quête:leah

Ihr Genre ist „Celtic Fantasy Metal“ und ihre Alben könnten
problemlos als Soundtracks für Serien wie Game of Thrones
oder Vikings dienen. Ihre Fans nennen sie die „Metal-Enya
“ und sie verkörpert für Tausende engagierter Zuhörer auf der
ganzen Welt den Archetyp der „Kriegerkönigin“.
Ihr bevorstehendes sechstes Album „The Glory and the Fallen
“ markiert eine neue Entwicklung für die Singer-Songwriterin.
Dieses Album stellt neue Herausforderungen vor und betritt
neue Gebiete in der Songwriting-Phase. Es verspricht nicht
nur, ihr bislang epischstes und bahnbrechendstes Projekt zu
werden, sondern ist auch eine monumentale Klanglandschaft,
die von Fantasie, Geschichte und persönlicher Reise inspiriert
ist.
Die mit Spannung erwartete Neuveröffentlichung wurde von
Oliver Philipps (Everon, Phantasma) produziert. Das
erstaunliche Kunstwerk wurde von Giannis Nakos (Kamelot,
Evergrey, Amaranthe) geschaffen.

Freedom – the debut album from Leah Weller – a modern soul soundtrack to her head spinning twenties turning into empowered, contented thirties. Completed last year, Weller’s first complete album follows a decade-long career on catwalks, in front of cameras and making dancefloors shake, constantly on the move and with music as a constant companion. Finding the escape route out of anxiety-inducing mix-and-match career moves with the stability of love, the slowdown of repeated lockdowns and, finally, motherhood, Weller’s race is now to be run at her own pace with a collection of songs set perfectly to her flow.



Gathering nine, finely-tailored songs together with a drum beat of support from producer and collaborator, Steve Craddock, the collection speaks, much rather than screams, of finding the sweet spot between the need for hope, however naïve, and the truths that only experience can spell out.

Freedom – the debut album from Leah Weller – a modern soul soundtrack to her head spinning twenties turning into empowered, contented thirties. Completed last year, Weller’s first complete album follows a decade-long career on catwalks, in front of cameras and making dancefloors shake, constantly on the move and with music as a constant companion. Finding the escape route out of anxiety-inducing mix-and-match career moves with the stability of love, the slowdown of repeated lockdowns and, finally, motherhood, Weller’s race is now to be run at her own pace with a collection of songs set perfectly to her flow.



Gathering nine, finely-tailored songs together with a drum beat of support from producer and collaborator, Steve Craddock, the collection speaks, much rather than screams, of finding the sweet spot between the need for hope, however naïve, and the truths that only experience can spell out.

Imbued with the grit of vintage country music and the grace of gospel, Leah Blevins’ debut album is a scrapbook of sorts, a collage of feelings and memories from a decade spent working in the big city of Nashville while missing the small town she left behind. “It’s a timestamp of my twenties,” says the Sandy Hook, Kentucky, native. “Here are all the stories and all the experiences from that decade. Here are all the mixed emotions I’ve felt about things I’ve gone through and people I’ve met along the way.” First Time Feeling turns tribulations into what Blevins calls “bundles of triumphs,” which lend weight to her well-observed lyrics and gravity to her soulful vocals. “It’s about coming into womanhood, but it’s more than just a coming-of-age story. It’s me discovering that I’m capable of writing a song on my own. I’m capable of staying sober. I’m capable of all these things that once felt so far out of reach. Within those walls these songs had to be unapologetically honest.” Or, as she puts it on the bluesy opener “Afraid,” “Have you ever been afraid, with nowhere to hide? Scared of nothing, but you’re running inside?”
. “I want people to find something relatable within these ten songs. But for me they’re a reminder that all the pain that I went through—which isn’t that different from the pain every human goes through—it’s all mine. By making this album, I’ve taken it, I’ve owned that pain, I’ve made it mine, and I’ve wrapped it up with a bow on top.”

Next up on Francis Harris's newly-founded record label Kingdoms comes something very special from Brooklyn-based film composer, songwriter, producer and performer Léah Lazonick. Movimenti della Luna D'Oro ('Movements of the Moon of Gold' translated from Italian) is a four-track EP from one of the most exciting musicians and performers around - a beautiful quartet of contemporary classical music with a twist. Lazonick is something of a polymath, having composed and conducted orchestral and electronic scores for short films and commercials as well as being a classically-trained pianist. Lazonick is also a connoisseur of analog synths and vintage drum machines, and will release a second EP focussing on these passions during the course of 2018. Here we are treated to three luscious works for piano and string quartet, written for a one-off performance at Studio OFF Interarts, an art gallery in Montreal. The piece was performed in a forest-like immersive environment, and was originally called In a Forest (A Piece in Three Movements). Lazonick performed the piano parts along with a string quartet she had assembled for the performance/recording. Lazonick explains: 'As opposed to most of the other songs/compositions I have written, I have no concrete sentimental story behind writing this piece. The motivation, inspiration and overall idea behind composing it was of a more technical nature; attempting to relay the music in my head at its purest form, without any compromises, by primarily making use of melodic and harmonic dissonances whilst still keeping the content captivating, musical and continuous.

Sound Signature celebrates 20 years with an LP from Dego & Kaidi.

18.b1 1096 n 77.2975 w : 18.1096 n 77.2975 w

lovely Mystical Electronics!' (richard Dorfmeister / Tosca / Kruder & Dorfmeister)

Ah! Kosmos - Das Ist Ein Beständiges Wunder, In Dem Wir Hier Mittendrin Stecken. Beim Hören Ihrer Tracks Bleibt Immer Wieder Nur Stauen. Den Soundtrack Zu Love & Awe Spielt Seit Einem Halben Jahrzehnt Basak Günak, Sound-designerin, Produzentin Und Multi- Instrumentalistin Aus Istanbul.

Auch Auf Ihrem Zweiten Album - beautiful Swamp Verbindet Sie Elastische Bis Hart Knisternde Percussions Mit Melodischen Soundlandschaften. Dabei Gehören Der Universalismus Der Musik Und Persönlicher Freiheit Untrennbar Zusammen: Tief Im Gewebe Ihrer Tracks Aus Downbeat Und Deep House, Aus Türkischen Klangtraditionen Und Exotischen Revieren Stecken Auch Ängste, Glück Und Düsternis: Günaks Musik Fängt Auf, Was Sie In Ihrem Leben Zwischen Istanbul Und Berlin Verarbeitet Und Überwindet. Den Hörenden Bleiben So Nicht Nur Soundscapes Zu Erkunden, Sondern Vielschichtige, Emotionale Kosmen, Die Mit Jeder Neuen Klangschicht Ihre Widerhaken Ins Hirn Schlagen.

Schon Mit Ihrer Ersten Lp bastards' Bewies Sich Günak Als Grenzüberschreiterin, Oszillierte Zwischen Dem Mut Zum Glückseligen Flow Und Avantgardistischem, Düsteren Post-rock. Mit Ihrem Neuen Album beautiful Swamp', Das 2017 In Berlin Und Istanbul Entstanden Ist, Be- Wegt Sich Ah! Kosmos Weiter Jenseits Aller Genre-grenzen: Günak Baut Aus Polyrhythmen Und Folktronischem Instrumentarium Eine Mystische Klangwelt, In Die Man Hineinsinken, In Die Man Sich Forttragen Lassen Kann. Für Ihre Organischen Klang-cluster Hat Sie Auf Diesem Album Ihre Eigene Stimme Als Material Entdeckt, Wird Als Person Greifbarer.

