"U.S. Maple's first album, before they fell all apart on """"Sang Phat Editor"""". This is the album that """"rocks"""". Disjointed machinations, poppy locksteps and jarring sideways excursions all leading down a path to nowhere's-ville. Engineered by Jim O'Rourke with a cold. Pressed on Muleta Maroon Colored Vinyl LP includes a vinyl-only bonus track plus a Two-Sided Footlong OBI and Lyric Sheet.
In high school, the members of U.S. Maple never said a word to anyone. And although this had disastrous results (stolen shoes, constant de-pantsing, gum in the hair, etc...), a fire was burning inside each one of them.
A beginning was struck in Chicago, early in 1995. The four met near the corner of Grand and Western Avenues to devise a working method for reorganizing rock and roll, keeping what was felt to be it’s most important core elements.
The mumblings are slick. The melodies are souped-up and soured. The drums are spastic bursts of laughter, rocket fuel and confetti. It is fronted by a singer who reminds one or the other of Kevin Costner's stoner bro. A 7” single and a version of AC/DC’s Sin City are the first to be recorded.
U.S. Maple’s debut full-length, “Long Hair In Three Stages” was recorded late in 1995 with Jim O'Rourke at Solid Sound Studios in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. This was Jim's first legitimate recording session with a rock and roll band. The album receives critical acclaim. Soon thereafter, U.S. Maple find themselves flying coach to Deutschland for a European tour. The extensive six-week tour spans 12 countries and includes a Peel Session for the BBC's John Peel Show. More history is made.
""""Long Hair In Three Stages"""" goes on to be ranked #85 on the Alternative Press “90 Greatest Albums of the '90s” list. We all know better."
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"Max Knouse’s voice feels like laughter that follows a well-loved joke. Only afterward, it dawns on you that you don’t fully understand the punchline. Or for that matter the set up. In fact, you’re not even sure what language the joke was told in. What to make of such a laugh—inexplicable, delightful, surprising, seemingly nonsensical? And what to make his voice, at once comforting, beguiling, and just beyond the bounds, like a blues moan or a Mingus lick or some ancient guttural holler? It’s the kind of haunt that lingers long after the record fades, echoing back in your imagination, laden with cryptic possibilities and occulted meanings.
Chipmunk’d Away is his third album. Known for his sessions and live shows with artists like Califone, Jolie Holland, Adan Jodorowsky, Psychic Temple, Simon Joyner, Alex Dupree, and others, Knouse has established himself as an essential factor in the West Coast indie pop underground, brandishing guitar chops that mirror the rawness of his voice; he treats his instrument like a divining rod of spiritual tension and joyful racket, pushing and pulling on it with affection and sometimes something darker.
From the swelling cosmic folk of “Mint and Tobacco,” which features Knouse intoning apocalyptically over engineer Michael Krassner’s washing guitars, “Your breathing ain’t so deep,” to the jazz standard swooner-meets-West Coast psych-pop title track, to the nightmare-scape blues of “Clumsy Hunter,” to the concluding audio collage sway of “Banana, Orange, and Something Else,” Chipmunk’d presents the range and scope of Knouse’s style: bold, adventurous, frightening, and then frequently, when you least expect it, heartbreakingly lovely, like a joke that clarifies your feelings before you could actually verbalize what those feelings even are. They had been hidden from you, chipmunk’d away, but now Max Knouse has revealed them."
B2 Recordings is one of those labels that is deeply entrenched in proper house circles. Its latest comes from Bengoa who keeps it nice and chill on 'I Won't Love You' (feat Mimi X FY). The drums are low-slung, the chords are breezy and warm. 'Bibi's Funk' then layers in some lively percussion that adds a nice texture to the swaggering, slo-mo grooves. 'Listen' picks up the pace with some electro-charged rhythms and corrugated bass funk and then 'Exiles' leaves you with another classy, spacious sound with persuasive claps and big splashy cymbals.
Right on time once again, the fifth outing on Punctuality welcomes Irish producer Drua to the fore. In typical Punctuality fashion the release draws influence from the canon of golden era late 90s and early 2000s dance music with an entirely modern production aesthetic, engineered for big rigs and sweaty dancefloors alike.
Nightfire is a fully realised vision of Drua’s sound that could best be described as contemporary hard house. All four tracks are laden with punchy, rolling basslines, detailed low end, vibrant stabs, sultry vocals, undulating rhythms and sprinklings of quintessential club sparks.
