let?S Talk 17. My Poem
- 18: The Prettiest
Samuel Locke Ward and Jad Fair are two of the most prolific musicians working today. Fair is a founding member of the band Half Japanese, and has released over 200 albums, including albums with Yo La Tengo, Daniel Johnston, Moe Tucker, Kramer, Teenage Fanclub, The Pastels, R. Stevie Moore, DQE, Tenniscoats, The Tinklers, Naomi Ishimaru, Jason Willett, Mosquito, and Strobe Talbot. Samuel Locke Ward has released over sixty solo albums as well as a myriad of collaborations with Bob Bucko Jr, Miracles Of God, SLW cc Watt (with Mike Watt) and the cult new age noise group Boundless Relaxation (with Joe Jack Talcum and The Bassturd). He is a cartoonist for Little Village magazine and like Jad Fair, his style musically and visually is wholly his own Pure Candy is the pair’s third album together following 2023’s Happy Hearts and Destroy All Monsters, both issued by Kill Rock Stars. Pure Candy is an album of love songs and is the feel good album of the Summer, Winter, Spring and Fall. The music was composed and performed by Ward who’s love of pop music and avant stylings offer seventeen unexpected turns over the course of a three minute song. The vocals and lyrics are by Fair, lyrics overflowing with words of love, joy, happiness, tenderness, hope and inspiration. Uplifting words for a time dearly in need of some upliftings. As with the previous two albums by Fair and Ward, this album was mixed and mastered by Jonathan Hansen and is being co-released on LP by Shrimper Records (who last worked with Fair on his collaborative three cassette box set Wonderful World) and Chicago’s Stationary (Hearts) Recordings.
- 1: Autumn
- 2: Bougainvillea
- 3: Horses I
- 4: Time
- 5: Way To Get Out
- 6: Fruit From The Vine
- 7: Buffalo
- 8: Horses Ii
- 9: Colorado
- 10: Blue Deja Vu
- 11: Mr. Wine
- 12: Horses Iii
Tobacco City is a Chicago-based band that blends cosmic country with a mix of psychedelic rock and honky-tonk soul. Their sound captures the essence of small-town nostalgia while embracing modern-day themes, exploring heartache, longing, and the bittersweet nature of life. With their uplifting energy and authentic songwriting, Tobacco City continues to carve out a unique space in the countrytinged Americana scene. On Horses, the highly anticipated follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut, Tobacco City, USA, the band takes listeners on a nostalgic journey through the haze of youth, where time feels suspended and plans are nonexistent. The album’s lyrics conjure vivid images of small-town life—smoking schwag behind the grocery store, drinking cream from a gas station with your first love—capturing that carefree, uncertain time when the future felt distant. The music channels the spirit of ’70s country with influences from legends like Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, bringing a timeless, uplifting energy to each track. At the same time, the lyrics intersect with modern-day themes, blending the beauty and innocence of youth with the harsh realities of life. Horses feels like a contemporary take on classic country, merging a nostalgic past with the complex world of today, all while remaining undeniably authentic and heartfelt. This follow-up to Tobacco City, USA—which received high praise from NPR and Rolling Stone— cements the band’s place at the forefront of a new wave of countrytinged Americana. “...Like the Chicago band’s namesake, a slow smoke hangs in the air, heavy with heartbreak and feather-blue eyeshadow, but puts a brave face on. Lexi Goddard sings with a far-away look over a pedal-steel cry, a melody that sways to country songs on jukeboxes of yore...” —NPR “Chicago’s Tobacco City do more with less... spacious grooves as pedal steel wafts through like a gentle breeze. Vocalist Lexi Goddard and Chris Coleslaw sounds simultaneously wistful and playful throughout...” —Rolling Stone
Profile 1
KONISHI yasuharu
Band leader, songwriter, arranger and producer of the now disbanded Pizzicato Five (1985- 2001). Although having 2 successful world tours and 5 international albums under his belt, with fans ranging from London’s Karminsky Experience to Karl Lagerfeld, many of his fans know him as a DJ, spinning in Tokyo’s hotspots such as Shibuya’s ‘Organ Bar’. He tours regularly throughout Japan and abroad. In the Jackson 5 Remix Album, his remix ‘I want you back (readymade 524 mix)’ received an extraordinary amount of national radio play.
The remix album itself has scored healthy rankings in major record stores. In 1998, his own project ‘Punch the Monkey!’ (in which he remixes the theme tune of a popular Japanese cartoon series ‘Lupin the Third’) sold over 700,000 records, and this, some say, began Japan’s remix rush. His achievements truly invaded the mainstream when in 2000, he produced the No.1 single ‘Oha-Rock’ which became a social phenomenon in itself. Most
recently, he set up his own record label, ‘readymade international inc.’ from he which he plans to release new exciting solo works.
His talents also embrace film and photography and he is well known as a director in promotional videos, shows and advertisements. T-shirts and original goods which Konishi personally designed are sold in select shops such as BEAMS of Shibuya.
He is also a writer having regular columns in various magazines, and has also written several books. A collection of his essays have been published under the title ‘Kore wa koi de wa nai’ (’This is not love’
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Profile 2
IKEDA masanori (Mansfield)
Began his DJ career in London, 1991, while working in Soho’s Soul Jazz Records. After becoming resident DJ at ‘Blow-Up’ in London’s Wag Club, he has toured the country and the rest of Europe. With his friends Karminsky Experience and Gentle People, he has also organised numerous club events, compiled CDs and produced radio programs. Returning to Japan in 1997, as the DJ with the rarest records in the East, he immediately made his name Djing at many popular events up and down the country. He is recognised for rocking dancefloors on a global scale having completed a very well-received European tour in 2000.
Apart from his DJ work, he has contributed remixes for Konishi Yasuharu’s ‘Punch the Monkey!’. His solo releases include his mix CD series ‘Spin Out’ , ‘Spin Out 2’ (V2 Records Japan). His albums ‘6 Complexions of Mansfield’ and ‘It’s a mans’s man’s field’ (readymade records) released under his alias Mansfield have established his name as a sound creator. He is expecting to release a new album from readymade international early 2002. This
is the DJ/composer that everyone’s talking about.
After many years, Deformer has proven to still amaze and reinvent themselves. Fans always await the next record, because you never know what to expect, other than that it's most likely ear-shattering. This time again Deformer exceeded the expectations! The new crushing four track record entitled 'Instruments of torture', shows that Deformer still takes the lead when it comes to originality. Deformer has collaborated with some musical giants before and this time teamed up with Death Metal icon David Vincent (Vltimas, I Am Morbid), who previously shook up the music industry with Death Metal legends Morbid Angel. Featured on two tracks, David's signature grunt goes hand in hand with Deformer's musical carnage. This is not just groundbreaking, it's legendary!
Deformer producer, Mike Redman, is considered a musical maniac, known to be an artistic freethinker and has never watered down the Deformer concept. Where its foundation is still Hardcore Jungle, Deformer has always added various music genres into the mix making Deformer a genre of its own, even before terms like 'Breakcore' existed. Many of the more popular names in the field acknowledge that Deformer has always been a great source of inspiration. Where David Vincent made a blueprint in Death Metal, Deformer definitely did that for Hardcore Jungle/Breakcore.




