Ihre Musik Ist Körperlich, Trägt Würdevoll Spuren Von Auseinandersetzungen. Die Transzendenz Von - beautiful Swamp Ist Eine Flucht, Ja, Aber Eine Nach Vorne. Der Titelgebende Sumpf Vielleicht Auch Eine Ursuppe, Aus Der Immer Neue Klangwesen Schießen. Mit Dem Druck Gelebten Lebens Und... Es Sind Überirdisch Schöne, Allesamt.

Ah! Kosmos Arbeitet In Erster Linie Allein. Wenn Günak Sich Auf Musikalische Begegnungen Einlässt, Dann Auf Besonders Intime Und Intensive. Wie Die Mit Der Jazzsängerin Elif Çaglar, Die Im Song - beyond Dreams Zu Hören Ist, Oder Mit Dem Gitarristen Özgür Yilmaz, Zu Hören Auf Dem Track - wide . Selen Ansen, Eine Der Wichtigsten Türkischen Intellektuellen Ihrer Generation, Hat Für Günaks Neues Werk Ein Gedicht Verfasst, Mit Dem Passenden Titel in The Dark Woods'.

Ihr Wichtigster Partner Aber: Das Publikum. Ah! Kosmos, Das Ist Genauso Sehr Ein Live-projekt - Und Eines, Bei Dem Die Musik Unmittelbar Auf Die Stimmung Im Floor Reagiert. Bei Jedem Ihrer Auftritte Nehmen Ihre Klanglandschaften Eine Neue Gestalt An. Sie Performt Solo Oder Begleitet Von Einem Gitarristen, War Bereits Support Für Acts Wie Sigur Rós Und Jonny Greenwood's Junun Project (barbican Hall) Und Spielte Auf Wichtigen Festivals Jenseits Aller Schubladen, U.a. Auf Dem Sónar Festival Barcelona Und Dem Venice Electro Festival, Dem Tokyo Electronic Music Of Arts Festival, Dem, Prague Quadrennial Und Dem Arena Theater Festival Nürnberg.

Zudem Komponiert Sie Für Zeitgenössische Tanz- Und Theaterproduktionen, Kurzfilme Und Perfomances. Im Frühjahr 2018 Nahm Sie An Dem Projekt sonár Calling Gj273b' Teil Und Schickte Eine Elektronisch Verfremdete Version Ihres Songs i Don't Belong Here' Ins All. Wahrscheinlich Fühlt Man Sich Ihrem Sound Sehr Verbunden, Dort Draußen.

ll Camille, LA hip hop's female perspective.

Ill Camille has been a vital member of the LA music scene for some years. Kendrick Lamar used her vocals prominently for the 'good kid, m.A.A.d city' track 'Sing about me', she has been working with other TDE artists occasionally and spend a lot of time writing for different projects Terrance Martin was involved with.

At the same time Camille was developing her own material with her fellow peers such as MNDSGN, Iman Omari, DJ Battlecat, Like (Pac Div) Georgia Anne Muldrow & SIR who are all featured on her album 'Heirloom' just like TDE co-president Punch. 'Heirloom' productions range from smooth, g-funk esque west coast beats to live & organic soulful beats, working as the perfect backdrop for Camille's powerful, intelligent and thought thru lyrics

The album is deeply personal revolving around the issues that mater in her life from friends and family, her role as a woman and the heirloom of her and her surrounding: 'I feel like everyone are heirlooms of our mothers and fathers. An heirloom is just something that's passed down through a family. We get heirlooms in the form of game, encouragement or wise words. I know everyone has an aunt or uncle that's given them some bars about life in general. I have a village around me that have given me heirlooms in the form of conversations'.

Anywhere, Anyway captures a selection of club tools that Makèz and their close circle have tested, refined and played across dance floors worldwide. Each track carries that familiar equilibrium the duo keeps guard over, a steady pull between raw club energy and moments meant for intimate listening.

Much like their recent album on No Art, the EP took shape while traveling, moving from session to session with artists from different musical worlds. Those encounters left their marks, subtle shifts in rhythm, harmony and texture, shaping the edges of the EP. The Amsterdam duo keeps seeking creative impulses from unexpected angles, letting ideas find them wherever they are. Anywhere, anyway.

DJ Support: Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), Huey Morgan (BBC Radio 6), Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 6), Deb Grant (New Music Fix, BBC Radio 6)

On debut album ‘While I'm Distracted’, London-based New Zealander Arjuna Oakes draws inspiration from contemporary soul and jazz, touches of global folk, electronica, modern classical, and post-rock, with dynamic arrangements and production. ‘While I'm Distracted’ is an album about fighting for your innocence and right to be a vulnerable and honest human. Arjuna’s songwriting explores themes of identity, depression, existentialism, social media, loss of innocence, and finding hope for the future through artistic expression.

'I'm obsessed with albums,' says Arjuna. 'I've made seven EPs, but needed time to tackle a full length record. I was using the EPs to learn the craft of how to make a great album, much like a director will make short films before they make a feature. I wanted to take the listener on a journey and spark their imagination. Hopefully the album expresses complex emotions, rather than having an intellectual concept. I'd rather ask questions than answer them'.

Across the album, Arjuna performs vocals, piano, keyboards, synths, production, and wrote the string arrangements. He’s joined by Harrison Scholes on bass, Jo Jenkins and Andre Smith on guitar, Sam Notman on drums, Louisa Williamson on saxophone, Nathan Haines on flute, Kate King on french horn, Leah Thomas on clarinet, Hilary Hayes and Emma Colligan on violin, Chris Van Der Zee on viola, Charley Davenport on cello, Zane Hawkins on percussion, James Macewan on trumpet, and additional production by Callum Mower.

Fresh from the success of 'Say You Won't Ever', Wallflower return with their second single 'Manifest', an ode to honouring what naturally unfolds through surrendering to the Process; not to be confused with having manifest intent of a desired outcome consistently held in the mind's eye.

Leah Floyeur's vibrant piano and Alison Marks' haunting and
mantric vocals combine beautifully with the deeper moody strings to produce a delicately illuminating piece.

The package includes a couple of strong re-interpretations.

On the A Side by Gerd Janson and Phillip Lauer team up again for Rebirth to deliver a mix set to become a classic, combining an old school house feeling with a pulsing disco bass and atmospheric pads.

The vocals shine once more on what is sure to become a real dance-floor filler ! On the B side, Keinemusik's boss Rampa creates a strong remix combining raw percussion and tambourine with an intense synth line to build tension and energy.