The nouveau handbag styling of UP kicks off the EP. Stuttered vocals, M1 organs and solid grooves are fused together with clever sampling that is sure to make this one a hit for the festival season of s/s ‘25, as early support from the likes of Roza Terenzi, Confidence Man, Spray, Sally C and Maara would indicate.
Job 2.3 has all the elements of a Punctuality anthem and maintains the big tune mood of the EP: skippy bass notes, low end wubs, subtle breaks, catchy vocal hooks and precise drums nail the brief in executing this prog-hard-house hybrid heater.
On the flip, Nightfire nods to classic leaning deep house through a peak time lens. Introspective pads make way for pulsing subs, sensuous vocal chops and hip catching basslines. This is one of those tracks that can shift the arc of a DJ set to the next level. Big tip here.
The EP concludes with Arch In Ur Back which has all the elements to work a dancefloor: multiple grooves, rolling breakbeats, party starting vocals and the modern sound design that punctuality has gained worldwide notoriety for. An all killer no filler EP in the form of four well rounded club tools from Drua that are sure to be mainstays for discerning DJs and Punctualists
Norwegian electronic pioneer Lindstrøm returns with Sirius Syntoms – seven tracks of melodic, cosmic disco and shimmering synth grooves. This album marks a more focused and open sound than his previous work, with warm analog textures, pulsating rhythms, and hypnotic basslines at the core.
Combining the uplifting energy of house and the introspective tone of ambient synth music, Sirius Syntoms blends dancefloor elegance with emotional depth. The lead single “Cirkl” sets the tone for a record that’s both refined and playful.
This is also the relaunch of Lindstrøm’s Feedelity label, with artwork by longtime collaborator Ole Martin Lund Bø. For fans of cosmic disco, nu-disco, synth-driven house, and electronic explorations with heart and soul.
Escribano Imprints presents Fluyo 004 — a carefully curated compilation featuring four distinct artists, each offering their unique interpretation of a shared sonic language. Thoughtfully assembled, the release invites listeners on a deep and elegant journey: subtle, timeless, and gently propelling forward. It’s a seamless continuation of the label’s ongoing exploration of sound.
Following the success of his debut album Echoes of Prayer - featuring singles like Communicate, Calm Waters, and Silent Chaos - Ghanaian-Dutch artist Bnnyhunna announces the album's first-ever vinyl release, set for May 30, 2025, via the renowned Belgian label Sdban Ultra.
Originally released digitally in October 2024, Echoes of Prayer stands as a deeply personal and spiritual work that reflects Bnnyhunna's faith, his early experiences growing up in church, and his West African heritage. Every track on the album serves as a form of prayer, a conversation with God. The album showcases his ability to weave poetic lyrics, vivid visuals, and captivating melodies, creating an immersive experience that resonates on a spiritual and emotional level.
Bnnyhunna's signature fusion of jazz, hip-hop, gospel, and Afro rhythms highlights his versatility and musical integrity. Next to the the warm jazz textures of Calm Waters, the vibrant Afrobeat pulse of Communicate, and the soulful, piano-driven Silent Chaos, Echoes of Prayer also blends elements of '70s P-Funk grooves, gospel harmonies, and modern hip-hop rhythms. Each song represents a different facet of Bnnyhunna's artistic vision. Tracks like SHOULD'VE BEEN YOU carry nostalgic R&B undertones, while Sum Love brings gospel-infused choir arrangements that recall sacred spaces. Interludes such asAvanti add moments of intimacy and reflection through gentle guitar lines.
The album's diverse sound is elevated by collaborations with The Cavemen, who lend their signature highlife revival, and Jembaa Groove, who contribute with West African-inspired rhythms.
His debut project EP SINTHA, released in 2021, quickly established Bnnyhunna as a rising talent, leading to collaborations with artists like Asake, Rimon, and José James. He gained momentum by selling out his first headline show, which included a surprise performance from Kokoroko, and receiving global recognition from platforms like Highsnobiety, VICE, and Complex, as well as performing at prestigious festivals such as North Sea Jazz and Montreux Jazz. Bnnyhunna challenges conventional music by engaging all the senses through photography, videography, and poetry.
The release of Echoes of Prayer follows a year of significant achievements for Bnnyhunna. In2024, he performed for Highsnobiety at Paris Fashion Week, appeared at prestigious festivals such as Dekmantel and Zwarte Cross, and played a standout performance at the Steam Down Weekly series in London. Additionally, he composed an original score for the Dutch National Opera and won the Edison Pop Award, one of the most prestigious music awards in the Netherlands (often referred to as the Dutch Grammys), in the Soul/R&B/Funk category.
With the vinyl release of Echoes of Prayer, Bnnyhunna offers fans a tangible, collectible edition of his powerful debut. The release via Sdban Ultra invites listeners to experience the full depth of his sound in its most intimate and analog form yet.
"The meaning of this concept (Space Outside :Space) lies within your answers to these questions. Providing the questions are considered with honesty, the true meaning of what "Space" refers to becomes revealed.
There are no right or wrong answers, just reactions based on your view and angles on the mechanisms of life."
- Millsart aka Jeff Mills
What becomes a person that doesn't dream? What happens when we get all that we ever wanted? Do we know too much? Can we truly justify pessimism?
What are you planning on leaving behind? If given more life, stay the same or change? Life is more about giving or taking? Good fortune is based on what? What's more effective, love or hate? Do we care enough? Are we OK?
Life is mostly about ? Is there a end to this? Knowing that it propels, are we capable of critical thinking? Who is more important then yourself? What is worth dying for?
- A1: Everlong
- A2: Making A Fire
- A3: Times Like These
- A4: Rope
- A5: Monkey Wrench
- B1: My Hero
- B2: Cold Day In The Sun
- B3: Big Me
- B4: Long Road To Ruin
- B5: Shame Shame
- B6: Best Of You
- C1: All My Life
- C2: The Pretender
- C3: This Is A Call
- C4: Waiting On A War
- C5: Walk
- D1: Learn To Fly
- D2: The Sky Is A Neighborhood
- D3: Breakout
- D4: These Days
- D5: Everlong
2 x black LP , 21 Tracks aus der gesamten Karriere der Band
No Tags is a podcast and newsletter about underground music culture hosted by Tom Lea and Chal Ravens.
Designed by All Purpose Studio, this book collects the best interviews and discussions from the first year of No Tags, along with four new essays by some of our favourite writers and thinkers.
Featuring: Eris Drew, Simon Reynolds, JK & Bempah, Sorry Records, CCL, Jeff Weiss, lorecore, GG Albuquerque, indie sleaze, Frankie Decaiza Hutchinson, Meaghan Garvey, Ray Philp, Jonny Banger, OK Williams, Iglooghost, the sound of Tory Britain, payola, The Large, Gavin Douglas, Marvin Sparks, Dr Robin James, Lena Raine, Midland, Henry Bruce-Jones, Vivian Host, Chris Zaldua, the spirit of 2011, Amy Lamé, the bursting festival bubble and Fish56Octagon.
On his second EP for Altered Circuits, "Signal Drift", Jacopo Latini further distills his sound. Taking a more minimalist approach, he unreservedly treats the groove as the focal point. Still relying on his staple talent for weaving melodies and hooks, he delivers four trippy club tracks that show more can be done with less. Opener "Sharp" delivers immediate proof. After starting with a sequence of eerie sci-fi atmospherics and recondite vocoded vocals, the adding and subtracting happens so ingeniously, the track switches to club velocity 303 squelches and enhanced drum programming seamlessly. Similar techniques in building and layering are deployed on "Impulse", but this time, the shifts seem a tad more dramatic. The track revolves around an FM bass melody that's equally effective as it is simple, and its return to this stripped theme, surrounded by characteristic jittery hats, squashed claps, and a little more frills, keeps the listener on his toes. A bass patch, its sustain knob turned wide open, somewhat buried in the mix, drives "Bright Sound" together with a heavily modulated formant mid lead. Deadpan vocals add icing, and slightly euphoric, phased chords bring in a touch of subtle contrast. Closer "Rave Harvey" is a rare diversion as it starts in medias res with chords that reconfigure nineties trance and a distinct bassline immediately going for the limelight. It also shows Latini switching up his palette, trading restraint for vigor, with a slab of direct, unfiltered hi-energy as a result.
Smerz expand the universe, leaving no one behind. Feelings. Nourished sounds of drums. Strings. One-finger piano riffs. Synth preset: crushed dance floor. Their voices and stories. All perform a sonic rite of passage. Anthems to yourself.
DJ Sodeyama returns to Sound Of Vast under his The People In Fog guise this June with the nine track 'Too Much Knobs And Cables' LP.
Over the past three decades DJ Sodeyama has been a staple in Japan's underground and beyond across the globe as a DJ and releasing material under his own name via the likes of Radio Slaves' Rekids, Dynamic Reflection, Nina Kraviz' трип and more. Here though, he makes a welcome return under his The People In Fog alias to Tokyo's Sound Of Vast, the platform that's played host to all of his material under this alias as well as others like The Mole, Shinichiro Yokota, San Proper and more.