Auf seiner dritten Studio-LP präsentiert Werkha einen einzigartigen Blend aus jazziger, Breakbeat-angehauchter Elektronik und analoger Ästhetik. Mit Ríoghnach Connolly und Daudi Matsiko sind zwei renommierte Künstler mit Wurzeln in der Folkmusik dabei, die Werkhas enge Verbindung zur Natur unterstreichen. Werkha (aka Tom Leah) ist ein Multiinstrumentalist aus Manchester mit Releases auf First Word und Tru Thoughts. Seine bisherigen Kollabos umfassen Quantic, A Certain Ratio, Marcos Valle, Eska, Chunky, Andrew Ashong, Keisha Thompson und Bryony Jarman-Pinto. Er tourte zusammen mit Bonobo, Chet Faker, Mr Scruff, Crazy P, GoGo Penguin, Todd Terje, Lefto und MCDE. Zu seinen Supportern gehören Gilles Peterson, Nemone, Don Letts, Jamz Supernova, Mo Ayoub), Julie Adenuga, Scratcha DVA, Tom Ravenscroft und Afrodeutsche

Nachdem sie auf dem SXSW, New Colossus und Spot Festival für Furore gesorgt haben, veröffentlicht das Berliner Indie-Pop-Trio Matching Outfits ihr erstes Album bei Bar/None Records in Zusammenarbeit mit Dreams of Field Recordings erscheint. Auf "Ditch Me" erzählt die schwedische Frontfrau Linnea Mårtensson mit einer Mischung aus trockenem Humor und roher Verletzlichkeit von dem Jahr nach einer Trennung. Vom Schock, der Trauer und der Wut bis hin zur grimmigen Akzeptanz, wieder in den Dating-Pool zu springen, bleibt kein Gefühl unausgelebt, kein Detail unkommentiert. Die Bandmitglieder Rachel Glassberg und Leah Corper passen sich dem Wirbelwind der Emotionen auf Schritt und Tritt an und wechseln blitzschnell von mäandernden Melodien zu kontrolliertem Chaos, während die reduzierte Produktion von Chad Matheny (Emperor X) die Texte in den Mittelpunkt stellt. Was passiert in diesem Jahr? Die Zeit vergeht, die Vogelkirsche blüht, Geburtstage kommen und gehen und die Alltäglichkeit des Lebens geht weiter - nur mit einem riesigen Loch in der Mitte, das niemand sonst zu bemerken scheint. Richtet man den mikroskopischen Fokus auf diese Leere, malt sie in Pastellfarben, fügt einen Hauch von Velvet Underground und international akzentuierte dreistimmige Harmonien hinzu, dann erhält man so etwas wie "Ditch Me". Die Geschichte von Matching Outfits beginnt auf einem Bauernhof außerhalb von Mjöbäck, Schweden, wo Linnea - Saxophonistin einer Marschkapelle, Chorsängerin und autodidaktische Pianistin - die Musik von The Moldy Peaches und Belle and Sebastian entdeckte und begann, eigene Songs zu schreiben. Nachdem sie nach Berlin gezogen war, ging sie zu einer Open-Mic-Nacht und traf dort Rachel, eine amerikanische Kollegin, die sich bereit erklärte, Schlagzeug auf ihrem Song zu spielen, in dem es darum ging, in einer Karaoke-Bar abgewimmelt zu werden. Leah, eine Bassistin und geheimnisvolle Frau aus Großbritannien, vervollständigte das Trio und Matching Outfits war geboren. Nachdem sie ihr erstes Tape "Band Made Out Of Sand" auf dem Berliner Kassettenlabel Kitchen Leg veröffentlicht hatten, tourte die Band durch Deutschland und Skandinavien, wurde aber auch vom Kult-Radiosender WFMU aus New Jersey eingeladen, ein Syd-Barrett-Cover für eine Fundraising-Compilation aufzunehmen. Matching Outfits tragen keine passenden Outfits, außer wenn sie es tun.

Nachgepresste Vinyl-Zusammenstellung von frühen Singles und EPs der kanadischen Alternative-Künstlerins LOLO! Die aus Toronto, Kanada, stammende LOLO hat sich zu einem aufstrebenden Star der alternativen Popmusik entwickelt. Ihr Durchbruch gelang ihr mit ihrer Overkill-EP, in der sie sich mit peinlicher Adoleszenz (,lonely and pathetic"), Herzschmerz (,hurt less") und Selbstironie (,death wish") auseinandersetzt. Das People Magazine bezeichnete sie daraufhin als ,Emerging Artist" und Spotify nahm sie in seine EQUAL-Kampagne auf, die aufstrebende Künstlerinnen fördert. Nachdem sie bei Hopeless Records unterschrieben hatte, trat LOLO mit ihrer Zusammenarbeit mit der Alt-Pop-Künstlerin Maggie Lindemann ins Rampenlicht. Der Song ,debbie downer" landete in allen Pop/Alt-Playlists und brachte ihr Tourneen und Festivalauftritte beim Lollapalooza und Sad Summer Festival sowie eine UK/EU-Tournee mit Leah Kate ein. Mit der Veröffentlichung ihrer zweiten EP ,Debbie Downer" feierte LOLO mit dem eingängigen ,u turn me on (but u give me depression)" Erfolge im kanadischen Pop-Radio und gestaltet die Alternative-Pop-Szene weiter mit, zuletzt mit ihrem 2024 erschienenen Debütalbum ,Falling For Robots And Whishing I was One". "LOLO creates honest, grungy breakup anthems and hot-girl bangers that mix genres and confuse categories."-Westword "Full of all the anger, angst, cynicism and depression that makes a proper pop punk artist, Toronto singer-songwriter LOLO is well on the rise." -Paper Für Fans von Charlotte Sands, Maggie Linderman, Stand Atlantic, Alternative Rock, Indie-Pop, Punkpop Diese neue Vinyl-Ausgabe der Singles-Compilation kommt in transparentem Rot!

Elsden Music presents the vinyl version of 'Above The Clouds', by the Ilario Ferrari Trio, with two brand news tracks - a new recording of the title track featuring trumpeter Henry Spencer and a stunning live version of "Leah Meets Laika"

The release of the vinyl comes at the point of an extensive tour across the UK and Europea between now and the end of this year.

On the cusp of releasing this, his fourth studio recorded album, pianist and singer Ilario Ferrari has developed a distinctive compositional style that integrates instrumental contemporary jazz with vocal harmonies, adding hints of sounds and rhythms from both Indian and Mediterranean culture, alongside some classical nuances with additional influences from Ilario's southern Italian heritage. This approach is singular to Ilario Ferrari as an artist: a style that is perfectly complimented by his two well-known collaborators and rising jazz stars in their own right; drummer Katie Patterson and bassist Charlie Pyne.

At the heart of 'Above The Clouds' lies the notion of relationships. Between us and our planet, the musical and personal relationships between Ilario, Charlie and Katie, and, of course, with their loved ones. It is also about elevation and observation, from 'Above The Clouds' and from the grounded embrace of Mother Earth, impressions of love, loss, and home, expressed through a beguiling blend of vocal led songs and instrumentals.

This recording is more than just a simple jazz trio album, with the trio expanding and contracting as the song requires. The Ilario Ferrari Trio's innovative approach combined with their indisputable skill promises to be a breath of fresh air in the jazz world and beyond.

Ilario Ferrari: piano, piano effects & vocals
Charlie Pyne: double base & vocals
Ketie Patterson: drums & vocals
Plus: Henry Spencer: trumpet (on "Above The Clouds")

Bryan Beller's (Joe Satriani, Aristocrats, Dethklok) epic progressive double concept 2019 album feat. 26 all-star musicians now on Blue Swirl 2LP in gatefold jacket available! Bassist/composer Bryan Beller (The Aristocrats, Joe Satriani, Dethklok, Steve Vai) presents a sweeping, epic-scale modern progressive double concept album that asks the question: When the storm comes for us, the big one after which things will not be the same, who are we and what do we become in those defining moments? What do we keep, and what do we let go? "Scenes From The Flood" employs an all-star cast of 26 musicians to explore themes of ambition and loss, intentionality and reality, hope and disillusionment. It uses every second of its 18-song, 88-minute running order to tell an emotionally consuming and unforgettable musical story. Produced and composed by Bryan Beller (except "Angles & Exits," composed by Janet Feder), mixed and mastered by Forrester Savell. "Scenes From The Flood" is performed by: Christopher Allis, Bryan Beller, Nili Brosh, Paul Cartwright, Darran Charles, Julian Coryell, Mike Dawes, Janet Feder, Guthrie Govan, Ray Hearne, Gene Hoglan, Mike Keneally, Jamie Kime, Fred Kron, Teddy Kumpel, Jake Howsam Lowe, Evan Mazunik, Nate Morton, Rick Musallam, Mike Olekshy, Griff Peters, John Petrucci, Matt Rohde, Joe Satriani, Rishabh Seen, Joe Travers, Leah Zeger.