Across the nine-track 'Too Much Knobs And Cables' LP, The People In Fog once again radiantly showcases his depth and understanding of true underground sounds. From the classic Deep House aesthetic of opener 'Red Morning', 'CC Love' and 'New Life' to more classic Chicago House inspired cuts like 'Animal Kingdom', 'Jack Out' and filtered Disco house jams like 'Dance To The Air', 'New Life' and 'Miraval'.
Sodeyama also dives deeper beyond House once again in true long player fashion to deliver the unique 80's tinged, funk-infused and vintage synth/drum machine laced 'Night Driver' and the cinematic closing piece 'Sun Moon Lake', which leans into a Balearic leaning sonic world via drifting guitar melodies, arpeggios, acid licks and a crunchy rhythm section.
Marcellus Pittman is one of the Motor City's finest. The long-time house explorer has a singular sound that is built around brittle drum loops, hissing and dusty hi-hats and loose-limbed arrangements that are stark and dehumanised but somehow full of intriguing machine warmth and soul. Take this EP, 'Loneliness Leave Me Alone,' first dropped back in 2010: the title cut has bouncing, bulbous bass and jacked up drums that sound both menacing yet playful, which the fizzy, sugary chords spray across the mix like a mist of pixelated water. 'Razz 09' has that Omar-S style melancholy and trudging rhythm that's heightened by the curious melodies which unfurl with a mind of their own in the background. Superb.
- A1: Dark Side Of The Moon - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (6 20)
- A2: Uk Floyd Division - Time (6 24)
- A3: Mystic Force - Young Lust (3 09)
- A4: Several Pieces - The Final Cut (4 21)
- A5: Bugsy Parker - Julia Dream (2 37)
- B1: Berzon - Comfortably Numb (5 11)
- B2: The Nashville Suns - Learning To Fly (2 18)
- B3: Blacktown Band - Hey You (4 40)
- B4: Monkeysoop - "One Of These Days" (3 41)
- B5: In The Pink - Money (6 15)
- C1: Keith Noble & Rado Klose - Mr Compromise (3 24)
- C2: Clare Torry - Love For Living (3 16)
- C3: Hurricane Smith - Oh Babe, What Would You Say? (3 16)
- C4: Ss 20 - Arnold Layne (3 04)
- C5: The Green Telescope - Scream Thy Last Screa (4 38)
- C6: Norman "Hurricane" Smith - Pink Floyd Interview (Talks About His Recording Sessions With Pink Floyd) (5 10)
- D1: Keith Noble & Rado Klose - Ashes & Silver (5 28)
- D2: The Chemistry Set - See Emily Play (3 00)
- D3: Pink Anderson - The Boll Weevil (3 05)
- D4: Floyd Council - Runaway Man Blues (2 52)
- D5: Keith Noble & Rado Klose - Weather (6 58)
A Floor-Killer Cover by a UK Soul/Jazz Unit Now on 7-Inch!
The legendary mellow break classic Lowrell - "Mellow Mellow Right On" and the female free-soul masterpiece Gloria Scott - "(A Case Of) Too Much Love Makin'" are now available as covers on their first-ever 7-inch release. Formed in 1993, Paprika Soul is a unit led by Alan Barnes and Andrew Spiller, leaving their mark on the UK soul/jazz scene. Side A features a stunning cover of Lowrell's "Mellow Mellow Right On" (1979), with Christine Glen Cousee and Tim Whitnal delivering a smooth rendition titled "Mellow Mellow." Side B brings a soulful cover of the timeless masterpiece Gloria Scott's "(A Case Of) Too Much Love Makin'"(1974) performed passionately by Jacqui Hicks. This 7-inch is a must-have, guaranteed to set the dance floor alight on both sides!