Leah Chisholm, die als LP Giobbi bekannte Künstlerin, ist eine der interessantesten und wichtigsten Produzenten und DJs der Welt. Sie ist eine im Jazz ausgebildete Pianistin, die sich von der Welt der Jazzmusik inspirieren lässt und es vorzieht, die oft komplizierten und vorprogrammierten Strukturen der elektronischen Musik zugunsten einer spontanen Live-Zusammenarbeit zu vermeiden. Heute kündigt sie ihr zweites Album Dotr an, das am 18. Oktober auf dem Ninja Tune Imprint Counter Records erscheinen wird.
Dotr ist der mit Spannung erwartete Nachfolger von Light Places, dem Album, das ihr den Titel DJ Mag's Best Producer of 2023 einbrachte und sie unter NPR's Favorite New Musicians of 2023, Spotify RADAR's Artists to Watch, Amazon's Artists to Watch und TIDAL's Artists to Watch 2023 platzierte. Mit 3 Millionen monatlichen Hörern auf Spotify und mehr als 340 Millionen Streams auf allen Plattformen hat LP Giobbi große Festivalbühnen geziert - Coachella, Tomorrowland, Electric Forest, Lollapalooza, sowie Auftritte bei Kappa Futur, Arc Music Festival, Lost Village und Portola, die für dieses Jahr geplant sind - und überfüllte Clubfloors, während sie mit Künstlern wie Mochakk, DJ Tennis, John Summit, Diplo, Dead & Co, Black Coffee und ihrem häufigen Kollaborateur Sofi Tukker tourte. In Dotr sind für LP Giobbi echte, unverfälschte Erinnerungen eingestreut: eine letzte Geburtstags-Voicemail von Patricia Lynn und die Aufnahme eines ihrer letzten Gespräche mit Carolyn Horn. Doch obwohl das Album aus der Trauer geboren wurde, ist es im Großen und Ganzen ein fröhliches Projekt, das die Traurigkeit durch die überschwängliche Offenbarung dessen, was es bedeutet zu leben, überwindet. "Is This Love" ist eine wunderbare Kino-Disco, Carolyn" fühlt sich an wie eine Ode an die Chancen, die man einfach so ergreift. Es gibt Lieder über Liebe und Versöhnung, Hymnen über Trauer und Glauben und Hymnen über Angst und Ekstase - keine Emotion ist vollständig ohne ihr gleichwertiges Gegenteil.

To coincide with the 2024 ‘Just Something’ album tour, Acid Jazz present this special edition 12” EP from Dee C Lee – ‘Extended Versions’, featuring alternate extended cuts from the album. While the conciseness of the track-listing works wonderfully on the album, this is a great opportunity to showcase the featured musicians and collaborators on the record, stretching out and inhabiting the songs on these special extended versions put together by producer Tristan Longworth. Musicians include the late Pat West, who shines on ‘Anything’, and Nigel Price, who plays the stunning guitar intro on ‘Don’t Forget About Love’ . Elsewhere, the backing vocals and Mick Talbot’s gospel-tinged organ provide an ecstatic closing to Leah Weller’s ‘Everyday Summer’ , while the Lee-Talbot co-write ‘Walk Away’ has an extended play-out to once again highlight Nigel’s classy, jazzy playing. Presented on a beautiful picture sleeve, following on from the design layout of the album. Vinyl/EP.

"Learn To Die is a bold new step for a group of musicians, artists, and writers that has at least nominally been considered a punk band. A stylistic overhaul. For those who have been following along, it’ll carry some surprises. Slender began over a decade ago as a semi-improvisational cassette recording project, a casual collaboration between a few friends that was initially documented by two self-titled cassette-only releases released in 2014 and 2015 respectively, now both unavailable and out of print. Most fans, however, will know Slender for their two most recent releases, Walled Garden (2017) and Time On Earth (2019), both released on the tastemaking London art-punk label La Vida Es Un Mus. "Their prior work has earned them comparisons to anarcho-punks Crass and The Snipers, lo-fi flagbearers Swell Maps and Pink Reason, and artrockers Cromagnon and Amon Düül. Here, however, such comparisons feel largely unfounded and the band feels somewhat peerless. Moments of artpunk brutalism, lo-fi experimentalism, and kosmiche detours grace the fabric of Learn To Die, but the album reaches for more than pastiche. Teasing the rarified worlds of chamber music and musique concrete, Slender manages something intangible and strange. A vocoded voice intones multi-lingual poems alongside tinny guitars and sampled strings and flutes. Three chord janglepunk anthems arise suddenly out of a cosmic mist crafted by analogue synths reciting the poetry of machines. The album moves in ways reminiscent of works by artists as varied and singular as Nobukazu Takemura, Chuquimamani-Condori, Coil, and Robert Wyatt, but it doesn’t necessarily occupy the same realm as any of them.” – Leah B. Levinson

Perhaps known as the frontman of Sunfruits and as the drummer for Jade Imagine, Winter McQuinn’s solo music explores psychedelic country and folk rippling with a free-ness similar to Nick Drake, Syd Barrett, Kevin Ayers and more modern 70s soft rock purveyors like Michael Rault and Drugdealer. His impressive 2021 debut album ‘A Rabble Of Bees’ marked the beginning of Winnie’s solo wanderings, showcasing his songwriting talents and DIY inventiveness. Winter McQuinn’s sophomore solo album 'Move To The Trees' is set for April 5th via Third Eye Stimuli Records and Echodelick Records (USA). McQuinn recorded the new album in April 2022 over one weekend in Anglesea, Victoria with Jesse Williams (Leah Senior, Grace Cummings, Traffik Island) as engineer and producer. 'Move To The Trees' showcases a more refined and sonically sophisticated side to Winter McQuinn’s solo music. Featuring talented musicians Jack Kinder and Lewis Mosley from fellow Third Eye Stimuli family, Hot Apple Band, as well as Elena Jones from Sunfruits and Jaspar Robinson, McQuinn and co create a unique space through their artful intersections of hope and tragedy. A series of anthems for the future, settled in a post psych-folk and 70s soft rock energy, McQuinn takes influence from the new-wave of 70s folk and rock influenced artists from the USA's West Coast such as Sylvie, Cut Worms, John Andrews, Anna St Louis, The Lemon Twigs and more. This album showcases a step up in songwriting and production for Winter McQuinn who’s ever evolving style and commitment to creating is inspiring. The album cover design was hand painted by renowned folk / baroque pop artist Leah Senior and portrays McQuinn in different settings around Anglesea and the studio.

We’re hugely excited to announce the brand new album from Dee C. Lee - ‘Just Something’, out 22 March on Acid Jazz. It follows the incredible response to the new single ‘Walk Away’ and last year’s double-sider ‘Don’t Forget About Love’ / ‘Be There In The Morning’, marking the return of one of the UK’s most revered soul singers. Dee is known for her work with The Style Council, Wham!, Slam Slam and Animal Nightlife, and an illustrious solo career (including the Top 3 hit ‘See The Day’). ‘Just Something’ is her first new record since 1998, and her debut for Acid Jazz. Available on LP and CD, all pre-orders from the Acid Jazz Store will be signed by Dee.

‘Just Something’ features 11 songs: nine originals co-written by Dee, a song penned by her daughter Leah Weller, a successful singer/songwriter in her own right, and two inspired covers. Produced by Sir Tristan Longworth, the album is a soulful collection that frames her instantly recognisable vocals in luxurious horns, percussion and keys, and heritage soul with a disco backdrop. While making the record has been a collaborative process, ‘Just Something’ is nevertheless the sound of a singer in charge of her own style and direction. Her vocal delivery and phrasing steal the show throughout, bright and lilting one moment, passionate and ringing the next. She cites Chaka Khan and Jean Carn as major influences, but Lee’s voice is resolutely her own, the product of a life lived.

Inspired by classic Motown, current single ‘Walk Away’ was written by Dee with one of her ‘brothers from another mother’, former fellow Style Council member Mick Talbot, and features Talbot’s distinctive piano and Wulitzer playing on the track. Talbot also plays on another of the album’s many standouts, the Leah Weller-penned ‘Everyday Summer’.

Three of the album’s songs, opener ‘Back In Time’, first single ‘Don’t Forget About Love’ and ‘How To Love’ were co-written with Michael McEvoy and Ernest McKone, whom Dee wrote with back in the 1980s. All three songs channel her musical past, from the thrill and excitement of those early Wham! days, going out and partying, to The Style Council’s trademark jazzy soul, and expressive balladry and killer choruses, which places Lee in the lineage of classic soul singers.

Elsewhere, on ‘Anything’, co-written with Paul Barry, Dee sings her heart out on a song full of optimism and hope for the future, while ‘For Once In My Life’, the oldest song here dates back to 1998, is effortlessly commercial and has hit written all over it, with Lee empowered and regal sounding over a warm blanket of bassy funk.

The album’s two covers, meanwhile, were both suggested to Lee by Acid Jazz’s Eddie Piller. In Lee’s hands, Renee Geyer’s ‘Be There In The Morning’ is pure celebration, taking its cue from the Norman Connors version from 1979. ‘I Love You’, written by Don Blackman and recorded by Weldon Irvine in 1976, could have been written with Lee in mind. A big club tune, Dee recalls hearing it everywhere she went and I wanted to keep as close to the original vibe as she could.

Dee’s relationship with Acid Jazz the goes back to The Style Council days, and it was the 2019 documentary ‘Long Hot Summers’ that renewed Dee’s friendship with label founder Ed Piller and director Dean Rudland. We’re honoured to release this record and be a part of Dee’s return to the forefront of UK soul music.

ISLAND APES is a British band, formed in the East Midlands around 2018. The current line-up consists of ex members of Bivouac, Force Fed and Fudge Tunnel; guitarist/producer Dean Selby, drummer Antronhy, vocalist MKJ and bassist David Ryley. Their roots lie in anxiety, ritual and underlying melody. Call it what you like. Answers on a postcard to God Unknown. So the Germans call English football fans Island Apes? I guess they don’t know about the punk band of the same name. ISLAND APES features a lineup of UK underground punk legends. Antronhy, the drummer, was Nirvana’s infamous dancer at their Live at Reading performance. David Riley was the bass player in the legendary UK noise rock band Fudge Tunnel and current bass player in doom masters Conan. MKJ was in Forcefed and Meatfly; two early 90's influential UK hardcore bands. They have paid their dues and have produced a wild, lo-fi trip into an alternate punk universe where they tame audio chaos and explore the psychedelic side of consciousness. It’s grungy and grimy, guttural and grating, and even dubby, all in the most beautiful way. Their debut self-titled record is available on limited vinyl copies via God Unknown Records. To keep it punk the album will be released on vinyl only. Limited to 300 copies.

Grand River and Sofie Birch are set to unveil their collaborative EP, titled “Our Circadian,” on November 24, through Melantónia.

The two-track release follows Grand River’s final release under the now-discontinued Editions Mego label earlier this year, and Sofie Birch’s two solo albums from 2022. Our Circadian represents the second collaborative release on Melantónia, a platform founded by Hanna Maria & Mattia Onori in 2021, dedicated to music for non-dance environments, featuring early contributions from artists like Polygonia, Plants Army Revolver, and Melantónia co-founders Hanna Maria & Mattia Onori themselves, amongst others.

“Our Circadian” was conceived remotely in 2021 during the lockdown, with the aim of encapsulating two distinct moments of those days – early morning and late afternoon – along with their subtle emotional nuances. The first track of the release – 7PM – conveys dreamy atmospheres that flow into colorful rhythms, recalling the electroacoustic nature of the label’s melancholic sounds. The gloomier 3AM, on the other side of a 7“ record, offers a timeless introspection of a gently intensifying synth sound’s fling.

Grand River, a composer and sound designer, brings her background in linguistics to her work. She draws inspiration from minimalism and ambient music, resulting in atmospheric and rhythmically intricate compositions. Her artistic pursuits traverse the realms of art and electronic music, exploring forms of communication that transcend language, often influenced by nature, scale, and movement. Grand River’s impressive portfolio includes sound installations at 4DSOUND/Monom and Terraforma’s Il Pianeta, as well as performances at prestigious venues like Barbican, Rewire, MUTEK, Le Guess Who?, CTM, Draaimolen, and Atonal’s Kraftwerk. She has also worked on remixes for notable acts like Tangerine Dream. Since 2016, she has curated the label One Instrument, offering a unique creative challenge to artists: creating music using only a single instrument.

Sofie Birch, a celebrated sound artist and producer, is known for her lush ambient releases, art installations, live performances, DJ sets, and her NTS show “Ambient Abracadabra.” Her sonic creations can manipulate space, infuse it with a profound sense of calm, and invite listeners to engage in meditation and introspection through the healing qualities of sound and vibrations. Her music acts as a conduit for understanding the complexities of the mind and body through artistic expression, characterized by a distinct emphasis on stillness, suspension, and sustain. Sofie’s soundscapes open gateways to dream-like states of perception and heightened presence, providing a transcendental journey into an alchemical biosphere. Her extensive repertoire includes performances at renowned events such as Barbican, Roskilde Festival, MUTEK, Unsound, CTM, Rewire, Monom, and Terraforma, as well as award-winning compositions for VR experiences and animated films, in collaboration with artists like Baum & Leahy and animation director Pernille Kjaer.

As Our Circadian takes its final form, it promises a narrative of resilience, creativity, and the indomitable human spirit guided by the artistic mastery of Grand River and Sofie Birch.