- A1: Imagination (From Clé Ep - 1981 Last Movement Recorded At Pet Sound Studio)
- A2: When I See You (From Clé Ep - 1981 Last Movement Recorded At Pet Sound Studio)
- A3: Landslide (From Clé Ep - 1981 Last Movement Recorded At Pet Sound Studio)
- A4: Colourless Dream (From Colourless Dream 7" - 1981 Last Movement Recorded At Surrey Sound)
- A5: Things We Never Did (From Colourless Dream 7" - 1981 Last Movement Recorded At Surrey Sound)
- B1: Lost In A Moment (From 7" Lost In A Moment/The Tightrope Touch 1982 Midnight Music - Recorded At Silo Studios, London)
- B2: The Tightrope Touch (From 7" Lost In A Moment/The Tightrope Touch1982 Midnight Music - Recorded At Silo Studios, London)
- B3: Man Of Straw (From 12" Man Of Straw - 1983 Midnight Music Recorded At Spaceward Studios)
- B4: Cowboys (From 12" Man Of Straw - 1983 Midnight Music Recorded At Spaceward Studios)
- B5: Close To The Sea (From 12" Man Of Straw - 1983 Midnight Music Recorded At Spaceward Studios)
Exclusive vinyl with the singles released by the Watford post-punk band between 1981 and 1983.
"Before I began to write this piece I listened to some of the tracks and I admit there was a small tear or two as I remembered… Pet Sounds Studios, an 8 track reel to reel studio in a basement under a pet shop in Kennington, South London, our first studio experience as fresh faced 20 year olds. Surrey Sounds, a studio above a milk depot where Siouxsie and The Banshees had recorded singles, we got some studio time through the night when The Professionals (ex Sex Pistols) weren’t recording. Silo Studio in Hammersmith, the engineer was stoned, I smoked at least three packets of cigarettes during the session and having arrived at the studio with a song we believed in, we came out disillusioned and slightly underwhelmed; maybe greatness wasn’t destined to descend upon us at that stage of our career. Spaceward in Cambridgeshire, an old school building turned into a professional recording studio, where we recorded our first album Epic Garden Music over a weekend working through the night with about an hour of sleep. We returned there to record our second album, Feeding The Flame which took two months rather than two days. But my moist eyes are not for the broken dreams, the incredible highs or even the camaraderie with fellow band members, all of whom I may add we are still in touch with. My slight sadness is for my lost youth and the courageous optimism of those early days so viscerally evoked by this collection of songs. The glory of the world fades but in reality Sad Lovers & Giants goes from strength to strength, albeit in a very understated English way mainly because that’s the way we like it. So enjoy these songs which were created with passion and energy over forty years ago but still remain vivid and exciting to a new generation of listeners today." From Garce/Simon Allard's exclusive liner notes (October 2024)
Federsen’s Alt Dub continues with its third release this May, the ‘Artist Series’ focused VA features cuts from cv313, Taction, Hidden Sequence and Fletcher.
Based out of San Francisco, Federsen and his Alt Dub imprint are known as purveyors of all things raw and intricate in the world of Dub Techno, holding the beacon and championing the sound, introducing new artists and featuring highly respected figures from the scene also. This new various artist package promotes exactly that.
Taking the lead is the widely revered cv313, the Detroit based dub powerhouse delivers his signature sound with ‘Spectral Vector’ via hazy field recordings, textural noise, modulating percussion and spiralling dub echoes all subtly nuanced throughout its nine minute duration. Sydney’s Taction then offers up ‘Caesious’, employing trickling water sounds, ethereal, expansive pads, pulsating subs and reduced percussion.
Opening the B-Side is Hidden Sequence’s ‘Azteca’, picking up the energy levels courtesy of swinging organic percussion, bubbling echoes, reverberated stab sequencing and oscillating resonant synth flutters. Fletcher’s ‘A Distant Place’ then rounds out the release, an eight and a half minute excursion through soft, dream like chimes, twitchy synth tones, a heavily swung rhythm section and subtly nuanced structure.
Bristol’s techno dreamweaver A Sagittariun returns to the fray with new music. A trio of tracks are featured on ‘The 23 Enigma’, and A Sagittariun’s first release since 2022’s ‘Strange Brew’ EP for Radio Slave’s REKIDS label.
A production career spanning near to fifteen years, with albums and single releases on labels such as Hypercolour, Running Back, Craigie Knowes, Permanent Vacation, Idle Hands and Secretsundaze, A Sagittariun traverses genres with ease, peddling raw and hypnotic techno, ambient dub, breakbeat and deep electronic sounds each tinged with a heavy dose of psychedelia and cosmic power!
‘Fountainhead’ and ‘Mind Games’ take it back to the raw, with panel beating drums, frenetic percussion and wigged out synths designed for the more discerning of dancefloors, whilst lead track ‘The 23 Enigma’ goes down a wormhole of muscular electronica as deep as a wizard’s sleeve.
A Sagittariun ‘The 23 Enigma’ is released from 16th May 2025.




