It"s a wild ride, but then life with Jeffrey Lee Pierce always was"- Kris Needs

Das Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project hatte immer das Ziel Jeffrey Lee Pierce als einen der einflussreichsten, aber auch meist unterschätzten US Singer-Songwriter hervorzuheben und seine Kunst in die heutige Zeit zu transportieren, indem Wegbegleiter:innen und Bewunderer:innen die Musik des 1996 viel zu früh verstorbenen The Gun Club Sängers neu interpretieren. Nach "We Are Only Riders" (2009), "The Journey Is Long" (2012) und "Axels and Sockets" (2014) präsentiert "The Task Has Overwhelmed Us" Songs aus Pierce"s The Gun Club- und Solo-Zeiten. Außerdem gänzlich neue Tracks, entstanden aus Song- und Textskizzen sowie Live-Demos, die der 1958 in Kalifornien geborene Pierce vor seinem Tod aufgenommen und niedergeschrieben hatte. Fast zehn Jahre nachdem das Vorgänger Album "Axels and Sockets" veröffentlicht wurde, erscheint mit "The Task Has Overwhelmed Us" endlich das finale Kapitel mit Künstler:innen wie u.a. Dave Gahan, Debbie Harry im Duett mit Nick Cave oder Peter Hayes von The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club als LP, limitierte col. LP & CD.

It"s a wild ride, but then life with Jeffrey Lee Pierce always was"- Kris Needs

Das Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project hatte immer das Ziel Jeffrey Lee Pierce als einen der einflussreichsten, aber auch meist unterschätzten US Singer-Songwriter hervorzuheben und seine Kunst in die heutige Zeit zu transportieren, indem Wegbegleiter:innen und Bewunderer:innen die Musik des 1996 viel zu früh verstorbenen The Gun Club Sängers neu interpretieren. Nach "We Are Only Riders" (2009), "The Journey Is Long" (2012) und "Axels and Sockets" (2014) präsentiert "The Task Has Overwhelmed Us" Songs aus Pierce"s The Gun Club- und Solo-Zeiten. Außerdem gänzlich neue Tracks, entstanden aus Song- und Textskizzen sowie Live-Demos, die der 1958 in Kalifornien geborene Pierce vor seinem Tod aufgenommen und niedergeschrieben hatte. Fast zehn Jahre nachdem das Vorgänger Album "Axels and Sockets" veröffentlicht wurde, erscheint mit "The Task Has Overwhelmed Us" endlich das finale Kapitel mit Künstler:innen wie u.a. Dave Gahan, Debbie Harry im Duett mit Nick Cave oder Peter Hayes von The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club als LP, limitierte col. LP & CD.

*BLUE VINYL REPRESS* Started during lockdown by three friends from Leeds, UK who wanted to make some crossover thrash, having been fans of the music for years, Pest Control is the classic story of DIY music straight from a time of crisis. Jack (from Death Metal bruisers Mortuary Spawn) joined soon after the release of the Demo in 2020 and the line up was complete with Pest Control’s first show commencing in their home town the week lockdown ended. Influenced by classic thrash giants such as Metallica, Testament etc. but with a healthy spoonful of crossover like Crumbsuckers, Ludichrist and Municipal Waste, the members grew up with one foot in the Leeds metal and hardcore scenes, taking the best from both worlds. Topping it all off, Leah's powerful vocal reminds one of the great Dawn Crosby from Detente. For the recording of the LP they were joined by Luke on second guitar and now have a permanent second guitarist in the shape of Joe Williams (Big Cheese, Fate) and will be seen touring Europe with the almighty Foreseen, having already played across the UK with Municipal Waste, Eternal Champion and as well as appearances at Outbreak and Wrongside Fests. With this LP the band have truly shown their technical chops from the fast and furious title track to the almost operatic thrash style of The Great Deceiver. There is a fresh range of ideas and most importantly catchy songs for the Crossover Thrash fan to sink their teeth into. Mastered by Arthur Rizk, who knows a thing or two about thrash metal excellence having worked with Power Trip and Fugitive, expect to have your brain well and truly FUMIGATED.

Following on from the success of our first BlackHole vinyl release, we are delighted to bring you the next release from their amazing catalogue, an excursion into eight of the tracks that were included on Tiesto's classic 'In Search of Sunrise 06' mix compilation. This was an album that has had limited vinyl exposure, and this collectors edition will be sold on a first come first served basis. A double vinyl release with 8 tracks (2 per side) in their full unedited glory, all original approved artwork, 5mm sleeve, housing 180g heavyweight black vinyl....

GAZELLE TWIN - aka composer, producer, singer, and visual artist Elizabeth Bernholz - has scored Sky's brand new TV series "Then You Run".

Created for television by Ben Chanan (The Capture), based on the novel YOU by Zoran Drvenkar, Then You Run follows four rebellious London teenagers on a city getaway to Rotterdam. This contemporary eight-part series boasts an incredible cast of rising stars; Leah McNamara (Normal People) as Tara, Vivian Oparah (Rye Lane) as Stink, Yasmin Monet Prince (Hanna) as Ruth and newcomer Isidora Fairhurst as Nessi.

The four friends embark on what should have been the perfect summer break which soon spirals into a dark and perilous adventure. When their attempt to take on some of the most dangerous people in Europe doesn’t quite go to plan, they find themselves on the run with three kilos of heroin, more questions than answers about Tara’s family, and a gang of deadly criminals tracking their every move.

Invada Records have previously released two recent Gazelle Twin scores (2020’s Nocturne and 2021’s The Power).

Her 2018 acclaimed album Pastoral was described by Pitchfork as “...belonging to a proud tradition of English satire, plumbing the depths of the nation’s psyche and twisting it to wryly discomforting ends”.

Black Light Smoke is the electronic music moniker of Jordan Lieb - producer, songwriter, and award winning film and TV composer. A Chicago native, Jordan transplanted to New York City in 2001, where his career as a multi-disciplined musician has taken flight in many forms.

Currently residing in upstate New York, Black Light Smoke returns to Scissor and Thread for his first full length debut-album: Ghosts.
The 12 tracks (plus three digital bonus tracks) span everything from 90s house, smooth and deep soulful beats, dusty grooves and thoughtful treaties on the state of creativity, capitalism and identity.
It’s a collection that sits together as a listening experience perfectly, building peaks and sliding into serene troughs, all with a strong sense of radical thought and creative experimentation. Tracks bend and warp in unexpected directions, while gritty, distortion and overdrive counterpoint classic rave stabs and vocal samples. Taken as a whole, the album could be the soundtrack to a night drive through the city, as much as certain tracks will no doubt find themselves woven into the sets of the more leftfield and genre pushing DJs. Either way, it’s an essential release from one of the most exciting and vital producers out there and the first artist signed to Scissor and Thread back in 2011.

The album title, Ghosts, tells two stories. One is personal - an artist embracing the shadows of his past in order to move forward and complete a body of work. The second story is a search for the original meaning of house music - not just the usual sample, appropriation or casual nod to the originators of house - but a meditation on the living story of Black America in which house music is an inseparable chapter. Both stories are a reflection on grief and the transformation of trauma into celebration.

100% of Jordan Lieb’s personal proceeds from this record will go to Little Bit Foundation, empowering students living in poverty to achieve their academic goals.

"Hans Zimmer LIVE" versammelt mehr als zwei Stunden neuer Musik des in Frankfurt am Main geborenen Komponisten-Stars! Für das Album hat Hans Zimmer neue "Suiten" arrangiert, die auf einigen der bekanntesten Themen und Melodien aus seinen Oscar®-prämierten Filmmusiken basieren, darunter "Dune" und "Der König der Löwen" sowie für moderne Filmklassiker wie "The Dark Knight", "X Men: Dark Phoenix", "Dunkirk", "Gladiator", "Inception", "Interstellar", "Last Samurai", "Man of Steel", James Bond: "Keine Zeit zu Sterben", "Fluch der Karibik" und "Wonder Woman 1984".Gemeinsam mit seiner 20-köpfigen Band "The Disruptive Collective", in der eine Reihe langjähriger musikalischer Partner des Komponisten mitwirken, sowie mit dem Odessa Opera Orchestra und Chor hat Hans Zimmer ein episches Musikspektakel geschaffen, das stimmungsvolle klassische Arrangements und elektronische Elemente mit dem kraftvollen Sound einer Rockband verschmilzt."Ich wollte einfach ein tolles Album produzieren", sagt Zimmer, der "Hans Zimmer LIVE" ähnlich wie eine Studioproduktion an zehn Abenden seiner gleichnamigen Tour im Frühjahr 2022 aufzeichnete und mehrere Wochen damit zubrachte, das Album gemeinsam mit dem Produzenten Stephen Lipson abzumischen. "Ich wollte der Musik ermöglichen, auf neue Weise in ihrem eigenen Zusammenhang zu atmen, und ich bin absolut begeistert von dem fantastischen Team, das mich bei diesem Abenteuer unterstützt hat.""The Disruptive Collective" vereint Musiker, die schon lange mit Hans Zimmer zusammenarbeiten, etwa die Sänger*Innen und Komponist*Innen Lisa Gerrard ("Gladiator"), Lebo M. ("König der Löwen") und Loire Cutler ("X Men: Dark Phoenix"), die Cellistin Tina Guo ("Wonder Woman 1984") und Nick Glennie-Smith (musikalischer Leiter der Band). Zu den weiteren Solist*Innen zählen Andrew Kawczynski (Synthesizer, Schlagzeug), Pedro Eustache (Holzblasinstrumente), Refi (Gesang), Rusanda Panfili (Gesang), Guthrie Govan (Gitarren), Andy Pask (Kontrabass), Aicha Djidjelli (Trommeln), Steven Doar (Schlagzeug, Keyboards), Molly Rogers (Gesang), Juan Garcia Herreros Snow Owl (E-Bass), Nile Marr (Gitarren), Leah Zeger (Gesang), Holly Madge (Drumkit), Aleksandra Suklar (Schlagzeug). Hans Zimmer spielt auf dem Album eine Reihe verschiedener Instrumente.Die 2 CD-Version im Digipac enthält ein Booklet mit Bildern von der Live-Show und Illustrationen, einen persönlichen Text von Hans Zimmer und Texte zu allen Solisten.Die limitierte audiophile Vinyl-Version enthält 4 x 180g LPs im Quadfold mit bedruckten Innentaschen. Enthalten sind Bilder von der Live-Show und Illustrationen, ein persönlicher Text von Hans Zimmer und Texte zu allen Solisten. Direct Metal Mastering. 33 RPM.

Die genreübergreifenden Symphonic-Metal-Pioniere DELAIN sind zurück!

Die niederländischen Symphonic-Metal-Pioniere DELAIN brechen mit ihrem mit Spannung erwarteten, brandneuen Album „Dark Waters“, das am 10. Februar 2023 über Napalm Records erscheint, in neue
Gefilde vor. Die makellose Platte markiert ein bahnbrechendes Kapitel in der Geschichte der Band und präsentiert die Idee des Keyboarders, Gründers und Hauptsongwriters Martijn Westerholt mit einer neuen
Besetzung. Original-Gitarrist Ronald Landa und Original-Schlagzeuger Sander Zoer stoßen wieder zu DELAIN und stärken die Kontinuität, während neue Mitglieder – die großartige Sängerin Diana Leah und der Bassist Ludovico Cioffi – ihren Sound weiterentwickeln. Dark Waters folgt dem Chartstürmer Apocalypse & Chill (2020) und integriert die raffiniertesten Sounds des Genres. DELAIN's renommierte Orchesterarrangements, hervorgehoben durch moderne Schattierungen, setzen neue Maßstäbe und manifestieren den Fünfer an der Spitze der Szene. Eine klangliche Achterbahnfahrt aus eingängigen Melodien mit explosiven Elementen – von Pop über Filmmusik bis hin zu glühendem Metal – verschmilzt perfekt mit Dianas fantastischer Stimme und zeigt ihr unglaubliches Talent und ihre musikalische Raffinesse.

Als brandneuer Anfang und sicherer Hafen gleichermaßen, setzt ”Dark Waters” zweifellos das Vermächtnis dieser millionenfach gestreamten führenden Symphonic-Metal-Band fort und enthält alles, wofür DELAIN geliebt wird, und noch mehr.

Summer was conceived as an entry point for Sonae to access and wrestle with difficult themes, to engage with them authentically, artfully, personally. It was also the starting point for a collaborative audio-visual project with video artist Jennifer Trees (the confronting multimedia installation that premiers in September 2021 at Stadtgarten, Cologne).

Summer articulates these ideas using the unique musical and sonic language that Sonae has been developing across previous releases. The expressive textures and tender melodics of 2015’s Far Away is Right Around the Corner; the atmospheric noise and brute unease of 2018’s I Started Wearing Black; the vicious edges of her 2019 remix-tape Music For People Who Shave Their Heads. Summer is haunted by blistered cellos and spectral string drones, the elegant and emotive movement around diatonic harmonies that echo the classicism and bucolic themes of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons (1775). Like Vivaldi, Sonae’s work is programmatic, presenting a progressive, intensifying narrative and suggesting aural phenomena of the natural world - buzzing insects, breaking rocks, waves crashing, dust and heat rising - and characterising the seasonal spirit as capricious, volatile and punishing. In these ways, Summer is related to pastoral traditions of European classicism, evoking the aura of doomed and dust-blown gothic grandiosity. It also has feet firmly planted within the lean, sound worlds of underground techno - pulsating four-on-the-floor beats with deep, vibrational sine-wave sub kicks; elegantly bleak, distorted atmospherics that straddle the uncanny space between corrosion and euphoria. The result is a visceral and poetic listening experience. Original, highly affecting, fully engaging body, mind and soul. (…)

Sonae’s music evokes imagination, provokes emotion, and disrupts and defies expectations. She explores the edges and intensities of experience, creating audible and embodied sensations that suggest the physical, atmospheric, and psychological effects of global warming on a living organism. We feel the fatigue, the slowness, sweatiness, dizziness, the sensations of uncomfortable warmth and burning; the atmospheres are hazy, dark and heavy, articulations are brutish and tactile, crunchy and sharp; there is restlessness and resignation, desolation and awe.

Summer is not a warning. It is not an explanation or an argument. It offers no answers. Summer simply holds up a mirror and asks us to experience and behold both the beauty and the brutality of our present reality. It is a work of protest, grief and hope, and it functions as a space for the listener to reckon with these truths and sensations for themselves. (Leah Kardos, London, June 2021)

Sonae (Sonia Güttler) is a German electronic producer and DJ, based in Cologne. Her acclaimed debut album was released in 2015 with Monika Enterprise (Berlin) followed on the same label with her second album in 2018 : ‘’I Started Wearing Black’’. Her Third album ‘’Music For People Who Shave Their Heads’’ has been released in 2019 with bit-phalanx (London).
Sonae plays live solo and with the label collective Monika Werkstatt at places like Institut Für Zukunft (Leipzig), Meakusma Festival (Eupen), Ausland (Berlin), Pop Kultur Festival (Berlin), Fusion Festival (Germany), Uh-Fest (Budapest), Cafe Oto (London), 23rpm Festival (London) The Cube (Bristol) and more on the same bill with Squarepusher, Plaid, Darkstar, Kyoka, Frank Bretschneider, Tim Exile.

Amateur Dramatics is Awkward Corners AKA Chris Menist's second LP in the space of a year. In 2020 – a time when the global pandemic gave artists more time and space to think about their music – Chris took his collaborations and compositions to a different level. Having already collaborated remotely with Sarathy Korwar, as well as Kitty Whitelaw through Karthik from Flamingods' Isolate/Create/Collaborate community, Chris turned his thoughts towards a new project. Amateur Dramatics is influenced by the events of early 2021 and alludes to the general atmosphere of political life in the UK right now where we are chivvied along by people who seem woefully unqualified to be commanding authority. Musically, the LP builds on foundations of the meditative, devotional electronic aspects of previous LP Dislocation Songs but this time frames it more in a jazz context with significant collaborations with Collocutor and Maisha's Tamar Osborn on four tracks.Vocals (from Kitty Whitelaw) feature on an Awkward Corners track for the first time, as well as double bass provided by David Leahy.The result is a thoughtful and deep listening 40 minute listening experience.

Nadja is a duo of multi-instrumentalist Aidan Baker and bassist Leah Buckareff—active since 2005—and making music which can be described as ambient doom, dreamsludge, or metalgaze. Nadja’s signature sound combines the atmospheric textures of shoegaze and ambient/electronic music with the heaviness, density, and volume of metal, noise, and industrial.
For their new album, Luminous Rot, the duo retain their overblown/ambient sound, and explore shorter and more tightly structured songs reflecting their interests not only in metal, but post-punk, cold-wave, shoegaze, and industrial.

Thematically, Luminous Rot explores ideas of 'first contact' and the difficulties of recognising alien intelligence. This was in part inspired by reading such writers as Stanislaw Lem and Cixin Lui -- in particular, theories on astro-physics, multi-dimensionality, and spatial geometry in "The Three Body Problem" -- as well as Margaret Wertheim's "A Field Guide To Hyperbolic Space," about mathematician Daina Taimina's work with crochet to illustrate hyperbolic space and geometry.
The album was recorded between their home studio, Broken Spine Studios, or Nadja’s live rehearsal studio, both in the district of Lichtenberg, Berlin. Luminous Rot marks the first album mixed by someone else, who in this case was David Pajo. The band comment, “as big fans of Slint, we thought he might fore-front the more angular, post-punk elements of our music - the mix is quite different from our previous albums. But, as usual, we had James Plotkin (Khanate, OLD, etc) master the album as we trust his ears and aesthetic, as he's mastered numerous records of ours.”

Music in Exile is excited to announce a new 12” maxi-single release from the “King of Music”, GORDON KOANG. Titled Coronavirus / Disco, this double-A-side release share’s Gordon’s messages of peace, love and positivity, and is his first original offering since his acclaimed Unity album was released in late 2020.

The first single, Coronavirus, was penned by Koang in July 2020 as a response to his personal experiences of the global pandemic. As his hometown of Melbourne went into lockdown, Gordon resided in the outer suburbs of Melbourne with his cousin, Paul, and his four-stringed, guitar-like instrument, the thom. Throughout this single, Gordon offers his condolences to those affected by the pandemic, alongside messages of his faith in frontline workers and the hope that circumstances will improve soon. “People suffer a lot. I ask that God gives the doctors the big wisdom to defeat the coronavirus. When people hear my song, I hope that this music counsels them. The song has a lot of meaning, it is telling them to be hopeful.”

With the cancellation of a national tour and numerous festival appearances, Covid-19 had not only impacted Gordon’s career here in Australia but also his opportunity to visit family he hadn’t seen in five years. After receiving Australian permanent residency, Gordon and Paul were now able to visit family in Uganda, however this was made incredibly difficult due to border closures and the potential health risks. Taking a last minute opportunity, Gordon and Paul travelled to Africa and whilst excited to visit their families, they also experienced the impact of the pandemic on their home communities. “In Africa, it is not like us here, there is no medicine and in Africa there is also no Centrelink if you are in lockdown. It is difficult getting services. Even getting food is difficult.”

After two weeks in hotel quarantine, Gordon and Paul returned to Melbourne, eager to record music once more. With lockdown lifting, Gordon headed to the studio with a new band featuring Zak Olsen (ORB, Traffik Island) Jack Kong (Baked Beans, Traffik Island), David “Daff” Gravolin (ORB), and Jesse Williams (Leah Senior, Girlatones). This new release is the result of these studio sessions, jamming and recording at Button Pusher in Preston, Melbourne.

For the DJ’s out there, both tracks will feature on a limited edition, 12” maxi single vinyl complete with pull-out poster from Gordon, encouraging listeners to stay positive during this difficult time.

“My condolences to you, my audience in lockdown. We are all suffering from coronavirus. Let us stand firm and be strong. Let us look after each other, until the time comes when God brings us together. I give my condolences to people who have died of coronavirus, in aged care and disability. We are heartbroken for everyone. Let us take it easy, and pray in our houses, all around the world. If you believe in God, pray to the God you believe in, and they will help you. God will give us the chance to go back to normal and open all events. Even if it is a bad time now, there will be a change and it will be a good time for us. Thank you to everyone.” - Gordon Koang

Reissue on vinyl of the fourth PJ Harvey studio album Is This Desire?. Produced by PJ Harvey with Flood and Head, and originally released in September 1998, Is This Desire? features the singles ‘A Perfect Day Elise’ and ‘The Wind’. Reissue is faithful to the original recording and package, cutting by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering under the guidance of longtime PJ Harvey producer Head.

Collection of unreleased demos of every track written for the fourth PJ Harvey studio album Is This Desire?, including demos of ‘A Perfect Day Elise’, ‘The Wind’ and ‘Angelene’. Audio has been mastered by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering under the guidance of longtime PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish. Features brand new artwork with previously unseen photos by Maria Mochnacz.

LP Info

1LP, 180gsm black vinyl
Full colour outer sleeve, with printed inner sleeve
Artwork includes previously unseen photos
Download card

“dego & 2000Black Remixes / Fish Factory Sessions” features two remixes from renowned broken beat innovator dego and 2000Black of “Sour Face”. One rooted in Brazilian funk and boogie and the other delving into a deeper Bruk realm, the reworkings showcase the versatility of the original track. Taken from Bryony Jarman-Pinto’s critically acclaimed debut LP ‘Cage and Aviary’, “Sour Face” focusses on the wider frustrations of everyday life; “of break ups, environmental issues, the album and myself” she confesses.
Alongside a selection of beautifully recorded as-live sessions of album tracks from the songwriter and vocalist, performed with a full band at London’s legendary Fish Factory Studios. “The sessions were meant to feel live, like a performance.” Bryony explains, “All the musicians have put their ideas into the songs, transporting them to somewhere beyond the album versions and allowing them to take on a new life”. Released last summer, the much-anticipated ‘Cage and Aviary’ was written over the course of three years and created with long-time friend, collaborator and Tru Thoughts label-mate Tom Leah AKA Werkha. Tying together personal reflection to wider social issues, the album gives an intimate insight into what it means to come of age in today’s world. Sophisticated song writing layered with jazz, soul and elements of folk charmed many major tastemakers including Gilles Peterson, Jamie Cullum, Lauren Laverne, Tony Minvielle, Toshio Matsuura, Laurent Garnier, Clash, The Telegraph, Bandcamp and EARMILK.